“If my calculations are correct… The meltdown of that reactor could wipe out over half of New Elysium City.” Those words held so much weight alone, but as Giovanni turned the computer screen around and showed a demonstration of what the explosion would look like… that was when the true weight hit everyone. “It would reach in a radius so big that it hits all of our neighborhoods.”
All they’d wanted to do was analyze the data that Walter had downloaded from Praxis. He hadn’t even combed through half of it before he discovered the giant reactor that they’d developed and planned on trying to introduce. It could power half of NEC all on its own, a feat that seemed completely impossible. Though Martina Kilgrove had not only discovered a way to do it, she’d spent the last six years inventing the very thing to do it. With plans of expanding and putting at least one of those reactors in every large city throughout not just North America, but all over the world.
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It was Walter that had realized something strikingly similar to the large reactor. “That’s the exact same blueprints she had for the reactor that powers my suit.” His face said it all, but his next words really nailed the gravity of the situation. “Scaled up by over a thousand times as the one I stole.” He rubbed over his face, like he was trying to just rub the whole realization away. “That damned thing shot Tate and I back nearly two hundred feet apart before it sent us hurtling into the water, and you mean to tell me she made one on a megaton scale?!”
No one had handcuffed him again. They simply let him traipse around the place as he wished. There was no chance of him getting away, not when Gio had the control switch for his suit turned off. In a room with four highly trained, mixed martial arts masters and three being superpowered, Walter knew he had no chance of actually escaping — even if he wanted. Which, surprisingly, he didn’t. He wanted to help his children, make it out of this alive, and go back to prison to finish serving his sentence. Even if that wound up being eight lifetimes this time, perhaps his helping out could get him back into the good graces of his children and allow him a connection to his family again.
“That has to be his plan. Cause a meltdown and let it destroy the city. My God, it would be the largest scale terrorist attack to ever take place on American soil.” Walter continued to be the only one jabbering on. Everyone else stared in silence as they continued to watch the simulation on the computer loop over and over. Stunned at what exactly they were seeing. “There has to be some way we can warn people, to start an evacuation, even. Maybe, if the police get involved, they could slow down The Silent.” Walter laughed at his own suggestion. “Nevermind, even I don’t believe that. They’re worthless.”
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“I have connections.” Giovanni finally interjected. “Someone I trust that would believe Sentinel’s warnings, and would have the pull to start an evacuation.”
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“Even if I absorbed all of that energy and managed to stop the explosion from happening, I would still overload. The surge would be… catastrophic.” Tate gripped the back of his neck with both of his hands, sucking in a sharp breath as he tried to picture how big of an explosion that would still be. Tana reached over and grabbed his bicep, giving it a squeeze.
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“You won’t have to do it alone.” She smiled at her brother, knowing that the two of them could handle it together easily. Tate looked over and smiled back, nodding his head at her.
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“That’s not our only problem.” Gio spoke up again, turning the computer screen back around and typing quickly. “The meltdown will cause earthquakes. Or simulated ones, at least. Praxis Industries will cave in on itself and before the explosion there would be five blocks that could be swallowed entirely by a sinkhole this thing could cause.” He turned the screen back around again, showing exactly what he meant. “That would happen within the first twenty minutes of it melting down. Which means we would have less than that to stop the meltdown and… save New Elysium City.”
He showed them how it appeared the main reactor could be brought above ground right in the plaza of the Praxis Industries skyscraper. It would rise above the ground whenever it was activated. The thing was currently only powering the Praxis building, but it could power all of the surrounding neighborhoods easily. What was more terrifying? They had no idea when exactly U-Jin would launch the attack and start the meltdown. The news was already reporting on how Leviathan came flying out of the skyscraper with some other flying person behind him, only to have them launched back into the building by a giant blue energy blast. Videos of it had been going viral. The police were trying to investigate, but it seemed that Martina had gotten on her private jet and left the US. Smart, since she was trying to save her own life.
Everyone sprang into action after that. Nia went searching for anyone to help, managing to get in contact with a few people from the dojo that Isaiah had helped into a life of vigilantism. They would assist in evacuating and keeping The Silent busy. Tate and Tana both left to get as much rest as they could, simply because they were both about to strain their bodies past their limits. Walter went off to do whatever Walter did. Trying to gather up any weapons and other things he had stashed away in places that hadn’t been confiscated by the police yet. Gio, however, went home. Rushing past any of the press that was propped up outside waiting for him, going straight to the penthouse, and trying to make it back to his lab. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to make it quite that far as he was stopped by his father.
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Alessandro was a good man. Hardworking, caring in his own way, and everything he ever did was for the future of his son. Giovanni would never really have to work a single day in his life, if he were to choose that. Only because his father had made sure to secure his future success already. He still supported his son and wanted him to pick his own path, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t have his own opinion on that path. It was clear, as Gio was cut off by the man only an inch taller than him, just how concerned his father was.
“The coach called me, figlio mio.” The thick Italian accent came through with every word he spoke. Gio could tell that this was an incoming lecture, one that he nor anyone else had time for. If his football coach had called his father then the man was no doubt panicked about his star player’s disappearance. “You have missed every practice for three weeks now. The scouts are not going to pick you if you continue this.” His father motioned to all of him, frowning intensely.
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“Dad, I-” Gio started, letting out a sigh. Though his father interrupted him.
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“You are still upset over things that happened with Isaiah, I know. The responsibility has fully fallen onto your shoulders, but you must consider your future.” Alessandro reached out and touched his son’s chest. “The NFL is very serious. I don’t want you to ruin your own future before you get a chance to really indulge in it.”
