Arsenal Reloaded (Full Metal Superhero Book 8) Read online

  Arsenal reloaded

  Full Metal Superhero Book 8

  Jeffery H. Haskell

  Arsenal Reloaded © 2019 by Jeffery H. Haskell. All Rights Reserved.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  Cover designed by www.vividcovers.com

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Jeffery H. Haskell

  Visit my website at www.jefferyhhaskell.com

  Printed in the United States of America

  First Printing: Jun 2019

  Molten Press

  GLOSSARY

  The Protectors:

  Arsenal/Amelia Lockheart: Genius engineer, metallurgist, computer scientist, the list goes on.

  Domino/Kate Petrenelli: Empath. F3 athlete. Super powered artificial arm. Amelia’s best friend.

  Fleet/Thomas Anthony Shaw: Speedster

  Glacier/Monica Pavlenco: Ice Elemental

  TK/Tessa “Tess” Harper: Telekinesis and Force-field generation. Former criminal.

  Lux/Augustina Luciana Maxima: Alien with the ability to control light. Home planet destroyed by the Th’un.

  The Doctor/Teddy Contee: Regeneration in others and himself.

  Major Force/Luke Lancaster: F5 strong man. Amelia’s boyfriend. Once possessed by the Red Gem (The Titan, Chronos).

  The Protector/Carlos Rodrigo Dominguez: Amelia’s longtime friend. F5 strong man with super powered spear and armor.

  Epic/None: Amelia’s personal AI and friend.

  Milton/None: AI created by Epic. English accent.

  Other Heroes:

  Catia “Tia” Tichenor: Affiliated with the Buenos Aires Police. F5 mass/density altering powers.

  Locations:

  The Spire: Former home base of Amelia and the Protectors.

  UltraMax: The special prison in North Dakota for super powered criminals.

  Villains:

  The Th’un: Aliens that tried to strip mine Earth. Home planet destroyed by Arsenal.

  The Red Mage/Ricardo Rico Rafael (D): Wanted to destroy all supers in the world. Last seen in Unbreakable.

  The Armory/Unknown: The team that beat the snot out of Amelia in ‘Unbreakable.’

  The Engineer/Unknown (D): Built the suits for the Armory and the giant bank robbing robots from Unbreakable.

  The Red Gem/Chronos: The Titan. Existed on Earth before humans.

  Nemesis/Greek goddess: Wants to destroy all mankind.

  ISO-1/Criminal organization who uses superpowered people to run drugs and human trafficking.

  Government Agents:

  Major Tony Nelson/None: The Airforce officer who is Amelia’s liaison in the Pentagon.

  Special Agent Brown (D): FBI agent with a vendetta against Amelia.

  Other Characters:

  John and Hope Lockheart/None: Amelia’s parents. World class engineers.

  Frank Parker/Tempus: Time traveler whose wife and child were killed.

  Technical Stuff:

  ZPFM: Zero Point Field Module.

  IP Cannon: Ion Pulse (Amelia’s super-Taser).

  Emdrive: Electromagnetic propulsion (Google “Impossible Drive” for more info).

  Emjet: Amelia’s private jet, outfitted with her Emdrive.

  HUD: Heads Up Display.

  ECM: Electronic Counter Measures.

  EMI: Electromagnetic Interference.

  RF: Radio Frequency.

  EW: Electronic Warfare.

  Computronium: A nano-particle with atoms that form processors allowing Epic to fully load himself into any of Amelia’s suits.

  Faraday Cage: A copper or iron metallic surface with a low-level electrical current running through it blocks all radio transmissions.

  GPS: Global Positioning System.

  Sword O’ Doom: Monomolecular blade, can cut through anything.

  Lockheed: Small flying drone first seen in Alien Arsenal.

  Shai Hulud: Worm created to infiltrate Cat-7 and download all their data.

  Nomad: A virus created by Amelia and Epic to find and erase all information about her and her technology on every computer system in the world.

