by Wesley King
James, Hayden, Lana, and Sam climbed to their feet.
Thunderbolt stepped in front of them. “On this day, I, Thunderbolt, invite you to join the League of Heroes, and in doing so, request that you pledge yourselves to preserving the justice and freedom of all peoples, and to honor and swear by our code of morality. Do you accept?”
“Yes,” James said immediately. He’d been waiting for this moment his whole life. He hadn’t expected it to happen in an old, dusty living room, but it didn’t matter. He was a member of the League of Heroes. From this day forth, he was a superhero.
“I do,” Hayden said, extending his hand, as if for a ring.
Thunderbolt scowled and moved on to Lana.
Lana hesitated but finally said, “Yes. For Emily.”
Sam glanced at them and then nodded. “I accept.”
“Good,” Thunderbolt replied. “Your first duty is to vote.”
James looked at the Flame. “I vote for them to stay.”
“Me too,” Lana said.
“We need their help,” Sam agreed.
Hayden stroked his chin thoughtfully. “A difficult decision,” he said. “On the one hand—”
“Vote’s over,” Thunderbolt cut in. He turned to the Flame and the other traitors. “You are re-admitted to the League and are to be treated as normal members until the conclusion of the war. At that time, we will return to this discussion. If you handle yourselves honorably and help us defeat our enemies, I will consider a pardon.”
Ceri sat back down, looking sullen.
“For the moment, there’s not much to be done. I suspect everyone is tired. We’ll break for a few hours and then meet for a strategy session. Until then, shower, lie down, whatever you wish. You will all be rotated into guard positions. Dismissed.”
“Welcome to the League,” Deanna said, turning to them. She gave Sam a firm hug.
“Thanks,” Hayden replied. “It looks like a happy place.”
“Is there a bed I can lie down on for a bit?” James asked Deanna. “I’m exhausted.”
“You guys can use our room,” she said. “You must all be tired.”
She and Lyle led them upstairs, the old floorboards groaning under their weight. James studied the walls, which were covered with yellowed photos of a large family. At the top of the stairs they turned into a small room with two narrow beds pressed against either wall.
“We’re on guard duty soon anyway,” Lyle said. “So you lie down. We’ll come get you for lunch.”
“Thanks,” James said, dropping onto one of the small beds.
“Shotgun!” Hayden shouted, and jumped on beside him.
James immediately pushed him onto the floor.
“We’ll fit right in with the League,” Lana said, lying down on the other bed.
Hayden climbed to his feet and lay down beside her. “Yeah, but James and I are besties. We’d never split up.”
“We’ll see,” James muttered as Sam awkwardly climbed onto the bed beside him, facing the other direction.
“I can’t believe we’re in the League of Heroes,” Sam said.
James smiled. “I know.”
Sam was silent for a moment. “My mom is going to kill me.”
26
AVARIA GAZED INTO THE SWIFT-MOVING CREEK. SHE COULD SEE SMALL FISH near the banks, moving in and out of the tangled weeds. She closed her eyes, enjoying the soothing noise, and felt some of her tension ease. The long weeks in prison had grated on her. She despised confined areas. She needed to move. She needed to fight.
Once, things had been different. When she was a girl, she’d lived in a rural town, and her house was bordered by a forest much like this one. She had spent her days under the leaves or tending the horses out in the fields. Her parents would read to her and her brother at night, and she would sleep under a thick quilt to keep out the cold.
Avaria opened her eyes and stared at the richly colored leaves dotting the forest floor. It reminded her of those times, which seemed so faint that they could well have been a dream. Maybe it was an imaginary life she had built just to believe she was once normal. To remember that there had been something before the hate.
The only evidence she’d had was her crumpled photo. She wondered if it was still at the mansion, tucked into a drawer. Of Derias, the man she had loved, and a smiling, happy, young version of herself who had died the same night as her husband.
As it always did, the mere thought of Derias flooded her with memories that she couldn’t get rid of. The feeling of his fingers running through her hair. The way the corner of his lips tugged into a smile whenever she entered the room. The way he would change his appearance as they lay together in bed, just to hear her say she liked him the way he was. The way he looked at her like she was the only thing he would ever need. Happy memories that were destroyed in an instant. Because of her.
Avaria closed her eyes again. She didn’t want to think about that night. The guilt hadn’t faded in fifteen years, and she knew it never would. The only thing to do was replace it with the same burning anger that had sustained her since. She would not rest until she found Captain Courage and killed him. The others could have their power and influence. She wanted none of that. When her one goal was done, she would disappear and become someone new. Someone whose hands weren’t stained with blood.
“I miss you, Derias,” she whispered softly.
“Avaria!” someone called, and she spun around. Rono emerged from the woods, pushing aside the low-hanging branches. “The Baron wants to talk about our next move.”
Avaria took one last glance at the creek and then followed him back toward the ships.
“We haven’t had much chance to talk since we were released,” Rono said.
Avaria glanced at him. “About what?”
He looked around and stopped. “Are you going to kill Lana?”
“Of course,” she said coldly, and then saw the look on his face. “Not you too.”
