“And then one day they told us that we were going on vacation. They were taking us to Sterling City. Kyle and I were so excited when we packed our bags. We checked into a hotel in the big city and had a fancy room-service dinner. And I didn’t turn at all that whole time, because I was trying so hard not to ruin the vacation. Then the next morning we came here. To the park. They asked us if we wanted ice cream, and of course we did. So Kyle and I played while they went to go find some.
“That was the last time we saw them. Kyle and I stayed in the park for days. We didn’t know what else to do. Then one night, right here in this garden, Lone Star flew in from the sky and found us sleeping on a bench. He said that everything would be okay. That we were special and he would take care of us.
“That’s why we’re Rangers,” she said, meeting his eyes. “It’s why we’re trying to make this city a better place. Because we choose to.”
Alex could see her clearly now, her colors brighter than they had been before. It seemed unreal; he only dreamed in such vivid hues. He stared at her for several moments.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she finally asked.
“I’m sorry,” he said. He didn’t know what else to say. “I can see you.”
“Um . . . yeah. I’m sitting right in front of you.”
“No, I mean . . .” He paused for a moment, trying to figure out how best to describe the way he saw things. “After I got my powers, everything I saw—everything I see—is blue. The sun, the ground, people. Everything. All tinted the same color.”
“That’s so sad,” Kirbie said. Her face dropped. The color was fading from Alex’s vision now, back to cobalt.
“Until I saw you.”
“Huh?” Kirbie asked.
“I can see you in color,” he said. “Not all the time, but sometimes. It happened last weekend, and again just now.”
Kirbie didn’t know what to say. Her cheeks flushed.
“Why do you fight? Why are you still a part of Cloak?” Kirbie asked. “I think you’d be a great Ranger.”
“I’m a fourth-generation Cloak member,” Alex started. “I never questioned my loyalty to them. I mean, until now,” he stammered, remembering his cover. “My mother can read minds, so I learned when I was pretty little not to think about anything that might make her mad.”
“The Cloak Society is a group of supervillains.”
“Only because we have to be,” Alex said, beginning the type of speech he’d heard from the High Council so many times. “The world turned its back on my ancestors. It forced us underground when we should have been made kings and queens. And then Lone Star killed our people. My family. What would you do?”
“Revenge is a pretty human motivation for a group that thinks of themselves as superior,” Kirbie said. “Look around you. These people sacrificed themselves defending the city against Cloak. If only you could look at it from the outside, you would see things differently.”
“That’s easy for you to say.”
“We all have the ability to decide what we think is right,” Kirbie said. Her voice was full of hope. “Come back with me now. Let me take you to Justice Tower. Lone Star and the others will gladly take you in. We could use someone like you.”
“You could use my power, you mean,” Alex said flatly.
“No,” Kirbie said. “Someone like you. Someone good.”
Alex was silent, staring at the ground.
“I don’t think I can,” he said. “Cloak is my family. It’s all I know.”
“No,” she said. “You know me. And you know how to take a stand.”
She held a hand out to him, willing him to take it, to follow her back home. Alex stared at it for several moments before standing. Somehow, the lie he had told her in the shopping center had become his reality, and her words were making sense. He only had to do what he wanted. He had a choice, and he made his decision.
“I should get going,” he said. “If anyone notices I’m gone, I’m dead.”
Kirbie’s shoulders slumped.
“I’m sorry if I upset you,” she said. “You saved me. I’m just trying to return the favor.”
“Thank you,” Alex said. “I mean it.”
“Will I see you again?” she asked. “If you stay with Cloak, it doesn’t make sense for us to meet like this. But . . . I’d like to see you again. One more time? Just as Alex and Kirbie, not as heroes or villains?”
“Yes. I’d like that.”
“This is my last day on park duty,” she said. “Tomorrow night I can sneak out. Say . . . seven o’clock?”
“I’ll be there. Where?” He didn’t even stop to think about whether he’d be able to get away.
“There’s an ice-cream shop on Victory Circle and Adler Lane, on the east side of the park,” she said. “Meet me there.”
“Okay,” Alex said. “Perfect. I’ll be there at seven.”
They smiled at each other, then Kirbie turned and walked toward the northern end of the sculpture garden, past the watchful eyes of Amp’s parents and other fallen Rangers whose names Alex didn’t know. She stopped when she reached the path and turned back to him, giving a slight wave. Alex stood in the middle of the sculpture garden, watching her golden hair bounce with each step until she disappeared into the darkness.
He knew he was getting in over his head. Luckily, the first day of winter was still months away.
Later, in his room, Alex flipped through the rest of the contents of the box the Tutor had given to him. On top was a photograph of a dozen or so members of the Cloak Society, most of whom Alex knew only from stories. In the center were Alex’s mother and father, dressed in dated versions of the black-and-silver uniforms of Cloak. She had her arm around an older man to her left, Alex’s grandfather. He flipped the picture over in his hand to find a list of everyone in the photo, handwritten in the Tutor’s elegant script. Most every name was followed by a dash and the word “deceased.” Only four names stood alone: Shade, Volt, Phantom, Barrage.
