by Nolan Fury
“Don’t do it!” Surge yelled.
“Bring me the stone, and I’ll return the passengers to the ground safely.”
“It’s not going to happen.”
“Then everybody dies.”
Three supers ambushed us from behind. SuperFrost hit Ranger and Zepha with freeze beams. A thick block of ice formed around their bodies.
MegaStrike jolted Chrome with a searing bolt. It turned her body into a shiny puddle of metal that collected on the roof.
Pulse was a super I hadn’t seen before. He wore a white suit, and his eyes glowed a pale blue. His body illuminated, and he emitted an EMP. The blast spread out, rippling through the city. Lights across the metropolis went dark. Electronics stopped working. A static discharge sparked around Surge, then she passed out. The blast had disrupted her energy manipulation powers—and mine too. But it didn’t affect my consciousness.
Surge tumbled from the ledge of the building and plummeted toward the concrete below.
My eyes filled with terror.
Scar tossed the bus from the roof. It careened toward the ground. A maniacal grin curled on his lips. “You’ll have to choose who to save.”
I clenched my jaw, and my whole body tensed. I dove toward the ground. My blurred reflection streaked across the shimmery glass of the skyscrapers as I plummeted to the ground.
I didn’t know how the hell I was going to pull this one off. Dozens of passengers would die if I chose to save Surge. But I wasn’t about to let her become a grease spot on the concrete. Could I save both?
Surge was tough, but I didn’t think she could survive a fall from this height. Wind rushed through my hair. My heart hammered like a stampede of buffaloes. I swooped down and grabbed Surge in one arm, then flew underneath the bus. With my other hand I pressed against the undercarriage and tried to slow its descent.
I had barely learned how to fly, and a complex maneuver like this was a little beyond my skill set. But failure was not an option.
I summoned all my strength, resisting gravity. I pushed against the bus with all my might. 3800 pounds plummeted toward the ground. The bus teetered above me. Despite my best efforts, we were still racing to the ground faster than I would have liked.
I slammed into the roadway, shattering the asphalt. Bits of debris spidered in all directions. The impact made a crater 2 feet deep. But I managed to balance the bus with one hand, sparing it from disaster.
I gently set Surge’s body on the ground. She was still unconscious. Then I set the bus aside. I glanced at the terrified faces inside the bus—their eyes wide and their jaws slack. Still in shock, they didn’t know how to react. I don’t know if I expected cheers or applause, but I got nothing. They were too frightened to make a sound.
Before I could make another move, Scar slammed into me like a defensive back taking down the QB.
We flew through the air and crashed into a neighboring building. Glass shattered and shards showered down, dancing off the ground.
With the big ogre on top of me, I could hardly move. His sledgehammer fist pummeled my face relentlessly.
Scar was bigger and stronger than I was. But he didn’t have as many abilities. I morphed my body into a pool of liquid metal and flowed out of his grasp. He was mid punch, and his fist smacked the ground, shattering the tile floor.
He roared in anger. He shook his hand, trying to disrupt the pain. Scar sprang to his feet and squared off against me.
I took a combat stance and morphed my arms into razor sharp broadswords. I braced for Scar’s attack. The beast charged at me like a freight train. His heavy steps rumbled the ground.
I held steady and thrust my swords into his flesh. But the metal curled like tinfoil.
The beast slammed into me, knocking me through several walls. Sheet rock shattered, and the air filled with dust and gypsum.
I morphed again into liquid metal and flowed away, then re-formed myself. It wasn’t as easy to do this time. My ability in that area was diminishing. It was a perishable skill.
Scar climbed to his feet and prepared to charge me again. I thrust my hand forward and focused on pulling the energy from his body. I figured I would use my newly acquired vampiric skills. Nothing happened at first, but then a steady flow of energy particles spilled from Scar. I felt a rush of power enter my body.
I held steady as Scar charged me. I sidestepped, and the ogre tumbled to the ground. He sprang to his feet and spun around, but the energy I pulled from him was taking its toll.
