Heroes and Demons (Superhero Collab)

Reality: Earth Delta

Date: April 4, 2013

EDIT: This little edit is NOT part of the story, but this sentence is a link to the official discussion thread where planning/general discussion about the story takes place. - Manny

“...I can’t control it,” Alejandro whispered. The 17 year old boy seemed scared. Two men had cornered him into an alley and they seem to know his secret. The one he had worked so hard to conceal. They wanted him to come with them, and he had refused multiple times. They had even showed him their guns, but he didn’t care. He could walk out of this alive no matter what... he was just worried about everybody else in the area.

“We know, that’s why we want you to come back with us. We’ll teach you to control it,” one of the men said, reaching out his hand as if they were friends.

“You don’t get it. It CAN’T be controlled!” he shouted. The men reached for their guns.

“Don’t, please...” Alejandro pleaded in his mind.

“KILL THEM!” the voice inside him screamed.

“I’m...I’m sorry. Please, we can all walk away from this...” he said Unfortunately the men registered that as a threat.

“Excuse me? Look kid, this is the LAST time I’m going to ask nicely. We’ll take you back to HQ, get you acquainted with the big boss, and let you live in a PENTHOUSE! Sounds better than getting shot in the streets huh?” the man took a step forward. The boy stepped back into the brick wall, terrified. He could FEEL it’s alpha male presence. It wanted OUT, and if these men kept threatening him...he wouldn’t be able to keep it caged any longer.

“Do it” the voice said.

“I said no! Just leave me alone...please,” he pleaded, not sure if he was asking the voice in his head or the men in front of him. Either way, these guys had no idea what they were getting into. Well, they had SOME idea but they thought their fancy energy weapons were going to protect them. It didn’t work too well for the folks at the military base.

“Alright, we tried to do this the easy way...” the men aimed their rifles at him, fingers on the trigger. Alejandro’s flight or fight instinct kicked in, and a tear came to his eye. It was loose.

“TIME TO KILL!” it screamed in his mind as it took over.

In the split second it took the men to pull the triggers on their weapons, Alejandro was no more. He was what the military had so fitting called, “DEMON”.

The energy bolts bounced off harmlessly and one of them seared the leg off the man who had verbally threatened Alejandro. The purple abomination of energy in front of them stood at roughly 8 and half feet tall with bent knees. The claws on its hands and feet were unnaturally long, the size of large daggers. Its tail swished about, carving gashes into the brick walls around it with its pointed end. It growled at the other man, prompting him to run off. The beast had no notion of hiding... it was made to KILL. It looked down at the wounded man, decided it was hungry and began to eat him alive. It’s long pointed teeth made short work of the meat, but his screams of agony had prompted people to look into the alley. It was hard to see in the darkness but when it looked up, it’s large menacing ovular eyes were enough to send people running and screaming in terror. There was one old man who was trying his best to get away but he wasn’t fast enough.

It ran out and impaled the man through the back with its left claw, blood spraying the terrified crowd. The beast threw the corpse away, chasing people as if they were its playthings. The body count rose with each swipe, jab, bite, and tail whip. There was a nice little pile of bodies building up in the middle of the street, at the beast was pleased... or as pleased as an animal could get.

Finally, there it was. The call of a challenger. It’s high pitched wailing approached, and a pack of metal beasts approached it. They had lights on their heads, which alternated between red and blue. The pack halted in its tracks, releasing more primates from its insides

“FREEZE! THIS IS THE POLICE!” one of them shouted, holding a firearm. The beast stopped long enough to tilt its head to the side. From behind him, another pack of metal beasts approached, more primates being released from inside them. These primates were more heavily armed, and they approached with more confidence than the first group.

“SWAT TEAM! HANDS IN THE AIR!” they shouted. It didn’t like their yells at all. They were smooth and fluid, not wild and guttural. And they were directed at it.

“Listen to them...” said a voice in its head. It was that weakling. The one it was bound to. Even if it did feel like listening to them... it wasn’t sure what they were saying... but when in doubt, KILL.

The beast did what could be described as a grin before roaring and stepping over its pile of food. The primates opened fire and he screeched at the first group. The sound broke all the windows in the immediate vicinity, and caused the eardrums of the police to bleed. Now it was time to handle the second group.

It charged forward, impaled the first officer in the chest with one claw and in the gut with the other. It tore him in half, his organs and blood spilling onto the pavement. His fellow SWAT members opened fire some more, only to be torn apart in a flurry of claws and teeth. One of them was used as a club to beat others to death before he was nothing but a bloody pulp. More packs of metal beasts were approaching.

The “demon” ran straight at one, jumping over it while reaching it’s claw down. It ripped through the metal beast, and its sides crashed into the buildings around it. It flipped another and kicked it in mid air, sending it flying into another.

More were coming, but another sound caught it’s attention. Up above he could see giant flying metallic beasts. The speed of its wings reminded the “demon” of an insect, only insects didn’t have a circular path to their wing beats.

Gunfire erupted from the side of the strange metal insect, forcing the beast a few steps back. It HURT, and it didn’t like that. The demon roared at it, shattering the window. The glass killed the pilot inside, causing the vehicle to fall.

“Shit! The helicopter’s down!” some of primates shouted. It began to climb a building, and when it was at the right height it leapt off, grabbed the “helicopter” in mid-air, and swung the thing at a group of armed primates. There was a marvelous explosion, and the beast roared in a show of might before being blasted off the building. Concrete and glass rammed it into the ground, a blood curdling roar was emitted from the pile of debris. It HATED being trapped. The purple beast erupted from the pile of debris, being met with another blast of fire to the chest. The beast flinched before looking at the source of its pain.

Down the street it saw slow, fat beats approaching. Their noses were long and tubular, releasing fire which impacted against their target, the demon. Now, fat animals were usually easy to kill, but these ones seemed fairly powerful. Unlike the demon, they weren’t powerful AND fast. Before another volley of fire could be fired, the demon sprinted and they found themselves face to face.

It smashed its fists into their heads before ripping a nose off and crushing the life out of the remaining beasts. The demon threw the nose of the beast away, crushing a fallen primate and the leg of its companion.

The demon growled and made its way towards the helpless soldier. It let out a low guttural growl as it drooled over the man, before impaling him with its clawed feet and biting the man's head off.

The beast chewed on it while it sought out more people to kill. There were sirens going off everywhere and people screaming in terror. The city was crumbling around it as it threw debris this way and that, the human defenders only adding to the maybem. The army and police alike were streaming into downtown Crisis city. They shouted over their megaphones and attempted to subdue it with bullets and fire, from either rifle or beast.

None of it proved effective. There was no reasoning with it. There was no deterring it. It was there to do one thing.

"KILL"

"Here is a Crisis City news flash update!" Chip Chinnings' voice echoed from the other room of Bryce's apartment. "A creature of unknown origins has begun to attack city officials in the streets of Crisis. The military has thrown all it's got at the beast, and with hope dwindling, all we can ask is, how can this beast be stopped?"

Bryce clenched his fists, fastening his icy blue mask to his face, he stood out onto the balcony of his fourth floor apartment, and jetted into the air. Closing his eyes, the voices of several distressed military personnel filling his mind's eye. Hovering down to the source, a rather large beast hunkered down over the corpse of a swat team member, blood dribbling from it's hungry maws.

Producing icy spears from the moisture in the air, Bryce flung them at the beast. Whether or not the impacts damaged the beast was the question, but it had certainly gotten it's attention.

"Hey buddy, chill out." Bryce's feet made contact with the tarmac, as the soldiers face-palmed from the joke. "Look, I've always wanted to say that."

"Our friend's been eaten, and the best fuckin' thing ye could say is 'chill'?!" The man's deep Scottish accent growled at him.

"Having a lightened spirit makes the mind think clearer." Bryce replied sagely. "If my mind isn't clear, your asses will be doomed."

The creature was now fully attentive to Bryce, as the psychic smirked, his eyes glowing white, a thin layer of frost covering his skin.

"C'mon, make my day."

Jordan watched the television program intently. The news reporters, at a loss for words for the scene, had fallen silent.

"Are the systems diagnostics done?" Jordan lifted and munched into a taco impatiently. He licked the cheese dust from the shell off of his fingers. A bit of fire sauce rested on the corner of his mouth, and he licked it off as he waited for the scientist hovering around him to finish.

Marie checked dials and screens carefully. "This is a terrible day for you to have your check-up. Someone has to stop that thing out there, and you're probably one of the only meta-humans nearby."

"Nope. Some guy in blue is throwing ice-cubes at him." Jordan stared intently. The man fighting the creature was a telepath. That much was clear. He was doing an excellent job of staying out of harm's way, but Jordan knew it was a battle against time.

Jordan rolled his shoulder sockets. His right arm hummed lightly, as per usual. His longfall boots, built into his leg muscles, clicked to life. He clenched his left fist, steeling himself and calming his nerves.

"That guy's gonna get tired eventually. I won't." Jordan stood. "Forget the diagnostic. I'm going now."

"But-"

"Don't care." Jordan stepped past Marie towards a white, metallic platform. "Put in the coordinates, please."

Marie nodded. "I was going to say, your systems are functioning perfectly. I dispatched the B-5 Units ahead of you."

Jordan nodded, as he saluted her, and adjusted his ray ban glasses. He was a spectacle of the 21st century. Though he wore normal, loose fitting jeans, his body boasted metallic plates, most extensively along his right arm. Over his chest was a black muscle shirt, displaying the metal plates over his collarbone and alone his arms. Black boots covered the heavy modifications to his feet and shins, his thankfully human eyes covered by a pair of sunglasses and a cap. He cracked his knuckles and bounced lightly on his feet, his expensively cobbled body prepared for a fight.

"Good luck, Beta. Show 'em who's boss."

The teleporter whirred to life, and in a spinning blue flash, Jordan, or Agent Beta, was gone.

"FREEZE!" Bryce held his hands out, a jet of supercooled air anchoring the Demon to the ground.

Kill

With a little effort, the creature broke free, its dark purple membrane shrugging off sheets of ice and frost. Melting along his shoulders, water dripped steaming to the ground.

KILL!

"WOAH!" Bryce summoned a wall of ice between him and the monster, and with a glassy clonging sound, the Demon hit it, claws first.

The Demon pawed at it, admiring the feel of the cold. Sensation was seldom noted, or enjoyed, by the creature.

With a mighty swat, Demon smashed the ice, and continued towards Bryce, who kept his hands at the ready.

Demon lurched forward, his toes shattering concrete with the sheer force.

"NNNGH" Bryce held out his hands, and the Demon stopped in mid-air. It clawed the thin air in which it floated, batting at Bryce. Its grunts became desperate and angry, when it realized that it was floating by the human's will alone. "Look, I can feel someone in there! You're THINKING. Trying to control the thing that's on the outside! Let me give you a hand! All you need to do is REALLY TRY, alright?"

Let go escape KILL Kill LET GO

The Demon's tail wagged and spun, then lashed, nearly snapping Bryce's head off. He ducked at the last moment, and with an accidental motion, tossed the Demon with immense force.

Howling, the Demon was sent flying away from Bryce.

"...Uh oh."

The Demon came to a hault as it latched onto a building. It sniffed the air as it stood on the wide roof.

The cement was peppered by bullets, as the Demon searched for the source. Three men, made of thin reeds of metal.

"Engaging enemy. Primary directive: buy time for Beta unit to engage."

The Demon turned and roared with hate, charging.

Two of the robots escaped destruction by leaping away. The third was impaled by Demon's tail. He lashed it from side to side, biting its arm.

Nothing tasty. The Demon spat the arm out, and finished destroying the robot with gusto.

Then, something seized his attention.

A blue, spinning flash enraptured the creature. It paced, squinting.

The figure appeared five feet off the ground. It landed with a heavy thud, its knees bent. The light faded, and the dark skinned challenger stood. He was nearly half the size of the Demon.

Another man. Part metal, part human. Jordan stood with his left hand in his pocket. His right arm, an adaptable omni weapon, was the most interesting part to the Demon. It changed shape from an ordinary hand into a hammer with a warbling of liquid metal. The Demon watched it intently, like a cat watching a mouse.

"HEY. YOU."

Jordan's voice was loud and commanding. Unwilling to compromise. The Demon looked up and listened. It was a challenge, akin to a dog's growl or a lion's roar.

