Taylor Hebert
January 10, 2011
"Taylor?"
Mr. Gray was pointing his strange weapon at us. I found myself in a dilemma: on one hand, my instincts screamed at me to put my hands over my head, though I didn't know if that impulse was smart or simply stupid. Instead, I stood frozen, locking my eyes on him.
Kevin and Argit, on the other hand, had no trouble reacting.
"It's a Plumber!" Argit shouted, his voice cracking. "Damn it, Kevin, this is all your fault!"
"How the hell was I supposed to know we were being followed?!" Kevin snapped back. He had one hand resting on his car, ready to absorb the material and use his powers.
Mr. Gray detected the movement immediately and focused all his attention on him, leveling the pistol threateningly.
"Not so fast, Levin."
Kevin froze. I saw him frown, his eyes shimmering with a mix of suspicion and recognition.
"You know me?"
Mr. Gray remained silent for a moment before speaking.
"Yes. I didn't know your father in person, but Devin Levin was a great Plumber."
I didn't understand anything. I felt out of place, caught in a frequency I couldn't tune into, but I didn't want to make the situation worse. Since I got my powers, it seems "making things worse" is the only thing I do without fail.
Mr. Gray's sigh brought me back to reality.
"Look, kids, I'm not here for you. It's clear you're as surprised to see me as I am to see you," Mr. Gray observed me directly. "Especially you, Taylor."
"Heh..." I let out a nervous laugh, not knowing what to say. "I'm sorry."
"That reminds me: why do you look like that?"
"I gave her a Plasma Displacement Mask," Kevin interjected with a smug smile. "I should give things away more often."
"And you just put on something you were given without a second thought, Taylor?"
"I'm sorry... again."
He opened his mouth, surely to reprimand me, but Kevin's friend intervened quickly.
"Since everything is cleared up, Officer," Argit began, regaining his swindler's silver tongue, "I'll be taking my leave. You don't have to worry about me, you know, exemplary citizens and all that..."
"Not a step, Argit. I know perfectly well who you are. You've been arrested several times so far this year, always for smuggling-related crimes. Don't move, or I'll add charges for resisting authority."
"Forget about Argit," Kevin interrupted impatiently. "Explain what you're doing here, why you know Taylor, and what we're going to do now... though I think I can already guess the answers."
Finally, I saw my chance to speak.
"I want to know too," I cut in, trying to keep my voice from trembling. "I thought you were a lawyer, and now it turns out you're a 'Plumber.' But instead of carrying a wrench and a plunger, you're carrying a laser pistol and a police badge. Can someone explain what is going on once and for all?"
Argit snorted and muttered something under his breath; Kevin rolled his eyes. Mr. Gray sighed again, holstered his weapon, and approached us. He stopped in front of me, looking me directly in the eyes before casting a fleeting glance at Kevin.
"What have you told her so far?"
"Nothing," Kevin replied with disdain. "I promised to tell her everything if she helped me with my problem. But if you want to do the dirty work yourself, go ahead. You're welcome."
Mr. Gray didn't look very happy with the comment, but he shook his head and refocused on me.
"Taylor, I need you to open your mind and listen to what I'm going to tell you. Because it is the truth, the strict truth. Can you do that for me? Do you promise you'll listen?"
I remained silent, processing. Just a few hours ago, Kevin was throwing conspiracy theories at me that sounded like madness, all pointing at Mr. Gray. But now, seeing them interact, it seemed they shared a tactical understanding that I was unaware of.
"Alright," I finally replied. "I'll listen."
Mr. Gray nodded, took a breath, and began:
"You should know that there is much more beyond our world, Taylor. Much more. We are not the only life in the universe, let alone in the galaxy. In short... I'm saying that aliens exist, and they aren't as unknown as you think."
My brain disconnected immediately, but it didn't stay that way for long.
"Aliens?" I asked. "You can't be serious."
"Taylor, you promised you would try to listen to me."
Damn it, I did.
"Fine... go on."
"Thank you," he nodded. "Humanity has known about the existence of aliens for many decades, through both friendly and hostile contact. It all really began with the space race; that was when the organization that formalized the extraterrestrial presence on Earth finally arrived: the Plumbers."
Mr. Gray remained silent for a moment, allowing me to process the information. I took the opportunity to organize my thoughts.
"Kevin mentioned them when we met," I spoke up. "I still think it's a strange and silly name, but never mind, keep going. Something tells me you're getting at something."
"Good, pay attention, because this is where the important part starts. The Plumbers are a law enforcement organization tasked with maintaining order throughout the galaxy. Earth is one of the most recent members to join, and at the head of all of them is your grandfather: Magister Max Tennyson."
"No way!" Kevin shouted. "She's the granddaughter of the damn Max Tennyson?! The man considered one of the greatest Plumbers in history?! Holy shit!"
I blinked at his reaction. Even with my poor social skills, I had no doubt that his astonishment was genuine. Mr. Gray decided to ignore Kevin's outburst and continued in the face of my lack of comments.
"Max Tennyson quickly became a famous Plumber; his name is recognized throughout the galaxy. But that is not the primary focus right now. The person who matters to us at this moment is your grandmother, Taylor."
"My grandmother?"
Mr. Gray nodded.
"Much of this history is classified, but what's relevant is what your grandmother is... Taylor, you are not entirely human. Your grandmother belongs to an alien race called Anodites."
"No... are you saying that..."
"That's right, Taylor. Your grandmother is an alien, and so are you. You didn't get your powers like the rest of the parahumans; yours are the product of your heritage, passed down directly from her."
I took a step back, completely incredulous. I snorted, shook my head, and managed a bitter smile.
"I get it now. This is a joke, right?" I laughed. "I have to admit it's quite well-crafted, but you don't have to keep going. Aliens? You had me for a moment."
"Taylor," Kevin intervened with an unusually serious tone, "he's telling the truth. That's why I acted the way I did when I met you."
My laughter stopped dead. I looked quickly at Mr. Gray, and he nodded gravely.
"When you first activated your powers, Max called me and tasked me with your protection. I am a Plumber, just like your grandfather."
It was then that I remembered the conversation with Dad in the car. He had mentioned that Grandpa was a plumber... in the literal sense. It all clicked into place in a terrifying way.
"Does my dad know about this?"
Mr. Gray shook his head.
"No. He was as ignorant of this as you were. My understanding is that your mother did know about your grandmother's true nature and your grandfather's work, but beyond that..."
"But she died in an accident, right?" He nodded, and I clenched my fists. "Why didn't she survive then? Wasn't she an alien like my grandmother or me?"
"I'm not sure. Anodites are a rare species... It doesn't seem like the inheritance of powers is guaranteed in every generation. They are beings of pure energy who create biological bodies to be with their partners from other species. We know very little about them, Taylor."
I took a step back and drew a sharp breath. I brought my hands to my disguised face and closed my eyes.
One... Two... Three... Four...
I needed a second to think, to organize my thoughts and process everything before I said or did something stupid.
Were they telling the truth? I believed so. If this was some kind of joke, it was far too elaborate... I still hadn't fully digested Mr. Gray's story, but I had to focus. I had to return to the present; I'd have time to panic later.
