That much had been accomplished. Keeping J’Karra alive wasn’t something Thorne considered a high priority. And now he wondered if Anita was moved by something more than morality. If Chronos was right and Anita did have some sort of trigger implanted in her head, much like the Analyst had done to her in the past.
“She hasn’t said much more than the briefest of words to me,” said Thorne. “To tell you the truth, I’m not sure what’s going on with her, Howard.”
“Understood. Just keep me posted. She’s heading back to Atlas and maybe you might want to have a talk with her about her behavior.”
“I’ll do that, thanks.”
“How are you doing, Leo?”
“What do you mean?” asked Thorne.
McCabe sighed and leaned closer to his camera. “Do you think maybe it’s time?”
Thorne cast his eyes to the framed photograph on his desk. He reached for it, raising it up and bringing it closer. His fingers touched the image of his wife through the glass frame. Then he set it back down.
“It’s not an easy conversation to have,” he said. “‘Hi, honey. You know how you thought I died in an explosion? Well, surprise! It was all just a ruse to keep a man with a Napoleon complex off my back.’”
“I can understand that,” said McCabe. “But you do know that the longer you wait to tell her, the harder it’s going to be.”
“Things have been a little crazy here. Setting up this new arrangement between us and Cerberus, preparing for King’s trial, and now this whole thing with Chronos and J’Karra.”
“Just find time to see her, okay? Soon,” said McCabe. “Before things get too crazy.”
Thorne nodded. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. I’ll talk to you later, Howard.”
“Take care.”
The screen went black.
“You didn’t tell him.”
Thorne looked up from his desk at Zenith, who had been standing in front of his desk throughout the call. The robot remained silent the whole time.
“It’s not the right time.”
“Interesting, you said the same thing to Dr. McCabe about speaking with your wife,” said Zenith.
Thorne cocked an eyebrow. “What, did you install some sort of psychoanalysis app into yourself?”
“More or less,” said Zenith. “Given that I now live amongst humans, I thought it would be best to research their behaviors. The amount of research I’ve completed would be the equivalent to several psychology degrees.”
Thorne scoffed. “And when did this happen?”
Zenith gave a simple shrug. “I had some free time.”
Thorne leaned back in his chair. “Well, you heard what he said about Anita. What do you think?”
“I do have concerns, but it would seem odd, would it not?”
“What do you mean?”
“If Anita is truly under J’Karra’s control, why would she lash out at her like that?”
“I have a few ideas,” said Thorne. “Maybe she’s not under J’Karra’s control at the moment, but there’s the possibility that we’re looking at something similar to what happened before. The Analyst took control of Anita by planting a trigger in her mind. Or maybe this is a smokescreen. Anita already knows Vaughn’s suspicious—he’s made no secret of that. Given what Chronos told us, she must assume the rest of us are as well. So this could be a way to throw that suspicion off her.”
“This is a delicate situation, Colonel,” said Zenith. “Our suspicions run the risk of alienating Anita. That could make her more susceptible to manipulation. She needs a foundation of support if she’s to overcome this.”
“You’re right. But the question is how do we hide our concerns?”
“Unfortunately my research into the human condition gives me no concrete answer for that,” said Zenith. “We simply must try to include her as much as possible.”
Thorne snickered.
“Is something funny?”
“Just thinking how odd it’d be if you and I tried to include her more,” said Thorne. “We’re not exactly the most social people in this dump.”
“True, I see your point,” said Zenith. “I’ll speak with Erin. Her and Anita have had a strong bond in the past.”
“That’s a good idea.” Thorne sat forward. “Now, onto business. We have any news about Chronos?”
Zenith shook his head. “Nothing, I’m afraid. Best Lee and I can tell from the readings taken at the time, the disruptor activated Chronos’ tachyon emitter and sent him through a portal. He could be in any number of places.”
“Or any number of eras,” said Thorne. “What if he’s been sent further into the past?”
