Super Prepared

By Stephen Alexander

Master Clyde and the Dafurian supers have come out of hiding, ready to train the world's supers to face the coming threat. Jamir, Soad, and Chucky must ready their friends around the world for a 4-front war against the hybrids and their masters. But the world's heroes and governments are resisting their efforts. Threatened by the power Clyde has amassed at Darfur base and the cunning enemy they face, the world prepares unwillingly for war. Can the Darfur 3 and their master get the world ready for war in time? Will the newly trained forces hold their own against the LBI, the Clean Hands movement, and the world's greatest threats? Your many questions may have answers in part 2 of The Darfur 3 Saga!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stephen Alexander
• Release date: Mar 9, 2018
• ISBN: 9780997456127

Stephen Alexander

Stephen Alexander is a world traveling English conversation teacher currently residing in South Korea. You may find him in coffee shop and train stations typing away on his broken keyboard, or online at numerous websites like SFFChronicles.

Book preview

Super Prepared

Part II of The Darfur 3 Saga

By Stephen Alexander

Super Prepared by Stephen Alexander

Published by Stephen Alexander Writing at Smashwords

https://www.stephenalexanderwriting.net/

© 2017 Stephen Alexander

Discover other Darfur 3 titles by Stephen Alexander:

Super Humanity

The Cobalt Princess

The Wind and The Rain

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions contact:

[e-mail]

Cover by Ira Black.

ISBN: 978-0-9974561-2-7

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Acknowledgements

Once again, I am called upon to thank you for reading yet another of my novels. I thoroughly enjoy it every time someone opens one of my grand works. Of course, I don’t enjoy it so much when my works are chucked across the room at the sound barrier. Hopefully, I have improved to at least be considered halfway decent at writing. If not, then this is my apology in advance.

I hope you enjoy reading the thrilling tales of the Darfur 3 as much as I have enjoyed writing them.

Author’s symbol guide

italics: thoughts. Underline: radio transmissions, text messages, electronic communications. {}: Telepathic communication between people. Bold: sound effects. <>: foreign language- perspective of character. *#: Alien/nonhuman language.

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12a

Chapter 12b

Chapter 12c

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

About the Author

Prologue

The battle arena at EADI-Helena

September 1, 2012

The arena was as dark as night, without a single solitary light on. Nothing stirred. Click! A powerful spotlight switched on, illuminating the center of the arena. In the center of the arena stood Master Clyde. He put on his sunglasses and looked there. Not a single student was around. Clyde turned slowly to his right. Two students flew towards him, landed, and threw balls at him. Clyde realized they were grenades and raised a solid light shield. Boom! Boom! The sound hurt their eardrums and their eyes, but Clyde was unaffected.

Scrip scrip! The solid light shield shifted into the solid spears, then cut through the hearts of the two students. They dropped, dead before they hit the floor.

Master Clyde heard something from above, sounding like it came from the ceiling. He stepped back. Another student attacked, this time swinging a glowing yellow sword that barely missed Clyde’s head. Neerow. Clyde summoned a sword from his pocket universe storage. The student landed as Clyde summoned the sword, recovered and leapt at Clyde. cling! Clyde parried the blade with an upward swing, exposing the student’s left side. fump! Clyde kicked the student in the side, sending him tumbling away. The student rolled along the floor and then to ready position on his knees. Whsss thuck! Clyde’s expertly thrown sword spun through the air and cut through the student’s throat. He fell backwards, dead before he even hit the floor.

Shrssss! A beam of cold dark matter hit Clyde in the back. Ice began to form around it. Clyde raised his left forearm to eye level. The sleeve around his wrist morphed into a square shield. Clyde quickly spun around, and the shield took the second cold beam. Clyde saw the attacker, another of his new students standing twenty feet from him. Clyde focused dark energy into another organ of his hand, one that makes energy shockwaves. Swabaachh! He hit the cold beam with his hand, sending a shockwave up it. AKPLI! screamed the student as his power organs exploded. He dropped to the floor, dead before he hit the ground.

What? NO! shouted a student as she stopped running towards Clyde’s back. Clyde spun around, his metal shield shifting back into a sleeve as he turned. He drew a pistol, a Mossberg CAC.45, and aimed it with lethal intent. purot! Two energy bolt shots to the chest, and the student was dead before she hit the floor. She was a victim of hesitation.

Clyde rapidly looked around the room. He didn’t see any other students. There should be one more… he thought. He felt his ‘coat’, made up of two Celestial Blades, shift around his back. Shulkk! A metal spike quickly shot from his back. Hullk! a student groaned as she decloaked. The spike had impaled her through the chest. cllink! She dropped her war hammer, and the spike withdrew as well. She fell to the floor, dead from a spear through the heart.

…..

The female student blinked hard as she awoke. She looked up and saw the bright light of the arena, shining down at a spot away from her. She shook her head.

