by Drew Hayes
“Still cold,” Ren noted.
“Exactly. It keeps things as they are when they enter, which makes it perfect for storing tools and weapons, even the sort that need special care.” Lucy flipped the hat back on to her head. From nowhere, a deck of playing cards appeared, bridging and arching through Lucy’s deft hands. “My cape allows me to cast illusions on myself, these cards are functionally unlimited and can be shaped by will, and there are rings that will hold almost anyone in place—”
“What about the wand?” Donald asked, unable to keep himself from interrupting. Ren and Irene stared at him; he flushed but managed to stammer out an explanation anyway. “Oh, come on. Everyone knows magic kits come with wands, don’t act like I’m the weirdo.”
“I... I haven’t quite mastered the wand,” Lucy admitted. Her shuffling faltered. She tucked the deck back up her sleeve, where it seemed to vanish. “I’m working hard on it; I just haven’t been cleared for using it in the field yet. But I’ve got plenty of other tricks, and I promise to do my absolute best.” Her red lips grew smaller as she nervously chewed on the bottom one, glancing between the team and Jessica as if she were afraid she might be turned away.
For the first time, Donald actually wondered if they even could turn a new team member away. Apollo had said he wanted them to focus on teamwork, so if they all agreed she wouldn’t be a good fit, he might find them a new one. Not that Donald could imagine being so heartless as to kick Lucy away. The only way he’d be that cruel was if she turned out to be a liability in the field. He started to welcome her but got beaten to the punch.
“Glad to have you aboard, Lucy,” Irene said. She took the newer woman’s hand and gave it a good shake, eliciting a squeal of joy from Lucy, along with a hug that left Irene looking as though she regretted stepping within range of embracing.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ll really try so hard, and I’ll do whatever it takes to help keep people safe.” Lucy released Irene and grabbed Ren, who was visibly taken aback by the sudden hug. Ever since his transformation, no one had enthusiastically touched him, especially not when he was without the human-illusion as was the case now. When Lucy let go and embraced Donald, Ren patted his chest, almost like he was confused by the warmth she’d left behind.
“We’re all happy to have you,” Donald managed to eke out, despite the impressive amount of force Lucy put into her hugs. “And today’s a good day to start. All we need to do is work crowd control.”
“Consider yourself lucky,” Irene told Lucy. “My first outing with this group involved fighting four criminals robbing a museum.” Both Donald and Ren noticed that she spoke of the event like it had happened years ago instead of just last week. Neither made a point of calling her on it though, both because it would have been bad form, and because she was clearly getting a kick out of not being the newest member on the team anymore.
“Let the rest of us get into costume, then we’ll head out and start setting up barricades and making sure people know they have to go,” Donald said. “The quicker we move, the better a job we’ll do, and hopefully the shorter this whole drill will run.”
“Don’t mind Donald,” Irene said. “He’s just got a hot date later tonight that he’s hoping to make.”
“It’s coffee with a friend,” Donald protested. “But I would like to avoid canceling, so everyone get your butts in gear.”
“Can do!” Lucy saluted, accidently knocking the hat from her head. It tumbled to the ground, where, upon landing, it spat out two remote control race cars and a half-eaten sandwich. Lucy’s eyes grew wide as she stared at the spilled contents, her mouth opening and closing as she searched for words. “I promise, it doesn’t fall off if I’m paying attention!” was all she managed to come up with.
“Just make sure you’re paying attention once we’re outside the building,” Donald instructed her. “We want to do our part to keep things running smoothly.”
Lucy nodded vigorously as she bent down and scooped the two cars back into the hat. The sandwich she chucked into a nearby trash can. Much as Donald wanted to ask why she was using a magical pocket dimension to carry that kind of thing, he’d been around other meta-humans long enough to know that the answer probably wouldn’t explain much. If anything, it would just leave him more confused.
Instead, he turned his attention to things he could make sense of, like completing this drill, and hopefully still making it in time for coffee with Tori.
