“I’ll tell you later,” he said.
“We should get you both to a hospital,” Charlotte said.
“No. Once we’re home.”
“Promise me first.”
“Promise what?”
“The ring and the glove. You give it all back to me. I need it to untangle this mess. I can only pray you haven’t made it all worse.”
“Not yet. Let’s get ourselves back home first.”
The side of Charlotte’s face had begun to swell, and she had multiple scrapes visible. He guessed he didn’t look much better. One of the EMTs came out to check on Tina. When he saw Brendan and Charlotte he asked, “What happened to you two?”
“We’re fine,” Brendan said. “Just some scrapes. It’s nothing.”
“A second ambulance will be here momentarily,” he said to Tina. “Sorry about the delay. It’s been hectic.” The EMT returned to the ambulance.
“What happened to the big guy?” Tina asked.
“We got him,” Brendan said. “We took him back home.”
Tina nodded. “Good. As much fun as this has been, I’m done playing superhero for a while.”
They walked down to a side lot near some recycle bins. No one could see them, and the EMTs had been too busy to notice them slip away. Brendan wasn’t sure it was important to remain unseen, but Charlotte had insisted. He figured they had very likely been seen opening a gate in some stranger’s backyard when they carried Torben over to Brendan’s world.
He handed the glove over. Charlotte took it and put it on without comment.
“Before we go,” Brendan said. “What about the gate Torben found here? Is there anything we can do?”
“Not yet,” Charlotte said. “That’s why I want the ring. I want to be able to close any gate I might find. I’ve been working on a device to do that, but it’s not finished. That’s what I hope to find within my father’s vault. Gates like that allow anyone and anything to come through. They’re a side effect to this whole mess. I now believe the nurse found the gate in the pool and somehow managed to buy the house so she’d have upstream access whenever she needed it.”
“Interesting theory. But we don’t know where the gate here goes. There might be others around.”
“Possibly. There might be more upstream than down, which allowed Torben and the warlords to cross over, but I have no way of knowing for sure. I’ll look eventually, once I gain access to the vault. But if Torben had gone through the gate here, it would have been bad for whatever world he landed on.”
“Can we get on with this?” Tina asked.
Charlotte opened a gate.
***
Only a few people were in view of the alley, and none were looking in the direction of the three newly-arrived travelers as they appeared. The streets were familiar, nearly identical to those on the world they had just left. He reached for his phone by reflex. It wasn’t there, having been lost in the events leading up to him jumping into the pool at the nurse’s home. No nearby businesses appeared to be open.
“Help me to the Bean,” Tina said. “We’ll call an ambulance there.”
He and Charlotte helped her down the alleyways and back streets until they came to the coffee shop. A couple of students were out front. They stared as the three approached.
“Call school security,” Brendan said to one of them. “And have them call an ambulance.”
Brendan figured security might actually prove helpful this time. Some of the academy’s presumably wealthy students were hurt and needed attention. If they didn’t hop to, they deserved to lose their jobs.
When Tina started getting woozy, Brendan seated her at a table just inside. He didn’t know what else to do. If it was shock or a concussion, was he supposed to keep her upright, have her lie down, or keep her awake? He prevented her from slumping forward. Charlotte got water, and when Champ appeared he made his own phone call to 911.
“We were superheroes,” Tina muttered. “You should have seen me, Brendan.”
“Just try to relax,” Brendan said.
“I haven’t decided what to call myself yet. But we can call you Super Cesar.”
Tina appeared to enjoy her own joke, as she chuckled softly before wincing and putting a hand to her head.
“What were you kids doing?” Champ asked.
“Eh, skateboarding,” Brendan said. “Screwing around, going too fast, and we collided.”
“That’s nuts. I’ve never seen you guys with a board. Did you get a video?”
“No, which is probably good.”
Security arrived before the ambulance did, a male and female guard carrying a toolbox-sized first aid kit. They did what they could for Tina as a siren whooped a few times down the alley. The pair of EMTs in the red ambulance that pulled up in front of the Bean were the same as the two from the downstream world. Neither showed any hint of recognition as they came inside and checked on Tina. Then one of them noticed Brendan’s wrist.
The skin was thick and dark, the hand at an odd angle. The pain had somehow fallen to the background, but now that Tina was cared for it came throbbing back in full force. He was exhausted, parched, and his stomach was sour. Brendan realized he was getting dizzy, and as soon as the EMT touched him he collapsed.
***
He lay there in the hospital bed, having been partially conscious for most of the transport and examination. He had a saline drip hooked up to an IV line. He kept the word “skateboard” clear in his mind as he was asked a dozen times about the nature of his injury. His answers must have been satisfactory, as the questions finally stopped. His wrist was given a splint and wrapping, and the doctor was to come back within the hour with the results of the X-ray.
Sounds blended around him: voices, beeps, footsteps, chimes, and the assorted racket of carts wheeling past somewhere beyond the curtain wall. Above it all he heard a television broadcast, the volume overloading the speakers. It was a news report about a group of robbers at a Canadian coin and stamp show in Toronto being stopped by a pair of bodybuilders with red maple-leaf face paint. Brendan pulled the sheet over his head.
