A Perfectly Logical Guide to a Superhuman Apocalypse: 60

A Perfectly Logical Guide to a Superhuman Apocalypse: 60

…

Wordcount: 2500

Commissioned by Arksoul

…

“Hey, Qin, question.”

“Ask your question, Egress.”

“How the hell did you train your kid?”

“With great thoroughness.” Qin looked upon the disaster zone we’d arrived at with pride apparent all over her features. Anderson was tending to her troops sent to stop Bao. No one was dead, but there were plenty of bruised egos around.  This was the last place we’d heard from Anderson’s people who went out to stop Bao. They’d gone into a small forest, and now there was only upturned mud, broken trees, and shattered power armor. “I intended for her to succeed me, but the world fell apart, so she cannot simply take up my contracts.”

“That’s one way to make sure your kid gets your job, I guess.” Personally, I had a kid, I’d put them through college while training them in their powers. I’d rather they have a steady job and safety than have to risk their lives. Although, I there was also the fact that there was no way a kid of mine would need to work. I just had that much at my disposal, given how hard I worked when I could.  “I don’t see any signs of them using their weapon.”

“Bao’s Donor weapon looks like what we use, but it is a wholly different make. It is meant to defeat whatever she could not.” An ace in the hole when the going gets tough. Smart. However, given the fact that the ace-in-the-hole in question wasn’t used against a bunch of power-armored soldiers and the one holding it hadn’t been scratched… I had to raise an eyebrow. Qin saw and sighed. “It’s capable of outputting a truly massive amount of firepower. Enough to core the whole ship at our disposal. China is quite the dangerous place now, Egress.”

“So, you decide that giving someone barely past ten years old the ability to blow through several city blocks? I mean, I understand that you’re being protective, but that’s a bit much.”

“You wouldn’t understand until you have a child of your own. No matter how strong or capable they are, Egress, you won’t rest easy unless you know that they are as safe as you can make them.” Qin responded, and I found that I couldn’t fault her. If I had a kid and they were alive right now, with all the crazy bullshit that was in every corner of the world, yeah… I think I’d arm them with a gun that can bust through city blocks.

Of course, Qin could just be using that to justify handing a big fucking gun to someone not even old enough to drink, but I’m a sap who buys into emotional manipulation too easily, anyway.

Anderson came up to us after checking up on her men.

“No major injuries. Nothing seriously damaged armor-wise, too. With her strength, you were gravely irresponsible allowing her to wander freely, Qin.” And, of course, Anderson had a stick so far up her ass that she can blame a parent for training their kid extremely well. Lady, none of your guys are dead and all their equipment can be repaired. That’s about as good as a loss as you can get these days. Personally, I’d have stripped them clean of anything valuable and sent them away naked to the nearest town. These guys probably still have their wallets. “If anyone else engaged her, she’d be killed. It’s a testament to these men’s training that they stayed nonlethal after she engaged them.”

“I apologize on my daughter’s behalf. Rest assured that I will facilitate restitution for the suffering enduring by your soldiers.” Qin bowed to Anderson with ease, and the self-proclaimed messiah nodded with grace and humility. Wow. Qin’s really got Anderson wrapped around her fingers. “I hope that you will continue to help us track her down. The sooner she is back with us, the sooner we can return her home.”

Anderson nodded and completely dropped the issue of her men getting bodied.

Y’know that Qin will probably pay off your men behind your back, so that they’ll just accept an apology from her, right?

You could literally secure a favorable trade deal with her with me as a third party by citing this.

Hm.

Should I help my crazy ex get stuff for her people, or should I say nothing and just let Qin have the run of the situation?

Easy decision.

I’ll have Qin pay me to keep quiet, later.

Anderson put a hand to her ear.

“Listening to a higher power?”

“Shut up, Egress.”

“I’ve heard word that Bao has been sighted in a town two days away on foot.” Anderson reported and looked to Qin. “That’s your ability?”

