by Bryan Cohen
Blake took in a large breath behind the microphone as the room took its cue to sit. While the General had been extremely successful at keeping his poker face, the Commander-in-Chief looked like he was about to burst with happiness.
"Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Wow. I'm honored by your presence here today. I was just told that this is the largest gathering of state leaders outside the U.N. in the history of mankind."
The attendees clapped loudly. The General mimicked them and shifted in his chair.
"Like most of you in this room, I've been privy to some incredible phenomena in my five decades. The moon landing. The invention of incredible and portable technology. And even a seventh Star Wars movie."
Another round of applause echoed off the walls. The General gnawed on his lip and wondered if he'd ever get to give his speech.
"But I've never seen anything quite like Ted Finley. Ted isn't even old enough to vote and he's already saved the world on multiple occasions. As a leader, you hope to avoid any worldwide catastrophes during your time in office. I'm blessed to have received the exact opposite: a hero who can keep the world safe."
As hands came together one more time, the General kept himself busy by pulling secrets out of the heads of the world leaders. Within a few seconds, he already knew of five mistresses, an impending coup, and three undeclared stockpiles of deadly weapons. The General placed the last secret on the back burner, just in case this operation didn't go as planned.
"In the United States, we like to say that anybody can be a hero given the right circumstances. But it's unlikely that most of us can be as incredible as the hero in our midst. Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you, Ted Finley!"
The largest ovation of all pounded the General's eardrums, and he stood up with a smile. The President locked him in a tight embrace before he whispered in his ear.
"Make it short and painless. I actually like some of these guys."
The General gave two quick nods and took his place at the podium. When the applause failed to die down, he was tempted to force the leaders of the world to sit before him. He understood the need for patience, but it felt impossible to curb the anticipation when he was so close to the finish line. He held his borrowed powers in check and grinned like an idiot until the raucous reception died down.
"Thank you, Mr. President. And a big thank you to all of you for being here today. I'd play the game where I ask who traveled the farthest, but I think it might take a little while to figure out the winner."
Most of the room chuckled. The President's cackle was the loudest. The General wondered if the powerful politician would be just as vocal before taking his final breath.
"The President spoke about heroes and singled me out as one. When it comes down to it, I couldn't have done this without my friends."
From the corner of his eye, the General spotted Dhiraj at the far end of the front table. The Indian grinned at his recognition.
"I had a lot of help, and the only way we could've pulled off some of the stuff we did was by working together. That's the message I want to convey here today. Heroes miss out on the chance to be heroes when we fail to unite for a common good."
A group of dignitaries in the front began clapping, which spread to the rest of the room like wildfire. The General imagined how they'd react if they only knew the subtext.
"When the entire world works together, there's no limit to what heroes can achieve. You'll have a lot to think about during today's Summit. You may wonder what you're willing to sacrifice to raise up the world to its true potential." The General's fingers involuntarily tapped the side of the podium. "I promise that if you join me and the President today, you'll experience a level of peace and collaboration the Earth has never experienced. Join me and I promise that you'll thrive!"
The standing ovation was sudden and expected. The President whistled and Dhiraj let out a whoop. The General leaned his head back and felt inside the minds of the Secret Servicemen who lined the perimeter of the room. To ensure a fresh crop of dark souls could crossover, humans would have to do the killing. The General closed his eyes and prepared to flip the mental switch that would turn these lifelong protectors into assassins.
A blast of pain went through the General's chest as he shot backward. He crashed into the wall with so much force that his body made a clean break into the other room. He could barely hear the crowd gasping and screaming over the ringing in his ears. The General squinted hard and when he looked back toward the podium, he could barely believe his eyes.
Just in front of the microphone, Ted Finley crouched in a fighting stance. "I'm sorry, were you not finished? I think you were standing in my spot."
32
Erica sensed the outdoor air through the dimly-lit corridor. They were close. She couldn't see much as they banked around another corner at top speed. Erica tried to get a glance at Jennifer's eyes, but they were both moving too fast.
She could lose him again. It's not fair.
If Jennifer was distraught from the gang of guards baring down on her replacement father, she wasn't showing it. For a moment, Erica pictured a world where she hadn't invaded Jennifer's, a timeline in which the girl who loved taking pictures and acting was completely unaware of dark souls and other worlds. Jennifer might have a chance to be happy in that world.
Erica was about to say something when their latest turn put them in front of two guards. Before she could react, Jennifer drew her gun and fired. The sound ricocheted off the wall as the bullet knocked the gun out of one guard's hand. Before the other opponent could get over his shock, Erica sprinted forward and leapt into the air. She spun her foot around in a 360-degree arc, clipping one guard in the neck and the other in the back of the head. They lay motionless on the ground.
Erica looked to her friend, who was silently collecting the guards' weapons. She shook her head. "This is all my fault."
Jennifer gave her a sidelong glance. "The two unconscious guys? Yeah, you did that." She pocketed what looked like a small hand grenade.
Erica rolled her eyes. "I know that. I'm saying you becoming some warrior. That's all my fault. If I hadn't shown up, you'd be editing the yearbook or running track or something." She sighed. "Now you're shooting rocket launchers and kicking bad guys in the junk."
