1.11 Outside Part 9

I march up to my lab and strip myself of my armour, saying hello to a couple of the Rileys as I go past them. I’m actually getting used to them being around the base much to my surprise.

Once I changed back into civilian clothes, I left the base, alone and unarmoured.

It feels strange and tense walking towards a fight. Not that I hadn’t done that a few times before, but this time is different.

I was alone, but that wouldn’t have mattered if I have my armour or if there is only one person to fight. I was unarmoured, but I would have been okay if I had someone else at my back or my opponent didn’t. I had no problem fighting a group if I had either people backing me up or the Sentinel armour.

But no, just Daniel Griffin without his friends against a local gang. No Sentinel with the League of Heroes to back him up.

On the other hand, I was certain I could take them. I am as fit as I can be and I still retain my fighting skills even without the armour. The key is that when you’re beating up one guy, you keep an eye on his friends so they don’t get the drop on you. All the fighting skill in the world won’t help you if that happens.

Plus if I’m lucky, all seven won’t even be there at moment. Perhaps just three, maybe four. Possible just two or even one if I’m extra lucky.

But Granddad said never to rely on luck. He also said not to worry about things you can’t do anything about and this is one of those things. Unless I back out of course.

Why are my thoughts straying? I got three quarters of an hour left to where Janelle said there hideout was. Better check again, I think as I pull out my phone. Janelle downloaded their location to my phone as a custom app that will tell me their locations as Janelle tracks their movements.

You know, I could probably use this app for the others purpose. It would be pretty useful for tracking people, especially I if put it on all the League communicators.

This is not my lucky day, I think as I stare at the location of all the gangsters. Unfortunately for me, they’re all in the same building.

Better think of something else to occupy my thoughts. Like the trying implement magnetic boots and gauntlets into the Sentinel.

The main problem I’m having is not getting the boots and gauntlets to work, but getting them to work in a manner that makes them viable in the field. Or at least to point that the pros of having them outweigh the cons.

I either get them working, but they’re too chucky and thick to fit to be worth having or I get them streamline enough, but they’re too weak to work.

I ponder the problem, but I am unable to do much other than come up with theories without access to the lab to actually test them.

Once I’m nearing the run down house that the so-called Marauders call home, I look up briefly, wondering if I doing the right thing. My granddad, both of my parents and the Bible say not to follow an “eye for eye” and instead “turn the other cheek”, but these people hurt my little sister.

As I look at up, I spot Sam or rather Lantern flying by on one of his patrols. I sigh. That the problem with powers and using violence to solve what’s wrong. Too easy to cross the line, be it quick or slow.

The League are vigilantes, but only because we don’t obey the letter of the law. We uphold justice and spirit of the law unlike some vigilantes who do it out of vengeance or some other reason.

I think about how this is going down. This is partially about vengeance, but it should also be about justice. I will not use excessive force nor will I cripple or maim any of the people I am about to fight.

I’m not walking into this fight completely unprepared. I pull out a pair of seemingly leather gloves to protect my hands when I punch. Scraped and injured knuckles are unpleasant. While they look leather, the gloves are actually much more durable and protective. They even have some power-boosters built in to give my punches, well, more punch.

My trousers and shirt both have cos-mat underneath to soften blows and blunt weaponry and block any sharp or bladed weaponry.

As I finish putting on the gloves, I decide I’m ready to enter the house, mentally and physically.

I open the door using the handle. As Janelle told me on my way via text, the Marauders have left the front door unlocked. I hear some voices and I spot a man get up in the room on the other side of the wall.

I walk down the hallway, reaching the doorway of the room as the man exits. Barely old enough to be considered a man, his hair is shaved way too short and his face has punk look to it. He looks at me in surprise briefly before I take him down.

I knee his crotch at the same time I punch him in the throat. He gags in pain and drops to his knees. Before he can recover, I grab his head and slam it into the radiator next to us. He slums as I let go of him and collapses on the floor.

One down, six to go.