Corpies (Super Powereds Spinoff Book 1)

by Drew Hayes

  “Hoooly shit.” Zone stared up at the speaker with new found respect, and for once he and Owen were on exactly the same page. The secrecy of their revelation was short-lived, as seconds later the voice spoke once more, this time announcing to the crowd what it seemed only Galvanize had figured out.

  “And I’ll be down on the field, doing interviews and providing color-commentary throughout the whole event.” From a nearby entrance, a woman which short brown hair and an athletic build stepped into view. No sooner was she visible than the ever-present roar of the crowd escalated, forcing her to raise her voice. “For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Jade Norris, though they called me The Comet back when I used to-”

  The rest of her speech was drowned out by cheering from the stands. While not everyone seemed to know who she was, those who did were clearly overjoyed by the surprise celebrity commentator. She quickly gave up trying to speak over them, instead just waving politely as she waited for the crowd to cheer itself out.

  “Damn, is that what it’s like to be A-list?” Hexcellent asked, admiring the crowd’s reaction more than the woman who had triggered it.

  “Pretty much,” Owen told her. “Just remember: as loud as they cheer for you, that’s exactly how loud they’ll be when they’re shouting for your blood.”

  “Well, that’s a bummer,” Hexcellent muttered.

  Owen nodded in agreement. “That’s fame.”

  Eventually, the cheers of the crowd faded and Jade was able to get the event underway. The system was well-organized, with three tug-of-war areas set up for the teams to use. Only one match would take place at any given time, but the other spots would minimize any delay in the action. As soon as a team’s match ended, referees would descend on the area, fixing any of the chalk marks that were smudged and dragging the rope back to the starting point. Then the next set of teams would get into position, squared and ready to go as soon as the signal was given. It was a rotation that kept the action constant and the crowd thrilled, never leaving a dull moment in the show.

  The team from Mordent Holdings was in the fourth match, set against three players from the Orlando Krakens. Owen recognized two of the three men set on the opposite end of the rope, albeit one was easy, given his distinctive shifted form. The man looked like a cross between a gorilla and a bull. He easily lifted the rope from the ground and handed it to his teammates. While his shifted form wasn’t pretty, it did make him an excellent receiver on the field, and he was no slouch in the muscle department either.

  Reaching down carefully, Owen lifted the fortified rope. By human standards, it was probably damn heavy, though in his hand the difference was barely discernible. As the other team hefted their side of the rope, Owen matched their movements and pulled it taut. Logic had dictated he take the anchor spot at the rear, since that would allow him to make sure there was no slack in the line. It would have been embarrassing for the rest of his teammates to struggle at even lifting the rope they were supposed to pull. This way, at least, they could hold it and appear to be contributing.

  Galvanize and Zone got into position, gripping the bundle of woven fiber as tightly as they could. Galvanize was in the front, of course. He was the team leader, and if anyone was going to bear the shame of being pulled across the line, it would be him. In another life, with another power, Owen imagined Galvanize could have been a damn fine leader for a team of Heroes. Then again, he’d found a calling with a team that helped save people, so maybe Galvanize had gotten the right power after all.

  Then, with almost no warning, the referee blew the starting whistle and the match began. Owen braced himself as he felt the pressure increase; all three Supers on the other side of the chalk line were pulling with everything they had. The strain increased steadily, taxing Owen’s muscles a bit more every second, until finally it leveled out. They’d reached the point where they were pulling with all of their strength, and aside from a few fluctuations of grip and adrenaline, it wasn’t going to get any stronger. That was too bad for them, as they were still nowhere near pulling with enough might to actually drag Owen forward, let alone beat him.

  With methodical movements, walking backward foot by foot, Owen dragged the other team forward. They struggled, first shocked, then angry, and finally determined as they realized one man was easily beating their combined strength. Digging in with everything they had, the team managed to eke out a bit more power, which was no small feat given how hard they were already working. Sadly, it made no difference as Owen’s steady pace continued. Seconds later the first foot was pulled across the chalk line and the referee blew another whistle. The match was over, and the Mordent Holdings team had won.

