Chameleon
"Huh," Kaden said, looking down at his phone as we sat down together at the high school cafeteria. I never ate lunch there; the food was absolutely disgusting. But a break from classes was nice in and of itself.
"Are you gonna elaborate on that?" I asked with a grin. "Or are you gonna leave me forever wondering what made you say 'huh'?"
"You know Dr. Void?"
"Is the sun in the sky today?" I laughed. "He's only the world's most successful supervillain of all time!"
"Well, apparently his wife got kidnapped last night while he was preoccupied fighting Captain Electrum."
"Wait, what?" I raised my eyebrows. "I didn't know the guy had a wife."
"I didn't either until about two days ago when I finally managed to figure out his secret identity. Apparently he's the director of the university's theatre department."
"You're saying Drake Stevenson is Dr. Void?" I choked on my water.
"Sure is."
"And his wife was kidnapped?"
"Yep."
"Where did this happen? Do you know?"
"Says here she was kidnapped at the Italian restaurant downtown. Works there as a waitress."
"Does it say who took her?"
"Nope. And it doesn't look like anybody's doing anything to track her down, either. All the superheroes are claiming to be 'too busy', and the police department is only making a half-butt effort."
"Dude, that's messed up!"
"Tell me about it. It's always the minority women that get the short end of the stick. Especially those who don't have prestigious jobs."
"That's just wrong," I said. Kaden didn't know about my powers yet. But if nobody else was gonna take on the job, I would. "Somebody should do something about it."
“Oh, believe me, I'm planning on doing everything I can to help. But being a couple of normal people who aren't even adults yet, we can't do much except raise awareness.”
I pondered whether I should tell him. He was very knowledgeable with regards to all of the established supers, both the heroes and the villains. His computer hacking skills were pretty good, too. If we worked together, I might have better odds.
But how was he gonna react? And could I trust him to actually keep my secret?
Who was I kidding? He was gonna find out eventually. Might as well just tell him.
“Yeah, about that,” I said, grinning nervously.
“You're saying you're not just a normal teenager like me?”
“I've been meaning to tell you a while ago, but I'm actually a super.”
“You?” Kaden raised his eyebrows. “A super?”
“Yeah. Haven't taken on any big jobs yet, but I've been…practicing. Secretly.”
“So, what can you do?”
“I can turn invisible,” I said, briefly turning invisible before reappearing.
“Whoa! That's so metal! Do you have a supersuit yet?”
“Yeah. It doesn't look amazing, but I made it myself.”
“Dude, you've gotta show me! Have you already come up with a superhero name?”
“I've been thinking about calling myself the Human Chameleon. Or maybe just Chameleon.”
“That’s kinda perfect, not gonna lie.”
“Good, because I already sewed a stenciled cutout of a chameleon onto my suit.”
“I know some supers have a secondary ability alongside their primary one. Are you like that?”
“Well, I can change my body temperature at will.”
“So you can be invisible to the infrared cameras if you need to. That's pretty epic.”
“I guess that would be a pretty good practical use for it.”
“Dude, you could sneak into literally everywhere! Planes, private meetings, amusement parks, I mean, the sky's the limit with that!”
“I have snuck into the movie theater a few times,” I admitted sheepishly.
“I mean, if I had your powers I'd probably be doing the same thing.”
“So about the kidnapping, If I can figure out where they took her, I think I might be able to rescue her.”
“Getting in shouldn't be too difficult,” Kaden said, scratching his chin. “But unless she can also turn invisible, getting out could definitely present a problem. Especially since you don't have any offensive powers.”
“You're right,” I said, nodding thoughtfully. “I'll have to disable whatever security is there before freeing her.”
“Well, the quietest way to go about that would probably be a sleeper hold. But that takes time to learn how to do properly. Time that you most likely don't have if you want to rescue her.”
“I could use blunt force trauma to the head,” I said.
“You'll need to aim for the side of the head if that's the case,” he said. “You're much more likely to get a knockout aiming for the side than for the front.”
“Good to know,” I said, nodding. “Anyways, you said the kidnapping happened last night, right?”
“According to what I read, yeah.”
“Maybe if we go over to the restaurant now, we could find some clues as to who took her and where they were headed. Maybe there could be someone there who saw it happen.”
“Are you suggesting we ditch this school food and go get Italian?” Kaden grinned. “Maybe just take the rest of the day off?”
“You read my mind,” I said, grinning back. “If you're cool with coming with me, of course.”
“Heck yeah I am! Do you know how long I've dreamed of working with an actual superhero? You couldn't pay me to pass that up!”
“Then let's get outta here,” I said, nodding. “I can show you my supersuit while we're at it.”
“Right, I should probably wear some sort of disguise as well. Wouldn't want to ruin your secret identity. Don't know what I'll wear though.”
“Well, seeing as it's his wife we're rescuing, I don't think he'll mind if we ‘borrow’ a costume from the theater department.”
“You're devious,” Kaden said, slugging my shoulder.
“Says the person who regularly hacks into security systems for fun,” I said, slugging him back as we unlocked our bikes. “Race ya to my place!”
—
“That suit is…certainly something,” Kaden said, suppressing a laugh.
“Oh, shut up. It’s not like I can afford to hire a professional to make my suit for me. Do you have any idea how much that can cost?”
“Relax, I’m just teasing. Though you might’ve gotten a bit cleaner lines had you at least used a sewing machine.”
“Yeah, don’t have money for that either,” I said. “Other than maybe a cheapo one that breaks within the first five minutes of using it. And since my powers don’t include being able to magically repair equipment, that’s not really a viable option.”
“Geez, I knew you were poor, but that poor?”
“Well, Dad didn’t have life insurance when he died, so we’ve been living off Mom’s meager wages as a grocery store cashier. Can barely afford this crappy apartment, the crappy food that’s still somehow better than school food. Heck, I have to go to the library every time I want to use the freaking internet! And since the library isn’t open 24/7, I don’t have the privilege of waiting until the last minute to turn in my assignments, even when I have a legitimate excuse for doing so. I don’t have the privilege of staying home when I’m sick, or taking a break for my own sanity when my girlfriend just killed herself, or anything! I just have to keep working, keep slaving away the whole day long, just so Mom and I don’t starve!”
I broke down into tears, collapsing on the floor of my bedroom.