* * *
Chloe stared out the window of Ridge City Grinders, counting the people who walked by. There had been a bit of a rush around noon when several of the nearby offices let out—Tori was seen leading the pack before hopping into a town car—but in the past hour, the streets had grown deserted. Everyone had either run home to avoid the crowds or was gathered up near the AHC headquarters to watch them test their defenses. None of them were bothering to stop for coffee, though.
“Todd, if you want to go, you can,” Chloe called to the only other person still in the store with her. “Meredith comes on in an hour, but I think I can handle things until then.”
“It is a little slow,” Todd agreed. He finished wiping off a table he’d already cleaned twice and threw his rag into the small bucket behind the counter. “What if we get hit by a rush, though?”
“The whole town is either grouped up in one spot or avoiding downtown like we just had an Ebola outbreak. Until they finish up, I’ll be surprised if we get five customers, let alone a rush.” Chloe swept her arms up, waving them around at the store completely devoid of customers. “Pretty sure I can manage this giant crowd all on my own.”
“You could always close up,” Todd suggested. “Just make it a half-day like everyone else.”
“It’s tempting, but sooner or later, the AHC will finish and all those people trekking back to their cars may want to wait out traffic with a few cups of coffee,” Chloe said. Besides, Tori had mentioned she and Donald might be stopping by around five. It would be nice to visit with her friends. Chloe liked her coworkers and the few people from her life before the accident, but they and Beverly were the only other meta-humans she knew. It would be nice to talk with people who understood. Although, she’d have to remember not to mention Tori’s powers around Donald, since he was still in the dark about them.
“If you’re sure, then I think I will cut out early.” Todd reached up and undid his apron’s knot behind his back, loosening the dark cover. “I wanted to go watch the capes fight their own tech, anyway.”
“You Judas. I let you off and you go to see the very thing that’s stealing all our customers.” Chloe crossed her arms and stared at her coworker. “I expect you to at least take video of the cool stuff and send it over so I can be entertained.”
“I’m on a last gen phone, so it’ll be fuzzy, but I’ll do the best I can,” Todd said.
“Better than sitting around talking to myself, which is probably what I’m going to do five minutes after you leave,” Chloe admitted.
“You’re the only one I know who prefers it when this place is crazy.” Todd hung his apron on a plastic hook just inside the employee break room, then untucked his white shirt from the black slacks they were all forced to wear.
“I’m a child of chaos, and I prefer to be in my element. Today I will have to content myself with the quiet, though.”
Todd headed to the door and pushed it outward, triggering the soft bell that tinkled overhead. “Don’t be so gloomy, there’s always the chance that things will get exciting later on.”
“It would be nice, but I won’t count on it.” Chloe generally would have said she wasn’t going to hold her breath, however her mind purposely steered away from such well-tread words these days. Bit by bit, she was getting better at coping with her ability. In a way, she couldn’t wait for Donald and Tori to arrive so she could show them how much she’d accomplished.
Sadly, until then it was going to be a whole lot of nothing but boredom and dullness. She pulled out her phone an
d began to surf the net, desperate to make the hours fly by just a little bit faster.
* * *
It was a nice neighborhood, the sort where he’d smashed out windows and robbed back when he was human. Ordinarily it would be nearly deserted at this time of day, as all the respectable people with their nice little jobs scurried about in their offices, leaving their possessions unguarded. Thanks to the AHC test, however, he could see signs of occupation in at least half of the nigh-identical houses. He could even smell the ones who’d been outside recently, though his nose wasn’t nearly as powerful when he was outside the water.
His old, beat-up car looked out of place amid the shiny new models parked in their driveways. Even though he’d pulled in enough cash doing guild work to trade up, Rust Tooth still preferred the classic American builds that were all steel and smoke. Part of it was aesthetic but the rest was pragmatism. There were only so many vehicles in production that could accommodate a creature of his size. And he counted himself lucky—people like Thuggernaut had to get custom vehicles made.
