Mercurion: After Atlantis, #7

By K.M. Carroll

Tane Casak, Guardian of Mercury Island, has been framed. Already accused of being a supervillain because of his defense of his team and his island, Tane is present when the governor of Atlantis is assassinated. Now the military and HeroTube are coming for him, and Tane awaits them with grim purpose.

 

James Chase, Islesworn, is part of the team sent to apprehend Tane. Recognizing him as the Guardian he's searched for for months, he plans to stop the superhero team before they can harm Tane or capture Mercury Island.

 

But when a team of Atlantean Exiles attack both Tane and James's team, alliances shift and enemies become allies. Because if they don't, Mercury Island will fall into the hands of the evil Exiles, and not even the healing powers of Jayesh the Bloodbound will save them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: K.M. Carroll
• Release date: Oct 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201208370

Book preview

Vid:ilantes 3:

Mercurion

by K.M. Carroll

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Tane stood on a cliff path with his arms folded, the wind whipping his dreadlocks against his cheeks. One foot rested on a heavy duty winch that was bolted to the ground. It was the kind usually attached to vehicles for assisting them over rough terrain. But the end of this winch's cable was hooked to his wife.

Half a mile overhead, Gladiolus flew on the wind, tethered to the cable like a kite on a string. Her stiff, engineered hair streamed behind her like a hang glider's canvas, catching the wind and stabilizing her flight. But it was her magic shard that summoned the wind and allowed her to fly.

Most people were born with the beginnings of a magic shard inside them. It grew as they grew until they began to manifest powers at about age ten. Gladiolus had never been allowed to use her magic. Now that Tane had married her, freeing her from her oppressive family, she could experiment as much as she liked.

As much as she loved her wind powers, she wasn't particularly skilled, yet. Tane insisted on the tether as a precaution. After all, Mercury Island wasn't that large. It was too easy to imagine his beloved girl accidentally blowing herself out to sea and drowning before he could find her. Beyond Mercury Island lay the vast Atlantic Ocean. One human out there would be doomed.

Tane squinted up at the distant dot that was Gladiolus. She was flying in circles, arms outstretched, probably singing. She always sang when she flew. As usual, when she began tugging at the local air currents, clouds were forming around the island's central mountain. Maybe one day she could summon storms at will. Tane watched the weather and kept an eye on his wife.

After a while, he heard footsteps on the path behind him and turned. Sebastian climbed the steep trail toward Tane, his spiky blue hair blown sideways in the gale. He was Tane's adopted brother, his skin as fair as Tane's was bronze. He was also the Warrior of Mercury Island. But he didn't look like a warrior—only a slim, well-built young man in shorts and a t-shirt.

Is she making a hurricane or what? Sebastian called over the wind.

Just practicing, Tane called back. What's up?

Sebastian halted beside him and cupped his hands around his eyes, peering up at Gladiolus. Glad's what's up, ha ha.

Tane rolled his eyes.

Seriously, though, Sebastian said, Eileen's been binge-watching HeroTube again. She has a couple of videos to show you.

Tane clenched his teeth. He didn't have time for HeroTube—a bunch of soft internet celebrities playing at being heroes. He was the Guardian of Mercury Island, which meant that he was the one the Atlantean press targeted as their whipping boy. Ever since his team had destroyed the flagship of National Weapon Enterprises, and severely damaged the compound of a local arms dealer, the press had been painting him and his island as a huge threat to world peace. There were rumblings from the government about a forced confiscation of Mercury Island.

No, Tane had no time for HeroTube.

Sebastian read his expression with a glance. Oh come on, it's like ten minutes. You spend longer than that hanging around the winch, waiting for Glad.

Waiting for Glad is worthwhile, Tane replied. By the way, any word from Cirrus?

Sebastian snorted. He hasn't budged from his tower in a week. Says he's communicating with beings from another dimension. I think he's lost his final marble.

Cirrus was the product of illegal genetic engineering, his powers honed to an incredible level by amoral scientists who were trying to breed weapons. Surly and reclusive, he kept to himself out at an old tower on the island's north side. He was the Wizard of Mercury Island, and the role suited him perfectly.

Other dimensions, Tane said, shifting his weight uncomfortably. Is he channeling demons, now?

Who knows? said Sebastian. With our luck, he's found Cthulhu and they're having a nice, depressing conversation about nihilism.

