Chapter Forty-Nine

Caleb

I turned around slowly, gritting my teeth as Dr. Leary came into view. He tilted his head, leering at me in all his wild-eyed glory. He stood in front of a shrouded doorway—the same one we had just vacated—grinning in an unquestionably insane manner.

"Would you look at that," he purred, his teeth flashing in the fluorescent glow of the overhead lights, "we have the whole gang here: the anarchists, the traitor, and...oh, how fortuitous! It appears that you've found my missing candidate." His flickering gaze lingered for a brief moment on Jeanette. "Now it's really a party."

Rage mounted inside me at the sight of the scientist, and my hands closed into white-knuckled fists. Leary saw, and merely grinned.

"Do I anger you, Caleb?" He smirked. "Does seeing my face make you want to tear me limb from limb? Because, by all means, you're welcome to try. We'll see how you fare."

My entire body vibrated with white-hot fury. He was taunting me, now, provoking me: pushing my buttons to see how far they would go before I snapped. I was about half a second from lunging for him when Trai's voice halted me.

"Don't do it," he hissed quietly, his eyes boring into mine. "He's just baiting you."

I knew Trai was right, but that didn't stop my anger from swelling to a frightening crescendo. Anyway, I figured I could take Leary; he was thin and bony, without any visible sign of muscles. Against me, he wouldn't stand a chance.

"So?" I demanded, not looking at Trai. "He's alone; there's no one to stop me from killing him before he can speak."

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught of a flash of horror pass over Jeanette's features. She was remembering the two Pro-Inferiors, as was I. But unlike her, rather than feeling fear at the memory, I only felt overwhelming exhilaration.

Dr. Leary cackled suddenly, startling me. He tilted his head and looked me straight in the eye. "Oh, silly boy," he murmured, "whoever said that I was alone?"

Delaney

Trai set me down as Dr. Leary continued to laugh, but I was unable to fully support my weight and had to lean heavily against his side. He squeezed my arm reassuringly. My vision swam in front of my eyes, a glimmering haze of kaleidoscopic faces. I screwed my eyes shut against the assault, determined not to open them unless something pivotal happened. I kept stealing peeks at the chortling scientist before us, nervous even though he was a good fifteen feet away. No distance was far enough from the deranged man who had forced poison into my veins.

Leary's humorous episode lasted for several long moments (the man seemed to find himself absolutely hilarious), but it eventually petered out into silence. I peeled my eyes open as he swiped at imaginary tears, saying, "Well, Malcolm, you might as well bring them all in."

Suddenly, the quiet, empty station became a cacophonous flurry of bodies in movement as dozens upon dozens of people filed into the space. Overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught, my mind twisted until my sight became a tight tunnel. On instinct, I tried to reach up and adjust my glasses, but my hand shivered and fell back to my side almost instantly. I could feel Trai's worried gaze on my face.

"What is this?" Caleb demanded. He had moved up in front of us all, and was now tense and bristling. "What the hell are you doing, Leary?"

The doctor smiled fiercely. "I'm saving the children."

Caleb

With clenched fists, I glared around me, registering the mass of scared faces as belonging to Miracle's precious candidates. Leary had brought them—all one hundred of them—here. The kids stood in clusters, ten per, with one stony-faced Superior attending to each group. One male, a blond man with pale eyes, saluted Leary. I assumed that he was Mason.

I followed the candidates with my eyes, my muscles going taut as I realized that they were being herded further into the station, so that they formed a loose ring around us. It couldn't just be coincidence: Leary was intentionally boxing us in.

For the first time, a frosty sliver of fear edged its way into my heart. Leary, I could handle. Add a couple of Superiors, and I would survive. But Leary, ten Superiors, and a hundred excitable teenagers? That could prove to be problematic.

Still, I swallowed my uncertainties and pivoted to face Leary. "Saving the children," I echoed shrewdly. "Right."

"How do you plan to do that, doc?" Red demanded before I could say anything more. "Put a bullet through your brain, maybe? As far as I can tell, the only thing these guys need saving from is you."

Her voice was loud, loud enough to be heard by the surrounding candidates, but the majority of them looked amused rather than afraid.

Dr. Leary flashed the girl a sympathetic smile. "You silly, naïve little girl," he cooed. "Don't think that you're invincible just because you managed to escape my laboratory. I could finish you in a heartbeat."

Red clenched her fists. "I'd like to see you try."

"Oh, would you? Because I—"

"Stop it, both of you!" I bellowed, sounding more commanding than I felt. "Leary, tell me what you're doing with the candidates. Red, shut your mouth and don't open it unless I say so."

