by Drew Hayes
“Timing should be clear—easy enough to slip away on a Saturday. We haven’t gotten to the real heart of the matter, however.” Tori leaned in, making no efforts to conceal the greed in her eyes. Such pretense had no place in these halls. “How much does it pay?”
“Ten thousand per person, with an expectation of roughly four hours’ work.” He’d been ready for that, and appeared to take some joy in the momentary widening of Tori’s eyes.
Sure, that was a lot less than they’d made on the museum heist, but they’d also been doing all the planning and had borne the entirety of the risk. To be paid that much for a simple lookout role... Tori felt her suspicions of the true job dial up, but ten grand was nothing to sneeze at. Especially if she could start picking up more of these gigs, the way Warren and Lance were. Beyond that, though, part of Tori simply wanted to grasp at the chance to wear her suit again. She’d put in so much work and had barely gotten to take it out from the garage. She liked being Hephaestus, and this was as fine an excuse as any.
“Count me in. Advertising revenue online isn’t what it used to be,” Beverly said.
“I’ll need to double-check my schedule, but short of a conflict, you can expect me to show up.” Even as she agreed, Tori thought about Ivan’s meeting, the one he’d been in no hurry to get to. Given the job she’d just heard pitched, part of her wondered if Ivan was getting the other half of the operation explained to him at that very moment.
In truth, Ivan had gotten the details corresponding to Tori’s task in the first five minutes of the meeting’s start. It was more a footnote to him than a matter of primary concern. That might have changed, had he known his former apprentice intended to be part of the lookout team; however, the councilors had more vital matters to deal with.
All seven were gathered, staring at a hologram in the center of the table. The details were grainy, but one thing was clear. The objects depicted were vast, and numerous.
“I’ll be the asshole,” Morgana announced, seemingly apropos of nothing. “Wade, are you completely sure about this? It’s hard to believe something so huge could be coming and we’ve yet to hear a blip from the AHC.”
“A reasonable, if slightly wounding, concern.” Wade was unbothered by the doubt. It was almost tradition for someone to ask such a question at this point in the situational breakdown, hence Morgana’s vulgar declaration. “But yes, I am extremely certain. Many years back, after someone had an extraterrestrial encounter—” Wade paused to fire a pointed look in Ivan’s direction “—I took the time to place surveillance stations and satellites in deep space. Professor Quantum never saw the same need that I did for such expansive early warning systems. That’s also why the image is so bad; the tech is decades out of date. Regardless, yes, I am confident in this. My best guess is that, within a week, the AHC will know as well.”
“That doesn’t leave very long for the capes to prepare before they arrive.” Stasis, for a change, was engaged in the discussion. Even to her, potential alien invaders held the spark of novelty. “Sneak attack?”
A loud clang echoed as Xelas dropped her arm to the table, looking up to the ceiling; perhaps lost in thought, perhaps scanning the skies. “It would have to be, after what the Grzzniltan ship saw. Except, that’s what’s bugging me. They got a good look at the AHC on full display. Outside of us, what whacko sees power like that and starts spoiling for a fight? Is it possible these beings are stronger?”
The universe was a vast place, and theirs was only a single planet among countless. It would be ridiculous to assume that the strongest of Earth was also the strongest across the entire galaxy.
Fortunately, they didn’t have to rely on assumptions. With a neutral tone, Ivan rattled off the information. “To the best we’ve discerned, Earth is one of the more powerful planets among those with spacefaring intelligent life. Likely due to our tremendous concentration of meta-humans, as well as our own fundamental instincts toward combat. I once had occasion to compete in something of a gladiatorial event on an alien spacecraft, and they were not prepared to face Fornax’s might.”
“Space tournament? That sounds fun!” Xelas cried. “I can’t believe you didn’t invite us. So greedy. You’d probably still have won.”
Ivan shook his head. “It was well before the guild, and I didn’t win. Nobody did, technically. Things got... complicated.”
Before they got too far down that tangent, Wade brought everyone’s attention back to the front. “Our larger concern is the planet’s future, not Ivan’s past. As this is a threat that represents the potential to impact the guild, as well as our individual holdings and families, a response is necessary. We could theoretically kick this information over to the AHC, giving them extra time to prepare and buying some goodwill in the process.”
It was Gork, who rarely spoke, who cut the idea off at the knees. “No. They came for us in our home. They dragged us into the streets. They wanted to do it alone. Let them.”
There came a murmur of agreement from nearly every mouth, with two notable exceptions. Still, the consensus was clear, so Wade didn’t waste the time calling for a vote. Better to keep the momentum going while they had it.
“Very well. That means we’ll need to set to work on the other options: how are we going to protect what’s ours? Because whoever sent an alien armada our way is playing a complicated game, and I’m certain we’ve yet to see all the pieces.”
“I hate these sorts of overly complicated schemes. If that’s how they want to do it, then let’s go with my favorite counter.” There was an unexpected darkness to Arcanicus as he rose from his chair. Time had stolen much of his aggression, yet under the surface, there still simmered enough rage to remind those watching of how he’d come to join the guild in the first place. An invasion of the planet was an invasion of the guild’s territory, and that had managed to stir a touch of the older man’s wrath.