Tane opened his mouth and closed it again. He'd been to another dimension a few months earlier. At least, he was pretty sure that's what it had been ... it might have been a dream, too. But he didn't feel like explaining it to his brother.

Up above, Gladiolus was waving her arms in the signal to reel in the cable. Tane kicked the lever and the winch began to turn. Gladiolus slowly descended toward them, the wind growing stronger as she approached. She touched down in a blast that made Tane flinch and Sebastian stagger backwards. The wind calmed, although the storm system she had built continued to gust against the mountainside.

Hi! Gladiolus said breathlessly, beaming at Tane and Sebastian. Wonderful day today! She began unbuckling her safety harness. A pink flush colored her brown cheeks and her eyes sparkled. Her waist-length hair blew around her like a cape, framing her slim figure in a black jumpsuit.

Tane helped her with the buckles. When Glad flung her arms around him, he returned her embrace tenderly. She was so much shorter than him—just over five feet, while Tane was a good six and a half—he was always aware that he could crush her. His magic shard granted him huge physical strength, and it took great care to hold it in check and be gentle.

She lifted her face to his and kissed him. Her lips were cold and tasted of high altitudes. Tane savored her touch, nuzzling her a little.

You don't have to be so scared, she whispered. The winch keeps me right here.

There's always a chance, he whispered back. I'm not going to lose you. Not again.

Never again, she agreed, and kissed him a second time.

Sebastian heaved a loud sigh nearby, interrupting them.

Something bothering you? Tane asked without turning.

No, nothing, Sebastian said with exaggerated patience. I only told Eileen I'd be back in a minute, and it's been, like, half an hour.

Oh! Gladiolus exclaimed, pulling away from Tane. I saw something when I was flying! There's these ruins right down there, at the foot of the mountain. You can't see them from here, because of the trees. She pointed at the trackless jungle far below. It's all made of white stone, and it's a shrine or something. Let's look for it!

Can it wait? Tane said. Apparently HeroTube was exciting this morning and I'm being forced to watch.

Gladiolus gave Sebastian a critical look. This isn't another reaction video, is it?

It's not, I swear, Sebastian said. And it's not a Rick-roll, either.

They began to walk back down the path, Tane carrying Glad's harness. Sebastian darted away downhill, never missing his footing, sliding on sandy places as if surfing, until he disappeared into the trees below. His shard granted him speed, and he was always looking for an excuse to use it. His voice echoed back to them. See you inside, slow pokes!

Gladiolus slid her hand into Tane's. I think we were too mushy for him.

Tane grinned. Probably. So, how was your flight?

Glad told him about it all the way down the mountain. He sneaked many fond glances at her as they walked. She was small, but wiry, her body toned from years of digging up scrap. Her long hair tumbled about her face, some of it in braids. Her left eye, once subject to a curse and slowly killing her, now looked completely normal. The only sign that the sight in it wasn't quite right was that the iris was dark blue instead of brown. But it wasn't noticeable unless one looked closely. The terms of their marriage had broken the curse, freeing Glad from a slow, tortured death.

Modern science laughed at things like curses. It also claimed that elementals were myths. But the great sea elemental, Tyrannith, had viciously proven otherwise, and still haunted the waters around the Atlantean Isles. Tane had lost all interest in boating, swimming, surfing, or any other activity that put him within the monster's reach. Mercury Island currently floated a mile above the ocean, which was fine with him.

They descended into a shallow ravine and reached a cliff with a set of metal doors built into it. Tane hauled open a door and they stepped into the outer hallway of the great underground palace. Part fortress, part living quarters, a large portion of the central mountain had been hollowed out by the ancient Atlanteans. Crystal lights glowed on the walls, and the staircases leading downward all had boobytraps built in. Tane and Glad avoided them out of habit—the traps weren't set, but the trapdoors still tended to give way randomly.

They arrived in the great hall, a huge pillared room where many doorways and staircases met. The polished marble floor and walls kept the air cool and refreshing compared to the tropical humidity outside. Tane drew an automatic breath of his home’s atmosphere and let it out in a sigh of relief. The floor gleamed under the crystal lights, lately mopped and polished by Eileen. This floor was her pride and joy. Feeling a like he was committing sacrilege by walking on it, Tane crossed it with Gladiolus and entered the control room.

