At the dawn of rebellion - Masterminds #1, Chapter 18
Heila seemed to be a different person. In fact, Jack received a gift from her: a brand new weapon fit for the Mastermind of Death... in return for a particular favour. What will the future hold?
Catch up on all chapters here.
Crouched on the roof of a five-storey apartment, Jack looked down at the three men who had trapped Heila in a cul-de-sac. They were part of a criminal gang that thrived in illegal gambling that encouraged people to bet their valuable belongings away: their organs.
With The Oracles’ permission, Heila had infiltrated one of their underground casinos and ‘lost’ her heart and liver to them.
And that was the scene of their execution.
Jack smirked. Of course, these men hadn’t ‘trapped’ her, rather she had trapped them.
“A bet’s a bet, pretty lady,” one of them said as Heila pressed her back against the concrete wall behind her. “We’ve no choice but to collect what’s due.”
The man took out something from his jacket. It looked sharp and its metallic surface shone in the dim moonlight. Probably a knife. Jack couldn’t tell how any of them looked as they were all wearing black hoodies. But that didn’t matter.
“So is it true what they say? You’re really going to cut me up and take out my organs because of a stupid bet?”
“Not stupid to us. Business is business. C’mon, it’ll be over before you know it…”
Heila looked up in Jack’s direction. That was his cue.
She shouted. “Not if Death comes to you first!”
He jumped.
The cold air hit his face as he dived towards the three men at full speed. He didn’t wear his sunglasses anymore when he ‘worked’ with Heila. He was used to her aura… and at the same time, it became much easier for him to spot their targets in the darkest of alleys.
He swung his newly acquired scythe and decapitated the one who had been holding the knife, right before he landed on his feet safely on the ground.
The scent of death immediately went through his nose and exhilarated him. He was suddenly twice as strong as he was just before he’d jumped. At the same time, he’d opened the veil between the world of the dead and the living to allow the new soul to pass through…
Business as usual, as the Mastermind of Death.
The two remaining men shrieked and started to run in the opposite direction but Jack was faster.
In the blink of an eye, he’d already blocked the only exit they could’ve taken. And before they could cry for help, Heila took out her sword and stabbed them both, one by one. The entire act went by like lightning.
Jack closed his eyes and inhaled the death of the two men with a grin on his face.
The night was just getting started.
“Suits you well,” Heila said.
He looked down at his weapon, made of metal from its black-coated shaft all the way to its blade. It felt lighter than it looked but there could be some unknown magic in the works that he wouldn’t be aware of. After all, it’d come from a page Heila had written and specially designed for him.
“Yeah, although I’m surprised. Shouldn’t I be the one giving a gift instead? I mean, even though I wasn’t at the party…”
Heila laughed. She swung her sword by her side to shake off the blood and put it back in its scabbard.
“I just thought this was long overdue. I can’t be the only one being armed. Besides, it’s more fun that way, isn’t it?”
Jack raised an eyebrow. He remembered K.’s words last night…
Heila is… different for some reason. I think something has changed.
Now he knew what she meant.
“That’s not like you. I thought you hated me.”
They started walking along the pavement, patrolling into the night.
“Hate is a strong word, especially for someone with whom I’ve had to fight criminals almost every night.” She shook her head. “No, I don’t like you but I don’t dislike you either. You’re… convenient. And of course, it annoys me that you’re so close to Nya but… I also know it’s for the best at the moment.”
“Yeah, nah, you’ve grown soft. Maybe I’m still just a tool to you now, but I feel I’ll soon be upgraded to being part of the penthouse, who knows!”
He laughed but Heila’s steps came to a halt.
He stopped. “Uh, sorry, I didn’t mean it…”
She slowly turned to face him.
“To be honest, Jack, I don’t think you’re just a tool.” She had a faint smile on. “Don’t you see it yet? We’re a team now. Of course, I wouldn’t put you on my level but let’s just say that… you’re more of my right-hand man now. Considering our standing and how much we know of each other…”
Right-hand man…
“I…”
But he couldn’t find any words to say. No one had ever acknowledged his abilities before, not even Jake since he never saw him fight or use his power…
“Jack?”
Don’t break down, don’t break down.
He took a deep breath.
“I’d say you’ve spoken like a true King.”
Heila smiled. “So I’m not Prince Charming anymore, uh…”
They started walking again. She took out her notebook and opened it.
“Since we’re on that topic, I actually have something to tell you.”
“What? About Kings and Queens?”
