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  Ted landed behind the levee. Two firefighters called out to him, but he could only hear half their words. Ted instructed the men to stand back as he floated above the scene. He pushed his hands outward and watched as the water began to recede. As he did so, he used his powers to move a few dozen sandbags from the back of a truck to the levee. When he let the water go, he watched as the waves lapped harmlessly at the reinforced wall. The firefighters' cheers filled Ted with confidence. He grinned at the men behind the levee when the he heard Vott's voice.

  "There's a problem, Ted. We need you on the other side of town."

  "Ten-four."

  Ted followed the instructions from his handlers and rocketed across the city much too fast to take in any sights. When he reached the front of a seven-story hospital, his feeling of strength and pride diminished. He could hear the crunching of metal and see the building start to lurch to one side. Somehow, the water had caused the building's foundation to crumble. He thought of Natalie recovering from her stab wound last year, and his mother coping with her second-degree burns from the Go Home Alien attack. Nobody he loved was inside that building, but they still deserved his best effort.

  "How many people are inside?"

  Vott paused. "At least 20 who haven't gotten out yet."

  Ted sighed. "Alright."

  He took a deep breath.

  I wish Erica were here.

  Ted flexed his hands and zipped in through the building's front door.

  Chapter 3

  Erica LaPlante felt the sun beaming down on her exposed midsection. While her eyes were closed beneath her designer sunglasses, she could still hear the sounds of the pool by her feet: children playing, the spring of the diving board and the lifeguard's whistle. The part of her that cared about teenage life told her to turn over to get a tan on her back as well. The part that wasn't in the 17-year-old mindset was itching for a bad guy to punch. Things had been quiet in Treasure since Ted hopped on that government plane. Too quiet for Erica's liking.

  Erica turned her attention away from the blazing sun to her right. In the chair beside her, Natalie Dormer squirmed as she failed to relax in the beach chair. Her legs were too long to fit, and below her black bikini she proudly displayed a strip of white skin from her sports bra tan. Natalie noticed Erica's eyes and swung her body in that direction.

  Erica suppressed her urge to mock the basketballer's discomfort. "Isn't this relaxing?"

  "Yeah." Natalie rolled her eyes. "My favorite thing to do."

  As a Treasure classmate passed by and looked them up and down, Erica had a sneaking feeling she was doing what everyone expected of her. In over a dozen lives, conformity was never her strong suit.

  "Me too." She sat up and placed her sunglasses on a white, plastic table. "Race you 20 laps?"

  Before Erica could blink, Natalie had leapt off the chair and into the lap lanes on the near side of the pool. Erica chuckled and dipped her toes in the chilly water. It sent a shiver through her body. The discomfort almost comforted her.

  "Here goes."

  Erica dove in and let the water cool off the heat she'd absorbed from the sun. It perked her right up, and she took one of the hairbands from her wrist and tucked her blonde mane back in a ponytail. By the time Erica began her swim, Natalie was already half a lap ahead.

  As she started her crawl stroke, Erica flashed back to a previous life she'd lived on a tropical island. An evil force from another world was attempting to subjugate the community, and Erica inhabited the body of a fisherman's daughter to thwart the threat. The girl had practically lived in the water before her death, and Erica inherited every last aquatic muscle memory when she'd crossed over. As she blew by Natalie on lap five, Erica thought back to that simpler mission with a clear start and end. Things were much more complicated with a living soul/boyfriend in the mix. When she looked up at the end of 20 laps, Erica saw that Natalie was a full two laps behind.

  Erica pulled herself up on the edge of the pool and waited for her opponent to arrive. When she did, Natalie leaned on the plastic lane divider to catch her breath.

  "You... people... are the worst."

  Erica smirked. "What do you mean, you people?"

  The two girls laughed as Erica helped Natalie out of the pool. A few moments later, they washed the chlorine from their hair in the outdoor shower.

  "When's the last time you heard from the anti-disaster task force?" Natalie tilted her head from side to side to get some water out.

  "Six days." Erica lathered some shampoo between her hands and ran it through her locks. "Maybe a week."

