Brian stood frozen.
A small bit of his mind hung on to the memory of what Watts had whispered to him. "Go mad with rage." The man had said.
And so long as Brian did nothing other than stand there, remembering it, then he didn't have to act on it.
Manipulated…He thought about the words… Mad with rage… Had he ever been that way before?
A hand fell softly on his chest. It was a thin, dainty hand… made of living metal.
His focus wandered just a bit.
Illyana…
He opened his eyes without thinking.
"Are you alright?" She asked again, concerned.
No! He thought, realizing what had happened. What did Watts say? What did he…
And something inside Brian snapped.
Illyana watched it happen. Oh, God, no!
And with a shriek of madness, Brain leapt in to the air and slammed a fist down in to the street, cracking it wide open and setting off car alarms in all directions.
Ahhh… Thought Watts. My distraction's finally begun. And he ran like hell.
Illyana blinked several times. Watts did something to him… It's like when I… And then she shivered. Kill Kurt… What the hell was I thinking?
She lifted her eyes as Tabitha and Betsy launched at Kurt. Oh, no.
Kurt was standing his ground defending Forge in Lucy's body where they fell. She opened a portal under them and then under herself, dropping them all on the roof of a nearby building.
Kurt drew his sword and spun on her.
"No, wait… I'm out of it."
"How?" Kurt demanded.
Lie, lie, lie… She told herself. "I realized … Brian was hurt… And I…" She did her best to blush.
"Oh." Kurt looked hesitant. "Okay…"
Kurt keyed his wrist communicator. "Kitty, Alistaire, Forge, report."
"Forge is in the hospital. Something psychic I think." Alistaire reported back. "Possibly … very bad."
"Oh." Kurt recognized Alistaire's talent for understatement. "Brian, Tabitha and Betsy are hunting me through down town." Kurt told them.
Illyana shook her head. "Correction. Brain's smashing up the place."
"Watts is moving north along Greenwich. Kitty can you pick him up there? He's abducted Rachael." Kurt swallowed.
"I'm on it." Kitty gunned the motorcycle (after saving the man and doubling back) and took off down the road. "But… You'll have to take on Tabitha and Betsy or be their target when fighting Brian… Leaving…"
"Then… that would leave Brian to… Alistaire." Kurt's voice sputtered over Alistaire's wrist communicator.
"I'm on it." Alistaire reported back.
Kurt sat silently for a moment on the other end of the communicator.
He doubted Alistaire's ability to make much of a difference where Brian was concerned, but far be it from Kurt to stop a man from trying. And certainly not a man he respected as much as Alistaire.
"Just try and keep him busy. Whoever gets free first backs up Alistaire." Kurt replied at last.
And half a dozen worried friends turned their attention to their own respective tasks, eager to free themselves up in time to be Alistaire's 'assistance'.
Alistaire smirked. Well, this is it. 'Go time.'
He flipped the toggle on his dash as he roared towards down town. The traffic will be backing up soon.
He keyed the ionic suspension unit and a red light lit up on his dash. He knew from experience, it would soon turn blue and then green. And once green, his car would be suspended on a cloud of ions, able to rise over the traffic of the city.
What a lousy night to discover that I hate to lose… His mind thought of Forge in passing and then turned his mind away.
He rounded a corner and the taillights caught him by surprise as he approached the traffic jam without warning.
Can't stop now. He shrugged, hit the gas and eyed the light as it turned blue.
His eyes darted up to the traffic. He could see the stopped driver's eyeing him in their rear view mirrors.
He turned his attention to the light as he accelerated toward them.
Come on… Come on…He looked back at the cars. People were fleeing the scene, some panicking in their cars.
It figures. He shook his head. I'm about to hit a limo.
And sure enough it was a limousine that he aimed for as he braced for the impact of the two cars.
Damn…
And the light turned green.
The front of the car leapt up and shot up the trunk of the car with a rain of sparks and propelled the mini-cooper off in to the air like a ramp.
He shot strait up the back windshield and off the roof, crumpling the car and smashing out the windows as he went.
The car dove off in to the air over the street as a rounding cheer went up from the amazed and stunned crowd.
That was close. Alistaire realized quickly. But this will be worse. He watched as he quickly slid three blocks in to the city and found himself face to face with Brian's backs he raced for Brian, who was suspended in the air above the street just one block away.
At first Brian didn't see him, his attention on the people below as he eyed them for a chance to strike.
