The Guardians Omnibus

by Damien Benoit-Ledoux

  A man opened the door and looked around, confused. Behind him, David grinned, but his hand was on his holstered weapon.

  Quinn shimmered into view and the man shrieked with surprise. Smiling, he extended his hand. “Blue Spekter.”

  The shaken man shook his hand and squeaked out his name. “Chris.”

  “Goodbutt,” a third man called out, and Chris frowned.

  David made his way to the door and shook his hand as well. “Good to see you again. Come on in, Blue.”

  Blue Spekter made his way into the lavish room with wonder. “You like it?” the third man asked. “The name’s Walter. I’d shake your hand, but I’m a germaphobe.” Then, he saluted.

  Blue Spekter nodded back.

  “This is my team,” David said.

  “So Goodbutt is…”

  “Chris’ unofficial codename,” Walter added.

  “No, it’s not,” Chris said flatly, returning to his array of computer monitors. All three men worked at two or three computers on mobile tables, each hooked up to several monitors—all of which showed either static data, images, or ran lines of code in small windows. A fourth station was unmanned, and the screensaver was active.

  “Yes, it is,” Walter insisted, giggling. “He has two pairs of jeans that his girlfriend thinks make his butt look really good, so she calls them his good butt jeans. Hence, we call him Goodbutt.”

  “And that makes you?” Blue Spekter asked, pointing at Walter.

  “Trinity,” Walter said, beaming with pride.

  Blue Spekter shrugged. “Okay.”

  Walter looked at him with concern. “Dude, please tell me you know what the name means.”

  He shook his head. “No…should I?”

  Walter grabbed his head with his hands in exasperation. “How old are you?”

  “Sixteen.”

  “Shit, I wish I had superpowers at sixteen. I’d be invisible in the girl’s locker room!” Goodbutt said.

  David chuckled. “Are you two done heckling him yet?”

  “No, wait, seriously kid?” Walter asked.

  “Don’t call him kid,” David snapped.

  Walter nodded and saluted. “Right sorry, Captain. But seriously, Blue Spekter? Trinity…from the Matrix.”

  “I don’t think I’ve seen those older movies. How old are you?” he said, teasing the man.

  David burst into riotous laughter and Walter’s face fell.

  “I’m just kidding,” Blue Spekter said. “Of course I’ve seen the Matrix. But, to be fair, you could also have been Trinity from the Tomb Raider series.”

  Trinity’s dumbfounded expression changed to one of pleasant surprise. “Touché.”

  Blue Spekter pointed at the fourth station.

  “That’s for Wonder Woman,” Goodbutt said, smirking. “He tried to call her Walter’s Woman but she slapped him across the face.”

  Trinity shook his head. “Yeah, the fastest way to piss off a woman is to joke about possession.”

  “So she’s your…”

  “Yeah, she’s with me,” Walter said. “Her name is Tara.”

  “Mental note,” Goodbutt said, chiming in, “We only call her Wonder Woman when she’s not around. Otherwise, it’s Tara.”

  “So why call her Wonder Woman at all, then?” Blue Spekter asked.

  “We call her Wonder Woman because unlike us two data nerds, she goes into the field and kicks ass when she has to.”

  David cleared his throat, and the two techies returned to their work. “Water?” he asked, pointing to a side station that held an assortment of baked goods and fruits. “Compliments of the hotel.”

  “I’m all set, thanks.”

  “Can you do the eye thing?” Trinity asked, peering over one of his monitors.

  “Ooooh, right.” Goodbutt said, pulling his head away from his monitors.

  Quinn nodded and made his eyes glow for a few seconds.

  “Dude, that’s so cool,” Trinity said, his face adorned with wonder.

  “Damn straight,” Goodbutt added. Then, he deepened his voice to sound like a movie narrator. “No criminal wants to see flashing blue police lights, but there’s nothing criminals fear more than the glowing eyes of Blue Spekter.”

  “I’m going to trademark that,” Blue Spekter said, appreciating the surprisingly goofy nature of David’s team. It was in stark contrast to the polite, organized, and gentlemanly manner in which David conducted himself.

