Tag Archives: C

Courtesy: Part 36

“Maybe we should ask him to get them out? I think he would,” I said.

“I’ll do it,” Haley said. “We’re stuck here until you and Paladin reach us.”

“Do that,” Cassie added, reminding me that we were on the group channel. “It’s crazy to leave them there if you’ve got a choice.”

I frowned, “I just hope Control won’t be stuck there alone.” Continue reading Courtesy: Part 36

Courtesy: Part 11

I heard a weary laugh from more than one person on the comm. A few more laughed a little too hard.

Ex-Mayer Bouman, Synergy, or whatever he now called himself  kept on talking, “People of Grand Lake, you might be afraid of what’s coming, afraid maybe that you’ll be absorbed and stop being you.

“Nothing could be further from the truth. You’ll be you but fulfilled. You’ll share your hopes, dreams, and worries with all your brothers and sisters in this city and sharing your burdens will make them light.”

Over the comm, Cassie muttered, “This guy does not understand how much it sounds like joining a cult.” Continue reading Courtesy: Part 11

Sudden Changes: Part 14

Daniel’s grandfather shook his head, “I wish that were true. What you’re seeing isn’t Alzheimer’s. It’s the result of overuse of my powers. You might even call it the growth of my prescience without a growth in my ability to stay grounded in the world around me.”

He stopped, looking from Izzy and Daniel to C, Jaclyn and me, “I can pull it together for meetings, but not for too long.”

C nodded, “We can’t talk too much about that. Not here.” Continue reading Sudden Changes: Part 14

Sudden Changes: Part 13

As it turned out, I was right to worry because the situation evolved before my eyes—assuming that watching through a window in my HUD counts.

The True stood in front of Daniel’s house on the sidewalk and pointed their their rifles toward it—which was a good tactic. No one inside could prevent them from shooting up the house.

Except then, they didn’t. Continue reading Sudden Changes: Part 13

A Day in The Life: Part 22

When the dust settled, a flash of blue light brought me back to the Heroes’ League’s headquarters. I appeared on their starplate, a small version of the ones I’d destroyed. Control looked up from the controls to smile at me. “It’s over. All their gateways are gone.”

Then she stopped smiling. “Could you maybe step off the starplate? I’ve got to turn it off and I don’t want to accidentally send you somewhere, or worse, send part of you somewhere.”

“When you put it that way,” I told her, “I can’t say no.” Continue reading A Day in The Life: Part 22

A Day in The Life: Part 21

Something hit me from behind. I didn’t feel it, but I heard it sizzle as it hit my shield. It didn’t matter. I let the energy flow through me and build in my shield.

When I was in the military, scientists attempted to figure out where the energy that I use came from. They took genetic samples, poked and prodded me, fired different forms of radiation at my shield, and all they knew in the end was that I had the greatest capacity to draw power and hold it without using it that they’d ever seen.

By the time they got to that point, I could have told them the same thing. Continue reading A Day in The Life: Part 21

A Day in The Life: Part 20

I flew past the hotel, a thirty-three-floor needle of mirrored glass that stood near a parking structure to its left and a rust colored 19th century building to its right—though a path that led to an old bridge stood between them.

I might be ready to disappear to an alternate world, but maybe I could do something.

The dinos swarmed down the wide sidewalk overlooking the river, but without the enthusiasm, I’d seen before. A few of them pointed at me and shrunk closer to the building. Continue reading A Day in The Life: Part 20

A Day in The Life: Part 18

“You know what I’m saying,” C said. “You’ll have to kill them. There’s no way around it. Do what you need to do.”

They did.

There were two gates. One now stood where a street deadended into a small park in the middle of downtown. Though there were trees and grass in the park, an open air amphitheater filled most of it. Five levels of seats faced a concrete stage. The banner hanging above the stage proclaimed “Sponsored by Rhino Breweries.” Continue reading A Day in The Life: Part 18

A Day in The Life: Part 17

Just as it had earlier, Blue’s yell caused chaos. The giant winged dinos dove to avoid her voice despite anything their riders did with their reins. As they dove, the League jet circled around from over Grand Lake to appear behind us even as we dove to follow.

“I’m thinking we should use Blue to herd them,” the Rocket said. “If they stay low, it shouldn’t be hard to hit them from the side.”

Blue’s voice came over the comm. “I’ll try, but you’re going to lose a lot of windows.” Continue reading A Day in The Life: Part 17