Vanguard: The Complete Second Season: A Superhero Serial (Vanguard: The Collected Seasons Book 2) (3 page)

“So that’s the answer then,” said Koji with a smile. “We work for this organization, right? That still gets us the backing we need.” The look on Thorne’s face caused Koji’s smile to fade instantly. “Or not…”

“I thought about that, too, but the Security Council is nervous about having specials active in this service.” Thorne turned his head in Jim’s direction. “Which is what I wanted to talk to you about. You’re not a special and because of your work, they feel you’d be well-suited to serve in this organization, too.”

Jim blinked and looked around the table. Dom scoffed. “So keep the humans, get rid of the freaks, is that what this is about?”

“Calm down,” said Anita.

Dom threw his hands up. “Whatever. Never cared much for this three-ring circus any way.”

“Dom’s right,” said Erin. “What happens if someone like Zephyr gets loose again? Or what if Lucent takes back his body? How is this organization going to stand up to them?”

Thorne sighed. “I really don’t know.”

“What about Zenith?” asked Lee. “He’s still trapped in that body, how are we gonna get him out?”

“That’s something I still plan to continue if I take this position,” said Thorne.

“‘If’?” asked Jim. “You’re having second thoughts?”

“With Vanguard, I had autonomy. But this new organization will have to answer to the Security Council and they can’t even agree on the weather.” Thorne gave a shake of his head. “I’m afraid the position will become mired in politics and bureaucracy.”

“On the other hand, if you turn down the position, who will they choose in your stead?” asked Zenith.

“And that right there is the biggest problem,” said Thorne. “I’ve got no idea who else they’d go with, and there’s always the very real chance they could pick someone who’s not exactly sympathetic to specials.”

Thorne stood up. “Whatever my decision, we’ve got a week before the government officially takes back control of the Atlas. That means you’ve got some packing to do and arrangements to make. I really wish things could’ve been different, but this is the hand we’ve been dealt. It’s been a true honor to work alongside you all these past few months.”

CHAPTER 4

General Nathan Callus walked down the halls of the underground facility, the guards saluting him as he passed by. He ignored them, continued on towards his goal. The two guards who stood at attention on either side saluted and then one opened the door for him.

The cell was small and chains ran from the ceiling and the floor, hooked to a woman in the center of the room whose arms were crossed over her chest and chained down, leaving her unable to move. She stared up at Callus with blue eyes that burned with anger—Callus couldn’t help thinking she would be cute if not for her anti-social tendencies.
 

“Ms. Grant,” said Callus with a smile. He removed his hat, revealing the short, brown hair that had begun to turn silver.
 

“My father’s lawyers are gonna have a field day with this,” said Chloe Grant.
 

“Somehow I doubt that,” said Callus. “Maybe your initial attacks as Zephyr could be attributed to an overzealous streak of activism. But then you escaped federal custody and joined a terrorist organization responsible for the death of the President of the United States. No lawyer’s gonna take that case, regardless of how much money your rich daddy coughs up. And of course, that’s operating under the assumption you even
have
rights any more.”

“I
know
my rights,” said Chloe.

“You’re an intelligent young woman. No doubt well-versed on what the government can and can’t do in regards to terrorists.” Callus stepped closer, bringing his face within inches of hers and then he lowered his voice to a whisper. “As far as anyone outside this cell is concerned, Chloe Grant doesn’t exist. Your fate belongs to
me
.”

Callus slapped her hard across the face and Chloe grunted. He stood upright and folded his hands behind his back.

“We apprehended a number of the Red Fist’s numbers, including your fellow specials, Nina Murillo and Clarence Black. But you and I both know there were others working for the Khagan.”

Chloe looked up and spat, the spittle landing on Callus’ jacket. He sighed and took a handkerchief from his breast pocket to wipe his coat. He back-handed her so hard that she felt like her head might snap off her neck.
 

“Maybe I’m being too vague. There are two men we’re especially interested in locating. One is a Russian, name of Erik Azarov. And the other is an American, thin hair, mustache. Calls himself the Analyst.” Callus grabbed her chin and turned her head so he could look into her eyes. She struggled in his grip. “Your powers aren’t much use without your arms. You’re at my mercy, so I suggest you cooperate with me.”

