Chapter Fifteen

Sunday, May 2, 2010

The crowds of Temple supporters, protestors, and tourists had all grown larger over the first two days of the convocation. Friday had drawn a few hundred people. Saturday estimates were of more than a thousand. By Sunday, an estimated crowd thirty thousand people were filling Battery Park for the Rally. The Temple had a stage set up for public services, before which there would be a march processing through the park from the Temple to the stage.

This processional was to include all the Knights inducted in the previous evening's televised ceremony, followed by Squires, Unchained, and the regular congregation of Blessed and normal humans happy to be so near to so many supers. All were wearing some variation on the Temple's maroon and gold, most with the Temple's maroon cross on a golden shield emblem. The number of mundanes marching with the Templars was greatly boosted by a rumor going around that the Temple had invented a treatment that "Conferred the Blessing", giving normal people superpowers.

On either side of the processional path, except on the Esplanade where it ran along the Hudson, there were barricades holding back thousands of Humanity! members and related fringe groups. Oran noticed some ugly signs and slogans in these assemblies. Several thousand onlookers were gathered further back or on advantageous overlooks. There was very little mixing between the three masses.

"I guess this is it," Bombshell said from the park entrance.

The march was due to start in about fifteen minutes. The marchers were organizing at the Temple entrance. The path would take them along Battery Place, into the park at the Harbor House, around Castle Clinton, and finally to the stage on the green in front of the Battery.

"The Justice Squad has the route along the Esplanade. We are supposed to manage the Park itself," Titan added.

"There are seven of us, so we'll need to split up, but not too far apart," Bombshell continued.

"Let's get out there and make our presence known," Titan finished with a loud clap.

Oran thought the rivalry these two had was amusing, as long as it did not hurt their combat efficiency. The team started to spread out into the park, first checking in with the police squad commanders in their area. The police foot units would be the first line of control. Backed up by the mounted units and the riot squads, if needed. There were even a couple of portable water cannons held in reserve. Several ambulances were arrayed behind a mobile medical tent. It looked like they were ready.

Oran landed beside officers next to several horses. Probably not the best idea, he thought as half the animals shied away from his surprising presence and pulsing nimbus. "Sorry. Should have thought that through better. I'm Pulsar. I'm with YoungBlood. I'll be your designated super this morning." Oran waved jauntily.

"Wonderful," the sergeant muttered to the officer next to him, "we've got the high school hero club backing us up." Turning to Oran he raised his voice and pointed towards the castle. "Why don't you wait over there. If we need you, we'll scream in terror."

Oran grinned and saluted. Guess we know his opinion of teen heroes.

Barricades lined the edge of the grass and trees, keeping the protestors and onlookers off the road around the ancient fortification. Oran settled near the Immigrant's statue. He appreciated the tendril-headed alien mixed among the bronze humans. Earth had many off-worlders, mostly refugees. It was fitting to publicly acknowledged them as just more immigrants.

Before the main body of the March came through several uniformed Templars moved into place to act as additional security. There was a mix of Knights - adults in helmets, armored shoulders, and kevlex jacket; Squires – teens in marron and gold tights, with shoulder pads, and a jaunty beret; and Unchained – adults in marron and gold fatigues with garrison caps and kevlex vests. Two Squires stationed themselves a few yards from Oran as the rest of the unit continued. The uniformed young woman smiled at Oran, while the young man offered him nod.

"Not sure why they brought in these outside supers," the boy said quietly to his partner. "We are more than capable of protecting ourselves."

"No. It's a good thing," the girl protested. "The more the Blessed gathered together the better."

"Not to mention while you're protecting yourselves," Oran injected. "We can try to protect everyone else." Both looked at him in shock. "Hi. I'm Pulsar. I'm here to help."

"Uh, hi?" the boy stammered. "I'm Bulwark."

"I'm Usher," the girl added with a smile. "You shouldn't worry about him. He's shy."

