He didn’t come to me. He stood over Doug and, without hesitation, fired three shots into his chest.
Doug stopped breathing.
And I felt some of my power return.
38
BREAKTHROUGH
I jumped and lunged at Raven, tackling him to the ground. I grabbed his wrist and twisted, snapping it easily. He screamed in pain, and the gun fell out of his hand.
“Kane, run!” Selena yelled behind me.
I hesitated. I didn't want to leave them behind, but if I left I could come up with some sort of plan. I jumped off Raven and ran towards the door out of the gymnasium. Raven’s soldiers were so shocked that it took them a moment to compose themselves. They fired at me as I ran through the doors, wood and drywall raining down around me.
I turned to the right, running faster than I normally could, now that some of my powers had returned. At the end of the hallway was a set of stairs that led to the offices and supply closets on the second floor. I bounded up, taking four steps at a time.
When I reached the second floor, I ran down the hallway, doors leading to various rooms flying by on my left and right. When I reached the intersection of two hallways, I turned right. I stopped for a second, leaning up against the wall, breathing heavily.
Emotion came crashing down on me all at once. Sadness, anger, shock… Doug was really dead, killed by Raven. I had seen it with my own eyes—and had felt some of my powers return when he breathed his last breath.
I couldn’t help but smile. So Doug had been right all along. He really was a Super. I felt guilt flower inside me, growing by the second. We had always made fun of him, teased him—but we’d never believed him. We’d always told him he wasn’t a Super.
I buried my head in my hands. Why hadn’t we believed him? Why hadn’t we just let him believe that he really was one of us? I wiped a tear from my eye. I wanted nothing more than to go back and tell him that he was right. That he really was a Super.
My thoughts turned to my friends, down there in the gym. Raven was not going to be happy that I’d escaped. What if he took his anger out on them? I needed to come up with a plan fast. I had to save them.
I felt something tug at me.
I jumped back, scrambling to see what it was. My eyes glowed slightly, but I couldn’t see anything around me.
“Check upstairs!” I heard someone shout, followed by the sound of footsteps stomping up the stairs.
I felt the tug again, pulling me to the left. It was as if a string was tied to my chest, and someone was pulling on it, leading me someplace.
The footsteps reached the top of the stairs. I could see the beams from the soldiers’ flashlights flickering down the hallway.
With nothing to lose and no other option, I followed the tug to my left. It grew stronger the farther down the hallway I went. I ran faster and faster, trying to put as much distance between myself and Raven’s soldiers as I could.
I reached another intersection. I could keep going down the hallway ahead of me, or go down the one to my left, or to my right. I stopped and closed my eyes, focusing on the tug. It was pulling to the right, so I started running down the new hallway.
I ran down it for a few seconds, and then suddenly, the tugging was no longer there. I stopped as fast as I could, panicking. I spun around in the hallway, but nothing out of the ordinary caught my eye. I knew I hadn’t been imagining the tugging…had I?
I took a couple of steps backwards and once again felt the tug. A couple of steps forward and it was gone. Frustrated, I grabbed the doorknob of the door on my right. I swung the door open, but there was nothing but a water heater inside. I turned and swung open the door to my left—and was almost blinded by the bright white light on the inside.
Samantha jumped back, letting out a small yelp, shielding herself with the asthenés plásma. I jumped inside the closet, shutting the door behind me.
“Samantha, it’s okay,” I whispered.
Samantha set down the bottle and wrapped her arms around me. “I was so worried, Kane,” she whispered. “It sounded bad out there. Really, really bad.” She pulled back. “What’s going on?”
I wiped a tear away before she could see it. “It’s bad. Raven is the one who’s attacking. Apparently he could tell the asthenés plásma was here, and he got together some men to help him take it.”
Samantha’s gaze darted to the glowing bottle next to her. “So, he knows where we are?” she asked, the blood draining from her face.
“No, he just knows it’s around here somewhere. If I was able to find it, though, I’m sure it won’t be long until he does.”
