Super Babes: A Superhero LitRPG Adventure Read online

  Usually ATLAS implants were reserved for military or government projects. A small handful were used on terminally ill patients as a last resort, people who had nothing left to lose. Even if the implants worked, they had to register with the government and stay on a watchlist for the rest of their lives.

  That is, unless you got an ATLAS implant on the black market, which is why Ryan had dug around to find Doctor Hope, someone who was known to look the other way.

  Doctor Hope continued. "You've never seen the reality, Ryan. I have. I've seen it with my own eyes. No matter how many tests we run, no matter how many trials, no matter how much research, there's only one way to know if an implant will power someone up. Unless you're already dying, it's not worth the risk. That's why they're strictly regulated."

  Doctor Hope settled back in his chair. "So you tell me, what's so important? Why do you want an ATLAS implant?"

  Ryan felt his words explode out of him. "Because somebody has to do something. The city is falling apart since the Trinity were taken down. Captain Alpha is in the hospital, dying of whatever the Fateful Five did to them, the Night Watchman is missing, and Heavenly Hawk has been captured and the people on Eisner Island are trapped. And pretty soon, the Five won't be satisfied with Eisner Island, and will take over the rest of the city."

  "You're right, Ryan. Someone does have to do something. What makes you think it has to be you?"

  "Because we need another superhero. The police aren't enough. Not even the Army. And none of the heroes in other cities can come to Eros to help." For some reason, Ryan came to the end. He had to say something. Might as well admit the truth.

  Ryan exhaled for a long time before he spoke again. "Look, when I was five years old, my parents were murdered. I was in my bedroom, and they were in theirs. Someone killed them, some thug trying to steal our TV, I guess. They never caught him. Whoever it was also tried to burn the house down. I would've died too, but a superhero saved me. Megaspectre got me out in time. Not the police. Not the fire department. A superhero."

  Ryan locked eyes with the doctor. "I learned two things from that day. One is that criminals are weak and pathetic fucks who'll kill a defenseless couple and burn a house down for a TV. They need to be stopped, and I wanna stop them, so no other kids have to wake up to find their dead parents. And the second thing I learned is that there aren't enough superheroes out there, especially at times like this. Every day, the superheroes are out there trying to do good, but people still get hurt and killed. They can't be everywhere."

  He leaned forward more. "That's why I want to get an ATLAS implant. Because I wanna help people. I tried to become a cop. Couldn't even complete the fitness requirements to get into the academy. I'm taking night classes to study criminology for forensic science. But if I can be a superhero, then that would take it to a whole other level."

  "There's lots of ways you can fight crime, Ryan. Become a security guard. Join a neighborhood watch." The doctor picked up his tablet and rose to his feet. "But the ATLAS implant? It's not going to happen. No reputable doctor will give you one, and I don't think you can afford to get one on the black market. Give it up, son."

  The doctor walked out, leaving Ryan staring at the tiled floor of the office. He knew he should be feeling anger and frustration, but he just felt a wave of exhaustion. He had failed, and the doctor was right. His dream would remain that, just a dream.

  He got up and walked out of the doctor's office.

  On the street, he joined the other citizens walking the sidewalks, headed for wherever they needed to go, seemingly oblivious to the loss of the Trinity. To Ryan, it was a constant reminder.

  Usually, Ryan kept one eye on the skies to catch a glimpse of Captain Alpha, Heavenly Hawk, or the Night Watchman flying through the clouds. Not today. The sky felt empty, even with clouds gathering on the horizon.

  Captain Alpha was the leader of the Trinity with the power to create force fields that he used to fly, move objects, and make himself invulnerable. He was one of the first superheroes, a test subject in the original experiment that invented the ATLAS implant. He also remained one of the most powerful.

  The Night Watchman had been around almost as long as Captain Alpha, but no one knew much about him. It was even a matter of debate if he had powers at all, because he used a high-tech suit of armor that had all sorts of weapons and gadgets to fight crime. He had partnered with Captain Alpha over the years, but only recently joined with him on a permanent basis.