I let out one last breath and pulled my hands away from my face. I looked directly at Mr. Gray.
"I'm not saying I believe you... But fine, I'll buy your story for now."
"Thank you, that's all I ask for now."
Kevin took the opportunity to snort.
"You live in a world where any idiot gets superpowers after a bad day; is it really that hard to believe that aliens exist?"
I frowned deeply, hoping my new disguise perfectly conveyed my expression. It seemed to work, as Kevin smiled with amusement. That reminded me of something...
"You seem very calm about all this. Let me guess: you're an alien."
"Ha!" Kevin laughed. "Close. My dad was an alien. I'm half Osmosian. Before you ask: yes, my mom was human."
I opened my mouth and then closed it. I couldn't stop a comment from escaping my lips.
"Well, it seems you didn't inherit the green skin from your father."
He just snorted, amused. But Mr. Gray cut the conversation short.
"Enough for now. I've answered your questions, now you'll answer mine: What are you doing here, Taylor? How do you know Levin?"
I suppose that was fair.
"I met Kevin at the boat graveyard beach. He was fixing his car, and one story later, I was sitting in the passenger seat. Then you showed up."
Clearly, Mr. Gray was not happy with my way of summarizing the facts, but I was far too exasperated to offer anything more detailed. He turned to face Kevin.
"And you? Although something tells me you're the one my contact in Boston told me about. The green car gives you away."
Kevin shrugged.
"There's no point in lying anymore: yeah, I was in Boston. I tried to sell some weapons to the Forever Knights, but the PRT and the Protectorate showed their ugly faces and ruined the deal. The worst part? Those damn tin-heads took the weapons and the money! I'm here to recover my investment, and maybe pick up a little extra." He paused and shrugged again. "Miss Universe here offered to help."
I couldn't help but snort at the look of exhaustion on Mr. Gray's face. Finally, he said:
"You're quite the young entrepreneur, aren't you?"
Kevin smiled. "What can I say? I go where the money is."
Mr. Gray shook his head and brought a hand to his face, massaging the bridge of his nose. Finally, he sighed.
"Fine, here is what we'll do. I alone am not enough to deal with a contingent of Forever Knights, and you two are already quite involved in this..." Mr. Gray crossed his arms. "Kevin, you and Taylor will come with me. Your friend Argit will stay in my car, handcuffed. He has too long a record to simply let him go free."
I nodded. What else could I do? Mr. Gray began scanning the area for Kevin's friend, but the guy was nowhere to be found.
"Where did he go?" I asked.
Kevin cut in, looking genuinely amused.
"He took the chance to slip away about ten minutes ago." He gave Mr. Gray a mocking look. "Some Plumber—a real professional."
It wasn't hard to deduce that Mr. Gray wanted to punch Kevin right then and there. I wondered if he was only holding back because Kevin was a teenager. For some reason, I doubted it.
"Fine. I'll deal with him later." With his pistol in hand, Mr. Gray took the lead. "Let's go."
Kevin quickly placed his hand on the hood of his car and activated his powers, absorbing the metal. I began to float and moved closer to them. Kevin's metallic footsteps, along with the rhythmic pace of Mr. Gray's boots, set the tempo of our march.
The abandoned shopping center was still a ways off, so I took advantage of the trek to keep asking questions.
"There's something I don't understand," I said. "How is it that I've never heard of this? I get the secret organization thing and all that, but... doesn't it mean we can leave the planet? Sphere tried."
I remembered reading about Sphere's project: leaving the Endbringers behind so humanity could search for a new home. It was even said that the structure of his lunar base was still there, like a monument to failure.
Mr. Gray sighed.
"Earth's situation is complicated. On one hand, the planet is under quarantine, either by order of the Plumbers or because of..."
"The Simurgh."
I turned to look at Kevin. For once, his face was serious. Mr. Gray nodded gravely.
"Yes. Anything that tries to enter or leave the planet is intercepted by her." He shot Kevin a withering look. "Though that doesn't stop guys like your friend from coming and going with contraband, whether it's technology or people."
Kevin shrugged with indifference.
"The Simurgh's effective range is known. As long as you're careful, you can enter and leave the planet with relative ease." He paused and then added, "I know the Plumbers have teleporters. What I don't understand is why they don't use them to evacuate this dump."
A shadow covered Mr. Gray's face. His voice grew heavy as he spoke.
"How much do you know about the reason behind Earth's quarantine?"
Kevin raised an eyebrow. I remained silent, listening with rapt attention.
"Not much. The Plumbers did a good job keeping the secret, but... does it have something to do with superpowers? The quarantine started shortly after parahumans appeared. The Simurgh has just been doing half their dirty work since she arrived."
Mr. Gray didn't answer immediately. I saw him tighten his grip on his weapon.
"I can't say much, either because it's classified information or because I don't know the whole story myself. But the high command—and I'm talking about the real high command—knows the nature of parahumans. I don't know exactly what they discovered, but it has had them terrified since Scion appeared."
We finally reached a gas station and passed between the wrecked pumps.
"Whatever is happening on Earth has already happened on other worlds before," Gray continued. "The 'First Thinker' is the ultimate authority on this matter, though for many, he's just a rumor. They say he is creating a weapon intended to put an end to... well, to whatever is infecting this sector."
It was clear that I was the most ignorant one in the conversation, but I like to think I'm smart enough to connect the dots.
"Are parahuman powers what scare the aliens?" I asked.
Mr. Gray fell silent. This time, he looked much more apprehensive.
"Not exactly. As I've said, that information is above my rank, but... it's not the powers that have them scared. It's the reason behind them."
Clouds obscured the moon just as we reached the doors of the abandoned shopping center. Kevin broke the silence with the question we both had on our minds.
"And what is that reason?"
Mr. Gray answered with frankness and gravity.
"I don't know."
Both Kevin and I grimaced at that answer, but Mr. Gray didn't give us time to verbalize any complaints; he pushed the mall doors open, and we stepped inside.
It was exactly what I expected: an old, decaying place plunged into oblivion. The hallways were depressing and slightly terrifying under the total lack of lighting. There were empty beer bottles, aerosol cans, and I'd swear I saw a used syringe among the rubble.
It was clear the place served as a shelter for the homeless, though at that moment, it seemed completely deserted. The vandalized walls and shattered storefronts told the story of a place left to its fate many years ago.
We moved deeper into the darkness, with Mr. Gray leading the way.
"Well, this place isn't creepy at all," Kevin commented sarcastically. He snorted. "Anyway, you mentioned a contact in Boston earlier. It's because of the Forever Knights, right?"
"Yes," Mr. Gray replied in a low voice. "Me running into you two was pure coincidence. My Plumber badge tracks any alien technology signals; that's how I found you by accident."
"My car," Kevin deduced.
"Correct."
It shouldn't have surprised me that Kevin's car had alien components. It sounded exactly like something a guy like him would do with his vehicle. It sounded like something even I would do if I had one.
As we crossed the main hall, we found ourselves surrounded by rows of closed shops. A hallway stretched out in every direction.
"Well, take out your fancy Plumber badge and track down those tin-heads."
