Hero Academy

Chapter 12 : Dr Nathaniel Rasussem

By the night Diana was cold, tired and hungry. She had nodded off for a few hours but was awoken by a nightmare. The vivid images it caused had left but the fear remained. Diana curled herself up in a corner and began to cry. She planned to be captured for a few hours before the Challengers came storming in with all guns blazing. But know she had been here for something like twelve hours and nothing had happened.

It was hopeless. She was locked up in a room, surrounded by Viper with no possibility of escaping. She had tried to but the room was completely escape-proof. The walls were thick concrete and the door a few inches of iron. Who was she kidding? She was a school kid, a child. Not an adult and certainly not a superhero.

We had expected more from the daughter of the Captain, the words of the Viper agent came back to her. She was one of the powerful-est supers in her school, the daughter of the powerful-est in the world. And she had allowed herself to be captured. Diana felt failure, complete and abject failure.

She should have done more. Told someone what was happening, run to Astate. She should have tried to fight the Dark Assassin. There was so much she could and should have done but Diana hadn't. Maybe there was such a thing as the greater good?

With her thoughts still spiralling Diana stood up, working the creaks out of her legs and neck. It must be the morning by now, her watch and phone had been taken off her so she wasn't sure. Footsteps passed her room, then they came back.

"Diana?" came a whispered voice.

Her heart leapt, "Aspen?"

"Yes," came the conformation. A few tears spilled down Diana's cheek in joy, "Oscar's here as well, we need to get you out of there."

She ran to the door and knelt by it, "Whose with you?"

"No one, after York's betrayal we decided it was safer to come alone. We texted the co-ordinations of your GPS signal to your father, it will take him a while to realise what they are but it was all we can do."

"Diana, you need to get out of there," came Oscar's voice.

"I can't, I've tried."

"We can't find the keys," said Oscar, "We've got a laser but it won't cut the door. We managed to find shrink and freeze rays as well."

"I'll use all my power," said Diana. She had tried to break down the door before but Diana tried again, putting all her strength into it. She pushed against the door forcing electricity through her hands. Diana started to shout, using all her power possible – it didn't move an inch.

"It's pointless," said Diana, "You managed to break in here, can't you get me out?"

There was silence. Diana kicked the door and shouted, she collapsed onto the floor, panting out of all the energy she had used. Diana frowned, her power wasn't doing anything. Wait. An idea popped into Diana's head, maybe she shouldn't use great power.

"Get the shrink ray ready," said Diana. She lay down on the floor right next to the door, forcing her arm right against it. Then she began to change it to mercury. Fingers first, then hand and finally wrist. Diana gritted her teeth, straining to keep it all liquid. She felt the mercury, her hand, run under the door. It burst free on the side.

"Now," said Diana. Something hit her hand, a plus of heat which travelled up the metal before going through the rest of her body. Diana found that she was no longer the same height of the door but so small she couldn't see the top of it. It towered above her like the sky itself. The tiniest gap under the door was big enough for her to crawl under. Diana got on her hands and knees, just scraping under the door, metal scratching her back.