Vanguard: Seasons 1-3: A Superhero Adventure

by Percival Constantine

  “We have some specials who are able to keep us more or less invisible,” said the Exemplar. “The Ferryman is the only way anyone has ever accessed this place.”

  “I heard there was some commotion when you two arrived,” said Tuwa.

  “The Pack,” said the Exemplar.

  Both Tuwa and the Ferryman groaned. Koji studied each of their faces. “I’m guessing you’re talking about those werewolves we dealt with?”

  “Fenris and his little lapdogs,” said the Ferryman. “They’ve been a pretty consistent pain in our ass.”

  “So why put up with them?” asked Koji, folding his arms and leaning against the wall.

  “Arcadia is open to all specials as long as they play by the rules,” said the Exemplar. “Fenris is headstrong, but he hasn’t broken any laws yet. More of a nuisance than anything.”

  Tuwa stepped closer to Koji and Erin. “You must both be tired after your trip. I can show you to a place you can stay.”

  Erin was about to speak, but Koji put a hand on her shoulder and interrupted before she could say a word. “Actually, we’re just looking around right now.”

  “You’re welcome to stay as long as you like. And if Arcadia’s not for you, the Ferryman will take you back whenever you’re ready to go,” said the Exemplar. “Tuwa, can you show them where they can rest?”

  She nodded. “Of course.” Tuwa led Erin and Koji from the building and back down the hill and into town. She glanced behind at them every now and then as she spoke. “You’re part of Vanguard?”

  “Were,” said Erin. “We were sh—separated.” She was about to say, “shut down,” but then decided it was better not to reveal their connection with the government. Even if Vanguard was truly over, she didn’t want to take any chances.

  “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Kinda got the impression that we don’t have a lot of fans out here,” said Koji.

  Tuwa snickered. “Because of the Pack? They don’t speak for everyone here.”

  “We did smack around your founder.”

  “Yes, but then you also helped him escape from the Red Fist,” said Tuwa. “Callum’s a good man. He admits he made some mistakes when he first discovered his powers and now he’s trying to make amends. That’s what Arcadia’s all about—a second chance.”

  After they reached the foot of the hill, Tuwa took them to a small structure near the edge of the town. There was a bathroom, two bedrooms, and a small kitchen attached to a sitting room. Some furniture but not much. The bedrooms weren’t as big as the ones Koji and Erin had grown accustomed to in Atlas, but they would do for now.

  “You can stay here. Sorry we’ve got to double you up for now, but we’re running short on space,” said Tuwa.

  “It’s fine,” said Erin.

  “I’ll let you get settled. It’s good to meet you both.” Tuwa nodded and left, closing the door behind her.

  Erin sat down on the couch in the sitting room, looking up at Koji. “So what do you think? Pretty nice, huh?”

  Koji sighed and sat beside her. “Yeah, except for Fenris and his crew.”

  “You heard what the Ferryman said. The Pack has always been a pain.”

  “I dunno, Erin.” Koji scratched his head and sat back. “Something about this just doesn’t feel right to me. Maybe I’m just suspicious of the Exemplar.”

  “He did help us stop the Khagan. Plus you heard what Tuwa said—he’s trying to make up for his mistakes,” said Erin. “If he wants to change, shouldn’t we give him a second chance?”

  “You’re probably right. I just don’t like it.”

  Erin scoffed and stood, crossing her arms. “Just what else do we have? Not just us but the rest of these people. You saw what some of them looked like. Where are they supposed to go?”

  “I’m not saying it’s a bad place,” said Koji. “I’m just suspicious of the Exemplar, that’s all. I know they said this is some kind of democracy, but did you see that place up on the hill? And the way everyone looked at him when he broke up the fight with the Pack? Feels like despite talk of a democracy, these people look at the Exemplar like he’s their savior.”

  Erin sighed and sat beside Koji, patting his hand. “Please, just give it a chance? Just a few days. If you still don’t like it, then we’ll leave.”

  Koji hesitated for a moment but then nodded and held up two fingers. “Two days, that’s it. Deal?”

