Chapter 8:
Knowledge is Power II: …But Exposition Weighs You Down
A box may have just changed everything.
Indeed, it was searching for that box that had delayed Rob for so long.
But in another Earth, across the voids between universes, another man was performing his own search. His was considerably slower and neater though, and not just out of respect. It was as if the longer he put off finding the sheet he was hunting for, the more he could deny it existed, that he had a leg to stand on.
But after nearly four hours of searching and reading, he found it.
His heart sank lower and lower as he read the papers, eventually ending up several feet underground from the way he was feeling. Haze hadn't been lying. It was all there, signed by Bob and Helen. Though considering what the contract essentially agreed to, Lucius now knew for sure that they hadn't signed it knowing what was in it. It must have been buried in some other, more benign paperwork, that the Parrs had rapidly signed, just wanting to get it done, never realizing what they had been agreeing to…
What Lucius was now helpless to stop.
It was nearly half an hour later when he left the house, having put back all the papers in a daze, still feeling a sense of surrealism. He'd never thought the government always had the people's best interests at heart, but he'd never been prone to believing that they were…
His cell phone rang.
Lucius answered it, already knowing who was on the other line.
"I trust you found it." Haze's voice spoke. There was no arrogance in the tone, just a calm declaration. It made Lucius mad anyway, as his lips skinned back from his teeth.
"You bastard. Are you having me watched?"
"No. We are having the Parrs' house watched. In case they return. You don't seem to understand Mr. Best. I am not your enemy. I am not sitting on some throne twirling my mustache and cackling at the thought that the Parrs will never return so we can do what is outlined in that contract. I want the Parrs to return. I want them to raise that boy well, so one day he can do great things for the human race. But in this current situation, I am simply afraid I cannot allow it to continue if the Parrs do not return soon."
"You're not afraid of anything. You're not the one who will…"
"Mr. Best, be quiet. Stop futilely protesting things you do not understand."
"I understand human rights, that you can't just define a person by a talent they possess, that you can't stick a label on Jack-Jack and then change it because…"
"I wish the atomic bomb had never been invented."
The sudden change of topic threw Lucius.
"What?"
"I really do. If it took Einstein's erasure from history, I would accept it. I would make do without the theories he discovered, if only I could take back what other men used to make with them. Because once it was done, we couldn't take it back. Things would be so much better if only one country had ever learned the secret, knew the method behind that madness. But something like what Einstein discovered was impossible to keep. And it wasn't kept. And for fifty years two countries stared at each other, wondering if the other side would blink, never knowing just what the other would do…or rather, what they would do, Mr. Best. Say what you will about this country, its far from being without sin. But the fact remains in the closing days of World War II, we liberated countries from the Nazis. The communists did not. To keep them from doing worse, we had to do a lot of bad things. All because we could never be sure what they would do. Because of what we discovered, and in that discovery, what we allowed them to have and keep."
"What's your point man? You calling me a communist because I actually care about Jack-Jack?"
"No. I have no desire and no right to judge you on your feelings. But your feelings are the problem, Mr. Best. You cannot see past the child. I, who have no such personal connections, can see the big picture. That child is powerful, Mr. Best. Age and experience will bring only more power. But the timing on this incident could not be worse. He's reached the age when the first basic, deepest lessons in life are beginning, the building blocks that will define who you are. And what has happened? His whole family has disappeared. For all we know, forever."
"But…"
"I do not care about your skill as a parent Mr. Best. It does not matter. All that matters is that that child, that powerful child, is going to grow up with his deepest memory being that his parents and siblings left him, abandoned him. And no matter how much you and your wife or any therapists you may use say so, he is always going to believe in some part of him that this was his fault. And he is going to learn that despite all his power, all he can do, he can't do the one thing he wants most of all. He can't bring them back. Such thoughts lead to resentment. And when you combine resentment with such power, rage is not far behind. With rage comes irrationality, and irrationality with power like Jack-Jack Parr's brings horrors that I fear to contemplate."
"There is NO GUARANTEE that ANY of that will happen."
"No Mr. Best. But there is a possibility. Just like the possibility that hung over our heads for decades that the world was one flock of geese on a radar screen from nuclear annihilation. I, and my fellows, could not do anything about that possibility. But this possibility, we can. And we will. I am sorry Mr. Best. But I would rather sacrifice the specialness of one child, and how it might aid this country one day, then risk the chance that said specialness might be turned against us."
Lucius was speechless. Not with rage, though that was part of it, but because part of his brain, a part he loathed but couldn't shut up, a part of pure logic, thought Haze was right.
"We have decided to give the Parrs another 72 hours." Haze said. "If they do not return by then, we will take the child. If we do, do not worry. He will be returned to you. If you must, you will raise him. Perhaps you will even do a good job."
"What? That's too soon!"
"Sooner is better in this world Mr. Best. And remember, it will go much better if you do not resist. But whether you do or not Mr. Best, this matter is settled. Maybe you can't see the forest for the trees, but I can."
The line went dead.
Lucius found himself taking the phone away, staring out at the streets, wondering where the dead eyes who seemingly held judgment over Jack-Jack's future peered from, and if it even mattered if he knew.
Noel's eyes weren't dead. They were anything but: they were filled with incredulous confusion.
"…Rob, that's a blank DVD box."
"No, don't you see, it WASN'T LIKE THAT." Rob said, as he opened up the box.
"Rob that's a blank DVD too."
"It wasn't before! It was an actual, real film. Called the Incredibles. A CGI film from Pixar, which had a character named Dashiell Parr, who called himself The Dash, and who is in our hospital bed right now eating cookies and hitting on Tara!"
"Rob, what the hell are you babbling about?"
"Noel, what are YOU babbling about? Don't you remember when I dragged you all to the theatre in November?"
Noel's eyes were blank.
"NOEL, THIS FILM EXISTED! It was a critic's darling, it was No 1 at the box office for two weeks, it grossed 260 million dollars, IT WON A FRIGGIN' OSCAR FOR BEST ANIMATED FILM OF 2004! HOW CAN YOU NOT REMEMBER IT?"
Noel's eyes looked hopelessly lost.
"Rob…are you seriously saying…that a cartoon…"
"Oh no, you're not going to accuse me of being crazy! I know I'm not crazy! This was a film! And a lot of other stuff! All of which has disappeared from my room!"
"Stuff?"
"I had a poster! Action figures! A novelization! I had a freakin' cereal box, and it's all vanished! The only reason I found this was because it's the only blank DVD in my collection! Noel, this film is real, and there is a character from it in our medical ward! I am not crazy!"
"Well…Rob…"
"I'm not crazy!"
"Well…Rob, I know you're not a liar. Not about important stuff anyway. But…Rob, really, think of it from my perspective. You come in with a blank DVD and claim there was a movie, and…I'm going to assume that your little outburst of knowledge was because you knew it from watching the film, instead of listening in on us?"
"Yes! That's it exactly!"
"…Rob…I don't want to think you're crazy."
"So you do think I'm crazy!"
"ROB, ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO YOURSELF?" Noel said. "I've said that I don't think you're a liar…but that leaves three options. You are either grossly mistaken, and from your passion you certainly don't think you are, you're crazy, or…geez Rob, a film coming to life?"
"Hey, I heard you support this!"
"What?"
"One of your little pondering speeches, on how you read that people who write and create don't actually conceive of stuff in their head, but somehow see into another dimension where the stuff really exists, and draw their creation from it, in theory telling the life story of…"
"Rob, that was a nice flight of fancy, but surely you don't give it any credibility."