“Hey, man,” Kaden said, kneeling down next to me. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I said.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known.”
Kaden put a hand on my shoulder.
“DON’T TOUCH ME!”
Kaden withdrew his hand, a look of fear in his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” I said, trying to compose myself. “I’m not entirely…myself right now.”
“It’s okay,” Kaden said, his expression changing from fear to concern. “Do you wanna talk about it?”
“It’s just…I hate that nobody looks out for the little guy anymore. All the famous superheroes, they’ll rush in to save the day when they know they’ll be showered in praise and money. But they don’t care. They don’t care about anything but their own reputations. Their own pride. I almost hate them more than the supervillains. At least the villains are open about it. At least they’re not pretending to care about the lives they’re taking. The people they’re hurting. But the heroes, whenever they’re rewarded for saving people, they don’t use that money to help anyone but themselves! Every time I see one driving around in a fancy sports car or hosting fancy galas for other snobby rich folk, it just makes me sick. Because they could be saving so many more lives if they didn’t hog it all to themselves. And we get stuck fighting over the scraps from their table.”
“You’re right,” Kaden said, nodding. “I wish you weren’t, but you’re right. Nothing about this system is fair. Perhaps the real villains aren’t the ones robbing banks or blowing up buildings. Perhaps the real villains are simply the ones that choose to do nothing. Forcing the few who are both willing and capable of doing something to do too much. To bear burdens far too heavy to carry. To break themselves for the sake of those who can’t.”
“I…that’s exactly it,” I said, my muscles relaxing a little.
“I’m here for you, Zach,” Kaden said, looking at me with compassion. “I may not have any supernatural abilities like you do. But I’m gonna do whatever I can to help you. I hope you know that.”
“Thanks, buddy,” I said, getting up off the ground. “You’re a good friend.”
“Any time,” Kaden said with a smile. “Now let’s go save that damsel in distress.”
—
We arrived at the restaurant, both in our disguises. The costume heist went off without a hitch. I'd also snatched some rope, as I figured that could come in handy for the mission.
“I'll take care of lunch today,” Kaden said as we locked up our bikes to the lamp post nearby. “You just focus on getting as much information as you can.”
“Thanks, man. I owe you one.”
Kaden grinned at me as we walked in the door.
“Welcome to Angela’s Pasta and Pizzeria,” the hostess said in greeting. The name “Mary” was written on her nametag. “What can I do for you two gentlemen today?”
“We heard about what went on last night,” I said. “One of your servers was abducted, yes?”
“Oh, gods, finally they sent somebody to do something about this,” Mary said, a look of both relief and frustration on her face.
“Nobody sent us, ma’am,” Kaden said. “We came on our own accord, specifically because the cops aren’t doing their job like they’re supposed to.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re here all the same.”
“Were you there to witness the abduction last night?” I asked.
“I wasn’t,” she said. “But our server Chelsea was there. She's on the clock right now but I could get you a table with her if you need more information.”
“That would be lovely,” I said, nodding politely. “Table for two, please.”
Mary led us to a table and gave us a couple of menus. “Chelsea will be right with you.”
“Good afternoon, gentlemen,” Chelsea said as she walked up to our table. She looked like she hadn't slept at all the night before. “Are you paying together or separate?”
“Together,” Kaden said.
“Can I start you two off with something to drink?”
“Just water for me,” Kaden said.
“Same here,” I said.
“And can I get you any appetizers?”
“You wanna share a plate of those pretzel bites?” Kaden asked, looking at me.
“You’re sure you can afford to pay for that in addition to our entrees?” I asked, looking at the price tag.
“Don’t worry about my wallet,” Kaden said. “I just got paid for washing a few cars the other day. I've got plenty to spare.”
“Well, alright. I'll split it with you.”
“So two waters and an order of pretzel bites?” Chelsea asked to clarify.
“Yes please,” Kaden said, nodding politely. “And before you go, my friend has something he'd like to ask you about, if you don't mind.”
“What would you like to know?”
“We're investigating the kidnapping that happened here last night,” I said. “A server by the name of Alicia Stevenson. We heard you saw it happen. Would it be alright if we asked you some questions regarding the incident?”
“What are you, some superhero wannabe?”
“I'm a bit of a rookie, but I think I might be able to help,” I said. I turned invisible for a few seconds before reappearing.
“You're actually a super?” Chelsea's eyes grew wide.
“I am. And given the nature of my abilities, I can sneak into anywhere I need to go. If I can figure out who took her and where they took her, I’d say I have pretty decent odds of rescuing her.”
“The kidnappers were covering their faces almost entirely,” Chelsea said, “but they were supers as well. All of them. Why they specifically wanted Alicia is beyond me, though.”
“How many of them were there? And what were their powers?”
“There were four. One of them could wield electricity. He took out the security cameras. One of them could set herself on fire at will. One of them was a healer of some kind. But the last one was the most terrifying of all of them. He could control people like puppets. He could've forced me to plunge a knife right into my chest if he wanted to.”
“The Puppet Master,” Kaden said. “One of the most feared supervillains of all time, second only to Dr. Void. He’s never lost a fight in all his villainous career. That guy’s bad news.”
“He can’t control someone he doesn’t know is there,” I said. “Does he have any way of detecting invisible targets?”
“No. But if I remember correctly, the electricity guy, Volt, does. He has powers similar to that of an electric eel, including electrolocation. I’m not sure if the Puppet Master could control you based solely off of what Volt can detect, but it’s something to be aware of.”
“Lovely,” I said, shaking my head. “What about the other two? Do you know anything about them?”
“Lady Inferno, like she said, can set herself on fire without being burned. Makes it nearly impossible for anyone to come into close quarters with her. Her one glaring weakness is that she’s deathly afraid of water.”
“And the healer?”
“The Dark Medic. She doesn’t have any offensive capabilities, but she frequently uses her healing to keep prisoners alive for as long as possible during interrogation. She’s also rumored to sell her victims’ organs on the black market. Vivisect, remove the organs, then heal the victim before they die just so she can cut them open again.”
“Eesh. Never thought healing magic could be used for something so vile.”
“I know. What’s more, her healing doesn’t leave any scars behind, which makes it extremely difficult for anyone to prove that she or anyone working with her did anything to them.”
