The Rebellion (The Viral Superhero Series Book 6)

by Bryan Cohen

  Ted got to his feet, but he did not look the least bit steady. "I'm trying. I'm trying."

  He reached out his hand and, once again, several sparks materialized out of thin air. At least, until they evaporated once again.

  She looked up at the monitor and saw the soldiers strapping some kind of explosive to the front of the lair. "We don't have time for this."

  Ted's face showed signs of strain as he attempted once again to create a portal. This time nothing happened.

  His shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry, Erica. I don't know what more I can—"

  Without hesitation, Erica LaPlante grabbed Ted Finley's face and slammed her lips into his. His eyes shot wide open and filled with incredible blue light. She wrapped her arms around the living soul as an explosion blew in the front door.

  4

  Natalie sat beside Mr. and Mrs. Finley on a strange bench in the center of the Realm of Souls. She looked over at the residents of Treasure milling about in a foreign land. But that wasn't really where her focus lay. Her eyes were glued to the spot where the portal should have opened several minutes earlier.

  Where the hell are they?

  Mrs. Finley seemed to be channeling her anxiety into awkwardness. "Now that Ted and Erica aren't dating anymore, it appears that both you and him are single."

  Natalie's eyes shot open. "I suppose that's a fact."

  Mr. Finley didn't seem to want to back off the issue either. "I always thought that you and Ted were a nice pair. After all, you never forget your first love."

  Natalie shifted uncomfortably. Fighting a pack of otherworldly wolves was no problem. Talking relationships with your ex-boyfriend's parents? That's a whole new ball game.

  She adjusted her shirt. "There are a lot of other things going on right now. I'm not sure that Ted or anybody is thinking about relationships."

  Mrs. Finley put her hand on Natalie's knee. "There really is no time like the present, dear. I'm just saying you should consider it. Are there any movie theaters here in the Realm of Souls? They're a great place for hidden passion."

  Natalie stood up and took a step away from the embarrassment. "I'm pretty sure they don't have movies here. Excuse me, I just want to check on something."

  Mr. Finley winked. "For what it's worth, we'd make fantastic in-laws."

  Natalie nodded and sought out the quickest path away from the Finleys and toward Reena.

  As the second-in-command of the light souls’ army, Reena understood matters of life and death better than most. Natalie sought her out and found the warrior woman talking with one of her lieutenants.

  Natalie interrupted the conversation. "It's been too long. They should be here by now."

  Reena and her officer paused as the second-in-command put her hands on her hips. "Patience, Natalie. We don't know how bringing down the dome affected Ted. I'm sure they'll be here shortly."

  Natalie stepped between Reena and her lieutenant. "With all due respect, patience is why you've been fighting a war for a thousand years."

  Reena gestured toward her fellow soldier to wave him away. She concentrated all her attention on Natalie. "What do you know of war, human?"

  Natalie looked back toward the area where the portal should have been. Her mental timer counted at least five minutes since Ted and Erica should have safely returned.

  "What do I know of war? I know I wasn't supposed to be a part of it. Yet, in the last two years, I've wielded an all-powerful sword, I've gotten stabbed, I've saved the protector and the living soul on multiple occasions. I also know that the last time you were too slow to act in your war, you nearly blew me up and left me for dead on a planet that was completely unfamiliar with." Natalie squared up and met Reena's stare. "I may not know war like you, but the man I love—" Her throat tightened. "The only man who can win this fight for you is in danger." She looked back over to the center square. "So you better give me a damn gatekeeper and a team, or patience is about to bite you where the light souls don't shine."

  After a second of silence, Reena's eyes shined back at Natalie. As if the commander had gained a tiny bit of respect for the human.

  "Lieutenant!"

  The soldier who had turned away from the conversation scampered back.

  "I'd like you to give Private Dorn anything she wants. She's leading this mission."

  The lieutenant seemed confused. "But commander? She's just a—"

  "She is just a woman who's going to give you orders. Dismissed."

