by Logan Jacobs
“Not important,” I said but winked at PoLarr.
“Ohh-kay,” Artie puzzled and then got back to the briefing. “Tempest comes from a rather rural region on her planet and is a skilled sniper. She tends to act as the team's long range scout and fire power back up. She was the last member to join the alliance and did so out of necessity rather than choice. Tempest and Hann-Abel often butt heads.”
“Trouble in paradise,” Aurora drawled. “Maybe that could be used to our advantage.”
“Good point, Aurora,” Grizz acknowledged.
“Up next is a wily Howling from Lupine 9,” Artemis said with another hand wipe. “Muerdok Charlto is the team’s pilot and munitions expert.”
The screen filled with the image of a stout, five foot tall, six armed bi-pedal amphibian alien with four arms. She looked like Abe Sapien from the first Hellboy movie but dark green and short.
“She can fly, drive, or pilot just about any craft,” Artemis lectured, “and she very much likes blowing things up. And last, but not least, is this gem, Vex.”
The image of a tall, thin, onyx black-skinned humanoid appeared on the screen. The male alien was clad head to toe in a shimmery black bodysuit that had padding on the elbow and knees. A black helmet with a thin, electric blue line where the eyes should be sat atop his head. Sword handles protruded from over his left shoulder and a quiver full of black arrow shafts over his right. He held a futuristic looking short compound bow in his left hand. The figure projected an overwhelming aura of silent death.
“That’s a Necrowraith, isn’t it?” PoLarr asked quietly. Her voice held an undertone of both awe and fear.
“Yes,” Artemis said simply.
“Um, I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that that is bad news?” I asked even though I pretty much knew the answer. I was only looking at a picture of the dude, and it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
“Very bad,” Artemis confirmed. “No one, other than the Aetherons apparently, knows where Necrowraiths come from. Or how many of them even exist. Legend says that they come from a world of the dead and that under that suit and armor is little more than a skeleton come to life. They have made a name for themselves as fearless assassins who kill without conscience, remorse, or pity. Vex is considered the deadliest of his kind.”
“Yay,” I muttered. “So we got Hannibal the Great, Ivan fucking Drago, Sniper Babe, Frogger Ace, and Storm Shadow? Whoo hoo us.”
“That is sarcasm, is it not?” Grizz asked.
“Oh yeah,” I replied with a sigh.
“I am finally beginning to understand your use of it,” Grizz murmured. “Because this is one of the most accomplished alliances I have ever seen. For once, I am glad I am a hologram.”
Chapter Seven
The four of us crouched on the top of the train’s powerful nuclear fusion powered engine. Wind whipped our hair, and we had to use special magnetic gloves as well as magnetic crampons on our boots to make sure that we didn’t fly off into oblivion. The train rocketed along like a bat out of hell at close to two hundred miles an hour as we tried to move up toward where there was an access hatch on the roof of the engine car.
It was painfully slow going, and one fuck up could cost us everything.
We had to keep our profiles very low to the roof or else the wind and slipstream that flowed invisibly over the train would catch us like a sail and knock the shit out of us. Even crouched low like a bunch of Spider-Men with our bellies next to the cold metal of the train it was like fighting against a giant unseen hand that wanted to push us back at all costs.
The wind was so loud that we couldn’t even use our communicators. All that came through was garbled static.
I glanced around me quickly just to check everyone's position. Aurora was right behind me. She was as close to the roof of the train as she could get given her god given attributes. Her normal lingerie inspired battle garb had been replaced by a sleek, skin tight bodysuit. In fact, we all wore the black form fitting stealth suits. They reduced drag, which was of paramount importance at the moment.
Nova was behind Aurora and had the easiest time out of all of us. Her dense molecules and added weight gave her a distinct advantage. The wind had to work damn hard to dislodge the Paladinian. She smile-grimaced up at me and then slowly pulled her hand off the roof and moved it forward. She then did the same maneuver with her left leg. Then again with her left hand and right leg. It was laborious, slow work. Two body lengths back was PoLarr. If Nova had it easiest, then PoLarr struggled the most. She was the lightest of the whole group, and her long limbs were constantly in peril of catching the wind at the wrong angle and ripping her from the roof of the train. Her body laid as flat as she could get it, and she belly crawled across the train car inch by agonizing inch.
