“Where do these lead?” asked Shift.
“Basically anywhere the trains go. Trick is figuring out which ones go where. If you came down here without a map or knowledge of the tunnels, you’d end up completely lost.” Gunsmith raised his gauntlet and entered a few commands into it. He looked at Sharkskin. “That watch of yours have your safehouse programmed into it?”
Sharkskin nodded.
“Good, we need to sync up. My armor’s already got the maps of this place downloaded.”
They performed the task quickly. Gunsmith’s cybernetic eye provided him with an overlay of where to proceed. He followed the trail with Shift and Sharkskin behind him. All three of them felt like being back in the old days, back when the original Vanguard was still together.
Of course, a lot had changed since that time. Neither Shift nor Sharkskin were entirely sure they could trust Gunsmith. He also fought the cops who intercepted them, but that could have been to protect his cover.
“You two got married, huh?” he asked after they’d been walking for about twenty minutes.
“How’d you know that?” asked Shift.
“Cerberus has files on every known associate of Vanguard,” said Gunsmith. “Saw you have a daughter, too?”
“That’s right,” said Shift.
“I always had a feeling you two would end up together,” said Gunsmith. “Right from day one, you seemed to have a connection. What finally made it happen?”
“It’s not important right now,” said Shift. “I’m sure the Cerberus files told you what happened to the rest of the team?”
Gunsmith hesitated before giving a nod. “Yeah. I know all about that. Anita killed Dom, betrayed us to the Kotharians. Thorne was publicly executed. Zen was destroyed not long before I came out of the coma. And Lee died last year.”
“You’ve done your homework,” said Sharkskin.
“And now it’s you two, working with the Analyst.” Gunsmith scoffed. “I tell you, I still find it a little strange that he’s on our side.”
“A lot of that going around,” said Sharkskin, staring at the back of Gunsmith’s head.
“I know you don’t trust me. But I promise you, the Analyst will clear all this up. Once he’s scanned me, if you’re not a hundred percent certain that I’m on the level, you can feel free to kill me.”
“Might hold you to that,” said Sharkskin.
The rest of the journey passed in silence. By the time they reached their destination, it had been about three hours of walking. Gunsmith went to the access hatch and opened it, climbing out first. Shift followed and Sharkskin was the last to emerge.
“Not far from here according to this.” Gunsmith tapped the cybernetic eye.
They were now on the outskirts of the city center, out in the restricted zone where no one was allowed. Although Cerberus patrolled this area frequently, Gunsmith had the benefit of knowing those patrol routes and the blindspots they had.
They moved past the destroyed buildings and cracked streets, walking quickly to avoid being spotted by any wayward patrols. Before long, they came to an abandoned grocery store. Shift took over from here, leading them into the stock room. Beneath some old crates was a hidden door that opened after a retinal scan.
The staircase took them down into the bowels of the safehouse. The lights came on as soon as they reached the darkened floor. The Analyst waited patiently with Tuwa by his side.
“General Ellis,” said the Analyst. “It’s good to see you again.”
“Likewise.” Gunsmith approached the Analyst. Then he looked at Tuwa. “Been a long time.”
She scoffed. Gunsmith sighed. Tuwa never cared much for Cerberus even before the war. And now things were worse than ever. In many ways, Gunsmith was a symbol of the organization’s betrayal of the specials.
“So, shall we get this over with?” asked Gunsmith.
The Analyst gave a nod. “Yes, let’s finish this.” He closed his eyes and opened them again.
The strange glow that swirled around his irises entranced Gunsmith. Jim Ellis met the Analyst’s gaze, the two of them staring into each other. And as they made contact, Gunsmith could feel the Analyst’s psychic gaze entering his mind, peering through all the connections. He examined every one of the Cerberus general’s memories, seeing and dismissing them almost instantaneously. There was no evidence of tampering, no evidence of false information.
The Analyst broke the link and closed his eyes. He opened them again and addressed his teammates. “It wasn’t Ellis.”
