Episode 2:2 - The Black Hand
"Heh, this is truly easier than shooting fish in a barrel," Michaels said as he made the final adjustments to his aim. "Good night kiddies," he continued, pulling the trigger and letting the black glowing card burst forth from the barrel of the gun.
"Wow, you know what, I don't see what this drinking stuff can do to you. I mean, I don't think the world is out of wack or anything. I think the state of drunkenness is something parents make up to scare us," Ashley murmured as she completed her second drink. She looked over to Ryan and smiled, ready to have a night of fun.
"Yeah, I know. I mean I can walk fine!" Ryan said getting up. But, the seven drinks he had were beginning to get to him and he fell over onto the ground, too drunk to stand.
That fall saved him from his fate. The black card hissed past his head and slammed into the tree behind him with a loud thunk. Immediately, the black lightening crackled into the tree, turning the bark white as the energy was removed from it and cast into the energy void of the card. The tree aged as the card did its work, and when done the tree had to have lost 20 years on it life span. The leaves were about to fall any minute, and the bark looked sickly and withered.
"Woah, take it easy there, I think you got up to fast. Let me help you up," she suggested, helping up her fallen boyfriend.
"God damn it all! He's too out of it to stand! Jerk, just be still for a second!" Michaels cursed, charging up the gun again.
"What is it harder than it appears?" one of the other agents taunted. "Should I hold your hand?"
"Get off my case, Smith, before I test the gun on your bloody carcass," he harassed back. The gun re-charged. He got another shot.
"You want another drink, it could help you stand better," Ashley asked as she got another drink from the cooler as Ryan sat on the log once again.
"Yeah, sure, I feel like another," he replied, looking over to her with unfocused eyes. Ashley walked over with the bottle in her hand. She stumbled about halfway over and began to fall towards Ryan. All he could do was look up before her body slammed into his and the two fell over onto the dirt. Another card whizzed above them, missing them once again.
Ryan helped Ashley up this time and steadied her as he got the drink from her hand. He sipped on it for a little bit before looking over to her. He took a big swig, and she smiled drunkenly as she looked at him. She was ready to be shown a good time.
Ryan wasn't feeling too well though, and the booze was beginning to get to him. He was about to finish the bottle when he got the urge to let loose upon the ground. He turned to the side, away from his girl, and leaned over. As he elegantly puked, another card whizzed past and barely missed him again. This one flew off of the mountain, and exploded harmlessly in the atmosphere above the town.
"Ok, I'm ready; I'll meet you over in the bushes. Could you throw this out for me?" he asked her.
"Sure, I'll pitch it in the trash bag," she said, reaching out to get the bottle from him. He gave it to her, and began to stumble towards the forest. In the handing of the drink, Michaels took the opportunity to fire once again. As Ryan stumbled off, he stumbled out of the way of the card and it missed him again. The card, however, struck the bottle in Ashley's hand and shattered the neck from the rest of the bottle. The rest of it flew away, and she stood there, bewildered to how she was only holding the neck of the bottle. "Where'd the rest go?" she wondered to herself.
The girl shrugged, and threw the neck into the bag. And with that, she stumbled in the same direction Ryan went, right into the forest to find some lovin'.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!!!!!" Michaels cursed wildly. He missed them way too many times for a marksman of his caliber. His team was on the ground, laughing about the whole situation. His cheeks turned red with anger and he stomped off to get better position, leaving them to roll on the ground in laughter.
"I'll show them that I can shoot, even if it's the last thing I do, damn it. Why do these kids have to be so drunk!" he murmured as he walked through the forest. Up ahead, on the other side of the party grounds, he found a large bush in the trees. That certainly made him smile, and he was wondering why he hadn't seen it before.
"I'll hide in there, and stick the barrel and the sight out through the bush. That way, when the next drunk pair comes along, it'll be all easy- pickins!" he thought as he smiled to himself. He got in position behind the bush and stuck the barrel through the bush. He lay down silently, waiting to find his next target.
But, the silence didn't last for long. A loud moan came from behind him, scaring the daylights out of him. A sweat drop rolled down the back of his head as he turned around with his eyebrows raised and gun ready. He saw Ebert on top of Charlotte, and the two were enjoying themselves very much in their privacy. It was in this moment when Ebert was finally aware of the agent, and Michaels was aware of Ebert.
