Full Metal Superhero Box Set [Books 1-6]

by Haskell, Jeffery H.

  Tia smiles. “That was all over the news. We certainly live in interesting times.”

  “There isn’t much to tell,” Kate says. “I think there were six attacks around the globe. Financial centers all of them. Hundreds of millions were stolen in total, but Milton said it was never about the money and he kept trying to figure out what the real goal was.”

  I nod. Not about the money? How could it be? Giant robots made of impenetrable materials would be worth billions—far more than what they could ever steal. Unless the stealing was to hide something else.

  “Kate, how do you hide a murder?” I ask her.

  “Someone hid a murder?” she asks, eyes perking up.

  “No,” I say, shaking my head. “Theoretically, how do you hide a murder?”

  She shrugs. I glance at Tia and raise an eyebrow in question to her.

  “No body, no crime?” Tia asks, shrugging her shoulders.

  I shake my head. “No. Well, I mean yes. But no, you hide a murder by killing several people at the same time. If someone blows up a bus, they aren’t looking for why you did it. If you don’t look for the ‘why’ then you have a much harder time finding the person who committed the crime. What if those robberies were just a smoke screen?”

  “You mean he was after something specific with his heists but because… ‘giant robots’… no one bothered to look deeper into it?”

  I nod. “How long after they seized my lab did the robots show up?” I ask her. It’s a long shot, but the fact that no one took them down until I hit one with an alien ship tells me I’m likely right.

  “A month, maybe two,” she says.

  “When they attacked, why didn’t Carlos take them out?”

  Tia looks back the way we came, then to us, confusion playing across her features. “Carlos? The mage—”

  I wave my hand at her. “No, sorry. The Protector. His name is Carlos.”

  “Oh,” she says. “Is he as handsome with the helmet off as he is in it?” The total non sequitur catches me by surprise. For an instant I see Kate blush. Blush!

  “Yes,” Kate whispers.

  “Uh, back on track. Why wasn’t The Protector there to take them out?”

  “They always coincided with a natural disaster or a large accident. I think the first one happened just after an Earthquake in Chile…” Kate says. Her eyes go up as she thinks. She rubs her face in exhaustion and I know exactly how she feels. My bones hurt. “I don’t know Amelia, I’m too tired to think. Just make your point already.”

  “It isn’t hard to figure out that The Protector is about saving lives. If you could make a disaster happen—or act quickly enough after it did—then you could guarantee he would never interfere. Like in Arizona.”

  “You mean when The Armory attacked you?”

  I nod. “They were waiting for me. They knew where we would be and knew when to attack. The only thing they didn’t know was how close Carlos and I are. That he would come if I really called, because he knew I wouldn’t call him from his duty unless my life was in danger.”

  Tia makes a little motion with her hand to get my attention. “Isn’t your life always in danger?”

  I start to tell her no… then I realize it is. “Yes, but… I can handle just about anything that comes my way. The Armory tore apart my suit like it was cotton candy. They knew exactly where to hit me. Just because I’m having a challenge doesn’t mean I am going to call every hero I know and have them drop what they are doing to help me. After all, they have their challenges too.”

  “In the police, we always call for backup. But I guess when you can fly and stuff you don’t always need it,” Tia says.

  “Whatever he was after with his heists, does it matter?” Kate asks.

  “Maybe. It’s possible he really was after the money. Or multiple things. Maybe he was using some sort of system to determine natural disasters and testing it as he went. Regardless, we need to get down to the docks and get inside that building.”

  “I had a feeling that was what you were going to say. That’s miles away, Amelia. Can’t we just wait here for sunup and—” as if the universe hears Kate’s plea, a bright light flashes overhead followed by the roar of helicopter blades.

  YOU ARE SURROUNDED. DO NOT MOVE. LAY DOWN ON YOUR STOMACH AND—

  Tia leaps up, lifts the dumpster she was resting on as if it weighed nothing, and chucks it at the chopper. The pilot sees it coming and veers hard over, but he isn’t fast enough. The metal bin collides with the tail rotor in a shower of sparks. Kate throws herself over me as bits of metal and trash rain down. The chopper spins out of control, disappearing behind the buildings.

