Built Different [Cyborg Superhero ProgFant]

I wasn't too impressed that Silhouette hadn't passed on the message that we weren't going to be home today. Of course, a lot of the fault lay on my own shoulders for expecting him to act as the messenger rather than leaving me with the sly warning. The blame for failure to communicate sat squarely with me. Something made ever more apparent as the Natural Disasters slid to a near halt.

"Who could be back home?" Roxy asked. "Which hero?"

[Angel.]

She hesitated as if she was about to chew me out, but kept it reigned in. "Is Clara in danger?"

[Unlikely. It is me she wants to speak to.]

Belle looked back down the street. "I could only teleport myself to base. Not sure I'd be much help, though."

"Plus, showing up in that outfit might raise questions," Ren added.

Given the history between the two, it wasn't much of a leap to imagine that Clara and Angel might butt heads if given the opportunity. For as resourceful as the techie was, fighting a S-Rank superhero without any preparation was beyond her ability. However, even as popular and powerful as Angel was, there was a very low chance she would kill someone in cold blood. Especially not a sidekick for an up-and-coming hero.

Still, I could see why Roxy was tense - as I felt the same way. She was probably weighing up if sending Belle back was worth it or not.

Thankfully, we didn't have to make a decision.

//Clara: Back.
//Rockslide: Are you okay?
//Clara: Yes. Please proceed with the mission.

In another situation, Roxy might have planted her boots and demanded further explanation from the techie. Certainly, we were all wondering what had just happened. Every moment we spent standing around allowed the Gnaws to get better prepared to defend against us.

[We need to move.]

Morale had taken a knock, but we regained momentum. Back down the roads, we were approaching the area where Roy had destroyed the advanced attachment. Instead of being able to view the aftermath, my lens messages took my attention away.

//Clara: Angel was here to speak with you, Gunquake.
//Dubs: I should have forewarned that was a possibility, I apologize.
//Clara: If you had, I might have been asking you for help with burying a body.
//Clara: Next time I will not be as hospitable.
//Dubs: Understood. Did she mention her intent?
//Clara: Only to speak with you before the Arena tomorrow.
//Dubs: Concerning. Thank you.
//Clara: Thank me after I reassure my sister that I knew all along and it was my idea to keep her out of the loop.
//Dubs: Unnecessary, but appreciated.
//Clara: You need to be top form in all respects tomorrow. Proceed.

I decided not to dwell on the fact that she admitted she would have murdered the superhero if she had been expected. While I appreciated the confidence, that might rock one too many boats. Our life in Goldarch depended on playing nice with the League, and that meant biting our tongues when it came to those we didn't like. That said, I could imagine that even with Clara watching over us currently, the techie was working on something else on one of her side monitors.

Why Angel wanted to speak with me specifically was slightly more concerning. Especially before the Heroism Arena.

My attention flicked back to the current situation as Ren put an arrow through a straggler spying on us from an alleyway.

We were closing in on the outskirts of the military area of the mutant town. So far, it seemed as though nobody from the east or south wanted to flank us. Unless they were just waiting. I made the mental note to pressure Director Kingston to give us specific details on any future missions.

Another thought interrupted, this time as a building to our right exploded.

Shielding flickered around us, deflecting any shrapnel and debris. "Didn't think we were that close," Belle said through clenched teeth.

//Clara: They have deployed mortars. Intriguing.

Another point of evidence that these gnolls had a hand guiding them. Rather foolish, however. Unless they had sufficiently advanced tech, then they wouldn't be able to judge our movement accurately enough. We were soon to approach the first line of their defense and… it was fifty-fifty on whether they'd risked shelling their own troops.

Ren fired off a magical arrow that snaked through the sky. An explosion erupted high in the air as she sniped one of the shells en route to our location. Another house three streets away blew up, spreading dust and dark clouds.

"I could dome one," Belle said, "but we'd need to remain stationary."

Roxy was already billowing out heat. "Permission to break rank?"

With a leap, I had no doubts the super could land amongst the artillery and tear it to shreds. Being that far back in the enemy's home turf was risky, however. A sentiment that the techie echoed.

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//Clara: Inadvisable. That is close to the unknown power source.
//Clara: As they are being supplied arms to combat heroes…
//Clara: We cannot guarantee your safety.

It seemed like years ago a mutant had pinned Roxy to the floor with some expanding foam. Since the awakening of her powers, I doubted she would suffer a similar fate with something so simple - but the gnolls could have a lot worse with the Gov funding them.

"Bullshit," Roxy murmured to herself.

[I'm more concerned about walking into the firing line waiting for us.]

The map imagery the drone had provided made the military area look rather open compared to most of the cluttered town streets. A large hanger at the back, with a few smaller buildings around it. Then a parking lot sized space that had rows of tents and boxes. Not the most impenetrable defensive line—especially against supers—but rows of machine guns were a problem for most of us.

Updated images showed the remaining tanks parked off at sides of the area, to provide heavy munition support to the lines of gun-toting Gnaws. After the quick demise of their advancing group, they had decided to use some patience. Once again, unlike the gnoll's nature.

