Usually, the submarines were hard to spot in the harbor unless you knew what to look for. Only the conning tower, its antennas, and occasionally the rear fin over the propeller—depending on the class of submarine—stuck out of the water when it was surfaced in the dock. The Navy took great care to protect the submarine from photographers in Prescott Park and enemy spy satellites. Today however, everyone would get an unprecedented view of the massive boat if Blue Spekter didn’t stop Tasmanian.
As Blue Spekter approached, he immediately sensed Tasmanian and spotted him perched on one of the giant yellow utility cranes. When he flew into Victor’s proximity sensing range, he saw the black-clad super villain jerk with surprise and grab the side of his head. The submarine briefly groaned and creaked in protest as Tasmanian’s concentration faltered for a moment. Men were scrambling out of the submarine’s top hatches and jumping through the flames to the icy water below to escape whatever Tasmanian was up to.
Good, you still haven’t gotten used to sensing others yet, but that could be bad if you drop the submarine.
Blue Spekter flew close enough to yell at Tasmanian, then hovered in the air and yelled at him. “Victor, I’m only going to ask you this once. Stop what you’re doing and put that submarine back in the water where it belongs.”
Victor ignored him and continued elevating the submarine. Now, the bow was completely out of the water, and it was only a matter of minutes until the propellers were out of the river as well.
Dammit, this is when I wish I had telekinesis. I have to work with Ana Maria and learn how to do that.
“What are you doing?” Blue Spekter shouted.
Victor glanced at him briefly. “Making sure you and your little team of make-believe heroes never threaten me again.”
What? How?
Blue Spekter looked to his right and gasped.
Oh my gosh, he’s going to hurl the submarine at the Naval prison and destroy it.
Blue Spekter backed away and tapped his ear, activating the ear-comm. “Agent Hartman, can you hear me?”
“Loud and clear, what’s the situation?”
“You need to evacuate the island. I think Victor wants to throw the Thunderchild at the prison to destroy it. I don’t know if I can stop him in time.”
“If he succeeds, there’s a high probability the nuclear reactor will go critical and then meltdown. At that point, it won’t matter if we evacuate the island because the entire seacoast will be irradiated. Hundreds of thousands of people could die. Failure is not an option, Blue Spekter, you need to stop him.”
“I’ll do my best,” Blue Spekter replied. Whose bright idea was it to stick nuclear engines in submarines?
He looked back at Tasmanian with resolve coursing through his veins, balled his fingers into fists, then flew straight at Tasmanian, who grimaced at him and jerked his head to the side. A moment later, the crane’s ball hook swung through the air.
Oh crap.
Blue Spekter raised his hands defensively but the iron ball smashed into his face and knocked the hero backward into the steel hull of the Thunderchild. Momentarily disoriented, Blue Spekter bounced off the hull with a loud bang and fell, but he caught himself a few feet above the river. He shook his head and glanced up at Tasmanian, who didn’t move.
So, you’re either alone, or you’ve told any new super goons to hold back…but which is it? How the hell do I stop you without endangering the submarine? Think Quinn…what would Ana Maria, Ron, or Superman say?
Take care of the fire first!
Blue Spekter smirked and ascended, then circled around and flew at the Thunderchild. As he passed over it, he pointed his hands in front of him and lashed out with icy fury and blasted the dorsal hull of the burning submarine. He spun around and repeated the fire-fighting technique, successfully putting most of the fire out near the hatches the submariners were jumping out of.
Superman would rescue the crew next.
He flew to the water and slowed his approach, flying under the submarine and a foot above the water’s surface to scoop up several submariners in his arms, then flew to the docks and deposited them.
“Thank you,” one of them shouted, “Will you get everyone? That river’s too strong for us to swim in.”
“I’m on it!”
The river current had already dragged several submariners away from the docks and they struggled to say afloat in the freezing, raging waters.
Blue Spekter pulled a few more men out of the river and then flew out to the submariners caught in the churning current. One of the men had already fatigued and floated facedown. Blue Spekter pulled him out, grabbed two more submariners, then flew back to the docks.
