Chapter 12 - "Bloody Vengeance"
We kept our secrets well. Except for those people who had some sort of public display of their power happen by accident or design we kept our true selves hidden.
So much so that even our enemies really did not know what we looked like. The effectiveness of our efforts was brought home to me one summer afternoon. I was off duty, me, totally and completely free. Nova was at Olympus and I was sitting on the grass watching Psyche's youngest sister, age 15, show off her dance moves.
The sun was shining. The wind was gentle. I was peaceful.
Two men and two women came around the side of the house, heading towards the backyard where we were. I had heard and sensed the car pull up but had assumed it was Psyche's mom and other sister. I fully admit I was not suspicious in the least.
They were dressed in neat casual clothes.
“Beth Smith?” one of the women asked my companion.
“Yes.”
“We need you to come with us. There has been an accident your mother and sister have been hurt.”
“Who are you?” I asked as I stood and moved towards Beth.
“Police. Please come along now.”
“If you are the police then you have badges and names.” I was way past suspicious now. I knew cops and these were not cops.
“We have these will they do wiseass?" snarled one of the men.
Guns. Pistols, machine pistols actually, not messing around these people.
I wove an invisible shield around Beth. I was wishing Psyche were here. Something about the way they said 'your mother and sister' made me think they had them prisoner already. We were in no danger so I decided to play along for a bit. But I needed to talk to Beth. She was quietly freaking out and kept looking at me.
The Smiths kept two large and overly friendly dogs. They were currently barking themselves crazy in a pen to my left. The tension between all of us was obviously affecting them.
Popping the lock on their cage was simple enough. As was erecting invisible forcewalls to guide the dogs right into the midst of our would-be kidnappers. Chaos erupted as the dogs escaped and charged into the stunned thugs. I gambled the dog's lives that they did not want to make too much of a commotion. This was not the kind of neighborhood when gunshots would go unreported.
I pulled Beth back one step and spoke rapidly, “I have put a shield around you. Can you feel a tingle across your skin?”
She nodded.
“Their guns will stop working when I will them to. With that shield around you there is nothing, nothing, they can do to hurt you. Do you understand?”
Again the nod, but with a little less fear.
“I think they might have your mother and sister and I want to play along for a bit until we can find them. I can fly us away at any time. But if we can play along we might find your mom and sister faster. Can you do that?”
“Yes. I think I can.”
“Good girl. Your sister will be proud of you. If they push you, or hit you, you will not even feel it but try and pretend that it hurts. Do not overdo it just move away from the blow and glare at them.”
“yesboss” came with a smile.
Great, it runs in the family, but it did make me smile.
Our abductors had managed to get the dogs back in the pen. I do not think they attempted to take a shot. Civilized kidnappers will wonders never cease.
“This way you two, move!”
“We do not want him he's not part of the deal.” came from one of the women.
“You will take me with you or I will start yelling. You can shoot me but that will draw a hell of a lot of attention in this neighborhood.” not bad I thought I did not leave them with much choice.
“Fine, come along, but keep your f------ mouth shut from now on.”
Yeah that was gonna happen.
I still had one minor problem in the form of my communications earpiece. They would certainly search us eventually and that would be kind of a dead give away. Putting my hand in my pocket I formed a small force sphere around the device. A flick of my wrist and a touch of gravity neutralization and the sphere shot straight up. I tethered it to me with a line of force and it hovered like a tiny pretty much invisible balloon a few hundred feet above my head.
Physical objects would not affect the connection so it would be safe until I needed it again.
They were a quiet bunch. In my experience thugs or criminals in general tend to be noisy. They walked to a large SUV and did a quick search. I can control my forcefields to a rather fine degree but I did not want to risk them noticing the slight tingle that goes along with contact with them. I dropped first mine and then Beth's when they went into our pockets.
I grinned at Beth while they looked her over. She seemed to be ok and was certainly glaring at our abductors in the way only young girls can do. They were not impressed --- but I was.
No blindfolds, either that is only done in the movies, or they were a cocky bunch.
A long ride lead us to a farmhouse. Isolated but with a lot of very nice looking cars parked along the massive driveway. I revised my opinion. These were not thugs they were a better class of criminal scum.
I am not Pathfinder but at close range I have a lot of different ways I can sense people. I scanned the entire area Beth's mom and sister were not there. Dammit!
They walked us through the front door and into a huge living room. I looked around and noticed that someone lived here. No dust visible anywhere. Power on. Could be one of these people but I doubt it. Four more people were waiting for us.
The room was large and nicely furnished. One end was a dining area with a fine heavy wood table and the other a comfy living room. Two large sofas and a fireplace made for a very nice layout. My opinion of the decorating was tempered by the anger that was consuming me.