"What in the bloody hell are you doing back here?" Michaels asked in bewilderment as Ebert's eyes met his.
"Having a little illegal fun. What about you?" he asked, as Charlotte moaned again.
"Testing out an illegal weapon, why?" Michaels replied.
"Because you asked me what I was doing, and I was just wonder what you were doing," Ebert said.
"Oh. Ok,"
"You do this often?"
"Um, no. You?"
"Hell yeah," Ebert said, closing the conversation for a bit. The two stared at one another for a couple seconds in silence as Charlotte continued to enjoy herself with Ebert. Then, a thought came to him. "Hey, I won't say anything if you don't say anything? Deal, buddy?"
"Yeah, sure," Michaels said, a wicked grin slowly evolving onto his face. He raised the gun, which was charged and ready. "I'll make sure you don't say anything," he said as he pulled the trigger.
Ebert had no clue what had happened. He didn't even have time to react as the card hit him. But, the black card floated above the man on the ground and shocked him, taking his energy and replacing it with it's own dark energy. Michaels shot again, this time aiming for the girl. Charlotte too began to scream, a card now dealing with her.
The screams filled the woods. Some of the drunken kids began to flee, afraid the cops were abound. Chaos ensued at the party grounds, and the team of agents found Michaels with Ebert and Charlotte. They all watched the process as the cards took their energy and began to drain them. All they could do was stare in silence at the carnage.
Then, Michaels snapped out of it. He turned around and aimed at some of the other kids. He charged, and fired. A card hit Franks and he too went down on the ground, writing in pain as the card consumed his energy. Another bang from the Lethal Dealer and Frank's date, Victoria, was down on the ground as well. Two more shots as Ryan and Ashley came bounding out of the woods, half dressed and worried about their friends. Soon, the party was deserted of life, except those who were hit by the cards.
"I told you I could shoot," Michaels said, blowing some black smoke away from the exhaust vent of the Dealer. "Six tests of the weapon, just like Area 51 ordered. Nothing more, nothing less," he said to his comrades. "This is why I lead you halfwits. Because I can't be caught by Section 32," he proudly stated.
"Hey, we have some donuts, you guys want any?" came from behind the group. The agents twinged in fear, and Michaels dropped the Dealer, scared to death. Who did they miss?
As Michaels turned around, he was smacked in the face with a Pottsville Crème donut. The filling squired out all over his face and the dough husk fell to the ground with a sick plop as the agent stared at who was standing behind him the entire time.
CyberSlash was twirling a box of donuts on her fingertip as PowerCharge held one in her hand. "You know, these chutes are pretty handy for many things," she said, loading the donut in her hand into the chute under her left hand. She charged up a shot and she grinned at the agents. " And they are quite proficient in the donut slinging field, by the way," she laughed.
She let her burst go and the donut shot out of the chute faster than a clay pigeon that was strapped to a patriot missile. The donut slammed into his gut, exploding with a white powder burst, and caused him to fly backwards into his comrades.
Smith, however, was clever enough to dodge his leader and avoided becoming stuck in the pile up that ensued. He took one look at his foes before diving for the Lethal Dealer, which was lying on the ground amidst the chaos. He grabbed it, and quickly pointed it towards CyberSlash, who wasn't armed.
She took offense to that action and put the donut box down politely. Then, she jumped forwards and performed a mid-air roundhouse kick, straight to the gun. The force of the well-placed blow in the back end caused the gun to fly from Smith's grasp and into the woods, shattering against a tree.
What no one saw, though, was the black crystal that was encased in the ball chamber part of the gun fall out. The momentum from the blow carried the crystal far off into the woods. Where it landed on Sharp Mountain, no one knew.
Smith held his hands out in shock, and CyberSlash stood right next to him in an offensive position. She got up into his face, raised up his sunglasses, and looked straight into his dark brown eyes. "Boo, honey," she said quietly.
He screamed and backed away quickly, not wanting to be flying like that gun did. But, in his haste, he neglected to see what was behind him. He walked backwards straight into the pile of his friends, tripped over their writing bodies, and fell backwards into them, throwing them all down again.