Gio wasn’t sure what to say. He’d spent so long doing things to try and please his parents, to try and please others, that he hadn’t even taken the time to sit down and piece out that football wasn’t important to him. It was the last thing on his mind, especially when so many lives were currently in his hands. Clenching his jaw for a moment before he smiled, Gio tried to remain calm. Having to look away from his father afterwards. It had been Isaiah nearly dying that had opened Gio’s eyes. He didn’t want to spend the rest of his life living multiple lives. Football was not only trivial, it was worthless.
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“Babbo, listen.” Gio took in a long breath, letting it out slowly as he looked back at his father. “This is something I have to do. I can’t stop now, okay? I’ll go talk to Coach Keener on Monday.” He reached out and patted the taller man’s shoulder, looking into his hazel eyes as they scanned his face. “But… until then, I need you and mamma to leave immediately. Go back to Italia and spend the weekend there.”
The change in his father’s face was stark and quick. He was shocked at what his son was telling him to do, especially since Gio knew he couldn’t just pack up and leave the company in the middle of a heated deal they were trying to close. “You’ll see things on the news, but don’t worry. We’ll stop it.” He gave his father a hug, hanging on for just a few lingering moments, before letting go and blasting past him to get to his lab.
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Doing exactly as he said he would, Gio quickly began gathering gear while making a phone call. The police commissioner had enough pull to get the outcome they needed. He was shocked to be getting a call from Sentinel, but heeded the warning. Gio sent over the catastrophic simulation that he’d made from his calculations, along with copies of the data that Walter had stolen. It was enough evidence to begin evacuations around the Praxis Industries building, which no doubt would alert U-Jin and Warmonger.
According to the commissioner, it seemed as if shortly after Martina fled the country that an almost militant force had taken over Praxis Industries. Private security, but they were outfitted like they were a small army. They were fighting back against The Silent as much as they could, but the police were also being targeted by them. That meant anyone else was also probably going to be attacked, which left the team fighting at least two opposing forces. He didn’t bother to mention that Leviathan was working with them. If he did he knew that it could cause an issue, especially since Sentinel hadn’t turned him in yet. The last thing Gio needed right now was losing the police commissioner as an ally.
He didn’t wait around to make sure his parents actually left, but noticed their bags were sitting by the door as he left again himself. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe they could stop this from happening, but it was a selfish instinct. Even if he died at Praxis, he wanted his parents to at least be safe. No one else’s families were going to be whisked away to safety, no one else had the means to do it, but at least someone would get out of NEC. If he did live through this then Gio knew one thing for certain, he was going to quit fucking playing football. Next would be to retire Sentinel, but that would take a bit longer since he would need to find a worthy replacement.
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By the time everyone met back up, getting past the police line was the hardest part. Three blocks back in a radius from the Praxis skyscraper. Sentinel was allowed to just walk in, but everyone else had to sneak past the heavily armed SWAT in all their riot gear. Seeing the streets so empty in such a high traffic area was unusual, but it meant less people that may be harmed. There was no way that every single person had been evacuated. The shelters and evacuation locations would have been completely filled past capacity if that was the case and according to police chatter they weren’t.
With the location just a block away from Praxis Industries chosen as the meeting point, Nia was the first to arrive. Tate and Tana arrived shortly after Gio, all wearing their suits and geared up. It took several minutes for Walter to arrive, crashing down heavily with what looked like a completely new exo-suit. Heavier, obviously, and with more weapons attached. The faceplate for his helmet slid backwards, revealing him while still keeping the rest of his head covered. He grinned at them all, apologizing for his late arrival. He’d just wanted to make a grand entrance, and feed his ego, which seemed to be working as everyone gawked at his upgrades. It left Tate obviously unimpressed.
The plan was to head straight for the plaza and fight their way in. They would cover Tate and Tana to make sure they made it to the reactor. If they could get there before the meltdown even started then that was ideal. Knowing U-Jin, as Walter did, he suspected that he would wait until they were all present before launching the meltdown. He could have taken over Walter already and killed him several times over, but that was too simple. U-Jin was much like his cousin, he loved to cause a scene. Warmonger was going to complete one of her goals, which was to wipe New Elysium City off the map — or at least, part of it. She would, no doubt, launch the world into a third world war if she survived this and succeeded at blowing the reactor. There was no telling how she would spin it, but she would pit the world against all supers.
Walter himself had other plans, of course. Trying to make his role in the whole thing far more important than it truly was. He extended the wings of his exo-suit, turning around and getting ready to take off with a smirk on his face. Tate, however, grabbed his shoulder and yanked him backwards. Stopping him from igniting his jetpack and nearly knocking him off balance entirely. Gripping his chest plate with one hand and wagging a finger in his face with the other; glaring angrily at his father and getting ready to lecture him like he was a child.
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“Stick to the plan or so help me, Walter.” He practically growled out, brows furrowed together harshly. “You don’t get to play hero and think it makes up for all the shit you’ve done. Nothing will ever fix everything that you’ve broken, do you fucking understand?”
The two had their eyes locked, neither blinking for a moment. It was amazing that Walter even managed to stare as long as did against Tate’s intense glare, but eventually he looked away. His face morphed into sadness before he went unreadable and seemingly blank.
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“I understand, son.” Walter sighed, giving a stiff nod. Tate let go of him after that and they all began to make their way towards the plaza.
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Geared up and ready for an epic confrontation, our heroes and unlikely allies push forward! Who will come out on top? Will they be able to stop the reactor meltdown, and survive to tell the tale? What happens next is sure to be exciting, either way.
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