by Drew Hayes
Another handhold as the climb began in earnest. The weights clanked as Medley rose, his friends watching carefully from the ground below. So far to go, and he’d only just begun.
The relay race was, in theory, a simple event. Each scout would run their section of the track to a station, where a Starscout leader would be waiting to ask them a question pertaining to the history or systems of the organization as a whole. If they missed it, they’d be asked another, and so on until they got one right. After that, the baton changed hands and the race continued; a mix of mental and physical challenges rolled into one. What caused them a momentary delay was the fact that one of the cluster’s leaders was also expected to participate, starting off for their teams to show the kids how it was done.
On the outside, it was a simple matter of determining who should take the role between Ivan and Helen. Spry as she was, there was no way Helen could hope to compete with Ivan’s speed... if Ivan had been willing to show it off. Tori quickly realized the complication: Ivan couldn’t tell them that he was stronger and faster than any human here could ever hope to match. Even without actively using his abilities, there was no getting around Ivan’s overall power.
Helen, however, had thoughts of her own. “Come on. You’re a quick study, but we both know I’ve got the better knowledge base here. Plus, I mean, you do work a desk job. Can’t imagine there’s that much opportunity for exercise.”
“You’d be surprised by how fast I can learn when motivated, and it’s not like this is my first year with the Starscouts. Beth has been a member for much of her life. I’ve paid attention to the various cardboard presentations throughout the years.”
Tori trailed behind them as they led the cluster across the camp to the relay race site. None of the children were paying the adults much attention, far too enthralled in the joys of the day. Loyce had acquired a large bag of trail mix at some point; she and Caden seemed intent on polishing it off before the next event started. Newton was doing stretches while walking, visibly excited to put his athletic talents on display. Beth, Mallory, and Armand were deep in discussion about what the best order would be, going back and forth even as the final moments drew near.
As for Tori, she found the disagreement between cluster leaders interesting enough on its own, though the others couldn’t appreciate the strangeness of what they were beholding. It wasn’t seeing people playfully bicker that struck her as odd, it was the fact that Ivan was engaging in such a practice at all. Had she ever seen him argue in jest? Generally, Ivan was either giving or taking orders. There was nothing wrong with it, no reason why he couldn’t, it’s just that... something about this was odd. A curious itch in her brain she couldn’t quite manage to scratch.
“Fine. We’ll flip for it.” Helen jammed a hand into her right front pocket, drawing the distinct jingle of change until she produced a shiny quarter. “Lucky for you, I’ve got a soft spot for vending machine snacks.”
“Why don’t we have Tori flip it, seeing as she’s impartial?” Ivan suggested.
That earned them both a scrutinizing glance from Helen. “I’m not so sure about that.”
“I am.” Tori reached out and grabbed the coin. “I can say with absolute honesty that I don’t care which of you does this part, so long as it’s not me. Call it in air?”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll even play fair.” Helen put a hand over her glasses and eyes, covering her face. “Go ahead.”
One more eccentricity from a woman rapidly piling them up. Tori ignored it for now, losing any curiosity to that damned mental itch. She flipped the coin into the air, and at its zenith, Helen called out, eyes still covered. “Heads.”
Tori snagged the coin, slapping it down onto the back of her left hand and covering it with her right. Despite the initial apathy, the kids had drawn closer, as well. With the entire cluster looking on, Tori moved her hand, revealing the shiny surface that lay beneath.
Chapter 75
Deep down, Ivan knew he should have let Helen make the run. She knew the organization’s history better, and had more protection than he did in case of accidental power displays. That was without even factoring in the mockery that would come if words or photos of this incident ever got out. Had this event come some weeks prior, he’d never have even floated the possibility of being in the relay.
