Supplying Supers - Ch. 30 - The Asylum - Beta (Patreon)

Monday June 19th, 2025 Mazuma City, Mazuma Amerika

Gunner Webb

OSDB Hero Rank: N/A - Civilian

OSDB Threat Rating: N/A - Civilian

Gunner tightened the shoelaces around his boots before picking up his plate carrier and slinging it over his flannel shirt. He stuffed the front pouches with six full magazines. After clipping on his drop leg holster, he slung his rifle over his shoulder and adjusted the straps.

The elevator’s ding pulled his attention. Blast Wave, MartyrDOM, and Whisper were the last ones to arrive. Whisper’s ensemble mirrored his previous one, making Gunner wonder if he had packed ten of the same outfit.

But each of the heroes meandered. Their eyes drooped with heavy bags underneath them. Gunner didn’t know how much sleep everyone had from before they arrived at the church, but there was no opportunity to rest since they’d arrived back at the hotel.

“That might have been the loudest alarm clock I’ve ever experienced,” Blast Wave said, trying to ease the atmosphere. “Nothing like a little adrenaline to get the blood pumping in the morning.”

“I’m glad you feel fine,” MartyrDOM groaned sarcastically. “I feel like dogshit.”

Whisper nodded and signed what Gunner assumed was an agreement.

“I thought you’d be used to that late night rocker life?” Blast Wave asked.

“Hell no. My body is a temple. It needs its beauty sleep.”

“I can see that.” When Blast Wave gave her a sly smile, MartyrDOM rolled her eyes and chuckled. The towering supe looked at the opened crates of armaments scattered throughout the private garage and said, “It looks like we’re going to war.”

“Yeah, and our enemy has already struck first,” Gunner said before waving everyone forward. “Each of you gather around.”

He walked over to a large flat screen TV that sat on one of the unopened crates. It was already playing a muted news broadcast. A helicopter provided an aerial view over the asylum.

Black SUVs provided makeshift barriers around the front of the building. Deployed sandbags and metal obstacles provided bunkers and anchor points for heavy armaments. A giant satellite dish sat on the top of the roof to provide needed communications.

Scattered all around the facility were dozens of militarized soldiers of Clavus Ad Cor. Their familiar black gas masks with red eyes stood out among the bright purple beam that protruded from the hole through the concrete ceiling. Police and emergency vehicles burned in the streets, riddled with bullet holes. Their passengers all lay motionless in pools of their own blood. The last few seconds of the news crew's lives caught the surface-to-air missile just before the feed cut out.

“Oh shit!” Blast Wave said, bringing his fist up to his mouth. “Did they just shoot down that helicopter?”

“Seems that way,” Velocity said. “These ones seem to be better equipped than the ones we ran into.”

“These are the same dudes you guys ran into?”

“Yeah, back at the third anchor.”

Gunner rubbed his chin as he stared at the static screen. Everything was spirling too fast. He was frustrated with not only the situation, but himself.

One reason for his position was gathering information to prevent situations like this. Seeing the results of his own failure got under his skin. He didn’t see the enemy creeping into his own backyard. Hearing his own name caused him to turn around. Everyone stared at him waiting.

There’s no time for self-pity, he thought. It’s time to stop this. Gunner grabbed the nearby remote and flipped through the channels to find another view of the asylum. When he found one, he addressed his team.

“I’d hoped things wouldn’t get this far,” Gunner began. “My plan was to keep you all ignorant of what I’m about to tell you. Not out of maliciousness, but for your own safety. Once you learn the truth… there is no turning back.”

“It’s about time we get some answers,” Hailstorm said, crossing her arms.

When the nods and murmurs of agreement rolled through the team, Gunner continued. “That purple light you see on the television results from our enemy using the Charon Cube to open a portal to another plane of existence known as the Gale. The Gale is an interdimensional plane that’s interwoven into our own. This combination between it and us is what gives the majority of supers their powers through supernatural links.”

“You’re joking,” Hailstorm laughed. When Gunner shook his head, she said, “You’re not joking.”

“No I’m not.”

“I was always told it was some kind of genetic mutation,” MartyrDOM said. “That’s why they take samples of our blood during registration and all that.”

“That’s completely false. A lie told by the world’s governments to keep this secret from leaking.”

“Why would they keep this a secret?”

