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Chapter I: In the Aftermath

Caleb Hale knocked quietly. The hospital room was as still and as quiet as ever. Modern 31st century technology got rid of the incessant beeping of the heartbeat monitor that would let out a shrill cry if the patient flat lined. Silence meant everything was good and there was nothing to worry about. As with every time he had visited Gabriel Ramos over the past few weeks, there was only one patient in the private room. Gabe, a husky panda with a killer upper body lay in his coma on the bed at the centre of the room. White billowing curtains fluttered in the wind, the window open to reveal the snowy West California Island landscape. There were flowers, balloons and evidence of Gabe’s two sons having visited recently.

They never missed a visit and neither did Caleb.

The seven foot plus teenaged wolf stepped into the sterile, white ward, particle shielding cleansing him of any foreign contaminants and germs as he passed through the door. It was the same with the open window. A cool breeze could come in but nothing that could compromise Gabe’s health. Such advancements in his care were only made possible recently thanks to a certain benefactor.

Caleb dragged one of the chairs from the corner of the room and parked it right beside the slumbering panda’s bed.

“Well,” he began softly, “it’s that time of week again.” A shaky smile crossed his lips and he spread his arms a little, hoping against hope that Gabe would wake up and hug him. “I’m here.”

As with all the times he had visited, the gentle features of the panda did not stir. Caleb lowered his arms and in that moment, he felt the weight of the world on his shoulders once again. The words that came out of his mouth spilled forward before he could stop them.

“So yeah, things haven’t changed since the last time I visited,” he mumbled. “Ben is trying to keep the alliance between us and the Alpha Pack intact but with what happened to his mom and the destruction caused by the last attack, well… Yeah. The Alpha Pack is demanding reparations and they’re really interested in Original Serum that Shark Tamer gave me. Said they wanted it.”

He rolled his eyes and gestured off to the left. “Then there’s the Elemental Alliance. I don’t blame my dad for telling them I had an Original Serum but suddenly, they’re on my back demanding I hand it over so that they can study it ‘for the good of all life on Earth’. They aren’t even being nice about it. I mean, they were always dicks but this… And it’s worse because Lance has to pretend he’s on their side! My own brother!”

Caleb growled loudly and clutched his head in both paws. “If that isn’t bad enough, even the members of Arsenal have their own conflicting opinions! Mary says I should infect someone else with the strain, even thinking of dragging in Alex. The guy’s gone through enough! Ben, naturally, wants to throw it at the Alpha Pack. Elliot can’t figure out how it works and is volunteering to be infected. I think he just wants a bigger cock really… Bren says we hand it over to the FBI and my dad says to go to the Alliance!”

He straightened and pressed his paws against his impressive chest, his shirt and thick coat strained thanks to his powerful pectorals. “I go from one of the most controversial Outsiders in the west coast to the guy everyone wants to get in bed with!” He lowered his voice, seeing a few doctors pass by the door. “Whether they want to make love to me or do some kinky BDSM shit is still up for debate…”

Caleb sighed softly, a smile touching his lips. “But you don’t want to hear me gripe about my week. Especially the bad stuff.” His lips pulled back in a grin. “Fact is, football season is postponed because of some recent attacks. Apparently, when your boys rampaged across town, it kind of opened the door for other opportunistic villains to step in.” He waved his hands quickly. “Don’t worry! That’s not a bad thing! It actually means the Alliance has more time fighting them than bugging me. And it also means that I won’t have to worry about football at least until the holidays are over.”

He snapped his fingers and reached into his backpack, fishing out a shuttle ticket. “Oh and check it out! Ben got us tickets to New York! The team is going to head over there for Christmas!” He rolled his eyes at the catatonic Gabe. “I know, I know, I should spend Christmas with my family but with Lance there, my dad and Leon having their feud and all this stuff happening around here… I just need a break, you know? Spend some time with my friends away from being Weapons Master.”

Slowly, the burly wolf regarded the ticket with a wistful look. “It’ll be the first Christmas I’ll be spending with an actual boyfriend.” He snickered. “Wolf Christ, that still makes me giddy thinking about it. I know they say the honeymoon period has to end sometime but come on, I’m dating the school’s quarterback and a superhero! I couldn’t be more gay if I suddenly turned into a chick!” He frowned and glanced off to the side. “Then again, that would make me straight…”

Caleb shook his head and smiled down at Gabe. He reached out and gently held the fatherly panda’s paw. “I miss you, Gabe. I really wish you could spend the holidays with us. We all miss you. Your kids especially… The whole gang.” He could almost see a small smile crossing the panda’s lips but he wasn’t sure if that was just wishful thinking. Then with a semi-humorous note, he added, “Even Rhiannon.”

Again, he waved his paws through the air. “I know, I know. After what she did at that Halloween she insisted we have a week ago because she missed celebrating it with us, it’s any wonder we even allow her to celebrate a holiday anymore but… ‘My first mortal Halloween’ she said.” He enclosed the statement with air quotes. “Well, she is the Hound of Destruction albeit with severely stunted powers. What’s she to do? You know she spent this entire week shooting syringes into my neck pretending that it was the Original Serum or some concoction she made up?” A soft sigh escaped his lips and he leaned back into his chair. “Honestly, only she and Lars seem to not care what I do with the damn stuff… Shark Tamer really wanted to mess with us, didn’t he? I guess you would know…”

The sound of approaching footsteps brought Caleb’s sharp, triangular years turning back towards the door. A familiar orderly stepped through the shielding, checking his notes. Like Caleb, he was a wolf though a little slimmer of build and covered completely in black fur whereas Caleb had a mixture of grey and white. The orderly’s blue eyes were also a deep shade of blue, sapphire really whereas Caleb’s were a lighter shade of cornflower blue.

“Hey Jacob,” Caleb greeted.

The black wolf looked up from his tablet, a flicker of surprise on his face. “Oh, afternoon Caleb.” A soft breeze blew in from the window, rustling Jacob’s golden blonde hair, cut short into youthful spikes. “How is Mr. Ramos doing today?”

“Healthy as ever,” he joked, waving absently at Gabe.

Jacob stepped over and checked Gabe’s vitals. “It is marvellous, isn’t it? Even after several weeks in a coma, he hasn’t shown any signs of someone who would normally be in his state. No muscular atrophy, loss of bone density, no bedsores. Hell, his hair doesn’t even grow.”

Caleb ran a paw through his own chestnut brown hair. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous.”

The lupine orderly laughed and went to work, changing Gabe’s IV bag. “Nah, I’ve got all I’ll ever need.”

“Really? You’re saying and you’re only… what? Twenty-one?”

Jacob snorted loudly, a strange glint in his blue eyes. “I’m older than that.”

“Like how much older? Three? Five years?” He gave the wolf a light punch to his shoulder. “You look good for your age.”

“So I’ve been told.” Jacob finished replacing the bag and then went over to checking Gabe’s waste. “Anyway, don’t mind me. Go about your visit.”

Caleb jumped out of his chair. “Nah, it’s okay. Been a slow week. Not much to report. I’m going to head on home.”

“Then have a safe trip and see you again next week.” Jacob smiled, giving him an almost Anime-like grin as he shut his eyes and waved. “Maybe even sooner! Open invitation for drinks, you know!”

“I’m underage!”

“Not in some countries like Australia!”

Caleb shook his head with a laugh and headed towards the door. “We’re in the States, bro. You’re not going to get away with that excuse.” He gave Gabe one last look and, under his breath, added, “I hope you wake up, Gabe.”

Shoving his large paws into the pockets of his jacket, Caleb headed out of the hospital, eager to get home. In a week, school would be out and then he would be off to New York City, the Crystal City! It was hard not to get excited and he tried to focus on that excitement. With everything that was going on around him, he simply could not wait to get away from it all.

He just kept telling himself that on December 23rd, he’d be flying away from West California Island, away from the publicity, away from the arguing factions and away from the Gene Stealers. There was always the looming threat that he’d be coming home to a totally devastated West Cali but that was for Future Caleb to worry about.

Right now, he needed a break.

Just as he stepped out of the hospital doors and into the snow, however, his phone rang. Some relief came that ‘Waiting for You’ did not play as that was Bren’s personal number and if Bren called, it was a disaster. Instead, ‘Ugly Heart’ played and he supressed a groan. Tempted as he was to ignore the call, Mary would get him for it if he didn’t.

He pressed the big green button and held the phone to his ear.

“Mary? What’s up?”

“Caleb, please get back to the Facility right now,” she said with barely controlled fury.

Concern began rising in his chest like a balloon being inflated just between his lungs. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“Rhiannon as decided to put up Christmas decorations everywhere.”

“What’s wrong with that?” He really should’ve know better than to ask.

“Where to start? Oh, how about the fact that the Christmas balls are actually grenades that drop to the ground consistently because she hangs them by her pins!? She’s thrown tarantulas with the tinsel so it’s hard to bring it all down without getting bitten! And to top it all off, she’s built a chimney in the atrium! A chimney! For Santa Claus! In the atrium of our underground super-secret facility!”

Caleb wasn’t sure how to respond to that. His brain was too busy trying to process the pure-white Hound of Destruction dancing around the Facility hanging up exploding Christmas ornaments.

“Does it work?” he asked.

“Does what work?”

“The chimney. Does it work?”

There was a pause on the other end and he could swear Mary was seething in fury. “Yes,” she answered shortly.

“I’m on my way.”

He pocketed his phone but he didn’t get more than three steps away before it rang again, this time, ‘Father and Son’ played and he knew it was his dad, David Hale. A headache was already starting to form and he could’ve sworn everyone he knew had their phones on hand ready for the instant that he finished visiting Gabe.

“Hey Dad,” he answered, trying to sound happy.

“Hey son,” answered David. It sounded like he was somewhere crowded. “Hey… Listen… What did you want for Christmas again?”

The question came out of left field and he had been expected some sort of disaster that needed averting or perhaps another public appearance, press conference of, God-forbid, celebrity endorsement. With the FBI pulling funding from Arsenal and the team basically being run individually, they needed money to pay for their Facility and equipment. Plus Elliot’s countless subscriptions to porn websites. So with the Gene Stealers having’ gone silent for two weeks, David – as the team’s manager – had gone out basically whoring everyone out so they could reel in the funds for the new year.

So a non-work-related question was quite welcome.

