Charlie had been right: the sight was more beautiful from the air. They sped along beneath the moonlit night sky, icy wind whipping their hair and faces, while the water raced along below them, glittering like a sheet of solid ice. Screams and roars of delight and awe rang through the night, but Alec, while he too felt these emotions, had several important questions he needed answers to: hollering like a lunatic could wait. He tapped Charlie in the small of the back, and the larger boy leaned his head back to listen, though still keeping his eyes in front.

"Where are we headed?" Alec asked loudly over the roar of the vehicles, the raucous shouts of his friends, and the wind howling relentlessly in their ears.

"To the mainland," Charlie yelled back. "A few miles from where the Hydraloop collected us from."

They wouldn't be going very far from the same place Damon had taken him, where just a few streets beyond Maddison's contact supposedly stood in wait for them.

"And what if someone decides to come back on the Hydraloop? Won't they see us while we're flying?"

He felt rather than heard Charlie shake his head. "We're cloaked. It's one of the first things Reya did before we left. Nobody can see or hear us but us. We'll be fine."

Alec's eyes found Reya as Charlie spoke. She seemed nice enough, bubbly and excitable, but he was rather intrigued by how she had reacted when Maddison called her "witch." She was not the first magic-user Alec had ever seen; there were plenty of these Heroes in the real world, as well as the comics based off of them. But he had been somewhat surprised that she had chosen to come to Helix, given that being able to use magic didn't necessarily mean that one was a superhuman.

But he didn't question it. Instead he relaxed and let the urge he had been fighting overcome him, screaming out to the night as his hair blew wildly about his head. Charlie suddenly dipped the bike and ran his right foot across the surface, shattering the smooth face of the water and sending up an icy spray that fell across them like a sudden drizzle.

Alec turned away, the cold stinging as the water doused him, but he was laughing, and he could tell by the rapid, rhythmic rise and fall of his chest that Charlie was laughing too.

He had traveled by helicopter, Hydraloop, and now hover-vehicle to and from Helix. The helicopter ride had been both excessively long and dreadfully boring, but while traveling by Zetacycle was infinitely more fun than either, he had to admit that he preferred the speed of the Hydraloop. They would have reached land and been well on their way to meet Maddison's informant by now.

Without warning, thoughts of all that would be waiting for him on the other side of the water came rushing back to him, dousing his excitement like a sputtering flame. Both his parents, his old school friends, and Dusty.

His parents, he knew, would be happy to see him, though at the same time disapproving of the fact that he had left school illegally to see them, especially during what was obviously supposed to be a major emergency. And Dusty . . . He didn't know what Dusty would be doing right now, or how he would even react to seeing him. Not when he had apparently changed so much. . . .

He shook his head, trying to clear it of these unsavoury thoughts, and instead glanced over at his friends. Javon seemed unable to resist doing some kind of trick every few minutes, and would do some sort of midair loop or twist that caused Reya to squeal in equal parts terror and amazement.

Fortunately, the Zetaboard was unique among the vehicles in that it was equipped with a very special feature for this specific eventuality. The glowing disks on either side of its base acted like a magnet, emitting a powerful attractive force that kept the riders' legs firmly in place to prevent them falling off.

Even Maddison and Ethan were unable to conceal that they were having fun, laughing and cheering as the Zetawing wove gracefully through the air. Every now and then Maddison would skim across the water's surface and send up spouts of water that Ethan would form into spheres and juggle telekinetically like pins. Maddison would then throw her daggers at each, causing them to burst and scatter sheets of water that momentarily glimmered in the air as they fell back to the sea's face.

It was strange to think how it was sneaking out of school that had gotten through to them.

"Land inbound!" Charlie yelled, and Alec wheeled back to face the front. Beyond Charlie's broad form he could see the silhouette of the land, growing larger with every passing second, the first lights blossoming across the dark structure. Within minutes they had arrived, coming to a halt at the edge of a deserted country road.

"We made good time," said Charlie, who was checking his watch. "Just midnight. Okay, where to now?" he asked Maddison.

"Sunset Boulevard," she said. "Not far from here, but we'll have to walk the rest of the way."

"Wait, what?" Alec said, as he dismounted the Zetacycle; his legs had gone slightly numb from sitting in such a tight spot for so long. "How come?"

