by Bryan Cohen
The crowd was dissipating while the remaining soldiers attempted to regroup. Ted spied Judge Tristance frozen in place at the top of his judicial pedestal. With a spin of his body and a twist of his hands, the base of the structure cracked and snapped. It toppled over, sending the judge flying and scattering half of the troops.
"Justice is mighty wobbly these days."
The other soldiers commanded larger weapons and seemed to hope a coordinated strike would be too much for the hero to handle.
Ted smirked. "I don't want to give you guys false hope…."
He spun his right hand in a swirling arc. A powerful wind formed around the troops and blew the dust into a thick cloud around them. The wind turned into a mini-tornado and sucked the soldiers up into its funnel. When Ted could see that none of the dark souls remained on the ground below his man-made twister, he stopped his hand firm, sending the fighters straight down to the unforgiving land below. The sound of equipment and bones breaking filled the air. Ted floated himself back down to the dirt and took a satisfying look at the devastation he'd caused. The General in him wondered just how long it would take for the army to recover. Ted suppressed the thought as soon as it revealed itself.
"I'd love to stay and take a few pictures, but I really must be–"
"You shouldn't be able to do this."
Limping into view was the torturer himself, Pluric Xanivere. Ted hadn't seen him since their tussle a few days earlier, and the injuries the dark soul had sustained made him look more bruise than man.
Ted shrugged. "What can I say? I like to subvert expectations."
Pluric sneered and pointed directly at the hero's head. "Play time is over."
Ted could feel the torturer's power touch his mind. The dark soul's concussion was fully healed, and his ability was at full strength as it met Ted's thoughts, dreams, and memories. His mind closed itself off like a steel trap. Ted could feel the intrusion bounce off his now-armored thoughts.
Pluric screamed. "You were built with a weakness to dark souls! It was supposed to preserve balance!"
Ted yawned. "Looks like too much exposure gave me some kind of immunity. That's really too bad for this war you guys are fighting. What's your plan, anyway?"
Ted gestured in Pluric's direction and entered the torturer's mind. Beyond the surface thoughts and the dark soul's hatred, Ted found the entire operation in explicit detail.
His features turned grim. "Holy crap. You're trying to take over Earth."
Pluric forced a smile through the uncomfortable sensation of having his thoughts perused. "And you're too late. All the power will be on the General's side in just hours–"
Ted closed his hand and the light went out of Pluric's eyes. It took less time than he expected to wipe the torturer's mind completely. He went from evil dictator's henchman to blank slate almost instantly.
Ted rubbed at his mouth. "Why don't you go walk off of something very tall?"
Pluric nodded slowly before turning and walking mindlessly in the other direction. Ted felt no satisfaction from sending the enemy off to his probable death.
He ran his hands through his hair. "They can't stop me anymore. But if they pull this off, it might not matter."
Ted pointed five feet ahead of him with one finger. What had once been the difficult task of creating a portal happened with ease. The blue shimmering light cast a cold hue on the side of the castle walls.
Ted took one last look at the scene of the bungled execution. He could've been a corpse if his powers hadn't found a way to emerge in time. Erica had told him time and time again that all dark souls could nullify his powers.
I guess the rules just changed.
Ted floated one of the laser blasters off a severely injured soldier and into his hand.
"I always wanted to take the White House tour."
Ted took one last deep breath before all-out sprinting into the shining blue portal to Earth.
29
Dhiraj looked down at his shaking hands as he put one foot in front of the other. The index cards bent back and forth as he tried to get back to the General's dressing room before the Summit began.
"No." Dhiraj's voice shuddered. "It's Ted's room. That's not the General."
He tried to access the evidence that would prove his friend was on the other side of the White House hallway, but true and false thoughts alike battled for control of his brain.
Dhiraj attempted to smile, but only half of his lips curled. "I'll just call Jen. She'll straighten it out for me." As he reached for his pocket, his hand froze. "I shot Jen. She could be dead and my zombified brain wouldn't even know."