“So the price of getting caught could quite literally be a fate worse than death,” I said, a shiver running down my spine. “And gods, to think they could be putting Alicia through that very thing as we speak. We need to get her out of there.”
“You would risk that?” Chelsea looked doubtful. “You would risk that much for someone you don’t even know? Someone who can’t even pay you back?”
“As much as it terrifies me, yes,” I said, nodding. “Nobody deserves to go through that. And since the Puppet Master will be there, I might be the only one who stands a chance. And even if I'm not, nobody else has even bothered to start an investigation. Not the cops, not the more experienced superheroes, nobody.”
“You’re just a kid.”
“I know. I'm inexperienced. And I'm terrified out of my mind at the thought of what might happen to me if I fail. But I can't just stand by and do nothing. I have the power to do something about it. I have to try.”
“You’re either brave or insane,” Chelsea said, shaking her head.
“Probably a bit of both to be honest,” I said with a grin. “Did you happen to see which way they took her?”
“North,” she said.
“You see what kind of car they were driving?”
“A Dodge Caravan from the early 2000’s. Dark red paint. And a few dents in it.”
“And what time was it when it happened? Do you remember?”
“It was a few minutes after closing.”
“That should be enough to get us started,” Kaden said. “I can hack into the city’s traffic cameras and see where they went from there. Then we can start coming up with a more solid plan to get her out of there.”
“Good idea,” I said, nodding. “I'm so glad I'm friends with a nerd.”
“Excuse me, I prefer the term ‘Tech Wizard' if it's all the same to you,” Kaden said, dramatically faking an offended expression.
We both laughed. I don't know how he does it. Makes me laugh even when I know there's a non-zero chance my plans could fail epically and I could end up facing an eternity of torture (or, you know, however long it would take for them to get bored of me).
By the time we finished lunch, Kaden had figured out where they'd taken Alica: an abandoned warehouse on the edge of town. Likely just a coverup for the actual entrance; she was probably being held somewhere underground.
Kaden left Chelsea like a 150% tip as we left the restaurant; she nearly fainted upon seeing it. I didn't know how he could afford to tip that much, but it made me smile. Food service workers had a harder job than most people gave them credit for. They deserved to be paid better.
“Do you have any idea if you can keep your invisibility after getting hit with electricity?” Kaden asked as we began to strategize a game plan.
“No idea,” I said. “Only one way to find out.”
“I'd feel better about you finding out before going into the lion's den, rather than after. You have any idea how you can test it without receiving a lethal dose of electricity?”
“I could steal a taser from a corrupt cop. This city is practically swimming in those.”
“Good thinking. There's supposed to be a protest going on right now at the university. The cops have almost always escalated these things to violence in the past. If the pattern continues, you should have the perfect opportunity to steal what you need and maybe protect some innocent civilians while you're at it.”
“Not a bad idea. And so long as I stay invisible, nobody will know who took it.”
“Exactly. They won't be able to prove anything.”
“Can we talk about how we're kinda thinking like villains right now?” I grinned.
“Well, they say if you want to defeat your enemy, you’ve gotta think like your enemy. Besides, not all heroes follow the laws, and not all villains break the laws.”
“True. Maybe we’re more like the Robin Hood type heroes. No regard for the law, just helping people by whatever means is necessary.”
—
I arrived at the protest while invisible, waiting patiently for an opportunity to make my move. Hundreds of college students and employees alike were rallied together in protest of the low wages that university employees were being paid. Had I not had a more urgent matter at hand, I'd be standing right with them. With how much tuition costs, there's no reason why the university can't pay their employees more.
But I couldn't focus on that. The longer it took for me to get what I needed and go, the longer Alicia would continue to suffer.
A few minutes went by before I heard shouting and screaming up ahead. I looked at where it was coming from and saw some sort of gas being used on the protestors.
“Tear gas,” Kaden said through my earbuds. “A chemical irritant that can make it difficult to breathe, cause temporary blindness, and in some cases bleeding. Used to temporarily incapacitate large groups of people, but has been known to cause severe permanent injury or even death in some instances.”
“And they're using it on unarmed civilians,” I said. “Disgusting.”
“You don't happen to have a gas mask on you, do you?”
“Nope. But I can borrow some goggles from the science building and wear a cloth mask.”
“Suppose that's better than nothing. But be careful.”
“I'll try to keep my time in the gas cloud to a minimum,” I said. “Expect radio silence for the next five minutes.”
“Roger that,” Kaden said. “Good luck.”
After snatching some goggles and putting a cloth mask over my mouth and nose, I quickly and quietly weaved my way through the throngs of panicked students trying to escape the gas. One of the few times I've been grateful for being extremely skinny. My lungs still burned from the gas, but it was manageable.
Then I saw a suitable target: a cop using ridiculously unnecessary violence against a pregnant woman.
I rushed into action, yanking the helmet off the cop’s head and pinning him face-down on the ground, giving the woman a chance to scramble away. As he gagged from the tear gas I took his taser, his handcuffs, his pepper spray, and his gun.
I grabbed a permanent marker from my pocket and wrote the sentence “I beat up a helpless pregnant woman” onto the back of his shirt. Then, feeling a little bad for him, I dragged him out of the worst of the tear gas before leaving him coughing and retching on the ground.
—
“Dude, I didn’t think you’d take everything,” Kaden said as he saw my haul.
“I’m planning on ditching most of it,” I said. “But it could be useful for the mission.”
“You don’t think you’ll actually need to kill anyone, do you?”
“I’d rather not, but if that’s what it takes to save Alicia, that’s what I’m gonna do. Besides, guns make for pretty decent blunt force weapons as well.”
“Suppose you’re right,” Kaden said, nodding thoughtfully.
“Anyways, let’s test out that electricity,” I said, handing him the taser.
“Wait, you expect me to use that on you?”
“Who else would I ask? You’re the only one who knows I have this in the first place.”
“I don’t wanna hurt you.”
“Kaden, if I fail this mission, or even if I succeed in getting her out but fail at getting out myself, there’s a good chance I’m gonna be tortured into insanity,” I said, my eyes growing serious. “If I can’t handle one zap from a taser, I may as well call it quits now.”
“Well, alright,” Kaden said hesitantly. “Let me put on some gloves first so I don’t get my fingerprints on it.”
