by Drew Hayes
“It’s not over,” she said, staring at the top corner of her display, pleading with the universe for a green icon to appear. “I can still jump out of this thing and run. What are you going to do if I warn Ivan that you’re attacking his kids?”
“Oh, by now he’s keenly aware,” Rust Tooth said. “He won’t make a single move out of fear for their safety. As for running away... I look forward to watching you try.”
And of course, he was just smart enough not to tell her what countermeasures were in place. It might be a bluff, but Rust Tooth didn’t seem like the wily type. He really did want her to run; he yearned for her to be more vulnerable. Beating up the suit clearly wasn’t doing it for him.
“Turning on a guild member, kidnapping children. I can’t believe you ever had the nerve to call yourself a villain. You’re nothing but a common street thug.”
“After today, no one is going to have that neutered sense of villainy anymore.” Rust Tooth tightened his grip while widening his mouth just a touch. It only took one viewing of a nature documentary to know what was about to happen. “And no one will ever nag us about some stupid goddamned code ever again. Your kind is out of date, and today, you go extinct. ”
As Rust Tooth’s maw opened, Hephaestus glimpsed what would go down as one of the top ten most breathtakingly beautiful sights of her entire life: a small green dot flickered in the corner of her display. Within the confines of her suit, she grinned maliciously.
“Maybe so, but you’d better believe we’ll drag as many of you to hell with us as we can. How about you and I get a head start?”
Hephaestus fired the fully charged beam, flinging Rust Tooth off her body even as the scent of roasting flesh filled the air. The beam carved through him, then the ceiling and the room above, then the roof, finally opening a hole to the sky, which Hephaestus was shocked to see was so gorgeously blue. This felt like the kind of day that should have been cloudy and bleak, but it seemed sometimes monsters lurked even in the sunshine.
Debris from the massive hole she’d blown in Ivan’s house began to rain down. Hephaestus rolled out of the way and hurried to her feet. Rust Tooth was ahead of her, scrambling out the broken front door while trying to hold together the remains of his stomach. She’d nailed his left side, but hadn’t gotten the shot centered enough to take out his spine. Still, the angry predator had vanished, leaving nothing more than a meta shaped like a metallic crocodile scurrying to escape while keeping his guts inside.
Hephaestus followed, flexing her gauntlet once more to reactivate the charging sequence. Inside the suit, she burned as hot as she dared, feeding the fuel cells while letting off the rage that was bubbling up from within. Now that fear was retreating, Hephaestus was realizing just how livid she truly was. One of her fellow guild members had broken into Ivan’s home, his place of safety, and tried to murder her in cold blood. That didn’t even touch on the fact that they were going after her teacher’s children, or that her friends were likely in just as much danger.
The sounds of wood snapping echoed from behind her. Hephaestus glanced back to see Ivan’s house, one of the first places she’d been able to call home in over a decade, collapsing from within. She also noticed the neighbors peering through their windows, no doubt wondering what on earth was going on. It was a Tuesday afternoon in the suburbs; there weren’t supposed to be monsters or giant beams blasting into the sky. And now, on top of everything else, it looked like even if Ivan and his kids survived the day, they wouldn’t be able to slip back into their civilian lives. One more cherry on the sundae of clusterfuckery that Rust Tooth had brought down on them.
“Hell of a trump card,” the monster coughed. In the time she’d looked away, Rust Tooth had fallen to his knees, oily green blood oozing through his fingers as he desperately tried to make sure his insides stayed that way. “Can’t believe you didn’t use it in the fight with Medley.”
“I didn’t want to kill Medley.” This was true yet skirted the fact that her beam could be broken easily, a design flaw she was now determined to fix at the first opportunity.
“So, to keep a cape safe, you held back when the whole guild was watching and didn’t show your best weapon, which almost cost you your victory.” Rust Tooth fell forward, taking the landing face-first as his hands stayed wrapped around his side. “And yet you beat me. What the hell kind of villain are you?”
