A week later…
A table was set behind a bulletproof window with three pure white minimalist stools just underneath. Each spot at the table had a name set in front of it. Andre sat pacing behind the glass with his phone to his ear. “Yeah, we got the list of potential recruits,” Andre said. “Thanks, Damien. Talk to you later.”
Andre hangs up the phone and walks towards the table with a sigh just as Laney enters the room. Laney walks over to the table and joins Andre. “The recruits have arrived, and Apollo is leading them here,” Laney said softly. “Where’s Athena?”
Andre walked over to the table and sat down with a grunt. “She’s checking on the vault to make sure it's sealed correctly,” Andre shifted. “We don’t need to lose the Aether Core today.”
Laney chuckled and sat down on a chair, fixing the stack of papers she held. “Well, it does power some of her weapons, so I see why she’s doing it.”
Laney flipped through the pile of papers until she landed on one labeled “Frost.” Andre looked at the page and sighed. “So Blaze’s brother is joining the game, huh?”
Laney looked up and rubbed her eyes to wipe away tears. “Yeah, I called him and told him of how Blaze had passed in battle,” Laney said. “He works with the power of the snow, whereas Blaze worked with the power of the fire.”34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡabCdBVtEMk
Andre looked at the file with piqued interest. “So we have ourselves another elementalist,” he said, shuffling the files. “We also have a cowboy, a D and D character, and a few other interesting people.”
Andre picked up a stack of folders and started placing them in front of each spot. “So Athena, Me, and Apollo will be picking people to join our team, you will be recording all this so we can send a copy to Damien so he knows what weapons to create,” Andre explained, setting down the final stacks of paper. Laney nods with a contempt smile and walks into the back room behind the table through a steel door. “So you want me to just sit in this room with the controls to the cameras?” Laney asked curiously. “Yeah, lets test them out to make sure they work properly,” Andre replied, standing up and standing in the center of the room.
The light on the camera turns on as Laney clicks a button while slowly moving it to face the center of the room where Andre stood. “And 3… 2… 1… Your good to start the test,” Laney said, signaling to Andre through the bullet-proof glass. Andre nodded then raised his hand. His hand started turning gray and metallic as if on command.
On Laney’s end, the video camera was focusing on the ability and recording it down to a molecular level. On the side of the screen, there were indicators to body heat, heart beat, and brain activity. “Try shapeshifting!” Laney called out. Andre nodded and shapeshifted into a brown wooden box. As Andre turned back to his normal self, he turned his feet to sludge to ride it like a wave. The screens on Laney’s end show that my vitals were just fine. “All good, the camera works like a charm,” Laney said, signaling to Andre that the test was done.
She stopped the camera just as Apollo walked in through the metal blue doors with the line of recruits and following close behind. Athena entered shortly after, holding a clipboard. “We made it,” Apollo said cheerfully as he entered the room, the long line of recruits shortly behind him. Athena walks up to Andre with a neutral look. “The Aether Core is all locked up tight, but… Remind me again why we have to lock it up?” Athena asked, handing Andre a clipboard. Andre flipped through it and sighed a breath of relief. “We protect this core cause it powers the lab,” Andre explained. “Plus, it carries the power to double one’s power and lower regen time.”
Athena nods and takes the clipboard back. “So anyone can just use it and double their power?” Athena asked, clutching the clipboard. “Yeah, unfortunately, it was one of the first things I created back in college before the accident,” Andre replied, looking over at Apollo. “I can’t believe I changed our whole lives; we wouldn’t even be heroes had I not made the error.”
Athena stopped clutching the clipboard and put her hand on Andre’s shoulder. “Look at the brightside… You and Apollo are practically helping to save the world,” Athena pointed out. “Plus you have so many new friends.” Athena looks over and waves at Laney who was sitting in the room behind the table, waiting to record the recruiting process. Laney waved back with a smile before looking back down at the controls. “Besides, you have a goal in mind now; rescue Jaylen and defeat Meghan, so we’ve got tryouts to run, its time to get your mind out of the gutters just for today,” Athena said, looking at Andre once more with a grin. Andre sighed and looked her in the eyes. “You’re right, lets do this.”
Athena glances at Apollo real quick before sitting down. “Besides, I think he likes being able to interact with people on a more humane level.” Apollo sat there talking to the recruits, answering questions with a smile. “Yeah, I hope so,” Andre sighed, smiling in Apollo’s direction.
