by Simon Archer
I quickly shirked my hand away from Margo and rushed to Kristen’s side. She had a few bruises and a few cuts on her arms and stomach, but her face was etched with concern rather than pain.
“Are you okay?” I questioned as I wiped a streak of blood from her bottom lip.
She nodded breathlessly and offered me a strained but sincere smile. “I’m okay, Nick.”
“What about you?” I turned to Judgment, whose breath was ragged, and it was then that I noted that he was clutching his stomach and dark red blood was oozing from between his fingers.
“I will be fine, Gateon,” he rasped. “This is not the worst shape I’ve been in.”
I exhaled with relief. “What the hell happened in there?”
“I shall explain later.” He coughed, and his already pale skin glittered with sweat. There was a joke to make about sparkly vampires, but I bit my tongue. “For now, take Kristen and the car back to the Academy. I will brief you there once I’ve gotten the proper care.”
“Right, of course,” I agreed, and I gently pulled Kristen away from him just as he disappeared into his shadowy portal once again.
“So who’s this?” Margo asked with a grin.
I narrowed my eyes at her, and Kristen looked between us with mild curiosity.
“Is this the hostage?” she asked.
“That’s me!” Margo piped up and extended her hand. “Margo Wicker, ALX22’s most promising intern reporter.”
“You really have that line down to a science, huh?” I jested.
Kristen refused Margo’s hand in favor of staring at her perplexed. “You’re awfully chipper for having been kidnapped.”
“That’s what I said,” I muttered.
“Something like that,” Margo said as she tucked her cerulean hair behind her ear. “I also told him that I’d let myself get captured on purpose to get the insider scoop.”
Kristen balked. “You what? Are you crazy?”
“Wouldn’t be the first time someone has called me that,” Margo admitted with a dry smile, “but it’s gotten me to where I am today, so I’ll take it as a compliment.” She went on to pace before us. “I told Nick that I’d give him the information I picked up on in exchange for a date.”
My jaw dropped. “Wait just a second--”
“Really, Nick?” Kristen rolled her eyes. “That’s a little low, isn’t it?”
I grunted. “I didn’t say date. An exclusive interview. That’s it.”
“Same thing.” Margo shrugged. “Anyway, I’ll uh, take the stairs Diamond carried me up back down. I don’t think you’ll be doing any more rescuing today, Wonder Boy.”
Kristen and I watched as Margo stalked off, her boots scuffling along the pavement and her tiny skirt swishing as she walked, leaving little to the imagination. She was a rough one, but she was cute. There was no denying that.
“When should I meet you?” I called out to her just as she reached the stairs.
“Just show up around town. I’ll find you,” she teased with a wink and then disappeared into the stairwell.
I stood with Kristen in a short silence, mulling over how horribly wrong this seemingly easy mission had gone. If what Diamond said was true and that he was only a small part of something bigger, then there was more at stake than just a bank robbery. There was definitely a lot to reflect on, but I was confident that despite her oddness, Margo would have the answers I wanted or at least a lead to point me in the right direction.
“We should be heading back,” Kristen murmured, and she rested her head on my shoulder. It was in that small action that I realized how exhausted I was myself. I could do with a bit of sleep.
“Yeah, come on.” I patted her head, and we followed Margo’s path back down the stairwell. As much as I would have preferred to have caught Diamond, we had saved lives tonight, and on top of that, I got to drive the Judge-mobile back to the Academy.
By the time we pulled into the parking garage and left the car where Judgment had parked it, the sun had only just started to peek over the horizon. The halls of the Academy were still relatively quiet, save for a few early risers. Amongst them, however, I was surprised to see Matt and Kara waiting for us at the entrance to the dorms.
“Kristen!” Matt was on his feet in seconds and scooped Kristen up into his arms for a tight embrace. I half expected her to push him away, but she fell easily against him, relief and safety washing over her features. It was nice to see them caring for each other so much. After all, they were the only family they had left since Ice Bringer’s disappearance.
“I’m okay,” she mumbled against his chest. “I’m okay, Matt.”
I turned to Kara, who stood patiently while I regarded her. “Were you worried about me?”
“Only a lot,” Kara answered with a soft blush on her cheeks. Her hands slid into mine and squeezed tightly as if to make sure I was really there and not some figment of her imagination. “We heard the explosion from here.”
“It sounded worse than it was,” I admitted, “but we’re okay. Judgment might need some downtime, though.”
“What do you mean?” Matt’s head lifted quickly. “What happened?”
Kristen stepped back slightly from Matt so she could look him in the eyes. “He was inside the bank when the explosion went off. I’m not sure what went down in there since Nick and I were handling the crooks on the outside, but he came out of one of his portals clutching his stomach. I’m surprised he had enough energy to get not only to me, but to Nick and then back here.”
Matt’s eyes were as wide as saucers, and his hands fell from Kristen’s side. “Where is he?”
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “My guess would be the infirmary.”
Without a moment of hesitation, Matt scooted his sister out of his way and sped off down the hall in the direction of the medical wing. He ignored Kristen as she called after him, and her face fell when she realized that she wasn’t going to get through to him.
