Omega Kid

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from the Kick-Ass comic or film written by Mark Millar, or any guest characters from other Kick-Ass fanfic's they are owned by their own writers and creators. However, all rights and characters for Omega Kid belong to me and are owned by me alone. So if anyone wants to ever use any characters or anything else from this story for a special chapter or fic will have to ask first...but don't worry, there's a 99% chance I'll say yes.

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Chapter 58: The Big Boss

''Keep your guard up all the time, okay?'' Rachael said to me. Concern evident in her voice, as her arms were wrapped protectively around my shoulders. It took every ounce of willpower I had to not stay with her, but I had to do this. It was almost time to go, and the others will be at the meeting point soon. I was already in costume, except for my mask, which I held onto in my trembling hands.

''I will.'' I said shakily.

She shifts her body closer to me, until she is sitting on the edge of the bed beside me. ''Don't try and force yourself into a situation where your back is against the wall. Your team has the element of surprise, use it!''

I nodded, trying to assure her I was ready for this. But as I look at her, I can tell that she knows I'm not fully confident in this plan. ''I'm still not sure if we can trust Marcus.''

''I know, I don't like it either. Like I said, just keep your guard up. And…'' She paused, her expression changing into a questioning kind of look, as her eyes fixed onto my open bedroom down, looking out towards the stairs. ''Do you want me to stay so I can talk with Jenna when she wakes up?''

''You don't have to, when I get back I'll…''

''It's just…if she wakes up while you're still out, we shouldn't let her worry. I can fill her in on what's going on until you get back.''

That actually did sound like a good idea. I'm not sure how long those sleeping pills will last. And the last thing I need is for her to wake up and go out searching for me while we're dealing with the villains. ''Okay.'' I smiled before leaning into to plant a soft kiss on her lips, which she returns.

It only last a second or two, after that we rested our foreheads together gently. The quiet sounds of her breathing were soothing. I could feel her tilt her head closer to me, until the tip of her nose was rubbing against mine, and something else was itching against my bottom lip. Opening my eyes, I checked to see what it was, and giggled a little. She opened her eyes to look at me curiously. ''What?''

''You've put your shirt on back to front, the tag is rubbing against my chin.''

She sat back and looked down at her shirt, before her cheeks flushed furiously as she pulled her arms into her sleeves and tried to adjust her shirt so that it was facing the right side. We both started laughing at her predicament. ''A little help here.'' She chuckled, nearly falling off the bed while trying to fix her shirt.

I held onto her sleeves, keeping them still as she adjusted herself so that she could slip her body around and push her arms through. Once her arms were out, my hands slid down them, stroking her skin. I wish I could stay here like this with her, but I needed to go now, and we both knew it was we gazed at each other once last time. My lips were sealed, and my heart was beating so quickly my chest started to physically hurt, as I put my mask on.

Before I got up off the bed, Rachael leaned forward with her eyes shut and placed a firm kiss on my forehead.

I have to make it…we have to make it through tonight. I won't let anyone die…I will make sure of that.

This must have been the longest night of my life. I wondered just how much more damage I could dish out or take. My legs were still stinging from the cuts I received from No-One's knives, and my head was throbbing with pain, making it hard for me to keep my balanced as I made my way towards the meeting place near Ashton Street. If all goes well, we can ambush No-One and Victor from a distance, but things are never that easy.

As I reached the park, I noticed a light in the distance…I really hope that's not some cryptic metaphor for my fate. Actually, I could see it was just Ultra Kid standing beside a bench, signalling me with his IPhone, slowly waving it to beckon me over. Rushing over towards him, he put his IPhone away. ''How are you doing?'' He asked me.

I sighed. ''It's not been the best night of our lives.''

''You can say that again.'' He said. ''Come on, the others are waiting.'' He took the lead as I followed behind.

''So what did you do?'' I asked him. He gave me a questioning look, so I had to clarify better. ''I mean when you and Steph went home after we split up.''

He merely shrugged his shoulders and looked off into the distance, looking uninterested. ''Nothing much.'' I knew there was more to it, but I didn't ask any further. If he really wanted to tell me, he would. Although I could imagine he probably got a bit teary-eyed with his brother, and was trying not to admit it with his tough-guy act.

I wanted to tell him about Jenna, but I kept my lips sealed. We can't have any more distractions tonight, we'll deal with Jenna tomorrow and try to get that mess all sorted out. I know that the others won't be too happy that I've let someone else know about my identity, but I had to let Jenna know eventually. At the rate this was going, Kevin will know about my identity before too long…and that scares me more than fighting No-One again.

Before long, Ultra Kid and I reached the others, all back in their costumes and looking as edgy as I was, not that I could blame them. We were resting in an alleyway between two takeaway shops, just from the corner of Ashton Street. This should give us a bit of cover until we meet up with Marcus and go over what we're planning to do…if he does show up.

Further down the alley, I noticed Emeraldian leaning against the wall, trying not to look as wounded as she probably was. Omega Girl was sticking close-by. ''You sure you're feeling up for this, badass?'' She questioned, looking like she was actually concerned for Emeraldian's well being.

''I can walk if that's what you're asking, but I'm not going to do much good in a fight.'' She said. A look of dejection covered her face. Although I'm glad she's doing better than a few hours ago, we were really going to miss her during a fight. ''Don't worry I can still help. I can help Hood from the back, we'll take out the enemies from a distance if we have too. Hood, how many arrows have you got left?'' She asked the archer.

''Four.'' He replied. ''I didn't have much time to recover most of them.''

''That's okay, as long you make every shot count.''

He smirked. ''I always make every shot count.''

Emeraldian smiled back at him confidently, before turning towards Omega Girl. ''You can move about quickly and efficiently, so you'll be running around. Don't stick to one foe, try to give as much damage as you can, then move onto the next opponent.''

She raised her hand to her forehand and gave her an exaggerated salute. ''Aye-aye captain!'' She then took off without a moment's hesitation, as she grabbed onto a pipe on the wall next to us and began climbing it. Once she got to the closest second-storey window, she hopped onto the ledge and landed with perfect balance. ''I'll keep watch until our gangster helpers arrive.'' She called down to us.

Emeraldian and I looked at each other, amused both by her antics and her dedication to helping us out. ''Okay, so maybe she isn't as useless as I first thought.'' She said reluctantly, but with a smile on her face.

I chuckled lightly before leaning on the wall next to her. There was nothing more to do besides wait for Marcus to show up, like I said before, if he even does show up at all. For all we know, we could be walking right into a trap, although it wouldn't have been the first time. Now that I really think about it, how much can Marcus actually help? He was in rough shape we he made us the team up offer a few hours ago, I know the guy is strong, but he must be running on empty at this point. At this point though, I think we all were running on empty.

''You know,'' Emeraldian's voice brought me out of my thoughts. ''It feels good. Not having to worry about keeping this a secret.'' She gestured towards her left shoulder. That's when I realised for the first time she wasn't covering the left-side of her body with her green cape, instead having it go down her back like a traditional superhero cape.

''You do look pretty cool.'' I commented.

''Thanks.'' She smiled bashfully.

