The Light, the Dark and the Ugly

by Bryan Cohen

  Ted got through to his parents on the first ring. "Mom? It's me, are you safe?" Ted's smile brought Erica some relief. "Good. I am, too. I'll call you soon. I love you." He hung up and tossed the phone to Natalie. "They were at brunch, they're fine. Shouldn't we put out the fires first?"

  Erica shook her head as Natalie got the all-clear from her folks. "Putting them out won't mean anything if we don't take down the source."

  Travis nodded after his short phone call and gave the phone back to Erica.

  She gathered them together. "Ted, I need you to do an aerial sweep around town."

  Ted's face looked like it was asking for forgiveness. Erica's heart skipped a beat. "What is it?"

  Ted bit his lip. "I don't know if it was the book or the fight, but I'm totally wiped. I can't even read your minds right now."

  Natalie mumbled something indecipherable. "Great. Could today get any better?"

  Erica glared at Natalie. "Enough." She looked back at the group as a whole. "We need to meet up with the Sheriff's Department and see if we can't get a location on Adam."

  Travis broke away from the group, as if he spotted something out in the distance. "I don't think we need to worry about that."

  Erica and the others looked out toward the horizon as well. She expected to see Adam's ugly mug flying through the air, but instead, she saw a small break in the middle of the smoke clouds. "What am I looking at here, Travis?"

  Travis pointed straight ahead. "As much as it disappoints me, look at the only building that isn't on fire."

  Ted nodded. "Of course. He had to know we'd figure that out. He wants us to find him."

  Erica sighed and pulled out the phone. She dialed Dhiraj's number again. "Hey. Meet us with all the firepower you've got. It's time to go to school on a Saturday."

  Erica led the pack as they jogged toward the flame-free building. Ted was right beside her.

  "Any luck on getting those powers back?"

  Ted gave a negative response. "I don't know. Maybe he has a dark soul who's tailing me. I'm dry."

  Erica grunted. "I guess we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way."

  As they entered the school parking lot, they had no problem spotting Adam. He was hovering five feet off the ground before the front door of the building. Both of his hands were coated in flames, and he had a supremely crazy look in his eyes.

  His grin showed way too many teeth. "It looks like the whole gang's back together again."

  Erica straightened her spine. "You don't have to do this, Adam."

  The powerful Presidential candidate rubbed at his chin. "Of course I do. I wanted this to come full circle. You bring a building down on me…"

  The sound of brick ripping apart from concrete filled Erica's ears. Pipes broke off and electrical wires disconnected as most of Treasure High floated up into the air.

  "I bring a building down on you!"

  Chapter 48

  Jennifer felt the wind rushing through her hair as Dhiraj drove Van Housen's car at a breakneck pace.

  A few minutes earlier at the lair, Jennifer had picked up one piece of equipment. The metal object was much heavier than it looked.

  "This is only for emergencies, Jen."

  "Can you think of any situation that would qualify as more of an emergency than this?"

  Dhiraj scratched his head. "Flying killer whale attack?"

  "You drive, I'll read the instructions."

  Van Housen agreed to let Dhiraj borrow the car, as long as he promised to keep it scratch-free. Jennifer doubted they'd fulfill the terms of the agreement, but she appreciated the speed and her wind-blown hair.

  Adam was visible from a block away. The fireballs on his fingertips were like a visual homing beacon.

  She put the weapon into position through the passenger-side window and smiled. "Thanks for giving me a target, Kit."

  Her grin quickly gave way to terror when she saw Treasure High lift off its foundation. Jennifer had never thought of school as a weapon, but it was absolutely terrifying when compared to a handgun or a sword.

  Dhiraj's jaw was on the steering wheel. "That's something you don't see every day."

  Jennifer fought off the butterflies and spoke up. "Drive faster. Turn exactly when we planned."

  Dhiraj complied, but his voice was hesitant. "Jen, that'll put us right under the building."

  She armed the weapon. "Not if you drive faster!"