“So dramatic,” Tina said.
He hadn’t noticed her. She was curled up on a chair next to his bed. He sat up.
“How long have you been there?”
“About an hour.”
“Where’s Charlotte?”
“She let herself get checked in. She was here somewhere before I found you. I saw Sperry go down towards her bed.”
He nodded. “How are you?”
“Got knocked out, so they say I need to avoid physical activity. Swollen brain or something. Blah blah blah. I have to wait for my counselor before I get discharged. Probably the same for you.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be in a bed if you had a concussion?”
“Not until you tell me what happened. Your new girlfriend sent me away to another Earth while you got to go fight bad guys.”
“She’s not my girlfriend; I thought you were. And I’d rather not talk about it now. Not here.”
“Tell me something, at least. Where did you go? What was it like? Where did you find that Torben guy?”
“He killed Paul,” Brendan said in a soft voice. He wondered how powerful the painkillers were that they had given him. He felt drained.
“Paul? How?”
“He and Tyler followed us into the pool trying to rescue Lucille. But that world…everyone is strong there, but the world itself has been destroyed. Maybe Charlotte’s right, and the gate machine caused it all. Torben and others like him came over from a world even further upstream. They ruled over everyone, treating them like slaves. Torben captured Lucille and me, but Paul and Tyler showed up and put up a fight. He broke Paul like he was a toy. Then he crushed Tyler’s leg. When we tried to escape, the only thing I could do to save myself was send Torben downstream to the same place you were. We followed as soon as we could. I’m sorry. He could have killed you.”
“He didn’t. I landed near the headm
aster’s house, and the headmaster was helpful when I rang his doorbell. He has a device of some kind—don’t worry, it’s not a gate machine—that lets him know when Charlotte is opening a gate to his world and where. When Tyler came through with the busted leg, we found him. Sperry took him to the hospital, so he’s still there. Charlotte will have to go get him. So where’s Lucille in all this?”
“Lucille was trying to make it back to the gate in the pool on her own. She was done with all this. When we took Torben back, we saw footprints that might have been hers, but I don’t know if she made it. If she doesn’t turn up, we’ll have to go back to look for her. We dumped Torben off near the gate but out of the water. He’ll have a hard time sniffing it out. Unfortunately I don’t have my phone so I can’t call her.”
Tina coughed. “Well, that’ll sure teach us to coast over gravel while going almost thirty miles per hour.”
Confused, he was about to ask what she was talking about when his counselor Mr. Childes appeared at the partition opening. Mr. Childes usually had a composed demeanor, but this didn’t prevent the man from inhaling sharply when he saw Brendan. Brendan put a hand to his face and felt bandages. He had thought it was just the drugs making him feel so thick.
He came to the side of the bed and straightened his glasses. “I heard there was an accident. I came as soon as I could.”
“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Brendan said.
“Ms. Collins,” Mr. Childes said to Tina, “aren’t you supposed to be in a hospital bed too?”
Tina gave a dismissive wave. “Not if you’re getting us both out of here.”
Mr. Childes nodded as if he understood and looked at Brendan. “I’ve contacted your mother. We still don’t have a contact number for your father.”
“His dad works overseas.”
“He knows everything about my dad,” Brendan said. He had told Mr. Childes the first week of school about his father’s identity, after his father had appeared publicly as Drone King during a bank robbery. Mr. Childes had kept it confidential. “How’s my mom?”
“Concerned, like a good mother. I told her you’d call as soon as you could manage.”
“My phone broke. I’ll need to get another.”
“I’ll arrange it once I get you back to campus, if you feel strong enough to leave the hospital. How’s your pain level?”
“None so far. Whatever they gave me made it all go away.”
“Then there’s one other matter that perhaps we should talk about in private.” He offered Tina a most pleasant smile.
“I know when I’m not wanted,” she said. “I’ll be at my bed waiting to get sprung from this place. Don’t leave without me.”
Mr. Childes waited until she was out of earshot and then went on. “It’s your father. He called the school right after I called your mother. He spoke with me, but since he’s not the guardian on record I didn’t divulge any information. My impression was that you haven’t had much contact with him.”
“No, it’s okay. I saw him a couple of weeks ago actually. But I don’t have any of his current numbers.”
“He left one with me. I can give it to you along with a phone if you wish to call him. Does he make you feel unsafe at all? I have certain responsibilities when it comes to your welfare.”
“It’s fine. Give me the number.”
***
Mr. Childes had Brendan wait curbside in the hospital wheelchair while he went to get the car. A Rolls-Royce with a fancy silver hood ornament was parked in the ambulance loading spot between three No Parking signs. An attendant wheeled Charlotte out through the automatic hospital doors, with Sperry Appleton leading the way. When he saw Brendan he walked straight over.
“Mr. Garza. I was about to check in on you. I hope they’ve made you comfortable.”
Brendan held up a bag the pharmacy had brought him. “Face hurts more than the wrist. It’s all very embarrassing.”
