《Hero:Generation》 CHAPTER 1: ASSEMBLE Chapter 1 Assemble Hector braced himself as the elevator surged downwards to the depths of the proving grounds. He closed his eyes to steady himself, feeling the tips of his fingers as his hands gave a nervous twitch. Bars of light from the elevators shaft washed over him as he checked and double checked his ¡°Initiative Suit¡±. It wasn¡¯t much, modelled after some sort of military fatigue with lightweight armor panels and colored in black, blue, and white. Hector stared at his distorted reflection in the brushed metal interior of the elevator, still feeling the lurch of the descent. Short-cut brown hair, olive complexion, and not much else to be seen in the funhouse mirror image. What were to happen if he couldn¡¯t make the cut? More than anything he wanted to be here, in this moment and show the Guardians what he could do. Yeah, him and hundreds of other Alphas from all over the Globe. He had to stand out, to really prove he had the grit and resolve of a hero. He shook the thoughts away, he was distracting himself from the more pressing reality of his situation. Reflexively his hands glowed a soft blue, solid projections of force appeared on his left and right, roughly the size of a pair of car tires. He opened and closed his hands several times, the floating blue constructs mimicking the exercise with a soft hum. ["1 minute to impact"] The glowing wristband chirped as it flashed with a white light, calling for Hector¡¯s attention. He lifted the bleeding edge tech. The slew of candidates had been issued these bracelets, and now he realized why. No other instruction was given after he had been placed in the elevator and sent down by some gruff looking military personnel. A small opalescent humanoid appeared in a holographic display on his wrist. Its tiny pearl eyes blinked, as if assessing its surroundings before it spoke in a crisp and lucid tone. [Candidate, you are being transported to Guardian Facility Epsilon to test your practical decision making skills, combat abilities, and interpersonal communication. Random variables and parameters have been assigned to this practical application, please listen carefully.] The young would be hero swallowed hard, it was a real Guardian AI. He never would have dreamed he¡¯d be in this time and this place, preparing for some sort of mock war game miles below the surface of the Earth. Would ten-year old Hector believe how far he had come in just six years? He focused on the AI¡¯s words carefully as it relayed the instructions. The AI droned on as the temperature in his cramped elevator got noticeably warmer. [Candidates will seek out their peers until groups of five are formed. Team members will be assigned based on proximity, once Five candidates are appropriately grouped further instructions will be relayed. Thank you, and good luck.] ¡°Hmm¡± Hector rubbed at the back of his head as he let the information soak in, his constructs mimicking the motion above and around him rubbing at a larger phantom head. The Guardian Initiative trials were known to be different every year, to account for the improbability of Alpha Human abilities and the chaotic nature of heroics in the field. Even with the signing of non-disclosure agreements some details always managed to leak to the public. The rumors managed to turn many heads but The Guardians were always in line and to date no sanctions had been leveled against them. Hector had heard the rumors about the environment simulations, drone attacks, and candidates put together in live fire uses of their abilities. But a TEAM trial, that was something that had never been mentioned before. [Ten Seconds to Impact] No time to dwell on it, Hector had to roll with it and show his worth. The elevator¡¯s descent slowed, throwing the teen off balance as his ears popped. Shaking his head, Hector willed away his constructs as the doors in front of him began to slide open. All he had to do for this first leg was find other candidates. Warm sunlight flooded the chamber. Wait, he thought, aren¡¯t we deep underground? Hector squinted as his eyes adjusted, allowing himself a brief beat to stare in awe. A dense forest in shades of green and gold stretched out before him. As Hector took his first steps out soft earth met his feet and a sky stretched outwards, blue and calm. He had to remind himself that he was actually underground, but all of his senses were telling him otherwise. He could smell the loamy growth around him. Redwoods surged upwards and formed a natural canopy, while the ground below had small undergrowth and in the distance Hector could even hear birdsong. Behind him the elevator seemed to have vanished of its own accord, no indication whatsoever that there was a technological intrusion. Hector¡¯s face cracked into a grin as he broke into a dash. ¡°Be better¡± he reminded himself. === Hector vaulted over a fallen log, taking a quick scan of his surroundings before resting a moment to catch his breath. He had wandered through the woods for what felt like close to an hour before the device on his wrist chimed and the AI¡¯s electronic voice droned through the tiny speaker. [Hector Nunez, Daniela Ricci, assigning ¡­.] Hector looked around as an acknowledgment chime came through on his wrist device. [Complete] ¡°H-Hello?¡± Hector called out, looking around for his first teammate. He turned his head as a figure came into view, cresting over a small hill and sliding down it using young saplings for support. She was tall for their age, since most candidates for the program had to be between 16 and 18. Daniela As the other candidate neared, Hector could see it was a young girl who must have been this "Daniela" the AI had announced. She was uncommonly tall for a girl their age, since most candidates for the program had to be between 16 and 18,with caramel colored skin and a sturdy build. Underneath her standard issue Initiative Suit a muscular frame carried her and she walked with a confident strut to her step. Her dark hair was shaved close on either side of her head, from the top it poured downward into a large braid that swing past her hips. She already had a smile in her eyes as she extended a hand and spoke to Hector. ¡°Hector, yeah?¡± she confirmed while giving him the up and down. "I''m Daniela." Hector gripped Daniela¡¯s hand. It was like shaking hands with a stone. ¡°Yeah¡± was all Hector could exclaim quickly as he suppressed his surprise at Daniela¡¯s grip, she must have been at least seven on the Laghari scale of Alpha abilities. Daniela took a quick scan of their surroundings before leaning against the nearest Redwood. ¡°So, we¡¯re in this together now. Have you seen or heard any signs of other Candidates?¡± Hector Shook his head ¡°No, you¡¯re the first. Plus I think these wristbands know a bit more than we do.¡± he said holding his up. ¡°True enough, dude¡± Daniela clicked her tongue in thought. ¡°Which direction did you come from?¡± Hector turned and indicated the direction to his back ¡°That way, not much back there really.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take stock of what we have then, what exactly are your powers?¡± She asked with an intrigued tone. Hector gave a wry grin as he flexed his hands, already glowing constructs floated at shoulder length on either side of him. Twisting his wrists, the constructed fists split in two, and split again, repeating the process until a small cluster of fists floated around him like a swarm of insects. ¡°I can form these energy constructs that mimic my hands, can¡¯t really have them form too far away from me but they pack a punch. With the larger ones I can usually lift a decent amount too, plus I can use them to shield myself like this¡± Hector closed his fists and two giant hands formed a domed shield around his body before dissipating. Daniela watched with interest as Hector put on his display ¡°Nice, thats crazy awesome!¡± she said genuinely. ¡°Me, I can take on the properties of any material I can touch. Only problem is I¡¯m stuck that way for about an hour or so, I don¡¯t want to waste it¡± Hector nodded in understanding ¡°Makes sense, wow we¡¯re both a pair of Bruisers huh?¡± Daniela shrugged ¡°Hell yeah we are, can¡¯t wait to see you in action.¡± she said as she started a brisk pace, away from the direction she and Hecto had come from originally. Hector followed catching up to her ¡° You¡¯ll see, I can hold my own.¡± ¡°Im counting on it¡± she said with a nod and a cheeky smile. Hector affirmed with a nod of his own as the two continued wandering through the forest. It wasn¡¯t a few moments later before their bracelets chirped again in unison. In way it was a relief they wouldn¡¯t have to slog too much further to find their new teammates. [Hector Nunez, Daniela Ricco, Tyson Jolie, Jack Kelly, Caitlin McGrath, assigning¡­] ¡°Oh snap, we got three others already!¡± Hector glanced around. Daniela slapped his shoulder and pointed ahead of them. Hector squinted and could see three figures running towards them, two boys and a girl. The lead boy hooted excitedly and threw what appeared to be a stick. The wooden projectile landed in the dirt ahead of them and in a streaming beam of purple light the boy disappeared, re forming around the stick as the purple light beam coalesced again. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°HEY, HEY NEW FRIENDS!¡± he shouted, holding out his arms wide to his sides. Hector and Daniela smiled as they acknowledged the energetic newcomer, the others still making their way towards the group. The teleporter stuck out his hand, an impish smile on his face. His blue eyes sparkled sparkled behind dusky brown hair and the boy had a twitch to him , a jolly bounce about him that made him seem on the verge of doing a backflip. ¡°Jack, Jack Kelly¡± he said without pause. Daniela and Hector greeted him in turn as Jack thumbed to the other two Candidates brought the rear. The first, the other boy had an athletic build to his frame and an intense look to his eyes, which burned an unnatural orange hue. His blonde hair had naturally curve upward in the front and he had what appeared to be black snake like scales crawling up his arms and on his neck, his Initative suit sleeves already torn at the shoulder. The girl moved with an ethereal grace in her step, gliding along the forest floor as easily as someone were to skate on ice. Her skin was hued a shade of green and her hair was platinum white braid, with two tiny tree branches coming out and adorned with a flower crown. She had a far away look and a faint smile that gave off a bit of an eerie vibe as Hector studied his new teammates. ¡°That would be my boy TJ, and the girl is Caitlin¡± Jack said. ¡°Your boy?¡± Hector asked ¡°Oh, yeah me and TJ went to Fortuna High together. He¡¯s cool, don¡¯t worry¡± Jack said through a smile. TJ crossed his arms with a low huff ¡°I can speak for myself Jack¡± ¡°Must be nice to have been paired with someone you know¡± Daniela commented ¡°For the first few minutes it was¡± TJ replied curtly. Caitlin waved her arm in greeting and moved to sit down, a tree stump forming from the ground below to meet her. ¡°Riiiiiiight then, so hello I¡¯m Caitlin and it¡¯s nice to meet you all. Hector and Daniela right?¡± she said with a breathy voice. Daniela gave a thumbs up and Hector nodded. There was a small beat of silence as the assembled teen superhumans adjusted to each other¡¯s company. It was Daniela who interrupted the quiet moment. ¡°Alright, well we¡¯re all here now. I already got the deal on Hector, I don¡¯t mean to take the wheel but we should take stock of our abilities and-¡± Before she could finish the wrist devices blinked once and chirped again, causing the gathered teens to inspect their own. The same Guardian AI hologram displayed itself, a neutral expression on its face as it spoke. [Congratulations on completing your first test parameters Candidates. Phase 2 of your exam is now beginning. A map function has been added to your wristcom as well as a waypoint. Proceed to this waypoint. Only one hundred Candidates will be eligible to move to the next phase. There will be obstacles to impede your progress, and all teams are encouraged to hinder the other Candidates. Good Luck.] ¡°Wait, what¡± Jack blurted out with as the AI finished its message. ¡°The AI said only the first one hundred will make it¡­¡± Caitlin murmured, index tapping her bottom lip in thought. ¡°We should move then.¡± Daniela said, taking charge as she referenced her wristcom. Her eye¡¯s jumped between the small map layout and the groups relevant orientation. ¡° Looks like we¡¯re heading this way.¡± she indicated with her finger. ¡°Let¡¯s do it guys, come on! This is The Show ain''t it?¡± Hector said, hopping on the balls of his feet like a boxer briefly before walking with the others. ¡°The Show?¡± TJ asked with a confused arch of his eyebrow. ¡°Yeah, you know like this is where we sorta begin our lives as superheroes right? That make or break chance¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t exactly the ONLY shot we¡¯re going to have, right?¡± Caitlin asked. ¡°I mean, there¡¯s always the Freelancers¡± Jack said with a shrug. ¡°That¡¯s almost like starting your career as a criminal¡± Daniela chided. She turned to face the rest of the group, walking backwards so she could see their faces appropriately. ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t plan on blowing this opportunity, and I don¡¯t think any of you do either¡± Hector shook his head ¡°No. Hell no, I¡¯m giving this everything I got.¡± unconsciously Hector summoned a pair of balled up fists that caused Jack, TJ, and Caitlin to do a double take. ¡°Woaaah, can you make other things? Like swords and hedge clippers?¡± Jack asked intrigued. ¡°Hedge clippers? No man, just hands. Either these two big ones or I can do a lot of smaller ones.¡± Hector blinked the constructs out of existence with a small rush of air to take up the empty space. ¡°Your teleporting is way more hype than my fists are¡± ¡°Oh stop,.. but go on¡± Jack said with feigned humility, he flourished his branch from earlier and gave it a toss, disappearing in stream of purple light before holding the branch a few feet away moment later, rematerializing before it could hit the ground. ¡°Just remember I¡¯m more than a pretty face!¡± Daniela watched with an interested expression ¡°Can you take other people with you?¡± ¡°Can I? Yes. Do I? Usually not, it¡¯s really difficult for me to account for the extra person when it comes to the landings. Mistakes were made¡­¡± Jack said, his gaze lowering as TJ gave an affirming nod. Hector caught the exchange between the two teens. ¡°Oh there¡¯s a story there¡± ¡°No there isn¡¯t, nothing happened and TJ¡¯s family dog is just fine¡± Jack said with an impish smile as TJ shot his friend an icy look. Before he could counter Jack continued ¡°I know man, I know¡­I miss Sprinkles too, we all do.¡± ¡°DUDE!¡± TJ shot back, throwing his hands up in the air. ¡°He¡¯s so sensitive¡± Jack said shaking his head in sarcastic dismay. ¡°What kind of people have I stuck myself with?¡± Caitlin groaned exasperated. ¡°No one¡¯s perfect.¡± Hector added, shrugging his shoulders. Caitlin waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Psh, I¡¯d like to think I¡¯m pretty close. Just a like a rose I¡¯m beautiful, but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t have thorns.¡± she arched her eyebrows brazenly as tiny brown thorns began to grow through her exposed skin. ¡°Remind me not to get on your bad side. You must be a chlorokinetic right?¡± Hector said intrigued. Caitlin nodded,her flower crown bobbing up and down between her twisted wooden horns. Hector caught himself staring before averting his gaze, it wasn¡¯t uncommon to see physical changes to people when powers manifested. That didn¡¯t stop his mind from trying to process the uncanny look to Caitlin¡¯s green skin and strangely colored hair. If Caitlin noticed him gawking, she didn¡¯t let on. Daniela spoke up ¡° We should still plan for-¡± Daniela¡¯s words were cut off by a the cracking of a large tree behind the group that sent a cluster of dirt and other forest detritus skyward in a spray. Hector and the others shielded their eyes from the debris as a second tree fell, and shining metallic figures began crashing through the tree line. ¡°What the hell IS that?!¡± TJ shouted over the growing din. Clearly now the group could see mechanical automatons smashing trees to the ground. The machines were built with a humanoid form, one brilliant orange lens affixed to their heads that glowed with an unknown power. The mechanical march of their feet becoming deafening as they drew closer. ¡°Those are Rescue Drones, I remember them from that-that big Tsunami that hit Thailand a few years back!¡± Jack said as he began to backpedal. ¡°We should run!¡± ¡°Run? But they¡¯re Rescue Drones right? I don¡¯t thinkDoc Spectre would want anything he builds to be abused¡± Daniela stated as she took a defensive stance. ¡°Who cares?!¡± Caitlin counterd, following after Jack. Hector stood firm with Daniela, conjuring a large pair of glowing fists that he smacked together with an reverberating crash. TJ shoved past the pair of them, his mouth growing and distorting to a fanged and toothy maw. Fire crackling beind the newly protruding fangs as TJ shouted back to his new teammates. ¡°I got this!