Hey guys, sorry this chapter took so long. I had put this story on hold due to needing to finish another story. But now, that story is finished, so I can pick this one up again. I'll be introducing a new main character, I've had her in mind since the story began. Sadly I fell on the "Sassy Black Lady Cop" stereotype.
Chapter Five.
First Day on Both Jobs, Part Two.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Asked Danny to Mona.
"Tell you what?" Asked Mona, innocently.
"You know," said Danny, "that the Warioware thing doesn't pay?"
"Well, excuse me for trying to help you improve your social circle. We Warioware workers do that for kicks in our spare time. But hey, if you think you're too cool for us, you can always go back to your other job." Danny raised a brow,
"What other job?" he asked her.
"You know." Said Mona, then raised her voice to a falsetto of a damsel in distress. "OH GOD! HELP ME! SAVE ME!" Her voice changed again, this time to a mock Superhero voice...she was surprisingly good at it. "Fear not, citizen, I shall protect you, for I am," She paused before finishing with "Danny!" before returning to her normal voice. "You know, if you're gonna be a superhero, you really should come up with a better name. I think Roxy gave you a good one, shoulda taken it."
"What? Captain Diamond?"
"Yep, the very same. Seriously, such a good name. Simple and to the point."
"I dunno, though. Not sure if I'm even cut out for this whole superhero thing…" Suddenly, a woman yelled out in front of them.
"MY PURSE!" And a hooded hooligan ran towards them. Danny instinctively raised an arm, clotheslining the punk and then catching the purse. The relieved woman ran up to him as Danny held it out to her. During this whole thing, Danny only broke eye contact with Mona to pose for a selfie with the woman.
"See what I mean?" asked Mona, after the woman walked away, "you were made for this kinda thing!" The two walked down the street. Danny had stolen the opportunity to return home and dress in regular clothes, and now the two were simply walking down the street, no real destination in mind. "And heck, you've already proved yourself, Dan. Or, did you forget about the whole Wrecking Crew thing?"
"That was just out of instinct…" Danny said, but he already knew the reply.
"My point exactly. Danny, you're a nice guy, but I have to wonder if your brain takes a leave of absence now and then. You were born to protect Diamond City. Both Wrecking Crew, and that mugger we just passed, you didn't even have to think, you just did it."
"Well," said Danny, "superheroes are meant to be someone a city can look up to. You know, be a beacon of hope. And I just don't think I inspire hope." Suddenly, Mona sprang from her spot beside Danny to directly in front of him, forcing him to stop dead in his tracks.
"You don't think so, huh?" She asked, "Well, I know five people who can prove you wrong."
"Oh yeah?" Asked Danny, "try me."
"Follow me then, hot shot!"
…
"Sister Myrtle's Home for the Lost?" asked Danny, reading the sign and looking at the building he was presented with. The building was fairly old, with peeling paint and dirty windows, yet somehow looked reasonably inviting.
"Tell me hero," Said Mona, "when you flew through that wall, who else was in that room aside from me?"
"Five other girls. What, are they here?"
"Let me prove what hope you bring." Mona went and knocked on the door, and Danny was forced to follow her. Before too long, the door opened, showing an older woman. She was about Mona's height, with long grey hair running past her shoulders. She wore a white blouse with a long grey skirt, and black slippers. She looked through her wire-rimmed glasses at Mona.
"Ah, Miss Foster." Said the old lady.
"Mona, if you don't mind, Myrtle." Said Mona, and Danny could almost hear disgust in her voice, apparently she didn't like her last name.
"Well," continued Myrtle, "what brings you to this house of spiritual healing?"
"The Lost Girls," said Mona.
"The ones rescued from that Wrecking Crew fiend?" asked Myrtle.
"Yes, them." Mona gestured to Danny, "I wanted to show their savior how he inspires hope in this city." Myrtle then looked at Danny, her eyes widening.