“World peace?” Caleb muttered sarcastically. “But in seriousness, dad… I dunno. Maybe some new bike gear? I could really use a new riding jacket. My one doesn’t hold up in the cold.”

“Okay, great! And what did Lance want?”

Caleb tried not to smile. Now he understood his father’s motivation. It was Hale Family tradition that David Hale would always forget what his wife, Lillian Hale, asked for Christmas. Every year, David always forgot. She would write him a list and he’d lose it. She would post it online for everyone to see and he’d miraculously lose the link. One time, she joked, she had it tattooed on his arm but then, as the superhero Feral Steel, David had that particular arm singed and the tattoo was gone. If Caleb wasn’t so convinced that his father’s only powers were over metal, he was pretty sure David also possessed the uncanny ability to forget what his wife asked for Christmas.

“Dad, mom wants that new Nokisun Tablet. You know, the one that you can fold into anything you want? Basically made completely out of light? Weights next to nothing but has inbuilt gravitational stabilisers so it doesn’t get blown off by the wind and won’t shatter on the ground if you drop it.”

“Ah, yeah. I remember. Gotcha son. Thanks!”

“Sure dad. Glad I could help.”

“Oh! I also got a weird invite…”

“Invite to what?”

“Benjamin invited our family over for Christmas dinner. Next week.”

His dad has started calling Ben ‘Benjamin’ as a way to spite the werewolf. It irked Ben whenever they were around each other but they both hid their contempt mostly because they weren’t really mad at one another; they were mad at the people they represented – the Alpha Pack and the Elemental Alliance respectively.

“Next week? We’re going to New York…”

“I know. Mind talking to him about it?”

“Sure.”

Caleb hung up and dialled Ben’s number as he made his way to his black and gold motorbike, Ballistic. The sleek, aerodynamic ride fit his weight perfectly and could even fit up to another passenger. He slapped his phone onto the dashboard and slipped on his helmet, the call transferring directly to his helmet. Just as he started up the engines, Ben answered the call.

“Can’t talk right now! Rhia is decorating the Christmas tree.”

“With what? Explosives?”

“Well… It isn’t the decorations that’s a concern so much…”

“Then what is?”

“The fact that her ‘tree’ is actually an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile that she painted green and glued machine guns to! What is with this bitch and holidays!?”

Caleb was glad he hadn’t started driving yet because he surely would have slammed the brakes at the sound of an ICBM. “You must be joking.”

Suddenly, Rhiannon’s voice erupted from his earpiece. “He’s not joking! Come on, Caleb! Come to the Facility! Open your presents!”

There was a struggle from the other end. “Dear sweet Wolf Christ!” Ben shouted. “What the hell are those!?”

“Ben!?” Caleb exclaimed in terror.

“I really got to go, Caleb. If you don’t see me again, tell my parents I love them.”

“Um… Okay. Can I just ask about the invite to your place for Christmas dinner before Christmas?”

“Oh that?” the supervillain known as Blood Wolf replied dismissively. “Every year, the Alpha Pack hosts dinner for all the werewolf packs around the world. We all have to attend but since we’ll be in NYC by Christmas, my dad decided to host it a little early.”

An unholy scream suddenly erupted from the other side of the line and he could swear ominous chanting was in the background. On the one hand, Caleb knew he really should go back to the Facility and lend them a hand but on the other…

He liked things simple and dealing with whatever unholy nightmare that Rhiannon created would just complicate things.

So he just headed home.

******

The Hale household was already decked with Christmas decorations. A Christmas tree had been erected in the lounge room, lights were set up on the exterior of the house and David managed to fish out the old metal Santa Claus decorations and set it up on the roof with a wooden cut out of a chimney. The Hale kids had been told the truth about Santa Claus from an early age; that he really didn’t exist but superheroes around the world were actually selected to play the role of Santa Claus and sent around to deliver gifts within their region. David mentioned that that one Christmas where he was working late was actually because he was playing Santa that year.

Apparently, David had been petitioning this year’s ‘Council of Ho’ to not only change their name to something with less innuendo but to get Caleb to play Santa for West California Island. So far, he was treated with a ‘We’ll think about it’.

The moment Caleb entered the house from the garage, he could see his mother standing by the kitchen counter, a phone to her ears and tapping the countertop impatiently with one claw. It was no doubt a call from her boss, the senator of California. Senator Rodney Schwartz was trying to really expend as much money as possible to emphasise the Christmas spirit to gloss over the recent super attacks… and to allay people’s fears that holiday-themed supervillains such as the ‘Christmas Criminal’ or ‘Krampus’ wasn’t going to attack.

She gave Caleb a brief smile before returning to her call. “Yes Senator, everything is in place for your speech tomorrow. We’ve upped security and everything is already on track. Yes, I’ve set up an appointment with Mayor Dalton for you the following day. No, we haven’t secured the services of Arsenal. They are simply too busy right now. I’m sure the Alliance will be able to spare someone. I’ll ask. Yes, thank you. Happy Holidays.”

Lillian hung up and sighed.

“The Senator wants us for his speech?” Caleb asked.

She gave him a weary-eyed stare. “Yes, he does. But I’m not even going to entertain that thought. You kids have had a tough year. You need some rest.”

He gave her a warm smile. “Thanks mom. Appreciate that.”

“You’re still young. You should be enjoying your life not spending all of it fighting crime and supervillains. If being a superhero is all you do, it’ll turn you into a career super.”

At that thought, Caleb shuddered. Career supers were people like Shockstorm and Siren who were superheroes 24/7. Essentially, they never took off their masks. The fame, glamour and constant displays of their superpowers bred them to become arrogant supremacists who hated anyone that wasn’t a super. In fact, sometimes they even hated other superheroes if they weren’t the same ‘kind’ of superhero.

He couldn’t imagine anyone choosing that life. If forced to choose between throwing a football around or catching fireballs, he would choose football anytime. Besides, if Lars’ parents were anything to go on, he did not want to grow up to be anything like them.

Yet it was hard to think that not too long ago, David Hale was kind of like them. Though he had a family life, he was very vocal about his anti-Outsider agenda. And now, he was heading one of the premiere Outsider teams in the continental United States.

“Thanks mom,” Caleb said. “And if you ever need Arsenal to throw their weight around the senator’s office, I’d be more than happy to help.”

Lillian waved away the offer with a light chuckle. “Oh you know that’s not how you win votes, Caleb. You win votes by showing you can get things done how good your muscles or backers look. The impressionable are the least likely to actually get off their couches and take the ten steps to their nearest console to place their vote.”

“I wouldn’t know. I just became of voting age this year. Next election is next year.” He grinned at his mother. “You should run for office, mom. You do more for West Cali than our mayor.”

She laughed away the compliment and went back to work on dinner which, by normal human standards, was a feast but to wolves, it was just another meal. “I’m a secretary and an assistant, not a politician. Now go and get cleaned up. God willing, there won’t be a disaster you or Lance will run off to.”

Caleb bounded out of the kitchen to heard the voice of the Channel 17 newscaster coming from the lounge. Curious, he poked his head in and found one of his older brothers lounging on the couch. Lance Hale had quickly grown to become the biggest in the immediate family. As a super himself and recent member of the Elemental Alliance, Lance had really packed on the muscle since he had come into his powers. His powers revolved a lot around his physical body, granting him above average superhuman strength, speed and endurance as well as extra size and weight. Added to that the fact that he had a second pair of arms and his mass could take up the entire couch alone. According to their father, Lance was still growing like he was in a constant state of puberty. There was no telling how big he would grow. It was a good thing that he could transform seamlessly from big hulking, four-armed Feral Fang back to good-old Lance Hale at will.

Though he had taken to lounging about in his Feral Fang form in nothing but a pair of black boxer shorts quite often. Apparently, the shorts were especially made of some sort of elastic, nanobot enforced fabric that would grow and stretch with Lance’s shape easily. This was one such occasion and Caleb got the strong scent of his brother’s musk wafting from the lounge like a physical wall.

“What’s going on?” he asked, trying not to sound like he was choking.

Lance glanced over his shoulder and scooted a little across the couch to allow Caleb some room. Even then, there wasn’t enough space for the seven foot high school wide receiver. “George Geoffry Guinness doing his thing,” Lance grunted with clear displeasure.

“Oh…” he answered, his ears folding back in disgust. “Him.”

With the recent attack of the Gene Stealers practically putting the organisation on the national news, various national news outlets had started taking notice. Most supported Arsenal, stating that their efforts had saved people and even developed cures for those that were infected. But others criticised them but no more than Channel 17’s own GG Guinness. The grey-maned lion was on the news every day slamming Arsenal and the Alliance. Basically all supers were in his crosshairs as he called for some sort of ‘registry’ or even ‘collaring’ supers and Outsiders so that they could be monitored.

Tonight, he was shouting about the original supers and comparing them to modern day supers.

“This is a travesty folks,” shouted Guinness. “The original supers who first emerged centuries ago did not go hiding behind masks and secret identities! They came forward with their powers and their identities. There’s none of these optical jammers in masks and hoods or magic spells that make you appear like someone else. No! We knew who they were and all that they did fell on their shoulders not on some… alias dressed in flashy spandex!”

“Oh boy…” Lance mumbled. “This is going to be a long one. You can tell. The vein on his forehead looks about ready to pop.”

“Why do you watch this crap anyway?” Caleb asked.

“Alliance brass says that we got to be prepared for his non-stop assaults and rapid-fire passive-aggressive remarks when we’re out on the field. We’ll get ambushed by him one of these days and he’s going to twist our words to make us seem like the bad guy.”

“Huh… Maybe I should ask Bren to give us that sort of training.”

“I can tell you what we learned. Though dad probably knows a lot about it too.”

“Probably.” Caleb leaned against the back of the couch. “So you guys okay at the Alliance?”

“Sorta.” Lance gave him an apologetic look. “Sorry, you know I can’t talk to you much about it as much as I want to, little bro. They still think you’re an enemy and they really want that Original Serum.”

Caleb clapped his brother’s shoulder affectionately. “And I really appreciate that you haven’t snuck into my room and stolen it.”

“Are you kidding!? Your room is a fucking death trap!”

He rolled his eyes and smirked. “You stepped on the one toothpick that I lost and had turned into a weapon. I keep everything mostly locked up! Besides, blame dad. He still keeps locking me up in my room every day to ‘train me’.”

“I was ‘crucified’ for three hours in your room!” Lance took it in good stride, however and turned back towards the image of the ranting lion. “I really needed to pee!”