That was before things changed with Rick. Before Ivan had had to start asking himself how long he had with his children still seeing him as their father, instead of as a killer. Rick was already heading down that path; Ivan could only guess the number of years before Beth caught on as well. He wanted to build new memories while it was still an option, some pleasant recollections for them to hang on to once the hideous truth finally came to light. And, perhaps, these memories were for him, as well. Pieces of the life he knew could fall out from under his feet on any given step.
A sparse woods dotted the nearby landscape, leading to a sharp, rocky incline that turned into a lumpy hill. The stretch of track ran in a loop measuring roughly a mile, bordering up to the edge of the incline before circling back to the starting point where Ivan currently waited. With him were most of the cluster, along with Trey and Yuri, the leaders of the cluster they’d be racing against. Yuri would be his competition. While Trey looked like he could handle hauling firewood, she unquestionably was the faster mover. Her partner hung back with the scouts who wouldn’t be participating.
At the other end of the track, Tori and Helen were positioned. Since the kids were spaced out along the route, they’d done the same with the adults, ensuring that if anything went wrong, the kids could be reached quickly. Five stations lined the equidistant points, all with a radio and a scout from each cluster waiting. That was where they’d be given their questions, though rather than have five staff members standing around, one referee could deliver all queries from a single device. That was also why a cluster leader was posted on the opposite side of the track—a little observation helped ensure that everyone played fair.
“Good luck!” Yuri called to Ivan from her starting position a few feet over, seemingly with genuine sincerity.
He put on his most pleasant face and waved. “To you, as well!” It didn’t hurt to set good sportsmanship examples with the kids watching.
For the barest of moments, Ivan’s past tried to break through, reminding him of the sorts of tasks he’d endured at that age. With absolute will, he denied it, sending the memory back into the pits from which it came. As Ivan, that part of him had to be sealed away, locked completely down. Those sorts of recollections served Fornax when the need arose; Ivan had no purpose for them. At most, they were reminders of what he was working so hard to ensure: that no child, especially not his, ever suffered through that again.
A crackle of static came over the walkie-talkie on Trey’s belt. “We’re ready to go with the questions when you are.”
“Okay, folks, that means we’re about ready to race.” Trey’s husky voice went well with his dense body, easily commanding the attention of the kids milling about. “Leaders, are you both ready?”
Ivan threw a thumbs-up, which Yuri mimicked moments later. Trey evidently caught the gestures, taking one last look over the track before he gave the order. “Perfect. Then take your positions, because the relay race begins in three... two... one... go!”
Obviously, Ivan wasn’t running at full speed. Even without actively using the tremendous amount of power that coursed through him, or a hint of magic, at his baseline he was still well past human limitations. Unless Yuri was hiding super-speed, he’d win, and even that trick would only work until he equalized the temporal distortion. Fornax couldn’t reach the tiers of true speed on his own, but he did have the ability to match an opponent, not that it was a skill he needed while plodding along a fifth of a mile. In the end, he more or less matched Yuri’s pace. Sometimes he got a little ahead, sometimes a bit behind, until the last stretch, where he surged slightly ahead and stayed there. Fair play was all well and good, but he did like to win.
“Ivan Gerhardt of cluster number two-three-seven, checking in.” Although he tried to put a weary gasp in there midway through, it was clear to any observer that the effort hadn’t significantly winded him.
The radio crackled as Caden and the other cluster’s kids looked on, waiting for their moment to shine. After a half-second of static, the question arrived.
“What year was the first End of Summer Shindig held?”
In his mind, he could hear Helen’s voice, rattling off Starscout history during their meetings. That one, he didn’t need her help with, however. Despite the last memory’s failure, a new one bubbled up. Lodestar’s face, on the boxy old televisions inside the store display. Her smiling, cheery expression as she flew past a sun rising over an idyllic lake. Ivan could still picture it perfectly, still remember his absolute confoundment at the image. By then, she and Fornax had briefly traded blows, though he didn’t yet have any idea what he was truly up against. At the time, he’d only been perplexed at the idea that someone strong enough to stand up to him would use their time on such stupid, pointless projects.
