Peering inside, there wasn’t a body, but there was a lot of blood. The overhead lights were dimmed as if on some energy-saving setting. Bloody handprints could be seen on the inside of the crumpled door as if someone had struggled to escape.
Gus could not recall smelling old blood, but the metallic scent triggered a visceral part of him to tense up. One by one, they filed through the door and the other supers evaluated the room and moved systematically around the perimeter. Tempest signaled and they progressed along that path, clearing any rooms along the hallway.
Despite Gus’ tension, there were no surprises as they made their way through the complex. Only some areas appeared ransacked while others appeared orderly and neat. They found no other blood or any bodies, but the disagreeable smells never disappeared. They would wax and wane in intensity without rhyme or reason, which made it difficult to tell if they were getting closer to some site of carnage or not.
Eventually, they made it to their destination—a control room that reminded Gus of the Foundry with the exception that it was much larger. This room looked like it could double as an atrium with the wide spaces. There were no windows to the outside from this room, its large windows instead showed machinery below. The tiles were illuminated and small workstations were visible, abandoned like the rest of the facility.
Yuki strode to the most prominent console there and began to set up. Reaching the terminal, she extended her keyboard hand and the same two probes snaked out of her palm and inserted into it. She typed frenetically for a minute or two then grinned, blowing a bubble with her gum and popping it. She bowed to Tempest and swung her hand towards the console with an ‘after you’ gesture.
“You have five minutes, so be quick,” she chirped, smiling.
He accessed the computer and scrolled through various menus. Opening folders, glancing at the contents, then moving on. Occasionally he would make a motion and slide a file to Yuki who stood there, arm extended. Gus could see folder icons appearing on the projected screen as the data was transferred.
As Tempest searched the system, Gus noticed a slight buzzing and a flutter to the already dim lights. It was subtle but seemed to be affecting lights in different parts of the room. Not only that, but the disturbance seemed to be moving closer to where they were.
“Guys… does anyone else detect anything here…?” Gus slowly asked, unsure if he was overreacting.
Aurora turned her eyes away from the computer, pulling her hair from her eyes. Her eyes flared open as she screamed, “Wraith!”
Chapter Six
Bad to Worse
What’s a wraith? Not knowing what else to do, Gus put up a shield in front of him. No sooner had he done that than a demonic-looking face pushed into the bubble. A gnarled claw dented the shield slightly inward but it resisted the creature, rebounding and throwing it back. A nearby trash can dented and was launched into the dark hall beyond.
The lineup changed as other supers moved in front of Gus, encircling him. He gave them room and stepped back, then shifted the curvature of his shield to cover himself and Tempest while he searched through computer files.
“I almost have it,” he shouted to the other supers.
Gus watched in fascination as the team did their work. Aurora flung out shimmering, dust-like particles and a figure was revealed as it moved through the dust, displacing the glittering specks and announcing its location. Pulse shot a beam of light at the figure, who raised its hands to shield itself.
Gus wanted to help but was worried he might interfere with what the others were doing. They seemed to have the situation well in hand. A pink glow appeared where the beam trained on the creature, and slowly spread outward. The figure came into view, but its appearance seemed… fractured somehow. Almost as if viewed through a cracked window. Sweat poured down Pulse’s face as he tried to maintain the beam that was sapping his MP bar on Gus’ display.
“Done!” Tempest exclaimed, turning to aid in stopping the threat. He pulled his fists back then shot them forward. Electricity crackled in front of his fists at the specter and there was an explosion of pink sparks that popped loudly as they settled to the ground.
“Dammit, wraiths! That changes things,” Tempest barked. “Yuki, update everyone’s minimap and let’s rendezvous with everyone at medical.”
She waved and the details of the minimap became much more detailed, with labels and a blue pulsing arrow showing the quickest way to reach their destination.
Tempest began speaking to the other team leads as the group began to move, warning them of the wraiths and altering their plans. They hurried through the hallways and stairs quickly arriving on the floor.
