Reborn (Supervillain Rehabilitation Project Book 3)

by H. L. Burke

  “This isn’t so bad.”

  Her spine went rigid, and her head snapped back. The burning spread through every vein in her body. Her vision blurred.

  “Spoke too soon,” she wheezed.

  Monitors shrieked. Her pulse quickened to a rapid fire rhythm. The heat in her blood raced upwards and crashed into her brain. Every sense went into hyperdrive. She could smell her own sweat, the disinfectant near the sink, the milk seeping through her shirt. Voices echoed about the room like claps of thunder, and the beeping from the monitors caused her ears to ring. She could feel every nerve in her body and every one was on fire.

  Prism screamed.

  Aiden’s energy rose to meet her. Lucia! Look out! Look out!

  Aiden? Can you hear me?

  Before she could determine if the voice in her head was real or a panicked fantasy, another blast of pain raced through her. The world went gray, then black. She lay, paralyzed, staring at a dark sky. She tried to pry her eyes open, but she couldn’t move, couldn’t hear, couldn’t think. In a heartbeat she’d gone from overstimulated to sensationless.

  Something crackled and hissed overhead. A section of the sky lit up with jagged lines of blue. Lightning? Another spark and a larger section illuminated for a split second, revealing a web of interconnected strands of azure light.

  What is this? Where am I?

  Voices echoed around her.

  We’re losing her!

  What went wrong? This isn’t supposed to happen?

  I can’t find her pulse.

  Then beyond those, fainter words joined in.

  Another meeting that could’ve been an email.

  Where’s my pen?

  Is it five o’clock yet? Dammit, two more hours ...

  Voice after voice joined the chorus bringing with them a tidal wave of emotions: boredom, contempt, amusement, fear, anger, delight—

  Let me go! Prism screamed at the chaos.

  The whole sky lit up in a thousand glowing webs before her awareness returned to her body.

  “Prism? Prism!” A hand grasped hers.

  Her eyes fluttered open. The heart monitor now beeped at a steady pace. Sweat coated her exposed skin, cooling it, but she felt otherwise well. She moaned.

  Shepherd came into focus above her. “You’re awake?”

  “What happened?” Prism murmured.

  “You lost consciousness and for a moment your vitals stopped, then before we could call in a crash cart, you just started breathing again.”

  Prism peeled herself off the table. “That was a lot worse than a headache.”

  The scientist and his assistant bustled about, reading the displays on the various monitors.

  “Seems like she’s stabilized, ma’am,” the scientist finally announced.

  “Thank God, if I injured Talon’s Precious Princess Powell, there’d be hell to pay.”

  Prism recoiled at Shepherd’s voice. “Excuse me? Princess Powell? Really?”

  Shepherd’s jaw dropped open. “You heard that?”

  “I’m not deaf.” Prism sniffed.

  “No, but ... I didn’t say it out loud.”

  The hair on the back of Prism’s neck stood on end. Oh crap.

  She glanced at the scientist. His lips didn’t move, but she could clearly hear him in her head.

  It worked! Imagine the paper I could write about this—

  His brain spun out into technobabble and dreams of accolades. Prism tuned him out and focused on Shepherd. “So just like that? I can read minds? So now what?”

  “I don’t know.” Shepherd tapped her fingers against her hip. “We can probably assume your range is limited to whatever your brother’s was before Brink enhanced his powers. Unfortunately, without access to Brink’s research, we have no way to likewise increase your abilities to where you can communicate with him at the distances he is currently capable of.”

  Prism rubbed her arm where the injection had gone in. She wasn’t sure she’d want the “upgrade” Aiden had received. She remembered the growing pains Aiden had gone through when his powers first manifested, how he’d had to work not to be overwhelmed by the voices. Her father had spent a lot of time coaching him, and Prism could recall many of their talks.

  Focus on one person at a time. Don’t let the chatter from everybody you walk past overwhelm you. Ignore it like static or a radio playing in the background.

  Prism pried at the suction cups stuck to her forehead. “I need to get home. Until we know where Aiden is, I won’t be able to reach out to him.”

