by Hayes, Drew
The darting eyes stopped as Charles leveled his gaze squarely at Nick. “And what, pray tell, is it we’re seeing through?”
“Your death, Charles. This is the place where you die.”
320.
“What in the hell did he just do!” Globe was yelling now, distraught at the sight of Shimmerpath being tackled and her portal vanishing.
“Welcome to dealing with Nick,” Vince muttered. “He won’t hurt… okay, he won’t seriously hurt a Hero. I’ve got no idea what he’s planning, but I doubt it’s something we’d approve of. We should get to him as fast as we–”
Thud.
Everyone felt it, the jolt like a mini-earthquake rippling across the land. The Heroes, students, and Globe all exchanged brief glances. They didn’t know what it was, but they knew it was coming their direction. Wordlessly, they started to run, tearing across the battlefield as fast as they could, hurrying to get past the trees and glimpse what was approaching.
Thud.
Bigger this time, louder too. They could feel the wave of noise wash over them as they bolted. The guards across the battlefield were noticing as well, as were the still-fighting Heroes. Confusion spread as no one knew who, or what, was coming. Vince caught sight of Roy, Chad, Titan, and Dean Blaine all coming out of a building and tried to sprint in their direction, only for his head to swim as the injury and pain made themselves known. He waved to them, getting their attention. They waved back at first, before expressions of horror and surprise overtook them.
“Vince, what the fuck happened to your arm?” Roy said.
“Is that… Globe?” Chad was already stepping forward, but the mighty hand of Titan grabbed him by the shoulder.
“Trust me, you want to hear everything before making any rash choices. And you aren’t the one who needs to deal with him.” Titan nodded to Dean Blaine, who leapt forward as soon as Globe drew near, grabbing him by the wrist.
“Globe, on behalf of the Department of Variant Human Affairs I am officially powering you down and taking you into custody.”
For his part, Globe didn’t struggle, though he did keep looking in the direction of the noise. “You’re a little behind, Zero. I already turned myself in. That was before one of your kids, Nick Campbell, attacked Shimmerpath as she was moving Charles somewhere he couldn’t hurt us. I would very much like to make sure she’s okay, once we deal with whatever this next threat is.”
Thud.
Their teeth clicked from the force of the landing, and just over the hill they caught a glance of something for a brief moment. To everyone’s surprise, Titan smiled as the noise drew closer. “I wouldn’t worry about that. Given how hard this place was to reach, plus the potential need for crowd control, I spoke to some old colleagues at Sizemore, ran it through Dean Jackson via Dispatch, and reactivated an old Temporarily Authorized Hero Asset I’ve worked with before. Someone who could cover a lot of ground while hauling in reinforcements. She might even be able to help cow our enemies into submission, or make the job easier if they still refuse to quit.”
This time, they saw it moving as it leapt – no, hopped over the hill – and finally allowed them a proper view. Even those who had seen the footage of Titan’s fight in Brewster weren’t fully prepared for the giant rabbit that landed heavily on the edge of the battlefield. It was shorter this time, yet still massive, and it had traded its spiked armor for something silver and shiny, complete with a helmet that allowed the ears to poke through. Riding atop it were figures clad in the familiar costumes of The Gentle Hammers alongside several other Brewster Heroes, as well as a woman wearing a gray mask and a dark ensemble.
“What’s up, fuckers?” Her scream carried down from the shoulder of the rabbit, a terrible and vulgar Bugs Bunny impression that really didn’t feel appropriate for the situation. That was the benefit of commanding a giant rabbit, though; there was always an audience whether they liked it or not.
“Hot holy damn, that bunny looks way cooler in person.” Roy glanced over to his father. “You make some weird friends. Awesome, but weird.”
“Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet.” Titan touched his earpiece quickly, not wasting any more time. “Dispatch, put me through to all the Hero comms in the area. I’ve got a message to pass along.” He paused, waiting for confirmation, then continued. “Attention Heroes, this is Titan. First off, the rabbit and the people on it are with us, so make sure to treat them accordingly. Secondly, we have captured and neutralized the criminal known as Globe; he is no longer a priority. Our new goal is to end this fighting as quickly and safely as possible, while securing the bunker and all the remaining information inside. Repeat, you no longer need to worry about Globe. Put your full force into dealing with the remaining guards as required. Hexcellent, that goes for you and Hopcules as well. Also, make sure to avoid anyone in a white uniform or a costume.”
From atop her rabbit, Hexcellent yelled her reply – this on top of the temporary comm she’d been given made for a delirious, echoing swell of sound. “I’ll do my best, but stay out of the damn way. It’s a big fucking bunny, I can’t always control where I swing it.”
“Well, with that matter settled, our next priority should be to recover Charles Adair, Shimmerpath, and Nick Campbell,” Dean Blaine said. His helmet tilted slightly down, looking at Vince’s injury once more. “All of which we can do after meeting with Graham, turning over Globe, and getting Hallow to fix Vince’s arm.”
“Don’t worry about me, our friends come first.” Vince tried to tuck the stump behind his back, wincing from the pain of movement, but there wasn’t enough left to shove out of sight. Even if it had worked, the way Vince was swaying on his feet betrayed how hard the injury was hitting him, much as he tried to hide it.
A quick finger flicked him on the back of the ear, so fast that by the time Vince turned around Globe’s hand was almost back at his side. “Staying healthy is part of being a Hero too. Injuries slow you down, and the people counting on you might pay for those extra seconds.”
“So you’ll be getting healed too?” Vince countered.
“Big difference. I’m a criminal, remember? And besides, you lost your arm in a fight to keep us all safe. My best friend took mine, because I was too stupid to realize what was happening.” For the first time, Globe turned to Chad, who was glaring at him yet had resisted making a move. “When this is over, come see me in prison. I’ll answer any questions you have about your dad, what happened that day, any of it. I owe you so much more than that, but I’m afraid the truth is the best I have to offer.”
“It would be a nice change of pace,” Chad replied. “I am beginning to suspect that I haven’t dealt with the truth for a very long time.”
An explosion came from nearby, the cause impossible to track but a good reminder that they weren’t safe just yet. Titan grabbed Globe in one hand and Vince in the other, tucking both under his arms. “I’ll get these two to Graham and Casper. The rest of you meet us there.” With a powerful leap, Titan soared into the air, passing Hexcellent and the dismounting Heroes, many of whom paused to give quick waves before Hopcules unceremoniously squashed a guard that foolishly opened fire on the towering rabbit.
Roy let out a sharp whistle as he watched the massive foot come down hard. “Now that’s what I call a good pet.”
321.
“What makes you think I’m dying here?” The gun didn’t twitch in the slightest, broken legs and sudden change of environment be damned. Charles Adair, whatever moral issues he might have, clearly hadn’t skimped on his Hero training. He was a man who knew how to keep focus.
In response, Nick leaned back and crossed his legs, affecting the most casual posture he could muster. “That’s what this is all about, isn’t it? You got busted, so you must’ve wanted to die. That’s what Globe was thinking, anyway. Me, I have my own suspicions. Like maybe having a Super who can warp reality to his will would open up some interesting excuses. After all, the data we got came from one of Globe’s people, and the
guards were hunting Globe as their top priority. Someone with enough money and lawyers, someone really clever, might be able to twist the story into Globe being the one behind it all. Say he put the bunker under shell companies you own, controlled you into doing what he wanted to explain away any in-person issues. The only ones who could testify against you would be Globe and his cronies, and of those, only the top man is a real threat. All of the others, you can say, had their memories altered. It’s a power he used on Crispin, so the DVA knows it’s real. Even if there’s no proof he can do more than blank memories, the suggestion alone opens up that possibility. Maybe you’ve even got someone with mental abilities on retainer, a Super who can make you think the story is true, thwarting any telepaths.”
