by King, Wesley
“I don’t know,” Lana replied, leaning against the wall. Her forehead was caked with blood. “He ran off a minute ago, and I haven’t seen him since.”
“Are you okay? You’ve looked better.”
“Thanks. So have you.”
“Really?” he said. “I thought exhaustion and gnawing guilt were attractive qualities.”
“Yeah,” Lana murmured. “This doesn’t feel right to me either.”
“It should, since we’re winning. And personally, I’m kicking butt. But somehow I felt better attacking our mentors.”
“Me too.” She met his eyes. “We have to stop this. Do you think we can beat them again?”
Hayden shook his head. “I doubt it. We caught them off guard the first time.” He paused. “You know, if we do happen to get out of this alive, we should go on a date.”
“A date?” she asked in disbelief. “You really need to work on your priorities.”
“That was always a problem for me. What do you say? A real one, outside of supervillain school.”
“Fine,” Lana said, “one date. But that’s—”
She stopped in mid-sentence, and Hayden turned to see Sam come barreling down the staircase, clutching an odd silver device. Two handles were attached to a wide metal cylinder, and a box covered in blinking lights stuck out from the top.
“Sam, what are you—” he asked.
“No time to talk!” Sam shouted, and ran down the stairs to the basement.
James and Emily rounded the corner from the lobby and made their way through the scattered bodies.
“Listen—” James said.
Lana cut him off. “Yeah, we know: we’re fighting on the wrong side.”
“What should we do?” Emily asked, glancing back at the lobby. “Unfortunately, we figured this out after we took out most of the League.”
“It seems our brightest member already has a plan,” Hayden said. “Look.”
Sam and Deanna emerged from the blown-out opening to the basement. Each was holding one of the handles on the silver device, and the box was spinning and blinking. Lyle came out right behind them, and Hayden could feel the protective shield he’d placed around the two telepaths.
“What is that?” Hayden asked, frowning.
“It’s an amplifier,” Sam mumbled. “Now we can put the Vindico to bed.”
The three of them slowly walked into the lobby, and Hayden noticed that the sounds of fighting had stopped. He glanced at the others and then followed them into the devastated room. Piles of rubble lay everywhere, fires were burning around blackened scorch marks, and bodies were strewn across the floor.
By the dragon statue, Sliver was glaring at Sam furiously, but he had lowered his rifle and seemed unable to move. Rono and Avaria were similarly immobile, and even Leni was standing frozen on the other side of the room, his arms at his side.
And then, one by one, they closed their eyes and toppled over. Leni was the last to fall, and he managed to pivot and shoot them a final venomous glare before crumpling to the floor. Hayden heard a loud thump from inside one of the walls, and he guessed that the Torturer had gone down as well.
Sam and Deanna lowered the device onto the floor.
“That’s that,” Sam said, quivering with exhaustion. “I wish I thought of that earlier. Sliver taught me how to use this amplifier last week but made me swear I wouldn’t tell anyone about it. We even practiced locating the other Vindico members’ minds specifically. I think he was going to use this against them at some point.” Sam managed a smile. “And now he did.”
The few remaining League members looked around in shock and then turned to face the young group. There was a moment of awkward silence.
“Drop the guns, and don’t move,” a commanding voice said from behind them.
They whirled around and saw that Thunderbolt was standing in the doorway, Junkit beside him. Blue electricity was coursing along his body and crackling at his fingertips.
“Lyle and I let them out,” Deanna whispered. “Sorry.”
The five protégés looked at each other, and then Emily, James, and Hayden dropped their rifles. The rest of the League gathered around, though there were only three still capable of walking, and formed a loose circle.
Hayden smiled weakly. “So…remember that time we won the battle for you guys?”
Thunderbolt turned to the remaining League members. “Get the Vindico in the ship before they wake up. I’m going to have a talk with their protégés.” He glared at the young group. “Deanna, Lyle, come with us. You all have a lot of explaining to do.”
35
“AND THEN YOU APPEARED, AND HERE WE ARE,” HAYDEN finished, having recounted the entire story. It had taken him almost twenty minutes to get through, even skipping many of the details.
They were all seated around the Baron’s meeting room table, with Thunderbolt at the head, listening quietly.
“I don’t think you kids understand the gravity of the situation,” Thunderbolt said.
“With all due respect, yes, we do,” Sam replied, and everyone turned to him in surprise. “But we didn’t have a lot of choices.”
“I disagree. You should have helped defeat the Vindico when they kidnapped Deanna and Lyle. And you most certainly should not have released them once you had captured them.”
“Well, we weren’t too keen on being arrested,” Hayden pointed out.
“And what would you have done once you had the League captured?”
They all looked at each other. “Well…” James began.
“We were going to arrange a peace conference?” Hayden suggested.
“We were just tired of being used,” Sam said, meeting Thunderbolt’s eyes, “and being stuck in the middle of your war.”
Thunderbolt leaned back in his chair. “A war that you’ve ended. For now, at least. But your actions cannot go unpunished. It is illegal to artificially grant yourself powers, on punishment of life imprisonment. Twenty-one years ago, I made an exception with a young man named Evan Port, and we all know how that turned out.” He looked around the table. “However, your situation is somewhat unique since you were coerced.”
