by JC Bybee
When she saw the one in black trying to wriggle free of the cuffs she said, “Not even Tomahawk could break those suppressor cuffs so don’t expect to be free of them before you hit the pavement if you do fall.” Both women went very still, their faces identical masks of calm. With a suppressed sigh Ace flew back to the precinct. Hopefully they would be able to get some answers there.
Chapter 15
“But that doesn’t make any sense!” Emily stated.
“Tell me about it,” Ace replied as she pulled on a spare shirt. She would have to wait until she got home to get another bra. She put that on her list of things to keep spares of in her locker.
Why that hadn’t occurred to you before now I will never understand.
“I think someone is trying to cause chaos in New Davenport,” Ace continued. “And if it’s not the HSO we have to figure out who. If the twins don’t know we are going to have to start bringing in Valentine’s people. The normal cops are going to have a hell of a time keeping the peace when everyone rushes to fill the power vacuum caused by Valentine’s death.”
“Mayhem killed him, just like that?” Emily asked.
Ace nodded. “Mayhem is a psycho. If I had my way he’d be put down for the betterment of us all. How many casualties were there?”
“Only two, Deuce and Blip. A good number of the gunmen and subdued Antis survived,” Emily replied.
“Two good officers lost and we still don’t have any more details to go on,” Ace growled. She refrained from punching the wall. The building had sustained enough damage for the day.
“Torment is questioning them. Since Article Two was already in effect it should go quick. Torment is pretty upset. I’m just glad you didn’t have to kill any of the attackers,” Emily said. They were walking back up the stairs from the gym. Most of the elevators were still malfunctioning after what Mayhem had done.
Ace was glad that Article Two existed. It allowed for almost complete use of powers while pursuing or interrogating Antis and their known associates. It didn’t come into play very often, but this was one of those situations it was specifically written to facilitate.
“Killing them wouldn’t have solved our problem. Killing Mayhem might have, but he never gave me a clear shot at him,” Ace said.
Of course not. Mayhem might be crazy, but he’s not stupid.
“I’m pretty sure that was the point Ace,” Emily said. They remained silent after that. Ace was still trying to get her head around the idea that Deuce was dead. She hadn’t known him all that well. He was very private, just like she was. It would be strange to not have him around.
“You going to be okay?” Emily asked once they were back in Ace’s relatively untouched office.
Talk to her, Ace.
“Hell, I don’t know,” Ace replied. “Despite the fact I knew next to nothing about him, Deuce was a teammate and a friend. Hell, he is one of the few people that have actually been in my house. I’m never going to forgive Mayhem for his death. If I’d have known Deuce was down I would have killed the gunmen instead. I’ve had people I know die before, I was in the military, I was Tomahawk’s apprentice, but this is different. This happened because someone is deliberately trying to cause chaos. If I find out who it is I’m going to make sure they suffer for it.”
“I’m taking that to mean you’re not okay. You know Torment and Angel aren’t going to let you within fifty miles of this case if they sense that about you, right?” Emily asked.
“I imagine they know already. You’ve told me that my thoughts are hard not to pick up on,” Ace replied.
Emily nodded. “That’s right. Unless you are actively suppressing them every Mental Class that can read minds will hear them. So fine, Captain Angel and Torment already know. Protocol dictates that they take you off the case if you can’t get things under control. My question is what will you do?”
“I don’t know,” Ace said out of habit, but the more she thought on it the more she realized she didn’t think she could handle continuing the search for the HSO operatives in New Davenport. She was tired of dealing with a suspect that was so elusive that even some of the greatest Heroes the E.E.D had couldn’t find them. She wasn’t that kind of officer. She was an enforcer, not a finder. “Unless I get orders otherwise I’m done with this case,” she said.
“I’ll let Torment and Angel know, but not today. Since you brought Mayhem and the twins in there is no reason for you to stay,” Emily said.
“If you’re here, I’m here. Just because Mayhem isn’t out there doesn’t mean the HSO isn’t still going to try and make a grab at you. This would be the perfect time to try it. Now that we have Mayhem in custody a lot of people are going to feel like the worst is over. They are going to forget that the HSO is the real threat and we still have no idea where they are,” Ace countered.
Emily nodded. “You’re right. I was just hoping you could get some rest. I can see what being restrained like that did to you. As a friend I recommend you speak to someone like Torment or Angel about it.”
“Why not you?” Ace asked. Emily’s powers exceeded Torment and Angel’s.
“I’m the wrong kind of person to deal with that particular issue. I’ve felt vulnerable and helpless most of my life. Security is a new thing for me. You need someone who has gone through something like you went through,” Emily replied.
She’s got a point. Torment would probably be the better one to talk to.
“I’ll think about it,” Ace said.
“That’s all I can ask. Now I’ve got to get back down to interrogation. They want me to be the one that goes after Mayhem.” Emily stood and Ace joined her. She wasn’t about to leave her friend unguarded.
“You came all the way back up just to make sure I was okay,” Ace said as they started back down the stairs. Emily smiled but said nothing. “Thank you,” Ace said
“That’s what friends are for,” Emily replied still smiling.