Master Clyde walked over to her, looked down, and said, Welcome back. Let’s go over what you did wrong. He pointed his finger at her, then she began to feel weightless. She was weightless, since Master Clyde was levitating her. Clyde walked towards the seats, with the student floating behind him. The other students were rubbing their heads, a minor headache the main side effect of Clyde’s resurrection power. Clyde set her down on one of the rows and addressed the students.

You’re doing better, but still, not good enough. He pointed at the two students who attacked him first. Louise, Lana- that was a good idea, but you didn’t have an effective follow up, nor did you change positions. You should’ve assumed I would’ve blocked it. The students were silent as he pointed to the next student.

Enrique, you had the right idea to attack from the ceiling, but you made some noise.

Probably when I jumped off the light, said the man who wielded the glowing sword.

But you didn’t have a great follow-up. And you didn’t switch to defense fast enough.

Yes, sir…

Master Clyde pointed to the next student, Ice King. You had the right idea to attack from behind, but the moment I shifted, you should have changed your attack, Ice King.

What was I supposed to do? Freeze your feet? complained Ice King.

That would have distracted me long enough for you to come up with another attack.

How am I supposed to know that?

Ever freeze someone to the floor? Even fire supers would need time getting the ice melted.

Master Clyde pointed to the next student, Wendy. You did the worst of all. Your attack might have stopped me, but you never got it off since you overreacted to his death.

This is so lame, complained Wendy.

Lame or not, this is war. Hesitation got you killed, and your remaining teammates were left alone to fight a level 0 threat.

Whatever, said Wendy with a sigh.

Master Clyde pointed to the last student, Priscilla. You had the right idea to be cloaked, but you should have anticipated I would detect your presence.

Excuse me, but how are we supposed to know every single power and ability you’ve got? She pointed at the arena. How are we supposed to fight an enemy that can do everything?

Yeah, pipped up Ice King, it’s not fair at all.

Master Clyde paced around in front of them as he spoke. "War is never fair. Ask my Darfurian students about that. There are two ways to deal with an unknown enemy. Plan A is to observe your target and look for weaknesses. Even powerful beings like me have weaknesses.

What’s Plan B? asked Lana.

Master Clyde stopped pacing and looked up. He smiled. Prepare for everything. That’s what I’m really training you to do. He pointed at the students, then the floor at the middle of the arena. Ba-wip! He teleported them to the center of the arena. The bright light confused their eyes briefly. Clyde removed a tablet PC from his coat. He pressed a few buttons, then snapped his fingers.

Try again. This time, you get to fight...Chucky’s ‘pets’. A white portal, a tear in the space time continuum, formed at the right-side edge of the arena. Four terrifying alien creatures came out. They marched out on their seven little legs. They were seven feet tall, armed with pincer claws, and covered in dense, thick scales. Lana and Ice King screamed. Chucky’s pets screamed back, making a sound like a dentist drill.

What ARE these things?!! yelled Wendy as she got ready to fight for her life.

Chucky calls them ‘The Bitter’. I don’t get it. I hope he didn’t eat one. Anyway, remember what I told you, said Clyde as the Bitter marched towards the team of super heroes. Clyde teleported to the seats and looked on as his students fought for their lives against horrifying alien pets.

Chapter 1: Meeting of the EADI board

UN secretariat building, conference room #5

Aug 25, 2012

Master Clyde Irons took his seat in front of the crescent shaped table. In the room, sitting in front of him, were the Secretary General, the heads of the institutes, minus Karyn Allwyn, and the director of P.A.T.H.R.

You may begin your report, Mr. Irons, the Secretary General calmly stated.

Clyde took a deep breath. My teams and I have purged the infection from the EADI facilities. It will be some time before we get to the populace, as well as find a way to block the alien hybrid.

Have you learned anything new about the enemy? asked the P.A.T.H.R. director.

Nothing definitive, other that they are receiving help from humans.

Yes, we read about your...special ops attack in Russia, said the EADI director for Britain. We have yet to hear their point of view regarding the matter.

Let me get some clarity regarding the matter, er...Master Clyde, the EADI director for Bieszczady said. You want us to believe that the Russians were coordinating with alien hybrids to make supers go crazy? That sounds almost like casus belli for war.

Well, it seems that the war has already begun, said Clyde. I’m not as concerned about the war’s start point as I am about how it ends. He looked at the EADI-Bieszczady director. Sir, if you’re curious, you may want to ask your sponsors in the Kremlin about the start date.

I must object to this accusation! There is no solid proof the Kremlin is directly responsible for the PMS syndrome in supers!

The hybrid was captured in a Russian military base, which means either they knew about it, or they have units of their military working independently from command, explained the P.A.T.H.R director. Either way, it doesn’t look good for leadership. Pick your poison.

Speaking of your activities, Mr. Irons, began the Secretary General as he looked at his papers. I have received requests from many countries regarding Darfur & South Sudan ops in their borders. They are especially concerned about supers acting as a stealth military force, wearing red masks and breaking their laws. What do you have to say about these accusations?

