Shock and Awe

 Obligatory Disclaimer : I do not own anything (except maybe OC characters) all characters, places, worlds, universes…etc mentioned here belong to their respective owners and/or companies. 

This is purely a work of fiction. Not meant to offend or incite, but to entertain and (maybe) inspire.

.*.*.*.*.

SHOCK AND AWE

*.*.*.*.*

"I'm home." I shut the door behind me. The evening drama show on the TV was interrupted by a broadcast of Omni-man shutting down a Chinese dragon somewhere in Hong Kong. The overly excited news caster's vivid description of the events reverberated through the almost ghost quiet house.

An eerie chill turned my breath foggy as I neared the kitchen, "Mom?" I called. She stood, unmoving and unnaturally frozen in place with a glinting, bloodied knife in her hand. I hovered inches above the floorboard, prepared to swiftly respond to any sudden moves. This seemed like a scene out of the exorcist, I was yet to know just how well I fared against magic and the supernatural, but a healthy amount of violence and brute force might prove to be the only things required. 

cult sacrifice—she might have been corrupted by the vile promises of the blood god.

"H-hey, welcome home." She coughed, wiping beads of sweat off her forehead and offered me a practiced smile, "Dinner will be ready soon, so go freshen up." She returned to her cooking, the knife finding its way into a slab of bloody beef proving that she indeed wasn't offering sacrifices to the blood god.

"Sure mom." I didn't have to be a psychologist to know that she was hiding something. Since she wasn't possessed, the only other person I knew who could turn their immediate vicinity as cold as a gold digger's heart was a certain demonic detective, which meant that this was for my dad to deal with.  

I threw my back pack to the desk, closed the door behind me and flopped face down into the bed. Sex was getting boring. I'd been having it for nearly a decade on a planet where I didn't need to be as restrained due to the native's own enhanced biology, to now having to get reacclimated to fucking someone I could tear apart like wet tissue with the oddly powered stroke.

…

…I had nothing going on right now, assignments were completed, dad was dealing with the threats and everyone else was busy with their own shit. Today was one of those rare peaceful days regardless of how it started.

I found my favorite spot, snuggled into it and propped my head on the softest pillow.

The lite drum of my beating heart and the occasional deep breath eased me into the calm waters bordered between sleep and awareness. That sweet spot on the very edge of oblivion.

—Bzzt! Bzzt!

"Fuck." I turned over.

—Bzzt! Bzzt!

Sigh. I cracked an eye open and lazily reached for my phone.

Art: Suit's ready kid! Come whenever for pickup! 

He's always ending his texts with exclamations. I still appreciated the good news regardless.

I checked the other alerts. 

Eve: Heads up V, the Mauler twins are on the loose. 

My back straightened instantly. I reread the text and went online to confirm it. News didn't specify that it was the Mauler twins but just that some super criminals managed to escape from a high security prison last night. 

Fucking excellent this was. 

"Mark, dinner's ready!"

"I'll be down in a minute mom."

…

Dinner was uneventful, a bit awkward even, considering she was looking over her shoulder for a demon that wasn't there. I guess apart from her job and being the wife of a superhero, she too needed something to get her blood boiling, and nothing got the old blood on fire like solving a murder mystery with an otherworldly detective. 

Or maybe she was just a worried wife trying to clear her husband's name, because deep down inside she suspected him of being guilty.

"I'll be going to Art's for my suit. I'll be back soon." I said from the room, jumping through the open window after she told me to "Take my time out there." 

She'll probably start searching the house for any murder clues and evidence. 

Sigh. I needed to work fast, the lady was actually influencing my plans. 

*.*.*.*.*

"Damn!" 

"I know."

"You outdid yourself Art." I looked in the mirror, twisting, turning and flexing as I posed in the int fresh suit that accommodated my body like a fitting glove. 

Or the perfect sized condom.

Yes brain, that analogy works too since they both offer protection to the wrapped up parts. Hah, I kill me. AI enabled goggles scanned whatever I laid eyes on, giving me a range of useful data and the ability to cycle through a variety of viewing modes all along the electromagnetic spectrum. 

The flexible micro discs on the palms of my gloves were plasma ejectors and laser shooters—exactly what I'd asked the man for with a lethality range setting. 

"The fingerless gloves had to go; shielding was incomplete with them in the way." He explained, reminding me that I could still be harmed by the weapons so close to my skin. 

It was a minor cosmetic change I hardly even noticed. "Eh, it's still cool Art."

I felt the hardened disc beneath the flexible chest plate, it had a dull warmth and a smooth feel.

"That's the power source. You break it, you lose the lasers."

"I don't get any backups?"

"This is why I like you Mark, for a kid your age you're actually smart." He laughed, "You've got nano generators in the soles of your footing—nothing strong enough to sustain anything above stun blasts but they'll tide you over till you get it back to the shop for repairs."

"Understood." This was it, the long-range solution to all my long-range problems. I stared at the mannequins a stone throws away, wondering if the man would be offended if I perhaps used one of them as target practice.

"Go ahead. I can see it in your eyes." He said, stepping a safe distance away. Perhaps he too was a bit eager to see his creation in action.

