The First Superhero Books 0-3 Box Set

by Logan Rutherford

  I shook my head, scooting forward on the stair to place my hands on her shoulders. “I don’t know, but believe me, Selena. We’re going to figure out what’s going on. I promise you, you’ll get your powers back. As soon as we’re out of here, we’re going to bring Holocene back, okay?”

  Selena sealed her lips tight and nodded. “Okay,” she said. “Okay.”

  I lifted my hands from her shoulders and stood up. “I’m going to pick you up and put you over my shoulder now, okay? I’ll carry you down the stairs.”

  “But your powers...you said you’re...weak...” she said, her labored breathing returning.

  “Don’t worry, I can still carry you.”

  She nodded and lifted up her good arm. I picked her up, once again laying her over my shoulder. I considered putting her on my back, but I wasn’t sure she’d have the strength to hold on.

  “You ready?” I asked.

  I felt her nod up and down.

  “Okay, let’s get out of here.”

  Asthenés

  I lost count of how many floors I’d gone down. I took it slow and steady, trying my best to keep Selena comfortable. Thankfully I was able to float the whole time, making the descent smooth and easy on her and her broken arm.

  I stopped to look over the edge, feeling a sense of euphoria when I saw that my beams of light were hitting solid ground instead of infinite blackness. “We’re almost there, Selena!” I said, excited. “I can see the floor.”

  “Thank goodness,” she said, her voice a little bit clearer than it had been earlier.

  “Are you feeling better?” I asked.

  “The lower we get...” She stopped for a breath. “The better I feel. I still don’t feel...good.”

  “Well, any improvement is good,” I said. “Let me know if your arm starts—”

  A sudden cry of pain erupted from Selena. She clamped her mouth shut with her good hand. “Ah, ah, shit,” she said under her breath. “Oh my god, Kane, I feel—” Another cry of pain was quickly silenced.

  I stopped, throwing a fleeting glance to the next landing as I turned and set Selena down. She grasped her broken arm with her good one, whimpering in pain.

  “I can feel—ah—moving,” she said through gritted teeth.

  “It’s healing,” I breathed, smiling. “Selena, your arm is healing! Your powers are coming back.”

  “They could come back a little faster,” she said, leaning her head against the wall, her breathing picking up speed.

  I racked my mind, trying to figure out where this new development fit in with the whole mystery. “You said you were feeling better the lower we went, right?”

  She nodded, not opening her mouth so she could keep another shout of pain from escaping.

  I turned and looked behind me at the stairs below. I turned back to Selena with a plan in mind. “Okay, listen. I’m going to pick you up and take you down to the bottom as fast as I can. Hopefully your arm will heal faster when you’re down there, and the pain will go away.”

  She shook her head.

  “Selena, I know you’re in pain, but if we do this, it’ll stop quicker.”

  “No. They could hear us if I’m down there. I’ll stay here—” She stopped herself, tensing up her good left arm, then struck it on the stair next to her. She breathed hard through her nose, trying to process the agony. The pain seemed to subside for a moment, and she continued. “Do it—I—I can’t...just do it.”

  I picked Selena up without hesitation, holding her across my arms. I took the risk I hadn’t taken earlier, and jumped over the edge of the stairwell. I fell rapidly, Selena clutching my shirt, her mouth open but no sound coming out. The remaining stairs whooshed past me, and after just a few seconds I was inches from the floor.

  I put all my concentration into stopping my rapid descent. I slowed down fast, like somebody slamming on their brakes to keep from hitting an animal in the middle of the road. I stopped less than an inch from the floor.

  I quit flying, and my feet hit the ground with a quiet tap. I set Selena down, and her whole body tensed up in pain. She obviously wanted to scream in agony, but couldn’t. I looked down at her arm, and could see the broken bones slowly moving into place beneath her skin.

  I wanted to do something to help, but there was nothing left to do. I just sat there on the floor, breathing heavily, watching someone I cared about writhe in pain.

