Super Girls (Cape High Book 13) (32 page)

“She’s assisting me,” Mother says, although a frisson of worry catches her off-guard as Tatiana’s brilliant blue eyes look at her. They aren’t cold, though, she reminds herself. The eyes looking at her seem… almost amused, for some reason. “Tatiana, punish him for losing my healers, will you?” she says, strutting over to her usual table and sitting down.

“Wa—wait—she could seriously kill me, you know—” Shadowman says, taking a step back as Tatiana looks at him.

“Would she usually?” Mother asks.

“What?”

“You might not have realized this, but no one under my control will do something outside of their natural inclinations,” she says. “It’s much like this world’s hypnotists. I can get them to punch someone, if they have no problems with using that amount of violence, but I can only get a cold-blooded kidnapper to kidnap people for me,” she says, looking at him pointedly. Tatiana is still walking over to Shadowman, who stares at her with a bit of fascinated terror.

Tatiana takes his hand, taps it lightly, and says, “You should not have done that, bad boy!”

“I did expect something a little… more, though,” Mother says as Tatiana steps back, looking satisfied.

“I think she broke a bone or two,” Shadowman says, lying through his teeth. There’s something off, he realizes. He looks at Tatiana, who’s looking around curiously. “Where did you go, Mother-May-I?” he asks, shoving the thought down ruthlessly.

“Oh, here and there,” Mother says cheerfully, watching Tatiana curiously. “Is there something wrong, dear?” she asks the other woman.

“It is very dusty in here,” Tatiana says. “We need a window!” And promptly shoves one fist through the brick wall she’s standing in front of. “Ah, much nicer, no?”

“I actually think that made it dustier,” Mother says a bit too blandly.

“Then we will blow it out!” Tatiana says, sucking in a huge gulp of air before blowing. The dust leaves. So does most of the air in the room, Shadowman thinks dryly. “Much better!” Tatiana announces, clapping her hands. “Now, I will assist you in something else,” she declares, looking at Mother. “You are in need of Super Villain name—Mother is not very shaking-in-your-boots terrifying,” she declares. “It is too much apple-pie-in-the-oven, no?”

Shadowman swears that her accent has gotten stronger, but it’s the shocked look on Mother’s face that catches his attention, especially when Tatiana makes a little noise and lifts a finger. “We need matching uniforms, as well! Yes! I will be being right back!” she declares, disappearing in a breeze so strong that it almost knocks him over.

“What… a… fascinating woman,” Mother says, but her expression says something quite different.

“She’s more than you’re used to, huh?” Shadowman asks, slinking over to her. She looks at him, her confusion flickering for all of a second across her face before it’s hidden again.

“She’s just being helpful, like I told her to be,” she replies. “Unlike some others I could mention.”

“How did you capture THE Tatiana?” he asks, still moving a little closer. He just needs to touch her wrist, he thinks, his hand resting on the table next to her.

“It’s the most fascinating thing,” Mother says, “it was almost as if she was waiting for me.”

His fingers brush against the watch she’s wearing right as Tatiana comes back. “My friend, we have a slight problem,” Tatiana says, not a hair out of place.

“What’s that, sweetie?” Mother asks, stumbling slightly over the term of endearment.

“Well, I am thinking it is the South Hall,” Tatiana says far too casually. “I am not fully up on who is who in the super world yet, but I believe the large man with the very square jaw is Century. Ah, if I were not a happily married woman—” she adds, waving a hand at her face dramatically.

“Where?” Mother demands, getting to her feet.

“Oh, all around the building,” Tatiana says, waving the hand airily. “I believe my Emily and her friends are there, too! Are we having a party?”

“How did they find us?” Mother demands of Shadowman.

“Well, I figure the healers made a few phone calls when they escaped. That’s why I always suggest a decent cage system to my PAYING customers,” he says, examining his fingernails.

“Tatiana, grab on,” Mother says, tapping on her watch. They teleport right before the flash of blue light spreads over the room.

