The Feros (Vindico)

by Wesley King

  “Good. I will expect your return shortly,” he said, and walked back into the cell. “Always a pleasure, Junkit.”

  “Just give me a reason, Baron,” he hissed, his finger tightening on the trigger.

  “Now, now,” Hayden said, “save it for Leni.”

  Junkit lowered the rifle and pressed something on his belt. The cell door slid shut again, locking the Baron in.

  “That was helpful,” James said.

  “Well, I had kind of hoped Sam would be able to get something,” Hayden said. “The old man’s a tough nut to crack, apparently.”

  Sam nodded. “Leni will be the same. I really don’t even want to try.”

  “I don’t blame you,” Hayden said. “Who knows what’s going on in there.” He gestured toward the next door down. “Well, let’s get this over with.”

  The group shifted down one door and set up the same formation. Sam could feel everyone’s nervousness permeating around him.

  “How do these cells even work?” James asked, glancing at Junkit. “I get that the door is reinforced, but can’t he mentally reach through and send us all flying? Or even just trigger the door controls from in there?”

  Junkit shook his head. “The walls in these cells are lined with special sensors, just like the ones in the Baron’s mansion. They’re actually Rono’s design. They detect abnormal mental activity. If Leni or Sliver tries to use their powers, they’re hit with a very nasty shock. They know better. But we have to be careful. The sensors don’t work when the door’s open.”

  “Make sure you hold him in place,” Lana whispered to Hayden.

  “On it,” he said. “You have the activator, Junkit.”

  “Yeah,” Junkit muttered, and fished it out of his pocket. “Ready?”

  “Ready,” they all replied.

  He punched in the code and the thick double doors slid open. Leni stood on the threshold, his hands folded behind his back. He still held an unmistakable air of authority.

  His dark eyes flicked immediately to Hayden.“Ah, my former protégé,” he said with a sneer. “How nice of you to visit. And you’ve brought the rest of your little team.”

  “Hey, Teach,” Hayden said. “Still as pleasant as I remember. I see the rehabilitation aspect of prison life is really making an impact.”

  “Get to the point,” James whispered.

  “That would be wise,” Leni replied imperiously. “It appears the Baron was wrong again. This is clearly not a rescue mission.”

  “You guys are really deluded,” Hayden remarked, shaking his head. “Do you know anything about Emily’s abduction?”

  “And the three League members,” Junkit added.

  Leni stared at Junkit. “Falling apart, are you? Yes, I know about your little rift. If you recall, I’m the one who started it.” He smiled. “The Flame is just the latest to realize Thunderbolt’s weakness. And you’re going along with him, aren’t you?”

  “What would you know about it?” Junkit hissed.

  “I haven’t been in here that long,” Leni replied smoothly. “And I know a traitor when I see one.”

  Junkit growled, and Sam suddenly felt a flash of rage course through his guarded mind. Junkit’s finger moved.

  The gun was abruptly wrenched upward and a blast of red energy struck the ceiling, scorching the crisp white metal. Sparks rained down on the group, and Sam winced as one landed on his nose. He quickly batted it off.

  “That would have been unpleasant,” Hayden said, lowering his hand. “Much as he might deserve it.”

  Leni smirked. “I’m so touched, protégé.”

  “Don’t be,” Hayden said. “We still need information. Do you have Emily?”

  Junkit glared at Hayden and slowly straightened his weapon again.

  “What do I get in return for my help?” Leni asked. “I don’t answer questions for free.”

  “If you tell us where she is, we’ll come back and let you go,” Lana said.

  Leni chuckled, shaking his head. “Somehow I doubt that. Let me out now or no deal.”

  “And we’re supposed to trust you?” James scoffed. “You’d try and kill us the first chance you got.”

  “The League is my enemy,” Leni said coolly, “not you kids. We created you and were in turn betrayed. But we should have expected no less. I would agree to a truce.”

  “And what would you do with your freedom?” Hayden asked. “Take up knitting?”

  “I would create a new, stronger League, as I have always intended.” He glanced at Junkit. “Just like you wanted.”

