by Adam Oster
Zero and Buddy got out of the rickshaw as well and they all walked toward the door. The nagging question on Buddy's mind finally rose to the surface.
“So, the government really erased everything, even all the stuff Oscar was talking about with cures to cancer and everything? Seems harsh, doesn't it?”
“I don't think they really cared what all was lost in the redaction,” Ryan answered, “as long as no one remembered supers existed. I remember Damon's followers really being for it, since they wanted to wipe the 'corrupt meta menace from the face of the earth', but no one believed anyone would actually do it.”
“I remember right before I was sent off with Damon, we were all brought in for questioning before the Grand Jury. They were throwing around words like crimes against humanity. It was a crazy time, chum. We had saved the world from that nut job and they wanted to hang us.” Zero grew angry.
“Sheesh. . . I mean, even beyond asking why they would do something like that, I just don't see how it's even possible to change history without caring for what's lost.”
“Well, it's not all that unheard of,” Ryan added. “I mean, if you take a look at the internet today, you see it happening all the time. There's so much crap out there people have just made up that some of it starts to become fact. And if the world considers it fact, well, then history books will eventually follow suit, whether or not its true.”
“I can't see that happening. I mean, surely someone would step forward, wouldn't they?”
“Our knowledge of history inevitably changes, through urban legends, rumors, or whatever else. For instance, most of the world believes George Washington cut down a cherry tree. It might not seem all that important, but little things like that can make a difference.”
“I'm not sure I agree with you on that.”
“Fine, doesn't really matter. We know right now, for a fact, that history has been changed, we just have to deal with it.”
Just as they approached the door, it flung open and Maggie came running out at high speed. She was followed soon after by Jeff, Carl, and Arthur. Maggie ran past Buddy, not noticing it was him at first. She stopped in her tracks, turned around, and looked at Buddy with such a look of fear that Buddy thought she was running from the men who had left the building behind her. He looked at Arthur sternly.
“Buddy! He's going to destroy the diner. He's there right now waiting for you. Don't let him destroy my restaurant, please.”
“Whoa, whoa. Calm down, sis. Who's going to destroy the diner?”
“That Damon Memphis guy everyone's all worried about. They just showed him on the news. You've gotta do something, Buddy, please do something. The restaurant is all I've got.”
Buddy looked at the rest of the group to gauge their response to this turn of events. Arthur and Carl stood in place, awaiting Buddy's reaction. Jeff looked as annoyed as he had since Buddy first met him. Alexa ran to Maggie's side. Zero and Ryan, however, were already making their way to the rickshaw. Buddy started after them.
“Wait, Buddy,” Maggie yelled, “you can't go out there in that thing. That guy's out there wreaking havoc on everything. You'll get yourself killed before you even step out onto the street.”
“Your sister is right, Mr. Jackson. Ms. Rose's transportation device will do you no good in this battle. However, I do believe Carl has been working on something that is a tad more defensively inclined.”
“Thank God I finally have an excuse to start bringing out the big toys.” Carl reached into his pocket and pulled out a device consisting of a touch screen and a couple of buttons. His fingers slid and tapped across the screen and with a flourish of the arm, he made a final tap.
Just as his finger hit the pad, a loud noise was heard coming from below the group. It sounded like a giant motor had been brought to life several floors below. The original noise was followed with several loud revving noises, quickly accompanied by the sounds of tires screeching against the pavement. The noise grew in volume.
Across the parking ramp from where the group stood, two bright lights became visible, heading toward them at an incredibly fast speed. Buddy jumped out of the way, grabbing Maggie as he went down. He looked up to see only Carl and Arthur standing in the spot the vehicle was heading. A smile covered Carl's face. The monstrosity of metal was bearing down on their location so fast there was now no way Carl or Arthur could move out of the way in time.
“Move!” Buddy yelled. The room filled with the noise of the sharp squeal of rubber tires pulling against the concrete. The sound lasted only a second. When the area finally cleared of the smoke created by the burning rubber, Buddy got up and saw Carl and Arthur still standing in the same position, laughing loudly. The smiles on their faces were even larger than before. A tank-like vehicle was now idling silently in front of him.