Shadowman goes still, his time stopped as Century walks into the room. Century looks around, sees only him, and lets out a curse. “I give it odds that this quick escape is somehow Technico’s fault,” he growls. “Grab him, we’ll take him in for questioning—and possibly toss him into the Cape Cells, depending on his answers.”

He walks out, leaving Voltdrain to pick up the frozen Shadowman and follow along.

***

The lasers are fixed, and the school is silent save for a few whispers here and there as I walk into the gym. They all turn to me, watching me seriously. I don’t know what to tell them. I mean, it’s my fault. Grandma getting kidnapped is all my fault—

“What happened?” Sunny asks, crossing the room in a quick step and hugging me.

“She kidnapped Grandma,” I say, the tears falling as soon as he touches me. “It was all my fault—I should have stayed out of it—but I couldn’t, because Grandma isn’t a Superior and—and—I’m SO STUPID!” I wail.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” he says, rubbing my back in a comforting manner. I love my twin brother. Sure he has his annoying moments and he’s constantly a pain in the butt in the morning, but—but—”Really, I doubt even that chick could do something to Grandma,” he says all too casually. “Grandma’s a tank.”

“She can MAKE her do things to OTHER people, Sunny!” I say, pushing him away. “Do you know how much guilt Grandma might feel if she does something bad?”

“Zoe,” he says dryly.

“I can’t even imagine all the terrible things—”

“Zoe,” he repeats. “Grandma was a U.S.S.R. spy. She had standing orders to take out several states if the war went hot.”

“But she didn’t!”

“Doesn’t mean she didn’t think about it,” he says. “She’s tougher than you know. She can kick Grandpa's butt! Did this Mother chick seem tougher than Grandpa?”

“Of course not! She was a—a homemaker for almost eighty years,” I admit.

“When you put it that, way, who wouldn’t be terrified?” he drawls.

“But she’s still the same species,” I protest. “She’s been brainwashing people and kidnapping healers and she brainwashed Grandma! She could be making Grandma do ANYTHING—”

“Breathe,” Sunny says. “Look, we can’t go out there—but you don’t need to, right? You’ve got one of Dad’s stations right up there, right? Let’s see what you can do from there,” he says, sending a flash of hope into my heart.

“You’re right—you’re absolutely right!” I say, heading up the stairs at top speed and looking at the science room. Just as he’d said, Dad’s tools are scattered all around, and he even has a full wall of monitors in the back. I head for them, firing them up with a thought and starting to search.

“Why not go to the Halls?” Sunny says. “First, does Mastermental know? And what about the others, have you even met them yet?”

“I haven’t,” I say, waving a hand at the screen, “but we’re about to,” I add as five different screens appear. I’ve hacked into the five Hall Leader’s private lines with a wave of my hand, I think a little light-headedly. Sure I did it with Isotonic for his daughter, but that was family business. He probably won’t mind seeing his daughter. Seeing ME, on the other hand--well, might be a bit more offensive. I could very well be offending all the Halls in America right now.

“Who are you?” I hear the large, brassy haired woman demand from the right. Marigold, my mind supplies, East Branch Leader, tank. I absently add her to my very short list of tank females.

“Zoe, sugar, this isn’t the time—” Century says.

“Is that Century I hear?” Marigold demands.

I wave a hand around the room, and then bring the screens out as holograms, so they surround me. “How are you doing that?” Negatia asks, suddenly more curious than angry.

“My name is Zoe Rosenthorn-Masters,” I announce, turning to look at each of them. “I’m the daughter of Technico and Lady Rose—this is my brother,” I add as I drag him into the circle with me. If I’m getting in trouble, so is he! It was his idea! “Sunny. We have a problem.”

“We’re listening,” Isotonic says, looking serious. “Is my daughter there?”

“Um—I think—” I start out.

“She is,” Sunny says. “She’s safer than any of you are, too.” Which is a lie, I realize abruptly. At least at the moment it is. I bring up a tiny screen and lock Grandma out of the system for now. It’ll at least slow her down, I think.

“And what’s this information you have?” Century asks.

