ELEVEN

The building shuddered. Fire billowed into the night sky, flames blanketing the surrounding areas. Black smoke puffed into the sky; debris fell like smoky raindrops. A gust of hot wind blasted over Zach; the smell of smoke and fire assaulted his senses. He whirled away, waiting out the rush of intense heat.

They had been right.

They had been guarding the wrong hospitals. They had evacuated the wrong hospitals.

They hadn’t saved those people.

How many have died?

Something moved in Zach’s eyesight. Fear slammed into his chest, choking the breath out of his throat.

A shadow sat on a raised section on the rooftop; a pair of legs dangled over the ledge. A leg crossed over the other; an arm lazily rested over them while the other elbow leaned against a knee. A head settled against a hand.

It can’t be…

In a swift, fluid movement, the shadow unfolded its limbs and leapt down. It strode towards Zach, its steps elegant and precise. Sirens blared through the night; sounds of wild flickering flames lifted into the air; the acrid smell of smoke never wavered.

And all the while, the shadow was calm within the chaos.

It was a man.

He was a number of inches taller than Zach’s five feet, seven inches. There was enough light to make out the dark blue suit; it appeared to be made of a similar material to Unit Twelve’s suits. It covered the man’s entire body. No skin showed. Two white sections, in exaggerated shapes of eyes, were on his face.

Black lines decorated the man’s suit, forming complicated and elaborate patterns. The shadow turned slightly, as if to look out over the horizon. Zach sucked in his breath, catching a glimpse of the emblem on the man’s back.

Falcon.

A pair of wings spanned across the man’s upper torso, following upward along his shoulder blades. Intricate white lines created a detailed pattern.

The one everyone feared…

And he stood only a handful of feet away.

“Beautiful night,” said the man, looking towards the billowing blaze. His head turned; those unnatural eyes seemed to glow on his covered face. His head tilted to the side. “Wouldn’t you say?”

“He’s here,” whispered Zach, his heart leaping into his throat. A chill slid down his back. “Guys!” he shouted. “To me!”

Zach darted forward; adrenaline exploded through his veins. The man’s head followed his movements. Zach threw a wild punch; a hand leisurely blocked the attack with ease. He attacked again. The man didn’t move his feet, blocking each punch with his arms.

He’s powerful.

He could tell in the brief encounter: the man had been trained in combat far exceeding Zach’s own training. It didn’t matter, though. I just have to keep his attention; wait for the others to arrive. It wasn’t lost on him that the man had been casually sitting on this roof, when a distant hospital had gone up in flames.

It’d been a trap.

Zach twisted, striking at the man’s side with his leg; it was blocked. He leapt back, putting some distance between them, and dropped into a crouch.

I haven’t gotten him to move. This is insane!

He hasn’t fought back, either.

“You’re Falcon, right?”

The man’s head cocked to the side. There was a pause. With a bolt, the man rushed at him.

Zach gasped at the speed; he dropped into a roll. He couldn’t escape: a kick met his side; he blasted across the rooftop with a cry of pain. He rolled to a stop, groaning. He pushed himself to his knees and looked up to see the man standing over him.

“You attacked without asking,” said the man. An amused tone entered his voice. “I wonder… What gave it away?”

He’s so calm.

Zach’s chest heaved for breath. His heart pounded out of his chest, sweat already accumulating at his temples; every part of his body felt hot from one short fight – and the man was perfectly calm.

What an arrogant—

“Probably the wings,” the man mused, as if to himself. Those white inhuman shaped eyes looked down; there was an inquiring tilt of the head. “And who might you be, kid? You’re young, aren’t you?” There was a low sigh, almost inaudible. “They’re always young.”

Why was this man striking up a casual conversation?

Zach shivered. There was something off about him. He could feel the man’s gaze, though hidden, as if it could strip his protective suit and reveal the truth: a vulnerable boy. He trembled, overwhelmed by the desire to run.

There was an angry snort and the man shook his head. “Our government sure has fallen to an all new low if they have to hire a bunch of kids to do what used to be an adult’s job.”

Echoes of Sullivan’s berating voice bounced inside his mind, cruel words grating his self esteem into shreds. Irritation flooded through Zach’s chest. He growled, bolting to his feet. He threw a punch at the man’s face.

