• • •
“You got a card? The last one?” Stacy asks. “Why didn’t you say something when that came up earlier?”
“It’s right there,” I say and point at the workbench. Prophiseer’s warning is pinned to the wall. My girlfriend went over and inspected the item with her critical eye. “I was getting to it. Besides, I like a little dramatic flair.”
“So, it was a kid with a lemonade stand and a three million dollar golden ticket? One of life’s mysteries just got solved.”
“Pretty much,” I reply, while she scans the still bent postcard.
“You could have come to me with this,” she says. “Even if we weren’t together, I would have taken this seriously.”
“Except that I was dead and, if we’re being honest, I was still a little ticked at you. If I had, how would you have handled me showing up?”
Frowning, she pins it back to the corkboard. “Good point.”
“Wendy and I talked it over, and as soon as we realized that was Patterson’s sentencing date, she put a bug in Bolt Action’s ear to have all the available Guardians in town. Your team was already there, so telling you wasn’t really important.”
Bringing the audio up from Wendy’s interview, I listen in.
“Actually, Gayle,” Wendy says. “I find it the height of hypocrisy that they accuse me of child endangerment when these same people had no problem asking me, when I was seven months pregnant, to fly out into Hurricane Ishmael and spend hours fighting a hurricane. Now, the only thing that has changed is that I’m not toeing the company line anymore.”
“Your hurt feelings are understandable,” the interviewer replied. “However, from an outsider’s standpoint, you’ve all but walked away from the Guardians and you’re working with a pair of unknown superhumans who, by all accounts, are every bit as powerful as you are. You can understand how that might be troubling to the general public. Especially when two of the federal agents were taken to the hospital with injuries.”
“Oh, I’ve heard what people are saying, Gayle – that this is a rebellious phase and I’m lashing out. Rubbish! The government, and not just my father, is more concerned about controlling the superhuman population than protecting the public. The idiot politicians think they can legislate the villains away! They want you to believe that they have everything under control. Instead of apprehending real villains, they come after a mom holding her child. Way to keep it classy, Federal Marshalls service. As for any injuries, I don’t recall doing anything other than using a concentrated wind blast to keep them away from my daughter, after they drew stunners. Ever wonder what a taser, designed to take out a superhuman, would do to a seven month old? I didn’t really care to find out. Every agent had a body camera on them, why hasn’t the video footage been released, yet? The answer is that they’re still editing it, I’m just as curious as you to see what they concocted.”
I laugh at her verbal barb and the way she plants seeds of doubt about the official story as Gayle switches topics and asks about her “new” team.
“I’m not here to talk about them,” Wendy says. “They have their own stories and I am going to respect their privacy. Megasuit and Red aren’t interested in becoming a brand or doing appearances. I support their decision one hundred percent. They joined me for one reason, to make the world a better place. I will never know what it’s like to have a secret identity. From the moment my powers surfaced, I’ve been a public figure, and I’m okay with that, but if my new teammates don’t crave that kind of life, I completely understand. What I will say about them is that they are dedicated and committed to doing what is right.”
Looking over at Stacy, I shrug and say, “She might be overestimating me.”
“I don’t think she is,” my girlfriend comments.
“Not you, too!”
“Shush! I’m trying to hear what Wendy is saying.”
A cynical thought crossed my mind that we sounded like a real couple now, but I let it slide, rather than say it aloud. There was no need to pick a fight that she’d probably end up winning.
“Still, there is the matter of the fugitive warrant that is out for you. Do you plan to surrender peacefully?”
“Gayle, I have done absolutely nothing wrong and I have no intention of being paraded around to satisfy my father’s political ambitions.”
There’s a momentary pause while the interviewer prepares her next line of questioning. “Those are some very strong words, Wendy. Are you prepared for the backlash from the superhero community as well?”
“I’ve fought for justice all over the globe, alongside some of the most devoted and self-sacrificing heroes out there. Those heroes know who I am and what I stand for. I respect them for all that they do and I hope they can understand and respect what my team is trying to accomplish.”
