Arc 13 Battle of Bronson City

Chapter 9 Interlude: Loose Lips

"How reliable is this Intel?" Asked Hubris, his perfectly combed black hair glistening in the room's light, arms crossed over the emblazoned H as he stood above the other gathered Heroes.

Retro looked between the orange and white-clad man and the hologram displaying the city and the glowing, pulsing dot deep under it, "If you are talking about the equipment, then it could be off by about a meter or so."

"How did you slip it on one of them?" asked Miss Universe, her formless face shifting with stars.

Retro Robo articulated, "I observed that the wasp has little to no pain receptors. As such, I shot it into her leg while she was distracted. It barely penetrated her carapace, and I doubt she even noticed."

"Do they know of it?" he asked pointedly.

"I… I do not know. At the very least, this shows some sort of installation below the Hospital. It might have been a hero station, but hard to say what with the local Hero Headquarters destroyed. We would need to raid any remaining stations in hopes of finding an intact database. But with the defection of the Cyber Swat teams, that is very unlikely. All of the abandoned hero league stations that we have encountered have been wiped."

"That is no Hero Station," a gruff older man in a bulky white suit spoke up. The surface was charred, and half of the medical cross burned off of his chest plate. The left side of his face was scarred with a deep blistered burn. He chewed the cigar in his mouth.

"How do you-"

"That Hospital was one of my main stops, and I know for a fact there was no Hero base there. The station was across the street. If there is something of that size there, it must be a Villain's hideout. Since Neon Nurse went rogue, it must be one of her facilities. She was likely building it in secret."

"Ah, Medavac, I see you are up and about. How are your injuries?" asked Armadillo, giving him a sturdy pat on the back.

"Could be better, but at least my cybernetics are not a liability, thanks to Adamantine fixing me up. Still, I do not feel good fighting old friends."

"They are Villains now, don't let your past friendships cloud your judgment." Said Armadillo.

"I take it Vesper did not accept the deal?"

"The Vespidian did not."

"I see. She is going by that again. Such a shame. She was a nice girl, and I hear she got much bigger since I last saw her. Assuming she hasn't changed a lot mentally, someone must be threatening her again. Probably Molotov." Medavac looked at the floor, dejected. "The city really went to shit after the Hammer strike. Just about everybody I knew is dead or turned traitor."

"So that is definitely not a hero base, then?"

"Yeah, hundred percent it is a Villain Lair."

"Your thoughts Armadillo?" said Hubris considering things.

The robust man voiced his concerns, "It could be a trap. We could perform a scouting strike, but if we did, the place would be far more secure when we launched an actual attack, and they would be on high alert."

Hubris squinted at the map, "Assuming they do not know already. I suppose it is a gamble between catching them off guard or them catching us off guard. We might need to shelve this for a bit until we have a better idea of what is in there. That being said, what of the other fronts?"

Miss Universe pointed to her section of the map, "We are making decent headway. The resistance is extreme in the northern section of the warehouse district. There is most definitely a lair in that area somewhere. The sheer volume of reinforcements they receive has pushed us back several times. We have lost two scouting teams, and they are MIA, most likely dead."

"How many of the Kraken scum have you crushed?"

"I have killed twenty operatives, give or take a few, but they have not been my concern, so usually they were collateral. I have been keeping Molotov busy. Normally she would not be a problem, but I am still recovering from my clash with Nitro."

"It is that bad?" asked Hubris in slight disbelief. "I didn't realize that it harmed you that much."

"Yes, unfortunately. I am beginning to regret not flattening the city when we arrived."

"That is quite the turn of heart. Did something happen?"

"They have been using human shields."

"As they usually do, the scum."

"True, doesn't make the screams of civis any less haunting."

Hubris gave her a firm pat on the shoulder, "Don't let it get to you. We know what they do. Those people were dead as soon as Kraken got them."

"I don't know what they are after, but far too many of them are here for a simple city raid. There are more of them here than when they attacked L.A. Also, the Diablos are coming up from the south to reinforce them." Said Armadillo.

"I know," replied Hubris rather matter-of-factually.

"We have to deal with them before they can join up."

"You just focus on the city. I will deal with the cockroaches trying to come here." Hubris nodded.

Miss Universe gave him a long cock eyed glance at the boisterous and exuberant man, "Finally going to help?"

"It seems I must," Hubris replied exaggeratedly, "Oh woe to me for having to save the day, as always. I do try not to shine too brightly in these dark times."

Miss Universe scowled at him, "Any light is better than no light, so get to it. You can have all the credit, all the glory. I don't care. Just do it. The quicker you deal with them, the sooner you can help me deal with the high-ranking members of Kraken here. Boris and Molotov are getting difficult to pin down. Hopefully, we can squash this uprising before even more of them show up. I have been hearing reports of villains worldwide causing chaos. As such, we will not get any help from Europe, Africa, or Asia. Something has got them all riled up. The timing is suspicious."

Armadillo said wearily, "You don't think that-"

"No. It was a bluff." Rasped Miss Universe.

