Supers 2 Page 16

  She’d been gone for too long now.

  Far too long for a small town like Buxworth, where you could drive from one end to another in under half an hour. Sure, you’d have to put your foot down, fly over bumps and swerve onto pavements to avoid asteroid sized holes, but it could be done.

  The Mercedes was absent on his return to the property on the outskirts of Buxworth Town. Lucas felt a heaviness set into his chest as he walked into the house. If Michelle were missing, if she had been taken by someone, it wouldn’t be easy to find her.

  A lot of his contacts had gone underground, waiting for the battle to end, for there to be a new Mayor. There was a new Mayor now. Vengeance. But the game had changed. He was turning people, Normies and Supers, into slaves.

  When word got out about that, if it hadn’t already, Lucas wondered how many Supers and Normies would stick around in Buxworth Town. What with the risk of being owned completely by that creep, they would surely flood out of the town. And with them, hopes of finding Michelle would disappear too.

  Fuck.

  How had he let this happen?

  Blaming Michelle for her naivety, he had told her about the serums, shown her where they were, then basically let her slip out with them under the guise that he had been injured by bullets, despite being a Super of some sort, and wearing a bullet proof vest.

  Lucas didn’t switch on the lights as he walked down the corridor. The place was so familiar to him, he could have made the journey with his eyes closed. He lifted the trapdoor beneath the stairs and headed down to the basement.

  Focused on achieving his aim with speed, mindful Vengeance could turn up at any moment, Lucas grabbed the already packed bags and headed up the stairs. He filled the boot with the weapons. The car sunk under the weight of the heavy metal and Lucas set off despite having more space.

  The lights in the safe house were on as Lucas pulled up outside. He parked on the street in front of the house and opened the boot. Glancing left and right out of habit, he picked up two of the bags and as he did, the car rose up an inch and more.

  The bags didn’t feel that heavy. It took a moment for Lucas to realise it was his Super strength at work. Not being a traditional Super, sometimes he forgot he was a Super at all.

  He carried the bags to the front of the house and knocked on the door. Lucas heard footsteps approaching and a moment later, Lucy appeared.

  “They’re quite heavy,” Lucas said, as he dropped the bags in the corridor. “You can try and drag them across or… just leave them. I’ll take them up once I’ve got the rest in.”

  Lucas turned and dashed down the front lawn. Arriving at the car, he reached inside the boot to retrieve the final two bags when he stopped and turned.

  Lucy was still standing by the door, completely still. She was wearing a white dress that came down to her knees, and in that moment, a slight breeze sent the dress twirling around her legs before shooting upwards.

  Lucas was old enough to remember the shot of Marilyn Monroe trying to hold her dress down.

  This did not remind him off that.

  It made him think of ghosts.

  He wasn’t sure why.

  It could have been how still Lucy stood, or how pale her face was. Maybe it was a combination of that along with a sense of premonition that something was wrong.

  It was just Lucy standing by the door.

  From behind her, there came no sounds. None at all. Yet, Anika, Jenny and Hannah were all in the house. The lights were on upstairs, but he saw no shadows move across the windows, heard no noises.

  They couldn’t be asleep. Not at this time…

  And Lucy, she was just standing there…

  “What’s wrong?” Lucas asked.

  “There’s someone here to see you,” came her reply.

  Lucas, who was holding onto the bags full of weapons, briefly considered diving into it to stock up on ammunition. He would need it if it were a Super waiting for him inside, or a gang of Normies. He glanced up at the front windows on the first floor. The lights on, but no one about.

  Hostage situation.

  This was some sort of hostage situation. That’s why they let Lucy walk to the front and open the door for him without accompanying her. Unless it was Vengeance and he had injected her with the serum already?

  Lucas was dressed in his long black coat, and it weighed heavy on him. Not enough to tire him, but enough to remind him how heavily armed he already was. He decided against grabbing further ammunition from the bags. It would be useless in a hostage situation, or if Vengeance had already injected them with his serum.