Chapter 16
The funerals for Blip and Deuce were held three days after the attack on the precinct. All off duty officers from the E.E.D were in attendance. The rest were on guard duty so their friends and allies could pay their respects to the fallen. In contrast to the somber occasion the day was bright and cheerful.
Captain Angel directed the proceedings. Ace stood at the front of those gathered along with the rest of her unit. She was chosen to pass Deuce’s flag to his mother, his only family. Einstein passed Blip’s to his wife. Both women broke down and many of the officers on duty joined them. The death of a friend or loved one was never easy to deal with.
As the caskets were lowered the only thing that could be heard was crying. The police officers saluted, guns fired in honor and deep inside Ace wanted nothing more than to tear the city apart looking for the ones who had brought so much pain to her friends. It had been the same at Tomahawk’s funeral, and Hard-Head before him, and Deek, and Duke, and Blaze, and all those that had come before.
Don’t dwell on it. Let it go, Ace.
Nothing could ever prepare you for the death of a friend. Nothing helped ease the pain. It dulled over time, but never truly went away. And every time it happened the pain of all the rest came back, just as intense as if they had all happened over again.
You cannot blame yourself Ace. You have to let it go.
When at last Einstein had covered the caskets in tamper proof concrete, Ace turned away from the graves. She paid her respects to the families then walked away. Emily wasn’t far behind. Ace knew the others were going to go to Front Street to have a drink for the departed, but she didn’t dare. Her body metabolized alcohol too fast for her to get drunk, but being around the others as they traded stories of the departed would only make her anger worse. The last thing anyone needed was her getting even more upset.
She and Emily drove home in silence. There was an unfamiliar car parked in her driveway when they pulled in. It looked like a rental. “I made a few phone calls,” Emily explained.
Mom and dad are
excited to see you.
Ace all but ran inside. Sitting in her living room was her family.
“Welcome home sweetie,” her mother said. Ace favored her mother heavily in the looks department, even down to the too cute face. Her father was tall and broad shouldered. His usual smiling face was filled with concern for her. Without thinking she picked them both up in a hug.
“Easy, Ace, we’re glad to see you too,” her dad said with a laugh.
She set them both down gently and then hugged her waiting brother and sister. “It’s good to see you too sis,” her brother, Aaron, said returning the hug enthusiastically. He was the only normal in a family of Exceptionals. Ace’s little sister, Amy, was an upper-tier Speed Class. For a few years there had been a rift between them, but time and distance had served to heal it.
“Your friend, Emily, told us about what has been going on. She said that it would be good for us to come and visit you,” Ace’s mom said as she sat her siblings down.
“Have a seat,” Ace said and joined her family in her living room. “She’s right. Things have been difficult recently. The HSO is stirring up trouble, trying to drive a rift between normals and Exceptionals. People have died because of it, one of them was a member of my unit. The funeral was today.”
“We know, that’s why we’re here,” her mother said. She placed a hand on Ace’s shoulder. “We are the ones that separated you from us. But sometimes it is best for you to have family around.”
Truer words were never spoken.
Ace couldn’t bring herself to speak. She was just too overwhelmed to see her family again. It had been years since she’d actually been in the same room with them. Occasional emails and packages didn’t satisfy the need she had to be with them. The tears started to fall and her mother wrapped her in a gentle hug.
Once Ace had a chance to recover and gather herself she caught up with the lives of her family. Her brother was doing well in college. He was the starting quarterback for the University of Oregon. Her sister had just graduated from high school. She’d gotten scholarship offers from a number of universities with Exceptional Athletic programs. She’d finally settled on the University of Oregon as well.
“Haven’t classes started already?” Ace asked. She didn’t want her siblings to miss out on any school because of her.
“Yeah, but the school gives us leave whenever we need it. Sometimes it pays to be part of a famous family,” Aaron said.
“How’s the team this year? It’s still hard to get Oregon games out here,” Ace asked. She wished she had more chances to see her brother play. They talked football and whether he was going to pursue an NFL career.
“It still sucks that I have to go through Exceptionals testing every season. No one believes that a normal can come from a family full of Exceptionals,” Aaron complained.
“That shouldn’t be fair. Everyone knows that powers never manifest after birth. You either have them or you don’t,” Ace said. It was not fair that her brother got treated like that.
“It’s fine. It does them all good to see that he’s just that much better than they are. It won him the Heisman last year,” Amy piped in.
“Congrats, little brother!” Ace said. She’d been busy during the Heisman selections the year before and had never really caught up with college football. She was immensely proud of her younger brother. He’d found his own way of excelling despite being a normal surrounded by Exceptionals.
“She didn’t tell you that she nearly broke the Exceptional World Record for the 1000 meter did she?” Aaron said with a smile at his little sister.
Ace shook her head. She’d missed out on a lot because of what she was. People held her on a pedestal and expected great things from her. It was nice to see her brother and sister being able to just enjoy their lives.
