by Dana Gricken
“I think I’ll stay here,” Jacob said, searching through the pockets of his trench coat. “Maybe the Healer and I can find a crystal that works.”
I nodded as I left the room, walking down the damaged, scorched hallways. The building was still in rough condition, with debris and dust everywhere. The Golems were doing their best to help us rebuild it, but there was only so much we could do with limited resources.
As I passed the civilians of New York City down the hallway—some of them living in spare rooms of the headquarters, others living in the barracks—they froze in fear at the sight of my black irises. Was I really that frightening? Seeing soulless should have been a normal occurrence for them by now. They had spent the past few weeks sleeping, eating, and living with them.
But they had come to see me as a hero. Witnessing me turn into one of the soulless had to have been traumatic for them. If it could happen to me, what did that mean for the rest of them?
I caught King Bane’s eyes in the crowd, and he nodded in approval. At least I knew some people would support me.
The courtyard was quiet and empty when I arrived, with birds chirping in the distance and sunlight shining. Caleb was setting up some practice dummies, and I prayed they would reveal something. As for my power, I didn’t really care what it was, as long as it could help us.
“Hey,” Caleb said, smiling once he saw me. “How do you feel?”
“Much better. Being soulless takes a little getting used to, but I think I’m learning.”
He took my hand in his and kissed it, gently. “I was worried about you, Riley. While you were unconscious, I thought I’d killed you. Or worse, that if you woke up, you wouldn’t be who you were before.”
“Everything’s okay. I’ll be fine, as long as I keep this crystal on,” I replied. “Despite everything, there’s one advantage to me becoming soulless.”
He scoffed. “Like what?”
“I feel like I finally understand you, Caleb. The struggle your people face, the Primal’s voice, the raw power… If anything, it’s brought us closer.”
“I guess you’re right. Still, this is a burden I never wanted you to carry,” he replied. “I just want you to know my feelings for you haven’t changed. I saw how your father reacted, and how upset you were. I hope you know I still see you as the same Riley.”
“I know, and I still feel the same way for you,” I replied. I gestured to the small training course. “Now, how does this work?”
“I thought I’d expose you to several different powers, in an attempt to see if you can recreate them. I asked for help from some of the soulless. But I have to warn you—it could hurt.”
“Do it anyway. This is something we need to know.”
Caleb nodded, just as King Bane, Ruby, and Jade exited the building. They joined us in the courtyard, getting their powers ready for the test.
“Miss Stark, I am glad to see you’re awake,” Bane said, bowing. “We were all very concerned.”
“And now you’re soulless, no less,” Jade said, with a smile on her face. “It’s about time. Maybe we’ll get a little more respect around here.”
Caleb cleared his throat. “Riley, let’s start with the dummies. Are you able to move them with your mind?”
I lifted my hand, aiming it at the dummies and concentrating as desperately as I could. I frowned when nothing happened. “I guess my power isn’t telekinesis.”
“Focus on me,” Caleb said. “Are you able to read my thoughts? Maybe you can even project your own onto me?”
I looked at him, trying to connect our minds. I heard nothing besides the squawking birds, and I sighed again. “Nope, that’s not it.”
“What about improved strength, like what Severin had before he died?” Ruby asked. “Attack the dummy and we’ll see.”
I took a running start before I lunged at the dummy. With my bare fists, I punched as hard as I could. It fell apart after a few minutes, sending pieces of fabric everywhere, but I wasn’t convinced.
I shrugged. “I guess I could have better strength, but there’s no way to tell between my implants and my soulless power.”
“May I interrupt?” Bane asked, stepping forward. “While I am not as knowledgeable as Wanda or a Master of Old, I do believe you’re forgetting something about soulless powers.”
“Really? What is it?”
“Two soulless rarely have the same power,” Bane replied. “If you doubt this, take a look at the soulless among us. We are unique and strong in our own ways.”
Caleb shook his head. “I’ve seen soulless with the same power before.”