  Lucas followed Lucy into the house, down the corridor and into the living room.

  There was a girl seated on the sofa and she smiled at him as he walked in.

  “You,” Lucas frowned.

  “Malika,” the girl said, holding out her hand.

  Lucas stared at it, his frown deepening. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

  “You know each other?” Lucy asked.

  “She’s the girl we took the BMW from…” Lucas muttered.

  “Stole,” Malika corrected.

  “Should be grateful we didn’t kill you,” Lucas responded. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’ve been sent by our leader, Mistress Laura,” Malika said. “She wants to meet with you.”

  “And what if I don’t want to meet with her?” Lucas asked.

  Malika swallowed nervously; her hand reached down to her waist where a gun was very visibly holstered. “We… we’ve taken your girls to-” she stopped, eyeing him with fear in her eyes, her hand now rested on the gun, though her fingers trembled some. “Mistress Laura just wants to meet,” she finished.

  Malika was afraid.

  If the girls were still in the house, he could have used that to his advantage. A mixture of threats and promises to protect her from this Mistress Laura would have done the trick nicely. But with the girls gone, he had little to use.

  “Fine,” Lucas growled. “I’ll meet Laura. But if she hurts the girls even a bit, I promise you I will kill her, and you, and every other piece of shit in your little gang.”

  Malika’s skin paled, her lips quivered, but she gave him a brave smile. “Right,” she held her hand pointed towards the door. “After you.”

  Chapter 19

  Michelle opened her eyes to find herself tied to a chair. She was in a darkened room with a light hanging low from the ceiling. It was a small room, no windows, a single door. She pulled her arms against the restraints. Metal chains. Sturdy. But that shouldn’t be a problem for her. She would break through them with ease.

  Her hands began to blaze blue. Soon, that blaze would continue to burn up her arms. The metal chains would melt away.

  Except, holding the force of blue, keeping the blaze in her hands, her fists, she was finding it tiring to do.

  Michelle stopped.

  Her hands returned to their normal colour as she paused for a break. She was unnaturally tired. Thirsty. Her stomach rumbled. Hungry too.

  She was really hungry…

  Really thirsty…

  How long had she been here trapped in this dark and dingy room?

  Panic rising within her, Michelle pulled at her chains. Her hands blazed blue once more but this time, the blue shot up her arms with ferocity. She felt the metal chain loosen. With a final tug, she pulled her arms free. Michelle grabbed the chain fastened around her ankles and tore it apart.

  Angry, she jumped to her feet and marched towards the door. She grabbed the steel bar along the side that worked as a handle. She pulled the door off its hinges and stepped out. There was a set of stairs at the end of the corridor, with doors on either side.

  As Michelle marched towards the stairs, she paused by the first door she passed, suddenly curious. She tried the handle. The door was locked. Still furious, the blue blazed up her arms with ease and Michelle slammed them against the door.

  It fell open and landed inside the room with a thud. T
here was a girl sitting on a chair, tied to it much like she had been. She jolted awake and stared at Michelle, eyes wide in horror.

  “What’s going on?” the girl asked. Her head moved from side to side as she took in her surroundings. “Who are you? What do you want with me?”

  “I don’t want anything,” Michelle said, her voice weary. “I was in another room just like you.”

  “You managed to break free?” the girl asked as she struggled against her bonds. And then, her eyes fell against the fallen door. “You broke the door,” she mumbled in awe.

  Michelle entered the room and freed the girl, tearing through the chains with ease.

  “Thanks,” the girl said, as she rubbed her wrists. “I’m Roxy.”

  “Michelle,” she replied with a huff as they walked back into the corridor.

  “How did you get here?”

  “I got drugged by a Super named Spikes. Guessing he brought me here. You?”