  Natalie turned off her showerhead and grabbed a towel. "Don't lie. I bet you know how long it's been to the minute."

  Natalie was right. Erica could count the numbers of seconds it'd been since she'd talked to her boyfriend. And that gap was nearly the same as the one before that had been.

  Erica forced a smile. "He's helping people. He's doing what a hero should."

  Natalie tossed Erica a towel. "Are you trying to convince me or yourself?"

  Erica wrinkled her nose and started drying off.

  Natalie grumbled. "You know why you and all your other popular friends make me angry?"

  Erica wasn't sure why, but pissing off Natalie brought her a certain kind of satisfaction. "Why's that?"

  "You can scrunch up your face or bug out your eyes and you still look like a supermodel. If I do that, people call the police."

  Erica laughed, which elicited another scowl.

  "Even your laugh is cute. You're terrible."

  Erica slipped on her sandals. "If my ever-present sexiness makes you so mad, why've you been hanging out with me all summer?"

  "I guess I just hate myself." Natalie wrapped the towel over her bikini. Are you mad that Ted hasn't called more?"

  "I'm just ready to fight what comes next." Erica pulled on a long t-shirt. "Hey, you wanna come to the caves with me?"

  Natalie's mouth opened. "Really?"

  "I feel like company." Erica took a few steps before turning back. "You comin'?"

  Natalie gritted her teeth. "Sure. As long as you quit it with those runway turns."

  Erica made a kissy face. "I'm just a natural, I guess."

  "If you weren't already dead..."

  The humidity of the caves made it harder to breath. Between the strain on her lungs and the darkness that surrounded her, Erica appreciated the challenge. It was only when Natalie had stumbled twice that she turned on her smartphone for some light.

  The caves were a refuge from the perfection of the suburbs. The mustiness cleansed Erica's palette of the flower-filled lawns and power-washed sidewalks. The rocky terrain was the opposite of the foam protection that seemed to lie underneath every playground in Treasure. It almost felt like home.

  About a half mile down the light-free passageway was a room with remarkable power. While Erica had never taken Ted to see the messages being sent between worlds, she had a feeling that Natalie should be there. What had once helped Nigel communicate with the dark souls was now Erica's only connection with Gan, Reena and the rest of the light soul army.

  "This is way better." Natalie inched closer to Erica. "There's no way I'll get a sunburn in a cave."

  Erica laughed until something else caught her attention. She shined the light as she spun in a slow circle. All she saw was rock and dark caverns, no matter which way she looked.

  She swallowed. "I thought I heard something."

  "And here I am, the one who's supposed to be scared. You know, I got stabbed in this cave. I should be the one freaking–"

  Erica shushed Natalie and put her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Hold up."

  Now the noise was becoming clearer. A low gurgling sound echoed throughout the cave.

  "Okay." Natalie let out a short breath. "You said you wanted a fight. You should wish for better things."

  Erica tried to grin, but the sound was starting to get louder. "Stay close to me."

  "Man." Natalie placed her
back against Erica's. "I knew I should've changed out of this. It's riding up on me something fierce."

  The gurgling sound was right on top of them before it stopped. Erica flashed her light in the last direction of the noise, but she still couldn't see anything.

  "Let's get out of–"

  The crashing sound of rocks tumbling to the ground cut her off. The small bit of light coming from the entrance to the cave cut off completely. Erica grabbed Natalie's hand.

  "This way."

  They dashed through a wide passageway, with Erica pulling Natalie through the dark cavern with exact knowledge of where they needed to go. After a few minutes of running, they reached what was supposed to be an open entrance to the message room, but it was as blocked as the entrance had been. Erica's heart beat faster.

  "This is bad." Erica took out her phone and attempted to dial. She prayed she'd be able to get a signal out.

  "Erica, we've gotta hide or something. Calling a cave locksmith isn't gonna help."

  Erica waved away Natalie's hand. "Look, if they know about the message room, they might know about other stuff, too." She had yet to hear a ring from the other side of the call. "Like the books. And the sword."

  If Erica couldn't get through, there was a good chance the dark souls would get all they'd need to win the war.