  Erin offered her hand. “Deal.”

  Koji smirked and they shook on it.

  CHAPTER 6

  Koji chose to stay behind and relax, but Erin took time to explore the town square. The sun was setting and she wandered around as people milled about. Some people avoided her as she walked around, but a few gave her half-hearted smiles.

  She wasn’t sure why everyone was so scared of her and Koji. She knew the rumors about Vanguard online, but she never expected there were people who actually believed that Vanguard was out to cause trouble for them. Persecuting their own kind, why would anyone think they were capable of that? All they’d ever done was stand up to specials who were endangering innocent lives.

  Erin tried not to focus too much on it. She found herself wandering from town and out onto the shores. She saw a woman standing waist-deep in the water and Erin approached the waves. Erin started to wade into the water herself and called out.

  “Hey there.”

  The woman turned and Erin nearly gasped in surprise when she saw the gills on the woman’s neck. She dove beneath the water and Erin saw a tail splash above the surface.

  “Wait!”

  Erin moved deeper into the ocean, treading out until the water level reached her neck. She looked around but could find no sign of the woman. And then she heard something behind her. Erin turned and the woman’s head poked out of the water. “Sorry if I scared you.”

  The mermaid just stared at her, not offering any response.

  “Are you okay?” asked Erin.

  “You’re one of them.”

  “Them? Them what?” asked Erin. “You mean Vanguard?”

  The mermaid gave a nod. “You attacked other specials. Hunted them down for the government.”

  “No, it wasn’t like that,” said Erin. “We just tried to stop bad specials from hurting people. From putting themselves above the rest of us.”

  “So you weren’t working for the government?”

  “It’s—it’s not that simple,” said Erin. “Look, can we just go back to shore and I can explain things?”

  “You can’t even answer a simple question, how do you expect to explain anything?”

  “No, it’s just—” Erin sighed. “Look, there are just some things I can’t talk about. I wish I could, but I can’t.”

  “And you want me to trust you?” The mermaid swam out a little bit more. Her tail broke the surface and slammed back down, splashing water into Erin’s face. The young special wiped the water from her eyes and the mermaid was gone.

  Erin sighed, treading water all alone. She couldn’t see any sign of that mermaid again. Why did so many specials hate them? She had hoped that Arcadia would be a place where they could be among their own kind.

  She swam back to shore. Koji had agreed to stay a few days here but now she wasn’t sure if she even wanted to stay that long. Already she began to feel just as out of place as she felt back in Madison.

  ***

  Tuwa stepped into the building that served as the meeting room for the Council of Arcadia that included both the Exemplar and the Ferryman. But she was surprised to see a third man with a gray beard and a bald head sitting at the table.

  The Exemplar closed the door behind Tuwa and led her to a seat, but she never took her eyes off the new arrival. “What’s he doing here?”

  “Animus came to tell us about the current mood of the island,” said the Exemplar.

  “And what can he tell us?” asked Tuwa as she sat at the table.

  Animus rested his elbows on the table, his fingers interlocked. “I
think you’re playing with fire, my friends. Word is spreading fast among the populace. They know about your two new Vanguard friends and the fear is dripping off them.”

  “Maybe it’s not such a good idea for them to be here,” said the Ferryman. “Say the word and I’ll take them back where they came from.”

  “That’s a bit rash, isn’t it?” asked Tuwa. “They haven’t even done anything.”

  “And should they do something, the results could be catastrophic,” said Animus. “We have survived these past six months with a tenuous balance. The hall meetings help people feel like they are in control but all secretly know that this council is the true power behind Arcadia.”

  “That’s not true,” said the Exemplar.

  “Oh?” Animus sat back in his chair. “My mistake.”

  The Exemplar allowed his gaze to linger on Animus before finally addressing Tuwa. “What was your impression of them?”

  “The boy doesn’t seem very keen on staying. If he had his way, I think they’d already be gone,” said Tuwa.

  “And Shift?”