  A beep sounded from Junkit’s pocket, and he took out another small device.

  “A ship is approaching,” he said. “They’ve transmitted the code.”

  “Who is it?” Lana asked.

  “Must be Flame.”

  Sam shifted uneasily, his eyes darting between Leni and the others. Lana and Hayden were looking at each other.

  “I seem to be missing something,” Leni said. “Trouble with the Flame?”

  “We need to get to the ship,” James muttered. “Or they might just blow it up and trap us here.”

  Hayden turned to Leni. “Back up. We’ll come talk to you again later.”

  “And what if Emily doesn’t have that much time?” Leni asked quietly.

  “What do you know?” James snapped.

  “I know who might have taken her,” Leni replied, “and I know how to find them.”

  “He’s not leaving,” Junkit said. “The deal is off.”

  Leni shrugged. “It’s up to you. I can find Emily and this fool can’t. Who are you going to side with?”

  Sam felt his hands moistening with sweat. The others all seemed unsure.

  Finally, Hayden sighed deeply. “No dice,” he said.

  Leni jerked his hands upward, but Hayden was faster. Leni was blown off his feet, and he flew into the cell.

  “Shut the door!” Hayden yelled.

  Junkit punched the controls and both doors locked with a clang. Sam sagged with relief as Lana turned to Hayden.

  “You actually made a good decision,” she said, sounding shocked.

  Hayden smiled. “I’ve lied enough in my day to recognize a liar when I see one.”

  “Flame is going to be here any second,” Junkit pointed out.

  “Right,” Hayden said. “Let’s get out of here before that jerk blows up our ship. Then we’d have to steal theirs again. Thanks, Junkit. This wasn’t very helpful, but the hospitality was great.”

  “Where are you going now?” Junkit asked suspiciously.

  “It’s time to stop beating around the bush,” Hayden replied. “We’re going to visit headquarters.”

  “And find Thunderbolt,” James said.

  Junkit nodded. “I think that’s a good idea. Get going.”

  They took off down the corridor. Once again, Sam felt the presence of some captives he didn’t recognize. Even from that brief contact, he could sense dark, murderous thoughts. He was definitely happy to be leaving the Perch. They burst out of the still-opening front door, and Sam was hit by a blast of freezing wind and snow. They bounded up the Mediator’s ramp and into the cockpit.

  “There they are,” James said, pointing.

  Another white vessel was quickly approaching the island, barely visible in the gusting snow. As it approached the landing pad, its ramp started descending, and Sam could make out a massive silhouette standing in the opening. Gali.

  “I think it’s time to go,” Hayden said.

  “For once, I agree with you,” James replied. “You might want to hold onto something.”

  Hayden enveloped Sam in a hug.

  “You’re an idiot,” James said, and then he pulled back on the throttle.

  The Mediator streaked toward the other vessel, and Sam and Hayden slammed into the back wall.

  “Pull up!” Lana shrieked.

  James yanked on the controls, and they skimmed over the other ship with a screech of protesting metal. Sam closed h
is eyes and hugged Hayden even tighter as they burst over the edge of the cliff. The Mediator dropped twenty feet toward the water, causing Sam to yelp in terror, and then James accelerated again, almost crashing into a wave. He pulled back on the throttle, and they shot into the sky.

  The Mediator climbed rapidly, and Sam and Hayden were squeezed against the wall, unable to move. Sam whimpered as the ship began to shake violently in the heavy winds. The view out the cockpit window was completely black now.

  Finally, they emerged on the other side of the turbulent cloudscape and a huge expanse of stars lit up the sky in front of them. Wisps of light covered the space between like soft brushstrokes of paint.

  “This is just like I always dreamed,” Hayden whispered into Sam’s ear.

  Sam hastily released him. “Sorry,” he muttered.

  “I’m not,” Hayden said.

  “You really are annoying, you know that?” Lana remarked, leaning back. “That was too close.”

  “But did you see Leni’s face when I threw him back in the cell?” Hayden said. “That was hilarious.”