  “I came to see Vengeance to pledge my support. I think-”

  Michelle stopped at the foot of the stairs and turned to face Roxy. “You came to pledge your support to Vengeance? Why would you do that?”

  “Why wouldn’t I?” Roxy replied, though she stepped back a foot, nerves written across her face. “He won. Better to pledge my support and be on his side before he…” she stopped and felt her wrists, her hands then moved up her arm, frantic. “Oh no… oh no… oh no…”

  “What?”

  “He’s got some sort of serum that turns Supers into his slaves, apparently. Do you think he’s used it on us?”

  Fuck.

  It hadn’t even crossed her mind. Michelle was about to check her arms for marks of being injected. But then, she remembered. She was a Super.

  Roxy, on the other hand, continued to scan her arms for signs.

  “You’re a Super, aren’t you?” Michelle asked.

  “Yes, but this thing works on Supers,” Roxy muttered.

  Michelle waited for the girl to get it, for it to click. And when it didn’t, she muttered. “You’re a Super. Your skin heals?”

  “Oh… yeah,” Roxy stopped searching for needle marks. “How will we know?”

  “We find the bastard and ask, I guess,” Michelle said grimly as she turned and climbed up the stairs.

  * * *

  The stairs led up and out of what turned out to be the basement. It was another house they were in, one of a similar size to Lucas’s, the one they had to abandoned. It was a nice house, and in the living room, lying on the sofa, his feet up, was Vengeance.

  He was reading a book.

  He looked almost normal.

  “Have you… have you injected me?” Michelle asked, her voice calm.

  Vengeance didn’t respond. He continued to read his book. Beside her, Roxy tapped her on shoulder. Michelle turned to look at the girl.

  “Do you think he heard you?” she whispered.

  “Yes, he did,” Michelle replied.

  “Why isn’t he replying?”

  Because he doesn’t have to, Michelle thought.

  Vengeance knew he held the power here. And that was a power move. The girls had wandered around the house. There was no one else in it apart from him.

  And yet, he remained calm, lying on the sofa, reading his book.

  Vengeance wasn’t the strongest Super about. He didn’t have any powers that she knew off, though the last time they had battled, he was somehow able to anticipate Lucas’s moves.

  Still, he was no match for her.

  He knew that.

  Still he remained there, sitting calmly, not even bothered. Turned another page. The minutes ticked down. Michelle remained standing by the door as the time passed. She lost track of it. Outside, the light shining in through the window remained constant, as it was throughout much of the day. Her eyes became weary, her lean against the door frame heavy.

  And then, finally, Vengeance closed the book shut with a slam and placed it on the coffee table. He flipped his legs and brought them down, now sitting on the settee, he smiled in their direction.

  Michelle, startled, stood straight, eyes wide, she blinked before rubbing them.

  “Come, sit,” Vengeance said.

  Michelle walked into the room. She stopped as she reached the sofa to Vengeance’s left. Roxy was directly behind her, and the girl bumped into her back.

  “I-I d-didn’t… I just-” she stopped, struggling to process what had just happened.

  It had been like a dream, one where you were occupying the body and feeling its emotions, but not really being in control of the body. Vengeance had told her to come and sit, and Michelle had done so.

  She didn’t recall deciding to walk into the room, to move her feet. It had just happened. Because he had asked her to. And now, confused and afraid, she sat down on the sofa, because he had commanded her to.

  “You’re getting it much quicker than most girls I convert,” Vengeance said, smiling like a creep, his voice appreciative.

  “Convert?” Michelle asked, feeling her nerves flare.

  “My flock,” Vengeance said. “I’m like-” he stopped to think, even stared up at the ceiling before looking at her once more. “Like Jesus,” he decided. “And you’re all my disciples. He had disciples, right?”

  “You’re insane,” Michelle said, her breathing heavy.

  “Careful now, Michelle,” Vengeance said. “You don’t get to talk to your god like that.”

