Chapter 20:
Ben’s first flight had been pretty cool. Sure he had been more focused on possibly retrieving the cube and fulfilling the dying wish of an alien, but it had still been amazing. He hadn’t gone too high since it was his first flight and the anti-grav Bugbot didn’t have that long of a flight time, but that didn't stop it from being exciting.
The subsequent flights had been pretty awesome too. Getting to fly across parts of the city far faster than most cars was always fun. And Ben could hardly complain about being able to go where he wanted as quickly and efficiently as possible.
But during all those flights, Ben hadn’t ever gone too high. Part of it was because it wasn’t necessary. Another part was the Bugbot pack’s flight time not having enough charge that it felt safe to do so. It was an inherent limitation of Katie’s tech at the moment as the pack already had her highest power density batteries installed and her anti-grav tech got less efficient the more mass it was trying to levitate.
Now though, after figuring out the many ways he could use his lightning and other things he’d learned during his last testing session, he could extend the flight time by double the previous amount. That made flying to higher altitudes less risky.
Which was why he was 3,000 feet in the air.
Ben had heard many things be called breathtaking before, mainly on television. But being 3,000 feet in the open air was probably the first time he could actually describe something in real life that way. And it wasn’t just because being so high up made the air thinner either. There was just something stunning about being able to see such a large section of Cascade from up above.
The grid like structure of the streets of West Cascade was so much more apparent from above. Like a satellite picture. Except, Ben could see the cars driving along the roads in real-time. If he squinted he could even make out the tiny dots that were probably people on the sidewalks. There was also just more depth to everything seeing it in person with no obstructions.
Each of the buildings, most at least two stories tall, looked like tiny miniatures. Only the largest buildings, in the actual Downtown West, seemed to have any presence to them at all from this height. And those were skyscrapers.
An interesting, breathtaking, and different perspective.
Looking away from the sprawling city below, Ben looked at what he’d actually flown to West Cascade to see. The spaceport. Past Elliot Bay and in the middle of the Cascade Sound was where the new spaceport was being built. It was a massive artificial island that would act as a launch pad for the Cascade Workshop’s efforts in creating more orbital infrastructure.
The island itself was already completed and looked to be a massive body of concrete and metal. Most of the port was large areas of open space that spacecraft would probably launch from. There were already dozens of hangers up as well as warehouses to store materials that would be launched into space or store stuff that came down.
And at the edge of the island port, in the direction of the city was what looked like a cutoff bridge that only went over the water for about a hundred meters or so. That was supposed to be an energy bridge that would cover the entire distance all the way back to the mainland and allow for the ease of transport of goods and materials.
Leading from this bridge was a road that led to the main space terminal which was also mostly complete. It was a large rectangular building with an inward curving roof. Most of the sides were glass and sticking out from the center was a central command tower.
The Workshop already had a space station up in space somewhere, but this new spaceport was meant to help with expanding that. Once that was done, the station was apparently going to be used for all sorts of zero-g industrial work and was touted as a big step towards humanity getting an actual industry out in space. Still far away from what advanced alien civilizations out there had, but it was a step in the right direction.
All of that would begin once the spaceport was finished. It was still a work in progress, as the news said the launch vessels were still finishing their testing. There were also tons of other smaller things that needed to be done before everything was done. It was a project five years in the making, and it only took that long because they wanted to be able to have things running completely without the need for Tinkers to be involved afterwards. It was hoped that the design for the spaceport and its vehicles would spread in the future, going beyond Cascade and to the rest of America. Maybe even the world.
And soon it would all come together and the spaceport would have its first launch.
Ben couldn’t help but think Nate would have loved to see it. Ben’s older brother always had such high hopes for the Workshop. And while they’ve already created so many things that help people, seeing them taking a massive step to pushing humanity forward… Nate would have loved it.
The grin that had been on Ben’s face since he really took to the skies started to fade. The elation he had felt dwindled. If things had been different… then maybe they could have seen this sight together. Or maybe Cascade City could have had one more Hero for the past seven years instead of—
Ben shook his head quickly and pushed away those thoughts. They weren’t productive. He couldn’t change the past. All he could do was look to the future.