I'm glad that I could put a smile on her face, but that just reminded me of her possible crush on me. Now's as good a time as any to finally tell her, otherwise she's going to find out in a heart-breaking clichéd movie moment type of way. ''Dee, I have a girlfriend.'' I could definitely have put that better, I felt like mentally slapping myself.

''I know!'' She responded simply.

''You did?''

She looked directly at me when she spoke. ''Omega Girl and me were talking earlier, and she thought that I was your girlfriend. You apparently told her you were with someone after she kissed you, is that true?''

I had to look away, trying to cover the blush that coated my cheeks. ''It was just a…she didn't know…''

''You don't have to explain,'' She interrupted me. ''I had a feeling anyway, I just didn't know.''

''I'm sorry. I tried to tell you, but something always kept coming up.'' I didn't want to make excuses in my apology, but that's what it sounded like.

''It's okay.''

I couldn't tell if she really meant that or not. She looked like she was okay, but I know first-hand about keeping crushes to yourself. Then another thought popped into my head. ''How come you and Omega Girl were talking about me?''

She then looked up at Omega Girl, who was still sitting on the window ledge keeping watch, before leaning closer and whispering in my ear. ''I think she might fancy me! I don't know why, but I just get the feeling that she does.''

''Because you're a badass, badass.'' Omega Girl yelled down towards us, startling Emeraldian and making her stand straight like she was trying to play innocent. I almost laughed out loud, until Emeraldian shot me a look that made me keep my mouth shut.

''Hey,'' Ultra Kid called up to Omega Girl. ''How come you don't give the rest of us nicknames?''

Omega Girl looked down at him, entertained. ''That's something you have to earn from me, and…'' She stopped mid-sentence, her attention now fixated on the road ahead as she stood up on the window ledge to get a better look at whatever she was seeing. ''Everyone, there's a truck coming?''

''What does it look like?'' Emeraldian asked, her composure returning to her.

Omega Girl squinted her eyes and leaned forward. The rest of us almost panicked and were ready to catch her because she looked like she was going to fall off, but she stayed perfectly poised as she shouted back down to us. ''It's black, and there's a picture on the side of it…it looks like a red fist fisting another fist.''

We all knew what that meant. ''Looks like Marcus showed up after all.'' Viper said bitterly, like she was hoping he wouldn't, not that I could blame her.

''I'll check it out.'' I said. ''Big Bob…Hood, come with me, just in case.'' They both nodded and the three of us walked out of the alleyway and towards the road before us, listening, hearing the truck getting closer.

Standing on the edge of the pavement, we watched as a large truck with the Toxin logo on the side drove towards us. I can still remember the last time I saw one of those things, chasing after me and almost shooting me down. If we were really going to team-up to take down Douglas and Victor, then this truck would definitely come in handy. Before the vehicle got too close, it came to a stop, pulling over onto the pavement a few yards away.

The logo on the side split apart as about four Toxins burst out through the doors, each of them wearing biker helmets and carrying baseball or cricket bats. They turned to face us, staring us down and probably trying to intimidate us, although I think when they saw the size of Big Bob they were the ones who were intimidated. At that moment, their very own giant stepped out of the truck and onto the pavement. At least Marcus looked in better shape than he did a few hours ago. However, his face was still bruised and cut, and as he marched towards us, he couldn't hide the limp he still seemed to be carrying.

''I'm surprised that you actually showed.'' He commented.

''So what exactly is our plan?'' I questioned, not wanting to waste anymore time now that we were here.

Marcus pointed towards the other end of the street. ''Our base is in that direction. If I'm right, then Douglas will be attacking there next…''

''What makes you think that?'' Hood asked.

''There's a pattern to his attacks. When I worked under him, thinking he really was apart of Toxin, we devised a numbered layout for each of our bases across London. After looking over his attacks, I've worked out he's striking the bases numbered in three's.''

''You mean like three, six, nine?''

''Exactly!''

''Okay, so what do we do when they attack this base over here?'' I inquired.

''I've already got a few scouts combing the area. If they see anything suspicious turn up, they'll call, and we'll ambush them.'' He smirked gleefully. Something tells me he was looking forward to getting revenge. He'd probably already picked his method of killing Douglas.

''Listen, if we're going to work together, we're not killing anyone!''

Behind Marcus, one of his Toxin buddies started chuckling. ''You serious?''

I nodded, staring right back at the Toxin, making sure that he knew I was very serious with what I was saying. Each of them looked at each other, as if they were trying to think of something to say back to me. Before they could however, Viper had come up from behind us and glared at them menacingly. ''You'll do as we say, if you have any problems, you'll have to deal with me. Got it?''

''Why should we listen to you?'' The same Toxin responded.

''That's enough!'' Marcus barked at his own man, and he immediately stepped down, avoiding all eye contact with Marcus, Viper and myself. After dealing with his mouthy gangster friend, the giant looked back at me, his breathing getting noticeably deeper, like it hurt each time he inhaled. ''I can't make any promises about Douglas. We won't kill anyone else.''

I wanted to argue my case, I didn't want another life taken if I had the chance to put them in prison instead, but I was stopped as I felt Hood's hand placed on my shoulder, forcing me to keep my mouth shut. Viper and I looked at each other; she knew what I'd been through before after I killed Jack the Ripper. At the time, it seemed like the sensible option, but even after all this time, it still doesn't feel right. There was no denying that I hated Douglas to the core, after everything he did and thinking it was for the right cause…but even he didn't deserve to die.

''We have to beat them! Tonight, this has to end!'' I said.

''We can do it.'' She said confidently.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Marcus, who stood near the Toxin truck, with his hand fumbling in his pocket as if he was looking for something. Eventually, he pulled out a small phone, well small in comparison to the size of his hands, and held it to his ear. I could tell from here that just lifting his arm up for a few seconds was causing him trouble as his limb was trembling. I leaned close to Big Bob. ''Hey, I don't think Marcus is going to be strong enough to do too much fighting, so if anything happens…''

''Y-you'll need so-someone to help y-y-you. Okay.'' He whispered back to me.

Marcus placed his phone back into his trouser pocket and walked back towards us. ''Perfect timing, my boys say a truck is heading this direction.''

''How do they know it's them?'' I asked.

''They can hear someone singing in the truck, 'Off to kill some superheroes', followed by laughter.''

''Hunter!'' The others and I said simultaneously.

''I'll take the truck,'' Marcus said. ''You'll stay hidden near the base to keep an eye for them. Give me a signal, and we can ram their truck, trap them here and force us to fight.''

I nodded in agreement, that didn't seem like a bad plan at this point, we'd have the element of surprise and catch them off guard with no one else to turn. Marcus turned back and signalled for his Toxins to get into their own truck. They all rushed in, with the giant the last in, slamming the doors shut. The truck backed up into the street, and quietly drove away, leading into another road out of our sight.

Now it was our turn to make a move, as we rushed over towards the others. ''Let's go, stay hidden.'' I said. Hood and Emeraldian took the lead, with the others following, except for Omega Girl who had just managed to leap back down to ground as I waited for her. ''Still time to back out of this.'' I told her.

''Well, now that you mention it, I could be at one of my homes doing something else right now.'' She said sarcastically before giving me a wink and sprinting ahead to catch up with the others.