Hurt flickered across the girl's eyes, and her brother glared at me, but Leary simply nodded.

"As I said, I'm saving them," he explained patiently, "from the cruel abomination that is the Pro-Inferiors. I'm going to take them away, far away, to a place where Jeremy Fairleigh and his lackeys will never be able to harm them."

Something felt off about his words—and not just the fact that Leary was forcibly kidnapping a hundred innocent kids. It took a moment for me to pinpoint it, but when I did, I couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.

"The Pro-Inferiors," I growled. "How do you know about them?"

There was no logical reason why the doctor would know of the Pro-Inferiors' plans. Of course, my brother could have told him, but I highly doubted that. Leary would have figured it out eventually, and probably sooner than the rest of the Capitol, but hardly fast enough to plan such an elaborate escape.

"Easy," he replied briskly, "your friends told me. I would never have been able to organize this without their kind, albeit grudging, assistance." And, once again, Dr. Leary began to laugh.

Delaney

My blood ran cold as Caleb turned to look at me, betrayal and surprise fresh in his eyes. I leaned more heavily against Trai as my legs weakened (even more than they already had) under Caleb's scrutinizing gaze.

His eyes narrowed. "Is that true?"

"No!" Abby answered for me. "We didn't know the plans; everything we told him was a lie."

Leary smiled and cocked his head. "That might be so," he conceded, "but even still, you gave me enough of a warning to put some men on standby in case the candidates needed to be evacuated."

I shivered, swallowing a feeling of of quiet dread.

"Thank you for that, children," Leary said. Then he clapped his hands, his eyes becoming unfocused. "All right: Jackson, Krista"—he gestured to a pair of Superiors whose eyes were shielded with shades—"why don't you start getting the kids onto the train?"

With a short nod, the two Superiors signaled their friends, and the ten of then turned and began to herd the candidates—all of whom looked rather confused—toward the sleek black train sitting idle on its tracks. The man, Jackson, heaved the door open with little effort, then shooed the kids inside with his lips twisted in disgust. Krista didn't even spare the candidates a glance, and leaned away when they passed her as if they were filthy animals.

After a moment, Dr. Leary turned away from the train, focusing his attention back on us. He smirked. "I'd love to stay and chat, but there are places to go, children to save," he drawled. "And I would kill you all myself, but"—he glanced down at an imaginary watch—"since this place will be ashes in about twenty minutes, I'm denied the pleasure."

I swallowed hard.

"Wait a minute," Caleb said, "how do you know?"

The doctor blinked. "How do I know what?"

Caleb sneered. "Oh, don't play dumb, Leary. Someone told you that they're blowing this place up. I want to know who."

Unsurprisingly, Leary laughed. It was a cold, humorless sound; the kind of laugh that slices skin and shatters diamonds. It rippled through the air like a sheet of metal, searing my ears as it passed.

And then, abruptly, it stopped.

With sudden solemnity, Leary said, "Well, in all honesty, I wouldn't have known if it weren't for you, Caleb. A couple of my guards stumbled upon the aftermath of your encounter with a few Pro-Inferiors. In their backpacks were several sets of explosives. It wasn't hard to figure it out from there." A razor-sharp smile crept across his face. "By the way," he added nonchalantly, "I admire the way you handled things with them. The crushed windpipe was excellent; great use of your strength. And the woman thrown against the wall...my, you really are quite powerful." Dr. Leary shook his head as he examined Caleb like a lab specimen—which, in his eyes, is what Caleb probably was.

My mind raced as his words sunk in. Crushed windpipe? Thrown against the wall? I tried to convince myself that those words could mean anything, but the doctor had been so direct that it was hard to believe it. If he was serious, and I had understood him correctly, then Caleb's change hadn't just been in the fact that he'd become a Superior—now, Caleb was also a killer.

Caleb

I felt myself blanch at Leary's compliment, my heart going into overdrive as I remembered the exhilaration of ending those people's lives. I wanted to feel guilty for it, I really did—but the satisfaction was too great. Still, I straightened up and looked the doctor in the eye with an expression of indignation.

"They killed my brother," I stated, as if to defend my actions. "I gave them what they deserved."

Dr. Leary's smile broadened. "Indeed. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an escape to attend to. Ana, Mahoney, can you show our friends out?"

The two guards, the ones who had been pursuing us all this time, emerged from the doorway and appeared at Leary's shoulder. They both wore ugly smiles.

