by Lucas Flint
“You mean you guys expected the Pokacu to come back at some point?” I said.
Mr. Apollo shook his head. “Not the Pokacu in particular, no, but the Pokacu’s first invasion proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we are not alone in this universe after all. Therefore, the United States government wanted to be prepared in the event of another invasion, perhaps from a different alien species, which was why we were ordered to salvage as much Pokacu tech from the last invasion as we could and put the technology to use for ourselves.”
“Is this the true purpose of Project Neo, then?” I said. “To prepare the US military for another alien invasion?”
“I am not at liberty to disclose that to you,” said Mr. Apollo. “But yes, that is one purpose of Project Neo. Now, allow me to show you some of the equipment you will be using during our upcoming mission.”
Shade pressed a button underneath the touchscreen, causing a row of suits that looked kind of like astronaut suits to extend out from the container on a rack. Mr. Apollo gestured at the suits with his cane.
“These are Project Neo Weapon I,” said Mr. Apollo, “or, as we informally call them, environs.”
“Environs?” Shell repeated. He scratched his head. “But they’re suits, not environments.”
“The name is meant to reflect that they are designed to protect the wearer in a variety of different environments,” said Mr. Apollo, “ranging from deep space to the deep sea and everything in between. They come equipped with lasers, mini missiles, rocket boots, and their own air tanks, plus an ability to filter out any toxins in the air in your environment to make it safe for a human being to breathe.”
I looked more closely at the environs. “Hey, I’ve seen these before. Back when I was on the run from Robert, I wore one of these suits underwater, although it was a Pokacu suit that Graleex allowed me to have and it didn’t look as new as these.”
“I thought you might recognize them,” said Mr. Apollo. “Yes, we based these environs off of copies of that same suit that we collected after the first invasion, modified to better fit the human body. Our engineers have assured us that these suits are just as good as the ones made by the Pokacu, if not better.”
“Why do we have to wear them?” said Treehugger, tilting her head to the side. “They look really bulky and uncomfortable.”
“That’s because you clearly haven’t understood their true potential,” said Mr. Apollo. “You see, if you wear this suit, it will protect your body from the Pokacu’s powerless gas. Even if you get hit with a missile like the one that the Pokacu used earlier, the suit’s air filter will keep the gas out while still allowing you to breathe and use your powers.”
“Plus, if you are going to the Mother World, you’re going to need your own supply of air,” said Shade. “We have no idea if the Pokacu Mother World’s environment is suitable for human life, so the suit should protect you and give you everything you will need to survive there, no matter how hostile the Mother World’s surface may be.”
“Oh,” said Treehugger. “But will it negate our powers in any way or make them harder to use?”
“No,” said Mr. Apollo. “Like your costumes, the suits are designed to handle a variety of different powers, because they were supposed to be worn by superhuman and normal human soldiers alike in the event of an invasion like this.”
“Meaning I don’t have to worry about using my super strength or lightning powers and accidentally damaging my suit at the same time?” I said.
“Exactly,” said Mr. Apollo. “But I would caution you on the use of your lightning powers. These suits are sturdy, but too much electricity can sometimes override their systems and cause them to fail. I highly recommend that you limit your use of your lightning powers when in your environ.”
I nodded. “Okay. So what else do we have?”
Mr. Apollo nodded at Shade, who tapped something on the touchscreen.
The row of suits went back in, while at the same time, a row of what looked like guns moved out. These guns looked kind of like rifles, except they were bulkier and connected to what looked like a water tank by a thin, flexible pipe.
“These are Project Neo Weapon II,” said Mr. Apollo, “or, as we tend to refer to them, freezers.”
“Freezers?” said Slime. “What do they do, keep our food cold?”
Mr. Apollo rolled his eyes. “Of course not. What they do is take the nitrate in the tanks connected to them and create freezing blasts of cold that will freeze virtually anything it hits.”
“So are we supposed to use them to freeze the Pokacu, then?” said Blizzard. She gestured at herself. “That seems kind of redundant given that you guys have, well, me.”
“But not everyone has ice powers like you, young lady,” said Mr. Apollo. “Furthermore, these weapons were based off a discovery made during the first invasion; namely, that the Pokacu are unusually susceptible to ice and cold temperatures. By firing a cold blast at the Pokacu, you should instantly freeze and kill them, which should make this weapon very useful if you find yourself fighting a Pokacu soldier face to face.”
“What are the dangers?” said Strike, his arms folded over his chest.
“Well, you obviously want to make sure that the tank doesn’t explode while attached to your back,” said Mr. Apollo, gesturing at the tank. “That would be quite painful and probably lethal. And they do have limited ammunition, meaning that you cannot just fire a continuous stream of nitrate unless you want to use up all of your nitrate in one go. If you do that, then the freezer will become little more than deadweight on your body and will need to be abandoned outright if you are in a fight and need mobility.”
“What else is there?” I said.
“Shade, show them the next thing they will need to take with them,” said Mr. Apollo.
Shade nodded and again tapped something on the touchscreen. The freezers returned into the container and were then replaced by a row of staffs that were made entirely of metal, although I noticed that their tips were bright red.