Luckily there wasn't far for us to go, and there were plenty of hiding spots around this area, including alleyways, junctions that lead out of parking bays, and a steep rise that lead to the second floor parking area. From the distance, we could see the Toxin base, tranquil and quiet…never thought I'd use those words to describe one of their bases, but I knew it wouldn't stay that way forever.

As we all took a position, hiding behind the wall of the rise in between the two parking floors, we waited and listened for any kind of sound that would let us know when our enemies would show up. During this, I could see everyone had a clear look of worry on their faces as we hid. No matter how many times we do things like this, it never gets any easier. ''Okay, remember, we're just going to distract them. Marcus's truck will take out theirs, and then Hood will use his arrows on whoever he hits first to make things easier.''

Emeraldian turned to the archer. ''Let's see if you really can make every shot…'' She stopped talking, and started to blush so deeply that her face seemed to glow through her mask. ''Oh my God, I just got what you said!''

He started to snicker seeing the embarrassed look on her face. ''Took you long enough.''

''Really?'' I tried to say with a straight face, but that wasn't easy as I just got the double meaning behind his joke.

The moment didn't last long though, as we heard a noise coming from below us. At first, I thought it might have been the Toxin truck getting into position, that wasn't the case though as Hunter's laughter could be heard as the vehicle zoomed around us. Thankfully, the wall kept us covered. I leaned down and scooted towards the edge of the wall, peeking my head away as sneakily as I could, watching the silver-painted armoured truck come to a halt.

It wasn't quite as big as the Toxin truck, but while Marcus's one had size, this one was filled with weapons galore. As the back doors at end of the truck were opened, Hunter dived out and rolled onto the ground before sitting on the tarmac like a kid in school. ''Will you two hurry up? Every second that goes by, I could have used to kill something!''

Attila and Hun were still in the trunk of their vehicle. It didn't appear like they were in a rush to get out, as they sorted out their gear. Fitting rifles and grenades onto their body armour and waist belts, while their trademark bazookas were attached to their backs. Inside the trunk itself were more weapons, stacked up and littered inside. From guns, hunting knives, and other stuff I couldn't even describe. Holy crap, I think I can even see a flamethrower in there!

I waited a few seconds to see if there was anyone else, if Douglas had gone with them. However, it didn't look like it. I guess he had no reason to come with them if he assumed I wasn't going to be here.

''What do you see, buddy?'' Ultra Kid asked me.

Ducking back behind the wall, I turned to them. ''They've just parked. It looks like it's just Hunter, Attila and Hun. Their truck is filled with all kinds of weapons, explosive ones as well!'' Judging by the shocked look on their faces, they must have got what I was hinting at. ''If Marcus hits that thing with his truck…''

''They'll die.'' Viper murmured. There was something matter-of-fact about the way she spoke that I didn't like. She must have noticed that I didn't like how she responded, because she looked back at me accusingly. ''I'm not suggesting…''

''I could take a shot!'' Hood spoke up before Viper and I could argue. ''Better to sacrifice one arrow than five lives.''

He was right, that seemed like our only option at this point since there was no way for me to get in contact with Marcus without giving away our position. ''Alright, wait for my signal.'' I said. I wanted to do this without casualties, so I once again glanced around the wall to see if Attila and Hun were out of the truck yet.

They still seemed to be sorting out their gear, while Hunter lay on the ground staring up into the night sky. ''Did you know,'' She called out to them. ''That because the stars are so far away, what we're really seeing is those stars in the past, before they explode? So every night, I can look up at them and laugh at them. Haha, you're dead!''

''If you're assassin skills were as awful as your sense of humour,'' Attila replied as she jumped out of the truck. ''We wouldn't have brought you on this mission. Hun and I have worked only for decades, and once we take care of this city, we'll be glad to get rid of you.''

''You'd miss me!'' Hunter said cheekily.

''No we won't!'' Hun shouted at her mockingly. He had finished getting his gear ready, but he remained standing inside the truck. ''And you know why? Because you're not in our league.''

''Well the big boss man thinks I am.'' She teased.

''Yes, I don't know whether it's because he overestimates you, or underestimates us. We have worked with some of the world's most wanted terrorists…''

''Oh, I worked with a terrorist once!''

''I don't care!'' Hun stated. ''As I was saying, we have worked with some of the world's most wanted terrorists, and even they pale in comparison to some of the people we've worked for. People that, if they wanted to, could tip the very balance of this world.''

''Then why are you working for Victor?''

Hun stepped out of the truck and walked over to Attila, unloading his missile-launcher, while facing Hunter. ''He pays well. Now, let's get to work bringing this place down.''

Once I was certain that they were a safe enough distance away from the truck, I waved my hand to give Hood the signal to fire. After this, he would have three more arrows left, enough for us to take them down without the need for killing, and hopefully get the answers we need in finding where Douglas and Victor are…if only things were ever that easy.

Faster than I'd ever seen him move before, Hood stood up and instantly fired his arrow, grazing the top of the wall we hid behind. But if I blinked, I would have missed Hunter's body bolting upright and her firing her pistol at the arrow, the bullet breaking it apart in mid-air and causing it to fall harmlessly to the ground and skid over, gently tapping their truck tires. ''Oh shit!'' Hood gasped.

Before anyone could make another move, the sound of engines igniting erupted throughout the area as the Toxin truck burst onto the scene heading for the bounty hunter's truck. ''No! Marcus stop!'' I yelled as loud as I could, waving my arms hoping to get their attention. The blast might not take out all of us, but it would definitely kill them the moment their vehicles would impact.

Hun was the first to aim his missile-launcher for the truck. His finger pulled the trigger, and the first missile was fired. The truck had already started to skid out of the way, swerving to the left and over towards us, just as the projectile flew past them and crashed into the window of a building nearby.

BOOM!

Even at a distance, the sound of the explosion caused my ears to start ringing. I'm just glad that it was late at night, and the chances of endangering any civilians were low. We had to focus on taken these guys out while they were still trying to get themselves sorted out.

Hunter aimed two pistols in our direction, and Omega Girl was already sprinting towards her, veering more to the side that the Toxin truck was skidding towards. BANG! BANG! BANG! Hunter fired shot after shot, but Omega Girl was quick and agile, keeping her distance and leaping over fences and walls to stay out of the gunwoman's aim. Soon enough, she found cover hiding behind the Toxin truck. At least it was strong enough to survive bullets. From here, I could see Marcus and the Toxins inside taking cover as Hunter fired at their windows, glass shattering everywhere.

While she was distracted trying to shot them, Viper got out her bow-staff, steadying herself before hurling it like a javelin, right at Hunter.

BAM! The staff hit full-force, right in Hunter's gut, knocking the wind right out of her. She fell to her knees and clutched her now aching stomach.

We had to make a move though, as Attila aimed her missile-launcher at us. Everyone ran for it as she fired, the rocket soaring past us and heading for the wall we hid behind a few seconds ago. BOOM! Bricks and debris flew everywhere, as the force of the blast flung me right off my feet and Attila's direction. I did my best to ignore the constant pain in my ears as I charged at her. She must have known that she wasn't going to reload in time, so she took out a knife from a holster attached to her leg and swung at me.

