The Agency man’s mouth opened but he said nothing. Kol’tak walked around us, carefully picking his steps between the stacks of books on the floor. His faux dress pants brushed against a large pile of philosophy books, threatening to send them toppling into the middle of the aisle.
“My society is built on honor and honesty. We assumed the same of yours. It seems that we were mistaken.” He stopped in front of the younger agent, studying the panicked face as the kid stood his ground. “I will not go with you. Nor will Jo. And if you attempt to take her, myself or any of the others above by force, then I will consider it a breach of my prisoner conditions and feel free to attack.” His eyes narrowed, locking with the punk’s. “In other words, I’ll smack your asses down like there’s no tomorrow.”
I couldn’t help it, I snickered at the straight-faced delivery. Outrager glared at me as if I’d set off a stink bomb in class.
Kol’tak turned his back on the kid, now focused on John. “Your attempts to conduct this campaign have been less than…successful. I doubt that any attack you attempt on one of our ships would be victorious, considering the damage already done to your people.” He gave a sideways glance at me. “And there have already been too many deaths.”
My stomach rumbled again, matched by an aching in my chest.
“So these are my terms.” Mimicking me, he held up his right hand. “One—you go away. Forever. Two—you release Jo and all those of her kind from captivity. Forever. Three—you do not interfere ever again with the natural progression of your species. Forever.”
Outrager sucked in his breath. “That is unacceptable.”
“Understood.” The alien began to rise off the floor, books and loose sheets spiraling around him in a mad whirlwind of paper. “I shall grieve for your deaths as is our custom.”
“Stop!” I stepped into the middle of the circle, holding up both hands. “This is not the way it’s going to go down.” The harsh, cold wind battered my face, tearing my words up.
Both Kol’tak and Outrager stared at me. After a long minute the warrior slowly descended from his foot-high perch and settled on the ground. He nodded towards me to continue.
“Look, we’re all after the same thing. Saving Earth and getting the aliens to go home, right?” I looked at the assembled faces. “And if we can do this without any more deaths or destruction, that would be a good thing, right?”
More nods.
“Then let me explain how things are going to be.” Sucking in a deep breath, I began. “First, you Agency thugs don’t want the general populace to know that you’ve been collectively jerking us all around for years. That the fights are all arranged and that you knew this invasion was coming at some point.” I jabbed one finger into the air, silencing the pup who looked like he was about to speak. “So what you’re going to do is offer us all of your support, up to and including computer access and all the bells and whistles so that we can get Kol’tak back to his fleet and help him defeat Mal’tor. He yanks his boyos back to their home planet and we present it as a victory for us, the good guys.” I looked at Kol’tak. “No offense.”
He nodded. “It is an acceptable arrangement, given the circumstances and our mutual…confusion.”
“Kol’tak here goes back, explains what happened and makes sure his warriors don’t lose face. What we do is save the world and go our merry ways.” I shook my head. “If you could have blown the plugs, I think you would have done so before now. So I’m willing to roll those dice, given the alternative is to let you jerk me around again, and that’s not an option.”
Outrager’s nostrils flared. “Who the fuck do you think you are?” He pushed forward, way inside my personal space. “You were nothing, a fucked-up bookworm working the counter, and now you think you’re going to dictate terms to us?”
The sparks jumped from my fingers as I held my ground, my vision blurring. A hand landed on my shoulder, pulling me back.
“That’s enough, John.” Hunter’s voice was low and strangely calming. “You aren’t calling the shots here, she is. She’s the only one who’s been able to get any sort of organized resistance together. Unless you’ve got some top-notch team of supers in your back pocket that you haven’t told us about.”
The twitch of Outrager’s mouth said it all.
“Right.” I released the charge, letting it sprinkle out of my fingertips like snowflakes. “This is the plan. And either you’re along for the ride or get the fuck out of the way.” I turned and grinned at Kol’tak. “Time to get you a promotion.”
John glared at me, the alien, Hunter and the kid, in that order. He paused, then did the same again. Then in reverse as we watched and waited. Finally he lifted his right hand, pointing at me.
