Eminent Silence

by Tristan Carey

  'The Komitet?' the officer snapped, scowling. The other Chekists exchanged looks of surprise; I guess the Komitet were as big a deal to them as they were to us. 'This isn't your jurisdiction; unruly citizens belong in our custody. You wish to intervene? Then speak to our commander — Serov, who is the Chairman's right-hand man, as you should very well know.'

  'Oh, of course,' Brandt replied, smiling, although she didn't look particularly pleased. She flicked a hand, and one of the men behind her pulled out a cell phone, started to call someone. 'But I think it would be the best interest for both of us if you simply hand over the children. You can have the spy family, I don't care. But the children belong to the Chairman.'

  'No,' the Chekist officer said matter-of-factly, which earned him several concerning looks. 'The children have assaulted my men, and they will receive proper justice!'

  'Are they…' I whispered as my attention flicked between the two parties, who seemed to have forgotten about us entirely. I couldn't believe what I was witnessing. 'Are they arguing with each other?'

  'The Cheka and the Komitet have always been at each other's throats,' Pietro whispered back, sounding slightly amused. 'State police and federal agents never get along.'

  Offhand, I marveled at this bizarre turn of events. Chekist soldiers and Chairman agents, both of our enemies, also against each other. A part of me found it hilarious, finding myself in a three-way stand-off. My luck was sure something, wasn't it?

  I opened my mouth to reply, but a chorus of click-click-click made me turn my head back to the street, startled to discover that the Cheka had turned their guns on the Komitet — they, likewise, had done the same; I couldn't tell who'd drawn first, or catch what was said that provoked this sudden turn. But I was aware of how the air suddenly went quite still. I myself found myself frozen to the spot, my eyes darting between the two parties, wondering who would shoot first.

  'My men will not hesitate to fire on state officials,' Brandt said, her lips twitching in what I imagined might've been the ghost of a smile. Was she enjoying this? 'Set your guns away before this gets any worse than it has to. Amelia knows what we're talking about, don't you?'

  I jolted, startled when she said my name. I stared at her and found her eyes staring back. There was a smirk on her face, but she must've seen something in my own expression, maybe the fact that I didn't actually recognize her, because a line formed between her brow.

  But who was she? What did the Komitet know about me? What did I have to do with them? My voice was frozen in my throat, so after a short silence stretched out, Brandt just went on, 'Well, silent as ever, I see. At least you learned something.'

  Behind me, Pietro whispered, 'Don't you remember?'

  I didn't have the thought to even shake my head. My entire attention was focused solely on Brandt and her group of baddies.

  The officer looked bewildered at our little (non)interchange, before scowling and turning back to the redheaded woman. 'No. I will ask you to lay down your arms, madam. I am operating under the duty given to me by the Chairman, and I will cease from his word alone. You fire on us, and you will have committed a crime against the State!'

  'Now you're just being difficult.' Brandt snapped, her dark eyes narrowing. 'Amelia, come here.'

  She didn't even look at me when she said that. If I wasn't surprised before, I was sure as hell surprised now. It didn't end when Brandt scowled, 'That's an order, Amelia.'

  She was ordering me now? Who the hell did she think she was?

  My indignance was only dampened by the strange sensation in my chest, how I leaned forward — before stopping myself, wondering what the hell compelled me to even listen to Brandt.

  Pietro, who must've noticed, placed a hand on my shoulder. 'Amelia, are you okay? You have to ignore her. Don't let her control you.'

  'Don't worry about me,' I licked my lips, but my tongue felt like sandpaper. Throwing him a quick glance, I jerked my chin, gesturing to the family still cowering in the doorway. 'Get them out of here while they're still distracted with each other.'

  This was part of the plan, getting the innocent civilians away from here. Away, before a fight could break out and they got hurt again. Tensions were rising fast, like electricity climbing into the air, and I had a feeling this wasn't going to end well for us. Not when Brandt acting the way she was, like she knew me, like I'd listen.

  Like I wanted to listen.

  Pietro looked reluctant, glancing behind him before giving me a quick nod and quietly slipping away. I kept an eye out for him, making sure no one noticed him, and felt the quick rush of wind as he darted off with the old woman.

  One down.

  'Lay down your arms!' the Chekist commanded again, starting to sound a little annoyed. I couldn't tell if he had any better idea of what Brandt was talking about, but I could see his men starting to share glances as this situation just got more and more interesting. I myself had no way of knowing which way this would go — I only hoped that I could get out of it alive, along with the others.

  'You want to die today, Amelia?' Brandt called out, staring at the Chekist officer as if taunting him and not me. 'If you don't stand with us in the next ten seconds, then I can't promise that your previous record will save you from punishment.'

  'You stand with her, girl,' the Chekist officer countered, throwing me a side glance. 'Then I will take it as an act of hostility and I will fire immediately!'

  Wow, what a great set of options I had.

  In Pietro's absence, Wanda slipped in next to me, her back pressed against the bumper. Under her breath, she said, 'You have a plan? Is there a way out?'

