The Secret of the Supers (The First Superhero Book 4) (11 page)

“
T
his is bullshit
,” Selena said as I walked over to where she and Ellie were standing.

“It is. We have to figure something out before they’re given access to whatever they want,” I said.

Ellie’s phone buzzed. “Oh shit,” she said. “They’ve found explosives rigged all around the building.” She looked up at us. “If Jigsaw lets go of that detonator, it’s not just the hostages that are going to go up in flames, it’s this whole building. Our whole operation will be set back months.”

“There’s no way they’re not going to give him what he wants now,” Selena said.

I rubbed my eyes, trying to think of a solution. “And if he does get whatever it is they’re searching for, it’s going to be bad for everyone on Earth not part of The Legion of Richter.”

“What do you mean?” Selena asked, her voice lowering.

“Jigsaw repeated something to me that Atlas said when he took the
asthenés plásma
. ‘You’re falling behind’. That’s the same time I saw the amulet that he wore. That, the plasma, and now whatever artifact Jigsaw is searching for? They’re all connected somehow. Atlas knows something that I don’t. Something big, hence the fact that I’m “falling behind”. We can’t let him get whatever it is he’s searching for,” I said.

“You think maybe that’s why he’s been laying low since his initial outburst? He’s been searching for all these things? The amulet,
asthenés plásma
whatever he’s looking for?” Selena asked, gesturing towards Jigsaw.

“I can’t know for sure, but it makes sense.”

“Kane, you know who else is connected to the plasma,” Selena said, raising an eyebrow.

“I know, I know,” I said waiving off her suspicions towards Athena. “That’s not important right now. What’s important right now is that we stop Jigsaw getting his hands on whatever it is that will lead him to what he’s searching for.” I turned to Ellie. “I know that by helping us it’s technically treason for you.”

Ellie nodded. “Yes, but from the sounds of it, not helping you I’d be betraying the good of mankind.”

“Well, kinda dramatic, but yes essentially,” Selena said.

“Alright, let’s figure us out a plan.”

“Okay, first thing’s first, we have to figure out a way to get that detonator out of Jigsaw’s hands,” Ellie said.

I looked over my shoulder across the large foyer where Jigsaw stood, detonator in hand. I couldn’t just run up and take it from him. We had to figure out some way to deactivate. And the only person I knew that would know how to remotely do so had a few pounds of explosives strapped to his chest.

“If only that Eximus could short circuit it somehow,” Selena said, thinking out loud.

Something clicked in my head. I turned to look back at her. “Do you know where Eddie is?”

She thought about it for a moment. “He’s probably in the workshop. It’s in the basement so it might not have even gone to the emergency shelters.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back. Don’t let them hand anything over to Jigsaw,” I said. I turned and ran towards the stairwell so fast no one saw me. It was tempting to just run over and grab Doug and Avery as I watched them, frozen in time. But Jigsaw would immediately blow the whole place up. No, I had to be patient and follow the plan that was beginning to form in my mind.

****

I
entered the workshop
, the bright lights lighting up the spotless metal tables. Eddie was in the back, messing around with some equipment at one of the empty workbenches they let him use. I ran over to him. “You didn’t go to the shelter when the alarm was going off?”

He rolled his eyes. “That thing? It wouldn’t shut up. I fried it,” he said pointed over his shoulder to the blackened speaker that once shrieked the alarm. “I’m safe down here anyways.”

“Well, I might need your help up there,” I said, pointing at the ceiling above. I filled Eddie in on the situation. “I was thinking you could use your electric powers to fry the detonator—maybe even his Eximus suit while you’re at it. Then we could move in and rescue the hostages while taking care of Jigsaw and his men.”

Eddie shook his head. “I’d never be able to get close enough before Jigsaw would cause the whole place to explode. I’d have to be right on top of his in order to get the electricity to arc the right way anyways. Sure it might get Jigsaw, but it also might fry some of the hostages too.” Eddie held up a finger. “But I think I might have something.” He pulled out a drawer, and picked up a silver cylindrical device that was about as thick as my thumb and as long as my middle finger. “It’s the electricity grenade I was telling you about. I can load this one with just enough charge to fry the circuits, but not so much that it’d turn anyone else around it to toast.”

“I thought you said you were still working on these things?” I said as I took it from his hand. The device didn’t look quite as haphazard and thrown together as the one he’d made in the garage in Texas, but I was still wary. We only had one chance—
nothing
could go wrong.

“I’ve been able to work out most of the kinks using the equipment they’ve got here,” he said, gesturing around him.

“
Most
of the kinks?” I asked, unsure of his plan.

