The Dark Souls (The Viral Superhero Series Book 1)

by Bryan Cohen

  "Anything’s possible if you put your mind to it." Nigel’s voice was a low growl. "The man who made me who I am today set this up for us. It's like sending a letter across worlds. Or an email, if you prefer."

  Dhiraj shrugged. "Everybody texts now anyway."

  Natalie raised her sword. "I have a feeling he’s one of the guys I’m supposed to stab."

  Erica gripped her wrench tight. "Where’s Ted?"

  "We don't know." Phil Torello got a death glare from Nigel for that. "I mean, we know, but you don't."

  Nigel shook his head.

  Erica let a grin seep in. He’s alive. He’s safe. Thank the light.

  "We may not have your hero right now, but there are only so many places he can go. As for you all, I hope you enjoy the accommodations, because you're going to die here."

  Erica looked over at Natalie. "You ready for a fight?"

  "Bring it on."

  As the twins came rushing at them, Erica prepared to strike.

  38

  Ted stopped sprinting when he reached another fork in the cave. He hadn’t realized his heart could beat so hard. He leaned against one of the cave walls.

  "Faraday. Sandra. The Torellos. Erica. They’re all dead." He listened to the silence. "I’m probably going to die too."

  Nothing in the darkness seemed to tell him otherwise.

  Ted put his hand to his forehead. "No. No, I can make it through this."

  He tried to control his breathing as he took the path to the right. He thought of the spirit who inhabited his childhood friend and the war he didn’t understand. His mind was completely occupied when he crept around the bend and took a fist to the nose. The pain shot through his face. He began to bleed almost immediately, and when he put up his hands to defend himself, he recognized Jennifer Norris standing before him.

  "Oh my gosh, Ted?!" Embarrassment raced through her eyes. "I'm so sorry."

  Sheriff Norris put his hand on her back. "Nice punch, honey. A little premature but right on the mark."

  "Thanks, Dad."

  Ted pinched his nose to stop the bleeding. Seeing his allies covered up the pain, until he noticed the mark on Jennifer’s arm.

  He leapt back. "How do I know you’re still alive?"

  Jennifer frowned at her tattoo. "They started the ritual but never finished it. Besides, I would’ve done more than accidentally punch you if I was a bad guy."

  Ted bounced on his heels. "Sheriff, show me your arms."

  When Jennifer’s father rolled up his sleeves to reveal no ancient, indecipherable markings, Ted relaxed his shoulders.

  "Okay. I believe you." He leaned his head back. The remainder of the blood tasted metallic going down his throat. "Where are Erica and Dhiraj?"

  "They're here, too. Is your face okay?"

  "It's as good as anything else."

  Ted sat on a semi-flat surface on the cave wall. He looked down at the drops of blood that had landed on his shirt.

  "Are you going to pass out or something?"

  Sheriff Norris rummaged through his pockets. "I might have some fruit snacks."

  Ted groaned. "I'm not going to pass out. I don't need a snack, though I appreciate the offer. Why did they pick me as a hero? I don’t belong here." All the anxiety his powers had helped bury came out in a wave.

  Jennifer sat down next to him on the wall. "Of course you do. I think you're here to save the world."

  "But why me? What was the point of picking me? I'm nobody. The world is going to end because I don't know what the heck I'm doing."

  Jennifer put her arm around Ted's shoulder and gave him a reassuring squeeze. "Ted, I almost got choked to death today by my drama teacher. My dad got semi-brainwashed for the 'greater good' and I'm pretty sure I have a separated shoulder. But I'm still here, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

  "Why?"

  "My friends needed me."

  Ted looked away. "Erica isn't even Erica. She's someone else entirely."

  Jennifer pulled Ted a little closer to give him a half-hug. "But part of her is still in there. And just like the Erica we know is part of her, the people who gave you these powers knew there was a hero inside of you. You may not believe it, but sometimes you have to just trust what other people see in you."

  "Kind of like what Dhiraj sees in you?"

  Jennifer laughed. "And what does he see in me?"

  "I’ll let him share that confession." When Ted reached for the nervousness again, it was gone. "You’re right. We’ve got a job to do. Thanks."

