The War of the Supers (The First Superhero Book 3) (17 page)

I watched as the second hand on my watch got closer and closer to 6:34. 58…59…

“Let’s go,” I said, jumping up, springing into action.

Selena and I ran towards the Carlton Centre with our heads down, fingers on the triggers of our weapons. I felt weaker and weaker with each step as the
asthenés plásma
started to work on us. When we reached the building, we ran along the front until we reached the broken windows that we’d snuck out of just a few hours earlier. Everybody was at the front of the camp, fighting off Clarissa. Our plan was working beautifully so far.

Selena and I ran as fast as we could towards the stairwell door. As before, it was dark in there. My eyes glowed blue, lighting up the room. I reached out for Selena, and she wrapped her arms around me. I held her as I began to fly up the stairwell as fast as I could.

We didn’t make it very far before my fastest was only as quick as a human could have run up the stairs. With each floor we passed, the light from my eyes grew dimmer and dimmer, and I flew slower and slower. The supplies hanging off me felt heavier, and having to carry Selena wasn’t helping.

We were almost three-quarters of the way up when my powers gave out altogether.

“What’s going on?” Selena asked as I fumbled for the light attached to my vest.

“I don’t know,” I said as I flicked the light on. Selena turned hers on right after. “I should still have my powers. I did last time.” Then a realization dawned on me. “Unless he has more Supers up there with him. He said the more Supers the
asthenés plásma
feeds off of, the stronger it gets. If he has enough Supers up there, it’d be strong enough to take away even my powers.”

“So, what you’re saying is that when we get up there, we’re going to have company?” Selena asked with a sigh.

I nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

She gripped her assault rifle tighter. “Alright, then, let’s get to it.”

The rest of the way up the stairwell was slow and tiring. Our weapons weighed heavy on us, and the stairs seemed never-ending. We kept having to stop every once in a while to take a breath. We didn’t want to show up on the top floor winded and tired. The explosions and gunfire from the battle taking place outside made sure we didn’t stop for long. We needed to get to the top and end it all, and we needed to do it fast.

We reached the fifty-third floor, two away from the top, and rested once more. This was the last chance we were going to get before we stepped into whatever was waiting for us on the fifty-fifth floor.

“We should’ve done some weapons training,” I said.

Selena scoffed. “I don’t think we were expecting to have to use guns.”

I nodded. “I know I didn’t. Still, we should’ve been prepared.”

“Well, we know now. That military guy that Samantha has back in Texas should be able to show us a few tricks.”

“She told you about that?” I asked.

Selena nodded. “We talked a bit last night.”

We sat in silence for another thirty seconds or so, catching our breath and getting mentally ready.

“Okay,” I said as I pushed myself off the step. “I’m ready.” I reached down to help Selena up. She grabbed my hand, and the next thing I knew, we were making our way to the fifty-fifth floor.

Finally, we reached the door. After waiting a split second to make sure Selena was ready, I swung it open and pulled my gun up to my shoulder, ready for a fight.

31

THE 55TH FLOOR

A wall of men was standing in front of Raven and the altar that held the
asthenés plásma.
They raised their guns as we entered, but they didn’t fire.

“You know what I like about the
asthenés plásma
?” Raven asked as he turned to face us. “Ah, I didn’t realize you’d bring a visitor, Kane. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Selena. I’m glad you could join us.”

The two of us didn’t respond. Our guns were trained on the line of soldiers in front of him, and their guns were pointing right back at us.

“It’s like the period at the end of a sentence,” Raven said, poking the air with an imaginary pen. “It has the ability to end a sentence. The words of said sentence being a life. The life of a Super.” His sneer grew, and his gaze bored into mine. “The life of a Super who is otherwise immortal.” He sneered. “Just a little
asthenés plásma
in a wound and
voilà
! No more healing for that Super.” He added a
tsk-tsk
sound to punctuate the end of his sentence.

“Quit talking,” I said to Raven. “Or I’ll put a bullet through you.” I aimed my gun at him.

“Oh, my,” he said in faux shock. “Now, Tempest, that’s not very heroic. It’s foolish. Very foolish. You don’t have any of your powers. You’re just two teenagers against a dozen of my men.” Raven’s smile grew. “I’m really going to enjoy this,” he said as he ran his hand along the side of the bottle of
asthenés plásma.