"Ah!" She cried, "Yes, they've been whispering of their champion for days. I feel it would do them good. Come, please." She ushered the two inside. Inside, the walls had peeling yellow paint, but the furniture was very thoughtfully chosen, resting on the old but cozy green carpet. Candles and books adorned a nearby bookshelf, and a television showing a local cooking channel really gave the place a homey feel.
Combining this with the smell of food in the oven, Danny bet that this had to be at least a step in the spiritual healing process. Myrtle led them up the rickety and narrow stairway, before finally coming to a door at the end of a long and narrow hallway, with more yellow walls and green carpet.
"Girls." said Myrtle, knocking on the door. "You have visitors." One of the girls made a mumbling sound on the other end of the door.
"Believe it or not," Whispered Myrtle, "this is actually an improvement; she used to say nothing." Myrtle opened the door. The five young women were all beautiful. The first of them was tall and blonde, wearing a white shirt and grey sweats, with brown slippers. Her long blonde hair was in a ponytail, and her eyes were blue. The second was shorter and pudgier, with brown hair and green eyes. She wore a blue shirt and green sweats, with blue socks.
The third was just a hair taller than the second. She had black hair, stunning grey eyes, and was the skinniest of the bunch, but Danny couldn't tell if it was in a healthy way or not. She wore a pink shirt, white sweatpants, and brown slippers. The fourth was the shortest of the bunch, but skinny as well. She had fiery red hair, nearly as sleek as Mona's. She had blue eyes, and wore a white shirt, blue jeans, and red sneakers.
The final girl was about as tall as Mona. She had white hair, running past her shoulders, with a pink shirt, green sweats, and white socks. Her eyes were a stunning jade, and her face, like the other girls' faces, was tearstained.
"Girls." Said Myrtle, "this man is your savoir. The one who rescued you from Wrecking Crew, and has given you the chance to reconnect with your families. The process isn't moving as fast as I would like but I hope to have all of your families found by the end of the month." Myrtle moved her gaze to Danny, "Daniel, these are Monica, Mary, Monique, Madison, and Michelle." Her finger ran from right to left, as she named off the girls.
Suddenly, all five girls stood. They walked up to Danny, and one by one put their hands on him. Monica and Mary put a hand on each of his shoulders, Michelle his left arm, Monique his cheeks, and Madison between his shoulder blades. They spoke no words, just resting their hands on him. Danny said nothing, normally not liking being touched in the chest, or anywhere, but given he was invulnerable, he really couldn't feel it. He could see tears running down the girls' faces, and then, in perfect unison, they all thanked him at once. They stayed like this for a while, before finally letting go and returning to their spots. Their faces seemed much brighter now, having gotten to thank the man who saved them.
…
A few minutes later, Danny and Mona were walking away from the place. Danny wasn't sure what to say after that experience.
"What did I tell you?" Mona asked. Though she sounded very nonchalant, she had been a bit surprised at the gesture the five girls had made, simply expecting them to thank him, or maybe even hug him.
"I...don't know what to say about that…" Suddenly, a loud ringing sound played in Danny's ears. It was migraine inducing, causing Danny to stop and clutch his head.
"Danny!" Yelped Mona, springing over to support him. "What's wrong?!"
"My head is ringing!" Cried Danny. Then he saw it, visions on the backs of his eye lids. There he saw Sheriff Foster, and someone else, a black woman with curly hair, pinned behind their squad car, as a felon open fired on them with a machine gun. "It's...it's your dad. He's pinned down. I've...I've gotta help him." Mona had a million questions, but before she could ask a single one, Danny took to the sky and flew off.
"Hey!" Shouted Mona, "Dang it Danny! Next time, take me with you!" Though Danny couldn't explain this phenomenon, it was guiding him like a compass to the location of the danger.
…
'YOU'LL NEVAH' TAKE ME ALIVE, COPPA!" shouted the felon, spraying hot lead at the squad car. Sheriff Foster and Deputy Anderson squatted behind the car, guns drawn.