“I’m the patron saint of bad bitches.” Hephaestus walked forward carefully, wary of a counterattack, even as injured as her opponent was. She slipped a foot under Rust Tooth’s shoulder and flipped him over, eliciting a groan of pain as he flopped onto his back. “And I want to know what the fuck you’re doing with Ivan’s kids.”
“Kiss my scaly ass,” Rust Tooth coughed. That cough turned into a scream as Hephaestus slammed a foot down onto his hands and the hollowed out chunk of torso he was clinging to.
“We both know you’re already dead,” Hephaestus told him. “You died the minute you stepped on to this property uninvited. Now you get to choose: send me away from here by giving me something else to do, or keep me around so I make your last moments as painful as possible.”
“Or you could end it quickly,” Rust Tooth said, flecks of his blood covering those sharp teeth.
“That’s the sort of thing I might consider for a true villain, one who had a little honor. The sort who would admit they were beaten and give the victor a prize of information.” She didn’t stomp on him again, but she did note that the green dot had reappeared on her display.
“Honor. You fucking noble types. This was our world, a place where the wild and strong lived on top, and then you all came in here with your codes and honor and messed everything up.” Rust Tooth looked up at the sky for several seconds then shook his massive head. “Bombastic is setting off explosives all over the city. The school where Ivan’s kids go, Kelsington Prep, was one of his targets. If Ivan does anything to intervene when the fighting starts, the whole place goes tumbling down.”
“You’re the worst kind of garbage.” Hephaestus raised her gauntlet, took careful aim, then let off a short, controlled blast. When the smoke cleared, there was a scorched ditch burned in Ivan’s yard, right next to a corpse that was curiously absent a head.
Hephaestus looked around the neighborhood once more, noting the distant sound of sirens approaching. She didn’t know if she’d ever get to see this place again, so she meant to savor the view for one precious moment.
Walking over to the bag that Rust Tooth had brought, she examined the contents. All that remained beside the used up trinkets was a modified paintball gun. Taking a cursory look at the ammunition, she wagered they were designed to fire concentrated blasts of CO2, perfect for killing living fire. She slipped the gun into a side compartment of her suit, took one last glance at the neighbors, and then leapt.
Her rear thrusters kicked on as she reduced her weight, sending her blasting into the air. Hephaestus set a course for town, checking the internet for Kelsington Prep’s address. She also tried to make some calls. First Ivan, then Beverly, then Donald.
None of them were answering, which only made Hephaestus fly that much faster.
Chapter 79
“And it is up!”
Cyber Geek turned at the sound of Hat Trick’s voice, eyes going wide as he watched the giant, glowing yellow dome flicker into existence over the AHC’s headquarters. He’d seen countless pictures of this spectacle from tests in years prior and during the few times when someone was actually dumb enough to fight the AHC head-on, but being there in person was a completely different experience. Perhaps it was because he had the scale to appreciate how vast and powerful the dome was; more likely it was because he was no longer looking at the AHC as an outsider. This wasn’t just a demonstration of power: it was his organization’s demonstration of power, and Cyber Geek’s heart swelled with pride as he saw the wowed faces in the crowd around him.
Applause drifted up from the crowd, who pushed forward to get a better view. B
odies pressed against the wooden barricades designed to keep them back. Much as Cyber Geek wanted to stand there and marvel at what was to come, the pride of being part of the AHC came with the cost of duty, and they needed to do theirs.
“Back everyone, back please,” he said, his voice snapping the others out of their own fugues.
Medley didn’t even need to talk; he simply paced the area around the barricades and people shrank back. Cold Shoulder was cooling her zone, making it uncomfortable for anyone to stand too near them. Hat Trick, whom Cyber Geek had been worried about since this was her first time in the field, was doing a marvelous job. She had a sort of clumsy, sweet naiveté that made her requests for people to move away impossible to refuse. Fighting her would have been like arguing with a kitten. Useful as her nature was from a PR standpoint, Cyber Geek was a bit concerned about how it would translate in battle. She’d have the chance to prove herself soon enough, just hopefully not today.