On screen Guinness brought up an image of the Hero Memorial in Glimmer, a suburb in the northern section of West California Island. “Remember the good superheroes, folks? People like Jack Denver Clarke otherwise known as the ‘Red Blade’? Or how about Laurel Yagatama, the Songstress? None of them hid their identities. Yes, they endangered their friends and loved ones but they bore this risk. They were not the cowards of today who are so weak and pathetic that they cannot protect those that they cherish the most.”

“Huh…” Lance said, tilting his head to the side. “Jack Denver Clarke… Isn’t he the author of that book series that you really like?”

Caleb’s tail began wagging. “You mean Tower Thirteen? Yeah. He wrote it originally. He put a character in it in the ‘Another Time Edition’ of the stories. Jason Dax Clarke. Critics originally panned him from putting in an obvious Mary Sue but then he became a superhero and then people started treating the series more as an autobiography than a fantasy. There have been theories about which villains in the book are allegories for real supervillains.”

They heard the garage door open and a few moments later, David Hale stepped into the house. The big, grey wolf beamed, his blue eyes shining as he went over to his wife and kissed her tenderly on the cheek.

“Hey dad,” Lance greeted, waving an arm over his shoulder. Then he sniffed the air. “Do I smell gunpowder?”

Lance’s powers also apparently increased his senses. His hearing and sense of smell were extremely sharp even for a wolf. Night vision was also developing according to him but it was still a work in progress.

“Napalm actually,” David sighed. “At least I think so.”

“Napalm!?” Lillian exclaimed. “What were you…” Then her expression soured. “Oh… Rhiannon.”

“She gets really crazy during the holidays,” answered David. “When I got to the Facility, she had everyone there tied up and forced them to sing ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ in a constant loop. If they so much as stopped, the explosives she’d rigged would go off.”

“That woman is insane.”

Caleb let out a short laugh, bringing a venomous look from his mother. He let out a soft squeak and ducked his head if only to keep himself from smiling. Halloween, or at least the second Halloween Rhiannon had insisted they have, had been the start of his mother’s animosity towards Rhiannon and looking at Lance, his older brother hadn’t forgotten the Hound of Destruction’s ‘treats’ either.

“I managed to get in there and stop the insanity,” David said with a sigh. “She hadn’t actually rigged the place to explode. It was just one of her pranks. Though she did spray us with what I think is napalm. I’m meant to keep away from open flames just in case. I was going to see if I could wash this off. If you hear screaming from upstairs, that’s me.”

“Sorry dad,” Caleb said apologetically. “Really not sure why Rhiannon gets so… homicidal during the holidays.”

David waved away the apology and made his way into the lounge. “It’s alright son.” His smile quickly turned into a frown, a growl rising from his throat as he watched Guinness belt out more pandering. “Why are you watching this crap?”

“That’s what I asked Lance.”

“Guinness-training,” answered the mostly naked wolf. “I get the feeling one of these days, he’s going to pounce on us.”

“Smart move but watching him shout and yell always gets my blood boiling,” David admitted. Then his eyebrows rose as Guinness went about the Red Blade’s accomplishments. “Huh… He’s praising Blade. Even though Blade styled himself as an ‘assassin’.”

Caleb crossed his arms as he ran through what he knew about JD Clarke AKA the Red Blade. As a fan of his works, he knew quite a lot, at least what was made public. Apparently, Red Blade didn’t really have that much in terms of superpowers. Though he had the baseline – supernatural speed, strength and endurance – everything else was self-taught. His expertise came with a technique he called ‘shukuchi’ that allowed him to instantly teleport behind an enemy provide said enemy was moving. He was also equipped with two blades that channelled his ‘spiritual energy’ at will. His deadliest ability, by far, was the one where he could temporarily disable any super’s powers with a slash of his swords. This made him a target for many supervillains and earned the moniker the ‘Super Killer’.

Sadly, he was killed by a team of villains just a little after he reached eighty-seven and just before he published the last instalment of the Tower Thirteen series. The series was eventually finished by his son but some wondered what the author truly had in mind.

“I remember he was pretty bad ass,” Caleb said. “Minimal superpowers and taught himself everything. Didn’t rely on his powers much.”

“Sounds like you could learn a thing or two from him, Cale,” Lance said, looking towards his brother with a teasing smile.

“Like you’re one to talk, Feral Hulk.”

David chuckled softly and clapped his son’s shoulders. “You should both take a leaf out of your ancestor’s book.”

Both boys froze and snapped their attention to their father.

“What?” they replied in unison.

David returned the look with his own puzzled one. “What-what? Don’t you two know? Jack Clarke is your ancestor. First generation to migrate to the States from Russia.”

Caleb’s eyes widened. He was related to the Jack Denver Clarke; author of his favourite story series! The blood of one of the first ever superheroes ran through his veins!

Except… it didn’t.

He was adopted.

All his excitement began to ebb. “Well… Lance is but…”

His dad realised his mistake and quickly gave Caleb a gentle nudge. “Hey now, Caleb, you’re related in all but blood. You’re still a Hale and that makes you related to the Clarkes.”

While the sentiment was appreciated, Caleb still felt a little… disappointed. For a moment there, his imagination ran wild. Perhaps the reason he loved Tower Thirteen so much was because of his connection to the author. Maybe his struggles as an Outsider in a world dominated by supers mirrored the trials and tribulations of Jack Clarke who was a super in a world just starting to be introduced to superheroes. Sadly, that was not the case. He wasn’t related at all to the Clarkes.

David’s firm hand on his shoulder shook him back to reality. “Tell you what, Caleb. How about I take you to the Hero Memorial tomorrow after school?”

“I’ve been there plenty of times, dad. Thanks.”

“But have you been to the secret memorial underneath?”

“Yes, dad,” Caleb answered, rolling his eyes. “I have. That ‘secret memorial’ that all the tour guides pretend is super-secret and that their ‘special group’ is honoured to enter or that they really shouldn’t be letting them in to.”

David shook his head and laughed. “No, no. The real secret memorial. Where they keep Jack’s etherium blades, Validation. His personal diaries and all the other sentimental mementos of all the superheroes there.”

Caleb’s eyebrows rose. “Do… Do they have the lost draft of the final book of Tower Thirteen?”

“You bet.”

His tail was up and wagging again. “Sold.”

His father laughed heartily and clapped his boys on the shoulder. “Okay then. It’s settled. You boys are coming with me to the Hero Memorial tomorrow!” Then, David’s smile wavered and he immediately removed his paws from his sons’ shoulders. “And I just remembered I may be covered in napalm…”

Both Caleb and Lance jerked away from their father and looked at the shoulders where David’s paws had rested.

“Yeah… be sure to wash up before dinner.”

******

The young wolf sat beside Gabriel Ramos’ bedside like he had for the past two weeks or so. Though it was really not right to call him ‘young’. He appeared young, early twenties, but in reality… well… Arcturus really didn’t know. The Hound of Death stood behind Jacob Reaper, watching the ‘consultant’ work. To the outward observer, all Reaper was doing was leafing through a simple looking book and occasionally writing on it here and there.

To the Hound of Death… he looked like he was leafing through a simple looking book and occasionally writing on it here and there.

It frustrated Arcturus that he had no idea what Reaper was doing. The Rhiannon with the Gods’ permission had called in Reaper to assist but he was unsure on the exact terms. What he did know was that if Reaper could do something for Gabriel, he would have done it so already. There were also three rules that apparently restricted the mysterious wolf. Reaper was big on the number three. Again, what those rules were, he was unsure. But from what he heard, Reaper was given free reign so long as he adhered to those three rules.

“I can see you, Arcturus,” Jacob said without looking up from his book.

“I am well aware.”

“Isn’t it considered rude to just hover there over my shoulder?”

Ignoring the question, the Hound said, “Exactly what are you doing with Gabriel Ramos?”

“What he wants.”

“He? Shin-Lazar?”

“No. Gabriel.”

He had dealt with Reaper before and it always gave him a headache. Sadly, his dealings with the entity would have to continue. “Very well. I shall get to the point of my visit then. Are you aware of what is happening in Arizona?”

“Nope.”

Somehow, he doubted that. “Do you know what a Genesian is?”

“Yep.”

“Then you are aware of the threat they pose.”

“Nope.”

Arcturus growled loudly, the tall, black wolf’s eyes narrowing dangerously. “How can you know what a Genesian is and not know of the danger they bring?”

Jacob slammed the book shut. “Rhiannon is right. You really are a black-and-white sort of person.” He turned in his seat, giving Arcturus an arrogant smile. “I don’t know what danger they may bring because Genesians are people. They have the capacity to make choices in their lives. They can alter the path of the future. On paper, they may pose an even greater threat than the Gene Stealers. But given the fact that they are thinking, rational people albeit under the control of another, their future is not set in stone.”

That… made a lot of sense and Arcturus slowly relaxed. “But you know that they will come here, to West California Island, and they will kill hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions of people.”

The blonde wolf’s features grew grim and his eyes turned towards the snowy landscape out the window. “Yes. I know.”

“Then you need to help me put a stop to them.”

With a loud sigh, Jacob clapped his paws against his knees and got up, taking his book with him. “Unfortunately, I can’t. Rules say I can’t.”

“The restrictions put onto you by the Gods.”

“Exactly.”

Sometimes, Arcturus wished that the deities of this world were more forthcoming with him. They hadn’t told him that Reaper would be getting involved and it irked him having what could effectively be considered the ‘Third Hound’ around. Rhiannon often joked that if Arcturus was the Hound of Death, she was the Hound of Destruction then Jacob Reaper was the Hound of Destiny. Or Dimension depending on her mood and if she was arguing with Arcturus.

“Exactly what are those rules?”

Reaper held up a finger. “Rule number one: I must not bend the very laws of reality in this world in any way, shape or form.” Then he held up a second finger. “Rule number two: I must not use any knowledge I have gained or will have gained to the detriment of all life in this existence including but not limited to removing them from this dimension in order to circumvent this rule.”

Arcturus laughed at that one. The Gods were covering their bases. “And the third rule?”

“The shape I assume the moment I enter this world is the form that I will be restricted to for the duration of my tenure here. I am not allowed to alter it or add new abilities even if it means that the situation will cause the death of my body here. Should my body expire, I will be barred from further interference unless asked as per the terms of the original agreement.”

