“Believe me, Ms. Goodwin, I haven’t forgotten that. In fact, I took the liberty of phoning the President earlier this morning to discuss our strategy, as I certainly didn’t want to go against the chain of command.”
“You didn’t!” Goodwin was aghast.
Juice allowed himself a smug smile. “He’s quite a pleasant man. Great sense of humor. And he has granted me full authority in resolving his parahuman problem. In fact, he seemed quite pleased that I was willing to accept the full responsibility for solving it. I’m certain you’ll receive a memo from Homeland Security shortly.” His smile faded as quickly as it had come. “Your services are no longer required here.”
“This isn’t the end! You haven’t heard the last of me!”
Sally and several others burst into muffled giggles at the grade-Z movie villain language.
Juice glared at them all sternly. “I don’t appreciate your Gestapo tactics among my own people, Ms. Goodwin, and I think even less of your willingness to resort to mass-destruction weaponry to solve this problem. You’ll want to take care that never comes out publicly if you want a future in civil service.”
“Just what are you saying, Forsythe? You’d leak that to the press?”
He shrugged. “It doesn’t have to be me. There is a room full of people here and every one of us heard your statement. Trust me, it would be best for you to go back to your home office and play with your threat scenario simulations and terror assessments and let me do my job.”
Goodwin’s face was nearly purple, and throbbing veins stood out on her neck and forehead. She looked like she was going to speak once more, but instead just grabbed her briefcase, snapped the latches shut, and marched out of the room.
Applause broke out around the room. Juice tried to look angry at it but eventually he gave in and grinned at the adulation.
“You haven’t heard the last of me!” said Stratocaster. Laughter erupted.
“In all seriousness, though,” said Doublecharge, “she could really come back to bite us in the ass. She’s got the Director’s ear, and she’s pretty influential. You’ve taken a huge risk making yourself responsible for this situation, old friend.”
Juice ran a hand over his freshly-shaved scalp. “I’m not blind about how I’ve set myself up here, Stacey. But in doing so, I’m insulating the rest of you if we fail. I get to be the sacrificial lamb and the rest of you can continue with whatever Plan B you come up with. If we succeed, it only makes Just Cause appear that much better in the eyes of the public. Success is credited to the organization, failure is blamed on the individual.”
“Boss, I don’t know how you sleep at night,” said Sondra.
Juice smiled back at her. “Usually because I’m exhausted. Now, let’s see if we can’t get a workable plan to recapture Jack. Will, you’ve been researching that. What’s it going to take?”
Stratocaster stood up and paced around the room, making random colorful motes of energy float away from his guitar as he noodled on the strings while he walked. “As I see it, there are going to be five major obstacles to overcome in recovering him. First is his own natural invulnerability. We can’t hurt him, or even knock him out conventionally.”
“What about non-conventional means? Knockout gas, or psionics, or even more magic?” asked Switchboard.
“I expect that brings me right to the second obstacle, which would be his armor. I’m sure that Frazier has anticipated Jack’s few weaknesses. The armor he wears likely protects him from such things as mental powers or inhalants. To be able to affect him at all, we’d have to somehow get him out of it.”
Octane’s body shifted into a fair approximation of a man-sized can opener. An oily, chemical scent exuded from him, like hot plastic. “All you need for that is the right tool.”
“I hope it’s that easy,” said Stratocaster, “but I seriously doubt it will be.”
“Go on, Will,” said Juice. “Let’s get everything else laid out on the table before we open the gallery to comments.”
Stratocaster nodded and continued. “Third is Jack’s sword, which is a magical weapon that has so far been able to cut anything put in front of him. It’s a highly dangerous device, and I’m not sure I can contain it. As long as he’s swinging it, it’s a lethal threat to any of us. Somehow we have to get it away from him.
“Fourth is the horse on which he rides. This infernal beast has powers all its own, from striking up flames with its hooves to causing fear and loss of morale to those looking upon it. He hasn’t ever been unseated from it. I believe that it has the capability to carry him to safety as long as it can reach him. All pursuit of this horse has failed. We have to get him away from this horse and keep him away from it, or it away from him as the case may be.” Will reached for the water pitcher in the center of the table.