“Good call. That way if the cops end up finding it again they can’t trace it back to you.”
After putting on a pair of gloves, Kaden hesitantly took the taser from my hands.
“I’m gonna turn invisible,” I said, “But I’m gonna make some noise so you still know where I am. I’m also gonna close my eyes so I can’t see it coming. When you’re ready, tase me. Then we’ll see if I can manage to stay invisible.”
“Okay,” Kaden said, nodding.
I turned invisible and closed my eyes, humming a little tune to myself. How painful is a zap from a taser? I wondered. Will it make me fall unconscious like in the movies? Why isn’t Kaden zapping me yet? Did I accidentally grab a dud? Oh, gods, I hope I didn’t accidentally–
ZAP!
An extreme burning and stinging pain shot through my body as the two electrified darts pierced my skin. My muscles contracted instantly as I fell to the ground. I screamed as I started convulsing involuntarily.
As quickly as the pain started, it stopped. My muscles still twitched and spasmed for several minutes before finally returning back to normal.
“You okay, buddy?” Kaden knelt down next to me and removed the electrodes from my back.
“Gods, that was the absolute worst thing I've ever experienced in my life,” I said, panting. “How long did I keep the invisibility up?”
“You lost it immediately.”
“Lovely,” I said, grimacing. “Gods, I'm so sore. How long is that supposed to last?”
“Few hours, if my research was correct.”
“Well, I can handle soreness. But man, I do not wanna have that happen to me ever again.”
“You still haven’t changed your plans, though?”
“Of course not. The pain Alicia is going through could be a thousand times worse. The sooner I can get her outta there, the better. I’ve just gotta try not to get shot full of lightning. Especially before the Puppet Master is incapacitated.”
“You’ll probably have to just shoot Volt before he gets the chance to blast you.”
“As much as I hate to say it, you’re probably right. Since Volt is the only one of the four that will be able to see me, he’s gonna be my biggest threat.”
“Do you think you have it in you to kill him?” Kaden asked. “I mean, psychologically speaking?”
“I don't know,” I said, shaking my head. “I know even if I can kill him, I'll most likely need therapy, which neither I nor my mom can afford to pay for.”
“I could try and get some more hours at work to help you pay for it.”
“I can't ask you to do that for me. You do so much for me already.”
“I want to help you however I can,” Kaden said. “And unlike you, my family is pretty well off. They've already got a college savings account built up for me. Literally the only thing that I have to pay for right now is my phone plan. Anything extra I make, I can use for whatever I want. And there's nothing I want more than to help my best friend.”
“You really mean it?”
“Absolutely.”
—
Midnight. The preparations were made. My backpack was filled to the brim with supplies: a first aid kit, a rope, a pocket knife, a roll of duct tape, my water bottle, and my phone. I had the taser, gun, pepper spray, and handcuffs strapped to my belt. Kaden had also given me some noise canceling wireless earbuds so we could communicate while still protecting my hearing in case I had to use the gun. I was still a little bit sore from the taser, but it was manageable.
I had left a note on my pillow in case this mission ended up being my last. I knew Mom was gonna freak out either way, but not knowing anything was probably gonna hurt her even more than knowing everything. Well, almost everything. The knowledge that I'd stolen from a cop would go with me to the grave.
I locked up my bike about a block away from the abandoned warehouse; I didn't want to give away any sign of an unauthorized visitor.
“I'm about to go into the belly of the beast,” I said. “Anything else you've found out that I should be aware of?”
“The place has infrared cameras as well as regular ones,” Kaden said through my earbuds.
“Note taken,” I said, lowering my body temperature until it was the same temperature as the air around me. “Is that it?”
“I believe so. Are you ready?”
“I'm absolutely terrified. But I've gotten this far. I'm not gonna back out now.”
“Alright. Try to take out the security system first if you can. That way it'll take longer before someone notices the guards dropping like flies.”
“Roger that. And Kaden?”
“Yeah?”
“If I don't make it out of this, don't do anything to make yourself a target, alright? If you release any of the information we've picked up, do it anonymously. VPN, throwaway accounts, everything. Got it?”
“Yeah. I'll be careful. I promise. And Zach?”
“What is it?”
“Try not to die. I don't wanna lose my best friend.”
“I’ll try not to get caught,” I said, swallowing. “But if I do, then so long as I'm able to get Alicia to safety first, I'm gonna do whatever it takes to get the pain to stop.”
“I…I guess that's fair,” Kaden said, though clearly not pleased about it. “If it comes to that, I'll make sure your mom knows.”
“Thanks, buddy. I'm probably gonna have to go radio silent for the vast majority of this mission, but feel free to listen in. And, in case I don't make it back to tell you in person, I want you to know that I'm really grateful. For everything. You've been a wonderful friend.”
“You have, too,” Kaden said, trying to hold back his emotions. “If they capture you, do you…do you want me to help you through it?”
“And just listen to me being tortured into insanity? Absolutely not. I want your mental health to be at least somewhat intact. Besides, they'll probably take the earbuds anyway, along with everything else that's on my person.”
“Oh, yeah. Didn't think about that.”
“Anyways, enough of this doom and gloom. I wouldn't be doing this if there wasn't at least a chance of success. Let's focus on that for now.”
“You're right,” Kaden said, breathing to calm himself. “Good luck.”
Taking a deep breath, I opened the door to the warehouse. The beat up Dodge Caravan was sitting inside, completely empty aside from a few bloodstains.
There appeared to be a trap door on the ground, but no handle to open it. I took out my pocket knife and slid it in between the door and the floor until it came loose. Then, lifting it up, I climbed down into the depths below.
With Kaden’s help, finding the security wing was a piece of cake. I took out the two guards manning the cameras rather easily, tying their wrists and ankles together and putting duct tape over their mouths. Then I scanned the screens for signs of where the four villains were.
“Well, would you look at that,” I muttered. “Looks like the Puppet Master’s taking a little snooze. My lucky day.”
The other three were currently torturing Alicia in a prison cell. Volt and Lady Inferno seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the process, but the Dark Medic’s expression was unreadable. Either she felt absolutely nothing or she had the world’s best poker face. Either way, it sent chills down my spine.
