by Riley Tune
“No. Flex’s little sister will be joining you, too.” I let out a sigh. Zeva was coming too. She hated me, but it was no surprise that she was along for the ride.
I heard a door shut outside. Mr. Reid leaned over the kitchen sink and looked through the window. “That’s Karen and Junior, go clean your face, and act like nothing happened. Say anything, and I’ll make sure you get your ass kicked tomorrow as an intro to the team.” He said this, not with a smile, but with a smirk. Was he serious? I didn’t know, but didn’t ask either. I rushed upstairs to remove the blood from my face, and packed for my first day as an Imperial Lord intern.
CHAPTER 10
R.M.F.C
“J
en! Hunter! Get your asses in gear., a voice screamed through the house causing me to jerk out of my drool making slumber. I looked around. Confused a little as I removed the sleep from my eyes. I glanced at my clock to see that it was seven in the morning.
I groaned as I fell back and let my head hit the pillow. It was blissful. There is just something about a pillow that had molded to the shape of your head for several hours that just made you not want to get up from it. I refused to move. I knew we had to leave early, but did it have to be this early.
This was another reason I doubted the life of a hero. They got up early all the time. Their time wasn’t even theirs. No, their time belonged to the people they saved. Robberies, bombings, kidnappings and things of the sort don’t happen on a schedule. Villains on the other hand did what they wanted, when they wanted. No alarm was going to wake villains like Jupiter's Fury or Double Down up at seven in the morning.
My internal debate was suddenly interrupted by shock. A single drop of something cold and liquid touched me on my neck, causing me to flinch and open my eyes. I took in a small breath. “Who put you up to this?” I asked without even moving my head. The response I received was a slight snicker.
Hovering about a foot over my face was water. Easily a gallon worth of water was sloshing around on its own, as if the water itself could fly. “Mom told me to make sure you two were up,” Junior said. I turned my head and saw him standing there in his pajamas with his hand stretched out. He was using his telekinesis to keep all of the water afloat in the air. Beside him, on the floor was a red bucket.
“Okay, I’m getting up. Can you move this already?” “I could, but I don’t know if I want to. I have a job to do. Mom’s orders.” he said as he laughed. “Fine,” I replied. In a second a blue force field came into existence and was surrounding the water, not me. “Okay, so now what?” I said, as I moved the force field out of the way and sat up in the bed.
“Push war?” Junior replied with a smile. “Push war,” I said as I stood up. Push Wars was our own personal game we would play. While Junior had a powerful form of telekinesis, I could control my force fields as if they were just an extension of my being. Usually, Junior would lift something with his ability, and then I would enclose it in a force field.
The Push War would then start. Junior would push the object towards me, while I would push the force field towards him. Whomever got their object to the other person won. We were both fairly good at this game, but I usually won if I was well rested, but over the last few times, Junior was proving stronger than he had been .
I placed my feet, and so did he, as we prepared to face off in a battle of force, but before we could, Mrs. Reid walked pass the door, smacked Junior in the back of the head, and shot me a glare. “I sent you to wake them up, not to play around,” she said to Junior. “Sorry mom,” he replied as he rubbed the back of his head.
“You got it?” I asked him. He shook his head, and I retracted the force field away. At the same moment the floating water quickly went from hovering in the air, to moving towards the bucket and finding a home there. I walked over to him and extended my fist. “She just saved your ass, kid. I was about to win.”
He laughed as the bucket hovered off the ground. “Whatever. This is to be continued,” he replied back as he bumped my fist and walked out the room screaming, “Oh, Jennifer.”
I scratched the back of my head, yawned and then inhaled the smells of food being cooked down stairs. Bacon. The universal, good with, and on, everything, food. I had to hurry up and get ready before it was all gone. Jen may had been slim, but she could put bacon away like it was a third power.
I grabbed my two bags and placed them by the door. I already had my clothes ready from last night so I could skip the what am I going to wear panic. My phone buzzed again. I grabbed it off the charger and realised it was Danielle again. She had sent me a good luck message. I held the phone in my hand, trying to figure out if I should reply or not.