  The scientist’s assistant helped her remove the various monitoring devices.

  Prism hopped down from the bed. Her legs wobbled for a moment, but she steadied herself and made a beeline for the chair where she’d left her jacket and, in its pocket, her phone.

  She hesitated when she got the phone in her hand. How would she explain this to Fade? Sure, nothing had gone wrong, but it had been a risk, and she’d taken it without so much as giving him a warning. He was going to be upset, and she didn’t blame him.

  If roles were reversed, I’d be furious. She strengthened her resolve. I’m an adult. I can handle this. I’ll own up to the risk and try to make him understand that I couldn’t pass up the chance. We’ll get through this. Please, God, let us get through this.

  She powered on the phone. Notifications popped up. So many notifications. Her shoulders hunched. Fade had texted her repeatedly and even left voicemails. Prism tapped on the texts, and her breath caught in her lungs.

  She whirled to face Shepherd. “We need to move fast. Brink’s going to attack this building!”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “Let me check.” Shepherd closed her eyes and passed her hand in front of her face.

  Prism stared. She’d never seen Shepherd use her abilities before. Giving way to temptation, she concentrated on Shepherd’s energy. Shepherd’s mind fell open like a book, and Prism could see her thoughts including the images provided by Shepherd’s farsight abilities. Her mind scrolled through the area around DOSA HQ like a camera panning over the scene. Occasionally she would focus on a person, zooming in to examine a delivery man then a white service van parked near the entrance.

  “I’m not seeing anything suspicious.” Shepherd frowned.

  “You’re looking in the wrong place. Fade says Aiden sent him a vision of the gateway.” Prism showed Shepherd the line of texts. “He thinks Brink has to have access to it. If he does, he could bypass all the outer security systems and attack us from within.”

  Shepherd took the phone, browsed the texts, then handed it back with a shake of her head. “That’s impossible. All the gateways connected to the DC one are in secure DOSA facilities. If they were attacked, alarms would go off, and the whole system would shut down.”

  “What if he built his own gateway?” Prism pointed out. “He certainly has the scientific and technical aptitude, and with the Adjudicator’s help, he could probably get the resources.”

  “Yes, but to build something of that magnitude without drawing our attention—”

  The floor beneath them shook. The lights overhead flickered.

  Shepherd’s face went pale, and she closed her eyes again. “Crap. You’re right, and we’re too late. They’re already here.”

  Prism’s heart leaped into her throat. If Brink’s team was here, then Aiden ...

  Prism texted Fade, Attack has begun. I am going to try and get to Aiden.

  His response popped up almost immediately, On our way. Be careful. Don’t take risks. Remember, Brink wants you dead.

  The feeling is mutual, Prism typed back.

  That’s my girl. Fade finished this text with a winky face.

  Prism picked up her purse and fished through it for her laser wristlets. She’d learned her lesson from previous times when she’d been caught off guard. Never leave home without your lasers.

  “I need to get close enough to Aiden to reach him. My guess is if he’s about two stories down from me, it
should be enough.”

  “But he can put people to sleep from a distance,” Shepherd pointed out. “Can you get close enough to reach him, as you put it, without him putting you out cold?”

  Prism focused on strapping on her lasers, trying not to think of how many things could go wrong. “I’m not sure, but Aiden’s powers are all mind-based. It’s possible they have built in defenses for similar powers ... or Fade! If I can get to Fade, he can shelter me from Aiden.”

  She hit the call button on her phone. Fade picked up after a single ring.

  “Hey, you all right?” he asked.

  “Yeah, where are you?”

  “Camp Pendleton Gateway. We were about to go through.”

  Her grip tightened on the phone. “Brink’s team just entered the DC HQ from there. If you go through now, they’ll be right on top of you.”

  “I’m fine with that. I’ve got Tanvi and Wildfyre with me, and we can use my powers to block Aiden’s attacks. This might be our one chance to take them down.”

