Rise of the Heroes

by Andy Briggs

  “We don’t have time to debate this,” Lorna said. “We’ve got two powers and the clock is ticking!”

  “At least we have these powers longer than an hour this time,” said Pete.

  “I think we should all choose flying as one,” Lorna said. “We have to get there, after all.”

  “Okay, I’ll go first,” said Emily. “Um … which one is flying? We didn’t have to choose it last time.”

  “Remember, there is some logic to this site,” said Lorna.

  Emily glided through the pictographs on-screen, before settling on one they all agreed must be flying. Her finger hesitated over the mouse. She turned to Toby. “And this time, you better pick something useful!”

  Then she clicked the mouse.

  The flight was peaceful enough once they had lifted above the cover of the clouds. The blue skies beyond allowed the sun to shine pleasantly down on them.

  Before they left, Pete had run off to change into a wetsuit he’d had when he was younger, and thus, smaller. The neoprene material was stretched to breaking point to cover him. He’d also found a cape from an old fancy costume and a pair of blue prescription swimming goggles he used as a mask. When he’d modeled his new superhero outfit to the others, they had wasted precious moments curled up giggling. He looked like a complete idiot.

  Now he was paying the price. As the sun heated the suit, he began to sweat profusely. He’d already had to lose the cape, as the wind pulled it so tight it had nearly choked him, and his mask had slipped off too.

  The team had overlooked one important factor. They had assumed that by flying, they would be there fast. But that happened in the movies. It turned out, even at full speed, which seemed as fast as a bullet to them, it had taken almost two hours to reach their destination. At one point, they had to land to consult local signs to ensure they were heading in the right direction. But at the very least, that had improved their landing and taking-off skills.

  They arrived at sunset. From the air they could see that the field was no longer empty—a large, circular metallic building was sitting there. Confused, Toby checked a map they had printed from the Web that showed the ocean to the south and the layout of the village, with its old church and small houses on a hill. They were in the right place.

  The team landed on the edge of the village and kept concealed behind an old stone wall. They stealthily crossed the dusty road, ducking behind another wall just as a pair of Tempest’s soldiers marched down the street. Their footsteps echoed from the buildings, and the heroes all held their breath as the men passed a few feet away.

  Toby indicated with swift hand gestures that they should head around the back of a barn and into a grove of ancient cedars. They kept low and silent as they ran. Old war movies came to Pete’s mind as they slipped behind another pair of guards who were talking animatedly about sports cars.

  Hiding in the trees, the children now were sheltered from being spotted by the henchmen.

  Toby turned his attention to the building in the field, and gasped. From ground level it was obvious the structure was actually an aircraft of some kind, supported on six massive landing legs that pushed into the field. The diameter of the craft was three times as long as any jumbo jet Toby had ever seen.

  “Wow!” whispered Pete. “It’s like a giant flying saucer!” Gentle vents of steam rolled from outlets across the undercarriage. Two guards stood at attention at the bottom of a boarding ramp that vanished into the belly of the machine.

  “I see only one way in,” said Emily.

  “You think Mom’s in there?’

  Toby shrugged. Then they heard a new voice.

  “I’m afraid that she’s not.”

  Everybody spun around, ready to unleash their superpowers. A young man with a pale face and jetblack hair, which was oddly laced with snow, studied them carefully. He shook more snow off his long black trench coat, the warm Caribbean air melting it quickly.

  “Who are you?” Toby demanded.

  “And why are you covered in snow?” Pete asked, more than a little perplexed.

  The stranger raised his hands in a friendly gesture. “Relax, I’m with you. I’m known as Chameleon. And to answer your other question I’ve just teleported in from Russia. I assure you it’s very cold there.”

  They noticed scratches on his face and his nose seemed to be a little askew. With a jarring crack, Chameleon’s nose realigned itself and his scars faded.

  Toby was impressed. “Wow, healing. That’s a good power to have.”