“It was horrible,” Hayden said dramatically. “You wouldn’t believe what they put us through, and—”
“How Leni put up with you, I’ll never know,” Thunderbolt snapped. “But the fact is that you five attacked the League numerous times, almost killed a member, and then attempted to capture the entire League, resulting in—”
“Wait,” Lana cut in, sitting up in her chair. “Almost killed a member,” she breathed. “Do you mean Septer?”
He nodded. “Yes, I just spoke with Meirna. He was in critical condition for a while, but he pulled through.”
Lana sat back, staring at the far wall. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, and Hayden put his arm around her, grinning.
“He’s alive,” Lana said softly.
“Yes, well…it was fortunate,” Thunderbolt said. “But regardless, there have been a lot of very serious injuries today, and that makes you as much enemies as the Villains who taught you. As such, we should treat you the same.” He paused. “However, I’m not sure that would be a fair assumption. No doubt you at times went along willingly, and even eagerly, but I suppose that is to be expected with the thrill of new powers.”
Thunderbolt sighed.
“It was foolish of the others to demand your arrest. Gali was enraged by Junkit’s capture; he didn’t have Meirna’s approval for those demands. She never would have made them. A compromise would have saved us this embarrassment. We were overconfident and spiteful.”
Thunderbolt leaned forward again, clasping his hands on the table.
“And of course, it was Sam’s quick thinking that won the battle. Without him, we would all be dead, or worse, and we are grateful. With all this in mind, here is your sentence. First, you will all go home.”
Emily started to protest, but he quieted her with a hard stare.
�
�For now. You each have abilities that a normal person shouldn’t possess, and I recognize the issues associated with that fact. I doubt that you could go on and live normal lives now, having experienced what you have. And because of that, for the first time in our history, we will consider allowing you all into the League of Heroes.”
James exchanged an ecstatic grin with Emily and Hayden, but Sam and Lana looked uncertain.
“Perhaps, by doing that, we can make amends for our past mistakes, of which there are many. Because of your special situation, you five would be the first and last exceptions to that rule.” He pointed around the table. “However, you must return home for at least six months before any decision can be made. That means all of you. I think a little more growth as people, before the media spotlight, will do you all some good. At that time, you will be introduced to the public as having naturally acquired your abilities.”
Hayden opened his mouth to say something, but Thunderbolt cut him off.
“Yes, even you, Hayden,” he muttered. “I will enjoy the peace and quiet as much as I can until then.”
Hayden turned to Lana, grinning. “You’re going to be dating a celebrity.”
“Second,” Thunderbolt said sharply, “you will not speak of what occurred here to anyone outside this room. The League will impose a ban on any media contact with you and release a statement citing that the Villains discovered you were candidates and abducted you before you could join the League. Even your families must believe that story. We cannot have the public knowing that these types of powers can be artificially granted. It would be chaos. That’s a very strict rule, and anyone breaking it will not be admitted to the League. Got it?”
They all nodded.
“Good. Third. You have these abilities now, but you are not free to use them at will. If we hear even a rumor that one of you has done something supernatural, particularly if it’s something morally questionable, you will not only be banned from the League, but we’ll take you to the Perch.”
“Why is everyone looking at me?” Hayden asked.
“And lastly, while the League cannot ban you from speaking with one another, we can ban you from forming your own little superpowered group. Same consequences. I would say those are excellent conditions under the circumstances, as I’m sure you’ll all agree.”
Thunderbolt stood up.
“Lyle, Deanna, you’ll come back to headquarters with us. Unlike these five, your parents provided consent for your training, and you both made a well-informed choice to pursue this calling. They will be given the time at home with their families to make an equally well-informed decision. You can see them again when they join, if they do.” He started for the door. “Now, let’s get you all home.”
“One more question,” James asked. “What about the Vindico?”
“Foiled by children,” Leni snarled. “Wonderful.”
“An ironic end,” the Baron agreed, shifting on the hard floor.
They were sitting in the holding cell of the Defender, which was taking them to the Canadian north. There, the Perch was waiting.
“Can you believe they double-crossed us again?” the Torturer said, leaning up against the wall. “I mean, come on.”
“We were so close,” Avaria whispered to herself. She sat alone in the corner.
“You know something,” the Torturer said, “I hate them, but in a way, I’m strangely proud. They really screwed us. They might be little bastards, but that’s what we were going for, right? I mean, overall, we did a pretty good job.”
“What a consolation,” Leni muttered.
“Well,” Rono said, “we’ll have many years to reflect on it.”
“Maybe not as long as you think, Rono,” the Baron replied with a sly smile.
“You have a plan?” Leni asked sharply.
The Baron’s cold eyes sparkled. “I don’t need one. Eventually, our former protégés will free us.”
Leni barked with laughter. “Now you’ve lost it old man. Why in the world would they free us?”
“Because,” he said, “they’ll soon find out that it’s far more fun to be a villain.”
