The First: EVO Uprising

by Kipjo Ewers

  “With Dennison, yes, we stand a chance,” Lady Tech answered. “Without her, we’re good as dead. And with Peace holding both her island and parents hostage on opposite sides of the world with the help of her goon squad and a powerful Promethean monitoring not only our every move, but hers if she gets anywhere near Earth’s orbit. I don’t see what other options we have that don’t involve the disgusting words collateral damage.”

  “So that’s it?” Adrian raised his head in disbelief. “We’ve lost?”

  “We need to be in three different places attacking at the same time.” A frustrated Erica turned to him. “The only way to do that is for me to invent teleportation in the next fifteen hours. From down here where we are buried I don’t see that happening. I’m good, but I’m not that good.”

  Everyone including Sophia now bore faces of frustration. No one wanted to admit it, but Peace had covered all of her bases checkmating them. Erica turned her back to her team placing her hands on the console of central command with her head lowered. She silently racked her brain searching for some scenario to put them back in the game. To her dismay she could find none.

  In the midst of their backs being against the wall, the three android sisters’ eyes widened causing everyone alarm.

  “Maxine, what is it?” Erica asked nervously.

  “Energy anomaly building within this vicinity.” Maxine turned pointing.

  Out of thin air, electricity crackled and expanded licking and shearing the floors and walls around it as light appeared spilling from whence it came from. It grew larger opening into the size of a large oval door way. On the opposite side of the doorway, everyone had a bird’s eye view of what appeared to be a reflective veil of various worlds and dimensions colliding with one another. Rosann and Adrian morphed while Abe grabbed his rifle. The android sisters also went into combat mode anticipating an attack. Lady Tech was the only one who did not feel threatened as she walked toward the portal like a moth to a flame.

  Out of the portal stepped the Egyptian demigod from the battle in New York. That girlish heart fluttering feeling returned to Erica as she gazed into his white eyes void of irises.

  “Everyone power down, or lower your weapons.” She waved them off. “I think the cavalry has arrived.”

  They all did as told while Erica looked up to a gentle smile directed toward her and felt a fuzzy feeling all over.

  “Hi,” she waved.

  “Hi,” he answered with a deep rumbling voice.

  “All right,” Rogers stepped in with a protective fatherly tone. “I take it you’re here to help us fight the forces of evil.”

  “I am the Eye of Ra,” he formally introduced himself. “And I am here to help.”

  “Great, glad to have you.” Abe got down to business. “Think you can get us topside to our main base with whatever you just stepped out of?”

  “Yes, I can,” he smirked.

  “Can you make more of those portal, “ Erica jumped back in, “or just one?”

  “I can open as many as you need,” he confirmed.

  “From anywhere?” she swallowed.

  “Yes,” he nodded.

  “Then we have a plan to put together.” Abe turned to the rest of the team.

  “Whatever plan you have,” Vincent translated for Sophia, “I’d like to add to it.”

  He nodded in agreement.

  “Let’s get to work people,” Abe brought his rallying voice, “we have less than fifteen hours to save the world.”

  ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜

  Far off near the remote area of the Antarctica, Peace soared high as she streaked across the sky immune to the harsh cold environment of that region. She touched down hard spraying snow a good couple of feet while startling a family of polar bears that ran away to safety.

  She walked a couple of feet to a massive iceberg. As she neared it, the view of a extremely large barge ship encased in part of it appeared. She walked up the frozen boarding deck steps covered in icicles stepping onto the main deck of the ship.

  Heading to one of the main doors, she strolled along the frozen deck where some of the ice had a deep reddish color to it.

  The red icicles that hung from the guardrail, pointed down to the deep dark frozen waters where the remains of the former occupants laid.

  Nonchalantly, she keyed into the security panel opening the door. She stepped inside to an actual lift that brought her down to the bottom level of the ship. She exited into the florescent lights of an experimental R&D lab and a waiting Revenant, Wendigo, Ghoul and Anchimayen.

  “Did they catch my good side?” was the first question she asked. “I didn’t look bloated, did I?”

  “Ya looked like a million bucks,” Ghoul shrugged, assuring her.

  “Very impressive display of power,” Revenant smirked. “Think you over did it?”

  “It had to be done, though, I took no pleasure in it.” She shook her head. “‘Over doing it’ ensures that others will think twice about trying to oppose me. If preventable, we don’t need any further bloodshed or loss of our own species. Anchimayen, have you located the Egyptian yet?”

  A hovering Anchimayen sitting cross-legged floated over to her.

  “No sign on either the normal or astral plane,” he reported. “It is as if he does not exist, or a soul.”

  This new information made her rub her chin. Concern appeared on her face for a split second which Revenant caught.

  “New plan.” She snapped her fingers. “Ghoul, you’re no longer benched. You’ll be accompanying myself Revenant and Wendigo to DC in case the ‘Scorpion King’ makes another appearance. Anchimayen, you will stay here as eyes and ears. The Regulators I’m not too concerned about, but this new mystery player, and especially Dennison, are top surveillance priority.”

