Said sorceress was still down in the security hall defending.
“I wouldn’t be surprised. She likes making you do things that she knows put me on edge.” Felix looked around himself. Kit had left to go work on their guests in the sausage room.
Miu had shown up shortly after that, making herself part of a corner.
Everyone else had a job to do.
“On edge?” Andrea whispered, leaning in towards him. Felix felt his skin prickle and his stomach flop over at the nearness of her.
“Your scent changed.” Andrea moved in even closer and took a deep whiff from his shoulder. “It smells like y—oh. Oh! On edge.”
Andrea turned a bright shade of red and sat back into her chair. “On edge. I get it now. Yes, she was trying to make me put you on edge, then.”
“Honestly, originally, I thought she was playing power games for the sake of playing power games. Now I’m not so sure.”
“That’d make sense. Her scent changed recently, too. She kinda—”
Andrea broke off as every pair of eyes was drawn to the lobby on the main screen, where a flurry of activity was taking place.
Out of nowhere, people dressed in dark fatigues came in with sledgehammers. Walking alongside them and protecting them were others with portable ballistic shields.
Those shields were pressed to the kill slits. The men and women inside those reinforced security bunkers had been a primary point defense for keeping people out of the lobby.
With the shields so close, it made it a problem to fire, as bullets were unpredictable and could easily come back at them.
“Need energy weapons,” Felix said, watching the feed.
“That’d help. Though they would send in energy reflective shields instead. Should get an over/under weapon. Energy weapon with a rifle under-barrel.” Andrea’s voice had taken on the professionalism of Myriad.
A few minutes passed in relative peace as the people with sledgehammers did… something. They were off screen and couldn’t be seen.
He was lucky the camera left up in the lobby had been disguised as a water sprinkler. No one had paid it any attention, and it was their only means of seeing in right now.
Unbelievably, an armored car rolled into frame. Then a second. Before Felix could hit the PA and warn his people properly, both vehicles were off at full speed down the security hall, one after the other.
Slapping his hand down on the button, he shouted into the microphone, “Incoming! Take cover!”
Everyone on the exit point of the security hall took their positions.
On each side, the Wardens came to life.
They were, by all accounts, what people would call a mech. Something out of fantasy stories and fictional worlds. They were big enough for a person to be inside and pilot, similar to an exo-suit or exo-frame. Except that they were completely covered from head to toe.
They weren’t the huge versions in movies.
Yet.
Felicia had come up with the idea when Felix had asked for the ability to have an entire section locked down by a single team of heavily armed and armored people.
Coming in at eight feet tall and humanoid, they were intimidating. Built out of an alloy the Dwarven inventor refused to explain, they were incredibly tough. The power source she’d created for them, once again stolen from Lily’s power, was built for the Wardens specifically.
Each pair of Wardens worked as a team and had been built to assist its partner.
The far scarier-looking one was outfitted with a sword with a plasma edge, of all things, and a tower shield. That sword could eat through most metals and polymers with a frightening degree of ease. Thicker metals took longer but eventually could be gotten through.
The second Warden’s armament was a giant railgun. The power needed to discharge the weapon was one of the reasons the power source was built into the Warden.
Its secondary purpose was that of medic. It had a small pod attached on its side that contained electrical repair tools, self-heating lower-grade alloy of the same type that the Warden was made of, and a diagnostic tool. The idea was that it could make spot repairs and keep them in the fight longer if they had a moment to take a step back.
The armor on the ranged Warden was slimmer and less thickly made. The idea was for it to be agile, and keep itself on target with its weapon.
All four Wardens went “heads up” at the call. Both Shield Wardens trundled forward, their swords held out at their sides as their counterparts brought their railguns to bear.
The armored cars screeched into the area and the back hatch dropped down.
“Shit.”
Supers flooded out of the dropped gate, the cannons on the armored cars opened up, and the security hall was filled with enemy troops.
“Andrea, send the Others.”
“On it.” Andrea pressed a hand to her ear and turned her head to one side.
His people lit those armored cars up like they were range targets. The camera started to fritz as the armored cars continued to boom out round after heavy-caliber round.
The supers took cover behind the armored cars and began organizing themselves quickly.
His Shield Wardens got into place and neatly snipped the tips off the barrels from each of the armored cars. The barrels melted from where they were struck, the red-hot glow deforming them.
The next round from one of them exploded in the damaged barrel, while the other one failed to fire at all.
A gauss round tore through a super who tried to get a peek around the armored car, his head disappearing in a splatter of gore.
Then everything went to shit as the Others flooded in from the sides.
Felix simply couldn’t keep up with what was going on as the whole thing devolved into chaos.
Hitting the comm button, he dialed into the Shield Wardens. “More coming down the security hall. Hold them there and keep them out. We need time to deal with the supers.”
He got two acknowledgments in return as the Shield Wardens turned off to face the tunnel.
Lightning crackled one way, then fire in the opposite direction. Explosions detonated throughout the room as the battle raged.
Telemedics popped up here and there as they were able to, vanishing with a wounded comrade.
