Shadow Boy (13 page)

No one answers, but I can feel them inside, just on the other side of the door. “Look, I know you’re in there,” I call through the door. “We need your help—the world needs your help. Open the door, please.”

Sure I could have come out inside the house, but that’s too much like kidnapping for my tastes. I honestly believe that they’ll help if we offer them an explanation.

“Go away!” a male calls from inside. “Just go away!” He doesn’t sound very old, but you can never tell with supers. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“The world is falling apart out here,” I say, pressing a hand to the door. “The streetlights have all stopped working, the hospitals are going to backup generators, but there were still problems in that short amount of time—and a lot of their machines aren’t operating correctly. People are dying, mister, and you’re one of the people that can help. Please, help,” I beg, leaning against the door. “They need you.”

“They hate me,” he says from the other side of the door. “They called me creepy. I—I can’t help them.”

I sigh and step through the nearest shadow, walking out behind him. He’s just a kid, I realize in shock. He looks younger than I am. His skin is white, his hair is white, and when he turns in shock I see that his eyes are blood red. “Yo,” I say, holding up a hand.

“Wha—who—how did you get in here?” he demands, trembling.

“I’m a shadow walker,” I say. “And whoever called you creepy because you’re an albino needs to be beat up,” I add darkly.

“That’s—that’s not why,” he says, still staring at me.

“Then why?”

“Because—because—I can tell when there shouldn’t be something,” he whispers.

“Uh… huh?” I say blankly.

“If there’s a disease, or a drug, or even if someone’s smoking and it’s in their lungs, I can sense it and—and I reach in—” he says, moving his hand forward as if mimicking his healing technique. “And I pulled it out and they screamed and I was tossed out of school—”

I stare at him for a long second before letting out a laugh. “Dude, you sound like you’re a family member!” I tell him cheerfully. “Aunt Skye is going to LOVE you! But forget them,” I say. “You can be a hero right now, and shove it in all of their faces. You just need to come with me.” I hold out a hand and he looks at it, only to stare at my chest for a long, long moment.

“You don’t have anything,” he says, a bit stunned.

“Yeah, I know,” I say. “Capes tend to be super healthy.”

“My parents are afraid of me,” he says.

I grab his hand, tugging him to the shadow. “I’m pretty sure mine is, too,” I say simply, pulling him into the Shadowlands.

His hand tightens as he looks around, and I can practically feel his fear. “I can understand why,” he says as a shadow dino runs past. “I’m a bit scared of you now, too.”

***

*Somewhere High Above Central*

Nico glances over as Zoe flies closer, looking a bit wobbly at this height. He doesn’t say anything, but he holds out an arm, which she grabs onto, moving into his side before they go back to work. “It’s harder to breathe up here, Dad,” she says, as another system is rebooted.

“I know, kiddo,” he says. “This is too much for you at your age.”

“I can do it,” she says stubbornly, holding out her hands and concentrating harder. System after system, they methodically go through and clean up as much as possible. “The financial system is completely messed up, Dad,” she says after a second.

“I know,” he says.

“What do we do about it?”

“Try and fix it as well as you can, but don’t expect any miracles,” he admits. “What we need to focus on right now is electricity and any life support systems, private or public. Life comes first.”

“Why did he do this?” she asks after a long stretch of silent work. “I’m not asking HOW, I know how he did it, but WHY?” she asks, her confusion and heartbreak showing. “He’s the one that talks about how norms aren’t safe from supers—and he was the super that was most dangerous to them!”

“No,” Nico says. “We are.”

“Wh—what?” she asks, looking at him.

“There are two of us, and we know how to work together,” he says. “Do you know the biggest thing that will save the day?”

“God?” she asks.

“Well, partially,” Nico says after a second, “since that’s a big part of your moral compass.”

“Then what’s the other part?” she asks.

“You, Zoe,” he says, looking at her. “At sixteen you understand something Herold hasn’t figured out in some eighty years. Don’t ever forget what you’re thinking now—and if I do, make sure you remind me,” he adds with a slight smile. “There’s nothing worse than a technopath throwing a hissy fit.”

“Is that what this is?” Zoe asks. “He sure spent a long time setting it up.”

“More likely he planned on doing this AFTER he became president,” Nico says. “Once all of the banks went down and the electricity went out the norms would start rioting, opening it up for him to declare a state of emergency. With the state of emergency he could become more of a tyrant than a president. Once we caught and exposed him too early, he went ahead with the plan out of spite, I guess.”

