Red Fox Action Log 61 Cont:

  I ran up the stairs as fast as I could, bullets shredding the railing, sending splinters into the air like confetti. Why didn’t I just sleep in my supersuit?

  The Gemfield sent stray bullets pinging off in other directions. But I could feel the strain on the field. I could take quite a bit of this, but maybe not this much gunfire forever. Something would give.

  But I wasn’t going to let that happen.

  I had to get to Slueth.

  Sleuth stood at the top of the stairs in his boxers, but with his vest on. Good. I could already see some damage to it. I crashed into him, and we both fell to the wood flooring. I extended my field around him.

  Gem Blade sent a nine foot tall pair of spectral scissors into the ceiling, grabbed me by the foot, then pulled us into the air. Suddenly, the house was below us. Bronze boy came rocketing up with Gunnar.

  The moon lit us pretty well. Still couldn’t see the shooters.

  Set me down near the trees, I told Gem Blade. Then I thought to yell out to Bronze Boy too, “after you put him down,” I said, meaning Gunnar, “go get Marshal!”

  Whitehot flew off like a burning bright star.

  “She’s getting away!” Bronze Boy said.

  Then the gunfire started up again, and conversation got cut short. I felt a couple ping off the field. Bronze Boy wrapped up Gunnar, and plunged to the earth.

  BB and Gem Blade set both of us down at roughly the same time. Cynthia was normally faster, but it was hard to fly fast toward the ground in the dark. Bronze Boy flew off toward the house without another word.

  A squad of six men in black field kit knelt in front of me. I moved faster than I’d ever moved in my life. The feeling of not just desperation, but hope, that what we were doing here wouldn’t be extinguished in a single night, pushed me forward with blazing speed. When the muzzle flashes went off it was almost like a slow motion shot in cinema.

  I’d slipped into a higher gear.

  I kicked the muzzle up on the first one, then ripped the gun from his hands. I crushed the receiver in my grip, then moved on to the next.

  The sound of wind against leathery wings heralded an old foe. Gem Blade pulled her sword and started slicing. Couldn’t look now. Had another mook to deal with.

  I ran to the next, leapt into the air, and kicked down at his gun, which clattered to the dirt in pieces. I gently slapped him into the ground. By the time I’d incapacitated the third, Sleuth had pulled his laser pistol. He knelt, and fired on the last couple.

  In seconds, we’d sent them all into dreamland. A couple could be really hurt, but I couldn’t deal with that right now. That was on the person who sent them here.

  “The woods!” I said in a harsh whisper.

  We ran for the cover of darkness. I grabbed Sleuth’s hand, and slammed our back into the tree. I tried to get control of my breath. Bronze Boy flew in with Marshal. He had a bandage on his arm, but seemed otherwise okay. A shotgun hung over his shoulder.

  “Less than lethal?” Sleuth asked.

  “Would it matter either way?” Marshal growled.

  “Always,” Sleuth responded.

  “Then, yes.”

  Gem Blade landed in front of us.

  “I tire of shadowbats,” she said. “Does Sleuth know what Amulet smells like?”

  I looked at him. He nodded.

  “I’ll take Gunny, and Marshal,” Sleuth said. “We can stop her summoning more. You and BB take care of the shooters. They’re probably trying to set up another ambush.”

  “Got it,” I said. “Gem Blade?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Can you catch Bunny?”

  “Even on a slow day.”

  She flew straight up.

  “Wait,” Marshal said, un-shouldering a bag. “I got gifts.”

  He opened the bag to reveal my mask, my belt, prosthetic, and another shotgun. Gunnar growled in disappointment, and grabbed the shotgun, breaking it open to check the rounds. I quickly fished out every stimulant cocktail I had in my belt, and jabbed them into my bare neck at once. I felt blood trickle down my collarbone.

  Marshal got me into the prosthetic, securing the straps across my bare chest. Then the mask went on, and I could feel the prosthetic loosen up in response.

  I grabbed Sleuth’s arm with my good hand. The smallest appreciation passed between us.

  “I need you for this,” I said.

  “I don’t plan on dying.”

  I nodded. He ran off into the moonlit night.

  Bronze Boy flew ahead, just five feet off the ground, weaving through trees. I ran fast behind her.

  When I stumbled onto the game trail, half a dozen muzzles lit up. Bronze Boy waved her hand and a spectral chain weaved between the guns. I leapt into the air, felt my knee connect with a man’s face, then landed on my feet in the midst of them. BB pulled the chain and the guns flew out of their hands. They didn’t have much time to respond, as I quickly and methodically kicked them down one by one.

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  Before we moved on, a man stumbled into the path, dark skinned, shirtless.

  Now that was strange. He doubled over, and fell onto his hands and knees.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  He looked up at me, tears in his eyes.

  “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.”

  “John Sullivan?" I asked.

  “The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.”

  “You don’t have to do this,” I said.

  “Just let me do this one thing right.”

  The Fox Instinct grew taut. The gem burned in my hand. I had no stats on this guy, but I couldn’t take any chances. If I was gonna get out of this — I needed to hit him hard, take him out before he could let the monster loose.

  Sullivan roared, spittle flying, his muscles bulging. At once, he grew two feet taller, towering over me. His body was composed of such bulk, but it moved like that bulk was pushing him forward, not holding him back.

  I cocked back a punch with my good arm, and let him have everything I had.

  He caught my hand. He was fast.

  His face contorted with rage. Except for his size, he didn’t look as much like a monster as I expected.

  He pulled me into the air. I pulled my leg back, and kicked him — hard — harder than I’d ever kicked anyone. He flinched, but didn’t seem much phased.

