Red Light Hero

by Kory Shen

  "Yes," Violet said. "The power dynamics of the alpha pyramid keep Sire in control. Imagine if an alpha one like HumiliT could create an army of alpha twos. We wouldn't have an orderly pyramid with Sire at the top."

  "But what about me?" Alan asked.

  "You've safely slept with Cover Girl and HumiliT, who are both pre-established alphas. Based on HumiliT's report, you even successfully reinfected her. We think you're compatible with everyone. That's part of what makes you an omega. You break the rigid structure of the pyramid."

  "The consequences of that should be obvious," Godmother said, directing her gaze at HumiliT.

  Shit, Sire would be furious. Alan had already taken away one of his alphas, and he had messed with Maiden's beta circle, driving her crazy. He was in over his head, wasn't he? "What are we doing?" Alan groaned.

  "Keep listening," Godmother said. "Violet, the second point?"

  "The pyramid has two implications. First is the relationship structure. Second is what I'll call the power catalog. Because every alpha power originates from Sire, if anyone else has an alpha power, Sire also has it, and likely in a more potent form." Violet paused. "What that means is that Sire will always be the strongest alpha. It's impossible to have an alpha power that he doesn't."

  HumiliT muttered something that Alan couldn't quite make out about being the strongest.

  "Except…that doesn't apply to me?" Alan ventured.

  "Exactly!" Violet's voice sped up with excitement. "A quirk of your compatibility with everyone is that your alphavirus is compatible with everyone's latent viral strains. You can trigger new alpha powers in anyone else, regardless of whether or not you have that power already, and receive it back in turn. Do you understand what that means?"

  "I can gain any alpha power, even ones that Sire doesn't have," Alan said. "Is that such a big deal?"

  "Not just any power," Violet said. "All the powers. Alphavirus compatibility is also responsible for the low rate of latent viral activation during transmission." She saw Alan's blank expression. "It's why Sire may have hundreds of powers…no, probably thousands, but each of his alpha ones only have a handful of powers, and their alpha twos, only a single power."

  "Thousands?" Godmother said to herself. "Yes, he did. I've taken many of them."

  The others looked at Godmother, but she didn't say anything else.

  "But back to you. You have no such limit. Because of your omega nature, you can, in theory, gain every single alpha power in existence, even ones that Sire doesn't have." Violet's eyes flicked towards Godmother. "Or ones he doesn't have anymore. That's a code red alpha power."

  "So I can be some kind of super alpha?" That sounded kind of cool. He was missing something, though. What did this mean for Godmother? What was her plan?

  HumiliT pounded a fist into her other palm. "Damn. That's what this is about, isn't it?" She pointed to Godmother. "But how did you know Alan would become the omega?"

  "Wait, hold on," Alan said. "What's this about? You lost me."

  "It's obvious," HumiliT said. "With the right circumstances, you can become the strongest alpha of all. Even stronger than Sire." HumiliT saw Alan's blank look. "You don't know about her history with Sire? She's not creating an alpha. She's creating a Sire-killer."

  HumiliT turned again to Godmother. This time, she spoke in a more respectful tone. "I'm impressed. I really am. But how?"

  A faint smile played across Godmother's lips. "As I said, I've waited a long time for this, but that's a story for another time. Do you understand now, Alan? Why Sire will come for you?"

  "Yes, I think so," Alan said, his mouth dry. He had hoped fleeing to The Strip would bring safety. Things had only become worse. "The strongest human in existence is coming after me because he thinks…he thinks I'm a threat." The absurdity of that statement didn't lessen his fear.

  "And he's right. You'll be a threat. I'll make sure of it." Godmother growled the words with a quiet ferocity.

  What was he getting caught up in? This wasn't about being an alpha, or even a hero. This was a war.

  "Our omega's looking a bit green around the gills. Cheer up, Alan," Godmother said. "Our first task isn't fighting Sire. It's keeping you safe. Let's focus on that."

  "Stay safe." Alan nodded numbly. "That sounds good. Any ideas how to do that?"

  "I'm glad you asked. I have a mission for the three of you."

  "The three of us?" Violet asked.