I grabbed her arm, moving the knife away from me as I kicked out at her. She lifted her own leg, blocking my attack with her knee before shoving me away. From the side, Super Kid threw a punch, which she blocked with her arm. On her other side, Ultra Kid attempted a flying-kick. However, that backfired horribly, as she ducked down out of the way before grabbing him by the leg, and swinging him down onto his brother, knocking them both to the side.

When I was about to charge at her again, I could see Hun standing in the background, just as he finished loaded his missile-launcher again. There was no way I was going to risk getting caught out in the open, so I ran over to Ultra and Super Kid to find us a place to take cover. They were already on their feet and followed me in finding shelter. We ran into the ground floor parking area, running around the pillars, and making sure he doesn't get an easy shot.

I heard the sound of it being fired, and we instinctively jumped behind a pillar, and watched as the missile fly past us before crashing against the wall at the end of the parking bay. BOOM! This one was worse because the sound echoed from the walls and the ceiling above me. It was bad enough to cause me to slide to the ground, covering my ears, hoping to block out at least some of the sound.

After a moment, the dust from the explosion sweeping against me and making me cough hard, Ultra Kid and Super Kid had rushed over to me, shouting at me, but all I heard were gargles. ''What?'' I yelled at them.

''I said they're retreating!'' Ultra Kid said.

''No! We can't let them get away!'' They helped me to my feet, and we ran back outside. If we let them escape now, this will have all been for nothing. They would know we're still ready to fight, and we still won't know where their base is.

By the time we rushed out of the parking area, Attila and Hun were already back into the their truck and starting the engine up. Running towards them was Hunter, still clutching her wounded stomach. By this point I've found that Viper has a mean throw. That at least slowed her down enough to give one of us the chance to stop her before escaping.

And it seemed like it, as the Toxin truck sped towards her, attempting to run her down. However, Hunter jumped out of the way, holding her gun out about to shoot the driver. That is until Omega Girl, who had been hanging onto the handle on the side of the truck, stuck out her leg. BAAM! She landed a perfect kick against Hunter's cheek, knocking her off the ground and causing her to bounce on the tarmac a few times.

''That was awesome!'' Ultra and Super Kid praised. But that didn't last, as her body lay on the ground, Hunter lifted her head and raised her gun…aiming right at Omega Girl, who was a sitting duck on the Toxin truck with nowhere to hide.

BANG! The bullet blasted out of Hunter's gun, just as Emeraldian had already kicked it out of her hand, as it embedded in the wall of a building nearby. Big Bob then grabbed Hunter's arms with his massive paws and held her down, there was no way she was going to get up now.

We still had Attila and Hun's truck to deal with as it sped off towards one of the exits. Hood aimed his bow and arrow at the truck, while rushing in its direction. ''I can't get a good shot!'' He shouted.

''I'm on it!'' Snapshot cried out as she stood in front of the exit, with the truck still surging forward right for her. There was nothing any of us could do but watch, as it looked like the truck was going to flatten her. She held up the makeshift camera prop that was tied around her neck. ''Hood, cover your eyes for a second!'' She called out before pressing the button on top of the camera.

The whole area was blinded by a bright white light emitting from the flash on top of her camera, causing all of us to cover our eyes or look the other way. I couldn't see what was going on, but I could just about hear the sound of the truck turning sharply, I'm praying that it's in a different direction than from where Snapshot was standing. I hissed in pain, as my eyes were stinging when I tried to open them. It was bad enough for me, and yet I was a good distance away from the epicentre of the flash, I can't imagine how badly it must have affected Attila and Hun.

Speaking of, when I could finally get a decent glimpse of what was going on, I watched as their truck crashed through a small wall and into the street. Hood, who know had a better angle, took the shot. His arrow zoomed through the air and latched onto their front tire. The truck jolted a little, but that wasn't enough, as they drove away.

''Damn it!'' Hood grunted kicking at a brick that was on the ground next to him. He probably regretted doing that right away, as he started to limp back towards us. ''Sorry guys.''

''You tried Legolas.'' Ultra Kid encouraged him.

Snapshot staggered her way back. Her eyes were bloodshot and wide-open, like her eyelids were no longer there. The bottom half of her face darker than the top half. I approached her, although Super Kid got to her at a quicker pace ''Are you okay?'' He asked hastily.

''Yeah, I'm good. I took a risk there huh?''

Before I could say anything, Emeraldian had rushed over and hugged her tightly. ''Don't ever do something like that again!''

''Relax, I said I'm good.'' Her face twitched and scrunched up as she looked around dizzily. ''Although, for some reason, I can see bubbles floating around all your heads! I think I need to work on the flash a bit more.'' She giggled.

''Are you sure you're fine?'' I asked.

''It'll pass after a few minutes.''

Emeraldian sighed with relief hearing that, almost giggling with her friend knowing that she was going to be fine. However, once she turned to me and looked over my shoulders in the direction of Big Bob, who was still holding down a struggling Hunter, we knew this wasn't over yet.

The Toxin truck stopped, and Omega Girl jumped off it, landing shakily. Cracking her knuckles and fingers, and stretching her arm, probably trying to get the feeling back in them after holding on for dear life. Marcus exploded out of the truck and limped towards Hunter, the other Toxins following their leader. Once he was directly over her, using his great strength that he somehow still had, he shoved Big Bob out of the way and lifted Hunter by the scruff of her jacket. She cackled crazily in his face. ''My, my! What a big temper you have, Mr Wolf!''

''If you don't give me the answers I want to hear, I will make you suffer!'' He threatened.

''Oh really? Like what? Please tell me!'' She asked like an excited kid waiting for a surprise present.

''I'll start by ripping out the nails from your fingers…slowly and painfully!''

She frowned at him before holding up her hands, showing her fingers, each of them covered in dirty old bandages. ''Someone already beat ya there!''

''I'll find other ways of making you talk!'' BAAAM! He threw a punch against the cheek that Omega Girl had kicked a minute ago. Blood sprayed out of Hunter's mouth and nose and painted the tarmac below.

I shuddered at the sudden brutality that Marcus had laid onto her. ''Hold it…''

''Why should we?'' One of the Toxins yelled. ''If you'd have stuck with the plan, they wouldn't have gotten away.''

''If we had stuck with the plan, you all would have been dead!'' They all froze while Marcus looked at me inquiringly. ''Their truck was filled with more explosives than we thought. If you had hit them with your truck, you would have gone up in flames!''

The Toxin who continuously argued with us was at it again. ''No way! It would take more than a few grenades to blow up our truck!''

''It was way more than a few!''

Marcus seemed to consider my words, slowly turning to face Hunter. ''Is this true? How many weapons did you have?''

Her tongue wiggled in her mouth before she spat out another glob of blood onto the ground next to Marcus's foot. ''24 grenades…eight of them concussion, two of them anti-tank grenades, that would have been a pain in your asses if we used those. Uh, six AKM's, a FARA 83, a Kleinflammenwerfer and…'' As she waffled on, Marcus raised his fist, causing her to stop with her counting. ''Yes, if you had hit us, you would all have turned into fireworks. It's a shame, I love fireworks!''

