“That’s why we’re calling. We’re going to need the coordinates for the Island,” said Thorne. “If the Kotharians are after specials, that means the Island’s the best place to find them. It’s probably why Ramsey is trying to reach you. Either he’s planning to use them as bargaining chips or he’s working with the Kotharians.”
“You really think he’d do that?” asked McCabe. “Siding with the Red Fist is one thing, but the Kotharians?”
“He’s an opportunist, and apparently so is M’Lak,” said Anita. “I wouldn’t put anything past either of them.”
“Okay, I’m transmitting coordinates,” said McCabe. Numbers flashed across the screen for all three to see. “But if it’s just the two of you…?”
“That’s the other thing we need you to do,” said Thorne. “Look through the records of all the prisoners. Find the ones who would be most-willing to help. We’re going to need reinforcements if we’re going to have any hope of stopping these orange-skinned freaks.”
McCabe’s lips tightened. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“We’re out of options right now,” said Thorne. “Atlas is gone and our team’s been reduced to only about a third of its strength. I’d say it’s time for some pretty drastic measures.”
“Okay, I’ll see what I can do,” said McCabe. “I saw what happened to the Icarus, though. How will you get here in time?”
“Leave that to me,” said Zenith.
“Good luck. I’ll be waiting.” McCabe’s image vanished and the screens went black.
Anita looked at Zenith. “How are you going to handle that?”
“Follow me,” said Zenith, leading her and Thorne through the lab to another door. Zenith sent a command to the facility and the door opened. The next room they walked into was a small hangar, not very large.
And resting in the center of the hangar was a small ship. It wasn’t as big as the Icarus, but it certainly looked like it could get the job done. Anita looked over the craft with wonder.
“You’re just full of surprises,” she said.
“This is the prototype that would eventually become the Icarus,” said Zenith. “Not as capable as what we lost. The Kotharian technology we reverse-engineered from J’Karra’s fighter is completely absent, naturally. The weapons systems also aren’t as advanced, nor is it as fast. But it will be able to get us to the Island faster than we could flying under our own power.”
“It’ll do,” said Thorne. “We should get moving.”
“We?” asked Anita. “No, not happening.”
“You’ll need all the help you can get,” said Thorne. “I may not have powers and I may not be as young as I used to be, but I can still fire a damn gun.”
“Did you forget about the guy unconscious in the other room?” asked Anita.
“She’s correct, someone should stay with Lee,” said Zenith.
Thorne grunted. “Fine, then let’s get this plane ready so you can go on your way and finish this.”
Anita moved off to the side as Thorne and Zenith began prepping the prototype for the trip. She raised her hands to her head, fingers lightly touching her temples, and closed her eyes in concentration.
“I don’t know if you can hear me,” she whispered. “But if you can, we really need your help right about now."
CHAPTER 11
Joseph Ramsey looked out the window of the helicopter as it approached the Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs. The Cheyenne Mountain Complex was one of the most fortified installations and once served as the headquarters of United States Space Command and NORAD.
The helicopter touched down on the landing pad and Joseph Ramsey opened the door, jumping out and meeting with the soldiers who saluted him at attention. The rotor blades didn’t even stop and the chopper began to rise back up into the air.
“They’re waiting for you inside, Mr. Secretary,” said one of the soldiers.
“Good,” said Ramsey.
The soldiers escorted the Secretary of Defense from the heliport and into waiting jeeps to take him inside the military installation. Once the Kotharian ships arrived, President Lawson had been whisked away to Cheyenne for his own safety. No one wanted to see Lawson suffer a similar fate as his predecessor, Hayworth.
Once inside the complex, the jeeps came to a stop and Ramsey was escorted by his guard deeper into the installation, buried deep within the mountains. Their trip ended in a meeting room with a thick door that was closed shut once Ramsey entered.
