33 Cape High Mega Me, page 30
part #1 of Cape High Series
“Mirror, please,” I say, tapping on it. Nothing happens until my comm blinks a few times. A reflection of me appears on the wall a second later, and I stare at it. The door opens, and I see Vo’ka step into the room thanks to the mirror. He’s got a box of candy bars in his hand, which he places on the nearest table.
“It looks good on you,” he says, and I look back at him. “You’d be an excellent Cosmic, kid. You want a job?”
“Why aren’t you wearing one?” I ask.
“I’m not a Cosmic,” he says.
“Yeah? You sure order them around like you are,” I say.
“It’s because Meteor’s a sap,” he says. “I sort of saved his life, once, and he dragged me into this world. I spent years running AWAY from the Cosmics, now I’m telling them what to do. Sooner or later, they’ll figure out that they messed up by bringing in a two-bit criminal and giving him a position of power.”
“So you’ll turn on them, right?” I say. “That’s a classic back-stabbing villain plot if I’ve ever heard one.”
“I ain’t going to do that!” he says, looking offended. “But there’s a good chance I’m going to screw up, sooner or later. Hell, I probably already have. That’s why we need kids like you, kid. You need to come out here and take on the job. They’ll give you the powers to rift, and all that—“
“No thanks,” I say.
“Do you have any CLUE how important the Cosmics are?” he asks. “They’re the support for the entire universe—“
“Except for Earth,” I cut him off. “No, see, my planet takes care of itself, thanks. But if you’re this invested in it, why don’t YOU become one? You’re practically one of them, already. Heck, you might even feel more strongly about them because of who you used to be. I’ve heard stranger stories.”
“They’ll never agree to it,” he says.
“Who says we won’t?” comes from almost every direction.
“You guys shut it! I’m trying to get us another Cosmic!” Vo’ka roars at them. The door opens, and Meteor steps in.
“Vo’ka,” he says.
“I get it, I shouldn’t have asked,” Vo’ka says. “But the kid’s practically BORN to deal with meteor showers and stuff like that! He’s perfect for the job! We need new blood. I know we got the cadets, and they’re promising, don’t get me wrong, but they’re nowhere near ready to be out in the field, or working at the desk. There needs to be someone that can take my place—a REAL Cosmic.”
“Are you planning to leave?” Meteor asks.
“I don’t mean—I’m just—“ Vo’ka splutters, and I head for the door.
“This is why I try to avoid bodysuits,” I mutter as I squirm for a moment. “They keep trying to go places they shouldn’t.” The two men look at me, and I realize I should have waited until I got out the door to say that. “I’ll just, uh, leave you to your dramatic episode, why don’t I?” I say, and head out the door.
Oh, sure, I bet there’s a big emotionally moving conversation about to happen—I just don’t care.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
*Far Away*
Nico pulls to a stop, his hand still on the woman’s throat. He’s going to kill her—no, he realizes, he can’t do that. He’s angry, yes, and she’s dangerous—and getting more dangerous, but he isn’t a murderer. The woman looks at him, her eyes still growing. “You hacked my tech,” he says, “I’m almost impressed by that fact, but you stole the powers of one of my kids. I’m not impressed by that.”
“You…” she says, her voice hoarse. Her hands are wrapped around his wrist. “You took… my mate.”
“He didn’t know when to stop gorging himself,” Nico says. He can feel her testing out his powers, but if she thinks she’s going to hack his system right in front of him a second time, she’s got a big shock coming—a VERY big shock. Unlike Ward’s comm, which simply burnt her, his comm comes with power recoil.
“She stole my son’s powers.” The words come from behind him, startling him. He honestly hadn’t expected Mega to catch up with them.
“Why aren’t you with your son?” Nico asks.
“Because Aubrey is coming,” Mega says, coming closer. Nico sees him out of the corner of his eye, now, but he doesn’t dare to look over, fully. Looking away from this woman is too dangerous, right now. “I know what you’re thinking,” he says, “trust me, I feel the same way, but we can’t.”