  HumiliT shifted on her feet. "Just because you impressed me doesn't mean I'm your lapdog."

  "Quiet now. This will benefit you too. We need to be sure we don't act prematurely—" Godmother suddenly reached to her side and pulled out her phone. She read a message. "Right on schedule."

  Alan didn't like the sound of that. "What is it?"

  "Sire's made his move. Now we make ours."

  CHAPTER 26

  Violet watched the others' reactions. She already knew what Godmother had planned. Would they agree? The blonde woman at Alan's side had crossed her arms. She hadn't even removed her mask.

  "Wait. How do we know we can trust her?" Violet asked.

  Godmother raised an eyebrow. "She chose our side when she brought Alan, risking her own empire. Isn't that right, Tricia?"

  HumiliT jerked her head towards Godmother. "You knew?" After a moment, she took off her mask. "I suppose I don't need this here."

  Violet stared. Tricia Triumph? The billionaire real estate developer? She scowled, eyeing the shorter woman's figure. How much of that had she paid for?

  "I've staked everything by coming here," HumiliT said to Violet. "What about you? Skulking in the shadows here."

  Alan interrupted. "Violet's been willing to give up everything for me. I trust her." He looked at HumiliT, then Violet. "You realize you two will have to get along, if we, uh, you know, continue with this?"

  Violet bit her lip. She knew how alphas operated. She had no problem observing Alan's field trials, either. It had been research. A more long-term arrangement with another alpha, though, especially with her…it was what Alan needed. What they all needed if they were going to survive. She'd have to accept it.

  HumiliT shrugged. "If you want to keep the eye candy around, that's fine with me. I am a prime, after all. Nothing new here."

  The bitch. "Prime? Don't you get it? You're Alan's beta. His second beta." She couldn't resist. "I've been wondering, out of scientific curiosity. How do you plan on getting more work done on yourself with that invulnerable skin?"

  It took a second for Violet's comment to register with the other woman. "You fucking—"

  Alan's arm moved at super speed to grab HumiliT's shoulder before she did anything reckless. "HumiliT, we need them. Violet, please? For me?"

  Violet felt her cheeks heating up. Did he have to say it like that in front of the others?

  Godmother tapped her desk. "Ladies, while I approve of your lively spirits, we have a pressing matter at hand."

  "Sorry," Violet muttered.

  HumiliT leaned against Alan as if he was a piece of furniture. "I'm a professional. So what's the news?"

  Godmother typed on her computer, then swung the monitor around so that the others could see it. "See for yourself."

  Bold fonts highlighted the news article's headline.

  PIERCR issues national warning: rogue alpha on the loose. Heroes Electrophile and Maiden vow to bring him to justice.

  "They're working with PIERCR?" HumiliT muttered.

  Violet had been expecting Sire to respond, but she hadn't expected this. Neither had the others, apparently. She skimmed the article. PIERCR had issued a national red alert, the highest threat level possible, and all available alpha heroes were assisting. There was no mention of Sire. Few in the establishment even knew he existed, from what Violet understood. He wouldn't involve himself personally. Yet.

  "They didn't name you directly," Violet said to Alan. She glanced at Godmother. "Or The Strip."

  "The alphas will be reluctant to attack here after wha
t happened the other day," Godmother said. "I'll call in some favors to delay PIERCR, but we'll have to move quickly if we're going to survive this."

  "A red alert is bad news," HumiliT said. "That's a kill-on-sight order."

  Alan looked around the room, bewildered. He pointed at the article on Godmother's screen. "That's for me?"

  "Sire's no fool," Godmother said. "He knows what you can become."

  "What if he comes here himself?" Alan asked.

  "He wouldn't, would he?" HumiliT asked. She glanced at Godmother with a questioning air.

  "No," Godmother said in a tight voice. "No, he wouldn't break the truce."

  "But you would," HumiliT said. It was a statement, not a question.

  Godmother waved at HumiliT to be quiet. "Alan is a threat, but for now, he's a phantom threat. This is all posturing from Sire. We need to put an end to it before it escalates. That brings us back to the mission."

