by Kipjo Ewers
Erica also pointed out to both twins that the properties they absorbed were not gone when they reverted back to human form, but dormant. Once they absorbed a property it remained within their cells, touching the property again only triggered and activated their abilities. In time with training and concentration they would be able to morph without the need of a trigger.
Rogers stood in front of the observation training window with Lady Tech watching as the twins and Oliver took part in a fierce simulation battle with three Replicators.
The purpose of the training session, which he explained prior to it taking place, was for the team to learn to deal with fighting in single combat situations, while figuring out how to get to their teammates in order to fight as a unit. They were placed in an urban city scenario several blocks from one another. One stipulation which was enforced on Rosann was that she was not to borrow her brother’s or Oliver’s powers at anytime during the battle. She had to rely on her own abilities in order to help her team win.
Rosann in a female humanoid cheetah form tried her best to match speed with a Mercurian Replicator, while her brother Adrian in Titanium form took on a Titan Replicator. Blitz matched his lightning ability against a Replicator possessing the ability to unleash intense heat and flame.
“They’re not doing too bad. Oliver is showing great control over his power. The twins’ combat prowess is getting better. Adrian’s using more of what you taught him and less brute strength.”
“Yeah,” he sighed. “Now let’s throw in the wildcard.”
The wildcard was a fourth Replicator with the power to manipulate water. Powering up it pulled air together focusing and channeling a massive amount of H20. It used it for aerial propulsion. Its first act was to team up with the fire Replicator. They purposely crossed streams of fire and water to create a steam smoke screen.
“Guys!” yelled Oliver. “Could really use some help here!”
Adrian seeing Blitz being double teamed even through the thick steamy mist side stepped the Titan Replicator slamming its gut with a knee and then booting it to the side of its skull knocking it down.
Turning on his heel, he rushed to Oliver’s side only to run into an ambush from the flame wielding Replicator blasting him with a full dose of plasma heat. His titanium physiology saved him from fourth degree burns, but he choked and gasped within the airless environment.
Oliver with fist cocked and charged of electrical power, dived down to his teammate’s aid clobbering the Replicator with enough force to send it crashing against a concrete building.
There was no breathing room as the water wielding Replicator unleashed a hurricane force stream on both a recovering Adrian and an electrically charged Oliver. The blast shorted out Blitz’s powers and sent him flying along with Adrian. He went crashing through the window of a Walmart, while Oliver smacked up violently against a parked Honda Civic.
A feral Rosann barely took down her Replicator speedster. She landed a lucky open handed slash to its face. The Replicator’s synthetic body and reaction where extremely realistic as it hit the pavement in writhing pain with simulated blood pouring from the four gashes made by her claws across its face.
It caught her off guard a bit. Even though it was not a real person, the scene was all too real for her. Especially when her hands trembled at the sight of the blood on them.
“She’s freezing up again,” Rogers sighed.
Rosann’s feline senses detected an incoming attack forcing her to leap backwards as the recovered Titan Replicator came down with both fists looking to hammer her head off. It ended up cratering the concrete instead.
Twenty feet up it left her open to a midair attack from the water wielder blasting her with the same powerful stream it hit Oliver and Adrian with. She slammed violently against the simulated concrete wall of a building, but her feline reflexes allowed her to get her feet underneath her.
She recovered quickly enough to see the water wielder hovering over her, the Titan flanking her left, while the recovered speedster flanked her right side. She roared preparing to fight when the simulation came to an end. The Replicators went into standby mode as the force field generated holographic buildings and cars disappeared leaving a blank room again.
A soaking wet Rosann reverted back to human form as her brother, also drenched, got back to his feet, and transformed. He walked over grabbing Oliver’s hand helping him up to his feet.
“Where should I begin,” Rogers’ voice boomed over the audio system, “Esposito… and I mean the male Esposito… you once again failed to neutralize your target with a neural damper. Knocking him down does not mean that he’s out especially when he possesses regenerative healing. So your sister can thank you for getting her triple teamed and possibly killed.”
Adrian bowed his head and nodded acknowledging his screw up.
“Mr. Brandon, you’ve been told a million times your electrical abilities only stun fire wielding EVOs,” Rogers began to admonish him.
“Sir! I was attempting to do that sir!” Oliver answered.
“You also know heat does not have any effect on you,” he continued, “so why didn’t you bum rush that Replicator and beat the hell out of him instead of getting into a damn dog fight with him?”
“Sir… I,” he stammered.
“You froze again Brandon, relying once again more on your powers and not your physical abilities and training,” Rogers sternly pointed out. “Had you done so, you could have bagged and tagged him and then dealt with Mr. Super Soaker. FYI, water is a perfect conductor of electricity, which means a concentrated blast from you would have dropped him and not the other way around. You would have known that had you not gotten rattled by being double teamed.”
