Chapter 9

"What is that?" Breeze asked. Disgust can be heard from her voice. "Now that's a face only a mother can love." Torrent stated. "Alright. That's enough." Flare said. "We're not here to make fun of it. We're here to find a way on how neutralize this thing. Keep in my mind that none of us has ever faced anything like this. Not even the Deviants that we faced can compare to it." He added then turned to Boulder. "What do you got for this one?" He asked the team strategist. Boulder didn't answer immediately as he was busy looking at the light construct on front of them. "Let's test its strength first." He said. "Dr. Arimanius. Make the construct do one attack. I'll block it." Boulder said.

The doctor from the observation window inputted some commands then transferred it to the construct. "Command ready. Attack coming in 3....2.....1." The doctor counted down. Afterwards, the construct rushed at boulder with its fist pulled back. The construct then threw its punch with all its strength. At the same time, Boulder raised his arms and blocked the punch. The sound of impact echoed inside the training room. Boulder remained standing but he skidded back a few feet due to the force behind the punch. He then lowered his arms and shook them. "Damn! That was a strong punch! It made my arms numb!" He remarked as he continued to shake his arms. "My suit was able to absorb most of the force. Also, I'm a Category Two Herculean before so my bones are reinforced. Still, I bet I'll have bruises later." He added. "My advice is not to get directly hit by any of its strikes. The punch I blocked just now is capable of shattering bones of an ordinary human completely. Our bodies and suits would fare better but a direct hit can easily incapacitate us. Multiple hits could either knock us out at best or kill us at worst." He said. "Thanks, Boulder." Flare said. "All of you take note of that." He said to the other members.

"Let's test its speed and agility next." Boulder said then turned to Voltage. "You're up." Voltage complied then stepped forward. "Doctor. Please set the construct to perform evasion and blocking." Boulder requested. The doctor inputted the program again then transferred it to the construct. "Construct is set." Dr. Arimanius confirmed. "Alright. Voltage begin with direct attacks only." Boulder said to her. "Yeah. Yeah. I know." Voltage then rushed forward and began attacking the construct. Following what Boulder said, Voltage attacks with only punches and kicks. They were simple and direct strikes but the speed behind them made them hard to follow. But as expected, the construct was easily dodging them. "That girl fights well. Just look how fast she is." Defense Secretary Dubois said. "Voltage is the fastest member of Squad S. Her rain of punches and kicks is enough to incapacitate anyone even without the use of her lightning." Dr. Arimanius remarked. "Still, the demon construct is evading her easily." General Dubois said. "Oh. That's just the start, General. Wait until she gets serious." The doctor said to the general.

"Alright, Voltage. Crank it up. Use everything you have except your electricity." Boulder said from behind her. "You got it!!" Voltage exclaimed then rushed forward. Her manner of fighting suddenly changed. From simple strikes, she now made use of advance techniques. She employed feints and side steps to confuse the construct and hide her true strike. She made use of her slim body and launched every fighting techinique she had that took advantage of her speed. She was splendid to watch. However, all of it were not enough. The demon was still able to dodge her. It almost seemed like it can see through her feints and anticipate her moves. "What's wrong with this thing?! It's dodging all of my attacks!!" Voltage exclaimed. "That's just how it is, Voltage. It can see and anticipate your attacks." Boulder said. "What?! But I'm using techniques that haven't failed. If this was a Deviant, then this thing would be lying on the ground now." She complained. "But it's not a Deviant. It's a Demon. Stop thinking that what you do on a Deviant would work on this thing." Flare said. "Alright. Let's go further. Use your lightning now, Voltage." Boulder said. "Finally!!" The woman exclaimed. Crackles of electricity started appearing around her body. Soon, the crackles became a strong surge that covered her body.