“What was that?” Gus gasped to Aurora.
“The wraith? Ohh, they’re the worst. Some supers have a rare ability that allows them to gift some of their abilities to constructs. They are usually invisible and require no maintenance of MP, though they do take a lot to create. They follow usually a single command until they are destroyed or they fade away when the MP invested in them dissipates. They can’t be reasoned with and depending on how much MP is used to create them, they usually require an equivalent amount of damage to be dissipated.”
Gus shook his head; apparently virtual ghosts were a thing too. With powers no less. “Anything else I should know?”
“Usually supers prepare them beforehand and then use them to drain an attacker’s energy, giving them an advantage as they will have recharged MP by then. So there theoretically can be a lot of them; keep your eyes open.”
Gus turned and saw Pulse chewing vigorously like an angry cow, his jaw flexing. He swallowed then threw in another blue gel. Checking the display, he could see that Pulse’s avatar indeed had regained 75% of his MP and was still rising.
Gus felt oddly reassured that his investment of FP into the cafeteria wasn’t just a waste of points, and that he had actually done something to help with the mission. While no one had said anything, he felt a need to prove himself. If not to them, then to himself. That he deserved to be part of the team.
Turning a corner, the smell of antiseptic in the air announced that they were near the complex’s medical wing. Grimdark’s team was already there, and he stood there stoically with his arms folded in front of him, a dark look on his gaunt features.
“It’s not good, Tempest. Harmony has not sensed anyone left in the base. Upon our searches, that means no bodies either, even though there is evidence of a massacre. The barracks have multiple beds stained with blood. The walls are marked with blood splatter as well as in areas that would have had high traffic. My assessment is that this was a surprise attack, but it is difficult to tell what has happened with what we have, or if anyone escaped. I’m sorry.”
“No!” Tempest shouted, shaking his head. “There has to be something. Have you heard anything from team two?”
“They’re en route, but they also ran into a wraith, so are resting and recharging before moving forward.”
“This is all wrong.” Tempest pursed his lips, his brow furrowed in thought. “Alright. I know I’ve only shared this with a couple of others, but it’s time you all knew. Someone or something is targeting the Factions. Not just Purple, but all of them. There has been a large increase in attacks and disappearances as of late, and I have been trying to investigate without revealing my awareness of the situation. The presence of wraiths here is just a confirmation that this is not some extremist reg group but someone with powers actively targeting supers. But what connection this has with my wife—”
A scream broke into Tempest’s explanation and immediately after, BoJack rounded the corner, running at full speed and yelling in terror. The rest of team two followed with The Keeper lagging behind, due to his shorter legs. Drywall and thin metal supports spewed into the hallway right behind him as something enormous burst through the wall. The small man bellowed a litany of curses as the team ran past the others.
A being that appeared to be made of living electricity stood in the hallw
ay and shrieked. Papers wafting down from the chaos began to burn as they touched the creature. Wraiths emerged from surrounding rooms, drawn by the noise. Team two turned and caught their breath while the others closed ranks and stood to face the threat.
Tempest curled his lip in a sneer of challenge and pulled his fists back, mists swirling about him as the rest of the team began charging attacks and getting into position.
“You know what we’re dealing with, people! Let’s do this!” Tempest shouted.
Then all hell broke loose.
Chapter Seven
Electric Blue
Not knowing exactly what he was dealing with, Gus marveled as everyone moved in unison to meet the threat. Harmony dropped back and Gus noticed a series of buffs show up on his display. Avatars for members of teams two and three populated the upper and right sides of his display automatically.
The electro-monster stomped forward, leaving singed and melted three-foot-wide footprints in the carpet as it moved. The creature was giant, consisting of only a torso and four appendages sprouting out of its sides. It appeared cobbled together from bits of metal and debris, held together by arcing strands of living electricity. Its legs were thick like an elephant’s and shook the floor the closer it got. The crackling blue energy coursing around what made the outer skin of the beast was mesmerizing, and it was hard not to stare.