Nick paused, briefly, waiting to see if Charles would offer up some lukewarm excuse. When none came, he continued his theory. “Globe is your biggest threat. He would give a first-person account. Neutralize his ability, stick him with a telepath, and poof: he can prove he had no hand in this. That’s why you were going to kill him. Use threats to get him alone, emotion and exhaustion to lower his guard, and the moment he gave you a chance he gets a bullet in the skull. No more threats, no more person to disprove your story. He made a good scapegoat once, so why not use him again? Especially after the DVA finds out there were no nukes under the base – I imagine you could reframe it as capturing a wanted killer before he could betray those innocent Heroes he was fooling. Would it be a hard sell? Of course. But compared to where you are now, why not at least try? If you ask me, it seems possible, but that’s because unlike most of your enemies I know better than to underestimate you.”
Part of Nick wondered if Charles would deny it all, pretend he’d been sincere about wanting to escape and reconcile. Charles Adair was a practical man, however. He didn’t waste words spinning tales unless someone was going to believe them. It wasn’t the same as admitting Nick was right, but it also wasn’t a direct rebuttal.
“Whether you’re right or not, you’re a little too clever for your own good. Has anyone ever told you that?”
“Annually, at the very least,” Nick replied.
“They should up the frequency.” Charles adjusted his grip slightly, never letting the gun’s muzzle drift away from Nick’s body. “So, even if you’re right, what’s your play here? I’ve read up on you, at length. I know you wouldn’t be doing this if you didn’t want something.”
“Hurtful. Fair, but hurtful.” Nick gave a mock swoon before righting himself, pausing only to adjust his sunglasses. “And I already told you why I came here: this is the day you die. The others would have gotten in the way, but luck was in my favor since I managed to get you alone.” Confident as he felt, Nick knew better than to let on just how powerful he was at that precise moment. Games like this weren’t over until the final move.
Another adjustment on the grip. Charles was picking his shot. “Or I could kill you now.”
“Great idea – then when the Heroes arrive, you only have a dead Super and a knocked-out Hero to answer for. That should really help build your case of innocence.”
“Doesn’t make things worse for me than they already are.” Charles, to Nick’s surprise, lowered the gun slightly. “But it doesn’t help me either. How about instead, we make a deal? That’s more your speed, I believe. You know I have money, yet with your connections and power you don’t prize it like most do. So what about something you do value? I have information.”
Nick scoffed, a response he’d been working to perfect. It wasn’t quite there yet, but he elected not to try and attempt a second one. “If you’re going to try selling me on the procedure’s secrets, we already know the root of it and we have your data. Probably your bunker too, if I know my friends.”
“Oh no, I know so much more than that. I am the man at the center of a billion-dollar spider web. There’s virtually no question you could ask I couldn’t get the answer to. For example: would you like to know about Vince’s real parents?”
“Vince’s real parent is the one-armed badass who took care of him, raised him, and just went to bat for him yet again,” Nick snapped, a tad more harshly than he intended. “If you mean his biological parents, which one are you talking about? The small-time robber or the junkie sex worker he knocked up? They’re both long dead either way; his father was gunned down and his mother overdosed only a few weeks after she put Vince into the adoption system. Kept clean for the pregnancy, decided to celebrate afterward, truly sad stuff. See, you’re not the only one with resources and dedication, Charles. I cracked that mystery freshman year, but Vince has never shown the slightest interest in learning about the people who gave him away. He’s more focused on the ones who stuck around.”
The gun wasn’t sinking anymore, although it also hadn’t lifted back into position either. Charles was staring at Nick, something new in his face. It wasn’t an expression Nick had seen the man wear before, but there was no mistaking it: respect. Begrudging respect, true, yet respect all the same.
“We are very similar people, Nicholas Campbell. In another few decades, you could be in my position. What would you do if something happened to your friends, or to Alice? What would you sacrifice to save them?”