"These guys are a walking comedy of errors!" PowerCharge proclaimed, taking a bite out of a chocolate frosted donut.
"Yeah, now just who are you all anyway, and what the hell is that gun for?" CyberSlash asked, walking towards them as they scrambled in haste to get up.
Michaels was the first one to get smart and reach into his jacket pocket. He pulled out a red button and quickly pressed it in. From out of his jacket, a small metal jetpack appeared. As he got upright, the pack fired off, and he flew upwards quickly, laughing. "We'll be back, suckers!" he screamed as he flew off.
Slash tried to jump upwards to grab his shoe, but missed. He flew off into the sunset, laughing in fear as he just survived an encounter with his main enemy. As Slash concentrated on him, the other three agents ran from her and did the same as Michaels. Together, the group flew off, escaping all interrogation and capture.
"Now what the hell do you think that was all about, Charge?" Slash asked over to Charge, who was now sitting on one of the logs and enjoying the rest of the donuts.
"I dunno, but they sure were weird. Check out all the people they shot with those bloody cards! Six people, lying unconscious before our feet!" she proclaimed, taking another bite of the donut in her hand.
"Yeah, but that gun was odd. Very odd. I'm going to go grab what's left, BRB," she said, running down the hill of the mountain to see where the silver gun went.
There, lying underneath a tree, were the two pieces of the mysterious Lethal Dealer. Cards were strewn about in disarray, as the four ammo boxes were crushed in the collision with the tree. The barrel was cracked in half and lying some distance away from the tree, and the rest of the gun had the footprint of Slash's boot stuck in it. She picked it up and ran back up to Charge, who was still doing nothing.
"Aren't you going to help these people?" Slash finally asked.
"Eh, that's Medic's job," she replied.
"Sure, leave everything to the new girl,"
"Hey, she heals, I don't. Do these people look like they could use a good blast of energy?"
"Ok, you have a point there. I'll call her later; right now I'm more concerned about this weapon and the true function of it. I've already taken the liberty of having Mercurious contact the police. They should be here quite soon, and I wish to be out of here quite soon. Let the police deal with the kids here, and we'll have Medic over at Pottsville Hospital to help out in no time, once I find her," Slash announced, quite proud of her plan.
"Ok, and let's go see where Strike is too. He should have been on top of this sooner than we were. I wonder what could be up?" she said rhetorically. Slash nodded and jumped up into the air and let her boot rockets keep her afloat. Charge harnessed her energy, and created a bright pink aura that lifted her body up into the air majestically. She was level with Slash, and the two flew off in a burst of pink and green energy into the wonderfully orange, purple, and red sky over the City of Pottsville.
Ryan stirred as they left, becoming very restless. The dark energy unleashed inside of him was having a party with his body. The card next to him ripped with a black energy wave in response to his awakening. The energy was toying with him, trying to steal his energy totally. But, the alcohol was stopping it from doing its true damage. Still, the energy was smarter. It began to change its function, trying to find a way around the alcohol. But, all it accomplished was screwing up Ryan's body more. Cracking noises and sickening ripping and gurgling sounds could be heard from his body. Something wasn't right.
The same was happening to the others. Their drunkenness was having an adverse affect on the black energy on their bodies. Both the girls and the guys became more powerful, stronger, and paler. The women became much more attractive, as their wildest dreams were being made into a reality. The men became much more destructive, their dreams of power and control over others becoming a reality.
They all slowly arose and looked around at their surroundings. Ryan's head turned around, looking at the sight of Pottsville below. The pale side of his face smiled happily, the dark marks around his eyes making that side seem perky and joyful. But the hardened black side sneered. The glowing red eye pierced those around him with a fear that no man could imagine. The chagrined jester took only a moment to figure out what he wanted to do.
"Let's party!" he sneered. The others laughed in response.
4:19 PM, Downtown Pottsville
"Who the hell robs a costume shop?" Jessica asked as Mike, transformed into ChronoTwist, and she walked up to the broken-in costume shop downtown.
"That's a good question. One that I certainly don't have an answer for. No costume shop carries the suit I wear in stock, that's for sure," he joked. "But, whatever information we can find on who did this will certainly help. And, from what I hear, this shop is now a certainly strange sight."
