Two Percent Power: Delivering Justice

by Brian Manning

  Speetah rolled her eyes, and made no attempt to control the volume of her exasperated sigh.

  “You can call me, the Mighty Man-vil.” He ignored the snub.

  The others looked to Manny for some type of explanation.

  Man-vil continued “Yeah, he’s also using ‘Mighty’ in his name as well, but you gotta admit…it works better for me than it does for him.”

  “I was using it first,” Manny mumbled.

  “C’mon.” Man-vil cocked his head to one side and raised his arms out, palms up, as the hammer balanced in place. Content that he had won the argument, he continued. “Yeah, so I never got to meet any of you in person. I don’t even know much about what you all can do.” His eyes fixed on Speetah and Beat Boxer far too long, like the rest of them weren’t even in the conversation.

  “You all know what I can do, right?” He was sure that his abilities were already known.

  “Let’s uh, just say that a couple of us aren’t in the know yet,” Patrick said.

  “Oh, well then you’re in for a treat. Front row seats. Better than those pixelated images and low res BoobTube videos.”

  “YouTube videos,” Boost said, keeping his voice low.

  Man-vil took a step back and pushed a fist into his chin to crack his neck. Raising one foot up, he flipped the sledge hammer upright and raised it up to his chest. With a thunderous clanging boom, his foot slammed hard into the floor. At the same time, his body transformed, head to toe, into a roughhewn iron statue, dressed like a reject blacksmith.

  “Is that it?” Boost asked.

  “Yup,” Beat Boxer answered. “Impressive, huh?” she said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

  “Does he…move around in that form?” Patrick stepped closer.

  “Careful,” Manny said. “He can’t use any of his senses, so he won’t know you’re right next to him until he changes back. You might get caught by his wild flourish.”

  As if on cue, the Mighty Man-vil shifted back to his regular form, flinging his arms out to the side, holding the hammer in one hand. He stood with his arms outstretched, pulling in deep breaths, like a gymnast sticking the landing. “Nice, huh?” He was pleased with himself.

  “Yeah, they don’t stand a chance,” Speetah turned and walked away, finding a seat on some abandoned building materials.

  “I’d like to see any of you do better.”

  The rest of the group put on an impromptu demonstration each of their powers and abilities.

  Sean, the son of Black Paralysis was trained to follow in his father’s footsteps from an early age. He was taught several forms of hand to hand combat, mixing and matching to suit his needs, and picked up a few others along the way. The training served to compliment his abilities. He had the power to send pulses of bio electricity through his hands and feet, shutting down parts of his opponent’s nervous system.

  Sean’s costume was an homage to the original Black Paralysis. He wanted to ensure that the moniker retained its heritage and legacy. Instead of the heavy leather jacket and black denim pants his father wore, Sean’s outfit was made of modern materials. He was able to create a lighter, more durable outfit, with special conduits built in to accentuate his powers when he used them. The stripes that ran down his sleeves would pulse and glow when he channeled energy into his hands.

  Both Patrick and Boost volunteered to demonstrate the effects. Each limb Sean struck hung limp, like an empty meat sack, unable to obey commands. Strikes closer to the spine, delivered with speed and precision could spread the effect to multiple limbs. Soon they were rolling around, like a couple of squids out of water.

  Manny, the Mighty Manerpillar, had the ability to generate an ectoplasmic silk. In his regular form, it was difficult to use, but when he powered up, his body was covered with layer upon layer, creating a sort of protective armor. The silk covered his body, and raised him up higher, to tower over his foes. His super form made him look like a caterpillar, with the bright striping covering his back. His legs were tucked inside his new shell, replaced by two stout limbs to support his body.

  His arms were also covered, making them appear shorter and stubbier. In each of his palms there was a type of glowing orb, acting as a spinneret for the silk. Running down each side of his body, there were four pairs of small limbs. Each of these limbs also ended in the glowing orb spinneret. What he lacked in speed and mobility, he made up for in defensive capability. His power allowed him to create shields, or bind up his opponents. Unlike Patrick, he didn’t need to draw from a limited source stored in pouches, but he had no control over the silk once it was generated.

