Vanguard: Seasons 1-3: A Superhero Adventure

by Percival Constantine

  “Of course. He’ll realize that we can’t take this meek approach, simply waiting out and hiding for Cerberus to come after us. Sharkskin will be found guilty at this trial and then it will be time for the Exemplar to prove his worth.”

  “What if he doesn’t?”

  Animus rose to his feet. “Then his credibility will be ruined among the Arcadians. Everyone saw the damage Sharkskin caused when resisting arrest. They won’t follow an ineffectual leader. They’ll look to someone new, someone with the strength to do what’s necessary.”

  Fenris stood beside the old man, looking into his swirling, glowing green eyes. “You think I’m that man?”

  Animus gave a nod and patted Fenris on the shoulder. “You sacrificed one of your own for the greater good. If there’s anyone who understands just what our people need, it’s you.”

  Fenris felt a tug at his thoughts. Something didn’t seem to add up here, but when he looked at Animus’ eyes, he felt at peace once again. Zev needed to die to ensure that the specials could grow in strength.

  “What about Rollo and Dolph?”

  “They would follow you through the gates of Hell,” said Animus.

  “What if they knew what I did to Zev?”

  “They’d understand. Of course they would. Sacrifices must be made so that our people can survive the coming trials.” Animus stepped closer to the water and looked down, staring at his reflection in its crystal surface. “The Exemplar would have us simply cower in fear and hide from the humans. But you’ll lead us into a great era. One in which the humans run from us.”

  Fenris gave a cautious nod. Animus was right, he was always right. Any reservations Fenris might have were nothing more than misplaced fear. He would conquer it, especially to bring about the survival of his species.

  CHAPTER 8

  The Exemplar walked into the deep cavern with Tuwa by his side. The unconscious Koji was slung over his shoulder and they moved through the cave, Tuwa holding a flashlight to guide their path.

  “This isn’t right, Cal,” she said.

  “Sharkskin killed one of our own. Fenris was right to be worried about his presence here. We can’t let murder stand.”

  Tuwa stepped in front of the Exemplar, blocking his path. “Listen to yourself! Did you see what you did out there? You were like a wrecking ball. And all to stop one man?”

  “He may not look like it now, but he’s a dangerous man. Maybe you didn’t see what he was like out there, but I did what I could to stop him.”

  Tuwa narrowed her eyes. “I saw you deliberately throw him into a home you knew people were in.”

  He gave a sigh and rubbed his eyes. “What should I have done, Tuwa? Asked nicely for him to stop trying to beat me into submission?”

  She lowered her head. “I don’t know. All I do know is that there’s a certain irony in the fact that you’re taking him prisoner for an unproven accusation of murder and to bring him in, you decide to risk the lives of many more people.”

  “Everyone abides by the laws of Arcadia. There aren’t any exceptions. I won’t let anyone disturb the peace we’ve worked so hard for.”

  He walked past her, moving deeper into the cave. Tuwa turned, her eyes following him. “And what about when you’re the one disturbing that peace?”

  He stopped and looked back. “What are you saying?”

  “I remember Chicago,” she said. “Watching you fight Vanguard on TV. That man? He frightened me. Then I met you, I realized that you’d changed. That you weren’t that guy any more. But tonight, I saw him again, throwing Sharkskin around without concern for the damage it would cause.”

  The Exemplar dropped Koji on the ground and stormed over to Tuwa, towering above her. His eyes burned with anger, and though she felt her blood turn cold, she stood firm against him.

  “I’m not that man.”

  “Prove it.”

  The Exemplar’s fingers curled into fists and he felt an urge in him to crush her skull with his bare hands. But he fought it, not sure where that thought had even come from. His fingers relaxed and his face softened.

  “I will,” he said. “We’re going to have a trial for him, I promise. I won’t let mob justice prevail. But I need you to trust me.”

  He reached a hand out and Tuwa flinched at first, but then relaxed when she felt a gentle touch land on her cheek. She sighed and placed her hand on top of his.

  “I want to.”

