Super Villain Grandpa (Cape High Series Book 15) (13 page)

The lights flicker overhead and he jerks, looking at the ceiling. That never happens. The room goes dark. The collar on his neck sparks dangerously, just once, and all of a sudden he can feel most of his power flowing back into him. He reaches up, touching it with the barest tip of his finger before ripping it off entirely. “Do not move!” he hears Harry shout. “You’re not going anywhere!”

The sound of a wall collapsing says that the others aren’t listening. “We’re FREE!” Massteria bellows excitedly.

“Take this place down!” Deathblow shouts.

“I will avenge my fellow sea-dwellers!” Atlanti shouts.

The dramatic shouts are coming from all around. It’s only Bombastic that is staring blankly at the remains of his collar. He heads to the nearest wall, pressing his hand to it. The cracks spread over the concrete, glowing red before the wall explodes. He stares at it for all of a second before he hears the guards rushing for his branch.

“Massteria!” he hears Deathblow bellow. “Do your thing!” The sound of machines being destroyed come from the same direction.

“I don’t work for you!” Massteria yells back before saying a single word—a word that will echo in Bombastic’s memory for a very long time. “Gingerbread.”

The sound of running feet stops and suddenly Bombastic can hear fists slamming into flesh and grunts of pain. Bombastic steps boldly out of his room, looking around blankly for a moment before destroying the wall in front of him. It will take too long to make it through the maze of the Cape Cells. At any moment an entire Hall of heroes is going to show up. He wants to see the sun without being collared like a dog, just once. He goes through another wall, and another. Just one brief glimpse of freedom, he thinks as he steps through the final wall, looking up at the sun. His arms go out as he soaks up the sensation.

“Don’t just stand there like a moron,” Deathblow says from behind him. He’s dragging one of the black suited guards behind him. “Take out whatever guards are left.”

“Don’t kill him,” Bombastic says. Deathblow slams a fist into the guard’s chest before dropping him. Bombastic lets out a curse. “I just said—”

“Since when did you turn all goody goody, Boombastic?” Deathblow demands. “You’re the one that took out most of the building,” he adds, waving at the rubble of the Cape Cells.

“I was—”

“Enough of this!” Atlanti says, stepping out of the rubble. She looks down at the black shirt that brushes the top of her thighs. “Legs,” she says in disgust. “Ugly, rigid, lacking in all ways—”

“Unless you’re in the middle of Missouri,” Massteria says, stepping out from behind her. He’s a small, scrawny looking man with a weasel-like face. “We don’t exactly have ocean front property around here. Nice job on the building, Boombastic, they’ll be rebuilding for months,” he adds with a sarcastic tone that doesn’t quite fit. Massteria’s M.O. is sarcasm, so much so that he doesn’t seem able to change his inflection anymore.

“That was—” Bombastic says, looking at it, himself.

“Enough talk,” Deathblow says, looking at each of them in turn. “Where’s the scientist?” he demands.

“That new girl?” Massteria asks. “She’s probably still in there. What does it matter?”

“Huh,” Deathblow says.

“Standing here is just going to get attention,” Bombastic says, seeing the larger male looking thoughtfully at the building where the sound of fighting is still going strong. “How long will your freak-out thing last, Massteria?”

“I’m working on a very low level brainwashing,” Massteria says, still vaguely sarcastic in tone. “The more powerful ones will be breaking free soon.”

“For now,” Deathblow says, his lips pulling back in a predatory smile, “we run.” He’s gone before the others can react.

“I hate that guy,” Massteria says.

“We all do. He smells like bloodlust,” Badmoon says, the first thing he’s said since the escape. The others look at him, a bit surprised to hear even that. Before they can reply, Badmoon is wolfing out and racing away on all fours. Bombastic looks at the sky, taking in a deep breath; he DID destroy most of the building. They won’t be happy with that, he thinks as he runs, as well. Might as well see how far he can go.

He’s seen how far, he thinks now, his hand shaking slightly. It got him to where his granddaughter is in the sights of Massteria. He looks at the shaking hand, glaring at it angrily and clenching his fist, the arm changes, going black and cracked. If Massteria thinks he’s going to run, he’s got another thought coming. Austin might have been trying to play by the rules up until now, but the time for that is over.