  Heavenly Hawk had become a superhero only in the last five years, and joined the two heroes only recently, forming the Trinity. She had an ATLAS implant that gave her wings with super-strength and speed that let her fly, and heightened vision. She was also dating Captain Alpha, which made Ryan really jealous sometimes.

  He pulled out his phone to check the news on the website of the Eros City Chronicle. There were usually one or two stories about the latest exploits of the Trinity. Today, just a couple of articles about the police standoff in Eisner Island. They hadn't made much progress in taking back the island, but he wasn't surprised. With the bridges down, the police had to resort to aircraft to get onto the island, and the Five were able to see the helicopters coming and stop them. Even when the police managed to set foot on Eisner, the Fateful Five had an army of foot soldiers and robots to take them down.

  He still couldn't believe it. The Fateful Five had come out of nowhere, some of the deadliest supervillains Eros City had ever seen, and ones who had never worked together before.

  There was Speed Freak, a super-fast psychopath who had gotten an ATLAS implant on the black market and seemed driven by a desire to cause death and destruction more than money or power.

  He had fought alongside Poundcake, a grown woman whose ATLAS implant had left her with the mind and body of a child, but the strength to toss cars around like Frisbees.

  With them was Professor Puma and his sidekick, Alley Cat. Puma had once been a respected biologist who apparently went insane and experimented on himself to become half-feline. In contrast, Alley Cat had been a cat that he changed into a humanoid. Together, they tried to turn others into one of their own.

  The Five's leader seemed to be Earthmover who had the power to control and manipulate rocks. His power even extended to things made from rock like asphalt and cement, giving him devastating power. Yet he was also known as a criminal mastermind who had hatched plots that had almost destroyed Eros City in the past.

  The Fateful Five had proven to be an unstoppable combination.

  His phone rang. The caller ID showed it was his friend, Chuck. They had known each other since middle school and grew up together in Eros City, making him the closest thing Ryan had to a brother.

  When he answered, Chuck said, "Hey, it's already nine. You coming in to work?"

  Ryan worked as a pizza deliveryman during the day so he could take night classes. "Yeah. I just had to go to the doctor."

  "Ah come on, you weren't trying to get an implant, were ya?"

  Ryan winced. He had been too obvious. But he tried to sound defiant. "Nope, just thought I'd check if I caught anything from your Mom last night."

  He could hear Chuck laughing before coming back to the phone with a stern voice. "Very funny, asshole. Come on, bro, not this again."

  Ryan ran to cross a street before the light changed. "Look, everyone is acting like nothing happened. I can't. I can't stop thinking about the Trinity. The three biggest superheroes in Eros City, in the world, all gone?"

  "You mean you can't stop thinking about Heavenly Hawk."

  "Well, yeah, there's Heavenly Hawk." He couldn't lie about his crush on the beautiful heroine. He pulled up a wallpaper on his phone of her from a photo shoot in a Maxim a few years ago.

  She looked amazing, clad in a white costume that clung to the curves of her breasts and hips. Her two angelic wings spread behind her. Her long blonde hair flowed around her head like a halo, but her most incredible feature was her brilliant smile.

  "All r
ight, I admit it," he said. "I'm worried about her. But after what happened to my parents, why wouldn't I be? I remember what it felt like to be abandoned and alone, scared and helpless. I can't stop thinking about her. They say they're holding her for ransom, but is she still alive? Is she already dead? And where's the Night Watchman? But I also wonder what's happening to the people on the island. What are the Five doing to them, too?"

  "All good questions. What's that got to do with you? What, you think you're gonna sweep in and save the day? Do what all three of the greatest heroes in the city couldn't do?"

  Ryan scowled. "Maybe not. Is there a problem with trying?"

  "You're not a superhero, bro. And you know just like I do that the implant will probably kill you instead of give you powers. Just live your life and let the police handle it."

