“I’ll
never understand your plan,” Tommy said rubbing his hands together in
anticipation. “Why tell them they have an hour, and then actually wait the
hour? We should attack now when they are off guard!”
Volt
shook his head with a sigh, but the rest remained quiet. Richard did not even
acknowledge Tommy’s question from his workbench. Volt cleared his throat and
responded instead. “Because it means more if we beat them when they are at
their best. Frontier has had a whole week to prepare for us, just like we’ve
had a week to prepare for them. That way when we win, we know it was earned,
and it will be all the sweeter to see the utter desperation in their eyes right
before we kill each one.”
Tommy
nodded, but couldn’t sit still. “Fine, but I hate waiting.”
Which is why if it weren’t for us, you’d
still be behind bars, Volt thought. He did not particularly like Tommy, but
the young man was better company than any of the others. Too much power, not enough brains to use it wisely.
Volt
recalled not too long ago he was in the same boat. Never one to value
intelligence over power, that all changed after being defeated by the Electric
Eagle. Volt took it upon himself to start learning all he could about his
abilities, and in the in process became almost a disciple to Richard. Volt
learned all he could in the few months he was away, and now that he understood
the world around him better, found it insulting that others did not do the
same. If he could take a few months to become smarter and more sensible, anyone
could.
Volt looked around at the
others. Besides for Richard, who was putting the finishing touches on his suit,
the rest were sitting quietly in wait for the time to be up. Brian and Jasmine
sat on opposite ends of the couch, each to their own thoughts, and Sentinel
stood by the doorway as he always did, waiting for the next order.
Sentinel
freaked Volt out. Volt knew he was a metahuman like the rest of them, but
Sentinel was just too inhuman to fit in. His eyes rarely opened, and it seemed
like he never slept nor ate anything. Volt had seen no expression on his face
since arriving here, and he has yet to speak a word to anyone. He obeys
commands given like a golem, and if it weren’t for Richard’s word, Volt would
have sworn Sentinel was a robotic guard built in a lab.
Let’s just hope he is as powerful as he’s
supposed to be, Volt thought, not for the first time. He glanced around at
the crew of villains surrounding him. This
is going to be close, no matter what Richard says. Whichever team screws up
first is going down.
“Let’s
hope the message was an indication to where as well as when,” Natalie said
through the radio to the rest of the team. Natalie was standing on a rooftop
overlooking the center square of Hopling; a massive clearing in the city which
housed numerous billboards, lights, signs, and open space. It was built to
resemble the old city of New York’s Times Square. The sky was illuminated by
all the flashing lights and brilliantly lit despite the darkness of the late
night. The multitude of streets leading off the center square helped add to the
feel of an arena, forming the perfect place to trap an enemy. Natalie just
hoped they weren’t falling for a trap themselves. The rest of Frontier was
scattered around the square as well, keeping an eye out for the villains. They
had no idea what to expect, but as the minutes ticked away, the anticipation
for the confrontation grew in each of them.
“Even
if it wasn’t, let’s hope they come to us.” Steve was in the center of the
square, helping to direct the crowd control operations. The Hoping Police were
there, along with numerous agents from the GMA who weren’t assigned guard duty
at the temporary metahuman prison. The center square and the surrounding city
blocks had been evacuated already, and the crowd control was just to set up a
perimeter and not let any super villains go by unnoticed. Bright floodlights
were positioned on every street so nobody could slip by in the darkness. “Is
Alex here yet?”
“Affirmative,
my friend,” Jackson replied through his microphone. “I’ve already met up with
Marian and received the information on what is happening. I’m going to be
positioned by the gigantic electric billboard, just as you asked. I also
brought along some of my Eagle Men to aid in the perimeter control. I’m sure
you’ll notice them in their uniforms.”
Steve
looked around and saw men in golden military uniforms filing amongst the ranks
of police officers and GMA agents. Each man carried a weapon, and Steve assumed
it was a high powered stun gun capable of discharging dangerous amounts of
electricity. Marian did mention something about Jackson having a standing militia
on the Eagle, just in case.