NOBODY messes with his family.

But first, he thinks as he looks out the window, he needs to make sure Keliah is safe.

***

The blur rushes past so fast that it sucks the air with it, Trent thinks as the frantic Carla races past him. He takes to the air, trying to see what she's doing from above. There might not be a method to her actions, he thinks, but there's always the chance--

He blinks as he sees her pick up a screaming child, racing to a building and putting the little one inside. She's gone in a second and back with another one--

"Max?" Trent says, touching his earbud. "Do you think there's a chance that Carla is unaffected?"

"Why do you ask that?" Max asks from beside him. Trent looks over, a tiny bit surprised to find him there.

"Because she's pulling all of the kids out of the crush and placing them in a building--I think she's going for the littlest ones first."

"She is?" Max asks, looking as surprised as Trent had felt earlier. He frowns and looks down, focusing closely--"It's practically impossible to read her mind in this crowd. I can pick it out, sure, but she's thinking in hyper speed."

"Does she feel scared to you?" Trent asks.

"Terrified," Max admits, "but I think that's what her driving force IS right now," he goes on. "Nico, what should we do?"

"Let her keep going," Nico says over their earbuds. "If she's cognizant enough to realize what's going on through her fear, she'll break free of it soon enough."

“I hate doing that, though,” Max says. “I don’t like one of ours' being terrified.”

"If Nico’s right, she won’t be that way for long," Trent says. "I'll help her," he decides. "You go back and help Aubrey try to break down the assault. Nico, have you found the source?"

"They're gone--but we have another problem to deal with at the moment," Nico says. "Get to work, boys. we want this cleaned up before someone gets seriously hurt."

"Yes, sir," Max says with a slight scowl, flying away. Trent takes a deep breath and dives toward the mass of panicking people. He floats over their heads, surveying them to see who's most in danger. His eyes fall on a boy on crutches and he races towards him, only to stop as Carla appears right in front of him.

"YOU WILL NOT HURT THEM!" she snarls, jumping and tackling him to the ground.

"Carla! Carla, it's me!" he says as she slams rapid punches into his stomach. He almost feels them, he thinks as she goes faster and faster. "Carla, it's Trent! I'm here to help!"

"Don't lie to me!" she says, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You're a super that's threatening to hurt my siblings! I won't let you!"

"Carla, I PROMISE I'm not trying to hurt anyone," he says, wrapping his arms around her and hauling her into a hug. "Think, Carla, we went on a 'date' across the country? I got you that stuffed pony you sleep with at night? I'm Trent--I'm your friend!" he says, ignoring the way she's literally vibrating to try and get free of his hold. It slows down after a second as her eyes focus on him.

"Tr--Trent?" she asks.

"That's right, Trent," he agrees, giving her a little grin. "You're amazing, did you know that? But you shouldn't stop now."

"What?" she asks. "What was I doing? Did I--did I attack someone else?"

"No," he says. "You're saving the little kids in the group from being stampeded."

Her eyes widen and she hops to her feet. "Igottagosavethem!" she says in a rush before racing away.

"I'm going to help!" he hears Emily say over his earbud. "I'll take the north section, okay?"

"I'll take south," they hear Carla say.

"Then I'll take central," Trent says before taking to the air to find that boy in crutches again. "Not just kids, girls, we want to save the ones that will have trouble--crutches, wheelchairs, anyone that can't make it out on their own."

"And then we'll introduce them to Aubrey!" Carla declares.

"If we have the time," he admits, smiling slightly before rushing off to work.

***

There's something in his ear. He'd been all set to race through the crowds and find his granddaughter when he recalled the earbud that Carla gave him. He'd thought it would be melted by now, but it's still there. He taps on it, wondering how to get it working again, and then wondering if he WANTS to get it working. "Technico?" he says.

"Don't do anything rash, Boombastic," Nico says over the earbud.

"They're going after my granddaughter," Austin says coldly. "I know you promised to try and get me out--but I can't help you with that."

"Boombastic--"

"Are you here?" Austin demands. "Are you where you can get my girl and take her somewhere safe?"

"I am."

