NOVEL NEXT 159 - Making Sense of It
The interior of the hangar was rather spacious, with a large portion of the flooring evidentially utilized for storing and working on the dreadnought. Now center stage was vacant, a loose circle of inert machines and scaffolding around the perimeter of where it once stood.
My eyes were past that, naturally. More immediately important, rather than the lack of a thing, was the currently present points of interest.
Namely, the handful of humans now frozen in place, their eyes wide to myself and Roy standing in the open doorway.
Most of them wore a weird mix of lab technician and engineer overalls. Pale gray slacks and overcoats, with dark green padded aprons covered in dust. It appeared as they were in the middle of throwing evidence into a pile to destroy, with several holding laptops, paperwork, or handfuls of tech.
More eye-catching than them was the singular figure dressed in all black. A long cape that shimmered with hints of gold rose up to raised shoulder pads, ornately decorated like crowns. The man wearing all this had short black hair, a deep tan, and three long scars running through the left side of their face - causing that side of his mouth to be raised in a constant sneer.
I didn't need to be told that he was hired muscle or even the one in charge. Deep down in my core, I already knew that he was actually a villain.
In a split second, I connected the League of Villains, World Government, and Gnaw uprising. Whether it was a coincidence or not would have to be something found out the hard way. Unfortunately, the mystery supervillain wasn't likely to be open to chatting about the circumstance of his station. His posture already indicated we already knew too much.
He flicked his hand out at us. "Tell me who sent you and I'll make this quick."
I answered him immediately with what I had loaded in the chamber. Just a Slug cartridge, as I didn't want to spend the second loading in a new round in case he used his power on us.
My shot burst around a personal shield that shimmered over his body in a light red tone.
"So be it." Energy twinkled around his outstretched hand. "If you won't talk, nobody will."
I felt the course of magic wash over me. Empty shell popped from the side of my arm as my synapses called out for a Sanguine stake. I furrowed my brow as the scientists dropped their carried objects almost in unison. Each of them pulled a knife from their belt, aside from one who just had a screwdriver and another who had a metal-backed circuit board.
Despite the panic clear in their eyes, they brought these metal objects up and… started cutting their own tongues out.
Before I could gather my senses to fire, Roy caught my attention to the side. His hands were up, trying to pry his gasmask off.
[Leave now.]
He didn't hesitate, but turned and flashed back out of the hangar. I was hoping the mental control had a range that it would fall off.
"Unaffected?" the villain sneered. "How brazen of the League of Heroes to send-"
I fired the stake.
Part of him expected it to be a repeat of my ineffective Slug attack. At the last moment, his superhuman abilities clued him in on the actual danger. Without super speed, there was only so much he could do in a split second.
//Clara: Villain: The Senseless
//Clara: Ability: Ability to manipulate the senses of those around him.
//Clara: Very dangerous.
The groaning and sobbing engineers were proof of that, but their blood wasn't the only crimson to darken the dry flooring. Senseless staggered back, a huge tear through his upper right arm coursing with blood. He had managed to avoid the torso shot. Unless he had a healing ability, he wouldn't be using that arm anytime soon.
"Fuck! Let's see how well you fight when you can't see-"
I interrupted him from raising his left hand up by powering my synapses with Reflex and leaping at him. It wasn't the best punch, but a metal fist hit hard, even if the strike was off. Senseless slid away from me, almost backing into some cluttered tables. There was some unease in his expression. Confidence and control seeping away from him.
Another stake appeared in my arm, and I lashed forward. He had gained his footing and twisted a baton from his side. A simple black club, but it crackled through the air with stored power. We clashed, and sparks rang through the air. His attack was to keep me at bay and avoid my next shot.
Successful, as I had to readjust my feet and positioning. Even if his powers were on controlling the senses, he wasn't too shabby in melee combat. Unfortunately for him, I trained against Roxy and the Captain.
The villain turned and leveled a few follow-up attacks my way. Crackling sparks rang from my arm as I blocked two, while I had to roll away from the third. V-Force power blew up a small shockwave from around my feet, putting him off-guard.
I stood, but wavered. A pain rang through my ears, a short zip of high-pitched whining cutting off my hearing in a split second. I raised my arm regardless, as being unable to use my ears wasn't about to stop me from shooting him. As my synapses brimmed with energy, I watched his lips silently mouth empty threats at me.
Yet, I didn't fire. The more important thought burning its way throughout my brain was how much I hated having eyeballs. Before I dealt with the villain, I should deal with these useless peepers.
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My hands went up and took hold of my goggles, thumbs pressed against the lenses and ready to break right through into my vulnerable and distasteful orbs.
Dispel ran through me, bringing sound and calm throughout my body. My gun-arm snapped back down and fired. Senseless brought up his club in defense, but I had aimed for his lower legs. Expanding foam burst out around his left calf, pinning him to the floor.
"What trickery is-"
A crack of lightning ran through from the outside, as Roy sped in and leveled a punch to the man's stomach. The villain coughed, immediately vomiting and stumbling to his knees from the impact. Before our opponent could recover, Roy gagged him with a torn length of cloth.
"Killing him, or you want answers?" the Captain asked.
I flexed my head from side to side, clicking my neck. The chamber on my arm snapped open and closed again. Even if it was obvious that we were heroes, I didn't want to give Senseless every detail about who we were. We didn't exactly have the capacity to hold a captive back home, and he probably wouldn't talk. At that point, we weren't able to set him free or turn him over to the authorities… without bringing up questions.
After what he had done to the scientists here, there was no room for considering the League of Villains to be troubled anti-heroes. Being here with the World Government was twice as damning.
