The Superhero's Son (Book 9): The Superhero's End Read online

  I jerked back in response, but when the metal didn’t explode, I looked at it more closely and realized that it was the remains of Mastermind’s helmet, though not his head, thankfully. It was hot and partially melted and seemed to be totally nonoperational. I did not see the rest of Mastermind’s body or armor anywhere; I guess it must have all been destroyed by the explosion.

  Rising to my feet, I felt a pinge of sadness when I looked at Mastermind’s helmet. Despite what I’d said to him earlier, I could not help but feel sad about his death. It was like losing Dad twice; actually, that’s exactly what happened. It reopened old emotional wounds that I thought I had closed, briefly overcoming me with sadness, to the point where I didn’t notice Valerie speaking until she shouted, “Kevin!”

  I jumped and looked around in surprise before I realized that Valerie’s voice had come from my watch. Raising it to my mouth, I said, “Sorry, Val. Didn’t hear you.”

  “That’s fine, Kevin,” said Valerie, “but what happened to Mastermind? I heard an explosion.”

  “He killed himself,” I said, the bitterness in my tone taking even me by surprise. “Blew himself up with his belt’s self-destruct system. Kind of like how Dad killed Master Chaos.”

  “That means you will not be able to bring him to justice, then,” said Valerie.

  I shrugged. “Yeah, but at least he’s dead. At least now he’s not going to be a threat to anyone else ever again.”

  I didn’t say that with any glee or happiness. I was bitter because I was reminded of Dad’s death, even though intellectually I was aware of how much Mastermind hated me and how better the world now was without him.

  “I suppose so,” said Valerie. “Anyway, you need to return to the others right away.”

  “What?” I said. “Why? Is there a problem?”

  “I just received a message from Blizzard,” said Valerie. “White Lightning hasn’t been able to destroy the Apocalypse Switch and it’s nearly fully powered as a result. You need to go there right away to help them.”

  “Yeah,” I said, nodding. “Tell Blizzard I’ll be there in a flash.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Thanks to my super speed, I was able to make it through the winding halls of the alien ship in record time. I reached the room in which the Apocalypse Switch was located and stopped to see what the situation was like now.

  The massive Apocalypse Switch still towered over everyone, but now it was incredibly loud. It was shaking and shuttering and intense heat was radiating off it, like a furnace or active volcano.

  As for my friends, I was surprised to see that most of them were gone. Only a handful of people were still in here: White Lightning, who was futilely zapping the Apocalypse Switch with his electricity powers; Blizzard, who was standing on the other side of the room next to Ivan, both of whom were sweating; and Cadmus Smith, of all people, who was also sweating from the heat, but he didn’t seem to care based on the way he stood with his hands in his pockets.

  I flew over to Blizzard, Ivan, and Cadmus. As soon as I landed, Blizzard said, “Kevin! I’m so glad to see you. Where’s Mastermind?”

  “Dead,” I said. “I’ll fill you in later. Where’s everyone else?”

  “Out,” said Cadmus. He had a nasty bruise on his head, probably where Mastermind had hit him when he knocked him out. “Shade managed to get all of the other hostages and rescuers out of here on my orders. They are all far from here on Hero Island, where they are safe.”

  “Good,” I said. I frowned at Cadmus. “But what are you still doing here? I thought you would have left with them.”

  “Because the Apocalypse Switch is my responsibility,” said Cadmus. He glanced at the huge machine, a frown on his face. “And it is my fault that Mastermind was allowed to get this close to succeeding.”

  “Okay,” I said. I looked at Ivan. “What about you, Ivan? Why are you still here?”

  “To help,” said Ivan. Then he shrugged. “However I have been unable to do very much, because I am still wary about using my powers, since nuclear power is very dangerous, as you know.”

  I looked over at White Lightning. Despite how much effort he was clearly putting in, it was like his attacks weren’t hurting the Switch at all. “Has he just been attacking the Apocalypse Switch this entire time?”

  “Aye,” said Ivan. “But he’s had little luck in stopping it. Whatever this thing is made of, it is nearly indestructible.”

