Hiccup struggled against his restraints, biting back the urge to cry out for help. He refused to give her that pleasure, hearing him essentially beg to be saved. As the cauldron overhead began to turn, so did the gears in his head.
{Okay...considering the angling of the pot, once it turns over the substance inside will begin to drop before falling altogether. The chair I'm in isn't bolted down all the way- so if I time things just right…}
He decided to put his theory to the test, as it was his last idea. The cauldron tipped over further, the strange , molten hot substance instance starting to dribble down. He took the opportunity then, ushering up as much strength as he could before launching himself back in the seat, successfully uprooting it from the floor and tumbling back.
The substance hit the floor across from him as he struggled to bring himself to his feet- the chair still restraining him. It was made of metal, so breaking it wasn't an option. Plan B. He was hunched over, but could feel his chi circulating again. Taking in a deep breath, he focused his energy into his armsA causing that familiar blue aura to return.
And finally, he burst free from his confinement, destroying the restraints and the chair's arms in the process.
"NOO!" Shouted the familiar voice over the intercom, causing him to smirk slightly.
"Thanks for the offer of the bath, but it was a bit too hot for my liking." He said before rushing out of the room and into the dark hallway.
It was hard to focus, but that chi summoning managed to return his senses. He began to sniff out the area, finding a mixture of putrid scents- ones he recognized from his CSI work. Dead bodies, down the corridor to the right. He decided to head the opposite way for now, opting to return to investigate later.
For now, he attempted to return power to his minicomputer. "Dammit." He swore as he rushed down the hall. Still dead- and he couldn't do anything to recharge it without the backup batteries in his belt. He needed his gear, and he needed it now.
"STOP HIM!!" The woman shrieked over the intercoms, Hiccup being left to watch as the hall filled with light, and people.
Dolls of all shapes and sizes burst from various doors around him, each one rushing towards him only to be met with the hands of justice. Just because he didn't have his gear didn't mean he was useless, he made sure she saw that.
He started by delivering a swift chop to the neck of the first offender, breaking through the shell like plastique over his body. He followed up by slamming the same man into two more, then tripped all three. He turned on his right heel and brought up his left leg for a powerful roundhouse to take down a fourth man. He then sent a powerful jab to another's face. With those five stunned, he carried on down the long hall.
"Where are my friends?!?" He shouted as he began to thrust open every door he could find. "No. No. No. n-" he paused at the fourth door, staring inside. What stared back was a doll dressed as a clown who was currently making a balloon animal.
"I'm gonna go." He said as he closed the door and then moved along. After about three more doors, he finally found one of the two he'd been searching for.
"Cami!!" He shouted as he saw the speedster bound to the back wall. He rushed into the room and went to work on the chains, pulling at them until they came from the wall- taking a great bit of effort to do so. The speedster was unconscious, meaning she wouldn't be up to fight anytime soon.
He scooped her up into his arms and made his way out of the room, a single thought nagging at him. {Why hasn't she tried to turn Cami yet?}
He'd figure that out later, for now he needed to find Eret and get out of there. Even with his friend in his arms he still found himself searching every door that he ran past to see if he could find the radioactive man.
Everything seemed to be such a twist and turn- the place felt far larger than it actually was. He supposed it was the sedatives still fighting against his healing factor. Since his freedom, his adrenaline has been working overtime to propel his healing factor further- fighting off the sedative like a poison that tried to eat away at his nerves.
He panted slightly as he ran, finally feeling himself start to tire out. He hasn't felt tired in….he's never truly felt tired before now. That actually brought a grim realization upon him- he could possibly die here. In this weakened state, those usually fatal blows that he brushes off- wouldn't be brushed off. A gunshot to the neck? He'd be lying in a pool of blood, waiting to drown. A knife to the chest? He wouldn't even get up right now.
He made his way to the last door- at the very end of the hall. Hiccup found himself cursing, he couldn't find Eret and now he's losing it. Kicking the door open as best he could, he found himself in a large unloading area, but it was closed off by the doors.
There were no vehicles inside, and he could barely see anything. He cursed himself for not recovering any of his gear either- he'd be stuck to relying simply on his senses for help.
He listened intently to the area, the silence that rang out. So far so good, he thought as he trudged along the walkway, heading down a ramp. His thoughts were thrown aside along with his body as a large figure threw him across the ground. He felt Cami slipping out of his arms as he fell and punched the ground before leaping to his feet.
"I've had enough of this shit.." he muttered, gritting his teeth with enough force to bite through metal if needed. He clenched his fists so tight that his palms began to run sore, and he shot off like a bullet into the dark.
