by Bryan Cohen
For the next few minutes, the nurse, her supervisor and the doctor did their best to resuscitate Stucky. After trying everything they could, the familiar flatline tone of the machine sounded.
"We need to do more." She took Stucky’s hand. "Can we please try something else?"
The doctor stopped her. "He's gone. Time of death, 1:35 p.m."
The nurse couldn't help her tears. It wasn't the first time she'd talked to a patient shortly before he passed, but repetition didn't make this part of the job any easier.
"You didn't have to run away so fast, Stucky."
She gripped his hand tighter. A few seconds went by before his arm shot up off the bed and grabbed the nurse by the throat. Stucky sat upright and the symbol on his arm glowed blue.
"I think you're right." His eyes were like daggers. "I should stay."
16
Step one of Erica’s mission was complete. She’d located and isolated the living soul. The second step could be significantly more difficult. Erica looked into Ted’s eyes and saw a love-struck teenager and the spitting image of her own first love, William.
Her heartbeat quickened. "Wanna sit with me?"
Ted responded with a blank stare.
She laughed to herself.
He’s cute, but is he actually harmless? Can we control him?
Erica asked the same question again, and this time the living soul complied. As they sat in the front row, Erica adjusted herself to make the knife in her back pocket more comfortable.
She fluttered her eyelashes. "I hear that you never stopped looking for me."
"I wasn’t the only one." He looked away from her stare. "But no. Friends don’t give up on each other like that."
Erica could feel herself being drawn to him. She wasn’t sure if it was the teenage hormones raging through her body, the recollection of her first love, or Ted’s loyalty that did it.
Regardless of what it was, her stomach tightened. "I gave up, Ted. I wasn’t a good friend, so I’m not sure why you—"
When Ted clasped her hand, she nearly reached for her weapon on instinct. She hoped he hadn’t picked up on the momentary burst of fear.
"My friends called me an idiot for still caring about you, but I knew that beyond the popularity and the booze, you were still a good person." He shivered as he spoke. "That you were still the real you."
Erica’s mind was a frenzy of thoughts. The part of her that felt like a fraud was pushed aside by her desire for a second chance.
She tucked some hair behind one ear. "But I’ve done a lot of bad things." Her mind flashed to the knife. "Things I’m not proud of."
Ted slowly brought his hand up to her cheek. Nearly all thoughts of her mission slipped away as she let his warmth sink in.
"I can’t do anything about your past, Erica, but just know that I forgive you. Even if you never talk to me again, I forgive you for everything."
Erica wasn’t a warrior anymore. She wasn’t a killer or an operative keeping her side afloat in an inter-dimensional war. She was just a girl tilting her head to the side and leaning toward a boy’s face. Ted closed his eyes and pressed his lips together.
They were less than an inch away from making contact when a voice cried out from across the room.
"What the hell?!"
Erica reached for the knife again as she spun toward the interruption. Her former inhabitant’s memories kicked in to identify the tall, athletic intruder. It was Natalie Dorn.
The rage coursed through Natalie’s veins, as she stood frozen in place. As if getting beaten in basketball by the new resident superhero wasn’t enough, she’d just caught her ex-boyfriend scoring another kind of rebound altogether. The silence went on for what seemed like an hour until Ted stood up.
He breathed heavily. "It’s not what it looks like."
Natalie gave him a stink eye. "Oh, really?"
Ted looked back at Erica who was frustratingly perfect and composed in every way possible.
"Okay, it is what it looks like, but that’s what people always say."
Erica stood up like a well-trained supermodel. "I can go if you two need to talk something out."
I’m going to strangle her to death. No, I’ll start with him, then her. No witnesses that way.
Natalie growled, spying the handle of a weapon jutting out of the back of Erica’s pants.
The momentary confusion failed to blunt her ire. "No, Queen of Bad Intentions, you two stay here. I wouldn’t want to ruin your tongues’ reunion."