Selena and I exchanged glances. I raised my eyebrows, trying to let her know I had a plan without tipping off Raven.

“Okay,” I said. “I’m going to bring down my gun.” I slowly brought it down to my side, bringing my hand next to the clip on my vest that held a grenade. As fast as I could, I pulled the grenade off and threw it at the line of men. They dove out of the way, and Raven grabbed the bottle of
asthenés plásma
, shielding it behind the altar. I jumped towards Selena, brining her to the floor behind a tall stack of supplies.

The grenade exploded, sending shrapnel everywhere. Windows shattered, and men screamed in pain.

Selena pulled the pin from her grenade and tossed it out towards the altar, setting off another explosion. I peeked around, my gun at the ready. The men were regrouping, finding cover behind the various supplies, couches, and desks that had been shoved to the edges of the room. Two men were lying on the floor, not moving. Selena and I began firing wildly at the others.

They started firing back, and we retreated behind some cover. The bullets tore into the wall and boxes around us. I pulled Selena down with me to the floor, getting as low as possible.

We let them shoot for a couple more seconds before I rolled onto my stomach. I inched to the edge of our cover and took aim at the first guy to my left. I was barely peeking out, and I was lying on the floor, to boot. They had no idea I was taking aim.

I fired at him, and he fell to the floor.

I felt the slightest bit of power returning to me.

I fired at my next target, a soldier who was taking cover behind a couch near the window. I missed, but the shot scared him enough to make him go back into cover. In fact, most of them had stopped firing, and were presumably waiting for me to have to reload before they started back up again.

“Ka—” Selena tried calling out my name, but was silenced.

I turned and saw one of the men had snuck around and kicked Selena in the face. He pulled his gun up and aimed it at her, but I jumped up and kicked him square in the chest before he had the chance. He flew backwards into the window, and it bowed under his force and weight. I aimed my gun and shot the window behind him without hesitation. He fell backwards out of the tower, and a few seconds later, I felt my powers grow a bit stronger.

“You okay?” I asked Selena, kneeling down next to her as she held her bloody nose.

“Yeah, I’m good,” she said as she sat up.

I fired blindly, keeping Raven’s men down. “Got any more grenades?” I asked.

Selena nodded.

“Okay. Throw one behind their cover on your side. I’ll get mine.”

I returned to my side of the cover and pulled a grenade off my vest. I tossed it behind the couch that I’d been firing at just moments ago. Selena’s went off a split second before mine, and my powers increased two-fold. It was still a small fraction of my normal powers, but every little bit helped. I was sure that if I were to be shot, I would be able to heal. At least, I hoped so.

“That’s enough!” Raven yelled, fear filling his voice. “Men, take care of this! Squash them!”

The half-dozen or so of Raven’s men who were left jumped from their cover, obeying the orders of their master. They charged the place where Selena and I were hiding. I raised my gun, firing into the crowd, but I only got two shots off before my gun clicked.

“Shit, shit, shit,” I cursed under my breath as I frantically tried to reload my gun. Screw it; I didn’t have time. I pulled the handgun from my holster, but I could only take out one guy before another one was on top of me. His gun was aimed directly at my face, and I moved out of its way an instant before he fired. I moved so fast I could almost see the bullet.

I grabbed the barrel of the gun and ripped it from his hands. I slammed it across his head, and he fell to the floor. I flipped the gun around and turned to Selena, firing at the guy behind the one she’d just stabbed with her knife.

A searing pain erupted from my back. I turned and saw that one of the men had slid a knife between my ribs. I elbowed him, sending him stumbling backwards, and grabbed him by his vest.

“Selena, duck!” I screamed.

I threw the soldier over my head, launching him behind me and into one of the men attacking on Selena’s side. The two of them flew out the window I’d broken earlier, plummeting towards the ground.

Six down, just one to go. I looked around and saw that the last man had surrendered. He was on his knees, hands over his head. “Please,” he whimpered. “I give up.”

I stepped out from cover, my gun aimed at him in case he tried anything. “Keep your aim on him, Selena,” I said. “I’ll put him in the stairwell.”

