Infinite 2121 Special

Vibrantium™ 2121

There was a time when the sight of an armored hero flying through the vast jungle of skyscrapers of New York City would have been a rarity to behold. An inspiration. A wonder. Now, in Neo New York, it was just a traffic nuisance.

Vibrantium™, sponsored "hero" of StarkKord Industries, zipped through the busy skies, doing their best to follow the flow of the air highway traffic. Activating their sirens did little to disperse the cars. The flashing lights blended in with the rest of the skyline. The Emergency Internet Warning overriding the audio of any devices or mods in the immediate vicinity was almost universally killed by AdDefender or similar apps.

"You're 9.67 seconds behind schedule."

The familiar voice made Vibrantium hesitate on a turn and almost collide with a burgundy Hyota 20X6. They banked just in time to avoid the overpriced hunk of junk and continue on their flight bath.

"I'd be fine if I didn't have some backsuit driver trying to distract me with pointless updates," Vibrantium said through gritted teeth, their anger causing them to pick up speed recklessly.

"You've missed the last two engagements we've sent you to. We don't pay the Blue Beetles exclusive first reporting only for you to miss the encounter."

"Pay the Beetles?" Vinbrantium laughed. "Your boss OWNS them, lapdog."

"And yet certain considerations must be made for favors to be maintained. Early reports claim the hostage takers are members of the Wake Riders."

"Oh you gotta be kidding me," Vibrantium sighed. "Those crybaby Boroughlovers are barely out of their diapers and they're taking hostages?"

"I find it amusing that you use their youth as a criticism, considering that 'crybaby' is a fitting choice to describe you, at times."

Vibrantium actually laughed at that. Not because the comment was funny, but because that dryly worded "burn" was as close as Viktor ever got to anger. It was almost cute.

"The Planet Bugle feed is claiming Captain Neo is about to engage the enemy," Viktor said, returning to business.

"NOT IF I HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT IT!"

Vibrantium kicked their black and gray armor into overdrive. The whirring of their anti-grav boosters was so loud they could almost hear them over the traffic. Vibrantium, the white light from their armor streaking through the night, bobbed and weaved through the remainder of the cars, managing to only impact, clip, or scratch four of them.

As the Takagi Building came into view, Vibrantium's sensors detected the gathered heat signatures on the 87th floor. The hostages and the terrorists. More importantly, they detected the distinctly cold outline of Captain Neo, the Roxxon Energy Corporation bit store mascot, descending the side of the building. He leapt from above onto the lone Wake Rider hovering outside standing guard.

"Not today, Neo!"

Barely decelerating as they descended toward the window of the 87th floor, Vibrantium soared past Captain Neo and crashed through the window, tearing through the office building. Spinning mid air and reversing power on their boosters, they saw the bodies lying in their wake, many in pieces, and estimated at least 60% were Wake Riders. An acceptable margin.

Screams erupted almost immediately, followed by weapons fire. Vibrantium's Quantum Shielding™ absorbed the mix of energy blasts and bullets. Quickly targeting every Rider in the room, with a 98.93% accuracy rating, panels on Vibrantium's shoulders popped open to fire dozens of independent explosive devices. No bigger than flies, each device zipped toward their targets with blinding speed.

Captain Neo flew in through the destroyed window, on the Wake Rider's glider, just as the bodies hit the floor. A single Rider was left standing, his weapon concealed from view behind a cluster of hostages.

"Hmm, almost 100%. Not bad."

The final Rider, his ocular implants glowing a bright orange, quickly grabbed one of the hostages and put his pistol up to the woman's temple. Captain Neo walked up behind him and, activating his Tazerblade, sliced through the Rider's torso. The energy blade didn't cut his body, but instead passed through the man, disrupting his nervous system.

The Rider crumpled to the floor instantly, pulling the female hostage down with him. His pistol fired as they fell, though instead of blowing a hole through the woman's temple, it merely ripped a jagged path through her cheek and out the front of her mouth. She'd likely live.

"Don't think that trash cleanup entitles you to MY save, Neo!" Vibrantium shouted as they descended to the floor and stomped over to get into Captain Neo's face.

"You call this a save?" Captain Neo laughed, raising his arms to indicate the carnage around them.

"I estimate..." Vibrantium started, turning to survey the room with their sensors. "a 78% survival rate for the hostages. Well within acceptable losses."

"The Planet Bugle drone is rising up to your level."

Vibrantium dropped the argument and moved into action. Raising a hand to the side of their helmet, they said, almost comically loud, "I need emergency speeders up on the 87th floor! Now! The terrorists started firing on the hostages before I arrived! I took them out as fast as I could but we've got casualties!"