  “Have you guys tried cutting the power?” I said, looking at my friends again. “Maybe that would turn it off.”

  “That won’t work,” said Cadmus. “The Apocalypse Switch has already taken the power that you and White Lightning fed into it. Destroying the crystals will not do anything except waste time and energy that could be better spent on more effective means of stopping the machine.”

  “Then what are we supposed to do?” I said in frustration. I shook my head and turned to face the Apocalypse Switch. “Never mind. I’m going to help White Lightning. Maybe if the two of us work together, we’ll be able to destroy it.”

  But before I could fly over to join White Lightning, Ivan rested a huge hand on my shoulder, causing me to look up at him in surprise. He wore a serious expression, a serious expression that I didn’t like for some reason.

  “Kevin, I don’t believe either you or White Lightning can destroy the Apocalypse Switch even if you work together,” said Ivan. The red and blue lights of the Apocalypse Switch were reflected in his eyes. “It is too powerful, too strong even for you to destroy.”

  “Stop being such a defeatist,” I said. “Unless you have another idea about how to deal with it—”

  “I do,” said Ivan. He looked at the shaking and glowing machine, his eyes full of determination. “I will destroy it.”

  “You will?” I said. “How?”

  “By blowing myself up,” said Ivan. He put a hand on his chest. “My nuclear power is incredible. I have enough energy in my body to create a nuclear blast that should not only destroy the Apocalypse Switch, but also take out the entire ship. In the process, however, I will likely die.”

  “What?” I said, turning around to face him. “How are you going to die? Aren’t you immune to your own nuclear energy?”

  “I do have a stronger immunity to the negative effects of nuclear energy than most people, superhuman or no,” said Ivan, “but it doesn’t mean I am invincible. If I create a nuclear blast, the resulting explosion will likely kill me, if only because the ship will collapse on me and bury me underneath tons of metal.”

  “Ivan, you don’t need to sacrifice yourself like this,” said Blizzard, putting a hand on his large forearm. “Can’t you just throw some nuclear power at the Switch and destroy it from a distance?”

  “No,” said Ivan, shaking his head. “My power does not work that way. Blowing myself up is the only way to guarantee the destruction of the Apocalypse Switch. I know it sounds terrible, but I have no other choice.”

  “But won’t the effects of your explosion lead to a nuclear fallout in the surrounding area?” I said. I looked at Cadmus. “Are there any towns or cities nearby that might be affected by the blast?”

  Cadmus shook his head. “No. We are out in the middle of nowhere. But such a blast probably would level much of the surrounding area.” He looked at Ivan, though with a more thoughtful look. “Are you certain this is what you want to do?”

  Ivan nodded. “Yes. It is the only way to stop the machine. Besides, I have never gotten a chance to redeem myself for the horrific crimes I committed during my supervillain days. This is how I will redeem myself.”

  My hands balled into fists. “What about us? Are you just going to take us with you?”

  “We can leave,” Cadmus said, “before Ivan blows up. Shade can take us to Hero Island where everyone else is. That way, Ivan will be able to explode without harming anyone else.”

  “Cadmus is correct,” said Ivan. “I will give you all time to get to safety and then I will blow myself up.”
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  My hands were clenched so tightly that I almost cut off the circulation of my blood in them. “But … but …”

  “Kevin, I understand your hesitation and worry,” said Ivan, “but surely you must understand that sometimes you need to make sacrifices for the greater good? Your own father, from my understanding, died protecting you. Why can I not do the same?”

  I wanted to tell Ivan no. I wanted to tell him that he should come with us. Ivan, after all, had been one of my closest friends and allies since I was thrown into Ultimate Max. He may not have been as close to me as, say, Blizzard or Mecha Knight, but I still considered him a friend and still wanted him to live.

  But when I looked over at the Apocalypse Switch and at White Lightning’s futile attempts to destroy it—when I remembered what would happen if the Apocalypse Switch wasn’t destroyed, I realized that Ivan was right.

  So I looked at Ivan again and said, “All right, Ivan. Do what you have to do.”