I decided to stick to my guns, and let her squirm a bit. I wasn’t against sending her a message back, but I didn’t want to at the moment. Instead, I ran to my bathroom, used it, and then took a quick shower. Once out and dry, I threw on my white casual sneakers, a pair of blue denim, and my favorite green plaid shirt. Quickly, I rolled up the sleeves and tamed my hair, then I was good to go.
I grabbed my bags and looked at my room one more time. “Hurry up. I’m not saving you any if I don’t have to,” I heard Jen say as she walked down the hall and headed to the stairs. She too, had two bags with her, and as usual a ballcap was on her head. “I’m coming.” I called back to her.
I did a final once over in my head to make sure I had the major stuff. I felt like I did, but in normal fashion, a day or two from now, I’ll realize I forgot something and need to either come back for it, or purchase a replacement. I flicked off the light and headed down the stairs.
Jen, true to her nature, ravaged the food. Lucky for me, it was expected and Mrs. Reid had set a plate aside for Junior and I. She had coffee, and Mr. Reid was off at the base, so we would be seeing him pretty soon. See what I mean? Off at the base already. Heroes had early mornings.
“Well, it's about that time,” Mrs. Reid said as she took a final sip of her coffee and stood up. She had on a pair of gray sweats, and a white shirt from her college days that had her alma mater's logo on it. I stood from the table followed by Jen and we both put our plates in the sink and grabbed out bags.
We said our goodbyes to Junior as he began to wash the dishes. He was always the dishwasher because of his powers. With telekinesis he could do it in a fraction of the time it took anybody else. Even now as I adjusted the bag on my back, three plates were in the air being washed by a sponge that moved on its own, while as the same time the coffee mug was dunking itself into the foamy water.
Mrs. Reid opened the door for us as we walked out. It was a little before eight now, so we had to go wait in the yard for our ride. As usual, it was daylight out and brighter than it would be twelve hours from now. Mrs. Reid looked up in the sky several moments. No doubt she was looking for our ride.
I didn’t know how other supergroups worked, but being one of the leading groups, gave you a large amount of funding, and as such fancy things like being picked up by a personal transport of some sort was no big deal. “You two nervous?” Mrs. Reid asked casually while still searching the skies above us.
“Nah,” Jen replied. “What’s the worst that could happen? Dad will be there every step of the way, and it’s not like they are going to give us a major crisis as our first assignment. Unless they go crazy and tell us to hunt down this killer that’s on the loose.” Mrs. Reid grimaced as she shook her head. “Sometimes I wonder if we went wrong with you,” Mrs. Reid said with a smile as she looked at Jen.
“Went wrong?” Jen replied. “Between Junior, myself, and boy wonder here,” she pointed at me. “I’d say you guys did soso. .” Mrs. Reid nodded and, under her breath mumbled “I’m changing the locks as soon as you’re out of sight.”
We all shared a laugh at this but Jen, much as I hate to admit it, had a point. Over the next two years of our internship, we would prove our worth and eventually be involved on some major stuff. Our first few assignments however, were sure to be
small time grunt work. Stuff that was likely dull and a vast waste of our time and abilities. Paying our dues is how Mr. Reid phrased it. “I’m just ready to get it over with,” I added. “The first year at least anyway.” Mrs. Reid eyed me, and nodded her head to agree.
“No matter how it goes, or what you two decide for your futures, I love you both. Marcus and I couldn’t have asked for better kids.” She paused for a moment. I could see her swallow before she cleared her throat some. “Your mom would be proud of you Hunter.” she said to me with glossy eyes.
I couldn’t help but feel like all of this was for me, and Jen was just added in to divert it. It was a safe bet that she was going the hero way, but with my villain blood flowing through me, I was still up in the air, and my adopted family could likely tell. Either way, I was happy to have them.
