She nodded. We’d intended to do this with as few casualties as possible, but that wasn’t a possibility anymore. They needed to know that we meant business.
“Are you sure you can take this faction out on your own?” Selena asked.
“I’ve got this.”
Selena and I went our separate ways. She went to join Nep. I had faith that the two of them would figure something out.
I smiled as I thought of my plan. This was definitely something they weren’t going to see coming.
I flew toward the famed Reunion Tower. It was the large building in the Dallas skyline, with a top that looked like a Christmas ornament. It was a large ball that would light up at night, sometimes in different colors, depending on the occasion. On the inside were restaurants, observatory decks, and all sorts of little shops. Today, it would be used to end this battle.
I flew beneath the large ball and gave its support one hard punch. That was all it took; the ball began to roll forward and fall toward the ground. I flew beneath it and pushed up on it. Even for someone as strong as I was, this thing was heavy. Very heavy. I let out a shout as I pushed up on it as hard as I could without flying straight through it. The ball continued to fall toward the ground, but it began to slow. I strained harder and harder until finally it stopped falling just a few feet from the ground.
Now came lifting it. Since I didn’t have the momentum of it falling working against me, lifting was much easier. I flew upward, holding the top of the Reunion Tower above my head. I picked up speed as I flew toward the faction of soldiers, who were still firing their Eximus guns into the air. They’d be useless against the Reunion Tower.
I came closer and closer, picking up speed.
“Kane, are you sure you want to do this?” Samantha asked.
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“Once we do this, we can’t go back.”
“Now’s not the time, Samantha.”
“Some of these people are just fighting because they’re afraid of what will happen to them if they don’t.”
“What else are we supposed to do? They’re going to kill everyone they can to take back this city.” I picked up more speed. I was getting closer and closer to my target.
“There has to be another way, Kane.”
“We don’t have time for another way, Samantha. This is war.”
I pushed on the ball in my hands, launching it at the faction of soldiers. It slammed into them, the E-bolts hitting it doing nothing.
One faction down, one to go.
Just the Beginning
Just a few minutes after I brought the Reunion Tower down on my faction of soldiers, the first faction was in retreat.
“Everybody, meet back at the office. I think it’s over,” Samantha said in my mind.
I flew back to the office feeling numb. I couldn’t believe it was over, but I was beginning to regret what I’d done to ensure our victory. It was a decision made in the heat of battle, and had I given it more thought, I might’ve been able to come up with something else. But they were getting closer and closer to a city with over a million people. People who’d seen the Legion kill the president on TV just a few hours earlier.
A million versus a few thousand. And the few thousand would’ve won. That was the power of fear.
I reached the office building the same time as Holocene and Nep did, carrying Hank and Drew respectively.
“Is that it?” Drew asked, a big smile on his face. “Is this really over?”
I looked at everyone’s faces, and they all seemed happy. Satisfied. All of them but Samantha.
“I think so,” Nep said with a laugh. He and Drew high-fived. The celebration spread as everybody began patting each other on the back, congratulating themselves on a job well done.
“There’s no going back,” Samantha said in my head, the two of us staring at each other from across the room as everybody else celebrated around us.
“I did what I had to,” I said, barely above a whisper.
Samantha gave me a sad smile. “If that’s what you think, then okay. I’ll respect your decision. I don’t support it.”
I nodded, accepting her compromise.
“That was too easy,” Hank said.
Everybody turned and looked at him.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
He shrugged as he tried to think of a good reason. “I don’t know. It was just...you know...too easy. Something was wrong. Is wrong. I can just...feel it.”
Hank’s words caused an ominous atmosphere to set in. My brain began to fire as I tried to think of what he could mean by that. It hadn’t seemed easy to me, but then again Hank hadn’t played that big of a role. He didn’t have my perspective, or Selena’s.
“Oh shit. Holy shit. Shit shit shit,” Doug said, slamming his fist on his desk.
“What is it?” Samantha shouted.
Everybody ran to Doug, who pointed at his computer screen. “This was all just a distraction. It was too easy because they weren’t even trying.”
I looked at his computer screen and was so taken aback by what I saw there that I actually fell to the floor. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. This was actually happening. My mind raced, and I thought I was going to puke. I did, a little. I swallowed it down and gasped for air. I was having a panic attack, wasn’t I? That’s what it felt like. My whole body shook. So much energy rushed through me, I wanted to run and run and fly and run and never stop.
It was true. This was real. It was all real. We had fallen for Atlas’ distraction. He’d played us beautifully.
I read the screen one last time before closing my eyes and crying.
HOURS AFTER DEATH OF PRESIDENT, TWO NUKES SET OFF IN NEW YORK CITY AND LOS ANGELES. MILLIONS DEAD. LEGION OF RICHTER CLAIMING RESPONSIBILITY.
Ultimatum
I took a deep breath. I always got nervous in front of cameras.
“You ready for this?” Samantha said, her finger on the record button.
I nodded.
“Rolling,” she said.
