1.14 Endgame Part 5

“Hello everyone,” I say to the assembled groups in the main room of the base a couple hours later, “As you know, I have finally found the location of the person responsible for almost every major incident that has plagued our country since Vistorix showed up in early July.”

We got all of the new Leaguers in costume in addition to the combat ready Albion Defenders. Britannia, Warden, Dreadnought, Green Knight, Robyn Hood, Multitude, Spectre, Eternal, Controller and Werebeast. Only Merlin, Powerbeam and Restorer aren’t here.

In the corner we got Darrac and Mia, who Darrac brought along. The two space pirates, excuses me, space privateers both look ready for the up coming fight.

A total of twenty one superheroes and two space pirates against whatever the Machine’s creator has to bring against us.

If they weren’t responsible for the deaths of several people, directly or otherwise, I might feel sorry for them.

I let my announcement settle in before I continue. I’m sure they already know that as I doubt they would be here otherwise, but it still has an impact amongst the gathered people.

I’m able to continue when another couple of people join our group. A man in a black cloak obscures his body from sight and only his glowing white eyes can be seen while other is man in bulky gold and red power armour.

Shade and Spartan. Two acquaintances I made a while back.

Huh, never thought I would ever think that way. Sure Granddad spoke about old acquaintances he made over years as a superhero, but it is another thing for me to be doing it myself.

“I hope you don’t mind us helping out,” says Spartan, “We both have some unfinished business with the guy you’re going after.”

“Every hand helps,” I reply.

Strange how we’re talking about this when the first time we met was when Spartan was trying to collect the bounty on my head for the person we’re now working together to go after.

But that was before the Machine attacked his flying aircraft carrier and we fought together against it. And it isn’t healthy to hold grudges. Best to let bygones be bygones.

“The Machine’s creator, now codenamed Machinist, is operating out of a sunken Sektain warship about twenty miles off the coast of the Isle of Wight,” I continue from where I left off earlier before the new arrivals showed up, “Now if you’re wondering how we’re going to get down here since only a few of us can breathe underwater, we got a couple of things for that. First is a small breather that you put to your mouth and it also acts a communicator. The second is a magical charm that Narszara has come up with allows us to breath underwater. They’ll also keep you dry and unaffected by the water. We got thirty of them so there is enough for everybody here to have one each. If you do lose the charm, it has a residue effect so if you do lose it during battle, the effect won’t wear off until a few hours later.”

I, Mary and Narszara hand out the charms and breathers. While everybody takes a charm, those of us in power armour don’t take a breather. All of us already have an equivalent built into our armour.

“So here is the plan,” I say, “We’ll split into four groups, roughly six in each. The first group will be Shade, Spartan, Spectre, Controller and Werebeast with Britannia in charge. Warden will lead the second group, consisting of herself, Dreadnought, Green Knight, Eternal, Multitude and Robyn Hood. The next group will contain Lantern, Bolt, Night Beast, Multiform, Storm Knight, Gateway and Accelerate. The last group will be lead by myself and will consist of Narszara, Darrac, Mia, Commando and Vision. Is that clear?”

I get a series of agreements and we begin to split up into our groups.

I think I did pretty well in choosing the groups. Each one is led by an experienced leader and has good variation of abilities in each of them. In addition, they are split up between the two superhero teams we have on hand.

“Okay for transportation,” I say once we’re in our groups, “Teams One and Two will go in the two pairs of Albion Defender jets we got on hand. Team Three will take the Star Guardian while Team Four will be going in the Dusty Corsair.”

I wonder who will pilot the Star Guardian without me there. I suspect Janelle might fly herself, but Sam or Vance might end up in the cockpit.

“Hey Janelle,” I whisper into my communicator, “Were you the one to let Shade and Spartan in?”

“Yes, I assumed you wouldn’t mind the extra backup,” replies the AI.

“I don’t,” I tell her, “But I would like a heads up next time.”

“Understood,” says Janelle, “By the way, I don’t think I’ll be able to hack the ship’s computers. You’ll need internal access for that.”

“Good to know,” I reply, “I’ll need the prototype then for quick hacking then.”

“I believe so,” says Janelle and I end the call.

“I’ll be right back,” I tell the others in my group, “Just need to grab something from my lab for this mission.”

I dart off to my lab and quickly find the gray box containing what progress I have made so far in creating an AI. The box is about the size of a computer mouse, but barely a centimetre thick.

While the AI isn’t sentient like Janelle yet, it will be far better at hacking the ship’s systems then I would be.

“Ready,” I say as I return to the others as they wait around the bottom of the Dusty Corsair.