"Why not?"
"Why not? You really want to open that kind of crack in your thinking Rob? Creation comes from seeing alternate universes? Such things can cross over into reality as we know it? Rob, do you have ANY IDEA how DANGEROUS that kind of thinking is?"
"What?"
"Think of it Rob! That guy's from a movie? Movies and books and comics and all that are from seeing alternate dimensions? How do we know that OUR life isn't spewing from some crazy's imagination, our whole existence nothing more then ink on a page or data on a screen? Do you like the concept that we're just puppets that jerk and dance to the whims of some scribbling lunatic?"
"It would explain a lot of the strangeness in our life."
"Strangeness! Do you like the idea that you're not in control of your actions? That you don't choose what you do, someone else does? Do you like the idea that your bad luck with women comes from some jerk that thinks it's funny that you always fail with the fairer sex? That all the misery visited on our heads is due to some button-mashing Yoohoo inhaling cruel sadistic fuck that thinks that making us suffer is necessary for DRAMA? Do you want to think that way? Because I sure don't! And that exclusion includes things like movies coming to life!"
"Noel, there was a film called the Incredibles!"
"And maybe it was just a coincidence."
"But…"
"Rob, drop it. And don't say anything to Dash or anyone else. Whatever the case may be, we have to try and help that kid find his family. We don't need the additional hassle of someone interjecting deep questions about our existence. Now either make yourself useful or get out of the way, I need to ask Dash a few more questions." Noel said, as he opened the door to the room Dash was in and closed it behind him, leaving Rob in the hallway.
"…I don't get it." Rob said to himself, as he began to pace. "I KNOW I saw that film, Noel and I don't agree often but he would get NOTHING out of denying it exists, but if he really can't remember then…what the hell?" Rob said, as he stared at the blank box. "Man, now I know how Big Bird felt."
Silence befell Rob for a second.
"Ok…gotta think. Assuming I am right…how come I know and Noel doesn't? If I asked anyone else, would they know? I mean, why is my box blank? Noel was talking about fundamental questions of reality, maybe reality is trying to protect itself. Maybe by Dash being here reality feels the need to blank out the fact that he existed in a fictional sense since he is now here in an actual, physical sense…but if that is the case how far spread is it? Has the whole world forgotten the Incredibles? Or just my teammates? Must examine that possibility…and the possibility that Dash is just the first. Noel's cynicism aside, does this mean all the Incredibles are going to arrive? Will Syndrome? No wait he's dead…but Dash is clearly older now, maybe he came back? Yes? No. Damn…why am I the only one who remembers this? I mean…then again, I'm the only one who seems to remember that there were multiple worlds before the Anti-Monitor messed everything up, but everyone else says no, there was a huge battle but never any alternate worlds…argh, where's the Psycho-Pirate when you need him…" Rob said as he walked off down the hall. "Well, whatever's going on, I'll either solve it or I'll get mindwiped, whatever comes first…"
Rob was gone when Noel once again left the room, pondering the schematics of locating Dash's family. Well, at least Jump City was relatively quiet. Mick Dobbins aside. Maybe he'd better hit his informants soon, see what's going on. The last thing he needed was to be blindsided by some gigantic evil with a plot to destroy them.
Conveniently forgetting that despite all the times Noel had pledged that in the past, the evil had snuck up on them anyway.
(Author's Note: Before anyone brings up Boogeymen, I want to point out that Boogeymen happened out of my continuity. Which means it officially never happened. Understand?
And incidentally, I don't drink Yoohoo.)
In contrast to the metallic yellow and black motif that covered everything in the Hiveathanas, Brother Blood's personal quarters were lavish, with everything from the carpeting to the books on the shelves four steps above the Spartan quarters of all the other people who lived aboard the massive hovership. It looked like a room Donald Troop would actually be content to live in.
Jackal disliked it immediately. He knew the kind of men who had rooms like this. No wonder he had been able to deal with Blood so easily. When a man constantly had to shout out how good he seemingly was, it inevitably meant that even if he was good in any way, he doubted it. When you doubted yourself, you aided your own defeat. Men, beings with true power, like himself, did not need such a room. Jackal would be content with anything, because at heart he knew his place in the universe.
He'd reorganize the large room later. He didn't need a kitchen, a bedroom, or a testing room. He didn't need to eat or sleep, and quite frankly he didn't need to test his abilities. What he had now was more then enough, why would he ever need to improve them more?
For now, followed by several of his new 'minions', Jackal walked into the room, heading for Blood's main desk. It was covered with junk, plans, notes, nick-nacks, and other debris. Jackal tsk-tsked inside his head. Insecure and disorganized in private. There had been too much façade in the former leader of this den. Well, the new boss sure wasn't the same as the old boss.
"This was Blood's quarters. I trust they will be enough, Headmaster Jackal?" Jinx asked.
"Just Master will do." Jackal said, more for the necessity to keep the children in line then any actual desire to be called master. They could call him Master, Jackal, Jackass, or Popeye The Sailor Man, it wouldn't matter. But kids had a habit of taking a mile if you gave them an inch: Jackal needed them all to think he held their lives, bodies, and happiness in his hands and would bring down great wrath upon them if they failed or displeased him. And he might…in his own ways. He wasn't all that interested in hurting them. But he still needed them obedient. With how his latest plan had gone to hell out of the blue, having a bunch of new hands might help him get back on track all the faster. Maybe later, they'd find out he marched to the beat of his own drummer. For now, he'd walk in the overlord shoes.
"And I suppose I don't have much choice now, do I?" Jackal said as he went around the large desk and sat down in the chair. Comfortable, he supposed, but such small comforts didn't mean much to you when you could change the structure of not just what you were sitting on, but your own way of sitting.
"Well uh, if you want more I suppose we can…" Jinx stammered.
"I will be fine."
"That's good, because we have to talk turkey." Scorcher said as she walked forward. Jackal's eyes turned to her. After dealing with Blood, it hadn't taken long for word to get around the Hive that they were now under a new guiding hand. Jackal had sent the witnesses of the 'coup' off to deliver instructions and orders to all the people who lived on the ship. That had taken some time, but eventually several of them had returned to him to show him his room. Jackal had used that time to explore the Hiveathanas in his own unique way, so he already knew where the room was…but he went through the motions. Of the Hive members that had returned to him, two had been Jinx and Gizmo. The rest had been the five woman group called the Elementals, whose leader, Scorcher, was clearly chomping at the bit to ask/tell him something, and had finally decided she'd waited long enough.
Jackal figured that if he could appease her, the other Elementals would be immediately appeased as well. The fire girl was a natural leader, and her group clearly followed her with devotion. Jackal was certain that if he attacked her, despite what they had all witnessed, they wouldn't hesitate to jump to her defense. Indeed, from what Jackal had deduced from his observations, she should have been one of the last people working for Blood. He clearly had had something she wanted.
"Ok then, talk." Jackal said.
"Your pre-de-cess-sor only had my team's services because of what he promised me. Now you gone and done blown him to bits. So you better be ready to replace what he offered, or we're all walkin' right now." Scorcher said. All the other Elementals nodded.