“What do you mean, you knew?” Samantha asked.
“I can’t really explain it. Just trust me—we need to get out of here.”
“Okay,” Samantha said. She picked up the asthenés plásma.
I reached out for the bottle. “Let me take that.” I grabbed the handles, and as soon as I touched them, my eyes glowed as bright as they ever had. Then the entire room turned blue, and my vision went white. I fell to the floor, passing out.
39
ATHENA
I was standing over Doug’s body.
You know, Kane Andrews, a voice in my head said. It wasn’t Samantha’s. This one sounded a bit older. It was smooth and almost sexual in its tone. You know.
I looked up from Doug’s lifeless body. I was standing in the gymnasium, and from what I could tell, it was empty. There was a single light shining down on me, like a spotlight. I couldn’t see anything outside its radius.
A woman draped in beautiful silver robes stepped into the light. Her eyes glowed white instead of blue like all the other Supers. Her immaculate skin almost shone. Her thick, wavy black hair flowed with her every step. She smiled, comforting me.
“Hello, Kane Andrews,” she said. Her voice was the one I’d heard in my head moments ago.
“Where am I?” I asked.
“You’re in a broom closet with Samantha Trask. She’s trying to wake you,” she said.
I looked around. It didn’t seem like I was in a broom closet. This all felt so real. “So, this is a dream?”
The woman smiled and shook her head. She stopped walking on the other side of Doug’s body. I was mesmerized by her glowing white eyes. “No, Kane. This is not a dream.”
I tried to process what she was saying, but I wasn’t really following.
“My name is Athena,” she said, waiting for me to catch the hint.
It clicked. “Athena…like asthenés plásma?”
“Yes.”I stared at her, my mouth open slightly. “I can see now why Raven is so obsessed with you.” My cheeks flushed as soon as the words had left my mouth. “I, I mean—”
“I understand.” “So… do you live in the bottle, or something? Like a genie?” I asked.
Athena shook her head. “No, I’m not like a genie.”
“An alien?”
“No. I’m not entirely sure I believe in aliens, to be honest. I have a hard enough time keeping up with this world.”
I chuckled, but when I glanced down, I stopped. Doug’s dead eyes were looking up into mine, and I felt sick. “Why am I here?” I looked back up at Athena. “What’s going on?”
Athena stepped back, turning to face the darkness. “Before we begin, you should know that I have no allegiances.”
“I understand.” But I couldn’t believe that someone so beautiful and seemingly kind could ever help someone like Raven—although I quickly reminded myself that he did seem to gain a lot of knowledge from the asthenés plásma.
“Excellent.” Athena turned and faced me once again, the sudden light coming from her glowing eyes causing me to wince. “The reason you are here, Kane Andrews, is because I sensed your desire. You are powerful enough to summon me. Your desire is enough to warrant a response.” Athena looked down at Doug. “I can save your friend. For a price.”
I wanted to scream Yes! I wanted to tell her that I would do anything to save Doug. But her b
eautiful, mesmerizing face paralyzed me as she stepped over Doug’s body, putting her face just inches from mine. Her lips were close enough that I could feel her warm breath on my skin.
“Name it,” I said, forcing the words out, barely above a whisper.
She stepped behind me, but I couldn’t turn to look. She appeared on my left, her lips inches from my ear. “A favor,” she whispered, sending chills down my spine.
“A favor?” I swallowed hard, wetting my dry throat. “A favor is all?”
Athena stepped back and gave a laugh that echoed across the room. It nearly brought me to my knees. “A favor ‘is all’?” she said. “You truly underestimate your powers, Kane Andrews. Yes, a favor.” I hesitated. I wanted to bring Doug back more than anything. But giving this woman a blank check didn’t seem like the best idea.
My thoughts turned to Samantha, who was probably kneeling over my unconscious body, trying to wake me. I cared about her. She wasn’t just a friend; she was family. And her family was my family. I had the option to bring her brother back to life—a brother I hadn’t even told her was dead. If I did this, I’d never have to. I could save her the heartbreak before she even felt it.
