Chapter 18: The Tank

Liam

 

A surprise full scale express training Thursday morning—it felt like Pamela’s goal was to tucker out her superheroes as quickly and painfully as possible. Thankfully after the party we had last night, I’d gotten some much needed rest, because me and my team had been on the clock for three hours now, non-stop exercises to test stamina, agility, accuracy, and resistance, courtesy of General Boller’s strict order. On top of the physical brutality, we were being demeaned out there, in the courtyard, out in the grass fields, and even in underground routes following restricted testing guidelines. The environmental change in heat didn’t bother me one bit, but Dessi, Aster, and Rynn were melting down here.

No breaks, all push. Once we were done, all four of us went straight to the ward, where the girls had to share that one bathroom in rotation. As for me, I was captain, which meant I took the master suite, but I considered their exhaustion, and allowed Aster to steal my shower first.

After we washed up, I made for the couch, Dessi made for the kitchen to cook, and Rynn locked herself in her room. Aster plopped right on my lap just as I turned the flat screen on in the living room, wrapping her arms around my shoulders while her spider leg played with my hair.

“Oh, Liam, your demoness is all tuckered ooouut,” she sang, pressing her cheek against mine as she caressed me. “You shouldn’t have denied my invitation to jump inside the shower with me,” she whispered, her finger poking the tip of my nose lovingly.

“To be honest, I thought you were going to eat me inside, and then try to hide the evidence down the shower drain,” I teased. “You’re giving me that look again, demoness. That, I’m hungry look.”

“Must you always smother our captain?” Dessi rejected, her voice a bit more hostile than usual. “Give him some space, Aster. We are all very tired.”

“Why? So you can sit on his nice, cozy lap instead?”

She gasped, and without turning my head, I could tell Dessi was beat red right now. Aster shut her up for good, and went back to keeping me all for herself while I flipped through the channels. “You’re territorial all right,” I whispered under my breath to her, giving Aster a dirty playful look.

I was getting used to having Aster clinging to me every chance she got. Lust or love—I guess I really couldn’t tell the difference, but I knew I made her feel better about her eerie and hellish appearance. I gave her self-confidence, somewhere she could be herself and feel safe in the process. She liked me, and the feeling was mutual, but I had to remember my motto; no close relationships. The only invulnerable girl on my team was Rynn. My explosive powers could do more than harm Aster and Dessi…

“Oh, One Life to Ruin, my favorite soap!” Aster cheered, trying to get me to stop my channel surfing.

I laughed. “No way am I watching that. Here’s some news to rot your brain.”

“I’d rather feed yours nutritious romantic antidotes to get you in the mood,” she purred.

I gave her a cocky grin, snatching her spider leg off my crotch zipper. “Even after all of that training, you still want to get yourself worked up, huh?”

‘It’s been four days since The Awakening, a devastating blow against our nation, one that left us rattled and desperate for answers,’ news anchor Lauren Campbell started, the background capturing Roe City in ruins. I had forgotten it’d been that long, the days with The Brother’s Code feeling like they were all sown in together. She pulled me back to that day, the day I lost Rachel… the day my life took an unexpected turn.

‘Many of us have fallen victim to the bio nuclear bombs that had destroyed our cities across America, a swarm of specialized warfare from unknown origins. So far, our enemies still refuse to make themselves known, nor do we know their prime objective. All that we have observed is the crippling aftermath we are still fighting to control; a wave of super humans with different paths and different agendas. Some swear to do good by us, a few more are on the run and hiding. On the other end, some Americans, who had been turned, wish to harm our citizens, and dismantle the very foundation of our once strong, proud and powerful country. They dominate through fear and intimidation, America turning to the military for aid in a war that seemed to have dropped on us overnight. While we strive to reclaim control over these terrorist attacks, a promising organization known as The Brother’s Code seeks to reestablish peace throughout humanity, and bring down the walls of oppression these super humans have erected around us.’

“Oh, that’s us!” Dessi cheered in the kitchen behind us.

‘Yes, a band of super heroes swore their allegiance to America for the greater good, and they have been demonstrating their unyielding dedication and efforts so far. Hot zones have been marked by The Brother’s Code all over the nation, areas that can only be described as danger zones. These areas are being evacuated by TBC super heroes, while pushing out criminal supes in the process. The Brother’s Code also have safe camps which are being monitored under cycling supervision while evacuation orders are being met to shelter people throughout the transition. We continue to monitor a wide range of cities and towns for hot zone activity, the requirements for flagging hot zones consistent through high crime rates. Reports on supe activity help in every way, streamlining the process for both escapees and our heroes. So please, if you suspect a supe, no matter what their association, contact TBC’s hotline below, so we can stop these super villains before it’s too late.’

Hot zones categorized by high criminal activity; I could already see how that may backfire. Arguably, booming crime rates could happen for a number of reasons. For starters, we were still recovering from a terrible blow. People were desperate—food and shelter scarce. It was only logical that tension skyrocketed. There had to be another prerequisite to satisfy this procedure and this broad one wasn’t cutting it.

