SSOSH3 -CH2-

Felix stepped through the portal Kit had create and straight into the newest iteration of the war-room.

It was staffed by Andreas, Adrianas, and a number of specialists.

“Massive explosion at the entry to Wal HQ,” and Andrea off to one side said. “The street was cleared immediately of hostiles by the defenses.

“Six reported enemy kills, and a single vehicle disabled. Our defenses are clearing off the roofs though. There was several alerts from the surrounding areas of Faith magic.”

Of course there was.

Faith magic was almost always an indication of a strike from the heavens. One that couldn’t be stopped with traditional magic.

“Fatalities?” Felix asked, dropping down in his “command chair” that sat in the middle of the room.

“Four. Hostess, two guards, one clerk,” a different Andrea said. “Their remains have been secured and put with the fifty percent destroyed resurrection wave.

“The count for that wave is at seventy-six.”

Seventy-six people who need a major number of points to be able to be returned to life.

Felix didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to.

Most of everyone in Legion knew what was going on.

There wasn’t enough points to get people back up who had died in a way that destroyed their body beyond more than just losing a limb.

There was barely enough points to get someone back who had died a non-violent death.

Those who died and needed more points were being stored in a large morgue like area. To be brought back in waves when whatever force was keeping Felix’s points down, let up.

Unfortunately, there was also a few people who had been so destroyed in their death that the amount of points to get them back was significant.

Whenever possible, Felix was storing points by converting garbage into gold. That was then turned into points when he got the chance to fully utilize his power.

Usually it was about three weeks before he got a chance to bring anyone back. It was going on four weeks now.

“The damage to the entry is extensive. It isn’t something we can get repaired quickly,” the Andrea directly in front of him said, turning in her chair to face him.

“Which means we have an open point of entry that they can use,” Felix said. “What about our defenses?”

“All clear. Everything was switched over to automation but…”the Adriana who was talking paused and tapped her way through two screens.

“But there’s interference from the explosion,” Ioana said, stomping out of a back office. “They loaded the damn fucking van with religious relics and some type of blessed liquid.”

Felix sighed and pressed his fingertips to his brow.

“In other words, whoever it is this time, is launching a full scale attack. Probably in the next thirty minutes,” Felix said.

“That’d be my assumption,” Ioana said, shaking her head. “For all our planning, we’re just not able to account for their faith magic.”

Felix didn’t know what to say. It was the simple truth. Faith magic had a way of slicing right through practical magic and technology alike.

Which left physical strength and super powers. Both of which were much harder for Felix to get his hands on since his own ability was so handicapped.

Kit folded her arms across her chest and sighed. “It isn’t as if we’re not holding our own.”

“But we’re losing,” Felix said, cutting to the root of what wasn’t being said. “This is a war of attrition, and we’re getting chipped away at.”

“Incoming,” the Adriana watching a bay of monitors. “A large number of vehicles are heading our way.

“Panel vans.”

And probably packed with combatants.

“Status on HQ defenses?” Felix asked.

Miu stepped closer to Felix, getting his attention.

“Victoria is assembling her people, and mine. She and I will move to the first bottleneck and work to hold them there,” Miu said. “Lily and her team is moving to support but they will take a few minutes. They were in a group practice and there is no active portal from where they were.”

Felix took the report with a nod and looked to Ioana.

“My people are more than ready, and we’ve brought up everything with simple mechanisms.

“Things that we’ve found take a lot of effort for their priests to foul up,” Ioana said. “The Wardens are being left in their bays.

“The Legion battalions on detached duty at the police stations are mobilizing, but they’ll be at least an hour or two out. That’s assuming there is nothing preventing them from getting here quickly.”

Though it’d be likely there would be delays.

Like the engines failing outright. Just like the Wardens would fail.

It was an early lesson that Legion had to learn. Technology was vulnerable to faith magic.

Very vulnerable.

The more complicated, the more engineered, the more likely it would simply fail outright.

“I’m open to suggestions,” Felix said. “I really don’t have see much we can do other than a standard hold out and wait for the enemy to take enough losses to leave, or our reinforcements to arrive.”

All around the room were pensive faces. One by one, they all shook their heads.

There really wasn’t much to do.

“So… how about we talk about business instead?” Felix asked. “Tell me about our dumps.

“Last I heard we were starting to fold over some of the deeper and more narrow pits and refining the methane.”

Andrea Prime, denoted right now by her silver earrings, tapped open a light-computer pad and smiled.

“Everything is going exactly as you said. We’re processing the metals and refining it as quickly as we can as well, now that we got the contract for trash-pickup as well as owning the dump and junkyards,” Andrea said.

Then she started to flick through a number of screens, looking for something.

