Hero Super

Earlier

“Haah.” Dominique sighed, her pale brown eyes stared down from a ‘perch’ bolted on the gigantic room‘s rafters.

Below her was a room full of supposedly important people discussing supposedly important things. She had little idea what they were discussing, only that it would be a historical moment to be taught in primaries from this moment on.

“Not that I‘d ever even be mentioned in those lessons.” She grumbled, taking her eyes off the political people politicking away below her.

“What‘s the matter, dom?” A cheery and somewhat annoying character enters her view, grinning at her own wordplay.

She stared blankly at the woman in front of her, looking up to see a blue vine grabbing onto her ankle like a tentacle. “Do you always come in with a pun, bloom?”

“It‘s my life‘s mission.”

“Good luck with that.” She chuckled. “Where‘s your boyfriend?”

“Oh please, I‘d have more chance asking out a villain than that quick-shot blockhead.” She rolled her eyes. She summoned another vine to make a swing to sit on. “He‘s ‘patrolling’ outside.”

“E.g., running away from you and your horrible humour.”

“First of, it‘s ‘i.e.’. And second; my humour is my charm point.” She harrumphed, swinging on the vine like it‘s a park swing. “Where‘s your team?”

She wondered for a moment before deciding to check with her holowatch.

SmokingMoron: FOUND SUSPICIOUS PEOPLE IN A TRUCK

SmokingMoron: FOUND SUSPICIOUS PEOPLE IN A TRUCK

SmokingMoron: INVESTIGATING

Bonebro: stop double sending you moron

Dom shook her head and smirked, sending a message to ask Bonesaw his location.

TheOneAndOnlyDommy: Where are you

Bonebro: medical

Bonebro: sorry gotta go

Bonebro: someone cracked their head

With a flick of her wrist, she closed the holowatch. “That chronic smoker is accosting people in the street while Bonesaw is in medical.”

“In medical? Why?”

“Probably banged his head on a low doorway or something.” She shrugged.

“He is freakishly tall.”

“That he is.”

Shouting from below got their attention, the delegates were calmly looking towards the livid council members. Making out words other than ‘ridiculous’ and ‘how dare you’ was hard, as most of them were blabbering away with spittle.

It was typical politics.

“Who else is here?” She asked, trying to spot other bird nests on the rafters.

“No idea, I’ve just been hanging around.” She grinned and wiggled her brows, swinging from her vine. “In all seriousness— I think it‘s just us and two more in this room. A lot of missions appeared on the board a few days ago.”

“I saw. Hatchling sightings.”

“All outside the walls, thankfully” Frosbloom nodded. “Unfortunately, it also means everyone‘s outside the walls.”

Dominique frowned, “which means we’re all rookies here.”

“I wouldn‘t worry too much. We have one of the ‘seven greats’ in the house. The one and only, Sky.” Frostbloom‘s eyes twinkled.

She rolled her eyes at her strange friend. “I get that he‘s kinda good-looking, but girl, please. He‘s nearly twice your age.”

“You just don‘t get it. He‘s like wine, mature and all that.”

“Well, thank you for the compliment.” A third voice appeared.

The two were startled, not realizing there was another person with them. They turned and breathed a sigh of relief, seeing who was there.

A man wearing simple clothing, blue shirt, jeans, and trainers, sitting leisurely on the other edge of the platform they were at. He had ebony black hair, pale-white skin, and piercing blue eyes which, to Dominique, was really bland and boring. Not to mention, old.

“S—sky.” Frostbloom stuttered, her face turning red.

“Sir.” Dominique nodded.

“Ladies.” He nodded, raising a brow at them. “Interesting conversation you were having. I‘m glad to see my appearance is somewhat more important than the literal changing of times happening right below you. Flattering.”

Frostbloom couldn‘t have been redder. “Sorry…”

“No, no. I understand, we are in the heart of the headquarters. Everyone gets somewhat lax here, it‘s no problem. All I ask is that you pay a little bit more attention to your surroundings. Even I was able to sneak up on you.” He laughed. “Me, of all people.”

“It won‘t happen again, sir.” Dominique straightened her posture.

“Good.” He nodded. “We‘re spread thin as it is.”

“Can I ask, sir. If this is so important, where are the others of the seven?” Dominique was curious.

Sky looked at her in silence for a moment. “What‘s your name?”

