by Jobe, David
Next to him sat Julian, who Brian refused to call by name. Teleporty had a much cooler ring to it. Plus, if they insisted on calling him Bulletproof, he would be sure to give them nicknames they would prefer not to have. Teleporty could have just jumped them all to the site, but it was argued that they might need to transport others back and that popping up like he does at that location might serve to set off what they were trying to avoid.
Across from Teleporty, Allison sat in calm silence. Out of all of them, Allison both scared him and kept him in awe at the same time. Her suit looked great on her, but it was the massive sniper rifle sitting across her lap that garnered his attention, which was saying something. Allison had hit puberty at a sprint and now, at least to him, reminded him of those shows that took average girls and made them into smoking hot models. Granted, he knew some of that was the bad ass way she carried herself. Everyone in this van was nervous, except for her. If not for “The Sickle” as she had started calling it, she could have been going to a fashion show in Milan. Well, a fashion show that was filled with swat team type clothing. He felt just a little jealous of Mac at that point, but at the same time worried that she was kind of out of his league.
He shook his head, clearing away the thoughts.
Grimm and Lanton sat up front, Grimm driving. “I think I’m going to ask her out.”
Lanton scoffed, arms crossed and head down. “Then I’ll start looking for a new partner.”
Brian had begun to think that Grimm hid his fear with humor, but he had to admit he enjoyed having the oddball around. He too wore the suit but kept the expensive sneakers. The rest wore combat boots with steel toes, but Grimm said if a crushed toe were the worst of his injuries after this, he would consider himself fortunate. “Oh, I don’t think she’ll be that demanding of my time. I’m sure you and I can still go out and let you pretend to solve crimes with that power of yours. Oh hey, your honor. I saw the murder in my Time Cop vision.”
“I meant that you would be the newest body on her slab.” Lanton shook his head.
“I think you got that backward.”
Miss Lindell blushed without looking up. “Gentlemen.”
Allison appeared to have not heard it, but Brian thought he saw her lip twitch upward slightly.
“None of those here,” Grimm said over his shoulder. “Just an old flat foot and his grumpy old partner.” He shot Lanton a look.
Lanton chuckled. “Let’s get through this, and then you can go on your next dangerous mission.”
“Into the bowels…”
“Grimm!” Miss Lindell’s blush could have signaled planes to land.
Grimm chuckled. “I meant the hospital where she does her creepy deeds. Er, where she works with stiffs. Dammit, I mean…” Each new attempt made his chuckling worse until he was just leaning into the steering wheel laughing.
By now everyone was smiling, even the stone-faced Allison.
Lanton just shook his head. “Park right here. Back it in.”
“That’s what she-”
“Grimm!” Miss Lindell stood up now, shuffling her feet as the van reversed course.
Grimm laughed but didn’t finish what he was saying. “Sorry, Miss L.” He gave her a perfectly good scolded kid look complete with puffing out bottom lip. “I’ll behave.”
As soon as the van stopped moving, the back doors swung open. Mac stood there with a serious look on his face. “They’re already packed. Just at a glance, this looks bad.” Brian looked at the man the kid he had saved had become. Still, with a bit of a pouch on his stomach, he looked impressive for how far he had come. His shoulders stood out in his own blue outfit and the suit pushed in on the parts still holding extra weight. He would still have a long way to go to be the muscle-bound men in comics if such a look could ever be achieved, but the way he held himself and the look in his eyes made him an imposing figure. Plus, knowing that the man could turn you into a black hole with a thought was crazy scary.
Brian hopped out of the van, offering a hand to the still red Miss Lindell. “What did you see?”
Mac stepped beside him, offering his hand to Allison. “Close to two dozen guards, all looking military grade. The weapons they’re holding could kill a crowd of hundreds in seconds, no doubt. And there were at least a thousand people milling around in the parking lot. On one side, there are a bunch of protestors, or picketers who I think might also be armed. This is a powder keg, and those poor people down there don’t seem to be aware of it.”
Julian appeared outside the van, leaning against it like he had been there all along.
Lanton came in from the side, shaking his head. “We have to get a plan in play.”
“Well, I saw my father standing on the roof like some cheesy movie dictator. I’ll deal with him.”
Lanton shook his head. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
Mac placed a hand on Lanton’s shoulder. “It’s about time I faced my abuser.”
“You think you are ready for that?” Lanton’s eyes seemed to imply he didn’t think so.
“I think everything about my life has been leading up to this moment. It has to be him and I that square off.” Mac adjusted his smartwatch without seeming to be aware he was doing it.
Lanton seemed to ponder this for a moment and then said, “first let’s go see what we are up against.”
