I know this is a lil shorter than other chapter but, hey, since a lot of you want it, NEW POV will DEFINITELY be in the upcoming part 2, guys ;)
Summer's officially over for me. I have school now so the update will be slowed down according to the amount of homework my teachers assigned. I'm still a 12th grader so school is my priority :D
I'll be adding playlist for this book later :)
PS. #10 in adventure? WHATTTTT??? O___O Thanks for the read, votes, and comments, guys!!!
- Ida
Chapter 27 part 1- Failsafe? More like Failed Save.
We are used to villains losing in the end and the idea that good will always trample evil.
Well, we are about to see if that's a tautology.
How will the epilogue of this be written down as?
I didn't have good feelings about that since I was the one holding the pen this time and I had reputation to write unfinished and confusing stories with large amount of unexpected deaths for role plays in drama classes....
(A/N large amount of unexpected deaths, eh? Sound like my style of writing :D)
There'd be real death, not just fake one with ketchup, overly exaggerated coughing, and loud emotionless screams we see in school theater.
I had been to a meeting less intense than this roundtable discussion with superheroes who were just trying to kill each other a few hours ago. Even the large pastel blue whale plush smiling in the middle of the table couldn't lighten up the atmosphere which was apparently filled with dark cloud and lightning storm.
Literally.
Cloudburst had too much nervous energy and Titan's round mahogany table took the worst hit. That's why Magician was pulling an orange umbrella from his black top hat. Tornado was asking him to share the umbrella but Magician wasn't too keen on sharing with a guy that just attempted to kill him.
However, the main source this intense vibe was radiating from wasn't them.
It was Cryonics glaring at a certain guy in my drama class who was occasionally late for everything.
At the exact same time some important and super attacks occurred.
If look could kill, Isaac Thornton would be dead by now.
"Just let me go." He sighed. The handcuffs chaining his wrists rattled as he tugged at it. His appearance didn't change one bit. He was still the guy with glasses that was as clumsy and awkward as me. Minus that evil glint in his eyes which were a tad greener than what they appeared to be. His skin was also tanned and his hair honey colored.
I guessed it had something to do with his super power. He was, after all,suited up in dark olive green super suit with texture that resembles scales of reptile animals.
He had given up on trying to escape since he realized he couldn't use his power.
Which meant this was his real identity. Not just another face of Chameleon.
I felt sick when I thought back to the time I actually thought he was Cryonics. It had always been the other way around. He was absent from school to aid the villains in the attack while Les was absent because he was trying to stop Isaac.
That explained the battered look he had whenever he arrived late.
It was probably Cryonics's who caused those bruises.
Les had showed signs that he suspected Isaac to be a super villain but the guy was a good actor.
"Aren't you going to say anything?" He scoffed, looking at me right in the eyes through his messy honey colored lock.
"She doesn't have to." Cryonics shrugged. "You don't get to order us around, Thornton."
"Come on, Les. We were a good team, man. Don't be so hostile. If I wanted to kill you, I would have done that since you lied paralyzed in your own blood on the ice rink. Defenseless." Isaac drawled on. He didn't look like the shy guy I accidentally upper cut at the hospital. "I even helped you up."
"What's with everyone knowing my secret identity these days?" Cryonics groaned frustratingly for only me to hear, his face buried in his hand. "Why is he here again? Please give me 3 legitimate reasons to not just freeze him in an ice block and feed him to the sharks at Aqua World."
Speaking of the incident at the hospital, that reminded me how the pill bottle fell from my bag and he fetched it up for me. That was why 2 of my pills were missing. Cryonics told me he took another one just for his oh-so-professional-experiment on whether I was secretly a super or not. Les was the person who gave me the pill bottle at the hospital.
Finally the jigsaws of clues were slowly falling into their places.
I had been trying to complete the big picture without knowing what it actually was.
Now that I knew what the whole picture was, I realized how weird and twisted it appeared to be.
Can I actually trust anyone? Les and Cryonics lied to me right into my face. For years. On more than one earth-shattering kind of issue. Aunt Casey never told me the whole truth about myself. Gale is a super. Mr. Logan was the Coldfront.
Isaac is a villain.
I wondered what would come next?
Mochi elected as the mayor of Brackenbridge?
"He is the spy." I spoke up after comprehending the information I knew for awhile. "Cicatrix told me a little birdie notified her about L—something only me and my close friend know. She tended to use that information to turn me against Cryonics and Titan. To get rid of them for her—in exchange to a big favor she would give to me in return."
"Good thing you didn't fall for such shallow trap." The Plastic Bender guy shrugged. "Villains do that all the time. Dirty money ain't worth the consequences, kid."
