The Distort Arc: Cape High Books 1-4 (Cape High Series Omnibus) (61 page)

I toss him to the side, looking around.  "Then I thought, you know, I'd like a place like this.  I bet you've even got room for an evil lair!  I'm just starting out, y'know?" I say, moving over to stare at one of the paintings.  He moves and I turn, flicking one of my small metal balls at him.  It slams into the floor next to him so hard it leaves a hole.  "Hey, now, I don't want to mess up my new place with your brains," I warn him.

You know, I could really get to enjoy this bad guy act...

"So this is where you went," Trent says from the double doors that are still hanging off the hinges. 

"Kid," I say, turning and stepping back once.  "Now wait a minute--"

"I told you, you shouldn't be doing this," Trent says, rushing forward.  He slams into me, and we go backwards into the massive stairs in the middle of the room, crashing into them and leaving a gigantic hole in the middle. 

"I was going to use those!" I complain, punching him in the face and sending him flying backwards.  He slams through the front of the building, leaving a
gigantic hole and the threat of the house falling.  A second later he comes through the doors again, slamming into me.  This time the stairs are wiped out completely as we start brawling.  Soon pieces of the ceiling are falling down as the place collapses.  Trent, almost as a side thought, grabs the cowering Tony and throws him out of the building.

"You destroyed my new place!" I complain as I shove off the rubble that tries to bury me.  "I was going to keep this one!"

"Stealing houses will definitely get you grounded, man," Trent says.  He's just standing there, looking as if he accomplished a work of great heroism.  I'm trying not to laugh over just how righteous he appears.

"My--my house," Tony whimpers.  He looks like he's going to cry.

I sigh as I look around and step out of the rubble.  "Well, crap," I mutter.  "I bet he had cable, too.  Or maybe satellite.  Satellite's not bad."

"It's time for the Hall to show up," Trent says.

"Then I'll just be going," I say, walking towards Tony.  I stop, looming over him.  "You know how this goes, don't you?"

"Derr--Derrick--"

"Doesn't owe you a thing," I tell him.  "Write it off as a charitable act.  Otherwise I'm going to try my hand at remodeling, got it?"

"There's no house--"

"Who said that's what I'd remodel?" I ask evilly before I head for the street (glancing around for the dogs but they're nowhere to be seen) and hop on the back of Derrick's bike.  "Time to go."

"But--you just--"

"Make sure you visit your mom more often," I tell him, reaching around him and gunning the bike.  He takes the hint and we drive off.

***

"They totally just destroyed that massive building," Aubrey whispers.  She's sitting on the roof of a World Market shop, waiting for Jeanie to show up.  It had only taken a few moments to demolish the mansion, and her mind is still spinning over the fact that both had walked away without a scratch.  She's so intent on watching the cops come that she doesn't even notice someone landing behind her until she hears a footstep.

"It's already over," she says, not glancing up.  "We should probably call Nico--"

"Oh, I'd rather not," a woman says.  Aubrey glances up, not recognizing the voice, and stares at the tall woman with glowing eyes.

"Who--" she starts out.  It's getting hot, she notices as she tries to get to her feet.  The woman grabs her arms before she manages to get up.

"I need you, little healer," the woman says, hauling her into her arms.  "Distort needs you."

The world snaps around them.

Then they're no longer there.

***

"You're crazy," Derrick says as he pulls to a stop outside of the junkyard.  "Totally insane!"  I ignore him, getting off the back of his motorcycle and heading for the entrance. "Jack!" he yells.

"You know," I say, turning on him.  "I almost died.  And I don't remember anyone ever mentioning that you came by to check on me, man.  It's only when I was useful again that you even bothered to show up.  I wanted to try, I really did, but now I know exactly what'll happen if I keep hanging out with you.  You and me?  We're not friends.  Not anymore."  I walk away.

"Look," he says right as I'm about gone.  "I'm sorry.  I didn't know what else to do.  I wasn't... I wasn't trying to use you."

"You can keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better," I tell him coldly.  "But we both know better."

I step into the junkyard, only to stop as Nico appears in front of me.  "Nice job," he says briskly, "but we've got a bigger problem, now."

"What's that?"

"Someone's got Aubrey."

"What?"

"While Jeanie was pumping gas someone caught Aubrey.  Jeanie, Ken, and half of the Hall are out looking for her now.  We need to get you back to school now."

"Aubrey's my girlfriend," I say.  "I'm not going to just sit around while you look for her!  I'm going with you."

"You can't fly, you're barely used to your powers, and you've had a long day already," Nico says.  "More than likely some norm caught her thinking she would make a good ransom, since it was in the ritzy part of town.  If anything, she'll be back on her own."

"You don't believe that," I say.

"I'd like to.  But regardless, she's one of the most important kids we've got.  That means everyone free from our branch of the Hall is out looking for her.  We don't need you getting cornered by the cops right now, we've got nobody that can bail you out."

"The cops--"

"You just attempted to rob a bank, remember?" Summer says, stepping into view.  "Jack, I understand how you feel, but we need to get you out of the limelight right now.  Trust Jeanie, she'll find Aubrey."  She walks over, holding out her hand to Nico and taking the keys.  "Please?"

I want to go out and find Aubrey.  It's my fault she was even out in a position where she could get grabbed or lost or whatever.  But arguing just takes more time away from finding her.  "If you haven't found her soon," I say to Nico, "I'm going to."

"I know.  But don't worry.  We'll find her."  And he's gone, flying out of sight and leaving me with Summer.

"I'm so sorry," she says, wrapping her arms around me.  I just stand there, not hugging her back.  I really, really wish Aubrey and I hadn't been fighting before this happened.

