Chapter 9

Clash

“One more flight!” Hector said as he, Jack, and TJ whipped around the stairwell to the final door. Bodily pushing it open the trio flood the corridor. Like many of the upper levels, Facility Epsilons hallways were a mix of practicality with a modern interior design. Light reflected off the hard tiled floors from twin fluorescent lights on the ceiling, in shades of grey and brown. Halfway down the hallway was an still form on its side. Sounds of crushing metal and gunfire were much louder now that the boys were in the hallway. Jack sped to the downed security officer while TJ and Hector followed behind.

Jack gave the man a shake, causing the guard to roll over and give a painful moan. The teen gave a grimace as he looked to TJ and Hector. “He doesn’t look too good, but I mean..he’s alive and I don’t see any blood.”

Hectors frowned as he looked to the left from where the guard had been knocked out, seeing several figures running across an intersection followed by...a dog? “Oh crap” He flushed his back to the corner, TJ and Jack dragging the guard around as well and propping him against the wall.

“What? What did you see?” TJ said in a tense tone.

Hector peered around the corner again “I think the base is ACTUALLY being attacked.”

There was a crash sound, from Hectors vantage point one of the small sphere drones he had seen earlier skidded against the tile, some kind of crystal substance speared through its lens aperture. “Okay, yeah, I think we found the bad guys.”

“Shit, well lets go then!.” TJ said smacking his fist into his hand.

Jack raised his hand “Woah, wait we can’t just go after them without a plan. Plus all I have is this STICK.” he said waving the branch around.

Hector indicted with his chin “What about the gun?”

Jacks gaze went to the firearm and back to Hector “Are you kidding me? I’ve never even held a gun!”

Hector knelt down to the guards belt, searching for anything useful. “Hey, wait what about this?” he retrieved a collapsible baton and tossed it to Jack.

It took a Jack a moment but he found the release and expanded the baton outwards, giving it an experimental flip in his hand too. “Yeah okay, this works. Hey what about that pepper spray?”

“Guys, today please.” TJ hissed.

“Right right, sorry man we’ll bring these back” Jack said patting the unconscious security guards vest before pocketing the pepper spray. “So what do we do?”

“TJ, maybe you try and use your fire? Make them scatter and I can use my fist constructs to punch them while Jack teleports behind them?” Hector suggested.

“Works for me.” TJ said as the bones in his neck began to contort and break, his lower jaw already turning into a rows of fangs as sparks flared from in between his lips.

“Ok, ok, ok” Hector said psyching himself up, his hands glowed blue as a pair of floating fists appeared on either side of him roughly half his height. “Now?”

“NOW!” TJ said as the three candidates rushed down the left hallway, Hector guiding them right at the intersection.

Ahead of them Eclipses crew was in front of a door marked “Armory” across it’s secure metal door. One of the other intruders, a woman in a black and purple outfit whipped her head around “COMPANY!” she shouted as she raised her hand and several dark spikes surged down the hallway at the trio of candidates.

“Crap!” Jack said as he leaped to the side as one of the projectiles shot past him. Hector shot his arms out as his constructs swung in front of him. Keeping his hands open palmed and by extension his constructs, several of the crystal spikes shattered against them.

Down the hallway one of the villains clad in all black forced the woman's arm to lower and was yelling something at her. The third villain which was dressed in white held out a hand as a burst of ice projected outwards, coating the small hallway. The ice built up from the floor to the ceiling, when the wall was just at halfway a furry four legged form hopped the barrier and charged down at the Candidates.

“Is that a dog?” Jack said moments before Buster crashed into him. Jack and Buster slid across the tile, the dogs teeth bared as it tried to bite. Jack brought the baton across his face defensively as Buster gnashed at it, his eyes glowing a bright red. Busters form bristled as a small circle saw came out of his mouth and struck against the police baton, sending sparks across Jacks face. “NOT A DOG! NOT A DOG GODDAMMIT HELP ME!”

Hector scrambled to pivot as he swing his right construct wide, crashing into Buster which sent crashing into the drywall and concrete, bouncing off and falling to the floor in a daze. Hector helped Jack to his feet as TJ stepped forward and spit out a fireball where Buster had fallen.

The fireball blasted on target causing a wave of heat to wash over the trio. Through the flames Buster rose, giving a shake of his body it leapt out of the blast zone and gave a low feral growl. Small clicks and whirs emitted from Buster as two metallic barrels on hinge joints extended from his shoulders. Hector didn’t want to find out what new gadget this was and he charged at the Dog, swinging downwards just a hair too late as Buster dashed to the side. The two barrels pivoted on their hinge, allowing the dog to skate across the tiled floor.