"Why? What could be so bad about a costume shop?" she wondered aloud. Getting closer, she got her answer. The costume shop was wrecked, to say the least. The windows were smashed in, the outer shop was burnt by some sort of blast, and the inside was a complete mess. The costumes were in complete disarray, but nothing seemed to be stolen. Just that a large amount of the costumes were thrown about the place.
Ducking the police tape and walking inside, Chrono and Jess found two investigators hard at work, as well as the three patrolmen who were the first on the scene. But, taking no more than two steps, one of the investigators went right up to them.
"What the hell do you two want? And you know you're breaking five laws by just ducking that police tape?" Inspector Daterson asked. Daterson was a gruff looking man with a shaggy and poorly kept brown beard and short and tangled brown hair. He wore a black hat on his head most of the time, and everyone in town wondered if he ever took it off. His trademark was his black overcoat, which he usually wore closed. There was a rumor that he carried a shotgun and two pistols on his person at all times, but since he never opened the overcoat, no one ever was sure.
"Shut up Daterson, we're the Special Forces and you know better," Jessica began to say. Chrono shut her up quickly and looked into Daterson's eyes with his deep blue ones.
"We're here because CyberStrike sent us. We are to investigate the cause of this odd costume shop theft. What have you found out as of now?" Chrono politely asked.
"So, Strike can't come himself and he sends his little lackey to go investigate. I'm not telling you shit boy, because by now I should have you arrested on so many charges that it could make Justice laugh. Disrupting a crime scene, possession of illegal weapons, disrupting the peace," Daterson began to list.
"Spare us the familiarities, Daterson. I don't need to hear it," Jess said, putting a claw up to his mouth.
"Threatening an officer of the law! And last I checked, you were fighting against the Special Forces, Miss Eve, so why are you with him!" he forcefully asked.
"She's on our side now, Daterson, so cool it," Chrono interrupted, pointing out the black badge logo tattooed onto Jess's pale right shoulder. Daterson cringed at the sight. He couldn't stand the thought of her sitting there and having that ornate design tattooed onto her.
"All right, I'll let you both slide. Now get out of here before I consider arresting you both. And if you need to know, it was a simple arson job. There was nothing stolen except for a couple odd harlequin dresses and jester outfits. So tell Strike to shit off," he said. And with that, the polite inspector turned back around and went to work.
"Well, that was interesting," Chrono said to Jessica as they left the shop.
"Yeah, I think. Why would anyone just steal a couple odd costumes like that and then torch the place? Looking for some action? I really don't think so," she assumed.
"Well, we can see in time, as time tells all," Chrono said to her as they walked up to his neon blue Celica. The two got in, and strapped on their seatbelts.
"Well, I guess so. Now, what are we gonna tell Strike?" Jessica wondered with a smile on her black lips.
"We tell him to give Daterson hell next time he sees him," Chrono laughed. And with that, the two drove off into the city underneath the blazing sunset.
4:53 PM, The First Union Bank
The tellers were making the final withdrawals of the day as the sun finally set. The teller booths were being locked, the transactions were being finalized, and the rest of the money was on its way into the vault of First Union. But, as the end of the day neared, a group of people walked into the bank, each dressed in a black trench coat with the collar pulled up high around their faces. Their heads were covered with black hats, and all in all, they were similar to Inspector Daterson in dress. They moved in a group, keeping their faces concealed from the camera. The leader approached the nearest teller and placed a large canvas sack onto the counter in front of her.
"I'd like a withdrawal. A very large withdrawal that will probably empty the safe. So, if you would, place the money in the sack, because I feel like gambling tonight," the man said in a twisted voice. The teller leered back, afraid. She couldn't believe that she was being robbed, and for some reason, she couldn't see the man's face.
A red eye suddenly alit from inside the darkness that the collar and hat provided. It glowed with an eerie light and pierced the teller's soul. She began to cry, afraid of being hurt, and began to place money in the sack. The other people in the trenchcoat group did the same to the other tellers, as the sixth member took out the guards on duty with some swift blows and watched the door. A robbery had begun.
What has been unleashed in the city of Pottsville? What sort of sick and twisted power is this? And can Section 32 stop this plague of darkness?