¡± Inhaling deeply, TJ spewed a large gout of red and orange flame that sent waves of heat washing over the others. The forest floor succumbed to his blazing salvo, and the young Alpha arced his neck in a semi circle building a wall of flame that slowed the Rescue Drones advance. Hector and Daniela shared a glance as TJ wiped at his mouth, globules of some sort of liquid splattered to the earth as it reverted to a normal human shape. ¡°What?¡± he said while Hector and Daniela stared at him ¡°It did the job didn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You just lit the forest on FIRE!¡± Hector shouted, gesturing behind him as the flames spread. One of the Rescue Drones reached TJ¡¯s fire-wall , turning its neck as if studying the hazard. With a series of clicks and whirs it raised an arm, a small barrel extending from one of its digits. A cream colored spray began surging forth from the Drones nozzle, immediately quelling the roaring fire where it hit the ground and expanding into balls of doughy foam where it hit the ground. TJ¡¯s eyes went wide as several more drones began doing the same, his defensive wall turning to smoke before him. ¡°..Welp¡± ¡°Regroup!¡± Hector said said tugging at TJ¡¯s shoulder. Daniela, Hector and TJ took off at a run as the Drones behind them began to advance, their singular eyes focused on the fleeing candidates. Pumping their oiled limbs they picked up speed, metallic footsteps booming behind the Trio. ¡°BOLT BOLT BOLT!¡± Daniela was yelling as she furiously pumped her arms and legs ahead of Hector and TJ. Up ahead the treeline broke and gave way to sparse rock, as well as Jack and Caitlin staring at the sheer drop of a large ravine. Hector skidded to a stopbehind the others as he looked at the wide expanse, the other side more than a football field across. ¡°You have got to be KIDDING me!¡± He said throwing his hands up in frustration. ¡°Nope, we¡¯re screwed dude¡± Jack replied ¡°You can¡¯t teleport across?¡± Daniela asked as she looked behind her, watching the eyes of the Drones approaching through the shaded treeline. ¡°I can only teleport as far as I can throw an object to anchor too, you think I can seriously clear THAT!¡± Jack said throwing his hand outward to the divide. ¡°What do we do?¡± Caitlin asked, nervously looking down to the sheer drop below. Daniela kneeled down and placed her hand on the stone beneath the Candidates feet. At her touch the texture and color of the cool grey rock lanced up her arm, overtaking her body and transmuting it from flesh to stone. She rose and stood resolute between the other Candidates and the coming drones, as still as the solid cliff she had acquired her new form from. ¡°We fight.¡± CHAPTER 2: SKIRMISH AND SORTIE Chapter 2 Skirmish and Sortie The drone force marched forward towards the team on the ridge, their cold, glowing eyes studying their targets. Daniela gritted her teeth as Hector and TJ flanked on her left and right, all three taking defensive stances. TJ''s arms seemed to pulse, the shining black scales that adorned them rippling as his muscles swelled in size, his fingers becoming large dagger-like talons. Behind the trio, Jack and Caitlin did their best to make ready for the marching clockwork horde''s attack. Daniela broke into a run towards the enemy line, arms outstretched as she shouted back to the others. ¡°We can¡¯t let them push us off the edge!¡± Daniela''s arms connected with a drone on either side, her stone-enhanced form dragging the heavy metal chassis of her foes crashing into the earth. Hector was fast on her heels, his hands glowing as his force constructs took shape in front of him. With a rapid backhand motion, Hector''s force fist smacked two more drones over the edge of the ridge to the depths below. TJ began to engage a drone in hand to hand, locked with the machine in a contest of strength as he attempted to wrestle control of the clash, brow creased in concentration. A purple burst of light announced Jack''s arrival into the brawl as he wound up with his fist and swung at a drone that was advancing on Hector. There was a brief ringing of flesh against metal as Jack recoiled his hand in pain from the botched attack and screamed. ¡°SON OF A BITCH!¡± He had no time to lament further as the drone turned and swung at him but Jack proved the quicker as he hopped backwards, with the fist missing him by inches. Jack attempted another rapid jab only to feel more pain. Hector stepped in and a large manifested hand clamped down on the top of the drone''s head before squeezing. The mechanical cranium sparked and crushed under Hector¡¯s powers as the drone crumbled to the ground, non-functional. ¡°I can¡¯t hurt these things!¡± Jack shouted in frustration, springing into a front flip as Hector slammed a large open hand of energy down as a wall to give Jack some breathing room. To his credit, for what Jack lacked in supernatural strength he made up for with whatever spurred him to keep leaping and tumbling around the battlefield. Several backflips allowed the wily youth to dodge a series of blows like a cat on its last life. From there, Jack fell to his stomach and rolled out of the way as a large vine yanked another aggressing drone off the cliff, courtesy of Caitlin. Hector spawned a small swarm of fists and began to swing for the fences on another drone, crushing and denting its metal plating in a violent barrage, so furiously delivered that the air above its fallen form wavered from the heat accrued by the rapid deformation. Off to Hector''s right side, Daniela was straddled on top of a drone, ground pounding its face into destroyed circuitry and scrap. Beyond her, TJ was thrown bodily to the earth and his drone opponent advanced, delivering a solid kick that sent him skidding. Caitlin ran to body-block the drone from further harming TJ and her arms lashed forward, a twin pair of thick tree roots erupting from the earth in a helix formation, perforating the drone''s chassis. With another twist of her hands the two branches broke away, bisecting the drone in a shower of sparks. She smiled, offering TJ a hand to help him to his feet. TJ took it with a flustered look to his face, his eyes refusing to meet hers. Caitlin tilted her head and opened her mouth to speak but ended up yelping in surprise as a robotic hand grabbed her and dragged her backwards. In a rush, Daniela grabbed at the drone attacking Caitlin, metal crunching underneath her stony grip. With an overhead chopping motion she divorced the drone''s arm from its torso. TJ followed from behind with his enhanced talons, rending the machine until it ceased to function. The teens regrouped in a semi-circle, breathing heavily as they waited for several tense moments for more drones to appear. The surrounding forest remained silent, however, and Hector allowed himself to relax first, the glow leaving his hands as he let out a sigh. ¡°Okay, well that sucked.¡± Jack said, flexing his injured hand. Hector opened his mouth to respond but took in a large breath of air instead and put his hands on his knees, nodding in agreement. ¡°Is everyone okay?¡± Daniela asked with a quick glance to her teammates. ¡°Yeah, I''m alright,¡± TJ said with a nod. Hector gave a thumbs up. ¡°I¡¯m cool.¡± Caitlin responded with a smile and a nod. ¡°Guys seriously, I think I broke something,¡± Jack said. He flexed his hand and hissed between his teeth. TJ smirked. ¡°Y''all couldn¡¯t even take one?¡± Jack threw his hands in the air. ¡°Oh come on, I¡¯m not super strong or super durable, I-I-I can¡¯t shapeshift or summon friggin'' vines from thin air!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Caitlin shouted, scorned. ¡°Not that it¡¯s not cool, which it is,¡± Jack replied, enunciating each word carefully. ¡°I¡¯m just saying I wasn¡¯t exactly prepared for killer robots right off the bat. That''s all.¡± ¡°Good thing we had your back then, huh?¡± Hector said with a smile. Jack shook his head, clapping Hector on the back with his good hand as everyone shared a smile. ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah I guess you¡¯re right.¡± The team recovered for a moment, their gazes drifting out to the far side of the ravine. Daniela referenced the device on her wrist once more, brow furrowing. ¡°We have to get across. This waypoint is straight ahead in that direction,¡± she said pointing to the other side of the expanse. ¡°I think I have an idea. Hang on, let me concentrate,¡± Caitlin chimed in as she ran to the edge of the cliff. The green-skinned teen dropped to her knees, almost in prayer, closing her eyes to focus. ¡°What¡¯s she doing?¡± Hector asked. ¡°Dunno, let''s watch and find out,¡± TJ said smartly. A tremor shook the ground beneath them and all eyes turned to Caitlin as small saplings and vines began to grow and twist out from a perimeter around her. The others looked on in awe while bright green shoots darkened into rich mahogany browns, winding and weaving together in an efficient dance that began to stretch out over the canyon. From that same structure, more boughs and trunks writhed backwards behind the group, grasping at trees and digging into the ground, anchoring and adding strength to Caitlin''s growing bridge. Caitlin''s body began to tremble a bit and a tense look grew across her face. The makeshift bridge was just barely touching the other side of the gap but it appeared Caitlin was having problems. Her breathing was more rapid and her skin had a sheen to it. The bridge seemed to groan in protest as it slammed into the other side, vines and trunks curling around stones and piercing the cliff face to secure it in place. After several more minutes, the sound of growing roots and churning soil began to wane and the bridge of plant life grew still, seeming firmly settled. Caitlin eased herself into a sitting position, winded from the exertion. Hector went to her side and offered a supporting hand. Caitlin accepted with a grateful expression and gently rose to stand beside Hector, leaning on him for support.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Caitlin, that was¡­ amazing,¡± Daniela said her eyes wide with wonder. TJ nodded his agreement while Jack approached the plant bridge, testing its strength by arching a foot out onto the intertwined vines and tree trunks and pressing down a few times. Planting his anchor on the solid ground behind him, he proceeded further along its length before giving an experimental series of jumps and hops. The bridge held him without even showing a sign of distress and he turned back to his teammates, giving the thumbs up. ¡°Seems okay,¡± he said approvingly. ¡°No time to waste, then. Cait, can you walk alright?¡± Daniela inquired, stepping onto the bridge behind Jack. Caitlin nodded. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be okay. I¡¯m just going to bring up the rear here.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay with you. We¡¯re a team after all, yeah?¡± Hector said with a smile. ¡°Let''s go,¡± TJ said curtly as he hopped onto the bridge himself. The team made it to the other side of the divide in short order, Daniela taking point again to navigate with the others trailing behind her. Foliage swallowed the candidates in a wash of colors once more as they progressed towards their goal, walking in silence until any sign of the divide and bridge behind them was replaced by the thickening forestscape. Hector looked at Caitlin, who still seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. ¡°Doin'' alright?¡± he asked with concern, noticing a small patch of what he thought might be dried blood coming from her nose. Caitlin smiled and brushed an errant lock of white hair from her face. ¡°I¡¯ll live, Hero. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± ¡°That''s my job. We only succeed if we do this together,¡± Hector replied firmly. ¡°You''re really serious about this, aren¡¯t you, Hero?¡± She said with an amused tone. ¡°It¡¯s Hector, actually.¡± Caitlin laughed, putting on a mock pout and lowering her voice an octave. ¡°So serious, mister big important man.¡± Jack and TJ shared a laugh as Hector let out a sigh. Caitlin gave him a playful shove, staggering a little as she caught a small dizzy spell, forcing Hector to support her weight. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Hero, we¡¯ll get there,¡± she said reassuringly. Hector opened his mouth, forming his words carefully. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just¡­ this is a really big deal to me. With everything my family did to support me and get me to this point¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªYou feel you owe it to them to succeed,¡± Caitlin finished for him. TJ cut in from ahead, talking over his shoulder ¡°Y''all ain''t the only one that¡¯s got something to prove. Not trying to knock you down a peg. Shoot, if anythin'' I¡¯m agreeing with ya. Hector¡¯s right we gotta go beyond.¡± ¡°Can we take like five minutes to not? My hand is friggin'' killing me,¡± Jack whined. ¡°We just started moving again and you want to stop?¡± Daniela exclaimed. ¡°But my hand really hurts. I think I broke something,¡± Jack said. Daniela pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration, her body tensing. ¡°Jack, I know we don¡¯t really know each other but come on.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not invulnerable, Daniela!¡± Jack retorted. Daniela wheeled on Jack, about to escalate the argument further before catching herself. She closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath, exhaling slowly. ¡°One hour. Can I get one more hour of marching? Then we¡¯ll take a break, okay?¡± From the back, Hector and Caitlin shared a look as TJ watched disinterested. ¡°¡­fine,¡± Jack said, a sour look on his face as they continued their pace. Caitlin frowned at the team''s exchange. The group walked in silence for the remaining hour before Daniela called for them all to stop. Jack flopped to his bottom right where he stood, letting out a relieved sigh and rubbing at his hand some more. There was still a bruised friction between him and Daniela while the group rested. Danielas skin turned to its normal caramel color, the stone like texture seeming to melt away like wax off a candle as she busied herself with the wristcom. ¡°We should say something,¡± Caitlin said, nodding matter-of-factly. ¡°Yeah, but what?¡± Hector asked. ¡°Anything. Come on Hero, you said we only succeed as a team right?¡± she said, giving him an indication with her chin. Hector nodded and stood up, clearing his throat casually as he began to speak. ¡°Alright, guys, we should real¨CHHKKHKHKHK¡­¡± Hector¡¯s eyes went wide as a strange black tendril surged down from the forest canopy and wound itself around his abdomen and neck. The others barely had time to react before Hector was wrenched bodily upwards, swallowed by the foliage above. They were too late. From out of the treeline, four new teens appeared, already charging the resting party. ¡°Oh¡­ SHIT!¡± TJ shouted as he scrambled to his feet, keeping his eyes on the aggressing team. One of the newcomers, a tall and well-muscled teen with a square jaw smacked his hands together and a rippling wave of concussive force sent Hector''s remaining companions to their backs, rolling head over heels from the blow. Daniela steadied herself against a tree, wiping a trickle of blood from her mouth with the back of her hand. ¡°THEY¡¯RE TRYING TO SPLIT US UP!¡± She hadn¡¯t had much time to shout out to the others when a second teen came leaping over a log and dropkicked her in the chest, sending her rolling again as she let out a cry of surprise. Daniela sprung to her feet as the this boy, who was glowing with a blue aura around his frame, ran to continue the clash with her. Quickly, Daniela touched at a steel ring on her left index finger, her skin beginning to take on a metallic sheen. Having what she needed, Daniela braced herself as her opponent balled up his fists and swung a double overhand strike. Daniela caught the boy''s hands and the earth beneath her quaked She pushed him backwards with a cry that sent him skidding hard against the cratered earth. He was strong ¡ª that much Daniela could see as she dug her heels in and raised her fists defensively. The boy recovered, his aura pulsing as he came in at a slower clip. He dropped low on Daniela and then delivered a quick jab to the left, keeping her on the defensive as he looked for his chance. She retaliated with a jab of her own, failing to connect as her opponent dodged out of the way. He had overcompensated, however, and now stumbled to find his footing. She ran in, charging with her shoulder and pushing him back towards the center of the fray where Caitlin and TJ defended themselves against another pulsing wave from the well-muscled boy who seemed to be the leader of their unexpected opponents. The air billowed outwards with concussive force that shook the forest filling the air with loose foliage and detritus. A boy and girl that looked to be twins were now closing in as well and Caitlin lashed out with her arms, the vines and large trunks that the gesture formed around her reacting as seamlessly as her own limbs to swat them to the ground. The pair recovered quickly but even as they began to glow brightly, gripping each other''s hands, Caitlin was the quicker. She glared at her new opponents as her vines whipped and smacked into them again, giving them no quarter. She swept her hands out wide to either side, sending the twins careening into the branches overhead, only to come crashing back down to the hard earth. ¡°Hmph,¡± Caitlin huffed satisfied as she sank gently to her knees, sweat pouring down her brow from even more exertion of her powers. Daniela caught another punch from the boy with the blue aura, pulling with a hard pivot that carried the boy over her shoulder and into the dirt. He wouldn''t be getting up anytime soon, and she ran to aid TJ as the young teen shot out gouts of flame that was rebounding off of more concussion waves. She circled around the other team''s presumed leader, watching Jack teleport behind her target, a rock in his hand as he smacked the muscular boy over the head, causing him to drop to the earth. ¡°WOO!