Gunner pointed back toward the screen. “Because of the dangers posed by the Gale with people who try to manipulate it. Which is exactly what’s happening here. Just look at the destruction we’ve already seen, and the portal isn’t even open yet.”

“Portal?” Hailstorm asked. “They’re trying to travel to this… Gale place?”

Gunner shook his head. “Worse. Our assumption is they’re trying to bring someone through.”

“Who?”

Gunner let out a sigh. “Her name is Mellicent. She’s an… adversary of Yokai and I. Her previous goal was to bring forth Earth’s destruction. One, I’d imagine, she still pursues.”

“So, they bring her through and then we stop her,” Hailstorm said, shrugging.

“It’s not that simple,” Gunner said, shaking his head. “Flay had said since she’s been in the Gale, she’s grown in power. He called her the Mother of the Gale. Based on our debrief, your team already experienced the kinds of horrors that exist there. Imagine a stable enough connection with an endless number of those things spilling out, attacking civilians, and causing mayhem. Now imagine if someone could control them.”

“Yeah… that would be a shit show,” Blast Wave said. “So, how do we stop this thing?”

“A ritual is being performed that is using the powerful essence within the Charon Cube to open a rift while creating a stable portal. Without it, the ritual they are casting will end and any rifts that may open should shutter. So, the plan is to fly to the asylum, push into the facility, stop the ritual, and reclaim the Charon Cube.”

Blast Wave pointed to the others and himself. “You realize not all of us can fly, right?”

“I will take care of that,” Yokai said, stepping forward.

“Right,” Gunner continued. “When we’re ready to leave, Yokai will cast a spell on everyone. We’ll have twenty minutes of flight to get to the asylum. We should only need half of that to reach it.”

“Same teams as last time?” Blast Wave asked.

“Great question. Given MartyrDOM is the only one with healing abilities, I’m going to rebalance the teams. Team one will comprise myself, Yokai, Blast Wave, and Flux. Team two will be led by Hailstorm and will comprise her, Velocity, Whisper, and MartyrDOM. When we land at the facility, Team one will make a concerted effort to push the area with the Charon Cube. Team two will work on securing the area and dealing with any remaining Clavus Ad Cor soldiers. Once the site is secured, they will then regroup with team one. Anyone have any concerns about that?”

When everyone glanced at each other and shook their heads, Gunner waved them forward. “All right everyone, follow me.” He led them to a secured staircase with a card reader. It took them up several flights of stairs before opening up into a side alleyway. He gathered them in a group and nodded to Yokai. “Whenever you’re ready.”

The sorceress held out her hand and said, “Everyone relax and accept the spell.” One-by-one she went to each super, except for Hailstorm and Flux, placing her hand in front of their chest. A gold light illuminated from it and around her target. When she finished, she did the same on herself.

“Uh… I don’t feel any different,” Blast Wave said.

“The way the flight works is by visualizing yourself doing what you want. If you want to fly, just jump and imagine yourself as Justice, zipping around the city.”

With laughter and smiles, everyone ascended into the air. Flux converted into her slimy form and fitted herself around Gunner’s body. He pushed off his feet and hovered. Only one person stayed back.

Blast Wave looked at the ground and jumped. Unlike the others, he fell immediately back down. He tried it a few more times before glancing at Yokai and Gunner. “I don’t think I can do this. I know I should have mentioned this earlier, but I hate heights.”

“Don’t worry,” Yokai said with a wicked smile. “I’ll tether you to me. We won’t leave you.”

“Tether? What does that—”

Blast Wave let out a high-pitched scream as the remaining party ascended into the sky. When he ran out of breath, he inhaled and screamed again.

“Will you shut up?” MartyrDOM yelled. “You’re perfectly fine. Just enjoy it.”

“I am NOT perfectly fine,” Blast Wave shouted, curling his legs into his chest. “I am a land mammal meant for the ground! And right now, it’s several hundred feet below me.”

“Didn’t you fly to get here?”

“Yes, but that was after a ton of alcohol. I hate flying.”

“But you don’t have anything to fear. If they dropped you right now, what would happen? You’d fall, hit the ground, and stand up just fine.”

“You don’t know that! I’ve never fallen from something this high because I’ve never been this high!”

