I'm a lumberjack and I'm..

“…largest attack we’ve seen so far, Meks numbering in the 100’s just appearing in downtown Seattle, the response team is already being deployed, this is an Demolition Class threat, bordering on Manhattan, enemy combatants are you priority, civilians secondary”.

Taylor stood in the briefing room quietly. The rest of the team were gone for now, their roles assigned, their tasks set. It was just him and Brass Bison as the last of the information was rattled off by the DVA agent. Bison stood just as quietly as he, a giant figure that radiated obvious power. It was the only time he was ever quiet, his usual booming voice stilled. It was another Mek attack, it was always another Mek attack recently. ‘Largest attack yet’ has lost all meaning as a phrase. They had become more and more frequent the last year, each one larger and more destructive than the last. The DVA Mek response team were veterans now.

He had gotten used to this room by now, this cold, impersonal space that heralded another battle. Every time he stood there he added another notch to the imaginary axe handle he was going to beat Travis to death with. There was no solid proof that it was him of course, just the word of Frequency and the gut feeling that the little psychopath was definitely capable of destroying thousands of lives to advance himself. He remembered the hospital…

No. Focus.

The agent was still talking, “…we’re 20 mins into the attack, you will hit behind the line…”
BB shot a glance him, noting the expression.

“Well, we’re up kid, let’s see if your idea pays up, I don’t feel like cleaning up your fucking corpse today”

Taylor couldn’t help it, he chuckled. “Tomorrow work better for you? I wouldn’t want to inconvenience the great and fucking mighty Brass Bison”

This joke had become their ritual. At the start of his internship and he had met every crude reference and swear with a “Yes sir” or awkward nod. At six months, tired from constant attacks and training, he had finally snapped and said his now routine reply. He had expected to be launched across the room, but instead BB had tilted his head back and full on belly laughed. “FINALLY!! Fuck sake kid, I thought I’d never get past that proper Minnesotan upbringing of yours!”.

From that point on their relationship had changed. He spoke up and gave as good as he got. And honestly, it had saved him. The pre banter, the quipping, it all helped to relieve the constant stress he, and probably BB, were under.

BB chuckled as well, “So, we’re trying your new idea, where did the idea for this maneuverer come from anyway?”

Taylor smiled slightly, “I adapted it from a technique a friend used once. I wasn’t as willing a participant the first time, but I couldn’t fault its effectiveness”

Bison snorted “You kids from that damned class are just weird as fuck, ya know that right?”

“I know”, BB still called it ‘his class’ even though Taylor hadn’t graduated with the Class of Demons. He took pride in that, he and his friends had been through hell in that class, he was proud to be associated with them.

There was a nod from the agent and a gesture and suddenly two gateways opened at their feet, each one looking at a different part of the battle field. As Taylor looked through, the ground SEETHED with Meks, a rolling landscape of metal and destruction. It looked like they had already levelled a small block of the city, this was going to be rough…

“I’m going down…” BB sang softly.

“Don’t”

“…I’m yelling Timber”, BB grinned at him.

“oh fuck you” and Taylor jumped.

Taylor may have jumped, but it was Timber who emerged through the gateway. Another of BB lessons, “You are not the job, Heroes who can’t make that distinction in their minds burn out too fucking quickly. Give everything you can, but leave that shit on the battle field and come home”.

He had appeared about 200 meters above the ground. Light flashed on metal as five objects left his hands at monstrous speed, rushing ahead of him. They impacted in a rough circle around his destination, hyperdense spheres of metal that hit with the force of out of control cars. Meks were sent flying, metal shards raining upwards from the 5 craters. Timber hit seconds later, his impact shattering the concrete under him and sending a more modest shockwave out. This wasn’t a comic book, the ground didn’t roll away from him, flinging the robots into the air, physics knew damn well what he weighed and responded accordingly.

Distantly he heard another impact as BB created his own crater. Coarse language aside BB was a professional and a damned good strongman, he would already be causing merry hell among the Meks. Timber unslung his axe and started forward. The axe wasn’t fancy, the head and handle were shaped like a simple woodsman’s tool, the material as heavy and strong as the spheres that had created the dents around him.

The axe head glinted as he surged forward. The Meks that confronted him were mostly Brawler units. They were always sent in the vanguard. He checked the skyline and sure enough he could see Firefly units in support. The Brawlers closed on him and Timber started to swing. Each stroke cleaved an arm, a leg, a head. Blows rained against him, he avoided what he could and weathered those he couldn’t.

