Supplying Supers - Ch. 15 - Suspect Number One - Beta (Patreon)

Tuesday June 13th, 2025 Mazuma City, Mazuma Amerika

Gunner

OSDB Hero Rank: N/A - Civilian

OSDB Threat Rating: N/A - Civilian

“We just landed,” Flux said over the phone. “We don’t have anything, so we’re heading straight to the docks.”

“I sent Sophie from the front office to pick you both up,” Gunner said. “She’ll be waiting for you in the pickup section. I’m leaving the house shortly. I’ll meet you both at the warehouse office.”

“Sorry it took us so long to get here. Our first flight was delayed three times before it just got canceled. I wanted to strangle everyone.”

Gunner let out a short laugh. “Understandable. But not much has changed since yesterday. I found who were the two new supers that were killed.”

“Who are the others?”

“Duck girl and Twister.”

Flux gasped. “We just worked with them just a month ago to get them that venue.”

“Yup. Their wedding. It seems whoever got them, got them together.”

“This is starting to feel more personal.”

Gunner sighed. “I agree. There’s also more bad news. I’ve been doing some research on the data that Detective Lyon left me. There’s a phrase written in blood that mentions seven. So, I think there are going to be two more.”

“We’re hurrying back, I swear!”

“You’re fine,” Gunner chuckled. “I’ve also managed to chase down some new informants.”

“Any good prospects?”

“Some… potentially. But none I’d want to make a move on. Especially with the SOC taking over the investigation. Someone from MCPD snooping around where they shouldn’t be is only going to cause unnecessary problems. Plus, Director Reeves has a hard-on for me. He knows I’m interested in the investigation and probably told his teams to be extra vigilant.”

“So what’s the plan?”

“I’ll explain what I’ve been cooking up once we meet at the warehouse.”

“Okay, we’ll see you soon!”

“See you soon.”

When the phone call ended, Gunner slid the phone into his inner suit pocket. He gathered the documents sprawled across his study that he’d put together the previous night. Dozens of references over Gale runes, known cults who were familiar in its magic, and a suspect list of supers and civilians Gunner believed capable of this. As he slid the documents into his leather briefcase, the name on top of the list held his attention.

Yokai.

A weight befell him. One of heaviness and sorrow. A symptom of regret from everything they’d been through. She was his mentor, and then his lover. But she was also one of the most wanted criminals by the SOC.

She was his rescuer, saving him when he was at his lowest point. The sorceress taught him everything he knew about the Gale. She molded him and trained him. He wouldn’t be the man he was today without her.

When the news first broke, she was the one on his mind. It’d been years since he’d seen her. He remembered the exact date. The look on her face as they argued about how to handle the largest Gale rift he’d ever seen. He remembered the explosion and the screams. The ones that still haunted him at night.

It was all that history together that made him question whether or not to include her in his list. It’d been years since they communicated. They had the opportunities to, but they never reconnected face-to-face. Instead, relying on their special connection to one another. Gunner knew she could be a completely different person after what had happened. Revenge was a perfectly suitable response for their history. But it still felt unlike her.

After closing his suitcase, he picked it up and walked out into the living room. Daniel stood at attention near the front of the door, ready to take him to the warehouse. The pair left his apartment and took the elevator down to the garage.

Daniel opened the side door for Gunner and he climbed in. After entering the driver’s seat of the SUV, the chauffeur drove them out of the garage and steered them toward the down the street.

Gunner caught his driver’s glances through the rear-view mirror and smiled. “Do you have something on your mind, Daniel?”

“I… uh… was just wondering if you’d heard from Flux or Velocity?”

“I just spoke to them on the phone. They just landed. They’re meeting us at the warehouse.”

“That’s good. That’s good.”

When he caught his darting eyes once more, Gunner pressed him again. “Is there something else?”

“Have you heard any news about what happened at Ocean World?”

