《Double Edged: Advent of a False God》


 Marlenes

    ¡°Order up!¡± The hustle and bustle inside the diner almost drowned out the sound of the bell. Like every Sunday, it was packed, with a line stretching around the building for those unlucky enough to hit the early rush.


    Open 24 hours, Marlene¡¯s Diner has become a neighborhood icon, with people from all over Century City arriving to partake in their signature item, waffles. Gluten-free, chocolate chip, tiger''s blood, they had something for everyone, and people supported them because of it. Although, not everyone could be satisfied


    ¡°Do you want me to call the waitress over?¡± Even as Steve uttered those words, he immediately regretted them. He asked that question daily, and the response was always the same.


    Sawing his fork through the giant waffle, Todd merely shook his head, grimacing as he took a bite of the starchy goodness he had waterboarded with maple syrup. ¡°I don¡¯t want to cause any trouble. I just wish they¡¯d make the goddamn thing right the first time. How many times have we been here? Somehow they always screw it up.¡± Even as he grumbled about the conspiracies and secret wars being waged against him in the form of waffles, he continued to take another bite, the pain of doing so evident on his face.


    Sighing, Steve, the only person able to put up with his presence, extricated himself from the stool, making his way around the counter into the kitchen. It was almost an everyday occurrence, a ritual he truly hated.


    ¡°The bastard is already complaining, is he?¡± Matilda Horn, her grey hair somehow falling to her ankles, greeted Steve as he passed through the cascade of beads that protected the holy sanctuary that was the kitchen. The greasy air caused his eyes to water as the business owner dumped another Monte Cristo sandwich into the deep fryer.


    ¡°You know he¡¯s just a little¡­¡± Steve started.


    ¡°Bitch.¡± Matilda finished the sentence for him, eyes twisted with rage. ¡°That¡¯s what he is.¡±


    ¡°You did spit in his food that one time, of course he¡¯s paranoid.¡± Steve, always the peacekeeper, tried to remind the elderly woman of the escalating history between the two, only to be cut off by a sharp reply.


    ¡°That was Horatio, not me. He¡¯s not even here anymore! He died.¡± Even as she argued, she came up to the window, slinging up another three orders of waffles before pointing down to the reject pile.


    Horatio, still alive, was working the grill, muttered something akin to ¡°fuck Todd,¡± but was drowned out by the music surging in the background. There, amidst all the ruined items dropped by the waitresses during their busy shifts, was a lone waffle. ¡°There¡¯s the other one. Microwaved to utter ruination, just how he likes it. The fucking monster.¡±


    ¡°Thanks...¡± Grabbing it, Steve left, setting the waffle down in front of Todd.


    ¡°Did she spit in this one?¡± Todd didn¡¯t even wait for an answer as he upturned the tumbler of maple syrup, exported straight from the motherland, Canada, onto the plate.


    Steve couldn¡¯t help but notice how sluggish his friend was moving today, the jerky method he used to separate each mouthful from the rest, but he kept it to himself.


    Taking a sip of his coffee, Steve stared down at his plate. He had opted for the eggs Cumberbatch this morning, a local favorite, but his eyes had been bigger than his stomach, about three-quarters of it remained.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe she gave you that shit ton of hash browns,¡± Todd said. Without invitation, Todd stuck his fork into the pile, swirling it around as though he was trying to catch fish with a net, before withdrawing only a small bite. Sticking it into his mouth, he nodded thoughtfully. ¡°These aren¡¯t bad.¡±


    With a dejected look, Steve pushed his plate over to Todd. Shaking his head, he wondered if he was going to be footing the bill this time or if, god help him, Todd had been paid this month. ¡°Have at it, buddy.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good,¡± Todd said. Leaning down over his plate, Todd began to decimate his remaining waffle, fresh from the microwave, focusing on it with a look of contentment even as the crowd outside became restless. ¡°The second one is always better.¡±


    Looking over his shoulder, Steve couldn¡¯t help but appreciate the families lined up outside. Some had spilled over from the church next door while others were clearly out of their element, discussing amongst themselves if the food would truly be worth the wait or if another establishment was in their future. It put a smile on his face as he sent a wave out to the waiting crowd just as they were flooded with light and disappeared right before his eyes in a cloud of ash.