Dhiraj gained the upper hand for only a few seconds as he placed one of his hands on the wall. "I'm being controlled. This isn't me. I have to warn…"
Dhiraj's face grew pale. "Erica and Jen are hundreds of miles away. Nat's mourning Travis, who's dead because of me." He looked down at the index cards of a speech that would end the world. "There's nobody left to warn."
"Dhiraj, is that you?"
The voice of the General and the reach of his power ceded control back to the untruth as Dhiraj passed by a Secret Serviceman and opened the chamber.
It was a lavish room filled with red satin and the aroma of fruit baskets. The dark soul pretending to be Ted Finley hadn't touched a single one of the international gifts bestowed upon him. The General mouthed the words of the speech in front of the mirror. He looked positively giddy in his new, high-end tuxedo.
Dhiraj's shaking resumed as he approached the side of the soon-to-be-speaker. The General spun and smiled. "How do I look, best friend?"
Dhiraj presented the index cards. "I m-m-made the changes you wanted."
The General took the notes and slipped them into his jacket pocket before crossing his arms. "Dhiraj, how is this supposed to be any fun with you putting up so much resistance?" The General waved one hand and Dhiraj felt his real thoughts gently float away.
A full smile replaced his frown. "You look like a million bucks, Ted. Maybe 1.2 million." Any doubt in Dhiraj had vanished, replaced by a joyful glee. "Do you know how many connections I'm gonna make here? It's like extreme international networking!"
The General returned Dhiraj's smile. "There's the Indian bestie I know and love." A knock on the door and the entrance of four more Secret Servicemen cued Dhiraj to the impending presence of President Blake.
The commander-in-chief entered the room with his arms open wide, as if he hoped to hug every molecule he came into contact with.
"Boys, are you ready to be a part of something special?"
Dhiraj nodded like a wind-up toy. "Are we ever! Do you think the Prime Minister of Japan would like a Ted vs. Gozilla movie franchise? I was kind of hoping to talk his ear off about it."
President Blake raised an eyebrow in the General's direction.
The Ted lookalike shrugged. "It's either mopey, tortured sidekick, or overly enthusiastic manager. Those are the choices."
President Blake took the General's shoulder and talked in low tones. He was still loud enough for Dhiraj to hear.
"The foreign leaders aren't going to be so obviously screwed up, are they? I don't want the military head of Russia to know something's up and fire a nuke in our direction, capeesh?"
Dhiraj's mind started to come back into focus. He knew he wasn't there to accompany his friend as a manager or confidant. He was there to make things look normal before a mass killing.
The doubt left almost as quickly as it came, and Dhiraj vowed to keep smiling. If another moment of confusion came up, he couldn't let his real emotions show.
The General patted Blake on the back. "No need to worry. There won't be a conflict to speak of. It won't be mind control. My people will take control of everything, and they'll be loyal to you and me."
Blake nodded, but even in his split state, Dhiraj could detect the worry on the President's face.
"I'm sure you're right. Must be the lack of sleep talking."
The General
grinned. "With world peace and federal debt loan forgiveness, I see a lot more eight-hour nights in your future, Mr. President."
Blake let out a sigh of relief. "I can't wait. Be ready in five minutes. I want the press to get a ton of pictures of us walking in."
The General flashed a grin. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."
Blake nodded and left with his four guards in tow.
The General's smile deformed into a snarl. "That wretched man. He'd double-cross his own grandmother if it meant he could be President for another term." He turned toward Dhiraj. "Buddy, this could be Ted's memories talking, but you're about the only human whose tongue I don't want to rip out right now. You say what you mean. You're loyal to a fault." He placed his hand on the back of Dhiraj's neck. "There will come a day when I'll have to kill you, and it'll make me very sad to do so. I'm tearing up just thinking about it."
Dhiraj nodded with a vacant smile on his face.
"Now, go be a BFF and get the books prepped in case I need a top-up afterward."
