by Matt Blake
“Then why doesn’t he just keep them all?”
“It doesn’t seem to work like that,” Chaos said. “He has a choice. One ULTRA’s abilities to keep at one time. If he passes the power on, he loses those abilities himself. And it isn’t going to totally shock you to find out which ULTRA’s abilities he wants to keep.”
I saw everyone’s eyes turn on me. “Mine.”
“We take that glove away from him, and we make him totally powerless.”
“And the rest of the people around him? ’Cause it’s his army that’s really strong.”
“We try to win them over. If we don’t, well. We have a glove. We can use it to take those powers away and return them to their original owners.”
“It’s impossible,” I said.
“Maybe so. But if we don’t try getting that glove from Adam, eventually, he’s going to get to you. Then he’s going to be more powerful than you. And trust me, I ain’t your biggest fan, but I’d much rather a wimp like you had your abilities than a psychopath like Adam.”
“Thanks, I guess?”
“Take it. It’s the only compliment you’re gonna get.”
“And how the hell are we going to take that glove away from Adam?”
Chaos tilted her head to one side. “He goes to a nightclub in Tokyo every Friday.”
“Course he does,” I said.
“He likes to go there to just be himself all over again. To be a normal eighteen-year-old. He doesn’t wear the glove when he’s there. He rents a room above the place. He keeps the glove in there when he’s at the bar.”
“How do you know this?”
Chaos lifted an eyebrow. “You really wanna know all the things I’ve seen in that room with Adam?”
I felt my throat tighten and turned away. “Oh.”
“Yeah. Didn’t think so.”
A smile flickered at the corner of Chaos’ mouth. She looked around.
“I can get in there and meet with Adam. I can tell him I’ve seen the way forward. And while I’m chatting with him, Kyle can sneak upstairs and take that glove. But you have to be careful. He does have his followers with him now. One of them might be able to tell when powers are being used. So you need to show real caution.”
I nodded, scratching the back of my neck. It sounded pretty straightforward, which worried me because the straightforward plans were usually the ones to be cautious about.
“So are you in?” Chaos asked.
I looked around at the Resistance. I didn’t know what to say. It was forceful. It was against the will of the people.
But sometimes, responsibility forced you to make the uncomfortable decisions for other people that might not seem in their best interests at the time.
“We’ll do it,” I said. “We’ll help you. And we’ll go get that glove.”
The rest of the Resistance nodded. Cassie was a little more hesitant, but eventually, she agreed too.
We were taking the fight to Adam.
We were finishing his reign.
“Damn,” Stone said. “All this drama and all this loss, and the fate of the planet rests on a goddamned mitten.”
29
Damon looked in the cracked mirror inside the public restroom and he couldn’t stop his hand shaking.
It was totally pitch black outside. He could hear voices every now and then, but he barely even acknowledged them. They didn’t mean anything to him. Not compared to what he was focused on. Not compared to what his mind and his energy were totally surrounded by.
He looked down at his hands. They were shaking completely. He could feel tears building behind his eyes, and he couldn’t taste a thing but sick. He’d been pretty hungry when he set off walking away from Staten Island. Now, the thought of food disgusted and nauseated him.
He knew exactly why.
He just didn’t like revisiting the memory of what happened in the car.
What happened when Adam turned around and faced him.
He reached down into the sink and stuck his hands under the tap. When they were full, he covered his face with water. But the water felt slimy, and he didn’t feel any better for trying to refresh himself.
Instead, he just felt afraid.
Totally afraid.
This wasn’t the life he’d signed up for. This wasn’t the life he’d agreed to.
He splashed some more water on his face as the memories flooded back into his mind, unavoidable.
Someone picking him up and helping bail him out against those people following him.
Jumping into the car and realizing it was Adam.
Adam turning around, telling Damon he knew a way to deal with Kyle. To bring him back down to earth.
As much as Damon didn’t want to talk about Kyle behind his back with anyone, let alone Adam, he’d heard what Adam said. He’d heard it loud and clear.
But he still hadn’t agreed to this.
He pulled his face up from the sink.
He saw a man standing at the back of the cubicle.
He had his hood pulled up over his eyes, and he was holding a knife.
Damon felt that instinctive terror kick in.
“Your phone and your wallet. Don’t screw around with me, kid.”
He gestured for Damon to move toward him. And a part of Damon wanted to comply. He didn’t want any trouble. He’d never liked trouble. He just wanted to get this done with and get out of here.
“Right now. Do it, or I swear I’ll shoot you in your fat little belly.”
Damon looked over at the restroom door. Tried to figure out how quickly he could get there and get out.
“Please,” Damon said. “I don’t want any—”
The guy ran at Damon and pressed him back against the wall. He pushed the gun right between Damon’s eyes. “You hand over your shit or I’ll take your shit away myself. And you don’t want that, man. You don’t want that at all. So how we gonna do this?”