  The sheriff cleared his throat. "Is the pep talk over now? I think I have a feeling of where Erica is."

  Ted raised his eyebrow. "A feeling?"

  Jennifer sighed. "Don’t ask."

  Ted nodded. "Which direction, Sheriff?"

  The sheriff pointed.

  Ted smiled and looked at his two compatriots. "Let's get there in style."

  He put his hands out and the three of them began to float a few feet off the ground. Jennifer squealed.

  Her father shifted uncomfortably. "What are you doing?"

  "Managing our time."

  Ted moved his fingers and the three of them began to fly forward at an incredible rate. As they reached a turn, the sheriff barked out a direction and Ted complied.

  Jennifer couldn't help but let out another yelp of joy as they whipped around each bend. "This is amazing!"

  Over Jennifer’s jubilance, Ted began to hear some commotion.

  He clenched his fists. "They’re close." He narrowed his eyes. "Here goes nothing!"

  Ted flew the three of them toward the noise.

  39

  Erica crouched low as the twins approached.

  "It's like my dream all over again, Phil." Jason grinned. "Me, you, and Erica in a three-way-dance. Though I think you were replaced by a big-breasted porn star."

  Phil grinned. "Sounds like a fun dream. I'm jealous."

  Phil circled behind Erica while Jason took her straight on. Meanwhile, Nigel moved toward Natalie and the sword.

  Erica gritted her teeth. "The thing with dreams, fellas, is that they don't always come true."

  When they got close enough, Erica attempted to get some distance with two swings of the wrench. The first hit the mark, sending Phil backward, but the second wasn't as lucky. Jason caught Erica's wrist and lifted her into the air.

  "Too slow." The bulky Torello slammed her onto the rocky ground.

  Erica’s back hit hard, and the wrench fell from her grasp. The solid cave floor felt like a wrecking ball on her midsection.

  Before Jason could take advantage, Dhiraj came out of nowhere and jumped on Jason's back, trying to choke him.

  He clawed at the twin’s neck.

  Erica rolled to the side and got to standing. "Not bad, moneybags."

  She spied Natalie and Nigel out of her peripheral vision. Their words echoed off the cave walls.

  "You were the girlfriend in the diner, weren't you?" Nigel sneered. "You left just before the fun began. If you hadn't, I might be stabbing you to end the world."

  Natalie handled the sword like a trained master. "Not frickin’ likely."

  When Nigel got too close, she swung the blade in his direction. Natalie was stronger than most, but the weapon was no fencing foil. It was heavy and unwieldy. He easily dodged the first swing and landed a kick in the stomach. Natalie stayed crouched over like her ribs were broken.

  Erica tried to run over toward her, but Phil came from behind and tackled her to the ground. Her left knee absorbed most of the impact. Phil locked his arms behind her head.

  "Not so fast, LaPlante. You think a little wrench is going to take me down? I'm stronger than anyone in the world."

  Erica's attention remained on Natalie and the sword.

  "You can't win." Nigel laughed. "You can't even hold onto your superhero boyfriend."

  Nigel reached for the sword, but Natalie was only playing opossum. She kicked him in the knee, sending him off balance. Another boot to the
head took Nigel to the ground.

  "I broke up with him."

  Erica sat up and reached behind her head for leverage.

  "I always had a crush on you." Phil’s mouth pressed against her ear. "Who knew we'd have all this special time together?"

  Erica smiled as she gripped Phil's wrists. "Love hurts."

  She rolled forward with all her strength and tossed Phil across the room into the wall. He hit with a bounce and landed on the ground. He tried and failed to get up.

  Erica looked over at Dhiraj, who'd been easily shed off Jason's back. The twin was about to drop a large rock on his overmatched opponent, when Dhiraj pulled a pencil out of his pocket and stabbed Jason in the ankle with it. The rock fell harmlessly to the ground. Jason clutched at his wound.

  His mouth was agape at the trickling blood. "What did you do?"

  Dhiraj smirked. "Pencil beats rock."

