Chapter Twenty-Six

 

“Wait for my signal,” I commanded, then hung up. I stood and headed to the office where Aura, Vice, and Vulcon were ready and waiting. I motioned that it was time to move out and they nodded, following me out the building. On our way out I signaled Titon, and he nodded and left for Ant’s location. 

We took one of the many black SUVs Maker had at her disposal and Aura drove us as close to the forest as possible. We piled out and I equipped a cryogun I had been saving for Gumbrawl. The plan now--if their forces dwindled--was to separate those that remained into different areas of the forest to allow the now well-equipped Aura Ray to sneak past the remaining guards and into the Alpha Corps Keep. I was aware we were bound to run into more Nobles or experiments of some sort so she was to distract the remaining forces from behind, but outside the complex to force them to turn around so they don’t see us coming. From there we’d overwhelm them and push inside. 

There were a number of ways this could go wrong and Asai was likely to be alerted at any point, but I picked a location far from the compound so it’d take a while for her to get back here. The only thing I didn’t take into account was the fact that she might have a speedster of some sort that could cart her back here in time, along with others. 

“Seven superpowered individuals,” Aura Ray informed me. “One I recognize as Price, wearing the black cap he always wears. A blob figure standing near an individual with his hands in his pockets. That has to be Gumbrawl and Acuman again.”

“And the others?” I asked. Vice, Vulcon, and I were already searching through the Nobles app on any information that might help us in a battle against them. 

“One with droopy, sad hair likely combed over his face standing next to one with spiky hair. The last two are male and female. The female has afro puffs,” Aura said. “Pretty distinct. Makes it easier for us.”

“Afro puffs is likely standing with her husband, as they’re a duo. Ripple and Plethora,” Vice announced. “Ripple is capable of seismic vibrations and echolocation--”

“Isn’t one of the Archs called ‘Seismic’?” Vulcon interjected. Vice nodded. “Kinda confusing.”

“Not really. Anyway, Plethora, like all these dumbass Nobles, does what her name suggests: duplication or cloning,” Vice said.

“Does it mention a limit? Or if she’s able to clone things other than herself?” I asked.

“Fortunately for them, they’re not stupid as to put the weakness to their powers here, or specify what exactly they do, so no,” Vice told me. 

Since Vice just informed me on the two average Nobles, I was more concerned about the two unknowns. My heart nearly stopped when I came across the profile picture of one “Vital”. I could barely get out the words necessary to inform my team.

“The remaining…two unknowns…are…Archs,” I said. The other three exchanged very concerned, yet appropriate looks. “The droopy hair one is Vital, a ki manipulator. But he’s also capable of power absorption. And since the invasion--absorbing some powers from some of the invaders--he has a sixth sense for danger, abnormal strength, and sickness immunity.”

“Why are the specifics for him listed?” Aura Ray asked.

“He was a criminal for a time--so he was reported as a threat on the app--when his parents were eaten alive by one of the alien invaders,” I read aloud.

“Fuck,” Vice said. “I can imagine wanting to destroy a city after that, taking it out on the aliens that did that shit.”

I shot him a look, but he looked away, knowing what he said.

“How do you know who the other one is? Lots of people have spiky hair,” Vulcon said, attempting to be more optimistic than we could afford to be. 

“Because the Archs are always teamed up in some fashion, so it’s likely the other is the only spiky-haired member of the Archs…” I scrolled to his profile. “Is Tyfuse, the storm manipulator. Capable of wind manipulation, lightning generation, and electricity manipulation.”

“How do we even know that they’re as strong as they’re rumored to be? I know that they didn’t receive their powers from the serum, but they can’t be that much stronger than us, right?” Vulcon pondered.

“It says under each of them that the Archs were chosen by archangels from the Heaven Dimension to protect Earth because they were aware threats were coming, like the aliens, and they were aware the Nobles alone would not be enough,” I continued to read. “Tyfuse was chosen by Barachiel, the archangel of lightning.”

“Appropriate,” Vice added. 

“Vital was chosen by Azazel, the archangel of sacrifice,” I read. 

“Wait, in some iterations of that angel in their mythology, isn’t he a fallen angel?” Aura Ray asked. 

“That would line up with him falling from the good graces of the Archs,” Vice said. I perked up.

“Hold up, do you think it’s possible they’re destined to follow the paths that their archangel’s followed?” I asked the group. Vice shrugged.

“With them even existing, nothing’s out of the realm of possibility,” Vulcon said. 

