Read Online Vanguard: The Complete Second Season: A Superhero Serial (Vanguard: The Collected Seasons Book 2) by Percival Constantine - Free Book Online

hovered above the crowd and those who had just arrived along with those who were already waiting cheered for him.
    But for Erin and Koji, this was a shock. They recognized this man as Callum King. The rest of the world knew him only as the Exemplar, a powerful special with an incredible degree of superhuman abilities. The first time they encountered him, they were enemies. And the second, they were reluctant allies when taking down the Khagan.
    The Exemplar held up his hands and smiled and the crowd’s cheers died down. “Thank you. I would like to welcome you all to the future. Ever since we started appearing, we knew the time would come when humans would have no use for us. Fortunately here in this place, we can live free from their persecution and their judgment. Here, there is no need to hide who you truly are. In this place, you can be made whole once more and join a family that grows larger with each passing day.
    “Welcome to Arcadia.”

CHAPTER 4

    “What’s the Exemplar doing here?” asked Koji, speaking in a low voice to Erin. “I mean, I know Thorne let him go free after we got back from Olympus, but I wasn’t expecting this.”
    Erin shrugged. “I’ve got no idea. I tried to keep tabs on him after we left Atlas, but couldn’t find any info. I thought he’d decided to lay low after everything that had happened.”
    “Guess he was setting this place up.”
    The Exemplar had departed and other representatives of Arcadia arrived, guiding the new arrivals from the shore. Erin and Koji moved along with the crowd. Paths led up a small hill, on the other side of which they could see a small town. The homes and buildings were pretty small, all looked constructed from stone.  
    In the town square, tables were set up with the Arcadian representatives asking the newcomers to form lines in order to record their information. Erin remained by Koji’s side, standing behind him in the long line.
    And then, Erin was forcefully pulled from the line. She screamed as she was grabbed, drawing the attention of Koji and the rest of the gathered specials. Koji recognized the man who grabbed her—the same one he had seen at the shore staring at them.
    “They’re here!” said the scruffy man. He kept one arm wrapped around Erin’s neck and claws extended from his free hand. Black hair emerged from the pores all over his body and his muscles strained beneath his clothes. His jaw elongated and his teeth extended into long fangs.
    “What are you doing, Fenris?” asked one of the Arcadian representatives.
    “Don’t you recognize her?” asked Fenris. “She’s one of them! Vanguard!”
    “Let me go!” said Erin. “I didn’t do anything to you!”
    “Only because I’m not giving you the chance!”
    Everyone cleared a path for Fenris, except Koji who stepped closer. He narrowed his eyes at the werewolf. “Let her go right now.”
    “You don’t know what she is! Her and the rest of her team are traitors, working with the humans to hunt down specials!” said Fenris.
    “I know what she is—you don’t know what I am!” Koji’s body bulked up, his skin toughening and becoming gray as he assumed his shark form.  
    Fenris’ eyes bulged at the sight before him. “You’re one of ‘em, too!”
    “Name’s Sharkskin, Fido. And I think you’re about to find out why she’s called Shift.”
    Erin’s neck and head became extremely thin, allowing her to slip through Fenris’ grip. He tried to grab hold of her again, but with her malleable form, it was too difficult. Shift maneuvered herself behind Fenris, her arms snaking around his shoulders and holding him. Sharkskin stepped closer, cracking his knuckles with a grin on his face.
    “I’m gonna enjoy this.”
    Before Sharkskin could take another step, he was tackled. This was another wolf-like special, with reddish fur, and he wrestled with Sharkskin on the ground. His strength was about equal to Koji’s and Sharkskin couldn’t gain any sort of