Portal Combat

by Bryan Cohen

  "Get away from my dad."

  The sheriff groaned on the ground as the dark soul approached.

  "You've got quite the death wish, little girl."

  Jennifer got into a low fighting stance. "I may be little, but I'm one heck of a distraction."

  Cal Fortbright yelped in pain as his eyes shot downward. There was Dhiraj by their opponent's ankles, injecting a clear liquid through two syringes.

  "I'm getting really good at these ground attacks." Dhiraj evaded Cal's efforts to kick him and rolled off to the side.

  "You think that drugs can... stop... me?" Cal had a confused look on his face. He moved his hand in front of his eyes.

  Erica assumed he was seeing things move just as slowly as she was.

  She grinned. "Aw, gatekeeper's baby brother feeling a little sleepy?"

  Cal closed his eyes. When they opened, Erica could see pure rage take hold. The dark soul grabbed Jennifer by the shirt and tossed her through the air. Dhiraj dove sideways to cushion her fall, only to take the worst of the impact. The sheriff remained on the floor. Erica looked from left to right.

  Where's Redican?

  Just as she cursed another wildcard element in the fight, Cal turned his attention toward Erica.

  "Alright. Your turn."

  As Cal dashed toward her, Erica spun to the side and gripped her IV stand like a staff. She twisted it at just the right moment to slip between the dark soul's legs. He tumbled, his face screeching against the hardwood. Erica wasn't fast enough to take advantage, but the drugs slowed Cal down enough that he couldn't counter, either. She imagined that from the outside, the two of them looked like prizefighters in the 12th round. They were on their last legs for sure.

  Cal reached for Erica and pulled her in tight, preventing her from getting leverage. He wrenched the back of her hair toward the bed and smashed her head through the headboard. If her brain had felt cloudy before, it was a veritable thunderstorm of pain and confusion after the blow.

  Cal stood above her with another needle in his hands. "Looks like I won the challenge."

  "Not yet," a voice said from behind him.

  Before Cal could turn around, both of the daggers pierced through the dark soul's chest. When he turned around to face his assailant, Erica could see the hilt of the blades buried deep in his back. She looked over Cal's shoulder, but she couldn't see anyone there. Then the air appeared to laugh as Mr. Redican materialized back into view.

  "Sorry, Cal. But it's my job to protect the protector."

  Cal Fortbright seemed to want to say something in response before his eyes rolled to the back of his head. The man collapsed, his body motionless.

  Erica leaned against the side of the bed. Her ears rang from the assault as Redican walked over to her. Here was a man who'd nearly killed her. Now he'd just saved her life. Did that make them even? Before she could answer the question, the door to the room slammed open. Three police officers filed in.

  "Freeze!" The burliest of the three pointed his gun in Erica's direction.

  She and Redican put up their hands.

  Dhiraj struggled to his feet. "Officers! Thank goodness you're here. You've missed some of the fun, but there's plenty of cleanup–"

  "Get down on the ground!" The officer's voice continued to rise. "That means all of you!"

  Sheriff Norris got up to his knees and flashed his badge. "Sherriff Norris, Treasure Sheriff's Department. Senator Kable was holding this girl hosta–"

  One of the two silent officers kicked the sheriff back to the ground. Jennifer screamed and dove on top of her father to protect him from further assault.

  "Don't make me repeat myself! Get down on the ground!" He clicked a bullet into the chamber. "Unless you need a little more convincing?"

  Chapter 47

  Sandra brushed her long hair for the hundredth time and moved onto the other side. She remembered back to Page's Diner, rambling off the names of the regular customers and their faces before getting to Ted Finley. She'd followed orders at Page's. She'd spent her personal life following men blindly. It felt like her second life as a living soul had gone much the same. Sandra went along with Nigel's plan to keep Ted occupied at the high school. She helped Kable destroy the police van carrying Stucky and Faraday. She even completely changed her appearance and shed everything she was to become a senator's wife.