“What’s the last thing?” asked Sondra.
Will sighed, looking for all the world like a lost little boy. “The biggest problem of all is that Jack appears to have some innate magical ability.”
“What?” cried Sondra in shock.
“I’m afraid it’s true,” said Juice. “Those of us who went back in time did so because of a spell which Jack cast, whether it was intentional or not.”
“Well, you learn something new every day,” grumbled Doublecharge. “So how does this change things?”
Will fingered a trill high on the guitar’s neck, conjuring a miniature thunderstorm that wandered across the conference room tabletop, leaving behind a trail of fine mist that evaporated within a few seconds. “Being slightly magical himself makes Jack an excellent conduit for the Archmage’s power. You could think of Jack like a solar battery. Frazier charges him up with magic and then turns him loose. Without Jack’s innate power, Frazier would have to keep a steady stream of magical energy flowing toward him in order for his armor, horse, and sword to function as they do. He may still have to keep the charge going when Jack is out and about, but certainly at a diminished capacity.”
“Assuming you’re right, and I know that’s a big assumption on our part,” asked Juice, “Can we interrupt this flow, and what happens if we do?”
“No reason we couldn’t. Jack could probably still function for quite awhile with the magic he’s absorbed, but eventually that power would drain away and we could deal with him.”
“The problem has been that we couldn’t ever stop or hold him long enough,” said Sondra. “It must be because of this magical transmission.”
Will fixed all of them with a steady gaze. “I can block the transmission, but not for very long. When I do, it will be like a flash of lightning on a dark night. The Archmage will know exactly where I am and will make every attempt to capture me so he can absorb my magic, and as near as I can tell, I’m the only other mage left in the world. He takes me out, he’ll have absolute power, and I don’t think you can stop him.”
Juice toyed with a pen in his thick fingers. “Then we’ll have to work quickly, and in two groups. One will be charged with protecting you from whatever the Archmage can throw at you and the other will deal with Jack. Icebreaker, I think the Second Team would be best-suited for defending Will. You have the heavy hitters and the experience to fight against overwhelming odds.”
“Thanks, I think,” said the second-in-command of Just Cause’s east coast team as her blue-tinged skin radiated waves of cold across the room.
“The interns will remain here on standby. We have a lot of resources pooled in the Dakotas, and I wouldn’t put it past some of our old foes to try something while we’re so distracted. Juliet, do you suppose The Spark would consent to return here as a temporary commander?”
The slight woman nodded. “I’m sure he would. With the Seven down to four these days, we’re spread pretty thin. I’ll ask him.” She closed her eyes to contact the Lucky Seven’s leader telepathically. A moment later she smiled. “He’ll be on his way shortly. He suggests that the rest of the Seven be part of the team defending Will.”
“I concur,”
said Juice. “We should keep those who know each other the best together. And Will is unquestionably the lynch pin for our success. If we lose him, we lose this war. The more help we have protecting him, the better off we’ll be.”
“That leaves us.” Sondra gestured to the core Just Cause team. “We’re on Jack detail?”
“No reason to risk anyone else. He’s our teammate,” said Juice.
“Good point,” said Doublecharge. “We should review our various training sessions to determine how best to overcome Jack.”
For the next two hours, the team went over the various tactics that had been used against Jack, both successful and unsuccessful, in Bunker training. Everyone brought up theories on how to exploit various weaknesses of his. Many of these were dismissed by Juice as impractical or impossible to implement given Jack’s current magical powers.
Eventually, they began to develop what they believed was a workable plan. After checking his watch, Juice ordered everyone to take an hour for dinner and mental health break. Everyone moved to the cafeteria and the discussion ended up continuing over huge platters of burgers, salad, and home-baked cookies.