“Matterdom, sir.” Dominique answered.

“Matterdom, girl, you don‘t have to worry about where they are. I‘m here. No one less than Empress herself would have to come here to cause trouble.” He states in a matter-of-factly. “Anyway, I‘ll go back and pretend to be patrolling. You two go pretend to pay attention to what‘s happening below.”

After saying that, he walked away from the two, jumping down the rafters.

Tap tap tap.

The sound of finger hitting synthesized rubber and plastic rang out in the silence of the truck‘s cabin. There was a veritable tension in the stale air of the enclosed space, anxiety and nervousness started to fill Luke‘s head, making him start rubbing the corner of the remote in his hand.

“For fuck‘s sake— Luke. Stop that fucking noise.” The man in the driver‘s seat smacked his hand on the wheel, looking towards him with annoyance in his eyes. “What? The smoking moron got you nervous?”

“I—I‘m sorry.” Luke shrank down. “I‘m just… he hasn‘t talked to me yet. They‘ve been quiet since a while ago.”

“It‘s been thirty fucking minutes. They probably haven‘t even gotten to the building with all these disgusting mundanes clogging up the way. Just fucking relax.” He spoke angrily, continually tapping the wheel with his finger.

“O-okay. Sorry… Driver.”

“Ah, fuck that codename bullshit. Just call my name, not like they‘d be able to pinpoint us with all the people around.”

“Okay… sorry.” He muttered, not wanting to admit he already forgot his name.

Luke’s eyes drifted towards the window. A sea of mundanes milled about alongside those with powers. Families, friends, children, all fragile creatures were chatting, laughing, and hanging out, not minding the literal gods sitting beside them.

Gods that could snap and obliterate them.

Gods that they should worship and serve.

He clenched his hand unconsciously. A pang of pain and fire shot up his chest, re-scorching a mark in his heart. Instinctively, he was starting to fidget with the remote once more. Thankfully, a grunt from Driver was enough to disabuse him of that action, and he opted to put away the remote and place it on the dashboard.

“Are we really going to do this?” He asked Driver nervously.

“What the f— are you going to back out now?” He looked at him as if he was stupid. “You do remember what they do to deserters? Literally melting your small-ass brain. Goddamn Jimmy hasn’t been the same sin—”

“N—no! Not that. The other thing.” He mentioned vaguely, remembering protocol.

“Stop being a cryptic little shit and just speak.”

Luke hesitated for a moment before speaking in a whisper, “are we really going to backstab them?”

“Ah, that?” He scoffed. “Of course? Fucking pigs think they can get away with hiring us and keep their hands clean? No, this isn‘t a cake we‘re sharing. You heard the boss.”

“B—but they‘re—”

“They‘re mundanes. They can stick a golden spoon and an ivory tower up their fucking ass. We don’t bend to them, not for money, not for anything. At the end of the day, their power is fake. We—”, his tapping intensified, building up in strength until his finger broke through the wheel and pierced it’s frame, “we have real power.”

Luke stayed silent, staring in contemplation towards the steering wheel. The cabin returned to the familiar silence, now without the constant tapping from Driver.

‘Real power.’ He echoed his words internally. It wasn’t the first time he heard it, and it certainly won’t be the last. But today, it would be the first thing to be proven once they succeed.

During his moment of contemplation, a flash of light bloomed from the window and grabbed his attention. A small explosion sprouted from atop the cape’s HQ, sending smashed glass and debris flying in the air.

There was an instantaneous moment of calm incredulity, as most people stared at the explosion. Only for an instant, as panic immediately ensued and the masses all started crawling their way away from the devastation.

“That wasn’t us… right?” Luke asked, his eyes still at the building.

“No! It’s too— it can’t be! The fucking box is supposed to explode after— fucking, contact Viktor!” Driver quickly started up the engine in preparation of their escape.

«What the fuck was that?» Before Luke could send a message, Viktor’s voice rang in his head.

«An explosion. Was that you?»

«What do you think?»

“It wasn’t them.” He informed Driver who nodded and relaxed his grip on the disintegrating wheel.

“Some other fucking lunatic bombed the fucking capes.” Driver shuddered.

“Weren’t we going to do that anyway?” Luke was confused.

“We’re bombing to get rid of the evidence that Memo bitch would be able to see.” Driver explained. “Fucking— tell Vik we need to get the fuck out.”

