Super Villain Academy 2: Polar Opposites (23 page)

The private jet touched down at Ransom airport. The four supers called for a taxi and headed to Jeff’s house.

“Mother!” Jeff called as soon as he stepped through the front door.

“She’s not here,” Sandra said, stepping out of the kitchen. With a half-smile and a blush she offered Set a shy wave, but then her eyebrows knit when Gyro and Delfina stepped into the house.

“But I think I’m close to figuring out your performance issue,” Source said as he sauntered into the room behind Sandra. His eyes swept the unexpected crowd and narrowed when they saw Set.

Set smirked. “Let’s hear about this ‘performance issue’, shall we?”

Jeff glared at him. “Source is helping me figure out why my powers are still growing.” Jeff emphasized the last word, hoping to make it a threat, but it fell on deaf ears.

Set laughed. “Ah, sure.”

Jeff clenched his hands. Each time he was forced to ignore his anger, it became more difficult to control. His head swirled as if the madness were a tangible thing knocking against the walls of his brain trying to escape. He turned to Sandra and, in an attempt to remain controlled, practically whispered, “Where is Mother?”

“HERO headquarters. She said she’d be back this evening.”

“What?” Smoke snaked up from Jeff’s fingers. He closed his eyes and searched internally until he felt the ice in his lungs. The throbbing in his fingers dissipated. “We’ll go to her.”

Sandra grinned. “Oh, that’ll tick her off.”

“I don’t care.” Jeff stalked toward the front door. “Come on everybody.”

Source and Sandra followed.

“Not you. I meant them.” Jeff nodded at Gyro, Delfina and Set.

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Sandra said.

Set eyed Source skeptically. “Besides, we can use them for the extraction team.”

“Fine. Follow in your car, Source.” Jeff strode across the lawn to his car, parked against the curb.

Set pulled open the passenger door and snarled at the pile of crumpled loose-leaf papers and fast food wrappers on the floor. His nose twitched when assaulted by a stale, moldering smell.

“Don’t be shy,” Jeff said. “If it’s on the floor, it’s trash and can be stepped on.”

Gyro helped Delfina into the back seat before jogging to the other side and folding his bulk in beside her.

Set’s lip curled, and his back was unnaturally stiff.

“I wouldn’t have pinned you as a prude, Set,” Jeff said. If he’d known a little mess was all it took to throw Set off his game, he would have toilet papered his house or something.

* * * *

Jeff pulled into the parking lot of the nondescript building.

“This is the heroes’ headquarters?” Set looked like he’d just been given the first place ribbon in a contest he knew he’d win.

“Yes. Heroes don’t usually showboat.” He swung the door open and found himself nose to nose with Supersmarm Don. “I stand corrected.”

“Chauncy!” Don said, grabbing Jeff’s hand and pumping enthusiastically.

“Jeff.”

“Oh, right! I’m hopeless with names,” Don’s mega bright smile faded as the other former villains followed Jeff into the lobby. “What’s going on?”

“I’m here to see my mother,” Jeff said.

Set and Don sized each other up, making Jeff wonder who would win in a battle of the chins. Gyro and Delfina stood patiently to the side.

Seeing the same old man who had expertly bound his wrists during Jeff’s last visit, he didn’t approach the desk. “Could you please let Sarah Mean know her son is here to see her?”

The old man’s watery gaze swept the room. “And who else should I say is here?”

“They don’t matter. I’m just here to pick up something from Mother, and then we’ll be out of here.”

The man dialed his phone and dropped his chin to whisper quietly into the mouthpiece.

“She’s in the middle of something,” the man said as he hung up the phone.

Jeff stared at him waiting for more information. When none was offered, he prodded. “And… she’ll be right up?”

The man shook his head.

“Someone is bringing the thing to me?”

The man shrugged and shook his head again.

“You don’t know?” Jeff yelled.

“Whoa!” Don said in his game show host voice. “No need to accost the volunteers.”

Without taking the time to think about it, Jeff strode across the lobby and into the hall. Don and the volunteer yelled at him to stop, but he ignored them. He was surprised when Set followed him onto the elevator. Don squeezed his bulk through the doors, just before they closed. Jeff ignored him. He heard Source and Sandra yell for them to wait.

“What do you think you can do? Barge in on your mom?” Don asked.

Jeff stared at the doors as the elevator descended.