  “Okay, guys, let’s show him what we’ve accomplished so far. Trinity, would you mind projecting?”

  “Sure thing, boss.” He grabbed a remote and powered on a small projector that was aimed at a mostly blank wall.

  “So, do you have a fun codename?” Blue Spekter asked David.

  Goodbutt mumbled something and then cleared his throat.

  David rolled his eyes and smiled. “It’s Stratman because I fly stratotankers, but I hate it. I only use it because these guy insist it builds camaraderie.”

  Quinn smiled. “Gotcha, Stratman.”

  David chuckled and gestured to a set of comfortable chairs and they sat down. The two techs remained at their post while Trinity connected to the wireless projector. Several terminal windows appeared, and lines of blurry code scrolled up each window. A moment later, the projected image came into focus.

  “To make a long story short, Blue, we’re having a very hard time finding anything useful. You weren’t kidding when you said The Order covers its tracks.”

  David ran a hand over his bald head. “We’re actually trying a different approach right now. Tara has infiltrated the naval base undercover and is on her way to the prison-side of the island for a little reconnoitering mission. Earlier this morning we received updated satellite images of the base and we studied them together, so she knows where she’s going.”

  Trinity pushed the images to the projection screen and Blue Spekter leaned forward to examine them. He spotted the miniaturized Cloudbusters. “See those funny looking antennas in the four corners of the main tower?”

  “Yup,” David responded.

  “Those are called Cloudbusters, and they’re updated designs based on Dr. Reich’s research. You can find his original versions on Wikipedia.”

  “We found those,” Goodbutt said, “but we didn’t know these little guys were the same thing.”

  “We’ve actually found a bunch of them around Portsmouth,” Trinity added. He pulled up several images. “We even started searching other towns to see if we could find them, and we did.”

  “Where?” Blue Spekter asked.

  “Manchester, Concord, Berlin, Portland, Augusta, and a few more.”

  “Then there might be a hidden reactor core at each location.”

  “Right, and the reactor core does what again?” Trinity asked, scrolling through the Orgone energy Wikipedia page.

  “Stop,” Blue Spekter said. “See that box thing? The reactor core is a much bigger version of that thing.”

  “The accumulator?”

  “Yup. They hollowed out the tower inside the naval prison and built one of those in there. It’s huge, much bigger than the one in Rangeley, Maine.”

  “Yeah, the public-facing satellite images don’t show the intense array field up there. However, our satellites know no censorship.” He pulled up the map and displayed the Cloudbuster array field at Rangeley.

  Blue Spekter looked at David. “What is the point of sending Tara to the prison?”

  He pointed to an open briefcase that contained ten small, high-tech looking devices. “We need to plant at least half of those transmitters near one of their computers or networking systems in order to infiltrate their network. She’s looking for entry points while attempting to monitor their patrol patterns and catching the nuances we can’t glean from the satellites. The more devices we can plant, the stronger and more reliable the infiltration signal will be between this base of operation and the facility.”

  “Hey,” Goodbutt said, pointing at Blue Spekter, but
glancing at David for approval, “If you can turn invisible, can you get inside the prison?”

  David looked at Blue Spekter with interest. “He has a point. Tara’s pretty good at slipping in and out of secured facilities, but if you can be completely unseen, you’ll help protect our cover.”

  Trinity looked at him expectantly.

  “Sure. I’ve done it before, and I can do it again,” Blue Spekter replied, nodding. “I’ve been practicing with my invisibility power and now I can make objects I carry invisible, too.”

  “Great, they’re ready to go, so the sooner you can do it, the better.” David said.

  “I can head out now if you want.”

  “Great. Trinity, recall Tara. Goodbutt, kindly tell Blue Spekter what he needs to look for.”

  When Goodbutt finished explaining what to do, Blue Spekter grabbed the briefcase and made his way out of the hotel and flew to the naval prison, curious to know if he would sense Blake or not. Regardless, it was time for him to mask his presence and discover how well he had learned that ability from Ana Maria.

  “Stealth mode,” he said softly, chuckling to himself as he became invisible and masked his presence from Blake and Ana Maria.

