by R. J. Ross
“Who are YOU to tell me something like that?” Davis demands. “You’ve got no right to look down on me like that!”
“Davis,” I say, “he’s Superior. And ten years is really impressive when you’re only twelve. Nico says I’ve still got a lot of growing to do, too.”
“Superior is dead,” Davis says.
“Some rumors are greatly exaggerated,” Superior says. “But if anyone asks, I still am. Now go in, boy, because you’re wasting time.”
Davis glares at him before turning and walking through the security field. “Why are you really willing to bring me?” I ask as soon as Davis disappears.
“I plan on throwing you at Skye to stop her from killing her stalker,” Superior says, scooping me up in one arm like a child and taking to the air. “Any arguments?”
I think about it for all of a second before shaking my head. “Nope, none at all.”
***
*Sixteen years ago*
Richard Penski tugs on the tie that’s been strangling him all day, heading through the parking lot to his car. It’s past midnight again. It’s the third time this week that he’s worked this late, but he’s on to something large. The concept of containing supers against their will has been one of the burning topics around the world. Of course, when he says world, he means the scientific community. It doesn’t help that the Hall has recently been revealed to have a way of doing it. He doesn’t know where they got the technology, but it DOES prove that it can be done. And after several months of experimentation and research, he’s come up with a few theories of HOW they do it.
His favorite is the gas type of restraint. A certain substance that can either be breathed in or attach to the skin, which interferes with their powers. It’s messy, yes, but if it doesn’t affect the normal civilians, well, it seems quite useful, especially in situations where a super is going on a rampage. They would merely have to gas the super in question, not worrying about the crowd.
“Help…” At first he doesn’t even hear the word, his mind is too preoccupied dreaming up situations where his gas might come in handy, but then it comes again. “Help… me.”
Richard doesn’t hesitate before speeding up, heading straight for his car and pulling his keys out of his pocket. The theory of parking this far away from the building is logical. He doesn’t have the time or inclination to go to the gym, so he must get his daily exercise in another way. Walking to and from the car is sufficient, as long as he has a well-balanced diet. Now, though, he’s regretting that choice. “Please,” the man moans.
Richard starts to run. Several new scenarios are running through his mind, all centered on how foolish it would be to try and help a stranger in the middle of the night in a poorly lit parking lot. He really should have made the security officer walk to his car with him, but truthfully, it offended his pride as a man to do that.
“HELP ME!” the voice bellows as a wall appears in front of him, blocking his way. He turns, trying to run in the other direction. Masculine pride or not, that is NOT a human in front of him! He’s going straight to the security guard, and possibly the cops! Before he can go more than a step, something wraps around his ankle, and he falls to the ground. The grip on his ankle drags him across the concrete, scraping his face and tugging his dress shirt out of his pants. He screams, but something covers his mouth before it can catch anyone’s attention. It’s not a hand, he thinks, almost light-headed with fear. This isn’t a hand over his mouth. It smells like mud.
“I need your help,” the voice says from all around him. “If you promise not to scream, I’ll let you breathe again. Nod if you agree.”
Richard nods, emphatically. The object covering his mouth moves and he gasps for air. He’s about to try screaming again when he catches a glimpse of what’s holding him. Instead, he finds himself staring, his mouth dropped open. The wall is actually a moving creature. It has a mouth, and two eyes, but all three of them keep moving around, as if they’re merely floating on the surface of the mud creature’s… face. He can’t think of another word to call it, at the moment.
“What are you?” Richard asks.
“I’m… a freak,” the mud monster replies. “I need your help, Richard Penski.”
“You’re a super,” Richard says. “What do you want me to do? Will you kill me if I don’t?”
“I want to be human,” the mud says. “This science lab works with super things, right?”
“Yes, of course we do,” Richard says. “But why haven’t you gone to the supers?”
“I need help,” the mud repeats. It’s drooping and he hears a few plopping sounds here and there. “I can only stay… cogni… cogni… conscious for so long.”
“Cognizant?” Richard asks. The eyes that have drifted somewhat south open and close and the mud moves slightly, as if it’s trying to nod. “Well… I see how that could be a problem. Why don’t you come inside with me? All of my research is in there. I’m certain we can come up with something.” The fear has faded, but he’s still considering his choices. It would be smartest to have the security officer step in, or have him call the Hall… but… this is an opportunity like no other. He will have a willing test subject. With the help of this mud monster, he will be able to actually test his theories!
No, he has to do this, for SCIENCE!
“Professor Penski!” the security guard says as he walks back into the building. “Is there something that I can do for you? Can you tell me who… oh, oh wow… um—” The guard’s face turns pasty white and Richard sees him reaching for something under the desk. Quickly, Richard raises a hand, motioning for him to not push the button.
“This is a very important person, um, Myles,” Richard says, glancing at the badge on the guard’s chest. “He’s going to be assisting me with my research.”
“I—I see,” Myles says, turning slightly blue, now. “Is there anything I can… assist you with, then?”
“I would appreciate getting clearance to take my new friend to the basement,” Richard says, pointedly.
“Of course, of course,” Myles says, typing on the computer quickly. “You’re clear to go, sir.”