  The lieutenant let out a bit of a grumble as he waved Natalie forward.

  She gave a nod toward Reena as she walked stride for stride with the first member of her team.

  Natalie felt somewhat uncomfortable with the large device strapped on, but she couldn't help but feel a little excited too. As the mental timer reached a full 12 minutes since the gateway closed, Natalie and half a dozen light souls stood before a gatekeeper.

  Natalie spoke up. "We retrieve the living soul and the protector and we get them back here. There is no greater mission right now. Am I understood?"

  While the other men were just as unexcited as the lieutenant had been, they granted their assent.

  "Good." Natalie flipped the switch on the side of her jetpack, and lifted several feet into the air. "Lieutenant, lead the way."

  The other light souls switched on their packs as well, and she watched as her team went through the breathtaking gateway.

  Natalie secured the wind goggles on her face. "Let's go save a hero."

  She flew through the portal and back to Earth.

  5

  Jennifer's wrists itched, but with her hands bound, there was nothing she could do about it in the long, metallic corridor. Winny and the sheriff walked beside her as a group of masked men led them forward. Jennifer and her dark soul father had asked a few questions of the men upon capture, but when they were met with silence, they knew it was better to hold their tongues.

  Winny didn't seem to get the memo. "If you have Beth here, nod once for yes and twice for no."

  The masked figures didn't nod as they continued to walk toward a room as large as an aircraft carrier. Not only were all the soldiers there dressed like they were preparing for space, but they also carried futuristic weapons beside them. Jennifer could barely believe her eyes when she saw one of the centurions go from invisible to visible before her very eyes.

  "They have cloaking. It's like Star Trek."

  Winny met her eyes and smiled. "Or Harry Potter?"

  Jennifer nodded. "Just like Harry Potter."

  Sheriff Norris kept his face neutral. "I think that means we're in the right place."

  While the sheriff and Winny were led into one cell, Jennifer was ushered to keep going past what seemed like a wing of prisoners.

  The sheriff pulled at his restraints. "Where are you taking her?"

  Jennifer gave a quick shake of her head. "It's okay, Dad. I'll be fine."

  While the sheriff didn't seem convinced, Jennifer had a good feeling about this.

  She was led into a standard interrogation room and sat down at her designated chair.

  At long last, one of the soldiers finally removed his helmet. "Why were you in the forest?"

  Jennifer leaned on her elbows. "Why were you in the forest? Why do you guys wear masks? Or am I not supposed to ask any questions?"

  Her captor did not seem amused. "This isn't supposed to be funny. People are dying out there; there's no time for jokes."

  Jennifer leaned back in her chair. "Fine. You don't want small talk? Then we'll get to the meat and potatoes. We got a message from our friend Beth. She and the three of us are good friends with your leader."

  The interrogator flinched at the name he obviously found familiar. "Where are you from?"

  "From the dome formally known as Treasure. Ted Finley sent us here."

  "I'm not sure if we can believe that—"

  "We have a mutual friend named Dhiraj. Now, are we going to keep beating around the bush, or are we going to get to
see your leader?"

  Jennifer, Winny, and the sheriff were now free of their shackles as they stepped into a room packed with computers. Nobody seemed to wear a mask here; Jennifer suspected doing so would make the screens really hard to see. Very few of the people inside seemed to notice their arrival.

  One of the ones who did stepped their way.

  Van Housen, the German billionaire entrepreneur, extended his hand to Jennifer. "The last time I saw you, I lent you a fast car and a bazooka."

  She smiled. "Sorry I never returned the bazooka. A high school fell on it."

  "I have more than enough artillery. Let's step into my office."

  For all the futuristic interiors and fancy equipment, Van Housen's office was pretty drab by comparison. They sat in three chairs laid out in front of a cheap IKEA desk as three guards kept watch by the door.

  Van Housen took a sip from a bottle of sparkling water. "I'm sorry about the security. You can never be too careful when you're maintaining a secret base of operations. How did you find us?"

