Atomic Rebooted

6. Heretic

MIRA 

The mission started not very long after we started our first patrol. We had been dropped as a team on a random street in New Kingsbury. The steel and glass spires towered over us, still relatively shiny and new—a reminder of how the people of our city had benefitted from the relocation in 1979.

It was late—the sun was setting in the west, casting a dusky golden glow on the city streets. We would be taking the night shift, when they needed heroes the most. Our job was to walk around, smile and wave to the people to keep up the image of the Sentinels, and be ready for a job.

The white Atomic Energy van with the logo emblazoned on the sides departed the second that we had closed the door—they would come back to get us when the shift was over.

For a moment, we stood there, just taking in the sight of the city. We had never gotten to leave the Sentinels compound, as we were still in training. While we had seen the city and the outside world in simulations and lessons, we never got the chance to experience it for ourselves.

Until now.

"Come on." Ryder gestured for us to follow. "Let's meet our people."

While cars trudged on by through waves of traffic, there were not very many civilians walking around outside. It was understandable, of course. It was almost dinnertime for them, and we were not in the center of urban life, but rather the edge between the suburbs and downtown. This was where people came to work and not to live.

None of them really paid attention to the city's latest heroes.

Just you wait—soon you'll know our names, better than any of the others, I thought as a woman in a long black coat with headphones on scowled as she passed.

Still, I couldn't help but stare after her, even as we were walking away, and she was about to turn the street corner.

From what Dr. Banning and the media described, it wasn't a popular opinion, to dislike Sentinels like us so.

Before I could contemplate her further, I heard it.

The beeping signal in my earpiece.

The one from the cops.

Ryder stopped, pressing two fingers to his earpiece. "Class Act, from the Miracle Force, standing by."

I'd nearly forgotten that was supposed to be our team name, within the Sentinels.

The Chief of Police's voice came through on all of our earpieces, loud and clear.

"We need all Sentinels in the area at City Hall, stat," Chief Oswald said. "Tenebrous destroyed a large portion of the tram railway system, and there's been a nasty crash. Renegade and Heretic are also on the scene."

Ryder perked up at that—I knew why.

While Tenebrous was Public Enemy #1, no one was expecting us to be able to bring him in—that would likely be any other Sentinels who responded to the call.

But Renegade and Heretic, rogue anti-heroes with crimes of their own, had been thorns in New Kingsbury's side for a long time.

I met Ryder's eyes and knew exactly what he was thinking. If we could bring in Heretic and/or Renegade, we would show everyone that we really were capable heroes.

"Copy that, Chief." Ryder nodded. "What's your location?"

"The intersection between Twenty-Eighth Street and Memorial Avenue."

I pictured the city's map in my mind—a critical part of our education that we had drilled into us. I glanced at one of the street signs closest to us—we were at Twenty-Fifth and Anderson Road.