Friday, February 12
- - - - -
Lady Lockless slipped into the Council of Heroes’ conference room, where the door to the Hot Zone lay closed and sealed shut. Outside, Mrs. N and Fanfic were having a heated argument about…something I couldn’t follow, honestly. The butterflies in my stomach felt more like ravens, they were so big, and I could barely focus on what we’d have to do.
The only good news was that Theseus and Gourmet had both turned up—the limb-swapping supervillain with a quartet of arm-transport drones and so many appendages that he looked less like a person and more like a squid, and Gourmet with a bag of candies and snacks. Both had fire in their eyes, as well as fear. But even with them, it was us seven against whatever Pro-Ilneat supers were packed into the Hot Zone, and from what Su-Bin had said, it wasn’t exactly empty.
“Okay. First contact with a super you four can’t overpower, and we’re locking down the zone. Dr. Jackson will take them out if she can, but if not, she’ll move you five out of my range,” Dr. Mays said. He looked a lot better; he’d shaved, showered, and the despair and lack of any motivation were gone. He still looked haunted, but now it was mixed with determination.
“Got it. I’ve gotta hand it to you, Understudy, I think this might work,” Theseus said. A chorus of groans covered up the rest of whatever he was trying to say.
“Door’s open, everyone,” Lady Lockless said. She leaned on her cane and pointed to the door, where hot air once again rushed into the room. “If we’re going, let’s go.”
I was already halfway through; the best way to deal with stage fright was to commit, and I was feeling the pressure like a hand squishing me into the ground.
[Casting Call]
[Episode: Power War: The Last Power War - R]
[Role: Superhero! Do you accept the role? (Yes/No)]
[Role Focus: Drama + Cunning]
[The Last Power War: Act One in Progress]
The funny thing was that even though my role was superhero, Lady Lockless was obviously fiddling with the villain settings in the Style System. I breathed a sigh of relief as Fursona stepped through in her eagle costume and Lady L shut the door. If she had control over the system settings like vils did, we could maneuver for a little while before the Pro-Ilneat supers caught on.
Still, it was only a matter of time, and we had to cross most of the Hot Zone. Sweat was already pouring down my face as we started filing down the street between office buildings’ shattered windows and broken warehouses. According to The Agent—who hadn’t been able to lie—the teleporter was in the main studio tower on the far end of New Colfax Street.
We were less than halfway there when a pair of supers swooped down on us.
The first impacted the street with a massive crash, wielding a mace that was too familiar—but this wasn’t Fake Lord Destructo. This was the real deal. And the second gracefully landed a moment later, pure white energy pouring from her hands. I didn’t recognize the woman—probably a major leaguer from Yorkston or something—but I didn’t need to.
“Dr. Mays here for…” Dr. Mays said softly.
I didn’t pay attention to the rest. The world stopped, and so did both supers. For a second, I expected Dr. Jackson to grab my hand and hurry us toward our goal, but that’s not what happened. Instead, she walked calmly toward Fake Lord Destructo, unstrapped the big man’s helmet, and punched him in the throat before zip-tying his wrists. A moment later, the other woman was similarly restrained but with added tinfoil mittens covering her hands.
“That’s standard for Elementalists. Works well on about 60% of them,” she said, smiling. “Thanks, Dr. Mays.”
“No problem, Cathy,” he replied, letting the commercial drop. “Happy to help.”
“I know it’s not your fault,” Dr. Jackson said.
“Not now. Later. Let’s get the job done.” Dr. Mays looked away and walked hurriedly down the street, and after a moment, Dr. Jackson followed him, shaking her head. I stared at the two pro-Ilneat supers; I hadn’t even figured out who the one was, and now she was helpless on the ground.
Golden Goose might’ve been scary, but the meta-powereds? They were terrifying.
Unfortunately, the next time we ran into more supers, things weren’t so easy.
Dr. Mays locked them down just as quickly, but one look at the product in his hands, and he shook his head. There were eight supers, plus us, and Dr. Jackson didn’t bother attacking any of them. Instead, she grabbed Theseus’s fourth left arm and my right wrist. As the shimmering silvery bubble extended over me, I grabbed Fursona, and within a couple of seconds, the person chain was complete, with Theseus picking up Lady Lockless.
Then we left Dr. Mays behind.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“He can’t keep them locked down long enough for a fight with that commercial,” Dr. Jackson explained as we ran. “So, we’re going to move you five out of range, then I’ll go back and he’ll try for a new one. If we win, we’ll head back to the door and hold it for you in case you need to retreat. If not—“
“We should go back and save Dr. Mays,” Fursona said.
Dr. Jackson shook her head. “No! The most important thing isn’t Dr. Mays. He can hold his own there for a minute or two. The most important thing is getting you to the teleporter.”
One of Theseus’s right arms pulled on Fursona’s wing, and she screeched. I cleared my throat. “Dr. Jackson’s right. We have one shot at this, so let’s go.”
It only took ten more seconds for Dr. Mays’s power to stop. The second it did, Dr. Jackson pointed. “Run!” she said, and turned back toward her fellow professor.
I didn’t need any encouragement. My hand slipped out of Gourmet’s as she reached for a candy—a Reece's Fast Break. Fursona got airborne, and I summoned my sailboard and pulled Lady Lockless on board. We rocketed toward the skyscraper in front of us just as Dr. Jackson disappeared around the corner.
----------------------------------------
Five minutes later, things were falling apart.