“Clancy’s strength combined with my speed, yes. She can use the two in conjunction, she can simulate a form of flight close to the ground.” Qin had a trick where she put her power into high gear just as she launched herself at an enemy. By ducking low while she did it, below most people’s line of sight, she also looked like she disappeared. It was a neat trick, unless you kept your eyes on her feet and knew that she could only do it a straight line without busting her ankles. Guess with the added durability from Clancy and the increased strength, her daughter could pull of something a lot more fearsome. An assassin that could air dash through a building. Neat. “She trained it in secret, while gathering supplies with her allowance, and soon enough she escaped before I could notice… not that I would’ve been able to intercept her. Right, now, I believe only Egress has the chance.”

“Maelstrom can do it no problem, but that’ll probably cause a lot of property damage.” Maelstrom’s power didn’t come with consideration for her surroundings. If she flew as fast as she could, then her wake would smash apart buildings if she flew too close at her max speed. That’s why she had to go high up in the air before traversing anywhere, and as amazing as she was, she wasn’t exactly capable of picking someone up from near-orbit while flying faster than anyone else. “So, you can’t afford her even for free, Qin.”

“As you’ve made it abundantly clear.” Qin grumbled and shook her head. My hypothetical trade routes into China for culinary ingredients and delights was looking better and better. Apparently, enough people survived there that they had no issues producing clothes and shoes to a similar standard back before shit went down. I’m going to make a killing before international trade comes back online. “Anderson, do you need your men sent to your capital, before we continue to pursue?”

“That would be appreciated.”

“Egress, if you would.”

“Well, can’t fault you for getting your money’s worth.”

I obliged and got the battered force to the capital, before going back on the pursuit of Qin’s daughter.

Hm.

I think this is the first ‘weird’ job I’ve had in a while without Parvati hanging over my shoulder.

Honestly, it felt weird to not have the AI around, but it didn’t have satellite coverage over the area and Anderson wasn’t about to allow it to send out drones all over the place to find one superhuman.

So, I was just with my ex and my former mercenary buddy.

Kinda missed the slightly-sociopathic, but morally idealistic quadrotor buddy that I had around.

Wouldn’t actually ask it to come along just because, thought.

That’d be very unprofessional.

…

I had to admit that the average small town in Anderson’s budding theocracy was in good shape.

“Looks like your people are pretty well off.” Most folks wore clothes straight out of the antebellum south, because they were back to producing cotton. However, there weren’t slaves or even migrants in the workers. With the ability to mass-produce power-armor, of course Anderson’s people could create robots for that task and many others. They were the quadrupedal robot designs the US came up with, but with limbs for picking on one side and baskets on the other. Different attachments let the robot-dogs work without issue. “How are you planning on shipping all of it?”

“The Mississippi and other rivers, as well as along the coastline. We’re rebuilding most of it now, and will continue as we progress.” I’d offered Anderson my services, but she declined… and I couldn’t say that she was wrong about that. Her stuff was in bulk, and I charged a lot for instant shipping. It makes sense for spices and premium food and goods, but not for metric tons of cotton and grain. “We are also making headway towards returning to the skies using older designs.”

“Older designs that can handle power armor, huh? You’ll need DC 3’s at least, but it should be doable.” Anderson idly nodded at my words, while we walked towards the local barracks of the small town. People gave us wide berth here. Some people knelt and began to pray. Qin looked fine in her suit, and Anderson was giving off divine vibes just fine in her full regalia and pure white wings. Meanwhile, I felt out of place in camo, personal body armor, and a facemask stuffed to the gills with gadgets. Did I feel out of place enough to go change? Absolutely not. “Parvati has some robust transport designs that carry its heavier units around. Barely uses them since it can afford me, though.”

Anderson gave me an odd look at my suggestion.

“You refused to join me when I asked you to help.” It was a statement. Cold and controlled. She didn’t want to say anymore. “Why provide advice?”