  “Maybe if you killed her you’d only have one…” Revenant sighed as he examined his fingernails.

  He was unable to finish his sentence as Peace wrapped her hand around his throat at lightning speed taking him off his feet. On instinct, he put up his protective shielding as she slammed him violently into a nearby metal wall making an impression of his back into it.

  She moved closer to him as if she was about to kiss him, her hand glowed as she increasing grip drew some of his power from him, forcing him to groan and gag saying otherwise. Wendigo slowly went to reach for her iPod and turn up the volume, but Ghoul turned to her raising a subtle finger to stay out of it.

  “Let’s get an understanding, shall we, you piece of oozing diarrhea out of the crack of Lestat’s ass,” Peace sighed. “This ain’t no Starscream slash Megatron type of shit. You’re not going to test my patience episode after episode till I kill you in some blockbuster movie. I keep you alive because you serve a purpose. The second my new world is created, and I feel you no longer serve a purpose. I will end you as easily as a horse flicks a flea. Now the next time you attempt to reprimand me, I will reach up your stink hole and use your spinal column as an anal bead. Are we clear?”

  “Perfectly,” choked Revenant.

  “Good boy,” she smirked.

  She hammered him violently into the wall, imbedding him further into it for good measure before releasing him. Her hand and eyes momentarily glowing purple and black from draining a fraction of his power reverted back to her yellow glow as her hand powered down. He leaned up against the wall nursing his throat, slowly sucking air back into his lungs.

  “I’m going to my room to sit in my underwear and play some Xbox Live,” She turned to the rest of them. “Unless it’s something urgent, do not bother me until tomorrow.”

  She walked off to be alone as the unscathed trio watched her depart. They then turned to their secondary leader.

  “Well that was bloody stupid,” Ghoul admonished him.

  “But necessary to determine that miserable cow’s plan for us once we no longer serve a purpose,” Revenant turned to him.

  “All I hea
rd was as long as we’re useful to her we can keep breathing in her new world,” the Ghoul answered back, “which is fine with me. Personally, I find being a fanatic Satanic worshipper to be no different than any other religion. Overrated and with a very short life span. At least I know what I’m dealing with when it comes to her because she’s tangible.”

  “She maybe powerful,” Revenant sneered, “but she is no god, she has fears and weaknesses. She fears the Egyptian.”

  “I’m afraid of the Egyptian,” Ghoul snapped back. “I don’t think you understand our dire situation. We’ve gone from serial killings with a side of cannibalism to full on terrorism on a global scale. If we’re to survive without a bounty on our heads we need her New World Order!”

  He walked away with Anchimayen following behind him. Wendigo walked up to Revenant putting a hand on his chest as a gesture to see if he was all right. He looked down at her with a simple smile stroking her left cheek; she nuzzled against his hand like a kitten.

  “No worries, my dear,” he smirked, “we will let her have her new world. And then we shall find a way to kill her and take it from her. The Egyptian is the key, or at least the power he possesses. She did my work for me when she dispatched Dybbuk. When I take the Egyptian’s power and merge it with my own, it will aide me in usurping her and claiming this world as my own. And then the real fun will begin.”

  Chapter 23

  0500 AM Pacific Time, the Regulators worked through the night preparing for vengeance and battle. With the assistance of the Eye of Ra, they used one of his dimensional portals to return to base level without detection from Anchimayen. It was an experience none of them could put into words.

  The first thing they did was search for Oliver. A part of them prayed he was waiting for them. Maybe a bit banged up, possibly injured, but alive and waiting for them. It made it all the more real when they found him, bringing back tears and heartache they tried to exercise while confined in the central command.

  Even though his face remained stone, Abe’s eyes could not stay dry at the sight of Oliver lying there.

  Before he and Adrian stepped in to take him to the medical bay, Rosann stopped them.

  “I want to take him.” Tears rained from her eyes. “I want to take him.”

  Rogers nodded, extending his hand. She grasped it duplicating his Titan strength again allowing her to lift him. She closed his eyes and cradled him close; she slowly carried him to the medical bay as if he was sleeping. He still felt warm to her.

  She laid him down covering him with one of the medical blankets. She found a rag to wipe the dirt and dry blood from his face and mouth. Standing there fighting to smile, she stroked his cheek, making her way down to placing a hand on his chest. None of her caressing woke him up.

  “I love you,” her heart broke as she said it, “from the first time I saw you. Every day I’d wonder what your kiss tasted like, what kind of beautiful babies we’d make… silly, right?”

  A smile popped up on her face for a brief second; her joke did not wake him.

  “I know my dad would have liked you.” she said. “No one is ever good enough for his little girl, but he would have liked you a lot. My mom would have loved you.”