“My… child,” she whispers, her hands tightening on the hold. “You will NOT HARM MY CHILD!” She brings up her knee, kicking him in the stomach as hard as she possibly can—only to find her knee caught by his free hand.
Nico’s eyes glow and a green light shoots from his wrist, scanning her. A hologram appears over his watch, but he doesn’t look at it, either. He doesn’t have to. “She’s not got the powers,” he says. “She’s got a touch of technopathy, but not enough to hack a comm, and she’s got absolutely no sign of Ward’s powers.”
“What?” Mega asks. The woman struggles, scratching and hissing before opening her mouth. She starts to breathe in, only for the recoil to hit her hard. She lets out a scream before passing out, entirely. “What did you do that for?” Mega asks, shocked as the woman goes limp in his hold. “How’s she going to breathe out here?” He grabs Nico’s arm, tugging on it. “I know you want to kill her, but we CAN’T, we already went over that—“
Nico ignores him, his eyes going to the woman’s body as the watch shoots out another beam of light, directed at her stomach. “It’s the kid,” he says. “The kid’s got Ward’s powers, a decent chunk of Herold’s powers, a TON of Cosmic power, and he or she is trying to steal mine, even with the mom unconscious,” he says.
Mega goes still, his face going pale. “What sort of monster is that?” he whispers.
“No one is born a monster, that’s something they have to choose,” Nico says, loosening his hold on her.
“You say that while you’re trying to kill their mom?”
“I’m not killing her. The E.P.B. is providing enough protection for both of us,” Nico says, shooting him a dirty look. “The kid’s not a monster, but she IS a greedy little punk,” he says. “We’re going to have to fix that problem. Fauna, kid, come pick us up.” He sees a response in his head, and shakes his head. “Is he still alive? Then it’s fine. Keep him under as long as you can.”
“How are your powers?” Mega asks.
“I’m my mother’s kid, under all this tech,” Nico says. “If they’d gotten through the comm, it still wouldn’t have worked. Mine might not be the same type as Negatia, but negating does run in the family.” He’s got a dark look on his face, regardless.
Mega goes silent, turning to watch for Fauna’s arrival. “So… what are we going to do with them?” he asks.
“Yeah, that’s actually a job I leave to the Hall leaders,” Nico says.
“You…” the woman whispers. “My… baby… is…” she seems to be fighting something, and her body suddenly shifts in his hold turning much longer and sharp looking, save for the bump of her belly. Her eyes flutter and then close as a power stronger than her kicks in.
He blinks, an incredulous look on his face. “She fell asleep,” he says.
“She’s unconscious because you’re strangling her,” Mega says.
“No… that’s not an unconscious state,” he says, changing his hold on her. She’s now being held in a princess hold. “She’s hibernating,” he says to Mega. “She’s out like a light, by the looks of her heat signature. The baby’s still awake, though… no, there it goes, looks like she’s going to sleep, too…”
“So… wait, is that how this ends?” Mega asks blankly. “Do you know how terrible an ending that is? We couldn’t PAY the comic artists to do this.”
“It’s part of the explanation, remember? They gorge themselves and then hibernate for decades, maybe even centuries. Who knows how long they usually stay awake?” Nico says. “And who said I’d let this get to the comics? If you ask me, any space adventures should STAY in space. It’s bad enough that my sisters will hear this.” He turns as Fauna gets there, and heads for the hole that appears in the side of the ship.
For a second Mega just watches him and the woman in his arms, and then he boards the ship, as well, feeling drained and somewhat disappointed. He drops down in one of the chairs, and then blinks as he realizes there’s a table in the middle of the room, with Herold laid out on it, completely unmoving. He looks over at Reaper. “What happened?” he asks.
“Why would anything have happened?” Reaper asks blandly, bringing up a bare hand and pulling a glove on.
