The Good Guys by Darren Chen

Author:Darren Chen
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-981-49-0154-3
Publisher: Epigram Books
Published: 2021-08-05T00:00:00+00:00

*

By the time they arrived at the scene of the disturbance, it had turned into complete havoc. The pandemonium had taken place in a cramped corridor overlooking the running track. A line of Caretakers blockaded the exit, each Caretaker holding a white-rimmed riot shield. Standing abreast of each other, they presented a solid wall to the three superheroes. At their head stood Hound, looking remarkably placid for the situation.

And in the middle of the corridor was a lone individual. He was frenzied, his head swivelling back and forth at either parties. Landslide recognised the man—it was the Lance.

His hands glowed with a white intensity, forming long blades of hard-light. Trailing gashes had been burned into the floor and the walls; even the windows had long, jagged holes. Shattered pieces of rubble lay strewn about him.

Landslide noticed the bodies of several Caretakers lying by the Lance’s feet; all of them had been bisected, their severed pistons and charred electronics sizzling.

“An update—now,” the Wall’s voice boomed.

“He was rampaging outside your command centre,” Hound shouted from where he stood. “We chased him here—he cut his way out every time we tried to corner him,” Hound said, pointing at the ceiling. There was a rough hole above the Lance, its edges were still smoking from the heat, exposing wires and pipes.

The Lance turned to Hound and snarled. Landslide could see Hound inch back a little closer to the Caretakers.

“Lance.” The Wall’s voice was authoritative and resonant. “Stand down.”

The Lance turned towards the Wall. For a fleeting moment, Landslide could see past the unchecked fear in his eyes, and saw instead his sorrow. “No,” the Lance pleaded. “The voices in my head—they won’t stop. T-they made me do it.”

The Lance locked eyes with Landslide, who could not look away from the sheer despair written all over the man’s face. “Please,” the Lance begged, “please make this stop. I just want things to be quiet. Let it be quiet.”

“He killed Kinetic Blue,” Hound continued. “Went into my office and trashed the place. I ran to get help, but I saw him taking Blue apart. What a waste. I was about to report his confession to you, too.”

“I didn’t—I didn’t want to!” The Lance whirled back to Hound, frantic. “Don’t you know? We were friends, the two of us. We knew each other from the outside, from before the Vault. I could never murder him—it wasn’t me! It was…it was the voices, the whispers—they made me do it! They made me go after him!”

“Voices,” the Wall repeated. Landslide looked at him, could see the look of confusion on his metal face. The Wall held out his hands in a show of peace and took a tentative step forward. “Listen, Lance—we can help you. Just take a deep breath and calm down. I need you to work with me here—all you need to do is turn those blades off and we can see what’s got you so worked up. You’re not alone here—”

“You don’t care! You don’t know!” the Lance shrieked.

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