"You're guilty of vandalism, resisting arrest, but most importantly, FUCKING MURDER. I watched you kill a lot of people. You ate some people too." Jordan pointed his left hand accusingly. "Your crimes DEMAND serious punishment."

Agent Beta's expression was hard and angry, but that roughness gave way to compassion. "But, if you drop the animal act and come PEACEFULLY, I'll give you as much respect and decency as I can. I don't know if you're capable of rational judgement, or even feelin' pain," Jordan noted the way the Demon had shrugged off bullets and missiles, "but I'm giving you ONE FINAL WARNING." Jordan cracked his neck muscles, and put his right foot forward, lifting his right arm, prepared to defend. "You can't win. Give up now, or I start breaking bones."

The Demon howled, then began circling Jordan.

A smile came across the android's mouth. "You got it." Jordan charged straight towards the monster.

His adaptable arm, now a hammer, swung first. Against a human, he'd never lead with a right cross. Jordan had a feeling that it didn't matter. He put his full weight into the attack. He missed the Demon, but hit his mark, smashing the ground beneath it.

A trick. Destabilizing the creature's footing.

The Demon clawed the air as it fell through the ceiling, thudding to the ground. It stood and looked around, hissing angrily. It was in a dark room, part of the service tunnels of the building.

"Here ya go."

Jordan's fist bashed the Demon's face before it could plant its feet, throwing it through the wall and out of the building. Light spilled into the room.

The robots, Jordan's B-5 support units, followed behind him.

"Beta Unit's attack was successful. Unknown amount of damage sustained by enemy."

"B-5 units one and two, stay at a distance and corral the creature if it gets too far from me! I intend to fight it myself."

Jordan followed the Demon, leaping through the hole in the wall.

Longfall mode active.

Jordan's boots thickened, as he fell from the thirty story building, his eyes scanning for the creature.

He'd miscalculated. The Demon was right behind him, skittering along the side of the building after him with blinding, terrifying speed. Jordan turned to look into its gleeful, oval eyes.

Clinging to the wall of the building, the monster swung its arm and slammed Jordan. He flipped through the air, losing control of his descent.

He slammed the ground painfully, bouncing and rolling against the pavement, coming to a stop only when he'd stricken a PT cruiser.

Standing painfully, his auto-repair systems began filling in dents in his armor and scratches in his skin.

But that was the least of his worries.

The Demon slammed down in front of him, its happy, sharp paws swinging. Jordan ducked the first slash, and leaped over the second, landing on the car behind him. He jumped off as the Demon's tail swiped the car in half.

He dropped to one knee and aimed his right hand, which transformed into a cannon with but a thought.

"Swallow this."

-BLAM!!- The shot struck the Demon in the chest, but the creature refused to budge. It charged Jordan before he could stand, wrapping its claws around his arms.

He was slammed hard against the building behind him. His auto-repair systems kept up with the sheer damage he was eating.

This thing's bigger than me by a damn sight, and it's angry. But we're just about the same in terms of strength.

Jordan's arm became a straight, silver drill.

Neither of us TIRE easy...but he's a lot more dedicated than I am. His claws could cut my armor up.

Jordan slammed his drill against the creature's chest, and revved it. The strange, purple skin held tight.

"TRY THIS, LOSER!!!"

Jordan's feet raked the ground, finding traction. He forced the Demon back, his drill sparking against its energy armor. He pushed forward.

The Demon's claws raked his shirt, exposing metallic plating over his shoulders and chest, but he shielded his face. Slashes, swats, and kicks did little to deter him. He steadied his drill with his left hand and pushed forward. The Demon's claws flopped to and fro as the android pushed forward, drilling into its gut. The two thrashed aside a cop car in their struggle.

A little more...

Jordan's drill began to dull against the monster's chest. He could see damage forming.

The Demon found its footing, and swung its arms down on Jordan's back, stunning him. His adaptable arm shifted into cannon mode, and he fired up and into its face.

The Demon was thrown back by the attack, but landed on its feet.

"JEEZUS. You're a real hard fella..." Jordan stood, ready. "I don't even know if I'm HURTING YOU. Let's go a few more rounds, shall we? I hope you're not going easy."

The beast howled, and circled Jordan, who gave it a slightly worried grin.

This thing's gonna KILL me if I don't think of something!

With a strange, alien grin, the creature began its approach.

KILL

The Demon continued to grin maliciously at the metal primate in front of him. It had been a while since it had found a decent challenge. Most of these hairless primates were soft and fragile.

The demon circled around his adversary, growling and drooling on the pavement. They circled each other ever so slowly, before the demon made it's move.

It smashed the ground in front of it, sending concrete into the air between them. The demon ran through the concrete "smokescreen", taking another blast head on from Jordan.

Jordan was able to charge up a shot with his arm canon, and released it. Unfortunately the demon swatted the shot and Jordan away, sending the meta-human flying into a truck.

Jordan got up with a grunt, his auto repair fixing any dents in his armour. The Demon swished its tail about, and charged on all fours.

"You want summa this?!" Jordan shouted, enraging the creature. Why wasn't this primate DEAD? Jordan rapidly fired multiple shots, sending chuncks of concrete flying up. Some of them hit the Demon, causing it to stall for microseconds at a time.

He's getting close, gotta switch! Jordan thought as his arm turned into a hammer. The Demon leapt and brought its claw down, leaving a gash in Jordan's chest. The damage dealt wasn't a one way street though. Jordan had managed to swing his hammer into the spot where a human's temple would be, flipping the Demon in mid air.

"Ugnh" Jordan stepped back as he clutched the wound.

Seems normal enough... Jordan thought, as his auto repair began to heal the wound. The Demon's screech brought him back to more important matters at hand.

The Demon had landed on its feet and stood there screeching and smashing the ground with its arms, like a chimp.

COME. FIGHT.

Beta switched back to his arm cannon and opened fire, prompting the beast to block with its forearms. A few got into its gut, causing a stinging sensation.

The creature didn't like where this was going. This primate was far more difficult to deal with than it had though previously. And far more annoying.

The Demon approached, walking through the barrage of fire. Jordan switched back to a drills and ran forward, attempting to ram it like before. This time however, the Demon caught it and swung the human around like a rag doll. He swung Jordan into the ground multiples times, before spinning and throwing the android far away.

The Demon roared in a show of animalistic glory before chasing down it's prey. It began to run at full speed, literally tearing through scattered civilians, law enforcement, and soldiers along the way. He wanted to make his adversary was dead from the fall. If he wasn't then the demon would FINISH him.

Up in the air, Jordan attempted his best to place his feet first. He tumbled about in the air before doing so, the ground very close by.

Longfall mode activated

His boots thickened as he dropped down, creating a miniature crater with his landing. The landing was fairly abrupt, leaving Jordan's legs feeling wobbly for a few seconds.

But a few seconds was all the demon need to catch up. It launched itself into the crater gleefully, claws out in an attempt to slice the man's face to pieces. Jordan barely dodged them, hitting the Demon in the chest his hammer.

That was close. The sooner this ends, the better, Jordan thought.

The Demon scrambled back up, furious at its failed attempt to kill the man. All it wanted to feel its fallen foe die in its grasp.

Jordan swung again, but the Demon slapped the hammer away and backhanded the android out of the crater.

The Demon hopped out and watched the man get up. It screeched again in frustration.

"WHY YOU...YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THAT!!! You're fucking HISTORY, YOU SNAGGLE TOOTHED FREAK!" Jordan barked in high fury. The Demon launched itself at the android, catching him off guard. It began to claw Jordan mercilessly, dealing damage faster than it could be repaired.

Jordan nearly panicked, until a huge blast knocked the Demon off. He got up to see three tanks and two squads of soldiers.

"Open fire!"

The bullets bounced harmlessly of the creature's energized body, who ran forward to slaughter the primates. The soldiers never stood a chance, and then tanks were crushed to pieces in a matter of seconds.

"NO!" Jordan shouted, opening fire on the Demon. The beast turned around, the torso of a soldier in its mouth.

"You BASTARD! This is between US! You should know they don't stand a chance fighting you! FACE ME LIKE A MAN, YOU UGLY BITCH!!" Jordan bellowed. The Demon continued chomping on the torso, but got up to address the android's challenge. It ripped up the the nose of a tank and advanced forward.

KILL. DOMINATE!

It began to jog forward, the tank barrel raised.

"Two can play at that," Jordan mumbled and he ran forward. His arm morphed into a hammer, and the two swung. The Demon's weapon broke, but it had one other trick up it's sleeve.

It spit out the human meat in it's mouth, covering Jordan's glasses in blood and organs.

"Ugh!" Jordan shouted, backing up. The Demon grabbed Jordan by the hammer arm and swung him across the street. The android smashed into a downed helicopter and the Demon gave chase, howling with glee.

Beta didn't move for a few moments as the demon began to approach the motionless man, snarling, growling, and screeching at its assumed victory. It finally stood over the man and began to drool but before it could take a bite Beta moved.

"EAT THIS!" Beta stuck his arm cannon in its mouth and fired, severely injuring the creature. The Demon stumbled back, screeching and howling in pain. It's head rocked back and forth, trying in vain to sooth the pain.

"What's the matter? Don't like the taste?" Jordan taunted.

The Demon looked at Jordan, nothing but pure concentrated hate in its eyes. Beta wasn't a challenger in his territory, and he most definitely wasn't prey.

Beta was an ENEMY. The Demon's secondary purpose began to kick in, the one it has been designed to do originally.

EXTERMINATE

Bryce recooperated from his skirmish with the Demon, eventually finding his way back to the combat zone. Lashing out his hands, giant balls of pure ice formed in his palms, as he fired a nearly endless barrage at the 'Demon'.

His impacts hit home, as the creature merely flinched at the strikes. The metallic man stood in a standoff with the 'Demon', and Bryce would see to it that he would live to fight another day.

"Sit boy!" Bryce barked, sending a massive ball of ice, no smaller than a wrecking ball, cascading on the beast's head.

The smoke lingered in the air for a brief moment of two, as the creature lunged at him, roaring in his face. It's claws raked his skin, as his eyes glowed a brilliant white, his hair freezing in a spiky fashion.

"Let's go for a little ride." He growled, touching his hand to the 'Demon', a thin layer of ice encompassing it. " 'Cause you need to chill the fuck out."

With a flash, the Demon's ice capsule shattered, as the two of them found themselves on top of a nearby skyscraper. Kicking with all of his might, Bryce launched the beast off of the rooftop, sending it cascading to the tarmac below. Using his Cryotransportaion, Bryce appeared in the street below.

Using his mind, he grabbed the beast, as all the muscles in his body tensed. Despite it's unusually slender body, it weighed a ton.

Pure Muscle Bryce thought to himself.

Without hesitation, Bryce swung the beast in an arch, slamming it into the concrete, before turning back and whipping it on the opposite side.

It was still for a moment, but stood once more, hungrier than ever for revenge and blood.

"What the fuck are you?" Bryce asked. "You aren't just Terra Co. , you're something else."

It had been a rather peaceful day in the park for Samuel Buchanan. The ground whispered to him of the slight movement of living beings all around him. Birds; worms; squirrels; he could sense them as they went about their daily business. It was lovely, something he didn't get to do often. Endless zen.

But just like that, it had ended.

A ways south of the park he sensed the numerous footsteps slam against the pavement coming his way. He spread his arms about the back of the bench casually and cast his gaze in that direction in that direction. A group of twelve men and women were running in his direction, their faces bewildered.

Sam stood up, twisted, cracked his back, then leaned against the bench. As the group passed, he grabbed hold of a particularly frail looking young woman by the arm, stopping her.

"What's going on?" he asked, flashing a cool smile.

The woman, who couldn't have been more than nineteen years old, looked back towards the city, her eyes wide and bloodshot. Her body trembled, her lower lip trembled. Sam raised his eyebrows to get her speaking.

Footsteps drew closer. He could feel them. A lot of them.

"What happened?" he hissed.

A tremble. She glanced at the Crisis city, then him; the city, him.

"It.. uh," she blinked rapidly, "I don't know! Some thing is running loose in the city! The army came in, but they aren't doing anything!"

At that she burst into tears. Sam faked a cough and rolled his eyes. Women. They cry about everything. He patted her on the shoulder.

"Thanks," he said, "go catch up to you friends."

She did so, tears rolling down her cheeks all the while. Sam turned and started jogging back towards the city, running through into the mass exodus of people. He quickly passed through the large group, his goal being his apartment in the center of the city.