***
*Cosmic Headquarters*
Ravage is strapped to a chair, his arms behind him, even his legs cuffed tightly to the legs of the chair. He glares angrily at the Cosmics and the woman in the room. “Do you really think this is the end of it?” he demands. “I will outlive ALL of you by centuries. Long after you’re dead, I will hunt down your great, great, great-grandchildren and steal their powers for this offense! I will never stop, NEVER! You are FOOD! How dare you—“
“Enough,” the woman says, holding her hand out in his direction. His eyes widen in shock as he feels his powers desert him. Suddenly his body seems to weigh far more than it ever had. He looks down in horror as he realizes that his hands are suddenly frail and bony looking—bonier than usual, that is. He tries, again, to pull at the binding that holds him, only to feel pain. The sensation is foreign, especially in such a small form. He might have experienced it during fights, lately, but the adrenaline had masked it long enough that it disappeared quickly. Now it feels like a knife is gouging into his skin. He feels something trickle over his flesh, and he looks down, horrified to see blood.
“Ravage, I believe is your name, according to the Cosmics,” the woman says. He looks at her again, feeling dual urges to spit in her face and to cower. “You will go to court, facing trial in front of your peers—and since we don’t know of others of your species save the female, it will be the Cosmics, the Hall, and the Sentient Planets that decree your fate.”
He glares at her, rage in his eyes, but the almost bland expression on her face works far better to enrage him than he can enrage her. “You will regret this,” he hisses.
“I regret a lot of things,” she says, “but this won’t be one of them. There is a way to strip you of your powers, permanently, and if the reports are correct, it will finish the job. We will discuss it during the trial. Where is Meteor?” she asks the Cosmics.
“He’s setting up Vo’ka’s inauguration into the Cosmics,” one says, grinning widely. “It’s about time, too.”
“We’re going to bring in Chi’la and his son, as well,” another agrees. “Do you think his wife would like to be a Cosmic?”
“She sure hits like one!”
“That’s… well, wonderful, actually,” the woman says with a little smile. “I’m sure they will make wonderful Cosmics.”
“You’re just IGNORING me?” Ravage demands, although his voice is pathetic, and just yelling that makes him feel weak. “My mate will come for me! She’ll take all of you out!”
“Your mate is… en route here, with Technico,” a Cosmic says. “According to him, she’s gone into hibernation.”
Ravage stares at him for a long moment before letting out a word that’s censored by the translator. “What about the half-breed Lerrestian?” he asks. “He’ll come for her—“
“The Earthlings have him, as well,” the Cosmic says. “Give it up, you’re going back into the bubbles.”
Ravage slumps in his seat, all hope escaping him at his words. He’s doomed, taken down by dinner plates.
A bitter laugh escapes him.
***
It had been going so well… no, Kim’ba thinks, she can’t give up, not yet. Although the mother is asleep for who-knows-how-long, the baby could wake up again any moment, right? Kim’ba had fallen asleep as soon as they’d gotten to the Cosmic Headquarters and been put (the power hunter still fully clothed) into a medi-box. And even if the mother power hunter doesn’t wake up it doesn’t matter, the baby is what’s been most useful for her.
The shard is buried deep in the female power hunter’s pockets, all but forgotten. ‘That’s right, precious,’ she whispers to the baby. ‘Sleep for now, but soon we’ll be back to doing what you do best. You’re so strong, my dear, you will grow stronger, and stronger, and together we will deal with anything that comes our way.’
The babe in the womb moves slightly, curling up and bringing a tiny little thumb to her mouth to suck on, lulled into a deeper sleep by her newest friend. ‘Soon,’ Kimba says, ‘you will help me get my revenge, little one. You’re doing a wonderful job. You just need to keep doing whatever Auntie Kimba tells you to do.’
She stops, though, as she realizes something fascinating. All during this time, she hadn’t been able to reach the mother—the mother’s mental strength was far too large for her to break through.
But that doesn’t seem to be true, anymore, she thinks as she senses the woman’s hand moving. ‘If you can hear me, make a fist,’ she whispers to the woman.
The woman makes a fist.