  Dhiraj took the hint and pushed the pedal all the way to the ground. Van Housen's orange muscle car lived up to its drag racing potential as the world zipped by.

  Adam appeared to be laughing as he slowly pushed the building forward. Erica and the rest of the gang were backing up, but there's no way they'd all make it unless Jennifer's plan was a success.

  "On my mark."

  Dhiraj screamed above the roar of the engine. "Okay!"

  Jennifer trained the weapon straight out the side of the car. She knew she'd only have one chance at this.

  "Now!"

  Dhiraj turned the wheel and hit the brakes. Their timing had been perfect, as the car skidded to a stop with Adam directly in front of her.

  "This is for my dad."

  Jennifer pulled the trigger and the bazooka unloaded its contents. In the moment before the projectile made impact, Jennifer saw Adam's smile turn solemn. With a direct hit, an explosion erupted all around Adam. The sound was painful but satisfying.

  Jennifer tossed the weapon out of the car and pushed open the back door. "Get in!"

  The rest of the gang dove in through the open door, and as soon as everyone had entered, Dhiraj stepped on the gas. Treasure High had been hovering directly above them in the seconds following the explosion, but the building couldn't stay floating forever. It plummeted straight down. With any other car, they'd be pancakes, but Van Housen's massive-engine-that-could pulled them free of the impact just in the nick of time. Adam hadn't been so lucky.

  Dhiraj spun the car in a complete 180 this time. Jennifer looked straight ahead at the place she'd called school. Despite the lack of foundation, the building was more or less intact, though it sat at a slight angle on the steps leading up to where it once was. The spot where Adam had been used to be the Freshman Cafeteria. The man who'd orchestrated her father's death was nowhere to be seen.

  The four backseat passengers had gotten all tangled up in the escape.

  Natalie pushed Travis and Ted off her. "Think he's roadkill?"

  Ted dusted some ash off his shirt. "More like schoolkill."

  Jennifer could tell by the look on Erica's face that the fight wasn't even close to over.

  Her best friend pointed toward the building. "No such luck."

  Through one of the classroom windows, a ball of fire was clearly visible. It took Jennifer a few moments to realize that it was actually Adam himself. The flames washed over his body, though they didn't seem to be anywhere close to consuming him.

  Adam stood by the window and let loose a deranged laugh. The fire around him went out and he ran deeper into the uprooted school.

  Jennifer punched the inside of her door. "Damn it!"

  Erica put up her hand. "No, you did good. If he wasn't hurt he would've flown away. She looked at Ted. "This is our best chance, powers or no."

  He nodded. "Okay."

  Natalie opened her door. "If you don't care about powers, then put me in, coach."

  Erica grunted her approval. When Travis tried to get out of the car as well, he stumbled and puked into a sewer grate.

  Natalie crouched by his side. "What's the issue, Conner?"

  Travis moaned. "Between the portal and the car ride..."

  Erica gave a short chuckle. "You have one heck of a weak stomach."

  Natalie patted him hard on the back and caught Jennifer's eye. "Take care of him. And we'll take care of Adam for you."

  Jennifer wanted one more shot at the bastard, but she knew that there wasn't much more she could do with the bazooka crushed underneath three-quarters of a scho
ol.

  Jennifer smiled. "Thanks."

  Ted, Erica and Natalie stood together outside the car. They assessed possible points of entry and decided on a second-story window that was now closer to floor one and a half.

  They started to walk forward until Erica turned back. "Jen?"

  Jennifer felt the fear biting at her insides. "Yeah?"

  "If we don't get out, tell – my mom that I love her."

  "Of course."

  A few seconds later, Erica led half of the group directly into the belly of the beast.

  * * *

  The school was like a dark, creepier version of itself. Erica listened for Adam, but the building was creaking too loudly for any kind of active surveillance. She glanced at her teammates. Natalie looked like she'd been through hell and back. She was covered in bruises and scabs, but she had a determination unparalleled in any human Erica had ever met. Ted may have been without his powers, but he didn't seem to have a trace of fear about him. It was the first time Erica had seen the living soul look quite that confident. The three of them walked out of the classroom and down the hallway. Lockers flanked them on either side as the building shifted slightly.