“Any actions he might take would alter the timeline and we would have no way of knowing it.”
Thorne sighed. “That’s a sobering thought if I’ve ever had one…”
“And not our highest priority,” said Zenith. “We must discover if what he said was true, or if it was a product of his madness.”
“How are we supposed to defend against an alien invasion when we don’t know when they’ll be here or what they’ll attack us with?” asked Thorne. “All we know is at some point in the near future, the Kotharians attack. J’Karra will only talk to Anita, and we’re not sure how much we can trust her. She says she can’t probe J’Karra’s mind, her defenses are too strong, but we have no way of knowing if that’s true.”
“We’ll continue working on it, Colonel,” said Zenith. “I’ll go find Erin.”
He turned and exited the office. Thorne remained seated behind his desk, staring at the photograph of his wife.
CHAPTER 5
Erin Hastings leaned against the couch’s armrest, her legs curled under her while she tossed pieces of popcorn into her mouth. Lee Parker sat next to her, constantly trying to fight her for some bit of the popcorn, but she wasn’t having any of it. They’d been that way for a few hours, binge-watching a show on a streaming network.
“I don’t get it,” she said, shaking her head. “Why does he keep going back to Robin? How many times does she have to say no before he’ll give up?”
“Persistence I guess. Love makes you do some crazy things,” said Lee.
“But they want totally different things. Ted wants to get married and have kids and settle down in New York. Robin is scared of kids and she wants to travel the world. One way or the other, someone’s gotta throw away their dream.”
“Or maybe they don’t know what they want?” asked Lee, reaching for some popcorn and getting his hand smacked by Erin. “Hey!”
“Just seems weird to me,” she said. “Besides, didn’t he say in the first episode that Robin wasn’t the mother? Why are they wasting so much time on her?”
Lee looked at her. “You haven’t seen the whole thing before?”
Erin shook her head. “First time. Why?”
He chuckled. “I’m not saying anything.”
“What?”
“Just…no. You have to keep watching.”
Erin shrugged and looked back at the screen. As they continued to watch, they didn’t hear the sound of the elevator doors opening or notice Zenith enter the recreation room. He walked up to the couch, standing behind it and looking at the screen.
“What are you watching?”
“Binge-watching,” said Lee.
“What is it about?”
“A guy telling his kids the story of how he met their mother,” said Erin. “We’re on the fourth season.”
“It was my understanding these stories don’t usually take that long.”
“Yeah, that’s kind of a running gag,” said Lee.
“What’s up, Zen?” Erin held up the bowl for him. “Want some popcorn?”
Lee scoffed. “What the hell? You offer popcorn to the robot but you smack away my hand?”
Erin brought the bowl back down and tossed a few more kernels into her mouth. “That’s because I know he’ll refuse.”
“I was actually hoping to speak to you about somethi
ng,” said Zenith. Then he looked over at Lee.
“Ah, I get it.” Lee sat up and picked up the remote. He turned off the TV. “Pick it up later?”
“Sure,” she said.
“Cool, maybe I’ll get Koji to join us.”
Erin coughed as she began choking on a kernel. She recovered and swallowed it, then reached for her can of root beer on the table.
“I…guess that’s a no?” asked Lee.
“We’ll talk later, okay?” she said.
He shrugged and stood from the couch. Before leaving, he patted Zenith on the shoulder and then excused himself. Once he was gone, Erin sat up and turned so she faced Zenith, resting her arms along the back of the couch.
“So what’s up?”
Zenith wasn’t sure how much he should tell Erin about his conversation with Thorne. He decided it was best to try and keep it simple. Not burden her with too many details.
“I’m a little concerned about Anita. Lately, she’s kept to herself a lot.”
“Has she?” asked Erin, taking a handful of popcorn from the bowl. “Guess I’ve been a little preoccupied myself lately.”
“Lee’s comment about Koji?”
“What about it?”