¡± Jack hooted, throwing his hands out and crossing them in a triumphant gesture. Daniela cut his celebration short. ¡°Jack! Go find Hector!¡± Jack looked to the forest canopy and his expression dropped. ¡°Oh, right right, okay I''m on it!¡± Jack wound up and pitched his anchor to the sky, disappearing in a purple burst of light as Daniela looked around. Something wasn¡¯t adding up. ¡°You okay, Daniela? Thought we got split there for a sec,¡± TJ said. ¡°Yeah, yeah I¡¯ll be fine¡­ I was fighting this other one. The kid that glowed blue. Did you guys catch where he went?¡± Daniela asked. TJ shook his head. ¡°Me and Caitlin had our hands full.¡± Daniela looked up into the canopy as she heard the sounds of struggle coming from above them, but she had more immediate concerns. ¡°Lets make sure Cait is okay,¡± she said, rushing to Caitlin''s side. Caitlin looked worse for wear between using her powers and getting hit with the concussion waves. She had plenty of punch but there was a noticable concern on TJ''s face as he watched Daniela take care of their teammate. ¡°What else could go wrong?¡± he muttered. CHAPTER 3: CANOPY Chapter 3 Canopy Hector¡¯s vision began to blur as he felt his feet lifted from solid ground, his ascent accompanied by the loud smacking of leaves drilling into his ears before he felt the crack of a solid branch across his shoulder blades. The writhing black tendrils around him whipped forward, causing Hector¡¯s stomach to lurch and his brain to rattle inside of his cranium as he saw a large trunk rushing to meet his face. Hector summoned a pair of fist constructs around himself and impacted against the tree forming a crack across its trunk. Hector guided his constructs to wrap around the tendrils and his muscles tensed as he gave a powerful yank. He got the sense of a solid mass on the other end as he braced against a large bough. Standing and shifting his feet to gain a sense of balance, Hector wrenched again and a dark body revealed itself crashing through the foliage as its grip on Hector unraveled. He was tense as he stood, putting his fists in front of him in a defensive boxing position as he got a good look at his assailant. It wasn¡¯t so much a human form as his mind could translate but dark, ropey appendages that seemed to wind and wrap into a humanoid shape. The ¡°face¡± was made of smaller tendrils as well, putting on the facsimile of eyes, a nose, and mouth in all the correct places. The hairs on Hector''s neck were at attention as his opponent''s appendages coiled in preparation for another strike. The ground quaked briefly sending a cascade of leaves around Hector and his opponent, obscuring their view of each other. Inhumanly fast black tendrils whipped out at Hector again, batting and swatting at his fist constructs. The tendrils connected with ringing tension against Hectors constructs as the two dueled to cause the other to lose their footing or make a mistake. Hector balled up his right construct as he blocked with his left still open palm, swinging so hard there was a whistle of air as the fist connected with a solid crash into the central mass of tendrils. The tendrils unspooled from their humanoid shape, looking more like a mess of wriggling worms as the form bounded and bounced, reaching out to steady itself against any branch it could grab like some kind of macabre spiderweb. They snaked from the writhing core, taking a solid hold at either side while others reached further back behind it. The coils tightened, flexing the boughs it gripped as it aimed to propel itself forward, finally releasing the tension like a slingshot at Hector. Hector¡¯s left construct grappled with the mass as it was caught, and Hector focused his right on doing the dirty work, sinking punch after punch into it. He couldn¡¯t tell if he was doing anything to incapacitate his opponent, but he kept up his attack. The tendrils managed to gain purchase through the grip of the constructs and wrapped around Hector¡¯s arm, pulling and causing him to stumble. Hector pinwheeled his arms as his constructs began to fade and he found more and more of the tendrils wrapped around him. His right-hand construct disappeared while he focused on maintaining his left, pushing against the tendrils'' iron grip. Hector pivoted on his feet, bringing his foe along for the ride as he slammed it against the same tree trunk he was pushed into earlier, returning the favor. The tendrils flopped and went limp, slithering down the tree trunk to regroup. Hector slid down after them, leaping from branch to branch attempting to pursue but the thing was much faster than he was. He lost sight of it, and the canopy became very still and quiet. Biting his inner lip, Hector made his way back to the ground below. It was slow work and he felt eyes on him as he shuffled and climbed. Whatever or whoever that mass was, it had brought Hector far out of his element. He focused on his balance, aiming for larger, sturdy boughs that brought him down at a slow and deliberate pace. Hector tensed when he saw some sort of stick clatter among some lower branches before a purple burst of light caused him to jump in shock. BLINK! Jack steadied himself as he grabbed his anchor and looked for another good place to lob the trusty teleport stick when he saw Hector in the branches above him. ¡°Hey! Hector man, are you okay? What was that thing that grabbed you?¡± Jack asked. Hector gave a shushing gesture but Jack couldn¡¯t see through the obscuring branches and the falling leaves. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hector threw his hands in the air. ¡°Jack, that thing isn¡¯t down for the count yet!¡± ¡°What thing?¡± Jack asked. No sooner did he finish the sentence than a large black tendril whipped around the trunk of the tree, constricting him tight against it as his eyes went wide in fear and shock. ¡°HOLY SHIT!¡± Jack gave his anchor a casual toss as he blinked out of existence, the constricting tendril snapping through the vacated space into the trunk, causing more leaves to dance. He reappeared a few inches away on the same branch. Hector slid down gripping onto a branch with one hand as he swung a large construct fist at the tendrils purchase, causing it to crack and break as the main mass of tendrils danced into the treeline above them. ¡°HOLY. SHIT. DUDE.¡± Jack exclaimed again as the mass surged downwards. ¡°I told you!¡± Hector shouted as he brought his open palmed construct above them to shield them from the tendril body''s landing. The impact caused the entire tree branch to shake precariously as the tendrils crashed against Hector¡¯s construct. A fierce wiggling mass reached out and around as Jack yelled over the din of the fight. ¡°Hit it! Hit it, dammit!¡± ¡°RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAGH!¡± Hector shouted as he closed his palm and turned heel-toe on the branch, throwing the tentacled being through the forest, the sounds of cracking branches fading into the distance. Breathing heavily, Hector slumped against the tree trunk as he recovered from the fight. He ran his hands through his hair , sucking in a gasp of pain as he noticed several cuts and abrasions on his arms. Jack saw Hectors injuries as well. ¡°Hector man, you going to be okay?¡± Jack asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ That thing hit like a truck.¡± Jack frowned as he guided Hector down to a lower branch. ¡°Alright, well don¡¯t worry I¡¯m not going anywhere. Let¡¯s just focus on getting back to the ground.¡± The two continued shimmying, hopping, and leaping until after a few long and hazardous minutes, they made their way to the base of the forest again. Hector stopped when he hit the ground and leaned against the tree for support as he scanned his surroundings.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Where are the others?¡± Hector asked. ¡°Dani took Caitlin and TJ up the path a little bit here. Cait kicked some serious ass but isn¡¯t looking so good.¡± Jack answered. ¡°Her powers?¡± Jack shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know man, but I guess between the bridge and the fight with that other team it just¡­ knocked her out.¡± Hector checked his wristcom device, fiddling through a few interfaces before he found what appeared to be some sort of tracking function. ¡°Nice, I think I found them,¡± he said turning his body to align with three dots on the display indicating Caitlin, Daniela, and TJ. ¡°Man, these things are cool,¡± Jack said as he followed next to Hector. ¡°No doubt.¡± ¡°Hey Hector, you think we got an honest shot? Like, with this whole trials thing?¡± Jack jerked his thumb behind him. ¡°Because that scrap with that¡­ thing, that was some ''Lord of the Flies'' shit, man. That alpha was trying to kill you.¡± Hector shrugged as he adjusted his course to follow the moving dots. ¡°Think about what we¡¯re all fighting for here, man. To be a Guardian. That¡¯s huge for not just me. The stipend they pay you, man my family can finally afford a house.¡± Jack shifted as he aimed to reply but Hector continued, ¡°¡­ and like, to be real, man. I want to be a hero more than anything, Guardian or not. We¡¯ve seen first hand what some of those guys can do. What impact one person who gives a damn has on the world. Doctor Spectre cured cancer before he ever fought The Lunarian. El Santo down in Mexico on goodwill missions trying to clean up the mess the cartels have left. And what about Amnesty during the tsunamis a few years back?¡± Hector took a breath. ¡°They run towards trouble and it¡¯s not about just fighting other people with superpowers, the fame, or the glory. That¡¯s the type of hero ¨C shoot, that¡¯s the type of man I want to be.¡± The sound of clapping caused Hector and Jack to tense before Daniela made her presence known, a fox-like smile on her face as TJ carried an unconscious Caitlin behind her. ¡°That was beautiful, Hector,¡± Daniela said, a look of respect in her eyes. ¡°Wasn¡¯t anything special,¡± Hector replied, his cheeks turning red. TJ spoke up this time. ¡°This is cute and all, but Caitlin ain¡¯t exactly fightin¡¯ fit right now and my arms are hurtin¡¯.¡± ¡°What happened to Caitlin?¡± Hector asked with concern as he went to check on her. ¡°Not really sure. When we got into that fight with the other team she started kicking all sorts of ass and then¡­ plop,¡± Jack said, making a toppling gesture with his good hand. TJ nodded ¡°She might not be able to use her power so much one after another, which means now we got dead weight.¡± ¡°Dead weight? This is a teammate,¡± Daniela stressed gesturing at Caitlin¡¯s form as Hector took her from TJ and propped her against the base of a tree. ¡°Look, it¡¯s cool and all ya¡¯ll think this is some sort of pow-wow event. But I got places to be and I¡¯m not letting some anemic green chick blow my shot!¡± ¡°Blow your shot?! She¡¯s a human fricken being you¡­ you asshole!¡± ¡°I¡¯m the asshole?! Newsflash Daniela, if we don¡¯t get to the finish line, WE ALL FAIL!¡± TJ screamed. Daniela paced forward and stood over TJ, locking eyes with him as she crossed her arms. ¡°Either we all cross that line, or none of us do. After that, you never have to see or speak to us again. But this race isn''t over until its over¡­¡± Her next words came out as an intense whisper. ¡°So knuckle up.¡± TJ¡¯s face contorted in anger and frustration. He opened his mouth to say more but let out a stressed huff as he stalked off. ¡°Whatever,¡± was all he said as he waited for the others to pick themselves up. ¡°Look, I know Caitlin¡¯s in a bad way, Daniela but the rest of us aren¡¯t much better. Do we keep going orrr¡­?¡± Jack shrugged his shoulders to enunciate his point. ¡°We have to, Jack.¡± Daniela said as she checked her wristcom. Hector nodded with a determined look as he picked up and cradled Caitlin, following after Daniela. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right I guess,¡± Jack said as he brought up the rear. ¡°Does your map tell us how close we are?¡± Hector asked as he adjusted his grip on his comrade. ¡°Sort of. I can tell you our little location indicators here are closer and the destination on the map is larger, so things are looking pretty good overall,¡± Daniela said as she closed her wristcom. The terrain began to angle downwards into a sharp decline. Daniela, TJ, and Jack started a tentative descent but even as they traversed a few yards down the slope, Hector stopped at the top, judging the best route down with Caitlin in hand. TJ stole a look backwards before putting his back to Hector, focusing on his own descent. Daniela studied the path ahead when she saw Hector¡¯s predicament. ¡°Maybe try scooting down on your butt?¡± she suggested Hector nodded as he slowly got into a sitting position, Caitlin on his lap. ¡°I¡¯m not really feeling this.¡± ¡°Just go¡± Daniela shouted. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Hector scooted down the hill, using his feet as brakes, pushing off and around larger trees like an awkward pinball. It was slow going and the added weight of Caitlin made the ride down all the more a hazard, but Hector manager to get safely to the bottom with Caitlin none the worse for wear. ¡°Not to much further now guys, and I think I see something up ahead¡± Daniela said as she squinted her eyes and scanned the horizon. The others quickly gathered themselves and followed after Daniela As the trees thinned, the roof of alarge, white structure rose into view. Daniela paused to check her wristcom. Jack and TJ followed suitwhile Hector craned his neck to get a look at one of the displays, his own hands thoroughly occupied. Their navigation functions all indicated that this building up ahead was their objective. As they got closer the treeline began to break to an open field, and the group could see other Alpha teams appearing far off from other parts of the forest. "Shit..." Daniela said as she saw the Alphas now all dashing, running, and flying to the white building. "SHIT, GUYS COME ON!" she said picking up the pace. "But what about Cait" Hector said as he tried to keep pace with the group, aching between his injuries and the exertion. TJ arched his back forward as the sound of bones crunching and sinew popping heralded another transformation from the teen. Two large growths ripped outwards violently beforeforming into a pair of large wings that flapped once with a gust of wind. The others tried to hide thier looks of disgust as TJ reached his hands out with a grimexpression on his face "Ill do it..I''ll take her" "You? Seriously?" Daniela said TJ gave an angry growl "Look, just...just trust me okay?!" Hector looked back and forth between Daniela and TJ, weighing the situation, before reluctantly setting Caitlin''s limp form into TJ''s waiting arms. The winged alpha adjusted his grip on his unconscious teammate as he readied himself. "Meet us there, okay?" Jack grinned "Bet" TJ took off with Caitlin in tow, soaring across the open grass field at an increasing clip with each flap of his large wings. Hector, Daniela and Jack all took off after him as explosions and shouts could now be heard around them as the Alphas all converged on the building. Hectors lungs burned with the stress of pushing himself, and he could feel himself falling behind Daniela and Jack. A large explosion like a landmine had gone off and sent him staggering to the side as loose dirt and grass showered him. He thought he could hear Daniela call out in pain but his vision was blurred from the blast, the field was turning into an all out war zone. As his vision cleared Hector could see Daniela had some sort of injury on his shoulder, but she and Jack were still moving. Hector continued after them, barely dodging what looked like a line of electrical energy that erupted off to his right. The smell of ozone jarred his senses and he forced himself to keep running, seeing that that at the base of the white structure which now looked to be some kind of military compound TJ had Cait resting against one of its walls and he was shouting to the others. Jack was proving faster than he looked, faster than most olympic level sprinters as he tore across the open field. With the last several feet a few teleporting hops got him to TJ and Cait, and his wristcom seemed to flash briefly blue with some kind of indication tone. Hector caught up to Daniela as they closed in, they could hear TJ and Jack shouting for them over the din of battle as more candidate Alphas finished their own sprints and dashes. With a final cry of effort Hector smacked his hand against the wall of the compound, and his wristcom flashed as Daniela connected a moment after him. The Guardian A.I''s voice from earlier spoke. [Hector Nunez] Hector wearily looked at his wrist as it continued. [Candidate Position 0087, Phase 2 trial completed. Advancement: Confirmed] CHAPTER 4: THE SCIENTIST, THE HERO, AND THE GODDESS Chapter 4 THE SCIENTIST, THE HERO, AND THE GODDESS Hector¡¯s eyes went wide at the Guardian A.I¡¯s proclamation, he had made it. He let out an exhalation of relief as he slumped against the wall of the white compound. He was filthy, he was just starting to realize as he looked at his arms still caked in dirt and cuts. There was some significant wear and tear on the uniform he was given, and some dark grass stains from scooting down that hill with Caitlin in tow. ¡°HECTOR!