He took a step, then tumbled to a knee. His face twisted with confusion. His rage filled eyes glared at me. He summoned his strength and tried to spring to his feet, but he stumbled again.
The more power I drained from him, the better I felt. I wondered if I could take this behemoth down to a weathered bag of bones?
SuperFrost stormed through the debris and hit me with a freeze beam. Ice entombed my body. It gave Scar a chance to regain his strength. He staggered to his feet and rushed out of the demolished building.
I strained with all of my might and broke free of the ice brick. Chunks of ice clattered to the ground, shattering into multiple shards. I raced into the street in time to see Scar grab Surge’s unconscious body and whisk her into the sky.
Rage boiled in my veins. I leapt into the sky and chased after them. They weaved through the narrow buildings, twisting and turning. SuperFrost hurled freeze beams at me. I zigged and zagged, dodging the onslaught. But one of the blasts connected. My body froze, encased in a massive block of ice. It put a serious damper on my aerodynamic qualities. I plummeted toward the ground. I strained to break free, but this block of ice didn’t shatter as easily.
The ice sarcophagus slammed into the side of a building. Glass shattered, and the deadly shards plummeted to the sidewalk below. Anybody who didn’t get out of the way was going to have a real bad day.
The block of ice crashed through the entire floor, exiting the other side of the skyscraper. I still hadn’t managed to break free of it. I slammed into the neighboring building, demolishing several floors as I lost momentum.
I managed to break free of the ice and come to a stop on the 14th floor. I staggered to my feet, a path of destruction in my wake. Twisted bits of steel and broken sheetrock lined my devastating pathway.
I dusted myself off and flew back the way I came. I ascended into the sky and scanned the horizon. But all traces of Scar and his companions were gone. My hands balled into fists. I screamed with rage. My angry voice echoed throughout downtown.
I returned to the Warby Tower and rendezvoused with the rest of my team.
“They’ve got Surge.” I could barely choke out the words. My throat was tight, and my eyes welled. My chest felt like an elephant was standing on it. My stomach twisted. The thought of anything happening to Surge made me sick.
Chrome and the others could see my obvious distress. “We’ll get her back. Don’t worry.”
We headed to the Academy to formulate a plan. But we couldn’t have imagined what we’d come home to.
24
I had only been at the Academy for a few days, but it had become more of a home to me than the one I grew up in. To see it in this state was devastating.
For the first time in my life, not only did I fit in, but I excelled. These people were becoming like family to me. Anyone who threatened them became my mortal enemy. The sick feeling in my stomach only intensified as I saw smoke billowing from the campus.
It looked bad from the sky, but as we landed in the courtyard, the full magnitude of the situation became evident. Sections of buildings had been demolished. Fires raged across campus and supers used their powers to extinguish the flames. A thick haze of smoke filled the air. It smelled like devastation.
Tears of rage streaked down Zepha and Chrome’s faces.
“This was a set up,” Zepha said. “The attack on the civilians was just a diversion to get us away from the Academy so Titus could attack.”
“We’ve got to find Professor Zy
rco,” Chrome said as she marched into what was left of the main building.
We found Zyrco on the floor of his office, barely alive. I knelt beside him and clutched his hand. He gasped for breath.
“Assume your power. Keep Titus from uniting the tri-stone.” The last breath slipped from his lips, and his mutilated body went limp. Sparkles of his essence wafted from his body and dissipated into the atmosphere.
Chrome and Zepha shrieked with sorrow, and they sobbed over Zyrco’s body.
Ranger’s grim face attempted to hold back tears, but he was unsuccessful.
I felt hollow, like someone had yanked my insides out. Zyrco was the closest thing to a father figure that I had. Titus was responsible for destroying my real family, and now my surrogate.
Lava flowed in my veins. Hate and vengeance consumed me. I swore that Titus would feel my wrath. I stood tall and gritted my teeth. “Where the hell do we find Titus?”