“What in the world was that?” Buddy asked.
“You really think I'd bring the car up here to have it run us all over? Jeez Buddy.”
“I'm gonna kill y--” Buddy said as he lunged toward Carl. Maggie held him back.
“Holy crap, dude, is this a modified XM1202? I mean, it's almost unrecognizable, but it looks like the same basic frame design. I thought they canceled that project.” Ryan ran to the vehicle and began inspecting every crevice.
“I'm sorry, who are you?” Carl asked. Ryan was too preoccupied to respond.
“It's Oscar Reed's son, Ryan. Oscar wasn't too keen on helping us out, so I made an executive decision.”
“Who gave you the right to make executive decisions?” Jeff squeaked.
“Jeffrey, remember what we talked about inside.”
“Yes Daddy, sorry.”
“I believe your decision may have its merits, Mr. Jackson. Good work.” Jeff whimpered at hearing the vocal pat on the back Buddy received. “Carl, please continue.”
“Well, I don't have much time to get into the design specifications of the vehicle, with Damon being mid-destruction right now. But let me tell you, this baby is packed to the teeth with all sorts of sweet treasures. If you want to save Maggie's Diner, you're going to have to move quick. And outside of Alexa, there isn't much in this world able to get you there quicker than this.” By this point, Ryan was already climbing the side of the vehicle and opening the hatch on the top.
“Seriously, dude?” Ryan asked rhetorically while shooting a quick glance to Carl. “It's like a freaking lounge in here.”
“Oh, yes, we definitely spared no expense on the level of comfort inside the vehicle. There are view screens on each wall, making the interior feel much less like a coffin than the original XM1202 did. All of this was able to be done without sacrificing any of the speed of the vehicle. In fact, this vehicle can run circles around the XM1202. All it took was some simple modifi--”
“Great, perfect,” Zero cut Carl off. “Don't need anymore science lessons, let's get out there and bash this guy, already, before he takes out the rest of downtown.” He climbed up the side of the vehicle and disappeared inside. Buddy looked at Maggie. She looked scared. Jeff followed Zero into the vehicle and looked out upon the group before descending into it.
“We shall embark upon this journey, not for accolades, not for glory, but for justice. Do not fear, this mission is in my hands. I will ensure everyone makes it back in perfect condition. You can take my word on that.” He disappeared into the vehicle.
“You'd think he was running for president or something,” Buddy said to Maggie. Maggie looked at him with tears in her eyes. “Sheesh, Mags. I never knew you cared so much about the diner. I thought you were against me getting involved with all of this.”
“Buddy, they showed me a lot of stuff while you were gone. They even showed me some of the bad stuff. It all makes sense now. I had always known you were meant for something important. I just never realized you were meant to save the world.”
“I always figured I'd be responsible for the opposite.”
“I'm serious, Buddy. This is right, this is you. But if you don't come back a
live, and I'm out both a brother and a diner, I'll--”
“Don't worry, Maggie. If these folks are right, I've done this a million times. What could possibly go wrong?”
“That's what concerns me.” Buddy gave his sister a soft kiss on the forehead and turned away. He climbed up the side of the vehicle, took one last look at Maggie, and disappeared inside. Alexa looked softly at her.
“Maggie, don't even give it a second thought. If it weren't for Buddy, this planet would've been destroyed hundreds of times over already. If anyone can take care of Damon, it's him.” She ran up the side of the vehicle, entered the hatch, and closed it.
CHAPTER 19
Inside the vehicle were four identical reclining bucket seats, each one with a computer station next to it. In the middle of the floorspace was a larger version of the same seat, with computer screens built into the arm rests. On all of the walls were digital representations of the world outside the vehicle. Super-imposed on the images were various types of data including face recognition, structural composite information, and indications of dangerous items in the surrounding area.