“Then you won’t mind me asking what exactly is your team trying to accomplish?”
“When the bugs took over, it wasn’t the government or the hero teams that saved us. It was a truly gifted engineer with a powersuit and a lot of dumb luck. Cal isn’t here to save us from ourselves, and I don’t think I’ll ever have the kind of luck he had, so I’m going to rely on preparation and a pair of the strongest heroes on the planet. We’re not going to let the next global catastrophe happen. We will stop it in its tracks.”
“Can I ask the name of your team, Wendy?”
“Up until today, we were going to call ourselves the Reinforcements. Though I haven’t had a chance to sit down and discuss it with the others, after today’s events, you can call us the New Renegades. Don’t look for us at a parade or some kind of event. Look for us when things are bad and you need someone to come and save the day. That’s when we will be there. We don’t want the glory or the gratitude. We’re like that fire extinguisher over on that wall, with the ‘in case of emergency, break glass’ painted on it. The bad guys have had an advantage all this time. They know what teams they might be dealing with if they are in this part of the country, or that part of the country. They know where Mount Olympus is and where all the other public teams have headquarters. There are fan and gossip websites that make their living off of telling the world where the teams are. I’m here to warn them to start looking over their shoulders, because we’re out there watching and we’re constantly on the move.”
Wendy pauses and looks directly at the camera. “I also have a message for the villains out there. If we show up, it doesn’t matter what power you possess or how hardcore you think you are. We will pound you into submission and let someone else scrape you off the pavement and take you to the hospital and then jail.”
“Nailed it!” I shout, throwing my arms into the air. “She stuck the landing and the crowd goes wild!”
Stacy appears pensive. “You three are plenty powerful; I’ll give you that, but might doesn’t always make right.”
“Excuse me,” Andy interrupts the likely start of an argument. “Calvin, I detected a change in the air traffic patterns in the Phoenix airspace. Based on the pattern, it appears that a flight has been granted priority clearance and their new approach will have them flying over the television station in two hundred and eighteen seconds.”
I flip to the transmitter and let Wendy know we might have some company coming. At the same time, the fire alarm goes off in the building. It seems like they’ve got some help on the inside.
From my “behind the dumpster” vantage point, I see the low flying jet and a group of heroes deploy from it. Andy uses my video to lock in and identify each of the people descending: the Protector Armor, most likely operated by a woman who can see seven seconds into the future, First Aid in his shiny new Promethia provided First Responder armor, Mystigal, Grande Vizier, the shapechanging monk Rakshasa, and their new addition, some psychokinetic named Mindcracker. The West Coast Guardians are here.
“Larry!” I holler upstairs. “Get to the poop chute. Wendy, might want to wrap it up, the West Coasters have finally tracked us down.”
�
�Yeah, I saw them on the screen upstairs,” Larry answers, bounding down the steps in his red costume.
“Which do you like better, New Renegades or Reinforcements?”
“Renegades. Not even close,” Larry says and uses his telekinesis to rise into the air and go feet first down the slide. I start my suit forward shoving the dumpster out into the parking lot like an empty carboard box, giving Larry the space he needs to exit the portal in my armor.
“Bobby isn’t around, so three votes carry the motion, unless you have a really good counter argument, Andy.”
“The name is acceptable to me, Calvin, but I suggest we deal with more pressing matters.”
My back monitor catches Larry dropping out Mega’s ass and into a crouch.
“Damn!” he swears. “You could’ve picked a less smelly spot to hide in.”
“Whatever, Red,” I say and switch away from calling him Larry, in case our transmissions become decrypted by the two sets of Guardian armor. “Be wary of Mystigal. She’s probably got the best chance of hurting either one of us with her magic.”
“Got it, Ul... sorry, Megasuit.”
I chuckle and say, “We should settle on names, soon, shouldn’t we? You want to stick with Red or go with Extraordinary?”