An alarm blared across the Hot Zone. Already, a half-dozen supers had rallied to the warning, and we had our hands full. It wasn’t just quantity, either. The Triad was here, fighting in the chaotic streets.
“[Starlance]!” I shouted, firing a pink-and-blue bolt at The Underdelver.
[Dramatic Damage! +1 Drama Point]
Next to me, Theseus had grabbed two Bud Lightbeams and was tearing into them with oscillating blades and claws, but the third had sliced off two of his arms. They thrashed on the ground like worms, molten ends melting the asphalt.
Meanwhile, Gourmet had two minor leaguers on her, and even with the Fast Break giving her an improbable amount of super-speed, she was hard-pressed. Worse, I couldn’t really engage—not with Lady Lockless. I had to keep her safe; she was the key to winning.
Eagle-Sona strafed the battlefield, shrieking at The Underdelver, only to fly face-first into a portal that appeared suddenly and, a moment later, fly out of its pair and faceplant into the sidewalk. We could mop this fight up easily—all I had to do was switch to Spotlight Star—but doing that felt like the wrong call. And it wasn’t a total disaster yet. We were on the right side of the fight. All we had to do was retreat.
BWEEEEEM!
[HP 13/15]
Bud Lightbeam’s laser vision ripped across me, and I almost dropped Lady Lockless as my sailboard rocked. “Guys, we need to keep moving!” she called, clinging to the steering bar just like Fursona had. Could no one handle this?
I turned and volleyed a [Limelight Barrage] into the replicating superhero as he turned a wide arc for another pass. The shots hit him, knocking him off-course and into a wall. “We’ve got a window! Disengage!”
[Dramatic Damage! +5 Drama Points]
Theseus finished tearing apart the two clones and stomped down the street, arms waving and disconnecting as one of his drones reloaded him with saw-blade limbs and a laser cannon of his own. A box-shaped arm fired a dozen grenades out into the street, filling it with a curtain of orange smoke that stung my eyes even from way over here. But The Underdelver didn’t care about the corrosive gas.
Gourmet took a bite from one of the minor leaguers’ costumes, then spat it out before she could absorb his powers. Instead, she ran toward us, and we started our retreat into the Network’s main building. If The Agent was right, we’d find the teleporter on the 15th floor.
Another super threw himself through a window, but Theseus’s blades and grabber arms savaged him before tossing him out the window. “I’ve gotta hand it to these guys, they’re not giving u—oof!”
The Underdelver’s drill cut off his boring, repeated joke as the hulking mech surged through a suddenly-open portal. I still hadn’t seen Tele-Portal, but this whole situation felt like a repeat of our battle to take the Council of Heroes Building.
Then, suddenly, it wasn’t.
As soon as we ran to the third floor, the entire building seemed to vanish around us. One second, we had cover, and the next, the whole skyscraper above us was gone, cut off perfectly where the ceiling met the wall. I fired another [Starlance] toward Bud Lightbeam, whose three bodies were already strafing us even as Fursona rocketed up toward him, screeching a soundwave that hit him, him, and him clean in the face.
[Dramatic Damage! +1 Drama Point]
Then I saw what had happened. Tele-Portal had grabbed the entire top of the building in a single, massive portal and dropped it somewhere else. My heart sank; she’d known what we were trying for, and she’d stopped us in our….
Something glimmered a hundred feet up.
It was small compared to the building Tele-Portal had just moved. We could probably fit the five of us if we tried, but it’d be tight. More importantly, it was still there. I stared at it for a moment until something hit me from the side, knocking me toward the truncated building’s edge.
[HP 11/15]
But the way was open. I grabbed Lady Lockless and surged into the air on [Solar Wing]. Fursona was already airborne, and Theseus activated a quartet of massive rockets attached to his hips, taking flight in a cloud of dust and exhaust. The three of us pushed toward the teleporter, then stopped.
Gourmet was still on the ground. She opened her bag, dodging one of the minor leaguer’s attacks, and popped out a buffalo wing. As she ate it, she turned into a Gourmet-sized dragon, belching fire across the battlefield.
But another flying super joined the fray, cutting her off. Worse, Bud Lightbeam was angling in toward the Ilneats’ teleporter. I realized what was happening too late; even as my [Starlance] headed toward him, I knew it wouldn’t be enough. He was going to try to destroy it!
[Dramatic Damage! +1 Drama Point]
Then, Theseus opened fire with everything he had. Missile launchers, lasers, and grenades filled the air, exploding all around the attacking superhero and choking the air with smoke and shrapnel. One of the Buds fell back toward the ground, then another.
But the last Bud surged through the explosions—at least until Gourmet’s draconic jaws clamped down on his legs and threw him back toward the street below. He recovered, and a moment later, his lasers hit her dead center. A gout of flame filled the air as they rocketed toward each other.
“Girls, unless you want this all to fail, we’ve gotta go!” Theseus yelled.
I turned away from Gourmet’s battle. Sure enough, he hovered at the edge of the teleporter—and a dozen supers were closing in. “I don’t want to leave her,” I shouted back.
“Just go, Snack! I’ll be fine!” Gourmet said over our headsets. I looked at her, heart sinking; against all those supers, she wouldn’t be fine. “I’m just gonna surrender once you guys make it through.”
I nodded and turned the sailboard up toward the teleporter. There was nothing in the way. The moment I got there, Fursona landed next to me, and Lady Lockless opened the door. We fell through the suddenly shimmering floor, and the last thing I saw was Gourmet rocketing toward us, Bud Lightbeam and four other supers on her tail. Her flame breath filled the air around us.
Then we vanished into space.