We were about six feet from the hatch which would let us drop into the engine car and relative safety, and I let myself have a moment of relief. Then there was a giant explosion on the mag-tracks ahead of us.
An orange ball of flame blossomed a hundred yards down the tracks. Thick, black, acrid smoke billowed into the air to blot out the bright sun.
I yelled a warning, but the wind ate up my words as if it were starving, and the next thing I knew we sailed through the clouds of smoke and over the break in the tracks.
We then began to fall into a bottomless chasm to our demise.
The train, chasm, and wind all faded as the four of us landed on the floor of the gym with audible groans and more than a few “oofs.”
Grizz’s scowling countenance appeared next to us and gazed down with disapproving eyes.
“That was the opposite of good,” he said and shook his head.
“Thanks for the news flash, Kreskin,” I murmed and picked myself off the floor. I reached out and helped Aurora up while Nova walked over and gave PoLarr a hand. “You guys all okay?”
Aurora, Nova, and PoLarr all nodded in varying degrees of pain and or chagrin.
“Snark at me all you wish, Havak,” Grizz said and began to walk over to where Artie tapped furiously at the Command Center. “We will clearly have to be very discerning in the upgrades you all pick before the match.”
“I thought we were defending first, Grizz?” Nova asked. The four of us gathered into a small group and walked over to the Command Center together. “Why are we stuck on the blasted roof of that confounded speeding bullet?”
“It is never too early to practice the assault,” Grizz answered and sat in a holographic chair that appeared at the conference table. “You will not only be fighting against another tactically advanced alliance, but the train itself. While death may not be the ultimate sacrifice for this match, remember, if you do not win Team Havak will be no more.”
“Ouch, too soon, Grizz,” I moaned. “Too soon.”
“What?” Grizz looked around. “What is too soon? It is the truth. Truth does not have a time frame. Truth just is. It is out of time. And in time at the same time. Bah! Curse your confounded language!”
We all chuckled a little.
“Grizz, you are evangelizing to the vocalists,” Artemis said with a smirk as she came out from behind her computer and gave me a hug before we both sat down at the table. It had been a long afternoon of training, and I was kind of beat.
“That train can suck my left tit,” PoLarr grumbled as she plopped down in the chair next to me. “Right Goose?”
“You know it, Mav,” I agreed. “Lucky train.”
She blushed a little and wacked me in the arm.
“Havak,” Nova started to say as she sat down across from me, “you are incorrigible and have no sense of decorum. It is equal parts infuriating and endearing.”
“I am a delight,” I joked and shot a wink at her. She smiled back, but I could tell she was tired and worried.
“That is one way to put it, sugar,” Aurora said and ran her hand across my shoulders before she sat as well with a sigh. “I feel so claustrophobic in this body suit. My skin cannot bre
athe.”
Aurora reached up and dipped a finger into the collar of her body suit to let air in and then with a flick of the same finger a zipper popped out which she drug slowly down her front until it hit her belly button. Apparently, she hadn’t put on any undergarments, and her large, heavy breasts nearly burst from their fabric prison. Try as I might, I couldn’t help but stare. Out of the corner of my eye I could see that I wasn’t the only one. Aurora’s boobs held all of us in a trance for a moment, which is exactly what she had hoped for.
“You know,” I managed to mutter as I pulled my eyes away from the smooth, alabaster skin of her amazingly perfect breasts, “I’m not the only one who is incorrigible.”
“I am a delight,” Aurora drawled and raised her eyebrows seductively.
“Yes, yes, your body is a wonderland,” Grizz said, more than a bit irritated, “I am glad we settled that pressing problem.”
“Now Grizz,” Artie scolded, “the team has been going at it all day and they are just tired. As are you and I, I think.”