  I didn't want to tell her I only had, like, twelve percent of a plan. Instead, I gave her a shrug. 'It's, um, a work in the process.'

  'Do you need me to do anything?'

  Wanda looked expectant, ready to help, something that made me smile with gratitude. 'Not yet, but thanks. I just need to keep them off Pietro until he gets that family out of here. Then we run like hell. If things get hairy, though, I might need your help in kicking their ass.'

  There wasn't much confidence in my words, though - the sight of the Komitet had rattled me, and I just couldn't shake the feeling that something awful was going to happen - beyond the promised hail of bullets, anyways. That I was missing some crucial detail here, but I didn't know what to do. I didn't really want to be tempting fate right now — again, my plan was only a shambling thing, hardly the kind historians might talk about. But nonetheless, Wanda grinned, and there was something particularly wicked about those red lips and sharp teeth. 'It would be my pleasure.'

  Over her shoulder, Pietro appeared again, took the old man. Gone in a blink.

  Two down.

  'You'll have to choose eventually, Amelia,' Brandt said, even as her men started to shift warily. Neither side put down their weapons. 'You can't stay on the sidelines forever. When the Chairman finally calls on you, you will be compelled to do your duty for the State and its people!'

  'You do not speak for the State or any of its citizens,' The officer retorted. 'If I need the help of the Komitet, I will call for it. Leave now! I will not tolerate further insubordination.'

  Brandt's eyes narrowed dangerously at that.

  'Amelia, we need to do something,' Wanda urged, shaking my arm. 'We have to go now, while they're distracted!'

  But I couldn't move. How could I? With Brandt right there, knowing I was here, knowing what she knew and what I didn't. Her words rang in my ears like some strange echo of a memory, drawing me in, making my blood run cold.

  My feet felt firmly planted to the ground and I didn't know why. Actually, yes, I did know. I knew exactly what it was.

  Fear.

  I was scared.

  I didn't know what to do. And I couldn't admit it.

  Wanda said something, but I missed it, distracted by a flash of silver.

  'I am not your subordinate; I don't take orders —'

 
Pietro, taking the man's arm. The last one, gone.

  'This is not a request —'

  I looked to Wanda, only to find her gone.

  'Do you think this is a game —'

  I peer around the other side of the car, by the sidewalk. Wanda was already creeping up around behind the Chekists. In her right hand she played with a string of red light.

  'I will not tolerate —'

  I open my mouth to call her back, that whatever she was about to do wasn't what I wanted, but she was already too far away, and I was still frozen to the spot.

  Wanda raised her hand. Pointed her finger at the closest Chekist soldier.

  'I don't care, I'm getting them —'

  The thread of red magic shot from her finger. It caught the soldier right in the temple. I watched, in morbid curiosity, frozen to the spot, as he stumbled, blinked, and his eyes turned bright red.

  Then he brought up his rifle. Aimed right at Brandt.

  I raised my hand, as if I could stop him.

  BANG!

  The bullet hit Brandt directly in the chest, and she fell, but I never saw her hitting the ground because it was that exact moment that he'll rained down on this little Sokovian street.

  It was like the air exploded, gunfire sounding off from both ends. I watched in stunned horror as two more fell instantly, before the one of the Komitet agents took three bullets to the chest, dropped to one knee…

  And picked himself up again.

  'Amelia, get up!' Wanda called, just as the jeep started up again from way down the street.

  We were still just out of sight of them as the Jeep came roaring past to cut off the other end of the street. At its approaching thunder, Wanda suddenly stood up, and before I could shout, she thrust out with her hands.

  There was that same glowing red energy, swirling and chaotic, that had made the Chekist fire his gun, now launch an entire vehicle in the air. It came crashing down on its hood, crushing two men — the Chekist officer and a Komitet agent. Fire broke out instantly, a second before the explosion.

  I had just stood up, ready to bolt when the shockwave hit me full in the face. It sent me falling back, and I landed hard on my side, scraping up my right hand and forearm.

  I picked up my head just in time to see the side of the burning Jeep tear itself apart.

  Two hands, singed black and burning bright, peeling metal away like it was paper. Then out came the head of what was the agent, only his eyes were glowing as well. Not the red luster of Wanda's, but a yellow-white, truly malevolent blaze of light, as if his eyes had been replaced with embers.

  The man, or whatever he was, stepped out of the wreckage, entire body on fire. But he didn't seem to be in pain. In fact, he was grinning, as he grabbed a Chekist soldier by the throat and lifted him up into the air.

  The soldier screamed as what could only be described as a sizzling noise as his skin was burned. An acrid stench filled the air, and the flaming agent only laughed as the soldier struggled helplessly, continuing to burn.

  Finally, his legs stopped kicking. The agent cast his body unceremoniously to the ground.

  They were all like this. The Komitet agents, burning bright, terrorizing the Chekists with wild, gleeful abandon. No matter how many bullets found their targets, the agents didn't slow down. They didn't die.

