by Dee Benson
The Firemaster came to see her the following morning after a long night of fighting on the front lines. He was accompanied by two men from the army; Serloyd and Desmond.
"It's a girl?" The Firemaster asked, peering at the baby in her basket.
Katie was too tired to respond. She'd been in labour for six hours, finally giving birth at ten p.m. But her work was only just beginning. Little Alesia had wanted to be held all night, and had fed at least seven times.
"Her name will be Axel," The Firemaster said.
"I have already named her Alesia."
The Firemaster frowned at Katie, the way he always did whenever she didn't just bow to his will.
"Alesia is too pretty and feminine."
"Axel is a boys' name."
"Well, I wanted a boy, but since it's a girl, what can I do?"
"You can give her a girl's name. That's what you can do."
The Firemaster's gaze narrowed. "You are still delirious from your labor so I will forgive your tone and your argumentativeness." He looked at the birth registration form he'd been given to complete. "Her name is Axel. I also like the names Trojan and Drake, but I will save those for the other children I have on the way. I will change the law so that firstborns alone can be king, whether male or female. She will be king one day, whether or not she has male siblings. The crown is for firstborns. She will be king."
"Queen," Katie muttered under her breath.
That earned her another glare from The Firemaster.
Katie was about to tell him that it would be up to the forces to decide who became king, but she figured such a comment might push him over the edge. The forces had always decided by giving Firemaster abilities to the firstborn male of every king in their history. A woman had never been given Firemaster abilities, even if she was the firstborn. But it seemed the forces were seeking to take them in a new direction. Who knew what gifts Axel would have?
"Would you like to hold the baby?" Katie's nurse asked The Firemaster when he finished completing the birth registration form.
"Well, she's sleeping, so it's probably best if I don't disturb her." The Firemaster looked out the window.
The battle was raging only a few miles away. From Katie's position on the bed, she could see through the window. An orange glow of fire in the distance signified that the battle was still in full swing.
The Firemaster sighed. "Besides, I have to get back to the battle now." He nodded at Katie and then headed towards the door.
Katie watched him leave, Serloyd and Desmond marching out with him.
An idea began to form in her mind. She mulled it over for the next few hours, trying to summon the courage to carry it out. It was a noble plan, but motivated by selfish reasons. However, she needed her freedom. She'd never get it if The Firemaster was still alive. Even if she ran away, she would live with the constant fear of him finding her.
Eventually, she dismissed the nurse and everyone who was hovering around her, claiming that she needed to sleep.
"Should I take Axel?" the nurse asked. "So that she won't disturb you?"
Katie looked at Axel. She didn't want to let her out of her sight, but she had to. "Okay."
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD an army general leave the front lines during a battle. But Michael was certain that Katie would have had the baby by now. The battlefield wasn't far from the palace. King Darius had brought the battle scarily close to home this time. Which was good. Michael hoped King Darius would win.
He could make it to the concubine's quarters and back within an hour. He wanted to make sure Katie was okay. And he wanted to see the baby.
He hoped she had dark hair.
He feigned injury and handed over to Carl. He trusted Carl to hold the fort until he returned. As he was about to slip away, Serloyd stepped in front of him. "Where are you going?"
Before he could answer, there was a flash of lightning, and thunder crashed through the sky, sounding as though the whole world was coming unhinged from its place in the galaxy.
He looked up, as did everyone around him.
A masked Super hovered in the sky. The Super wore a navy blue Super suit. Their eyes were aglow with light.
Michael's heart skipped a beat. He wasn't fooled by the new suit. Katie couldn't wear her Black Thunder Super suit because she'd incinerated it. She'd had to get a new suit.
She glared down upon the battlefield. By now, everyone had stopped fighting. People began to run for cover.
Katie let out a blast of energy. The force of it hit Michael square in the chest. He went down, along with hundreds of others.
He clutched his chest, trying to breathe. She must be ready to run away. She must want to get rid of The Firemaster before they left. He needed to contact Brett.
Katie's eyes were still shining with bright white light. The light from her eyes cut through the darkness, like a searchlight.
She must be looking for The Firemaster.
"CONFEDERATION," THE FIREMASTER SHOUTED.
He knew that if that was Black Thunder up there, a confederation wouldn't stop him. But they had to do something. Otherwise, Black Thunder would help Darius defeat him.
He looked around frantically for Michael. "I need to link my fate to Michael's."
"Michael is injured," someone shouted back.
"I don't care! Get him over here."
Light washed over him. The Firemaster looked up. The Super was looking at him.
In a flash of lightning, the Super descended from the sky, landing before The Firemaster.
The Firemaster refused to show any fear. Refused to cower before him. He was Commander of the Armies and he was also king.
"I do not fear people who must conceal their identity in order to fight," he said. "Unmask yourself and face me like a man."
The Super slugged him in the face. The force of the punch sent The Firemaster flying for miles.
I'm still alive, he told himself when he rolled to a stop. He took stock. He'd definitely broken a host of bones, but he was still alive.
There was a flash of light in the air above him.
Not for long, he thought. The Super had come to finish him off. He had to think quickly.
