Chapter 4- The Painwheel of Ms. Fortune?!
The masked figure was a girl, perhaps around Filia's age? She was skinny and had a cord in her back attached to what looked like a giant shuriken. Filia!" The stranger shouted as she came out of the dark.
"Are you Painwheel?" Grace asked as Filla looked very confused.
"Carol! Its me Carol!" Painwheel shouted.
"Carol?" Filia said, she vividly recalled being friends with a brown haired girl named Carol. "Oh my! Carol! What happened to you?" Filia said with concern.
"Man, she looks worse than that last girl we met that looked creepy. I can't tell what the deal with that oversized saw blade is." Samson said, as he looked at Painwheel.
"Don't you remember... Me?!" Painwheel shouted, she showed her teeth when she opened her mouth.
Filia was a little nervous. She had no idea what happened to Carol, it looked like the poor girl was in constant pain. "I... I am having trouble remembering. But I do remember your name... I lost my memories... I'm sorry for what happened to you." Filia said.
Painwheel seemed like she was going to calm down. "Whose this?" She pointed at Grace with a glare. She was on edge.
"I'm Grace, I'm just trying to find out how to help reverse all of these bad things" Grace replied.
"Help? You help?!" Painwheel asked.
"Did I say something wrong?" Grace asked, worriedly.
Please don't fight, please don't fight Grace begged silently.
Painwheel extended a hand. "Help me." She asked.
Grace went over to take her hand.
"Did I do that to you?" Filla asked.
Painwheel tried to reach, but when she took a step she bent a leg and a nail of some sort came out. She yelled out in pain, a void in her mind told her to attack Filia and take Samson. Her eyes glowed. "AAAAAAAAHJHHHH!" She used her spike and nail based attacks. They launched painfully from her hands or feet. She cut Grace, and was locked in a fight with Filia.
"Carol! Please!" She said as she reluctantly fought her friend. She commanded Samson to fight defensively.
Painwheel had use of that giant weapon on her back. When Samson got a good look he said. "That thing on her back looks like a parasite. But it doesn't feel or look right." He said as Painwheel proved equal to Filia.
Before much else happened, Big Band and Squigly came back. Squigly used Leviathan too pull Filia out of the fight. "Painwheel, just the girl I was looking for. You vanished after the Skullgirl left." Big Band said.
"Do you know Carol?" Filia asked.
"That's her real name? I only know that she's an ASG like me. Except she was operated on by Lab 0's top scientist Brain Drain." Big Band explained.
"Big Band..." Painwheel got ready to stop, but she cried out in pain again. She savagely fought Big Band, she forced him too use both of his massive arms too keep her down. "... My friends... Please help me... Brain Drain..." She said as tears came falling from her mask.
Then a holographic projection of Brain Drain appeared. He was a cyborg with half the metal on his head revealing a brain. He was dressed like an evil military scientist. "Painwheel, I ordered you to capture the Theon, for my experiments and you failed. I ordered you to remove the relic in your way and you failed." He said.
"Should'a known you were up to no good again Brain Drain." Big Band said.
"My research and experiments are of no concern too you. Yet I find it interesting that Painwheel resisted my control when I ordered her too attack the Skullgirl. She even tried fighting against my orders now." Brain Drain's hologram said.
Big Band placed Painwheel down. She was fighting Brain Drain's control. "I'm my own person! I won't listen to you!" She shouted.
"Painwheel you're clearly defective in your operations. Return to Lab 0 immediately for reprogramming." Brain Drain ordered.
Grace and the others encouraged Painwheel too be strong. Grace touched Painwheel and felt jolts of pain. She saw images of Painwheel aka Carol playing wonderful music and being friends with Filia. Grace saw that Vitale Medici is Filia's uncle and he did slave traffic operations. Grace saw Carol taken away from Filia because of the fact she learned Filia is a Medici.
Grace felt the pain that Carol felt when she was starved and beaten with clubs. It got worse when a blue haired nurse injected Carol with something. She woke on a laboratory table in pain with a synthetic parasite in her back, her power caused her pain too fight if she was exhausted or in too much pain. Brain Drain clearly wanted Painwheel too destroy the Skullgirl.
"I'm not letting you control me!" She shouted as the hologram went offline. "Grace... That's your name right?" Painwheel asked as she cried in one eye.
"Yes that's my name. I will try to help you get your free will back" Grace promised.