1.4 Sins of Our Grandfathers Part 6

Once Aquiline shows up, I decide to leave. Narszara is taking care of Storm Knight and Bolt while Britannia and Aquiline talk and Oakley has taken control of the arrests of Vengeance. He has agreed that I can send in my police statement later.

I am still bothered by a few things. The first one is the political consequences of tonight. The second is the fact people allow people like Vengeance to operate. The third is Shade, the sixth member of Vengeance and the only one missing tonight.

Shade is easily the most dangerous member of Vengeance. Not only has he got powers like his teammates, he also has multiple powers. And his powers are capable of harming me unlike the rest of his team. He’s also the smartest of them and that what worries me the most.

Shade is ruthless and not worried about killing his enemies. He is cold and calculating and because of that I doubt he would just try to kill Stefan and Charlie because of their grandfathers. That would explain why he wasn’t with Vengeance tonight.

Regardless of that, Shade is still dangerous if he tries to break out Vengeance.

“I’ll just have to find him,” I mutter as I descent.

Luckily not many people are still out at dark tonight and I go unnoticed by anyone. Except for one man.

He walks out of the shadows. A black cloak obscures his body from sight and only his glowing white eyes can be seen.

Shade.

I instantly prepare for battle, adopting a defensive stance. What could Shade possibly want?

“We need to talk,” says Shade, his voice cold and uncaring.

Shade may be cold hearted and a have a very poor choice in friends, but he’s smart and could be counted as decent person. His claim of wanting to talk is reasonable enough for me to believe and he’s right, we do need to talk.

“I’m listening,” I reply, relaxing a little, but still keeping my guard up.

“I wish to apologise for my former teammates’ actions tonight,” says Shade, “I left them when they refused to investigate the matter further. Something seemed off so I investigated our information that lead to us being here tonight. I am pleased to say I was successful in that matter. I assume you wish to hear about what I found?”

“Let me summarise what I know first,” I answer, “We knew it was set up. It was too perfectly set up to be otherwise, but we couldn’t afford not to go. An enemy is working against the League of Heroes. He, let’s call our foe a he for now, supplied Hall and Edison with their weaponry. You may not understand being an American, but guns are extremely serious here and there’s only a few ways to get that kind of firepower undiscovered. The only one of those ways open to Hall and Edison was to have been given them. In addition this all started after the League stopped Vistorix and we still don’t know what Vistorix was after despite what the public believes.”

“That pretty much covers what I discovered,” replies Shade, “We were given a tip off about Bulk and Storm Knight secretly supplying Hall and Edison. The others were all too willing to believe that. I wasn’t. Something wasn’t right about what was going on and I felt we were being used. To go over and kill Bulk, Storm Knight and any Leaguers who defended them. And the others’ reactions confirmed that for me.”

“So you left and found proof that you were set up to attack and kill us?” I inquire.

“Would like to see it?” asks Shade.

“Send to the League of Heroes under message from Ven-Shade,” I reply, “Do you need a way to get home?”

“Shadow Stepping, but thanks for offering,” replies Shade, “Anything else?”

“No,” I start to say, but I change my mind as a thought hits me, “Actually yes. Vengeance tried to use some of my own tech against me. I would like to find out how they got it as there’s isn’t any way they could have legally brought it.”

“I know your attitude to people like me and Vengeance,” says Shade, “And after tonight, I can see why. Still I hope you don’t mind if I continue using your tech.”

“Can’t say I do mind after having met you,” I reply, “But how did any of you get it in the first place?”

“Some of the heroes back in the states like us more than you do,” answers Shade, “Prefer to help us as fellow superheroes.”

“Your way of doing it things conflicts with my way of doing it,” I counter coolly.

“That’s because you and the League, both new and old, are old school when comes to ethics and morals,” says Shade and I’m sure he’s grinning, “Don’t worry kid, it’s nice to see that in today’s youth. I’ll tell our fellows back in states about tonight and that you Leaguers were right and Vengeance were downright wrong and crossed a line. I feel that we’ll meet again someday Sentinel. Good luck.”

“Good luck to you too,” I reply as Shades moves to leave, “Oh and I’ll let you buy tech now.”

Before he Shadow Steps away, Shade turns and flashes me a brief smile. And then he’s gone.

What a hectic evening it has been tonight.

1.4 Sins of Our Grandfathers Part 2

“Look out!” shouts Vance as I hear fire crackling and metal screeching.

“Narszara!” I call as I send out a yellow alert, “We have to help them!”

“We shall put on our armours and fly to their aid,” declares Narszara as she puts on her still damaged helmet.

