Reborn (Supervillain Rehabilitation Project Book 3)

by H. L. Burke

  Brink, here? On the west coast?

  Prism went pale.

  “Are you sure?” he asked, struggling to keep his voice calm.

  “I’m sure. I’m in the security center with the surveillance cameras. I saw them pull up in front of the building then all the cameras died.”

  “That’s Crushwave,” Wildfyre said, his voice faint in the background.

  “You’re on speaker,” Fade said. “What was that, Wildfyre?”

  “It’s one of Crushwave’s powers, taking out security cameras,” Wildfyre explained, his voice sharper now. “We’re going to have to do this blind.”

  “Where are Keeper and Yui?” Fade asked.

  “Keeper’s in the parking garage, and Yui couldn’t get inside in any of her preferred forms so she’s ... on the roof?” Tanvi said. “I’m not really sure.”

  “Can you zip up there and find her?” Fade asked.

  There was a moment of silence.

  “Um ... I left my exo-armor in the car,” Tanvi said sheepishly.

  Fade coughed. “You what? Why?”

  “Because it’s lousy in interior spaces. Have you tried flying through hallways? Do you know how dinged up—”

  “Never mind,” he interrupted. “It doesn’t matter. I’m going to the entrance to this floor. Assuming they don’t take the elevator, it’s a choke point they’ll have to come through. You guys need to cover all other potential entrances. They’re coming after Prism. I’m keeping my phone live, but it’s going in my pocket, all right?”

  “Roger,” Tanvi agreed.

  Fade shoved his phone away then cast a worried glance from his wife to his newborn daughter.

  Prism bit her bottom lip. “Maybe I can help.”

  “You can stay here and stay safe.” Fade kissed her forehead then her lips. “You’re not ready to fight yet. You aren’t even supposed to be out of bed.”

  He faced the Adjudicator. “You coming?”

  The Adjudicator blanched. “I’m a normie and honestly well past my prime. Also, I didn’t bring any weapons. Do you really want me slowing you down? I’ll stay here in case someone gets through. If I see anything, I’ll call it in.”

  Contempt welled up within Fade. The coward wasn’t even willing to fight when Prism’s life was on the line. “Fine. Do what you’re good at.”

  He turned to stomp out of the room.

  “Fade, be careful!” Prism called.

  He looked back. Fear filled her eyes but not for herself.

  Something within him softened. “Of course. I love you.”

  “Love you, too,” she whimpered.

  Fade brought his powers to the surface, causing his whole being to buzz with energy. Reaching into his pocket, he found a DOSA earpiece.

  “I’m switching to a DOSA channel so I can bring Keeper and Wildfyre in,” he said.

  “Okay,” Tanvi agreed.

  Fade inserted the earpiece and tapped it to activate the channel. “Team, check in.”

  “Aye,” Keeper volunteered.

  “Here,” Wildfyre echoed.

  “Me too, Fade-o,” Tanvi said. “You taking lead here?”

  Fade hesitated. “Technically you have the most seniority, under Prism.”

  “Yeah, but it’s your family on the line. What’s your orders, boss?”

  “We need eyes on them.” Fade hurried to the duty desk for the floor.

  The wide-eyed nurse had the desk phone to her ear and her smart phone in her hand. “The phones are down,” she explained. “It seems to be hospital wide.”

  The lights flickered again, and her face pinched. “And I just lost cell reception. What’s going on?”

  “It’s a supervillain attack,” Fade explained. “Do you have emergency protocols? I’d suggest putting them into practice now.”

  The nurse pushed a button on her desk. Sirens blared and red lights flashed.

  “What are you going to do?” she asked.

  “My job,” Fade said simply.

  “Yui has eyes on their entry,” Keeper said over the comm. “Looks like they blasted down an emergency exit door on the west side of the building.”

  “On my way,” Wildfyre echoed.

  Fade headed towards the nearest stairwell but wavered. “There’s too many potential entrances to this floor to cover on my own. We know they’re coming here, so instead of trying to hunt them down, everyone converge on my location. We’ll wait for them here—”

  “Sounds good—oh crap.” Wildfyre’s voice hitched.

  “What?” Fade snapped.

