Vespa City
Another day, another dollar. Or rather, another supply of heroin stolen from some drug dealing idiots who didn't know better. He didn't take much, never did. Just enough to hold him over until his next time- his next rage induced withdrawal. He figured nothing much had happened today, as he took to donning his black hoodie, baklava, black joggers and boots to issue out some much needed justice in Vespa. Taking small bits of the illegal substances being sold as his personal payoff for a job well done had become a routine for him. But as he sat down, ready to shoot up once again- he was halted by the words spoken on the television.
It was rare that he ever viewed Dragon's Edge's News Network- as he was far away now and mostly believed he'd avoid trouble. But trouble always found a way, todays way being a national broadcast on Channel 5' Vespa Hot News At Ten!
"A major chemical attack rained terror upon the residents of downtown Dragon's Edge and the personnel of DECH today."
Scott's eyes stared wide as the news story played on.
"Sources of the chemical attack remain unknown, though it's suspected to be the fault of the super criminal known as Gaslight" the silver haired reporter woman had said with a depressed tone. "As far as casualties, there's been confirmed one hundred five dead, thirty seven being transferred to the next medical center for intensive care, not including workers."
They'd attacked the Dragon's Edge Central Hospital- the exact same hospital responsible of majority of the city's sick and injured. Scott's eyes shot up then to the list of names that began to roll down the screen- casualties of a war that the city didn't deserve. They moved from the screen, ripping away from the image and down to the desert eagle, rage building up inside as he took the weapon in hand and removed the safety, opening fire with three shots to the television.
If there was ever a time for a push to do something, he'd figured this would be it. Time to stop sitting around and sulking, because this was literally a cry for help from those people- and a wake up call. Everyone's going through something, and they're most likely not drowning themselves in addiction like him.
The needle in his hand shook with his body, before soon being crushed by his previously open palm. The small bits of glass that spread throughout barely even pinched the man's skin and simply dropped to the floor with the now useless substance.
He looked then to the partially open closet nearby, bits of red and black material peeking from out of his bag on the closet floor, and blank plexiglass eyes staring back at him, almost boring holes into his very soul.
He gave a soft grunt and a nod of assurance, almost as though he'd been mentally communicating with the Nightmare suit. Maybe it was his meta human mind, his enhanced way of thinking and functioning that alloted these thoughts. Maybe it was Heather, somehow pushing him from the beyond and telling him to stop being such a...lout. He didn't know what it was, but it certainly helped in the moment.
"Alright...it's rehab time." He muttered as he shot to his feet and walked towards the kitchen, ripping open the refrigerator door and grabbing a bottle of Budweiser. He popped the top off and began to chug the beverage, stopping halfway through to wipe his mouth. "After this beer."
Dragon's Edge, Immortals Manor
Gustav's eyes moved across the keyboard with a swiftness, barely keeping up with the movements of his own fingers as he typed. The chemical attack from three days ago had made it clear that this had truly escalated into a war, and he was more than happy to bring it to those villains after this horrible little stunt.
He moved back up to the screen in an instant, after hitting "ENTER" and watched as his search results soon appeared. There sat a list of the world's known heroes, and he was more than ready to type up an open invite to an asskicking.
"Big Hero Six, Ice Queen, Rapunzel, Jack Frost, Huntress…." and the list seemed to go on, Gustav even going as far as to pool retired heroes into his little group message.
"What are you doing?" Came a voice, the boy turned in his chair to meet the cool blue eyes of Astrid as she and Camicazi approached.
"Uh...rallying the troops." He replied, matter-of-factly. He'd been shaking with rage since the incident, prepared at any given moment to go all out on these bastards- but found himself restrained at every turn.
"Gustav, we can handle them ourselves." Astrid confirmed as she approached, not at all managing to ease the boy's ever twitching fingers as they hovered over the keyboard.
"But what if we can't Astrid?!" He called back as she finally stepped over and gently gripped his hand, taking it into her own.
"We can. We won't need an army for a group of low lives like this- we'll simply rely on each other."
"How? How can we possibly rely on each other when we're short FOUR WHOLE MEMBERS NOW?!?" He'd shouted, his hand tightening in her grip and straining hers a bit. She could feel the rage, the aggression of a boy going wild behind his eyes.
And she placed her free hand upon his head, tussling his hair in a calming motion. "Why do you think we can't do it?" She asked finally- the question having been on her mind for a good minute now, but refusing to leave her mouth until now.
It was then that his wall came shattering down, and he thrust himself into her arms- allowing his tears to stain her navy blue blouse.
