Dark Hunter (12 page)

The door silently closed behind him, cutting out the
last vestiges of daylight. Grimm took his position with the rest of the administration staff and waited.

The image fizzled then disappeared. Clearly, he had just walked in on the end of a presentation. A plangent voice echoed through the chamber. It had such a melancholy quality that Grimm started feeling his will to live seeping away. It was the current Council leader, Necros.

“Progress is excellent. But I still see that the more established countries are putting up resistance, thanks to the Foundation. That will soon end when the Hero Foundation falls. Already we have a threefold increase in our recruitment process worldwide. Children in particular are signing up to Villain.net in droves.”

Grimm knew that without the necessary guidance, those new young villains, like their heroic counterparts, would be nothing more than cannon fodder. But that suited the Council's needs perfectly, although on rare occasions talented stars were discovered.

A deep voice spoke out. White lupine eyes gleamed from one alcove, made all the more alarming by the fact there were two pairs, one above the other. It was the bloodthirsty supervillain known as Fallout.

“Basilisk continues to avoid our bounty hunters and yet you still find him valuable?”

A sibilant voice came from the recess opposite. Mr. Grimm's head did not move, but his eyes swiveled to identify the speaker. He saw only a bulbous green head
lean forward, housing what he knew to be the terrifying intellect of Professor Mobius.

“We have him to thank for bringing Hero.com off-line. He has brought together a merry little band of villains who have their own grudges against the Council. But he is proving to be quite successful in his efforts. If we allow him to proceed in toppling the Hero Foundation, then I foresee a great victory. Afterward we can punish him for the failed assassination attempt on us all.”

“I do not trust him.”

“Perhaps you fear him, Fallout?” An angry snarl answered that comment, and Mobius allowed himself a gruff chuckle. “Rest assured that we have Trojan watching him closely.”

Another Council member sitting across from Grimm joined in. In the dim light he could just see a large head fanning out at the crown, and four crimson armor-clad muscular arms resting on the throne. The rest of the figure was cloaked in shadows that seemed to cling to him: Armageddon.

“It is Viral I am concerned with. He is a threat to us all. He belongs on Diablo Island. Or better, dead. Worse still, I hear reports that Lord Eon escaped in the prison revolt after Hunter escaped and Basilisk broke in. If this proves to be true,
everybody
is in mortal danger, whichever side they are on!”

Murmurs of agreement filled the chamber.

Mobius raised his hand for silence. “I concur. However, Basilisk still has his part to play. Mr. Grimm, you will be inside the Hero Foundation when Basilisk arrives there?”

“I will be.”

“Good. Then you will aid him as much as necessary. Lower the exterior shields to ensure he has no problems on his arrival. Although I am sure that he will try to kill you.”

Mr. Grimm gave a formal bow. “It shall be done.”

A rapid bubbling noise, which turned into a high-pitched whistle like a kettle boiling, caught everybody's attention. It came from close to Grimm. He turned to see that the alcove had been converted into what looked like, on first glance, a jacuzzi. Inside was a writhing mass of liquid that took a humanoid shape: Abyssal.

“We seem to be forgetting the point of convening today. The boy … Hunter. Where is he?”

All eyes turned to the raised seat where the spindly figure of Necros sat. Grimm could smell the stench from here and was thankful the chamber was so dark. Next to him he saw Chromosome lean forward with a calculating look on her face. Grimm knew that the look meant she was coveting Necros's seat as Council leader.

“Chromosome,” said Necros with a voice that reverberated with gloom. “You were tasked with tracking the boy down.”

Chromosome stepped into the center of the chamber. She walked like a catwalk model and seemed entirely out of place—until the shadows on the floor shifted with faint arachnid forms.

“So far the boy has been elusive. My research has shown it was probably a high-powered member of the Hero Foundation that aided his escape from Diablo Island and is now helping him stay hidden.”

She took great delight in soaking up the sudden murmurs that circled the chamber. Mr. Grimm said nothing, but he knew it all to be lies. Most things Chromosome said were. He mused that this must be part of her plan to become Council leader.