Bane nodded. “I said rarely, but it’s not impossible. For two soulless to share a power, they must be spiritually connected—whether from birth or forged by an event. Think of them as two arms belonging to the same body. They move in sync, like twins.”
“Are you sure it’s rare?” I asked. “Doctor Zero’s soulless all had powers of fire, ice, and electricity. I agree with Caleb.”
Bane chuckled. “I’m talking about natural, original soulless from birth—not those artificial imbeciles Dr. Zero created. True soulless powers aren’t normally duplicated.”
I paused. “Aren’t I one of those artificial imbeciles? I took Doctor Zero’s serum too.”
“No, I don’t think so,” King Bane said. “There’s something…different about you. Off, even. Perhaps the fact that you were becoming a Red Sentinel first—unlike his other test subjects—has something to do with it.”
“Look, we’re getting off track here,” Jade said, rolling her eyes. “Let’s just try everything. What do we have to lose?”
For the next hour, we put our heads together and made a list of possible powers. Bane electrocuted me, which did nothing but cause me pain. Jade transformed her arm into a sword again and gave me a small cut on my bicep. I bled for a few minutes, but I didn’t have the power to heal myself. Ruby’s gravity did little but make me float in the air. I was unable to resist or replicate their abilities.
I discovered what my power wasn’t, but not what it actually could be. I took a seat on a nearby bench, panting and tired. The others looked just as exhausted, even if they wouldn’t admit it.
I sighed. This had been a waste of time. We weren’t any closer to finding out what my power was.
“Maybe I’m a Defect, like the Embers,” I said. “There are some soulless who don’t have powers.”
“You’re right about that,” Caleb began, “but I don’t think you’re a Defect, Riley. My father was right before. There’s something different about you—something powerful. I can feel it.”
Bane nodded. “And I vow to help you discover it, no matter how long it takes us.”
Patrick bolted out of the building, scanning the courtyard. When he saw me, he rushed over. I finally saw a crooked smile on his face again.
“Good news, kid,” he said, and I rose to my feet. “Jacob managed to get us a signal. Don’t know how he did it, but he’s a whiz at that stuff. We have Internet and telephone access.”
“That’s good. What is the world saying about us?”
“Nothing. They have no clue what the hell is going on in New York City. All they know is that the White House was destroyed and the president is missing, but they’re scared shitless to investigate,” Patrick replied. “Jacob said we got an incoming call. You better take it.”
“Why? Who is it?”
“The United Nations—and they ain’t too happy, from what I’ve heard.”
I gulped. Trying to explain my black irises and the General’s disappearance wasn’t going to be easy. Would they understand, or declare me a traitor?
I took a deep breath and nodded. “Lead the way, Patrick. The world needs to know the truth…even if they don’t like it.”
2
General Stark
Caleb trailed behind me as I followed Patrick into the conference room. It had been one of the first rooms repaired, but it was still dusty and cluttered. Jacob crouched next to
the television screen, fiddling with one of the computers, and he looked up once I entered the room.
“Whenever you’re ready, Riley,” Jacob began. “Just let me know and I’ll connect you to the United Nations.”
“Good luck, kid,” Patrick said, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “Tell me how it goes, okay?”
“Wait a minute. You’re not going to stay?” I asked. “What if I mess up, or don’t know what to say next?”
Patrick scoffed. “Look at me, kid. I’m just an old soldier. The well-dressed bastards at the U.N. don’t want to hear a peep from me. I promise you’ll do fine. And if not, we’ll just never call them again.”
I groaned. Patrick really needed to work on his pep talk skills.
He closed the door as he left, leaving the three of us inside. The room was dead silent, and I took a few moments to calm myself down. If I made a mistake, the United Nations might take away their support.
And we needed moral support more than anything right now.
“What about me, Riley?” Caleb asked. “Should I leave as well? I don’t want to frighten them.”
“No. The soulless are our allies now, and I want the United Nations to know about it,” I replied. “If they don’t like it, too bad.”
