by King, Wesley
There was a sudden flare of rage, and Sam felt his mentor gathering his energy. Now it was Sam’s turn to be afraid. Sliver was preparing a violent attack, and Sam wasn’t sure he could stop it. His mentor was going to try and murder him.
Pull back! Deanna warned. He’s going to—
Abruptly, Sliver’s mind went dark. Sam opened his eyes just in time to see Sliver fall face-first onto the concrete, unconscious. Behind him, James lowered his rifle.
“Not fun getting hit in the back, is it?” James said, looking down on Sliver’s limp body.
Sam and Deanna exchanged a relieved smile, and then she turned and ran after Lyle and Hayden. “I’m going to help my brother!” Deanna called. Ahead of her, Sam saw a motorcycle fly through the air, only to stop suddenly and go spiraling across the room.
“Be careful…” Sam muttered.
Across the garage, Emily fired another salvo of stun blasts, forcing Rono to duck behind the van again. She was using the Arrow as cover, and she knew Rono was at a disadvantage. His left arm was limp and useless from where she’d shot him, and he was struggling to use his rifle accurately with one hand.
Emily peeked out from behind the ship and fired again, just missing Rono’s head. She could switch to kill shots and blow the van apart, but she didn’t want to hurt him. She just needed to expose him somehow so she could stun him.
Emily heard rapid footsteps behind her and turned to see Sam running toward the ship. He huddled next to her, awkwardly clutching his rifle.
“Need any help?” he asked.
Emily laid down some cover fire. “Yeah,” she said, glancing at him. “Can you get to the Shadow? Start it up, and ram the van. I’ll pop out and stun him.”
Sam nodded and ran toward the Shadow.
“What do you want, Emily?” Rono shouted. He obviously knew he was about to be cornered.
“We want to make sure Lana is safe!” Emily said. She fired again for good measure, and Rono pulled back.
“Mission accomplished, I think! How about talking this out?”
Emily leaned against the hull, shaking her head. “Don’t trust you! Sorry! We’ll talk once you’re disarmed!”
“How do I know you won’t just shoot me?”
“You don’t!” she replied loudly.
The heavily damaged Shadow thrummed to life, shooting out another cloud of smoke. It floated off the ground, wobbling unsteadily, and headed straight for Rono.
Emily risked a glance and saw that Rono was staring at the ship, wide-eyed. The Shadow rammed the van, exposing him. At the same time, Emily stepped out and fired. Rono didn’t even move. The stun blast caught him in the chest, and he collapsed to the ground.
Hayden ducked as a tire whizzed over his head. It reversed directions and headed for him again, but this time he flicked his hand and sent it spinning away.
He and Lyle were tracking Leni through the maze of parked vehicles, many of which had been destroyed during Leni’s repeated attempts to dispatch them. A black, half-destroyed motorcycle barreled toward Lyle, but the boy managed to divert its path and it crashed into a limo, shattering the windshield.
“Face us, coward!” Lyle screamed.
Hayden winced. Calling Leni a coward was probably not a good idea.
A wave of mental energy erupted from Leni’s hiding place, and Lyle went flying through the air. He smashed into an SUV and dropped to the floor, dazed.
“Now it’s me and you, traitor,” Leni’s voice rang out, echoing around the garage.
“Yep,” Hayden said with false confidence. “Now the student challenges the master and all that.”
“Fool. You don’t stand a chance against me.”
“Maybe,” Hayden said. “Only one way to find out, I guess.”
Marshaling all his energy, Hayden decided to do something very rash. He ran toward the source of Leni’s voice and propelled himself through the air, just as his mentor had done. He sailed right over an SUV, completely out of control. But sure enough, Leni was standing on the other side, and Hayden could tell by the disbelieving expression on his face that he had definitely not expected this.
Probably because it was a dumb idea, Hayden thought. As he flew over his mentor’s head, Hayden sent a wave of energy downward and watched in satisfaction as Leni crumpled to the ground.