“I know, Artemis,” Grizz sighed heavily. “You are correct as always. Thank you. While you may struggle with your own boiling emotions at times, you possess an incredible amount of empathy and always seem to know what I and the rest of the team need.”
“Aw, thank you Grizz,” Artemis smiled brightly at the compliment. “How about we decide on our upgrades? That way we have a full day tomorrow to practice.”
“Wise suggestion, Artemis,” Grizz nodded in approval.
Artie tapped a button on the small computer screen on her left forearm and the elaborate skill tree appeared in a 3D model on the table before us.
“After our last victory, we have an upgrade as a team, and then you all get to choose a private one as well,” Artemis said after she checked her readout again.
We all studied the skill tree intently in silence. I could tell that my team was tired, stressed, and overwhelmed. It was like there was an unseen weight that had been placed on all of us. The fear that our team, hell, our family could be split apart if we didn’t win was a thought that had dug its icy claws into the meat of our brains like a raptor and refused to let go. I felt the stab of a tension headache begin behind my eyes as I tried to read about all the skills. There were so many of them that it was impossible to focus on just one.
I took a deep breath and let my focus go soft. I had a memory of staring at one of those computers generated hidden image posters that were popular in the nineteen nineties. The harder you tried to find the 3D image hidden in the myriad of geometric shapes and colors the farther away the image got. The trick, which it took me a long time to learn one summer at my buddy Toby’s house, was to let your eyes lose focus. Only then would the T-Rex or pirate ship or whatever the hell the hidden image was reveal itself like a hand through shadows.
I stared at the skill tree and just let my mind wander for a moment as I concentrated on my breathing. Slow. In and out. After a moment or two of this a skill jumped out at me as if it were alive and wanted me to notice it. It was so perfect that I was surprised none of us had seen it before now.
“I got it!” I yelled in my excitement. “Ground Control!”
“To Major Tom?” PoLarr snickered. “Marc, did you do anything other than watch TV when you were a child?”
“Um, not really, no,” I admitted but was too excited to explain the particulars of the incessant flicker of pop culture, movies, and TV clips that constantly played in my brain. “Artie, pull up Mission Control.”
“Ok,” she answered and slid her finger over the screen on her arm. The Mission Control skill replaced the complex skill tree in front of us. I quickly read the whole description and then smiled like an idiot. It was perfect.
“Ah, yes, I remember that skill,” Grizz said as he rubbed his chin and appraised my suggestion. “That could be very useful.”
“Wait,” Artemis uttered as her eyes scanned the description quickly. “Are you suggesting what I think you are suggesting?”
“Yup,” I answered with a self-satisfied grin.
“Okay, what are we all missing?” Aurora asked. “I’m too tired to read all of that gobbledygook.”
“Oh my god!” Artemis squealed. “I get to be a part of the mission!”
She threw her arms around me and kissed me hard on the mouth. I wasn’t expecting the sudden outburst of emotion but soon felt myself melt as her soft lips pressed against mine, and I tasted the faint hint of Artie’s favorite cherry Chapstick.
I had forgotten how good she felt in my arms. There had been so much chaos and unpredictability lately that Artemis and I had little to no private time. I felt a strong surge of emotion rise up from my chest that threatened to spill out. I loved her so much that it hurt.
“What does that mean?” Nova asked.
“Okay, so, this is so freakin’ cool,” Artemis said in a rush of excitement. “I get to be part of the mission. I’ll run command ops from here in the gym and get to help you guys and talk to you in your comms.”
“Sweet,” PoLarr said, “like Cortana from Halo or Babs as Oracle. Why do I know that? Why, Havak?”
“I have no idea who those people are, but yes!” Artemis bubbled. “I can help direct you, look up schematics, keep tabs on your progress… Oh, my god, why didn’t we think of this sooner?”
“Because we weren’t Platinum Tier yet, but you’re welcome,” I joked. “You’ve always been the woman behind the team and now you get to actually be on the team. Welcome to Team Havak.”
She reached over and hugged me again. “Thank you, Marc. Having to watch made me feel so powerless. All I could do was hope that you’d all be okay. Now I can help you all for real.”