"Wait a second!" Jeanette stepped forward as Leary began to turn away. She stabbed a finger toward the linked subway cars, where the flow of children was still entering. "That train—how is it working? And how far can it possibly go? Work on that line cut off years ago."

Dr. Leary started, blinking at Jeanette as if he had just noticed her. "I nearly forgot," he murmured, "you found my missing candidate." He took quick steps toward her, looking like a praying mantis with his jerky limbs and darting eyes. Jeanette refused to shrink back, but I saw doubt flash across her face.

Leary grabbed Jeanette's arm and spun her around to face him completely. "You've been very bad," he hissed, "deserting the ceremony like that."

Jeanette winced, causing Leary to tighten his grip even more. With narrowed eyes, he examined the bullet wound in her arm. "You've damaged her," he said moodily, as if Jeanette was a store display and not a human being.

"Get off," Jeanette snapped (though she didn't say get.) "Don't touch me." My stomach twisted as I remembered when, not twenty minutes before, she had said those same words to me.

"I'm afraid that's impossible," Leary stated as she struggled against his grip. He didn't appear to be having a problem holding her there, despite her frantic thrashing. It didn't make sense: his arms, no thicker than my wrist, were hardly muscular enough to hold off Jeanette, who was small and fast and athletically built. So how was he doing it so effortlessly?

As he twisted her around, grabbing her by the elbows, I realized the answer.

"So, that's your secret," I barked, spewing out a laugh. "You've given yourself the same strength enhancement as the Superiors and your guards."

Dr. Leary nodded, looking surprised. "Well, of course! I would hardly allow myself to be at a disadvantage in my own empire."

Empire? I shook my head in disgust. "You gave yourself the strength, and you already had the intelligence—why didn't you give yourself the dashing good looks to cap it all off? God knows you could use them. Anything to fix that ugly face."

It was a childish, taunting comment, but saying it filled me with fierce gratification. Leary didn't even flinch, but an expression of irritation crossed his features, as if I was wasting his time—which I was. Then, just as I expected him to, he chuckled.

"Caleb, Caleb, Caleb," he scolded, "there is so much that you don't understand. I would love more than anything to become as flawless as my lovely Miracle, or any of her underlings. But I must remain as I am in order for things to run smoothly. If the Superiors were surrounded solely by their own kind, they would forget that there are others in the world; they'd forget about the humans, like your friends, who unfortunately make up the majority of the world's population. So, for their sake, I must disguise myself with this human face, so that they don't forget what they came from."

"For their sake," I echoed.

"Yes. I remind them that there are still humans in this world: vulnerable beings who are cursed with the terrible, but curable, disease of humanity. And that knowledge keeps them dedicated to their sole cause."

I snorted, though I felt shaken. "And what would that cause be?"

Leary smiled calmly. "Why, isn't it obvious? I aspire to rid the world of humanity, and replace its countless flaws with a first-rate population of Superiors."

Delaney

"You're insane," I croaked hoarsely, surprising myself. I stared at Leary, utterly horrified by his nonchalance. He snapped his gaze to my face, his eyebrows creeping up his forehead.

"And you should be dead," he replied shortly. I cringed as he looked me up and down. "But it appears that you're not. Who knows; maybe this serum actually worked."

His expression became thoughtful for a moment, then he shook his head. "But I doubt it. I'd say you'll be dead within the hour."

He said it so calmly, without a second thought, and then turned away as if proclaiming my certain death was a trivial matter. He still held Jeanette in a tight grip, and was beginning to lead her toward the subway, where a seemingly endless line of kids was filing into car after car. Some wore expressions of fear, others anger, and others still were seemingly emotionless, staring straight ahead like pretty little robots.

As if I had not been told that I was going to die.

I felt Trai's arm tighten around me, and he whispered reassurance into my ear. At least, I thought that's what it was; the words went in one ear and out the other as I watched Leary begin to retreat. Jeanette was still struggling.

Suddenly, her face tomato-red with anger, she slammed the bottom of her left ballet flat into Leary's kneecap. It didn't seem to cause him any major pain, but it distracted him long enough for her to wriggle out of his grasp. She stood a few feet away from him, panting, as his empty hands lowered slowly to his sides.

"Jeanette," said Leary, his voice soft and threatening, "let's not be difficult. Come with me, and everything will be fine."

"That's what they all say," Abby muttered darkly, her features taut with worry.

"You haven't answered my question," Jeanette snarled, "about the train."