Somebody's got to stop that thing; and I don't see anyone else with the ability to bend the earth to their will, so it might as well be me. Time to grab my suit.

The Demon lunged forward with inhuman speed towards the duo of Jordan and... well, Jordan wasn't really who this other guy was, just that he was really cool. Iceman? Nah, too cliche. What about Bobby Frost?

The creature swiped in mid air, raking at the diving Jordan's ankle. The blow connected, slamming Jordan to the tarmac; immediately repairs began. His head smacked against the ground, his head rung.

"Shit," Jordan spat. He glanced at other guy who had rolled out of the way. The monster seemed to be deciding who to target. "YO! Iceman! We gotta stop this thing before anybody else gets hurt."

The creature's tail whipped back at the Iceman, who ducked, and his mouth opened and extended towards Jordan. The wall behind Iceman exploded into, sending shrapnel everywhere. He ducked and instantly covered himself in an ice shell.

"It's Bryce!" came his response. "And you're right; let's put a leash on this puppy."

"Jordan," he shouted in response.

Jordan changed his hammer into a blade, knocked the Demon's mouth away. Large globules of spit went flying. With his other hand, he took advantage of the brief delay and gave it a left hook. The Demon recovered, slapped its tail against the ice shell, making a wicked crunch. It then knocked Jordan aside.

Jordan flew into a pole, his head ringing, his side denting. His vision blurred for a split second; he stood nonetheless.

The Demon turned to the ice shell and hissed. It's claws fell upon the ice shell in succession. It feel in upon itself and the demon opened its gaping jaws to attack its victim. He reach in and found

-nothing. Jordan looked around opened his mouth.

"The fu-"

Suddenly, Bryce was beside him, amused by the fit the Demon was throwing after not catching its prey. Jordan shook his head, changing his arm to a blaster and taking aim. Bryce lifted his hands and grinned at him.

"I think it's time he cooled down." Bryce laughed and let loosed a sheet of ice, enveloping the demon.

Immediately a response came to him.

"I'll give it a shot," Jordan said, firing.

The Demon shuddered under their combined fire, but it wasn't enough. It turned and jumped at them, pure and utter hatred filling it's eyes. It was at this point that it hit John: perhaps this creature was not as stupid as he had believed.

The creature ran left, then right in a zig-zag pattern. It was anybody's guess who it would attack.

"Get read-" Bryce was cut off mid-sentence as the creature aimed towards Jordan... then turned swiftly and jumped straight for Bryce's throat.

Jordan cussed and fired rapidly. Time slowed; the demon soared towards Bryce, its crimson teeth thirsting for even more blood. I'm gonna be too late, Jordan realized. He squeezed the trigger faster, but what could he do?

Then, before his eyes, the ground literally plucked the Demon out of the air. Bryce flinched; Jordan did a double take. The Demon struggled, clearly just as surprised as the two men were.

"Was in the neighborhood," came a rich baritone voice from behind them, "thought you could use some help."

Jordan whirled around and eyed the newcomer. He stood at about six and a half feet tall and was in some sort of black armor. Plates of titanium covered vital areas on the body, while a stretchy, scaly-looking fiber covered the plates and everything else. He wore a helmet with with a T-visor that was pure black.

He looked almost alien in a way.

"Looks like the whole circus is in town," Jordan chuckled, glanced at the Demon. "But thanks for the assis-"

Suddenly the demon broke free of his bonds.

"This is never gonna end," Jordan said. "Luckily, I've got enough stamina for the three of us."

The Demon looked at its three opponents. It waited patiently, an odd change of pace, its tail wagging.

"...Alright, guys. Here's the plan." Jordan looked to his new teammates. He didn't know them well, and if Bryce used one more pun it would make his brain collapse into itself, but he NEEDED the help.

"Earthshaker guy...what's your name?" Jordan subtly motioned his head towards the newcomer. A heavy hitter, but Jordan didn't know anything about his strength level.

"Call me Sam."

"Alright. Well, I'll need your support in keeping the fight HERE. Try to destabalize the creature's footing, but above all, keep routing it towards us. It'll kill everyone in the city if it gets the chance. I had two robots for that, but I don't know where the hell they WENT." Jordan turned to Bryce next. "ICE HIM. At the first chance you get, cool him down so we can get some decent shots in."

"Cool story bro, but what about you? What's YOUR part in the plan?" Bryce folded his arms, as Jordan's hand converted into a cannon.

"I'm going to hit him. A LOT. It's the only thing that seems to work, and it ain't working well, but I'm set in my ways." Jordan smiled, and prepared himself. "Move on my mark."

The Demon, losing patience, began picking its teeth.

STOP! Enough! You'll get us BOTH killed! Haven't you done enough! PLEASE, just STOP!!!

QUIET!

The Demon howled before Jordan could give the order. The howl turned into a shrieking, piercing bellow, shattering glass. Bryce, Jordan, and Sam covered their ears as the Demon charged.

"ROBO! WATCH IT!!!" Bryce shouted.

Jordan grinned, and his arm converted into a wicked, alligator-jaw clamp. "Noise cancelling ears!"

Jordan's arm clamped down on the Demon's hands. He seized the opportunity, throwing a left hook into the Demon's jaw. He used the momentum that the Demon supplied to swing him in a clean circle, and release him. The Demon hurtled away.

"SAM!" Jordan shouted.

"On it." Sam lifted his hands, grunting with effort. The ground came up, forming a wall for the Demon to smash into. There was a dust cloud.

"Bryce. You're up!" Jordan pointed his hand, and Bryce cracked his knuckles.

"CATCH." Bryce pointed his palms, and a super-cooled jetstream of freezing current struck the Demon, freezing it solid.

Jordan lifted his cannon. "Five round burst, ready. Multi-lock-on, enabled."

Jordan unleashed a volley of shots, the bright blue projectiles screaming towards the Demon, as it broke free of its icy prison.

The shots hit home, blasting the Demon further back against the rocky wall. It struggled to rise.

"HAMMER HIM! EVERYTHING WE GOT!"

Jordan lifted a small volkswagon, and with the strength of the devil himself, he threw it. The car smashed down on the Demon's shoulders. Bryce levitated several streetside appliances, mailboxes, vending machines, and parking meters, and peppered the Demon with those. Sam raised his hands, and from the earth sprouted staves of concrete, lifted by rock. They speared at the Demon, keeping it pinned and pummeled.

"SAM! I need a boost!" Jordan sprinted towards the Demon, as Sam focused. He summoned from the earth massive pillars of dirt and concrete, Jordan springing off of them, his cannon shapeshifting.

He aimed his hand, and it became a normal, wide fingered hand. A rope fired from his wrist, as the hand latched onto the Demon's face. Jordan yanked, pulling himself down at blinding speed, ready to deliver a diving blow.

"AIR MAIL!!!"

Jordan's arm converted itself into a wide, sharp blade. He intended to end this, here and now.

The Demon had other plans. Dented and worn from the skirmish, it still had strength to spare. The creature seized Jordan mid-flight and pinned him on the ground.

"..." The Demon breathed hard in Beta's face. "...KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH"

Jordan's pupils contracted in horror. The creature's full measure of pain and anger burned into his skull with the scream.

Jordan planted his feet on the Demon's stomach and pushed, but it wasn't enough. Saliva dripped onto his sunglasses. The scream echoed into his head, addling him.

Sam did what he had to do. He lifted his hands, and the massive earthen platforms tilted. "Bryce! Ice the demon!"

"What about Jordan?"

"He'll be alright! Hopefully, the Demon won't!"

The immense slabs of dirt and concrete tilted down, and collapsed on top of Jordan and the Demon. Dust settled, and concrete crumbled.

...Is it real? Is it over?

Pain!!!

Bryce knelt down, digging as fast as he could. He lifted slabs of dirt and rock and concrete, throwing them aside.

Sam lifted heavier chunks, his enhanced strength serving him well. He lifted his hand, and piles shifted aside through his sheer willpower. "I can't find Jordan or the Demon..."

"...Then look harder." Jordan grumbled, as he stood, shrugging off concrete. His clothing was torn, and metal plates popped and snapped back into place. Clear, painful bruises and cuts lined his face, healing at an inhuman, but markedly slower rate. "I've stressed my auto-repair WAY too much today. I need to eat and recharge soon..." Jordan wiped blood from his nose with his left hand.

On his right shoulder, he carried a single man. No older than eighteen, the young man's clothing was tattered, and his body was slightly bruised and cut. Jordan had clearly taken on the full weight of the collapse, shielding the boy.

"Where's the Demon?" Bryce asked, apprehensive. None of them had had a more animalistic foe."

"He...he changed into THIS just before you dropped the entire EARTH on me." Jordan grumbled, and tossed the man to the ground. "This IS him."

Jordan looked angrily at the young man, who was still coming to his senses.

He cocked his arm cannon.

"So, buddy, you killed a lot of civilians, and soldiers, you dented me up pretty bad, and thanks to you, three of my B-5 Support Units are gone."

Jordan pressed the barrel of his cannon against his head. He was bluffing, but part of him really wanted to end this boy, here and now, before that dreadful creature resurfaced.

Jordan's clothing auto-repaired along with his body. His sunglasses, once broken, snapped back into place. Tufts of his hair were hidden by his newly reformed jeep cap. Dirty and annoyed, he was a terrifying sight for a young man who was just waking up from another nightmare.

"So, why the fuck shouldn't I just blow off your happy little cannibal head?"

Alejandro looked up at the three men, and then his eyes gazed around at the destruction of downtown Crisis city.

Alejandro was deathly silent, at a total loss for words. All those people... DEAD, because he was too weak to handle the beast.

"Well?" Jordan asked, somewhat impatiently. Sam and Bryce stood at either side of Jordan. Bryce gave Alejandro a frown and Sam simply had his arms crossed.

Alejandro had been so concerned with the damage he'd done to others that it was only now that he noticed the arm cannon pointed at his head. The Demon could probably survive that, but he couldn't... And if he died so did the beast. As of right now, it was too weak to come to his aid. He could end this, NOW.

He put his two hands on Jordan's arm cannon, which caused Jordan pull away. Bryce formed two ice spears and Sam was already weakening the Earth beneath Alejandro. Alejandro simply brought the arm cannon in closer, slowly, and said two words.

"Do it..." This was the only way. To make sure the Demon never returned. The three men knew it, and Alejandro knew that they knew. He sat there waiting for the end to arrive, and he began to cry.

"I'm sorry..." He whispered, hands shaking. He feared death more than the beast itself, but this was a rare opportunity.

Bryce and Sam looked at each other, unaware the man behind the beast was nothing like it.

"There is NO reason to NOT shoot me. Do it... Just tell everyone I'm sorry..." He whispered between sobs of fustration, fear, and shame.

He just didn't want to do it anymore. Ever since he had escaped the military base, life had been hell. He had to leave everything behind, and the only thing he gained was a monster.

Jordan looked down at the man, a boy really, and his heart softening a bit. He didn't WANT any of this, and it must have been just as hellish for him as it had been for them. Maybe even more so.

"Hey kid..." Jordan started, but Alejandro didn't hear the rest. There was another voice speaking to him.

LIVE. FIGHT. the Demon urged him on, knowing that they were a package deal.

"I said NO ok! This is the ONLY way!" Alejandro shouted, barely able to grasp Jordan's arm cannon with his shaking hands.

You wanted to be free from me, FINE!

SCARED. WEAK. CAN'T DO IT! the Demon taunted.

Watch me. Till death do us part Alejandro thought, putting a sick twist on a marriage vow. If there was any time to fight the Demon it was now, since he wouldn't be around much longer.

The sounds of police cars and military helicopters could be heard. If the man in front of him wouldn't do it, then the army and police would.

Now all he could do was wait for the inevitable.

Sam had felt the tanks approaching long before they could be heard by the others. Now was the time to make the decision. Would they kill this fragile kid--who, Sam reminded himself, could switch back into the that beat, but seemed willing to kill it--or would they bang out?

The kid pulled Jordan's arm cannon closer, his face pale and exhausted, but there wasn't really a sense of him being angry. It was more of a determined look than anything and also... resignment.

I get the sense he doesn't really want to die... It's more like he thinks he NEEDS to die.