“I’m serious when I say that I don’t need assistance,” Richard says lowly. “I would really appreciate if you would move your hand away from the desk.”
“Ah, yes, I see,” Myles says with a look of worry before moving his hand. “Then I will leave you to your work.”
“Thank you.” Richard leads the mud creature down the stairs and looks around for a moment before heading to one of the unused rooms. “Here should be good. Why don’t you get settled and I’ll start the scans?”
“You can make me human?” the mud monster asks.
“I can do my best.”
*Now*
Deep underground Clay mentally shakes his head, thinking about how he had actually volunteered for the inhumane experiments. Yes, he had eventually gotten to where he could control anything the gaseous part of his body bonded with, but the sick, twisted experiments that had been “for science” were repeated again, on a little girl.
He will never forgive Richard Penski for what he had done to Skye. Had he found out back then… but it was too late by the time he did. That little girl had been subjected to—
“Found you! Which is sort of strange, since you don’t FEEL like an earth mimic, at all,” someone says, appearing right in front of him. They’re a hundred feet below the surface, he thinks in shock, but she’s just standing there, her hands on her hips as she glowers at him. “You actually feel sort of like… I dunno, a tiny super planet? But that would be really weird, because then you’d be a planet ON a planet, right? So you have to be some sort of earth mimic… I guess?”
“Skye,” he says. “You came to me.”
“I don’t know WHAT is going on in that muddy head of yours, but I’m not coming to you, I’m coming to get back the nanobytes and punish you for STALKING me for forever!”
“You don’t understand,” he starts out, takin
g the form of a human being. He reaches a hand through the dirt, trying to take hers, only to have his wrist grabbed.
“You’re the one that doesn’t understand!” she snaps as she starts to haul him to the surface. “You are a bad, bad person and I don’t like you filming me all the time! YOU deserve to go to the Cape Cells!”
“What he did to you, he did to me, first!” Clay says. She goes still, trembling slightly. “He helped me take on a human form, by increasing my natural capacity to form bonds with things like dirt, or rock, but the cost was too high. HE’S the monster, not you, and not me. He deserved everything that I did to him, and more! I did it for YOU, little sister! I did it all for you! I filmed you to make sure nothing like that ever happened to you again!”
“Oh, yeah? And why did you have the kid make the nanobytes, then? Those were made to stop ME!”
He hesitates for just a second too long, so she turns, punching him in the face. He feels his form break and he turns into his mud shape again, sliding through the dirt several miles straight up. Wow, he can’t help but think, she sure hits hard.
The canister of nanobytes is left buried far below him, but she’s so intent on beating him that she doesn’t even notice. She runs through the dirt, reaching him quickly and punching him again. He’s sent flying, breaking through the surface and slamming against a building with a splat. His body slides down the side before plopping to the concrete walkway. The norms are screaming, or watching in shock as he gathers himself up and takes his human form.
Skye slips out of the ground, standing in front of him with a look of rage. “How DARE you try to call me your sister?” she demands, completely uncaring that there’s an audience. “I’ve got a brother! He LOVES me! He doesn’t go around building weapons just to take me out! You’re going to PAY for everything you’ve done!”
“You’re being unreasonable,” Clay says, trying to calm her down. He knows that she’s moody, but he also knows that she tends to be easy to distract. If he can just distract her—
“SKYSTEP!” a girl bellows. “STOP!”
They both turn, watching as Hypersonic Rainbow rushes through the crowd and launches herself at Skystep.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
It’s not that she shouldn’t beat him up, don’t get me wrong, this guy totally deserves a butt whooping, but there’s a lot more to it than that. Skye is so angry right now that I’m afraid she’s going to kill him. I can’t let her do that. So as soon as Superior put me down, I headed right in, wrapping my arms around her and tackling her to the ground. Usually that would be impossible, but I think I caught her off guard.
“You can’t stop me, Hy-bo, he deserves it!” she says, struggling. “And if we don’t grab him now, he’s going to get away!”
“I know, but I’m not alone!” I say. “And we’re ruining your villain rep right now, unless we make the mud man out to be some sort of hero…”
“He is NOT a hero!” she bellows, phasing straight through me. She turns, seeing the mud man just standing to the side, watching us. I feel like punching him for that, as well. He almost killed me! But that’s the problem. “Skye, let the Hall handle this!” I plead, grabbing her wrist.
“I will not! I hate him! I hate him and I hate that mad scientist guy, too! As far as I’m concerned, they’re BOTH the problem! How DARE he spy on me? How DARE he spy on my nemeses? I’m going to make sure he never does something like that ever again!” Her wrist phases through my hold and she turns, racing for the mud man who’s just standing there.
Before she can get to him, Superior appears, blocking her way. She almost runs into him, but instead of doing anything to her, he holds out his hand to the mud man, who jerks wildly, but can’t seem to move from where he’s at. There’s a look of shock on his face.
“Technico,” he says lowly. “Take him in.”
“I’m on it,” I hear Nico say over my earbud. Nico, in full uniform, appears a second later, dropping out of the sky and bringing out a familiar looking toy gun. The light flash makes me look away. “You’re under Hall arrest, Clay,” he says, walking over and grabbing the man’s wrists.
