The White Knight & Black Valentine Series (Book 5): Superhuman Disaster (

by Brand, Kristen

  Jocelyn was the smart one. She hadn’t bothered with masks or costumes and wore another set of blue and black exercise clothes. They looked comfortable and easy to move in.

  A sound traveled down the hallway. It wasn’t much, just a soft, bored sigh from somewhere ahead of us. We glanced at each other and quickened our pace.

  When we turned a corner, we saw him: a beefy man leaning against the wall by a door. He caught sight of us immediately, but Julio acted first. He sent a blast of subzero coldness at the man, making him stagger. Then he sprinted down the hall, and I limped after him. By the time the man recovered, Julio punched him in the face.

  The crack of knuckles on bone made me wince, but it didn’t take the man down. He swung at Julio, who neatly sidestepped and shoved the man at me.

  I caught him and put him in a chokehold. He struggled, fists pounding against me, but he wasn’t strong enough to make a difference. When he went limp, arms flopping to his sides, I lowered him gently to the floor.

  Jocelyn raised her eyebrows but kept silent so as not to give us away. Julio put a hand on one of the double doors the goon had been guarding. He paused, locking eyes with both of us in turn. We took a moment to appreciate that we were about to walk into something we might not walk away from. I nodded at him, and he returned the gesture. Then he shoved open the door.

  I had a split second to survey the room. Wide, with a low ceiling, it was mostly taken up by a large rectangular pool of water. Walkways crisscrossed it, encased by white guardrails, and the air smelled like chemicals and dampness. The low hum of machinery didn’t overpower the voices of Mr. Lucifer and four henchmen, all pouring bags of silvery powder into the water below.

  The henchmen dropped their jugs when they saw us and reached for their guns, but the element of surprise gave us a split-second advantage. Julio held out his hand, and the metal guns burned red hot. The henchmen tossed them away with curses, one of the weapons falling into the pool with a splash.

  “Stall them!” Mr. Lucifer snarled in a tone so like his and unlike Val’s that I wondered if the henchmen knew who they were really working for.

  The men charged down the walkway towards us, but it was narrow, forcing them into single file so they couldn’t swarm us. I heard a whoosh of wings as Blue Sparrow took flight. She stayed airborne only for a second before tacking the first goon to reach the end of the walkway. Julio’s faster pace meant he reached them next. He feinted left then jabbed right, socking the second henchman in the jaw. The man hit the ground, and Julio’s momentum barely slowed as he swung at the next one.

  The second henchman rubbed his jaw on the floor then pushed himself up. He was about to attack Julio from behind as he fought two other goons, but I grabbed him by the collar. Then I threw him, and he smacked into the wall before collapsing to the floor in a heap.

  He’d get up again, but it wouldn’t be for a while.

  Cane in hand, I headed for the walkway. Blue Sparrow was still dealing with the first goon, while Julio fended off two henchmen at once, a third moaning on the floor off to the side. One of them caught sight of me and charged. I caught his fist and twisted until something snapped. The man screamed, and I released him, letting him fall to his knees.

  Blue Sparrow knocked her opponent into the water, and Julio had the last henchmen in a headlock. They didn’t need me to babysit them, so I headed down the walkway towards Mr. Lucifer, who was still calmly dumping bags of the drug into the water. He caught sight of me and smirked, and something stabbed at my heart. I knew it was Mr. Lucifer, not Val, but seeing her standing there with that smirk on her face… It reminded me of the old days, when White Knight would catch the Black Valentine at the scene of the crime, and the chase would begin. Part of me expected her to quip about my cheap mask.

  “David, darling.”

  And that broke the illusion, because it didn’t sound like Val at all.

  “Cut the act, Lucio,” I growled. “You do a terrible impression of her.”

  He smiled with her face, letting the empty bag he’d been holding flutter to the floor. “So you figured it out. That was sooner than I expected, but then again, I have abysmally low expectations of you in general.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Your good opinion means so much to me.” I grabbed his arm—Val’s arm—and pulled an auto-injector of exatrin from my pocket.