Find out in the next thrilling episode of Section 32, Episode 2.3: "When the Chips Are Down, and You're Left With a Royal Flush"
"Heh, this is truly easier than shooting fish in a barrel," Michaels said as he made the final adjustments to his aim. "Good night kiddies," he continued, pulling the trigger and letting the black glowing card burst forth from the barrel of the gun.
"Wow, you know what, I don't see what this drinking stuff can do to you. I mean, I don't think the world is out of wack or anything. I think the state of drunkenness is something parents make up to scare us," Ashley murmured as she completed her second drink. She looked over to Ryan and smiled, ready to have a night of fun.
"Yeah, I know. I mean I can walk fine!" Ryan said getting up. But, the seven drinks he had were beginning to get to him and he fell over onto the ground, too drunk to stand.
That fall saved him from his fate. The black card hissed past his head and slammed into the tree behind him with a loud thunk. Immediately, the black lightening crackled into the tree, turning the bark white as the energy was removed from it and cast into the energy void of the card. The tree aged as the card did its work, and when done the tree had to have lost 20 years on it life span. The leaves were about to fall any minute, and the bark looked sickly and withered.
"Woah, take it easy there, I think you got up to fast. Let me help you up," she suggested, helping up her fallen boyfriend.
"God damn it all! He's too out of it to stand! Jerk, just be still for a second!" Michaels cursed, charging up the gun again.
"What is it harder than it appears?" one of the other agents taunted. "Should I hold your hand?"
"Get off my case, Smith, before I test the gun on your bloody carcass," he harassed back. The gun re-charged. He got another shot.
"You want another drink, it could help you stand better," Ashley asked as she got another drink from the cooler as Ryan sat on the log once again.
"Yeah, sure, I feel like another," he replied, looking over to her with unfocused eyes. Ashley walked over with the bottle in her hand. She stumbled about halfway over and began to fall towards Ryan. All he could do was look up before her body slammed into his and the two fell over onto the dirt. Another card whizzed above them, missing them once again.
Ryan helped Ashley up this time and steadied her as he got the drink from her hand. He sipped on it for a little bit before looking over to her. He took a big swig, and she smiled drunkenly as she looked at him. She was ready to be shown a good time.
Ryan wasn't feeling too well though, and the booze was beginning to get to him. He was about to finish the bottle when he got the urge to let loose upon the ground. He turned to the side, away from his girl, and leaned over. As he elegantly puked, another card whizzed past and barely missed him again. This one flew off of the mountain, and exploded harmlessly in the atmosphere above the town.
"Ok, I'm ready; I'll meet you over in the bushes. Could you throw this out for me?" he asked her.
"Sure, I'll pitch it in the trash bag," she said, reaching out to get the bottle from him. He gave it to her, and began to stumble towards the forest. In the handing of the drink, Michaels took the opportunity to fire once again. As Ryan stumbled off, he stumbled out of the way of the card and it missed him again. The card, however, struck the bottle in Ashley's hand and shattered the neck from the rest of the bottle. The rest of it flew away, and she stood there, bewildered to how she was only holding the neck of the bottle. "Where'd the rest go?" she wondered to herself.
The girl shrugged, and threw the neck into the bag. And with that, she stumbled in the same direction Ryan went, right into the forest to find some lovin'.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!!!!!" Michaels cursed wildly. He missed them way too many times for a marksman of his caliber. His team was on the ground, laughing about the whole situation. His cheeks turned red with anger and he stomped off to get better position, leaving them to roll on the ground in laughter.
"I'll show them that I can shoot, even if it's the last thing I do, damn it. Why do these kids have to be so drunk!" he murmured as he walked through the forest. Up ahead, on the other side of the party grounds, he found a large bush in the trees. That certainly made him smile, and he was wondering why he hadn't seen it before.
"I'll hide in there, and stick the barrel and the sight out through the bush. That way, when the next drunk pair comes along, it'll be all easy- pickins!" he thought as he smiled to himself. He got in position behind the bush and stuck the barrel through the bush. He lay down silently, waiting to find his next target.
But, the silence didn't last for long. A loud moan came from behind him, scaring the daylights out of him. A sweat drop rolled down the back of his head as he turned around with his eyebrows raised and gun ready. He saw Ebert on top of Charlotte, and the two were enjoying themselves very much in their privacy. It was in this moment when Ebert was finally aware of the agent, and Michaels was aware of Ebert.