"Well my dear…" Jackal said, as his eyes glanced down on an open book on the table, which happened to show a large picture of a bird, a Florida scrub jay to be precise (Aphelocoma coerulescens, Jackal found himself immediately recalling, and found a wave of disquiet coming in the wake of the nugget of information. The human brain was estimated to be capable of holding 100 million bits of information, but this was information theorized to be learned over a lifetime, and who knew how many humans actually got close to that capacity. When you needed to reorder the very building blocks of existence though, you need a sentience capable of absorbing a lot more. And it wasn't that Jackal hadn't been up to the task of properly programming himself. Oh no. It was rather that he not only knew all that now, but an endless amount of other knowledge…except…the one thing he truly…and he would think of that later, once he figured out just what had happened).
"I think you will find…" Jackal continued, as he placed his fingers on the book. "There is very little…I can't…"
Jinx's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. The picture was being SUCKED off the paper, the bird disappearing from the book, as a small mass of SOMETHING was pulled off the page, up into Jackal's hand as he turned it upright, the matter growing and shifting and forming as Jackal put his other hand over it, as Gizmo and all the other Elementals, even Scorcher, who was trying to keep a determined front up but couldn't help but betray some astonishment, stared in awe as Jackal blinked once…
And removed his covering hand.
A Florida scrub jay stood on the hand, twittering a deep few notes as it looked around for food.
"Do." Jackal finished.
Silence.
Jackal let them marvel, even as he rested a bit. Though it was true he could alter anything he touched, it took more effort to do so if the matter was 'apart' from him. He could changed his own body into anything now, effortlessly, adding and expending mass as he saw fit without a twinge of effort, but to take something apart from him and change it into something else, especially if it was something like changing a picture to an actual living bird (and he'd actually had to siphon a small bit of his own mass to provide the illusion of bringing the picture to life, as the actual photo didn't have the material needed to make a bird, but that was easily and already replaced), required some forethought and effort.
Still, it wasn't hard, and the results were worth it. Everyone in the room, even the usually blank faced Rocko, was looking at him like he was God Almighty.
Jackal wished.
Except…Scorcher. Who looked impressed but still wore a hardened expression.
"Well, that's all fancy and fine…but that's not what I need."
With a brief burst of motion, Scorcher grabbed the Florida scrub jay, which was only able to make one small peep of protest before Scorcher grabbed it with her other hand and twisted.
Jackal arched an eyebrow, as the other Elementals, as well as Jinx and Gizmo, turned their shocked eyes to Scorcher, as she coldly dropped the body of the bird on the desk again.
"Bring it back." Scorcher said.
"Danielleyoukilledit…" Zippy sputtered.
"Yeah, I noticed. BRING IT BACK." Scorcher said, in a tone of pure challenge.
Jackal looked at Scorcher for another second, and then reached down and picked up the limp form of the bird. As mentioned, material apart from him was a bit difficult to alter, but he had created this bird. Its very existence bore his mark. And that…made the task easier.
A few seconds later, along with a fixed bone, muscle, and vein structure, and a reformed, refreshed brain, the scrub jay was once again chirping on his hand.
"I trust that no more avicide will be needed." Jackal said, as Scorcher stared at the revived bird.
And then she took a step back and knelt.
"The Elementals, at your service." She said.
"Very well. Rise. No need for that." Jackal said as Scorcher got up. "I have a rough idea of what you want."
"The love of my life died before his time. I want him back." Scorcher said.
"When?"
"As soon as possible."
"But once I bring him back, why would you want to hang around?" Jackal asked.
"I didn't…"
A loud beeping suddenly sounded, and Scorcher and Jackal stopped their discussion to look at the source, Gizmo, who unclipped his hexagon-shaped communicator and looked at some data that was presumably on the screen.
"Word from Mammoth. Everyone's assembled as you requested he, uh, master." Gizmo said.
"Very well then. Go prepare an elevator, I'll be along shortly." Jackal said. The seven Hive members did so.
"So…she wants her boyfriend brought back, does she?" Jackal asked the scrub jay, as he conjured a peanut from the literal nowhere and fed it to the bird, which was friendly by nature and rarely afraid of humans, its small brain unable to comprehend that it had been willed out of the ether and then brought back from the other side all within a minute. "I wonder if she's aware of the old phrase…be careful what you wish for…"
Not knowing what else to do, Jackal used some of the junk on the table to form a cage and food and left the bird in there as he headed out.
The several Hive members immediately snapped to attention when they saw him. Jackal chuckled to himself. Blood had been more then insecure and vain: he had been an idiot. The correct way to lead and in some cases control underlings wasn't to scream and insult and threaten. That just bred resentment, which led to underperformance, rebellion, and betrayal. The proper way was to combine tough/fair treatment with subtle, unthreatening displays of power. He had been the leader of the Hive for less then three hours and already these seven would follow him, either through the desires of another or respectful fear. Whether he'd feel the need to develop their 'relationship' any more was yet to be determined.
"Elevator's ready." Scorcher said.
"Thank you." Jackal replied, as he walked in, the Elementals and Hive members following. "What floor is this meeting on?"
"Main level." Gizmo said, as he pressed a button to get the elevator started. "Could take a few minutes though, with your quarters so high up master."
"That's good actually. I require some information." Jackal said. "As you are now my subordinates, it would be best if I knew you. So tell me about the history of this place and about you."
"Sorry, I haven't been her' long. But I can give you basic introductions of my team and I." Scorcher said.
"Give me your names as well." Jackal said.
"Why?"
"I think you know."
"I guess I do. I'm Danielle Foster, Scorcher. I'm a pyrokinetic." Scorcher said as she conjured flames on her hands and arms.
"I noticed. How good are you?"
"Darn good! After that Amity Park incident, I'd say I'm one of the best in the world!"
"Amity Park…?"
"You didn't hear about that? How could you not…?"
"I've been out of town. Tell me later if it's not important." Jackal said.
"Uh well…that's it then I guess."
"Um…I'm Rose…Trent…Floral." Floral said softly. "I can control plants…well, except for trees."
"Why not trees?"
"Because the bastards wouldn't help when…um…we had a disagreement." Floral said, flaring up and then quieting back down. Jackal was about to say something else when Zippy was suddenly in front of him.
"HiI'mZippyandIthinkyou'reamuchbetterleaderthenBrotherBloodmypowerisIcanmoverealfastthroughthepoweroflightningatmyhigherspeedsIcaneven…"
"Whoa. Hold it. Can you please go slower?"
"Slowerwhohasthetimetogoslowlifeisfastgottagofastoryou'llbeleftbehindandIhatebeingleft…"
"Sal, cut it." Scorcher said. "Her name's Sally Markson."
"IpreferSalMarks!"
"She can run fast via lightning, as you might have caught. As she goes faster she gets charged with electricity, and at her top speed she can turn into a bolt of lightning."
"YesI'mnaturallyfastnotlikethosecheatingSpeedForceusersyeahtheymaybeallfancywiththeirvibrationtricksandrunningonthewallsbuttheirspeedallcomesfromoutsidesourcesI'mnaturallyfastitsallmeallmeanditwasneveranythingelse…"
"Ok, ok, I got it." Jackal said. "Please, stop talking."
"What'swrongwithmytalkingitsnotlikeIspeakgibberishImaybefastbutIhaveclearenoughenunciationpeopleneedto…"
"Sal! Cut it!"
"Okok."
"I'm Antoinette Albertine. The only well named member of this team. Platinum Blonde." Platinum Blonde said as she tossed back her metal hair. "I'm made of a special organic metal that some doctor once gave a name to but it was way too long for me to remember. It makes me as tough and strong as I am beautiful, and believe me, there's not many things better looking then I."