Shy? Oran thought. He's six feet tall and six feet wide. I don't think they make shy in those dimensions.

Just then the three super teens were pelted with a rain of rotten fruit and paper bags of wet refuse.

"No more freaks!" "Monsters go home!" The crowd was chanting a variety of obnoxious and profane slogans.

Oran raised an energy wall that stopped the putrid projectiles before they could splatter the supers. Scanning the immediate crowd, he was pleased to find no weapons worse that trash and ill-will.

"Why do they hate us?" Usher asked sadly.

"Because we're better than them," Bulwark said.

"Because they're afraid of us," Oran countered. "And people hate what they fear."

"Be we just want to help them," the girl protested. "We're here to lead them to a better future. Maybe even help them find Life's Blessing."

This piqued Oran's attention. "That's not just a rumor?"

"We cannot discuss the Inner Secrets," Bulwark stated flatly, then turned away. He began patrolling along the projected path of the march. Usher shrugged and offered a slight smile before she too started patrolling next to her companion.

Oran stepped back. One protestor wearing a dark blue daggered-cross on a white shield emblem on his t-shirt was particularly vituperative in his yelling. He concentrated his abuse on Oran and soon several others wearing the same symbol joined in. The energy wall the young/old hero maintained kept the filth they were throwing off him, but it seemed to focus their hatred more keenly.

Soon the main body of the March began to appear. Thousands marched around Castle Clinton and on to the green lawn in front, where a stage had been set and police lined barricades kept the protestors clear. Protesters who were screaming slogans and waving placards. Many of the Temple adherents in the March were also carrying signs with mottos such as Live Unchained! and Life's Blessed Plan! The Templars were, for the most part, not responding directly to the words of the protestors.

Oran saw that both sides were getting more riled as the Temple supporters filled the lawn. Police were pushing back against the surging crowds.

**Stand down, YoungBlood,** came Bombshell's voice over the comm unit. **Let the police handle this unless they request help or there is super involvement.**

After several minutes, the Templars filled the lawn and pressed back almost to the Castle's entrance. The fortification was locked tight by the police.

Just as the NYC Temple's Grandmaster was about to speak on stage a loud hum and a pair of sharp cracks rolled over the park. Oran turned to the origin of the sounds and saw two circles, at least twelve feet wide open in the air on either side of the Castle's entrance. Men in armor, some modern, some medieval, started pouring out of the portals, weapons firing.

Time seemed to stop for Oran as Pope's combat reflexes engaged. Details popped out to him. These were Purifiers, deadly terrorist on the far fringe of the Humanity! movement. They made up for their lack of powers by using advanced weapons and technology.

About a third of the invaders were Zealots, wearing tech enhanced plate armor in blues and silver. They carried swords and shields, with a high-tech turret peeking over the left shoulders. Four of these swordsmen took to the air on boot rockets. The rest of the men were Crusaders wearing uniforms and armor like modern infantry, though colored dark blue and grey with silver highlights. Everyone had the dark blue daggered-cross he had seen before emblazoned on their chests and shields. The infantry started firing their heavily modified assault rifles into the Temple crowd.

**Purifiers firing into the crowd!** Oran broadcast on all frequencies. **Containing them by the castle.**

He was on the attackers' right flank. He created a huge energy half-dome, trapping most of the attackers against the castle walls. The rounds from the assault rifles hit the wall and dropped to the ground, deforming under the massive gravity differential.

**Fight team take out the Zealots, push them back to the castle.** Bombshell ordered over the comm as came flying over the lawn from behind the stage. **Crowd team assist the police. Protect the people.** She smashed into one of the fliers, but he batted her attack aside with his shield.

In the distance, Titan shot up to his full height and started racing over the protesters, closing in on the Purifiers. Black Dragon leapt from his perch in a tall tree, landing on one of the Zealots. Oddball bounced over the energy wall, rolling into the midst of the Crusaders.

