THE HYBRID #3
Heroes for the New Millennium
Part3: A Hybrid is Born
Two hours ago, five teenagers took down a group of hired mercenaries called “Dial C for Crime”, I was on of them, my name is Rob Armstrong, Speed Demon.
Right now, four of the five of us sit in a bright room, with grey walls, ceiling and floor, a mirror beside us (which is probably a window, which is totally cliché).
The four of us being Laura Mewes (Firecracker), Erika Stevenson (Ms. Metallic), Steve Miller (The Mole) and I, we sit at a long brown wooden table, sitting across from General Weinstein, the man who runs M.A.C.
The fifth of those who took down C for Crime, Chris Murphy (The Suicide Commando) didn’t want anything to do with Weinstein proposal, instead he ran back to daddy Wharp.
The proposal? General Darryl Weinstein wants us to form a new super team, whether we all except to join, is yet to be seen.
“Well, what do you say? Yay or nay?” Weinstein said as leant back on two legs of us chair, rocking back and forth.
“Why us? Because we took down Dial C?” I asked, as I sat forward, leaning on the table.
“No, because we need a new super team, one to protect Marshall City.” Weinstein said, still moving back and forth on his chair, relaxed as ever, he’s too smooth, just watch we’ll all agree to join.
“In case you haven’t noticed, none of us are based in Marshall City,” Laura pointed out, as she twiddled her thumbs.
“Em….I am.” Steve muttered as he sat hunched up, about two feet away from the rest of us.
“Oh, sorry,” Laura said as she stopped twiddling her thumbs, and let her hands lay on the desk.
“Does that mean I can count you in, Mole?” Weinstein said as he winked at me, poor Steve, I wouldn’t say he thinks clearly under pressure.
“I … um …he …” Steve paused and looked over at Erika, who nodded back to him “…eh …yeah.” he mumbled.
Weinstein stood up, as his chair fell to the ground, and leant on the table, now comes the pressure, to get us to join.
“Erika, you too? You wouldn’t want your boyfriend to be all lonely would you?” Weinstein said as he smirked at her, leaning in, moving closer to her, thinking it will force her to react.
“Whatever,” Erika said, as she folded her arms, put them on the table and then plopped her chin onto her arms, not one for emotion that girl.
And then, he turned to me and Laura, charm mode: initiated.
“Well, well, the Dynamic Duo, Firecracker and Speed Demon,” the General said as walked along side the table, his hand brushing against us……….was he trying to seduce us or something?
“Uh, General…” before I could speak, one of the side walls blew open, rubble flying everywhere, we all ducked behind the table, ready to attack.
Then we saw who it was, the most powerful force in the universe, or the biggest idiot on this planet (not including Chris), Nova-Man, apparently he doesn’t know what a door is.
“Do you know what a door is?” Weinstein shouted, great minds think alike, eh?
“Yeah, but this makes me look like a bad-ass,” Nova-Man said as he floated to the ground.
“Did you find this “X”, guy?” Weinstein asked, as we all leapt up from behind the table, acting as if we weren’t hiding, at least I was anyway.
“Nope, nothing left on the note, nobody has been to all the banks and where we were, today alone, never mind in the space of four hours.” Nova-Man said, as he readied to fly out again.
“Thanks for stopping by, I guess, and this time just …” but before the General could finish his sentence, the idiot flew through another wall, creating a hole, right beside the one he made just minutes beforehand.
Weinstein composed himself and turned back to me and Laura, as we sat back in our seats.
“So kids, what do you say, you want in?” he asked, as he stood his chair back up and sat on it.
“Is Nova-Man joining?” Laura asked, as she pulled her seat closer to the table.
“Nope, he feels he’s too powerful to join a team” Weinstein said, and he was probably right, there’d be no need for the rest of us if Nova-Man was part of this.
“I’ll join, dunno ‘bout Speedy though” Laura announced, great the pressure was all on me now.
“He just brought us here and asked us to join a team, and you all say yes? How do you know this isn’t all an evil plot?” I said, as I stood up.
“Maybe because we’ve all worked with M.A.C before and we know we can trust them.” Laura said as Erika sat in silence, and the Mole did the same, but occasionally gave the odd glance over to Erika. They have no intention of speaking at all, ugh.
“We will obviously fund the team and give you a place to stay and all we ask is that you protect Marshall City from meta-attacks.” Weinstein offered, as he began to once again rock back and forth on his chair.
“Meta?” Laura asked.