"Everything's broken!! Heather is dead, Scott is gone, Hiccup is gone…and now they've..they've got my best friend!!" He shouted into her stomach, Astrid rubbed gently at the boy's back as Cami looked on in contempt.
She had paid a good bit of attention to the two youngest Immortals since their first day of High School. She, alongside Hiccup, had seen them both grow as people together. They knew the strong bond the boys shared- so she understood his feelings now. She cursed herself silently, having focused so much on her own disparity that she'd neglected his, or any others until now.
Everyone was hurting, some hiding it much better than others. Everyone felt the pain from the past few months- and everyone suffered from the recoil of it all.
She pulled her arms around his frame, taking a mental note of the boy's recent increase in strength as he hugged her. Silently, Astrid spoke into his ear. "We'll do it just as we did before. Together, no matter how many we lack or how many we gain- we will triumph." She confirmed, as she pulled away with a smile and gently cupped his chin.
"That's what makes us Immortals."
The Boy's eyes locked with hers, soon stopping their rampant flowing of tears to close shut. He nodded and gave a small smile then, before he moved away from the seat and wiped his face.
"I'm gonna...go and train." He said as he looked to Astrid once again, the smile upon her face brightened his day further. He then looked to Cami who gave a smirk and rested a hand upon his shoulder.
"You're a lot stronger than you look ya know. Use that to your advantage...and never let that will of fire die out." Was all she said as she gripped his shoulder, then allowed the young Immortal to exit the room.
She looked to Astrid then and walked over as the other blonde took a seat at the computer. "So what are you doing now?" She asked, noting the Digital Design software that Astrid had pulled open.
"Gettin ready- the right way." Astrid replied as she uploaded a list of physical measurements into the toolbar and began to enter the proper coding, a white bodysuit appearing on the screen.
"Well it's about time. You've been wearing that old stealth suit for a year now." Cami commented as Astrid shot her a glare.
"And what about you, Miss Same Suit for Years?" Was her snarky response, Cami simply shrugged.
"Mine is classic. Yours is a prototype that's been in the proto-stage for way too long." She said with a laugh, managing to get a grin from a Astrid as well.
"Fair enough. But Stormfly 2.0 is gonna be amazing."
Unknown
Viggo smiled as he looked over to the figure strapped down with bindings forged of steel-gold alloy. He had been placed in a specially made glass casing, connected to four ducts. Blackout and Gaslight had truly outdone themselves for once, and he could safely say he was pleased.
"Changewing is it?" He asked through a speaker on the silver plated control panel for his container, the red haired figure looked up to meet his eye.
"Or is it Throk Haddock?"
This next question caused Throk to lurch forward with a glare aimed at the man, his eyes not getting their usual red-orange tint as he did so.
"I think you'll find your confinement to be quite precise. It's quite simple, yet quite complex all the same." Viggo exclaimed with a cold grin as Throk snarled at him. "Gaslight and I rigged the ventilation system of your container with a highly potent toxin that shuts down your neural connection to your meta gene."
"How do you know?" Was Throk's initial response as he ignored Viggo's comment on his lack of power. He could care less right now about being powerless, and simply wanted to know more about the potential breach in his , and possibly the others, identities.
"Let's just say...I had someone on the inside." Viggo said, turning to give a nod to a figure who'd been shrouded by the shadows of the room. They stepped forwards from their concealment, the blonde haired form that showed its face almost making Throk sick to his stomach.
"N-no...Mala?!?"
"H-hi Throk." She said. He took note of her appearance, the black and gold lines suit she wore bringing up images of Viggo's own suit in his head.
"You're kidding...what are you doing with him? What's going on?!" Throk asked/shouted towards the blonde who he'd called his girlfriend for the past three months now. Mala showed some form of regret, albeit mostly shrouded by other unreadable emotions within her eyes.
"I...I work for him…" she explained, cutting a look to Viggo as the man chuckled and wraps an arm around her neck
"Oh don't be so shy! Allow me to properly introduce Mala King...or should I say Mala Grimborn!" He said with a shout, making the feeling in Throk's stomach grow worse. His eyes went wide and soon made their way to the gray tiled floor beneath his bindings, not moving from that spot.
"Codename: Sleuther...she's a real chip off the block if I do say so myself." Viggo continued much to Throk's chagrin.
Mala looked from her father and over to Throk's shocked form, a look of contempt coming upon her face as she loosely wrestled her way from beneath the man's arm.
"You said you would leave him alone!" She exclaimed next, pointing a gold tipped finger at Viggo who gave a roll of his eyes to her.
