Rise

by Sarah Bale

  Holy fucking shit.

  “What should we do?”

  He gives me a lopsided smile. “I was hoping you had an idea.”

  “The Villain said things were going to happen fast now. What if this is what he meant?”

  Trace frowns at the mention of the Villain, but says, “Maybe.”

  “We need a plan. And we need to figure out what that crater in Silver City has to do with this.”

  “You think they’re connected?”

  “Yes.”

  I’m about to suggest we take another trip to Silver City when the TV in my room turns on.

  “Did you-”

  His eyes are wide. “No, I didn’t turn it on.”

  There’s static and then a room appears on screen. It’s pitch black.

  A distorted voice says, “Greetings citizen of the United States of America. I hoped my business would be handled in a timely manner by the government, but they wish to play games. So now we’re going to play.”

  A spotlight turns on revealing Congressman Wrenly tied to a chair. He struggles, trying to speak through the gag taped to his mouth, but it’s pointless. Another light comes on above Senator Haas. His face is bruised, as if he put up a fight. Two more lights come on over two more men’s heads. They’re all bound and one of them cries.

  A figure steps from the shadows. They’re dressed in all black, including a black plague doctor’s mask and a top hat. Just like Congressman Wrenly’s housekeeper said.

  “Oh fuck. I think that’s Doc,” I breathe out.

  The person onscreen speaks again. “I’m sure there are many theories floating around about who we are and why we’re doing this. Just know one thing – this is because of the failings of your government. This is their fault.”

  Trace turns up the volume on the TV. “Do you hear that?”

  There’s a whooshing sound in the background.

  “Are they in a warehouse?”

  “That’s what it sounds like to me.”

  The person says, “Give in to the demands stated and this can all go away. These horrible men can return to their families and we will leave you alone.” They move closer to the camera. “If we have not received our demands in twenty-four hours, there will be two more abductions. And then the real games will begin.”

  The screen goes black at the same time our watches buzz.

  All Heroes report to headquarters NOW.

  Trace and I jump from the bed, reaching for our clothes. I wish there was time to shower, but I know better than to piss off Marble and the Uppers. Outside, I grab Trace’s hand and we fly toward DC. When we land, there’s a crowd in front of the building. And they aren’t happy to see us.

  “Go back to your planet!”

  “Freaks!”

  Someone throws a can at me and I step aside, dodging it.

  “Their kind is out to get us. We have to fight back.”

  Violence and rage are thick in the air.

  I say in a low tone, “We need to get inside. Now.”

  “You open the door and I’ll watch your back.”

  Nodding, I turn to the retina scanner, unlocking the door. It opens and Trace and I rush inside. Tick and Tock wait in the entryway, frowns on their faces.

  “There’s more of them out there,” Tick says to Tock.

  “I told you. It’s only going to get worse.”

  I ask, “Does Marble know?”

  They shake their heads. “We didn’t want to worry him.

  I say, “I’ll tell him. We might need to put up some barriers out there.”

  Traces says, “I’ll go find some Heroes to help while you tell Marble.”

  We go off in different directions. When I get to Marble’s office, it’s a madhouse. People rush in and out, almost knocking into me. He’s sitting at his desk talking to someone on the phone while he scrolls on his computer.

  I tap on the door. “I know this is bad timing, but there’s a mob of Basics forming out there. Should we put up a barricade?”

  He glances up. “Yeah. That’s a good idea. I’ll tell the rest of the Heroes to come in through the tunnels.”

  It’s crazy that there are tunnels for us to use, which shows, again, how they view us. Or, maybe it was smart planning. Who knows.

  As I leave, I pass six Uppers, who watch me silently. The one from the other day smiles at me, so I smile back.

  “Greetings Hero Alpha. Are you feeling rested?”

  I feel him touching my mind, so I let him in. He looks around and doesn’t see anything that I don’t want him to see. When he’s satisfied, he pulls out, smiling.

  I reply, “I’m feeling much better. Thank you for asking… I’m sorry… I didn’t catch your name.”

  In all my years an Upper has never told me their name.

  He smiles. “I am known as Upper Seven.”

  Wow. They don’t even get to keep their Hero names.

  “Upper Seven, I think we were in the same treatment facility together in the beginning.”

  He nods. “We were. I do believe you were there several months before I, though.”

  He’s not wrong.

  One of the other Uppers says, “Come, brother. There are more important things for us to concern ourselves.”

  The look the fucker gives me makes me want to laugh.

  Biting back a smile, I say, “I hope to see you soon, Upper Seven.”

  His pale cheeks turn bright red as he walks away. Interesting. The other Uppers lean in, whispering to each other, but he gives me another look over his shoulder before they go into Marble’s office. Almost as if he can’t help himself.

  I wonder if that’s something I might be able to use to help me. Because I have a strong feeling that I’m going to need ever ally that I can find before this is over with.

  Fifteen

  Turning from the Uppers, I come face to face with Trace.

  “Jesus! You scared me.”

  He smirks. “Maybe if you weren’t so busy flirting with vampire boy you would’ve seen me.”

  “Are you jealous?”

  “Of a blood sucker? No way.”