“Metaphorically. It’s more like a favour.”
“A favour?” Jack’s heart started to beat faster. “Are you… plotting something? In secret?”
In secret… as in without The Oracles knowing? Had that time come…?
She chuckled.
“No, it’s nothing like that… Not yet, anyway. I’ve actually received a new mission this morning and I’d like you to help with the investigation.”
Oh… too bad…
“A mission? Like the ones that usually get you to go after some shady Mastermind or Writer?”
“Yes, just like that Hybrid I had to catch a few days ago. This time, it’s a Mastermind gone haywire. More precisely, the Mastermind of Metal. I was told that they’ve been sabotaging factories and offices, leading to thousands of deaths at one time. So far, these incidents have been disguised as ‘work accidents’ but we know they aren’t.”
“Hmm… and you want me to do what exactly?”
“You can communicate with the souls of the dead, right?”
“Uh…”
“I know you haven’t had the chance to practise that ability yet, so I’d like you to give it a try: summon a decent army of souls, those still wandering around, and get them to look out for that Mastermind. I’m sure he carries a strong scent of death around him since he’s killed so many people. So I think this will be the fastest way to get us to him. What do you say?”
An army… of souls. Of course, he could interact with wandering souls… but to command them?
Though, in retrospect, he used to have no trouble asking favours from them… like haunting bullies at school or playing poltergeists at random convenience stores or… ehm…
It looked like he had more to learn.
And the best part about it was that for once, he had someone who trusted him with these things.
Not that K. or Moon Boy didn’t… But neither of them was interested in what the Mastermind of Death was capable of. To be fair, why should they? They were friends and students struggling to navigate a world of adults. Not soldiers in a war.
With Heila, however, it was different.
They were technically an army of two.
A King and his right-hand man. General and soldier.
“I say I’m in. It doesn’t hurt to try. Besides, bossing dead people around sounds quite fun.”
“Great.” She looked back at him. “And about what you said earlier… All you have to know is that this mission will most likely be my last one under The Oracles. After that… well, I’m just hoping you’ll stick with me whatever happens.”
“But what about K.? I mean, Nya.”
He had blurted out the first thing that had come to mind. But if what Heila was implying actually occurred…
He went on. “I mean, how would she feel? Frankly, as the Mastermind of Death, I’m all in, but I know how much she means to you. To both of us. And if you’re planning to go Rogue—”
“She’s the only reason I’m doing this for. Do you know how painful it is to see her suffering in silence every day? And I know it’s because of me? And she thinks I have no clue and that it’s all her fault. And I can’t do anything about it because… because you know very well that I’m also living a lie.”
“A beautiful lie. A lie that got you living comfortably in an expensive penthouse with lifetime job security.”
“I know that. But, Jack, can you really look at me and tell me that Nya is happy? Is she really?”
Jack thought about last night, the night of the engagement party, when he thought he would have an undisturbed night’s sleep… yet before the crack of dawn, K., who had a spare key, had unlocked his door and sneaked into his bed.
This would happen only when she was upset.
Which happened way more often than he could keep track of.
She knew he would go out at night to ‘chase death’ as she liked to call it, although she didn’t know about Heila, so she would sometimes wait for him in the dark, where she felt more like herself.
She knew that he had fallen for her from the moment he had met her and she believed that someday she would come to feel the same way… and get over her years-long crush.
Only Jack knew the truth: K. would in fact never be able to ‘get over’ her real feelings for that other person.
Heila sighed. “We’re cursed in this life, Nya and I. But only because we’re letting The Oracles have their way. So I want to put an end to that.”
Only Jack knew that as much as the Mastermind of Death wanted the Mastermind of Chaos all for himself, they were never meant to be.
“What if it’s too much for her? What if she’d rather keep the life she’s living right now, in spite of everything?”
“That’s why I’m fighting by your side and why I’ve decided to trust you completely.”
“What?”
Only Jack—no, both Heila and he knew that Heila was the only one for...
And yet…
“Jack, if not me, I would rather have you by Nya’s side.”
She then leaned towards him and lowered her voice. “Listen, the plan is already in motion. It starts with us finding The Mastermind of Metal. From there, it’s slowly going to unfold… and by the end of it, there’s a high possibility that Nya would end up hating me. But…. everything will be clear to her. And she will be free. That’s all I want.”
There were more secrets Heila seemed to know about The Oracles that he could barely wrap his head around. But he knew that with time, everything would be revealed.
To be continued…
D. K. Waye