"Right. Never mind kissing you would probably feel like getting your tongue stuck on a lamppost." Jackal said. Platinum Blonde's eyes widened, as Gizmo chuckled to himself.
"Comment defi vous! Vous pensez que vous savez la beaute? J'ai les legions gauches de votre race priant pour moi…" Platinum Blonde began.
"Je parle francais aussi. Et je ne suggere pas que vous me defiiez d'une telle maniere. Je vous casserais, petite fille." Jackal retorted. Despite her metal face, Platinum Blonde clearly blushed a bit.
"Geez, stop it already. I hate having to go to Babelfish just to understand good insults." Gizmo commented to Jinx.
"Probably wouldn't understand them anyway. Direct translation from English to French and then back to English rarely delivers the same result." Jinx replied.
"Argh! Why can't everyone just speak good old English?"
"Because that would be boring. And you should hardly speak about good English. Mr. Snot! Crud! Snot! Crud!"
"Hey I don't do that as often now…"
"Ahem." Jackal said, as Gizmo and Jinx's eyes snapped back to him. "You can talk in a bit. Let them finish."
"I'm Rocko. Lorant Smith. I am made of rocks and control rocks. That is it." Rocko said.
"…Lorant?" Jackal asked.
"Yes."
"That's a boy's name."
"I was male once. Now I am not. It is long and complicated and…I don't much care for it." Rocko said.
"All right then. Whatever floats your boat. Ok chatterboxes, your turn."
"Um…" Jinx said. "Well I can tell you about the HIVE. We were originally formed by a mysterious man called the HIVE Master, we being the first HIVE group, as I wasn't there at the time. HIVE stands for Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination, which was the original plan of the Hive Master, who gathered seven criminal scientists to work with him. They wanted to gain control of the world through terrorism and political manipulation, but they overestimated themselves and Superman decimated the original organization. At this point the original Hive master was murdered by his wife, who took over the Hive as the HIVE Mistress, but she was clearly insane. This was noted by one of the senior members of the group, who took matters into her own hands and broke off from the Hive Mistress and her scientists. It proved to be a wise move as the Hive Mistress truly was insane and murdered the original seven scientists shortly after, followed by taking her own life. The senior member took the name of the HIVE and refocused our goals. Along the way she began training more people to follow in the Hive's footsteps, and while doing this eventually discovered and founded what the HIVE is known for today: training young metahumans in their powers and abilities and gifts in what some would deem 'criminal activity'. While we also train many generic soldiers, who stay with us or go out to become mercenaries, bounty hunters, or other soldiers of fortune, the main thrust of the HIVE now is the training of these metahumans. I, and Gizmo, am one of the graduating classes. Eventually, the senior member who split off from the original HIVE, we called her the Headmistress, was usurped by Brother Blood, who you have yourself usurped. The HIVE has recently taken several blows as its main school and then its underwater base were destroyed, but we have rebounded via building this air fortress. Although I must note there is a problem with that master."
"What?"
"This fortress cost an incalculable fortune to build. As the new master of the Hive, I'm afraid you assume the debt." Jinx said, looking worried.
Jackal snorted.
"Debt? Have them point me at the nearest mountain. I'll turn it to gold or whatever precious metal they want. Debt solved." Jackal said. "Is that all?"
"Well, um, as you requested to meet with the most important members of the HIVE, we are taking you to meet with the current class and any other graduates who happen to be here. I must note that several of our students are away on tests or missions, so we're not at full strength, but while the people we have aren't as experienced, they have been taught well. I suppose you can meet the generic drones and all the other workforce of the base later."
"Agreed. So, who are you?"
"Um, I am Llarenes Morath, Jinx. Gizmo and I are partners with Mammoth, who isn't here, he's one of the ones gathering the students. We call ourselves the Troika, which is a general Russian word for trio. We were the graduating class a while back, after which came the Five…who we don't talk about if we can…and then the most recent graduates: Floral and Platinum Blonde, along with Juryrig, who is also helping gather the students."
"The rest of you aren't graduates?" Jackal asked the Elementals.
"I'ma teacher. Zippy's too impatient to take tests and Rocko couldn't be bothered. Graduates or not, we're the Elementals. No matter what." Scorcher said.
"I see. And this Five?"
"We don't like to discuss them…while it is true we have been beaten more then a few times by heroes of various stripes, the Five are a particularly…black mark on the academy. To bring them up again is to be forced to relive the shame…" Jinx said.
"All right, quit whining. Tell me later. What can you do?"
"Um…I command a part natural part magical ability to cause chaos and destruction in objects and people, though I do much better with objects. I jinx them, if you will. I can do it with my mind or with special blasts from my hands that I developed after training my talent for years, hex blasts, I call them. Originally my power was random: I would randomly cause strange things to happen…"
"All right, I got that. Moving on. You, shortie?"
"Hey I'm…yes master." Gizmo said as he remembered what Jackal had done to Blood. "My name is Gizmo. I can…"
"Real name?"
"I hate my real name. It's crud."
"Just tell me anyway."
Gizmo sighed.
"My name's Mikron O'Jeanus. But it's really Gizmo. I'm a mechanical genius. I fight with my own special battle tools and outfits and am highly skilled at modifying virtually anything mechanical into a weapon of some kind. I helped build this base, and I can turn a vacuum cleaner into a miniature tank in five minutes flat." Gizmo said proudly.
"And he also has the mentality of a three year old." Platinum Blonde added.
"Hey! Keep it to yourself you…"
"Enough." Jackal said, waving a hand. "Are we almost there?"
"Another few seconds." Gizmo said, checking the elevator panel.
"So, what ken YOU do Jackal?" Scorcher said. "If you can bring pictures to life, you must have something pretty potent in your hands."
Jackal closed his eyes and resisted the urge to smirk bitterly.
"I am the Jackal. And I can do anything." The Jackal said.
The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened.
"Anything at all." Jackal said, and turned around. "Let's go."
"It's all right Selinda. The new master seems like a fair enough sort. He could have easily killed us all if he didn't feel like giving us a chance. You'll do fine." Mammoth said as he knelt by a young teenage girl who looked to be sixteen or seventeen. While Mammoth's hair was brownish red, the teenage girl's hair was a deeper, more vibrant red, cut short with a mild feathered look. She had a wholesome beauty about her, with deep blue eyes and full lips. She wore a dark blue/purple costume that covered her neck, shoulders, both arms and hands, and breasts and upper torso before it ended at her waist, showing off her navel before it trailed into skintight pants of the same color and black boots. Her rather pleasant expression was marred by the look of worry in her eyes, a worry that even the large hands of her brother couldn't seem to dispel as he knelt behind her, his far larger frame looming over her like the guardian he believed himself to be.
"But Baran, from what you said, he already has the ability to manipulate matter. Why would he need me?" Selinda Flinders asked.
"He'll find a use for you. Trust me." Baran replied, never realizing that his sister's worry wasn't so much that the new master of the Hive wouldn't have a need for her, but that if he didn't, Mammoth would interpret it the wrong way and go into a rage. Mammoth had always been protective of his little sister, to the point where he'd put her up in a small apartment in a peaceful beachfront town rather then have her follow him into the Hive. Despite this, Selinda had eventually followed him anyway, wanting to use her own powers to help. And while Mammoth had relented eventually and let her join the Hive, he was still protective of her, greatly so. If this Jackal said he didn't need her, Mammoth might very well get in his face about it…and that was the last thing Selinda wanted. But if she told him that, he'd feel like she was undercutting herself for his sake and he wouldn't allow that either…
A snorting laugh came from down the line.