“You can’t defeat him,” Ranger said. “He’s too powerful. If the professor couldn’t stop him, we’re doomed.”
“Maybe. But I’m not going down without a fight.”
“I think we seriously need to consider leaving Vega Station,” Ranger said. “Find someplace safe. Build our strength and experience.”
“In the meantime, Titus will continue to grow in strength and wreak havoc across the galaxy,” Zepha said. “I’m not cool with that.”
“Do we even know where Titus is?” Chrome asked.
“I might,” Mika said as she hovered in the doorway.
Our curious faces begged for an explanation.
“I may, or may not, have hooked up with him. Once!”
The room filled with groans.
“He’s got a big dick. Sue me,” Mika said.
“Show me where he is,” I growled.
“You mean, like right now?” Mika asked.
“If you go off half-cocked, you’re going to get yourself killed,” Zepha said.
“I’m not stupid. I’ve got a plan.” I had no plan. But I didn’t want Surge to spend a second longer in captivity than she had to.
“Let’s hear this plan,” Chrome said.
“We’re going to need Crusher’s help, along with every other super at this Academy.”
“Most of the students here barely know how to use their ability,” Ranger said.
“Neither did I a few days ago.”
“Yeah, but you’re different,” Chrome said with a twinkle.
“I’ve got bad news for you,” Mika said. “Crusher switched teams. When Titus arrived he offered everyone a chance to defect. Many did. The ones who didn’t were slaughtered.”
“Why didn’t you go with Titus?”
“My loyalty has always been to Professor Zyrco. I may be a bitch, but I’m not a traitor.”
“So, let’s hear this crazy plan of yours,” Zepha said.
“We lack the resources to mount a full assault on Titus’s compound,” I said. “We need to get in and get out unnoticed.”
“How are we going to do that?” Ranger asked.
“That place is secure,” Mika said. “You’re not going to be able to get in there without an army.” She thought about it for a moment. “Of course, I could probably walk in the front door, if I mimicked Titus or Cerise.”
“Exactly,” I said. “And I could sneak in with you if—”
“You had my power.” She finished my thought for me. A naughty glimmer sparkled in Mika’s eyes. “Honey, you don’t need an excuse to throw me the D. I’m ready if you are.”
“Strictly for professional reasons,” I added.
Eye rolls and groans filled the room.
“What? It’s a good plan,” I said. “All we need to do is get Titus out of the compound. Once he’s gone, Mika and I will return as Titus and Cerise and we’ll rescue Surge.”
“And what are we going to do?” Zepha asked.
“Keep Titus occupied.”
The group pondered this for a moment.
“You know, it just might work,” Chrome said. “Just take a shower after you fuck that skank. I don’t want her cooties.”
Mika’s eyes narrowed at her. “Honey, he’s not going to want to fuck you after he has me.”
“Ladies, no need to fight. There’s more than enough of me to go around.”
“Just don’t spread yourself too thin, big guy,” Chrome said.
Ranger grumbled, “I wish I would have been born an Omni.”
“Well, we better get busy. Time is of the essence,” Mika said. “But don’t make it too quick.”
Mika and I found a storage closet that offered a little more privacy. To be honest, I wasn’t really in the mood. Mika was hot as fuck, and she dripped sexuality, but my mind was elsewhere. I couldn’t stop thinking about Surge.
Mika did her best to take my mind off the situation. Mika’s slender fingers tugged at the zipper on the front of her outfit. She had perfectly manicured nails—but that wasn’t what I was focusing on. She had cleavage for days.
“Do you like the way I look?” She asked seductively. “I can be anything you like.”
She morphed into Surge, then Chrome, then Zepha.
“I think you look fine just the way you are.”
“Fine?” She pouted. “Just fine?”
“Sexy as hell? Is that better?”
“It’s a start.” She pulled her outfit over her shoulders and down to her hips. Her beautiful breasts bounced free. They had just the right amount of weight to them, giving them the perfect amount of hang. She had pencil erasers for nipples, and I couldn’t wait to get my mouth around them.