  As Jason reached down to grab his assailant, Erica sprinted over and spin-kicked the twin at just the right angle. The momentum of her leg seemed to turn Jason's neck all the way around, and he plummeted hard. Erica helped Dhiraj to his feet.

  He put almost all his weight on her. "It looks like you've done this before."

  "Nah. I've never fought twins."

  Erica looked over at Natalie, who continued to hold off Nigel's advances. As she came to help, Erica noticed three figures in the entryway.

  "Ted?"

  The next few moments seemed to last an eternity. Erica's fight with the twins had taken her to the far side of the room. Natalie and Nigel were much closer to Jennifer and the living soul. Before Ted could say a word, Natalie looked up at him, taking her attention off Nigel for a second too long. Nigel spun around behind her and drew a short dagger. He stabbed Natalie in the back. She screamed and collapsed to the ground. As she fell, Nigel swiped the sword from her hands and went running at the cave opening. The weapons Jennifer and Sheriff Norris held shot out of their hands and skidded across the floor. Ted was out in the open, and Erica was too far away to protect him. Her heart sank.

  She saw Ted try to push Nigel away with his powers, to no avail. Nigel was coming straight for him, and if he couldn't defend himself, the world as they knew it would be finished.

  40

  Everything looked familiar to Ted as he looked around the room. Erica and Dhiraj were in the exact same position as they'd been in his dream. The room had been a little foggy both times he'd dreamt the scenario, but now it was all coming into focus. The wall with the glowing indecipherable language. The others in the room with their faces obscured. And Nigel running toward him with an ancient sword. Ted tensed his body and thought quick.

  This isn’t how the world ends.

  Ted spied a large rock across the room. The heavy object floated into the air with ease and zipped across the cave like a major-league fastball. Nigel was within striking distance when the rock landed in its desired location: the exact spot where the Brit had stabbed Ted in his dream.

  Nigel pushed the sword into the rock with all his strength, but it only made it about two-thirds of the way through. Nigel was stunned, and Ted tossed the sword in the stone to the side using his mind. He then used his powers to throw the bewildered dark soul backward with as much force as he could muster. Even though he'd pushed his enemy as hard as he'd thrown Stucky, Nigel gracefully performed a backflip in midair and landed softly on the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, Ted saw Dhiraj and Jennifer run over to somebody on the ground, though he couldn't get a good enough look to see who it was. Erica reached his side.

  Ted couldn’t help but notice the sweat glistening on her war-torn face. "Guess what! I didn't get killed!"

  "Good. We're not out of the caves yet."

  "I see what you did there."

  "What's our play?" He saw the Torellos begin to approach from the corner of the room. "They'll be ready for my powers."

  "You can do anything if you think it. Any kick, punch, or body movement. You can make yourself do that with your mind and they can't stop you."

  "Good to know. You guys need a handbook."

  She grinned. "If we get out of this, I'll tell you everything."

  For the first time since Ted got his powers, he felt like a hero.

  Sheriff Norris stepped up. "What do you want me to do?"

  Erica waved him forward. "Take one of them. However you deem necessary."

  The sheriff nodded.

  Nigel and the twins stepped toward them.

  Erica glared ahead. "I've got the Brit."

  Ted watched Jason Torello approach with relentless anger upon his face. The living soul couldn’t stop the lump from forming in his throat.

  Phil ran at the sheriff first. Nigel moved toward Erica next in what looked like a good old-fashioned street fight. It was just Jason and Ted left.

  "Looks like we’re the only ones left to dance." Ted flexed his hands open and shut. "I hope you learned your two-step."

  Jason scowled. "You even die like a loser."

  The twin swung his fist. Ted told his mind to move his body faster than humanly possible to avoid it. To his surprise, it worked. Jason attempted another punch, but once again, Ted used his mind to move. Jason continued to punch, and Ted kept avoiding every single blow. It didn't take long for Jason to be completely out of breath.

  "You may have superpowers, but I'm always going to be cooler than you, more popular than you, and better looking than you."

  Ted lifted himself into the air and extended his leg. He spun around like a top, letting his foot slam into Jason's face multiple times as he passed by. The kicks were so fast, they knocked the twin unconscious as he stood. Ted easily pushed him over, making him fall to the ground.