  The name Beat Boxer suited Abigail well. She used music to give her a rhythm to follow and move with. She could use the steady structured sound to tap into an innate mobility. With her earbuds tucked in, and one of her favorite tracks playing, she moved with little effort throughout the open space of the warehouse. She climbed poles, scaled walls, swung from rafters, and dove through small openings, mere inches larger than her body. A series of glowing red lines trailed behind, tracing her path throughout the demonstration, before fading from sight.

  With her ability, Abby was also able to match the movements of anyone trying to stop her, turning them into unwilling dance partners following her lead. This translated into a type of inadvertent fighting style. Like watching a drunken boxer move around and defend herself without appearing to put up a fight. She was able to use her opponent’s energy against them. The movements and speed matched the pace of the music she chose. Punk and hard rock would generate jagged, angled lines, while classical would draw smooth flowing curves. She was music personified.

  Patrick, Crystal, and Graham all demonstrated their powers, as well. Graham became Boost, putting on an old time show of strength, tossing large objects, crushing stuff, and resisting anyone else’s strength. Man-vil did his best to outmatch Graham’s strength, but Patrick had a feeling no one knew what Graham’s upper limits were. Speetah demonstrated just enough to get the point across. She was still wary of the group, so she kept most of her potential under wraps.

  Patrick ran through the gamut of parlor tricks he always showed to his friend, Trevor, as well as some of the more advanced stuff he had been picking up. He wasn’t ready to put his powers to the test against Man-vil’s strength. He wasn’t sure if his body was even fully recovered from the parking lot brawl, but it was because Man-vil’s insistence to test everyone’s abilities was off-putting.

  Just as Patrick wrapped up his demo, some debris peppered the ground in the far corner. Everyone stood at the ready. Anyone foolish enough to try and tangle with them now was in for a big surprise. More debris fell. And then, a loud crash, as someone fell when a few old rusted out supports gave way.

  “I guess they can’t fly,” Graham said.

  Everyone relaxed a bit when the intruder stood and dusted himself off. He stepped out of the shadows, like his entrance was completely normal. “Hey, Patrick.”

  “Trevor?” Patrick was stunned. “Did you follow me here?”

  Trevor froze in his steps and paused for a long time before he tilted his head and answered. “No?”

  “Who’s this?” Abby asked.

  “Is that your sidekick?” Crystal said what the others were thinking.

  “Yeah, I’m his Robin. His Speedy. His—”

  “Milk dud?” Sean said, before Trevor could rattle off another classic sidekick.

  A quick snort escaped Abby’s lips as she pressed a hand against her mouth.

  Trevor raised his finger in the air to acknowledge the suggestion, preparing to say something.

  “No,” Patrick said. “I’m not about to drag you around with me, calling you milk dud. Besides, you don’t even have any powers. Or training. Or anything that would qualify you to be out here.”

  “What? I’m way qualified to help out. I tracked you down, didn’t I?”

  “I told you I was headed here tonight,” Patrick said.

  “Yeah, but you didn’t say wh
ere.”

  “So you only had the who, what, why, and when, and then figured the rest out for yourself? Wow, you’re a regular Sherlock Holmes,” Crystal said, deflating Trevor’s small sense of victory.

  “It’s just not safe.” Patrick did his best to soften the blow. “Before the Visionaries showed up, it might have been a different story, but now.” He let his words trail off.

  “Maybe I can just sit tight in the super HQ and relay information. Like the fact checker, sending out all the information you need while you’re out on your missions.” Trevor was doing his best to fit in with the rest of the team.

  “Maybe you can be our mascot,” Man-vil said. He plodded over in a single step, and rubbed his large hand through Trevor’s short hair.

  “Or maybe I can just—”

  Patrick put a hand on Trevor’s chest to keep him back. “Look, it’s just not a good idea. We’re not out here for fun. We were almost killed last week. Don’t you remember when I told you about all of that?”

