"What could she possibly—" Bedlam said.
And then a delivery van landed on top of the alien Venus flytrap with a sickening thud, exploding in a cloud of frozen food products.
Kate tried to say something in reaction, but just deactivated her taser-knuckles and put her hands on her hips, admiring Emily's culinary carnage.
"Audrey II, you are now Audrey Goo," Emily said, drifting down out of the sky to stand next to Kate.
"I don't even know how to react to what I just saw," Bedlam said.
" 'Thank you' works," Emily said. "I also accept gift cards."
It was Titus's turn to chime in over the earpiece.
"What was that bang?" he asked, clearly back in his human form.
"Emily dropped a meat delivery truck onto a… never mind," Kate said. "Are you whole?"
"What? Yeah. I'm fine," Titus said. "There was more than one parasite here though, something weird is going on. Where are Doc and Jane?"
"Oh no," Emily said.
"Titus, we're going to need your help immediately," Kate said.
"Why?"
Kate wrinkled her nose.
"We need you to track Doc and Jane for us," she said.
* * *
The foursome stuck together in their search, following a once-again wolfed-out Titus as he ran across the hillside behind the RIETI institute on Doc's trail. The fight had begun to catch up to Kate. She was feeling the bruises in her arms and legs, a tightening in her back from being thrown about. Emily struggled to keep up, and Kate found herself hanging back a little, as if to stay side by side with the younger team member.
There are times I hate being human, she thought, watching the tirelessness of Titus and Bedlam a few yards ahead of them.
They found Doc on the edge of a wooded area. The grass all around him had been scorched and blackened. His glasses were gone. He held a sword in one hand—where he got a sword out here, Kate was almost afraid to imagine—which he had thrust into the chest of the muscular alien on the ground in front of him. As they approached, he put one foot on the creature's torso, where another parasite had latched on, and yanked the sword out of both host and parasite in one pull.
Doc turned his head as he heard them approaching and his left hand lit up in blue flames. His eyes became balls of indigo fire as well, a rare image without his red glasses to hide them. He looked tired, and older than he usually did, and very angry. Recognizing them immediately, he tossed his sword to the ground, where the tip of the blade pierced the earth and stayed upright.
He wiped his hands on his pants, caught his breath, and looked them up and down, clearly searching for injuries.
"Well, magic works on them," Doc said, his lip curling in disgust.
"Was that a question?" Emily said.
Doc looked at her impatiently, but his face, as always, immediately softened.
"I honestly didn't know," Doc said. "Magic is funny. It can be the most powerful thing in the universe, but when it decides not to work…"
"Are you okay?" Titus said.
Doc looked himself over. His clothes were scorched and covered in blood and dirt. Kate realized they hadn't really ever seen him after a fight before. He was so quiet, so gentle, it was easy to forget that he was as much a warrior as any of them were, and had been fighting terrible things longer than many of them had been alive.
Instead of answering Titus's question, Doc countered with one of his own. "Where's Jane?" he said.
"Right here," came Jane's voice from the forested area behind Doc. Seconds later, she appeared. Jane looked as worse for wear as he did, a bruise growing on one side of her face, dirt and leaves in her hair and stuck to her uniform, which had been trashed as well. One whole sleeve had been ripped off at the shoulder, revealing scratches on her upper arm. Her cape was gone. She'd lost a boot.
And yet, she was dragging a still-breathing alien body behind her.
"Is that what I think it is," Kate said, not asking.
Jane threw the unconscious creature onto the ground between them. Its parasite was still whole as well, its plantlike carapace rising and falling with shallow breaths.
"That," Jane said. "Is a captive."
"Why didn't you just burn the parasite off?" Emily said. "Like a tick? Seems like you might have saved yourself a little trouble. Or at least, y'know… not lost your shoe?"
Jane wobbled a bit on her feet. Doc leaned in, put an arm around her waist, and she draped an arm over his shoulder for support.