  Natalie kicked a fallen ceiling tile out of her way. "There go our home games. If we're not all still fugitives after this."

  Ted cracked a half-smile. "Look on the bright side. New gym."

  Natalie sneered. "Yeah, for next year's freshmen."

  Erica grabbed Ted and Natalie by the shoulders. "Wait. I think I heard something."

  Just then, a desk came flying straight toward them. They each dove in different directions to avoid the blow. The desk landed with a crack, severing two of the four legs as it skidded along the ground. Three more desks followed the first. Natalie and Ted were able to evade the contact, but Erica needed to kick her projectile in half to halt the impact. It snapped with ease and fell harmlessly to the ground.

  Adam's laugh echoed throughout the hall. "You thought you were training a slave. But I'm not only the master, I'm the new king."

  Erica wondered how the light soul army could have gotten the choice of Adam so very wrong.

  "You had a chance to do something incredible. But you botched it." Erica turned toward Ted. "Must've been his upbringing."

  The insult had the desired effect. Adam came bursting through one of the classrooms, shattering the door in the process.

  He howled with rage. "You took my life away. Don't bring my family into this."

  She looked left and right. "Judging by the little temper tantrum you're throwing, I'd say they sold you out pretty good."

  Adam reached for the three of them. Erica expected to be tossed into a wall or have a locker swung at her midsection. But nothing happened at all.

  Adam's eyes grew wide with fear. His eyes lingered on Ted for a moment before he ran up the staircase beside him.

  Natalie turned up her palms. "What was that all about?"

  Ted began walking. "Whatever's blocking me must be doing it to him, too." He waved for everyone to follow. "Come on!"

  Erica had a strange feeling, but she kept pace with Ted as he ascended the stairs. Two flights up, an open door to the roof pointed them exactly where to go.

  The cold fall air greeted them on top of the building, which continued to make sounds beneath them. Sunlight poked through the clouds of smoke around the city. Erica squinted her eyes to adjust.

  We better end this quickly.

  When they turned the corner, they saw Adam standing right in the middle. She thought back to when she'd first met him. He was young and full of promise. Age and pain and insanity had warped his mind since then.

  Adam reached for the trio again, but his powers failed him for the second time. He shrieked with madness. "What have you done to me?!"

  Ted stepped forward. "Looks like your friends have decided to level the playing field."

  Adam's face shifted. For a moment he looked sane. He looked like he understood something on a deeper level.

  The former Presidential candidate pointed directly at Ted. "You!"

  Adam charged forward and swung his fists. Ted ducked the first blow, but the second struck, sending him to the ground. Ted tried to sweep Adam's legs, but the villain was quite spry for his age. He leapt over the leg and kicked Ted in the face. As Adam left the ground to stomp on Ted's throat, Natalie flew through the air and wrapped her arms around Adam's neck. After a few stumbles, both of them were far too close to the edge.

  Erica's stomach squeezed. "Nat!"

  The building lurched to one side. While Erica nearly lost her footing, Adam completely did. As he stumbled backward to the ground, Natalie relinquished her grip on Adam to grab hold of the roof's edge. Erica's heart skipped a beat. She could only see her friend's fingertips as the rest of Natalie's body dangled precariously off the side of the building.

  Before Adam could turn his attention toward his vulnerable opponent, Erica was on him. She punched him a half-dozen times in the face. Blood trickled from his nose and began to show in the whites of his eyes.

  "You're a disgrace." She reached back to swing one more time, but Adam caught her wrist.

  He squeezed and broke Erica's hand. The pain was immense, and her entire arm became useless.

  Adam continued to apply the pressure. "And you're a fool."

  He twisted her wrist against the joint. The pain brought tears to her eyes. Erica's hand throbbed as he pushed her backward. Erica got her footing and held her wrist against her chest. It wouldn't be the first time she'd fought one-handed.

