Metacore

Order of Business Part 3

Patricia Rovin could hear soft whispers of thoughts coming from her teammates, the surrounding crowd and police officers all at once. It wasn’t that she desired to, but that she could. It came naturally to her, as natural as breathing would to any other human. Her telepathic abilities had manifested at the age of four, three years before her telekinetic abilities. Reading the thoughts and emotions of other living creatures had almost driven her insane. It took years for her to learn to turn the voices down to a low murmur and filter out emotions like the anger now emanating from her leader.

“Probe, I need to know the precise location of all the hostages and who’s holding them. ” Oblivion stated as he approached.

“I’ll do my best,” Patricia said, placing two fingers to the side of her head and focusing as she closed her eyes.

Instantly all other sounds and voices vanished from Probe’s mind. With what seemed faster than the speed of light she reached out with thought and connected with the mind of a woman named Diana Clark.

(Can you hear me?) Probe thought.

(Relax... no you’re not going crazy. My name is Patricia Rovin, you can call me Probe. I’m a MetaCore telepath, you know someone able to speak using his or her mind. I need your help Diana; may I look through your eyes?

(Just focus and think about what you see around you. )

Instantaneously as if Probe had been placed inside the body of Diana Clark she found herself peering at the mutant named Mammoth as Diana lay on the floor in the center of the bank. Surveying the group of people around her she paused to study the creature across the room, watching him holding a small three-year-old child in massive oversized hands. Without warning he tossed the child at her. Instinctively Probe took control of Diana’s body and positioned it in a kneeling position catching the child in Diana’s arms. Looking to her left she saw a man dressed in what looked to be a red motorcycle-racing outfit with a yellow-lighting-bolt etched down the side and a red mask that covered his face. Probe sensed bewilderment from him concerning what he had just witnessed as he stood studying Diana Clark from across the lobby of the bank.

(He’ll spend all day trying to figure out how you did that,) Probe thought.

(You’re welcome.)

(You say she called him Rush and his partner Mammoth...this Shiva where is she?)

(Stay down and give them no reason to harm you or your son... this will be over soon, thank you again, Diana.)

Anthony “A.J.” James, watched Probe closely as she began to come out of what he dubbed, “ The Zone ”, the peaceful state that telepaths reached when they used their abilities. Her face appeared even more attractive and serene then normal when she was in the zone. Her long-light-blue hair cascading over her shoulders made her seem angelic somehow. Although Nuance and Probe were identical twins there was an understated strength Probe possessed that he attributed to her personally.

“So what did you find out Patricia, ” Ion asked, adjusting the gauntlets of his uniform.

“There are twenty-two hostages including men, women and children. We have five casualties so far, four of them security officers. The survivors are being held in the lobby of the bank guarded by two subjects, mutants, named Mammoth and Rush.

The third verified subject is a female mutant named Shiva. She’s the leader from what I concluded and more than likely not registered in the Defense Agency database,” Probe stated, telepathically showing her teammates what see saw inside the bank.

“ I performed a level three-telepathy sweep of their short-term memories and thoughts. They’re all psychotic and appear to be part of some radical group calling itself the Crimson Dawn. Oblivion, although I couldn’t be certain, I perceived another hostile mind somewhere inside the bank,” Probe stated, looking at her leader.

“ They don’t look like pros,” Ion stated studying the mental image of the subjects placed in his mind.

“Never the less we stick to the plan for now. Nuance, you’ll teleport Caliber inside the security room on the bottom level then proceed to the main floor. Ion, your topside on this one, I want all bases covered. Go people...we’re officially on the clock.”

With the sound of rushing wind Nuance and Caliber vanished as if swept away by some unseen force. Stepping away from Probe Ion braced himself to take flight. With repetitious ease he leaped into the air propelling himself on a stream of radiated blue ion particles as the cheers coming from the onlookers faded below him.

