Super Powereds: Year 4

by Hayes, Drew

  All that training Shane had done, all the work on precision and control, it hadn’t just given him the ability to use his power non-lethally. When applied with intent, Shane’s training had also turned his power into a brutally efficient killing machine. He knew where the vital organs were, precisely, and he’d learned how to hit exactly where he wanted. There had been a few dark, prideful moments when Thomas had wondered if Shane was really a better choice than he was for Intramurals; after all, wasn’t malleable energy a more versatile fit? Now, standing under his dome and watching the carnage, Thomas understood what Chad had meant about Shane’s strength. He might not win Intramurals, where killing was frowned upon, but there wasn’t a doubt in Thomas’s mind that Shane would be a legend among Heroes once he was out in the field. Perhaps a terrifying legend, one used to scare criminals into compliance, or a legend of destruction when people saw what remained in his wake. No matter how it went down, Shane’s ability to cut through entire swaths of enemies was going to be noticed and depended on by the public at large, regardless of how terrifying it might be.

  Maybe the other Heroes were right. Maybe they were the Class of Nightmares after all.

  “Shit. I might be able to rework the sonic taser to neutralize the Sims’ distress frequency, but I’d have to land the drones and stop coordinating to do it.” Will was chewing on his lip, visibly weighing his options in the few seconds he had to make these sorts of calls.

  “Keep up the tracking, we need that more,” Thomas said.

  “You think? But it would only be a couple of minutes, and then our people wouldn’t risk getting swarmed.”

  “We don’t have a couple of minutes to spare.” Thomas looked over to the edge of his dome, where he could see a fourth group of Sims, the biggest lot yet, just beginning their charge at the entrance of the alley. Shane was poised and waiting; the moment they appeared his shadows sprang into action. “And our class can handle a few gangs of Sims. They need you for guidance above all else right now. The ass-kicking we’ve got handled.”

  * * *

  Vince hadn’t been entirely sure what to expect, but the unremarkable male Sim hiding in the Origin of Supers exhibit surprised him nonetheless. He’d been certain there would be at least a gang of Sims waiting, maybe with a tiered floor that required fighting his way up one enemy at a time. There was a strong chance he might have cobbled this imaginary battle together out of memories from watching Hershel play video games, but it still would have been exciting to have something a little grander than a shabby guy in the corner with a flickering ball of light between his hands.

  “Stop!” Vince yelled, more on reflex than intent. Since they were dealing with an Armageddon Sim, he probably should have attacked first, but some instincts were hard to curb. To his shock, the Sim did exactly as instructed, letting the ball of light disperse and raising his hands in the air, showing the universal sign of submission.

  “Huh. I did not expect that to work.” Chad appeared from the shadows behind the Sim; he’d slipped away moment’s prior and taken a stealthier route. The original plan had been for Vince to draw fire while Chad snuck in and delivered the killing blow, but that seemed a little unnecessary at this point.

  “What do we do now?” Vince had been geared up for a no-holds-barred fight; he wasn’t sure how to proceed in the face of immediate surrender.

  Chad considered the question briefly before a blade of bone extended from his forearm. With a single slash, Chad severed something in the Sim’s neck and the unkempt man went tumbling forward. “Killing without need is not heroic, but we can’t risk him attacking us or starting things up when we leave. Paralysis is our best option, and I was careful with the spinal nerves I cut. Or what would be spinal nerves on a human. The point is: he’s out of the battle.”

  Touching his earpiece, Vince quickly relayed the situation to Will. “Did we get him, is this our guy?” He didn’t have high hopes. This whole thing screamed “distraction” more than someone trying to wipe out the world, but it was worth asking.

  “Since no one has passed down word that the test is done, I don’t think so,” Will replied. “That means Alice’s team has probably got the real one cornered. I haven’t spotted any other targets yet. All forces: converge on that team’s location. We’re running low on time and we have to stop the Sim before the ten minutes are up.”

  “We should get moving,” Chad said. “We’re pretty far away, the odds of us making it in time are slim, but we might if we rush. At the least we can take out any Sims we see approaching to back up the ones under attack.”

  “Yeah, that’s probably right.” Vince’s eyes lingered on the still slumped-over Sim. Moving as quickly as he dared, Vince walked over and hefted the Sim into a position with his back against the wall. “Sorry we had to hurt you, even after you surrendered. At least you’re still alive, though.”

  That done, he rejoined Chad and the two of them took off in a dead sprint, racing out the museum doors in no time. It was a pity they didn’t linger a bit longer. They might have noticed the other figures entering the museum from the other side, Sims who quickly rushed to their downed comrade’s location.

  That was the trouble with teamwork; it cut in both directions.

  211.

  Alice was scary.

  That wasn’t really news, and hadn’t been for years now. If anything, Violet was among the first to realize that when they had their mid-air tussle during the sophomore final. All the same, it was eerie to watch Alice raise her hands, face pinched in concentration, and send every Sim on the ground shooting up into the air. Dimly, Violet thought she made out a few crunches from way up high, although that may have just been her imagination. Big blasts of energy Violet could deal with, same as she could handle people who could punch through cars. But to just watch a battlefield be wiped out like that, no screams or chances to fight back… it was unnerving. Once Alice hit the real world, Violet had a hunch that a lot of crooks would take to wearing parachutes as fashion accessories pretty regularly.