Sam caught Jordan's arm and pulled him back to talk. He motioned Bryce over as well. Bryce trotted over, confusion spilling over his features; we stood in a circle, so he was still facing the boy, still keeping watch on him. Smart man. Jordan's features were unreadable. They were unfamiliar. Sam would be able to read them in time.

"We need to make a decision," he said as the tanks and helicopters drew near. "We should dispatch of him."

Should. This boy was dangerous, very dangerous if he couldn't control the demon within. Sam knew how that felt. There was something in him that told him they shouldn't kill him--not yet. He might be useful to them.

"Agreed," said Bryce. "He's too dangerous to be kept alive."

We turned to Jordan for his input. He touched a finger to his temple.

"I agree, but something's telling me there's more to the kid. Give him a chance."

Bryce played with his mask in his hands, frowned.

"He could just do the same thing. We don't know what set him off this time! Something else could set him off again! What then?"

Jordan shook his head; Sam could see the indecision brewing within him. He could also hear the army closing in. They needed to make the decision now.

"Look, the army's getting closer," Sam said, his voice steady. The army: he was a wanted man, but they couldn't know that. "We can go now, make the decision later."

Bryce's face hardened, but he didn't speak. Then they would make the decision later.

"I've got a place we can lay low," Jordan said. "Might be a little cramped, but it should fit us in easily. Unless the kid goes berserk on us again. That could be trouble."

He grinned.

"Lead the way." Sam nodded.

Jordan turned to the boy.

"Alright kid-"

"It's Alejandro," he interjected.

"Alright, Al, we're not gonna use you for target practice right now." There was no relief on Alejandro's face. "But you're coming with us. Don't want you going ape shit on the city again."

Alejandro didn't respond, he just stood and waited for Jordan to go. Jordan bare them follow; Alejandro jogged alongside him, while Sam and Bryce kept up from the back.

"You sure this is wise?" Bryce asked, his tone level.

Sam shrugged. "We'll see."

Mason floated down next to the robo guy startling him as he pointed his arm canon at mason, but he didn't budge all he did was push it away.

"ya do that again and I'll suffocate you where you stand" mason said flicking a finger and started twisting smoke around his finger "so. Ya, my name is mason and we need to go they are almost here"

"Alright, guys..." Jordan's utility arm was a thick, solid cuff around Alejandro's wrist. He wasn't taking any chances.

The boy was dead silent, and obedient. He didn't allow himself to fall behind, or be tugged. He went where Jordan led without question.

"The police around here know me, so they'll have a lot of questions. I can put that off until tomorrow, but it's best if we get out of here QUICK."

Mason gave Jordan a quizzical look. "How are we all going to leave undetected? I could drop a low fog."

"This city has had ENOUGH confusion." Sam growled.

Bryce raised his hands defensively. "Easy, boys. There's no need for another fight. Mad-Dog over here's done enough damage for all of us."

Alejandro looked away at the comment. What he'd done today wasn't funny. It wasn't cute. Bryce had no right to make light of it.

"...It'd be better if I could retrieve my B-5 robots, but I don't know where the hell they ARE. We're leaving now. Hang on to any valuables, and keep your feet firmly planted."

"What?" Mason spoke as quickly as Jordan had cued up the group teleport.

"Five meters. Five subjects. Destination Home Base. Execute on my mark."

Alejandro looked around, as blue flares of circling light surrounded him. He yelped briefly, bumping into Jordan.

"MARK."

Shoes settled onto the Teleportation Frame. Jordan stepped out, and Alejandro stumbled, confused and slightly nauseous.

"The HELL?!" Bryce readied a spear of ice, his eyes adjusting to the bright room.

"A teleportation grid, huh?" Sam remained on his feet, stepping off the circular platform, his hand on his chin. "Interesting."

"Take any rooms you want, people." Jordan spoke matter of factly. "We'll convene in the morning. If you need anything, speak with my mechanic, Marie, or my nurse, Saffore. They're heads of staff, and getting you schmucks tubes of toothpaste or night-gowns will take under five minutes. I need to speak with those two anyway."

"What the hell makes you think I'm staying here?" Mason looked around, annoyed. "This might be some sort of trap to kill off Meta-Humans. You don't look like any Meta I've seen, Tin-Man."

Jordan turned and pointed his cannon, releasing Alejandro. "If you don't want to be here, I'll show you the door."

Jordan and Mason stood opposed to each-other for a moment, posturing.

"Can you gun me down before I choke you out, robot?"

Sam stepped between them. "ENOUGH. Enough for today, BOTH OF YOU."

"I'm low on energy, but even now I could put a hole through you like PUNCHING A CAKE." Jordan's eyes burned with anger. "Do NOT start with me, asshole."

Bryce stepped out of the way, content to let the situation resolve itself.

"STOP. Please. Just stop." Alejandro spoke up. "I know I don't really have the right to ask for anything, but you guys CAN'T do this now."

Sam glanced at Al. Something in his eyes flickered. Jordan noticed it too.

The fear. The conflict.

Both of them came to the same conclusion. That's what brings out the thing we fought, probably. Conflict. Fear.

Jordan lowered his cannon, and Mason lowered his hands. "Whatever. I'll stick around." Mason yawned. "But if you try something, I'll snatch the air right out of your lungs, tin-man."

"Give it a REST. He's doing us a favor." Sam hissed, and looked to Jordan. "I appreciate what you're doing for us. Do you need any help with this one?" Sam looked cautiously at Alejandro.

"No." Jordan looked at him casually.

"...Do whatever you need to." Sam whispered. "But...make it...whatever you do, make it painless. That's all I ask."

Jordan nodded. "I understand."

Sam followed Bryce and Mason, as Jordan walked with Alejandro.

This was it.

Jordan could hear the boy breathing in his room.

It was his choice. He was the one on the fence. Now, he had to make the decision.

He readied his cannon, and removed his sunglasses, putting his good left hand to his face, wiping away sweat.

"...Silver white winters...that melt into spring..."

Alejandro's ears perked up. He could hear someone outside.

It was Jordan. He heard the metallic whir of his cannon coming to life.

Alejandro panicked for a moment. There had to be SOME WAY to defend himself. Some way to fight.

"...Silver white winters...that melt into spring..."

Jordan was singing. Singing a song from The Sound of Music. Likely to calm his nerves.

"When the dog bites..." Jordan's voice was pained, struggling to calm himself. To steel himself for what he needed to do.

Alejandro settled down as well. "It's either this...or the Demon. It's either let him kill me, or everyone else around me dies for no reason..."

"When the bee stings..."

Alejandro heard the footsteps. The Demon finally roused its thoughts, raising its voice in protest. STOP HIM!!! LET ME OUT!!! KILL HIM!!!

"No." Al smiled. "We go together."

"When I'm feeling...sad..."

Jordan put his hand on the doorknob.

Jordan's cannon slotted away, forming a normal hand. His hand dangled at his side.

I can't do it. Jordan sighed. Sweat dripped down the bridge of his nose. His eyes were red, tears forming on all sides. Demon or not, he's just a KID.

Jordan opened the door.

Alejandro stared at his lap, gripping the sheets.

"Alright. There's a toilet in the other room, a sink, and a coffee maker on the desk." Jordan put on his shades to hide his clear conflict, wearing a plastic smile. "If you need anything else, get over it." Jordan faked a laugh.

"Why don't you shoot me?"

"Because you're alive, and I don't want to change that." Jordan answered the question simply and curtly. "Whatever happened wasn't your fault, and I sincerely hope you learn to control it. I have a few guesses how we can reach that stage."

"NO. KILL ME. I can't control it. It WAS my fault."

"You can't control it, or it was your fault?! It's one or the other. Now shut the fuck up."

"I KILLED THOSE PEOPLE." Al stood, putting his hands to his chest with harsh, fast emphasis.

"YOU didn't. IT did." Jordan felt anger rise in his throat. "And don't talk to me about the value of life, you little punk. I spent all day doing damage control and making sure the thing in you didn't butcher women and children. I'm NOT letting YOU die too."

Alejandro sat, drained.

"You've got one life. You're one guy." Jordan presented his hands like a weighted scale, teetering towards the middle. "You don't solve any problems, but you don't piss me off. You don't make me cum, but you aren't stabbing me in the hard-drive."

Jordan faked a yawn, feigning flippancy. He wanted to make it seem like he didn't care, despite the gravity of his choice to spare the boy.

"You're just a kid. I'm not killing you just to make my own job easier. Now shut the fuck up, and go the fuck to sleep. Just because I'm not gonna kill you doesn't mean I won't break your arm."

Jordan turned, and walked out of the room.

At the end of the hall, unknown to Jordan, Sam watched carefully.

He didn't do it. Sam noted. Looks like rough times ahead...but I guess the kid didn't deserve to die.

"Go ahead," the technician said, "it should be keyed up to your DNA."

Sam nodded and palmed the door scanner to his given room. He had begrudgingly allowed them to scan his DNA because it had been the only way he'd get a room. He didn't like it--because of the decisions he'd made in the past, he'd been running from the government for the last two-plus years. Now, this group, this cell, whoever they were, had his DNA; but, they'd only gotten it with the assurance that they wouldn't give it to anyone.

The door slid open and Sam stepped In tentatively, checking the corners in true military fashion. It was a small room adorned with wood for walls, unnecessary lavishness. He grunted.

"Thanks," said he.

The technician nodded and left, resuming his other duties. Not the friendliest bunch, Sam observed.

Moving into the room, he looked around for the keypad. Privacy. He needed provably. And silence. The confusion of the day was draining, especially the fight. Silence was revitalizing, it was peace to Sam. He keyed the door close, locked it, and sat down on the bed, resting his elbows on his knees and putting his hands in his face. He drew in a long breath.

So Jordan didn't slot Al, he thought. His mind was drifting, but it kept returning to that event. I saw the Demon in his eyes. It was so evident, so clear. So why would Jordan just let him go? Evidently Jordan saw something in him that Sam couldn't. He's more compassionate than I am, but this is a dangerous gamble. We need to chat.

His eyes were closed, his legs crossed, his mind was buzzing. It was his zen mode. Suddenly, there was a rap at the door. Sam's eyes drifted open. He sighed and opened the door. As it swept aside, a wave of exhaustion hit him like a semi truck. He stumbled a bit and pressed his hand to the wall. Jordan, who had been at the door, walked in and put a hand on Sam's shoulder.

"Whoa, you okay pal?" he asked.

Sam shoved Jordan away. A sharp pain in drove into skull then into front of his head. The blood pounded in his head. Sam unsealed his helmet swiftly and chucked it to the floor. Pressing his hands into the sides of his head, he made an attempt to stop the pain. But what could he do?

"Sam. Sam, what in the hell is going on?" Jordan said, his voice distant.

Then came the screaming.

A chorus of voices screaming in different pitches pervaded his skull. He could feel them jabbing against his brain, swelling in volume and becoming an aching roar. It was becoming too much; Sam tried to shut it out, but there was nothing he could do. The voices of friends past slammed against his consciousness, threatening to overthrow him.

He paid little attention to Jordan who looked to be shouting at him, then turned his head and it bobbed as he shouted some more, though Sam couldn't tell. The agony of his comrades ' screamed climaxed.

"Make it stop!" "Please stop!" "The burning!" "My head, it hurts!" "Please, cal my mom! Please!"

"ENOUGH!" Sam shouted. "Get out! I'm sorry! Alright! What do you want me to do?!" He balled his hand into a fist and squeezed it into his forehead. The shouting quieted slowly.

"I'm so sorry..." he whispered.

He noticed a tear rolling down his cheek slowly, then saw Jordan, confusion clouding his features. How could he explain this to him? How could he explain project: Demi-God.? How could he explain that he was a lone survivor, an experiment, what it had done to him, how he couldn't control it? He knew what it had done to him, mentally--he was scarred--but couldn't explain it, didn't know how.

"Sam?" Jordan said.

He gulped. "Yeah... Look, I'm fine."

Jordan simply raised an eyebrow.

"In time," was all Sam said. He'd explain later.

Jordan brewed on that for a moment, then seemed to accept it. He nodded.

"Just was making the rounds," he said. "And Al''s sleeping until we decide what to do with him."

"I know," Sam said, picking up his helmet and scratching the stubble on his chin. "It's dangerous."

Jordan immediately caught on. "Believe me, I know. Hell, we just went toe to toe with the demon. I know what he--it-- is capable of. But what did you expect me to do, kill the kid?"