The pairs arguing faded to the back of Gunner’s mind as they soared about the skyscrapers. What little light punctured through the clouds above cast the city in an ominous purple. The air was heavy with smoke from sporadic fires caused by the concussive blast. Car horns filled the air from the hundreds of people stuck in the city’s streets as they failed to flee the wreckage.

Gunner felt the suppression spell weakening. Guilt and anger seeped back into his mind. He shook his head as he tried to focus. Feeling someone’s eyes on him, he turned to see Yokai’s frown.

“It’s fading, isn’t it?” she asked into his mind.

“Yeah… Seeing the city like this… I can’t help but feel responsible. It’s happening all over again.”

“Do not give in to despair. We will stop this.”

Gunner nodded and strained himself forward to gather more speed. Gunshots popped in the distance as they approached the asylum. Muzzle flashes showed the MCPD’s presence against Clavus Ad Cor’s soldiers. They were outnumbered against the heavily armed combatants, but provided a minor distraction for their arrival.

The Charon Cube’s tunnel to the Gale was thicker than when he’d first seen it. Half of the roof had been claimed by its power. Gunner knew the residual energy coming off of the blast would be a problem. Giant bolts of electricity shot from it into the twisting clouds above.

“Everyone get ready!” Gunner shouted. “We’re going in!”

Gunner landed near the front entrance behind the enemy’s makeshift bunkers. He shot two enemies in the back with several precise shots. When he turned to his side, a fireball shot from Yokai’s hand, coating four in a burst of flame. They screamed wildly as they cooked inside their armor.

Hailstorm and Velocity landed on the roof. Gunfire and explosions followed. MartyrDOM and Whisper dropped near the MCPD and began triage. With the second team landed and focused on securing the site, Gunner turned toward their objective.

The entrance to the asylum had two double doors with frosted windows. A large chain wrapped around the metal handles, locked with a padlock.

“Blast Wave, you’re up,” Gunner said, nodding toward the front.

“Just give me a second to get my feet underneath me,” he said before wiping the sweat from his brow and shaking his head. After he readied himself, the towering super pulled his arm back and punched the front of the doors. The blast launched the doors off their hinges and flew through the foyer.

A hail of gunfire rang from inside the building. Blast Wave raised his arms to conceal his face before charging in. Gunner peeked around the corner. There were over a dozen men peering out of side halls and rooms. They all focused their gunfire on the towering man.

“Flux, take them out,” Gunner commanded.

Flux peeled herself from Gunner and lunged in the room. She shot tentacle spears as she slinkied along the ceiling. Bullet penetrated the upper tiles, filling the room with white dust. Pools of blood and radio cries filled the foyer with each kill. She and Blast Wave smashed, crushed, and pierced their way to the end of the hallway.

By the time they reached the end, the soldiers that remained dropped their weapons, turned tail, and ran. The purple slime didn’t let them get far. She shot out tentacles that grabbed onto their feet and splattered their heads against the walls with heavy thuds. With no enemies in sight, Gunner pushed inside, with Yokai right behind him.

The foyer was wide and opened. It connected to several office rooms that were now littered with dead soldiers and shell casings. Beyond them sat a crushed front desk in the middle of a perpendicular hallway. Behind it was a secure metal door that led deeper into the facility.

Gunner stopped at the perpendicular hallway and waited for Yokai. On his nod, they both peeked around the corner. Concrete shrapnel flung in his face as a bullet hit the wall next to him.

His speed and reflexes kicked in. He dropped to a knee and shot volleys of returning fire. Each time a body dropped, he moved to the next target. By the time he was done, four dead soldiers lay in their own viscera.

Gunner felt the impact of the bullets hit him square in the back before he heard the shot. He spun to the floor, only to see a flash of lightning leave Yokai’s hand and connect with three soldiers. Their bodies convulsed for a half second before exploding into sprays of meat and blood.

Flux rushed to his side. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Gunner said, reaching up his hand. When Flux pulled him up to his feet, he noticed that Blast Wave hadn’t moved since he and Flux cleared the room. He stood there staring at his blood covered arms, wide-eyed.

Gunner walked over to him and touched his arm. The man flinched and grunted until his darting eyes settled on Gunners.

“Are you all right?” Gunner asked.

“I—I don’t know, man,” Blast Wave said, his voice shaken. “I just saw red when those guys started shooting. I felt their bones snap as I hit them. Their blood is all over me. I’ve only killed one other, and that was an accident.”