  “She’s…conflicted. I get the sense she’s still searching for something,” said Tuwa. “But whether or not Arcadia is that thing remains to be seen.”

  “Ferryman?” asked the Exemplar.

  The Ferryman shook his cloaked head. “I’m not the best judge of character. But I think there’s something to what Animus is saying. Don’t forget about what happened between them and the Pack.”

  “Don’t brush that aside, either,” said Animus. “The Pack may be an extreme case, but their actions were borne from fear. Having these two in Arcadia could be a potential powder keg. Should it go off, there’s no telling the kind of chaos it could unleash.”

  “They’re good people,” said Tuwa. “Give them time, the others will see that, too.”

  The Exemplar rubbed his chin as he thought on the opinions of the council. “I’ve fought beside them and against them, but I think we can trust them. We should follow Tuwa’s advice. Animus, I’d like you to start talking to people in town, let them know that Shift and Sharkskin are just two more specials, no different from anyone else here.”

  A banging sound came from the door. The gathered all looked at the door and the pounding continued unabated. The Exemplar stood and approached the door, opening it. Fenris burst into the room, in his wolf form, his claws and teeth bared, spoiling for a fight.

  “What the hell are you doing?” asked the Exemplar.

  “I warned you!” spat Fenris, pointing a clawed finger at the Exemplar.

  “Warned us about what?” asked the Ferryman, rising from his seat.

  “It’s Zev!” said Fenris. “They killed him!”

  CHAPTER 7

  Erin was surprised to hear the knocking on the door to the small hut she and Koji were sharing. She rubbed her eyes and sat up in bed, glancing over at the digital clock on the nightstand. The time was around midnight.

  She climbed out of bed and walked from her room to the front door. When she opened it, she was surprised to see the Exemplar standing there. Erin blinked again. “What’s going on?”

  “Where is he?”

  “Erin?” Koji stepped out of his room, rubbing his eyes as well. He blinked a few times when he saw the Exemplar standing there. “Hey, what’s going on?”

  “Where were you tonight?” asked the Exemplar, stepping into the room and pushing past Erin.

  “Huh?” asked Koji. “I’ve been here.”

  “Can you prove that?”

  “Of course. Shift was right here the whole time.”

  The Exemplar cast a suspicious glance in Erin’s direction. “It seems I woke you. When did you go to sleep.”

  Erin shrugged. “Dunno exactly. I got tired pretty early, though. Maybe around ten or so?”

  The Exemplar turned his attention to Koji. “Then she can’t help you.”

  “Help me with what?”

  “Yeah, what’s this about?” asked Erin.

  “One of the Pack has been found dead. Fenris has accused Sharkskin.”

  “What?” asked Koji. “That’s insane!”

  The Exemplar sighed. “I don’t want to believe it myself. Especially since I vouched for the two of you. But you are the most-likely suspect.”

  “But you guys told us that the Pack has caused trouble before!” said Erin. “Maybe someone else did this!”

  “We’ll look into that possibility, but it doesn’t change the fact that Sharkskin is still a suspect.” The Exemplar stepped closer towards Koji. “Just come with me and we’ll figure this out. I promise you’ll be treated fairly.”

  Erin moved in front of the Exemplar, staring up at him with big, yellow eyes. “Please don’t do this! Give us a chance to help you find out who’s responsible! It’s what we do, remember?”

  “You don’t have Vanguard’s resources anymore and I can’t circumvent the law. I’m sorry, but I have to take Sharkskin into custody.” He looked past Erin. “Will you come quietly?”

  Koji clenched his fist and Erin noticed the pale transformation of his skin color. She watched him with pleading eyes. “Don’t! You’ll only make things worse!”

  He didn’t listen. Koji Asano jumped but when he crossed the distance between him and the Exemplar, he had transformed into Sharkskin. Razor-sharp claws slashed across the Exemplar’s blue and white uniform, tearing into the cloth but leaving the skin more or less unscratched. The force of the blow threw the Exemplar back out into the town.