  “Unfortunately, you still feel the pain. My apologies, I didn’t mean to alarm you. But I was hit by a truck before I left.” He ignored their skeptical glances. “Unless I’m very much mistaken, you came here because of Hero.com?”

  Everybody relaxed except Pete, who eyed the stranger suspiciously. Chameleon approached them with a calculating look. “I’ve been tracking a network of supervillains for some time. It appears Doc Tempest is involved with a breakaway faction of the Council of Evil. Specifically a devious villain named Basilisk, who is upsetting a lot of people on both sides of the fence.” He indicated the ship. “That’s why the Council has summoned Tempest here—to explain himself. He won’t allow the Council of Evil direct communication with his base for fear they will try and shut down his operation. And they certainly don’t want Tempest turning up at their headquarters. Wherever that is. That’s something we’d love to discover,” he added dreamily.

  Lorna glanced at the ship. She noticed that there was a large triangular emblem on the side of the craft with a stylized letter “C” in the middle. Chameleon detected his audience’s confusion.

  “You haven’t been doing this too long, have you? Didn’t you read the site’s instructions file? I know it’s a lengthy tome, but it’s all there.”

  “Instructions?” said Pete, finally letting his guard down. Chameleon blinked in surprise, and he held back a laugh. “Don’t tell me you’ve been making it all up as you go? That’s a new one! Ha-ha …”

  Pete looked abashed, but Lorna stepped forward. She felt angry that this new guy was mocking them.

  “We’ve done pretty well against Doc Tempest on our own so far. So if you’re just going to stand there and criticize us, then you can get lost! My mom’s been taken by that freak and if he’s in there, I want answers!”

  Chameleon bowed slightly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend.” He studied the group as though reappraising them. “And if you’ve fought Doc Tempest before and survived …” He noticed the fresh scar on Toby’s head and tapped it with his finger. The scar healed, the stitches melting away and leaving nothing but smooth skin. Ignoring their looks of astonishment, Chameleon continued, “ … then you certainly are talented. If you want to question Tempest, then I suggest we board the ship and do it there.”

  “Shouldn’t we wait until he comes out?” asked Toby. “His men are patrolling the area, but they are not allowed on the Council’s ship. There is little security on board, since none of the Council of Evil is actually present. Plus, they will want to get out of here as fast as possible because they know the Enforcers are heading this way now.”

  “The Enforcers?” asked Toby.

  “They’re an elite group of soldiers. Created by the United Nations and trained to combat supervillains and rogue heroes. They have a wealth of technological gizmos at their disposal, but alas, none of them possess superpowers and have to resort to more conventional means of travel. Which is why they have not yet arrived. The Council chooses its landing places entirely at random, which also throws the Enforcers off balance.”

  “Why don’t they just download the powers like we did?” asked Toby.

  “The Enforcers are soldiers. Trained in killing. They’re not the type of people you want downloading such powers. They’ve been following Tempest for the last year but his movements have been erratic, therefore unpredictable.”

  “What is this Council?” Emily asked.

  “The Council of Evil, it’s all in t
he FAQ,” Chameleon replied, a little testily.

  Pete and Lorna looked daunted. There was obviously more to this superhero venture than they’d suspected. As usually, Emily was a little quicker on the uptake.

  “So the Council is a ruling group of villains?”

  “Exactly. Some of the most twisted minds the world has ever seen.”

  “Do you have a plan for getting in there?” asked Toby, returning his gaze to the huge ship.

  “That’s the easy part,” said Chameleon.

  Chameleon’s face began to change. The skin moved fluidly until his face resembled one of the guards, tinted visor and all. Chameleon’s entire body wavered as it morphed. His long black trench coat shrank and warped into the uniform of Tempest’s guards. One of his hands had changed shape and texture and looked like a resin-rifle.

  “Now I know where you get your name from,” Emily said in awe.

  “Wow!” Pete couldn’t stop staring. “That’s an awesome power. I have to try that. Can you turn into famous people too?”