After Jason had eaten his fill of six burgers with all the trimmings and a dozen peanut-butter-chocolate-chip cookies, he and Sally went for a walk around the compound in order to get some fresh air after being cooped up in the conference room for four hours. They’d only been out for a few minutes before they happened upon Will and Ace, who were doing a lot less walking and a lot more kissing on a bench by the path.
“Uh, we’re sorry,” said Jason, embarrassed. “We didn’t know you were out here.”
“No, that’s okay,” said Will. “We don’t really have anything to hide here. We’re just not quite past the high-school make-out stage yet.”
Ace chuckled and stroked Will’s arm. “Aren’t we a couple, though? The punk rocker and the pilot.”
“I thought something was going on between the two of you. I’m glad. You make a cute couple.” Sally smiled.
“So I bet you’re glad to have the new jet, huh?” said Jason.
There was a long pause.
“What new jet?” said Ace in a strangled voice.
“You didn’t know? Juice didn’t tell you?” Jason’s eyes widened. “I hope I didn’t just blow his surprise or something. We got a new jet delivered this morning. I figured you would have known about it.”
“I was… not on the base this morning,” said Ace. “Please, show me.”
Jason led them all to the hangar. Ace seemed nervous and jumpy and kept inching ahead, as if she wanted to cut loose and run all the way. She tugged at Will’s hand insistently like an impatient toddler.
Sally looked at Jason with admiration, and thought to herself that she knew exactly how Ace felt about missing something important to her.
The tighter security procedures implemented since the Archmage began his conquest were evident at the hangar. Armed guards checked their IDs and spoke to them for several minutes in addition to requiring each of them to blow into a tube connected to a computer that read their DNA. Ace was quivering like a racehorse as the computer reported its results and the guards decided they were legitimate. The side door into the hangar swung open smoothly, spreading a widening arc of bright light from the interior.
Inside they found a gleaming jet which looked like a fierce avian predator at rest. It retained similar lines to Ace’s erstwhile Bettie, but this plane was larger and had a heavier, armored appearance. Where the Bettie had been a transport jet with some combat capabilities, this one was clearly a fighting machine that could incidentally haul the team with it. Gun ports in its nose were clearly marked with stenciled warnings. Missiles hung in clusters under the variable-geometry wings, waiting to unleash different kinds of destruction. Tenderly airbrushed under the darkened cockpit bubble was a name in fine, swirling script.
“Rita…” read Sally aloud. “Hayworth?”
“Of course,” whispered Ace. “She’s beautiful!” She ran her hand lightly across the smooth hull of the jet.
Jason elbowed Will, who gasped in surprise. “Looks like you got some competition, Stratocaster.”
“Glad you approve,” said a new voice. They all turned to see Juice walking into the hangar. “I must admit, I feel like a father who just bought his teenage daughter a new car. I wish I had keys to toss you.”
Ace opened her mouth but nothing came out.
Juice chuckled. “She’s fully-fueled up. Why don’t you take her out for a spin, Ace?”
“Are you serious?” The diminutive pilot looked shocked.
“Very much so,” said Juice. “I need you to be intimately familiar with the workings of this new jet, because I expect we’ll be needing some skilled flying from you soon. The more hours you can log in that cockpit, the more likely we are to survive an encounter. Consider that an order, Ace.”
She drew herself up and saluted smartly with military precision. “Yes sir.”
“Now go on, get out of here before I change my mind.” Juice laughed. “No parties, no booze, and call if you’re going to be late.”
They all had a good chuckle at his nervous father antics as they left the hangar, including Stratocaster.
“You’re not going out with her?” asked Sally.
“Are you kidding?” said Will. “I’ve ridden with her before, remember? I’ll let her work out the kinks on her own without any distraction from me puking all over the cabin.”
In a minute, Ace fired the Rita’s engines. They whined with barely-restrained power as she taxied out onto the pad in front of the hangar. The wings configured themselves into several different and interesting arrangements, folding and unfolding like a dragonfly’s wings as Ace checked the articulation. She locked them into place for a vertical takeoff and brought the engines up to full. With a roar that shook the ground and cleared every last speck of dust from the launch pad, the Rita flung itself upwards so quickly it looked like it was falling up. Soon it was just another bright light among the stars, albeit one that moved with fanatical speed and purpose.
