Fear the Empire Read online

  “I guess we still have to pay?”

  Connor grabbed the slip of paper and said, “We aren't part of the Hive, so we don't get the benefits of citizenship.”

  Lucy glanced around at the mindless drones walking in unison and shivered. “I'll gladly pay.”

  Connor pulled some cash out of his wallet and threw it on the table. They both slid out of the booth and Connor grabbed her hand as they walked toward the front door. When they stepped out into the humid morning air, he pulled her closer and planted a kiss on her lips. They had kissed thousands of times, but it still sent tingles down the back of her neck every time.

  He placed his hand on her belly. “Come on. We might be able to make it to the shore by sunset. Maybe even leave tonight.”

  “I'm not sure a cabin aboard a ship will be any better, but I'm looking forward to not having to stay in another motel room.”

  “You and me both.”

  He turned toward their car, which was parked a block away, when an explosion threw them both from their feet. The glass window of the restaurant shattered, and Lucy's ears were ringing. Her eyes fluttered, trying to focus, but the street was filling with smoke and debris. Connor grabbed her hand as he crawled back to his feet, then helped her up. He was yelling something, but she couldn't hear. She tried to read his lips instead.

  “Yeah,” she said back. “I'm okay.”

  They both tried to make sense of what was happening. An alarm was going off down the road. Connor pulled her along with him as they made their way to their car, but the mass of people were running the other way. No one was screaming, and everyone was running at the same pace. It was the most organized chaos Lucy had ever seen.

  Just as their car came into view, they heard gunshots from behind them. They both ducked instinctively and looked over their shoulders. A group of policemen were lined up, shoulder to shoulder, firing down the street. Both Lucy and Connor turned their attention toward what the police were firing at, just as they saw a man dressed all in black, with a gray cape flowing behind him, lift their car into the air and hurl it at the policemen.

  The car slammed into the men before crashing into the road, bending in on itself like an accordion. Lucy could see the police officers smeared across the street as another two police cruisers pulled up. More officers stepped out and fired, but the bullets bounced off the man-in-black's chest. He strode confidently toward them, his fists clenched at his sides, and a smile on his face showing everyone how much he was enjoying himself. And even though his eyes were hidden behind black goggles, Lucy could still recognize that smile.

  “Andre?”

  Even over the sounds of gunfire, her slight whisper of his name caught his attention. When he turned to look at her, it took him a moment to recognize her. Perhaps it was her new hair style, or the color, or just the fact that she had grown up so much since they had last met. She felt like she looked more mature since the last time they had met. Even the way she stood was different. But the recognition flashed in his eyes as a bullet struck his cheek. The shot distracted him and he leapt into the air, clearing the distance between him and the officers easily.

  As Andre dispatched his attackers, Connor looked at Lucy, completely baffled.

  “Do you know him?”

  “I... I think so. I mean... yeah. That's got to be him. But I thought...”

  “Who is he?” Connor asked as he watched Andre flip over another police car.

  “We... we sort of grew up together. He was older than me, but he always protected me in our neighborhood. He was... a friend.”

  Connor watched as Andre punched his fist through the chest of one of the officers and when he retracted his arm, his fist was covered in gore.

  “Um... I'm pretty sure your friend is a supervillain,” Connor said as he saw Andre throw another car into the sky, but when the vehicle disappeared into the clouds he added, “...an extremely powerful supervillain.”

  Lucy shook her head, trying to shake off her confusion. “I don't understand. What is he doing here?”

  “Maybe we should get out of here. I don't think we want to be associated with-”

  Connor was cut off when Andre suddenly leapt back toward them, shaking the ground as he landed. He stepped closer to where they were crouched down against the storefront and smiled at Lucy.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked, sounding excited to see her.

  “I was going to ask you the same question,” she replied, nervously looking down at his blood covered hand.