“And if I don’t?” asked Chloe.

“Then what happens next will make you nostalgic for those little love-taps I gave you.”

A series of knocks drew Callus’ attention. He glanced over his shoulder to the door before turning his head back to Chloe, his eyes narrowed. “We’ll continue this later. For your sake, I hope you’ll be more talkative.”

Callus approached the door and banged his palm a few times in rhythm on the surface. The guards opened the door and Callus stepped out, allowing them to close it again behind him. Standing in the corridor was Joseph Ramsey.

“Mr. Secretary.” Callus crossed his arms over his chest. “I assume there’s a reason you’re interrupting my interrogation of a dangerous prisoner?”

Ramsey eyed the two guards as he addressed the General. “Can we go somewhere and talk?”

“As you wish,” said Callus, leading Ramsey away from the cell and down the corridors. “If you’re here, I hope it’s because you’ve got some good news for me.”

“I’m afraid it’s the opposite,” said Ramsey. “Lawson is pushing to appoint Thorne as the Director.”

Callus stopped and Ramsey followed his lead. The two men faced each other, with Callus standing a full foot over the Secretary. “We both know what a disaster that’d be. The Red Fist destroyed the White House with the help of specials—specials that Thorne’s team was supposed to be handling. He’s a modern-day Chamberlain, he’d bend over backwards to appease these freaks.”

Ramsey nodded. “I couldn’t agree more, General. I’ve told the President that you’re the best choice for the position, but he’s convinced that Thorne is the man who truly understands how to deal with the specials. It’s unfortunately out of my hands. I’m trying to find a way around it, but…”

Callus sighed and placed his hands in his pockets, looking down at his feet. After a moment, he looked into Ramsey’s face. “I think I might have a solution. Follow me.”

They moved down a few more corridors and down a flight of stairs, coming to another cell with guards stationed out front. Callus had them open the door for them and inside the cell was a stasis tube filled with liquid. Inside the liquid was a man floating naked, a breathing apparatus around his mouth and nose and monitors nearby monitored his temperature.

“Clarence Black, one of the specials who was working with the Red Fist,” said Callus. “Called himself Pyre.”

Ramsey knew all-too well. It was because of him that the Analyst was able to take control of Pyre, manipulating the special into working for the Red Fist. Ramsey was the one who provided the Red Fist with its superhuman agents after they were apprehended by Vanguard.

“What is this?” asked Ramsey, examining the glass tube and the liquid inside.

“Flame-retardant chemicals, keeps him from using his powers,” said Callus. “But we keep him sedated just to be on the safe side.”

“I take it you have a plan in mind?” asked Ramsey.

Callus nodded. “If Thorne is out of the picture, then Lawson has no further reason to object to your recommendation. And what better way get rid of him than by the hand of one of many specials he failed to properly contain?”

“I thought you hated the specials?”

“I do, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have their uses.” Callus stared at Pyre. “Nuclear weapons are a threat to our security, but they also helped us end World War II. These specials are no different. Every weapon just needs someone who knows how to use it properly.”

CHAPTER 5

Lee, McCabe, and Zenith looked down at the metal body that lay on the gurney between them in McCabe’s laboratory. The geneticist was the one to ask the question that the young special didn’t want to answer.

“You think this will work?”

Lee scratched the back of his neck. “Hope, yes. But that’s about all I can guarantee. Without the backing of the government, all I could do was cobble together this from the remains of Zenith’s old body. Not even sure if it’ll function right.”

“So long as I can transfer my consciousness from Lucent’s body, then it will be a success,” said Zenith.
 

Lee and McCabe both exchanged glances and Zenith caught notice of them. “What is it?”

“It’s just…” Lee sighed.

“Please, tell me,” said Zenith.
 

“If you’re able to successfully…evacuate Lucent’s body, that would put his consciousness in control once more,” said McCabe.

“Yes, that’s the theory,” said Zenith.

“We’re talking about a lunatic,” said McCabe. “A man who would have killed countless of innocents—who almost killed you. That much power in the hands of someone so disturbed…”

Zenith looked down at the metal body and could see the reflection of Lucent’s face in the gleaming chest. “Yes, I see your point.”