  “We need to move,” Kate says. She leaps up, lifting me onto her back. Before I can get a good hold, she takes off running. She’s slower than she’s been all night. The constant running and fighting are taking their toll on her.

  Sirens and shouts follow us as we run past the strip mall, through another alley, then follow Tia as she leaps a fence into a backyard. Within a minute we’re running between houses, dodging patrols and trying to stay out of the light.

  We stop to rest next to a stucco-covered yellow house with a shaggy lawn.

  “Eventually, they are going to find us,” Tia says. “It also won’t take them long to figure out where we’re going.”

  I nod my head. “If they have as many super-powered assets as Orlondo claims, it won’t be long before they send them in. Especially once they find out the barrier is coming down at dawn.” A plan starts to form—a risky plan.

  “Oh no you don’t, Amelia Lockheart,” Kate says. Her powers allow her to feel my emotions and it’s an easy leap for her to guess what I am going to say next.

  “I think it’s the only way,” I tell her. I glance around. We’re exhausted; Tia and Kate especially, since they’ve been carrying the burden, literally, all night.

  “I am not abandoning you,” Kate says.

  “You’re not. Let’s find a modern car, one I can hack, and I’ll take off toward the docks. Meanwhile, you two make a ruckus and draw them away from there. Once the sun comes up, I can call for reinforcements and we can blow this whole thing wide open!”

  She shakes her head. “No.”

  “Kate, it’s the only thing I can think of. Even if you get caught, they’re likely to bring you to the docks once they figure out that’s where I am. This is a good plan.” I can see her resolve weakening. “Hon, you can’t carry me all night. It’s seven miles to where we need to go. You’re not that strong.” Defiance flashes in her eyes for a second, followed by resignation.

  “You’re right, I can’t. I can barely carry you now. I don’t think I could make it that far,” she says.

  “I’m sorry, I’m only strong when I’m massive, and then I can’t move very fast,” Tia adds. “It’s a good plan. They are looking for three women, they won’t even bat an eye at one woman alone. At least not until it’s too late.”

  “For the record, if you die, I’m throwing you under the bus so Luke doesn’t kill me,” she says.

  “I’m not going to die. I promise.”

  144

  I liked this plan a lot more when Kate and Tia were next to me. Now they’re running down the street back the way we came, disappearing into the shadows.

  We picked an SUV, hoping the higher elevation and tinted windows would obscure me enough to hide my identity. I make sure I take a pic of the VIN so I can repay the owner. I feel bad about stealing his truck. Thankfully, he also works at Papel Prensa, a local paper mill, and left his work hat in the passenger seat. I slip it on and pull the visor low. Now I look just like an average person on their way to work. Nothing to see here… I hope.

  I head the Chevy Tahoe onto the street. It isn’t a BMW, but it does the trick. I keep my hands low on the wheel since I’m actually controlling the vehicle from my wrist computer. I don’t think the designers ever had this in mind… however, if you put a computer with a wireless connection in something, that something will b
e hacked and used in ways the designers never intended.

  The GPS beeps at me to turn as it takes me to Zona Portuia. The farthest pier north in the harbor has a massive hangar-like facility used to repair ships, or at least it used to be. The half dome is high enough off the ocean surface to drive a cargo ship into. It’s also completely concealed. It doesn’t take much imagination to think they might be hiding something else in there.

  Being alone and unable to communicate with Kate if I’m in trouble is the hardest part of this plan. I’ve grown so used to my independence—first because of my regular armor, then my alien set—that being without it and without Epic is frustrating. I just don’t know how to fix it without fighting the government over my right to hang on to the fruits of my labor. I certainly don’t want to be the cause of a world war. Which sounds exactly like what would have happened if they hadn’t found the solution they did.

  They were just stupid in who they trusted.