"Ignite." I ordered. The ejector quietly hummed to life, red plasma rapidly coalescing over its metal rim. It was tangible and almost scalding to the touch akin to a mass of oven baked clouds, yet without any substantial weight. 

I squeezed down on it, watching it crackle and flow, dying my hand in an electric crimson glow as it stretched into a jagged lance protruding from both ends of my hand. 

The AI listed the power consumed, the lethality level, and targets in range—each target within sight had guidance trajectories that I could follow to maximize accuracy. The longer I sustained it, the more power it gathered and the more lethal it became.

I threw the crackling red bolt at a mannequin. The ray zoomed through the air with a zum! Hitting the mannequin's head with a spectacular, sizzling flash. The smell of burnt plastic wafted through the room from the scorched and smoldering hole burnt through the center of the mannequin's head. 

"This is fucking awesome Art." I said honestly to the man who folded his arms at my praise, a clear grin written across his face. I don't know how the science bending worked to allow such techno-wizardry to succeed but by the emperor—and ethical implications aside—it succeeded outstandingly. 

BzzT! BzzT!

Dad: Son, come over to Egypt.

Looks like there's a quest. 

*.*.*.*.*

Nolan swooped in on the glowing man wrapped in bandages—the magical mummy or whatever it was called had risen from a tomb and subsumed the body of the explorer who discovered it. 

"To your left." He said, snapping the thing's head up in his arm and tossing it with supersonic fury at me. 

I caught it. He felt cold to the touch like a frozen bottle of water, smelled like unwashed socks and glowed an energetic, neon green. The thing groaned like a sick zombie and whipped its bandages at me—a form of attack of some kind that only served to tickle me.

"Up top" I whipped it high into the atmosphere. 

Omni-man snagged it by the waist and dove down. I rocketed up to meet him, kicking up a sandstorm in my ascent. 

CrackK!

It snapped in half with my extended arm still hooked around its neck from the devastating lariat. 

"That's what I'm talking about son" He laughed, clapping my back with enough force to create shockwaves, barely rocking me.

Controlling his strength with me was an act that stopped after the first six months on the Flaxan home world. He didn't have to, not when I could take it. 

Like a used up pu--

Zip it brain.

I was going to say purse.

Like hell you were.

I flew down and tossed the crippled glowing figure into the tomb it crawled out of and secured said tomb with the inscribed marble slab that was meant to cover it.

Magic was real, I had to keep that in mind. Maybe even find ways of acquiring it.

"You do know mom's pissed right? You didn't show up for dinner."

"How bad is it?" He sighed.

"She even made extra servings. You better hurry up before they get any colder." 

"I'm going, I'm going. Race you there?" He challenged.

"We both know I'm faster dad." I stated with a smile, to which he scoffed and made to rub my head. "Being jealous of my perfect hair won't change that" It was an established fact between us. 

"Art did a great job on your suit." He said, rubbing his chin as he scrutinized my threads. I wasn't going to bore him with the details, he'd get to see it first hand if it ever came down to it. Which, if we're being honest he will.

"I told him the same."

"Well tomorrow's a school day so come back early"

"Sure thing, I'll just do some lite patrols and call it a night."

"Stay safe kiddo.."

"I will dad. Don't forget to get mom a gift, you might just get lucky."

"Get going smart ass." He shooed me away as he flew into the horizon. Leaving me alone with the stars above me and the sand beneath.

"Computer."

[System responsive to master user input.]

It spoke with an Alexa inspired type of voice. 

Shilling for amazon much?

Shut up brain. 

"What are the results of the scan?"

[Four hundred and fifty-six warehouses found within the city fit the master user's search parameter.]

It listed images of said warehouses within the city and on the outskirts. The thing was connected to the internet and whatever satellites it could stealthily hack into which were a lot. Considering that the Flaxans were able to find an unguarded location of entry and gather data on Earth without anyone knowing until they invaded with force was testament to just how advanced their AI tech was.

"Narrow down results to dilapidated ones still connected to a power grid."

[In progress…Sixteen warehouses found to fit master user's updated search parameters]

Everyone and their grandmother had the great idea to use run down warehouses as secret bases or labs.

It wouldn't be a comic book world without it.

"Keep an eye out on those locations. Alert me if you spot any power surges, or delivery trucks within their proximity either entering or exiting."

[Master user command input accepted. Please state the priority level.]

"Highest priority."

[Mission commencing…mission commenced.]

If I found the twins, I'd be able to find robot. I'd personally go check them out, but I knew I'd be discovered, the guy must have scanners or something in place as the bare minimum. Which gave me another idea.

"Also include surveillance devices and exotic technology signatures into your search."

[Mission parameter updated.]

Happy hunting.

*.*.*.*.*

Ullomein ubermensch zerein wunts nudesof3dwaifus That's german for hello my gorgeous super people, love loves you all.

This is the start to the new arc. Let's call it the do or die saga. Heh. Stick around, you don't wanna miss any of this.

I hope you enjoyed it. Check out moi pat reon for more rain. I'm gonna do something extra for y'all soon. 

Once again, stay safe, much love. Rain away. Muah~~   

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