Page 26

I marveledat the three-story shadowy goliath. My creation smashed Lightyear with both fists. The flier fell, smashing into the concrete. He got on all fours, shaking his head. The shadow raised its foot and drove its heel onto the wobbly hero. For good measure, it ground its foot in the crater, ensuring he wouldn’t get up again.

Valiant flew into the creature’s chest before going supernova and drowning my shadows in his light. That hero was quickly getting on my nerves. Diesel pelted him with fire, distracting him long enough for me to launch myself upward. I took the sucker punch, driving knuckles into the center of his back.

“They’re like cockroaches,” Diesel said. “Powerful cockroaches.”

I glanced downward to see Elixir pouring energy over Lightyear. The man’s back arched as she brought him back from the brink of death. As quickly as we eliminated a Centurion, they came back. Strategically, Elixir needed to die. No, not her, their puppet master.

“I need to stop LaToya.”

Diesel nodded before tapping his ear. Somebody spoke to him through their intercoms. I should have taken one when Hellcat offered. Whatever he heard, it elicited a smile.

“Backup is incoming.”

How many people had the vigilante recruited? I stopped caring as a silver blur slammed into Valiant, taking him out of the air. A cyclone dropped through the hole in the roof before two men appeared. One hurled shards of ice at Synch while the other wore a suit not so different from the Machinist.

“Good grief,” I muttered, “You brought your boyfriends?”

“Sexy, isn’t he?” We took a breath to watch as our newest ally blasted Valiant out of the air. “I’ve already got a semi.” Diesel adjusted himself. The victory was short-lived as the Centurions regrouped, trading dance partners.

“They’re going to win,” I whispered. They were repositioning themselves. The first salvo had been to test our powers and discover our abilities as a team. I had taken them out one by one before, but as a unit, they had years of experience on us. We were a team in title only and it wouldn’t end well. Prison if we were lucky, but knowing Carmen, death was more likely.

As they regrouped, they moved into position between us and the real threat. “I need to stop LaToya,” I said.

Diesel tapped his earpiece. “Calum, Santiago, Havres, we need to clear a path.”

I thought Hellcat seeking me out had been a ploy to lead her band of degenerates. As the three fliers hovered behind Diesel, I discovered the truth. The bad boy was getting his moment in the spotlight. If it got me to Won-Ho, I’d swallow my pride. When we pulled this off, I’d owe them a round of drinks.

The four flew toward the Centurions. Diesel’s fire pushed back Valliant’s light. Havres clung to Lightyear, talons tearing at his suit. Calum traded thunderous blows with Synch. Santiago used his wind to launch Clint onto Crimson’s back.

They had done it.

I raced forward, dropping low to the train tracks. Iris was the last Centurion standing between me and LaToya. The mech, Hank, I assumed, hurled Hellcat at the woman. With her staff out, she spun through the air, catching the hero by the neck. The two rolled along the platform, leaving the perfect opening.

Mayhem had broken out. I pushed it all away and focused on LaToya standing next to Won-Ho’s shattered tube. I picked up the pace, flying forward with my fists leading the way. She braced a foot, her body vibrating until it blurred. The white light gathered in her fists as she prepared for our collision.

I came to a grinding stop, half a dozen feet short. She raised her eyebrow, confused by my sudden reluctance.

“You’re not my target.”

I reached for the bracelet on my other wrist before pointing behind her. If I could frame a photo of the confusion on her face, I’d hang it on my mantle.

“You’re mine.”

She spun about, fist drawn. I seized the moment to call upon the most terrifying power at my disposal. I wielded the very darkness of the world. Carmen had seen my powers manifest as smoke, tendrils, and even weapons. Underneath the physical manifestation, I controlled it in both a physical and metaphorical sense. I had once bestowed these gifts on my underlings and watched as they explored their potential. I had yet to test my most terrifying ability.

“Carmen, I feel your darkness.”

The light vanished.

We stood in the depths of Carmen’s mind. The place she feared to tread. Summoning all my strength, I shoved LaToya into her darkest thoughts, her unrelenting fears. Inside her mind, Carmen saw herself as a child, a young girl terrified of the outside world. I’d leave her to fend off the demons. Here, she was her own worst enemy.

I retreated from Carmen’s mind, opening my eyes. She had fallen to the platform, curling herself into a ball. Her nails clawed at her arms as she mumbled between yelps. I would have stayed to watch as she tormented herself, but I wanted to ensure Won-Ho was okay. I savored her first guttural scream.

