Portal Combat

by Bryan Cohen

  Senator Kable.

  When Potts reached the corner of the room, he took out a long knife and started hacking at the walls. He tore a small hole and placed a metallic device with a digital display inside.

  "Why did Kable's men put you up to this?" Erica felt the memory start to close in on itself. "Mr. Potts?"

  "I'm not me. And you're not supposed to be here."

  Potts stabbed at Erica with the knife, which she barely avoided before they both woke up.

  Erica's head stung. Yoshi was holding her by the waist.

  She rubbed her forehead. "Did I fall down?"

  "Almost." He steadied her. "What did you see?"

  "Potts bombed the foundation. Seems like someone with Kable programmed him to do it." Erica looked back at Potts, who was now practically catatonic. "We're never gonna find that bomb or any security footage."

  Yoshi nodded. "What should we do?"

  Erica looked at Potts. Kable ruined the man's life and tried to kill Ted in the process.

  "I'm gonna call Ted."

  Erica looked at her phone. She'd had trouble getting reception ever since they'd gotten to the hurricane-affected area. She gave Yoshi a nod and walked outside. Erica finally got reception in the middle of Potts' lawn, at which time she received half a dozen voicemails.

  "What the heck?"

  Erica bypassed the messages and called Ted.

  After three rings, a woman's voice answered. "Erica. We've been trying to reach you."

  Before she could reply, Erica heard a scream from inside the house. She couldn't make out the words, but it sounded like, "I know you! It's you!"

  It was Potts. He repeated the words multiple times over before she heard the sounds of a scuffle. Erica hung up the phone and ran to the front door. When she burst in, Yoshi was standing next to Potts. The man she'd just questioned was dead in a pool of blood. The crimson substance slipped between the cracks in the hardwood floor.

  Yoshi breathed heavily. "I tried to stop him."

  Erica looked down at the knife in Potts' hand and the blood pouring out of his neck.

  "What did he say? I heard him screaming something."

  "He thought he recognized me. Then he grabbed a knife and slit his own throat."

  Something didn't add up for Erica. She leaned against a wall as she looked back at their fallen witness. "We need to call the police."

  Yoshi shook his head. "No. We need to get to Senator Kable."

  "We talked to the hospital. They'll know we were here. We can't just leave."

  Yoshi took Erica by the shoulder. "They won't understand."

  Erica wasn't sure if she understood. She took a deep breath. "We're going to call 9-1-1. We'll say we broke in because we heard him screaming. I'm not running away like I'm guilty."

  Erica looked deep into Yoshi's eyes. She tried to find any trace of a lie. There was none.

  He nodded. "Okay."

  Erica silenced a call back from Ted before calling in the emergency.

  Chapter 29

  Ted's memory was shaky for the next day or two. He'd see a flash of emergency technicians loading him into an ambulance and then darkness. He'd recall bright fluorescent lights of the hospital and a crowd of doctors around him. Then he'd slip back to black. When he was conscious, Ted felt a dull ache throughout his body. In one of few clear moments he retained, he figured he was under a heavy sedative that kept him from feeling much of anything. When he went unconscious, Ted was plagued by memories of the challenges he faced. He thought of the Lychos and the train bearing down on him. Ted pictured the shimmering blue portal and the silhouetted gatekeeper stepping out. More than anything, he thought of Erica lying there next to him. At one point, he may have even called out to her as a nurse gripped his hand.

  When he woke up much less groggy, he was surprised to see his parents standing over him. They were flanked on either side by more than a dozen vases filled with flowers. The reds and purples and yellows gave some character to the white room. Both of his parents had tears in their eyes and his mother squeezed his hand harder than he ever thought possible.

  "Hey." Ted's throat was dry.

  His mother's cheeks turned red as she smiled. "Hey, honey."

  "Why... why are you guys down here?"

  Ted's father cleared his throat. "Just because you're a big shot government operative now doesn't mean we stop being your parents."

  Ted's stiff neck preventing him from nodding as much as he wanted to. "What happened?"