That was clever. Reaper was effectively confined to this body. While death would certainly not kill him, it would also mean that the length of his interference in this world would be terminated. Arcturus pondered the possibility of killing him there and then but that line about not ‘adding new abilities’ worried him.

It meant that Reaper already had powers.

But… it also meant that the Gods were trying to play him.

“I see.” The Hound of Death glanced over to Gabriel and then back to Jacob. “The Gods have asked me to petition your help in stopping the Genesians.”

Reaper glanced over his shoulder, a smug look on his muzzle. “They want to tighten the collar around my neck, huh?” He then let out an exaggerate sigh, his expression turning to one of helplessness. “Oh well. So they’ll make me one of their dogs, send me after people that displease them and if one said scenario leads to my untimely death in this world, then they’re free of me. I’ll have done my job and they get rid of me. Including any prior agreements I reached with them outside of our original arrangement. They’re effectively wiping the slate clean of me.”

He turned fully towards Arcturus and shrugged. “You guys should really review your employment contracts. Seems your bosses aren’t adhering to fair workplace environment regulations.”

“They are not my employers. They are my Gods.”

“Gods who clearly look out only for themselves and have no concern for the happiness of their pawns.” Jacob crossed his arms. “I wonder. How would they react to your infatuation with a certain mortal?”

Arcturus’s eyes widened and two bursts of light erupted from his back; his brilliant, white wings lightning up the entire hospital room. The lights flickered all throughout the hospital and a faint rumbling shook the building.

“Don’t you dare!” he snarled.

Jacob raised a paw and waved him down. “You know me, Arcturus. I care for the happiness of everyone. Including you. I wouldn’t do anything to make you miserable.”

“Unless the pain is part of some scheme to lead me down a path of happiness you chose for me,” he growled back.

“Everyone always has a choice, Arcturus. I just open paths. It’s up to you to choose them.” Jacob waved a paw absently through the air. “But we’re getting side tracked. The Genesians. I won’t help you Arcturus.”

The Hound took a sharp breath. “And why not?

Jacob’s expression grew grave, voice lowering to an ominous tone. “I won’t help you until you’ve exhausted every possible avenue to stop them. You know that my interference will only lead to more chaos and turmoil. Not only for me but for the people of this world. I don’t belong here and you know I only get called if there is no other choice. Another faction stepping into the plate and with your already complicated relationships will only make things worse. Come back to me only when you are absolutely sure no one else can be called upon to help you with them and you and your Gods are willing to face the consequences.”

The currently winged Hound of Death relaxed, his wings fading back into the black coat he wore and his eyes losing their all-encompassing white colour back to their natural blue. “Very well. I shall seek help from others.”

“Good,” Jacob said. “In the meantime…” He glanced over his shoulder. “Hey Gwen!”

Arcturus’ eyes suddenly widened as a human woman with strange, purple eyes stepped into the room, arms crossed and looking infinitely pissed.

“What?” she hissed.

“Who’s my next patient?” Jacob asked.

“You’re off shift, remember? This is technically visiting hours.”

The blonde enigmatic wolf slapped his forehead with the heel of his palm. “Oh! Of course.” He gave Arcturus a childish grin. “With all the stuff going on, sometimes it’s hard to remember when you’re on the clock and when you’re here just because.”

Then his smile took on a knowing tinge.

“Isn’t that right, Arty?”

******

Dinner, as expected, was another fanfare flavours. Lillian Hale really knew how to cook. Caleb was naturally stuffed and fit to burst. It took him a lot of effort to make it halfway up the stairs before his mother yelled at him from the dining room reminding about his bare claws on the floorboards. He groaned, make his way back down the steps, slipped on his slippers and then went back up.

A strange sense of dread fell upon him as he stepped into his room. Ordinarily, any normal fur would be a little frightened by the sight of the Hound of Death but Caleb was used to Arcturus. As one of the Hounds of the Androgynous Death God Shin-Lazar, it was his job to go around the world and any realms that Shin-Lazar had dominance over collecting souls and bringing it to the god for judgement.

His counterpart was the Hound of Destruction which would normally be Rhiannon but with the growing concern of the gods over the Gene Stealers, Rhiannon had transferred her portfolio to Arcturus while maintaining some of her magical skills. This effectively made Arcturus very powerful. And very busy.

To get a personal visit from the demigod was quite an honour… if Caleb wasn’t feeling bloated and wanted to just go to sleep.

“Hey Arcturus,” Caleb rumbled, brushing past the slightly taller, black wolf. “What’s up?” Before the Hound could respond, Caleb said, “That’s great. I’ll deal with it in the morning. I’m going to bed.”

Arcturus’ cold, strong hand fell on his shoulder. “Caleb, this is serious. I need your help.”

“My help?” he responded, a little startled. “How could I possibly help the Hound of Death?”

“It is… complicated.” Arcturus wasn’t meeting his gaze. “It pains me to say this but I have exhausted all other avenues. I need your assistance in stopping a new threat.”

A groan left his lips and he collapsed into his bed. “Does it have to be tonight?”

“It does. There is a –”

Caleb lifted his paw, demanding silence. “Look, Arty. You’ve saved me multiple times before. Your powers are awesome. Do you really think that someone like me can help you?”

“We could develop your powers further. I know techniques and tricks. I could teach you magic. I could make you a true warrior of the gods.”

Tempting as it was, Caleb shook his head. It would’ve been nice to have some magic behind him. His powers were just that, superpowers. As had been demonstrated by both Rhiannon and Arcturus, there were other powers available. Beyond machinery and technology, there were also divine abilities and magic spells. So far, Arsenal had one powerhouse muscle man, one agile empath with kickass martial arts skills, two fully fledged superheroes with powers over metal and fire, a werewolf supervillain who could control blood, a depowered Hound of Destruction and Caleb. On the surface, it was a well-rounded team.

And yet they couldn’t stop the rampage of two massive Ursa Strain Gene Stealers a couple of weeks ago, Gabe falling into a coma and Ben’s mom being severely injured…

“It’s temping, Arcturus, but I really don’t want to commit to anything until after my Christmas break. I’ll happily go out and bash some heads in but I’m sure you can handle it until then, right?” He gave the Hound a friendly punch on the shoulder. “I mean, you’re the goddamn Hound of Death! Training under you would be awesome but I’m winding down for the year. And it’s been a hell of a year.”

Arcturus was silent for a long moment. Then he nodded slowly. “I understand. You have had a whirlwind of a year. If I remember, you haven’t even had your powers for a whole year.”

“Nope.”

“Then I will leave you to your own mortal troubles.” Arcturus gave him a wry smile. “Sometimes, I forget that you have a different sense of time and live differently to us. I do not know how Rhiannon does it.”

“She does it by blowing everything up and torturing us with thermonuclear annihilation at every holiday,” Caleb answered bitterly.

“You realise she is joking, right?”

“Hard to believe that when she brings in an actual ICBM.”

A dry chuckle left Arcturus’ throat and he shook his head. “Something you should know about the role of the Hound of Destruction. She gave up on forcing people into acts of destruction a long time ago. She lets people kill one another on their own and simply observes, containing it as much as possible. Rhiannon has made it her role to mostly end destruction by instigating the peacekeepers, uplifting the rebels and empowering the pacifists. In this way, she destroys the destruction.”

Caleb inclined his head to the side, offering a frown. “Sometimes, she doesn’t act like it.”

“Suffice to say, she inspires more than acts.” The dark Hound suddenly lifted his head and sighed. “Ah… I must take my leave. A pleasure as always, Caleb Hale.”

Arcturus turned and faded into the darkness of Caleb’s room until he was completely gone.

Caleb couldn’t help but wonder exactly what thing Arcturus needed help with but he decided he’d deal with it when the time came. There were far too many things complicating his life at the moment. Between being Weapons Master, leading Arsenal, funding Arsenal, school finals winding down and the Original Serum he currently had secreted away, he did not want another matter to complicate things.

He collapsed into his bed belly first, letting out a soft whimper as his full stomach jostled against his washboard abdominals. It was all he could do to fight off sleep and after about ten minutes, he decided to forget about studying for the last few set of finals he had and drift off to sleep. His eyes just barely shut when he heard his window opening.

Normally, he would be alarmed but he caught the smoky, meaty scent of a particular Doberman who had started to smell a little like him. His tail began wagging as he rolled onto his back, making room for Lars McCloud to slip in beside him. Both canines had big grins on their faces.

“Big dinner?” his boyfriend asked.

“Is there any other kind?” Caleb responded, nuzzling his boyfriend affectionately. He wrapped his arm around Lars’ strong, muscular chest, enjoying the feeling of those strong pectorals rising and falling. “Glad you’re here.”

“So am I, to be honest. Everyone was screaming at me to get to the Facility but after what happened at Halloween, I want to keep at least five miles away from Rhiannon until Christmas is over.”

Caleb could only emit a soft grunt in agreement. “Then we’d have New Year to contend with. That has fireworks.”

“Don’t remind me.” Lars kissed his cheek lightly. “Anyway, I actually came here for a reason.”

“It isn’t sex is it? I mean, I don’t have a crazy metabolism like you so I can’t just jump into fucking straight away.”

The Doberman dressed in the blue and gold letterman jacket of the West California High quarterback gave him a light punch on the shoulder. They were friends first and lovers second, after all. Caleb liked to think that made their relationship stronger. “No, fuckwad.” His mood turned light and he lay on his side, propping his handsome muzzle on an arm, his bicep bulging in what Caleb was sure was an attempt at flexing. “What are we going to do in NYC?”

Caleb lifting his eyebrows. “Erm… What do you mean?”

“What’s our itinerary? I mean, Ben is trying to set us up with all sorts of fancy restaurants. Apparently there’s this restaurant where you dine in a zero gravity field.”

“Wouldn’t that get messy?”

“I dunno. It costs, like, two grand just to get a reservation.”

Caleb winced. Now that he had to pool his finances into maintaining their Outsider team, he didn’t really have that much cash to be throwing around. Though he kept getting endorsement deals with GUYS magazine, he wasn’t comfortable with just spending his hard earned cash carelessly. Especially since he had to risk his life constantly to get those deals.

“Damn…”

“Mary suggested this molecular gastronomy place,” Lars continued. “It’s a little cheaper where they actually just teleport the food into your belly.”

“What? Then how are you supposed to taste the stuff? Taste is what makes food worth eating!”