¡± he heard Daniela shout, waking him from his reverie. ¡°Come on, we gotta out out of here!¡± ¡°What?¡± Hector said as he glanced around, realizing that there were still a horde of Alphas all fighting to hit the waypoint. TJ pointed at one Alpha that had lost his footing while fire was streaming from his hands, the burst of flame now arcing in a wave towards the group ¡°Oh SHI-¡± The rest of his exclamation was lost in the roar of the flames as they surged closer, Hector summoned a pair of fist constructs that reverberated with a percussion tone against the hungry flames. As quickly as they flames had started the fountain of flame stopped as the Alpha deactivated their powers making a dash for the compound. From behind Hectors impromptu shield Jack shouted over the din. ¡°I really thought we were dead there¡± ¡°Who the hell is in charge of this anyway? I thought there were safety measures in place.¡± Daniela said as she clutched Caitlin close to her chest. ¡°Did anyone see a door or a place to hide?¡± ¡°No, but maybe on the other side?¡± Hector suggested ¡°It¡¯s gotta be better than staying here right?¡± ¡°He¡¯s right¡± TJ as he craned his neck ¡°Come on let''s see if we can get around the corner¡± With TJ in the lead the group followed behind him, keeping one side of them to the compound with Daniela holding Caitlin in the middle. Above them from the compound several apertures opened along the buildings sides as a voice now spoke over all of their wristcoms. [Phase 2 is completed, please cease aggressive action at this time] ¡°Really? That''s it?¡± Jack said looking at his wrist baffled. TJ reached back and tugged at Jacks sleeve, pointing up at the apertures ¡°I don¡¯t think that''s it.¡± A low mechanical hum echoed from the opening of the apertures, like the sound of a formula one racer run through a modulated speaker. Flying out like warrior drones from a beehive, several basketball sized chrome spheres flew around the battlefield, repeating the same message to some Alphas that might carried on their contests of violence. To those that carried on the spheres fired beams of white energy that seemed to encapsulate the more rowdy teen Alphas in a state of suspended animation. ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s one way to do it¡± Jack commented rubbing at his chin. TJ gave him a baleful look. The wristcoms chirped once again and this time the Guardian A.I. made itself manifest it¡¯s opulscent human-like visage. [Candidate Teams, if you could proceed to the nearest open entryway, we have staff at the ready to tend to you. Consider this a rest period, and congratulations on your advancement] ¡°A rest period? How much more are we going to go through?¡± Jack asked Near the group a doorway had opened in the side of the building, cool refreshing air breathed outwards onto them. They each shared a look with each other, before Hector looked at Caitlin still be cradled now in Danielas arms. He took the first step forwards and into the white complex, the rest following after. === Dr.Belic turned swiveled around in her chair ¡°All Candidates are being processed and cared for Ma¡¯am¡± ¡°You can still call me Sara when we¡¯re not in the field you know Ruth¡± Decibel said with a wiry smile as she studied her own set of monitors from a standing command station.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. The computer nerve center of Guardian Facility Epsilon was running a light crew today, but nothing that they couldn¡¯t handle. Aside from the various support drones and minor staff, there was also the Guardian A.I. that Doc Spectre had installed in the complex to help keep everything running ship shape. ¡°Artemis, can you make sure to send out some cleanup for the canvas green please¡± Dr. Belic said as her fingers typed away at a keyboard. Artemis¡¯ voice echoed inside of the command center. [Of course Dr. Belic] Dr. Ruth Belic was a late addition to the Guardian trials, with this being only her third curating. She had come with glowing recommendations from her peers, both superhuman and mundane. Originally she studied Alpha sciences underneath Pavel Laghari during his initial development of the Laghari Scale that measures Alpha¡¯s potential. After a few academic papers she was hired by the Guardians as a scientific consultant, and had even worked in the field for a time when her own Alpha abilities had manifested under the Codename of Oculus. A torn Achilles tendon had put most of those aspirations on hold, but she had found another calling in working with Decibel at Facility Epsilon. Decibel in many ways could be seen as the opposite of Dr. Belic. Where Dr.Belic was petite and blond Decibel was tall and brunette. She was an easily recognizable face amongst the Guardians North American line-up, sometimes nicknamed the ¡°Scream Queen¡± by the staff at Epsilon due to her tendency to use her sonic based powers during her dicipline of staff and cadets. Even before he Alpha abilities had manifested in college, Sara had always wanted to be an educator. Using her stipend by serving on the Guardians she finished getting her Masters in Education and had brought to bear a lot of good policy changes in the Guardians recruitment method that garnered a lot of good PR for the organization. [Decibel something requires your attention] Artemis¡¯ voice toned. Decibel waved her arm in front of a screen in front of her, light illuminating and bringing up a hard light interface to interact with. A small avatar displayed in front of her in soft shades of blue, depicting a woman in ancient Greek clothing and armor with two deer antlers growing past her brow line. Artemis had taken to her namesake, and Decibel couldn¡¯t help but be amused at the A.I¡¯s interpretation of the Goddess of the Hunt. ¡°What do you have for me Artemis?" Decibel asked. [One of the Candidates, Caitlin McGrath did not enter the waypoint under her own volition. Bio-readings from her suit and wristcom indicate the Candidate had lost consciousness and was carried by one of her teammates, Tyson Jolie] Decibel watched as surveillance footage played of Caitlins feats so far, arching an intrigued eyebrow at her construction of the vegetation bridge. She gave a soft smile and closed the video screen, looking to Artemis. ¡°That¡¯s fine Artemis, she¡¯s still within acceptable parameters.¡± The A.I seemed confused as it straightened its holographic posture [If I may speak freely Ma¡¯am?] ¡°You now you don¡¯t have to ask Artemis, what¡¯s on your mind?¡± [I feel that I must protest, the Candidate in question did not reach the waypoint and thus did not meet the conditions laid out for her advancement.] Decibel shared an amused look with Dr.Belic, before sliding over a high-backed leather office chair and settling into it, the projected interface sinking to her new vantage point.¡°Well you¡¯re right and wrong in this scenario Artemis¡± [I¡¯m sorry but I don¡¯t understand, can you elaborate?] ¡°Of course, by the conditions that were designed for this trial you¡¯re correct in that Miss McGrath did not reach the waypoint under her own power.¡± Decibel said, rewinding some new footage in a window to show the A.I. ¡°But look here, her team decided that even with her being incapacitated they would soldier on.¡± she waited a moment, but Artemis only waited politely for Decibel to continue. ¡°We recruit from a very large pool, with a very diverse melting pot of candidates from all over the globe. Really, you¡¯ll never know what¡¯s going to happen but there is more to recruiting a Guardian than just their ability to pass our tests¡± [You are referring to her team aiding her?] ¡°Correct, that shows some real courage and character from the rest of her team. Qualities that I feel should be rewarded and nurtured. While I value your opinion Artemis, I¡¯m going to pull a little rank here. Miss McGrath is cleared to advance with her team, after some medical attention of course.¡± Artemis nodded, perhaps not in understanding but acknowledgement of Decibels words. [I will have to think on this situation so that I can learn from it, your orders are confirmed Decibel] ¡°Is there anything else that needs my attention?¡± [At the moment, nothing] ¡°Alright, thank you Artemis¡± she dismissed her interface and ran her hands through her hair. ¡°You¡¯re getting softer in your old age¡± Dr.Belic commented cheekily as she regarded Decibel over her glasses. Decibel stood and walked around to her workstation, giving no indication at Dr.Belics comment. ¡°How are the final hundred looking?¡± She asked as she watched some video feed of the Candidates getting attention. Dr. Belic checked a nearby tablet, tapping it¡¯s surface and scrolling ¡°For the most part great, outside of a few minor injuries that can be treated with Omni-Gel everyone¡¯s in one piece. It¡¯s going to be an interesting class this year.¡± ¡°Well, from here on out they pass or fail on their own terms. ¡° Decibel stood and made her way to the door. ¡°Hold down the fort for me, I¡¯m going to go and speak to the Candidates.¡± she exited into a small hallway that lead to the main elevator past some smaller clerical offices. Dr. Belic gave a lazy salute and turned back to her monitors ¡°You can count on me Sara.¡± Decibel nodded her thanks as she made her way to the main elevator, a small smile on her face. CHAPTER 5: TREMOR Chapter 5 Tremor The inside of Facility Epsilon seemed to be structured closer to modern tech campus than a facility for superhumans, the first floor a wide common area that already had some makeshift triage stations set up as well as waiting staff to aid the Candidates. Hector gave Daniela a light nudge and indicated with his chin to the closest Facility staff member who was already making a line to the group when they saw Caitlin in Daniela¡¯s arms. The staff member called for a gurney which Daniela lowered Cait onto. ¡°What happened?¡± asked a staff member, who¡¯s name badge read Oscar. ¡°She¡¯s been unconscious for awhile, we think she might have overexerted herself.¡± Daniela replied. Oscar was already setting up an IV and retrieved a tablet, a small light glowed softly over Caitlin before some information displayed that Oscar browsed through. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look to be anything critical thankfully, she should be good to go looks like she has a higher metabolic rate than normal but nothing we can¡¯t handle.¡± ¡°Can we stay with her?¡± Hector asked. ¡°Looks like you could use your own check-up there bud.¡± Oscar said looking at Hectors injured arms. ¡°Nothing that some omni-gel won¡¯t be able to take care of though, you ever been treated with it before?¡± Oscar asked as he put on a pair of latex gloves and retrieved a tube containing a milky blue liquid on the inside. Hector shook his head ¡°No sir¡± ¡°Alrighty well let''s get rid of these sleeves here¡± Oscar said taking surgery sheers to Hectors arms. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the uniform we can get you a replacement before you guys continue.¡± He began liberally smearing the gel on Hectors arms which was pleasantly cool against his skin. After the initial contact there was a numbing sensation and the lingering pain Hector had been fighting through went from fiery to dull hum. ¡°Wow, that feels a lot better¡± Hector said Oscar gave a smile ¡°Let that sit for a few more minutes and then you can wash your arms, bathrooms are over to the right you can¡¯t miss them.¡± he said with a quick point of his index finger. ¡° I¡¯m going to go check on the other Candidates but I¡¯ll be back shortly alright?¡± ¡°Sounds good, thank you¡± Daniela said. After Oscar left, the gang found some folding chairs being given out and made themselves a small spot near Caitlins triage. The other candidates around them all seemed to be keeping to themselves mostly and there was a low buzz of conversation filling the facility. ¡°What happens now?¡± Jack asked the group, with nothing better to do he was idly playing with some wooden tongue depressors that he had found at a table by Caitlins bedside. ¡°Looks like they¡¯re giving us a chance to recover¡± Daniela said looking over to Caitlin with a sympathetic glance ¡°Though I wonder what else they could be testing us on at this point?¡± ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll have to fight each other again¡± TJ said, looking around at the other Alphas like the team was going to be jumped. ¡°They sure wanted some blood drawn before this point.¡± ¡°Yeah I guess, but it doesn¡¯t add up. The situation had to be under some kind of control, I mean think about how quickly those drones were deployed that were freezing people in place¡± Hector said. Daniela raised a finger ¡°Actually they weren¡¯t being frozen, I¡¯m pretty sure that was zero-point energy being used out there. Doc Spectre and his company pretty much handle all of the Guardians tech¡± ¡°You know a lot about this stuff huh?¡± Jack said as he balanced another depressor on the tip of his finger. Daniela smiled ¡°Yeah I get kind of obsessed with things sometimes and my parents made me do a lot of studying when I prepped for the trials. Can¡¯t say it hasn¡¯t come in handy though!¡± Hector arched his back as he stretched in his chair ¡°Man now I feel like I¡¯m behind, I didn¡¯t study or nothing I just sorta...showed up¡± he said smiling cheekily ¡°Guess I got lucky with you guys as my team huh?¡± ¡°Let''s hope we stay together¡± TJ said crossing his arms ¡°Until we get some kind of official word, we¡¯re still in our trial you know?¡± Jacked nodded ¡°Not that I like to agree with grumpy pants here but he¡¯s right.¡± A small groan from Caitlin drew their attention, Daniela got up to check on her. Caitlins eyes flickered open and closed a few times and she was trying to sit up. Daniela looked to Jack and TJ ¡°Go see if you can find Oscar.¡± Jack gave an okay with his hand before grimacing in pain ¡°Crapppp that¡¯s still injured¡± The others gave him a look ¡°Right, Oscar, find him.¡± he said and took off into the crowd. Hector stood on the opposite side of Caitlins bed from Daniela. ¡°Hey Cait, you feeling alright? Maybe lay down until we can get someone to check you.¡± Caitlin rubbed at her eyes, forcing herself into an upright position even after Danielas protesting body langauge. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be okay Hero, I just had a pretty good nap after all.¡± she said giving an impish grin The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Hector shook his head ¡°You really had some of us worried¡± Cait waved it off with her hand ¡°Nah, you don¡¯t have to worry too much. Making that bridge is really what did me in. It¡¯s really hard to grow that much plant life without getting really exhausted afterwards.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re already looking a lot better¡± ¡°I¡¯m feeling a lot better, though I could definitely use a snack. Is there anything to eat around here?¡± Caitlin said looking at the various medical odds and ends around her. Daniela smiled with an exasperated expression. Jack and TJ returned with Oscar, the latter checking Caitlins vitals on his tablet ¡°Well, we might want to give you another look over later but I think you¡¯ll live¡± he said smiling. Caitlin laughed ¡°Thanks for taking care of me, and I don¡¯t want to sound ungrateful but is there any food anywhere?¡± Oscar nodded ¡°Here I have some granola bars if that¡¯s okay? There should be some catering coming soon¡± he added, putting a few bars by Caitlins stand. She eagerly tore at the first wrapper and began munching with vigor. A chime sounded from the Facilities speakers and Artemis voice spoke. A hologram of her avatar appeared floating above the candidates, looking at them with kind eyes. Jack nudged TJ ¡°Check it that looks like the A.I. from our wrist things.