Human Superior

by C. S. Won

  “Could this increase just be a cautionary measure?” Jae asked.

  “I don’t know,” Tobin said.

  “Do you think it’s in response to the missing guard? Do they know he’s missing?” Andrea asked. Just like Tobin, she was also dressed in all black, with her long hair tied up and stuffed inside a black wool cap.

  Tobin shook his head. “It could be anything at this point. Perhaps shift patrols differ every night, or it could be just as you said: they caught wind of what happened to the guard we took and adjusted accordingly.”

  “If it’s the latter, then they might have moved Han and Marlowe already,” Jae said.

  “What should we do, then? Should we leave?” Clay asked.

  Leaving seemed sensible enough, but Jae needed to make sure Han and Marlowe were truly gone before they retreated and regrouped.

  “We proceed as planned,” Jae said.

  “Very well.” Tobin adjusted his earpiece, making sure it was secure. “Make sure we can hear each other through our mics.”

  Jae pressed in his earpiece. “Testing.”

  The group nodded at Jae, letting him know he was coming in loud and clear. The testing went around the group until it went back to Tobin.

  “Everyone, grab onto Clay and to each other,” Jae said. Everyone rested a hand on Clay, who crouched in the center of their formation. Clay placed both his hands on the scruff of Tobin’s neck. Jae looked at Andrea. She had a brave face on, but her anxiety was apparent. He reached out and took her hand, giving it a firm squeeze. “Don’t be afraid to use your powers if you have to.”

  She bit her lips and nodded. “I know.”

  “Is everyone ready?” Jae asked. Everyone voiced the affirmative. Jae looked at Tobin before he went invisible. “Let’s go.”

  The world disappeared, the moon and the stars and the distant prison compound smeared away to make way for an empty void. Jae found himself floating in what felt like a vast body of water, buoyed by unseen currents and waves, darkness coloring all of creation. This was only the third time Jae experienced Tobin’s unique way of travel, and it was an experience he wasn’t sure he would ever get used to. He wondered how teleportation even worked. Did Tobin even know? Was it akin to navigating some kind of metaphysical highway, and unlocking hidden doors that only Tobin could see? Or was it like an elevator, where a “floor,” or in this case, a location, was selected and they were instantly there? No one had teleported before, so who really knew? But before Jae could ponder the notion even further, he suddenly found himself surrounded by white walls with cold tile flooring kissing his fingers. A cool breeze brushed against him, blowing just above his head, the slight drone of an air conditioner humming in his ears.

  They were inside the compound, and more specifically, the security room.

  “Give me a second. That trip was a little . . . trippy,” Andrea whispered as she wheezed.

  There were several other people with them, sixteen to be exact, most sitting at their desks and typing away on their computers, while the rest were standing around and talking with colleagues, cracking jokes, and drinking coffee like it was just another night at the office. And it was as far as these people were concerned, as they had no inclination to think that a prison break was about to occur. They did, however, have guns holstered at their hips.

  “Over there, on the opposite wall,” Tobin whispered.

  Arranged in rows of five and columns of ten, fifty security monitors covered the entirety of the wall on the other end of the room. All were labeled, but since they were in the back of the room it was difficult to read what they said, and it was also difficult to differentiate a break room from an office room from a security room, as the monitors were placed close together, melding the different rooms into one indistinguishable mass of uniformity.

  “Last row, third monitor from the left. That’s the security room underground,” Tobin said. Jae imagined Tobin pointing it out with a finger, and indeed, he was seemingly correct. Labeled with what appeared to be an “S2,” which Jae presumed to mean security room two or something similar, the picture on that screen showed a wide angle of a room that looked similar to this one, with roughly the same amount of people, along with a wall adorned with several dozen monitors.

  Time to do this. Jae took a deep breath. “Clay. Andrea. Are you guys ready?”

  There was a pause, then the sound of someone exhaling.

  “I am,” Andrea said.

  “What did you want me to do again?” Clay asked.

  “Stay low and keep Andrea invisible,” Jae said.