“Meta-humans, humans with super powers, like us,” Erika said, from the corner, obviously bored of pretending not to care.
“Yes, so will you join?” Weinstein said, as he stretched his arm out to me.
“Fine, but if we don’t like it, we can leave straight away, yeah?” I said as I shook the General’s hand.
“Of course” General Weinstein said as he let go of my hand and clicked his fingers.
Suddenly, at the hole Nova-Man made, two men were standing, arms behind their backs, they looked identical.
Big build, jet black hair, a black suit, black shades, classic FBI look, they stood there, like statues.
“You could do with some rest,” Weinstein said as he pointed to the two agents.
“These are agents Johnston and MacFarlene, they’ll show you to your rooms” Weinstein said as the two agents nodded at us, in unison, worse than Lock and Massey these two.
Where’s Chris Murphy? Why wasn’t he with us? Well, the Commando decided he didn’t need a team, a big team, in his mind him and Wharp are his team.
Like a baby, he ran home to his daddy, scared he’d have to share the spotlight, yet he doesn’t even realise he’s not his own hero, he’s stuck in Wharp’s shadow.
Chris was alone in a dark, damp cave, Wharp’s cave, the scariest place on the whole damn planet; it was lined with cars, bikes and computers, a high-tech paradise in low-tech surroundings.
“Why did you turn Weinstein down?” someone asked.
“I don’t need a team,” Chris said, as he walked over to a computer, where a man in a suit was working frantically on it.
That man is Wharp (at least I think he’s human), he where’s a blue detective hat, a blue suit jacket, black spandex pants, black boots, black gloves, and a grey shirt, with black tie, a W engraved on the tie.
He wears a mask over his entire face, no biggie, except his, only shows his eyes, and other than that is the same colour as his skin; it looks like he has no face, apart from his eyes.
“Do you think I need to join them?” Chris asked as he tried to turn Wharp’s chair around.
“Don’t do that.” Wharp replied, still typing away on his computer.
“Do you think I need to join them?” Chris asked again, getting angrier.
“Not my choice.” Wharp answered bluntly as he examined what was on his computer screen.
There was a silence before Chris decided to speak again “If I did, I wouldn’t be here anymore; I’d be too busy with them.”
“I don’t need you seven days a week, weekends can be for the Hybrid” Wharp said, not taking his eyes of the screen.
“The Hybrid?” Chris asked. How did Wharp know the name before we did?
“That’s what Weinstein plans on calling you,” Wharp said, as he got up from his chair and walked up to another computer, and began to type on it.
“How do you know?” Chris asked, as he stood between Wharp and the screen, stupid move.
“Hacked the M.A.C files, they’ve had this planned for months,” Wharp replied, as he grabbed Chris by the shoulder, and threw him to the ground single-handedly.
“Planned for months? Is this legit?” Chris wondered aloud as he picked himself up off the ground.
“Yes, it’s all above board, it’s just you five aren’t the first heroes they’ve asked, but you are the first non-meta they’ve asked,” Wharp assured Chris, as he sat on the chair facing the second computer.
“The others have already agreed to join, Robert was the most hesitant, he’ll be the leader,” Wharp said, as he read it from the computer screen.
“Why, because he was the most hesitant?” Chris argued, as he tried to look at the screen, but Wharp kept getting in his way.
“That’s it, I’m so joining that team, and am soooo going to be their leader, just to rub Rob’s face in it.” Chris said, as he made his way towards one of his spare suicycle.
Within seconds, Chris had left on his suicycle, speeding out of the cave, as he left, Wharp whispered to himself, “thank God he’s a good fighter.”
As Chris sped down a highway on his bike he realised something, he didn’t have a clue where he was going, the ol’ Murphy brains at their best.
“Um….Wharp?” Chris said into his communicator as he continued down the road.
“Check your map, it’s marked.” Wharp said through the communicator, and sure enough when Chris looked down on the map, on his bike’s screen, the location was marked.
“Thanks,” Chris said as he turned his bike around and sped off the other way.
“No I have to make up an hour of going to wrong way” he said to himself as he sped back the way he came. Idiot.
The next morning (well 11:55AM is still the morning) was weird; we ate breakfast in some sort of huge mess hall, and we discussed the night before.
“Was this a good idea, joining up for this?” Laura said, as she scooped up some of her cereal, and put it in her mouth.
“You didn’t hesitate yesterday, what’s with the change of heart?” I asked sitting directly across from her, eating a steak, I always eat steak; every morning (technically), keeps me buff.