  Two hours later, Quinn followed a set of guards out of the facility and gently ascended into the air, a smile of satisfaction on his invisible face. He had just finished placing the ten devices throughout the facility, all-the-while not bumping into or sensing Blake at all.

  They’ll never know what hit them…but that begs the question…where’s Blake?

  He quickly checked in with David about his successful mission and told them he was heading home for the day. Then, he circled around Portsmouth once more to locate Blake, but didn’t find him.

  ❖

  Blue Spekter finished circling the city and flew toward Breaking New Grounds to pick up his duffel bag from the back room, landing carefully behind the building and appearing when he was sure no one was looking.

  After grabbing his things, he exited the building through the employee door and ran right into Keegan’s arms.

  “Oh hi, handsome!” Keegan said, laughing.

  “Wow, hi! How did you know I was here?” Quinn asked, shocked to see Keegan. I hope he didn’t see me land a few minutes ago.

  “I saw you run into the building and I had to say hi.”

  “Aww, babe, you’re too sweet,” Quinn replied.

  “Walk you to your car?”

  “Sure,” Quinn replied, and the boys walked to Market Square and then made their way up Pleasant Street.

  “I wish we could hang out tonight,” Keegan whined.

  “Me too, but I gotta do this dinner thing with Uncle Mark and Uncle John tonight.”

  “That’s the couple whose wedding we went to on the boat, right?”

  “Yeah. I’m kinda surprised they didn’t mention me bringing you, but…”

  Keegan laughed, “It’s okay, really. My grandparents are flying in and…”

  “It’s not Hanukkah already, is it?” Quinn said, interrupting Keegan.

  “Not yet, but it’s my grandfather’s birthday. We’re heading to Boston in an hour to meet them and have dinner at some fancy restaurant. Apparently, I have to wear a dress shirt, tie, and jacket.”

  “Well, I remember how handsome you looked at the prom, so I bet you’ll be just as handsome in your suit.”

  Keegan smiled. “Now who’s being sweet and adorable?”

  Quinn smiled back. “What does your grandfather do?”

  “He’s some big investment or finance person for Morgan Stanley in New York City, but I’m not really sure what he does. I think he’s flying to Chicago for a meeting tomorrow. Don’t worry, you’ll get to meet the entire Miller clan at Hanukkah. They always come up for the first day and I would love for you to join us.”

  “I can do that?”

  “Of course, why not?”

  “Well, um…because I’m not Jewish?”

  Keegan rolled his eyes. “Like that matters to me. Just come, meet my family, and celebrate with us. The food will be amazing, too.”

  “I’d love to,” Quinn said, nodding and pointing to his car. “I’m right here.”

  “Okay,” Keegan said, sadness in his voice. Then, he grabbed Quinn, pulled him close, and kissed him deeply. The nearby streetlights flashed and flickered.

  “Wow,” Quinn said, breathless. “Now, I really wish we could hang out tonight.”

  “Maybe tomorrow, handsome. See you later. Have fun at your big, gay dinner party.”

  “Ha. Have fun in Boston.”

  They shared one last kiss and then Keegan turned and walked away.

  Quinn inhaled deeply, catching the wafting scent of Keegan’s cologne. He smiled, then got into the SUV and headed home to shower and dress for dinner out with his dads at his uncles’ new place.

  4-6 | Things are Looking Up...Mostly

  Blake

  AFTER LIFTING WEIGHTS AND SHOWERING during his free period, Blake was getting dressed at his locker when Darien sat near him on the bench, his casted arm full of sympathy signatures.

  “Hey,” Darien said.

  Blake pulled on his sneakers and glanced at Darien, then rolled his eyes. “What does my dad want now, Darien?”

  “I’m not here for your dad.”

  “What you fail to understand is I don’t give a shit about my dad,” Blake snapped. Then, Darien’s words replayed themselves in his mind. “Oh. Then, what do you want?”

  Darien leaned closer so no one would hear him. “I won’t play games with you, but I know you did this to me.” Darien pointed to his broken arm which was held up by an arm sling.

  Blake’s eyes narrowed.