My mother, and the Reids all went back. They had all been close most of their lives up until the very end. They even sat with each other in their days at Purgatory. When my parents died in the Battle of Ages, the Reids didn’t hesitate to become my guardians, and for that I will always love them as if they were my parents. That’s also why my indecision was so troubling.
“Thanks,” I finally replied to her. I wanted to say more, but just then we all felt a sudden rush of air around us. For a second I felt like Lobo was back. It was unrealistic, but would have been cool. Then Jen would have gotten a chance to meet him. When I told her about him she had pelted me with over a dozen questions, and I eventually had to tell her to stop being a groupie for the guy.
In this case, the wind issue was from our ride. We all looked up as the empty sky above us, suddenly flickered and our transport came into view. It was larger than I expected. Dark gray in color, and easily a hundred feet in length. Large wings stuck out from the sides, and nearly one complete side of the transport itself was a large rectangular glass.
On the side was a large number four painted in yellow, and the outline of a door had a faint neon glow. The transport finally landed a few feet from us, and the large door beside the number four opened. “Well, this is it,” Mrs. Reid said as she hugged us one last time. “Be careful.” As she said this she sounded like she was about to cry. “We will, I said.” Jen and I both stood back and took a photo of the transport after we returned the hug back to Mrs. Reid.
It seems lame, but for us this was still a big deal. As we showed each other the photos we captured, we walked onto the platform and headed inside the transport. To my surprise, Zeva was sitting on the inside and was already strapped in. She looked up, put a few pills in her mouth, gave a slight wave of her finger to us, and then turned away.
I was shocked she even acknowledged either of us. I was also not expecting her to be here already. For some reason, I thought she would have had her own transport there. Guess I was wrong. She had on some black shoes, black jeans, and a cream- colored sleeveless shirt. Her arms were toned, and she looked like she would have been a fit to wield super strength.
As I sat down I looked around the transport. It was full of lights, and panels that did who knows what. Our seats were almost like the bucket seats in racecars, and was perhaps the most comfortable chair I had ever had the pleasure of putting my butt in. Where we were, in the middle, was all business. Monitors, switches, and buttons covered most surfaces, yet the back of the transport looked more like a lounge. Complete with bolted down tables, chairs, and even a couch that was facing the large glass that I saw from outside.
In the front was a lone seat positioned in front of more buttons than I could count, and three large touchscreens. It was something, I just didn’t know what. I couldn’t see it too well but it didn’t look human. The head was a square shape, and the arms appeared to be two rods connected to wires that were mounted on a center.
The arms moved with ease, as buttons were pressed, and the large door quickly closed. There was silence for a moment. The square head turned and touched some monitors. I looked at Jen and frowned. Zeva looked to us both. She sighed, as she picked up on our confusion. “It’s an RMFC,” she said as if she didn’t want to answer the question that we hadn’t even asked yet.
“A what?” I replied. “A Robot Manned Flight Craft,” she said as she moved her hands around in the air. “That’s what this is, and that it, the robot, mans it. Get the picture?” “You trying to sound like a bitch or does it come naturally for you?” Jen asked as she laid back in her seat.
I felt my eyes bulge a little as I looked from Jen and then back to Zeva who was glaring at her. It suddenly got very cold inside of the transport. “You would think with your father being in the Imperial Lords that he would have told you some of these things. Flex told me.” Zeva said as she undid her straps and went to sit in the lounge.
“I guess some of us are going to be more prepared than others on this internship. But then again, some of us are here for more than family ties.” “Meaning?” Jen asked as she sat up in her chair. “Because last time I checked your family was the one with the high and mighty purestock.”
I had mixed emotions about what was about to go down. Clearly these two were about to go at it, and a part of me wanted to see how it would turn out. Then I realized that two Icons fighting in a flying transport was not in anybody’s best interest. Especially when one could freeze things, and the other could make them intangible.
“How about we all just calm down and enjoy the ride. It’s too early for a cat fight anyway.” “Whatever,” Jen said as she laid back once more and closed her eyes. “Wake me when we get there, princess.” Zeva, thankfully, didn’t say anything snarky in return.