“Sir, yes sir,” he nodded.
“Female Esposito,” Abe sucked in some air and then exhaled, “mind telling me why you froze again after turning that speedster into a scratch post?”
“Sir, no sir,” she lowered her head, “I… don’t.”
“Yeah you do,” Rogers shot back. “You froze at the sight of fake blood on your hands. You froze because the reactions of that dummy standing before you was all too real for you. Am I right or wrong?”
“Sir...” She hesitantly nodded, “you are… correct… sir.”
“Now answer this rhetorical question,” he continued, “if this was a real life situation, and the other way around, do you think your opponent would hesitate or finish the job?”
“Sir, finish the job, sir,” she answered.
“Esposito, the only reason you’re still standing there with your brother and Brandon,” Rogers said with raw iron sternness, “is because I lost a fifty dollar bet with Champion here that you wouldn’t last a week. You have proven me wrong as to whether you have both the physical and mental aptitude to be here… so far. Psychological-wise remains to be seen. This is not the Peace Core Esposito, this is a superhuman combat unit, which means there will be times when you must fight, draw blood, and possibly kill. Disciplines needed not just to save your life, but possibly the life your team that you will be fighting next to. A hard truth that you need to come to terms with and decide if you are both able and willing to do or not, and you need to decide quickly Esposito, or else I will decide for you. Is that clear?”
“Sir, yes sir!” she acknowledged.
“The purpose of this training is to see how you all do in both individual combat situations and as a team.” Rogers addressed all three of them. “There may be situations where you begin fighting as a team and end up separated. Where the odds will not be in your favor. Where you must think on your own and battle to get back to your team. Failure to do so will result in a certified asskicking and a possible toe-tag. Do we understand one another?”
“Sir! Yes sir!” they all howled in unison.
“Dismissed then,” he barked, “get out of my sight and get some food in you.”
Rogers watched all three leave, reading their body languages. Rosann, with her shoulders hunched over cl
utching her right bicep, glanced at the Replicator speedster she clawed down with troubled plastered all over her face. Oliver’s shoulders were not hunched, but his head was lowered. A look of disappointment was written all over his face. Adrian yawned and stretched seemingly without a care in the world. Rogers came to learn it was the opposite. As annoying as Esposito was at times, he had a hard work ethic. He did not dwell on the mistakes he made; he worked hard to do it better the next time around.
“Well, they didn’t do too bad,” sighed Erica.
“They didn’t do good either,” Abe grunted, “and I need perfect.”
“You can at least say we’re doing well with three more months to go,” she glanced his way.
“No,” was his flat answer.
He turned walking out of the observation deck as she shook her head blowing blue-dyed bangs out of her face.
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Thirty minutes later Rogers sat at the desk of his quarters examining video images and Intel of superhuman combat units already established in several countries. Russia had a six person unit known as the Iron Spetsnaz; the United Kingdom had a five person unit known as the Lions of Elizabeth. In China there was an eight person team known as the Order of the Dragon, while in North Korea there was the Guards of the Republic. It was unknown how many EVOs was a part of their team, but intelligence guessed there were possibly six. South Korea countered them with a five person team named the Heroes of the Republic. There were also teams being formed in Iran, Israel, Australia, and possibly Japan. Russian had the strongest team, all class ten; followed by the UK with the second strongest, while China possessed a number of heavy hitters and the numbers game. Between Russian and North Korea possessed the most experienced superhumans with military combat backgrounds.
Rogers leaned back regretting he did not have more of a say in the selection process of the team before he took the position to both train and lead it.
“Maxine,” Rogers called out, “Are you there?”
“Yes Sergeant,” Maxine responded, “how may I help you?”
“Other than the battle with Captain Omega and the Siberian Machine,” Abe began his question, “how many other combat situations has Ms. Dennison been in against other EVOs?”
“I calculate six different confrontations,” Maxine confirmed, “two within the Ukraine, three within the continent of Africa, one in Mexico, and one within the Middle East.”
“Where in the Middle East?” he asked.
“She defeated a class eight Titan by the name of Alborz Mahmoudieh near the border of Iran and Afghanistan,” Maxine reported.
“What happened there?” Abe knitted his brow.
“Alborz Mahmoudieh a low ranking member of Al-Qaeda, apparently became a top lieutenant when his abilities activated. On March 11, 2013, he marched into a small town with a regime of thirty men looking to set up a temporary camp. Unbeknownst to him, Ms. Dennison was also there bringing medical aid to the villagers,” Maxine explained. “Ms. Dennison asked Mr. Mahmoudieh to kindly leave the village and set up camp elsewhere. Mr. Mahmoudieh did not take kindly to being ordered by a woman and attempted to assault Ms. Dennison. She soundly defeated him in three seconds.”
