by Hayes, Drew
“I assume there are some limits on it?” Ralph asked.
“It’s not a magical fairy charm that compels me to act against myself or my people, if that’s what you’re getting at. It’s a favor. When you cash it in, we’ll talk, I’ll let you know if I have any conflicts that we need to work around, and we’ll go from there. I’m a reasonable man, especially to those with whom I have a cordial working relationship. That could be you, Ralph – or someone else in the DVA, someone who might not share the same goals you have, who would end up having me owe them a favor instead. It’s your call to make.” Nick raised his scotch, holding it out a few feet away.
The clink of Ralph’s glass meeting Nick’s echoed through the largely empty apartment, and while only Nick took a small nip from his, they both understood the gesture’s significance. “What exactly am I supposed to tell everyone about why you’re suddenly at Intramurals?”
“That I was hired as a representative for an outside firm to evaluate whether the new HCP security procedures are strong enough; heaven knows I’ve got the expertise to sell that cover. Or make up something that works for you. I can play along with whatever story you need. All that matters is that I’m there for the show.”
250.
So far as anyone in town could tell, they were little more than a pair of tourists that stopped for gas and supplies. Older folks, not the spryest in mind or body, but polite people all the same as they filled up their tank and purchased some sandwiches from the case inside. Folks passing through was all the town really got these days, and even that had shrunk over the last decade. It was a nice break in the monotony, even if it was brief. In less than twenty minutes the pair had driven off in their worn (though well-cared for) sedan. Ten minutes after that there was no sign they’d ever been there. The clerks at the station already began to let the memory of them slip away.
As for the pair, they didn’t linger in the area for long. They drove a way’s farther, out of the state just to be on the safe side, before turning off into an abandoned field. Once there, they got out of the car and a ripple ran over them as the illusion fell away. Globe and Clarissa stood where the old people had once been, and while the car still looked the same, it would no longer run without him forcing it along. Scrap cars were easy to fix up cosmetically with a power like Globe’s, but it wasn’t worth the effort to redo the whole engine. Ensuring they were both far enough back, Globe made a single motion with his hand. Soundlessly, by his will, the car crumpled in on itself, crushing inward until nothing but a cube of metal remained.
“Let’s drop this at a junkyard on the way.”
The cube floated up from the ground, always staying close to Globe, as Clarissa opened a tear in space through which they could easily stroll. The air was filled with static and the scent of burning ozone, but in a location this remote the chances of it being noticed were negligible. Shimmerpath had an incredible ability; the only drawback being that it was extremely identifiable if one knew what to look for. Seconds later they were across the country, dropping off the hunk of former car in a pile where it would probably go unnoticed for years, if anyone ever saw it at all. From there, they stepped through to another location.
Globe didn’t recognize this one, but he wished he did. It was lovely, a hilltop overlooking a meadow with luscious trees to shade them from the day’s final hours of sunlight. Waiting for them was a picnic blanket and basket, along with an ice cooler and a plastic bin to hold their trash.
“You set this up?”
“That, or someone came along and took the time to stake out a lovely dinner spot only to hightail it for some reason. Probably wolves.” It had been a long time since Globe heard Clarissa let out a genuine laugh, but a small one escaped her lips as she made her way to the blanket.
“Good thing a few wolves wouldn’t be a problem for you and me.” If only errant predators were the biggest concern facing them. That would have been quite a lovely situation compared to their current one.
“Most of what’s in the basket are side dishes I sealed extra tight so they wouldn’t attract ants. I didn’t expect that gas station to have decent looking food, thought we’d have to make a trip for that, but I guess small towns have to appeal to every market they can.” Clarissa set the sandwiches in the basket then pulled out clear plastic cups. From the cooler, she produced a chilled bottle of white wine and held it up. “Didn’t bother packing a bottle opener. Be a dear?”
It barely took a thought for Globe to will the cork out of the bottle, and Clarissa went to work filling their cups. When she was done, she handed one to Globe, holding onto the other for herself. Patting the blanket to signal him it was time to sit, Clarissa waited until Globe had complied before speaking again.
“Before we get to dinner, there are some things I need to say. Things I should have said a long time ago, if I’m honest with myself, but somehow even after I thought I’d lost you once, I still found ways to keep putting it off. There’s no deluding myself out of this one, though. After tomorrow, you’ll be gone from me… behind bars for years while they figure out whether you’re a criminal or not, at the very best. So there’s no backing down from it this time, it’s quite literally now or never.”
Shifting on the blanket, Globe chose his words carefully. “You don’t need to say anything. I know how you feel, and I think you know–”
He was cut off by Clarissa laying a delicate finger across his lips. “Hush. This is my picnic, my night, and I’m going to speak my mind, because I think there are things you don’t know, Phil. Like the fact that while it’s not much of a secret that I love you, and have since we were just a pair of kids in the HCP, that’s not why I agreed to help with all of this. If it were, do you really think I’d be on board with a plan that costs you what little scraps of life you have left? I want you to understand that I’m here, in the midst of all of this danger and chaos, because I’m a Hero and it’s the right thing to do. That’s why I’m going to stick to the plan and see our mission through, even if I have to watch you die in the process. You need to know that, to understand that when push comes to shove and things get bad, you can still count on me to put the mission first. None of us is more important than exposing the truth, not even you.”