Damon felt a tear rolling down his face as the guy breathed sour breath at him. “You really shouldn’t have done that.”
The mugger’s face turned. “What—”
Damon pressed his hand against the mugger’s head.
Sparks of electricity ignited from his fingertips.
The man started to scream.
Damon kept on holding his head, unable to let go. He shouted out himself. The pain of the electricity was too intense. His blood was boiling. Every single hair on his body felt like it was being pulled at, slowly. He felt like he was going to explode.
Then the guy dropped to his knees and the electricity stopped.
Damon looked at the smoking body of the guy. His eyes were closed. He didn’t look like he would be getting back to his feet anytime soon.
Then he looked down at his hands.
Then back into the mirror.
He knew what he was now. He knew what Adam had turned him into.
And he knew what Adam wanted him to do.
What the people wanted to do.
He swallowed another bout of sick as he thought about Kyle, his best friend, and all the rough times they’d been through together.
Then he thought of the chaos and destruction Kyle was causing, how the power was getting to his head and he couldn’t see the truth anymore, and he knew that as hard as it was going to be, he was going to have to do something about it.
Damon looked back at his hands.
Electricity sparked across his fingertips.
He took a deep breath and walked over the paralyzed body of the guy, out of the public restroom and into the wind.
He knew what he had to do.
30
My first trip to a Tokyo nightclub wasn’t exactly in the circumstances I’d hoped.
The night sky was pitch black, but you could easily be fooled into thinking it was the middle of the day, the neon lights were so bright. The street was one of the loudest I’d ever come across. Everywhere, people bustled past one another, the smell of sweat intense and the taste of alcohol
strong. It was as if, to these people, nothing major was happening in the world at all. Like there was nothing going on with the ULTRAs, or that Adam even existed.
All that mattered to these people right now was that they were out to party, and nothing was going to get in their way.
I was here for a different reason.
“It’s important that you just stick with me,” Chaos said. She had a hood pulled right over her head. “If you do that, they’ll let you in.”
“You’re not old enough to get in this place, surely?”
“It’s about who you know. Anyway. Stand tall and look tough. Here we go.”
“Can’t I just—”
“No. We do this the proper way. You use your powers and Adam will figure out you’re here.”
“One of the perks of the glove?”
“Something like that.”
Chaos cleared her throat, then she and I approached the entrance to the club, towards the security guards.
We were here because Chaos claimed she’d managed to reach out to Adam. She’d had her powers taken away, but she’d told him that she could get to me and prove her allegiance. It was risky, and I hoped she wasn’t double-crossing me. But she insisted she came here because she knew Adam liked a drink here—again, he wasn’t legal—the drinking age was twenty in Japan—but he had his ways.
But also because Adam left that glove of his in his room above the club whenever he visited here.
“You sure he’s not gonna be wearing his glove?” I asked.
Chaos nodded. “Look, I’ve been here a ton of times with Adam. I swear. He never wears that glove when he’s here.”
“Maybe things have changed since you two last hung out, though.”
“Like?”
“Like, I dunno, him taking all your powers away?”
“Even more reason to give his arm a rest from the glove then, huh?”
I saw Chaos smile. I didn’t want to put all my faith in her. Doing so felt dangerous.
But right now, I knew I had no choice but to trust her.
Or at least try.
“Just get inside. Wait for me to start talking with Adam. When I do, give it five minutes, then make your move.”
“And if I don’t get in?”
“You will.”
I saw the bouncer lift a hand when Chaos approached. She lifted her head and looked right up at him.
After a few seconds, he nodded, and Chaos walked inside.
I held my breath, my throat tightening, and I walked right after Chaos.
The bouncer lifted his arm.
He was a tall, bulky man with a stare that could break glass.
“I’m with—”
“No,” he said.
I looked for Chaos, but she’d already disappeared out of sight into the bright lights and blasting music of the club. “Did she not—”
“Too young. Go. Now.”
I thought about skipping past his arms, using my powers to teleport inside. See how tough they were then.
But then I knew causing a scene was a terrible idea. It’d make Adam realize there was something amiss.
Sensing the crowd behind getting agitated to get inside, I sighed and turned away.
I stood outside, back against the wall. The longer time stretched on, the more agitated I got. Was Chaos with Adam now?
I looked over my shoulder. I remembered what our plan was. Chaos would go in there, meet with Adam, and then I’d wait until the pair were together before sneaking upstairs and getting the glove.
But I was outside, and I couldn’t see whether they were together right now.
I had to get inside.
I had to risk it.
I had to know whether now was the time.
I closed my eyes, held my breath, and activated my invisibility.
Then I disappeared behind the wall and emerged inside the nightclub.
The music and lights were even louder and brighter in here, even more head-spinning. I looked around. I couldn’t see Chaos anywhere or Adam. But I felt disoriented. My head was spinning.
If I couldn’t see them, then where were they?