  “Do you tell him about all of your hopes and dreams, too?” Crystal was upset that Patrick had no problem telling his wacky sidekick about everything they were doing.

  “I’m sorry guys. I didn’t mean…I mean, we grew up together. We talk about stuff like that. Don’t you guys talk to anyone about what we do?” Patrick looked back to the others.

  “That’s why we’re all online, running in the same social media circles,” Manny said.

  “Well, I talk to my brother about everything,” Abby said. “I’m sure he could use a hand from the super sleuth here.” She pointed a thumb toward Trevor.

  “Yeah, I can dig that!” He was excited about the quasi-acceptance.

  “Are you sure?” Patrick asked Abby.

  “My brother is a bit of an oddball himself. He could use the company. Besides, judging by your friend’s comic book T-shirt, they’ll have plenty to talk about.”

  Trevor was already making the rounds, shaking everyone’s hands, and slapping shoulders. Crystal’s expression told Patrick she wasn’t on board with this, but she still returned Trevor’s handshake. This just might work out. A team that could watch each other’s backs, and provide support when needed. The Visionaries may have numbers, but the possibility they would be prepared to deal with the heroes organizing had to be slim. Patrick was feeling better about the outcome of this meeting.

  “So, what are we calling ourselves?” Trevor asked. “How about the Just us League? You know? Because we’re a small group, and it’s up to just us.”

  In that instant, Patrick was regretting not getting rid of Trevor as soon as he stepped out of the shadows.

  CHAPTER

  16

  The new group spent some time getting a feel for how they could organize their activities. Already, there had been a sense of camaraderie missing from the solo days. It made the nights pass quicker, and the increased presence had a noticable effect on reducing the small time criminal activity. Maybe they would have to start wandering around during daylight hours as well. Perhaps an overall reduction in crime would be appreciated by the people of the city. The police frowned upon their vigilante practices, but for the most part, they were left alone, since the small time heroes were taking on small time trouble.

  They stayed in communication with multi-channel radios, all connected as a group. Trevor and Abigail’s brother, Troy, used digital maps to attempt to track everyone’s movement, and provide some navigation to keep them organized. Patrick’s main concern was the lack of Visionaries on the streets. It gave them time to get up to speed working as a cohesive unit, dealing with common criminals, but he couldn’t help but think about what Sight may be setting up for them. He pushed it to the back of his mind while he focused on a questionable figure lurking in the shadows.

  “I’m clear on this corner,” Beat Boxer said in Patrick’s earpiece.

  “You want to join me here and deal with this potential mugger,” Patrick asked.

  “On my way.”

  “Be careful, kids,” Trevor’s voice was something they had all learned to tune out. Like white noise. He always had some snarky comment, and it was always followed by Troy giggling in the background. Thick as thieves, those two are Patrick thought, as he moved through the shadows.

  Beat Boxer and Patrick made short work of the mugger. Even after the thug’s friend appeared from behind a dumpster to even the odds. The other heroes were radioing in after similar incidents.

  “Score one more for the good guys. Crystal and I just brought down a pair of muggers,” Boost reported in.

  “Chalk up two for me as well,” Man-vil’s voice was far louder than it needed to be.

  “Manny and I took a couple out ourselves,” Black Paralysis said. There was genuine confusion in his voice. “Does this seem odd to you guys?”

  Several encounters with muggers working in pairs, also spread around the city. All showing themselves at around the same time. This felt like another set up to Patrick. “Yeah, I think you’re right. Stay on your toes, we can’t get caught off guard again.”

  “I think I see something,” Beat Boxer tucked her earbuds back in and moved to higher ground. The glowing red trail danced in the distance, making its way to the rooftop in smooth flowing curves.

  “Just be careful,” Patrick called out after her.

  “I see something, too,” Speetah replied. “I’m going to check it out.”

  “Wait for me,” Boost said.