"No."

"Then what? I couldn't just kill him in cold blood. Al wasn't the one that did it."

"I know. I know."

Jordan flexed his hand. "We gotta do something if he stays here. Help him control it maybe."

Sam sighed. How? He didn't know, not yet. But Jordan was right about that. A yawn formed at his lips, so he opened his mouth and released it like a lion. "Right." Sam was getting a bit tired now. "Look, let's decide later."

Jordan sat there for a moment, squinting his dark brown eyes. His expression was unreadable again. What ARE you thinking? Sam wondered; it was getting rather annoying not being able to read him.

"Alright," Jordan breathed. "Get a good rest. We'll regroup in a bit and talk it out." Sam nodded; Jordan turned, hesitated, turned back. "Look, you need anything... Let me know."

Sam felt a tinge of irritation. Robo's compassionate. He reminded himself. But it didn't make it any less annoying, people needed to mind themselves, not others.

"Right, thanks." Sam said and keyed the door close.

He turned promptly and collapsed onto the bed.

They're shutting me out already.

Jordan shoved his left hand in his pocket, walking down the hall. Saffore and Marie were likely asleep in the West Wing. He'd spoken to both. They'd decided to let him sleep tonight, and give him a full diagnostic in the morning. The Demon fight had taken more out of him, and done more damage to him, than he wanted to let on to his guests.

...Sam NEEDED my help. Al NEEDED a friend. It's only been a day. I threatened to kill the boy, and I left Sam alone without investigating.

Jordan took off his sunglasses, his dark brown eyes adjusting to the light as he entered his own room.

I threatened Mason over an idle comment...he had every right to be nervous. I've only made things worse for them.

Jordan laid back on his cot. He pulled off his leather, steel toed boots. His longfall boot attachments, fastened to his ankles, calves, and the soles of his feet, detached with a harsh snap of a lever.

...I should have known I'd fuck this up. I can't FACE Alpha alone...and my only chance of making a team is going shitty.

Jordan laid back, his weariness overtaking him before he could undress. He laid his sunglasses on the table beside him.

I'm tired of losing. Tired of being outpaced. Tired of fucking up and breaking without dying. And now, everything that happens to those people is on ME. And I don't even know them.

He observed his right hand. His fist clenched.

"I'll do better tomorrow. I promise."

Bryce roamed the halls of the establishment, before a rather intriguing sentence filled his telepathic mind. Pausing just outside the door, he listened in.

...I should have known I'd fuck this up. I can't FACE Alpha alone...and my only chance of making a team is going shitty.

Pausing a few seconds, he heard yet another sentence.

I'm tired of losing. Tired of being outpaced. Tired of fucking up and breaking without dying. And now, everything that happens to those people is on ME. And I don't even know them.

Knocking, Bryce opened the door, as Jordan turned to face him.

"Oh it's you. 'Sup Iceman?"

"It's Bryce if you'd like." Bryce smirked. "Or Glacicle if you want to go professional."

"Findin' everything here okay?"

"Yeah, better than what I'm used to." Bryce grinned. "Listen, I couldn't help but overhear what you just thought. Figured I'd just check in."

"But I didn't say-"

"Anything?" Bryce finished. "I'm a telepath, sometimes it happens automatically, but most of the time I have complete control over it."

Jordan turned, offering Bryce a seat, as the man took it, the robotic man sitting across from him.

"You've got a problem on your hands. I'd like to help you. Perhaps helping you can get me one step closer to Terra Co." Before Jordan could ask, Bryce held up a hand. "I'll explain later."

"While I am still skeptical of having that kid here, I think you made the right choice today. Perhaps after all this is through we can help him find a way out that doesn't involve him spilling his brains out on the tarmac, yeah?" Bryce chuckled softly. "You've got a great team here, and while we just met, I've got a good feeling about you. If you ever need a hand, call in the Bryce-man."

Jordan slapped himself on the forehead from the corny line as Bryce stood, smiled, and walked out the door to his own room.

mason didn't like high-tech stuff when he tried to brush his teeth the toothpaste shot in to his face ever since he met the stranger ever electronic malfunction near him but the robo man didn't ah well he went to the bed and laid down all he wanted to do was sleep and he did.

that is when all the horrible dreams started. mason was running pas houses then trees as helicopters roamed the skies. he ducked in to a ally way and fell to the ground. as a jeep drove past. he heard foot steps.

"hey there little boy" the stranger said

"go away leave me alone" mason said curling in to a little ball

"why i just want you stuff" he said

" i said leave me alone" mason said reaching out his hand the stranger started to gag and cough as mason looked up at the man he stopped moving "oh god not another one" and mason took of and was almost ran over my a Humvee.

"there he is kill him" the drive said as more men showed up

"leave me ALONE" mason said shoving the air and killed all the soldiers "i said leave me alone" and he ran crying in to the woods.

April 5, 2013

King's Daughters Experimental Medical Company mobile base.

Jordan winced as yet another needle pierced his bicep. Saffore carefully drew back on the handle, the industrial strength syringe taking a near microscopic culture of his muscle cells.

"This wouldn't be so hard if you weren't made of such stern stuff." Saffore mused. "Don't twitch, hun."

Jordan endured the injection in silence, remaining motionless.

Bryce gently flipped a coin, sitting in the corner. "The heck're you made out of, anyway? Not all of you is metal." Bryce turned to Marie. The two had already been acquainted earlier in the morning. "I thought he was a cyborg."

Marie smiled, happy to give an explanation. "He IS a cyborg. Some of his muscles, after the accident, were outright replaced with synthetic tissue and machinery. That much is internal. And you can see the metal plates covering the outside on his shoulder, torso, elbows, knees, thighs-"

"Why are you telling him this?" Jordan gave Marie a sharp look. She took pride in her work, but Jordan intended to keep a sense of privacy about his inner workings.

"Let her chat, Jordan." Saffore coaxed a tad bit threateningly.

Jordan relented. "Go ahead..."

Marie smiled, her short red hair bobbing as she nodded to Saffore in thanks. "His bones are industrial strength metal, but his cells have been laced with self repairing steel, making them a fusion of man and machine. Their tensile strength and ability to repair gives him his healing factor." Marie grabbed Jordan's leg, lifting his calf. "There are also many fixtures and attachment spots, like on his shoulder blades, and his right shoulder socket, and his calf muscles. Here's where his longfall boots go."

Indeed, there were holes and metal plates on the back of his achilles tendon, akin to an electrical socket. Bryce scanned Jordan visually. Even in his clothes, he could spot several areas that were more machine than man.

"Flex." Saffore squeezed Jordan's bicep, and he reluctantly flexed his left arm muscle.

"So...most of actual machinery is in that right arm?" Bryce observed it. It was streamlined, but clearly a prosthetic. Jordan had it covered with a black sleeve before, but now, exposed, Bryce noted its mechanical design.

Jordan reached out, and it transformed. Bryce was a bit startled. It was activated by mere thought, converting into a metal sphere. Then, a drill. Then, the cannon Jordan was so fond of. As soon as it had cycled through the transformations, it was a normal hand again.

"Woah. I want one," Bryce quipped.

"The Spur Mk IV. A firearm and utility device like no other." Marie grinned. "A true work of medical art."

Jordan grinned at Marie, and Bryce intercepted a sarcastic thought. ...What's medical about a friggin' laser cannon?

"THAT, you can't talk about, Marie. Classified." Saffore cut Marie off, and she sulked, returning to work. "No real damage. You just wore your healing factor out from not sleeping and eating and recharging enough. Mind your limits, or next time might be some real damage." Saffore balled her fist. "That damage might just be coming from ME, Jordan."

Jordan nodded. For all his power, Saffore still seemed bigger than him in a way.

Being the only nurse who cared about him helped that effect.

Jordan stood, and checked his right arm. He pulled a long, leather sleeve over it, obscuring the clear metallic augmentations. He put his shades back on.

"Must be bright on planet cool." Bryce grinned.

"Blow me, Doctor Freeze. C'mon. Let's go check on the kid."

Saffore put a hand on Jordan's shoulder.

"You did a fine thing, sparing that boy. Maybe I should take a look at him. It might help him put a lid on that creature in him."

"...NO THANK YOU." Marie blurted. "I'm not getting split open like a bloody flower." Her slight english accent came through in that sentence, and Bryce nearly giggled with surprised glee, putting a hand to his mouth.

"Alright, but I want to be RIGHT OUTSIDE the door durin' the check up. If he flips out, I'm the only one who can withstand hits from the guy."

"You know, there's a 'we' in team." Bryce interjected, feeling left out.

"No there fuckin' isn't." Jordan gave him an exasperated look.

"I'm just saying, I'm here because you brought me here. If there's a fight, I'm helping."

Jordan shrugged.

Saffore didn't remove her hand. She still had something to say.

"You and I both know that antagonism is what brings out the thing inside him. Your testimony made that much clear. We need to be NICE to him."

Marie as already out the door. She wanted nothing to do with the Demon whatsoever, and was putting as many steel doors between her and the medical office as possible.

Saffore removed her hand. "Bring Alejandro to me. I'll see to it that he's treated fairly."

Jordan missed the hand on his shoulder. It was like a cup of warm water dumped on him. The sudden, uncomfortable warmth it brought gave way to the bitter cold of its absence.

Bryce grinned, picking up on the subtle cues that he cared to read as the two exited.

"You like her."

"...Shut up. Stop reading minds." Jordan growled.

Bryce cut in front of him. "I'm not saying you LIKE LIKE her. Just that you like her. She's special to you."

"Hey. When you spend five years in a bed with charred, burned skin and useless, broken bones, and spend a year being cleaned up and taught to walk again, everyone you meet who gives a shit is special."

Bryce felt very negative waves without even reading Jordan's mind. Bryce took a single, solitary peek into the source of that statement.

He saw a lot more than he wished to witness.

"...Sorry."

Alejandro couldn't take it anymore. He HAD to leave, and the... new voice in his head agreed with him.

There was only one way out, and it scared him... but he had to leave. If he stayed, he'd be nothing but a human lab rat.

A guard walked into his room pushing a cart with food on it. Alejandro saw that the man was black, and he saw an opening.

"That's right. Serve me..." Alejandro taunted. He wasn't used to insulting others, but it necessary.

"Excuse me?" The guard asked.

"I said serve me. I mean your kind is used to that sort of thing," Alejandro smirked.

"Oh really? News flash kid, slavery has been abolished..." Alejandro could tell the guard was getting annoyed. All he needed was one last push.

"No matter the law says, there will always be a natural hierarchy... N" Alejandro whispered, intentionally not finishing the word.

"N- what? You wanna finish what you said you little punk?!" The guard drew his night stick. Excellent.

"You're smart enough to guess... Aren't you?" Alejandro asked.

"Damn straight I am. You better shut your mouth before I beat your ass!" The guard threatened.

"Like I'm going to take order from a ******" That was too much for the guard. He charged Alejandro, and his flight or fight instinct kicked in.

Alejandro steeled himself, and in an instant he was gone, replaced by an 8 and a half feet tall monster. The guard's night stick thumped harmlessly against the Demon's chest. It merely looked down at him and growled.

"Oh shit..." The guard whispered, right before his head was bitten off. The Demon smashed through the large metal doors, roaring as it stormed through the halls. It's tail swing from left to right, bringing down debris behind it so that following it was a difficult task.

The Demon eventually found its way outside, running even faster. The Demon was but 20 metres from the base when it was met with a barrage of missiles.

The Demon's super sonic roar threw some off course, but a large amount hit the Demon straight on. A few missiles weren't enough to bring it down. The Demon leapt into the air, clawing the cockpit of a helicopter in half before landing.

Soldiers eventually ran out, carrying strange rifles. They opened fire, and pulses of energy surged toward the Demon. They hit the Demon, causing a severe burning sensation.

It didn't like that. It ran forward, powering through the pain and roared. Soldiers were knocked off their feet, some holding their bleeding ears.

The Demon went around, killing the soldiers one by one. It was a fairly fast process and the Demon decided it had earned the right to eat.

The military had other plans. From the base lumbered out five hulking mechanical humanoids. Inside each one was a primate, and the Demon could see them moving inside. The beasts mimicked their movements, which at the moment was running at the Demon.

The Demon grinned as it prepared itself for battle, its tail swishing around on the ground. It would show these domesitcated beasts what it meant to be WILD.