With that touch, though, the hands fall to the ground and the wrists crumble, followed quickly by the rest of the man’s body. Where he had once stood is now a pile of dirt. Nico lets out a curse before tapping on his earbud. “Get a black suit out here… with a broom and a plastic container,” he says, his jaw twitching slightly.
“Is he… is he dead?” Skye asks, staring at the dirt in shock. “Did it kill him when you took his powers?”
“I had him pinned,” Superior says, frowning. “Did you sense him leaving, Skye?”
“No… I don’t think so, but it’s really hard to tell with him… I’m pretty sure he’s not really an earth mimic, or WAS an earth mimic,” Skye admits. “But that doesn’t matter as long as he’s dead… he’s really dead, right?”
“Unlike Ariel, he didn’t take a human form when he was shot,” Nico says thoughtfully. “That indicates that his base form…”
“Isn’t human,” Superior finishes up. “Well, the gun will wear off sooner or later. There’s always the possibility that he’ll regain his powers, then. Either way, get him scooped up. I don’t want to risk losing even a speck of dust.”
“Why?” I ask, looking over at him.
“Because if his body is fully made of dirt… we’re surrounded by it,” he says simply. “It’s possible he could transfer his consciousness to a whole new batch of dirt and we wouldn’t know it until too late.”
“No! I would find him!” Skye says. “Just LET him try something like that. I’ll make sure he regrets it for the rest of his life!”
We all look up as a line of black suit cars come down the street, stopping in front of us. They get out, speaking over their mics, and I elbow Skye. “You should be running about now, right?”
“Oh, right. Yeah, okay, but this isn’t the end of it!” she says, pointing at me, and then at Nico. “You two will never take me alive!”
“I’m strictly cleanup,” Nico says. “What about you, Hy-bo?”
“Oh! Right!” I say, grabbing for Skye in a ridiculously slow manner. “Skystep, you’re under arrest in the name of the Hall—” My arms go straight through her and she grins, patting me on the head before jumping into the air.
“You’re no match for me, Hypersonic Rainbow!” she announces, doing a Peter Pan style pose. “And you’re just copping out because you know you’ll never catch me, Technico!” she adds, pointing at him. Most of the black suits are just standing there, watching her, with the same serious looks on their faces. I swear I see a few of them fight down a grin as she poses, and then one launches a net, which she phases right through. “HEY! That was rude!” she yells at him.
“Skystep! Cease and desist in the name of the Hall!” he yells back.
She sticks her tongue out at him and blows a raspberry before running away.
“Clean up the dust pile,” Nico orders, “you can capture her later. Right now this is more important. And if there’s a canister in there, I want it.”
“Yes, Technico,” they say, snapping the black suit salute of a finger to the temple and getting to work.
“Hy-bo,” Nico says, turning to me and moving close enough the norms can’t hear. “How are you doing?”
“I’m… I’m okay,” I say. I’m not, really, but I don’t want to be alone, and I don’t want to be surrounded by strangers right now, either. I mean, everyone at the school seems really nice and all, but they don’t really know me, and I don’t really know them, either. I want my family, but if I go home now, they might not let me come back. I don’t know what to do, really…
“Do you want to stay over with Skye, tonight?” he asks. “I can arrange it with the school.”
“That… that would work,” I say. Skye’s not exactly family, but she’s close enough. Besides, there’s something I need to talk to her about.
“Then go on and call them, so they can get ready
for your sleepover,” he says, his hand on my shoulder. “If you really need to go home, use their teleportation booth, got it?”
“Yeah, I got it,” I say as I pull out my phone.
***
Davis stands in front of the exit of the school, glaring at the console that’s refusing him access to the outside. He starts tapping on the screen, certain that he can come up with an override. Before he gets very far, the screen flashes and Zoe appears where the handprint had been. “Really, I could just let you keep trying, but it’s annoying,” she says. “Hello, Davis. Welcome to Cape High South. I’m Zoe, but you knew that already.”
“Of course I do,” he says. “But you’re wasting precious time by keeping me in here. I need to find the nanobytes.”
“I’m sure you think that, but do you really think that Technico can’t?”
“I am a genius,” he says, his hands clenching as hard as his teeth are. “I am completely capable of finding technology that I made.”
“And so is a technopath,” she says. “Relax, Davis, everything is well in hand. Tell me, did you know about the man pretending to be your uncle?”
He goes quiet, thinking back to the last few years. “I had nothing to compare him to,” he says finally, shrugging. “He was the only uncle that I ever knew. I didn’t like him, but I dislike my own mother, so that doesn’t say much.” He scratches his cheek, looking thoughtful. “When they capture him, what will they do with him?”
“Are you worried about him?” she asks. “Shouldn’t you be asking what happened to your real uncle?”
“I couldn’t care less what they do with my ‘real uncle,’” he says. “Regardless of blood, he’s still a stranger. I’m honestly confused as to why people think family bonds are so important in the first place. I’m related to my mother, but I would hardly choose to spend more time with her than necessary.”