¡± [Congratulations and hello Candidates, I am Artemis and I am the Guardian sanctioned A.I. of facility Epsilon] she walked on an invisible plane, with a streak of light accompanying each of her movements and waning into a short trail. [Our Facility Director, Decibel would like to tell you about the next stage in your trial if you would draw your attention behind me.] From behind Artemis¡¯ avatar a woman floated down from an upper terrace, a vibrational hum emanating from her that shook the air. Decibel had worn her most up to date outfit, a tight fitting uniform padded with armor plating in shades of blue, black, and gold. Hanging off of her hip was a blue and gold sash that seemed to move with it¡¯s own independent grace. She cleared her throat and focused on projecting her sound waves to fill the entire space. ¡°Alright Candidates, I know you all can hear me and I don¡¯t like repeating myself so listen up.¡± she said standing straight as she surveyed the room. ¡°Whether you were part of the one hundred who made it here, or whether you¡¯ll soon be leaving us, I want you to be proud of what you have accomplished to this point. From here forward, the real work is about to begin.¡± There was a small wave of whispers from the crowd but with a crisp clear of Decibels throat was enough to bring them back to attention. ¡°Two hours from now we are going to start individual evaluations, during which we will decide if you are fit to go from Candidates to Cadets. To those of you who did not pass the second stage, there are still other oppurtunities open to you that we can discuss with your families. For now all of you can rest, eat, and recover. Those who did not pass there will be shuttles provided back to the surface. When Artemis calls your name you will head to your designated evaluation room which will be on this floor. That''s all for now, and I look forward to seeing who here will be part of our program after this day. Thank you.¡± The whispers rose until it was closer to a dull roar as Decibel turned and began conversing with some of the facility staff. Shortly after large tables of food where wheeled out and a small buffet line began to form as the Candidates lined up for a meal. Hector and his team had made themselves comfortable around Caitlins space and were all talking to themselves, catching the eye of Decibel as she made her way back to the command center. After a quick trip back up the elevator she caught Dr.Belics gaze as she settled into her chair. ¡°How¡¯d I do?¡± Dr. Belic shrugged ¡°Not bad, I mean it wasn¡¯t GREAT but it wasn¡¯t bad¡± Decibel let out a huff ¡°Well next time you can give the speech then¡± she said snarkily. ¡°How are they looking? The kids.¡± ¡°Tired and stressed, some are looking better than others.¡± [Decibel, I have a priority one call coming through on the emergency line] Decibel sat up as and paced to her own station ¡°Send it through.¡± A video screen displayed in front of her showing what looked to be a destroyed and damaged command center not unlike her own. A man wearing a support staff uniform and bleeding badly from one shoulder displayed on the screen. ¡°H-hello? This Duncan from the ancillary station on the surface do you read?¡± he was shouting over large crashes and gunfire. ¡°This is Decibel from Epsilon what¡¯s wrong Duncan?¡± she asked, her hands gripping her desk white knuckled. ¡°We¡¯re under atta-¡± The screen went dark and displayed a large TRANSMISSION LOST image, Dr.Belic looked with a panicked expression to Decibel. Several other warnings and messages began to sound as Decibel called out to Artemis. ¡°Artemis, initiate Lockdown protocols NOW!" CHAPTER 6: PLOTS AND PLANS Chapter 6 Plots and Plans ¡°No, you¡¯re out of mind¡± Bulldozer said , draining the remaining half of his beer before slamming the empty stein to the bar counter. He adjusted his blocky domino mask as Eclipse and Hardstone let out a sigh of exasperation. He adjusted his dusky overalls and wiped some dribbling beer from his beard on his sleeve, the bar stool creaking underneath the muscle bound Alphas considerable mass. Bulldozer was almost as wide as he was tall, and it was a credit to modern carpentry that the stools held his weight at all. Even from a distance he gave off a "not to be fucked with" vibe, with his large hairy arms and broad muscled body and arms sending the rest of the message. For the better part of two hours Eclipse and his partner Hardstone had been trying to recruit Bulldozer for their heist with beer and bar food. The large bruiser had come highly recommended from a few of Hardstones contacts, but he was playing hard to get. Hardstone tilted her mouth and gave Bulldozer a friendly pat on the back as she and Eclipse retreated to a nearby table. This was only one of several such villain bars operating across the united state, a shabby and untidy hole in the wall that had more room for standing then sitting. Neon signage over the bar buzzed in crimson lettrs displaying the name "Secret Lair", the bartender and owner Jefferson thought it was clever. Bulldozer rapped his knuckles on the wooden counter and Jefferson quickly slid him a full stein with practiced ease. The alpha moved his head back towards the duo behind him as he spoke to the bartender "Still on their tab, yeah?" Jefferson nodded his balding head as he set about tending to his other patrons. Eclipse rubbed his tempels in a circular motion, his expression mostly unreadable underneath his blackout mask. ¡°Well, now what?¡± Hardstone gave a quirky smile, she never bothered with a mask, far too many high profile acts of domestic terrorism for that at this point. The rest of her outfit looked like it had been assembeled mostly from military surplus. Black boots, fatigues, and a sleeveless top with elbow-length fingerless gloves all in shades of black and purple. She retrieved her cellphone from one of the pouches on her belt. ¡°Hardball¡± she said with a wink as her thumbs set to work on the screen. ¡°You see Bulldozer and my friend Corona used to be an item, I heard the breakup was...messy¡± she giggled as she sent her text, rubbing at the side of her shaved head with a frantic motion. Eclipsed cocked his head, intrigued as not more than a few moments later Hardstones phone buzzed. He had known the villainess most of his criminal career, ever since he had first gotten his powers nine years back and in many ways she had stuck to him like glue. In this particular line of work there wasn¡¯t much weight in loyalty, yet somehow Hardstone had stuck to him like glue. Apparently she was the kind of glue that would stick to anybody, and was a consistent asset for Eclipse when it came to knowing the right people for the job. Hardstone let out another impish cackle as she stowed her phone and jerked her thumb over her shoulder ¡°Round two?¡± Eclipse shrugged ¡°Sure.¡± He got up with steady and stoic movement, adjusting his black duster with equally black leather gloves. He walked with measured movements, each step taken carefully as he slid his arms into the duster. The villain gave off an aura of mysterious lethality, all of his body language practiced and precise in a way that implied a lethality honed by years of dark work. Even as he flanked Bulldozers right side there was a presence Eclipse that the mans time was valuable and his meaning distinct if someone tried anything. He tended to leave a wide berth in most crowds, the bar being no exception. Hardstone rounded back to Bulldozers left, taking the lead this time as she danced her fingers up his hairy muscular arm. ¡°Bulldozer ol¡¯ buddy, you never told me you were a cook¡± she cooed into his ear. The man''s body stiffened slightly, and Eclipse couldn¡¯t help but smile underneath his mask. Hardstone was always quick to get results and right now she was in her element. ¡°I heard you were trying to open your own place, have a nice little corner kitchen where you can go straight and make an honest living¡± she rubbed his shoulders playfully ¡°Going to need some startup capital for something like that big guy.¡± Bulldozer grunted into his beer glass as he sipped at it, his long hair masking most of his face. ¡°Oh come on Dozer!¡± Hardstone squealed as she leaned in on him ¡°It¡¯s a smash and grab, and we need your smash!¡± she said punching her hand. ¡°This is the last job you¡¯ve been waiting for, your golden goose.¡± Eclipse decided to step in at this point, grabbing a pen and scrawling a onto a cocktail napkin before sliding it in front of Bulldozer. The large man''s eyes glanced down, grabbing the tiny napkin and bringing it closer to his face. Bulldozer sighed and clenched his fist around the napkin. ¡°A Guardian facility huh?¡± Hardstone nodded ¡°Yep!¡± He turned to look at Eclipse, ignoring Hardstones outburst. ¡°This number for real? Because people who haven¡¯t paid me, they have a bad time breathing after I fold them in half.¡± Eclipse passed over the inquirery, turning his experionless visage to the bartender. He tapped at the bar counter and held up three fingers. Jefferson poured a brown liquor into three clean glasses that stood in stark contrast to the bartenders paler skin. Eclipse had to give the man credit, he knew his patrons and what they liked no matter how long it had been since their last visit. Best of all was he understood the implicit trust at an establishment such as this, and what would happen to him or his family if that trust was ever broken. Theglasses landed in front of the villains and Eclipse raised his glass high ¡°To the start of a lucrative partnership¡± he toasted. Hardstone shot hers into the air next to her partners with a gleeful giggle. ¡°You better hope so¡± Bulldozer said, clinking his glass with the others. === A few hours later, Eclipse and Hardstone spilled out into the cool night air. Hardstone still recovering from several pints shared with Bulldoozer, while Eclipise had elected for the rest of the dark liquor bottle from Jeffersons stock. The door to the bar swung closed behind them and a solid brick wall shimmered into view, perfectly camouflaging it in the surrounding Newark alleyway. AS they headed for the street, Eclipse fished a pack of cigarettes from his coat and plucked one out, lifting up the bottom of his mask to facilitate its enjoyment. A stubble of five o clock shadow beginning to show on his chiseled jaw, and he licked at his chapped lips as he lit the cigartte and rounded the corner with Hardstone on his heels. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°See, he wasn¡¯t that hard of a sell.¡± she said, bumming a cigarette off her friend. Eclipse held up his lighter to her face as she inhaled deeply, the cherry briefly casting her features in a soft warm glow. Eclipse stuck his hands in his coats pockets as he paused at the street corner. ¡°You say that, but we¡¯ve lost a lot of time and money on this guy.¡± he said tersely, cigratte bobbing up and down as he clutched it in his mouth. The villainess was back on her phone, thumbs quick at work as she replied without looking up from her screen. ¡°Look, good help doesn¡¯t come cheap and you¡¯re asking us to risk some serious jail-time. You told me who we''re stealing for, but haven¡¯t even told me what it is we¡¯re stealing.¡± She flicked some ash away from the cigarette clutched in between her fingers not at work on her phone. ¡°That stays confidential, for now.¡± he said as he pulled the cigaette away after a long drag. ¡°We still need someone who can crack Guardian security.¡± ¡°Geez, all business with you this time huh?¡± Hardstone said putting one hand on her hip, the other rubbing the butt against the bottom of her boot. ¡°You seem tense Eclipse, well, more tense than usual. You feeling alright?¡± Eclipse waved off her question ¡°There¡¯s a lot to do and our window to plan is minimal. Do we have a destination?¡± ¡°Yeah, looks like we¡¯re going to Chicago. There¡¯s an Alpha out there that might want the job, thing is she hasn¡¯t done much in the field. You remember that data leak a few months back when the mediterranean Guardians had their identities revealed?¡± ¡°That was her?¡± Eclipse asked as he dropped his butt to the ground. Hardstone nodded ¡°She failed her Guardian trials and has had a chip on her shoulder ever since, might be a way to sweeten the pot for her.¡± ¡°Chicago it is, ready?¡± Eclipse said as he unzipped his coat and fanned it out wide, using the street lights to cast a wide shadow. ¡°Yep!¡± Eclipse focused his power and the umbral hue of his shadow darkened to a deep and inky black, the usual haze swallowed into total opacity. Hardstone approached the edge of shadow, sitting down and swinging her legs into it like entering a swimming pool. Her legs disappeared into the inky blackness and she pinched her nose before submerging entirely into the murky blackness and completely vanishing. ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that¡± he said to the open air, shaking his head as he quickly sank into the feet of his shadow from the street corner. === The trip from New Jersey to Illinois didn''t take more than a few minutes, with Eclipse and Hardstone rising out of the dark shadows of the tree''s in Millennium Park, near the infamous Cloud Gate. It was mercifully vacant due to the colder weather in Chicago and the two supervillains soon made their way with the help of Eclipses shadow jumpting to a south side neighborhood. In front of them was an aging and dilalapidated apartment complex, looking faintly like the skeleton of something once great thta cast an ominous chill of its own though the night air. They entered the buildings vestibule and Eclipse looked at Hardstone as she pressed at a buzzer before double-checking her phone. There was a crackle of static from the speaker and a feminine voice slurred out of it. "Yeah?" Hardstone gave a nod to Eclipse, the latter already growing his shadow. She cleared her throat ¡°Hi, we¡¯re here about the lamp shade listing...¡± There was a brief pause before the door buzzer sounded. Instead of opting for the pedestrian entry the two travelled by way of shadow and found themselves inside of a cluttered studio apartment. The only light came from several computer monitors that were all glowing a dull blue with various screens and windows on them. The floor was littered with trash, mostly empty pizza boxes and an assortment drink cans and bottles. A small bark from a corner of the room showed a pair of reflective eyes as a dog padded into view, panting happily. Hardstone kneeled down and gave the dog some pets as it leaned into her rubs shaking it¡¯s tail cheerily. ¡°You like Akitas?¡± a voice sounded from above them. Looking up Eclipse saw the frame of a young woman sprawled out on a web like structure of wires, many seemed to be attached to her scalp. In place of hair was a ropey mass of cables and wire, some ending in usb jacks and audio ports. The light from the cimputer screens shined against her pale skin, wearing nothing more than a pair of shorts and a dark crop top. The mass of wire and cables gracefully danced to the floor and then lowered it¡¯s owner from the ceiling shortly after. She was small, a scrawny thing where a lot of the volume from her silhoutte was the discordant cables and wires that flowed from and around her body. The youth stared at the Eclipse and Hardstone, crossing her arms as she tried to stare hard with her brown eyes and cherubic face. The dog looked between his master and the two villains giving another bark of approval. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t know, but I like your dog.¡± Hardstone was continuing her pets with the animal ¡°I¡¯m Hardstone and this is Eclipse.¡± ¡°My name is Ma-¡± Eclipse held up a hand, which caught the youth off guard. ¡°Only the name you want to be called professionally.¡± ¡°...Shiver, you can call me Shiver." She leaned back, her hair tendrils forming into something resembling comfortable seating as she rested her weight on it. One of the tendrils rose and pointed at the dog. "This little ankle biter is Buster." Buster barked in agreement. Eclipse continued ¡°So tell me Shiver, do you think you can crack a Guardian bases security?¡± Shiver gave a laugh, a loud belly laugh as she clutched at her stomach. After a few moments she wiped a tear from her eye and looked at the duo. ¡°Can I?¡± she asked ¡°Why do you think I was washed out to begin with?¡± CHAPTER 7: THE JOB Chapter 7 The Job Eclipse¡¯s crew had settled into an abandoned airfield nestled in the mesas and rocky plateaus of dry desert terrain. When asked he would only tell the others he had stationed them somewhere in the Arizona desert, although on multiple occasions Bulldozer would swear he had scene herds of wild camels when allowed to wander. If Eclipse had an explanation for the bruiser, he kept it to himself. The first day was spent settling in, working out bedding accommodations and allowing Shiver time to set up some of her equipment to the main hangar and set to work. Bright and early the following morning, Eclipse called the villains together for a meeting to discuss the clandestine work ahead of them. The group had gathered into a kitchen annex built onto the old hangar, surrounding themselves around a table that had several building schematics and photos of Facility Epsilon laid across it. Hardstone held up a glossy black and white and studied the image. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty front porch but security seems pretty light.