  Ancient Arsenal recap…

  I was lost in the past, but hey, at least Luke was with me. Stuck in 1903, before superpowers existed, we had to figure out a way to survive. We landed in Delphi so it was an easy thing to ask Pythia for help. Turns out she needed ours… Apollo ordered her to put the Protector armor together, starting with the Spear of Destiny… yes that spear. My flight suit was severely damaged in the fight with the Titan, Chronos, so I had no choice but to do my best.

  I managed to locate the spear in a sub-sub basement of the Vatican. Once I was inside I met a strange Greek woman who helped me steel the spear from the vault. The spear, it turns out, was a fragment of a tip… not much to look at.

  She claimed to be one of the Greek gods left behind to ensure peace. At least that is what she told me. In retrospect, I should’ve seen through that, but hey, hindsight is 20/20.

  I brought her back to Pythia and they got into an instant fight. She was crazy strong and started beating the crap out of me. Luke couldn’t help because the whole ‘no superpowers’ deal. During the fight she started channeling stupid amounts of power from her home dimension. Enough that I thought she was going to seriously destroy the Earth.

  Thinking fast, I used my armor to channel that power through my ZPFM’s and harmlessly into the Earth…

  Harmless except for the fact that it is what caused superpowers, not Tesla.

  Once Luke had his powers back, the fight was on. During the fight, Luke picked up the spear and BAMMO he became the Protector, which I thought was awesome at the time.

  However, there was another problem. Frank Parker had his powers back too… and he was unconscious. A time portal opened and if we didn’t hurry, he would leave without us.

  Luke had no choice but to use Nemesis (the crazy Greek god) as a battering ram, throwing her into me to knock us both into the time portal… stranding Luke in the past and killing him before I was ever born.

  In retrospect, time travel sucks. I can’t go back and get him. He’s lost to me forever.

  Ain’t love grand?

  ONE

  On the list of things I hate, hospitals, courtrooms, and funerals are at the top. Maybe hospitals are on the list twice. I really hate them. This week I’m dealing with all three. I had to spend the night in the hospital because of my injuries sustained while fighting Nemesis. Tomorrow I have a funeral for my friend Tia, who died saving Tessa from a body snatcher. And right now I’m wheeling into a courtroom to watch my attorneys face off with an assistant US Attorney about Tessa.

  Needless to say, my mood is craptastic. If I were in a suit, I’d seriously consider leveling this place to the ground and just snatching Tessa. I have enough money for her to live comfortably on the lam for the rest of her life.

  But it wouldn’t be right. No. She needs to win on the merits of the case. Which is why I’m paying ridiculous sums of money to the law firm I hired.

  I’m here to support my friend—it’s why we’re all here. The whole team, in our Sunday best.

  Everyone except Carlos. The Protector is off protecting, and no one knows he is Carlos anyway. The rest
of us have long since given up any secret identity.

  This is the last place I want to be, the row behind where Tessa will sit when they finally bring her in. Not that I don’t want to be here for my friend; I don’t want to be anywhere. I lost Luke. I caused the dimensional shift that allowed people like Ericsson to exist. I lost Tia... I wipe my eyes, trying to hide the silent tears cascading down. Just a week since I got back, one lousy week.

  When is life going to stop kicking me while I’m down?

  “All rise for the Honorable Judge Bean.”

  Oh right. Never.

  The Federal Courthouse is filled with news media and onlookers, even though this is just a preliminary hearing where the government shows it has enough evidence to justify a trial.

  Which is stupid. Of course, she didn’t murder anyone. She stopped a dangerous assassin from using his powers to escape mere moments after Tia gave her life to free her of him. Now the government is saying that because Massacre couldn’t use his powers back-to-back, Tessa murdered a powerless man when she could have restrained him. Even though she had no idea how his powers worked, or if he could have jumped into any one of the Protectors and started all over.