It was really only an auxiliary control hub, but the crew had preferred its easy accessibility over the big control room three floors below. One wall was lined with monitors, recently repaired. A table and chairs were set up in front of the monitors. The table was strewn with maps, notebooks, soda cans, water bottles, discarded headsets, packs of batteries, and other paraphernalia. A young woman with bubblegum pink hair sat at this table in a tiny clear spot. Her laptop was plugged into the monitors, and a video was paused on the central screen. Sebastian reclined in another chair, his feet propped against the stone wall.

Tane! Glad! Eileen exclaimed with a welcoming smile. Come in and sit down. Here, I brought fresh water bottles for you. She passed out bottles to them and Sebastian, the water still frosty from the cooler. She had an unusual type of Psi shard that made her an expert at social situations and reading people. She was an excellent Manager, which was her position on the crew.

Tane and Glad sat down and opened their bottles. What's this about? Tane asked. Some new prank video?

Nothing like that, Eileen said, focusing on her laptop. Over in the States, some strange things have been happening. Did you read about the salvage diver who shipped an entire waygate out of Atlantis?

Tane set his bottle down and stared at her. A whole waygate? Someone found one intact?

Eileen nodded.

Gladiolus said, But ... the waygates don't work. Nobody's ever been able to activate one. The tech was lost when the Calamity sank Atlantis.

Eileen pointed at the screens behind her. That's why you need to see this. She started the video.

It was a lengthy news report about an incident that had occurred in Topeka, Kansas. A group of people belonging to the Cult of the Dawn had secretly imported the waygate and reassembled it, piece by piece. Somehow they had figured out how to power it and had built a transformer to achieve the correct voltage. When they opened it, a human figure in black armor had come through.

More news clips followed. This Black Knight had jumped between Topeka, Kansas and Phoenix, Arizona seemingly at will. He had attacked lone supers, killing some and injuring others. He'd also killed civilians who got in his way, as well as leaving a swath of collateral damage like a tornado. All this was in violation of the law under the VERSUS act, which stated that no superhero could ever do such things, or they would face removal of their shard.

Halfway through, Tane spotted something. Wait, go back. Pause it. Who is that?

The clip showed the Knight battling a super outside a hospital. The super was a young man with wings made of fire and a long, burning lance. The camera caught his face for an instant: a youthful face, clean-shaven, with golden-brown skin and dark, wavy hair. The camera had caught him in combat, teeth bared and brows furrowed in determination.

You know him? Eileen asked.

Tane stared at the face of the kid from the other dimension—or dream—or whatever it had been. But it wasn't a dream. That was the same kid, Jayesh something. He was real, living someplace in the US, fighting a murderous Atlantean Knight.

Did he win? Tane blurted.

Let's find out, Eileen said, giving him a curious look.

But the clip of the kid was only one of many, strung together in a montage as a news reporter talked over it. The kid only appeared in the one shot, and there was no sign of how that skirmish had ended. But the kid disappeared, and the Knight did not. A sick feeling crept into the pit of Tane's stomach.

The final report showed the Knight without armor, lying dead on a gurney. Tane gazed at a man with his own bronze complexion and similar facial features, lacking only the dreadlocks. It was like seeing a family member he never knew he had. The sick feeling grew stronger.

The video ended. Eileen turned from her laptop and tucked her pink hair behind one ear. We need to keep an eye on this. Someone repaired an Atlantean waygate ... and that being came through.

He was Atlantean, Tane said.

Glad, Sebastian, and Eileen stared at him.

He was. Tane gestured to his face. Look at me. I'm pure-blood Atlantean. So was that guy. He could have been my cousin.

Some cousin, Sebastian remarked. Looks like you're related to a serial killer.

Thanks for that, Tane replied, deadpan, a weight growing in his chest.

Wait, Gladiolus said. If that guy was Atlantean, and he came through a waygate ... does that mean the ancient Atlanteans didn't all die in the Calamity? Some of them left through the gates?

Looks like it, Tane said. He abruptly rose from his chair. He had to process this news, grapple with the idea that he wasn't the last of his bloodline—an Atlantean Chanter. Gladiolus scanned his face, read his expression, and watched him go. She always knew when he needed space.