Necros stood. “If this is true, who was it? And why?”

“It certainly seems like the Foundation has split views. Maybe a breakaway faction wishes to establish their own operations?”

Further disinformation calculated to throw the Council off Hunter's scent. Chromosome was smiling sweetly.

“Then it must be a plan to overthrow both the Foundation
and
the Council!” cried Fallout, both fists simultaneously thumping his chair arms. “My spies have received reports that Hunter kidnapped the president!”

More clamoring among the Council. Chromosome's eyes met Grimm's and she arched a perfect eyebrow; she obviously hadn't yet heard how successful her plan
had been. Mr. Grimm walked forward and composed himself by not making eye contact with
anybody
.

“It is true. Hunter teleported Air Force One and the president from the Atlantic Ocean.”

Gasps of astonishment filled the chamber. A voice to the left caught Grimm's attention. It came from a huge fat man who could crush Grimm to death under his folds of flab if he fell on him. He was called Momentum.

“He teleported the
entire
aircraft? That's impossible!”

Grimm opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when he felt Chromosome's hand on his shoulder. Several spiders crawled around his shins. Grimm tried not to pay attention to them.

“Nevertheless,” purred Chromosome, “it appears he did it. Hunter is indeed more powerful than we thought. I shall increase my efforts to locate him.”

“Perhaps you need assistance?” said a high voice that sounded as if the speaker was a prim schoolgirl. Chromosome's face momentarily dropped when she heard it, and they all turned to the final Council member. She was Yohg-Shuggor, the Destroyer of Worlds, the Bringer of the Night, the Spawn of the Damned, Eater of the Dead, the Apocalypse Harbinger, and the Shaker of Worlds. But her close friends called her Amy. Her current earthbound form was that of a small girl of about thirteen, with flame-red hair and wearing a plaid skirt.

Chromosome sucked in a deep breath, and the fake
smile covered her face again. “Thank you for the offer, but my powers will be ample enough to track down the boy.”

Chromosome met the girl's searching gaze, and she was grateful to turn away when she heard Necros's voice carry through the chamber like a lead weight.

“You should focus all your time on this task, Chromosome. It is the most important of Council business.”

Chromosome gave him a terse nod.

“Then I shall see to it at once.”

Grimm watched as Chromosome's throne drifted across the floor to meet her. Only when it was close enough for her to sit, did Grimm see that eight metallic spiders' legs propelled it. He shivered, realizing that the throne was
alive
, another mad creation from Chromosome's warped mind. With Chromosome seated, the throne spun around and scurried for the door, the spider entourage following.

“Grimm, come with me,” Chromosome commanded.

Mr. Grimm followed her as the door snapped open, relieved to be leaving the dark chamber. He made the mistake of catching Amy's eye on the way out, and for a moment he felt an icy finger stab his brain. Was she trying to read his thoughts? The scowl she gave him no doubt shortened his life span by several years.

He followed Chromosome across the bridge in
silence; a silence made more oppressive as the mist had closed in, allowing only a few yards of visibility. When they had distanced themselves from the Council chamber, her throne pirouetted. In the daylight Grimm could see the throne's metal skin undulate as though it were breathing. The red padded seat resembled a raw liver and he could swear it readjusted to Chromosome's shifting body.

“Where is Hunter?”

Chromosome's delicate tones had been replaced by ice. She glared suspiciously at Mr. Grimm. Grimm's face was blank and unreadable.

“As I said, Hunter teleported straight—”

He didn't see her move, but in the blink of an eye Chromosome was standing in front of him, her slender fingers around his neck. Despite possessing no obvious muscles, she effortlessly lifted him off the floor and held him out over the mist-shrouded balcony. It was a long drop; not that that bothered Grimm because he could fly, but there were
worse
things she could do to him.

“The Council may be employing you, but I am paying you much more. Your loyalty lies with me alone. Understand?”

Grimm tried to nod. A chrome spider had scuttled into his mouth and he couldn't talk.

“Where is the boy?”