  The Exemplar picked up Koji and carried him over to an inner alcove, laying him down inside. He then turned to Tuwa. “Please.”

  She sighed and approached the alcove, placing her hand on the rock. Tuwa closed her eyes and an orange glow appeared around her hand. Stone bars rose from the ground with a rumble, forming a cage to lock Sharkskin inside. She looked back at the Exemplar and he gave her a warm smile.

  “Thank you.”

  “Don’t make me regret this, Cal.”

  They made their return to the cave’s entrance in silence. When they stepped outside, the Exemplar flew off without another word. Tuwa sighed and sat down on a rock, running a hand through her long, black hair.

  “Trouble in paradise, it seems.”

  She looked up and saw the Ferryman standing in the shadows. He stepped closer, looking at her with concern in his eyes. Tuwa offered a faint smile. “Something like that.”

  “Pretty heavy stuff. Never seen him like that before,” said the Ferryman.

  “I have.”

  “He’s just under a lot of stress, that’s all. You know that if he didn’t do this, the Pack would try and incite some sort of riot to get revenge for Zev’s death.”

  “I don’t know,” she said. “Something about this feels…not right.”

  “Yeah, I get that. But ours is not to question why.”

  Tuwa looked up at him. “Then who’s supposed to?”

  The Ferryman gave a shrug. “Beats the hell outta me.” He held out a hand and created a portal. “I’m gonna go on a supply run. Feel like joining me? Might clear your head.”

  Tuwa shook her head. “No thanks.”

  “All right, just don’t beat yourself up too much.” The Ferryman entered his portal and it closed shut behind him.

  Tuwa sat there in the forest, letting the night breeze roll over her skin for a short time. When she rose to her feet to begin the walk back to town, she was hit with a sudden flash in her mind’s eye. It was powerful enough that it nearly dropped her to her feet.

  Images flashed through her head. Moving so rapidly that it was difficult to make any real sense of them. But as she saw them, she realized there was something wrong. And she knew she had to talk to Shift.

  ***

  Tuwa looked around as she moved through Arcadia’s town square. The entire place was buzzing with talk of Sharkskin’s apparent murder of Zev. Some were worried that this meant Vanguard was coming to destroy the town. The Exemplar had worked to keep everyone calm, but they were calling for the blood of a murderer.

  Shift had stayed inside her quarters since Sharkskin’s arrest, refusing to come out for anything. But if what Tuwa suspected was true, she would need help. She walked up to the door and knocked on it.

  “Go away.”

  She leaned against the door. “It’s Tuwa. Please let me in. I have to talk to you.”

  The door opened and Shift’s face was contorted with rage. “What? Here to accuse me of spying on you? Maybe you want to call me Cerberus’ dog? Whatever the insult, get it out of the way so I can go back inside.”

  Tuwa pulled Shift inside and closed the door behind them. Shift eyed her carefully, stretching out her fingers in case she needed to transform at a moment’s notice. Tuwa noticed Shift’s actions and held up her hand.

  “I’m not here to fight you.”

  “Then why are you here?”

  “Because I want to help you and Sharkskin get out of here.”

  Shift’s muscles loosened and her posture relaxed. Her face went from anger to relief. “You believe he’s
innocent?”

  Tuwa nodded.

  “Why? Fenris is one of you, but we’re strangers.”

  “I do more than just manipulate the earth. I communicate with it. The plants, the trees, the soil—they’re my eyes and ears across this entire island.”

  Shift paused, trying to take this all in. She sat down on the couch. “Wait, you’re saying the island talks to you?”

  Tuwa gave a nod and sat beside Shift. “In a sense. But it’s not a conversation like we’re having. Nature has a language all its own.”

  “How does it work?”

  Tuwa looked down at her hands resting in her lap. “It’s…difficult to explain. They show me flashes. Impressions. It can be difficult to sort through and I don’t know exactly what it all means.” She looked into Shift’s eyes. “But I’m sure of one thing—Fenris isn’t telling the whole story.”