I dash for the lab as I hear fighting breaking out for the others. As I run, I go through a mental checklist of Vengeance’s members.

Nightmare likes to terrorise people who have been accused of breaking the law. Preferably by breaking into their homes and threatening them in front of their families.

Mad Cat and Mad Dog are twin sisters who both can change their form, into a werecat and weredog respectively. Sort of like Carrie except she doesn’t lose control like the Mad sisters like to. They generally brutally assault murderers, wife beaters and other crimes of that calibre they claim. 

Not that I personally consider hitting your wife to be as bad as murder even if I still strongly disapprove of domestic abuse.

Avenger can shoot fire from his hands. He likes to burn up murderers and attempted murderer. He also includes those that have committed manslaughter as members of the first two groups.

Forsworn can control metal. He prefers to go after petty criminals such as thieves and speeders. Fortunately the Sentinel and Bulk armours have contained trace amounts of metals for a while now, instead relying on a ceramic that my granddad and the first Bulk came up with following the Invasion.

Shade is the final member of them and only decent one. He can phase and travel through shadows. He can also make darkness solid. Like hard light except it is more hard dark than light. He likes to go after mobsters, gangster and other parts of organised crime. He is also the only one that rarely kills. When he does, his victims really deserve it or innocent lives are at stake.

Despite almost all of them being monsters, a large amount of the public supports them for some inexplicable reason that is beyond my ken.

Despite neither granddad or me selling equipment to supers like them, they have still acquired some of my tech somehow. Part of me wants them to try and use it against me so they can find out what happens when you use someone’s own inventions against them.

I’ll bet they’re going after us because of Charlie and Stefan. People like Vengeance have no problem with going after the families of criminals how wrong that is.  They probably want to punish Charlie and Stefan for the crime of being related to their grandfathers.

At this point, I’m already suiting up. Just as the process finishes, Narszara rushes into the lab, wearing her armour and armed with her green-bladed sword.

“Are you ready milord?” ask Narszara.

“Yes,” I reply, “I’ll take me seven minutes to reach them at full speed.”

“I will take me ten,” says Narszara, “If you go first, I will arrive second. We cannot afford to fly together.”

“Agreed,” I say and we run for the closest exit.

Once up in the air, it occurs to me I haven’t called the police, MI9 or the Defenders.

“Norris Oakley,” I hear him say after he answers his phone.

It was easy enough to find his personal mobile number.

“This is the Sentinel,” I say, “Vengeance has ambushed Bulk, Bolt and Storm Knight in Portsmouth. Narszara and I are flying to them.”

“Those American thugs here!” exclaims Oakley.

“Yes, I need to make some other calls,” I say before I hang up.

“Agent Lewis?” I say as I once I called our MI9 liaison.

“Yes Daniel?” replies Lewis, “Bulk, Bolt and Storm Knight are investigating the weapons warehouse in Portsmouth right?”

“It was a trap set by Vengeance,” I reply, “Narszara and I are flying to help them now.”

“Damn it!” shouts Lewis, “This is not going to go well. Especially with the Americans.”

“I’m going to call the Defenders now,” I say before hanging up again.

“Hello Daniel,” says Aunt Mary as she answers.

“Mary,” I say, “Charlie, Vance and Stefan were investigating a suspected weapons warehouse in Portsmouth. It turned out to by a trap by Vengeance. Narszara and I are heading there now to help them.”

“Vengeance?” says Mary, “&*%$!”

That startles me. Aunt Mary never swears unless it’s really bad.

“I’m not going to bother telling you to stay away and wait for back up,” says Mary, “Just be careful. I’m not going to get there in time. Only Britannia can. But even then she’ll take fifteen to twenty minutes. How close are you?”

“Just over four minutes out,” I reply, “Narszara while be a couple of minutes behind me.”

“Try not to die,” says Mary wearily, “And call Laura.”

“Good idea,” I say before cutting the connection and dialling Laura Aquiline.

“Yes Daniel,” says Laura as she answers

“Vengeance has ambushed Charlie, Vance and Stefan in Portsmouth,” I say to her.

“I’ll be there in half an hour,” replies Laura, “Try to keep all of you alive and don’t worry about hurting any members of Vengeance. They deserve whatever get.”

As Laura hangs up, I get a call from Sam.

“What’s going on?” demands Sam, “You just sent a yellow alert.”

“Change it to red,” I say, “Vengeance has ambushed the others in Portsmouth. Britannia is twenty minutes away and Laura is thirty.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” replies Sam, “Give them heck until I get there.”