The spider ran out of his mouth and perched on his
head. He felt a jolt of pain as the spider pressed two fangs into his forehead, drawing blood. Grimm used all his resolve to keep eye contact with Chromosome.

“Unknown, but he will come to me. He has carried out your wishes so far.”

Chromosome regarded him for a few seconds, and then gently lowered him back onto the bridge. Spiders jumped off him and surrounded her as she took her seat. Grimm wiped the blots of blood from his forehead with a white handkerchief. He had seen Chromosome's Legion strip a man of his flesh like a school of piranhas, so he considered his wound a mere graze.

“Ready him for the exchange. The president for information of Psych's location.”

“Do you really know where Psych is?”

Chromosome gave a sharp laugh. “Who cares where he is? When Hunter shows, he will be joining me whether he likes it or not. We'll rendezvous somewhere I can demonstrate my powers if he feels the need to challenge me. Somewhere that will be the last place the citizens of America will look for their precious leader, right under their noses. Liberty Island.”

“New York?” exclaimed Mr. Grimm in surprise. “Isn't that a little too public? And bringing the American president back to his—”

“The president is nothing more than a mascot. It's access to his military might that I want. Then the
Council will have a little uprising when they realize that I have agents in every one of their territories. I will have Hunter under
my
control, doing only my bidding. Who will be left to stop me? Then I will start the world over from scratch. Cast it in my own image.”

“Kill everybody?”

“Everything. I have the power to create life from the lifeless.”

She tapped a button on Grimm's suit. The plastic rippled as it suddenly grew a stubby pair of wings, detached itself and flew onto Chromosome's hand. Grimm could see that she had indeed created life. The button bug had tiny legs; two probing antenna gently tapped her hand.

“And I have the power to destroy.”

She crushed the bug between her thumb and finger.

It was a rare moment, but Grimm was genuinely rattled. He'd had no idea Chromosome was so insane. “You're talking about being a god.”

“A goddess,” snapped Chromosome tartly. “But not
everybody
will die. Be a good servant, Grimm, and you'll see my new paradise.”

Grimm bowed, although he knew without a doubt that Chromosome was raving mad.

“An offer beyond any wealth,” he said humbly.

“Yes it is. Tell me when Hunter makes contact. I wish things to start rolling right away. I have much to do.”

Grimm nodded and watched her vanish in the mist. Only the faint sounds of her arachnid troop could be heard. He glanced back in the direction of the Council chamber. If he told them about Chromosome's plan, then there would be uproar and they would turn on her in a fight that would lead to open feuding as accusations were thrown and allegiances questioned.

The Council was full of ambitious villains, and not just the eight in power. Minor villains schemed and plotted to one day sit in their place. It was a world of intrigue and backstabbing, originally designed as a democracy, with the Council being voted in. But as soon as Necros became leader and tasted power, he turned it into a dictatorship.

That would not do for Mr. Grimm. He liked to maintain the equilibrium. There was only one weapon he needed to nudge the balance back in the right direction. Jake Hunter.

Air Force One dropped three feet to the floor of the hangar when it materialized in Jake's new lair. The resulting thunderclap was so loud that it momentarily deafened everybody on board. The hangar was big enough to house two Boeings. A set of huge closed doors led out to a camouflaged airstrip on a mountain plateau; the doors themselves were disguised to resemble the mountain face.

Jake was impressed that he'd achieved the impossible by teleporting the aircraft, but it had left him weak and trembling. He tried to fight the temptation to log on to Villain.net to feed his cravings, but the desire was just too strong. He briefly wondered if Basilisk had known the enormity of his powers?

He dropped to the floor of the hangar, feeling light-headed. Immediately he dealt with the president, his secretary of defense, and the remaining Secret Service staff by encasing them in a crystalline coating as Chameleon had done to him, briefly, in the shopping mall. Mr. Grimm had suggested the power, saying that
the coating would allow them to breathe, but they would be nothing more than statues.

Jake walked from the hangar, wobbled into the stone passageway beyond, and then collapsed.