Heroes Assemble!

Come One, Come All!

ooo00ooo

Getting the number of engines needed attached to the semi had been a task in itself, especially when it meant scrounging for the necessary parts, not to mention the dozens of simulations in order to make what he had in mind actually work. The cash he'd gotten from robbing the bank had helped. A lot. But there was a lot more cash needed if he wanted to become the best and to become unstoppable. That meant that he'd need to rob a bunch more banks. Unfortunately, in order to pull that off, he first needed more weapons. Thus, the need for retrofitting the semi.

Currently, Roderick was atop his glider, wearing the new armour that he'd been able to build from the portion of funds allocated to that particular part of his plan. With his knees slightly bent, he leant to the right, allowing the glider to follow the path of the river below him.

When it came right down to it, this was the best way in. He could follow the river right up to the very fence of the military munitions' depot without any annoying streetlights or cars or whatever spotting him. Glancing back, Roderick gave a satisfied nod – the semi was flying along right behind him, its movements mirroring the glider's.

Roderick, or Hobgoblin as he'd announced himself as back at the bank robbery, slowed as he came around the last curve and into sight of his target.

It was a big, sprawling complex with security all over it. Ten foot high fences topped with barbed wire surrounded it. Huge spotlights lit up the perimeter, although these were spaced much closer together on the far side where the supposedly only entrance was. There were even guard towers on that side.

But here, on the river side, the only extra security was an eight foot vertical concrete wall along the bank of the river before the wire fence began. As if either of those heights could do anything to stop him, even added together.

A shift of his heel had the glider – and subsequently the semi behind him – rising ten, twenty, thirty feet into the air. Hobgoblin cut his engines as much as possible to continue forward momentum but also to remain silent so as to not alert the guards below. It was a delicate balancing act but somehow, he managed.

As more and more of the facility came into sight, he used the enhancements on his goggles to get a good look at the place, noting the number of guards and their placement. Finally, he had what he was looking for: a window of opportunity to set down where he and his semi wouldn't be seen.

Hobgoblin managed to keep his glider half a meter off the ground even after the semi was grounded giving him the manoeuvrability that he needed, just in case. It was then a matter of getting the warehouse door open and directing the semi inside before shutting the door again.

Turning about, he scanned the building and couldn't help but rub his hands together. He'd hit the jackpot. A lot of the stuff in there he could use as is and the rest would be child's play for him to modify into his own designs.

Checking his watch, he saw that dawn was five and a half hours away.

Time for him to get to work.

ooo00ooo

It was the sudden upsurge in volume from the four House Tables that alerted the Hogwarts professors to something being out of the ordinary. Each of the Heads looked firstly to their own tables even as the other professors scanned the Hall in general, all looking for any potential trouble.

What they saw was that the entire student body was looking upwards. The fact that it was the middle of breakfast and thus the normal time for the owls to arrive with the daily post and newspapers could account for some of that interest, but certainly not all of it.