  Inky black skies turn gray as I drive the quiet streets. A helicopter passes by overhead, but far enough up that I only hear it and see the flashing lights. It takes me almost an hour to navigate through to the downtown core and then to the coast. The barrier’s effect is obvious—huge sections of the city are cut off. The barrier doesn’t extend out to the ocean, though, so I can’t actually get to where I want to be. But I can see it.

  Now what?

  The city comes alive as dawn approaches. Despite the barrier and the state of emergency, life goes on. Coffee shops open and restaurants fill the air with delicious smells. People got to work and eat. I check my clock. Fifteen minutes to actual dawn, even though it’s light enough to see now. I have the wrist computer set to tell me when it happens. The moment I have access I’m bringing the thunder. I can’t help but grin thinking about it.

  I’m so lost in thought I don’t notice the police officer until he’s knocking on my window.

  Ah, crap.

  I roll the window down and give him my most adorable smile.

  “You can’t park here,” he tells me. I look around, searching for a sign or something I missed.

  “Okay, I’ll move right now.”

  He nods, stepping back but then he looks back at me. As his eyes narrow, I realize the jig is up. The engine roars to life as I start it and slam the throttle all the way forward. The big SUV bucks as I plow over a bicycle stand. It’s not my fault, I only know how to drive from Forza!

  I can’t hear him shouting, but I see him waving his arms in the rear-view mirror before he tilts his head to speak on the radio. Crap. I manage to get the beast on the road, bringing the front end to a semblance of control as I floor it down the long straight street that runs parallel to the one I need. The barrier is one block east of me, following the road that runs perpendicular to the docks.

  If I can just find a place to… the SUV slams to a halt and the airbag explodes in my face, sending me flying backward into the seat. Through the haze, I hear the door open. I blink, trying to clear my mind, but the impact from the airbag leaves me feeling fuzzy—my face aches where it hit. My arms flop around uselessly. I’m trying to reach for the door when it pops open.

  “Yep, that’s her. Tell el jefe we have her.” I don’t recognize the voice. I try to raise my arm but my whole body is stunned by the impact. My eyes refuse to focus. I hear the seatbelt snap and then a rough hand grabs me by the hair and yanks me out of the truck. My fingers fumble for hand holds but I can’t make them grasp. I hit the ground hard, land on my shoulder, then roll to my back and look up. I don’t recognize the costumes, but there are three of them in matching outfits. Red and black, with diamonds, spades, and clubs on them, each one with a different symbol but the same motif. The one who grabbed me has diamonds on his shirt. They’re all wearing black capes and thin masks that barely cover their eyes.

  “What?” I manage to spit out. “You all get lost from the poker convention?”

  “Funny,” Diamond says. “Club, pick her up.” It’s then that I notice the three of them are all men—large men, like Luke. Club is bigger than the other three, with muscles on his muscles and a shiny bald head. He lifts me like I’m nothing, throwing me over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. “Let Heart know we’re coming. Spade?”

  “By your leave,” the man answers in an overly formal and annoying voice. He waves his hands around and all of us sudden we lift into the air as if we’re on magic carpet.

  “I must have hit my head harder than I thought,” I mutter from over Club shoulder. “I’m trapped in a Vegas circus act.”

  “I can add some broken ribs to your struggles if you like?” Diamond threatens. “Or you can shut the hell up.”

  “What crawled into your pants and died,” I say.

  Club lets out a hearty laugh. His shaking disturbs my injuries and I let out an audible, “Ow.”

  We slow down after a moment and descend rapidly. The ground comes up and I close my eyes, thinking we’re going to hit. At the last second, we come to a gentle halt and land with barely a bump.

  “Put her over there and bind her arms. Heart told us what she did with her computer—none of that now,” Diamond says.

  We’re in a small park opposite the hangar I was trying to get to. It’s the kind of park people have lunch in, situated between the two roads. A small tree grants some shadows over a park bench. Club jerks me off his shoulder and slams me down on the wooden bench. “Hands,” he orders in a guttural tone.