“Well, you’re doing good work. Not good enough for me to help you, since you’re still making a theocracy around superhumans, but it’s still good.” I preferred Maelstrom’s style. Sure, it needed Maelstrom around to lay down the law, but everyone was equally free under her rule. Here, people without powers were effectively serfs. Serfs with good and secure lives, but still serfs. Not only that, but while Maelstrom’s system had one tyrant, Anderson’s had a whole system of tyranny that’ll perpetuate and be used to further ends later. Both are decent for the current times, and terrible compared to the past, but I just preferred Maelstrom’s system more, even if it relied on a benevolent tyrant with the ability to punch through the planet. Oh, and Maelstrom let criminals reform and didn’t execute them as heretics and/or demons. “And, you’ll need someone to bring those transports to you anyway, so I’ll get my cut of the deal.”

Anderson’s brow furrowed, and she looked like she wanted to say something, but Qin interrupted our conversation by suddenly looking off in the distance.

“There.” Qin pointed in a direction and we glimpsed a figure in the horizon zipping just above tree level and falling, only to return to the air with another leap. Bao was performing running sprints and covering whole miles with each one. I did the math. If she could manage an hour or so of sprints, take a break and refuel, and get back to it… then she’d be able to traverse most of the continent within a few days. Clancy and Qin’s powers combined was no joke. “Egress!”

“Right, intercepting. Are you both ready?” I put hands on both their shoulders and asked the question.

“Yes!”

“I am ready.”

With affirmatives from the two, I willed the three of us on an intercept… right as Qin’s daughter was about to land.

Qin engaged with her usual ruthlessness, engaging her power and becoming little more than a blur, while Anderson took a moment to spool up her power armor and surge forward with the crackle of electricity filling the air in an instant.

They were both too slow.

Qin went flying back just a second after going into her speed state, while Anderson was stopped handily, despite being in over three tons of power armor along with her own immense strength and durability.

I made a split second decision to retrieve Qin and put her back in the fight.

Placing myself in front of her speeding form, the moment I touched her, she let go of her power and returned to normal… and went bursting back in the moment we returned.

Then, it was Anderson’s turn to go flying, but for a second… my eyes met with Bao’s.

She should’ve just been ten, but whatever Qin did to her made her look closer to twenty. She had a lanky and wiry build beneath what looked like traditional martial artist garb with a red top and black pants. Over her shoulder was the Donor Weapon that Qin gave her, but besides that she was only using her fists… which were coated in the same shell that Qin used to speed up.

Clancy’s strength and durability combined with Qin’s speed controlled with pinpoint precision.

Yeah.

I could see how Qin wasn’t able to deal with her.

I caught Anderson and Qin again and took them away from the fight.

“Yeah, the two of you can’t deal with her… so you both know what’s going to happen.” Qin’s brow furrowed and Anderson glared at me, but I just crossed my arms as Bao landed right in front of the three of us… and took her Donor Weapon of her back. “This is worth a full trade deal from the both of you, at least.”

“Fine.” Anderson spat. “Get her out of my territory, Egress.”

“Done. You’ll get what you earn, Egress.” Qin sighed and shook her head, before directing words over at Bao. She spoke to her in Mandarin, and I knew it well enough to get what she was saying. “You have bested me daughter, but today you learn why I believe you need more training.”

Bao glared, got for me to reach for her, and I didn’t hesitate to send her straight up into the atmosphere.

Yeah, kiddo.

I made you think I needed to touch people to send them where I want on purpose.

Qin sighed, and Anderson looked straight up, while I took the kid’s weapon away and gave it to Qin to make safe.

“So, how long will I need to keep her falling until she doesn’t try anything stupid?”

“An hour, at the very least.” Qin answered honestly and shook her head. “Take us back to Clancy, so we can settle this matter swiftly once she’s reasonable.”

“What the customer says goes!”

“You’d have more customers, Egress, if you weren’t so insufferable.”