Ryan typed away excitedly at the workstation located in front of the chair he was seated in. Zero was leaning back in the chair he had claimed for himself, smiling a grin of excitement. Jeff had positioned himself in the center chair. He had a look of great contentment on his face as Buddy entered. When Alexa entered, she chose one of the empty seats and sat on the edge of it. Buddy stood in place, trying to grasp his current situation. As Alexa sat down, the three seated occupants, other than Jeff, turned their chairs to look at Buddy.
“Hello Buddy, I'm so excited for our adventure!” D.A.W.N.'s face appeared on all of the screens in the vehicle. Buddy jumped.
“Oh, jeez, you scared me again. Hi D.A.W.N.”
“D.A.W.N., take us to Maggie's Diner, ASAP,” Jeff said, using his deep voice. There was a short pause, then a groan and, “Please.”
“It would be my pleasure, Jeffrey. However, before we can depart, I must ask that all riders please take their seats and buckle their safety belts.” Buddy found D.A.W.N.'s cheerfulness easing some of the tension he was feeling. He took his seat and buckled the belt around his waist.
“Okay D.A.W.N., we're secure. Engage!”
Buddy chuckled. The harder Jeff tried to sound important, the more difficult Buddy found it to take him seriously. Jeff shot him an angry look.
“As we depart the station, please remember to keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times,” D.A.W.N. took on the affectation of a recorded message. “Por favor, mantenga los brazos y las piernas dentro del vehiculo.” The vehicle lurched forward and began driving around the parking garage going down into the lower levels.
“I'm fairly certain our arms and legs are incapable of being outside the vehicle,” Zero said, looking at Buddy questioningly.
“Just kidding, folks. A little transportation humor for you,” D.A.W.N. said. “Now is this anyone's first time into the fray? Because it most certainly is mine.” D.A.W.N. chuckled as she sped up. The vehicle was aimed at a wall with no other exit visible. Buddy clutched his chair's arm cushions and his entire body tensed.
“D.A.W.N., you know there's a wall right there, right?” Buddy asked. His eyes closed, bracing for impact. He opened one of them to survey the damage, opening it only a second before impact occurred. The screens glitched, filled with fuzz, and the vehicle's cabin interior glowed with a blue light. Just as quickly as the light appeared, it disappeared and the screens came back on.
Buddy's body slowly released the tension and he felt himself, ensuring he was still alive. He saw blue sky in the screens and became aware they were on the top floor of a parking garage. He looked at Alexa.
“I guess you don't get a good look at how the teleporter works when you travel by me, huh?” The vehicle moved at high speed toward the edge of the garage and plowed through the wall separating the parking spaces from the open air. The front end of the vehicle tilted toward the ground, showing Buddy the ten stories separating them from it, which were flying past rapidly. The entire group leaned back in their chairs. Jeff looked exceptionally frightened, causing Buddy to wonder if this was his first time going into battle as well.
“D.A.W.N., what the hell do you think you're doing?!?” Jeff screamed.
“Sorry, my calibrations appear to be a smidge off. Just let me adjust the ballast. There.” The vehicle immediately righted itself, but the sensation of falling was persistent. Just as Jeff was about to yell at D.A.W.N. once again, the vehicle hung in mid air, bounced twice, as though hanging from a bungee cord, and then fell roughly another foot. It immediately began moving forward at high speed.
“That was fantastic!” Ryan exclaimed.
“That's one thing you could call it,” Jeff grumbled, still clenching his armrests.
“So, uhhh, do we have a plan or anything on taking out Damon, yet,” Alexa asked. “I feel like I must have missed something in the War Room.” Her face was pale and she looked as though she might lose her lunch.
Zero reached for his safety belt to unlatch it.
“Unh uh,” D.A.W.N. said and an image of a wagging finger appeared on all screens. “Please stay in your seats until the captain has turned off the fasten seat belt sign.” An image flashed showing two hands holding separate ends of a seat belt with an arrow between them.
“You're right, D.A.W.N. Safety first!” Zero said.
