The Nameless Hero

by Lee Bacon

  “Uh … okay.” Trace’s voice quavered. Whatever was inside the box, he obviously wasn’t too thrilled about letting it out either.

  Keys jangling in his hand, Trace fiddled with the padlock holding the door closed. He would’ve finished the job more quickly, except the box kept shaking and clattering.

  When Trace had finally managed to remove the padlock, he swung the door open and jumped sideways with a lot more agility than I’d expected from a guy as pudgy as he was.

  Holding my breath, I peered into the box.

  13

  Inside the steel box was a lump of green goo about the size and shape of a beanbag chair.

  I was sure there must be something else in there. Something brutal and deadly that had been making all that noise. But except for the goo, the box was empty.

  I scratched my head. Unless the stuff was a giant radioactive booger, I couldn’t see what was so dangerous.

  “That’s it?” Milton asked. He sounded almost disappointed that he hadn’t been viciously attacked yet.

  “You were expecting something else?” Gavin inquired.

  “I just thought, with all the banging around and everything, that it would be …”

  “Deadlier?”

  “Well …” Milton shrugged. “Yeah.”

  “Looks aren’t everything. What we have here”—Gavin gestured at the lump of goo—“is state-of-the-art technology. This mucilaginous substance can stretch itself and harden into nearly any form without losing its tensile strength. And its built-in artificial intelligence means that it adapts perfectly to your individual abilities. We’ve named it GLOM.”

  “Gelatinous Learning-Oriented Material,” Trace explained.

  Milton glanced from the GLOM to Gavin and back again in disbelief.

  “I can see you’re still skeptical,” Gavin said. “So I’ll tell you what. You can be the first to try it out.”

  “Me?” Milton’s voice rose a note higher than usual. He took another uncertain glance in the direction of the goo.

  “No need for concern,” Gavin said. “It’s quite simple. The technology will customize itself to your skill level.”

  “Okay. So then—what am I supposed to do?”

  “Just approach the box. Slowly. The GLOM will take care of the rest.”

  I guess Milton wanted to prove himself, because he puffed out his chest, trying to look as confident as possible.

  “No big deal,” he said, walking toward the box. “I’m not scared of this oversized piece of chewing gum. Nothing I can’t— Yaaarghh!”

  In the blink of an eye, the GLOM sprang forward, transforming from a shapeless lump into something else entirely. A human figure. And not just any human figure. It looked just like Milton. Except a whole lot greener.

  The GLOM landed in front of Milton. For a second, they stood there, each looking back at the other—as if Milton were staring at a neon green reflection of himself.

  And then the GLOM attacked.

  In a lightning-fast barrage of movements, the GLOM stomped on Milton’s toe, elbowed him in the stomach, and got him into a headlock.

  “You see, it’s just as I described,” Gavin said. “The GLOM has now solidified, using its rubberlike flexibility and sophisticated artificial intelligence to perfectly customize itself to match its opponent’s abilities.”

  The green Milton was now giving a pretty serious noogie to the regular Milton, rubbing its fist into the top of Milton’s head.

  “You must fight back!” Gavin called out. “How are you ever going to take on some of the world’s most dangerous villains if you can’t even defend yourself from yourself?”

  Milton finally managed to twist away from the GLOM’s grasp. He staggered backward, red-faced, while the GLOM watched, hands on its green hips, looking very satisfied with itself.

  “Go ahead!” Gavin urged. “Make your attack!”

  Milton tried to take Gavin’s advice. He lunged forward, flinging his fist wildly. The GLOM ducked, easily dodging the punch. While Milton was still off balance, the replica reared back and kicked him hard in the shin.

  “OUCH!” Milton wailed. “This thing fights dirty!”

  “What? You expect supervillains to play by the rules? You’re just going to have to get better.”

  Gelatinous Learning-Oriented Material, better known as GLOM, may look like a supersized radioactive booger, but don’t get too close … unless you want to pick a fight with a mean green replica.