“Let’s incinerate the entire game board.”
Chapter 55
If there was one upside to confronting his father—and at this point, even that seemed like a stretch—it was that looking at pictures of the beach had stopped causing such pronounced reactions in Rick. He was no longer at odds with his own mind, groping for memories that weren’t where they were supposed to be. Now that he understood, the fits of panic had faded. Unfortunately, what they’d left in their place was a constant boulder of dread in his stomach.
Clicking about, he opened yet another tab, evaluating a potential meta-human from history to see if his dad fit the bill. There was no reason for this. Ivan had been clear that when Rick was ready to ask, he would answer. But it was still insane to picture, his father butchering people. An army, at that. They must have been fairly weak for him to take out that many. If Ivan had ever been a major bad guy, then the AHC would have locked him up. Wouldn’t they?
Fleetingly, Rick’s mind flashed to the guild of villains that had been revealed last year. He nearly skimmed right past the notion, as he had several times already. It was just a step too far. His dad hiding his past was one thing; an entire secret life felt like a flight of fancy.
Except... now that Rick was in the right headspace, he thought back to the metal-armored person who saved him and Beth when their school was attacked. That suit sure hadn’t looked like it was designed by a cape, and Rick had yet to catch sight of it anywhere since, even online.
Was it possible their dad had sent a fellow villain out to protect his kids? That begged the question, though, why not come himself if he knew there was danger? Distance, most likely, although something about that still felt off. The kind of man who kills an army for threatening his family didn’t mesh with someone who’d trust someone else to protect his kids during a riot. Rick was sure there was a reason, if his hunch was right, he just wasn’t certain he’d want to know what it was.
That was the dilemma set before him. Learning that one little bit about Ivan had rocked Rick to his foundation, and all signs indicated there was a lot more to hear. His cur
iosity had been sated: he knew he wasn’t crazy. If there was a point to walk away, this was it. This was the best opportunity he had to preserve his relationship with his father as it stood. One story had changed everything; there was truly no guessing how Rick would feel once he knew it all.
A knock on his door was followed by five seconds of courtesy waiting—he was a teenage boy with a computer—followed by Janet slowly easing the door open. “Came to see if you needed anything. You’ve been locked up for a while.”
Things had been strained since the revelation. Knowing what Ivan had done also entailed learning about his mother’s complicity. Rick’s initial impulse was to send her away, just like he’d been doing so far. Only this time, her timing was better. She’d caught him in a state of uncertainty, where getting guidance mattered more than holding his grudge.
“Are you a meta-human, too?” Rick looked to her, away from the screen—the first time he’d made such a concession in several days.
Quietly, Janet shut the door behind her, even though Juan was getting dinner and Beth was still on her field trip. “No. Never have been, and never especially felt the urge to change that. Powers make things more complicated.”
“So, our family smarts...”
“Just a lot of academics falling in love, along with growing up in an environment that emphasized learning,” Janet assured him.
Rick snorted at that, then looked embarrassed, before remembering he was supposed to be stern. “You sure broke that cycle with Dad.” Ivan was not an especially dumb man, but he’d never held the same passion for sciences and learning that captivated most of the family.
For a moment, Janet almost tried to deny the assessment, before merely sighing with a shake of her head. “I was at a rebellious point in my life, and I wanted to meet people other than lifelong devotees of education. Your father... well, he was unlike anyone I’d ever met before. Willful, unyielding, full of pride that had been hard earned.”
“Not to mention, a killer.”
The past faded from Janet’s eyes as she snapped her head up. “A protector.”
“He told me he slaughtered an army.”
“Ivan would butcher an entire planet if they collectively threatened you or Beth. It’s one of the traits I most respect in him.” There was a hardness in his mother’s face that Rick hadn’t been prepared for. Deep down, he’d wondered how she could have gone along with this, speculating that perhaps she’d been kept partially in the dark. With that expression, all deniability was gone. She’d known exactly who he was.
“You don’t... that’s a bad thing, Mom. He shouldn’t be that eager to kill.”
This time, her face softened slightly. Her hand twitched, like she was tempted to reach out and offer comfort but feared it would be refused. “Rick, your father took no joy in that day. Given the chance, I sincerely think he would live the rest of his life in peace. But when someone comes to do harm to your children, as a parent, you fight them with every ounce of strength in your body. Ivan’s strength just happens to be higher than most fathers’.”
That was a hard one to debate, and a point Rick’s own mind had been raising. Awful as the image of his dad killing an army was, what was the better option? Letting them storm the shores, hurting innocent people in the process, permitting harm to come to his own family? Would Rick have respected those choices more? Even capes occasionally took lives in battle, albeit as a last resort.
Instead, Rick turned his attention to another matter. One that had haunted him in various forms for years now and had rediscovered a new form to take with Ivan’s revelation. “Is this the reason you got divorced? I did the math. Less than a year after the incident happened, you filed for separation.”
For the first time, Janet looked away. It took her a moment to compose herself, but when she turned back to Rick, she looked the same as ever—which might actually be more worrying in a way, had Rick been given time to properly consider it.