  “Right, keep her hidden. Got it.”

  “When you’re finished, let me know, and I’ll come get you,” Tobin said.

  “I will,” Andrea said.

  “There’s one more thing I need to note, something I should have mentioned earlier. When Clay and I were making our way through the facility, I noticed there was no sound coming from the security rooms when we were camped right outside. It was only when we teleported into both rooms did I realize that they were soundproof. So that means the racket we cause will go virtually unnoticed outside. The only way they’ll know they’ve been breached is if someone manages to sound the alarm, or someone comes in. That’s why it’s important to make sure we lock the room down once we’re done,” Tobin said.

  “Don’t be afraid to go all out, Andrea,” Jae said.

  She said nothing. Nobody said anything. Tobin took that as his cue to speak up again. “Clay, release your hold on me whenever you’re ready. Once you do, I’ll teleport downstairs.”

  But they stayed as they were, invisible and in one spot, and it went on like this for what seemed a lifetime. The people around them continued to mind their own business, oblivious to their existence, and as Jae was about to ask Clay if he needed more time, he suddenly saw Tobin and his own self phase back into existence.

  Then they were gone.

  Chapter Eleven

  Andrea kept an eye on the monitor on the last row, third from the left, waiting, waiting for her chance.

  “There are a lot of people here. Are you sure you can handle this?” Clay asked.

  “We’ll know soon enough,” Andrea said.

  “Not exactly the answer I was hoping for.”

  “Just stay invisible. You’re probably the safest of any of us in here.”

  “Don’t have to tell me twice.”

  A man stood, and pointed at the wall of monitors. “What the hell?” He squinted, as if he was unsure of what his eyes were seeing. Andrea looked at the monitor on the last row, third from the left, and saw two figures standing side-by-side within the frame of the picture.

  Jae and Tobin had made it, and they were already making their move. Jae picked up the person nearest to him and tossed him far across the room, while Tobin disappeared and reappeared behind someone else, swinging a club towards the back of their head.

  That’s my cue.

  Andrea stood and charged her electricity, sending tens of thousands of voltages of raw power surging through her body. The electricity, though invisible, snapped at the air like a mad dog snarling, generating a strong enough bluster to whip through the room and send stacks of paper flying up into the air in a frenzied dance. This sudden intrusion of chaos had everyone ducking their heads and shouting in confusion.

  “Make me visible!” Andrea directed Clay.

  “What? But Jae said—”

  “I have to aim my powers, and I can’t do that if I can’t see where I’m shooting at.” She saw one man reach for the radio at his hip, and another reaching for a phone on his desk. “Hurry!”

  Her own body materialized into perceptible form, and an explosion of light engulfed the room, coils of electricity crackling off her skin and scorching the carpet at their feet. There were shouts and screams, and all eyes in the room fell on her, this sudden new guest encased in bright, vibrating spirals of electricity. The look on their faces spoke of surprise, shock, awe, and fear, and they stood as they were, fro
zen in place like statues, gawking at Andrea.

  Then, to her left, a man reached for his gun, and with a flick of her hand, Andrea sent him flying ten feet into the air, smoke trailing from a hole burned into his shirt, a cry of anguish spilling from his lips until it was silenced when he landed awkwardly on another man. Another ran to a nearby phone but paid the price for it dearly, the electricity lifting him off the ground and propelling him into the wall of monitors in a shrieking crash, sending shattered glass spilling everywhere.

  This set things into motion, and shouts of panic and cries of pain filled the room. Many tried to run, but Andrea wouldn’t let them. She swung her arms around, flailing her electricity like a swinging axe, and propelled anyone trying to flee into electrocuted unconsciousness. She saw movement from the corner of her eye, and when she turned, she saw a man charging at her with a fist raised in the air. He was either very brave or very stupid, maybe both, because he had a perfectly capable gun holstered at his side, and why he decided to charge at her and not use his gun, she did not know. But whatever the reason, she ended all notions of heroics, blasting him backwards and leaving him smoking in a corner.