  Chameleon arched an eyebrow. “Yes. The power’s online. I should know—I donated it.” Lorna nudged Toby in the ribs. Chameleon had proved her point about the origin of the powers. “Now we can walk through the front door. I just need one of you to volunteer as a prisoner.”

  Gnats buzzed around the guards at the foot of the ramp. The weather was oppressively warm, even as the sun sank and they were in the shade afforded by the craft above them. They irritably swatted the flies and hoped they would be leaving soon for cooler climates.

  Movement from across the field caught their attention. Another soldier was escorting a young boy wearing glasses, and oddly, a wetsuit. The boy had his hands over his head and a resin-rifle pushed him along.

  The ramp guard nodded toward the boy as they approached. “What did you find?”

  “This creep was sneaking around the perimeter. Thought Tempest might want to have a word with him.”

  “He’s just a kid.”

  “Naw, he’s a Super.”

  At the mention of the word “Super,” both men gripped their rifles tighter and became instantly more alert.

  “You sure?” asked the guard uncertainly. “Doesn’t look very super.”

  “Certain. Unless every kid can fire lasers from his eyes.”

  The guard licked his lips nervously. “You’re right. Boss better deal with him.”

  The prisoner took several steps up the ramp.

  “You can’t go in there,” snapped the guard as he blocked his path.

  But it was distraction enough for Chameleon to wheel around and lunge at the guards.

  “Get the other one!” Chameleon bellowed.

  Pete spun around and squinted, preparing to unleash the laser blast he was certain he had downloaded.

  The guard went rigid, expecting to be blasted apart. But Pete was the one who gasped as he was suddenly looking at a skeleton standing right in front of him.

  At first he thought he’d killed the man—but when the skeleton lifted his transparent rifle, Pete knew what

  had happened. He’d insisted that they try their powers before leaving, but Lorna had been adamant that there was no time.

  “What are you waiting for?” shouted Chameleon as he wrestled with the other guard.

  “I can’t do anything … I’ve only got X-ray vision! I downloaded the wrong power!”

  The Council of Evil

  From their hiding place in the trees, Toby, Lorna, and Emily watched as Pete froze.

  “Why is he hesitating?” Emily said with concern.

  Toby knew the answer. “He didn’t download the power he wanted.”

  Chameleon had fallen to the ground, struggling with the guard he held in a chokehold. Pete’s opponent raised his gun, ready to shoot point-blank.

  “No!” shrieked Emily. She burst from cover and instinctively extended her hand as if she’d just thrown a ball. Two pulsing energy orbs shot from her palm, the spheres linked together by a cord of crackling electricity as they whirled through the air like bolas.

  They snagged the guard before he could pull the trigger, tightening around him like a coiling snake, pinning his arms to his sides. His gun clattered to the floor as the breath was crushed from him, and he fell to the ground unconscious.

  Chameleon got to his feet; his opponent was frozen like a statue, a fine crystallike coating covering him.

  “You okay?” Chameleon asked Pete with some concern.

  “Yeah, I just got a useless superpower.”

  “Nonsense, there’s no such thing as a useless power,” said Chameleon haughtily. “Every one has its uses, whether it’s apparent or not.”

  The others joined them from across the field, peering around to check that the patrolling guards hadn’t spotted them. Chameleon transformed back into his pale self and gave Emily an appraising look.

  “You did that? Impressive.”

  Emily beamed at the compliment. Pete cleared his throat and pointed to the two prone guards.

  “Shouldn’t we hide them so nobody notices?”

  “Good thinking,” said Chameleon. “Let’s drag them inside. Hurry.”

  It took two of them to haul the heavy guards up the ramp. The one Chameleon had struck was as stiff as a rod and easier to move, and Pete suspected he wasn’t breathing either. Once they were stowed in a corridor on the ship, Chameleon waved them in. “Follow me.”

  Lorna and Emily followed without question. Pete and Toby brought up the rear. Pete turned to his friend.

  “Who put him in charge?”