Hearing this, the other Toxins looked at each other, clearly shocked at how close they came to dying. Hopefully that'll be enough to get them to shut up and stop antagonizing us. I looked at Hunter. ''You need to tell us where No-One and Victor are! Now!''

''Why should I?''

Marcus raised his fist higher, this time looking like he was really going to hit her again. ''No wait!'' I called.

Before he could hit her, Big Bob had grabbed his hand and held it in place. It's a good thing Marcus wasn't at full strength and unable to outmuscle Big Bob from his position. ''O-Omega Kid said wait!'' He told the Toxin leader in a stern voice, probably the most stern I've ever heard him speak.

Not a lot of people could intimidate Marcus. I've learnt that the hard way. But even he knew he wasn't going to get what he wanted here, and so he lowered his fist. Hunter didn't look scared at all, even before Big Bob had intercepted his punch. That's another thing I've learnt the hard way, Hunter couldn't be reasoned with in a way I could reason with others. Weird wouldn't be the right word to use for her, more like insane. So I've got to make an insane reason to get her to help.

''Hunter,'' I got her attention. She looked at me with that crazed grin of hers. ''Remember back at our base, when we had that game between No-One and me? And whoever won got to keep Donavan?''

She nodded lightly, unable to do it as excitedly as she normally would because of Marcus's grip. Her grin then turned into a scowl. ''Victor cheated!''

''You're right!'' I pointed out. The others must think I'm just as crazy as her at this moment with how my conversation sounded, but as I looked at Hunter, I could see that she was genuinely interested in what I had to say. That's exactly what I wanted. ''Victor cheated because he doesn't really like you, or how you play by your rules. That's why he hired you, because he wants to make you more like Attila and Hun. But you don't want that, do you? You'd rather be like yourself? With your games and stuff!''

''Yeah! If you're going to be a killer, have fun doing it!''

''Eh,'' I tried to agree with her, but I couldn't force myself to do it. ''But if you keep working under Victor that won't happen! And when he sees that, he'll probably cheat on another one of your games, and maybe kill you too! So what do you say that we get the drop on him first? Make him play by your rules?''

She stared up at the sky, her teeth gritted together and her lips wobbling about as she thought about my offer. If this doesn't work, then I don't know what will. Marcus could try and torture her all he wants, but she won't break like that. I hate to think what made her like this. With every second that past, I could tell that Marcus was getting more agitated, and truthfully, I was too. Attila and Hun could be heading back to warn Victor and Douglas about us, if they hadn't called them already.

After what felt like an eternity, Hunter stared back at me. ''Okay, I'll help you!''

''Great! So where's there base?''

''I don't know.'' She shrugged her shoulders.

''What?'' We all shouted back at her.

She giggled before continuing. ''Well, you see, they blindfolded me when they took me to see the big boss man. I wouldn't be able to tell you the building from the outside, or what street it's on. But I know how to get there!''

''How can you if you were blindfolded?'' I asked.

''I could still feel when and where the truck was turning. I've learnt how to do that over the years. Bring me back to where they took me, and I'll direct you.''

(Rachael POV)

I could tell that Jenna was going to wake up any minute now. As I sat on the sofa beside her, twiddling my fingers in nervousness, I could she her start to regain consciousness as he body jerked and she started mumbling incoherently.

Now comes the fun part, trying to talk to her about all this. Hopefully, Thomas and the others will get through this quicker, because the longer the night goes on without any news from them, and Jenna would get more restless. Though, I wouldn't blame her. No, I have to keep faith in them. Any lack of confidence from me could rub off on her, and that would only make the situation worse.

''Thomas?'' She murmurs as she stretches out her arms, and her body shifts upwards so that she starts to sit up properly on the sofa.

''No, it's me.'' I said.

She turned to look at me, her eyelids still heavy as she wiped away the drool down the side of her mouth. Out of nowhere, she then bolts up right. Not a good idea, as she then starts to fall back down, probably from the drowsiness of the drugs Thomas gave her. I reached out and grabbed her gently before she fell face first onto the floor. ''Whoa, I got you.''

''Where is he? Where's Thomas?'' She asked, straight to the point.

''He's out.'' I said the first thing that came to mind. Short and sweet answers.

She glared at me. ''You know as well! Don't you?''

''Jenna, before you do anything, let me just explain…''

''There's nothing to explain!'' She yelled at me. ''My brother is out there, going to get himself killed!''

''He won't! Just let him…''

''No! I'm done listening, I'm going out there to find him!'' She tried to stand up, but her shaky legs wouldn't carry her, and I had to quickly stop her from falling.

''You won't even know where to look. Just sit down, and let's talk first before we jump to any conclusions. I want to talk with you about this. Please, he'll be back, I promise.''

I really hoped that she listened to me, at this rate I was going to drop her if she kept trying to push me out of the way. It was a struggle to keep my own balance, let alone an angry sister who's out for blood and probably going to drag Thomas back by his feet if she found him. Eventually, her body stopped tussling with mine. I could feel her shaky breath, as well as hear the sounds of her holding back tears. I need to calm her down.

Soon enough, she sank back down onto the sofa. ''Alright! What else is there to talk about? My brother is Omega Kid! Now I know.''

She was pissed, no doubt about that, but at least I got her to sit down…that's a start.

I sat down next to her, my body swaying slightly as I tried to think of anything to say that would calm this situation. ''At least he finally told you.'' I said kindly.

''But why did it take him this long to tell me?''

''He just wanted to protect you.''

''Then why did he tell you?''

''Uh…he didn't. I sort of found out myself.''

''When?''

I hesitated at first. ''When Megan was saved from Jack the Ripper.''

As soon as I mentioned his name, I instantly regretted that action, because her face then paled like a ghost and her hand flung to her agape mouth. ''Oh God. When they found the Ripper dead…Thomas wasn't the one who…was he?'' I looked away from her, not wanting to say it. She hung her head in both her hands, covering her teary eyes. ''I think I'm going to be sick.''

''Jenna, I promise you! That was just…it was…'' I tried to say it was in the heat of the moment, and that he wouldn't kill again. But what if I say that, and Thomas is pushed to it again tonight?

Suddenly, she exploded with rage. ''It doesn't matter if he's a superhero or not! If the police found out about him, they could use that against him, and he could be locked up for years! His life would be ruined!''

''Don't you think he already knows that?'' I responded. ''It's been eating up at him inside ever since it happened.''

''Why didn't you try and stop him? How could you let him carry on like this?''

''Because he had just saved a friend!'' I shouted back at her, catching her off guard. That was probably the first time she'd ever heard me with a raised voice. I much prefer to get my point across to people without resorting to shouting, but right now, she needed a shock just so she could listen to me for more than five seconds. ''He saved Megan! He stopped a serial killer! He has done so much for this city!''

''But…''

''No, I'm not finished yet. You just asked me why I didn't try and stop him, why I let him carry on as Omega Kid? Believe me, I wanted to try. There hasn't been a day since when I haven't thought about telling him to stop what he's doing and give it a rest! He's putting his life at risk, I know that! He could die, I know that too! But it's what he wants to do, and he believes that he can do it! And I know what it's like to be told that I can't do something, or that I'm not as strong as I think I am. But I know, when I look at Thomas and see all the good he does…he is strong enough, he is Omega Kid and nothing is going to change that.''