"What in the bloody hell are you doing back here?" Michaels asked in bewilderment as Ebert's eyes met his.
"Having a little illegal fun. What about you?" he asked, as Charlotte moaned again.
"Testing out an illegal weapon, why?" Michaels replied.
"Because you asked me what I was doing, and I was just wonder what you were doing," Ebert said.
"Oh. Ok,"
"You do this often?"
"Um, no. You?"
"Hell yeah," Ebert said, closing the conversation for a bit. The two stared at one another for a couple seconds in silence as Charlotte continued to enjoy herself with Ebert. Then, a thought came to him. "Hey, I won't say anything if you don't say anything? Deal, buddy?"
"Yeah, sure," Michaels said, a wicked grin slowly evolving onto his face. He raised the gun, which was charged and ready. "I'll make sure you don't say anything," he said as he pulled the trigger.
Ebert had no clue what had happened. He didn't even have time to react as the card hit him. But, the black card floated above the man on the ground and shocked him, taking his energy and replacing it with it's own dark energy. Michaels shot again, this time aiming for the girl. Charlotte too began to scream, a card now dealing with her.
The screams filled the woods. Some of the drunken kids began to flee, afraid the cops were abound. Chaos ensued at the party grounds, and the team of agents found Michaels with Ebert and Charlotte. They all watched the process as the cards took their energy and began to drain them. All they could do was stare in silence at the carnage.
Then, Michaels snapped out of it. He turned around and aimed at some of the other kids. He charged, and fired. A card hit Franks and he too went down on the ground, writing in pain as the card consumed his energy. Another bang from the Lethal Dealer and Frank's date, Victoria, was down on the ground as well. Two more shots as Ryan and Ashley came bounding out of the woods, half dressed and worried about their friends. Soon, the party was deserted of life, except those who were hit by the cards.
"I told you I could shoot," Michaels said, blowing some black smoke away from the exhaust vent of the Dealer. "Six tests of the weapon, just like Area 51 ordered. Nothing more, nothing less," he said to his comrades. "This is why I lead you halfwits. Because I can't be caught by Section 32," he proudly stated.
"Hey, we have some donuts, you guys want any?" came from behind the group. The agents twinged in fear, and Michaels dropped the Dealer, scared to death. Who did they miss?
As Michaels turned around, he was smacked in the face with a Pottsville Crème donut. The filling squired out all over his face and the dough husk fell to the ground with a sick plop as the agent stared at who was standing behind him the entire time.
CyberSlash was twirling a box of donuts on her fingertip as PowerCharge held one in her hand. "You know, these chutes are pretty handy for many things," she said, loading the donut in her hand into the chute under her left hand. She charged up a shot and she grinned at the agents. " And they are quite proficient in the donut slinging field, by the way," she laughed.
She let her burst go and the donut shot out of the chute faster than a clay pigeon that was strapped to a patriot missile. The donut slammed into his gut, exploding with a white powder burst, and caused him to fly backwards into his comrades.
Smith, however, was clever enough to dodge his leader and avoided becoming stuck in the pile up that ensued. He took one look at his foes before diving for the Lethal Dealer, which was lying on the ground amidst the chaos. He grabbed it, and quickly pointed it towards CyberSlash, who wasn't armed.
She took offense to that action and put the donut box down politely. Then, she jumped forwards and performed a mid-air roundhouse kick, straight to the gun. The force of the well-placed blow in the back end caused the gun to fly from Smith's grasp and into the woods, shattering against a tree.
What no one saw, though, was the black crystal that was encased in the ball chamber part of the gun fall out. The momentum from the blow carried the crystal far off into the woods. Where it landed on Sharp Mountain, no one knew.
Smith held his hands out in shock, and CyberSlash stood right next to him in an offensive position. She got up into his face, raised up his sunglasses, and looked straight into his dark brown eyes. "Boo, honey," she said quietly.
He screamed and backed away quickly, not wanting to be flying like that gun did. But, in his haste, he neglected to see what was behind him. He walked backwards straight into the pile of his friends, tripped over their writing bodies, and fell backwards into them, throwing them all down again.
"These guys are a walking comedy of errors!" PowerCharge proclaimed, taking a bite out of a chocolate frosted donut.