I pulled my phone out and saw I had yet another text from Danielle. I didn’t even open it this time. I knew if I kept giving in, I would eventually forgive her for what she did. She knew it too and was why she was so persistent.
I got up from my chair to go sit on the couch in the lounge. I twirled my phone in my hand as I seriously considered just texting her back. Zeva, surprisingly, moved from her lounge chair, and sat beside me on the couch. “Nice view, huh,” she said as she was looking out the large window at clouds around us. The shift in the air from her sitting down blew a sweet fragrance my way. She smelled amazing. “Sure is,” I said as I looked at her.
I was certain we were admiring two completely different views. While she was looking out at the world below us, I had taken notice of her figure in those black jeans, and her almost perfectly toned frame in that sleeveless shirt. Her hair bounced effortlessly as the transport moved, and as I admired her, as if on cue, my phone went off as another text message came through.
I was sure it was Danielle, and I didn’t even look at the phone. The alert, did make me feel bad a little. Here I was gawking at Zeva, sister of my nemesis for lack of a better word, while ignoring my girlfriend. Ex- girlfriend. Whatever she was.
“We should be there in no time. These damn transports move faster than any plane ever could.” As Zeva said this she licked her lips some and put her face in her hand. That slight movement sent her fragrance to me again. As fast as I felt bad, I suddenly didn’t anymore. Hell, Danielle had her chance to do right by whatever we had and she didn’t so tough shit.
“So, what does it feel like?” Zeva asked as she looked at me. “What does what feel like?” I responded. “Being part villain. Being able to do whatever you want. You have a freedom many of us can only dream off.” I didn’t respond. Instead I just looked at her.
I was confused as to what she was doing. At first, I thought she was making fun of my parents. Plenty of people did. Then, as I didn’t answer, she never took her eyes from me. She really wanted an answer. Why did she want to know what it felt like to be half villain? I began to think this was her roundabout way of flirting with me. “It doesn’t feel like anything,” I finally said.
She nodded as she slipped yet another vitamin between her perfect lips. “You ever think you take too many of those?” I asked. She shook her head. “They keep the demons away. Keep me level h
eaded, and keep me fit,” she replied. “I’ve had to take them forever. My brother loses his shit if I don’t.”
I nodded and smiled. “When you come from a family of purestock like you do, it’s probably best to keep the demons away.” She didn’t respond to this verbally. Instead she just took in a deep breath and let her head and shoulders dip some. She clearly had something on her mind, but I didn’t really know how to ask her about it. Maybe I should make the first move.
Sister to my nemesis or not, she was stunning. She smelled like heaven and looked like an angel. Then suddenly, as I was looking at her, I saw an image of Danielle in my head, and it made me flinch a little.
“Approaching Imperial Lords’ base,” a robotic voice echoed inside of the transport. “Soon as I drift off, we are ready to land,” Jen said. “Shut up and come see this,” I replied to her as I turned from Zeva.
Jen unbuckled from her seat and walked over to the couch Zeva and I shared. “Excuse me,” Jen said as she clearly bumped into Zeva on purpose and sat beside me. Thankfully I was in the middle of both of them, so no more petty interactions could occur.
“Wow.” Jen said as she let her mouth drop open. “I know,” I replied as I looked out of the window too. “I’m guessing you two have never seen the base before,” Zeva replied. Her casual attitude led me to believe she had been here before at least once with Flex. Jen and I didn’t respond to her question. We were too busy taking it all in.
As we moved through the clouds, we could see the base slowly coming into view. Clearly the funding they had was going to good use for more than just luxury transports. The Imperial Lords base looked like something out of a fantasy movie.
For starters, there was the location. Located on the edge of Atlas City, the base was partially on land, and then partially in the water. The portion of the base that was on land was circular in the middle, but had tall spires around it composed of steel and glass, that touched the skies. In the back was what looked like it could have been a large tunnel, also made of glass, so it was completely see through, that lead into the water and, to my best guess, to the second part of the base which was found under water,
