Chapter 78 : N.O.W.H.E.R.E.'s leader
[Author note : Hey guys ! Hang in there ! Next chapter's all about Ned and what he's going through. Then, two chapters about the Titans before it's finally back to being a story about Ned fully. So... A week or so, and your beloved squib will be back in the game !
As always, if you're interested in my stories and would like to read more, come visit my Patréon page (e instead of é) ; search for Cathbel on their website. Enjoy !]
=============
Mel watching it all from afar through her rifle's scope, discovered early when the situation changed. Sure, the kids had a Kryptonian on their side, and usually, that would have sufficed to deal with most battle situations. However, they were dealing with an unknown here. Despite the subpar paramilitary group they already faced, the Tech Spirit felt a sensation of trepidation after Ridge and Rose managed to hide among the rock outcropping.
She ordered Sombra :
« Go and fetch father, s'il te plait. I'll call on more reinforcement. »
Sombra noticed the slight quiver in her big sister's voice and nodded, instantly activating the portkey that was supposed to bring her back home. Once she left, Mel contacted her other siblings :
« Winston, Sym and Bastion. How fast can you get to my position ? »
Winston was the first to reply :
« You left me alone to supervise the T.A…. » He reminded his sister. « I need to make sure they're okay… Give me 20 minutes. »
Symmetra answered in turn for both her and Bastion.
« I just need to harness enough energy to open a portal to your position. 30 seconds is enough for me. However, I don't know if we'll be able to move Father… He is rather singleminded nowadays. And he threw us out to work in peace and quiet…»
Mel frowned slightly, but still said :
« That's why I sent Sombra. If someone can disrupt him and draw his attention, it's her. »
In order to reproduce a somewhat similar ability to the video game character, Ned had designed her body to be able to 'hack' things. Not only objects, computers and such, but also people. For the latter, she used a few mind-related enchantments. Although Ned's firstborn didn't like the idea of manipulating his mind, in order to save him from himself, this was the least she was prepared to do…
In this case, however, she only wanted Sombra to bring him out of his state of hyper-focus he entered sometimes. 'The Zone', as he called it. The Mind arts could also be used to disrupt or change the train of thoughts of someone when used with a light touch.
After the promised 30 seconds, a metal grey half sphere appeared out of thin air beside her, landing on the ground before opening. Seconds later, a sky blue, oval portal was opened. A dark-skinned Indian woman with a helmet that was both futuristic and ornate, with clear blue glasses covering her eyes, a dress that looked a bit like a Chinese dress, and one of her arms covered in armor but could also be a cybernetic prosthetic arm. She was soon followed by a tall humanoid robot, clanking and beeping on her tail.
« Yes, Bastion. It is cold. That's Antarctica for you… »
Mel merely side-glanced at the duo, her focus still on the evolving situation of the Titans. The Ridge-Ravager duo was still hiding in the outcropping, and the TT, under Robin's careful guidance, were making their way to them.
That's when things changed. A series a violet flashes of light appeared on the battlefield, leaving behind mercenaries of all kinds, carrying all kinds of weapons. As soon as they appeared, these people went on the offensive. Soon, the Titans spread out, in order to avoid getting shot or blasted into oblivion. Kid Flash and Supergirl initially tried to brave the counterattack, but the speedster was almost blown up by a powerful concealed explosive, and the apparition of a trio carrying green glowing weapons made her reconsider.
At the distance she was, she couldn't be sure whether or not the weapons were made of Kryptonite. Not only that, they were close-combat weapons : a spear, an axe and a sword. However, there was no guarantee they wouldn't throw their weapons at her, or that they would miss if they did.
Suddenly, through her scope, Mel saw something that made her tense. The sight of the… man made her inwardly shiver. From what she could see, he was very fit. However, whether it was an outfit or something else, he didn't look very human. First, was the form-fitting black and neon blue leotard. It let peek through bone protrusion… Like an organic exoskeleton he would wear under his suit. He also had majestic black wings stretching from his back. But it was his face that was the most frightening. The bone protrusions covered most of his face, and the only thing they could see was a gaping maw of sharp teeth that wouldn't look out of place on a predator.