I let out a deep breath. “Fine,” I said, trying my best to sound confident and strong. “You have a deal.”
Athena clapped her hands together. “Excellent!” She handed me an empty vial with a cork on top. “Take a little bit of the plásma and pour it in here. Give it to Doug, and he will return to you.”
I stared at the vial for a second, trying to decide if this was really what I wanted to do. Then I grabbed it and held it tight in my closed fist. “Okay. Anything else?”
For a split second, Athena looked more evil than angelic. “Yes, just one more thing.” She lifted her finger and slashed a capital A into the skin of my chest, above my heart.
I let out a startled shout. The letter was seared into my skin, and scarred over instantly.
“A reminder of our deal. I’ll be seeing you soon, Kane Andrews,” she said before stepping into the darkness.
* * *
My eyes shot open. The first thing I saw was Samantha’s terrified face.
“Oh my god!” she gasped. “Kane!”
“Shh, they’ll hear us,” I hissed.
“I thought you were dead. I was so scared.”
I sat up, groaning in pain. I rubbed my head where I’d hit it on the floor. “How long was I out?”
“Just a few minutes. You touched that,” she said, looking at the asthenés plásma with distain. “And then you passed out.”
My head really hurt, and I began to think that maybe everything that had just happened to me had been a hallucination. But then I felt something warm in my left hand. It was the vial Athena had given me.
I looked down at my chest. There was a tear in my shirt in the shape of a capital A. I pulled back my collar and looked at my chest. Sure enough, the letter was engraved as a scar above my heart.
“What happened?” Samantha asked.
“I’ll explain everything later. First, we need to save your brother.”
40
THE ONLY WAY OUT
Samantha almost fell apart when I explained Doug’s situation to her. Once I told her that I could save him, though, a fierce determination came across her face. I put my ear up against the closet door. The vial of asthenés plásma was warm in my pocket. “I don’t hear anything. I think they’ve moved on.” I turned to face Samantha. “You ready?”
She nodded. “Let me just hide this,” she said, lifting the bottle of plásma. She stuck it in the corner of the closet and placed an empty mop bucket over it. “Okay.”
I cracked open the closet door, then looked to make there was nobody coming. The coast was clear, so I stepped out, Samantha close behind me. We crept down the hallway, doing our best to not make any noise. My eyes glowed a very faint blue, just enough for us to see.
We reached the hallway intersection, and I turned left. We moved quickly from door to door, pausing for a second before moving to the next one. We listened for any sign of Raven’s soldiers, ready to dash inside one of the rooms to hide.
When we reached the end of the hallway, I looked around the corner as carefully as I could. Two men were standing at the stairway opposite each other, their backs up against the wall. I pulled back and raised my hand, showing Samantha two fingers, mouthing Two men.
She nodded. I wished she was still able to talk in my head. That would’ve made planning something much easier.
When I looked back around the corner, the two men were still standing there. They were standing like statues, their backs against the wall, guns at the ready. Where had Raven found these guys? They looked very serious, and seemed to know exactly what they were doing. I tried to figure out if there was a way to get to them without their knowing, but I couldn’t think of any. I was faster than normal, but not by much. They’d still hear me and have plenty of time to shoot at me. The hallway offered no cover. It’d be like a shooting gallery.
I pulled back and leaned my head up against the wall. I had to think. I needed to come up with some plan. Ideas flashed through my head, but most of them wouldn’t work.
Then one that latched on. It could work.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the vial of asthenés plásma, keeping it clutched tight in my fist so only a little bit of light leaked out. I reached my clenched fist out into the hallway.
“Trust me,” I whispered to Samantha.
I opened my fist a tiny bit, letting a small flash of bright white light leak out. Then I closed my hand again and pulled it back out of the hallway.