High
above the center square, Matt hovered in the air, acting as air reconnaissance
and using his energy tracking abilities to sense for a super villain’s signal.
So far he had detected nothing, which was completely unnerving to him.
Where’s Jasmine? He thought for the hundredth time this night. The
lack of her signal meant two things; either she had left and gone somewhere
else, or she was purposely depowered to avoid his detection. Matt knew with
dread which it was, and he did not look forward to this meeting. The last words
she ever spoke to him were a question.
How could you do this to me?
Matt shook his head to clear it.
Emotions long buried were bubbling up, and he could not let them. Frontier will deal with Jasmine, he
thought as he went back to scanning the city. But deep down he knew that wasn’t
true. He would have to face her tonight, one way or another.
As
the villains filed out of the apartment complex to their designated positions
for the upcoming battle, Richard stopped Jasmine with a hand on her shoulder.
Brian looked back, but Richard motioned for him to leave.
“You
are to stay here until we need you,” Richard said in his monotonous tone once
they were alone.
“But
won’t I be too far away to help you quickly?” Jasmine asked without facing
Richard.
“Yes,
but I do not think aiding us is what you have in mind.” Richard quickly slapped
his hand on the back of Jasmine’s neck. Before Jasmine could react, she felt
the device sink into her skin and activate, flooding her body with an
electrical charge that put her in a deep trance.
“I’ve been watching you this
entire time through the cameras I placed in each room. You have been crying too
much for the cold-hearted super villain we mistook you to be. So I took it upon
myself to find a way to sway your loyalty.” Richard walked in front of Jasmine
and tilted her head up. Her eyes were glazed over and her body stiff. “Perhaps
giving you so much freedom was a mistake on my behalf.”
As he stared into her eyes,
Richard noticed something that made even his cold heart skip a beat. In the
far-off stare a darkness was seen in the girl’s eyes that pulsed with a life of
its own. Hmm, just as I thought,
Richard mused, the dark energy she
controls must bring out the worst in her. Good, at least I now know a way to summon
the evil within her when I need it.
A few minutes later he left the room
and locked it behind him. Richard walked up and activated his battle suit,
which was waiting by the exit door. He climbed inside of it and allowed the
advanced technology to mend with his soft flesh, turning him and the suit into
one complete being. Clad head to toe in silver metal and outfitted with
devastating weaponry both in plain sight and hidden within the suit, Richard was
an incredibly deadly living robot. As the suit powered up, Richard became the
Obliterator once more, the most fearsome and deadly enemy Frontier has ever
faced. Exiting the building, he flew up into the night sky and towards the
center square of the city, intent on bringing much pain and death to the
superheroes of Frontier.
“Here they come,” Matt said, his
voice hiding all the anxiety he felt. “Everybody ready?”
“Can I get five more minutes
please?” Tony chuckled at his own joke, though even his usual arrogance was
curbed tonight. Everyone was on edge and dreading the battle ahead. These were
the strongest enemies they had ever faced, all together as one deadly force.
Though it was not said, they all knew there was a chance not everyone would
make it out of this fight alive.
“Remember your jobs, and hold
nothing back,” Steve said, his voice carrying the strength his body possessed.
It was his duty as team leader to rally his troops, and Steve had years of
experience behind him. “They will not hesitate to kill you. Normally I would
suggest pulling punches and rising above the instinct of kill or be killed, but
tonight is an exception. Do not stop until they do. And above all else, please
be safe; every one of you.”
The radio was silent after that
as the six heroes made last minute preparations for the battle. Matt pulled
energy into this body, charging it up for the first blow. Natalie floated off
the rooftop to get closer to the main action, while Jackson activated his
gauntlets. Electricity sparked through his body, and he looked across the open
space towards Marian, who was taking a deep breath and steadying herself for
whatever may come. No harm will come to
that girl, as long as I live, he swore to himself.
The center square was quiet.
Every soul there was holding their breath, waiting for a sign from the enemy.
In the eerie silence, the only thing they heard was the wind blowing through
the skyscrapers on that hot summer’s night.
In the next moment, hell broke
loose in the city of Hopling.
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