Opposing Forces: Real Soldiers

Once we’d sealed the main entrance we had a few moments to assess what was happening. Nobody was in any doubt that our recent success had attracted the unpleasant attentions of the crime lord known as the Emperor, but knowing that didn’t really help our situation.

“Is everyone ok? Scarlet, are you sure that rpg didn’t cause any damage?" Sabre was as composed as ever despite having a few nicks here and there.

We all nodded our heads, smiled or generally tried to look fine. Scarlet said she was one hundred percent.

“Take a breather everyone.”

Bomb was sitting down, chewing on a high protein tablet to help him heal. He was literally a bloody mess; I never got used to that.

Scarlet had risked flicking her face plate up to talk to Sabre who seemed annoyed. At one point his hand seemed to reach out to her but she pushed it aside. Surely not?

“You okay Mart?” Pulse touched my shoulder gently.

“Shh, you’ll be in bother if he hears you using my name on a mission. Yeah, I’m fine, just a bit shaken. I’m a lot better than John, the poor sod didn’t stand chance.” Our chopper pilot had died when an rpg entered the cockpit. “How about you?”

“Not a scratch but it’s a miracle considering all the bullets that were flying around. Thanks by the way, I know you were looking out for me.”

Bombardier came and stood over us both, looking slightly better than a few minutes earlier, "Two nasty surprises in a row, I think we’ve upset someone."

“God Bomb, how do you stand that, you must be in agony?” His face, although visibly healing, was gouged and lacerated. A bullet fell out of his shoulder and rattled on the marble floor as I spoke. He sighed and worked the joint.

“Mind over matter, mate.” He tapped his temple and smiled through gashed lips, winking at Pulse.

“Keep away from me, you dirty sod.” Pulse laughed and pushed him away as he went to hug her.

None of us were unconcerned about John, at least I don’t think we were, but we’d mourn his loss later. That was our way and the way of soldiers the world over.

“Militia!” We all turned to Sabre. “The who and why of all of this is pretty obvious I think but it’s not really a concern for the moment. What does concern me is that our comms system is being jammed.”

“I thought that was supposed to be impossible.” Pete.

“It is unless someone knows our transmission code.”

“Jesus, what about: every member of the support team has been checked and double checked. The only thing I like about those Ministry creeps is that they’re supposed to live for secrecy.” Pulse would have continued but I found myself butting in before Sabre.

“Come on, you’ve just seen how much money’s been spent to get rid of us. It’s not surprising that we have a little problem at home.” The worldly wise Disc in action.

“Yes, well I’d call it more than a little problem that we’re surrounded by every blood crazed gang banger in the city. It was a close thing out there and we all know it. The fact that Scarlet’s not all over the walls is...”

“Enough! We haven’t got time for your tantrums, Pulse.” She opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself.

“We need to get away from here before they blow the doors. I’ve got a floor plan of the building so I should be able to find a defensible position while we wait for support to arrive. I’m confident the pilot managed to get the call off before he died.”

I didn’t share Sabre’s confidence, "How do you know he wasn’t jammed too?”

“He didn’t say there was a problem; I imagine he used a normal police frequency. Whoever planned this was too focused on us.” I liked his thinking but I wasn’t convinced, John could have sent the message and not expected a reply.

*****

We made our way through the empty building, listening to the sound of shouts and smashing windows as we went. We were looking for a defensible position that wasn’t a tomb.

After a quick study of his wrist screen Sabre lead us to the staff canteen. It was on the middle floor with one entrance and it only had windows on one side. Bombardier and Scarlet opened the fire doors and ripped the metal stairs off the wall before blocking the doorway with kitchen equipment. As soon as they’d opened the doors we heard shouts and a few shots rang out. We were definitely surrounded.

“This looks like our Alamo ladies and gentlemen, or should I say Rorke’s Drift. We’ll hold here until back-up arrives.” If?

We had a mini can set up in the corridor so that we’d get plenty of warning as soon as someone appeared. Our main concern was fire but there was nothing we could do about that. We just hoped they’d take a while to think of that; they certainly didn’t seem too organised. I kept thinking of an old movie I used often watch, Blackhawk Down. It wasn’t comforting.

Pulse and Sabre were discussing something, no doubt her concerns, while Bomb grabbed half of the sandwich selection. I was keeping an eye on the screen when Scarlet came and sat next to me, “Does the coast look clear?”

“All’s quiet on the Lockway front. Sabre’s traps seem to have slowed them right down.”

“Thank God, I’ve got to get this thing off.” Scarlet twisted the helmet at the neck and I heard a click and a hiss.

“Gets pretty hot in there I suppose.”

