Guardian's Rise

by Matthew Renard

  ‘Yeah, we got that from the costume.’ TapeGirl retorted, and I took a better look at her, warming to her already. I didn’t think she was aiming her ire at me, but Aleph, and frankly, I could understand why. He had brought a stranger into their...lair? Den? I felt silly calling it an Amphitheatre... and was berating a team-mate in front of said stranger. It seemed very rude.

  ‘Mr Knight here has been doing an amazing job of helping fight crime in Capehill, and I believe he should be formally recognised as a member of the Unstoppable Squad.’

  That brought me up short.

  Superheroes teaming up was hardly a new idea. Before the Danti struck there had been a massive slew of Superhero TV shows and movies about the subject, to a varying degree of popularity and success. When Powered Individuals and Augmented People became a reality, it seemed natural that they should work together to combat larger threats. They were the dream of everybody who wanted powers - being part of a team meant more fame, more recognition, and more money from merchandising deals. It seemed more like being part of a small, close-knit union than anything else, where everyone worked together for a better common goal. The Unstoppable Squad were one of the more famous groups, and were the third most successful, after The Scintillators were all wiped out when they tried to launch an assault on Paradise Cove.

  Having seen the Unstoppable Squad in “action”: arguing over which takeaway to order, watch them demean and belittle each other, and generally act like squabbling little children, I wasn’t sure on whether I wanted to make that particular dream come true.

  I watched with a somewhat morbid curiosity, however, as they argued and bickered whether or not to bring me into their fold.

  I wasn’t given a vote.

  ‘So.’ Aleph raised his voice to hush the room to a disquieted silence. ‘All in favour of making Mr Knight an official member of the Unstoppable Squad?’

  Three hands went up. One did not.

  TapeGirl.

  Aleph sighed. ‘Let me guess, Cassandra.’

  ‘TapeGirl.’

  ‘Cassandra.’ Aleph glared at her. ‘I am assuming that Mr Knight’s flame motif is... what? Interfering with your IBS?’

  A snickering from across the table caught my attention. Slipshot covered his hand with his mouth, but it was too late: we had all heard him. I looked at him more closely.

  A strikingly handsome man with sharp, defined cheekbones and piercing blue eyes, his left of which was partially hidden behind a curtain of blond hair, Slipshot was the literal poster-boy for the Unstoppable Squad: tall, well-toned, and undeniably handsome.

  God, I hated him.

  ‘What’s so funny, Slipshot?’ TapeGirl retorted.

  ‘Oh, nothing.’ Even his voice was perfect; conveying a smooth, silky quality which sounded too artificial to my ears. ‘Just... thought of a joke.’

  ‘You mean like your abilities in bed, you mean?’ TapeGirl spat at him, instantly earning a smile from me, which I didn’t have to hide since my hologram was still on.

  ‘That’s too far!’ He roared back. ‘It’s not my fault if you can’t accept a man wanting to be your equal.’

  ‘Equal?’ TapeGirl shrieked, rising from her seat.

  ‘Sami?’ I whispered. ‘Shut off audio.’

  ‘Compliance.’

  ‘Can you film this? I’d love to show Sammy later.’

  ‘Negative.’

  ‘You can see in 360 degrees, but you can’t record anything?’

  ‘Too much of my memory capacity has already been taken up with logging extraneous information from you.’

  I frowned. ‘Funny girl.’ I thought for a second. ‘Sami, can you track my vision?’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘Can you put a portion up for muting and unmuting automatically? Like, if I look at it for two seconds, you’ll stop me from being heard without me having to say it?’

  ‘Certainly.’ A green shaded box appeared in the right-hand side of my HUD, which I stared at. It flickered to red, and the words “External audio muted” appeared.

  ‘Awesome.’

  ‘...And another thing.’ TapeGirl was continuing. ‘How can you...’

  I stood, unable to listen to anymore. Immediately all noise stopped, and the Unstoppable Squad was looking at me.

  ‘Do you have something you wish to say, Mr Knight?’ Aleph asked, as if two of his squad mates hadn’t had a huge argument seconds before. I turned the audio back on.

  ‘Yes. I’d like to thank you all for inviting me to join your...’ Circus ‘team, but I must decline.’

  ‘Why?’ Starmangler spoke for the first time, a quiet but deep bass, typical of his broad mass.

