A/N) So updates are gonna be slow. I have a lot on my plate this year, and that includes a disertation that is eating my soul.
2020 sucks so far, and not just for me either.
I think the world is going to have a long year.
Motivation is still your Superpower though.
Thanks for reading any of my stuff, and I hope we all will be around for a long while yet.
Kean doesn't say anything as the heavily booted woman and her lackeys follow her to the lab. Jones had wisely stayed away. Poor kid would have fainted if Bellum so much as glanced at him.
And now she has to – inform - these chump heads about project X before they go on a blazing head hunt. Kean sighs and takes off her glasses as the doors to her research facility swish open. Where had she gone wrong anyway?
This wasn't what she wanted for the world - this wasn't what she envisioned -
"If you're done talking to yourself, Doctor," Bellum snaps her out of her thoughts.
Kean decides she hates her and puts her glasses back on with decorum. "Right - well - this is what we have on Project X." She presses a few keys that glow under her fingertips. A holo-screen opens and images of their research flashes in front of everyone present.
"Project X is a top secret government issued bio weapon serum. Only it wasn't stable enough to inject into actual human subjects -" Kean doesn't even flinch when a video of a man screaming and literally melting to nothing flashes on the screen. To her credit, neither does Bellum.
"So we were forced to recreate a genetic formation of the human body only - stronger, faster, and indestructibly celled life forms." Each word was followed by flashes of a video of three bodies ripping into metals chambers and destroying buildings like paper. "Project X was then injected into these genetically created life forms and was almost successful."
Bellum cocks her head in inquisition. "Almost?"
Kean pushes her thin glasses up her nose. "Turns out we didn't prepare for one anomaly."
"And that was?"
Kean looks the combat officer straight in the eyes. "Free will. They developed free will and became unstable. Then escaped. We never saw it coming." She's a scientist - not a strategist. Sue her.
"Hence why I'm here, obviously." Bellum snorts.
"Arguable. Anyway - before you go on you terminator spree. I think some introductions are in order." Kean ignores the snort from the taller woman and flicks the screen with a swipe of her fingers, an angry boy with fire for eyes and hair glares through the holograph. "This is Brick.'
"You named them?" Bellum sounds condescending.
Kean adjusts her glasses. "Easier to say then Project X b49 and so on." In truth she didn't want the projects named - but the under scientist ended up doing it anyway and the names stuck. "He's the one we should have been keeping an eye on the most. Developed not only high intelligence but also brilliance in strategy and technical sciences. Also, he can burn things with his hands - and eyes. Super strength is a given and indestructibility – lasers," Kean eyes the red haired woman's plasma gun holster, "and bullets do nothing to them, Brick's the smart one in case you didn't get the memo and - he orchestrates the other two."
She flicks the screen again and a large blue eyed boy with glittering gold hair and a shockingly innocent looking face appears. The video that plays shows him ripping through a building with electric currents shooting everything into dust. "Boomer's specialty is speed and electricity. He didn't develop on the intelligence level above average - but his emotional empathy took a shockingly realistic almost humane quality. But he's the fastest one of the bunch and just as deadly when he follows orders."
Another flick. The picture morphs into another boy - only this one looks fierce, green eyes dark, gleaming with something close to insanity and his black hair sticking every which way as he literally rips through metal cube chamber with his bare hands, green energy ripping and forming into any shape he wills it to as he smashes through anything still relatively whole - including the camera.
"Butch. His specialty is combat and strength and - he seems to be more emotionally unstable than Boomer, not as smart as Brick, but his strength takes out the charts, he also has the unique ability to form a green sort of plasma energy into any object he wishes, including shields and projectiles." Kean shuts the screen of and the lights come back up.
"So - I'm sure you're aware that this will be difficult." Kean says simply taking off her glasses and cleaning them on her lab coat.
Bellum snorts then sneers, cocking her gun. "I'm aware that this - will be easy enough to handle. You said their indestructible right?"
"Yes?" Kean narrows her violet blue eyes at the dark skinned woman in suspicion. "Why?
"Good. Because that means we don't have to hold back." Bellum smirks and flicks her ear phone on. "You got that Jim. No holds barred."
"Wait-" Kean blurts out in a mild form of panic when she realizes Bellum might be insane.
The woman cuts her off with a sharp swipe of her hand. "Don't worry Kean - we'll take those freaks down and out and we'll bring you back a piece maybe. But they are going down. Thanks for the Intel."
"It's a very sensitive project Captain, you can't just go in there and destroy everything like Hulk- you don't understand the ramifications if - "
"I understand perfectly. Worry about your test tubes and bottles Doc. I have monsters to catch."