“I’ve been studying human behavior. The relationship between the two of you seems…strained.”
“It’s…” She sighed and paused. Then added, “…complicated.”
“So it seems. I may not be the best person to discuss it with,” said Zenith. “But perhaps Anita would be able to talk with you? This seems like something she might be more equipped for?”
“Why the sudden worry about Anita?”
“I worry that Chronos’ accusations and Dominic’s harsh words have rattled her,” he said. “And that could prove dangerous in the field.”
“Yeah, I see your point. Okay, I’ll talk with her. Maybe see if we can have a girls night or something.”
Zenith nodded. “Thank you, Erin.”
“And Zen? Don’t tell Koji about what I said, okay?”
“I’m not quite sure what I would say in the first place,” said Zenith.
She flashed him a smile. “Thanks. It’s just not a conversation I’m ready to have is all.”
“Understood. I’ll see you tomorrow morning for our lesson?”
With Erin missing a lot of school to work with the team, Zenith had been acting as a tutor for her so she didn’t fall behind in her studies. She gave him a nod. “I’ll be there.”
“Excellent.” Zenith excused himself and left the recreation room.
Erin turned her attention back to the TV. Lee left the remote sitting on the table out of reach. Instead of getting up, she held out her arm and her wrist extended. Her arm stretched across the length of the distance and she was able to pick up the remote. She retracted her arm, with the device in hand, and turned it back on.
***
Wraith flipped in the air and landed in a crouch. When the attack came at him, he held up his hand and generated a portal in front of him, absorbing the energy blast. He closed his fist and the portal closed with it, then he thrust his other arm forward, an ebon blast firing from his open palm.
Gunsmith deflected the blast with his teleforce pistols. He unleashed another volley from both barrels as he charged at his opponent. Wraith opened a portal beneath his legs and dropped into it.
Another portal opened above Gunsmith and Wraith fell through it, ready to get the drop on his teammate. But Gunsmith spun at the last second, slamming his arm against Wraith and throwing him across the training room.
Wraith got to his knees, shaking his head. He felt the barrel of the gun press against the back of his head and he groaned. He reached for the mask around his mouth and pulled it down.
“Okay, you win.”
Gunsmith smirked and withdrew the blaster. He spun it around his finger before sliding it into the holster on his thigh, then offered a hand to help his teammate up. Wraith accepted it and stood.
“Another day, another successful training exercise,” he muttered. “Just how much longer are Thorne and Zukov gonna make me put you through the paces before they accept that you’re ready to go?”
“They’re just being cautious.” Gunsmith looked down at his hand and flexed his fingers. He shook his hand and let his arm drop to the side. Since he was injected with an experimental drug that granted him superhuman abilities, he’d been dealing with some after-effects. The drug was out of his system, but he still felt cravings.
“Yeah, guess so.” Wraith walked across the room to the small control booth. Inside on a table were some folded towels and water bottles. He picked up one of the towels and wiped the sweat from his face, then took the bottle for a drink. He grabbed the other towel and tossed it to his partner when he came into the booth.
Gunsmith caught the towel and removed his armor’s headgear, resting it on the table. Wraith sat on the ground, leaning against the wall, and Gunsmith sat beside him.
“Big day coming up, huh?”
Gunsmith nodded. “The Exemplar’s trial.”
“Think it’s gonna be weird?” asked Wraith.
Gunsmith tossed him an incredulous look. “What do you think?”
CHAPTER 6
When Colonel Thorne entered the monitor room, he found most of the team already gathered around the table. He walked up to his seat beside Anita and sat down. But when he looked to his left, he saw an empty chair.
“Where’s Jim?”
“Wanted to check in with Cerberus, said he’d be along later and we shouldn’t wait,” said Dom.
“Okay, let’s get started,” said Thorne. “As you all know, today’s the date of the Exemplar’s trial. Zenith?”
