More Supers started to arrive. Coming fromall over to join the fight. Some Misha knew but most were strangers. But thatdidn’t stop them from lending a hand, They all gathered a short distance fromLusca on a small rocky island. It was close enough to keep an eye on themonster but far enough away to not be attacked. Steel Horn had finally made his way on deck. “Everyone check in please!” Silvermaneordered over the radio. Everyone called in and Silvermane sortedthem out with the help of the nanites who gave him each hero or heroine’s knownabilities. “How many do we have now?” Strela asked. “Including us we have twenty-four people!” Silvermaneresponded. “That should be enough,” Bob said. Silvermane divided the heroes into 3 separateteams. “Everyone please pay attention,” Silvermanesaid over an open radio channel. “We will go after each tentacle in turn.Follow my lead and concentrate on my target.” He paused a moment. “We need tokeep this thing away from any people or shipping. And of course beware ofbystanders. Any questions?” “If there are any issues or problems call itout on the channel,” Misha added. “I’m hoping to get some air support but I’mnot sure. If there is some I’ll give warning.” “On my mark,” Silvermane said. He picked thetentacle that was closest to him. The crowd of heroes started to edge closer tothe giant monster. “GO!” The attack began as they surged forward.Scrappers and tankers closed in and began striking the one tentacle hard whiletrying to avoid the seven others. Close by those who preferred some distanceadded in their own ranged support. Arrows, bullets, lighting, fire, water andice flew across the waters of the bay striking the giant tentacle. Close inothers hammered it swords, axes, or even just their fists; many of thosecovered with stone or ice to make for a more powerful weapon. Steel Horn ripped a half ton metal hatchfree of the deckhouse. He aimed and tossed the metal projectile straight at themonster. The tentacle started to flinch and flailabout and wounds opened up in the skin. “Now we’ve reached critical mass,” Silvermanecommented. “Keep it up!” Misha shouted. Suddenly the monster thrashed all it’stentacles frantically. Then it dropped below the surface. “What happened?” someone asked. “Did we win? Is he gone?” “I don’t think so,” Someone else saidslowly. Suddenly the water started bubbling andfrothing in a half dozen places and the giant tentacles erupted out of thewater. “There are only seven tentacles!” Bob said. “We got to take him down one tentacle at atime,” Orca groaned. Someone had picked another tentacle andeveryone followed suit. The fighting was frantic as the scrappers and tanks gotin close and hammered away at the monster. The others flitted around trying toget in a good shot while avoiding those building sized tentacles. The tentacles were huge and very powerful;one could easily smash ship or a building. But they were slow and with carecould usually be avoided. Suddenly the creature dropped below thewater and disappeared from sight. But only for a few moments. “Now where did he go?” Off to the east the water bubbled andfrothed in an all too familiar pattern and the group raced over to deal withit. “Why is he attacking here?” “Who can tell,” Someone responded. “Maybe hejust doesn’t like Maine.” “Maelstrom summoned him,” Bob said as heavoided one tentacle while attacking another. “Maelstrom? Wasn’t she the one who sank adestroyer during the Rikti war?” The monster had wrapped a tentacle around acabin cruiser that was tied to a dock on a small island. It flung the40-foot-long boat at a group of supers. “That’s her!” Trickshot answered as she anddozen other supers scattered to avoid unusual projectile. In spite of it’sspeed she noted that thankfully the boat was empty. “Hasn’t someone killed that whore yet?”Someone snarled. “Not yet,” Moonshine responded. He leaptover one swinging tentacle and landed with full force on another. He hammeredthe rubbery limb with a flurry of kicks and punches. “But we keep trying.” Misha was hovering a short distance from themass of tentacles putting arrow after arrow into one of them. “Where is she?I’ve lost track of her.” “Long gone,” the nanites responded. “Wehate to report but they got away with the special cargo.” “Or someone did. The box is gone.” “Easy enough to do in all this mayhem andconfusion,” Strela added. One tentacle had grabbed