“But couldn’t we only predict the paths of the ones we really know about like Michael and Gabriel?” Vice questioned. “You also have to consider it was a coincidence what happened to him.”

“Well, you’ve fought them all before simultaneously,” I said. “You know their strengths. Their weaknesses. What should we expect as far as the battle goes?” 

“You should expect to lose,” Vice said. “I’m sure they’ve gotten stronger since we last fought. And I grew weaker, rotting in that prison. Who knows, maybe they ended up taking some back up reserves of the serums and are immortal now?”

“We can’t let them stand in our way. We were going to have to face them at some point one way or another,” I stated. We each stood in silence for a few seconds. 

“There’s only seven of them, out of the, like, 20 that had been left unkilled,” Vice pointed out. “Do you think that means--?”

“It confirms it,” I said, calling Titon. He picked up. “Yeah, go through with the order I gave you. Get rid of Antonio.”

“Yeah, I was just about to tell you that dozens of Alpha Corps trucks just pulled up to Blade Industries HQ,” he told me. “I'll kill him and dip. Though, they’ll soon probably figure out this was a trap. You likely won’t have long before they head back in your direction.”

“Got it. Also, send some goons our way. It wouldn’t hurt to have meat shields for what we’re about to do--wait,” I paused. “Get your ass over here and help.”

“Will I be paid?”

“Of course.”

“Then, I’ll be there with some meat shields in a few,” he said.

Something went right for once. We didn’t have to worry about killing innocents. This time. I wondered if I could if it really came down to it. Saying it was one thing, but following through was a whole different subject. 

I had spent so much time thinking about this fucked up version of the plan I forgot about the holes that the current one had, like having Titon help us attack the Keep along with reinforcements from the organizations I overtook. 

“Titon confirmed it for me,” I told the others. “They’ll likely figure out it was a ruse and come back here very soon. For now, we need to focus on who’s in front of us and find out what’s being hidden in the Keep.”

“Uh…bad news. Vital and Tyfuse are making their way here,” Aura Ray announced. “It’s like they’re aware we’re here.”

“Well, there goes the plan to separate them--” I began. 

“No,” Vice said. “These fuckers are cocky. They likely think they can take you by themselves. It’s also likely they didn’t tell their comrades where they’d be.”

“Are you saying--”

“This is our opportunity to take out two Archs simultaneously. Worst case scenario: we’re stalling for time so Titon can get here with backup,” Vice said. I looked to Vulcon and Aura Ray.

“You two need to hide for now. Let Vice and me hold them off,” I said.

“What? Why?” Vulcon asked.

“We need to gauge their current strength,” I said. “With Vice and I having accelerated healing and you--well, do you really want to pay with your life at this moment to test their capabilities?” 

That got him to quiet down. He nodded and trotted off into the forest with Aura away from the coming danger. 

Vital and Tyfuse stepped out of the shrubs and stood across the green, grassy opening from Vice and me. 

Vital was on the shorter side. A little under average male height, white hair combed over one of his green eyes. He was wearing a green gi that matched the forest around us and white slip-on shoes. 

“Holy shit, you were right. That sixth sense is crazy,” Tyfuse said. He was a bit taller, silver hair with silver eyes, gray long-sleeve shirt, blue pants, white and gray sneakers. 

“With this whole color scheme you’ve got going, you look like Power Rangers,” Vice said.

“When have you ever heard of a gray ranger, dumbass?” Tyfuse snapped. He then furrowed his brow. “Holy shit, you’re--”

“The one that kicked your crew’s ass,” Vice said.

“Yeah, but that was sooo long ago,” Tyfuse said. He eyed me, then looked back at him, but pointed at me. “You’re with…? Ha, well, I assume it’s ‘cause you like what she’s been doin’ with our FUCKING friends.”

I sensed a hint of an Irish accent.

“Do the rest of them know you’re here?” I asked. 

“Uh, Vital said he sensed something, so they’re aware something’s up,” Tyfuse said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Price already told Asai. The man cannot take a piss without telling her he washed his hands.”

“What?”

“It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that ya don’t have long before they come lookin’ for us,” he said. “I could also just create a storm above us, but what’s the fun in that? We wanna know we can beat you.”

“This is for Ash,” Vital said. That statement still didn’t make it clear whether he was dead or not. 

“That too,” Tyfuse added. His eyes turned white and flashed with electricity as he shot lightning at us from his fingertips. Both Vice and I dodged in time and the lightning bolt split an oak tree clean in half behind us.

“Yeah,” Vice said. “They’ve gotten stronger.”