"Yeah, now just who are you all anyway, and what the hell is that gun for?" CyberSlash asked, walking towards them as they scrambled in haste to get up.
Michaels was the first one to get smart and reach into his jacket pocket. He pulled out a red button and quickly pressed it in. From out of his jacket, a small metal jetpack appeared. As he got upright, the pack fired off, and he flew upwards quickly, laughing. "We'll be back, suckers!" he screamed as he flew off.
Slash tried to jump upwards to grab his shoe, but missed. He flew off into the sunset, laughing in fear as he just survived an encounter with his main enemy. As Slash concentrated on him, the other three agents ran from her and did the same as Michaels. Together, the group flew off, escaping all interrogation and capture.
"Now what the hell do you think that was all about, Charge?" Slash asked over to Charge, who was now sitting on one of the logs and enjoying the rest of the donuts.
"I dunno, but they sure were weird. Check out all the people they shot with those bloody cards! Six people, lying unconscious before our feet!" she proclaimed, taking another bite of the donut in her hand.
"Yeah, but that gun was odd. Very odd. I'm going to go grab what's left, BRB," she said, running down the hill of the mountain to see where the silver gun went.
There, lying underneath a tree, were the two pieces of the mysterious Lethal Dealer. Cards were strewn about in disarray, as the four ammo boxes were crushed in the collision with the tree. The barrel was cracked in half and lying some distance away from the tree, and the rest of the gun had the footprint of Slash's boot stuck in it. She picked it up and ran back up to Charge, who was still doing nothing.
"Aren't you going to help these people?" Slash finally asked.
"Eh, that's Medic's job," she replied.
"Sure, leave everything to the new girl,"
"Hey, she heals, I don't. Do these people look like they could use a good blast of energy?"
"Ok, you have a point there. I'll call her later; right now I'm more concerned about this weapon and the true function of it. I've already taken the liberty of having Mercurious contact the police. They should be here quite soon, and I wish to be out of here quite soon. Let the police deal with the kids here, and we'll have Medic over at Pottsville Hospital to help out in no time, once I find her," Slash announced, quite proud of her plan.
"Ok, and let's go see where Strike is too. He should have been on top of this sooner than we were. I wonder what could be up?" she said rhetorically. Slash nodded and jumped up into the air and let her boot rockets keep her afloat. Charge harnessed her energy, and created a bright pink aura that lifted her body up into the air majestically. She was level with Slash, and the two flew off in a burst of pink and green energy into the wonderfully orange, purple, and red sky over the City of Pottsville.
Ryan stirred as they left, becoming very restless. The dark energy unleashed inside of him was having a party with his body. The card next to him ripped with a black energy wave in response to his awakening. The energy was toying with him, trying to steal his energy totally. But, the alcohol was stopping it from doing its true damage. Still, the energy was smarter. It began to change its function, trying to find a way around the alcohol. But, all it accomplished was screwing up Ryan's body more. Cracking noises and sickening ripping and gurgling sounds could be heard from his body. Something wasn't right.
The same was happening to the others. Their drunkenness was having an adverse affect on the black energy on their bodies. Both the girls and the guys became more powerful, stronger, and paler. The women became much more attractive, as their wildest dreams were being made into a reality. The men became much more destructive, their dreams of power and control over others becoming a reality.
They all slowly arose and looked around at their surroundings. Ryan's head turned around, looking at the sight of Pottsville below. The pale side of his face smiled happily, the dark marks around his eyes making that side seem perky and joyful. But the hardened black side sneered. The glowing red eye pierced those around him with a fear that no man could imagine. The chagrined jester took only a moment to figure out what he wanted to do.
"Let's party!" he sneered. The others laughed in response.
4:19 PM, Downtown Pottsville
"Who the hell robs a costume shop?" Jessica asked as Mike, transformed into ChronoTwist, and she walked up to the broken-in costume shop downtown.
"That's a good question. One that I certainly don't have an answer for. No costume shop carries the suit I wear in stock, that's for sure," he joked. "But, whatever information we can find on who did this will certainly help. And, from what I hear, this shop is now a certainly strange sight."