  Because you’re a bunch of raving lunatics that are trying to latch onto me because I’m the only person doing anything springs to mind...

  ‘I have a... sidekick.’ I mumbled. ‘And he doesn’t have any powers.’

  ‘Lose him.’ Aleph shook his head. ‘We don’t need any Nonpers on the Unstoppable Squad. We may as well start calling ourselves the Stoppable Squad.’ He chuckled, and the others, even TapeGirl, joined in on the laughter.

  ‘Nonpers?’

  ‘Non-Powered Persons.’ He clarified. ‘A term I invented myself, you know.’ I felt like smashing his smug face in. ‘We cannot accept any Nonpers as members of the team. For their own safety.’ His tone took on a lecturing, condescending tone which made my skin crawl. ‘If they die, we’d look weak by association. No,’ he shook his head, as if I had interrupted him, ‘no, we cannot allow your sidekick to join.’

  ‘He could be an auxiliary member!’ TapeGirl chimed in helpfully.

  ‘What, exactly...’ I started, slowly, ‘is wrong with Non-Powered People?’

  ‘They’re just...’ Cassandra... TapeGirl... tried to reply in a nice, soft manner, and looked around for assistance.

  ‘Squishy?’ Starmangler supplied.

  ‘Yes!’ TapeGirl smiled brightly. ‘They’re squishy. If they get shot, they die. If something heavy lands on them... like a bus or a house... they die. If you sneeze too hard near one, they could die! They can’t lift anything of use, they can’t fly, they’re just... there.’ She finished. ‘What is it they can do that we can’t? Use WalkWidgets?’ She answered herself scornfully. ‘Please. What use even are WalkWidgets to PIs? Nonpers just overuse them and tire themselves out faster and faster, because they think they can be more like us.’

  ‘Let us be honest, Fire Guardian.’ Aleph joined. I noted how I was no longer Mr Knight to him. ‘Non-Powered People are all very well and good when you need your toilet unclogged and your kitchen cleaned, but I wouldn’t want to marry one.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘We’re genetically blessed.’ He held his arms out. ‘Whatever the Danti did to us, it’s irrevocably changed our DNA. We’re a higher order of life! Our children will be Powered, and their children, and so on and so forth, until we outnumber all Nonpers on Earth. We shouldn’t be mixing our pure, powered blood with them. We wouldn’t want to pollute our progeny.’ He smiled, and I felt a shiver. ‘That’s why they create groups like that nonsensical Sapiens First League: they’re threatened by our superiority and want to group together to feel secure and safe, whilst the world around them changes in a way they don’t like.’

  I almost pointed out that’s exactly what the Unstoppable Squad had done. Almost.

  Slipshot rested his feet on the round table in front of him. ‘At least you know where you stand with the Nonpers. They look up to us, and revere us or fear us.’ He shrugged. ‘I don’t care which, the result’s the same. They spend money on our merchandise and keep us rich. But the Nonpers know their place. Not like the Auggies.’

  The others around the table nodded in agreement, and I flexed my fingers on my right hand.

  ‘What’s wrong with the Augmented?’

  ‘Oh, please.’ Aleph could not keep the scorn out of his voice. ‘They’re just Nonpers trying to be like us. Trying to achieve the lofty goal of having Powers, wit
hout having fought for the right. Without having earned it.’

  ‘But wasn’t the Danti infection a random event?’ I was confused. ‘How did any PI “fight” for something which was given to them randomly?’

  Aleph looked at me pityingly. ‘Oh, Mr Knight. How confused you must be. You’re definitely new to this, aren’t you?’ He gestured, taking in the room. ‘We are the chosen. We are the elite, who use their powers and will own this world. It’s our right. Our destiny. Our legacy to our children.’ He took a breath, seemingly savouring it. ‘This Auggies will learn that they may ape us; they may want to be like us. But they will never be us.’

  As an “Auggie” myself, I was slowly starting to have an intense disliking for this man. I tried to calm myself by looking out of the window behind Aleph, watching as a small rocket launched in the distance.

  What’s the occasion? I wondered, before Aleph started stammering.

  ‘All I mean...’ He spluttered, and I tilted my head slightly in confusion. That’s when I realised how daunting it must be to be face to face with someone you can’t make eye contact with, who appears to be staring silently at you. Judging. Which again, reminded me...