Gus briefly saw the wraiths, with their rotund bodies that resembled spiders supported by spindly legs and arms much longer than normal, both tipped with bony claws. Upon seeing the group of supers, they went from a gauzy consistency and dropped into stealth, disappearing from view. Gus blinked away afterimages the crackling countenance of the electro-monster had burned into his eyes after he managed to pull them away.
The creature lifted two of its paddle-like arms and hordes of tennis-ball sized spheres of blue energy floated out, targeting different members of the group. They moved slowly, but tracked and followed as the Crew dodged them. The lower arms elongated and began whipping unpredictably forward, each one making a loud *crack* as they snapped in front of the behemoth, discouraging any frontal attacks.
The Keeper calmly moved in front of the group and began gesturing, making a window with his hands as if he were framing a picture, then twisting and repeating the process in rapid succession. Small portals began to open up in the path of the energy spheres, gobbling them up. He continued to make more frames and it was only the shriek of the wraiths that drew Gus’ attention to where the spheres were being redirected.
Multiple tiny portals dumped the spheres behind the phalanx of wraiths lurking past the electro-monster. Each one pushed through the wraiths like a hot poker through wax, illuminating them with a blue hue as they left, leaving gaping holes in their wake. The energy balls shrank and slowed as they expended energy pushing through the wraiths as they tried to continue towards their intended targets.
Hearing the shrieks, the monster extended one of the whip arms toward the wraiths and emanated a weblike substance that pulsed down the attachment and stitched the wounds together. The monster shuddered and shrank slightly at the expenditure of energy. The attack spurred the group of wraiths to spread out and scurry around, like ants from a kicked anthill. As soon as they were healed by the boss, they faded back into invisibility.
In response, Tempest spread his fingers as if he was getting ready to play the piano. Pulling a calculated amount of energy out of the air, the excess humidity transformed into a fog that revealed the wraiths in clear contrast. The extra moisture popped and cracked around the boss, and it bellowed in fury.
“Don’t let it touch you!” Tempest warned, stepping back while maintaining the fog, expanding it to the confines of wherever the wraiths tried to flee and hide.
Pulse began targeting one, and it froze and trembled while he overloaded the construct with energy. Aurora took flight and sent an ion storm into the midst of a cluster. Wraiths wailed as the energy ripped through them like a shotgun blast. The height made targeting easier and she strafed side to side, raining damage and preventing their advance past the boss.
Gus activated Wreckognize to see if he could get any information about the boss that would allow him to contribute.
Revenant (Electric Fulminant)
Revenants are reanimated supers who have been raised and programmed with a singular purpose. They cannot be reasoned with and have lost their humanity, acting as puppets to their creator, and retain some of their abilities from life.
HP:2460/2500
MP: 942/1200
Special skills: 1) Spawn: Conversion of biomass into wraiths.
2) Sap: Absorb MP by direct contact. When MP reaches 0, begins draining HP.
3) Sphere: Create targeting spheres that stun enemies.
Weaknesses: Unknown.
Wraith
Wraiths are constructs that attack any living thing. Their touch is paralytic and allows them to immobilize prey for consumption.
HP: 232/250
MP: 100/100
Special skills: 1) Death’s Door: Can absorb energy from an ally for self-healing.
2) Last Breath: Physical contact paralyzes all bodily functions of the target. If sustained can cause massive damage and even death.
Weaknesses: Susceptible to dissolution with energy overloads.
“Hold it down while I drain it!” Grimdark yelled and braced himself as he waited for his allies.
Dark cables snaked out of the metal armbands around BoJack’s forearms and he grappled the whip like arms and leg of the left side of the Revenant. The grapple spun around the twin arms, cinching them together. BoJack stomped and a metal band around his calves drove a hook into the ground. With a deft flip, he looped the cables underneath and leaned back, just in time for them to snap taut as the Revenant flailed. The surge pulled him forward like a bucking bronco but he was able to maintain his hold and dig in his heels.