Hayden looked up just as he was about to hit a large truck. He mentally pulled himself back to slow his pace, but he couldn’t reverse his trajectory in time. He smacked right into the side and dropped to the hard concrete.
“Yep, not smart,” he muttered. Hearing footsteps, he fearfully glanced back, expecting to see Leni walking toward him. Instead, it was Lyle.
“You all right?” Lyle asked.
Hayden pushed himself to his feet. “Yeah. Where’s Leni?”
“You distracted him long enough. Deanna attacked his mind as soon as he hit the ground, and he blacked out.”
“Nice,” Hayden said, heading back to the ships. “We better check on the others. This didn’t go as smoothly as I envisioned.”
“So now what?” Sam asked nervously, looking around the group.
The unconscious Vindico members were laid out on the ground. Hayden, Lyle, and Deanna had returned with Leni and thrown him next to Sliver and Rono. Soon after, James and Lana had emerged from the other end of the garage, dragging Avaria behind them. They both looked worse for the wear, wincing and limping.
“Well, putting them in a cell would be a good start,” Hayden said, “so that they don’t wake up and kill us all. Then we should probably get ready for the League’s attack…so they don’t kill us all.”
“Good times,” James said, shaking his head. He scooped up Sliver and threw him over his shoulder. “I can’t believe we beat them, even with the element of surprise.”
“Yeah, we are pretty great,” Hayden agreed. “Where are the League ships now, Emily?”
“They came under fire from the antiaircraft cannons,” she replied. “I had the feed relayed to my visor. They both pulled back and landed somewhere outside the perimeter. No one’s crossed it yet. I had the perimeter sensors relayed to my visor as well, so we’ll have at least five minutes’ warning when they do.”
“What would we do without you, Emily,” Hayden said. He stuck his hand out, and Leni and Rono floated off the ground, their limbs dangling below them. Lana grabbed Avaria, and they all started back to the hallway.
James shifted Sliver so he could fit through the door. “We need to figure out what we’re going to do now. The League might be here any minute.”
“Maybe you can just make a truce,” Lyle suggested. They reached the stairs to the basement prison, and the thick metal door slid aside.
“Maybe,” Hayden said, “but that depends what they’re going to do with us. If they think we’re going to the Perch, any of us, then we fight.”
They reached the bottom, and Lana turned to the rest of the group. “I didn’t get much chance to tell you during all that, but thank you,” she said quietly. “I wish I hadn’t put you all in danger. I’m sorry. It was selfish of me, and now I messed up everything.”
“We’re just happy you’re back,” Hayden said. “Supervillain school isn’t the same without you. In fact, it was so terrible that we decided to graduate.” He gave her a quick kiss. “Did you miss me?”
She smiled. “Slightly. But it was just a passing thought.”
“Remember how the League of Heroes might attack at any minute?” James asked sourly, walking past them. He opened a cell and tossed Sliver inside.
“You used to be more romantic,” Hayden said to him as he floated Leni and Rono through the cell door. “But I suppose you’re right. Let’s call up the League.”
“But if they know the Vindico have already been captured, they’ll just attack right away,” James argued, stepping back as Lana threw in Avaria. “They might be grateful we captured them, but that doesn’t mean they’ll let us go. We need a guarantee they won’t send anyone to the Per
ch or ban us from using our powers.”
“How do we do that?” Sam asked.
James locked the cell door and turned to Deanna. “I have an idea.”
32
DEANNA STOOD ALONE IN FRONT OF THE COMMUNICATIONS relay, staring at the blank screen. The rest of the teens were waiting out of sight by the doorway, listening as she keyed in the signal code for League headquarters.
“I hope this works,” Hayden murmured.
“Yeah,” James said softly, “me too.”
“Deanna?” a deep voice asked, sounding shocked.
“That’s Gali,” James whispered.
“Where are you? How are you—” Gali continued.
“I don’t have much time,” Deanna interrupted. “I’m in the Vindico’s mansion.”