"What if it wasn't?" he stared at her.

"What bluff?" asked Hubris.

"We should not discuss it here."

"Just say it."

"If I must. Molotov said that the Puppeteer was active again, and not only that, but that it was here in the city."

Hubris momentarily considered it before laughing heartily, "They must be desperate to pull out a name like that. The Puppeteer died fifteen years ago. Stop being scared of shadows."

"You didn't fight it. I did."

"Yes, you, Arachnaon, and many others killed it."

"We didn't kill it; it let us kill it. It was bored."

"It is still dead."

"That thing can never truly die; it does not need a body to live."

Hubris was silent for a good minute, looking out over the city. He closed his eyes and turned back, facing them, "Be that as it may, we must still rise to this occasion. We are the shield of humanity, paragons of order and civility. If we shy away because of insurmountable odds, we will doom the world to anarchy and tyranny. Heroes don't hide, and they don't run from danger. We run into the fire so that the weak need not. Power is nothing and empty without responsibility and purpose. We are Heroes, and it is about time we started acting like it."

Miss Universe squinted at Hubris, "What do you mean we? You are the one who has not done anything since we got here. There is heroism, and then there is stupidity. Say what you will, but the outcome here will drastically change the world's power structure. We can't afford to lose here."

"You are correct. We don't have the option of losing. My mere presence is a major deterrent to the Villains. Why do you think they have not assaulted the Citadel yet? Because I am here guarding it. Once we are finished here, Kraken will be devastated. We will deal with those that remain, and order will be restored." said Hubris.

"You speak of it so simply, but every day that this is prolonged, the more people we lose." Said Armadillo, "Speaking of, Vespidian let slip that Light Fly isn't dead. She was captured. This is the other reason I vote to raid the Villain hideout as quickly as possible. The longer she is in their hands, the longer she is forced to endure whatever torture they are putting her through."

Miss Universe touched her chin lightly, "What makes you think it was telling the truth?"

"It seemed very offended when I said she was dead and even corrected me."

"That does seem odd for a Villain. Usually, they relish in boasting about who they have killed. They tend to lie about it even if they didn't kill them. Vepidian seems to be stupidly honest for a Villain."

"That is because, up until recently, she was a Hero. A very naive and good-natured one too. Sure, she got brutal at times, but she had a good heart, or at the very least, it was in the right place." said Medavac.

"It referred to Light Fly as an Incubator. No matter how I think about it, that thing is doing something horrible to Light Fly." said Armadillo.

Miss Universe's eyes opened more expansive than usual, "An Incubator? That doesn't bode well, implying it is using her to grow something. We should prioritize dealing with this. Whatever they are trying to grow, it can't be good. Medavac, you knew it. What could she be growing?"

He gruffly rubbed his chin, "Incubator, huh... Well, the only thing that comes to mind would be how Neon Nurse was obsessing over Vesper laying eggs, but as far as I know, she never- Oh... She was a lot smaller back then and might have started laying eggs now that she got bigger."

"Very well. One of that thing is bad enough. I vote that we launch a preemptive assault."

"If she is laying eggs, we should negotiate over that. They are probably why she has become aggressive; she is defending her children," said Medavac.

Armadillo crossed his arms, "I already gave her a chance. She killed my men today. Who knows what that thing is doing to Light Fly as we speak."

"Look. I know her, and I will talk to her. Just let me talk to her first before anybody antagonizes the poor girl even more. If I fail, then, well, we will have to do what needs to be done."

"Poor girl? That bitch threw a building at me and ripped my men apart with her bare hands. I don't care if you people want to try and get along with it, but I know firsthand how that is going to go. I will not forgive it."

"I am not asking you to. Just don't start anything."

"Fine. But when you fail, that bitch is dead. Then we are agreed. Has anyone heard from Mantia?" asked Armadillo.

"Not since they went into the city." Said Hubris, "We cannot rely on them; they are up to some other goal. With any luck, they will keep the Villains occupied to some degree."

"Shouldn't we help them?"

"No. If Mantia wanted help, she would have told us of their operations." Coldly replied Hubris.

"I see. It would at the least be good to coordinate with them?"

"Unfortunately, we have no way of contacting them. As such, we must operate independently, and with luck, our plans will synergize. Miss Universe, keep the villains divided, do not allow them to reinforce one another. Armadillo, your team will be subsidized with some recruits to fill the fighting force. I want that base destroyed. Kill any villains you come across. If Vespidian resists, do what needs to be done. Rescue Light Fly if you can and anyone else they have taken if the opportunity arises."

"As you command." Said Armadillo.

Hubris left the teams to organize. He walked through the bustling halls. The color-coded personnel of the Citadel moved about performing their duties admirably. The sun was setting, its light dimming between the towers of metal. Even now, the low rumble of the weapon systems targeting holdouts above the surface resounded through the floating city. Hubris walked out into the recreational section, a fully landscaped park with trees and waterfalls. Above, the shield flickered from time to time, letting itself known.