hold of a largeportion of a steel dock and was waving it around like a club. Four supers combined they powers and blastedthe steel wreckage and the tentacle tossed the remains at it’s attackers. The fight went on. The heroes would attack atentacle until Lusca would drop into the water and out of sight. Only toreappear somewhere else but with one tentacle less. “Sitrep please!” Came the order to Misha. “We’ve been attacked by a giant octopus,”Misha responded. “The monster is tough but we’re are slowly wearing it down.Can we get some air support?” “Negative,” came the response from hiscommanding officer. “Danger close. You are too close to Bangor.” Mishalooked around and the shore was just a distant blob on the horizon; at least ahalf mile away. “How far out do we need to be?” “We’re sending in a Jack,” came the responsefrom his lieutenant. Misha cursed loudly and in severallanguages. “Acknowledged.” No matter how hard they hit him the monsterjust refused to back down. It became a contest of endurance. Who would give upfirst; Lusca or the heroes. “Doesn’t he just give up?” Someone said in aweary tone. “He is persistent.” Two tentacles came down on a small cargoship smashing it and sending debris flying. The two halves separated andstarted to sink separately. “Sitrep,” came the sharp command from thearmy. “We’ve hammered Lusca and knocked out mostof his tentacles but he refuses to go down,” Misha explained. “He’s reallytrashing the harbor. We can take him down eventually, but he’s basically sunkevery boat in the bay. If he goes for Bangor things will get really messy.” Misha watched as a trio of supers pulledsurvivors from the two sections of the now sinking ship. “Acknowledged,” came the response fromcommand. “One moment.” Misha continued the fight as he waited. Heunderstood that the Lieutenant who was his commander was talking to herCommander; Colonel Haslett. He was undoubtedly looking at satellite video ofthe fight. “Listen up everyone!” Misha ordered. “Theair force wants to send in a AGM-244 Jack missile. But we’re too close to thecity.” “Too close?” Bob asked. “We’re a half mileout.” “It has a thirty-ton warhead,” Mishaexplained. “The blast might not reach Bangor but flying debris is sure to.” “We can’t contain a blast that big,” Someonecommented. “We don’t need to contain it all,” Moonshineresponded. “Just deflect it away from the land and the city. The rest we canlet go into the ocean.” “I’ll biggest problem will be the Tsunami,”Nor ‘easter commented. “The blast is sure to send up a large wave of water. Weneed to stop it from reaching the city or it will do a lot of damage.” “I might be able to do it,” a female voicesaid. “I mean . . . I could stop the wave and protect the city itself. Or atleast slow it down.” “What’s your name?” Silvermane asked. “My codename is Moonlight Serenade,” camethe answer. The nanites displayed for Silvermane thewoman’s known abilities: Code Name: Moonlight Serenade Mutant Corruptor: Sonic/Force Field “Can you create a force field that large?” Silvermaneasked. “I’ve been practicing,” she responded. “If Iconcentrate it in front of me instead of having it go all around me. I shouldbe able to cover a wide front.” “We’ll put a line of blasters between theblast and the city,” Silvermane ordered. “Behind the force field. It shouldstop any debris getting past.” The young woman was wearing a blouse andskirt of light tan that seemed to be straight out of a 40’s movie. Her blackhair was in tight curls held loosely and they bounced about with each movementof her head. “How old are you?” Silvermane asked. “Twenty-two,” she responded. “My youngest daughter is your age,” Silvermanecommented. “Attention. Operation Severn is in effect.ETA 2 minutes,” a voice said over the radio to all listening. “Repeat.Operation Severn is in effect. ETA 2 minutes Take cover NOW!” The voice addedfirmly. “Acknowledged,” Misha responded. “Attention all hands,” Misha shouted overall the radio frequencies, especially the emergency channels. “Air strikeinbound. Take cover. It’s going to be a big one! Really BIG! They’ve launchedan AGM-244 Jack missile.” Silvermane’s orders came fast as he orderedeveryone into new positions. “Are you sure this will work?” MoonlightSerenade asked nervously. “You’ll do fine,” he said reassuringly. “AndI’m here to cover your back.”
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