Mr. Gray did exactly that. Now I could see his badge up close: it was circular, with a green hourglass design in the center.
"Doesn't look like anything special," I commented.
Just then, a holographic map projected from the badge. In the center, a blinking dot marked our location.
"This way. Follow me," Mr. Gray ordered. "And keep it quiet."
We resumed our march. Kevin and I walked in silence; well, he walked, and I kept floating. The good thing about my new disguise was that it no longer emitted that revealing glow. The hallway we entered was the same as the others, but the smell of urine and God-knows-what-else was nauseating.
I had no problem with the silence, but Kevin, on the other hand...
"You said something about a weapon before..." he whispered. "What can you tell us about that?"
Without taking his eyes off the map, Gray replied, "Not much, they're just rumors. They say it's something every species in the galaxy collaborated on, though that part is surely propaganda."
Kevin snorted with incredulity. "Agreed. I can't imagine Vilgax doing anything for the good of the galaxy."
"Who?" I asked.
Kevin shrugged. "A warlord who owns a chunk of the galaxy. They say he's terrifying—the most ruthless and evil guy there is; a conqueror of worlds and destroyer of civilizations. I've never run into him, but whoever he is, he can't be scarier than Ma Vreedle."
Both Mr. Gray and Kevin winced and visibly shuddered at the mention of that name. I simply arched an eyebrow.
"I don't want to know."
"Better that way," they both replied in unison.
We finally reached our target: a surprisingly spacious mall atrium.
In the center, the activity was frantic. Dozens of men were working, moving crates and unloading heavy equipment. They were armed to the teeth, and not just with pistols.
"I know you called them 'Forever Knights,' but..." I pursed my lips behind the mask, "I didn't think they were actual knights."
"Pff," Kevin snorted with amusement. "Wait until they open their mouths; they talk like it's the middle ages."
"Silence. Hide."
Moving like shadows, we ducked behind the storefront of a wrecked shop and peeked out cautiously.
"Ten, fifteen, twenty... there are easily more than forty," I whispered, grimacing.
Kevin, on the other hand, smiled arrogantly.
"Better. More faces to punch."
"Don't be reckless," Mr. Gray snapped. "We have the element of surprise. Let's wait for an opportunity and—"
The worst happened. Mr. Gray's badge began to beep with a high-pitched sound that tore through the silence of the hall.
"Hello?" a voice said through the comms. "Agent Gray? It's me. I'm at the meeting point in front of the abandoned mall, where are you? I don't see you. Hello? Respond."
I stole a quick glance at the Knights. Chaos erupted in a second.
"Intruders!" one of them shouted.
"Take up arms! Fire!"
They aimed at us in unison and pulled the triggers. A rain of red laser beams flew in our direction. Without a second thought, I propelled myself into the air, moving out of the line of fire. Mr. Gray rolled to the side seeking cover, pistol in hand; Kevin, however, lunged straight ahead.
"I want my damn money!"
He charged without a shred of fear. The Knights fired in retaliation, but Kevin dodged the energy beams with surprising agility for someone of his metallic build. Finally, he reached the first man and delivered a devastating punch.
The sound of metal clashing against armor was sickening, followed by the dry crunch of several bones breaking. The Knight went flying through the air, slamming into a pile of crates with brutal force.
"I'm not done yet!"
Kevin was succeeding in drawing all the attention, and the Knights responded with fierce intensity. But they weren't alone. From his cover, Mr. Gray returned fire; unlike the enemies, every one of his shots hit the mark. One flash, one fallen Knight.
I decided I couldn't stay behind. The fact that they managed to graze me with a plasma shot didn't help my temper.
"Sons of bitches!"
Okay, I didn't feel pain, but getting shot is incredibly annoying. I extended my palm, gathered energy, and fired.
My pink energy projectile was easily distinguishable amidst the rain of red lasers, not just because of the color, but because of its destructive power. I wasn't entirely precise, but the impact in the middle of a group of Knights caused an explosion similar to a grenade. The shockwave tossed them into the air like ragdolls.
I didn't stop there. I kept firing, dodging, and counterattacking. I admit my aim was erratic due to the chaos of the battlefield, but I'm a fast learner. I also had to watch the power levels; if I overdid it, I could kill them far too easily.
Dodging a volley of red beams, I suspended myself in the air and took careful aim. Three consecutive shots left my hands and hit my attackers full in the chest. The explosion was contained—just enough to send them flying. They landed with a crash, groaning and visibly writhing on the ground.
"Good," I smiled. "I finally have the power level right."
From that point on, everything moved faster. Unlike us, as we held our ground, the Forever Knights were losing men by the second. There couldn't have been more than ten left; enough to end this once and for all.
I was preparing to release one last blast of energy, but something interrupted me.
Two shadows emerged from a dark corridor and, before I could make them out, they leaped over the heads of the Knights, landing heavily among the weapon crates.
They were creatures I could only describe as monstrous, grotesque, and horrific dogs. They vaguely resembled canines but were the size of a small car, with asymmetrical bony armor, exposed muscle, and calcified flesh. Several figures were mounted atop the beasts.
On one sat a person wearing a cheap plastic dog mask, and behind them, a blonde girl in a purple suit and domino mask. On the other monster were two men: the one in front looked like a biker with a skull-shaped helmet; the one in the back, a man straight out of the Venetian Renaissance, with a mask and scepter.
"What the hell?" Kevin asked, bewildered.
The girl in purple peeked her head out from behind her companion in the dog mask. She made a face of pure horror.
"Shit... dammit... this is very bad."
The biker turned toward her, furious.
"You told us it was nothing serious, Tattletale!"
"My power isn't omniscient, Grue! How was I supposed to know 'Pinky' would be here?! Though she isn't pink anymore... was she always a redhead?"
"Look at all the chaos!" the boy with the scepter shouted, ecstatic.
I frowned. Grue and Tattletale. I knew those names.
"The Undersiders."
The silence didn't last long; the Forever Knights began firing frantically at the newcomers. Hellhound's dogs moved with an unexpected grace for such massive beasts, weaving through the wreckage of the hall.
I set myself to finish off what was left of the Knights so I could then deal with the Undersiders, but just as I was about to fire, I saw two enemies fall to the ground, struck by silent projectiles.
I narrowed my eyes and saw them. Crossbow bolts.
A new set of footsteps echoed from the gap where the Undersiders had entered. Her suit wasn't the same as usual; it followed the theme of full-body armor, but now red was a predominant element. The change didn't matter. I recognized that silhouette. That crossbow.
The feelings I had tried to contain all day exploded in my head. Anger, rage, frustration... an uncontrollable fire.
"SOPHIA!"
The next thing I knew, I was glowing. I could feel the power coursing through every fiber of my being, my eyes fixed solely on her. I didn't notice that Kevin's mask fell to the floor, shattered by the pressure of my energy. I didn't notice that I began to release pink bolts in every direction, like a storm out of control.
"Holy shit!" Tattletale screamed. "She's fucking furious!"
I didn't care that things started exploding around me as my bolts struck everything in sight.
"SOPHIA!"
I moved fast, too fast. In a blink, I had Sophia gripped by the breastplate of her armor. We were both in the air. I couldn't see her face behind the mask, but her whimpers and the way she struggled desperately against my grip gave me a clear idea of her fear.