“You should try again.” Tuwa kept a hard stare on Gunsmith. “There’s no one else it could be.”
“She’s got a point, are you sure there’s no way he might have had some kind of strong blocks?” asked Sharkskin.
“If he were shielded from my probes, if his memories were altered in any way, I would know,” said the Analyst.
“Is it possible someone could have put in blocks so powerful or manipulated his memories so expertly that not even you could tell?” asked Shift.
“My dear, I’ve been using these powers of mine since before specials existed. The Event only enhanced the abilities the CIA already unlocked,” said the Analyst. “And in all those decades, not once have I ever seen anything like that.”
“There is something.” Gunsmith folded his arms. “Look, I don’t know how much of this is true. Certainly nothing official’s come across my desk. But there’s a rumor around Cerberus that they’ve got someone inside Icarus. Someone who’s been feeding them intel. If it were true, it could explain how they knew to expect you at Proximo.”
“Except only the strike team was aware of the details of that mission, and before departure only Koji and I knew what was going on,” said Shift.
“The strike team wasn’t even aware we were heading towards Proximo until departure,” said Tuwa. “It couldn’t have been one of us.”
“And after they returned, I gave the entire team the same scan I just performed on you,” said the Analyst.
“There’s gotta be something then,” said Gunsmith. “Something we missed.”
The Analyst’s eyes suddenly widened. “My god…” he whispered, his terrified gaze meeting Shift. “I think we have bigger problems.”
CHAPTER 9
Talon flew rapidly through the corridors of the Icarus, moving as fast as her wings could take her. Chronos was on his glider, staying in close proximity to her. And Ink rode on the back of her hawk creation. The three of them flew towards the security center and stopped, the door opening for them as soon as they approached.
Inside were a series of monitors with a teenage girl sitting at the controls. She looked back and forth between all the monitors, apparently absorbing all the information at once. She looked at the new arrivals.
“Guys, we got a big problem,” she said.
“What is it, Cassie?” asked Talon, moving behind the girl. She looked at the monitors and saw what Cassie saw as well.
“They found us,” said Cassie.
On the screens were Cerberus jets flying within range of the Icarus. They surrounded the massive craft on all sides, as if the stealth cloak did absolutely nothing to hide them any longer.
“They know we’re here, Vicky!” said Cassie.
“Dammit…” Talon moved away from the monitors, clutching her head. “What do we do?”
“Do you have any weapons on this thing?” asked Chronos.
“Yeah, but look at the size of the Icarus. We’re not exactly equipped for maneuverability,” said Cassie.
“Right, but the two of you are.” Ink looked between Chronos and Talon. “And with my creations, I can give you some back-up while you’re fighting off those ships.”
“Against a Cerberus air squadron?” asked Talon. “I mean…”
“She’s right, Vic,” said Chronos. “It’s the only chance we’ve got.”
Talon took a deep breath. “Okay. Let me think…umm…Cassie, can you get in touch with the Analyst?”
“I’ve already sent a distress beacon but it looks like they’re jamming any further transmissions,” said Cassie. “I think we’re on our own up here.”
“Fine, put out a call throughout the ship. Any fliers, anyone with enough training to competently pilot a jump-ship, get them to the hangar. We’ll try to lure Cerberus away from Icarus. You work on getting it to safety.” Talon looked at Chronos and Ink. “I guess the rest is up to us?”
***
Talon stepped into the hangar with Chronos and Ink behind her. “Open it up, Cassie.”
From the control room, Cassie activated the hangar door, revealing the night sky lit up by the Cerberus fighters. Other residents of the Icarus arrived in the hangar, quickly proceeding to jump-ships. Talon felt a hand on her shoulder and looked at Ink.
“C’mon, we got this.”
Talon took a breath and nodded. Feathered wings emerged from her back and her fingers grew, becoming razor-sharp at the points. Her eyes changed color as well, turning yellow when her powers were active. The wings extended and flapped, lifting her off the ground and directing her towards the exit.
