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  “Your family was kidnapped by me,” said Colombina. “It wasn’t very hard, didn’t take me long at all. Of course, I did spend a lot of time watching you and your family beforehand, learning your schedules, finding out the best time to strike. It helps, also, that I have access to more resources than your average kidnapper, which made it even easier for me.”

  “What a bitch,” Talon muttered under her breath so quietly that Stinger almost didn’t catch her comment.

  “As I said, your family is currently safe, though I won’t tell you where they are,” said Colombina. “At least, not until you do what I ask. I don’t want to kill your family, but neither will I give them up to you so easily. I will give you your family, safe, sound, and whole, on one condition and one condition alone: Murder the superhero Bolt, leader of the Young Neos.”

  Bolt grimaced when Colombina said that. He also glanced furtively at Rime, like he thought Rime might still try to kill him, but Rime didn’t do anything except continue to stare at the video with an increasingly angrier expression on his face.

  “You remember Bolt, don’t you?” said Colombina. “You helped him escape Ultimate Max prison not long ago. You might even consider him a friend; I don’t know. I don’t care, either. If you value your family’s life over your friend’s life, then you will kill him and you will do it in a timely manner. Once you kill him, come back to your house and wait for a message from me. You will see your family again soon enough.” She leaned forward, her blue eyes glaring out from behind her mask. “I will be waiting. And watching.”

  With that, the video ended and the screen went blank.

  Stinger, however, could not help but gulp. He looked at Bolt and Talon again and noticed that the two of them looked worried. Bolt, in particular, had his arms crossed over his chest and his head lowered as if he was lost in thought.

  “That’s it,” said Rime. He looked from Bolt to Talon and back again. “W-What do you guys think?”

  “We’ve never seen that woman before,” said Bolt. “But I think we’ve fought her teammates, assuming she’s part of the team I think she’s part of.”

  “H-Her teammates?” Rime repeated. “W-What do you mean?”

  “There’s this team of supervillains who we’ve clashed with a couple of times over the last month or so,” said Stinger. “They’re called the Venetians. They work for this billionaire called John Mann. We’re not quite sure what they or Mann are trying to do, but they’ve caused us a lot of trouble and definitely are no friends of ours.”

  “They’ve tried to kill me in the past,” said Bolt. He rubbed his back. “Even tried to steal my powers once. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that they tried to get you to kill me.”

  “It’s probably part of whatever their greater plan is,” said Talon. “Still, this complicates the situation quite a bit, I would say. If the Venetians are involved, then clearly there is something more to this than some supervillain kidnapping Rime’s family.”

  “I-I don’t c-care,” said Rime. “I w-want to find out w-where my family is. D-Did that video help?”

  “Not really,” said Bolt. “The room it was filmed in was too dark and indistinct for me to make out any potential clues to its location. We’ll have to search the—”

  Bolt was interrupted by the sound of glass shattering somewhere above them, followed by the sound of something heavy thumping against the floor. All four of them looked up at the ceiling, but they didn’t hear anything else.

  “What was that?” said Talon, her claws popping out of her wrists. “You wouldn’t happen to have a cat, would you, Rime?”

  “N-No,” said Rime, shaking his head. “I h-hate cats.”

  “Did someone break in?” said Stinger, though his voice was lower because he didn’t want anyone on the next floor to hear them.

  “Possibly,” said Bolt. “Remember, Colombina’s video said that Rime should come back here after he kills me. Maybe Colombina sent one of her servants to see if Rime finished the job.”

  “T-Then I’ll go up there and meet the person m-myself,” said Rime. He balled his hands into fists. “A-And if t-they’re really just a normal thief, I-I’ll make them regret breaking into my h-house.”

  Rime took a step forward, but Bolt stepped into his way and said, “Wait a minute, Rime. I don’t think it would be wise for you to go up there by yourself. Let Stinger and me check.”

  Rime scowled. “W-Why? I can take c-care of myself.”