"Because of where we're going. We can't have vehicles hovering around the place, or we'll be found immediately. So, you and you, with me," she added, pointing at Alec and Ethan.

"Why us specifically?" Ethan looked suspicious.

"Do you want to find out what's going on, or not?" Maddison said.

She looked so impatient that Alec knew there was no arguing with her. Instead he shrugged and made his way to her side, then Ethan followed. Maddison addressed the others.

"Stay here, stay cloaked," she said. "We can't risk anybody seeing the vehicles, because one way or another it's bound to get out and the League or the Academy will find out."

"You can count on us," Reya said earnestly. Alec, Maddison, and Ethan trudged off along the dark street, emerging under pools of orange lamplight every few steps. The silence stretched on as they walked, not just between them: the streets were entirely empty, as if the Hero League had issued a stricter curfew here as well.

"Is it normally this quiet?" Ethan asked, echoing his own thoughts.

"I would say no," Alec said. "Do you think they effected a lockdown here too?"

"I don't think so," Maddison said. "The Hero League wouldn't have issued an official curfew warning unless they were absolutely sure that the threat they were facing was serious. Anything else would have resulted in a mass panic, because the people would be terrified of the idea of whatever could have spooked the League this much to have them enforce a curfew, or the people would be angry because of the suddenness of the decision and the limitations imposed on them. Something else is happening. Or maybe the residents just decided to give up their nighttime strolls. . . ."

Alec supposed she was right. As her father and brothers were a part of the League, it would make sense that she knew how they operated. Instead he voiced a different concern.

"How are you so sure that your contact will be willing to help? You couldn't have spoken to them on the grounds."

"You're right, I didn't," she admitted.

"So —"

"We're familiar with one another," Maddison said.

"What, you mean we're finally going to be meeting the boyfriend?" Ethan asked, smirking.

Maddison ignored him. "Our informant is in direct contact with the Hero League and has access to their resources. If something really is happening, then I'm sure he'll know."

"But again, how are you so sure he'll tell you?" Alec repeated. "You'd think this would be classified as, well — classified, wouldn't you?"

"He may not," she admitted. "But the probability that he will is higher," she went on calmly, ignoring the noises of outrage and incredulity that had issued from both boys. "Let's go."

She quickened her pace. Down the eerily empty streets they went, taking two lefts and crossing the road on the third. Maddison was still walking briskly ahead of them, but Alec and Ethan had fallen back a few steps, in Alec's case, deliberately. He knew that he ought to catch up soon or Maddison might start hissing at them again, but since she was almost out of earshot, he decided instead to use the opportunity to speak to Ethan, hoping to create an effect similar to that which he had done in the Medical Wing with Maddison when he had been affected by the Brittleby plant.

"What really made you decide to come?" he asked him, without preamble.

"Don't know what you mean," Ethan replied breezily. "You guys were going to find out what was going on, and I wanted in. Wasn't in the mood to be cooped up for the next couple of hours with the other losers in the Dorm. Wanted to stretch my legs. That's all there is to it."

"Is it, though? I mean, you didn't necessarily have to stay with the others. You're more content than I am to stay in your room all day. Could have just done that. I don't believe you."

"Doesn't really matter what you believe," Ethan said. "That's what happened."

"What happened between you and your family?" Alec asked. It was the question he had been burning to ask for so long, and yet he regretted it the moment the words were out of his mouth.

Ethan stopped dead in the middle of the road, and when he next spoke there was an edge to his voice Alec had never heard before. "If that was any of your business, Michaels —"

"What are you two doing?" came Maddison's voice through the gloom. "Hurry up, we're here!"

She was gesturing towards a small, derelict-looking warehouse at the end of the street. Ethan immediately strode away, walking more quickly this time, and Alec sighed and followed.

"Your contact from the prestigious Hero League, lives in an abandoned warehouse?" Alec asked dispassionately.

Maddison did not answer, but merely flicked her wrist. A long, thick rod bloomed from her palm, oddly fluid-like in appearance. It contorted in her hand, taking shape, and seconds later she was clutching a double-sided hammer, the ends round and bulbous like the protruding bones of the ankle. She took one sharp swing at the lock on the door and it shattered, then she pushed open the door.

Inside was damp, dimly lit, and musty, with old equipment and loose sheafs of paper scattered across the dust-carpeted floor.