  “So far… so good.” Alice’s words came out terse, and her hands shook a little. The area she was affecting with her power was huge, easily the biggest she’d done in any of these fights by a healthy margin, and the effort was visibly taking a toll on her. She was still able to talk, at least. She walked forward under her own power, albeit at a plodding pace. “Amber… your turn.”

  The words had barely left Alice’s mouth when the huge section of the wall around the second floor blew open, leaving a massive crater easily large enough for them to walk through. Unfortunately, the fact that it was on the second floor meant walking wasn’t an option, and Alice seemed in no position to try flying the group.

  “Can you get us up there?” Amber asked.

  “Have to. You need me. Otherwise, you’d go up too.” Alice gritted her teeth and started forward, her feet wobbling a bit as they left contact with the roof. She had a point; if they entered the area without Alice’s protection, the gravity would affect them just like the Sims. No wonder she’d said she couldn’t help with whatever they found: Violet was amazed Alice had the concentration to do even this much. Once they were inside, they were on their own.

  Traveling to the hole in the wall was a brief, somewhat terrifying affair. Violet, at least, had the knowledge that if Alice slipped up she could semi-fly around and save herself, but Amber would be in a much more vulnerable position. Thankfully, nothing went wrong as they made their approach, all three walking through the air on the unseen gravity field Alice was weaving, until they finally touched down on the dull gray carpet of the building’s interior. There were no Sims around the entrance, which wasn’t a great shock since they should be pinned to the ceiling, but Violet positioned Alice behind her all the same. From here on, it was up to her and Amber to finish the job. Alice had done more than enough; time to prove that they could make a difference as well.

  * * *

  “Oh dear.” Chad stopped running, holding up a hand for Vince to foll
ow his lead. Tapping his earpiece, he spoke to Will in quick, clear tones. “Will, can you sweep the area south of 19th for me? I’m hearing a big group of Sims moving in what I suspect is the same direction as us. If they’re not on the same path we can swing wide, but if they’re backup for the target it might be more prudent to handle them now.”

  “One moment.” Will’s voice was soon followed by a buzz overhead as one of his drones swept the sky. This time, it was interrupted by a sound like something crackling and then a soft thud as it smashed into a building. “They’re going the same way, and they spotted my drone. Second one I’ve lost so far. Alice has a reversed-gravity field around her building, but since we now know they have at least one blaster, I’m not sure how that would impact their ability to strike from a range. Can you two intercept the gang before they arrive?”

  “Can and will, Will.” Chad faltered, his accidental wordplay tripping him up. “I mean we’ll do it, if that’s what helps the most.”

  “Seeing as neither of you can fly through an area of manipulated gravity, I’d say you’d do the most good by stopping potential threats before they arrive. Stay ready for new instructions, though, we’re down to the wire. If anything goes wrong, it will be all hands on deck.”

  Vince waited, but no more guidance followed. He turned to Chad instead. Lowering his hand from the earpiece, Chad nodded to the southeast and then met Vince’s eyes. “You should be aware; I hear a lot of them. This won’t be an easy fight with just two of us.”

  “The fate of the world is at stake, I wouldn’t expect anything less.” Together, they ran off toward the group of migrating Sims, each hoping they’d be able to help in some small way before their time ran out.

  * * *

  All of the indoor Sims had not met an equal fate. The heavier ones had smashed through the tile ceiling, pinned under the sturdy floor of the next level. Others were still in sight, twisting and turning to try and see what was going on below them. A few had managed, through luck or effort, to face downward toward the ground. Those Amber picked off as they made their way through the halls. Violet wasn’t sure any of them had ranged abilities, but they might, and even if they didn’t they could still raise a ruckus, so she didn’t protest Amber’s methods too hard.

  The biggest enemy they were facing was time, unfortunately. Not much was left, and Alice’s slow pace made searching each room a longer task than it needed to be. When they finally came to a large office with thick wooden doors and sounds of movement from the other side, it filled all of them with hope that they’d reached the final step of their trial. Amber looked to Violet, who looked to Alice, who was sweating visibly from the strain of manipulating gravity over such a large area.

  There was nothing to say, really. They knew they had to bust in, and it was clear that Alice couldn’t hold this much longer. It was time to act: all they could do was stay on their toes and trust their training. There wasn’t enough time to try anything else.

  Carefully, Violet positioned Alice directly behind her and then dialed up her own body’s density by several degrees. Given the way Amber liked to knock, there was a good chance this was going to come with collateral damage.

  “Ready?” Amber stood, hand outstretched, waiting for her cue.

  Violet took a deep breath, scanned the area one last time for any danger they might have missed, and then nodded. Her head had barely finished moving before the door exploded inward, spraying flecks of wood all over the hall.

  212.

  Although it was Amber who opened the way, Violet led the charge inside. With her density turned up she could function as a strongman, and that meant she needed to draw any potential fire before any waiting Sims could attack her team. She bolted through the still-falling pieces of debris that had once been the door and scanned the area.