  Chapter 4

  Dhiraj couldn't believe his luck. As he pulled his car into the Treasure High parking lot, Jennifer Norris was the epitome of cute in his passenger seat. Her licorice-black hair was pulled back into two braids, which seemed to match her knee-high pink socks and purple shorts. He had half a mind to pull through the lot and go straight to Wayne Park, but they had a mission today.

  Jennifer seemed to be in her own little world when Dhiraj tapped her on the shoulder.

  "Hey, Pippi Longstocking, we're here."

  Jennifer blinked a few times and turned toward him. "Oh, sorry."

  Dhiraj leaned over and kissed her on the lips. She gently returned the lip lock.

  "You're cute when you're oblivious to your surroundings."

  "You say I'm cute whenever I do anything."

  Dhiraj kissed her again. "I've got this bad habit of telling the truth."

  She shook her head. "I think you may actually have a silver tongue."

  "It's an investment."

  Jennifer laughed and grabbed up her duffel bag. She glanced at the sweet-smelling, white box that lay across the backseat. "You think today's going to be the day?"

  Dhiraj took a deep breath. "You know from experience that I never give up."

  Jennifer gave him a reassuring look. "I hope he's not too mean to you." She kissed him on the cheek and opened the door. "Bye, dollar."

  "Bye, cents."

  He watched her jog off to join the rest of the field hockey team.

  A few minutes later, Dhiraj pulled into the Sheriff Department parking lot with the box of apple fritters in the back seat. He'd spent close to a hundred dollars on treats for the sheriff and his staff that summer, but he had yet to achieve his main objective: stopping the sheriff from giving him the cold shoulder. Jennifer had done her best to convince her father that Dhiraj had little to do with her pursuit of Deputy Daly five months prior. She'd even pointed out that Dhiraj had probably done more to keep her from doing something stupid than anybody else. The sheriff wasn't having it.

  "Donuts didn't work. Donut holes didn't work. Let's give fritters a try."

  Even though Dhiraj wasn't allowed in the house, at least he was still permitted to date Jennifer. And doing that was like a dream. With Ted gone and Natalie palling around with Erica, Dhiraj decided to shun an internship with his dad to spend all season with his lady friend. With the school year fast approaching, though, Dhiraj knew he'd have to get back on the sheriff's good side to get any afterschool Jennifer time whatsoever.

  The inside of the Sheriff's Department had received a major makeover after Nigel and his gang escaped the previous year. The state diverted extra funding to the renovation, given the increased attention having a superhero around meant for the government. Dhiraj passed by a shiny bronze memorial to Grayson Riley and the other employees who'd fallen that day. He couldn't help but wonder how the last few months would've been different if Deputy Daly had suffered the same fate. The former deputy would be six-feet-under instead of behind bars, and he and Jennifer might still be just friends. Dhiraj spied Doris behind the counter. His favorite secretary looked like Natalie might in 20 years with 20 extra pounds of muscle. Dhiraj plopped the box on the partition between them.

  "If it isn't the little money-miracle worker himself."

  Dhiraj had a sneaking suspicion that Doris wanted to pinch his cheeks. "Hey, Doris. How's that new retirement account treating you?"

  Her cheeks lit up with a creased smile. "You're a literal life saver, Dhiraj. What've we got here today?"

  "Fritters. Is the big guy in?"

  Her smile faded. "He is."

  Dhiraj knew what that tone meant. While almost everyone in the office was pulling for him, few of them thought he had a chance. Sheriff Norris was a reasonable guy in all matters that didn't include his daughter.

  Dhiraj placed one of the fritters on a paper plate. "Wish me luck."

  Doris sighed. "I always do."

  Dhiraj knocked on the half-open door to Sheriff Norris' office.

  "Come in." The sheriff's tone was the happiest Dhiraj had heard in months. He hoped that this would be the day for forgiveness.

  The room had a retro feel, obviously missing out on the renovation that had modernized the rest of the building. It was dim inside, causing the light from the hallway to cast harsh shadows on the sheriff's face.