“Send me all the footage you have of her in combat situations.” He leaned back in his chair. “And any stats currently compiled on her.”
“Certainly,” Maxine compiled. “Shall I include the Miss in your research?”
“Negative,” he shook his head, “this is my own personal research. But inform everyone to show up in the debriefing room at 2200 hours tonight.”
“Yes sir,” she acknowledged, “compiling data.”
Rogers leaned forward as Maxine created a folder compiling the video footage and data he requested.
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Debriefing Room 2200 Hours.
The trio wore the same faces they had on after leaving the Hurt Locker. Erica seated next to Adrian, leaned back in her chair reading updates from a well-known comic book news website known as Comic Vine from her tablet as they waited for Rogers.
“So uh,” Adrian fiddled around, “do you know what this is about?”
“Nope,” she sighed.
“No clues,” he continued to fidget, “none?”
“The only thing I know is Wolverine dies,” she answered nonchalantly reading her tablet, “and Tom Hardy just got signed for the Captain Omega movie. He is so hot. ”
He slowly leaned over to check out the content on her tablet, when Rogers entered the room making him stiffen up along with his sister and Oliver. Erica continued to scan through her tablet. As Rogers neared the center of the room, he did a quick scan looking into their eyes. No one wanted to go home.
“You’re not diamonds, but I bet I can trade you all for a three-piece, and a Happy meal,” he huffed. “Top brass wants you ready within the next three months. I say you all need at least six more months to get your balls up. Unfortunately, orders are orders so it’s time to switch things up to some on the job training.”
The trio glanced at one another with both confusion and eagerness. Lady Tech lifted her eyes from her tablet glaring up at Rogers with uneasy narrowed eyes wondering what he was up to, especially since he did not debrief her privately on his plans first.
“Maxine, bring up the file,” Abe request.
Lady Tech’s eyes bulged while almost falling backwards out of her chair. Oliver and the twins glance her way before turning back to the mug shot and rap sheet on the screen.
“Her name is Sophia Dennison,” Rogers began the debriefing, “a very powerful EVO, probably the most powerful one on the planet. She’s currently located on a remote island in the Pacific which we will be paying a visit to tomorrow, where the word of the day will be ‘recon’ people. This is an information gathering mission only, with the emphasis on ‘information gathering.’”
He did another scan of their faces to ensure they comprehended what he was saying.
“Any questions?” he asked.
Erica’s arm shot up into the air. She violently waved it demanding his attention.
“Ms. Champion,” he narrowed his eyes.
“Exactly what type of intel are we expected to gather on this ‘recon’ mission?” she asked narrowing her eyes back at him.
“I will be the one actually gathering the intel,” he informed her, “you four will be providing back up, and that is all you will be doing. Any more questions?”
No one else had any questions, but they were all uncomfortable at the sudden tension between Lady Tech and the Sergeant.
“So tomorrow make sure you’re suited up and on the deck by the bird no later than 0900 hours,” he ordered, “anyone late for our little field trip will be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment, and those that are early will get worse.”
Oliver and Rosann’s eyes turned to Adrian again who returned their glare once again with a dirty look.
“Dismissed,” he turned exiting the debriefing room.
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As Rogers entered the hallway walking off, Erica with the demeanor of an irate rabid ankle biter followed behind him.
“Permission to speak freely sir!” she snapped.
“As long as you keep it G rated,” he returned dryly.
“What the hell are you doing?” her high pitched stern voice echoed the anger and frustration on her face.
“Close enough,” Rogers sighed
He halted turning to face her.
“Why the hell are we going to Ms. Dennison’s island tomorrow?” she yelled. “And why wasn’t I debriefed?”
“I just debrief you.” Rogers tilted his head unimpressed by her temper tantrum. “And for a college grad with a list of degrees longer than my arm I think you’d understand the meaning of the word
‘recon.’”
“This is more than a reconnaissance mission and you know it,” she sneered at him, “and what part of her island being a ‘no fly zone’ did you not get?”
“I’m banking on her being such a humanitarian that she wouldn’t bring down a vessel with no hostile intensions,” he scoffed. “And any additions to this mission is on a need to know basis, which at this time you do not need to know.”
“As co-leader of this group I demand to know,” she shot back.
Rogers sighed stepping forward now towering over her with a stone cold look, making her feel smaller than she already was. As extremely intimidating as the Sergeant was, she tried her best to stare him back down.
