(OOC once again apologies for the delay, surprised at how busy I've been
but here it so enjoy! or not
)
Episode 7- Heroes Assemble
Ed wandered through the streets of the London suburbs. It was here that Preservation had kept her secret hideout, hidden in plain sight. There was a row of garages behind a block of abandoned flats. The building was old and decaying, fit only for demolishing. Fires were lit in several oil drums outside in the car park area just in front of the garages. The metal crocodile doors were fake, used for show, the real entrance was the side wall. Ed walked round and approached it, her nose sniffing and her ears twitching. She found that the door was already open and she could hear voices coming from inside. The smell of cheap alcohol, cigarettes and petrol consumed her as she staggered back for a moment, wincing. Sneaking onto all fours, Ed slowly crept into the abandoned hideout.
Embedded on both sides of the entrance were old, empty cryogenic stasis pods; the ones Preservation had used for her victims. They had all previously been set free and rehabilitated by Olympus during the crackdown. Preservation had managed to escape though and fled, much to Mega Man's annoyance. Ed remained low to the ground as she approached the voices. From the sound they were making, they were drunken, loudmouthed hoodlums and more than likely criminals who were in just too much a petty and insignificant a location to be bothered with by the authorities. They seemed to have made their home in Preservations old lab.
Broken glass littered the ground as old flasks, test tubes and various other equipment lay in ruins. Ed treaded carefully, her nose and ears constantly twitching, her eyes continually scanning. The shadows of the men had been cast on the wall further down the hideout by the flames they had created, the entrance had been in darkness. Ed stayed away from the light, she did not intend to be spotted. She listened in to what they were saying.
"Nah mate she were better than that, pussy like a vice mate," the short, fat and balding bloke snorted with a sickening grin on his face.
"Mate I will never know what you get from fucking a fifteen year old like dat," the tallest one said as he rubbed his hands over the fire.
"It just reminds 'im of 'is sister dun'it," a third said as he exhaled the smoke from his cigarette. The statement was followed by sickening laughter.
"Cor mate, it's your sister who's the fittest," a man with a beaked nose and who had his hood up said as he took a swig from his can of lager, "fings I would do to 'er mate…." He trailed off as he vibrated his lips like a horse.
"Yeh well it's better dan 'er lookin' like a facking dog like what your mam does," the third man replied to the fourth.
Ed scrunched her face with disgust as she heard them speak. She got to her feet and growled through the darkness. The four men stopped and exchanged looks with each other as if to say "what the fuck was that!?" Ed stomped her right foot down as she stepped out of the light. The four criminals spun round to look at her, each one paralyzed with fear.
Rushing forward, Ed slammed into the fat one, shoulder barging him into the oil drum the fire was in, ash and hot coal spilled out onto the floor. The tallest drew a knife and began to swipe at Ed as the other two tried to get round her. Fortunately for Ed, being a dog person meant she had greater speed and agility than that of an average human. On top of that, she had had Olympus training. She dodged the knife attacks with ease before she swung round and backhanded the one who had been smoking. The man with the knife lunged at her but Ed grabbed his wrist and sunk her claws in. He dropped the knife and yelled out in pain, blood dripping onto the floor. The beak nosed man came in with a right hook, catching Ed across the face. As he threw another punch, Ed jilted her head back and then quickly lunged forward and caught his fist with her teeth, biting down hard. Blood gushed out of the wound as the man recoiled, screaming in agony. Ed spat out the blood in her mouth. She was still holding onto the second man and so pulled him in and swiped him across the face with her other paw, clawing from one side to the other.
The man she had backhanded came flying back at her in a rage induced attack, swinging his fists at her in a frantic motion. Ed just kept on back-stepping, each attack missing her. The man then let fly a kick but Ed just swoop under it and grabbed his calf. She picked him up off the ground and leapt so that she was above him, still holding onto his leg. She brought her elbow crashing into the man's ribcage as he catapulted back down to the ground. Ed remained on top of him, snarling in his face before she reared up and drove her right fist onto the bridge of his nose. He was out like a light.