"Grace..." Painwheel said.
"I'll take her to Lab 8. Dr. Avian can help her out. " Big Band said as he lifted up Painwheel.
"Can I please come. I don't remember much... But I feel its my fault that Carol is like this." Filia said.
"Sure thing kid." Big Band said.
"I'll meet you guys later." Filia said to Grace and Squigly.
"We'll meet at Little Innsmouth. There should be a restaurant with a big round Dragonian named Yu-Wan. We'll be in that general area." Squigly said.
Filia nodded, Big Band then let Filia ride on him while he carried Painwheel. Squigly and Leviathan found a modern day map of New Meridian. After they and Grace traveled a bit, they had to rest in an alley. It was dangerous but Leviathan would keep a watch out for them. After they rested they headed for Yu-Wan's restaurant. It looked like a Chinese restaurant.
Squigly stopped when she realized she was still undead. "Grace... Could you please go in for us. I fear Yu-Wan might not react well having an undead girl in his restaurant. Even if I don't smell..." Squigly asked.
"Be sure to mention our names. Tell Yu-Wan you're our friend, and he'll be nice too you." Leviathan said.
"Got it" Grace replied as she went into the restaurant.
"Hello there, I'm a friend of Squigly and Leviathan. We're going to meet up with some friends to have a meal together, are you ok with that?" Grace asked the chef manger.
"Squigly and Leviathan? Those are names I haven't heard in 14 years. How do you know them?" Yu-Wan asked.
While that happened two Medici Mafia goons named Ricardo and Lawrence were harassing the waitress named Minette. She was a Dragonian teenage girl.
"They're my friends" Grace replied.
She noticed what was going on nearby.
"Hey! Leave that girl alone" she cried at the two goons harassing the poor girl.
"Is there a problem here?" A cat girl with a light tan skin tone, blue eyes with cat pupils, black fur and white hair said. She was 20 years old.
"Oh Nadia!" Minette said as she dropped a waiting tray.
"Go find a sand box kitty. We was just havin' a chat with the little minnow here." Lawrence said.
The Feral was getting angry. "Leave now! Or I'll throw you out myself!" Nadia warned.
Grace could see anger in Lawrence. "Can't you take a hint you flea bitten tart?!" And with that Lawrence swiftly took out a machete blade. He swiftly decapitated Nadia. Riccardo got ready to move in on Minette, "ha! She didn't stand a chance." Lawrence said after Nadia's head hit the floor.
Grace cuffed her mouth in shock. She looked at Nadia, the cat girl opened her eyes slowly, she grinned and winked at Grace. Then Nadia's head launched itself like a rocket with her own blood, the odd thing was that the blood went back into her head. Her head bit Lawrence in his arm holding the blade, her body swiftly got up and punched Riccardo. Grace was baffled, but glad that the goons left. "First that girl with crazy hair and now this! I'd better get out of here!" Riccardo said.
"We need to tell Vitale about this!" Lawrence cried as he ran without his blade.
"You okay Minette? They didn't hurt you did they?" Nadia asked as she held her head in her right hand, comfortably.
"That was... Amazing! I don't know what I'd do without you." Minette said as she admired her friend and hero.
Nadia put her head back on. "Sorry you had to see that." Nadia said to Grace just as Yu-Wan entered and saw the goons running away.
"That was horrifyingly awesome! How did you do that?" Grace asked in shock.
"That's a purrfect question. But I don't tell strangers. Just know that I've got more than nine lives." Nadia said.
"Thanks for chasing those men away. Your next dinner is on me Nadia." Yu-Wan said. "Now this lady here is a friend to an old friend of mine. She will be treated nicely." Yu-Wan said as he gestured at Grace.
"So do you have a name girl?" Nadia asked.
"I'm Grace. I think my Cat would like your style and I'm not just saying that because you're a cat. Cats are awesome. Patch is an angel cat and he could totally help you on cool missions" Grace smiled.
"I'm flattered. Call me Ms. Fortune." Nadia said.
"Now. How do you know Squigly and her father's parasite Leviathan?" Yu-Wan asked.
"Hello Ms Fortune." Grace said.
She turned back to the owner.
"You mean me? I met them a few days ago and they've been helping understand what's been going on in the city. Are they allow to come in or after the costumers have gone?" Grace asked him.
"But how is that possible? They've been dead for 14 years." Yu-Wan said, the four of them were the only ones in the restaurant.