“Do you realize how many heroes you’ll have to get through to get to Sarah?” Don asked.

Jeff barked out a laugh and finally looked at Don. “I’ll make a wager with you. I’m willing to bet not one super comes to her defense.”

Don’s sculpted jaw fell open in shock. “That’s ridiculous! There are dozens of heroes down there, and your mom is their queen bee.”

Jeff held out his hand. “Twenty bucks, which is all I have on me.”

Don reached to grasp Jeff’s hand, but Jeff pulled away at the last moment.

“And you don’t count.” Jeff clarified.

“I won’t need to count!” Don said.

Jeff shook hands with Don, and the doors slid open to an empty hallway.

Don frowned as he looked up and down the deserted hall.

Jeff strode off the elevator and headed toward Sarah’s office.

Set kept pace with him, admiring the rich paneling and thick carpeting. When they stepped into Sarah’s opulent office, Set crooked a smile and nodded. “Nice.”

“And empty,” Jeff sighed. He wasn’t familiar with the layout of the building, and had no idea where to look for his mother. He turned to Don. “Where is she?”

“I don’t know,” Don shrugged, but wouldn’t make eye contact.

“Where might she be?” Jeff asked with clenched teeth.

Don sighed and pointed. “Conference room is that way.”

Jeff led the delegation down the hallway, peering into each door they passed, but finding only strangers.

Source and Sandra caught up to them. Sandra asked, “What are we doing?”

“Looking for Mother,” Jeff replied.

The hall opened up to a waiting area surrounded by three walls. Each wall had a double doorway in its center. “This looks very conference room-like.”

Jeff flung the first set of doors open to find an empty room. The second set of doors opened to a room crowded with people. Most were packed around a long rectangular conference table. Others sat in chairs along the sides of the room. Only one person stood. At the far end of the room, Sarah Mean pointed a red laser light at a projection of a map on the wall. The occupants of the room all turned to stare at the group that burst in. No one moved. Jeff smiled across the room. “Hello, Mother. Sorry to interrupt.”

As eyes shifted away from the people in the doorway, Don slipped a twenty-dollar bill into Jeff’s hand. “Holy crap, we’re in trouble.”

“And it’s only going to get worse,” Jeff said, sliding the bill into his pocket and skirting around chairs to get to Sarah. “I’m hoping you have that item, Mother.”

Sarah leveled a longsuffering glare on her son, but gave her daughter a soft smile when she squeezed up between them. “Why now, Jeffrey?”

“Because,” Jeff whispered, “I don’t know how much longer I can contain my powers. I’ve got to find Oci.”

Set joined the group. “I hate to break up this touching reunion, but we need to get the show on the road.”

Jeff nodded. “The item, Mother?”

“My intern has it.”

“Great.” Jeff spun toward the door, but Set stopped him with a hand to his chest.

“Not so fast, Polar. We need your mom, too.”

Sarah squinted at Set. “And who are you?”

“This is Set. We’ve been working together to find Oci,” Jeff said.

“Why do you need me?” Sarah asked.

“We’ll need all the help we can get to pull Oceanus out of wherever it is Mystic is holding her.”

“Wait, what’s the hurry?” Sarah said. “You don’t even know where she is.”

“I need an item that actually belonged to Mystic so the imprinter and his guide can track her,” Jeff explained. He tapped his foot and glanced longingly at the doorway across the room.

“Where did you find an imprinter?” Sarah asked.

“Mexicali,” Jeff said, staring at the door. “Where can I find your intern?”

“So you need to put together an extraction team?” Sarah asked Set.

“Yes, that’s exactly what we need.”

Sarah slapped her laser pointer into the palm of an unsuspecting man’s hand. “Take over, Giles.” She strode through the maze of chairs with the teenagers following in her wake. As she breezed through the doorway, she stabbed Don in the chest with a finger. “You’re coming with us.”

Sarah held her phone to her ear as she led the group through a maze of hallways. She slipped the phone into her pocket just as she stepped into a nest of cubicles set in the middle of a large open room. She stopped at the third cubicle. The girl sitting inside looked at her with surprise.

“Mrs. Mean, I didn’t expect you so soon. I haven’t finished yet.”

Jeff stopped beside Sarah and searched the girl’s desktop for an item that might have belonged to Mystic.

“My son needs the locket, Cordy.”

“Oh.” Cordy swung around in her chair and snatched something out of a drawer, then twirled toward Jeff and dropped the locket in his palm.

