The Badges vs The Commission part 6 (finale)

In the ship’s lab, a tall generator glowed ominously, sending a powerful energy field that wrapped itself around the vessel. Dante Greer sat in a chair, starring at the device. He kept finding himself looking at his hands, feeling what it was like to be human once more.

Arthit Wang’s eyes fluttered open and as consciousness creeped out of the fog, so did a pounding headache. Despite his blurred vision, he caught the vague, fuzzy shapes of bunk beds, indicating the sleeping quarters of Hyperion’s Light, the Commission’s ship. He tried to move, but he soon realized his hands and feet were tied to the chair he sat on. And while he couldn’t turn, he could feel two more bodies tied to him and he knew it was his teammates.

“My friends, are you okay?” he asked.

“Pretty banged-up, but I’m alive,” Casey Hernandez responded, “Why can’t I use my powers?”

“I can hazard a guess,” Deepak Balshi answered, “They used a Negation Field to block Neutronium energy. It seemed to have taken the ship’s power as well, although I imagine they’re running on an alternative energy source.”

“So we’re just normal humans, huh?” Hernandez struggled against the ropes in desperation despite the news, “Is it permanent?”

“Unfortunately, no,” Bakshi said sadly, “I’ll admit, it feels nice not having my powers for the moment. I feel less dangerous.”

In the hangar bay, Astra Machina sat motionless, her metallic tendrils still deep inside the ship’s floor, the screen that normally displayed her face now pitch-black. Alysa Saraki, her best friend on the team, gazed at her worryingly. “She gonna be okay?”

The Cavalier stood over them, checking his armor for major damage from the near-crash of the ship, “Going by what she and Bennings said, she has to stay offline to divert as much power as possible into the ship, which seems to include nothing but the essentials. She should be back online once the Negation Field is off and the ship’s power source returns.” A moment later, Shujai emerged from the hallway with a bruised eye and green blood dripping from his lip. “How ya feeling, big guy?” Cavalier asked.

“I’ve never been without powers,” he looked at his hands, which somehow appeared much softer, “Where is Dante?”

“He stormed off not too long after we landed,” Alysa explained. “He’s still mad. Not that I blame `im.”

In the Philip A. Hart Senate Offices in Washington DC, Senator Tom Jackson sat behind his desk, impatiently tapping his fingers on the smooth pine. “So no word yet from your team?” he asked in a frustrated tone.

“That is correct,” Director Sean Pierce answered, “Give it time. We still have Bennings safely locked away, so -”

Senator Jackson slapped his desk with his palm, “Dammit, I want results. Bennings and his friends have been a problem since Day One, it’s true, but I don’t care who’s locked up right now. I plan to see the Upstarts Program to the bitter end. This Greer kid is all that’s left of it and I’ll be damned if I let that opportunity slip away.”

“I’m just here to keep Dante out of a prison cell,” Pierce reminded him. “However, if you wish to expedite the process, I have another plan. One that you could take part in.”

Several minutes later, in Hyperion’s Light, an alert appeared, letting the team know there was an oncoming message. Cavalier answered it while Alysa and Shujai stood behind him. Senator Jackson’s holographic face appeared in several locations on the ship and his voice echoed down the halls, “Alright, Commission! Listen up! We’re done farting around here. As you know, Ryan Bennings is being held in a secret location and will be charged and tried if you keep this up.” In the ship’s lab, Dante Greer watched the screen with a look of concern while the Negation Field generator glowed next to him. The Senator continued, “They will not charge Dante Greer with anything. He’s still got a clean record and we plan to keep it that way. We just need him to report for duty. He’ll be set up for some training for a month and then go back to his family. Meanwhile, Bennings will be returned and you can keep doing whatever it is you do… until the next time you cause problems, I suppose. I’m running out of patience here. You’ve 24 hours to bring Dante Greer to my offices or you will all be declared enemies of the state.” The screen shut off and the Commission stood silently and contemplated their next move.

“So now what?” Alysa shrugged.

“Do we trust the IMD?” Shujai asked.

“Hell no,” she responded.