“What a jerk,” Zoe says after a long second of stunned silence.

“He named his group the Anti-Super Society. I’m pretty sure he surpassed that title long ago.”

***

“Shadowman, how’s it going?” I ask over the phone. I’m on my third healer, a large twenty-something man that seems almost resigned to being dragged along behind me. “I’ve just met a ‘friend’ of yours,” I add dryly.

“I will NEVER be that guy’s friend,” the guy says darkly. “And here you are, kidnapping me RIGHT after I got free—”

“You picked up lardo, huh?” Shadowman asks. “Good luck making him do anything.”

“Unlike you, I ASKED him to help,” I say. “You’d better be doing the same.”

“Ask, tell, either way I’m just the taxi,” Shadowman says. “I’ve delivered four to their local hospitals. Who knows what Skye’s done,” he drawls.

I glare at the phone for a moment before hanging up on him and calling Skye on the com-link. “Skye, how’s it going?”

“I’ve made a new friend!” she says happily. “Mister Dispatcher, meet my nephew, Rocco! Rocco, meet Mister Dispatcher!”

“Ms. Skystep—”

“It’s just Skystep, silly!” Skye says.

“Skystep, I’m still not sure how you got access to this line—” the dispatcher says.

“We’ve all got access,” I hear Zoe say. I step through the shadows of a busy hospital, dragging the healer out with me. “Da—I mean Technico set this up for you and many other dispatchers across the country—you’re the one from your station that’s been assigned, you’ll be hearing from those nearest your area—it won’t hang up, in case you’re curious. We need your help to deal with the problems we come across. We can get there faster, but you’re the ones that are trained. We’ll do what we can, and what we’ve been trained for, but we hope that your side will take over as soon as you get there. That way we can cover more ground.”

“I see,” the dispatcher says. “I’ll do my best.”

“Here we go,” I say to the healer. “Thank you for this,” I add as he looks around hesitantly.

“You there!” a nurse says. The healer jerks, looking cornered. “You’re going to need to mask that beard—come with me, we’ll get you suited up,” she says, grabbing his arm and tugging him along.

“That’s three delivered,” I say. “And yes, Mr. Dispatcher, you are talking to supers. We’re from Cape High. I’m on my way to find another healer, is there anyone that needs one on site?” I ask, looking around and feeling for the next healer.

“Bring one here,” Max says. “We’ve got a wreck on the highway.”

“Can you tell us your location?” the dispatcher asks. “And who is this?”

“Maximum,” Max says. “I’m in south KC at the moment, we’ve got a little pile-up, but I’m taking it apart,” he adds, rattling off directions.

“Maximum?” the call center asks.

“Worst part is I’m being filmed,” Max complains as I head out to get him a healer.

I head through the shadows, stepping out a few moments later. There’s a young woman that’s hiding in her house. I don’t have time to knock on the door, so reluctantly I head through the shadows, stepping into her pretty little front room. She’s got her back to me, and is peering through the spy hole in the door.

“Hi,” I say. She jumps and screams, grabbing a baseball bat from beside her door.

“Rocco? You okay?” Jack asks over the com.

“I’m fine, just surprised my new friend,” I say, holding up my hands. “Look, we both know what you are,” I say, muting the com-link as I stay right where I am. “I’m asking healers to help out right now—you can choose to stay here and hide, and I’ll go find another one, or you can help all of the people that really need it right now.”

“You’re a ghost—” she starts out.

“No, I’m a cape,” I say, “and so are you. We need you right now more than ever.”

“To do what? What can I do?” she demands. “Every time I touch someone they faint. I’m the last one you need out there right now.”

“Everyone?” I ask.

“As far as I can tell,” she says.

I hesitate before turning the com-link back on.

“Running out of time, here,” Max says. “We’ve got some ambulances on the way, at least—but the cars are backed up pretty far—I’m going to have to lift them,” he says. “Dispatcher, tell the ambulances heading for me that I’m going to make a clear path, would you?”

“I’m going to have to find another healer, Max, this one won’t work,” I say, feeling stressed out.

“I’ve got a five year old that’s bleeding pretty heavily, Rocco. The norms are trying their best to stop the bleeding, but it’s not looking good. Make it as fast as you can. His heartbeat--” he stops, his tone grim.

“Maximum, can you put pressure on the wound?” the dispatcher asks. “Not too much, just enough to try and stop the bleeding.”

