by Riley Tune
He heard footsteps behind him and glanced over his shoulder to see Danielle and Cayden trotting over. “They’re not here yet?” Danielle asked. Flex shook his head silently. He had begun to wonder what was taking so long too. Before he could say anything, a single baseball cap fell from the portal and landed on the floor.
It was a darker shade of green than the portal itself, and its sudden appearance made Cayden jump some with surprise. Danielle and Flex had a different reaction to seeing the sudden appearance of a baseball cap. Flex shook his head and smiled some. “Oh, now it’s a party,” Danielle said as she smiled so hard her teeth were showing. Seconds later, a girl with long black hair with red highlights, blue jeans, and a white shirt fell to the ground.
“I made it!” she said with more surprise than joy, as she looked around. “Flex! You pretty bastard.” Jen said as she stood up, grabbed her ball cap off the floor and ran to hug her leader. “What are you doing here?” Flex asked slowly as he gave her a hug. The question didn’t get answered as one by one more bodies continued to fall out of the portal.
Perkins stood as tall as she could with a massive gun in her hand that looked almost like the creation for a science fiction movie. It was black with blue markings on the side, several inches long with a circular shape, and had a faint wisp of cool air falling from it. It seemed like it would have been too heavy for her, but she carried it with ease as she walked over to Flex and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “What in the name of Atlas is that you’re carrying?” Flex asked as he looked down at her and laugh slightly.
She looked comical moving a weapon that was almost as large as her. Perkins smiled as she moved the gun around to show how light it was. “Little bit of an upgrade from my blasters. I call her,” She paused for a moment. “Well, I don’t have a name for her yet.” “Her?” Flex asked. Perkins rubbed her hand along the large gun as if she was stroking a cat, and smiled slightly as she nodded her head. “Nerfing right it’s her.”
“No judgment from me,” Flex said. “Well, that’s a first,” Hunter said as he walked by carrying two weapons identical to the one Perkins had and a bulky bookbag on his back. “I send you off to get a weapon fixed, and you return with multiple weapons and several additional people?” Flex questioned. In return, Hunter smirked. “World’s best intern, right?” Flex opened his mouth to speak but stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
“My fearless leader,” Power Prince said from behind him. Flex turned around and, all formalities gone hugged his friend. While the hug may have had too much strength in it, Power Prince didn’t flinch. He wanted to cherish this moment. He had decided to talk to Flex about Zeva after the mission. The last thing he wanted was for one of their big guns to be underperforming because of personal issues.
“Glad to see you came,” Flex said as he released him. “Although, I’m not sure why you all came,” he added. “Because I am a genius,” The Mechanic said quickly as he moved around the room and looked at several monitors. “This place is, well. Less than welcoming, but I’m sure anything is compared to the luxury of the Imperial Lords’ base.” “New Lords’ base,” Jen said from across the room.
She was being introduced to Cayden by Danielle. “Oh yes. Yes. The name change.” The Mechanic said. “I’ll make a note to help upgrade this,” He stopped talking as he looked at the layer of dust on the floor with several dozen footprints in it. “Base if time permits,” he finally finished.
“Hey, when this is all over, let's take a moment to catch up,” Power Prince said. Flex looked at his friend and could see that something was bothering him. While Power Prince wore a smile, he didn’t seem to truly mean it. He wasn’t his normal bouncy self. Flex nodded his head slowly. While he didn’t know what was on Power Prince’s mind, he respected him enough not to question it. Power Prince had been a hero for a few years now, and he knew how to handle things. Flex new that whatever he wanted to talk about, would be better addressed once they were safe, and the task at hand was completed. “Sure thing. I was actually thinking the same thing,” Flex finally said. “I have some ideas that I wanted to run by you.”
Power Prince nodded his head and smiled again. In the next few moments, everybody got situated as those that fell from the portal gathered up their things and placed them on the center table. Jen only had her sword, but Hunter had a backpack loaded with assorted gadgets that were now sprawled on the table in front of them all. “Should we wait for Cord?” Cayden asked the room at large as they were standing and sitting around the table.