  Regardless, calling her a murderer was hyperbolic on the government’s part. Massacre killed a half dozen agents in the building and countless more people in his life. Tessa did what she had to do to stop him and keep more lives from being lost.

  I was lost in thought and missed the reading of the charges after the judge came in and sat down. I’m not a lawyer; I have no idea how these things work. Tessa had already pleaded ‘not guilty’ the day before. I’d missed that hearing but my lawyers hadn’t.

  Judge Bean is an older man with salt-and-pepper hair and a trim goatee. The robes leave him looking like he’s a head floating on top of a black cape.

  The prosecutor steps up and starts reading the evidence list, going over each piece as if it were a fact.

  “And it’s the governments conclusion that Ms. Harper is responsible for the death of the supervillain Massacre?” the Judge asks, interrupting the prosecutor’s reading of the charges. The three lawyers representing the government shoot each other looks of confusion.

  Kate places a hand on my shoulder, leans in and whispers, “They don’t normally refer to them as supervillains in court. It creates a bias,” she says.

  I nod. “But he was,” I say with more than a little confusion.

  “It’s the same reason papers are always using the word ‘alleged.’ They want to avoid bias.”

  I thought about teasing her for saying ‘papers,’ as if anyone still read them, but I let it pass. I noticed the judge looking at me and I give him my best little girl smile.

  “Uh, alleged supervillain? Your Honor, he was a citizen of Mexico and wasn’t wanted for any crimes in the US. We can’t attest to anything he may or may not have done in the past, just what transpired here.” As the prosecutor speaks, he gains confidence, adjusting his tie and moving around to the front of his desk to present his full countenance.

  Judge Bean nods as he opens a manila envelope on his desk. “Bailiff Rodrigo, go ahead and bring in the accused.”

  “Yes, your honor.”

  The officer in the brown and beige uniform turns, and walks to the side and knocks on the door one time. The doors opens and a female corrections officer enters, leading Tessa by the elbow. I stiffen when I see my friend. She has a large purple bruise on the side of her cheek. One of those stupid pain collars adorns her neck, and she has that hard look she had when I first interviewed her in the UltraMax.

  “Amelia, don’t say or do anything,” Kate warns me. “It won’t help her situation.” As if on cue, Tessa sees me and smiles, waving me off with a cuffed hand and giving me the “it’s okay” signal.

  It wasn’t okay. I am not okay. Not even a little. Right now, though, I’m just another concerned citizen. One with buckets of money and an IQ like the Empire State building, but still just a normal person. No armor, no superpowers, nothing. I can’t even walk without my armor, so less dangerous than a normal person, I guess. Whatever the hell normal is anyway.

  I look to the team and they are all visibly upset about our teammate’s physical appearance. Judge Bean puts his hand to his chin and watches Tessa enter, a scowl forming on his face. At first I think it’s because he doesn’t like her, which worries me, but the longer he sits silently looking at her—to the point that even Tessa, my usually non-plussed friend, is forced to look away—the more I think it’s because he’s mad about her injury.

  “Why wasn’t she put into protective custody?” Judge Bean asks, shifting his gaze from Tessa to the prosecutor. The prosecutor fumbles for a second as if he isn’t prepared for that.

  “I’m not privy to the Department of Corrections decision-making process, your honor. You would have to ask them,” he says after a moment. The two assistants behind him fervently tap on their phones, probably looking for answers.

  “I see...” the judge says in a way that makes it clear he isn’t happy. I’m really starting to like this guy.

  Amelia, I did a quick dive into the DOJ system. Epic informs me. They put her in general population and the collar she is wearing shocks her if she uses her powers. There was an altercation yesterday that resulted in several prisoner injuries. Including Tessa.

  The anger I already felt swells to new heights. General population? I’m not savvy with prisons, but even I know you don’t put law enforcement in with the regular prisoners, let alone a former convict who went straight.

  After a few moments the judge puts his paperwork down and looks at the prosecutor. “Mr. Flinn, Is this all you have for evidence?”