Part 4

A malevolent smile was wiped from the face of the mutant call Mammoth as he gazed out of the window of the Frostburg Global Bank. He had watched global security officer’s scramble around like ants at a picnic from the moment they arrived. Now five MetaCore agents had arrived in their flashy uniforms and hovercraft. Unlike the security officers they were a threat, because like him they were born with abilities far greater than normal humans were, some of which could render his incredible strength useless. This thought made him anxious and that made him anger. Gnashing his teeth he watched one of the MetaCore agents race high into the sky like a jet disappearing somewhere over the bank.

“Rush, they’re moving against us, they just sent their pigeon up! I’ve lost track of two of them, the big black guy is blocking my view, ” Mammoth growled.

“Once they see they can’t take us, they’ll begin negotiations and pleading for the lives of these humans.” Rush said.

“It doesn’t matter; they’ll have to come in if they want them. You two just be ready for anything, ” Shiva stated exiting the lobby.

Rush watched the mutant called Shiva exiting through the entrance leading to the vaults housed on the banks lower levels. She was the average height and build of an athletic woman in her late thirties. Her head was bald with no sign that any hair had ever grown there as tribal tattoos covered it. With a stranger greenish white complexion that seemed to repeal light, she appeared dead, making her revealing gothic attire almost natural. To look at her he thought she seemed exotic more than threatening, but poisonous spiders always did he reasoned within himself.

“What did you think they’d let us rob a bank and kill precious humans without trying to kill us Mammoth? ” Rush laughed.

“Let them come, Shiva factored them into the plan from the beginning. This is going to get hot and bloody, just watch.”

Jonathan Styles could hear the sound of metal being torched by what he assumed was a high-powered plasma device or someone with the ability to produce such heat. Recalling the layouts of the bank into memory he knew Nuance had hit her mark in teleporting him inside the security room. All the computer monitors and terminals appeared inactive, as the only light source was that of a flashing red light above the rooms’ blast doors.

“Caliber to Oblivion, I’m in. Monica done good, popped and dropped me smack center of the room blindfolded, ” Caliber announced, sounding impressed.

“Good, I was concerned about her not having exact mental references, guess the blueprints were accurate. Move into position and hold until I give the order. Ion’s topside and Nuance is in route to the main floor of the bank, ” Oblivion’s voice stated though a communication device implanted in the ear of every MetaCore agent.

“I’m moving into position now, ” Caliber said, lifting himself into the air duct that would give him access to the entire building.

Monica Rovin loved her primary ability. Teleportation was nice but she could only, “port ” , if she had some mental image of where she was headed. Using her ability to become invisible was different. She could go anywhere she pleased and no one would ever know she’d been there. Passing by the green female mutant dressed in gothic clothing downstairs was simple. She thought about taking her out altogether, but that could prove dangerous for the hostages if the big mutant or his friend reached them before the team could. No, it would be best to stick to Oblivion’s plan for the hostages’ sake; their safety was the primary objective after all.

“Diana Clark? ” Nuance whispered, kneeling next to the woman Probe had telepathically described to the team.

“My name is Monica Rovin; I’m Probe’s twin sister and teammate. You can call me Nuance if you like. ” Nuance continued, lightly touching the woman’s arm.

“I have the power of invisibility and I’m here with you now. We’re going to get you and the others out of here shortly. I’ll need you and everyone to head for the entrance of the bank when the time comes. And don’t worry...you’ll know it when it happens.”

Through the girded ventilation cover of the air duct Caliber could see the device responsible for melting away two of the three enormous vault doors. The eight-foot tall construction robot was retrofitted with high-powered plasma cannons in place of hands and three large fuel canisters on its back. Its cobalt blue armor made it resistant to heat and protected its occupant from most external attacks. The device appeared to have been modified greatly to increase its strength and agility as well. Adjusting his eyes to engaging his x-ray vision, Caliber focused his gaze on the machine and watched as it faded away leaving only a man hovering in its silhouette. The hobbit sized mutant sat in the cockpit of the machine feverously working controls as he cut away at the third vault door.