“Yeah. It’ll be fine, just be sure you hit your target. I don’t think Jigsaw’s going to give you a second chance.”

“So I’ve heard,” I said. “Just throw it at my target? I don’t need to push any buttons?”

Eddie shook his head. “It’s force activated. Once it hits something it’ll go boom. That being said, don’t trip on your way back up there.” He held his hand out. “Give it here, I’ll fill it up with a charge.”

I handed the pill-shaped grenade over, and Eddie filled it up with the appropriate amount of energy. He handed the device back to me, and I held it carefully in my hands. “You might want to get out of here, just in case I miss,” I said.

“Yeah, I guess I better go to the evacuation bunker. Just to be safe. Still, please don’t miss.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got it under control,” I said. I ran out of the workshop and back up the stairs to the first floor.

The situation still looked the same. The hostages were still huddled together covered with bombs and surrounded by Supers, while Jigsaw still had his hand on the detonator for the explosives.

I ran over to Selena and Ellie who were standing towards the side of the gathering of soldiers and agents.

“So? What’d you find?” Selena asked.

I showed her the device in my hand and explained what it does to the two of them.

“You’re going to short circuit the detonator? That’s a risky move. What if you miss?” Ellie asked.

“I won’t miss,” I said. “I’ll run right up to him and practically smash it on him. You guys run in and get the hostages to safety. If we move fast enough, we can have them out of there before Jigsaw and his men have any idea what’s going on,” I said.

Selena and Ellie exchanged glances, trying to gage what each other thought about my plan.

“I don’t have any other ideas,” Ellie said.

Selena nodded. “Okay then, we’ll do it.”

I took a deep breath and held the electricity grenade up in my hand. “Let’s hope this thing works.” I looked at the two of them. “Ready?”

They both nodded.

“Okay. In three…two…one…now!”

E
verything slowed around me
. My eyes focused on my target: Jigsaw’s hand. I held the electricity grenade above my head, ready to smash it down on the detonator. I bounded across the room, just a few feet away from him.

A thought crossed my mind.

What if this doesn’t work?

I pushed it out of my mind. I gritted my teeth as I reached Jigsaw. It had to.

I smashed the silver device down on the detonator, and the grenade exploded, electricity arcing from it in slow motion. I stopped moving, and everything moved at real time.

The electricity ran from the device and through Jigsaw’s suit. He threw the detonator to the ground. It was now just a black smoking piece of junk. The shock from the grenade was enough to fry the Eximus generator in his suit.

I grabbed Jigsaw by the throat before he had any idea what was going on, and slammed him into the ground. “Why don’t you tell me what you were looking for?” I asked with a smirk. “Maybe I can help you find it.”

Jigsaw’s eyes grew wide with anger. He seethed, spit flying from his mouth. He reached for the charred detonator, but I kicked it and it exploded in a puff of ash. He let out a shot and pushed me off him.

I looked behind me and saw that Selena and Ellie had gotten all of the hostages out. They stood behind me, our backs to each other. We were ready for a fight.

“Prepare to fire!” I heard someone shout to my right. I looked and saw the line of soldiers prepare their Eximus blasters.

Jigsaw didn’t hesitate. He charged for the soldiers, ready to take them all out before they even had the chance to fire a blast. I dove after him, but he was fast. The world around us slowed as we raced to be the first to reach our goals. Jigsaw was just inches away from the first soldier, a young boy who was still tightening his gun against his chest. He had no idea what was coming right at him.

I grabbed a hold of Jigsaw’s ankle just inches away from the young man. I pulled him down, and he slammed to the ground, sending cracks through the ground and rubble flying through the air. The soldiers close to him fell backwards to the ground, shaken and terrified.

I pulled Jigsaw right back towards me, and right before his body hit mine I slammed him into the ground again. Jigsaw hit the ground and rolled backwards, making a quick recovery.

The soldiers aimed their weapons, and began firing at will. Jigsaw was expecting it though, and he dodged the blasts easily. He flew towards me, and placed his feet on my chest. He used me as a launching pad, the force of him shooting himself out the front of the building sending me flying backwards. His henchmen followed suit.

“Follow them!” I shouted to Ellie and Selena as I picked myself off the ground, but they were already on their way.

The henchmen flew out the front of the building, each making their own door as they burst through the stonewall to the outside. I flew up behind Selena and Ellie and we exited through one of the holes Jigsaw’s men made. We scanned the area, but once they made it outside they must’ve hit it into high gear. There wasn’t a sign of them anywhere.

“I’ll go to the right,” Ellie said, flying off in her direction.

“You go straight, I’ll look to the left,” Selena said right before she flew away.