  Patrick walked to the middle of the street and started looking around in all directions. He made sure to look up at the rooftops and any open windows. His vision was normal. Less than normal. He gave up his search, just as Abigail spoke again.

  “There was someone up here. They’re gone now, but I saw someone ducking into a doorway up here.”

  “I saw someone running along the rooftop just now,” Boost said. “They ducked behind cover before I could get my binoculars on them.”

  “They’ll be long gone by the time I get up to the roof,” Speetah said.

  “It’s a good bet they’re watching you guys,” Troy said.

  “I think the Visionaries are up and running again,” Manerpillar said.

  “Or maybe they’ve been keeping an eye on us this whole time,” Patrick said.

  “How did they know where to send those muggers?” Man-vil asked.

  “They didn’t,” Speetah said. “I just saw a couple more guys duck behind a truck a few blocks away. They’re probably all over the city.”

  “We need to regroup. Fast,” Black Paralysis said.

  Troy directed them to one of the neighborhood’s larger intersections. A wide open area that would make it difficult to sneak up or surround them. The heroes met up, taking positions on each of the corners. This late at night, there were still a few cars on the road, but it was still quiet enough to keep an eye out in all directions. They scouted all of the alleys and the nearby rooftops.

  “No sign of anything going on,” Black Paralysis said.

  “Either we’re paranoid, or they packed up camp and moved on,” Speetah said.

  “It all seems too coincidental. I think we need to be more careful,” Manerpillar said.

  Patrick couldn’t shake the feeling of a setup. “Yeah. Maybe splitting up isn’t such a good idea anymore.”

  “Forget tip-toeing around, we need to be more aggressive,” Man-vil said.

  “What we need are eyes in the sky,” Trevor said, in one of his few serious moments.

  Troy agreed. “It would really give us a better awareness of what you guys and girls are up against.”

  “I’ll talk to my tech guy tonight,” Manny said. “I’m sure he can put something together for us.”

  “Thanks, Bruce Wayne,” Boost said.

  “They’re solar powered out of the box, but since we’ll be needing them at night, I stripped the solar panels off. Plus, a bigger battery was tacked on to extend their operating time.” Manerpillar was holding up one of three quadcopter drones. “The
camera here is pretty low resolution, but all we need to know is if someone is moving around on the rooftops nearby.”

  “Or if anyone is trying to flank us,” Speetah added.

  The group of heroes sat around their makeshift meeting room inside the abandoned warehouse. They chose to meet during the day, just in case they were being followed around at night. Black Paralysis, Boost, and Man-vil weren’t attending. They had other obligations. Jobs, appointments, and other stuff to keep up their civilian personas. The rest discussed the best way to incorporate their eyes in the sky into the evening activities.

  “I can tie them all together on the same network. Operate them from a single set of controls,” Troy said.

  “We’ll need them farther apart. It might make it too difficult to do that,” Patrick said.

  “Not really, they only need to connect back to me, not each other. I can use some fancy digital wizardry to give them a bit of autonomy to control altitude and stuff,” Troy wiggled his fingers, casting a spell.

  “This guy’s a genius!” Trevor said.

  “The guy who made these is a genius. It looks like it’s got everything I need to do all of that already built in. I mean, I’m still a genius, too, but.”

  Abigail rolled her eyes and shook her head.

  “Hey, so since you all have super heronames, I’ve been thinking about one I could use when we’re in radio contact,” Troy said. “I like the name Broadband, since it makes it sound like I can move a lot of data back and forth to you guys.”

  “That’s not bad,” Patrick said. “It fits quite nice.”

  “I was thinking The Internet Troll, but I guess Broadband works better,” Abby said.

  Manerpillar stood up. “Alright, let’s not waste too much time here. This is the plan.”

  The spent the remainder of the hour marking up the rough maps and modifying their original group plans. They divided the area into three zones, each covered by one of the drones. The zones all had a safe central point, they could fall back to if things got too rough. Any questionable parts that looked like it could be used to set up another trap would be scouted out first with the drones.