Two weeks ago he was a normal person. He could barely fight off an E-Rank and only barely managed to save a lost kid. Now, though, he could have torn through that E-Rank like it was barely even there. He could fly up 3,000 feet into the air and see things that most people would never get the chance to. Maybe not completely on his own power, but he was getting there.
And that was only the beginning. He was getting just a bit stronger every day. One day, he would be a true hero, stopping crime and taking on the truly strong Incursions. He’d save lives and make it so no one would ever have to lose their family again. Just like his brother would have done.
Ben took one last look at the spaceport before he turned around and started heading back towards Haven Island. Coming out here to look at the spaceport had been a random decision on his part after seeing an article about the port being finished soon. Since he had some time to kill before he was supposed to meet up with his friends, he’d indulge his impulse.
But now it was getting close to the afternoon and he needed to go if he didn’t want to be late.
He’d have lunch with his friends, spending time with Connor, Anna, and Katie all at once for the first time in the past 2 weeks. Then, Katie and he would be meeting with Dark Resolve. He’d pass her test and they could begin really planning for going after the cube and Blitz.
----------------------------------------
The lunch with Connor, Anna, and Katie was rather nice. It hadn’t really been that long since the four of them got together and hung out, but it felt like it had been much longer. So it was good to get back together and catch up a bit.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t do more than lunch with all four of them, as Ben and Katie had already agreed to meet with Dark Resolve today. The lunch plans had been a bit last minute, as Connor and Anna had decided to visit Haven Island spontaneously. And it also put a damper on things when Ben and Katie couldn’t quite explain what they were doing after. But it was still fun and a reminder of simpler times so the four of them agreed to meet up again next week.
Hopefully, by then things with Blitz and the cube would be resolved.
But before that could happen, Ben had to prove he was up to Dark Resolve’s standards. This was why after leaving the delicious sushi shop, and then getting geared up in their costumes back and Katie’s place, Ben and Katie made their way to a Super gym called Supreme Fitness. Like most gyms meant to cater to Supers, it had large and reinforced private sections where people could train their powers, or like in their case, spar.
Dark Resolve was already there by the time Katie and Ben had arrived.
The other girl had gotten them a training room already, so Ben and Katie bypassed reception and went to one of the six private size training rooms the whole gym had.
The private rooms were in the back of the building and could be reached from a corridor that had windows into the main exercise area. As the two of them walked, Ben couldn’t help but watch some of the Supers training. He’d been to a Super gym a couple of times during the two weeks he had to prepare, but the crazy sights compared to a normal gym were still hard for him to ignore.
One woman, a B-Rank and obviously an Enhancer was doing squats. Unlike at a normal gym though, the weights she was using were massive and the bar itself was probably twice as thick as normal. There was only one weight on each side of the lifting bar, but each one had to be three feet tall and half again as wide. They also each said 1.5 tons on them. That meant she was squatting more than the weight of an average car.
Off in the treadmill section of the gym, several C-Ranks were moving at what looked like 40 mph on treadmills that were much more bulky and robust than any normal treadmill Ben had ever seen. There was even a B-Ranker, and with how fast their legs were moving, it was almost like something out of a cartoon than real life.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
It was still very hard to get used to seeing sights like that, especially since Supreme Fitness was a Super gym that catered to higher rank Supers. The reason they’d chosen this place though, was just like their ridiculously advanced and robust exercising equipment, their training rooms also had very advanced safety precautions. It allowed for truly full contact sparring between Supers, which unsurprisingly was how Dark Resolve wanted to test him.
Two weeks ago, this would have made Ben extremely nervous, especially after watching Resolve fight. Now… Well, Ben wouldn’t want to take her on in a fair fight. Which is why he didn’t plan on fighting fair. After all, Supreme Fitness boasted that B-Rankers could go all out in their training rooms and not cause harm to the building or the participants. Might as well take advantage of that.
“Finally,” Dark Resolve said once Ben and Katie made it into the training room. She’d been resting a bit to the side of the door, leaning against the wall. “Thought crystal boy might have gotten cold feet.”