Slowly, they shifted the crowd back as other superheroes moved into position around the glowing dome. This was the part where things could get dicey if any humans were too close by. Testing the AHC’s defenses was dangerous even for meta-humans, which was why only those with very powerful, specific skill sets were checking each one. The dome was a last resort, a final line of defense in case someone made it through the more offensive obstacles, and that was exactly what Cyber Geek’s peers were about to attempt.
Personally, he was glad his power didn’t make the cut. Cool as being on this special task force might be one day, the last few weeks had left him keenly aware of his own limitations. Cyber Geek was in no hurry to stand at a level he wasn’t ready for. Crowd control was perfectly fine for the moment. Glory was well and good, but today he would be happy if everything went smoothly and he’d done his part to keep the citizens safe.
* * *
Xelas had never minded when the AHC performed their tests. Personally, she enjoyed anything that drew massive amounts of people to one location because it meant she could avail herself of the locales they’d abandoned. In this case, she was making her way down Quorum Drive, a shopping hot spot renamed decades ago in honor of one of the city’s greatest superheroes. Other streets she might have avoided out of principle, but Xelas had met Quorum many times and had no particular quarrel with the man. He’d been kind to her even before she sued her way to freedom. Plus, this street had lots of high-end boutiques, and the only thing more fun than stealing her income was spending it frivolously.
Of course, no one who saw her enter the shops recognized the bubbly blonde as the metallic woman who’d dragged Tech Lord and all his perversion up and down a courtroom. Anonymity was easily one of the best perks of holographic capabilities… that and being able to change her looks to suit her mood.
The distant woman working the counter gave her a compulsory nod of greeting, then ignored Xelas completely. She’d be over in a snap if called, but would otherwise stay out of the way, a trait that Xelas greatly appreciated.
She was examining a lovely silk blouse, her calibrated eyes picking out the telltale signs of handcrafted stitching, when a flood of gasps from her fellow shoppers filled the room. Xelas turned to find a large, mechanical figure standing in the doorway. He—for this one was recognizable and had a gender—stepped into the boutique and stared at Xelas.
“I have been sent to locate you, Xelas.”
“They send the robot to pick up the robot. I’m actually a little offended. It seems like stereotyping, don’t you think?” Her hologram flickered before vanishing entirely, causing a fresh wave of shock to ripple through the customers. “But you’ve got no right to grab me, Stalwart Iron. I’m a free citizen, and everything in these bags is bought and paid for. Overpaid for, if I’m being honest.”
Stalwart Iron turned from her to the woman at the counter. “Please evacuate all shoppers and staff from these premises. If Xelas resists, I fear you might be caught up in her crossfire.”
That was all the prompting the humans needed; they bolted out of the shop so quickly Xelas wondered if a few were secretly teleporters. In seconds, the store was clear, leaving only the two mechanical creations staring at one another.
“What are the charges?” Xelas demanded. “I’d like to know on what false accusations my lawyer will have to sue the shit out of you for.”
“Conspiracy to attack the people of Ridge City and the Alliance of Heroic Champions. We know about the bombs you’ve been setting up and the attempt to strike at the AHC while we are distracted by defense tests. Cough up any information you have and cooperation will be factored into your sentencing.”
“I say this bot to bot: it might be time for your yearly tune-up,” Xelas told him. “I don’t know about any conspiracy, and I certainly don’t give a crap about—”
The explosion was only a few blocks over, so close that it shook the very ceiling above them. Dust cascaded onto the overpriced fabrics she’d been looking at only moments before. News streams lit up as Xelas accessed the local feed, all showing live footage of a burning government office. The familiar form of Torkak could be seen on camera, his trademark orange skin catching the attention of everyone on the scene. Why was one of her guild members at the scene of a public attack? And how had Stalwart Iron known it was coming?
“If I say I had no idea about any of this, will you believe me?” Xelas asked.
“I am acutely aware of exactly what the truth is,” Stalwart Iron said.