They all walked to the top of the embankment, looking down on the waiting scene. People milled around the entirety of the parking lot, seeming confused as to what to do with themselves. They still hadn’t opened the tents for doing whatever it was they wanted to do. The picket gallery stood shouting down insults and slurs that sounded marred by too many drinks. Soldiers, no doubting their professions, stood on the loading docks holding assault rifles at the ready.
“Uh oh,” Bran said.
“What?” several of the others said in unison.
“Look at the soldier’s wrists. They have matching tech. I think your father hooked them up with shields like Julian has. I can’t punch through shields, man.”
Mac stepped up, shielding his eyes. “I thought that might happen.” He turned to Allison. “That’s where you come in. Use your power to snatch them away.”
Allison shook her head. “I can only do weapons, you know that.”
Mac nodded and leaned in. “Remember our discussion about the headless soldier Brian saw next to my Dad’s body? And how I should keep that in mind should I see my father again? I have no doubt that those things are just as much weapons as the guns in their hands.”
Allison's shoulders slumped. “Saying it won’t make it so.”
“Give it a try. I think you’ll surprise yourself.” Mac turned to Julian. “Remember that trick you did with your shield for your brother? As soon as Allison grabs one, I want you to put it on the person down there you think is in the most danger. Keep doing this with as many of their shields as Allison can swipe. Do it as fast as you can. Then, if and when you get that done, start pulling people to safety.”
Julian nodded. “Sounds good.”
“What do you want me to do?” Brian found himself asking.
“I believe our job is brawling with bad guys.” A voice announced. Stepping from around the van a full-sized stone statue of a knight stepped into view, a real longsword held in one hand. It raised a hand as everyone got ready to attack it. “I’m here to help. I promise. “
Everyone looked to Mac. Mac shrugged.
Grimm stepped out from behind the Knight, slapping what looked like a small wad of tan clay on the Knight’s back. Sticking up from it was a small metallic cylinder. “You go rogue, you go boom.” He gave the Knight a casual smile and a wink.
The Knight chuckled. “Fair enough. And though I have a strong attachment to this one, if making him go boom means saving more lives, you have my permission.”
Grimm smirked. “I didn’t need your permission.”
Mac stepped in. “I appreciate it,” he said to the Knight.
The K
night gave a small nod of its head. “I should’ve done like that one,” he pointed to Julian, “and been smart about my power. I could’ve been doing so much good.”
Grimm shook his head. “This doesn’t wipe away what you’ve done. Those were my brothers in blue you killed.”
The Knight turned to him. “I don’t expect it to.”
“So when this is done, you’ll turn yourself in?” Grimm closed his arms.
“No. If I thought sitting in a cell for however long would repay my sins, or do anyone any good, then I would.”
“It’d make me feel better,” Grimm argued.
“Then once these people are safe, you have my permission to try and hunt me down.” It gave him a smirk.
“I don’t need your- Dammit. You did that on purpose!” Grimm threw up his hands. “Enough jawing, let’s do this. I guess since I’m still unsure of my power, I’ll go try and get the hate gallery to pack up their troubles, or to at least not get involved.”
“I’m going down with Brian and whatever that is,” Miss Lindell said, motioning to the Knight.
“I’ll join the fray as well.” Lanton turned to Allison. “Once you get the shields away from the guards, feel free to use that rifle of yours to make then rethink their hostile actions. If they try to hurt anyone, don’t hesitate to put them down.”
Allison nodded, straight-faced. “I won’t.”
Brian found himself staring at her. How could so much scary be wrapped in so much sexy?
Mac nodded. “Alright. I’ll go see if I can’t cut the head off this snake.” With that, he leaped into the sky, vanishing upward.
Brian crackled his knuckles and pulled his goggles down. “Alright. Let’s be heroes.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Huff and Puff
Lanton stared down at the milling crowd that lingered in the large parking lot, his stomach knotted at all the ways that this could go wrong. “Over a thousand people there,” he told no one in particular. “We should focus on trying to get them to clear out.”
Grimm shook his head. “They came here for a payout. People with money on their mind aren’t easily moved.” He gave Lanton a big smile. “We could blow up the Knight here,” he jerked a thumb at the stone man. “That’ll make them run for the hills.”
Lanton shook his head, even though he knew Grimm to be kidding. Well, he hoped at any rate. “Then I bet the guards down there just start opening fire. Later they’ll claim they thought they were under attack. We have to be careful here. We still aren’t technically a team, and we don’t want to be seen as the instigators. We still don’t know if anything will go south.”
“It will.” Lindell stared down at the crowd herself, her brow knitted in concern. “No matter what we do, people will die.”