There was a light thud as the Super landed beside him.
"What are you going to do?" The Firemaster asked. His voice was hoarse. Blood spluttered from his mouth as he spoke. "Kill me?"
The Super put out the light in his eyes and darkness descended over the whole area.
The Firemaster squinted to see clearly in the darkness. He could just about make out the Super's form. "Are you Black Thunder? Trying to fool us all with a new suit?"
The Super grabbed him by the arm and began to drag him away.
"Are you going to emit another sonic boom and kill not only me but millions of other people?"
The Super seemed to freeze.
Ha! He was Black Thunder.
"Killing me won't redeem you in the eyes of the nation. They will always remember your so-called mistake, and they will always hate you."
Black Thunder slapped him hard across the face.
More blood sputtered from The Firemaster's mouth. Something clicked in his mind. He remembered all the speculation about Black Thunder being a woman. That slap had been pretty hard, but it was a total girl slap.
He—or maybe he should say 'she'—began to drag him again. She stopped at a tree. The Firemaster was surprised when she began to tie him up.
"You don't want to kill me?" he asked.
"The king will kill you," she snapped. It was a man's voice, but The Firemaster wasn't fooled.
He kicked her suddenly, and then yanked off her mask.
A mane of long blond hair tumbled out, but before he caught a glimpse of her face, she vanished.
Still, a grenade exploded in his heart as recognition hit.
Chapter 20
KATIE LANDED IN HER room at the concubine's quarters.
Nightdress, she thought frantically as she hurried towards the
door to the bedroom. By the time she reached the door, her clothes had changed. She opened the door and ran into the living room, ignoring the pain in her pelvic area. She was reminded that it probably wasn't advisable for women who'd given birth less than twenty-four hours ago to run.
The nurse was holding Axel.
"Give me my baby," Katie demanded.
The nurse quickly handed Axel over. "Is everything okay?"
"I want you to leave immediately. And tell everybody else to go home too. I want to be alone."
"Yes, madam," the nurse said quickly. She curtsied and then hurried out.
Katie dashed back into the bedroom with Axel. She laid her on the bed. She focused her mental energy and reached out to Michael. She located him at the battle. She teleported him into her bedroom.
"I want to fling my arms around you," Michael whispered, as he materialized before her. "But I am weak from getting hit by your blast of energy."
Katie grabbed a bag and began to throw clothes inside. She added her navy blue Super suit to it. "Sorry."
"Please don't apologize. I'm so glad you worked up the courage. You did great—"
"I didn't," Katie snapped. "I had him. I should have killed him but I couldn't do it. I wanted to tie him up and let King Darius know where to find him, but he pulled off my mask."
Horror filled Michael's eyes.
"He didn't see my face. I teleported away."
Michael looked troubled. "We have to go."
Katie grabbed a blanket and wrapped Axel.
"What's her name?" Michael asked.
"I called her Alessia, but The Firemaster called her Axel."
"I'm not one to ever take his side, but Axel has a nice ring to it. Axel Adams."
Adams. That was Michael's surname. Soon, it would be hers too. If they managed to get away.
She glanced out of the window. Fire glowed orange in the distance. It wasn't as bright as it'd been an hour ago when she'd left. The battle must be coming to an end. They didn't have much time. She hoped King Darius and a sizable cohort of his men had left to seek The Firemaster. If they caught him while he was injured, King Darius would be able to capture him and put an end to all this madness once and for all.
"Ready?" Michael whispered urgently. He looked an inch away from collapsing. Katie had tried to keep her blast of energy from injuring anybody severely, obviously she hadn't succeeded.
She covered Axel in one more blanket just in case. "Yes. Where's Brett?"
"I contacted him while we were still at the battlefield. When you showed up, I had a feeling it was because you wanted to leave tonight. He's going to meet us outside."
"He's definitely found out how to open a portal?"
"Yes. Let's go."
They made their way out of the suite. Michael opened the door and they stepped into the night. Katie followed him as he walked briskly towards the fence that surrounded the concubine's quarters.
She'd tried to remove her electronic tag before going to the battle, but hadn't been able to. It had resisted the lasers from her eyes, obviously having been fortified somehow by a powerful Super. She would find a way to get it off once they got out of here. She would go somewhere isolated and blast her powers at it. Hopefully, The Firemaster would meet his death tonight and it wouldn't matter anyway."
Michael jumped over the fence surrounding the concubine quarters and then stretched his arms out to her. Katie looked back at the building. Was she sure about this? If The Firemaster didn't die tonight, he would come after her and kill her. He was ruthless like that.
"Katie?" Michael whispered.
Katie handed Axel to him and then climbed over the fence. An ear-splitting siren filled the night as soon as she landed on the sidewalk on other side. She hoped there was nobody around to hear it. Hoped they were all either at the battle or gone home for the night.
She took Axel from Michael and then began to run.
"Brett will meet us at the end of the street," Michael whispered, running beside her. "Let me hold Axel."
"You're too weak."
"I'm fine—"
A flash of orange before them silenced them both.
Fire!