As Oran's dome was not anchored against anything solid, several of the Purifiers were able to move around the edges. Usher, the girl Squire, projected a presser field that push three of the escaped Crusaders back under the dome. Bulwark, her partner, slammed into one of the Zealots who as just coming out of the portal. Two of the Zealots fired masers from their shoulder cannons. The combined attack was enough to disrupt the energy dome, bringing it down, and releasing the Purifiers to attack the crowd.

At that point several other Templar Knights, Squires, and a squad of Unchained joined the battle. The police were moving into action when the crowds started stampeding in terror.

It was chaos.

The Purifiers scattered as YoungBlood tried to corral them. Oran remembered he was supposed to be on crowd control, so he took to the air and started using his energy walls to protect the civilians from the Purifier's attacks.

Then he noticed several pockets of aggression forming among the protesters. They were taking up sticks and stones and moving around the police. Focused on moving people out of the park, the police did not have time to stop the idiots running into the fight zone. Oran caught a glimpse of two men wearing Purifier t-shirts at the center of two of the resistance cells. Great, we have provocateurs too!

A quick radio warning of what he had seen, and Pulsar started laying down barriers of electrified fields between the protestors and the Temple supporters. As these barriers were so dispersed, almost circling the lawn, the intensity of the fields was only enough to deliver a painful shock. But that dissuaded most of the mob from mixing it up.

**Hecate and N-Forcer, I can't concentrate on keeping the crowd separate and throwing up an energy wall between the Purifiers and the Temple supporters. Can you handing shielding the civilians from the Purifiers?**

**Most of the Purifiers have shifted target to the Templars.** Bombshell replied. **Titan and Oddball, shift to crowd control. We'll try to keep the battle from spreading.**

Ironically, that was when a Zealot crashed into Oran from behind.

The swordsman whirled to face Oran, swinging a backhand slice that lost most of its momentum as it passed through the teen's energy nimbus. Feeling the edge caress his abdomen, Oran slammed his shoulder into the man. Only for the Zealot to interpose his shield, absorbing the blow.

Damn! I can't blast him while concentrating to maintain the barriers. Oran cursed mentally. The Zealot tried to bash Oran with his shield. Oran caught it and held on, using it to block the man's sword. The Zealot's armor enhanced his physical capabilities so they were of roughly equal strength. That was when the shoulder cannon fired a blast of electrified plasma right into Oran's face.

"Oh yeah! That feels good!" Oran crowed as he absorbed the full energy of the attack. It felt like downing a cold sports drink, spreading vitality through his body.

"What kind of freak are you?" the horrified voice of the Zealot came from behind the immobile metal faceplate.

Before Oran could answer a Knight grabbed the Zealot and tossed him into a tree. Oran barely released his hold in time to avoid going along for the ride. Rising into the air the young/old teen decided to try to stay out of the melee, while shaping the electric barriers to force the protesters away from the Temple crowd. The barrier was visible enough that people could move to avoid it and the police could follow its progress.

**The Purifiers are starting to retreat through the portals.** Black Dragon radioed.

Oran watched as several people rushed his barrier, pushing each other through. The police moved to intercept but could not concentrate their numbers well enough to stop them. They attacked the police, stripping them of weapons and shields before rushing for the stage.

Several Unchained who had been guarding the Temple VIPs unleashed their energy weapons on the Humanity! attackers. Some fell but the others continued their charge. People on both sides started to fight with whatever weapons they had at hand.

**Crap! We've got a regular riot brewing down here.** Hecate reported.

**I think there are Purifier provocateurs driving the Humanity! folk.** Oran broadcast.

**I detect camera drones closing in from multiple directions.** N-Forcer added.

Oran tried to reestablish his barriers so that they separated the fighting factions, but they were too closely intermixed. He tried to think of other ways he could stop the fight.

**The Purifiers are gone and the portals are closing.** Black Dragon conveyed.

I've got to try something! Oran thought. He dreaded the idea of the super powered Templars joining in the fray. Which they will if the Humanity! thugs are attacking the Temple VIPs.