“They want to protect Dante,” Cavalier reminded them. “My main concern is that asshole senator. We know this whole thing is about the Upstarts and how that went down.”

Suddenly, the ship shifted and the non-essential lights flashed on. Shujai clenched his fist as he felt Neutronium power swiftly returning to his body. The team looked around curiously just before Astra Machina leapt to her feet, now fully online. “The ship’s running on its own,” she exclaimed, “Did someone turn off the Negation Field?” The team rushed to the lab where the generator was held. The telltale glow was gone, indicating the device had been shut off. “Shit,” Cavalier exclaimed, “Check the prisoners.”

Next, they filed into the sleeping quarters and noticed three empty chairs and a pile of torn ropes. The Elite Squad was gone. Then came the next question. “Where’s Dante?” Alysa asked.

A shifting tunnel opened in front of the Senate offices and the Elite Squad stepped through. “I didn’t know I could go that far,” Hernandez said to himself. Wang and Bakshi, meanwhile, escorted Dante to the front steps.

“Choosing this over fighting was a wise move,” Wang assured him.

“Let’s just get this over with,” Dante responded.

On the front steps of the building, the rest of the Badges stood at attention, including Mansoor and Frakes. “We’ll take good care of you,” Mansoor reassured him sadly. Frakes stared at her, resentful that she was seemingly taking a leadership role in this situation. Inside, Pierce looked out a window with Kisi Yeboah next to him.

“Keep your senses sharp, Kisi,” Pierce told her, “Dante giving himself up will surely attract the Commission.”

“If they’re using Bennings’ telepathic-dampening technology, I won’t be able to tell if they’re coming or not,” Kisi admitted.

Minutes later, Dante was led to Senator Jackson’s office by two US soldiers. “I’ll take it from here, fellas,” the senator told them and they quickly left the room, leaving the men alone.

“So here I am,” Dante told him, “You can let Ryan go. I’m just tired of people fighting over me. Feels like no one lets me make my own decisions.”

“I understand how you feel about that,” Senator Jackson said.

“No you don’t. All you care about is that stupid Upstart bullshit.”

The senator paced around his office, “Your parents signed the contract. It’s not our fault they didn’t read the fine print.”

“You wouldn’t be coming after me like this if I wasn’t the last one,” Dante began to tear up, “You know I still get nightmares? I’m still in therapy for that shit! You got any idea what it’s like to see your friends die and not be able to help?”

The senator became solemn, “I’ve spoken to many brave soldiers over the years who’ve suffered from PTSD and-”

“Yeah, but you weren’t there fighting side-by-side with them!” Dante shouted.

“… I wasn’t.”

Dante grew quieter, “And you weren’t in LA when me and the other Upstarts fought for our lives.”

“…No.”

“You know who was there?” Dante asked bitterly, “… Your son.”

The senator say up sharply and snapped, “What did you say?”

Several blocks away, Hyperion’s Light launched the Cavalier’s Dragon hovercraft, the knight in the pilot’s seat and Alysa Saraki as the passenger. Astra Machina and Shujai flew alongside the craft as it made its way to the building. As Kisi Yeboah theorized, they used anti-telepathy ear pieces to block detection.

“I liked Kyle,” Dante admitted, “I miss him and everybody else. I know if he was the last one alive, he’d be happy to join the Army and everything, but I ain’t Kyle.” The senator grew calmer and sat quietly at his desk. Dante continued, “And I know you wished he was here instead of me. I ain’t mad. I get it. If you had to make the choice, he’d be the last Upstart alive.”

The senator nodded and spoke reluctantly, “… It’s true.”

Outside, Dafne Mansoor noticed the approaching hovercraft using her enhanced sight. Filled with remorse, she flew into the air to speak to her former teammates. “Intrepid,” Jill Frakes shouted after her, “Where are you going?” Intrepid flew into the path of the Dragon to stop them, but she soon noticed Astra Machina rapidly approaching. Despite her flight speed and military training, she was unprepared for the tackle that followed. Astra dive bombed her and they both fell out of the sky, dropping onto a small, grassy spot just outside the Senate building. Both teams rushed to the area.