"Why? What could be so bad about a costume shop?" she wondered aloud. Getting closer, she got her answer. The costume shop was wrecked, to say the least. The windows were smashed in, the outer shop was burnt by some sort of blast, and the inside was a complete mess. The costumes were in complete disarray, but nothing seemed to be stolen. Just that a large amount of the costumes were thrown about the place.
Ducking the police tape and walking inside, Chrono and Jess found two investigators hard at work, as well as the three patrolmen who were the first on the scene. But, taking no more than two steps, one of the investigators went right up to them.
"What the hell do you two want? And you know you're breaking five laws by just ducking that police tape?" Inspector Daterson asked. Daterson was a gruff looking man with a shaggy and poorly kept brown beard and short and tangled brown hair. He wore a black hat on his head most of the time, and everyone in town wondered if he ever took it off. His trademark was his black overcoat, which he usually wore closed. There was a rumor that he carried a shotgun and two pistols on his person at all times, but since he never opened the overcoat, no one ever was sure.
"Shut up Daterson, we're the Special Forces and you know better," Jessica began to say. Chrono shut her up quickly and looked into Daterson's eyes with his deep blue ones.
"We're here because CyberStrike sent us. We are to investigate the cause of this odd costume shop theft. What have you found out as of now?" Chrono politely asked.
"So, Strike can't come himself and he sends his little lackey to go investigate. I'm not telling you shit boy, because by now I should have you arrested on so many charges that it could make Justice laugh. Disrupting a crime scene, possession of illegal weapons, disrupting the peace," Daterson began to list.
"Spare us the familiarities, Daterson. I don't need to hear it," Jess said, putting a claw up to his mouth.
"Threatening an officer of the law! And last I checked, you were fighting against the Special Forces, Miss Eve, so why are you with him!" he forcefully asked.
"She's on our side now, Daterson, so cool it," Chrono interrupted, pointing out the black badge logo tattooed onto Jess's pale right shoulder. Daterson cringed at the sight. He couldn't stand the thought of her sitting there and having that ornate design tattooed onto her.
"All right, I'll let you both slide. Now get out of here before I consider arresting you both. And if you need to know, it was a simple arson job. There was nothing stolen except for a couple odd harlequin dresses and jester outfits. So tell Strike to shit off," he said. And with that, the polite inspector turned back around and went to work.
"Well, that was interesting," Chrono said to Jessica as they left the shop.
"Yeah, I think. Why would anyone just steal a couple odd costumes like that and then torch the place? Looking for some action? I really don't think so," she assumed.
"Well, we can see in time, as time tells all," Chrono said to her as they walked up to his neon blue Celica. The two got in, and strapped on their seatbelts.
"Well, I guess so. Now, what are we gonna tell Strike?" Jessica wondered with a smile on her black lips.
"We tell him to give Daterson hell next time he sees him," Chrono laughed. And with that, the two drove off into the city underneath the blazing sunset.
4:53 PM, The First Union Bank
The tellers were making the final withdrawals of the day as the sun finally set. The teller booths were being locked, the transactions were being finalized, and the rest of the money was on its way into the vault of First Union. But, as the end of the day neared, a group of people walked into the bank, each dressed in a black trench coat with the collar pulled up high around their faces. Their heads were covered with black hats, and all in all, they were similar to Inspector Daterson in dress. They moved in a group, keeping their faces concealed from the camera. The leader approached the nearest teller and placed a large canvas sack onto the counter in front of her.
"I'd like a withdrawal. A very large withdrawal that will probably empty the safe. So, if you would, place the money in the sack, because I feel like gambling tonight," the man said in a twisted voice. The teller leered back, afraid. She couldn't believe that she was being robbed, and for some reason, she couldn't see the man's face.
A red eye suddenly alit from inside the darkness that the collar and hat provided. It glowed with an eerie light and pierced the teller's soul. She began to cry, afraid of being hurt, and began to place money in the sack. The other people in the trenchcoat group did the same to the other tellers, as the sixth member took out the guards on duty with some swift blows and watched the door. A robbery had begun.
What has been unleashed in the city of Pottsville? What sort of sick and twisted power is this? And can Section 32 stop this plague of darkness?
Find out in the next thrilling episode of Section 32, Episode 2.3: "When the Chips Are Down, and You're Left With a Royal Flush"