And she's gone.
Kean stares at the titanium encoded doors. She suddenly doesn't feel like a scientist. She feels like a traitor.
No time for that Kean - you have a project to recalculate.
New Townsville never sleeps. There are shadows that aren't long. Neo lights shine everywhere, sky cars and busses honk and swish in the lanes. Noises and smells and people fill the cityscape. Nobody has time for anyone else. Joggers with a holo-screen in front of their faces telling them how far they run, measuring vitals. Robots cleaning careless messes of litterers, people talking to nothing because of the invisible ear phone they have, nobody has time to see or find or pay attention to anyone else.
Least of all the three little boys hiding in the only shadow they could find next to a freshly cleaned dumpster. Red eyes glow from underneath a dingy hoodie as they peer around a corner. Heavy booted men run past the hiding spot Brick eases back into the shadows and leans against the wall, ear burning as he tries to keep his body temperature form rising.
"They're going to kill us." Boomer whimpers into his overly large blue sweater sleeve, large blue eyes glowing dimly in the corner he's huddled into.
Butch, his dark hair practically invisible against the shadows they were cowering in, turns dark eyes to the sad blond boy. "They can't kill us moron. We're indestructible remember." He turns to Brick. "They can't kill us - right?"
Brick's eyes close and he lets out a steady breath. Breathe - breathe. "They can't kill us if they can't find us." He says finally.
The other two go silent and stiff before huddling closer.
"I wanna kill them." Butch hisses suddenly, green eyes glowing brighter as his anger suddenly rises.
Boomer shakes his golden head and burrows into Bricks shoulder. "I don't wanna kill anyone."
"Because you're a wimp." Butch snaps.
"Am not- you're crazy."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Are not!"
"Shut up!" Brick growls loud enough to make them stop. His palms sting from the heat building in them. He stands. "Let's keep moving."
"Where?" Boomer asks, eyes wide and blue.
"Anywhere they aren't." Brick says and yanks his hoodie lower over his face. "Outside the city if we can - "
"They'll be looking for us at any transportation platform." Butch says dejectedly, rage flat lining as quickly as it jumped.
Brick taps the wall as he peers around the edge again. "True - I estimate they checked stations five through ten already - they'll be making the north rout now - before they get back . . .let's move." He hisses at them.
Boomer and Butch stand and they calmly fallow behind, eyes carefully taking in their surroundings as they purposely camouflage themselves with unsuspecting passer byers.
"Duck." Brick hisses when a TSS man stomps past. They all slide into spaces next to random citizens. Brick in a group of students, Boomer with an old lady pretending to hold her bags, and Butch with a jogger.
The man walks on.
They make a beeline for the nearest station. The anti-grav train was loading.
"Move it." Brick shoves Boomer on board, Butch jumps up next. Brick grabs the railings.
"Stop those brats!"
Brick curses and yanks himself onto the platform. TSS laser shoots at his leg and bounces off, frying his jeans.
"Hey!"
The station bellows its last warning, the tracks spark and the train rises off the rails. The TSS man grabs onto the railing. Brick spits in his face and kicks at his chest.
"Get off punks!" The man seethes and swipes at Boomers head. The boy squeaks and dodges.
"You get off!" Butch swipes a punch at the guys helmet encase face and shatters it, knocking out a few teeth too when he goes flying out with a scream and landing who knows where.
Brick's eyes widen when the Cavalry arrives, this stupid train hasn't picked up speed yet and - "Come on. Come. On!" He shouts at nobody in particular, his hands heat up - he growls out as a laser scorches the metal coating of the train cart.
"Halt in the name of the TSS!" A cadet shouts.
The conductor looks petrified and hits the breaks.
"NO!" Brick shoots to the front of the vehicle and grabs the skinny man by his shirt, eyes glowing a fierce deadly red. "Don't. Stop."
"Uh - uh - " A plasma shot makes the yellowing individual shriek and slam the start button again.
"Hey - hey! You're fired!" A soldier screams over the motor as it roars to life again.
Brick drops the fainted conductor and smirks at the soldiers as they fall behind. "So long suckers." He says and waves at them, hitting full throttle and finally losing them when they shoot through a tunnel.
"Phew - " He pushes off his hood and toes the limp conductor on the floor with his scuffed shoe toe. "Hey Mister? Mister you - you ok?" He bends and hears the man breathe. Ok - alive at least. He lifts the man up effortlessly and drapes him over the controls, flicking on autopilot after a quick study of the buttons.
"See ya." He waves and rubs at his neck sheepishly, heading back to his brothers in the next compartment. "You guys ok?"
