On either side inmates cheered, not caring who won thefight, just glad for anything to break up the monotony ofincarceration. Heather bounced from wall to floor to wall, her feetspringing off and propelling her quickly back and forth, confusingthe guards.
The batons Heather held in each hand began to melt andmeld with the rest, the BC changing at her will, each baton takingthe form of a Berretta M9.
Without hesitation she lifted the pistols and fired. Theguards whose chests weren't ripped open by the armor piercing slugsdropped to the floor, screaming into their coms for backup. They wereable to sound the alarms and warn the other guards for only twoseconds, the time it took Heather to close the distance and end theirlives brutally.
Without losing stride, she snatched up more batons,incorporating their mass with the Berettas, the BC melting instantlythen reassembling in the shape of two TG12 sawed-off auto-shotguns.
She hit the corner and dropped, sliding across the floorto the far wall, aiming one shotgun left and one right, firing threerounds each. More guards fell.
Back on her feet, she went over the map of the facilityshe had memorized and tried to place where she was and where sheneeded to go. In milliseconds she had her destination and set offfull speed towards her goal.
***
Ms. Tinsdale stood up from her desk and crossed to thedata board. The fifteen students seated before her watched as shepointed to the words, "League Day: Origins and Explanations".There was an audible groan from the class.
"Now, now, settle down," Ms. Tinsdale said, wavingaway the complaints. "You knew this was coming. We all have to beready for the celebration in three days. Loudon Secondary will be andwe have lost to them the past six League Days. Headmistress Ellis hasexpressed that she shall be quite disappointed if it becomes sevenyears in a row and Gramercy Secondary is the laughing stock of allthe London preparatory schools once again." She turned from thedata board and surveyed the class, settling her eyes on aseventeen-year-old boy busily chatting with the seventeen-year-oldgirl seated next to him at the back of the classroom. "Russell? Canyou tell the class why we celebrate League Day?"
Russell winked at the girl and twisted in his seat,bringing his attention to bear on Ms. Tinsdale. He flashed hisalready legendary smile and brushed a lock of blond hair out of hiseyes. "Well, Ms. Tinsdale," Russell began. "So we can sellfireworks and cook big steaks over flames, of course. Other than thatthere really isn't any point, is there? Except to make theAmericans feel like they are welcome." Many in the class snickeredat the last comment.
***
Mr. Stone, an average man, of average build, the typepassed by everyday and thought nothing of, held the teaspoon over thegas burner, watching the metal turn from perfectly polished to sootblack to red hot. Stone walked from the gas range, stepping over aman's brutally beaten corpse and stood directly in front of a womanand her three teenage children, two boys and a girl, bound to kitchenchairs and all just as brutalized as the dead man, but lucky enoughto still be breathing. The permanence of that luck none of them hadillusions about.
Mr. Stone paced back and forth for a bit then stopped infront of one of the teenagers, a boy sporting a nasty gash to hisleft cheek, his hair sticking to his sweaty, damp forehead.
"Now, you," Mr. Stone said, pointing the stillglowing spoon at the boy. "You are a registered Tech also, likeyour father is … well, was. Correct?"
"Say nothing, Allan," the woman croaked throughsplit lips and broken teeth. "We are all dead anyway."
"Allan, I'd advise against listening to your mum,"Mr. Stone said. "I don't want to hurt you or any of yourfamily-well, not anymore than I already have, but you see, we haveconfirmed that certain data was passed through here only a few daysago. It was delivered to someone, yet all the building's securityholos are blank. I need to know what that data was and who it wasdelivered to." He grabbed Allan by the chin, forcing the boy tolook at him. "If you don't tell me willingly then one of yoursiblings will have to help me coax it out of you."
The young girl, maybe fourteen, let her head drop to herchest and choked back sobs.
"Ah, a volunteer," Stone smiled, grabbing the girlby the back of her head and straddling her lap. The girl jerked herhead, but didn't have the strength to resist Stone. "Must havebeen such a pretty face before Reginald did this to you."
"What? Whatcha need?" a high pitched man's voicecalled from the living room. "You need me, Stone?"
Stone smiled and rolled his eyes comically, making ashow of it for his captive audience. "No, Reggie, just making apoint."
***
"The point, Mr. Shaye," Ms. Tinsdale said, "is sowe always remember how quickly civilization fell apart and was nearlylost before the League of Monarchies was formed and the Americanswere tasked with keeping the peace."