Juice looked back at the others. “Let’s get back to work. We have a war to win.”
Chapter Fourteen
Hold out baits to the enemy to entice him. Feign disorder, and crush him.
-Sun Tzu, The Art of War
July, 2004
Rugby, North Dakota
The sun still lay below the horizon and made Mount Rugby a dark shadow against the incipient dawn. The front lines were quiet as most of the units waited on standby and the soldiers grabbed what sleep they could. In spite of it being mid-summer, a chill floated in the air, carried on tendrils of mist which flowed outward from the Archmage’s unnatural fortress.
Just Cause arrived shortly after midnight on the Rita, cloaked by the best magic Stratocaster could work. The zone which interfered with flight avionics over the fortress had expanded to meet the battle lines, so Ace set her beautiful new plane down well back from the front line. As the jet’s engines wound down to a standstill, the members of Just Cause offloaded six of the seven robotic horses they’d captured from Los Vaqueros.
Jason looked over them, his face twisted up into doubt. “This is really dangerous. I can’t believe this is the best plan we could come up with.”
“Relax, babycakes, it’ll be just fine. It’s easier than riding a bike.” Sally leaped onto the back of her own horse. Each one had been fitted with a saddle and riding gear.
“Will, go ahead and gear us up,” said Juice. “Then you’d better get to the protection zone.”
“No kidding. Soon as I start playing, I might as well raise a neon sign ten miles high saying here I am,” said Stratocaster.
“You’ll be protected,” Juice said. “You’ve got the best and brightest heroes in the world ready to defend you.”
“And me too.” Ace checked to make sure her sidearm was fully-loaded.
Juice spent a few minutes on his radio, ensuring all the other heroes were in plac
e. He nodded at Will. “Go.”
Will struck up an unusual and intricate piece on his guitar. Bright energies swirled around Sally and the others as shimmering medieval armor appeared upon all of them. Juice and Jason looked magnificent in full plate with great Claymore swords resting across the backs of their mounts. Switchboard’s and Doublecharge’s armor were of chain and plate, as was Sally’s. Doublecharge discovered that she carried a longbow, while Switchboard bore a heavy spiked mace and had a large ram’s horn slung at his side. Sally carried a standard with the Just Cause emblem and American flags hung from it. Sondra looked like she’d stepped right out of Ride of the Valkyries.
“Wow.” Sondra fingered her metal breastplate in wonder. “I don’t feel like I’m wearing anything at all.”
“It’s an illusion.” Will finished his musical creation and let the final chord ring out across the open plains.
“Nicely done,” said Juice. “How long until they come gunning for you?”
“No idea. Soon, I suspect.”
“All right, people, let’s move out.” Juice kicked his heels into the horse’s sides and it broke into a canter. The others followed after him. “Defense Team, we are now on hot standby. Be alert for any incoming.”
They rode quickly across the front lines and made for the base of Mount Rugby. As the sun peeked over the horizon, a sense of foreboding settled on Sally. The last time they’d approached the Archmage’s home turf, they’d wound up lost in space and time; it was an experience she didn’t want to repeat.
From the fortress above, they heard horns sound as the Archmage’s troops spotted Just Cause. A few minutes later, they drew up against the foot of the mountain. Juice called a halt and nodded at Switchboard. “Call them out.”
Switchboard took up his horn and looked at it uncertainly. “I’m no musician. What do I do?”
“Just blow on it,” said Doublecharge. “It’s an illusion too, but Will wouldn’t give you a horn that you couldn’t blow.”
“I suppose that’s true,” said Switchboard, and raised it to his lips. A clear, bugling call issued forth from the mouth of the horn. He tooted it twice more for good measure.
Just Cause Universe 2: The Archmage Page 18