Trident Force Chronicles

by Paul Richardson

  "Wait, he's the bad guy of this book?" asked Citizen Hunter.

  Red Spade #10

  (2015/11/10)

  When the Westgate Sentinel armor came to life and started to wrap around Harry Hendrickson, the Martian Rose Mechanics auditorium erupted into almost panic.

  "Okay, MOG and Saving Throw," said elected team leader Red Spade. "Stay with me on crowd control. Blue Star, Sooper Zoom, and Green Silk should back up Mantis Skin."

  Blue Star, Sooper Zoom, and Green Silk (on the ceiling) went rushing up to the stage without further questions.

  "Why do we have to stay?" asked MOG.

  "Mantis Skin told me you can phase people if you touch them." answered Red Spade. MOG nodded at this. "You can help people from not being trampled if they fall in this exodus."

  "What about me?" asked Saving Throw.

  "I just bailed you out of jail." answered Red Spade. "I don't want to give cops a new reason to re-arrest you. Besides, you want to go up against that?"

  Saving Throw looked at imposing Westgate Sentinel and then back at Red Spade. Then Saving Throw nodded to his mentor, signaling that he would listen to the older Red Spade and stay out of the fight for now.

  Sure enough, as soon as the trio tried to gain control of the unruly crowd, one man fell and started crying for help. MOG only shot a look at Red Spade as he went in for the rescue. "I got you buddy!"

  When MOG got to the man by literally walking through the crowd, he noticed that it was Mayor Joseph 'Smokeless Joe' Sperrazza.

  "Mayor! I got you, sir!" said MOG as he grabbed onto the mayor and letting the crowd pass right through them both. "Here, let me help you up."

  "Thank you, young man." said Mayor Sperrazza. When he they got up, Mayor Sperrazza was amazed that the crowd was passing right through them. "Amazing! How are we not passing right through the ground?"

  "I- I don't know. I’m not a science kind of guy." When MOG returned to his teammates with the Mayor Sperrazza, the mayor's bodyguards were also there waiting.

  District Attorney Franklin Godwin and Assistant District Attorney Anda Lee walked up to the heroes. Godwin's face was downcast and ADA Anda Lee had an angry looking face. "Gentlemen, please arrest the mayor and this asshole Frank Godwin here."

  "On what grounds?" said one of the mayor's bodyguards, both being plainclothes police officers, with a look of confusion.

  "Corruption. Murder accessory, after the fact." answered Anda Lee. "Frank Godwin here seems to want to confess. Make sure you get it in triplicate."

  "You can't do this!" yelled the mayor as he was being led away. "I'm the mayor!"

  After they left, Red Spade turned to Anda Lee.

  "Wait, weren't you going to run jointly together with Hendrickson? Shouldn't you have known too?"

  "I had no idea." said Anda Lee. A look of regret coming over her face. "Hendrickson only talked about the 'rule of law' and 'justice' when he convinced me to run with him. I knew the mayor and district attorney were corrupt, but I didn't know how much until Frank Godwin just told me."

  Anda Lee shook her head and left.

  Suddenly, a wounded Sooper Zoom being helped along by Green Silk came up to where Red Spade, MOG, and Saving Throw were standing.

  "I'm okay," answered Sooper Zoom before being asked. "I just tore up my hands. I'll be fine by tomorrow, really."

  "I'm going to get him an ambulance to be bandaged up. I'll be back." said Green Silk leaving with Sooper Zoom.

  "Look!" said MOG pointing to Blue Star facing down the fallen guardian, Westgate Sentinel.

  "Should we go help her?" asked Saving Throw.

  Red Spade took his shovel with both hands from shovel's holding place as he smiled at both kids. "YOLO."

  Mantis Skin #10

  (2015/11/10)

  "Wait, he's the bad guy of this book?" asked Citizen Hunter. Mantis Skin shot a dirty look at Citizen Hunter. "Joking!"

  ZAP!

  Seeing it coming just in time, both Mantis Skin and Citizen Hunter dove out of the way as Westgate Sentinel's Eye Beams shot out at two men. They both took cover at the auditorium's stage ledge. Blue Star, MOG, Red Spade, and Saving Throw joined them.

  "Fuck!" yelled an angry Citizen Hunter. "That power over-loader didn't short out his eye beams!"

  "Who are you again?" asked Red Spade.

  ZAP!

  "Introductions later!" answered Mantis Skin. "Hey MOG, could you phase Westgate Sentinel out of his armor?"

  "No, he is wearing it as clothing." said MOG sheepishly embarrassed at his power's limitation. "I would only be able to phase stuff I directly touch otherwise."

  Mantis Skin thought about this for a second. "I've got a better idea anyway."

  Both Mantis Skin and MOG stood up onto the stage and headed for Westgate Sentinel. MOG held firm onto Mantis Skin's arm and phased both of them. The Westgate Sentinel shot his eye beams at Mantis Skin and MOG, but it went right through the two young heroes.

  "We need to talk." said Mantis Skin.

  "You! My systems are self repairing." said Westgate Sentinel with as much hatred as possible.

  "I'm guessing alien technology?" asked Mantis Skin. "That suit of armor is way to advance to be human tech and Martian Rose Mechanics didn't build it. That EMP two years ago should have destroyed this armor."

