Super Powereds: Year 3 (94 page)

                “Glad to.” Nick crumpled up the chip bag and set it down, then took a spare napkin from the table and began wiping off his fingers. “I debated on how to approach you for a long while, Ralph. I thought about extortion, or threatening loved ones, or all the usual ways I’d come at someone who dared to try and pin me down. But the more I studied you, the more I realized how similar we are. You don’t have any family to use—my condolences, by the way—and you’re not the sort to cave in to someone trying to blackmail you. You’d bring them down with you just for spite. At the end of the day, Ralph Chapman, you’re just a man who is driven by a single purpose, and that means none of my normal tricks would really work on you. So I decided to take a page out of Vince’s book, and try a whole different tactic.”

                Ralph braced himself. If Nick was mimicking Reynolds, then whatever attack he had planned was bound to be outrageous. Instead of explosions, shattering glass, or any other signal of destruction, though, Ralph only saw Nick extend his recently cleaned off hand.

                “I decided to forgive you, Ralph Chapman. You didn’t know the beehive you were poking, and I’m not going to punish you for the accident. We’re square. You can walk out of this diner and never worry about your bosses finding out you went off the books. Leave, and you’ll never see me again. Not even if you try.”

                Tentatively, Ralph stretched out his fingers and accepted Nick’s handshake. They gripped for a moment, and then it was done.

                “Of course, leaving will also mean you lose out on the treasure trove of inside knowledge I have, which no one else knows I have, from my time in the program,” Nick added.

                “Given what you did for your friend, I doubt you’re going to tell me anything that will damage him.”

                “No, but only because there’s nothing to tell,” Nick replied. “All I can give you is the truth, actual facts that can be used as you see fit. That’s what I’ll be wanting from you, as well. Simple, pure, friendly, informational exchange.”

                “Why on earth would you think I’d deal with someone like you?” Chapman asked.

                “Because you stepped outside the lines with Smitt, which means you’re desperate for information. I’m not chiding you for it; I’d have done the same thing. Well, I’d have done it better, but that isn’t the point. What matters is that I already know you’re willing to make deals and compromises, if it means uncovering the truth. So, Ralph Chapman, I’m proposing you stop doing bargains with imps.”

                Nick smiled again, this time with such a strange force that Ralph actually wondered if he was misremembering the man’s powers.

                “If you want to make deals, you should do them with a proper devil.”

174.

               As Victor’s speech ended and the class began filing out, Will moved with them, mind already on his next destination. After a few steps, however, he began to notice that he was being pulled backward. It wasn’t a strong tug, in fact, it was quite easy to miss if one weren’t especially perceptive, but it was there all the same. One quick glance around the room confirmed the culprit; Alice Adair was staring at him from several feet away. No sooner had their eyes locked than she made a quick motion with her head, tossing it toward one of the halls that ran alongside the gym.

                Will gave a slight, nearly imperceptible nod, and the force pulling him back abruptly vanished. He had an excellent idea of what Alice would want to discuss, though he was unsure what answer he would give her. Alice was powerful—after seeing her fight in the last exam, only an idiot would question that—but Subtlety often required more than raw power to succeed. She could just as easily be a liability as an asset, if he agreed to team up with her. Ultimately, it would be her pitch that decided things for him.

                After killing a little time in a nearby bathroom, waiting for the rest of the class to wander off, Will made a path toward the side hallway where Alice was waiting.

*             *             *

                “Crushed it!” Victor announced, slamming the door to Dean Blaine’s office open as the two stepped through. A few feet behind them, walking with a curious mix of weariness and excitement, was Professor Pendleton.

                “I will say that I think the talk went well,” Dean Blaine agreed. “The students seemed receptive to what you were saying. I hope that, when the inevitable comes for some of them, they are open to finding success and happiness with your organization.”

                “Are you kidding? I’ll bet I have a few ask me about getting contracts before I leave the school. Money, fame, and you don’t risk death. Who could resist?” Victor asked.

                The truth, as all of them knew, was that every student in attendance could resist, and would. There was a reason Victor didn’t give his speech to those lower than juniors; before that point, there were still those seeking glory over duty. By the time they made it this far, each and every Super in the HCP was dedicated to becoming a Hero, no matter what other offers might come their way.

                “I don’t know, if none of the boys tried to follow Clarissa home, I doubt you’re going to sway them,” Professor Pendleton said.

                Immediately, Victor’s eyes grew wide, and his bravado withered. “Cl . . . Clarissa was here? You found her?”

                “Not easily,” Dean Blaine said, giving a scathing glance to Professor Pendleton. Old a joke as it might be, teasing Victor about his crush just seemed cruel. “I had to reach out to a lot of people that don’t like being found in order to set up a meeting. She’s done the best she can to vanish from the Hero world.”

                “Can’t say I blame her, poor thing.” Victor walked over and sat down in a normal, measured way. It was a stark contrast to his usual bullish behavior. “After Globe and Intra died, that just left her, Black Hole, and The Alchemist for the DVA and media to pick apart. Since she was the only other one from The Class of Legends on that team, those jackals refused to believe she didn’t know something. Enough of that hounding, especially after losing two friends, and any of us would have flipped the bird at this whole costumed world.”

                “She’s doing much better now,” Professor Pendleton assured him. Much as he liked to rib Victor, it was no fun to actually bring the big man down. Clearly, his last jab had struck closer to the heart than he intended. “Had a bit of life in her eyes again. Hell, a few times, she almost seemed downright happy.”

                “Happy, huh? I’ll cross my fingers and hope that’s true. After what she went through, the woman deserves a bit of happiness. Like the rest of us have found.”

