The Anthem Force Chronicles

War

My former teammates take a few menacing steps forward, twisted smiles printed onto their faces.

“Woah there guys,” I say as I continue to back up, “Whatever’s wrong we can fix it, okay?”

But they keep walking, their movements almost mechanical. There’s something… off. The unnatural expression on their faces, the way their eyes are almost blanked over, it’s like the lights are on but nobody’s home.

Why are they acting like this? Vigor had warned that the city would fall by the hands of it’s old heroes but how in the world could he possibly convince them to turn sides? Even Alex who used to be evil or Luke who holds a personal vendetta against me would never attack Anthem City. Never.

Ricky lunges forward, grinning, and swipes a razor sharp blade in my direction. I barely have time to gasp but luckily David grabs me by my shirt and pulls me back.

“One of you supers, make them back off!” he yells to my team.

Keith reaches a hand forward and sends a massive thunderbolt in their direction, sending them all flying back. I try not to grimace as my teammates- my friends, hit the ground.

“It’s like they’re being mind controlled or something!” David shouts.

Mind control?

My mind flashes back to when I visited Ultracity and went to Brian’s lab. He had showed me something that he had been working on: mind control patches.

But it couldn’t be… right?

I watch in shock as my old teammates pull themselves from the rubble and march towards us. Or could it?

Sure enough there is a small, tan patch on Brian’s neck. When I look harder I can almost make them on the rest of them.

What had Vigor said before? He had already paid a visit to one of my friends. The details click together: Vigor stole the patches from Brian and is now using them to control my old team, to make them destroy the city and us.

Four highly skilled superheroes out to cause destruction. It seemed bleak but I knew what I had to do.

“I have a plan but I need you guys to hold them off,” I yell to my team.

I yell for Radley to take on Ricky. His monster form will be able to endure any weapon Ricky can conjure. Keith pairs up with Brian; he’s the only person I know stubborn enough to resist Brian’s brainpowers. David, with a little grumbling, has Alex. He knows all her moves and despite his lack of powers can hold his own with the best of them. That leaves only Andy.

“Paragon!” She shrieks, “You want me to fight Paragon? He’s only like the worlds greatest superhero and he wants to kill me!”

She starts floating slightly in the air and breathing heavily. She’s just a kid, really, and I’m asking her to do something way out of her comfort zone. But I know she’s more then just an insecure girl with wavering control over her powers. She has the potential to be a great hero and although she may not be there yet she will have to buckle down and pretend to be.

“Andy I trust you-,” I start. Our teammates have already begun fighting and Luke is walking our way. We need to hurry this up.

“Yah, yah you trust me. Great. But that doesn’t mean I’m ready for this,” she shouts back, her fists clenched.

“Let me finish. No, your not ready for this but I’ve always trusted you Andy. Now I’m asking you to trust me. I don’t expect you to beat Luke-er Paragon- but to hold him long enough for me to take care of business.”