"A use for you? Considering what he can do, you think he needs another person like that around? Forget it." A red haired male teen said. "Maybe while he's getting rid of you, he'll realize that this place only need one probability manipulator and will cut the one with a record of failure as long as her arm!"
Mammoth turned furious eyes on the teenager, though he did not move at the time.
"I swear Cord, I am going to go over there and…" Mammoth growled.
"And what? Punch me?" Cord replied, as he crossed his arms cockily. His costume was militaristic, with red and black camouflage pants and sleeveless shirt under a combat vest, with his hands wrapped and a bandanna tied around his forehead that read SABOTAGE. Which just happened to be his code name. And his specialty. "Go ahead muscleman. Your shoulder will pop out of joint just when the momentum of the blow will rip up the muscles in the most damaging way. Then your leg will be seized by a paralyzing cramp. And then you'll bang your head on the way down, have a seizure, and possibly wake up brain dead. So please. Try. I'm begging you." Sabotage said, and smirked nastily. Though he was still gentle, Selinda could feel her brother's hands dig slightly into her shoulders, and if that was all she was feeling from her immensely strong brother she couldn't fathom how much rage he was actually holding back. And while all of her fellow classmates didn't exactly look happy with his threat, none of them did anything. Partly because they were supposed to be a team, and partly because it seemed like none of them had the stones to step up.
Fortunately she had a white knight come to her rescue, even if he was black in this case, as Juryrig stepped from around the corner he had been watching and strode up to the lined up teenagers.
"Knock it off Sabotage, RIGHT THE FUCK NOW. We don't need your shit."
"My shit's better then your excuse for leadership. Shall we make a nice frame for your first asskicking at the hands of the Titans?" Sabotage mocked again. Juryrig wouldn't be bated though, as he held out an arm.
"I know your powers Cord. You can royally screw humans up but you can't do the same for inanimate objects. So why don't I make a little sparring partner for you and we can see how well your oh so vaunted because we never stop hearing about them hand to hand skills do against a form of metal and plastic."
Sabotage snorted a mean laugh again.
"I won't, just because I don't have fucking time to lead all these pussies around by the hand." Sabotage said, and cracked his knuckles. But he backed down, even though he did his best to look like he hadn't.
"Bastard." Selinda whispered to herself. "Why did he have to join the Hive? Hell, why is he still here?"
"His damn luck powers are all that kept Blood from killing him, I assume. Maybe we'll…" Mammoth began, and then Scorcher walked into the room.
"Attention." She said, and all the Hive members got into a tight line rather then the loose one they had been in a second ago, as the rest of the Elementals walked in. Juryrig walked down to the end of the line next to Selinda and Mammoth, who had stood up but not left his protective position behind his sister. The Elementals stayed in their own cluster, as usual.
"As y'all know, Blood's history. The Hive has a new master. I'm not one for fancy introductions, so here he is. The Jackal."
And in he walked.
Mammoth couldn't help but feel a minute shudder as he once again looked at the Jackal's tattooed face. He had special powers, and he'd seen a lot of stuff, but when you saw someone get their head lopped off and continue on like it was nothing more then a minor inconvenience, you knew you were looking at something special. And special didn't always mean good.
Well, Gizmo and Jinx were with him at least, and they didn't seem terrified, though they didn't seem ready to jump up and down with joy either. They walked in with him, as the Jackal stopped before the group of Hive students, looking them over.
Along with the Elementals, the Troika, Selinda, Juryrig, and Sabotage, there were five more Hive students in the room, all male and all with varying looks. Jackal would find out their exact differences in a moment, as he began walking back and forth before the group.
"I have just one way of leading. As my underlings, my minions if you will, you will give me everything you have as if you've known me all your life. No one phones it in or quits under my hand. I find out you're doing that, I'll kill you myself. Understood?"
There was a chorus of Yes's and Yes Masters. Jackal nodded.
"That is all. Now, since I am your new leader, I will find out what I am leading. I've already learned the ins and outs of the Elementals and these two, so I'll start down here." Jackal said as he walked to the end of the line where Juryrig was. "Name, handle, powers, weaknesses, anything you feel the need to tell me."
"I am Julian Rencercer. Juryrig. I was the lead graduate of the most recent class, though it was somewhat small…anyway, I can animate inanimate objects and assemble them to form weapons, tools, creatures, anything I can think of. The more junk and debris there is, the bigger I can make the creatures. I can only control inorganic material though: I can't manipulate anything alive. Also, I'm linked to my creations, so whatever they experience I feel, to a smaller degree." Juryrig said.
"Anything else?"
"No headmaster."
"Master."
"Sorry master."
"Forgiveness granted." Jackal said as he took a step to the left and looked up at the massive older teen. "I take it you're Mammoth."
"Yes Master."
"Your Troika teammates mentioned you but didn't give details."
"My name is Baran Flinders. I have superhuman strength and decent invulnerability type endurance. I also like to think…I'm faster then I look." Mammoth said. Selinda still looked scared, so he started talking for her. "This is my sister Selinda. She…"
"Let her talk for herself." Jackal said. Selinda's eyes widened, as did Mammoth, though his eyes immediately narrowed afterward. He didn't care HOW powerful Jackal was: he was going to accept her or at least keep her around or there would be hell to pay.
"Um, um…" Selinda stammered. "I'm…Shimmer."
"Shimmer?"
"Yes, Shimmer."
"Stupid bitch named herself after one of the enemies' powers. Brilliant." Sabotage muttered.
"I heard that. And I don't appreciate interruptions. Who spoke?" Jackal said as he looked away from Shimmer.
"That was me, master." Sabotage said, though there was a note of sarcasm in the master that Jackal didn't much care for. Jackal walked over.
"Why did you feel the need to speak?"
"Because my daddy taught me that people should either fucking listen to you or just fuck off." Sabotage replied, as most of the Hive goggled at the teen. Didn't he have any idea who he was talking to?
Apparently not, and Jackal could respect his in your face courage. But he couldn't let it go too far.
"What's your name boy?"
"Cord Rayfory sir! Sabotage!" Sabotage said, as he stomped his foot in a perfect Marine style march.
"I read it off your bandana. Like the Marines, child?"
"Yes sir! Semper fi do or die kill kill kill!" Sabotage chanted. Jackal narrowed his eyes slightly at the little display, which was most likely for him rather then any real devotion Sabotage may have had for Marine training or brotherhood.
"…Yes. Ok then, what can you do?"
Sabotage smirked.
"Why don't you take a swing at me and find out?"
Some of the students gasped at Sabotage's audacity. Jackal's eyes narrowed more.
"You wish for me to direct a blow your way in order to demonstrate your talent."
"Hell yeah." Sabotage said, as he snapped into a martial arts stance.
Jackal stared at him for a few more seconds, then chuckled.
"Ok." Jackal said. "Goodbye."
And Jackal swung…
And his knee abruptly buckled. The blow was yanked away from Sabotage's face as the Jackal found himself falling on his back from the abrupt change of balance.
Several Hive students gasped again.
"I can manipulate probability, make my own luck when it comes to fighting and make it the worst kind for my opponents. Big, small, tough, skilled, it don't matter, because when I lay eyes on them, they can't land a blow. It's a lot better then any other people in this room who think they know how to use bad luck." Sabotage bragged.