“I do not accept your surrender,” Raven said.

I looked up and saw him aiming a gun at the back of his former bodyguard.

“No!” I shouted. I sprinted behind the man, covering his body with mine.

Raven’s bullet pierced me, and I slumped over in pain. Selena fired at Raven, but her bullets missed.

I turned and rose back to my feet, the pain of the bullet intense and roaring inside me. My adrenaline did its best to take care of it.

Raven jumped back and grabbed the bottle of
asthenés plásma.
The next thing I knew, he was dangling it out the window. “You two drop your guns, or I will drop the
asthenés plásma.
”

“You wouldn’t,” I said, aiming my gun, the pain in my back decreasing with each passing second. “You practically worship that thing.”

Raven grinned. “Yes, but you underestimate how much I worship myself. I love living, Kane Andrews. Much more than the
asthenés plásma.
”

I looked at Selena, who I could tell was conflicted. “Selena,” I said. Her eyes met mine, and she knew what we had to do. We couldn’t let him destroy the
asthenés plásma.
It was our only hope for defeating Atlas. “Okay,” I said, turning back to Raven. “We’ll drop our—”

A gunshot interrupted me. I turned and saw that the bodyguard I’d spared had used his sidearm.

But I wasn’t bleeding.

I looked up and saw Raven reach with his free hand to the bullet wound in his stomach. His eyes met the bodyguard’s.

“I’ve always hated you, Hugh,” Raven said. Then he stumbled backwards out the window, taking the
asthenés plásma
with him.

32

HIGH DIVE

I didn’t hesitate. I threw my gun aside, ran towards the window, and dove out head-first, flying down as fast as I could towards Raven. He looked up at me with a sneer on his face, blood leaking from his wound. I flew as fast as my powers would let me, the wind deafening in my ears.

I reached Raven in just a couple of seconds and ripped the bottle from his hands. It was surprisingly warm to the touch.

I came to a hard stop, having not even reached the halfway point of the building before the
asthenés plásma
was safe in my arms. I looked below me and watched as Raven plummeted towards the ground. Right before he reached it, he turned in mid-air. He stopped his rapid descent and flew away from the Carlton Centre, his powers having returned to him now that he was farther away from the
asthenés plásma.
At first he only flew as fast as he would have been able to run, but after only a few seconds of that, he picked up the pace. He reached the edge of the radius of the
plásma
’s effects, and then took off as fast as he could. The whole ordeal had lasted just a few seconds.

I turned and flew back up to the top floor. Selena was waiting by the window when I entered, with her gun still trained on the bodyguard.

“You got it!” she said, excited.

I nodded. “I’m sorry,” the bodyguard said, whimpering. Tears leaked from his eyes, and his whole body was shaking in fear. “He had my family. He made me work for him.”

“Well,” I said, taking a step towards him, “he got away, thanks to you.” I made no attempt to hide my anger and frustration as I turned back towards the window. “I’m going to end this fight,” I said. Then I jumped out the window,
plásma
in hand.

“So, you just flew down and caught it?” Samantha asked.

I was pacing around the room I’d been staying in at Clarissa’s apartment, giving Samantha the low-down on how everything had gone. “Yeah,” I said.

“I thought you said it takes away your powers.”

“It takes away all
of everybody else’s powers, but mine are so strong it only takes most of them
.
”

“But I mean—no offense, but you don’t seem that
much stronger than Selena,” Samantha said.

“I was thinking the same thing. I’m not going to pretend I understand any of this, but I feel like the
asthenés plásma
is a step in that direction.” I sat down on my bed. “Anyway, after that, I flew towards Clarissa’s battle. When they saw I had the
asthenés plásma,
they knew exactly what that meant, and they surrendered. Most of them were being forced to work for Raven, so they were actually happy when they saw that he was no longer a problem.”

“Except you don’t know that for sure,” Samantha said.

I sighed and lay back on my bed. “I mean, yeah, he’s not dead or anything. But I don’t think we’re going to have to worry about him. He’s going to lick his wounds, but I doubt he’ll return to Johannesburg. If anything, he’s going to come after the
plásma
, but I wouldn’t be too worried about him. It won’t be anything we can’t handle.”