  Mrs. Finley explained that in the process of beating the Lychos, he lost a considerable amount of blood. Fortunately, the hospital was able to patch him up and replace everything he'd lost.

  "You should've seen everyone." Mr. Finley beamed. "They were running around here like the Pope had been shot."

  Ted laughed. It hurt to do so, but he wasn't going to let pain get in the way of a good chuckle. "How long have I been–"

  "Two days." His mother brushed his arm with her hand. "And we've got someone here who wants to see you."

  Ted's mouth opened at the hope that Erica was there. When Allison walked through the door with her arm in a sling, he tried to hide his disappointment. She had a few bumps and bruises on her face, but he seemed to have taken the worst of the damage.

  He moved his hand up in a sort-of wave. "You made it."

  Allison walked up to the bed and gave him a hug with her good arm. She smelled of fresh soap and shampoo, which made Ted realize just how unfresh he must've smelled.

  "All because of you." She pulled away from the bed. "You've got great parents. They showed me all your baby pictures."

  Ted wasn't sure if his new blood had yet learned how to rush to his face. If it had, he was certain his cheeks were flushed. "You brought my baby book?"

  Mrs. Finley looked appalled. "Of course not. What kind of embarrassing parents do you think we are?" She smiled. "I scanned the baby book so that all the pictures are on my phone."

  Ted groaned. "Mobile humiliation. Ain't technology grand?"

  Allison laughed. "You were a cute baby. Even though you could never keep your diaper on." Ted's brain told him to run away and hide, but the machines connected to his body wouldn't let him. "I–"

  Allison held up her hand. "Just kidding, she filtered out all the naked ones." She checked her watch. "I've gotta get to DC for a debriefing. When you're good to travel, you'll be joining us."

  Ted might've chosen a few extra days of pain and blood loss over any more meetings. He nodded and Allison bid them adieu.

  After a bit of catching up, Ted asked about Erica. They said she was prepared to jump in on a video feed as soon as he was ready. He considered using his powers to shove them out of the room, but he didn't want to seem entitled. They left of their own free will when Ted connected with his girlfriend.

  "I leave you alone for five minutes and you end up in the hospital."

  Erica's face was so beautiful that he didn't mind the sarcasm.

  "You should see the other guy... other wolf, I mean." He grinned, but the only thing that would really make him happy was having her there beside him.

  "I'm glad you're okay."

  He smirked. "I'm glad you have a pretty flexible version of okay."

  "You're alive. You're not missing a limb. Those are the cut-off points."

  He stuck out his tongue. "So, did you guys find anything?"

  Erica looked behind her. There didn't seem to be anyone around, but there was a concerned look on Erica's face. As if someone could be listening in.

  "We think Senator Kable might be involved with the gatekeeper somehow."

  Ted's eyes grew wide. The man had been in a vehicle with him and seemed like your everyday politician, albeit one targeting the highest position in the land. Maybe Ted hadn't quite gotten a handle of his mind-reading abilities.

  "Do you have proof?"

  Erica's concerned look returned. "We had a possible witness who may have helped the senator take down that hospital you were in."


  Ted's instinct told him to put his hands up to his face, but the tubes sticking out of him wouldn't permit it. "What the hell?! I need to talk to this guy."

  Erica's eyes went dim. "He's dead."

  Ted could tell there was more to the story, but Erica seemed like she was in no mood to tell it.

  "Where are you now?"

  "We're going to go scope out the senator's place up in Pennsylvania. Maybe we can find something more concrete."

  Ted didn't like the "we" in Erica's response. He'd feel much better if she was going alone.

  "I still don't trust him."

  She nodded. "He's devoted to the cause, Ted. But I'll be careful."

  Ted detected a hint of doubt in her demeanor. He wanted to push it, but he started to grow tired from the conversation.

  He shook his head to try to get the cobwebs loose. "I want to come with you."

  Erica's face creased from laughter. "Two things. One, you're currently under the employ of the federal government. Two, you look like you're too weak to move."