"Darling, you can cut the act now. We both know you don't care for that...thing in there." Is his response, a sly grin came upon his face as he looked to Throk once again.
"I've got plans for him...very big plans."
Dragon's Edge
"I'm closing in on the target now." Came a voice from beyond the radio of a blacked out tactical helicopter as it moved over the city's skyline.
"Keep on him." Came the response of a gruff male voice as the pilot kept his eyes and sensors locked into the figure below as he soared across the skyline.
Eret had set off on a more than normal Patrol, searching as many buildings and areas as he could for the lost Changewing. So far he hadn't had any luck in recovering his ally, but had attracted the unwanted attention of a black attack vehicle.
"Seriously, what did I do?" He wondered aloud as he flew downwards and landed on a high rooftop below, turning to face the pilot as the helicopter hovered just above the next building.
"Alright, what now?" The Brit asked as the helicopter locked into him. A speaker finally activated, allowing him to hear the pilot speak for the first time.
"Halt! You're being placed under arrest by the Archipelago Homeland Defense Unit." The man said, the rotors turrets of the helicopter rotating to lock onto Eret's form as he cocked an eyebrow in suspicion.
"Under what terms?" He asked- obviously finding himself unimpressed by the little display.
"You're to be brought in for questioning about the recent chemical weapon attack on downtown Dragon's Edge- you and the meta human known as Stormfly were at the scene of the incident."
"You're kidding right? We were devastated by that attack- you think we had something to do with it?!" He asked with a growl in his tone as his hands glowed with green flames, his eyes never leaving the helicopter.
"I don't know what you metas' true alignments are- but I've been tasked out to bring in as many of you as I can, and dammit I'm gonna do just that!" Is the pilot's response, the turrets opening fire and sending two small net contraptions Eret's way.
He had the briefest of flashbacks, to when he underestimated Viggo in their first encounter and got captured. He wouldn't let that happen again, and lept aside to avoid both nets, the traps hitting the roof with a clatter.
Eret took the opportunity then to rush the pilot, taking off in a near untraceable blur of green energy towards the cockpit. He stopped just as he reached the window and began to melt through it with a glowing hand, the men locking eyes.
The pilot felt a sense of panic arise upon the breaching and began to fumble around for his hand pistol, soon finding the weapon and switching its safety off. Almost as soon as he pointed it towards Eret, the radioactive man's hand wrapped around the barrel and melted it down.
"Land the bird..,and let's talk properly." Eret said as his eyes flowed a vibrant green. The pilot didn't have many options left at that point and obeyed the man's order. The helicopter landed safely on the roof beneath them, with Eret climbing off of the top and onto the rooftop.
"Now then...what the hell is the Archipelago Homeland Defense Unit and why are they just now deciding to make themselves known?" He asked as the man Unclipped his seatbelt and slid out of the vehicle.
"We're am organization devoted to the protection and defense of the United States of America, previously known as the United Archipelago of America." He explained, Eret nodding along. "We had stood by and allowed your team to take care of major issues for a while- until they got out of hand. The gas attack was what raised the most concern for us."
"The gas attack was a tragedy to all, and we've been working our asses off on tracking the culprits down to bring them to justice. We don't need any security agency breathing down our necks as we do so." Eret exclaimed as his body shuttered slightly.
"But if you truly wish to help, or protect the US or whatever- then you'll investigate the strange pod we found on the outskirts of the city."
The AHDU pilot gave a strange look then as Eret said this, then moved to take off his helmet and allow his bronze hair and clean shaven face to show.
"Strange pod?" He asked.
"Yes. It's reeking of space radiation. We moved it into a wood line and kept it covered with a large camouflage tarp for the time being." Eret said then, hovering off the ground now.
"Space radiation?! No wonder our sensors haven't picked it up. It must be damn near invisible to them." The man said with a soft sigh.
"Then you'll have to tune them a bit- atleast to the point where they can feel it scrambling them. Guarantee you'll find it then." Eret replied.
"And if we don't?"
"Then the Immortals will drop it's coordinates- officially handing the situation over to the AHDU." He ended the conversation there, taking off in a huff as his body lit up.
The ADHU pilot stood there dumbfounded for a moment before tapping his earpiece. "Zraak nekl haäl vēl tū?" (The egg has been found)
"Ēt vëī nīl rëxüß." (Then we must retrieve it) Came the response.
The man gave a dark glare towards Eret's path. "Kïë āglœ…. dël Grïmmël słùf vüń." (We shall...if Grimmel hasn't found it yet…)
Immortal Manor
"The Archipelago Homeland Defense Unit?" Astrid asked as she leaned back in the chair, eyes darting towards Eret.