"Let's see of it can still dodge this!!" Voltage then rushed forward. Her speed was amplified to the point that none saw her move. A punch was thrown at the demon. Its speed greater than before. The demon this time was unable to dodge and instead rose its arms to block. The impact sent the demon skidding back. "Alright!!" Voltage exclaimed. With a boost in confidence, Voltage rushed forward again and rained attack after attack on the enemy. The demon construct defended accordingly. However, with her lightning enhanced attacks, it was no longer able to dodge. It was still able to block her but some attacks were beginning to get through. "It's being pressured now." Flare commented. "Yeah." Boulder agreed then turned to Breeze. "You're up, Breeze. Let's see how it reacts to being teamed up. Find an opening and attack." Boulder said. Breeze nodded then went forward.

The third member to test the opponent ran around the demon construct, making sure that it didn't notice her. Voltage upon seeing Breeze position herself knew what to do. She continued pressuring the demon construct. She used feints to disorient and confused it. Her speed truly helped her purpose. Finally, she saw her chance and took it. She thrusted her palm and hit the demon construct squarely on the chest, pushing it back. The electricity from her attack paralyzed it briefly. It provided enough opportunity for Breeze to attack. Gathering the wind around her palm, Breeze then thrust her hand and a powerful blast of wind hit the demon construct from behind, sending it flying.

"Don't let up!!" Flare exclaimed. "Torrent!! With me." Flare then rushed forward followed by his second-in-command. They have watched enough on what this demon can do. Now, they're reacting accordingly and applied their contribution. "Let's do that move. You go first." Flare said to Torrent. Torrent nodded then positioned himself. From his outstretched hand, a jet of water blasted its way to the demon construct. It pushed the demon construct and pinned it to the wall. "Hope it likes being boiled." Flare mocked before shooting fire at the demon construct. Its purpose wasn't to burn it but to heat up the jet of water hitting it. This way, it would scald anyone caught in it. Since there was no data regarding its endurance and tolerance, the demon construct was programmed with the same amount of endurance as that of a Deviant. Even so, the demon writhed in pain just like most Deviant criminals felt under the combined attacks of Flare and Torrent. The attack persisted and it seemed that the demon construct can longer fight. Once they saw this, the pair stopped. It was Boulder who move next, raising walls of earth and enclosing the demon construct within. "Once Flare and Torrent incapacitate the demon, I'll put it in a cage. Torrent and Voltage. Go ahead and shock it within an inch of its life." Boulder said. Torrent and Voltage proceeded to stand on the walls of earth. Torrent moved first and blasted the demon again with his jet of water. The demon construct was once again pinned down and the cage of earth was filled with water. Once it was the water partially submerged the demon construct, Torrent stopped and Voltage made her move. She sent electricity down the water which electrocuted the demon construct. This time the demon construct have no fight left in it.

"Flare. You're the killing blow." Boulder told him. Flare then jumped down as he charge flames around his fist. With the force of his fall augmenting his fire-amplified punch, he easily bored a hole on the demon construct's chest when he struck. With the demon construct defeated, its particles shattered and disappeared. "And we're done!! Good job on the strategy, Boulder." Flare complimented him. "Well. That's my job here." Boulder said then undid the earth cage.

"Incredible." Defense Secretary Ortiz remarked. "They're called Squad S for a reason, Mr. Secretary." Dr. Arimanius said. "I should've went with these people instead of those walking WMDs. They're clearly the better solution. They're already well-coordinated and well-disciplined. And their powers are not as dangerous as the Scions." The Defense Secretary added.

"Dr. Arimanius. Please make another construct again. We'll practice our plan for as long as we can until there are no flaws." Flare asked through the intercom. "Very well." Dr. Arimanius complied and started making another construct. "And they're diligent too. By the end of this night, this demon problem will end. And depending on their performance, I'm happy to give them a place on the military. Squad S will no longer exist. Instead, they'll be Task Force Vanguard; an elite team that I'll assign in dealing with national threats." Defense Secretary Ortiz said. "And what about the Scions, sir?" General Dubois asked, not liking the tone of his voice. "They'll be put under permanent surveillance. They'll be relieved of their duties here in Deviant Response Force. Their powers are too much of a threat to let them have normal lives so I think I'll make them into lab rats so we can find a way to harness those Soul Arms." The Defense Secretary calmly said making the General sweat a bit. "And what if they refuse?" He asked. With a cold and uncaring expression, the defense secretary said, "they'll get the treatment the befalls on threats."