The mercenary family

England–Scotland Border — 8:56 PM

A ripple of blue light tore open above the empty hillside, and Kira and Decibolt stepped out of the portal, boots sinking into damp grass. The air was sharp with cold, the sky dimming toward nightfall.

"We're on the last stop in England," Kira said, sweeping her gaze across the rocky fields. "I'll head north. You take south."

But the ground trembled.
A split-second later, a sonic wave blasted upward, sending both heroes crashing onto their backs. Dust spiraled into the air as four silhouettes emerged from the shadows — each wearing a monocle and carrying a spiked red hammer that pulsed with energy.

Kira exhaled sharply. "What is this, a Captain Brit fan meetup?"

The tallest stepped forward, jaw set. "We heard the superheroes who put my son in jail were on British soil. Thought we'd give you a family welcome."

Decibolt tilted his head. "Oh, right. The British guy. The one who got blown into pieces."

Lieutenant Brit's face twisted. "How does that make anything better?!"

Sergeant Brit raised a hand. "Easy, Lieutenant. Captain lost because he lost control. But we don't. We fight as one — because we are the Mercenary Family."

Decibolt winced. "Are you always this corny?"

"You blew up my son," Lieutenant snapped. "Then crack jokes? Private — you're with me. We take the girl. Major General — you team with your father. Take the other one."

Private Brit tightened her grip. "Yes, Mother."

"Attack! Major High One!"

They rushed Kira in perfect formation. Private vaulted off her mother's shoulders and brought her hammer down on Kira's skull with brutal force. Kira's vision flashed white. Before she could fall, Lieutenant Brit slammed her own hammer down, smashing Kira into the ground hard enough to split the pavement.

Kira groaned, blood trickling from her temple. "Ugh... my head."

"Feel the wrath of the Mercenary Family!" Lieutenant shouted.

Kira wiped the blood away. "We already beat one of you. What's four more? Gravitational Kinesis — Attack Three: Up and Down Gravity!"

The air warped. The two mercenaries jerked violently upward, then slammed downward, caught in Kira's wrenching gravitational swings.

Kira sprinted forward, seized both by the neck, and hurled them into a brick wall with a thunderous crack.

"Going up!"

She leapt, dragging them with her, then twisted mid-air and flung both to the ground. She landed lightly on a nearby rooftop.

"Already tired? I thought you came for revenge."

Lieutenant Brit grit her teeth. "Major Up Five!"

She clasped her hands. Private sprinted, jumped, and was hurled skyward. With a scream, she dove at Kira, smashing the roof beside her. The shockwave blasted Kira backward. Before she could recover, Private hurled her hammer straight into Kira's stomach.

Air burst from Kira's lungs as she slammed into the ground.

"Urgh... so heavy." She pushed the weapon off, clutching her bruised abdomen.

Private leapt again and drove a punch into Kira's gut, forcing another cough of pain.

"The gut again?" Kira rasped. "That your signature move?"

"My brother — Captain — was my best friend. You took him from me!" Private smashed a fist across Kira's cheek, leaving a small line of blood.

Kira's eyes narrowed. "Don't worry. You'll make friends in prison."
She ignited her aura. "Full Body Repulsion!"

The resulting blast launched Private across the roof and straight into Lieutenant Brit.

Kira drew a breath and sprinted up the side of the next building.

On Decibolt's Side

Sergeant Brit and Major General Brit charged together, firing lasers in controlled bursts. Decibolt blocked each with the shimmering Deci-Shield.

"Sonic Discs!"

Three glowing discs shot from his palms — but detonated prematurely when they hit the ground, sending shockwaves slicing through the pavement.

The Brits hurled their hammers. Decibolt sprang upward, seized the two weapons mid-air, and flung them right back.

They caught his hammer with ease. "You dare attack us with our own weapons?"

"Attack — Minor A1!"

Major General thrust upward, his hammer cracking beneath Decibolt's chin. Before the hero could land, Sergeant slammed him downward, burying him in a shallow crater.

"You can't evade our coordination," Sergeant said calmly. "Our tech has evolved."

As if to prove it, they struck their hammers together. A burst of electricity erupted along the metal heads.

"Oh good," Decibolt muttered. "The last one didn't do that."

Major General dashed in, smashing both sides of Decibolt's head with the electrified hammers. Sparks burst, and Decibolt crashed to the dirt.

"Major Slam Three!"

Both mercenaries struck the ground, propelling Decibolt high into the air. Major General leapt after him, hammer-first.

"This ground will be your grave!"

He smashed Decibolt back down, the impact sending dust spiraling.

Sergeant landed beside his son. "Good work."

Decibolt rose slowly... and cracked his neck. Not a bruise visible.

"Hey, can I ask something?"

"You want a final request?" Sergeant offered.

"No." Decibolt shrugged. "Why don't you guys have V.S. insignias? The other Brit we blew up had one."

Sergeant sighed. "That was a training rank for my eldest—"

Decibolt raised a hand. "Okay, never mind. I thought this would be a short answer."

Sergeant's expression hardened. "Then fall beneath the hammer of Sergeant Brit!"

Back to Kira

Private and Lieutenant Brit slammed their hammers together. Sparks danced.

Kira arched a brow. "Captain couldn't do that."

"Attack — Minor Duo Seven!" Lieutenant shouted.

The two fused their hammers into a massive double-edged beast of a weapon.

Private lifted it with a roar. "I'll avenge my brother!"

Kira flexed her knuckles. "This time, I'm coming to you."

She leapt off the building. Private swung the giant hammer with frightening force. Kira raised a Molecular Wall, and the impact cracked like thunder. Pressure rippled out, scattering debris.