  “He’s right, Bolt,” said Stinger. He rested a hand on Rime’s cold shoulder. “But he still shouldn’t go up there alone. I volunteer to go with him. You and Talon can stay down here in case it turns out to be a trap.”

  Stinger volunteered to go up for a couple of reasons. First, he wanted to keep an eye on Rime; although it seemed incredibly unlikely that Rime was a spy, he didn’t want to let Rime out of his sight, at least not as long as he was spying on Rime. Second, he didn’t want to be stuck down here with Talon alone; it would just be too awkward, especially since she was probably still mad at him about his mother.

  Thankfully, Bolt nodded and said, “All right. But be careful. You have no idea who might be up there or what they’re capable of, especially if they turn out to be a Venetian.”

  “Don’t worry about us,” said Stinger. “We’re perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves. Right, Rime, old buddy, old pal?”

  Rime just threw an annoyed glare at Stinger, who quickly removed his hand from Rime’s shoulder. Rime then grunted and made his way to the stairs, forcing Stinger to follow quickly, his stingers popping out of his wrists so he would be ready for the fight that inevitably awaited them on the second floor. He also activated his suit-up watch, which slapped his costume onto his body, just to be safe.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Once Stinger and Rime disappeared up the stairs, Talon looked around the living room. Having lived in a large mansion for most of her life, Talon found this place not only underwhelming, but unfashionable as well. The bookshelves appeared to have been made out of spare wood, with the result that they varied in color and shape and not in a good way. The TV looked out of place as well, quite modern in comparison to the rest of the room. And the smell of sea salt made her feel a little sick, even though she normally enjoyed the smell of the sea.

  At least Stinger isn’t here, Talon thought. Quite glad that he went up there with Rime. I don’t really want to have to look at him at the moment.

  “What did you think of the video?” said Bolt, causing Talon to look at him suddenly.

  “The video?” Talon repeated. “You mean the one we just watched?”

  Bolt nodded. “Yeah. What did you think about it?”

  “An obvious attempt to manipulate Rime into doing the Venetians’ dirty work,” said Talon. “It’s rather cowardly, if you ask me. Instead of trying to murder you themselves, they kidnap a man’s family and try to force him to kill one of his friends to save them. It has lowered my opinion of John Mann considerably. Granted, it was never very high in the first place, but this is still unforgivable.”

  Bolt nodded again. “True. Mann seems like a real bastard. I just wonder what he’s trying to do.”

  “Probably take over the world,” said Talon. “Isn’t that what all billionaires want anyway, whether they’re funding supervillains or not?”

  “Wouldn’t surprise me in the least if that’s true,” said Bolt. “But I think he’s trying something more subtle.” Bolt began counting his fingers. “First, the Venetians kidnap White and use him as bait to try to drain me of my Cipher; then they try to buy something called the Call from that Eli guy, and now they are manipulating Rime to kill me. If Mann’s goal is world domination, he’s taking a really weird path to get there.”

  “What else could he possibly want?” said Talon. “It isn’t like he could want anything else.”

  “I wouldn’t be so dismissive if I were you,” said Bolt. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned since becoming a superhero, it’s that thi
ngs are rarely as they seem.”

  “Perhaps,” said Talon. She looked at the ceiling and frowned. “What is taking Rime and Stinger so long? Surely it doesn’t take that long to find out who broke into the house.”

  “They’ll be back when they’re back,” said Bolt. He folded his arms over his chest and looked at Talon. “I noticed that you’ve been treating Stinger kind of coldly since he told us who his mother is.”

  Talon looked at Bolt quickly. “What do you mean?”

  “You ignored him for practically the entire car trip,” Bolt pointed out. “Granted, he was asleep for most of it, but you still ignored him more than you normally would. And I think it’s because his mom killed your dad.”

  “So what if it is?” said Talon. “Is that really any of your business?”

  “Actually, it is,” said Bolt, “since I’m the team leader, that means I need to be aware of how the team works together. I don’t want anything to get in the way of the team’s effectiveness, especially since I’m not going to be on the team forever.”