"That's what they called themselves. Man gave off an odd vibe, but it was nothing too abnormal. Seemed to be another guy trying to do his job..I told him about the pod we found." He said, her eyes widening slightly.
"Wait what? Why would you do something like that?!" She asked as she stood to her feet- now wearing her newly printed suit.
It was very different from her previous suit- being a blue one piece suit with a golden lightning bolt belt. The legs and underarm areas had streaks of navy blue running under the azure colored base with tiny lightning bolts etched into them. Her hands were wrapped in fingerless blue gloves , featuring golden lines running down the center of her hand and onto her sleeves and metal knuckles.
The boots were golden and able to be zipped and unzipped. The biggest thing to note were the two lightning bolts that cascaded down her shoulders to the center of her back and torso to join with the belt.
Apart from that, she made a blue eye mask with yellow lenses, that rested on the computer keyboard nearby.
"To get them off of our backs Astrid." Eret replied then, ignoring the tone she gave off for the most part. "I did my research when I returned. They're legit."
"And just where did you go for this research?" She asked while crossing her arms over her chest and sending a glare his way. A glare that the man seemingly crumbled under as he replied.
"Wikipedia."
Cami couldn't help but to chuckle then- she'd been listening the whole time from the back of the room and had mostly stayed to herself. "Wikipedia? Seriously dude, couldn't get any deeper?" She asked with a grin as she stood up.
"I uh...I was honestly just trying to make sure I had at least a small bit of proof." Eret said with a rub of the back of his head, getting a giggle from Cami in response.
Astrid eyed the two carefully then, noticing the small exchange and quirked an eyebrow. "Are you two…"
"Oh um, no...well not yet…" Cami said as she looked over the details of her left glove. "We've just had a few dates...that's all."
"Oh…" Astrid said, a frown arising as she thought of her own significant other. Halfway across the world and not returning her calls- a wonderful relationship status to post on Facebook. She deterred those feelings for the time being, and listened as an alarm went off.
"What now?" She asked herself as all three focused on the computer, a visual of the hangar coming up. "Which alarm was that?" Astrid asked as Cami and Eret moved over.
"That was a mid tempo alarm with a blue light signal… that means…" Eret began as he opened up a handbook nearby, trying to find the meaning of the alarm.
"It means bomb threat." Cami finally said , her eyes wide as she zoomed in the camera onto the side of the Immortals Jet. "You guys fo check it. I'll monitor the rest of the manor just in case there's an intruder." Cami confirms, Astrid and Eret giving a nod before rushing out towards the hangar bay.
It took no time for them to get there. Astrid rushed over to the jet and inspected it, then finally found the source of the alarm.
There, strapped to the engine was a small explosive device. It flashed with a red light. Not nearly enough power to take down any of them on its own- but with the power of that engine to back it, it would wipe everyone out with ease.
"It must have just been activated." Eret said as he looked over the device. "Otherwise it would've been detected long ago, right?" He asked as Astrid nodded. It was then that she caught a look at the bombs timer.
00.10
"Get back!" Astrid screeched then as she pushed Eret away and began to rush towards the hangar exit. The large metallic door that slid open to allow entry was slowly rising now with Astrid tapping the button as much and as fast as she could.
Her actions were ceased by the explosive finally going off behind them, pushing both of them back.
Cami took a moment to breathe, then looked around the area. The image of the explosive going off had sent her into a high alert mode almost instantly. Astrid and Eret were fairly close to the blast, but that wouldn't stop her, not today.
Music always seemed to ease her mind in times of turmoil. Music is what helped to name the Immortals in the first place. So, music will help her to save them. Attached to her hip was a device similar to one of Night Fury or Fanghook's Minicomputers- but it was a music player. The glasses she wore on her suit had a special connection to them, and would play songs in her ears as she moved. The songs would even be able to be sped up to sound normal when she moved at higher speeds than normal. So now, she'd simply adjust it a bit and let it play. The sounds of 'Circles' by Post Malone played on now.
We couldn't turn around, til we were upside down
She took off in a blur and pushed her speed up to 190,000 MPH, just barely matching the pace of the explosion.
I'll be the bad guy now, but know I ain't so proud
The Immortals Jet ran off of a very complex experimental engine, so the explosion that ensued from its destruction led her to have to push her physical boundaries. She moved with a swiftness, one not even matched by the likes of GoGo Tomago or even Hotstreak.