Boomer nods already sitting in a corner tiredly. Butch sighs and shrugs as if he doesn't care about anything. Good - neither was hurt.
"Where's this A-train headed anyway? TSS soldiers are gonna be waiting for us you know - '
Brick nods at Butch's observation. "Which is why we aren't getting off at the stop - we'll get off somewhere in the middle."
"Cool - extreme train jumping. Sounds fun!" Butch grins, a glint lighting his eyes.
Brick rolls his own eyes and sits next to Boomer tiredly, training his eyes on the window as the tunnel lights flash in a blur. "We'll get off once we reach midtown."
"And go where?" Boomer asks quietly.
Brick rubs at his own eye. "We'll know when we get there." He hopes they will anyway.
Bellum smirks as she watches the train whiz through the open space and out of the tunnel. "There you are." She raises a giant shoulder rocket launcher on her shoulders and looks through the spotter. "Come to Mama." She shoots.
The missiles aim is direct and hits the compartment with a shuddering explosive smash.
The train screeches deafeningly and tilts and loses its magnetic grip on its single rail careening out of control and tearing up the scenery like paper. Smoke, dust, and train bits fly everywhere.
"Bull's-eye." Bellum smirks. Now - to get those monsters. She jumps from her cliff view and slides down towards the wreckage.
A hand shakes out of a pile of dirt as someone coughs - people that were still alive crawl out and ask for help. She ignores them. They were small sacrifices in the face of a greater good.
Where were they -
A metal panel shrieks and is tossed aside as if it weighed no more than a shoe.
"What the - " One of them coughs violently.
Gotcha. Bellum smirks and arms her plasma gun as she approaches the unsuspecting monsters. This hunt is about to end.
"We gotta get out of here." The red one chokes out and lifts another out of the debris - they really survived this - wow. She's mildly impressed. Those braincases make good stuff.
"Freeze freaks." She lowers her gun and smirks wider. "Or don't. Doesn't matter.
They look at her like she has two heads. Not afraid - just weirded out. Not what she wants from them but - whatever. She shoots one directly in the chest, he flies back and rolls into a metal sheet.
"Boomer!" The red one shouts, his hands glow - powers. Right - she shoots at him, he dodges and shoots towards her in a red streak.
She doesn't catch him in time and gets sucker punched so hard she sees spots. But she didn't come here to stay down.
She stands, legs wobble - "Oh no you don't - " They're trying to get away. She shoots again -and again - hits one in the shoulders, he turns fierce green eyes at her and growls like an animal.
"Not now - " The red one grabs him by the shirt, they turn and aim to shoot away - She aims another missile at them.
"Wait!" The blond one stops.
Why?
She forgets to shoot as she watches the freak bend over and yank a small girl out of the debris. What?
"Go - go run - crazy people will hurt you." He says to the bawling child who listens. Then they disappear in streaks of red, green, and blue speed.
Bellum glares at the fading colors. Well - at least she got some good information to go on now.
Now all she has got do is get weapons that will take those punks down.
A little girl with thick brown pigtails and wide violet eyes stares at the empty sky - the country side was quiet - not like the city. She's seen the city once when she went to a conference with daddy.
The city had been big and noisy and scary sometimes.
Not like the peaceful quiet farm she lived on with her robot dog and their self-maintained vegetable growers.
Nothing bad happens here - she thinks that's nice and -
Streaks cut the dark starry sky and explode their barn. She gasps and shrieks.
"Daaaaaddddyyyyy!" She jumps down from her window sill and rushes out the door her father unable to catch her as he yells after her to come back inside the house.
She doesn't - she runs straight for their barn and looks inside, coughing at the dirt clouds.
"Shoot - someone's gonna be mad at us - " A voice says forlornly.
"Who cares - I'm beat - we have to hide before - "
"Shhh - "
The girl gasps and freezes, eyes wide as she takes in three boys - all pretty and colorful and - and they just smashed the barn - and they don't have a scratch on them.
"What are you?" She whispers in awe.
"Uh oh - " the blond boy gasps quietly.
"Busted." The dark haired boy whispers back.
"Hello - "
"Bunny - what's going on in there, you - " A tall middle aged man walks in with a very old twenty third century rifle in his hands. "Who are you?" His eyes dark and curious as he looks at the three dusty boys in front of him.
Bunny reaches for her father's hand. "Magic." She whispers - they flew out of nowhere like that magic boy in one of her favorite stories her father tells her before bedtime. The three look at each other than at the two shocked people in front of them.
That's when the red boy decides to speak.
Hope you enjoyed that.
See ya later.