  Before any of them could answer, the front door of the office swung open. Standing there with a look of pure glee upon her face was Beth.

  She squealed loudly and attacked her best friend with hugs and kisses. "I thought I would never see you again. Oh my God!"

  Winny hugged her friend back and smiled from ear-to-ear. "I missed you so much. Living in a bubble is ridiculously boring."

  Van Housen laughed. "Ah, yes. The secure message she sent. But we never expected Treasure's dome to come down."

  Sheriff Norris nodded. "He can't hide forever. Ted's got a mission, and so do we."

  Van Housen's eyes moved from the still-embracing Beth and Winny to the sheriff. "You want to save Dhiraj Patel."

  Jennifer's heart beat twice as fast at the mention of his name. "But we can't do it alone. We need your help."

  Van Housen put a hand to his chin. "Aside from knowing he's alive, I'm afraid I don't know much more. Apparently, there is a mole in the General's guard staff, but that doesn't mean we can get in and out."

  Beth stepped away from her friend and walked around behind Van Housen. She placed both hands on his shoulders and started to give him a massage. "If it wasn't for the Monopoly Man, we wouldn't have had time to set up shop down here, honey."

  Sheriff Norris gave Jennifer a pointed glance. "Honey?"

  Jennifer shrugged. "Dhiraj alerted the world." She could feel the tears begin to form behind her eyelids "He told everybody, and in return, we left him in a cell. Or worse. If you can do anything to help, we'd be eternally grateful."

  Van Housen relaxed into the massage. "You make a good pitch. You've seen all my toys?"

  Jennifer nodded, thinking about the cloaking technology specifically.

  Van Housen smiled and placed one of his hands upon Beth's. "My armory is yours. Let's figure out how to spring Dhiraj Patel."

  6

  A million thoughts raced through Ted Finley's mind as Erica's lips pressed firmly against his. While Ted had felt completely empty when attempting to draw from his power before, something about the kiss gave him exactly what he needed. As the front door to the lair blasted open, a hail of gunfire came streaming through. But Ted could feel the bullets in the air, and he stopped them in their tracks.

  The bullets remained suspended as if preserved for a lifetime when Ted reached for and blew up the weapons in the soldiers’ hands. As the attackers screamed in agony, Ted used his powers to send the first wave flying backward into the street.

  Erica smiled and wiped her lips with her wrists. "Welcome back."

  Ted rubbed his lips together, sensing the protector's gloss on his mouth. Good to be back?"

  When a second wave of attackers entered the lair, Ted ripped the weapons from their grasp. As the guns scuttled across the floor, a dozen angry dark souls went straight forth. As Erica headed for the weight rack, Ted pushed off against the ground and began flying.

  He zipped through the air and took out three dark souls with punches to the face. He even took a fourth attacker and slammed him through a wall. After a month on the defensive, Ted had to admit it felt pretty good to play offense. After taking care of another attacker with a spinning midair kick, Ted turned his attention to Erica.

  The protector who just kissed him picked up hundred pound dumbbells and flung them with all her might toward the dark souls. She hit one in the chest who fell straight to his back. Another took an 80-pounder in the side of the head. Two more were about to get the drop on her from behind when Ted reached out with his powers and slammed their temples together.

  They collapsed with a satisfying thunk. Ted flew to Erica's side. "Nice touch with the weights. Have you been working out?"

  She rolled her eyes. "Is there anything else to do in a bubble?"

  Ted and Erica both looked toward the monitor at the same moment. It was obvious that waves one and two were child's play compared to the hundreds that awaited them in wave three. And they were about to reach the front door.

  Erica jogged over to the control pad and pulled open the cap that protected the lair’s red self-destruct button. "Dhiraj isn't going to be happy."

  Ted took Erica's hand in his and pressed it down into the button. Their fingers lingered together for a beat.

  He smirked. "All good things come to an end."

  Ted stretched out his arms and Erica leapt into them. With a mighty jump, Ted pressed off the ground and sprang toward the sky. With a well-timed punch, Erica cleared the path upward as they reached the sky above the lair. The detonation almost felt satisfying, as it took out dozens of soldiers beneath them.