I flew as fast as I could, my eyes scanning the early London morning. I searched for any sign of The Legion, but wherever they went, they went in a hurry. Jigsaw must’ve picked his men based on speed, because they had to have been flying at close to a thousand miles an hour to disappear so fast.

I scanned the street below, but I couldn’t see anybody, much less Jigsaw and his men.

But then something caught my eye. I saw a young woman running across the street. Blonde hair. Pony tail. Wearing glasses, from the looks of it. I flew in closer, my heart beating fast. The girl turned around, looking over her shoulder to be sure there wasn’t anyone following.

It was her.

Samantha.

I forgot about everything else. The attack we’d just suffered disappeared from my mind as fast as Jigsaw himself.

I flew down in front of the woman, and she shrieked in shock. My heart sank as I realized it wasn’t her. The woman didn’t even have blonde hair, it was brunette. She looked about fifteen to twenty years Samantha’s senior, too.

“I’m sorry,” I stammered, feeling embarrassed.

She cursed at me in another language as she turned to run away.

I stood there in the London street. I should’ve been thinking what was wrong with me. I should’ve been wondering why it seemed like I was going crazy.

But instead, I couldn’t help but feel sad that it wasn’t Samantha.

Selena came flying down in front of me. “I got nothing,” she said as she jogged over. “I heard someone yell though. You find anything?”

I shook my head, remembering the task at hand. “No,” I said. “I think they got away.”

“Son of a bitch,” Selena cursed, kicking at the ground. “There’s something going on, Kane. Something we need to get to the bottom of quick before we’re buried by it.”

I sighed as I held my hands up to my face, trying to think. I felt something looming in my subconscious. Something tickling at the back of my mind. Like a chill that was supposed to go down my spine but got lost and went to my head. I didn’t know what to say to Selena. I knew she was right, but I didn’t know where to begin with that.

“We need to get back and check on Doug and Avery. Then we can figure out what we need to do,” I said. I took off, making my way back to headquarters, unsure whether or not I’d be welcomed back.

I
woke
up the next day in the same bed as the day before. Mr. Auder and Ms. Ava weren’t happy with the way I handled things, but they were thankful for the outcome. Mostly because I resolved everything before they had to go asking the superiors for permission to give classified documents to a Super terrorist. That definitely would not have reflected well on them.

As far as everyone not in that building is concerned, I carried out orders given to me by the British government. Thankfully I didn’t care for recognition. All I cared about is that my friends were alright, and that I didn’t get tossed out of England.

After getting dressed and brushing my teeth, I left my room and headed for the food court where I was going to be meeting everybody for breakfast. Everybody being Drew, Selena, Doug, Eddie, Avery, and Ellie, of course. We spent most of the day before cleaning up and helping getting things back in order, so we didn’t really have time to discuss the events.

I walked into the large open room, and saw that everybody had already gotten their food and a table. I walked over and Ellie had saved me a spot next to her.

“I went ahead and got your food,” Drew said.

I looked down at my plate. Bacon, toast, hashbrowns, pancakes—and most importantly—no eggs. “You know me well,” I said with a smile. I realized it was the first time in a while I’d smiled. Yesterday was definitely not the day for that. After Jigsaw’s attack and then thinking I saw Samantha
again
, I’d been in a weird mood, to say the least. “Thanks man,” I said as I sat down.

Something behind me began to beep. I looked over my shoulder and at the other side of the room saw a construction crew installing some sort wiring. “What are they doing?” I asked.

“They’re installing a sort of makeshift Eximus wiring to try and keep Supers from getting inside,” Ellie explained before she took a sip of her orange juice.

“So looks like we’re going to have to take the front door from now on,” Doug said.

“You must’ve gotten a lot of supplies from the STF in order to do that,” I said.

Ellie nodded. “We did, but we’re actually breaking down a lot of it in order to power this project. It’s something we’ve been working towards for a while, but our plans got a bit accelerated after yesterday.”

I nodded along with what she was saying as I took a bite of my food. I didn’t want to say it, but I didn’t like the idea. If it could keep Supers out, then it could also be used to keep Supers in. After the way Ms. Ava acted yesterday, threatening to take action against me, what little trust I had in her was pretty much gone. It’s not like it’d work if it ever came to that, though. I could just tunnel through the ground and get out that way. But I was getting ahead of myself, it’d probably never come to that. I was just on edge after the events of the day before.

“So I have something pretty cool to tell you guys,” Drew said. All attention turned to him, everyone curious as to what he could be talking about. “I’ve been talking to some of the doctors and scientists around here, and they think they’re going to be able to remove my Eximus implants.”