Deciding to go for full lock down, Oran concentrated and slowly increased the gravity over the lawn and the pavement in front of the castle. Over such an area he could only triple the pull. This was enough to cause most people to sink to the ground. If no one can move, no one can fight, he figured.

A few people were strong enough to stumble or crawl around, but Hecate was able to entrap them in her Vermillion Chains, which seemed to ignore the pull of gravity.

The team quickly gathered together on the edge of the gravity field. N-Forcer handed his newest invention, sonic screamers, to the other team members. "When Pulsar lifts the gravity field, you four drop these on a large square halfway between the middle and the edge of the lawn. It will cause everyone to run away. I'll alert the police to what is about to happen. Their forces in the middle will also be forced to run, but those on the perimeter can manage the crowds as they flee."

"Right!" the team agreed together. Titan, Bombshell, Oddball and Black Dragon positioned themselves around the outside of the lawn, preparing to toss the grenades.

**Now** N-Forcer commanded.

Oran released his field. **Down**

The four activated the units and tossed them into the crowd. A painful warble sounded from each device. Almost everyone in the green surged to their feet and started running in whichever direction they were facing, as long as it was away from the horrible, painful sounds. The VIPs evacuated the stage in somewhat better order. The Templers hesitated before moving towards the screamers. But their targets were scattering in every direction. As were their adherents. The police horses were particularly spooked by the sounds, much to the annoyance of the mounted officers.

By the time the screamers ran out of juice, just under a minute later, the riot was over and most of the park was cleared. With the protesters and marchers gone it was all too easy to see the bodies left behind; some moving, some not.

**Pulsar,** Dr. Kovacs radioed. **do you have any healing powers? If not, you should probably get out of there.**

Pope flashed back to his combat experiences in the army. He could see that some of the fallen were dead. This had not been a clean victory. Then he spotted Usher, the girl Squire he had spoken to and fought beside momentarily. She had a sword gash had effectively disemboweled her. Bulwark was lying not far away; a laser had given him a third eye. Dead at sixteen, or however old they were. What a waste …

But there were living on the ground too - Templars, marchers, police, and protesters. The Purifiers took their casualties with them, something that brought back nasty memories for the Vietnam veteran. **I don't have healing powers, but I've got extensive paramedic training and X-ray vision. I need to help.**

**Just be aware DEMA will be there at some point,** the mentor replied.

**What a pain!** Oran was once again having second thoughts about his resistance to registration.

**YoungBlood, assist in casualty treatment and cleanup,** De. Kovacs ordered on an open channel. The other teens split up to offer help as best they could. They had been trained in basic first aid.

Oran had no medical gear with him, so he flew to the medic tent. "I'm here to help. I've got AEMT equivalent training, X-ray vision, telekinesis, and flight. Either let me borrow a trauma kit and a breakaway stretcher or come with me and think of me as your own Life Flight. Just let me help."

The paramedics looked at him silently, until one older guy said "Yeah … ok. Let's do it. Grab that." He pointed to a collapsible wheeled stretcher and threw a trauma kit on it. "Steph, you're with me."

Oran floated the stretcher over the bumpy grass, leading the paramedics to a nearby winged girl that had several wicked sword wounds. She was still alive, but barely. Oran started describing her condition in terms the medics needed to act. He never tried to tell them what to do. Quickly he realized he did not need to. It had been decades since he had worked as a combat medic or EMT, whereas Gavin, as he heard Steph call him, was at the height of his abilities with his partner not far behind. They worked to stabilize the girl. Once she was almost ready Oran created a graphene basket by manipulating the nitrogen atoms in the air around the wounded girl. "It will take too long to go by roads. Where should I take her?

"Lower Manhattan Hospital. They're expecting heavy traffic. You know where it is?" Gavin asked. Oran queried the old memories and found the only full trauma center in south of 14th Street.