What followed were the sounds of a brief struggle with heavy blows being traded on both sides. The loud crack that ended the bout was followed by a massive thud as the heavy bodied doll that attacked him slipped away.
Hiccup panted heavily as he felt the cracked pieces of plaster between his fingertips- and he felt the bits of blood running from his nose as he did so. Turning on his heel, he heard the doors opening- but not the large doors that allowed vehicle entry. No...it was the doors from inside the building opening to allow entry.
He could barely make heads or tails of it all. But he could feel the air getting thinner as more and more of them moved in- crowding the area. He could practically taste the particles of rust in the air, seeping off of their mechanically enhanced bodies. And he could faintly smell the dried blood within each of their rotting mechanical bodies.
He stood up straight and popped the release clips on his cape, removing it from his back and letting it fall to the ground before popping his neck. "Alright...I'm done…" he said, rubbing at his eyes for a moment.
"I'm done holding back-"
And with that, he launched himself into the crowd that had formed around him, kicking and clawing at every Doll he could get his hands on. His assault on the army felt futile considering the darkness that shrouded them- he couldn't tell exactly where his attacks were going but he knew they were landing.
Were any of them even going down? Would this be the end for him? He could actually feel himself thinking that as they began to dogpile him.
He lashed out just as his arms were scooped up by two Dolls that had gotten behind him. He lifted his legs and wrapped them around the neck of one directly in front of him, then twisted in a swift and abrupt motion- snapping his robotic neck and shutting his body down.
"Dammit!!" He shouted, still fighting back. No matter the odds, he'd keep fighting until he reached his final breath- he had to. Even as he kept moving, he felt a bit more hopeless. That was until hope found its way through.
The room lit up suddenly, everyone's heads turning to watch as sparks of electricity crackled through the area- surrounding the previously unconscious Camicazi's body. "Get the fuck off of him-" she said with venom in her tone.
The woman shot off at a speed that even Hiccup couldn't fathom tracing, and went through each standing doll with a sense of finesse. She took another lap around the area to find the mechanism that controlled the doors- flipping it on.
As the garage doors began to open to the area, Hiccup sat up from the ground.
Camicazi ran over to him and offered a hand, which he took with a smile. "Thanks."
She shrugged. "This makes us even. Now let's go find my idiot boyfriend and get out of here." She said as he struggled to stand, kicking out his ankle a bit to ensure it wasn't fractured or broken. "You alright?" She asked, offering a hand to the small of his back for support.
He nodded as the room filled with light from the outside. "I'm good. I'm all good here- never better." He said with a chuckle. Hiccup looked to the outside area. "We're in the Lower East District…." he noted that based off the area's features.
"Let's go find Eret and get the hell out of here."
"Yeah." He agreed. "And find that Dollmaster."
Cami nodded "Dollmaster...nice." She commended him on the name choice before lifting him over her shoulder- much to his dismay- and shooting off back into the main building. She searched the opposing side this time, assuming that Hiccup had already searched the way they'd entered the loading area.
"Last door." Cami said as she sat Hiccup down, allowing him to face the door. "Then this must be it." He responded
He kicked the door open and peered in, finding nothing more than an empty chair, riddled with recently hardened plaster. They both approached the chair with Hiccup taking the lead, looking over the chair carefully. "Seats still warm…"
He looked back at Cami, and watched as the tears began to well in her eyes. Hiccup offered a hand of support. "We don't know he's dead or if he's even a doll…keep that in-"
"Oh no, he's a doll." That voice had returned, bringing a sense of rage back into Hiccup's body.
"You monster!" He shouted, nothing but venom in his tone as he did so. He could feel his fingers digging their way into his palms as he struggled to plan his next course of action.
Camicazi found herself at a loss- for words and for thoughts. Millions of them raced through her head, but none of them were truly registered as she shot across the floor and began to tear at the various closets, storage spaces and more in the room.
"WHERE IS HE?!?" She shrieked as she continued her search, Hiccup soon joining in.
"TELL ME WHERE HE IS!!"
"Right behind you-" the woman responded as both heroes turned around, meeting the gaze of the porcelain skinned man. He was dressed in a hazmat suit, minus the helmet- leaving his porcelain covered face bare. They stared in horror as the eye holes lit up with a vibrant green- glaring back at them.
He raised his uncovered hands at them and opened fire, two beams of destructive energy being sent their way. Cami was quick to duck and drag Hiccup down with her, causing the beams to shoot through the back wall, leaving behind two large holes.
