by Lucas Flint
I frowned. “Really? How did that happen?”
“It was last year,” said Thaumaturge. “The Visionary was running for President under the name Barnabas Sagan. During his first debate with Plutarch, an assassin shot Sagan in the head, an assassin who had been hired by Plutarch. This assassin then took Sagan’s laptop and revealed Vision to the world, thus forcing us to go into hiding so the government couldn’t catch us.”
“Plutarch tried to kill his political opponent?” I said. “That’s crazy.”
“Plutarch is a mad man and a tyrant,” said Thaumaturge, shaking his head. “He is one of the most vile men to have ever lived. He was once the supervillain known as the Billionaire, but he never truly gave up his villainous ways even after he retired.”
“Even worse, he’s problematic and rude,” said Sarah. Then she added, almost as an afterthought, “And he put my grandfather in a coma, too.”
“He sounds awful,” I said. “But is that the only reason we’re trying to break into the White House? To kill Plutarch and avenge the Visionary?”
“No,” said Thaumaturge. “Your main goal is to get the location of our leader from the White House, though if you want to kill Plutarch too, you can.”
I frowned. “You mean you don’t know where our leader even is?”
“No,” said Thaumaturge. “After the Visionary was sent into a coma and his plans revealed to the world, the government took him into custody. We believe they took him to a secret government facility, but we do not know its exact location.”
“Believe me, we’ve tried,” said Wrath. “But the government really doesn’t want anyone finding him. We know he’s not in Ultimate Max, but beyond that we don’t know where they’re keeping him.”
“Why do we need to make Plutarch tell us?” I said. “Why don’t we have Technical hack the government’s systems? Surely there has to be a server out there or something that says where he’s being kept.”
“Hacking into government servers isn’t so simple,” said Technical. “We’ve tried, but they’ve beefed up their security recently. It’s not like hacking emails from some private server in a barn, you know.”
“Right,” said Thaumaturge. “We did have an agent inside the government who tried to get the files stating the Visionary’s location, but he was told that that information is on no government computer; instead, it is kept on paper in a folder in the Oval Office, which is inside a safe underneath Plutarch’s desk.”
“Why?” I said.
“Because it is more secure,” said Thaumaturge. “And since the Visionary’s location is on paper, it cannot be hacked by enemies.”
“So we’re supposed to break into the White House, kill Plutarch, get the documents, and leave?” I said.
“Yes,” said Thaumaturge. “Of course, it is fine if you only succeed in stealing the documents and spare Plutarch, but it would be best if you could do both.”
I frowned. “Have we ever done something like this before? The White House isn’t exactly defenseless, you know.”
“Come on, Bolt,” said Hopper, elbowing me in the side. “We’ve done loads of missions like this before, both before and after our time as the Young Neos. Breaking into the Oval Office to grab a folder will be a breeze.”
“Yeah,” said Technical, nodding. “I’ve been spending the last few weeks studying the White House’s security detail. With our powers and my technology, we should be able to break in, get what we want, and get out without being caught.”
I felt a little uneasy about this. “You guys sure sound confident about breaking into one of the most secure buildings in the country.”
“We must,” said Incantation. “It’s the only way we’ll be able to save our leader.”
“Indeed,” said Thaumaturge. “If we can save the Visionary, then Vision will rise again, more powerful than ever before. And no one, not even the government, will be able to stand before us.”
As confident as Thaumaturge and the other sounded, I was still harboring a lot of doubts myself. Saving the Visionary seemed like a good idea, but something about it seemed wrong to me, too. And it wasn’t because I was worried about being caught, either, though that was definitely a concern. It was more like I was being told to do something that I knew was morally wrong while being told by everyone around me that it was actually a good thing. It was probably just my amnesia making me feel weird again, yet it didn’t seem to affect my memories too much, aside from the fact that I didn’t even remember what the Visionary looked or sounded like. Perhaps I just hadn’t interacted with him very much before he was captured by the government.
“Okay,” I said. “What’s the plan?”
“Hopper will transport you and the rest of the team to the White House,” said Thaumaturge, “while Technical will stay here and disable the White House’s defenses from a distance. It will then be up to you, Incantation, and Sarah to enter the Oval Office and retrieve the documents.”
“Should all go according to plan—and, as we all know, it never does—you should hopefully avoid running into any G-Men, Secret Service, or miscellaneous superheroes,” Wrath said sardonically. “Easy peasy.”
Thaumaturge just rolled his eyes at Wrath’s sarcasm. “Some support would be appreciated here, Wrath, given the seriousness of the mission.”
“I know,” said Wrath. “I’m just pointing out that our perfect plans don’t usually go perfectly in practice.”
“Right,” said Thaumaturge. “Any questions?”
“Yeah,” I said. I pointed at Wrath. “What’s he supposed to do?”
Wrath smiled. “Backup.”
“Backup?” I said. I frowned. “You’re our only backup?”
Wrath shrugged. “Someone has to be.”
“Wrath is one of our most experienced members, so trust me when I say that he will make good backup,” said Thaumaturge. “Of course, if the mission goes as planned, you won’t need his help.”