“I’m not a kid!“

Falcon stepped to the side; he slammed a hand down. Zach choked as pain flared in his back. He ducked into another roll, avoiding a kick. Zach leapt to his feet; he blocked a blow to the head with his arm. He sucked in his breath, the pain stronger than he had anticipated.

“You’re all children – every last one of you,” said Falcon, a cold breeze entering his tone. “Unit Four has one of the youngest I’ve seen. I bet she wasn’t older than nine years old.”

I know.

We all started that young.

What do you know about us? What do you know about what we’ve gone through, what has been taken from us, what we’ve sacrificed? You’re acting all self righteous when you just killed a hundred people or more.

How dare you!

Zach cleared his mind; trained instinct took over.

He fought with everything he had, his attacks reactive; he couldn’t keep up. His only hope was to survive, to distract – wait for backup and hope beyond all hope they had a chance together. He had never fought someone like this before. With each punch and each kick, it became glaringly apparent: the man was holding back.

“Do you even eat, kid?” asked Falcon, blocking a punch with the palm of his hand. Fingers clamped over Zach’s fist, locking him into a tight hold. Before he could struggle, the man jerked him forward; Zach smashed into the firm chest. A hand grabbed his shoulder; there was a low chuckle. “I could break you in half. You’re a just twig. You really should eat more – you know, build that muscle.”

Heat rushed into Zach’s face, anger and embarrassment overflowing his senses.

He’s messing with me!

Zach twisted halfway, his shoulder pressing into the man’s chest. With a shouting cry, Zach pulled on his arm, heaving the man overhead. There was a whump; the man landed on his back. Zach leapt onto the man’s chest, straddling him, and punched in him the face. He pulled back his fist; Zach stilled. He’s laughing! Chuckles became deeper, flowing into condescending, low laughter.

“Is that all you got?” drawled Falcon; silk laced along his tone. “Is that really your strongest punch?” He laughed. “You hit like a child.”

Zach stiffened. Falcon slammed his hands into his chest, shoving him backwards. The breath died in his throat. He wheezed, dots popping in his eyesight. He couldn’t get his bearings; he was on his back. He curled onto his side, gasping for needed air. Zach pushed himself into a crouch and looked up, tensing for an attack.

He’s just standing there…

What does this man want?

Zach attacked again. He landed a punch; but a kick threw him to the side. Zach rolled through it, settling into a crouch. Yet again, Falcon simply stood there, observing him.

“What, no ‘you hit like a girl’ taunts?” demanded Zach, stalling for time.

Falcon let out that same irritating chuckle. “I think you mean ‘you hit like a child.‘ I’m not sexist, kid,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders. He took slow strides towards him. “I should hope you’re not, too, or else you’ll never marry. No woman likes to marry a pig – oh, they might find it sexy for a few dates, but they’ll get fed up quickly. Just a little dating advice. You’re about the age, aren’t you? Or does this generation not date any more? Ah, yes, ‘hanging out,’ isn’t that what it’s called?”

Zach’s jaw dropped. The man had even used air quotes. It was ludicrous – absolutely ludicrous. He could’ve sworn the man would’ve talked the night away if he could.

What the heck? Who is this guy?

Falcon chuckled again, but before he could say anything more, a blast of fire rushed towards him. The man dodged the attack. Relief bloomed inside Zach’s chest. Backup. His relief grew as Drake, Brielle, and Sevati arrived. A hand touched his shoulder.

Hikaru.

We’re all here.

“Chief, you all right?” asked Jacob, fire dancing around his hand.

“Yes. Even better now,” said Zach, standing up. He slid into a fighting stance. “Falcon, I’m giving you a chance to surrender. Give yourself up and we won’t hurt you.”

The man snorted. It quickly melded into full blown laughter. Chills shivered down Zach’s spine. Falcon put his hand over his heart, while he put the other to his forehead. His body bent over slightly in his laughter.

“Are you actually serious, kid?” asked Falcon finally, through his laughter. “That was a joke, right?” It took him another moment to regain himself. He shook his head. “No?” There was another snort. “Why is it that those who can’t back up their own words demand the more skilled and powerful to stand down? It never makes sense to me.”

