by Lucas Flint
“Fine, fine,” I said. Then another idea occurred to me. “Hey, do you have a grappling hook we could use? That might be useful.”
“Sorry, but Genius did not design this gauntlet with a grappling hook,” said Valerie. “I believe he did not think it would be very useful.”
I sighed in annoyance and looked at Dad's utility belt. “Then he has to have something in his utility belt that can do something similar or help me get up there in some way, right?”
“No,” said Valerie. “Genius used to have suction cups that he would attach to his hands and feet to allow him to scale buildings—”
“Like a spider?” I said.
“Similar,” said Valerie, “but he got rid of them due to how rarely he ever needed to use them.”
“So this belt has nothing that could help me scale this building, then,” I said.
“Nothing at all,” said Valerie. “I deeply apologize, Bolt, but unfortunately Genius only put things in there that he thought were necessary.”
“It's fine, Val, it's fine,” I said. “Looks like I'll just have to fly, then.”
“How will you accomplish that?” said Valerie. “You do not have Genius's jet pack.”
“What? Dad has a jet pack?” I said. I shook my head. “Whatever. Look, Dad told me that I have the ability to fly. So I've never used it, but if I can use it even just to hover upwards, it should help me get there.”
“Flying is dangerous,” said Valerie. “But if that is what you wish to do, I will not stand in your way. I will remain on standby in case you need anything.”
“Thanks, Val,” I said.
I looked around the area quickly, just to ensure that no one was watching, and then closed and lowered my eyes. Although I had never flown before and hadn't been trained to use my innate flying ability, I figured that it probably worked the same way as my super strength. As long as I imagined myself flying, I would be able to access the power in real life. And this time, I didn't let my attention wander, because I knew it was only a matter of time before someone stumbled upon me or, God forbid, Dad somehow caught up with me and dragged me back home.
In my mind's eye, I saw myself carefully floating up toward the window of Room 201. I imagined it with as much clarity as I could, remembering what Dad had taught me about using my super strength and applying the same principles to this exercise.
Then, much quicker than I thought, I felt my feet rise off the ground. I opened my eyes and saw that I was levitating a few inches off the ground. Even though I wasn't flying up yet, I had to admit that this was pretty damn awesome. I was almost tempted to forget about Robert and instead go flying around Fallsville like a bird, but then I reminded myself that that would be a stupid waste of time.
So I carefully floated upwards, inch by inch, never going too fast, because I worried that if I did, then I would lose control and go flying into orbit. It was actually much easier for me to fly than to use my strength. It was like I was a natural born flyer, although every now and then I'd come to an abrupt stop. It was just kind of weird, watching as the ground became smaller and smaller below me and I had no obvious way to propel myself upwards.
But I didn't question it and soon I was right in front of Room 201's window. I tried to open it, but it was locked tight. I was tempted to smash it open with my fist, but then I realized that I didn't want the hospital employees to hear me breaking in.
So I looked down at Dad's gauntlet and said, “Uh, Val? Do you have anything we could use to force open that window?”
“Certainly,” said Valerie. “Point the gauntlet at the window's hatch, lower your hand, and I will do the rest.”
I wondered what 'the rest' was, but I didn't say that aloud. I just did what she said: Aimed the gauntlet at the window's hatch and lowered my hand.
Then a laser shot out from the gauntlet and struck the hatch. The hatch immediately snapped, prompting Valerie to say, “The window has been unlocked.”
“Whoa,” I said, looking at the gauntlet in surprise. “Was that a laser?”
“Yes, sir,” said Valerie. “The gauntlet has a built-in laser beam that can cut through most substances. Its intensity can be increased or decreased depending on how much damage you want to inflict on the target.”
I was actually starting to feel really jealous of Dad now. He had all kinds of cool gadgets and tools that were almost cooler than my own powers. I wondered if he would let me keep his gauntlet and belt after this, but then decided to worry about that later.
I lifted the window up all the way. Carefully, I hovered forward until I passed through. Then I closed the window behind me and, slowly lowering to the floor, looked around the room I had entered, just in case someone was watching me.
The room I stood in was medium-sized, with the entrance blocked off by a curtain with a floral design. A mid-sized flat screen TV was mounted on the wall, while underneath the TV was a sink and a whole bunch of medicines and other things I didn't recognize.
My attention was drawn to the bed on the other side of the room. Or rather, to the person lying on that bed: Robert Candle, the son of Master Chaos.
Robert looked even worse than I imagined. He was in a full body cast and his head was heavily bandaged. A bunch of plastic pipes and tubing were attached to his body, which made him look like some kind of cyborg. What little of his face was still visible was nearly unrecognizable. If I hadn't known that this was Robert's room, I would have assumed that that was someone else entirely.
Thankfully, Robert was sound asleep. His eyes were closed and he was snoring slightly. I tiptoed over to his side, being careful not to make any loud noises that might attract the attention of any hospital employees just outside his room.
Stopping beside Robert, I hesitated. If I was going to change his memories, I needed him awake, but I was worried that if I woke him, he would scream and draw the attention of the hospital employees.