I couldn't beat it, even when I try
Rushing back to the hangar bay in an instant, she slid onto her knees and looked under the metallic doors that were partially up in the hangar bay, looking on as Eret and Astrid are seen being thrown back by the blast.
You don't believe it...we do this every time
She slid her body under the gap with ease and took off towards her friends, stopping in front of Eret to push aside a few stray pieces of shrapnel. The speedster then popped her hands and grabbed the radioactive man, rushing back to the door and phasing both of them through the metal before delivering him outside, about fifty feet from the Manor's gate.
Seasons change and I love when it calls
She doubled back and grabbed Astrid next, taking care to place the mask of the new suit she'd made upon her face before taking her out to safety too. And just like that, she was gone.
Feed the flame cause we can't let it go
Her next run around led to the housing area- where she searched and scoured each room for any signs of life. So far she'd only found Toothless lying there on the floor and eating away at a dry bone. She pet the dog gently on the head before lifting him up and rushing him out into the yard, moving back to grab his bone and dog bowl as well.
Run away but we're running in circles, run away, run away
Next she found Gustav in the kitchen, eating away at a bowl of cereal. She made haste in grabbing the boy and taking him out, then returned to grab his bowl and spoon. Cami circled back one last time and pulled open the fridge, grabbing a bundle of grapes and popping each one into her mouth just as the wall behind the fridge began to burst open.
I dare you do something, I'm waiting on you again
With all the living beings removed from the Manor, she had nothing else to worry about. Or so she thought- as she moved back and forth throughout the large building again she found herself smacking a palm to her face as she realized one thing- she hadn't grabbed Heather's memorial from the training area.
So I don't take the blame
An increase in temperature told her that the blast was approaching even faster now, and she turned to watch as the wall of the hall she was in began to rip apart from the force.
Run away but we're running in circles
Cami's speed doubled in that instant, and she found herself scouring the training area floor just as it seemed to burst open from the bottom up, balls of flame making their way through large gashes in the floor. She ignored them for the most part and lept from rubble to rubble before reaching the glass case containing the gray, silver and blue suit and weaponry. Giving a slight huff, she lifted the entire case and hugged it tight to her body before rushing out of the room.
Run away, run away, run away
As soon as she slowed to a stop, the rest of the world finally caught up with her. The explosion was extremely loud and powerful, the force from it knocked everyone off of their feet even from behind the gate.
Astrid, Eret and Gustav rushed to their feet in surprise- eyes locking on Cami as she sat down Windshear's suit, the song still playing faintly in her ears as she then decreased the volume.
"Wow…." Astrid muttered at the woman's display of speed, to which Cami gave a two finger salute and popped her back.
"That was the fastest I've ever ran in my life." She commented, Gustav looking at the cereal bowl in his hands for a moment before speaking up.
"Just how fast were you-"
"Approximately 380,131.4 miles per hour." Was Cami's response as she sat down on the ground, allowing her back to lean against the case.
"You saved all of us." Eret said, Cami giving a smirk.
"Again- Don't forget Canada last year." She said with a subtle wink, one that brought a smile to Eret's face.
"Never will...nor will I forget this one." He assured as he walked over and offered a hand to the speedster, then pulled her to her feet. She gave him a smile before she turned to Astrid.
"So...what now?" She asked, the sounds of a motorcycle crushing the rocks beneath its armored tires soon drew all of their attention its way.
The black clad rider pulled his helmet off, allowing his rugged hair to flow free as his cool blue eyes scanned over the burning wreckage of the mansion.
"What the hell happened here?" Scott asked as everyone stared at him.
"Infiltration...sabotage. The usual." Cami replied as she made her way over to the man, sending a punch to his shoulder as a way of welcoming him back. "So, what drug you back in?" She'd asked, Scott smirking slightly.
"Let's just say I had a moment of realization." He responded as he dismounted his motorcycle and set down his helmet, everyone's eyes moving to his stomach.
"And a moment of lunch too it seems." Called Eret as Scott rolled his eyes.
"Just haven't hit the gym as much lately...no biggie." He shrugged off the comment on his apparent weight gain and walked over to the rest of the group then, a duffel bag being pulled along with him.
"So….whose head are we bustin' first?"
"Easy...Viggo's." Astrid replied as she turned to face all of them. "I've already alerted Ruff and Tuff to join us- sent them a package with some gear upgrades beforehand. We're gonna take this asshole down once and for all."
"How? We've been searching for him for months." Eret said as he leaned down to pet Toothless, who'd grown quite scared from the shockwave the explosion left.
"And I think I've found him...or atleast one of them." She replied with a smirk. "Hotstreak really doesn't know how to cloak himself." She said then, looking at Cami.