  "Maybe so. But I think life goes on after high school."

  Ted turned toward Erica and the sheriff. While Erica and Nigel were pretty evenly matched, the sheriff was having a tough time with Phil. The twin was too fast for the lawman, sending kicks and punches into the sheriff's body. When the sheriff picked up his gun from the ground, Phil ducked under his arm with ease, snatched the gun, and kicked the sheriff to the ground. Phil immediately pointed the gun at Erica. She stopped fighting with Nigel when she heard the click of the weapon, and Nigel sent a painful punch into her abdomen.

  She dropped to the ground as Phil aimed his weapon.

  "Kill them, Ted." Erica spat blood. "Don't worry about me."

  Phil kicked her in the back. "Give yourself up, and we'll let her go."

  As he looked at the girl on both knees, he didn’t see a protector or a warrior spirit. He saw the girl he’d loved since first grade. Ted put up his hands.

  "I’ll give myself up. Just get away from her.

  "Ted, no!"

  Nigel grinned to himself. "Phillip, you heard the man."

  The twin picked up Erica by the back of the shirt and threw her far across the room. She landed hard near Dhiraj and the others. Ted shuddered from the empathetic pain.

  "Now it's just us," Nigel licked his lips. "Remember what happened the last time you tried to stand up to me one-on-one? You went through a window. Since there aren't any windows here, we're just going to have to shoot you." Nigel nodded toward Phil. "You may fire when ready."

  Phil didn't hesitate, but neither did Ted. As the bullet exited the gun, time slowed down for the living soul, as if he'd asked for permission for the world to change its rules. Ted saw the hilt of the ancient sword move across the room in his mind. While any outside viewer would have seen the sword literally move faster than a bullet, it felt easy for Ted. As the hilt reached Ted's hand, he swung the sword, dislodging the rock stuck on the blade. The bullet and the rock collided, resulting in an explosion of stone. Ted gripped the sword and moved toward Phil, who fired another bullet. He swatted the projectile out of the air and planted his sword in the twin’s abdomen. With a flashing blue light and a scream, Phil disappeared into nothingness.

  Ted looked down at his weapon. "That was unexpected."

  Ja
son attempted to sneak up behind Ted, but the living soul could feel him. He stuck the sword behind him and through Jason.

  The bully screamed. "Loser!"

  Another burst of blue light and the other Torello was gone.

  Ted squared up with Nigel, who now held the gun that fell when Phil perished.

  "You don't even know who you are." Nigel spat as he spoke. "The living soul isn't meant to be an instrument of war. You could make the entire conflict go away in an instant."

  Ted held his sword at the ready. "I can be whoever I want to be."

  "You think Erica has your best interest in mind. You think she wants to save your world. It's all a lie."

  "Because I can trust you so much."

  "You shouldn't trust anyone." Nigel fired the gun.

  Ted moved his sword and bullet ricocheted right back into Nigel's chest. The Brit clutched at his wound.

  Nigel shouted, his face beet red. "You'll die screaming!"

  Ted stabbed Nigel with a strong thrust. "You first."

  Nigel did scream before he disappeared with a blue burst.

  Ted went down to one knee as his breath caught up with reality.

  We won. We won, and I didn’t die.

  Ted ran to Erica. She was coughing in the corner of the room next to Jennifer and Dhiraj.

  "Are you alright?"

  Erica put her hand on Ted's shoulder. "I'll live. You did good, Ted."

  He couldn't believe the rush he felt, both from beating the bad guys and getting a compliment from Erica. It wouldn’t last.

  Tears stained Dhiraj’s face. "We need to get out of here quick. Natalie needs help."

  Ted hadn't been able to tell before, but now it was obvious. He'd seen Natalie wear that outfit before, and even facedown with a knife in her back, it was apparent it was her. He took in the stab wound in a hurry. His muscles tightened as his world exploded.

  "No." He forgot how to breathe. "Why is she here?!"

  Ted tried to roll her over, but Dhiraj stopped him.

  "I don't know if you should move her, man."

  Ted used his powers to push Dhiraj a few feet to the left.