Episode 13 – Nicoloau

“Great, so now you’re in a cell in some spy agency because you went off on a half-cocked plan,” Nico muttered to himself, pacing up and down the small concrete chamber. This whole thing was stupid! He should have known better, shouldn’t have snuck off without permission. Nothing good ever came of breaking rules. “And you didn’t even save Emma!”

Sitting down on the metal table in the middle of the room, he put his throbbing head in his hands. He could only imagine what Emma and Quin were doing right now. What if they’re dead? He couldn’t stop the thought, couldn’t stop the shaking that was starting to spread through his body. Alright, Nico. Calm down. A panic attack isn’t going to help anything.

A bang from the door jerked him to the present, and he sat upright, almost hitting his head on the overhead light. With a click, the door slid open and a woman in a white lab coat walked in, smiling.

“Good morning, Nicolau Alvernaz. Glad to see you’re up. How are you feeling?”

Nico stared. “I thought you were going to be… you know… you’re not some evil secret agent or something?”

Lab Coat laughed, setting her clipboard on the table. “No, no, nothing like that. Whatever would give you that idea? I’m Elisabeth Quigley, nurse technician at the Rose Academy for the Excellence in Learning.”

Nico tensed, jerking his gaze to the door. If he knocked Lab Coat to the side, he might be able to make a run for it.

“Hey, easy there,” Elizabeth cooed, setting an arm on Nico’s shoulder. “We found you unconscious in the woods near the river. You seem to have been in some sort of fight. Do you remember what happened?”

“You attacked me!” He was shaking again. “Your goons mugged us and kidnapped my friends!”

Elizabeth looked genuinely confused. “I’m sorry, I’m not sure what you mean. When we found you you were unconscious.”

Nico’s head pounded, probably partly due to the whole knocking out thing. “You’re trying to get in my head. Your agents knocked us out.”

Elizabeth picked up the clipboard and wrote something down. “I think you have us confused. Nico, we’re an academy, not a spy agency.”

“Then why do you have a holding cell?”

“We’re not holding you here. You’re free to leave anytime you want. I’m sorry it’s not as modern or comfy as a normal clinic room. Our clinic is a bit old. However, we would like to do a few tests to make sure you’re fine.”

Nico’s head swam. For a moment, he wondered if everything he had been taught about the Rose was wrong. He shook his head. “I know who you are, and I know that you’re the ones who knocked us out.”

Elizabeth sighed. “Very well. You can leave if you want. I would recommend seeing a doctor or going to urgent care, however.”

Hesitantly, Nico got up, eying the “nurse” as he walked to the door, trying to force the world to stop spinning. He made it to the door, then down the brightly-lit white hallway.

“Exit’s the other way,” Elizabeth called after him.

Gritting his teeth, Nico continued the way he was going toward a pair of swinging metallic doors. If the Rose truly was an evil organization, the only reason to let him leave was to trap him, and the best way to avoid the trap was to walk the other way. Unless they want you to go the other way because they know you don’t trust them.

He stopped dead in his tracks. Either way he went seemed like a bad idea. He had to do something they didn’t expect, if they really were they. Scanning the hallway, all he could see was the window-less doors and the “nurse” approaching him, clipboard in hand. So, he did the only thing they wouldn’t expect. He charged Elizabeth. In the blink of an eye, Elizabeth had dropped the clipboard and drawn a gun, fixing it on him, before she seemed to register what she’d done.

She scowled as Nico drew up short, frozen. “Alright,” she growled, “you think you’re so clever? Yes, I am an agent, and yes, I do know a hundred ways to kill you right here.”

“If you wanted to k-kill me, you would have d-done it already,” Nico stammered, finding himself shaking again. “Y-you need me for something.”

“Actually, we don’t.” Elizabeth flipped the safety off, and Nico shut his eyes, blood pounding in his ears. He was going to die. Yet the only thing that flashed through his mind was a weird peace.

An alarm blaring shattered the silence, and he opened his eyes to see Elizabeth hesitate, then spin around, gun still raised.

“Attention, all Rose agents! The base has been compromised. Code Red!” A woman’s voice blared out from every direction. Strangely, no red lights started flashing. 

The alarm went silent.

“Don’t’ even try to escape,” Elizabeth hissed at him. “You’ll be dead before you can get past the next room.” For a moment, it seemed as if she had actually been concerned about him. Then, she disappeared through the swinging doors. Nico was alone.

Okay, what would Thomas do? He knew it was dumb, especially since the answer was probably to abandon everyone else and try to get to the exit. He had to find Quin and Emma, or Lucy he reminded himself. Okay, where would they be kept? Probably in one of the cells like he had been in. Taking a deep breath, he summoned all his courage and shouted as loud as he could, “Emma, Quin! Where are you?!” Silence. Of course, what had he expected? It wasn’t like—there! A muffled yell came from somewhere down the hall.