“They compress the flavours into these sprays that you just shoot into your muzzle.”

Caleb shook his head at that though. “Can’t we… Just… I dunno, go out for some NYC hotdogs or something? All that stuff sounds really… weird.”

Lars shrugged his broad shoulders, soft brown eyes glistening. “They’re okay to try once but it’s not exactly something you go back to over and over again. I mean, there was this one restaurant that my parents took me to once where apparently all the food comes from Dimension 47DHF.”

The overstuffed wolf flicked his ears back and forth, mentally going through the dimensions that he knew. Names of dimensions were one of the things he would be on his final for his Social Studies class. It didn’t help that alternate realities were just given bizarre code names like 45CEN. The coding had something to do with being the 45th dimension discovered by his home reality, then the second letter could either be A,B,C, or D based entirely on the presence of intelligent life, the second letter was based on level of technology and ranged from E,F,G or H then the last letter could either be H for hostile, F for friendly or N for neutral. Then there were the sub-dimensions if the inhabitants had mastered inter-dimensional travel and then it got even more confusing…

“Is that the dimension of broccoli people?” he asked.

“Cauliflower, actually.”

Caleb cursed himself mentally. He should’ve known that. “Right. They’re closely related to cauliflowers but they’re all carnivores and produce some of the greatest meat selections in the multiverse. Like that makes sense.”

His boyfriend snickered and wrapped one leg around his. Caleb rumbled in appreciation. He loved the feeling of Lars’ thick thighs against his own.

“We’ll be there for a whole week,” said the muscular Doberman. “I’ve been pressing the guys to come up with an itinerary but none of them can decide on anything. Ben wants to do all these fancy, high-class things like an opera, dinner in a yacht and going on a hot air balloon ride over the city.”

He frowned at that last suggestion. “Hot air balloons? That’s so… outdated.”

“Kind of why it’s considered to be fancy,” Lars answered with a shrug. “And he wants to stop by New Jersey of all places.”

“Really? Why?”

“I dunno. Some werewolf politics or something.” Lars rolled his eyes and ran his paw over Caleb’s own thick pectorals, slowly slipping towards his abdominals. His fingers crawled underneath the lounging wolf’s shirt. “Then there’s Rhiannon who wants to go bungee jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge 2…”

“You can do that?”

“No,” came the blunt reply. “And Mary –”

“Has weird old-fashioned romantic things to do with Ashton,” finished Caleb with a nod, “like skiing at Rockefeller Centre, going to the top of the Empire State Building at the Christmas Eve and watching the sunrise over Central Park. I know. She wouldn’t stop trying to press us into a double date.”

Lars gave him a sympathetic look. “You too huh?”

“She’s my best friend. Of course she’s going to want to double date.”

“Hey! What am I?”

Caleb smirked, giving Lars a pointed look and pressed their noses together. “You’re my boyfriend, stupid. You trump her.”

“Cool. I –”

Suddenly, both of their phones rang though Caleb had to admit he quite liked the feeling of Lars’ phone vibrating in his jeans pocket, causing said leg to rub against his crotch. Sadly, ‘Waiting For You’ played from his own phone and he knew it was bad. He reached for it just as Lars picked up his own. Somewhere downstairs, he could hear his dad’s answered his own phone.

“Bren, something up? And don’t tell me Rhiannon has set the timer on that ICBM she dressed up as a Christmas tree.”

“I wish,” came the dry reply. “Though it is nuclear-related. There’s some sort of villain rampaging through the Milhart Island.”

“So let the Alliance take care of it.”

“It’s… not exactly their kind of villain.”

He exchanged glances with Lars who was having a similar conversation with Mary, no doubt.

“What do you mean…?”

******

Milhart Island was a privately owned island off to the southeast of West California Island proper. Built centuries ago by the prestigious Milhart family in an attempt to stand out from the other affluent families living in the north of the island, it had its own little CBD, farmlands and power generation. Though self-sustaining, as West California Island began to expand, the Milharts insisted that their little private island never be connected to the rest of the island directly except for a small bridge. As West California Island continued to grow, Milhart Island was eventually overtaken by progress. Now, it stood in a large lake all by itself right in the middle of West Cali’s CBD.

Caleb hit the brakes to Ballistic just before the police barricade set up to the entrance to the island. Mary, in her sleek, black car stopped right behind him. Both of them peered up into the ominous plume of black smoke rising from the solitary island and the eerie red glow rising from the flames that raged. He adjusted the furry, spotted gauntlet that was Funny Bone on his shoulders.

Yanking off his helmet, the police and various news crews that had gathered quickly gave him way though said news crews began shoving microphones at him and demanding a quote. High above, a streak of flame shot through the air heralding Lars’ arrival. The crowd was thick and with the barricade of arms and cameras, he couldn’t get through.

That was where Lewis ‘Madman’ Sanchez came in. The enormous 9’11’ hyena brimming with muscle and dressed in the same black uniform of Arsenal stepped forward. He simply muscled his way through the crowd, allowing Caleb and Mary to hurry behind.

“Be careful everyone,” came Bren’s voice from over their earpieces. “I’m detecting large bursts of radiation every time there’s a –”

BOOM!

The ground shook and the crowd screamed.

“… explosion.”

“Radiation?” Lars asked. “I’m a super and I can recover from that stuff but what about Caleb?”

“Don’t worry, Hotrod,” answered Elliot, their supergenius Outsider. “I’ve modified all of your uniforms to emit an anti-radiation field.”

“You did that in hour or so we took to get here?”

“I wish. I’ve been working on laser-proofing your uniforms. Light is a form of radiation, you know. I bet you’d know that if you actually attended science class instead of bullying nerds to do your work for you and sculling foul-tasting protein shakes all the time.”

“Hey! I do my own homework! And I’ll have you know, I’m a consistent A student!”

“Why? Because all your give you extra points for being the high school quarterback? You realise that in the real world, you won’t get a job beyond a manager at a local fast food chain, right?”

Caleb was about to shout at them to stop when Rhiannon’s voice cut through the conversation.

“Elliot,” came her sweet, sing-song voice. “There’s a present right beneath your seat. I know it’s not Christmas yet but I’d like you to open it.”

There was silence from the other end of the line.

“I… I don’t wanna…” whimpered the orca.

“Please,” Rhiannon said, her voice soft yet so menacing. “I insist.” Only a soft whimper was her reply, giving her the opportunity to take over conversation as their field commander. “Okay kiddies, you’ve got limited resistance to radiation. Elliot’s upgrades will keep you nice and healthy from ambient radiation but concentrated blasts will cook you where you stand.”

“Concentrated blasts?” Caleb asked.

“You’ll see. Aerial Team, you in position?”

“In position,” came David’s response. As Feral Steel, he had complete and utter control over all things metal and with his suit primarily being made of a metallic nanofiber weave, he could easily defy gravity and soar through the air alongside Lars. “Shit… this guy is a heavy hitter.”

Caleb’s heart began pounding in his chest. If his dad was worried, should he be?

“Ground team?” Rhiannon said.

Madman crouched down just past the police barricade. Caleb and Mary jumped onto his back, clutching onto his brown fur. The big hyena immediately charged forward. His incredible speed and strength had started to develop into near-superhero levels and seeing as the crowd was too thick for Ballistic to cut through, the hyena was the next best thing.

“Give us two minutes,” Mary said.

“Two?” Madman snorted. “I’ll make it in one.”

They passed through the outlying farmlands of Milhart Island, looking so pristine and untouched if it weren’t overshadowed by the ominous black and red of the smoke above. Just a minute later, they were passing the Milhart Mansion and then heading into the CBD which really consisted of a tall buildings – mostly shopping malls exclusively for the Milharts – and a single central tower where the eccentric multi-billionaires ran their empire. That was where the fire originated.

Madman stopped and gawked. “Fuck me…”

It looked like someone had taken a searing hot knife and carved circles right out of the buildings littering the island’s business district. Fires were everywhere and the asphalt had melted to the point where it had warped and twisted into almost artistic designs. Though the central tower seemed untouched, everything else around it was on fire. The various security drones that populated the buildings were melted against the walls and floors. It was an extract out of a horror movie.

At the centre of it all was a single man.

He stood just in front of the Milhart Tower dressed in a bright yellow cuirass with the symbol of a nuclear hazard on his chest and back. Legs were covered in a similarly designed material though his arms and feet were completely left exposed. His flesh seemed… like living energy. It glowed bright orange and Caleb could see his veins pumping light through his body. The villain’s head was encased in a glass dome of sorts though his bald features were still very much visible. Like the rest of his body, his head glowed a bright orange.

“Milhart!” roared the villain. “Come out of there coward!” He flung his hands forward. A searing beam of orange energy shot from his palms, as big as a bus. It slammed against an invisible barrier around the Tower.

“Particle shielding,” Elliot said. “It’s something the Milharts have been playing with for a long while. Their fortune comes from military research and I heard that they were keeping some sort of ‘super-shield’ to themselves…”

“Why are we even here?” Madman growled, pressing a finger against his ear. “This guy’s a fucking super! This is no business of…”

His voice trailed off as a second and third beam shot out from just behind two other buildings, slamming into the shield. A single Milhart security officer came bolting from where he was hiding, running away in a panic. The super caught notice and let out a feral snarl. In a blink of an eye, the super caught the fleeing man, holding the whimpering human in the air.

“Let him go!” Caleb shouted.

He barely got to step forward before something strange began happening. The human’s veins began to glow with the same eerie, orange light that emitted from the super. The man’s eyes rolled into the back of his head, a silent scream rising from his open maw. Every strand of hair on his body fell off as his flesh began to glow with the same scintillating, orange light. Muscles began expanding. A thin frame suddenly surged out of his uniform, exposing luscious pectorals, thick abdominals and wide, tree-trunk thighs just like the original super. Every inch of his flesh became just like the super’s. Just like the super, yellow metal suddenly sprang up from his skin, encasing his chest and legs. Glass encased his head in a dome and within moments, there was an exact replica of the super. The newly transformed man was dropped to his knees where he clutched the sides of his glass helmet and screamed. His cry died a moment later and he seemed to calm. A menacing air hung around him and then he stood, turning white, glowing eyes towards the members of Arsenal.

Caleb’s eyes widened.

“Holy shit…”

A spotlight suddenly flashed down from above and he glanced upwards. Several news helicopters came into view, shining their lights onto the newly made supers.