I stepped over and grabbed his head, tilting it so he could look at me. He grunted through the gag, eyes full of contempt as he tried to struggle against the speedster holding him in place.
[An enemy of Goldarch has no value.]
I placed my palm against his forehead and fired a Sanguine stake through it. He slumped over backward as Roy let him go.
"Not that I disagree," the speedster said, as he scratched his head, "but it certainly feels weird not squeezing any other use out of him."
[It is too dangerous to allow super powered enemies to live. Ironic, given that is the same view the Gov holds over our heads. It was unlikely he would give up any secrets, which meant he would just be a heavy weight within our care.]
"Plus, with tomorrow and all…" Roy trailed off and turned his head to the hanger as a large metallic squeal radiated through the area. Shortly followed by a trio of explosions. "What about… these guys?"
He had gestured to the engineers, although part of that question had been answered.
A couple of the unfortunate goons who had been under the spell of Senseless had botched their tongue removal enough to die. The rest were bloodied and sitting in shocked states, unsure what to do. To be fair, I was in a similar boat. Cold blood was one thing, but they hadn't been aggressive, nor posed much threat.
//Gunquake: I have four tongueless Gov engineers subdued here.
//Gunquake: Please advise.
//Kingston: Any indication of who among them might be useful?
A glance at the figures didn't bring up any badges or ranks to denote seniority. All human men in their thirties.
//Gunquake: No.
//Kingston: Are you to thank for their lack of communications skills?
//Gunquake: Villain. The Senseless.
//Kingston: …
//Kingston: An actual surprising turn of events. His current status?
//Gunquake: Deceased.
//Kingston: Probably for the best.
//Kingston: Four is an awkward number, but I won't force further blood on your hands.
//Kingston: Get them to the city and I will make arrangements.
I grunted and flexed my fingers. Things were coming to a close. I was glad, but… something didn't quite feel right. Perhaps just my synapses being awkward about overusing my fresh arm. Maybe it was the ever darkening spiral of the forces around us trying to bring ruin to Goldarch. Everything seemed connected, and I was hesitant to guess what tomorrow might bring.
More danger than I bargained for.
[Tie them up. Cover their heads. They'll be coming with us.]
"Right you are." Roy nodded.
//Gunquake: I require Belle in the hangar for first aid purposes.
//Gunquake: The rest of you clear the area provide recon.
//Gunquake: Bring the Meteor to the hangar when the area is clear.
//Belle: On our way.
The sounds from outside had all but stopped. I imagined that Roxy had eventually torn the machine into parts, otherwise they'd be saying more in chat than just giving me the go ahead.
Thankfully, our hostages didn't object to being restrained. It was definitely better than the alternative, and I wasn't in the mood for making examples out of people. While Roy tied up the compliant group and led them to the hangar doors, I played my role in all this.
My lens scanned everything before me. I went from table to table, taking in all the random clutter, scribbled notes, and blueprint plans. All the notes stuck to the walls, and pages of every book I could find. Machinery scanned. Everything.
I heard the telltale sound of the Meteor pulling up slowly outside.
"The gang's all here," Roy confirmed from the entrance. "You think this is good enough for a 'mission complete'?"
All I could give him was a shrug. The military forces of the gnolls had been reduced to nothing. All their armored vehicles and siege weaponry had been destroyed. The tumor that was the influence of the World Government and the League of Villains had been exorcised and brought into the light. Or at least put in front of Kingston's eyes.
[There is nothing more that could be asked of us.]
Much like deep in the molepeople city, I had produced a case that I had filled with all the important-looking information that had been hiding in locked places. My lens had scanned it, but my eyes were too tired to read it all myself. We hadn't been requested to retrieve evidence, but it seemed like a given.
"Music to my ears," the speedster murmured. "Those sorts of mind manipulation powers are… real fucked up."
I glanced over at the corpse of Senseless, who Roy was glaring at. Mentally, I knew I didn't have a tongue, so the first spell hadn't affected me… but I understood his disgust. Without my magic Dispel I would probably have no sight at present. Something I would have to stop taking for granted as a figure stepped into the hangar opening.
Her fight with the dreadnought had destroyed a lot of her tactical suit. Both of Roxy's legs were bare, and her head covering had burned away. With how singed the edges of her clothing were, it almost looked as though she was wearing a bathing singlet instead.
"Things all okay in here?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.
[Oh. I was actually wondering… if you had any plans for tonight.]
She waited a few seconds, her mind not quite on the same page. "A date? Color me interested, but it will be late when we get back, babe. You'll need the rest."
I disagreed, but I decided to try to woo her when we were back home - I was certain she wouldn't be able to decline sharing a bubble bath with me.
Roy loaded up the Meteor with our hostages, and we drove a little further away. As one last act of destruction, I set Roxy loose on the hangar. It was amazing enough that she still had the energy and anger in her to tear or melt everything to rubble, but we watched from a safe distance.
"You look a little glum," Belle noted. "Tiring experience?"
[A little disappointed I didn't get to use my new magical bullet.]
"Ah. Be thankful there wasn't a situation where it was required."
I wasn't thankful at all. After the hanger was dealt with, Roxy joined us back at the Meteor and we all piled in.
Belle sighed deeply and raised her hands. "So… here's my new trick. I've never tried it before. Failure just means nothing happens - we shouldn't die."
//Clara: Drone is docked.
[You're going to teleport the whole Meteor back to base?]
She gave me a nervous nod. "That's the intention."
I sighed and leaned back in my seat. Not the easiest of days, and yet I was sure that tomorrow would make it seem like a walk in the park.
My eyes closed. This is what I was made for.