Funny, the way life loved to wrap around and remind Ivan of his own past idiocy. At least this time, it was useful for something. “The year was nineteen-ninety-three. Three years after the Starscouts were officially founded.” One year after a young man dripping in blood crawled his way out of a hidden hellhole, blinded and terrified by his first time seeing the sun.
“Correct. You may hand off!”
Just as Caden had a firm grip on the baton, Yuri caught up. She wasn’t far behind at all; Ivan had given his cluster a small advantage, not a guaranteed victory. Across the track, near Helen and Tori, he could see Beth waiting. She was the mid-runner, taking the third leg of the race. She put up a double thumbs-up, clearly celebrating their early success, before turning her eyes toward the approaching form of Caden.
By the time Ivan’s attention was back around him once more, Yuri’s question was done and her kid was off, slowly gaining on Caden’s narrow lead. He was far from the most athletic member of the cluster, but they had some strong runners still left, with Newton acting as their anchor. Ivan moved back toward the other kids, cheering loudly as he did. It didn’t really matter who won or lost; the experience was the important thing. But he could still root for victory, especially with his daughter among the competitors.
He was so lost in the moment, Ivan didn’t even catch the minor spike of magical energy that came from the other side of the hill.
At the prick of her finger, the orb came alive. One drop of blood, not even human blood at that, was all it took to start the various mechanisms running. Initially, Lozora had considered waiting until the group was entirely on their own, hitting them on the nature hike. After a night hunkering low, Lozora had decided that expediency took priority. She rationalized it by thinking that the longer she stayed, the greater her chances of discovery. Besides, this would catch Fornax even more off guard. As for the extra civilians, they shouldn’t impact the data. Ten kids or twenty, dead weight was dead weight. Fornax would have to deal with that either way.
Based on reputation, Lozora might have expected Fornax to simply wipe everyone else out on the off chance it would make escape easier on himself, but after seeing him run a fifth of a mile in a Starscout leader uniform, she was having her doubts. While Fornax might be physically down there, it appeared as if the legendary villain might well have already been dealt with. This hardly seemed like the kind of man who could disrupt her employer’s plans. But that was why they tested: to be sure, rather than work off supposition alone.
Several clicks came from within the orb, and Lozora counted them. The timing was key. If she got it wrong, Lozora herself would wind up in the trap. It was a situation she’d eventually be able to escape from, but not without losing a significant amount of time. Anything strong enough to hold Fornax would be a murderous gauntlet for most meta-humans—even Lozora would have to work carefully to escape.
With a kerchunk, the first panel of the orb slid away, revealing a stretch of bright green beneath. It rattled, expanding in size, and Lozora reared back. Almost time now. She waited, tense, until a sharp hiss rose from the device. That was her final cue, and with precise aim, Lozora chunked the orb through the air, over the hill she was hiding behind, toward Fornax’s position. The moment it left her hand, Lozora began to race in the opposite direction, all concern for stealth temporarily cast aside.
In order to make sure Fornax was caught, Cobblord had built a big range onto this trap. Brave as Lozora was in the face of danger, not even she wanted to be stuck inside the same cage where she’d just thrown Fornax. By the time she made it to a crop of trees to hang on to, the smaller rocks from the hill were already rising into the air.
For a moment, it was perfect. Beth won her part of the relay; Loyce lost them a few steps, but made up for it in trivia, getting Newton a clean handoff. He was trucking down the track, closing the small gap his opponent had built up. The others were nearly back—even Helen and Tori had started trekking over. It was a nice, normal, happy moment. Then Ivan felt the surge of energy. He might have stood out, craning his neck skyward, except that was about the time things started to fly.
Well, rise, really. Water bottles, kicked-off shoes, even hats clean off of scouts’ heads. It all started to lift up, rising toward the rapidly expanding sphere overhead. The bigger it grew, the more details Ivan could make out. It was grassy inside, with long streaks of gray, like stone, and he was almost certain he caught movement in a few areas. Instantly, Ivan recognized the quality of the work. It was too specialized; only Cobblord could craft a custom portable world. Unfortunately, that also meant it wouldn’t be easy to avoid without overtly using his powers. Cobblord’s traps always sprang well.