"Then--" Austin stops as a hand comes out of the wall next to him. The tall, thin teenager steps out of the wall, tugging Austin's daughter and the water controller from earlier with him.

"Boombastic," the teen says. "My name is Rocco--and I'm going to ask you to come back with me," he says.

Austin looks at his daughter, who he only recognizes because she's the spitting image of her mother and daughter. She's got a sharp, hard-to-read expression on her face.

"I've already told Technico," he says, "I'm going to have to regretfully decline."

"But--" the girl says.

"If you agree," Rocco starts out, "I was told you could--"

"Technico explained already," Austin says, giving his daughter a regretful look. "He's trying to get me out of the cells. I can only think you're part of that. But I don't care if I get tossed back into the cells--it's not as important as what I have to do right now."

"What's that?" his daughter asks. "What's so important that you'd be willing to go back?"

"The safety of my granddaughter," Austin says. "This is my fault--at least it is in part. I should never have let the others get out on the streets again. I know how dangerous they are. I'm sorry," he says, his heart breaking as he looks at her. "I'm sorry for everything, Melissa. I've always loved you--and regretted what I did to you and your mother," he says.

She opens her mouth, but he doesn't stick around to find out what she has to say. He takes off, running before they can try and capture him. He has to find Massteria and get rid of him. And, as much as he hates it, there’s something that’s been bothering him about that little fear-induced chat. Massteria had said, “I didn't want to believe D.B.”

Was it Austin’s imagination? It had all been in his head, after all, but Massteria is a psychic type… that conversation had seemed far too real. And if it was real… then there’s only one person that Massteria could know well enough to call D.B.

Deathblow.

CHAPTER SEVEN

"What are you going to do?" Angela asks as they pull to a stop over the theme park. She instinctively grabs Century's shoulder as he holds out his arms.

A light pulses from him and she watches as time stops. Birds flying past go perfectly still, the world below them stops, mid-riot. She can't help but search them for familiar faces--her daughter, her granddaughter, her husband--

"He's not here," Century says, cursing.

"Austin?" she asks. "I don't see him, but that doesn't mean--"

"Look at this, Angela, do you honestly think Bombastic could have done it? If there were more blown up buildings, sure, but the structures are all in place. This wasn't your husband," he says, "this was Massteria."

"What? Why would Massteria be here?" she asks, confused. "It's Hall property--and it's blatant about it! I remember Massteria from the old days, he was insane, sure, but he never struck me as stupid!"

"I don't know," Century admits. "But we have more important things to do right now. Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a Code 115, I repeat, Code 115. Prepare to evacuate the park," he says, touching his ear.

"You've already said that he's gotten away!" Angela protests. "What's the point in bringing in black suits when they'll calm down on their own soon enough? We NEED to find Austin!"

"Boombastic's going after Massteria," they hear someone say over Century's earbud. "I knew there was a reason I added an external power blocker to my master watch," Nico adds with a hint of smugness.

"Now isn't the time to brag, son. Why did you allow Bombastic to go?" Century demands.

"He says that Massteria's threatened Keliah. He turned down the chance to get his hearing so he could go after him. I can't blame him for that choice, Century. If he's willing to give up a life of freedom to make sure his granddaughter is safe, I can only support that decision. Also, you froze my kids again. Do you know how annoying that is?"

"I'll unfreeze them--"

"NICO," Angela says, reaching out and pulling the earbud out of Century's ear. "Go get my husband. I don't care what noble reasons he's got, I'll take care of Massteria, myself if I need to. Just don't let him toss away a future on this. If you do, I swear you'll WISH you could hide in the Cape Cells when I come after you."

"Falconess--"

"I changed your diapers, boy," she says, barely restraining from breaking the earbud. "You'd better listen right this instant."

"Yes ma'am," Nico says. "But if he CAN take out Massteria--"

"He can't," they all jump as Mastermental comes onto the line. "Of all the others in the Cape Cells, Massteria is the worst match-up for Bombastic."

"Why?" Century asks.

"Because fear played a big part in why he was tossed into the Cells in the first place. If Bombastic is overcome with fear again, the number of victims will be far greater than last time. Massteria has no ability or desire to save the people that are in the wrong place at the wrong time."