  “Wait! I need to be there too,” Prism cried. “Fade, it’s a long story, but I think I have a way to get to Aiden, to break him out of this.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “I can’t explain, though. It’ll take too long, and we’re running out of time if they’re already here,” she said. “I need you there to help me block Aiden’s sleep. I’m going to try to get to the gateway so I’m there when you go through.”

  “The gateway you just told me not to go through because I’d get attacked by supervillains? That gateway?” His voice sounded tight.

  “Please. I know this is a lot to ask, and I will explain, but ...” Her voice cracked. “Fade, I need to save him.”

  He sighed. “I know. Look, be careful and keep me on the line, all right? If I hear anything go wrong, I’m bringing the team through the gateway. Immediately.”

  “Understood.” She closed her eyes. “I love you.”

  “Yeah, right back at you.” She could hear his smile in his voice. “Be careful. Remember, it’s my turn, all right?”

  Guilt flooded her. “Yeah, your turn.” She cleared her throat. “You’re going in my pocket now, all right?”

  “Gotcha.”

  She slipped the phone into her pocket and turned to Shepherd. “What are you going to do?”

  Shepherd looked up from her phone where she was furiously texting. “I’m ordering all non-essential personnel to evacuate and calling as many sables as are in range to converge here. We don’t know Brink’s plans, but we need all the backup we can get.”

  “I’m not sure that’s smart. Between Aiden’s sleep abilities and the fact that he brought a huge bomb to the banquet attack, you could be drawing in more potential victims,” Prism pointed out.

  Shepherd paused. “I’m assuming you have a better idea?”

  “I need to get to the gateway,” Prism avoided the question. “I’ve only ever been there by the elevator. Is there a back entrance? A stairway?”

  “There’s an emergency evacuation route,” Shepherd said. “Follow me.”

  Shepherd led Prism to a doorway that she unlocked with her handprint. Inside a shaft dropped several floors down. Shepherd pushed a button, and a ladder extended from the wall.

  “I really need to get to the command center,” Shepherd said. “Are you all right going on alone from here?”

  “Looks like I’ll have to be.” Prism adjusted her laser cuffs so they covered the palms of her hands, descended the ladder a few steps, then set her feet on the sides of the ladder, gripped with her cuff-protected hands, and slid. Air wooshed around her. She hit the bottom with a jolt and spun. She stood in a dimly lit space just wide enough to turn in. The control panel for the door glowed on the wall. The energy of the gateway tingled around her, even through the walls. She waited, listening. She couldn’t hear anything that would suggest anyone was out there.

  Time to try this out. How did Aiden put it? He would send out a thought until it connected with a mind. Well, let’s see what I can get.

  She imagined her thoughts extending behind the door. The area should’ve been swarming with the thought patterns of a dozen DOSA scientists overseeing the gateway. She prayed the fact that she couldn’t find them meant they were unconscious or had fled rather than that they’d been murdered. Then like a flashlight clicking on in a dark room, she connected with a mind.

  An incoherent flood of thoughts and emotions rushed through her. Anger, confusion. Whoever this was, their mind felt like an animal trapped by a chain, straining to get away but continually jerked back by forces beyond their control. Thankfully the person wasn’t Aiden.

  Fear struck her. Would Aiden know if she entered his brain? And if so, would it alert his handlers? She pushed forward, accessing the thoughts of her current target that involved what he could see.

  A hallway stretched before her. A few scientists lay on the floor, but the eyes she saw through didn’t so much as glance at them as they strode past, making it impossible to discern if they were dead or just unconscious.

  An outside force jerked her target to a stop. A hand extended before her and power rippled outward from the outstretched palm. On the wall, a security camera shot out sparks.

  Okay, so I’m inside Crushwave ...

  Cromlech strode past Crushwave, pushing a black box nearly as large as he was. Her heart skipped a beat. Another bomb? That looked exactly like the bomb from the banquet attack. A thought popped into Crushwave’s mind. A route he needed to walk. Immediately he turned down that side hall.

  Prism focused on that stray thought. Her new powers attached to it and zipped along the energy of it away from Crushwave and into another mind.

  We’re almost there. Today is the beginning of DOSA’s fall.

