A Hero's Song (Darkest Secrets Volume 1)

Chapter 31 - Assassin

 "So, none of the other Sentinels saw Grizzly's message?" Gabriel asked as he finished downloading the tracking beacon's signatures. He began fastening one of Dr. Atomic's teleportation crystals between his antigrav generator and armor at the small of his back.

"Those communications are designed to reach only the Spire, like the tracking locations. Otherwise, we could have enemies interfering with our transmissions. She chose to use the secure line because she was certain someone would intercept it through usual channels. Even so, there was more distortion in that call than should have been possible."

Dr. Atomic was frantically adjusting the settings on his teleporter. For long-distance jumps, it had to be calibrated precisely to the dimensions of the teleportee. The plan was to get Gabriel onto the Orbital transport once it landed to warn the Shield. He had been the guinea pig enough times in his life to relax and start loosening up, watching the disheveled man move faster and faster.

He felt ready, but something nagged at him. "Why couldn't I call my team, though? They could take another Drop Transport."

The doctor stopped fiddling with the console. "Because I need the Spear here in case I have to respond to multiple incidents while the Shield is away. You wouldn't want them along anyway."

"But we trained for this. Just be frank with me, please."

"Roz, the fine-tuning will take a bit longer than expected. If you would be so kind, please brief Gabriel on plan F."

The AI popped into existence between the two men. Instead of her usual flowing dress, the hologram wore a set of ancient armor more fitting for the situation. "Grizzly was in trouble, and Miss Liberty is dead - even with Lady Justice and Rescue there. For that to happen this early in the mission, someone incredibly powerful must be present. As you heard before, a potential Reality Bender isn't out of the question."

"But why send me? This plan is yours, right Roz? What is so special about me?"

Roz smiled sadly. "I wish I could say it was because you are the best Hero for the job, but that's not it at all. After carefully monitoring your progress the last week, we have seen a shift in your combat style indicative of someone developing a new skill - teamwork. We've looked into the exact nature of your training from the reports we managed to retrieve from Iodine's secret databanks before they were wiped."

Gabriel had a good idea of what she was about to say next.

"Even at three years old - officially speaking - you've logged more hours training than most Academy students. You should have performed better than you did in simulations. What we found on Iodine's servers was eye-opening. You never trained to be a Hero, did you?

You're a trained assassin."

Clenching his jaw, Gabriel narrowed his eyes. "So what if I am?"

Roz made a calming gesture with her hand, but Dr. Atomic cut in to answer. "At first, I was against continuing your mentorship with the Shield, but Zero vouched for you, and before we met, I spoke with your old guardian - James. I couldn't fault you only based on your upbringing. We hold no judgment against your background."

When Gabriel's brow unfurrowed, Roz continued. "To be blunt, this plan doesn't require a Hero. What we need now is a killer, someone who won't hesitate to take the shot - at any cost."

The words sank in slowly while a rush of past pains and moral doubts flooded Gabriel's mind. They were right. As much as he hated to admit it, every simulation with the Sentinels had been a learning exercise. He had never trained to work in a team, he had tried his best to follow instructions, but they'd still noticed something was off.