Lanton didn’t want to admit that, but deep down he suspected she was right. If he were being honest with himself, he had his doubts this team of his would survive the fray. What he knew of Jesuit Patton told him that he went after people who tried to foil his plans, and he went hard. Brian’s story about Wolfe had been a very chilling tale.
Julian moved to stand beside him. He offered Lanton his watch that controlled the shield he always carried. “Here.”
Lanton pushed the offered hand away. “You wear it.”
“I’m going to be back here stealing more. I think I can spare one.”
“Then give it to someone else. They won’t be able to hurt me.”
Julian shook his head. “We call that hubris. You have no idea what the limitations of your power are.”
Lanton chuckled. “I know I’ve been shot at and the bullets went through me. I think I’ll be fine. Besides, I’m the oldest one in this group, except for the Knight.”
“That’s not my name.”
“No one cares,” Grimm said.
“It’s Golem.”
“Don’t give it to the Knight,” Grimm replied. He cast a glance at Golem, who in turn rumbled a deep chuckle.
“What about using Asimov for crowd control?” Allison looked up at the spot where she knew the drone hovered in silence.
“Not on civilians. If even one of them thinks we took away their free will, this whole thing will blow up in our faces. Is that understood, Asimov? No ordering civilians.” Lanton pressed the device in his ear to make it go live.
“Understood, sir,” Asimov said in his ear. “It is also worth noting that the guards arranged on the docking bay are wearing ear protection. I do not think I’ll be able to tell them to stand down either.”
Grimm groaned. “Of course not. None of this could be easy.”
Lanton shrugged. “It makes sense. There is no doubt that Steven is still at large and I am willing to bet he might have taken issue with Jesuit’s men coming to collect him.”
“If I get my hands on him,” Brian spoke via their communications device. Each wore a mic around their throat and an earpiece.
Everyone else followed suit. The chatter started coming through their ears.
“We better get down there. I see someone coming out from the building.” Allison peered down at the building with her arms crossed over her chest. For the moment that imposing rifle of hers sat on the floor of the van, out of sight but just within her reach.
Lanton nodded and began down the slope to the parking lot. He motioned for the others to pan out, hoping to not make them a single target for anyone. He doubted that the guards had not noticed them by now. He slipped through two port-a-potties that had been set up along the back end of the parking lot. At the other side, a few more had been spaced, filling the back of the parking lot with a stench that hastened Lanton’s steps.
The first group of people he came across appeared to be a small family. A mother and father sat next to a little boy of about six. Jutting from the boy’s head were a pair of white horns that circled back against the sides of his head. His goat horns ended in black points sticking out just above his ears. His nose appeared slightly pushed up and pinker than normal, but that might have been how he was before he got the horns. “Nice horns, kid.” He blinked, realizing the unintended pun he had just made.
Mother and father appeared to have clued in and shot him angry looks. The kid jumped up and beamed. “I know, right? Mom and Dad say I have to get rid of them, but I think they’re awesome.”
Lanton went to reply, but the father cut him off. “Can I help you with something, officer?” The way he said “officer” made it clear how little he thought of the man and his title.
Lanton tried to put on his public servant face, giving them a wide smile. “We have reports of some people looking to cause trouble here. It might be a good idea to come back at a later time.”
“We aren’t leaving until we have answers,” the father said. His look said answers would only be accepted in the form of green answers.
“And we get this fixed,” the mother said, gesturing at her son’s horns. In response the son sat down and crossed his arms, bottom lip puffing out.
Lanton nodded. He couldn’t order them to leave. “Just be careful, please. And keep an eye out for anything out the ordinary.”
The father scoffed. “You’re not very observant, officer.” He swept his arm to indicate the crowd that mulled around before him.
In one glance he could see white wings poking up from one crowd. Another had a young woman levitating in a lotus position above the crowd. All around him the wildest dreams of a freak show carney had come to life. Lanton opened his mouth to ask again for them to be careful, but once again he found himself cut off.
A woman in white at the top of a platform to the right of the loading docks spoke through a bullhorn. “My apologies everyone for the late start. We were hoping to have a few ambulances from the local hospitals to administer the blood draws. They are stuck in traffic at the moment, so in order to expedite this, my assistants and I’ll be coming around to help you fill out the proper forms. That way when the ambulances do arrive, we can process through that much quicker. Please, i
f you would be so kind, start forming two lines in front of each of the tents over here.”
“Ten to one there are no ambulances,” Grimm said in his ear. “Afterwards there will be, but not to draw blood.”
Lanton began to move toward the woman in white, hoping to maybe ask her some questions and get a better bead on what might be happening next. “How do the protestors look?”