Carefully, Kara slipped from my hands and walked over to Kristen. She gently put her arms around her from behind and hugged her close.
“Don’t think about it,” she whispered. “He’s just scared. He’ll come back.”
Kristen’s head fell, but she allowed the hug and leaned into Kara. “I hope so.”
“I know so.” I forced a smile on my face to try to cheer her up. “Kara’s right, and it’s been a long night. Let’s get some rest before we’re inevitably beckoned to give our reports.”
It took her a moment, but Kristen did nod and agree, and I noted how she wouldn’t let go of Kara’s hand.
“You get some rest too,” Kara ordered. “And take a shower. You look like hell.”
There was a hint of laughter in her beautiful eyes, and I couldn’t help but smile and think that maybe Andie had been rubbing off on Kara. It was a good thing. I was glad to know that she was opening up to other people, so much so that she was taking on their mannerisms.
“I will,” I replied, and then watched as Kara and Kristen stuck close to one another as they made their way down the hall to the girls' dorms.
As for me, I was more than happy to head off on my own and get some proper rest. Something told me that this was only the beginning of something much larger than we thought if Diamond’s words and Margo’s supposed intel gave any inclination.
Thankfully, the rest of the night passed uneventfully, but I groaned at the thought of having to get up and go to class after the ride-along. In the end, I decided to sleep in and relish the peace and quiet of a dark, cool room. When I finally did wake, I showered and felt well-rested, more than ready to take on the rest of my day. Shortly after I’d settled back into bed and was about to call Aylin and Andie, there was a knock at my door. I assumed it was Kara since I knew her motherly instinct would eventually kick in and she’d be down to check on me. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect timing. I sprung out of bed and through the door open. To my surprise, Triton was the one that greeted me on the other side.
“Good day, Nick,” he greeted pleasantly. “Sleep well after a long night?”
I smiled sheepishly and opened the door for him to come in. “I did, sir, thanks.”
Triton held up a hand, politely refusing the offer to come inside. “I was actually wondering if I might have a bit of your time today.”
“Um, sure,” I agreed easily. “What’s up?”
Instead of answering, Triton motioned for me to follow him. I guessed a bit of my time was right now. I quickly grabbed a shirt from atop my dresser and pocketed my phone before I followed after him. For an early afternoon, the halls were surprisingly empty, and it was then that it hit me that I should have been in class. Damn it.
“Sir, is this because I slept in and didn’t attend class?” I asked immediately. “Because if it is, I’m super sorry and I’ll go get my things right now.”
“No, no.” Triton chuckled and waved off my concern. “I’ll excuse you this time, but do keep in mind that the semester with ride-alongs does require you to make appearances in class regardless of the previous day's events, assuming that you are well enough to make them. In which case, I would expect to see you in the infirmary.”
I sighed in relief. “Yes, sir.”
“Now, I’ve managed to maneuver around your father to get you out for a lesson today, so if we could make haste, that would be most wise,” Triton informed me as he suddenly picked up his pace.
I kept up easily and briskly walked beside him. “My father?”
“Yes, he’s been most persistent in wanting to be a part of your off-site training,” Triton explained. “How he even found out about it is beyond me. Likely one of his own from the Brand let it slip.”
At first, I wondered why he was hesitant to let my dad in on my one-on-one training to increase the time limit that my powers had, but within seconds, it made sense. He was afraid that Lord Inferno’s interference would lead to a lack of concentration and misguidance. All in all, it was a fair assessment, but I did make a note to talk to my dad soon. I hadn’t seen or heard from him much at all since he’d arrived to stay for the semester. Strange, since he was normally obsessed with wanting to be in my life.
When I didn’t respond to Triton, he continued. “I heard you got to drive the Judge-mobile this morning.”
I beamed with amusement and a little bit of giddiness as I confirmed Triton’s statement. “I got to drive the Judge-mobile this morning.”
The older hero laughed and clapped me on the shoulder. “Let’s take her out for another ride, shall we?”
I almost cackled my response. “Oh, hell, yes!”
I didn’t question our use of Judgment’s vehicle. After all, Triton and Judgment were old friends, so I simply enjoyed the drive. Soon enough, we arrived outside the city to a decrepit ruin of a town, not unlike the last one that Triton had brought our entire group to a few months back. This one was further north, well away from the coastline. The roads were broken, and the town looked as though it had been destroyed well before my father’s rule if the ancient-looking telephone poles and rusted beater cars were any indication.
Triton pulled off into a dirt shoulder. I followed him curiously as we hiked up a steep mound of overgrown cement chunks that I assumed used to be a building of some kind, perhaps a home or a small business. When we reached the top, my jaw dropped in awe.
On the other side of the mound was the greenest grass I’d ever seen, filled with an array of different colored wildflowers that were so vibrant that I wanted to believe that they were fake.
“What is this place?” I asked Triton, who stood proudly as he looked over the field.
“This is Teneheim,” he explained.
I’d heard of Teneheim, but I never expected it to be this close to the city, much less in ruins. There was an old wives tale about the origin of supers and how our powers were the gifts from the gods. Over time, people distorted the story or forgot about it completely, and there were very few records of Teneheim ever even existing anymore. Eric would love to see this. I’d have to be sure to tell him all about it later.