“So far, it seems like things are moving as expected. Miami PD is performing an investigation. There doesn’t seem to be any leads. Mr. Bismuth has come out and damned the attack. Public support is overwhelmingly on our side. So, the only way I see this going anywhere is if he puts pressure on the politicians or the police department. But that would require money he doesn’t have.”

“That’s good. So there were no reports of witnesses?”

Gunner cocked his brow as he stared at Daniel in the mirror. That’s when he saw it. The fear in his eyes. Not from the job. His background had prepared him for this. No, this was something else. The question was too specific.

“Daniel, is there something you’d like to tell me?” Gunner asked.

His driver lowered his head. “Did Flux tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“It shouldn’t be me to tell you.”

“Daniel… My plan was for all of us to have our debrief at the warehouse. James and Franco said everything went smoothly. But if there’s something pertinent to the operation, I need to know immediately.”

Daniel let out a heavy sigh and slowly nodded. “You’re right… there was this supe that showed up while we were there.”

“A supe?” Gunner asked, sitting up in his seat.

“Yeah, I guess he was moonlighting as a security guard. He showed up after everyone else. Flux tried to subdue him and I guess things got messy.”

Gunner’s eyes widened. Flux off her leash was a wild animal. In an instant, he realized his mistake. He thought this operation was only going to be handled by civilians. If she fought a supe, all bets were off.

“Daniel, it’s important you be honest with me,” Gunner said in a bitter tone. “Did she kill the supe?”

“No! I mean… she almost did, but she didn’t.” Gunner let out his breath as Daniel continued. “The guy was clearly messed up. She came up with this plan to dump his car and body and then call EMS.”

Gunner grinned and muttered, “Clever girl…”

“So you’re not mad?”

“No, not at all.”

“But she could have compromised the mission.”

“But she didn’t. She made a tough call, and it worked out. I think she made the right call, too. Flux and I have worked together for a very long time. Every time she kills is a calculated exercise in restraint. If she entered combat with another supe and chose not to kill them, then if anything, I’m proud of her.”

Daniel burst into laughter and brought a hand to his chest. “Woo, I’m so glad to hear that, Mr. Webb. You don’t even know. I’ve been worrying about this since—”

All the hair on Gunner’s neck stood up. His eyes darted to the water bottle sitting in front of him. The small waves shook with each approaching thud. The surrounding ambience faded, and he focused on his rear flank. Something was coming for him, and he was in danger.

A sonic boom broke above as a crash erupted in front of the car. The SUV’s tires shrieked. Gunner braced himself so as not to be flung through the window.

When the smoke cleared, there were three supes in front of the car. One stood in the middle of the street, standing in a small crater, while two more hovered just behind him. Gunner recognized the Paragon Alliance members immediately.

Berserker looked like a tenth century Viking that was given every experimental steroid and the latest military equipment. His long, braided beard made up for all the blonde hair missing from the side of his head. He left his upper chest exposed except for a ballistic pauldron that sat on his left shoulder. Two axes etched in viking runes and wolf heads, that were famously named Sköll and Hati, hung from metal rings on the side of his fur and metal lined kidney belt.

Forte floated behind him wearing his traditional blue and black costume. The diagonal pattern stressed his sharp cheekbones and elongated, lean frame. It made him look almost alien. Several pouches sat around his waist, full of ball bearings, his weapons of choice. Several floated around him in a diagonal pattern. But for the telekinetic telepath, anything was a weapon, including his target’s own mind.

Then there was Divinity. The most controversial and popular person of the team because of her angelic appearance, which she leaned into. Four wings sprouted from her back with large white feathers that matched her air.

Her beauty was described as blessed. She had a shapely hour-glass figure with heavenly breasts and bottom, perfect for her frame. A white-and-gold corset, panty, and leggings that connected to a front flap of loose fabric left little to the imagination. Her white and gold staff held a yellow crystal that radiated light like the sun, which she used to cast her Blessings and Judgements.