“He needs CPR,” Blue Spekter instructed, then flew back out to save more submariners. On the island around the docks, marines and emergency medics rolled into position and began treating the Thunderchild’s freezing crew.
The submarine was now completely out of the water and as Tasmanian levitated it higher into the air, the Thunderchild started moving over the shipyard. Blue Spekter suspected he meant to drop it on the prison like a bomb for maximum damage.
I need to hurry.
When it looked like he had rescued all the submariners from drowning in the river, he flew up to the submarine and doused it with another volley of icy water. There were still submariners trapped inside, but there was nothing he could do for them at the moment.
He flew at Tasmanian again, but the villain was ready…and so was Blue Spekter. When Tasmanian swung the crane’s ball hook at him, Blue Spekter dodged it with agility and speed.
Tasmanian smirked.
Blue Spekter felt something tug at his left ankle. He looked down and saw the crane’s cabling head wrapped around his left ankle and was swinging around to entangle him.
Oh no, not again.
Faster than he could respond, a significant length of cable spun around him, wrapping itself tightly around his arms and legs. Blue Spekter grunted and thought about flying away, but he was afraid of causing more damage.
With the swift flick of Tasmanian’s fingers, the cables tightened and squeezed. Blue Spekter cried out in pain as Tasmanian pulled more cable out of the crane and wrapped it around Blue Spekter’s helpless body.
“Now, stay out of my way and watch your friends die!”
Tasmanian released the cabling and let Blue Spekter dangle like a pendulum from the crane that he stood on and laughed at him. The ball hook hung several feet beneath him, and gravity did its work by keeping the cable wrapped tightly around him. Blue Spekter struggled against the taut cable, but because Tasmanian had wrapped him with several layers of cable, his super strength wasn’t enough to break free and he didn’t want to destroy the crane.
If only I could fly away…but I’d destroy the crane and take out two buildings with it…think of something else…
“Oh, Blue Spekter, you are so damn predictable it isn’t even funny. Soon you will realize why I always get what I want. When I’m finished here, I’ll have you, too.”
“Not if I have something to say about it.”
“Then perhaps you won’t get the last word, you little shit.”
The heavy ball hook swung up and struck Blue Spekter on the side of his head. Tasmanian released it and it fell freely, jerking the tightening cable wrapped around his body as the heavy ball hook succumbed to gravity’s pull.
Blue Spekter felt dizzy and saw stars. A moment later, his vision darkened, but he managed to retain his awareness and stay conscious. Then, he let his head droop.
If Tasmanian wants me unconscious, then I’ll play along and figure out how to get out of this mess. Wait, you’ve done this before… Metal becomes brittle when it freezes.
Blue Spekter chilled his body and watched the cables frost as he dropped his body temperature and super-chilled the metal. He glanced up at Tasmanian, but the man was focused on the Thunderchild. The submarine was now more than halfway over the island and Tasmanian continued to raise it into th
e air. Submariners were screaming from the hatches, desperate to be saved.
Blue Spekter heard the metal cables around him popping and cracking as they succumbed to his deep freeze. He flexed his arm muscles and several of the cables around his shoulders popped.
Finally. I don’t have much time. I can’t afford to be too careful.
Blue Spekter focused, then exerted as much force as he could with his arms and legs and shattered the cables that held him prisoner. He shook his head, then flew across the river and away from the crane so he could assess the situation for a moment. Tasmanian glanced at him, but he was too focused to care about Blue Spekter flying away from him.
I’m going to have to fly under the submarine and catch it. I don’t even know if I can do that. Can I lift a submarine into the air? Can I put it back into the water without dropping it?
“Sorry I’m late, but I was having breakfast with a friend,” a familiar voice said to his right. He turned to look, but there was no one there.
“It’s about time,” Blue Spekter said smiling at the invisible woman. “I was beginning to think you changed your mind.”