She stormed out into the hall as the class change bell blared into her ears. Natalie had simply wanted to get a few extra minutes of trumpet practice. Instead, she’d seen her worst nightmare acted out before her very eyes.
The slutty superhero caught up to her within seconds. "Nat, I’m sorry."
She refused to break her stride or look in his direction. "I bet it’ll be easier on your x-ray vision if you just tear her clothes off first."
Ted spoke rapidly. "I don’t have x-ray vision and I’m not tearing off anybody’s clothes."
Natalie restrained herself from punching him in the neck. "I just can’t believe you. I thought you were different."
All of a sudden, she felt her shoulder turn against its will until she was facing her ex-boyfriend.
"Nat."
Her blood boiled. "Oh, you did not just use your powers on me to keep me from walking away. Tell me you did not just do that."
Ted’s face was tense and pink. "I’m just trying to explain myself."
Natalie bit the inside of her cheek and drew blood. "Look, you’re a celebrity superhero now, so I’m not about to tell you what to do with your life. But as someone who cares about you, I need to tell you that you don’t know her anymore." His forehead wrinkled. "I think I do."
"No, you don’t. You don’t know where she was. You don’t know who she was with. And I’m sure you don’t know why she snuck a knife into school today."
Ted’s eyes narrowed. "What’re you talking about? I know her!"
Natalie took a step past him and put her hand on the door to the girl’s bathroom. "You don’t. But you’re going to."
She pushed her way into the bathroom and slammed a stall door behind her. Ted may have had superpowers, but she knew there was no way he’d follow.
Natalie stewed in her hatred for a few minutes before bashing her knuckles against the stall’s cheap metal interior.
"I’m going to show him and the whole school who she really is." She nodded to herself. "After I expose her dirty little secrets, she’ll never show her face in Treasure again."
17
Nigel took a deep, satisfied breath as he watched Tank pace back and forth in the cell. It was easy to identify a younger spirit; even once it had crossed over to human form. On the other side, Nigel had been involved in this war for hundreds of years. He knew that a few hours or days here and there weren't worth much.
Yarrick groaned. "Can you sit down? You're giving me bad headache."
Tank looked up at Yarrick and slammed his fist into the wall. The blow left a crack and little pebbles of concrete tumbled to the ground.
"The next one could be aimed at your head, human." Tank took a step toward the Russian before he resumed his pacing.
"If you were not alien, I would do more than ask nicely."
Tank grumbled. "I'm not an alien. I'm from a different world. A stronger one. We deserve to take this place from all of you and we deserve it now."
Yarrick laughed.
"We are the same. Both in a cell."
Tank lunged for Yarrick, but Nigel easily stepped in between the two. Tank raised a fist, but one look into his superior’s eyes turned his rage into fear. Nigel motioned for Tank to sit down on the other bed next to the dozing Carter. Tank kicked at the floor before sitting.
Nigel lit the room with his grin. "No need to rouse the guards, gentlemen."
"Boss, you and I could break us out of here no problem." Tank cracked his knuckles. "Why are we w
aiting?"
The Brit cleared his throat. "I don't want any more surprises. We need to find out more before we continue the plan."
Yarrick narrowed his eyes. "No disrespect, boss, but without newspaper and internet, how will we find out more?"
That's when Nigel felt the energy enter the building. Someone powerful was here, and it didn't feel like the living soul.
"Seek and ye shall find, Yarrick."
As if on cue, a guard approached the cell door. He was as large as Yarrick, though Nigel could feel his apprehension through the bars. The Brit’s reputation as some kind of supervillain had spread.
"Nigel, you have a visitor."
He let his eyebrows dance. "Don't worry, everyone. I'll be back. Hopefully with a cake that has a crowbar baked inside."
Yarrick laughed as the guard slapped on a pair of handcuffs and led Nigel into the hallway. The old Nigel had been in the sheriff's cell before for petty crimes here and there. It was like his home away from home. He almost felt sentimental when he stepped into the interrogation room.