  The instant Mr. Lucifer saw it, he tried to wrench himself free, but it was like a toddler trying to pull free from their parent. He had no chance of breaking my iron grip. He must have realized that, too, because he switched to offense. As I fumbled one-handed to get the cap off the auto-injector, he swiped at it.

  I moved it away, trying to put my body between it and Mr. Lucifer. He might not be as strong as I was, but he fought with the ferocity of an angry cat. Jumping on me, he clawed at my eyes with Val’s long nails. I flinched and fought the instinct to push him away. If I let him go now, he’d make a break for it, and my bad knee meant I’d never catch him in a chase.

  I struggled to shield my eyes and keep the auto-injector out of his reach while at the same time trying to get the cap off the damn thing. Mr. Lucifer yanked on my collar, and I stumbled, slamming into the railing. The screech of metal met my ears as the impact dented it, and I jerked away. I didn’t want to break through the railing and fall into the water. I might not consciously remember my brush with drowning, but my subconscious must have, because cold, slimy fear washed over me.

  The distraction gave Mr. Lucifer an opening. He reached for the auto-injector, fingers hitting my forearm. I yanked on his arm, pulling him away from it, and my thumb finally found the right angle to pop the cap off.

  Pounding footsteps tugged at my awareness, and I turned, ready to fight off another attack. But it was Julio and Jocelyn. They’d finished the last henchmen and were rushing towards me, he on foot and she in the air. Finally. Between the three of us, we should be able to restrain Mr. Lucifer long enough to inject him. Then it was just a matter of lugging him to the van and bringing him to the safehouse, where, hopefully, Elisa could telepathically help Val break free of his control.

  Then Julio cried out and stumbled. Clutching his head, he fell to his knees, face screwed up in agony. Jocelyn yelled and corkscrewed. My stomach dropped as she hit the railing, and—thank God—she landed on the walkway instead of the water.

  Mr. Lucifer. He stared at them, forehead creased in concentration. He wanted me to drop him and go help, but I knew the fastest way to help Julio and Jocelyn was to neutralize Mr. Lucifer’s telepathy, so I raised the auto-injector to do just that.

  Mr. Lucifer plopped down onto a sitting position on the floor. Grinding my teeth, I reached down to jab him.

  That’s when he grabbed one of the bags of drugs and flung it at my face.

  I tried to turn away but couldn’t move fast enough. The bag smacked me in the face and burst open, a cloud of silvery powder erupting from within it. I tried not to breathe, but it was too late. I coughed, wiping the stuff off my skin as it stung my eyes and burned my nose and throat.

  I realized I’d let go of Mr. Lucifer, and a stream of profanity raced through my mind. I forced my eyes open, but tears blurred my vision. I couldn’t see where he’d gone, and the stinging pain forced my eyes closed.

  Julio and Jocelyn. Were they still under mental attack? Where was the auto-injector? I had to—

  —climb over the railing.

  No, that wasn’t right. There was no time. Telepaths could cause a brain aneurysm if they focused hard enough. I couldn’t let that happen to Julio, couldn’t let him die the way Harris had. I had to reach Mr. Lucifer and either inject him or knock him out. I had to climb over the railing quickly.

  I let go of my cane, hearing it clatter against the floor, and gripped the railing with both hands. My knee screamed as I climbed, but I ignored the pain, heaving myself over the railing and placing my feet on the very edge of the walkway. I kept hold of the rail behind me, the bars pressing into my back, my body balanced prec
ariously as I faced the pool. If I let go, I’d fall.

  The water was clear, the filtration equipment visible on the bottom of the pool so very far below. The deepness made my stomach roil and sent a shiver across my skin. I didn’t want to jump in, but I had to. I—

  What the hell was I doing?

  Mind-control. Mr. Lucifer. I’d gotten hit in the face with a bag of drugs designed to lower people’s resistance to telepathy. Damn. I moved to climb back over the railing and get away from the water.

  Hold still.

  My body froze. Double damn. I started singing “The Song that Gets on Everybody’s Nerves” in my head, but it didn’t block out Mr. Lucifer’s presence like it should have. I couldn’t seem to concentrate. It must be the drug.

  “I’ve spent a long time thinking about how to kill you.”