"Yeah. Good thing I didn't." I muttered, feeling heat radiating from my heart region as my heart beat faster. Hot blush creeped up my cheeks and made way down my spine.
Guilty.
Cryonics's eyes were on me the whole time the other supers discussed further on the matter. I prayed silently that he wouldn't call me out on my almost crime but Les knows me better than anyone else. He observed my unnatural rigid manner with scrutinizing stare and crossed his arms, letting his head hang low.
"Jay?" He said knowingly, his voice was bleak. "You almost did, didn't you?"
"Cicatrix gave me that tranquilizer I later injected Tornado with. It was supposed to be used on you." I didn't meet his eyes. My lips pressed tightly into a thin line. "I was doing it for Les."
Things would forever be complicated between us with 4 different identities.
He let the subject drop and directed a question toward Isaac instead. "Why did you target her."
"We never did finished that fight on the bridge. You left before the match could end and even though you losing was inevitable, it's still..out of character for a vigilante like you."
"Low class villains aren't worthy of my time." Les sighed. "And don't get so cocky just because I was being lenient last time."
"You left early just to save her from the wreckage. She must be pretty important to you, yeah? Why would you care if a random girl dies, huh?" He drawled on lethargically. "Perhaps she might even know your secret identity. If she thought I was her Cryonics, keeping up with the new rogue vigilante couldn't be so difficult." Isaac looked up at us blankly as if he was confused what we had him chained to the chair for.
My best friend didn't reply to that but moved closer to my side, his fists clenched and the sparks in his eyes gone only to be replaced with a glare directed at his former team member.
"And seems like I got it right." Isaac continued on, drumming his fingers on the arm of the chair. "You came rushing to rescue her as predicted. It's a double bingo, actually. Titan joined the party too. You have pretty good connections, Fire girl."
"I've figured you out for awhile." Les said flatly.
That explained the way he acted at Mistwood and in the school theater. The super who always followed us around that he mentioned wasn't Cryonics.
"I know your identity." The villain shrugged. "And hers." He nodded my way.
"I'll kill you right now." Les's tone was cold and dangerous. He advanced toward the villain. The temperature in the room dropped to the point that Cloudburst's storm was turning into something that resembled a blizzard.
If we weren't careful, there could be an avalanche soon.
"Frosty." I grabbed Les's hand, stopping him from doing something he might regret.
Chameleon responded to Les's reaction with an infuriating smirk. "I see. The rogue was once in a pack after all."
"I've got all of them." Aunt Casey spoke up, showing us her tablet screen and saving Isaac from getting frozen to death by Cryonics. "We'll need to split up."
She had located the origins of the wave sent by the villains. Turned out there were 4 of them, spreading across the city. Mostly located on higher level ground. When plotted on the map and connected together, the area that the wave could cover would be enough to render the citizens of the whole city under control.
Their small experiment at the City Hall worked and they were moving on to—to put it simply—let the hell break loose.
I could only imagine what would it be like with villains and criminals as the majority and us as the minority. Those poor citizens under their control would be nothing but mere puppets, scattering around the city, forced to stay under their established rules without any choices.
"We still have to send a team to rescue Harmonia." Cloudburst said. "We don't even know where she is at the moment. The last thing we want is for them to have more hostages."
Time was momentarily stopped when Isaac suddenly volunteered. "That's where I come in. I know where she is. I volunteer."
I almost waited for the next 2 words to be spoken. Even at time like that, I couldn't hear that sentence without having the urge to add as tribute to the end.
"That's too easy." Cryonics laughed cynically. "Apart from the fact that you kidnapped Flare and attempted killing her, please tell us more about your wonderful resume. Why on earth should we recruit you?"
"Because I'm the only one who knows?" Isaac retorted smugly. "Contrary to popular belief, villains don't always hide their hostages in the deserted basement with bad lighting. Without me, it's almost impossible to find her."
"Why are you helping us? They don't pay you that well over there?" Plastic bender snorted.
"Oh, the payment's nice." Isaac scoffed sardonically. "Another day being alive outside bars. And I don't mean Brackenbridge prison. I go against them, they kill me. Simple as that. Anyway, I'm not doing this favor for free."
Aunt Casey sighed loudly from her corner. "Didn't expect you to."
"Remove these restrains so I won't get caught in case they found out I'm betraying them." He said, bowing his head. "Also, let me walk free. But I guess you all will just drag me back here in the end despite what the deal is."
"It's prison or death." Cloudburst said simply. "You're lucky we let you make a deal."
"Oh." Isaac exclaimed as if he just remembered something. He smiled provocatively as he turned to speak directly to Cryonics. "And the fire girl is coming with me or I won't be going at all."
It took me awhile to figure out the fire girl meant me.
"Not granted, sorry." Les stepped in front of me the second Chameleon stopped speaking. "She is not going with you."