Doug clicked a button on his recorder. “Speed.”
Drew was holding the boom pole, a microphone attached to the end of it.
“Whenever you’re ready,” Samantha said. “You’ll do fine,” she added in my head.
I smiled at her and took one more deep breath.
“Hello. My name is Kane Andrews, also known as the superhero Tempest. As you may know, Atlas and his Legion of Richter have taken many millions of lives. He and his people think that they can take over, ruling with fear and anarchy. They think they can do whatever they want, and can kill whoever stands in their way. I’m here to tell you that they can’t. I’m here to tell you that they’re wrong. My name is Kane Andrews, and I am not alone. I’m here to tell you that there is no reason to be afraid. We will fight back against Atlas. We will win. They will not destroy us.
“If you stand with me, we can destroy Atlas and the Legion of Richter. I’ve killed Richter once, and I can kill him again. This time, I need your help. If you want to join the fight against Atlas, come to Dallas, Texas. Dallas is a safe haven for all. No one will be turned away, and we will protect the city at all costs.
“And to Atlas, who I know is watching this, be afraid. This will not be as easy as you thought. We will not go down without a fight.
“My name is Kane Andrews, also known as the superhero Tempest. This is my ultimatum.”
Down but Not Out
Loren couldn’t believe the events of the day. She was lying on the couch in her office inside the top-secret STF underground base. Her new home, really. No way was it safe enough to go back to her apartment in Washington. Besides, she had too much work to do.
There was a knock at the door. “Come in,” she said as she sat up on her couch.
The door opened and in walked Agent Wells, her new right hand after York’s death in the attack on the STF compound. “Just letting you know that this base is now officially under STF command. We’ve put up the ne
w logo on everything,” he said with a smile as he rubbed his hand over his slicked-back hair, making sure everything stayed in its place.
Director Loren smiled and nodded. “Good. Thank you.”
This was now officially her domain. It had once been used by the CIA, but they had transferred all power and resources to the STF. In a way, Loren was now the most powerful human on the planet. She had all the resources she needed to figure out a way to destroy the Supers once and for all.
“What’s our next move, ma’am?” Agent Wells asked.
Loren smirked and chuckled as she thought of it. “Right now, Wells, take the rest of the day off.”
Agent Wells looked at her, confused. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I don’t understand.”
“This base isn’t fully operational yet. We’re still bringing our people in from the field. It’ll be another day or two before the real work begins. Until then, get some rest. You’re going to need it.”
Agent Wells smiled and began backing out of the room. “Of course, ma’am. You’re right. I’ll talk to you in the morning, then. If you need anything, just let me know.”
“I will,” Loren said.
Agent Wells exited the room, shutting the door behind him.
Loren was once again alone in her new office. She would get some rest too. As much as she could get. Because once her new STF base was running at maximum capacity, she would get no sleep at all. She’d be working 24/7, deep underground, until she was ready. All the while the Supers would be fighting above her in their trivial war, weakening each other. She would hide away, biding her time, and once they were weak—she’d strike. Finishing them all for good.
Loren lay back down on her couch and closed her eyes with a smile on her face. She would sleep well. Perhaps her best sleep ever, because she’d sleep knowing that it wouldn’t be long before her plan was set in motion. It wouldn’t be long until all the Supers were eradicated, now and forever.
Director Loren of the Super Task Force fell asleep as a human for the last time.
The War of the Supers
The War of the Supers © 2016 by Logan Rutherford
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, businesses, events, or locales is purely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover Art by Damonza
Copyedited and Proofread by Carol Davis
Fragments & Fictions
The Long Day
Freefall
I flew in silence. Nep soared alongside me to my right, scanning the ground like a hawk searching for its prey. I scanned as well, but my mind was elsewhere. I had been constantly thinking, worrying, and analyzing everything for a month straight. I could almost never get my mind to shut up.
We reached the edge of our patrol and banked right. Not the edge of Dallas, or the metroplex even, just a small circle made up of downtown and a little bit of the outer areas. Not a lot of space at all.
The city was pretty much deserted. A few hundred people were staying at our camp downtown, while the rest had scattered. Most people lived in shelters or stayed with friends or family, just as they had over six months ago, when Richter had first appeared and gone on his rampage. A lot of people hadn’t come back to the city after that, and surely now, after Atlas and his Legion of Richter, they’d never want to come back.
We flew closer to the battleground, where my friends and I had taken on the Legion and won. That battle had two losers: one was the Legion, the other was Dallas. Looking down on the wreckage still struck me with guilt, even a month later. I could remember it all vividly, and suspected I’d be able to do so for the rest of my life. Then I looked into the distance and could see the smashed remains of the top of Reunion Tower—an icon in the Dallas skyline, and I would suspect in the future, an icon of history.
That was, if there was even a future for its history to be a part of.
“See anything?” Nep asked.
“No, I’ve got nothing.” I had to yell to be heard over the wind. Nep might have had super strength and flight, but that was the extent of his powers. He didn’t have my super-hearing.