A moment later, Ivan realized escape was never an option. The kids were rising too, a few fully leaving the ground. His eyes locked on Beth, who had been slowly jogging back to the group, and now upgraded to a full-on sprint. It probably would have been more effective had she not just been forced to race; Ivan could see her steps landing lighter as she drew steadily higher.
“What the hell is that thing?” Behind Ivan, Trey was panicking—a very reasonable reaction to the sight he was beholding. Any answer that could be offered would only raise more questions, so Ivan ignored it, focusing on controlling the situation while they still had a chance. With one look, it was clear he wouldn’t be able to save all of the kids from going in—there just too many, and some of them were already halfway into the air. If keeping them out of it wasn’t an option, then Ivan’s only choice was to protect them on the inside.
“Keep the kids together,” Ivan ordered, more force in his voice than he’d have used with the children. “Seems like we’re going in no matter what. We can’t risk them ending up alone.”
The draw was starting to effect Ivan, as well. He weighed considerably more than the scouts yet could still feel the pull. Trey was already getting light on his feet, so Ivan made use of the movement he still had. Racing ahead with more speed than he’d been willing to show on the track, Ivan barreled across the field, to where the kids who’d been running were making their way back. He grabbed the ones he could reach, hurling them back in Trey’s direction. They were still floating, but at least now, they’d hopefully come down with the others.
Beth didn’t get tossed, however. By the time Ivan got there, she was too high, out of reach. With a single jump, he left the ground, sailing up through the air until he nearly collided into her. She grabbed on as soon as he came near, visibly scared, but still holding her composure.
“What is this thing?”
“A momentary obstacle,” Ivan assured her. Looking up, he could see the structure in more detail now. There were stretches of forest, stone ruins, even cliffs and hillsides. Too big; this orb would be easy to lose people in. From his belt, Ivan grabbed a walkie-talkie, hoping that Trey still had his turned on.
“Listen to me, anyone being pull
ed in. We’re going to rendezvous at the huge stone tower near the edge of that forest. Stay low, be quiet, and get there no matter what.” From where the bulk of the kids appeared to be heading, that should be a straight shot for them to reach. He, Beth, and anyone else who’d been too far back would have a tougher trip, but they had the benefit of Ivan’s willingness to crush any threat that might appear.
Having Beth secured, Ivan looked over to the section of the field he’d worried about the least, the area with Helen. She and Tori were both airborne, neither looking especially thrilled about it, though Helen’s face spoke more to confliction than fear. If she transformed, it would be nothing to snatch the kids up out of the air. But in doing so, she’d also give away that Lodestar had been here, which meant the Starscouts would be potential targets anytime someone wanted to lure her out. Not to mention, if this was only the first step of some unknown plan, revealing their ace in the hole too early might leave them vulnerable down the line. Ivan did the only thing he could think of in the moment to help.
“I’ve got them!” Ivan yelled, hoping his words would reach across the long stretch of open air. “Just worry about keeping her safe.”
Both Tori and Helen nodded at that—a confusing reaction that Ivan didn’t have time to consider, because he was no longer floating. They had officially crossed the halfway point to the massive orb. Ivan could feel space rippling around them, packing the expanse of this microcosm into an sphere much too small to contain it. Passing that point meant they were now falling toward a new surface, rather than rising from the old one. As the ground drew near, Ivan pulled Beth in close, encasing her as best he could from all potential harm.
In the moment, Ivan’s entire focus was on getting her and the rest of the kids out of this safely. When that was done, when his anger could be allowed to stretch, Fornax would have a great deal to say to Cobblord and whoever hired him. That came later, though. For the moment, he had a portable labyrinth to deal with.