As the question left his mouth his gaze darted towards the door where his brother would normally enter. “I’m sure he will be here soon. Let’s just go over the main parts of the plan and give him his time. I’m sure he is dealing with somethings he’d rather none of us see,” Perkins said. As she spoke, Flex looked at her.
He couldn’t help but wonder was she talking about Cord, or was she relating the issue to herself. She still hadn’t told him that she was sick. She had no idea that he knew, and as with Power Prince, he refused to address it right now. It was hard enough to keep his mind in the game, and he didn’t need the possible impending doom of the woman he loved adding to it.
“Alright, I think that’s all of it,” Hunter said as he placed Perkins’ twin blasters on the table in front of her and looked inside the bookbag once more. It was empty and he tossed it to the ground. “Mechanic, take it away,” Hunter said as he stretched his hand out towards his fellow Icon. “Explain everything.”
CHAPTER 33:
ASSAULT
S everal hours had passed. In that time, Hunter and Flex took the extra steps to explain everything to Power Prince and Jen. They gave detail on the trials that they experienced once they arrived in this world. How Flex encountered a Spellborn named Manis, that was almost as strong as he was. How the disease was ravishing the land, and how Cord was its latest victim.
They told of Hunter’s narrow escape from Empress Queen Omega after hearing about her offer to rule by her side because of his elite heritage, and how Flex had to save him soon after. When Jen moved to make jokes about this part, Hunter quickly cut her off or flat out ignored her comments. Then there was The Mechanic.
After he and the rest of the newcomers were caught up, he went on to give details about the devices he created, and how they were to be used to bring down the Great Beast Sonah. Several times he was requested to repeat himself because even if he tried, he simply couldn’t slow down his speaking. Shortly after, everybody was given their roles in the assault to come. Even the recruits were to play a part.
Now, they all stood on the roof of their current base. While not as tall as their previous location, this base was more private. Sure, on the streets below people moved around at almost all times of the day, but at night there was virtually no life around them, and neighboring buildings were as dark as the night sky above them.
Danielle was perhaps the only one that felt eager to get the show on the road. Her extra strength she received for using her powers at night coursed through her. Every fiber of her being felt like it was hyper-charged, and she needed an outlet. For the first time, she was hoping for a Warden to show. This time they would be fighting her head on at her best, on the equal ground while she had as much support as the Warden’s Circle did.
Through some quick thinking by the recruits, additional outfits of black were secured. They weren’t guard uniforms like Hunter, Cayden, and Danielle wore, but they still helped them all look like more of a team. Even Cord, who turned up last minute before the original briefing ended was dressed in black.
While he told them he was fine, his body told another story. His hands were stained from the blood he had been wiping away. His movements were slow, and his face seemed a bit gaunter. His current health issues were likely why he took so long on the last patrol he made. His body was slowing down as the Curse of Varo increased.
Flex glanced from Cord to Perkins. He refused to let this be her fate. If there was a cure or even a
n improved treatment somewhere in the palace, he was going to get it for her, and Atlas help any that tried to stand in his way.
As they all lined up beside each other, The Mechanic stood in front of them joined by a recruit. The recruit in question was dark- skinned with blond hair and held a bag in front of him. The Mechanic spoke, the recruit walked behind him and did as he was told, and that was to only pass out the items in the said bag when given a nod from The Mechanic.
“We have already gone over the items and your roles in depth,” The Mechanic said quickly. “I don’t foresee any, but if you have questions then-” his words were cut off as Jen’s hand punctured the air. The clicking sound of his boots on the roof stopped as The Mechanic exhaled and turned to Jen with his recruit behind him.
“Yes?” The Mechanic said without evening trying to hide his impatience. Jen wrapped her hand around her wrist and touched the glowing gold band around it. Each person, aside from Hunter and Flex, had one on. “How fast can these make us fly?” she asked. “Your top speed will be around sixty miles per hour. Perhaps a little more,” The Mechanic said quickly.