Xelas nodded, activating her combat systems with a single thought. “Then I guess there’s no point in talking.”
* * *
Morgana stared blankly at the television, the news on the screen streaming the same flaming wreckage that half of Ridge City was watching. She had just picked up the phone to call Doctor Mechaniacal when the sliding door to her balcony shattered inward, sending shards of broken glass scattering to the floor. Moving with an instinct from years of constant combat she’d spent a lifetime honing, Morgana leapt over the granite surface of her kitchen’s island, taking cover behind the structure she’d had reinforced for just such occasions. Seeing as she lived in the top-floor penthouse of a very expensive building, the number of people who could attack her was slightly limited to those who could fly or scale heights. The attacker was probably meta-human. Morgana racked her brain to think if any of her old enemies had resurfaced lately.
“Morgana Le Faye, the Blood Witch, you are hereby under arrest for conspiracy to attack Ridge City and the Alliance of Heroic Champions.” Sounds of a heavy landing and crunching glass followed the words. Morgana glanced up to the pots hanging on the rack above her head and noticed a distinctive green, shiny humanoid shape making its way into the kitchen from the balcony. It paused, looking over at her now slightly off-kilter television screen still displaying footage of the bombing. “It seems I caught you admiring your handiwork.”
“Nice to have company, Erinite, but I’d very much like to see the warrant before I offer you refreshments,” Morgana yelled. Her blood was pounding in her ears. Normally she took comfort in the sound, but it wasn’t offering the usual reassurance in the face of this particular enemy.
“You are free to review any and all documentation once you are adequately restrained and in custody. If you try and resist, I will consider you to be hostile and treat you appropriately.” Long jagged shards began to emerge from Erinite’s arms. He’d been featured in more than enough thrilling AHC battles for Morgana to know he was getting ready to fire those things directly through her kitchen island. The massive thing would probably stand up to the first set of them—she’d armored it heavily—but afterward, he would change tactics. Erinite was made of living crystal; there was no blood in his veins, or even veins at all. Given Morgana’s skill set, he was a... less than ideal opponent.
“Why on earth would I have attacked that building? They are smart enough to send someone like you to get me, so they know I’ve never used that sort of technique.” Morgana didn’t actually expect him to listen o
r to talk her way out of whatever was happening. This was coordinated, an intentional strike meant to catch her off guard. Whoever had masterminded it wouldn’t send a person who could be swayed by logic. There was also a good chance Erinite knew damn well she’d had nothing to do with it, which was why he was handling her arrest so forcefully.
No, she wouldn’t change his mind, but the repartee would buy her a few seconds of time. Her nails, freshly manicured, raced down her left arm, pressing the sharp tips through her skin. It took longer than she wanted, but finally the first drop of sticky red blood swelled against her flesh.
“You think I don’t know that the bombs are only the first step? You’re trying to panic the AHC during its tests so you can mount an assault and take us out. If you surrender peacefully and tell me every other aspect of what you’ve got planned, I might be able to get you a more lenient sentence when the time for a trial comes.” Erinite was rising off the ground once more, probably hoping to catch her by surprise.
Blood flowed from Morgana’s right arm, quickly hardening into a dark red blade. The room spun for a moment as she was overtaken by a dizzy spell, but she grit her teeth and powered through. She’d lost far more blood than this and still managed to fight, although it was a good reminder of why she generally avoided using her own blood in combat. Life wasn’t always so kind as to cater to one’s whims, however, so she set her sights on the green crystal man she could see inching forward in an overhead pot’s reflection.
“Sorry, Erinite, but if someone is acting on behalf of my guild, then it’s my job to stop them,” Morgana whispered. “And I can’t let anyone get in the way.” With that, she sprang from her position, gaining a half-second of surprise. She used that instant to thrust her blood knife forward, hoping to separate his green head from the neck where it fused to his torso. He blocked the thrust with a sudden growth of crystal from his shoulder, then grabbed Morgana and threw her backward against the oven.