  Mr. Lucifer leaned forward against the railing to my left, resting his arms casually atop it. I couldn’t turn my head to look at him, couldn’t even move my mouth to reply. I strained, but all my strength was useless.

  “You should be flattered, really,” he went on. “Few people take up so much of my attention. I’ve considered all manner of poisons, infectious diseases, and toxic gasses. But in the end, drowning is so much more expedient, don’t you think?”

  Ice filled my insides as I looked at the water below.

  Turn your head.

  I fought against my neck muscles until they hurt, but I couldn’t stop myself. I turned to face him, seeing his smug smirk on Val’s face, and wanted to throw up. If I was going to die, I didn’t want this to be the last thing I ever saw. I didn’t want to remember Val this way.

  Although I might not remember her at all. Maybe death would be like the coma: nothingness.

  Mr. Lucifer leaned forward and kissed me, hard. It was a good thing I was under mind-control and couldn’t move, because I was so angry and disgusted I wanted to punch him, and I couldn’t hurt him without hurting Val. I tried to block it out, tried to ignore Val’s familiar soft lips crushed against mine and the knowledge of who was on the other side of them. When he pulled away, that infuriating grin was still stretched across Val’s face.

  “Goodbye, White Knight.”

  Now jump.

  Chapter 9

  Before I could even try and fight the command, my hands let go of the railing. My knees bent, sending a bolt of pain through me, and I sprung forward. I only had a split-second before I hit the water.

  The impact seemed to rattle my bones. The water was warm and clear, no salt stinging my eyes. I had a perfect view of my surroundings as I rapidly sunk. My every instinct wanted to flail and propel myself back to the surface, but Mr. Lucifer had locked my limbs in place. I fell facedown onto the concrete floor, feeling the water flow across me as it was pulled into a nearby filter.

  My heart jackhammered against my chest, and my lungs began to burn. I sang the song louder in my head, trying to block out Mr. Lucifer’s control. I had to move. I had to swim. I needed air, and I struggled against the urge to inhale. It seemed control over my lungs was the only thing Mr. Lucifer had left me.

  His presence still dominated my mind, radiating smug satisfaction. Again, I strained to move my arms, my legs, my big toe—anything. I couldn’t let him finish off Julio and Jocelyn and get away to live out the rest of Val’s life in her body. I couldn’t let myself die here, let Elisa go through the grief of losing me for a second time. I refused to let them down.

  I belted out the song like a war anthem, pushing back Mr. Lucifer’s presence in my mind. My hands clenched into fists, and slowly, I pushed myself off the floor.

  Take a deep breath.

  Given enough time, I probably could have fought the compulsion, but by the time I opened my mouth, it was already too late. Water flowed into my lungs as smoothly as air. I kicked desperately, swimming towards the surface, but my limbs felt heavy and weak. A piercing pain emanated from the center of my chest, but then it faded. Everything faded. All I could feel was Mr. Lucifer’s glee.

  Then a flicker of confusion interrupted the glee, and I felt something entirely different.

  Dave!

  Val’s voice. I supposed it wasn’t that surprising that I heard her as I was dying. And I was dying, though as I drifted motionlessly in the water, I felt too detached too care. Part of me heard the muffled splash as something else plunged into the pool, but I was too close to unconsciousness to give it much thought.

  Then someone grabbed me and pulled. My eyes were half open, my head lolling back, so I saw the surface getting closer. But it wasn’t getting closer fast enough.

  Swim!

  My body obeyed, legs kicking feebly and heavy arms making clumsy strokes. My rescuer pulled harder, and we broke the surface. I immediately coughed up water and would have sunk again if their hands didn’t keep a tight grip on my shirt. Air rushed into my lungs, invigorating me, and as I kept coughing, I felt more alert. Hands shaking, I rubbed water from my eyes.

  I expected to see Julio, but it was Mr. Lucifer in the pool with me.

  “Dave.”

  My name was nearly a gasp. Val’s hands reached out and touched my face, her dark eyes flicking up and down as she checked me over. Her mask had fallen off, and her wet hair was plastered to her head. She looked beautiful, and my heart thudded in my throat. Was it really her, or was Mr. Lucifer a better actor than I gave him credit for?

