Hero Unit

by JC Bybee

  Wow, she figured out your real name. Not many people know that.

  Ace smiled her thanks to her friend. The rest of the meal was spent on more pleasant topics. A lot of it was Ace catching up with her parents. It was nice to be able to speak with them without the feeling they didn’t approve of her decisions. They had come to terms with her choice to join the E.E.D, just as she had come to terms with their choice to stay as Regs.

  Their reasons were easy for her to understand. They were survivors of the Exceptionals War. Both of them had been teenagers when the war had started, but all the Exceptionals had been pulled into the conflict that had quickly spread across North America. And then to the rest of the world.

  There are times I really wish they had been able to call it World War Three.

  Both her parents still suffered PTSD because of what they’d had to do in defense of the normals. Unlike other wars both sides of the conflict had been explained to Ace in stark, unflinching detail. Everyone in the E.E.D had to study all aspects of the Exceptionals War. That had opened her eyes to what her parents had gone through at very young ages.

  They spent the rest of the day touring the city. Emily stayed home. She knew that Ace needed some alone time with her family. Ace’s parents hadn’t been back to New Davenport since helping in its reconstruction after the war. Ace was nervous about exposing her parents to HSO agents, but her dad had prevailed. “They can’t be any more dangerous than the likes of Black Lake or Blight,” was his argument. And he was right. So far the HSO hadn’t committed nearly the atrocities that had been perpetuated by the leaders of the Anti-Registration Army.

  Don’t worry, they’re close enough that I can handle some misdirection.

  The last place they went was Monument Park. As veterans of the war Ace’s parents approached with reverence and regret in their eyes. Her father read the names on the Memorial of the Fallen. “Man, I remember serving with some of these people, good men and women, all of them,” he whispered, tears in his eyes as he read the names.

  “From what I heard Einstein was in tears the whole time he put it up. He wouldn’t let a single Exceptional near it until the normals had had their chance to pay their respects. The whole park is protected by some of his best stuff,” Ace said.

  The hardest part was when they came to the Exceptional Monument. “John Smith, the General. I had hoped…” her father’s voice trailed off. He fell to his knees and leaned against the monument, his head resting on his crossed arms, crying silently. Ace had already confirmed that the name was in fact her grandfather.

  John Smith was the First of the Third Generation. He had led the forces that fought the ARA during the Exceptionals War. People had called them the Heroes. John Smith “the General” had fallen in the last engagement of the war. He’d died to eliminate the remaining leaders of the ARA. Their deaths had spelled the end for the Anti-Registration Army. It had taken a few years to actually find his body and confirm his passing.

  “Moses confirmed it dad, it was grandpa’s body they found,” Ace said quietly.

  Her dad nodded quietly. Her mother put her hand on his shoulder, but said nothing. She cried silent tears while her husband mourned for the first time the death of his father. Ace took her siblings a short distance away. “That’s why you fight, isn’t it?” Aaron asked as he watched their parents.

  Ace nodded. “If I can prevent that ever happening again I want to. Children shouldn’t have to mourn their parents, nor should parents have to mourn their children.”

  “Do you think mom and dad would be upset if I joined the E.E.D?” Amy asked quietly.

  “I couldn’t tell you. They still struggle with my joining. I don’t know what they would do if you joined. I would just ask you to wait until after college,” Ace said.

  “You regret not waiting?” Amy asked. This was a conversation Ace had wanted to have with her sister for a long time.

  She needs to know the truth. She’ll join the E.E.D, but mom and dad will be able to accept her decision better thanks to you.

  “I had nothing at home, sis. I know there aren’t many Exceptionals to begin with, but you share the Fourth Generation. The other Exceptionals understand you, maybe even accept you. That wasn’t the case for me. I was even forbidden from joining the Exceptional Athletics program because I was so much more powerful than the greatest of the Fourth Generation. The people that should have been my peers, the Fourths who were my age, couldn’t deal with the power gap.

  “There was a Mental Class, one of the detectors, who nearly committed suicide after she tried to determine my limits. I remember feeling her power touch me and then recoil and she started screaming. This was a girl that had people like Tomahawk, Bane and Hellfire as points of reference. She’d tested them all as part of her qualification process and my power was enough to make her want to kill herself. That was not an easy thing for me to deal with, so I ran. The military seemed like the best choice.”

  “Did she ever recover?” Amy asked.

  We should probably find that out.

  “Don’t know. I haven’t bothered to find out. I’d done enough damage to her already. I can’t imagine what seeing me would do to her. My point is you have time before you make the decision. Go to school, break world records, fall in love, get your heart broken, live as normal a life as an Exceptional can, then once you’ve done that see if you still want to join the E.E.D. And if you do that, when the time comes and you still want to join I’ll speak with mom and dad for you.”

  Amy nodded. Ace knew her sister well enough to know that her words had had an effect. She just hoped it was for the better. Later she would talk to her parents about the conversation. Ace hoped very much that it would placate them a little.

  After a few more minutes of silence while her parents mourned the fallen they were joined by Bones. “Are those your parents?” he asked watching Ace’s mom and dad as they read the list of names.