He shrugged. “I just think we put a lot of work in and maybe we can still—”
“Emily betrayed you.”
“I know,” he murmured, “but like the Torturer said, we did teach them to be evil. I mean, they just did what we told them.”
“She’s not your daughter, Rono. She’s gone.”
Rono looked away. “I know that.”
“Do you? Because it doesn’t sound like it. They betrayed us. End of story.”
“Yeah. I know,” he said quietly.
Avaria nodded. “Good. Now let’s go figure out how to make them pay.”
Both vessels were parked in a grassy clearing a few hours from where the protégés had set down. The other four Vindico members were gathered between them, standing in a loose circle. Avaria and Rono joined the group.
“Now,” the Baron said, “we know where the protégés are on the map, but not the conditions of their location. They could be at a secret base, though I have no knowledge of any League structures in that area. Rono has been doing some work with satellite observations, but there aren’t enough conclusive pictures of that remote area. So far, he’s found nothing.”
He gestured at Leni.
“At Leni’s urging, we’ve sent a broadcast of the coordinates to the Perch, under the assumption that Dolus and his organization are still holding the facility. We’re hoping they will assist in assaulting this new location. However, we have no way of knowing if they will actually receive it.”
“They will,” Leni said.
“Even so,” the Baron replied, “it will be difficult to combine our efforts. We must consider how we are going to attack.”
“Straight in,” the Torturer said. “We’ll catch them by surprise.”
“They might have antiaircraft defenses,” Rono reasoned, “in which case we need to go in on foot. Judging by the area, I’d say there’s probably forest nearby.”
“But think how many of them might be collected there,” Sliver argued. “With the traitors and our protégés, we’re out
numbered.”
The Baron nodded. “Exactly.”
“Maybe we should lay low for a while and wait for them to split?” Rono suggested. “They might just fall apart eventually anyway.”
“Unlikely,” Leni replied. “Now that we’re free, they’re united. But drawing them out might not be such a bad idea.”
The Baron frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Perhaps we don’t need to attack their hiding spot,” Leni reasoned. “Why not let our friends work on that? I just had a thought.”
He looked at the others, a cruel smile forming on his lips. Avaria frowned at the smug look of satisfaction on his face.
“These kids are indeed powerful,” Leni said. “With them, the League can probably defeat us. But just as they used our protégés against us, we can use them against the League. You see, they have a weakness the rest of the League doesn’t.”
“They do?” the Torturer asked, looking confused.
Leni met his eyes. “They haven’t had a chance to learn a lesson the League figured out a long time ago. Hide your family.”
“Of course,” the Baron whispered.
“Let the League stay hidden in the wilderness for a while longer,” Leni said. “We’ll leave one ship here to keep an eye on them, and the rest of us can go collect the families. Rono, you should stay with the Baron. Contact us if there’s movement. We’ll be back in a day or two.”
Leni smiled. “Then we send them a message and see what our protégés do when we bring the war home.”
27
SAM SLIPPED OUT OF THE BEDROOM, EASING THE DOOR SHUT BEHIND HIM. THE others were still fast asleep, but he couldn’t rest. His mind was on Deanna.
As he tiptoed down the stairs, he heard muted conversations coming from various parts of the old, creaky house. Sam brushed against the minds of the other League members, sensing distrust, anxiety, and from most, fatigue. He located Deanna and immediately felt a warm glow of recognition from her.
Sam smiled and hurried out the front door.
The sun was beginning to lower on the western skyline, glowing orange and bright. A cool breeze was blowing across the meadow, and it cut right through his thin T-shirt. He hugged himself and turned to find Lyle sitting on a bench.
“I’m guessing you’re not looking for me?” he asked.
Sam hesitated.
“That’s okay,” Lyle said, smirking. “She’s around back, watching the forest. Then again, you already know that, don’t you? I forget you two are probably talking as we speak.”
“Thanks,” Sam said sheepishly.
He wandered around the house and spotted Deanna casually leaning against the back wall, staring out at the field. The shaggy wolf sat beside her, following her gaze.
“Can’t sleep?” Deanna asked, glancing at him.
“No,” he replied. “Anything going on back here?”
“Not a thing. Wolf’s keeping me company though.”
Sam frowned. “His name is Wolf?”
“Yeah,” she said. “Not very creative, I know. Wolf is Thunderbolt’s pet, but he’s taken a liking to me.”
Sam tentatively petted Wolf’s back. “He’s beautiful.”
“He is.”
Sam leaned against the coarse brick wall and followed her gaze across the field.
Not a thing out there, Deanna said into his mind. Though I think I might have seen a deer once.
It’s been a while since I’ve talked like this, Sam said. He could feel a little nagging voice of concern in her mind. Is everything all right?
She looked away. No, she replied, but you knew that. Things are bad. You heard Thunderbolt. And I can’t shake this feeling that it’s only going to get worse.
“I know what you mean,” Sam said softly.
Thunderbolt is worried. Deanna continued. He tries to act like he’s not, but you can see it in his face. He looks like he doesn’t sleep, and he’s been acting strange lately, more somber than I’ve ever seen him. I think he doesn’t know what to do, and he’s not used to that. It’s keeping him awake at night.