Apollo glanced in his direction and smiled back. “Let’s just sit down, first up on the roster of recruits, Tex,” Andre said, looking down at the roster as he sat down. Apollo and Athena took their seats on either side of Andre. Andre turned around to face Laney, giving her a thumbs up to signal that we’re ready to start. Laney nodded and started the camera back up. Andre waved to the first recruit. “Tex, come on up, show us what you can do.”
A moderately tall Hispanic white man wearing a purple pancho walks up. “Tell us about your ability,” Athena said, ready to take notes. “My name is Tex, my ability derives from the storm inside me,” The man spoke in a calm, yet low tone. Apollo looks at him curiously, noting the blue jagged lightning scars running up the man’s arm. “So what led to you having a storm inside you?” he asked curiously.
Tex sighed and took off his hood, revealing the scar across his eye in the shape of a bolt. “I was outside delivering packages down in Texas when a storm rolled by, I was struck while holding a particularly large and metallic package, ever since, a fragment of that storm remains inside me,” Tex explained, his tone dropping as he reminisce about how he gained his power.
Andre turned and signaled to Laney. Laney perked up and pressed a dark blue button causing a piece of the floor inside the training room to creak in a puff of smoke. A long rectangular stripe on the floor started to rise up revealing all sorts of different weapons. “You can use any of these weapons to display your power, just put it back when your done,” Andre nodded.
Tex nodded and walked over to the wall of weapons, eyeing a particular tool. Tex reached for a long chain, grabbing it as if it were a ball and chain. The hook suddenly sparked as he charged it with the power of the storm inside him, summoning a hook made of pure blue electricity at the end of it. “This feels right,” he muttered to himself before walking back to the center of the room.
Laney pressed a button, summoning a shatter proof wall of glass to protect the recruits from Tex’s abilities. Andre glanced back and mouthed a thank you to Laney before facing Tex again. “Show us what you got.”
Tex replied with an expresionless nod as he raised his weapon. The hook at the end of his chain sparked and started shifting in shape as he manipulated the shape to match that of a blade. “Hmmm… Impressive control of his storm,” Andre said, taking note.
A piece of the wall suddenly opened up as the weapon wall closed and went back into the floor. A hologram of faceless NPCs charged out and aimed their weapons at Tex. Tex backed up and swung his bladed chain as it sparked with electricity. “I AM THE STORM!” Tex shouted, his blade swinging aggressively at the NPCs. Like butter, the NPCs fell into two as the bladed chain struck with an electrical spark. One after another, the NPCs fell when out of nowhere a more muscular NPC joined the battle.
For a second, Tex’s eyes widened as his grip on the chain grew stronger. Tex opened his mouth as he threw his chain, wrapping it around the tank. “NOTHING STOPS THE STORM!” He slammed his chain on the floor, releasing a huge wave of unstable purple electricity at the Tank, obliterating him instantly.
Only falling sparks are what remains of the tank NPC, ending the simulation.
Apollo started clapping as Andre and Athena wrote things down. Andre looked up with a grin. “That was great, we’re looking to put you down as a DPS, which means you’ll be under Athena’s command.”
Tex nodded, slouching the chain over his shoulder as the electrical blade disappeared from the end. “Now please go stand over by the blue door to the damage room. We’ll set you up with a bed, but for now, just stand in that room over there past the blue doors,” Andre flip the files over to the next recruit while Tex walked through the blue door leading to a comfortable living space. “Next recruit!”
A tall pale man walked up, he wore all black clothing complimented with black boots, a black bamboo hat, and a nice black silk scarf around his neck. Apollo shivered as the room suddenly went cold. “Ah, so you’re the infamous Frost, brother of one of our fallen heroes, Blaze,” Apollo said with a smile as he wrapped himself in a blanket. Andre leans over to check on Apollo and Athena takes charge for a second. “So, the file says youre into ice manipulation?” Athena asked.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqs6xe2Ayb
Frost stood there, not a word to be said, just a slight nod followed with an icy smoke coming from his mouth. Athena leans over to Andre. “This one doesn’t seem talkative, but he does have a strong aura.”
Andre nods and then signals to laney to open the weapon wall again before turning back to face Frost. “Choose your weapon so we can start the simuation.”