Zach gritted his teeth. This man truly thought he was more powerful than them. The truly frightening thing: the man probably was.

Well, it was worth a shot.

“You’re going down,” said Zach, his voice unwavering. “We’re not afraid of you. We will stop you, no matter what.”

We have to try.

“Hm, very well, then,” said Falcon smoothly, confidence oozing through his tone. “You’ll just have to find out what all the other units found out—”

So fast.

Zach couldn’t stop it.

Falcon had broken off midsentence. He darted forward, stopping abruptly in front of Jacob, who gave out a squeak of surprise. The man grabbed him by the face, his hand covering it entirely.

Jacob let out a scream.

“Blaze!” shrieked Brielle.

Then, just as quickly, it was over. The boy was tossed to the side, landing with a heavy thud. Zach bit his tongue; it wouldn’t do to scream out Jacob’s real name. The boy moved slightly, groaning. Relief once again flooded through Zach’s veins.

He was okay.

Jacob was okay.

Fingers snapped. Flames blazed in a hand. “Pyrotechnics,” Falcon said, lifting his hand in the air; the flames illuminated the eyes on his mask, giving it an ominous feel. “Excellent gift to have. I’ll be borrowing this for a bit.”

Jacob stared at the flames in Falcon’s hand, his eyes wide. He threw out a punch; no fire came from his fist.

And then Zach knew – knew exactly how this man had fought against trained units with powers and won. It wasn’t just his immense training, his physical prowess – no, this man had a power, an ability, one Zach had never seen nor heard of ever before.

This man could steal their powers.

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TEN

“What do you think ’emergency’ means, One? A stroll in the park?! We aren’t setting up play dates!”

“No, sir.”

“I sent the address. Now move it!“

“Yes, sir,” said Zach, ending the call. He slipped the phone into his pocket. “Let’s go,” he said, deep tiredness in his tone.

They collected their suits and were out the door in minutes. Once in the van, Brielle changed the interior, giving them space to change into their uniforms. Windows were shaded and a divider erected.

Zach finished first; he got into the driver’s seat. “Hang on, guys,” he said.

There were muffled grunts as the van pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road. Brielle altered the interior when they had finished changing. The van became silent. With masks in place, tension was high. Zach didn’t have the heart to break the silence. They needed to make a plan. He needed to encourage them. He needed to give them hope.

But trite words weren’t going to help them.

Instead, Zach thought over plans, ideas, and scenarios for the upcoming fight. He discarded them one by one. They all seemed doomed to fail. However, one idea stood out in Zach’s mind: a group attack. A simple plan, but if this were Falcon, it’d be anything but easy.

If only he had more data. How had the other units’ fights gone down? The more he thought about it, the more something felt off. How had Falcon – one man – managed to defeat six trained fighters with special powers?

It didn’t make sense.

Something was missing here. True information about Falcon was limited, despite his infamous nature. Much of what Zach had gathered from Internet searches was a mixture of urban folklore and fake police reports. Falcon was an adult male and struck random specialized hospitals. The death toll had reached over five hundred now. Tales were told about him, the areas of where he struck were known, but there was nothing on the man’s appearance.

Well, there were no ‘official’ reports, not even from the police department. There were random blog posts and plenty of videos about supposal sightings. Obviously, there were grains of truth in those articles, but they were too difficult to pinpoint. But one thing for certain: there was no possible way the government and the police had zero information.

Zach gritted his teeth.

That meant Sullivan was holding out on them.

There was confidential information somewhere, yet – for whatever reason – Sullivan had chosen to withhold it from them. How were they supposed to protect this city? How were they supposed to succeed at stopping Falcon? Why let them go into this blind?

Zach huffed to himself. He tried to focus on driving, but his mind kept wandering to one fact.

Why was it every time this man entered a city, Falcon managed to kill hundreds of people? Why didn’t they evacuate all the hospitals? Why did they allow the man to succeed in his attacks? He was one man. Why couldn’t they stop him?

It didn’t make any sense.

The missing pieces of the puzzle frightened Zach. The shadowed unknown illuminated one thing: either Falcon was that skilled or someone was pushing the information down.

Neither sounded good.

