The ground shifted as Liam’s feet touched down. The sand shifting under his sudden weight. Around him were the rest of his team. Each taking in their new surroundings with the eyes of predators out on the hunt.

Above was a cloudless sky. The Great expanse of blue matching the scene on the ground. To one side, for as far as Liam could see, was undulating blue. At the horizon the blue of the water and sky met, with only the deeper color of the sea hinting they weren’t one in the same.

The world tilted again as an explosion broke the peaceful ocean beach scene. Looking for the source of the noise, Liam found the world of blue fade away. Opposite it, there was a small town. Little streets reached down to the water’s edge. The buildings themselves were weathered, yet had the unmistakable touch of something cared for.

Up the main road, shattered glass covered the grey cement. The remains of a pet store’s window was on the ground in front of the building, blown out by the recent explosion.

From the depths of the store, green gas billowed forth. The new opening welcoming the strange substance to the world.

People in front of the building were sprawled on the ground like discarded dolls. Either the blown out glass or the gas having dropped them where they’d stood.

Liam watched as a mother raced into the gas. Rushing towards a small body on the ground. Liam’s hand reached forward, trying to stop the woman before she came in contact with the green wall, but knowing it was already too late. The gas swirling as she entered. It was covering her before she’d even made it to the child. The mother dropped to the ground in a convulsing mess. Her screams chilling Liam to the core.

The few who hadn’t already raced away from the explosion saw the mother’s plight on full display. That was all they needed. People were running away within a second of what befell the woman. Their mad sprints kept them just in front of the spreading gas.

This attack wasn’t the same as the one on the ship. Liam had watched that one on a screen, after the fact. There was a certain, primal chaos, to what was happening now that he was there to see it. Out here, there was no hiding from it. The people dropping in front of him made sure of that. Those running away, cries burning their throats red, made the reality of what was happening all the more real.

Yet, so much of what was happening was the same. Only this time caked in white sand.

Liam moved to a bench, crouching behind it as his focus moved from the center of the chaos to the rest of the area. The team was in a small beach front town. Liam could almost see the peaceful vacation hub this place had once been. Yet today, it was anything but. Their teleporter brought them to the water’s edge so they wouldn’t be surrounded upon arrival. It was a smart strategy, though unnecessary in such a small community.

Being so small, the town didn’t have a Hero team of their own, so Liam’s team was the first to arrive. Nudge must’ve pulled some strings to ensure that happened.

As the teleporter flashed away, a ball of fire smashed onto the ground in front of them. Behind it, on the roof of a building, a man cackled. His trench coat and hat obscuring his appearance, however everyone with Liam knew just who it was and what they had to do.

“I was worried you wouldn’t get my invite!” the man on the building called. His hand pointing at the new arrivals.

A police officer on a street took a shot at the cloaked man. Only for a pair of robots to sweep in. The officer tried to fend them off. Firing multiple, inefficient rounds into the metal machines until the robots grabbed ahold of him. Pulling at him until there was a wet tearing sound and chunks of meat fell to the floor.

“Source and Wire, find where the gas is coming from and stop it. Tank and I will deal with Bank-Breaker,” Nudge called as the team split up. His voice firm as he saw the display in front of them.

Liam ran towards the building the gas was coming from, thankfully away from what had been a police officer. He wasn’t sure how to disable whatever was dispensing the gas. But he’d figure it out as he got there, he was a techie after all. The foot falls behind him, let Liam know Wire was on his tail.

They were off the beach in a few strides. The buildings of the small community forming a little canyon around them. One of metal, cement, and the products of human labor. All of it blocking them from the man on the roof.

They’d made it no more than a dozen feet when a robot shot out from a nearby alley. In the darkness between the buildings it had been hidden from view.

Before Liam could turn and face the foe, one of Wire’s robots was there to meet it. Metal claws versus metal claws. The screech of metal cried out as the two fought for dominance.

While Wire’s robot wasn’t as big, with Liam’s engineering and Wire’s control, the little machine out maneuvered the bigger one. Dodging the larger arms as it tried to grab ahold and damage its internal circuits. The little machine spun to the side, its arms dancing against the larger until the little one grabbed ahold of the other robot with a metallic thud. The electromagnets on the little machine’s arm had activated. Binding it directly to the larger one’s side.

Without giving the larger machine time to respond, the smaller one’s claws dug. Each metallic finger prying its way inside the larger machine’s metal casing. The larger robot bucked like a bull, trying to dislodge its smaller attacker. Yet nothing it did worked as the little one kept at it.

Once the smaller machine’s fingers had dug through the large machine’s casing and secured itself, there was a hollow bang. It echoed from inside the larger robot as both machines shook. Black smoke seeped from where the little robot gripped the larger.

A shaped charge in the little machine’s clawed hand had gone off. The molten copper from the explosive sprayed into the exterior of the larger. The metal plating that had been a serious hurdle for Liam on the cruise ship was rendered useless by the liquid metal as it burned a hole through the casing. Even the processor inside joined the casing as it melted to the invading liquid copper.

In a second, what’d been a battle of futuristic proportions was over. The smaller robot dropped the lifeless form of its larger opponent to the ground. It’s smoldering form now, nothing more than a hunk of scrap metal.

The two Heroes didn’t have time to appreciate the victory as they were moving again. The little robot zooming to join its brethren around Wire. It’d proven itself in combat. Liam and Wire had worked long hours on the design, and seeing it actually work meant all of that effort had been worth it.