¡± ¡°The surface station serves mostly as a support staff facility, elevator shafts are one of the only ways to get to the underground base and that controls the flow of bodies in and out in chokepoints.¡± Eclipse replied. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just teleport us in?¡± Bulldozer asked. Eclipse tapped at the blueprint of the facility ¡°This isn¡¯t like breaking into a bank, Doc Spectre and the other Guardian tech heads have a anti-teleportation fields in a bubble around the entire complex. Even if I could get in most of the facility is accessed with RFID technology, and there''s surveillance wall to wall .¡± ¡°So this entire thing is hinging on Medusa over there?¡± Bulldozer said with a jerk of his thumb to Shiver behind him, who was working with a set of soldering tools on some gadget. ¡°It¡¯s Shiver you actual dick, and I can handle it. There¡¯s a lot of pretty tech and more than a fair share of super-tech even, but I¡¯ve seen it before, I¡¯ve pulled it apart and put it back together. You should be thanking me for even going I do my best work far away. Safe. In a bunker preferably.¡± Shiver said gesturing with her soldering iron. ¡°With pop-tarts.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just run through the plan.¡± Eclipse said crossing his arms. The other shifted a bit uncomfortably at his tone, but no one said anything further. ¡°First we¡¯ll infiltrate on the ground roughly 4 miles away from the surface station, Shiver that¡¯s where we¡¯ll need you to start cloaking our approach.¡± Shiver nodded and tapped the side of her completed gadget with a screwdriver ¡°Five more of these babies and we¡¯ll be in the wind¡± ¡°Fabricate a few extra.¡± Eclipse ordered, garnering a nod from Shiver as hecontinued ¡°Each of these facilities have Guardian A.I. software installed, The thing is on the day we¡¯ll be infiltrating there will be a Guardian Trial and the A.I. only has domain over the underground Facility. Call it paranoid but it seems even the good guys don¡¯t want an A.I to have run over every system, which is our boon. The senior staff will be moderating the trial which means only support staff on the surface, chance of Alphas is slim to none.¡± Eclipse rolls out a set of blueprints and grabs a laser pointer from a pocket on his belt, using its tiny green light to highlight hallways and doors. ¡°Bulldozer will give the front doors a knock and then we are making a beeline for the surface control room. This room doesn¡¯t have the same access as Epsilons command center, but it will give Shiver a foot in the door. Shiver will start hacking into the facility while the rest of us start going room to room to dispatch anyone who could get in our way." He turned back to the resident IT expert. "We¡¯ll need you to turn off the Facilities anti-teleportation fields, can you do it?¡± Shiver looked at the blueprints. ¡°From a surface control room? maybe. If worse comes to worse I can give you access to the surface elevators and give Buster a datajack you can plug into the nearest machine to give me full access.¡± Eclipse nodded ¡°Our goal that we¡¯re being asked to take is THIS room here in Epsilon." he said, circling the space with his laser. "Officially it¡¯s listed on any blueprint we could find as just an armory. If our intel is good this is where recovered villain-tech is temporarily housed before it¡¯s studied or dismantled. We go in and grab anything that isn¡¯t bolted down, I jump us to safety and we make enough money to never see each other again." ¡°You don¡¯t mean that, do you Eclipse?¡± Hardstone said giving an overdramatic pout. ¡°You¡¯ll never know.¡± Eclipse said flatly. ¡°Just like that?¡± Bulldozer said, rubbing at his beard. ¡°What about any other anti-Alpha measures? I heard these places are full of robots.¡± Eclipse nodded at Bulldozers question¡°The should be two squadrons of about a dozen drones that we could encounter. The first are a standard model rescue drone, really nothing more than mannequins with rescue equipment. The second are more concerning, orb sentries that can shoot zero-point energy. They can lock you in place so long as the beam is traced on you, but because of the power involved if you can get the machine to change target or destroy it it will break the stasis-hold.¡± Hardstone rubbed her chin.¡°So anything that looks like a floating basketball should be a target priority. Well all computers at least have some kind of silicon in them, leave that to me. I can see why you asked me along on this dance party now Eclipse.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Shiver said confused ¡°I can create, control, and manipulate silicate and crystal materials. ¡° Hardstone said extending a hand as a large piece of quartz began growing in her palm. ¡°Ranged projectiles, object barriers, you¡¯ll see kid¡± she said with a wink. ¡°Why are you even here then? Can¡¯t you just be making a fortune selling diamonds or something?¡± Shiver replied Hardstone shook her head ¡°Where''s the fun in that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re nuts.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not all about the money Miss Shiver.¡± Hardstone said as her eyes went back to Eclipse. Shiver arched an eyebrow while Hardstone hummed calmly, picking at her fingernails with a soft smile on her face. ¡°Riiiight.¡± Shiver said sarcastically. ¡°Let¡¯s take a brief recess and we¡¯ll reconvene later.¡± Eclipse cut in, ending the spat. After Bulldozer and Shiver had filed out, Eclipse turned his masked face to Hardstone. Even through the black featureless cloth, Hardstone could feel his angry glare on her. ¡°What?¡± she asked, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°Can we not instigate the other members of the team.¡± he said ¡°Eclipse I¡¯m just poking fun a little, it¡¯s good for to foster camaraderie!¡± ¡°Focus on the mission at hand¡± he said, walking out of the kitchen. Hardstone followed him outside where he rolled up part of his mask to have a cigarette. Eclipse took a long drag and Hardstone waited for him to enjoy the smoke in his lungs. On his exhale she spoke ¡°You know four does feel a little light for this kind of job.¡± ¡°You know that isn¡¯t the point.¡± he said. ¡°Yeah I know, but they don''t. You keep compartmentalizing information like this and we¡¯re going to get burned.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll get their payday , same as you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not doing this for the money, you know that. I¡¯m doing it for her.¡± Eclipse let the statement hang in the air as he checked his watch. ¡°Speaking of, she wants to meet me in a few minutes. I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Can I come with you?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°But¡ª ¡± ¡°NO.¡± Hardstone slammed her hand into the rigid sheet metal wall of the hangar. ¡°This is fucking bullshit and you know it!¡± ¡°Are we done?¡± he said with a disinterested tone. Hardstone didn¡¯t give the courtesy of a reply as she stalked away to brood, leaving Eclipse alone with his thoughts. He flicked away the finished butt of his cigarette as his shadow began to deepen in the early morning sun, less and less light penetrating the space before a complete void of darkness had replaced it. Wordlessly, he stepped through to meet with the benefactor to this entire operation. After a few moments Eclipse emerged inside of a dimly lit office. The place was decorated comfortably in warm tones and wooden mahogany furniture, with various intellectual books and other knick-knacks filling bookshelves on either siside of a desk where a woman with short cut white hair sat in a corinthian leather office chair.As was customary during his visits he took a knee and bowed low. Anastasia Dragunov even just at her desk oozed an air of authority, if not royalty. She gavea serene smile as Eclipse made his presence known. She stood, the twinkle of her snowflake earrings catching Eclipses eye as she walked around to the front of the desk and leaned against it. She was wearing a smart white pantsuit, seems today she was all business Eclipse noted. ¡°The team is assembled and we have a strategy.¡± Eclipse said, standing and putting his hands in his coat pockets. ¡°They¡¯ll want to meet our fifth team member soon, Anastasia.¡± Anastasia clicked her tongue as she looked through Eclipse with piercing blue eyes ¡°They¡¯ll meet me soon enough, how is Hardstone holding up?¡± ¡°She has her good days and her bad ones, but she¡¯s mission ready¡± ¡°Excellent. I think this has earned a toast, don¡¯t you?¡± she went to a crystal decanter and poured two tumblers of a dark whiskey, small frost began to form around the glass edge as she passed one to Eclipse. ¡°Soon we¡¯ll be the pride of Winters'' Realm. No one else in my bloodline has the temerity to do what we¡¯ll be doing.¡± She raised her glass high ¡°To Winter''s Reign¡± Eclipse chimed his glass against hers ¡°To Winter''s Reign¡± === A fer days had passed before Eclopse finally introduced Anastasia to the rest of the crew, her true identity concealed by the adoption of a disguise chosen specially for this mission.She had a custom form fitting suit prepared all in shades of white, a half mask, goggles, and hood completed her look. She stood before the others next to Eclipse, hand on her hip. Eclipses introduction was brief. ¡°This is Frostbite, I felt we could use some extra firepower. The plan remains the same. Lets run through it. At 6 AM we will make landfall..¡± hecontinued through the plan, discussing what if scenarios and fielding questions from the rest of the crew until they made it through the entire heist, ending on the exit strategy. ¡°..at which point I¡¯ll reconvene with Shiver, and several jumps later we¡¯ll be halfway across the country.¡± he finished, nodding his head satisfied. ¡°Everyone if you have any further questions the time is now, otherwise take the rest of the day. Mission starts tomorrow.¡± === Bulldozer gripped the sides of the surface stations door before wrenching it from it¡¯s hinges and casually tossing the thick steel behind him. On either side the crew of villains took flanking positions around the door frame as bullets began flying out of it and shouts from the support staff and security echoed within. Buster the dog was barking angrily as Shiver kept him on a short leash. ¡°You seriously brought the damn dog!¡± Bulldozer shouted over the gunfire. ¡°You¡¯ll thank me later!¡± Shiver retorted. ¡°Be ready to move¡± Frostbite said as she slammed a hand to the ground and a surging wave of ice rushed out from her, washing over the attackers in the hallway and spearing others with long needle like tips. The sounds of gunfire began to abate as the remaining guard forces repositioned. Eclipse looked to Bulldozer ¡°Go, NOW!¡± The large brute Alpha charged down the hallway as some more gunfire opened on him, Frostbites ice already dissipating with a wave of her hand as Bulldozer began smashing his way through more security guards. At the end of the Hallway Eclipse double checked the building schematics and and walked to the left, before indicating with his finger at a portion of concrete wall and looking at Bulldozer. Bulldozer began pummeling his fists into the concrete, prying away the debris to make an ingress to the control room beyond. The support staff inside had not expected an attack through the wall and weren¡¯t quick to respond. Hardstone generated a pricky looking ball of Quartz and tossed it through the hole Bulldozer had made. ¡°Might want to step back!¡± she adivised. There was a sound like shattering glass and then screams of pain, Hardstone giggling as her makeshift grenade went off. Eclipse and Frostbite were providing covering fire. She with her powers and Eclipse with a sub-machine gun while Bulldozer, Hardstone, Shiver and Buster piled in to dispatch the rest of the staff inside. Inside, one of the support staff had survived Hardstones initial attack and was making a distress call. The video call showed a woman on the other end as he shouted into the terminal ¡°We¡¯re under atta-¡± Hardstone lanced out with her hand projecting a spiraling purple crysta thatl caught the staff member in the back,traveling through him and into the console. He slumped limply in place as the terminal sparked where the crystal spike pierced into it. Shiver carried herself forward on her hair tendrils, settling in as they snaked and jolted outwards and began plugging into every compatible port in reach, a web growing across the room''s terminals. They glowed with a strange yellow light as she let out a euphoric coo. ¡°Okay...I¡¯m in...they got a message down to the underground.¡± Eclipse ducked inside and gestured for Hardstone and Bulldozer to begin their sweeps before he and Frostbite hovered over Shivers shoulders as she typed away at a computer terminal. Buster came jogging up with a severed hand in his mouth, wagging his tail as he set it down proudly by his owner. ¡°Can you disable the fields?¡± Eclipse asked Shiver scrunched up her face ¡°Hang on...the A.I. is trying to put the base into a Lockdown...shit I don¡¯t think I can stop her.¡± ¡°You need to.¡± Shiver began typing rapidly ¡°I can disable them for a moment but you need to be ready, and take Buster with you I need access to a computer in the underground base.¡± ¡°The dog? You were serious about that?¡± Frostbite asked. Shiver gave her a look ¡°Dead serious¡­¡± Bulldozer and Hardstone returned, giving an all clear to Eclipse. ¡°Bulldozer, stay up here and guard Shiver. Hardstone and Frostbite you¡¯re with me.¡± A loud "WOOF!" interjected from his feet. ¡°...and Buster too.¡± Shiver gripped at the edges of the desk she was at. ¡°Get ready!¡± Eclipse was already growing his shadow as the others gathered around him preparing to jump into its inky depths. Shiver opened her eyes like a shot ¡°NOW!¡± CHAPTER 8: GOOD DOG Chapter 8 Good Dog Eclipse and the others piled out the other end of his shadow into a spartan hallway, Busters feet clacking on the hard floor. In the actual Facility there were klaxons sounding that vibrated in all the villains heads with a dull buzz and strobes lined against the walls of the hallway flashed. Hardstone and Frostbite took flanking positions on each end of the hallway while Eclipse attempted to use his coms device to establish radio contact with Shiver. He tapped at the device in his ear as he paced, Buster shadowing his path. ¡°Shiver do you read?¡± There was a large crackle of static buzzing but no word from Shiver. Not wanting to waste anymore time Eclipse called the others to him, referencing Epsilons building schematics. ¡°We need to find a compter, there¡¯s an office just down the hall.¡± he said closing the wrist display and running down the hallway with the others in tow. Reaching the door he yanked at the handle only for the door to remain unmoved. He gave it an experimental knock against the metal frame. ¡°Frostbite, if you could?¡± The villainess placed her white gloved hand on the door, the sound of crackling as a web of frost built outward from her palm. The door groaned in protest, it¡¯s body concaving inwards before snapping off it¡¯s frame as a pillar of ice crushed it to the wall beyond. Frostbite dusted off her hands and stepped into the office, Buster following after her with a merry wag of his tail. Once everyone was inside Eclipse kept an overwatch on the door, drawing a confused look from Hardstone. ¡°What about the data thingy for Shiver?¡± ¡°WOOF!¡± Buster replied as he approached the computers tower, his furry head gave a whirring click noise as clockwork in the animals skull. Busters snout folded upward on a seamless hinge and a small USB jack protruded from the inside, extending outward on a small robotic arm as it plugged into place. With that business done, the snout folded back down with the seam disappearing and Buster giving a happy dog smile to a wide-eyed Hardstone. She took a cautious step backwards.¡°The dogs a robot¡± ¡°Focus¡± Eclipse said from over his shoulder ¡°The dog.is.a.robot.¡± Hardstone pointed at Buster ¡°Did you know?!¡± she looked at Frostbite ¡°Did YOU know?!¡± ¡°Hardstone!¡± ¡°Oh bullshit, you need to tell me these things!¡± Eclipse waved her off as he pressed his hand to his ear again, the sound of a voice coming through. Shivers voice was faint and sounded like she was underwater, he could hear her. ¡°Shiver?¡± ¡°I read you Eclipse, good job with the datajack this A.I. is a BITCH let me tell you.¡± He signaled for the others to follow him and the team made their way down the hallway while Eclipsed continued. ¡°What¡¯s the status with the alarms?¡± ¡°Decibel is in the command center and tried to start a Lockdown, I¡¯m still working on undoing that.¡± the klaxons stopped sounding a few moments later ¡°There we go, is that better? I can¡¯t dance around too much I need to keep this A.I. occupied, where are you right now?¡± Eclipsed referenced a sign as the team ran past ¡°Just passed west locker rooms, I know we¡¯re close.¡± ¡°Take a left and the next two rights and it will be at the end of that hallway.¡± The team banked left as Buster sped on ahead ¡°What about the teleportation field?¡± ¡°Still working on that¡± Shivers voice said shakily. ¡°Speed it up.