“Have you escaped? The Defender just contacted us; they said they came under heavy fire at the perimeter of the estate. We have no choice but to come in on the ground. The rest of us are leaving now to join the assault. If you can get out of the building, hide in the forest and contact—”
Deanna cut him off again. “We haven’t escaped. The Vindico are still here, but one of their protégés is guarding me. He brought me here to contact you.” She lowered her voice. “He says the protégés are willing to help you capture the Vindico, but they have terms.”
“What terms?” Gali asked suspiciously.
She hesitated. “They want your assurance that none of them will be punished in any way.”
“Impossible,” Gali said. “They have willfully attacked League members, and they will serve the required sentence.”
The protégés exchanged nervous looks.
Gali continued, sounding agitated. “And they will all be banned from using their powers. You know the law, Deanna. If they want to go home when their sentence is done, their abilities must be kept a secret or it’s life on the Perch.”
James didn’t need to hear any more: whatever loyalty he’d still had to the League was now gone. This war wasn’t over yet.
“But they won’t help then…” Deanna argued.
“Where is the boy who’s guarding you? Can he hear us?” Gali asked, lowering his voice.
“He’s in the hallway.”
“Tell them we agree,” Gali whispered. “Do you think you’ll be able to get back to the relay to send us another message?”
“Yes,” Deanna said quietly. “I think so.”
“Tell them to go ahead with the rebellion and that we’ll coordinate our attack. Set up a time, and then call headquarters again. I’ll have it relayed to the ship. We’ll capture everybody in one swoop. You’ll be a hero, Deanna.”
“Yeah,” she whispered. “I’ll get back to you soon.”
Deanna ended the signal. Then she turned to the others, who were all standing there in silence.
“Well,” Deanna said coolly, “who’s ready for another ambush?”
Hayden stepped into the large, circular room, and the others filed in after him. The floor, walls, and ceiling were all finished with gleaming black tiles. The room’s only contents were a pool table, a leather couch, and a flat-screen television.
“Here it is,” Hayden said, gesturing around them. “This is our answer.”
Lana frowned. “A lounge is our answer? How is this possibly going to help?”
“And why do the Vindico even have a lounge?” Emily asked curiously, walking over to the pool table. She ran her fingers along the green felt. “They don’t seem the type.”
“They aren’t the type,” Hayden agreed. “And they don’t have a lounge. Last week I saw a file open on Leni’s computer. They were blueprints for something called ‘Nightfall.’ This is it.”
Hayden started toward a bare wall at the far end of the room. He ran his fingers along the black tiles for a moment and then stepped back and stuck out his hand. There was a click from somewhere within the wall, and a narrow door eased open.
“This entire room is a trap,” Hayden told them. “I think Leni was going to lure the League to the mansion and then draw them in here. When he got them all into this room, he would step through this door, and these”—he pointed at the black tiles—“pull objects in when activated, like an electromagnet, and stun them.”
“Why didn’t you say anything about this before?” James asked in disbelief, poking his head into the hidden chamber on the other side of the door.
Hayden shrugged. “I didn’t think it was that important at the time. I mean, we knew they were trying to capture the League. I just didn’t think we would be trying to eventually as well. So, this is what I’m thinking. We stage our rebellion, like Gali said, and then, just like Leni planned, we lead them to this room, get into the chamber, and capture the entire League at once.”
“So many things can go wrong with that plan,” James pointed out. “Like, literally every part of it.” He paused. “But before you ask, no, I don’t have any better ideas.”
“So we’re trapping the League, then,” Lana said. She glanced at Deanna and Lyle. “You sure you’re on board?”
“Punishing you guys for being kidnapped is wrong,” Deanna said. “Lyle and I are with you.”
Lyle shifted a little. “But how are we going to make the League believe there’s a rebellion happening when your mentors are locked in a cell?”
“I know how,” Emily said casually from where she was inspecting the black tiles across the room. “We let a few of them out.”
“What?” Hayden and James asked at the same time.
“We only let out a few of them,” Emily repeated. “Not Leni or Avaria, obviously. We’ll tell them that if they help trap the League, we’ll let them go free. They’ll jump at the chance to finally destroy their enemies.” She smiled. “We just won’t tell them that we’re going to force the League to agree to our terms. We’ll act like we want to kill them too.”