I grinned as everyone offered their congratulations. “That’s good to hear, man,” I said. “I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks. I just had a lot of regrets about joining the STF. Plus there’s no telling what they can do with all this equipment inside of me. They might decide to take control of me, blow me up, who knows. Not to mention what it’s going to do for my long term health,” Drew said.

“I’m really proud of you,” Selena said. Everyone watched them as they exchanged a glance before looking away, aware of everyone’s eyes on them.

“I guess I can see your point, but it kinda sucks,” Doug said. “You’re like a step away from being a Super, and you’re giving it up!”

“Dude, you’re an
actual
Super. Don’t worry about me,” Drew said.

“Am I though? Sooner or later we’re gonna find out that my power is I can hold my pee for a really long time,” Doug said, sinking back into his chair.

“Well, can you?” I asked.

“Oh yeah, like two days.” Doug smirked and acted as if it was something to be proud of.

“That’s really not healthy,” Eddie said.

“Dude, killin’ my vibe.”

“How dangerous is the procedure?” Avery asked, bringing us back on topic.

Drew shrugged. “They sound pretty confident. They obviously can’t say one hundred percent one way or the other. They haven’t been able to do as many tests as they wanted, like an MRI and stuff. But, you know, metal under the skin doesn’t react very well to magnets outside it.”

“Ouch. That’s a good point,” Ellie said.

I was about to press him more on the subject, when someone caught my eye. I half expected it to be Samantha for a split second, and I’m not sure if who it actually ended up being was better or worse.

Athena stood at the entrance to the hallway that led to the rooms, watching me with intense eyes. Her white robes flowed behind her as if they were being blown by a giant invisible fan.

I looked down at my food, wanting to finish it so badly. But I knew Athena couldn’t wait. “I’ll be right back guys,” I said as I stood, not even offering an excuse.

I locked eyes with Athena, not looking away as I walked towards her. When I got close she smiled and turned away, leading me down the hall. I wasn’t sure how I felt about talking to her again. Last time I did she just confused and frustrated me. I doubted she’d be offering any amazing insight this time.

She reached the door to my bedroom and walked straight through, which made sense seeing as she was just a vision in my mind. I, on the other hand, being one hundred percent real, had to unlock and open the door like some sort of animal.

“Hello, Kane,” she said as I stepped in.

I shut the door behind me and faced her. She stood in the middle of the room, smiling at me with pride. “Hello.”

“You’re doing a great job reacting to Jigsaw’s attacks.”

“Well that’s what you wanted, isn’t it? For me to stop him?” I asked, annoyed.

Athena nodded and began pacing. “Yes, but I’m afraid you’re doing nothing to dispel him from the country all together.” She stopped to look at me. “I understand by now you’ve realized he’s searching for something, yes?”

I nodded my head. “I’m assuming that if Atlas wants it, it’s something along the lines of the amulet he wears, or the
asthenés plásma
you live in.”

Athena winced, but played it off. “Yes, you could say it’s along the same lines. You must understand,” she said, her face turning serious. The lights in the room seemed to dim just a bit. “Jigsaw mustn’t be able to retrieve the artifact he’s searching for. Atlas cannot get his hands on it.”

“Yeah, I figured as much,” I said. “Any idea where I can find it?”

Athena laughed like I was a child who’d just asked a ridiculous question. “Kane, if I knew where the artifact was located, I would’ve just had you get it in the first place.”

I sighed. “I was afraid you were going to say that. Is there anything you can do to at least help me out? Can you tell me where Jigsaw’s located, at least?”

“I cannot do that. But I will tell you this.” Athena took a step towards me. “You must act soon or else Jigsaw will find the artifact. If he does, it will not end well. I may be powerful, but I will not be able to do anything to stop Atlas.”

Frustration bubbled inside of me. “Stop Atlas from doing what? Why won’t you tell me anything, yet you expect me to trust and follow your every word.”

“Because, Kane, it’s simple. I expect you to follow my every word because that is the deal we made. As for why I keep things from you, it’s because you do not need the distraction. If you fulfill your end of the bargain, however, I will explain to you all you want to know.” Athena smiled and placed a hand upon my face. A warm energy radiated through me. “Trust me, I want you to know everything. But for now this is how things must be.”

I wanted to say more, but I thought I heard someone call my name. “I think someone’s coming,” I said, turning towards the door.

“Go,” Athena said. “Be with your friends. But also be prepared. Stay on guard. You do not know when or where the enemy will strike.”

I wanted to say “Uhhh, ya think?” but in a flash, Athena was gone. I shook my head, frustrated by another seemingly fruitless conversation with her. I turned and walked towards my door. I opened it to see who was calling my name, but there was no one there.