"I think they were somehow reanimated as an undead person" Grace explained.
"But they're still lovable" she added quickly at his worried expression.
"I think they were somehow reanimated as an undead person" Grace explained.
"But they're still lovable" she added quickly at his worried expression.
"That sounds very strange, but these are strange times. And given that Nadia can come back to life, it does sound possible." Yu-Wan said. As he thought about it.
"Well... I'm off to get the Skull Heart. Medici goons seem like the purrfect bait to draw out the Skullgirl." Nadia said.
"Just be careful Nadia and don't make a wish!" Grace warned.
"Why? That's exactly what I'm going to do." Nadia said as she stepped out and Grace followed to warn her. Grace remembered now that Cerebella was after Nadia.
"If you make a wish, you'll become the next skull heart girl!" Grace cried.
"I can't loose anymore friends. There's only so much grief I can deal with" she confessed.
Nadia stopped, then Cerebella showed up demanding the Life Gem. Nadia then explained that she can't, her Fishbone gang years back stole it but she swallowed it when they were escaping. Then next thing she knew, Black Dahlia cut her up and tossed into the bottom of a river. "I guess I'll have too crush the Life Gem out of you. Once I have it Vitale will notice me." Cerebella said.
"Quit clowning around." Nadia said.
Cerebella spun her hat in her left hand, she then tossed it up and it landed on her head. "The show must go on." She said as her living weapon got ready for a fight.
"That could kill her. You don't want her death on your conscience do you?!" Grace pleaded, desperately.
The two fought, Cerebella tried killing Ms. Fortune but she was fast. And she could detach her body parts at will which meant she was alright. Cerebella and her living weapon used brute force and acrobatics. They didn't anticipate fighting against an opponent who could use her own head in a fight. Cerebella couldn't keep up with the immortal feral. "Tell your boss he's next." Nadia said as she kicked dirt at Cerebella after defeating her.
Cerebella got back up. "I'll kill you one day Nadia!" Cerebella shouted. She then gave Grace a pat on the head. "Sorry you had to see me acting mean. But Vitale really wants the gem back for his father Lorenzo." She said as she left.
"And stay out! That was a cat-tastrephe." Nadia said as she straightened herself.
"Does that gem keep you alive?" Grace asked, with concern.
"I guess I leaped out of the bag. Look... When I swallowed the Life Gem it fused into the entirety of my body. In a way I like the Life Gem. Best part is I can't feel pain." Nadia explained, as a suspicious nurse watched the fight before vanishing.
"Oh, I'm still figure out who the true bad guys are" Grace stated.
"I don't know about bad guys kid. There's only three kinds of people, criminals, noncriminals and law enforcement. I'm sure you can guess with one I am. I'll stop anyone who prevents me from saving my family." Nadia said.
"Are you...an enforcer?" Grace asked as she tried to figure out where Nadia would fit in those categories.
"I ran with a gang, and we stole from the Medicis. Does that answer?" Nadia asked with a wink. She wagged her tail.
"Oh... I still I think You're a nice person though. Man this morality thing is starting to get to me" Grace stated as her head began to hurt.
"Well I could hang out with you for a bit." Nadia said.
"That would be great" Grace agreed.
Nadia purred. "Seems like this kitty has gone soft." Nadia jokingly said as they returned to Yu-Wan's place. Soon Squigly and Leviathan came when Grace told them it was safe. Big Band and Filia showed up, and everything was explained over lunch.
Big Band was very indifferent about a thief working with them. "I wonder if what the Skullgirl said about Filia being a Medici is true." Squigly said.
"Somehow I doubt we'll get a secondary source to confirm this." Leviathan said as he looked at Samson.
Samson just ate and ignored Leviathan. "I don't care if I am a Medici or not. I care too much about my friends." Filia said.
"It sounds like you all have some trouble ahead of you. The Skullgirl, Cerebella and Commander Parasoul's troops are after at least one of you or each other." Minette said with concern as she served another bowl of rice for Grace.
"Once we're done here we should get to Lab 8. Someone wanted to talk to you Grace." Big Band said.
"Me? I hope it's not something bad" Grace stated as she gulped in fear.
"And your family history doesn't define you Fila, your actions and choices do. You're great friend Fila, you just have to somehow prove that to Marie without being killed" she added, woefully.
"Thank you Grace." Filia said.
"Don't get all mushie with me. I'd start blushing." Samson said.