Zenith’s eyes flashed and the monitors came to life. TV pundit Eric Fox appeared on the screen with the banner beneath him reading, “EXEMPLAR—THE NEW KHAGAN?”
Koji scoffed. “This guy? Why are we worried about him?”
“Fox has been running segments like this for weeks, ever since King’s trial was announced,” said Thorne. “And what we’ve seen is a dramatic spike in public opposition to granting basic rights to specials. A growing portion of the population thinks that Cerberus should be rounding up specials.”
“Yeah, because that always works so well?” asked Koji.
“This trial is a lightning rod for controversy,” said Thorne. “Now, King agreed to play by the rules. But this trial could attract some specials who aren’t so interested in following his example. This thing’s a powder-keg and we need to be there to make sure it doesn’t blow up in all our faces.”
“What do you think’s gonna happen?” asked Erin.
“I’ve been monitoring Internet traffic and it seems online reactions to the trial continue to grow more divisive,” said Zenith. “Protests are being organized not only in front of the courthouse but also in other areas—Cerberus bases, embassies, even the United Nations.”
“It’s been a few days since I heard from Zukov, but last time I spoke to him, he said he was organizing a Cerberus presence at potential targets for protests,” said Thorne. “He said he wants us to stay at the courthouse, though. Thinks that’s where the most trouble will happen.”
“Can we do something to guard against special-related violence?” asked Anita.
“Any special who enters the courthouse will have to wear an inhibitor, but there’s nothing to be done about the people outside,” said Zenith.
“I’ve tried working on some sort of inhibitor field generator, but so far haven’t had much luck,” said Lee.
“So we hang around, keep the peace, and beat the crap out of anyone who gets outta line,” said Dom. “Sound about right?”
Thorne’s face tightened. “That’s one way of putting it. Not how I’d choose to, but more or less accurate.”
The sound of the door opening brought everyone’s attention. Jim entered the room and approached the table.
“Any updates?” asked Thorne.
Jim sighed and p
laced his hands on the table, leaning over it. “No. I couldn’t get an answer from Olympus.”
“That’s…not normal, right?” asked Lee.
Jim shook his head. “Not even slightly. Communications should be up ’round the clock.”
“So what’s it mean?” asked Koji. “If no one’s answering?”
“I don’t know for sure. Could be an equipment malfunction or some interference with the signal,” said Jim. “Or it could be something worse.”
“I can run a check on our equipment, make sure everything’s up and running properly,” said Lee.
“Good idea,” said Thorne. “Jim—”
“I think I should go up there,” said Jim.
Thorne sighed. He looked at the rest of the team. “Could you guys give us a minute? Start prepping for departure. Lee, check the equipment before you suit up.”
The team filed out. Zenith remained for a moment, looking at both Thorne and Jim. “Shall I stay?”
“No, get the Icarus ready,” said Thorne. “I’ll meet you in the hangar.”
The robot nodded and exited the room.
Once they were alone, Thorne stood from his seat. “We’re in the middle of prepping for the Exemplar’s trial.”
“I don’t think there’s anything the rest of the team can’t handle without me,” said Jim. “But if something’s happened to Olympus, we need to know or it could severely cripple our defense capabilities.”
“Maybe you’re right,” said Thorne. “What do you think it could be?”
Jim shrugged. “Hopefully it’s nothing. But I need to see for myself. At the very least, I should get to the nearest Cerberus base and see if they’ve lost contact. The Icarus can drop me on the way to the courthouse. If need be, I can get a shuttle up to Olympus from there.”
“If something’s happened, I’m a little worried about you going up there without back-up.”
“I’ll be fine. It could just be paranoia, maybe an after-effect of Bradshaw’s drug.” Jim shook his head. “But I just can’t shake this feeling that something’s wrong. And if I am wrong, then no problem. The team can handle the protests at the trial without me. But splitting up the team based on very little? I’m not willing to risk that. The trial is the priority right now.”
Vanguard: Seasons 1-3: A Superhero Adventure Page 77