Meteorite Strike

by A. G. Taylor

Almost too easy.

  On the other side of the street, Nestor was having similar success, driving another group back in the midst of a howling windstorm. As they desperately fired sleep darts in his direction, their missiles turned in the air and brought down each attacker.

  Overhead, the whirr of a helicopter grew closer, invisible through the storm. Near the florist’s shop, Louise raised her hands, her face strangely serene. Seconds later the helicopter engine spluttered and then died altogether as it was brought out of the sky.

  At Louise’s side Wei advanced. A line of flame shot forward under his control, blocking off the approach of another group. The fire shot under the body of a car and the fuel tank ignited seconds later. A plume of black smoke rose into the air. The mirror-masks backed away as the burning vehicle rolled over, nervously eyeing the other parked vehicles along the main street.

  The mirror-masks who were still standing regrouped in the middle of the road. Crouching low, they conferred about the best course of action to follow. Sarah started walking towards them, dart-gun ready, as Nestor crossed from the other side of the road. On some unheard command from their leader, the group started to back away down the street, eventually turning tail and running. They were retreating!

  Sarah looked around at the shattered buildings, the burning vehicles and the sleeping bodies of the mirror-masks, at least ten of them lying around on the street. She met Nestor’s eyes and felt the same surge of elation in him.

  They’d beaten Colonel Moss’s men.

  We did it! he said with a grin.

  Sarah smiled back, but their celebration was cut short as a rumble went through the buildings lining the high street.

  What’s that? Nestor asked.

  A force swept between them – sudden and powerful. Sarah cried out as she saw Nestor thrown back against the nearest building. He hit the ground and rolled forwards, dazed. Before she could make a move towards him, the air around her became a vortex of swirling dust, trapping her in the centre. With all her strength, Sarah threw herself forward and out of the tornado that was forming, hitting the ground hard. She rolled and raised the dart-gun, targeting the source of the attack. Octavio held up his hand as she fired twice. The darts ripped apart in mid-air before him.

  Is that the best you can do? he asked with a sneer as Sarah lowered the weapon.

  Nestor pulled himself to his feet and stumbled to her side. From across the street, Louise and Wei approached, hand in hand. Sarah looked round for Robert, but couldn’t see him. She turned her attention back to Octavio.

  “Still doing dirty work for Colonel Moss?” she shot back.

  Octavio turned, trying to keep his eyes on all of them at once. Despite his bravado, Sarah sensed the fear in him.

  “You know you can’t take us all on,” she said. “We’ve beaten you before.”

  Louise appeared at her side and scowled at the older boy. “I don’t like you,” she said dangerously. “I don’t like you one little bit.”

  Octavio whitened a little and began to retreat along the street.

  Why don’t you just give it up? Octavio said with a shake of his head. You know that HIDRA will never stop chasing you. If you get away today, Colonel Moss will catch you tomorrow. Working with him is the only way. This is your last chance, Sarah. He wants you to join us.

  Why? To be his slave, like you?

  She raised the dart-gun again, taking aim once more, but it flew from her hand into Octavio’s. He turned it in his grip and took aim at her, but Nestor stepped between them, blocking his shot.

  “Why don’t we sort this out once and for all?” he said. “Just you and me.”

  A smile spread across Octavio’s lips. He nodded and tossed the dart-gun aside.

  Okay, but I warn you, Nestor: you know bringing a rain shower is no match for my telekinesis—

  Nestor stepped forward without warning. He landed a punch squarely across his brother’s jaw. Octavio’s legs crumpled and he fell back onto the road. For a moment he lay on his back looking at Nestor, dumbfounded.

  “Yeah!” Louise shouted across the street. “Go, Nestor!”

  “Get up and fight me like we used to,” Nestor demanded, gesturing for the other boy to get up. “No tricks.”

  With a cry of anger, Octavio flew up and ran at Nestor, who dodged him easily and landed another blow on his cheek. Octavio spun round and hit the ground again. Nestor gestured for him to get up once more.

  “Come on!”

  Octavio dabbed at his split lip with a finger, but didn’t move from the ground.

  “You’re a bully,” Nestor said sadly, lowering his fists. “What happened to you?”

