by Wesley King
“Hayden!” James screamed.
The cruiser rose off the ground, and James drove right underneath.
As soon as they were past, the car dropped back to the street, shattering its windows on impact.
“In the future, drive around things,” Hayden said, sounding exhausted.
Ahead, the traffic thickened at a red light.
“Hold on!” James yelled, and veered to the right onto the sidewalk.
People jumped out of the way as they sped past. They burst into the intersection, narrowly missing another car, and then James wrenched them into a sharp turn. Two of their tires lifted off the street, and there was a collective scream as they dropped back to solid ground and accelerated again.
“Play a lot of video games?” Hayden asked.
“A few,” James said tightly.
“What are we gonna do?” Sam shouted. “I’ve seen reality shows like this. No one ever escapes in these chases!”
“Most of them can’t throw cop cars across the street,” Hayden pointed out.
“Watch out!” Lana shrieked.
James turned sharply left as an elderly woman walked right into their path. James watched her shake her fist in the rearview mirror.
“Almost killed her,” he muttered.
“We need to get out of Manhattan,” Lana said. “Get to a bridge.”
All James could see around them were endless buildings. The flashing lights were still behind them, and he gripped the steering wheel, feeling the sweat forming beneath his fingers. They sped down the road for another two minutes, during which Hayden had to push two separate unsuspecting cars aside, as well as a man on a bike, before they finally emerged onto a wide-lane highway bordering the murky river. James sped down the highway toward the Brooklyn Bridge.
“And here come the choppers,” Hayden said, staring out the window.
James weaved in and around the other vehicles as they crossed the bridge. They’d made it about a quarter of the way across when they saw more red and blue lights speeding toward them from the other direction. James looked in the rearview mirror and saw a stream of cop cars coming onto the bridge after them.
“This was a bad idea,” he said grimly. “We’re going to have to go right through.”
“I’m getting a little tired,” Hayden said, leaning over James’s shoulder to see in front of the car. “That’s a lot of cops.”
All the other vehicles on the bridge were hastily pulling to the sides, revealing a straight line between their car and the rapidly approaching cruisers. James tightened his grip on the wheel again and prepared to charge.
Just then, a white ship dropped out of the air between them and the police, stopping its swift descent only a few feet from the road. Its nose was pointed right at them, the missile launcher visible beneath the cockpit.
“Hayden—” James started, feeling the panic rise.
But the ship turned and its ramp swung downward. The Flame rushed out, waving his hands over his head. James slammed on the brakes and their heads all snapped forward as the car skidded across the pavement, heading right for the ramp. They screeched to a stop a few feet from the Flame.
He hurried to James’s door and flung it open. “Get in the ship!”
James frowned, but they didn’t have much choice.
“Hurry up!” the Flame shouted. “The Vindico will be here any second!”
They all scrambled out of the car and followed him up the ramp. Hayden had just made it through the door when the ship leapt into the air. The ramp swung shut, blocking out the roaring wind.
“I thought you were trying to kill us,” James snarled.
The Flame shook his head. “We have the same enemy. And we need all the help we can get. Do you know where Thunderbolt is?”
James hesitated. But once again, they didn’t have much choice.
23
“IS IT TRANSMITTING?” LENI ASKED CALMLY.
Rono’s voice came back over the comm. “Yep. They’re heading north.”
“You knew they were going to betray us,” Avaria said.
Leni nodded. “Of course. They hate us enough to risk death, and they guessed correctly that I would have killed them even if they helped us. I had Rono plant the homing device on the Liberator as a backup in case they got to the children first. I would have preferred to just catch the brats ourselves and be done with it, but this might be even better. Now we can destroy the whole lot at once.”
“But that defeats the purpose,” Avaria argued. “If they are all reunited, they may be strong enough to defeat us.”
“We will have some support as well,” Leni said. “I will make these coordinates known to our rescuers. They clearly also have an interest in destroying the League.”
Sliver glanced at Leni. “So why aren’t we following them?”
“We’ll let them settle in first,” Leni replied. “Perhaps they will succumb to their own infighting. Thunderbolt might even arrest the traitors. Plus, if our rescuers decide to attack first, it saves us the trouble.”
“Those kids are really getting powerful,” the Torturer muttered, peering out the cockpit window.
They were flying over the path of their protégés’ escape. Outside the Internet café, ten cop cars had been severely damaged, most of them overturned, and the street was littered with glass and debris, as well as massive crowds of onlookers and news vans.
“I know,” Sliver agreed, turning the ship north. They could see fast-approaching air force jets coming to the scene—obviously having figured out that the League did not have the situation under control. But even military jets couldn’t catch the highly advanced vessel they were in, and they wouldn’t want to if they could. “If we had just managed to keep those kids on our side, we’d be unstoppable.”
“Do you think we have to kill them?” the Torturer asked.
They all glanced at him in surprise.
“What?” Leni said.
The Torturer shrugged. “Well, they’re pretty powerful. They could be useful. I think I can get James on our side if I had another crack at him.”