“You’re right. We’re very similar, and I know it. The others hate you, fear you, despise you, but I’m the only one of the lot who gets it. I understand you, Charles Adair. I know what it is to feel that drive, to be smart and capable without the same restraints of morality as most others. In your position, I very well might have made the exact choices you did. I know who I am, and I can admit that. But that understanding won’t buy you mercy; in fact, it’s the very reason I came here to make sure you die. Because you are the threat to the people I love. You are the one who could put them in jeopardy yet again. I’m not better than you, I’m not more noble than you. Hell, in a few decades I might be even worse than you. I’m just the one who is set against you in this particular combat, and I plan to win.”
In a flash, the gun was back up, not that Nick showed visible concern. He was still sitting on the rock, relaxing peacefully. “For someone without a weapon, you’re making a lot of threats,” Charles pointed out. “But if you’re so sure this is the end, why not kill me already? Why waste time having this conversation?”
“Simple. I’ve seen your past. Some of it in dreams, but you get the idea. There is – was – good in you once. I thought you might want to make this easy on everyone. If I kill you, it’s going to cause an investigation, but if you finish yourself off, then the matter is settled. Just this once, as your last action in this world, I thought you might want to make things easier on the people you care about. Alice doesn’t want to see me hauled into court.”
“A good move,” Charles said. “But you should have sweetened the pot by promising that you’d look after my daughter, and offering to make sure Shelby gets the procedure.”
“Why? Alice can look after herself, and we both know I’m going to help both of them regardless of what you choose. I’m not an amateur. Let’s not waste each other’s time by pretending that I am.”
In Charles’ hand, the gun twitched ever so slightly, a lone sign of what was to come. “Fair enough. You deserve the same as any worthy opponent.”
The gunshot rang out through the empty space and rocks around them, followed by the muffled thud of a body slumping to the ground.
From his rock, Nick watched carefully, waiting for any signs of life.
“I told you to use your power, Alchemist. That’s the thing about guns: they have the potential, no matter how small, to catastrophically misfire. Especially when they’ve taken damage from a sudden high drop to hard ground. So much shrapnel, all it takes is one piece at the right speed and angle. Through the eye, into the brain – well, you’d get the idea if you could still hear. Any percentage, no matter how tiny, is enough for me to work with right now.” Nick checked his watch once more. “Although you did cut it a lot closer than I was hoping. Wondered how much goading it wou
ld take to make you shoot. A couple more minutes and I’d be out of juice. Then again, it’s not really fun to gamble unless there’s something on the line, so thanks for keeping it interesting to the finish.”
Lying back on the rock, Nick peeled his sunglasses off and set them to the side, looking up to the sky. Already the golden lines were starting to fade. Soon he’d be back to normal Nick, facing the future without a nigh-insurmountable control of probability.
Good. This bit was getting tedious. Nick still had so much work to do for the years ahead, so many tasks that remained. In the game of life, all this amounted to little more than a single move on the board. Still, Nick smiled as he stared bare-eyed at the sky and waited.
It had taken him four years, an expulsion, new friends, a few people’s deaths, and untold hours of hard work to reach this point. If there was ever a time to stop and savor a moment, this was surely it. Because as soon as the Heroes arrived, everything started anew. There were new moves to be made, ones he couldn’t spend four years on. That would come later, though. For just the next few minutes, Nick enjoyed his lazy bask in the sun, the corpse of Charles Adair already cooling nearby.
322.
As soon as the bunny appeared, Globe’s team scattered. They knew the end of a fight when they saw one, and while none was sure what had happened to their leader, they were aware that getting caught or killed wouldn’t help in the slightest. Most ran off on their own, heading to hideouts where they could plot their next move. There was one pair who found themselves together, though, standing in the woods.
Adam was still wearing Raze’s body, the raw power of destruction crackling through his hands. George, conversely, had shifted down to human form. There was no point in making the job any harder on the kid than it would already be.