Suddenly…
Brain heard a musical car horn behind him.
And when he turned to look…
Someone keyed all four jets on a souped-up, decked-out mini-cooper and planted the bumper up against his jaw with a tremendous "SMASH" as it ran Brian over in mid air and knocked him from the sky in a spectacular, one-shot knock down.
Back in the limousine Sebastin Shaw leaned forward. "Driver… Did you get the license plate number of that car?" He asked, his teeth set in anger.
"Sure did." The driver looked back at him "XCLBR"
Sebastain's eyes narrowed and he looked at his glass of brandy, still in his hand. It had broken window glass in it.
"Stuart." He whispered, squeezing enough to shatter the glass in his palm, and then waggling his fingers to get the broken glass from off his hand.
And the man in Sebastian's trunk screamed, almost silently, against his gag.
Alistaire stared at his mirror. Come on… Come on… And sure enough, Brian's angry form arose behind him in a fevered pursuit.
There we go. Alistaire smiled. Now… Let's put you down for your nap then, shall we?
Alistaire held his jets full open. He tore through London in a blur, but still, Brian was gaining.
Not yet… Not yet… Alistaire smiled as he realized that Brian was just behind him, riding above the jets and reaching for the back of the little car.
You're not so fast.
Alistaire punched the nitrous button on his dash and the car exploded forward, creating a jet flame twice it's previous size and burning Brian badly as the car streaked away from him.
Brian screamed in pain and rage but didn't fall from the sky.
Alistaire consoled himself. Easy man, you have to… He'll kill you if you don't get this done.
He saw Brian again, diving angrily forward after him.
Forgive me.
He pushed the button to fire the stop-sticks out of the back of his car.
The sticks burst out of the bumper and immediately caught fire and turned the foam covered razor wire in to a flaming, sticky razored mess that wrapped around Brian and cut in to him as he flew in to them, burning like napalm all the while.
Again he shrieked in pain and Alistaire streaked away.
Brian crashed to the street below and rolled on the ground until the flames went out.
He roared a primal call to vengeance as he leapt up in pursuit of Alistaire. Tears of pain and madness marred his vision but still he spied the car as it touched down in the middle of an old junkyard.
Brain hurtled at him, hurting and regaining his reason but not his mind as he raced for him.
Alistaire leapt from the car and stared straight back at Brian as he came, yet keeping his one hand concealed behind him.
Brian's lip twitched and Alistaire eased a knowing smirk in to place.
Brian suddenly exploded towards him with a burst of speed and Alistaire drew his pistol around and fired. Brian was struck by the Bosley Special and dropped to the ground. Stunned, but still moving.
He hit with a great dull thud and roared again as he rose, racing at Alistaire.
Alistaire fired once over their heads and then again and again at Brian as he charged.
Brian buckled under each shot but pressed forward until he became aware of a shadow as it fell across him… A very large shadow.
Which made him look up.
The shot that Alistaire had fired over their heads had shorted out a huge electromagnet…
Which had been holding a double decker bus suspended above him.
Brian's jaw fell open as the bus landed on him, driving him in to the ground and then crumpling around him as it broke.
Alistaire turned his attention to the crane and fired in to the winch with a great electric crackle and burst of light.
It too gave and the great magnet fell, dragging with it several thousand pounds of chain.
The magnet smashed through the bus like it was made of paper, drove Brian completely in to the earth as it crushed the bus' gas tank (which exploded) while the chain clattered and rattled down from the crane, slowly burying the flaming wreckage.
Alistaire turned with a slight smile at his victory, consoled that it had to be done, when he found himself facing the night watchman and his son.
They had a baseball, bat and glove - along with a couple of awestruck expressions.
Alistaire took out his notepad and scribbled a note. "Here's our number." He told the man, tearing of the page and extending it to him. "Although we'll be back to pick some of that up soon enough."
The man took it from him. "Who are you?" He swallowed. "MI-6?"
Alistaire shook his head.
"Dad!" The kid whispered. "That's Alistaire Stuart! Excalibur!" The boy shook his head. "Can I have an autograph?"
Alistaire signed the next page in his book, put the date and time. "Here you go." He tore out the page and handed it to the boy.
The kid laughed. "You kicked Captain Britain's a…"
"Thomas!" His father interrupted him.
Alistaire looked back almost sadly as he headed to his car. Yeah…Maybe I did.
His overcoat fluttered lightly in the breeze and the bus' gas tank exploded yet again.