  The sheriff leaned forward into the light. When Dhiraj met the man's eyes, he felt the color drain out of the room.

  "If it isn't my daughter's kidnapper."

  Dhiraj smirked. "Technically, she kidnapped me, but let's not split hairs."

  The sheriff let out a huff. "What do you want, Dhiraj?"

  Dhiraj smiled as big as he could. "I brought some fritters for everyone to share. I thought it'd be a nice–"

  "Leave it there." The sheriff gestured to the door. "I've got a lot of work to–"

  "Sheriff, what do I have to do for you to forgive me? We used to go on ride-alongs. I still have my honorary deputy badge."

  Sheriff Norris leaned back in his chair and into the shadow once again. He looked over his daughter's boyfriend from top to bottom. Dhiraj felt the anxiety wreaking havoc with his insides.

  The sheriff cleared his throat. "Dhiraj, you violated my trust. That sort of thing takes time to get over."

  Dhiraj wanted to hold his tongue, but he couldn't stand it any longer. "It's been five months. There's got to be something I can do to speed the–"

  The ringing phone interrupted the exchange. Sheriff Norris put up his hand and answered. Dhiraj could feel a burst of anger building up inside of him. Even though the sheriff was Jennifer's father, the idea of anyone trying to keep him from the girl he loves was making him start to pace back and forth.

  "Erica? I can barely hear– Are you sure?"

  The sheriff's tone had changed once again. Now, instead of ire, it was thickly coated with worry.

  "Alright, stay safe." The sheriff hung up the phone. "Dhiraj, you've gotta get out of here."

  Before Dhiraj could reply, an otherworldly noise emerged from the parking lot. They bolted to the window to see the source. Beside the row of cars, a glowing, blue portal had opened up outside the Department. A green, scaly creature leapt out of the portal and landed on one of the cars in the lot. The lizard caught their eye and let out a gurgling scream. The sheriff drew the blinds.

  All of Dhiraj's anger was replaced by utter terror. "What was that?"

  The sheriff looked as pale as Dhiraj felt. "Erica's been attacked. She thinks... she thinks they're after the books and the sword."

  The sheriff ran back behind his desk and flipped some kind of switch. An alarm soun
ded, accompanied by a red, flashing light that cut through the shadows.

  As the sheriff ran out of his office, Dhiraj kept pace.

  "This is the secret hiding place? Why would Erica leave them here?"

  The sheriff continued to look straight ahead. "I guess she trusts me. You really should get out of here, Dhiraj."

  Dhiraj scoffed. "No freaking way. Let me know how I can help."

  They turned toward the front doors of the building, which the sheriff's switch had automatically locked. A loud thump shook through the floor as the doors seemed to bend inward. While they held from the first few efforts, Dhiraj wasn't sure they would last much longer.

  "You want to be a part of this?" Sheriff Norris took out his gun and pointed it at the door. "Then you help me figure out how we're going to kill whatever comes through that door."

  Dhiraj racked his brain for a plan to defeat a giant lizard-person. The first few ideas revolved around the presence of Ted.

  The doors bulged again as the creature continued to smash ahead.

  Dhiraj held his breath. "It sure would be great if we had a superhero right about now."

  Chapter 5

  Ted flew in through the front door of the hospital and landed in a puddle. At least, he thought it was a puddle, until he realized the entire ground floor of the building was now a six-inch-high wading pool. Vott and Harding had equipped him with waterproof boots, but the patients who remained inside weren't as lucky. Ted saw a nurse trudge through the water with a patient who didn't even have shoes on.

  He should be wearing these, not me.

  Ted flew over to the nurse. Her eyes widened, but her face relaxed when she recognized him.

  "How many patients are left?" Ted put his shoulder under the man's other arm.

  The nurse's voice was hoarse. "At least 20."

  Ted looked down another hallway to see a doctor pushing a patient on a gurney as fast as he could while trying to hold onto the IV that led into the patient's arm. Ted watched another two patients coming from the other direction when the building creaked all around them. It was as if the hospital warned those inside to get out fast. Despite a summer of saving people from disasters, Ted felt a moment of panic.