“If there’s one thing you’ll learn about me, it’s that I’m committed. Now, do you have a plan for this mess?”
“First, I need you to take care of the submarine because you have telekinesis. Second, I’ll take care of Victor and give him the ass-whooping he deserves. Third, I have no idea if he’s working alone or if he brought more super goons. I don’t sense anyone, but they could be out of range or they figured out how to mask their presence.”
“I agree with your plan. Quinn, please keep your head on straight when you fight Victor. If he can make you angry, he will beat you.”
Blue Spekter nodded and then chuckled. “He’s going to flip out when he senses you.”
“I know, timing is everything. Good luck.”
Blue Spekter turned and looked at Tasmanian. The man was still focused on raising the submarine high into the sky.
If I fly fast toward you, you’ll know I’m attacking. But if I move slowly, I might be able to deceive you.
He slowly flew toward him with his hands raised in surrender. Tasmanian glanced at him and smirked. When he approached, the super villain addressed him.
“Do you see how small the people below us are, Quinn?” Tasmanian asked. “They scatter like ants before our might, terrified and weak, as they should when faced with gods like us.”
“When did you become so melodramatic? Did you sniff a little too much orgone in the reactor?”
Tasmanian frowned. “If only you could see the world as I do: broken, chaotic, and in need of saving. Imagine the order we could bring; everything would be possible and the world would be ours.”
Time to see if I can fool you.
“You know, I was thinking I might actually like that.”
Tasmanian glanced at him again, surprised. “What?”
“Well, if you think about it, I spend most of my time fighting bad guys and doing what’s right. It would be so much easier to join up with you and do whatever the hell I want simply because I can.”
“Wait, are you serious?”
Blue Spekter shook his head. “Of course not.” Then, he moved with super speed and rocketed toward Tasmanian, whom he successfully caught off guard. Blue Spekter wrapped his hands around the man’s torso and aimed toward the concrete docks below. A second later, he pounded Tasmanian’s body into the unforgiving cement. Blue and red sparks shot into the air around them.
“No!” Tasmanian shouted, losing control of the submarine. All of a sudden, they both sensed the presence of Ana Maria in the air above them. Tasmanian gasped and looked at Blue Spekter with profound shock. “What?”
Blue Spekter pulled his arm back and punched Tasmanian between the eyes. Blue and red sparks exploded between them.
“Something wrong?” Blue Spekter asked, unable to hide the smug grin on his face. The submarine groaned overhead, but Blue Spekter didn’t have time to check on it.
Tasmanian pushed Blue Spekter off him, jumped to his feet, and looked into the sky, his mouth agape. “What in the hell?”
Blue Spekter smirked and lunged at Tasmanian with super speed. He wrapped his arms around Tasmanian’s arms and chest, then flew out over Kittery Point and abruptly changed direction over Fort Stark and descended, slamming Tasmanian into one of the concrete bunkers that had survived the test of time. Snow, dirt, and pieces of cement exploded into the air along with several blinding flashes of blue and red lightning as their powers converged and reacted against each other.
Tasmanian was still in shock, so Blue Spekter took the opportunity to pummel his face with several right and left hooks. Sparks flew when they connected. “What the hell were you thinking, Victor?”
“About the end of you!” Victor shouted, then telekinetically launched Blue Spekter into the air. The blue hero compensated and dove at his enemy before Tasmanian could get up.
“You’re going to have to do better than that,” Blue Spekter shouted, then pinned Tasmanian’s wrists to the ground.
“I thought you’d never ask,” Victor spat back. Then the man winced and superheated his body, bursting into a brilliant red flame that generated an incredible amount of heat—but nothing like Dark Flame had created.
I’ve always wanted to try this.
“Amateur.” Blue Spekter smirked and super-chilled his hands and body in response to Tasmanian’s heat attack and frosted the man.
“I thought you’d have something new after your last failed attempt at this trick,” Victor growled, increasing his heat output.
