attacked while the saucers were still over
water. They were not supported by the other teams, but they damaged
the omega-class and it retreated before it reached the city.”
He pauses.
“ Ice Blood , Violent Behavior , Card Thief , Green Six and Blue Twenty died in
the attack. Punch Up survived but is badly wounded.”
The room is silent. People look stunned. Only Pet Shark and Firestorm Commando don’t seem moved by
the news. Pet Shark uses the distraction to steal my
dessert, and Firestorm Commando is actually smiling.
“If they had followed orders they would still
be alive. Idiots,” says Firestorm Commando loudly enough for
the whole room to hear.
That causes uproar and riot. Someone hits Firestorm Commando on the side of the head with a dessert
plate, and Firestorm Commando uses the controls on his arm
to shock us all through our collars.
“ENOUGH!” roars Past Prime .
He grabs Firestorm Commando and
marches him out of the room before returning. The ruckus settles
down, but the mood is ugly.
“The funeral is tonight at sunset. I know
this is a shock for us all. Ice Blood and his team were
excellent supers, and their loss will be keenly felt. But Ice
Blood would also be the first person to remind us to focus on
the mission.”
Past Prime turns to walk away, but
stops.
“This loss means we are shorthanded,” he
adds, “please check your timetables for new squad scheduling. That
is all.”
I wonder how many times Past Prime has
made a speech like that, and whether it gets any easier. I didn’t
know Ice Blood , but his death seems like a big deal.
“Not Ice Blood ,” whispers Bad
Day , holding his head in his hands.
I remembered Violent Behavior from my
first day as a trainee. He hadn’t looked much like a hero, but it
sounds like he died like one. We trickle out of the room. I stick
close to Bad Day as he walks up onto the main deck. He’s
shaking a little, so I find him a plastic seat to sit on.
“Not Ice Blood ,” he says again.
Others join us, including Never
Lies .
“He was one of our best. One of the best
ever,” adds Never Lies , shaking her head.
“Why did he do it?” I ask, “why didn’t he
wait for help?”
“Saucer shields are vulnerable over water. No
one has ever brought an omega down, and Ice Blood knew that
once it reached land it would be impossible to stop.”
“All the supers knew that,” interjects Bad
Day .
“But our shields don’t work well over water,
either. Ice Blood knew that whoever flew out there wouldn’t
be coming back. His team provided him with support but only he made
it all the way to the saucer. None of the other superhero teams
would even leave land.”
“He must have been a hell of a superhero,” I
say.
What kind of a person takes on the largest
saucer ever seen and wins? What kind of a super convinces his team
to follow him against those kinds of odds? That’s the kind of
superhero I want to be.
“He never failed a single mission. He was
only sent here because his original team was intimidated by him.
They said he was dangerous because he couldn’t feel fear,” says Bad Day .
“He felt fear,” says Never Lies .
They start telling stories about Ice
Blood and the other named superheroes. The trainees like me
barely get a mention, which is a stark reminder of my place in the
order of things. I leave them to it and start walking back to my
cabin.
Pet Shark is waiting for me at the
stairs.
“ Bad Day is taking this pretty badly,”
I say.
“Oh, Bad Day idolized Ice
Blood . He was really something, you know. He must have
overloaded his suit to hurt the omega,” says Pet Shark , “but
the other suits were recovered. Looks like you are about to get
promoted, Red Five . Good for you.”
“What is wrong with you?” I ask, astonished
at his callousness.
“Why should I care if Ice Blood dies?
Why should you?”
I don’t really know what to say to that, so I
push past and walk to my room. I lie down on my bed and
Noel Hynd, Alan Hynd, George Kaczender