“They put us in prison,” Leni reminded him icily. “They betrayed us. Twice.”
“I know, but to be fair, they were kind of in a tough spot—”
Sliver snickered. “You’re going soft, old man.”
“If you don’t want to kill James, fine,” Leni said. “I’ll do it.”
The Torturer frowned. Who were they to tell him what he should do with his own protégé? His eyes darted back and forth to Sliver and Leni, and not for the first time, he wondered what it would be like to be rid of them.
* * *
Emily could see him searching in the long grass.
She didn’t say anything. She just stood on a small bluff as the stalks billowed in the wind. He continued to walk among them, calling her name. And though she felt a powerful affection for the old man, she remained where she was and still said nothing.
So he walked in the wrong direction, eventually passing out of view in the distance. She called out for him. But she had waited too long and there was no answer. Only the wind howling away. She sat down on the bluff and began to cry.
“Emily?”
Emily’s eyes blinked open, and she immediately felt the wetness on her cheeks. She was staring up at the stone ceiling once again. She glanced over to see Blue sitting beside her, a concerned look on her face. One of her slender hands was resting on Emily’s arm. Emily sniffled again and wiped her eyes with her free hand.
“I was crying,” she said matter-of-factly.
“Yeah,” Blue replied softly. “Bad dream?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Emily hesitated. “Just something I regret. It’s not the first time I’ve had this same dream.”
“You’ll fit right in with the League,” Blue told her. “If we survive. We all have nightmares. Things we’ve seen. Members we’ve lost. I missed most of the darker times, but
the older members, they barely sleep. Thunderbolt suffers the most. He sits in the lounge for hours, staring out at the city. I always used to find him there. He takes things very hard. He’s seen so many die, yet he just keeps on going.” She brushed the cobalt hair from her eyes.
“I had no idea,” Emily said.
“No one does. Why would you? He puts on a brave face for the world because he has to. But he breaks a little more with each member that disappears.”
“What do you have nightmares about?” Emily asked.
Blue smiled wanly. “Things I regret.”
She seemed sad about something, so Emily changed the subject. “Did anyone come in while I was asleep?”
“No. I thought I saw someone look in at one point, but it was probably my imagination.”
Emily pushed herself up into a sitting position, trying to shake off the sick feeling in her stomach. It had been a few weeks since she’d last had that dream. Every time, she woke up crying. She stared at the iron door, willing it to snap off its hinges. As she did, a shadow passed in front of the light. Straining, Emily thought she heard faint footsteps moving down the tunnel, and then there was silence again.
“Maybe I didn’t imagine it,” Blue whispered.
They sat there for a while longer, and soon Emily heard soft footsteps again. The door swung open and Dolus stepped inside.
“Emily, come with me.”
“I’m coming too,” Blue snarled, getting to her feet.
In a blur of motion, his gun was pointed at her forehead. “I asked for Emily.”
He took a step back to clear the doorway, and as soon as Emily was through, he swung it shut again. Then he gestured down the hallway with the gun.
They started down the tunnel, neither speaking. Emily saw four more cell doors carved into the rock. They looked empty now, but she wondered if they had been used for the other League members at one point.
The stone floor rose steadily upward until they came to another black iron door. Dolus knocked once and it swung open, revealing a wide cavern illuminated by torches. Emily saw a Wraith step aside from where he was guarding the door from inside the room. She saw two more guards within the chamber, each standing by a respective door. Their faces were expressionless, and all three men were meticulously clean shaven.
They walked across the tavern to one of the far doors. The guard swung the door open at their approach, and Emily’s eyes widened when she walked inside. Ten large cylinders lined the far wall of this smaller room. Each was connected by tubes and wiring to a number of consoles, and several men and women were hunched over the controls, staring intently at the data coming across the panels.
“Do you know what these are, Emily?” Dolus asked her.
She turned to him. “I can guess. Avaria used a cylinder like this to give Lana her superpowers. This is where you transform your subjects.”
“Correct. We’ve only mastered strength and agility, though we have begun to understand the principles of flight. So far I’ve given powers to twenty-five individuals. I am very selective about my subjects. They must be intelligent, loyal, and stable.”
“What are you using them for?”
“Our goal remains a secret, for now. I have given some thought to you, Emily. You have many of the qualities that I highly value. I brought you here to make you an offer.”
He smiled, revealing flawless white teeth.
“I can give you powers equal to or even greater than those of your friends. You would no longer need to rely solely on your weapons. I want you to join us. I know your immediate response, and I can hardly blame you, seeing as you’re being held here against your will. But when you know my goal, I am sure you’ll see its wisdom. You’re too clever not to. If you join me, you may be able to convince your friends to do the same. In one stroke, you could save them and end this coming battle before too many lives are claimed. It’s too late for the League, and certainly for the Vindico, but you and your friends are young and relatively innocent in this. There is no need for you to be killed.”
Emily met his mismatched eyes with her own. His yellow eye glowed with a fiery intelligence, while the darker one was almost indiscernible against his skin.