Chronos ran after her, jumping in the air and the armor components sliding down to form the glider beneath his feet. His gauntlet fed the baton into his waiting hand and it extended to its full length. The tip crackled with orange energy, forming into a blade.
Ink gave chase, too. As she moved, the dragon tattooed on her bare back came to life in a swirl of emerald energy. The tattoo peeled itself off her back and grew in size and length. Ink climbed onto the dragon’s neck, clutching to the ethereal ears and it flew out of the hangar exit.
Talon engaged one of the fighters head-on. Her lithe form and skill with her wings gave her great maneuverability, far more than the fighters were capable of. She twisted to the side, avoiding a burst of teleforce fire. Her wings propelled her forward with more speed and Talon dove. She twisted in midair so she was facing the underside of the fighter and dragged her clawed fingers across the metal surface. She released and the fighter went out of control, plummeting.
Chronos held a hand in front of him as he flew at the fighters, generating a shield around his body. He released it when he came within striking range, firing blasts from the tip of his staff. Another fighter came at him from behind and Chronos’ armor flashed an alert. He spun, twirling the staff in front of him and deflecting the teleforce projectiles right back at the fighter until it erupted into a flaming ball.
Ink clutched tightly to her creation as it spat ethereal flames at their attackers. She patted his head and carefully stood up. Another fighter dove to avoid the dragon’s attack. Ink jumped off the dragon and held out her arms. A tattoo of a eagle on her body came to life and clutched her tightly in its grip. Once she was close enough, the eagle released her and Talon fell onto the roof of the fighter.
The pilot looked up through the canopy at her. Ink held out her arm. Tribal, claw-like tattoos snaked down their placement on her arm until they manifested physically as a weapon. She jammed the sharp points into the canopy several times, cracking it open. Ink whistled and the eagle returned, swooping low and tearing the pilot free from the cockpit in its talons.
Ink hopped into the fighter and took control of it, righting the ship. She sent a transmission to the Icarus using Vanguard’s secure codes. “Cass, I’m uploading all the data on this fighter’s computer to you. Let’s see just what Cerberus is up to here.”
“Okay, it’s coming in now,” said Cassie, her voice broadcasting through Ink’s earbud. “How are you guys holding up out there?”
“We’re managing,” said Ink. “Any luck reaching the others?”
“Nothing yet. Jump-ships have launched but doesn’t look like they’re making much of a path.”
“How are you doing on the escape plan?”
“We have some coordinates locked in, should be ready to move any minute now.”
Once the upload finished, Ink shifted into attack mode. She flew after the Cerberus fighters that were targeting Icarus. Ink lined up her first shot. With the canopy destroyed, she had to rely on her own aim. She pulled the trigger and the teleforce guns fired completely off-target.
“Dammit!”
She lined up another shot, this time trying to make sure everything was set up perfectly. The guns fired again, most of the blasts missing but a few of them hitting one of the fighters. It turned its attention to her and flew right towards her.
“Oh crap, that’s not what I wanted.”
Ink pushed down on the stick and the fighter dove. Her pursuer came after her, but as he dove, he was suddenly blown up by one of the Icarus jump-ships. Ink looked up and saw one of the Icarus passengers smiling at her through the canopy. Ink smiled back and turned her attention back to the battle. Her dragon and eagle flanked her ship and took the offense, dealing out most of the damage as Ink supported them with the fighter’s guns.
“We’re ready to jump!” said Cassie.
“Good, do it,” said Talon.
“What about you guys?”
“We’ll catch up later,” said Ink.
Blue energy circled all around the Icarus. It was slow-going at first due to the massive size of the ship. But soon enough, it started to fade from sight. The Cerberus fighters reacted in anger to this, throwing the full brunt of their attack on the Icarus, trying to damage it as much as possible before it was gone.
It wasn’t enough. The teleportation engines inside the Icarus finally managed to convert enough power and compensate for the ship’s massive size. The energy swirled even more rapidly until the Icarus faded from sight, teleporting to some unknown location.