All in all, his appearance screamed 'villain'. And yet, unlike Voldemort who was just as off-putting, this guy made her particularly wary. Perhaps it was because he turned his head toward her for a second… At least, that's how it felt to her. Perhaps it was simply because he was someone they had yet to identify… Or, it could simply have to do with the nature of his metahuman powers.
« Yes, that's probably what it is… » She convinced herself.
Turning toward her siblings, she said :
« Get ready to assist the Titans ! »
* * * * *
Robin felt when his usual anxiousness was suddenly replaced by an artificial dread. He could be wrong, but he also couldn't identify a reason for him to feel such fear. His guess ? Someone or something with the ability to mess with minds or emotions had appeared. Or, someone from the trio possessed such an ability. He doubted the latter, though.
Using the comms, he notified the others :
« Their reinforcements are here ! »
« Huh ? » Kid Flash foolishly and eloquently asked. « How'd ya know ? »
Was the speedster so stupid that he couldn't feel fear ? Didn't he notice the sudden change in atmosphere ? Also, there was the fact that Ridge and Ravager had stopped hiding and were slowly making their way out of their hiding place. They didn't seem like they were surrendering.
Besides, it wasn't like their team was here to arrest anyone. Who would they deliver these guys to in Antarctica ? Not only that, given the secret nature of the base and the work done here, they were probably far from any form of civilization. All they wanted was to rescue Superboy and leave. The fact that he used this opportunity to gather intel was beside the point.
But, it looked like he would be able to obtain even more information. Perhaps too much… The feeling of fear started to slowly overwhelm him, overwriting his thoughts process, muddling his reason and drowning it in irrationality and panic. Only Batman's conditioning and the few instances when he was dosed with the Scarecrow's fear toxin made him somewhat able to control himself.
Still, at the moment, he'd rather be anywhere but here ! Bunker and Solstice (especially Solstice) seemed to feel the same. Unfortunately, the Mexican teen hadn't followed the same training as Robin, nor did he leave his experiences. He was now having trouble controlling his powers, trying to flee as fast as possible without thoughts for the rest of them.
Solstice was grabbing her head with both hands, crouching and shaking in place, repeating something he couldn't make out. Was she apologizing ?
Cassie seemed troubled too, but she was trying to tough it out. As for Kid Flash ? Robin couldn't find him at the moment…
And then, they saw him. It was as if he appeared out of nowhere, posing like a villain with his wings fully unfolded and him crouching atop a boulder. It kind of reminded him of Gollum from the Lord of the Ring for some reason. For a moment, she could imagine him hissing and crying out for his 'precious'. Gollum was the winner of a beauty pageant compared to this guy, though…
Robin couldn't hold the shiver that ran through his whole body. Wonder Girl, for her part, had a different knee-jerk reaction to the sudden feeling of fear and the apparent source of it : she charged right for it !
In seconds, she was in front of it… him, swinging a right hook powerful enough to take most heads off shoulders. The guy's figure blurred and an instant later, the blonde was lifted by the throat, clutching at the hand clasped around her neck. To no avail.
« Shit… What the fuck is this freak ? » Robin cursed.
* * * * *
Meanwhile, in the Big Apple, a house hidden from pretty much everyone.
Using the surveillance system installed by Ned's children, Sarah and Edmond were watching their son working like a man possessed. After who knew how many hours spent working in his workshop, his appearance reminded a wild man, or a hobo.
Sarah gazed at him in concern through the monitor. She spoke without looking at her husband :
« I think I'll take Mel's offer… »
« Really ? » Ed asked, surprised. The ethical implications of her choice had made her refuse categorically at first. And now…
She simply nodded, keeping her silence.