Teen Superheroes Box Set | Books 1-7

by Pitt, Darrell

  There was the sound of approaching feet from the Council area. A large assortment of aliens entered the chambers. Some appeared to be members of the Council, though others seemed to be carrying crude weapons. Tomay and Ragin pushed the curtain aside.

  ‘Why are you armed?’ Bax demanded. ‘We’re not looking for trouble.’

  Tomay looked dismayed. ‘I told them you were peaceful, but—’

  ‘We make our own peace,’ Ragin said. ‘Now is the time for talking. After that, a decision must be made.’

  ‘The decision is easy,’ a man behind them shouted. ‘The strangers must be handed over to the Tagaar.’

  ‘You sound like a sympathizer,’ a woman said. She had a delicate covering of scales that glinted in the pale light. ‘Since when did we start collaborating with the Fish Heads?’

  ‘My people,’ Tomay said. ‘Everyone will have their say. Then the strangers may speak.’

  The next half an hour passed slowly. Each of the people who spoke appeared to be from a different planet. They were all humanoid in shape; they had two arms and legs and a head, but there the resemblance ended. One had only one eye. It was a long slit that ran across the front of his face. Another man had four eyes; two were planted on each side of his skinny, pale blue face.

  Brodie had expected most to be in favor of handing them over to the Tagaar, but to her surprise, there was a great deal of argument. It was apparent they all hated their alien overlords. They dearly wanted to regain their freedom, but it quickly became evident that the residents of Sartaria were all too aware of the difficulties of escape.

  Tomay finally retook the podium. ‘Now we should hear from one of our visitors.’

  Brodie had expected to be the one to speak, but much to her surprise, Ebony grabbed her arm.

  ‘I’d like to do this,’ she said. ‘If you don’t mind.’

  ‘Be my guest,’ Brodie replied.

  She shook her head in some amazement as she watched Ebony walk up to the podium. It seemed like only a few months ago that Ebony had been almost unhealthily quiet. She’d seemed afraid of her own shadow, but in a short time she’d changed into a different person.

  Go girl, Brodie thought. You tell them.

  ‘Up till now, you have been without weapons to defeat the Tagaar,’ Ebony said. ‘You have been locked in this place and worked to death. You have had your rights and your freedom taken away from you.’

  ‘We know all this, girl,’ one of the men called.

  ‘Tell us something new,’ another challenged her.

  ‘Now you have weapons,’ Ebony said.

  The crowd looked at her in confusion.

  ‘What weapons?’ a woman asked.

  ‘Us,’ Ebony said.

  A few of the assembled crowd looked at each other. A few laughed.

  ‘You’re mad, child,’ a woman in the crowd said. ‘What can you do?’

  Ebony reached into the air. In the next instant, she held what appeared to be a sword of fire. She moved it about, waving it at some of the nearest people in the crowd. Brodie watched their reaction. Even she was impressed.

  ‘My friends and I are modified humans,’ Ebony said. ‘We have powers greater than a normal being.’

  ‘Your magic tricks may impress some.’ A man stepped forward. ‘I’m Gardan. It takes more than a flaming sword to impress me. And it will take more than a girl with magic tricks to defeat the Tagaar.’

  ‘You sound as if you’re afraid,’ Ebony said.

  The warrior’s face went dark. ‘I’m not afraid. I’m a soldier of Belemus. We’re among the greatest warriors of the galaxy.’

  ‘Then join us in our fight against the Tagaar,’ Ebony said. ‘Remaining here will only bring you death and—’

  A boy came running into the tent. He whispered to one of the men.

  ‘The Tagaar have arrived at the portal,’ the man said. ‘They have seized several citizens.’

  ‘What’s the portal?’ Ebony asked.

  Tomay stepped forward. ‘It is the link between Sartaria and the upper ship. If they have already taken some of our people—’

  ‘The time for talking has ended,’ Ragin said. ‘We must decide.’

  Ebony stepped down from the podium while Tomay asked for a vote to be taken. She looked despondent as she returned to the others in the petitioners’ room.

  ‘I don’t think I won them over,’ she said.

  ‘You did your best,’ Dan said.

  ‘You ran out of time.’ Brodie gripped her shoulder. ‘A few more minutes, and you might have had them.’