  With a shudder, she jerked back. The hold on the secondary thought pattern shattered.

  That has to be Brink. He’s controlling the men with his mind—and he’s close. My range isn’t long enough for him to be outside the building.

  Prism bit her bottom lip. From the lack of thought patterns immediately on the other side of the wall, the gateway room was probably safe. Of course, just because there weren’t any people there didn’t mean Brink’s team hadn’t boobytrapped it.

  She put her hand on the panel, and the door slid open, exposing the flickering gateway in front of her. A few of the scientists lay nearby, slumped over their desks. She approached one and took a pulse. Still beating.

  She pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Fade, can you hear me?”

  “Right here. What’s going on?”

  “I think it’s safe to come through the gateway but be careful. From what I can tell Brink’s team has moved further into the building already. I’ll be waiting for you on the other side.”

  “Can’t wait.” The call ended. Prism considered the door to the hallway where she assumed Brink’s team—including Aiden—had gone. Should she risk trying to find Aiden’s thought patterns again?

  She located Talon’s cell phone in her contact list and texted, Evacuate the building. Brink’s team is bringing in a bomb. Brink is nearby. I don’t know where exactly, but he’s close.

  No answer. Her pulse quickened. Was he okay? Was there someone else she should be in contact with?

  She felt out again. She easily found Cromlech this time, his mind the same mess as Crushwave’s, focused only on his orders. Unable to locate the connection to Brink, she jumped back and forth from Crushwave to Cromlech. There was no sign of Aiden.

  Her heart stilled. What if Brink had punished him for killing the Adjudicator? What if—

  No, I can’t think like that. I have to have hope.

  The gateway buzzed with increased energy, and she turned as Fade, Tanvi, and Wildfyre stepped through.

  Her brow furrowed. “Where’s Keeper?”

  “Babysitting.” Fade hurried forward and kissed her. “You all right? When you didn’t return my texts—”

  “It’s a long story,” she int
errupted. “I can’t reach Talon. Do any of you have an extra DOSA comm on you?”

  Tanvi offered her an earpiece. “I’ll call in the bomb. Where are the bad guys?”

  “Cromlech and Crushwave are at the end of the hall. I don’t know where Aiden is, and Brink is close, but again, I’m not sure where.” Prism closed her eyes. She checked on Crushwave’s point of view. Cromlech shoved the bomb into the elevator right in front of him, but neither of them went in with it. As soon as the doors closed on the elevator, Cromlech and Crushwave turned and started back towards the hall.

  Prism inhaled sharply. “They sent the bomb up on the elevator and now they’re coming back here.”

  Her team stared at her.

  “How do you know that?” Wildfyre asked.

  Her face heated. “Long story. Come on. We need to get to that bomb.”

  Fade gaze sharpened, but he nodded. “Stay close to me. If Aiden is nearby, I need to be able to extend my fade into all of you if he attacks.”

  Tanvi groaned. “I can’t punch anything if you have me all ghosty.”

  “You can’t punch anything if you’re unconscious either.” Fade rolled his eyes.

  They hurried down the hall. Prism reached out again, desperate to find either Aiden or Brink, but the connection between Brink and the two villains before her no longer existed. It was as if he’d downloaded his orders into them then set them loose.

  They turned a corner. Crushwave and Cromlech loomed before them. Both had that hazy, not-quite-there look in their eyes, but that didn’t make them any less imposing.

  “No sign of Aiden,” Tanvi hissed. “I’m going in.”

  Prism activated her lasers. Wildfyre held up his hands, now a blaze. The heat buffeted Prism. Fade cracked his knuckles and shimmered to a full fade.

  Crushwave punched the air in front of him. A blast of sonic energy cut towards the heroes like a tsunami.

  Fade clamped down on the two people closest to him—Prism and Wildfyre—and the wave passed harmlessly through them. Tanvi fell back against the wall then gritted her teeth, put her head down, and charged. Crushwave blasted again. Tanvi leaped off the floor, ran up the wall, and back-flipped over the sonic burst to land before him. Her uppercut hit his chin, and the villain flew backwards.