  “I just walked into a back hall, and everyone’s unconscious. Staff on the floor. Oh, man—I’m dizzy—”

  Anxiety spiked in Fade’s chest. “Wildfyre, get out of there.”

  There was a thump through the line, then it went dead.

  Fade scanned the room for the duty nurse. She was popping in and out of patient rooms, urging everyone capable of leaving towards the emergency exits.

  “Guys, you need to get to me fast,” Fade shouted. “They’re using Aiden’s knockout powers. I think Wildfyre’s down.”

  “Is he in danger? Should we get to him?” Tanvi gasped.

  Fade took a step towards the stairwell then looked back at Prism’s room. “No. It seems like they use the sleep as crowd control. I don’t think Wildfyre is in trouble, and if you go after him, we’ll lose you too. You need to get to me so I can extend my fade over you. It’s the only thing we know for sure protects against this attack.”

  “Right. I’m on the level below you. I’ll meet you at the—”

  The floor shook beneath Fade’s feet. He caught himself against the wall.

  “They’re here!” Tanvi said. “I see Crushwave and Cromlech. No sign of Aiden—Oh, crap, they’ve—”

  Another blast and Tanvi gave a cry of pain.

  “Adjudicator!” Fade bellowed.

  The committee member stuck his head out the door.

  “Cover here.” Fade jabbed a finger at the Adjudicator. “I’ll be right back.”

  Please, dear God, don’t let Lucia or Ruby get hurt.

  Prayer thought, he pushed downward through the floor and dropped to the level below. A hole in the nearest wall greeted him. Beyond lay blue sky and city skyline.

  “Tanvi?” He rushed towards the hole.

  “Got it!” she grunted simultaneously through his earpiece and ... below him? A set of fingers grasped the edge of the hole. With a groan, Tanvi pulled herself back into the hospital. Her eyes widened. “Look out!” She dropped to the floor.

  A cleaning cart rocketed through Fade’s ghosted body and over the crouching Tanvi. It shot through the hole. There was a distant crash, and a car alarm blared.

  Fade spun to face a monstrous fellow with bulging muscles barely contained by the black hooded coat he wore.

  Cromlech. Fade’s jaw clenched.

  The villain lurched forward. His dark eyes were hazy and unfocused, but he moved with precision and purpose. He wrenched a door from the wall.

  “Oh no you don’t!” Tanvi jumped forward, feet first, straight through Fade. He winced at the odd sensation of her energy mingling with his own. She slammed into Cromlech. He staggered back a step then grabbed for her arm. She dodged. His fist swiped through empty air before crashing through the wall. Tanvi popped up. Her uppercut knocked his head back.

  Another black coated man stepped around the corner. He extended his hand, and the air in front of him rippled. A low hum buzzed painfully through Fade’s ears. He sprinted forward and dove through Crushwave’s body. The villain tried to spin to face him, but Fade solidified and kicked him behind the knees. Crushwave stumbled but stayed standing.

  “We need to restrain them,” Fade shouted.

  Tanvi threw up her arms to block a series of jabs from Cromlech, ducked, spun, and tossed Fade something she unfastened from her utility belt.

  “Never leave home without a spare power disruptor.” She laughed. She grabbed the door lying in the middle of
the floor and slammed it across Cromlech’s back. He toppled to the floor.

  Fade whipped the disruptor around Crushwave’s neck. Crushwave cried out in agony and clawed at the device.

  The door at the end of the hall opened, and the air around Fade filled with a familiar, prickling energy. Tanvi swayed on her feet.

  “Hold on!” Fade rushed to her. He grabbed her arm and extended his fade into her. She blinked away the haze.

  “Thanks. What—” Her jaw dropped.

  Aiden stepped through the door.

  “Aid,” she whimpered.

  No recognition registered on Aiden’s face. He moved forward, and the energy increased. It pierced into Fade’s mind like a thousand microscopic needles.

  “We need to take him down!” he ordered. “He’s getting too strong.”

  Tanvi snatched a chunk of destroyed wall off the floor and cocked her arm back to toss it. Aiden froze. His eyes glinted, glowing an unnatural blue. Tanvi’s lower lip quivered. She hurled the projectile at him. It crashed against the wall a foot above his head. Aiden took off at a run.

