The Guardians Omnibus

by Damien Benoit-Ledoux

  “It could have been much worse,” Ana Maria replied as they landed on the ground near the main entrance. “Casualties appear to have been kept to a minimum, although there are a number of injured personnel for the medics to deal with.”

  Quinn studied the gaping holes in the still-standing parts of the structure the two super villains had created when they crashed through the building. “I don’t understand how they were able to smash through the stone walls repeatedly without breaking bones. When I slammed into Blake to save Chief Applegate I broke my hands, but they healed.”

  “I told you, you’ve been holding back; the world is cardboard to us. It would seem Nightmare and his thugs have learned to use their super strength better than you.”

  Quinn sighed as a teetering section of the prison caved in. “How do you know that? It’s not like you…flew through the stone walls of prison, right?”

  She smiled. “When I was young, I traveled the world. I discovered the ship demolition yards near Chittagong in Bangladesh. They’re terrible places where underpaid workers risk everything for a measly paycheck. Back then, tourists were welcomed, but today the yards are closed and security is tight. To make a long story short, I was exploring at night, testing my powers when no one was around. I accidentally loosened a massive section of cargo ship and it fell on top of me. Instead of crushing me, I merely pushed through it. I thought perhaps the section was excessively rusted, but I quickly discovered the steel was strong and durable. You can imagine the fun I had doing exactly what Nightmare’s two super villains did to the prison.”

  “Wow. I had no idea.”

  “I think perhaps that might be your weakness; you underestimate your powers and abilities. I believe that stems from the need to protect and avoid hurting innocent bystanders.”

  Like the man in the red car I almost killed when I unexpectedly saved the toddler from being run over…

  “When the time is right, you will need to face Nightmare in an uninhabited area so you can step up your half of the battle. I once thought orgone abilities increase with time, but your ability to channel orgone energy far surpasses mine. If my theory has a glimmer of truth, you will always be stronger than Nightmare because you have had your powers longer.”

  “So, you’re stronger than me?”

  “In many areas, yes. But I have witnessed your capacity to manifest and manipulate greater powers with ease. My only advantage in a fight would be years of living with my powers and the experience I’ve gained by discreetly nurturing them.”

  “I’m not sure that helps me much,” Quinn said.

  Ana Maria smiled at him. “Perhaps you can think about it another way. You have been living with and nurturing your powers for about five months now. Victor has been training with his for…a few weeks, maybe? He’s focused on battle and destruction. His tactics appear to be offensive, which means he’s potentially thought little to the defensive nature of our powers.”

  “Huh.”

  “For example, he tried to toss me aside telekinetically. I absorbed his assault without a thought and he was quite surprised. It’s clear to me there’s a lot he doesn’t know, which means he is at a disadvantage.”

  “But there are some things he does know that I don’t. When he first attacked after I saved Blake, he messed with my senses. He called it perception shift and I thought I was in another place.”

  Ana Maria nodded. “I’m not surprised. I’m sure our collective power sets are similar, but I expect differences here and there.”

  Quinn looked back at the prison. “So, you’re telling me I can fly...uh, smash through this building right now and I won’t break all my bones.”

  “From what I’ve seen of your strength abilities, most definitely.”

  Quinn smiled. “Cool. I won’t do it, but that might come in handy some day.”

  Agent Potter approached and greeted them. “We’re almost done here. We’re officially transferring to a covert operations base at Pease Tradeport. You can ride with us or fly over and meet us there.”

  “We’ll fly,” Quinn and Ana Maria replied together. They smiled at one another briefly.

  “How will we know where it is?” Ana Maria asked.

  Potter pointed to the SUVs leaving the parking lot. “Follow them. They’ll be pulling into an innocent looking hangar that serves as cover for the base’s entrance. If you know the area at all, it’s Hangar 227, or the old Pan Am hangar.”

  “Where’s Dr. Madison? And Blake?” Quinn asked.

