Overpowered (Powered Trilogy #2) (7 page)

I cringe and check the message on my BEEPR that I had neglected to notice when fighting with the KAPOW pod to get to Evan’s. Sure enough, it tells me to meet up at my place so we can discuss strategies. And order pizza, according to Nyx’s reply.

“Shouldn’t we be, you know...out looking for these people?” I ask, wishing I could think of a better reason to get them out of my house immediately.

Nyx, who I had thought was busy looking over mission information, looks up from his tablet where he’s ordering pizza online. “They’ve been missing for days. They can wait a little longer so we can fuel up first.”

I shake my head and go into the kitchen for a bottle of water. This is not the Hero life I was raised around. Heroes don’t kill time before completing missions. Then again, Heroes never have missions like this. They’re usually called to fight villains, and with villains, you don’t have time to fuel up first. After chugging the water, I excuse myself under the guise that I have to pee.

Nova’s shoulders shrink back in relief when she spots me, probably happy that I wasn’t someone else. She’s sitting in the corner of Dad’s office, knees pulled to her chest, watching the door like a hawk. I kneel down beside her, ignoring the rush of
deja vu that comes from seeing her in this position again. “What’s going on?”

Her gaze pierces into me. “There are Heroes in our house. Three of them.” With her hands still wrapped around her knees, her index finger points straight at me. “Four, actually. How is this safer than when I was in the human world?”

“I’m not a threat and you know Max isn’t either. The other two Heroes are my friends. They wouldn’t hurt you.”

“You’re saying that four of Central’s
Heroes
are happy to break the rules? That goes against everything I know about Heroes.”

“Heroes do what is just and right and good. You’re only wanted because Central doesn’t know the facts. We will get this sorted out and you’ll be set free. I promise.”

She snorts. “A Hero is making me a promise.”

I nod. “That means you can count on it.”

Max slides to the left when I walk back into the living room. I sit next to him and answer his unasked question. “It’s okay.”

“What’s okay?” Crimson asks.

“The houseplants,” I mutter. “I watered them.”

My best friend rolls her eyes and leans forward, tapping her BEEPR so that it projects the monitor onto the coffee table. She’s made a side-by-side comparison of all four missing Supers, listing a rundown of their basic stats and photographs with identifying features highlighted. “I hate to say it, but…” Crimson trails off, looking up at us. Max nods. “The only thing they all have in common,” he says, stopping to scratch behind his ear.

Nyx finishes his sentence, “Is that they’re all losers.”

“What?” I lean forward, looking over the information. “That’s kind of...rude.”

Crimson shrugs. “It’s incredibly rare for someone to be so completely isolated from the rest of the world that it takes days for someone to notice they’re gone.”

“Maybe they went rogue,” Nyx suggests.

Max shakes his head. “We would have heard about it by now.”

“Maybe they don’t want to be found,” Crimson says.

Max flips through his BEEPR. “Too bad. It’s our mission and we’re going to find them.”

Nyx nudges me with his elbow. “What’s going on in that head of yours, rookie? I’ve never seen you concentrate so hard.”

I fake a smile and shrug. “Just trying to figure out how to complete this mission. If I were a loser, where would I go?”

“Somewhere I’d be respected for once in my life,” Max says.

“The human world?” Nyx makes a wild guess. I shudder. After spending a few days in the human world, I don’t know why any Super would want to hang out there. Central is clean and friendly and...well, full of Retrievers on a power trip. But still…

“Did any of them have any run-
ins with the Retriever Squad?” I ask. “If I were a regular Super, I’d be half tempted to run away after dealing with those uppity jerks.”

“Retriever Dungeon!” Crimson says, jumping to her feet. “Retriever Dungeon!”

“Nice,” Max and Nyx say at the same time as they all head to the front door. Nyx types something on his BEEPR. “I’m telling them to hold off on the pizza for an hour.”

“Someone want to explain that the hell a Retriever Dungeon is?” I ask, following suit.

We skip the KAPOW, instead choosing to head down the tunnels on foot. Crimson explains more of what happened after the night I took off to secretly find my sister. “Interim President Havoc is great, he really is. But he’s a little over paranoid. He instituted all these new security measures right after Aurora’s team broke in and then, as you know, the stupid Retriever Squad, as if we need to give those guys any more power.” A collective groan of agreement echoes from Max and Nyx. Crimson continues, “They were arresting Supers left and right, for stupid things that would never make a Hero even look twice, and we got really sick of vetting these people only to very quickly realize that they weren’t terrorists, villains or even petty criminals. So Interim President Havoc established an entire floor for the Retriever Squad so they can make sure the people they’ve arrested are worthy of being arrested before they hand them over to us for questioning.”