One minute, it was a fist-sized ball. The next, it had swelled into a pillar taller than them both. Katie couldn't believe it. Not only had The Firemaster trapped her, but he'd set up traps in case she managed to slip out of the concubine's quarters unnoticed. The brute!
She tried to summon defensive powers, but nothing happened. No rush of white noise. No electric current running through her.
Had she lost her Black Thunder powers?
The pillar of fire rushed at them so quickly there was no time to react. A scream tore up Katie's throat as the fire swallowed them. Then she realized she could feel nothing. Her skin glowed a shiny blue, translucent color.
She heaved a sigh of relief. Michael had covered them.
"Keep running," Katie said, pushing her legs back into action. They were now close enough to the end of the street to see that Brett wasn't there. "Where's Brett?"
"He should be here."
They were stopped a few feet away by another pillar of fire. She tried to summon some energy and blast it away, but couldn't.
I've lost my powers.
The fire rushed at them. This time, Katie felt the warmth of the fire despite Michael's force field. He was weakening.
No sooner had that pillar of fire evaporated than another leapt to life a little distance away. It rushed towards them, hissing and spitting like a snake.
Michael's force field flickered off, and then returned. Katie doubted he could protect them again. She looked around for somewhere to take cover. Bushes lined the sidewalk. If she hid behind one of those and the fire followed, it would set the bushes aflame and spread into the forest beyond. That would cause unnecessary devastation.
But what other option did they have? The fire was rushing towards them. It hissed with venom, seeming almost sentient.
Michael's force field returned, slightly stronger. He was frowning with concentration, sweat slicking his brow.
Katie heaved a sigh of relief. Then she noticed that Michael wasn't covering Axel.
"Cover her," Katie screamed.
The fire was a few seconds away. Katie's breath froze in her lungs. Michael still wasn't covering Axel.
"I'm trying," Michael groaned.
Fear wrapped its icy fingers around Katie's heart. If the fire swallowed them…
Michael gasped. There was a thud as he hit the ground. The force field around Katie vanished. She jumped out of the way as the fire swelled, swallowing the spot she'd just been standing in.
Another pillar of fire appeared before her. Katie turned and ran. A ball of fire materialized from thin air. It whizzed past her head, scarily close. There was no time to recover. Two more were flying towards her. Katie jumped back, frantically, and fell to the ground. Axel slipped from her hands and landed on top of her.
An orange glow appeared above her, rushing downwards, directly over Axel who lay on her belly.
Katie grabbed Axel and threw her towards a nearby bush. Axel had scarcely left her hands when the fireball hit her.
She closed her eyes and braced herself for the pain. For death.
Nothing.
A shadow fell over her.
She looked up and almost passed out with relief. "Brett!"
"Oh, Brett, you just saved my life," Brett said in a high-pitched voice that mimicked Katie's. "I love you, Brett." He held out a hand to her.
Katie reached up and grasped his hand. Once on her feet, she punched him in the chest. "You're late!"
A fireball appeared in the air and began to rush towards them. Brett waved a hand casually and a rush of wind blew the fireball in another direction. It looked easy, but the sweat pouring down the sides of his face betrayed how much energy he was expending. He was obviously out of practice with using his powers.
"I encountered some of these fireballs on my way," Brett told
her. "Had to fight them off. Where's Michael?"
Katie pointed and then rushed to the bush where she'd thrown Axel. Axel hadn't cried when Katie threw her. Was she…dead?
No!
She wasn't on the ground around the bush. Katie parted the branches of the brush. Axel was lying in the undergrowth under it.
The bush suddenly glowed orange. Katie looked up in time to see a fireball in the air above the bush. "Brett!" she screamed as a fireball slammed into the bush and set it aflame.
Brett and Michael were at her side in an instant. "Don't worry," Michael told her. "I'm covering her."
"Are you sure?"
Michael didn't reply. He dropped to the ground and looked under the bush. The fire was steadily devouring it, making its way downward.
Katie glared at Brett. "Form an air current around us so that any more fireballs or fire pillars get blown away once they hit the current."
"Good idea," Brett said.
Katie didn't know how someone could be so incompetent and unimaginative in using his own gift.
She looked around, fully expecting The Firemaster or one of his cronies to show up any minute.
Soon, wind was whipping around them, and fireballs were glancing away from them as though invisible hands had thrown them aside. Brett's eyes were strained. Keeping the air current going was going to get excruciating for him within a few seconds.
Michael pulled Axel out from under the bush. One of her blankets tore. He rose to his feet, holding Axel. Katie snatched her from him. A tremor worked its way through her heart at Axel's stillness.
What do you expect? You threw her into a bush.
"Portal," she told Brett.
Brett nodded and then held up a hand. A moment later, a tunnel appeared from thin air.
Tears rushed forward. Katie blinked them away. Finally!
She was about to step into the tunnel when there was a thud behind her. She looked over her shoulder. Michael was down again.
Brett grabbed him and dragged him into the portal. Katie stepped in after them.
Goodbye, Super World.
The first thing she was going to do was get rid of her mass of long, blond hair. She'd cut it short and dye it black.
Axel wriggled in her arms.