  “I thought I’d lost you.” Her voice broke with anguish as she threw her arms around me. “You were gone. I was afraid you’d drowned and I’d never—”

  A sob rose from her throat, and she shook. I wrapped my arms around her, no longer worried it was Mr. Lucifer. I wasn’t sure if she was talking about right now, the attack that had put me in a coma, or both, but whatever the case, the pain in her voice was too real.

  “It’s okay,” I said. “I’m okay. I’m here.”

  She pulled me forward and kissed me like her life depended on it. Her hands ran through my hair, over my shoulders, and plunged underwater to trail down my back, as if she were trying to touch every inch of me. I pulled her closer, needing to feel her pressed against me. Breathless, I kicked my legs frantically to keep from slipping underwater. Though with her, I felt as if I could drown and everything would be alright.

  “Um,” Julio said loudly.

  Oh, right. The world came rushing back as I remembered where I was. Reluctantly, I pulled my mouth from Val’s and turned to see Julio and Jocelyn standing above us. They looked unhurt—thank goodness.

  “So…” he said. “Are you under mind-control right now, or is Val back? Because I’m not sure what to do here.”

  “It’s me, Julio,” Val said.

  He looked at her closely. “Prove it.”

  Val thought about it for a second and then smiled devilishly. “The first time you and I met, you thought about what I would look like—”

  “Okay!” He threw up his hands, his voice echoing off the walls. “It’s you. I’m convinced.”

  “But how?” I was still breathless, so I swam towards Julio, grabbing the edge of the walkway so that I didn’t have to keep treading water. “Your father—”

  “—doesn’t know I can do this.” Val followed me through the water. “Granted, I’ve only done it once before—and that was when he was sleeping, so I could tip you off I’d be here. And it’s not permanent. He’s still too strong.”

  “Okay.” I nodded, which just made me feel dizzier. “Okay. We’ll use the exatrin in case he regains control and bring you to the safehouse.” I put my hand gently atop hers. “Between Elisa and your sisters, you should have enough backup to kick him out of your head.”

  Val smiled, but it clashed with her sad eyes in a way that instantly set me on edge. She squeezed my hand comfortingly, which didn’t make me feel any better when she said, “No. I’m not going with you. Dad’s got to stay in the driver’s seat a little longer.”

  My mouth opened, but I couldn’t manage to form any words.

  Julio groa
ned and rubbed his face. “Why?” he asked, not sounding like he wanted to hear the answer.

  “Because he’s planning something big.” Val’s grip on my hand tightened. “I don’t know what it is. I wasn’t aware of what was happening when he first possessed me, and even though he’s in my head, I still don’t know what he’s thinking.” She scowled. “But I’ve heard enough over the past few days to know it’s the kind of take-over-the-world shit that most supervillains only dream of.”

  “All the more reason to get him the hell out of your head,” I said. “He can’t do anything without a body.”

  “If he was working alone, I’d agree with you, but he has partners. Dr. Sweet’s involved, and there are at least two others. If I evict Dad from my head and keep him from jumping into anyone else, that’s it—he’s dead, and we won’t know what he was planning until it’s too late.” She looked steadily from me to Julio and back again. “I’m the perfect spy. I’ll let him think he has control, and once he’s given me enough intel, I’ll contact you, and we’ll bring him down along with everyone he’s working with.”

  I hated every word she said, hated how a part of me acknowledged it made sense even though the rest of me wanted to wrap my arms around her and never let go.

  “But you just broke his control,” I said. “If he knows you can do that, won’t he take precautions? What if he buries you so deeply you can’t come back? Val, please.” I cupped her hand in mine and brought it to my chest. “Come back with me to the safe house. We’ll find another way. Do it for Elisa if nothing else. She needs you, and so do I.”

  The hard look in her eyes wavered at Elisa’s name, but it didn’t last long. “The best way to keep her safe is for me to find out what they’re planning. Dad and Dr. Sweet won’t leave her alone for long. You know that.”

  I did. The fear constantly lurked in the bottom of my gut.

  “Then you need to go tell Elisa that yourself,” snapped Jocelyn, voice echoing through the room.