"Thanks.." Hiccup said as he began to rush the newly Dollified Eret- with Cami moving soon after. They had to begin on the defensive, as they were facing a familiar threat- in the form of a dear friend. Eret started by sending out a wave of energy from his body, one that Cami and Hiccup both had to leap over to avoid being damaged by. As they landed, Hiccup shot his left leg out to trip the Doll.
Eret didn't even seem fazed as he turned and shot another beam straight at him, but missed his mark due to a swift roll.
Cami sent a sharp punch to the left side of his jaw, leaving a crack in the porcelain exterior from the force.
She ducked beneath his fist as it shot out at her, then launched to her feet to drive a palm into his throat. This managed to crack the shell a bit further, and she could see green light beneath the cracks.
"He's alive!!" She shouted, before being swatted into a wall nearby.
Hiccup gasped at the force behind the hit, then ran full speed at his friend. "Good, then this'll be easier than I thought!" He shouted as he launched into a somersault over Eret's head- slamming his fist into the top of his friend's head as he did so.
When he landed, he quickly turned towards Cami who was recovering, and called "I got a plan!". This was short lived , as Eret fired a burst of energy his way mid-sentence, sending him flying through one of the holes he'd made in the wall.
Hiccup found himself freefalling for a few seconds, around a 10 foot drop until he landed in another dimly lit area.
Cami shot through one of the holes behind him, landing on her feet successfully. She moved to his side to help him to his feet "What kinda plan?" She asked
He smirked at her.
Eret stared at the holes in the wall for a second, taking slow steps towards them.
"They're not dead my doll, finish them…" the woman's voice called overhead. He nodded before smashing apart the rest of the wall and leering down at them.
Camicazi was nowhere to be seen, but Hiccup stood in a firm stance, ready to strike. Eret leapt down and approached him, keeping the same pace as before.
"Eret, if you can hear me...sorry." Hiccup called as his body began to flow with a vibrant blue aura. He ran at the Doll and then stopped midway through to deliver a solid punch to the air, causing a large ball of chi energy to be sent towards Eret.
Eret tried to avoid the attack, but failed as it managed to clip the right side of his body- removing most of the porcelain from that area. His arm, upper chest, midriff and lower thigh were now bare- leaving his neon glowing skin to show.
"Huh, that did better than I thought...NOW!" Hiccup shouted, causing Eret's head to swivel as Cami shot past him in a blur of color and electricity. She began to circle around him, drawing the oxygen from his surroundings. He dropped to his knees and gripped at his throat as she ran, trying to cope with the new situation. He didn't have much time, as Cami had finished her run and was coming to an abrupt stop- releasing all of the energy she'd built up in order to hit him head on.
This caused his body to shut down, leaving him flat on the floor. His skin returned to its normal pigmentation just as his friends walked over. Cami knelt beside him and rolled him onto his back, then rubbed her hands together to drum up a tiny bit of energy.
She pressed her hands to his chest and forwarded the current into his body- causing him to lurch back to life.
"What the- what in the hells going on?!" Eret asked, just as Cami shouted in joy. She pulled him into a hug, barely hearing his muffled groans and complaints behind the rest of the covering.
"Oh, right!" She said while vibrating her hands against his body, causing the whole porcelain exterior to rattle. Soon it all began to chip away, until it finally shattered from the extreme vibrations- releasing him from it.
"There we go-" she began, only to be stopped as he pulled her into a kiss. They broke away a moment later, looking lovingly into each other's eyes.
"Get a room." Quipped Hiccup, who'd been standing beside them throughout the whole procedure. "Now let's get out of here befor-"
"NO" her voice had returned, with a massive amount of fury behind her words. "NO! NO! NO! NO!" They could practically hear her slamming her hands against a keyboard over the intercom.
"Uh, yes." Cami responded as she crossed her arms in a rather cocky manner. "You're done for. We're gonna find you, find any possible survivors- and then we're gonna get the cops in here."
"And we've got a lot to go over too." Eret said as he got to his feet and popped his back. "God, my joints are all locked up now." He muttered in anger.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…" the woman laughed, commanding their attention once again. "You want to take away my friends?!? No one does that!! N-not anymore!!" She shouted. The heroes all watched as the door to the room flew open, an army of dolls filing in slowly.
"Agh, again?!" Hiccup asked with a sigh as they prepared for combat. "You good to go?" He asked Eret.
His friend gave a nod in response before going into his light firm. "I'm fit as a fiddle." He said. The doll Army was on the approach, and they were all fully prepared to fight til the last breath- to ensure their own survival.
"Mind if we crash the party?!?" A voice called, followed by a nearby wall bursting open- the fire covered form of Changewing showing throughout the dust as it settled. He cooled down then, allowing the flames to only cover his arms. The Immortals rushed to their leader's side then, watching the dolls with anticipation.
