“I don’t need a swimsuit,” I told Anne.

“The party’s at Clearwater Beach. That means, sun, sand and swimming."

"Jimmy's picking me up at eight. I hardly think that's a time for sun."

"Well, that just means beach bonfire, then. And maybe midnight skinny dipping!" Her eyes sparkled.

"I hardly think Jimmy's going to take me skinny dipping."

"Maybe there'll be some cute girls there, and you can take them for a dip." Anne grinned mischievously.

"You're enjoying this way too much."

"Please. You deserve a night of fun. Come on, live a little."

"I should really be here…."

"I'll take care of Dad for one night. You go have fun."

A message pinged on my phone.

Jimmboy3262: hey

Jimmyboy3262: come out

"They're here," I said.

"What? But it's only seven."

"Maybe Jimmy wants to start the party early."

"Okay, just take the costume," Anne thrust the swimming trunks into my hands.

I grabbed the picnic hamper I'd prepared and stepped out of the door.

The first hint I had that something was wrong was when I saw them in the car.

Jimmy looked grim. Mike looked…. Mike.

Lou sported a black eye and his left arm was bandaged.

"What happened?" I blurted out.

Jimmy stepped out clutching a baseball bat. "Bro, need your help."

"Tell me."

"Couple of hours ago, Grunters took my folks."

Whatever I'd expected, that wasn't it. "What? Why?"

"Mine, Mike's and Lou's. Our dads were working and they hit the shop. Grabbed all three of them. Also Mrs. Halloran." He took a deep breath. "Then another bunch of Grunters hit Lou's house, took his Mum and Clarice. They hit Lou. He … escaped."

"I ran," muttered Lou. "They…. they had guns. And the guy in charge had this suit."

"What did the police say?" I asked.

"The police ain't going to help," replied Jimmy bitterly. "They don't get into it with the Grunters anymore."

"What? The cops are supposed to do exactly that!"

Jimmy stared at me. "Get real, Andrew. You know we can't go to the cops."

"He really doesn't, Jimmy," Mike spoke up. "He doesn't know."

"What don't I know?"

"The Grunters were shaking down our parents for protection money," Mike replied. "More than they could afford to pay. Dr. Reagan was trying to haggle with them for some time… I guess they ran out of patience." He shrugged. "Ma keeps the books, she knows how much they've been bleeding since the city got hit. They were arguing last week about selling the apartment to pay off the Grunters…. Dad said we didn't need to live on the street yet, and anyway nobody would buy the place."

My mind was in a whirl.

"Your dad's an eye doctor," I stared at Jimmy, "and Mr. Armstrong and Halloran do delivery. What business are they in together?"

"He was a doctor till Medivent kicked him out," replied Jimmy. "He… needed help back then. But he got clean. Now he makes sure that people get only as much as they need…. Business has been bad since the attack." He sighed. "I should've told you, but…. It's not the kind of thing you can talk about, y'know?"

TEST OF INTELLIGENCE: PASSED.

YOU HAVE LEARNT A SECRET ABOUT YOUR FRIENDS.

JIMMY'S FATHER MAKES NARCOTICS AND THE ARMSTRONGS AND THE HALLORANS SELL THEM. THEY USED TO PAY PROTECTION MONEY TO THE GRUNTERS, BUT DUE TO THE LOSS OF BUSINESS, THEY'VE BEEN UNABLE TO MEET THEIR COMMITMENTS.

THE TANISPORT POLICE HAVE A LONG-STANDING POLICY OF NOT GETTING INVOLVED IN PROTECTION DISPUTES BETWEEN THE GANGS AND THE BUSINESSES THEY SHAKE DOWN, EVER SINCE GRUMMAN SHOWED HE WAS WILLING TO KILL COPS WHO INTERFERED - AS THE STATION ATTACK SHOWED.

"Drugs," I replied. "Your dad… sells drugs."

"Opioids. And they're not even that harmful. Just… not easy to get."

"He makes them?"

"That's what the shop is for." Jimmy took a deep breath. "Look, I know we should've probably told you. But our parents are in trouble now, and Clarice. What would you do if it was Anne?"

I'd burn their houses down.

I took a deep breath. "What are you planning to do?"