"Two reasons," she said, eyes bleary like a boxer's after a long fight. "One, I want answers."
"Well, I mean, we can try. Maybe see if he speaks Esperanto or something," Emily said.
"And two: I am so tired of killing things," Jane said. "I wanted to try at least once to talk to these creatures before we have to go to war with them."
Doc looked at the two bodies, one living, one dead. He turned his gaze off into the distance. At first he seemed to be staring at nothing, but Kate watched his expression, and saw something there. Anger, and very targeted anger at that. Doc Silence was focusing on something very specific, Kate knew. What are you looking at, Doc? She wondered. Or who?
"Let's make sure he's locked up tight," Doc said, turning his attention once more to the alien on the ground. "He may not want to talk, but you're right. It's worth a try."
Chapter 27:
Not made of cheese
I never believed I'd have a reason to say this, Billy thought as the Earth grew blue and bright in the sky, but I'm so happy to see my home planet again.
Everyone likes to go home, Dude said.
Well, this wasn't exactly a pleasure cruise, Billy mused. Also I've been wearing the same clothes for like a week. I can't wait to shower.
Between them and home, the moon hung shadowy and gray, disconcertingly big in Billy's vision. Close enough to touch.
Hey Dude. Can we swing by the moon and look at the American flag there?
You realize we're trying to save your home planet from destruction, Dude said.
Yeah I know. But when am I going to do this again? Can we just drive by? I won't even get out of the car, just roll down the window.
We are not in a car, Billy Case.
I'm speaking metaphorically. Please? Billy pleaded. Come on, it'll be fast.
As always, Billy could sense Dude's reaction like a temperature shift as the alien acquiesced.
We can't go looking for the flag, but there's no harm in flying in lower on our way by, Dude said.
Billy smirked, banking in like a landing airplane, arms outstretched, as they flew in for a closer look. Billy found himself marveling at how complex the surface was, more uneven and varied than he expected. He thought it might be like a beach, just gray sand untouched by tide or footprints.
Hey, it's not made of cheese after all.
Do you have any concept of how ridiculous that old myth is? Dude said.
I always figured if the moon was made of cheese I didn't want to see the cow involved in making it, Billy thought. He dove in closer, reaching out, almost touching the surface of the moon with his fingertips, but resisted, as if afraid to leave a mark on the untouched surface there.
What if I wrote my name? In the dust. 'Billy Case was here.'
That would be extremely mature of you, Dude said. Truly a legacy to leave behind with pride.
I kinda feel like I should take a scoop of moon dust home. Emily would like that. I could put it in a mason jar for her, be all crafty like.
I don't believe there's any rule against taking dust from the moon, Dude said.
Are you approving petty larceny?
I see no harm in it.
Billy found himself strangely put off by Dude's lack of protest. Maybe we've been alone for too many days straight. I haven't had the opportunity to annoy anyone else for too long and he's giving up.
Billy let himself coast a bit, drifting in the low-gravity of the moon, suddenly very annoyed he never put pockets on his uniform.
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I didn't think this through, Billy thought.
Now you know why I didn't argue with you, Dude said.
Billy was about to fire off a weak retort when he saw something drifting nearby. Spherical, it looked like a miniature moon itself, but shiny, reflecting the light of the sun off the curve of its surface.
What's that? Billy said.
Before Dude could answer, Billy flew up toward it, taking a wide, playful arc to get a full view of the object. Maybe it was something left behind by a space mission. Or a satellite that wandered off too far. Something cool.
He coasted in closer and saw that its surface was essentially clear, like a bubble, with an oily sheen to it. Inside Billy could see something twitching, spasming like a dog kicking its leg as it dreamed. Billy scooted in even closer. Inside the bubble were piles of crablike legs or plant stalks, segmented, pale green, too tangled to count.
What the… Billy thought.
Don't touch that, Dude said.
What is it? Billy said.
Please don't touch—
Billy ran his fingers along the surface of the bubble.