  As Owen lowered the rope and prepared to shake the other team’s hands, he noticed something odd. Though the crowd was cheering, Galvanize and Zone were smiling woodenly, their usual charisma absent as they accepted the kind sentiment. Glancing over to where the others were resting, Owen noted that Bubble Bubble and Hexcellent looked much the same. The act was still there, but that’s all it was. None of them were happy to be there. If anything, they were embarrassed.

  The more Owen considered their situation, the more sense it made. Everyone knew he was strong. No one was really cheering for them, and they knew it. They were just set-pieces, and much as Mordent tended to prop them up like display models, at least when they did shoots or rescues they were working under their own power, no one liked to feel useless. Especially in such a public venue.

  If Owen wanted his team to get any enjoyment or meaning out of the day’s activities, he was going to have to think of a new strategy, and soon.

  95.

  Owen won his team’s way through two more matches before an idea finally struck him, and it came from his opponents. In their third match of the day, he was once again up against a hefty shifter and a strongman, but the third member of their team was something a little different. Instead of actually grabbing the rope, he held up his arms and moments later giant energy duplicates of his hands appeared, floating a few feet away. Those massive hands reached down and gingerly picked up the rope as if it weren’t even the slightest bit unusual, a wide grin across the projector’s face.

  “Oooh, and here we see legendary receiver for the Fort Worth Juggernauts, Douglas Fairbanks, using his famous phantom grip,” Jade said, hurrying over to be near the action. “For those of you wondering, this is perfectly allowable. The rules state that a Super can use any method at their disposal to move the rope, so long as they move with it and don’t interfere with the other team. We thought it would keep things interesting.”

  She certainly wasn’t wrong about that; people’s excitement was rekindled as they prepared to watch the strange showdown. Credit where it was due, Owen had to admit this team was probably the strongest they’d faced so far, though it was impossible to tell how much was due to the energy hands. Still, they weren’t strong enough, and he dragged the rope backward just as he had all the others before. This time, when he won, the cheers seemed a bit muted. They’d been rooting for the guy with the interesting power, not the one who was slowly plowing through every opponent without putting on a spectacle.

  Well, if the crowd wanted to cheer for something unique, they were about to be in a whole mess of luck. Owen headed back over to where the rest of his team was waiting, Zone and Bubble Bubble trailing behind since they’d come out for this match. They were rotating through, not because anyone was getting tired, but because it gave everyone equal time for camera exposure.

  Owen motioned for everyone to gather around him, which they did, although there was little enthusiasm in their steps. All wore fake smiles, even Hexcellent, which were obviously as much for his benefit as the cameras. They knew he hadn’t chosen to be here and make them suffer through being glorified props; Mordent had forced this upon them, there was no point in throwing blame around on one another.

  “Okay, we’ve got a few minutes until the next match,” Owen said, keeping track of how things were going on the
field. “Time to figure out who is going in.”

  “That’s not really difficult,” Galvanize said. “Zone and I were first, then Bubble Bubble and Hexcellent, followed by Zone and Bubble Bubble, which means it will now be myself and Hexcellent.”

  “That’s a good start,” Owen agreed. “But what about your third?”

  “Uhhh, that would be you, dipshit,” Hexcellent said, jabbing a finger into his oversized chest.

  “Nah, I’ve gone in for the last three matches. I think it’s time to switch things up.” Owen looked his teammates up and down, ignoring the perplexed stares they were shooting him. “Bubble Bubble, I think you should be their third. With your spheres you can create some solid footholds for everyone.”

  “Titan,” Galvanize said, lowering his voice as understanding finally sank in. “What are you talking about? You play in every match. You’re the only way we win this thing. That was the plan all along.”