"Too easy."

Kira hurled a barrage of debris with molecular kinesis, smashing Private backward.

"I'm no incompetent fool!" Private countered, spinning and swinging the double hammer in wild, furious arcs. Kira dodged each strike effortlessly.

"Funny," Kira said lightly. "That's exactly how you've been fighting."

"Aaargh!" Private slammed the ground. The shockwave blasted Kira upward. Lieutenant hurled the fused hammer into Kira's stomach again.

Kira spat a thin line of blood. "You two really have a pattern."

Lieutenant seized Kira's arm. Private grabbed the other. Together, they tossed her skyward.

"Finish her!" Lieutenant yelled.

Twin laser beams fired, striking Kira mid-air and slamming her into the earth hard enough to fracture the ground.

"We have avenged Captain!" Private declared.

They turned—

A massive boulder — fused concrete, steel, and rubble — rolled toward them like a siege weapon.

It crashed into both Brits, sending them flying.

Kira rose behind it, dusting her hands. "Strike. Did you really think I'd go down that easily?"

"You've mocked us for the last time!" Private roared.

Both charged, hammers raised.

Kira caught both weapons barehanded, stopping them cold.

"You four are all the same," she said. "Accents, oversized hammers, and terrible anger issues."
She pushed forward. "Lie down. It'll do wonders for your dramatic flair."

A Full Body Repulsion detonated, hurling both women into the ground.

Back to Decibolt

"Attack — Major Duo Six!" Sergeant Brit yelled.

The two worked flawlessly. Sergeant hurled his hammer at Decibolt's face. Major General followed with a brutal combination of gut strikes, ending with a laser blast that slammed Decibolt backward.

They didn't stop.

Sergeant grabbed his hammer again and smashed Decibolt across the face twice, then uppercut him into the ground.

Major General stomped the earth. "Eat rocks!"

Jagged stones shot upward, pelting Decibolt before the two unleashed a combined laser blast that forced him deep into the soil.

Dust settled.

Then Decibolt grinned. "Alright. You had your fun. My turn. Sonic Step."

He blurred forward — becoming afterimages — punching both mercenaries from every angle. The hits landed too fast to count.

"Deci-Cannon!"

A beam of sonic power blasted them backward.

"You designed your upgrades, right? Then you must be smart." Decibolt raised both arms. "Tell me — how many Sonic Discs does it take to shred you apart? Let's try a full storm. Sonic Storm!"

A storm, of glowing discs launched forward.

The Mercenary Family Regroups

All four Brits regrouped in a defensive formation.

Sergeant Brit lifted his hammer. "You want to be taken down as a family? Fine by us."

He raised the weapon high. "Four-Point Hammer Bond!"

Major General's eyes widened. "We can't! Without Captain, we don't have enough conduits!"

"That wasn't a suggestion," Sergeant growled. "It was an order."

Their hammers locked together — a glowing cross-shaped formation.

"What's that supposed to do?" Decibolt asked. "Hit us slightly harder?"

Sergeant Brit's eyes glowed. "Hammer Bond Formation!"

Major General whispered urgently, "We still can't attack with—"

"Mercenary Blast!"

A massive red sphere blasted outward, slamming both heroes into the ground.

Major General looked horrified. "That was the weakest attack! A stronger one will tear it apart!"

"Captain was my eldest," Sergeant said quietly. "This is worth the cost."

"Mercenary Missiles!"

Dozens of red projectiles screamed outward, bombarding Kira and Decibolt until the earth swallowed them.

"And now—"

Sergeant Brit raised his voice to the heavens.

"Final blow! FOUR-POINT MERCENARY BEAM!"

Major General shouted, "No! It can't take that! It's going to—"

"Fire!!!"

The entire formation exploded.

The shockwave threw all four mercenaries across the battlefield, crashing them against rubble, pipes, and the side of a ruined stone wall.

Finishing Move

Kira rose first, dust streaked across her face, a small cut beneath her eye.

"Looks like you handled the hard part for us," she said dryly. "Now watch how it's really done."

She lifted her aura. The air distorted.

"Gravitational Kinesis — Attack Two plus Four!"

An Anti-Gravity Beam launched her skyward as Cyclone Gravity spun the four mercenaries into a crushing vortex.

Decibolt streaked upward on platforms of hardened sound.

"Supersonic Decibolt!"

He blitzed through the vortex, striking each mercenary repeatedly until they were launched even higher.

Decibolt dropped back down, gathering energy.

"Final..."

He thrust his palms forward.

"Supersonic Ripple Blast!"

A colossal wave of sonic force erupted, catching the mercenaries mid-air and smashing them into the ground in a fiery, concussive crash.

Silence fell.

The Mercenary Family lay unconscious.

Aftermath

The first police officer approached cautiously. "Y-you defeated the Mercenary Family."

More officers emerged from behind their vehicles, stunned.

"We've been trying for years," one said. "Couldn't even scratch them."

"Just another Tuesday," Kira said.

Another officer stepped forward with glowing shards cupped in his hands. "Our citizens found these. If you're gathering them... they're yours."

"Thank you," she said, taking them.

The youngest officer swallowed nervously. "But... what about the new V.L.?"

Decibolt stiffened. "New V.L.?"

"We fought a V.S. villain recently," the officer explained. "She wasn't strong — nothing like the generals you fought. But she spoke of the rise of a new Villain Leader..."

Kira and Decibolt exchanged a long look.

"Thanks," Kira said. "We'll handle it."

And with a flash of blue light, they vanished back through a portal.