  ‘Out of curiosity,’ I started slowly, instantly earning his silence. ‘What was your job before you gained powers?’

  ‘What?’ Please say it, please say it, please say it... ‘I don’t see what possible relevance that has on anything.’

  ‘I’m curious, as I say.’

  Please say it, please say it, please say it...

  ‘Well, if you must know....’

  ‘Oh, I must.’

  ‘I was an English teacher.’

  Yes! I smiled slightly to myself, and just had enough time to open my mouth to begin speaking again when the missile struck.

  Chapter 15

  Supervillains!

  The second the missile hit the glass, two things happened:

  The glass darkened almost instantly, blocking most of the light from the explosion - however, it didn’t shatter. The other PIs jumped or cartwheeled back - Slipshot backflipping over the table was an impressive sight, as irritating as he was, and they instantly flew into action.

  Sadly, since they were all looking to get out of the window, they never noticed the door opening behind me.

  ‘Intruders detected.’ Sami almost whispered in my ear. ‘Recommend you lower your hologram before you are spotted.’

  ‘But...’

  My hand jerked out on its own and hit the red button on my belt. The hologram fizzed away just as I became aware of people coming around the corner into the main room.

  ‘They’ve got a Normal! rescue him!’ A voice shouted, making me turn just as a group of people rushed past me. I caught the faintest glint of shiny metals before I was dragged out, around the corner to hear various screams. A cloth was thrown over my head, and I was led away.

  Part of me hoped TapeGirl was okay. A small part.

  The cloth came off my head, and I squinted. The light blared in my face, before slowly turning to a more manageable intensity. The silhouettes in front of me eventually turned into two happy, smiling, middle aged men.

  What?

  ‘Hi there!’

  ‘Uhh... hello?’

  They were both wearing light blue windbreakers, the one on the man on my left had an embroidered symbol on it - the US flag, and “SFL” superimposed on it. I looked at the men more intently. The one on my left (he of the SFL jacket) wore big oblong glasses and his white hair had flecks of ginger in it. His broad, open smile made me think of...someone. He reminded me very strongly of an actor I couldn’t place.

  ‘Oh, hey! A Brit! A bit far from home! How’re you doing, huh?’ The other man, this one with darker skin and a stately air about himself, gave a warm and welcoming smile. ‘Looks like we got you out just in time.’ His greying hair was tightly curled, and reminded me of post-Presidency Obama, if Obama was longer in face and darker of skin.

  ‘Just in time?’ The bespectacled guy nodded and waved a metallic box at me. ‘This thing scans for Germs.’

  ‘What?’

  His companion shook his head. ‘You’ll have to forgive Jacob, here. He’s quite blunt at times. The device scans for the genetic markers that show that the Danti have affected your DNA. These so-called Powered Individuals have them. Normal people like us don’t.’

  ‘Right. Germs.’ Jacob nodded. Who the hell does he look like? ‘ They’re Germs. A disease, that’s infected people and made them carriers.’ He jerked a thumb towards me. ‘He’s clean.’ He peered at me over his glasses. ‘Looks darned familiar, though...’

  ‘Wilford Brimley!’ I shouted, pointing at him. Ron started laughing, hard, and Jacob scowled.

  ‘If I heard a nickel for every time I heard that...’

  ‘Get with the times, Jacob. We don’t have nickels anymore, remember?’

  ‘OWD, then. If I had an OWD for every time someone compared me to Wilford Brimley...’ He grumbled, shaking his head, then froze. ‘Wait. OWDs.’ He stared at me intently. ‘It is, isn’t it?’

  ‘Is... what?’

  ‘You’re that lottery guy! The one who...’ Jacob trailed off, looking down at my legs. ‘He’s wunnuv’em!’ He leapt back, shoving Ron out of the way with an outstretched arm.

  ‘Now, hang on a second...’ I tried to interrupt, but Jacob cowered behind his confused friend.

  ‘Jacob?’

  Jacob pointed at me in fear. ‘He’s that guy who won the Lottery. Jason something. The richest guy in the world!’ Ron squinted at me as Jacob was talking. ‘But remember, he got his legs blown off months ago.’

  ‘Then it can’t be him...’

  ‘But his accent! He’s British, like the Lottery guy. An’ he looks just like ‘im!’

