The shadow loomed over me, the sharp end of a slim knife catching the light. I remained in place, too tired to do much else. Bright green electronic eyes bore into me.
“You know, Gunquake,” Clara said from behind her surgical mask. “If this is to become a daily occurrence, you will need to make it up to me somehow.”
[I apologize, I did not realize my injuries were so extensive.]
“They are not.” She paused to wiggle the scalpel at me. “At least, compared to most of the times I’ve had you on my table. You are just lucky the Gnashing Horde were too prideful to use toxins or laced arrowheads. You both are.”
She gave a glance up past me to where the super was probably still sitting. I couldn’t turn my head at present, but the last I looked, she was slouched over and looked like she hadn’t slept in days. Powdered dust still covered her arms and some of the workshop floor, but the techie had put together some kind of energy drink to help Roxy recover from her minor wounds.
We had both advised she go sleep, but she had been adamant she stay and wait for me. Partially to gloat that she had won the rights to determine our next date night by killing the most lizardkin. She was correct, of course, but I disputed the fact. I made the note that the wastesworm only counted as one. The annoyance over my disagreement put fuel in her furnace and kept her awake as well. I’d just relent once it was time for bed.
[You are right, Clara. You’ve been overdoing things and I appreciate all the effort you put in. I’ll make it up to you, and I’ll let you decide how.]
“Really, Gunquake?” She tilted her head and placed the edge of the blade against my bare chest, but didn’t make an incision. “I have the day after your hero test booked off for whatever fallout comes from that.” Her eyes went back up to Roxy. “Let me discuss with my handler what exactly I can squeeze out of you.”
The super grunted, but didn’t have a more lucid response at present.
It was good she has pushed herself, and I was proud of her first time using her lava powers in battle. That short shelf life would improve the more she practiced, but in that brief time she was full power she was something else. I had swung us back past the hobgoblins on the way home to let them know of our success. The state of the two of us left no doubt that we had completed the agreed mission. One of the hob’s introduced as Teeba’s sister could even recognize the taste of wasteworm mucus. Neither of us had the energy to engage with that.
Before leaving, hailed almost as heroes, I handed Teeba a small device that would allow him to communicate directly with me. Only me. Encrypted. Clara had managed to slide a couple of these into my hand, probably ‘borrowed’ from the League’s tech department shelves sometime after I had explained my chagrin at not being able to communicate with the mining outpost properly. I’d have to deliver their one soon.
And thus, my little world was expanding. So close to the actual city, yet still forging my own path. I had a real home protected from all angles. A workshop. Metalworking factory. Mining outpost. We even owned some of that legally. I had come so far from my shack of solitude, yet I wanted more.
“You’ll both be interested to know…” Clara began, bringing my thoughts back to the present. “My apartment has a buyer. We’re hoping to close the deal at the end of the week, and I will be spending a chunk of the proceeds on further prefab buildings.”
[As you see fit.]
She nodded and withdrew the blade. “We’ll run through the specifics when you have more stamina, Gunquake. You’re always more fun when fully energized.”
Although the super didn’t make a sound, the temperature of the room rose a little.
[What is your diagnosis of my current predicament?]
“Hmm.” Clara twirled the blade around in her fingers idly. “Your physical injuries seem to have healed fine. The actual damage sustained wasn’t too dire for a change, Gunquake. You pushed yourself into casting magic, which is… well, partially disgusting.” Even beneath her mask, I could see her face scrunch up. “We do not know the way you are granted magical capabilities, but it seems like forcing it out was mentally taxing. Some amount of trauma. You’ve recovered now, but I would be more careful.”
[I might melt my brain away?]
“I do not know enough about the subject to give a definite answer.” She sighed and placed the scalpel back on the table. “In my professional opinion, you probably cast your spells in your old life through verbal or somatic means—hand signals or the like. By doing it by thought alone, you are pushing the limits of what you should be allowed.”
“Standard,” Roxy grunted from the side.
I didn’t feel like I’d soon grow used to just snipping away at any magical effect nearby. The times I had even run into another magical user were few and far between. A risky ace up my sleeve was better than no option, however.
[Thank you, Clara. I will be glad of some rest and won’t push myself too far.]
“No need for brazen lies, Gunquake.” She removed her mask and gave me a smile. “You’re among birds of a feather here.”
She was right, there. All three of us were going full speed toward our limits, hoping we could push that line back further and achieve more before falling off the end prematurely. So far, so good, although our lucky streak had to end at some point.
“I’m thankful that your first actual spell is one that destroys magic, though.” Clara stood and moved to the side to remove her apron. “That at least keeps you in the running, Gunquake.”
I didn’t have the energy to prompt her for what that even meant. Instead, I turned my head to the side to see the super. She looked terrible. Only hanging on to the waking world by a thread, and hadn’t even spent the energy to get washed and cleaned yet.