Feeling the weight of his lack of combat experience again, Felix had to turn to Andrea for help. “How’s it looking? I’m no strategist, Andrea. I’m just a pencil pusher.”
Andrea’s glanced over at him, her mismatched eyes piercing through him. She gave him a warm smile, then looked back to the monitors. “We’re winning. But not without losses. It shouldn’t be much longer. It just looks like this because everyone is unleashing all their trump cards.
“Lily is scary as shit. I genuinely underestimated her.”
Felix couldn’t tell what she was talking about, but if he had to guess, it was the mass of lightning that was dominating one side of the room.
“Yeah, she hides the monster well.”
“As to being a pencil pusher, that’s okay, dear. You be you, you do you. You’re not here to fight, you’re here to help us fight. I enjoy the idea that you depend on us for your safety.
“It’s not every day we get to rescue the damsel in distress. You’d look terrible in a dress, though.”
“Yes, yes I would. I’ll leave that to you and Lily. You two have certainly set a new standard for attractive and professional.”
“You flatter me. Do it some more.”
Felix frowned for a moment as he watched the mess that was the screen.
Andrea changed whenever she flipped her Myriad switch. Almost to another person. The intelligence boost only made it more obvious.
Might as well ask, I guess.
“You’re like a different person.”
Andrea blinked twice, her eyes unfocusing. She gave herself a tiny shake of her head, her eyes flicking back to the monitors.
“That’s because I am. I’m me, of course, but, the one you call Andre
a Prime isn’t Andrea Prime. I died and we absorbed ourself through our oldest Other. We are Andrea, yet we are—I am—not.”
Andrea’s eyes scrunched up and she looked pained.
“This isn’t easy to explain, and I’m making a mess of it.”
“No, no I get it. I get it. It also makes a bit more sense. We’ll talk more after this. I’d like to ask some questions about your Others and Death Others, too.”
“Good, because this thing is over and we need to get down there to start picking up the dead and wounded.”
Felix looked up to the screens and found she was right. The Wardens were holding the hallway, while the center of the screen was a bloody mess.
“Not quite. We still have to clear the lobby, and whatever they’ve laid in wait for us outside.
“This isn’t over, I’m afraid,” Felix said morosely.
Chapter 25 - Clearing the Field -
“I object to this. There’s no reason to put yourself in harm’s way,” Miu said sternly, trailing at Felix’s heel.
“Noted, but I really think I should be down there. So I’m going.”
“I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all. What if you get hurt?” Miu’s voice had changed pitch entirely, her voice bordering on breaking.
“Really, it’ll be fine. Everyone is there. I’ll stay back, but there’s nothing I can see from the control room that’d help me.”
Miu’s breathing became irregular, rapidly speeding up over the course of ten seconds. Then suddenly it returned to normal, the sound of it being replaced by the sound of their shoes striking the floor.
Andrea skipped ahead and thumbed the elevator button. “It’s okay, Miu. Everyone up there wants him to live as much as we do.” Pressing her back to the frame of the elevator, Andrea pulled out her tablet and started to tap her screen.
“You alright, Miu?” Felix asked, turning his head to Miu.
“Yes. I’m fine. I don’t like you risking yourself. It’s troubling. You risk everyone.”
He couldn’t exactly disagree with her. She wasn’t wrong. But nor did he really want to sit back the entire time and do nothing.
Her reaction was also pretty strange.
“I get that. I promise I won’t take unnecessary risks.”
“I’ll kill anyone who gets close to you.”
“I don’t think you need to go to that extreme, but please do watch over me. I’m in your care.” Felix gave her a smirk.
The elevator chimed and all three entered. Nothing was said as they rode the elevator up.
With a chime, the elevator stopped and opened up into a landing behind the security hall’s opening lobby. This was meant as a fallback position and sheltered enclave to take wounded.
And wounded there were.
Laid out all around were his wounded. Those who suffered so that Felix could remain in power. Telemedics, medics, and doctors were working through everyone there. It was clear the truly worse off had been triaged to the medical facility, the rest being held here.
More of Felicia’s beds would be needed in the immediate future.
When resources were available.
Heads turned his way as he exited the elevator. Bloodstained and weary, they looked to him.
“I appreciate your service. All of you. You will receive the best care to put you back to rights in every way possible.
“I will personally make sure you all are healthy, mentally and physically. There isn’t anything I cannot fix given a day or two.”
Heads nodded slightly, fingers unclenched from sheets, eyes softened.
“Let our very talented medical staff take care of everything they can. And everything that’s beyond the purview of modern medicine will fall to me. Trust in your peers, trust in Legion.” Felix bowed his head to everyone, then moved on.
Turning the corner, it was like walking into a slaughterhouse. Bodies, body parts, and blood were liberally smeared over and on everything and everyone.
It looked as if a massacre had taken place.
Meeting the eyes of anyone who looked his way, Felix refused to turn away from them. This was all for him and everyone in Legion. He’d feel shame to not meet their gaze.
Lily and Ioana were organizing what he could only guess was a counteroffensive near a back wall.