Now the fighters turned their attention to those who remained. Chronos’ armor alerted him to several lock-ons. “I think we made them angry.”
“Yeah, I’d say that’s a pretty accurate statement,” said Ink.
“So what are we waiting for?” Talon tensed her fingers, the sharp tips scraping against each other.
She flew directly at the fighters with Chronos and Ink following her lead. The Icarus jump-ships joined the action as well, waging a full assault on the Cerberus vessels.
Chronos rocketed forward, using his staff to fire a rapid series of concussive blasts intended to stagger the fighter and keep it off-balance. Once he got close enough, an energy blade emerged from the staff’s tip and he dragged it through the wing of the fighter, sending it careening off-course. But before he could turn to engage the next target, he was struck from behind. Three fighters converged on him and unleashed their payloads.
The glider was damaged and he fell. The HUD vanished from his display and now he was left just looking through the crimson glass of his visor. Chronos tried to call out for help, but no one could hear him.
And then, everything just went black.
EPILOGUE
Chronos jumped, waking with a start. He remembered falling, his armor not responding to his commands. The HUD had vanished and he lost all power. And then…then there was nothing. Just darkness.
He was breathing heavily and sighed, sliding his feet off the cot. Cot? Chronos reached a hand down and tested the mattress. It was old, but better than anything he’d slept on in his time.
He was in a dark room. Stone walls. Probably underground, he imagined. And then he realized that his armor was gone. Chronos looked down at his body and saw he was dressed in loose-fitting pants and a shirt. Was he a prisoner?
There came the sound of a door opening. Chronos turned and instantly got into a fighting stance. But without his weapons, he wasn’t sure how effective he would be. Still, he readied himself anyway.
“You’re awake. Good.”
Chronos squinted to compensate for the new burst of light that came from the hallway. He tried to make out the woman who stood before him. She looked to be in her forties, with short, blond hair. And she was dressed all in white.
“Come on,” she said. “He wants to meet you.”
“Who’s he?” asked Chronos. “Who a
re you?”
“My name is Zephyr,” she said. “Now follow me.”
Zephyr turned and walked down the hallway. Chronos was skeptical but stepped outside as well. He moved into the stone corridor, which had lighting elements installed into the walls. Zephyr was already a few steps ahead of him and Chronos followed quickly.
They moved through several levels of what looked to be a massive, underground complex. A series of caverns all hidden away from anyone who would seek to find these people.
Zephyr finally brought Chronos to a door. She opened it and stepped inside, holding it open for him. Once Chronos was in, Zephyr closed the door and locked it behind her.
Chronos slowly stepped forward. He saw a large banner hanging from ceiling to floor, with a clenched, red hand rising up. And seated in front of the banner was a large throne, upon which sat a man who looked to be in his sixties or so. His goatee was silver and he wore a red robe with gold trim. Despite his age, he still looked like he kept in great shape.
“Ah good, he’s here.” The old man rose from his chair and descended from the raised dais. He smiled at Chronos and extended a hand. “It’s good to meet you, my friend.”
Chronos carefully shook his hand. “What happened? Where are Talon and Ink?”
The man sighed. “Unfortunately, we believe your friends were taken captive by Cerberus. But no matter, we can deal with them soon enough.” The man held out his arm and snapped his fingers. Zephyr brought him something and passed it into his grasp. Chronos’ eyes widened, recognizing instantly his helmet. The old man turned it so Chronos could see the red visor.
The man spoke in a deep, calm voice. “I would like to talk to you about this technology you have access to. It’s quite different from anything we’ve seen before.”
“What the hell is going on here? Why am I here?” asked Chronos.
“We had sources inside Cerberus. They let us know of the attack on the Icarus,” said Zephyr. “We tried to intervene but by the time we arrived, it was too late. You were the only one we found. The rest were either dead or captured.”
Vanguard: Season Four: A Superhero Adventure Page 5