Inside, Dante continued speaking to Senator Jackson. “I know you miss Kyle. Me too. And you know I was there when he was…,” he trailed off. He paused for a moment to find the right thing to say and when he found it, he spoke again, “… I know his last words.” The senator perked up with teary eyes, but remained quiet. Dante’s voice cracked, “He said ‘Sorry, Dad’. That was the last thing he said.” Senator Jackson immediately buried his head in his hands and Dante slowly approached. “I know you meant a lot to him. But you just gotta understand that even if I join the military, it won’t bring your son back.”

Outside on the grass, Mansoor was pinned to the ground. She didn’t struggle, not that she could do much against Astra’s far superior strength.

“We trusted you!” Astra shouted.

“I know,” Mansoor apologized, “And I’m so sorry.”

“Saying you’re sorry isn’t enough to make it better.”

“I know.”

“Pierce didn’t trust us. It was his plan all along to spy on us. You didn’t have to go along with it.”

“I thought it was the right thing to do at the time.”

“Why?”

She fell silent as she wasn’t sure how to respond.

Just then, the Badges arrived with plasma rifles drawn. “Get off her!” Dave Bronson warned. A second later, Shujai dropped from the air, cracking the ground. He stood upright, emerald energy surrounding his hands. Cavalier and Alysa Saraki rounded the corner and joined him, weapons and spells at the ready. “You’re outnumbered,” Frakes announced, “Don’t be stupid!” The two teams were in a stand-off, neither side daring to act first.

“Stop! Wait!”

They turned, witnessing Dante Greer and Senator Jackson exiting the front entrance of the building. “It’s over,” Dante told everyone, “I ain’t going to the Army.”

“I’ll be proposing the dissolution of the Upstarts Program,” Senator Jackson informed them.

“Are you sure of this, sir?” Frakes asked.

“Some guys in the Pentagon are gonna be pissed, but I can handle it.”

“And you’ll release Ryan from jail?” Astra asked as she stood up.

“That’s up to Director Pierce.”

Pierce emerged from the building next, “As there is currently no ongoing case, Bennings is free to go.”

“And what about your guys and our guys?” the Cavalier asked, “Seems like this rivalry isn’t over yet.”

“It is for now,” he responded.

Hours later, Hyperion’s Light hovered over a house in a Baltimore suburb as the sun set. Dante Greer walked across his yard and was greeted by his parents and younger sister. In the ship’s cockpit, Ryan Bennings sat in the pilot’s seat with Shujai as co-pilot and the rest of the Commission sitting behind. “It’s all a bit pyrrhic, but I’m glad it’s over,” Ryan said to the group before turning to the Cavalier, “Drop you off in New York?” Below, Dante watched the ship take off across the horizon and contemplated his relationship with the team.

In DC, Senator Tom Jackson sat at his desk, gazing at a photo of his son, Kyle. A tear fell from his cheek and he suddenly began sobbing.

****

The next day, in the main Interpol headquarters in Lyon, Dafne Mansoor entered Pierce’s office. He stood in front of his large window, looking at the skyline.

“Your cover was blown, but you did well out there, Mansoor,” he told her, “The Commission will likely be more careful going forward and as long as they stay within their bounds, I’m satisfied.”

“Sir,…,” she began reluctantly, “… I’m afraid I have to resign.”

Pierce blinked and turned to face her, “Beg your pardon?”

“I’ve been serving as a field agent on the IMD for some time now, but I’ve grown disappointed in the recent direction of the organization,” she told him sadly, “I spied on the Commission and came to regret that deeply. I do not think they were the threat we initially considered them to be.”

He nodded, “I’d be lying if I said I was surprised. I know you served with them well. You saved lives together. It’s not something to take lightly and I can understand if you have conflicting emotions about this.”

She looked down at nothing in particular before speaking, “I’m sorry, sir. I can no longer be a Badge, effective immediately.”

Pierce placed a hand on her shoulder, “You’re a good agent, Mansoor. I hate to lose you.” He sat down on the edge of his desk, “If you don’t mind me asking, what will you do now?”

She shook her head, “I’ll have to find my own way.”

Next: a bold new direction for The Badges