“We’ve dubbed it the dungeon,” Nyx adds.

“
Why
wasn’t that the first place you guys looked?” I ask, throwing my arms up in annoyance. I roll my eyes and sigh. “Whenever there is a dungeon that should always be the first place you look.”

The so-called
Dungeon looks like an empty Wal-Mart--a vast space with flickering fluorescent lighting, random bits of paper or office supplies on the floor, and a dozen rows of chain link fencing with Supers hanging inside the cubes like dogs in an animal shelter.

Max’s power level rises upon seeing dozens of his own people caged in, well, cages. They don’t even have chairs to sit in and I don’t see food or water anywhere. My stomach tightens. This is comparable to the slums I saw in the back alleys of King City. The way
that some humans live. I’m torn between wanting to kick the ass of every last member of the Retriever Guard and going to find my dad and demand that he put a stop to this.

Max is the oldest of us Heroes so he doles out the plan. We separate, dividing the rows of cells into four groups to search individually, looking for our missing Supers.
At the same time, I think of a million ways to torture the Retrievers who did this to these people.

Evan texts me three picture messages, which I have to wait until I’ve cleared my aisles to read. My heart breaks as I flip through them. They’ve completely destroyed his research lab--drawers left hanging open,
glass slides broken. Even the large wall monitor has a crack slicing from floor to ceiling. The third picture is of Evan’s bedroom. All his books are on the floor. The aquarium countertop has been disassembled. His bed and couch shredded. Seriously? As if Evan would be hiding something in the stuffing? Ugh.

I write back with a sad face.

Crimson appears at my side. “Find anything?” I shake my head. “Dead ends. Everyone on this aisle is innocent and not reported missing.”

Max whistles from the other side of the room, getting everyone’s attention. Even the Retriever guards show enough respect to look at him even though their smug expressions and crossed arms show their true colors. Too bad they can’t do anything about it. My brother’s voice booms throughout the room. “I am Hero Max Might and under my authority, I am granting freedom to every Super in here.” A chorus of applause sounds from the cages, and annoyed jeers come from the Retrievers. Max sends a jolt of power out of his hands and the first few rows of cages unlock. We do the same thing to our aisles, opening the locks until everyone has been set free.

“Here’s a tip,” Max says. “Keep to yourself. Don’t talk to these bastards so you don’t get locked up again. President Might will return soon and put an end to this nonsense. For now, please accept my apology on behalf of the entire Hero Brigade.”

I decide to take it one step further. “Let me see
your MODs,” I tell the released prisoners as they shuffle toward the door. “Go to Central’s cafeteria and eat as much food as you want. It’s all on us.” I click my BEEPR to theirs, transferring a one time unlimited food pass onto their wrist devices. That’s just one of the cool benefits of being a Hero that I haven’t yet taken advantage of. My chest swells with pride when I see how happy this small gesture makes them. This is what Heroism is all about. Helping people.

You know, with a little ass kicking when necessary.

All three of my Hero colleagues don’t shut up once we reach the tunnels again. They’re all just as fuming mad as I am about the Dungeon and how those Supers were treated. I agree, of course, but I don’t say much. My mind is on Evan and how much I miss him, Nova and how conflicted I am about the safety of her future, and also on my dad and when he’s going to get back and fix all of this mess. Being a Hero is my number one duty, but finding these missing Supers will be like finding a pebble in a canyon full of gravel.

My BEEPR rings. The name on my screen makes me stop. “It’s Dad!”

Max jumps to my side, peering over my shoulder to get a good view of the call. Only when I press the answer button, Dad’s face doesn’t appear on the screen. He’s doing a voice-only call. My stomach hurts when I realize the reason why he doesn’t want us to see him. “Dad?” I answer.

“Maci,” he says. And it isn’t at all the way he normally says my name. It isn’t happy or relieved to finally be speaking to me. It’s not even sad or mournful. It’s…I glance up and find everyone watching me with curious expressions. Max’s big head is squashed against my ear as he tries to eavesdrop.
He doesn’t need to be this close though because Dad’s voice is so loud it echoes throughout the tunnels. “Would you like to tell me why we suddenly have a pet dog? Oh yeah, and why my supposedly dead daughter is sitting in my office, wearing your pajamas?”