  Ivan smiled, though it was a grim smile. “Thank you, Kevin. Perhaps we shall see each other in the next life.”

  “Perhaps,” I said, though I found my voice choking briefly.

  “Now,” said Ivan, “you will need to get White Lightning away from the machine and then leave this place. I will give you ten minutes to escape.”

  I nodded and Ivan and I both ran toward the Apocalypse Switch, while Cadmus pulled his phone out of his pocket and started calling Shade. I didn’t stop and listen, however; I just ran as fast as I could in order to get to the Apocalypse Switch in time to get White Lightning away from it.

  White Lightning was still throwing bluish white lightning bolts at the Apocalypse Switch, but he was clearly getting tired, based on how slowly he was throwing his bolts. I came up behind him and, grabbing him by the shoulder, said, “White, we need to leave now!”

  White Lightning looked at me over his shoulder, a look of surprise on his face. “Need to leave? Why? Apocalypse Switch is—”

  “Ivan will take care of it,” I said, nodding at Ivan, who stood nearby with a determined look on his face. “You, me, Blizzard, and Cadmus need to get out of here.”

  “Okay,” said White Lightning. But then he started and looked around in alarm. “Where is Dad?”

  “He’s … dead,” I said. “I’ll tell you more about that later. Because right now, we need to leave.”

  A look of shock and sadness appeared on White Lightning’s face briefly, but then he nodded and said, “Okay. Lead way.”

  I nodded in return and we both flew away from the rumbling and glowing Apocalypse Switch (which now sounded like it was about to explode) and landed next to Cadmus and Blizzard.

  As soon as we landed, however, Shade appeared out of the nearby shadows and said to Cadmus, “I got your message. Who’s going first?”

  “Them,” I said, pointing at Blizzard and Cadmus. “Get these two out of here first. White and I will be fine.”

  “Gotcha,” said Shade.

  She took Cadmus and Blizzard by the arm and pulled them into the shadows with her. I figured she would be back soon enough, but I was still worried that she might not get back in time to save me and White Lightning before the Apocalypse Switch fully activated.

  Then I heard a shout of pain and looked over in the direction of the Switch. Ivan had gone right up to the switch itself, grabbing its surface, which, based on the heat generating from it, I could only guess was probably hundreds of degrees hot. The heat was tearing away at Ivan’s flesh and clothing, but he didn’t let go. His body was starting to glow, which I initially thought was because of the heat from the Apocalypse Switch, only to realize that it was actually him using his powers.

  And, even though I had told him to do what he needed to do, I still wanted to save him. I unconsciously took a step toward Ivan, but then White Lightning grabbed my arm and said, “No. Stay.”

  I looked at him in surprise. “What?”

  “Stay,” said White Lightning. “Don’t get blown up.”

  I hesitated a moment before nodding. “Right. Thanks.”

  At that moment, Shade suddenly appeared out of nowhere and said, “Okay, boys, time to get going. I really would rather not have to dig out your corpses from the nuclear fallout.”

  I didn’t respond to that comment. I just grabbed Shade’s hand, while White Lightning grabbed her other hand, and then we were pulled into the shadows just as Ivan’s whole body shone with a brilliant white light.

  But I did not get to see the explosion, because we soon vanished into the shadows. We didn’t stay in the shadows for very long, however; in the next instant, we emerged back into the world of light, landing squarely on our feet like we hadn’t just been flying through the endless shadows that had helped us escape.

  Letting go of Shade’s hand, I looked around and realized that we were back on Hero Island, right in front of the House. At first, I didn’t notice anyone until I saw Blizzard and Cadmus standing literally five feet away.

  Before I could say anything, Blizzard hugged me again, once more with seemingly super strength. “Oh, Bolt! I’m glad you’re okay again.”

  “Why?” I said, in a somewhat crushed voice. “We were apart for less than five minutes.”

  “I know,” said Blizzard, lessening her hold on me and standing back to put a little distance between us, “but I was worried that the Apocalypse Switch might activate before you got back or maybe you would get caught in Ivan’s explosion and die or something.”

  “Well, I’m fine,” I said, “but thanks for the concern anyway. I appreciate it.”