"Fucking Jacks," a student muttered. Nervouslaughter followed, but stopped as Ms. Tinsdale's gaze hunted forthe culprit.
"I have said it before that I will have none of thatbigotry in my classroom," Ms. Tinsdale scolded. "Regardless ofyour political or religious beliefs, the Americans have kept thepeace in Europe for over three hundred years, despite not having ahome of their own. They deserve our respect and our gratitude. Howwould you feel if while you were away at classes your home wasdestroyed, burned from the Earth? It would not feel so good, wouldit? Well, the Americans have no home except for what they are allowedin the Articles of Sanctuary and we should pity them for that."
***
She could sense the Shock troops before they even turnedthe corner, their BC singing to her. Heather came to a sliding haltand double pumped her legs back the way she had come, hoping shecould get some distance between herself and the troops.
"Got her!" a metallic voice rang through the halland Heather dove to the ground as the first wave of bullets flew overher.
Her momentum keeping her moving, Heather twisted ontoher back and took aim, morphing the simple auto-shotguns into an RPGand letting it fly. It took all of the BC mass and she was left emptyhanded, but the destruction of the three Shock troops was worth it.
Heather was back on her feet and sprinting through thesmoldering armor before the explosion stopped ringing in her ears.
***
"Melissa? Maybe you can help Mr. Shaye explain LeagueDay?" Ms. Tinsdale asked.
"Of course, Ms. Tinsdale. I would be happy to,"Melissa Brenton answered, rising from her seat and stepping to thefront of the class.
"You can stay seated, Ms. Brenton," Ms. Tinsdalesaid slightly annoyed.
"Oh, I don't mind, Ms. Tinsdale," Melissa said."League Day is so very important. I would hate it if the entireclass couldn't hear me."
Most of the students rolled their eyes as Melissastraightened her skirt and smoothed her blouse. "League Day is theofficial celebration of the signing of the armistice that ended theBrimstone Wars and created the League of Monarchies across Europe. Inaddition, it is the day the Americans became Europe's officialpeacekeepers, ensuring that each Monarchy could rule without conflictand the citizens of Europe could be satisfied that no Kingdom hadmilitary dominance over its people or over another Kingdom. This hasbeen assured in the Articles of Sanctuary. In exchange for thisstatus, and for the sanctuary the articles allow, the Americansshared much of their technology with us, especially biochrome, theresult of their pioneering work in the field of genetic metallurgy."
***
"You know, doing this really doesn't make me happy,"Mr. Stone said, bringing the red hot spoon to the girl's eye."Well, maybe a little."
Stone plunged the spoon into the side of the socket andtwisted. The sizzle of burning flesh was heard for a split secondbefore the kitchen filled with the girl's screams. The woman andtwo boys thrashed in their seats, flinging obscenities at Stone. "YouJacks always have had such a rich history of salty language. Maybethat will be your legacy after you are all finally wiped from theplanet."
Stone pulled the spoon from the girl's eye socket andthe eyeball came away with a slight, wet pop. He picked the eye fromthe spoon, some of the flesh sticking to the still hot metal, andtossed it up and down in his palm. "Such a waste."
***
"No, Anthony, the answer is not they're a bunch ofwankers!" Melissa snapped, struggling to get her anger undercontrol.
The classroom burst out laughing and Ms. Tinsdale stoodup, clapping her hands loudly to get the class's attention. "Youwill take this seriously or it will become an overnight assignment,"she barked. "A five page assignment! Am I clear?"
"Yes, Ms. Tinsdale," the class answered in unison.
Melissa still stood at the front of the class, hercheeks flushed and chest puffed out. Ms. Tinsdale took her by theshoulder and guided her back to her seat next to Anthony's.
"Thank you, Ms. Brenton." She strode back to thedata screen and tapped at the corner, erasing the words writtenearlier. A small blue dot began to pulse and Ms. Tinsdale tapped atit. "Okay, since this is proving to be such a chore for all of you,I am going to make this fun. Down the middle. Right side Team A, leftside Team B. I ask the question, first team to answer gets a point.Team with the most points get out of takehome for the rest of theweek. Ready? First question … "
Melissa casually leaned over and placed her hand onAnthony's crotch. He looked at her, surprised, and she smiled. Thenshe squeezed. Hard. He started to cry out, but she squeezed more andput her finger to her lips. "Ever embarrass me like that again andI'll take these, batter, deep fry and feed them to you bit by bit.Understood?"