“These are bad people. We have to stop them, Blast Wave. There is no other option. This is the dark side of being a hero. We’re here now and we need you. Are you with us?”

Blast Wave wiped the sweat from his brow, not realizing he wiped blood on his face. “Y-yeah, I’m with you.”

Gunner pointed to the security gate. “Then carve us a path to that damn cube.”

Blast Wave jogged to the security gate, and everyone followed. He stepped back and kicked the gate, shattering it from the concrete wall.

They continued down a long path used for processing new patients. Open side rooms with locked storage stood behind glass windows. Old uniforms hung from the opened doors. Small offices contained two metal chairs and a desk. A locked cell room with a bench seat sat bolted above a single drain.

After smashing through another gate, the crew found themselves in the patient wing. Long halls of open rooms were refurbished into temporary barracks. Day bags and clean blankets lay strewn across the rusted metal beds. In a connected common room, stacks of wooden crates and plastic weapons cases stamped with Murdoch Industries caught Gunner’s eye.

Definitely not a coincidence, he thought.

Blast Wave stopped when the direction forward stopped. He looked both directions before asking, “Which way?”

Gunner could feel the power pull him straight forward. He ran over to a nearby window and gazed through it. The hole in the roof was actually an open courtyard. Inside the center of a grassy path, the Charon Cube unleashed its power into the sky. The surrounding walls were three-stories high, full of windows. To his dismay, he saw no one chanting the ritual.

He frowned as he walked back to his team. With the press of his radio, he spoke. “Hailstorm, how’s everything going outside?”

Sounds of shattered ice and distant gunshots echoed beyond her voice. “We’ve secured the roof. We’re still working on the surrounding parameter. There are a few stragglers left. MartyrDOM is helping the wounded officers. Whisper is providing her cover. They’re waiting for additional emergency services which are on their way.”

“Prioritize the enemies and push inside. There could still be threats. We’re going to push on the Charon Cube now. If they have reinforcements, that's when they’re going to hit us.”

“What about the civilians?”

“If we don’t get this done, they’re dead anyway. Once you’ve cleared the parameter, push inside and clear the facility.”

“Dammit, all right.”

Gunner pointed at the wall between his team and the courtyard. “The Charon Cube is on the other side of the wall. I didn’t see any immediate threats, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any. There’s three levels of windows surrounding it so be on your guard.”

“Do you want me to make a path for us?” Blast Wave asked.

“If you’d be so kind,” Gunner said with a smile.

“One hole coming up!”

Blast Wave took a few steps back, hopped slightly, and then sprinted straight toward the wall. He lowered his shoulder and plowed through the thick blocks of concrete. After stumbling forward, he rolled to his feet and readied himself.

Gunner jumped through after him, raising his rifle and searching each of the windows for threats. He did one lap around the entire courtyard and found nothing. It didn’t make sense.

When he jogged back toward his team, Yokai joggled her head. “I don’t understand it. There has to be someone maintaining the ritual. Without it the tunnel wouldn’t be as stable as it is.”

“I agree. Maybe they found a way to use it without it? Either way, we need to stop it.”

Yokai smiled slightly. “Let’s hurry.”

Gunner nodded and shouted for the others. “Blast Wave, Flux, take up defensive positions. We’re going to begin countering the ritual.”

“You got it,” Blast Wave said.

“Yes, Sir,” Flux added.

As the pair spread out in the courtyard, Yokai sprinted to the other side of the cube, disappearing behind the purple beam. Her voice echoed in Gunner’s mind as they prepared the ritual. “I’m ready when you are.”

“Just give me a second to focus,” Gunner said, closing his eyes. He looked within and concentrated on releasing his power from his soul. He envisioned a small vase drizzling water into a pool. It spread from his center, through his arms and out to his hands. When he was ready, he looked up at the massive beam of energy and extended his arms. “I’m ready.”

“Go!” Yokai shouted.

When his powers gripped around the light, it felt impossible. It was unending and powerful, like he was trying to lasso a raging waterfall. He clenched his teeth and poured more of his power out, going slow as not to overwhelm himself.

The crackling lightning was the first sign of success. The torrent of clouds above faded and the first sign of the sun’s rays shone through. With tugs of his hands, the powerful essence receded lower toward the Charon Cube.