Counting the numbers on the houses as he passed them, Rust Tooth finally found the one he was looking for. Balaam had given him the call earlier; Pseudonym’s apprentice had been seen on satellite going inside. While Rust Tooth never would have dreamed of trying to break into the legendary villain’s home if he were there, Balaam had assured Rust Tooth that this errand would be uninterrupted. It was just him and a wet-behind-the-ears rookie.
The car groaned as Rust Tooth emerged from it, creaking in joy as it was freed from his weight. He stood on the curb a few inches from where he’d parked and took in the tranquility of the scene before him. If Balaam hadn’t given him the address, Rust Tooth would have never imagined that Pseudonym, the man who’d once been feared on an international level, lived here. Then again, that was what made it a good hiding place.
From the back seat, Rust Tooth pulled a black leather bag. Inside were a variety of potions, charms, and tools that would supposedly cut through the wards protecting the place. Even standing at the edge of the property, Rust Tooth could feel the energy pushing him away. It was probably unnoticeable to the normal people living here, only activating when one approached with ill-intent.
There was no getting around that one, though, which was why Balaam had sent those tools. Rust Tooth had come here with the worst possible intentions. He’d come to harm, to destroy, to steal a life that wasn’t his. Rust Tooth was here to kill Pseudonym’s apprentice. If that didn’t trigger the wards, nothing would.
He yanked out a knife that was covered in runes and stabbed the air in front of him, piercing a magical red wall that suddenly appeared where the knife made contact. His wide, inhuman mouth grinned, showing all those worn, serrated, metallic teeth.
The revolution had finally begun.
Chapter 77
The ear-splitting scream nearly made Tori drop her gauntlet, which would have been extra infuriating since she’d just finished putting a new concentrating lens in place. Her mind raced as the sound drilled into her ears. What in the living hell could cause this? It was too powerful, too focused for it to be a fire alarm. Those echoed and didn’t attack the eardrums like targeted missiles. No, this was magic, pure and simple, and that meant there was only one likely candidate for a cause: Ivan’s wards.
No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than the sound lessened. It was still there, a high-pitched whine in the back of her head, but apparently the mere act of understanding had taken the edge off its attack. Something was attacking the house, someone powerful enough to actually trip Ivan’s magical warning system. But that was crazy, wasn’t it? Who in their right mind would attack the home of the man who’d once been Fornax? This must be some sort of hiccup in the system.
As her doubt increased, the sound grew shrill once more, forcing her to put her hands over her ears, though it didn’t help. Did that mean something really was attacking? At that thought, it fell back to a mere whine, and Tori slowly lowered her hands from her ears.
“Guess that means it’s definitely an attack,” she muttered. Of course Ivan would build his wards not to allow for the possibility of self-delusion. But if someone was attacking, they should have been repelled. For the wards to screech like this probably meant a breach was imminent. She needed to brace for a fight, though whether it was with a cape, a crook, or even a fellow guild member remained to be seen. None of the options made sense, but neither did someone attacking Ivan’s home in the first place. Logic was going to have to take a back seat until the dust cleared; there were more pressing concerns than why. Namely who was doing this, and how was she going to beat the hell out of them for it.
Tori looked at her meta-suit spread out on the work table before her. There were no sounds of destruction coming from above, so the house probably hadn’t been breached yet. If she hurried, she might be able to gear up before the attackers arrived. But that could mean getting pinned in the basement with no way out—not an ideal situation if she had to make a run for it. Dawdling about trying to make a decision was the worst option she had, though; it burned time while accomplishing nothing.
Someone was breaking in to Ivan’s house. The only question was whether or not they’d find Tori waiting to meet them or Hephaestus.
* * *
“You’re more mild-mannered than I expected.”
Ivan looked up from his paperwork, surprised to see two silhouettes standing in his doorway. The larger man, a gruff fellow with a thick beard and a giant gun strapped to his back, had been the one to speak. Meanwhile, the woman dressed in all black and somehow not quite as well-lit stood silently, watching him, waiting to react if he tried anything.
