Built Different [Cyborg Superhero ProgFant]

Wisps of steam wavered from a coffee cup on the table as the soft morning sunlight illuminated the garden. The grass moved back and forth as a gentle breeze blew in from the wastes toward the city.

I was sitting in the swing seat, in casual wear. Enjoying the peace, to some degree. It was the morning of the Heroism Arena, and my mind was still stuck on yesterday.

Belle's spell had worked, and the Meteor—along with all inhabitants—had teleported back here with little issue. It had taken a lot out of the woman, with the partially humorous side effect of causing her to become heavily inebriated. She spent two minutes complaining loudly about the irony before passing out at the garden table.

Not long after, a van arrived. Dressed up like a delivery truck, it was actually manned by Kingston's men. They took the hostages and physical data away. The Director himself sent over thanks, which didn't really ease my aches and pains. Thankfully, the bubble bath did. After the others had changed and made their way to the city, I slid the super enough compliments to convince her to join me. Which was just one.

Sleep came easily, after some idle talks over how the team was coming up with new abilities, grumbling over how the villains and Government were conspiring against the city, and a healthy dose of shared intimacy.

But was I well rested enough for today?

Hard to tell. Physically, I had recovered from yesterday's ordeal. Energy levels weren't quite top form, but once push came to shove, I should be able to do whatever was necessary. Despite the medium confidence, I still knew this was likely to be one of the longest days of my life. Even without potential outside influence.

"Is this just an atmospheric coffee, Gunquake?"

I turned my gaze away from Goldarch and over to Clara.

[Correct.]

She looked to be in reasonable spirits, but still in her dressing gown. It was early.

"That kind of morning, huh?" The techie wrinkled up her nose and looked out to the city. "I have my own apprehensions over the coming hours."

[Not doubting my ability to perform, I hope?]

"I'm far too distracted to make innuendo and flirt, Gunquake. We both know the pageantry and droll parlor tricks expected of you aren't worth worrying about."

I grunted. That's exactly why I was up early and absorbing what peace that I could. Not that I had her confidence the actual Arena tasks would be such a walk in the park. I still had to beat Maestro and solidify my career prospects in front of… likely most of the city. A situation I was starting to regret.

[Any news of possible interruptions?]

Clara shook her head. "If there is something coming, then it is outside of both Goldarch and the interests of those willing to chat in the underground network."

[More likely to be the World Government itself.]

"Quite possibly. There is an increase in traffic coming into the city from all directions, due to the Arena. An opportune time to smuggle in bad actors."

[Tell me the good news.]

She gave me a wry smile. "For what it's worth, I will remain safe no matter what comes up. I will be staying home, Gunquake, to keep the drone active."

[You won't be watching from the stands?]

"League of Heroes doesn't usually allow sidekicks to enter, as it would encourage every entrant to have one. As I have a restricted presence and ability to interact, they are allowing it. Mostly as it suits your cyborg theme."

The word theme repeated in my head, but I quelled those thoughts. Having Clara ready in the drone would no doubt be a boon for my trials, but was also important for if shit hit the fan. The rest of the Natural Disasters would watch and be ready to jump in if needed.

I wondered if I would get any tips or warnings from Director Kingston this morning.

"I'll leave you to your internal monologue, Gunquake. There's a loaf of fresh bread in the kitchen just calling out to be toasted." The techie tilted her head and moved to turn from me.

[It's likely to be a special day, for better or worse. Want me to cook you something else for breakfast?]

She paused in place for a moment before turning her glowing green eyes back to me. "As you wish. Pancakes, please."

[Give me five, and I'll be there.]

I turned my attention back to the city as she walked away. Perhaps cooking would take my mind off the coming day. It felt like ages since I had properly utilized the kitchen, and making food seemed to resonate with a core part of me. Then again, everything that had led up to this point felt so surreal.

Was I even allowed to win?

Cast into the burning lights of the public eye to the highest peak imaginable, it was understandable that my detractors would use the opportunity to ensure I fell back into the shadows. Whether that was the Gov and my old squad mates, or even the Directors of the very League that employed me. Winning wasn't a guarantee, but something I couldn't avoid, lest my new life become undone.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Yet I wasn't that nervous, considering the stakes. Either because reality hadn't settled into my tired brain just yet, or because I felt that things were stacked enough in my favor.

I had spent five years training to be a killer, and every day since meeting Roxy had labored me with empathy, new skills, or upgrades to round me into a more full person. With my cybernetics, I was already far above the original super soldier power level. My brother had surely not sat idle, just as Silhouette had become an S-Rank hero in his own right.

Would he involve himself if the World Gov and our other brother tried to intervene at the Heroism Arena? It seemed like the last place in the world that you'd want to attack, given the amount of superheros attending. Perhaps that was the point, though. They must have something planned where…

My thoughts trailed away as I caught sight of something toward Goldarch. A dot in the sky that slowly grew larger.

I sighed and stood up from the chair. With one last forlorn glance at the coffee cup I couldn't drink anyway, I walked to the edge of our home base. It was briefly comforting to see how much this place had become a home, from the humble beginnings of being my murder shack on the fringes of society. It was going to get bigger too, once all this nonsense had blown over.

About three steps outside of our protective dome, I stopped and waited.

