by Stan Lee
Two soldiers turned at the sound of Roxanne’s piercing cry. For a moment, Steven imagined what they saw. Three young people moving in perfect unison, like human weapons, and three spectral beasts raging and snarling above them: the screaming Rooster, the charging Pig, the savage Tiger.
Ox stepped back, allowing his teammates to crash into the soldiers. Roxanne reared her head back and shrieked again, even louder, directly into a soldier’s face. The man grabbed his ears, screamed, and dropped to the ground.
The second soldier raised his gun, aiming shakily. Duane reached out in a casual motion, Zodiac energy sparkling from his hand. The gun exploded.
Steven glanced around. Three soldiers were still on their feet. Ox traded punches with one, backing the man slowly up against a wall. Dog seemed to be playing with another. The yellow-furred Zodiac slapped the gun out of his opponent’s hand. When the man snatched the gun off the floor, Dog slapped it away again.
“So you’re the Tiger,” said someone with a deep voice.
Steven whipped his head around—and saw the man in the black suit, the Vanguard agent from the cavern above. Alpha, Malik had called him. He raised his enormous energy rifle and aimed it straight at Steven’s chest.
Steven gestured at the gun. “Does that thing really work? It’s hilariously large.”
“See for yourself.”
Without even thinking, Steven dodged the energy bolt. As the Tiger’s instincts kicked in, he found himself leaping straight up. He twisted in midair, the Tiger avatar roaring with power, and kicked at Alpha.
But the Vanguard agent was surprisingly fast. He raised his weapon and fired off two more shots in rapid succession. Then a third. Steven reached out and bounced off the corridor wall, pausing to kick a guard—the one facing off against Dog—in the head. The man groaned and dropped, stunned.
“Zodiacs,” Alpha muttered, squeezing his trigger again. “Can’t stand ’em. That’s why I volunteered to test this quantum particle rifle, even though they warned me it might overheat and expl—”
The energy rifle blew apart, setting fire to the arms of Alpha’s suit. He cried out, dropped the smoking remains of the particle rifle, and staggered back. When he saw the flaming arms of his suit, he started batting at them and flailing.
Steven leaped up and landed behind Alpha. He paused, considering a final jab at the man’s competence and/or judgment. Maybe “Hey, there’s no smoking in here” or “Good luck getting the deposit back on that suit” or “People don’t kill people; ludicrously huge guns kill people.”
“Never call me shorty,” he said.
A thick fist smashed down on Alpha’s head, dropping him to the ground just as the last of the flames died down. The fist belonged to Ox. The burly Zodiac stood over the bodies of two more soldiers, cocking his head wryly at Steven.
“Sorry, kitty,” he said, indicating Alpha’s unmoving form. “Looked like you were playing with your food.”
The fighting had stopped. Steven counted the number of fallen Vanguard soldiers. Ten—no, eleven of them lay stunned on the floor.
“You were right, Malik,” Dog said, moving toward them. “These kids fight pretty good!”
“Pretty well,” Jasmine said.
They all turned to look at her. She sat propped up against the wall, waving the energy rifle. She looked weak but was still conscious.
“Well. The kids fought well,” she repeated, slurring her words slightly.
Ox nodded slowly. “It shows you what the Zodiacs can do. When we’re not trying to kill each other, I mean.”
“Yeah.” Dog grinned. “But that’s kinda fun, too.”
Jasmine staggered to her feet. Steven started toward her, but Dog was closer. He held out a thick-furred hand, and Jasmine clasped it firmly.
Steven cast his eyes across the group. Roxanne and Duane seemed barely winded, energized by the return of their powers. Ox and Dog were powerful engines of battle, back in their element. Even Jasmine, weak and depowered, projected a confidence he hadn’t seen from her in months.
The fight wasn’t finished yet. They hadn’t found the Dragon or rescued Kim. Steven’s vision still haunted him, too. There was plenty to do, he knew, before they left the Mountain of Fire.
But for that moment, the Zodiacs stood triumphant. And Steven had to admit: it felt good.