  Ted defiantly sat up hard. "I'll be fi–" His head started to throb as dizziness came over him. Ted closed his eyes to keep the room from spinning.

  Erica noticed and pursed her lips. "I rest my case."

  Ted took in a deep breath and the sensation dissipated. "Just be careful, okay?"

  She nodded. "Always. You, too."

  "I miss you."

  Erica bit her lip. "I miss you a lot. We'll see each other soon."

  "I hope so."

  After the call, Ted thought long and hard about the senator's place in this game. He could've been a dark soul like Nigel, but most of them tended to fight and kill, not run for office. There was a chance he was a disgruntled being from another world, like Redican, but there was no way to tell that from a hospital bed. And what of the candidate's request that Ted endorse him? Ted wanted to focus his energy on recovery, but he couldn't stop the thought that played on multiple fears: what would they do if the next President were a ruthless murderer?

  Chapter 30

  On the first day of school, Dhiraj had felt like the big man on campus. He thought that he finally had control over everything that would bring him the best year ever. Natalie's tryst with Travis, Erica's reveal of the truth to her parents, and Ted's mission and subsequent injury were sending things into a tailspin.

  Dhiraj spent a few hours crafting the next TedFinley.com email blast. Despite Ted's protestations to say anything, Dhiraj convinced him that the hundreds of thousands of subscribers needed to know that he was okay. The emails were usually a cinch. He'd make a few funny quips about being a hero, plug one of the many Ted tie-in products that kept the business afloat, and thank the fans for being a part of the whole shebang. On that day, every time Dhiraj wrote a sentence it felt wrong. He couldn't figure out how to write a tasteful joke given the attacks and the missing people.

  Dhiraj paced the length of his room, flipping a pencil around between his fingers.

  "People are dead or dying. Ted almost died." He sighed. "What happened to the tabloid stories of sex scandals or alien love children? Those were way easier to deal with."

  Dhiraj finally opted to go with a short and sweet approach. He typed out the message.

  "Dear Ted Heads,

  I'm overwhelmed by your support these last few days. Due to the tireless work of the staff at UNC Hospitals, I'm on the road to recovery. We're still investigating what caused these attacks, but as soon as I know something concrete, you'll be the first to know. Please visit this page where crowdfunding campaigns have been set up for the families impacted by the attacks.

  I never would've recovered if it weren't for all your love. Thanks for taking this heroic journey with me. Until my next up, up and away message!

  Heroically,

  Ted"

  He scheduled the message for the following morning and barreled through his homework. Usually, he and Jennifer would do their work together, but a field hockey exhibition match at another school took that option off the table. His relationship was about the only thing that was going as planned. He itched to call her, but he knew it was important to let her have time to herself as well. Dhiraj zipped through his homework as fast as he could before driving over to Natalie's.

  When the front door to her house was unlocked, Dhiraj let himself in. He made himself at home, pouring a large glass of orange juice and heading up to Natalie's room.

  "Hey, you guys should lock–"

  As he came into view of the doorway to Natalie's bedroom, he saw something that almost made him drop his juice. There was Travis, completely shirtless, kissing Natalie deeply on top of her bed. The two of them didn't notice him at first, and he couldn't stop himself from staring at the two muscular, attractive people making out in front of him. His self-consciousness got the better of him and he cleared his throat. Travis leapt off Natalie, hitting the edge of the mattress and landing on the floor. Natalie sat up and turned apple-red. When she saw who it was, she etched a scowl into her face.

  "Dhiraj." She growled through clenched teeth. "How nice to see you. You really should have called ahead."

  Warmth spread through Dhiraj's cheeks. "I'd apologize, but I feel like I just got a free show. Maybe the appropriate response should be thank you."

  Travis stood up, rubbing the hip he'd just slammed into the ground. "You're welcome." He smirked. "I always said we should set up a cam–"

  "Both of you, out of my room!"

  Travis grabbed his shirt of Natalie's desk chair. "I gotta go anyway, babe. New plays to study."