«Driver said to get out now.»

Just then, another impact wave expanded from the HQ. It wasn’t enough to destroy buildings, but it had enough force to trip everyone off-balance.

“Fucking Megaton.” Driver’s voice trembled.

«Heading out now, activate the thing.» Viktor sent through their link.

Luke glanced down, staring at his hand. ‘Where did…’

He started patting his clothes’ pockets, molesting the seat looking for an unusual bump. He crouched down, thinking of looking underneath the seat, digging into the corners of what he could reach to find it.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Driver grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back to his seat.

“T—The remote!” He said in a panic.

Driver rolled his eyes at him. “Fucking moron.”

He grabbed the remote from the dashboard in front of the panicking Luke and immediately pressed down on the red button. The remote cracked from the force, but thankfully a noisy hum from the trailer behind alerted them that the machine was whirring awake.

Driver pressed a button on the dash, opening a holographic display that was connected to a camera on the trailer. A video was shown. An empty metal container.

Moments later, a person walked from underneath the camera, where the gateway was. The man turned around and faced the camera, waving his free hand gleefully. His face was unfamiliar, but the grin was very telling.

«We’re here. Can you see us?» Viktor talked to Luke in the link. He then raised the thing he had been carrying on his shoulder.«I got the kids!»

“Get the civilians out of here!” Sky’s voice rang out as he sent a message to all the heroes in the vicinity. “Prioritize civilians!”

He ran to the uneasy members of the council and the delegation, now paused in their attempts to rile each other up.

“Don’t panic, this will be brief for all of you.” Sky informed them, opening a holographic display on the table.

“What of the blueprints?” A member of the delegation asks calmly.

‘Ratchett.’ He calmly stared back, examining the lack of genuine unease in the man’s demeanor. “Stored safely. No need to worry.”

Without waiting for another reply, he pressed a button on the display. The image of all the people still in their seats fizzled out of existence in less than a second, leaving him and a couple of heroes in the room.

“Sir.” One of the two addressed him.

“You two, go outside and help. You’re no use close to me.” He waved them away. “Keep your comms up and don’t engage unless it’s someone you can engage. I trust you can determine that yourselves.”

The two nodded to each other in silent agreement to move together before they bolted out of the door. Sky was left alone in an empty room, looking through display screens on the table.

“Your Highness.” He growled, looking up at the darkness in the ceiling.

For a moment, there was silence, until the flapping of cloth broke its fragile existence. From the void came down an amazoness of a woman. Golden hair, pure blue eyes, unblemished skin. She had on a skin-tight latex suit of regal gold, and royal blue, a flowing crimson cape flowing behind her, and her singular logo plastered on her chest and her cape: a golden letter ‘E’ encased by a blue diamond.

“Sky.” She spoke with a kind grin. “How have you been doing lately, old friend?”

Sky’s eye twitched. “What are you doing here, Esther?”

“Esther… been a while since I heard that.” She let out a nostalgic giggle. “You know why I’m here, Henderson.”

Sky looked at her before letting out a dark chuckle, “it was a mistake coming to, Ester. You won’t get that tech.”

“Won’t I?” She smiled sweetly.

“Think I’ll let you get out of here? You’re stuck with me, and Megaton’s guarding the vault.”

“Is he?” She winked at him, turning towards the side.

Sky looked confused, tracing her gaze to an empty wall. He didn’t have to wait long to understand.

The wall was smashed to smithereens, a gigantic hammer flew through the hole and headed straight towards Esther. There was a sizeable impact as she casually lifted her hand to stop the hammer, a smile blooming on her face once more.

“You idiot!” Sky shouted, looking towards the idiot that came with the hammer.

“Now, now. We still have civilians in the vicinity.” She tutted, looking at the man holding the hammer. “How many will get hurt if we fight here?”

“So fucking what?!” The hero answered, spinning with his hammer to hit Esther another time. “This is for Poochie, bitch!”

Before the hammer hit her, it immediately dissipated into motes of black light and sunk into nothingness. Esther stopped flying in the air and gracefully landed on top of the conference table, looking victoriously towards Sky.

“Sky?! What the fuck are you doing?! Shut your fucking power!” The hammer-wielding man growled towards his fellow hero. “That bitch smashed my fucking house and scared my Poochie! My fucking dog, Sky!”