Caleb reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of colored contacts. They were green, just like my eyes before they’d turned black. “You might want to wear these, Riley. If they have trouble accepting me, I can’t imagine they’ll be thrilled to learn their greatest Sentinel is now soulless.”
I nodded, taking a few minutes to insert them into my eyes. It was tricky, but I managed to do it. “This reminds me of the old days when I used to sneak into the Underworld to see you. Do you remember?”
Caleb chuckled. “How could I forget? It was the best time of my life. A lot has changed since then.”
“Yeah, I know.” I took a deep breath. “Go ahead, Jacob. Make the connection.”
Jacob nodded and pressed a button on his computer. The television turned to static before the giant United Nations building appeared on the screen. I saw dozens of world leaders, and they all shared the same small look on their faces.
Fear. I had grown to know it so well.
A week after Doctor Zero’s attack, the United Nations had fled their headquarters in New York City for Geneva, Switzerland. They had deemed it too dangerous to stay—but they were perfectly fine with us risking our lives.
“Miss Stark, is that you?” the Canadian prime minister asked. “We’ve been trying to contact you for weeks, but there hasn’t been a signal coming out of New York City. We wanted to send soldiers, but we were afraid the soulless might’ve taken control of your country already.”
I shook my head. “They haven’t. There’s a simple explanation for everything, sir. Doctor Zero destroyed New York City and the White House. He wanted to turn everyone soulless. We stopped him…but it cost us a lot.”
“Is that so? Where are the General and President Lang?” the prime minister of Great Britain asked. “We must speak to them.”
“The General and the Sentinels were doing terrible experiments on their people, and now they’ve gone into hiding with President Lang. We don’t know where they are, or what they’re doing,” I replied. “I wanted to tell you, we aren’t the Sentinels anymore. We’re calling ourselves the Samaritans now.”
“Why? What makes you different?” the prime minister of Australia asked. “You’re still hunting the soulless, right?”
I shook my head, gesturing toward Caleb. “Not really. Meet Caleb. He’s soulless, and one of my closest allies.”
He stepped closer to the screen, moving into view. He nodded as everyone’s eyes went wide. “Hello, United Nations. It’s nice to meet you.”
The room broke out in a series of gasps and murmurs. Whatever they had expected me to say in this meeting, I was sure it wasn’t that.
“Your…closest ally?” the Canadian prime minister asked. “The war between the Sentinels and the soulless has been going on for more than a century. You can’t possibly be telling us you’re on the same side now!”
“I am. They’re not all bad,” I replied. “If given the chance, the soulless can help us. They’re already helping us rebuild the headquarters, and they’ve agreed to an alliance.”
“That’s preposterous!” the British prime minister said, slamming her fist on the table. “The soulless are enemies of the world, not just the United States. This is the way it’s always been. They’re dangerous and bloodthirsty. We won’t ally with them!”
“You have no choice,” I replied, taking out my contacts. “If you don’t want them as allies, I guess you don’t want me, either.”
Instead of gasps, no one said anything. I thought they were too shocked to speak. When the room remained quiet, I cleared my throat and decided to explain myself.
“Before I killed Doctor Zero, he turned me soulless. But with the Purity Crystal, I can have a conscience again. As both a Sentinel and a soulless, I can lead the world to peace. Isn’t that what we’re fighting for?”
The world leaders looked around at each other, breathless.
“We must think on this, Miss Stark,” the Canadian prime minister said. “It’s a lot to take in. Without a president or the General, the United States is in jeopardy. We must do something to protect it and our own countries. We’ll get back to you shortly.”
The television screen turned to static again, and Jacob looked to me. “Okay, they’re gone. You can talk freely now.”
“I don’t think that went well. It’s clear my power isn’t calming other people,” I muttered, sighing. “Maybe I shouldn’t have told them I was soulless.”
“And hide who you are?” Caleb asked, shaking his head. “You said it yourself, Riley. The soulless and soulful are allies now. If we want to have peace, the first step is honesty.”