Frost sighs and opens up his coat to reveal a gun and a few tiny bombs. “No need, I come prepared,” He pulled out his gun. The gun was a light silver color with a glowing blue outline and a snowflake symbol on the side. Laney starts the simulation. It was similar to Tex’s, but attuned to Forst’s level of power. Each DPS NPC was being pocketed by a support NPC. Frost held his weapon in hand, reaching into his jacket. In the matter of second, he tossed a handful of frost bombs on the floor, turning the floor to ice. Aiming for the support, he glides using the ice that has covered his feet. As he was gliding, he aimed his gun towards an NPC, in short beams of light, the NPCs were nailed to the floor. “Stay out of my way,” Frost said in a dark demeaning tone. His hand glowed a bright blue as the Ice beneath him started to warp into a giant pale blue wolf. The giant ice wolf charged and crashed into the NPCs, killing each one in its path before disappearing.
As the last NPC fell to his ult, the simulation ended. Apollo stared in pure amazement with a wide smile on his face. Athena sat amazed yet unintimidated, clapping as he finished his display of power. Andre finished taking notes and looked up. “You’re power is admirable… DPS,” Andre said, writing more notes. “Head into that blue room with Tex and we’ll get you set up with a room.”
Frost nodded broodingly and walked to the blue room. Apollo stood up and walked to the center of the room casting his fiery ult to cancel out the ice that layered the floor. “Next up, Cole,” Andre said, pointing at the roster with a stern expression. Noone made a peep. “Cole, we’re looking for a Cole,” Andre repeated himself. Apollo turned around to face Andre from the center of the room, a worried expression covered his face. Just then the room shook as an explosion took place inside the bunker. Apollo had ran over to the recruits, covering their heads with his body incase the ceiling fell. Athena had deployed her illusion barrier on top of her and Andre. Laney was still in the backroom, pressing the button that reinforced the ceiling so it wouldn’t fall. “Is everyone okay?!” Andre called out, rubbing his eyes as the new red color of the bunker alarms we’re hard to see through. “Apollo?”
Apollo stopped hovering over the recruits. “We’re fine, but that explosion sounded like it came from the Aether Core vault,” Apollo replied, grabbing his hammer from his back. “My ult won’t be recharged for abit so be prepared to have my back covered.”
Andre nodded, then looked at Athena. “Me and Apollo will survey the damage and find Cole, you take the recruits to the safest room in the bunker,” Andre said, signaling to Laney to come out of the room. “You can’t just charge in there without a full five people,” Athena replied.
Laney ran out towards them, a panicked expression across her face. “Is everyone alright?” She asked, kneeling to meet eye level with Andre who was just barely regaining his ballance. “We’re fine, but I need you to go grab Tex and Frost and meet us at the vault,” Andre replied, dusting off his lab coat. “Understood,” Laney said, her expression serious as she got up and ran through the blue door. Andre turned back to Athena handing her a set of keys. “Take the remaining recruits to my office on the bottom floor of the bunker, you’re the only damage capable of protecting them,” Andre said, removing his hands from the keys slowly. Athena nodded and got up, walking over to the recruits. “You guys follow me, we’ll finish the recruiting process once this is resolved.”
As Athena and the recruits left the room, Andre ran to Apollo. “Think your new leg can handle a battle?” Andre asked, placing his hand on Apollo’s shoulder. “Yeah, I’ll do my best,” Apollo said, his muzzle growling for him.
The two charged out of the room through the same metal blue doors they had entered into the training room. Hallway after hallway, they finally made it to the Aether Core and hid behind boxes. A hooded man stood before the vault with a cowboy hat wearing white man, his hair a dirty blonde with a face that was bare with no hair aside from his eyebrows. Behind them was a scientists looking man half covered in metal with a giant needle on his back and vials of blood strapped to his chest. Next to them was a man, his hair as red as fire, a cufflink on his right hand with the top in the shape of fire, Blaze. Andre eyed the person carefully, his hand holding the shelf gripping it tight. His eyes widened and his mouth opened as he realized who the person was, Blaze. “Blaze, but how?” Andre asked Apollo, his voice as low as a whisper. “I thought he died in battle, Laney said she saw it herself.”
Apollo placed his hand on Andre’s should, his grip tight, but gentle. “Maybe theres a reasonable explanation,” He reassured, loosening his grip. A loud clapping noise rang out as a lady dressed much like a witch, but with a pitch black crown walked towards the group. “Good job, now break that vault open and lets go,” The woman said, her hand meeting the cloak of the mysterious man.
Andre’s eyes frowned as his fist clenched. “Meghan,” he thought to himself. Apollo clutched his hammer and stood up from his crouching position. “Meghan, you bastard!” Apollo yelled, hands gripping his hammer harder than before. “Apollo don’t!” Andre exclaimed, reaching for Apollo as he started to run.