He bolted toward where he thought it had come from, then started knocking on the doors. A second later, a knock answered, and he quickly found the door. He pulled on the handle, but it didn’t budge. Footsteps pounded down the hall toward him, probably to see what the shouting was about.

Scanning the electronic lock next to the door, he clenched his jaw. If Emma had been there, she could probably hack through it. For all he knew, she was just behind the door, and he couldn’t get to her. The footsteps grew louder, followed by another set. Great! Two of them! He had failed, again.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, leaning against the door. Once again, he had failed. First he’d failed to keep Emma safe, then he let himself and Quin be captured, and now he couldn’t even get a stupid door open! Get a grip, Nico! His dad hadn’t raised him to give up. “You’re a fighter!” Gathering his strength, he backed up, ignoring the sound of the swinging doors bursting open, and ran straight at the door, shoulder down. He braced himself for the force of the door slamming into him, but instead someone tackled him, throwing himself and the attacker off balance. They both crashed into the wall.

Nico shut his eyes, waiting for the blow or gunshot, or whatever was about to come, but instead the attacker climbed off him, then grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. Nico opened his eyes to see… Thomas?

“Yeah, I know. I came back for you. Big surprise.”

“But how—I mean there must be at least a hundred agents—”

“Not now. I can explain later.” Thomas glanced both ways down the hall. “Do you know where Emma and Quin are?”

Nico’s head was still spinning, and he wasn’t sure if it was from being knocked out or the fact that Thomas had come for them. “I think one of them is in here.” He gestured to the door he had been about to break down.

“Alright. Stand back.” Thomas took something from his pocket, sticking it on the lock, then stepping back himself.

Nico took a step back just as the lock lit up with a brilliant light and a loud pop. When the light faded, the lock was fried, and the door handle was lying on the floor. The door suddenly flew open, and there, standing in the small cloud of smoke, was Quin, her puffy, red eyes frantically scanning the hallway.

“What happened?” Nico walked over to her, putting an arm around her shoulder, his insides burning. Whoever had done this would pay.

“They made me do it,” she whispered, fresh tears welling in her eyes. “They were going to kill Emma.”

“They made you do what?”

“We don’t have time to chat,” Thomas interrupted as footsteps thundered toward them, probably alerted by the explosion. “Do you know where Emma is?”

Quin shook her head, and Nico’s heart sank. The footsteps were getting closer, fast.

“Alright, let’s split up. She must be somewhere close by.” He reached up and touched his ear. “Any time would be great, Jack.”

“Jack?!” Nico interjected. “I thought you two were like arch nemesis.”

“We are, but then you three decided to get yourselves caught, so here we are.”

The double doors at the end of the hall burst open, and a dozen or so agents in black ops suits spilled out, automatic rifles leveled at them.

“As far as rescue missions go,” Elizabeth, the agent in the front said, “This was one of the lamest ones I’ve ever seen. Oh well. It will still be fun killing all of you.”

Just as she finished, the lights went dead.

“Oh, good work. Now you can’t see,” Elizabeth chided.

“We don’t need to see to know that you’re a demon,” Nico said coldly. Every fiber in him wanted to strangle her. But that’s not what Jesus would do, is it? What exactly would Jesus do if his friends had been captured by an evil spy organization?

Elizabeth’s voice cut through the dark. “Alright, let’s light’em up.”

“Glad to oblige!” A squeaky, shrill voice shrieked as someone landed next to Nico. The next second, the hallway was flooded with enough light to make it seem like they were outside in a desert. Reflexively, Nico shielded his eyes as he heard guns going off and agents trading punches with whoever had just saved them. In a matter of seconds, the noise had died down, then stopped as the last agent went flying into a wall.

Nico turned to see the dozen or so agents now lying in heaps, some covered in ice, others tied with steel cables to the floor, and still others just lying motionless, hair standing up like they’d been electrocuted. The light dimmed, and he could see a man in some sort of white bird costume leaning over, clutching his side. The White Falcon. They had been saved by a real live super hero.

“We need to get out of here,” the man said in a much quieter, but still just as squeaky voice. He stood up, wincing with the effort, and Nico noticed a dark red pool at his feet and a matching patch spreading on his arm.

“We still have a teammate to rescue,” Nico said, firmly. “You guys go on ahead. I’ll find her. She must be—”

“Now who’s the lone wolf?” Thomas spat, a half-grimace on his face that he must have thought was a smirk.

“He’s right. We’re going to help you,” Quin said, her face set. “We came here to get Emma, and we’re going to get her.”