“Big Red, like the chewing gum.”
“Okay, be ready to take a bite out of them, then.”
Larry’s energy form swells and he rises into the center of the twenty foot tall mass.
“Wendy! Watch yourself! I lost track of their shapechanger. Andy, find him! He may be inside already. Better blow out a window and get into the air. You’re at a disadvantage in there.”
“Copy that, Mega. I’m on my... shit!”
“You’re coming with us, WhirlWendy!” On the monitor, I catch a human form lunging at her.
Wendy blasts the monk off her, who then transforms into something larger and more difficult to brush aside. She’s staggering, but still manages to keep the shapeshifter away.
“Wendy? Are you okay?”
She destroys a window and takes flight while mumbling, “Stuck me with something.”
“Andy, don’t lose sight of her! Wendy, stay close to the ground.”
The rest of the Guardians hadn’t made a hostile move... yet.
First Aid kicks on his armor’s speakers. “Wendy, we have orders to bring you into custody. Let’s not make this any more difficult than it is already.”
Checking the monitor, Wendy doesn’t look like she’s up for any kind of conversation. Larry lacks any real world experience at dealing with people, much less superhumans.
That leaves me. I dial up the synthesizer to prevent anyone recognizing me and activate my external sound system.
“Considering Rakshasa already assaulted her, I think we’re beyond that now. She’s not going with you and if you think otherwise, you’re sadly mistaken.”
My weapons systems are now online, except the railgun. Flipping over to the private channel, I ask Wendy if she’s okay. Her reply is barely intelligible. Larry expands his energy form’s hands and slides them under where she’s floating. Seconds later, she drops into them.
Rakshasa joins their side in the form of a wolf. They’re running at full strength, and we’re pretty much down one and one of us will need to watch her.
First Aid continues, “It would be best for everyone if she comes with us. Let justice run its course.”
“Justice has nothing to do with this and you know it. Funny how you got here so fast, almost like you were heading down to where I’d been working on that fire break.”
“We just wanted to talk,” the man with the healing touch says.
“I doubt it. If you were, you wouldn’t have drugged up the one person who is interested in talking, but I do have a question for all you Guardians—where were you when Patterson was attacking San Francisco?”
“We’d been told to stay away,” First Aid’s response comes a bit too fast, and I know I’ve hit a sore spot.
“And like a good little group of flunkies, you always do what you’re told,” I say, and have the suit extend a foot. “It’s not a boot, but you can lick it if you want.”
The arrogant Mystigal snaps first, “I’ve had enough of you!”
Her magebolt slams into my shielding as First Aid yells for her to stand down. At first I want to laugh and tell them to remember who fired first, but then notice the shard with my left arm’s weaponry just went dark. The tip of the pulse cannon and the grenade launcher’s barrel drop onto the ground next to the suit.
Shit! The crystals are susceptible to magic! I hadn’t considered that.
There’s a hollow feeling in my stomach as I realize my invincible suit of armor isn’t nearly as invincible as I thought it was, only seconds before. I fire before she gets another opportunity.
“Red, give me Wendy. Take out the mystics. Magic screws with my armor!”
Larry puts our unconscious leader onto the hood of someone’s truck and leaps over me as all the Guardians attack. I move by the truck to protect Wendy, and draw a bead on First Aid’s suit. He dodges most of my initial barrage, but I still clip him. Larry thrashes about like a bear being attacked by a pack of wolves, and the parking lot of the TV station becomes a warzone.
Rakshasa’s giant serpent tries to wrap up Larry, but he dashes him into a brick wall. Everyone ignores me for a moment and concentrates their firepower on Larry’s energy form, causing him to stagger.
We aren’t doing nearly as well as we had against Patterson’s robots!
“Red, take out Mystigal and I’ll be able to fully engage!”
“No,” Stacy says and points at the monitor from over my shoulder. “Tape Delay’s running the battle. She’s the one you need to neutralize.”