  The GLOM burst forward, swinging hard at Milton’s head. Staggering to his side, Milton barely managed to avoid the punch. As he flailed sideways, his elbow connected with the GLOM’s midsection. The green replica doubled over. Milton steadied himself, then rose like he was spring-loaded, and landed an uppercut hard against the GLOM’s chin.

  It took my mind a split second to recognize what my eyes had just seen. Milton’s punch had just knocked the GLOM clear off its feet. It landed on its back, hitting the floor with a booming thud.

  “That a way!” Gavin yelled, looking genuinely impressed.

  Milton had passed his challenge. The GLOM shifted back into a formless blob again.

  nFinity was next. When he got close enough, the GLOM transformed in the blink of an eye from a lump of goo into a perfect green replica of nFinity.

  Before his replica could attack, nFinity pointed one hand and released a wave of fire that was far bigger and deadlier than the figures he’d formed that morning at breakfast. But the GLOM must’ve been fireproof, because it charged right through the flames like they were nothing more than a light breeze.

  nFinity switched to a different tactic. He reached over his shoulder and grabbed hold of a long silver rod that was strapped to his back. Pressing a button at the top of the rod caused it to unfold like a giant Swiss Army knife. A deck flipped open at the bottom. Handlebars appeared at the top.

  It was a portable hover scooter.

  My parents had hover scooters too, but theirs were big, clunky things that took up a whole corner of the garage. nFinity’s was slim and compact, its silvery surface reflecting the overhead lights.

  With one hand gripping the handlebars and his feet planted on the deck, nFinity launched upward on the hover scooter. From beneath him, the GLOM leaped into the air, barely managing to grab hold of nFinity’s ankle.

  The two of them soared higher, swerving through the air like a defective bottle rocket. No matter how much nFinity veered and weaved on the scooter, the replica hung on. It climbed nFinity’s leg and lunged for the handlebars. As it grabbed hold of the handle, the scooter jolted sideways, barreling straight for the wall. nFinity twisted and kicked a button near his foot. The rod and handlebars snapped loose from the deck. And just like that, nFinity was no longer riding a hover scooter. He was riding a hover skateboard.

  With his feet firmly planted against the detached deck, nFinity swerved and twisted in the air, just barely avoiding the wall.

  The GLOM wasn’t so lucky. It was still clutching the handlebars … which were still hurtling sideways … right toward the wall.

  WHAAAM!

  A horrible crash echoed through the room. I winced as the GLOM collided with the wall and then collapsed to the ground.

  The room burst into applause as nFinity soared above our heads, looking like a professional hover skateboarder. He performed a couple of tricks up there, doing a backflip, grasping the board with one hand and forming loops of flames with the other.

  It seemed like he was showing off a little more than necessary. Not that Sophie minded. She clapped the loudest.

  Miranda was the next volunteer. The GLOM went after her with a whirlwind of punches and kicks. Miranda countered, flipping backward to avoid a swing to her head. She landed on her feet just as the replica was coming at her with a roundhouse kick. Dropping to her knees, Miranda dodged the kick by less than an inch.

  It looked like they were fighting in fast motion. I felt dizzy just watching. Miranda and her replica attacked each other with a
stunning display of moves, countermoves, and counter-countermoves. I could see Miranda anticipating what was going to happen before it actually happened. The way she raised her arms to block a punch that hadn’t even been thrown yet. Or how she aimed her kick—not at the place where the GLOM was, but at the place where the GLOM would be the next moment.

  Superpowered intuition. Miranda’s Gyft gave her the knowledge of what the replica was going to do before it did. She could map out its movements ahead of time and adjust accordingly. No matter how quick or powerful the GLOM was, Miranda was always one step ahead.

  After being knocked onto its back for the seventh or eighth time, the GLOM didn’t bother to get up. It must’ve known the fight was hopeless, because it transformed back into a blob of goo rather than face Miranda again.

  “How’d you get to be such a great fighter?” I asked once Miranda had left the center of the room and was standing beside me again.

  “My mom,” she said between deep breaths.

  “Your mom can fight like that?”