“Wanna take a break to eat?” he asked as he began to slow down.
“Sure, might as well,” I told him as I slowed to a stop. I pointed towards the top of the tallest skyscraper in Dallas. “Let’s sit up there.”
Nep and I flew to the top of the building and sat on the edge, our feet dangling hundreds of feet above the cement. Nep dug through his backpack, searching for our lunch.
The cold wind bit at my skin, and I gritted my teeth. I shivered slightly under my red flannel shirt and light jacket. Clouds covered the sun, offering us no relief. Still, it wasn’t the coldest I’d ever experienced, and it’d have to be much colder before I’d give up the view for some warmth.
I scanned the horizon, the clear view of the city doing its best to take my breath away. With no cars running, all the factories shut down, and no airplanes flying in and out, no pollution clouded my view. After a few hard rains a couple weeks before, the pollution had been washed out of the sky.
It was somewhat ironic, really. The lack of pollution made me feel sad whenever I really thought about it. There was nobody around. Nobody left in the city. Nobody to pollute it. Dallas turned into a ghost town, its former residents fleeing the city in fear as they hid from Atlas.
Still, despite the reason for it, it sure was a damn nice view.
“Killer view, huh?” Nep asked as he took a bite from his sandwich.
I gave him a fake smile and nodded. “That’s for sure.”
Talking was the last thing I felt like doing, but I knew that wasn’t going to stop Nep. I’d spent a bit of time with him over the past couple of weeks, but not much. Holocene had brought him onto the team during my time as a captive of the Super Task Force. He seemed like a really great guy and a huge asset to the team. I guess everybody’s an asset when your team is so small, though. Still, I didn’t feel like talking.
“What’s the plan when we’re done here?” Nep asked.
I took a bite from my sandwich, chewing slowly to give myself more time to not answer. “We’ll do one more circle before heading back to base.”
Nep sighed and grumbled. I could tell he felt frustrated by something, and despite my longing for silence, I knew it’d bug me until I found out what. “You had something else in mind?”
He waited a moment before responding. “I’m tired of doing patrols and sitting around waiting for the Legion to come to us. How are we supposed to defeat Atlas when we’re just sitting around doing nothing?”
I shook my head and chuckled. “And how are we supposed to defeat Atlas whenever we’re just a dozen or so Supers, and he has an army?”
“I know, I know. You say that all the time. I’m just tired of waiting, you know? I feel like we’re not making any progress. We’re just picking away at their installations here and there. Nothing substantial.”
“I get that,” I said as I took another bite of my sandwich. I swung my feet back and forth over the edge of the skyscraper as I thought. “Don’t worry—it won’t be long until they mess up. As soon as we can find their Achilles’ heel, we’ll be on top of them.”
“Is this really something we’ll be able to do on our own?” Nep asked as he fidgeted on the ledge.
I sighed. “Let’s do another patrol.”
Nep nodded. “Alright, sounds good.”
I handed him my trash and he stuck it in his backpack. I set my hands down on either side of me, and pushed myself off the side of the building.
The wind roared in my ears as I went feet-first in total free fall. The ground rushed towards me as my stomach twisted and my heart leapt to my throat. I didn’t move. Didn’t fly. I just
fell with my arms at my sides and a smile creeping across my face.
Just a few feet from the ground, I willed myself to slow. I came to a graceful stop as I placed my feet on the ground and breathed a sigh. My body rushed with adrenaline. That feeling never got old. A small part of me still couldn’t believe I had the ability to do such things.
“You’re insane,” Nep said with a smile as he landed next to me a few moments later. He’d decided to simply fly down, opting out of the Kane Andrews Free Fall method.
“Well, it’s not like it’s gonna kill me,” I said.
“It certainly doesn’t look that way,” he said as he adjusted one of the straps on his backpack.
“Well, this one time I threw a guy into the sun and that didn’t kill me, so I doubt slamming into the concrete’ll do it,” I said nonchalantly, as if throwing supervillains into the sun was a normal thing for one to do.
Nep looked at me, his mouth slightly open. “I guess that’s one way to look at things.”
“You ready to go?” I asked. I felt my sour mood dissipating after eating and jumping off a building.
“Yeah, I’m good. What do you think about checking out the tunnels? Nobody’s gone down there in a while. Some people could’ve wandered down there, or maybe there’s some Legion spies in them or something.”
My chipper mood left.
“What? Come on—there’s nothing in the tunnels. We need to do a sweep of the perimeter, and then we can go home,” I said. I turned around, about to take off, ending the conversation.
Nep wasn’t going to let it go that easily, however. “I really think we should go check them out, Kane. We need to cover all our bases. Nobody’s been down there in a while. It’s really irresponsible to not check them out.”
I gritted my teeth. I couldn’t think of a good excuse for Nep. He had a logical point, and any more attempts to negate his idea would raise suspicion from him. I didn’t have any choice but to give in. “Okay, I’ll fly through them and take a look. You do a scan of the perimeter, and I’ll catch up with you.”
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