A line of expensive cars exploded as a ray of energy cut across them. Three heroes slammed into the middle of the car lot and quickly fled as another beam demolished the Mercedes Dealership, scattering pricey car parts all over the city.
“We have to get this under control!” Chase called out as she ran with a baby in her arms.
Zanazola raced up to her, snatched the baby, and then zipped away to a safe place.
The Closer landed in front of Chase and emitted a barrier that stopped a blast of energy. “That thing is tough! Our powers aren’t doing much good!” He dropped the barrier and then shot a blast of his own.
Furious Squirrel rolled across the ground and coughed as he caught his breath. “It’s… it’s weakening.”
Chase continued to scan for civilians in danger. “Are you sure?”
“Yes… cough … the power signature is at twenty percent and going down.”
Chase materialized her shuriken and smiled, “then, let’s bring it down to zero. HEROES! FULL POWER!”
***
Nova paced in the BADGE operations center on the station. The screen displayed the massive attack on Las Vegas. Hundreds of heroes were swarming the robot. Voices filled the air as the comm channels piped through.
“Sensors, what are you reading?”
A drone at the sensor station stated, “enemy target is at fifty percent damage capacity, estimated. Energy levels are also dropping below thirty percent.”
“Good. Tell… wait… they got this.” He smiled, watching the heroes go into full charge. He was about to order them to ramp up their attacks. Gar led a team of flying heroes and plowed into the side of the monster and shoved it down a street, pushing it away from the main strip. “The heroes are learning to work together. Good. Sensors! Any sign of Dr. Osteen or his laboratory?”
“Negative. There remains a sensor dampening field outside of the city that prevents long range sensor data. It is advisable to send observational operatives to the area to scout...”
“No. Not until that thing is a pile of rubble.”
Suddenly a siren blared and several red lights came on. Two robots went into action. “Alert, alert, destruction detected.”
Nova asked, “what sort of destruction?”
“Sensors indicate a type fifty explosive device has been armed within the shell of target robot. Detonation is imminent. Evacuation orders must be declared for area of...”
“No time.” Nova quickly shut off the barrage of comm channels with the activation of his single emergency signal. “Heroes, listen to me. That robot has a failsafe. It is arming a massive bomb within it’s body. It will level the city and most of the surrounding counties. Get it the hell out of there, NOW!”
***
Furious Squirrel ran up to Chase, “Hey! I detecting some kind of explosive device inside that thing.”
Chase shut off her comm, “yeah, that’s what Nova just said.”
“Oh, it damaged my comm unit. We need to get that thing away from here and away from us.”
Hotwings landed and spent a moment catching his breath. “Okay, the heroes are moving that thing away from the city.”
Chase looked up and saw that the vast majority of heroes were now on the left side of the robot, blasting, pushing, and otherwise finding creative ways to move it out of the city. The robot flailed around, but it was no longer shooting any weapons. She said, “good. Keep it up.”
“It won’t be enough.” Furious stated.
“What?”
Furious showed her his steampunk sensor readout. “That thing isn’t shooting weapons because it is building up the energy. If that thing goes, it’ll level this city and kill most of the civilians, not to mention a lot of heroes.”
“Damn.” She went for her comm unit.
Hotwings stopped her, “I have an idea. Tell the heroes who can create barriers to shield this city in a dome. I’m going to get that thing in the sky.”
“How?” Chase asked.
“No time. Just tell them.” Hotwings ran and took off in a quick flight.
He flew fast over the city. Smoke burnt his eyes and heat from the fires lifted him higher. He came down on the shoulder of the giant Midgardsomr. “Midgard!”
“STOP BOTHERING ME! I’M FIGHTING!” Midgard punched the robot with a massive fist and sent it reeling further away.
“No, wait, that thing’s gonna blow. We have to get it out of here!”
Midgard finally stopped his fighting. “How?”
“Do what you do best, use that strength and get it airborne. Tell the heroes to help if they can.”
Midgard actually smiled at that. He bellowed, “HEY! IF YOU CAN, HELP ME LIFT THIS THING!”
Heroes focused telekinetic and magnetic powers to slowly lift the robot up, which was a tough job with its massive weight. Midgard slithered up to it, grabbed it by the legs and then spun like a shot-put thrower. With a deep grunt, he flung the robot high over the city.
Chase came through the comms, “shield the city! Barriers in unison!”
Heroes cast magic and technical barriers, they made some of ice, some yellow energy. A few formed rock walls in the sky. Those that couldn’t ducked down. All at once, a tremendous explosion followed a flash. The shock wave of it shook the ground and toppled several people and objects. Metal parts rained down and bounced off the barrier, sliding to the ground just outside the city.
Chase looked up from where she had cradled a small child that was fleeing the madness. Bits and pieces of the robot still trickled down from the barrier, but it was mostly gone. The heroes protecting the city slowly lowered their powers so that the sun would once again shine through.
She stood up, holding the hand of the crying child, and used her other hand to speak into the comm, “Nova, this is Chase. The robot is destroyed. The city is safe. Get all the fire and rescue squads in the surrounding areas here, now.”
Nova stated, “good. I will assign heroes to assist in cleanup and rescue. You and your team keep looking for Osteen, he has to be close.”
***
Dr. Osteen rode in a helicopter with three black-clad security officers and Commander Delta. They watched the fiery explosion over Las Vegas; the shock wave rattling the helicopter even at this distance.
Osteen grinned nervously, “well, that’s done. All cleaned up and outta there. They won’t know...”
“This was a mess. And your foolishness caused it.”
Dr. Osteen asked, “what? I did nothing to attract them. I was underground working.”
Delta held up a shard of metal. “You created this. Albeit a brilliant armor that diminishes morphon powers, it is unique and traceable. Our sources from Onnotangu say this is how they found you.”
Osteen looked away in shame. “I didn’t realize it would be so easily tracked. But, don’t worry. That robot was the last of it I had made. It takes time to synthesize that stuff.”
Delta tossed it into Jason Osteens lap, “you won’t. That shard will be sent to Antarctica, where they will track it needlessly. We will move you to a more secure location and then you will give us results. Next time they find you, we won’t come to your rescue.”
***
Chase, Furious Squirrel, Gar, and Hotwings stood inside the run-down shack where Osteen had worked.
“Are you sure?” Chase asked.
Furious nodded, “the signature ends here. This is the place where it came from. This has to be where he was, and where that robot came from.”
Gar frowned. “This place isn’t big enough for all that.”
Furious showed him his scanner, “there are a whole series of structures under here. However, they’re currently filled with concrete.”
Hotwings said, “and I bet if we dig it out, it will give us nothing. These people seem to be one step ahead.”
“Ten steps,” Chase muttered. “But, we won’t stop looking. I will report to Nova. Hotwings, Furious, head back to your leagues and see if you can help in Las Vegas.”
0 Comments