Enough with the games.
“Beth please go sit over there.” I pointed to the far end of the room.
As she moved away the guy I took as the leader barked at me.
“Hey! You do not give orders around here!”.
I had moved into the center of the room between all of them and Beth. I gave her a smile and she returned it. Brave girl.
“Please forgive me for everything that happens from this point on Beth but these people are scum and I am going to treat them as they deserve.”
“Are Mom and Carol here?”
“No but we will find them I promise.”
I turned back to the now very confused pack.
“Draw your weapons.” I said with the tone of command unmistakable in my voice.
Some of them were more than happy to do so.
I followed that with. “Shoot me.”
“What? Are you crazy?” came from the back of the pack.
“No? How about this? Shoot me you miserable pack of brain-dead, donkey-f------, foul-smelling rejects from the shit factory.”
That did it. Guns came out and nothing happened. No clicks of course just confused looks and some panic.
I held up my hand and called my little sphere down to me. It drilled a neat hole in the ceiling before dropping into my palm. My would-be kidnappers just stared at me as I replaced the little bit of electronics in my right ear.
“oh shit” came from someone, quiet and terrified.
“Yesss” I slurred and twisted the word. Darth Vader would have been proud.
Tap. “Pulsar to all Speedsters. I feel the need.”
One of the large tough guys off to my left wet his pants when I smiled at him.
“You are not him.” challenged the leader.
“Really? Actually, being wrong about that, is going to cost you your life. Look around you... standing next to each of you is a zombie, the walking f------ dead.”
Their leader roared and charged me. He got to take 2 steps before I incinerated him. In one second he went from living man to nothing but ash in the form of a man. The forcefield I used to contain the heat that roasted him held the ashes in his shape.
I blew a puff of air at the figure and released the shield. The ashes flew everywhere and the goons scattered to the outer edges of the room. My eyes had lit up with their normal soft blue glow when I attacked.
A familiar vibration began to fill the room. The walls rattled and the already terrified hoods hunkered down even more.
Three on my left. Three on my right. The Speedsters of Olympus had arrived.
“I want everything except their clothing on that table. Blur take Beth to Psyche. Everybody outside on perimeter until I call.”
As fast as I could say it -- it happened. Now it was just me and them.
I flipped through the wallets and other trinkets. Really nice cars. Nothing useful.
While I was doing this one of them made a slow move towards the door.
Without looking up I said “Another step and you die now rather than later.”
He backed up.
“Alright here is my problem. You have all committed a mortal sin you have messed with our families. This is beyond repulsive. It is not even human. You have two other people and I want them. Tell me where they are and one of you can buy your life.”
I was cold, somewhat empty, but it was necessary. I had seen that far ahead already. These were not a bunch of wimps to be easily broken.
“Don't tell him as long as we have them he cannot touch us.” said one of the men to my left.
I raised my right hand and without looking up put a bright red pencil-sized laser through his right shoulder. He went down with a shriek. The shock from a hit like that is pretty bad.
I looked up.
“Really? I think I can take each of you apart piece by piece until you talk. But I do not like to work that way. So last chance... anybody have an attack of brains?”
“I'll tell you.” came from one of the women.
“Come over here then.” as I waved her to a chair. “As for the rest of you. I will give you more than you deserve... a running start. Go. Out the door. Run.”
“With them out there we do not stand a chance.” one snarled.
“Fine stay here then.” as I brought my right hand up.
They left. some out the front and some out the back.
Tap. “Speed.”
whoosh
“sir”
“The people who just left here need to become dead.”
“blur won't do that”
“Then send her to guard Psyche. Go.”
whoosh.
The woman looked pale, “So you are going to just kill them?”
I did not answer the screams from outside did. It was over quickly.
“Where are they?” I asked.
“If I tell you are you going to let me live?”
“Yes because I have a task for you. And because I said I would. Where?”
“8799 Grant. Industrial district. Guarded by 8 well-trained men.”
Tap. “Speed.”
whoosh
“Find 8799 Grant. Look for guards and Psyche's mom and sister.”
whoosh
“You realize if you just lied to me I will know in seconds.”
“I am not stupid. That is the place. What is it you want me to do?”
“After I know. Shut-up.”
I studied her while I waited. Attractive and fit. Early 30s. Well dressed in a functional but still somewhat stylish suit. The bright blond hair made her seem more a model than a kidnapper.
"What is your name?" I finally asked.
"Tabitha Ellen Meyers." she answered.
Looked to me like she was telling the truth. With concentration I can read a number of signs that go along with lying.
Speed was back in under a minute. He reported that everything checked-out.
“Can you and your brethren get them out?”
