Lafferty, Mur (12 page)

“Not that one. It would be best to go back to the elevator now.”

Keepsie backed away. Jack’s eyes glowed in the dim light of the hallway.

He giggled at her, a high, mad sound, and she ran.

Michelle was ripping Peter’s shirt to use as bandages - with Peter protesting - when Keepsie got back to the elevator.

Michelle looked up from wrapping the cloth around Peter’s hand.

“What’s up?”

Peter glared at Michelle. “That was Italian.”

“Well, I found out what the device was,” Keepsie said.

That got their attention.

“It’s like a high tech pharmacy bottle.”

Peter frowned. “You mean it had drugs?”

“My mother’s going to be pissed,” said Keepsie. “She always said I’d get in trouble because of drugs.”

“What were they?” Michelle asked.

“No idea. He took one and started putting in a code at one of the cells.

Then he told me to come back here and wait with you guys.”

They didn’t say anything. Michelle turned her attention back toward Peter. Keepsie sank to the floor of the elevator, worry gnawing at her stomach that she had done the wrong thing.

Michelle sat next to her. "Hey, Keepsie, how did you survive that lightning?”

“Or Heretic’s fire,” Peter added.

Keepsie shook her head. "I don't know. I -"

She was interrupted by the elevator doors opening. There was a tense moment before Clever Jack lowered an unconscious Ian into the elevator.

“Present for you!” said Jack, giggling again.

Keepsie tried to let her concern and joy at seeing her friend keep her from retching at the smell. Ian had clearly fought back, and was covered in shit for his efforts.

Barry and Tomas entered the elevator behind Clever Jack, looking astonished and gratified to see them. They did not look as if they'd gone through the same hell as Keepsie and Peter.

"Gosh it's good to see you," Barry said. "We thought you were dead."

"I feel dead but I keep moving." Keepsie grimaced as she struggled to her feet. "Is Ian OK?"

"Oh he’s fine,” Clever Jack said. “Just the recipient of the powers of the up and coming hero, Inert. The Academy couldn’t have him filling the place with shit." “Inert?” Keepsie asked.

“One of their teenagers. Knocks people out with a touch. Right bastard in a fight, cause you don’t expect it coming from him.”

“Oh. Where are they all, Clever Jack?" Keepsie said suddenly. "Why haven’t they launched the red alert or something? I mean, I took care of Tattoo Devil, Heretic, Cage and White Lightning, but I know there are more."

"No doubt they’re on their way," Clever Jack said. “In a moment, they will see a group of rogue Third Wavers as the least of their problems.”

“What did you do?” Keepsie asked.

Clever Jack ignored her. “One more to go, and we can blow this popsicle stand.” He ran back down the hall.

“What is going on?” Tomas asked.

Keepsie stared after Jack. “A rescue. I think.”

“Where are the heroes?” Barry said.

Michelle patted Keepsie on the shoulder. “Keepsie caught them in her power. How many did you get?”

“Four,” she answered.

Barry and Tomas made impressed noises, but Keepsie focused down the hall. A door opened, sounding as if it was held closed by hydraulics. Then Clever Jack and Doodad came running back, shouting at them to close the door and hit the main lobby level.

Jason scrambled to comply, and Clever Jack and Doodad made it onto the elevator as the others got to their feet.

“Why the hurry?” Keepsie said.

“You’ll see,” Clever Jack said.

“Hello Doodad,” Keepsie said.

The massive man bowed to her. “Please call me Eric.”

“Eric?”

“Yes. Doodad was the name my mother gave me. I’m not fond of it.”

“I see. OK, Eric-“

A loud rumbling interrupted her, shaking the building.

“Shit! What was that?” Michelle said.

A crack sounded above them. “Was that a cable snapping?” Keepsie asked, her voice cracking.

Jason put his hand against the wall of the elevator. “Yes. It’s broken now.”

“Why do we not fall?” Tomas said.

Jason grinned at them, and Keepsie tried to remember if she’d ever seen him smile. “It won’t fall. I’m here.”

“Wow,” said Clever Jack. “Is that lucky or what?”