  Tanvi’s whole body shook. “He’s headed for the stairs!”

  Fade’s heart blocked his throat, imagining a helpless Prism faced with the specter of her brainwashed brother.

  “We need to go after him before he gets to Prism.”

  A cry of rage spun him around. Cromlech burst from the floor.

  “Oh, crap! He’s up!” Tanvi pushed Fade away. “Go after Aiden. I’ll take care of this one.”

  Fade nodded and sprinted down the hall.

  Oh, God, don’t let me be too late.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Prism quivered as Fade hurried out of her hospital room. She hated being sidelined at all, but with her whole team facing a threat to protect her, it was so much worse.

  The Adjudicator grunted and looked down at Ruby.

  Pushing aside her fear enough to allow a little irritation to slip in, Prism pointed to the bassinet. “You can put her there—carefully, and on her back please.”

  He obeyed. “Does she need a blanket? A pillow? I don’t know much about babies.”

  Obviously.

  “No,” Prism said. “Those pajamas should keep her warm enough. If you want to be helpful, can you grab me my robe and slippers from the chair over there. If we need to evacuate, I don’t want to do so barefoot in a hospital gown.”

  “Of course.” The Adjudicator handed her the garments then paced over to the door. He looked out into the hall. In the distance, Prism could hear Fade talking, though she couldn’t make out the words.

  She slipped on her robe and stood over Ruby.

  She’s in danger here. Even if they’re after me, not her, she might get hurt in the crossfire. I’m a terrible mother.

  Her hands shook. If something happened to Ruby, she wouldn’t know what she’d do. Almost losing her before her birth had been heart rending. Now that Prism had gotten a chance to hold her, though, anything happening to the baby would be like losing a chunk of her own soul.

  Alarms sounded. Ruby jerked in her sleep.

  “Shh, shh, baby girl.” Prism bent over her, wishing she could shield her from the noise and chaos.

  “They’re evacuating,” the Adjudicator said. “Should we leave as well?”

  Prism tried to keep her head clear in the face of growing panic. Could they reach some place safer before the attackers got there? If Prism left, Brink’s team would only follow. However, Ruby—

  Prism kissed her baby’s forehead then turned to the Adjudicator. “I’m staying here. If I go, I’ll only put the other evacuees in the line of fire. You need to go, though, and take Ruby with you.”

  She motioned towards the baby.

  The Adjudicator stiffened. “I’m supposed to stay and look after you.”

  “I’ll be fine. If I know Ruby is safe, I’ll be able to think clearer, make the choices I need to make.” Prism’s nursing bra already felt uncomfortably damp, and the muscles in her stomach ached from the still healing incision.

  Man, it’s hard to feel tough when you’re sore and smell like sour milk.

  She drew herself up taller.

  “I won’t leave you.” The Adjudicator shook his head.

  Prism paused. Was he actually being protective of her? Or just trying to save face? Knowing him, almost definitely the latter.

  “Look, it’s more important to get Ruby to safety—”

  There was a large crash, and the floor shook. She cowered over her child. “Please, you have to—”

  Another bang reverberated through her feet.

  “Adjudicator!” Fade shouted from down the hall.

  The Adjudicator rushed to the door.

  “Cover here! I’ll be right back,” Fade said.

  Prism’s heart skipped a beat. If Fade were leaving her, it couldn’t be for a good reason. Was the rest of her team okay?

  The Adjudicator returned to her side. He slipped one hand into his pocket, toying with something. “Well, that settles it. I’m staying with you. Fade ordered it, after all.” He gave her a smile that he probably meant to be comforting, but his eyes stayed cold, giving it an uncanny, almost mean effect.

  A quiver cut through her. The crashing from below continued.

  The door burst open, and a flustered nurse stared in. “We need to get you out of here. I hear them on the stairs. They’re coming—” Her voice slurred. She swayed on her feet for a moment before her eyes rolled back in her head, and she fell to the floor.

  Prism inhaled sharply. “I need to get away from Ruby.”

  If they were coming for her, she couldn’t be near her daughter. A stray bullet, an explosion—anything could happen.