"Fuck you Cord." Jinx snapped.
"You wish pinky." Sabotage replied, and licked his lips. Jinx recoiled in disgust. Sabotage smirked and was about to say something else…
When Jackal suddenly got to his feet. And not in the traditional 'roll to ones' knees and push up' way. It was as if his body was a tape running in reverse, as he lifted himself back up like gravity didn't apply to him, the only thing remaining on the ground being his heels as he lifted himself up and face to face with Sabotage again.
That gave the teen a brief pause.
"Nice talent." Jackal said. "And you must have trained it well if it can affect someone like me."
"Fuckin' A."
"But there's one lesson you apparently still haven't learned child. Not every blow has to be physical."
Sabotage blinked.
Jackal's eyes sparked with a strange energy, and then with a loud bang Sabotage was struck with SOMETHING and thrown backwards, flying across the room and slamming against the wall at the far end, falling to his knees as he clutched at his face, howling as blood leaked through his fingers.
"Get him medical attention." Jackal said. Scorcher stared for another second, and then signaled for two Hive drones who happened to be nearby to get Sabotage and escort him from the room.
"Another lesson boy. It's not the first blow in a fight that matters. It's the last." Jackal said, as Sabotage was escorted out.
"Now…" He continued, as he walked back to Shimmer. "You were saying?"
"Uh…" Shimmer stammered: though she felt better after Cord had been put in his place, she was still very nervous. "I'm a…matter transmuter."
"Matter transmuter?" Jackal repeated: he seemed to do that a lot.
"Yes I can transform elements and compounds into…other elements…and compounds." Shimmer stammered. "However my transformations only last a few minutes…and I can only change things that are closer then three feet away from me."
Jackal looked at her.
Shimmer resisted the urge to cower away, as a dark look started to appear in Mammoth's eyes again.
Then Jackal reached up and lightly patted Shimmer's cheek.
"I like you." He said, and moved on.
Shimmer's rush of relieved breath could have put Herald to shame, as Jackal moved on to the first unknown Hive member.
He certainly didn't look like much, especially considering he looked as nervous as Shimmer. Unlike all the other Hive members, who had unique costumes, all he was wearing was jeans and a T-Shirt under a partly opened purple Hive robe. His greasy brown hair, nervous green eyes, and features that were a step away from weak didn't help him either.
"And you are?" Jackal asked.
"Wilby Tierney, sir." Wilby replied.
"Wilby huh…" Jackal said, as he looked up and down the line. "Hmmmmm, one of these things is not like the other…I assume you have a reason for standing here among these other more, how shall I say, colorful individuals?"
"Yes sir."
"Well what is it?"
"Well uh I just…I mean if…you didn't…I'll show you sir." Wilby stammered, as he took off his robe and put his hands together.
"This better be good." Jackal commented.
It was, as with a suddenly roar Wilby's small form shifted and morphed, rising up and out, and even as he did so his clothes transformed as well. Within several seconds Wilby was three times taller then before and twice as wide, a mountain of muscles covered in plated armor, huge boots on his feet, his upper face covered with a plate sunglass shield and a large pointed horn sweeping back from his forehead and over his crown. A large RB with a stylized oval adorned his chest, as he took his hands apart again.
"Hmmmmmmmmmm…small geeky-esque kid suddenly turns into a hulking giant, where have I seen that before…" Jackal muttered.
"The author would like to protest she conceived of this character long before she heard of any movie called Sky High." Jinx said.
CRASH!
"Go fix the forth wall student."
"Yes master…"
"I am Rhinoceros Beetle." The now giant Wilby said: he was even larger then Mammoth, something Mammoth didn't seem to care for. "I'm named that way because in this form I command the strength of the rhinoceros beetle, the strongest insect on the planet: they can lift 850 times their own weight. In this form, so can I."
"That would be his huge form, not his tiny one." Scorcher added.
"Really." Jackal said. "Well then, assuming that you weigh at least 300 pounds that means you can lift…"
"At least 125 tons. Five time Mammoth's weight limit." Gizmo said.
"Hey!" Mammoth grunted.
"Hey Mammoth, just giving the numbers."
"Which brings up another point." Jackal said. "With such size, and such power…why did you look like a scared deer?"
"Um…er…" Rhinoceros Beetle stammered.
"Come to think of it, why two musclemen in the same group? Especially if one so outclasses the other…that means there must be…a flaw…" Jackal said.
And then he whirled and rammed his fist into Wilby's gut.
Wilby went down like a felled tree, collapsing at Jackal's feet as he curled into a fetal position on his knees, gasping for air and in pain.
"Ah…now I see. All you have is the strength. While most strongmen types tend to have some kind of endurance to go along with their vigor, you seem to maintain the same level that you had in a small form. Bad luck there. Then again, that's why there's teams." Jackal said. Rhinoceros Beetle's form shrank in on itself as the armor seemed to be absorbed into Wilby's skin, leaving him the way he originally was.
"Why didn't you tell me about this up front?" Jackal asked.
"I…hate…to show…" Wilby gasped, as he pulled an inhaler from a pocket and put it to his mouth, gasping in the medicine as Jackal watched. He had asthma as well, or at least a kind that manifested under stress. "I hate it…when people assume that just because…I'm a giant that I can have a beanstalk fall on me…without effect. And I hate…the looks…in their eyes when they realize how soft I really am, the look of…arrogant judgment. I've tried to…train and I wear the best armor that can be allowed with my specific power…but…I can't help it…and I don't like…being reminded of it."
"Get up." Jackal said. Wilby did so, as he wiped at his watery eyes.
"Never deny a weakness. Instead, embrace it, and make it work for you. At the very least, it prevents others from exploiting it so readily."
"Yes master."
"I'll see if I can't think of something to cover that."
"Thank you master."
"You want to thank me, get to work on training that out of you." Jackal said as he walked on to the next Hive member. This one looked more like a Hive member: he was a good-looking male with grayish blue eyes and long brown hair with blonde streaks, the hair done up in semi dreadlocks, albeit not like Juryrig's, for while the black teen's hair was a tangled mass, this boy only had five or six, carefully assembled at the back of his head so they hung down on his shoulders. He wore a brown and silver costume with lots of leather straps, topped off with a long Matrix-esque coat. He kept one hand carefully at his side as he nodded his respect for the Jackal.
"And you're?"
"Simon Tepes sir. Flay. I'm a whip expert." Simon, er, said.
"Just a whip expert?"
"Well I have special things that charge and alter the whips, make them more powerful and such, but I'd like to note that's mostly dressing. I'm a whip EXPERT." Flay said.
"Expert? Ok then." Jackal said, as he raised his thumb, dislodged his thumbnail, and as a new nail grew he let the old one fall into the palm of his hand, which he closed for a few seconds before opening it again, revealing a buzzing fly. "Prove it."
The Hive moved away from Flay, as he moved the hand he held on his side slightly, producing a whip from somewhere within his coat, letting it coil out around his legs as his eyes carefully followed the fly.
He watched it for three seconds.
Then a loud snap of sound filled the air as Flay struck.
The fly…remained flying.
Everyone stared.
"…May I point out the fly is still alive." Jackal said.
"Yes, it is alive." Flay said, and smirked. "But he will never be a father."
Jackal arched an eyebrow, and then snatched the fly out of the air, froze it in some kind of crystal, and put his eye against it for a few seconds.
"…I'll be damned." Jackal said, lowering the crystal. "You are a whip expert."
