7.1 - Challenge

Three days later, the three of us were at my place checking out the information Elaina and I obtained from the Ave Strata Data Repository. Luckily for us, Lin was able to crack through the Repository's security and downloaded the other files we wanted to read.

It was just about a quarter 'til 7 o'clock in the evening. We planned on introducing all our new friends to each other over a night of board games and pizza.

We were just waiting on the twins and Sami to show up.

In the meantime, the Hackathon, Anomaly, and I got productive.

"So, to recap so far..." Lin began. "The client who sent me the text message order to harass you, Jace, deleted their number, which was also scrubbed from the B-Mobile database. If that really was Vanessa Vilana, she covered her tracks pretty well."

"All right," I nodded. "And...you're sure you got Vanessa's last name right? It's Vilana?"

"Well," she cleared her throat, "Unless she was any one of the other 3,729 people in Ave Strata also named 'Vanessa,' I think my estimation's accurate. That Magic drawing Anomaly made before also helped with narrowing down her profile."

"I trust your call on this," I replied. "What else you got?"

"Over the last 10 years, there's been buyouts of small cemeteries all around town. The buyers were always one of four dudes—Malrik Johnson, Keller Ashton, Vincent Ovello, and Zacharia Pilta. Turns out all four names are just pseudonyms for, you guys guessed it, Dr. Shevren Ambrigado. And, by the looks of things, he went by 'Sheva' on bank records. That said, the name "Sheva" came up as the 16th bank account that I reverse-tracked from every cemetery buyout transaction. Case in point, the mad doctor's quite interested in the dead for some reason."

"Which is the most disturbing thing to me," Elaina chimed in. "What could Ambrigado possibly want with the cemeteries?"

"And it's been a 10-year operation," I added. "Not to mention, Lin, you said Ambrigado's been using a private account linked to the...?"

"City Council," Lin finished. "Yeah, man. He's using an account directly linked to the top dogs of Ave Strata. Unreal. Though, from a political standpoint, it probably isn't."

"All right, Lin, thanks," I said as I tapped a few times on my Info Pad. "Can you send that article on the missing Ramosium Ore deposits to me?"

She typed away at one of her six keyboards. "Sure, sure...and...done!"

"Thanks. Now...what would Molecruel want with all this Ramosium Ore?"

Elaina leaned on her rolling chair. "Probably building something huge. Maybe...um...I dunno. Like a massive bomb or something? Like a bomb that can level the whole city, maybe?"

Lin and I looked at her and spoke at the same time. "You mean a nuke?"

I met Lin's gaze.

She winked at me, then turned to Elaina. "It's called a nuke, Wizard Girl."

"Whatever," Elaina rolled her eyes. "Now, can I get that article on Ambrigado's time at the City Board of Biotechnology?"

"You mean when he was fired?"

"No, the one about why he was fired."

Lin squinted at her. "That's...the same thing...Idiot-Mage."

"Just gimme the damn file, you geek!"

Lin giggled, rolled in her chair to another keyboard, and typed away. After one click of her mouse, she said, "Done! Check your phone, Wizard Girl. Nice scarf, by the way."

"Thanks."

"Why do you even wear a scarf, anyway?" Lin pushed.

Elaina exhaled. "Why's that a problem? Maybe it just fits my style."

"Do you like the color orange?" I interjected, trying to prevent another verbal scuffle between these two.

"I think it's okay," Elaina confessed. "I just...I dunno. This kind of scarf just...feels nice to me."

I nodded. "Well, if you like it, then I like it. I think it's cool."

Elaina smiled, just as an alarm on her phone went off. "Oh, it's 7. Where are the twins?"

I checked my phone. No messages. "Neither of 'em contacted me. Lin?"

Without turning from her monitors, Lin held up an empty hand in the air. "Nothing!"

I raised a hand to my chin. "Hmm, that's not like them. Or Sami.”

"I know," Elaina shook her head. "They would've at least said something."

"You think they forgot?"

Elaina snorted, "I mean, we all forget things, so...probably?"

"Yeah, maybe they're just on the wa—"

"OH NO!" Lin rocked in her gaming chair and leaned forward on her computer desk. "HOLY LORD AND LADY!"

