Vanguard: The Complete Second Season: A Superhero Serial (Vanguard: The Collected Seasons Book 2) (9 page)

“Where is he?”

“Erin?” Koji stepped out of his room, rubbing his eyes as well. He blinked a few times when he saw the Exemplar standing there. “Hey, what’s going on?”

“Where were you tonight?” asked the Exemplar, stepping into the room and pushing past Erin.
 

“Huh?” asked Koji. “I’ve been here.”

“Can you prove that?”

“Of course. Shift was right here the whole time.”

The Exemplar cast a suspicious glance in Erin’s direction. “It seems I woke you. When did you go to sleep.”

Erin shrugged. “Dunno exactly. I got tired pretty early, though. Maybe around ten or so?”

The Exemplar turned his attention to Koji. “Then she can’t help you.”

“Help me with what?”

“Yeah, what’s this about?” asked Erin.

“One of the Pack has been found dead. Fenris has accused Sharkskin.”

“What?” asked Koji. “That’s insane!”

The Exemplar sighed. “I don’t want to believe it myself. Especially since I vouched for the two of you. But you
are
the most-likely suspect.”

“But you guys told us that the Pack has caused trouble before!” said Erin. “Maybe someone else did this!”

“We’ll look into that possibility, but it doesn’t change the fact that Sharkskin is still a suspect.” The Exemplar stepped closer towards Koji. “Just come with me and we’ll figure this out. I promise you’ll be treated fairly.”

Erin moved in front of the Exemplar, staring up at him with big, yellow eyes. “Please don’t do this! Give us a chance to help you find out who’s responsible! It’s what we do, remember?”

“You don’t have Vanguard’s resources anymore and I can’t circumvent the law. I’m sorry, but I have to take Sharkskin into custody.” He looked past Erin. “Will you come quietly?”

Koji clenched his fist and Erin noticed the pale transformation of his skin color. She watched him with pleading eyes. “Don’t! You’ll only make things worse!”

He didn’t listen. Koji Asano jumped but when he crossed the distance between him and the Exemplar, he had transformed into Sharkskin. Razor-sharp claws slashed across the Exemplar’s blue and white uniform, tearing into the cloth but leaving the skin more or less unscratched. The force of the blow threw the Exemplar back out into the town.

Sharkskin emerged from the building, stepping out into the town. The Exemplar had been thrown against the adjoining house, leaving a dent in the stone wall. The force and sound of the impact drew the occupants out the front door, who looked at the scene with horror. Sharkskin glared at the young couple and bared his teeth at them.
 

The Exemplar sprung from his location, barreling into Sharkskin with force that threw him back into an empty house. Sharkskin’s momentum sent him through the wall and the lack of support caused the roof to cave in on top of him. The Exemplar hovered above the ground, rising above the rubble and staring down.

“Stay down, Sharkskin. I’m not going to tell you again.”

Sharkskin burst from the rubble, rising high enough to grab hold of the Exemplar’s ankle. He used his grip to pull himself higher, his meaty hand wrapping around the Exemplar’s throat.
 

The two men wrestled while still miraculously being kept aloft by the Exemplar’s power of flight. Sharkskin delivered thunderous blows to his foe’s face.

“This seem familiar, King? Remember how I beat your ass back in Chicago?”

The Exemplar put his palms on Sharkskin’s chest and unleashed a double burst of energy from his hands, blowing Sharkskin off him and throwing him back among the rubble.

“As I recall, you could only sucker-punch me
after
Paragon did all the work.”

Sharkskin growled and jumped again, but the Exemplar was prepared. He caught Sharkskin, going with his momentum and spinning in the air. The Exemplar then hurled him into another home, with the occupant running screaming.

Long, green tendrils snaked out and wrapped around the Exemplar’s body. He turned his head and saw Shift holding her elongated arms out from the ground. “Stop this! We don’t have to fight!”

The Exemplar fired an energy blast that struck her in the head and released her grip on him. “Your friend started this. I’m going to end it.”

Shift sat up, rubbing her head in pain. What was going on here? Both the Exemplar and Sharkskin were acting crazy. She tried to call after the Exemplar, but he’d already gone after Sharkskin again.