  Sharkskin emerged from the building, stepping out into the town. The Exemplar had been thrown against the adjoining house, leaving a dent in the stone wall. The force and sound of the impact drew the occupants out the front door, who looked at the scene with horror. Sharkskin glared at the young couple and bared his teeth at them.

  The Exemplar sprung from his location, barreling into Sharkskin with force that threw him back into an empty house. Sharkskin’s momentum sent him through the wall and the lack of support caused the roof to cave in on top of him. The Exemplar hovered above the ground, rising above the rubble and staring down.

  “Stay down, Sharkskin. I’m not going to tell you again.”

  Sharkskin burst from the rubble, rising high enough to grab hold of the Exemplar’s ankle. He used his grip to pull himself higher, his meaty hand wrapping around the Exemplar’s throat.

  The two men wrestled while still miraculously being kept aloft by the Exemplar’s power of flight. Sharkskin delivered thunderous blows to his foe’s face.

  “This seem familiar, King? Remember how I beat your ass back in Chicago?”

  The Exemplar put his palms on Sharkskin’s chest and unleashed a double burst of energy from his hands, blowing Sharkskin off him and throwing him back among the rubble.

  “As I recall, you could only sucker-punch me after Paragon did all the work.”

  Sharkskin growled and jumped again, but the Exemplar was prepared. He caught Sharkskin, going with his momentum and spinning in the air. The Exemplar then hurled him into another home, with the occupant running screaming.

  Long, green tendrils snaked out and wrapped around the Exemplar’s body. He turned his head and saw Shift holding her elongated arms out from the ground. “Stop this! We don’t have to fight!”

  The Exemplar fired an energy blast that struck her in the head and released her grip on him. “Your friend started this. I’m going to end it.”

  Shift sat up, rubbing her head in pain. What was going on here? Both the Exemplar and Sharkskin were acting crazy. She tried to call after the Exemplar, but he’d already gone after Sharkskin again.

  ***

  Sharkskin rose amidst the rubble of another destroyed house. He shook his head, trying to get control of his bearings. He felt like he was in a fugue state and couldn’t explain what was happening. He tried to backtrack his thoughts.

  The Exemplar showed up at their door, accusing Koji of murder. The next thing Koji knew, they were battling in the middle of the town. But why
did he feel like he was watching the fight from outside himself? It felt like a half-remembered dream.

  And then the dream came crashing back to reality when the Exemplar flew into him from the air like a missile. Sharkskin had no time to brace himself from the attack and now he laid motionless on the ground.

  Koji felt his form losing mass. He couldn’t maintain his concentration any more and now he was reverting back to his human form. He felt a strong hand around his neck and then he was hoisted into the air. Koji weakly opened his eyes, looking down at the Exemplar, who stared back at him with contempt.

  “Stay down this time, murderer,” he said. “I won’t allow you to ruin everything we’ve worked so hard to build here.”

  Koji wanted to say something in his defense, but the words escaped him. He could barely move, let alone speak. It wasn’t long before the darkness came over him and the world went to black.

  ***

  Fenris moved through the brush, going deep into the woods that surrounded Arcadia. He ran across the terrain, jumping when necessary to avoid obstacles without missing a beat. He leapt and swung from branches until he finally came to a clearing. A small pond stood at the edge of the clearing with a mountain wall encasing it. He sniffed the air and he could detect the scent of the man he was here to meet.

  “Good work,” said Animus, stepping out from the forest. “Everything is going according to plan.”

  “Why did it have to be Zev?” asked Fenris. “Why did it have to be one of my people?”

  “Because it provides motive. Your people attacked them, so this makes him look guilty.”

  Fenris knelt down at the pond and scooped some of the freshwater into his mouth. Animus moved closer, squatting beside the changeling and placing a hand on his back.

  “This is necessary, my friend. The Exemplar isn’t the man we first saw announce his presence last year, he’s since been rendered ineffectual by his imprisonment and association with Vanguard. He’s not ready to lead our people in the way we require.”

  Fenris looked up at Animus. “And you’re sure this will work? That he’ll kill these Vanguardians?”