They arrived at the ground floor as the building rumbled again. Clever Jack smiled at Keepsie as they got off. “You wondered where the other heroes are? They will soon be there, trying to deal with what I set free. Thank you for the pills, Keepsie, I couldn’t have done this without you.”

Doodad bowed to them again and they ran down the hall and out the front doors.

Michelle and Tomas hefted Ian between them. “We have to get out of here!” Michelle said.

Jason stepped off the elevator last, releasing his hold on it to send it crashing down to the bottom level. Keepsie swallowed the panic in her throat.

“I think running is a good idea,” she said. “Who’s with me?”

They ran, dragging Ian, following the villains. Outside, night had fallen.

Keepsie had completely lost track of time. In the light of the street-lamps, she saw that Doodad had created a climbing machine out of a fire escape and he and Clever Jack stood atop a Moroccan bakery. They watched the Academy with glee on their faces.

When Keepsie and her friends had crossed the streets, they ventured a look back.

The Academy was imploding, the walls caving in and dust flying everywhere. From the ruins rose a woman - no, a teenaged girl - bathed in a halo of light that was difficult to look directly at. She wore a white body-suit that looked less like a hero costume and more like a futuristic suit out of a scifi movie, complete with dials and gauges.

Peter’s voice sounded very far away. “Keepsie, I think it might be time to release the heroes.”

She gasped - she still held the heroes paralyzed in the lower levels of the Academy, where they likely could be dead by now. She freed them with a thought and held her breath.

They came, then, from all directions. White Lightning burst from the Academy, at a speed that, despite her dislike of him, impressed Keepsie. The others teleported in, holding on to Blink. She must have rescued them before the Academy fell. The heroes went into immediate action, heading for the young woman.

“This is not our fight,” Peter said.

“But it’s my fault,” Keepsie said.

“Let’s go. The bar is closest.”

“But it’s my fault.”

Peter’s panicked eyes softened as he took her arm. “There’s nothing we can do, we need to get somewhere safe. Please, Keepsie.”

She nodded and let him lead her down the stairs to her bar. Michelle struggled to hold Ian up as Tomas grasped the lock on the door, concentrated briefly, and pulled it off. The doorknob came with it and he shoved the door open. They tumbled inside, shoving the door closed behind them.

Michelle and Tomas went to lay Ian down. Jason and Barry collapsed into a booth. Keepsie stayed by the door, watching the light show outside.

“Do you know who she is?” Peter asked.

“I have no idea, but I’m betting she’s not a hero,” Keepsie said.

Peter looked up the stairs. “Well, that’s not something I expected to see.”

Clever Jack was floating, drifting down the stairs. He touched down lightly outside the door and opened it.

“Did you know he could fly?” Peter whispered. Keepsie shook her head.

Clever Jack still had wild eyes and a half-smile. He looked around at the bloody, excrement-covered group. "You might want to get your friends cleaned up and get the hell out of town. This is going to get interesting."

"What happened out there?" Keepsie asked.

“We just released another unjustly imprisoned person, like Ian.”

“Who is she?”

He just smiled at her. “Remember. Leaving town would benefit you.

Thank you for your help, Keepsie, and please let me know the next time you screw with some heroes. I'd love to hear the story."

"I hope I never have to again," Keepsie said. Clever Jack, never losing that grin, took the drugs out of his pocket and winked at her, then left, jogging up the steps.

“I wonder why he didn’t fly that time,” Peter said. “What was in that drug?”

"Keepsie, we're in need of medical attention," Peter argued.

"They patrol ER's for criminals, Peter," Keepsie said, washing his still weeping wounds. "They'll throw us back into jail immediately. And do you think they're going to listen to how we got this way?"

Peter pursed his lips as she bound his hand in gauze. Keepsie felt guilty, having the job of tending to Peter’s blood while Michelle and Tomas did their best to wash Ian so he was less offensive. Both Peter and Ian had their tattered and filthy shirts replaced by Keepsie’s Bar tshirts, and seeing suit-wearing Peter in a t-shirt made the day all the more surreal.

