by Alex Raizman
It wasn’t working.
“What was I supposed to say? ‘She figured out I’m crazy?’ I had you, Mom, and Dad completely convinced the man in the suit was just a phase.”
“Yeah, I get that, but…” Isabel sighed. “Saying she didn’t think you were going to work out long term? I hated her for that, you know?”
Ryan winced. “I panicked. I couldn’t think of anything that you all would believe, and...and I didn’t want to sound like an asshole.”
“So instead you made her sound like a bitch. That’s pretty crappy, bro.” Isabel shook her head and stood. They’d dropped into his nanoverse’s time stream for just one day of local time to let her finish sleeping off her hangover.
“I know it was,” Ryan said, still looking at the screens. An intelligent species of humanoid amphibians was about to be wiped out by a gamma-ray burst from a nearby supernova. He pushed a couple of buttons to change the burst’s path by two degrees. It would hit a lifeless star system a few light-years away. “I just...honestly, there’s no excuse for it. And now I’m going to use her as bait to lure in the government super-soldiers.”
“She agreed to it,” Isabel reminded him.
Ryan shook his head. “I mean...I know she did, but does she really understand what she agreed to?”
“She gets that this is going to be a ‘gods and guns’ scenario. You were very clear about that.”
“Yeah, but…” Ryan hung his head. “Can anyone really understand what this is like before they actually see it?”
Isabel rapped her knuckles on the top of his skull. “Hey, numbnuts. I watched you get shot in the face and had Crystal throw me out of a building under machine gun fire. I know what you mean. But Jaqueline isn’t stupid. She understands what’s she’s getting into as much as she possibly can. So stop brooding and beating yourself up.”
“Yeah,” Ryan said, miserably.
“Ryan. Did you mislead her in any way about what was going to go down?”
He shook his head.
“Did you tell her everything you could about the scenario, in as much detail as you could?”
He nodded.
“And are you going to do everything in your power to keep her safe, and pay for any damages that happen to her home?”
“Of course,” Ryan said. “And Horus is going to give her a chest of gold.”
“Of course he is. Stop being a mopeasaurus. You’re not rich enough for Batman brooding, so it just makes you look lame.”
Ryan opened his mouth to argue, saw the look in Isabel’s eye, and raised his hands in defeat. “All right, all right, I’ll chill. You’ll be ready to hop nanoverses to make sure she’s safe?”
“I know the plan,” Isabel said, giving Ryan a thin smile. “I’m not afraid to go out into the thick of things.”
“Liar,” he countered.
“Of course I’m lying. You all... you’re gods. I’m running into the middle of a bunch of gods to help them get your ex to shelter so she doesn’t get caught in a supernatural smackdown. Do you realize how insane that sounds?”
“Oh, believe me, I do,” Ryan said with a mirthless chuckle. “Still getting used to this being my new normal. Mostly just making it up as I go along.”
“Are the others in position yet?”
Ryan checked the clock. “We’ve got a few more minutes. It’d feel less long if someone hadn’t needed a quick pit stop to cure her hangover.”
Isabel stuck out her tongue at him. “I don’t have divine physiology. I don’t get to run around drinking myself silly and then be fine the next day.”
“True.” Ryan sighed. His heart was jackhammering, the pre-fight tension building to the point where he wanted to throw up. “Promise me you’ll be safe about this? We could have one of the others babysit Jacqueline during-”
“No,” Isabel interrupted sharply. “Absolutely not. You all are already a goddess down. The last thing I’m letting you all do is lose another fighter to take care of me.”
Ryan smiled. “I’d be shocked if you’d said anything else. Remember that time you tried to jump those guys that were picking on me?”
Isabel laughed. Ryan had been in sixth grade at the time, Isabel only in second. She’d run in front of Joey Malone, a sixth-grader who had been held back twice.
“He was going to play your head like a bongo drum,” she said. “What was I supposed to do, let him beat your ass?”
“I still can’t believe it worked,” Ryan said, shaking his head. Joey had been willing to punch a lot of people, but not a pigtailed second-grader screaming bloody murder. “I still think Joey retreated out of sheer confusion.”
“He was terrified of my battle cry,” Isabel said primly.
Before Ryan could retort, a preset alarm told them it was time to go. “Okay,” Ryan said, heading to the door of his nanoverse. “As soon as I step out, the doorway should relocate. Be ready to move when it opens.”
“I know the plan,” Isabel said. She gave Ryan a tight hug. “Be careful out there, okay? I don’t think my battle cry will work in this case.”
He hugged her back. “Thanks, squirt. I’ll see you on the other side.”
“Later, jerkwad. See you then.”
With a laugh and a raised middle finger, Ryan stepped out into the Seattle night.
Jacqueline had always liked the rain, so Ryan supposed it made sense that she had moved to the constantly drizzling Pacific Northwest. He popped his jacket collar, lowered the brim of his hat, and looked around suspiciously. He figured it would look like he was trying - poorly - to spot any watchers. He thought playing the part of being someone ready to jump at any shadow couldn’t hurt.