“I can try, but I’ve sort of got my hands full,” Max says.

I turn away from the healer and focus, searching for the next healer. The one in front of me grabs my hand. The touch sends a strange rush of calm through me, but nothing that makes me faint. “Take me with you,” she says. “If he’s—if he’s dying, I can at least make it peaceful.”

I nod, wondering if I’m doing the right thing, and head through the shadows. I step out of a pile of empty cars, pulling her along with me. “You didn’t faint,” she says, looking stunned. “I touched you, but you didn’t faint.”

“I don’t know what your abilities are,” I tell her honestly. “So you’d better hope and pray they’re more than just knocking people out—this is Maximum’s first hero gig, after all.”

“Over here!” a norm calls from the center of the car piles. It looks like Max just piled them one on top of each other to the side after getting people out. They norms are all crowded in the center of the car piles. I head for them and the healer lets go, rushing to the boy on the ground. I watch as she crouches down, hesitating for a moment before touching the boy.

All of a sudden the boy starts levitating, his body glowing faintly as the healer continues to touch him. I’m not sure what’s happening, but it seems to be a good thing. I turn my attention to the floating line of cars to the right, leaving a path into the circle. An ambulance is driving beneath them. I look at Max, who has his arms out to the cars, and his game-face on. There are helicopters hovering all around. He’s being filmed by at least four norm news stations and HTV drones right now.

“This is totally killing my rep,” he complains over the com.

“Sorry about that,” I say. “I think we’re all going to have a bit of a problem after this, honestly. But I need to go.”

“Thanks, Rocco,” he says. “I’ll call if I need you again.”

“Got it,” I say before heading through another shadow. This isn’t over, yet.

“It is all hands on the deck time,” Marie hears Tatiana say from the mountain. “We should be out there, Clifford! Even if we are to be dead, there are more important things!”

“Nico has it all in hand,” Superior says. “The television was only down for ten minutes.”

“But there is more than just the televisions involved!” Tatia says.

Marie ignores the argument, forcing it out of her mind as she heads closer and closer to the barrier. There are supposed to be flags along the barrier, but the ever present wind, snow, and everything else has buried them already. She can’t tell just how close she is. With every step, she’s risking her life—but there are more important things happening right now. She wraps her arms around herself, tugging her coat closer as she searches through the swirling snow.

She can only hope that he comes to see her. He’s messed up so much, she thinks darkly, but she’s always known that there was something dark under the surface. Her son is not a happy man. She’d tried to give him focus, to give him a goal, hoping that it might help, but it seems it’s backfired. Really, she thinks, why would he even come here?

“Mom,” she hears him say. He’s standing at a distance, and she has to stare to see through the snow.

“Oh Marvin,” she says softly. “What have you done?”

“I only did what you’d planned all along, Mom,” he says. “Now you have the gall to act like I’ve disappointed you?”

“I didn’t expect you to get people killed!”

“Oh, and do you REALLY think the supers of this world would have rolled over for me to take over the planet?” he demands. “Even you can’t be that naive. People were going to die one way or another. It was to be taken for granted as soon as you decided I would become the next president.”

“Oh, please, these heroes are only out to put on a show!” she says, but her confidence falls a bit flat as she sees a small flag peek out of the snow. “Mostly,” she adds.

“I know that, but they don’t seem to,” Herold says. “Century even came to my office. He took me out to lunch, all to tell me that he’s got my number. The entire group of Hall leaders told me that since I wasn’t playing by their rules, they don’t have to follow them, either. Tell me, Mom, what do you expect me to do, next? How can I live up to your grand expectations?”

A part of her desperately wants to tell him to take her with him. She reaches up, not quite touching the collar strapped around her neck. “I expect you to leave,” she says after a moment. “I want you to. I want you to leave and never look back, Marvin. And know… I will always love you, son,” she says softly as he disappears from sight. He’s going to die, she realizes with a sickened feeling building in her gut. They will hunt him down and kill him, all because she had some grand idea of giving him this planet before she left.

“For your sake, we will give him a two minute head start,” Tatia says from behind her. Marie turns, staring at the two in shock, a dawning horror hitting her as she realizes just how dangerous this visit really is.

“Please,” Marie says. “For my sake—let the others hunt him down, instead.” She shudders at the idea of living a life with the people that took out her only son. “I didn’t cross your barrier, I haven’t broken any of your rules—at least give me this,” she begs.