I could hear the two soldiers jump to attention. I shoved the vial back into my pocket and turned to Samantha. I grabbed the doorknob closest to us and swung the door open. “Get in,” I whispered.
She looked at me, confused, taking a step back into the classroom the doorway led to.
“Hurry!” I whispered. “They’re coming.”
She went the rest of the way into the classroom and quietly shut the door behind her.
I watched the two beams of light from the flashlights attached to the soldiers’ assault rifles bounce up and down the hallway. They were getting closer and closer, investigating the bit of light they’d seen out of the corners of their eyes. I clenched my fists and stood at the corner of the hallway, ready for them to make their appearance.
The barrel of the first assault rifle appeared around the corner. I reached out and grabbed it, yanking it upwards as hard as I could. The gun slammed into the face of the man who was carrying it. I grabbed the rifle from the other man, yanking it backwards out of his hand and sending it flying back into the hallway. Then I grabbed the man himself and slammed his head against the wall, leaving a dent in the drywall.
The first soldier grabbed me from behind, pulled me backwards and slammed my body against the wall. The air flew from my lungs, and the wall bent from the force of it all. The soldier slammed a one-two punch to my chest. As he launched his next attack, I jumped out of the way just in time. His fist slammed into the wall and burst all the way through.
I whirled and punched his trapped arm. It cracked under the force of the blow, but before he could howl in pain, I slammed my fist to his head, knocking him unconscious. He fell to the floor, pulling his broken arm out of the hole it had made in the wall.
The soldier I’d slammed into the wall slowly got up from the floor. He placed his hand against the wall to help himself up, but I kicked him in the chest, sending him backwards into the opposite wall. He smashed into it, then slumped to the floor in a passed-out heap.
I grabbed the first soldier and dragged him to the door of the classroom that Samantha was hiding in, then pulled him in behind me. “Are you okay?” I asked as I set the soldier down.
“Yeah,” Samantha said. “That didn’t take long.”
“I guess all that fighting with Selena helped.”
I went back to grab the other soldier. Once t
hey were both in the classroom, I shut the door behind us. I gathered up their guns and handed one of the assault rifles to Samantha. “You got some training on these, right?”
Samantha nodded. “I’ve shot them a couple of times in the past week.”
“Good,” I said. “Hopefully we won’t need them, but you never know.”
I clicked off my flashlight, and Samantha followed suit. Then we made our way down the hallway toward the light that shone up from the first floor.
We moved down it as quietly as we could. There was nobody in the first floor hallway. The soldiers who weren’t out looking for me were probably going to be in the gymnasium with Raven.
Samantha and I put our backs up against the wall that the hallway shared with the gym. We quietly made our way towards the door that led to the gym, alert for any signs of Raven’s men. I reached the door and, after taking a deep breath, peeked through the window.
Raven had everybody gathered in the middle of the gym. His soldiers were standing around with guns pointed at my friends, ready to shoot should any of them make the wrong move. Raven himself was sitting in a chair, his broken wrist being bandaged up by the soldier who’d been working on Doug’s stitches.
Doug’s body still lay lifeless next to Selena, who was glowering at Raven, the look on her face saying she wanted nothing more than to tear him apart.
“What’s it look like?” Samantha whispered over my shoulder.
“Not good,” I said. “They’re all over the place. I have no idea how we’re going to get to Doug.”
There was a pregnant pause before Samantha spoke up again. “Can I see?”
I turned to meet her gaze. Her eyes were sad but her determination seemed strong. “Are you sure you want to?” I asked.
Samantha hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Maybe I can see some way we can get in there.”
“Okay,” I said, then stepped back, making room for her to peek through the window.
Samantha gazed through the window, searching for her brother’s body. I watched her face, dreading the moment she found him. Suddenly, her eyes grew wide and instantly began to water. She slammed her hand over her mouth, trying to keep herself from crying out. Her body shook with silent sobs.
The War of the Supers (The First Superhero Book 3) Page 15
