Chapter 24

Carmen agreed to meet.

Hellcat proved a somewhat obsessive woman herself. The backroom of her comic book store should have held boxes filled with action figures. Instead, she had set up a command center that looked like the cyber security division of Vex Industries. If she ever wanted to leave her childish hobbies behind, she'd have a job working for me.

I argued the plan was too simple. Carmen LaToya was one of the brightest tactical minds in the world. Hellcat commented that a person's obsession was always their weakness, that it made them blind. She might have been talking about Carmen, but as the other three stared at me, I understood the assumption. My ego had gotten me into trouble more than once. I acquiesced.

I stood in my office, mourning my desk. I wonder if Geoff had found a replacement? I shook my head. No, I needed to focus. We would only get one chance to cross Carmen. After that, we'd have to wait for her to show her face again. By then, it might be too late to save Won-Ho.

I paced back and forth, stopping at every turn to adjust my cufflinks. With the new jewelry, something felt off. I continued another round, waiting for her to arrive. It gave me a chance to ponder why she wanted my help. I had powers. The very thing she rallied against. I guess she would overlook that fact if I recommitted to my crusade against powers. I didn't care for heroes; everybody knew that. Had I been as cavalier?

"I did try to kill the Centurions." The more I thought about it, the more I realized Carmen LaToya and I could be reflections of one another. Our lives were only a handful of decisions apart. With that in mind, I understood why she would want me by her side.

"This is going to require actual therapy."

"For your narcissism? Or because you're not quite right in the head?"

This time, she didn't appear with a burst of snow. Her body materialized, confirming that she had been draining more powers since we last met. I let out a sigh of relief that her teleportation didn't involve a glowing dragon.

"I had a run-in with Sentinel."

"How is Mr. Castle?"

"As arrogant as ever. He's taken issue with me, destroying the lives of his friends. I nearly got him to strike me in front of a crowd." Slight variations of the truth, but hopefully enough to sell the ruse.

"Have you reconsidered my offer?"

"With conditions."

Carmen had absorbed the strength of a brute. At nearly seven feet tall, she had enough muscle that she'd never fit into department store clothes again. I wanted to ask if she was happy with the outcome, with forever altering her appearance in the pursuit of power. My hand ran over my chest, touching the gem. I hadn't expected the jewel to bond with me, but I considered it payment for services rendered.

"If I say no?"

I shrugged. "I suppose I'd have to kill you."

The condescension oozed from her manufactured laugh. Carmen already thought herself my superior. Hellcat's comment about obsession rang in my ear. I wanted to skewer Carmen, to show her the definition of power. I tucked away my hubris, wanting to save it for after Won-Ho's rescue.

"Release Prime. You can have whatever powers you want, but he?—"

"Damien Vex, have you discovered an ounce of humanity?"

My fists tightened. Every fiber of my being wanted to lash out, to crush her skull. If it were not for Won-Ho, I'd have already torn her into pieces.

"My motivations are none of your concern."

"Oh, but they are." She walked about, circling me like an animal inspecting its prey. Within arm's reach, I could have cut her throat with a flick of the wrist. And yet… there was merit to her words.

"The Damien Vex I freed from prison wouldn't bother himself with such a mundane man."

She goaded me, hoping I'd slip. I had walked into a test and had no idea what answers she sought. "Keep talking, Carmen. Every word makes me reconsider my offer."

Sniffing the air, she leaned in close. With another deep inhale, I assumed she used another stolen power. It'd be easy, a blade sliding into the softness under her jaw. Even with Won-Ho in mind, I found it difficult to resist my penchant for violence.

"Tsk. Tsk. Damien, what lies you weave."

Truthseeker. Dammit, I should have guessed she'd have found passive abilities to keep herself safe. I had called on his services more than once during a business acquisition. He literally smelled lies.

"I guess I won't be hiring Truthseeker in the future."

"Unless you can summon the dead."

It had all been a game. I don't think she came intending to join efforts. She had known from the beginning I wouldn't serve as her sidekick. Carmen LaToya had come to test her newfound abilities. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Had I become a benchmark, a trial run for taking on the top dogs in Vanguard?

"You're stalling." She leaned back, putting steps between us. "You're hoping I'll make a mistake and give away his location?" Her head tilted to the side, not convinced by her own assumption. "No… you're stalling because?—"

"Nuke her."

"About damned time," the voice said in my ear.

She spun, looking toward the windows. Even tinted, it was impossible to miss Diesel surrounded by fire. He grew brighter, thrusting both palms forward. The fire smashed against the side of the building, shattering the glass. The next pulse of fire washed through my office, incinerating everything it touched. My insurance was about to skyrocket.

"Come on," I whispered.

Carmen LaToya didn't panic. It wasn't so much fleeing as a tactical retreat. With a step backward, bits of her body dissolved. I leapt through the void, into the darkness, and then out. Throwing my arms around her, I let the shadows bind us together, forcing her to vanish with a stowaway.

The fire nipped at my skin one moment, and the next, it vanished. We moved through an alien world, lines of light shimmering. Tiny pulses of white shot from one side to the other. I'd say it was beautiful, if not terrifying. She pushed at my chest, trying to shake me free, to leave me stranded in this other realm.

A second later, we blinked into reality. I didn't have time to figure out where she teleported us. A fist slammed against my chest, hurling me backward into steel. Whichever brute she absorbed, it had been a good one. My back ached. No, it hurt.

"You stupid, stupid man. You're just like the rest of them."

Her fists turned blue, energy radiating with a slight crackle. Our plan had worked… sort of. We forced her to flee, and I hopped on a ride. The rest of them were supposed to follow… best-laid plans and all that. I was alone, one person standing between Carmen LaToya and whatever madness she had in store for Vanguard…and Won-Ho.

"Now, give me your power."