Jennifer finished her looting and cracked half a smile. "If you weren't here, we'd all be dead three times over." She checked her weapon. "Is it ideal that we all had to learn to stop guys twice our size? Probably not. But we're alive. And we're gonna win. No apologies necessary."
Erica would've hugged her right there if she hadn't heard the footsteps of oncoming guards. Either they'd captured Sheriff Norris, or something worse had happened.
Erica breathed out the guilt. "Good. I was tired of feeling sorry for myself. Let's get outta here."
The corridor transitioned from dim to lit as they drew closer to what Erica hoped was an exit. When they turned one more corner, they saw both freedom and the opposite in one split second. The door to the outside world was just 20 feet ahead of them, as were about a dozen armed guards ready to take their heads off. A hail of gunfire slammed into the wall around them as Erica yanked Jennifer back to safety.
A gruff voice called out to them. "It's over, Protector. Surrender now and we'll let your friend live."
Erica's eyes met Jennifer's. The sheriff's daughter had already pulled out the grenade and had her finger on the pin.
Erica raised her eyebrows. "Not yet. We don't know how powerful that thing is. Could bring the building down on us."
Jennifer bit her bottom lip. "You'd survive. You'd get out of here."
Erica loosened her hold on Jennifer's shirt. "For someone who doesn't want me to sacrifice myself, you seem pretty willing to do it for me."
"I don't have anything left, Erica." Jennifer's eyes were devoid of emotion. "Even if we get Dhiraj back, we broke up. My dad is dead, probably twice. Tell me why I should make it out of this alive?"
Erica put her hand out. "Give
me the grenade."
Jennifer did nothing for a moment before complying.
"I'll tell you why. Because you're my friend. Because I love you. Because the world wouldn't be worth saving without you."
Jennifer looked to the ceiling. Erica guessed it was to keep herself from crying. If so, it didn't work.
"Now, I'm gonna walk out there with the grenade and see if I can negotiate. Okay?"
Jennifer nodded. "Be careful."
"Aren't I always?"
"No."
Erica hid the pin with her palm and prepared to turn the corner when a flash of blue light illuminated the hall, accompanied by a scream and more gunfire.
"What in the–"
Erica pocketed the explosive and watched the party unfold. An ancient blade moved so quickly around the room that she could barely keep up. With a downward slice, the second dark soul cried bloodless murder and disappeared in a burst of light. Before the other guards could target their attacker, a spin and a thrust went through the legs of another four, sending all of them back to the Realm of Souls.
Jennifer poked her head out from around the corner. "Holy crap."
Erica waved her forward. "Come on."
They ran to assist as the shimmering blade blocked a bullet and plunged into the dark soul's chest. When two of the other guards pulled out their guns, Erica took out one with a swift kick that fractured a femur, and Jennifer once again aimed her foot at a dark soul's privates. Erica finished them both off with several knockout blows to their temples.
As Erica watched in awe, the sword worked its magic three more times, evaporating the guards before they even had a chance to take their last breaths.
With the foes vanquished, Natalie let the heavy forged item clatter to the ground. She knelt to the ground, her chest heaving.
A burst of energy and sound shot out of Jennifer. "Oh my gosh, Nat! You took out like 10 guys in under a minute. How the heck did you do that?"
Erica nodded with approval. "That was pretty freakin' impressive. It's been a long time since I've seen you use that thing."
Natalie took several deep breaths before her face rose to meet them. The pain in her eyes struck Erica immediately.
Natalie gripped the hilt of the sword and got to her feet. "It's time to go."
33
Before the General could speak, Ted grabbed the dark soul under his arms and flew at top speed through the wall and into the next room. He felt the impact ripple through his opponent's body and into his own as drywall, wood, and paint broke apart around them. Ted made a fist and flicked his fingers. His powers responded, sending the General through an open door and into a glass-covered portrait on the wall of a red and white hallway. The sound resembled a window breaking as shards fell around Ted's lookalike.
Break his neck. Kill him and it all ends today.
He stalked toward the General and reached the doorway before he froze. Ted tried to shake off the bloodlust, but his pulse was moving a lot faster than his mind.
That's not me talking. It's him.
The General pressed himself up to all fours. A bruise began to rise on right cheek of his familiar face. As the glass crunched under his knees, he let out a low, ominous chuckle.
"You understand it now." The wolf in Ted's clothing stood up. "The need for power. The need for blood. It's part of you."
Ted's vocal cords frayed. "Shut up!"
As he flew straight for the General, the dark soul attempted to block his powers. He was as unsuccessful as the lynch mob had been. Ted's fists cracked the General's collar bone as they made impact, sending the dark soul crashing against the now unprotected painting. The villain's head cracked against the wall and his body skidded to a stop on the floor.
Despite it all, the General kept a smile on his face. "How interesting. I thought I knew how the game worked, but you've changed the rules."
The shards of glass on the floor shot toward Ted with incredible speed. He didn't even flinch as they parted around him and harmlessly bounced against the opposite wall.