    Todd looked over at him, eyebrow raised quizzically, as the others outside began to scream in earnest, bathed in the remains of their loved ones and strangers. The diner fell into stunned silence, unsure of what they had just seen. Todd and Steve floundered in their seats, making it to their feet as another beam of light drilled through the walls of the diner, heading straight towards them.


    Todd¡¯s gloved hands shot up in front of him, hastily catching the bolt of energy even as he began to slide back toward the counter. His sneakers squealed as he found himself unable to withstand the power behind the attack. The force staggered him as his hands began to creak, and with a howl of rage, he hurled it towards the ceiling, deflecting the sudden attack as he was flung back onto his stool.


    ¡°Do you think we¡¯re gonna get called for this?¡± Even as Todd¡¯s words left his mouth, their phones began to vibrate uncontrollably on the counter. ¡°Maybe we can take the food to go?¡± His voice wavered with doubt as another beam raced towards the diner.


    Finally coming to their senses, the customers and wait staff threw themselves under the tables, trying to shield themselves from what was coming, while the crowd outside scattered in every direction, attempting to escape the unexpected onslaught. Just as another bolt was about to slam into the building, it crashed against a hastily formed crystallized barrier, the two powers shattering on impact.


    Steve could already taste copper in the air as he turned towards Todd, blood flowing freely from his nose, the cost of wielding his abilities, as he staggered to his feet. Straightening his jacket, he patted himself down before bringing the Bluetooth headset to his ear. Snarling over his shoulder, he said, ¡°Save our seats.¡±


    Steve already had the phone to his ear, whispering to dispatch as they left the building. A torrent of death was coming their way; stray bolts were already crashing into the old apartment buildings that surrounded them, but the pair remained cool and collected.


    ¡°Are you ready to be connected?¡± Steve asked, holding his hand over the receiver.


    ¡°Not really.¡± The volley of bolts stopped only a few inches away from them, dissipating against the shimmering barrier that Todd had hastily erected.


    ¡°This is SAT Coordinator Veronica, how may I help¡­¡± the voice trailed off as the line went silent. Todd and Steve shared a bemused look as they wove through the abandoned cars. ¡°¡­fuck. Not you guys again.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Veronica,¡± Steve said, pleasantly surprised.


    ¡°I guess Sunday Brunch didn¡¯t work out, huh?¡± Todd added, his eyes tracking a stray bolt as it shot past them, a smile on his face as an empty car blew up behind them.


    ¡°He was sick, so we got a raincheck,¡± Veronica said. The anger in her voice was apparent, but it didn¡¯t stop them from sharing a knowing smile.


    Todd mouthed the word sick as he dragged a finger across his throat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t joke about that,¡± Steve said. The cameras around them had been disabled, standard protocol for SAT to protect the identity of their assets, but that didn¡¯t stop some of the more enterprising assets from securing the feed for themselves. Veronica was smart enough to track them and relay strategic information, something that both Steve and Todd could appreciate. With that type of information, even the slightest gesture would be noticed.


    ¡°How many targets are we looking at?¡± Steve cut in, breaking up the jovial atmosphere the two agents had shared.


    ¡°One gifted, and about thirteen meatheads with military-grade weaponry. They¡¯re tangling with the cops now, roughly two blocks away from your present location.¡± Veronica shared. The information was already relayed to their communicators, detailing weaponry, position, estimated ability, and the number of enemy combatants.


    It was rare for anyone with emission-oriented power to project their ability that far. A few feet was more than possible, but sending it more than that would be difficult for even the most powerful of gifted.


    Exchanging a look, the pair couldn¡¯t help but smile as they broke away from one another, Steve heading towards the nearest apartment complex, an expandable baton suddenly appearing in his hand as he spurred forward, while Todd made his way down the street, taking the low road. ¡°Initiate protocol Alpha 3,¡± Steve said.

