Tag Archives: Jody

Arc 14.6.5: Stage Three

Stage Three: Part 11

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With the Rocket suit’s speed and the short distance, I might as well have teleported.

If he were anything like the Xiniti I’d fought, he would have still been able to avoid me anyway, but instead, he stumbled sideways, still faster than a scooter, but not faster than I flew.

I punched him and he hit the ground, turning and pointing his arms at me as if to fire his weapons. Except the weapons didn’t fire. There wasn’t even a spark.

My implant offered a choice: “What is your priority? Disable weaponry or continued disorientation.” Continue reading Stage Three: Part 11 →

Arc 14.6.5: Stage Three

Stage Three: Part 10

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While Dayton’s strength, speed, and reflexes blew away a normal person’s, Jody was in another league.

Dr. Nation’s system for triggering improvements and latent powers had worked for Dayton. I’d seen figures ranging from 30-50% when Dr. Nation showed me the results. For that matter, Dayton’s mimic ability had become more flexible over time.

Instead of mimicking movements exactly, he could adjust them for his own build and strengths without thinking. He’d even reached a point where he could analyze a fighting style on the fly and anticipate moves he couldn’t do.

So, he wasn’t totally outclassed, but maybe 50% outclassed? Continue reading Stage Three: Part 10 →

Arc 14.6.5: Stage Three

Stage Three: Part 9

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Then, for lack of a better word, Jody activated.

He turned, eyes glowing in multiple sensor streams. Then he began to fire bolts from alternating eyes, all of them in my direction.

I guessed that I owed my continued survival to the fact that he’d had less than a day to get used to his transformation. That, and the designer’s choice to use many small shots instead of fewer, higher-powered shots.

Many shots worked for Jody’s strength, but also for my suit’s ability to repair and general resistance to damage. Continue reading Stage Three: Part 9 →

Arc 14.6.5: Stage Three

Stage Three: Part 8

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“Bait,” Dayton said. Despite their camouflage, my HUD filled in their outlines. Dayton had grabbed Sean’s shoulder.

“Remember this is the Nine. He might not want to, but he’ll turn on us the second they tell him to.”

Sean looked down, the head of his outline staring ahead—into metal shelving, but then over at Dayton, “We’re not going to be able to save him, are we?”

Dayton took a breath, “I don’t know how this will play out. It’s going to be hard, but maybe. You’ve taken him in training, and there’s lots of metal.”

“Yeah… But we don’t know what he is now.” Continue reading Stage Three: Part 8 →

Arc 14.6.5: Stage Three

Stage Three: Part 7

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“But first,” Rook said, “some reintroductions are in order.”

I looked around the room, checking my feeds and my HUD. Rook didn’t show up looking through the stone, which was extremely good news. The last thing I wanted was for him to have a connection to Lee’s device.

Rook’s voice continued, “You knew him as Blur or as ‘Jody,’ but we have a new name for him now. We call him Rapid-Fire. It took a little talking to persuade my boss to let his toy go, but since he couldn’t access his memories of Magnus and all the training he did, the boy was useless to us as a member of Magnus’ squad. I’m sure there’s a way to get it back, but we needed help fast, and what do you know?” Continue reading Stage Three: Part 7 →

Arc 14.6.5: Stage Three

Stage Three: Part 4

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Victor’s mouth opened without saying anything. He closed it, sighed, but asked, “Do you think it’s possible?”

I looked over at Cassie, who’d frowned but then started talking, “It depends. We’d need to make sure our birthing chamber has the right templates available. I’d say yes if we had the one you’d used. We all know what happened to that one, though.”

Over the implant channel, Sean asked, “What happened?”

“It’s not in working order,” I said. Continue reading Stage Three: Part 4 →

Arc 14.4.5: Regression

Regression: Part 25

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Art had all of Haley’s power plus Magnus’ power-up, but he was carrying Jody. Haley didn’t have anything extra beyond her costume and now an implant.

Art had landed first and was already beginning to run across the lawn toward the street—probably trying to get far enough from the tower that the Nine could teleport him out.

Using my implant’s connection to Haley’s suit, I fired off a series of bots. I’d put a handful into other people’s armor, thinking that it would be better to have a few available for clutch moments. Continue reading Regression: Part 25 →

Arc 14.4.5: Regression

Regression: Part 24

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I adjusted my foot position and felt my feet shift naturally. Whatever “neutralization” turned out to be, it had worked.

I knew “Counterattack” had not come into play yet because Scream Eagle’s claws were now swinging in my direction. Possibly worse, the circle of metal was reforming in the air behind him.

He hadn’t seen my feet shift or recognized what it meant, though. I stepped back, swinging through his arms with the lightning sword. The sword didn’t chop them off, but I did feel resistance as I swung through the space. Continue reading Regression: Part 24 →

Arc 14.4.5: Regression

Regression: Part 21

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“You won’t live long enough for that,” Scream Eagle said, and the circle of metal balls and metal dust descended toward me.

I didn’t doubt that my suit could withstand ball bearings, but I didn’t know how long it would withstand repeated damage.

It looked like I’d get to find out, though, because the rotating circle of metal hit my chest. I’d been trying to dodge, but it moved faster, chipping away at my armor. Continue reading Regression: Part 21 →

Arc 14.4.5: Regression

Regression: Part 20

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Camille saw him, but she was still trying to slow Scream Eagle down and didn’t have time to drop that to increase the gravity around Art.

Plus, again, in this small space, he moved as quickly as Jaclyn would have. She didn’t have time to do anything before he stabbed her with the palm claw in his right hand.

Art’s next move was to dive and roll past Julie, sinking the palm claw of his left hand into her thigh through her armor. As she fell, he turned toward the back of the room where Zola faced Haley, Sydney, Dayton, Daniel, and Jody’s unconscious body.

Well, sort of. Zola had been busy too. Continue reading Regression: Part 20 →