The bubble burst.
And suddenly the entire nest of things inside sprang to life.
I have made a mistake! Billy tried to yell in the silence of space as a half-dozen creatures the size of small dogs reached for him, looking like a cross between enormous crabs and potted spider-plants.
Shoot them! Dude said.
I can shoot them? Billy silently yelled.
Just shoot them!
Instinctually, Billy blasted one of the creatures with a burst of energy from his hand, sundering the thing and sending globes of blackish fluid into the vacuum around them.
What are these things Dude? Billy yelled. He could feel his vocal cords trying to create sound, scratching in a silent scream. The remaining alien creatures grabbed at him. One engulfed his hand, but he unleashed another blast of light and the critter fell away. Another took hold of his leg, and one more wrapped claws around his throat. Holding the limb as it pressed down on his neck, he found himself wondering, simultaneously—can I suffocate in space? And can I hurt myself with my own light blasts? Billy was shocked when Dude answered both questions, reading his mind.
You can't hurt yourself with your own light blasts, and yes, you can suffocate if one of these things chokes you to death, but they don't want to kill you.
Billy, unable to form the words to question how Dude knew this or what the creatures wanted to do if not kill him, seized the one around his neck and fired with both hands. The grip around his throat tightened and released, and he threw the spidery thing away.
Then he looked up at the burst bubble they'd emerged from and watched more scrambling out like tarantulas made from flower stems.
Oh you gotta be kidding me, Billy thought, trying to shake one creature off his leg while another latched onto his upper arm. The newly hatched aliens joined them, attacking with the blind aggression of insects.
Dude, what do I do, what do I do Dude.
Starburst, Dude said.
What? Billy said. We're talking about candy now? Candy will kill them?
You need to send a light blast out from your entire body, Dude said. Every direction at once.
I can do that? Billy thought.
Yes, you can.
And you're only mentioning this now?
Focus, Billy Case.
I'm focusing on the fact that you keep me in the dark about all the most awesome things I can do until I actually need to do them and can't.
Pull yourself together, Dude said.
I'm not hysterical! I'm perfectly calm! Billy thought.
I mean literally you fool! Fetal position!
Oh, Billy thought, curling up into a ball as the little aliens pig-piled onto him. This is seriously the weirdest most awkward thing I have ever…
Gather all your strength up into yourself, Dude said. Center it. Let it build up in your chest.
I have no idea what you're talking about, Billy thought, but he clenched his limbs in, tightened his chest muscles, gritted his teeth, trying to pull all the tension and fear into his belly. He'd started to glow brighter, and Billy could feel his powers humming inside his bones like electricity.
Now let go, Dude said.
Not knowing what else to do, Billy flung his arms and legs out violently. Not sure what else to say, he silently screamed.
Cowabunga! Kiai! Billy tried to yell. He knew no one would hear it, but it somehow felt better to try.
Dude's advice worked; instead of a single burst of light from his hands as he usually used, a vast explosion of luminosity flared out all around him, brightening up the darkness. Billy felt the tangled limbs of the small aliens not just loosen but break away, releasing him immediately. All around him, the bug-plants drifted motionless and lifeless, destroyed by his blast of energy.
Hey, that worked, Billy thought, automatically nudging himself away from the bodies of the creatures and toward Earth.
He felt incredibly tired suddenly, the urge to sleep landing on him with the weight of a sledgehammer. When was the last time I slept? he thought, feeling control over his flight fading. His limbs felt loose and bendy, his vision blurry. He struggled to focus on anything—flying, looking for straggler aliens, anything.
I should get home, Billy thought, even the speech in his mind slurring. He pointed his body toward Earth and tried to kick up the speed. I'll get Em some moon dust 'nother time.
You should rest to recover from the fight, Dude suggested.
You afraid I'm going to fall asleep at the wheel? Billy thought. How much farther do we have to go anyway?