They're in the trunk.
Dhiraj nodded as the General pulled out the cards and started to practice once again. He had no idea where the errant thought came from.
The books are in her trunk.
The General didn't even look Dhiraj's way as he repeated the words of the speech.
Dhiraj squinted as he tried to squeeze some semblance of awareness out of his contorted mind. "Whose trunk?"
30
Jennifer rubbed her eyes and swallowed the bad taste in her mouth. She wondered if the dark souls would consider giving them a toothbrush. It wouldn't take her and Erica long to sharpen it into a shiv.
She wasn't sure how long it'd been since her cellmate told her to take a nap. Without windows or a clock, it was impossible to know how many laps Erica had made of their dank room. There were enough clues, however, to determine how many fits of rage her friend had experienced. Three fist-shaped cracks decorated the concrete cell at different corners of the room.
Jennifer's tongue tried to ignore the film covering her teeth. "How long was I out?"
Erica continued walking. She reminded Jennifer of a prowling jungle cat in captivity.
"Five hours. Maybe six."
Jennifer stretched her arms. "Let me take the next shift. You need some sleep."
Erica ignored her. "The Summit's gonna happen any minute now. The dark souls are gonna conquer another planet, and there's nothing we can do about it."
Within the first hour of their incarceration, Erica had suggested Jennifer choke her to death to send her back to the Realm of Souls as a messenger. The subsequent shouting match took the plan off the table. That didn't stop Jennifer from wondering if the plan might be their only hope.
"I'm not giving up yet. Dhiraj will shake out of it, or Ted will.…"
Erica punched the wall for the fourth time. Cracks spread from the impact, but even a thousand right hooks wouldn't get them through the concrete that surrounded them.
She turned toward the wall and let herself slide down to the floor. "I should've known it wasn't Ted."
Jennifer attempted to comb her hair with her fingers. "It wasn't your fault. All of this stuff is so confusing and strange." She looked up and sighed. "Dhiraj was barely even himself and instead of trying to help, I was only thinking about myself."
Jennifer sat by Erica's side. She laid her head on her friend's shoulder. "He's been manipulating us for months. Who knows how much he scrambled our brains to convince us."
Erica softened slightly, curving her body toward Jennifer's. "If I'd never fallen for Ted – if I'd never let my feelings get in the way – I could've kept the world safe."
Jennifer put her arm around Erica's back. "Maybe. Maybe not. He needed you. I needed you. If you were a complete jerk with robot emotions, we never would've trusted you enough to follow you in the first place."
Erica returned the side hug. She nodded and they remained silent for a solid minute.
Jennifer leaned back to take a look into Erica's eyes. "There's only one thing I'm sure of."
"What's that?"
"I'm tired of being a frickin' damsel. Can we get out of here already?"
Erica smiled for the first time since they entered the cell. "Let's test for weaknesses one last time."
As they helped each other to their feet, the door to the cell swung open. Jennifer's eyes grew wide. They met eyes and gazed over to the empty path into the hallway.
Erica laughed. "I'm not even gonna ask. Let's–"
The body of a guard went flying past the door and landed with a thump on the other side. Erica put her arm up to stop Jennifer from moving forward. That's when a familiar face poked his head in.
"Sorry, I would've been here sooner if I could." Sheriff Norris breathed heavily as he leaned against the doorframe.
Mixed emotions blended in Jennifer's stomach. Erica had told her the dark soul version of her father had been the one to take her down. Then again, he appeared to be their only shot of getting out of there.
Erica stared at the Sheriff with daggers in her eyes. "And we're trusting you now because…."
The Sheriff's eyes darted to the hallway and back to them. "The door to your cell is open. An alarm hasn't sounded. The Summit is in less than an hour. I'd say you don't have much of a choice."
Jennifer pushed Erica's arm out of the way. "Good enough for me. Let's go kill your boyfriend's evil clone."
Jennifer walked up to their only ally in the compound socked him in the arm.