I think I shocked myself with that outburst, I was nearly short of breath by the time I was finished. As Jenna looked at me with an unreadable expression, I quickly wiped away the tears that I felt crawling down my cheek. After a few seconds, she scooted closer to me and then wrapped a tender arm around my shoulder. ''Don't ever let people tell you what you can or can't do.''

''Thank you.'' I said to her gratefully as I leaned my head onto her shoulder. ''He'll be back later. And you can talk with him more then.'' I felt her nod. Though she didn't say a word, it seemed like now she was more willing to wait for Thomas to come back.

Once this night is over, I plan to have a long, peaceful sleep.

(Back to Thomas's POV)

''I hear that they do good lobster here.'' Omega Girl said as the Toxin truck, which we were all currently huddled in, pulled up on the street outside the restaurant, Alfonse's Place. I'm still amazed that we all managed to fit into this thing, including the tied up Hunter that was leaned up against the back of the driver's seat. Omega Girl and I kept watch over her as the driver turned back to us.

''Trust me, their lobster is the best. My girlfriend and I come here every weekend.''

''Nice, I might have to steal from this place one day.'' The female superhero said.

''You steal?'' I questioned her.

She shrugged her shoulders. ''Sometimes I don't find enough change to pay for food, so I gotta improvise. It's no big deal, I'm not a big eater anyway.'' Before I could say anything else, she walked back further down the truck, past the others who were awkwardly standing anywhere that had space.

I guess I should have know that food would be hard to come by for Omega Girl, with living on the street and all. There would be time to think about that later, right now, we had a job to do. I leaned down to look Hunter dead in the eye. ''You're sure you can find the place?''

''Fairly sure.''

BAAM! Marcus's bloody fist crashed against the seat, just a few inches away from Hunter's face, causing me to jump. ''That's not good enough! You either know or you don't know, which is it?''

''Calm your steroids, tiny. Just drive, and I can lead you to the Emerald city.''

Her tone wasn't really inspiring confidence. But she was our only option, and it must frustrate Marcus that he can't pummel her, because that look on his face as he stormed away from her could melt iron. ''Hey,'' The driver called out. ''Just saying, please don't hit my chair again. It will be hard to drive with a broken back.''

''No promises, drive!'' Hunter replied. As instructed, after the driver shifted gears he put his foot to the pedal and we began to take off down the road. ''Hold on!'' Hunter then shouted, and we were all nearly thrown off our feet as the driver slammed on the brakes and the truck came to a screeching halt. ''Sorry, we were driving the other way. Turn around, please.''

The driver grunted something that I don't think I even want to repeat, as he started to reserve the truck until he was facing down the other end of the road and began to drive. Once we were safely moving along without a hiccup for a start, I realised that Ultra Kid and Emeraldian had stumbled closer towards me, and all three of us watched Hunter.

It looked like she was staring off into space with a blank look on her face. ''There should be a left coming up, right?''

''There is.'' The drive said as he started to turn. I can't believe this is actually working, she can actually tell how far along we're going and where to go.

''Okay, just wanted to know because we actually went right.'' She said with a smile.

Yet again, we were nearly launched off our feet as the driver twisted the wheel and the truck swerved in the opposite direction. Hunter giggled maniacally, and everyone on board looked ready to knock her lights out. I was on the same boat as them…or truck, in this case. I couldn't let this get out of control, so I leaned down to her once again. ''Listen, the quicker we get to Victor and Douglas, the quicker you can get to them and make them pay for cheating at your game. Okay?''

She frowned for a moment before huffing loudly. ''Fine. I pinky-promise, no more lies.''

''Good!'' The driver ranted. ''Because if you make me nearly crash one more time, I'll throw you under this truck!''

''Let's just get to where we need to go.'' I said as I rose back to my feet.

Ultra Kid patted me on the shoulder and leaned in close. ''How do we know she's not just leading us in circles?''

It was a legitimate question. Hunter isn't exactly someone I would trust with my life, even if she were the only option I had…then again, we're currently working with Marcus and Toxins at the moment. I turned to Ultra Kid. ''I just think she is. She's got this crazy way of thinking everything is a game. I assumed if we treat it like one, and we want her to win, she'll give us what we want.''

''Turn at the next left!'' Hunter called out to the driver. After he did as she instructed, she faced me. ''You're right, I like it when we're on the same side.''

''Don't get use to it!'' Emeraldian hissed.

''Are you still upset that I shot you? I said I was sorry!'' She snickered. Emeraldian walked away, knowing that she couldn't risk punching her and knocking her out. I'm surprised she was still conscious after Marcus's hit earlier. Oh jeez, that was another thing I hadn't thought about. What if that punch did more damaged then we feared, and Hunter couldn't keep track of where we were going? Any little thing that could go wrong would ruin our chances tonight of ending this.

I shouldn't worry too much about this. It seemed like Hunter knew where she was going, calling out to the driver, telling him where to go. How was it possible for her to memorize directions just from the bumps in the road or feeling the distance we've travelled? Even without a blindfold that would be difficult to do on a first try.

Needing to clear my mind, I moved up towards the front of the truck. Viper stood beside two of the Toxins, both of them glancing at her. ''Didn't you use to be one of us?''

''She did!'' Marcus commented.

''Shut up!'' Viper snapped, nearly making the two Toxins jump out of the window. She then turned her icy glare towards Marcus. ''Don't think that tonight will change how I feel about you, and this gang!''

''The thought hadn't crossed my mind.'' He said with a smirk. I would have punched him in the face if we didn't need whatever strength he had for the battle ahead.

Viper looked away, watching the passing buildings out the window as we drove on. I edged closer to her, and she seemed to acknowledge me for the first time since we got in this truck. Once she did, she looked to the floor, a gloom expression across her face. ''I shouldn't have volunteered to go to the Toxin base.''

''What do you mean?''

''If I hadn't have gone, they wouldn't have tracked us back to our base! Emeraldian wouldn't have been shot! And Donovan might still be alive!''

''Listen to me…'' I was about to say something to get her to cast those thoughts away. This wasn't her fault at all.

However, I couldn't because Marcus had cut in. ''So why did you go?''

Viper and I stared at him, as he looked back at her, waiting for her answer. I stepped in between them. ''She doesn't have to answer for…'' Once again I was cut off, this time by Viper's hand gently nudging my arm, suggesting for me to step aside.

I wanted to defend her, but as I looked into her eyes, I couldn't argue with her. There was some more hesitation from me, before I finally backed down and let her take a few steps closer to Marcus. Their eyes never leaving each other's, as she stared him down venomously. ''Ever since I left Toxin, I have been scared! Scared that you would come after me, and hurt or even kill the people I love. I tried not to be scared, but I couldn't help it. It was like I was drowning, and no matter what I did…I just…couldn't…the fear wouldn't leave. Then when we heard about Toxin being attacked, I didn't know what to think. I thought I was still scared for some reason. But after tonight, seeing how far you've fallen and desperate you've become. Now I know…I wasn't scared anymore, I was angry! Angry at all the things you've done! Angry that all the people you hurt and how you took it as just another way to make a living! Angry that I was apart of that once! But most of all…angry that I wasn't the one that brought you all down!''