  Ace nodded. “These are my siblings Aaron and Amy,” she indicated her brother and sister and said, “Aaron, Amy this is Bones, head of the E.E.D in New Davenport.”

  Bones shook their hands and said, “It is a pleasure to meet you. Your sister is one of my best officers. I hope you know that she is a Hero in every sense of the word.” Ace blushed at such high praise.

  Her parents came over and her father said, “Bones? Is that really you?”

  Ace blinked. Then saw something that made her look harder at her commanding officer. It was unmistakable now that the two men were standing together; there was a resemblance between Bones and her father. “It’s good to see you again Abraham,” Bones replied and both men embraced.

  I thought he looked familiar!

  Seeing the confused looks on her children’s faces Ace’s mom explained, “Bones is your father’s younger brother, your uncle.”

  “But how- when- but he,” Ace sputtered trying to figure it out and failing.

  “I had thought Ace looked familiar the first time I laid eyes on her, but her records were sealed tighter than any other Exceptional, and that’s just not something you ask about,” Bones explained stepping away from his brother. Standing side-by-side the family resemblance was unmistakable. The same slightly crooked smile, the same almost too strong jaw line. Ace wondered how she’d missed it before.

  You didn’t miss it, you just never put the pieces together.

  “We had to. It was just too dangerous to be known as the First of the Fourth Generation and as the father of the only Fifth. It took a lot of work, but the old man helped. Officially Ace’s mother died in child birth and her father committed suicide as a result,” Ace’s father explained.

  “Figures he’d have his hand in things, what about Grandma Smith, is she aware?” Bones asked.

  “Aware. She was there when Ace was born. She confirmed what she was and then set out to make sure we were as protected as she could possibly make us. She and the old man almost got into an argument over how it would be handled,” Ace’s mother replied. />
  Ace sat down on one of the many benches in Monument Park and did her best to figure some things out. Her parents had always been closemouthed about their families. Ace had figured it had something to do with their choice to be Regs instead of joining the E.E.D, but apparently there was more to it than that. Her parents had stayed separate from the rest of their family to protect them, just like she had.

  “Do you know what they’re talking about, Ace?” Aaron asked. She nodded, but didn’t dare explain. That was her parents’ responsibility. She wasn’t going to overstep her boundaries. If they hadn’t told her siblings yet, then she wasn’t going to. She was still trying to grasp the idea that she had been working in the same city as her uncle and she hadn’t even known it.

  “Did you ever end up marrying Spark?” Ace’s mom said.

  “Yeah, she said yes not long after Ace was born. I wish you could have been there, but the old man told me what you were going through. If you want I can bring her and the kids over. I’m guessing you’re staying at Ace’s castle,” Bones replied and again Ace blushed. Her house wasn’t that big. She should know, she’d been in a couple of actual castles during her missions in Eastern Europe.

  “That would be great,” Ace’s dad said.

  “We’ll be over around five, will that work?” Bones asked. He was looking at Ace for confirmation. She gave herself a shake and said, “I think so. I’ll have to call and let Emily know we are expecting more for dinner. You have three… no four kids.”

  Bones smiled. “They will be happy to finally get a chance to meet their famous cousin.”

  That evening was an emotional time for Ace. For the first time in her life she had a chance to meet some of her extended family. She’d always wondered if she had aunts, uncles or cousins. In the back of her mind she couldn’t help but wonder if it was okay. She was a target for a lot of people. She might be nearly invincible, but she couldn't protect everyone. The more people got close to her the more danger they were in.

  And as always it is their choice. Bones knows just how dangerous it is to be part of a famous family.

  Sometime after dinner Ace was taking a break from everything on her back porch. It had a spectacular view over the city, stationed as her house was on one of the bluffs. Bones joined her and said, “Feeling a little overwhelmed?”

  Ace shrugged. “It’s a lot to take in. I’ve spent most of my life wondering if I had more of a family and the last few years doing everything in my power to protect what little family I have by staying the hell away from them.”

  “Just so you know I’m the reason you were transferred here. After seeing you the first time in the Academy I was almost certain you were Abraham’s daughter. The old man was tight lipped about it. I had to pull a few strings to do it and with Tomahawk on my roster it was a lot harder than it should have been. I didn’t know if I would ever get the chance to confirm my suspicions, but I still wanted a chance to get to know you. I haven’t seen my younger sister in years… yes, you have an aunt. It drives the old man crazy, but he does everything he can to make sure we are safe. The family of the First Exceptional is a target and he knows it. He’s got enough influence to keep us all safe and happy. Your dad is the only one who isn’t in the E.E.D and I think the old man is happy for him. I don’t know what he’s going to make of this whole thing.”

  Ace snorted. “He can damn well live with it. If things start going south I’ll move you and your whole family here along with anyone else in our family I can. Not even Tomahawk could break in here with the help of a team of Energy Class and Mental Class.”

  “So that’s what you were doing right after this place was built,” Bones said with smile.

  “And we’ve upgraded since then. Einstein and Maniac both went over it again after Mayhem’s little stunt,” Ace added.

  “Mayhem! I can’t tell you how glad I am to have him in custody. He will pay for what he’s done, that’s for damn sure.”