The Demon prepared for battle and roared.

At that same moment the door to his room opened, and Alejandro woke up, fairly startled.

"Woah, you ok?" Jordan asked. Alejandro looked around the room, wild eyed. Bryce and Jordan looked at each other.

"Yeah, just fine..." Alejandro settled down. It had just been a dream. He noticed the look of doubt on their faces.

"I'm serious..." He said.

"...Right." Bryce answered as Alejandro got up and started looking for day clothes. He found them under his bed, no doubt tossed there from his restless sleep.

"So I'm going to change in the bathroom, since you guys are just...here." Alejandro walked into the bathroom and changed his clothes. He brushed his teeth, washed his face and walked back out again. To the average person he looked like just another teenage boy.

"So... Did you need something?" Alejandro asked, eyeing Jordan's arm. Maybe he brought Bryce along to help kill him. Too bad he'd been give a chance to rest. Anyone who tried to kill him now would only unleash the Demon, who was back to full strength.

"Doctor's appointment," Jordan replied bluntly. Alejandro didn't like the sound of that. He'd seen enough "doctors" to last him a lifetime. Men and women who had probed him needles like an animal, and created one in the process.

"...What KIND of doctor?" Alejandro asked.

"Well she's more of a nurse... But she's the head of staff so she knows what she's doing. Come on, let's go," Jordan walked out, and waited by the door. Bryce stood still and nodded at Alejandro.

Bryce found his question somewhat odd. He peaked into Alejandro's mind and saw a medical team with needles injecting them into... SomeONE strapped to a table. Before Bryce could delve deeper into Alejandro's mind a terrible screeching voice filled his head.

LEAVE!

"Argh!" Bryce took a step back, clutching his head.

"Hey are you alright?" Jordan stepped towards Bryce. Bryce waved him off.

"Yeah. I just..." Bryce trailed off, unsure of how to continue without exposing himself.

"...Just what?" Jordan asked.

"My mind's not a nice place to be, Bryce" Alejandro interrupted before walking out.

"What did you see?" Jordan asked.

"More like what I heard. It was the Demon, and it knew I was in there... Somehow,"

"So you tried to read his mind?" Jordan asked.

"Yeah, and I got something out of it. We better get to Saffore quickly,"

Jordan stiffened. If Al's demon comes out, I'll KILL it. Sorry Al, but NOBODY touches Saffore Jordan thought.

"We won't have to do that, as long as Saffore doesn't use any needles," Bryce said, clearly having read Jordan's mind.

"We better catch up then," Jordan said walking out the door. Alejandro was at the end of the hall, reading a map that was posted on the wall.

"Medical office is this way Al," Jordan said, turning right. Alejandro followed Jordan, and Bryce followed Alejandro. Eventually the trio found themselves at the medical bay. A dark skinned women with a pony tail stood there, and turned to Jordan.

"Is this him?" Saffore asked.

"Yep," Jordan replied. Saffore turned to smile at him.

"I bet she doesn't even know about...it" Alejandro thought.

"Actually she does," Bryce answered, and Alejandro turned around startled.

"I got in and out before it could find me," Bryce winked. Alejandro didn't respond. The Demon wasn't something to play around with.

"What do I already know?" Saffore asked, out of the loop.

"His... Condition," Jordan replied. That got to Alejandro. He wanted to be normal more than anything else.

"I'm not sick!" He blurted out. Everyone in the room tensed. They gave him THAT look. The one most people gave him when they found out what he was. Usually they tried to kill him or call the authorites, but the Demon killed them before they could. It was horrible.

But these people hadn't done that. They'd taken him in, give him a place to rest, and were even offering him medical aid. They hadn't threatened him, which was great. For all their sake's.

"I'm just... Different," Alejandro replied, not sure what to call himself. A monster was a better term, but he would never refer to himself as such. If he did, IT won. Calling himself a monster was the same as saying him and the Demon were the same person. Alejandro looked at the ground, feeling awkward now.

"Everyone's different Alejandro, and that's what makes us special," Saffore put her hand on Alejandro's shoulder. He looked up to see her smile, and he smiled back. Somebody had called him special, and not in a sarcastic tone. But he couldn't put this nice lady at risk.

"But do you know what makes me... 'Special'?" He asked.

"Of course I do,"

"...And you're still going to look at me?" Alejandro asked, somewhat in disbelief. He was just an emotional roller coster right now.

"Yes, now run on in, I'll be there in a second," Saffore gestured towards the room behind here. Alejandro looked at Bryce and Jordan before walking in, Saffore closing the door behind him.

"If anything happens, just shout..." Jordan said, his arm whirring into an arm cannon. Bryce nodded as well, knowing full well the damage the Demon was capable of.

"The kid's an emotional roller coaster right now. I think everyone he's known rejects him when they find out what he is. This whole situation is a first for him," Bryce informed Saffore.

"I don't doubt it. Just goes to show a little kindness goes a long way. Now then, back to work," Saffore said opening the door to perform perhaps her most dangerous checkup.

NEWS UPDATE, April 5th, 2013!

Kyova Supermax Prison's Meta Human block has been infiltrated. Several high severity threats escaped, including an Edited criminal named Glockjaw, an infamous Meta Human known as King Kong, and multiple others.

The majority of the six suspects were last seen headed for Crisis City. In the wake of the chaotic events yesterday, they are likely in hiding or blending in amidst the ruined parts of the city.

Stay safe, and report all activity to the local Constable's Office. Crisis City is in terror level Red.

Jordan, holding his smart-phone, received the update casually at first. After a shadow of a second, he realized the gravity of the situation.

Glockjaw. King Kong. And OTHERS. He'd been leaning against the wall outside of Saffore's office beside Bryce. Now he was standing straight up, his right hand nervously balled so hard that Bryce could hear his metal fingers grinding away at his palm.

In an instant, it was a blaster.


"Bryce. We have trouble." Jordan turned and opened the door. Alejandro seemed at ease until the door opened. Saffore stopped in the middle of a joke.

Bryce intercepted Jordan's thoughts, speaking in his stead. "Meta Humans. Bad ones. They've broken out of jail and are going to sack the city. People who are just trying to clean the place up will be hurt." Bryce looked to Jordan. There were so many panicked thoughts, he had a bit of trouble keeping up.

"...Even with you and me, can we take care of all of them?" Bryce raised his eyebrows, finding a cold, frightened vision of the villain "Glockjaw." An imposing, lanky beast made almost entirely of edited, blocky parts. Bryce saw a vision of blood on the robot's hands.

"We have to TRY." Jordan pointed to Alejandro. "Look, I know you can't come, but I need you to wake up Sam and Mason. Me and Bryce are going to go ahead!"

Al nodded apprehensively. "...Looks like you're gonna have to test my reflexes another time, doctor..." Al smiled.

"It was a pleasure meeting you. Remember, stay relaxed." Saffore waved to Al as he followed Bryce out.

"Get Marie on my communicator. I'll need constant updates. And dispatch a KMC team to the city to take care of any wounded. I'll cover them personally." Jordan turned and walked out.

"Jordan..." Saffore stopped him. "If there are too many for you to handle...if they gang up on you, GET OUT. I'm a doctor, not a miracle worker."

Jordan nodded, and continued on.

"Heh heh..."

The yellow eyed, shaggy bearded gentleman stood much taller than the officers he intimidated. He reached down with one ham sized hand and smacked the stun stick away. The shock barely even registered as a tickle.

"I'm KING KONG, little boy." He seized the officer by the collar. Before the man could draw his pistol, Kong grabbed his belt off, the man's pants falling down.

"BWAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!" Kong tossed the man aside, and pressed the side of the gun. The ammunition fell out, and Kong popped the handgun into his mouth. With a mighty crunch, he bit down, turning the gun into scrap metal.

"...Holy wow." The police officer whimpered. "That was... ridiculously easy for you, huh? You're...you're as strong as shit." He scooped up his broken gun's trigger. "This is a model 6. Heavier metal."

"Yes. Yes, I'm quite tough. Now tell me, you know about the superhero "Beta," right?" Kong leaned down. For a strong, ham fisted, imposing bully, he was rather amiable. "Has he showed up yet? I'm going to do to that gun what I did to him."

A young woman stepped forward. "You mean, do to HIM what you did to the GUN?"

Kong turned, initially enraged to be corrected. His anger subsided when he peered at the woman. He exhaled sharply through his nose, impressed with her long, silky blonde hair, and soft, curved features. None of those features were particularly well hidden, as she wore a tight dress and a slim fitting shirt.

"ALRIGHT. Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!!!" Kong leaped over to her. She squealed in fear, as he scooped her up with one arm. "Here's what I want to achieve. We're going to go somewhere private...and have a nice chat about our shared interests. It MAY devolve into beastly love making, but hey," Kong peered down her shirt into her smooth cleavage, "we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Kong leaped onto a building, carrying the screaming, kicking woman with his left hand. He grunted with glee and effort as he scaled the building in mere moments. As he reached the top, he lifted the girl in the air with both hands.

"I'M ALIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!!! OOOH OOOH AAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" He bellowed triumphantly.

"I'll take this."

Kong felt his hands become suddenly, and quite painfully, cold. He yanked them down, and they were covered in a thin frost. The woman was gone.

Kong turned, and he saw a new challenger, Bryce, standing proudly, the woman hiding behind her.

"You think you can mess with me, kid?!" Kong beat his chest, knocking off sheets of frost.

"...ME?! I'd rather not. HIM, though, he seems annoyed."

Kong turned, as Jordan, swinging from his right arm's grappling hook, rocketed down, swinging his left hand. The punch connected, sending Kong hurtling down from the building in a single blow.

Jordan landed on the roof with a crunch, both knees bent. He leaped off the building after Kong, as Bryce stood there, relatively forgotten.

"...Was that Beta?" The woman asked.

"YUUUUUP. And I'm Glaycycle! Ever at the service of-"

"So you're his side-kick?"

Bryce raised his eyebrow. "...WHAT? Side-kick? I'm, like, a foot taller than the guy! How am I the side-kick?!"

Jordan landed on his feet. Kong had done the same, rubbing the bruise on his cheek. "So, you've arrived!"

"Shut it, Kong. I know warning you ain't gonna work, so before I fuck you up, one question. Where are the others? Where is Glockjaw? He's the only one of you bozos that I'm worried about."

Kong began circling Jordan. "You're gonna have to fight for what you want. Like an ANIMAL. Robots like you know nothing about the WILD. What it's like to TAKE what you want. To RIDE ABOVE IT ALL!!! That's why you're a Beta-male."

Jordan wiped his nose with his left thumb, and dropped into a ready position. "You're gonna wish you'd cooperated."

Kong leaped towards Jordan, and swung his fists. Jordan backed up, swaying to and fro, avoiding each ham-fisted blow, sidestepping and backing up like it were a game of dodge-ball. Kong stood on his arms and threw a round house kick, but Jordan blocked it with his right arm.

Kong leaped, and swung his arms down, cracking the pavement. The blow did nothing to harm Jordan, who moved five feet away.

"RIGHT HERE, BIG GUY." Jordan pointed to his chin.

Kong charged towards his enemy, as Bryce landed behind Jordan.

"Cold front, comin' up."

Bryce froze a long patch of street, as Jordan stepped to the side, sticking his foot out.

Kong tripped over the foot, slipped, and slid on his belly down the road on the ice, his face slamming against the curb, bloodying his nose.

"...This is gratuitously easy." Bryce noted. "Compared to fighting Mister Sunshine yesterday, of course."

"It's about to get tougher. He'll be PISSED that we tricked him like that." Jordan readied his cannon and aimed at Kong. "Multiple lock ons. Five round burst active."

Before he could fire, things got incredibly hot. Bryce seized Jordan and the two disappeared in a sheet of ice, before a stream of fire could light their backs ablaze.

"HAHAHAHAH!!!" A man in a cobbled together red outfit, contrasting Kong's orange prison jumpsuit, stood with flames licking his palms.

Jordan and Bryce noted the newcomer with caution. Jordan pointed to him. "That'd be Burnout." Jordan turned to Bryce, who wiped a bit of sweat from his brow. "Fire powers. He can run pretty fast, too."

"This stuff comes at you quick, doesn't it?" Bryce cracked his knuckles. "You take the big one. I'll take the fire one."

Jordan chuckled. "You sure?"

