Learning to Breathe
53. Rock 'N Roll Rumble
Andi and Steve quietly sneaked in to the convenience store through one of the side doors near the drinks freezers. They'd just grabbed their beverages and a two bags of snacks when someone blew in the front door.
"What the heck is this?" A boy their age with a wild mane of blond hair and a loud, wrestling-inspired costume demanded. "You tryin' to take what's not yours?"
"What's it to you?" The robber at the front demanded.
"Man, does no-one here know who I am?"
"No, you ass. You're in a different state." Andi mumbled to her new friend. Unfortunately, Steve wasn't the only one who overheard.
"What did you just say?" The blond boy growled.
"I'm saying that you ain't in Cleveland anymore, Razor." Atlantis said. "You're in Chicago, Illinois, and you'll play by our rules."
"And who's gonna make me?" He asked. "Two petty thieves?" Once the teen-hero turned his back, the robber ran out and the clerk called the cops.
"No." Andi smirked. "I prefer my fights superhuman to superhuman." By the end of her sentence, she and Steve had shed their disguises.
"You got some nerve." Razor said.
"Oh, you don't know the half of it." Steve groaned.
"A comedian, eh?" Razor turned to the taller teen. "Why don't I show you a real punchline!"
The punch was aimed well. Unfortunatley, Razor's speed and agility backfired on him when Steve grabbed the other boy's closed fist and slammed him into one of the displays.
"Nice shot, Leathersuit." Atlantis cheered.
"Come on, let's go." Steve said.
"No, ya don't!" Razor shouted, strumming his guitar and forming a rainbow-colored field of energy around the two.
"I beg to differ." Atlantis declared, using her own hydrokinesis to manipulate the water on the other side of the forcefield. The moisture formed a sphere, which flew at Razor with great speed and flattened him once more.
"You just soaked my hair!!" The rocker shouted as the energy field vanished.
"Deal with it!" Atlantis yelled, breaking right for Razor.
"You wanna fight, girlie?" Razor taunted. "You can't handle the Kid of Rock!"
"Forgive me for trying!" She said, avoiding the energy waves Razor sent her way. The hero sat in wonder.
How is she avoiding every one of my shots? He wondered. She's younger than I am! I should be beating her and her boyfriend to a pulp!
Crack.
"Mothaf—k!" Razor swore, falling on his backside once again as Atlantis' right hook made contact. "You bitch!"
"That's what they call me." She shrugged, trying to pin him to the ground.
He threw her off with ease, managing to get her underneath him for a change.
"You ready to give up?" Razor asked.
"Not to you!" A deep voice roared behind the rocker. Before he knew what had slammed into him, the Iowan found himself locked in a struggle with Leathersuit. "Atlantis, get out of here! The cops catch you, we're toast!"
Atlantis. Razor said, looking over the girl. She's certainly not like the other mutant chicks back home. She's got spunk. Easy on the eyes, too. Shame she's so, well, evil.
"Not until we take him out, and not without you!" Atlantis declared.
"Why don't we end this now, then?" Leathersuit said as the cops pulled up. He threw a final punch at the rocker, shoved him into the floor, and ran to the door leading to the freezer entrance, Atlantis hot on his tail. By the time Razor got to his feet, the police had entered the building.
"Kid, what happened to you?" Cptn. Luther asked as the hero got to his feet.
"One very interesting pair of beverage bandits." The blond boy grumbled. "I don't know who those two were, but I sure as hell am gonna have a rematch!"
"No, we didn't get caught." Andi groaned. She was reporting back in to the base. "We just tore up a convenience store. Razor doesn't know who we are exactly, so I doubt he'll come looking around our end of town. Have Regan and Mitch found anything yet?"
"No." Zartan's voice said. "They weren't able to find anything at city hall."
"Probably because Corona's grandma is dead, and she's on the streets." Andi snorted. "What about Kris? Was she able to get anything out of Shatter?"
"Nothing useful." Zartan answered. "Look, you two get as far away from that end of town as you can. Don't come straight back, but I do want you here by three this afternoon, got it?"
"Yes, sir." The blond girl muttered. "Atlantis out."
"So, we have three hours to kill." Steve said. "Any suggestions?"
"Well, we dropped our snack bags in the getaway, so maybe we should stop for lunch somewhere?" She shrugged. "Other than that, I don't know."
"I saw a pizza place a few blocks over." He said. "That okay with you?"
"Why wouldn't it be?"
Main base
"Now, I shall make her want me and not that pathetic reptile!" Virus cackled as he set up the dumbells. "Who needs a spotter? I'm a genius! I don't need anyone to check my work!" He crawled underneath the barbell and prepared to lift it. With much grunting, he freed it from its resting place, and then lost his balance.
"Mommy!" He screeched as the weight toppled over to his left, dragging him with it to the ground.
Regan, Neal, and Bryan
"Well, that was a big goose-egg." Bryan grumbled as the trio shuffled back into the main hanger. "That clerk was useless!"
"I hope Kristen had better luck with Shatter." Regan muttered.
"No dice." Kristen stated as she leaned against the doorframe which led into the living quarters. "Reluctant-ass jerk. One year in the sewers and suddenly he's too good to give us any useful information."
"He never was very forthcoming." Regan sighed. "Anyone heard back from Andi? I heard she went hunting for the grandmother?"
"Well, grandmother's dead." Kris shrugged. "And Andi and Kris accomplished what you couldn't."
"Which was?" Neal asked.
"They found Kid Razor." The dhampire grinned. "And fought him. And got away. Boss is making them take the long way around town so that Razor won't follow them home."
"For some reason, I knew she's be the one to find him." Regan sighed. "Oh well. Come on, you lot. It's about time for lunch."
"You don't have to tell me twice." Bryan grinned.
