The Sellouts (2 page)

Chapter 1

April 1st, 2015 12:15 PM

He walked down the street as any regular guy would, not exactly running, but not lazily either.

“Chancer, are you close?” someone in his earpiece said.

He moved his hand slowly up to his head, as if brushing his hair, but stopped to touch his earpiece and whisper, “Two blocks away.”

“He’s heading in your direction. You’ll need to slow him down until Douser can catch up.” his earpiece told him.

He made the hair brushing move again and whispered, “Roger that.”

He stepped up his pace, still not running, but moved to more of a power walk. He had no idea how he was going to deal with this monster, but all he had to do was slow it down until Douser could stop the monster’s powers.

When he passed the second block, he saw it. A man who looked huge, like he worked out, and was easily six feet tall, wearing a wife-beater and spandex pants. He was also lifting a car over his head – complete with people inside screaming.

“He’s got hostages.” Chancer said as he touched his earpiece.

The monster – which was what the TSO Agents called anyone who used their super powers for bad purposes – threw the car at a woman who came running up behind him. Chancer’s right hand tingled, and he used it to pick up a glass from a nearby table and thr0w it at the woman, who ducked, narrowly missing getting hit by the airborne car. The car landed safely on its tires, and the people inside were still screaming as they were trying to get out and make a run for it.

“I’ll distract him.” Chancer said into his earpiece.

He ran towards the monster, shouting “Hey asswipe! Over here!”

The monster turned towards him and growled. He shouted “You’ll never take me, Sellouts!” as he picked up the next car on the block and lifted it over his.

Chancer ran across the street. He slid to a stop and nearly fell when the monster threw the car at him. This one didn’t have anyone inside, but the alarm sounded as at flew towards him. Luckily for him, he turned his near-fall into a roll and went under the car as it crashed behind him. He was on his feet in an instant and ran towards the monster’s left side, hopefully distracting him enough for Douser to make her move.

The monster swung his huge arms at him in a pitiful attempt to catch him, but he easily dodged them and moved down the street a little ways, away from where Douser would be coming.

“Come and get me fucker!” Chancer stopped to yell at him.

The monster picked up the next car, which was some sort of SUV, and lifted it with a grunt over his head. Chancer raised his eyebrows in alarm and backed away quickly, but there was no need, Douser ran in quickly and rubbed her hand across the monster’s arm as she ran past him, taking his powers with her.

With no more super-strength, the monster screamed as the SUV fell on top of him.

April 1st, 2015 2:00 PM

              Trisha Sofia Oslett sat in the secret hearings for ‘Protection of citizens from humans with extraordinary abilities’, and was quite bored. So far, all Senator Jack Wiggons had done is call out her company, TSO for holding a monopoly on capturing and detaining ‘Humans with extraordinary powers.’

              “So in cooperation with the Secret Service, TSO is capable of handling any threat from humans with extraordinary powers. Is that correct, Miss Oslett?” the Senator asked.

              “That is correct, Senator.” she replied.

              “And they have contracts to you for services in capturing and detaining humans with extraordinary powers, correct?” he asked, again.

              “That is correct, Senator.” she replied again.

              “How is it that your company, TSO, is the only company that can perform these services?” he asked her.

              “We are the best at what we do, Senator. We are not preventing anyone else from challenging our contracts.” she told the Senator.

              The Senator scoffed and there were whispers amongst the seven panel members that say with the Senator.

              “How is it that you and your company knows so much about these humans with extraordinary powers?” asked Cathy Ginnis, Inpector General.

              “We’ve been over this for the last hour, Inspector General. While most of our information is classified, we trade intelligence with the Secret Service on potential threats to the citizens of the United States. And again for the record, we don’t call them ‘humans with extraordinary powers’ - if they are bad, we call them ‘Monsters’, and if they are good, we call them ‘Heroes’.” she told the panel.

              “You still haven’t answered the question, Miss Oslett.” the Senator asked.

              “My answer is that the working knowledge of our company is classified by the President of the United States, and if you’d like to know more, you will need authorization from him.” she said coldly.

              “What can you tell us about why we’re spending four billion dollars a year for services that our own law enforcement agencies can handle?” asked the Deputy Attorney General of the United States, John Clouse.

              “I can do more than tell you, Sir. I brought videos of why your law enforcement agencies aren’t equipped to handle these monsters.” she said as she held up a DVD. A man in uniform came and collected it, and put it into the player. He gave the remote to Trisha, who immediately hit play.