  ‘We can’t give up yet,’ Dan said. ‘They might still decide in our favor.’

  ‘Maybe,’ Ebony replied. ‘If we’re lucky.’

  No one said anything after that. They waited in silence while the Council of Sartaria voted on whether they should live or whether they should die.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  I couldn’t pull the trigger.

  My throat was dry. My vision had a sharpness of clarity I’d never before experienced. I focused on the Russian leader. The gun shook in my hand until it sagged in my grip. I’d come so far. I’d sacrificed so much. Brodie’s life depended on me firing the weapon at the Russian President. Yet I couldn’t pull the trigger. The President saw my hesitation.

  ‘You’re a boy,’ he said. ‘You don’t wish to—’

  ‘Shut up!’

  It sounded like my words had been spoken by a stranger.

  Alexi Kozlov clamped his mouth shut. I stood there with the gun in my hand, undecided as to what to do next. If I did not pull the trigger and immobilize the President, I would be condemning Brodie to death.

  But I couldn’t fire.

  A sound came from behind me. I spun around to find Chad stumbling through the undergrowth. He had a bruise under his eye and a streak of blood down one side of his face.

  ‘I thought I saw you land over here,’ he said.

  ‘Are you okay?’

  ‘Peachy. I feel like I’ve just gone ten rounds with Rocky.’ He nodded towards the President. ‘So you haven’t put the freeze on the Russian?’

  ‘Not yet.’

  ‘I knew you wouldn’t.’

  ‘How would—’

  He stepped forward and placed a hand on my shoulder. ‘Axel,’ he said. ‘You’re just not the Stonekiller kind of guy.’

  Tears filled my eyes as I struggled to speak. ‘But Brodie—’

  ‘We’ll find another way,’ he said. ‘I promise.’

  We stood silently in the Russian forest. ‘How far away is the Flex?’

  ‘Some distance.’ He studied me. ‘What are you thinking?’

  ‘The closer we are to Graal, the closer we are to Brodie.’

  ‘If they even bring her,’ he said. ‘This whole gig with the President and the Stonekiller may just be a scam. Maybe he intended to lead you on forever.’

  ‘I know.’ I shifted my eyes to the Russian President. He looked like he was ready to jump to his feet and attempt an escape. I hoped he wouldn’t try. While I might not use the Stonekiller on him, I was more than prepared to subdue him. ‘Brodie could already be dead,’ I continued. ‘This may have just been a big waste of time.’

  ‘Not a complete waste of time,’ he said. ‘I’ve always wanted to see Russia. Great place for a holiday—’

  ‘You’re an idiot,’ I informed him.

  The President looked up at us as if we were crazy.

  He was probably right.

  We flew the Russian President with us back to the Flex. Fortunately, Chad was able to locate it nearby. Climbing aboard, we located restraints in one of the compartments and handcuffed Alexi Kozlov to a seat in the rear. He looked none too pleased about being treated like a prisoner.

  ‘What is this all about?’ he demanded. ‘Am I being held hostage?’

  ‘Uh, yes,’ I replied.

  ‘What are you after? Money? Is this a political protest?’

  ‘It’s about those dolls,’ Chad told hi
m.

  ‘Dolls?’

  ‘Those Russian babushka dolls. The ones where you fit one doll inside another.’

  ‘What about them?’ The President looked at him in astonishment.

  ‘They’re creepy. We’re holding you hostage until your government agrees to stop making them—’

  ‘Ignore him,’ I told the President. ‘We’ll tell you later.’

  I quickly checked his pockets, removed his cell phone, and discarded it. Chad and I left Alexi alone in the rear compartment and closed the door behind us. We slumped into the pilots’ seats. I felt light-headed after the events of the last twenty-four hours. I looked across at Chad, and he returned my glance with a weary smile.

  ‘Let’s do Disneyland next time,’ he said.

  ‘Agreed.’

  I set the autopilot. The Flex Fighter lifted up above the tree line into a clear sky. It accelerated higher and higher until the countryside was reduced to a patchwork quilt. Tension jangled at the edge of my senses. I was unsure as to what we were going to do when we met up with Graal, but for the first time in days, I was feeling a little more confident.