  After a few more moments, Selena no longer had the energy to move. She lay on the floor, her eyes vacant, letting out sharp gasps of pain every couple of seconds. It was almost unbearable to watch, but I didn’t have the energy to look away. Using all that power had taken a lot out of me, and I found myself breathing heavily.

  After another minute, Selena let out a final sigh of pain, and then her breathing returned to a more normal pace.

  “Is it over?” I asked.

  A few seconds passed, then she nodded. “I think so,” she said through her heavy breaths.

  “Can you move your arm?” I asked.

  She lifted it a couple of inches before letting out a sharp gasp of pain. “It’s sore as hell.”

  I sat up and crouched over her. “Here, let me help you sit up.” I hooked my arms through hers and pulled her up to a sitting position. She slouched up against the wall, finally able to get some rest.

  “Do you think you could walk?” I asked.

  A weak laugh escaped her lips. “I highly doubt that. I feel so weak, Kane.” Her eyes met mine when she said my name. Fear and sadness flowed from them. “What’s happening to me?”

  I had no answer. “I’m so sorry,” I said.

  “What for?”

  “I shouldn’t have been so cocky. We flew in here thinking this was going to be as easy as the pub in London. We should’ve been more careful,” I said. Regret washed through me, accented with guilt. I looked away, unable to look her in the eyes. I couldn’t believe I’d been so foolish.

  “We had no reason to think it wasn’t going to be that easy,” Selena said, trying to comfort me. “This isn’t—” She swallowed hard. “It isn’t your fault.”

  Her expression told me she believed every word she’d said. “You’re right,” I agreed. “We had no idea.” I chuckled to myself. “We really have no idea what’s going on.”

  Selena tried to laugh too, but it turned into a whimper and a cough. “We really don’t,” she finally said with a wide smile. “We’ve really gotten into it now.”

  “That’s the truth,” I said. I turned and sat down next to her, placing my head back against the cold concrete wall.

  “So, what’s the plan, Tempest?” she asked with a slight nudge.

  I sorted through all the options in my head, checking and double-checking them to try to figure out which would be the best course of action. My main focus was getting Selena out of there. I was feeling better, and had more of my powers than she did. She, on the other hand, wasn’t good at all. That meant that I could get out on my own if I had to, but Selena wasn’t going to be able to without my help.

  I knew what that all meant, and it only took a split-second after the plan had come to mind before I decided it was best. “I have an idea,” I said. I pushed myself up off the wall and stood. “But if it’s going to work, we’re going to need some guns.”

  Backseat Driver

  I opened the door to the stairwell, my eyes no longer glowing. A wall of cool, fresh air slammed into me. It was one of the most refreshing things I had ever experienced. Once I’d gotten used to it, I realized just how stale the air in the stairway had been.

  I looked around, the first thing catching my eye being the campsite on the other side of the large windows before me. Out in the parking lot of the Carlton Centre, Raven’s men had their accommodations set up. There were campfires spread throughout the lot, and lots of tents of various colors and sizes. The sounds of people talking and laughed echoed through the entryway of the Carlton Centre. I looked up and down the wall of windows and saw that a couple of them had
been shattered, which explained how the sounds from outside were coming in.

  Either they’re getting in through there, or my powers are getting even stronger, I thought. While that was definitely a possibility, I didn’t want to rely on it. That was probably the thing I hated most about this place: it made me question my powers. It made me question Tempest. It made me question myself. In this situation, I was going to have to let Kane Andrews do all the work, while Tempest had to take the back seat, only offering help where he could.

  Footsteps echoed to my right. In the distance, a guard was walking my way, an assault rifle slung across his shoulder, his hand wrapped around the butt, finger near the trigger. I dashed from my spot half in the stairwell, half out, and ran behind one of the many pallets of supplies Raven’s men had left on the first floor of the Carlton Centre.

  I peeked around the pallet and watched the guard as he approached. He shivered as a fresh gust of wind blew through the room and pulled up the collar on his t-shirt, trying to get it to cover more of his neck. He walked closer and closer, his footsteps loud and dragging.