“These are Project Neo Weapon III,” said Mr. Apollo. “As always, that is their official name; the name we have given them is the bomb staffs.”
“Bomb staffs?” said Dizzy. “What does that mean?”
“Quite simply, it means they are capable of exploding upon impact,” said Mr. Apollo. “Of course, that is only if you remove the bright heads and toss them like a grenade. Otherwise, they are very good for hitting things with.”
“That’s it?” I said. “They’re good for blowing things up and hitting things?”
“More or less,” said Mr. Apollo. “Of course, they can also be used for stabbing things, since they have a razor sharp blade underneath the exploding tips, so you might be able to poke out a Pokacu soldier’s eye if they somehow survive the explosion created by the tip.”
“That doesn’t seem very impressive compared to the environs and the freezers,” I said.
“I forgot to mention that the tips, when blown up, can cause whole skyscrapers to collapse on themselves,” said Mr. Apollo. “I imagine that means that they could take out one of those huge ships that the Pokacu fly, assuming you placed the tip in the right spot.”
We all took a step away from the bomb staffs when Mr. Apollo said that, looking at their red tips warily in case they exploded.
“Oh, no need to be so worried,” said Mr. Apollo. “They are currently deactivated, but I do recommend not using them in the field unless you absolutely have to, if only because there is a good chance that you will get blown up along with your targets.”
“Cool,” said Dizzy. “Can we try them right here?”
“No,” said Mr. Apollo. “Not unless you want to bring the whole facility down on our heads and would like to become interesting artifacts for future archaeologists to find and debate about.”
Dizzy’s shoulders slumped, as if she was actually disappointed that she couldn’t test out a bomb capable of destroying a skyscraper here. I have to admit, that made me a little
worried.
“These three weapons that we’ve shown you will be your primary equipment during your attack on the Pokacu,” said Mr. Apollo. “We have far more than this, of course, but most of it is top secret and we’ve determined that this is all you will need to fight the Pokacu.”
“So you’re trusting a bunch of teenagers with explosives strong enough to level whole skyscrapers?” I asked.
“Yes,” said Mr. Apollo. He tilted his head to the side. “What is your point?”
“Nothing, nothing,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s just—”
I was interrupted by a crackling in my earcom, followed by Valerie’s sudden and hurried voice. “Kevin! I apologize for interrupting you during this important meeting, but something terrible has happened and you need to know about it.”
“What is it?” I said, not lowering my voice. “Have the Pokacu destroyed another city?”
“No,” said Valerie. “It isn’t that bad, but it’s still very bad, at least for you.”
“Then what is it?” I snapped. “Just tell me already.”
“It’s your mother,” said Valerie. “She’s been kidnapped by the Pokacu and is now being held hostage on Hero Island along with everyone else.”
Chapter Eleven
White hot anger shot up through my veins when I heard Valerie say that. I wanted to run out of this place and head straight to Hero Island now, even if that meant abandoning the rest of the team and putting myself in harm’s way, but I stayed where I was.
Instead, I said, as calmly as I could muster, “What happened?”
“It was just a few minutes ago,” said Valerie. “I was monitoring your house’s security systems, making sure that they were up to date and functional, because I suspected that the Pokacu might come after your mother at some point due to Graleex’s history with her.”
“How did they get her?” I said. “How?”
“They used their advanced technology to get past me,” said Valerie. “They had an EMP generator that knocked out the house’s power. There wasn’t anything I could do to save your mother. I’m sorry. By the time the house’s power came back online, they were long gone.”
My hands shook. “Why? Why did they kidnap her?”
“I don’t know,” said Valerie. “They were so fast and I was knocked out for most of the kidnapping. I can’t imagine why they did it, only that they did.”
“And now she’s on Hero Island?” I said. “She’s safe?”
“Possibly,” said Valerie. “At this point, I don’t know her current status. She did have an earcom that Genius had given her before his death, but the Pokacu tore it out of her ear and smashed it, so I cannot track her like I normally could.”
“Thanks for letting me know, Val,” I said, my voice still calm. “Appreciate it. Keep me informed on any other developments, okay? And try to find Mom. Just do whatever you can to find her and let me know if you have any luck.”
“Yes, Kevin,” said Valerie.
As soon as my earcom clicked off, I turned around and walked straight toward the exit without uttering a word to anyone. I didn’t get very far, however, before Blizzard appeared in my way and said, “Where are you going?”
I stopped and glowered down at her. “To save my mom. She was kidnapped by the Pokacu.”
“You’re going by yourself?” said Blizzard. “Now?”
“Yes, now,” I said. “Aside from the time limit that the Pokacu gave us, there’s no telling what they’re doing to her. If I don’t save her, no one will.”
“I know, but that doesn’t mean you have to march off and get yourself killed,” Blizzard said. “You know that if you go after the Pokacu now, they’ll just hit you with more of that powerless gas and probably kill you, too.”
“The girl is correct,” said Mr. Apollo behind, causing me to look over my shoulder at him. “You need both the right equipment and support from your teammates if you are going to fight the Pokacu. They’re a dangerous and cunning foe who won’t hesitate to make short work of a foolish young man like you.”