  Ace nodded. She would be more than happy to testify at that trial. Anything to get Mayhem removed as a threat. “Your dad said they’re leaving tomorrow?” Bones asked.

  “Yeah, Amy and Aaron have to get back to school,” Ace replied. It was too short a visit, but she understood and would be much relieved once they were back home and away from her current fight with the HSO.

  “Go ahead and take tomorrow off then. I know it’s been a long time since you’ve seen them.” He turned to go but paused and said, “And I’ve already approved your time off request for the international qualifiers for next year. I hope you have a good time and take Emily with you. She needs a family as badly as the rest of us.”

  He’s not kidding.

  Ace smiled and gave her uncle a quick, gentle, hug. “Thank you.”

  “That’s what family does for each other,” he said returning the hug. They went back in together, Ace feeling much relieved.

  Chapter 17

  “So word got around the precinct that you and Bones are related,” Emily said on their drive to work. It was the day after Ace’s family had left and she was still feeling pretty good. But Emily’s news killed that.

  “How bad’s the response?” she asked.

  “Well those officers that have half a brain have taken the time to look at the facts before jumping to conclusions, you know like good police officers. And those that haven’t are being dealt with. I have to say it took even Torment by surprise, but she got over it quick. The rest of your team didn’t seem to care. Jacks was pretty happy for you, but then again he’s a pretty good guy,” Emily replied.

  You might have some problems with Maniac. She is your partner after all.

  “Anyone I need to worry about?” Ace asked. The morning commute was quieter than usual. That made her wary. The last time the roads had been this quiet had been right before Mayhem had hit the truck. They both were looking around more than usual.

  “Not really. There might be some good natured hazing, but those that resent you for it are the ones that resent you for being the only Fifth. I’d be more worried about the guys in Aerial than I would about those in your own precinct,” Emily said. She looked worried. That was significant. Too much had happened for Ace to have a good hold on the officers in Aerial Patrol. She was going to have to make some calls.

  They made it to the office without any problems. Emily went right to the interrogation rooms. With Article Two still in affect the Captain made sure to use her abilities to their full extent. Up on the E.E.D floor there were construction workers going in and out. They were doing only minor repairs. The major ones had been handled by Einstein. Ace went to her, surprisingly damaged, office and checked her inbox. There were a few emails from members of the Aerial Patrol. With a sigh she began working.

  She’d completely lost track of time when Captain Angel knocked on her door. She looked up in surprise. “So I hear you had quite the last couple of days,” he said and entered.

  “Something like that, sir,” she replied. She pushed back from her desk and rubbed her eyes.

  “And on top of that you get to deal with rumors here and among your own men. I can’t say I envy you,” the Captain said with a shake of his head.

  “If I wanted an easy job I’d have stayed at home and played video games,” Ace said.

  Captain Angel laughed. “Well I was just coming to check in on you. With everything that happened you are the last officer I haven’t scanned. You know protocol.”

  Ace shrugged. After the death of an officer all members of the E.E.D had to be scanned by a Mental Class. The Captain would already know what was going on. It was E.E.D policy that all officers keep their minds open while on police property. It made it easier to keep attempted infiltrations to a minimum. They still happened, but it could have been worse. Ace never actively prevented anyone from scanning her.

  “What can I tell you, Captain? I wish I’d had the chance to put my fist through Mayhem’s face. He deserves the maximum punishment that can be inflicted on an Exceptional and I don�
��t mean the death penalty. A guy like Mayhem is expecting that. Implant suppressors in him along with a violence inhibitor… or six… and make him work for minimum wage the rest of his life.”

  “That sounds a lot like a reform attempt. People wouldn’t like that,” the Captain said.

  “But it’s a fitting punishment. Mayhem enjoys having power over people. It’s what makes him tick. That’s why he directly disobeyed Valentine’s orders not to involve the E.E.D in his attempts to kidnap me. That’s also why he blew Valentine up. The thought of someone else having even an illusion of power over him drives him mad. If the judge doesn’t think that violates cruel and unusual punishment I say that’s what we do to him. The death sentence is just him winning.”

  “I’ll put that under consideration,” he said then asked, “What about Deuce, how are you handling that?”

  “You’ve seen my file. You know what’s going on in my head,” Ace replied. That was one thing she didn’t feel ready to talk about.

  You still need to.

  “Yeah, but I need to hear it from you.”

  He’s just doing his job, Ace reminded herself. “I wish I’d broken the gunmen’s necks instead of their arms and legs. I wish I’d pounded Mayhem into the top of that building until there was nothing left of him. I wish I could find ever single HSO operative and end their worthless lives so the rest of us don’t have to suffer for their arrogance any more than we already have.”

  I’d say that sums it up pretty well.

  “That’s what I needed to hear. Like you said Ace, I know you pretty well. I’ve read all the files on you I can legally get my hands on. And I’ve read you on a number of occasions. I know you’re a good person and if you had it all to do over again you’d make the same decisions. Also if any of them give you trouble,” he pointed to her personnel files, “turn them in for discipline. This problem is bigger than their damned egos.”