  I turned and snuck over to the opposite edge of the pallet, then went around the edge to hide against the back side as the guard passed. Then I walked down the other side, staying low to the ground, trying to be as quiet as possible. When I looked around and saw that the guard was now past the pallets behind which I was hiding, I made my move. I stood, and in just a couple of strides was right behind him. I delivered a single hard punch to his back, and the guard fell to the floor. He tried to move, but I grabbed him by his military vest, picked him up and tossed him into the pallet of supplies I had hidden behind. He hit them and fell to the floor again, this time unconscious.

  I ran to him and grabbed him by the vest, then walked backwards, dragging the guard with me towards the stairwell. I stopped to open the door, then pulled him through. The door shut behind me, and I set the man down in the middle of the floor.

  My eyes shone their blue beams of light, and Selena shielded her eyes from the sudden brightness.

  “So, this is your plan?” she asked in a facetious tone.

  I pulled the assault rifle off the guard’s shoulder and slung it over my own. Then I pulled his pistol from the holster on his side. “No, this is,” I said, handing it to Selena. “You know how to use one of these?”

  She gave me a weak laugh. “I’m from Texas. Of course I know how to use a pistol.” She pointed to the assault rifle that was now hanging across my chest. “You know how to use that?”

  I shook my head. “I’ve shot rifles and shotguns back on my parents’ old farm. Never an assault rifle. I won’t need to be accurate, though,” I said. I dug through the guard’s vest and pulled out two assault rifle clips and a pistol clip. I handed the pistol ammo to Selena. “Just in case. Hopefully you won’t need it.”

  “What’s your plan?” she asked. I noticed her voice was growing stronger every time she spoke.

  I returned to the guard’s vest, digging through his pockets as I spoke. “I’m going to create a distraction,” I said as I pulled out a granola bar. “Eat this.” I handed the bar to Selena, who opened it and began devouring it. “And then you’re going to run the opposite direction from Raven’s soldiers. Simple as that.”

  “What about you?” she asked between bites.

  “I’m not as bad as you are. I’ll be able to get away easily. We’ll meet up back over Clarissa’s. Not at—over. I want to regroup there before we go in.”

  “Are you sure I’ll be able to fly?” she asked, her voice almost back to regular strength as she tossed aside the granola bar wrapper.

  I smiled at her. “I’m sure. The farther away we get from the top of this tower, the stronger we get. Once you get away, I think you’ll be back to normal.”

  Selena looked up, searching the darkness that stretched out above us. “So, you think whatever’s causing this is at the top of the tower?”

  “I don’t know,” I said as I pulled two grenades off the guard. “But we can discuss theories later.” I stood and went to Selena. “Can you stand?” I asked, offering her a hand.

  Selena reached up and grabbed my hand. I helped her up, and after a couple of seconds, she was able to get her bearings. “Yeah, I got it.”

  “Okay, now listen,” I said, my tone growing serious. “You need to get out of here. Do not try to help me. Do not stop for anyone. Do not do anything but get as far away from this place as possible. Your powers are a lot weaker than mine. You’re practically a regular human.”

  “Alright, I get it. No need to rub it in,” she said, rolling her eyes. She was definitely feeling better.

  “Do you understand? They’re going to come after me, but that’s the plan. I’ll be able to get away. You get out of here, and stay away. Got that?”

  Selena didn’t respond at first. I could tell she was still processing, trying to figure out some sort of loophole. “Fine. I’ve got it. I’ll get away.” She clearly wasn’t happy with not being able to help. “You’re so much stronger than me, anyway,” she said, her snark returning with her strength.

  “Okay, well, then. Let’s get our powers back.”

  Distraction

  I approached the broken windows leading to the campsite, stealing a glance over my shoulder. Selena leaned up against a pile of supplies, her pistol in her hands, finger at the trigger. She was ready for me to begin the distraction so she could slip away unseen. I turned, facing the exit from the building that led to the campsite. All I had to do was do this successfully, and then we’d be free.