“OH,” DUANE SAID. “Oh, this is bad.”
“What?” Steven asked.
Duane sat crouched against the corridor wall, holding a small analyzer device in one hand and his tablet in the other. As his eyes darted from one to the other, the Pig avatar flashed on and off above his head.
“I’ve been taking soil samples,” he explained, “analyzing the level of gas contained in the rocks, the chemical composition, temperature, state of oxidation, and—”
“Duane! The point?”
Before Duane could answer, a massive rumbling shook the passageway. Steven dropped into a Tiger crouch, instantly alert. Malik and Nicky ran to different ends of the passageway, stepping nimbly over the unconscious Vanguard soldiers. Roxanne took up a position at the large gap in the tunnel wall.
“Nothing coming from this side,” Malik said.
“Here either,” Nicky said.
“Nothing inside the ginormous hole in the wall,” Roxanne said. “Oh, wait. Yes there is.”
Steven crept up next to Roxanne, tensing for action, and peered into the hole. The Tiger avatar rose above him, snarling. The tunnel revealed by the hole was dark, lacking the artificial light that suffused the corridors and filled with dust from the various impacts.
Duane moved up next to Steven. “I should tell you—”
Steven motioned him to silence.
Inside the hole, two figures lumbered into view: a large woman holding a much smaller woman by the collar of her suit jacket.
“At ease, boys,” Josie said. “It’s just me. And Betty here.” She held up the smaller woman as if she were presenting identification.
“It’s Beta,” the woman said. Her black suit was torn and charred, and she wore a dazed expression. “My name is Beta.”
Josie stepped into the main passageway, shaking the woman roughly. A ghostly Horse appeared over Josie’s head, pawing the air and snorting.
She’s got her powers back, too, Steven thought. Strangely, the knowledge made him uneasy.
“Betty’s been telling me some very interesting stuff,” Josie said.
“It’s Beta—ow!”
“This is fairly important,” Duane said.
Josie ignored him. “Tell ’em, Betty.”
“I—”
Duane cleared his throat. “If I could just—”
Horse shook Beta again. “Tell ’em what you told me!”
“Mince has triggered an eruption of the volcano!” Beta exclaimed.
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you!” Duane yelled.
Steven sucked in a breath. He reached out with his Tiger senses, taking in the subtle sounds of the mountain, the temperature and humidity of his surroundings. At the very edge of his awareness, he could hear the rumbling of molten rock flowing far below.
It was growing louder—pressing upward, moving toward the surface.
“It’s true,” he said.
Duane tapped at his tablet. “There’s no way for me to tell exactly how long the evacuation will take. The eruption could still kill hundreds of people.”
The chamber shook again. Roxanne lost her footing, tripped over a fallen Vanguard soldier, and almost slammed into the wall.
“Mince,” she said. “She’d kill all those people out there just to make her escape.”
“Yeah,” Steven said. “And one person in here, too.”
Duane’s eyes opened wide. “Kim.”
“Excuse me,” Beta said. “Can you people put me down?”
Josie adopted an exaggerated expression: I’m thinking about it. Steven gestured to her. She shrugged and set Beta down on the floor.
“Why did you t
ell us about the eruption?” Steven asked.
Beta averted her eyes. “I didn’t take this job to kill kids.”
“That’s admirable, I guess”—Roxanne rolled her eyes—“in a least-you-can-do-to-be-a-human-person sort of way.”
“We’ve got to get outside,” Malik said. “People are going to need help.”
“Plus,” Nicky added, “flowing lava. It’s kinda bad for the fur.”
“But we can’t just leave Kim!” Duane exclaimed.
Then all eyes were on Steven. Leadership, he thought, not for the first time. Sometimes it sucks.
A moan came from the floor. One of the soldiers was starting to awaken.
Steven turned to Beta. “You want to get your people out of here?”
She nodded.
“Do it.”
Beta crouched down and started jostling the soldiers. One by one, they sat up, shaking their heads.