Once her rant had finished, everything around us was silent. That's when I noticed that everyone inside the truck was paying attention to what was going on here, quiet and unsure of what to say next. Although, I think we knew there was nothing more that needed to be said. The first words that were spoken after Viper's speech were Hunter's, calling out to the driver. ''Sorry, you missed a turning! Go back and turn right!''

The truck shifted, following her directions. Eventually, Viper turned her back to Marcus and walked over to me. ''As I said before,'' Marcus's spoke quietly. ''You may not understand the type of person I am, or why I do the first I do. That doesn't mean you have to like or respect me for it. But I just want you to know one thing, even if I don't agree with your choices just as you don't agree with mine…I respect you for the path you chose, and how dedicated you are to it.''

At first, I thought Viper was going to let rip at him once more. I waited for her to say something to him, proclaiming her disgust that she would consider his respect. She remained quiet. Not a word or murmur from her, as she looked back out the window, watching the new buildings that past us. Once she did turn to look at me, I could see her eyes watering and red, holding back the tears. I can't imagine what she was feeling. But as she smiled at me, at least I knew she was going to be okay.

BOOM!

I was flung off my feet and crashed into the side of the truck, as the whole thing felt like it was going to tip over from the explosion that came outside. The echo only made my ears feel like they were going to explode. Everyone looked shocked as the driver fought against the wheel to try and regain control of the vehicle. Finally, he got it back on the road as Hunter slumped to the ground, unable to get herself up. ''If you crashed into anything, it wasn't my fault…maybe.'' She yelled.

''We didn't crash, something hit us!'' The driver shouted back.

''E-everyone!'' Big Bob shouted and waved his large arms, trying to get our attention as he was looking out of the back window. I rushed over in his direction to see what was going on, ignoring the ringing in my head. Though once I saw what Big Bob was gesturing at, the ringing stopped, just as I think my heart had…as Attila and Hun were giving chase in their own truck.

Attila was hanging out of the window, holding a bazooka and aiming it right for us as they gained speed on us. ''Must go faster!'' I shouted back to the driver, who didn't delay in hitting the accelerator.

Just then, Attila fired another shot in our direction, and all we could do was take cover and hope that the truck would hold together. BOOM! While it did hold, the force of the blast was enough to knock us all down, and it became increasingly hot in here for a few seconds, to the point were sweat was starting to pour from under my mask.

''At least we know we're heading in the right direction.'' Super Kid said.

''Do you want me to slap you?'' Ultra Kid yelled at him.

''No, he's right.'' Snapshot said. ''If they've caught up with us, and they're giving chase, that must mean they're trying to stop us from reaching our destination. We just have to keep going and avoid their shots.''

''How exactly do we do that? We don't have many places to hide!'' Ultra Kid pointed out.

Before we could say anything else, Hood had already risen to his feet and was ready with his bow and his penultimate arrow. ''If I hit the same tire again, that might slow them down. But that means I might not have any arrows left when we get to where we need to go.''

BOOM! Another blast caused us to crash about like pinballs, though Hood managed to keep his footing by holding onto the side. ''We might not make it all to where we need to go if you don't do something, go!'' I told him.

He nodded and marched over to the right side window. ''Crap!'' He gasped and jumped away from the window. BANG! BANG! BANG! Bullets rained in through the window, and we all ducked to the ground, hoping that they could penetrate anything else from the outside. We were sitting ducks, and with no way to fight back from this position. All we could do at the moment was hope that they ran out of bullets.

CRASH! All of a sudden, the truck jerked violently and we were sent flying towards the other side of the truck. ''They're ramming us!'' The driver called out to us. He was up at the front right now, completely defenceless. At least the gunfire had stopped, so I could sprint to the front and protect him. Just as I got there, I could see Attila, to my right, just outside the window and aiming her bazooka at the driver's seat. Thinking on my feet, I reached forward and turned the wheel as hard as I could in their direction.

CRASH! Our truck collided with theirs, pushing them away and nearly causing Attila to fall out of the window as she tried to hold on. At least she wasn't aiming at us right now. ''Hood, now!'' I shouted back at the archer, who was already rushing towards the side window.

''Turn right!'' Hunter said.

''We can't, the other truck is in the way!'' I cried out.

''If you miss that turning, then I won't know where to go!'' She said.

We were stuck. There was no way we could risk pushing them out of the way. If we did and they ended up crashing, all their explosions inside could go off and not only take us with them but also any buildings in the surrounding area and the people living there. There wasn't even any time for Hood to hit their tire to slow them down, as the turning was almost upon us. Then the driver hit me on the arm to get my attention. ''I got an idea, tell everyone to hang on!''

''Everyone, hang…'' I couldn't even finish my command before he once again slammed his foot down on the brakes. I could smell the smoke coming from the tires, and the screech didn't do anything to aid my fragile hearing, but I didn't care about that as we watched Attila and Hun's truck edge ahead of us. Once there was enough space, our diver twisted the wheel and we turned into the road. They tried to halt their vehicle and turn, but it was too late for them, as they came to a complete stop before hitting a corner shop.

''Awesome driving, Speed Racer!'' Ultra Kid cheered.

''What did you call me?''

''Speed Racer, he's like a…forget it. Nice driving!''

BAANG! The complements didn't last long though, as another loud sound came from the front of our truck. It wasn't the bounty hunters, and the explosion wasn't as loud as the others, but it became clear what it was as we started to slow down and the driver fought to try and keep us going in a straight line. ''I think we popped a tire!''

''Our tire is the one that pops?'' I shouted in disbelief.

''Guys! Th-they're coming b-b-back.'' Big Bob signals us.

This is just great. With those two constantly breathing down our necks the whole way, and I'm not sure how much more this truck has got left before it stops completely. Then, not only will we have no way of getting to Douglas and Victor, but we'll also have to deal with Attila and Hun while out in the open, defenceless. I turned back to the driver. ''Just keep going!''

''That's going to be difficult, mate.''

''Why?''

''We're going down a one-way street!''

''What?'' It's just one thing after another tonight. I looked back down to Hunter. ''Why are we heading down here?''

''This is where I went before. I couldn't tell it was a one-way street.''

Marcus moved over towards us. ''It doesn't matter. At this late in the night, there shouldn't be anything coming down this road…''

''There's a motorbike coming down the road!'' Our driver screamed.

I was close to crying out and cursing like a sailor, but they'll be time for that later. The driver can avoid the bike, right now, we had to take care of Attila and Hun, who I could see even from the front were going to be on us any second now. I scrambled back down the truck and made my way over to Snapshot. ''Is there anyway you can use that flash thing again to blind them off the road?''

''No, it's just a one-use-only weapon until I have time to look it over.''

It looks like Hood was our one and only line of defence. I was about to make my way over to him, when I noticed Ultra and Super Kid staring out of the window in front of us, towards the motorbike that was still getting closer towards us. ''Thomas? That bike…isn't that…''

Before he finished his sentence, the sound of the bike reeving up was ear piercing and cause me to finally register it properly for the first time. For some reason, it was still not only heading right for us, but also gaining speed. Maybe the adrenaline or the numbing sensation in my head was why it took a little longer for me to recognise the bright red motorbike, with a large, darkly covered figure on top of it…holding out a large red staff. ''Hellrider?''