“Hey, yeah, what is the plan?” Ryan asked. The group looked at Buddy. Jeff cleared his throat, expecting the attention to turn to him.
“Hey, don't look at me, I don't even have my powers back yet.”
“Oh, yeah, almost forgot,” Ryan began. “I figured there was a possibility you didn't have your powers, since you had such a hard time with Damon last night. I brought along some Probutall for ya, just in case.”
“Look kid, I realize my life might not be all that peachy right now, but I don't think an anti-depressant is really the way to deal with a maniacal super-being hell-bent on destroying whatever is left of my life..”
Ryan laughed as he dug through his duffel bag. “Oh, no. Probutall was never intended to be used as an anti-depressant. My dad developed it as a way to try to bring out the latent abilities super-powered individuals had lost due to the redaction. It's only a temporary fix, but it should bring you back to full strength for the next couple hours at least.”
“You'd think there'd be quite a few baseball players all over that stuff,” Buddy said. Ryan handed Buddy a pill bottle.
“There is,” Alexa responded. “It's been a real problem. Dad's had a heck of a time trying to keep it out of the news.”
“I bet.” Buddy took three pills out of the bottle, tossed them in his mouth, and swallowed.
“Oh, umm, you're really only supposed to take one,” Ryan said.
“What's the worst could happen? Will I get extra super special strong?”
“The worst? Spontaneous combustion. The human body sometimes has trouble dealing with the excess energy the pill produces.”
“Oh,” Buddy choked.
“However, most people just fall into a coma and suffer severe memory trauma.”
“Ah, well then, not too much different from everything else lately.” Buddy sat back in his chair.
“Wow, Carl must have really done a number with the ballance on the XM1202. I know the stabilization system on it was supposed to be the main selling point of the vehicle, but it barely feels like we're moving at all.” Ryan went back to excitedly playing with the workstation at his chair. Buddy noticed they had garnered the attention of several police vehicles.
“Ah, the police!” Zero exclaimed “They must be escorting us to the action!”
“Doubtful,” Alexa responded.
“Did you not say that Fat Mogul runs the police in this town?”
“I love that I'm not the only one around here who has no clue what's going on,” Buddy laughed.
“Flores had to shut do
wn,” Ryan added. “Government's investigating them. From what I've gathered, he's being investigated for people like us.”
“Ah,” Zero stated, “Well then, who are these gentlemen on our tails?”
“They are the National Guard,” D.A.W.N. answered. “They are being used in Flores Security's absence. I'll just log into their call center and call them off.”
“Great, just what we need. A bunch of toy soldiers hoping to see some action.” Zero scowled.
“Hey, man, didn't the National Guard save your butts back in the battle against the Grave Digger?” Ryan asked.
“Due only to a technicality, young Red. We allowed the Guard the win so they would be responsible for holding him captive. He has a certain. . . smell about him that is rather difficult to remove.”
“Hey,” Buddy said, as he reached over to touch Alexa's leg, “you alright? I don't think you've been this quiet since I met you.”
“Yeah,” she said, silently. “I'm fine. It's just that, well, I'm not usually running into fights. One of the nice things about being as fast as me is I can always be running away.”
“I know the feeling. The only fights I remember ever being in were all for entertainment. It feels like this is my first fight too.”
“Yeah, but you're Buddy Hero. I mean, you invented the whole fighting bad guys thing, even if you don't remember it. When you're at full power, nothing can take you down. All someone has to do to me is stick out their leg at the right time.”
“That brings up a good point,” Buddy responded. “When we get there, why don't you and Ryan stay in here. This really isn't the place for a couple of young kids like you. Carl did say this thing was weaponized, right?”
Jeff, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation, cleared his throat and scowled at Buddy. “I believe I can take over from here, thank you. Carl said there were weapons on this vehicle, right?”
“Oh, yeah, this thing is fully loaded,” Ryan replied. “I've been checking out the specs since I got in here and I still haven't seen all she's got.”