I checked the the sky, searching it for Vaughn’s cloud.
It floated above the field, smaller than most clouds, and, it struck me, smaller than the last time I’d seen it.
Daniel hadn’t been joking about not being alone in the air. At least fifteen people flew toward the cloud, dark figures outlined against the moon and stars.
Continue reading War: Part 10
Bluish sparks surrounded Rachel’s gloves, and the man let go, trying to grab her, but only passing through her body without touching anything.
Knowing that he was strong, and guessing he might be able to rip my armor off, I gave the rockets some fuel, and shot into the air, hovering forty feet above the ground. Continue reading War: Part 9
Between the unconscious bodies on the ground from Jaclyn’s attack, and my sonic blast, Prime’s people hung back until one of of them shouted, “Move!”
Well, if I could call them Prime’s people.
Some of them looked professional — black (probably bulletproof) vests, belts with pouches, knives, and guns. The rest looked like they’d been pulled from local (and not so local) street gangs.
They had guns too — not submachine guns like the professionals, mostly handguns.
Continue reading War: Part 8
Prime stood at the front of the crowd. He didn’t look like someone who had lived most of the way through two millenniums. Under the single light, his brush cut, blond hair shone. His face, all hard lines, but still smooth, could have easily passed for thirty.
As we stepped closer to him, he pulled a sword out of his trench coat. Between Lee’s teaching, and Daniel showing me some books on Roman history, I recognized it as a gladius, the Roman legions’ traditional sword.
Behind me, Marcus muttered, “There can be only one.”
Continue reading War: Part 7
The days between Prime getting back to us, and actually meeting him were a blur. A weird blur. Those of us who didn’t have exams, planned and drilled with Lee. I worked on the suit, the roachbots, and talked through some ideas with Chris, and Larry.
I’d called Larry when Lee told us to think about people who might help, and it was lucky I had. Continue reading War: Part 6
Lee leaned his arm on the monitor, pushing the keyboard backward to create more room to sit on the table.
“When I try to work out how to handle situations like this, I ask myself who’s got common interests? More often than not, I’m not the only one asking the question. For example, the League’s got common interests with Hardwick’s group and Justice Fist. They’re both probably running given what’s happened lately, but you might be able to pull in a few. Continue reading War: Part 5
I didn’t know it was Prime when I took the call.
The caller ID said the number was “unavailable,” but I’d set the voicemail system to play the voicemail live while I was there.
So… “You’ve reached the Heroes League. Please leave your number after the beep.” Continue reading War: Part 4
The caller ID on my cellphone showed the call came from HQ — which meant either that I’d been forwarded Prime’s call through HQ or that someone in HQ had called me.
I took the call.
“Nick,” Vaughn said, “you’ve gotta take a look at Double V’s forums. Go to the Grand Lake section. It’s totally crazy.” Continue reading War: Part 3
“So after years of silence, the New Heroes League appeared out of nowhere. How did that happen?”
“I came in late,” Rachel said. “You’ll have to ask the Rocket.”
Erika turned her attention to me. “So?”
“A few of us got to talking,” I began.
“Us?”
“We’re all connected to the original League one way or another. We got together a few times, and we decided we wanted to bring it back instead of letting it end.” Continue reading War: Part 2
Instead of doing something with Haley on Friday night, I found myself flying through the air with Rachel toward the Rocket’s first ever intentional TV interview — or if not the Rocket’s first, my first as the Rocket.
Rachel let go of my shoulder as I pointed myself upright, stopping the rockets for a moment, but then making the rocketpack start a new burn, slowing my descent.
Below me I could see the parking lot where I’d fought Man-machine — until his heart attack, anyway.
It looked a lot like it had that night, half full of cars, and darkness. Continue reading War: Part 1