¡± Eclipse didn¡¯t wait for a reply as he skidded to a stop to an intersection. Just out of the corner of his eye he caught a small patrol walking down the hall. He fanned his arms out wide as shouts already from the facility security, gunfire whizzing past. A thrumming sound echoed down the opposite end as three sphere drones rocketed into view, Eclipse and his team backpeddled and he raised his gun taking aim. One of the drones rounded the corner already tracing a white beam of energy on the ground heading straight for Eclipse. He fired off a salvo while Hardstone balled up her first, causing the orb to shake and rattle violently as silicon crystals erupted from the inside. Smoke billowed from the sphere as it crashed to the ground. ¡°Trouble!¡± === Decibel slammed her fists at her station ¡°Artemis I said Initiate Lockdown protocols!¡± she paced around to Dr.Belic as the doctor worked furiously at her station. ¡°Artemis, RESPOND!¡± [...] Dr.Belic was watching the security feed of Eclipses team as they infiltrated the lower levels. ¡°Sara Artemis isn¡¯t responding we¡¯re on our own, there¡¯s an infiltration in the east wing of the facility!¡± the computer monitor feed of the images began to stutter , before going completely black. ¡°Someone''s hacked the Facility¡­¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Godammit!¡± Decibel went to another computer station to try and access it, although she was also being stonewalled out of even basic operating systems. She paced back and forth as her mind took stock of the situation.¡°The support staff will try and sequester the candidates expecting our secure rooms to go into lockdown, but that¡¯s not going to happen so long as Artemis is compromised. They¡¯re in the east wing...I think I know what they¡¯re after, Ruth stay here and try and see what you can do to get the base back. I¡¯m heading to the east wing.¡± Decibel ran out of the control room and down the hallway to the elevator bay, instead of taking the lifts however she went to the emergency fire escape stairwell and began her descent. It would be at least three floors, and the base didn¡¯t have the luxury of time. === With the alarms sounding the support staff wasted no time in corralling and guiding the candidates into smaller spaces so they would be secure during lockdown. Some protested, while others were beginning to panic. Hector and the others were placed inside of a conference room with Oscar as their chaperone, who was tending to Danielas arm with more Omni-Gel. Caitlin was feeling well enough to walk but was finding solace in the comfortable high backed leather chairs and was curled up like cat in one. A pair of sphere drones floated by them while the remaining support staff were delegating how best to keep the remaining candidates safe. The staff was doing it¡¯s best to keep calm but Hector could see the nervous looks they shared and heard the hushed conversations, nothing like this had happened before. ¡°You alright Hector?¡± Jack asked , joining his teammate near the conference room door. Hector shook his head ¡°We should go out there and help them. It¡¯s ridiculous they have like a hundred kids with superpowers here. Isn¡¯t this what we came here to do anyway?¡± Oscars paused from Danielas treatment as he heard the Jack and Hectors conversation ¡°There is no way we could allow that, if one of you got hurt or WORSE during a trial. This is real life guys, your safest here with me.¡± TJ was brooding against a wall with his arms crossed, interjecting before Hector or Jack had the chance to. ¡°Safer with you? You don¡¯t even have any powers.¡± ¡°You know what? I don¡¯t, no. But right now I have authority that you need to respect if you want to stay in this program, Mister Jolie.¡± TJ gave a derisive snort as he walked to the conference room door, putting his hand on the door handle. ¡°Mister, I don¡¯t know about you but where I¡¯m from we don¡¯t deal with our problems by hiding in a hole. You can call it a problem with authority, that¡¯s just the way you want to look at me and my actions then so be it. But I know I¡¯m not the only one in here that wants to help, you want to wash me out later?fine.¡± he opened the door, looking back at Oscar ¡°But you can¡¯t stop me from doing what I think is right.¡± Oscar raised his voice in protest ¡°We don¡¯t even know what is happening or why the lockdown alarms are going off. No matter what we have to treat it like a serious threat, going out that door is your one way ticket out of the trials.¡± There was a tense moment as Oscars words lingered in the air. TJ gripped at the door, a dark look crossing his features as he wrestled with the implications of leaving the program. Jack seemed equally hesitant as he slumped against the wall, running his hands through his hair and exhaling. Hector felt completely helpless in that moment, trapped by the rules of an organization he was fighting so hard to join. It was Daniela who broke the silence. ¡°How could you use our feelings like that? To keep us safe by threatening us with punishment? How the hell did you even get the job?¡± she stood and confronted Oscar, getting into his personal space. ¡°How DARE you try and stop them from helping.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°But nothing¡± Daniela said as she crossed her arms ¡°I¡¯d be doing the same thing as TJ, but someone needs to stay here and watch out for Cait.¡± ¡°I¡¯m right here you know!¡± Cait protested from a cushy office chair. Daniela gave a quick placating motion with her hands, turning to look at Hector, Jack, and TJ. ¡°You guys go and see if you can help¡± Oscar opened his mouth to protest, but a quick look from Cait and Daniela made the staff members shoulders sink, defeated. Hector helped get Jack to his feet ¡°Daniela and TJ are right, come on Jack lets go.¡± Jack nodded ¡°Yeah...yeah, alright let''s get going.¡± The trio ran out into the hall as Cait shouted out after them ¡°DON¡¯T DO ANYTHING STUPID!¡± Jack gave a grimace ¡°Little late for that, isn¡¯t it?¡± The trio made their way back to the first floor common area which connected to the ancillary hallways where support staff was shoring up the candidates. From above them a smoking ball of fire and machinery blasted outwards from one of the upper levels, crashing into the catering tables in a cacophony. Hector instinctively conjured up a fist construct as a hot tray and it¡¯s content splattered across it. ¡°Well, I think we know where to go.¡± ¡°Looks like that came from the second floor, lets go!¡± CHAPTER 9: CLASH Chapter 9 Clash ¡°One more flight!¡± Hector said as he, Jack, and TJ whipped around the stairwell to the final door. Bodily pushing it open the trio flood the corridor. Like many of the upper levels, Facility Epsilons hallways were a mix of practicality with a modern interior design. Light reflected off the hard tiled floors from twin fluorescent lights on the ceiling, in shades of grey and brown. Halfway down the hallway was an still form on its side. Sounds of crushing metal and gunfire were much louder now that the boys were in the hallway. Jack sped to the downed security officer while TJ and Hector followed behind. Jack gave the man a shake, causing the guard to roll over and give a painful moan. The teen gave a grimace as he looked to TJ and Hector. ¡°He doesn¡¯t look too good, but I mean..he¡¯s alive and I don¡¯t see any blood.¡± Hectors frowned as he looked to the left from where the guard had been knocked out, seeing several figures running across an intersection followed by...a dog? ¡°Oh crap¡± He flushed his back to the corner, TJ and Jack dragging the guard around as well and propping him against the wall. ¡°What? What did you see?¡± TJ said in a tense tone. Hector peered around the corner again ¡°I think the base is ACTUALLY being attacked.¡± There was a crash sound, from Hectors vantage point one of the small sphere drones he had seen earlier skidded against the tile, some kind of crystal substance speared through its lens aperture. ¡°Okay, yeah, I think we found the bad guys.¡± ¡°Shit, well lets go then!.¡± TJ said smacking his fist into his hand. Jack raised his hand ¡°Woah, wait we can¡¯t just go after them without a plan. Plus all I have is this STICK.¡± he said waving the branch around. Hector indicted with his chin ¡°What about the gun?¡± Jacks gaze went to the firearm and back to Hector ¡°Are you kidding me? I¡¯ve never even held a gun!¡± Hector knelt down to the guards belt, searching for anything useful. ¡°Hey, wait what about this?¡± he retrieved a collapsible baton and tossed it to Jack. It took a Jack a moment but he found the release and expanded the baton outwards, giving it an experimental flip in his hand too. ¡°Yeah okay, this works. Hey what about that pepper spray?¡± ¡°Guys, today please.¡± TJ hissed. ¡°Right right, sorry man we¡¯ll bring these back¡± Jack said patting the unconscious security guards vest before pocketing the pepper spray. ¡°So what do we do?¡± ¡°TJ, maybe you try and use your fire? Make them scatter and I can use my fist constructs to punch them while Jack teleports behind them?¡± Hector suggested. ¡°Works for me.¡± TJ said as the bones in his neck began to contort and break, his lower jaw already turning into a rows of fangs as sparks flared from in between his lips. ¡°Ok, ok, ok¡± Hector said psyching himself up, his hands glowed blue as a pair of floating fists appeared on either side of him roughly half his height. ¡°Now?¡± ¡°NOW!¡± TJ said as the three candidates rushed down the left hallway, Hector guiding them right at the intersection. Ahead of them Eclipses crew was in front of a door marked ¡°Armory¡± across it¡¯s secure metal door. One of the other intruders, a woman in a black and purple outfit whipped her head around ¡°COMPANY!¡± she shouted as she raised her hand and several dark spikes surged down the hallway at the trio of candidates. ¡°Crap!¡± Jack said as he leaped to the side as one of the projectiles shot past him. Hector shot his arms out as his constructs swung in front of him. Keeping his hands open palmed and by extension his constructs, several of the crystal spikes shattered against them. Down the hallway one of the villains clad in all black forced the woman''s arm to lower and was yelling something at her. The third villain which was dressed in white held out a hand as a burst of ice projected outwards, coating the small hallway. The ice built up from the floor to the ceiling, when the wall was just at halfway a furry four legged form hopped the barrier and charged down at the Candidates. ¡°Is that a dog?¡± Jack said moments before Buster crashed into him. Jack and Buster slid across the tile, the dogs teeth bared as it tried to bite. Jack brought the baton across his face defensively as Buster gnashed at it, his eyes glowing a bright red. Busters form bristled as a small circle saw came out of his mouth and struck against the police baton, sending sparks across Jacks face. ¡°NOT A DOG! NOT A DOG GODDAMMIT HELP ME!¡± Hector scrambled to pivot as he swing his right construct wide, crashing into Buster which sent crashing into the drywall and concrete, bouncing off and falling to the floor in a daze. Hector helped Jack to his feet as TJ stepped forward and spit out a fireball where Buster had fallen. The fireball blasted on target causing a wave of heat to wash over the trio. Through the flames Buster rose, giving a shake of his body it leapt out of the blast zone and gave a low feral growl. Small clicks and whirs emitted from Buster as two metallic barrels on hinge joints extended from his shoulders. Hector didn¡¯t want to find out what new gadget this was and he charged at the Dog, swinging downwards just a hair too late as Buster dashed to the side. The two barrels pivoted on their hinge, allowing the dog to skate across the tiled floor. Jack tossed the baton behind Buster and teleported, striking the dog across its back flank with a clang like a baseball bat scoring a hit. TJ had foregone his fire and his arms were already mutating into something else as he flanked the dog and swung a kick. The kick went wide and Buster too the opportunity to bite down on TJ¡¯s ankle. TJ cried out in pain as his hand formed into a gnarled bone and carapace like hammer that he swung down, bashing Buster between his shoulder blades until the dog gave. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Hector reached out with his fist construct and scooped up Buster, throwing the dog into the ceiling tiles. Plaster and dust rained down from Hector breach, but Buster didn¡¯t come back down through the ceiling. ¡°Hey man you okay?¡± Hector said offering an arm to TJ. ¡°Yeah, yeah I think I¡¯m alright.¡± TJ dusted off his jumpsuit. Jacks gaze was at the ceiling as the sounds of scrambling feet and a trail of dust heading from their position could be seen. ¡°Okay, dog is in the ceiling but it looks like it¡¯s heading away.¡± No sooner did Jack finish his thought that Buster came crashing down through the ceiling, rounding on the boys as the three them backed up to the ice wall. Hector made a grab with his constructs but Buster leapt over him and turned on his paws, leaping onto Hectors back and tearing at his back. Jack and TJ ran to swat the robo-dog off, but a gout of steam erupted from Busters hindquarters causing them both to recoi. Hector scrambled across the ground kicking Buster away. A small swirling swarm of fists formed around him as he stood, with one swing a dozen fists streamed out from Hector like a freight train crashing into Buster. The dog gave a robot yelp as Hector continued his barrage, the metal frame of the robotic dog denting and crushing as he continued his assault. Coalescing into two giant fists again, Hector raised his hands over his head and swung down causing his constructs to slam down with a reverberating doom onto the tiles floor that cracked from the impact. Buster yelped as he got up and balanced on three legs, looking to Hector and the others before turning tail and running down the hallway. ¡°Let it go, we should get through this wall.¡± TJ said as he swung his hammered fist against it. Hector nodded and began swinging blow after blow into the wall, Jack watching the intersection for. ¡°What do they want in some security armor anyway?¡± Jack said aloud. === Eclipse dragged Hardstone by the arm into the freshly destroyed armory door courtesy of Frostbite. The icey villainess had went back to her wall to reinforce it leaving the other two alone. ¡°Ow, you¡¯re hurting me!¡± Hardstone said as she shook out of Eclipses grip. ¡°What the hell was that!¡± he yelled at her. ¡°I was covering our flank, asshole.¡± Eclipse brought his face less than a finger''s breadth away from Hardstones ¡°We do not kill kids. Ever.¡± Hardstone rolled her eyes¡°Even if they¡¯re superpowered and trying to stop us?¡± Eclipses finger shot up,and a low growl escaped from his mask. ¡°Ever. You understand?¡± She avoided his gaze and crossed her arms, blowing stray hair out of her face. ¡°Yeah fine.¡± Eclipse pressed his finger to his com device to speak to shiver as he stalked past rows of riot gear. ¡°Shiver, you read me?¡± ¡°I read you Eclipse¡± Shivers voice crackled. ¡°Good, we¡¯re at the armory. There¡¯s a second hidden door in the blueprints, seamless against the back wall. Can you open it?¡± ¡°Give me a few seconds., Buster is keeping your new friends occupied. I thought you said this was a low Alpha threat?¡± Eclipse drummed his fingers against the wall impatiently ¡°They¡¯re cadets, try not to kill them.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah let me just let Buster know. Okay non-lethal only, you know he¡¯s just one dog though.¡± Eclipse pinched the bridge of his nose ¡°Just keep them occupied.¡± he said icily. ¡°Yup, okay door should be open.¡± In front of Eclipse a seam formed out of the wall and swung sideways, revealing several small shelves stashed with all sorts of gadgets, weapons, and devices. From behind Hardstone let out a gleeful giggle as she skipped past Eclipse into the super-tech vault. ¡°Oh man, check it out Eclipse I think this is Lightning Lords Tesla Gun!¡± Eclipse was already unfolding a collapsible duffle he had on hand and was placing objects into it. ¡°Grab everything, we¡¯re already behind our time window and we don¡¯t have much buffer left.¡± Frostbites voice shouted back from the outer hallway. ¡°They¡¯re starting to break through!¡± Eclipse muttered into his com ¡°Shiver?¡± ¡°I did what I could but Buster is already severely damaged, I¡¯m not letting these boy scouts get ahold of him. He¡¯ll meet up with you for the exfil.¡± she snapped. ¡°Easy, alright we¡¯re almost done here.¡± Eclipse said scooping a handful of devices into his duffle and zipping it shut, motioning for Hardstone to wrap it up. ¡°Better hurry Boss, those kids are breaking the wall faster than Frostbite can build it.¡± ¡°How close are they?¡± A shattering crash sounded from outside before Shivers voice responded. ¡°Close.