She pulled her hair out of a pony tail and refastened it, “No, it’s air conditioned, it just gets a bit claustrophobic. What do you make of all of this?”

“To be honest I find it pretty disturbing. I mean is this what it’s going to be like from now on?”

“The vengeful criminal mastermind and his hideous traps?” She smiled gently.

“It sounds a lot more entertaining when you put it like that, but yes. I don’t like the idea of turning up for every job and wondering if the sky’s going to fall on my head.”

“Me neither but I suppose the longer we do this the more it’s going to happen. To be fair, we’re making a lot of money too.”

A paw of a hand gripped my shoulder, “If we kick this Emperor bloke’s bollocks off it might make others think twice.” Bombardier munched a ham sandwich as he spoke and gave Scarlet a hug. All for one!

*****

It was about twenty minutes before the first cautious figure appeared on my monitor. He peered around the corner and signalled for others to follow. We’d already decided on a plan.

The corridor was wide, long and straight, so as soon as there was a decent sized group filling the space Bomb and Scarlet ran out of the canteen and each launched a table at our enemies. The tables weren’t particularly heavy but they still did plenty of damage. Our two brawlers then waded in until the gunfire built up.

Bombardier came back into the canteen smiling, looking like Banquo’s ghost.

Scarlet was unharmed but her paintwork wasn’t looking good.

“How’re you doing for power Scarlet?” Sabre.

“No problem, I’m working hard but as long as there’s nothing too strenuous I’ll be fine. They’ve pulled back for now but I think they’re ready to rush us.”

A sudden explosion made us all duck. An rpg had been fired from the ground and through the window. From that angle all the shooter could hit was the ceiling but is was certainly disturbing.

“What’s wrong with these people? I don’t care how much money’s on the table for our heads it can’t be worth it. This lot must have a group death wish or something.” I couldn’t understand what was keeping them charging at us. Just because we were the good guys didn’t mean we weren’t dangerous and deadly. It took a lot of guts to attack people like us.

“It could be that they don’t have much choice; maybe The Emperor’s said do or die. I’ve noticed colours for at least three of the big gangs. The only way they’d work together is if they had to. I think The Emperor’s kicked in the back door while we weren’t looking.” Sabre sounded about right to me.

Scarlet spoke. “Bombardier seems to think we need to make a point with this bloke, what was it again?”

“Kick his bollocks off!”

Sabre smiled, “A crude response but I do like it, it’s worth remembering. However, I...”

“Here they come again.”

There were three more rushes that ended in failure; Scarlet and Bombardier managed to deal with them both. By this time all of the windows were shot out and Pulse and I were dealing with grenades, molotovs and various nasties that were lobbed through the window. Nobody was stupid enough to try and climb in.

Sabre came back from one of his forays and told us they’d finally got around to setting fire to the building. It would take a while for it to spread but the smoke would soon be a problem.

By this point the staff canteen was pretty much wrecked, a combination of explosives, fire bombs and Bomb and Scarlet’s barricading efforts.

“Well there’s only one way we can go ladies and gentlemen and that’s up. That was always the plan anyway. Pulse can you get started please.”

We were in the middle of an attack by crazed killers and he was coming over all metaphorical and ambitious!

Pulse gave me an understanding look and I smiled, knocking another home made grenade back through the window and listening to the shouts of alarm from below.

Pulse had the job of getting us on the roof. It took seconds for her to blast a hole through the ceiling so that we could see sky. Sabre said this part of the hospital was fairly inaccessible from the outside so no one should be waiting for us, but we still sent Scarlet out first just to be sure.

*****

The fact that nobody wanted to buy the land around the hospital was suddenly something I was very grateful for. The rooftop was like another world, a bright island in the smoke.

The roof was a maze of chimney stacks, service containers, and vents.

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted two figures scampering out of some kind of maintenance shed. They froze like statues when I swung my discs in front of them. I was glad I hadn’t struck. They were two young girls, one about fourteen or fifteen and the other closer to twelve. Both were wide eyed and pale.

We were all a bit surprised and just stared at each other. The older girl wrapped her arms around the younger one protectively. Scarlet went to approach them but the cries and expressions of fear on their faces stopped her.

Pulse used her other super power: good looks. She bent down, smiling, “Hey, it’s okay don’t worry, we’re not going to hurt you.” They moved back against a chimney and the younger girl squeezed her eyes closed.

“I’m Pulse, I’m a good guy, you must have seen me on the TV. Now why don’t you tell me your names.”

There was a tense silence as the older girl looked into Pulse’s eyes, the fear faded to be replaced by something else. Her young face looked gaunt and worn, her right arm had a rippled red scar running from elbow to hand. Two fingers were missing.