“But leave the guns,” Steven added. Beta hesitated—and then she saw the Tiger above Steven’s head, roaring a silent warning. She nodded hastily.
The chamber shook again. Steven gestured to the assembled Zodiacs.
“Get out,” he said. “All of you. Get to the evacuation zones, do what you can to help the local authorities.”
Roxanne frowned. “But—”
“I’ll get Kim.”
She stared at him. “You’ll be killed.”
“I’m the Tiger,” Steven said, trying to sound confident. “I’m the fastest one here.”
“I dunno, kid,” Nicky said. “We ain’t had a race yet.”
Beta gathered the Vanguard soldiers together. Their armor was dented and ripped, their expressions dazed and disoriented. One by one, they dropped their energy rifles in a heap on the floor.
“Duane,” Steven said, “can you locate Kim?”
Duane stabbed at his tablet, almost punching it in frustration. He shook his head.
“She’s on level echo,” Beta said. “It’s the bottom floor of this complex—holding cell three.”
“Thank you,” Steven replied.
Beta nodded grimly. Then she turned, gestured up the corridor, and started toward the surface. The line of soldiers followed, boots clomping on the hard floor.
Steven whirled back to address his team. “What are you guys waiting for?”
“I’m staying, too,” Malik said.
Steven started to argue, then nodded. He could use Malik’s Ox strength.
A faint moan rose from the far end of the passageway. Jasmine lay forgotten, her head propped up against the wall. They all rushed over to her.
“She’s barely conscious,” Roxanne said.
Duane leaned in. “I think she’s trying to say something.”
Steven crouched, wincing at the small cuts all along Jasmine’s face. Another thing Mince has to answer for, he thought.
“Don’ worry.” Jasmine’s voice was faint, her words slurred. “I’ll get us outta…volcano. All of us. Drag’n power can do…anything….”
“She doesn’t have the Dragon power anymore.” Josie snorted, the Horse above her mimicking the motion. “She’s delirious.”
“She’s been drugged.” Steven thought furiously. “Sorry, Malik.”
“What?”
“I coulda used your help. But you’ve got to get her out of here. You’re the only one who’s strong enough.”
Malik hesitated.
“Otherwise,” Steven continued, “another innocent person will die.”
Malik swore, then nodded. He reached out and, in a single swift motion, hoisted Jasmine onto his shoulder.
“Hey,” Jasmine protested, her voice even fainter now. “Unhand the mighty Dragggg’n.”
“Get her out of here,” Steven said, locking eyes with Malik. “Get them all out of here.”
“You got it.”
Malik turned without another word, still carrying Jasmine’s helpless form. He marched up the corridor toward the surface. Josie and Nicky hesitated for just a moment, then turned to follow.
Duane and Roxanne hung back. “Steven,” Roxanne said, “we can—”
“Sorry, guys. This is my job. Duane, compute the lava pattern the best you can on the way out. That way you’ll be ready to help the rescue teams.” He forced a smile. “I’ll be right behind you.”
Then he turned and bolted down the corridor, heading deeper into the mountain.
I have to do this, he thought. And I have to do it fast. But the truth is, it’s kind of crazy—and I’m really scared. So I can’t afford to give anybody the chance to talk me out of it.
He didn’t look back.
Steven ran deeper and deeper into the mountain. The passageway grew darker, the downward slope steeper. He couldn’t be sure, but the walls seemed closer together than before.
He came to a fork in the path. The two choices looked identical; each branch curved out of view a meter down the corridor. Great. Which way now?
He flipped the HUDset down over his eyes. The green schematic glowed faintly and was hard to make out. To the left, the passageway seemed to open into a large, detailed structure made of flickering lines. On the right: a dead end.
The schematic blinked off, then on. His eyes flashed to the readouts: BATTERY LEVEL 0%. Then the screen went black.
He tore off the HUDset and flung it away. It hit the wall, let out a sharp burst of static, and fell to the ground.
Steven looked around, panicked. What was he doing so far underground? The walls seemed to be closing in; he felt an overwhelming sense of doom. I’m gonna die here, he thought. I’m gonna die alone!