“Okay, well, we have our team skills picked, what about individual?” Nova asked to bring us all back from our emo parade.
“Well, not to be a know it all,” I said and gave a little almost embarrassed grimace, “but I think I have an idea for that as well. Since this is a big speeding two hundred mile an hour piece of machinery, I saw a skill in there that was mechanical intuitiveness. In order to avoid a jungle munitions debacle, I think we should all pick that one. That way we’re all on the same page if we run up against some kind of machinery that we don’t understand.”
There was silence as everyone thought about it. The seconds ticked by, and I thought that maybe I had suggested something really stupid.
“I approve of this upgrade,” Nova said with authority. “I became pretty handy when I worked on the cargo cruiser, but there is always more to learn. A knight never shuns knowledge.”
“Works for me, sugars,” Aurora agreed. “I do love using my hands.”
“I’m sure there will be several hand jobs for you to throw yourself into during this match, Aurora,” Grizz said enthusiastically.
“Oh, a girl can only dream,” she shot back without missing a beat.
“Ha! Hand job,” PoLarr blurted out and nodded like she’d just discovered the joke. “Classic.”
“Okay, then,” Artemis said as she stood up and walked over to her computer. “All entendras of appendage stimulation of one's genitals aside, let’s get you loaded up with the new skills.”
Her fingers flew over the keyboard, and I felt the telltale buzz at the base of my skull as the nanochip imbedded at my cerebral cortex downloaded the skills wirelessly. A small shiver of electricity ran through my nerve endings and then faded just as fast.
“I know how to fix stuff,” I said in a Keanu accent that wasn’t half bad.
“Yes, that was the point of the upgrade,” Grizz said with a shake of his head. “It must be an unburdenable nightmare to live inside your skull, Havak.”
“You have no idea,” PoLarr and I said in unison. “Jinx you owe me a coke.” We continued and then laughed.
“Speaking of refreshment,” Nova said while rolling her eyes. “It has been a while since we ventured to the Breach.”
“Excellent suggestion, Nova,” Grizz gushed. “I was about to
recommend the same. We are clearly thinking along similar lines, no Soul Gaze needed. Yes. it has been a long day. Let us all go. Post haste.”
Grizz vanished and then reappeared near the doorway to the gym a second later dressed in his holographic space barbarian finery.
“What are you all waiting for?” Grizz said impatiently. “Let us fly, you fools.”
Chapter Eight
“Team Havak! So good to see you again,” Brek-Taup said as we walked through the large, carved wood doors of the Into the Breach Tavern. Brek was a seven foot tall, three feet wide chimney on two legs. No, for real, he looked just like a red brick chimney with two legs, two arms, and a big smiling face. When he opened his mouth to talk, there was a faint orange glow from deep down inside his body and small tendrils of smoke wafted up from the corners of his lips. He was the doorman and one of the bouncers at the Breach and was a big fan of ours.
“Hey, Brek,” I said and shook his giant coarse, two fingered hand. “It’s good to be seen. How’s the family?”
“Good, good,” he replied and motioned for us to come in. The Breach was a safe zone for all Champions, almost like sacred ground. No matter the rivalry or bad blood, nothing serious could happen inside the confines of its ancient walls. That didn’t mean that alcohol induced scuffles didn’t occasionally happen, and it was Brek-Taup’s job to break it up. He and his team of bouncers were very good at their jobs. “Moms getting older, but she’s good. She wanted me to tell you all that she just loves to watch you slay.”
“Aw, that’s sweet, Brek,” Artemis smiled up at him.
“You all have a fun time tonight,” he said. “Since the announcement of the rule change, it's been pretty busy. I’ll get one of my guys to clear you a table.”
“Brek,” I said and patted the big guy on the shoulder. A little puff of red dust poofed into the air where my hand landed. “You are a gentleman, a scholar, and a wild horse rider, my friend.”
“Oh, stop, Champion Havak,” he said and blushed. Orange light seeped out between the joints between the little bricks that made up his face. It was strange and kind of adorable.