“You idiot, Megaton.” Sky shook his head, palm on face. “She planned this.”

“Now, now. Let’s just sit here, all friendly-like. Us old people should make way for the kids to get their action, don’t you think.” She grinned, taking a seat on the table. “Relax, let’s talk about old times.”

Megaton paused his anger, “Kids?”

“What? You think you’re the only ones with internships?” She laughed.

“Hooh… I‘m getting the jitters.” Steven shook in his seat, waving his hands in front of him as a pre-show ritual. “Is my make-up okay? Am I okay? Oh please don‘t tell me I‘m not okay.”

“You‘re fine, Steven.” The girl next to him groaned, rolling her cybernetic eyes at his excited jittering.

“Ohh… I‘m excited, my stomach hurts, I want to go to the bathroom and hide there for the rest of the day but I also want to stand in front of everyone so they can bask in the glory that is-”

“I get it! Just shut the fuck up, we‘re about to go!”

Steven stopped jumping around in his seat, walking up to the small pool prepared in front of them. The liquid in the pool bubbled in a viscous mess, like a puddle of thick ink being boiled like a soup.

He started fixing his clothes, straightening the creases in his royal purple tailored suit, removing lint from the sparkling blue coat on his back, checking his top hat for dust and contaminants that defiled its beautiful void.

“Ready. I‘m ready.” He jumped up and puffed his chest, waiting for the gateway to open. He turns to the girl, examining her cybernetic body flowing with electricity and power. “You ready, Techstop?”

“Always fucking am, dweeb.”

In a few seconds, the bubbling of the pool intensified.

A vicious whirlpool appeared in the center and dug into depths impossibly reached by their location. The blackness opened up, light pierced through, and without pause, the two of them jumped into the center of the swirling mess.

Steven‘s senses were adrift, he felt like he was swimming through air with his entire body gaining a lead in front of his eyesight.

‘Amazing.’ It was only for an instant, but he saw his own behind. And in that instance, a wide smile appeared on his lips, his chest grew lighter excitement and appreciation by the beauty of his own ass.

Then the world turned upside down, he tumbled out and landed on a cold concrete floor.

“Who are you?!” A voice startled him from his bewilderment.

He stumbled up, immediately being greeted by the sight of an entire army of tinker tech-equipped men pointing their guns towards them. His heart beat faster, a single volley would rid the world of his beauty.

Steven smiled brightly, bowing his head and grabbing his hat by the rim as he started pulling on his power.

The guards suddenly all froze, looking blankly at him with not a single sound of threat or breath as he slowly pulled his waist down to bow. He stood back up and looked at his audience, his adoring fans, all frozen at the sight of his majesty.

“Ladies and gentlemen, supers and mundanes, all gather around for the chance to see a spectacle of unparalleled wonder and enchantment!” He waved his hat and spun around, letting them see the glamourous outfit he wore for the occasion.

An electric buzz filled the air, Techstop standing right beside him started to glow. Her body hummed with power as she dashed towards the frozen guards.

“In the spotlight tonight is none other than the illustrious showman extraordinaire!” He spread his arms wide open, showing his whole self to them.

Grunts of pain and crushed bones rang out as Techstop continued to run towards the nearest guard and crack their skull the fastest and most efficient way she could.

“The master of beauty, the virtuoso of vivacity, the maestro of euphoria!”

More than two-thirds of the guards lied on the floor, the rest remained in frozen anticipation for their turn to get knocked unconscious.

“I present to you! Showstopper!” He finished his introduction, a charming smile on his handsome face juxtaposed against the carnage around them.

Mini fireworks appeared behind him, conjured by a tinker tech that was more expensive than it‘s worth.

“Yeah, yeah, Showstopper.” Techstop rolled her eyes, throwing the two remaining conscious guards towards the wall. “Let‘s just get going. The MetaMatrix should be nearby.”

“Hahaha! They love me!” Showstopper was still basking in his imagined spotlight.

Techstop sighed, massaging her temples. “Oy vey…”

Sounds of rustling metal and synthetic filled a storage area in an undisclosed location under Steel City.

Two people were currently digging through the heaps of tech, pilfering every useful piece they could get their hands on. And then destroying the rest.