"You did this to me!" I screamed, my face inches from her mask. "Look at what you did to me!"
Her fists began to strike me in a frenzy. She had forgotten her crossbow, either out of desperation or because she dropped it when she felt my strength.
I didn't care about her blows; they couldn't hurt me.
But I could hurt her.
"B-bitch!" Sophia spat. "Let me go!"
I squeezed harder, and she let out a cry of agony.
"Not until you feel the same pain you made me feel!"
"She's serious!" someone shouted, probably Tattletale.
It didn't matter. Only my target mattered. I raised my fist, and energy converged around it with terrifying power. All my anger and pain transformed into pure power, concentrated in a single point.
I prepared to strike, but a new voice joined the battlefield.
"It's Hero Time!"
Fast footsteps and a confident laugh.
A burst of green light that left me completely blinded.
Brian Laborn
January 10, 2011
"Is this the place?" Brian asked.
"Yep," Tattletale replied, popping the 'p' with confidence.
Brian studied the abandoned shopping center. It wasn't pleasant to look at at all; it seemed like the perfect set for a low-budget horror movie. Banishing any unnecessary thoughts, he focused on his team.
"Let's go over it one more time before we go in," he ordered in a firm voice.
Regent groaned, leaning back on Brutus's back. "Is that really necessary?"
"Yes."
Brian's gaze settled on the group's newest member, who remained as quiet as usual. Since she had joined a week ago, she hadn't uttered a word unless it was to spit out some insult.
"Tattletale, start," Brian urged.
The team's Thinker smiled, adjusting her mask. "The boss got a tip that Tinkertech weapons are being moved. The whole thing started in Boston with a failed sale, and now the shipment is here, in the Bay. Our mission is to steal them. Simple."
Bitch nodded, focused on her dogs. Brian knew her well enough to know she didn't dwell much on tactical details; she just wanted a direction and a target. He, on the other hand, was the opposite case. He didn't like this job one bit.
"Are you sure there are no parahumans with them?" Brian asked, seeking a confirmation to calm his instinct.
Tattletale waved her hand dismissively.
"Relax. In fact, this group is anti-parahuman," she chuckled under her breath. "Trust me, they loathe anything related to Capes."
Regent anticipated his leader's next doubt: "And they still use Tinkertech weapons?"
"Well, they have to level the playing field somehow. Chill out, Grue. Don't think so much; thinking is my job, after all."
Brian frowned under his skull mask and looked back at the building. He had a bad feeling, but he lacked a solid argument to refuse. Besides, this was his first official job with Shadow Stalker on the team.
That girl caused him constant conflict. On one hand, they had history: the psychopath had nearly seriously injured him in a previous encounter with clearly lethal bolts. On the other hand, there was her reputation. Knowing she was responsible for the trigger event of the girl who saved her father only aggravated the contempt he felt toward her.
The problem was that their mysterious boss had been insistent, almost threatening, about her joining the team. When he asked Lisa for the reason, her response left him uneasy: "Don't argue, Brian. Please. As a friend, I'm asking you... let it go."
Although they had only known each other for a few months, Brian truly appreciated Lisa. Compared to the sociopathic Alec or Rachel's wild nature, she was the closest thing to normality. But, as always, he decided to move forward. His sister depended on him, and he didn't intend to let her down.
"Are you ready? Bitch?"
"Yeah."
Bitch and Lisa climbed onto Angelica, while Alec and Brian mounted Brutus. Shadow Stalker, predictably, rejected the hand Lisa offered to help her up.
"I'll walk," the girl stated bluntly.
Bitch turned to look at her, with a tone that promised immediate violence. "You got a problem with my dogs?"
Since Shadow Stalker's mask covered her entire face, Brian couldn't see her expression, but he noticed her tense visibly. For a second, it seemed like the newcomer was going to respond to the challenge, but finally, she relaxed her posture.
"I'll cover our backs..." she paused. "It's more comfortable to use my power if I walk."
It was obvious Bitch didn't buy the excuse, so Brian intervened before they tore each other apart right there.
"Enough," he cut the conflict short. "Let's get what we came for and get out. Don't forget: it's a job like any other."
"Allons-y!" Alec patted Brutus's side, though the dog only moved forward once Rachel gave the order.
The hole in the wall was large enough for the dogs to enter with them on top without any trouble. The interior was wrecked, vandalized, and mired in decay. Brian wondered why they would use this place to set up.
"They did it so they could leave the city quickly," Tattletale commented, reading his thoughts. "They don't plan on staying in Brockton Bay. They finish their business here and clear out."
"And what is that business, exactly?" Brian wanted to know.
Lisa shrugged. "I have a few ideas, but they're shots in the dark. Let me find out more first."
They continued moving forward with shadows as their only company, until the echo of gunfire and screams tore through the mall's silence.
"Tattletale..." Brian instructed, tensing his muscles.
"I'm on it," she replied, and her voice didn't sound quite so confident anymore.
The din became more intense and wild. Brian didn't just hear the explosions; he felt them vibrate in his bones as the hallway shook violently. Despite the chaos, Tattletale let out a predatory smile.
"It's our chance," she said, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "We have to take advantage of this."
"What?" Brian looked at her, incredulous. "Tattletale, the whole building is coming down."
"Relax. Another group beat us to it, and they're going at it full tilt against the ones with the weapons. My power tells me they're the same ones from Boston."
"What are you saying?"
Tattletale gave him a mischievous grin.
"Apparently, they stole the weapons and the money from their sellers in Boston, and now they're here to collect the debt. They'll be so focused on killing each other they won't even see us pass by. It's nothing serious, Grue."
Brian was about to retort that "nothing serious" was a cursed phrase in their line of work, but a powerful scream charged with rage echoed throughout the mall.
"I want my damn money!"
Brian frowned under his skull helmet. Behind him, he heard Alec's amused laughter. The explosions continued for a few more seconds, shaking dust from the ceiling. Brian sighed; he didn't like the situation, but time was running out.
"Let's move," he ordered, immediately adding: "But we do it fast. Ignore the fight and focus only on the weapons, understood?"
After the group's nod, Bitch gave the order and the dogs took off running. Brian could hear the rhythmic echo of Shadow Stalker's footsteps behind them, keeping pace.
It didn't take long to reach the heart of the disaster. From his position, Brian couldn't see the entire battlefield, but he caught sight of several Knights scattered across the floor like broken metal dolls. In the center of the conflict, he distinguished a boy with green metallic skin, a man in white sci-fi armor, and a redheaded girl floating in the air, surrounded by a threatening pink aura.
Before he could assess any further risks, Tattletale shouted, pointing to the side:
"I see the weapons over there! Bitch, that way!"
"I see them!"
Brutus and Angelica leaped over the Knights' heads with terrifying grace, landing in the middle of the supply crates. Brian gripped Brutus's bony armor tightly while he studied the scene again.
It was a one-sided slaughter. That trio had effortlessly decimated a contingent of men armed with Tinkertech. The redheaded girl held beams of pink light in her hands, glowing with an intensity that made the air vibrate. The green-skinned boy had just landed a resounding blow on a Knight, sending him flying several meters into a pillar. The crunch of metal and the impact were unpleasant to witness.