  “Classic,” James agreed.

  “This is so beautiful,” Lana said. “I’ve never seen stars like this.”

  “Emily would love this,” Sam said quietly. “This view.”

  They all fell silent.

  “I hope she’s okay,” Lana murmured.

  “I’m sure she is,” Hayden said. “If I know Emily, whoever took her has their hands full. They’re probably wishing they had any one of us but her.”

  17

  EMILY’S MUSCLES SCREAMED IN PROTEST AS SHE TRIED TO TWIST THE SOPPING-wet fabric. Ice-cold water, fresh from Blue’s fingertips, ran down her shivering arms. A large puddle had already formed beneath her and spilled out into the corridor. Finally, she released the jacket and it flopped against the door, held up from where it was wrapped around two of the iron window bars.

  “That looked easier in the movies,” she muttered, wiping her arms.

  “I told you it was a waste of time,” Blue said. “Even if you somehow managed to pull those bars apart, I doubt there’s a door handle on the other side.”

  Emily turned to her. Blue was lying on the cot, curled into a ball to conserve heat. The cot itself was narrow and stiff and didn’t even have a blanket. A Wraith with cold eyes had delivered it a few hours earlier, along with a tray of stale bread and a pitcher of water. He had refused to answer any of Emily’s questions.

  “Well, I would rather try to escape than sit here and rot,” Emily said calmly. “I never had much patience for the captured princess who fiddled with her hair and stared forlornly out the window.”

  “Except that we have no window. Only solid, impenetrable rock and a solid, impenetrable door. And now you’ve used my jacket and gotten it soaking wet.”

  “Do you have a better suggestion?” Emily asked.

  “Wait. Save your energy. Be ready if someone comes along to rescue us. Maybe we can get the jump on one of these guards.” Blue hoisted herself up into a sitting position, wrapping her arms around her slender legs. “Someone is bound to slip up.”

  Emily frowned. “I doubt it. They seem pretty professional.”

  “I wish I’d met the first one. If he’s the leader, like you said.”

  “He’ll be back,” Emily said. “Just wait.”

  “Well, either the League or your friends are bound to find us eventually. If they’re not killing each other,” she added. She picked up the empty pitcher. “You thirsty?”

  A stream of water burst out of her fingertips, filling the pitcher.

  “I still feel strange drinking water you create,” Emily said, taking it from her. “But it’s very good.”

  “It’s from the air,” Blue replied defensively. “It’s as clean as you can get.” She looked around at their dank surroundings. “Well, usually anyway.”

  Emily peered at Blue’s fingers. “I’d be curious to study how it works.”

  “We’ve got time,” Blue muttered. She stuck her hand out and Emily watched in fascination as condensation began to form on her pale skin. “Useless power for fighting, really. Your friend James beat me with a chunk of drywall.”

  She turned her hand over, and water began to collect in her palm.

  “You seemed to do all right when you took down me and Hayden,” Emily reasoned.

  Blue smirked. “Through a door. And you were still just a little wet.” She dumped the icy water onto the floor. “Probably why Thunderbolt stuck me at the mansion. Knows I won’t be much help in an actual battle. It was the same way when I first joined the League. Every time the Vindico attacked, he’d send me off to some distant base to hide.”

  “I know the feeling,” Emily muttered. “At least you have a superpower. Without my weapons, I’m just a liability. The others remind me of that once in a while without even meaning to. And now here we are.”

  “In the exact situation that they were afraid of,” Blue agreed somberly. “Even if we get out of here, Thunderbolt will never let me near a battle again.”

  “Sounds like he cares about you.”

  “Maybe,” she said quietly. “But he has a funny way of showing it.”

  “How long have you been in the League?” Emily asked.

  “Six years now. Joined when I was eighteen. I’d been hiding my powers for four years before that. I didn’t want to join the League at the time. Had a boyfriend and a life and a close family. I was happy. Then there was a fire. Woke up in the middle of the night to thick, black smoke and my parents screaming. The whole staircase was in flames. Well, not for long.” She smiled thinly. “You should have seen their faces. I came out in my pink pajama pants, water shooting out of my hands, and put out the whole fire. After that, I decided it was just selfish to hide. I figured I was meant to do something with these powers, so I joined the League. And I haven’t done a single thing but hide since then.”