Berserker stomped over to the Gunner’s side-passenger door and ripped it off with one tug.

“Can I help you?” he asked with a sly smile, knowing what was coming next.

The brute snarled before grabbing Gunner’s collar and yanking him out of the car. Gunner tried to relax as the man dragged him. There was no sense in fighting him. Above all else, he had to maintain his composure or else this would turn out catastrophically bad. When they reached the front of his SUV, Berserker lifted him in the arm and slammed him on the hood.

“Careful, Zerk,” Divinity said after landing behind him. “He’s a civilian.”

Even though the mountain man hailed from the deep Scandinavian wilds, he’d lost his accent decades ago. His voice was deep and rough, like he’d spent a century constantly screaming. “Like I give two hog shits.” He pointed a sausage finger down in Gunner’s face. “You are going to talk.”

Gunner let out a fake cough, trying to play up the scene. “I don’t know what you want.”

“Justice and Tetro. Where are they?”

Gunner’s eyes widened. His worst fears almost confirmed. They never answered their phones when he’d called them last.

Are they dead? There are five confirmed dead, but I know they’re seven. Berserker thinks I know where they are. Could they be searching for the threat, too? Unlikely, given they would have all been working together. Unless… someone else in the group is involved. A troubling thought.

Gunner looked up at Berserker and shrugged. “I honestly do not know.”

Berserker slammed his fist into the hood so hard that it sent a pressurized whine from the engine underneath it. “Don’t lie to me!”

Gunner adjusted the collar around his neck before smiling. “Berserker? Can I call you that?” When the man grunted, Gunner continued. “My name is Mr. Webb, but I’m sure you three already know that. One thing that you should know about me is that I do not lie.”

“Then tell us why Tetro and Justice show you as the last person they called?”

Gunner sighed when he realized his mistake. Since they were new customers, he did not set the precedence that they communicate through his own calling app that ensured end-to-end encryption. But how would they have known that was my number? That number is registered to my calling app. If they would have subpoenaed my company to reveal who the number was registered to, then I would have known about it. They must have asked someone.

It was a straightforward answer as he traced back the referrals. Ah… the mayor. Justice got my number from him.

“Answer the question!” Berserker barked, sending spittle all over his face.

“They were interested in becoming clients of mine.”

“Clients?” Divinity asked, cocking her brow. “What do you do?”

“I do many things.”

“Stop wasting our time or I’ll have Forte pull the information out of you and trust me, he’s less gentle than Zerk here.”

Gunner looked up at Forte, whose smile grew from ear-to-ear. His sunken eyes gave him an excitedly depraved look. Like many supes who moonlighted as heroes, Gunner guessed if he dug deep enough, the fourth member of the Paragon Alliance had quite the number of bodies hidden under the rug.

Gunner rubbed his thumb and finger around the edge of his mouth before he spoke. “Let me give you an example. Say, for instance, you need something that you couldn’t get anywhere else. Like concert tickets. You would come to me and I could get you what you needed.”

“So, like a broker?” Divinity asked.

“Yes. Among other things.”

“What did Justice and Tetro come to you for?”

Gunner let out a heavy sigh as he knew what was about to come. “I’m sorry, but I maintain client confidentiality.”

Berserker’s lip pointed as he grabbed the middle of Gunner’s shirt and pulled him up to his feet. He slammed his fist square into Gunner’s gut. He could tell the goliath was pulling his punch, but it still hurt, allowing Gunner to sell it. His hand clutched his stomach as he forcibly coughed.

“Had enough?” Berserker muttered. “Or do you want me to hit you again?”

Before Gunner could respond, Daniel jumped out of the car and waved his handgun at the three supes as he shouted, “Let him go!”

Each Paragon Alliance member gazed at each other before bursting into laughter. The gun flew from Daniel’s hands and hovered in front of Forte as he said, “I’ll take that.” He folded the pistol into a twisted ball of metal and plastic. It smacked to the ground when he released it from his control.

