Arc 14.6.5: Stage Three

Stage Three: Part 6

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That’s when I noticed a detail that I didn’t like at all. It might have been a small thing, but it hinted at bigger problems.

As Rook’s minions put down their packages and their arms transformed into weapons, the claws disappeared and shortened into straight barrels. That would be nothing except that, assuming normal human proportions, the barrel ended well before the human arm would have.

Even assuming all of Rook’s henchmen had short arms, the gun was just past where the elbow should be.

Put bluntly, there was no room for an arm in there. Continue reading Stage Three: Part 6 →

Arc 14.6.5: Stage Three

Stage Three: Part 5

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Our first problem with following Magnus? The window. Amy and I rose to find Sean, fists clenched, staring at the window and the empty room behind it.

The window wasn’t moving at all.

And look, that wasn’t as stupid as it seemed. The frame around the window might have been made of metal. It wasn’t, but it could have been.

Colored black, but it appeared to be ceramic to me.

With a wordless scream, Sean punched it. His hand bounced off, and Dayton said, “Whoa, dude. Let them try.”

Sean wasn’t listening. Continue reading Stage Three: Part 5 →

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 14.6.5: Stage Three

Stage Three: Part 3

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Jaclyn added, “I’m not pulling you all again—not unless we know what we’re running into.”

We didn’t. Due to limited fuel supplies, a limited number of bots, and any hints that the place existed, Hal hadn’t sent any down here.

“Everybody flies?” Haley asked.

It wasn’t a bad idea. Between camouflage and not touching anything, we’d avoid a lot of potential triggers.

A voice said, “I’m here to bring you to Magnus.” Continue reading Stage Three: Part 3 →

Arc 14.6.5: Stage Three

Stage Three: Part 2

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Then he started laughing. I’m pretty sure I even heard a “Mwha-ha-ha” somewhere in there. Then the communication ended, leaving me to hope that it was an ironic “Mwha-ha-ha,” because an unironic “Mwha-ha-ha” would be a cliche.

It called up mad scientist vibes at best and at the most horribly wrong end, it reminded me of how Artificer technology had been designed to destroy civilizations either through madness or temptation and runaway self-interest. Continue reading Stage Three: Part 2 →

Arc 14.6.5: Stage Three

Stage Three: Part 1

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Inside the room, we found the welcome committee. They were prepared for us, but there’s a difference between sending a bunch of guards to stand in the entrance in case someone gets through and executing a well-planned ambush.

This was not a well-planned ambush.

The guards here, and there were more than 20 of them, all of them with automatic weapons, weren’t in the best shape. Continue reading Stage Three: Part 1 →

Arc 14.6.0: Stage Two

Stage Two: Part 10

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The world around me blurred as Jaclyn began to move. I might have felt grateful that I’d already been floating, but I didn’t have time. Still, if I’d been tied behind Jaclyn without armor and pulled forward, I could have died simply from faceplanting, but more likely by being ripped in two by the rope around my waist.

Fortunately, I wore armor with an anti-gravity pack. The armor had inertial dampers and anti-collision protocols. Also, we’d staggered everyone so that nobody flew directly next to anyone.

We’d even used redundant cables for everyone because you never knew if one might break. Continue reading Stage Two: Part 10 →

Arc 14.6.0: Stage Two

Stage Two: Part 9

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Cassie looked down at the ground and then back down the hallway, “That’s what the muddy footprints were? That’s so gross.”

Then she said, “Who wants to get the door?”

Marcus shifted into a pile of goo that seeped in the door’s direction but stopped just in front, asking, “Is it booby trapped?”

Daniel frowned, “I can’t tell.” Continue reading Stage Two: Part 9 →

Arc 14.6.0: Stage Two

Stage Two: Part 8

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I wondered how much of a walk this would be, and a map Hal had created while using my bots as scouts appeared in my head. By taking out the Nine’s central command, we’d ended up on ground level. Magnus’ and the Nine’s leadership’s rooms were located on the top floor.

Well, unless they’d evacuated to the bunker below the main complex.

Knowing that the fight in the control center hadn’t been quiet in any way, I had to bet on the bunker. Either way, the stairway at the end of the hall went both up and down. Continue reading Stage Two: Part 8 →

Arc 14.6.0: Stage Two

Stage Two: Part 7

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Edward said, “I’m hoping the same. If Dr. Mind did survive, Brian’s advice to you guarantees that we’ll be executed by one or more of the Numbers. Though if Dr. Mind is gone, there’s an opening for Number 4, so they may be too busy killing rivals to care.”

Brian glared at him, “Thanks for telling them my name!”

Edward raised an eyebrow. “I’m sure they know already. The Heroes’ League appears to have done its homework. They attacked with overwhelming force while in disguise and went straight for our Control Center. Not only that, but they did it while we were distracted with a myriad of other concerns—which in retrospect, they may have engineered.” Continue reading Stage Two: Part 7 →

The Legion of Nothing: A Series of Online Superhero Novels (Updates Monday and Thursday)