by Dee Benson
So burn on while we hack away at the dam.
For it takes only water to put you out.
If only they'd known that the poem would turn out to be prophetic.
In a sense, Trojan and Victor had killed The Firemaster from beyond the grave.
"Get a medic over here immediately," Desmond was saying. "Better yet, we need someone to teleport him to the hospital." He paused. "I haven't checked her yet." He looked at Axel and seemed to jump when he found her eyes open.
He was quiet for a moment and then he nodded his head. "I will check her now."
He slipped the phone into his pocket and then looked away from Axel, his mouth a hard line. He made no move to stand up from where he was crouched by The Firemaster.
He waved a hand and a circular portion of the night air before Axel began to shimmer. "Go," Desmond whispered.
Axel stared at him.
He looked at her. "Go!"
She couldn't believe what Desmond was doing. She struggled to her feet. She felt the weakest she'd ever felt in her life. But she had enough strength to make it to the portal.
Before she walked through, she stooped over Desmond and brushed a kiss to his cheek.
Then, she stepped into the portal.
Epilogue
THERE'S NOTHING LEFT FOR me here.
This was the thought that had filled Axel's mind since she got back to Netherium. At first, she'd felt relief, but the ghosts of her parents had soon begun to haunt her. On the other side of the portal, she'd stepped into her mom's and dad's bedroom back at home.
She'd immediately phoned Brett and Vivian, and they had come over. They'd told her to come and live with them but she'd decided to stay at home. She'd lasted a day before giving in.
Neither Brett nor Vivian had been surprised by any of what she'd told them about her experience in the Super Land. Not about Zanda's betrayal, or Axel's DNA. Not even about Axel's ability to resurrect.
"Of course you can resurrect," Brett had said. "I've witnessed you do it before."
"What do you mean?" Axel had asked.
"You were just a baby when you did it. It was when your parents and I were escaping the Super Land. The Firemaster had traps set up to stop his concubines from leaving. Fire would chase after them. You and your mom were about to get swallowed up by a pillar of fire. Your dad had only enough energy to create a force field around your mom so your mom threw you into a bush. You were just a tiny baby. You died only to come back to life and let out a cry a few minutes later."
Axel had stared at him in shock. "So my parents knew?"
"Of course they knew. They lied to you about your DNA so as not to rouse your curiosity. They were only trying to protect you."
Axel had thought about Brett's words a lot over the past few days. Her parents had lied in order to protect her. She didn't know whether they'd made the right decision or not. In the end, they'd been unable to protect her.
A part of her still didn't feel safe, despite being back in Netherium and knowing that The Firemaster was dead.
Three days after her return, she went outside for the first time. She walked around Brett's and Vivian's neighbourhood.
Progress, she told herself, although she looked over her shoulder constantly and her heart was in her mouth the whole time.
She didn't relax until she got back into Brett's and Vivian's house.
Both of them were out today. They'd gone to a convention of retired Supers living under the radar in Netherium. They'd invited Axel but she wanted nothing to do with Supers.
But you have a 'big job' to do, she told herself as she made her way to the kitchen to fix lunch. She shook her head. Angelica at the CFC said I have a choice about whether or not I want to do the 'big job'.
Axel exhaled as she removed the ingredients for a salad from the fridge. Outside the window, the low-hanging branches of a tree that grew by the window tapped against the pane. Axel's heart jumped in her chest, and then settled when she realized what it was. She was so jumpy these days.
Vivian was constantly telling her to just put everything out of her mind, but that was easier said than done.
She wondered what was going on in the Super Land now that The Firemaster was dead.
Had all his people broken away, now that they had no leader? Had the government forces been able to reclaim Merspool City?
She thought about the recurring nightmare she'd been having since she got back to Netherium. In it, she was being chased by someone much worse than The Firemaster. She didn't know who he was, but he was the new leader of The Firemaster's people and he had a personal grievance against her.
The doorbell rang and Axel jumped.
She clutched a hand to her chest.
It's just the doorbell! she scolded herself. Get a grip.
She wondered whether to go and check who it was.
Why not? If it was a Super with evil intentions towards her, they were unlikely to simply ring the doorbell. They'd have any number of more creative ways to get her.
She left her salad ingredients and went to check who it was. She crept towards the door. There were three big shadows on the other side.
She looked through the peephole and was shocked to see Angelo.
What in the world is he doing here?
With him were Desmond and Jasper.
Angelo had only ever been kind to her so she need not fear him. Jasper had been a party to her parents' death but he was sorry and he was a rebel deep down. She didn't need to fear him either. She should fear Desmond, but he was the one who'd created the portal that enabled her to escape.
Axel decided not to overthink it. If they meant her harm, the door wasn't going to stand in their way. They could break the door down or break in through a window.
She opened the door.
"Buenos diaz, señora Axel," Angelo said with a sweeping bow.
Tears sprang into Axel's eyes. Seeing Angelo again, she realized how much she'd missed him—strangely enough.