“Well,” James muttered, “it’s completely crazy, but that hasn’t stopped us lately. Let’s go recruit the Villains that we literally just betrayed. This should go over well.”
“Yeah,” Hayden said slowly. “Everyone bring your guns.”
“Why should we help you traitors?” the Torturer asked coldly, staring straight at James. He, Rono, and Sliver had been taken out of their cell as Hayden and Lyle stood guard by the doorway.
“Because,” James told him, his rifle aimed at the big man’s chest, “you want to finish the League off, and so do we. And if you help us, then you’re all free to go, and we can put this behind us.”
“Your protégés all figured you should be given the chance,” Hayden added. “I don’t really want Leni here since he’s probably going to kill me the first chance he gets, and Lana doesn’t want Avaria for the same reason. We left the Baron locked up because he knows the ins and outs of this mansion better than anyone, and it was too risky to have him running around on his own. He might try something.”
“What will you do with them?” Rono asked, glancing back at the cell.
Hayden paused. “Leni and Avaria will stay where they are until we figure something out. We’ll let the Baron go after we’re done with the ambush.”
“I see,” Rono said slowly. He seemed to consider their offer. “I guess we don’t have much choice, do we?”
“Not really,” Hayden said. “We’ll come get you as soon as the perimeter sensors are tripped.” He put his hand over the door controls. “Ready, Lyle?”
Lyle positioned himself on the other side. “Ready.”
“In we go, then,” Hayden ordered, pressing the button.
The three Villains filed back into the cell, where Leni, Avaria, and the Baron were watching suspiciously, and then the door slid shut again.
“Deanna?” Gali said eagerly from the relay screen when Deanna called him back twenty minutes later. “What did they say?”
“The protégés are rebelling,” she replied, her voice breathless and rushed. She looked back toward the door. “They’re fighting the Vindico right now…you better h
urry. I don’t know how long they can hold out.”
“Lock yourself in the room. We’ll be there in ten minutes.”
Deanna ended the signal and watched as the screen went black. “I guess it’s a go,” she said nervously.
James hoisted his rifle. “Let’s move.”
33
THE TORTURER LOWERED HIS HEAD AND CHARGED STRAIGHT AT James, who barely managed to dive out of the way. On the other side of the room, Hayden yelled something incomprehensible and flung a marble statue in the Torturer’s general direction, but it intentionally flew about ten feet wide and smashed into the wall. Near the lobby’s towering front entrance, Deanna was lying on the ground, pretending to have been knocked over.
James got to his feet and rushed toward his mentor, who spun around and clipped him painfully in the ribs. James winced and threw a punch at the Torturer’s arm, but he just laughed and beat it aside. The big man swung at him, and James swiftly ducked under the counterpunch and kicked him in the torso. The Torturer swore and tried to grab at him, but they were both knocked sideways by a wave of Hayden’s mental energy, who was screaming some sort of war cry.
James had just scrambled back to his feet when both of the enormous windows on either side of the entrance shattered in one cacophonic moment.
They spun around to see multiple figures jump, run, and fly through, and then the front doors burst open. An enraged Gali stood on the threshold.
The Torturer took off down the left wing hallway, just narrowly avoiding a stream of laser bolts aimed at his departing form. James bellowed and ran after him, shooting some purposefully wide blasts. Hayden followed, flinging statues and paintings. James risked a quick glance back before he rounded the corner, and he saw Gali pulling Deanna to her feet.
Leaving the rest to her, James continued the chase. A second mock firefight had erupted in the left wing, and the Torturer sprinted right past Lana and Lyle to join Sliver. Both Villains bolted down a staircase.
James had just reached Lana and Lyle when he looked back to see that the League members were already in pursuit. The Flame was wielding a rapidly expanding fireball. This had really better work, James thought. Together, he, Hayden, Lana, and Lyle raced down the stairs in pursuit of their mentors before wheeling toward yet another mock firefight.