 One High one Low

    Todd - Swing High Swing Low


    The barrier erected before him was capable of warding off the bolts that had atomized the crowd in front of Marlene¡¯s, but Todd was more focused on Steve. It was always odd to see him scale the side of a building, effortlessly finding each hold as he climbed in record time.


    The two of them served different purposes, broke different things, and were broken themselves, yet their teamwork was something to behold, seamless in practice. It was their quirks that made them unbearable to the other SAT members.


    Steve had already made his way to the roof, with a little mental nudge from Todd, and was already scurrying towards the action, leaving Todd to focus on what he did best: getting the attention of their targets.


    ¡°Fifty feet and closing. They¡¯re on the move, make a left up ahead.¡± Veronica¡¯s voice seemed to echo through his mind as he erected the barriers, each one taking the blow for the innocents left on the streets, the ones too wounded to find the strength to run. The explosions that came with each connection were short and violent. Strong enough to rock those nearby, he could feel each of them echo through his body, slamming his mind with the full brunt of the adversary he had stumbled upon on his day off, and he enjoyed it.


    Todd hardly noticed the blood pouring from his nose and the slight dribble that was now leaking from his left ear. In the back of his mind, he wondered if he could get the stain out of his hoodie. Maybe it was salvageable, but that thought rang hollow.


    ¡°Can you handle it?¡± Steve¡¯s voice radiated from the headset. There was no concern there; certainly, they were friends or something close to that, but they were in work mode now. He wanted to know if Todd could continue to eat the shots directed not only toward him but also at the civilians he was forced to protect.


    The question was answered for them as he turned into the chaos, and a bolt caught him full in the chest. Todd had barely been able to erect the shield across his body, a skin-tight glove created to keep himself whole, but he couldn¡¯t cancel out the force. It sent him skidding back nearly a dozen feet, the heels of his sneakers smoking as he remained standing, a smile on his face even as rage danced in his eyes.


    ¡°Never mind,¡± Steve said.


    It came naturally to him, instinct kicking in as his mind reached out, grasping a burning sedan nearby, which he flung towards the ring of criminals protecting the pretentious fuck that was shooting lasers out of his mouth.


    Running forward, Todd couldn¡¯t help but contain his excitement as the car was bisected in midair, losing its momentum and crashing mere inches before the men who had taken the war to the cops.


    He could see the look of surprise on their faces as he passed the cops, standing there, mouth agape, as the shield erected before him, warding off the bullets coming at him from all directions. He had stepped in the middle of the firefight, assured of his protection, and even stood for a moment, stunned, as he saw the gifted.


    The target wasn¡¯t large or imposing, he was roughly 35, squatting amidst the enemy as light pulsed beneath his bulbous skin, radiating from within before condensing in his mouth.


    ¡°The simulator believes you can erect a shield inside his mo¡­¡± Todd tuned out Veronica¡¯s voice as his senses reached out, grabbing a nearby bus and hurling it away from the frog-like man. The screams only reached his ears as the bolt shot by the vehicle, nearly incinerating the passengers that had hidden inside.


    ¡°You have more civilians nearby!¡± Veronica¡¯s horror was clear over the comms, but that didn¡¯t stop Todd from mentally reaching out and grabbing another vehicle.


    ¡°Got it,¡± he said as he lifted an SUV and flung it towards the ring of cars that served as their cover. Shields erupted around the criminals, blocking the rapid-firing bolts that flitted from the perpetrator''s mouth.


    ¡°Keep it up, we¡¯ll let Veronica deal with the paperwork,¡± Steve said.


    ¡°Do you know how much paperwork we¡¯ll have now?!¡± Veronica shouted over the headset.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I¡¯m kind of in the moment here.¡± Todd absentmindedly said as he sidestepped another bolt. The beams kept coming as he made his way closer, slowing down so he could avoid and deflect the incoming fire. A shield was erected before him as he reached out again, the phantom limb that served as his mental construct closing around another car as he carefully lifted it off the ground.


    ¡°Todd¡­¡± Veronica whispered, the threat obvious in her voice. The criminals could blow up whatever they wanted. SAT, on the other hand, had to be more careful. Slowly, he placed it back down.