"I pride myself on being nothing but, master." Flay said, bowing slightly as he tucked his whip back into his costume (the straps weren't all straps, Jackal saw now: some of them were whips).
"You're human otherwise though right?"
"Yes master."
"Very well then." Jackal said, and moved on.
The next Hive member took the cake. While Flay had been decent looking, the latest one made Flay look like Quasimodo. With his long black hair, turquoise eyes, and slight Hispanic features, he fit every definition of the phrase 'pretty boy', or maybe bishonen. He wore a black costumes with silver bands that constantly crossed over each other on all parts of the outfit.
"Master Jackal." He said. His voice had a slight Spanish accent, the kind that drove certain woman wild. Jackal hoped his power wasn't pheromones or something in that vein: he didn't need a minion whose sole power was getting tail.
"Name?"
"Arturo Nicanor. Progeny." Progeny said. "My power is…rather difficult to describe…would it be possible if I gave a demonstration?"
"If you wish."
So Progeny did.
And Jackal found out he'd been wrong about his theorized power. WAY wrong.
"That's DISGUSTING." Jackal said when Progeny was done.
"Maybe, but I've trained it very well sir. It is very effective in combat, both on a physical and psychological level."
"I gathered. Let me guess your weakness." Jackal said, and did it on his first try.
"Well…you're unique. I'll just say that." Jackal said, and moved on to the next. While Progeny looked Spanish, the next Hive member looked Greek. He had dark brown eyes and black hair, which appeared on his head expertly sculpted into backwards pointing spikes (static electricity, Jackal figured: it was nearly impossible to keep such a perfect style with gel and hair care products) and on his face with a small goatee. He wore a skintight blue suit with silver streamers tied to his biceps and a long karate style silver belt around his waist. He looked twitchy and antsy, as if he didn't much care for standing still.
"You don't seem to like being stationary." Jackal expounded.
"That's putting it lightly. My name sounds weird, but here it is: Ezhno Aeneas. I prefer my code name. Hermes."
"Hermes. I have an idea…"
"I'm." Hermes said.
"A." He continued as he was suddenly at Jackal's side.
"Speed." He said from across the room.
"Force." He said on the other side.
"User." He finished, in front of Jackal again. Jackal arched an eyebrow, and then, on a hunch, glanced at Zippy, who had crossed her arms and was sulking.
"Well, you can move fast."
"Maximum speed 1000 miles a second. They never see me coming." Hermes said.
"Weaknesses?"
"None at all."
"Liar! Allyourspeedcomesfromanoutsidesource! Cutitoffandtheturtlecouldoutrunyou!" Zippy snapped.
"Ah, but that's never happened Zippy. And might I point out at least my speed doesn't make me sound like a Chipmunk record being played at 78 rpm." Hermes shot back.
"YouliarIknowtheSpeedForcecan…"
Hermes didn't seem to move, but Zippy's mouth suddenly dropped open in shock.
"Heysomeonejustgrabbedmyrear! Youpervertthat'sitIdon'tcarehowfastyouareI'll…" Zippy yelled as she ran over to Hermes and got in his face.
"Enough." Jackal said. "Work out your sexual tension later."
"Thereisnodamnsexualtensionthisguy'sabastardandahalf…"
"Zippy get back over here." Scorcher said. Zippy grumbled as she walked back over to the Elementals.
"I'm just the fastest one here. That's the way it is." Hermes said to Jackal.
"Don't get cocky, or you'll be seeing how fast you can lose. And don't cope feels either. I don't approve of it." Jackal said.
"Yes Master Jackal." Hermes said, as he settled down, just a bit, though it was clear he'd rather be in motion. Jackal moved on. What a group. An arrogant probability manipulator, a wimpy giant, a perverted speedster, whatever the hell Progeny was…he wondered if the last Hive member might actually be normal…
"Took you long enough! Why did I have to be at the end of the line! It's not worthy of me!" The last Hive member suddenly flared up. Jackal hadn't been really looking at him, but his outburst got his attention.
Jackal mildly chuckled to himself, wondering if the last Hive member was a suckup, because he was dressed as a bee. Specifically he was wearing an armored mechanical suit (if Tony Stark existed in this universe he might have had grounds for a suit) with black and yellow coloring and stripes, as well as very realistic looking insect wings, a robotic abdomen jutting from behind him, and a fancier version of the bee-esque helmet the Hive drones wore.
"Let me guess. Hive Man?" Jackal asked.
"No! Buzz Bomb!"
"Well at least your name isn't bad minion."
"Silence! No one calls Buzz Bomb minion!"
"Shut up minion."
"Yes sir." Buzz Bomb said, going from outraged to obedient within a second.
"What can you do minion?"
"My suit increases my speed and agility, and allows me to fly at high speeds…"
"Fly? How? That suit must weigh a ton. How can you fly with that setup?" Jackal said, indicating the gossamer wings.
"According to scientific studies, bumblebees shouldn't be able to fly either. They manage. So do I." Buzz Bomb said. "I have lasers in my gauntlets, and I am an explosives expert. If it goes boom, I can build it."
"Oh really. How quickly?"
"Simpler the better, but try me."
Jackal's request made Gizmo's eyes widened as wide as saucers.
"You crudbrain! That's a mini nuke! You can't build that with your bare hands!"
"Gizmo, no one questioned you when you said you could turn a vacuum cleaner into a tank." Jackal said, looking from Buzz Bomb to Gizmo as Buzz Bomb furiously got to work, producing tools and material from somewhere in his costume.
"But that's just a small anti personal weapon! You shouldn't build something like that in the middle of the Hive Air Base! One wrong connection and we're so much vapor!"
"Actually you'd all be so much vapor. Me…" Jackal said.
"DONE!" Buzz Bomb said, as he rose off the ground, flew a few feet, and then slammed the completed device against Mammoth's chest.
"Hey!" Mammoth yelled, and swiped at the flying man, who zipped away.
"One Whatchamacallit Bomb, to your specifications." He said with a flourish.
"You made a nuclear device on the spot?"
"I carry small amounts of plutonium in my abdomen." Buzz Bomb said as he set down in front of the Jackal and pulled a piece of paper from somewhere. "Now that you've seen my mad skillz, I have a list of demands! 1) I demand an unlimited supply of Red Bull so I can keep awake and be aware of my enemies, 2) I demand to be addressed as Buzz Bomb, Love Machine, 3)…" Buzz Bomb said, and then stopped as he suddenly found Jackal's pointer and middle fingers lightly pressed against his forehead.
"Unless you want to be turned into a swarm of apoidea attached to miniature grenades, I suggest you stop talking. Now."
"I'll be good." Buzz Bomb said, putting away the list.
"He did the same thing with Brother Blood. Just a kid testing the limits of his superiors." Jinx said.
"You got a name kid?" Jackal asked.
"Buzz Bomb!"
"Your real name."
"Buzz Bomb!"
"Is there an echo in here? REAL. NAME."
"I am Buzz Bomb! That is all!"
"…You're not afraid of me at all are you?" Jackal asked.
"Nope."
"Then why are you following my orders?"
"I grew up in a very strict household." Buzz Bomb said, and shrugged. "Can I make more demands?"
"No."
"Ok then how about you just give me that pen?" Buzz Bomb said, pointing to a pen in the Jackal's pocket.
"You mean this simple little pen that this base probably has millions of lying around?"
"Yes."
"No."
"Accepted." Buzz Bomb said, and got back into line.