"Immortals….attack!" He shouted as he drew some energy into his fists and leapt into the fray, slamming his blue fist into the chest of the nearest doll- sending him flying into three others. That did the trick. Shutting those four down.
The area filled with lightning from Astrid a moment later- that same lightning was absorbed into Cami's body and converted into kinetic energy, which she used to propel herself even faster. Doing this allowed her to take out around twenty of the dolls in around .00024 seconds.
As she rounded a sharp turn to come to a standstill, she watched with intrigue as Throk ripped one of the Dolls apart then launched his upper and lower halves at two others- following this attack with two beams of heat.
The thing that brought a smile to her face the most was Eret sending out a burst of Radioactive heat that melted through five of the doll's exteriors, stopping them dead in their tracks.
"I know what you all are going through now. So I can offer you nothing more than true freedom- and cease the desecration of your bodies." He commented solemnly as he turned his gaze to a group of around five more- opening fire and burning them all to ash with his radioactive blast. He could feel the sentiment behind each word still ringing in his head as he unleashed his attack, though there was no hatred in any movement he made. There was sadness, pity even.
Cami placed a hand upon his shoulder a moment after he'd cooled down, then pressed her lips against his cheek. He smiled at her warmly, then took her hand into his own.
"Let's go find that little psycho."
The group continued into the building, performing the necessary checks for signs of life and more. Eventually, they found Hiccup's gear behind a heavily locked door. Their leader smiled as he snapped his belt back on and readjusted his minicomputer to his wrist.
"You...you people." A voice began, drawing their attention to a corner of the dimly lit room. Hiccup hadn't noticed the various monitors in the back, because all of them had been smashed apart. And there, just beside them all stood the woman. She looked frail, yet young. Her blue hair was thrown all across her head, strands of it sticking out.
Her eyes looked so cold, and dark. She had rings around them- as though she hadn't slept in days. And she was incredibly thin, wearing nothing more than a corduroy shirt beneath some overalls.
"You'll pay for this!!" She shouted, moving towards them in what she believed to be a menacing way. But all of them merely looked on in sadness, pity and concern. "All I wanted was friends! And I had that- I had so many!! But you ruined it, you took it all away from me!!" She screamed, dropping to her knees just as the tears began to fall.
The Immortals all shifted in place, none of them knowing what to do. Astrid frowned at the woman as she and Cami took a half step back. Eret felt his anger subside just at the sight of her. Hiccup himself was lost too, his mouth gaped slightly at what they saw.
Finally, someone found the courage to move forward. Mala walked over, kneeling beside the woman and placing a hand onto her shoulder. "Hey...I-I may not know much about friends but...but you can't make friends by making friends. They come naturally…" she began, much to the woman's chagrin.
She wiped away her tears and met Windshear's gaze. "I-I can't...I just...no one likes me...I've been alone for so long...ever since Beldam I haven't had many...just the Cat...and the Ghosts.." she said.
Mala nodded at this. "You need to get better before you can make friends. Let us help you...I'm Windshear- what's your name?"
She heard the woman's throat clearing then, eyes looking up to meet her gaze. "M-my name is Coraline.."
The Immortal EdgeHiccup found himself reflecting on these events even as he laid in bed that night. Astrid had just left the shower and was joining him soon, noticing the inquisitive look upon his face. She moved into bed slowly, tapping him. "What's wrong? This isn't about me coming with them to find you is it? I know I'm pregnant but I just didn't wa-"
"No no, that's okay. I would've been more surprised if you hadn't shown at all." He sat up with a smile. "I can totally see you trying to fight crime in your second trimester- baby bump and all."
The two laughed at that comment, with Hiccup soon saying. "But please don't...anyways, it's not that at all. He said.
She tilted her head in confusion. "Then what is it?" She asked.
"That woman was sick. I just pray that she's never free to do things like that ever again." He said, lifting his head. Astrid wrapped her arms around him, frowning ever so slightly.
"It's okay Hic...she's gone now...we're all okay." She said. He kissed her hand and looked at her.
"Yeah...we are….for now at least." His thoughts had traveled to the stars , thinking of the impending threat as it approached. Just how much time did they have left?
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Hey guys, it's been a while. Sorry it took so long, school is Tuff and work is a bitch as well. But while I got your attention, I wanted to let it be known. It's probably gonna be like this a lot, so I beg of you to be patient with me. I don't plan to stop writing this story anytime soon, but I will be diverting most of my time towards my daily life.I'm not giving up on this, so long as you guys don't either. I love all of you, and am honored for having your continued support and viewership.So, until next time- I'm outXO