In the back, the man in the white armor kept his own pistol leveled with professional calm. Tattletale was the first to react viscerally.
"Shit... dammit... this is very bad."
Brian turned toward her, annoyance seeping into his voice.
"You told us it was nothing serious, Tattletale!"
"My power isn't omniscient, Grue!" she snapped back, panic surfacing in her eyes. "How was I supposed to know 'Pinky' would be here?! Though she isn't pink anymore... was she always a redhead?"
"Look at all the chaos!" Regent shouted, delighting in the disorder.
Brian locked his gaze on the floating girl. Aether. Identifying her through Lisa's words caused a knot to form in his stomach. On the PHO forums, people constantly compared her to Legend; although her power ceiling was a mystery, the fact that she was mentioned in the same breath as a member of the Triumvirate was a sign of absolute danger.
Aether seemed to identify them at that very same moment.
"The Undersiders," she uttered, narrowing her eyes with hostility.
The chaos resumed as the remaining Knights began firing at them. Bitch's dogs started dodging the projectiles while Brian clung to Brutus, trying not to get caught in the crossfire. Amidst the confusion, Brian refocused his attention on Aether just as she let out a scream that curdled the blood of everyone present:
"SOPHIA!"
A searing pink flash blinded Brian for a second. When his eyes adjusted, the redheaded girl had disappeared. In her place floated a humanoid figure of deep, vibrant purple, crowned by a mane of pink energy that billowed like fire. Brian recognized her instantly: it was the same form Aether had used to rescue his father from Uber and Leet's nonsense.
But this time, there was no trace of calm heroism. Arcs of pink electricity erupted from her body, crackling in every direction. Every impact against the walls or crates caused explosions that made the mall's foundations rumble, throwing debris and clouds of dust into the air.
"Holy shit!" Tattletale screamed, shielding her face with an arm. "She's fucking furious!"
The air around Brian grew heavy, charged with a static that made his skin sting. A bolt zipped over his head and struck the storefront of a nearby shop, pulverizing the glass and sending glass shrapnel in his direction. Brian reacted on instinct, leaping to the side.
"We have to get out of here!" he roared, but his words were swallowed by a scream of pure hatred that froze everyone's blood.
"SOPHIA!"
It was a blink. In a fraction of a second, Aether crossed the distance and snatched Shadow Stalker by the neck. Both rose into the air, suspended by an invisible force.
"You did this to me!" Aether bellowed, her face inches away from the vigilante's. "Look at what you did to me!"
Shadow Stalker began to strike and kick with desperation, but her attacks bounced off Aether harmlessly. Her captor held her with terrifying indifference, as if she were a ragdoll.
"B-bitch!" Sophia spat, her voice cracking with panic. "Let me go!"
"Not until you feel the same pain you made me feel!"
"She's serious!" Tattletale shouted, her face pale with terror.
Brian racked his brain searching for a solution, but the situation had escalated beyond his control. With horror, he watched as Aether raised a fist while energy swirled around it. The glow was so intense that Brian had to look away.
Then, a new voice burst onto the battlefield, charged with an almost arrogant confidence.
"It's Hero Time!"
An explosion of emerald green light clashed against the pink glare. The impact generated a shockwave that shook the ground and forced Brian to drop to one knee to avoid falling. When the dust settled, a new figure stood in the center of the chaos.
It was a humanoid being, a strange biological amalgam that looked like a bipedal plant of green and black colors. Its head was crowned by red petals that mimicked flames, and its root-like feet gripped the ground with supernatural firmness. Its oval eyes glowed with a neon green light. Brian couldn't miss the strange metallic symbol on its chest: a circle with a green hourglass.
The creature stood tall and posed with a theatricality that was surprising given the situation.
"Swampfire!"
The plant monster became the new axis of the conflict. Even Aether halted her attack on Sophia to observe the newcomer.
"Did he just name himself?" Tattletale murmured under her breath, confused.
Brian ignored her, keeping every muscle in tension.
"I don't know what the hell is going on here," the plant creature declared, as its hands began to emit suffocating heat and small flares. "But this ends now. As soon as I figure out who is who, I'm starting the arrests!"
Before anyone could respond, the powerful voice of the man in the white armor resonated from the back of the hall.
"Everyone freeze!" he ordered, flashing a badge displaying the same hourglass symbol. "These weapons are illegal Level 5 technology! Cease all hostilities immediately or face charges!"
Brian cursed under his breath. None of this made sense.
"Tattletale," he whispered, looking for an explanation.
"He's not joking, Grue," she replied quickly, her gaze jumping from the man to the plant creature. "He's a real law enforcement agent. Secret police? I'm not sure, but his authority isn't a bluff. I think we just messed with a secret division of the PRT."
"Shit!" Brian exclaimed.
The logical thing would have been to deploy his darkness and get out of there for good. Brian didn't care about the weapons anymore, but he feared that if he used his powers, he would become a priority target. His darkness was just that: thick smoke; it wouldn't stop bullets from passing through him, let alone the laser beams everyone present was firing so lightly.
He was seriously considering abandoning Shadow Stalker to her fate. No matter how much he racked his brain for a tactic, he couldn't find a real way to rescue her from Aether's hands.
"Taylor!" the man in the white armor shouted. "Let the girl go!"
Brian snapped his head up and watched Aether. She, however, remained latched onto Shadow Stalker's neck with a grip that seemed absolute.
"Taylor!" the agent insisted.
The girl in question finally looked away from her prey to face the man.
"No!" she roared. "This bitch ruined my life! Now I'm going to make her pay!"
Brian narrowed his eyes behind his skull helmet. With no other immediate options, he turned his head to look for an exit. There were several: dark corridors and wrecked shops to slip through, but he needed everyone's attention to stay focused on the air. The only positive was that, with the exception of Shadow Stalker, the rest of his team was grouped together.
"What do we do?" Regent asked quietly. "I vote for letting the shiny girl finish the job with the shadow bitch."
Before Brian could respond or shut him up, the plant creature's voice rang out with authority.
"Put the girl down," Swampfire said, taking a step forward. "She can't fight anymore."
Aether did not seem moved. "I don't care!" she screamed, her voice vibrating with electrical static.
"Let her go!" the plant monster roared. "This is over!"
"I said no!"
It was a blink. Aether raised an arm and fired a beam of light that hit Swampfire full in the torso. Brian watched with a mixture of horror and fascination as the pink bolt tore a fist-sized hole in the plant man's stomach, passing clean through. However, the wound didn't last a second. Vines and creepers instantly sprouted from inside the hole, weaving the plant fiber and sealing the gap until it looked as if he had never been hurt.
Swampfire looked up and gave Aether a defiant smirk.
"Bad move."
Swampfire's hands ignited in flames. With terrifying speed and precision, he fired a blast of fire that passed exactly between Shadow Stalker and Aether. The latter had no choice but to release her prey—perhaps due to the blinding heat, or perhaps out of pure reflex from the surprise.