The lights in the war-room went out, and then the emergency lights kicked in as apparently the HQ lost power.

“Intruders,” said an Adriana further away. “Thirty or so just appeared in the dorm hallways. They’re spread out.

“Some type of item with them is generating a field of faith magic that is interefering with the power generators in the basement.”

Oh. Shit.

Felix looked to Miu who would probably be the first able to respond right now, since Victoria was already in the choke-point.

Miu had been talking into her com device during the exchange.

“Lily is moving to engage. She picked up a squad or two of base-soldiers to offset her team,” Miu said, looking to Felix for a second. “They should be on the intruders before they can do anything more.”

“Enemy vans are a minute out or less,” an Adriana called out.

Felix thumbed the button on his wrist-computer that was wired into the communication system.

“Enemies inbound,” Felix said. “Everyone get into positions for main entry defense.

“We also have infiltrators in the dorm hallways. Use caution when traveling from area to area.”

Closing the communication channel, Felix looked at the screens at the desk of the Andrea in front of himself.

“I’m going to suit up and go to the line,” Kit said.

“I will join you,” Miu added.

Ioana stepped up into Miu’s position next to Felix. “I will remain.”

“Stay safe, I can’t afford to lose you. And if you do die, make sure it’s in one piece,” Felix said, not looking away from the screens.

The sound of the elevator opening and then closing was the only response he got.

Ioana slowly began walking away from Felix, looking over multiple displays.

Andrea prime and Adriana prime stepped in close to Felix.

“Felix-” whined Andrea, her ears were flat to her head, her tail head low behind her.

“-I don’t like this anymore,” said Adriana, her posture not as submissive, but certainly leaning towards the same feeling.

“I want to leave. Can we leave and go live somewhere else?” they said in unison.

Felix immediately wanted to deny her request. This was home now. They’d fought to build it, and then maintain it.

He’d already fled Skippercity. Tilen as well.

Fleeing again sounded awful.

The sound of scattered gunfire from the trio of Elex sisters at desks in front of him diverted his attention.

“Choke-point one has been activated,” said the Adriana of the three.

“They brought portable defensive barriers,” said one of the two Andreas.

“Priests spotted amongst their number,” said the last of the three.

“This is an all out attack then,” Felix said. “This isn’t a probe or a feint, this is a real attack.

“Tell the batallion’s coming from the police stations to take a longer route. They’re more likely to be attacked on a straight path home, then they are delayed.”

“On it!” chirped Andrea prime, looking to her light-pad.

Felix was watching the screen. He saw as the two forces deployed themselves behind bunkers, and began firing over the tops at the opposing side. Kit was on the far edge, in her Augur outfit, deflecting bullets away from Legionnaires.

On the far left side a large melee was starting to occur. The two sides having closed on one another before they had gotten the barriers up.

He could see Miu and Victoria on that end, already fighting.

“Felix,” called the familiar voice of Lily through his com. “We just took down one of the infiltrators.

“They’re from the government of Wal.”

Frowning, he considered Lily’s words.

“Wal itself,” Felix muttered. “Which means they’re either tired of us, or they have someone trying to launch a coup.

“Has there been any word or warnings from the government building assets?”

“Nothing,” Adriana prime said. “Wait-”

“Oh heavens forbid,” Felix said pressing his hands to his head. He didn’t need more bad news right now, and if the government buildings were really under attack, it meant that Wal was about to disintegrate around itself.

“The man named Vince just walked back out of the portal,” Adriana said.

“Vince?” Felix asked.

“Yes. Andrea sixty-seven took a photo of him, and updated our files. Adriana ninety-three took her place. He just walked in through the paired portal, and left.

“He’s in the hallways of the dorms.”

“What do you mean he left?” Felix asked.

“Ninety-three gave him a vest, and her sidearm, and sent him to find you,” Adriana said with a frown.

“Remind me to trade Ninety-three with you sister,” Adriana said glancing to Andrea.

“She’s nice,” Andrea said with a grin. “I like her. I’ll trade.”

“Wait, wait. Vince is walking around in the hallways with a gun. We don’t even know what he’ll do!” Felix growled.

“He just killed a Wal infiltrator with a sword,” Adriana said.

“A sword?” Vince parroted.

“Vince has a sword. He just killed three more people and he’s heading toward Lily,” Adriana said.

Lily!?

“Vince just walked past her. He’s heading to the choke-point. Lily is following him.”

Felix looked to the camera’s, he should be able to see this man named Vince now.

Just on the edge of the camera, Felix saw a man dressed in what looked like medieval armor to his eyes. He was wielding a curved sword and had a handgun.

Lily was beside him, clearly trying to talk to him.