He noticed Sheriff Norris right away, but the lawman wasn't the one who caught his attention. He wasn't the one with the power. Sitting in a chair facing him was a cute teenage girl. She wasn't even old enough to vote in this world, though her knowing eyes said she could do more than most humans.
Nigel slowly nodded. "Sending a little girl to save the day, it's a bold move."
The guard sat the Brit down across from the girl. She continued to stare right into his eyes.
"I'll leave the two of you alone." Sheriff Norris motioned for the guard to leave the room.
"You sure, Sheriff?"
The sheriff spoke in a monotone. "Trust me."
The two men left the room and Nigel put his feet on the desk.
The girl smiled. "If I remember correctly, a little girl started this whole business in the first place."
Nigel's smile faded. He pulled his knees back in and sat straight up. Nigel knew exactly who she was. Having her on this world wasn't going to make his plan any easier.
"Oh, that's rich. It's you. I suppose I should be honored. What's your body called? Tiffany? Candy?"
"Erica. I already know yours. Let's cut the chitchat."
Nigel shook his head. "No. I want to chat all day long. How was the crossover? Have you slept well since you returned? Are you excited to die again?"
Erica stood up. She was taller than he expected. He imagined that before the girl’s body died, she had a line of boys and men waiting to date her.
She flared her nostrils. "I've died a dozen times. I'll keep coming back to stop your kind."
Nigel noticed Erica's temper. He knew this was his moment to strike.
"The first time you died, you thought it was for something." He chuckled. "You gave your life, but the war continues to rage on. You could have died an old woman in your bed with a family and someone to love."
Erica crossed her arms and looked in the other direction. Nigel loved this feeling. It was one thing to attack someone physically and make them squeal with pain. Making them feel darkness to their core was significantly better.
"Hundreds of years later, you have nobody. The light souls barely accept you as one of their own. And your side continues to give up ground, body by body, world by world."
Erica sniffled. This was the most fun he'd had since he'd crossed over.
"You've grown tired. I can tell, E-ri-ca. It's a fight you can't win and you're starting to realize that." Nigel stood up and raised his voice. "When we slice this dimension in two, we'll cut down all your little school friends and take over everything you hold near and dear."
Nigel expected a reaction. He wanted her to crumple to the ground. But that's not what he got.
Erica turned around without a tear on her face. "Slice this dimension in two? You have the sword, don't you?"
Nigel's mouth gaped open. "No. I didn't... I didn't say that."
"You did. So that's your plan, huh? Thanks for your help."
Erica made a signal through the two-way mirror and the guard and sheriff came back in. Nigel had gone into the room seeking information. Instead, he was the one providing it.
"Hey, Nigel." Erica stopped at the door. "Always great seeing an old friend."
She turned and exited. Nigel wanted to bash her head in. He saw it all in his mind: he'd kick the guard through the mirror, lift the sheriff up and smash him through the table and then choke the girl to death with his handcuffs. But Nigel wouldn't let his rage get the better of him again, however, and he let himself be led back to the cell.
After he returned, Tank stopped his pacing and let the guard go out of earshot. "So, what'd you find out?"
"They know everything."
Nigel decided against telling them he’d been the one who shared the intel.
Yarrick sighed. "What are we going to do?"
Nigel gripped the barred gate. "Tomorrow, we're going to kill them." He easily bent the metal in his grasp. "We're going to kill them all."
18
Ted saw nothing but darkness in every direction. He realized there was something firm in his hand – a long piece of wood. Instinctively, he took out a lighter and set the torch aflame.
"Ah, much better."
The darkness gave way to blank cave walls.
"I guess."
He wasn't sure which was more frightening, the pitch-blackness or the ominous cave. As he looked over his shoulder, Ted saw he was not alone. Dhiraj carefully examined every treacherous step as he walked. Erica was there, too, and she looked much more confident on the terrain. There were three others with him, but he was unable to make out their faces. As he looked ahead once more, he saw their adversaries. Bloodthirsty and more than a little pissed off, Nigel and his crew rushed at them.