  “Are you going to quit?” said Talon in surprise.

  “Not exactly,” said Bolt. “Remember how I submitted my application to become a full member of the Neohero Alliance a while back? The Leadership Council still hasn’t voted on that, but they will, and Mecha Knight told me that they will probably vote to accept my application. I will probably be voted in by the end of the year.”

  “Oh, right,” said Talon, brushing aside some of her hair. “I forgot about that.”

  “So I’ve been thinking about who I want to succeed me,” Bolt continued. “And I think it will have to be Stinger, even in light of knowing his mother’s identity. He’s already my deputy, so I think he will be a good successor.” He looked at Talon with a firmer look. “That’s why it’s important to me that you and he get along. If Stinger is going to be your new leader, then you will need to learn to respect him and his authority. No petty drama or whatever.”

  Talon didn’t like what Bolt told her, but she had to admit he had a point. It had never occurred to her that her current problems with Stinger might affect how Stinger would eventually lead the team. Granted, she had completely forgotten about the fact that Bolt was going to be leaving the team sometime soon, but that didn’t change the fact that Stinger was likely going to be the next leader, which meant that Talon would be obeying his orders at some point.

  Unless I leave the team and become the CEO of Mom’s company, that is, Talon thought. That option is always available.

  “Talon, are you listening to me?” said Bolt. “You heard what I said about Stinger, right?”

  “I did, I did, no need to repeat yourself,” said Talon, trying to hide the annoyance in her voice. “If Stinger becomes the leader of the team, of course I will listen to him like how I listen to you. But that’s just dependent on whether I’m still on the team by that time or not.”

  Bolt frowned. “What, are you thinking of quitting or something?”

  “Not quitting, exactly, but resigning,” said Talon. She didn’t really want to discuss this with Bolt yet, but the conversation was heading that way whether she wanted it to or not. “Do you remember how I went to visit my mother yesterday?”

  “Yeah, I do.”

  “Well, my mother is about to retire from her company and she wants me to be her successor,” said Talon.

  Bolt looked at Talon in surprise. “Isn’t your mother’s company like, a huge, multinational fashion corporation or something?”

  “It is,” said Talon, nodding. “And the original intention was always for me to succeed her at some point. I thought it might have changed after I became a superhero, but Mom told me it hadn’t. She wants me to make a choice soon, but I told her I wanted to think about it.”

  “Wow,” said Bolt. “I didn’t know that. What are you going to do?”

  Talon shrugged. “I don’t know. I want to stay on the Young Neos, but at the same time, I also want to help my mother. After Dad’s death ten years ago, Mom and I have only had each other. I don’t want the company sold off to someone outside of the family, but at the same time, I don’t feel qualified to run it yet even with Mom’s guidance.”

  “Huh, that is a big decision you need to make,” said Bolt. He shook his head. “Personally, I think you should stay on the team. You’re a valued member of the team, just like everyone else, and I think you’d do best with us. But I understand your familial obligations.”

  “How so?” said Talon.

  “White,” said Bolt simply. “Part of the reason I have him on the team is because as his brother, I feel an obligation to protect and help him. It can be pretty inconvenient at times, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m one of the only people in this world that he’s got. Well, he’s got our mom, too, but she’s in Texas and so can’t always be there for him, not like me, anyway.”

  “Ah, yes, I almost forgot,” said Talon. “Still, your situation is different. You managed to figure out how to balance your familial obligations with your superhero career. I don’t think I will be that lucky. Either I quit my superhero career and become a CEO or I stay a superhero and let Mom sell off the company. I can’t do both.”

  “Reminds me of what my dad did,” said Bolt. “When I was born, my dad had to decide between remaining a superhero or retiring so he could focus on his family. He chose to retire, obviously, though he occasionally donned his old costume every now and then.”

  “He had an easy choice,” said Talon. “Easier than mine, anyway. If I had kids, I would probably choose to retire, but I don’t, so it’s harder for me.”