Macgarland Industries Electricity Outpost
It was so beautiful. An entire field of electricity bouncing poles all for the taking. He could've sworn he was dreaming when Viggo sent him the coordinates to this place- a limitless supply all at his disposal. Ya see, Hotstreak is what one would call a junkie.
Rather than the usual drug that people got carried away with, he preferred his own. Electricity, pure energy in its rawest form. Just thinking about it made him smile harder than a child in a candy store. And now he'd have a permanent fix of it.
Or atleast he thought so. He paused for a moment as his hand reached out to one of the metal poles, thinking back to his encounter with the Immortals months ago. It was the most painful thing he'd ever been through...but honestly the energy rush he got from it was worth all the pain in the world.
"Hey Streakie!" Came a feminine's voice, one he'd grown to love hearing in recent times.
"Typhoon. Oh how I've waited for this day." He said as he turned to face her with a grin.
"Oh? Waited for the day I break your legs and interrogate you?" She asked then, moving from the pole she'd been leaning against to approach him. Now she stood about 35 feet away.
"No...the day I snap your neck and deep fry you." He responded, pooling several thousand Volts of electricity into his body then and launching it all towards her in a massive bolt.
The bolt traveled at a blazing speed, one he was sure she would never be able to avoid. But much to his surprise, and his chagrin, she sped to the side of the energy and allowed it to hit the pole behind her. This caused the entire field to begin to light up as that same energy bounced around each and every pole.
"How the hell did you...we have limits...how did you break one?!" He asked in anger as Cami smirked and popped her fingers.
"When your friends are in danger, you get strength from your heart." She explained before rushing him in a speed blitz that was damn near invisible even to his eye. The man went flying into another pole, his back crashing into the metal quite viscously.
"Let's play a little game." Typhoon said as she stared over at him. "I punch you, you tell me more about the location of your little crew."
"Nah…" was his response as he absorbed a bit more electricity and took off in a blur. He thought he'd absorbed enough to give his body enough of a push, but realized just how wrong he was when her face collided with his nose.
The momentum from his running and the sudden stop sent him to the ground with ease, his head colliding with the ground in a harsh thump
"God dammit!" He cursed as he slammed a fist into the ground and stared up at her. She stood tall and triumphant, when it donned upon him.
He'd never reach her speed. Not like this. If he wished to best her, and truly take her down, he'd need to push his own limits.
"Alright...you wanna go?" He asked then, his body starting to vibrate to allow his molecules to pass through everything.
"Why are you-"
"THEN LET'S GO!!" He shouted then, every pole in the field lighting up at once.
"Oh no...Hotstreak, calm down!!" She shouted with a commanding tone while trying to punch the man, his body merely reflecting her shots as it formed a natural field of electric energy.
"NEVER!!!! I KNOW MY LIMITS, NOW I'LL PUSH PAST THEM!!!" He screeched, his voice being warbled by the amount of energy he'd been taking in. It all seemed like it was going to hell, until he finally stopped and dropped to his knees.
"Fucking finally." She swore as she launched a punch towards his face- her eyes widened in fear as she was thrust back by a strange invisible force.
"What the hell?!" She asked before turning back to face him again. He was on his feet and walking towards her, but she felt like she was being punched by atleast six people at once.
Typhoon dropped to her knees in pain, clutching her stomach as Hotstreak finally grabbed ahold of her and smiled.
"This right here...this is pure energy and pure speed…" he exclaimed as he struck his knee into her chin before sending a kick to her chest. The kick took her into the air a good four feet, and gave him enough of a time frame to deliver a light speed blitz.
The man launched himself forward in an unforgiving combo, delivering punch after punch within the span of a pictosecond. Cami felt every blow at once, literally not a single second passing between each one to her.
But to Hotstreak, it was like he had an entire hour to break her apart. By the time he'd finished, he'd sent approximately 250,655 punches to the woman. He would have delivered more, but felt it'd be wrong.
Her body hit the ground with a thud as she struggled to move to her feet, her vision blurring as she stared up at him.
She felt as if she was going delusional then, because the man disappeared. But he reappeared rather quickly with a smile and stared at her.
"You escaped our bomb...your friends did too. But that's fine...I'll go handle them first, then I'll come back and cut your pretty little head right off your neck."
"You'll do no such thing!" She screamed before being punched back into the dirt.
"Who's gonna stop me? Certainly not you, Slowpoke." He said with a chuckle. He stopped his laughter when a massive bolt of lightning struck the spot he stood in, bringing him to his knees.