The figure approaching was about the same height as Roxy whenever she super-leaped, but was stationary at that altitude. It was only another handful of seconds before they landed a dozen or so feet away, noticeably less destructively than the strength super.

[Angel. To what do I owe the pleasure?]

Even this early in the morning, the hero was dolled up as if she was about to be on television. In her suit of white and silvers, her bright blonde hair waved in the breeze as she stood in a slightly unnatural put-on pose. I found myself wanting to be a S-Rank hero even less, if this was the amount of high-wired maintenance that was required.

"Gunquake," she said, eyeing me over. "I had heard you recovered well from your ordeal, but it is comforting to see it in person."

[Glad to be of service.]

The smile she had been trying to maintain wavered at my less than enthusiastic remark, and practically left her face entirely after her eyes switched to my new arm. "You must have some extraordinary luck… or a few people in high places watching over you."

[When you come from the bottom, everyone is in a higher position. But, I suppose I just haven't fulfilled my purpose yet.]

"Indeed." She adjusted her posture and seemed to be gathering her thoughts. The hero also looked a little perturbed seeing me in a tank top and shorts, rather than my full gear. Eventually, she found the thread of her intent. "That aside, I will try to make this brief. You are going to the Heroism Arena today."

I bit back the urge to respond with what first came to mind. While we were not a fan of Angel here, it suited us to not make powerful enemies. Despite Clara accepting Red Dust's death as vengeance for her parents, she held this hero accountable to some degree. We didn't have enough proof to pin more liability on Angel, which was probably a good thing for the longevity of all involved.

[Correct.]

"You're making big waves in the city with your appearance and actions. The amount of confidence you have to put it all on the line in the Arena is unusual."

[Perhaps.]

"Either you are too risky to survive being a hero, or competent enough to be a threat to the status quo here."

It wasn't often where I had a conversation that felt so one-sided. The hero was just spouting out statements, with little regard or question about my actual answers. Perhaps she was just here to size me up in person to satisfy her grumblings. This could even be a veiled threat that I should be less proficient. I was trouble for the A and eventually S-Ranking.

The Sanguine stake weighing heavily in my gun-arm had a few thoughts on that matter, should that be the case.

[I am sure you are here for more reason than to speculate?]

Angel raised an eyebrow. "Your sidekick said you were away yesterday. Where were you?"

[A place I didn't want to be found, clearly.]

She maintained eye contact as she ran her tongue across her teeth. "Clearly. A man of many mysteries, and a magnet for danger. Is showing Maestro up the only reason you agreed to the Arena?"

[If I had known it was such an ordeal, I probably would have passed on it. It detracts from my usual duties in Goldarch.]

"Losing limbs to villains." Her expression relaxed slightly, but she didn't seem convinced I was such a boy scout. "I came to warn you that there will likely be an attempt on your life."

[Oh. I believe there is a queue.]

"Humorous. Killing off a League of Villains member has put a target on your back. The Arena will be quite the spectacle. You can see where is leading."

Back to the statements. Although this information wasn't exactly new, it was interesting coming from her. What was her angle or stake in all this?

[Surely the Arena will have a large superhero presence on the day? Seems like the worst place to stage an attack.]

Her expression sunk again, a tired expression dulling her eyes. "Villains are… chaotic. Risk takers. Certainly, there will be many heroes in attendance. They will be outnumbered by civilians by a high degree, and a decent number of heroes will be running patrols around the city due to opportunistic crime." Angel sighed. "It isn't about protecting you, but ensuring the safety of every citizen present."

[So what would you have me do?]

"Ideally, quit the Arena - but I know that's not an option."

I flexed my cybernetic toes in the light sand on the ground. There was some familiarity here that piqued my curiosity.

[You weren't the one paid to kill me, but have had a change of heart?]

Angel's expression changed to one of actual surprise. "No? For one, I would never accept such a mission from outside the League. Secondly, if that were the case, I could laser you with my eyes in a second and blow your head off."

[Then you believe it is the League of Villains after me?]

"Yes, but…" She crossed her arms, a light frown furrowing her brow. "I'm not getting much information from the Directors, like they aren't giving me the whole picture."

I nodded. The parts of the jigsaw that included the World Government's involvement hadn't been given to her. It made sense that the League didn't want to spread such information, even to their best… but that didn't give me much hope for later today. If the only other ones who knew what was going on were the group that wanted me ousted from the League entirely… well, I hoped Kingston had a few aces up his sleeve.

[I appreciate the warning. Should the need arise, I will prioritize stopping any villains over competing in the Arena.]

"A reasonable platitude. Should that be the case, every hand will be forced to act." Angel's eyes went back down to my new arm. "We have a little bet on who will actually win the Arena. After Silhouette went all in on you, I wanted to come and see you in person, as he usually isn't wrong when it comes to matters of intel."

[Sounds like your trip out here served several purposes.]

"I do like to be efficient." She flashed me a show smile. "Best of luck, Gunquake. With the changes, you'll need it this year."

Before I could respond, she burst up into the air and started flying back to the city. I watched her leave for a few seconds before sighing deeply and deflating.

As if sent as a messenger of ill tidings, Warlock trotted over to greet me, mewing up at me to get my attention.

On turning back to face the house, I saw that Clara was standing on the porch. Arms crossed and pancakeless. I scooped the cat up into my hands and made my way over.

[Trouble is brewing, Warlock. We'd better prepare for the worst.]