"Cryonics. This is not the time for personal issues." Tornado cleared his throats awkwardly and jumped back when Frosty turned to give him dagger glare.
"She is my responsibility. Titan trained her and in case you haven't noticed, I'm Titan's partner." Les countered sharply.
I didn't like this discussion. I needed to make a spot in this team by myself. If Les was quitting in near future, I didn't want him to make the other superheroes think I was just a joke that entered the team on Titan's quota.
Which I kind of was.
But not for long, I hoped.
"Hold up there, Frosty." I raised my hands, interrupting him. "Appreciate your concern. However, I'm no one's responsibility but my own. I'll go if that means we can rescue Harmonia faster."
"Yeah, Logan, don't be so indecisive. Fire girl's got a point." Isaac sighed disappointingly despite that satisfied smile on his lips. "I thought Les said he was okay with her being a superhero. So, let her be one. You gave her the super name yourself after all."
My fist clenched and my cheeks heated up at the mention of what Les had told me as he tied the black ribbon of that crimson mask for me.
Of course Chameleon had to eavesdrop me and Les when we were talking in the barn at Mistwood after the curfew had started.
That's personal.
"Whoops." Isaac feigned surprised as both of us shot him dagger glare. "Didn't know superheroes have no dating your co-worker policy."
"How about you do yourself a favor and shut up?" Cryonics suggested calmly but his voice suggested otherwise.
Another wrong move from that villain, he's be frozen like green peas.
"Hush, C. I'll go. He's dead if he tried something." I said, dragging the very pissed Les from Isaac.
"Yeah, tell your champion, Fire girl." The villain said monotonously. "I'll give you guys time to kiss goodbye or something--"
"That's it." Les smiled a tight lipped smile and turned toward Isaac. "Please allow me to break this guy's bone, Jay." He whispered my name so no one would hear.
"Absolutely not! My uncle will kill you!" I exclaimed. I knew Les wouldn't listen to anyone if he's really angry.
He rarely got angry.
That meant this idiot really deserved it.
"Just one! I'll choose the one that isn't that essential. He will have 205 more anyway! And this guy could regenerate, okay? So, technically, I could break as many as I'd like as long as it's not his neck or skull—ouch!" His sentence was cut short when I ignited flame in my palm to thaw the ice forming on his fist. "What was that for!"
I took that opportunity to turn him around forcefully. "Don't do anything I will regret."
The dark blue mask couldn't hide his anger as it shown clearly on his features. "Exactly. That's why I'm not letting you go with that f-"
"Language, kid!" Magician shouted at us making Les rolled his eyes, exasperated.
"That--moron." He finished his sentence. "I mean this is insane! Cass, talk her out, please? I'm not letting you--"
"Fight my own first battle?" I raised my brow, trying to act confident in front of these superheroes when my inside was twisting in knot with dreads and fears. "Don't underestimate me, Frosty. You know what happened last time you did that."
I cracked my iPhone, that's what happened.
Cryonics opened his moth to say something but my determined look silenced him. He just groaned in frustration and grabbed the chair Isaac was strapped to, dragging the villain to another side of the room.
I thought it was for a prep talk until he spoke up again in serious manner.
"Cass, do you still have those bombs you can detonate from afar?" He grumbled as he went on. "We'll need at least 10 of that. Actually, make it fifteen. And give Flare that hideous gun the big guy painted pink."
Well, judging by the look of it, it was more like a prep threats.
My aunt's hand shot up to cover her mouth, hiding the fact that she was failing in suppressing her smile and keeping a straight face. Les had really taken this whole overprotective best friend game up to the whole new level.
Not that I minded.
I sighed, a small smile tugging at the corner of my lips as I turned on my heels, heading toward my best friend to prevent him from accidentally killing our only chance to save the hostage.
- - - -
"You're scared." Isaac taunted me as he led me along the narrow alley, sauntering in a casual pace as if he was just a tourist. I preferred to acknowledge him as the alter ego I was familiar with.
Even though he was acting completely out of character of the polite boy I met at school.
Or maybe this was his real personality in the first place.
Still, that vile smile seemed so out of place on his face. I must admit I was caught off guard by the revelation since I knew Kat was close to him.
I didn't have the heart to tell her.
He would have to go deadbeat on her like Les did to me but in their case, it might be forever.
I thought back to the brief conversation we had in the library when he offered me help with the research. I was pretty sure the sympathetic look he worn that day wasn't forged up just to trick me.
"That I might accidentally kill you for what you did, yes." I grumbled furiously. "You kidnapped me and tried to kill me twice. Your people tried talking me into killing Cryonics."
I still couldn't believe the superheroes actually let him accompany me as he requested.