Peter had wanted to go to an ER but Keepsie could think no farther than getting the hell out of town.

"Where are we going to go?" Peter asked.

"I don't know. My mom lives in Raleigh. I guess I could go to her place."

Peter shook his head. "They'll be looking at our relatives first."

Keepsie slammed the gauze back into the first aid kit. "Then you lead, Peter, because I'm sick of it! We’re hurt and we need to get out of town. You figure it out! If you don't like my suggestions, why don't you come up with some?"

Peter opened his mouth to reply, but Keepsie stormed out of the kitchen.

Michelle sat on the floor watching Ian with a concerned look on her face.

She raised her head when Keepsie stomped into the bar. "What was that all about?"

"I've just had a really bad day," Keepsie said. "How's he doing?"

"I think he's waking up, but it's coming slowly. The others are in the bathroom. Barry and Tomas are patching each other up."

"I’m glad they stayed. We need to stick together on this," Keepsie said.

Ian stirred as Peter came into the room. He avoided Keepsie's eyes and went to Ian's side.

Ian opened his eyes. "Dude. You got me out. And what the fuck happened to you?"

Peter eased himself onto the floor and started talking. He told Ian an abbreviated version of the night's adventures, glossing over the torture.

Keepsie stood with her back to them, staring through the front window up at the battle that still raged. She wondered if Ian was getting shit on her floor, and then felt guilty.

She eased the door open and ventured up a couple of steps. She’d caught the sound of clockwork, the sound that usually came with Doodad’s attacks. The heroes still battled the girl, or tried, anyway. She still hung motionless in the air, but a globe of impenetrable light had surrounded her despite the heroes’ attacks.

The clockwork sound came from the ground level, however. Up the street came a walker, another one of Doodad’s vehicles, surrounded by scores of smaller machinery, each with several appendages.

Some sported items that looked like artillery. Others buzzed about his head like drones.

He and Clever Jack had an army.

Peter ignored Keepsie's cold manner and focused on Ian.

His friend grimaced at him. "I'd ask who had the worst night, but I think we're going to need a lot of beer for that story."

Michelle choked out a laugh and Peter smiled.

“The bad news is that it may be a while before we get that beer,” Peter said. “We have to leave-“

Keepsie stormed back into the bar. Peter hadn’t even noticed she’d left.

"We have to stop them," Keepsie said. "Get up."

"What? What are you talking about?" Michelle said.

Keepsie’s eyes were wide and unfocused. "Doodad and Clever Jack. We have to stop them."

"Keepsie, we've been through enough tonight," Peter said. "We need to rest up and get out of the city. You can't expect us to go back out there and go through more, can you?"

Keepsie focused on him, and he saw a desperation in her eyes that he'd never seen. It was a naked look, all confidence and bitterness gone.

"Fine." She opened the door and was gone.

"Shit," Ian said, and struggled off the floor. Peter and Michelle didn't stop him. They just stared as Ian limped to the open door. He turned around and gave them a withering look. Then he left.

Peter’s wounds throbbed and his hand felt as if someone had shoved an ice pick through it an hour earlier. The thought of getting off the floor nearly brought tears to his eyes. Michelle looked at Peter once, then followed Ian.

Keepsie hadn't steered him wrong before. Well, there had been all that with standing up to the heroes, dealing with super villains, forming an illegal group and getting them all captured. But they always followed her. Because she was, well, Keepsie.

He struggled to his feet, hissing with pain, and looked out the window.

He couldn't see Keepsie, but Michelle was sprinting up the stairs. Peter dragged himself up the stairs and followed Michelle, taking a moment to check the road for cars.

The road had no cars, probably because of all the robotic soldiers Doodad controlled. Oh hell.

Peter joined his three friends on the sidewalk. Clever Jack and Doodad sat in Doodad’s walker, triumph on their faces. They pointed to the Third Wavers.

Keepsie stared blankly at the hero battle overhead.

Doodad’s walker stopped in front of them. Clever Jack grinned and waved. “Glad you could make it. What do you think? We're going to drive the heroes out with this army. No more holier than thou heroes. No more spandex.