By now the fat one had gotten back to his feet. He picked up one of the rags that was on fire and charged at Ed, screaming as he did so. He waved the flames around in her face, making her back off. Ed then ran at him and vaulted over the little fat imp. She landed on her hands and balancing on them, kicked her legs back into the man's spine with a powerful double-kick. Fatso went flying through the air, hitting the beak nosed man as he too was just getting back to his feet.
Ed stood up, dusted herself down and straightened her coat and hat. She turned around and walked towards the beak nosed man. He was struggling to remove himself from under the big blob that had been flung on top of him. Ed wrapped a paw around his throat and ripped him out from underneath the lump of lard. She pinned him against the wall, his feet not touching the ground. She grabbed hold of his enormous nose and twisted it a full hundred and eighty degrees. Blood came flooding forth as he howled in pain.
"There are plenty of other parts of your body I can break if you like," Ed said in a cold, calm manner, "if you wish to remain as intact as you are now, I suggest you talk." The man nodded, his eyes wide open with shock and horror.
"Where is Preservation?" Ed's tone remained calm.
"I dunno I swear!" the man cried out through his hands that were now clasped around his broken face.
"You're here in her old hideout, did you ever happen across her when she was here?"
"No never, I swear!"
"You do a lot of swearing don't you?" Ed spoke rhetorically, "alright then, how long has this place been abandoned?"
"A good few years, honest!"
"Then there's no chance of me finding any clues as to her whereabouts here then are there," Ed mumbled to herself, "thank you. You've been most helpful. But you and your friends here are criminals and must be dealt with," Ed growled as she smashed her forearm into his face, knocking him out.
Ed exited the abandoned hideout and quickly sent out a quick text to the officers back at the police station, giving them the details of the men she had just encountered. She then messaged the others, letting them know that she hadn't been able to find anything and asking where Aurora was so she could meet up with her. Once that had been done, Ed took off into the night, heading towards the docks.
Chris was still meditating atop the Shard, her aura illuminating the night sky as her body pulsed with wave after wave of energy coming off of it. Her eyes were still firmly shut, her demeanour calm as she continued to search the city for Preservation. She stretched out with her senses, seeking the all illusive energy signature of an old foe. Everything throughout the city was so chaotic as all its inhabitants buzzed about. There was a great mix of human and super signatures but Chris had to push past all that and turn it into background noise, she had to concentrate and focus in on Preservation. Chris continued to stretch out.
Down in the city, in a back alley in and around the central shopping district of London, a young woman was walking down it to use it as a shortcut to the nearest tube station. As she walked past the set of dumpsters there, a man suddenly sprang out and grabbed her, pinning her against the other wall, his hand covering her mouth.
"Don't scream," he growled at her.
The woman struggled to break his hold on her but was in too much of a panic to co-ordinate her movements. In the end all she could do was flail about as her wide, terror filled eyes stared up into his violent ones. The man grabbed her handbag with his other hand and ripped it from her grasp. She attempted to retrieve it but the man just slammed his fist into her stomach. Letting go of her face, the man allowed the woman to collapse to the ground as he turned and went to take off down the alley. As he did so, he was brought to a sudden halt as his body began to feel much heavier. It felt as if he was being forced down to the ground by some unknown pressure from above.
"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to hit girls?" an electronic static voice rhetorically said as the hovering figure slowly began to close his hand, increasing the pressure being put on the man.
The man collapsed to his knees and then on to all fours, breathing heavily under the immense weight of what seemed like nothing but air. The figure slowly floated down to the ground, his feet landing softly, his fist still firmly closed. He began to stride towards the man as the man struggled to look up at the approaching figure. At first, all the man could see were dark blue boots and spandex on the lower half of the figure. Raising his eyes, his attention was drawn to a dark blue aura surrounding the figure's closed fist. Each forearm was garbed with a black and grey gauntlet. A grey utility belt was fastened tightly around the figure's waist. The man continued to struggle as he slowly reared his head further upwards to fully see the figure. The top half of the suit was the same dark blue as the bottom but the top half of the torso was black with what looked like a white vortex as an emblem in the middle of the chest. Finally the man's eyes reached his attackers face: a dark blue mask with a white visor across the eyes. The visor was made from reflective glass so the man could not see through it.
"Who…..who the fuck…….are you?" the man wheezed his words out.