Hubris floated up, ascending to the balcony of his office. The sliding glass doors opened and closed behind him as he approached his desk. The intricate wood was spotless and organized to an obsessive degree. Nestled in the middle was a hologram disk that flickered occasionally.

Doubt. It had been a long time since Hubris had felt even a twinge of that, but things were more complicated if the Puppeteer was here. Though he had never fought the Puppeteer, he had sparred and tested himself against those that had. Most of them needed to be improved, so he did not respect their opinions and assessments. However, Miss Universe was powerful, and he took her opinion highly. He probably would not think twice about it if it was just her, but he had heard firsthand from Arachnaon the horrors the Puppeteer brought.

Arachnaon was the only Super that Hubris acknowledged as his superior, even if it was only by a small margin. If even that woman was scared of it, he had every reason to be on guard. Hubris was prideful but not stupid.

Hubris sighed, watching the setting sun for a long moment. Finally, he picked up the gleaming white phone on his desk. The dial tone buzzed momentarily before a deep man's voice picked up.

"What is it, Hubris?"

"Mobilize the reserves."

"The reserves? Can't you handle Bronson City? That is unlike you. You never ask for help. What is wrong? The oh so mighty Hubris can't handle some little villains? I didn't take you for an incompetent."

"If it is just Molotov, Boris, and Nitro, it would be simple. I would already be done."

"Go on. I take it, it is not just them."

Hubris paused uncomfortably, grimacing, "It is unconfirmed, but the Sanguine Puppeteer might be here. I am inclined to believe it; the Villains are too confident in their actions to simply be bluffing. I can sense that there is, at the very least, a strong Mind Diver here in the city."

"I see. If that thing is there, then you will need help. But the reserves will do nothing but be cannon fodder if that is the case. Tell me what you really mean."

His fist clenched on the table, wood fracturing from the pressure, "I need help."

"Do you now? Haven't even confirmed if it is there, and it will take time, and a lot of resources will be shifted from other regions that need help. How will you compensate for our wasted time if it is not there?"

"If it is not here, we will crush the Villains shortly and be free to liberate any areas that the rest of Kraken have taken. There are two Kraken Council Members here. It will be a crushing blow to their organization when they are killed."

The voice considered it before replying, "That is not good enough."

Hubris nearly broke the phone, "Are you threatening me?"

"Of course not. The world is in chaos at the moment, and I am merely stating that resources are limited. In return, I will need some personal favors that can be called in."

"What sort of favors?"

"I am unsure yet. But it won't be anything unscrupulous, and I would not ask that of you."

"Fine. Two Favors. Make sure Arachnaon comes."

"She will be notified. However, I do not control her, so she might not come."

"If half of what I have heard is true, you won't get your favors out of me without her. We will be long dead. So it is in your best interest that she knows and comes here."

"If it is there. Very well. I will redirect some of the reinforcements from Europe to aid you. Though it will take time for them to get there. As for Arachnaon, well, I can't make promises. Ah, there was something that piqued her interest of late. I hear there is a Spore Spawn, a wasp woman. Mantia and Centi were dispatched to recover her and Dr. Arbor. If you would help them, then Arachnaon would be, receptive to your request."

Hubris rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "The Vespidian, huh? We have been having problems with it. It killed a few mid-ranged supers in the last engagement."

"It is a Spore Spawn after all."

"So why does Arachnaon want her?"

"She collects them."

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

"So it has nothing to do with- never mind."

"Do with what?"

"What do you know of that wasp?"

"Only what has been reported, why do you ask?"

"I will keep it to myself."

"Depending on what it is, Arachnaon would be more inclined to come out."

"In that case. We believe that the Vespidian is laying eggs."

There was a long pause, "Eggs, you say? I will notify Arachnaon immediately. Capture her personally, and I will make sure that Arachnaon comes."

"Very well. I will hunt her down after I crush the Diablo De Chillar."

"Good. I will relay your request. Word of the wise, you had best not waste Arachnaon's time. You had better have her in custody and as intact as possible."

The phone disconnected before Hubris could reply. Slowly he put the phone down. His face was stern, and the usual arrogant and haughty look twisted into one of rage. The disrespect of that damned Omega. Even though he had already made concessions, even asking for help, let alone allowing Chimera to do as it pleased. He balled his fists up, holding them behind his back as he glared out the window.

The Spore hung overhead, the titanic ethereal tentacles trailing it through the stars. Fragments of the long-since devoured moon orbiting and following in its wake like a trail of crumbs. Hubris sighed. It wasn't like him to lose his cool. Omega was going to pay for that. A good punch would knock some sense into that gooey bastard.

With that thought, the normal smile returned. When this was over, Hubris was going to pay Omega a visit. He hummed a little as he stepped out onto the balcony. He paused, considering what to do about Omega. If he was too rough, the White House would get wiped off the face of the map.

His mind cleared, focusing on the task at hand. A precise, decisive strike would do. There was no point in dragging things out, especially if that meant they got into the city, and that would simply lead to more damage than dealing with it out in the open. Hubris was proud of his work, and unfortunately for those filthy villains, the trash needed taking out.