“Horus, you in position?” he whispered.
After a few seconds, he heard the other god’s voice in his ear. “Don’t forget to say over when you’re done, so we don’t cross talk. Yes, I am. I’ll let you know if anything changes. Don’t look, but you’ve got one watcher in the building on your ten, and another on your five. They’ve spotted you. Nothing strange on the divine sight, so they’re not the supers, but they’re on their radios. Stay sharp, Nascent. Over.”
“Roger that. Over.”
Ryan walked down the street toward Jacqueline’s two-story white house, complete with a lovely yard and an actual picket fence. It was the kind of place she’d always dreamed of having one day. Once upon a time, they had talked about sharing it.
Her husband, Kurt, was on a business trip to Tokyo. Apparently, he traveled a lot. They didn’t have any kids, which was a relief, because there was no way in hell Ryan would have risked this if kids were in the picture. The neighborhood was a new development, and “For Sale” signs dotted the yards. Right now, the others were going through those homes to make sure they truly were empty.
Taking another deep breath, Ryan walked up to the door and knocked. “Just a minute!” came the familiar voice from inside.
Oh crap, Ryan thought, feeling a new panic that had nothing to do with the impending fight. There was no time to run away, though, no time to change plans. The super-soldiers were probably already on their way.
The door opened. “Ryan?” Jacqueline said, looking up at him.
“Hey Jackie,” he said, giving her a lopsided grin. “Mind if I come in? It’s cold as hell out here.”
“Um...sure.” She stepped away from the doorframe to let him come in. “Sorry, it’s just...it’s weird seeing you in person.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean.” Ryan rubbed the back of his neck. “You look good.”
Jaqueline sighed. “I thought we’d got all the awkward done on the phone.”
“Yeah, me too.” Ryan made himself smile. “I really appreciate you doing this.”
“Well, a friend in need…” Jaqueline trailed off, choosing her next words carefully. “Actually, I got nothing.”
Ryan understood. It was hard enough to talk to Jaqueline, but it was made worse that they couldn’t directly address the fact that there was a plan in place. Her
house might be bugged, and it was definitely being watched. Right now, they had to act like Ryan wasn’t here because of a trap; he had to look like he was making the same mistake he’d made going to Isabel’s. Like he was a complete idiot. Horus had smugly commented that there would be no problem selling that idea.
Ryan had taken the high road and chosen not to respond.
“That makes two of us. Uh...still play Dungeons and Dragons?”
Jaqueline laughed. “Ten years, Ryan. Ten years, you’re on the news, and you want to talk about Dungeons and Dragons?”
“I mean...yeah, why not?” Ryan felt the recent panic subside. He’d expected to feel conflicted about seeing the former love of his life again, but apparently, he’d managed to completely move on.
Jaqueline shook her head as her laughter subsided. “No, not these days. We’re playing Mutants and Masterminds. Kurt didn’t play, but he loved the Marvel movies, so I thought I’d hook him with a superhero game. Showed him some podcasts with voice actors playing to further the addiction. Now we get together with some friends from work once a month. How about you?”
“Not in person. Got into some online games, but the last one fell apart a while ago. I was going to find another one, but then...well, these days it’s a bit less appealing. Feels too much like my day job.”
Jaqueline quirked an eyebrow. “Day job?”
“Yeah, you know...fighting monsters, doing battles with gods, fumbling and falling flat on my face.”
They shared another smile. “Okay, can I say something without you taking it the wrong way or getting awkward about it?” Jaqueline asked, a sparkle in her eye.
Ryan braced himself. “Yeah, go for it.”
“Did you actually start working out, or were the biceps part of the divine package?”
Ryan doubled over with laughter. It took him a few seconds to even begin getting it under control. “Well, I did kind of squeeze a universe, so I guess a bit of both?”
“You...you squeezed a universe?” Jaqueline cocked her head.
“Pocket plane that gives me my powers,” Ryan said. “It’s...a long story. I’ll fill you in on it sometime-”
Horus’s voice intruded. “Eschaton. The watchers are pulling back. Four hostiles just emerged from a doorway in the house directly across the street. I’ll meet the rest of the team in the basement. Get the mortal to safety now. Over.”
“Copy that. Over,” Ryan said, “Jaqueline, you have to get to the basement, right now.”
Maybe the words came out sharper than he’d intended, or perhaps the sudden shift in topics was too unexpected, but Jaqueline stared at him, blinking wildly.
“What?” she said.
You don’t have time for this, Ryan thought. “Jaqueline, you need to move now.”
Jaqueline was breathing heavily, and her eyes were wild. She was clearly having a very understandable and extremely unfortunately timed panic attack. Shit.
“Someone down there!” Ryan shouted. “Catch!” Then he reached out to grab reality and twisted hard. The floor beneath Jacqueline’s feet transmuted from wood to harmless nitrogen.
She was too terrified to scream as she fell through the sudden hole. Athena slowed her fall before she could break her ankle on the concrete floor.