Once I felt I had enough information and got a pretty good idea of the layout of the place, I took my taser to the computer, frying its circuitry until the room smelled faintly of smoke. Then I made a beeline towards the Puppet Master. If I could get him restrained before he awoke, that would increase my odds spectacularly.
Unfortunately for me, the door to his bedroom was creaky. He bolted upright.
“Hello?”
I remained silent, tiptoeing into the room.
“Maybe I didn't close the door completely,” he muttered, getting up from his bed to shut the door.
Good. He didn't suspect anything.
Once he was curled up on his bed again, I silently moved closer to him, readying my taser. As soon as he closed his eyes, I activated the taser. His body started convulsing immediately. Was that what I had looked like when I was tased? No wonder I was still sore.
It took a few shocks before I felt like he was sufficiently disoriented. I removed the barbs from his skin, then tied him up, gagging him with his own shirt.
“Marionette strings have been cut,” I said softly.
“Way to go, Chameleon,” Kaden said. “Now I think your best bet is to take out the rest of the guards before getting her out. That way once you free her you can just stroll on outta there.
“Roger that, Mr. Wizard,” I said.
Taking out the rest of the guards wasn't too much trouble. Tedious, but fairly simple. Nobody was used to fighting invisible enemies, it seemed. But this was the easy part. Fighting Volt will be the real test. And I was not looking forward to it.
The sound of screams echoed through the air as I made my way into the prison. I held the gun in front of me, safety off, as I crept nearer and nearer. I had to kill Volt before he noticed me. That was my only chance.
“I already told you everything I know!” Alicia sobbed.
“I don't think so,” Volt said. “I think you know more than you’re letting on. So you're gonna tell me, where is your darling husband's secret hideout?”
“He never told me anything about that!”
“A pity, then,” Volt said. “Lady Inferno, perhaps you could give Miss Stevenson a little more persuasion.”
“With pleasure,” Lady Inferno said, a wicked gleam in her eyes.
I quietly aimed the gun at Volt. My hands were shaking. I didn't want to do it.
“Someone's here,” Volt said, his eyes scanning the room. “I can feel it.”
“I don't see anyone,” Lady Inferno said, pausing.
PULL THE FREAKING TRIGGER! My mind was screaming at me. But my hands would not comply.
“There you are,” Volt said, his eyes narrowing on me. “Clever trick, but you're not fooling me.”
“What are you doing?” Kaden yelled through my earbuds. “Shoot him! Now!”
“You don't have the guts to pull the trigger,” Volt said, a grin spreading across his face. “So I'm gonna give you a deal. You have ten seconds to walk the other way before I start blasting. Just forget you ever saw this place, and I'll let you live.”
My limbs refused to move.
“What are you waiting for?!” Kaden screamed. “Either shoot him or run away! Don't just stand there!”
“What's the matter?” Volt asked, cocking an eyebrow. “First day on the job, kid?”
“Chameleon, I know you don't want to kill anyone, but you've got to pull the trigger. You made it this far. Don't trip at the finish line.”
Don't trip at the finish line, I repeated in my mind. I can do this. I can do this.
“Walk away, little rookie,” Volt said, electricity crackling between his fingers. “Unless, of course, you'd like to find out what real pain feels like.”
“This man is a monster,” Kaden said. “Shooting him is not gonna turn you into one. You can do this.”
We both shot at the same time. I screamed as the electricity coursed through my body. The taser was nothing. This was pure agony. I felt like my entire body was on fire as I collapsed to the ground. My body writhed on its own accord, more violently than it had ever done before. The burning. The jolting. The convulsing. It was too much. I was going to die.
I lost track of time before my body stopped convulsing. Severe electrical burns covered my entire body. My clothes were smoldering. I was exhausted. Physically and mentally. I couldn't even look up to see if I'd actually managed to kill him. My vision was going in and out of focus. I could tell someone was approaching me. Lady Inferno. I could feel her heat. I could hear the flickering of the flames. I tried to move, but I'd lost all strength.
“Zach! Are you okay?” Kaden’s voice came through the earbuds. How they survived the electricity, I had no idea.
All I could manage was a groan.
“Oh, thank the gods you're alive,” Kaden said, his voice a mixture between relieved and worried. “I need you to listen to me. You need to get up. I know it hurts, but you need to get up on your feet. You've still got two others that you need to deal with. And they're not gonna ignore you forever.”
“Can't…” My voice was hoarse. I was weak. I couldn't move.
“Come on,” Kaden said urgently. “Don't quit on me now. You've gotta move.”
I tried with all my might, but I barely moved an inch before I collapsed again.
Lady Inferno's flames were closing in. And there was nothing I could do about it.
“I'm…sorry,” I said, tears welling up in my eyes. I screamed as Lady Inferno grabbed onto my ankles.
“No! Get up! You're so close! Just get up!”
My body was completely limp as she dragged me into the room. This was it. I'd failed. I was so close, and I failed at the last hurdle. Why hadn't I just shot him earlier? Why had it taken me so ridiculously long just to summon the guts to pull the trigger?
It didn't matter now. If I was lucky, they'd kill me. If I was unlucky, they'd torture me until I was begging for death. But either way, I was helpless as Lady Inferno dragged me into a chair. Helpless as she wrapped a thick wire to secure my ankles to the chair, melting it into place.
“You're…not gonna make it, are you?” Kaden sounded like he was about to cry.
“Too…weak,” I said, panting. “Can't…move.”
“I’ll…I'll see what I can do,” Kaden said, desperately trying not to cry. “Maybe someone will be more willing to help if they know a kid’s in danger too.”
Lady Inferno used my own handcuffs to secure my wrists behind me. She stared at me, her eyes full of hate. She stripped me down to my skin.
“You'll pay for taking him from me!” Lady Inferno’s voice was fuming. “You'll wish you were never born!”
I swallowed, squeezing my eyes shut as her flames began scorching my skin. My voice was too hoarse to scream anymore. But the agony. Oh, the agony. It was excruciating.
But then, another gunshot pierced the air, and the burning stopped. I opened my eyes to see what had happened. I couldn't believe what I saw.
The Dark Medic held the gun in her hands, standing next to Lady Inferno's dead body. She breathed heavily as she set the gun down.
“Did something happen?” Kaden asked. “I heard another gunshot. Talk to me.”
I tried to speak, but my voice was completely gone.
