Chapter 4

There were no other clues.

Drax and Bad went over the scenes time and time again yet found nothing. "Dead end…" Drax muttered. The two have been out all day going over everything they could. Police reports, eyewitness accounts and even surveillance footage. Bad sighed to it all. "Perhaps this ain't our gig. We should let EC know of this, he's probably already working on the footage to see what we got."

"Yeah, guess you're right. Let's call it a day then." Drax announced. They left the police station as Drax began to feel rather uncomfortable in his hero suit. Bad paused and stared at him.

"You okay?"

"I need a bigger suit." He said with a smirk. "Looks like I grew a little. This is getting snug to say the least."

Bad laughed. "You do look taller, not to mention, look at them arms!" he teased. He gave him a playful punch but then saw the sun setting. "I got to go home, check on my sister… I will never take her for granted…"

Drax nodded. "You do that. I'm going to head home myself. I got to pack anyway for my weekend with Amai."

"You good getting home?"

"Oh yeah, I'm just a few blocks away!" Drax insisted. He figured if he got home before dark, all would be good. With that, he went on his way after calling into the Neo Heroes to announce the end of his shift. "We need to talk afterwards, Chan said…"

"To hell with what Chan says, he insults my father he insults me! Tell him to know when to shut up and he won't get his ass kicked!" With that he hung up the phone angrily. "Asshole thinks he can get his way all the time, thinks he can say whatever the hell he wants!"

He was nearly home when he heard a shriek. "SOMEONE HELP ME!"

He wasted no time, Drax dashed down the street where he saw a woman being pulled into an alley. With a firm strike to the arm, it released the woman. She hit the ground rather hard, but otherwise was unharmed. "GO!" Drax ordered her.

She gave a tearful nod and ran for her life. He stood at the ready. "Okay asshole, what's your deal!"

Peering into the alley, he couldn't see anything. Not a figure, nor a face, nothing. It was as if it just disappeared. However he knew not to trust the silence. "You're still here… aren't you?" he asked.

"Clever boy"

OOF!

Drax flew!

He hit the ground rather hard but was quick to regain his footing as he looked about but found no one. Then his eyes caught a fleeting image. Soon he was able to follow it, just barely though but stood at the ready.

The voice merely snickered. "Ooo, little man thinks he can keep up with me does he? But I am not ready to play with you… not just yet…"

Drax felt his heart jump into his throat. He saw the image just escape from the corner of his eye. Then, he saw something with inhuman power leap into the sky and cleared a city block before vanishing. "What the hell was that?" He wondered. But then realized he had to inform his father. Not just him, but the Neo Heroes as well!

Drax got on his phone and called Accel. "I found what's been taking the people. It's a mysterious being with great strength and speed. I just encountered it now… Accel, we need people to be ready for this. Squads have to be prepared if not…"

"Whoa, slow down Drax!" Accel insisted. "Tell me once more from the top."

He broke down the whole scenario once more, explaining what he saw and stopped a possible kidnapping. However, with what he just encountered, a mere squad of heroes won't do a damn thing.

"I'm going home now. But tell everyone, be on high alert!"

#

"That was a hell of a day!"

"You said it… so… about my phone…"

Snek glared at Suiryu. "You can shut it about your phone, hell for all I care, get it when it's done going through my bowel! Serves you right for dropping it right into a monster's mouth."

"Enough, the phone!" protested Alley.

The family made their way back home, however Hunter and Pac opted to stay at the Association to keep an eye on their parents. They weren't strong enough to come home just yet. Since then, the kids have taken shifts looking out for them as they recovered. It was rather late by the time they got back, Snek took in the room but paused. "Where's Drax?" he asked. "He's not in his room…"

The front door opened as Drax wondered in. "Yeah… I already told Accel… yeah… just wanted to give you a heads up Bad. Okay? Night." With that he hung up. He looked at the room as everyone stared at him oddly.

"What was that about?" Snek asked. But then noticed the marks on his boy. "You're bleeding!"

"It's nothing dad," Drax sighed. "Stopped a possible kidnapping." The room fell silent as he told them of the mysterious being he encountered, it tried to kidnap a woman off the streets until he was able to stop it. "It moved fast… inhuman fast. But I didn't get a good look at it. I figured out why you couldn't pick up a trail, dad. The thing can make a dead jump from the streets and clear a city block!"

"Defiantly a mysterious being then…" muttered Alley.

Max however paused at the notion. "Drax… could you see enough of it to describe how it ran?"

Drax shook his head. "It was just so fast… like a blur…" he explained, but then he appeared uncomfortable. "Damn, this suit is chaffing me!"

Alley was quick to look it over. "Someone grew!" she said with a smirk.

Snek smiled as well. "Lucky you, I just molted!"

"I'll make you a new uniform tomorrow. For now, I think it's best you leave this asshole to us, got it?" asked Alley.

Drax nodded. "Oh I agree with you. I could barely see the guy, I wouldn't want to face him head on!" He gave out a yawn. "I'm going to bed…"

"Have you had dinner?" Snek asked.

"Yeah, Metal Bat and I got something to eat before heading home. Night everyone." With that Drax went off to bed.

However, Max was still deep in thought. "Max?" asked Alley.

"I think I know what we maybe up against. But I can't be sure…" he said. "I've trained with Flash, if I can see these things up close and personal, I'll be able to tell if it is what I think it is…"

"Flash clones?" asked Suiryu.

"Not quite Flash, but something similar. I've been hearing about a ninja hit man called Sonic. And during the Monster Association, there were two weren't there? At least, that was the rumor."

Alley thought it over but nodded. "According to Flash's report they were known as Gale Wind and Hellfire Flame. He claims to have killed them in battle. But, there were no bodies found, at least, not yet." She explained.

"Do you think…" Snek asked with uncertainty in his voice.

"I don't think, I know. He must have gotten his hands on their genetics. Flash is too cautious to allow someone to take something like that from him. This Sonic person is too elusive. Either way, if we are dealing with ninja knock offs it does explain the stealth and power they possess."

Snek rolled his eyes. "Can't catch a damn break!" he said.

Then the sound of a phone went off. Snek jumped a little as he appeared startled. "You okay?" asked Max.

He glared at Suiryu. "Why the hell is your phone on vibrate!?" his glare then turned to Alley. "Is that number not delisted?!"

"Bofoi claims it was done!" yet sighed. "Probably a telemarketer, they somehow are able to reach delisted numbers…" Alley yawned. "I'll get right on it tomorrow Snek, I'm sorry I am just really tried."

He rolled his eyes. "No need to worry I can deal with it… still… Damn" he muttered. "We all better get some sleep if we are up against assholes like these."

The gang agreed.

Alley was about ready to head to bed, with Goliath and Draven came into the house with their younger siblings out cold on their shoulders. "Who knew that Takoyaki tires these three out?" whispered Draven.

Alley smiled. "Mind putting them to bed for me? I got to get some sleep." Alley pleaded.

Her brothers nodded. With that, the house turned in for the night, however. Max decided to stay up a little late. There was someone he could talk to about this…