Side Story: Madison's School Days 3

Madison was calming down as they drove down the road, sirens blaring. Krewe had been muttering about cavities, but Madison was listening to Aegis. At least she knew what she had to do. All she had to do was tell people where to go. That wasn’t bad.

“Right,” Aegis said. “While Velocity is going over what we’re doing with the authorities, I want to go over our targets. We’ve got Flamehands…” he showed a page, a girl with a mohawk and angry expression on it. “She can heat up her hands, and is immune to heat herself. She’s been shown to melt aluminum, and may possibly be able to create hot enough flames to melt steel.” He glanced at them. “No other powers, so don’t treat her like she’s a brute. Also, she’s their breaking and entry specialist, but there’s been no reports of her attempting or even threatening to use her power on people, so there’s that.”

“A true princess of humanity,” Clockblocker said.

“Than we have Zapper,” Aegis pulled up another image, a younger girl, around twelve. “She turned up later. PRT report indicates she was the result of a bad home situation.”

“Powers?” Vista asked.

“She can fire bolts of electricity or at least what looks like it, which have the effect of tasering someone. No information if they can be set to do more damage,” Aegis glanced at them. “She can also jump between active electronic devices, teleporting. Good news, she needs clear LOS and it seems to be limited to no more than 30 feet. Also she has to reform before she can jump again and it looks like there’s some kind of pause in effect. Call it mover 4.”

“Now the last one,” Aegis said. “Bowling Ball.” Dennis snorted at the image of the skinny teen, several bowling balls floating around his head. “He has a telekinetic ability that seems limited to smaller objects. He uses bowling balls, but no idea if he can switch out to other objects. They’ve been recorded at up to 150 kilometers per hour and are lethal. He’s the one with actual injuries on his record, and he may not be outright trying to kill people, but he’s not trying to avoid it, either. Consider him the most dangerous and a priority, especially since we think the others are following him and might--”

“They did what?” Velocity shouted from the front of the van. Moments later, he looked back. “Okay, slightly bad news. Some state police stopped their vans and well, tried to arrest them. Now the gang is pinned down in Pines Mall, with hostages. Velocity shook his head. “Right, new orders. We’re just to keep them there, evacuate anyone we can, and wait for the Protectorate. More bad news, Boston put out the call for assistance, something going down with Blasto and Accord, and we’ll be on our own for a little while.”

Bad news? Bad news? Madison shivered. There were other Protectorate capes, she’d read the material, but you couldn't just send them all to one place, because you might miss something else—and villains would arrange attacks to draw them out.

I’m just search and rescue, she reminded herself.

Pulling into the Pine Mall parking lot, there was chaos, a dozen police cars in the parking lot, more covering the area.

And one that was in two pieces.

“Right,” Velocity said. “What happened?”

“Traffic stop for expired plates.” The officer in charge looked annoyed. “Being that the PRT neglected to inform us of how they were coming out here, the officers didn’t realize they’d just stopped some capes and their thugs.”

“How many non-powered individuals.”

“About twenty. Four or five guns that we saw, but…”

“There’s a gun store in the mall so they can have more if they want,” Velocity muttered. “Hostages?”

“About thirty, we have a link to the mall cameras. They’ve been moved to the bank and stuck in the vault. There are some others, mostly hiding. We’ve told all we can reach to shelter in place. We’ve got a SWAT team inbound so if we get the chance…”

Then there was a grinding sound, and something that looked like a humanoid mass of vehicular parts came stomping around the corner of the mall.

“That’s new,” Velocity muttered. “New Trigger?”

Kid Win had a rifle out, fiddling with it. Clockblocker looked over at him. “Gave up the pistols?”

“The new method I’m using lets me focus a little better,” Kid Win said. “I figured out that I get more stun throughput with a rifle. It’s even got an AOE setting.”

“Vista,” Velocity said. “I want you to start feeling out the structure, get ready to isolate it. Glory Girl, you’ll be prepared to engage the construct.”

“Yes, sir.”

“This isn’t good,” Tenebrae said. “This wasn’t their plan.”

“What do you think they’re going to do?” Velocity asked.

He actually ran a gang, Madison thought. She’d noticed that the Protectorate and PRT people tended to talk to Brian more.

“The smart thing would be to run. Nobody’s gonna give ‘em a pass for hurting hostages so try to get out… But they wouldn’t have taken them if they were just gonna run…” Tenebrae frowned. “I think they’re gonna try to use ‘em. Bring them out and demand we let them go.”

“That’s not going to go well,” a trooper muttered.

“Um, Mr. Velocity?” Madison asked. “I can…” What am I saying? A little voice shrieked. “Get the people in the bank out.”

“They’ve got guns, Madison, even if you’re bulletproof, the hostages aren’t.”

“I, um, know, but I can just go through the wall. Make a hole.”

“Young lady,” one of the officers said, “vault walls are reinforced. I’m certain you think you’re strong—“ he was looking at Madison in her pants, silly mask, and shirt, and she shrank back. “—but.”