The Dark Medic placed her hands on me, and a warm feeling started spreading through my body. The pain of my burns subsided, as did that of my aching muscles. I felt safe. Warm. She undid my restraints, placing my water bottle to my lips. I drank greedily, not even stopping to breathe until I'd drunk the whole thing. Then I looked at her in amazement.
“You…killed her,” I said, my voice returning. “You saved me. Why?”
“She's my sister, Dahlia,” Alicia said. “She was forced to participate in my torture. But you gave her the opportunity to fight back.”
“Wait…she's your…but that means…you're not…”
“I’m not a villain,” Dahlia said as she helped me back into my clothes. “I'm a victim. They threatened my children's lives if I didn't comply with their demands. I've been stuck in their service for three years.”
“By the gods,” Kaden said. “This changes everything. I guess I don't need to call for help after all.”
“I…thank you,” I said, still dumbfounded.
“We’re the ones who should be thanking you,” Alicia said, placing a hand on my shoulder. “How did you even find this place? And how did you even know to start looking?”
“You have my best friend to thank for both of those things,” I said. “He just found out I was a super, like, a little over twelve hours ago. And he's been nothing but supportive of me. When I told him I wanted to try and save you, he did everything he could to give me the best chance possible. Helped me figure out where they took you, told me what he knew about the people who took you, helped me prepare for the mission as best as I could. Even though I fell short, I wouldn't have even made it this far without his help.”
“Man, you're gonna make me blush,” Kaden said.
“Did you know what you'd be risking by coming here?” Alicia asked.
“I knew,” I said, nodding. “And the thought absolutely terrified me.”
“And yet you came anyway? For someone you don't even know?”
“Well, I'm here, aren't I?” I grinned. “I knew that, despite my lack of experience, I was the only one who was both willing and capable of doing something about it. I'd be a pretty poor excuse for a superhero if I didn't at least try.”
“The Puppet Master,” Dahlia said. “Is he…taken care of?”
“He's tied up and gagged. I wasn't exactly certain how many bullets were in the chamber so I was saving them for the one person I knew would be able to see me.”
“Stolen gun, I take it?”
“Yeah. The taser, handcuffs, and pepper spray were stolen too. All taken from a cop who was abusing his power over a helpless civilian.”
“Well, I'm impressed,” Alicia said. “I would've thought a rookie like yourself would've chosen to stop a robbery for your first mission. Never thought you'd have committed one. From a cop, no less.”
“Well, when the law gets in the way of helping the common people, I choose to ignore it,” I said with a grin.
“Oh, I can already tell you and my husband would get along swimmingly.”
“...How much do you know about your husband, just out of curiosity?”
“Much more than these guys were able to get out of me. I’m sure there are a few things he hasn’t told me, just like there are a few things I haven’t told him.”
“But you do know about his…less than legal second job?”
“I do. But…how did you?”
“You’ll have to ask my friend how he figured it out. Because all I know is that I'm friends with quite possibly the greatest tech wizard this world has ever seen. If he doesn't get a scholarship to some big prestigious tech school, I'll be shocked.”
“I hate to interrupt your songs of praising my name,” Kaden said, “but you guys should really get going. There might still be a guard or two hanging around that you missed. And if they happen to find and free the Puppet Master before you're outta there, it could be disastrous.”
“Roger that,” I said. “My friend just suggested we get out of here while we still have the upper hand. We don't know how long it'll take before our advantage is gone.”
“You're right,” Dahlia said. “And you should turn invisible again. That way if the Puppet Master manages to get free again, he won't be able to control you.”
“Not a bad idea,” I said. I thought for a second. “Did you happen to notice how many more bullets were in that gun?”
“It’s empty. Why?”
“Well, I was thinking I might just finish him off now so he doesn't become a problem for us in the future. My pocket knife’s a bit too dull to do the job now.”
“You could use this one,” Dahlia said, handing me one of her surgical knives. “It's pretty sharp.”
“That could work,” I said, nodding. “I'll turn invisible and follow you guys out to make sure you get out safely. Then I'll go back in and finish him off. Don't wait up for me.”
“Got it,” Alicia said. “Be careful.”
—
I got back to my apartment only a few minutes before my alarm was supposed to go off. Perfect. Dahlia’s healing hadn't taken away all of my soreness, but enough of it that I wasn't absolutely miserable.
My mind was absolutely shattered, however. Killing someone who was actively attacking me was one thing. Killing someone who was still tied up and absolutely helpless against me was something else entirely. I knew it was for the best; the Puppet Master would've looked for a way to get back at me when I least expected it. But the decision to end his life was scarring nonetheless.
I slipped out of my extremely damaged supersuit, hiding it under my bed before slipping into some pajamas. I shoved the note I'd left on my pillow into my backpack, then slipped under the covers just in time for my alarm to go off. I groaned as I got back up and shut it off. No sleep for me, it seemed.
After a hot shower (which felt really nice on my aching muscles), I got into some jeans and a T-shirt and headed downstairs, my backpack stuffed with my school supplies.
“You're up early,” Mom said, looking at me with surprise. “You do realize today's a holiday, right?”
“A holiday?” I blinked several times to clear my vision. Then I looked at my phone, realizing that it was Veterans’ Day. “Oh. Forgot about that.”
“You look like you didn't sleep at all last night,” Mom said, looking at me with concern. “Are you alright?”
“Just…had a bad dream last night,” I said, shaking my head. “I saw another protest turn violent on the news yesterday. Dreamt I was in it. Couldn't really get back to sleep.”
“Oh, sweetie,” Mom said, wrapping me in her arms. “I'm so sorry you had a rough night. That must've been hard.”
I hugged her tightly and burst into tears. She had no idea how close I'd come to never being able to see her again. And gods, that hug felt so relieving. I was actually safe. I'd actually made it out. I was actually hugging my mom.
“I'm here,” Mom said, holding me close. “You're safe. I've got you.”
“Thanks,” I said, breathing to calm myself.
“Do you want me to make you some oatmeal before I leave for work today?” Mom asked.
“Yeah. Oatmeal sounds good.”
“Alright. You just sit tight and I'll make some for you.”
“Okay.”
Just as I started eating, the doorbell rang.
“I'll get it,” Mom said.