"They're being held at this club in Selleck Street. The Damini. We're going to go there, sneak in, and free them."

I didn't need 18 Wisdom to know that was a spectacularly bad plan. "You realise they have powered armour, right? And laser rifles?"

"That's why we're sneaking in?"

"And after you get them free? What then?"

"We… we'll get out of town. Dad can start up a new business elsewhere."

Observe.

JIMMY REAGAN

CLASS: STUDENT

RELATIONSHIP: CLOSE FRIEND

LEVEL 1

HP 90/90

JIMMY IS A LOYAL FRIEND AND CARES DEEPLY FOR HIS DAD, WHO IS HIS ONLY FAMILY. GOOD IN A BAR ROOM BRAWL, BUT NOT AS GOOD AS HE THINKS. HE'S NEVER SERIOUSLY FOUGHT BEFORE.

MIKE HALLORAN

CLASS: STUDENT

RELATIONSHIP: CLOSE FRIEND

LEVEL 2

HP 100/100

MIKE IS A QUIET, SOLEMN BOY WITH A FIERCE PROTECTIVE STREAK. HE CAN BOX AND IS A DECENT ARCHER, A SPORT HE TOOK UP TO REIN IN HIS OTHERWISE EXPLOSIVE TEMPER. HE CARES DEEPLY FOR HIS PARENTS AND HIS SIX-YEAR-OLD BROTHER, WHO IS CURRENTLY ALONE AT HOME. HE HAS BEEN IN A COUPLE OF SCUFFLES.

LOU ARMSTRONG

CLASS: STUDENT

RELATIONSHIP: CLOSE FRIEND

LEVEL 1

HP 70/90

LOU IS OBESE, OUT OF SHAPE, AND GETS WINDED EASILY. HE USED TO GET BEATEN UP BY BULLIES BEFORE MIKE AND JIMMY TOOK HIM UNDER THEIR WING. HE KNOWS HE CAN'T FIGHT BUT IS UNWILLING TO LET HIS FRIENDS GO ALONE. HE KNOWS THAT THEIR CHANCES ARE SLIM BUT IS PRAYING FOR A MIRACLE.

My friends were….. not like me.

I'd killed nine times.

My friends had never been in a real fight before.

They had no idea what it meant.

I had a choice. I could walk away, tell them I didn't want to get involved.

Do the lawful thing.

And they would go into the Grunters' hideout anyway.

And they would not come back.

I looked at Mike. Quiet Mike, who'd stood up for Anne when I couldn't.

Lou, who'd stuck with the new home-schooled kid as his lab partner.

Jimmy, who'd told me his deepest, darkest secret.

Could I walk away from them, just to keep mine?

"You coming?" Jimmy asked.

I took a deep breath. "I think you need to think about this."

Jimmy looked betrayed.

"They have power armour, Jimmy. Baseball bats aren't going to cut it." I paused. "I… you need to promise me that you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you."

There was silence for a moment. Then Mike got out of the car. "You…. have something?"

"Come with me."

Anne gave me a quizzical look as I led the others to the basement.

"Grunters took their parents," I explained.

My Armor sat on the table in the centre of the room. I hadn't sorted out a place to store it yet. The remaining pieces of Grunter kit lay strewn around.

My friends took all of this in silently.

"What I'm telling you is a secret you can't repeat," I told them. "To anyone. Not your family, not your sister or brother…. nobody, no matter what, gets to know about this. Can you promise me that?"

The three of them nodded mutely.

I stared at my armour set.

EQUIP ARMOR? YES/NO

Yes.

The sense of being encased returned.

I looked at my friends, this time through the lenses of the Nanofibre Weave Combat Armor.

"Holy shit," murmured Jimmy. "You're an ultra."

"Do you have any more of those?" asked Mike quietly.

"No," I replied, "and I'm not taking you into combat with me."

The three of them flinched at my tone and backed away.

What?

"Your tone is freakishly scary," piped up Anne.

Ah, yes, the voice modification from the suit. I shrugged. "Sorry. I haven't installed voice modulation in this."

"No, it's good," commented Lou. "Keeps people from figuring out who you are. What all can your suit do?"

"Show me your hand."

