Tag Archives: Scream Eagle

Regression: Part 24

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

Regression: Part 23

The funny thing was that I had a plan for this. Scream Eagle wasn’t the first person I’d ever met with the ability to control technology. The first person I’d met was Carlos, the son of a super in the SoCal Defenders unit.

I’d tested my armor design with him at one point to see how hard it would be to defend against it. It turned out to be pretty hard in fact, but I’d at least developed strategies to fight against it. Continue reading Regression: Part 23

Regression: Part 22

The circle of rotating metal doom in the air fell apart as Scream Eagle shot across the room, knocking into a section of shelving as he took off. A bunch of things fell, most of them glittering. They might have been trophies.

One of them looked like a YouTube award. I didn’t even know they had a channel.

Also, speakers around the room had started blasting music. I didn’t have time to pay attention, but it sounded like reggae, something about “one love.” Continue reading Regression: Part 22

Regression: Part 21

“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

Regression: Part 20

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

Regression: Part 19

As I flew toward the open windows, my implant summarized the feed from the tower to the degree it could—a series of pictures.

Scream Eagle rose toward the windows, gaining speed despite Camille’s control over gravity. A flash from Haley’s cam showed sweat on Camille’s brow, fists clenched, and mouth in a thin line.

Sean and Vaughn, meanwhile, were doing what they could. Sean whirled a circle of metal balls with enough speed that they turned into a ring reflecting the light of the sun and the room’s fluorescent lights. I’d seen what he could do with them. They made a highly mobile circular saw that could cut through more than you’d think. When used with his power, even if they shattered, he could continue to cut with the dust. Continue reading Regression: Part 19

Regression: Part 16

Amnesia Angel’s wings faded away, replaced by nothing—no glowing wings, no feathered wings, just holes for wings in the back of their costume where the wings had emerged.

The holes inadvertently answered another question I’d had, revealing a bit of bra strap. That didn’t necessarily reveal the person’s internal sense of their gender, but statistically speaking, it would most of the time.

Anyway, I didn’t have time to ask pronouns at that moment because she (?) was more than 50 feet in the air, powerless, and either dead or unconscious. Continue reading Regression: Part 16

Regression: Part 13

Much as I had in the jet, I felt Magnus’ attention. Strictly speaking, it was the presence of Magnus using Artificer senses through what I’d heard called the Galaxy Core Device, but whatever.

Along with that attention, I also felt burning energy coming this direction. It wasn’t a question of being able to pretend I wasn’t here and avoid it.

There was no time to get myself into that mode of thinking, no time to dodge. At the moment that I’d noticed it, it was here.

Except… Nothing happened. Continue reading Regression: Part 13

Regression: Part 11

Vaughn, for example, hit him with lightning again, and Power Burst’s slower speed made that easier. And Vaughn didn’t only target Power Burst. He targeted all of them—Scream Eagle and the two others speeding after them.

The hit on Scream Eagle was, if anything, a disappointment. Whatever designers the military had used for Scream Eagle’s armor before he stole it (or Rook after that), they’d thought ahead about lightning. The suit sparked, but he didn’t fall over.

Put bluntly, Camille’s gravity already held him to the ground, where Sean’s balls pummeled him from all sides (heh). Continue reading Regression: Part 11

Regression: Part 10

I checked with Hal via my implant, “Do you know anything specific about how soon they’re going to get here?”

[No. Many of the command center’s staff became engaged in online arguments this morning. They’re distracted and engaging with the discussions at unpredictable intervals.]

I decided not to inquire further about that, choosing instead to watch the horizon for attackers. Continue reading Regression: Part 10