//Clara: Do not fret. I will carry the team, as usual.
//Clara: Head east and take the seventh right turn.

We ran to the left and into a side street. I wasn't sure what she had planned, but Clara had always been dependable as my sidekick. There was some light resistance down here from mutants that either hadn't gotten the memo about the war on their doorstep, or otherwise fancied their chances at getting their teeth sunk into fresh meat.

Absolutely powerless against us. Ren and I stopped any at range from getting closer, while any potential ambush was stopped in the first second by Roy, leaving Roxy to clear things up. Following Clara's instructions, we had ended up near to the eastern defensive wall.

Not only that, but our path had taken us to the end of the residential buildings. At the end of the rest of this winding street, we could see the military sector ourselves.

To call it a cluttered mess was putting it lightly. For as much as I had imagined rows of disorganized gnolls impatiently waiting for us to appear, I had given them far too much credit. With the tall hanger of dark green looming in the background, the mutants had gotten as much weaponry and armor into their grubby hands as possible and then set about arguing and infighting.

An armed rabble was still dangerous, even without the discipline to line up and attack us in waves.

As we burst through the opening and into trouble itself, the first group noticed us and yelled for their companions to aim this way. From the looks of it, most had been expecting us to continue down the main road to arrive at the center of their defensive force. The mortars had been crashing down on random civilian housing far behind our new route, and the tanks and armored vehicles with less mobility now turned and fussed about to greet our actual entry point.

Before either side had the chance to fire their first shot, the defensive wall off to the left exploded. Amongst the dust and split pieces of makeshift metal plating, the Meteor rocketed into the town. Smoke cannisters burst into life as it passed in front of us, leaving a trail of dense fog blocking line of sight between us and the gnolls.

//Clara: I can't stick around due to the tanks.
//Clara: But that should get you in.
//Gunquake: Appreciated.

One of the few advantages of our tactical disguises was the goggles. Fashioned after the tech I used, they could pick out targets within smoke. While they were blinded to our actual position, we saw the dark outlines of each of them.

Of course, that wouldn't stop them from trying to shoot at us. While several fired on the Meteor as it trundled out of harm's way, a couple tried their luck within the dense cloud.

[Engage at will, but stay close.]

Ren fired an arrow at the same time as a High Explosive shot left my gun-arm. A gust of wind pressured the gnolls to avert their aim downward, just as my attack detonated and blew a couple of assailants up.

Belle put a shield on Roy as he zipped out of our cloud, while Roxy growled and powered up another volcanic shotgun. Fighting in an open environment was probably one of my least favorite things.

//Clara: You are showing signs of synapse fatigue.
//Clara: Try to temper your use of the hand.

Easier said than done. It was already a miracle that I had use of a newly acquired hand, so I could understand it being tiring for my brain to process that alongside still having it as a weapon. Fortunately, the back of my mind had an obvious solution to this problem.

I twisted the assault rifle from my back and brought it up against my shoulder. My breathing calmed as I looked through the sight and pressed the trigger. A burst of three bullets took down a gnoll as I was already moving to my next target. The smoke around me billowed as the speedster slid up beside. Other than sporting some fresh gnoll blood across the black tactical gear, he also held something in his hands. More magazines.

"This is bringing some unpleasant memories back," he murmured as he handed them over. "That said, I'd much rather this than running into gunfire."

[Get a couple of other guns. Outfit yourself-]

Roxy's shotgun blasted loudly, raining molten rock down across the area.

[-and Belle, if it's not too dangerous.]

"Got it. There's some cover up to the left… but we'll need to disable the tanks."

I nodded, and he zoomed off through the rolling smoke cover. With the gnolls in disarray, there were very few pot shots in our direction. It was only a matter of time before the smoke faded and we'd get their attention once more, and the Meteor only had a couple of deployments before smoke wasn't an option. I switched magazine, letting the empty one drop to the ground.

Using my anti-armor ammunition seemed like a warranted use of my arm. The problem was, even with knowing exactly where they were - there were plenty of other targets in my way. Errant Gnaws and the tent structures. Time to act was short before they started taking shots at us as well.

[Roxy, I need you to clear a path to vehicles on the left.]

"You had me in four words, Dubs. From ranged?" She flexed out her arm, the violence having apparently cooled her mood.

[From ranged, if possible.]

She clicked her tongue. I watched as her shadowed form moved over a few feet and hunched down to pick something up from the floor.

Roy came through to hand Belle a rifle. "I'll provide covering fire," she confirmed. Her body language wasn't too enthusiastic, but she was at least on board.

"Don't have much time left on the smoke," the speedster noted. A mortar round exploded about fifty feet behind us. "We'll need to move, for better or worse, in less than thirty."

"I'll sort it. Have a little patience." Roxy straightened herself up and sighed.

She had picked up part of the defensive wall. A sheet of metal around two feet square, sharp around the edges due to the Meteor tearing it from where it was once affixed.

Even with the gray smoke obscuring the view, all of us paused and watched as the metal glowed bright orange, heat crawling throughout it.

As we readied to move, the super leaned back and then threw the object like a frisbee.