  Ryan stopped at an intersection. "Yeah, living my life. The life of a twenty-two year old guy delivering pizzas for a living? No girlfriend? No hope? Would I trade all that for the chance to become a superhero? Hell, yeah, I would."

  Chuck yelled. "That's crazy talk, man! You're young, dude. Once you finish college, you can get a better job with the police department, move out, get your own place. Why you wanna throw all that away? Especially with Dark Abyss of the Soul 5 coming out next month!"

  Ryan grinned. Chuck knew Dark Abyss was his favorite fantasy RPG. "I'm serious. It's not about a game. But yeah, that game looks pretty sweet."

  "And you get a level ten battle axe and helmet for pre-ordering. I wouldn't do the pre-order, though, seeing how you're trying to blow yourself up with an implant. Waste o' money."

  "You ever think maybe I won't blow up? That maybe I'll be in the thirty percent who has the right gene, survives the procedure, and ends up getting powers?"

  "Yeah, right. You might as well buy a lottery ticket. The odds are better. And less lethal."

  "Maybe I will, smartass. And I bet I'd win."

  "Good. If you do, cut me in, since it was my idea."

  His phone rang again. The screen showed the incoming call came from his grandfather. Ryan had lived with his grandfather since his parents died, and moved back in after his grandmother's death. "Hey, I gotta go. Grandpa's calling. I'll talk to you later. Say hi to your mother for me."

  "Yeah, later."

  He switched to the next call. "Hey, Grandpa."

  His grandfather's hoarse voice said, "Hey, son. You gone to work yet?"

  Ryan jogged across the street through Circle Gardens. "Uh, not yet. Had to stop by the doctor's office."

  "Dammit, you better not be buggin' them about one o' them ATLAS implants again."

  Ryan winced. How did his grandfather know? "No, I just think I'm coming down with something."

  "For your sake, I hope that's the truth. If I found out you actually got one o' those implants and didn't get yourself killed, I'd kill you myself. Your Mom and Dad made me promise to take care o' you, and that includes puttin' on tights and runnin' around like a maniac."

  Ryan headed for the bridge over Leiber River. "I know, Grandpa. Hey, what'd you need? I know you didn't call just to bust my chops."

  "Yeah, pick up some mushrooms on the way home--"

  A loud screech drowned out everything his grandfather said. A station wagon went screaming through the intersection, slammed into the side of the bridge and broke through.

  Ryan watched the car fall as if in slow motion. He could hear screaming as the station wagon plunged into the river. "Holy shit!"

  His grandfather snapped, "Watch your language! What's goin' on?"

  Ryan began to run. He dashed across the street, weaving through cars skidding to a halt and honking at him. "Sorry, Grandpa. But there's been an accident. Car fell in the Leiber. I gotta go help."

  "Ryan, don't you do it. Call 911--"

  Ryan hung up and dialed 911. He got nothing but hold music and a recording saying they would be with him shortly. He could see other people talking on their phones, so he hung up. Someone else had probably already called 911, and he was just tying up the lines.

  He ran across the street to the sidewalk, climbed the staircase leading up, and onto the bridge. A walkway led to the side of the bridge where he could look down into the churning water below.

  The car had landed in the river and slowly gave off clouds of bubbles as it sank. He could make out small and large fists pounding on the glass windows and the skylight, but none of them opened to let the passengers out. Screams rose, but getting more muffled.

  Other people lined up along the bridge next to him, yelling and screaming. Some sick bastards had their cell phones out, filming it like it was a show.

  "Somebody do something!" he yelled.

  "Like what?" somebody yelled back.

  "Yeah," another woman yelled, "you got a rope or something to pull that car out? You'd have to be Captain Alpha!"

  "Not lately. I heard he's dead."

  "He's not dead," Ryan yelled. "And somebody call the police!"

  One person yelled, "I already called the police."

  Ryan watched the car bobbing slowly below them. It seemed to be getting lower and lower. "They won't get here in time!"

  The front of the car tipped forward, spitting out more bubbles as it sank faster under the water.