However, when Gunner felt something prod his mind, the intensity of the beam overwhelmed him. Its power increased tenfold, and he struggled to keep it back down.

“Yokai, I’m losing control,” Gunner strained. “I could use a little help.” When she didn’t respond and the beam rose higher, he called again. “Yokai!” After the third time, Gunner gritted his teeth and looked to his side.

Flux hovered off the ground, motionless. She just stared up at the streak of light. Her eyes darted frantically. When he turned his head the other way, Blast Wave was hovering midair. His wide eyes and gaping mouth sent a chill down Gunner’s spine.

He released the spell and jogged around the Charon Cube. Yokai stood petrified. Gunner raised his weapon and spun around as an echo of laughter seemed to come from every direction.

“Show yourself!” he shouted.

A thin shadow crossed the grass and Gunner looked up. He squeezed his trigger. The bullets shot out of his gun and hovered just a few inches in front of him. His weapon popped and squealed as an invisible force crushed the front half.

As the figure descended from above, light shone on his crippled body. His arms slightly shook and pulled tightly across his chest. Gone was the maniacal smile on his elongated skull, it was replaced with limp lips with drool hanging from the side.

“Forte?” Gunner said.

When the man spoke, his words screeched through his mind like a clash of cymbals. “Mr. Webb, what a pleasant surprise. Somehow I knew you’d be the first to arrive. You make any more movements and I snap your friends like the twigs they are.”

“What do you want?”

“To watch you suffer!” Forte shouted into his mind. Gunner groaned as a sharp pain stabbed into his brain. “After our unexpected rendezvous on the bridge, your attack left me crippled.”

“Have the vengeance that you want,” Gunner said before pointing behind him. “But we must stop this first. You don’t know the carnage it will bring!”

Forte’s laughter crashed through his mind while the only sign of life his body exhibited was his curled shaking hand and a single blink of his eyes. “You fool! You don’t even realize I’m the one in control over the Charon Cube.”

Gunner’s stomach sank. “What?”

“I’m the one that led this crusade for Clavus Ad Cor in Mazuma City. It was I that they blessed me with the power of the Charon Cube. That idiot Flay nearly cost our sect everything when he went on that gruesome spree with Cleaver and her gang. I had to take over from then on, siphoning each soul while I suppressed their minds in their slumber. It was honestly too easy. Too many supers believe a muscular body is power when, in fact, true power is contained in the mind. Only I could have managed such a complete campaign.”

“There’s no way that Justice or any of the others would have allowed that.”

“People are blind to those that they trust. Something you experienced recently. Justice was an unfortunate needed power requirement. She fulfilled her purpose. Tetro stuck his nose where it shouldn’t belong. He just wouldn’t stop questioning me. And so I struck first.”

Gunner clenched his fists as the truth burned inside of him. “Then you and Abaddon are working together.”

“He’s a tool for Clavus Ad Cor to be called upon when needed.”

“Where is he?”

“No idea. He served his purpose. He could be halfway around the world by now. But you shouldn’t be worried about him. You should be worried about what’s before you.”

Gunner smirked. “You already tried destroying my mind once, and you know how well that went.”

“True… which is why I’ve been stalling for my friends, who should be here right about… now!”

Gunner heard the sonic boom and looked up to see two shadows above. One dropped quicker than the other, creating a crater in the ground when he landed in the courtyard. The other slowly descended with the flap of her wings. Berserker and Divinity stared with deadly intent.

“You!” Berserker said, pointing his mallet finger at Gunner. “I remember you.”

When Forte spoke, his voice echoed from everywhere. “I found this one and several of his team performing some sort of ritual which has caused this explosion. I have the others in here gripped tightly. Divinity, I think there are a few of his friends around the grounds. Take care of them. Zerk, I’ll leave Mr. Webb to you.”

“He’s lying!” Gunner shouted. “He’s deceiving you all. Forte is the one who’s controlling the Charon Cube.”

When the angelic super shot off into the sky, Berserker let out an ominous chuckle. He cracked his knuckles in each hand and said, “Looks like you’re not a civilian. That means I don’t have to hold back!”

The mountain of a man lunged with speed that caught Gunner off guard. Pain radiated throughout his stomach before he flew backward. He hit something hard before continuing upward.

He was surrounded by enemies, but his biggest worry came from within.