  I turned to Chad. ‘Thanks for being a friend.’

  He was already asleep. Probably for the best. Chad wasn’t able to accept a compliment without some snappy comeback. I examined the controls one more time and decided to join him. A few hours’ sleep would—

  The Flex Fighter was thrown to one side.

  ‘Hey!’ I yelled.

  Chad was instantly awake. ‘What’s going on?’

  A blast lit up the sky in front of us. A jet fighter appeared to our right, firing another volley across our bow. I activated the computer interface.

  ‘Computer?’ I said. ‘What’s going on?’

  The computer responded. ‘This vessel is currently being pursued by three Russian-made Sukhoi Jet Aircraft,’ it said. ‘We’re receiving a transmission from one of the planes.’

  ‘Let’s hear it.’

  The radio crackled into life.

  ‘American agents.’ The pilot spoke almost perfect English. ‘You will land your vessel, hand over the Russian President, and surrender yourselves to authorities.’

  I looked at Chad. ‘What should I do?’

  ‘Didn’t you engage the cloaking device?’

  I was so tired I’d forgotten to activate it!

  ‘Six more jet aircraft have joined the pursuit,’ the computer said calmly. ‘They are forming a blockade around Flex Fighter B-22.’

  We caught sight of one of the aircraft. It seemed to be only a few feet above our ship. It dove towards the windscreen. The Flex dropped in response.

  ‘They’re trying to force us down,’ Chad said.

  ‘We can’t let that happen.’ I peered down at the console. ‘Computer, display a schematic of the pursuit ships.’

  A three-dimensional image hovered in mid-air above the console. The fighter planes had positioned themselves in a tight formation around us. We might be able to find a gap—but possibly not without hitting one of the other craft. We had already done enough damage for one day. I wasn’t going to kill an innocent pilot for doing his duty.

  ‘What countermeasures do we have available?’ I asked the computer.

  ‘We have a full complement of decoys, and dual signal capability.’

  ‘Dual signal?’ I asked. ‘What is that?’

  ‘That information is classified.’

  I looked at Chad. He shrugged. ‘Don’t ask me. I just stole the thing.’

  Another shot was fired across the bow of our craft. It exploded ahead of us, rocking the Flex violently from side to side.

  ‘If that’s supposed to be a warning shot…’ Chad stirred uncomfortably. ‘They need to look up the word warning in the dictionary.’

  ‘Computer,’ I said. ‘On my mark, deploy the decoys, engage the cloaking device, and initiate the dual signal…thingy. And give me flight control of the Flex.’

  Chad looked at me. ‘Are you sure—’

  ‘No,’ I said, gripping the control stick of the aircraft. ‘But I’d rather crash us than have the onboard computer do it.’

  ‘Twelve more fighter craft are closing in from the east,’ the computer calmly reported. ‘Also, a group of super-powered humans are approaching from the west.’

  This was getting too crowded for comfort. ‘Computer. Give me flight control.’

  The craft shuddered slightly as I took command. I’d flown a Flex Fighter in a lot of practice situations, but never under these circumstances. And never against a squadron of experienced pilots. The radio crackled to life again.

  ‘American craft,’ the pilot said. ‘We will fire on your position if you don’t immediately descend.’

  Chad radioed back to them. ‘Klaatu barada nikto.’

  ‘What does that mean?’ I asked him.

  ‘No idea,’ he said. ‘They said it on that old movie The Day The Earth Stood Still. It sounded cool.’

  ‘Great.’ I returned my attention to the display. ‘Computer, ready countermeasures.’

  ‘Countermeasures ready.’

  ‘On my mark…now!’

  I felt the Flex shudder as the decoys erupted from the rear. Another signal appeared on the display. It was dangerously close. Too close. It was literally on top of us.

  ‘What’s that other plane doing?’ I yelled in panic. ‘It’s right on top of us!’

  ‘That is the Dual Signal,’ the computer intoned calmly.

  I ignored it and searched the three-dimensional display for a gap. One had appeared. Slightly behind us and above—but the new ship was in its way. I gripped the control column in frustration.

  Where had the other ship come from?

  ‘It’s not real!’ Chad yelled. ‘It’s just a hologram!’