  "I'm going in!" Ryan kicked off his shoes, dropped his cell phone into one of them for safekeeping, and climbed onto the railing.

  "Are you nuts?" somebody yelled. "You'll drown!"

  Some people grabbed at him, but he shrugged them off.

  He dove in.

  The cold water hit him like an electric shock, but he forced himself to keep going, swimming back to the surface. When he broke through, he saw he had landed a few feet away, and swam over to the station wagon.

  Now he could see people inside the car through the windows. It looked like a young Latina woman in the driver's seat, and two kids in the back. Both kids were toddlers and strapped into car seats. The woman frantically pounded on the driver's side window with one hand while trying to reach back and unbuckle the car seats with the other. She failed at both. The kids just kicked their legs and punched their tiny fists on the glass around them. Their screams barely carried through the water and the car.

  At the same time, the car continued to bob in the water. Only the top edge of the roof showed now, and it seemed like water poured in from the open edge of the windows, pulling it deeper.

  Ryan swam up to the driver's side window. He looked through at the woman who looked back with wide eyes.

  "Help me," she screamed. "Save my babies!"

  He held up a dripping wet thumb to try to encourage her. "I gotcha! Can you wind down the windows?"

  The woman shook her head. "It's not working!"

  The kids, a boy and a girl, screamed louder as they felt the water rising up to their waist. They looked almost the same age, and he wondered if they were twins.

  Ryan tried not to panic and think. He had read about how to break car windows when he studied unsuccessfully to become a firefighter. The front and rear windows were the strongest. The weakest windows were the driver's side and passenger windows. Likewise, the center of the windows were the strongest. The weakest point was on the edges of the side window. He just needed something to break it with.

  He took a deep breath before plunging under the water.

  His eyes burned from the murky water but he kept swimming down into the darkening river until he reached the river bed. He dug through the loose silt until he felt something hard. A rock. It would have to do.

  Ryan swam back up the surface and bashed the rock up against the side window's edge.

  Not a scratch.

  He banged it against the window again.

  The window shattered. Water gushed into the inside of the car, and the van began to sink faster.

  The woman climbed out of the driver's seat and furiously tore at the belts holding her little boy behind her. "Come on, Jeff. Let's go."

  The girl screamed, "Mommy!"

&
nbsp; She unbuckled the boy and began to fumble for the girl's car seat. Her boy kept slipping out of her arm and she had to grab him before she scrabbled at the girl's seat again.

  He could hear sirens on the bridge above him. When he looked up, police officers and firefighters looked back down. Someone was setting up ropes, but they wouldn't be down in time. The car had almost gone under.

  Ryan patted the woman's back. "Go! I'll get her!"

  The mother looked at him, looked at the girl, looked at the boy, and finally blurted, "Please save my little girl."

  "I will. I promise." He meant it. He would save the girl or die trying.

  He waited until the woman splashed out of the broken window, and squeezed through into the car. The water had risen to the little girl's neck, and her squealing was piercing inside the car. It came up to his shoulders. He didn't have much longer.

  "It's okay," he said as he plunged his hands under the water. "I got you."

  He couldn't see the button to release the straps around the girl's chest because of the muddy water, but he could feel it. He pushed the button that was supposed to release the buckles again and again. It wouldn't budge.

  He gritted his teeth while pushing again and again until he gave up. He couldn't get the seatbelt off the child seat.

  The girl whimpered as the water rolled at her chin.

  He held up his hands. "It's okay, it's okay."

  He didn't have a choice. He'd have to take the whole seat.

  He dipped his hands into the water again, feeling along the waterlogged seat until he felt the seatbelt holding down the child seat. He pushed the button on it, and felt relief as it came free.

  Now all he had to was get the car seat out.

  The water had risen above the girl's chin. He grunted as he lifted the child seat from the car seat, and the little girl coughed out water. Ryan wasn't a strong guy to begin with, and the seat felt like it weighed fifty pounds and he had to lift it to carry it through the small car window.