“Oh crap…” Caleb pressed his finger against his earpiece. “Rhia! Get them out of there!”

“I’m –” she began.

Brilliant orange beams of energy shot towards the news crews, forcing them to veer away.

“I am Megaton!” roared the super, pointing his hands towards the copters. “Kneel before me and let the world know! I have arrived!”

Caleb immediately slammed Funny Bone into the ground. Spikes of pure white bone shot out of the ground and encased the two instances of Megaton in front of him.

“Dad! Lars! Keep the others busy!”

“Trying to! But there are fifty of them here!” David shouted back. Smaller beams of light shot through the air, their source out of view. Caleb could only guess that they were sourced from where David and Lars were fighting.

A loud, sizzling noise met his ears and he glanced towards the dome of bone he had created. Light began shining through the gaps in the ivory.

“Down!” Mary cried and slammed into him, sending him hurtling to the ground. A beam of light cut through the bone, just barely missing them though they could both feel the intense heat it gave off. Caleb had to shut his eyes for fear that his eyeballs would boil in their sockets.

Madman let out a ferocious roar and charged forward. Just as the two Megatons were emerging from the dome, he picked them up in his gargantuan paws and hurled them into two nearby buildings. He grunted and fell to his knees, smoke rising from his palms.

“Sonofabitch! They’re like a million degrees!”

“It’s like they’re living nuclear reactors!” Elliot exclaimed. “Physical contact is ill advised!”

“You could’ve told me that beforehand!”

“If you weren’t always charging in without thinking, Funnyman –”

“Enough!” Bren shouted_. “Elliot, how do we stop them?”_

“I don’t know. They’ve got range, armour and any normal person they touch will get turned into one of their own!”

Tiny, orange stars began rising out from between the buildings. It took Caleb a second to realise that they were more Megatons, soaring through the air and heading straight towards the news copters.

“And they can fly.”

“Fuck!” Caleb shouted. “We’re outgunned! Elliot, think of something!”

“Caleb!” Rhiannon shouted. “Watch out!”

He straightened and his eyes widened. A Megaton lifted a hand towards him, a snarl on his face. He and Mary were just starting to untangle themselves from one another when their brilliant, orange death came hurtling towards them. Caleb’s heart froze in his chest, his mind racing through a billion thoughts at the same time. Most prominent of them all was the question of why this had to occur just before his holiday…

The air grew hot, his flesh began to sizzle and he could smell his own burning fur. Mary held him tightly and he held her back in return. His mind raced. This was it! He was going to die!

Unless…

His paw quickly uncurled from Mary’s back and went towards his left flank where he felt the touch of a cold, shock-proof container.

Slam!

Something tall, thin and blue slammed into the ground about ten feet in front of them, directly in the path of the beam. The laser struck the item, somehow splitting it into two and forcing the separate beams to miss them entirely.

An eerie silence fell on the battlefield.

The Megatons in the air stopped allowing the news crews some time to flee to a good distance but not before they shone their spotlight on three figures standing a short distance away. Caleb took in their features… and his jaw dropped.

“Arty?” Rhiannon whispered.

There was no denying it. The Hound of Destruction stood at the head of the trio, dressed in his ominous black cloak with his shining wings of light extended. West California Island had seen his power before when he had toyed with Zigzag Zapper so they knew who he was and his capabilities.

It was the two other individuals flanking him that were a mystery.

Caleb recognised them both.

One was the orderly working with Gabe and the other was the nurse that he constantly conversed with.

“Jacob!?” Caleb exclaimed. “Gwen!?”

Jacob, the black wolf with blonde hair, raised his paw into the air casually, his other paw shoved into the paw of his long, blue, sleeveless coat. A soft rattling filled Caleb’s ears, cutting through the silence. The intricately designed, blue spear pulled itself out of the ground where it had divided the radiation beam. It soared through the air, landing directly into Jacob’s paw.

“He’s a super?” Mary whispered.

“Let us handle this,” Arcturus boomed, his voice carrying throughout the island regardless of distance. “The Genesians are far from your league.”

Jacob then leaned towards the Hound. “It’s ‘out of’. The Genesians are out of your league. Fits the ear better.”

Arcturus glanced towards him with a frown. “Really? Have I been saying it wrong?”

“Little bit.”

Despite the banter, Caleb’s focus remained on what Arcturus had initially said. “Genesians?” he repeated. “What are they?”

He felt heat rising from his right and he feared a second blast. Thankfully, it was only Lars landing beside him. David and his boyfriend helped him and Mary to their feet, pulling them away from the line of fire. Madman hurried over, hissing as his massive paws continued to sizzle. Angry red welts had appeared on his palms.

“I knew there was something weird about that kid,” David muttered. “What? Does he have telekinesis or something?”

Megaton and his various instances recognised the threat that all the supers and Outsiders posed but now that they were all gathered in the one area, they surrounded the group, their glowing, irradiated bodies perched on rooftops and across the street, blocking off all access. They forgot their assault on the news crews who hovered well away from conflict but had their eyes directly on the newcomers.

“Who are these guys?” Elliot whispered “I’m detecting immense magical power radiating out of Arcturus but that’s normal. The other two though… I’m getting nothing.”

Caleb felt a pit form in his stomach. Was this the threat that the Hound of Death had tried to get his help with? Did his refusal drag two innocent people into this mess? Was Arcturus forced to grant powers to two people who cared a lot about people so that he could fight these ‘Genesians’?

The orange, glowing supervillain all spoke at once. Though their voices varied, they spoke with a strange, metallic twang that made them a little mechanical.

“I am Megaton!” they shouted. “You will not stop me from getting what I want! Superhero, outsider or god, it does not matter! You will fall before my might! I have the power of a fifty suns!”

Jacob lifted a finger. “Fifty-seven, actually. There are fifty-seven of you.”

“Silence!”

Arcturus snorted loudly. “Arrogant mortal. You may possess the might of fifty suns –”

“Fifty-seven,” Jacob corrected but was ignored.

“… but I am the Hound of Death and Destruction!”

“Hey…” Rhiannon whined softly in Caleb’s earpiece.

Arcturus’ wings suddenly unfurled from behind him, brilliant light pushing back the orange glow around him. The air sizzled with magical might. The Hound thrust his paws forward and bolts of brilliant, white lightning cascaded from his fingertips. Caleb’s fur stood on end as the stream of electricity passed by him and struck a Megaton.

But the villain remained standing, the lightning fizzling out with a disappointing hiss.

Megaton only laughed. “Foolish dog! My armour was specially designed to resist all magical spells or divine interference! And your might is purely magical!”

Caleb was stunned. “What!? He can do that!?”

“The gods are petty creatures, Caleb,” Rhiannon answered grimly. “They made materials and artefacts that could resist one another’s influence. Even the powers of Shin-Lazar can be nullified with the right spells and materials.”

Jacob stepped up beside Arcturus, resting a paw on his shoulder and a confident grin on his muzzle. “Come on, boss. Why don’t you let us handle this?”

“Wait!” Caleb exclaimed. “If they’re resistant to magic, then their powers won’t do anything!”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Caleb.”

He glanced to the side, pressing a finger against his earpiece. “Rhia?”

“You’ll see.”

Megaton, in his confidence thrust a palm forward. Orange light burst from his fingertips. The woman, a human with short, tomboyish black hair and odd, purple eyes stepped forward. She lifted her left forearm towards the beam without even blinking. Everyone froze, words dying in their throats. The beam collided with her arm… only to splinter off into various direction like it had just hit a big, brick wall.

“You go Gwen!” Jacob shouted, pumping a fist through the air.

She snapped a fierce stare over her shoulder. “I could do without the cheer squad.”

The blonde wolf ducked his head, ears folded back. “Oh… sorry.”

She rolled her oddly coloured eyes and turned back to the stunned Megaton who had lowered his arms. Suddenly, she was charging at them. Their shock only lasted for a short while before all of the Megatons began throwing their radioactive lasers down at her. Despite this, she dodged and weaved through the rain of light, occasionally swinging her arms left and right. When a beam drew close, she swung her arm and it struck… something that reflected it off into another direction.

“Okay… is it me or does she have some sort of invisible weapon?” Elliot asked.

Gwen reached the Megatons and swung her weapon at them. Ragged gashed appeared across their armour and they backed away. But as they did so, Gwen straightened and seemed to pull back on an invisible bow, levelling it at the Megatons on the roof. They went down, struck by some unseen projectile. Without missing a beat, she swung her arms and two Megatons were hurled through the air by their feet like there was some sort of string attached to them. They crashed into the nearby building. Again, without so much as shifting her stance, Gwen charged forward at another supervillain, peppering them with a fast barrage of punches. As the Megaton’s glass dome helmet began to crack, she leap back and –

BAM!

Seemed to fire some sort of shotgun at them even though there was nothing in her hands.

“It’s invisible alright…” David commented. “But what is it?”

“No one is really sure.” All of Arsenal jumped as Jacob was suddenly standing amongst them. “We call it ‘Diplomacy’.”

Arcturus made his way towards Madman, resting his paws on the giant hyena’s palms. A gentle, blue light danced out from his fingertips, soothing Madman’s pain and healing the painful-looking boils.

“She’s… She’s wiping the floor with them!” Mary exclaimed, her eyes wide in awe. “But she’s not as fast they are.” Her eyes darted to Jacob. “She’s an Outsider!”

The wolf nodded with a smile. “Kind of forming a balanced trio here.” He pointed at Gwen. “Outsider.” Then towards Arcturus. “Demigod.” Then to himself. “Super.”

“I repeat,” Caleb said, “You’re a super?”

Jacob shrugged absently. “Yeah. I guess I am.” He lifted his eyes towards the battle, cupping his paws over his muzzle. “Hey Gwen!”

“WHAT!?” shouted the Outsider hotly. Then she saw Jacob’s expression; the dark sapphire blue gaze and confident smirk. She sighed and gave a Megaton one more swift kick before dancing past the rain of lasers.

“My turn,” Jacob said, swinging his blue spear through the air. He stepped forward, the Megatons ceased their assault and regarded him for all but a second. Then they lifted their arms. Caleb realised that they were in the line of fire.

“Wait –”

He began.

Before the first laser could fire, Jacob swung his spear nice and low. Ice suddenly surged out of the ground, rising to become a tremendous wall that dwarfed even the tall Milhart Tower. The Megatons encircled them in a tight, semicircle. The lasers fired, eating into the wall of ice but not breaking through.