  Andre playfully hooked his thumb over his shoulder. “I was robbing a bank. Then the cops showed up so I-” His head tilted to the side. “You're pregnant?”

  She covered her belly with both hands and said, “Oh geez. I thought this shirt hid the bump.”

  Andre tapped his ear. “Super-hearing. You've got two heartbeats.”

  “Oh!” Lucy glanced down the street at the carnage he had left behind. “When did you get so...?”

  Andre was beaming with pride. “Powerful? That's a long story. One I'd gladly share if you'd explain to me how you got a baby license with your powers?”

  Andre looked Connor up and down. “This is the father?”

  Even in all the weirdness, Lucy couldn't help but smile when she looked at him. “Yes. Andre, this is my boyfriend Connor, also known as Rainfall. We met in the Alliance.”

  Andre looked hesitant, but finally held out his hand and said, “Well, at least you stuck around. That's more than I can say for most of the dads I know.”

  Connor looked down at the handshake that was being offered, but didn't accept it when he saw the blood still dripping from Andre's fingers.

  “Oh.” Andre tried wiping his hand clean on his leg, only managing to smear the blood across his black suit. “Sorry about that.”

  “You murdered those people,” Connor said, backing away from him. “You murdered all of them.”

  Andre glanced back at the dead police officers a block away and shrugged. “They shot at me first.”

  “The bullets were bouncing off your skin!”

  “But I didn't really kill them, did I? Aren't they technically still alive in the hive mind or whatever?”

  “That's not the point!”

  Andre opened his mouth to argue, but didn't seem to have anything left to his debate. “You superheroes are really annoying, you know that?”

  Lucy mumbled, “We're not part of the Alliance anymore.”

  “Is that why you're here? Because the Zharkovs would never allow two superheroes to-”

  “We're not exactly on a vacation.”

  “So you ran away from the Alliance?”

  Lucy glanced at Connor. “We had to do a little more than run away. They're hunting us.”

  Andre crossed his arms across his chest and shook his head. “Those righteous pricks and their dumb ass laws. Maybe now you're starting to realize why I always admired the other side.”

  Connor pointed straight at Andre. “We're not like you. You're a murderer.”

  Andre smirked at Connor. “You better get that finger out of my face if you want to stay attached to it.”

  Lucy stepped between them, pushing Connor's finger down. “Okay, just calm down. We have enough enemies.”

  Andre nodded. “If you two need somewhere to hide out for a while, I have just the place. And plenty of room.”

  “No thanks,” Connor answered. “We're headed for the coast. We're getting on a boat and getting out of here. We'll be in Gaia by the end of the month.”

  “Kid, I don't know if you've been paying attention to the news, but there's no boats leaving for Gaia anytime soon.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Neo-Nippon attacked the West coast of the Fatherlands. The Zharkovs have the shipping lanes shut down. The entire Atlantic ocean is a war zone.”

  Connor turned away and said, “We'll take our chances...”

  Lucy set her hand on Connor's chest. “It might be nice to have a place to li
ke... relax for a little while. Maybe stop running.”

  “You can't be serious. With him? He's-”

  “I know, Connor.” Lucy glanced back at Andre and said, “But he's always been a good friend to me. He's always protected me. And right now? We could probably use some protection.”

  Before Andre could reply, more police sirens wailed from a few blocks away.

  “You can argue later. Come on.”

  Andre rushed across the street, punched his hand through the window of a car parked there, and opened the door. He motioned for them to get in.

  With the urging of Lucy, Connor jogged over to the beat up sedan. “Even if we decided to run from the police with you, which we're not, because we didn't do anything wrong, you expect us to outrun them in this?”

  Andre gave Lucy a skeptical look. “Are you sure about this guy?”

  Lucy chuckled and said, “I'm sure,” then shoved Connor into the driver's seat.

  Andre shrugged and said, “Buckle up.”