  “I’m looking after us!” his brother spat. “One of us has to! Dad would have wanted me to be strong.”

  Nestor laughed. “And what do you think he would have thought of a man like Colonel Moss?” He waved his hand around the destruction in the town. “What do you think Dad would have said about all this?”

  Octavio looked down, suddenly unable to meet his brother’s eyes.

  “Well?” Nestor demanded, real anger in his voice. “Don’t you have anything to say?”

  Octavio opened his mouth to say something but then closed it again. For once, he was lost for words.

  Sarah moved to the fallen dart-gun and picked it up, keeping an eye on Octavio. Suddenly, with Nestor standing over him, he looked beaten – but she’d still be happier when he had a couple of sleep darts in his arm. She turned to take aim…

  ALL OF YOU. STOP RIGHT THERE.

  The voice cut through Sarah’s mind like a knife. She could tell from the pained expressions on the faces of her friends that they’d heard it too. Even Octavio winced, looking back up the street to make out the source of the voice. It was like a hammer to their skulls, crude but full of power.

  The dust cloud parted in the centre of the high street and a uniformed man strode through…

  Major Bright.

  Sarah and her group watched, frozen, as the soldier stopped beside Octavio. Major Bright looked different somehow, as if the muscles of his body were straining to break out from his uniform. It was his eyes, however, that were the strangest: they burned a terrifying red, making it difficult to hold his gaze. Sarah remembered her vision from Colonel Moss’s memories and tried to focus her mind on Major Bright…

  GET OUT OF MY HEAD! OR I’LL GET IN YOURS!

  The words hit her like a brick wall and she staggered backwards. The sheer force of Bright’s mind was terrifying. She found that she was trembling. Nestor placed a hand on her arm and met her eyes with concern.

  “Sarah, are you okay?”

  She shook her head. “They’ve done something to him. He’s not normal any more. He has powers like us…”

  They all looked back at Major Bright. Octavio struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from his mouth as he did so. A cruel smile passed across Bright’s lips as he looked around at them.

  WELL, WELL, WELL. YOU’VE HAD A GOOD RUN, BUT NOW IT’S TIME TO COME BACK TO THE HIDRA FOLD. YOU ALL HAVE SOMETHING I NEED…

  His voice still screamed in their heads, as if he hadn’t yet learned to control the volume, or didn’t want to. A sheen of sweat stood out on his forehead and he grinned manically…

  BLOOD…

  If we work together, we can take him down, Sarah told the others. We can combine our powers.

  A mocking laugh split her skull and Major Bright shook his head.

  BUT SARAH, I ALREADY HAVE ALL YOUR POWERS. EACH AND EVERY ONE. WATCH!

  Bright raised a hand and the dart-gun flew from Sarah’s fingers and into his hand. He crushed the plastic frame with terrifying strength. Sarah and the others began to back away as he pointed at the ground. The tarmac of the road cracked and split. Major Bright raised his finger and the crack grew, splitting and growing until the entire road was breaking up down the centre.

  “Sarah!” Louise cried out as a deep crevice split the street. The ground under her and Wei’s feet crumbled a
nd they fell down, into the chasm.

  Sarah let out a cry and raced to the edge. Louise and Wei had fallen onto a ledge some ten metres below the street. Next to them, the crevice stretched down into the darkness.

  “Don’t move!” Sarah yelled down to them. “We’re coming to get you!”

  Louise nodded and Sarah turned her attention back to their attacker. Major Bright placed a hand on Octavio’s shoulder. The boy stiffened and raised his hands.

  What are you doing to me? Sarah heard Octavio ask, panic in his voice. He began to levitate, until he was hovering a metre off the ground under Major Bright’s control. It seemed Octavio had finally met someone who was more of a bully than he was.

  JUST HELPING YOU UNLOCK YOUR FULL POTENTIAL.

  Bright directed his attention to Sarah.

  LET’S SEE WHAT YOU CAN REALLY DO, OCTAVIO…

  Octavio stretched his arms out in front, as if he had no control over his actions, his eyes blank and staring. Sarah caught Nestor’s arm as a howling sound filled the street. Before them, a swirling vortex began to appear. The dust from the air was being sucked up by a growing twister, spinning on the spot in the centre of the road. Second by second it grew, sucking in more dust until it was taller than the tops of the shops that lined the street. Octavio’s face scrunched in concentration as he fed the whirlwind.