  Emily could hear the bitterness in her voice. “I have a feeling you’ll have a chance to do something soon,” she said. “They’re going to need your help—”

  She was interrupted by a click at the door. Someone slipped inside and quickly shut it again. Emily clenched her fists, ready to charge, but stopped when the shadowy figure stepped into the light from the barred window. It was a woman.

  She was beautiful, with flawless almond skin, full round lips, and captivating green eyes. Her dark hair fell almost to the belt on her black jumpsuit.

  “My brother indicated that you might attempt escape,” the woman said, gesturing at the door where Blue’s jacket was still wrapped around the bars. “I see that his concerns were not unfounded.” She met Emily’s eyes. “My name is Veridus. Dolus doesn’t know I’m here. And I don’t have much time. He is a bit . . . perturbed. Emily, your friends did not perform quite the way he envisioned. I think he’s going to do something rash. He’s going too far, but I have no power to stop him. He does not take well to objections.”

  “You know where my friends are?” Emily asked quickly.

  “We’re not exactly sure,” Veridus said, glancing back at the door. “But Dolus thinks they’re going to League headquarters.”

  “If you’re his sister, why would you help us?” Blue asked suspiciously.

  She slowly pulled up her sleeve. Vicious black and purple bruises covered her entire arm, punctuated by thin cuts. “These cover my entire body,” she whispered, pulling her sleeve down again. “You aren’t the only ones stuck here. I want to escape just as much as you.”

  “So release us and the others, and we’ll fight,” Blue said.

  Veridus shook her head. “You’d be killed. There are too many of his minions here, and they are all abnormally fast and strong. Besides, the other League members aren’t here.”

  “Where are they?” Blue asked quickly, getting to her feet.

  “I don’t know,” she replied. “Maybe dead.”

  Blue sat down again, her hands shakily finding the cot. Emily considered the situation
. Unless she could get her hands on some weapons, she couldn’t do much in a fight. Without reinforcements, they were stuck.

  “So, what then?” Emily asked.

  Veridus turned to her. “We need to contact Thunderbolt. If we can coordinate an attack, we might be able to overrun this base.”

  “We don’t know where he is,” Blue said quietly, her eyes on the floor. “We’ve been trying to find him.”

  Veridus bit her lip. “My brother can’t find him either. I was hoping Thunderbolt might have said something to you.”

  “No,” Blue said. “He took some of the others and disappeared. He’s been gone for weeks.”

  “My friends can get us out,” Emily suggested. “If we can get ahold of them to let them know where we are. They’re very powerful.”

  She nodded. “Yes, they are. But not enough, I’m afraid. They’ll need all the forces they can muster to get into this place, trust me. We’ve been hidden here for years.”

  “Who is ‘we’?” Emily asked.

  “A society,” she replied, “dedicated to studying superpowers and perfecting ways to transfer them. And for years, that was our simple goal. But now my brother has something else in mind. He won’t tell any of us what it is. I think he means to destroy the League, the Villains, all of them. For what reason, I don’t know.”

  “What about my friends?” Emily asked. “What does he plan for them?”

  Emily didn’t trust this woman, but she was eager for any information she could get. She at least seemed more talkative than her brother, if she was telling the truth.

  “The same. But only after he’s used them to achieve his goals.”

  Emily frowned. “You said they didn’t perform like he envisioned. Do you know what he meant?”

  “Yes. They went to the Perch a few hours ago—looking for you, maybe. They spoke to your former mentors, perhaps suspicious that they knew of your whereabouts. Leni offered them a deal, just like my brother suspected. He knows Leni well. Dolus assumed they’d take it and release the Villains, or at least Leni. But they didn’t. They locked him up again. He was very surprised.”

  “I don’t know why he would be,” Emily said. “The Vindico would try and kill us the first chance they got.”