"You really need to stop boasting and pay attention to your surroundings." Called Stormfly as she hovered overhead. The gold parts of her suit glowed white as lightning coursed throughout it.
"Last time you used me as your battery it didn't end very well...wanna see you blow up again." She said as she struck the man again, just as he escaped his dazed state of mind.
He struggled then, trying to crawl away from the torture that he'd met. When he absorbed electricity of his own accord, it felt good. It was a natural thing. When an electric current as violent and strong as hers entered his body in such a rough manner, it was like God himself was punching him into the ground.
"Please! Please for the love of God stop!!" He shouted. Every time that lightning struck his body, it was the most violent force he'd ever felt in his life. It outmatched everything- even the pain brought on by his father in his youth.
"It hurts...so...much…" he muttered, a tear escaping his eyes. This went unnoticed by Typhoon as she rose to her feet and stepped over to him.
"It hurts huh? Hurts being abused by someone stronger than you?" She asked before sending her foot crashing into the side of his head, finally knocking him unconscious. The two superheroines stood over him and looked on in disgust as they moved to pick him up.
Somewhere
The throbbing in his head was the first thing he felt when his eyes finally fluttered open. His vision was blurry, but soon seemed to set in. Though he couldn't quite make out just where he was. It was a dark building, and he knew he was currently upside down. His eyes shot around his immediate area and then to the chains that had him bound. He tried to phase through them, but that failed. He gave a silent curse as he looked to find a strange collar around his neck- most likely the source of his lack of power.
He heard the footsteps then, five different sets of them approaching his location from the same direction. His eyes finally settled upon the forms of the Immortals- Stormfly, Nightmare, Nightlight, Typhoon and Fanghook all glared up at him then.
"Let's cut to the chase- we wanna know where your gang is." Stormfly said as she and Nightmare approached, the others simply standing off to the back and watching the encounter.
Hotstreak obviously wasn't in the mood for talking- and simply snorted at the two. "Like I'll actually talk." He replied then, his eyes never leaving their two forms.
Nightmare gave a grim chuckle as he said that, pulling a handgun from a holster on his leg and aiming it at the man. "You'll talk, or you'll endure more pain than ever before."
Hotstreak's eyebrows furrowed together at that point, and he cast a glance upwards/downwards to see the floor, then looked back over to the heroes. "There's nothing you can do to me that'll make me talk. I've endured more pain than any of you can possibly imagine."
The two of them merely nodded upon hearing that, Nightmare firing from the handgun and into the man's left leg. The bullet that was sent out burst upon impact and barely left any damage- save for a small hole left in his skin. He winced at the sudden sting and looked to find a slim metal piece sticking out, with a blue light around its center.
"What the hell is this?" He asked, Nightmare smirking beneath his helmet as he set to activate the device through a link in his minicomputer. The device pinged before sending a controlled shock throughout the powerless man's body. This led him to screech in pain until the shock was soon brought to a stop.
"What the fuck was that?!?" He asked , his eyes darting around.
"That was electricity. The thing you crave so much...except ya know, that's how it feels when your body isn't able to absorb it." Stormfly explained.
Hotstreak had to bite his tongue then just to adjust to the pain. His eyes locked with hers then and he spat out at her, missing his mark completely. He tried to move against the chains once again, to summon up even the tiniest bit of power to get himself moving. But it failed as he found another shock running through his system and causing him to give up.
It dawned upon him then just how serious they were. He looked on as Nightmare adjusted the settings of the controlled shock to a higher mode, and began to fry him. It stopped almost a second after it had started, and he'd grown used to the lack of speed enhanced perception.
It sucked.
Finally, he gave into the pain and gave a shout. "337 Ferrera Street!! That's where we've been holed up!" He exclaimed, praying the information would bring about his release. The Immortals simply smirked upon receiving the information, a bolt of lightning striking through the chains to send him colliding with the floor.
He recoiled from the sudden impact and looked at them in anger as the chains came undone, moving a hand up towards the collar.
His body fell right back to the position her previously been in as another shock set in.
"Let's get him to the DEPD and then let's get over there." Stormfly commented then.
Ferrera Street- Warehouse
"I must say..,you've outdone yourself." Johann commented as he looked over the large mechanical suit before him. The arms of his suit, which had been repaired and upgraded, unfolded from their backpack mode behind him and moved over to tap the new suit.
It was a black and silver plated armor, a tank build. In similar model to a AMP Suit but offering more mobility.
"It's been synced to your suits mental link. Trader, I present to you , your Mech." Viggo commented from behind him as he laid a hand upon the other man's shoulder.