The training room was rather large, looking almost the size of a high school gymnasium. The floor also reminded Ben of his high school gym with its waxed wood paneling. Off to the side of the center of the room was some kind of metal podium that probably controlled the dueling features. But Ben couldn’t help but keep going back to the size of the room. It didn’t seem like they should have been able to fit six rooms of this size back here…
“Oh don’t get your panties in a twist,” Katie said, walking over to the podium while Ben closed the door once all her Bugbots got inside. Right afterward, one of her Bugbot carriers opened up and a bunch of scout drones shot out and went all around the room. Maybe scouting for cameras and stuff, though Ben wasn’t sure if that was prudent or paranoid. “We’re right on time. You’re the one who’s early.”
“Also it’s Gemstone Legacy,” Ben said, gesturing up at his System nameplate that he knew she could see. “And I’m hardly gonna run from a spar.”
“Uh-huh,” Resolve said, sounding uninterested before she glared at him. “Well this is gonna be a bit more than a spar. I’ve already set up the room. It won’t stop anything that isn’t gonna cripple or kill. And any crippling or killing blow means an instant win. We’re going after some of the worse fucking scum after all, and if you can’t handle that then you shouldn’t be coming along. Especially since you're just at E-Rank.”
“Fine by me,” Ben said, not flinching from her glaring eyes. If he was gonna fight her he couldn’t shy away before the fight even began. At the same time, he couldn’t help but take the time to take in her outfit again. Despite having carried the girl, things had been rather chaotic at the time and he hadn’t gotten a good look at her or her costume.
Now in the bright lights of the training room, Ben got a much better look.
As he could tell before she was on the shorter side, only coming up to Ben’s nose. Her undersuit was all black, and she had a cowl that went up and over her head. Her face was covered with a large black and gray mask that only left her eyes exposed and the area around her mouth. Attached to her utility belt was a black and gray straight sword. Covering her chest and strategic parts of her body were mainly black ceramic plates that were probably bulletproof.
Overall, her outfit really fit her name.
“Actually, that’s something I wanted to talk to you about,” Katie said, over at the podium, probably checking over the settings. “About the other Villains that were with Blitz. But we can save that after you lose to Legacy.“
Ben winced a bit at Katie's statement. She knew what he was gonna do as he’d run it by her after Resolve had given them the specifics of the test. But her saying stuff like that might make Resolve on guard enough to make his plan fail.
Thankfully though, Resolve didn’t seem to take that remark all that seriously. “If he beats me I’ll fucking eat my sword.”
“How about instead,” Katie said, turning to Resolve with a grin. “If you lose then you have to go on a date with Ben? After all, your requirements were just that he has to survive five minutes with you, right? So shouldn’t he get something else if he wins”
Dark Resolve crossed her arms and looked off to the side. “I’d rather eat my sword.”
“Also I’d rather not,” Ben said, raising a hand. “Seems more like a punishment for me, if I have to go on a date with someone who’d rather eat a sword than date me.”
Katie sighed and shook her head. “You're both no fun. Anyway, come on, we don’t have all day. Get your butts to the center where the starting markers are. Tell me when you’re both ready and I’ll start the countdown.”
Ben nodded at that and headed over to the side closer to the door. Resolve just scoffed and headed to the opposite side. For some reason, she looked a bit red. Had she been like that when they came in? Maybe she worked out a bit before they arrived.
“You know what,” Resolve said, once they were standing across from each other. “Just to show you how out of your league you are, I won’t even make the first move. I’ll let you go first and show you the difference between us.”
Ben shrugged at that but internally he was cheering. Seems instead of getting guarded she was just getting extra annoyed at the idea she could lose. That should make his strategy a lot easier. Though hopefully, she’d actually accept it as his win, and not demand a rematch and kick his ass after.
“Fine with me,” Ben said as he tried to relax. “Just make it easier to show you that you shouldn’t underestimate me. After all, you don’t even know what I can do.”
“I know enough,” Resolve said. “You literally just got your powers and you’re an E-Rank. I’m not underestimating you, I just know my own strengths. Anyway, enough talk. I’m ready, Swarm.”
Ben shrugged again and nodded. “I’m ready too, Swarm.”
There was a pause before Katie sighed. “Like seriously, screw you both. It’s Sovereign if you have to shorten it! Sovereign!”
“Uh-huh”
“Never calling you that.”