A tank-like being suddenly tackled Apollo from the side, creating a thick layer of smoke. “NO!” Andre exclaimed, reaching out as Apollo is tackled. As the smoke from the on-going battle lifted a little, Andre spotted Apollo holding off a tall black man with his hammer. The black man wore a black jacket with torn off sleeves. The jacket was unzipped to reveal a white tank top, complimenting his torn jeans. In his hand, was a blade, layered with buttons. The man suddenly pressed a dark blue button causing the blade to turn into a shield. “Dammit,” Apollo muttered, pushing the man back with a grunt. Without thinking, Andre ran into battle, tossing catalysts Apollo’s way to keep him full health.
Laney, Frost, and Tex suddenly enter the room and spot the battle going down. Andre and Apollo, sat back-to-back holding off the tank-like black man. Laney’s eyes widened as she spotted the familiar man. “Jaylen…” She whispered to herself, before another figure catches her eyes. Frost joins her gaze as they both spot Blaze, in the flesh. Frost’s teeth grind as he charges towards Blaze. Without words, Laney follows to help Frost while Tex gets a handle on the scientist.
Meanwhile, Meghan sat at the vault with the hooded figure and the cowboy. “Brad, hurry up and melt the vault door,” she barked at the hooded figure. “I’m trying, but my ability takes a second to charge up after use,” the hooded figure argued, his hands held out towards the vault. “How the fuck do you think we got in this god forsaken vault?”
Meghan smacked the back of his head. “Shut up and do it already!”
The hooded man scoffed and looked back at the vault as his power slowly took effect. Andre looked over panicked between having Apollo’s back and stopping the vault from being broken into. Glossing over the battlefield, Andre saw Laney and Frost fighting Blaze while Tex handled the scientist. Sparks, Fire, and Frost layered the battlefield as Apollo popped his ult. “Feel the fire!” Apollo’s fur and hammer ignited as he swung his hammer down, the enhanced strength alone smashing the floor, tripping Jaylen. “You go handle the vault, I’ve got Jaylen handled.”
Andre nodded and ran towards the vault where Meghan stood with the cowboy and the hooded man. “Not on my watch!” Andre suddenly duplicated, his clone splitting off to tackle the cowboy.
Fists made of steel, the original Andre, pushed the hooded man from the vault. “You shall not pass!” Andre yelled, waving his hand, causing a wall of solidified air to go up. The clone runs around back and tackles the cowboy, leaving the real Andre to deal with Meghan and Brad. “You fool!” Meghan exclaimed, her hands going up into a fighting stance. “You will not interfere with my plans!” Meghan pointed towards Andre, fire burning in her eyes. “Brad, you fool, get him!”
The hooded figure charges forward, a ball of liquid metal following his hand like ink. Within the shadow of his hood, you can see a smile of pure bloodlust. “Finally, a little action,” Brad said as he charged towards Andre, strain visible in his eyes. Andre removed his arm and tossed it on the floor, tripping Brad as the arm turned to a DNA sludge. “You ignorant baffoon!” Meghan shouted, her fist shaking in the air. “Move over, I’ll show you how its done, just finish the vault.”
Meanwhile…
Frost was fighting Blaze, each one countering the other’s abilities. “Burn in my fire!” Blaze yelled as he threw a few fire bombs. Frost ducked and tossed a few frost bombs. They both stood still for a few seconds, circling each other while Laney stayed behind Frost, keeping his health high. “Why brother, after all this time?” Frost asked,staring daggers towards Blaze. “It is complicated, I do not owe you an explanation,” Blaze growled as he held up his hand. His hand started to glow a faint red as he was about to shoot a wave of fire. Frost stood there ready to take it; Laney in the background giving Blaze a worried look. Blaze stopped his attack hesitantly, dropping his hands only to lift one back up to point at Frost. “This isn’t over, not until we meet again under the Apex of the Silver Branched tree,” Blaze suddenly faded away in a cloud of smoke.
Frost starred at the spot Blaze once stood in, a blank expression sewn across his face. Memories flash through his head. “This isn’t my brother,” he thought to himself. “It can’t be, he would never betray me like this.”
Frost turned to Laney, cold yet present. “Thanks,” Frost walked past Laney towards Andre’s clone and the cowboy. “Frost,” Laney reached out hesitantly, withdrawing her hand at the last second. Frost kept going, the floor freezing beneath his feet.