  My heart felt like it had stopped. I couldn't move. I couldn't make sense of what I saw.

  This wasn't supposed to happen. That was the only thought in my head. This wasn't part of the plan. In retrospect, I suppose I should've been more clear to Wanda what I meant by 'kick some ass'. At least the other half of the plan, Pietro saving the family, had worked out all right. Now I just had to deal with…well, this. The Komitet, and their abilities, which I had not accounted for.

  How could I? I didn't remember them.

  Another flash of silver. Pietro, appearing out of nowhere, striking this agent right across the jaw. In that split second of contact, I saw the pain in Pietro's face as the agent's skin burned his fist, but he didn't pull back, didn't stop or stumble. He was gone once again as the agent reeled from the hit, falling back into the ruins of the Jeep.

  Then a body landed right in front of the car I had hidden behind. I saw the burning hands first. Feminine arms, red hair. Then the head, picking itself up, flaring white eyes meeting mine. Brandt, grinning.

  'Hello, Amelia,' she said, her English startling me, so easy and clear. American. 'How nice to see you again.'

  Then she snatched at me, a ball of fire in her hand.

  Inches from my skin. I could feel the heat, then. So hot, not even touching me yet. Like a furnace, burning me.

  I wanted to strike her hand away, but I'd seen what Pietro had done only a few seconds ago. What they were doing to the soldiers. If I touched her, it would only hurt me.

  But I remembered my feet, my shoes, and prayed they'd provide enough protection as I slammed my heel into Brandt's face. There was a satisfying crunch as it connected with her nose — I guess there was still cartilage under all that ashen skin, because Brandt recoiled, grunting in pain. When she recovered, her nose was crooked.

  And yet Brandt just laughed, pulling herself up to one knee. With her hand, she shoved her nose back into place. Wrinkling her nose, she cast me a saccharine smile. 'Oh, you shouldn't have done that, sweetheart.'

  Her shoulders hunched, legs tensing. I saw the pounce before it came, and tried to scramble back on my hands. I was in a vulnerable position; I couldn't defend myself.

  Not like this.

  Not from them.

  Brandt launched forward, arms outstretched. Going for my throat.

  Pietro got there first.

  I never saw him. My eyes were focused on Brandt's hands as they came down, inches from my skin. Her body so hot, the air rippled off in waves. It blew back my hair, and I could only bring up my arms, to protect my face.

  A grip wrapped around my arm, tighter than a vice.

  And then — whoosh.

  The ground disappeared from underneath me, legs flying out. The world became a blur as my head snapped back. Not that I could look for very long, as the wind was beyond what my eyes could handle, and I had to squeeze my eyes shut and my life didn't come to an end splattered across a wall.

  There was no stopping, I knew, no point in trying to break free; at this speed, where I couldn't even hear my own heartbeat, that if I let go right now, I would hit the ground so hard it'd break every bone in my body. Pietro had picked me up so fast that my joints cracked, and I didn't even feel it until I was back on my feet again, standing in the center of the theatre hall.

  And just like that. It was all over.

  The agents, gone. The fight, lost.

  I stumbled, once again thrown off balance, collapsing against one of the chairs, and had to keel over before I puked. That's when the joint pain kicked in and my entire spine ached from whiplash. 'Gah! Stop that!'

  'Sorry!' Pietro said, giving me a helpless shrug before disappearing again, leaving a silver trail in his wake.

  I was left in a daze. The world seemed a little fuzzy at the edges, and my hearing was muffled, the air gone suddenly still and quiet. My heart still beat too fast in my chest, sending too much blood to my head. My face was too hot; it was like I could still feel Brandt, inches away, ready to kill me.

  She knew my name.

  Like the others, she knew who I was. I mean, I had guessed earlier, but it wasn't a fact I appreciated until now.

  This was all very, very real.

  My mind apparently was taking its time to catch up, because I suddenly found myself incredibly fascinated by the wispy silhouette Pietro left in his wake. I raised my hand, drawing my fingers through it as the trace began disappearing. It felt like pins and needles, a tingling, electric almost — not unlike how Wanda's magic felt. I wondered, idly, if somehow their powers were similar in structure.

  Then I realized what I was thinking. The twins.
Their powers. Superpowers. Agents on fire. Who couldn't die.

  A zip of air, like a balloon popped, and suddenly Wanda and Pietro were standing in front of me again. Pietro, carrying his sister, let her down gently; much unlike how he kind of just let go of me without stopping completely first. Hmph.

  I stood up again, or tried to, leaning heavily on the back of one seat. I felt dizzy, sick — either from motion sickness or from what I just witnessed, I couldn't be sure. Maybe a combination of both. I looked at both of them, appraised their expressions; Pietro, jittery, looking wired for another sprint. Wanda, eyes ablaze, power still crackling at her fingertips. Something about those agents had really set them off, a deep-seated anger that I had yet to understand.