  When am I going to make a decision for myself?

  The errant thought surprised her. Her stomach tingled and she looked back into the rest of the hotel room. Her husband was still on the phone discussing the rally. He could read thoughts and he'd called her on subordination before. She cringed when she imagined him tossing her across the room with his mind.

  She neared her hundredth brushstroke on the other side when Senator Kable approached. He was handsome – the surgery and the expertly crafted mask made sure of that. His power knew no limits, which thoroughly aroused her dark soul side. She knew her devotion would be rewarded if she followed his plan to the letter, but she wished she could join him in the White House as well.

  "You look wonderful, my dear." Kable kissed her neck.

  Sandra felt goosebumps run all the way down her back. "It's just what you wanted. I wish everything you wanted me to do was so simple."

  He wrapped his arms around her waist and bosom. For all the power he had, his embrace seemed to make her feel colder, not warmer.

  "If the polls were more solid, we wouldn't have changed the plan." He grinned. "This is what's going to get us all the power we need to win the war."

  Sandra placed the brush down on the marble countertop. She ran her hands through the hair that didn't seem like hers anymore. "It's going to get you the power. I'm going to be rotting in a prison somewhere."

  He released his grip and let his hand caress her back. Sandra felt her pulse quicken.

  "Even though you're the sweetest fruit on this world, you'll never rot." Kable smiled like he was pleased with himself. "You'll bide your time, and when Earth has fallen, you can resume your rightful place by my side."

  Sandra looked into her husband's eyes through the mirror. "And if the plan fails?"

  "If it doesn't work, it'll be because you didn't follow it to the letter."

  Senator Kable walked into the other room, and Sandra followed. He'd made sure they stayed in a hotel with a presidential suite, as it made for good headlines. It was far too big for two people, but then again, the large and lonely mansion was even greater overkill.

  "Honey."

  He shuffled through the papers of the next day's speech. "Mmm-hmm."

  "After we put the plan into action, can't I just escape instead?"

  He looked back at her with a flash of malice.

  "The story needs to be about my heroic act, not your escape and the country's manhunt." He turned away and looked out the window. The city lights flashed whites, greens and purples in the distance.

  "I know you're making a sacrifice," he said, "but you'll be rewarded tenfold. It'll just take some patience."

  She forced a smile. "Never my strong suit."

  He chuckled. "I was like you. I wanted the world to burn and I wanted it to happen in a hurry." He opened up the curtains wide to bring in more neon light and the faint sounds of the city streets. "But you get a lot more satisfaction from destroying the world when you've taken the time to build it up first."

  Sandra nodded and looked down at the carpet.

  He lifted her chin. "I could've killed you in Treasure. Treat the rest of your time here like a gift. Even if you have to wear an orange jumpsuit for part of it."

  Sandra focused on relaxing away the emotions. She kissed him on the cheek before he went on to other business. Sandra waited until he started practicing his rally speech out loud to let any more thoughts race through her mind.

  I'll pull the trigger. I'm just not sure where I'll aim it.

  Chapter 48

  Natalie wrapped her arms tighter around Ted's waist as they zipped through the evening air
. She remembered the last time he'd flown with her. They'd busted through the roof of a cave as she bled out from Nigel's stab wound. If it weren't for him, she would've been a goner for sure. The wind around them was so loud, she had to talk directly into his ear to be heard.

  "How much longer?"

  She could feel his muscles tensing against her body. Ted's training with Erica and his summer job had given him a lot more bulk. Gone were the pudgy love handles Natalie used to squeeze. They were replaced by the makings of a six-pack. She appreciated abs on a man.

  "A few more minutes. Can't go full speed."

  Natalie understood why. He was paler than normal, and some visible bruising on his neck and arms made him look like he'd been smacked around a bit. She also couldn't help but notice his visible limp before they took off as well. The no-nonsense glance he shot her at the time told her not to ask too many questions.

  She nodded. "Okay."

  "How was the school?"