“That would be boring,” said Wrath. “Very boring. Let’s hope the plan goes south so I can go north.”
Wrath seemed a little too eager to help, which meant that he was either a devoted follower of the Visionary or he really wanted to fight someone. Given his nickname, I thought that there was a very good chance that the latter was the case. I didn’t see how useful his powers would be in a fight, though.
“Okay,” I said. “When do we leave?”
“At midnight tonight,” said Thaumaturge. “We cannot do it in the middle of the day, when the Secret Service is awake and alert. And it will have to be quick, because once the White House security realizes what is going on, they will no doubt move to quickly neutralize the threat, which is you.”
“There’s a good chance they’ll call in the G-Men, too, given that those idiots are based in Washington just down the street from the White House,” said Wrath. “If you see Cadmus Smith, please punch him in the face for me, okay?”
I had no idea who ‘Cadmus Smith’ was, but I nodded, because I figured this Cadmus Smith guy was probably an enemy of Vision.
“All right,” said Thaumaturge. “Because it is quite early in the morning at the moment, you should spend the rest of the day getting ready for the mission. I will call you out to the garden behind the mansion tonight to start the mission. Until then, this meeting is dismissed.”
Thaumaturge stood up from his chair and walked away, quickly joined by Wrath, who began earnestly talking with Thaumaturge about something I couldn’t hear. I assumed it was probably related to the mission, though, because I heard them mention something about ‘Visionary’ and ‘Plutarch.’
“What are we going to do for the rest of the day?” I said, looking at my friends.
“Well, I’m going to go and study the White House’s security systems so we’ll be prepared for the mission,” said Technical. She looked at Sarah. “Want to join, Sarah?”
Sarah nodded. “Okay. But just as long as I don’t have to actually do any work. I hate computers.”
“What should I do, then?” I said. “Sleep?”
“Get ready for the mission, of course,” said Incantation. “Why don’t we go outside and have you test your powers? Playing around with your powers might help with your amnesia, which will be helpful for the mission tonight.”
“All right,” I said. “Will you be coming out with me?”
“Of course,” said Incantation. “And Hopper will, too.”
“I will?” said Hopper in confusion. But then he suddenly shook his head and said, “Uh, I mean, yeah, of course I will. I’m your best friend. Why wouldn’t I come out with you?”
I looked at Hopper in confusion for a moment, but then shook my head and said, “Okay. Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go outside.”
Chapter Four
A few minutes later, Incantation, Hopper, and I stood outside on the front lawn of the huge mansion that we used as our base. The front lawn was immaculately cut, so clean and short that it felt more like carpeting than grass. The air was crisp and cool this morning as well, reminding me of other mornings I’d had like this. Actually, the mansion reminded me of another mansion I’d visited once, but my memories were still too mushed up for me to recall exactly where I’d seen that mansion. All I knew for sure was that it wasn’t anywhere near as nice as this one.
But I forgot all about that, because as soon as I stepped outside onto the lawn and saw the wide-open sky, I couldn’t help myself. Like I did this every day, I shot into the sky, flying high and fast, ignoring Incantation and Hopper’s cries of surprise and calls to come back.
Despite my amnesia, I flew without problem. I turned and twisted in midair, rising higher and higher, until I stopped and looked down at the ground sprawling out below.
The mansion—which once looked so huge up close—now looked very tiny, like a toy, and Incantation and Hopper looked even tinier. The forest around the mansion looked like a sea of green, while the road that connected the mansion to the main highway snaked through them like a sea serpent. I looked around the area, but saw no towns or cities for miles in every direction at all, though I did spot a lake at the bottom of the slope behind the house.
Taking a deep breath, I then flew back toward the ground and landed in front of Incantation and Hopper. I landed well, slowing down at the last moment so I didn’t crash into the ground and send dirt flying everywhere, like I’d landed hundreds of times before.
Standing upright, I brushed back my hair and said, “Man, that was fun! You guys should really try it sometime.”
“Well, I can’t fly, so I can’t do it,” said Hopper. “But Incantation can.”
“You can?” I said, looking at her in surprise.
“It’s really more like levitation that true flight,” said Incantation with a shrug. “And I can’t do it for as long as I’d like, otherwise I’ll wear out and get too tired.”
I nodded, but then stopped. “’Too tired’? What do you mean?”
“I mean exactly what I said,” said Incantation. “It takes up too much of my own energy to levitate, so I only use it when necessary.”
“Is it part of your magical powers?” I said. “I think you called it the Old Way earlier?”
Incantation shook her head. “No. While my other abilities come from training in the Old Way, I could levitate before Thaumaturge taught me magic.”
“So it’s your natural power, then?” I said.
“Bolt,” said Hopper suddenly, an angry scowl crossing his features. “What the hell, man?”
“What?” I said, looking at Hopper in surprise. “What’d I say wrong?”
“You called her levitation her ‘natural’ power,” said Hopper in disgust. “That implies it’s biological, when we all know that superpowers are just a social construct. You almost oppressed her.”
I wasn’t sure how making a simple linguistic mistake like that counted as ‘almost’ oppressing Incantation, but I realized that Hopper had a point.
So I look at Incantation and said, “Sorry. I just forgot.”