  “There’s no way Koji would kill anyone,” said Shift. “Not in a million years. He may look scary when he’s transformed, but he’s like a teddy bear.”

  “I believe you. And I know that Fenris is full of rage, looking for an excuse to let it out.”

  “So what do we do?”

  Tuwa sighed. “That’s where it gets complicated. There’s a man here called Animus, he’s an empath. He tells Callum about how the people in Arcadia are feeling. But I think it’s more than that.”

  “How do you mean?” asked Shift.

  “I think he can…I don’t know…push people’s emotions in one direction or another. And I think he wants to see your friend strung up.”

  “So you’re saying we can’t handle this diplomatically.”

  “Exactly. We have to free Sharkskin and get the two of you out of Arcadia.”

  CHAPTER 9

  Deep inland, far from the town, was a series of caves snaking through the mountains of the island. It was this place that had been set aside as a makeshift prison for any who broke the laws of Arcadia. But there had never been a reason to use them yet.

  Until now.

  Tuwa led Shift through the forests surrounding the mountains and into the mouth of the large cave. Tuwa held a large flashlight in her hand that she used to guide their path.

  “This is how you guys treat your prisoners? Lock them up in the dark?” asked Shift.

  “Don’t be so quick to judge,” said Tuwa. “In the months since we formed Arcadia, we’ve never had to use this place. Callum thought it better to cross that bridge when we came to it.”

  Tuwa turned right at a junction. Shift stayed close behind her guide, her eyes darting around the massive tunnels hidden inside the caves. She could hear skittering in the darkness, probably whatever creatures on the island that had made these tunnels their home.

  The changeling couldn’t help but think back to the Red Fist’s caves in Tora Bora and the cell she’d briefly been held in along with Sharkskin and Gunsmith. That was the second time they saw the Exemplar and he’d already been held there for months.

  Definite similarities to this cave. She wondered how the Exemplar could even think of replicating those conditions for others to endure. Worse, even. The caves in Tora Bora at least had some amenities. More than she’d seen here.

  Tuwa took her down a smaller tunnel that came to a dead end. There was another opening, but it was blocked by vertical stone bars. Shift saw something moving in the darkness past the bars and she went up to them.

  “Koji?”

  “Erin?”

  Shift breathed a deep sigh of relief. It was Koji’s voice and he came up to the bars, in his Sharkskin form. He wrapped his hands around the bars and looked at her through the columns.

  “What’re you doing here?” he asked. Then he spotted Tuwa and gritted his teeth. “And what’s she doing here? You know she’s the one who created these bars, right?”

  Shift jerked her head in her companion’s direction, her eyes cold. “What?”

  “I only did what I had to do,” said Tuwa. “It wasn’t until after we locked up Sharkskin that I started getting the flashes.”

  “Flashes? What’s she talking about?”

  Shift turned back to Sharkskin. “She can communicate with the island. Some sort of vision of Fenris framing you.”

  Sharkskin’s grip on the bars tightened, his muscles straining against them. “I friggin’ knew it! I’m gonna tear his head off!”

  “No, you’re not,” said Tuwa. “I’m going to get you and Shift out of here.”

  Tuwa held out her hands and closed her eyes. An orange aura surrounded her hands and a rumbling sound followed. Sharkskin and Shift stepped back from the bars and they crumbled to dust, falling to the ground and leaving no barrier between them.

  Sharkskin stepped out of the cell and Shift threw her arms around him in an embrace. He hugged her back, then broke the hold and looked at the woman who not only imprisoned him but had now liberated him.

  “So what’s the plan?”

  “We have to get you to the other side of the island, as far from Arcadia as possible,” said Tuwa.

  The trio moved back through the tunnels, returning to the opening of the cave. Tuwa said nothing, leaving Shift and Sharkskin to talk amongst themselves as they moved.

  “It was weird. Exemplar usually can’t shut up but the entire time he took me here, he barely said a word,” said Sharkskin.

  “Tuwa says there’s another guy on the island, someone who might be manipulating him. Maybe Fenris, too.”

  “What, like the Analyst?”