“You can get up and put your top back on now, Gunquake,” the techie mentioned, putting away her tools.
With a grunt as I sat, I rubbed at my head. Turns out I was exhausted too, but being under threat of the knife had kept me on edge. Now I was eager to get the rest I deserved.
[Was getting undressed even necessary? I required no surgery or testing.]
“Don’t argue with your doctor,” Clara replied, facing away, but I was sure I caught the edge of a sly grin at the corner of her mouth.
I shrugged and turned to the super, not really feeling like I wanted to put clothes on, only to go straight to bed, anyway.
[You won, I relent. The choice of our next date night is yours.]
A smile crossed her tired face, and she sighed with relief. “Motherfucker,” she murmured.
We waited for Clara to finish packing away before heading to the house. As much as we trusted the new defensive system we had around our home, we had yet to see it in action. My brain slowly turned to mud as we made the journey, but I felt content.
Next lucid thought running through my mind was how damn bright the sun was. With a groan, I rolled over on the bed. It was morning already? My eyes went over to the super. Still out cold, drooling on the pillow.
We had both fallen asleep immediately, half dressed in our outfits from last night. The sheets were filthy with the grime and sweat we hadn’t washed off. I hadn’t slept that hard since going through stim withdrawals.
Relaxing against my pillow, I grabbed down my goggles from the bedpost and put them over my eyes.
[Ah, shit.]
Roxy stirred, her eyes barely opening as she frowned at me. “What is it?” she groaned.
[We overslept a little. The rest of the team will be here in fifteen minutes.]
“Shit, fuck,” she groaned and rolled over, putting her hand over her eyes. “Can’t make a bad impression. Let’s rock and roll.”
And thus began the quickest getting ready montage I had ever lived through. Shower went on as we both stripped down, just stepping under the water briefly to wash before we switched. Roxy even dried us both off with a quick pulse of her powers.
I was standing out in the garden just in time for the cloud of Roy’s approach to be visible. In dire need of a fresh canister, but fully dressed aside from my tactical gear. We’d delay them by offering breakfast, we had agreed. The super could finish making sure she was looking peak form, as I would greet the early guests. Given how much she liked to be on time for things, her stress levels were almost through the roof.
Clara had already gone off to work, insisting she had even tried to wake us earlier. Perhaps it had been a mistake to run the raid against the lizardkin the day before team training, which was the day before my hero test… but I couldn’t think of a lesson I could learn from it. Maybe pack more grenades?
//Dubs: Hey, could you pick me up something on your way home later?
//Clara: Of course, Gunquake.
//Clara: It’s grenades, isn’t it?
//Dubs: It is. How did you know?
//Clara: Just part of the job, don’t overthink it~
Luckily for her, my brains were still too scrambled to overthink anything. Luckily for me, I’d be getting some grenades.
Roy slid himself through the dirt area where my hovel used to be. Now in his super outfit once more, he looked every part the hero. “Morning, Dubs. I think I owe you a big fuckin’ thank you, big guy.”
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
[Do not mention it. Thank me by giving today and tomorrow your all.]
He gave me a faux-bow, a shit-eating grin on his face. “At your command, my lord. Am I the first here?”
I nodded and gestured to a crate off at the side. Clara had left me explicit instructions about what to do and say when he arrived.
[How has your solo training been? There is a new version of your fist weapons in the box, but they aren’t finalized yet.]
“Oh, nice.” He looked around, as if the techie might be lurking in the shadows. “Ah, Clara was insistent that I took up some more combat classes in my downtime, so I’ve been doing a few. Was unsure at first because most places wouldn’t accept someone of my speed, but once I got into it… it’s like my zen place, you know?”
[It brings back memories of when you served?]
He paused as he reached the crate and tilted his head. “Yeah… I guess so. Some sort of order, right? Fuckin’… structure. I suppose you’d know a little about that too, huh?”
I nodded. This super group was a way for me to feel like I had a squad on my side again. Despite my combat efficiency, I knew that I had played a more supportive role in my original group of super-soldiers. Boss had finely tuned me to become a killer in my own right, self-sufficient without any of my granted powers. Now they were coming back, and I was born anew in more ways than one.
Roy plucked the two fist weapons out of the box and slid them onto his hands, the glove parts covering down to his elbows. They were slightly smaller now, more sleek, with the working parts shrouded better. He immediately went into a boxing pose, hopping lightly on two feet, before leveling a flurry of blows into the open air. Electricity crackled and arced around the gloves, pulsing like lightning with every blow.
He whistled as he stopped and relaxed. “Do you think it would be rude to ask Clara to make some of these for my feet as well?”
[She would no doubt be on board with that. Her free time is minimal at present, but I will make the request for you.]
While he nodded his thanks, Roxy emerged from the house and we both turned to greet her.
“Looking sharp, Rox,” the speedster grinned.
