"Insert title referencing something about a coming Storm here"
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The Parrodipolis office of the Federal Meta-Human Resources Center.
Mr. Gordon Matthew Summers' Office.
Monday Morning, 7:30-ish A.M.
Mr. Summers came in early that morning because he had some extra work he wanted to do before too many of his coworkers have come in for the day: He was downloading some files to a disk & then deleting them off the main FMRC server. He was also checking his FMRC E-Mail for an "important" info, there was none (but, Mary in Accounting is having a small Birthday party in the 8th floor break room around noon, they'll be cake).
For background noise, Mr. Summers has the TV on, it tuned into a local news channel. The topic was the big news story of the weekend: The Wonderful Seven being arrested.
"Updating you on our top story.." The loudmouthed right wing liberal news journalist squawked. "The Employees' of Wonderful Seven Inc. who will be coming in this morning will be turned away by Government Agents, most likely FBI, CIA, SPUD, etc. Why you may ask? They are all out jobs due to the their employer's late Friday night activities. On Saturday morning the Seven were arrested, I'm sure we've all seen the footage over the weekend. By mid-Saturday, the Government had gone in & started confiscating the Seven's files. Possibly searching for an info on why they attacked that Freedom & Patriot Act Meta Registration site."
Mr. Summers wasn't really listening & didn't know why he even had that on. He finds Will O'Shawnacy a bloated windbag needing to be popped.
"The fall of the Wonderful Seven not only affects their employees' but the City at large, nay the World at large. The Wonderful Seven just being in the city of Goth Haven are a huge economic draw. There is or was the tourism, the merchandising they loved so much, their museum devoted to them in the lobby of their building, the reality show which is now either cancelled or on hiatus. The Seven were Goth Haven's very own publicity machine because it was almost like clockwork that one of them would mention the city where ever they made a public appearance be it breaking up a group of so called super villains or at the opening of a new mini-mall. We are only beginning to see the fallout from their arrests. That action of shutting them down may have indirectly cost hundreds of hard working americans their jobs & cost millions upon millions of dollars in local turnover & tax dollars. To talk about this is Goth Haven's newly elected Mayor J. Thomas Macklinberg, next is to him is..." O'Shawnacy was saying as Mr. Summers turned the TV off.
He liked background noise, but that was getting annoying. Mr. Summers was about half way through his download. All he need was to have to one bother him & he'd be set. This being the FMRC, that wasn't going to happen. There came a knock at Mr. Summers door. "Your here early. The Misses kick you out?" came the comment & laugh from Agent Ruben Holcomb, the right hand man to Mr. Garrick. Not matter what he said, it sounded creepy.
The massive gentleman waltzed into the office. Mr. Summers turned off his computer monitor before Holcomb could see what he doing.
"No, she didn't kick me out. I just wanted to coming & do some work before today's meetings." Mr. Summers said defensively.
"Your never here early. In fact, your normally late." Holcomb said slyly. He knew something was up.
"Maybe I've changed?" Summers quipped back.
"Maybe. Also, Mr. Regent is here."
"So?" Summers shot back. He know why that man was in the building & didn't like it.
Holcomb sighed. "Didn't you get that memo about the branding?"
"Maybe. Which one was that? I got one on Mary's Party on the 8th floor, the Softball team tryouts on Saturday, The weekly Newsletter.." Mr. Summers said offhandedly as he went through a stack of papers.
Holcomb cut him off. "No. It was the one from a week ago about Mr. Garrick's decision to allow the Government in the accordance with Senate Resolution 1066 to brand all Meta's under our control."
"We don't control them."
"We do now. Well, everyone except for your class. You & your group never showed up for the branding last time. Given that your group is having a meeting here today, Mr. Regent has been kind enough to came back with his equipment to preform the operation himself during your meeting at two, was it?"
"Yeah." Summers said as he started to grind his teeth.
"Don't give me that look. I know you got the memo. I know everything that goes in this building. I know when you take to piss to when you have your coffee break to what you were doing on your computer before I came in." Holcomb said & then gave an evil smile. That smile sent shivers up & down Summers back.
