Megamatrix Hero Within by Phil Hester, Jon S. Lewis, Shannon Eric Denton, Jake Bell Page B
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indicated the feeling was most likely sorrow. In his final seconds, Android 7 reviewed 17,394 images of his former teammates and recalled the memories attached. Could it be possible these were the “happy” memories his human counterparts had told him about? He queried his central processor, but received no response before it shut down for good.
Technein stepped outside the front door of the Global Defenders' headquarters, though he could have simply climbed over the fallen walls. With a smile, he licked his lips and gazed on the city that was now his for the taking.
Napalm followed him, handing his boss the lifeless head of their last enemy, as wires hung from Android 7’s severed neck. "What's the plan now?"
"Now?" Technein answered. "Now, you and those jerks tear this place apart until there’s nothing left. I have a big day ahead of me, so I think I'm going to get some sleep."
"Where are you going?" Napalm asked. "The penthouse or the place out in the suburbs?"
"I was thinking the mayor's mansion probably has a really comfy bed. I don’t think he’ll mind if I borrow it, do you?”
CHAPTER 2
Fletcher Bolt threw his shoulder into the small of his brother’s back, knocking Josh through the front door of the barbecue restaurant. He got the wind knocked out of him and nearly chipped a tooth, but it was better than the alternative.
A car fell from the sky and smashed into the sidewalk where they had been standing just seconds before.
“Hey, you kids, get out of here,” the owner’s wife shouted from behind the counter. “No loitering!”
“Give us a minute,” Fletcher barked. “They’re throwing cars out there.”
“You want to hide in here, you’re gonna have to buy something,” the large, loud woman insisted. “I know you ain’t got no money, so get out!”
Fletcher shared a frustrated look with Josh as they picked themselves up off the floor.
“Come on,” Josh said, pointing at the plate glass window with BAR-B-Q painted on it. “It’s not like we’re going to be any safer behind that. If they throw another car this way, we’ll get crushed and sliced to ribbons.”
“Thanks for nothing,” Fletcher snarled as the boys bolted outside.
“You’re lucky you didn’t break my door!” she screamed after them.
The street was quiet, and that wasn’t a good thing. When there was noise, you knew where to watch out.
“Get to Miguel’s,” Fletcher hollered. “We’ll hide in their basement until it’s clear.”
Of course, Josh didn’t need to hear his brother’s orders. Hiding in Miguel’s basement was where they always went when chaos broke out, and lately it was chaotic all the time. Their mom liked to stare out the window during times like these and tell them about what life was like before the supervillains won.
The way she told it, people used to go outside after dark, and there was money to buy needless things like books and silver discs with movies on them. She even said Fletcher used to have some toys when he was little, but he didn’t remember them. He was only four when Technein destroyed the Global Defenders. Josh wasn’t out of diapers yet. In the thirteen years since, neither one of them had anything like the world their mom described.
As the boys raced down the cracked sidewalk, they looked for whoever had thrown the car – not that it mattered. There was no end to the amount of superpowered jerks who fought with each other over what usually amounted to nothing much.
Josh got to Miguel’s house first and pounded on the door. By the time Fletcher got there, Miguel’s mom had unfastened all the locks. “What are you doing out there?” she asked as the door swung open.
They made their way down the steps with the clatter of latching locks behind them. Miguel was already there, standing on a chair as he peered out a window at street level. “Here it comes,” he announced. “Mom, get down here!”
The building shook as something exploded outside. She
Technein stepped outside the front door of the Global Defenders' headquarters, though he could have simply climbed over the fallen walls. With a smile, he licked his lips and gazed on the city that was now his for the taking.
Napalm followed him, handing his boss the lifeless head of their last enemy, as wires hung from Android 7’s severed neck. "What's the plan now?"
"Now?" Technein answered. "Now, you and those jerks tear this place apart until there’s nothing left. I have a big day ahead of me, so I think I'm going to get some sleep."
"Where are you going?" Napalm asked. "The penthouse or the place out in the suburbs?"
"I was thinking the mayor's mansion probably has a really comfy bed. I don’t think he’ll mind if I borrow it, do you?”
CHAPTER 2
Fletcher Bolt threw his shoulder into the small of his brother’s back, knocking Josh through the front door of the barbecue restaurant. He got the wind knocked out of him and nearly chipped a tooth, but it was better than the alternative.
A car fell from the sky and smashed into the sidewalk where they had been standing just seconds before.
“Hey, you kids, get out of here,” the owner’s wife shouted from behind the counter. “No loitering!”
“Give us a minute,” Fletcher barked. “They’re throwing cars out there.”
“You want to hide in here, you’re gonna have to buy something,” the large, loud woman insisted. “I know you ain’t got no money, so get out!”
Fletcher shared a frustrated look with Josh as they picked themselves up off the floor.
“Come on,” Josh said, pointing at the plate glass window with BAR-B-Q painted on it. “It’s not like we’re going to be any safer behind that. If they throw another car this way, we’ll get crushed and sliced to ribbons.”
“Thanks for nothing,” Fletcher snarled as the boys bolted outside.
“You’re lucky you didn’t break my door!” she screamed after them.
The street was quiet, and that wasn’t a good thing. When there was noise, you knew where to watch out.
“Get to Miguel’s,” Fletcher hollered. “We’ll hide in their basement until it’s clear.”
Of course, Josh didn’t need to hear his brother’s orders. Hiding in Miguel’s basement was where they always went when chaos broke out, and lately it was chaotic all the time. Their mom liked to stare out the window during times like these and tell them about what life was like before the supervillains won.
The way she told it, people used to go outside after dark, and there was money to buy needless things like books and silver discs with movies on them. She even said Fletcher used to have some toys when he was little, but he didn’t remember them. He was only four when Technein destroyed the Global Defenders. Josh wasn’t out of diapers yet. In the thirteen years since, neither one of them had anything like the world their mom described.
As the boys raced down the cracked sidewalk, they looked for whoever had thrown the car – not that it mattered. There was no end to the amount of superpowered jerks who fought with each other over what usually amounted to nothing much.
Josh got to Miguel’s house first and pounded on the door. By the time Fletcher got there, Miguel’s mom had unfastened all the locks. “What are you doing out there?” she asked as the door swung open.
They made their way down the steps with the clatter of latching locks behind them. Miguel was already there, standing on a chair as he peered out a window at street level. “Here it comes,” he announced. “Mom, get down here!”
The building shook as something exploded outside. She
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