  "Tell us," Alan said.

  "We stop this the same way you stop a barking dog. You bark back. Louder. We'll meet Sire's show of force with one of our own."

  Alan took a deep breath. "I'm not sure I like where this is going."

  Violet didn't like where it was going, but for another reason. She had argued about it with Godmother, but she had to admit that she couldn't think of another option. "It's the only way," Violet said quietly.

  Alan gave her a curious look, then nodded.

  "Alphas have been increasing operations on foreign soil in a direct violation of U.N. alpha treaties," Godmother said. "I'm sure HumiliT here can confirm that, but her word alone won't be enough for the public."

  HumiliT stared at Godmother. "How would you even know about that? Outside of us alphas, there are three men in all of D.C. who know about those operations."

  Godmother smiled. "And two of them are regular clients of The Strip."

  "But what's that have to do with us?" Alan asked.

  "No," HumiliT said. "You want to blackmail the alphas into silence? If word got out, there could be war. You'd put our entire country at risk? No, I would never testify about those operations."

  "There's no need to be dramatic," Godmother said. "Your testimony isn't necessary, although it is a nice bonus. As I said, your word wouldn't be much use. They'd simply discredit you. We need hard evidence. Operational data. Undoctored satellite footage. Flight records. Fund transfers."

  "Those operations were off the books," HumiliT said. "You'd never find that."

  "The wonderful thing about a bureaucracy is that nothing is ever truly off the books," Godmother said. "Those records exist. They're stored in a physically isolated, encrypted server in the Pentagon. We need a copy of the Alpha Files."

  "If you knew about them this whole time, why didn't you steal the records earlier?" HumiliT asked.

  "I didn't have the means. Even if I could physically remove the server without it self-destructing, I wouldn't be able to access the files. There's only two people in the world who can defeat the Pentagon's digital security system. Now, we have three."

  Understanding dawned on HumiliT's face. "But that means, you want Alan to…" She turned to him. Violet looked away, her jaw set in determination. This was necessary. There was no other way.

  "I can't let you put the country at risk," HumiliT said.

  "Relax. I'm fond of this country myself," Godmother replied. "It's a deterrent. Mutually assured destruction. The only way those files are being released is if they harm us."

  HumiliT grunted, but didn't say anything further.

  "I don't get it," Alan said. "I'm not a hacker. I'm not a spy. Anything I can do, HumiliT or Violet can also do, pretty much. What am I supposed to do?"

  Violet took a deep breath, then faced Alan. "You're the omega. Any alpha power that exists — you can have it, too."

  "But who—" Alan stopped. "Wait. I remember now. Electrophile, right? He can control digital equipment. You want me to…no way! No fucking way. I mean, even if I was willing, he tried to kill me, remember?"

  HumiliT bent over laughing. "You and Electrophile. I'd pay a fortune to watch that one."

  "Not Electrophile," Violet said, her voice thick. "His beta. Stalker. You need to…" She looked away again.

  "Oh."

  HumiliT finished laughing, leaving an awkward silence.

  "But how am I supposed to do that?" Alan asked. "What if she doesn't even like me?"

  "Alan." Godmother gave Alan a patient look. "Do you need me to teach you how to pick up women?"

  Despite her bad mood, Violet smirked.

  Alan responded with a withering stare. "Okay. I got it."

  * * *

  Alan's new room was simple but comfortable. He sat on the large bed, alone, its sheet already crumpled from use. The lingering scent of HumiliT hung in the air, but he barely noticed. Instead, he found himself drowning in a sea of doubts and questions.

  Godmother said she would set up a meeting with Stalker. He had agreed to the plan at the meeting, but privately, he had no idea what he was doing.

  Could they even trust Stalker? What if she tipped off Sire? He slapped the bed hard. Shit! HumiliT had said there was a kill-on-sight order on his head. He flopped backward onto his bed, his hands over his face.

  Someone knocked on the door, waiting patiently for a response. That had to be Violet. Godmother or her guards wouldn't bother waiting for him, based on his experience here last time. HumiliT wouldn't even knock. Fifteen minutes earlier she had marched in and demanded a quick session to maximize their viral loads before the mission. She still acted as if she was the prime in the relationship. That would be irritating if it went on for too long.