“I dunno, it just felt right last night, not so much now,” Laura said as she continued to eat.
“Eh, I think this could be a good thing,” I replied as I shoved half the steak in my mouth.
“Wha ... what do you think Erika?” Steve said, as he ate four slices of toast in one shovel.
“Whatever,” Erika said, as she watched the others eat, I don’t think she needs to, she can, but I don’t think she needs to.
As the three of us chowed down, and Erika watched, somebody entered the mess hall, someone we did not expect to see there.
“Hey guys. Crazy night, huh?” Chris said as he approached our table, when did he come back, and why?
“I suppose you’re all wondering when I came back and why,” Chris guessed as he sat at our table, and took a couple of slices of Steve’s toast, who, of course, didn’t protest.
As Chris neared the end of his story, Weinstein burst into the cafeteria and ran to our table, sweat pouring forehead.
“What’s the matter, boss?” Chris asked as he turned around on the bench, he, Laura and Steve sat at.
“You got you’re first mission kids,” Weinstein said, as I tried to hold back the grin on my face, only a day into the job and we already have a mission.
Agents MacFarlene and Johnson will brief you,” Weinstein announced as he clicked his fingers, and out from behind the General the two agents appeared, freaky.
“Follow us.” they both ordered in unison as they turned around and headed towards the main doors.
We all got up quickly and followed suit, except Steve who took as much food as he could carry, and then followed us.
“Hey tubby, sure you’ve got enough there?” Chris said, as he tried to poke Steve’s stomach, but cracked his finger on it instead, I really wanted to point and laugh at him, right to his face.
Laura on the other hand, didn’t care, as she burst out laughing, as Erika giggled to herself.
Steve went completely red and looked away, I obviously wasn’t the only one who noticed this as Laura put her arm around Steve.
“We’re not laughing at you, kiddo,” she said in as sweet a voice as she had, it wouldn’t put your Mother to shame, but it seemed sincere.
It wasn’t long, ‘til we reached a jet; a long sleek black jet, which seemed almost flat, in fact it looked like a flat black missile with wings and the words “THE HYBRID“ engraved along the side, sounds fast, doesn’t it?
“Ok kids, here’s the deal …” Agent Mac announced, as he and Agent Joe stopped in front of us.
“…you’ll drop off in Marshall City, ten minutes after you take off …” Agent Joe continued, this is starting to freak me out.
“What are we dealing with?” I asked, as Mac and Joe gave ach other an angry look.
“How rude, we were just getting to that!” they snapped in unison, scary stuff.
“You’ll be up against Killswitch, an expert martial artist, trained in most forms of combat, and not afraid to kill if he has to, superhuman strength, agility and a healing factor like super glue,” Mac and Joe said together, as all of our faces, went pale, but not Chris, nobody scared him, or he didn’t know who Killswitch was.
“A Martial arts expert? You’re looking at one,” Chris gloated as he brushed by Mac and Joe, going up the ramp of the jet, he’ll soon take that back.
“You will be fully briefed by the on-board computer, good luck.” Mac and Joe said, as they turned to leave.
“Hey wait, why does it say “The Hybrid” along the side?” I asked as the other stepped onto the plane.
“It’s the name of your team Mr. Armstrong …” Mac replied as he turned his head back to me.
“My team?” I asked, as Chris pushed me out of the way, and looked at Mac and Joe.
“His team?” Chris said meekly, as his face dropped.
“… Yes, didn’t Weinstein tell you all this? Robert Armstrong was made leader of the team,” Joe finished, as he and Mac continued to walk out of the loading bay.
“Hey guys, this thing has auto-pilot, that’s awesome!” Laura exclaimed as Chris and I entered the plane, Chris looked like he had seen a ghost, it was great.
“Well, none of us know how to fly it do we?” Erika said, as she lay across a black couch, in the jet.
“True, Ms. Melodramatic, so Killswitch, this will be tough” Laura replied, as the smile disappeared from my face.
I may be leader of the team, but I forgot what I was leading, a fight that we may not all come back from, a fight with the Deadliest Assassin alive.
Next Up:
Part 4 of 6
"Heroes of the Millennium" continues.
Just how deadly is the Deadliest Assassin alive?
Funny, I don’t remember finding out who “X” is, do you?
Will The Hybrid’s first mission go to plan?
Join me, next week to find out.
Same Hybrid-time, same Hybrid-channel!