  Computers popped and sizzled, and a dazzling display of sparks bounced around the room. She saw a few more people making a mad dash towards the door, and with a sharp flicker of her electricity, she snapped them away, sending them bouncing in all directions, their pained screams muffled only by the racket she caused. A man tried to be sneaky, ducking behind his desk, but with a curl and twist of her arm, the electricity snared forward and hurtled him into unconsciousness.

  Blackened and bloodied, bodies were left all around her, littered around the floor and bent over chairs or desks, smoke lifting from their chest or backs. Labored breathing and pained groans told her no one was dead, which she was thankful for. She spun around, looking to see if she missed anyone else, but it appeared everyone was accounted for as no one opposed her. Streaking scars seared the walls and floors in jagged, burnt patterns, smoking trails left behind by the electricity she wielded. She powered down, the electricity fizzling out from her body.

  “I think we’re done,” Andrea said. Clay phased into corporeal form and gawked at the destruction. Andrea pressed in her earpiece. “Guys, I’m just about finished here. I just need to secure everyone, lock the room down, then—”

  A loud siren filled the room.

  “What the hell?” Clay spun around, eyes going wide.

  Jae’s voice came through on her earpiece. “What’s going on, Andrea? Who triggered the alarm?”

  “I don’t know! I thought I got everyone. I’m pretty sure—” Andrea sensed movement from a far corner. Turning, she saw a woman huddled near an overturned desk, frantically tapping away at a tablet. Despite her clothes being burnt and in tatters, and a part of her face bloodied, she had somehow withstood the attack. “Hey!” The woman looked up at Andrea with clear, alert eyes and scooted backwards as far as she could, her face wearing both regret and apology, like a child who had been caught with their hand in the cookie jar and was sorry for it. Andrea ran over to her, conjuring up another surge of electricity, but just as she was about to let it loose, the door flew open and a man with a guard dog barged in. With his gun brandished, he was already aiming it right at Andrea. No words of warning or compliance were uttered. He was primed to kill.

  “No,” Andrea whispered.

  Time seemed to slow to a complete stop. The wail of the siren dimmed to a soft hum, no longer deafening. She heard Clay’s voice, muted but still clear, crying out to her to get down, and she saw him running towards her, his face contorted in panic, and already he was in the midst of disappearing, fading away like an old memory. She stared back at the gun steadied on her, at the very thing designed to end her life, and the voice in her head screamed at her to run, or to at least get down just like Clay directed, but her body disobeyed her commands and refused to comply. Just the mere visual of the gun, and the threat of what it could do, injected numbing fear straight into her veins.

  Fire exploded from the barrel of the gun, then a bright flash, followed by a loud pop, and just as Andrea was about to scream, she felt a warm weight fall against her, driving her against the floor. She landed on her back with a loud exclamation, the force of it pushing the breath from her chest. The world jittered, and stars danced in her sight. “What?” she coughed out. She tried to move, but something pinned her down. When she tilted her head up to investigate, a mosaic of blood, sticky and warm, was splattered across her chest. A million questions exploded in her head, all of them a variant of, “Did I get shot? Am I dying?” But then she realized she was not in any pain, despite the weight still upon her and the blood painted on her chest. Life did not flash before her eyes. The coldness of impending death did not grip her.

  Footsteps fast approached, and when she looked up, she saw the guard hover over her, a surprised look on his face, probably amazed at the fact that she wasn’t dead yet. Before he could do anything further, before he could even fathom the notion of firing a second time at her, she lifted her hand up and ejected the strongest release of electricity she could muster. The blast hit the guard square in the face, sending him tilting backwards towards the floor in a gasped croak, the gun flying from his hands and skittering several feet away. Shocked by his master’s sudden defeat, the dog took a few steps backwards, ears down in confusion. It gave a low whine, the sound of compliance, but then as if it remembered what it was trained to do, it bared its teeth at Andrea, two rows of sharp choppers ready to rip her throat out, and produced a rumbling growl straight from its belly. But before it could gather up any real courage, Andrea sent the beast careening off the wall, bright blue sparks dancing off its fur as it landed close to its master.

