The Superhero's Son Omnibus Volume 3

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Then I heard footsteps behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see Shade—who was rubbing her forehead like she’d smacked it against something—step through the doorway. She looked from Thaumaturge’s corpse, to the hole in the wall where I’d punched Sagan through, to Hopper lying on the floor crying his eyes out, and then at me with a very confused look on her face.

“Okay,” said Shade. “I’m not sure I want to know what happened here.”

“It’s a long, crazy story,” I said. “But all you need to know is that Sagan is dead. That means that Vision is no more.”

Shade sighed in relief. “What a relief. Cadmus will be very happy to learn about that.”

“I think everyone will be,” I said, turning to face her. “Vision has caused many people in this country a lot of trouble, including me and my friends. And a cancer has finally been removed from the superhero community.”

“Yeah,” said Shade. “Then again, there are probably still some Visionists in hiding somewhere out there, given how secretive they were.”

“Probably,” I said. “But I doubt they’ll reveal themselves now. They’ll probably just fade into obscurity and try to keep themselves from being found out and ostracized or rejected.”

“Nah,” said Shade, shaking her head. “My guess is that Cadmus will have us hunt them down. Once we get Hanson’s Mansion under our control, I bet we’ll find a bunch of files on the identities and locations of each Visionist who wasn’t here. I imagine that, in a year, we’ll have tracked down and captured every last one of those bastards.”

“Sounds good,” I said. I rubbed the back of my head. “Wish I could help, but I will probably have to go back to the Neohero Alliance and the Young Neos after this. My friends are waiting for me, after all. They need to know that I’m still alive.”

Shade nodded, but then frowned. “Maybe you shouldn’t.”

I looked at Shade in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Go back to the NHA and the Young Neos,” said Shade. “I noticed that you and I make a pretty good team. Maybe you should join the G-Men. I think you would make a great agent, and not just because you are powerful.”

I folded my arms across my chest. “Sorry, Shade, but you already asked me this the first time we met, remember? At the time, Dad said I couldn’t, but I’ve decided since then that I don’t really want to, either. I’m much happier with the Young Neos.”

“Are you sure?” said Shade. “We could use someone like you, you know.”

“I’m sure,” I said. “Being manipulated and tricked by Vision just made me realize how much I value my teammates, plus the adults in the NHA like Mecha Knight and the others. I’m willing to work with the G-Men on missions like these, but aside from those occasional team-ups, I’m not interested in joining.”

Shade looked incredibly disappointed by my answer. “Then I guess that’s your answer.” She looked down at her feet. “Damn it. I was hoping it would be something else.”

“I don’t see what you’re so disappointed about,” I said. “You should have seen this answer coming. You know how I feel about the G-Men.”

“I know, but Cadmus said that if you agreed to join, I wouldn’t have to do …” Shade trailed off. She looked almost guilty now, even though she hadn’t done anything wrong.

“Do what?” I said.

Shade looked at me guiltily. “Please forgive me for this.”

Before I could ask her what ‘this’ is, Shade pulled out what looked like a charger from her pocket. She pressed a red button on top of it, making a small beep that I almost missed.

Immediately, the earcom in my left ear—the one I used to communicate with Cadmus—suddenly became electrified. I gasped in pain and reached for the earcom, but another jolt of electricity sent me to my knees. I tried to stand, but every time I moved, more electricity would go through my body and I would sink even further down onto the floor.

I looked up at Shade. She stood above me, her thumb on the charger’s button, her face still quite guilty.

“Shade …” I grunted in pain. “What are you—”

“Sorry,” said Shade again. “You’ll understand once this is all over. Cadmus told me to do it. Trust me, if I had my way, I wouldn’t be harming you at all.”

“Cadmus?” I repeated. “Why did Cadmus—”

This time, an incredibly powerful charge of electricity shot through my brain. I collapsed into a heap and lost consciousness the second my face hit the floor.

The Superhero’s PrisonBook Eight of The Superhero’s Son