“Well, I suppose you were right. I didn’t really know that, and I’m glad you told me.” He took a long drink from his wine, hoping to gain time as much as courage. “And about your feelings toward me… I hope you understand after all this time that they… are… not unreciprocated.”
Clarissa’s gaze lingered on him before she let out a dense sigh. “I’m truly glad that Vince doesn’t take after you in every aspect. My heart would break for the poor women who love him if he was as bad at expressing his emotions as you.”
“I’m not good at talking about this kind of thing. It’s hard. I’ve spent so much of my life working for the sake of other people: keeping my family safe when my dad was around, then trying to pitch in and help Mom keep us afloat when he passed. After that was college and the HCP, which was all about fighting for the sake of people who needed protecting, and even when I lost that I found Vince to care for. From the beginning, it’s always been about helping everyone else. I haven’t had much experience wanting anything for myself, especially not something as complex as love.”
His wine glass floated away from his hand, freeing up his fingers to rest carefully on top of Clarissa’s. “But I try to show it, as best I can. You’re right, though. This is the end of my line. It’s not fair to leave you behind with nothing but small gestures and acts to piece together. I do love you, Clarissa. More than that. I need you, I depend on you, I trust you in a way I can’t seem to trust anyone since my brother betrayed me. You say you came aboard this mission out of duty, not love, and I believe that. However, you should know that without you here keeping me above water and pointing out my potential mistakes, we would have never made it this far in the first place. You, as much as my own power, are what has made even this slender chance at v
ictory possible.”
Slowly, Clarissa took his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders as she leaned in, laying her head against his chest so they could both look out at the meadow. “Just think of where we might be if you’d managed to say that decades ago.”
“We were making headway, despite my poor communication skills, before Charles tricked me into killing Intra. One more thing he’s stolen from me.”
“Not quite. I’m still here, you know.” Clarissa squeezed his hand, dragging him out of the past and into the moment. “And we have a delicious meal, which will be followed by a lovely sunset. For just this one evening, put Charles out of your head. He’s taken so much from you, and tomorrow he’ll end up taking more, but this moment is ours. One good memory to hold on to, no matter what comes after.”
Phil smiled, squeezing her hand right back. “See what I mean? I could never get through all this without you.”
251.
“Again.”
Shane stood in the center of the room, motionless yet vibrating with the intensity of a taut cable. The others circled up around him. Violet, Alex, and Selena all stood out of arm’s reach, not that it made much difference. Hand-to-hand was an area Shane had been comfortable with for years, but using his shadows against living opponents was a harder task. If he made it to the Hero world, they would no doubt bill him as a scorched earth kind of Super, the sort to call in when someone needed to lay waste. He would fill those roles as only he could, but Shane wanted to be more than that. He wanted to help, to protect, to deal with small-scale issues as much as tearing criminals apart, and all of that demanded precision – the sort of precision he’d either demonstrate in tomorrow’s matches or prove that he lacked under the witness of an enormous crowd.
Off to the side, Professor Fletcher watched the training with a careful eye. He was the only one on staff fast enough to intervene if Shane made a mistake, and Dr. Moran was standing by to heal just in case that happened. So far, it hadn’t been needed, but Shane didn’t let that lessen his focus. With his ability, one mistake was all it took to go from hurting someone to murdering them. He had to be surgical, or he’d never be more than the brute force his power indicated.
“Selena, do a song to make him sleepy and slow those reflexes. Alex will fend him off and lend me support while I attack.” Violet took a step forward, her body so dense that the concrete cracked slightly under her foot. They’d tried a few different methods so far, and each time Shane had managed to end things with a shadow pressed against their flesh. No one was holding back tonight, they couldn’t afford to. The students from the others schools sure as hell wouldn’t take it easy on the Supers of Lander, so they had to be hard on each other too.
Glancing behind her, she saw debris spinning around Alex, chunks of concrete he’d be able to turn into projectiles at will. Selena was warming up her voice again. They were as ready as they could be. Time for another round.
* * *
It was almost nostalgic, being back at the summer training ground. At least the heat had died down, not that it did anything to keep Alice from sweating. The sheer amount of effort she was expending had rendered her damp near to the point of dripping, but she paid it no mind. All of her focus was on the boulder that she was trying to force down with gravity while Mary lifted it up. That was part of why they’d had Mr. Transport bring them out here after he was done storm-chasing with Vince: there were only so many places where Alice could train with Mary anymore. Besides, this was a good workout. There weren’t a lot of people remaining in the class who could directly oppose Alice’s power, so Mary was a necessary tool for resistance training.
The boulder slammed into the ground as Alice let out a coughing gasp, allowing her body to relax. That had been the hardest win yet. She still couldn’t beat Mary every time; however, the year of training was paying off. The two were much closer matches than they had been over summer, and knowing how powerful Mary was, Alice took no small measure of pride in that.