  Connor swallowed his words when the car lifted from the ground. Andre raised the car over his head, squatted down, and then launched himself into the air. Lucy felt her heart race as they rocketed into the sky, far over the tops of the tallest buildings in the city and into the clouds. Then her stomach dropped as they rushed back toward the earth, their descent aimed miles from where they lifted off. Andre's powerful legs acted as a cushion, only shaking them a bit as they slammed into the ground. In a matter of seconds, and with only a few leaping bounds, they had traveled so far that Lucy couldn't even see the city in the rear view mirror.

  17

  WESLEY

  “I sense so much of myself in you.”

  Kgosi stood before him in the psionic ether. The swirl of colors and shapes around them represented thoughts and emotions, internal sensations that were connected to the physical realm, yet still so far away from where they existed in that moment. Wesley ignored the psychedelic painting that moved around him and focused on his teacher's existence, just like they had practiced.

  “I sense it too, but I don't know why. I can't seem to put my finger on it.” Wesley pushed closer to Kgosi, letting his thoughts reach out toward him like splayed fingers. “It's like a mirror, but I don't recognize the reflection.”

  Their breathing was synchronized, in and out, their lungs swelled and deflated together. Their mental images neared each other, but continued to sidestep, turning around each other like fighters in a ring. This was no contest, they knew neither of them could push past the other. This was something they needed to do in parallel with each other. Side by side.

  “Perhaps the reflection is the problem.” Kgosi's image, always smiling, looked more contemplative as he chose his words. “The mirror is a separation. It is a wall that still remains. We need to do more than see the other.”

  Wesley inhaled the thoughts that drifted from Kgosi. “We need to be each other.”

  “Veritas!”

  Their images, their mental selves, swirled around each other with increased speed, and with every spin, they grew closer together. It was sudden, and the increased intensity caused Wesley to struggle to hold onto the pattern of breathing, but as their images melded together, drifting into one amalgamation of psionic energy, his breathing solidified. There was no panic. There was no fear. He felt Kgosi's calm, his sense of confidence in his powers. It was as if he could cradle the entire mountain the temple stood upon, caressing every cavern, gently brushing his thoughts against every cliff side.

  When he pulled his thoughts inward, they moved to a place he did not expect. It was an out of body experience like no other, for when he pulled inward, his thoughts moved toward Kgosi. His thoughts were in Kgosi's mind, and when this realization struck him, his immediate response was to open his eyes in the physical world, to prove to himself that what he was feeling was real. When his eyes fluttered open, he saw himself sitting across the meditation chamber, breathing in synchronicity with the body he now inhabited. For he was no longer Wesley. He was Kgosi.

  The panic erupted inside of him like a bursting flame. His eyes shut hard, and he pushed the thoughts away. His psionic self tore from Kgosi's swirling form, and they were both thrown back into their own minds. As soon as he felt his physical self again, Wesley's eyes burst open, searching for the truth he needed. When he saw Kgosi's body sitting across the room from him, he gasped for breath, completely breaking the cycle.

  Kgosi's eyes slowly opened, his lips still smiling. “I have never felt anything quite like that before. That unison was... beyond transcendental. You felt it too?”

  Wesley took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. “I don't... I don't know what that was.”

  “You must have felt the perfection of our unification. There was no I in what we were thinking. There was no self, no Kgosi or Wesley.”

  Wesley felt his voice shake, creaking with the panic he was trying to hold inside. “But there was! I was inside your mind instead of my own.”

  “No,” Kgosi said softly, matter-of-factly. “That is only your ego trying to make sense of what you were experiencing. We existed as one. Two became one, a similarity of souls. We could be the paradigm shift in Veritas.”

  Kgosi rose up from the floor, his eyes lighting up with a passion that Wesley had never seen before. Normally the man was so even-tempered, so pleasantly calm, but now he looked as if he were fueled by something else, something ethereal.

  “We must keep practicing. If you can truly let go, if you can truly leave your sense of self, imagine what we could accomplish. Your ego is all that holds us back from breaking through the barrier that will reveal the next phase to us.”