Shadow Stalker didn't waste her second of freedom: as soon as she hit the ground, she turned into shadows and merged with the rubble. Brian ignored her for the moment; his attention returned to Aether, who was now roaring with absolute fury at Swampfire.
"You asshole!"
Two more pink bolts shot toward the creature, but it dodged them with an agility unfitting of its size and began sprinting across the hall.
"Get down here if you dare!" Swampfire taunted. "Or are you too much of a coward to fight face-to-face?"
"Ahhhhh!"
Aether launched herself from the air like a missile, slamming into Swampfire with devastating force. Brian had to shield his face to protect himself from the shrapnel of metal and concrete that went flying in every direction. The mall shook violently once again, as if a massive earthquake had just struck the building.
"It's our chance!" Tattletale shrieked, pointing at the crates. "The weapons!"
"Are you crazy?" Brian yelled back. "Look at that fight!"
"Just do it, Grue!"
He looked back toward the epicenter of the combat. The smoke hadn't cleared yet, but he saw Aether being thrown out of the cloud, crashing into a decorative metal arch that crumpled like paper under the impact.
"Both of you, stop!" the man in the white armor shouted, trying to regain control.
Before Aether could recover, a new flare of fire engulfed her, melting the metal around her.
"Grue!" Tattletale insisted, pulling on his arm. "It's now! They're so focused on killing each other they've forgotten all about us."
Brian growled under his breath, clenching his teeth. It was madness, but it was their only way to leave that place with something to show for the risk they'd taken. He made a decision.
"Bitch, get the harness ready! Regent, help me with the crates! Tattletale, keep your eyes locked on that fight!"
Everyone began to move. Although the lookout duty fell to Tattletale, Brian couldn't help but raise his head for a second, mesmerized by the scale of the destruction.
Swampfire and Aether were still locked in a brutal hand-to-hand struggle. Brian watched with a mixture of disgust and awe as Aether's blows tore through the monster's plant body with every impact; half of his face now looked like crushed lettuce and exposed fibers. However, Swampfire did not back down. His fist swung in an upward hook that connected squarely with Aether's chin. The impact launched her upward like a projectile, crashing through the mall's ceiling in a rain of concrete and twisted beams.
"Leave her alone!"
That was when the boy with the green metallic skin joined the fray. With superhuman power, he performed a takedown on Swampfire, mounting him to unleash a rain of punches upon the plant man. Brian felt the ground rumble beneath his feet with every strike. He hadn't been in many high-level Cape fights, but he had seen enough recordings; this was the first time he had witnessed an exchange of such magnitude in person. Every blow made the building's structure groan without exception.
The metal boy kept punching for a few more seconds until he stopped, panting. Brian saw him stand up, believing the job was done, only to witness something disturbing: a vine sprouted from the ground behind him and instantly reformed into an intact version of Swampfire.
"Behind you!" the plant creature mocked.
He couldn't react in time. As he turned, Swampfire's fist hit him with such force that Brian could have sworn he felt the impact in his own teeth. He watched as the boy flew through the air and crashed into an abandoned toy store, disappearing among shelves of broken plastic.
"Kevin!"
Aether returned to the battlefield at that moment, descending through the hole in the ceiling to strike at Swampfire. This time, the alien turned quickly, grabbing a steel beam that had fallen nearby. He swung it like a baseball bat, hitting Aether in mid-flight. She was knocked to the ground and dug a deep trench in the concrete as she skidded from the inertia of the blow.
"Are you stopping yet?" Swampfire asked, his voice sounding tired.
Aether stood up. Brian watched as the pink aura surrounding her flickered for a second, like a flame about to go out... only to ignite with more power than ever. It was no longer just an aura; it was a dense force field, a bubble of pure power that made the air around her screech.
"You bastard!" she roared.
Swampfire watched her as she rose again. The force field was now so dense it distorted the light.
"Looks like we have to bring out the big guns."
Brian saw Swampfire bring his hand to the hourglass symbol on his chest and press it firmly. A blinding green glow flooded the hall. When Brian regained his sight, he was speechless.
In place of the plant man, there now stood a creature made of polished indigo stone, with dark lines and spots running across its body. Its hands and face were made of brilliant magenta crystal, with shards of the same material protruding from its back and chest. A crystalline horn crowned its head, and a large green eye watched everything from the center of its face.
"Chromastone!" the creature exclaimed in a deep, resonant voice.
Even Aether seemed to hesitate, remaining suspended in the air as she contemplated the new form.
"Ahhhghh!"
Brian's confusion was interrupted by a harrowing scream beside him. He turned toward Tattletale and found her on her knees, clutching her temples with desperate force. A thread of thick blood slowly ran down her nose.
"My head!" she groaned, her voice cracking with pain. "It won't shut up, it won't shut up, it won't shut up! It's driving me crazy! I can't make it stop!"
Brian snapped out of his stupor as he saw Lisa beginning to convulse slightly. He grabbed her by the shoulders and hoisted her up in one fluid motion.
"Enough!" he shouted, as Lisa moaned and sobbed against his shoulder. "We're leaving!"
"The weapons are already loaded!" Regent yelled. Brian noticed the boy looked truly serious for the first time since he'd known him.
"Let's go!"
Without hesitation, he placed Tattletale on Brutus's back and jumped on behind her. The weapon crates were secured with harnesses to the dogs' sides. It was enough.
"What about Shadow Stalker?" Brian asked, looking into the darkness.
Bitch shouted over the din of the fight: "The bitch ran off! She abandoned us as soon as she could!"
"It doesn't matter!"
Brian had considered leaving her behind anyway. The fact that she had gone on her own only saved him the remorse. It was time to get out before the fight behind them brought the mall down on their heads.
"Let's get out of here once and for all!"
Taylor Hebert
January 10, 2011
I observed my opponent's new form, studying him with that analytical intensity that was already becoming instinctive.
Since I got my powers, this was my first real fight. Uber and Leet had been nothing more than a bad joke compared to the individual in front of me. The rage was still there, seething beneath my purple skin; Sophia had finally been in my hands, and the chance to collect on every humiliation had slipped through my fingers.
"You son of a bitch!"
I turned my head to see Kevin emerging from the toy store. He looked physically intact, but he was genuinely furious. With a grunt of frustration, he ripped off a teddy bear that had become embedded in his metallic arm and walked over to stop beside me.
"That hurt!" Kevin huffed, his eyes glowing with hatred.
We both observed our opponent. Just like us, he looked impeccable. It was a disturbing realization: despite the brutality of the exchange—laser beams, fire, impacts that would have demolished entire walls—none of the three of us showed any real damage.
"Why don't you stop?" Chromastone asked. His voice sounded deep and crystalline. "In case you haven't noticed, we no longer have a reason to fight."
Kevin and I frowned in unison, but he was the one who spoke up.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
The crystal being shrugged with an exasperating calmness.
"Think about it. The Forever Knights are unconscious, and the shadow girl has escaped. Why keep doing this? Well, unless you want a beating, of course."
For a second, I found myself considering his words. He was right; the target was no longer there. My anger was with Sophia, and when he interrupted me, attacking him had seemed justified. It was the most reasonable thing to do.
Kevin, for his part, was not one for reasoning when his pride was wounded.