Secondly, reporting moral super humans would give off a wrong impression. If we started detaining both good and bad supes, then more supes would be afraid of revealing themselves, which would harm everyone in the long run.

Thinking long term, we had to have a concrete system, one without bias, a systematic plan of classifying these run away supes from the rotten douchebags capitalizing on the chaos and confusion.

“Well, the more you know, right?” Aster said, picking herself up from my lap. “I wonder what TBC is doing after they’ve detained all of those baddies under one roof.” She turned to me, crossing her arms over her chest. “You think they have a system to tame them?”

“Maybe. If they can tame us, they can tame them.”

She chuckled. “You aren’t wrong, and that fact is a little frightening, really.”

“Do you think if we step out of line, we’d be treated too?” Dessi asked us, worried.

“I don’t know what will happen, and I’d rather not think about it. Our contracts were pretty vague, and we signed it anyway because… we had no better choice. Who the hell knows how everything is regulated here.”

“Yeah, the world is ugly out there, right? Would hate to get caught up in the stir,” Aster said.

“We will have to either way. We are the answer our nation needs right now. Let’s tackle one problem at a time, and worry about The Brother’s Code later.”

“Hmm, if you think about it, twenty super hero teams from The Brother’s Code is spreading it really thin. Even if it is just the Delta Region we are talking about,” Dessi added.

Aster smiled. “So, do you think The Brother’s Code is conditioning baddies into supes? Could that be a possibility?”

My eyes grew, that word bringing back memories…

Conditioning—how far would TBC go to gain control of this scatter-fuck of a situation? As a matter of fact, how would they go about understanding how to control these raging supes? Was it really a one size fits all method? Was Fire Ant one of their botched control experiments gone wild?

“There’s a lot to The Brother’s Code that we don’t know yet,” Dessi said. “We are still new here, but also our country’s best line of defense. We can’t count on the military, not with so many unknown variables.”

 

“Yeah, I guess,” Aster said. “And, you’re right. We are spread thin. Think about it. Twenty known heroes on campus. Betcha’ at least half of them are already stationed in these hot zones. And that’s without proper training.”

“Maybe TBC took the few highest ranking supes for the job.”

Aster chuckled. “Well, if that’s the case, then I feel fortunate to be in the bottom few.” She smacked her tongue, summoning a construct to serve as her high chair. “I’d rather get as much training as possible before being tossed in the Lion’s Den.”

This Awakening stirred more than the supe pot, and we were all living in hell for it.

“Oh, we got an assignment,” Dessi said, the vibration from my Wizket prompting my wrist up.

I murmured, “It’s a hot zone emergency backup request in Terrace city.”

 

++++

Noir. Another titan-sized pain in the ass, but not as tall as Fire Ant. Standing at twelve meters tall, he was categorized as a Class A threat. His powers helped boost his danger ranking too, with the ability to spread his tar-like exo-composition however he liked, then harden it. After solidifying, he could resort back to a semiliquid state, and absorb whatever he caught in his pool of sloshy and gooey mush, thus giving him more power to grow. The briefing gave us some idea of what we’d be dealing with, but nothing could have prepared us for what my team and I flew into.

Paradise Park was a mess. Blotches of black ooze coated everything: in the trees, on the benches, down the playground slide, and even on people. Just as we got there, we noticed the team we had to back up, The Tank’s team. Pamela gave us a quick description of how they operated, and for the most part… they preferred to work individually. So already our invitation here wasn’t welcomed, but we needed to contain the threat, something they were having the hardest time doing.

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“Well, can’t say this super team is organized any,” Aster said, all four of us watching from a rooftop at a distance.

“Noir can’t talk, so trying to reach an understanding is out of the question.”

Aster chuckled. “Even if he could, I doubt the mucky bastard would want to sit down and have a little chat about what’s bothering him over tea and crumpets.”

“He’s unassociated,” I followed, having checked for a SESB.

“Unassociated? As in, with The Brother’s Code?” Dessi asked.

“Why would you check?” Aster followed, cocking a brow at me.

“I have my reasons.”

“Hmm, I wonder if he is part of one of the super villain mobs that have been popping up recently,” Dessi asked.

“It’s a high possibility,” I replied. “If he wasn’t a super villain, then he wouldn’t have approached civilians. Ones in hot zones at that. He’s looking to do some damage, so we have to get rid of him.”

“Agreed. What’s the plan then, Warehead?” Dessi followed.

“We see what we are dealing with,” Rynn said, crouching down on one knee, laying her hands flat on the cement rooftop. In seconds, she constructed a bazooka cannon, Rynn lining her eye with the rear sight.

“Wait, what are you doing?” I asked the spring-happy weapons forger.

“Seeing what we are dealing with.” She fired before I could even tell her no. I had no idea what she was planning, but I was about to find out. Something blue zipped out of that barrel, so fast that I could have missed it if I’d blinked. She caught Noir straight in his chest, but it didn’t penetrate him. Instead, the blue dot triggered, stretching into a gigantic blanket, before swarming Noir’s entire body in a dome-shaped cast. “There, contained,” Rynn said proudly.