  The sex had been quick, business-like. As she had said before, HumiliT really was a professional when a mission was on the line.

  The knocking repeated.

  "Come in," Alan called out as he sat back up.

  The door cracked open, and Violet stepped inside.

  "You're back," Violet said. She sniffed lightly, wrinkling her nose at the messy bed.

  Suddenly, Alan felt self-conscious sitting in his boxers. He pulled his knees up in a huddle. "Yeah, I'm back. What brings you here?"

  He could guess why Violet was here, but the signs of HumiliT's recent visit made the situation awkward. Had HumiliT done that on purpose? Damn it. She had to know Violet wasn't used to the idea of a beta circle. Neither was he.

  "I…" Violet studied a corner of the bed. She shook her head and held up something small in her hand. "I have something for you."

  It was a bracelet or wristband, similar to the one he had seen the other alphas wear. He noticed Violet also had a band on her left wrist.

  Alan nodded. "Thanks. It's a temperature band? Like the ones they use?"

  Violet grinned. "No. Even better. It's a viral sequencer. One of the new molecular designs. Here, try it."

  Alan slipped the gray metal loop around his left wrist like a new watch. Numbers scrolled across the digital display. Violet tapped the screen.

  "It looks like you have eight viral strains at measurable levels. Four of them are currently increasing. Those would be…her." Violet glanced at the used sheets with a frown. "Do you know what your other current alpha powers are?"

  "Well, the one from you." A red marble appeared floating in the air for a second before disappearing. "I had this scream attack, but I think I used it all up against HumiliT."

  "Did she hurt you?" Violet's voice was strained.

  Alan realized she was staring at the bruises on his bare torso. "No, not really. HumiliT's been fine, for the most part. This was from her beta circle before I gained her powers."

  Violet didn't say anything, instead tapping Alan's band again. "There. This number is the mental projection power you just used. I'll label it VLT."

  "What's VLT? Oh." He checked the display. VLT 22.

  "Any other alpha powers you know about?"

  Alan shook his head.

  "Four powers from her, one from me. The other three
are quite low, with one being just above the detection limit. Let's say that's the sonic attack. That leaves two mystery powers that are fading away." Violet paused. "One of them could be her," she muttered.

  "HumiliT?" Alan asked.

  "Nevermind," Violet replied. "We can calibrate her powers now. Just use your powers one by one, and I'll configure your band."

  "Okay." Alan stood. What was first? Super speed? He remembered how HumiliT had tested her viral load. He stepped to the right, then back to the left, blurring between the two positions for several seconds.

  Violet watched. "Good."

  Super strength? Alan grinned. He approached and picked up Violet like a toy doll without straining at all.

  "Put me down!" She whacked him on the head, but he barely noticed the blow.

  "Actually, that's a good test of my invulnerability. Keep smacking me."

  Violet sighed. She hit him a few times, then beat his head in a vicious flurry. She finished with a two-finger stab to his eyes. He blinked at that one and set her down on the floor.

  "Uh, did I do something to make you mad?" Alan asked.

  "Do something?" Violet shouted. "More like do someone!" She looked away.

  "You mean…" Alan waved his hands helplessly. "This is what it's like being an alpha. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for all of this to happen."

  "I know. I'm being irrational." Violet reached for his band again. "SPD for speed. STR for strength. END for endurance." Violet stopped to look up at him. "HumiliT's not quite invulnerable, you know. Neither are you. It's more like a personal force shield that drains each time it takes damage."

  "What about her fourth power? Agility?"

  Violet tapped on his band. "AGI for agility. You use that one constantly, more if you put strain on your neuromuscular connections. Okay, that's it. Take a look.

  Alan scanned the display, which showed four readouts at a time. He swiped the screen to view the last power. AGI 92, END 96, SPD 94, STR 97, and VLT 22.

  "Cool!" Alan smiled. "You made this?"

  Violet shrugged. "I've been working on a simpler version for myself. I've been optimizing your version for the last few days. The problem was the multiplexed—"