“All of this is on your head, Tanis. All of it.” Spinning on his heel, he strode out the door, the youngster scampering after him like a trained dog.
“Don’t I know it,” I whispered to the emptiness.
Hunter’s hand tightened on my shoulder. “What’s the plan?”
“I’m still working on it.” I led the two men up the stairs. “However, it does involve me taking a long hot shower before anything else.”
Peter stood at the window, glancing at us as we came into view. “Everyone’s left. Not happy, but they’ve left. And yes, there were others nearby and a huge honking van of armed men just waiting and sweating up a storm.”
“Good.” I rubbed my chin. “David, can you make more food? We’re going to need plenty of energy for the planning session and for the attack.” My stomach rumbled again. “Or at least I will.”
“Attack?” Limox looked up from the couch where he had been thumbing through yet another pseudo-porn magazine. “We’re going to attack?”
“Go on the offensive.” I spun around. “But first I’m getting cleaned up. Get fed, watered, nap now ’cause it’s not going to happen once we get going.” My fingers went up to rub my temples. “Me. Shower. Take. Behave yourselves or I’ll take away the toys.” I marched into the bedroom and pulled out a clean shirt and jeans from the duffle bag so thoughtfully tucked under the bed. David had taken it upon himself to start a clothing drive for all of us, making sure we all had at least one change of clothing. I had no idea where he went or how he paid for it, but it wasn’t from the local thrift store and he had an uncanny knack for picking out the right size and a decent style, even for myself and May. Talk about your hidden talents.
“Brave words.” Hunter stood just inside the room, leaning against the bookcase that doubled as a wall as I dug deeper for a pair of underwear and bra. “You handled those guys pretty well.”
“Who? The Agency punks or the supers?” I sniffed the clothing before tucking it under my arm. Not that I didn’t trust May, but…
“Both.” He smiled. “You’ve got quite a lot of spunk in you, Jo Tanis.”
“And a whole lot of stink right now.” I laughed. “If you don’t mind, I need a little bit of alone time with a bar of soap.”
Hunter’s right eyebrow rose, accompanied by a snicker.
“Don’t. Go. There.” I pointed a finger towards the other room. “Go watch the kids and behave yourself.”
He dutifully turned on his heel and left, allowing me access to the bathroom.
It took only a few minutes to strip out of my filthy clothes, turn on the hot water, climb into the small shower and curl up into a ball in the corner, weeping like a baby. It had been an amazing and terrifying few days, and it didn’t seem like there was much of an end in sight.
The bathroom door pulled open with a noisy and unwelcome warning creak, startling me enough that I automatically began to spark from my fingers.
“Who’s there?” I tried to put as much authority into my voice as I could, gulping past the tears. “Limox, if that’s you…”
“It’s Hunter.” The low voice drifted through the cheap plastic curtains with the wispy steam. “Sorry to bother you, but I’ve got to use the facilities, to put it bluntly. I’d rather not have to
go outside and use the alleyway.”
“Go ahead. Promise I won’t peek.” I watched as Hunter positioned himself in front of the toilet. This wasn’t anything new to me. It’d happened enough times with Mike. One condo, one washroom.
“Thanks. Going to take a few minutes to do a fast washup, if you don’t mind. Don’t need the shower but just want to feel a bit cleaner. I’ll try not to tweak the hot water.”
Hunter stripped off his turtleneck, placing it to one side as I gave in and decided to peek. The world may be coming to an end, but I still could appreciate a nice piece of beefcake. Clutching the edge of the curtain, I pulled it back an inch, just enough to give me an unrestricted view of Hunter’s bare back.
He picked up the washcloth, wetting it under the faucet and running it over his light skin. Dang, the man had a sweet set of shoulders, the muscles tight and lean.
As he arched back, drawing the cloth over his chest, I spotted something at the base of his neck. A set of all-too familiar ridges, a scar that only meant one thing.
He had a plug.
I dropped to my knees, feeling dizzy. Hunter had lied. Hunter was a super.