The room was lined with monitors and a large meeting table sat in the center. President Lawson was already seated at the far end of the table, with the seven Joint Chiefs of Staff seated on either side. All except Lawson stood when Ramsey entered and he went to the other end of the table, across from the President.
“So…we’ve got a lot to discuss,” said Ramsey, taking his seat.
“I’d say it doesn’t take much to figure out what happened to Olympus,” said the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
“No, certainly doesn’t,” said Lawson. He glared across the table at Ramsey. “And I think now we can rule out Vanguard’s involvement in that little episode, can’t we?”
Ramsey sighed but remained silent.
“The question is how did this happen without our knowledge? Where did these Kotharians come from?” asked Lawson.
“We know from our encounter with J’Karra that they possess advanced cloaking technology,” said the Air Force Chief of Staff. “That explains how they remained invisible to our detection systems.”
“And now they’re occupying New York with the entirety of the UN as their hostage,” said the Vice Chairman.
“What do we make of this M’Lak and his ultimatum?” asked Lawson.
“There’s no way to verify the authenticity of his claim,” said the Chairman. “Simply put, we have no idea whether or not the specials were really the product of this alien technology.”
“Would certainly explain a lot, though,” said Ramsey. “All we know about the specials is that they appeared out of nowhere. One day they were normal humans, then they woke up and they weren’t.”
“But how would that technology get here?” asked the Marine Corps Commandant.
Ramsey shrugged. “We’ve had that Kotharian ship locked up in Area 51 for the better part of a century. Maybe it came from there. Spread through contact with the base personnel and eventually over the years, spread across the planet.”
“None of that really matters,” said Lawson. “What matters now is figuring out what the hell we’re going to do about this. I’ll be damned if I’m going to go down in history as the President who stood by and watched while an alien race conquered America.”
“We won’t let that happen, sir,” said the Army Chief.
“What about Vanguard?” asked Lawson. “They were in that battle, weren’t they?”
“We haven’t heard anything from them since their ship went down in the East River,” said Ramsey. “I’ve had Cerberus agents trying to contact them with no luck. With the occupying force, obviously we can’t send in a search team. I think we’re on our own here, Mr. President.”
Lawson groaned and rubbed his forehead. “Okay, I need solutions. What can we do to get rid of these alien bastards?”
“Realistically, not a whole hell of a lot,” said the Chairman.
“Their weapons are far beyond anything we’ve seen,” said the Naval Operations Chief.
“Something! For god’s sakes, we’re facing a damn alien invasion!” Lawson was clearly exasperated. Ramsey could tell from the bags under his eyes that the President hadn’t slept at all since this happened. “Can’t we learn anything from J’Karra or her ship?”
“Her ship was in the possession of Vanguard and it was destroyed when they blew Atlas to escape,” said Ramsey.
“We’ve been studying the one from Roswell, but we haven’t come up with anything that can really help us,” said the Air Force Chief.
“So what’s our endgame here
? What do we do? Is Cerberus strong enough to fight these guys?”
Ramsey shook his head. “I’m afraid not. Cerberus was dealt a massive blow when Olympus was destroyed. And even though Cerberus tech is advanced, it’s not advanced enough. They can take down specials, but not aliens.”
Lawson stared across the table. “Why did you phrase it that way?”
Ramsey took a deep breath. This was it, his chance to push through with his part of the plan. “We’re facing an extreme challenge, Mr. President. An enemy far greater than anything we’ve ever gone up against in history—anything any nation has ever faced. I think we have some hard choices to make.”
“You can’t seriously tell me you’re considering we cave in to M’Lak’s demands,” said the National Guard Bureau Chief.
“And why not?” asked Ramsey, shooting a hard stare at the Joint Chief. “The specials have caused a lot more problems than they’ve solved. They brought the Kotharians to our doorstep. How much longer are we going to stand by until we finally say enough is enough?”
“So what’s your proposal?” asked Lawson.