"What's your brilliant plan, Mister Sheriff?" Asked the Deputy, a heavyset black woman.
"Shut up a minute!" Snapped Foster, "He has to reload eventually. When he does, we'll spring him!" Suddenly, the felon stopped firing, and started screaming. Then with the sound of a powerful punch, his screams became louder, and then something landed on the hood of the car. Foster and Anderson looked up, seeing the felon sprawled out on the hood.
"Please take me alive, coppa." said the felon, before passing out. He had long brown hair, down to his shoulders. Wearing a typical biker outfit, leather jacket, pants, and boots, the machine gun clattered to the ground, he was out like a light. Anderson cuffed the man and threw him into the back of the cruiser.
"You two okay?" Asked Danny.
"Don't get in my way, boy." Snarled Sheriff Foster, "I had him right where I wanted him, I don't need you-" Suddenly, a hand slapped over his mouth.
"What he meant to say," said Anderson, "Was "Thanks for the assist, Mr. Superhero."" If sass was dirt, Anderson would have fifty acres, easily. She was about the same height as Foster, chocolate brown skin and pink palms. Her green eyes showed pride in her work, but also emotion for something else, but it wasn't Danny's place to ask. She had brown, curly hair, and carried herself in a way that suggested she was not to be messed with. Danny nodded.
"Glad I could be of service." Suddenly, the ringing in his ears started again.
…
As Butch flew, he soon stumbled upon his quiet metropolis, but suddenly, the voice in his head started talking again.
"Oh, I should mention, I have my own affairs, and I just found some of them, so excuse me while I take control." Suddenly, everything went black.
"Seriously, Kat, he did something nice and you were so mean to him!"
"Oh my Gosh! Ana, are you still talking about that? I was trying to keep you safe. You're welcome." Suddenly, there was a loud thump behind them. They turned to see a man, hispanic, dressed in a red button down shirt, a black belt, black slacks, and black loafers. His hair was black as well, but his eyes were yellow, giving them a demonic look. He slowly backed the girls into an alley.
"You! You little brats!" He snarled at them, like they'd stolen money from him and were now waving it in his face. Ana cowered behind Kat, but Kat stood her ground.
"What do you want, Mr. Grumpy Pants? We didn't do anything to-" Suddenly, Kat received a hard strike to the face. Her eyes started to water from the pain, but she fought the tears; she wouldn't give this jerk the satisfaction of knowing he made her cry. Suddenly, the man was sent flying to the other end of the alley he'd cornered them in.
"Hey man," said a voice, "kids are no picnic." The speaker paused, looking at Kat, who rolled her eyes. "Certainly not this one, but you can't go smacking them around like that!" Danny stood in front of Kat and Ana, cracking his knuckles. "Am I gonna have to teach you some manners?"
"Thank you Mister-" Ana started to thank Danny, but Kat put her hand over her mouth.
"Leave, mortal!" Snarled the man, standing up, "you cannot stop me!"
"Says who?" Asked Danny, then turned to the girls. "Kids, get outta here, I'll deal with this bozo."
"We're not running!" Snapped Kat, drawing her sword. Ana managed to squelch her cowardice and do the same.
"You will not stop me from destroying the Iga Ninja Clan. They sealed me away one thousand years ago, and I will make them suffer for it!"
"This dude seems sloshed as all hell." Danny mused. Kat and Ana, meanwhile, froze.
"This guy sounds like he knows more than he should." Said Kat uneasily.
"M-Maybe we should tell Sensei." Said Ana.
"Good idea!" Kat concurred, then both darted away faster than Danny could blink his eyes. Danny refocused on the man, just in time to see him burst forward with blinding speed. Danny tried to block, but the man placed a powerful fist into his stomach, then kicked him, sending him flying. He flew out over the street, before his enemy flew past him and sent him flying again. Danny realized, to his horror, he was about to fly through someone's windshield. With a shatter of glass and two frightened screams, Danny saw two older women, hearing them scream.