  Vengeance’s misplaced ego, Michelle would have laughed if it weren’t so frightening. She didn’t believe him. At least, a part of her doubted he could control her. All he had done was ask her to sit. Maybe she’d done it on autopilot because it was the polite thing to do. Sit when someone asked you to sit.

  Michelle stood up.

  She did it.

  Though her feet were shaking, she did it.

  And then, her hands began to blaze blue.

  She was going to smash Vengeance’s skull in.

  But the Super didn’t seem worried much. He stared up at her, that creepy grin still on his stupid face.

  “I’m going to smash you into little bits,” Michelle told him.

  There was rage and fury in her voice.

  But there wasn’t confidence.

  It was like she didn’t believe herself. Vengeance didn’t either. He remained seated on the sofa, even lifted his arms to rest on the cushioned back.

  “I’m going to do it,” Michelle repeated, her voice much lower this time, as if she were telling herself only.

  But still, she did not strike him.

  Instead, as she stared at him, she felt her rage begin to fizzle out. And then, he even stopped looking creepy.

  It was happening, wasn’t it?

  The serum was working its way through her body, changing her perception of him, bit by bit. How long before she looked at him and saw what she did when she looked at Lucas?

  Feeling deflated, Michelle dropped onto the sofa, the blaze gone from her hands.

  “It’s time for the initiation,” Vengeance said. He sat up straight and rubbed his hands together. “Take your clothes off. Both of you.”

  It felt like a dream once more as Michelle first pulled off her trainers, then her socks. She paused as her hand reached for the buttons down her dress. Sitting on the floor, Roxy had already mostly stripped. She unbuckled her bra, her breasts spilled out. Lifting her feet up, she pulled her panties down her smooth legs. Completely naked, she climbed to her feet and stood with her hands behind her back, keeping her body on display, her cheeks coloured as she stared at her feet.

  Michelle’s hands began to move once more.

  Robotic.

  She unbuttoned her dress. It slipped down her body and rested by her ankles. She kicked it aside. Standing in her bra and knickers, Vengeance staring at her with appreciative eyes, Michelle had never felt so low before.

  She felt her eyes begin to water. But still, her hands worked like they belonged to someone else. She unbuckled
her bra first. Her purple panties followed. When she was done, Michelle stood with her hands behind her back, her pose the same as Roxy’s.

  A gentle breeze swept across the room. It washed across her thighs, across her pussy, causing her to shiver.

  “Alright,” Vengeance said, clapped his hands together. “Let’s get this started. On your backs, girls. Spread those legs wide!”

  Chapter 20

  Mistress Laura, the leader of the now most powerful gang in Buxworth, lived an hour’s drive from the town. Her house was so far away, it was closer to Ellington than it was to Buxworth.

  Although it might not have been Mistress Laura’s main residence. It would make little sense to take his girls to her main residence, and then invite Lucas over.

  More likely, it was one of many safe houses the Flying Eagles owned.

  The larger gangs had safe houses located all around the town and its outskirts. They needed to have them.

  Supers usually ignored gangs, saw them as a necessity to keep the town running. A lot of the farms, the markets, small factories that produced clothes and such, the car garages, the majority were run by the gangs.

  Supers didn’t mind.

  Most gangs were smart enough to stay out of the Supers way, give them whatever they wanted. But sometimes, just sometimes, they clashed. And when a Super came down on a gang, they came with their Super friends.

  It was destructive.

  So gangs needed lots of safe houses.

  An hour’s drive on the motorway, and finally, Malika turned off and joined a narrow country lane. The hedges grew close on either side, the road twisted and turned, making it hard to see around the bends.

  Malika drove like it was a fucking PlayStation game.

  Lucas remembered those video games… Hella fun. Especially because you could crash into something at a hundred miles an hour and not die.

  That wasn’t the case in real life.

  Lucas actually fastened his seat belt. It wasn’t the done thing anymore, not in this new world. It should be, considering how much more dangerous driving had become.