Hunter let a slight grunt escape from his mouth, and Flex slapped him on the back of the head for it, yet Flex too had a smirk on. “Naturally it isn’t as fast as those who wield supreme flight,” The Mechanic said as he glanced to Hunter and Flex, “But it is enough to get you to where you are going. Remember the bands allow flight by manipulating the gravity around you. Since you all will be spread out and leaving the roof one by one, there shouldn’t be any interference from bands in close proximity.” The Mechanic cleared his throat some. “At any rate, the main purpose is for you to hover alongside the Great Beast and move accordingly. Much flight shouldn’t be needed.”
Without even giving Jen time to ask another question, The Mechanic continued to move up the line of spread out heroes. He gave a slight nod to his recruit and the young man started handing out small weapons from the bag. Power Prince, with a massive cannon he would be using by his feet, watched as the first weapon was passed out. The weapon was circular, and about twelve inches long. Composed of brass, and some allow he couldn’t identify, it glowed a faint green when powered on, and had several buttons on the side.
“Is it just me or does that look like a sonic screwdriver?” Power Prince asked out loud to nobody in particular. Once again, the other people on the roof simply looked at him in confusion. “Okay, I get that some of the stuff I watch you may not have seen, but Doctor Who? Seriously?,” Power Prince said in more of a plea as he looked around. “The Time Lords? The Tardis? The show has been on for decades, and no-” he let out a sigh as he stopped speaking mid-sentence. “You know what, never mind.”
While she didn’t know what a Tardis was or who this Doctor Who person Power Prince was talking about was, Perkins did notice that the weapon her colleagues held wasn’t a gun. She spoke but didn’t raise her hand as Jen did. “What happened to them looking like guns? Those things look nothing like the plans we gave you.”
Quickly and bluntly The Mechanic spoke. “After all of my improvements, the original design had to change. Once you’re in position and fire the weapon, the results will be the same I assure you.” Perkins shrugged her shoulders and looked down to the massive cannon at her feet, identical to the ones that would be wielded by Power Prince and Cayden.
The three of them would be at the rear of the Great Beast. They had the largest weapons that would create a larger cone of sounds. She was happy. She wasn’t an enemy of their new fast- talking colleague but had he tried to give her one of those small devices, while others had a cannon, he’d be in a world of hurt.
The Mechanic stood to the side with Cord and his recruit and each member of the teamed walked closer to the edge of the building and spread out some. “That’s all from me,” The Mechanic said. “My recruit has given out everything. Seriously I wish we called them by their names. Calling them all recruit is off-putting.” The Mechanic said quickly. “What’s off-putting is how you talk like a robot and seem to be a master of tech,” Cord replied. “If I were the jumpy type, I’d assume you were a droid and end you.”
The Mechanic’s eyes widen as he cleared his throat again, but said nothing. “We call them recruits so as not get too attached,” Cord continued. “If they die during training, an early mission, or decided to leave and have to be terminated, the connection is minor.” “I see,” The Mechanic finally said, as he avoided Cord’s eyes.
“You sure it’s up there?” Power Prince said as he looked in the dark sky above them. From where he stood the sky looked peaceful and empty. Nothing but stars. He found it hard to believe that an entire city was up there on a monster’s back.
“Oh, it’s up there,” Perkins said as her green eyes glowed slightly. “I can see it.” “Everybody spread out, and remember your positions,” Flex said sternly. They did as they were told and as they moved away from each other, those wearing flight bands could see their new wrist- wear glow brightly.
“Make sure your coms are on now, so we can keep contact while we are up there.” As he said this several hands flew up to their ears and pressed the tiny device inside.
The Mechanic flinched as he watched them activate the ancient device. He had pleaded for more time to improve those as well but was denied the request.
“Hunter doesn’t need his force field to fly,” Flex continued. “But he will have it on so you can know where you are going. He’ll be our beacon and focal point up there so we can at least know where to head to.” As Flex spoke, Hunter summoned a force field around him that glowed in a faint blue. A faint blue that radiated several times more than the bands they wore. “Let’s bring Impervious and that cure home,” Flex said. “We need it. The people of this world need it. The iron grip Omega has over this land ends tonight. Not by people in her shadow, or at her feet, but by those at her neck.”