"I've also got telekinesis, and he looks exceptionally dumb. I'll knock him out in five minutes, TOPS."

Jordan nodded. "I hope Sam and Mason get here quick. These guys seem to be zeroing in on us faster than we can track THEM."

"...And getting ganged up on is exactly what he doesn't want..." Marie watched Jordan's vital signs, news reports, and her own personal invention, a city-wide radar hooked directly into Jordan's nervous system. Even if Jordan didn't see it, she did.

And four more Meta Humans were en route to Jordan and Bryce. Even with Sam and Mason on their side...they were outnumbered four to six.

Now their side only had two.

Jordan hadn't expected company so soon, but here he was. Face to face with Glockjaw himself.

He could hear Kong breathing behind him. A sportsman at heart, he wanted to allow Glock to go a few rounds. He was likely waiting for a good chance to land a solid hit himself.

Sportsman indeed. Jordan grumbled, pulling himself to his feet. Fighting both of them was harder than he'd thought.

Jordan charged Glockjaw, and slid under the first swing. He turned on his feet, and aimed his cannon.

Just as predicted, Kong, out of his line of sight, swung a hard haymaker into Jordan's chest. Jordan guarded, but his arms folded, and the impact knocked the wind out of his chest. He was sent reeling into the side of a building, as Glockjaw gave chase.

"YOU WANT SOME OF THIS?!" Jordan aimed his cannon and fired. The blast struck Glockjaw in the thick, colossal metal neck. Wires shifted, and metal groaned, but Jordan could hear quiet laughter.

Glockjaw was normally silent while fighting, but he knew damn well Jordan might be all washed up.

JORDAN. This is Bryce. Don't be alarmed, but I'm in your-

The thought was cut off. Jordan could hear Bryce grunt with effort not far away. He got to his feet, and leaped away from Glockjaw, as the metal beast tried to crush him.

"PERHAPS I DIDN'T MAKE MYSELF CLEAR. Multiple lock-ons. Five round burst." Jordan fired in midair, as Glockjaw approached, heedless of Jordan's threat.

The five shots impacted hard, forcing Glockjaw to his knees. The final shot hit home on his forehead, putting the massive robot on his back. Jordan smiled with satisfaction.

Sorry about that. Anyway, there's something coming towards us! It won't be here for a while, it's too far, but it's a lot worse than these guys!

AND WATCH OUT BEHIND YOU.

Jordan turned, and narrowly avoided a stomp from Kong. He dropped to one knee, sweeping the burly fighter's legs, and jumping backwards.

Jordan was back to back with Bryce. The telepath was panting hard.

"Don't worry about covering my back. You got enough to deal with." Jordan turned to see Bryce's opponents.

Burnout was incredibly worse for wear, covered in bruises and scrapes. He was an easy opponent. The source of Bryce's trouble was another villain. Bass. Not terribly smart, but possessing enough raw power to give Bryce a hard time.

"The guy makes sonic booms, big or small. Even if I'm winning, he can clear the board. If he claps his hands, he could level a BUILDING."

"We need Mason to take care of him." Jordan readied his fists. "Without air, I don't think he can make sonic booms. And Sam could probably corral these two muscle heads I'm dealing with."

Bryce grinned. "Yeah...this whole two on six shit is getting on my nerves."

"Six?"

Jordan watched his radar. Two more enemies were approaching. "Fuck me."

"If we run from them, they'll take it out on the civilian response teams." Bryce wasn't kidding, this time. No joke. Just a grim, cold statement of fact.

"...Sorry I got you into this, Ice-Cube."

"Don't sweat it, Heavy-Metal."

"They need to withdraw. I can't even MONITOR Bryce's vital signs, and Jordan will be DISMANTLED at this rate!" Marie frantically watched her radars and readings. Jordan's ribcage had been stressed, and he was covered in bruises that were healing slowly. "I don't know what's been wrong with him lately, but his healing factor is kicking in too late and too slow!"

"Have faith."

Saffore put her chin in her hand. She'd been deep in prayer, but now she was paying close attention. "They'll pull through. They did yesterday, and they will now."

Marie turned to Saffore, teary eyed. "How do you know?"

Jordan and Bryce's palms slapped together in a brief, if not instant, high-five. A show of camaraderie.

"You guys getting TIRED?!" Jordan lifted his right arm, cracking his knuckles. "C'mon. We can do this all day!"

Bryce lifted both hands, and a whirl of blue and white formed above his palms. "Let me tell you a cool story. It starts with me shoving an icicle up yer mom's-"

Their enemies approached, and the duo went to work.

"Because yesterday, they barely knew each-other, and they beat overwhelming odds. This time, they're a team."

Glockjaw stood, having just recovered from Jordan's attack. With a low growl and snarl-like look on his face, he went to attack the cyborg once more in a vicious charge. Jordan lifted his cannon, ready to fire when his enemy came into range/ Suddenly, in a flash of grey and red, Glockjaw seemingly disappeared.

Rolls, tumbles, and speed blurred up Glockjaw's vision. When the rolling finally stopped, he was flying back into a concrete wall, smashing inside the room behind it.

The man who stood before him was unfamiliar; a steel mask, a striped green, white, and blue jacket, simple jeans, topped off by a .50 cal handgun on his waist and a large combat knife strapped to his leg.

"Who... are you?" Glockjaw stood, stepping out of the room.

"Shit. Never came up with a name... Vuh... Voltaire? Yeah! Yeah! My name is Voltaire!" Vincent said, starting meek at first, and finishing with his hand proudly at his side in a heroic pose.

With another low growl, Glockjaw lumbered forward, tossing a car at Vincent almost casually. Oddly, Vincent ran toward it, jumped over the car, grabbed it, and, with a flip, brought the car back down on Glockjaw.

Little damage was done to the machine, he smacked it away and slammed his fist into Vincent's chest. As he did, the man's arms turned into bloody-black color with suddenly toned muscles.

Vincent clutched onto the fist with a huge groan, spun the giant into a streetlight, s small car, and released him into the support beam of a overhead freeway.

With his enemy stunned, Vincent took advantage and attack, both of his hands shooting out claws, covered in that bloody-black color.

He dashed forward at remarkable speed and began slashing his claws against Glockjaw even faster. None of which, did much noticeable damage. As a finishing hit, Vince pit all of his claws together on his right hand, making a dagger-like shape, and jammed them into his humanoid face.

A a roar of pain and rage, Glockjaw smashed Vincent between his two large hands, smashed him, and concluded by slamming him into the same freeway support beam.

His powers lessening blunt-force trauma, Vincent rolled from the machine and returned, his left fist like a giant hammer.

"How about THIS!?" Vincent clutched the hammerfist with his free, right hand, and slammed it powerfully through Glockjaw's torso. Sparks flew, Glockjaw cried in pain, and Vincent let out a cry as he swung his fist back around, knocking the giant down the street and into a gridlock of empty vehicles.

Glockjaw stood, looking down at the dozens of cars surrounding him and his first sign of major damage. He looked back at the masked man about 50 yards away from him switch his arm into skinny, hook-handed shape. It flew forward like a whip under the cars, cutting gas lines. In one fluid motion, he leaped into the air toward the cars and landed just in front of the puddle of gas leading to almost all the dozens of cars surrounding Glockjaw.

Vincent's hands returned to normal. He lifted up his left hand and began waving as he pulled a lighter out of his pocket with the other. He bent over to light the gas at the same time Glockjaw reacted and attacked. With Vincent's free hand suddenly a hammerfist again, he smashed the giant into the cars again and lit the fire, dashing quickly to escape the explosion.

Glockjaw, at least for now, was done for.

Elsewhere, in a dark room lit by a single, bright screen.

"Well I'll be damned."

With dark, slicked black hair, and dimly glowing red eyes, the gentleman, wearing nothing but boxers and a white tee shirt, kicked his feet up on the console. He grinned and scooped another serving of vanilla ice cream into his mouth.

"They got a new member!" He watched as Voltaire clashed with Glockjaw, before turning back to observe the two humanoid silohettes behind him.

"Ain't that neat, B-5 units? Beta made a friend."

The two robots were deathly still. Their KMC logos were artistically painted over with red patches, both with a black, curled letter A.

Damien, the owner of the dark room, grimaced. "Why'd I steal you guys again? You're boring as hell." He turned back to the screen, and held out his hands in anger, throwing the ice cream in the air. A huge explosion enveloped Glockjaw as Voltaire leaped away, unscathed.

"MOTHERFUCKER! FUCK! SON OF A BITCH!!!" Damien stood, and smacked his hand against his forehead. "Pleasebealivepleasebealive..."

Glockjaw laid dead, as Voltaire stepped away from the broken robot.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH! BLOODY HELL!"

The sheer impact shook the room. His metallic hand scratched his forehead, which began to heal, stitching closed with the same instantaneous sutures of Jordan's auto-repair. Soon, his forehead was spotless, with only a slight trickle of blood sliding down his forehead.

Damien looked around, a bit embarassed by the action. "...I already have to UPGRADE Glockjaw, now I have to repair and probably RESUSCITATE the jackass." Damien's eyes glazed over with annoyance, as he sat back down.

"B-5 units, this is Alpha Protocol One. I want you to retrieve Glockjaw's body. Once he's in a safe location, find a way to seperate Beta-Team with their dance partners, and give the 'bad guys' the location of the rendezvous point. I want ALL of them, ALIVE, and on my payroll before today ends."

The B-5 units shuddered for a moment, adapting their coding.

They were working with what was originally classified as their greatest enemy.

"And if Beta notices you...just find a civilian and detonate on them. That'll bum him out for a few days." Damien stood and got dressed, throwing on a buttoned up short sleeve shirt. "I've got a business meeting to attend."

"Orders acknowledged, Alpha."

Back at the KMC Mobile Base...

Alejandro ran through the corridors, trying to find Mason's and Sam's rooms. Bryce had given Alejandro instructions, but they came out in a rush as he flew off to combat the meta-humans down in the city.

He ran down the hall, took a right, and found Mason's door. He knocked on it frantically, trying to wake up Mason.

"What do you want?!" Mason shouted from the other side.

"Meta-humans are attacking the city! Jordan and Bryce told me to get you!"

"Why the HELL should I go?" Mason asked.

"Because they need help!" Alejandro shouted back.

"Then why don't you go?" The sheer audacity Mason had to ask such a question astounded Alejandro.

"...You know damn well why,"

There was silence on the other side of the door, and then it slid open. Mason stood there with an apologetic look on his face.

"...Sorry kid. I get cranky in the mornings," Mason said before walking out.

"Are you going?" Alejandro asked.

"Yep. I got nothing better to do," Mason continued to walk away towards the hangar.

"I need to get Sam!" Alejandro called out after him.

"Then go do it!" Mason said, not waiting for a reply. Alejandro watched him walk away, before he ran out to go find Sam. He supposed that Mason getting there alone and faster was better than both of them arriving later. The more boots they had on the ground, the better. At least that's what the people back at the military used to say.

Mason flew down towards the battlefield, hovering in the air to get a better analysis of the scene. There he saw Bryce in battle with a fellow who created sonic booms and another who controlled fire.

Jordan on the other hand was dealing with a lumbering brute of a man. Mason couldn't see any special powers beside super human strength. He figured Jordan would be alright for the time being.

A large explosion caught his attention and he saw a masked man jogging away from the site. Behind him was the charred and broken body of another meta-human...if you could call it human. It was one UGLY robot, that much was for sure.

Bryce seemed to need the most help, so Mason swooped down towards the telepath first.

Down on the ground, Bryce was having trouble keeping up with enemies. It was one thing to avoid the sonic booms of Bass, and another to avoid that AND Burnout's fire. Teleportation seemed to be the best evasive manoeuvre but it was tiring... and Bryce didn't have the endurance of the Demon, or even someone like Jordan.

Bryce flipped over a sonic boom, landing on his feet before hearing a "HA!". Bryce turned around and came face to face with Burnout, who was already preparing a fireball to burn Bryce's face off. He raised his hand in defence, powerless to stop Burnout's attack. But it never came.

Bryce looked and saw Burnout lying a few feet away, a large boot imprint on his cheek. Before him stood Mason, wind whooshing behind him. Burnout seemed to be knocked out, for the time being.

"Hey I thought that air only increased fire..." Bryce said.

"I kicked him from the air, dumbass. I know how my powers work," Mason replied bluntly.