It smelled as if no one had been here for years. Alec and Ethan pinched their noses, but Maddison moved forward into the room without the slightest change of expression. Reluctantly, the two boys went in behind her.

Alec pushed the door closed behind him, which he promptly realized was a mistake. The light streaming into the room was much thinner now, leaving the darkness deeper and denser, much more threatening.

"Are you absolutely sure —" Alec began to speak, more certain than ever that Maddison had made a mistake, but before he could finish the sentence he felt a pair of strong hands close roughly around his throat and lift him from the ground. Ethan wheeled around at the sound of his gasp, but a second later was kicked aside by a random figure moving through the darkness.

"Who are you?" a deep, imposing voice demanded. "What are you doing here?"

Maddison wheeled around with two strange-looking objects in her hands. Only when she had opened them fully did Alec realize they were fans, made from bone like her daggers. She flung one in his direction and it unraveled as it flew, spinning like a Frisbee. It passed dangerously close to his neck, but instead of hitting him, ripped across his captor's arm with a sound like paper being torn. The man pulled back with a grunt of pain and Alec dropped to his knees, spluttering: he ran his hands over the dust-lined floor and coated himself with the flaky grey stone, then leapt to his feet and slammed a fist into the man's chest, causing him to soar across the room. He crashed into the wall and clattered against an old table, spilling unused equipment across the floor, then fell motionless.

The second figure, which had attacked Ethan, darted forward, only its silhouette visible as it moved. But Ethan found his feet, his hand raised, and the movement stopped. A moment later there was a groan, and the man fell bodily to the floor.

A new voice came suddenly out of the darkness, followed by beams of red light that told Alec some kind of blaster was being aimed at them.

"Don't move. By order of the Hero League, Branch of America, you are trespassing on private property and under Section B-358 of the Global Treaty I have the authority to bring you . . ."

The voice stopped very abruptly. There was a hesitation for the space of a heartbeat. Then a blaze of light tore through the darkness, so bright that Alec had to look away.

"Maddison?"

"Hi, Aaron," said Maddison's voice.

Aaron?

Alec blinked rapidly, eyes acclimating to the sudden glare, and managed to make out the features of the man who had been threatening to arrest them. He was quite young, early twenties, if Alec had to guess, and tall, but more lean than muscular, with a head of scruffy black hair and black eyes. Alec did not need Maddison's sudden proclamation to realize who he was:

"Guys, this is Aaron, my older brother."

There was a very tense silence. The man was still looking at Ethan and Alec, who had not yet dropped his stone guard.

"Who are these?" he said, with an aggressiveness that Alec could tell was borne more from the sight of a female loved one flanked with unfamiliar male companions than anything else.

"Friends," she said.

"From Helix?"

"No."

"Then where?"

"Around," Maddison said dismissively. "It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me! What did you do to my teammates?" He moved the flashlight around, looking from one motionless Hero to the next. They looked as young as Aaron himself did. None of them were even wearing distinctive costumes, but the same pure-black uniform.

"Just knocked them out," Ethan said. He sounded more frightened than he had all night. The beam of the flashlight found his face again. He threw up an arm, partially to block out the flare and partially, Alec suspected, to conceal his face.

"I didn't see any projectiles," Aaron said, sounding suspicious. "No thrown punches. They just dropped. . . . You're a Telepath," he said, with distaste. It was not a question.

"And you —" The flashlight found Alec this time. "Earth Mimicry. An Elemental. Interesting friends, Maddie," he said, in an accusing tone. "Do you know what you've done? You could have ruined everything! What were you thinking, showing up here unannounced?"

"Well, I couldn't have called ahead, could I?"

Aaron pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "You better have a good explanation for this, sis, or I swear — wait . . . wasn't there a lockdown at Helix today? Yeah, I definitely heard something like that. Did you — did you sneak out of school?"

"Yes," Maddison said. "I needed to talk to you, about that very lockdown. Not only did it come out of nowhere, we think the Heads of Helix are corroborating with the Hero League. I want to know why."

"Can't. Classified information, sorry," he said flatly.

"You didn't care about the 'classification protocols' when you came home to blab about those two Villains you helped to catch using information from past cases in your first year —"

"Keep your voice down!" Aaron said, with a nervous check to ensure that his peers were still out. "Okay, fine, but those were less sensitive cases. I really can't tell you anything about this."

"There's a new threat, isn't there? And they feel they might target Helix? In that case, I think we have a right to know."