  "I'll destroy you all when my systems are finish repairing!" yelled Westgate Sentinel slowly getting up.

  "And then what?" a definite Mantis Skin asked. "You think you'll 'rule' this city now? Class Three heroes around the world will descend on Westgate City to take you down! You were Westgate City's guardian! You have betrayed all that and you will be hunted! Surrender to me now before someone else makes you later!"

  "Gahhh!" yelled Westgate Sentinel in frustration. Turning away from Mantis Skin, Westgate Sentinel blew a hole in the ceiling of the auditorium. After two failed attempts, Westgate Sentinel was able to lift off and fly away.

  "Oh, hey!" said Green Silk sticking her head through the hole in the auditorium ceiling that Westgate Sentinel had made. "Sorry, I didn't get him on his way out!"

  Mantis Skin just looked sadly at the hole in the ceiling as MOG let go of his friend.

  "Hey!" yelled Citizen Hunter. Mantis Skin and MOG returned to their teammates to see a stand-off between Citizen Hunter and Blue Star. "You stick another arrow in me and I swear that I will break you instead of your bow!"

  "You're under arrest for murder, asshole!" said Blue Star through gritted teeth. Red Spade also stood in a fighting stance.

  "Let him go." said Mantis Skin.

  "What?" asked Red Spade and Blue Star, somewhat shocked.

  "From what you told me, the jury would likely acquit when they learned those three armed men had murdered a pregnant woman and a defenseless store clerk." said Mantis Skin. "I believe in the rule of law too, but tell that to an emotional and human jury."

  "Yeah!" said Citizen Hunter putting his guns away.

  "But if you murder anyone else." said Mantis Skin angrily. "I will hunt you down myself!"

  Citizen Hunter looked at Mantis Skin through his helmet with as much contempt as he could muster and then walked away.

  "What happens now?" asked Red Spade as Mantis skin got down from the stage to join his teammates.

  "Chaos." answered Mantis Skin.

  Trident Force #10

  (2015/11/10)

  The seven heroes all sat around a table at the corner deli across the street from the Martian Rose Mechanics HQ. Blue Star, Sooper Zoom, Mantis Skin, Green Silk (who wore an inside out spare Mantis Skin mask so she could eat), MOG, Saving Throw, and Red Spade. Mantis Skin was now wearing his ninja gi as well as his mask. All still stunned by the events that took place earlier in the evening.

  "Five minutes until closing time!" said the deli's owner just as someone walked in. The white, strung-out looking man ignored the table of heroes and went right for the counter.

  "All the cash you've got!" said the man pulling out a gun. Suddenly, the
man slammed his forehead into the counter and slipped unconscious to the floor. Everyone turned to Sooper Zoom.

  "What?" said Sooper Zoom as Green Silk webbed up the would-be robber to be arrested. "I hate being interrupted while eating. By the way, great reuben! You were right, Mantis Skin!"

  Everyone agreed.

  Mantis Skin's smartphone went off and he checked it.

  "Well, that was the last of the board members." said Mantis Skin putting away his smartphone. "I have been appointed CEO of Martian Rose Mechanics for a year."

  "I would like to talk about the team." said Red Spade. "This is a big city. How are we going to cover it?"

  "I'd like to know that too." said Blue Star.

  "Well, Red Spade you have been working the Emerald Gardens all these years?" asked Mantis Skin. "Just keep it up. I can put you on the Martian Rose Mechanics payroll so you can have a steady income. That can be arrange for everyone here without a job. Blue Star, you have done great work in Leftover Hill. Why stop now?"

  "Okay." said Red Spade.

  "Fair enough." answered Blue Star.

  "I've been working White Sands for the last couple of months, I can keep that up." said Sooper Zoom.

  "There you go!" said Mantis Skin with a smile. "I have also been working Hot Draconia and I'll cover that part of the city."

  "Well, who is going to patrol Glass Towers?" asked Green Silk. Everyone turned to her. After a few beats Green Silk crossed her arms in annoyance. "Oh crap. Yeah, make the hippie protect the Glass Street fat cats!"

  "Well, you do have a way to get up tall buildings quickly and Glass Towers has the tallest buildings in the city." said Mantis Skin.

  "What about us!" asked Saving Throw.

  "Yeah!" said MOG.

  "Your sticking with me, kid!" said Red Spade to Saving Throw. "I bailed you out of jail and I want to keep a close eye on you!"

  "And I want to study your powers." said Mantis Skin to MOG. "So you're with me for a while."

  "Are we still going to call the team Trident Force if we now have seven member team now?" asked Blue Star.

  "Does it matter what we called the team as long as we can help each other if we need it and you can help out?" answered Mantis Skin with his own question. "I love the team name myself. We should remain leaderless, but elect a captain during a battle like we have been doing. Sounds good to everyone?"

  "Sounds good to me." said Sooper Zoom as he put his hand in the middle of the table.

  Red Spade, Saving Throw, MOG, and Green Silk immediately joined Sooper Zoom. Mantis Skin and Blue Star joined in shortly after. They all then looked at each other and smiled. The next four words they were going to say was suddenly known to each of them. It brought them peace and joy.

  "And justice, for all!"