Secret Super (Book 1)

44. The Cryo-Tanks

Kara didn't know where she was going. A cold, heavy fog was squeezing her brain. Only one burning thought propelled her forward: I need to find Zadia. Now. 

As she walked, the sounds of fighting and shouting kept getting louder. She broke into a jog. 

She turned the corner and nearly collided with a girl running towards her--

"Zadia!" Relief flooded through Kara. She grabbed the other girl by her shoulders. "You're alive!"

Blood was smeared across Zadia's face, her clothes torn, a hole burned through her shirt. Her eyes were wild. "Kara! What happened? Are you okay? Nod if you're okay!"

"I thought you were-- I thought it was too late!"

"What happened? Where's Xavier? C'mon, point me at him!"

Xavier. Kara frowned. "I left . . . to find you. He told me to find you." In the back of her head, a thought was fighting to get through the fog. 

"Xavier used his powers on you," Zadia realized. Alarm dawned on her face. "I need you to snap out of it, okay? Whatever he told you, it's not true. We have to go back and stop him. He was just manipulating you with his powers!"

His powers. The fog dissolved all at once with a cold shock. Ice slid down her back. All the panic and anger came flooding back, and-- Harrison! She had left him behind!

Kara began sprinting back to the room with the cryo-tanks.

"Wait up!" Zadia shouted, running behind her.

Kara cursed herself as she ran. How could she have let Xavier manipulate her like that? Now he was going to kill Harrison! Now more than ever, she wished she had super-speed instead. Her feet pounded against the floor tiles. 

She burst through the door to find that the room was collapsing in on itself. She screeched to a halt. Zadia stopped behind her, panting. 

Chunks of the ceiling were breaking away from the ceiling with thunderous crashes. Debris was raining down. In the center of it all, Xavier's fingers were flying over the computer keys, eyes glued to the dimly glowing screen that cast a blue light over his long, pale features, his face ashen.

"Holy shit," Zadia breathed. "All those tanks."

"We have to save them!" Kara shouted over the racket.

Zadia didn't seem to hear her. She shrugged helplessly.

Kara wanted nothing more than to throttle Xavier-- but there was no time. "Distract him," she told Zadia. "Can you do that?"

Zadia nodded, wide-eyed. She grabbed Kara's hand.

Kara wiped blood off Zadia's face with her sleeve. It only smudged it around more, but Zadia squeezed her hand.

As the dust from the cave-in cleared, they tore away. Zadia went for Xavier, and Kara she ran towards the cryo-tanks. She couldn't keep her eyes away from the first few tanks with bodies slumped against the glass, lifeless eyes staring ahead. Steel gripped her heart. She tore her eyes away and went for Harrison's tank. The tank hadn't been drained yet. Still alive. It's okay, he's still alive. 

Okay, Kara, think. How do I get them out of here?

In the background, she could hear Xavier speaking. "You could have accomplished so much for me, Zadia," he said. "Why divide our forces when we have a common goal? You are only hurting your cause." He spoke the words quickly, betraying his desperation, but even though they weren't for her, Kara could feel their power. She gritted her teeth, fighting off the fog rippling through her head.