My hands shook, despite my best efforts to keep calm. “But what if they kill her? There’s no telling what they’ll do to her while we stand around and look at your shiny new toys.”
“It would still be very foolish to go out by yourself,” said Mr. Apollo. “I know how you feel, as my own parents were in a similar position when I was a young man a long time ago, but youth is folly and this is exactly the sort of foolish reaction that the Pokacu want.”
“It may be, but so what?” I said. “I want to leave and I want to leave now. The rest of you can catch up with me later. I’ll be fine.”
I sidestepped Blizzard, but then she stepped in my way and said, “No, Bolt. It would be stupid if you left by yourself. You’ll only get yourself killed.”
“I know how much you care about me, Blizzard, but I don’t need your worrying,” I said. “I will be fine. I’ve faced worse than these guys before.”
“Have you faced worse than me, though?” said Mr. Apollo. “I doubt it.”
I looked over my shoulder at Mr. Apollo again. He still hadn’t moved from his position by the container, yet there was something about him that seemed … off. I couldn’t describe it. Maybe it had to do with his powers, whatever they were.
“What do you mean?” I said, turning around to face him. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m merely observing, young Bolt, that you have never fought someone quite like me before,” said Mr. Apollo. “And since you clearly cannot be reasoned with, it stands to reason that the only way to make you behave reasonably is to smack the reason into you.”
“I still don’t understand,” I said. “Are you going to whack me over the head with your cane or something?”
“No, no,” said Mr. Apollo, shaking his head. “I’m merely offering to fight you, here and now. If I win, you will stay here and not go out and get yourself killed by the Pokacu while futilely attempting to save your mother; if you win, you can go and try to rescue your mother, with or without our aid and support.”
“What?” said Strike, before I could respond. He unfolded his arms from his chest and looked at Mr. Apollo in disbelief. “Mr. Apollo, what are you talking about? We don’t have time for a fight. We have less than forty-seven hours to stop the Pokacu. There’s just no time for any sort of fight.”
“It will only take five minutes, I assure you,” said Mr. Apollo.
“What about Cadmus?” said Strike. “Would he really appreciate you doing this sort of thing? It’s a huge waste of time.”
“Director Smith has allowed me to smack around foolish young men like Bolt before,” said Mr. Apollo. He stroked his chin. “Why, I seem to recall the last one being a Mr. James Rayner, who you may know as Renaissance. His ability to come back from the dead certainly didn’t help him recover from the beating I gave him, that’s for sure, though I doubt it will take that much to beat you, young Bolt.”
“This is still ridiculous,” said Strike. He looked over at Shade. “Shade, you’re his fellow G-Man. Aren’t you going to tell him that this is stupid?”
Shade shrugged. “Mr. Apollo has more seniority than me. Unlike some people, I respect my elders. Besides, it’s always fun to see Mr. Apollo knock around youngsters.”
Strike groaned and looked over at me. “Bolt, you aren’t actually going to accept Mr. Apollo’s offer, are you? Aside from the fact that it’s a huge waste of time, it wouldn’t be very fair to beat down on an old man like him, would it?”
“I dunno,” I said. “He sure talks pretty big, despite being such an old, decrepit guy. Maybe I will take him up on his offer, if only to make him regret it.”
Mr. Apollo chuckled. “Ah, the arrogance of youth. Sometimes I miss it.”
Strike just shook his head. “This is ridiculous. Out of all of the times in the world you two could pick a fight, you had to choose now.”
“I noticed that Bolt has yet to actually accept the offer,” Mr. Apollo s
aid. “Will you fight me, Bolt? Or would you rather run away and never know for certain that you can actually beat me in a fair fight?”
My hands balled into fists. On one hand, taking even just five minutes to beat up an old man seemed like a waste of time, time that could be better spent saving Mom, like Strike said. On the other hand, Mr. Apollo was such an arrogant creep that it would be very satisfying to knock him down a peg. I estimated that a single super powered punch to the head would be sufficient enough to knock him out.
So I said, “Fine, old man. Let’s do it, here and now. I’m ready when you are.”
“Good to hear,” said Mr. Apollo. He looked at the others. “Please move to the back walls. The fight, as I said, should not take long, but sometimes it can get messy, although I can assure you that no one will be dying today, though Bolt will probably suffer from a bad headache for a couple of hours.”
The Young Neos and the New Heroes both retreated to the walls, with the Young Neos giving me the thumbs up and wishing me luck while Strike and the New Heroes looked kind of exasperated by this whole thing. Blizzard also looked rather annoyed by it, but she just gave me a quick peck on the cheek before running over to join the others. Shade joined my friends by the walls as well, a look of amusement on her face like she was about to watch a great movie.
“Now, then,” said Mr. Apollo. He stepped away from the container until he was standing directly across from me. “I will not be using any of the Project Neo weapons I just showed you. I will be using my cane and my powers, though you are free to use any of the Project Neo weapons if you wish.”
“Nah, I won’t need them,” I said, shaking my head. “My powers will be more than enough for you, I think.”
“Very well,” said Mr. Apollo. “For the sake of fairness, I will allow you to go first.”
I smiled. “Really? Are you sure about that?”