36
THE FIVE FORMER PROTÉGÉS STOOD ALONE IN FRONT OF THE Baron’s mansion. Lyle and Deanna had already left with Gali to resume their training.
They had all been watching as Sam said good-bye to Deanna, and Hayden whooped out loud when Sam quickly gave her a hug. The farewell to the siblings had been sad, but it was nothing compared to the one they faced now. They were being split into two groups to get dropped off by two different ships.
“So,” Hayden said, looking around at their sullen faces, “that was an interesting month. But hey, we’ll be together again soon. That is, if you guys are going to join?”
“I am,” Emily replied immediately.
“Maybe,” Sam said. “I’m not sure if I’m cut out for this yet.”
Lana shook her head. “I don’t know if I’ll join either, to tell you the truth. I have six months to decide, I guess.”
“I will be,” James said firmly.
“Well, you all should. It would be sweet. Though the League doesn’t look nearly as fun as us. We could always start our own group…” Hayden suggested.
“No,” Lana said. “Can you at least try not to get us all thrown on the Perch?”
“I don’t want to go home,” Emily murmured. “I have no one to go home to.”
Hayden smiled at her. “Yes, you do. I have a couple spare bedrooms in my house. I’m sure the League could take care of the paperwork once they find out how bad it is at your place. We’ll just tell them you feel more evil when you’re at home.”
“Really?” Emily asked, her eyes lighting up. “I can come live with you?”
“Really.”
Emily hugged him, and it almost looked like she was about to cry.
“I know,” Hayden said, rubbing her back, “I’m the best.”
“I just hope my mom didn’t forget about me,” Sam muttered.
Lana waved a hand in dismissal. “She didn’t, trust me. And now you have Deanna,” she added, winking, “who definitely won’t forget about you.”
“Well, she did say she would come visit,” he replied, looking embarrassed.
“And what are you going to do about Sara?” Lana asked James.
He smiled. “I’m just going to walk up to her and take my shirt off.”
They were still laughing when two white ships touched down on the driveway.
“I guess this is it,” James said.
“Everyone keep in touch,” Hayden added. “Group hug?”
They all groaned, but leaned in and hugged each other.
“I’ll miss you guys,” Sam whispered.
“We’ll miss you too, Sammy,” Hayden replied. “But we’ll see each other soon, I’m sure.”
“Hayden, get your hand off my butt,” James said resignedly.
“Oh, that’s your butt?” he responded with mock surprise. “My mistake.”
“That’s it, I’m out of here,” James announced, breaking off the group hug.
“Homeward bound,” Hayden agreed. “Let’s go grab your stuff, Emily. We’re the only ones headed west.” He turned to Lana. “I know you agreed in the heat of battle when you weren’t sure you would survive, but I’m holding you to that date.”
They walked down the steps toward the waiting ships and split into two groups. James saw Lana give Hayden a kiss, and he was surprised that he didn’t feel as jealous anymore, not with everything that had happened. They were a good match, he had to admit. He climbed on board with Sam, and Lana soon joined them.
James gazed at the dwindling mansion as they lifted away and then at the other ship as they flew in different directions into the clouds.
Later that night, James fell onto his bed. After all the screaming, hugging, and crying, he was exhausted.
But now that he’d answered his family’s countless questions about his disappearance and drastic physical change, trying
his best to hide the exact details, everything already seemed to be settling back to normal. Dinner was on the stove, he was upstairs alone, and tomorrow he was going to school.
But James knew that he wouldn’t be happy in Cambilsford, even if people started to like him. His real friends were scattered across the country now, and those were the only people he wanted to see.
Across his bedroom, the poster of Thunderbolt was staring at him. He remembered being six years old, gazing at that poster for hours and desperately dreaming of becoming a League member. Now, finally, it hit him. The road had been much different than he’d imagined, but he had actually gotten there.
He was going to be a superhero.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
As with most university graduates who decide to forgo an established career in favor of pursuing their dreams (particularly ones involving teenage supervillains), I have a number of people to thank just for putting up with me. First and foremost, to my parents, who believed in me enough to look past my late nights and later mornings and allow me to live at home rent-free (which was important, since I had no money) as I completed my first four novels. While they occasionally passed along the obligatory parental reminder to “get a job,” I always knew they were firmly behind me, and I cannot overstate the reassuring effect that had each time an agent turned me down. So for that, and much, much more, thank you.
To my wonderful girlfriend, Juliana, who never doubted that this story could one day become a novel. In retrospect, I’m not even sure she had to read it. She just had unflinching faith in my ability to do this, which seems to be a common thread here. Sometimes we don’t know how lucky we are until we sit down and write about it.
To my fantastic agent at Writers House, Brianne Johnson, who somehow found the potential of this story in the overlong, disjointed manuscript I first sent her. Her endless enthusiasm and determination to sell this book carried us both through almost a year of rejections, and her humor and general zest for life made even that enjoyable. It didn’t take long for my new agent to become a trusted friend. And to Susan Cohen, the Writers House agent whom I first submitted this to, who allowed Brianne to take it on and subsequently gave me the best partner I could have asked for.