I walked towards the back of the nightclub. Every step was sluggish and forced. I nearly bumped into a few people on my way. My invisibility felt like it was simmering. What was happening to me? Why did I feel so weak?
Something was wrong. It had to be wrong.
But I didn’t have any time at all to dwell on it right now.
I searched the bar area even further for Chaos and Adam. Still no sign of them. I scanned the place twice, three times, four times, but again, still no sign of them.
Then I saw the stairs leading up to the next level of the nightclub.
My stomach turned. I knew that up there, I’d find Adam’s room. The room where he kept the glove. The glove that took abilities away and gave him all his power and control. If I got up there, I could do my job and take the glove away.
But where was Chaos?
I looked over my shoulder once more. It felt like the people in the club were looking at me. But they couldn’t be. I was just being paranoid. I was invisible, so they couldn’t see a thing.
I turned around, took a deep breath and went to climb the stairs.
I wasn’t sure what made me turn around. Call it instinct. Call it a sixth sense. Call it whatever you want.
But I did turn around.
And I was glad I did.
At the front of the nightclub, I saw five, six, seven, eight shady looking characters dressed all in black walk inside.
And although I was invisible, I didn’t just feel like they were looking right at me.
I was convinced they were looking right at me.
31
Chaos didn’t see Adam anywhere.
She looked over her shoulder. She knew Kyle was supposed to be right behind her. But now, there was no sign of him. Typical guy. Must’ve fumbled his lines upon entry.
But still. If he’d told the bouncers he was with her, then they’d have let him inside. She was certain of it.
Maybe Adam really had changed since their last meeting after all.
She kept her head down, eager not to draw any attention to herself. She’d been here so many times, but now, it felt different. It felt like the eyes were all on her even though she knew she was just being paranoid. Her paranoia wasn’t totally without meaning, though. Last time she’d been here, Adam had planted some of his followers on guard, filled the place with them. So if she was a bit paranoid, surely it’s excusable.
She searched the lower floor, squinting into the strobe lights and over at the bar where she’d met Adam several times before. But he was nowhere to be seen. That was strange. She’d reached out to him. He’d got back to her and told her he liked her idea of putting the past behind them. He even promised to give her some powers of her own all over again if they could see eye to eye.
And it was tempting. It was so tempting.
But she worried about Adam. He seemed dangerous.
She didn’t trust him anymore.
She looked back over her shoulder. Still no sign of Kyle. She hoped he was okay out there. Well, he must be. He could fight. And if he fought, there’d be a scene right now. Which meant that he was waiting outside, figuring out how to progress. She hoped he didn’t do anything rash like use his powers. She knew Adam had people that were especially perceptive when it came to picking out powers.
She cleared her throat and smiled at someone as she passed by them. The guy smiled back at her. He was a lot older, and his teeth were too white and shiny to be trusted. He gave her the creeps.
She walked over to the stairs that led up to Adam’s room. She knew that if Adam was here, the glove that gave him all his powers would be up there. Sure, part of the plan was for Kyle to take that glove. But maybe he wouldn’t have to.
A ton of scenarios ran through Chaos’ mind. Maybe Adam was in the bathroom. Which meant she had to hurry because he wouldn’t be there long.
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Or maybe he was up there waiting for her. Maybe this was a trap.
She looked over her shoulder. No. This wasn’t a trap. Adam just wasn’t here yet.
She had to make her move while she had the chance.
She started to climb the stairs.
The further she got, the more worried she grew about what she was doing. This was madness. She was walking right into trouble. Adam was clever, so she had to be careful.
But what wrong was she doing, really? She was just walking to his room. How wrong was that?
She reached the top of the steps and looked right down to the corridor towards Adam’s room.
Her heart pounded. Every instinct in her body told her to turn around and back away. This wasn’t right. Something was deadly wrong.
But she walked regardless.
She heard the muffled music from below, and it creeped her out how much the peace and quiet contrasted with the noise. She didn’t want to stick around here long. She wanted to check that room then leave, glove or no glove.
She was risking everything right now. And she didn’t even know if Kyle was safe or not.
She walked a little quicker towards the room.
She saw a shadow up ahead.
She stopped. Completely froze in the middle of the corridor. She’d seen movement. No doubt about it. It’d moved across the corridor so quickly, then disappeared.
She opened her mouth to say something, then realized that was just reckless. She had to stay quiet. Had to keep a low profile.
She hadn’t seen anyone or anything. She can’t have.
She walked right up to Adam’s door and stood in front of it.
She put her hands against it. She closed her eyes and tried to listen beyond it. If only she had her powers, she wouldn’t feel so weak.
If she got the glove, she could have powers again.
She could take her powers back from whoever Adam had given them to.
She could be herself again.
Her hands shook as she moved them down to the door handle. For a moment, she felt a sobering wave of realization. She’d need a keycard. She’d have to go downstairs and steal one.
Then she saw the door was already partly open.