“Maybe I do,” Blue Spekter retorted. Then, he summoned water and blasted Tasmanian in the face with a torrent water, shoving as much of it up Tasmanian’s nose as possible because it had worked against the yellow goon underwater—and he hadn’t survived.
Tasmanian sputtered and struggled to breathe, his hands flailing in an attempt to stop the stream of water.
Blue Spekter froze the water and attempted to fill his enemy’s lungs with ice, but Tasmanian’s hands came up and the strong fingers of his left hand wrapped themselves around Blue Spekter’s neck and squeezed. Blue Spekter was about to taunt Tasmanian when the man’s right hand moved in and clamped down over Blue Spekter’s face. Then, the glowing red super villain started draining the hero’s life force.
Oh crap, I haven’t had enough time to practice with this one.
Tasmanian’s eyes blazed with red fury and he pushed Blue Spekter up, using his telekinesis to right himself and hold the hero at bay, all while keeping his oppressive heat and vice-like grip on Blue Spekter’s face. Victor coughed, and water gushed out of his nose and mouth.
“When are you going to learn that I’m strong enough to take what I want whenever I want it,” Tasmanian said, slowly levitating up into the air. Steam accompanied his words.
Blue Spekter struggled to breathe as Tasmanian weakened him, his hands clawing at the glowing red arms that suspended him in the air.
Focus, Quinn.
Tasmanian snarled. “You may think you’re one step ahead of me, but no matter what you think, you’re just a kid. You were wise to hide your secret friend from me, but now my curiosity is piqued. Or, perhaps it was she who hid from the world. No matter, when I’m through with you, I’m going to enjoy ripping your friend apart to learn everything I can about how she came to be.”
“Youf garba findo nuut in,” Blue Spekter said into Tasmanian’s hand. Behind his body, he secretly formed a sizable and sharp ice spear. He discreetly lowered his right hand to his enemy’s chest.
“What?” Tasmanian asked, loosening his grip over Blue Spekter’s face.
“You’re gonna find nothing!” Blue Spekter shouted. Then, he blasted Tasmanian with a powerful charge of electricity, wrenched Tasmanian’s hand away from his neck and rolled his body counter clockwise. A moment later, he thrust ice spear through Tasmanian’s stomach.
It won’t kill you, but it might make
you retreat to lick your wounds.
Tasmanian gasped and immediately let go of Blue Spekter, his hands grabbing at the slippery ice that impaled him and he stared wide-eyed at Blue Spekter. “How?” he croaked, then, fell to the ground.
“You’re not as invincible as you think, Victor,” Blue Spekter spat. He smiled and landed next to the wicked man. A number of marines with TaseBolts ran toward them.
Tasmanian’s face shifted from one of panic to amusement. Then, he began laughing as he brought his hands up and melted the ice spear. “Did you think I wasn’t paying attention when Mother Superior had you and Blake chained up? Do you really think you could surprise me with any super-powered tricks I haven’t seen or discussed with Blake and the people who worked with him?” The man winced as his body cracked and popped. The ice spear melted faster than Blue Spekter had anticipated and Tasmanian’s body healed where it could.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
The super villain pushed himself up from the ground and glanced menacingly at the approaching marines. “I’ll give you this day, but next time, I’ll be stronger and more powerful than ever.” Then, Tasmanian jumped into the air and soared away, shifting course and flying north. Blue Spekter saw the bloodied chunk of ice slip out of Tasmanian’s torso and fall into the river.
The marines raised their rifles, but their leader raised his right fist, his arm bent at the elbow. “Stand down,” he said.
Oh my gosh, the submarine!
Blue Spekter spun around and saw Ana Maria, glowing a bright pink, hovering over the massive black boat as she returned it to the harbor, carefully maneuvering it into the middle of the river so it didn’t hit the shoreline or hidden rocks under the surface. The fire on the top deck was out and she nodded at Blue Spekter when he approached.
He decided not to speak, afraid to disrupt her concentration. Behind him, several navy tugboats approached, ready to bring the Thunderchild back to the shipyard for repairs.
The Guardians Omnibus Page 99