  Prism pushed past the Adjudicator who shouted, “Wait, don’t go out there.”

  The words echoed through Prism’s panicked mind. She brought her powers up. She could project away. Hopefully Brink’s men would fall for it—

  The door at the end of the hallway slammed open, and a single figure in a black hooded coat stumbled through. Her heart shriveled in her chest. Aiden’s eyes glowed unnaturally blue. His face contorted in pain. He lurched forward as if invisible puppet strings manipulated his limbs.

  What have they done to you?

  “Powell! Get back in here!” The Adjudicator commanded.

  She glanced back at him. “Stay close to Ruby. Protect her! Don’t worry about me.” Her eyes focused on something in his hand. A black object glinted in his grasp. A gun? Hadn’t he told Fade he didn’t have any weapons? Was he going to shoot Aiden?

  Her heart jumped to her throat, and she whirled to face her brother again. “Aiden, please! You have to hear me. You’ve been trying to reach me. I know you have. Please, I know you’re still in there, but you have to do something to prove it or I can’t protect you.”

  He stood, trembling, hand to head.

  His energy reached out to her. She could feel it, scratching in her head. Panic overwhelmed her but not her own. No, the wave of fear, pain, and urgency carried a distinct tang of Aiden.

  I can feel you. I know it’s you, she thought as hard as she could. Please, please, try. Please, Aiden, try.

  A spike of fear drove into her, and a compulsion so strong it felt as if an invisible hand had grabbed her by the neck and jerked her around caused her to turn back to the Adjudicator. He stood, gun raised.

  “Please! We can still save him!” she begged.

  Contempt rippled across the Adjudicator’s face then his jaw dropped. His body gave an unnatural jerk, and he hit his knees. The gun fell to the floor with a clang. The Adjudicator gripped his skull with both hands.

  “Not me, you fool,” he growled before his whole being convulsed. A scream of agony and rage ripped from him.

  Prism spun to face Aiden again. He stood, one hand outstretched, single finger pointed at the downed DOSA committee member. His whole body now shimmered with energy.

  Fade burst through the door behind him. “Lucia!” he
screamed.

  Aiden’s light extinguished. Fade crashed into him. The two men sank into the floor and out of sight.

  Heart racing, Prism hurried to the Adjudicator. The man stared unblinking at the ceiling. His eyes and nose dripped blood. She felt for a pulse even though she already knew it was pointless.

  He was dead.

  Aiden had killed him.

  Aiden, who had never willingly hurt a fly, had murdered a DOSA sable. Even if there was any of him left, it didn’t matter. DOSA would never let him come back from this. She’d lost her brother all over again.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  An instant before they hit the floor, Fade let his body solidify. He landed on top of Aiden with a great thunk. The smaller framed man sprawled on the ground, body limp. Fade rammed his knee between Aiden’s shoulder blades, holding his arms down.

  “Tanvi! I need a disruptor!” he shouted.

  “Busy!” Her voice echoed down the hall. Something crashed. Cromlech gave a gutteral bellow, more wounded beast than man.

  Aiden twitched. A buzz of energy rose from him, reaching into Fade, prying at his mind.

  Panic spiked in Fade. If he stayed solid, Aiden’s powers could influence him. If he ghosted, though, Aiden could escape.

  Agony rocketed through his mind, and he instinctively pulled up his powers. Desperate to keep hold of his prisoner, he extended the fade into Aiden. The former hero snarled and thrashed. His power intermingled painfully with Fade’s own, setting every nerve in Fade’s body afire. Teeth gritting to keep from crying out, Fade pulled Aiden to his feet. If he could put him partway through a wall, maybe it would hold him fast.

  A few feet away Crushwave writhed on the ground, still clawing at the disruptor around his neck. Blood flowed from claw marks left by his own nails.

  Tanvi gave a furious scream. Cromlech hurtled through the air before crashing to the ground beside Crushwave. She skidded to stand beside Fade.

  “You got him?” she cried. “Is Pris okay?”

  “Can’t—really—talk—right now!” Fade rasped.

  Aiden’s skin shimmered and glowed with an eerie blue light.

  Tanvi’s mouth dropped open. “That’s not good—”