  Ted looked back down into his bat cave as it went up in smoke. "It was fun while it lasted."

  Erica pointed off into the distance. "Bear left now!"

  Ted did as he was told, and not a moment later, a shell from what appeared to be a tank rolling down Main Street exploded right where they'd been.

  Just then, a dozen other shells blasted around them as Ted did his best to maneuver between them.

  As the explosions rocked the air around them, Ted felt something unsettling. They were starting to descend, but that wasn't his intention.

  He gritted his teeth. "I'm sorry, but we're going down!"

  Ted felt his powers sputter, the adrenaline from the kiss having dissipated in the escape. He saw a familiar landmark in the distance and directed his body toward it. "Brace yourself!"

  He used the last bit of his power to surround them with a small protective cushion as Ted and Erica crashed through the front window of what used to be Page's Diner.

  The landing was soft enough for a crash and Erica quickly sprang to her feet to turn over the tables as shields.

  Ted could hear the tanks coming closer and the foot soldiers behind them keeping pace.

  He looked up at the familiar restaurant's interior. "This is where it all began." He sighed. "It was much simpler then."

  Erica grabbed Ted hard by the arm. "You were chosen that day, and you are the one who's going to end this war. I need you to get up the energy to do this one more time."

  Two grenades came zipping in through the now-open front window. In the second they exploded, Ted contained the blast with his powers and sent the eruptions flying back out from where they came. Several dark souls groaned as the unprotected grenade blasts sent them flying.

  Behind one of the outstretched tables, Ted brought his hands together once more and pressed them out to create what he hoped would be a portal. This time, the gateway was almost large enough to send a saltshaker through.

  When a massive detonation sounded from outside the restaurant, Erica glimpsed at Ted. "Did you cause that?"

  He shrugged. "Not that I know of."

  Gunfire and laser blasts sounded in the nearby streets, but without any of those attacks aiming for them, Ted scratched his head. "Something is going on out there."

  Erica gave him the side-eye. "I guess you have super human reasoning along with occasional power
s."

  She left through the front door and ran toward the action. Ted wasn't far behind.

  What he saw amazed him. A group of light souls flew through the air with jet packs firing laser beams into the heart of the dark soul army. But the most surprising part was that Natalie herself was leading the charge. Within a matter of moments, the latest wave of attackers had been silenced by a team of seven highly trained warriors.

  Natalie hovered above them before cutting her power and landing beside them. "Good work team!" She outstretched her hand, which contained the book Erica had dropped. "I believe you'll be needing this."

  Erica nodded. "Thanks. He totally passed out by the way."

  Natalie smiled. "I knew it!"

  Ted couldn't help but laugh. "I can't handle you two teamed up against me."

  Erica placed her hand on the book and a portal formed immediately. She waved the team of light souls through first. Ted looked around at the carnage that Treasure had become. He wondered if he'd ever be back again.

  "Thank you, Nat. You really saved us."

  She sighed. "Uh-huh. Nice lip gloss by the way. Looks like you and Erica have similar tastes."

  Once again, Natalie backed her way into the portal before Ted could say anything.

  He could feel his face redden. "I don't— you were the one— I just—"

  Erica gripped the back of Ted's shirt hard. "Enough awkwardness for today."

  With a light heave, Erica tossed Ted forward. The blue light of the portal swallowed him whole.

  7

  Dhiraj flipped through the last few pages of the meaty book he'd been speed-reading for the last hour and a half. While he wasn't sure he'd ever use the financial knowledge he gleaned from the weighty tome, there was a slight hint of satisfaction in adding another book to the massive pile. As he picked up the next book from his to-be-read pile, Dhiraj leaned toward the front door of his makeshift cell. It was a converted office from one of the many hundreds of unused rooms in the new order of the White House. The General hadn't gone to the trouble of soundproofing, which gave Dhiraj one of his two sources of information.