“It’s alright Janny, they’re not going to hurt us.” She had the harsh accent of The Dip and sounded older than her years.

Slowly the younger girl turned around and faced us. She was sharp featured and dark eyed. We’d worked in Lockway long enough to recognise the effects of poverty and life in The Dip. Older versions of these kids had just been trying to kill us.

“So you’re Janny, nice to meet you Janny. Well seen as you’ve been so friendly, you can call me Jenny. We sound like twins.” Pulse knelt down in front of the smallest girl and went to reach for her hand.

The older of the two suddenly burst out in shocking fury, “You stay away from her! I’m her sister, not you, now leave us alone or I’ll kill you.” The girl’s good hand shook as she held out a small, sharp knife.

Pulse fell back shocked.

We all stood around these two waifs with no idea what to do. It was time for the world-wise Disc to spring into action again. I sat down next to the pair and waited for the girl to calm down. She continued to stare at Pulse until she walked away looking hurt.

“Well I’m Disc and that’s all you’re getting from me. Now put that knife away and stop pissing about or I’ll have to take it off you.” Shocking that I should speak to a child like that I know, but it was the norm for them and I decided it was the only way to do get through. “What’s your name?”

“Madonna.”

“After the singer?”

“Yeah, me mam liked her.”

“Is your mam dead?”

She nodded.

“Your dad?”

She shrugged.

“So are you two by yourselves?”

“Yeah, but we’re okay.” Her grip tightened on her silent sister.

“I can see that. How long have you been by yourselves?”

“Couple of weeks.”

“What happened to you mam?”

“She killed her.” Madonna pointed at Pulse.

If you saw that coming, I didn’t. I felt like I’d been punched, I was speechless. A glance at Pulse told me she was worse. She started to walk forward but Scarlet stopped her.

My throat was suddenly very dry but I managed to speak. “How did she kill your mam?” I didn’t question the truth of it, we must have killed a lot of criminals; no not criminals, people.

“We were working at the Barrington street factory putting the pills in boxes when you lot raided it. It was the only work Mam could get and we got paid as well; Janny cleaned up and one of the bosses liked me. It was good until you lot came and she killed Mam. She hurt me as well.” The girl looked accusingly at Pulse who blanched. I looked at the thin scarred arm, it must have been agony.

“How did it happen, Pulse wouldn’t have done it on purpose?” She looked at me like I was the child, and who could blame her.

“Mam got us and we hid behind a guard with a big gun but she burnt him and Mam up, burnt my arm as well. We sneaked out before she killed us.”

“Our Maddy kept me safe.” The younger girl spoke proudly, looking up at her sister.

Yes there was more and Pulse tried to apologise and explain but how do you?

I thought back to the train that was bombed and all of the innocents who died. We were angry and worked harder than ever before to avenge the innocent. Was this what happened when we worked hard, when we got angry? I thought of the conversation I had with Jenny on the balcony, the night before we caught Stick and fought Hob. When she asked me how close I was to them, meaning the criminals in the street below I worried about her loyalty, but maybe she was right, the difference was in perspective. Hob was a terrifying killer when he attacked us; what were we to those girls and her mother? What were we to thousands of people who were making money the only way they could?

*****

Smoke billowed around us but the danger seemed forgotten as we all faced reality in its two skinny forms. It turned out that the girls lived in the maintenance shed on the roof, they’d found a rat run up through the vent system. Nobody had known they were there and nobody would have cared if they had; nothing was maintained anymore.

Even Sabre was shaken by the evidence of our crimes and none of us had anything to say to each other. Scarlet kept her helmet on, and once again I envied her. Pulse? Well, she was blank and that was horrible. Bombardier told the girls jokes and played the fool, at least he faced them.

Sorry if you were expecting a big climax with us battling some muscular super villain but it didn’t happen.; the villain was invisible and personal to us all.

As darkness approached, the sky was illuminated by the burning hospital and we were keeping up-wind of the black smoke. That’s what you had to do you see, just keep the ugly, toxic stuff down wind, and you’d be okay. Look to the sun and forget the rest.

The sound of helicopters drew near and I wondered if they’d play Flight of the Valkyrie, sorry, that’s a reference to Apocalypse Now, another old favourite movie of mine. Now why did I think of that?

Epilogue

Of course that wasn’t the end of us but it marked an end of innocence and naivety. We weren’t the defenders of justice any longer, we were soldiers in a war and wars are horrible. If you look at the old comic books about us, you’ll never see death, tears or blood but that’s the reality I assure you. A costume and a punchy name doesn’t change the nature of violence.

There’s much more to tell but, both happy and sad, but I think this is a fitting point to end Volume 1 of The Militia.

The End