Former photocopier technician? Was Hal making a joke? Either way, Ben was too stuck to the wall to get to the shattered photocopier.
I’d started with the people next to the far wall because of the high potential ratio of stuck people to goobot fired. It wasn’t a bad decision either. I covered more than 20 people in my version of Silly String before anyone on the far wall realized what was going on.
When they did realize it, they began moving away from the wall and running to the right—a reasonable move, given that I’d started from the left. Continue reading Stage One: Part 10→
As we neared the end of the hall, Izzy said, “Here,” swerving to the left of the elevator and punching the wall.
Jaclyn swerved with her, their arms a blur, leaving a hole wide enough for four of us to jump through at a time—which they did the moment they were done. We followed, all of us seemingly in Syndicate L’s armor, some flying, others dropping at the safe speeds that my anti-gravity tech allowed.
I hadn’t noticed. Glancing down, I found that one of the glossy black pouches on the glossy black belt of my glossy black armor had a small glow around the edges of the top flap.
Except for a moment where I concluded that Syndicate L had been going for looks rather than functionality with the design, my attention gravitated to the pouch. As it did, I remembered what was in the pouch.
Back when we’d met with the Wizards’ Council and a few other hidden immortals, Urin, a former Cabal member who dated back to Sumer, had given me a rock. Flat and white, it hadn’t looked like much, but he’d claimed it had a connection to Lee’s device and to the Artificers. Continue reading Stage One: Part 8→
Izzy had slipped out of the jet before our approach with the idea that she could watch the process with her sonar. As we watched the guards retreat, she said, “I think they’re giving up on the roof. They’re locking doors behind them and arming defenses as they leave. I should go in first.”
Haley frowned, speaking through the comms. “Wait for a second. You’ve got the best view of anyone for now. We’ll need you in the air. Everyone else? It’s time to get down there. Don’t enter until we’re all down.” Continue reading Stage One: Part 7→
Heroes’ League “Jet.” 1000 Feet Above The Nine’s Island.
Checking the feeds from the jet’s cameras, I broadcast my announcement to our allies in addition to our cabin. “We’re beginning our final descent. Sensors show that the Nine’s forces are busy fighting around the outside of the main building as well as the courtyard inside. We’re going to drop out of the hatch and enter via the roof. You’ll find the intended spot on the map. It appears to be close to Magnus’ quarters.
Ignoring Brian, Edward walked out the door into the main room. Were there any cracks in the concrete walls? If there were, he wouldn’t be staying.
A quick look showed that there were no cracks in the walls, but in the few seconds that he’d been visible, half a dozen people had jumped out of their seats and begun to walk toward him. The rest stared up toward him, eyes wide. Despite wearing ominous, dark uniforms, they appeared terrified. He didn’t doubt that they’d all get up if he gave them the chance. Continue reading Stage One: Part 5→
The Nine’s Headquarters. Unnamed Island. Present Day.
Edward Alan Branch, Night Commander of The Nine’s control center, couldn’t pinpoint exactly when the day took a turn, but it had.
Standing up from his desk to the side of the control center’s main room, he walked to the tinted window. Mirrored on the other side, so the staff couldn’t tell when he was looking, it allowed him to watch them without being so obvious. Continue reading Stage One: Part 4→
Original Heroes’ League. Unknown Section of Rain Forest, Brazil, October 1959:
Dr. Madness’ War Machine lay in pieces in the clearing in front of the cave.
It had been massive. Longer than 300 feet and taller than 50 feet near the back, where the conning tower had risen above the hull, it gave the middle finger to aerodynamic design in more than one sense. Continue reading Stage One: Part 3→
“Me too,” I said, “but either way, I don’t have a better idea.”
“I don’t either,” Haley said, staring past me into the night.
We were over Florida by that point. Our rendezvous with Prime would be over the Everglades in a spot that Dr. Transylvania described as “abandoned by humanity.”
My suspicion that “abandoned by humanity” meant “populated by vampires and alligators” was given a little life by the looks of the place. There weren’t any lights, but a scan of the area as we arrived showed weeds, wooden buildings that leaned as if they were about to fall over, and concrete foundations partially covered by dirt and weeds. Continue reading Stage One: Part 2→
My alarm rang too early, if I could call it ringing. My implant woke me by ending my sleep cycle and bringing me to consciousness the way my body would have if I’d gotten a full night’s sleep and woke as dawn’s first light entered the room.
That wasn’t going to happen here. We were in a bunker with no windows and lots of concrete. The closest the room came to color was the dark red carpet in the section of the main room where we held meetings, and Control followed our suits’ feeds. Continue reading Stage One: Part 1→
The Legion of Nothing: A Series of Online Superhero Novels (Updates Monday and Thursday)