But he was a Guardian. I’d seen the wristband. Hunter was a Guardian.
Could a Guardian be a super as well?
The cold water rushed over me, raising goose bumps on my skin. What else had he lied about? He’d led us to the base, to Jenny, to being able to shut down the plugs.
My stomach lurched. Maybe they weren’t really shut down. Maybe it was all a farce, put together by the Agency to gain my trust, my team’s trust. Maybe the plugs were still active and Outrager’s anger was just part of the show.
Maybe we were all rushing to our death, led by an idiot woman who let her heart lead her instead of her mind.
“Eep!” I gasped as the temperature dropped.
“Sorry…” Hunter spun the knobs off, raising my water pressure and temperature back to what it had been a few seconds ago. “Thanks. See you outside.” He snatched up the turtleneck in both hands. “Feels a lot better.”
“Yep.” I waited until the door had clicked shut behind him before racing to finish my business. The rumbling in my stomach turned to straight nausea, the dry heaves threatening to overwhelm my racing mind and have me curled up around the white porcelain bowl.
The steam whirled about me as I stepped out and snatched what I hoped was a clean towel, snapping my hair instantly dry with a tweak of electricity. Sure it was dangerous to a degree, but I wasn’t going to start looking for a hair dryer. I refused to be one of those women who spent hours in front of the mirror doing makeup and all that.
Unless I had to, which meant a photo shoot and a media appearance by Surf and Metal Mike, your favorite superhero team.
“I hate this.” The flashes in front of us had become a sea of pain, threatening to blind me permanently. The new leather outfit hadn’t even been broken in yet, the skin-tight clothing the newest creation from the promotional department. Shoulder armor wasn’t really my thing, but it skewed well with the male demographics.
“Just keep smiling.” Mike put his arm around me, letting his hand rest on my waist. A whole new set of cameras whirred into action.
“Do you really need to do that?” I mouthed the words, sending them through the link.
“Good for publicity.” He grinned wider, if that were possible. “Besides, you’ve got your own bedroom. If you want it.”
“Sure as hell do. I may be a slave to the Agency, but I’m not yours.” Out of the corner of my eye I saw him wince at the verbal slap.
“Roll with it, girl. Just roll with it.” The tall African American waved at the assembled reporters. “Besides, you’re a star now.”
Not a hero. A star.
What was I now?
I walked into the bedroom and wondered if I could set my old clothing afire and if anyone would notice. Deciding that a good laundry might be able to save some of it, I tucked it into a plastic bag and tossed it into the corner.
David, God bless him, had somehow managed to find a decent light blue blouse that didn’t make me look like a Parkdale hooker and that I could tuck into the top of my jeans without worrying about the bottom of the blouse falling out. At my age the bare midriff just didn’t do it for me.
As I got dressed I ran options through my mind. I could knock Hunter out, it’d be easy. A fast rap to the back of his skull and he’d be out.
Limox wouldn’t mind killing him if I asked. Stephen would kvetch a bit, but he had no love for Guardians.
Peter might object, but he’d understand.
May wouldn’t. I’d have to do it quickly and quietly before she could react.
Rubbing my eyes with the palms of my hands, I let out a sigh. I could kill him. Walk up right behind him and electrocute him. I’d never done it, never even contemplated it. Mike sure as hell wouldn’t have let me experiment with it.
An image of Mike appeared in my mind’s eye. He was a Guardian. He had been my friend, my lover, my comrade in arms. He hadn’t been evil.
But Hunter wasn’t Mike.
I started gathering the waves with my bare hands, sucking them in. If anyone was going to kill him, it’d have to be me.
My team, my responsibility.
A fast brush through my hair with my fingers, snapping it back with a black elastic, and I was out of the room in time to see May sitting on the couch, working at applying makeup with an ancient compact that wouldn’t have been out of place in a Sherlock Holmes movie. The rest of the boys were still at the windows, with the exception of Jessie who was still at the computer.