My underwear grew tight.
She slid her garment over her hips and shimmied out of them. She wasn’t wearing any panties. My eyes flowed down her toned abs to her swollen peach. She stepped close to me and pulled me into her. She planted her sumptuous lips on mine and we picked up where we had left off at her party.
Her steamy voice whispered in my ear, “I promise, after this, I’ll be your favorite.”
“You’ve got big shoes to fill,” I said, egging her on.
“So do you,” she said, stroking me over my pants. “But I think you’ll fill things just nicely.”
She dropped to her knees and slipped her fingers into my waistband. She pulled my pants down around my ankles, and I sprang free, almost slapping her in the face.
Mika didn’t waste any time. She started with my balls and licked her way up my shaft. She teased me with her tongue, flicking the head, then she engulfed me. Her juicy lips slid up and down, and her hand stroked in rhythm.
This girl was determined to rock my world. She went for broke, sucking and sloshing on my knob. She hummed and moaned, sending vibrations through my core. Her head bobbed furiously. She didn’t let up. She was like a demon possessed.
This wasn’t her first rodeo. She had a Masters in fellatio. She was good. Too good. Pleasure filled my body. I couldn’t hold back. I throbbed, sending pulse after pulse of man-honey into her mouth.
She kept stroking me until I was bone dry. She swallowed and licked her lips. She looked up at me with a diabolical sense of accomplishment. “I knew you weren’t going to be able to make it through that.”
“Sorry. It just—”
“Felt too good? I get that a lot. But don’t think you’re getting off easy. You’re going to fuck the shit out of me when we’ve got more time.”
“I’m totally okay with that. But, do you think this is enough? I mean, do you think I’ve acquired enough of your ability to mimic?”
“Let me clue you in on a little secret. It’s not just about the sex. It’s about winning a girl’s heart too.” She smiled. “The more a girl cares for you, the stronger your power will be.”
“I figured that might be a component,” I said with a wink.
“And I may, or may not, have been crushing on you… like hard… the last few days.”
“We’ll definitely have to continue this.”
“Absolute
ly.”
I worried about Surge, I hoped she was going to be cool with this. I figured she would be. It was all to save her.
“If Surge gets mad, I’ll take full responsibility,” Mika said.
“I think Zepha is going to be pissed too.”
Mika arched an eyebrow at me. “Are you fucking her too? Is she part of your little tribe?”
“No. Not yet. I think that may be the problem. I think she feels left out.”
“I’m sure you’ll remedy that situation in no time. Let’s go save your main squeeze.”
I flashed her a curious look.
“Oh please, we all know she’s the one.”
I couldn’t argue with that.
25
Several passageways throughout the city led to Under-Vega. The twin cities had their own personality—and Under-Vega was decidedly more grumpy. I couldn’t quantify it, but it seemed dirtier. More populated. More polluted. The air scrubbers worked at capacity, and couldn’t quite seem to keep up.
With an independent system of government, it had a separate mayor and city council. The two cities had evolved along separate paths. The different building codes had allowed Under-Vega to be overdeveloped. As a result, structures towered to the rim of the dome. It reduced the amount of light that filtered down to street level, and the city had a perpetually dim atmosphere.
We huddled in an alleyway across from Titus’s compound. Trash littered the passageway. Stray pieces of paper fluttered in the breeze. The foul stench of rotten eggs, spoiled fish, and stale chicken filled the air. Dumpsters overflowed. City services down here sucked.
Titus’s compound looked like a fortress. It was a 10 story tall steel structure with no windows. The entrance door was like a bank vault. Unless you could walk through walls, that was the only way in. It wouldn’t surprise me if it was somehow protected against supers that could teleport.
“Are we ready to do this?” I asked.
The general consensus was, “Yes.”
“Make the call,” I said to Mika.
She pulled her mobile phone from her pocket and dialed Crusher.