“No, seeing Ivan kill that army wasn’t what drove us apart. Your father didn’t lie to me. I knew who he was when we said our vows. He’s the same man, the same dad, he’s been all your life. Only now, you’re learning he’s also more.” Janet paused, deciding that this was as opportune a moment as she’d get. “Have you given any more thought to this weekend?”
“Still... deciding,” Rick admitted, not quite meeting her eye. This weekend was supposed to be spent at his dad’s house. The question was whether or not Rick actually wanted to go. Skips and trades happened; there were plenty of excuses he could use that Beth would buy. Ivan, on the other hand, would know.
Janet got up, smoothing over the section of bed where she’d perched. “Take your time. You know your room there is always open when you’re ready.” She retreated to the hallway quickly, content to take her victory of a short conversation before things turned south.
Because, while Rick didn’t know it, he’d been sniffing around a major sore spot, one that Janet wasn’t sure she could hold her composure through. Ivan killing the army hadn’t changed things between them; that much was true. She’d known her husband’s true power and identity, and certainly didn’t disagree with him killing to protect their family.
It was what had come next that had caused the problem. With an invading army reported and Fornax in combat, there was no surprise that she’d been called. In less than five minutes after the army was gone, Lodestar arrived, bursting onto the scene in a shower of sand and golden light. Such a simple moment, and yet, it had been the beginning of the end for their marriage.
That was the day Janet realized that no matter how devoted a husband he might be, Ivan would never truly love her. Not when his heart so clearly belonged to someone else.
“For the record, this is bullshit.”
“No, Presto. This is a favor that is being done for us, and if you can’t keep a civil tongue through it, then you can go back to the AHC for training.” Agent Quantum was sterner that usual. Generally, he tended to ignore Presto’s running chatter on the channels. Everyone was a little tense tonight, given the situation.
Perched up on a rooftop, the New Science Sentries watched as Hat Trick threw a multicolored scarf from her sleeve onto a mugger’s gun, wrapping up the entire thing. He fired, producing a muffled gunshot from within the cloth, followed by a brief yelp of pain. In the time he’d been distracted, Cyber Geek had dashed over, hitting him with a giant blue mallet that caused cartoon sound effects while also knocking the target unconscious.
“Handy trick. Not so easy to do when you’re using real punches,” Tachyonic muttered. He shut himself up after a quick nudge from Agent Quantum. This was a hard enough sell for the team; having the second-in-command question the move would only make things worse. “At least Medley is handling it our way.”
That was true, in the sense that Medley was engaged in melee combat with two more muggers—one human, and one with long, whip-like appendages growing from his arms. Every time the whips landed, they eroded whatever they touched, from concrete to Medley’s scales. He’d been dipping in and out of battle, holding both of his antagonists’ attention. Just as the whip-man came in for an attack, Medley jumped to the side, revealing Cold Shoulder with a hefty blast of chill. The whips and the man wielding them were encased in instant ice, though the sections around the whip-appendages immediately started to liquefy.
The mugger made a dash, but Medley was already on him, and this time he wasn’t playing the distraction. A quick blow to the leg took the man out, after which Medley patted him down for weapons, producing a well-used knife and a gun that appeared to have never been fired.
“I don’t get it. They beat up a bunch of muggers. We’ve done that.” Unlike the other two, Plasmodia sounded more confused than bothered by the scenario, though she’d slipped plenty of the latter feeling in there, too. “What are we supposed to be taking from this?”
“It’s the first job, of the first night,” Agent Quantum reminded her. “We’re going to shadow them for a full w
eek. Keep an open mind.”
“Since our fearless leader says to be on board, I guess I’ll point out one difference in their approach. Have you all noticed the injury count?” Presto pointed to the criminals who were being tied up. Cyber Geek had pulled out a gun that shot freezing energy and was keeping the whip-man iced until transportation could arrive. “The worst one of the lot is that guy who fired the gun, which was his own fault for shooting in that situation. Based on our stats, we’d have broken around three bones, and needed medical attention for at least one.”
Sometimes, it was dangerously easy to forget that, under all the bullshit, Ike had an incredibly capable mind. Plasmodia pivoted her head, eyes half-crossed as she did her own mental math. “Are you sure about that?”
“Absolutely. It’s in the nature of our tactics. Professor Quantum taught us to go for the takedown if the threat is real; the less the enemy rampages, the fewer civilians can be caught in the crossfire.”
That did make sense, from Agent Quantum’s point of view. Trouble was, the more they stuck to those methods, the more things went awry. If hitting softer was one of the differences between Cyber Geek’s team and the New Science Sentries, then Agent Quantum needed to understand how that factored in. That might not be the right tactic for his people, but he couldn’t make the call appropriately until he understood why it mattered.
Agent Quantum just hoped he could convince the team to keep going along with it. They still had quite a lot of week left to get through.
On another building, a different shape watched the same show. This was no great, major event, but every now and then, things took a wild turn. Nexus wasn’t expecting much. This was more him monitoring to track how things were shaping up. Seeing Cyber Geek helping the New Science Sentries filled him with great joy, simple a moment as it appeared. That didn’t always happen; in plenty of versions, pride proved too great a hurdle.