***
“So, Vo’ka is now, officially, a Cosmic, as is Chi’la, her little brother, and her mom. Poj already was one,” Nico says as we sit in a room outside where the massive court trial is going to happen. Oh, we can go in, but none of us want to. I’m almost crashed, completely, and Aubrey hasn’t been able to make it out here. When she was told that I’ve lost my powers, but I’m healthy as a horse otherwise, she’d told me she’d be out here as soon as her rounds are done for the day. I feel naked—well, you know, other than the weird and somewhat creepy uniform that I’m still wearing. I really do NOT like this outfit, by the way, but Nico hasn’t let me take it off. I think he plans on examining it once we get home.
“The power hunter female is in one of the medi-boxes, because they want to make sure the baby wasn’t hurt during all the fighting,” Carla says, looking somber. “I shouldn’t have hit her so hard…”
“You didn’t have any choice,” I say. “It was either hit her hard or get taken down like I did.”
“But we didn’t know—“ Carla starts out.
“We don’t know what type of powers she’s stolen, even now,” I cut her off. “It was dangerous, and we were taking it too lightly just because a Hall leader was nearby. I’m not going to make that mistake again.”
“It wasn’t the woman who stole your powers, kid, it was the baby,” Nico says bluntly.
“It doesn’t matter. Next time, I’m not going to play hero,” I say. They all look at me, staring at me incredulously for a moment before shaking their heads. “Next time we should just let the Hall leader—“
“There’s a reason she didn’t want to fight,” Reaper says, and I look over at him. He wasn’t even there, so how would he know? “If she had fought the woman, both the woman and the child would have died. There are some of us that find subduing someone far harder than the alternative.”
“But I—“ I start out.
“You were made to subdue, kid,” Nico says. “Oh, sure, you get big enough to do more, but you choose that, too. And if you really want to be a villain, I’m more than happy to set up the classes.”
“I wasn’t—“ I say, spluttering slightly. “Why can’t I get away with saying I don’t want to act like a hero, anymore?” I demand, pouting. “What if I just give up on getting my powers back, huh? I could turn into a norm, live the rest of my life doing… norm stuff…”
“Did you hate saving that planet from the meteors?” Dad asks me.
“Well, no… Actually that whole water trick wasn’t too bad,” I admit. “I could definitely use it with a fire hydrant, too. I’d just need to figure out how to put it back on once I’m done.”
“You use the knob, not rip off the hydrant,” Dad tells me. “It’s fiddly work, so make sure you do it before you grow.”
“You enjoyed the huge brawl on Hibiscus, too,” Carla points out. “I swear I saw you grinning a few times.”
“He had a blast doing that one,” Rocco agrees. “Heck, it might have been the happiest I’ve ever seen him.”
“How can you be so sure of that?” I demand, giving him a dirty look.
“Because we know you,” everyone says.
“Yeah, kid, you’re as easy to read as a book,” Nico agrees.
“She stole my powers,” I say. “Can’t I at least have a pity party without getting flack for it?”
“Nope!” Rocco says. “Morgan does it all the time. You never whine this much when that happens.”
“Aww, poor Ward,” Carla says, hugging me. “You’ll get your powers back soon, there’s no reason to worry!”
I hear something behind us, and turn, even though she’s still hanging off of me. That cadet kid, Finn, is standing there. He’s got a strange expression on his face. “Um… so…” he says.
“Yeah?” I ask.
“You’re heading back to Terra—er, Earth, right?”
“Yeah, we’re heading back after the trial’s over. The whole six weeks thing is totally out the window, now,” I agree. “Uh, except Nico needs to fix that cell for Stellar, right? And then you need to deal with Herold and the Power Hunter, right? Do we need to go along for that?”
“Do you want to?” Nico asks.
“No,” I say. “I want my powers back.”
“Weren’t you the one that was saying he’d become a norm and do, I quote, ‘Norm stuff’?” he teases me.
“The mood is gone,” I say, feeling the back of my neck heat up.
