Free Attack the Geek by Michael R. Underwood

place, I knew that not everyone would like it, or me. That wasn’t the point. The point was to make a place where we could be more than a bunch of paranoid obsessives in our little bolt-holes, where we could build a community, remember the things we share, and let off some steam. And no one is going to keep me from salvaging that dream, if there’s anything left to it.”
    The rest of the group stood up, each with a bit more spring in their step. Except for Lieutenant Wickham, who had her back turned to Grognard and was intently staring at her iPad.
    “Still can’t beat that level on Angry Birds ?” Ree asked.
    Wickham didn’t turn, just flipped Ree the bird.
    Ree chuckled, then turned to Grognard. “Boss, you should let me use the Hulk hands,” she said under her breath, trying not to draw attention to the request.
    Grognard raised an eyebrow at her. “Why? The gloves are magic, but there’s a baseline mass question, which means it should be me.”
    “Anyone can use the Adamantium Ale. And I can layer Buffy strength on with the Hulk hands,” Ree said.
    “This is my shop, Ree. And the woman who ruined it is on the other side of that Minotaur somewhere. It needs to be me.”
    Ree sighed. She could press the issue, maybe even win, but she could see the hurt in his eyes, something she’d never seen before in her sturdy boss. His world had been shaken to the core. He needed a win more, even if she might be able to pull off the deed more easily.
    “In that case, you’re going to need a clown to distract that thing and whatever else is out there.”
    That at least got a hint of a smile from the brewmaster. “I suppose I will.”
    Ree beamed, then pulled out her phone again, glad for the hundredth time that she’d shelled out for the Damage Resistance 20/- case.
    She restarted the Spider-Man clip, and without the whirlwind of weird, she dropped into the fun of the film easily, filling her mind with the excitement of Spidey swinging his way around New York, strength, agility, and Spider-Sense all working in concert as Peter zoomed through the city.
    When she looked up from the clip, she saw that Chandra, Drake, Eastwood, and Grognard had assembled by the door. Grognard was wearing the Hulk hands, and now that they were active, they’d changed from immobile foam fists into extensions of his hands, empowering his grip. He slammed one fist into an open hand, and each punch made its own mini thunderclap.
    “Everyone ready?” Grognard asked. Ree picked up a Sting prop, spun it a few times in one hand to test the blade, and felt that it still had some mojo to it—some of the collective nostalgia for and love of the weapon in the Peter Jackson movie lingering in the prop.
    She joined the ersatz adventuring party by the door, where Eastwood was pleading with Grognard to take the lead against the Minotaur.
    “This is all because of me, Grognard,” Eastwood said. “Let me take the gloves and set things right. It’s the least I can do.”
    Grognard shook his head. “This discussion was over five minutes ago. Just keep everything else off of me while I put this animal down.”
    Ree saw that Wickham had moved over to give herself a better view of the coming chaos.
    Standing just a few feet away, she felt the vibration of the door each time the Minotaur hit it, tirelessly hammering on the refreshed wards.
    “Is that thing part Energizer bunny or what?” she said, trying to break the tension. Only Drake gave her a polite smile, the one he gave to be gracious, not because what she’d said was actually funny.
    Not all of them can be gold, Ree admitted, and adjusted her grip on Sting, the Spider-Man energy still buzzing softly in her mind. She might get a good two minutes of fight out of the clip, depending on how much oh-shit last-second dodging she’d be doing.
    Eastwood held the wrought-iron door ring in one hand, and counted down on fingers.
    Three.
    Two.
    One.

Chapter Seven
    The Bruce Banner Guide to Bull