"Actually. Its a lot of good things." Big Band said. Once everyone was done, they headed for Lab 8, it was a secret underground facility. Big Band guided Grace. "Grace, meet Dr. Avian." He said as he introduced an old elf.
"Hello, you asked for me?" Grace stated.
"Yes. Allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Dr. Avian, and I've been told a great deal about you Grace. But there's someone who wants to thank you before I explain more to you and your allies." Dr. Avian said, as he stepped aside to show an unmasked Painwheel.
Painwheel gasped. "Oh my gosh! Grace you're back." She said in a cheerful manner. "I like totally wanted to thank you for helping me earlier. I like could've died if not for you... And... Filia... You helped me." Painwheel said with joyful tears. Grace noticed the blades on her wheel were folded away.
"You're welcome...Carol" Grace smiled.
"A pleasure to be of help" Filia added.
"You can call me Painwheel if you like." She said as she smiled with her red eyes closed, it was a creepy smile.
"Now Grace, I have a few things to tell you. The first one concerns poor Carol here. I've been able too figure out that she's the result of Lab 0 making a bio-weapon for the Anti-Skullgirls. Based on samples, I've come to the conclusion that blood from the recent Skullgirl was used in the experiments." Dr. Avian explained.
"What's more is the fact she has a synthetic parasite in her back. And it allows her to not only fight, but Brain Drain can also send messages to her." Big Band said.
"I did this best I could in order too restore her memories of love, and her personality. But she's mostly consumed by the desire too destroy the Skullgirl." Dr. Avian said, as Painwheel played with her wheel a bit. "It disturbs me that Brain Drain went too far in his experiments. I'd never operate on a living child against her will." Dr. Avian stated.
"Hey doc! Can ya keep it down! I'm watchen' cartoons here!" Peacock said as she sat on a sofa with her weapon buddies and used several monitors as a single large screen.
"And of course, you know of Peacock." Dr. Avian said.
"Yeah they're all my new friends. So what can I do to help?" Grace asked.
Don't say make a wish she begged silently.
"Well Filia noticed you act strange by standing still after touching someone. I'd like to see if its caused by some sort of ability. Afterwards we may ask for help in destroying the Skull Heart. I say may, because we don't know what you can do in fights." Dr. Avian explained as he showed Grace to a table. "Big Band or Peacock can help in the test by having you touch them." Dr. Avian said.
The bug like agent called Hive, the cyborg Leduc, and the motherly woman named Ileum who had on a mask similar to Painwheel's mask. Watched from a distance as Grace had a suction cup placed gently on her head.
"Ok as long as you don't do any cruel experiments on me or you'll see my angry side" Grace warned them.
The machine turned on. "You know Grace, if you become an Anti-Skullgirl, then we'll be real close buddies." Peacock said jokingly as she put an arm over Grace's shoulder. And then she pulled Grace toward her face, and did a cartoonish face smothering side by side.
Grace actually touched Peacock now, back when they first met Grace's temporary memory powers weren't active. Grace saw Peacock's past when she was known as Patricia. Patricia was the best friend of Marie! The two were very close, Marie wore maid clothing in order too be a mature figure among the orphans. They lived in an orphanage after losing their parents in a war seven years ago. They lived peacefully until the Medici Mafia came into the picture. They were brutal to the orphans they abducted for human trafficking, more commonly known as slavery. Patricia was tortured for years, Marie was forced to watch Patricia lose her eyes to the Medicis, and then poor Patricia was mutilated. Then Patricia woke up in Lab 8, her life was saved by Dr. Avian who used two synthetic parasites on her, the first one was the arms and the second was Avery who gave Peacock her weapon buddies.
Grace now was the first and only person who fully understood why Marie became the Skullgirl, and out of fear didn't dare tell anyone there. "Outstanding. You can actually see and hear memories of another person, as if they were your own. But it lasts for a short while." Dr. Avian said, as he recorded the readouts.
"Looks like ya know my origin story. Guess that means I can watch TV again." Peacock said as she went back to her favorite hobby.
Big Band and Ileum walked up. "Are you okay kid?" Big Band asked.
"You looked horrified towards the end of the experience." Ileum comforted Grace.
"I just saw something shocking is all" Grace stated.
"Indeed. Poor Peacock was on the brink of death when I found her. Its a miracle my research saved her." Dr. Avian said.