Won-Ho leaned against the adjacent tube, getting his bearings. I would have loved to see him naked in the heat of battle, but there were protocols. I ran to him, snapping the bracelet around his wrist. The nanites went to work. Won-Ho’s naked flesh vanished as Asher’s suit hugged his body. Silver with a black stripe down the middle, the tailor had outdone himself. In the middle of his chest, the circle with lines remained, but now I could see the outline of a dragon.

He held up his hands, the blue light appearing as he summoned a rat. Made of light, the critter ran down his arm, perching itself along his shoulder.

“Better than flowers.”

“Such a romantic,” he said.

“What happened? You vanished, and I got worried.”

“Worried?” He put a gloved hand against my face. “I’m touched.”

“You can touch me after we get out of here.”

He kicked the remaining glass, stepping out of the stasis tube. Standing over Carmen, he shook his head. “She killed Jin-Ae. The chemical fires, they were her doing.”

I hadn’t connected the dots. Carmen had her technicians trying to duplicate the serum that gave Clint his abilities. When they were no longer of use, she scorched the earth to hide her involvement. It made sense that Won-Ho wanted her dead. I couldn’t fathom the pain of a father who buried his child.

“Instead of flowers, I give you vengeance.”

The shadows along my arm morphed into a blade. As I took a step forward, he placed a hand on my chest. He leaned in, kissing me. Despite the all-out war happening around us, I could only focus on this beautiful man. I’d have let the world burn as long as he was by my side.

“I must do this,” he whispered.

Nodding, I understood.

“Pathetic.” Carmen’s eyes shot open. She rolled over, getting to her knees. She had broken free of the darkness. It had been foolish to think a woman with that level of control would fall victim to fear. “Damien, I’m going to enjoy killing you.”

Her eyes flashed white. I spun Won-Ho around, shielding him with my body. A searing pain started in my lower back. It spread along my spine and settled between my shoulders. The suit couldn’t withstand her might. Nanites vaporized, leaving exposed flesh. I gripped the sides of Won-Ho’s face, wanting it to be the last thing I saw before I died.

Delirium set in as a tiger roared.

I collapsed with a thud. Something pulled at my arm, dragging me along the platform. A dog? It tugged at the rags of my shirt. It took a second before I recognized the phantom blue light surrounding the animal. With every jerk of its head, I groaned. Not even Sentinel’s electricity hurt this badly.

The dog had pulled me out of harm’s way, dropping me near the generator. Now, it stood guard, poised to attack should it need. I gasped, clutching my side. Won-Ho had risen into the air, the dragon growing in size until it barely fit inside the train yard. Once Vanguard’s greatest hero, it appeared he was ready to reclaim the title.

The dragon shot forward, slamming into Carmen. Concrete spit into the air as her feet dug into the platform. Her eyes leaked with power, and with a scream, lasers shot their way through the massive serpent.

I had to squint to make out the light surrounding Won-Ho. It didn’t look like any of the zodiacs. The robe flapped in the wind, and he held out a hand as light raced along his arm. Spreading outward, it formed the outline of a scythe.

“Death,” I whispered. He treated his upper body like a canvas. One tattoo skillfully weaved into the next. I hadn’t seen the ink along his back. I regretted not getting more time to trace their lines with my fingers.

He landed, the robes fluttering in a supernatural wind. He spun the scythe in a well-rehearsed motion. I tried to focus, to watch as he swiped back and forth, forcing her to retreat. The further away he pushed her, the blurrier they became. I think he had her on the defense. I wanted to cheer, but the darkness nipped at the edges of my vision.

I needed to close my eyes, just for a moment. In all the chaos, Won-Ho’s voice cried out. I wanted to crawl to my feet, to stand by his side. He needed me, and I could barely breathe. Something brushed my cheek. The dog…

It nudged me onto my back. I couldn’t tell what hurt and what didn’t. The pain had reached a point where I prepared to black out. The animal sniffed at my chest, its nose poking at the gem. Glowing, the dog’s blue light shifted until it turned green. It evaporated, drawn into my jewel.

“What…” My vision cleared, and the pain receded enough I could breathe without grimacing. I turned my head to see Won-Ho on the ground, arm held up, trying to deflect Carmen’s death rays. There were similar situations everywhere; the Centurions were besting the Deviants. It’d only be a matter of minutes before we had a body count.

Checkmate. The queen had won.

Lightning tore through the air. It pelted the space between Carmen and Won-Ho. Bright enough, everybody shielded their eyes, and a shadow stepped out of the light. I didn’t recognize the uniform, but the axe in his hand, there was no mistaking the iconic symbol.

“Sentinel…”