Just as anyone’s battle continued, the room started to shake. “What now?!” Meghan exclaimed as she fell over. A tennis ball suddenly landed in front of her as the room stopped shaking. Meghan stared at it in confusion, picking it up. “What? Plan on defeating me with a this pathetic tennis ball?”
Andre suddenly smirked as he knew where it came from. “I wouldn’t dare underestimate it if I were you,” Andre replied, snapping his fingers to release his clone from the fight with the cowboy. “You really are pathetic,” Meghan was suddenly interrupted as the tennis ball exploded, sending her back. Blaze suddenly reappeared next to Meghan as she stood up, ready to attack. “We have to go,” Blaze muttered, grabbing Meghan’s hand.
Meghan scowled but ultimately teleported away, leaving nothing but a phone in her place. Blaze disappeared in another puff of smoke, giving Andre one last stare of death. Frost and Laney finally caught up with Andre as his clone finally gave out to one of the cowboy’s abilities.
Apollo suddenly crashed nearby as Jaylen had overpowered him, his shield turning into a machine gun. The same tennis ball that had blown up on Meghan suddenly started to release smoke, covering the battlefield. A dart suddenly hit Apollo’s shoulder, injecting a serum into his veins.
Apollo stood up as he felt the serum recharging his ultimate ability all. “Now this is more like it!” Apollo yelled, his fur catching fire again. He charged at Jaylen swinging his blazing hammer. “Don’t forget to write!” In one swing, he managed to knock Jaylen back into shelves all while leaving a massive burn on his chest.
As the fights continue, they forget that Brad was still present, melting the vault with his bare hands. As he finally got through the big metal door, a scythe suddenly hit him, leaving a gash in his arm before boomeranging back. “Whatcha doing?” a voice echoed.
Brad slowly turned around, suddenly face-to-face with a short-haired blonde girl, holding a scythe while wearing all black tomboy attire as if the embodiment of death. “Names Courtney, but you can call me Court,” Her smile wide, yet eerily still. “Let’s play!”
She swings her scythe at Brad again, only for him to dodge it this time. Brad grunted as he slid back in attempts to fall back. “I’m not leaving without this core,” Brad scowled, his hand touching the gash on his arm. “So is that how it is?” a man said as he strolled in, a tennis racket in hand. “Well let’s see how you do against us three.”
The man raised his arm and spiked a tennis ball towards him. Brad jumped to the side and summoned a metal pipe using metal he had melted from the vault door. “I’ll show you!” Brad charges in, only to be hit with a mist. “Ew, what is this stuff?”
Another man strolled in, pushing up his glasses and adjusting his pharmacist coat. “Hope you don’t mind, but you may wanna run off before that kicks in,” He says, holding a variety of pills and needles. “That stuff can be highly toxic when induced by someone with bad intentions.”
Brad scowled once more, wiping the mist off of himself. “Who are you people and what is your problem?”
The man with the tennis racket stepped forward. “Someone you don’t wanna continue to know.” Brad’s eyes widened, before scowling. “I won’t let you stop our plan,” Brad, lunged for the Aether core. “Stop him!” the man shouted, hitting a tennis ball towards Brad.
Before the tennis ball could hit, Brad grabbed the core and disappeared as a barrier of liquid metal formed around him, swallowing him like he was nothing. “No!” Courtney shouted, tossing her scythe as a last ditch effort.
It was too late, Brad’s bubble of liquid metal had seeped into the ground like water. The three stared at the spot Brad once stood in before Andre ran in, followed by Laney, Frost, and Tex. “Angelo are you okay?” Andre asked, grabbing Angelo’s shoulder. “Where’s the core?”
Angelo sighed, putting his tennis racket back on the mantle attached to his back. “The runt escaped with it in some weird way of teleporting,” the man replied in a sigh. “Guess that makes up for our earlier loss.”
Andre pinched the bridge of his nose, before looking at where the core once stood. “I’m just glad everyone made it out alive,” Andre walked over, lightly touching the spot where the core once was. “Besides, we still have time, theres a process that needs to be done before the Aether core can work.”
Apollo entered the room shortly after, holding a tied up cowboy. “I caught one, but Jaylen and the scientist freak made a getaway.”
Andre turned to face him, a sigh of relief across his face. “Thanks for the assist, Apollo, now we can drill some information out of him.”
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96ayj4eX9I
and then Add to home screen.