"Run." Erica pushed him behind her. "You're too important."
"I appreciate the thought, but—"
Ted should have listened. Before he could finish his thought, Nigel was upon him. The Brit pulled back his sword and shoved it forward, right into Ted's stomach. The pain shot through every ounce of his being. As he screamed, Erica and the others covered their eyes when a blue light exploded from the wound, opening a portal to another world. Ted tumbled to the ground as the gateway grew larger. Small pulses of energy shot out of the light, slamming into each of his friends. Something told him they weren't his friends any longer. Erica, Dhiraj and the others became cold and dark. Erica walked up to Ted, who continued to writhe in pain.
He reached for her ankle. "Please, help me."
Erica pushed him down with a kick to the midsection. "It’s all over, living soul." She lifted her heel and stomped down on Ted’s neck. Everything went black.
Ted awoke with a jolt on a bench outside of the school gym. He reached over for his bag, but in his restlessness, he'd accidentally propelled it across the hallway with his mind.
He groaned. "Just what I needed. Nightmares."
He shook his feet awake and walked toward his backpack. The bag was sitting next to a paintball stain on the wall from last month's unauthorized war games. He recalled Principal Stoll lecturing them during an angry all-school assembly that it would take years to find all of the marks. He threw the strap of the backpack over one shoulder.
Ted had dozed off in an effort to escape. As soon as the end of the school day bell rang, Dhiraj texted him a link. It was a video some classmate took of Ted's encounter with Natalie. A story with the title "Female Athlete Gets Heated with Superhero Ex-Flame." Ted had a feeling Natalie would be displeased. He hoped the news vans wouldn’t show up at her house as well.
"I’m such an idiot. A horny, sentimental idiot."
As he drove home, Ted thought about the first time he saw Natalie. He’d been down to Dhiraj’s basement hundreds of times for Ping-Pong and video games. Never once had a girl even considered coming over until the Amazonian goddess sat cross-legged on Dhiraj’s couch. He’d heard rumors that she choked the last boy who talked to h
er, but much to his surprise, she was genuinely nice, if not a little competitive. Sure, she talked smack in between Ping-Pong points, but he loved the way she laughed and her occasional smiles. The three of them were inseparable until Ted wanted more. Now he wasn’t sure if they’d ever be friends again.
When Ted turned onto his street, he noticed Dhiraj standing in the middle of the road. As per usual, his friend wore a scheming grin.
He rolled down his window. "Sorry, I don’t pick up strange men."
Dhiraj chuckled. "Been burned too many times?" He scampered around the car and hopped into the passenger side. "I’ve got a surprise for you."
"I’ve had a few too many surprises lately."
Dhiraj adjusted Ted’s rearview mirror. "I promise, this is a way better surprise than not realizing someone was taping Natalie yell at you. I sent out a press release about that, by the way. It was Natalie-approved!"
Ted fixed his mirror. "Thanks, I guess. Next time, can you let me approve it too?"
"Yes, sir!"
As Ted’s house moved into view, he clearly saw the YNN news van in the front of his driveway.
His throat closed up. "Dhiraj?"
"Yes, Ted?"
"Why is a van for the most popular cable news network parked in my driveway?"
Dhiraj rubbed his hands together. "Because I set up a national news interview for you in about an hour."
Ted slammed on the brakes. "You did what?!"
"About 25 million people are about to meet you and love you."
His throat closed tighter. "25 mill – to meet me – in an hour?!"
"Yup." Dhiraj smiled like he’d been bathed in sunshine and rainbows. "Surprise!"
19
Deputy Chad Daly thought he was in the clear. After all, he hadn't heard anything about the case for a solid week. He'd been precise. He had an alibi. Everything was back on track in his life until he saw Erica LaPlante at the start of his shift.