  He threw me into the air. I sailed out of the tree cover, spent precious seconds flying out over the open lawn, then hit the side of the house, and tumbled into the living room.

  The Gem Field was gone.

  Shoot.

  The Gem Field was gone! I worked to get back on my feet.

  I looked up just in time to catch a streak of blue light cross the sky.

  That wasn’t right. Gem Blade shouldn’t be anywhere near here. What’s keeping her? Did she double back? Gunfire rattled off in the distance.

  I was just able to get the field back up as The Monster landed in the den, throwing up dust. He’d jumped darn near 200 yards in a second.

  I ducked under his punch, slid, then brought an uppercut right into his jaw that made me smirk a bit. He didn’t stumble an inch. Shoot.

  He grabbed my leg, and tossed me into the ceiling. I went invisible as I fell, then rolled as quickly as I could. His massive foot came down right where I’d landed.

  I stood, but didn’t move. I didn’t know how good his senses were. Could he hear me breathing?

  The Monster grabbed the couch, and threw it at my general direction. I ducked, and ran. His arms swung and caught me, tossing me through the wall, and into the kitchen.

  He’d rung my bell. I can’t even imagine what taking a punch from him would feel like. Just getting tossed around was more than I’d ever had to face. More than Atlas, more than the demon, more than anything.

  I looked down at myself. I’d lost my invisible field.

  Bronze Boy flew in. The Monster burst through the wall. She unleashed a bright beam of light that knocked him back.

  Thank God, a real superhero.

  Another team, maybe the last, entered the house from the front door.

  This, I could handle. I went invisible again, and stalked to the front hallway.

  I didn’t bother to crush the guns. I just kicked them as hard as I could. I was through playing games. If they wanted me dead, they'd have to work for it.

  I leapt and kicked, and soared over them. When it was over, I realized I maybe had put a couple down for good — but I didn’t care. I had to get back out there, and back to Sleuth.

  I ran out onto the lawn, glancing over my shoulder to catch a stray beam of light split the roof. The roar from the monster echoed into the night.

  I ran harder, then came to a screeching halt when I saw them.

  Gem Blade was in a deep crater, locked in a wrestling match with a much bigger opponent. This opponent wore a cape. A red cape.

  So, firstly, it couldn’t be Captain Iron. That was impossible. Secondly, Gem Girl doesn’t lose. She couldn’t lose.

  The man that absolutely wasn’t Captain Iron tried for a single leg takedown, grabbing behind her knee, and pushing in. Cynthia knew she was in danger, and instead of doing what a larger opponent would do, going for a whizzer — that is pulling on his arm and shoulder to keep it standing — she grabbed his arm to pull him into a flying kimura. Her legs cinched over his face and torso, and her arms kept him steady while she tried to throw his shoulder out with her hips.

  He laughed, then flew, spun in the air, throwing her to the dirt with centrifugal force. She stood next to me, and I got a good look at this guy for the first time.

  I’d never seen Captain Iron in person. At this point, very few have.

  But he sure looked like Captain Iron. He seemed younger, goofier. Captain Iron had this aura of authority, and this guy seemed like a kid playing at a game. But then again, he was flying, and he did just fight Gem Girl and win.

  “That’s not Captain Iron,” I said to Gem Blade.

  “It shouldn’t be,” she said. “He’s too young. But even I’m not sure.”

  “I am Captain Iron,” the man said, straightening his posture, and smiling, “but so was my father.”

  “Bullshit,” I said.

  “Hey,” he said, brows furrowing in concern, “no need to curse.”

  Gem Blade put her hands over her gem, then projected a five foot diameter spectral cage.

  “What?” he exclaimed. He shook the cage, and it stayed intact. “Huh. Pretty strong.”

  A loud crack split the air. Bronze Boy flew, and crashed on her back in front of me. She struggled to her feet.

  “If that was my old body, I’d probably be dead,” she muttered. Then, noticing the blue cage said, “Now that’s weird.”

  Captain Iron — because what else am I to call him — reared back a punch, and shattered several bars in one go. A roar came from behind us.

  “Want to switch?” Gem Blade asked, turning to Bronze Boy.

  “Yeah, I’ll give it a shot,” BB answered.

  Gem Blade flew back toward the house.

  Realizing he couldn’t quite fit through the hole he made, he reared back for a second punch. I knew Gemfield constructs were only as strong as the wielder. But there wasn’t supposed to be a stronger wielder than Cynthia. How strong was this guy?

  “If you can tie him down,” I said, “maybe I can get in a lucky punch.”

  “You think you’re strong enough now?” BB asked.

  “I’ll have to be.”

  I hoped Sleuth was having a better time tracking down Amulet, because we had our work cut out for us here.

  Text from Kitten:

  I was told to remind you that your Cumulative Approximate Power rating is only 157. When facing an opponent over CAP 300, keep in mind that not only are they much stronger cumulatively, but that you could be outgunned by a factor of 2 for any individual stat, and that stat points aren’t linear.

  Running is always an option. Here is the special report on the new Superhero, like you asked.

  Heroic Rating Authority special report:

  It is sure that much will be said about our ratings for this new Captain Iron, but after heated debate, and much combing through our archives, we are confident that our numbers are accurate to within at least 2 points in the quadrant. Secondary scores are, as always, less accurate.

  Please note too, that the individual did come in person to allow us to gather data first hand. As the foremost authority on Heroic Statistics, we take data collection and integrity very seriously. Just because the numbers are high doesn’t mean that it should be assumed to be less accurate.

  Here is our current consensus:

  Captain Iron II (CAP score 350) —

  Strength: 97

  Movement: 70

  Durability: 90

  Energy Projection: 62

  Mental Acuity: 10

  Special Skills: 21