  Octavio!

  Nestor let out a cry of anger and rushed at his brother. Major Bright raised his free hand. Suddenly Nestor was lifted from his feet to hang in mid-air also, completely helpless.

  YOU PICKED THE WRONG TEAM, NESTOR.

  Nestor let out a cry of pain as his arms were pinned back by an unseen force. Sarah got to her feet and struggled forward against the growing power of the twister. She grabbed Nestor’s legs and pulled him down with all her might. It was like prying him free of an invisible hand. Major Bright’s laugh echoed through her mind.

  OH, SARAH…

  She looked up to see that the twister was now fully formed, massive and swirling with unreleased energy. Octavio trembled with the effort of keeping it under control. It was now that Bright pushed him roughly aside and took charge of the vortex. Exhausted, Octavio started to crawl away on the ground.

  STAY WHERE YOU ARE, OCTAVIO. DON’T YOU WANT TO SEE YOUR BROTHER AND HIS FRIENDS BEATEN? WHEN I’M THROUGH WITH THEM, THEY’LL NEVER CROSS US AGAIN…

  With a sweep of his hands, Major Bright sent the twister darting to the right. It collided with one of the shops and tore through the walls and roof. Bricks and glass flew through the air and were sucked into the tornado, feeding it. Major Bright drove it onwards and it ploughed through one building after another. It was then that Sarah saw Robert struggling along from roof to roof as he tried to escape the path of the destruction.

  No! Sarah screamed. With a laugh, Major Bright pushed the tornado faster towards her brother.

  Sarah ran forward, but Bright was too fast. Controlling the tornado with one hand, he shot out his other in her direction. His telekinetic force threw her against the smouldering wreck of the tank. She smacked hard against the metal and rolled over. Through watering eyes, she strained to see where the maelstrom was headed.

  On the rooftops, Robert struggled to get as far away as possible from the raging twister. There was only one building separating him from it now. Finally, he found a way to jump onto a lower level and then leaped down into the street as the whirlwind ploughed through the shop behind him. Sarah breathed a sigh of relief as she saw him slide for cover beside an overturned car.

  Octavio, help us!

  On the ground, Octavio looked up at the sound of his brother’s voice. Nestor was standing in the middle of the road, anger etched on his face.

  Nestor, I didn’t mean for you to get hurt, Octavio replied, struggling to his knees. But he’s too powerful.

  He’s too powerful for one of us…

  Nestor raised his hands, locking his eyes on the twister. Sarah watched as it slowly began to change course. It moved away from the shops and started coming back into the street. Concentrating on the whirlwind, Nestor forced it back in Bright’s direction, his face contorted from the effort of fighting the Major’s power.

  Pulling herself up, Sarah ran forward. She placed her hands on Nestor’s shoulders and concentrated her thoughts on him. She sensed the massive effort that he was making to keep control of the twister.

  Nestor, don’t give up, Sarah said as she felt him beginning to waver.

  He’s too strong, Sarah, Nestor replied. I’m not going to be able to stop him on my own…

  She focused her thoughts on his mind and the struggle against Bright’s power. Her own strength flooded into Nestor’s mind and body, supporting him in his effort to wrest away control of the twister. Major Bright doubled his own effort – twisting his face into a mass of rage as he threw everything he had into driving the storm to crush them. The raging tornado spun ever faster between them as they poured in their energy. Sarah felt herself and Nestor beginning to weaken. At any moment Major Bright would break their defence and they would be engulfed.

  A hand clamped down on Nestor’s shoulder, adding a sudden surge of energy to their own, reviving them. Sarah looked round to see Octavio at his brother’s side.

  Don’t stop now! Octavio’s voice cried out in their heads. We’re stronger than him.

  What took you so long, brother…?

  With those last words, Nestor pushed the twister with all his might towards Major Bright.

  It swallowed him whole.