  Natalie figured the intricacies of her monster battle might be lost amidst the howling air.

  "Busy. Worth considering."

  He nodded. "What's Travis think?"

  Natalie wanted to tell Ted everything. That's what she used to do, tell Ted and Dhiraj everything. Now that the latter was in the perfect relationship and the former was trying to save the world, she figured she'd leave out a few details.

  "Fine with the school. Not with fighting baddies."

  He laughed. Even with all the noise, she could tell it sounded much more hollow than normal. "I guess I have the opposite problem."

  Natalie felt them begin to dip lower. It was half-exhilarating and half-terrifying to descend without a several-ton airplane surrounding them. As they approached the ground, several massive properties came into view – large, impressive houses with manicured lawns and iron gates at the end of the driveway. The image of plenty made her think of Travis and his family's financial troubles.

  "It's weird who you end up with." Natalie closed her eyes as the ground grew nearer. "It's not always who you expect."

  "Tell me about it."

  They both stayed silent as Ted guided them to the ground on a patch of grass just outside Senator Kable's house. As much as the feeling of solid ground beneath her feet settled her, she felt her chest tighten when she took in the police cars surrounding them. They shared a glance and jogged to the front door.

  The cops by the entrance recognized Ted and let him through. Natalie could hardly believe it, but the place looked bigger on the inside than it did from the outside. She wondered if they could fit two or three courts inside when she heard the commotion from downstairs.

  "You're making a mistake! Ow, they're too tight!"

  Ted and Natalie looked at each other and spoke in unison. "Dhiraj."

  They hustled down the stairs and reached the busted down door. There the gang was, all in handcuffs. The only one who seemed to be resisting things was Dhiraj. An officer was trying to adjust his restraints.

  "That's even tighter! Come on."

  Ted walked to the center of the room as Natalie looked around the space. Her jaw dropped when she realized that Mr. Redican was sitting beside Erica on the bed. She thought back to the prom catwalk and her inability to control her actions. Part of her wanted to find the nearest weapon and jam it through his skull.

  Ted puts his hands on his hips. "Officers, what's going on here?"

  The gang all began to pipe up at once, with Dhiraj and Jennifer leading the chatterfest. Natalie saw Erica smile silently.

  The three policemen looked up. The strongest-looking of the three put a smile on his face. "Ted Finley. It's an honor."

  When he extended his hand, Ted hesitated. "I'd be happy to share your hand, but you need to tell me why you're taking my friends into custody."

  The officer's look changed back to one of duty. "Sorry, Ted. These guys were trespassing on private property. We're gonna have to bring ‘em in."

  Ted raised his eyebrows playfully. "Oh, Erica?"

  Erica's smile grew wider. "Yes, Ted?"

  "Can I break one of our long-standing rules?"

  "You may."

  Ted put up his hands. The officers reached for their ears, as if they'd just heard some kind of piercing radio feedback. Two of them groaned.

  "What're you doing to them?" Natalie watched as the men struggled.

  "Reprogramming."

  The officers took their hands away from their heads and looked around as if they'd been teleported there for the first time.

  Ted cleared his throat. "Gentlemen. If you please?"

  Within the next two hours, the gang had been set free and rendezvoused around the kitchen table in Ted's house. Even though the whole Redican-being-free situation didn't sit well with Natalie, she didn't mind being in the same room with him. As long as they could stay as far apart as possible.

  "Nat, you're up." Ted gestured to the head of the table and Natalie moved into place.

  "I've figured out what Kable's up to. All of the attacks have been in states he needs to win for the election. He's trying to turn everyone against Blake."

  Dhiraj scratched his head. "But didn't we determine that Blake sucks?"

  Erica nodded. "We did, but Kable's got the gatekeeper and the dark souls on his side. Blake's the lesser of two evils."

  "Barely." Ted grumbled. "Anyway, Nat?"

  "I overheard the gatekeeper talking about the rally. That's happening in downtown Philly in less than 12 hours."

