Chapter 21: The Countermove
Moments earlier, two helicopters flew over Stone River, their rotors blazing loudly. One of them pulled a black metal box the size of a delivery truck. Its LED indicator beeped steadily.
On the other helicopter was a man with well defined muscles. He wore dark tactical gear and a black jacket. One of his arm was encased in metal plating which whirred at intervals.
He heaved off a smoking Bazooka from his shoulder, then picked a second shell.
"That’s one!" he shouted over the noise and reloaded the weapon.
Behind him was a woman, inspecting a pair of gauntlets and a figure in a red-green skin tight suit, wearing a visor.
"Chase," the bulky man said without turning. "Once the wall is down, you move. I want that whole place upside down before the guards figure out what’s happening."
The suited individual grinned. "Of course, Mr Doyle."
"And our target? How are we sure he’s here?" the woman asked while equipping her gauntlets.
"He is," Doyle replied. "He’ll be with the rest high risk inmates, underground."
He aligned his eyes with the iron sight. "We’ll work our way in while everyone’s busy with their little riot."
"And if a hero shows up?" the woman asked.
Doyle’s grin widened as he squeezed the trigger, letting the rocket fly. The impact shattered the wall in a burst of concrete and fire.
"Arkis barely has any heroes worth worrying about," Doyle said, dropping the bazooka. "Chargebolt and Golden Boy are too busy chasing sponsorships to notice a supermax on fire."
He turned around. "Besides, if any hero shows up," he pointed to the black box being hauled by the other helicopter. "We have that."
The woman crossed her arms. "That won’t stop an A or S-ranked."
Doyle didn’t answer right away, watching smoke curl up from the wreckage below with something close to satisfaction.
"We aren’t fighting anyone. It’s only to slow them down until we secure Frost Spice."
The helicopter dropped low to the ground. Chase was a blur before it had even finished landing.
The second helicopter dropped the black box. Its LED blinked rapidly before switching to green. The box opened with a hiss and heavy mechanical footsteps echoed.
—
High in the sky, a woman floated with her arms about. The wind blew in her face, causing her red hair to ripple against her face.
Her white and gold suit clung tightly to her curvy body while the red scarf whipped against the wind.
She drifted lazily through the clouds, enjoying the silence.
However her serene mood was interrupted by the buzz of the communicator in her ear. She tapped it and a man’s voice came through.
["Hello Ma’am...Miss...Lady Mig–]
"Out with it," she snapped.
["There’s a... sort of situation in Arkis..."]
Lady Might frowned. "You picked my day off to call me?"
The voice on the other end hesitated.
["Yes... I apologize but there’s been a breach at a supermax in Arkis.]
Lady Might frowned. "What about Golden Boy and Chargebolt. Weren’t they assigned to the city?"
["Yes but...uhm... they have some important business to attend to and the higher ups feel it’ll be refreshing if you made an appearance in Arkis."]
Lady Might chuckled, sweeping a strand of hair from her face. "You humans and your politics."
The man gave a sheepish smile. ["I take it you’ll–"]
"I’ll handle it," she replied and ended the call.
She let out an annoyed sigh. Then spread her arms and closed her eyes as if to get some of that peace she had before the call came in.
Then, she dove down.
Several minutes later she was cruising the grey skies above Arkis. Her blue eyes narrowed, focusing her vision which revealed retreating helicopters in the distance.
On the ground were two people wearing dark gear and a black box that opened to reveal a robot mech.
Its eyes gleamed red and it raised a hand, charging energy.
Lady Might swerved sideways, dodging the beam and wasted no time rushing to meet the robot.
She curled her hand into a fist and raised it high.
—
Meanwhile, in the surveillance room...
Veronica stormed through the door, lab coat snapping behind her. "Someone give me a status report now."
A guard at the main console spun around, sweat beading at his temple. "Ma’am, it’s a full breach. The east wall’s gone and..."
"And?" Her voice sharpened.
"Confirmed casualties. Both guards and inmates."
Veronica’s expression didn’t change, but her grip tightened until her knuckles went pale.
"Do we know who did this?"
The officer pulled up a grainy feed on one of the few working monitors. The image zoomed into a bulky man holding a bazooka.
"We caught this before they knocked out half our cameras." The guard said.
Veronica’s eyes narrowed. "Doyle."
The guard nodded. "We aren’t sure but reports indicate there’s a speedster working with them."
Veronica crossed her arms. "Doyle is a mercenary. He wouldn’t attack here for fun so who is he trying to break out?"
"I don’t know but..." The guard loaded a video of a pale man held by harnesses laughing hysterically.
"Frost-Spice," Veronica muttered.
"He’s been like that since the explosion."
Veronica’s stomach turned cold. "Are any heroes nearby?"
"Just one but she’s busy fighting outside."
Her lips pursed. "What about security systems and containment protocols?"
"Offline." Another officer replied. "The only upside is the subterranean cells which hold the dangerous guys are still intact."
Veronica nodded. The cells below used analog systems and locks but that wouldn’t mean anything if there was a speedster involved.
"Prioritize evacuating non-combat personnel. The staff’s lives come first." She ordered. "Get every available unit to the east wall to stop inmates from escaping."
Another guard called out. "What about the ones running wild?"
Veronica frowned. "I’m going in. I need you to open the doors leading to the yard"
"But Ma’am, it isn’t—"
"Do as she says," Another guard who looked older replied, then turned to her. "Do you need help or a weapon?"
"No," she replied and left.
As she walked out of earshot. A younger guard asked the older one. "Shouldn’t we help her? If something happens to the Warden’s daughter"
"You’re new here? Right. Don’t worry about her."
The hallway beyond was empty. Red Lights pulsed, casting an eerie look which was enhanced by the echoes of the alarm
Veronica walked with slow, steady steps, her heels clacking against the concrete.
She removed her glasses and slipped them into her lab coat before drawing a couple of scapels.
Red mist seeped from her skin but this time she didn’t suppress it, letting it coil around her instead.
Her eyes burned with a fiery red as she continued walking.