As the two continued on, they started dodging around people. Liam shouted as they passed, “Run to the beach. Run to the beach.”

He pointed away from where he’d seen Bank-Breaker and the green gas. Though the people didn’t need the indication as they turned and followed orders. The two masked figures rushing towards danger was enough of a hint for them to guess Heroes had arrived.

The two Heroes didn’t stop there and raced into the swirling gas. The twisting green invited them in, like a wolf wearing a red hood.

Once through the green curtain, Liam spotted the woman and child. The two were huddled together. Gurgles were the only sound coming from the pair as they jumped over. The woman’s arm reached weakly for them. Every instinct in Liam told him to turn back and help. But he didn’t. Liam knew they were gone. If not already, then they would be soon. Maybe with immediate medical help they could be saved, but if he pulled them to safety, the gas would have longer to spread, leading to more people dying.

The only way for Liam to help the town was to leave the two to their fate. Liam could feel his recently eaten apple fighting to come back up at the thought. They’d been trained for this, but it was always different to actually do it.

Liam cursed himself. How many people would die because he was a failure. How many would be attacked because he wasn’t there? Liam’s mind was past a boil. He wanted to tear apart those who were responsible for today.

Outside, a loud boom echoed through the human made canyon. The other fight had started. Liam wished he could be Tank or Nudge at that moment. They wouldn’t be held back in their thirst for revenge. They wouldn’t be leaving people to die.

With Nudge not holding back, Liam knew the fight would be over in seconds. With any luck, it’d be done before he’d even reached the source of the gas. The glimmer of hope spurred Liam forward.

Liam and Wire pushed past another cluster of people lying on the ground. This group didn’t even twitch at their approach.

Wire was keeping pace, despite her biohazard suit. Only one thing could slow their advance and as if thinking of it had spurred them out, robots swarmed from between buildings a few blocks away.

The smaller robots guarding Wire darted to meet the new arrivals. Each exchange was fierce and fast. All ending in replicas of the previous battle he’d watched. The ground soon became a graveyard of the larger machines as the smaller ones twirled through the air like leaves on the wind.

The first few bursts of fighting left the larger machines on the back foot, but soon their numbers made a difference. Through each successive exchange, Wire’s robots were taking damage. One machine lost a propeller, another had a damaged arm. Nothing was game changing just yet, but it was only a matter of time until something critical was damaged.

Liam wasn’t sitting by as the robots clashed. One of Bank-Breaker’s machines pushed through the wall of Wire’s robots, only to be met by Liam’s staff. His attack pushed the robot back.

Another sped past the first, only to stop mere feet outside of Liam’s range. It froze there for a second before turning around and crashing into one of its companions. Wire’s powers on clear display.

More of the larger robots joined the first turncoat. Taking out unsuspecting allies with blind attacks.

It took Liam a second to realize what he was seeing, but then he noticed how the robots kept trying to turn towards him. Only to be pulled back into the others. Wire was switching control through the group of opponents. Whenever one tried to disengage, she would take over and send it digging into another machine.

With a brute force that Liam’s machines couldn’t match, one of the robots broke through another’s shell. Taking that as the invitation to get involved again, Liam shot a taser dart into the opening. The attack must’ve found something important, as the robot went lifeless a moment later.

Only for the winning robot to then turn on itself. Its arm slamming through its own eye and digging around inside. It continued the search until it found a critical component and met the same fate as the first. The lifeless metal husk toppled like an off switch had been flicked.

As the fight raged, Liam again moved forward. Keeping his head on a swivel. Focusing only on the robots that made it through Wire’s screen. The thick green gas made it all the harder as he approached the source.

At long last, the two Heroes made it to the store, trailing behind them robot husks. The scene inside was no worse than what they’d observed outside. It appeared the gas affected more than just humans. The dead animals inside had shared the same fate as the townsfolk. Puppies and kittens alike lay motionless in their crates.

Liam moved past it all, averting his gaze from the miserable fate. Though a boiling in his gut did take note.

In the manager’s office the two stumbled upon their prey, a machine similar to the one on the boat.

Liam went to work. Eyes flying over the device, he was able to identify how it worked in seconds. Large gas tanks were concealed inside the casing. Connected to a release valve under the display.

The system was designed to release all the gas in the tanks in a controlled, continuous flow. With that understanding in mind, Liam was ready to take a crack at disabling it.

While the valve itself might be a suitable target to focus his work, Liam’s emotions demanded he go for the brute force approach. Bending the metal tubes leading from the tank’s would cut off the gas and prevent more from spreading.

It wasn’t the ultimate solution as some green gas could still sneak out, but it was a starting point.

“Watch the-” a scream sounded behind Liam as he twisted the tube into a knot. Then he was sent crashing forward.

Through a feat of acrobatics, Liam wouldn’t be able to replicate if he tried. He managed to avoid crushing the gas dispenser and ruining his simple fix.

Spinning to find what was happening, Liam noticed Wire rushing up to him, two of her original robots and a third of Bank-Breaker’s design hovering around her.

Past his teammate was a figure. The gas swirled around the dark shape as if it’d just been moved, but Liam didn’t hear the person enter.

“I’ve been looking for you,” the voice came from within the green. Liam felt his heart slam into overdrive as he realized who’d arrived. His mouth spreading into a grin, more teeth than lips. It was time for vengeance.