"You're such a piece of shit, Vibratortum," Captain Neo whispered through clenched teeth, turning toward the drone and then down to help the female hostage convulsing on the floor.

"Takes one to know one, Captain B.O."

It wasn't long before The Iron Brigade arrived with EMTs. And lawyers. After a round of medical services and non-disclosure agreements were administered, Captain Neo finally slinked off into the night. As soon as the Planet Bugle drone turned to flutter off into the night as well, Vibrantium breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is that good enough now, Viktor? Can I leave?"

"It was acceptable."

"Acceptable? Did you hear how quickly I spun that into the terrorists opening fire on the hostages?"

"It was acceptable."

Vibrantium growled in frustration. The man was infuriating. They wished Minerva was still the one online with them on missions. Like the old days.

"So can I leave or not?"

"Return to base for a debriefing."

"Debriefing?" Vibrantium mumbled, activating their anti-grav boosters and heading out into traffic. "You can debrief my shocking ass. I need a drink!"


Shocker 2121

"ETA is ten minutes."

Rick silently nodded to himself in the back of the unmarked shipping sky-van. He kept his focus down at the laces of his brown boots. His eyes traced the yellow line where the soles met the sides. This was the hardest part. The waiting.

It was made particularly worse this time by what was the culmination of a long, hard decision Rick had made during his first stint in prison. It would be his only stint in prison. He was sick of being the fall guy, the fool. He’d been blacklisted for speaking out against his superiors, against Roxxon. They had him take the fall for something he tried to prevent! And now, now, after years in their privately owned jail – No, correction, their rival’s jail to be fair and unbiased – he’d start his journey back to the top straight from the bottom. Reid would never forget him. Never. He’d done it before after all. Only this time, hard work and doing the right thing wouldn’t get him there. He just had to get through today. It’d change today. Just this one last ride of indignity.

"I like da geddup," Frankie chuckled as he eyed Rick from his seat across the van. His extra chins wiggled as he laughed. "Bright yellow is totally what this job needed."

"All tha betta to keep tha eyes off us, far as I'm concerned," Nails smiled, slamming his hand down hard on Rick’s leg. “He’s gaudier than those Goblin rejects down at ground level.” He caught the brief flash of surprise on Nails' face when the slap didn't faze him. If only he knew. Rick had worked so hard on this suit.

Rick’s eyes trailed down from Nails' face to the hand resting on his brown pant leg. Nails slowly moved it away.

"What'd he ask you to call him again," Frankie called to the front of the van, oblivious to the moment of tension before him. "Hey Noel! Hey!"

"I dunno," Noel’s gruff voice called back from the passenger seat. He didn't turn when he spoke. "Shockster or summin'."

"Shocker," Rick said, barely above a whisper. It wasn't a timid sound, however. It was serious. Confident. To the point.

"Ooooooh! You gonna shock da world?" Frankie began laughing from his massive gut. "Eh, Shockmaster?"

"That what those there fancy gloves are for?" Nails tapped down on Herman's gauntlets. "They shoot electricity, Shocka?"

"Maybe he's just going to give the Beetles a shock to their system?" Joey chimed in from the drivers seat, holding up three fingers, causing the whole crew, even Noel, to start laughing.

"No," Herman again spoke softly. It took a moment for the laughter to die down when they realized he was speaking. "These gauntlets project a concentrated blast of compressed air that vibrates at an intense frequency." It was fascinating really. The technology was retro at this point, practically ancient. So easily replicated that people forgot about it. Hell, he’d fabricated a working version at the age of ten in his parent’s antique shop when some old lady brought in stuff she had cleared out from her attic. But the gauntlets, what everyone noticed because they ignored the bright quilted yellow were the least remarkable by today’s standards. The specific polymers and patterns used in its construction… That’s what mattered.

"Air?" Frankie shouted, his laughing quickly turning into a coughing fit. "Air? He's gonna blow the Beetles, guys! Bet he learned that in lockup! Pretty boy like him probably had a line just waitin’ for a turn."

Before Rick could respond, Noel shouted over the noise. "All right, cool it guys! We're here!"

The sky-van screeched to a halt, coming to a stop before the doors of a StarkKord Converting Center. Rick reached up and pulled the yellow hood of his padded shirt over his head, the mask covering all but his eyes. A few chuckles escaped his otherwise serious cohorts. Herman zipped his brown leather jacket up halfway and got ready to follow them out.

"Go!"