She didn’t doubt that he had the ability to give her powers. The men who had captured her and Blue had been incredibly fast and strong. No one could argue that she didn’t belong in the League if she had superstrength. And she also knew that powers would give her a greater opportunity to escape.
But she’d been betrayed by Rono before, and this time she wouldn’t be so quick to trust a supervillain.
“And when will I know what your goal is?” she asked suspiciously.
“Very soon. Will you consider the offer?”
She nodded. “I’ll consider it. But I’ll make no decisions until I know more.”
“I wouldn’t expect it.”
One of the cylinders suddenly swung open, and Emily turned to see a nude, muscular man emerge and wrap himself in a robe. He looked young, maybe in his twenties, and handsome, with deeply tanned skin and high cheekbones. His movements were unnaturally graceful.
“Let’s return to your cell,” Dolus said. “Think about my offer. And don’t concern yourself with Thunderbolt’s destination anymore. Unfortunately for him, that won’t be secret for long.”
He led her back the way they had come and pulled the cell door open.
“I’ll be back soon” he promised right before the door clanged shut behind her.
“What was that about?” Blue asked.
Emily frowned. “He wants to give me superpowers.”
“Why would he do that?”
“I don’t know,” Emily said. “But I obviously don’t trust him.”
Blue seemed to think about this as she stared at the closed door. She shook her head. “So someone else has figured it out. This is worse than I thought. This is the League’s worst nightmare.”
Emily glanced at her. “He said there are already twenty-five of these superpowered Wraiths.”
“We need to warn Thunderbolt.”
Emily could hear the longing in Blue’s voice. A chance to finally help the League. But Emily had seen the black iron doors and the silent, stone-faced men. She knew they weren’t getting out of here. Not like this.
She sat down on the cot, curling her arms around her legs, and though she tried not to, she began to consider Dolus’s offer.
24
“SO, LET’S TALK,” HAYDEN SAID, TAPPING HIS FINGERS AGAINST THE TABLE.
The Flame, Gali, and Jada sat on one side of the Liberator’s gleaming white conference room, facing the protégés. Sinio was in the cockpit, piloting them toward the coordinates James had provided.
“Very well,” the Flame said. “To begin, you should know that we never meant to harm you.”
“How nice,” Lana said sarcastically. “You just tried to arrest us, got Emily kidnapped, and then blew up half of League headquarters coming after us again.”
The Flame folded his arms imperiously. “We can hardly be blamed for Emily’s disappearance. You should have been more careful.”
“More careful?” James snarled. “Maybe you should have warned us we were being stalked instead of trying to arrest us.”
The Flame started rising from his chair. “Maybe you should have opened your eyes and—”
“Easy,” Gali cut in, laying a massive hand on the Flame’s shoulder.
“We’ve lost people too,” Jada said. “You aren’t alone there.”
The Flame sat back down, looking venomous.
“Do you have any idea who would have taken them?” James asked.
The League members looked at each other darkly.
“We have a guess,” the Flame muttered.
Lana studied him for a moment. His black hair was unkempt and greasy, and thick stubble was creeping down his neck. His eyes were ringed by dark circles, giving them a haunted look.
“Go on . . .” Hayden said.
The
Flame sighed. “As you know, right before you were first abducted, the Torturer managed to capture one of our members. His name was Nighthawk, and he was a close friend of mine. He and I were out on a routine patrol mission, having heard a report that someone matching the Torturer’s description was prowling around the area. We get a lot of reports like that, so we didn’t think much of it.”
He looked away. “Well, this time it was a trap. Just as we were walking by an abandoned mill, the brick wall burst, catching us both by surprise. Clouds of dust and debris enveloped us; I couldn’t see anything. I stumbled around, calling Nighthawk’s name. But when the dust cleared, he was already gone.” The Flame clenched his fists and tendrils of fire curled off his knuckles. “We never saw him again.”
“What does that have to do with you betraying the League?” James asked.
“We didn’t betray the League,” Jada replied. “We just wanted a new leader.”
“Oh, you’re right,” Hayden said. “Totally different.”
The Flame narrowed his eyes. “After Nighthawk disappeared, I pressed for a full search for the Vindico’s new base. We knew the Baron must have built one. We even guessed the area. But Thunderbolt was always reluctant to attack. It was almost as if he felt guilty.”
Lana glanced at James.
“What?” Gali asked, looking between them.
“The Baron told us that he started the League,” Lana said. “That he was the one who got the original four together. But they kicked him out after he tried to give himself superpowers.”
“Impossible,” the Flame scoffed.
“Thunderbolt didn’t deny it,” Hayden said. “I told him everything after the battle at the mansion.”
“It would explain a lot,” Gali muttered.
“Maybe,” the Flame said, sounding unconvinced, “but it just reaffirms my point. If we’d struck earlier, we might have wiped them out. Instead you were abducted and we were almost destroyed. But ultimately, through no small amount of luck, we ended up capturing them, and Thunderbolt seemed to have been right. The war was over.”
