Free Hero Unit by JC Bybee

she asked. She remembered all too well what
had happened the last time the hybrid weapon had been fired.
    He can’t be sure, you’re the only person
that would know
    “I’ve got all the blast shields in place
behind the shielding. In order to help protect people from that
thing I need to see it in action,” Einstein replied.
    Suppressing a sigh Ace picked up the hybrid.
It was meant to be fired from the hip. She braced it and said,
“Fire in the hole!” She pulled the trigger.
    Damn, I hate that thing.
    The gun went off and Einstein swore. Ace
watched a spider web of energy crackle up the kinetic barrier from
the impact point. She put the hybrid back down on its stand and
made her way down range to see the damage. “The shield stopped it,
but…” Einstein trailed off.
    Ace flipped on her device’s camera and
recorded what she saw. The kinetic shield looked like a cracked
windshield, but the round had stopped. It was on the floor. Ace
recorded it all and then picked up the flattened round. She didn’t
know what it was made of, but she imagined Einstein would want it.
She sent the video to Einstein and walked back to the shooter’s end
of the range.
    “Ace, if I thought you could truly appreciate
these readings I’d ask you to come up and take a look. I don’t know
who, or what, built that thing but I’m damn glad you are the one
using it,” Einstein said.
    Ace wasn’t insulted by Einstein’s assumption
that she wouldn’t appreciate the readings. It was true, she
probably wouldn’t. Understanding weapons was one thing, grasping
all the science behind something like they hybrid was an entirely
different level. All that mattered to her was making sure that they
had a way of defending against such a weapon. “Einstein, you might
want to look into a self-replicating shield. I think one of the
Regs we rescued from Technosis might be able to help,” Ace said
remembering the night they’d found the hybrid weapon.
    I didn’t think you’d noticed that.
    “That is an excellent idea,” Einstein said.
There was a pause and then he said, “That’s all for today. Both of
these will be under your name for now on. Now that I have a working
alloy for you I’ll also be putting together a sidearm for you.
You’d prefer a nine, right?”
    Ace responded affirmatively. The .9 mm was a
family tradition. “I’ll have it ready in a couple of days. This
alloy is a little tricky to work with.”
    Never heard him call something tricky. Kind
of makes you wonder.
    Ace waved a hand in thanks and then left the
firing range. The tests hadn’t taken nearly as much time as she’d
been hoping, or maybe dreading, but at least a good part of her
shift was done.
     
    Back at her desk she did mindless tasks, just
trying to keep from going crazy from boredom. They were in a
holding pattern, just waiting for another incident. Word had spread
quickly through the Heroes about the HSO. It was like they were all
holding their breath. Everyone was on edge, tense for that call
that would send them out against another group of crazed Antis.
    That was what made the waiting worse than
normal; two Antis in a row driven over the edge by the HSO. Then to
make matters more complicated the second had been given followers
to use. Before, when the HSO had just been a rumor some of the
Heroes had sympathized with their ideals on some level.
    Even Ace felt that it would be better if
people like Angel and Torment were the ones in charge, but that
illusion had been shattered after finding out what had been done to
Technosis and the other technomancer she’d brought in. If the HSO
was willing to experiment on Exceptionals then they were no better
than every other criminal out there.
    “Hey rookie, you willing to go a few rounds?”
Ace looked up to see Bulldog leaning over her desk.
    Bulldog was the senior most Fortress Class in
their precinct. He was a good natured guy, never letting the
younger officers get under his skin. He also never let it