  “Remember that day, Blake? Because I do; I saw your eyes glow orange when you fell.”

  “You saw nothing,” Blake spat, feeling himself heat up. The undried water drops on his shirtless torso quickly evaporated.

  “Imagine my surprise when I saw the news a few days later, when Chief Applegate outed the super villain called Dark Flame and warned us to stay away from him. Ah, there it is, the strange heat I feel around you when you’re angry, like the time you burnt my arm after track practice.”

  Blake’s hands balled into fists and tightened. “You deserved it, you little shit,” Blake said angrily.

  Darien wiped sweat from his forehead and smirked. “And just like after track practice, just like in the park, I can feel heat coming off your body. That’s like, a really bizarre coincidence, except it’s not, is it?”

  Some of the guys in the locker room noticed Darien confronting Blake, but they didn’t approach.

  “You see, Blake, I was in Prescott Park the day Dark Flame and Blue Spekter decided to have their super fight over the river near the shipyard. I figured out your dirty little secret, Blake, and now I know Quinn the Queer’s dirty little secret, too.”

  Kill him.

  In his mind, he sensed Quinn running toward the locker room. That didn’t stop him from reaching out with his mind to squeeze Darien’s testicles, a trick that worked well on Nigel Krause.

  Darien grunted and winced. He tried to move, but Blake used his telekinesis to hold him in place by the balls.

  Kill him now.

  Ugh, these violent impulses…they don’t stop…what the hell is going on?

  Who cares. Hurt him badly.

  Blake glared at Darien and folded his arms across his shirtless chest. “Something wrong?”

  Panic struck Darien’s face as the bully’s eyes shifted around. He tried to respond, but Blake held the boy’s mouth shut.

  No, don’t kill him right now. You’re in school, and he’s just an annoying bully.

  Blake swallowed and relaxed, released Darien, then reached for his button-down shirt.

  Darien’s body twitched when Blake released him, and his hands came up defensively. “You asshole!”

  The guys around them sensed a fight, but when nothing happened, they lost interest and went about their bus
iness. Most of them left the locker room, leaving Blake and Darien alone except for a few guys who were still in the showers.

  Blake calmly pulled the shirt on but didn’t button it. Then, he stared angrily into Darien’s eyes. “If you think I’m the evil Dark Flame, then you know what I can do…so what exactly is the point of pissing me off?”

  The door to the locker room burst open and a moment later, Quinn swung around the locker stacks and froze in his tracks when he saw Blake and Darien together.

  “Blake, don’t,” Quinn said.

  I am not in the mood to fight with Quinn today.

  “Aww, look at you, fairy cakes!” Darien said, turning around to face Quinn. “See? I told you he wouldn’t hurt me.”

  “So, you knew he knew?” Blake asked Quinn.

  Quinn shook his head. “No, he only told me two periods ago.”

  Darien chuckled. “Well, I’d like to stay and chat, but you know how it is, nobody likes a third wheel.”

  Blake reached out and grabbed Darien’s shoulder—the one attached to his broken arm—and spun him around. The bully yelped in pain as Blake squared off with him. Quinn advanced, but Blake held him back with telekinesis.

  Kill him.

  Don’t kill him.

  Blake leaned in close and spoke in a low voice. “If we weren’t in school, I’d kill you. If you tell anyone, I’ll kill you. The only good that comes from your mouth flapping to someone about our secret is that your mouth will never harass anyone again. Understand?”

  Darien swallowed nervously. “Y-yes.”

  Finish him off, once and for all.

  Blake’s eyes illuminated with an angry orange hue as he grabbed Darien by the throat. He smiled wickedly when the neck veins near his hand filled with blackened sickness. Darien’s eyes popped open with surprise and horror. “On second thought, I’m going to end your pathetic existence right now.”

  “Blake, stop!” Quinn exclaimed, unable to move.

  Blake kept draining Darien’s life force.

  Somehow, Quinn pushed forward through Blake’s telekinetic hold. “Enough!” he shouted. The water in the showers turned off and the sound of laughing classmates echoed through the locker room, their approach immanent.