Electricity coursed down the cables but was grounded by the hook as BoJack flashed a cocky smile at the Revenant. Another flip and the cables were securely anchored by the tension.
Distracted by BoJack, another super slid to the right. Anastasia placed her hands on the wall and swiped them left. The wall erupted, different materials flowing like vines and encircling the Revenant. Cement flowed like malleable clay and pooled around one of the mammoth feet, while wires and pipes slithered out and held the arms. The lithe super glanced and nodded to Grimdark, her long, shimmering white hair reflecting the electric blue energy and fanning out from the movement. More materials poured out of the gash and continued to bind the Revenant tighter.
Grimdark approached the monster and thrust his hands forward into its body and sunk them down to his wrists. Both began to bellow, a large maw opening in the torso of the monster, revealing the inside of the creature to be identical to the outside.
With his head thrown back, Grimdark’s eyes glowed with the same brilliant blue hue. Phosphorescent glowing blue tears dripped out of his eyes as he struggled with the creature. Both appeared to be trying to absorb the energy of the other. Blue light blazed and dimmed and Grimdark appeared to be slowly winning the tug-of-war.
Gus’ display flashed as a teammate began to lose MP and a prison icon appeared by the avatar of the super named Prime. This super was one of the more reclusive and Gus didn’t even know if they were male or female, as the individual rarely spoke, and always wore a helmet and androgynous body suit.
A wraith had appeared behind Prime with its claw-like hands around their helmet, talons encircling the entire visor like some macabre game of ‘Guess Who.’ The materials Anastasia used to bind the Revenant at first stopped moving, then began to degrade as it slipped and pulled two of its arms free. They contracted and hit Grimdark with a huge double-backhand, flinging him into Gus’ shield, where he slid to a seated position. Aurora screamed in anger and targeted the offending wraith, blowing off its head.
Gus winced at the hit. Grimdark looked groggy, shaking his head and failing at his atte
mpts to get back on his feet. Gus looked back at the Revenant and saw that both of its arms reached for the cables as BoJack lost his grin. Splintering could be heard from around the hook as the monster redoubled its efforts to pull.
Without thinking, Gus dropped his shield and activated Amber. Twin gouts of material formed in front of his hands and splashed around the creature, intertwining with the wreckage and debris Anastasia had used to bind it, severely curtailing its ability to move as it had to lift everything attached to it as well as pull on the cables.
BoJack’s grin returned as he nodded to Gus. Mentally calling Jet to him, Gus ran toward the Revenant, reaching up without looking as Jet flew into his grasp. Finding a gap in the amber residue, he thrust the naginata into the blue coursing electricity and activated Vampire’s Kiss. The behemoth began to spasm as if in pain and visibly contracted.
The amber prison condensed as the Revenant shrunk and held fast to the receding figure as it began to congeal. There was a sudden loud pop, and the stench of ozone wafted through the room.
Inside of an igloo made of crispy amber reinforced with all sorts of materials lay the figure of a skinny boy. Gus guessed that he looked around fourteen years old. The room was uncomfortably quiet after the altercation, the wraiths having been dispatched by the other supers. Milky eyes stared up at the ceiling, and the boy’s pallid skin had the sickly cast of a body that had been underwater for too long. Gus ignored the blue notices that popped up on his display post-battle and just stared at the dead boy.
“This changes everything,” Tempest said gravely.
Chapter Eight
Going, Going, Gone
“Revenants are made, they don’t just happen. And they’re made by supers. Also a handy way of cleaning up so there are no bodies to examine. There’s something else that unsettles me about this. Some of it is too familiar, but without my access to the Faction database, I can’t be sure. I just hope there’s something in the files we obtained to give us another lead.” Tempest shook his head then turned and punched the wall, creating a cloud of dust as the drywall disintegrated. Harmony ran over and put an arm around him.
Unity Page 4