  When Travis tried to kiss Natalie on the forehead, she swung at his midsection. He deftly avoided it and walked toward the doorway.

  "Moneybags."

  Dhiraj nodded. "Conner."

  With that, Travis was gone.

  Natalie grumbled and gave Dhiraj a death stare. "What don't you understand about the words 'both of you'?"

  Dhiraj ignored the bunched-up bedspread and sat on the corner. "Oh, I thought you meant him and his ego. They're practically two separate people."

  Natalie pulled a sheet over her head and groaned, letting herself slump back against the headboard. "What do you want, Dhiraj?"

  He pulled the sheet away. "I wanted to interrupt your passionate love life."

  Natalie kicked at Dhiraj from under the covers. "You know, I bet they wouldn't even give me life in prison for killing you. Just a slap on the wrist. They'll call it the 'dangerously annoying' defense."

  Dhiraj laughed. "I know a good lawyer. Though he might not represent you if you murder his son."

  Natalie sighed and let out a chuckle. "What do you really want?"

  Dhiraj placed his glass of juice down on Natalie's computer desk. "We're supposed to be having the time of our lives, Nat. Senior year has laid a big, fat egg so far."

  Natalie shifted to a cross-legged position. "We're best friends with a superhero who's fighting evil villains from another world. Having fun isn't exactly something we can count on anymore."

  "I kind of miss the way things were before."

  Natalie raised her eyebrows. "Things were easier but they weren't better. We were idiots. We didn't know about the dark souls or the other worlds or anything."

  Dhiraj looked out the window into the night sky. "Ignorance is bliss."

  "Ignorance is pointless. Aren't you the one who says it's always better to have more data than less?"

  Dhiraj had given Natalie that line when it came to detailed statistics about the Treasure High basketball team. He wasn't sure if it applied to changing his entire worldview overnight. When Dhiraj didn't answer, Natalie threw up her hands in the air.

  "Ugh! Shouldn't you be talking about this with your girlfriend? That's what she's for."

  Dhiraj's eyes narrowed. "She's at a field hockey game. As a former captain, I figured you'd know that."

  Natalie's face twitched. "Of course I knew that. I'm just annoyed with you."

  Dhiraj knew of Natalie's pro
wess on the court, but her poker face left much to be desired. "Is there something going on with Jen I should know about?"

  Natalie rubbed at her eyes. "Leave me out of this, Dhiraj. I swore I wouldn't tell. It's not worth worrying about."

  A panic came over Dhiraj. What was Jennifer holding back from him? Why would she want Natalie to keep it a secret?

  Dhiraj put on his much better neutral face. "Fine. I won't. Thanks for the chat."

  He hopped off the bed and walked away.

  "Dhiraj, wait. You're not going to tell her I said anything, right?"

  Dhiraj faked a calm grin. "Of course not. Sorry again for interrupting Kissfest Live."

  Before Natalie could reply, Dhiraj had bolted out of the room. He sat behind the steering wheel of his car for a moment and practiced his deep breathing techniques. They didn't seem to work as his hands began to sweat.

  Is Jennifer going to break up with me?

  Once the thought crossed his mind, he couldn't take it back. Now all the deep breaths in the world couldn't calm him down. Dhiraj's hands and feet did the work his mind couldn't, directing his car to Jennifer's house. He pulled up to the opposite side of the street and looked toward the house. Sure enough, he could see Jennifer through her window.

  Why would she lie to me?

  Dhiraj pulled out his phone and pushed the Jennifer icon on his speed dial. He tried to think of what he'd say if she picked up. Would he pretend that Natalie hadn't said a word? Could he possibly bring himself to confront her right off the bat?

  Dhiraj didn't have the chance to try either. He watched through Jennifer's window as his girlfriend pushed the button to send his call to voicemail. He stammered as he tried to start his message.

  "Hey, J–Jen. It's your m–man with a plan. I just wanted to see how your game went. Call me later."

  Dhiraj hung up and tossed the phone onto the passenger seat. He didn't feel like a senior anymore. He just felt heartbroken.