"What are you doing here?" Axel asked.
Desmond's gaze darted around the street nervously. "Can we come in?"
Axel hesitated a spilt second before stepping aside.
They entered the house, Jasper casting her a sheepish look.
Axel led them to the living room. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" she asked lightly as they all sat down, although her heart was fluttering in her chest like a caged bird.
"We want to leave The Firemaster's side," Desmond said.
Axel wouldn't have been surprised to hear Angelo or Jasper say that, but coming from Desmond, it was shocking. He'd been one of The Firemaster's most loyal aides.
"Then leave," Axel said. "He's dead."
"Prince Drake has replaced him and is now our leader."
Axel's brows shot upwards. "Prince Drake?"
"Sí," Angelo said. "And he's worse than The Firemaster ever was."
Jasper opened his mouth to say something, but Angelo whacked him over the head.
Axel frowned. "What?" she asked Jasper.
"Nothing," he mumbled.
Axel frowned at them. "Why have you come to me? I can do nothing to help you leave." She certainly couldn't protect them if Prince Drake came after them.
"You have special powers," Desmond said. "Nigel told us—"
"Nigel?" Axel jumped to her feet. "Is he okay? Is he alive?"
There was a soft thud behind Axel. She spun around as Nigel landed in the room, appearing from thin air.
He straightened. His steely gray gaze settled on her. He nodded once. "Axel."
Angelo gave a long-suffering sigh. "Why would you just teleport into someone's house? We rang the doorbell."
Axel couldn't take her eyes off Nigel. He looked as formidable as ever, and his every feature was hard as though cast from granite, but she'd never seen a better sight in her life.
If he was a normal person and this was a normal situation, she would have thrown her arms around his neck and told him how good it was to see
him again and how relieved she was that he was alive. Instead, she just nodded back.
Nigel's eyes glazed over slightly and then Axel felt warmth all over her head where she had a few tiny wisps of hair growing.
Something brushed her shoulder. She realized it was hair. She turned to the mirror above the mantelpiece and was shocked to see herself with long, thick, dirty blond hair, just as it'd been before it was shaved off.
She looked at Nigel. "Thank you."
He said nothing.
"We want to overthrow Prince Drake and The Firemaster's organization," Desmond said.
Axel gave him a blank look.
"Don't look at me like that," Desmond said. "That's the job you've been chosen to do. The special mission you've been gifted and graced to accomplish."
Axel looked at Nigel. Only Nigel could have told Desmond that. "How do you know that's the mission?" she asked him.
"Isn't it obvious?" he asked.
Axel moved to the sofa and sat down.
"You have already begun," Angelo said. "You killed The Firemaster."
"By accident," Axel added.
"Every fire fountain in Merspool went out the moment he died, since he was no longer around to keep them going. Prince Drake is trying to revive them all. He's trying to use technology since he is still unable to manifest Firemaster powers."
Axel shook her head. "Maybe things will get better under Prince Drake. He doesn't seem as bad as his dad."
The four of them were silent. Jasper opened his mouth to say something. Again, Angelo stopped him by whacking him over the head.
Axel looked at Jasper. "Tell me."
Jasper looked at Desmond.
"What is it?" Axel asked.
Desmond cleared his throat. "Prince Drake has announced that after The Firemaster's funeral, he will kill you."
Axel frowned. "Why?"
"Why?" Desmond laughed shortly. "You killed his father. He wants revenge."
"It was an accident!" Admittedly, a welcome accident, but that was beside the point. "His father killed my parents, but I didn't seek revenge."
"He's going to kill you," Desmond said. "You can either form a team with us and fight him, or you can wait for him to come and kill you."
"Please note," Nigel said, "that Prince Drake is also seeking to take over the Land of the Supers. If he succeeds, Netherium will be next."
"You can either hide or fight," Angelo said.
Axel thought of her lack of combat powers. Resurrecting was a pretty cool power, but it wasn't offensive. She didn't know how to fight—or even how to shoot a gun.
"You guys don't need me," she told Desmond. "You have the skills to fight Prince Drake without me."
"We won't fight without you," Desmond replied. "Nigel has told us all about your assessment at the CFC. We want you as part of our team."
Just then, there was a loud bang, and the windows to the den shattered. Fire broke out by the door to the room and the roof began to cave in.
A scream tore up Axel's throat.
Nigel grabbed her hand. "What Desmond didn't tell you is that The Firemaster's funeral was this morning. Prince Drake is already on his way to kill you. Let's go."
Axel squeezed his hand and then looked around at the others, making up her mind. Angelo had said she could either hide or fight. She couldn't hide. It would be futile. That left her with only one option.
She nodded at Nigel. "Teleport us all away."
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Books by Dee Benson
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About Dee Benson
Dee Benson is a reading junkie. She knew from a young age that only a career related to storytelling would do for her. She loves food almost as much as she loves writing. When she's not writing or eating she's either listening to music or singing badly. She lives in England with her husband and two children.