Of course, Luke and Hunter were the first to touch the sphere. They must have given up most of their life for her. That would have cost them, big time.
She touched Mark's hand. "Thank you, by the way." She looked around to all the agents in the room. "Thanks to all of you. You saved my life, and my brother's."
Mark looked down for a moment, then made eye contact. "We should have stopped the crazy bitch sooner."
"You did what you felt was right. I know how hard it is to accept the fact that someone you trusted isn't who you thought. Trust me." She thought about her memories as she formulated a plan. "Did Drake take the sphere?"
Luke shook his head. "No. Too dangerous. The thing almost killed me, even if it did save you."
Knowing that the sphere was nearby comforted her, though she didn't know why. She didn't feel the same draw to it that she used to, but it could still be useful. She'd been able to harness its power for quite awhile without harming herself.
In the meantime, she knew something of more immediate use. "I think I know a way of stopping Steele, but first I have to talk to Simmons."
***
The pen stank of mud and piss. Simmons sat in a corner on the floor, looking quite the mess. Her hair hung in strings around her face and her clothes were covered in gunk. Lucy thought she'd feel happy or vindicated seeing Simmons in this condition, but she just felt sorry for the stupid bitch. It shocked her, though, to go from the memories of a young, hopeful Simmons to this angry, jaded monster that she'd become.
Lucy walked up the to pen. "Steele wants you back."
Simmons smacked. "So you finally figured it out, huh?"
She nodded.
Simmons hung her head. "You're wrong though. He'd love to see me dead."
"Sam read his mind and sent me his thoughts. He wants you back. Have you seen the TV?"
Simmons snarled, but the expression only touched her lips. "That bitch told you about my past?"
"She just showed me the truth. I understand now. Steele wronged you." Kinda.
A feint smile. "He did, didn't he?"
"Yes. So have you seen the TV?"
Simmons shrugged. "Someone told me about it."
A fly buzzed around Lucy's face and she brushed it away. It landed on Simmons, who didn't flinch. Damnit, Lucy couldn't afford for Simmons to shut down right now. "That demonstration he's doing out there, broadcasting it to the entire world... it's for you."
"No, it's for him. Everything he's ever done has been for himself." Still no emotion, no response. The fly sat there nibbling its feet, or whatever flies did.
Ugh. She needed to sympathize. Lucy lowered herself onto the balls of her feet, refusing to sit on the dirt. "I saw how he mistreated you, how he hurt you."
She had to bite her tongue to keep from bringing up all the monumental mistakes Simmons had made. That wouldn't help her cause, right now. She breathed and remembered her lessons in the valley, to stay calm and focus on the task without letting her emotions make her rash or stupid.
What would Simmons want more than anything? Not to be with Steele again, clearly, but.... "Would you like to hurt him back?"
For the first time, Simmons looked up. "It's too late now." But a glimmer of hope sparked in her eyes.
Lucy used it. "No, it's not. You can defeat him."
Simmons laughed—a cold, hard gesture that didn't reach her eyes. "He's more powerful than ever. How could I do anything to him? I'm powerless."
Lucy wanted to smack her for being so stupid and selfish, for thinking that people only held value if they held power. Instead, she dangled a promise in front of her. "You give him what he wants. And then you give him this." Lucy held a syringe out, the one she got from the armory, filled with the drug that took away para-powers.
Simmons looked at the needle and then looked up at Lucy and smiled. This time it reached her eyes. "I'll do it."
Before Lucy could enjoy the small victory, and the hope that came with it, something large dropped from the sky and crashed into the ground, remolding the earth into a crater. She and Simmons looked up, and both gasped.
Beleth.
Chapter 122 - Drake
From Drake's view in the helicopter, Diamond Head looked like a giant crater surrounded by buildings. He hadn't expected there to be green shrubbery scattered throughout the volcano, but it made sense considering how long it had been inactive. In the broadcast, Steele had been on the summit above the observation platform, presumably because it offered the best view for offense and defense. Since Steele's plan involved Sam giving him Ana's powers, they both had to be there, and Drake had seen extra vials of the drug he needed to get his para-powers back.
Fighting him head-on would be suicide, especially without his powers, but that was why he had a team. "Darren, you'll lead the attack against Steele while Robyn and I go after the drugs and Sam."
Darren crossed his arms. "I'll go after Sam."