“Terribly sorry,” Athena said, before tossing Jacqueline through an open doorway. “Isabel! My nanoverse!”
Isabel came tearing out of Ryan’s doorway and practically leapt into Athena’s, slamming the door shut behind her.
Ryan breathed a sigh of relief. Jacqueline and Isabel were both safe.
The sudden sound of shattering glass reminded him that the rest of them definitely weren’t.
Chapter 19
No Plan Survives
Bast woke to the sound of hushed conversation and the smell of garlic and tomato sauce. She realized that Liam and Grace must be having another secret date in the empty back closet, whispering sweet phrases to each other and eating something Italian.
Bast felt...nothing. No thirst, no exhaustion, no hunger, no loneliness. Finally, her needs had been fully satiated. She wanted to shout with joy.
Lub-dub. Lub-dub.
The sound called to her, but she forced herself to ignore it. There were more important things to focus on. She flexed her fingers and could feel the threads of reality again. Her power had returned. Don’t rush, she warned herself, knowing that if she made a mistake, she could set off every alarm in the base. If soldiers with ichor rounds got down here before she’d freed herself...she’d be dead before she even got off the table.
Then she’d be back where she started.
That thought froze her in place, and she took short, hitching breaths. Panic was settling in at the mere idea of resurrecting in an even more secure prison, after everything she’d gone through to break free…
Stop it, she chided herself. You are Bast. You are a goddess. You will not cower at the idea of what mortals might do.
Yet the panic remained. Maybe she should wait for Liam and Grace to leave. Wait until all risk had passed. Wait until that damn sound had gone and she didn’t get to find out why their hearts called to her.
Lub-dub. Lub-dub.
Bast took slow breaths to steady herself. She remembered the desert hallucination and being stuck over and over again by these people. Stealing her ichor. Stealing her power. She drew upon the anger and channeled it into a fire to burn away the fear. No mortal had killed her. It had taken Athena to do that. No mortal had ever slain her. They certainly wouldn’t do so now. She prepared to twist-
What about the Myrmidons?
That thought stopped her cold. What if the artificial gods were here? They could kill her, without question. They outnumbered her. If they were here, she couldn’t risk it. They could even see her twists before she finished them, if one of them had their divine sight on and was looking in the right direction.
Bast ground her teeth. If she didn’t use her power immediately, she could save it. She could endure the indignity of being strapped to this table a little while longer while she gathered information. She strained to hear the researchers’ conversation.
Liam and Grace’s voices were quiet. Bast could only make out a few sentences here and there, she heard enough to know they were talking about the consequences of being discovered. If I could get free, I would teach you all about consequences, Bast thought with a snarl.
Then she heard the sweetest words.
“...just g-g-glad we’re clear right now.” Liam’s voice.
“You’re sure...won’t need us?” Grace said. She sounded nervous.
“P-p-positive. The Doctor even s-s-said that we should take the night off. They don’t need us to monitor the Myrmidons in the field because-”
Bast didn’t bother listening to the rest of the sentence. It didn’t matter what else those two twits had to say. Before fear could stop her again, Bast started to twist, making the tiny motions her restraints allowed.
It was like reaching through a grate to grab something the tips of your fingers could barely brush. She was used to manipulating them with broad motions, not these small, delicate brushes. Strands of reality slipped in and out of her grasp. Her forehead furrowed as she focused. Just a little bit more...with a snap, the manacles on her wrists started to flake away, small plumes of ash rising from the steel. Bast held the twist in place, feeling reality pushing back against her. No. You will obey. The manacles were fading faster now, turning into smoke. They were thinner, and Bast had to fight an urge to pull against them. Patience, she reminded herself.
With a final push, the restraints turned to air and dissipated. Removing the mask and the shackles on her ankles was simple once her hands were free. Bast stood and took a moment to just savor the feeling of freedom.
Lub-dub. Lub-dub.
She crept towards the closet door and cracked it open.
“S-s-so,” Liam said, and Grace sighed. Their heartbeats were louder now.
“We need to…we shouldn’t.
” Grace turned away from him - and in doing so, turned away from the door, so that both of them were facing away.
“We always s-s-say that.” Liam sounded cocky. They were so focused on each other that they didn’t notice Bast slipping inside. “At least, we d-d-do after we’ve had one of t-t-these dates.”
Bast held her hand behind Liam’s back, her fingers curling into claws. Lub-dub. Lub-dub. It was so loud now. She felt her hand shake. She knew what she wanted to do. She knew what it was calling her to do. I’m not mad. I’m not mad. I’m. Not. Mad.
“Liam. We have to stop this. It’s…it’s been too much. If we got caught, we’d both be off the project – or worse.”
Or maybe I am. Bast’s hand blurred.
“I know, it’s j-j-just – urk.”
Her blow went straight through Liam’s chest, cracking the ribcage with far less resistance than Bast had expected. His heart was in her hand, beating between her fingers. Grace whirled at the sound, and her mouth fell open in wordless terror.
