Episode 6: Tests

It was a calm, peaceful night in Kelna. Or so it would seem to some people. In a hardware store downtown the door had been kicked down and two thugs named Snap and Trap. They kicked down shelves smashed items and spray painted the walls. Suddenly Snap started cutting up a barrel with a chainsaw.

"Yo! Watch it Snap!" Trap exclaimed, pausing in his spray painting.

"What's your problem Trap?! All I'm doing is just expressing my artistic self." He smirked. The two burst out laughing and continued their destruction.

"Serves the old man right for rejecting our art. This is justice!" Trap exclaimed. Suddenly a shadow loomed in the doorway.

"No." A calm but cold voice boomed from the entrance. Snap and Trap jumped slightly and turned to the door. They saw Querl and Kopi, in their disguises as Snap and Trap weren't Ark fugitives, glaring at them.

"We are justice." Querl said.

"We can take some punks in Halloween costumes." Trap smirked before running at Kopi with a wrench in his hands. Kopi kicked him in the gut and sent him into some shelves. Before Snap could move Querl shot an energy blast at him. Kopi watched silently as Querl handcuffed the thugs.

"Are you going to stare at my back all night or are you going to say something?" Querl suddenly said, not turning to face his blue friend.

"When are you going to allow Kiara to become a full member of the team?" She asked. Querl rolled his eyes. Kopi and the others, mostly Sorun, had been pestering him for weeks to let Kiara join the team. But Querl still thought she wasn't ready.

"When she's ready." Querl replied before heading for the door silently. When the two heroes were gone Trap groaned.

"Great, the cops are totally jack us for this." He said.

"They certainly would. If they catch you." A voice said from the shadows.

"Look man, those two already got us so go do your hero work somewhere else." Snap glared at the newcomer.

"Oh I'm no hero. I'm a fan." The new guy smirked and stepped into the light. This was an Ark fugitive called Hantara. Hantara wore a completely white outfit with a hood and cape. His eyes and skin were completely white. He wore a utility belt which stores various weapons and items including flash-bang like bombs and an extendable baton.

He walked over to the thugs.

"I've been watching you for some time. Trap, your authority challenging street art shows amazing promise. And you Snap, you knack for sculptural destruction I find inspiring." Hantara smirked. He then undid the handcuffs on the thugs wrists.

"I see genius in you both and I want to be your new provider. Consider this my first donation." He said. He then tossed them a large blaster and a more powerful chainsaw.

"Dude, who are you." Snap grinned.

"Call me Hantara."...

Back at the garaged Kiara cautiously walking through the lit up corridors. She was in some sort of advanced training room in the garage that Querl had designed so he and the others could use to train. He and Abel were planning on added solid holograms but that would take time. However, she was told the training room was made to keep them fit instead of preparing them for battle.

Suddenly she stepped on a floor tile that sank slightly into the ground.

Kiara gasped as a weapon popped out of the floor ahead of her and started firing small metal disks at her. With inhuman speed and agility, Kiara gracefully dodged the disks and made her way passed the weapon that was shooting at her. But as soon as she got passed the weapon a large panel from the ceiling started lowering on her.

Kiara seemed to almost glide down the hall as parts of the wall, roof and floor jumped out to crush her.

She gasped as razor sharp blades shot in her direction and narrowly avoided them. She looked up to the camera on the ceiling.

"Abel, your boss has one serious work out room." She said.

"Querl insists on the best, and he and I have the know-how and the spare parts to make it."...

Down in the base Abel shut off the monitor to the training room. He was there with Querl and Kopi who were having a game of chest to pass the time. Querl was black, Kopi was white and she was losing badly.

"Well? What do you think?" Abel asked Querl. But the Coluan kept staring at the hologram chess board. Kopi glared at him, not at all impressed with his behaviour. Sorun and Tam were out of town for the next few days.

"Had you been paying attention, Querl, you would admitted she handled the obstacles almost as good as you." She said.

"We don't need an Olympic gymnastic, we need people who have the strength, the knowledge and the courage to bring these fugitives down." Querl finally said. Kopi's glared intensive as she moved her Bishop closed to Querl. Abel didn't look happy with the Coluan either.

"Kiara just passed an intense training course that even some of the toughest members of the Legion would have found hard. Like it or not, she is qualified to be on this team Querl." Kopi said. Querl moved his pawn closer to Kopi's bishop.

"Yeah, why won't you make her a team member already?" Abel asked.

"When I was training with the Legion every situation had a different requirement. Skill, character, endurance. We all had to pass these tests before we were fully accepted into the Legion." He explained. Kopi moved her bishop again. Only for Querl's queen to take it.