The two look at each other. “Fine,” Superior says after a meaningful pause. “But I get to call one Hall leader and tell him he was just here.”

She looks at him for a long moment, knowing that every second she can buy might save her son’s life. “Fine,” she says. “One Hall leader.”

He taps his ear. “Mastermental,” he says. “Herold was just here.”

“And you let him go?”

“We let him go,” Superior says grimly. “We have to live with his mother, after all. But if he shows up again, we won’t be so kind.”

“I’ll send someone after him.”

“Thanks.” He lets his hand fall and looks at Marie. “I already regret this. I’m going to call Nico,” he says, unconsciously using the nickname his son insists on. “He’s not a Hall leader, so I’m not breaking my promise,” he adds as Marie starts to protest. “Nico.”

“Mastermental already told me,” Nico replies. “I’m sending someone after him.”

“I would prefer you do it yourself,” Superior says.

“Zoe and I are a bit busy at the moment, but as soon as I can, I will.” He hangs up before Superior can say anything.

“Clifford—” Tatia says, looking from Marie to him.

“I know,” Superior says. “I’ll go change.” He disappears into the mountain, leaving the two women standing there in the snow.

“You were planning on taking him out, weren’t you?” Marie asks finally, looking Tatiana in the eye.

“Of course,” she says. “I am very disappointed.”

“Disappointed?” Marie asks, shocked.

“I was looking forward to it,” Tatiana says. “I would like to see what he is capable of—yes, he has caused much damage to the computers, but it is not what is interesting. I want to see how he is as fighter! Perhaps we will get to see fight on television,” she decides, grabbing Marie’s hand and tugging her. “I am looking forward to it!”

“You—you want to see the fight?”

“It is next best thing to being in fight,” Tatia says as Superior flies over their heads in a stark white uniform.

“He isn’t—” Marie starts out.

“He is going to help the humans,” Tatia explains. “One of us must, it is in blood!”

***

“Rocco,” Nico says over the school com-link. I jerk from where I’m handing off another healer. “I need you to do something for me. Herold went to visit the parents—”

“They caught him?” Max asks, showing he’s listening.

“They let him go,” Nico says.

The entire school says, “WHAT?”

“They have to live with his mom—and guards or not, you can’t exactly have a civil dinner with that in the background. Besides, they’re retired—just asking them to guard Mother is above and beyond what’s required of them. That’s why I want Rocco to locate him. Do not engage—I repeat, DO NOT engage. Just send the location to the Hall leaders as discreetly as possible. I suggest keeping to the Shadowlands and not using your tech except from in there. That’s why I’m sending you instead of Skye, she doesn’t have the Shadowlands to hide in. It’s still dangerous,” he admits. “This won’t be like the mission to get my watch—there’s no S-class tank distracting him. I’m not sure where he’ll be holed up, but I want to keep him there until after we’ve finished our work here. Got it?”

“I want to go with him,” I hear Carla say. “I promised I’d have his back for the kidnapping—this qualifies, right?”

“Carla, you’re doing a seriously important job right now, kid,” Nico says.

“So is Rocco!” she protests. “We need those healers!”

“Most of them have already been put to work,” I say, taking a deep breath and forcing myself to focus. “We’ve gone through and found all of the healers I can sense. If there are more, well, Shadowman and Skye are more likely to find them than I am. Besides,” I say, thinking about the job, “I’m built for this sort of work, right? I might as well be called the Dusk Dog,” I joke.

“That’s got to be the stupidest name since Cold Steel,” Max says.

“Hey! It was a million times better than Metallic Menace,” Jack says.

"I refuse!" Aunt Skye says, making me blink. "Dusk Dog is stupid--you can be Nightstep! And then when we team up, we can be Skystep and Nightstep!"

What can I say to that?

"I like Nightstep!" Carla says, before I get anything out.

"Sounds better than Maximum," Jack says. "Maximum sounds like a magazine title."

“I have done just fine going as Maximum—and it does have to do with my powers!” Max says. “Maximum weight,” he says far too smugly. The entire school starts to laugh at him.

“What, like an elevator?” Ace asks, cracking up. “Is THAT where you got your name from?”

“Oh shut up, I was thirteen at the time,” Max says. “It’s still a classy cape name.”

“Speaking of elevators, I’m helping anyone that got stuck in small spaces,” Emily says. “Does anyone need some assistance?”