“Ugh, whatever,” Katie said before she pressed a button on the podium.
After that, a holographic three appeared between Ben and Resolve. It turned into a two, then a one, before flashing a big graphic ‘GO’ and then disappearing.
Ben had been half expecting Resolve’s words to have been a bluff and come straight after him, messing up the plan and making things a whole lot harder. But she was true to her word. She stood there, her sword unsheathed and in her right hand, but it was pointed down at the ground.
Since he wasn’t gonna get a better chance for it, he went with his plan.
First, he would create a distraction. It might not be needed but it would stack the deck in his favor. And since all the testing they’d done, Ben was still eager to try out what they’d learned he could do with lightning—and other elements once he unlocked them. It was every bit as versatile as Ben and Katie had hoped, and the main factor around that was mindset.
“Get ready,” Ben said loudly and obviously. At the same time, he pulled lightning from the heliodor on his left wrist and applied it on just his hand while focusing on the idea of speed. That wasn’t really necessary since a fast hand wasn’t going to do much for him, but if he didn’t concentrate on something specific then he could shock himself. It also took him a second to do it, as while he could finally target just part of something instead of the whole thing, it still wasn’t at the point where he could do it quickly. But since it was just a distraction that didn’t matter. “Gonna take you out in one blast.”
Resolve scoffed. “You do realize I’m not just gonna sit here and take it, right? I said I’d give you the first shot but that doesn’t mean I won’t dodge.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Ben said cheerily, as he got ready to actually attack. Not with his lightning-clad left hand, however. Instead, he’d be using something that had honestly taken him a bit too long to figure out he could do. He’d already kinda done it before, boosting his throws, but he didn't realize how much more he could do if he went full power.
After all, Ben could move things with kinetic energy. At level 6 now, he almost could completely oppose gravity with how much he could accelerate himself. But the amount of kinetic energy he could apply to things didn’t change due to their size or mass. And he could make small things accelerate a lot faster than himself.
From what he’d calculated, at his current doubled maximum, he could actually launch something the weight of a bullet faster than a handgun. And while his gems were a bit heavier than that, it still meant that he could send even his gems flying at ridiculous speeds. Especially if he was using a smaller gem.
A C-Rank might still be able to dodge that. But only if they saw it coming.
Resolve didn’t see it coming.
With most of her attention on Ben’s raised left hand, she never saw the crystal that appeared out of his inventory at Ben’s foot. It made no sound as it appeared since he caught it with his other new Skill Gem Control, and then he sent it blasting at her by applying kinetic energy. By the time she noticed the crystal moving at bullet speeds, it was too late for her to react. The heliodor whizzed to her right and released all its energy just when Ben wanted it to. Just a foot behind her.
A loud boom filled the training room.
If it wasn’t for the safety features of the room, everyone’s hearing might have been damaged. And despite being a C-Rank, Resolve would have been killed or badly damaged depending on her skills and stats.
Of course, with the safety features, all it did was send Resolve flying forward and to the left a dozen feet. The safety system protected her with a forcefield but also locked her in place once she hit the ground and created a hologram above her.
‘LOSER’ it read.
Ben grinned at the sight. Right up until Resolve was no longer held in place on the ground and got back up. Then he winced at the death glare she gave him.
“So…” Ben said, a little awkwardly. “Guess I win? And we don’t need to spar anymore, right?”
Resolve continued to death glare at him for what felt like a whole minute. Then she took a deep breath and calmed herself.
“Alright, guess I deserved that,” She said, sounding oddly calm as she walked away and sheathed her sword. Ben almost felt relief until she stopped and turned around. She was back at her starting marker and the smile on her face made him rethink his decisions. “But I still need to know just what you're capable of if we’re gonna work together. And what better way than a friendly spar.”
Ben gulped at that. He sincerely doubted the spar was going to be all that friendly, even if she put away her sword. In fact, that might draw things out since that meant fewer killing blows. He looked to Katie for help but she just grinned and waved before pressing a button on the podium.
Then another countdown started.
“Um, would it help if I said I was sorry,” Ben offered, right as the hologram showed ‘GO.’
“No,” Resolve said, a grin on her face. “No, it would not.”
Then she rushed him.