"Is anyone going to do anything about this damn nuke on my chest?" Mammoth complained.
Jackal, deciding this was a good chance to make one of his subtle gestures of power, proceeded to turn the mini nuke into a black forest cake.
The wanted effect was had.
"Ok then. As it was said, I am the Jackal, your new leader, you will obey all my commands. Any problems?"
There were none.
"All right. The usual schedule, whatever it is, is scrapped. I want you all to be on standby for when I call on you. Don't leave the base, and don't do anything that would exhaust yourself. I don't much care for weakness." Jackal said. "Elementals, Jinx, Gizmo, with me. The rest of you are dismissed." Jackal said, and headed out of the room, his requested Hive members following him. He walked until he came to a window looking out onto the clouds, where he stopped.
"What's your hankerin', Jackal?" Scorcher asked him.
"I decided that sending the entire Hive to do this would attract too much attention. Therefore, I have decided to entrust this task to just you Elementals." Jackal said, as he reached into his pocket.
"What might that be?"
Jackal turned as he pulled out the picture of his jacket.
"These people might have arrived in the same area as me. That city in the distance." Jackal said, as she showed the Incredibles to the Elementals.
"Jump City?" Scorcher said.
"Whatever. Go there. FIND THEM. And if…and when you do, report to me IMMEDIATELY."
"Just look for them? Don't jump 'em?"
"They deserve far more then that…" The Jackal growled, as his eyes sparked again.
"Whoa, don't go blowin' a gasket thar Jackal. All right then, we'll find these people you seem to have a dislikin' for. And you better remember what you promised me. Let's go Elementals." Scorcher said, and led the Elementals off.
"…Um…what do you wish of us Master Jackal?" Jinx asked, as the Jackal turned back to the window.
Jackal was silent.
"…Are you ok?"
"Fine. Fine tuned actually. Something occurred to me Jinx, when you were talking about bringing me to meet all the HIVE members on the elevator. Something very subtle but there. A slight hint of…concealment."
Jinx looked confused, as Jackal turned back to her.
"Was that ALL the Hive members, Jinx?"
Jinx blanched a bit.
"Are there any more people out there besides the guards and the engineers and the cooks and all that?"
Jinx felt her mouth go dry. She'd hoped she wouldn't have to reveal this, as if by not doing so she could make it…her…go away.
"Well Jinx?"
"…There is…one more…person…in the Hive…" Jinx stammered.
"…I see. And you didn't bring this person because…?" Jackal asked.
Jinx didn't answer. Jackal noticed that her expression and Gizmo's were mirrored. That was unusual. Whoever this mystery person was, he or she clearly bothered Jinx and Gizmo. A great deal.
"…She's not…the socializing type." Jinx said, and found her mouth dry, unable to say any more, remembering…
The screams…
Her eyes…
"You seem to have a problem with this woman." Jackal said.
Jinx and Gizmo were silent.
"You can speak freely. I won't bite."
"SHE'S FRIGGIN NUTS!" Gizmo suddenly exploded. "Her brain…it's a snottin' hell dimension in a skull…"
"She's…blank…so blank…oh god…so…so…" Jinx said, as she suddenly found her eyes teary.
"…Hmmmmm." Jackal said.
"I honestly think there's more to it then hmmmmm, master Jackal." Jinx said. "She had some kind of arrangement with Brother Blood. We don't know what it is, how he met her, but even then we don't know why, HOW he could keep her around. Now that Blood's gone, I ask, no, I BEG you to get rid of her. Preferably with fire. And lots of it."
Jackal appeared to be in deep thought.
"Tell me more."
And though it clearly scared them, Gizmo and Jinx did.
And Jackal understood just why. They were children, confused kids, wannabe soldiers of fortune. The person they spoke of…was anything but. Even if their fear spawned exaggeration was minimal…
"…Take me to her."
"…Master Jackal, this is the only time I will say this. No. I went down there once and I never, EVER will again." Gizmo said.
"Neither will I." Jinx said, and stood in nervous rank before Jackal.
"…Well then. If you won't accompany me, will you at least get me a map?"
The two Troika members were gone so fast you would swear Hermes carried them off.
The Jackal turned and looked back out onto the stormy clouds.
"…Some people fear things because they are beyond their understanding…and some fear things because they should be feared…I wonder which one you are…I wonder if you have the answer…" The Jackal said as he looked out on the stormy clouds. "I wonder where you are Incredibles. Has this strangeness slipped you from my grasp…or just…loosened my grip?"
Lightning flashed across the sky.
"You better pray for the former, Incredibles. Pray to every god there is."
"You think this means anything?" Cyborg asked from where Savior was standing at the window, looking up at the clouds.
"That a nice clear sky suddenly turned to thunderstorms with no rain…AFTER such a previous event seemed to foreshadow strangeness like dumping a crazy kid on our beach? Yes. I think this means something." Savior said.
He watched for a few more seconds.
"All right, let's go." Savior said, as he spun on his heel and unsnapped his communicator. "Gauntlet, Terra, meet me in the garage and bring Batgirl. I think there's a fair chance we might get a new guest soon."
"That reminds me. Exactly how many spare rooms DO we have? This Tower was originally built for five you know. If, or rather when the rest of Dash's family shows up, are we gonna have to start sharing room? Because if we do, dibs on not rooming with Gar." Gauntlet's voice came through the communicator.
"Hey, what's wrong with rooming with me?" Beast Boy protested back.
"The last time you were in my room for five minutes, I was picking green hair out of my stuff until Christmas."
"That was the hottest day last summer! I don't always shed like that!"
"Gar, what do you think TODAY is?"
"…Point."
"We have other things to worry about here guys." Savior said as he ran down some stairs. "Make sure you're all ready."
"Check readiness, understood. Autograph book, check. Plastic bags for locks of hair, check. Syringes to extract genetic samples, check. I'm set to go!"
"I meant are you ready to go into COMBAT."
"Combat? Noel, the superhero fights superhero because of a misunderstanding is such an overdone cliché even I'M sick of it! Do you really want to wish it upon us?"
"No. But I'd like to point out that Dash most likely didn't want to fight us either when he came out. Why did he anyway, oh yeah, HE WAS INSANE!"
"…Crap. Ok, promethium laced autograph book it is."
"You wasted promethium on an autograph book?"
"Considering I was trying to get Cthulhu's signature at the time, I thought it would be a good idea."
"When did…never mind. I don't wanna know." Savior muttered.
"Great, dealing with an insane superman type, or a stretchy type, or a shield generating and light bending type. Won't this be fun." Cyborg commented.
"Well, there are weaknesses to exploit! Bob's back gives him trouble. Violet, well Cassandra has gas grenades or something in that belt of hers, I'd assume, and since Violet's still breathing I'm assuming she's letting air through that bubble. Helen…well any tactics that would work well on Plastic Man I guess."
"Dude, where are you getting your information?" Beast Boy's voice chimed over the communicator.
"Uhhhhhhhhhhhh…" Gauntlet said, remembering his promise. "Guesswork and conjecture?"
"Can you even spell conjecture?" Savior snarked as he entered the garage.
"Hey!"
"No more talk. We need to be going. Have to find out if anyone's out there. And if so, before they get anyone killed. Including themselves." Savior said, as he sprinted for the T-Car.
And somewhere…
In a dark, dank building…
The air stank of ozone.
And then…reality took a holiday.
And a form came tumbling out.
To Be Continued.