Tane crossed the great hall to a broad staircase that curved downward. He jogged down the steps and entered an antechamber with two huge crystal clusters, one white, one yellow. They sprang from their chemical pools like geometric plants, reaching nearly to the twelve-foot ceiling. The air carried the faint bite of ammonia.

Beyond the crystal clusters was a set of huge doors adorned with engravings. Each door had a gold plate with a hand print etched in it. Tane pressed his hand to a plate. The door clicked and swung open.

Inside was a large cavern with a marble floor. In the center was a pyramid topped with a sapphire the size of a small car. Tane jogged up the steps to the sapphire and leaned his elbows on it, gazing inside.

The Master Sapphire was the biggest Atlanticite crystal in the world. Created in the distant past by Atlantean crystal smiths, it emitted enough energy to power a city. In some mysterious way, it was linked with other Atlantean core crystals, sharing power and information between them. Most other core crystals had been destroyed in the Calamity, and Tane could only catch glimpses from them. But sometimes he thought there must be at least two intact ones somewhere ... the visions from those came through clearly and in three dimensions. Sometimes lights glowed or things moved, a hand touched a crystal, or a face appeared and vanished.

He gazed into the gem's indigo depths and tried to wrap his mind around the idea of Atlanteans returning to Earth. The one who had emerged so far had been a cold-blooded killer. He had been dealt with, but his death would anger the rest. Vengeance was coming.

More than that, Tane had to face the knowledge that he was no longer the last. It had always been a sort of gloomy triumph, being special in that way. But modern Atlanteans were terribly prejudiced against Chanters, even half or quarter-blooded. The remnants of the nation blamed them for the Calamity. Whether or not Tane's ancestors had been at fault, the prejudice was real. It was one reason the media could spin so many nasty stories about him. The populace ate it up.

Show me the Ancients, Tane said to the sapphire.

If the rest of the nation were off in another dimension somewhere, maybe they had core crystals. And maybe that's who Cirrus had been talking to. The thought made his skin crawl.

The sapphire's muted glow brightened to a sky blue. Tane squinted into it, trying to make out details. A cloudy haze had appeared, but it didn't look like anything. The haze swirled and revolved, but nothing happened. After a while, the haze faded, the light dimming back to normal.

I'm sorry, said a voice. There's some barriers I can't pierce through.

Tane glanced up. A few feet away, floating in midair, was a girl in a gauzy white dress. She had golden hair, eyes the same color as the sapphire, and he could see straight through her. This was Maria, once a sickly human girl, now an ascendant of magic itself. She had been bonded to the sapphire in some way he didn't understand, and now acted as its avatar.

Tane hid the impulse to flinch. No matter how many times Maria appeared, she always startled him. What do you mean, barriers?

The Atlanteans are shielded, Maria replied. Her blue eyes were fixed on some distant point, her brows drawn together. Much as I shield Mercury Island. But their shielding is as dense as neutronium. There is no seeing through it.

Wait, Tane said, straightening. You knew the Atlanteans were alive all this time?

Maria finally focused on him, her blue gaze seeming to x-ray him. I didn't know. I only knew there was a shield I could not touch. It is far and near. Yet, now that I look, it is nearer still. Pinpricks have opened ... the waygates on your video. I fear what may happen when that barrier falls.

Tane didn't bother asking how she knew about the video. Maria knew everything that happened on the island. The sapphire was one reason the island was afloat, and she went everywhere its power did.

Is Cirrus talking to them?

Maria smiled, her ethereal face turning a little more human. Cirrus has breached a much simpler barrier. It is in your best interest to consult with him about his findings.

Yeah, whatever, Tane grumbled under his breath. Cirrus disdained Tane. They had a truce at the moment, so as to work together, but they would never be friends. Having to visit the tower and ask permission to enter—on his own island—galled Tane.

Maria observed his reaction with a serene expression. We must all stand together, Guardian. We've faced challenges already, but worse is coming. She hugged herself and hunched her shoulders. The Atlanteans are stronger than I am. I'm afraid ... of what they'll do to you all if I fail.

Hey. Tane reached up and patted her shoulder. She was barely materialized, and touching her was like touching a cobweb. Don't give up so easily. Mercury Island is Atlantis tech. We can take whatever they dish out.

I hope so, Maria murmured. And do talk to Cirrus.

Tane gazed at her for a long moment. Again, he remembered that Jayesh kid, begging him for help in that strange dream. And there he was on that video, fighting an Atlantean alone as news cameras filmed from the sidelines.