“You could do a lot of good with those powers of his,” said Lee. “Every day you get better and better with them.”

Zenith held up his arm and stared at his hand, his skin becoming a near-translucent blue and an azure aura surrounding his fist. “And how is what I’m doing to Lucent any different from what the Analyst did to you, Lee?”

Lee looked up, his brows knitting together. “Come again?”

Zenith lowered his arm and smiled at Lee. “I’m possessing a man’s body without his permission. I’m using his powers in ways that suit my purposes. Is that not what the Analyst did when he took control of your mind and forced you to work for the Khagan? Forced you to construct the teleforce weapon that destroyed the White House?”

Lee stood upright and circled around the gurney, staring right into Zenith’s eyes. “Who the hell do you think you are? That man made me do things I never would’ve done before! Twisted me into something I wasn’t! I was a prisoner in my own—”

Lee blinked and stopped. He turned his back on Zenith and moved over to one of the tables, leaning over it. McCabe came up alongside him, patting him on the back.
 

“You okay, son?”

Lee shut his eyes and took a deep breath. “He’s right, isn’t he? If we don’t get him into another body, then what makes us any better than the Analyst?”

Zenith’s power signature vanished, his skin returning to normal. “I understand your position. Lucent
is
a dangerous man and we will monitor him closely. But he is still a man and he deserves the right to make his own decisions.”

Lee nodded and returned to the gurney. “Let’s do this thing then.”

Zenith gave a nod and placed his hand over the android’s power source. He closed his eyes and his body hummed with an azure glow. Zenith concentrated on directing his energy into the power core, trying to become one with it, merge with it.
 

The LED lights that served as eyes on the otherwise-emotionless face lit up brightly. But the body didn’t move other than that. Lee moved over to one of the computers and saw that the suit was holding power, but it was doing nothing with that power.
 

Zenith stopped and removed his hand from the power source with a sigh and a shake of his head. McCabe shut his eyes. “No good?”

“No,” said Zenith. “However Lucent was able to absorb my consciousness, I can’t seem to find a way to upload myself to another medium.”

“Not giving up on you,” said Lee. “You helped me fight back against the Khagan and I repay my debts.”

“We may not have much of a choice,” said McCabe, looking around the lab. “Soon, all of this will be gone.”

“What’re you gonna do?” asked Lee.

“Return to my work with the Human Genome Project, I suppose,” said McCabe. “Whatever created the specials altered all of mankind. There are a lot of questions still to be answered.”

“And you?” Lee turned to Zenith.

“Perhaps I can return to doing the work I was before with the government, or maybe Colonel Thorne will have a place for me at this new organization. Assuming of course that I can separate myself from this body,” said Zenith. “And you?”

Lee shook his head. “I’ve got no idea. After we took down the Khagan, I thought this could be the beginning of something new. Joining up with Vanguard, becoming an actual honest-to-god superhero. But now…MIT just doesn’t hold the same appeal, y’know?”

***

Erin knocked on the open door to Anita Jordan’s room. “Mind if I come in?”

“Hey,” said Anita, looking up from the suitcase spread on the bed. “Yeah, of course.”

Erin moved inside, stepping over two small suitcases that were already packed and stacked against the wall. She came closer to Anita, who struggled to hold the top of the last suitcase closed.

“You’re just in time, can you close this while I hold it?” she asked.

Erin nodded and pulled the zipper to seal the bag, Anita’s hands holding the top to keep the contents from popping out. “Done.”

“Thanks.” Anita picked the suitcase up with one hand. The weight was nothing to someone with her strength and she set it down gently beside the other two.

“You’re already packed up?” asked Erin.

“Tell you the truth, I never really completely unpacked to begin with,” said Anita. “I thought after we completed the initial six months, I’d move out of the Atlas.”

“And your head?”

“It’s better now. Ever since the Analyst’s control was broken I haven’t had any headaches.” Anita sat down on the bed and patted the spot beside her for Erin. “But something tells me you didn’t come here to ask about me.”

Erin gave a nod and sat beside her friend. She looked up at her with large, yellow eyes. “Are we really gonna let them shut us down?”