"We've all had a hard past. But we stand together looking out for each other." Big Band said. "I don't mind explaining my past, because its from long ago." Big Band said.
"Oh, ok." Grace replied.
"So are we going to go after the Skullgirl?" Filla asked.
"Um, Peacock can I talk to you alone for a second?" Grace asked.
"Keep it down! My shows are on!" Peacock said as she smoked an Imaginary Cigar. She can bent on watching her show.
"No luck talkin' to her now. No one interrupts her shows." Big Band said, as he guided Grace away from Peacock.
Dr. Avian watched Painwheel, she was being relaxed and thanks to his work her pain levels from using her powers were decreasing.
"Well Filia. Painwheel has started to recover from her experience. I'm concerned that Brain Drain will try something." Dr. Avian said.
"In regards to the Skullgirl, I've learned that Painwheel has blood of the Skullgirl and that she has a connection to her. And Squigly is being animated by the Skullgirl, so we can within a short amount of time get a reading on the location of the Skullgirl and her minions." Dr. Avian explained.
"Okay..." Filia said as she looked at Carol.
Grace decided to ask Big Band what his past was. He explained that he was once a member of the New Meridian police. He and a group of police were arresting Medici Mafia, but all the police were corrupt and beat him to death. He was then rescued by the Anti-Skullgirls and became a cyborg. His life was saved, but he didn't know how much time he had left. He mostly served as a detective when a Skullgirl wasn't present. One of the few things good about his body was that he could play jazz easily.
Big Band sat on a sofa as they talked. "So kid. Do you really trust that Ms. Fortune gal? And will you be able to help us in a fighting way?" He asked.
"Yes, she's a friend and I can fight" Grace replied.
"I hope so on both accounts kid. You should rest up. Ileum will check on ya when you wake up." Big Band said as he got up. "One last thing. This is your show, same for Peacock and the rest of you kids. I'm just a backup band." That was his way of saying he had her back.
"Thanks Big band. Goodnight" Grace waved as everyone hit the sack(went to bed).
As Grace slept, she appeared to be in a forest in her dreams. She looked around, and noticed something was watching her. It was just in the back corner of her mind in the dream. She later woke up and Ileum took care of her, the older member of Lab 8 was kind, caring and motherly. After Grace was all ready for the day, she had some breakfast.
Dr. Avian decided to send out three teams to hunt the Skullgirl and her minions. Each team would have someone able to locate the evil forces. The first team had Big Band and Peacock, the second team had Painwheel and Filia, which left Grace to tag along with Squigly and Ms. Fortune if she desired it. And she did because they had been good friends. And could explain more on the Medici Mafia.
Grace saw teams one and two take off. Grace was going to take off. But then she saw a nurse with blue hair and one good eye. The nurse took her into the dark, she had a busty chest.
"So you're the strange girl with memory powers? Good thing you came to chat with me." Before Grace said anything else, the nurse said.
"Please protect them all. I have a feeling only you can help Painwheel now." She then vanished and Grace took off with team three.
Team three went running for quite a bit. Squigly had Leviathan stay in her head, he kept her lose pigtail in place when he stayed inside her head. Grace and Squigly felt the Skullgirl nearby. "We meet again Grace." Marie said.
"Marie, I can try to help you if you let me?" Grace pleaded.
"Why should you help me?" Marie asked.
"Because I know what happened to Peacock -Patrica-, I understand why you're Angry but you don't need to destroy the world she's safe. Please I REALLY don't want to kill you" Grace begged desperately.
"I only intend the destruction of the wicked." Marie said.
Squigly understood her intentions. "I also understand your desires. But the Skull Heart will take away your free will. Even you will become the very thing you're trying to destroy. I wish things could be different." Squigly said.
Ms. Fortune was wearing a trenchcoat while with the group. "Nothing personal. But does this mean you're going after me?" Nadia asked.
Marie bowed her head, she waved a hand which summoned undead. "If you'll excuse me. I have a mess too clean up." She smiled slightly hinting at a sense of humor.
Then Skullgirl minions appeared, Squigly bowed and began to fight. Marie left in the confusion. Soon the Black Egrets showed up.
To be continued next time...
We've decided this movie takes place in 2017 so I'm going to say its at least a month since 'The magic Awakens' ended. I say because I'm certain that the story will end by next year. ( I don't know what month 'The magic awakens' will end it just depends what happens next year)
What do you think will happen next?
Stay tuned to find out more...