Johann smirked. "So I guess it's time then?" He asked, giving a look over to the corner where a large device rested.
Gaslight and Blackout gave a thumbs up. "Thanks to our individual genius minds, we've created the ultimate weapon for this city's downfall." Blackout commented.
The device was a bomb- hooked up to three mechanical tubes that ran down the floor tiles.
"This bomb will go off and spread a thick fog of hallucinogenic gases throughout the city. The whole place will be quarantined and we'll be there to pick up the scraps of what's left behind." Gaslight explained then, motioning towards the tubes.
"And we've got a solar energy shield to protect it in case an Immortal or any other poor soul tries to defuse it."
Viggo nodded at that. "While you work on getting it up, Johann and Ryker will go take care of the Immortals. No doubt they'll be coming soon."
"How do you know that?" Asked a voice, Ryker finally walked into the room. He donned an armored redand silver suit with plating on his chest, shoulders, back, legs and gloves.
"Hotstreak's tracker signal was disrupted. Most likely been found. They'll be here." Was his brother's response, Ryker chuckling as he lifted up a strange looking rocket launcher.
"They'll be in for quite the surprise then." He exclaimed.
"Indeed they will. As for me, I'll be with our guest." Viggo confirmed as he walked off to head into the next room. He stopped near the doorway as an alarm went off.
"They're here." He said, not even turning to watch as everyone prepared for the ensuing battle.
Johann lept into the cockpit of the new suit- his regular back attachment connecting with the interior to proper lock him in as the plexiglass cover came down.
Ryker looked at him for a moment before they made their way towards the door.
Outside
"This is the place." Stormfly confirmed as they approached. It was a simple warehouse, though a bit on the large side. They had no idea what was brewing beyond its doors.
As she moved towards the front door, she found herself being flung back by a sudden concussive force- the same force tearing through the front wall and sending debris flying with her.
As she slid across the street and into a car, the others took up their own battle stances. They looked in shock as Johann walked out in his mech, Ryker at his side with the launcher.
"Hello Immortals!" Johann sneered
"And goodbye!" Ryker shouted as he opened fire, a burst of yellow energy ripping out of the barrel and heading towards Nightlight. He sent a burst of energy of his own towards it, the two colliding in the air and dissipating.
"New toys. They look weak." Nightlight commented as he opened fire with a ray of radioactive energy towards Johann, who raised up a hand to block it. Much to the Immortals' chagrin, it was working quite well.
The same energy was soon redirected towards them in a wave, sending most of them back save for Nightlight who simply reabsorbed it and took flight.
He flew straight towards the mechanized man then, a blur of green to everyone but Typhoon.
His plan had been to increase his own body temperature and melt clean through the suit's right arm- but that plan was immediately labeled a failure.
Johann's arm shot out and gripped him by the waste, soon applying a great deal of pressure even as he poured on the radioactive heat.
Eret's eyes flashed with fear for a moment as he looked into the Trader's eyes, the opposer merely laughing from behind his shielding.
"FLYING DRAGON FIST!!" Came the shout that drew the attention of everyone in the city street- people barely having time to react (save for Cami) as a black and blue blur launched across their heads and collided with the side of Johann's suit, tearing through its chassis and left leg like it was paper. The suit clattered down almost instantly and dropped to the ground, leaving Johann to struggle to free himself.
As he did so, a black boot planted itself on top of the downed armor, everyone's eyes panning up from the dark blue sole, to the black material and dark blue lines that ran around the boot's ankles. From there they saw the skintight dark blue nomex pants that fit the man's form, black leather lines running just above the knees to wrap around each leg. A gray utility belt wrapped the man's frame as well, though it only had about four pouches.
Upwards, they saw the black slim fitting top- complete with ultra lite and thin armored plating beneath the nomex fibers, giving off a safe yet maneuverable look to the suit, black gloves with blue knuckle plates and dark blue fiber palms,blue clips holding a black and blue cape in place.
And finally, their eyes rested on the green lensed black cowl upon his head. It was more fitting than his previous ones, seemingly as normal as a simple mask- though it was reinforced by a thin yet strong layer of steel-alloy and left his mouth and chin barren.
"You guys looked like you could use a hand." The modulated voice of the Night Fury called over to the Immortals.
Well there's part one of the Arc Two Finale. Hopefully you're enjoying it so far, and hopefully it's as compelling as I tried to make it. If not...eh... leave some good receivers and keep looking out for the final chapter of Arc 2. It'll be coming soon...maybe...possibly...idk. But as always, thanks
For reading!!