The newspaper articles were all the same. Hysteria, shock, and, later, lengthy obituaries. TRAGEDY IN STERLING CITY PARK, one headline read. HEROES FEARED DEAD, read another. Alex tried to read each of the articles but found that doing so made him short of breath. One article listed not only the fallen Rangers, but the civilians who had died in the cross fire. Innocent bystanders that no one in Cloak had ever bothered to mention before. Alex let his finger trace their names, wondering who these people were, and who they might have left behind.
The accompanying photos were black-and-white rectangles of people crying, mourning, clumped together outside Justice Tower in unified anguish. There were pictures from tributes and memorials across the globe, and dignitaries and leaders pronouncing the event a loss for the entire world.
There were no tears shed for the Cloak Society.
13
Escalation
“We’ve called this meeting because there’s been a slight change in plans,” Phantom said from her seat at the head of the long, dark table. “Our attack on the Rangers has been moved. We will be taking Justice Tower in one week.”
Alex felt like all the air had been sucked out of the War Room.
“All RIGHT,” Titan exclaimed, slamming a palm down on the table. Beside him, Julie’s eyes were wide as she began to laugh. Mallory’s lips curled up, but she took the news with more caution.
“What’s the plan?” she asked.
It was early in the evening on Sunday. The High Council sat on one end of the table opposite the Beta Team. Gage stood off to the side between the two generations of Cloak in his long white lab coat, a small electronic pad in his hand.
“Next Sunday, the Rangers will be guests of honor at the Mayor’s Ball on the far east side of town,” Phantom said. “That’s when Justice Tower will be at its most vulnerable. We cannot ignore this opportunity to retrieve the Umbra Gun. As such, we’re taking this time to brief you so that everyone is up to speed on the new timetable. Gage, if you would.”
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Gage nodded. He tapped on the electronic device in his hand. The screen on the wall across from the table flickered on and displayed a digital blueprint of Justice Tower. Alex couldn’t help but notice how run-down Gage was looking. The bags under his bloodshot eyes were a deep, ominous color, and his curly black hair was sprouting unkempt in every direction.
“Based on an analysis taken during your mission at the bank,” Gage said, “I have deduced that the force field surrounding Justice Tower is derived from Lone Star’s light-based powers. It uses the same energy that illuminates the dome at the top of the tower and, I hypothesize, is charged by Lone Star via a specialized battery in much the same way we utilize Volt’s electrical conduction to run our base. I’ve developed a device that negates this particular energy signature, so we can counteract its power.”
“To put it plainly,” Barrage said, ever annoyed by technical jargon, “Gage has come up with a way for us to punch a hole in the Rangers’ security system.”
“Exactly,” Gage continued. “In addition, while normal methods of scanning the building have been fruitless, based on the energy distortion the force field causes, I have been able to detect a faint trace of Phantom’s energy profile here, on the tenth floor of the complex. This must be the area where the Umbra Gun is being stored.” He typed a short command into the computer system and the screen zoomed in, highlighting the tenth floor in a bright shade of blue.
Alex was beginning to feel ill, though he concentrated hard on keeping his face stoic and his feelings of trepidation guarded in telekinetic energy. Everything was happening so suddenly that he hardly had time to process the information. All he knew for sure was that the new schedule left him with little time to figure out what he would do about Kirbie. He’d been playing through their conversation in his mind all day. She was now the face of the Justice Tower attack.
“We must assume that after we’re in the tower, secondary security measures will be put into action,” Phantom said. “We must be prepared for anything. Once inside, I should be able to transport us immediately to the tenth floor. The energy stored within the Umbra Gun will make it easy for me to detect its precise location. When found, Gage will inspect it. Right, Gage?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “Once I have the weapon in hand, returning it to full functionality and making any other adjustments will be relatively simple.”
“Wait,” Alex said, suddenly very worried about his friend. “Gage isn’t marked. If something happens and he gets shot with the Umbra Gun, he’ll get lost in the Gloom. Can Phantom find him if that happens?”
“Your concern is admirable, Alex,” Phantom said. “But rest assured we’ll mark Gage before this mission.”
Gage smiled for the first time since the meeting began.
“Gage has no battle training, so our number one priority will be protecting him until we have the Umbra Gun secured,” Shade continued. “At that point, we’ll head to the twelfth floor, the building’s observation deck. This is the single most open area in the tower and is where we will take our vengeance on the Rangers.”
“This is going to be the best day of our lives,” Julie said, her fingers twitching with excitement.
“Despite what you might think,” Barrage said, jumping in, “the Rangers are very intelligent. We assume our intrusion will set off alarms no matter what precautions we take, and based on the location of the Mayor’s Ball across town, and the fact that all the Rangers are fliers, we estimate that they will return to the tower within two minutes of our entry. We’ll be waiting for them on the observation deck. If necessary, Volt, Phantom, and I will hold them off while Gage completes repairs on the Umbra Gun. If for some reason the weapon cannot be used at that point, we will retreat, though this will be avoided if at all possible. If we leave with the weapon, they’ll be expecting it the next time we meet.”
“So what are we supposed to be doing while all this is going on?” Titan asked.
Barrage smiled at his son.