              “Come on coppers! You got nothin’ that’ll hurt me!” said the well-muscled man in the video. The camera shook, as though it was a cell phone recording from a bystander.

              “Get on the ground and put your hands behind your head!” said one of the policemen from behind a police car through his megaphone.

              “Fuck you, copper!” the well-muscled man shouted as he ran and jumped on the police car as the other officers started shooting at him.

Bullets just ricocheted off his shirtless chest as he grabbed the megaphone wielding officer and beat him until he collapsed. An officer to the left fired his taser at him. The wires hit his chest – only to fall to the ground. The taser wielding officer was the next to be beaten bloody. Two officers then attempted to wrestle with him, only to be thrown to the ground and also beaten bloody.

After three more officers were brutally beaten on film, the well-muscled man started going after the civilians, and the cell phone was dropped. Only screams could be heard.

Trisha paused the video just as a splatter of blood covered the screen.

“Do you remember Chase Manton? Seven officers died that day. Twenty four officers were seriously injured, and eight civilians were also seriously injured before we got the call to take him down.” she said.

“And how did you take him down?” asked John Clouse.

“That’s classified. All I can tell you is that he was disabled promptly, and is currently imprisoned in a cell specially designed for his powers of super strength and impenetrable skin.” she said. “Shall we continue?” she said as she pushed play again.

“Hahahaha!” came an evil laugh from atop the Empire State Building. It could be heard all the way down at the ground. “You all die today!” the voice said. This footage looked like another cell phone recording.

A high pitched shriek was heard and parts of the buildings next to the Empire State building broke off and fell to the ground, smashing people and vehicles alike. The video went to static as a huge piece of glass was shown coming straight for it.

“Chris Gallow killed eighty seven people that day before we got the call to take him down. He is currently serving twelve consecutive life sentences in one of our specially designed cells to negate his power of sound manipulation.” she said as she turned towards the panel. “This video is filled with sixteen more examples of traditional law enforcement not being able to handle these monsters. I will be happy to run through them all, if you’d like.” she told them as she hit play again and screams came from the video.

She paused it when one of the members held up a hand. “We need a few moments to confer.”

She sat down as the entire panel put their hands over their microphones and quietly spoke to each other. It was after about ten minutes that the Senator took his hand off his and spoke again.

“We believe, in the interest of the United States of America, that we can continue utilizing your services.” the senator said.

Trisha smiled and nodded.

“However,” He told her as he looked directly into her eyes. “We request periodic visits to ensure the capture and imprisonment of humans with extraordinary powers are being done in the most humanely way possible.” he paused to wait for a response.

“Provided the President signs off on every member inspecting, I see no problem with your terms.” she told him.

“Very well. We will also require periodic inspections of TSO’s financial records, to be sure our money is being spent in the best way possible.”

She looked at him with an annoyance. “We will provide financial records at your request, provided the President signs off on it.” she told him. She hated mentioning the President, but it seemed necessary. She was sure she would be getting a call from him later tonight.

“Very well. I believe we can conclude today’s hearing?” the Senator asked as he looked around the room. Hearing no complaints or otherwise, he closed his leather folio and stood up. The rest of the panel stood after him, and they all walked out together, leaving Trisha alone in the giant room.

She shook her head, pulled out her cell phone, and dialed her secretary. “Miranda, make a note to raise our rates at the earliest time that our contracts allow.”

Chapter 2

April 1st, 2015 2:47 PM

Douser pushed a button on her watch and touched the monster they had just captured again – taking his powers away for another twenty minutes. She handed Chancer the glass he had thrown at her.

“You dropped this.” she told him.

“You keep it, that glass saved your life!” Chancer said as he watched T.S.O. medics load the monster onto a gurney.

“A lucky glass, is that it?” she laughed.

“Sure, why not?” he said as he kept watching the monster. “Think the boss’ll be mad?” he pointed to the bloody mess they were putting on the gurney.

“I’m pretty sure she can still bill for him. He’s alive, after all.” she said as she looked at the grotesque mess.

“Alive-ish, anyways.” he said quietly.

“He killed two people, he deserves it.” he said without feeling.

After a short time of silence and watching the medics deal with the monster, Chancer asked her if she wanted him to ride with her.

“No thanks. I got this one. It’s not like he’s going to be lifting anything any time soon.” she smiled and looked past him. “Besides, you have reports to fill out.” she said with a laugh and a pat on the shoulder.