“Eh,” Roxy waved him off. “I spent most of the night wrestling a giant worm, so I’m exhausted.”
The Captain raised an eyebrow and looked between the two of us.
[A wastesworm. We were killing a mutant tribe.]
“Oh,” he said. “That raises slightly different questions, but I won’t pry.”
As part of the setup of the League granted technology, Clara had set the rest of the team as approved guests. While we had discussed the practicality and humor in not doing so, to see how it dealt with Roy approaching, we decided it was best to start the day on good terms with the others. I had mostly ignored the messages in my lens, as was becoming habit, but on the speedsters arrival had pinged a notification to tell me he was approaching. With a little picture and everything.
“My new powers need working in,” she explained. “Keeping the lava out in the fight is very tiring and I have to keep pushing my resistances up. Murdering mutants is the most ethical way of doing it in a live target environment.”
Roy just pulled a face and nodded. While he had served and seen combat even before becoming a hero, the casual disregard for life Roxy was showing was probably a little out of the blue. I was a bad influence.
She turned to me and gestured toward the city. She did look her normal self, albeit her eyes weren’t as bright. We had survived the morning rush. “Ren and Belle are coming by car for a change. Until we get a helipad so that her bird doesn’t get so dusty.”
[I am sure that Clara is getting a prefab warehouse shortly. Perhaps I can see if she can get one with such utility on the roof?]
“Please,” she gave me a stoic nod, “do so.”
In the midst of our flurry of activity this morning, we had agreed to prop her up as the leader. I knew there was a real danger of the others seeing me as the one in charge. Roxy had held my face, and told me I was her equal and could be the shadow leader, because she appreciated and trusted my judgements and decisions. That suited me fine. I wanted her to be the face of the group, and it was important for the others to see that I was one of them, also bending the knee.
It wasn’t long before the vehicle of the other two appeared along the road. The two supers fell into some idle chatter that I tuned out - something about Roy’s first day back in the job and what the League had told him in regards to his return. I mostly thought it was a shame that Clara wasn’t here for the training. While impressive on my own, I really came into my potential with her eyes and ears following me.
I’d have to make sure the League and her education always allowed for her to be behind me when I was on the job. I didn’t know how she would have the time for everything. If our day together turned out to be her just resting, I’d only be half surprised.
Despite appearances, I was somewhat nervous. Even as the dark black vehicle rolled up a few spaces apart from my own wagon, I wasn’t sure why. Today was important, sure. Was it because I was relying on others? Perhaps my methods of diving headfirst into danger might cause those close to me trouble? Whatever it was, it almost sunk fully away as the two supers emerged from the heavy duty car.
Both in their super outfits. Belle in detailed pearlescent robes, her book under her arm already. Ren had her artefact bow with her. Both smiling.
[Good morning. I hope you are both well.]
“I was a little wrapped up with work lately,” Belle said, giving me a wry smile, “but I’m glad for this break.”
“Work away from work,” Ren said, rolling her eyes. “That said, I’d much rather be here than running League nonsense.”
[I’m about to offer breakfast, if you have the appetite. Then we will begin.]
It turned out that everyone was interested in the proposed food. I found myself in the kitchen, humming away as I juggled several pans and the oven. Roxy would come in occasionally to make sure I was doing fine, which I was. For the most part, the others sat at the garden table and socialized. Their voices were muffled through the kitchen window, but the occasional raised voice and laughs were still enough of a signal that things were good. The group was fixed, even if I died tomorrow. A small win.
Not that I had any plans to die. Being this close to becoming a hero was exciting, as much as it didn’t feel real. I was a contract killer, reanimated from the near-corpse of a super murderer. Mutilated to be an unknown tool, once fighting for the World Government, and now… fighting against them? My role wasn’t entirely clear, but it was obvious to me that once found out, the Gov would want to tie off loose ends. The League gave me a fighting chance, even if it meant dancing to their tune.
“You seem different.”
I turned my distracted eyes to the side to see Belle standing in the kitchen doorway, leaning against the frame with her arms folded. A soft expression of intrigue on her face.
[It might be because I cast an active spell last night.]
Her eyebrows raised. “No shit? I didn’t think that was possible. What was it?”
[Some manner of Dispel, I believe.]
She nodded slowly. “Damn. You really are a jack of all trades, huh?”
Probably by design. I was meant to be able to assist my squad in dealing with all manner of supers. There was a likelihood that each of us had strengths against certain types. I fit the slot of group support, with my Calm Emotions and healing aura…
[Oh, I might also have something like… Speak Languages? Is that a spell?]
“Explain to me what happened.”
[I was in the midst of battle, and I wanted to warn the lizardkin away. It came out in their language, but I’m not sure how. It’s not as though I understood what I was saying, either. My vocalizer was disjointed from my thoughts.]