“We give the Kotharians what they want—specials,” said Ramsey. “Begin with the ones Cerberus has imprisoned in the Island. A show of good faith. And we offer to use Cerberus resources to round up the rest of them.”
“How are you going to find the Island?” asked Lawson.
“You just leave that to me. I’ll find it.”
Lawson turned his chair around and stood. He folded his arms across his chest and looked at the monitors replaying the footage of the New York battle. The President’s head dropped and he turned around to face the table. Lawson looked up, taking a deep breath.
“I’m declaring martial law,” he said. “Round up the specials.”
Ramsey’s face maintained a dour expression. He was surprised he managed to suppress his smile.
CHAPTER 12
Sharkskin woke to find his arms shackled above his head. He looked down and saw his legs were similarly bound. Turning his head to the side, he saw Shift next to him, also restrained and unconscious.
He was still in his hybrid form and his senses were acute, so that meant there was no inhibitor. But the room they were in was very strange. There was a soft, red light that bathed the entire room and the walls looked like they were made out of some black, organic material as opposed to metal.
A door opened and two Kotharian soldiers entered. But what surprised Sharkskin even more was the man by their side. Sharkskin snorted when he saw the human walk towards him, dressed in a Cerberus uniform.
“Callus,” he said.
“I’m flattered you know who I am,” said Callus.
“Recognized you from the wanted posters,” said Sharkskin. “What are you doing with the Kotharians? Being a wanted man too difficult, so you decided to betray your species?”
“Not quite,” said Callus. “I want your kind gone and the Kotharians are willing to take you freaks off our hands. So the way I see it, I’m standing up for my species.”
Sharkskin heard Shift stirring and looked at her. Callus noticed the glance he gave her and it made him smile.
“Isn’t that cute. You have feelings for the bald, little freak,” he said.
“Shut your damn mouth,” snarled Sharkskin.
“But looking at you, I suppose the best you could hope for is another freak,” said Callus.
“Shut up!” Sharkskin tried to lunge at the general. Not only were his limbs restrained, but when he made the attempt to move like that, electricity was sent coursing through the restraints and then his entire body. He went limp for a moment.
Shift opened her eyes. “Wh-what?” They widened in fear when she saw Callus. She tried to pull her arms free, but had no luck. Then she looked to the side and saw Sharkskin. He turned his head weakly towards her and attempted to smile.
“You’re lucky the Kotharians wanted you alive,” said Callus. “If it were up to me, I would’ve destroyed you with your fancy plane.”
“He’s decided he likes aliens better than specials,” said Sharkskin to Shift. He turned his black eyes back to Callus. “He’s an idiot.”
“No, I just know that compromises must be made,” said Callus.
“What do you think will happen once the Kotharians are done with you? You really think they’ll quietly leave?” asked Sharkskin. “They’re going to take over this planet.”
“And how do you know that?” asked Callus.
“A message from the future,” said Shift.
The general chortled. “Of course.”
“It’s true, man,” said Sharkskin. “We’re heading towards a future where we’re all slaves—human and special. Is that what you want?”
Callus looked at the Kotharians who accompanied him. They remained stoic and silent, not even offering the slightest hint of emotion. It made the two specials wonder if these Kotharians even knew what they were saying.
“Who do you think destroyed Olympus?” asked Shift. “It had to be them. If they’re willing to blow up Cerberus and the humans there, what makes you think you’re any less expendable?”
Callus stepped forward and grabbed Shift’s face tightly in his hand. “Do you really think you can scare me with that crap? I saw what that bastard Zukov did with my organization. He turned it into a shadow of what it was supposed to be. He declawed the beast and the beast had to be put down.”
“Let her go!” said Sharkskin.
Callus released Shift’s face and turned to Sharkskin. He glared at the special. “Big, tough guy. Even though there’s nothing you can do to stop what’s coming.”
Swirling, blue energy appeared in the room behind Callus. The general paid no attention to it, as if it weren’t anything special. The energy dissipated and another Kotharian stood there.