“No, I'll get it,” I said, getting up from my chair. “I don't have anywhere else to be today. You do.”
I opened the door to find a very exhausted and bruised Kaden on the other side.
“Hey, man,” Kaden said. “Sorry to bother you so early, especially since I know you didn't get much sleep, but my dad's kinda on one of his…unpleasant days. Could I hang with you for a while?”
“He didn't beat you, did he?”
“He did,” Kaden said, looking down. “Even harder than usual because I dared to fight back.”
“How often does he do this to you?” Mom asked.
“Every time he gets drunk. Which has been happening a lot more frequently as of late.”
“Well why don't you come on inside, then? We can get you some ice for those bruises.”
“Thanks,” Kaden said, sighing in relief as he stepped inside. “I owe you one.”
“Have you eaten anything yet?” I asked.
“Well, I did, but when my dad punched me in the gut it kinda ended up all over him.”
“Serves him right,” I said, anger pulsing through my veins. I chose my next words carefully so Mom wouldn't get suspicious. “Someone really ought to teach that guy a lesson. Give him a taste of his own medicine.”
“If only,” Kaden said, shaking his head. “But unless you can turn invisible or you're a highly skilled warrior, I don't think trying anything against him is a good idea.”
“Alas. A guy can dream.”
“Are you hungry right now?” Mom asked. “I can fix you up some oatmeal real quick if you like.”
“I don't want to impose,” Kaden said.
“Nonsense. You're my son's best friend. And oatmeal is one of the cheapest and easiest things to make.”
“Don’t you have to leave for work?” I asked. “Like, now?”
Mom looked at her watch. “You're right. Feel free to make yourself some, then. There's plenty. Oh, and Zach?”
“Yeah?”
“You might want to email your teachers about getting the stuff you missed yesterday. I got a call from the school wondering why you left early.”
“Right, yes. I'll get on that as soon as I can.”
“So what was the reason why you missed?”
“Same reason why I missed,” Kaden said. “Neither of us felt ready for our biology test so we took some time off to study.”
“I’d be lying if I said I haven't done that a few times when I was in school,” Mom said with a small chuckle. “You might want to tell your teachers something different though. Tell them you got sick.”
“You're awesome,” I said, hugging her. “Try not to get assaulted by any customers today, alright?”
“Love you too, Zach,” Mom laughed as she hugged me back. “I won't be back until pretty late tonight, so you'll have to fend for yourself for lunch and dinner.”
“Got it,” I said, nodding. “See you tonight.”
Shortly after Mom left, and Kaden and I were about to fall asleep on the couch, I got another knock on the door.
“This better be important,” I groaned as I got up off the couch. “If this is another solicitor, I swear, I'm gonna throw something.”
I opened the door.
There, on the other side of the door, was none other than Dr. Void.
“If this is a robbery, you'll have better luck somewhere else,” I said, blinking to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me. “Unless you're on the lookout for dollar store dishes, a really beat up couch, or some clothes with so many holes in them they barely qualify as clothes, that's about all we've got.”
“I'm not here to rob you,” Dr. Void said with a chuckle. “Though, funny you should mention it. It seems a certain theater department is missing a few items. A costume and some rope, to be precise. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?”
“I don't know what you're talking about,” I lied.
“You’re a terrible liar,” Dr. Void laughed. “But I respect you for trying. And stealing from me, of all people, takes guts.”
“I'll…I'll try to replace it for you, sir,” I said, my face a deep shade of red.
“So you did steal from me,” Dr. Void said with a grin.
“Wait…you actually didn't know?”
“I had no idea until you gave it away. I was bluffing.”
I groaned. This was embarrassing.
“Next time you try to lie about something, stick to your story. You'd be amazed at how much you can get away with.”
“You’re not…upset about it?”
“Of course not,” he said with a good-natured chuckle. “And there's no need for you to return what you stole. The show that the costume was for is over now, and rope is cheap.”
“I…thank you, sir,” I said, nodding politely.
“Now with that out of the way, I'll get to the real reason why I'm here,” he said. “May I come in?”
“Uh, sure, I guess.”
I stepped aside and held the door open for him.
“Well, you weren't kidding,” Dr. Void said as he looked around at my apartment. “A robber would have to be incredibly desperate to steal from this place.”
“Yeah. We…don't have a lot.”
“A pity. For someone as heroic as you are, Mr. Chameleon, you deserve a whole lot better than this.”
“You know about that?”
“My wife told me everything,” Dr. Void said, looking at me with a kindness I never thought possible. “I was prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to save her myself, but you beat me to the job. And you managed to escape the place as well.”
“I had a lot of help,” I said, shaking my head.
“So I've heard. Your friend there, he's your tech wizard you mentioned, is that right?”
It was now Kaden’s turn to blush.
“I take that as a yes,” Dr. Void said with a chuckle. “You hacked into my accounts, didn't you?”
“I might've…sort of…done that,” Kaden said nervously.
“I'm impressed. In fact, if you ever wanted a better-paying job, I might be able to get you a job in cyber security.”
“You…what?”
“You wouldn't be doing anything illegal, if that's what you're worried about. But I'm sure the university could use someone like you. They could pay you to hack into their own systems and let them know what areas they need to improve on to protect against more malicious cyber attacks. If you're interested in that sort of thing, I'd be willing to pull a few strings for you.”
“You're serious?” Kaden’s eyes widened.
“Absolutely. Nobody's ever managed to break through the many layers of security I've got on my accounts before. I can't think of a single person more qualified for the position.”
“I might have to take you up on your offer. Thank you, sir.”
“Think nothing of it,” Dr. Void said with a smile. He then turned to face me. “As for you, I can't even begin to thank you for rescuing my wife. And for freeing her sister. Were you aware of what could've happened to you had you failed?”
“I could've been tortured into insanity,” I said.
“Precisely,” he said. “It would've been a fate worse than death. They could've kept you alive for weeks, months, years, even decades. After Alicia told me about what she endured during the over twenty-four hours she was there, I can't even begin to imagine the horrors they would've inflicted upon you had you been caught.”
“I was…terrified, to be completely honest.”
“Rightly so. The mere thought of submitting myself to that, even for the one I care about most, terrified me. I was spending all that time trying to drum up the courage to do it. Yet you, knowing exactly what you were risking, knowing that one of her captors could quite easily counter your invisibility, and having never even met her before, chose to venture into the heart of their lair on the chance that you might be able to free her. You did what no other could've done. You brought her back to me.”