  “Don’t think so. It’s not like mind control, right?”

  Tuwa glanced over her shoulder. “I don’t think Animus’ powers work like that. More like influencing emotions.”

  “So this Animus guy makes Fenris frame me for murder, then makes the Exemplar think I’m guilty. But what’s the point?”

  “Some think it’s just a matter of time before the humans find Arcadia and come after us,” said Tuwa. “You’ve heard the Cerberus rumors, right?”

  “Yeah, saw some stuff online about them targeting specials. But nothing confirmed,” said Shift.

  “We hear the rumors, too. Mostly from newcomers. Some have claimed to escape Cerberus agents. The way Vanguard disappeared just before Cerberus came on the scene made some think you were the first targets. But there were other rumors that Vanguard might be working with Cerberus. When we saw you two arrive, that’s what some people thought.”

  “That’s not even close to what’s going on,” said Shift. “Vanguard broke up and when I found out about Arcadia, I wanted to have a look at it. See what it’s like being around other people like us, not having to hide who I really am.”

  “And now we’re running around in caves trying to escape,” said Tuwa. “Ironic.”

  “Oh trust me, it hasn’t escaped my notice,” said Shift.

  “How exactly are we going to get off the island?” asked Sharkskin. “The Ferryman brings everyone here, right?”

  “One thing at a time,” said Tuwa. “First I have to get you out of harm’s way. After that, I’ll talk to the Ferryman. I think I can get him to take you home.”

  “You sure? Doesn’t look like the sympathetic type.”

  “He’s a good man, appearances aside,” said Tuwa. “If I can convince him of my suspicions about Animus, he’ll help us.”

  As they approached the mouth of the cave, Sharkskin suddenly pushed both Shift and Tuwa with such force that they were thrown away from the entrance. He jumped after them, just moments before a massive energy blast struck the ground at the entrance.

  “We’re not alone,” he said.

  The Exemplar hovered into their view, his hands glowing brightly with energy. He narrowed his eyes at the three specials.

  “Tuwa. I think we should have a talk.”

  CHAPTER 10

  In a burst of speed, the Exemplar shot at Sharkskin like a bullet. The changeling stood his ground, bracing himself and digging in his heels as his enemy collided with him. The force sent a small shockwave that threw b
oth Shift and Tuwa from their feet.

  Sharkskin was the first up and he jumped at the Exemplar. But the Exemplar recovered, turning just as Sharkskin descended upon him, and threw out an energy blast from his hands at point-blank range, powerful enough to slam Sharkskin into the cave’s ceiling.

  Tuwa sat up on her knees and her hands hovered over the ground. Orange energy streamed from her fingertips and into the earth. She closed her eyes, allowing her powers to work through the ground.

  The area rumbled and shook with small tremors. The Exemplar hovered above the ground to avoid the quakes, but then vines broke through the newly-formed cracks and snaked up, wrapping around his arms and legs and holding him in place.

  “What are you doing, Tuwa?” he said. “We agreed we’d be a nation of laws! No special treatment!”

  “And you aren’t paying attention to what’s really going on here!” she said. “So maybe this will get you to calm down.”

  The Exemplar strained hard against the vines and Tuwa nearly collapsed like she’d been struck hard. His strength was nearly impossible to contain, but she fought on, struggling to keep him still. He pulled on his bonds, tearing one of his arms free and then the other.

  The feeling of the vines breaking made Tuwa cringe. The energy from her hands weakened and she fought to try and maintain the flow. The Exemplar directed energy blasts at the vines at his feet, vaporizing them and letting him free.

  Sharkskin barreled into him, tackling the Exemplar and the two men rolled out of the cave. As they tumbled, Sharkskin threw the Exemplar into one of the trees. He knocked it down as he struck it, flying through a few more before coming to a stop on the ground.

  “Sharkskin!”

  Koji stopped and turned around at the sound of his name. He saw shift running towards him. Her arm stretched out, elongating until her hand came within his grasp. He knowingly smiled at what she had planned, a technique they’d only begun practicing at Atlas before the team was shut down.