As Zach pulled up to the location, he had to pause at the roadblock. Once he cleared inspection, he drove through the street, passing by numerous police cars. The red and blue lights flashed, blinding the evening with their bright colors. Zach pulled the van over to an empty spot and turned it off. He twisted in his seat, looking back at the others. In the sea of black suits, he could see their eyes.

“Keep our nicknames to ourselves,” said Zach. “It’s going to be all right. We’ll stop him.”

No one moved. No one answered. He knew: they all expected this to go south. Zach shook his head. He got out of the van, shutting the door behind himself. The others followed.

“There you are!” shouted Sullivan. “What took you so long?” The man strode towards them, irritated as ever.

Zach straightened and made eye contact, lifting his chin. He better have some information for me.

“Come here,” said Sullivan, motioning with a finger. Zach obeyed. When he got close, Sullivan clamped a hand onto the back of his neck. Zach stiffened. He was forcibly led away from his team.

He hated when the man touched him – it was always harsh and impersonal, despite the veneer of a casual, personal touch.

“Listen to me,” said Sullivan in a low whisper. “Based on our intelligence, Falcon is going to strike one of three hospitals in this area—”

“So, it is Falcon, then.”

Sullivan gave him a sharp look; the hand on Zach’s neck squeezed harder. “Of course, it’s Falcon,” he snapped. “What were you expecting? A picnic? Haven’t you been keeping up with the news? Don’t interrupt me again.”

Zach nodded; his hands curled into fists. “Yes, sir.”

“The potential targets have been evacuated to the nearest available locations. I want Unit Twelve on the rooftops to survey the area. Falcon is known to engage units in a fight. Your job—”

“Wait a minute,” began Zach. Sullivan’s lips thinned in heated disapproval. “Why haven’t the other hos—”

“You interrupted me again,” said Sullivan in a low hiss, his grey eyes widening furiously. “What did I just say about that?”

“I’m sorry, sir, but—”

“Shut up and listen to your orders.”

“But, sir, why aren’t they evacuating all of the hospitals?” asked Zach, plowing forward with his question, despite the glare. “Shouldn’t we be evacuating all the hospitals in the entire city? Wouldn’t it be safer to remove everyone from the locations until Falcon leaves?”

The hand on Zach’s neck tightened to an unbearable pressure.

“They can’t shut down every hospital in the city,” snapped Sullivan, the condescension dripping through his tone. Zach clenched his jaw, tightening his lips in the effort to remain quiet. “People need those facilities. We can’t shut everything down just because one psychopath goes on a terrorist spree.”

Sullivan shook him by the neck and pulled him closer, bending over his ear. Zach tried not to pull away; the mask protected him from the whispered breath over his skin. It still sent shivers down his spine.

“Pay attention, will you?” whispered Sullivan, his tone turning darker. “We don’t have all night for your idiotic questions. Your job is to bring Falcon down. I don’t care about any stories you might’ve heard. Bring him down. I want him in a cell tonight. Do not let him get away, understood?”

“Yes, sir,” said Zach. Questions were on the tip of his tongue, but he held them back. The man wouldn’t answer them, anyway. The hand disappeared from his neck. Sullivan turned and waved in dismissal.

“Get your team together. Do not fail, One.”

Zach slowly unclenched his hands and took a deep breath. He forced himself to look away; his gaze sought his team.

He really hated that name.

Zach walked to his friends, who were standing together in silence. Their attention rested on the flurry of activity of the police; each were tense, readied for the attack. He motioned to them and they quickly came to him. He took a deep breath.

“It’s Falcon.”

Their reaction was grim. Every shoulder slumped; each pair of eyes glistened with fear.

“Sullivan says Falcon is going to hit one of the surrounding hospitals,” continued Zach, keeping his tone business-like. “How he knows this, I don’t know. He’s not being forthcoming with information. But it doesn’t matter. We’re going to stop Falcon.”

“But…” began Jacob tentatively. “Can we?”

“Sullivan expects us to,” said Zach, unable to keep the bitterness out of his tone. Drake’s expression darkened, while Hikaru closed her eyes briefly. “Look, it doesn’t matter. We can do this,” he said, trying to put strength and confidence into his tone. “I know we can.”

We have to – we have no choice.