“Brute. Nine.” Velocity cut him off. “She hasn’t been publicly introduced yet, but Atlas can trade punches with Leviathan.” He glanced at Madison. “But you’d have to be careful. Just punching the wall…”

“If we got their hostages out,” Aegis said. “They might be more inclined to surrender.”

“Maybe…do we have cameras in the bank?”

“No sir, they trashed ‘em.”

“Kid Win, do you have anything that can check the interior of the vault, see if they have guards with them?”

“I have a life detector, but it doesn’t tell me who, just numbers. I’d thought about it after the factory blew up, you know for—“

“I could go in,” Krewe said.

“And if they see you and start shooting up the place?” Velocity shook his head. “Kid Win, that’s what we need,” Velocity said. “I’ll talk to them out here. If we can get ‘em to surrender before this gets too bad, good. If not, we’ll go with the hostage extraction. Gallent, Kid Win, Krewe, Tenebrae and  Atlas go behind, where the exterior wall is closest to the bank. Watch out for that construct.” The metallic figure was still facing them, showing no signs of moving. “Masters tend to have one powerful construct or the ability to make more than one, so be careful and don’t move until I tell you to. Kid Win, you’ll have to verify a safe place for Atlas to open the wall.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Gallant, you’ll be there to support and assist and help calm people down.”

“Understood, sir.”

“Unless something goes wrong, you’ll just stand by. The plan is to wait for the rest of the protectorate.”

“Understood, Sir.” Gallant said.

*****

All the Wards had links to the communication system, and so Madison could hear Velocity.

“THIS IS VELOCITY OF THE PROTECTORATE! PLEASE CALL US. WE WANT TO RESOLVE THIS WITHOUT ANY MORE ISSUES.” After that, he gave several numbers. But then there was the sound of smashing glass and a police car’s horn dying horribly. Madison glanced back from where they were moving. They were going to run down a side street, smaller shops blocking line of sight, so they could get back by the bank without being seen. A half squad of PRT troops was with them.

“Um, shouldn’t you go Alien?” Kid Win asked.

Madison bit her lip. She wasn’t strong enough in her normal form, but nobody liked…

Then she nodded, and stopped, taking off her clothes, showing her leotard that Armsmaster had designed. It was like a swimsuit. Image had ideas for a regular costume, but… It wasn’t ready yet.

Then she reached down inside, calling all of her inner ugliness out. Moments later, she loomed over the other two.

“You know, Clockblocker thought we could make bank,” Kid Win said.

“What?”

“Yeah, open a $ 10 per try booth to beat the girl at arm wrestling.”

Madison blinked. Didn’t he… No. She guessed he didn’t.

Krewe whacked Kid Win on his helmet. “Doofus,” she said. “They’d say we’re cheating.”

Thank you.

“What we do is get Panacea to jazz up someone with noodle arms and that’s who we use…”

On the other hand.

“Right, let’s focus,” Gallant said.

“YOU’RE GONNA GIVE US SOME CARS, MONEY AND THEN GET OUT OF HERE!” a voice shouted back to Velocity.

“Oh, that doesn’t sound good,” Gallant said. “High on their own supply.”

“What?” Madison asked.

“Vicky said it. A lot of new parahumans think they’re invincible.”

“She would know,” Kid Win said. “Right, nobody can see us from here. Let’s go.”

They turned the corner, heading to the back corner of the mall, where the loading docks and employee entrances were. Madison looked around as she loped ahead, lower to the ground so she wasn’t much taller than either of her companions.

Then they got to the wall and Kid Win was setting something up. “Okay…” he said. “Um, Velocity, this is Kid Win, we have thirty lifeforms in the vault, four immediately outside. I can’t get much detail, but it looks like the ones in the vault are sitting. I think the others are the guards.”

“Under—“ There was a crashing sound and what sounded like an angry shout from Aegis. “—stood. The construct has ranged weapons, but it looks like all their capes are out front. Clockblocker! Freeze that officer until paramedics can get to him! You have a go at your discretion.”

“Okay,” Kid Win said. “I can stun ‘em as they try to come into the vault, so Atlas?”

Madison nodded, and reached out, gently running her claws through the concrete. Concrete and steel reinforcement parted like water to her claws as she kept working around in a circular motion. Gallant and Kid Win were by her, Kid Win staring down at his instrument.

“No motion on the guards. I think they’re distracted…” The sound of several sharp reports came from the front.

“HOLD YOUR FIRE!” Velocity shouted out.

Madison’s claws had dug a deep gouge through the reinforced concrete. “I’m almost there,” she whispered.

“Right,” Gallant said. “Velocity, we’re in position to pull it free and remove the hostages.”

“Understood,” Velocity said. “We’ve got Zapper in custody but the others are getting increasingly stressed, and I want the hostages out before they think to use them as human shields here. If you can do it safely… Do it.”

“Okay,” A PRT trooper nodded, also listening to Velocity. “Call it, Kid Win…”

“They seem to be…” Kid Win looked up. “They’re away from the door. Do it.”

Madison thrust her fingers through the few inches of remaining material and then pulled, and with a loud crunching sound, an eight foot high, four foot wide, section of the Mall wall and the vault wall behind it was pulled out. A trooper went in, Kid Win behind him, and the clamor of the hostages was getting loud. Madison blanched.