***

"There's not a camera on the roof of the building," Ken says over the communicator.  He's standing on top of the World Market building, looking for signs of a struggle.  He steps forward, staring at the ground.  "But there is one thing," he admits.  "Nico, I think you're going to need to see this."

"What is it?" Nico asks.

"Two female footprints burnt into the concrete.
  High heels."

"What size?" he asks.

"Do I look like I know?  Think they're smaller than Jeanie's."

"Thank you for saying just how big my feet are, honey," Jeanie drawls.

"I didn't--well, either way, who would get hot enough to burn their footprint into concrete?  It's not deep--"

Nico lets out a curse.  "It's probably Star Born," he says grimly.  "She distorts space and creates a black hole to travel--it gets really hot, and I can only assume she does, too.  The only other flame powered supers that come to mind are male."

"What?  Why would she want Aubrey?" Jeanie asks.

"Why wouldn't she?  Aubrey's the only healer type alive that I've heard of, she's a valuable commodity.  The problem is," Nico says darkly, "ever since they moved buildings they haven't set up shop enough for me to pick up on the electrical fluctuations.  Trust me, I've got a computer dedicated to it twenty four seven.  We're going to have to do this the old fashioned way."

"I just hope they don't take her powers," Ken says darkly, still crouching down next to the prints.  "What are we going to tell Jack?"

"Nothing.  Not yet, anyway.  Star Born and Distort are the reason he's what he is now.  Last thing we want to do is tell him his girlfriend got captured by them.  Spread out, everyone, we're going to find her by nightfall."

Ken takes to the air, looking at the footprints for a second longer.  "How far can she travel by the black hole?" he asks.

"I... honestly have no idea," Nico admits.  "But I can try and do the math.  There's got to be a limitation to it, especially if Summer's right about her."

"What did Summer think?" Jeanie asks.

"That Star Born was created, not born."

***

Summer flips off the radio, but it's too late.  I wonder if Nico even realizes that he left his car radio tuned into their comlink, or whatever they call it.  Wait, never mind, now's not the time to be thinking about that.

Star Born has my girlfriend.  I stare forward blindly, thinking of the woman that had screwed up my body so much that I can't walk down a street without people getting blinded.  She has Aubrey.  My first girlfriend, my freaking savior, even.  Without Aubrey I definitely wouldn't be sitting here right now.  And Star Born has her.

There is no way I'm going to just sit in the apartment, waiting for them to bring her home, I decide.  "Jack--honey, I know what you're thinking," Summer starts out.

"They had you, too," I say, barely moving my lips.  I'm trying not to roar, and it's not easy.  "You know what they do to kids like Aubrey."

"Norms.  I don't think they'll--"

"What do you think they'll do to her?" I ask, turning to look at her finally.  "Will they experiment on her?  Take her abilities and make little freaks out of them like they did with you and me?  How can you just calmly drive us back to the apartment knowing what they are?  She's my GIRLFRIEND!" I bellow.  The car jerks to a halt, almost sending me forward.

"And how are you going to fight them?" she asks.  "The official supers are having a hard time even finding them.  All you would do is draw attention to yourself--"

"Maybe I should," I say, reaching for the door handle.  "Maybe drawing attention to myself is exactly what I should do."

"What?"

"Listen," I tell her as I get out.  "I know the streets they work on.  I know the druggies and the bums and the--the others that live there.  I grew up on them.  Someone might talk to me that won't talk to the professional heroes."

"I--I appreciate that, but your safety is more important--"

"Not to me, it's not," I say bluntly.  I look around, then head for a sewer lid, standing on top of it.  For a moment it rattles as I try to control it, almost throwing me off before it takes to the air.  "I'll find her," I say to Summer, working on keeping my balance.  It's not as easy as it looks on cartoons, okay?  But I can do it, and that's the important part.  I take off, heading upwards before she can think of a reply.

Looks like I can fly, after all.  Er, sort of--if I can dodge that building in front of me...

***

Aubrey jerks away from the woman as soon as she can, but it's too late.  They're in a room that she doesn't recognize.  It's damp and cold here, with the sound of water dripping coming from somewhere in the distance.  A beeping sound attracts her attention, but she ignores it, staring at the woman who had just kidnapped her.

"What do you want from me?" Aubrey demands, her hands in fists at her sides.

"Please, little girl, relax," the woman says.  "My name is Star, I'm just another super, like yourself.  In fact I think we might have a lot more in common than you think."  She takes a step forward and Aubrey automatically takes a step back, bumping into
something.  She glances back as the cold metal hits the small of her back, then finds herself staring at the man on the the hospital bed.  He looks exactly like Nico.

"He's dying," Star says, jerking her back to the fact that the woman is still there.  "He needs your help, Aubrey.  No one else can do it.  I've done as much as I possibly can, but I'm not a healer.  At least, not like you are."

"Who is he?" Aubrey asks.  No, she thinks sharply, she's getting dragged into something dangerous.  She's been kidnapped, again.  The last time she was kidnapped she wound up in the zoo.  She looks around as casually as she can, seeing a flight of stairs to the right.  That looks to be the only exit, and she's not sure she can outrun a woman that can teleport. 

"His name is Distort," Star says, moving to the side.  She's now standing between Aubrey and the stairs.  "He's my partner.  He's a very, very important super, Aubrey.  If you were to save his life, you would be saving the lives of millions of others."

It sounds like a lie, but with Star blocking her from the only exit, she's got little choice.  If she goes along with this Star might lower her guard.  Plus, she thinks as she steps closer to the man, his face is so much like Nico's that it's almost personal.  She's spent so many evenings next to Nico, talking with him, even joking with him as they worked to heal others.  Her hand unconsciously reaches out, touching Distort's hand.