When he started to feel shots hit him from the Firefly units he swung his axe in a tight 360 he cleared enough space to launch himself skyward. Keep moving, don’t stand still, introduce a bit of chaos into their systems. The jump also gave him a good read on the battlefield. There were about a half dozen Annihilators were near the front of the charge, laying down withering fire, a few Castigators keeping their flanks. Timber and BB had dropped behind them into the general mass. He didn’t see any Ifrits, but they usually kept to the flanks, running interference with the Heroes. He also didn’t see any Wraith Lords, but you never did until it was too late.
“Dispatch, I’m starting my run”

He heard the standard reply of “Acknowledged Timber” as he landed in the new location. He had jumped closer to the front line, where the Meks more densely packed.

“Come on you fuckers, turn around, you have to wonder what’s causing all this noise behind you” he whispered to himself.

The plan was simple, it had to be, clever or tricky plans just gave the Meks more ammunition for next time. ‘Make so much noise they can’t ignore you’ was about as simple as it got though. He was sure Charlie or Nathan would have come up with a smarter solution, but that sort of thinking was needed far more elsewhere. He started to lay about himself again, at point managing to knock a firefly unit out with the toss of a well placed brawler. He was getting closer to the front line. “Come on, come on”. When it happened it was sudden. The Annihilator unit 30 meters from him turned and suddenly rained death. He didn’t have time to dodge, the energy rounds slammed into him, forcing him back a step.

FINALLY he thought. With a roar, he brought his forearm up and CHARGED. The energy rounds burned as they struck, but after staring down the disintegration cannon that was Charles this was paltry by comparison. He closed on the unit and slammed his axe down, but the Mek managed to get it’s shield up in time to block, its gun spitting energy all the while. Timber released his axe and with blinding speed delivered three blows to the gun arm, chest and head of the Annihilator. He felt metal snap under his knuckles and the lights went out in its inhuman eyes. He had just enough time to feel slightly satisfied with himself when a blow caught him in his ribs and he was sent careening sideways in a low arch.

“Oh yeah, the Castigator…”, was all he could think before the giant Mek tore through its comrades, charging at him. He didn’t think the Mek could show surprise, but it definitely paused when he sprang nimbly to his feet, showing no signs of being dizzied by the blow.

“Come on big guy, you’re going to have to do better than that, you’ve got to really want it!”, in truth he felt like he’d been hit by a train, but he wasn’t going to let big tall and oily know that.

The pause didn’t last long, the Castigator ran in and aimed a blow for his head that would have torn it clean off if it had landed. Timber sidestepped, landing a lessor blow to its knee. He felt the joint shift and the Mek staggered. Swinging a metal fist wide though it caught Timber across the face, opening up his lip. Timber didn’t hesitate. “Make noise, get their attention, drop in some chaos” his whispered. Air molecules screamed as they were pushed aside far faster than should be possible, the sound barrier briefly being torn asunder while his fist powered into the Mek in front of him, then through it, leaving a hole the size of a red wood in its chest.

“Ajax would be so disappointed in you, he was able to take that punch like a champ”

He had just enough time to register movement to his left and right before the other Annihilators turned and opened fire, their Castigator guards also whirling around to face him.

Well, I had wanted their attention, he thought. Heat, light and pain engulfed him. He had just enough presence of mind to shout “Dispatch, NOW!” as he covered his head and hunkered down.

It felt like hours, but he knew it wasn’t. The fact that he was alive showed that it couldn’t have been more than a few seconds. Hit and get hit, that was the Strongman creed. You take the hits that others can’t, you weather the storm so that no one else has to.

When the light and heat stopped it was sudden. The pain remained but as always he was glad of that, it meant there was something left to feel it. He slowly opened his eyes to see carnage and destruction around him.

“Oh! I’m a lumberjack and I’m ok…”

“You’ve got to fucking kidding me”

“…I bitch all night and I sleep all day”

“Those aren’t the lyrics, you giant ass hat”

BB’s form came into view chuckling, of course HE looked fine. “Come on kid, time to go, the plan worked. The ranged heroes barely got noticed as they approached and were able to mop up the Meks once you started that tickle fight”

Timber tried to rise but a large hand stilled him, he looked up into his mentors suddenly more serious face. “After you get healed. You die on me trying to stand and I have to clean it up”

“Tomorrow work better for you?” Timber wheezed laying back down.

BB’s expression softened and he gave one of his rare genuine smiles. “Tomorrow is always better, always”