  “She’s already on her way. Apparently, Vic…uh, Nightmare…blew her off. She might give us something useful now that she’s been abandoned. Blake is also safely on his way to Pease.”

  “Nightmare was about to kill her when I…intervened,” Ana Maria said.

  “Gotcha. Once we’re set up again in the base, Agent Hartman and I are going to plan an assault on the Androscoggin facility. We’d appreciate your input.”

  “But there are super villains there. How will you…”

  Potter waved his hand dismissively. “Not that kind of assault. We’re going to employ an ancient tactic with a modern twist. I’ll tell you about it when we meet next. In the meantime, you two should see if you can get anything out of Dr. Madison now that she’s been disavowed.”

  “More like excommunicated,” Quinn muttered.

  “What?” Agent Potter asked with a smirk. Ana Maria regarded him with curious eyes.

  “Uh…The Order…they use all these religious terms in their leadership. Isn’t excommunication the term for being kicked out of a religious organization?”

  “That it is. See you at Pease.” Then, Agent Potter turned and walked to the parking lot where the last of the SUVs were waiting.

  Quinn looked at Ana Maria and smiled. “Come on, I want to know what this new-fangled modern warfare is.” The duo took off and flew west to Pease Tradeport.

  5-10 | The Secret of Hangar 227

  Quinn

  “I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS IS right here, in my backyard,” Quinn said, stunned as he walked through the base’s operations center to a glass-walled conference room where members of the Guardians—including Ron, his mentor—had gathered.

  “Well, if you consider The Order’s ability to hide in plain sight, it is reasonable to believe the government can do the same. And, they do.” Ana Maria said.

  “I guess so.”

  The lieutenant who escorted them to operations had shared the secret history of the hidden base. Hangar 227 was built by the U.S. Air Force in the 1950s and became one of the United States’ strategic air command bases. The Air Force used to perform heavy maintenance on bombers and tankers before it was sold to Pan American World Airways, who used it for about ten years to maintain their fleet. However, the hangar’s history isn’t what impressed Quinn.

  Quinn had been impressed by The Order’s ability to build amazing, high-tech looking facilities with super-advanced technology inside of old, nondescript structures that fooled the passing gaze. What the military had built underneath the old, abandoned Pan Am hangar rivaled some of the best special effects in modern movies and television shows, specifically that of what Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D. could build.

  Built into solid bedrock and New Hampshire granite, the base could withstand aerial bombardment and nuclear bombing. It was stockpiled with enough food to support a full complement of personnel for months—including potential babies—and could recycle air, water, and generate electricity and heat via geothermal energy.

  Ahead of them, Agents Hartman and Potter stepped out of the conference room. Hartman addressed them. “Before we begin, Dr. Madison requested to see you both. I hope she’s willing to talk. These soldiers will accompany you and Agent Potter.”

  Two soldiers stepped forward and nodded.

  “You’re coming, too?” Quinn asked, looking at Agent Potter.

  Agent Hartman stepped forward. “Do you have a problem with that?”

  Quinn shook his head. “Of course not. Lead the way,” Q
uinn said. He seems pretty shaken up…I’m sure Washington is pressing him for answers.

  Moments later, the trio was ushered into a private room with two bunks and basic mid-century modern furniture.

  If this is the brig, it’s pretty decent.

  “You asked to speak with us?” Quinn said as the guards stood outside the room but left the door open. Agent Potter leaned on the door frame and folded his arms.

  Dr. Madison nodded. “You were right. Victor found out about the chip I implanted in him and would have killed me if it wasn’t for you.” She pointed to Ana Maria. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  You called us here to tell us that? Quinn felt impatience growing within him. He wanted the information Dr. Madison had. “Look, I’m not one to say I told you so, but I’m sorry. It must feel horrible to have been…dumped like that.”

  Dr. Madison shrugged. “That’s what I get for falling into bad company, I guess.”

  Ana Maria cleared her throat. “You still have an opportunity to help us stop Victor and bring honor to your work. Now would be the time to share any information you have about The Order and the projects you’re familiar with.”