“Great job, Forger. Now let’s get down there and help evacuate the area.”

My team quickly descended and rushed to the site, where The Tank’s team continued to look at the dome Rynn had created confused. I helped evacuate a few people before I dropped down to talk to the leader in charge for an assessment, while the rest of my team continued to clear the area. The Tank turned my way, giving me a sour look already.

“Reinforcements,” he growled in a Russian accent. “Pfft. No one asked you to come.”

“TBC’s request. Looked like you and your team were having some issues containing the threat.”

“We had it under control, after all, we are the best. Climbing through the ranks, making the rest of Serva’s heroes look like rookies,” he boasted, flexing his chest at me. “Take note, maybe you will learn something from the future heroes of the super justice force.”

I looked around, noticing two of his three team members: a short, strawberry blond-haired humanoid girl dressed in a pink and red combat leotard, and a taller green demi human girl with plant-like aesthetics.

“Where’s your fourth?” I asked.

“I’m right here!” she said. Erm… somewhere?

Suddenly, a white handkerchief waved in the air, signaling her location. “I am Invisible Girl! I’m on a timer so I can’t reveal myself to you yet. Well, actually I’m naked, so all I’ll let you see is my head,” she giggled.

I smiled. “No worries. We are the Omega A Team, at your service. Do we have any clear motives about this attack yet?” The Tank answered my question with a glare. “Are we at least focusing on an evacuation plan?”

“You four can crawl back to base,” The Tank said, his hostile gait my way trying to intimidate me. “We don’t need the help of a low ranked team in this sector. This is a hot zone. These people need skilled warriors, like us.”

“No offense, but you didn’t have an answer for this behemoth before we showed up. If it wasn’t for Forger, you wouldn’t have been able to contain him.”

“Contain?” he chuckled, the sound of Noir banging inside making my eyes jump upward. “You call that contained? I give maybe five seconds before he blows.”

More banging and more roaring from inside. Noir was about to break out, I could see the integrity of Rynn’s case starting to crack. But there were still people around the park we hadn’t finished clearing out yet. This was bad—The Tank and his team shouldn’t have had this many people still out in the open. What the hell were they doing before we got here? Taking a backwards approach to saving lives by tackling the villain head on first and worrying about casualties later?

I was seething inside—this team wasn’t organized. But I couldn’t blame the girls. They were probably just following this braggart’s orders. “If he’s about to break through that barricade, then what the hell is your team doing just standing here? Help clear out!” I barked at him, Invisible Girl and Poppi, the garden girl, jumping at my command. They scattered to do as I said, but just as I turned around to help my team evacuate, I felt his heavy hand on my shoulder.

“A low breed shouting orders at me?” he growled, the bastard towering over me, casting a shadow over my head. “You have some fucking nerve…”

And just like that, Rynn’s seal was broken.

Particles from his eruption fell like shattered glass on our heads. He blew up, his roar shaking the ground underneath our feet. I snatched my shoulder away from The Tank, the asshole distracted as he looked up to Noir.

“Warhead, I can’t mind control him!” Dessi said, flying her way over to me.

“Mind control?” The Tank snorted. “This pathetic beast has no mind. Can’t you tell by his savageness? You need brute force to deal with a monster like this. Stand back and watch the expert.”

The Tank took action. He wanted to show off his moves, but I didn’t know who the hell he was trying to impress. Surprisingly enough, he punched clean through the behemoth’s leg, and went for the other. A quick slice that was answered for right away: Noir regenerated. Shit, he had to have expected that Noir’s reassimilation was practically flawless. He grew a pair of ankles and feet right away, but The Tank continued to chip at him anyway.

This was pointless, he was wasting time.

His following rapid punches proved unhelpful as well. It only made Noir angrier, and posed a threat to the citizens still evacuating when the large chunks of tar-like glob started flicking everywhere. People were getting caught, as well as his teammates.

Fucking idiot…

The bastard was relentless, Noir getting annoyed by the second. And then he finally tried stopping The Tank, exploding with anger, unleashing a giant pool of semi liquid ooze with a double fist ground pound!

He nearly took me off my feet. In a second, the once green grass was flooded with ooze, sweeping everyone in. Everyone within range got clipped with the wave, including The Tank.

I managed to take flight in time, rushing in to help lift The Tank up, but he swatted my arm away and refused.

“Stop being fucking proud and take my hand!” I shouted, the bitter look on his face growing the longer I offered him my help. “Your team needs help. They’ve been swept in. How about you be a leader for once and help me help them, as well as the others who have been caught, before this prick triggers his hardening ability.”

He took my hand, but I should have known better. The bastard reeled me in, and reeled me in hard, right into the wave of black tarry ooze, completely bent on snuffing me out.

“Warhead,” he growled, standing on his feet while the ooze melted off his metallic skin. “A little bug in much need of some squishing.” He pounding his fist into his palm, giving me a dirty glare. “I will teach you your place.”

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