The man looked at Kit, then the opposing soldiers on the other side. And charged at them at a full sprint.

“Oh my,” Andrea prime said.

Vince was moving fast. Extremely fast. Speeding across the gap between the two sides.

Then he was shot. It looked as if he was struck by six or seven rounds in the chest.

Except he kept going as if he didn’t feel it.

Watching with something akin to awe, Felix watched the man hop the barrier. Like a flash, his sword struck out and skewered an enemy, than slashed his blade through the guts of a second.

“So fast,”Adriana said.

Lifting the handgun, Vince began to march forward, the gun flashing as he began putting rounds into enemy head’s.

Dropping the gun he stabbed someone and stole their gun. Letting go of his blade he stepped back, racked the gun, and began shooting everyone in front of himself.

The slide slammed backward as the gun went dry and Vince pulled the sword out of the dying foe and took their rifle.

“Who is he?” Ioana asked.

“I don’t know,” Felix said. The man on the screen was holding the rifle low and began moving forward again. Spewing out quick burst of fire, he mowed down those who stood before him.

“He’s like death,” Ioana said.

Vince reached the melee brawl and promptly stabbed a battle-priest, his saber breaking in the enemie’s guts.

Snatching the empowered-sword from the priest’s grasp, Vince began beating him against the head with the stolen weapon’s pommel.

Felix lost sight of the man as he turned and began wading into the enemy force.

“He’s faster than Victoria,” Adriana said.

Staring into the mob, Felix hunted for a hint of Vince.

“There, in the rear,” the Andrea manning the desk said. She was pointing to another monitor and a view of the back of the fight.

A super-hero in a silver suit was standing in front of Vince.

“Who is that? I don’t recognize them and-” Felix’s voice stuck in his throat as Vince appeared a foot away from the Super.

The glowing empowered weapon flashed out, and suddenly the Super’s head was flying away from his body as if it had wings.

Vince threw out his arms and looked as if he shouted something.

Then a burst of green magic exploded out of him in a ring.

The cameras fuzzed over for a second as the magic passed through it.

When the view came back on, Vince was stabbing downed enemies. Foes who were surrendering.

Making short work of anyone in his way.

In every camera, the enemy was surrendering. Surrendering and dropping to the ground with their arms up.

“Miu, if you can get him to stop, please ask him to join me,” Felix said into his wrist communicator after tapping the line open for her.

Miu nodded her head, then darted out from the Legion forces, and in front of Vince.

Something passed between them, ending with Vince outright murdering an enemy who had surrendered, laying on the ground with their hands on the back of their head.

Another exchange and Vince lifted his stolen weapon, eying Miu.

Holy shit, is he going to attack her too?

Several tense seconds passed, before Vince stood up and let his posture change.

Vince began walking back toward Legion, looking for all the world as if he hadn’t almost single-handedly solved the situation.

“Felix, he asked if you had a machine that could heal people,” Adriana prime said, getting his attention. “That’s what Ninety-three said.”

“A healing machine,” Felix said. “He uses a sword, wears armor outdated here, and wants a healing machine.”

Clicking his tongue, Felix began to think.

This might be a possible exchange. What can I get from him?

Looking to the man once more, Felix tried to pull up a window as if he owned him.

Felix took in a slow breath.

“He’s a Demi-god,” he said. “And… very, very powerful.”

“Felix,” Miu said, her voice cutting through his thoughts. “I’m going to take Vince to your study. You should join us as quickly as possible.

“If he decided he wanted to cause a scene, I don’t think I could stop him.”

Felix rubbed a hand against his jaw and chin, thinking.

Making a decision, he tapped his communicator and punched in Mr. White.

Two seconds later he heard the devices connect.

“Mr. White here, my lab is secure,” said the man. He was a direct peer to Felicia, and ran a separate lab in addition to another he shared with her.

“Great. I’m glad to hear it,” Felix said. “I have a request Mr. White. I need you to put together a healing bed together. Preferably one that can work in a mobile type of need. I imagine it might travel a bit.”

“Alright. I can pull one out of storage that’d work. Anything else?”

“I’ll need someone who can operate it, and I’ll probably have some other things I need to put together later. This might be an off-world mission,” Felix said, trying to be honest with the man.

He wasn’t sure where the portal was going to go.

“Off world? Hmm. Alright. I’ll get it taken care of, White out.”

Leaning back into his chair, Felix scratched at his head.

He felt tired. Tired and worn out and he hadn’t even done anything.

Adrenaline is wearing off. It went from three-thousand miles an hour to nothing.

“You should get going dear,” Andrea said, leaning down in front of him. “It sounds like we shouldn’t keep him waiting.”

Then she gave him a kiss and patted his cheek. “Play nice!”