“It’s fine, Bolt,” said Incantation, patting me on the shoulder. “We’ve all been brainwashed to believe in the biological nature of superpowers that we all sometimes slip back into it. But don’t do it again.”
Incantation’s tone suddenly became harsh and snappy when she said that last sentence, just like how she had sounded earlier. I still wasn’t sure how to take that, but since I didn’t want to get into a fight with my girlfriend, I just nodded and said, “Sure. But … can I ask what the Old Way is, exactly? I’ve forgotten about it.”
Incantation looked annoyed for a second, like I’d just asked her a dumb question, but then she removed her hand from my shoulder and said, “The Old Way is an ancient, almost extinct magical path that was practiced by British wizards prior to the Christianization of Britain. It was driven underground by the Christians and most of its practitioners were killed in witch hunts, so for most of modern history its few practitioners have been very quiet about using it.”
“British wizards?” I repeated. “Are you going to tell me that Hogwarts is real?”
“Of course not,” said Incantation, shaking her head. “There was never any real magical schools. The Old Way was always taught from master to student, very one-on-one, intimate training. I learned it from Thaumaturge, who is my uncle, and he learned it from an old British friend of his who died ten years ago.”
“Cool,” I said. “What can you do with the Old Way?”
“Many things,” said Incantation. “I can teleport brief distances, summon objects from far away, transmute things into different substances … it’s quite amazing. And I’m still a student; Thaumaturge can cast far more and complicated spells with it.”
“Can anyone learn the Old Way?” I said. “Like me, for instance?”
“Yes, but superhumans are best at it,” said Incantation. “Or, I mean, those of us who identify as superhumans, of course. A few of the old wizards were said to have superpowers apart from what they learned in the Old Way, so I imagine superhuman wizards have existed for a while.”
“Could I learn it?” I said, putting my hands on my chest.
Incantation hesitated. “I’m not so sure. What’s your background?”
I blinked. “My background?”
“Yes,” said Incantation. “I mean, what are you descended from?”
I thought about it. “German on my dad’s side, Polish on mom’s. Why?”
“Well, then you can’t learn it,” said Incantation, folding her arms across her chest. “Only British people or people of British descent are allowed to learn it.”
“What?” I said. “Why?”
“I don’t know why,” said Incantation. “I guess that was how the original wizards kept it alive or something. And, since I’m of British descent, as is my uncle, we were both able to learn it.”
I frowned. “So I can’t be a wizard superhero, then? That sucks.”
“Hey, dude, there’s no reason get down about it,” said Hopper. “I can’t learn it, either, due to … well, you know.” He gestured at his face, indicating his dark skin color. “Only Incantation really knows it, so you don’t need to feel excluded or anything.”
“Maybe,” I said. “But it would still be cool to learn how to do it someday.”
“Yes,” said Incantation. “But also, since I’m a student, I can’t teach you. You’d need to convince my uncle, who is a master of the Old Way, to teach you, but Thaumaturge isn’t taking on any students at the moment, so you’re out of luck even if you were of British descent.”
I sighed. “Oh, well. At least I still have my powers.”
I held up my hands and red lightning crackled between my finger tips. Incantation and Hopper both stepped away from it, probably more out of instinct than anything, because I had pretty good control over it at the moment and wasn’t going to harm them with it.
That was when I suddenly felt like someone was watching me. I looked over my shoulder at the trees beyond the front gat
es. At first, I didn’t see anything, but then I saw movement among the trees and then saw someone in a dark cloak dash between them.
“Bolt?” said Incantation. “What are you looking at?”
“I saw something,” I said. I looked back at Incantation and Hopper. “Don’t you guys feel like we’re being watch?”
Incantation and Hopper exchanged a look. It was a worried look, rather than a confused look, which made me wonder if they knew something I didn’t.
“Oh, it’s probably nothing,” said Incantation, looking at me again, though her voice didn’t sound very sincere to me. “There are lots of animals in the woods around here. It was probably just a deer or something.”
“No, I saw someone,” I said. “I don’t know who, but I saw someone out there—a person, not an animal or something.”
“Deer can look like people if you don’t look at them too closely,” said Hopper. “For example, I mistook a deer for Harrison Ford one time. Extremely embarrassing.”
I just stared at Hopper for a full five seconds before I said, “Well, I’m going to see what it is. It will just take a quick sec. And if it turns out to be a deer or something, then you guys will have the right to say ‘I told you so.’”
Before either Incantation or Hopper could react, I turned and ran toward the woods, using my super speed to zip across the large lawn and over the walls surrounding the yard. In an instant, I crossed the treeline into the forest and then stopped and looked around.
The forest was pretty lively today. Birds were chirping in the treetops above, a squirrel crossed my path, and I even had to duck to avoid a wasp flying straight toward my head. But I didn’t see anything that looked like the cloaked person who I knew I’d seen watching us—watching me—from a distance. I looked behind a couple of trees, but I didn’t find anyone hiding anywhere.
So I almost believed that maybe I hadn’t actually seen anything when, all of a sudden, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I whipped my head to the right just in time to see the edge of a cloak disappear behind a group of trees.