  “That was Mordent’s plan, sure,” Owen said. “But we only agreed to show up and compete. No one said I had to be a part of every match. And, come on, do you really want to keep doing more of this shit?”

  “Fuck no.” Hexcellent looked surprised by her own words; evidently they’d been meant as inner monologue. Having released them into the world, even if by accident, she steeled herself and opted to own them. “This is embarrassing as hell. We’ve all got our own strengths, but from just watching this contest, you’d think we were fucking useless dickbrains that you carried along everywhere.”

  “But we’re winning,” Zone pointed out.

  “No, Titan is winning. We’re just there.” Bubble Bubble turned to look up at the crowd, all cheering for the current match and ignoring those on the sidelines. “He’s the only one here they care about.”

  “And, if you haven’t noticed, that’s starting to wane,” Owen added. “This isn’t any fun. Not for them, and sure as hell not for us. So I say we change things up and actually try to enjoy ourselves.”

  “You realize that we’re going to lose the moment we try to compete.” Despite the pessimistic words, Galvanize actually seemed rather cheerful at the prospect of public defeat.

  “Maybe you will, maybe you won’t. Like Hexcellent said, you’ve got your own strengths. Really though, it doesn’t matter. There’s nothing on the line here but pride, and we might be the team with the least of that to lose. Besides. . .” Owen paused and pointed to the stands and the cheering people within them. “Everyone loves the underdog. Win, lose, it almost doesn’t matter. Just put up a good fight, and the people will clap for you. You might even get some decent publicity out of this.”

  “Mr. Greene still won’t like it,” Galvanize said. “But he can’t say we didn’t do as the company ordered, so perhaps he can just deal with it.”

  Hexcellent let out a long whistle. “That was about as close as our fearless leader gets to telling corporate to go fuck themselves with a pineapple. Well damn, if Galvanize is willing to piss off the handlers, then I don’t see any reason why the rest of us would turn down the chance to stir the pot. Just tell me you’ve got some sort of plan, Titan.”

  “Plan is a bit of a stretch,” Owen admitted. “More like an idea, or a series of partly-formed ideas that might form a whole one. We’ll probably still lose, you all know that going in, but I think you can hold out long enough to put on a good show.”

  “You’re in luck,” Bubble Bubble said as she leaned in, prompting the others to mirror her movement and collecting them in a makeshift huddle. “Putting on a show is one thing this team definitely knows how to do.”

  96.

  The whispers started softly, mere confusion, not yet fully-formed. Soon bewilderment turned to speculation, and as it did the whispers grew, snaking about in the silence between cheers. Eventually, the whispers began to overtake the yells as more and more people stared down at the three figures approaching the rope, none of them a near-giant of a man with legendary strength.

  “You really think they have a shot?” Zone asked, carefully watching the crowd as they scrutinized his teammates.

  “At winning? It’s not likely. The people here haven’t exactly been wimps. But this kind of event isn’t just about raw power. Footing and grip also come heavily into play. On at least one of those, we’re going to have a clear advantage, plus a little oomph of our own pulling. The odds that it will allow them to snare victory are slim, but they shouldn’t go down easy. That might be enough.” Owen tried to sound more optimistic than he actually felt; the truth of the matter was that without having tested the other team himself, there was no way of knowing how powerful they were. It was entirely possible they could win the match in seconds, humiliating everyone on his team. That was life, though. There were always risks, always unknowns. At least the others knew what they were getting in to.

  “Oh, what’s this? It seems our local PEERS team has pulled their Hero Liaison out of the rotation for this turn,” Jade announced. She skittered over to where the next match was being set up, ignoring the one currently in progress. No one in the crowd seemed to object, as their attention had also been stolen by this unexpected roster change. “That’s a. . . bold strategy. Can one of you tell me what prompted such a decision?”