Lou held out his injured hand meekly.

Heal.

The blue light of a Heal flowed out through my hands and washed over Lou's arm.

LOU ARMSTRONG +30 HP.

LOU ARMSTRONG 90/90 HP.

"The pain's gone," Lou whispered.

"There's other things I can do," I replied, "the suit just adds protection. I crafted it myself."

"We can help," Jimmy said. "You lead, we'll follow you in."

"No."

"Why not? We can fight!"

"Jimmy…." I took a deep breath. "I've killed nine times."

Lou gasped. Jimmy looked stunned.

Even Mike - steady Mike - was staring at me with his jaw open.

"It was self-defence," added Anne, "and they were all bad guys. One was an alien."

"You…. fought the aliens?" Lou looked amazed. "In that suit?"

"I fought the aliens in stretch pants and an off-the-rack shirt. I got lucky. This suit was so that I didn't have to rely on luck the next time."

"He beat an alien warrior to death with his bare hands," Anne explained.

"Dude," Jimmy said, "I knew you were strong… but this is a whole 'another level." He nodded. "I guess we'd just slow you down."

"You can still help, though."

"How?"

"Tell me everything you know about the place they've been taken."

The Damini was a hip and happening nightclub at the edge of the seedy part of town. The ground floor was mainly dancing and drinks, while the first basement ran gambling and card games.

All highly illegal, of course. Nightclubs and gambling both required a license and proper distancing protocols, which no-one had ever tried to enforce on the Grunters.

"Second basement level is where the Grunters have their offices," explained Mike. "Dad and Dr. Reagan went there once, to talk to them about the payments. Dad told Mom afterwards that it was… twisted. They've got more basements below where they … keep people locked up, I guess."

"We sure they're at this location? Not anywhere else?"

"I heard the guys who broke down our door," Lou said. "They told Mom and Clarice that they were expected at the Damini. Also said that Dad and his friends were waiting for us there."

"Anything else we know about this place?"

"Well, it’s not the Grunters’ main HQ, so Grumman shouldn’t be there himself. What's the plan?"

"If I just break in and bust them out, it'll be pretty obvious who the Grunters have to go after for revenge."

"Damn," muttered Lou. "We didn't think of that."

"So what I need to do is get in and create some havoc. Isolate them, one by one, and …. well, you said they have other people imprisoned?"

"Maybe."

"The best option is to make it look like a raid by a different gang. Or an ultra. I could leave the Blackhat logo all over the place."

"... That'll probably work. The Blackhats hate the Grunters. Though you'd best not get seen on camera or Tigerstrike'll be after you too."

"Got it. I'll create as much chaos as I can, wreck the place, get your parents out. You'll have to pick them up."

"I'll bring one car," replied Mike, "and Jimmy can bring the other. The Grunters have seen Lou, we can't have him anywhere near the place."

"You'll need to be at least a block away. Probably two…. Jimmy. You wear a baseball hat and that fake goatee of yours and hang around near the club. When your parents get out, you signal them to follow you."

"What about cameras? There'll be some on the street."

"I have something for that. Once you get them to come out, get out of town immediately."

"We could bring them here, get packed…."

"No. No circling back, no coming here or going to your homes afterwards. The Grunters will respond in force. They'll check later who went where, try to track each of the escapees. Your only chance is to get out of town…. and never come back." I turned to Lou. "You're going to take a taxi and go to Mike's and Jimmy's houses. Pick up Mike's brother, pick up whatever food, cash and clothes you can get your hands on. Don't take anything that could be tracked. Don't go to your place either.

"Meet Mike and Jimmy at the gas station near Lotus Park." I pointed out the rendezvous point, almost halfway across town. "Whatever you do, don't come back here. Or anywhere near any of your homes."

"Gotcha," Lou murmured. "We get out of town, then we call you…."

"You don't call me." I smiled bitterly. "Anything you send to me or Anne can be used to track us. And Paul can't run.

"I'll set up a throwaway email address. You guys do the same thing. We communicate only through those. You don't ever mention where you are, or anyone by name… say J, or M, or L, or C for Clarice instead. Mr. H or Mr. R in case of parents. Got it?"