Charlotte was pushed to the same curb. The headmaster pointed to the car and the attendant began to move her along.
“Wait,” Charlotte said, her hand on the wheel of the chair. “Brendan and I need to talk.”
“We’re fine,” the headmaster said to the attendant. The attendant set the brakes on the chair and left. The headmaster lingered for a moment, but when neither Brendan nor Charlotte spoke, he excused himself and went to the car.
“Are you angry with me?” Charlotte asked.
“I’m just numb right now. It’s been a long night. And day. I have a lot to process.”
“Me too. Thanks for saving me. Fighting Torben…I got a little crazy.”
“He had to be stopped. But there was more than one way to do it.”
“I just hope your way is the right way, Brendan. Because if not, we’re going to be in trouble.”
“Aren’t we already? I was thinking about what you said. How many gates are sitting open right now waiting for someone like Torben to stumble through?”
“Here? Not many. Maybe none at all except for the one in the pool. But there might be a way to close them if we find them.”
Brendan rocked his wheelchair back and forth. “I know. You need the ring to do that. I’m going to get it for you. This is me still trusting you even after you kept me in the dark about your plans and then used Lucille to attack me. You used her to hurt my friends You also sent Tina off with those thugs you hired to work with you. But I understand you’re willing to go to any lengths to get whatever’s in your father’s vault. If that means you can stop anyone else from getting hurt, then I won’t get in your way.”
“That’s all I ever wanted.”
“Is it? Torben is like a drug addict with the power he feels being on a downstream Earth. Tina felt it, and so did I. It’s not just being stronger; it’s everything. You think better, can sense more. Is that what you’ve experienced ever since coming here?”
Charlotte nodded. “Nurse Dreyfus helped with that.”
“Did she? But instead of becoming acclimated, where I’d have to guess the power subsides, she kept you juiced up. Herself as well, didn’t she? The water and food from upstream gave you the fix you needed. I don’t see how anyone would want to give that up if they didn’t have to.”
“I thought you said you trust me.”
Brendan sighed. “I don’t have much of a choice. It’s between you and people like Torben. If you can shut the gate down, then it’s the lesser evil.”
“I’m not evil.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Brendan picked at the armrest of his chair. “I don’t think you are. But don’t assume you’re immune to what makes a man like Torben do what he does. I’ve seen bullies like him all my life. And that’s without superpowers.”
Mr. Childes pulled up, and Brendan climbed out of his wheelchair. He felt a wave of guilt as they drove away. Charlotte was crying, and part of him was glad.
***
The new phone had none of the scratches of the old one, but it was the same model and he soon had all his contacts and content downloaded from the cloud. By the time Mr. Childes got Brendan back to his dorm it was early evening. He took a moment to call his mother. He got her voicemail and guessed she was working. As much as he wanted to talk to her, part of him felt relieved. He didn’t know if he could keep it together if she answered. He told her about his wrist, said it was a stupid accident, and that he was feeling fine. He’d call her back later.
He went to the restaurant for food. Bone-in breaded pork cutlets, sautéed chicken, and a multitude of sides awaited. But for some reason none of it looked good. He thought about the dry strips of goat meat and the taste of the water from the upstream Earth. An odd emptiness filled him. He put a plate together with little joy.
Vlad came up behind him, an empty tray in hand. “I’ve been texting.”
“I just got in. My phone was lost.”
Brendan found a table. The A.V. Club’s usual one was vacant, but he sat somewhere else. Something didn’t feel right about the tabl
e. Vlad sat down next to him and watched him pick at his food.
“It was like being drunk,” Vlad said. “Not that I’ve ever drank that much. Anything she said was like a promise. Doing what she asked felt like a rush of pleasure. I’ve read about people that do crack. I think she’s like that.”
Brendan tore a crust of bread apart and began to rip it into bits. He put a piece in his mouth and chewed slowly.
“After she first touched me, just seeing her again was euphoric. I knew the whole time she was doing something to me, but I didn’t care. I wanted more. I would have done anything for her just to touch my hand.”
“You did do something,” Brendan said. “You helped her by stealing the drone. If she would have somehow gotten her hands on the glove, she might have caused real trouble. The only thing that saved us from her is the fact that she’s not that clever.”
Vlad momentarily bristled as if Brendan had insulted him. Then he nodded. “I know. I had to repeat to myself that it wasn’t me who wanted to go to her, to listen to her, to obey. A cold shower helped. Then I blocked her on my phone. I couldn’t believe I did what I did. I’d never hurt you or Tina. You’re my best friends. It won’t happen again.”
“I’m not even one hundred percent certain she’s back. We’ll find out soon enough. But it’s Charlotte we still need to watch.”
He told Vlad everything, from the moment they had left the Bean to his hospital visit and his last conversation with Charlotte. The words came out in no particular order as he explained the warlords, the other Ms. Hayes, and Paul’s murder. Vlad listened as he continued on about the upstream food and the final fight downstream.
“Makes the headmaster look like a common criminal,” Vlad said.
“Where’s Soren?”
The Supervillain High Boxed Set: Books One - Three of the Supervillain High Series Page 42