***

Sharkskin rose amidst the rubble of another destroyed house. He shook his head, trying to get control of his bearings. He felt like he was in a fugue state and couldn’t explain what was happening. He tried to backtrack his thoughts.

The Exemplar showed up at their door, accusing Koji of murder. The next thing Koji knew, they were battling in the middle of the town. But why did he feel like he was watching the fight from outside himself? It felt like a half-remembered dream.

And then the dream came crashing back to reality when the Exemplar flew into him from the air like a missile. Sharkskin had no time to brace himself from the attack and now he laid motionless on the ground.

Koji felt his form losing mass. He couldn’t maintain his concentration any more and now he was reverting back to his human form. He felt a strong hand around his neck and then he was hoisted into the air. Koji weakly opened his eyes, looking down at the Exemplar, who stared back at him with contempt.

“Stay down this time, murderer,” he said. “I won’t allow you to ruin everything we’ve worked so hard to build here.”

Koji wanted to say something in his defense, but the words escaped him. He could barely move, let alone speak. It wasn’t long before the darkness came over him and the world went to black.

***

Fenris moved through the brush, going deep into the woods that surrounded Arcadia. He ran across the terrain, jumping when necessary to avoid obstacles without missing a beat. He leapt and swung from branches until he finally came to a clearing. A small pond stood at the edge of the clearing with a mountain wall encasing it. He sniffed the air and he could detect the scent of the man he was here to meet.

“Good work,” said Animus, stepping out from the forest. “Everything is going according to plan.”

“Why did it have to be Zev?” asked Fenris. “Why did it have to be one of my people?”

“Because it provides motive. Your people attacked them, so this makes him look guilty.”

Fenris knelt down at the pond and scooped some of the freshwater into his mouth. Animus moved closer, squatting beside the changeling and placing a hand on his back.

“This is necessary, my friend. The Exemplar isn’t the man we first saw announce his presence last year, he’s since been rendered ineffectual by his imprisonment and association with Vanguard. He’s not ready to lead our people in the way we require.”

Fenris looked up at Animus. “And you’re sure this will work? That he’ll kill these Vanguardians?”
 

“Of course. He’ll realize that we can’t take this meek approach, simply waiting out and hiding for Cerberus to come after us. Sharkskin will be found guilty at this trial and then it will be time for the Exemplar to prove his worth.”

“What if he doesn’t?”

Animus rose to his feet. “Then his credibility will be ruined among the Arcadians. Everyone saw the damage Sharkskin caused when resisting arrest. They won’t follow an ineffectual leader. They’ll look to someone new, someone with the strength to do what’s necessary.”

Fenris stood beside the old man, looking into his swirling, glowing green eyes. “You think I’m that man?”

Animus gave a nod and patted Fenris on the shoulder. “You sacrificed one of your own for the greater good. If there’s anyone who understands just what our people need, it’s you.”

Fenris felt a tug at his thoughts. Something didn’t seem to add up here, but when he looked at Animus’ eyes, he felt at peace once again. Zev needed to die to ensure that the specials could grow in strength.

“What about Rollo and Dolph?”
 

“They would follow you through the gates of Hell,” said Animus.

“What if they knew what I did to Zev?”

“They’d understand. Of course they would. Sacrifices must be made so that our people can survive the coming trials.” Animus stepped closer to the water and looked down, staring at his reflection in its crystal surface. “The Exemplar would have us simply cower in fear and hide from the humans. But you’ll lead us into a great era. One in which the humans run from
us
.”

Fenris gave a cautious nod. Animus was right, he was always right. Any reservations Fenris might have were nothing more than misplaced fear. He would conquer it, especially to bring about the survival of his species.

CHAPTER 8

The Exemplar walked into the deep cavern with Tuwa by his side. The unconscious Koji was slung over his shoulder and they moved through the cave, Tuwa holding a flashlight to guide their path.

“This isn’t right, Cal,” she said.
 

“Sharkskin killed one of our own. Fenris was right to be worried about his presence here. We can’t let murder stand.”

Tuwa stepped in front of the Exemplar, blocking his path. “Listen to yourself! Did you see what you did out there? You were like a wrecking ball. And all to stop one man?”

“He may not look like it now, but he’s a dangerous man. Maybe you didn’t see what he was like out there, but I did what I could to stop him.”