  I glance over my shoulder. “Do you really think they’re vampires?”

  “It would explain the fangs.” He glances around. “And FYI -you aren’t supposed to be able to see me. Keep that in mind.”

  “Shit.” I turn purposely to the left a little, so I’m not facing him directly and say, “Marble said we can put up the barricades. He’s also telling the other Heroes to use the tunnels.”

  Trace rolls his eyes, but he’s grinning. “I’ll let Tick and Tock know.”

  He bumps into me as he passes. I head toward the meeting room. There are already several Heroes walking around. Birdy and Knuckles stand to the side talking to each other, so I join them.

  “Did you have a hard time getting in?”

  Birdy brushes tears from her cheeks. “Someone threw an egg at me. An actual egg. How can they be so cruel?”

  Knuckles meets my gaze and frowns. “It’s not right that they can treat us like that. If it were reversed, we’d be killed. Or worse.”

  I ask Birdy, “Are the chicks doing okay?”

  This time she lets out a sob and runs away from us.

  “Did I say something wrong?”

  Knuckles says in a low tone, “One of them died this morning after a test.”

  “Shit.”

  “She’s worried that the others won’t make it. One of them is refusing to eat.”

  “God damn,” I mutter. “And no one sees anything wrong with what’s happening there?”

  Knuckles glances around. “It’s worse. She doesn’t know where Blake is. He’s not at the facility, as far as she knows, but he’s not as his home, either.”

  “No! Where is he?”

  “I personally think he’s dead. His body will turn up in a few days and it will look like an accident.”

  The way she says this makes me look up. She’s looking off into the distance, a frown on h
er face.

  “Knuckles?”

  When she meets my gaze, I’m surprised to see tears in her eyes.

  “We’re all human, even if our DNA is different than Basics. But I still should have known better.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  She shakes her head. “It was a long time ago. I barely even think about him anymore.”

  She’s lying through her teeth. Her thoughts go to him even now. He was an officer in the Army and they were so in love. I reach out, touching her arm. There’s nothing I can say to make this better for her.

  After a few minutes, she plasters a fake smile on her face. “Let’s go see how we can save the world this time.”

  We take our seats. The room is full, but there are two empty chairs. Ink’s and Doc’s.

  Marble comes out, going to the podium. “We’re going to jump right into this.

  Several screens behind him turn on.

  “Holy crap,” I mutter. “They’ve called in all the Heroes.”

  As in, around the world.

  Knuckles looks at me, her mouth slightly agape. “Damn.”

  This has never happened. Ever.

  Marble says, “Thank you all for joining us. I’m going to jump right in. As you know from the briefings, we have two Rogue Heroes and four missing politicians.”

  A Hero with an Arabic accents asks, “And this affects us… how?”

  A Hero sitting in front of a flag of France replies, “We are worried others will see this as a revolution. That they will follow the same path as the Rogue American Heroes.”

  Marble nods. “That’s right. Our plan is simple. Find the politicians. They might not even be in America, so we need everyone to put their ears to the ground. If you hear anything odd, let us know.”

  Someone on screen asks, “What of the missing Heroes?”

  Marble’s jaw clenches. “We’ll find them. And when we do, they’re dead.”

  Air whooshes from my lungs. I shouldn’t be surprised that this will be the outcome for Doc and Ink, but hearing it aloud just makes it more real.

  One of the Uppers standing behind Marble moves to the podium. “That goes for any Hero going against the rules. We are initiating a no tolerance policy, effective immediately.”

  I swear to god he looks right at me. I stare back, not blinking.

  Marble goes on, “This affects us all. We need to show that we are a united front.”

  A Hero from England snorts. “United, my ass. You may feed the Basics that bull, but there’s no need to make us drink the Jesus-juice.”

  The Upper at the podium waves his hand and the Hero is grabbed by two other Heroes. There’s a commotion as he’d hauled from the room.

  When he’s gone, Marble says, “This is a serious matter and I hope you all treat it as such.”

  The room is so silent that you could hear a pin drop. Marble and the other leaders go on, stating facts, which I’ve already heard. I try to pay attention, but my mind wanders. Doc and Ink can’t be behind this. They don’t have a mean bone in their bodies. But, it’s not looking very good for them. I try to think if they’ve ever mentioned a place they like to visit. Somewhere they might be holed up at.

  Upper Seven reaches out, touching my mind. I remain calm as he slides in. Is this what theses fuckers do to everyone? Look into their thoughts unprovoked as they please? I push into his mind and he lets me right in.

  What are you looking for now?

  My brothers suspect that you may share a link with the Rogue Heroes.

  What kind of link?

  That’s what I’m looking for.

  Tell me, do you like working with them?

  Yes.

  But he totally hesitates.

  Liar.

  It was better than being left on my own, where they would keep me under their thumb. Here, I am held in high regard.

  That actually makes sense. I pull back from his thoughts just as he leaves my mind. I realize it’s because Marble is finished speaking. Marble motions me over, so I follow him. We don’t go to his office, but to a hallway where we’re alone.

  He says, “I didn’t know you and Trace were back together.”

  “How do you-” I stop midsentence.