  What?

  I ignored the image of the new ship and pulled back on the column. We flew straight through the new vessel and slipped through the gap in the surrounding fighter craft. I took us away from the mass of aircraft, rising high into the sky above. Most of the remaining ships were still in formation. However, one appeared to be in severe difficulty.

  ‘What’s the status of the Russian fighter craft?’ I asked the computer.

  ‘Most of the fighter craft remain in position. One was struck by the decoy deployed from this craft,’ the computer said. ‘The pilot has ejected safely from the vessel.’

  Thank goodness, I thought. And the dual signal—

  ‘It’s a hologram,’ Chad said, reading my mind. ‘A 3D image. The fighter craft think they’re still following us.’

  I returned the plane to autopilot and collapsed into the seat. This was rapidly turning into the longest day of my life. I checked the timer on my wrist compass. I still had fourteen hours until I was due to meet Graal.

  ‘Computer,’ I said. ‘Wake us in ten hours.’

  I don’t know if it replied because I was already asleep.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Tomay said. ‘The Council has decided to hand you over to the Tagaar.’

  ‘That’s all right,’ Brodie said. ‘We can handle ourselves.’

  She felt furious but tried not to show her anger to the alien leader. She suspected the vote had been very close. Now they had to deal with the fallout from that decision. She asked if she could speak privately to the others for a moment. Tomay looked worried, but he nodded and left the waiting room.

  ‘What’ll we do?’ Dan asked.

  ‘We can look upon this as an advantage,’ Bax said.

  ‘Really?’ Ebony replied. She felt annoyed and disappointed that her plea to the Council had been ignored. ‘How is this to our advantage?’

  ‘We wanted to leave Sartaria,’ Bax said. ‘Now is our chance.’

  Brodie nodded. ‘We can surrender and then fight back at the right moment.’

  The others agreed. It seemed like the best course of action. Brodie led them into the Council Chambers. Tomay was obviously expecting a fight, and he
looked immediately relieved when Brodie told him to take them to the square.

  They followed him through the shantytown. It amazed Brodie that Tomay—or anyone—knew their way through this endless labyrinth. People stopped and pointed at them as they passed. At first, Brodie thought they were simply curious because they were strangers, but after a while she realized many of the inhabitants were angry.

  ‘Are they unhappy with us or—’ she began.

  ‘I think they’re angry with the Council,’ Ebony said.

  ‘But if the alternative is to allow the Tagaar to execute their own citizens—’

  ‘They hate the Tagaar. They probably consider any collaboration with them a crime.’

  Brodie and the others finally reached an open area adjacent to the hull of the vessel. A large group had assembled, and it appeared more were joining them with every passing moment. Some looked curious. Others looked downright hostile.

  An enormous door, measuring about fifty feet across and twenty feet high, was built into the hull. A warning alarm started to ring, and the door started to slide upward. Two Tagaar warriors appeared, armed with assault rifles, and aimed them at the crowd. Another Tagaar warrior followed them. The bright light behind them reduced their forms to silhouettes.

  Tomay stepped forward. ‘We have brought the strangers!’

  The crowd parted, revealing Brodie and the others.

  ‘You’re pathetic!’ the third warrior yelled. ‘That girl has more courage than all the slave scum living in this ghetto!’

  Brodie peered at the warrior and realized it was Breel, the ship’s commander. She wasn’t sure if she should accept the comment as a compliment, then realized it was—in a strange way. She was trying to formulate a reply when Ebony pushed past her. The smaller girl raised her fist at the warriors.

  ‘The Tagaar are bullies!’ she yelled. ‘You have no honor! You lie, and you cheat!’

  The three warriors leveled their weapons at the petite girl. ‘You will be sorry, child!’ Breel snapped. ‘We’ll reduce your planet to a cinder that will float—’

  Brodie’s memory of the next few seconds would forever remain a blur. Whatever Breel had wanted to say would always remain a mystery because Ebony chose that moment to attack. She crossed the area in a sprint, transmuting two machete knives in mid-air. The two soldiers on either side of the commander were taken entirely by surprise; obviously, no one had stood up to them for so long that they’d forgotten what resistance looked like. Ebony struck down Breel with a double blow.