  “The next phase? But I...” Wesley tried to put his feelings into words, into a language that could only describe the physical realm. “I felt the inclusion of you. I felt your thoughts. I felt what you are describing. Like... it's what I always imagined the Hive experience to be. A beautiful blend of more than one mind.”

  “Exactly!”

  Wesley shook his head and placed his glasses back on his face. “You don't understand. I did push past that. I continued through the swirl... through the eye of the storm, the head of the needle. I traveled into you.”

  The smile on Kgosi's face faltered. It was more than disconcerting, seeing something so constant drift away, even for a moment. Kgosi's eyes darted around the floor as his thoughts bounced inside his head.

  “You're sure about this? The psionic realm can be confusing and-”

  “I opened my eyes. But they were your eyes. I saw myself across the room. I was Kgosi. I was you.”

  Kgosi looked down at his body, then back to Wesley. “Then where was I?”

  Wesley stood up, pacing around the meditation chamber as Kgosi floated in mid-air. “I don't know. Maybe you were inside of my mind... or maybe you were still somewhere in between, still in the swirl.”

  Kgosi's voice became a whisper, as if he were afraid to say the words. “You're talking about a complete psionic transference. That isn't sharing one's thoughts... that's an exchange.”

  “Now you know why I panicked.”

  There was a long pause before Kgosi said, “We should meditate on this. Separately.”

  Wesley nodded his head, letting his fear get the better of him, pushing him out the door. “I think you're right. We will... talk soon.”

  As he closed the door behind him and stepped out into the coolness of the hallway, he inhaled deeply. His mind was torn about what he felt, what he thought of the experience he had just had. On one hand, it was comforting, the embrace of someone's mind. How could it not be? It was true empathy. True understanding. For the briefest moment he had felt the sheer, unbridled love that Kgosi felt for his family. The true, earnest, unrepentant need for his children to surpass him. Yet on the other hand, exposing himself in such a vulnerable way was beyond uncomfortable. Yet it was still exciting. And also painful in some weird way. He couldn't bridge the gap between the two contradicting ideas, each one push
ing and pulling him in different ways. Something was missing. It was as if he had left some of his mind back in the chamber, still floating in the ether.

  He walked through the halls, at first mindlessly, but soon enough with direction toward Ntombi's room. He needed someone who would speak to him bluntly. Wesley was trying to break through his own confusion. He didn't want to read between any lines. And Ntombi was the perfect person for that. Her deadpan pragmatism, normally something he saw as a fault, was exactly what he needed.

  Just before he turned the corner down the hallway toward Ntombi's room, Zola came around the corner at the same time. He felt her mental power instinctively grab a hold of his body and stop him from actually slamming into her. When she regained her composure, she let him go.

  “You should be mindful of your surroundings.”

  “Sorry. I was just... lost in thought.”

  It was a simple turn of phrase, but one that had gained more meaning to him with every day in the House of Psi.

  “I assume you're just returning from your training. Did everything go... well?”

  “I suppose. I don't know. It was... weird.”

  “Weird?”

  “I...” Wesley searched for even the simplest way to begin an explanation, but gave up. “You should probably just talk to Kgosi about it.”

  He could see the strain in Zola's face as she tried to hold back anger. She inhaled through her nose with a forced rigidness, her neck stretching longer as her lungs filled.

  “Yes. Perhaps I will do just that.”

  She walked straight toward him, forcing him to turn to the side to let her pass. He watched as she walked down the hall, her bare feet slapping against the stone floor heel first.

  Wesley shrugged to himself, still not quite understanding why the woman had so much anger toward him. He continued his traversal of the temple toward Ntombi's room.

  When he reached her door, he lifted his fist to knock, but the door swung open and he saw Javier standing on the other side. He looked disgusted, but his face turned to bemusement when he saw Wesley.