“The Mayor’s Ball is a black-tie affair,” he said. “The Junior Rangers will most likely be left behind in the tower, and, if their zeal during the bank mission was any indication, they will try to stop us once they realize we’re inside their base. It will be up to the Beta Team to take them out should they try to interfere in any way.”
“The Junior Rangers are young, but they’re well trained,” Volt said. “I think you all learned that the hard way when you faced them last time. Keep them at bay and off our backs.”
“But don’t kill them,” Shade broke in. “I want them alive. I want to see Lone Star’s face when they’re sucked into the Gloom.”
“Kirbie,” Alex whispered. An immense amount of power welled up inside him, and it took all his concentration to keep it at bay.
His utterance had been louder than expected, though. His mother and Gage both whipped their heads over to stare at him.
“What was that, Alexander?” Shade asked, her eyes drilling into him.
“Uh . . . ,” Alex said, floundering. “Kirbie. That was the name of the girl who beat up Titan at the bank.”
“What?” Titan shouted, pounding his fist on the table. He looked ready to leap across and strangle Alex. “I would have had that she-wolf if you hadn’t—”
“This is not the time to bicker,” Shade said. “Alex is right. There’s the animal girl, the Guardian’s son, and—”
“The plant guy,” Julie said flatly, obviously still seething over the fern that had bested her at the bank. “He’s mine.”
“Do not let your desire for revenge get in the way of strategy,” Shade said. “We are a team, Julie. Remember that. Though it’s true your talons are likely the best suited for taking on the boy’s creations. Titan, your target is Amp. He’s the oldest among them, and with your bulk you should be least susceptible to his sonic blasts. Mallory, you’ll provide cover for the both of them. And Alex, you showed last weekend that you are quite adept at taking on close-range fighters. We’ll need that against Kirbie. The girl is no threat if she can’t get near us. Use your telekinesis to keep the little animal at bay.”
“Of course,” Alex said.
“I realize that this is a lot to take in,” Phantom said. “But we will be discussing this further as the attack draws near. I’ve been impressed with your progress these last weeks. I assume that I don’t have to tell you how important this is for each of you, and for the future of Cloak.”
“What happens after?” Alex asked.
The room was silent. Everyone turned their heads to stare at the boy.
“What do you mean?” Phantom asked.
“Well . . .” He was choosing his words as carefully as he could. “We’ve been focused on defeating the Rangers for as long as I can remember. After they’re gone, what happens then?”
“Alexander,” Shade said, her lips spreading into a slight smile. “If we destroy the Rangers, then the city—the entire country—knows how strong we are. They’ll realize quickly that defying us would be cataclysmic. We’ll establish ourselves as the new law in charge of Sterling City. Our nonpowered brothers and sisters have been accumulating all sorts of political and economical clout in the past decade to smooth this transition. You’d be surprised how quickly the human mind will pledge its allegiance when promised wealth and power. From there, we’ll amass allies and plan our next course of action.”
“The time following this mission will be the greatest era that Cloak has ever known,” Phantom said. “Leave the planning to us. We will guide you. Gage, we need you to stay for a few moments. The rest of you are dismissed. The High Council is in for a long night as we finalize the details of this assault. Find yourselves a good dinner and get some rest. Until further notice, all your academic lessons are canceled. Starting tomorrow, you will live and breathe this mission. For the glory.”
“Hail Cloak,” the Beta Team said in unison.
They parted, hurrying off on their separate ways once they reached the second floor. Titan
and Julie made a beeline for the kitchen, but the thought of eating gave Alex a feeling of nausea. He needed to be alone with his thoughts and figure out what, if anything, he was going to do about Kirbie, who he was supposed to meet in an hour.
Mallory followed Alex as he walked down the hall of the Beta wing.
“Can I talk to you for a second?” she asked, stopping him before he could enter his room.
“Mal. Sure. What’s up?”
“Alone?” she asked, even though the two of them were the only ones in the hallway.
Alex was confused but opened the door to his room and gestured for her to follow him inside. He took a seat at his desk, swinging his chair around to face Mallory.
“What do you think about this?” she asked.
“It seems like a good plan, I guess,” Alex said. This was true; the plan was smart from a strategic standpoint.
“Do you get the feeling there’s something they aren’t telling us?” Mallory asked, her voice almost a whisper.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know,” she said, grimacing. “I understand that this is about revenge. Everyone is mad about what happened at Victory Park. I get that, and I want that too. But will defeating the Rangers really cause so much damage to the city?”
“I don’t get what you mean,” Alex said.
“I shouldn’t be talking like this . . . ,” Mallory said, shifting her weight. She was obviously uncomfortable with the conversation, which made Alex all the more interested. He nodded, urging her on. “Well, you asked it yourself . . . then what? Are we making an announcement on the news that the Cloak Society is now in charge? They keep telling us that this will usher in a new age of Cloak as rulers, but they’ve never mentioned exactly how we get to that point.”
Alex thought back to his mother’s glory speech about how the golden age of Cloak was upon them. It had roused images of archaic hedonism in his mind, like something out of a Greek myth. Now it occurred to him for the first time that maybe there was something else in the works.