  I crossed the first floor of the building, arriving at the broken windows in just a few seconds. I figured it’d be best to exit there instead of walking out the front doors. I poked my head out, the smell of burning wood and people who hadn’t washed in a while filling my senses. There was nobody near me. Just fifteen to twenty feet away were the very edges of the campsite: a sea of tents with fires dispersed amongst them, all leading to a large bonfire in the center of the camp, around which most of the people had congregated.

  I stepped out onto the ground and began walking along the edge of the building, doing my best to stay small. The sound of people laughing and talking filled the night air; they were all unaware of what was happening at the edge of their camp. I kept my eyes peeled for more guards doing patrols, but there didn’t seem to be any. They probably didn’t think there’d be anybody this close to their camp. Most of the patrols were probably near the parts of the camp closest to the city.

  I got a few feet away from the windows. I didn’t want to risk going much farther and being seen. I dropped to one knee, ready to begin my distraction, and pulled the two grenades out of my pocket. I hesitated for a moment, considering going back to get Selena and carrying her out of there, but I couldn’t risk it. If we were seen and shot, I definitely wouldn’t be able to carry her then. Both of us would be captured, and she was much weaker than I was. She might even die if she was shot. I forced myself to continue. This was my only option. Now wasn’t the time to think. It was time to act.

  I pulled the pin from one grenade and launched it towards the middle of the camp. Then I pulled the pin from the other one and threw it to the left side of the camp, hoping that it would take out some of the guys in the direction Selena would be running.

  The first one exploded, and I took off running to the right. I pointed my gun to my left, firing wildly as I screamed as loud as I could.

  The camp erupted in chaos. People came tumbling out of their tents, dazed and confused, or barking orders at the soldiers as they tried to figure out where the attack was coming from.

  I ran out of bullets and stopped for a couple seconds, struggling to get another clip in. I’d practiced it a couple of times in the stairwell, but I was having trouble getting the job done now that I was actually in the middle of everything. Finally, I got the next magazine loaded, and I continued running through the camp, firing bursts from the gun. I screamed as loud as I could, trying to draw a
ll the attention towards me and away from Selena.

  In front of me I could see the far edge of the camp and the darkness beyond it. I looked to my left and saw that people were beginning to figure out where I was. Dozens of people were running towards me, falling over tents and running through campfires, trying to get to me. I ran a little bit faster, my adrenaline pumping hard. The soldiers broke through the edge of the tents and were now running along the corridor between the building and the campsite behind me. I tried firing my gun behind me, but it clicked empty. I didn’t have time to switch to my final magazine. I threw the gun behind me, producing a satisfying thunk followed by a shout of pain as the gun smashed into somebody.

  Glass exploded above me, and I covered my head to protect it from the shards raining down. Off to my left, people were beginning to shoot at me. I smiled. Now things were beginning to get fun.

  I reached the end of the campsite and exploded into the darkness, running fast and hard. Losing my pursuers would be easy in the darkness. I only hoped that Selena had been able to get free.

  Three explosions of pain erupted through my body, breaking me from my thoughts. I slammed to the ground, tumbling head over heels before stopping in a bloody heap of pain. I tried to cry out, but the scream was stuck in my throat. I tried to move, to get up—even crawl away if I had to. But I couldn’t move a muscle.

  Almost as soon as the pain was there, it was gone. I thought my body was healing, but I still couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak. I had no idea what was going on.

  The footsteps of the soldiers reached me. One of them grabbed me and rolled me onto my back. I was looking up at a circle of faces, the shining moon hanging high behind them.

  “Oh, shit,” one of them said. “I know this guy.”

  “You do?” another one asked.

  “Yeah, this is Kane Andrews. You know, Tempest? The guy who killed Richter?”

  All the faces looked at mine a little bit closer. One of them began laughing. “Look at that look on his face.” He got down on a knee, placing his face just inches from mine. I could smell the rot on his breath as he spoke. “How you doing, buddy?” he said with a smirk. “You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into.”