“How long have you been here?” Sam asked.
Too long, she thought, and then bit her lip. “A few weeks,” she said out loud. “It’s tough to tell here. It’s always the same. We left headquarters after the second abduction and came right here.”
“Where is here?” Sam asked, staring up at the ancient house.
“This is Captain Courage’s childhood home,” Deanna said. “He kept its location secret for years. This is where his family lived, or at least some of them, and he wanted to keep them safe. But when his parents died, his remaining brothers and sisters moved away with their children. Apparently he told Thunderbolt about the house, and they decided to keep it as a secret meeting place in case things ever got really bad. So here we are.”
“This is Courage’s house?” Sam whispered.
“Yeah,” she said, smiling.
Sam nodded, running his hands along the gray brick. “I have to go look at those photos when we go back inside.” He shook his head. “So what have you been doing here?”
“Waiting. First for the other members and then for you guys. Thunderbolt wanted to keep me and Lyle safe and didn’t trust any of the other bases. We’ve been redirecting everyone here using the amplifier.” She reached down and patted Wolf’s head. “Wolf is a lot happier here, but I think he’s the only one. I feel like we’re just giving the bad guys time to get their plans together.”
Sam glanced at her. Her curly, raven hair was blowing over her cheeks, and she was still biting her lip, as if deep in thought. He felt a little flutter in his stomach.
She smiled. “I’m glad you’re here too,” she said, meeting his eyes.
“Felt that one, I guess,” Sam murmured.
“Yep. You’re not very discreet.”
“To be fair, you read my mind,” he pointed out.
“You should know to be careful with your thoughts around me.” She took his hand.
After a minute of content silence, she turned to him.
Thunderbolt is about to collect everyone, she said. We better go wake the others.
All right, he replied, trying to hide his regret. She smirked again.
“Got that too?” he asked, sighing.
“Yep.”
“I need to put some walls up.”
“I’d just break them down again,” Deanna replied confidently. “Waste of time.” She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Let’s go.”
They rounded the house together, and Sam didn’t even bother to hold back his smile.
* * *
“We need to press the attack,” the Flame said vehemently. “Before they get a chance to settle in somewhere.”
“And where do you want to attack?” Ceri replied, derision evident in her voice. “We don’t know where they are!”
“They may be at headquarters still,” Gali said. “Why would they leave?”
“Because you blew it to pieces,” Meirna snarled.
Both sides started yelling at each other, and Hayden leaned back on the couch. He’d been having such a nice sleep, and now they had to sit in on this continual arguing. It had been fifteen minutes already, and they were no closer to a decision than when they’d started.
He glanced at Lana, and she rolled her eyes. James sat beside her, looking like he was barely awake, while Sam was with Deanna on the other side of the room. Hayden gave him a thumbs-up, and Sam quickly looked away, embarrassed.
“Stop!” Thunderbolt said loudly, rising to his feet. “This is not helping. If we’re going to get out of this, we have to work together.” He began to pace in the center of the living room. “I would like to strike out, but it seems unwise to commit ourselves to an offensive attack without any information. The Vindico could be anywhere, though I think they would likely have gone to the Baron’s mansion. We know Leni has a base somewhere, but again, we have no idea where.” He scowled. “They in turn have no idea where we
are. We’re both fighting shadows.”
“So one of us has to turn a light on,” Hayden said, and everyone in the room looked at him. “Yes, we’re still here,” he continued. “We’re just a bit sleepy. But I’m getting bored, so I feel like I should participate.”
Thunderbolt glared at him. “Do you actually have a suggestion, or do you just feel like talking?”
“Both,” Hayden replied. “If you recall, I already made my suggestion. We have to turn a light on.”
Thunderbolt narrowed his eyes. “Meaning . . .”
“We need to show ourselves and bring them to us. Now, I think you all have it wrong when it comes to their current location. They aren’t settling in somewhere. They’re not ready to let this become a drawn-out war again because they want to kill us, and soon. I saw the look on Leni’s face. He wants blood.”
Hayden shrugged. “When does he not, really? The point is, they’re after us and you guys. Here’s what’s been troubling me. Leni sent the Flame to capture us, even though he knows very well that the Flame hates him and would never help him. Then, despite the fact that we destroyed several New York City blocks, Leni and the others were nowhere to be found, and the Flame and crew provided a timely rescue. Curious, no?”
“What are you getting at?” Thunderbolt snapped.
“Maybe I was wrong,” Hayden said thoughtfully. “We may not need to turn on a light after all.”
“We don’t have time for this,” the Flame said, turning to the others.
“Let him finish,” Thunderbolt said slowly.
“Thank you. I found it strange the whole ride, but I let it go. It’s just too much of a coincidence. What if the Vindico wanted the Flame and the others to get there first because they knew they would never turn us over? In fact, the Vindico might have guessed that the shock of seeing them free would send you running right back to Thunderbolt.”
“But why would they let us go then?” the Flame asked sharply.
“Simple,” Hayden replied. “They wanted you to lead them here.”
“But they didn’t follow us,” Gali argued. “We would have seen them on our scanners if they were anywhere close.”