Even if you can’t be a part of it.
The whole time Ace could hear her parents talking with Emily in the kitchen under the guise of making lunch. They spoke it low tones, her parents were well aware of her above normal hearing capabilities, but she wasn’t trying to eaves drop. They would talk with her when they were ready. Her parents struggled to understand her, much like she imagined her grandfather had struggled to understand her father.
Her family had always marked the changing generations in the Exceptionals. Her great-great grandfather Abraham Smith the First had been the first Exceptional born. All Exceptionals born after him would later be called the First Generation. Their powers were simple, one dimensional abilities, like being able to hear another person’s thoughts, or low-level ballistic shields.
Twenty years later, when Abraham’s wife, Abigail, had their first child she had been an Exceptional, but her powers far exceeded those of all the other Exceptionals of the time. At first the theory had been that it was because she was the child of two Exceptionals, but when other Exceptional children were born with greater powers than the Firsts it became apparent that the phenomenon was changing. It wasn’t until the Third Generation started that the generation names were given.
Each generation had started twenty years after the start of the previous. The only time that pattern had been broken was with Ace. When the Exceptionals War broke out nearly every Exceptional had been dragged into the conflict. It had delayed her parents having children until they were thirty.
Some scientists pointed to that as the reason why she was the only Fifth, but there was no way to support or refute the claim. Just like there was no clear scientific evidence to show what made a person an Exceptional. There simply was no explaining it. And none of it served to help her parents to understand what it was like for her. Though her dad might’ve had an inkling of what it was like to be in her shoes and a great deal more sympathy for his father.
No kidding. Grandpa was probably overwhelmed by dad’s power.
“Lunch is ready!” her mom said, loud enough to be heard over their boisterous conversations. They all gathered around the table where Emily joined them, albeit with some very direct prodding from Ace’s mother. “Young lady you are a part of this family. You have been the friend to our daughter that she has needed for a very long time. You have earned your place with us.”
There is no arguing with mom.
Emily blushed and Ace smiled. Emily didn’t have a family as such. Her parents had had to give her up to the Exceptionals Research Institute. It had afforded them a better life, but they refused to contact her out of shame. Emily was of two minds on the whole matter, but she respected her parent’s wishes.
“So how bad is the HSO situation here?” Ace’s father asked as they ate. Even if he was just a Reg, her father was a survivor of the Exceptionals War. He knew what kind of threat the HSO posed.
“That’s the whole problem, dad, we don’t really know. There are a lot of individual threads that point to them, but we haven’t been able to confirm anything beyond the Antis that my team dealt with not long ago,” Ace said.
“Any word from the old man?” her father asked.
“He contacted me once, but didn’t have much. Said he’d keep his ear to the ground, but that was more about Mayhem than the HSO. I expected him to contact me now that we’ve got Mayhem in custody, but he hasn’t,” Ace replied. She could see Emily’s confused look. That was one secret her friend wasn’t going to get quite yet.
The old man would not be happy if she did. It’s definitely safer for her that way.
“So what’s the plan then?” her mother asked.
“I’m off the case for one,” Ace replied. “I was too close to it. They can’t afford another Detroit, so I took myself off. I’ve been put in charge of all aerial patrols in New Davenport. It was a big promotion and it keeps me distracted while Emily and my squad do the questioning.”
“Aerial patrol is a big deal, even when you’re dealing with just the Heroes,” Ace’s dad said with an appreciative nod.
“It’s not just the Heroes, sir, Ace is in charge of all police on aerial patrol. It’s a joint task force between the
E.E.D and the normal police. It is a preemptive move by the Commissioner and head of the E.E.D to try and stem the potential rift between Hero, Reg and normal,” Emily explained.
“So you have normals under your command as well? Well done Ace, well done,” her father said. She could hear his approval and it made her swell with pride. Her father wasn’t strict, but he wasn’t effusive with praise either.
“I didn’t think the normals would work with the E.E.D,” Amy said. She had made short work of her lunch. She wasn’t quite as lucky as Ace when it came to the balance between her powers, the bending of natural laws and her metabolism. She had to eat a lot more than anyone else at the table, even more than their mother, who was also a Speed Class.
“In most places it is a difficult partnership, but the E.E.D was founded in New Davenport. The two organizations have had a longer time to coexist here. Our joint task force is going to force other agencies to rethink how they deal with the normal police in their jurisdictions. I think it will bring about a positive change,” Ace replied.
“Do you think you could come to the international trials this year?” Amy asked out of the blue.
The request took Ace by surprise. “If I know far enough in advance, sure. I have enough vacation time to make the trip, no matter where it is,” she said. It almost made her cry to have her sister reach out to her like that.
“Are you sure that’s safe? I mean you are fairly well known and the point of you living so far away is to keep us safe,” Ace’s mother said.
“Don’t worry Mrs. Smith I can handle that. Most people are used to Ace just as you see her. With a little makeup and a change of wardrobe no one but her family will be able to recognize her. Then she’ll just be Alison, not Ace the Fifth Generation,” Emily interjected.