Frankie pulled the handle and the doors flew open. The crew exited and ran toward the front of the bank, guns in every hand save Rick's. The front of the building was all large windows, revealing a small crowd inside.

"All right boys, let's do this," Noel spat, his voice harsh. "You wait at the door, Rick!"

He was the lookout. The newbie, the first the security forces would see. It's why Noel hadn't really made a fuss when Rick showed up dressed as he was. They all expected him to get caught while they escaped. Not today.

"I have a better idea," Rick said, his voice stern and commanding. Not waiting for a response, he walked right past the crew and strolled into the Center. Cries rang out from the tellers and patrons alike. He ignored them.

Ambling across the lobby like it was just normal business, Rick headed straight for the vault. A confused security guard made a fumble for his sidearm. Rick raised his gauntleted fist and the guard was suddenly on the floor. There was no indication what caused it except for a brief sound, like thunder.

Coming to a stop in front of the vault, Rick raised both his fists. Taking a deep breath, the sound of thunder erupted all through the bank. The vault door began to shake violently. Screams, barely audible above the thunder, started to dissipate as all fled in terror. Save for the crew, who stood transfixed at the sight in front of them.

In mere moments the vault door cracked and fell from its hinges, the crash deafening. Rick lowered his fists, turned his head to look over his shoulder, his intense gaze meeting each of the crew in turn.

There was not money in there like the banks of old. Instead, tiny cylinders with a set amount of credit limits line the walls. KordBits, the most common set of currency in most of Neo New York from the ground to the mid levels offering discounts when used at StarkKord businesses or in tandem with joint promotions with the other MegaCorps. And as the most common, they ran the greatest risk of being misused, of their coding being understood and rewritten for anyone’s authorization. Modern day money laundering basically. You could put a fortune on a single drive or spread it across multiples if you knew what you were doing.

"What're you waiting for, boys?" Rick chuckled to himself. "Get in there! That's an order!"

Nails was the first to react. He grabbed Frankie's shoulder and started dragging him. Frankie followed but his eyes never left Rick’s.

Sirens began to sound from the airways outside. It roused Noel and Joey from their stupor. Noel, attempting to regain some control, lashed out.

"The fuck, man! We were supposed to be in and out! The Beetles, the pros-"

Rick's hand snapped up and wrapped itself around Noel's neck. Now, he’d never been a violent man before. In fact, he’d argue that he still wasn’t a violent man. But that’s not who or what he was today. Today, he was a symbol. A reminder. The MegaCorps lauded the Age of Heroes revival and the debut of their upcoming second season… They forgot it had also been the Age of Villains. Villains that matched the heroes brain for brawn. The seasoned criminal stopped dead, the soft hum of Rick's powered up gauntlet scaring him almost as much as the look in his eyes.

Noel didn’t see Rick in that moment.

He saw the revenant of Herman Schultz. A nobody who became somebody. Who became the Shocker.

"Get. In. There."

Noel dropped to one knee when he was released. Confusion and fear overcoming his pride, Noel rushed into the vault. Only Joey remained, who called out as Herman walked toward the front entrance.

"What're we gonna do, Rick?" Joey's voice cracked. "About the Beetles? The pros?"

"I'll handle them," he said without turning to look back. "And the name's Shocker."

Bending his elbows at his sides to point his fists outward, the entire glass front of the building exploded.


Rai 2121

“Merry Christmas, assholes!” Cosmos shoved open the door to Saturn’s apartment, presents floating around him.

As usual, the man confounded Livewire. Where in Neo Japan had he found paper? Article 13.A4 of the Greenguard Laws made the creation of paper illegal. Father would terminate Cosmos if he discovered that he broke the law. Geophobic abuses by any individual – let alone a Legionnaire General – could not be tolerated. But beyond that…

“Since when do you celebrate Christmas?” Saturn asked for her. “Last I checked, you capped out at worshipping your reflection.”

“For your information, in America it’s strictly a commercial holiday.” Cosmos pecked Saturn on the cheek, then waved, sending her present floating toward her. “But I’m trying out paganism. Getting in touch with my messianic side.”

“Father is the only messiah Neo Japan requires,” said Livewire. “The Age of Heroes is dead.”

“I’m kidding, sparks. Lighten up,” replied Cosmos. He floated her present over. She could feel the electrical hum of its storage cube packaging before she touched it.

Frowning, Livewire ripped off the wrapping paper. As she did so, Cosmos mused, “And if you could keep this all a secret, I’d appreciate it.”

Secret? Livewire kept no secrets from Father. Except that I know His secret.