  He knows because he bugged my house and I turned the camera on while I had sex with Trace.

  I smirk up at him. “I never pegged you as the type to like to watch.”

  He glares at me. “It’s my job to keep an eye on my Heroes.”

  “We didn’t break any rules, so I’m not sure what this is about.” I move closer. “And, if you like to watch that much, just call. I’m sure Trace won’t mind.”

  Am I being a bitch? Yes.

  Does the idea of Marble watching me have sex with Trace turn me on? Double yes.

  What in heck is wrong with me?

  “Just be careful, Alpha. I won’t be able to protect you this time.”

  “Protect me? Is that what you call this?” I snort. “I’m good, Marble.”

  I walk away from him, passing some of the Uppers in the hallway. They’re zoned in on Marble, but Upper Seven gives me a quick smile. Our hands brush as we pass and I try not to jump at the jolt that I feel. What in the hell?

  Trace is waiting for me by the door.

  “I have a question. Can you see Glimmer? She’s over by the buffet, I think.”

  Glimmer is another Hero who is invisible. She’s a bit of a bitch, to be honest. I scan the room and see a female Hero I’ve never seen before. She totally looks like she’s up to no good.

  “Yeah, she’s right next to Birdy and it looks like she’s doing something to the punch.”

  “That’s cool that I’m not the only one you can see.”

  I cringe. “I’m wishing I didn’t just see her spit in the punch.”

  His mouth drops in horror and I laugh as he puts his cup down.

  “What did Marble want?”

  That stops my laughter.

  “He said he didn’t know we were back together.” I point between us. “So I called him out on watching us while we had sex.”

  “Damn.” He looks around. “You do realize you’re supposed to be keeping a low profile, right?”

  “I know. It just pissed me off.”

  “I get that, but we have to be smart right now, especially since the Uppers basically said they have free rein on us. One false step and they’ll get you to a treatment facility, which might be just what they want.”

  I hate how right he is.

  “So what do we do now?”

  He sighs. “I think we need to go back to Silver City. See if we can find anything.”

  “I think so, too, but I’m worried the code that Blot gave me won’t work.”

  “What are you thinking?”

  “Maybe we should play by the rules on this one.”

  He nods. “Might work. Do you want to ask or should I?”

  “Since I just pissed Marble off, maybe you should.”

  “Wish me luck.”

  He takes off across the room and I find an empty seat in a corner. Most of the Heroes have left, but some linger, talking in small groups. It’s strange how even as Heroes there are still cliques. And I still don’t fit in. A lot of the other Heroes don’t like me because I’m the first. Like I had any say-so in that.

  Knuckles is talking to a group and sees me, waving. I smile back and she makes her way toward me.

  “Are you hiding?”

  “No, I’m just waiting on Trace so we can go home.”

  Her eyes widen. “Are you two…”

  I grin. “It’s nothing serious, but we’re seeing each other again.”

  She lets out a squeal. “This might be the best news I’ve heard all day. Wait. Does Marble know?”

  “He does now.”

  “Oh, I feel like there’s a story there.”

  “He wasn’t very happy, but this is one aspect of my life that he doesn’t get a say in.”

  “Dang girl.”

  I’m save
d from saying more because Trace comes toward us, a smile on his face.

  “What did he say?”

  Knuckles’ forehead creases. “What did who say?”

  Fuck.

  Trace covers my mistake by saying, “She’s talking to me.”

  “Oh! I didn’t know you were over here, too, Trace. Your ears must have been burning.” She gives me a little wink. “I was just saying to Alpha how happy I am for the two of you.”

  “What can I say – my persistence paid off.”

  “Well, I’m glad.” Her watch buzzes. “Darn. Duty calls. I’ll talk to you later, Alpha.”

  When she’s gone, Trace lets out a sigh. “Remember that bit about being careful?”

  “I know. It just slipped out. So, how did it go?”

  “Not very well at first. But then some of the Uppers came up and thought it was a great idea. Well, not about you going, but about me going.”

  I try not to be insulted. “Why not me?”

  He gives me a look. “I think we both know why. Lucky for you, that Upper who has a crush on you was there and said you should go, too. When Marble protested, he told Marble that it was good that you were moving on.”

  I’m sure my mouth is hanging open.

  “Does everyone know we had sex?”

  He shrugs. “Makes you wonder who all saw that camera feed.”

  Oh, good lord. I hadn’t thought about that!

  “So the good news is we’re cleared to go to Silver City tonight. The bad news is they want a full report tomorrow morning.”

  Which means we don’t have a lot of time.

  I nod. “Let’s go.”

  We take the tunnels to leave headquarters. I’m not sure if the mob hung around, but I really don’t want to deal with them tonight. When we get outside, Trace pulls me into his arms, kissing me.

  “What’s that for?”

  “For not correcting people when they said we’re dating. I know we’re not there yet, but it gives me hope that you didn’t just shoot me down.”

  I kiss him back. “I’m glad.” Then I laugh. “You know, it’s a lot easier dating you when I can see you.”

  “I’ll have to take your word for it.”

  I take his hand and take off. We pass over a snowstorm in Chicago, and I’m reminded of Blot.