“So what is that MetaMatrix thing?” Winter asked, combing away her messy white hair to peer through a prototype tinker tech made of a single long pipe. With a simple increase in grip strength, the tech was crushed to a flat piece of metal. “What does it even look like?”

The rustling stopped behind her.

An uncomfortably long silence came before she turned towards her partner in crime. A man in a plain white mask, wearing a plain black robe, was standing there staring at her. His visage was blurred, as if the air itself was trying to obscure any chance of him being recognized.

“We‘ve been fucking looking for an hour and you just ask that now?” The man‘s heavily modulated voice betrayed his anger.

“Dunno, I just thought it would‘ve been obvious.” Winter shrugged, grabbing another tech that looked like a cube and started debating whether it looked like a ‘MetaMatrix’. “Like it would be on a pedestal or some shit. I dunno, important things are usually put on pedestals, right?”

“Why did I get partnered with a moron…” He muttered under his breath, sighing as he sent an image through their holowatches.

Winter opened the image and compared it with the item in hand.

“It‘s just a sphere. Why didn‘t you just say it‘s a sphere?” She grumbled, tossing the cube to the ground, making it shatter.

“Because it‘s not just a sphere.”

“What is it, then?”

“Fucking- did you really not pay attention to anything in the briefing?”

“There was a briefing?” Winter scratched her head.

The man crouched to the ground, cradling his face while muttering endless curses to whichever god was in charge of their world.

Winter shrugged, walking towards another part of the storage area to look for the sphere-thing. The search became faster since she knew which one was a sphere and which one wasn‘t. And most of the tech here wasn’t close to being circular.

«Winter. Simpleman. Found anything?» A voice rang in her head.

«Nothing so far, Brainmatter.» Simpleman‘s voice modulation somehow carried through the telepathy. He stood up, looking towards Winter with a glare underneath the mask.

«Nothing spherical.» Winter answered as well.

«Spherical?» Brainmatter‘s confusion projected clearly through the telepathy. «Nevermind, there‘s nothing on Dory‘s side as well. Even the main vault doesn‘t have a copy of the Matrix.»

«So there‘s really only one copy? And they brought it to Bastion?» Simpleman was baffled.

«I suspect it isn’t the case, just that there is none to be found here.» An aged voice joined them. «Vault. Secret vault. Super secret vault. Off city vault. Vault behind a painting. None. No other copy.»

«So we‘ve been looking for nothing?» Winter grumbled.

«Not nothing, dearie.» Brainmatter chuckled through the telepathy. How he did that, Winter didn‘t know. «Old salmonella here found something. At least a clue of something.»

«Call me that again and I will flood this network with a paralytic.» The aged voice calmly stated. «But he‘s correct. There‘s something more here, which I assume where they had the inspiration to make the MetaMatrix»

«What is it?» Winter couldn‘t help but ask immediately.

«I think it‘s better to just show you.»

They all received a file in their holowatches. Winter opened it. Letting the display expand to a large size in front of her.

“What is this…” She muttered in shock at the image.

It was a picture of a man, lifelessly laying down on a surgical table. He was strapped to the table on all limbs, obvious traces of struggle on the bent and deformed metal hinges and screws of the strap.

The man was a super.

If that was the only detail, the image would‘ve only been evidence of villainy. Human experiments were heinous and egregious acts that betrayed their own race, but the old man wouldn‘t have sent it to them if it was just that.

«Do you see now?» Brainmatter‘s voice turned serious, but Winter was too distracted to pay attention.

Above the man was a device, meaty and metallic, a combination she wouldn‘t have thought to exist.

It looked like a slab of raw cancerous meat covered in pieces of technology, wires and circuitry running along its disgusting body. On the bottom of the device was what they could only describe as a mouth, a circular opening with rows and rows of teeth within.

In the middle of the image, between man and machine, was an orb of white light.

Looking at the orb made Winter‘s chest ache. Somehow, instinctively, she could feel how essential that white light was. Even through the photo, she could see how sacred and pure it was, and how wrong it is that she could see it.

She wasn’t meant to see it.

“Fuck…” She hurriedly closed the photo and knelt to the ground, fatigue running through her for an unknowable reason. Her eyes glanced towards Simpleman, who was in a similar situation.

«What the fuck was that?!» She screamed in the link.

«I told you, dearie. Not nothing.» Brainmatter‘s smirk could be felt through the link.