Cosmos smiled softly at her, his skin glimmering like gold beneath the neon lights. He scratched nervously — endearingly — at his head, the military cut of his black hair cast like a shadow of doubt over him. Perhaps one more secret won’t kill me.

Saturn yelped with joy when a kitten popped out from her present. “Cosmos! This is…” She tried not to smile as she said, “What were you thinking, storing her there?” Saturn’s nagging tone could not cover the quirking of her smile. It was an easy gift. Another animal orphan to add to her menagerie. “Are there even holes to—”

Cosmos silenced her protests with a kiss. Saturn melted into his arms like a beautiful, blonde doll from old anipulp series. Jealousy panged Livewire. She dismissed it like the silly beta-virus it was.

Her storage cube opened automatically at her touch, coded to her individual SPIRITkey. Before she could lay eyes on her gift, her mind wailed, an alert sounding through the Legion’s SPIRITnet server. She winced as their orders streamed like static bursts into her vision. Technopathy had its drawbacks.

“What is it?” Saturn asked.

“The Daughters of Doom,” Livewire answered. “They’ve broken through The Wall, dusted a dozen Legionbots already.”

“Let’s suit up,” said Cosmos.

“Negative. I can handle them alone,” Livewire insisted. She was already dressed in her uniform. In fact, she never wore anything else. Its red and orange unstable molecules vibrated to the SPIRITnet alert, connected via her metahuman gifts. Why would she ever forego such practical attire for petty fashion? “Pack. We leave for Genten at midnight.”

“The megacorp summit can wait—”

“Enjoy Christmas.” Livewire set her gift aside on a coffee table. “Because you know I cannot.”

Awkward silence followed her out of Saturn’s apartment.

Awkward? How could silence be awkward?

Another beta-virus to dismiss.

----

Gutted corpses lay scattered about the hole in The Wall, its glimmering technomagic barrier torn as if by a knife. The bodies bore similar wounds. While the Legionbots were noxious smithereens, the terrorists left a grimier aftermath, sliced clean through, some into tiny gory pieces. Luckily, no civilian casualties marked the battlefield. The smoking Legion Base separated The Wall from the rest of San Fransokyo, the capital’s last line of defense.

Excluding them, of course. Or Rai, for that matter. This was his handiwork. Why had Father sent him? Surely mere terrorists were not a worthy threat, not for Rai, The White Ghost, The Son himself, not when she and her fellow generals were nearby.

Livewire floated down to The Wall’s vibranium foundation, her dreadlocks flung back by the vicious wind from the night sky beyond the tear. Bless Father that was the only effect she felt from the collapsed atmosphere. She was well-designed so that she could not feel temperature except in deadly extremes, and she could hold her breath for almost an entire day.

The Daughters of Doom only lasted as long as they did – both from the thinning atmosphere ten thousand feet in the air, and from the Legionbot’s defenses – because of the vermillion mechsuits they wore. High tech, even by the Legion’s standards. That was concerning.

She could hack their suits for answers later. For now, she would work on repairing The Wall.

The brown flesh of her hand split and transformed into a jack, which she plugged into The Wall’s foundation. Instantly, its technomagic system colored her mind, the software running a complex language beyond binary.

Though she was one of few technomages in The Legion, she knew only the most basic spells, trained for this specific purpose.

Father built The Wall, but his children protected it.

“They have all been terminated.”

The deep bass sounded in her mind as much as it did the world around her, projected through the SPIRITnet. Unfortunately, she could not turn to look at Rai, not while she literally worked magic.

Her lips felt as if they moved of their own accord. “We received the alert promptly, and I flew here at Mach Two. Why did Father summon you?” Was that jealousy in her voice, or curiosity?

Silence was Rai’s reply. Though he was more technology than she, perhaps even a VI like the Legionbots, Livewire could not sense his presence. Why? She never understood that, and Father provided no answers. What was Rai?

Why was Rai?

“Brother…” she began.

But quickly, and with more feeling than she had ever heard in his voice before, he said, “I am not your brother.”

“We are all siblings under Father,” she droned. The same phrase they taught in elementary schools.

Again, Rai did not reply.

The technospell hummed to completion. Livewire removed her jack from the terminal and reformed it into a hand, The Wall healed before her. But when she turned to bow, Rai was gone.

She was alone.

And she was reminded, then, for reasons she could not understand, of Cosmos’ gift: a plate of steel marked with yin and yang. Shadow and light. Man and woman.

Electricity sparked at her fingertips as irrational dread flooded her mind. Another silly beta-virus.

That’s all it was. Truly. She had no reason to fear Rai.

After all, they were on the same side.