“Agent Chancer, how nice to see you again.” a voice came from behind him.

Chancer sighed and turned around. “Captain Ron! Captain Ron!” he shouted with a smile as he turned around.

“Do you never tire of saying that?” Captain Ronald Priggs of the New York City Police Department said.

“Not really, no.” he said quickly. “Besides, it makes your men laugh.”

The captain turned quickly and his officers tried to hide their smiles and laughs. He gave them a dirty look before turning back around. “He dead?” he asked as he looked at the bloody sheets covering the monster.

“Nope, alive and kicking.” he said as he looked over to the ambulance the gurney was being loaded onto. “Well, alive anyways.”

“Was he really throwing cars?” the captain asked as he watched the paramedics who were helping the people out of the first car the monster threw.

“Two of them, when we showed up.” Chancer said as a paramedic came over and asked if he was ready to transport their prisoner. “Gotta’ go Captain, I’ll send you the report by the end of the day.” He climbed in the back of the ambulance with Douser and the monster, and waved with a grin to the Captain as the paramedics closed the doors behind him and drove off.

Captain Priggs looked over to where the second car had been thrown and rolled into a building and shook his head. “Damned Supers.” he grumbled as he took charge of the area.

April 1st, 2015 3:38 PM

             
Douser pushed the alarm on her watch and touched the monster right before they pulled into the secure section of the Oslett Building, which was near Central Park. The ambulance stopped in a section of the main parking garage designed for prisoner transport, where Chancer and Douser jumped out, and the paramedics transported the prisoner to a trailer being pulled by a modified golf cart.

              “Love this thing!” Chancer said as he jumped into the driver’s seat.

              “Try not to scratch it this time.” Douser said as she rode on the back seat facing the prisoner.

              “That wasn’t my fault! The ninja woke up!”

              “He wasn’t a ninja, he could only electrify metal by touching it. And if you recall, we encased him in rubber for transport.” Douser told him.

              “He had a ninja sword!” Chancer said as he slammed the accelerator down and they took off with a lurch forward. “Vrooooooom!” he said with a fake maniacal laugh.

              “You are so childish.” she said with a shake of her head as he drove as fast as the cart would take them.

              He laughed again as he drove through the spiral tunnel that took them to the sub-basements. He waved with a big toothy grin at every camera they passed, until finally slamming on the brakes at the end of the tunnel. The cart slid a little, and the front bumper hit the metal door.

              “Whooops.” Chancer said as he put it in reverse and helped the cart make the reverse beeping noises as he backed up a foot. He waved to the cameras mounted in the corners above the door and waited.

              After waiting a few minutes, the doors slid open and two men in black uniforms came out with rifles drawn on them.

              “Identification.” one said crisply.

              “Always with the ‘Identification.’, you could try saying please.” Chancer said as he fished his badge out of his pocket and handed it over. The other man collected Douser’s and they both fell back and put the cards in a reader of some type on the other side of the door. Then they came over with a box and Chancer and Douser put their thumbs on it.

              “Identification confirmed. Matthew Tweed Hendrix.” one guard said.

              “Identification confirmed. Jennifer Ana Wellington.” the other said.

              The guards handed back their badges and the first asked, “Prisoner?”

              “Naw, he’s a good friend, we’re just taking our time getting him some help.” Chancer said with a roll of his eyes.

              “Yes, he’s a prisoner.” Douser said quickly behind him, resetting her alarm and touching the monster again.

              The first guard nodded and waved over another set of guards. “Proceed to cell block two. These men will escort you.” he said as he backed away.

              “We’ve done this before you know.” Chancer said as he leaned out of the cart to yell to the first guard. “We don’t need an escort for a nearly dead prisoner.”

              “Just shut up and drive.” Douser said, obviously aggravated.

              “Fine, but no one said I had to let them keep up.” he said as he slammed down the accelerator. They took off instantly.

              The guards took off at a quick jog to keep up with the speeding cart, which followed the entryway straight through two man-traps that had literal blast doors that could come down in a split second. Past that, they went down another ramp, and through two more man-traps, and down another ramp, until Chancer wheeled to the left, almost bringing the cart up on two wheels. “Whoooo!” he shouted as he slammed on the brakes in cell block two. The cart came to a screeching halt before stopping.

              “You guys need to work out more.” Chancer said after jumping out of the driver’s seat and watching the two guards come in running through the entryway.

              “Or you need to slow down, Sir.” one of the guards said, a little out of breath.