Her father's lookalike rubbed at the area. "Ow. That's all I get?"
Jennifer smirked. "Don't tranq my friends. Even if you are playing a double agent."
He nodded. "I'm sorry. It was the only–"
Erica joined them by the doorway. "Get us out of here. Apologies and everything else later."
The sheriff gestured and they followed him past the body of the downed guard. They jogged through two dimly lit hallways and climbed a ladder to the next level.
Erica brought up the rear to make sure the sheriff was on the up-and-up. "Tell me why you're going against your own people."
The sheriff pointed. "This way. The most important thing for the General and the majority of the dark souls is to take over another planet."
Jennifer jogged at a brisk pace to keep up with her father. "And what's the most important thing for you?"
The three of them reached what looked like a dead end until the sheriff opened a hidden panel on the wall and punched in a code. "Your happiness, Jen." He glanced over at Erica. "The dark souls aren't my people. You are."
Jennifer felt warm inside as the door opened. The two guards stationed on the other side were as surprised as she was. The sheriff backhanded one sentry, sending him head-first into a nearby wall. Instinct took over for Jennifer as she kicked the other guard in the crotch. As he bent over in pain, she grabbed the dark soul's neck and flipped him over her shoulder. A swift kick from her father sent the guard flying into the wall beside the other motionless man.
The sheriff grinned and Jennifer's heart swelled.
Erica shook her head. "Thanks for leaving me something to do. Time's a wastin'."
Before they could take a single step, Jennifer and the others heard the loud stomping of reinforcements echoing from the other side of the door they'd opened. Taking down one or two guards was a cinch, but the footsteps sounded like a lot more than two.
The sheriff used the corresponding panel on the door to shut and lock it. He drew his gun. "Keep heading in the same direction and you'll get to the surface."
Jennifer's pulse quickened. "What about you?"
With a heavy crash, a fist-shaped indent appeared in the door.
He didn't turn toward her. "I'm gonna stop the bad guys and you're gonna save the world."
Jennifer didn't hesitate. She ran over to her father's side and kissed him on the cheek. "Good luck."
She didn't need to stay to know the smile that would appear on his face. As she
and Erica collected guns from the fallen guards and sprinted toward the top level of the compound, she didn't need to guess how her kiss would make him feel. And when she heard the first wave of bullets break through the reinforced door, Jennifer didn't need to see them to know they'd made impact.
31
The General fought hard to keep his face in a neutral position. The real Ted would've been just as giddy sitting next to the surgically enhanced First Lady and several members of the President's cabinet in the White House. Of course, his excitement would have a different reasoning behind it.
The fresh scent of the room contrasted a decor that was supposed to evoke the country's history. Paintings of Colonial times dotted the walls, and if it weren't for the elegant tablecloths and the modern place settings, one might've thought they'd stepped into the 19th Century.
The General pasted a slight smile on top of the goofy happiness he felt as the Secretary of State droned on about something or other. The Ted-lookalike watched the foreign leaders before him. Several of them had been watching him the entire time. After all, this was the first time they'd get a chance to see the real-life superhero in person. He figured none of them knew it would also be their last.
The Secretary of State cleared his throat. "Anyway, I'm sure you didn't come all the way over here to see me."
The polite but honest chuckle percolated through the room. The General's pulse picked up the pace and he barely caught a fork before it began to hover above the table.
Easy, now. It's almost time.
"But before I introduce our hero, there's someone who'd like to say a few words. The President of the United States!"
The General was the first to rise in applause, and the rest of the room followed. Blake's temporary position to rid the U.S. of "aliens" earlier that year had rubbed some countries the wrong way; judging by the reception he was getting from the international leaders, they were willing to let bygones be bygones. Blake soaked in the applause as he strutted the five feet or so to the podium. He shared a warm embrace with the Secretary of State. President Blake had given the General instruction to kill and replace the cabinet as well. He'd said there was no point taking chances.