“I thought this place was a myth,” I said finally.
“It certainly feels like it is,” Triton chuckled, “yet here it stands before you, the sacred grounds upon which the first powered beings were born.”
“It’s… amazing.” I couldn’t take my eyes off of it, like if I looked away, that it would all be a lie, and I would be awake in my bed.
“Let’s sit,” Triton suggested as he was already lowering himself to do just that.
I joined him and crossed my legs as we both took a moment to stare out into the field. Cotton wisps flew by in the light breeze, and I was stunned that the field was still so colorful when everything else around it was dead, not to mention the fact that it was freezing outside.
“So, what are we doing out here?” I asked my mentor. When I looked over at him, his eyes were closed, simply breathing in slowly and seemingly absorbing the atmosphere.
“We’re meditating, Nick,” Triton informed. “The key to unlocking your fullest potential is to have the ability to clear your mind and feel the world around you.”
I cocked my brow. While I had used meditation techniques a lot when first unlocking and controlling my powers, I thought I had hit a wall in that regard. “Seriously?”
“Oh, I’m very serious,” Triton smirked, but it was one of those looks that told me he was, in fact, as serious as he could be. “Close your eyes and try to visualize what’s in front of you.”
I did as I was instructed despite my skepticism. If anyone knew what they were talking about, it was Triton. There was a reason he was the greatest hero of our time. I took a deep breath and tried to envision the field in front of me, but all I could see was black.
“I don’t think it’s working,” I told Triton.
“Don’t think,” Triton interjected. “Simply feel. You know what the field looks like. Now feel it.”
I sighed and tried again. It reminded me of when Gemma had first tried to get me to meditate, but I had been a shit of a kid then and kept falling asleep. She had said it was good that I was so relaxed, but it probably wasn’t the best solution for me when it came to optimizing my training. I had eventually seen sense in her words, but now, I felt like a little kid again, with something outside of my grasp that I couldn’t reach.
After a few more minutes, I sighed again heavily. “Sir, this really isn’t working.”
“Shhh,” Triton quieted me. I heard him stand and move behind me. He straightened my shoulders and tilted my head back just slightly, enough so that I could feel my posture expand.
“Meditation is about concentration,” Triton began. “If you find your thoughts drifting, simply begin again.”
“I understand,” I replied, “and usually I can enter a meditative state fine, but… I don’t know. I need a focus, and right now, I’m not sure what I should focus on?”
“Breathing,” he said. “Feel yourself breathe. Focus on the slow, steady rhythm of each inhale and exhale. Feel the ground beneath you lend you its oxygen.”
This felt like Meditation 101 all over again, but Triton knew something more than I did, so I obeyed. I kept my eyes closed and focused on my breathing. Inhale, exhale, repeat. If my mind wandered, I simply began again. Sure enough, after a few moments, I felt lighter. The field of wildflowers inside of my mind began to erupt with colorful auras, and the ground beneath me seemed to fall away, all while giving me the support I needed. I felt connected like I was a part of something larger. It was a small part, but it was enough.
Then something clicked like a switch was flipped in the back of my head, and I was able to see the world for the first time. I was able to see the world breathe life around me with each steady exhale. I felt like I could get lost here, in this world of synergy and light.
When I next opened my eyes, everything appeared to be just a little duller, but I was able to look at the field of wildflowers with an entirely different o
utlook. I had never felt like this after a meditation session before, and I couldn’t help but wonder if this location, this sacred place, had something to do with that.
“How do you feel?” Triton inquired after a moment. He’d sat back down with his eyes shut again.
“Lighter,” I answered honestly, “and really good.”
Triton smile. “That’s good. We’re going to keep at this for a while, and I’m going to have you implement this in your daily routine.”
I nodded silently and was eager to test out if the meditation would help with my time limit issue. It would have to wait for another time, but I felt as though this was a step in the right direction.
I was one step closer to being the best hero I could be.
10
Inferno
My time at Valcav Academy had been most unusual thus far, though that was likely because the last time I was here, I’d tried to destroy it. Oh well. Can’t win them all, right?
That’s when I figured it out. It was the halls. They were just too creepy. Where was the personality? Everything was stark white and bleh. Had it been like that when I was a student? Bah, it didn’t matter.
What did matter was that the whole ‘trying to be a supportive father while staying out of Nicky’s business’ thing was killing me. Like, I actually had a stomachache the other day when I’d found out that he’d been with Efraim when the explosion at the bank went off. That never happens. Well, it used to happen a lot more when I was a good guy. I’m still a good guy, just a different kind of good guy.
The problem is that the stomachache was lingering. I had an awful feeling deep inside my gut that told me this was the beginning of something. When Efraim debriefed us in the infirmary, he had said that the real leader of the group had gotten away with a hostage and that Nicky had gone after him. The man that Efraim was left to fight was seasoned, though he might have said that to save face.
Either way, the goon knew he wouldn’t make it out of the building with the explosives they’d planted, so he told Efraim that they were hired to take him out, but that wasn’t their original plan. They were just going to hit the bank and break with the money, but he had been approached by Diamond.