¡± CHAPTER 10: SHATTER Chapter 10 Shatter With a final and furious straight punch to the cracking ice, Hectors fist construct bursts through the wall in a spray of melting ice and slush. A cascade of cracks riddled the wall of ice while Frostbite did everything in her power to try and reinforce the structure. In a second booming crash the wall came tumbling to the ground, leaving only a wet pile between the candidates and Eclipses crew. Scrambling over the slush TJ bodily tackles Frostbite to the floor, sprays of frost crashing against his torso causing grunts of pain from the youth. Hector and Jack came shortly after as Hardstone and Eclipse came out with their duffles of loot. Hardstone raised a hand and fired off a salvo of small obsidian flechettes that caught Hector on the defensive as he raised his constructs to block. Jack was already tumbling to the side as he skidded his riot baton across the battlefield before teleporting behind Hardstone and thumping her in the back with the baton. ¡°AGH! You little shit!¡± she screamed as she turned to swing at Jack who had already somersaulted away. Eclipse withdrew a knife from a bandolier on his breast and threw it at TJ, catching him in the shoulder which gave Frostbite the opening she needed to blast him off, icing him to the wall. In Eclipses ear he heard the crackle as Shiver spoke to him. Wait, something''s weird here.¡± she said as Eclipse ducked underneath a swing from Hectors giant fists. ¡°How is this kid able to teleport in the base.¡± Eclipse drew a flashbang grenade from his belt and tossed it down the hall as he grabbed Hardstone and pulled her into the Armory for cover. ¡°Not the time!¡± he growled through clenched teeth. Hector slid on his knees to slam his constructs over the flashbang just as it erupted, containing the worst of the blast but still completely dissipating the fists in a shower of blue energy. Frostbite took a swing at Hector causing the youth to backpedal while Jack came in from behind. Jack swung with his baton catching Frostbite on her left shoulder which made the supervillain cry out in pain. Rushing in Eclipse grabbed at Jack, attempting to wrestle him to the ground but Jack flicked his baton back down the hallway, teleporting straight out of Eclipses hands. Hardstone had made what looked like a crystal bat and swung it at Hector who only managed one fist construct up to block the assault. Clenching his fists Hector switched up his strategy, instead summoning a swarm of a dozen small fist constructs that he sent out like an angry hornets nest to harass Hardstone. Hardstone was then on the defensive as she batted at Hectors swarm of fists. Slapping his hands together all of the fists descended on Hardstone at once in a cacophony of pummeling that forced the supervillain to ball up on the ground. Jack ran to try and free TJ from his icey web against the wall when Eclipse slammed Jack against the ice, the teens body crumbling to the ground. Rounding on Hector Eclipse drew his and pointed the weapon at Hector ¡°ENOUGH!¡± he shouted as he advanced on Hector. Hector froze in place as he stared down Eclipses gun barrel. The villain thumbed back the hammer, keeping it trained on Hector. ¡°Get down on the ground, and you live.¡± Eclipse said with a grim tone. Hector dropped to the floor, his hands going wide as he tried to control his breathing. The brave teen had put up a hell of a fight, but he wasn¡¯t sure he could conjure a construct fast enough to stop a bullet. They had failed, and he had no idea what kind of state TJ or Jack was in. He swallowed a growing lump in his throat as Eclipse approached him, kneeling down as he pressed the barrel to Hectors head. ¡°I need you to understand that if I think you do anything, anything that looks like typical hero bullshit. You die. Right here, right now with nothing but maybe a wall plaque and a very upsetting letter sent your family.¡± Eclipse gestured at Frostbite who nodded and began icing Hector to the floor. Hardstone grew a sharpened silicate knife in her hand and walked forward gently tracing it¡¯s tip across Hectors face. His eyes widened in horror as he stared at the opaque dark blade, fear and instinct beginning to take over as he tried to wrench away from that terrible knife. ¡°HARDSTONE!¡± Eclipse shouted. Hardstone rolled her eyes and drew the blade quickly across Hectors face, drawing blood. She leaned down and purred into his ear. ¡°Remember me, remember the mercy kid.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Hectors face was slowly cracking as his fear took over, and even when Hardstone rose to join Eclipse who was having a conversation with Frostbite and Shiver over communications. ¡°Shiver, we¡¯re ready to evac.¡± Eclipse murmured into his com. ¡°Yeah, yeah hang on just a sec.¡± Eclipse paced in front of the Armory doors ¡°I don¡¯t have -¡± A sudden ear-splitting explosion of noise reverberated down from the ceiling and sent Eclipse crashing to the ground, his gun clattering away. Hardstone and Frostbite turned to find their attack as a service door swung open and Decibel came storming through it. She swung her hands together in a forward clap that bowled over Frostbite and Hardstone as she used her powers to manipulate the soundwaves closer to the strength of a percussion grenade. The villainesses skidded down the hallway as Decibel stalked after the, utter fury written into her features. Hardstone scrambled and fired off another salvo of obsidian flechettes at Decibel who made a cutting motion with her hand. ¡°NO!¡± she shouted as the soundwaves pulsated outwards and shattered the projectiles into pieces before they could even hit their mark. The very air in the hallways seemed to shake as Decibel made her presence known, Hector gritted his teeth to try and fight off the vibrational effects that were paint-shaking his brain inside of his skull. As he struggled underneath the carapace of ice Hector was feeling the tension of his prison slowly give underneath Decibels vibrational terrain. Working his whole body, Hector could hear more cracks rupturing and feel more space to move underneath his ice prison. Decibel unleashed a deafening sonic scream on Hardstone and Frostbite as they struggled to stand, filling the hallway with even more resonate chaos that sent a shower of glass bursting from the ceiling lights. Decibel bristled as she stood over them ¡°You don¡¯t have any goddamn idea what you¡¯ve walked into!¡± From behind Decibel, Eclipse was rising from the small pile of rubble that was dropped on him. Seeing this Hectors mouth cried out. ¡°BEHIND YOU!¡± Decibel glanced over her shoulder just as Eclipse came tackling her from behind, sending the two of them in a rolling heap of punches and kicks. Another sonic scream from Decibel sent Eclipse flying off of her, Frostbite fires an errant ice spike to get Decibel to give them some space as Hardstone helps Eclipse to his feet. Shivers voice practically screams in his ear. ¡°JUMP. NOW!¡± Eclipses shadow begins to loom as he shoves Hardstone into it, Decibel claps her hand together as another thunderclap blows down the hallway and sends Frostbite to the ceiling, falling limply back to the earth. Eclipse turns his head to Frostbite and lets out a frustrated yell as he and Hardstone disappear into the shadow, and were gone. Frostbite wasn¡¯t out of fight yet, as she slides forward on a sheet of ice across the ground and swings out Decibel, keeping the hero on the defensive as the two made their way back past Hector on the floor. Once the two had gotten close enough, Hector made his desperate move and summoned his fist constructs as he pulled himself free of the ice and swung with everything he had at Frostbite. The blue construct ruptures against Frostbite as Hectors face wavers, but the damage is done. The villainess body limply falls to the ground, and remains very still. In a panic Hector grabs at his head ¡°Oh no, oh man did I?¡± Decibel runs to the body and checks it¡¯s pulse, shaking her head ¡°No, she¡¯s just unconscious.¡± She whirls on Hector ¡°What in the HELL were you and your friends thinking?¡± He shifts uncomfortable ¡°I don¡¯t know, we just wanted to help and-¡± ¡°Enough¡± she says holding up a hand as she goes to a compartment on her suit and retrieves a device that looks like a pair of handcuffs on first glance, but had additional technological facets to it. ¡°Lets get your friends down and get this situation under control.¡± Hector gently grazed the cut on his chin before nodding silently, going to help TJ and Jack. Decibel removed Frostbites mask, staring angular features of her face and stark white hair. A grim realization came over Decibels face that caught Hectors attention. ¡°Is everything okay Decibel?¡± The veteran hero ran her hand through her hair, a deep and exhausted sigh escaping her lips. ¡°This is Anastasia Dragunov...she¡¯s the Crown Princess of Russia underneath Father Winter, and this just became a lot more complicated.¡± CHAPTER 11: DEBRIEF Chapter 11 Debrief Decibels shoulders sagged as Hector worked to prop an unconscious TJ and Jack against the compounds hallway. He tried giving them a shake to wake them but they were unresponsive , which drew a grim expression across Hector''s face. He turned to see if Decibel needed help who was busy securing Anastasia aka Frostbite with a pair of ankle cuffs to match the ones on her wrist. He looked at the process curiously which caught Decibels eye. ¡°Power dampeners.¡± she explained ¡°When she wakes up she¡¯ll be lucky to make a puddle. You okay Cadet?¡± Hector nodded ¡°More or less¡­¡± he said as he touched at the cut on his cheek again. ¡°You should get that looked, maybe if-¡± Her words were cut short but a sudden thrum of machinery coming from the base, shaking the floor slightly. ¡°-Thats a changeover from the backup generators...maybe..¡± Decibel rubbed at her chin before calling out. ¡°Artemis?¡± The AI¡¯s voice chirped through speakers posted in the hallways [I¡¯m here Decibel, the infiltrators have left the facility and I am proceeding into Lockdown.] Decibel rose to her feet and touched at her communications device in her ear. ¡°Ruth? Do you read.¡± There was a static crackle before Ruths voice sounded in Decibels ear ¡°I¡¯m here, Artemis is back online and I¡¯m getting status reports from Security teams. At least the ones that are able to report in.¡± ¡°Casualties?¡± Decibel said in a lower tone as she turned away from Hector. ¡°... yes, but you should get down their and check on the candidates. With Artemis back we¡¯ll get Lockdown procedures started proper.¡± She closed her eyes. ¡°Understood, I¡¯ll need a medical and Security team on my position we have injured and one...prisoner. Cuffed and neutralized.¡± ¡°Understood, I¡¯ll talk to you soon Sara¡± the line went dead, but Decibel could hear the emotion in Ruths voice. Turning, she looked at Hector taking in the teen and his teammates. It was damn stupid what they had done, enough for her to want to yell the young Alphas eardrums right out of his head. She could already feel the welling of her voice in her throat, building pressure as she rounded on Hector. Instead, the exhaustion from the fight took its toll on the veteran hero and what came out was decidedly more muted than what she was known for. ¡°What do you expect me to do after the stunt you just pulled? Putting yourself in danger like that?¡± ¡°What do you want me to say? We did what we thought was the right thing to do, okay?!¡± Hector snapped, his face falling as he just realized he sassed Decibel. ¡°What I mean is-¡± ¡°-No, it¡¯s okay.¡± Decibel said holding up a placating hand. ¡°Lets get your friends settled, check on everyone. We¡¯ll discuss this once things have cooled down.¡± Hector could only offer a nod as his gaze went to the floor. === Two days had passed since the break-in and lockdown, throwing a monkey wrench into the Guardian Trials as they dealt with the PR fallout. Parents of candidates had been notified, many were pulled worrying for their children''s safety or at the outrage of such a security breach. What had looked like a strong Cadet course dwindled almost by the hour as Hector and his friends would see more and more leave Facility Epsilon. For the time being the gang had been placed in temporary dorms and given time to treat their injuries. Decibel had called Hector, Daniela, Jack, TJ and Cait to her private office for what she had called a ¡°debrief¡±. As the young hero¡¯s arrived and settled into chairs set out for them, Decibel was nowhere to be seen. It didn¡¯t take long for the silence to be broken. ¡°So like, are we in trouble?¡± Jack asked, his knee bouncing. ¡°We¡¯re not in her for nothing.¡± TJ mumbled as he sank a bit in his chair. Daniela pushed up a pair of glasses that had slid down her nose a bit. ¡°It¡¯s not like she wouldn¡¯t have a good reason.¡± This garnered hurt looks from Hector, TJ and Jack. ¡°Look I¡¯m on your guy¡¯s side! I¡¯m just saying that maybe...maybe we¡¯re in the wrong.¡± she finished, straightening the pleats in her pants nervously. ¡°We should have been with them, at least then I¡¯d feel better about being here.¡± Cait chimed in. ¡°Why even bringing us here anyway Daniela?¡± Daniela shrugged ¡°Succeed as a team, fail as team?¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°But like, it¡¯s not like we did nothing.¡± Hector stressed as he gestured with his hands. ¡°We held our own.¡± ¡°Hector, me and TJ got knocked out and you were on the ass end of an ass-kicking.¡± Jack said flatly. ¡°...Okay but we¡¯re alive!¡± Hector argued. A soft chime interrupted the groups conversation. Artemis shimmered into view, the AI¡¯s holographic avatar had her hands folded in front of her. [Good Morning Candidates. Director Decibel will be along shortly, thank you for your patience.] She blinks out of existence, leaving the group alone again. ¡°That''s going to take some getting used to.¡± TJ said from his chair. Jack raised a pointed finger ¡°Does she...does she watch us while we sleep?¡± [I do have access to surveillance, in a manner speaking, yes.] Artemis¡¯ voice replied through the speakers. Jack put his hands on his chin. ¡°Lovely.¡± Decibel walked into her office as the groups five sets of eyes traced her path. She had foregone her super suit in favor of a smart gunmetal pantsuit with her tied into a high bun. Decibel took a seat behind a spartan computer desk and tapped at the surface with a pen as she looked at the Cadets. ¡°I should, by all bylaws and rules expel you three-¡± she gestured at Hector, TJ, and Jack ¡°Right out the damn door.¡± Jack raised a hand ¡°Right but it¡¯s not like we got hurt.¡± Daniela pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°What?¡± Jack said throwing his hands in the air. ¡°The point Mister Kelly is that what you did was entirely the reason we offer this training. It¡¯s not even an act of insubordination so much as an act of stupidity. You could have died, Mister Kelly.¡± she loomed at Jack as her stare drilled into him, causing the teen to curl up uncomfortably in his chair. ¡°You showed no regard for your own safety, or your fellow cadets and disobeyed a direct order from Staff.¡± she said as she checked a file that was resting on her desk. She let the silence hang in the air as the cadets stewed on her last comment. ¡°Having said that...we¡¯ve lost enough candidates as it is with this PR nightmare, and top Brass has made their intentions known that, for now, you will all begin your Guardian training come Monday.¡± It took the group a moment to realize the news Decibel had just given them, and a few smiles spread across. ¡°I will be keeping a close eye on all of you, one more escapade like that and you¡¯re out. Am I clear?¡± They all nodded. ¡°Dr.Belic will run you through the rest. Hector I need you to stay a minute the rest of you are dismissed.¡± The others got up and began to shuffle out, Cait mouthing a ¡°sorry¡± to Hector with a sympathetic look on her face. Soon Hector was alone with the Director of Facility Epsilon. ¡°Given the situation with Anastasia''s capture Hector, we need to have a serious conversation.¡± she continued as she slid a document across her desk towards Hector. ¡°Right now you are privileged...to a very sensitive piece of information Hector. I¡¯m talking International Crisis level threats are we on the same page?¡± ¡°Yes..Director?¡± ¡°Director is fine, we need you to sign this non-disclosure. We managed to have it not leak to the public about Anastasia''s capture during the raid, and right now we¡¯re trying to contact Winters Realms governments to discuss about what comes next. The way you knocked her out, this could very well make you or your other friends a target Hector. Part of the reason we¡¯re keeping you on is to make sure that you¡¯re safe.¡± she slid over a pen. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have to put this on you, but failure to comply will result in incarceration or worse.¡± Hector felt numb as he took the pen from it¡¯s place and signed his name on the document that Decibel had given him. This all felt a world beyond what he had expected joining the Guardian program, and the implications that Decibel was bringing on the teen made him extremely anxious. She retrieved the document and gave it a quicker overview, making sure that everything was in order. She clicked her tongue, satisfied and drew her eyes to stare into Hectors. ¡°I think we¡¯re done here for now. I¡¯m looking forward to see what you and your team can do when classes start monday.¡± Hector mumbled a thank you as he avoided her gaze. ¡°Dismissed, Cadet.¡±