Do ... do you know Jayesh?

Maria's expression didn't change. No.

Tane turned away.

Behind him, she added, But I know of him. He lives.

Tane stood still, drawing a deep, relieved breath, and letting it out. Thanks, he said, and descended the pyramid steps without looking back.

Chapter 2

Cirrus's tower was centuries old and should have fallen to ruins long ago. But it was surrounded by a henge of stones, all with active, glowing runes that had held back the jungle's relentless march. The interior had taken water damage from a leaky roof, but otherwise had held up remarkably well for standing empty for three hundred years. Cirrus had repaired the roof and damaged flooring, recovered most of the books, and turned the place into his private study.

Tane was able to pass between the stones of the henge, as was his right as Guardian. But he still had to knock at the tower door and wait until Cirrus condescended to open it. Sometimes Cirrus refused to answer at all. Otherwise, the knob wouldn’t turn, no matter how much strength Tane used, and the door could not be broken down.

Cirrus must have been in an amicable mood that night, because the door opened at the first knock. The island’s Wizard stood there in a ragged t-shirt and khaki shorts that had seen better days. Red tattoos swirled down his arms and legs, glowing faintly against his fair skin. His black hair also had red stripes in it. All of it originated from the Atlanticite that had been infused into his body back in the laboratory.

What? he said, scowling at Tane. I'm busy.

Tane drew a deep breath, reminding himself to control his temper. He'd put off this visit until the last thing at night because of his reluctance to deal with the Wizard. Maria said that I need to talk to you.

About what? Cirrus said.

About these extra-dimensional beings you've contacted.

Cirrus snorted. I haven't contacted anyone yet. Come in, I'll show you what's been going on. That'll get you idiots off my back, he added under his breath.

Tane followed him across the floor and up the spiral staircase that ringed the inside of the tower. The ground floor was set up as living quarters, with a couple of chairs, a table, and a tiny kitchen. The floor above it was the wizard's study. A magic circle had been burned into the floorboards. Shelves held samples of every color of Atlanticite, and a writing desk was covered with papers, notes, and open books. A machine like the guts of a radio stood in the middle of the floor, wires strung from it like an antenna array, all hooked to five Atlanticite crystals of various colors. The radio speaker crackled with static as they entered.

Hear that? Cirrus said. That's your aura. You've brought so much interference, I'll never pick up a thing with you here.

My bad, Tane said, folding his arms. Have you heard anything?

As a matter of fact, yes, said Cirrus with a smug smile. He went to his desk, retrieved a notebook, and handed it to Tane. Rows and rows of numbers had been transcribed in neat, clear handwriting. Tane recognized radio frequencies, but nothing else.

These are the signals coming in on different frequencies, Cirrus said. They all have the same source, but that source is outside our universe. I've done calculations for days, trying to figure it out. I thought I'd contacted extra-terrestrials, but this is even further out than that.

Tane studied the numbers. Is it a message?

Not exactly, Cirrus admitted. It's a regular pulse that plays at two second intervals. Like a lighthouse beam. It rotates through these frequencies at different times of day. It's like it's trying to signal someone.

Can you reply?

I've been trying. Cirrus gestured to his radio and crystals. I've tried duplicating the signal, then varying it. No response, yet. I think it's listening for a certain signal.

Tane handed back the notebook. Eileen showed me a video this morning about what's been happening in the US. Somebody smuggled an Atlantean waygate out there and opened it.

Cirrus stared at him, animosity forgotten in the shock of this news. Did someone go through?

Someone came out, Tane said. He described the Atlantean Exile and recounted how many people he'd killed before the local supers took him down. So I tried to use the Master Sapphire to see the Atlanteans, but Maria says there's a barrier in the way. She said that you've breached a simpler barrier, and it's important that we talk.

Cirrus turned away and set his notebook on his desk. He stood over it, head bowed, fingering his lower lip. He stayed that way for a long moment, lost in thought, seeming to forget Tane's existence. Tane folded his arms and waited.

After a while, Cirrus inhaled and straightened. If I give you some of these frequencies, could you try reaching them with the Sapphire?

Maybe, Tane said. I'm not sure how to do it without equipment.

Ramussan could tune it, Cirrus said. "Point is, you can actually look at whoever