“I’ll be out of the office,” Sarah said briskly. “I’m not certain for how long, but I’ll check in as often as I can.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Cordy said. “I’ll be sure to file the report today before I leave. Is there anything else you’d like me to concentrate on?”

“I’ll email a list of priorities.”

Cordy nodded.

Turning to Jeff, Sarah said, “Now, where is this imprinter of yours?”

Chapter 35

They picked up Gyro and Delfina from the lobby and piled into the two cars. Jeff tried to hand Gyro the locket immediately, but he refused to touch it while they were traveling. Jeff was surprised to find a small group gathered on the tarmac next to the jet.

“Dad, what are you doing here?” he asked, raising his eyebrows at Mr. Hammond and Whisper.

“Your mother called me. She was saying something about an extraction team.” A pleased smile quirked Frank’s mouth as his gaze swept over the small group. “I love a good extraction.”

“And why are they here?” Jeff pointed between his companions.

Frank’s lip curled slightly. “Apparently, Edmond likes a good extraction too. We’d been discussing your grade when your mom’s call came in. He was quick to volunteer to help. Unfortunately, knowing we needed the help, I couldn’t refuse.”

Jeff wanted to steer clear of any discussion of his grades. He squinted at Whisper. “Why are you here?”

Edmond Hammond answered. “She heard me thinking about the extraction team and volunteered.”

Jeff shook his head. “But, Whisper, do you even know Oceanus?”

Blushing and staring at her hands, Whisper shook her head.

All the others were gathered around, listening. Sarah said, “The more the merrier. Let’s get this show, er, in the air.”

Jeff looked around at the group of supers and his stomach clenched. “I hope there will be an extraction. Gyro can point us to Mystic, but it won’t do us much good if Mystic isn’t with Oceanus.”

“They’ll be together,” Source said confidently.

“What makes you so sure?” Set asked.

“She’s got to know that Polar is close to a meltdown and will be desperate to get his source of balance back,” Source said. “She’ll be guarding Oceanus herself at this point.”

Jeff eyed Source. “Was that supposed to be a climate change joke?”

“You know me so well.” Source grinned.

Jeff climbed the stairs of the twelve-passenger jet behind Gyro and Delfina. She paused to mumble something to the pilot who started pressing buttons and flipping switches to prepare for takeoff. Jeff flopped into the chair opposite Gyro, surprised to find nerves worming their way into his stomach. Delfina perched on the loveseat next to Gyro and reached across the aisle for the locket.

Jeff had to wait for Set and Don to pass before handing it over. His breathing was so shallow that he was glad to be sitting, or else he might pass out. Instead of joining the others at the back of the jet, Sarah perched against the credenza next to Jeff to watch Gyro imprint the locket. Jeff exchanged nervous looks with Sandra and Source, who sat next to each other. He’d seen Set scoot into a seat across the table from them, but the overstuffed leather chairs hid Set from view. Gyro held so still with the locket clutched in his fist, Jeff wasn’t even sure he was breathing. Delfina had the same internally focused demeanor she had when Gyro imprinted Jeff’s pendent. Scrubbing his tired face with a palm, Jeff flinched against the sandpapery scraping noise, worried it might disturb Gyro.

It was the longest half an hour in Jeff’s life, but finally Gyro blinked and rubbed his temples. The locket slipped from his fist to the floor.

Delfina pulled the tin out of her skirt pocket and held it open under Gyro’s nose. He drew a much deeper draft than the last time he’d used them. When Delfina pulled away, Gyro grasped her wrist and drew the tin back under his nose again. Delfina’s mouth fell open and she cocked her head.

“What’s the matter?” she asked.

Gyro didn’t answer at first. He simply continued to breathe in his licorice, his eyes closed, his brows knit together. At last, he looked across to Jeff. “Why didn’t you warn us?”

Jeff gulped at the ominous question. “About what?”

Gyro looked at Delfina warily. She placed a hand on his leg and leaned forward. “What is it, Gyro? I’ve never seen you like this before.”

“She’s… she’s bad,” Gyro’s whisper quavered.

“Well,” Jeff huffed and slapped his palms on his thighs. “We already knew she’s still a villain. She stole my girlfriend.”

“No, that’s not what I mean. She’s…” Gyro shook his head and leaned over to pick up the locket and study it. “Her thoughts are evil. Twisted.”