Steeling myself, I reached out to grab his shoulder and shake him, but before the tips of my fingers even brushed against his cast, I heard the click of the door and realized that someone was coming in.
Alarmed, I did the first thing that came to mind: I dropped to the floor and crawled under the bed. I know, it wasn't exactly the most exciting way to avoid detection, and I would probably be found out anyway, but I didn't have enough time to run or do anything else.
I got under just in time, too, because I heard the door open and then close. Lying completely still, I expected to hear the soft foot steps of one of the hospital's nurses, but instead I heard the heavy steps of what sounded like a very large man. Of course, it could have been a male nurse, but then two large boots appeared within my view, boots that didn't look like the typical footwear of your average nurse, male or female.
The two boots came over to the bed, stopping in the exact spot where I had been standing over Robert just seconds ago. I held my breath in, keeping as silent as possible, aware that the slightest noise would reveal my presence to whoever had entered the room.
Then a feminine voice with a Mexican accent said, “Robby? Robby, are you awake? It's me.”
I didn't recognize the voice, but Robert must have, because I heard him wake up with a groan. I heard a little bit of movement above, but not much, probably because Robert couldn't move very much in his cast.
“M-Mother?” said Robert. His voice sounded strange, like he had lost a few teeth. “Is that you?”
Mother? Robert had a mother? Well, I supposed it made sense, seeing as Robert had a dad. I just wondered who his mother was, though. I hoped she wasn't a supervillain herself.
“Yes, Robby, it's me, your mother,” said the feminine voice. “I just got off work. How are you feeling today?”
“Slightly better,” said Robert. He groaned. “My spine …”
“There, there, Robby,” said his mother in a soothing voice. “It's all right. Don't make any unnecessary movements. Just rest like the doctor told you.”
“Doc said I might not be able to w
alk again,” said Robert. He sounded sadder than I had ever heard him before. “Might need to be pushed around in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. Might need someone to give me a sponge bath every day.”
“I know,” said his mother. “The doctor told me all about that. I wish I could take your pain away from you, but I can't.”
His mother spoke with surprising tenderness. I guess I must have assumed that, because he was the son of a supervillain and was a big bully himself, that his mother would be at least as bad as he was. She almost sounded like my mom when I broke my collarbone and was recovering from it.
“All because of that new kid,” said Robert. He now sounded murderously angry. “Punched me through a wall, like I was a sand bag or some shit like that. And no one believes me.”
“I know, it is very frustrating, but don't worry,” said his mother. Her tone suddenly became lower, like she was trying to avoid being eavesdropped. “Father is on his way to avenge you.”
My eyes widened when I heard that, but I didn't move or utter even one sound. I hadn't realized that Robert's mother knew her husband had been Master Chaos, which made me wonder if she was working with him or something.
“I know he is,” Robert snapped. “He's been 'on his way' for a week. I've been watching the news. No one knows where he is.”
“I do,” said his mother.
Robert gasped. I almost gasped myself before reminding myself that I was supposed to stay silent. I listened more closely, hoping to get some vital intelligence from Robert's mother, maybe some information I could pass onto Dad, who could then pass it onto the NHA and the government.
“You do?” said Robert. “Where is he? Is he nearby?”
“I can't tell you,” said his mother. She sounded sad about that. “While I know that the walls of your room are thick, I do not want to risk someone eavesdropping on us. If they find out where your father is, then they might tell the government, and then we'll never see your father ever again.”
Damn it. Looked like Robert's mother was a lot smarter than I thought. Smarter than Robert, anyway, though that wasn't saying much.
“What did Dad say?” said Robert.
“He told me that you shouldn't worry about him, that he is perfectly safe, and that he will be seeing you very soon,” said his mother.
“Is that all?” said Robert in disappointment. “What did he say about the new kid?”
“Not much, because he was worried that our connection might have been compromised,” said his mother. “But he did say that he has already set in motion a plan to destroy Kevin and his family. It will take a little bit of time to do, but he said that we should see the results quickly, that the world would see its results, too.”
What did that mean? What plan? I didn't know Master Chaos had a plan. I listened more closely than ever, hoping that Robert's mother would slip some more information.
“Good,” said Robert. He sounded deliriously happy about that. “I hope Dad catches it on video. I'd love to watch him beat that idiot into paste even if I can't be there to see it myself.”
“Don't worry about that,” said his mother. “Your father also mentioned that he is going to take this opportunity to make his grand reappearance in the superhuman scene.”
“What does that mean?” said Robert.
“I don't know, but you know your father,” said Robert's mother. She sighed dreamily. “He loves being in the spotlight. I can only imagine what kind of plan he has set in store for that kid who almost killed you.”
I didn't know what was more disturbing: The idea that Master Chaos had apparently already planned out my demise or that Robert's mother was still in love with her husband, who, by the way, murdered my uncle in cold blood, and killed loads of other people, too.
“Will we get to be with Dad when he gets here?” said Robert.
“That's the plan,” said his mother. “But we can't help him. The government has been watching me very closely. They think I haven't noticed—think I'm an idiot—but I know they bugged the house. I've only been able to talk to your father when I am certain that the government isn't listening.”
“Do they have my room bugged?” said Robert. He sounded worried. “Are they listening in on this conversation?”