Leary's expression went from incredulous to annoyed to resigned in a matter of seconds—then he sighed. "You really are very stubborn," he murmured. "But all right, if it will get things moving. I continued restoration of this train myself, if you must know. It was an underground project—no pun intended—virtually unknown to the public, all orchestrated in secret. I knew that someday, there would come a time when I would need to make a quick escape; and what better way to do it than on a transportation device that no one can see? It was brilliant, if I do say so myself." He flashed a self-satisfied grin.

"And where does it go?" Caleb asked carefully. I could hardly make myself look at him after what Leary had said about the Pro-Inferiors, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw anxiety written across his face.

Leary shook his head. "Can I really tell you that?" Then he answered his own question. "No, of course I can't; after all, I wouldn't want someone to follow us."

"Follow you where?" Caleb called angrily. "What are you going to do with the candidates?"

Leary turned around, a steely glint in his eyes. "I'm going to do with them what is meant to be done," he said simply. "Now come, Jeanette. Let's join the others."

Caleb

What's meant to be done. My insides chilled as I realized that could mean only one thing: he was going to turn the candidates into Superiors, because what else was meant to be done with them? One hundred new Superiors, taken away from the Capitol and safe from harm, somewhere far out of the Pro-Inferior's reach.

One hundred Superiors could take down cities.

"No!" I shouted, hurrying forward as Leary dragged a still-struggling Jeanette toward the train. Without looking back, Leary snapped his fingers, and all of a sudden, a solid wall pounded into me.

I rolled over to find that it was not, in fact, a wall, but rather the Superior named Mason, his light eyes bright with determination. I drove a knee into his groin, forcing him off of me, but he swung quickly at my face before I could duck.

Against normal people, I was invincible, but against another genetically-enhanced Superior who had likely had infinitely more combat training than me, I was floundering. Mason's fist connected with my chin, eliciting a sickening crack and I was sent back down to the floor. I sprung up almost immediately, but the action made stars cloud my vision.

Leary approached me a moment later, a smug grin spreading across his features. I just rubbed my jaw painfully, casting wary glances between him and Mason, who was standing just to my left and gripping Jeanette in a choke hold.

"No?" Leary taunted. "You think that you, Caleb, have the right to tell me no?"

I lost it.

"You can't do this," I hissed, diving at the man and wrapping my fingers around his throat. He threw my hands aside as if it were nothing, then raised an eyebrow at me.

"Really. And why can't I?"

I threw a furious punched, which he blocked. "Because," I snarled, breathing hard, "of morality." Flicking my hair out of my eyes, I laughed bitterly. "I don't know what that is, really; I'm not a good person. But some things are just morally correct. And this? This is not."

And with that, I lunged forward, bringing my knee up toward Leary's abdomen. Right before the hit connected, the doctor yelled, "Get the girl on the train!" Then he grunted and doubled over, clutching his stomach.

I whirled around in time to see Jeanette hustled toward the car. She was thrashing wildly, though it was nothing against Mason's strength. I caught her eye for a split second, but before I could sprint toward her, something hit me in the center of my back, and I was flung to the ground.

I was up quickly, but by then, Jeanette had disappeared in the train. She was gone.

I rounded on Leary, who was staring at me unemotionally. Snarling, I spun forward and shot out a powerful punch. The impact would have shattered any normal person's spine, but it just seemed to glance off of Leary's chin.

Leary swung up his fist too quickly for me to react, catching me right in the stomach. I gritted my teeth, but ignored the pain. Dodging another blow aimed at my chest, I kicked out with my right leg, easily catching Leary right in the neck. He lurched backwards, sputtering and clutching at his throat. I smirked triumphantly as the man stumbled, struggling to regain his breath.

It only lasted for a second, though. After a moment, Leary coughed loudly, his face red but his eyes cunning. "Restrain him!" he croaked.

I nearly laughed at his feeble tone. But then, someone wrapped their arm around my neck from behind. I glanced over my shoulder to see Mason once again, an ugly smile curling on his lips.

"Gotcha," he snarled.

A/N: Finally (FINALLY) got the chapter up. But, well, actually, this is only half of it. The finished product ended up being 6000-something words long. So, out of laziness to proofread and the sick desire to leave you all at another semi-cliffhanger, I chopped the chapter in half and made it into two chapters instead. I'd post the next chapter now...but that'd be anticlimactic, now wouldn't it? ;)

But yeah, please vote, comment, fan, and tell your friends, parents, siblings, and your neighbor's dog about Superior if you think they'd like it. I'd appreciate it :).

Oh yeah, and on the side there is a new cover I made when I was bored/procrastinating. I'm not sure if I should use it, so if you guys could tell me whether or not you prefer it to the current one, that'd be awesome :).