The Metahuman Agency: The Superhuman War

Night Raid

Jason squatted on the floor, listening. He didn't hear anything for a few moments. The house was eerily quiet. The only sound outside was the faint chirping of crickets. It was if the world was holding its breath and waiting.

Then Jason glimpsed a dark shape moving past the window. He instantly hit the deck, flattening himself against the kitchen floor. A beam of light cut through the window, swiveling through the kitchen. It carefully moved over the kitchen cabinets, the sink, it's beam slowly and agonizingly moving over Jason. Jason didn't dare move. He hardly even breathed.

The light moved back and forth across the kitchen several times. Finally, it pulled back and the shape, which Jason guessed was a mercenary, moved away from the window. Everything went quiet again. For a moment, Jason dared to believe the squad of soldiers might leave. But that was a fleeting hope he slapped away. They weren't that stupid nor would they give up so easily.

Jason didn't rise after the shape disappeared from the window. Instead, he began to crawl across the kitchen floor, skittering across the kitchen toward the outside hallway.

He peeked around the bend of the kitchen door. He carefully looked down the hallway, toward the door at the other end. There was silence again, but Jason thought he heard a very faint 'bump' behind the door. He tensed himself and stayed where he was, pulling back ever so slight but keeping a sliver of his head out.

Then an object poked underneath the door frame. It was a tactical pole camera. Jason flinced at the sight of it. It swiveled around, the tiny camera mounted on the end of the camera moving back and forth. Jason ducked behind the door as it twisted in his direction. He pressed himself against the side of the door and took a sharp breath. He mentally counted down from ten, then slowly poked his head out again.

The camera was thankfully facing away from him. It then withdrew under the door, disappearing like a serpent. Jason sighed in relief and tensed up again. The assholes had gotten a good lay of the land and probably hadn't seen him. Which meant they thought the coast was clear. He'd give them 'clear'. Clear right to the fucking face.

Another moment of silence went by. Then a gunshot rang out. The hinges of the door exploded. Another gunshot. Another hinge was blown apart. The door was kicked down and fell into the hallway. Jason watched as he saw six mercenaries assembled on the front porch outside. Two of them pointed their guns down the hallway, one pointing his gun up while the other looked forward.

Jason quickly ducked back into the kitchen. The floorboards creaked in the hallway as the men slowly moved forward. They still hadn't spotted him. Jason grinned ruefully. Come on in then. Coast is clear... His heart beat fast. He was nervous. But at the same time, excited. It was an odd feeling, to be scared and thrilled at the same time. He didn't know quite why he was feeling such a thing, especially now. But if it kept him from pissing himself, so be it.

What to do? Jason thought, as the footsteps came closer. He couldn't just charge them all. Or he could but this was a confined space. He'd get gunned down in seconds. And besides, he could risk James or Madeline getting caught in the inventible firefight. There had to be a way thought...there always was!

Come on, think, Jason thought, the floorboards creaking louder as the footsteps got closer. He could see the shadow of a mercenary around the bend, slipping slowly toward the half-open kitchen door. I've got surprise on my side...what can I do?

The end of the mercenary's machine gun came into view. It glinted in the dull light. It aimed through the kitchen door. More mercernary footsteps closed in behind it. The leader halted. Jason swallowed, holding his breath.