  “I don’t know about that,” said Bolt. “From what Dad told me, he did have difficulty with it, but he never regretted the decision he ultimately made. Don’t know if that helps you, though.”

  “It does, a little,” said Talon. She sighed. “Sometimes, I wish my own father was still alive. He would have been able to help me for sure.”

  Bolt opened his mouth, but whatever he was going to say, he didn’t get a chance to, because all of a sudden, someone smashed through the ceiling above. Talon was too surprised to respond, but Bolt must have had faster reflexes than her, because he grabbed her and then zoomed both of them out of the way as the person slammed into the floor amid a pile of wood and sheet rock, the air full of dust, the coffee table now smashed underneath the man.

  At first, due to the dust, Talon had a hard time seeing who it was, but when she saw the ice blue skin and dark jumpsuit, she realized who it was. “Rime?”

  It was indeed Rime. He lay on his stomach very still, almost like a corpse, although the sound of breathing coming from his mouth showed that he was still alive. Still, he didn’t look like he was going to get back up anytime soon.

  “Rime, what happened to you?” said Bolt in shock. “Rime, can you hear us?”

  All of a sudden, someone else fell out of the hole in the ceiling, landing on their feet on the floor next to Rime. Talon had never seen this man before. He looked to be a teenager, probably close to Bolt in age, but the black body suit he wore hid his features, making it impossible to tell how old he was exactly. White lines zigzagged across his costume, while his green eyes glowed from behind the goggles he wore over them. He was also quite muscular and had some kind of glowing purple rock embedded in the chest of his suit.

  Whoever he was, he was clearly not a friend. Talon’s claws popped out of her wrists, while Bolt held up his fists and said, “Who the hell are you?”

  The man smiled, as if amused by Talon and Bolt’s fighting stances. “The name is Bait. You’re Bolt and Talon, right?”

  “How do you know our names?” said Talon. “And where is Stinger? Did you kill him?”

  “You mean Bug Boy?” said Bait. He snickered. “My sister, Switch, is keeping him busy, but not in the fun way, of course.” He punched his fist into his hand. “Came down here to finish off Frosty here, but if you two want to take a crack at me, bring it on. I’m sure I’ll have lots of fun beatin
g you two into pulp, even though I probably shouldn’t. Let’s rumble.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Five minutes previously …

  Stinger followed Rime up the stairs. The stairway was fairly narrow, requiring Stinger and Rime to walk single file; that meant that if someone were to appear at the top of the stairs and try to shoot them, that neither Stinger nor Rime would have any place to hide. Rime had formed an ice shield in front of him just in case that happened, but Stinger had to admit that he wasn’t sure how well an ice shield would hold up against bullets. Not that he would say that aloud, however, because he figured Rime wouldn’t listen to him.

  The stairway did, however, have family photos along the walls; at least, Stinger assumed they were family photos. One of them showed a young, smiling couple standing in front of a house that appeared to be in a suburb somewhere, holding a small baby girl in their arms, while another picture showed a close up of a man who looked just like Rime, minus the blue skin, which meant that it was a picture of Rime probably from before Rime’s powers manifested. There was also a close up of a pretty brown-haired woman who was probably Rime’s wife. Stinger would have asked about the pictures, but since they were trying to sneak up the stairs without being heard by whoever was on the second floor, Stinger kept his mouth shut. Perhaps he would ask Rime about it later, after they rescued his family.

  Upon reaching the second floor, Rime stopped, as did Stinger. The two listened, but there was no sound at all, although Stinger did hear Bolt and Talon’s voices below as they talked, even though the wooden floor was thick enough that he could not make out what they were saying exactly. Looking over Rime’s shoulder, Stinger saw that they had emerged into another hallway, with three doors on each side. The hallway appeared empty, except for the pictures on the walls and a shelf built into the wall. Like the rest of the house, it smelled vaguely of the sea, which was not a bad smell by any means.