Clyde scratched his chin and thought about the matter. He looked at the Secretary General. Sir, I can’t speak about things the government there requested of its soldiers, as I am not part of their command structure.

That sounds like a cop-out, said the director for EADI-Neuland. You know exactly what your...students have been up to.

OK, I see some of you are upset about my students’ quote unquote ‘field-trips’.

Field trips is quite the euphemism for assassinations, bombings, espionage, and even battles with national militaries, replied the South American director.

I hear you even fought other alien species, said the director for EADI-Africa. Collect anything interesting? Since we can’t find any spaceships?

Yes, how many light years to the gallon does that spaceship you built get? asked the director for EADI-Britain.

OK I get it. No more black ops unrelated to the current problem, said Clyde as he raised his hands. I apologize for any harm that may have been caused.

An apology? You think that covers the war crimes of your charges? loudly asked the Bieszczady director.

Look, I know I’m probably not the ideal person you want leading this war. But I’m here now, and I’m asking you for your trust. Without it, we’ll be fighting each other. And that’s what the enemy really wants. You can punish me for my crimes after we win, if we’re still alive to hold trials.

You don’t sound confident, said the Secretary General.

I’ve fought many threats before. Alien, extradimensional, even gods. This… his voice trailed off. This is different. I don’t know what to expect.

So, what do you plan to do? asked the director for Africa.

Prepare for any plausible threat, said Clyde. He stood up and passed out folders. The directors, perhaps the most important people on the planet, opened the folders. There was only one page inside, but it was full of text and charts. This is what it will take to win.

Chapter 2: Prepare for war

Aug 25, 2012, 2:00PM local time

EADI-Helena, Medical

One quick check of your vitals, ma’am, and we’ll clear you for release, explained the nurse as she picked up the stethoscope. Karyn ignored her and put her red blazer back on. She slid off the hospital bed, landing perfectly onto her sandals.

Save the checks for someone else, ordered Karyn as she marched out of the hospital.

Director’s office.

Clyde looked down at the paper on the desk. It was blank, except for the title Threat Risk Assessment at the top of the page. He scratched his head nervously. Know thy enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster. Sun Tzu or someone. Kinda hard to do that when you don’t know the enemy. He thought about the situation more, then started writing down the ways he felt an overwhelming enemy would attack. But something troubled him; any group with the power to create hybrid aliens would surely have the power to invade and conquer the planet and would have done so already. He looked at what he wrote and scratched out two possibilities.

The door swung open as Karyn walked in with a plume of rage behind her. She saw Clyde Irons sitting at her desk.

You’re in my chair, she calmly said, the calm barely masking the anger in her voice.

It’s my chair now, he replied without looking up.

That’s a memo I haven’t received yet, she said as she walked closer. Considering you put me in the hospital for almost two days,

You didn’t give me a lot of choice at the time. Clyde drew a box on the paper and wrote something inside. Nonetheless, if you’re curious, our mission was successful.

Karyn crossed her arms How many of our students did you kill, Clyde?

Fortunately, zero. I’m not a monster, Commander.

The experiences of your students tell me otherwise, Nightlight.

Clyde looked up at her and said, I still don’t know why the sponsors gave me that codename. My root power doesn’t give off a lot of light. Anyway, my students handled themselves well on the battlefield.

Massacres and crackdowns are what you consider to be ‘handled well’?

Not every super gets to fight quote-unquote ‘cleanly’. Some fights are only won…’dirty’. He looked down at his paper and said, This is something you also know well, Commander. I know what happened in Fallujah.

Karyn’s forehead crinkled at the mention of the city. Clyde, you brought kids into this life. I was a soldier, but you weren’t anymore. You made the choice.

The war chose them, ma’am. You used to say, ‘mess with the bull, get the horns.’ Unfortunately for their enemies, my students were the bull.

That doesn’t justify what happened at Khartoum or- Karyn was interrupted by the sound of teleportation behind her. She spun around.

Karyn, wait! Let us explain! shouted Mr. Wrath as he raised his hand. Jamir was with him, to his right.

Master, I see you’re getting on well with your former teacher, said Jamir.

She likes her chair, Jamir, joked Clyde.

Since I missed the opening ceremony, said Karyn as she turned around, would you mind filling me in?

Long story short, Jamir started to explain, An alien hybrid is being used by the Russians to trigger PMS in supers. We don’t know their motives, but we know who their contact in the Russian government is.

Yes, Karyn, it’s absurd, said Mr. Wrath with a sigh. But I’ve seen the alien they captured. Gribb has gone home to get his people to aid us.

But how? In one of your stolen ships? asked Karyn.

I opened a portal to a world of his that was close enough, Clyde explained.

What? That sounds...god-like! I don’t believe it.

I had help.

Director Allwyn, Soad, Otunda, and I are not his only students, explained Jamir as he sat down.

You’ve been collecting supers, haven’t you?

"I wanted to keep them out of reach of the dictator.