Crimson and Nyx want blood. Max makes a series of arguments for why they shouldn’t immediately turn in Nova for depowering. They’re such compelling reasons, they had to have been rehearsed ahead of time. Probably the same excuses Max tells himself all day long. The thing is, Heroes are brave and pure and just. They see things as black and white. They’re loyal to the Hero cause. I’ve taken all the same training as they have but I don’t think the same way they do. I now know that’s because I have the evil DNA. I am the evil twin.

Born evil but not raised evil. I can see beyond black and white and into the grey area that encompasses my sister’s life. Yes, I am a Hero and I am loyal to protecting innocent lives from harm. But I will not condemn my sister to death when I don’t believe that she is guilty.

We arrive at my house a few seconds later, all of us having ran the entire way here. My breathing is labored but that isn’t from the run. I am terrified of what my friends will do to Nova.

Crimson touches my shoulder when we walk inside the living room. The sad smile on her face is neither comforting nor helpful. Is she smiling because everything will be okay? Or because she feels bad for making me watch when she captures my refugee?

Nyx radiates power as he trails on Max’s heels through our house, down the hallway and into Dad’s office. It’s because of Max’s severe shoulder width that he’s able to prevent Nyx from slipping around him and getting there first.

The scene is so weird it’s almost comical.

Dad’s office, with giant mahogany desk and walls of bookshelves, plaques and photos. Nova standing in the corner, chest heaving, arms held out with palms facing the floor. She’s ready to fight if it comes to that. Chewy is completely unaffected--he’s curled up next to her foot, sleeping with his head on her toes.

“Why didn’t you tell us you were released?” Max says. I shove past him and Nyx and find my father in a wheelchair next to his desk. He wears a set of sea green hospital scrubs. Words fly out of my mouth without a second thought. “Daddy you’re home!” I haven’t call
ed him Daddy since I was five. But there’s time to be embarrassed about this later. Right now, all I care about is--

I stop just short of throwing my arms around him. Dad’s formerly handsome face is marred in fresh wounds, kept gooey in the medical ward and not allowed to scab over like what happened with my arm
when I didn’t take care of it. Veiny red rips of shredded skin trail up his neck and face, leaving behind the flesh of a depowered man.

That’s what hits me next. Dad’s power is gone. I’m a few inches away from him but I feel nothing. He’s just a human now.

I can’t even tell what kind of expression he makes. His eyes are watching only me in this room of people. Dad brings his hands together in front of his lap. They’re covered in gauze, as the rest of his body probably is, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to sit in that chair. He takes in a deep breath. The whole room is silent.

“Explain.”

“Um,” I start, glancing around the room. Crimson wields a pair of Retriever hooks, aimed straight at Nova. Nyx stands rigid with Max’s hand over his chest, holding him back from moving forward. My brother is massive but Nyx is quick. I don’t know who would win in that fight. I’m glad it hasn’t come to that yet.

“She saved my life. I had to go find her, so I did. I couldn’t let them kill her.”

“She’s already been announced as dead,” Dad says. “Why would they lie? Central doesn’t lie.”

Max shakes his head. “Not lately. Since you’ve been...incapacitated...things have changed.”

“That’s true,” Nyx says, his power coursing strong and unleashed under his ribcage. “But the rules are still in effect. She’s a wanted villain. She needs to be turned in.”

“NO.” I clear my throat. Irrational whining won’t win me any fans here. “No. They’ll kill her on sight. They won’t hear her out.”

“What does she need to say?” Nyx says. “She broke into Central with her buddies and they killed people. The punishment is death.”

“Dad, she’s not a villain. She was forced to do the things she did. You have to understand that.” Max drops his head and pinches the bridge of his nose. He’s also lowered his arm from its protective barrier on Nyx. Dad watches Nova for a few moments that feel like they stretch on for years. When he blinks, the
slash in his eyelid peels apart for a fraction of a second. He looks from Nova to me and back again. “You are right, Maci. She deserves a chance to prove herself.”

“You’re asking a lot from us, sir.” Crimson. She’s been silent until now.

Dad nods. “I am giving each of you a direct order to remain silent about this girl’s presence here. You will act as if you know nothing of her whereabouts until I am able to convince the elders to reconsider their death order. If I fail, then you will continue with your previous orders. But I am still president. For now, at least.”

“What do mean by that?” Max asks.

“Look at me. The people will not want me as their president when they see what I have become.”

I can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner. “Nova. You can fix him, right?”

She nods. “So can you.”