"Got it." He grabbed on to the basket, using his gravity control to hold the carrier steady while he took off towards the hospital. The emergency entrance was on ground level at the corner of Beekman and Gold Streets. Oran landed, avoiding the ambulances that were already streaming into the bay. He carried the basket into the hospital and handed the paperwork given him by Gavin to the nearest person in scrubs. He offered her current condition and details on her wounds and treatment. The young man just gaped at him.

"Hey! Wake up. Badly injured girl here. Where should I put her? I have to get back. There are a lot more injured." Oran snapped his gloved fingers in front of the fellow's face. That seemed to do the trick and he directed Oran to an open bay. As soon as he deposited his first patient, Oran ran outside and flew back to the park.

It was three more hours, and seven more runs to the hospital, before DEMA found him. "Who are you?" asked the same factotum that had registered Fenrir.

"I am called Pulsar."

"Are you registered? I don't think you're registered. You have to register."

Oran just sighed and took off straight up.

Twenty minutes later he landed at the YoungBlood HQ. During that time, he had decided to try to use his powers to wrap the light and other EM waves around his body, rendering his body invisible. It was hard, but it helped him keep his mind off of the torn and bloody bodies of men, women, and children lying on the green grass and red pavement. He had to concentrate constantly to suppress his nimbus and manipulate the waves, so they flowed around him with no discontinuity. He was uncertain if it was working until he walked to the door and the motion detector did not detect him. He actually bumped into the closed door. Ouch …

He let the masking slide and the door opened. Inside Dr. Kovacs was watching several feeds of the park and its current activities. The team was still working with the authorities, both from the City and the Temple.

The doctor said, "I'm glad your back. I wanted to talk to you without the team here."

"Alright." At the other man's gesture, Oran took a seat.

"It is our practice to reflect on our performance both individually and as a team after each mission. As you are not part of the team, I wanted to encourage you to go through this exercise thinking only of your own performance."

"I'm familiar with the concept. In the Army they call them after action reviews."

"So … what do you think of your performance this morning? What did you do right? What could you have done better?"

"I'm not sure I did anything right. I couldn't hold them at the portals. I couldn't keep them away from the Temple crowd, and I couldn't stop the riot. I managed to fight off a zealot, but I didn't even do that on my own. The best thing I did was help with the wounded after the battle was over. But that was too little too late."

"What was your biggest mistake?"

Oran did not really have to think. For three hours he was finding the wounds caused by his large-scale gravity well. "It turns out that throwing three gravities on a crowd of four thousand people, some of whom are already wounded, is a bad idea. People hit the ground too hard or collapsed in awkward positions breaking bones and when they tried to move the extra weight tore their tendons. While I didn't kill anybody. I probably wounded more people than all the Purifiers put together."

Dr. Kovacs nodded his head in silent agreement.

"I should have come up with a less damaging way to hold them, N-Forcer's sonic screamers were particularly effective."

"Though they might well have been less effective if they were not following your gravity attack."

"True. And I can't really do sonics, so I could not use the same method. But something that caused great discomfort, even pain, without the subsequent damage would have been the right thing in this situation."

"Your electric barrier seemed to have a similar effect, system shock but no damage."

"But it was too localized, they were able to motivate themselves to push through it."

"But if you had spread it out over the whole field?"

"It might still have caused damage to people with heart problems, but it probably would still have been more effective, and less dangerous, than what I did."

"You are too powerful to make careless mistakes, especially around civilians and the non-powered. You got lucky, relatively speaking, this morning. I'm going to recommend to Cobalt that you get more practice tempering your power before you go on another mission against un-powered adversaries. Or even where there is the potential for numerous bystanders. Until you learn that control, you're a bazooka rather than a scalpel. That means you need to pick your fights carefully. At least until you learn."

Oran nodded and left the room. He flew away from the island, soaring higher until he was cutting through the silent cold of space far above the rounded ball of the Earth.

He needed to think.