“Let me rest, then we can go again.”
“Forget it.” Mary came strolling over, sweating and short of breath as well. It was a nice sign that she’d been giving her full effort. “You still need to get healed up so you aren’t sore or tired, then have a good night’s rest. No burning yourself out before the big day.”
Alice let out another series of coughs as finally she managed to take some deeper breaths. “Maybe I just want to spend some quality time with my friend, did you think of that? We don’t get to train like this anymore.”
“If quality time is what you want then just hang out with me between your matches at Intramurals tomorrow,” Mary said. “I got the word from Dr. Moran today: she’s allowed to take me along since I’m officially training under her. I had to sign even more contracts and stuff, so my hand hurts like hell, but I’ll be there with you. Just don’t expect me to read anyone’s thoughts; my hands are going to be very tied.”
“Even if you could, I wouldn’t ask you to. Defeats the point of being a Subtlety Hero if I can’t gather information on my own, and I really want to show these other schools what a Subtlety major can do. So, what do you say, one more match?”
Although her expression was grumpy, Mary gave a begrudging nod. “Last one. Then we get you healed and have some dinner. Winner gets to choose what we eat.”
“I hope you’re ready for something fancy and French,” Alice told her. “Because I’m not out of gas yet.”
* * *
Chad sat quietly in his room, eyes closed and legs crossed. To the outside observer, it would seem as though he were meditating, and while that wasn’t entirely inaccurate, it also didn’t fully capture the scale of what he was doing. His whole body was being worked over, fine-tuned and tweaked to ensure it was running in absolute peak condition. Last minute training wouldn’t do him much good; he considered this a much better use of this time.
While the others would no doubt focus on their grand, showy tactics that would wow the crowd and put fear into the other competitors, Chad didn’t have such showstoppers. He used techniques, of course, and some were even quite interesting to look at. But bone-armor would never outshine a torrent of living shadow or the power to bend gravity to one’s will. So he didn’t try to outshine. Instead he focused on something only he could do: run at peak, perfect efficiency. It might not seem like a lot, yet it had taken him far in the HCP. There was still a bit further left to go, though.
When Chad crossed the finish line of graduation, which he fully intended to do, it would either be holding the top rank once again or knowing he gave everything he had to reclaim it. His power wasn’t showy, but it was useful. If things went well tomorrow, people would never say the name Intra quite the same way again.
* * *
The bat struck Vince’s bare ankle and halted, as it had so many times before. Choosing the right spot to attack was important, since Camille’s healing wouldn’t mean crap if Vince died from the impact. The ankle was a target that Roy could hit reliably and that was unlikely to result in death if Vince failed to absorb the kinetic energy. That rarely happened anymore; however, when one was being assaulted by Roy Daniels, safety precautions had to be taken.
“How long as it been?” Roy asked.
“An hour and some change.” Camille spoke from the corner, which was a safe distance away from any errant blows but close enough to run over if needed.
“Sounds about right. I’m starting to get tired, and my swings are weakening. Let me do a heal and rest session for ten, then we can get back at it. Thomas, you want to step in?”
As Roy walked over to Camille, Thomas stepped forward from the other side of the cell. “I’ve regenerated some of my energy, but I don’t recover as quickly as you. Still, it couldn’t hurt to pour some more in. Just be sure not to drain me entirely, Vince. I don’t recover as quickly when I’m pulled dry.”
“You don’t have to do this at all, if you don’t want to,” Vince said. “I know you hate having your energy pulled out, and
you already gave me some. I’m still not even sure it’s entirely ethical to absorb the energy of a classmate before a match. It feels a little like cheating.”
“I hope you shed some of these ridiculous notions before the fights.” Thomas held up his hand, a glowing orange ball manifesting in his palm. “Momentary discomfort is not an adequate reason to deny my friend aid. And as for the idea that this is cheating, I see it as no different from gathering lighting or kinetic strikes from Roy. You are merely preparing as any Hero would, and this event is supposed to test who is the better Hero.”
“Lightning is natural, and I could get kinetic anywhere – Roy is just the most efficient method. What you have is special. I’d never be able to find it under normal circumstances.”
From across the room, Roy chimed in. “Normal is a hard word to define in this place. And there ain’t nothing wrong with taking help from a friend. You’re using every resource you’ve got to get ready for a fight, relying on the people around you. If you don’t think that’s what Heroes do, then I don’t know what kind of program you’ve been in for the last four years.”
Thomas turned his palm toward Vince as the orange light grew brighter. “Roy is spot on. Besides, this is not a fight where you, Vince Reynolds, are representing merely yourself. The four of you are fighting for the pride of Lander, and when you step into those battles, you’ll be representing all that this school has given you. All the training, all the skills, all the resources, all the knowledge. You four will be the faces of our school, the standard by which we are all judged.”
The orange light flashed, striking Vince and vanishing as he started to absorb it. Thomas’s smile was eerie, lit by the strange glow of his own blasting energy. “We’re counting on you four, so go show those other schools exactly what kind of Heroes Lander produces.”
252.