I don’t reply to Max’s curious, “What the hell does that mean?” There isn’t a way to explain this other than showing him and I’d rather not waste the time. The brass letter opener on the corner of Dad’s desk will work nicely. “You need to trust me,” I tell
my father, right before I stab the letter opener into my forearm.

A mixture of blood and power trickle out of
the wound. My lack of skill in stabbing myself made me slice through both sets of veins in my arm, but it’ll have to do. I grit my teeth and drag the metal downward, deepening the wound so more silver pours out. “Hold still,” I tell him, remembering the stinging sensation that burned my arm when Nova did this to me. I can’t imagine how it’ll feel to have his whole body covered.

Dad watches in awe when my power drops onto his arm, healing over the torn flesh. I move up his arm, unwinding the gauze as I go. Every few seconds, my own skin begins to heal over the letter opener so I have to wiggle it to slice open the wound again. When I get to his shoulder blade, Dad leans forward and examines his arm, twisting it around in awe.

“Holy shit.” I think that was from Crimson. The tension in the room subsides, replaced with curiosity. The cut in my arm closes when I pull out the letter opener and hold my depowered arm next to Dad’s newly healed arm. The flesh is smooth and unscarred. “Nova showed me this the night I found her. Our power can heal depowered skin so it won’t have to heal slowly like a human’s body does. You don’t have to be scarred like other depowered villains, Dad. We can heal you. You could still be president.”

“I
need a minute to think,” Dad says. “My power...my daughter...This is overwhelming.”

“Let’s give him some space,” Max says to Nyx and Crimson. “Our pizza will be here soon. We’ll stay in the living room while you guys...sort this out.” He motions our Hero friends to the door, leaving me with Dad and Nova.

As weird as all of this is, I am happy that my dad is finally home. I’m happy he’s alive. Nova helps me lay him on the floor and we work together to heal his arms, chest, face and legs. His face heals into the face I’ve grown up knowing. He’s back. And it’s going to be okay.

The awkwardness scale shoots to fifty gazillion when all that’s left to heal rests under Dad’s boxers. I bite my lip and wonder if I should just close my eyes and go for it.

Nova laughs and empties the pencil cup onto Dad’s desk. “Sir, we’ll pour some power into this cup and then you can use it to heal… you know, your butt cheeks and stuff…”

Okay now I can’t help it. I laugh. Dad laughs.

Nova and I stand in the hallway, suppressing giggles and waiting until Dad calls us back inside. He’s fully clothed now and if it weren’t for the lack of power resonating from his body, I’d think everything was back to normal. Too bad life is about as far from normal as it’ll ever be.

Dad’s handsome face is restored but the muscles in his
biceps aren’t taunt like they used to be when he holds out his arms. “I need a hug,” he says. “From both of you.”

I crash into his arms and hold him tightly to me. My heart aches with memories of the last time I saw him flailing on the
depowering machine. I won’t ever be able to forget that. Other images flash through my mind. Revenge. The unburdened desire to make everyone pay for what happened to my father. But Aurora is already dead. The idea of tracking down her family members and killing all of them is so enticing, I have to shake my head to clear it. Heroes do not kill.

The timid anxious power that fills the room isn’t mine. I pull back from Dad and look behind me to where Nova stands, twisting her fingers together. “Come
on
,” I say, motioning to her. “It won’t kill you to get a hug.”

She takes a few steps forward, awkwardly holding out her arms as if she’s trying to shake hands with two people. Maybe the girl hasn’t actually hugged anyone before.
We grab her into our hug. She comes out of it like a champ.

Tears pool in Dad’s eyes. “Maddie,” he whispers.

“Maddie?” I repeat, lifting an eyebrow.

“Maci and Maddie. It’s what Sophia wanted to name you girls. Though I guess you go by Nova now.”

My sister nods and scratches her elbow. “Nova,” Dad says, testing the name out. “How did you know that power would heal my injuries?”

She bites her lip. “Honestly, I don’t know how you didn’t know. All the villains know about it.”

Lines appear in his forehead. “Will it work on human injuries as well?”

She shakes her head.
“They’re a different species entirely. You don’t have power anymore but you’re still born as a Super, so it works on you.”

I open my mouth to say something but then quickly shut it. That
half breed boy with the translucent skin. If Dad didn’t know about the power healing trick then he probably doesn’t know that Supers have bred with humans before.

Dad’s arms wrap around our shoulders, squeezing us to his chest as we head out into the living room. I decide
it’s better not to mention anything about that just yet.

One freaking Super problem at a time.