New Blood

“You look worried, gentlemen. Everything is ready, is it not?”

The scientist to the right, a portly fellow, answered. “Well, sir, the genetic advances only went so far. Our knowledge of the metagene is still limited. It is only so malleable, at least for the modern scientist. Our attempts, well—”

Atlas’s face darkened. “Well, what?”

The other technician, a balding man of about fifty, scratched his head and looked at his colleague. His portly cohort only shrugged. “The subjects have come out rather monstrous,” the bald scientist said. “That is, the ones who survived.”

The paperweight exploded in Atlas’s hand. Pieces of bronze fell to the floor. “Are you telling me all you managed to do was make more degen freaks?”

“No, no,” the overweight scientist said. His eyes were fixed on the remains of the globe. “While physical abnormalities have set in, and in some cases, psychological issues exist, all the subjects do possess vast power.”

“I believe the proper term for them would be epsilons, sir,” the other man offered.

Atlas ran both hands across his perfectly groomed hair and took a deep breath. He pushed back his rage and focused himself on the task at hand.

“Can I meet them,” he said with a grin.

“Of course, of course,” the fat scientist said. He turned to his partner. “Dr. Francis, can you get the guards to bring them in?”

Dr. Francis turned and hurried through the doors behind him.

“I must warn you, sir,” the remaining scientist said. “The subjects all have limited self-control. The team headshrinkers think the formula may have a slight abnormality, but we’re still working on ironing that out. All three subjects do possess increased strength and endurance, but otherwise the mutations couldn’t be more different. They—”

“Please cut the prattle, doctor. I would prefer to see the subjects for myself.”

“Yes, sir. Of course.” The scientist stood awkwardly off to the side as Atlas focused on the far door. After an interminable five minute, the door opened once again.

A man dressed in metallic body armor entered the room. On each hip he wore some kind of high-tech pistol. The man fingered a well-chewed match held in his teeth. Atlas smirked when he recognized the man.

The scientist perked up. “May I introduce to you Mr. Trigger, sir.”

The gunman turned his head towards the portly speaker. “I told ya before, doc. It’s just Trigger. Next time ya throw a mister on my name I’ll show you why the law gave it to me.”

“Yes sir, Trigger it is.” The scientist turned back to Atlas. “Trigger heads security on the project and will be the group’s field leader. Each subject has been psychologically imprinted to obey his commands.”

“Good,” Atlas said. “And it is good to see you again, Trigger. Are all your charges ready for action?”

“Damn skippy, boss,” Trigger said. He turned towards the open door. “Bring ’em in, ya goldbricks!”

Before he even saw the new super-soldiers, Atlas noticed the stench in the air. A pungent mix of dead fish mixed with mold. He pushed back the urge to gag at the odious smell.

The three epsilons entered the room and his gag reflex once again threatened to take control at the sight of them. These thing were hideous beyond his wildest imagination.

The first to enter was a hairless green-skinned degen with a heavily deformed facial structure. The creature’s body came covered in multiple colors of what looked like live mold. The mold-substance slowly pulsed upon his skin.

The next super-soldier looked like a massive spider stood up on its hind legs. The multi-eyed monstrosity possessed six arms, each ending with a five fingered hand tipped with razor-sharp nails. The beast clinked the mandibles around its mouth as it caught sight of Atlas.

The last creature looked to Atlas like some creature out of some ancient horror film. A cross between man and fish, the monster stood just short of nine feet, all rippling muscle and armor-like scales.

“Here you have ’em, boss,” Trigger said. “May I present Fungus, Spider-Thing and the Kraken. Fungus comes equipped with various disease carrying spores you can see right there on this body, while the Kraken can some how grow to double his size. Spider-Thing, well with Spider-Thing you get pretty much what you see. She’s a massive hunk of muscles and blades, and that’s not to mention the webs she can spin.”

“Are they truly ready for the field, Trigger?”

“They have no discipline at all, but they make up for it in pure brute force. With my lead, they can handle whatever you can throw at them.”

Atlas smiled as he paced in front of the super-soldiers. He stopped to examine each one in turn.

“Excellent. You will accompany me to Ames to provide security as we prepare the final initiative. In only hours, everything in this state will be part of my world.”

“We gotcha back, Atlas,” Trigger said. “And may God have mercy on anyone who gets in our way.”

*****

This man takes his sense of patriotism even farther than me, Freedom thought as he looked at the man across the room. Though I wouldn’t mind having even half of his staff.

“Drop your weapons, folks, if you even want a chance to live,” their captor said as he looked over them. “This is your one and only chance to surrender. Otherwise, your last few moments will be spent in a lead-filled massacre at the hands of Liberator and his army.”

Freedom smiled as he slowly lowered his pistols toward the floor. He placed them gently against the ground and stood up, hands raised. “Tilby, Iniri, give the man what he wants. This isn’t worth our lives.”

Tilby and Iniri put their own weapons on the ground.