Jacob let go of his spear. The weapon tilted off to the side. Its shape and form dissipated into a flurry of white streams. In his other paw, a similar stream erupted from his fingertips to form a thin, red rapier. As the athletic wolf swung the blade through the air, glowing, red petals followed the arch of the blade. He sliced through the air, quick whistling noises reaching Caleb’s ears. Precision slices suddenly appeared all over the icy wall.

BOOM!

And it immediately exploded outwards towards the Megatons.

Jacob launched himself off the ground, leaping higher than any normal human or fur would’ve been capable of. Even David was impressed as the wolf bolted from one titanic block of ice to the other, using them as steppingstones to reach the stunned Megatons perched on the rooftops. The newcomer landed amongst them and without even making a single move, the Megatons screamed as thin slices appeared all over their bodies, red rose petals fluttering around them in the path of the slices.

Again, Jacob dropped his weapon and again, it vanished into a flurry of lights. He straightened and leapt backwards off the building. A brilliant, yellow and silver two-handed hammer appeared in his paws. Using his momentum, he slammed the hammer into the ground. The earth shook. Huge stone hands rose from the ground and seized the remaining Megatons in their vice-like grip, restraining them at least until their ultra-hot bodies melted the stone.

But the blue-clad wolf would not let that happened. As Jacob straightened, the hammer vanished and in its place, was a wicked black scythe with a skull motif. Caleb’s throat went dry just looking at it and his heart froze in fear. With a single swing of the scythe, thousands of vicious black crescents launched from that single swung, bombarding the stone monoliths and those contained within. The Megatons were thrown into the air, their armour cut and broken.

Jacob’s scythe vanished and he swung both his paws in opposite directions. Two, bright yellow daggers appeared in his paws. He flung them through the air, bolts of lightning tracing them like electrified ropes. They collided with the airborne Megatons and with a powerful yank, he pulled them all into the ground in front of him, at least a good twenty feet away to avoid being burnt to death.

Lastly, the blonde wolf retrieved a fiery red crossbow from wherever he was getting these weapons. He leapt into the air and pulled the trigger.

BOOM!

Flames erupted all around the Megatons, engulfing them entirely and ridding them of what was left of their armour.

Jacob landed a moment later, looking quite proud of himself.

WHAM!

Until a brick came flying out of Gwen’s hands and struck his forehead.

“You idiot!” she screamed. “That armour was the only thing keeping them from going full meltdown! Now you’ve got fifty –”

“Fifty-seven,” Jacob corrected, holding a finger into the air.

“You’ve got a shit-tonne of guys each with the power of the sun ready to go nuclear!”

Caleb’s eyes widened and his heart sank. The Megatons, not fully naked and only with their bare, glowing orange skin, lay on the ground. The pulsing along their bodies grew faster, wilder and he could feel the heat radiating out of them growing stronger and stronger. His skin prickled beneath his fur and the air rippled constantly.

“Oh…” Jacob began, a stunned look on his features. “Oops.”

David seized Caleb’s shoulder and pulled him back, away from the crashed and naked supers. Mary was hoisted onto Madman’s shoulders while Lars launched into the air, screaming for the news crews to get out as quickly as possible. Strangely, Arcturus smiled.

“Jacob!” shouted the Hound. “Hold them still! Do not let a single one of them escape!”

That stunned look on the blonde wolf’s features turned to one of confidence and Caleb couldn’t help but wonder if he was just pretending all along. “You got it, boss!”

As the crossbow vanished from his paws, that blue spear reappeared again. This time, however, he didn’t grip it and just let it hover beside him.

“Let’s go Draconis.”

Caleb shrugged off his dad’s hands and stood by, watching in awe and a little bit of jealousy as an ethereal blue figure began to emerge from the spear. The ghostly apparition grew more and more solid, his strong, clawed hands gripping the spear. Wide, webbed wings spread suddenly as the being fully materialised. An immense, honest-to-god dragon complete with wings and dressed in glistening icy-blue gilded armour suddenly appeared and holding the spear.

For Jacob, pure white energy crackled at his fingertips. A sound like tearing cloth or peeling fabric ripped through the battlefield. A pure white spear made completely out of energy and mimicking the shape and size of the dragon’s weapon appeared in Jacob’s paws.

“Realmbreaker…” Rhiannon whispered in his earpiece, her voice filled with awe.

The duo suddenly launched into the air, the dragon spreading his wings and leaping boldly into the sky. Jacob was just a second behind. The brilliant blue beast threw his spear down into the group of writhing Megatons. It landed between the glowing bodies but suddenly erupted into a blast of ice bit enough to encase the entire crater where they had landed. Jacob then hurled his own spear of energy a second later, perfectly mirroring the dragon’s movements.

BOOM!

The moment his spear collided with the block of ice, the crystal sculpture exploded, becoming a huge icy tower taller than even the Milhart building. Steam began rising from the edifice as the brilliant, blue glow within grew bigger and bigger. The ice had stalled their meltdown but the Megatons were still reaching critical mass.

“Arcturus!” Jacob shouted.

The Hound of Death placed himself between the tower and the others. He spread his brilliant white wings and his arms. Arcane runes sprang to life all around the tower, encircling the structure and dancing around it in tight circles. Arcturus was chanting, his voice ringing through Caleb’s very soul like the Hound was inside him and reciting those enchanted words.

Caleb’s paws closed into fists, praying. David seized his shoulder, unmoving but holding his son tightly. Time seemed to slow. Madman and Mary stood by, watching and with their gazes locked on the ever-growing glow within the icy tower. Lars spun in the air, eyes only on Caleb while the news crews continued to broadcast over his shoulder, their star reporters speaking rapidly at the growing threat.

The ice began to melt rapidly, large blocks falling off as the structure lost its integrity. A thick cloud of steam rose around the tower. The orange glow started to creep throughout the icy frame, rising and rising like an enormous thermometer. Caleb knew that if that glow ever reached the top, they were doomed.

Suddenly, Arcturus clapped his paws together, a peeling noise that snapped everyone’s attention towards the Hound. The runes hovering around the tower bolted towards the Megatons, the supers’ forms indiscernible in the ice.

One second passed.

Then another.

The glow seemed to only grow bigger… before it suddenly began to recede, fading into the blue of the ice. Steam continued to rise from the construction for a few more moments before it became still.

Jacob landed beside Arcturus, clapping the Hound’s shoulder.

“Good job boss. You did it.”

Caleb shook his head in awe. “Wow… They just saved the entire island from a nuclear holocaust…”

“They’re… amazing,” David whispered, his eyes following Gwen as she joined the trio.

“They’re so powerful…” Mary admitted.

“They’re too good to be true,” Madman grunted.

Caleb’s eyes were on Jacob, a pang of jealousy in his heart.

“They’re everything I want to be.”

******

“Megaton has been neutralised, sir.”

All the screens and monitors in the observation deck were showing different angles of what had been the test run for Project Genesis Dawn. Hacked phones, news feeds and even government spy satellites showed how this new trio of superpowered individuals began extracting the powered down Megaton from the ice. Instead of a man with glowing orange skin, there were only normal, naked, hairless men and women. It was a little more embarrassing for the furs that had been infected as they were very much naked.

General Vernon Washington rubbed his chin absently, the ebony skinned man inclining his head at these new arrivals. He had anticipated the interference of the Hound of Death. Shin-Lazar’s lackey had appeared more than once in the past but he hadn’t counted on the Hound allying himself with an Outsider and an as-of-yet named super.

“Analysis,” he demanded.

A man in a white lab coat stepped up beside him, carrying a datapad which he offered to the General.

“GEI-046 lasted longer than we had anticipated and would have won against Arsenal had these three not appeared,” answered Dr. Archimedes Rowe. “Their infectiousness was lower than anticipated levels, however.”

“It seems that he infected everyone he touched.”

“True but the more he transformed others, the slower the transformation become. His ‘minions’ also could not transform others. Only the original could change others. The good news is that this still falls without our testing requirements. We have successfully field tested the first Genesian and managed to deploy a soldier fully under out control that was capable of transforming others on the field into soldiers just like him based entire on their powers.”

That was what Washington wanted to hear. “Excellent. I’ll send these reports to the top brass. They will be pleased to learn that they will soon have an army of soldiers will superpowers.”

He chuckled to himself. It had been a long time coming. He wondered if the Gene Stealers knew that it was their techniques and abilities that had created the first Genesian. But where the Gene Stealers mutated people into similar shapes with randomised power, Washington ensured that those ‘infected’ had exactly the same powers.

“How did the duplicates fare in terms of combat?” he asked.

Rowe reached over his shoulder and flicked through the datapad. “Adequate though as expected, their powers were significantly reduced compared to the original. Sadly, coordination under the single entity grew more and more difficult as more duplicates were added.”

“That’s to be expected. We are bringing order and discipline to the chaos that the Gene Stealers offer. They have years ahead of us. But this is progress.” He smiled to himself and handed the datapad back to Rowe. “When ready, send out another Genesian. I want phase 1 testing to continue until we have concrete evidence on our results.”

He stepped forward and leaned against the console, eyes focused on the image of Weapons Master. “And more importantly, I want to see how they fare against the famed Weapons Master.”

“You mean you want him to make a weapon out of one of our Genesians.”

Washington ran a hand down the screen, stopping just as his fingers hovered over the wolf. “I want him on our side, Rowe. As powerful as we can make our Genesians, it is his powers that I truly want. If we can replicate it or if we can replicate him…”

The General grinned broadly. The thought thrilled him and he imagined an all-powerful US military packed with supersoldiers, all with the ability to turn anything they touched into weapons.

“And what of the Hound and his new pets?”

There, the General frowned.

“Get me their statistics,” he barked. “Find out who they are. I want to know what they’re capable of, who their families are and any weaknesses.”

Rowe saluted. “Yes sir.”

Despite the setback, Washington’s plan was coming to fruition.

This would be the genesis of a new dawn for the United States of America.

******

“That was… spectacular.”

Spider Queen pressed a button on Shark Tamer’s enormous console, rewinding the recording and playing back the scene once more. The Gene Stealers were all gathered in front of the console from the wild and uncontrollable Wendigo to the enigmatic Chimera. When Shark Tamer had called them about a potential nuclear disaster in West California Island, they all grew concerned. They were just moments from deploying and jumping through one of Dragon Knight’s portals when the Hound of Death appeared.