  She leaned in laying her head on his chest. He still did not wake up. She blubbered like a child as she placed a hand on his forehead patting it.

  “Thank you… for sharing your life with me.” She fought to smile again. “I’m going to see you again soon… okay… I promise. Just wait for me… okay?”

  She gave him a goodbye kiss, her body shook waiting for him to wake up, but he did not.

  Forcing herself off of him, she hollered till her legs almost gave out on her. Unfairly robbed, and her body could not sustain the weight.

  Still aided by Abe’s strength, she bent and crushed a part of the metal table Oliver rested on, until her sorrow turned into blinding rage.

  She began to tear the medical bay apart searching for something.

  Happening upon one of the medical kits, she tore it open pulling out a syringe.

  Ripping it out of its packet she trudged back over to where Oliver lay.

  “Let’s fight together one more time.” She nodded. “You and I... we’re going to kill them all… so you can look down at them as they burn in hell.”

  Rosann returned from her time with Oliver with all of her emotions ripped from her. She uttered not a word as they assessed and salvaged what weapons and equipment were still intact.

  The Tornado was gone, but the Warthog was surprisingly still intact and functional despite being buried. Erica’s S.A.M. armor, which also descended to its own fallout bunker, returned undamaged and ready for battle.

  The ten miniature Doozers that survived the attack and destruction of the base went to work repairing the minor damages the Warthog may have sustained, after Adrian, Rogers, and the Eye of Ra removed the rubble from it.

  After ensuring that her armor was intact and functional, Erica supervised the preparation and loading of the weapons and equipment they needed for their mission.

  As they worked tirelessly through the night to prepare for war, Abe, Erica, and Adrian found a couple of minutes to individually slip away and say their goodbyes to Oliver.

  Now suited up carrying every clip he could lug, Abe brandishing the M1 Ballistics rifle walked up to Rosann adjusting the straps to her tactical gloves.

  “You ready Esposito?” he asked with a gruff voice.

  “If you don’t mind, sir, my call sign is Merge.” She locked eyes with him. “And I am ready.”

  Her eyes were devoid of emotion. Her demeanor was a mixture of coarse salt and raw iron. Although he needed the end product, he would have preferred she was hardened some other way.

  Rogers moved onto Adrian, his aura was not as grim as his sister’s, but the light had also gone out of him. He was in a dark place thinking dark thoughts. He wanted his friend back, and had to settle for vengeance. Abe instantly noticed the changes to the color scheme and wording to his bodysuit.

  “Heavy Element,” he read out loud the wording on the thighs of his suit.

  “Sir, yes sir.” He looked him in the eyes.

  “Good name,” he approved.

  Finally, he glanced over at Erica who changed out of her regular colorful bodysuit for a dark gray one. She sat on the steps of the Warthog adjusting body armor fittings on her forearms, biceps, knees, and shins. She kept her goggles over her eyes so he could not read what was behind them.

  “All right children,” Abe grunted.

  He got their attention, but did not expect for them to fall in.

  Rogers stood looking into the faces of Lady Tech, Heavy Element, and Merge, while the Eye of Ra stood off to the side observing them all. They were hardened faster in one day than a platoon of Marines who had done several tours. The tears were gone as their eyes welled up with rage and the desire of payback. They could also tell he wanted it too, and was going to lead them to it.

  “Speeches are for politicians, coaches, and actors,” Rogers sniffed, “it’s simple, those sons of bitches took Oliver from us. So we’re going to take everything away from them… and I do mean everything. Any questions?”

  “Sir, no sir!” the trio roared.

  “Then let’s get it done,” he nodded.

  They piled into the Warthog. Rosann sat alone with her head down in her thoughts. Every now and then she ran her hand against a small ammo compartment on her left thigh.

  Adrian glanced at his sister with some concern, but gave her the respected space she needed. He knew she did not want his help or to save her from what she was going through. She needed him on his A-Game, fighting at peak condition with everything in his gut and arsenal like she would be. She desired nothing more from him, or anyone else.

  “Lady Tech,” Abe glanced her way, “play something motivational and turn it up.”

  “Got it,” she nodded.

  Adrian got up from his seat leaning in, whispering into her ear. She tur
ned to him raising an eyebrow.

  “I heard him playing it a lot in his room,” he coughed.

  “I got the song,” she smiled.

  As Adrian returned to his seat, Erica selected the song he requested. “Rise,” by Skillet pumped throughout the audio system of the powered up Warthog. Rubbing her hands together, she grasped the two hand controls ready to go.

  ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜

  0850 AM, Washington DC:

  The streets throughout the capital were cemetery dead. Peace’s news broadcast and savage obliteration of the Defenders of Justice left people cowering in their homes refusing to come out, while taking the fight out of all superhumans around the globe. Residents of the District of Columbia huddled together close to their loved ones under structures that gave them very little protection. They clung closer to one another as the sky began to tremble.