  Natalie was almost all the way back onto the roof when Adam ran toward her with great speed. He kicked her so hard that Erica could feel the pain in her friend's ribs. It was miraculous, given the force of the blow, that she was even able to hold on to the side of the roof.

  Adam smeared the blood on the side of his face and wiped it on his shirt. "One down." He stomped on Natalie's hand. "Two to go." With another crunch of her hand, Erica watched as Natalie released her grip.

  Erica screamed. "No!"

  She ran toward the edge of the roof, but Adam stopped her with a kick that landed directly on her broken hand. The pain brought tears to her eyes.

  Adam chuckled. "You can't kill me, protector. I'm invincible."

  Out of the corner of her eye, Ted stepped into view. "Let's test that theory."

  Adam breathed heavily and wiped another trickle of blood from his cheek. "You had to take the spotlight, huh?"

  Adam charged at Ted and the two of them locked in a grapple. Each grabbed at the other's wrists and fought to gain control. Without powers, they seemed to be an equal match. As the two living souls clashed, Erica finally had the opportunity she needed to look over the side. One story below the roof, Natalie had grabbed hold of a windowsill.

  Erica clutched at her chest. "Oh my God. Natalie, can you hang on?"

  "For a week. Go finish him off."

  Erica nodded and looked back toward the battle. She was amazed. Not only had Ted gotten the upper hand, but he had a grip around Adam's throat. Erica watched as her boyfriend lifted the murderer into the air.

  She could barely make out what they were saying as Ted walked to the other edge of the roof.

  Adam growled through his restricted windpipe. "This world needs me!"

  Ted gritted his teeth. "There can be only one."

  As the final word escaped his mouth, Ted pushed Adam throat-first off the roof. His screams were like nothing Erica had ever heard, before they came to an abrupt stop. Erica ran up beside Ted.

  He put his arm around her waist. "It's done."

  Erica couldn't argue with that. Whether by aim or accident, Adam lay motionless below. A statue just to the side of the school had impaled him straight through the spine.

  Chapter 49

  The next few hours were a blur for Jennifer. After the combination of elation and regret at seeing Adam bleed to death outside of Treasure High, Jennifer and the gang didn't have much time to celebrate. The dama
ge her father's murderer had done was widespread, and they used all the resources at their disposal to assist the emergency workers. It might've gone quicker if Ted's powers hadn't still been on the fritz. Try as they might, they couldn't find any dark souls who were sapping him of his strength. The fire had been too much for the local department, and by the time additional help arrived, most of their houses were beyond repair.

  The whole gang sat together in the lobby of the town's only hotel a few hours later. The building was more bed and breakfast than it was roach motel, and Jennifer was glad they'd have somewhere half-decent to stay during all the hubbub. While nothing could erase what'd been done to her town and her family, a plateful of cookies from Mrs. Finley sure seemed like as good a short-term solution as any. It didn't hurt to see everybody back together again, either. Natalie and Travis were bickering and kissing in equal measure. Ted and Erica held hands above the table as they played a game of footsie below. Dhiraj regaled Mrs. Finley with all their tales of adventure. Jennifer felt something she hadn't in the past few weeks: peace. She might not have her father anymore, but she knew that she still had a family.

  Dhiraj's disposable phone rang.

  His eyes bulged. "The only person who had this number was Erica."

  The group eyed the phone warily on top of hotel table. The Caller ID displayed Unknown Number brightly on the front.

  Ted rapped his knuckles on the wood. "If we can take out a super villain, I think we can handle a wrong number."

  He picked up the call and put it on speaker for everyone to hear. "Hello?"

  A mousy female voice answered on the other line. "Please hold for the President of the United States."

  Jennifer felt giddy, until she remembered that President Blake wasn't exactly an ally. She nudged Dhiraj. "Think he had that number the whole time?"

  Dhiraj shook his head. "I have no idea."

  The receiver picked up and President Blake began speaking. "Mr. Patel. Seems like you've been keeping busy."

  Dhiraj cleared his throat. "We have, Mr. President. We're surprised to hear from you."