“At least they won,” chuckled Shark Tamer. “I would have been disappointed had Caleb Hale died without having tried my serum. Though it would have been an interesting result had he tried it out of desperation.”

“He should have.”

The Gene Stealers turned towards Chimera, forever hidden in the shadows with only his blue eye showing.

“He should have used the serum,” rumbled their leader. “He has it with him at all times. Secreted in a shock-proof device just at his left flank. As that beam was heading to them, he should have taken it, injected himself with it and used the sudden rush of power to take Mary Brightwood out of danger.”

“What do you mean?” Wendigo asked, looking concerned. “Did you know this was going to happen? These ‘Genesians’? You know what they are?”

“They are an attempt of the United States military to mimic our abilities. They captured several lower Gens and even the second Original of the Ursa Strain. They reverse-engineered the serum but made modifications to it. There is a facility in Arizona, hidden from everyone but the highest of military officials, even from the President of the United States. There, they construct these Genesians with their own methods.”

Chimera straightened, his big, black wings spreading behind him. “Genesians are just like Gene Stealers only they infect others with their powers instead of their forms. They grant baseline superpowers as well as a single consistent superpower. They are ‘volunteers’ of the army. Prison inmates on death row and sometimes even political prisoners. They have a chip buried just beneath the base of their neck that inhibits their thoughts and forces a pre-programmed personality onto them as well as forcing them to comply to orders sent out by controllers in the army facility. Their hope is to create a superhero that can make other superheroes but with a consistent power.”

Shark Tamer leaned back in his chair, at least as far as his fin would allow him. “Fascinating. I can understand why they would want to do that. The army is all about discipline and consistency. Deviance from their set ways is usually considered treason or insubordination. If they were just to use our serums, while they would have similar bodies, their powers would be randomised and inconsistent.”

“Shouldn’t we be more concerned about this?” Gnoll asked. “I mean, look at the destruction they caused. They nearly wiped out West Cali from the map! They’re dangerous?”

“I agree with the pup,” growled Wendigo. “They’re copying powers, not bodies. Get one of them with an insane power and even we are outmatched.”

“No,” rumbled Chimera. “They are not to be feared. We will still prevail. In fact, this is an opportunity. Now the world’s eyes are directed at the Genesians and provided nothing else changes, General Washington will be his own downfall. They will draw the attention away from us. We can continue with our experiments without issue.” He nodded towards the screen. “What can you tell me about this… trio?”

Shark Tamer turned back towards the screen. “One you already know. The Hound of Death.”

Dragon Knight grunted at that. “Yes. Lord Arcturus is a formidable foe. His powers seem to bend reality itself. Being blessed with the powers of a god, I assume has been showing very little of his powers. He would be limited, however. From what I recall from Shin-Lazar’s lore, he is not allowed to kill anyone.”

“What kind of Hound of Death can’t kill?” growled Wendigo.

“One who merely represents death, not personifies it,” answered the black dragon. “He is a skilled magic-user and that is where the majority of his offensive powers come from. His divine blessing gives him strength, speed and endurance above that of a normal superhero but little else save for a ‘death sense’ which would allow him to detect when someone is close to dying. Everything else he can do comes from his vast knowledge of magic. However, as you’ve seen, he can be disabled.”

“And the other two?” asked Chimera.

“The girl…” Shark Tamer said, rubbing his hands together. “Yes, she is fascinating. The most interesting of the bunch, if I do say so.”

“I really find the wolf to be more powerful,” chuckled Spider Queen.

“He is an idiot, flashy and cocky. Like every super. The girl somehow knew that the armour of the Megatons was containing them even before anyone else and while she is an Outsider, it is her abilities that fascinate me. Some sort of fluid, weaponised telekinesis! Completely and utterly invisible to any forms of detection. I tried scanning for high-brainwave activity, heat, radiation, everything but I can find no indication of what her true weapon really is! It’s incredible! She could jab you with a spear but in reality, be firing a gun at your face! Such a mind as hers is truly…” He licked his lips, flashing his incredibly sharp fangs. “… delectable.”

“Really?” Spider Queen said, playing back the scene to where Jacob was showing off his weapons. “Because as far as I see it, the boy’s ‘flashy’ moves were actually quite tactful. See here when he creates the wall? He was preparing platforms for himself to get up to the top of the buildings where the nuclear-powered villains were. His sword was used to disable them. Then he used his hammer to hold the others in place while his scythe ripped through their armour. The electrical daggers brought them all in one place where he could shatter their armour once and for all.”

“So? He still nearly caused all of them to blow up,” Wendigo grunted.

Shark Tamer grinned and wagged a finger at them. “Ah… but I see what our fair Spider Queen is getting at. Arcturus couldn’t use his magic to disable them because of their armour.” He leaned forward and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “The wolf shattered that armour and gathered them all in one place.” He eyed Spider Queen. “A keen observation, my Queen.”

The arachnid turned back towards the screen with a smile. “They are all very fascinating… I wonder what they call themselves.”

******

Cameras were flashing everywhere and news crews were cramming into each other to get a quote from the ‘new heroes in town’. Caleb honestly felt a little… discarded as he stood off to the side, being treated by Bren who had finally been able to get onto the island. He had been so used to being the centre of attention that it felt a little weird not being the one having microphones shoved into his throat.

“I don’t like this,” David grunted, watching as Arcturus made a statement. “They appeared a little too conveniently.”

Suddenly, a paw slapped Caleb’s and his father’s back. “Aw, don’t be like that!” Jacob suddenly exclaimed. Both Hales jumped away from the black wolf in shock. “The only reason I actually came here is because Arcturus asked! He said that he had exhausted all avenues in seeking help against the Genesians so he wanted our help.”

That confirmed it.

If Caleb had only stepped up and stopped thinking about his holiday, he could’ve stopped two individuals from being dragged into the superhero business.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured.

“For what?” Jacob asked, ears perked.

“Arcturus asked me for help as well. He said I was his last chance. If…” Caleb’s shoulder sagged. “If I had only accepted, then you wouldn’t have gotten your powers and now have to throw yourself into potentially life-threatening situations!”

David looked past Jacob at his son. “He asked you?”

The black wolf laughed softly and nudged Caleb with an elbow. “Arty asked you because of me.”

It was Caleb’s turn to perk his ears. “What?”

Jacob’s blue eyes grew soft and he had a warm smile on his muzzle. “As the Hound of Death, Arcturus knew of the death and destruction that the Genesians would have caused. He came to me first looking for my help in the manner. I’ve had these powers way before then. I just chose not to use them. Some supers don’t want to put on spandex and fight crime, you know.” He winked at David whose eyes widened and took a step back. Turning back to Caleb, he said, “I didn’t want to get involved but I couldn’t really say ‘no’ when I knew people were going to get hurt. So I told him to look for other people to help first and only to come to me when he found no one else.”

“And I turned him down…” Caleb muttered softly.

“You did but I think this is for the better.” Jacob ruffled Caleb’s hair lightly. “You guys aren’t ready for the Genesians. Just stick to crazy, secretive identity rapists you call Gene Stealers and we’ll take care of the Genesians. Okay?”

“Hey! Jacob!” Gwen shouted suddenly. “Get over here. These people want to talk to you.”

The blue-clad wolf rolled his eyes and strode forward. The crowd began barking at him, asking for his thought son the manner. That left Caleb feeling strangely… emasculated.

“Wow…” he said suddenly, frowning. “I finally get it.”

“Get what, son?” David asked.

“How the Alliance felt when we kept telling them to leave the Gene Stealers to us and to stick to the supervillains. Ouch…”

Jacob raised his paws to silence the crowd. “Okay folks, one at a time. I’ve got two ears but just one muzzle. Now to avoid everyone shouting at me again when I ask who wants to ask me something, I’ve taken the liberty of making these little pieces of paper.” He held up a folded piece of paper no bigger than his thumb. “Each of them has number. I’m going to put them in a hat and then we’ll go by ascending order. Those who didn’t get a number, better luck next time.”

Caleb thought back to all the times he had practically been manhandled by the press. “Huh… Why didn’t I think of that…?”

“Now, the only thing that remains is…” Jacob turned towards Arcturus. “Arty, may I borrow your hat?”

The Hound of Death gave him an exasperated look then rolled his eyes. Out of nothing, Arcturus produced a black top hat. The media went wild and took photos of the little trick. Then they went silent again as Jacob tossed several pieces of paper into the hand and offered it to the crowd. After a few moments, he said, “Okay, number one. What’s your question?”

A woman near the front shoved past the group with her camera man. “Wendy Liu from Channel 10 News. What are your names? What do we call you?”

Jacob glanced towards Arcturus, one golden blonde eyebrows raised. “Arty?”

The angelic wolf, arms crossed just said stoically, “I am Arcturus the Hound of Death, eternal and loyal servant of Shin-Lazar the Androgynous God of Death.”

Gwen turned her back towards the group. “Gwen,” she stated. “Just Gwen.”

“And I’m Jacob!” answered the last of their member with a smile. “Jacob Reaper! Hi!”

The crowd grew silent.

“Don’t you have any… um… superhero aliases?” asked Wendy.

Jacob frowned comically at them. “Oh… Am I supposed to have one? I didn’t know. Uh… Hang on…” he crossed his arms and tapped his temples. “Let’s see… Uh… Arsenal…? Nah, that’s taken. Erm… Armoury? No… Stockpile…” He stuck out his tongue and shook his head. “Brings too many bad images… Uh…”

WHAM!

Another brick came flying out of nowhere, striking the back of Jacob’s head. The crowd flinched and even Caleb winced.

“Just think of something, goddamnit!” Gwen yelled.

“Okay! Okay!” Jacob growled, mostly unharmed thanks to his baseline superpowers. “Wolf Christ…” He turned back towards the crowd and shrugged. “Well, since I have a lot of weapons and that’s basically my powers… how about ‘Weapons Master’?”

Caleb was instantly on his feet. “Hey! That’s my name!”

It seemed like the cameras and news crews finally noticed him and they just stared at him in stunned silence. He felt suddenly very out of place and sank back down where he had been sitting.

“Oh… Right, sorry!” Jacob said, waving at him apologetically. “Then… I guess…”

His eyes darted back towards the media, his expression going very serious and that cocky smile crossing his lips again.

“Call me… Legion.”