"Lin?" I spoke up. "What is—?!"

"Guys! G-Get over here right now!!" Lin panicked, waving us to her.

Elaina and I rushed to her desk.

Lin pointed at one of her monitors. "L-Look here...! See this?!"

On the screen was a Mox 39 "Breaking News" broadcast showing footage from a helicopter circling a brightly lit...train yard?

Elaina and I leaned forward to get a better look.

Lin turned up the volume, and the male anchor's voice came on.

"—ive now on Chopper 49 over the West Train Yard, this is Mike Rogers of Mox 39 News...We caution our viewers at home—the images you are seeing are disturbing, to say the least. Ah, we can see down there—there are three individuals—suspected to be teenagers—ah, wrapped in what appear to be metal chains of some sorts. Correspondent Claire Giblin has the latest—Claire?"

"Yes, Mike, this is a chilling sight over the West Train Yard as you can see—three young juveniles appear to be severely injured and wrapped in crude chains, hanging OVER a series of tracks. A young man and woman are tied together hanging off the side of a crane arm, while another young woman is hanging off the side of another crane arm. And our chopper has just stumbled upon this terrifying scene. If you're just joining us, happening live at the West Train Yard..."

I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

There, hanging above seven tracks, were Madi and Marcus—wrapped in chains and dangling from a towering cargo crane on one side—as well as Sami—also wrapped and hanging in chains from another crane. From what we could see, their heads and arms appeared to have cauterized burn marks. Patches of their skin were blackened, and several streaks of dried blood could be seen along their arms and neck.

None of them were moving.

"J-Jace..." Elaina's voice trembled. "What...What do we...T-That's the twins...! A-And Sami!"

"Holy Isah..." Lin's mouth fell agape. "This is torture." She glanced at me. "Vec, y-you gotta help them!"

I met her eyes.

Lin repeated her words. "You gotta help 'em, Vector! You gotta—"

Suddenly, the helicopter footage zoomed in on the tracks directly below our three friends.

A young man likely in his late twenties walked under the spotlight, wearing a metallic white suit with gold accents all around. On his head was a helmet that also followed the same color scheme. It looked partially spiked at the top and back, and its visor glowed yellow as he looked up at the chopper.

He raised his arms.

“Citizens of Ave Strata!" his enigmatic voice bellowed, mixed in with a hint of radio static. "I am Ener-G, the harbinger of the Science Division!”

He pointed at the camera.

"VECTOR!" the electronic male voice yelled. "...Doctor Molecruel sends his regards!"

I froze and felt a chill run down my spine.

My hands shook as I remembered the same words spoken by The Rumbler.

"I hear you've been making a name for yourself lately! Surviving a bomb at your old apartment, getting The Rumbler arrested, squaring up with my friend Mass Driver outside the Data Repo, and..." He pointed up at Madi and Marcus. "...fraternizing with fellow Abnormals, like these two clowns! They call themselves the 'Starlight Twins,' the so-called 'Heroes of Ave Strata.' Now, if I had to guess...you guys look like you're forming a band of 'heroes!' A band of Abnormal Heroes! Hahaha! For what, exactly? Oh, and that's not all...You even went and got all buddy-buddy with this here WAITRESS!"

I balled my fists as Ener-G pointed at Sami.

He shook his head. "Of all the things Abnormals should never do...being FRIENDS with NORMALS is at the top! But look at you, VECTOR! You actually did it! You actually tried to be friends with a Normal! Well, now, look at what that got her!"

"Jace..." Elaina tried to calm me down, but it had no effect.

"You are no hero, Vector," Ener-G's voice pierced through my ears. "No Abnormal can ever be a hero. That's why I'm gonna do the whole city a favor tonight..." He rolled his shoulders and flexed his armored arms, yelling at the sky. "I challenge YOU, Vector, to a one-on-one fight right here at the train yard! Come over now, or I'll incinerate what's left of your friends up there! I'll prove to Ave Strata that I, the unstoppable Ener-G, am the ONLY Abnormal worthy of being its hero! And I'll start by taking down the Most Infamous Abnormal of them all—the most fearsome, the most dangerous...VECTOR!"