"Sorry! Chill out man, we need to work together,"

"I hear one more weather related pun from you, and I'll do a lot worse than kick you in the face," Mason couldn't stand Bryce's constant puns.

"Oh yeah? TRY ME," Bryce said, taking a step towards Mason. Ice was forming in his hands as the wind around them began to pick up speed.

Jordan saw this from a few metres away, engaged in combat with Kong. "HEY! QUIT FIGHTING AND-"

"SURPRISE MOTHER FUCKERS!" Bass shouted as he clapped his hands together. Bryce attempted to raise a shield of ice but the defence was too hastily put together. The sonic boom shattered it as it plowed into the quarreling meta-humans.

"Look out!" Bryce shouted as Mason turned around. Burnout was coming in from above, fire ready to go. Mason shot a gust of air towards the villain, throwing Burnout to the ground. He was lucky the meta-human hadn’t shot flames at them while Mason had used his wind powers.

"Look, I can't properly deal with pyromaniac over here, and you can't handle the guy with sonic booms for much longer. Watch my back and keep this bozo off me while I deal with the jerk who attacked us," Mason said, turning around to face his adversary.

"By the way, the fire guy is Burnout and the sonic boom guy is Bass"

"What the HELL?" Mason asked, looking around.

"It's me Bryce. I'm a telepath as well."

"So you can read minds?" Mason asked.

"Yeah," Bryce said. This didn't sit well with Mason. There were things about his past he didn't want people to know.

"So read this: GET THE HELL OUT OF MY MIND!"

"Whatever," Bryce replied before terminating the mental link.

The conversation had been so fast, that Bass had only JUST begun to bring his hands together. Mason flew up and began to absorb the immediate air around Bass. He left a little bubble of air around his enemy though, as to not suffocate him. Bass' hands came together and a mighty BOOM was heard for a few seconds, and was then immediately silenced.

Bass looked around in surprise and clapped his hands again, aiming the sound waves at Mason. Once again, the boom was short lived and it never reached its target.

"WHAT?!" Bass shouted, his yell only lasting for microseconds. He was totally confused. His booms SHOULD work, and now his voice was messed up?

"No air, no sound. You're trapped in a bubble of air that's in a bubble of no air. Surprise!" Mason shouted, laughing as Bass stared hatefully at him.

But Bass had a brain, and if he couldn't use his powers then he'd use his intelligence. No air meant that nothing could breath. Bass began to walk slowly, eying Mason and then seeing a group of civilians. Bass began to jog.

Mason's eyes grew wide with surprise, and then frustration. Bass had figured it out. Mason didn't want to KILL Bass, he just wanted to stop him. But if he got rid of the vacuum he had made, Bass would go nuts on the civilians. If he DIDN'T get rid of the vacuum, the civilians would die from a lack of air.

Someone had to go in a physically stop him. Hold their breath or something. Mason needed help.

"Bryce!" Mason shouted. He hated doing this, but there were more important things at hand.

"What?!" Bryce replied, dodging a blast of fire and returning fire with ice.

"I...I need help! I need you to freeze Bass in place!" Mason shouted, looking over at the battle between fire and ice.

"Can't! Burnout's pretty pissed, and keeps setting things on fire!" Bryce shouted, putting out the fires and getting a few punches into Burnout.

"Bass is going to KILL these civilians if you can't!" Mason shouted. Bryce looked over and read Mason's mind. He understood the situation perfectly.

"On my way!" Bryce shouted, running towards Bass.

"No, you're not," a voice said as a wall of fire appeared in front of Bryce, the telepath barely stopping in time. Bryce turned around and noticed the ring of fire.

"You wanna dance bozo? I'll flatten in you in SECONDS," Bryce said, ice forming in his hands.

"You've been underestimating me. We're in my element now, dude. Those melting spears ain't going to do much..." Burnout laughed. Bryce looked at his spears, and sure enough they were melting. The ring of fire was raising the temperature inside of it.

"BRYCE!" Mason shouted. Bryce summoned more ice, refreezing his spears. They began the slow process of melting again. His attacks would be less effective and any tools that he made would require energy to simply maintain.

He tried to teleport by freezing himself, but the layer of ice was blasted away by Burnout.

"No! This is YOU and ME! Here and NOW!" he said hurling more fireballs. Bryce dodged most of them, causing some to go out with iceballs which mostly melted in mid air.

"BRYCE!" Mason was yelling at the top of his lungs, desperation in his voice. Bryce wasn't going to be able to make it in time.

"I'm sorry Mason. I'm trapped."

Mason's heart dropped into his gut as he received the mental apology. He couldn't even help Bryce to help him. His wind would only intensify the flames.

Burnout saw Mason above and smiled. Bass picked up speed. The civilians stood there in confusion, not understanding why Mason couldn't physically restrain Bass.

"RUN!" Mason shouted but it was too late. Bass was catching up, and Bryce wasn't around to help him.

The civilians were going to die, and all he could do was watch.

Bryce gritted his teeth as he attempted to counter every ball of fire that Burnout threw his way. In the distance, he watched the behemoth Bass charge into a crowd of helpless civilians.

Wincing as stray ball of flame grazed his shoulder, Bryce knew he had to keep his word and put an end to this hot head. Grinning, Bryce started to laugh, as Burnout stopped abruptly, confused.

"What are you laughing about?!" Burnout said, the flames on his hand growing in his fury.

"You say we are in your element, but there is one thing you forget about me." Bryce taunted.

I can read your mind, motherfucker.

"No, no NO!" Burnout roared, punching himself in the head. "Get out of my mind!"

Another funny thing about my Ice. Sure, my spears won't hit you. However...

While Burnout distracted himself, Bryce lashed out two thin beams of ice, which coupled with his wrists to form an icy pair of hand cuffs.

"Freeze." Bryce smiled. "I have you right where I want you."

"I can't say the same about you!" Mason roared in the back, Bryce would have to have a 'chat' with him later.

"Pfft!" Burnout scoffed, steam rising from the restraints. "Fire beats Ice!"

"But what is Ice?" Bryce laughed in victory, as Burnout realized the trouble he was in.

As his heated hands melted the ice, the ice became water, dousing the flames on his hands. Momentarily unable to use his abilities, Burnout stared agap at the spot where Bryce had been floating, just moments before.

Turning back, it was too late, placing a rather thick layer of ice over his fist, the massive icy punch left a freezer burn on Burnout's cheek, as he crashed into the tarmac below, unconscious.

"You're on fire!" Jordan yelled from across the way, as Bryce turned to face Bass, who continued to rip through the civilians.

"No, I'm as cold as ice."

"No really, you're on fire!" Jordan growled as Bryce checked over his shoulder.

Patting it out, he formed a single ice spear in his right hand, and flung it at Bass' right leg, just above the calf.

"Perhaps you might consider actually MOVING him away from the civvies?!" Mason growled.

"How about you focus your god damn attention on the big yelling dude and get the fuck off of my back bro!?" Bryce said. "And don't worry, I know you never bothered thinking it, because I read your fuckin' mind!"

Flinging another salvo at Bass, Bryce watched as the helpless civilians clutched at their throats for air. Without another moment's noticed, he teleported into the vacuum, grabbed Bass *with his mind* and lifted him high above the crowd. Those that didn't asphixiate gasped for air, as their blue faces returned to normal.

Backing out of the vacuum, Bass was powerless, but Bryce knew that Bass' weight was just under his limit. He wasn't sure how long he could hold the behemoth before he was drained completely.

"Someone!" Bryce barked. "Find a way to keep this bastard contained!"

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!!!" Jordan's right hand cocked as he charged towards Kong.

The beastial villain was not his target in the slightest. He needed a clear field of vision if he was going to take the shot. Bass needed to be taken out of commission NOW.

Kong stood in staunch opposition. "Can you really afford..." Kong took a hard punch to the face, leaning back in pain. Though Beta managed to slip past him for a second, the immense, ham fisted warrior seized the back of his shirt, yanking him to the ground, "...to focus on ANYTHING ELSE?!"

Kong seized Jordan's leg and tossed him down the road. He rolled end over end, slamming against the side of a building. He immediately rolled to his feet, deploying his cannon arm, aiming at Bass.

He could see Bryce's grip slipping. He could feel Bass's maniacal killing intent, as he looked down at the people.

Multiple lock ons. TEN ROUND BURST. Jordan raised his cannon.

The shot would do worse than disable Bass. It would kill the Meta Human.

Jordan's hesitation cost him his chance.

Kong leaped behind him, seizing the back of his head. "HAH! I've ALWAYS been a match for you, tin man!!!"

Jordan's forehead was slammed against a fire hydrant, denting it. Kong seized its top, preparing to yank it off.

"THIS is the finishing blow! Let's see how your circuits take THIS, Beta!"

Kong ripped off the hydrant, and a torrent of water splashed against Jordan's face, filling his mouth. Jordan felt a sickening amount of water gush into his stomach.

"BURBRBRAAAAHGUBA" Jordan shielded his face, turning to Kong in utter, incredulous rage.

"You moron. You REALLY THINK MY WEAKNESS IS WATER?!" Jordan planted his feet, and seized Kong's forearm. Gaining grappling control, he rolled Kong off of his back, throwing him to the ground. "Most FLASH LIGHTS are water proof, you IDIOT!!!"

Kong stood, a bit depressed his plan didn't work.

Jordan's fist formed an anvil. "My attention is on YOU now!!! GET READY!"

Jordan charged, and ducked an immense uppercut. He returned fire with his right hand, the anvil clanging powerfully against the beast's face.

"GAH!!!" Blood gushed from the bombastic villain's face. "That's NOTHING!!!"

Kong stood his ground, throwing punch after punch. Jordan blocked two, and simply dodged the rest. His sunglasses reflected Kong's angry face, as he avoided blow after blow, stepping back. He slid to his left to avoid a left hook. A right cross was avoided by a skillful duck.

Basic boxing was nearly useless against Jordan. He weaved under Kong's arm, and seized the beast's waist. With a grunt of effort, he rolled backwards, forcing the soles of his shoes against Kong's back. With a powerful toss, he straightened both legs, hurling Kong up and away from him. Kong slammed painfully into a car.

His eyes rolled back, and he nearly fainted from the raw concussive force.

"...Ow..." Kong stood. "You'll pay for that..."

Kong stood, and leaped away, climbing up a building. Next time, I'll drop a BUS on him!!! He glared at Jordan, who watched him flee from the battlefield.

Kong took a look at Bass. That mad-man would kill everyone here. It'd provide good cover for him to escape. Kong made his leave, as Jordan turned his attention away from the apish beast.

Jordan got to his feet, cracking his knuckles. He aimed his cannon at Bass.

"TARGET AQUIRED."

Jordan aimed, and prepared to shoot.

Primary directive: Defend criminal meta human from lethal blow.

All hail Alpha Directive.

In a blur of silver and blue, just as he fired his burst, a familiar robot leaped into the path of the shot.

The B-5 unit's chest cavity was blown open in one hit, thrown to the concrete.

"...B-5? What the FUCK?!" Jordan raised his eyebrows in shock.

Voltaire, the new-comer, leaped over to Jordan. "Good job! You really got that Gorilla. And...the random robot, apparently." Vince offered his hand to shake. "I've heard about you. You're Beta."

"Yeah. Nice job taking care of Glockjaw. Right now, we need a way to take out Bass. Bryce can't hold him for long, and Mason has him trapped in a vacuum. Unfortunately, to keep him alive, it has a center of air for Bass to breathe."

"Then shoot him with your cannon."

Jordan shrugged. "It's overclocked. I can't shoot for another two minutes."

Vince nodded in a grim fashion. "...Then we're really gonna need a hail mary here, huh?"

"Yeah." Jordan nodded back.

"...If Mason lets down the vacuum, you're gonna move in to take the sonic boom hit, huh?" Vince could already read Jordan like a book.

Jordan began walking towards the vacuum. "I'm a robot. A powerful, well built, unfeeling robot. Every hit I take is one that a weaker person doesn't have to."

"I can take a few on the chin." Vince's growth slowly shifted into an organic, jagged shield. "Mutant power."

Jordan and Vince charged into place beside Bryce. Sweat dripped from the Ice-Meta's chin. "...Not sure how much longer I can hold this guy..."

Mason held the vacuum in place. Bass repeatedly created shockwaves, each stopping at the edge of his bubble. "Where's Sam when you need him?!"