“Okay, I’m going to find him now,” I say since the conversation has changed. Nightstep works, after all. I'd rather be associated with Skystep than Shadowman. I head through the nearest shadow, stepping out on an empty parking lot. It’s easier to find someone on the surface than in the Shadowlands. I turn, closing my eyes and searching for the strong energy of a technopath. Two above, I write them off and keep searching. Further… further… There.

My eyes widen as I realize where he is. “Got him,” I say. “He’s near the White House—Washington D.C.” I groan, running a hand over my face. “Can you keep Marigold off my back?” I ask as I enter the Shadowlands.

“She’ll be informed,” Nico says. “But don’t worry—she wants his blood more than yours, I’m sure. Zoe, you stay here and keep working, I’ll go.” The comment is quiet, but we all hear it. It’s time to take down Herold.

***

The dispatcher call-center is busy, but not nearly as busy as they’d assumed it would be. “Mr. Dispatcher” as Skye has nicknamed him, is staring at the screens in shock, his mind reeling with all of the things he’s learned in the past twenty minutes. Someone had even apparently left the line he’s on open while having a conversation on a different one. He feels a little sick to his stomach at the knowledge that he’d actually thought about voting for Senator Herold. The dislike of supers isn’t new—especially to those that are involved with the usual authorities. Capes are seen as show-boaters and fools in those circles.

This crisis has been a massive eye-opener, and not just for him. Even the cops have been making off-hand comments about how enthusiastic the capes helping have been to see them. That scene with Maximum lifting the cars so the ambulance could come is already going viral wherever the internet has been restored. That’s the most shocking part, he thinks. The super villains—Maximum, Dragon, Cold Steel, they’re all out there in the middle of it all, lifting cars, putting out fires, doing the things that most heroes expect to be recorded doing. It’s actually a bit of a sore spot for the villains, if he’s hearing them right.

“Do you KNOW how much I’ll have to do to resurrect my career after this?” Maximum complains. The dispatcher wants to mention that they’re on the wrong line, but telling a well-known super villain that seems more risky than helpful.

“You can always switch sides for a bit. We would welcome you to our side,” Mastermental says with a hint of amusement. “But please keep all communications to a minimum on this line, it’s for communicating with the authorities.”

“Which line—” Maximum lets out a curse and suddenly the line goes silent.

“Are you recording that?” his boss asks from behind him. The dispatcher jerks, looking up and nodding slightly. “I’ll want to hear it when you’re finished,” his boss says.

“Yes, sir,” the dispatcher says quietly.

“Mr. Dispatcher,” he hears the young girl he’s been following most closely. “This is Carla! We’ve got a gas fire of some sort. Can you send someone to my coordinates?” she asks, rattling them off when he asks. The kids, especially, always know where they are. He responds, sending the coordinates on. “I’ll do what I can to cut it off until they get here—I’m good with fire,” she adds before he hears a whoosh of sound.

“Mr. Dispatcher, we truly appreciate your assistance,” Mastermental says over the line. “We also appreciate your discretion. Carla is one of our future stars—”

“She’s one of MY future stars, you mean,” Century says.

“Really, Century, with her speed and… personality, Carla could easily be in a few different Halls and still get bored,” Mastermental says. “But regardless, until she has a call name, we would appreciate you bleeping out her name for official records.”

“Oh good, the firemen are here, they can finish this—it was more stubborn than I thought it would be. Hello, Mr. Firemen! Thank you so much for coming!” Carla says. “I need to sit for a minute—” they go silent, listening to her breathe. “Okay, I’m good again,” she declares a second later. “And did Double M just call me ADHD?” she demands.

What sounds like the entire super community starts laughing. The dispatcher has to pull the headphone away from his ear, although a little smile is pulling at his lips.

“Of course not, my dear,” Mastermental says. “You are merely a very powerful speedster. While there are some... similarities, we cannot, and
will not
classify you as having an attention deficit. You are extremely good at staying on point, especially for a super of your type."

“I noticed that you're avoiding the 'hyperactive' part,” she says, making him laugh. “Well, whatever, has anyone heard from Rocco?”

“Mr. Dispatcher—” Mastermental says.

“We’ll delete that from the records as well, sir,” the dispatcher says, anticipating the suggestion. “Although I was led to believe he was a villain?”

“Well,” Mastermental says. “He is, but he is also a Cape High student. What we don’t promote—and would appreciate you keeping to yourself, is that the Cape High villains are… cooperative to a degree. That’s why Cold Steel, Dragon, and Maximum are helping today.”