They were letting the guards out front know. She skittered in, some of the hostages on the floor screaming at her form before she ran to the door. One guard had come in and was unconscious after Kid Win had shot him, but there were three others out there. She could hear their feet getting closer and even if Kid Win stunned one, the others might shoot into the bank vault where the hostages were still moving out, Gallant calming some down…

I know! She’d block them. Madison grabbed the half-open bank vault door, and with a tearing sound, ripped it off of its hinges and ran into the lobby. Everyone fell silent as she found herself standing, holding the door, which was actually bigger than she was, the torn hinges gleaming in the light.

In front of her were three teens, about her age, holding guns. Two boys and a girl.

They looked at her. Madison looked at them from around the door she was holding.

“Nope.” Three guns clattered to the ground, and three sets of hands rose up.

“Hostages secure, sir,” Kid Win said.

“Good. Kid Win, Gallant, stay there. Atlas. We’ve got Flamehands, but the unknown parahuman is still active, as is Bowling Ball. We don’t have any Brutes that can handle him, save for you… I know you don’t like confrontation, but I’d like you just to walk through the mall to the front. You don’t have to respond to anything they do if you don’t want to.”

“Oh… Psychological warfare…” Clockblocker said. “My favorite kind!”

Not mine, Madison thought. She’d been too good at it. But it made sense. She didn’t have to attack, but just seeing her…

And maybe nobody else gets hurt.

“I can do it, sir.”

“Good.”

Madison put the vault door to the side, then paused. If she was supposed to be… She picked it up again, holding it in one hand as she walked out of the bank, the edge of the vault door catching the glass doors, which came off the worse from the meeting.

Then she was just walking forward. One girl popped up and fired on her with some kind of tiny pistol.

Madison had to keep herself from flinching when one bullet hit her eye, flattened and fell to the ground. Behind her, she saw Tenebrae’s cloud rising up so that the only thing anyone could see behind her was a mass of darkness, as if she was emerging from some otherworldly place. And then Krewe’s numbers appeared, running out of the shadow, grabbing some of the gang and yanking them into the shadow. 

Pretty soon it turned into a rout, teens running away from her, some heading to the front others raising their hands. She heard Clockblocker’s voice over the radio.

“A tag for you, and for you, and oh, can I get your phone number after this! A girl like you needs—“

“All the Console duty, Clockblocker!”

Some people were shooting at her, but the bullets didn’t hurt. Bright flashes shot out of the darkness, hitting walls and creating some kind of energy flash that knocked over the gunmen.

Something Kid Win had done and she figured Tenebrae was guiding him, the area effect making it easier to just shoot into their general area.

I guess all the hostages are out of the mall, now.

And then, a bowling ball zipped down and struck her in the face. She barely felt it, but one of the gang squalled in pain as a flying shard slashed his face.

“You think you’re something! We’re the Fifth Street Titans!”

She looked up and on a platform, where shows and car auctions had been held was a skinny teen, capering with a half dozen bowling balls floating around him. A few of the gang were there, and one girl was sitting down, eyes closed.

The Master, she guessed.

Another bowling ball hit her in the stomach and just shattered like the first.

“Clarissa! Get your robot in here!”

“I can’t, like the other heroes are gonna come in!”

Madison had an odd thought.

Even Uber and Leet would plan out things better… She remembered reading that most villain groups were really short-lived… maybe this was the reason?

There was a flicker. Krewe. Teleporting right above the two, on the second story level.

“If you surrender, it’d be better,” Madison said.

“You think I’m gonna surrender?”

“Um, yes. I mean, you don’t have any hostages anymore.” From his expression, Madison bet they didn’t have any kind of communication.

“I don’t need hostages! We’re gonna—“

Tenebrae spoke. “Do the thing, Krewe.” Moments later, a Number dropped from the second story, something in its hand.

“Taser to the ass!” it shouted, and Clarissa shrieked and convulsed, the sound of something big falling over coming from the outside.

“You fucker, I’m going to—“ And in a rush of wind, Velocity was standing next to Bowling Ball, stabbing him with something that made him go rigid, then fall to the ground.

“Really wish these tranquilizers were easier to make in bulk,” the older hero said. “They’d make things a lot easier. Glory Girl, Aegis and the rest are finishing up with the gang.”

“Shadowstalker’s sir?” Tenebrae said, emerging from a dissipating cloud that showed the rest of the gang secured with zip ties.

“Yes. They have to be handmade by Armsmaster and they have a expiration date, but…” Velocity shrugged. “I think I’ll talk to him about keeping a few on hand.” He turned to Madison. “So, good job, Atlas. How was your first official mission?”

“They seemed… kinda… easy?” Madison asked. “I thought it’d be more like fighting Hookwolf or Oni Lee.”

“Damn, that’s a Bay native for you,” Krewe said, flickering onto the ground. “But you’re right. We’ve got a higher standard when it comes to our bad guys.”

Madison couldn’t help it. She giggled.

Which caused Clarissa, slowly recovering from her tasering, to turn pale. Evidently, “giggle” her changer form, and comforting didn’t go well together.

But… it still felt good.