“Mother has my grandmother,” I say, looking at him.

“She’s kidnapped an old lady, and it’s enough to hack my home computer?” Marigold asks in outrage.

“My grandma is TATIANA,” I say, turning on her. “Mother also has a teleportation watch. Do you want to listen or should I hang up and address those that are willing?” I demand.

“I’ll listen,” she mutters.

“Zoe, where is your father?” Mastermental asks in a calming tone.

“He and Grandpa are tracking her down, but I needed to warn you, anyway,” I say. “The more people looking for them, the better—we need to catch them before she makes Grandma do something she doesn’t want to.”

“We almost caught them,” Century says. “They were in my territory earlier. We do have one thing on her, now.”

“What’s that?” Isotonic asks.

“We’ve got Shadowman. I’m holding him in a time lock until we get him into a room without shadows. We’ll find out all we can about what she’s doing before I put him up for Cape Cell incarceration.”

“We can vote now—who says Shadowman should be tossed into the Cape Cells?” Marigold says, lifting a hand.

“You know as well as I do that isn’t how it works, Marigold,” Mastermental says a bit dryly. “We must follow procedures—but make sure you don’t lose him, Century,” he adds, looking over at Century’s screen.

“Oh, that little worm isn’t going anywhere,” Century says in a dark, dangerous tone. He barely even has a southern drawl, he’s so serious.

“One little problem,” Sunny says, lifting a finger.

“What’s that?” the entire group asks.

“We should at least let him meet his son first, right?” Sunny says. The entire group goes silent before Marigold curses.

“That Rocco boy, I’m betting,” she says. “I should have known!”

“But is it being kind, letting them meet?” Century asks them. “Or do you think the boy’s better off not knowing?”

“I bet he already knows,” Sunny says with a shrug. “And it might not turn out to be a happy ending—”

“It probably won’t,” I say dryly.

“But it’s still something that should be done,” Sunny says, giving me a look. “Look, we never even knew our dad before we went looking for him—but more importantly, he didn’t know about us. He spent fifteen years in a cell, not seeing anyone, hardly ever talking with anyone, and not knowing he has a family waiting for him,” he says, turning slowly to look them each in the eye. “I’m not saying it’ll end up like we did—that Rocco will suddenly have a loving dad, or anything like that, but everyone deserves a chance. Even a guy that tried to kidnap my girlfriend,” he mutters, darkly.

“I will allow it—only if we provide the special power blocking suit and collar for Shadowman first,” Mastermental says, looking over at Century.

“Fine, I’ll go along with that, as well,” Century says. “Send over the stuff—ours aren’t as new as yours are, so we’ll be keeping them when we’re done with this.”

“Oh, Century—how’s my team?” I ask. “How’s Emily?”

“She’s just fine,” Century says with a little smile. “So are those boys of yours.”

“We’ll arrange for Rocco to come down to you,” Mastermental says, picking up his phone. “Zoe, my dear, do you think you could get him there? You are still in lock-down, correct?”

“We are, but I need to move everyone to the dorms, anyway,” I say. “They’re going to get hungry soon, and while the gym is the most secure building, I don’t think Mother will come back here. I hope. I’ll send Rocco—but can I come with him?” I ask, looking from him to Century. “I want to ask some questions about Mother. In fact, why don’t you send Emily? That way we’re there and back quickly.”

“We can do that,” Century says.

“I’ll send the suit and collar over to the school,” Mastermental says.

“She’s so professional,” Negatia says with approval. “Tell me, Zoe, have you decided on a branch?”

“She’s going to be—”

“Central,” Mastermental says.

“South,” Century says. They two leaders look at each other, before Century adds, “and Central,” in a reluctant tone.

“I’m going to run the Cape High schools,” I say, “as principal here and over-seer for the South, as soon as Dad decides to retire, that is.”

I suddenly see three VERY interested Hall Leaders watching me closely, and the other two looking at one another a bit irritably. “You just had to bring that up, didn’t you,” Mastermental says to Century.