Ted stepped closer. "It's over, General. Things are going back the way they should be."
The General's laugh was punctuated by intermittent coughing. "I think the bit of fun I had with your personal life is going to keep that from happening. Please, remember to invite me to the funeral."
Confusion, fear, and rage clouded Ted's mind. "What did you–"
The General leaned back and slammed his hands through the wall behind him. With a grunt, he broke off a ten-foot-wide slab and brought it down in Ted's direction. The solid wall crashed down on Ted's shoulder, sending pain through his arm and back.
With a scream, he broke the wall apart into a million pieces, sending plaster and dust everywhere. The General was nowhere to be seen, but a quick look up revealed a hole in the ceiling.
He's dead. He's dead. He's dead!
Ted flew through the opening and spied the General in the distance. Wind blew through his hair high above the building. The dark soul wobbled as he flew at far less than top speed.
It took Ted just a few seconds to catch up to him and grab hold of his arm. "You're not getting away."
The General laughed in his face. "Make me suffer, Finley."
Ted wrenched the dark soul's arm out of his socket, eliciting a yelp of pain that transitioned into a chuckle.
"This. Isn't. Funny!"
As his blood boiled over, Ted spun his opponent around and used his abilities to send him back toward the roof of the White House. His powers ensured the General made a direct impact.
Ted didn't hesitate, taking the same path the dark soul did, and following it up with a powerful punch to the General's jaw. Now both sides of the lookalike's face were black and blue.
Through his swollen cheeks, the smile continued to make itself apparent. "Is that all you've got? I thought there'd be more."
Ted swung for the face once again, but this time, his opponent caught it. All it took was a simple squeeze for Ted's hand to break in three places.
His eyes watered as he pulled his arm away. Before he could fully retreat, the General jutted his elbow into the middle of Ted's ribs. Another blow led to another break. Ted's scream made fire shoot through his lungs. His heavy breaths only made the pain worse as he floated himself out of arm's length.
The General's grin widened. "What? Hand-to-hand combat not your thing? I thought you wanted a fair fight."
The dark soul's right wrist whipped back against the building, as if it were held there in place by a steel shackle. His attention darted left as the same thing happened to his other hand. The smile finally left his face as his legs likewise pinned against the roof.
Ted controlled his breathing to lower the pain and floated himself back toward the General. "There's never been anything fair about this."
Ted wound up and used his powers to send his good hand into the General's jaw. And then he did it again. A rapid succession of two dozen more punches knocked out teeth and completely obscured the dark soul's eye with swelling. Ted ignored the pain in his hand and throughout his body. All he wanted was vengeance.
As his breathing sped up again and the agony in his ribs increased, Ted pulled back and looked at the evil version of himself. He'd hoped the battle would make him feel better. It hadn't worked.
The General spit blood into a growing puddle on top of the white building. He voice was muffled from his contorted jaw. "It's a pity."
Ted tried to find a comfortable standing position. "What is?"
The General somehow let another smile shine through his broken countenance. "You didn't learn anything from your time in my head." His eyes pointed back down through the hole. "The best plans go off without you even being there."
Ted's heart dropped. "No."
Fear gripped him and lessened the pain as he flew back through the hole and toward the Summit. As he re-entered the room, the silence struck him first. In a meeting that contained over 100 people, most of them the leaders of the free world,
every single one of them was motionless. Blood was splattered on the wall, and even the ceiling in a few key areas. The tables where the President, the First Lady, and Dhiraj had sat were conspicuously absent, but the rest of the room screamed carnage.
Ted knelt beside the Secretary of State, who was the closest corpse to him. "He won."
A faint blue light radiated outward from the body beside him, as the dead man took his first breath in a new and dangerous life.
34
Dhiraj's mind bounced back and forth between consciousness and the other thing as his feet moved beneath him. He felt like he'd been hustled down at least a dozen staircases after a Secret Serviceman ushered him and the President through a secret passageway. His lungs were being worked to the limit, but his adrenaline was so maxed out he barely noticed. After descending for what seemed like an hour, the man in the dark suit used a fingerprint reader to let them into a concrete hallway. The lights were bright and fluorescent despite the seeming lack of use, and Dhiraj squinted from the change of brightness.
His vacillating mind gave way to a moment of lucidity. "They're dead. They're all dead."
The President didn't flinch as he stood in front of a door that looked like the opening to a bank vault.
Dhiraj's heart threatened to erupt from his chest. "The world leaders. They're dead!"
Whatever hold the General had in his mind evaporated. He looked left and right as if becoming fully conscious for the first time that day. "We're not safe."
The President straightened his tie and kept his eyes facing forward. "It's never safe to be in power. How's that door coming along, Ridley?"
The Secret Serviceman gave a grunt as he entered a lengthy series of numbers into a keypad. "Almost got it, Mr. President."
Dhiraj could hardly breathe. He'd watched it all unfold with a smile pasted on his face. One second, the General was giving an Oscar-worthy performance. The next, the podium was empty and mind-controlled Secret Servicemen started firing. Dhiraj tried to look into Ridley's eyes.