"I don't know why we always play this game. You never lose." Kopi groaned as Querl headed to the elevator.

"That's because you guys always keep me sharp. As for Sorun's sister, it's going to take more than an agility test to convince me."...

Back in her room Kiara was changing her clothes since her other outfit was now a mess. She suddenly looked around to make sure no one was around before heading to her closet. She pulled back some hung up clothes and found a large metal box. She opened it and smiled at its contents. Inside we different pictures and items from her and Sorun's childhood.

When they we little she and her brother were really close.

But as the years went by Sorun began to drifted away and poor Kiara was left alone. That's why when Sorun offered her a job with him she jumped at the chance, in hopes she and Sorun could reconnect. Suddenly the floor outside her door creaked and Kiara slammed the box shut. She walked into the hallway but no one was there.

Kiara glanced at the closet door, which was really the elevator to the base.

She didn't know why but something about that room felt off to her. She walked in and saw the same dusty room as it was before. Then something caught her eye. A panel on the wall that looked like it had been removed recently. Kiara carefully pulled it off and saw the hand print scanner underneath.

"This job just got a lot more interesting." Kiara muttered and placed her hand against the scanner. It instantly flashed a bright red cross.

"What are you hiding Mr. Dox?"...

"You sure this is the place Hantara said to go? Didn't we get booted from this place once?" Snap asked his companion. There were hiding like rats in an ally, gazing at the Kelna Art Gallery.

"Yeah, but that was before we were reconstituted with new artist tools." Trap replied and held up the new weapon Hantara had given them. They then ran towards the building.

"Yo! Heard you uptights are always looking for the next big thing, so check out my street art!" Trap smirked and began firing at the building. Snap laughed as he cut through cars and lamp-posts. Up on a nearby rooftop Hantara was watching the chaos.

"Welcome Kelna, to the art of destruction." He laughed. Suddenly a black and purple bike pulled up nearby the gallery.

"First hardware stores then civilians." A voice growled. Snap and Trap turned around and saw Querl, in his disguise, behind them. And he did not look happy.

"Congratulations you have my attention." He added.

"We're just expressing ourselves man. Why do ya have to be hating on our art?" Trap glared and started rapidly firing at Querl but the Coluan dodged every time. Snap grinned and tried to use his chainsaw to cut Querl's bike into little pieces. However, Snap's new chainsaw broke apart as soon as it hit the bike, which didn't have a single scratch on it.

Trap fired again but this time he nearly hit Snap.

"Hey man watch it!" Snap shouted.

"Sorry." Trap replied sarcastically.

"Yes you are." Querl said and punched them both in the face, knocking them out. But before he could handcuff them some flash bombs went off and temporarily blinded him. When Querl could see again Snap and Trap were gone...

When Querl drove into the base Kopi and Abel were waiting for him.

"You're all over the news, quite a mess. Anyone we know?" Kopi asked.

"Dumb and Dumber from the other night." Querl sighed. Abel handed him some coffee.

"I figured we'd be working late." The youngest shrugged.

"This pair seem efficient for this kind of destruction." Kopi added.

"Agreed. They're working with someone, do a background on anyone they might have come in contact with." Querl ordered. He suddenly noticed something on the front of his bike. A boot print from Snap. Handing his coffee to Kopi, he went to examine it. He took a swab and scrapped some of the footprint off.

"Analyse this, it probably came off their shoes." He said. He then handed the swab to Abel and taking his coffee back from Kopi before heading for the elevator...

When Querl stepped out into the hallway he wasn't wearing his disguise.

"You have a very light step Mr. Dox." A voice suddenly said.

"As do you Kiara." Querl smiled as he turned around and saw Kiara standing close behind him.

"And judging from your home gym you have a killer exercise routine." She added with a smile.

"I saw you in there. You live up to Sorun's glowing recommendation." He replied. But then Kiara's warm smile suddenly vanished.

"Look, I know that you don't think I'm necessary but let me assure you that I always take my work very seriously so please, keep an open mind." She said.

"I always do." Querl replied. The two then shook hands before Querl took off down the hallway. Once she was sure he was gone Kiara peeled the plastic seal covering her hand off. She now had Querl's handprint...

After an hour Querl returned to the base.

"What have you found?" He asked.

"Your dimwitted duo have made quite a name for themselves on Kelna's art scene." Kopi said.

"Been booted from every art gallery in town. Up until now though their only serious crime is a great lack of talent." Abel added.

"This supports the theory that they're working with someone. Anything from the analysis?" Querl asked.