Ener-G flexed his muscles once more.

"Oh yeah, and Vector?" He looked dead straight at the camera and pointed. "You better come alone."

He laughed maniacally.

I sprinted for the door.

"JACE!" Elaina called after me. "JACE, WAIT!"

I didn't listen.

I burst through the front door and positioned myself on the sidewalk. I stomped on the ground and launched myself into the air at a curving trajectory. I jumped across long distances from building to building, rooftop to rooftop, and every time I landed, I thought about the people I hurt—people who were injured because of me.

First, there was Elaina on the ground in the hallway—the day we met. Then, there was The Rumbler—both when I attacked him with my powers and when I saw him get arrested. Then, there was Mass Driver, who I briefly defeated outside the Repository. Then, there was Madi and Marcus wrapped in chains tonight. And then, what made me feel the guiltiest, was Sami—just a regular girl who had nothing to do with any of this—wrapped across from the twins.

Sami was my friend and now, just because of that...

I jumped across building after building, until I finally made it to a sidewalk in the Western District.

The train yard was just a block away.

People had gathered outside the entrance, and they all looked at me as I walked up.

At first, no one said anything; this was probably the second time I was surrounded by so many Normals as of late.

But I didn't care.

The only thing on my mind was rescuing Madi, Marcus, and Sami.

I couldn't let them die because of me. I wouldn't lose them to this showoff. This bastard.

"Vector," a random man called out to me.

I stopped and glared at him.

"...You go get that sucker," the older man encouraged me. "Kick his ass!"

"Yeah, kick his ass, Vector!" a teenage girl added.

"Show 'em whose boss, Vector!" a college guy cheered.

The crowd of people erupted in a mix of cheers and boos for me.

"I hope that shiny boy kicks your ass on outta hear!" a woman sneered. "Hell, maybe ya'll should kill each other, why don'tcha!"

"Yeah, just kill each other! Ha!" a man shook his head. "Would make our lives easier with less Abnormals running around here!"

"Yeah!" a girl around my age said. "You guys are nothing but trouble!"

"Shut up, bitch!" a young guy yelled at her.

Both sides argued with each other as I walked on through them.

When I got inside the train yard, the crowd of onlookers had only grown.

I reached the seven tracks and, before I took a step forward, an image of my mom and dad made its way to my mind.

I froze.

Their faces were filled with happiness, joy, and hope. But then they morphed into two sludges of red and dark brown horror.

"Not again," I whispered to myself. "Never again."

I stepped into the view of Ener-G, who stood waiting with his arms at his waist.

"Aster!" I called out to him, and he turned.

"Vector," he said, pleased. "Why, you even know my name! I didn't think you'd be a coward.”

"Why would I? You've got three people who've become very important to me. Let them go."

"Defeat me, and I'll free them," Ener-G replied. "But if you lose, I get to kill them and you."

"Why are you doing this, man? Just to show me up?"

Ener-G turned to the three news helicopters that were now circling the illuminated train yard.

"The challenger has arrived, ladies and gentlemen!" he said in a loud, proud voice. Then he turned to me and revealed his more serious nature. "I'm not doing this for myself, Vector, or to show you up."

I shook my head. "Then why? I saw the reports about you from the Repository! You don't have to do this!"

Then, to my shock, Ener-G removed his helmet, and I saw the young man beneath. He had pale skin, and his white, long hair that was layered with a textured, flowing style. I noticed some strands of pulsing, yellow light that ran along some strands.

He stared at me with his orange-yellow eyes. "I am only following my orders."

"Orders?!" my eyes widened. "From who? The Science Division?"

"This isn't anything personal. just a show for my boss. To prove to him I am worthy."

"I knew it...This is...Ambrigado's doing?!"

Ener-G said nothing to that.

He placed his helmet back on, and his visor glowed a menacing yellow.

"As I said to the cameras...Doctor Molecruel sends his regards, Jacen Jacinto."

He raised his right hand and, in an instant, a column of yellow, superheated plasma blasted through the air at me.