              “If they wanted me to slow down, they would make it so the cart can’t go that fast!” he said with a smile as he started undoing the straps on their prisoner. Douser undid the other side, not saying a word.

              “Jesus, what happened to this one?” a man in a doctor’s coat said as he waved his team over to the prisoner.

              “Car fell on him. Tragic irony, if you ask me.” Chancer said as he backed away and let the doctor’s team take over.

              “How is it ironic?” the doctor asked as he started pushing buttons on the tablet he was carrying.

              “He was throwing cars at us, so it’s only ironic that he gets crushed by one, right?” Chancer said with a smile.

              “I suppose.” the doctor said quietly, still pushing buttons on his tablet. “What powers does he have?”

              “He can throw cars, obviously.” Chancer said quickly. He was a little sad when Douser cut him off.

              “Increased strength, bone mass, and endurance.” she said quietly.

              “Do you know the upper limit of his strength?” the doctor asked her as he moved near her to collect his answers.

              “I believe two to three tons.” she told him. She had her eyes closed, as though she was focusing on something.

              The doctor only nodded, then went over and lifted the sheet off the monster as soon as his team had the gurney lifted up and on its wheels. “Well, I doubt he’ll be lifting much anytime soon, but still, Robb should be here any minute.” he mumbled with a disgusted look under the sheet. “Can you wait?” he asked Douser.

              “Of course.” she said.

              “I can wait too.” Chancer said quickly.

              “There’s no need for you to be here, Agent Chancer. You may leave.” the doctor said with a small wave towards him. He started walking off towards a medical bay and his team pulled the gurney forward. Douser and the guards walked with them, leaving Chancer alone with the cart.

              “Aww. I want to hang out with Robb too…” he said as he looked down to the cart. He smiled and jumped in, squealing the tires as he wheeled towards the door.

April 1st, 2015 5:14 PM

             
Douser reset her watch and touched the monster again as Robb rolled in.

Robb was short for “Reliable Overexcited Binary Being”, a name everyone hates, but since Chancer happened to be standing in the room and mentioned it during his creation, his powers of luck made the robot like it as well. Robb was a robot, designed by a monster, but only activated for the first time after T.S.O. agents raided the super-genius monster’s house and took everything. When they had turned it on, it didn’t know who its master was, so Doctor  Miles Perry had said he was – and the two have been inseparable since. Robb rolled on two tracks, and was mostly comprised of spare parts cobbled together. Only a few new parts have been added, as Robb has recently learned to upgrade himself.

“Hello again Doctor Perry! It’s great, great, great to see you!” Robb said, overexcitedly.

“Robb, we need a way to restrain someone who can lift a maximum of four tons.” the doctor said as he was inspecting the damage to the monster.

“I would be delighted to help, Doctor Perry!” Robb said. He moved one of his claws down to a small box in the front of his rectangular box looking body and pulled out a hard drive. He plugged it into his head. “Processing. I’ll have an answer for you in three minutes and forty two seconds, Doctor Perry.” he said as a small speaker on the side of him started playing the
Jeopardy!
theme song.

The doctor shook his head and looked towards Douser. “Sorry, I had it on last night for background noise.”

“It’s fine, doctor.” Douser told him. She stood only close enough to touch the monster if she had to, but still out of the way of him and his team.

After three minutes and some odd seconds, Robb made a buzzer noise.

“I have a solution Doctor Perry! Would you like me to show you?” Robb said in an excited voice.

“Sure.” he said as his team was passing medical information about the monster back and forth.

A small monitor, only a few inches wide and tall popped out of Robb’s back and was lifted with a whirring noise. It displayed blueprints of a set of chains, and a chemical formula.

“Is that some kind of metal?” the doctor asked as he had to come over to the small monitor to inspect it. He squinted.

“Yes Doctor Perry, I made it myself just moments ago! I’ve taken current technology on carbon fiber and spliced it with - -“

“I don’t need the details, Robb, will it work?”

“It will work, Doctor Perry!” Robb said, without a hint of anger from being cut off.

“Take it to the engineering team. Tell them this takes priority.” the doctor said.

“Absolutely, Doctor Perry! You all have a great, great, great day!” Robb said as he wheeled out.

“Sometimes he gets on my nerves.” the doctor told Douser. “But overall he’s quite a friendly companion.”

“I know the feeling well, Doctor.” she told him as she thought of Chancer, and the trouble he’s probably in right now.