Around him, several people gave silent nods, and Danielle smirked. Jen gave Hunter a fist bump as she adjusted her strap around her chest that held her sword in place. She secretly hoped they would be back on the ground before she would have to use it. Flex gave a slight nod to Hunter. “Take it away, Paragon.”
With those few words, Hunter touched his power and took off into the sky like a rocket. His exit was so strong that several people took steps back and tiny cracks formed on the roof. “That people, is what supreme flight looks like,” he said through the coms. Several people swore and cursed at him in response. While he couldn’t see it from his position in the sky, the rest of his team one by one were making their way up into the vast nothingness of the sky following his lead.
For a moment he didn’t see anything, but as he passed the clouds, there it was. Flying slowly through the sky. A king, in a kingdom that few had entry to, The Great Beast Sonah. Ancient and resistant to time, the monster had lived unopposed for so long. Hunter wondered how it would react to what was about to happen to it. He wielded himself to fly alongside the monstrous head and spoke into his coms. “In position,”
“Same,” Perkins responded. Slowly each member of the team confirmed that they were ready. “This is incredible.” Power Prince said as he flew alongside the beast. “As I made my way up here, I was able to see the other Great Beast, but this is. It’s.” He couldn’t find the words to express how in awe he was over the creature. He knew they were there for a purpose, but he was making a mental note to try to learn the history of the monsters before they left.
“Don’t go all fanboy on us,” Jen said through the coms. “Quiet, intern.” Power Prince muttered. “Ready your weapons,” The Mechanic said through the coms from below. “According to your current location you should be in position soon. My calculations, based on data given by Perkins and Cayden, use the estimated size, weight, and strength of the Great Beast and compare it to the speed you’re moving. Everything lines up, and the monster should safely land in the sand instead of crash.”
“Just say the word,” Flex replied. “We are all good up here,”
“I know this is off topic, but I’m pretty jealous,” Danielle said through the coms. “Flying is amazing. Like orgasmic amazing, and you two dorks get to experience it all the time.” From his position in front of the Great Beast, Hunter frowned.
“You’ve flown with me plenty of times.” “Yeah but that was more like a pity fly. Like being driven around in a car is great, but getting behind the wheel and driving for yourself is always better,” Danielle replied. “How about we all just focus on our task at hand,” Flex said through the coms.
“Agreed.” The Mechanic added. “Approaching the target location now. Activate and aim weapons.” None responded, but all around the monster weapons were being raised and activated, and at the tail end, Perkins had a smile on her face as she hefted her ultra-lightweight canon. “Three, two, one. Go!” The Mechanic said so fast that it took the team several delayed seconds to actually fire their weapons.
For a second, as his finger squeezed the trigger to his cannon, Cayden thought his weapon had failed him. Nothing happened. He repeated the motion and pulled the trigger several more times, and even gave the weapon a slight shake for good measure. Still nothing. “Nerfing tech genius my ass,” Cayden said over the coms. “Nothing happened,” Hunter said, only seconds before Cayden could.
“Same here,” Perkins replied as she glanced at Power Prince to see him looking as his weapon in confusion. “No. No. everything is going to plan. The weapons are working.” The Mechanic said from below. “It’s like a dog whistle, you just can’t-” the sound that roared through the sky was so loud and intense, that none heard what The Mechanic was saying. They all looked at the Great Beast as it twitched and screamed in the air, dropping several hundred feet as it tried to right itself.
As the beast, Sonah, dropped chaos manifested in the city of Acropolis, as expected and planned. Even from their positions outside of the beast Cayden, Power Prince, and Perkins could hear the scream from the residents as their world began to fall. On her side of the beast, Danielle rose higher into the air to see the city. Buildings were starting to crumble as their foundations gave way, cracks were spreading in the streets, and from where she was the residents of the floating city looked like ants fleeing a flood of carnage.