  The whirlwind raged even stronger than before, expanding and turning blacker. Bright was caught in the centre of the vortex, massive forces distorting every fibre of his body. His clothes were in tatters and his skin ripped open in parts. For a moment Sarah thought they would see him torn limb from limb right there. There was an explosive sound, like the sonic boom of a jet aircraft as Nestor directed all of their power forward in one final effort.

  NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

  Bright’s inhuman cry of rage tore through their brains as the twister spun even more furiously, ripping through one of the remaining buildings and carrying on out into the desert under its own unstoppable power…

  Nestor gave a cry of triumph:

  Get lost!!!

  Then, the twister was gone. The main street fell eerily silent.

  Nestor slumped, exhausted, on the ground. Sarah and Octavio rolled him onto his back and kneeled over him. They stared at the spot where the twister had stood just a few seconds before. All that was left behind was a single item, torn from Major Bright’s uniform: his name badge, bent and misshapen almost beyond recognition, lying in the dirt.

  “Where did he go?” Octavio asked softly.

  “He got carried away,” Sarah replied.

  A faint cry for help rang out nearby.

  “Louise!” Sarah ran to the edge of the crevice. Louise and Wei huddled together on the crumbling ledge. Octavio appeared at her side and looked down.

  “We have to help them!” Sarah exclaimed. The ledge looked on the verge of collapse.

  Octavio nodded and stretched his hand over the edge. It was too far to reach, but that wasn’t his intention.

  You have to levitate, he called down to the girl. I’ll help you!

  Louise eyed him with suspicion.

  “It’s okay!” Sarah called back. “He’s with us.”

  Louise nodded and wrapped her arms around Wei. Without warning the ledge gave way completely – but Louise and Wei didn’t fall. Sarah looked round at Octavio and saw his face scrunched with concentration as he lifted Louise and Wei from the crevice with the force of his mind.

  “That’s it, Louise!” she called down. “Help him!”

  Louise nodded with her eyes shut as they began to ascend from the pit. Seconds later they were close enough to reach. Octavio let out a breath and opened his eyes.

  “Get them!”

  They lunged forward. Sarah grabbed Louise and Octavio caught Wei. With effort, they pulled them o
ut of the crevice and onto the road. For a moment, the four of them lay in a heap, trying to get their breath. Sarah lay on her back and looked at the dust parting overhead. She closed her eyes and gave a sigh of relief.

  “I must say, that was spectacular,” a voice said from the edge of the road. “I never thought you’d get the better of Major Bright.”

  Sarah turned to see Colonel Moss standing by the side of the ruined tank.

  Locked in his arms was the struggling figure of Robert.

  Colonel Moss had a gun pressed to his head.

  35

  The first thing Sarah noticed was that the weapon in Moss’s hand was the type that fired bullets, not sleep darts. The threat to her brother was very real. The colonel saw the understanding in her eyes and smiled.

  “I’m sure you realize that I’m not afraid to use this,” he said to her as she and Octavio raised their hands. “If you try to get inside my head, I’m going to kill your brother right here in the street. And then I’ll shoot you too. Let’s keep this simple.”

  He turned his attention to Octavio.

  “You’re grounded. No more Xbox for a month.”

  Sarah suddenly felt more afraid than she had done during the entire attack on the town. She saw in Colonel Moss’s eyes and sensed in his thoughts that he’d gone crazy. Before, he had wanted them alive to make more of the serum, but now he was even more dangerous: with Major Bright defeated, he would do anything to stop them from escaping the town and telling the world what they knew. He would take them alive if he could, but if not….

  Who knows, Sarah thought to herself. Amidst all this chaos, he might even get away with it.

  “All of you, on your knees!” Colonel Moss shouted, looking round at the buildings that had not been destroyed by the tornado. “Hands on your heads, or I’ll start shooting.”

  I can stop him, Louise thought, meeting Sarah’s eyes.

  No! Sarah ordered. It’s too risky.

  Moss sensed the secret conversation passing between them.

  “That’s right, Sarah,” he said as he moved closer to her, dragging Robert with him. “Tell them not to do anything stupid.”

  Do as he says, Sarah told the others and was relieved when they all obeyed. Only Nestor remained motionless, still unconscious on the ground following the fight against Bright.