“Jacob, can I talk to Caleb alone, please?”
He nodded, rising to his feet. “No problem. If you need anything else, just let me know.” As he tugged on the door, he looked over his shoulder. “And Riley? Don’t stress about the meeting. You did fine. If the U.N. can’t handle it, that’s their problem.”
When the door closed, Caleb turned to me. “He’s right, you know. Are you okay?”
“No. I really need to talk to you about something,” I replied. “I avoided mentioning it to them until I learned more. It’s about the Cardinal.”
Caleb’s face went pale. He looked down at the floor, trying to avoid my eyes. He always did that whenever I brought the Cardinal up, which wasn’t often, but often enough to notice his strange behavior. “I told you already, Riley. I know nothing about the Cardinal.”
“You say that, but I know you, Caleb,” I replied. “I can tell when you’re lying. When I ran into Spencer, he mentioned something about Darkhunters and fighting the Cardinal. If another war is coming, shouldn’t I know about it?”
Caleb sighed. “I don’t know anything about the Darkhunters, but the Cardinal? It’s not easy to explain. It’s…somewhat of a taboo.”
There was a rough knock at the door. A second later, Patrick poked his head inside. “Sorry to interrupt, kid, but we’re having a meeting out here. Care to join?”
I nodded, following him out into the hallway. Caleb came with me, staying silent. If he thought our discussion was over, then he didn’t know me very well. I needed to find out more information on the Cardinal, and without Spencer around, Caleb was my only hope.
We walked into the main area where the lobby had been. There was a cluster of people here, all ex-Sentinels dressed in full armor, including my old squad. As I scanned the room, I didn’t see Dad anywhere. It was strange. He always liked to be in the loop, especially during meetings.
“Amelia Rayne set up a TV out here so we could watch the U.N. call,” Patrick said. “Hope you don’t mind.”
I shook my head. “Not at all. What’s this meeting about?”
“Well, we heard what the leaders sa
id,” Marissa said shyly. “Especially the part about how we don’t have the General or the president anymore…”
“What she means to say is that we need a leader,” Tyler said. “You know, someone to guide us when it looks like we’re screwed.”
“Which, by the way, seems to be right now,” Tom added.
“You’re right. We’d operate better with someone in charge,” I replied. “Any ideas on who it should be?” When the entire room looked at me, I shook my head. “No, absolutely not. I’m just a soldier. I can’t be the new General when I barely have experience!”
“Don’t sell yourself short, kid,” Patrick replied. “You stopped the Dark Queen and Doctor Zero. We’re all just trying to keep up with you. Hell, you make me look like an amateur.”
“I agree with them, Riley,” Caleb said. “Everyone, soulless and soulful, respects you here. No one else has earned that kind of trust to lead us.”
I took a moment to think about it. Being in charge meant everything was my responsibility—both our successes and our failures. It was a lot of stress and pressure. But on the other hand, no one knew the soulless like I did. And everyone was already taking orders from me.
“Okay,” I replied, but it didn’t seem like I had a choice. “I’ll be your new General.”
The group cheered. They had more confidence in me than I did.
“Welcome to your first official day on the job, General Stark,” Patrick said, patting my shoulder. “And it’s a damn pleasure to work for you. General Grissom always made my skin crawl.”
I smiled. “Mine too. And please, just call me Riley. The General reminds me of Grissom, and he’s the last person I want to think about right now.” I paused, and remembered something.“Hey, where did Dad go?”
Patrick looked around and shrugged. “No clue. Saw him an hour ago, though, and he looked pissed. Thought he’d be by your side again.”
I shook my head. “No, I haven’t seen him in a while. Not since…anyway, I’ll go find him.”
As I left the group, they went back to work—repairing the building, taking care of our garden, and increasing our security defenses. I hadn’t seen Dad in hours, and the last time had been when he had found out I was soulless. I should’ve known he would have a problem with it.