  “What do you mean? We saw everyone else switching people, so we just thought that was what we were supposed to do. Did we make a whoopsie?” Hexcellent’s voice was dripping with both sarcasm and an almost infantile naivety. A few titters of laughter could be heard as the crowd tried to pair the sickly sweet voice with the smirking girl in heavy makeup. There was no telling how long she would have milked it, but Galvanize stepped in before she got a chance.

  “We just wanted to give the people a good show so they got their money’s worth,” Galvanize replied. “And while Titan is unquestionably the strongest of us, he’s also only one member of our team. We decided it was time to spice things up a bit.”

  “Interesting. I’m assuming one of you also has enhanced strength then?” Jade sounded polite but skeptical as she looked the three competitors over.

  “Not directly, no, but since you made the rules so flexible, we do have a way to fill that need.” Galvanize gave a nod to Hexcellent, who couldn’t quite resist rubbing her hands together with glee.

  Slowly, she parted those hands and lifted them into the air, muttering softly under her breath. Owen knew she could use her ability without all the showboating, but he didn’t begrudge her a little theatricality in this sort of situation. They were, after all, trying to win the crowd, not the match.

  A familiar burst of smoke suddenly appeared, and when it dissipated many members of the crowd let out gasps and a few half-muffled shrieks. Big Henry was a bit unsettling the first time anyone saw him. Hexcellent’s demon paid the crowd no mind as he reached down and picked up the end of the rope. He didn’t seem to grimace from the effort, and Owen let out a small sigh of relief. If Big Henry couldn’t even handle the rope, they were pretty much done for.

  “See, we’ve still got a strongman to pull for us.” Galvanize was flashing the pearly whites and turning up the charm, waving to the crowd as they tried to figure out what to make of a demon suddenly appearing on the field. “And not to worry folks, he’s harmless. Or he’s as harmless as Hexcellent, so you can all make your own judgments there.” More laughter this time, as the crowd’s nerves settled and they got used to Big Henry.

  “Anyway, I think we’re about to begin, so if you don’t mind, we’ll all get in position.” Galvanize turned away from Jade to where his team was clustered together. It was far enough away that she almost didn’t catch his next words, but they still managed to crackle through the intercom.

  “Okay everybody, remember: do your best.”

  Owen was glad Galvanize could target his power; otherwise he’d have just brought everyone in the stadium, opponents included, to their peak level. Instead, only Hexcellent, Bubble Bubble, and Big Henry got the boost, each of them standing a little straighter as his words worked their ma
gic. Galvanize took his spot at the front of the rope while Hexcellent went to stand next to Big Henry. She couldn’t pull with him, that would be more than three people, but she did still need to stand near her proxy.

  Bubble Bubble, however, made no attempt to grab the rope. Instead, she walked around her other teammates, summoning spheres of energy on the ground directly in front of them. Foot by foot, Galvanize and Big Henry braced themselves against her orbs, until she called forth a final pair on the ground for herself. Pressing her feet against them, Bubble Bubble took hold of the rope and flashed the audience a brief, measured smile.

  “Well folks, this match will certainly be different, no doubt about that,” Jade said, finally moving away from the team of oddballs. She walked across to the match still in progress, a hard-fought one where neither team had been giving or gaining more than a few inches at a time. Fatigue, however, had finally set in, and bit by bit one team was dragging the other forward.

  Owen watched, not caring who won the bout, only knowing that as soon as their match ended his team’s would begin. None of the ones holding the rope spared any glances for what was happening around them. They were all braced, ready, and focused completely on the task at hand. Even if they couldn’t win, they were going to fight like it was still on the table.

  It was one of the many stubborn qualities he admired about his team.

  97.

  The first tug of the match nearly cost Owen’s team everything. Their opponents put a lot of power into the opening move, clearly intent on throwing the weaker Supers off balance and claiming an early lead. It nearly worked, too. Only Big Henry’s stalwart readiness coupled with Bubble Bubble’s footholds kept them in the game, as the lumbering demon halted their movement forward and brought the match to a state of momentary equilibrium.