"To hell with that. That hit hurt, you bastard. Now it's personal."
Without hesitation, Kevin lunged once more at our opponent, throwing a punch backed by all his weight. But the fist was intercepted in the air with stunning ease. Chromastone counterattacked with a sharp blow to the face that made the metal boy stagger. Kevin, using his own momentum, tried a headbutt against his opponent's stone face.
Chromastone took the hit and leaned back, but just like Kevin, he responded with a headbutt of his own. The sound of the impact was like two mountains colliding. This time, Kevin couldn't resist; he was sent flying backward and fell heavily at my feet.
"Ahhh..." a stifled groan escaped him.
I watched as Kevin's metallic armor began to dissipate. He lay there on the ground, a thread of saliva running down his chin, semi-conscious. Seeing my friend defeated that way reignited the fire of my rage.
"Bastard!"
I had discovered during the fight that the energy reserve inside me was much larger than I had imagined. I didn't hesitate. I concentrated every ounce of power into the force field surrounding me and fired it in a single, devastating beam.
The pink light hit Chromastone with seismic force, forcing him to skid backward. However, it didn't knock him down. To my horror, I saw my attack didn't explode; instead, it was absorbed by his crystal body, which now glowed with multicolored lights.
"I'm giving it back!"
He raised his arms and fired his own beam. The rainbow of energy hit my force field and pulverized it as if it were glass.
"Argh!!"
Pain. For the first time since I had stepped out of that locker, I felt real pain. I felt the energy in my own body being shaken, struck by my own powered-up attack. The blow was atrocious.
But I didn't back down.
It was an instinct—something I didn't know I possessed but that took complete hold of me. A thought crossed my mind: If he can absorb and redirect energy, why can't I? I was pure energy.
The pain transformed. It stopped being agony and became something else: a pleasant, energizing vibration that ran through every fiber of my body. Euphoria flooded me—a power-drunk state I had never experienced in my previous life as a human.
I smiled.
I could feel the energy crackling around me, the static raising the non-existent hair on my arms, and the hidden forces stretching across the hall. Unlike what happened with the crane in the boat graveyard, this time I did it consciously. Rubble, twisted beams, and shop remains began to levitate, enveloped in a pink aura.
I had been so blinded by rage before that I had forgotten my telekinesis, but I wouldn't make that mistake again.
"Looks like we'll have to keep fighting," he challenged.
"Only one of us is going to win," I replied, adopting a combat stance. "And that's going to be me!"
He let out a short laugh. "I'm always ready for a fight. Whenever you want!"
We both looked at each other defiantly. For once, it wasn't anger driving me. I was having fun. I felt like I could reduce the building to ashes if I put my mind to it.
"STOP, BOTH OF YOU!" an authoritative voice roared, breaking the trance of the battle.
Without being able to help it, I turned my head.
Mr. Gray was still there, but he was clutching his side with a trembling hand. I could see his armor dented and stained a deep crimson. My eyes widened in horror as I noticed a piece of twisted iron protruding from his side.
All the euphoria, the anticipation, and every other trace of adrenaline evaporated in an instant. I turned my back on Chromastone without a second thought.
"Mr. Gray!" I screamed.
I was at his side in a heartbeat and placed my hands on his shoulders. As soon as he seemed to realize I was holding him, he leaned much of his weight onto me, letting out a dull groan. I helped him sit down on a block of rubble.
"How...?" I asked in a whisper.
He gasped, struggling for air.
"The explosion... one of your bolts hit near me... it sent a beam flying, and the shrapnel caught me."
My fault. It was my fault. In my blind desire to hurt Sophia, in my obsession with revenge, I had endangered the life of the only good adult I knew.
"I... I'm so sorry..."
The words felt like ashes in my mouth. All my bravado and haughtiness died under the weight of the guilt.
"I know first aid. I have medical equipment with me."
I turned to see Chromastone. The crystal being took a step forward and approached us calmly. Suddenly, an intense green light surrounded him, and his form changed completely.
Standing before me was no longer a man of stone, but a brown-haired teenager with green eyes and pale skin. He wore blue jeans, sneakers, and a green jacket with the number ten over a black t-shirt. I noticed the strange watch on his wrist, but I quickly ignored it when I saw him pull a spray can from his pocket.
"This is medical bio-foam," he explained quickly. "It has nanobots that can close almost any wound. You'll have to pull out the piece of iron, and I'll apply the foam immediately. We have to be fast."
I was so terrified for Mr. Gray's life that my brain didn't even process the fact that a boy my age had given me such a fight.
"Yes," I nodded, trying to keep my hands from shaking.
I extended my fingers and gripped the metal firmly. Mr. Gray tensed visibly, and the boy brought the foam canister close to the open wound.
"Right. Get ready... both of you... on one... two... and three!"
Before doubt could paralyze me, I pulled hard and extracted the piece of iron. Mr. Gray groaned in pain, but before the blood could gush out, the boy had already applied the foam.
I watched as the material crystallized rapidly, sealing the wound hermetically. Mr. Gray's face, contorted in agony, gradually relaxed until he let out a sigh of relief.
"Good. It's anesthetized now," the boy said, putting the spray away. "Give him a few moments for the system to do its job."
I nodded and stepped back slightly. We both stood there watching him; Mr. Gray was still pale and sweating coldly, but the pain seemed to have dissipated.
"By the way, I haven't introduced myself."
I lifted my head and saw him extending a hand toward me with a confident smile.
"I'm Ben Tennyson. Nice to meet you!"
I stared at his hand for a few moments, confused, and finally accepted it. The contact felt strange; just a few seconds ago we were fighting, and he seemed to have forgotten it like it was nothing.
"Taylor Hebert..."
His eyes went wide, and his smile broadened.
"You're Taylor? Great! I'm your cousin! Man, the galaxy really is a small world! I came to Brockton Bay specifically to meet you."
I blinked, barely processing the information. "You're my cousin?"
He nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah, your mom was my dad's sister. Grandpa Max sent me here to see you. It took me a week to get here because I was on Galvan Prime and... shoot," he looked at his watch with concern. "Azmuth is going to be furious when he finds out I came to Earth with the Omnitrix without telling him. Anyway, that's a problem for another time."
I stood there stunned, repeating the name in my head. "Galvan Prime?"
He didn't seem bothered by my doubts.
"Yeah, it's a world quite a distance from here. Don't ask me the exact distance in light-years," he laughed, scratching the back of his neck. "Anyway, when Grandpa Max called me and said he had a cousin who needed guidance, I didn't hesitate to take the first ship I could. Though, of course, it was hard to find an authorized teleporter that would let me enter the planet... I'd forgotten how strict the quarantine is with that whole Endbringer situation here on Earth."
I listened to his story with my mind reeling, but the last part snapped me out of my stupor.
"You don't know about the Endbringers? How is that possible?"
He shrugged naturally.
"I've been in space since I was ten," he looked again at the watch on his wrist. "A lot... happened. I'll tell you the whole story later."
I let out a snort, still trying to process the reality unfolding before my eyes.
"So it's true," I chuckled, a note of disbelief in my voice. "This whole alien thing is real."