Two hundred thirty eight thousand, nine hundred miles, Dude said.
Oh I got this, Billy thought. He pushed all of his strength into propelling himself toward Earth. His vision swam. He felt vaguely nauseous. Dude's voice sounded hollow in his head.
Please do be careful, Billy Case.
Don't worry, Dude, Billy thought. I know a short cut.
Flying faster and faster, the stars began to swim around him, and Billy Case, like a trucker on a the last leg of a long journey, gritted his teeth to stay conscious, with home close and bright right in front of him.
Chapter 28:
Interlude: Swords have names
Emily found Doc sitting by himself in a hallway of the Labyrinth, head tilted back as if asleep. She could never tell if he was sleeping or not with those glasses—he'd found a replacement pair somewhere between the battle and now—and of course his tendency to be so still. She wondered if it was some meditation thing he did, or if he just napped a lot and pretended he was doing something else.
The team had brought their prisoner to the Labyrinth immediately, Emily holding the unconscious and enormous alien in a bubble of float to contain him the entire way. They'd deposited the captive in one of the strongest cells in the prison, a room designed to hold powerful superhuman threats. No one was sure if the room would be strong enough to contain him, but so far, so good, Emily thought. The building was still standing.
She sat down next to Doc, deliberately picking the chair closest to him. Her feet didn't reach the floor, so she kicked them back and forth, her oversized Doc Martens clunk heavily against the legs of the chair.
"What's up, Doc?" she said. She did refrain from launching into her full Bugs Bunny imitation.
He did not turn back to look at her but responded softly. "Hello, Emily."
"I have a question for you."
"Go right ahead," Doc said, his head still tilted back as if out of exhaustion. Emily wondered if the fight earlier had taken a lot out of him somehow.
"That sword you conjured up out of nowhere. What is it?"
"A sword."
"No, I mean," Emily said. "Is it a sword? Or is it a capital S Sword?"
"I don't follow you."
"Does it have a name is what I'm asking. Is it famous."
"Maybe," Doc said. "Would it matter if i
t was?"
"Is it Glamdring?"
"No."
"Orcrist?" Emily said.
"No."
"The Sword of Gryffindor?"
"No," Doc said.
"The Singing Sword? The Master Sword?"
"No and no," Doc said, his tone continuing to be calm, tired, and monotonous.
"Stormbringer?"
"What? No," Doc said.
"Longclaw?"
"No."
"Sikanda?"
This one brought a smirk to Doc's lips, but he shook his head.
"No, it's not Sikanda."
"The Vorpal Sword!"
"Snicker snack," Doc said.
"Am I right?" Emily said.
"No," Doc said.
"Dangit," Emily said. "Well it can't be Excalibur, that's ridiculous."
Doc raised an eyebrow from behind his glasses at Emily. She tilted her chin questioningly.
"You're putting me on, Doc Silence," Emily said.
He made a tiny gesture with his hand and then pointed to the chair next to Emily. Sitting there comfortably in an old leather scabbard sat Doc's sword. The hilt was simple, in a dark, almost blue metal, the grip wrapped in oiled leather. The scabbard held no adornments, just a sturdy home for a sturdy blade.
Emily picked it up.
"Careful with that," he said. "Sharp."
"Seriously. What is this sword called?" Emily said.
They were interrupted but the rhythmic thumping of Henry Winter's cane as he strode down the hallway toward them. Doc stood up and pointed at his old friend, who was accompanied on his right by Keaton Bohr.
"You," he said. "Get your coat."
"You look terrible," Henry said.
"I know," Doc said. "Coat. Now."
"Where we going?" Henry said.
"You and I are off to see an old friend."
"Can't you bring someone else?" Henry said, looking sheepish. Emily eyeballed him as she sat down in her chair, cradling the sword. "And why does she have a sword? That thing looks like Braveheart's claymore in her hands. It's as tall as she is."
Like A Comet: The Indestructibles Book 4 Page 15