“My goodness, Blunderbuss and Lady Shade, what brings two such beloved superheroes to the offices of Vendallia Industries? If you want a tour, I’m afraid most of the staff is gone for the day, although I’m sure your office can set something up for later in the week with proper notice.” Ivan carefully set his pen down on the desk, being certain not to make any aggressive motions. Bad as this looked; it didn’t mean the situation was unsalvageable. If punches began to fly, that could likely no longer be said.
“We’re not here for the tour, or for the offices, or even for you, Ivan, since that’s what you go by these days. We’re here to pick up Fornax,” Blunderbuss said, all but spitting the last word on Ivan’s carpet.
“Fornax, you say? I can’t imagine you’d find him here.” Ivan knit his hands together on the desk, keeping them in plain view the whole while. “In fact, I doubt you’d find him anywhere. Fornax ceased to be a legal entity on the day Orion was defeated. There are no warrants for him; all those were expunged when he stopped existing. So, if you’ve come here to arrest Ivan Gerhardt, I would like to see the warrant, know the charges, and speak to my lawyer. However, if you’ve come seeking Fornax, I’m afraid I can’t help you.”
“He’s being glib, can you believe that?” Blunderbuss looked to Lady Shade, who didn’t answer him or react to Ivan’s words in any way. She was on edge, a single quick motion away from attacking. Personally, Ivan hoped it didn’t come to that. Two dead capes would be a pain to deal with.
“How many times has that little speech kept you out of the cell where you rightfully belong?” Blunderbuss continued. “If it’s even once, that’s one too many by my count. But today, it ain’t happening. You’re coming with us to face justice, right here and now.”
“Is that so?” Ivan pushed back his chair—the squeak caused Lady Shade to twitch—and slowly rose to his feet. “It seems I should remind you that while the Alliance of Heroic Champions has some leeway in dealing with imminent threats to property and civilians, they do require actual warrants for arresting suspects not actively posing a threat. Trying to take me in without one is illegal, unconstitutional, and I am fully within my rights to resist such an arrest. I would urge you both to follow proper channels if you’re truly set on seeing this course of action through.”
“Quite scary when yo
u’ve got red tape to hide behind,” Blunderbuss shot back. “But there’s not going to be a fight. You’re going to come with us nice and peacefully. You won’t even so much as ask for a lawyer again.”
“Really?” Ivan arched an eyebrow in curiosity. “And may I ask why I would do such a thing?”
“Thirteen forty-four Maplebark Lane.” Blunderbuss barely whispered the words yet Ivan felt a shock run all the way through his body. He glanced from the stout man with the giant gun to the woman surrounded by swirling shadows, no longer merely annoyed by their antics. Now, he could feel the beginnings of rage starting to press at the backs of his eyes.
The address Blunderbuss had just given was of the school where both of Ivan’s children should currently be in class.
“I see. Are you absolutely certain you want to go down this road? It’s not very heroic. Not even my people would stoop so low.”
“It’s for the greater good,” Blunderbuss replied. “Just an insurance policy, to make sure you don’t get out of hand. As long as you cooperate, nothing will happen.”
Despite the powerful, almost intoxicating urge to leap forward and slowly choke the life from the bearded man’s throat, Ivan held his calm and gave a short nod. He stepped around his desk and approached them, standing only inches away.
“I want to assure you of something. I don’t know what your plan is or what sort of game you’ve made me a pawn in, but I promise you right here and now that you are going to regret this decision. I don’t care if it costs me my secret, my freedom, or even my life, I will personally ensure that you look back at this as the greatest mistake either of you has made in your entire lives.” Ivan took no threatening steps toward them. He didn’t even raise his voice. It took every ounce of his self-control to keep his eyes normal, though. The power inside him was burning, his anger fueling it by the second. Only the thought of Rick and Beth kept his rage at bay. Until they were safe, he would stay in control.