It was obvious I came here as his hostage and not the other way around. Cut all the straw man agendas crap in Isaac's deal and you'll be left with "Jamie for Harmonia."
Not a very pleasant scenario.
Villains saw me as the weakest in the team.
However, it was our best choice. Besides, I knew I could defeat him if he tried anything.
Hopefully.
Isaac was silent for a moment before responding monotonously as if that sentence I said had actually effected him. "You mean the Les guy." He corrected, moving his wrists to relief the pressure the metal had on his flesh. "Never thought it would be him behind that mask. He's actually a nice person."
That's exactly why he joined with the heroes. Do villains define nice different from us?
"Never thought you would be that Chameleon villain. Isaac I knew was actually quite nice too." I retorted, my voice dangerously low, warning him to tread carefully now or else.
"You're naïve, Jamie."
"You're an asshole, Isaac—Chameleon—whoever you are." I smiled sweetly at him despite my harsh tone and venomous words. "Where's the big bad lizard look, Isaac? That hideous creature suits your personality more than a high school guy."
"This is me. Just because my sister looks like an eel doesn't mean I have to look Halloween party ready all the time." He muttered under his breath as if he was ashamed to talk about his relation to Electra. "That was Doctor Curtis Connors. I just watched The Amazing Spiderman so I was kind of stuck in that form...Also, he looks more intimidating than Isaac Thornton."
That's why the creepy reptile looked so familiar. The way he addressed himself as third person was still quite weird to me. He mad it sounded as if the sweet guy I knew was just a mere cover, not a real person.
I decided to just leave the conversation at that and focused on the prep-talk-to-self in my own head.
My boot heels made clapping sound as I walked along a narrow alley, feeling a little claustrophobic because of the red bricked walls either side of me were standing too close together for my comfort. Sounds of empty plastic bottles, soda cans, and dry leaves the wind pushed along the lumpy concrete pavement behind me resembled the sound produced from long nails raking on chalkboard. I jumped at even the slightest movements. Water dripping from metal staircase spiraling from the ground to the color chipped yellow door on the second floor. A back stray cat dashing from a dampened cardboard box behind the tin bin, hissing at me.
It still looked more friendly than Mochi, my cynical cat, who could possibly be the long lost twin of Tadar Sauce; Grumpy Cat.
My own reflection on the water puddle on the ground told me how scared and unprofessional I looked at that moment despite being in my super suit.
The mask couldn't hide the fear and anxiety I failed to hide from showing prominently in my eyes.
I was assigned to rescue Harmonia when equipped with a small sized knife and a Barbie gun.
Oh, and don't forget my very lovely companion who probably had a plan to kill me later in mind with a detailed description of how to get away with it.
Cryonics and the others were off to destroy the bases. If we could destroy the origins, that would deter the wave that was keeping the citizens under control. We couldn't risk letting the villains spot us since they still had the citizens attended the conference in their hands.
They could order those people to walk into the river, committing a massacre just by saying a single word into their phone.
We needed to be very careful.
Unlike Cloudburst and Tornado, I could fly without bringing about natural disaster or summon the rainy season spirit 3 months too early. That's why
I was, despite Cryonics's relentless protests, sent to come with Chameleon like he requested. I could escape should anything goes wrong.
I think I had never heard this many and creative death threats under only 10 minutes before. Cryonics had managed to promise Isaac he would kill him in almost every possible way if he gave me up to his lunatic villainous fanatics.
I was basically in the middle of nowhere, about 10 meters to the north of a rusty vending machine that had suspicious looking sodas. And about 2 blocks away from a local bar.
I walked up to the moldy wall at the end of the alley supporting a single blue door with a faded vintage style poster advertising the lastest model of a toaster. I yanked on the handle, struggling with it for a moment before the rusted junctions finally allowed me to swing it open with a loud creaky sound.
The flat inside was empty as expected. There were littered soda cans and glass bottles here and there. Untouched bottles of sodas lined up in rows, still wrapped in plastic sheet. My footsteps echoed throughout the place. I didn't like the idea of breaking into a flat even though it's deserted. Partly because the last group of people in this territory were probably up to no good.
"Flare? You're doing okay?" Cryonics's low voice suddenly spoke into my earpiece, almost giving me a heart attack.
"Yes, for the sixth time in the past 10 minutes, Frosty!" I whisper-hissed back, getting impatient at his relentlessness in trying to annoy the hell out of me. "I'll rip my earpiece off if you won't focus. Chill out, dude!"
"You may be walking right into their trap and you are with Chameleon!" He practically shouted. "And you expect me to just chill out?"
"That guy is powerless, handcuffed and has a bomb on his handcuff ready to explode at Casey's will, Frosty." I deadpanned. "I think I'll manage."