"Step on the brakes!" Danny yelled. It was a bit before the driver did so. Danny turned, to see the man running towards him. "Ladies, I'm gonna need to borrow your car." The women quickly stepped out.
"The transmission sticks!" Warned the former driver.
"Not gonna be a problem!" Danny picked up the car and slammed it down onto the other man's head. Then pulled it back and hit him with it like a baseball bat. "Blue Punch Buggy!" Danny taunted. The man flew off to the side, and Danny flew after him. The people around him began to flee for their lives. Danny pulled back his fist and landed a punch on his enemy's cheek, and then another. But the third was blocked, as the big man snarled at him.
"Don't get in my way, boy!" he spat, grabbing Danny's arm and slamming him through a wall. Inside, there were people, screaming and fleeing, but the only door was now stuck. The man smirked.
"If you think you are a hero." He said, in a challenging tone, "save these people." The man extended his arm, a red burst of energy began to appear. Danny was shocked, and jumped in front, just in time to take the blast. Danny had to take a knee and gasp for air, while the people in the room finally managed to open the door and escape. Danny felt something as he glared at the enemy: Rage.
"You just tried to slaughter innocent lives!" Shouted Danny, standing up, his anger melting the pain. "I dunno what your beef is with the kids, but you have no reason to kill people you don't know!"
"Get used to it, paragon!" Sneered the man, "Their lives are like ants to me. Don't tell me you never swatted an annoying fly before."
"You can't compare human lives to insects!" Danny burst forward, planting his fist in the man's gut. The man doubled over, gasping for air, but Danny continued to attack. Blow after punishing blow, his rage only grew as he punched the demonic man. Finally Danny punched him so hard he flew into a wall, needing to catch his breath again. Danny sauntered toward him, only for something unusual to happen...well, about as unusual as the man was. His eyes turned from putrid yellow to normal brown human eyes. The now normal looking man looked at Danny with a scowl, then blasted him hard in the chest. Danny was knocked down, but when he stood, the man was gone.
Then, for the third time of the day, Danny's ears began to ring. This time, he saw something that horrified him: The Person he was meant to save...was Mona!
…
Mona ran down the street, pushing past the fleeing people, trying to find Danny. The citizens fleeing for their lives told Mona she was heading in the right direction. But suddenly, instead of her friend, she found her father.
"There you are!" He snapped. Before Mona could run by him, he grabbed her hard by the wrist.
"Let go of me, Dad!" Mona snapped. Sheriff Foster did not. Rather, he dragged Mona to a new police cruiser, opened the back door, and practically threw Mona inside, shutting the door.
"Wait here, little missy!" He snapped at her. Just then, a man in a red shirt, black pants and shoes, and with Hispanic skin flew into the scene, hovering at least seven feet off the ground. He put out his hand, aiming at Sheriff Foster. The man shot a powerful blast at him, but he lunged to the side, drawing his gun and firing two rounds at him. The bullets simply bounced off the man's forehead. He smirked at the man, then flew off to parts unknown. Sheriff Foster looked back at the car, then was shocked to see it on fire. Mona was slamming on the window, but she couldn't break it. The fire was inching closer and closer to her. Just then, another figure flew in. Sheriff Foster was enraged to see it was Danny.
Danny ripped the door off the cruiser, then quickly but gently pulled Mona out. Then he wrapped his arms around her and twisted around, so his back was to the car, rather than Mona's. Just then, the car exploded in a blaze. Danny's invincible body protected Mona from any fire or debris, so Mona's only affliction from the explosion was a ring in her ears. Mona tightened her grip on Danny.
"Thanks, Dan!" she said. Then, she let go, just as her father was walking towards them.
"Mona Foster, come here this instant!" He shouted.