  “Not even close. But it was her idea to sign me up for private kickboxing lessons as soon as I could walk.”

  Sophie was next. She approached the center of the room in her yellow one-piece uniform, a look of intense concentration on her face. By the time the goo transformed, Sophie was already beginning her own transformation—the surface of her skin illuminating like a lightbulb.

  Before the replica could lay its green hand on Sophie, she took hold of the steel box the GLOM had arrived in. Cables groaned as she snapped it loose from the floor. In the next instant, Sophie was holding the steel box above her head. It probably outweighed her by five hundred pounds, but Sophie handled the box like it was made of cardboard.

  The replica made its move, taking a quick jab at Sophie’s midsection. Casually, she stepped aside and let go of the box.

  SQUELCH!

  The massive steel crate dropped onto the GLOM like a cinder block landing on a spider. When Sophie kicked the box aside, all that was left of the replica was a green, gelatinous skid mark.

  Sudden applause echoed through the room. Sophie had defeated her replica in record time. Meaning there was only one person left to face the GLOM.

  Me.

  The thought made my heart hammer inside my chest. There was no way I’d do nearly as well against the GLOM as the others.

  I tried to think positive. I was going up against my replica, after all. Like fighting myself. How tough could I be, right? I was a total wimp.

  For a second there, I was actually feeling sort of hopeful. And then I made eye contact with Miranda. She was looking back at me with a silent gaze that was half pity, half fear. Like she’d seen a glimpse of my future. And it wasn’t good.

  I wanted to ask what she’d seen, but right then a hand came down hard on my shoulder. Trace loomed over me.

  “Let’s go, kid,” he said. “We don’t have all day.”

  Trace shoved me forward. I stumbled into the center of the room, where the GLOM was lying, looking like an extra-large green pancake squished against the floor.

  One more step forward was all it took. As if I’d stumbled onto a trigger, the instant my foot touched the ground, the green pancake transformed into a full-scale model of me.

  I’d always wondered what it would be like to have an identical twin. Well, now I knew. Except in this case, the twin was green. And it hated my guts.

  Before I had a chance to react, the GLOM surged forward and punched me in the stomach. I heaved forward, white-hot pain searing through my body. All the oxygen escaped my lungs instantly. As I struggled to regain my breath, the GLOM grabbed hold of my arm and twisted it with such force that I dropped to my knees.

  Gritting my teeth, I focused my mind until I felt a tingling in my fingers and toes, pulsing through my veins. Spontaneous combustion. It was like being plugged into an enormous electrical socket. My entire body charging up, building energy.

  A blast of power surged through me. An instant later, the GLOM flew backward.

  But the green replica wasn’t done yet. It jumped back to its feet and sprinted across the room. Right in my direction.

  I flung out my arms to protect myself. A fresh surge of power shot through me.

  And then time stopped.

  Everything froze in place, as if someone had pressed the pause button on my life. The GLOM was suspended in place, arms outstretched. The others stood, unmoving, at the edge of my vision.

  I tried to move, but I was frozen too. It was like being trapped inside my own body. Paralyzed where I stood.

  A light began to glow at my fingertips—an orb of illumination that grew brighter, stretching forward like a string that extended from my hand. Unable to control the light, I could only watch as it snaked forward, closer and closer to the GLOM.

  The instant that the light made contact with the replica, time started back up again. All at once, everything shifted into motion. A raucous blur of sound and movement. The GLOM was absorbed into an explosion of light. At the same time, I was knocked backward. I was flying through the air.…

  In the next moment, everything went dark.

  14

  Where was I?

  Opening my eyes, I blinked up at fluorescent panels buzzing overhead and the high-definition windows on the white walls. This wasn’t the training hall. Sheets were draped over me. I was in a bed. When I tried to sit up, a hand gently guided me onto my back again.

  A woman’s voice spoke. “I’m glad to see you’re alive.”

  “Me too,” I croaked.

  Brandy appeared in my vision. She ran her fingers through her auburn hair, letting out a relieved sigh. And then a second figure pushed into my field of vision, a pudgy silhouette against the harsh lighting. When the person spoke, I recognized the dry tone instantly.