  Blizzard smiled, while I heard a snort behind me and looked over my shoulder to see Shade with her arms crossed over her chest. She was clearly trying not to look jealous, and failing miserably.

  But before I could say anything to her, however, Cadmus said, “Shade, we will need to return to Washington right away and inform President Plutarch about what happened and to get a hazmat team out to the remains of the destroyed Apocalypse Switch as quickly as possible in order to contain the nuclear fallout.”

  “Yes, sir,” said Shade, though I could tell she was still a little annoyed at Blizzard’s open display of affection toward me.

  Then Cadmus looked at me and said, “Bolt, I must thank you for helping to defeat Mastermind. Later, I would like to learn more about the circumstances leading to Mastermind’s death, so I will probably return sometime soon to discuss that with you.”

  “All right,” I said. I hesitated, however, before saying, “Am I going to go back to jail? I did break out of Ultimate Max, after all.”

  Cadmus’s expression was neutral. “I don’t know. I will have to discuss that matter with the President. For now, you may stay here on Hero Island with the others and rest as much as you want. We will be in contact with you again sometime soon.”

  I nodded, though I didn’t exactly like Cadmus’s vague words. “All right. Well, see you later, then.”

  “The same to you,” said Cadmus.

  He walked around me and Blizzard over to Shade. Cadmus took Shade’s hand, nodded once at me again, and then they both vanished into the darkness, leaving me and Blizzard alone in front of the House in each other’s arms.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Over the next four weeks, a lot of things happened as life went back to normal.

  For one, I was officially pardoned by President Plutarch, so I didn’t have to go back to Ultimate Max. That was probably the best news, because from what I heard, every guard working in Ultimate Max considered me their worst enemy and had been looking forward to beating me up if I ever returned. Thus, I made a mental note never to come within one hundred feet of Ultimate Max’s walls; those guards might have been normal humans, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t hurt me if they wanted.

  Second, Mom, Malcolm, and Tara were fine. Although Mastermind had knocked them unconscious, that was apparently the worst of the damage he’d inflicted on them. They stayed on Hero Island for a little while, but ended up going home eve
ntually, though not before I introduced Mom to White Lightning. They had a very emotional reunion; at least, it was emotional on Mom’s side, because she had never thought she’d see her long-lost son again. Mom was also very disturbed to hear about Mastermind’s true identity, though she did relax when I told her that he was dead and wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone ever again.

  Speaking of White Lightning, although he helped in the defeat of Mastermind, he was almost arrested and taken to jail for the various crimes he had committed during his time as Mastermind’s minion. But oddly enough, the government never came for him; I suspected it had something to do with Cadmus Smith, who probably managed to convince the President to let White Lightning go, just like how he convinced Plutarch to pardon me. That was odd, if true, because Cadmus had always seemed like a very rules-oriented guy to me. Maybe he just wanted to let White Lightning go because he felt guilty; after all, it was the government that had turned White Lightning into what he is and putting too much attention on White Lightning would undoubtedly draw attention to the government’s less-than-ethical experiments on him.

  But just because the government was not going to arrest White Lightning did not mean that he was off the hook. Most people still thought of White Lightning as a menace to society. It didn’t matter that he’d had a genuine change of heart; what mattered was what White Lightning did while under Mastermind’s control. And I wasn’t sure I could change society’s perspective on him, at least not right away. I hoped that, as he did more heroic things, maybe people would start to trust him; maybe not as much as me, but more than they do now, at least.

  I managed to convince the NHA Leadership Council to let White Lightning join the Young Neos and stay on Hero Island with the rest of us. It was a fairly controversial decision at first, practically dividing the Council in two, until I explained that White Lightning needed as much supervision and training as he could get in order to learn how to use his powers for good. When I told them that he was a ripe target for supervillain manipulation due to his stunted mind if he was not allowed to join the Young Neos, the Council approved of the decision, allowing him to join the Young Neos under my supervision. But I was told that I was responsible for anything White did under my command, a responsibility I accepted, because I believed I could make him better than he currently was.