  Sheriff Norris flared his nostrils. "There'll be thousands of people there. Roads closed down. If they attack then, it'll be a madhouse."

  Natalie pictured dozens of beasts trampling Kable's onlookers as they tried to escape. It'd be like shooting fish in a barrel. Everyone in the room started voicing their opinion about the situation. Even Redican seemed to be piping in.

  Dhiraj knocked his fist on the table and the gang quieted down. "Ladies and gentlemen." He placed an expensive-looking piece of equipment down on the table. "Welcome to the next generation of tactical software."

  He touched a button and a holographic display filled the space between the tablecloth and the decorative ceiling lights. "While everyone was catching up, I brought up the satellite view and the building plans of the rally street. I plugged in our number of team members and assets. Unless you object, I think this could be our plan."

  Natalie leaned into the display. There were little red dots sprinkled throughout the map of the block. She saw her name beside a dot on one side of the street. Underneath her dot was the word "evacuation."

  Ted's face was incredulous. "How... how much did this cost, Dhiraj?"

  Dhiraj waved away Ted's question. "Don't you worry your heroic little head, my friend. We paid it down by selling your movie rights. Which reminds me, you all need to sign these forms before you leave."

  Later that night, Sheriff Norris had taken Jennifer and Dhiraj home. He also agreed to keep a close watch on Mr. Redican, whose role in the plan was apparently too important to send him back to the asylum.

  Natalie sat on the couch with Ted and Erica. They were eating the last of the cookies Mrs. Finley had made for their "little meeting."

  Ted recounted his battle on the bridge and his one-on-one with Yoshi.

  "Before I knew it, the portal was gone, and so was Yoshi."

  Erica shook her head. "Usually, the portal training comes last. It's amazing you were able to tap into that. Do you think you could do it again?"

  He sighed. "I've tried. I can't figure out what I did to open it. Only how I closed it."

  Natalie sat up straight. "That could come in handy if the gatekeeper goes portal-crazy at the rally."

  Erica nodded. "Good point, Nat."

  "Thanks. You two sure we shouldn't tell the police?"

  Ted reached for the last cookie. "Kable obviously has some sway with them. Got them to come to the house to arrest everyone. I think it's better to do this on our own."

  Natalie understood, but she'd c
ertainly appreciate having a few dozen people with guns behind her. It helped in Ohio, that's for sure.

  Natalie tried and failed to suppress a yawn. "Better rest up. Another long day tomorrow."

  Erica got to her feet. "I'll see you out."

  Ted waved as Erica followed Natalie outside. A fall breeze crept past them, bringing the smell of burning leaves along with it.

  Erica put her hands on Natalie's shoulders. "You don't have to do this, you know. It's gonna be dangerous. You have a future to think of."

  Even though Ted was the one with the mind powers, she wondered if Erica had taken a peek when Natalie wasn't looking.

  "I know. All of this is part of my future, though. Hoops. The war. I have a responsibility to both."

  Erica's smile was like a teacher who was proud of her student. "Good. We need you. I just wanted to make sure."

  Natalie wasn't sure why, but she felt and followed the urge to pull Erica in close for a hug. It felt warm and mostly comfortable.

  "Glad to be part of the team."

  "Glad to have you."

  When Natalie reached the final step, she turned back. She could Erica through the window, as the protector sat beside Ted and took his hand. Natalie smiled as her friends looked deep into each other's eyes. She ignored the temptation to call Travis and started walking home.

  Chapter 49

  Erica's body had almost completely fought off the rest of the drugs – Mrs. Finley's cookies seemed to help with that. She felt the enhanced strength return to her arms and legs. The warrior within her was primed for battle. And yet, sitting beside Ted took her mind far away from anything resembling conflict. She took his hand. It gave her much more than warmth.

  "The last time we were alone feels like it was ages ago."

  Ted's fingers interlocked with hers. "Right? I feel like Vott and Harding are going to bust through that door any second."