“But I don’t understand,” said Drake, dropping his voice to a whisper. “Why these specific hospitals? What’s so special about them? And what makes them think he’ll hit one of these?”

“I don’t know,” said Zach, shaking his head. “Sullivan wasn’t in the mood for questions.”

“Hey… something doesn’t feel right,” said Brielle, leaning in closer.

“Do you feel something?” asked Zach; his breath caught in his chest. “Do you think you could find the bombs from this distance?”

Brielle looked around; her head lifted into the air and glanced at the sky. She bit her lower lip. After a moment, she looked back at him. “No… I can’t sense them. I just… Something doesn’t feel right.”

It would be too dangerous to search for them now, too.

“Bri’s right,” said Sevati. “The earth beneath my feet… It feels somewhat… restless, I guess is what I’m going for – it just doesn’t feel normal.”

Zach sighed.

Five pairs of eyes looked at him expectantly. Zach knew what it meant: they would do whatever he said, even going against orders. Sullivan would brush off any tip that came from them. He wouldn’t move the entire operation based on a gut feeling from the girls.

Their voices would not be heard.

“All right, then,” whispered Zach, breathing out slowly. “Keep an eye out for anything strange. You all have your ear pieces, right?” Heads nodded. “Grappling hooks?” Hands touched a black pouch at each hip. “Okay, we’re on the rooftops tonight. If you see Falcon, alert everyone.”

“What if he sees one of us?” asked Jacob.

“He’ll fight you,” said Zach without hesitating a beat. “But if that happens, you let the rest of us know. Survive and keep him busy. We’ll get to each other. Don’t you dare try to bring him down by yourself.”

Emotion stirred in every eye. It was going to be a long night.

“Okay, split up,” said Zach, clapping his hands. The others nodded and pulled out grappling hooks. The mechanism activated with a soft click. Four hooks were pointed upward. As four of his team members ascended into the rooftops, a hand touched Zach’s shoulder. He turned.

“Everything will be all right,” said Zach, wishing he had the power to fulfill that promise. A soft smile tugged at exposed lips. Hikaru nodded. With a steadying breath, she prepared her grappling hook and followed the others to the rooftops.

Zach took a deep breath, meditating for a minute. Confidence flowed through his soul. Fortified, he removed his grappling hook and pointed it towards a different roof, shooting it into the air. It connected. He attached the cord to his suit belt. When everything was secure, he released the mechanism.

A swooping sensation fell into Zach’s stomach. He didn’t always enjoy this weightless feeling, where there was no solid ground beneath his feet. Yet, there was something freeing about it, as if there wasn’t anything else in the world but himself. The fear that had plagued his heart slipped away with the ground. Zach took deep breaths as he came closer to the rooftop.

I’ve got to stay focused. No time to be afraid.

Once at the top, Zach stood a foot away from the edge and looked out at the horizon. The scenery on the rooftop always took his breath away. Bright lights illuminated the night sky. The city sparkled, tiny glowing dots brightening the heavens as far as the eye could see. Planes flew overhead, to and from the city’s airport. In the distance, the last of the daylight waned to the blue dusk of the evening. The city was filled with life. The sounds melded together, a clash of noise and chaos with a blend of peace and tranquility.

Zach tore his gaze away from the horizon. He found a vantage point on the flat rooftop and knelt down. He blended within the shadows. He looked around, his eyes searching the other rooftops. Though the night was nearly upon them, he could catch a glimpse of movement.

“Everyone in position?” whispered Zach.

He received five affirmative answers.

“Good. Be alert.”

Now came the hard part: staying there for hours. And on little sleep, yay us. Without a doubt, it was dull work, crouched in position for hours at a time. It was easy to lose one’s mind during these moments of endless waiting – waiting for something bad to happen.

Zach wasn’t sure how much time passed. He watched the darkness of the night, looking for anything out of the ordinary. His mind was clear of thoughts, his breathing slow. In this moment, he became what they wanted him and his team to be.

An emotionless, mindless soldier.

In the stillness of the night, it seemed nothing could happen. It was so quiet, despite the city life. It was so normal, despite six teenagers in black on the rooftops. It was so calm, despite the many police officers down below.

But it wasn’t quiet. It wasn’t normal. It wasn’t calm.

An explosion shattered the night.

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