                “Ah yes, I was known throughout my cell block as ‘The Joyful Jailbird.’” Professor Pendleton took a seat besides his old friend and classmate, a wry grin on his face.

                “And I, in my time as dean, have learned that this is quite literally one of the worst jobs in the entire Hero community. Do you have any idea how hard it is to corral just south of a hundred Supers, many of whom are freshmen, when they are under the influences of alcohol, sexual attraction, and living away from home for the first time? Honestly, the fact that not one HCP school has devolved into a drunken fire orgy is a credit to the Heroes that have gone before us.”

                Victor tilted his head. “A drunken fire orgy?”

                “Every year, something in the river trip gets set on fire. Even when no one present has flame-based powers, it still happens. Every year. I honestly have no idea why,” Dean Blaine said. “I just know that if those kids ever do cave in to all their post-pubescent instincts, there’s going to be fire involved.”

                “Well, at least our class didn’t . . . oh, nope. Phil and Joshua lit up some trees during a drunken sparring match,” Professor Pendleton said. “Only way we got away with it was thanks to Casper healing the trees.”

                “Back when Casper wasn’t such a pain in the ass,” Victor said. “And, of course, before Joshua was dead and Phil was a damn fugitive. Maybe a little fire wasn’t so bad, by comparison.”

                Dean Blaine and Professor Pendleton exchanged a brief glance. They’d been waiting for the conversation to take a certain turn, one that was inevitable when these three people were together, and now, it was here. With a slight clearing of his throat, Dean Blaine began to speak once more.

                “Actually, Victor, I was hoping to speak with you about the whole Globe incident. Learning he’s still alive has opened up some new questions, ones we are seeking answers for.”

                “You and half the Hero world, I’ll bet,” Victor said. “What would I know, though? When that went down, you and I were on a team half a country away. We only saw the others at team-ups and reunions.”

                “But others were working in their city,” Professor Pendleton pointed out. “Heroes that have since gone on to retire, and some of whom decided to keep paying the bills by playing in the SAA.”

                Victor’s broad face tightened as realization dawned. He carefully leaned forward in his chair, considering the expressions on the faces of both the men before him. “So, that’s what this is about. You want me to use my influence to tap some intelligence resources.”

                “It does seem more likely that those with any memories would talk to you before a DVA representative,” Dean Blaine said. “And after all, isn’t trading intelligence what friends do?”

                Victor suppressed a sigh; there was no point in it. He’d always known the bill for all those leads Blaine gave him would come due eventually, though Victor had really been hoping it would just involve a nice dinner and a gentleman’s club. Blaine had him over a barrel; all he could do was play ball.

175.

               As Nick prepared his living room, he took a few moments to make sure everything was properly set up. He’d had Eliza duplicate a few chairs, along with loads of beer and snacks, so there was room for nearly everyone to sit. The television and DVD player were both working fine, as was the jerry-rigged surround sound he’d created using old speakers. Lastly, and most importantly, Jerome and Eliza were under penalty of death if they dared interrupt the evening’s festivities, so the night could go off undisturbed.

                Nick heard them all coming before they ever knocked on the door. It was impossible for a herd that large to move without drawing attention, even if they were trying to be polite to his neighbors. Rather than making them bother with formalities, Nick flung open the front door and greeted his friends.

                “Come on in, you damn buffalo. We’ve got some terrible movies to watch.”

                “Just as long as they’re the right terrible movies,” Alice warned. Despite her attempts at a stern face, she wore a cheerful smile as she waltzed into his apartment.

                “You wound me. All this time, and you think I would dare undermine our agreed upon viewing?”

                “All this time, and I’d be an idiot to think you wouldn’t try,” Alice shot back.

                “Touché. Lucky for all of you, I gave my word. Plus, Hershel agreed to help me organize a slasher marathon somewhere down the line.”

                “Don’t remind me,” Hershel sighed, following Alice in. He had a small bag that Nick already knew was full of collector’s editions DVDs, ones that had likely already been watched dozens of times over.

                “And don’t count the rest of us in for it, either,” Mary added. Unlike Alice, she looked as though she were genuinely trying to suppress grumpiness, rather than feigning it. Still, she held Hershel’s free hand and smiled when he looked at her, doing all she could to hide her disinterest in these awful sci-fi films.

                “I always thought I’d like to be in a slasher movie,” Angela said. “They usually go for the trampy blondes, and I’d love to see the look on some half-baked monster’s face when they got a load of me.”

                Nick had to admit, if only internally, that attacking Angela would likely be the last action of any person, psycho or otherwise. “Pleasure to see you again. What brings you to my humble abode?”

                “Well, once I found out you had my boyfriend dressing up in a costume, I just had to get in on this shit,” Angela replied. She jerked a thumb backward, toward where Chad was talking with her brother. “The real shocker here is that he was able to talk Shane into coming. I’d have had to threaten and scheme for weeks to get him to go along with this sort of thing.”

                “Perhaps it’s because Chad simply asked that I said yes,” Shane told her.

                “Or it’s ‘cause, deep down, you’ve always wanted to dress up like a space wizard. Knowing you this long, I’m putting my money on the latter.” Angela headed into the apartment, eyeing the place critically as she did. Despite her carefree demeanor, it didn’t escape Nick’s notice that she was scanning for exits and points of potential attack in this new environment. The girl wasn’t considered the resident Lander champion for nothing.

                “Based on my reading, there are no wizards in
Space Puncher
,” Chad told Shane. “There are, however, My’rth Na’Garea, which serves as a corollary to what we consider the magus of ancient—”