  Four Sims were inside, waiting for them. One was a short man with energy crackling from his eyes and hands, which were clutched together as though in prayer. Given the amount of juice he was putting out, this seemed like the best bet for what Will had spotted, and that meant he was their nuclear threat. Unfortunately, the other three Sims were standing in her way, all of them still on the floor. Glancing down briefly, Violet noticed that they’d drilled in climbing hooks and rope, lashing themselves to the ground. Had they climbed down while she and the others made their way in, or were they like this from the start? It was a question she’d deal with when the fight was over; first she had to clear out this room.

  Leaping toward the nearest Sim, a woman in full business attire who seemed to be rippling with muscle, Violet threw a punch that would knock out a regular person and hopefully knock a Sim with enhanced endurance off-kilter. The woman took the blow without so much as a blink, grabbing Violet and flipping her onto the carpet. It was a good thing these floors were reinforced or Violet would have gone slamming through it. As it was she left a sizable dent in the ground before scrambling back up just in time to miss an electrical blast from one of the other guard Sims.

  These were tougher than the usual robots and seemed to be smarter as well. Violet could still beat them; she hadn’t made it this far for nothing. It would take time, though, and time was becoming a more and more limited asset. Glancing at her watch, Violet saw that they’d just passed the nine-minute mark since this mad scramble of a test began. Less than a minute left meant they didn’t have time to play nice. Much as Violet disliked the killing aspect of the job, in that instant she looked at the situation as if it were real, if the lives of everyone in the world were at stake, and Violet realized she had it in her to do what was necessary. Even if these Sims had been real, she’d still have to wipe them out.

  “Amber, blow the heads off anything that’s not me. I’ll clean up the rest.”

  Without waiting for confirmation, Violet leapt forward, snagging the Sim who’d thrown her in a grapple. She wasn’t trying to actually throw or submit the Sim, however. Violet just needed a grip to put the other side of her power to work. Because she didn’t just impact her own body; she could change the density of other things too. Usually, she only worked with inanimate objects, but today was a special occasion. In the span of seconds she’d lowered the Sim’s density by more than half, and that made snapping its limbs only a minor effort. She tore it apart, taking the head as soon as she had a clear chance, trying hard not to think about the spray of viscera that would be coming in place of electronics if this were real.

  When the task was done, Violet looked around to find the other two standing Sims in smoking heaps. Clearly Amber had taken her instructions well. Honestly, she was always a little too ready to kill for Violet’s tastes, but in moments like this, it was a trait that paid off. With less than a minute left, they had a clean line to the Armageddon Sim.

  Not wasting a moment, because who knew how many they even had left, Violet leapt toward the sole Sim remaining. She jumped so high that part of her accidentally left the bubble of normal gravity that Alice was holding around them for an instant, disorienting herself. What had been a leap turned into a fall as she struggled to regain her sense of direction. Violet managed to right herself just in time, angling her knees forward and cranking up her density as high as possible before impact.

  She slammed into and through the last Sim, cleaving him into messy halves from the weight of her landing. Due to their positions, she could see his face for a few moments before his power went out. It was haunting, watching the last twitches as the crackling energy faded away. Realism was all well and good to a certain extent; she just wished they hadn’t programmed the Sims with death expressions. That felt like taking it a step too far. Still, the job was done, and Violet was cheery as she tapped her earpiece to make the report.

  “Will, our target has been taken out the hard way. What’s the status, did we pass?”

  “You got the last one? That’s good but… strange. I thought there would be an announcement when we won or lost. They’ve said nothing though, and our time…”

  Violet could see fo
r herself: the seconds on the watch were piling up. Before her eyes they officially passed the ten-minute mark. She braced herself for an announcement, telling them there was some other threat that they’d missed. It would suck, but she felt like as a whole the class had put on a good showing. Even if it was a failure, it was a failure they could take pride in. And yet, as the big moment came and went there was nothing, not so much as a peep from Dean Blaine either way. What was going on?

  “I don’t get it.” Will might have been talking to himself at this point, it was hard to tell. “We had a firm time limit, and we hunted every suspect I could find, why isn’t Dean Blaine interrupting this test with… oh for fuck’s sake. Interruption. The Sim needs ten uninterrupted minutes to set off Armageddon.”

  “What does that mean?” Violet asked. Amber and Alice were staring in from the outside of the room, the latter looking like she might be sick from the strain of keeping the huge gravity field in place.

  “It means that you killed your target, and Roy’s team killed their target, but Chad and Vince told me they neutralized their target. I’ll bet that means incapacitation, knowing those two. Vince or Chad, can you confirm?”

  “Chad… crippled him.” Vince sounded out of breath, like he was mid-fight even as he took the time to reply.

  “One moment.” It was strange, standing in the office amidst the electronic corpses they’d created, waiting for Will to tell them what to do next. “Drone has confirmed that we’ve got a new target back on the east side, most likely our museum Sim once more. These Sims have been working together the whole time: I’ll bet they have some units that are the equivalent of healers. Alice’s team, I know you just had a fight but you’re our fastest option. Can you get across the city in time?”