“I came extremely close to failing. If it weren't for her sister, I would've failed.”
“I know. She told me about how you and Volt shot each other at the same time. How Lady Inferno had gotten you restrained while you were unable to fight back.”
“I’m lucky the Puppet Master wasn't with them at the time,” I said. “Otherwise I'd have been toast.”
“You're absolutely right about that. The Puppet Master's the reason why I didn't just go charging in to save her right then and there. I knew he'd be able to take full control of me. Were it not for you, the best I could've hoped for is to take her place. And that's if he didn't decide to go back on his word and torture us both. Still, I would've preferred that over her suffering it alone. I was moments away from handing myself over to them when she arrived back home and told me what you'd done.”
“So…they took her…to get to you?”
“Yes. They did. I was getting fairly close to developing a technology to counter the Puppet Master's abilities, at Alicia's request. She knew he had her sister under his control, and asked me to help free her. For three years, I worked tirelessly to develop the means to go toe to toe with him. Most of what made me infamous in the public eye was in pursuit of that goal. But I got sloppy in my efforts to cover my tracks. The Puppet Master found out about my plans, and decided to use my wife as a bargaining chip. Left a ransom note at my house with detailed instructions on how to save her, and the warning that the longer I waited, the longer she would suffer.”
“Hold up,” Kaden said. “You mean to tell me that everything you've done was to work against villainy?”
“Not everything. Before I met Alicia, I was…a different man. I did quite a few things for my own selfish gain back then. It was Alicia who led me to turn a new leaf. When she found out who I was, and some of the things I'd done, she gave me an ultimatum. Either I clean up my act, or she would leave. And by that point, I was already in love with her. So I changed my ways. I used to only break laws if I thought I could get something out of it. Now I only break laws if it's in pursuit of helping others.”
“Gods,” I said, shaking my head in amazement. “If I'd known all that, I'd probably have approached you directly. Offered to team up with you to save her.”
“I wouldn't have let you. I would've seen your inexperience as a liability. If you'd gotten captured alongside her, there's a good chance they would've forced me to choose which of you would be set free in exchange for my cooperation. She would've insisted I choose to free you, and given your own selfless nature, you likely would've insisted I free her. Either way I chose, I would've felt guilty about it.”
“Thats…completely fair.”
“Anyways, my point is this. You didn't have to take this risk. You could've simply kept your head down, like everyone else does. That would've been the safest thing to do. But you didn't. You were prepared to sacrifice everything just for the chance of freeing her. You weren't thinking about any sort of reward. You weren't thinking about looking good in the public eye. In fact, from what I hear, you could very easily have been branded as a villain for some of the stuff you did in preparation to save her. But you chose to do it anyway. You brought her home. You freed her sister. You are the very definition of a true hero. And I cannot even begin to repay you for what you've done for all of us.”
“As terrified as I was, I was happy to help,” I said with a smile. “Even though the ordeal has left me with some mental and emotional scars, I don't regret it. Only thing I regret is taking forever to summon the will to pull the trigger.”
“Understandable,” he said, nodding sympathetically. “The act of killing someone, no matter how noble the reason, can be incredibly traumatic. Especially for someone so young. It'll likely take some time for you to mentally recover from the ordeal.”
“And probably a therapist,” I said. “Though I'm not sure how I'm gonna afford one. Mom certainly can't.”
“That, good sir, is something I could help you with,” Dr. Void said with a smile. “I would be happy to pay for it.”
“You…you're serious?”
“What is it with young people and doubting my generosity? Of course I'm serious. And that's not all. I believe you and your mother are in dire need for a better living situation. How would you like to live in an actual house, for a change?”
“I…you really don't need to do that.”
“And you didn't need to save my wife, but you did. I can't afford to get you anything fancy, but I can certainly afford to get you into a place better than this. A modest house, fully furnished, with a small garden and a sizable food storage in case your mother ever loses her job. I can pay for your utilities as well.”
“I…wow. I don't know what to say. Thank you, sir.”
“You think I'm finished?” He laughed.
“There's more?”
“Absolutely there's more. I will be paying for your schooling in whichever career path you wish to take. If your mother ever decides she wants to get some schooling so she can get a better job, I'd be happy to pay for that as well.”
“This is…I'm speechless.”
“Believe it or not, I'm still not done,” Dr. Void said, his smile widening. “I couldn't help but notice that old rusty bike that you've been riding. And I think it's high time you get an upgrade. Wouldn't you agree?”
“I…I suppose it's kinda on the brink of falling apart.”
“I thought so. First off, do you know how to drive?”
“No,” I said. “Mom doesn't either. Her health is such that she's not able to drive safely. She doesn't even have a bike. She gave me her old one so I'd at least have something.”
“I see. How about I get an electric bicycle for each of you?”
“You're sure you can afford all this?”
“It'll be a bit of a stretch, but I can manage. Especially since you took care of the Puppet Master, my personal expenses will probably be a third of what they once were. If that.”
“I…just…wow. I wasn't really expecting anything more than maybe a thank you. This is…unbelievable.”
“You’ve earned it, kid,” Dr. Void said, his eyes wet with tears. “I only wish I could give you more. My wife and her sister are free and safe, thanks to you. We are all eternally in your debt.”
I couldn't believe it. We’d been just barely scraping by for longer than I could remember. And just like that, our lives were about to change for the better. It was like a dream come true. But I couldn't help but feel a little guilty.
“Is something the matter?” he asked, a look of concern on his face.
“I just…there's so many people that are in my situation or worse. I can't help but feel guilty for accepting this help when so many others are going without it.”
“If I had the power to give this to everyone, I would. But there are just too many people. If I were to spread my resources out to all of them, it would barely make a dent.”
“I know,” I said. “I just wish there was a way. I wish nobody had to deal with this.”
“Well, perhaps if you're open to participating in some more…less than legal heroism, we could make that happen. Or at least open the doors for future generations to make that happen. What do you say?”
“You know what? I think I'd like that. After all, laws are only useful if they serve the people.”
“My sentiments exactly,” he said with a grin. “I can think of a few pompous billionaires that could use a slice of humble pie.”
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