It was nighttime in North Carolina. Bob walked along an empty street, heading towards an abandoned warehouse. Two young men stood to either side of the door. As Bob tried to pass them, one put a hand on his chest and pushed him back.
“Not so fast, buddy. You gotta show us what you got if you want to get in here.”
Bob pulled out a badge.
“I’m with SLF admin.”
One of the men chuckled and shook his head.
“Yea, that ain’t going to fly with us. Only Inferiors care about badges and crap. Supers, are on the other hand, are all about power!”
The man took a pose, crossing his arms and grinning. He stirred up the power within him, willing it to make itself manifest in the world.
“Behold!”
His skin and clothes turned blue. Then red. Then green. Then yellow. Bob’s eyes started to ache.
“You stand before Hue! Elite guard of the Super Liberation Front!”
The other man also took a pose and grinned. The side of his body began to grow and extend out, forming into a second body. Soon two of the man stood side by side…still connected at the shoulder and hip.
“You stand before Twin! Elite guard of the Super Liberation Front!”
Three pairs of eyes stared at Bob, as Hue and Twin spoke in unison.
““Who are you to think you can join our noble cause?!””
Bob heaved a sigh. He walked up to Twin and knelt down. He grabbed Twin’s shoe and lifted both the man and his pair. With a single hand.
“As I said, SLF Admin.”
The men’s eyes widened and they began to sweat.
“Oh, Mr. Admin, we um, didn’t recognize you.”
“That’s the point.”
“R-Right, well, r-right this way, sir. The Leader is just about to begin.”
“I will let him know why I’m late.”
“O-Of course, you have our sincere apologies, sir.”
“Noted. Now out of my way.”
Bob dropped Twin onto the ground. His second body slid back into his first, and then he and Hue rushed to get out of Bob’s way. Bob heaved a sigh as he passed them by.
Looks like the SLF was getting the word out. The good news was that all sorts of questionable supers were gathering together as a result. The bad news was that all sorts of questionable supers were gathering together as a result.
Thank goodness Saydaa had learned to make strengthening potions so he could shop in-house. Baba Yaga still hadn’t called in her favor from last time and he had no desire to trade her another.
He heaved a sigh. Gravity projectors would have a lot less side effects…but with so many supers gathered in one place no telling if one might catch him relying on technology. Which meant sketchy witch potions with a wonderful list of side-effects, all for a temporary boost in strength.
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Well, at least it beat cultivator potions. The side effects on those could be...unpleasant for those of poor or no cultivation.
Bob made his way through the warehouse. The insides were crowded, with people of all shapes and sizes packed together. Small flashes of light and growling noises indicated those who couldn’t help but show off their powers. Bob heaved another sigh. Hopefully they wouldn’t break out into a fight. Again.
Finally, Bob reached the other end of the warehouse, entering into a small room. A bald, dark skinned man sipped on a beverage as he checked himself in a mirror. He wore a black suit with a purple spiral on his chest, with a blue cape.
“Ah, brother, is everything ready?”
Bob nodded.
“Yes, we’re ready for you. I’ll head out to check with the scouts once you begin.”
The man nodded and turned to the door.
“Then let us go, and earn our freedom.”
The man walked towards the warehouse. Bob nodded and headed for the back door.
Once outside, he took out his phone and pressed a button. Then he walked off into the night.
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Back in the warehouse, the man stepped out onto an elevated stage. The mass of supers quieted down, all eyes turning on him.
“Greetings, my brothers and sisters. I thank you all for heeding my call.”
He waited for a moment.
“Some of you have asked…why the Super Liberation Front? What do we need to be liberated from? We are still human, they say. We might have some differences now, but at our core, we are all the same, right? Why then, should we set ourselves apart? Why focus on the differences? Shouldn’t we continue to live in peace, as normal humans?”
He clasped his hands behind his back, pacing across the stage a few times before stopping. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, before looking up and glaring at the crowd.
“They are wrong. Back when I was an inferior, I learned the truth. Humans…will always lash out. They will always find a reason to set themselves apart. They will always find a reason to hate…and to kill.”
“My people shared the same language, a similar culture, similar beliefs. Their differences were minor, as small as could be. It didn’t matter. They were divided, and then they tore each other apart. It did not matter that they were similar in far more ways than they were different.”
He took another deep breath.
“And do you know what the rest of the world did? Those mighty powers that speak of the solidarity of humanity. What did they do when the people slaughtered each other in droves and begged for help?”
Silence hung in the air. He spat out the word.
“Nothing.”
He waited for a moment. He watched as the crowd narrowed their eyes and furrowed their brows.
“They will do the same to us. We are not only different. We are superior. We are super. That will frighten them. They will turn all their attention and all their hate upon us. They will divide us, seduce us with tales of cooperation and peace. And then they will kill us, one by one.”
As the man spoke, the air began to swirl around him, kicking up his cape.
“That is why we will not wait. That is why we will not stay silent. That is why I have cast aside my identity as an Inferior and took the name Galactic Vortex. That is why I have founded the Super Liberation Front. And that is why you all are here.”
“We will liberate ourselves from humanity and their ploys. We will elevate ourselves, and create a new home, one that truly celebrates differences. And we will not wait for the inferiors to strike, for they are crafty and their weapons terrible. We will strike first. We will show them our might. They will not respect us…until they learn they must fear us.”
Someone in the crowd began to cheer. More and more people joined in until the entire warehouse shook with the sounds of their roaring shouts. A spiral of wind spun around the Galactic Vortex.
“Tonight, we will earn our freedom. We will strike at the greatest military base of the strongest army on the planet, the truest sign of the inferiors’ cruelty and arrogance. And we will show them, just how super we truly are! To arms, my brothers and sisters! BEGIN THE ATTACK!”
The crowd roared. SLF elites took charge and led them as they stormed out of the building. The Galactic Vortex smiled. And coughed, his throat seemed a bit parched. He found a bottle of water and took a drink, before he too headed out into the night.
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Fort Bragg. The largest military base in the United States. On this night, an army gathered at the entrance, weapons at the ready.
The earth began to rumble.
Soon they saw it. Seemingly unarmed people of all shapes and sizes, rushing down the road. Or flying above it.
One of the soldiers raised a loudspeaker.
“This is restricted government property! Turn back now!”
But the mob continued to advance. The soldiers glanced at the commanding officer.
“Non-lethals. Give them a warning.”
Just then the air began to pick up. The Galactic Vortex hung in the air, high above both groups. He lifted his hands, glowing with purple light.
The air began to distort in the center of the Army formation.
And then the air howled.
Soldiers cried out as a swirling sphere formed in the air, picking up men and vehicle alike and tossing them around. Even trees ripped out of the ground.
The Galactic Vortex coughed and the sphere dispersed. Battered men and broken vehicles fell to the ground.
And then the mob was on top of them.
Giants with animalistic features leapt upon cars and trucks, crushing them underfoot. Glowing hands fired beams into armored vehicles, setting them ablaze. Gunshots rang out, blood was spilled. Some bullets bounced off mere skin. Others passed harmlessly through distorted bodies, still others found purchase only for the wounds to close all on their own.
And then the supers struck back.
Within moments, the blockade was broken, the battered survivors scattering for the hills. And the Super Liberation Front continued their march into the Fort Bragg area.
The Galactic Vortex caught his breath and smiled.
The war had begun.