"I am Zero, Master of Gravity, and this is my city!" the figure coldly replied as he shook his fist up and down, slamming the man into the ground, making him bounce back up, blood dripping from his face.
Chris' eyes shot open as she suddenly sensed a spike in activity amongst all the different energy signatures. She powered up and rocketed off the roof, a huge yellow streak ripped the night sky in half. Chris flew over central London, heading towards the shopping district where she had felt the eruption of energy. She hoped she'd make it in time to help whoever needed it.
She came to an abrupt halt over the alleyway, suspending herself in midair. Quickly descending into the darkness below, the alley was lit up by her aura. As she landed a few metres behind the dark figure, Chris stretched her arms out in front of her and spread her hands, concentrating an energy ball in them.
"Put your hands up and turn around slowly!" she sternly ordered the figure.
Zero quickly spun round as a surprised look spread across his face.
"Chris!?"
"Alex!?"
"What are you doing here!?"
"Well what are you doing here!?"
"Erm….well…I was…..I mean I was…..I'm just…..moonlighting."
"Oh?" there was surprise in Chris' voice as she powered down and relaxed her stance.
"Yeh. Erm look……don't tell Freya."
"Hahaha yeh you….you're secret's safe with me," Chris chuckled back at him.
As Alex and Chris were getting reacquainted, the man got to his feet and tried to escape out onto the street. With out even looking behind him, Alex stretched out an arm and pulled the man back into the alley, flipping him over his head and pummelling the man into the ground between him and Chris, flat on his back. Chris powered up and in the blink of an eye, had moved in and knocked the man out cold with a single punch.
"Everything's alright now miss," Zero turned round and addressed the woman as he walked over and pulled her onto her feet, "just be more careful when choosing to walk down dark alleys," he continued as he sent her on her way despite her still being a little shaken. There wasn't exactly much more he could do for her and there was a more pressing matter to attend to with Chris being there.
"So…..?" Alex began as he walked back over to Chris, "What's going on?"
"Oh I just sensed a spike in energy so I came to investigate. Guess I should have checked the energy signature haha," she nervously laughed.
"So you're moonlighting as well?"
"Do I look like I'm moonlighting?" she sarcastically remarked.
"Well you always did dive in head first without looking at the situation first," Alex's tone was more playful than scolding, "how is the case coming along? I hear it's been very tough?"
"Oh yeh well…" just as Chris began to speak, her phone buzzed. She took it out to inspect who the message was from. It was Ed. Chris scanned the message with a concerned look.
"Something wrong?" Alex sounded equally concerned.
"It's Ed. Erm she's fine but….we're looking for Preservation."
"Preservation?"
"Yeh…Herb had a dream and we think that she might be the next target."
"Oh I see," Alex sounded slightly disapproving, "had any luck?"
"Well Ed hasn't and well…I found you so at the moment no. Herb said something about his dream taking place in an abandoned warehouse, so Aurora's at the docks, Ed's going over to meet her there. I guess I should too," Chris explained.
"What about Freya?"
"She said she was heading home first and then she'd come and meet us."
"Oh shit she's gonna expect me to be there," Alex moaned, "well that doesn't matter now, I'm coming with you."
"Whoa I don't……"
"Chris please. If you guys are gonna get yourselves in trouble, you'll need me."
"Yeh but what about Freya?"
"You let me worry about what my wife will think to this okay?"
"Fine," Chris conceded, "but we'd best hurry," she said as she powered up and the pair took to the skies.
Down at the docks, Aurora stuck to the shadows, checking each warehouse for any signs of life or movement. The docklands had long since been abandoned as a place of industry and now served more as hub for police and lifeboats when patrolling the Thames. Despite the area being fenced off, there was no security patrolling. Aurora reached into her pocket and pulled out her black hair band and slipped it on, pushing her hair out of her eyes. She pressed the button and her hair turned black. Pink was not a good colour to have when trying to be inconspicuous.