Tuwa narrowed her eyes. “I saw you deliberately throw him into a home you
knew
people were in.”

He gave a sigh and rubbed his eyes. “What should I have done, Tuwa? Asked nicely for him to stop trying to beat me into submission?”

She lowered her head. “I don’t know. All I do know is that there’s a certain irony in the fact that you’re taking him prisoner for an unproven accusation of murder and to bring him in, you decide to risk the lives of many more people.”

“Everyone abides by the laws of Arcadia. There aren’t any exceptions. I won’t let anyone disturb the peace we’ve worked so hard for.”

He walked past her, moving deeper into the cave. Tuwa turned, her eyes following him. “And what about when
you’re
the one disturbing that peace?”

He stopped and looked back. “What are you saying?”

“I remember Chicago,” she said. “Watching you fight Vanguard on TV. That man? He frightened me. Then I met you, I realized that you’d changed. That you weren’t that guy any more. But tonight, I saw him again, throwing Sharkskin around without concern for the damage it would cause.”

The Exemplar dropped Koji on the ground and stormed over to Tuwa, towering above her. His eyes burned with anger, and though she felt her blood turn cold, she stood firm against him.

“I’m
not
that man.”

“Prove it.”

The Exemplar’s fingers curled into fists and he felt an urge in him to crush her skull with his bare hands. But he fought it, not sure where that thought had even come from. His fingers relaxed and his face softened.

“I will,” he said. “We’re going to have a trial for him, I promise. I won’t let mob justice prevail. But I need you to trust me.”

He reached a hand out and Tuwa flinched at first, but then relaxed when she felt a gentle touch land on her cheek. She sighed and placed her hand on top of his.

“I want to.”

The Exemplar picked up Koji and carried him over to an inner alcove, laying him down inside. He then turned to Tuwa. “Please.”

She sighed and approached the alcove, placing her hand on the rock. Tuwa closed her eyes and an orange glow appeared around her hand. Stone bars rose from the ground with a rumble, forming a cage to lock Sharkskin inside. She looked back at the Exemplar and he gave her a warm smile.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t make me regret this, Cal.”

They made their return to the cave’s entrance in silence. When they stepped outside, the Exemplar flew off without another word. Tuwa sighed and sat down on a rock, running a hand through her long, black hair.

“Trouble in paradise, it seems.”

She looked up and saw the Ferryman standing in the shadows. He stepped closer, looking at her with concern in his eyes. Tuwa offered a faint smile. “Something like that.”

“Pretty heavy stuff. Never seen him like that before,” said the Ferryman.
 

“I have.”

“He’s just under a lot of stress, that’s all. You know that if he didn’t do this, the Pack would try and incite some sort of riot to get revenge for Zev’s death.”

“I don’t know,” she said. “Something about this feels…not right.”

“Yeah, I get that. But ours is not to question why.”

Tuwa looked up at him. “Then who’s supposed to?”

The Ferryman gave a shrug. “Beats the hell outta me.” He held out a hand and created a portal. “I’m gonna go on a supply run. Feel like joining me? Might clear your head.”

Tuwa shook her head. “No thanks.”

“All right, just don’t beat yourself up too much.” The Ferryman entered his portal and it closed shut behind him.
 

Tuwa sat there in the forest, letting the night breeze roll over her skin for a short time. When she rose to her feet to begin the walk back to town, she was hit with a sudden flash in her mind’s eye. It was powerful enough that it nearly dropped her to her feet.

Images flashed through her head. Moving so rapidly that it was difficult to make any real sense of them. But as she saw them, she realized there was something wrong. And she knew she had to talk to Shift.

***

Tuwa looked around as she moved through Arcadia’s town square. The entire place was buzzing with talk of Sharkskin’s apparent murder of Zev. Some were worried that this meant Vanguard was coming to destroy the town. The Exemplar had worked to keep everyone calm, but they were calling for the blood of a murderer.

Shift had stayed inside her quarters since Sharkskin’s arrest, refusing to come out for anything. But if what Tuwa suspected was true, she would need help. She walked up to the door and knocked on it.

“Go away.”

She leaned against the door. “It’s Tuwa. Please let me in. I have to talk to you.”