“Probe, I have your fourth rogue in sight, seems he’s the only villain dressed for the occasion. He’s using modified Helix armor, which explains why you couldn’t clearly read him. Nice suit, I’m curious to find out how these low level thugs acquired gear like this, but it shouldn’t be any problem. ”

“Okay you heard Caliber, take’em down. We’re all go. ” Oblivion ordered, his voice echoing through all the team’s communication implants.

Circling high above the bank building Ion dropped down hovering ten-feet from the roof with outstretched hands ready to unleash an intense stream of super charged ion particles. It would be his responsibility to neutralize one or both subjects in the lobby if things should go wrong. Telepathically viewing them through Nuance’s eyes via Probe he followed the larger mutant movements from above the bank. Out of the corner of his eye he watched Probe and Oblivion flying toward him propelled by telekinesis.

“I’m tracking subject two now Nuance. You have sixty seconds to silence subject one before team leader breaches the interior, ” Ion informed.

Inside the lobby of the bank Nuance watched the two assailants with their backs towards the hostages. Rightfully so neither regarded normal humans as any threat, but she was far from normal. Concentrating she allowed herself to become visible as she ran toward the mutant named Rush who was farthest away and distracted by what was going on outside.

“Rush, they’re inside the building, ” Mammoth roared, turning to see Nuance dashing across the room toward his cohort.

“Kill the hostages, I’ll take care... ”

The right cross that scarcely missed his jaw surprised Rush, almost as much as the sudden appearance of the attractive MetaCore officer that appeared only milliseconds before. With barely enough time to evade the blow that should have left him unconscious, he watched as she disappeared. Using the ability that earned him his name, he ran toward the group of hostages at blinding speeds. With just one of them he would have half a chance of getting himself out of the bank and his speed would do the rest, exploding a few as he passed through them would be for fun. Again the sudden appearance of the MetaCore officer surprised him as she appeared braced to deliver a blow that was sure to kill him. Instinctively he raised his hands in an effort to protect himself, never seeing the tables, chairs and pillar that did what her first attempt could not, permanently.

“Oblivion, the speedster has been neutralized. ” Nuance said, teleporting into the crowd of hostages now running toward the entrance of the bank.

Leaping through the air with the ferocity of an enraged beast, Mammoth hammered at the ground destroying the floor were Nuance once stood only seconds ago. A strange cracking sound as if the building itself was crumbling made him look up to see a dazzling spark of light erupt above him. With the force of a bolt of lightening falling from the sky, he found himself crashing through the lobby floor.

“AAARRRGGH, I’LL SLAUGHTER YOU!! I’ll slaughter you and all these worthless humans, ” Mammoth roared, tossing off rubble and debris as he stood.

“Not today punk, not on my watch, ” Oblivion announced.

With the same ferocity that shattered the floor Mammoth turned to unleash his fury on the smaller MetaCore officer behind him. Mammoth was unsure what shocked him more, the smirk he saw on the MetaCore officers face, the way the officer simply brushed his punch aside or the impact from a blow he never saw coming.

“I’ll finish this punk,” Oblivion said, watching Mammoth crash yet again after hitting a wall across the second floor office space.

“Probe, get the hostages out of here and make sure they’re alright. If the parents permit wipe any traumatic short-term memories the children might have, ” Oblivion ordered speaking to Probe through the large hole in the ceiling above him.

Oblivion never took his eyes off the enormous mutant as it rose clutching large pieces of wall and office furniture. With the strength of a hundred men it hurled the fragments at him like bullets while swiftly rushing behind them. Not bright are you, Oblivion thought throwing his body weight forward as the debris passed overhead. Untucking out of a roll and spinning into a reverse ankle-sweep he heard the large mutant leg snap in two before it struck the floor.