“I doubt it,” said his mother. “The government knows who your father is, but they don't think you have been in contact with him. Besides, I already checked and couldn't find any bugs.”
Robert sighed in relief. “That's good.”
“But you are probably still being watched,” said his mother. “Likely by one of the nurses in the hospital. One of them is most likely an undercover government agent. How much have you told the nurses about your father?”
“Nothing,” said Robert. “I've never even mentioned my father to them. I'm not stupid.”
“Excellent,” said his mother. “But Robby, you must be careful. Government agents can be very slick. They could get information out of you if you are not careful. If they know that I have been in contact with your father, they could use that information against him.”
“I know, I know,” said Robert, who sounded like me whenever I was trying to get Dad off my case. “Like I said, I'm not stupid. I'll never tell anyone about Dad ever.”
“You'd better be sure about that,” said his mother. “Your father's safety and freedom—and the integrity of our family—depends on you not saying a word about this to anyone outside of the family. Do you understand?”
“Yeah, I do,” said Robert. “I don't want Dad to go back to jail again.”
“Good,” said his mother. “Neither do I. That's why we must always make sure to help him whenever we can.”
“Did he say if he'll visit me soon?” said Robert.
“Your father didn't mention when he might visit you,” said his mother. “But I'm sure he will. Remember, Robby, your father loves you just as much as I do, if not more so. He broke out of prison, after all, just to help you.”
I heard Robert sigh. “Okay. I wish I could be out there helping him beat up that new kid.”
“Yes, yes, I know, but you need to rest and recover from your injuries,” said his mother. “And once you do, our family will never have to worry about the government, the NHA, or any other organization out there that wants to harm us.”
Now what did that mean? Even if Master Chaos killed me, it seemed to me that that wouldn't make him and his family safe from the government or the NHA or whatever. Was this also part of Master Chaos's plan, the one Robert's mother mentioned earlier?
All of a sudden, a beeping noise emitted from Dad's utility belt, causing me to look down to see a blue light flickering on and off rapidly. I had no idea what that meant, but I didn't have a chance to figure it out, because in the next instant, the underside of Robert's hospital bed vanished around me.
And then I found myself lying on the floor of the Lab, staring up at a very, very angry Dad.
Chapter Twelve
I didn't even get a chance to explain before Dad yanked me off the floor and held me by the collar of my super suit. He looked angrier than I had ever seen him at any point in my life, even angrier than the time I accidentally deleted all his work files on his computer when I was six. And even though I was physically stronger than Dad, his anger seemed to grant him super strength, because he held me up without any hint of effort on his part.
“Dad,” I said. I tried to sound as innocent and friendly as I could, but even I heard the fear in my voice. “What a coincidence. How's Mom doing?”
“Don't try to distract me,” said Dad. What made his anger worse was that his voice didn't shake or tremble. It was as calm and rational as ever, which almost made me squirm under his grasp. “What the hell did you think you were doing?”
“I—”
“No excuses,” Dad interrupted me. He pointed at the monitors on the wall of the Lab, which displayed the address of the Fallsville General Hospital. “What were you planning to do to Robert Candle? Kill him?”
&
nbsp; “Sir, Kevin was simply following your orders,” said Valerie, her voice speaking up from the gauntlet on my arm. “He was simply trying to alter Robert Candle's memories of the time he punched him through the cafeteria wall in order to ensure the safety and well-being of you and your wife.”
“Shut up, Valerie,” said Dad, without looking at her. “I will talk to you later. Right now, I'm speaking with Kevin.”
“Yes, sir,” said Valerie before she went abruptly silent, which told me that she had gone offline. I wish she hadn't, because I really needed the backup right now.
“Now,” said Dad, his eyes never leaving mine, “what did you think you were going to do?”
“I thought—”
“Don't answer that question,” said Dad. “It was rhetorical. I know what you thought you were doing. I don't need an answer.”
I bit my lower lip. Dad always seemed to be able to predict what I was going to say before I said it, but that didn't stop me from saying, “I don't see what you're so unhappy about. No one even saw me.”
Dad laughed, a harsh, sarcastic laugh that made me want to shrink. “Kevin, you broke into my Lab, stole some of my equipment, and deceived my personal assistant into helping you attempt to alter the memories of another person, while, I might add, your mother was at the doctor for an illness. What shouldn't I be unhappy about?”
Hoping I could calm Dad down, I said, “Look, Dad, I know you're not happy, but that doesn't mean you need to be angry. I mean, I managed to teach myself how to fly … well, hover, really, but—”
“I don't care,” said Dad. “Tell me, what would have happened if you had been seen? Do you really think that Master Chaos would not have been able to put two and two together and realize that you altered the memories of his son in order to protect your own life?”
“Well, it seemed like a—”
“Kevin, if you had done that, Master Chaos would have known that you are Bolt,” said Dad. “As I have told you repeatedly, Master Chaos is not an idiot. He is chaotic and unpredictable, but that doesn't mean he's stupid. You, on the other hand, might be, if you thought that stealing my equipment to alter Robert's memories would have convinced Master Chaos to leave us alone.”