Before he even made it halfway across the room, a bubble of protective magic snapped into place around him.
“Felix!” Lily shouted, jogging towards him. Her corporate attire was gone, and in its place was tactical gear the likes of which he saw many of his people wearing. It gave her a different look, especially with her hair pulled back into a tight bun behind her head.
“What in the seven hells are you doing here? Miu, I thought we agreed to keep him out of this?” Lily turned her glare on the woman who had escorted him here.
“He overruled me. I pleaded with him.”
“She did, and I did. I’m here. Deal with it. Might I also say you look rather fetching?” Felix tried for distracting her. It worked elsewhere, why not here?
“What? Don’t be stupid. Fine, you’re here. Come. You’re staying with me and Ioana for now.” Lily turned around and headed back towards Ioana.
She started talking into what he guessed was her mic to someone else.
Miu, Andrea, and Lily escorted him to Ioana, who gave him a death stare down the bridge of her nose.
“You are not to be here, Felix. Your strength lies elsewhere,” said War Maiden, speaking from her old persona to the inch of it.
“I know, Ioana. I know. But I couldn’t sit back and not show up at this point. Not after everyone already fought and bled for me. I can’t. I won’t.”
Ioana narrowed her eyes, then suddenly nodded her head. “Good. I dislike you being here, but your reasons are good. Stand beside me.”
Ioana turned her head and snapped her fingers, and pointed at someone in the crowd.
Felix wasn’t tall enough to see over the sea of heads and bodies.
Then Victoria appeared, garbed in her lightweight tactical vest and sword baldric.
She was very similar to Kit in build and body type. Athletic supermodel sprang to his mind as a good definition. Tall and lanky, she had a body that looked lithe and swift.
She was also rather pretty. Not as striking as Lily or “girl next door” as Andrea, but definitely pretty. Certainly above the average.
Her hair was pulled back from her face in a similar style as Lily’s, though a few dark brown curls had slipped free.
Probably when she got turned into a Christmas tree.
Large dark green eyes peered at him, her face turning a light pink in tone, her lightly tanned skin darkening.
Victoria stood in front of Ioana and went to attention.
“You’re on guard duty under Miu. Keep Felix here out of trouble.” Ioana jerked a thumb at Felix as she spoke. After having given the order, she turned back to the people she’d been working with when he’d arrived.
“Felix?” Victoria said softly, her eyes locking on to him.
“Heya. Sorry for ending up as my babysitter. I couldn’t sit behind and wait.”
“You’re on point, I’ll take the rear. Remain at his side,” Miu said from behind him.
“Of course, Miu.” Victoria bobbed her head, not taking her eyes off Felix.
Felix gave her a smile and then turned his attention to what was going on around him.
Teams of supers were working to haul the damaged armored cars out of the open area and to one side.
He imagined Felicia would get them to a garage somehow and rebuild them. She enjoyed those kinds of projects.
“Idiot. What are you doing up here? Don’t you know your place? I know mine, and it sure as hell ain’t here,” grumped the woman he’d just been thinking about.
Meeting Felicia’s stare Felix couldn’t help but smile. “Ho there, friend Dwarf. If this isn’t your place, what are you doing up here?”
“Doing your little princess a favor. She ca
lled me all worried about you getting your dainty ass hurt. Your mark two armor is this way.” Felicia did an about face and marched over to where a team of her people were unpacking.
Felix was surprised.
Mark two?
From those boxes and crates, a suit of armor emerged. One that looked nothing like the set he’d worn previously. This one looked more between the first suit, an exo-frame, and the Warden.
“Uh… pretty sure I’m not going to be going to Mars to slay aliens or anything. So what’s up with the Space Ma—”
“Shut up.” Felicia slapped a hand onto his wrist and jerked him closer. “Stand there, and be silent. We’ll get you outfitted. We’ve already put the pod in your room. That’ll strip you of the armor and put it back on when you’re ready.
“The mark two isn’t completely done, but all that’s left is getting the heads-up display debugged. It has a couple graphical glitches, but that’s it.”
Felix grunted and did as instructed. There was no point arguing with them. He’d either end up ordering them to stop, and pissing them off on a whole new level, or letting them do as they wished.
The latter option was easier.
He did as they asked, letting them guide him along the process. They had him step into the heavy boots and greaves first. Judging by those alone, it looked like this suit would completely cover him from head to toe.
Around him, Ioana and her team were getting ready, arming themselves and making plans with Lily’s team.
The two groups were starting to work very well together. Training had definitely set the foundation for them, but nothing worked better than live firsthand experience.
“Chin up.” A male tech prodded Felix in the jaw. Lifting his chin, the tech pulled a helmet down over Felix’s head.
The helmet was depowered and dark, giving with him a view of absolute blackness.
Then the screen in front of his eyes popped on and flickered before stabilizing.
Amazingly enough, it was as if he were looking through holes in the helmet.
“Damn, that’s impressive.”
“Volume’s a little low. You’ll need to key that up. The helmet is tied into the electric impulses your brain puts out. So think about moving the volume up.
Super Sales on Super Heroes Page 28