  The corridors were brightly lit and had a new, plastic sheen to them. They passed several closed doors and branching corridors, but Chameleon ignored them. Toby had the impression they were moving toward the center of the disc-shaped craft.

  “You sure you know where we’re heading?” he asked Chameleon as they paused at a junction.

  “If you’ve seen one of these ships, you’ve seen them all. The assembly chamber is in the middle.”

  “I haven’t seen any security.”

  “Oh, it’s there,” said Chameleon, looking cautiously around. “It just doesn’t know we are here. This way.”

  They crossed a junction into a circular corridor that curved on either side. Toby assumed that if he followed it he’d just loop back on himself. Chameleon paused at a door, then nodded.

  “He’s in there.”

  “How can you tell?” asked Toby. He was getting irritated with this cocksure hero marshaling them around.

  Pete stared at the door, and his gaze seemed to become unfocused. “He’s right. I can see him now.”

  “With that useless power, right?” said Chameleon. “Touch the door, and focus that X-ray vision.”

  Pete did as he was asked. The door undulated like water and then suddenly became transparent, although every blemish on the door could still be seen as if it was cast in glass. Everybody gasped, and Pete realized that they could all see through it too.

  “Not bad?” said Chameleon as he peered into the room. “Keep touching the door. And don’t worry—it’s one-way. He can’t see out.”

  Doc Tempest sat in a circular room opposite eight massive screens. Each screen was suspended from the ceiling on segmented metal arms that allowed it to move around the room tilting at any angle. This gave the chilling appearance that the shadowy faces on the screens were looking directly out at the world around them.

  Doc Tempest was hunched in a high-backed chair looking very worried at the faces surrounding him like predatory snakes. The sound seemed to carry through the X-rayed door as clearly as if the heroes were in the room.

  “Your behavior has been inappropriate, Tempest,” snarled a dreary voice from one of the screens. “So your information better be valuable.”

  A woman’s voice spoke up. “We suspect Basilisk is planning to extract revenge on the Council. What have you to say?”

  Lorna glanced at Chameleon. “Basilisk?”

  “Long story. B
ut he’s somebody crazier than Tempest. The Council of Evil banished him for breaking their rules.”

  “Rules?” asked Toby.

  “Even bad guys need some rules to follow. But after the Council created Villain.net, things got—”

  Pete looked up with interest. “Whoa, there’s a villain Web site too?”

  “Of course. How do you think—”

  “Sssh,” snapped Lorna. “Tempest’s speaking.”

  “I have given you enough information about Basilisk’s plans,” said Tempest. “I risked my life to steal it from under his nose. He’s working together with a boy.”

  “We know of the boy. And your facts have some merit. If it is true that Basilisk poses a risk to us all, then he must be stopped.”

  Chameleon gasped. “Tempest’s betraying his only ally! And we thought he was working directly with Basilisk. Ha! There certainly is no honor among thieves. This is a bad move for him. Great news for us.”

  Toby nodded, although he didn’t quite follow. It sounded like an espionage plot in a spy film, using one villain to trap another. But what he did understand was that Chameleon and the Council of Evil both wanted Basilisk and this boy. Toby wondered what kind of supervillain would cause such a manhunt.

  Doc Tempest’s gaze nervously flicked from screen to screen as they writhed around him. “I have submitted my report, now please can I have my permit?”

  “Very well, Tempest. The Council has decided your reconnaissance against Basilisk was sufficient. You have your permit for your scheme, and remember this time to pay commission on whatever you extort to the Council.”

  A look of relief flooded across Tempest’s face. He shook his fist victoriously. “Thank you. I’ll make the wise Council proud of me, I assure you!”

  A flash of anger crossed Chameleon’s face. “I’ve heard enough. We’ll stop this now. We’ll arrest Tempest and find out where he’s holding your mother.”

  He pulled Pete away from the door. Immediately the material reverted to steel. Chameleon hit a control button on the wall and the door swished open. Chameleon stepped inside with the four heroes behind in their best fighting stance.