"I know your trying to save those losers from the fate your last team suffered, but it won't work. C-Class was doomed from the point they first walked into this building & signed up." As Holcomb talked, something began to happen to Summers hands, they began to glow.
"C-Class will die just like.." Holcomb said.
Holcomb was cut off by Summers as he shot back "Don't you dare say their names!"
Summers had a look of malice on his face, it was look Holcomb had never seen from Summers, at least never in person.
"What? You think my saying their names may somehow disrespect them. Is that it?"
Summer didn't say anything, he just stared. He hands began to glow brighter.
"I hate to say this, no wait, I don't." Holcomb said with that evil smile still on his face. " Your Team's been dead & gone for years, pretty much forgotten by the world at large. You, Me & Mr. Garrick may be the only people who even remember they ever existed."
"That's not true."
"Yes, it is." Holcomb said condescendingly.
At that moment, Holcomb noticed Summers' glowing hands. "What are going to do, shoot me. I doubt it. I know about your little promise at your dead teammates' graves to never use powers again."
The Glow went down a bit.
Holcomb let out a laugh. "You were always easy to control, almost easier then the other Trainers. Just bring up the dead teammates & you'll fall right in line." Holcomb let out another laugh & then turned to leave. He stopped, turned & then said. "Call your team in early, Mr. Regent is a busy man & he shouldn't be kept waiting all day."
Holcomb was almost out the door, when he hear Mr. Summers say quiet sternly. "No."
Holcomb turned back around. "What?"
"No. C-Class will not be coming today. Neither will they be branded."
"Why are you doing this? You know you can't save them, we have to much on them. To keep them from us would almost be impossible."
"Anything is possible, Ruby." Summers, now he had a smile on his face.
"What? You think your little info dump is going to stop us? We have back ups, you know!"
"Are you sure?"
That comment almost caught Holcomb off guard: What was Summers doing?
"Also.." Summers said as he fired a blast of Golden light from his hands at Holcomb. "I quit."
The Light hit Holcomb like a MAC truck going 60 down the highway, it sent the man flying through 5 or 6 walls.
"Jerk." Mr. Summers said off handedly. Then, his computer made a pinging noise announcing that the download was done.
He ejected his disk, emptied the virtual trash can, then pulled out a baseball bat from under his desk. Next he went about beating the living daylights out the monitor & CPU. After the cathartic beating, Summers put his disk in his coat pocket & walked off. He didn't have any worries that anyone saw what he did. He knew Holcomb cut the Security feed to the floor, that's because he didn't want any video evidence off their conversation.
Summers walks over to the Elevator & waits for it to come, as he does he pulls out his cell phone. He dials a number. The number belongs to Lance Jones, C-Class trainee known also as Psi-Lance. The phone rings & is then picked up a minute or two later.
"Hello?"
"Lance?"
"Yes."
"This is Mr. Summers & do you remember what we talked about last week after the training session?"
"Yes."
"It's time."
"Ok. I'll meet you at the place we agreed on."
"Excellent. See in a few minutes."
They both hung up, the Elevator came. Summer got on, went down to the lobby & left the building. He hasn't felt that good since his first mission with his old team. If he can pull off what he has planed: C-Class won't die.
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EPILOGUE:
Back up in the building, under the pile of building materials: There lies Agent Ruben Holcomb, right hand man to Mr. Herbert Garrick. After a few minutes, the pile started to move. Holcomb stood up, pushing all of the material off his massive frame. His suit was all ripped & torn, his hair was messed & he was covered in dust but there wasn't a scratch on him. He was glad about one thing: Summers hadn't used that power in years or he might of been able to push him all the way out of the building, not just half way across it. Holcomb dusts himself off & then picks up his cellphone from the rubble. He makes a phone call. Once the person on the other end picks up, Holcomb says: "Mr. Garrick, we may have a problem."
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THE END!
NEXT TIME: We kick the action up another notch.
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