“Daniel, don’t.” Gunner groaned, holding up his hand.

Berserker straightened him up before slapping him across the face, back and forth. His face stung, and it took every ounce of self-control for Gunner not to lose his temper. He had to maintain control. He had to.

Before he could say anything else, he was airborne, flying head over heels. His back hit the asphalt hard before skidding to a stop. All he could do was laugh the pain away. And so he did. It helped a little until a dark shadow loomed over him and picked him up by the throat.

“You think this is funny?” Berserker shouted. “I’ll snap your neck like a toothpick.

The thug’s mallets tightened around his neck, cutting off the blood to his brain. His version grew dark as he clawed at the hands. Any attempt to talk turned into a strained gasp.

His heart pumped and his muscles tightened. His anger fueled that which he locked deep inside. The barriers he held cracked as it screamed to be let out. Each beat of his heart was a slam against its cage.

“Zerk, he can’t answer the questions with you squeezing the life out of him,” Divinity said. “Drop him.”

Berserker grunted and did as he was told, but did so with his knee raised. Gunner’s chin slammed into the rock-like surface and fell backwards. He gasped for air as the three heroes hovered around him.

“Now, I’m going to warn you one more time,” Divinity said, leaning forward. “Either you tell us what you were doing for Tetro and Justice or Forte’s going to rend it from your brain.”

Gunner shook his head and smiled. “I work with powerful private clientele. If they were to learn that I gave up information on them, I’d lose everything. I’m sorry. I can’t.”

Divinity straightened and shrugged. “Fine, have it your way. Forte, do your thing.”

The lean man licked his lips and smiled wickedly. “My pleasure.”

Gunner felt an invisible force pull at his limbs. Forte lifted off the ground with his arms and legs spread. He raised him to eye level and pulled him in close. His yellow eyes swirled as he spoke.

“I’m really going to enjoy this. You… not so much.”

Gunner grunted and maintained his smile. “I’m advising you not to do this.”

“And why is that?”

“You’re going to have a really bad time.”

“Oh, so confident. I love it.” Forte leaned in and whispered in his ear. “The others may not know you, Mr. Webb, but I do. It was such a welcome surprise when you became subject number one. It was as if the stars aligned and everything fell so perfectly. I really hope you struggle. It’s so much more fun for me when they do.”

Gunner closed his eyes when he felt the mental intrusion. It was always different depending on who was doing it. If someone were to take their time, it felt like someone pushing on his brain, uncomfortable but manageable. Someone skilled would be like a doctor performing open brain surgery. A scalpel cutting away easily without pain.

But the way Forte was doing it, he was doing it to inflict as much suffering as possible. A carver with a drill and sledgehammer trying to smash down all the mental barriers Gunner had. His goal was to cause as much damage as possible. But the executive trained against such attacks.

After the first wall fell, only to reveal another, Forte’s laughter echoed throughout his mind. “Oh, you’ve been trained? Why am I not surprised? I’ve heard so much about you. This is going to be so much fun.”

The first two walls, he pierced with little effort. But once he broke through the third, a surprise waited for him. Gunner had designed the labyrinth like ones he’d seen drawn from ancient Greece. Yellow stone walls that extended to infinity, floating in a purple galactic void. Forte stalled.

“What’s this?” The supe asked, floating in the void. “A maze? Interesting… but you’re only delaying the inevitable. Once I’ve tunneled through your defenses, you’re never going to be the same. I’m going to scoop your brain until you’re nothing more than a sloppy mess.”

Gunner watched in his mind’s eye as Forte fumbled through it. It changed constantly, giving the telepath a bit of a challenge, but like expected, he made quick work once he flexed his power. He cracked the stone and tore a path in the foundations with his telekinesis. Even as the walls shifted, creating additional barriers in front of him, he broke them down and reforged them into a walking path underneath him.