"Screw you!" Shouted Mona, "I almost died because of you!" Mona then took off running. Foster pointed a deadly finger at Danny before running after. But just before Danny could do anything, he heard a new voice.
"Mr. O'Connor." Said an older, yet experienced voice. Danny turned, seeing a man. He was bald, save for a ropy black strand of hair on the very center of his scalp, and a black wrap of hair around the sides and back of his head. He had a moustache that looked like two strokes of black paint, in line with his upper lip, and a black goatee. He wore a green robe, over a darker green Japanese styled shirt, and even darker green pants. Poking their heads out from behind him were Kat and Ana. "May I have a moment of your time?"
…
Sheriff Foster ran around the side of a building he saw Mona run around, but by the time he reached it, there was no sign of his daughter. She was gone. Sheriff Foster gritted his teeth.
"I've got to find her! I need to protect her!"
"Protect her from what?!" Snapped a voice behind him. He turned to see his Deputy, hands on her hips. "He saved her, you almost killed her."
"That man is a threat! He could snap her spine between two fingers!"
"But he didn't." Countered Anderson. "He pulled her out of a car, just in time to protect her when it exploded, and, word on the street is, he saved her from a terrorist who tried to add her to his harem. I'd say he's better at protecting her than you."
"That's enough, Anderson!" Foster snapped. "I will find her, no matter what I have to do!"
…
Danny sat at a small table, with Kat and Ana opposite each other, as Sensei poured some tea.
"Don't finish it if you don't want more." Whispered Kat, "Trust me, you won't." She turned, just in time to see Sensei set a tray down. He poured the tea into four cups, handing out one to each person at the table. Danny took a sip to be polite, but decided to take Kat's advice.
"Now, Mr. O'Connor," said Sensei, "Kat and Ana have brought me some very disturbing news. You see, one thousand years ago, the Iga Ninja Clan sealed away an ancient demon. We believe it was the Ancestor of Kat and Ana here who sealed the monster away. And if what they tell me is true, I'm afraid the demon has been released. I suspect he took a host body, but if this demon is indeed released, we are all in grave danger." He paused, and took a sip of his tea to calm his nerves. "Now, word is, you are very powerful, you could potentially help us. Mr. O'Connor, will you train with Kat and Ana, and help them prepare to protect themselves, and perhaps the world, from this demon?"
"Train?!" Asked Kat, "Sensei, with all due respect, Ana and I are more than capable of dealing with this."
"Kat," said Sensei, "you and your sister are children. Skilled and powerful as you may be, I do not believe your skills are enough for this demon. So, you will train with Mr. O'Connor to prepare, if the Demon truly is back, you will need it."
"With all due respect, sir-" Danny began to say.
"Please," Sensei cut him off, "call me Sensei."
"Right...Sensei...I don't like the idea of fighting kids…"
"I assure you, Mr. O'Connor." Said Sensei. "Kat and Ana are far more formidable than any child you've ever met. Will you help them train?" Both Kat and Ana looked at him. Ana nodded with vigor, while Kat shook her head no. Danny thought for a moment before saying.
"Sure, I guess I can help." Ana cheered happily, while Kat facepalmed.
...
"So, he's the new town sensation." A dark figure lurks behind an alleyway, devoid of any living soul that could hear his monotone delivery.
Suddenly, an odd device vibrates within his ear, a frequency that only he can hear. He presses the button and begins to speak again.
"...Yes?"
"..."
"I know... I haven't forgotten..."
"..."
"Don't worry... I'll keep an eye on him..."
He hangs up, and walks off into the shadows.
Sorry this chapter took so long, but I hope it was worth the wait. Sadly now, school is starting again soon (I'm on spring break as I type this) but once I get back, it's gonna kick into high gear. So maybe I will be able to finish the story during summer break. I hope so.
Edit: This last little blurb at the end was given to me by a friend. He had his ideas that I'm including in the story. What are those? Time will tell.