  Andrea looked up and did not see any further reinforcements pour through the open door. She allowed relief to wash over her, and after a brief moment tried to move, but found she could not. She began to fear again that maybe she was indeed shot, and it was only adrenaline that masked the pain that was yet to come. “Clay, where are you?” No answer came. She tried to move again, but the task still proved to be impossible. She called out to Clay once more, and suddenly felt something shifting over her. She put her hands up in front of her and touched what felt like a human body. But there’s nothing there. Then she realized it—Clay had gone invisible and was on top of her.

  Andrea grabbed what she thought was his torso and tried to push him off. “Clay! Are you hurt?” The weight eased off of her, and she saw Clay taking form, his body shimmering into visibility. With his eyes squeezed tight, and sweat scrolling down his face, his breathing came hard and labored. He turned over onto the floor next to her, gasping in pain. Andrea sat up and looked him over, and when she saw that his left arm was smeared with a darkened shade of blood, she realized that the blood on her chest belonged to Clay. She carefully took his arm, which elicited a pained hiss from Clay, and examined it. Drilled deep into his bicep was a bloody hole the size of a nickel, and when she lifted his arm, eliciting another pained hiss from Clay, she saw the exit wound through his triceps.

  “Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn.” Clay pressed the words out through gritted teeth. “God damn, this hurts.”

  “The bullet passed right through. It’s not in your arm,” Andrea said.

  “Cold comfort. My body feels like it’s on fire.”

  Andrea tore the sleeve off of her shirt and wrapped the cloth around Clay’s bloody wound. Already the sleeve darkened into a murky hue of red. Clay sucked in his breath when she cinched the tourniquet tight, his eyes watering with pain.

  “This was my fault. I should have reacted sooner,” Andrea said.

  Clay wiped the sweat from his brow. “Don’t blame yourself. That man was ready to act.”

  Jae came in through her earpiece again. “Andrea? Clay? Talk to me! Are you guys still there?”

  “Jae! Sorry! We were—I was sloppy, I wasn’t able to get everyone,” Andrea said.

  “Never mind th
at. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, but Clay is wounded. He was shot in the arm.”

  “He was what?” Jae cursed into her earpiece. “I’ll have Tobin get him out of here, then.”

  “No. I’m okay. Just keep going. Get my son and your brother first. We’ll deal with my injury later,” Clay said.

  “I’m not going to let you bleed out, Clay. What’s the point if—”

  “I’ll be fine. Andrea already tended to the wound. It’s wrapped up. Just go and do what we came here to do.”

  “What if—”

  “I said don’t worry about me. Just rescue Han and Marlowe, damn it.”

  Jae cursed again. “The alarm—can you stop it, Andrea? Tobin and I can’t seem to shut it off.”

  The woman who had set off the alarm was curled up tight in a corner, clutching the tablet to her chest. Andrea ran up to her. “Stop the alarm,” she commanded.

  With her mouth hanging loose, the woman could only gawk up at Andrea, frozen with fear.

  “I said stop the alarm!” Andrea shouted at her and crouched down so she could be eye level with her. The outburst seemed to break the woman out of her lull, her eyes blinking rapidly.

  “I can’t,” the woman stammered. “I can’t. Only someone with higher access can turn it off.”

  “And where can I find this person?”

  The woman pointed at an unconscious body close by.

  “Just my luck. Is there any other way to shut it down, then?”

  The woman blinked at her. “I . . . I . . .”

  Andrea reached forward with her hand, lacing it with electricity. “Is there any other way to shut off the alarm?” she repeated.

  “The generators. Both primary and back-up. You’ll kill the power if you do that, but it’ll shut the alarm off, at least,” The woman said. She was on the verge of tears.

  “Where are these generators?”

  “Maintenance, but it’s on the other side of the building.” She tapped her tablet and showed Andrea a layout of the compound. “You see, right here.” She tapped one end of the layout, expanding it in size.