"Yeah," Jimmy said. "I…. I'll go to my place, pick up the goatee. I have to get the second car anyway."

"What about my place? Need clothes for Mom and Clarice," asked Lou.

"Clarice left some stuff at my place," admitted Jimmy sheepishly. "I'll get them."

Lou gave Jimmy a dirty look.

"You two can argue about that stuff later," I said. "Lou, your place may be watched. They saw you. Not sure about Mike's and Jimmy's, but the chances are lower since they got everyone's parents. I don't think they planned to take the kids…. Maybe Clarice got swept up because she was a witness, that's all."

The boys nodded.

“Also, give me your phones.”

“Our phones?” Jimmy looked puzzled.

“Grumman’s an inventor. He could hack them and track you.”

Wordlessly, the boys handed over their phones.

I grabbed a battery from the shelf below and focused my mental energy on the four items.

Sparks flew. The boys jumped back.

The battery and the phones sort of melted together into a blob, which solidified into a four-sided pyramidal grey cylinder with a blinking red button on top.

JAMMER BEACON ASSEMBLED!

DISABLES ALL RECORDING DEVICES WITHIN A RADIUS OF THREE BLOCKS.

USE COST: 250 MP

DURATION: 1 HOUR

COOLDOWN: 24 HOURS

“Oh,” muttered Lou, “melt ‘em down, sure.” He blushed. “Sorry. That phone cost two hundred bucks.”

“If Grumman hacks it, it’ll cost you a lot more,” pointed out Jimmy.

“You can buy a new phone in the next town. Okay, everyone clear on the plan?”

“I’ll come in the car,” suggested Anne.

“You’ll stay home and keep an eye on Dad,” I told her. “And you’ll adjust the cameras to switch off when I’m leaving the house, and when I get back - so they don’t see me in costume anywhere.”

Anne looked rebellious. “I should be a part of this.”

“When you have powers of your own, you can.”

The boys snickered. Well, I did sound a little too parent-like just now.

“Anne, each of us has a role to play. Lou is logistics. Jimmy and Mike are the getaway car drivers. I’m the one who draws everyone’s fire, smashes things up. You’re the home base.”

“And if stuff goes wrong? If you get into something you can’t handle?”

“I’ll retreat, evade and fall back here. In which case you’ll need to look after me.”

“Look after….”

“If I come back with a wounded leg or a shattered arm, then you have to get me medicine.”

Anne bit her lip.

I remembered standing in front of a bulletin board, waiting anxiously for news that never came.

“Jimmy,” I sighed. “If things go spectacularly wrong. Beyond what we could handle wrong. You get to a pay phone and call Anne, let her know what happened.”

Jimmy paled, but nodded.

“I will be back, Anne,” I told her. “I built this suit for fighting kaiju, remember? If they get through 400 points of armour, I’ll withdraw anyway.”

“Promise me.”

“I promise.”

QUEST ALERT: THE GREAT RAID.

RESCUE JIMMY’S, MIKE’S AND LOU’S FAMILIES FROM THE GRUNTERS.

AVOID BEING RECOGNIZED OR FOLLOWED AND GET BACK TO ANNE SAFELY.

REWARD: +1000 XP, +5 ETHICS, NEW SKILLS UNLOCKED.

BONUS OBJECTIVE: CREATE A FALSE TRAIL IMPLICATING THE BLACKHATS.

BONUS REWARD: NEW SKILL UNLOCKED.

Good to know that my power agrees with me.

“All right,” I said, “everyone knows what they have to do?”

They nodded.

“Just one thing,” asked Mike. “What’s your name?”

“.... My name?”

“A hero’s got to have a code name. What do people call you?”

I frowned. I hadn’t thought of that.

“His name,” piped up Anne, “is Belessar.”

We all turned to look at Anne.

“I’ve been thinking about your code name for a while,” she said defensively. “It’s from Belisarius. If you don’t like it….”

“It’s perfect,” I said.

YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE NAME ‘BELESSAR’ BY YOUR SISTER. YOU HAVE ACCEPTED THIS NAME.

QUEST COMPLETED: EARN YOUR NAME! +100 XP.

YOUR SUPERHERO / ULTRAHUMAN NAME SHALL NOW BE BELESSAR.