“Alright then,” the squeaky voice of the White Falcon pierced the air. “Let’s move.”

“Alright,” Nico said slowly, turning to the White Falcon. “Just one thing. Who are you? Some sort of Batman of light?”

“Why does everyone compare me to Batman?”

“Well, there’s the utility belt and the cape, and you’re dressed all in white, not to mention—”

“Okay, I get your point. I’m just a guy who wants to help the city. I believe you know a little something of that.”

“This is all great and all,” Thomas interrupted, “but aren’t we supposed to be looking for Emma?”

“Right,” Nico felt his face go hot. “Any ideas where she could be?” He turned to the others for help.

“One floor below us, second door on the right.”

Everyone turned to the White Falcon.

“What, I have a team too, and they may or may not have hacked into the Rose’s security.”

“No need to explain,” came Thomas’ curt reply. “How do we get down there?”

“You could just take the stairs,” Quin said, opening a door with a “stairs” sign above it.

“Right, I knew that was there,” Thomas muttered, following behind Quin. Nico followed after them, hearing the clanking gear of the White Falcon behind him. At any moment, he expected another group of agents to pour out from behind a corner of the stairs, and he was relieved when they reached the door for the lower lever. Of course, that door had an electronic lock on it.

Everyone turned to the White Falcon, who rolled his eyes behind his bird mask before raising his hands like a wizard. “Open sesamesesemea!”

The lock clicked green, and the door sprung open.

“How—” Nico began, but this time Thomas rolled his eyes, interrupting him.

“He hacked into the security. Come on.” Thomas led them through the door and into the dark, concrete walled hallway.

“Weird,” Quin whispered. “This isn’t like the Rose at all. Everything in the academy is pristine. Maybe it’s some sort of storage basement.”

“Or maybe they just don’t expect anyone to come down here, so they don’t keep it up, like a white-washed tomb,” Nico put in, slowing as he came to the door. “So, how exactly are we supposed to get in?”

“Like this.” The White Falcon put his hand up to the side of the door. Something squirted out of his wrist, sending white fog spilling onto the ground. After a few seconds, he stopped. “Alright, on three, everyone rush into the door. 1… 2… 3!”

There was a splitting crack as four bodies collided with the door, and the next second, they were stumbling into a brightly-lit ornately furnished room.

“Hello, children. I’ve been expecting you,” a too-cheerful man’s voice came from a luxurious recliner by a large fireplace. There, sitting in the chair, was a sturdy man with dark brown hair and large piercing eyes. In the chair across from him was Emma, her arms and legs tied to the chair and a gag in her mouth.

“I truly am sorry about the gag and ropes, Lucy, but I couldn’t have you shouting out to warn your friends. I hope you understand.”

Slowly, hand shaking, Nico reached for his com.

“I wouldn’t waste my time trying to call for help if I were you.” The large man smirked. “No one is coming. Ah, Richard!” The man got to his feet, crossing the room in a few long strides to come right up to the White Falcon. “So nice of you to finally come by. I’ve been wanting to speak to you for quite—”

“What did you do to Fiona?” Nico said slowly, keeping his voice low.

“I didn’t do anything to her. I believe Quin is to blame for everything that’s happened to her.”

Everything that’s happened to her?! “What did you do!?” He made to grab at the man.

“I wouldn’t do that.” Deftly, almost naturally, the man pulled a gun out of his pocket, aiming it at Emma’s head without even looking.

Nico froze.

“Ah, Jack, you’re just in time,” the man turned his gaze behind Nico, and Nico turned to see Jack standing there, holding a taser, glaring at the man. “Or should I call you Peter?”

“Only my friends call me Peter,” Jack growled, pointing at the man.

“What friends? I seem to recall they all left after the fire. One might argue that they never were your friends at all. Also, I wouldn’t use that thing. This gun is set to go off if electrified. And last but not least, Fredrick.” At this he turned to… Thomas? “Imagine my surprise when I saw you show up here. Your mother is quite clever. Hiding you under my nose this entire time. And you would have stayed that way if you hadn’t been so stupid.”

Thomas just stared back, white faced. In fact, Nico realized he hadn’t seen Thomas doing anything. Had he just been staring the whole time?

“Who are you?” Jack growled, and Nico stepped back as the man took a step forward.

“Come on, you should show a little respect to the man who had your parents killed. Really, it wasn’t easy, and may I remind you that your friend wouldn’t want you to hurt me,” he said as Jack’s face went from white, to gray, and then to beet red. “As for who I am, I’m not surprised Fredrick, or Thomas as he calls himself, didn’t tell you. You see, I’m his father.”

To be continued.