“boss you wound us of course we can and you want the guards dead”
“I want them dead and bloody. We are sending a message to anybody who wants to try this again. Make sure the letters are plain.”
“yes boss are you ok boss”
“Yes my friend. We have to do this. We have to do this or else it is going to keep happening.”
“right boss with ya boss”
whoosh
“You do not look at all like what I pictured.” said the woman.
“I suggest you try and forget what I look like. Describing me to anyone would be unwise.”
“I understand that.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why did you do this?”
“Oh, that why. You know why, the money.”
“Bullshit. There are a hell of a lot of people a lot safer to extort from than us. You wanted something else or... or to make some sort of point.”
“Perceptive but then I read that about you. Even without the witch you are good.”
I waited.
“We did want money but what we really wanted was information. All the data you have on all the MetaHumans to be exact.”
My turn to be confused, “Why so you can write a book?”
“No so we can survive. You MetaHumans are going to destroy this planet. How many have died already even before your tally tonight? It is going to get worse and we needed information to find some sort of vulnerability in you people.”
“I take it you do not trust Olympus to protect the planet?”
“No. You don't really think that we believe this goody-two-shoes act of yours. After tonight I believe it even less. You are just more subtle than the rest. Wonderful PR campaign you have. A fair majority of the common populace thinks you people are heroes. Even if you do mean it there is still the whole cult of personality problem. This kind of power always goes bad, you know it as well as I.“
She did have brains I have to give her that. What she was saying was not entirely wrong. Over the damn top as their actions may have been what she was saying was rational. Based on fear but rational.
“Would you rather I stopped trying maybe joined the rest of them. Your society would not stand a month if I did that.”
“No we want you to keep doing what you are doing while we find a way to stop you.”
Resolute. Determined and resolute. It would be a waste of time trying to change her mind. Psyche can handle that. I hoped.
“Well at least we agree on something. In case you had forgotten you now have a task to perform. In exchange for your life you will go out and tell the world what happened here. Go on TV, write a freaking book, I don't care. But tell the world this: Anyone who goes after the family or friends of the Heroes of Olympus will die. They will not accomplish their goals. They will NEVER force us to do anything. They will die.”
“I understand that is an effective tactic in my professional judgment.” said my new messenger.
“Ah. A professional criminal. I'm not impressed.”
“Until 39 days ago I was an agent of the Secret Service of the United States. My last assignment was on the White House detail.”
I am pretty sure I did not believe her at the time. I was wrong.
“I resigned when I and some others realized that the current administration had no chance of dealing with the threat you MetaHumans represent. Criminal? I bust criminals you ass. Well I used to I am one now thanks to you and your kind. The criminal here is you. All of you. How many murders have you committed Mr. God? You are hunting serial killers? You ARE serial killers.”
In a slow every expanding circle every item, every bit of furniture, everything except the two of us, disintegrated into dust.
She dropped to the floor but was quickly back up via a smooth trained move.
The house around us melted away. Starting from the roof it lost all cohesion all it's energy drained away.
We ended up standing in the center of a massive swirling pile of dust.
“It is the only way. This is war. Tell the story.”
I floated upward looking down at her.
“You think all your enemies are Evil don't you! Big old capital E right? Some of them are but not everyone who stands against you is wrong. Remember that Pulsar!” she shouted up at me.
I flew home. I expect she had a long walk.
Her words affected me but they did not alter my plans. She and her people kidnapped a woman and two teenage girls to use as pawns. My friend's mother and sisters. I would not allow this to happen again.
I. Would. Not.
When I returned I looked over the list of all the MetaHumans who were either at Olympus or were friendly neutrals. I picked a new team recruiting 3 from outside our walls.
I called them the Black Team. They call themselves Bloody Vengeance or just Blood.
They do not operate out of Central like everyone else. They do not wear cameras. The missions are official but covert and more highly secret than anything else we do. They work for me and I take full responsibility for everything they have done.
Their first task was to hunt down everyone who knowingly helped the kidnappers in their plot. This was surgical and focused but merciless. Everyone that was found to have provided assistance died within 2 weeks.
My little messenger did her work well. The picture she painted of my reaction to the kidnapping was vivid and memorable. She of course also tried to convince the world that we were not to be trusted. Much to my surprise her warnings were not only rejected they were often shouted down. For now anyway much of the public was indeed with us.
Official Olympus policy is that threats to the family and friends of the residents of Olympus are to be met with maximum force. It is to the Black Team's credit that in the time since they were formed we have had few problems in this area.
Here endth the lesson.
Pulsar, Beth, Tabitha, Speed
The Speedsters of Olympus
Speed, Kid Flash, Blur & Hermes
BlueStreak & Quicksilver
MetaWar Chapter Thirteen
MetaWar Chapter Eleven