"Antiquated machine lubricant, barely in use now. But it's what we found in the lubricant that's really interesting." Abel explained. Kopi then pulled out a picture of a flower.

"A very rare pollen from the chest flower." She said.

"Someone's playing a game." Querl frowned.

"And our two artists?" Kopi asked.

"Are the bait. Scan the footage from CCTV cameras." He said. Abel did and it didn't take long for him to find something. He pulled up some footage of Snap and Trap walking around in some mechanised suits.

"Let's move Kopi."...

Trap grinned as he carved his name into a wall with acid as if it was spray paint.

"Hahaha! Only way to tag!" He laughed. Suddenly Kopi pulled up right in front of them.

"I don't even care if she worked for Brainiac! She can't push us around!" Trap snarled while Snap grinned in agreement. The two criminals charged at her but Kopi fired her gauntlet blasters at them. They dodged. Trap sprayed some acid at her while Snap tossed a chuck of rubble at them. Kopi used the force field belt Querl had given her protect herself.

As soon as she lowered the force field Kopi aimed both her blasters at them and fired.

The blasts hit their targets and Snap and Trap was once again knocked out...

Hantara smiled at the view. He was standing on top of one of Kelna's train stations. He was watching the fight on his holo-pad. "Very impressive Mr. Dox." He smiled. Querl stepped out of the shadows.

"Thank." He said. Hantara gave him a slow clap and chuckled.

"I believe this hunt just got interesting." He smirked before charging at the Coluan. The two could match each other move for move. When one threw a punch the other would block. It was a fight that seemed to go on forever. Suddenly Hantara kicked Querl in the law and sent him over the railings. But thankful the Coluan grabbed a hold of the edge.

"Well done. I'm so gratified that you understand the game in the hunt." Hantara smirked.

"This isn't a game. In that gear those two are dangerous, it's a miracle bystanders weren't hurt." Querl glared.

"Oh, I would have been fine with that. For I, Hantara, know that there's always a price in a hunt." He grinned.

"I'm not going to play your game Hantara." Querl stated.

"Oh but you must. I've searched for so long for a challenging prey." He laughed. Suddenly Querl heard an explosion. He looked up the track and saw that Hantara had blown a hole in the track and the train was heading straight for it. Querl's eyes widened.

"That was the first bomb. The second one is hidden somewhere in Kelna. It's your choice Querl. Stop me or save the people." Hantara laughed before heading towards the exit. Querl jumped onto his bike and went full speed to beat the train to the hole. He did beat the train but he had to think fast. Querl quickly formed a force field around the train in order to slow it down.

It screeched to a halt right at the edge of the hole.

Querl ran up to the train to check that the passengers were ok but once he stepped inside he saw that the train was completely empty. Hantara had tricked him but it didn't matter though. He knew where the other bomb was...

Back at the garage Kiara entered the storage closet. She removed the panel that hid the handprint scanner and took the plastic with Querl's hand. She pressed it against the scanner and this time it lit up purple.

The hologram disappeared and a set of buttons appeared.

Kiara pressed a random button and the elevator began to go down. When it opened she found herself in a room filled with spare parts. Kiara groaned.

"Even this place's secrets are boring."...

Querl ran into the gasoline and match factory and began looking for the bomb. He soon found it in one of the machines with a timer on it. But before he could deactivate it he was kicked away by Hantara.

"Congratulations, you knew where my bomb was, you passed the test." Hantara smiled.

"It wasn't much of a test. Now turn off the bomb." Querl glared.

"Oh please, you think that I'll do whatever you say." He said.

"That's it, I've run out of patience." Querl sighed before giving a loud whistle. Hantara was suddenly punched a dozen times in the face by something he couldn't see. The moment punching stopped Hantara felt two large hands grab him and lift him up in the air.

"If I'm being honest I was hoping for more a challenge." Sorun whined as Tam held a struggling Hantara in the air. Querl rolled his eyes before deactivating the bomb in a matter of seconds. Hantara suddenly threw a flash bomb to the ground and when the bright light faded he was gone...

Hantara snarled as he repeatedly hit the wall of the ally he was hiding in.

"NO! I ALWAYS WIN THE HUNT! HOW CAN THAT KID BEAT ME!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

"So true." A cool, calm voice said from the shadows.

"Who are you?" Hantara glared. "I'm a friend. Now tell me Hantara, how do you feel about hunting in packs?"...

Back at the base everyone had gone to bed. Except Querl. He was going through the security footage and saw what Kiara had done.

"Impressive." He said.

"So Kiara, you passed my test. Well done. Perhaps I judged you to quickly or perhaps you just got lucky. We'll see."...