Then he realized, to his surprise: That’s not me. It’s the Tiger.
Usually, the Tiger gave Steven strength, lent him its spirit and ferocity. But not this time. It senses the magma flowing below, the molten rock that could incinerate us. So it wants to run away. It doesn’t understand why I’m running toward the danger, instead of fleeing.
It’s the one panicking, not me!
“I appreciate the self-preservation instinct,” he said aloud. “But we’ve got a friend to rescue.” He paused, suddenly self-conscious. “And now I’m talking to myse—”
Another tremor struck—the biggest one yet. Steven tottered, almost lost his footing, and then took off down the left-hand branch of the corridor.
At least the other voices have gone quiet, he thought. Maybe the presence of the actual Tiger power somehow pushes them back. Or maybe they gave up after I ignored their warning.
The vision returned to his thoughts: the prophecy, the warning that either his friends or his parents would fall, inevitably, to the Dragon’s power. He forced it away, using techniques Jasmine had taught him to clear his mind. Later. Worry about that later.
The Tiger roared in protest.
The corridor grew even narrower, so tight that Steven had to slow down and squeeze his way along. Then the path widened and disappeared abruptly. He stopped short, barely managing not to fall off the edge.
The sight took his breath away.
The pathway ended at the edge of a short cliff. About three meters below, a strange floor stretched out for about a kilometer. It was composed of slate tiles, thousands of them, arranged in a mosaic pattern. It reminded Steven of a surface his grandfather had laid down in their backyard, meticulously, one flat stone at a time.
Then he noticed: the tiles were moving. They slid back and forth, side to side. They seemed programmed, interdependent; they moved in concert, one tile shifting sideways to allow the next one to take its place.
He looked up. A map of the world covered the ceiling, high above. Continents glowed, lit from behind as if the ceiling itself were some sort of parchment covering an unseen light source. He could make out Africa, Europe, North and South America—but something was wrong. The shapes seemed twisted, distorted somehow.
What is this place? he wondered. Did the Dragon build it?
He frowned, calculating quickly. He couldn’t be sure, but at a guess, he’d desce
nded about two levels since leaving the others. Based on the earlier scans, level echo had to be at least two stories farther down. And the only way down was…
He leaped off the cliff, reaching out with all four limbs like a cat. He landed with his legs on separate tiles and both hands on a third. The two back tiles slid sideways, forcing his legs apart. He almost fell but somersaulted forward and repositioned himself on another, slower-moving tile.
“Tiger style!” he said, smiling. Then: “Let’s never say that again, right? Right.”
He turned to look back at the rocky cliff face. His Tiger senses detected no doorway, no way out of the chamber other than the passageway above. But he could hear something: a very low humming, almost out of the range of human hearing. The machinery, he realized. The hidden tech that runs this place.
The tile beneath his feet lurched, almost knocking him down. He took off running, away from the cliff and the narrow corridor. His eyes darted back and forth, side to side. He took in the motion of each individual tile, calculating exactly where, and how fast, to move his feet.
There didn’t seem to be a way to get below that level. The tiles stretched out in all directions, shifting and moving in their heavy ballet. The chamber’s walls might have held an elevator or stairwell leading down, but they were barely visible, far off in the distance.
Up ahead half a kilometer or so, the floor turned darker. Maybe there…
Steven leaped and ran, sometimes vaulting up high, other times lunging forward to somersault onto the next tile. As the tiles slid in all directions under his feet, he started to laugh. The action distracted him, cleared his thoughts, banished the fear from his mind. But still he wondered: What was this place built for? It’s not much of a security measure. The Tiger can navigate it easily, but even an ordinary person could slip and roll his way through it eventually.
He leaped off a fast-moving tile—and caught another glimpse of the ceiling. Russia loomed directly above him, with the rest of Asia just beneath it. Like the other continents, it looked wrong…distorted, somehow….
They’re backwards, he realized. The whole image was flopped, reversed, as if he were looking at it in a mirror.