  “Feet,” I say in response. He smiles, leans over, and grabs both my wrists in one of his hands, producing a roll of duct tape. He binds my wrists together, wrapping them three times before he secures them to the park bench.

  Which really sucks. In order to call down my armor, I have to hit a button. I also need my wrists to not be bound. Of course, any minute now the sun is going to peek, and the barrier will drop. At least then, Epic will be able to find me. Maybe Carlos will even fall from the sky… any minute now.

  145

  “Something’s wrong,” Kate said, her hand pushing hair behind an ear as she turns to look back the way they had come. For the last hour, the forces of Rafael had followed them north. Now, suddenly, they pulled back. As she watched, the two police cars that were closing in on them turned off their lights and sped off to the west. She checked her watch for the hundredth time. The sun would be up in a mere minute and then Amelia could armor up… she’d be fine…

  Then why did Kate feel a distinct amount of anxiety coming from her friend? Despite the distance, Kate could always feel Amelia’s emotional state, and right now it wasn’t good.

  “We need to head for the harbor,” she said, jumping down the thirty feet from the rooftop as if it were nothing.

  Floating behind her like a leaf on the wind, their local police guide, Tia, drifted down to touch the ground next to her. “They could just be heading for their base…”

  Kate shook her head. “No, they have her. I can feel it. Which way to the pier?”

  Tia pointed off in the direction of the coming light.

  “Come on, we don’t have much time.” Kate took off at a run. Despite her exhaustion, she pushed herself to move as fast as she could. Her friend was in trouble. “I knew this was a bad idea,” she muttered to herself as she dodged around garden gnomes that populated this part of the city’s housing.

  “It will take us an hour to run there,” Tia said to her as they jogged.

  “I know. But… we need to hurry.”

  “I have a plan, but you’ll have to trust me,” Tia told her.

  Kate pulled up short and looked the Argentinean woman up and down. Kate’s powers precluded people’s ability to lie to her. However, the less she knew someone the harder it was to pick up on subtle deceits. Had Tia played along all night just to wait for the opportune moment to betray them? Not only did her powers say no, but Kate’s instincts said no as well.

  “Okay, I trust you. What’s your plan?”

  “Well, your powers work better the closer and
longer you’re around someone… so… we get arrested,” she said with a grin. Tia cupped her hands together and started yelling. “Policía! Policía! Policía!” It didn’t take long for the lights in the nearby homes to light up. Kate joined the chorus and within a few minutes, the two women were staring down the barrel of a gun.

  146

  Sunlight peeks over the harbor. Within seconds of the light touching the barrier, it dissolves like so much foam in the sea. I let out a sigh of relief, glancing down at my wrist computer. Sure enough, it beeps, letting me know the connection to Epic is alive. Now, all I have to do is figure out a way to—

  A rough hand smacks the back of my head. A series of sparks and stars swim through my vision from the blow. “Stop strugglin’ or I’ll hit you harder, got it?” Club says.

  “Dude, I’m a scientist. Stop hitting me in the head!” I spit out.

  “Stop trying to escape,” he counters.

  “Fair enough,” I say with a shrug. Leaning back, I try to move my wrists a lot more subtly. Captain Club doesn’t notice unless I get too animated, so I’ll need to move real slow like. “What’s your super-power anyway?” I ask him. “Looking like an idiot in a leotard?”

  He growls at me. “No, I’m an F5 strongman. Strongest there is now that you killed Behemoth.”

  Images of the giantess floating off into space flash through my vision. “I didn’t kill her,” I say.

  “Sure, that’s why she’s gone. Because you did nothin’.”

  How can this big idiot be right and wrong at the same time? I shake my head. Whatever. I don’t have time to argue with him—I just need him to leave me alone for a few minutes so I can get free.

  Diamond and Spade are a few feet away, whispering something to each other, when Diamond holds his hand to his ear in the universal, “I’ve got mail,” move.