There was no doubt Forte was one of the most powerful telepaths Gunner had encountered, but the executive had been trained by the best. And there was only one person who could handle what was waiting for the Paragon Alliance member at the center. And that was Gunner.

When Forte carved his way to the middle of the labyrinth, a red metal button waited for him in front of a stationary block wall. He floated around it, paying keen attention to its structure. Unlike the walls he’d manipulated before, when he attempted to break or crack this with his telekinesis, nothing happened.

Gunner smiled when he watched his jaw drop. Sweat poured from his brow as he focused all of his power on manipulating the object, but nothing happened. With extended hands and gritted teeth, he made one last attempt. When the result was the same, he floated down to the ground and gasped for breath.

He stood, brushed himself off, and walked toward the red button. Like anyone curious enough, he touched it. The wall split in half and open toward him, revealing a void of complete darkness. A primal roar shook the entire foundation. Forte’s fear was palpable.

When Gunner opened his eyes, he saw Forte screaming. His eyes turned red and dripped with blood. Each knuckle strained as his fingers clawed at his bulbous head.

Both men dropped to the ground as the telepath wailed. “Make it stop! Make it stop!”

Divinity flew over to him. “What’s wrong?”

But Forte couldn’t respond. He shrieked horrifically as he rolled aimlessly around the ground. His joints popped with each intense twist.

Divinity pressed the end of her staff onto her ally, and the area around filled with bright yellow light. When she pulled away, nothing changed. Gunner knew nothing would change because nothing physically was wrong with him. It was all mental.

“What the fuck did you do to him?” Berserker yelled.

Gunner stood, dusted himself off, and shrugged. “I advised him not to dig, but he just kept going.”

Both men turned when the shrieks stopped, replaced with a gurgling sound. White foam poured from Forte’s mouth. His eyes rolled into the back of his head.

After seeing his friend’s condition, Berserker slowly turned. Fury raged in his eyes as he pulled his axes. He marched toward Gunner, pulled back his weapon, and roared.

Gunner pointed around them and shouted, “Look around! You’re surrounded by cameras. You so much as touch me, and I’m going to shove the legal system so far up your ass you’ll be spending the rest of your ageless life twiddling your dick inside Level 9.”

Berserker froze and glanced around. Hundreds of pedestrians gathered around to watch the spectacle. They all held up their cellphones, recording and streaming the situation.

The brute scoffed, pointing an axe at Gunner. “What makes you think I care? No one could hold me.”

Before Gunner could respond, Divinity shouted from behind him, propping Forte over her shoulder. “Zerk, leave him! I need you with me. We need to get Forte help.”

Berserker looked over his shoulder and then back toward Gunner. He hocked phlegm and spit on the Gunner’s shoes. “This isn’t over.”

“No, I expect not.” Gunner said. He watched his new foe turn around and take Forte in his arms. Once he cradled him, he crouched and leapt hundreds of feet into the air. Divinity flew right beside him.

Gunner looked down at his torn gray herringbone jacket. His mind replayed the comments that Forte told him. They were direct and felt personal. As he was lost in thought, Daniel ran to his side. “Holy shit, Mr. Webb, are you okay?”

“Yeah, but it looks like I lost a favorite suit,” he said with a slight chuckle before placing his hand on his chauffeur's shoulder. “Thank you for what you did, by the way. It takes a lot of cojones to stand up to supers like that. You reacted like a trained professional.”

Daniel let out a nervous laugh and nodded. “I just did what came naturally. Like I’ve said, I owe you everything, Mr. Webb.”

As Gunner stared and contemplated his driver’s unorthodox actions, the nearby flashes pulled his attention. The crowd grew by the second and he really didn’t like how many people were videotaping him. His privacy was paramount to his work. The last thing he needed was to end up on the evening news.

“What should we do now?” Daniel asked.

“Now?” Gunner said. “A few things. One is getting you the bonus you rightly deserve. And two… we need to buy a new car.”