“Hmm.” Belle pushed herself up into a standing position and brushed some of her pink hair behind her ear. “There is tech that does that sort of thing, but it’s unlikely you didn’t know you had it. Plus, you’d be able to do it basically on command. There are several language-based spells, but we’d need to know exactly what is going on to determine which.”
I gave her a nod of thanks for attaching her own interest to that revelation. I was glad to have a magic-user on the team, even if my new spell made her one of the easiest for me to kill.
[It would be nice to find out where I draw the magical power from, and how extensive my prior spell knowledge was. At present I am assuming three active spells, but since using them is very strenuous, there’s no way of knowing.]
She agreed. “Spells are only really detectable when they’re active, of course. If you feel up to trying them out during training, have me close by and I’ll lend a hand.”
[Speaking of lending a hand… could you help me bring the plates out?]
With a smile, she agreed, and we went and had breakfast. Although the least likely to become my friend at the start, I felt that Belle was especially grounded most of the time. It hadn’t taken a lot of time to earn her trust, partially helped by the rescue from the villain, but the fact that she wasn’t a fan by default was respectable. Not that I had an easy ride with the speedster, but Ren and Roxy had been simple enough.
After the others had consumed their fill of the goods I had cooked, and labored me with a copious amount of praise and thanks, Roxy took main stage.
“Alright, chuckleheads,” she began, standing at the head of the table with hands on hips. “First off, some congratulations to Roy getting back in the saddle. We might just save the group from being shunted off of the rankings.” She smiled at him, and then at me.
I had repeated the suggestion that we kill or otherwise sabotage the group that was potentially waiting to take tenth position from us, but that didn’t go over well again. Nobody even knew who were the likely candidates, as groups didn’t form pre-list.
“I have almost recovered,” she continued, “which means the League will be putting me back to work soon. The group will be back at our pre-flop stage. But now, we have an ace up our sleeve for our return.”
All eyes turned to me and the gathered supers gave some muted cheers and clapped.
The spark had returned to Roxy’s eyes. She was energized again. Getting into her element once more. ”You all know by now that Dubs is to thank for kicking my ass into gear, and bringing you all back into the fold. It goes without saying that I want him in our team. He’s even gone and gotten commendations from each of you already, but I ask you now, as your leader, do you approve of his application?”
Without hesitation, each of them raised their hand to show their approval. Despite knowing they all did previously, the act show of it was… humbling.
“Fuck yeah.” Roxy grinned from ear to ear. “Then you assholes better start working your asses off, because the League is going to give us a hard time. We have everything to prove. They have a total boner for Dubs, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be soft gloves all the way. The big shits at the League want to see him at his limits, and that extends to us. As a team, we have to step up and be better than even our heyday.” She ran her tongue across her lips. “I know we can get to A-Rank, and I need you all on board. Understood?”
I nodded as the others also agreed. A binding agreement of a few positive gestures and murmured words of acceptance. We would hit A-Rank, it could be no other way now.
“Fan-fucking-tastic,” she clicked her fingers. “Man, it’s been too long since I’ve run my mouth for a speech, huh?”
“One of your better ones,” Ren murmured, shooting the super a grin.
“Right?” Roxy gestured to me with her hand. “So now I’ll hand you over to the man himself. With his last hero test tomorrow involving all of us, I want you to give your all to make sure he passes, okay? Or I’ll murder each one of you.”
[She’s only half kidding.]
I stood from my chair as their attention turned to me. It would make sense for me to be good at speeches, due to my prior life and current charisma. There wasn’t really much to say after Roxy had given hers, however. She’d really knocked it out of the park and was now practically glowing as she sat and smiled at me.
[I won’t say much. You’ve all become fast friends, and have accepted me for who I am. Tomorrow is very important to me, as is the success of the team. If you can trust me to guide you in training, then I believe we can achieve Roxy’s goal of hitting A-Rank. We all have strengths beyond what the League accepts, and I wish to bring that out of each of you.]
Nods and raised glasses were the response, each of them on board and hyped up by the back-to-back words of encouragement. I was planning on telling them that I had poisoned the food and their performance in training would determine how soon I would give them the antidote. I was glad to see that wasn’t necessary.
[With little else to say at present, get yourselves ready and we will begin. I will need to equip my gear and I will assign sparring partners.]
Roxy had told me that even with how many years they had been a team, they had never really fought against each other. Not physically, at least. The League threw a wet blanket on that sort of thing, and it was understandable why. Roxy getting physical with anyone not as strong or durable as her would have them dead in short order. Someone like Belle wouldn’t be able to do much offensively, and Ren had limited options if you caught her without her artefact present.
I planned to change all that. Although I couldn’t make them killers like me, I would push them to do things the League wasn’t able to.
The ability to survive outside the confines of this manufactured city.
I left the table and went to the workshop, to prepare to kill all my friends.