“Secure him,” Liberator said to two of him men as he pointed at Freedom. He signaled to two more. “You get his friends.”

Iniri and Tilby were pushed face down on to the floor. The two men each held one of Freedom’s arms as Liberator walked towards him. “You really thought you were so clever, didn’t you? That you knew it all. Instead you walked right in to the trap I set up. You think you are so damn smart, but really you’re just a nothing. A little piece of shit, not even worth disposing of myself.”

“Nasty. You let someone else clean your ass?” The guards tightened their grip on Freedom’s arms as Liberator turned towards Freedom in a fury.

“You really think you’re funny, don’t you, laughing boy.” Liberator buried his fist in Freedom’s gut. Freedom buckled, but the guards braced him by the arms so he could not fall.

“I don’t find anything funny about you desecrating that flag and my family’s legacy. You don’t deserve to live, let along carry the gift you have been given.”

What the hell is he talking about? “Do I know you,” Freedom said.

Liberator delivered another blow to Freedom’s midsection. Freedom gasped for air as the oxygen was forced from his lungs.

“You stole my family’s power, you son of a bitch! It was supposed to be mine and you stole it!”

Keep getting mad, Freedom thought. This is almost too easy.

“You’re so full of shit it’s coming out of your ears, Liberator. Is that all you got? You hate me so much for something I never even asked for, powers I never wanted. And all you have to give me is some half-assed body blows?”

Freedom could see Liberator’s face turn red under his mask.

“You stole my life damn you! You took my legacy and I’ll kill you for it!”

Liberator moved towards Freedom and drew his fist back for another blow. Freedom suddenly brought his knee up in to the other man’s groin. Liberator’s eyes went wide at the sudden pain.

Freedom whipped his arms forward. The sudden movement took his captors by surprise and they stumbled forward and slammed in to Liberator.

All three men crumpled to the floor in a heap, but not before Freedom pulled a rifle from one of the guards.

The entire process took just under four seconds. The other guards had just enough time process what they had watch before Freedom opened fire on full automatic.

Tilby covered Iniri on the floor as the guards dropped like flies around them.

In less than sixty seconds Freedom stood alone in the room, Liberator at his feet.

“Tilby, you and Iniri get on your feet. It’s time to move.” Freedom threw the empty rifle away and retrieved his .45s from the floor.

Tilby and Iniri retrieved their own weapons before climbing to their own feet.

Freedom glanced to Tilby. “You want to help me with this douche?” He pointed a .45 towards Liberator as the costumed man struggled to his feet.

“I’ve got him,” Tilby said as he rushed to get behind the Liberator. “What do you want to do with him?”

“You got the handcuffs. Figure it out.” Freedom bent down to check on the two men who held his arms only moments before.

“These two are out cold. Most of their friends are either dead or wounded. So we’ll have to take Mr. Red, White, and Blue here with us. I’m sure he can show us the way to Annabelle.”

“The name is Liberator, you little bitch!” Liberator struggled as Tilby secured the bigger man’s hands with the cuffs. “I’ll kill you just like I did that little piece of ass you’re looking for.”

“Such language,” Freedom said. He looked back at Tilby. “We got any duct tape?”

Tilby shrugged.

“Guess we’ll just have to listen to him,” Freedom said. He turned back to Liberator and pulled him close with a fistful of spandex. “I’m pretty much tired of playing games with you and your people. So first things first, you’re going to take us to Annabelle. Once we’ve fond her, alive or dead, and I’m going to guess she’s alive, you’re going to tell me every detail of your little plan. Are we clear?”

“Screw you. I’ll kill all of you. Just like I killed her!”

“You and I both know she’s not dead, Liberator.” Freedom tapped his head. “If she was, I’d feel her in here, wouldn’t I?”

Liberator growled and surged towards Freedom. Tilby lost his grip on the big man, but Freedom slammed the butt of a .45 in to Liberator’s right cheek. Liberator’s knees buckled but he kept his eyes on Freedom.

“Look, I’m tired of this tough guy bullshit,” Freedom said. “So we’re going to go inside and you are coming with us. If you try anything stupid you’ll get the other end of my gun next time. Capiche?”

“Have it your way, boy. But I will kill you, mark my words. I will see you dead.”

“Very dramatic. Now lead the way.”

Freedom shoved Liberator towards the door to their left. Liberator turned to glare at him before opening the door. He stepped in to the blank hallway. The walls all were covered by stainless steel and the temperature suddenly dropped twenty degrees. Emergency lights flickered every few feet on the ceiling. Every twenty to thirty feet came a pair of industrial refrigeration doors, one on each side of the wall.

“Where is she?”

Liberator laughed. “I told you, probably dead by now.” He turned and smiled at Freedom. “Don’t worry, you’ll all join her soon enough thought.”

An inhuman roar echoed down the hall. Liberator looked past Freedom.

Freedom, Iniri and Tilby turned just in time to see the massive gray form hurdling towards them.