  The doctor nodded. “I will help you. In fact, I’ll do better than that. One of the devices I brought with me is a kill-switch. It was in my purse and it looks like a silver garage door opener. It’s calibrated to work with the micro bug I implanted in Victor’s head after he lost consciousness from his orgone exposure. Its operational range is only four meters, but it will immobilize him.”

  “Will it stop the other super humans?” Quinn asked.

  Dr. Madison tilted her head back and forth as she thought about her answer. “Most likely not. Each micro bug has a different code configuration, thus each one needs its own kill-switch device.

  “Could you create more of these devices?” Ana Maria asked.

  “Not at the moment. I would need access to my notes at the lab and the secure files where I kept the micro bug development logs, but I’m sure my access has been revoked. Besides, I don’t have access to a terminal connected to The Order’s private network, let alone the research division.”

  “Yes, but then you’d have to know which super humans are attacking and match them to the appropriate kill-switch. Remember, the transmitter’s operational range is only four meters,” Ana Maria said.

  “Unless we build a bigger transmitter,” Agent Potter said.

  Quinn jumped, forgetting the man was standing behind them.

  Dr. Madison thoughtfully nodded. “That’s possible.”

  ❖

  Blake

  Blake inhaled sharply and sat up. He looked around, unsure of his surroundings.

  “Something wrong?” a familiar voice asked.

  “Huh?” Blake looked to his right and met the eyes of Victor Kraze. He was lying next him in a red tent. Its rain flaps and air vents were open, and a warm summer’s breeze passed through the tent as they relaxed together. Victor was laying on his side, writing in a black Moleskin notebook.

  “You fell asleep. I didn’t want to wake you because I know how tired you are. It’s been a rough couple of weeks. Did you have another bad dream?”

  Blake took notice of Victor’s relaxed clothing. The man rested comfortably on his sleeping bag in red and white swim trunks. Then he furled his eyebrows in confusion. Another bad dream? What is he talking about?

  “Where are we?” He looked down at his body and saw he only wore a pair of boxer shorts. The notebook Radoslav had given him from the interrogation of Nigel Krause’s associate was draped open across his torso.

  Did he read this while I was sleeping? Does he know what I know?

  “Woods Lake Campground in Rangeley, Maine.”

  Oh no, anywhere but here. Wait, again? “What are we doing back here?” he asked, his voice filled with concern.

  “Camping and training, like we’ve been doing for the last several weekends.”

  “But it’s…Christmas time.”

  Victor looked at him incredulously. “No it’s not, it’s the middle of an unseasonably warm September, thanks to our weather modification tests.”

  “Impossible.”

  “Wow, that must’ve been one hell of a dream.” Victor reached over and grabbed Blake’s forearm. He squeezed gently. “It’s okay, it’s all part of the plan.”

  Plan? What plan. Are we…no, we can’t be…that’d be illegal. Why don’t I know what’s going on?

  “Where is…” he hesitated, unsure if he should ask about Quinn. Just ask. “Quinn?”

  Victor slammed the moleskin shut and sat upright. He grimaced and then yelled at Blake. “Sometimes I feel like you should have chosen to partner up with him instead of accepting my generous offer. It’s always Quinn this and Blue Spekter that.”

  Blake looked at Victor with shock.

  “How the hell am I supposed to know where he is? Gawd, every time I think we’re making progress you bring him up. Like this weekend. Are you sure you don’t want to be with him instead of me?

  Be with him?

  Blake jumped to his feet and smacked his head on one of the tent supports.

  Ouch.

  Startled, Victor also jumped to his feet and looked at Blake him with surprise. “Is something wrong?”

  Blake nodded emphatically. “What do you mean, ‘be with him instead of me?’”

  Victor frowned. “It means I’m your mentor and closest ally, but you keep looking behind you. Let the past die, Blake. It’s about time you forget about it and fully embrace what I have to offer.