    ¡°Whatever.¡± The sphere that shot up around him was only meant to buy him time, to keep them busy, but looking up, he could see the blast marks on the buildings around them, the incisions made against the brick and concrete, and the wheels were already spinning in his head. ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea.¡± He said with a smirk.


    ***


    Steve ¨C Whack¡¯a¡¯Mole


    Standing on the rooftop, Steve watched in genuine admiration as the building he was stationed on began to buckle beneath him. It had been a long time since he¡¯d seen Todd attempt a feat such as this, and even as the building tilted, the weight-bearing girders screaming with each telekinetic pull, Steve found himself secure in his footing.


    The building, already damaged from the fight raging in the streets, crumbled beneath its weight and the machinations of the man he¡¯d need to punch later. The tidal wave of debris crashed into the gunmen below, thankfully sparing the police officers from the onslaught even as Steve rode the wave down to the criminals, his batons at the ready.


    The first blow was quick and effortless, the tempered metal slammed into the temple of a passing criminal, buried to his waist in broken concrete and brick. This was how Steve alerted them to his presence, with practiced cruelty.


    The barriers formed around him, warding off bullets from those with enough sense to try and stop him as he danced along the rubble, his batons felling one man after another as he made his way to the gifted.


    With near godlike agility, his consciousness controlled each minute shift in weight, corrected each step to a staggering degree, as his arms lashed out, smashing in one man¡¯s face as the followup slammed the other baton into his genitals.


    Steve could feel the pleasure coursing through him with each sickening crunch as he wove through their defenses and struck home. His breathing became ragged and shallow as he shattered the leg of one man while crushing the windpipe of another, felling them both within a single breath.


    ¡°What the fuck.¡± The gifted man, short and balding, said as Steve calmly approached him. The rubble had buried him up to his chest, and even as he tried to focus enough to shoot off another bolt, Steve thrust kicked him in the face, viciously snapping his head back. With a smile, he turned, even as his senses suddenly warned him of danger.


    The bullet slammed into the side of his head, collapsing in on itself as the field that had rapidly formed along Steve¡¯s skin protected him. He could already feel the bruise forming as he drew his 9mm from the holster and shot the man who had almost taken him out. His practiced motions sent bullet after bullet into him, missing anything that would mortally wound him while slamming into debilitating nerve clusters.


    The man¡¯s screams rose above that of the others, and still, Steve turned from the hill of debris, leaving the fallen to the cops as he made his way to Todd.


    ¡°The mayor is going to be pissed,¡± Todd said, looking around at the carnage.


    ¡°I know,¡± Steve replied, ejecting the spent mag before replacing it with a new one.


    ¡°You wasted an entire clip on that guy, and he¡¯s still alive. The medical expenses are going to be brutal. You know it¡¯s always better to just kill them.¡± Todd lectured. Steve only shrugged in response.


    ¡°He¡¯ll live.¡±


    ¡°Still, I think, overall, we didn¡¯t do that bad,¡± Todd said, nodding to the man howling on the ground. ¡°Less than a billion in damages, I¡¯d say, better than last time.¡±


    ¡°The paperwork is still going to suck,¡± Steve replied, trying to maintain a professional air even as the workings of a smile threatened to break the fa?ade. Looking over their work, they could hear the hushed whispers of the cops who came in, apprehending the downed suspects. The only common word that was related to them was ¡°crazy.¡±


    ¡°Todd, Steve.¡± Veronica¡¯s voice drew them away from their careful appraisal of the scene.


    ¡°Yes, dear?¡± Todd replied, annoyingly winking at Steve. They could almost feel her sigh on the other end of the phone.


    ¡°You¡¯re wanted at City Hall.¡± The two SAT agents grew solemn as they groaned.


    ¡°Might as well grab our food first,¡± Steve suggested, shrugging as he headed back the way they came.


    The neighborhood had been trashed; the fighting between the gunmen and police had been one thing, but the battle between Exile and Gifted had taken it to the next level. Still, nothing hurt as much as they stood before Marlene¡¯s Diner, peering through the window, only to find their seats at the counter taken.


    ¡°Mother fucker.¡± Todd said.