  When he hears the name, Epic throws a bunch of info on my screen about AUSA Flinn. He golfs on Saturdays and stays at fancy hotels when he goes on vacation. No connections to Brown, the deceased FBI agent who had it in for me. Thank goodness.

  “Excuse me? I’m not sure what you mean,” Flinn says.

  “The question was pretty straightforward. Is the evidence in this packet all you have, or do you have facts you have yet to present to justify your charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter, and other various crimes you’ve decided to press here?”

  Flinn looks back to his assistants for answers; they have none. I don’t either. My anger over Tessa’s treatment gives way to bewilderment. Tessa’s lawyers haven’t even given their arguments yet. I tap one of them on the shoulder, the leader of the two, and give him a questioning look. He is just as confused as the rest of us and shrugs.

  “The AUSA’s office has found more than enough compelling evidence. The man she is accused of killing was defenseless when she did so. Mostly on the word of FBI Agent Marshal, we’ve been very generous in accepting who this man even was, and that he did have powers that allowed him to control others,. But there is no doubt that Tessa Harper decapitated a defenseless man... on video. I’m not sure what other evidence you need to give us the go ahead,” his tone shifts toward a little angry, or maybe he’s just stunned at the push-,back the Judge is giving him.

  “Listen son, I’m not sure what kind of courts you’re used to dealing with, but here in the great state of Arizona, we follow the rule of law. Not the whims of overreaching prosecutors. You will answer my questions with a simple yes or no, or I will find you in contempt. Is that clear?”

  “Your Honor, this is—”

  “If the next words out of your mouth aren’t ‘yes or no,’ then you will seriously regret your life choices, son.”

  The prosecutor clamps his mouth shut. I can almost hear him grinding his teeth from fifteen feet away.

  “Yes, your honor, clear.”

  “Thank you. Now, if this is all the evidence you have...”

  “No, your honor. We have multiple witnesses, past history, prior crimes—”

  The judge holds up his hand for the prosecutor to stop, which he does. “Son, are you aware of who Tessa Harper is?”

  Mr. Flinn looks at Te
ssa, then me, then the judge. “She’s the woman on trial...”

  “I told you ‘yes or no’ answers. That will cost you five hundred dollars.” He picks up and slams his gavel down in one smooth motion.

  Mr. Flinn opens his mouth to speak, but wisely clamps it shut. Finally, after a long, silent struggle, he grinds out an answer between clenched jaws. “Yes, your honor.”

  “Thank you. But I feel like you don’t. Tessa Harper is a member of the Protectors. You may recall the time they saved the entire planet from an alien invasion? Or how about the time they saved all those people up in Washington State when Mt. Rainier exploded?”

  Mr. Flinn looks like he would rather be anywhere else. “Yes, your honor.”

  “Fantastic. Now we are getting somewhere. Is Ms. Lockheart in the room?” He looks around like he doesn’t know I’m here. I’m too stunned to respond until Kate elbows me in the side. I manage to raise my hand, not sure what I should do, since I can’t stand. “I’m here, sir... uh… your honor.” I finally manage to say.

  “Thank you, ma’am, for the great service you have done for this city, state, and country, let alone the world.” He stands up, holding his gavel in one hand.

  “All rise,” the bailiff spits out as the judge stands. Everyone in the courtroom is forced to stand with the judge—everyone but me.

  “I find the prosecution has insufficient evidence to bring this to trial. Case dismissed with prejudice.” He slams his gavel down and the courtroom erupts in cheers. He holds my eyes for a moment, nods, then turns and walks toward the exit. Mr. Flinn is left slack-jawed and stunned in disbelief. Then he collects himself and runs after the judge.

  Tessa turns around, leans over the bench's and throws her arms around me. “Thank you,” she whispers.

  “I told you. You are never going back to prison. I’m just glad I didn’t have to bust you out.”

  She pulls back and looks at me for a moment. “You would have, wouldn’t you...”