“That’s enough, General Callus,” he said in slightly-accented English.
Callus looked over his shoulder at the new arrival. He gave a nod, then took a few steps back. “He’s your prisoner.”
The Kotharian stepped forward, eyeing both Sharkskin and Shift with golden eyes. “I am General M’Lak. Your people have stolen something from mine.”
“We heard the story,” said Sharkskin. “Not sure what you’ve heard, but we didn’t steal anything.”
“We know the Chaknaar is inside your bodies, has granted you extraordinary powers,” said M’Lak. “What we need to know is why.”
“You’re wasting time with them, General.” Callus reached for his sidearm and drew it, pressing it up against Sharkskin’s head. “We should just kill the both of them right now and be done with it. You have no idea how dangerous it is leaving these…things alive. They have a nasty habit of breaking free.”
M’Lak calmly reached a hand out and placed it on Callus’ gun. He wrapped his fingers around the barrel and pulled it away from its owner. Slowly, his head turned and his eyes took in the human general.
“You draw breath only because I have allowed it, Nathan Callus. Do not try my patience or question my orders.” M’Lak’s attention shifted back to his prisoners. “These two live.”
“Why?” asked Shift. “What do you want from us? What do you want from the Earth?”
“You, my dear. Both of you, in fact,” said M’Lak. “The Chaknaar has affected mankind in many surprising ways. Some of the abilities you display, they’re unheard of among my people. We need to find out what it is about humans that makes you so…unique.”
“So what, you’re going to cut us up?” asked Sharkskin.
M’Lak took a step back and linked his hands behind his back. “If it comes to that. We’d prefer not to damage such perfect specimens, but we will do whatever it takes.”
M’Lak stared into Shift’s eyes. “Of course, there are other, far more immediate ways in which you can be helpful to us…”
CHAPTER 13
The prototype cut through the sky at incredible speeds, but it wasn’t quite the speed Zenith and Paragon were used to flying at. Z
enith sat at the controls and Paragon was by his side.
“Thorne,” said Zenith, transmitting a message back to his lab and the colonel. “We’ve lost contact with McCabe. Do you have a read on him?”
A few beats of silence followed as Thorne presumably checked. His voice finally came back with a reply over the prototype’s speakers. “No answer.”
“That can’t be good,” said Paragon.
“No, I gather it isn’t,” said Zenith. “How is Sentinel?”
“Still down. Also haven’t had any luck tracking our missing people.”
“Dammit!” Paragon banged her fist against her armrest.
“We’re approaching the Island. We’ll have some answers soon,” said Zenith.
“Copy that. Good luck,” said Thorne before ending the call.
The prototype dipped and began its descent. The clouds parted, giving way to the surface of the water below. And in the center of a vast expanse of ocean, the shape of a massive freighter—a floating prison known as the Island. Zenith reduced speed as they neared.
A klaxon sounded and a red warning light flashed in the cockpit. Paragon looked at Zenith with concern. “What’s that?”
“They’re attacking,” replied the robot.
Paragon looked through the windshield and saw energy blasts flying at them from the Island. Zenith turned the ship as fast as he could, dodging the projectiles. Paragon gripped the armrests as the prototype sped up, rocketing towards the Island.
The craft shook and a klaxon sounded.
“What was that?” she asked.
“We’ve been hit,” said Zenith. The craft shook again and the klaxon continued to sound. “Twice.”
“How much can we take?” asked Paragon.
“The prototype is not sufficiently shielded.”
“In other words, not a whole lot?”
“Precisely.” Another blast struck and Zenith released his harness. “Come, we have to abandon ship.”
Paragon followed his command. The two exited the descending craft and jumped from the rear hatch, using their individual powers of flight to carry them the rest of the way down. They flew after the prototype, maintaining a fair distance, and watched as it crashed down onto the deck of the Island, generating an explosion.
Vanguard: Seasons 1-3: A Superhero Adventure Page 84