  “Do we sleep together?” Blake shouted in surprise.

  Victor’s eyes popped open. “Are you kidding me?”

  “That’s not an answer.”

  “We most certainly do not sleep together except when we’re camping.”

  Blake stared at Victor, who looked at him with great confusion.

  “Our relationship is platonic, Blake. What is wrong with you?” We’ve been camping together all summer.”

  Thank goodness.

  “It’s time you made a choice. The Order cannot continue to invest in you if you will not commit to me one-hundred percent.”

  “But I’ve done everything you asked. I eliminated the Archimandrion Council,”

  Victor’s face twisted. “I don’t know why I bother with you anymore. You failed me, Blake. You were never good enough, so I had to take matters into my own hands.”

  “What do you mean?”

  The angry man shook his head. “I’m sorry, Blake, but you’ve become a liability. It’s time to remove you from the plan. I see why your parents saw fit to abandon you when you ran away from home and showed up sobbing on my doorstep.”

  “That’s not how it happened,” Blake protested.

  “Doesn’t matter, does it?” Victor pulled a gun from nowhere and aimed it at Blake’s face.

  Oh shit, oh shit!

  Instinct took over and Blake smacked Victor’s arm out of the way and punched the man in the neck, but it was Blake’s hand that broke when he hit Victor’s jaw.

  You know what happens next…go for a run and this will end.

  Blake screamed in terror and ran out of the tent in his boxers and looked around the campground. In his haste, he recognized the trees and the campsite where he and the McAlesters camped over Labor Day. It’s always the same place, but a different…dream. This is a dream!

  He ran away from their campsite and attempted to use super speed to escape into the woods, but he only ran at normal speed.

  Where are my super powers?

  Doesn’t matter…Wake up, Blake, wake up!

  Wake up!

  ❖

  Quinn

  Inside the base’s primary conference room, Agents Potter and Hartman conferred with military leadership and explained the strategy they’d use to take down The Order. Agent Hartman led the conversation at the table.

  “I never thought I’d hear myself say this, but I’m grateful
for the knowledge our resident comic book subject matter expert can offer about the super villain mindset alongside our own psychologists and battle strategists.”

  Quinn looked at Ron and smiled. His mentor bounced his eyebrows with excitement.

  “It’s clear a military strike against any of The Order’s facilities will only provoke the super villain Nightmare and his super-powered henchmen, and that is a battle we cannot hope to win without Blue Spekter and…Ana Maria. Let’s get her a code name, shall we? Though the TaseBolts—and an upcoming set of advanced TaseBolts—seem to slow them down, the risk to our soldiers is too high.”

  Ana Maria cleared her throat. “I’ve given it some thought, and I choose the name Catamount.”

  Quinn and the team regarded her with curiosity. “What is a catamount?” he asked.

  “The word originates from late Middle English. While discovering myself and my powers, I spent a few years isolated in the Green Mountains of Vermont and observed the mountain lions around me. At the time, Vermonters referred to the Eastern cougars or mountain lions as catamounts and the term stuck with me. I choose it because like the mountain lion, I choose to act with thoughtful decisiveness.”

  “I like it,” Quinn said.

  “There’s also a certain mystique that follows this animal in Vermont lore that I’ve always enjoyed,” she added.

  “It’s unique,” Ron said. “There’s no comic book superhero that I know of by that name.”

  Agent Hartman rolled his eyes and cleared his throat. Everyone re-focused their attention on him. “We’ve been working with local power and telecommunications companies to enact a plan that will cripple The Order’s known locations with one swift action.”

  “I don’t understand,” Quinn said. “What does that accomplish?”

  “We’re going to apply a modern twist to an old tactic. In ancient and medieval times, an invading army would lay siege to a fortified city, fortress, or castle by surrounding it. Their primary weapon was time and the belief that the site they intended to conquer would run out of supplies and either starve, become unable to defend itself, or eventually surrender out of desperation.”