He tilted his head, looking at me as if I had just announced that the sky was blue.
"Well, yeah. What did you think?"
"She only found out about the existence of aliens about an hour ago; have some patience, kid."
"Mr. Gray!"
I turned toward him. He was visibly better. I looked down and noticed that the wound in his side had already closed completely, without leaving so much as a scar. The only trace of the impact was the dried blood and the hole in his armor. He wasn't the only one to interrupt the moment.
"Argh... my head... Why is everything spinning?"
Kevin sat up, clutching his temples with a wince of pain. He stood up slowly, staggering a bit before locking his gaze on Ben.
"Who the hell are you?" he asked with hostility.
Ben smirked. "The guy who gave you a beating."
Kevin frowned and clenched his fists.
"You and I will settle this later."
Once we were all together, we turned our attention to Mr. Gray. He seemed to have fully regained his breath.
"We can call it a night," he began. "We have the weapons, the Knights are in custody, and Ben is finally on Earth."
It was then that a detail caught my attention. I quickly snapped my head toward the supply pile and realized that the weapon crates were gone... or at least most of them. Only a few scraps remained scattered on the floor. It wasn't hard to connect the dots.
"The Undersiders! They stole the weapons!" I shouted.
"What!?" Kevin roared. "My money!"
"Ah..." Ben intervened, pointing a finger toward a dark corner. "I'm not sure, but I'd swear I saw a crate with several units of Taydenite."
"Seriously!?"
Kevin didn't wait for a second confirmation. He ran toward where Ben was pointing and let out a laugh of pure joy.
"My money!"
Without a second thought, he walked away from us and began looting the crate. I decided to ignore him; I had more urgent concerns.
"Are you alright, Mr. Gray?"
"Yes. Thank you, Taylor."
I bit my tongue—or whatever I had in place of one in this form. If I hadn't lost control, he wouldn't have been hurt in the first place.
"So, what now?" Ben asked. "Do we chase those Undersiders? I don't think it would be too hard to find them."
Mr. Gray shook his head heavily.
"Leave it... We have much more important things to talk about."
"The universe is back in balance today!" Kevin exclaimed, approaching us with his pockets noticeably bulging.
I focused my attention back on Mr. Gray, ignoring Kevin's enthusiasm.
"What is this 'important thing'?"
He sighed and looked at Ben with a mixture of respect and concern.
"So you are Max Tennyson's other grandchild."
Ben nodded, his expression turning serious for the first time.
"Yeah. Ben Tennyson. When the Simurgh first appeared, Grandpa didn't hesitate to get me out of Bellwood and send me into space to keep me safe." He looked at the watch on his wrist. "A lot happened throughout the galaxy and, before my first year out was up, I ended up with the Omnitrix in my hands. Everything was a rollercoaster from there... I lived a thousand adventures, but they never allowed me to come back home. Until now. Everything changed when the Plumbers heard about a new threat on Earth."
Mr. Gray tensed. "What? A new threat?"
Ben fell silent for a moment. He sighed, and his gaze hardened, locking onto me.
"I wasn't entirely honest when I said I only came here to meet you, Taylor..." he said in a firm voice. "All the progress the Plumbers have made in containing the parahuman threat from the rest of the galaxy is being hindered by the..."
Thomas Calvert
January 10, 2011
"Anyway," Tattletale's voice came through the phone, "we have the weapons, boss."
Coil nodded to himself in the solitude of his office. With an agile and precise movement, he shifted his hands over the controls of his desk.
"Excellent," he replied with his distorted voice. "Deliver the weapons to the address I will send you momentarily. You will receive a generous reward for your efforts tonight."
There was a brief pause before the girl spoke again.
"One more thing... Shadow Stalker. She just..."
"You need not worry about her," Coil interrupted coldly. "She has already been found by my own men."
Silence followed on the other end of the line. It was clear to Coil that Tattletale's own power was trying to decipher his words.
"We won't be seeing her again?" she asked. "She abandoned us to our fate back there."
"As I said, you need not worry about her."
Without further explanation, Coil cut the call. He leaned back in his chair, allowing himself a moment of reflection. The night had been stormy, to put it mildly, but at the very least, the Undersiders' work could be considered a resounding success. Now, his operative forces would have at their disposal weapons of a quality infinitely superior to the Tinkertech junk he had been forced to use for so many years.
Calvert rose from his seat. He turned toward the wall behind his desk. His underground base was still far from finished; the engineers and workers estimated that months of arduous labor remained to complete it, but the most critical and private sections were already built and functional.
He stopped in front of the bare wall and slid his fingers across the surface until a hidden panel revealed itself. He entered the security code and, with a metallic hiss, the secret door split open with a pneumatic sigh.
As he crossed the threshold, the air changed. It no longer smelled like an office; it smelled of dampness, iron, and something sweet and organic that was utterly nauseating. Calvert stepped into the gloom. Here, the walls were not made of concrete, but of a pale, pulsating biomass. Biological lights, resembling swollen veins of pink and green, illuminated the corridor with a rhythmic pulse.
As he walked, he shed the mask of Coil and, shortly after, the name of Thomas Calvert was left behind as well.
Finally, he reached the central chamber. It was a vast space where the ceiling seemed to be made of gigantic tendons supporting the structure. He knelt on a surface of hardened flesh, bowing his head in a sign of absolute submission.
In front of him, an organic computer screen lit up, projecting a cold glow over his face. A being emerged from the digital shadows: a humanoid figure of unblemished white, with jet-black hands and feet that evoked the void. Its face was a mask of deep purple, with red eyes that glowed with a millennia-old hatred. On its chest, four other eyes watched him with unbearable fixedness.
"You may speak, despicable bug," the creature declared.
The despicable bug—the man who once believed he could rule a city on his own—lowered his brow even further.
"I am grateful, Master," he replied with genuine gratitude. "We have secured more weapons for our cause."
"Excellent," the Master replied. "How is the incubation of xenocytes capable of merging with parahumans proceeding?"
Calvert knew well the importance of that question. Although xenocytes could merge with parahumans, the process came at an absolute cost: the subjects lost their powers after the fusion. Such was the case with Coil himself, who had sacrificed his own nature to serve his masters.
"Successful, my Master," Calvert responded, allowing a hint of joy to seep into his voice. "We have a perfect test subject for you to witness. Bring her in."
The flesh door at the back of the room opened. A pair of DNAliens—deformed, servile creatures—entered dragging a bundle that struggled with animal fury. Sophia Hess was bound and gagged, her eyes bulging with terror as she beheld the organic architecture of the room. She writhed with savage strength, attempting to activate a power that the room's environment seemed to neutralize completely.
"Allow me to show you the glory of your design," said the despicable bug.
He stood up and walked toward an organic tank containing a viscous liquid. From inside, he extracted a xenocyte: a small, arachnid-like creature that vibrated with a parasitic need. Sophia let out a muffled scream behind the gag, her eyes fixed on the abomination approaching her face.
She fought. She fought with every muscle in her athlete's body. But under the gaze of the eyes on the Master's chest, her fate was already sealed. The despicable bug felt satisfaction as the parasite extended its legs, seeking the skin of its new host.