"We?" Aaron raised his thick dark eyebrows.

"I mean . . . we as a school," Maddison said, rather unconvincingly. "Plus, if the League is this worried . . . What about Dad? I know he'll be on the case, of course. I need to know he'll be safe."

Aaron sighed, exasperated. "Pain in my ass," he muttered. "Okay, fine. Get them out of here and then we'll talk."

"No, I want them to stay. They won't say anything. I'll make sure of it," she said, turning to face them with a menacing glare.

"Fine!" Aaron said, annoyed. "Yes, the League thinks that something is stirring. There are rumours about odd or unexpected partnerships being struck up. From the sounds of it, someone's putting together a team."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Maddison said, sounding disappointed.

"Except these people are reportedly some of the worst Villains you could think of. Some who've remained elusive, even from the League, and others who even our strongest Heroes couldn't take down."

"Okay, that sounds bad," Maddison said.

"And the latest development . . . no, I shouldn't tell you this."

"Aaron!"

"Something was stolen," Aaron exploded. "From an old temple in another state. Something extremely dangerous, and if whoever stole it learns to weaponize it, it could mean trouble bigger than the League's seen in decades. The League believes that the Academy might be targeted, but they're not entirely sure. The directors will take care of that. Now, that's about all I can tell you, because that's all I know. It was great to see you, but you have to go.

"You, Telepath from 'Around.' You'll need to modify their memories, make them think none of this happened. Can you do that?"

Ethan nodded.

"Good. I suppose that's why you brought him?" he asked Maddison dispassionately. She gave no appearance of answering, but he seemed not to require a response. "So we'll do that, and you all get the hell out of here and don't repeat a word of anything you've heard."

Altering the Heroes' memories took several minutes, but Ethan assured them that it had been done. Maddison's brother would explain to them when they woke that they had merely drifted off (something they had done twice before since relocating to the base), and that there had been an aggressive but non-violent encounter with a group of "punk-looking" kids while they slept, who had tried to use their warehouse for what Aaron suspected were "nefarious" means, but which he had chased away without need of bothering his peers.

Alec, Maddison, and Ethan strode quickly back along the path to their friends, not speaking. Though Alec was no Telepath himself, he could practically hear their minds working as thoughts of what they had heard stormed around inside their heads: it was exactly what was happening to him.

So the Hero League was worried, was it? He had grown up in a relatively peaceful neighbourhood, though his fascination with superhumans had led him to follow their frequent appearances across the entire world. The Villains they had faced had been impressive in their own right, but the Heroes had always been triumphant, overwhelming them individually, or through teamwork. That was something the Villains lacked. They did not like to cooperate: they would always try to prove themselves the worst of the worst.

Some, of course, kept small, personal crews, but none had any team as large or as powerful as the Hero League.

But now rumours were spreading of an alliance. Something stolen. Something being sought, possibly located at Helix. . . .

Were the Villains teaming up in an attempt to launch an assault on both the Academy and the League? To use whatever weapon they had stolen (at least, Alec envisioned the item as a weapon) to decimate their oppressors once and for all?

He wanted to believe that the League could handle it, but if they were scared. . . . What could the Villains have stolen?

"How'd it go?"

It was Javon's voice. Alec looked up. He was surprised to see that they had completed the return journey already. He shook his head, coming back to his senses.

Maddison said, "It's as we thought: the League's worried. They think a number of high-profile Villains are partnering up, and that they've stolen something both valuable and powerful, which if they use could spell disaster."

"Any idea what?" Charlie asked.

"No. But this alliance business sounds funny. Villains don't usually operate in teams; they're afraid that their partners will end up betraying them, so they always end up trying to do it before the others get the chance. There's no trust, no honour, nothing. The fact that they're attempting it now. . . . Once we get back to school, I'm gonna do some digging."

"How?" Javon asked. "You have next to nothing to go on."

"And that's enough, if you know where to look," Maddison said, to general bafflement. She approached the Zetawing. "Now, let's get back —"

"Well, well, well. What have we here?"

The voice cut through the night, soft and slick with oil, and the sound filled Alec with dread. They all wheeled around.

The owner of the voice was perched upon one of the uppermost branches of a tree towering above them, draped in shadow. Only his eyes were visible, a brilliant lilac colour, and a golden H glinted across his breastplate.