“Hunter?” I tried to sound light and cheery. “Can I see you back here for a minute? Just some details I need to go over with you.”
“Sure.” He turned away from the window. “Nice area here. Might go out and do some shopping later.”
I didn’t answer him. Instead I turned around and went into the bedroom. I was at full capacity, the extra power rolling off me.
Hunter walked in a second later, hands raised in front of him. “Okay, okay. I know I didn’t peek at you, so don’t you dare say I did. Not that I wasn’t tempted, but…”
Grabbing him by his shoulders, I slammed him down on the bed. Straddling his hips, I pushed my hands down on his chest. I knew he felt the hum of energy, knew what was about to happen.
He gazed at me with terror in his eyes and something else.
“I’m sorry,” Hunter whispered.
I leaned forward, almost touching noses. “I know you’ve got a plug. I know you’re a super. I know you’re a liar.” My hands tightened on his shirt. “I wanted you to know that before I kill you.”
“I’m still sorry,” he replied, wide blue eyes locked with mine. “I want you to know I never betrayed you. Or them.”
“How can I trust you?” My nails dug into the fabric. “You’re a super. You’re one of us. How could you be a Guardian?”
He gave a weary smile. “Because I’m a deal-breaker. A game ender. A ringer. They had no use for me, but they couldn’t just let me go. So they made me a Guardian and gave me May.”
Sparks jumped along my fingertips, sizzling along the thin cloth. I felt like I was about to explode. “What the fuck are you talking about?” I didn’t have time for this. If I was going to kill him and not have May blow my head off, I had to hurry.
“Probability field manipulation,” he said softly. “I burn the bookies. I screw up the odds. I twist the playing field around to always let the house win.”
I shook my head. “I don’t understand.”
“Let me show you.” Hunter shifted under my weight. “Let me show you what I can do, what I’ve done for you and the others.”
“And you call May and she takes me out.”
“No.” He raised one hand, putting two fingers to his forehead in a mock salute. “Scout’s honor.”
I didn’t smile.
“I swear on Mike’s grave I won’t call her. Or anyone.” He drew in a sh
aky breath. “If you don’t like what you hear, then I’ll kneel down right here and let you kill me. No fighting, nothing. You can tell May I had a heart attack. You’ll need her.”
My own heart ached. I missed Mike, missed him more than I cared to admit. Hunter had slipped into that space, edged in next to Mike’s memory both as a friend and as a Guardian and, maybe, as a lover in the future. But I couldn’t risk the team and our mission for that.
But Hunter was part of the team. My team. A super. And supers didn’t kill supers.
I lifted my hands a fraction of an inch off his chest, releasing the energy in slow, measured bursts back into the world. The sparks continued to leap around my bare hands, burning minute holes in his shirt.
“For Mike,” I whispered. “You’ve got two minutes.”
“Then please get off me.” Hunter didn’t move. “Not that I’m not enjoying this, but…” he wheezed, “…it’s sort of hard to do this lying down.”
I climbed off the bed, keeping my hands in front of me and aimed at the supine figure.
“Okay.” He sat up. “I’m going to reach in my pocket right now and find a coin. Don’t shoot me, please.” There was no humor in his words.
I nodded. The voices of the other supers drifted in from over the bookcase. They had no idea what was going on only a few feet from them.
Hunter withdrew a quarter. “Probability control means that I control the odds. Statistically speaking, every time I flip this coin there’s a fifty percent chance that it’ll come up heads. Every time.”
“Right.” I frowned. “Every time?”
“Sure.” He tossed the coin into the air. Grabbing it in mid-fall, he slapped it on the back of his hand. Heads.
“In a nutshell, the odds reset every time around. Ever play roulette?”
Mike and I had loved Las Vegas. “A few times.”
“There’s a lit sign at each table showing what numbers were winners over the past few spins of the wheel, right?” He didn’t wait for my response. “The kicker is that it doesn’t matter what number won last time, there’s the same odds that it’ll show up this time. It’s a farce to get you to play numbers on an idea that if a number shows up once, it won’t come up again.”
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