She weaved through the darkness, crouching, sprinting, clinging to the side of the giant buildings. It'd been a very long time indeed since she had had to do anything like this. Aurora was just about to step out again when all of a sudden she heard a cry a little way off in the distance. The voice sounded like it was a woman's. Could it have been Preservation? She got up and ran down the street before crouching behind some crates just outside the warehouse from where the noise had come from. As she did so, her phone buzzed as it received Ed's message. She replied giving the others her location and that she believed she had found Preservation. Aurora urged them to hurry. She thought it best that she wait for the others as she didn't feel there was a lot she could do on her own against a potential threat.
Inside the warehouse, Preservation was still battling away against Hades. She threw a crate at the dark figure with her power but Hades juts smashed through it with one punch. Preservation hurled another one at them but it was the same result. However, she had anticipated Hades shattering the crate and so as they did so, Preservation focused her telekinetic energy around the little shards and splinters of wood created by both crates and sent them all flying like daggers towards Hades.
Hades was taken by surprise but managed to erect a force field out of pure instinct, turning the wood into nothing more than sawdust. Preservation used a telekinetic field to push herself off the ground and hurled through the air towards the hooded figure. As she was about to land on top of them, she pushed outwards and sent Hades flying through the air, slamming them against the far wall. She kept her arms outstretched as she raced over towards them, keeping them pinned to the wall. Letting out a roar, Hades released another force field, sending Preservation crashing and rolling across the floor. Hades remained levitated as they pushed themselves off the wall.
Picking up a crate in each hand, Hades launched one at Preservation as she got to her feet, sending her crashing back down to the ground as it shattered all over her on impact, the various shards and splinters piercing and slashing her skin. Hades flew to be hovering right above her before smashing the other crate down on top of her. Hades landed and grabbed Preservation by the scruff of the neck as they flung further across the room as she went tumbling, eventually landing on her back.
Outside, Aurora was still waiting for the others to get there. Ed suddenly came bounding down the road as she followed Aurora's scent and nestled up to her behind the crates, trying to stay hidden though it was proving difficult considering she was a giant dog.
"What's going on? Have you found her? Is she in there? Is she in trouble? Is this her new hideout?" Ed rattled off a bunch of questions like a machinegun.
"I think she's in there, but it sounds like she's in trouble. The others need to hurry or else we might be too late," there was real concern in Aurora's voice as she spoke.
Before Ed had a chance to respond, Aurora's phone started to ring. She answered it without checking the caller ID, she just assumed it would be one of the others.
"Hello?"
"Amica!" the voice on the other end cried, "Where are you?"
"Erm…..down by the docks, warehouse fourteen."
"Wait there, I'll be witha you shortly!" the voice sounded very excited.
Within moments, the deafening sound of a helicopter suddenly burst forth above them and began to hover above the warehouse. Both Ed and Aurora reared their heads up, shielding their eyes from the blinding spotlight. A rope dropped just in front of the crates as a figure slid down it and landed gracefully in front of the two women. The figure stood there in all of his majestic and heroic glory, hands firmly on his hips as he looked down at the two figures ducked behind the crates, the wind that the helicopter had whipped up rushed through his gorgeous, curly brown locks.
"Alright Gio, I can take it from here grazie," he said as he touch the communicator in his ear, "Amico!" he cried as he now addressed Ed and Aurora.
"Lucio!" they both gawked as they slowly got to their feet, the helicopter whirring off into the night.
"Yes it is I!" he boastfully proclaimed as he pirouetted into a grande plies, "But what are you up to? Were you about to conduct yourselves and go into a perilous situation without me!? Amico I am mortally wounded," Lucio was very animated as he spoke, "fear not though for I am here now! Let us catch this murdering villain! Forward amico! To victory!" he cried as he went to charge into the warehouse.
"Hold up Lucio!" Aurora interrupted him, "We need to wait for the others. We don't know what's going on in there."
Just as Aurora spoke, the trio heard Preservations screams amongst several crashes and bangs.
"We might not have time to wait Rora," Ed said worryingly to her.
"Then in we must go! Come amico!" Lucio proclaimed as the three of them lined up and readied themselves.
Lucio kissed his fingers and tapped them on the Tellasite emblem on his chest before he pinched the bridge of his nose to make sure the domino mask was firmly fixed. Aurora and Ed just breathed in deeply as one unanimous thought burned right at the forefront of their minds:
"Here we go!"