“What?” I demand and look at the hero in the Protector armor. So far, she is hanging back and only offering fire support.
“She’s using her seven second foresight to tell the others when to evade.”
“Damn, you’re right! She’s coordinating their side. Andy! Run a broad spectrum burst of white noise through the suit. If Tape Delay can’t communicate with them, she can only help herself.”
The way all of them discarded their ear pieces before I jammed their communications, told me that Stacy had guessed correctly. Unfortunately, my tactic knocked out Larry’s earpiece as well and he hadn’t thought to imitate our opponents.
The only thing I can think, seeing our Keystone Cops level of ineptness on display, is that I’m glad Wendy isn’t awake to see this, because she’d be yelling at us for blowing off the training sessions.
Larry shared a few of his own four letter sentiments as he yanked his headset off and renewed his assault on them. I could only do so much and stay beside Wendy.
“I need to get her back through the poop chute. Andy, get ready to take control of the...”
“No, I’ll do it,” Stacy says. “Give me a minute to get a hoodie from your closet.”
I’m stunned, to say the least. “There’s a ski mask in there, too.”
I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t have a moment of worry that she’d throw in with the West Coasters and sell us all down the river, but I realize that is a stupid idea. She could just take me out now, put Andy out of action and the fight would be over.
That’s when I knew my problem won’t be loving her; that’s easy. My problem is going to be getting past all my trust issues and paranoia.
Now seating—insecurity party of one.
I take out the frustration at my personal shortcomings on Tape Delay, and treat the surrounding city blocks to an ultraviolent light show. Amanda Rae What’sherface probably doesn’t deserve my ire, but I keep her fully on the defensive and unable to help her teammates while the rest of Patterson’s former team gets to do the live version of the Imaginary Larry test. A jade bolt of energy called down from the sky above smashes into Red and drives him to his knees at the same time Mindcracker, First Aid, and Grand Vizier hit him with everything th
ey’ve got.
Even my shields would suffer under that bombardment, but Larry forces himself up like the main character in one of those giant monster movies, and smacks the charging bull elephant form of Rakshasa aside like the shapechanger was nothing to him.
Stacy returns in my blue sweatshirt with the giant “Have a Nice Day!” smiley face on the back and a full face black ski mask. I make a mental note to tell her that she can pull off the hot terrorist look.
“Go feet first,” I tell her. “Grab Wendy and push her back through. Andy, will help you. Wait for my signal; I’ll lay down a blanket of smoke. She’ll be on the hood of the truck, just to your right.”
“Got it!” She says and climbs up on the slide, like a bobsledder waiting for the green light.
I flip a few buttons and the shard spins around inside the bottom of the suit. The thick bottom plate slides open and I chuck for smoke grenades through it.
Pausing, I wait precious seconds before saying, “Switching to infrared. We’re obscured and go, go go!”
At my yell, Stacy pushes herself forward as I spread Mega’s legs and pop the armor plate up and out of the way. Seconds later, Mega shits out a disguised Olympian. She rolls up against the front wheel of the truck and snatches up Wendy like she weighs nothing. It’s so easy to forget how strong Stacy is as Aphrodite. She and Hestia rate as two of the weakest on her team in terms of physical strength, but even so, the Love Goddess can easily lift as much as Bobby.
Wendy’s lolling head emerges from the large chunk of mirror, bringing a thick cloud of smoke with her. Andydroid finishes pulling her through and lifts the team leader out of the way. Stacy scampers back through and I reseal the opening in Mega’s armor after making certain my girlfriend is clear.
When the board shows that the suit is airtight, I have Mega step through the wall of smoke. The West Coasties are barely holding their own against Larry, and it’s high time I join the party. The way Protector circles my buddy, who is holding Mindcracker in one of his hands, reminds me strangely of King Kong against the biplanes, except Fay Wray never tried blowing the big ape to pieces with her mind like this dude is attempting.
Secrets of a D-List Supervillain Page 17