  “You’re alive,” Trace said. From the sound of his voice, he seemed a little disappointed.

  “Where am I?” I asked.

  “The infirmary,” Brandy responded. “You banged your head pretty bad back in the training hall.”

  “At least you’re in a lot better shape than the GLOM,” Trace said.

  “What d’you mean?”

  “Nothing big, really.” Trace let out a sarcastic chuckle. “You just vaporized it with your little light show back there, that’s all.”

  Light show. Trace’s words sent the memory howling through my mind. Time stopping. The ribbon of light drifting out of my fingertips. Being knocked backward, flying through the air. And then …

  Nothing.

  I’d only experienced that kind of thing once before. Seven months ago, inside the underground lair with Phineas Vex. Time froze, a stream of light snaked through the air. When it touched Vex, he ended up buried under an avalanche of metal.

  And both times, it was as if I’d lost control of my power … as if my power had been in control of me.

  “So you saw what happened?” I asked.

  “Course I did,” Trace said. “That light thingy coming out of your hand—it nearly blinded me. And when we went looking for the remains of the GLOM, there was nothing left. Even plasma cannons leave dust fragments of their victims. But whatever you did …” Trace shook his head, exhaling a slow breath. “You destroyed every ounce of the GLOM.”

  Confusion pitched around inside my head. I’d seen the GLOM get roasted by fire, crushed by a steel crate, and beaten into submission. And it had always transformed into a new shape afterward without any problem.

  “You know how much time and money went into creating that GLOM?” Trace said. “And you come along, showing off for your friends by vaporizing it.”

  “I didn’t mean to,” I protested.

  Trace gripped the bed railing so tightly that his knuckles were white. “You may think you’re a big deal, but I’ve seen kids like you come and go in this business a million times—”

  “That’s enough!” Brandy’s voice cut him off. “Why don’t you tell Gavin that Joshua’s awake? I can take c
are of everything in here.”

  Huffing angrily, Trace turned to go. I listened to his footsteps clomp across the room.

  “Don’t worry about him,” Brandy said once he was gone. “He’s just jealous.”

  “Jealous?” I asked. “Of what?”

  Brandy sighed. “You’ve got a chance that he’ll never get again. A chance to be a superhero.”

  I thought back on the conversation we’d had earlier. You’re not the first team of superheroes Gavin’s put together, Trace had said.

  “That’s how we met,” Brandy went on. “And that’s how we got to know Gavin. He was the one who brought us all together.”

  “Just like us,” I said.

  Brandy nodded. “We were in a group called the X-Treme Team,” she said. When it was clear that I’d never heard of them, she said, “It was before your time, but for a while, we were quite famous. We were on the front page of newspapers, had endorsement deals. There were even talks of turning us into a Saturday-morning cartoon.”

  “So what happened?”

  “Something horrible.” A dark look crossed Brandy’s face. Her eyes flickered with memory, and she winced, as if even thinking about it caused her pain. “But that was years ago. And I guess maybe Trace misses it. He used to be a star, you know. And now he’s just another of Gavin’s employees.”

  “If he doesn’t like it, maybe he should quit.” I twisted the sheet in my fist. I’m sure there are tons of jobs out there for an invisible fatso with a bad attitude.

  “It’s not always that simple,” Brandy said. “He spent his childhood training to be a superhero. Then he actually became one. For years, he traveled around the world, fighting villains and living like a celebrity. There wasn’t time left over for school. Then, when everything fell apart, he didn’t have anything to fall back on. Being a superhero was all he knew.”

  I slumped back onto my pillow, my head throbbing. Brandy smoothed my hair away from my sweaty forehead.

  “Close your eyes,” she said. “You’ll feel better soon.”

  I guess I drifted off soon after that, because the next thing I knew, Brandy was gone. I sat up, glancing around the infirmary. I was alone. The room was darker now, the sun setting in the high-definition window. My head was still aching, but the pain was definitely less severe than it had been earlier.