  ‘I get that a lot.’ I quickly chipped in. ‘We all look alike in England, you know.’

  ‘I...’

  ‘You know, bad teeth, tea swilling crumpet monkeys. That’s us.’ I shrugged. ‘And don’t even get me started on people from Norfolk. If banjo players were a thing in England...’

  Ron relaxed a little, but Jacob was shaking his head. ‘No, no, no. He lost his legs and his hand, remember Ron? He’s an Auggie.’

  I sighed, rolling my trouser legs up. ‘See? No metal. Just human skin.’

  Ron pointed at my legs. ‘They’re awful pale...’

  ‘I’m English. We don’t tan, we only burn. I like to keep my legs covered up.’

  Jacob ran out of the room, Ron and I both watching him go.

  ‘I’m sorry about my friend,’ Ron shrugged. ‘He doesn’t get out much, and he really hates Capes.’

  ‘Why?’

  He sighed, and pulled up a chair, sitting down next to me. The ancient chair groaned in protest. ‘There was a fire some months back. You gotta understand, Sapiens First... we’re not this terrorist organisation the Fake News Media portrays us to be. We’re just regular people trying to defend our homes and lives from an invading force.’

  ‘I’m sure all terrorist groups feel the same way.’ As soon as the words left my mouth, I wished I could have pulled them back. Judging by the look on Ron’s face, however, he didn’t even register what I’d said. He just stared off, unseeing and unhearing.

  ‘Jacob and his wife lived in an apartment building in Willowbrook. Quite high up, but it’s all they could afford. Jacob...he lost his job to an Auggie who could lift more than double what he could and go for longer. They sold their home and moved into an apartment building.

  ‘Three weeks later there was a fire. Fire department got there too late. PIs just... stood and watched. Including the ones we rescued you from. The Unstoppable Squad.’ He snorted. ‘“Unstoppable”. You can’t stop them if they never start, and they didn’t start helping Jacob. He got out. His wife didn’t.’ Ron sat a bit heavier in his chair. ‘That was how he joined Sapiens First. A lot of us joined for similar reasons.’

  ‘What about you?’

  ‘Ah, you don’t want to h
ear my story.’ He shrugged. ‘I just... I hate inequality and injustice.’

  ‘...And?’

  ‘People with powers just ain’t natural. They come to Capehill and we’re supposed to bow and scrape to ‘em? Act like they’re so much better than us?’ Rom shook his head wearily. ‘And don’t get me started on their Cult.’

  ‘On their... what?’

  Ron looked at me as if I were crazy. ‘Their cult? They have a monster that they worship. All PIs do. Auggies sacrifice their body parts as offerings to it.’

  ‘Uh...I’ve not heard anything about that.’

  Ron nodded enthusiastically, warming to the subject. ‘They keep it under wraps, but the monster lives in Tarkenden Forest. They go out once a month on the full moon to worship the beast.’ He leaned forwards, whispering conspiratorially. ‘They feed it their life-force.’

  ‘Uhm...’ I didn’t know what to say. Ron was about to continue his insane theory when Jacob charged back in.

  In his hand was a meat cleaver.

  ‘I’ll show you, Ron!’ He was muttering. ‘I’ll show you! I’ll prove to you he’s an Auggie. He’s one of them, Ron! I’ll show you.’ He kept up his mantra as he stalked towards me, his eyes reflecting the faint orange glow on the metal of the blade.

  ‘Jacob! What’re you doing?’

  He waved the cleaver. ‘I heated it up. It’ll cut through his fake hand, Ron. I’ll show you.’ He looked at me speculatively. ‘Now, grab his arm.’

  ‘What?’ I yelled in a totally manly way, not at all squeaking in shock. I promise. ‘Ron, don’t do this...’

  Ron, however, paid my words no attention; just grabbed at my arm, rolling up my sleeve.

  My right sleeve. Uncovering my right arm.

  My very human right arm.

  ‘Don’t do this!’ I struggled, but Ron put all his weight against me. ‘Please, I’m human! I don’t have powers, I’m not Augmented... stop!’

  ‘Sorry, friend.’ Ron mumbled, as I watched Jacob raise the cleaver high over his head, the glint in his eye now nothing to do with the glow from the cleaver. I braced myself, flexing my fingers on my left hand to ignite the Flame Foil if I needed it, but part of my brain made me hesitate.