Jack tossed the baton behind Buster and teleported, striking the dog across its back flank with a clang like a baseball bat scoring a hit. TJ had foregone his fire and his arms were already mutating into something else as he flanked the dog and swung a kick. The kick went wide and Buster too the opportunity to bite down on TJ’s ankle. TJ cried out in pain as his hand formed into a gnarled bone and carapace like hammer that he swung down, bashing Buster between his shoulder blades until the dog gave.

Hector reached out with his fist construct and scooped up Buster, throwing the dog into the ceiling tiles. Plaster and dust rained down from Hector breach, but Buster didn’t come back down through the ceiling.

“Hey man you okay?” Hector said offering an arm to TJ.

“Yeah, yeah I think I’m alright.” TJ dusted off his jumpsuit.

Jacks gaze was at the ceiling as the sounds of scrambling feet and a trail of dust heading from their position could be seen. “Okay, dog is in the ceiling but it looks like it’s heading away.”

No sooner did Jack finish his thought that Buster came crashing down through the ceiling, rounding on the boys as the three them backed up to the ice wall. Hector made a grab with his constructs but Buster leapt over him and turned on his paws, leaping onto Hectors back and tearing at his back. Jack and TJ ran to swat the robo-dog off, but a gout of steam erupted from Busters hindquarters causing them both to recoi.

Hector scrambled across the ground kicking Buster away. A small swirling swarm of fists formed around him as he stood, with one swing a dozen fists streamed out from Hector like a freight train crashing into Buster. The dog gave a robot yelp as Hector continued his barrage, the metal frame of the robotic dog denting and crushing as he continued his assault. Coalescing into two giant fists again, Hector raised his hands over his head and swung down causing his constructs to slam down with a reverberating doom onto the tiles floor that cracked from the impact. Buster yelped as he got up and balanced on three legs, looking to Hector and the others before turning tail and running down the hallway.

“Let it go, we should get through this wall.” TJ said as he swung his hammered fist against it. Hector nodded and began swinging blow after blow into the wall, Jack watching the intersection for.

“What do they want in some security armor anyway?” Jack said aloud.

===

Eclipse dragged Hardstone by the arm into the freshly destroyed armory door courtesy of Frostbite. The icey villainess had went back to her wall to reinforce it leaving the other two alone.

“Ow, you’re hurting me!” Hardstone said as she shook out of Eclipses grip.

“What the hell was that!” he yelled at her.

“I was covering our flank, asshole.”

Eclipse brought his face less than a finger's breadth away from Hardstones “We do not kill kids. Ever.”

Hardstone rolled her eyes“Even if they’re superpowered and trying to stop us?”

Eclipses finger shot up,and a low growl escaped from his mask. “Ever. You understand?”

She avoided his gaze and crossed her arms, blowing stray hair out of her face. “Yeah fine.”

Eclipse pressed his finger to his com device to speak to shiver as he stalked past rows of riot gear. “Shiver, you read me?”

“I read you Eclipse” Shivers voice crackled.

“Good, we’re at the armory. There’s a second hidden door in the blueprints, seamless against the back wall. Can you open it?”

“Give me a few seconds., Buster is keeping your new friends occupied. I thought you said this was a low Alpha threat?”

Eclipse drummed his fingers against the wall impatiently “They’re cadets, try not to kill them.”

“Oh, yeah let me just let Buster know. Okay non-lethal only, you know he’s just one dog though.”

Eclipse pinched the bridge of his nose “Just keep them occupied.” he said icily.

“Yup, okay door should be open.”

In front of Eclipse a seam formed out of the wall and swung sideways, revealing several small shelves stashed with all sorts of gadgets, weapons, and devices. From behind Hardstone let out a gleeful giggle as she skipped past Eclipse into the super-tech vault. “Oh man, check it out Eclipse I think this is Lightning Lords Tesla Gun!”

Eclipse was already unfolding a collapsible duffle he had on hand and was placing objects into it. “Grab everything, we’re already behind our time window and we don’t have much buffer left.”

Frostbites voice shouted back from the outer hallway. “They’re starting to break through!”

Eclipse muttered into his com “Shiver?”

“I did what I could but Buster is already severely damaged, I’m not letting these boy scouts get ahold of him. He’ll meet up with you for the exfil.” she snapped.

“Easy, alright we’re almost done here.” Eclipse said scooping a handful of devices into his duffle and zipping it shut, motioning for Hardstone to wrap it up.

“Better hurry Boss, those kids are breaking the wall faster than Frostbite can build it.”

“How close are they?”

A shattering crash sounded from outside before Shivers voice responded. “Close.”