CRASH! I wasn't ready for Attila and Hun to crash into us once again, and I collapsed to the floor. Luckily, Emeraldian had caught me before I could hit my head on anything. By this point, the bounty hunters were right next to us, trying to push us off the road. The sound of the Hell-cycle grew stronger, until he was so close it looked like we were about to crash, and our driver was powerless to turn anywhere.

Once we were almost right on top of each other, the Hell-cycle sharply diverted towards the other side of Attila and Hun's truck, and Hellrider held out his bow staff and seemed to aim it for their tire…the one that Hood's arrow was still embedded in.

BAANG! Hellrider and his cycle were out of sight, but we knew his tactic worked once we heard the loud bang come from their tire, and the truck jerked back to the side. Now on even an even playing field, our driver turned the wheel to push them away and we once again were driving in front of them, though they kept pace behind us. I scurried to the back window and looked out to see Hellrider turn hard and sped in our direction again. He was cut out of my line of sight though as Attila and Hun were catching up to us again, even with a popped tire, as the female bounty hunter aimed her bazooka for us. We all ducked down to the ground and waited for the inevitable explosion.

However, nothing came. Taking a chance, I leapt onto my feet and looked outside to see Hellrider struggling with Attila, while somehow managing to keep his balance on the Hell-cycle. He punched and elbowed at her, while all she could do was hold on and not drop her bazooka.

''Turn left!'' Hunter called out.

We all braced ourselves as our driver did as instructed; turning as much as he could under the circumstances our flat tire put us under. Somehow, we had managed to make the turn, and watched on as Hellrider fought off the bounty hunters. Their truck was about to turn, and when it did, Hellrider sped forward a little and using his bow staff, smashed the front window, blinding Hun in the driver's seat. They must have known they couldn't risk turning and crashing, so they kept on driving down the straight road, away from us.

We waited a few seconds, listening carefully at the sounds of their truck and the Hell-cycle quietening in the distance, until it was gone completely. For the first time in ages, I could breath a sigh of relief. That was unbelievable. After weeks of going missing, Hellrider just shows up out of nowhere and helps us in a car chase…truck chase. I think everyone else was just as surprised as I was…except for Omega Girl, who looked at us dumbfounded. ''Quick question…who the hell was that?''

''We stopped around here. The building should be on our left!'' Hunter said. ''Thank you for travelling Air Hunter! If you survived the trip, good on you.''

At least we managed to reach our endpoint without anymore hassle. There was no sight or sound of Attila and Hun coming back for us, though there also wasn't any of that from Hellrider. We can think about finding him later, right now, we have a mission to do. The element of surprise was on our side, now we just had to take it.

We pulled up the truck quietly. The driver turned towards me. ''Don't ever ask me to drive for you guys again.''

I couldn't help but chuckle as I patted him on the shoulder. ''No worries.'' I can't believe I'm having a laugh with a Toxin, this has been one crazy night.

''So, where are we exactly?'' Super Kid asked.

''Oh, I know this place,'' Snapshot said while pointing towards a large apartment block just a few metres from us. ''That's an apartment block that's apparently owned by some bachelor, banker boy. I don't know much about it, but I had to take photos around this area for my school portfolio. I guess Victor is the owner, no wonder the media wasn't allowed to reveal the name of the owner of this place.''

''Victor Crowsworth is a banker? That explains how he's able to bribe everyone.'' Emeraldian deduced.

''How do we even know he'll be here tonight?'' Ultra Kid questioned.

''He will,'' Hunter said. ''This is where Victor makes all his deals. He did it for me, and also Attila and Hun. This is where he keeps and does all his dirty, little secrets.''

Marcus opened the truck door and stepped outside. ''And if Victor is here, then Douglas Carbone will be too.'' His Toxin followers shadowed him, stepping outside with knives and bats ready. They looked ready to charge right into the building.

I jumped out of the truck and stood in front of them. ''Hold on, think about this!''

''What's there to think about?'' Marcus said impatiently. ''If Victor owns this whole block, we don't have to worry about anyone getting in the way. It'll be just us and them.''

''Exactly! If he really owns this whole apartment, it could be crawling with his guards. We could be going into this place outnumbered and outgunned, so we have to do this smartly.''

He looked down at me scornfully for a brief moment, breathing heavily through his nose. ''Fine. What do you have planned?''

''We sneak in!'' I told him firmly before turning to Omega Girl. ''You think you can find a way in through the back?''

''Can do.'' She said before bolting off to find us a secret entrance inside. An apartment block that big, there has to be at least one.

Before the rest of us set off, I looked back at Hunter, who was still tied up and sitting behind the front seat. I didn't want to leave her here alone, but I don't trust her enough to bring her inside and possibly blow our cover, so these seemed like the best option. ''Stay here.'' I commanded.

''Can you bring me a souvenir when you get back? Maybe someone's head?''

I didn't even bother to give her a response as I slammed the truck door behind me.

Once we reached the back of the apartment block, Omega Girl quickly leapt off one of the gates and grabbed onto a first floor window ledge. She managed to lift herself up and quietly got to work opening the window. As she did that, Emeraldian moved next to me and whispered. ''How should we play this? This is a big building, we could cover more ground splitting up into groups.''

''I know. But I rather we all stick together if we can. We don't know how many guards are in there, and we don't want anyone getting cornered or surrounded.''

Our conversation was halted by the sound of Omega Girl opening the window and slipping her body inside, while keeping her head out before calling down to us. ''We're okay for the moment. So, who wants to jump up first?''

Eventually, we had all managed to get up to the first floor window, either by copying what Omega Girl did, or with Big Bob and Marcus giving us a boost. Somehow, Marcus had even managed to help lift the larger superhero up so that we could help him in. Even though he's injured, I'm surprised just how much strength. And that continued as he then proceeded to climb up towards us, digging his fingers into the cracks and gaps of the brick wall to scale the building.

We were all through the window, and greeted by a large empty corridor with locked doors on either side. Emeraldian's idea of splitting up did sound good right now, but I rather we stay as a group and not get picked off.

We're not exactly the most discreet bunch, a group of bloody, brightly coloured superheroes and thugs with knives and bats who are lead by a guy whose head was nearly touching the ceiling. We seemed to be doing fine though, making sure to keep as quiet as possible as we followed the hallway, hoping that maybe they'll be some kind of 'You are here' Map to this place.

SMASH! That, along with Omega Girl's shriek nearly made me jump out of my skin. Everyone turned in her direction, fearing the worst and ready for a fight. However, all we saw was Omega Girl standing over broken glass, clearly shaking and scared. Her tonfa still embedded in the broken mirror that hung on the wall. ''What happened?'' I mouthed at her.

''S-sorry. I thought…'' She stuttered and looked unsure of what to say next. This has to be the first time I've seen her like this, and I seriously doubt a quick glance at a mirror could have spooked her out like that.

''You're going to get us killed!'' A toxin hissed at her, pointing his bat at her.

Emeraldian stepped between. ''Back off. It was just a fluke accident.''

There was a tense few seconds were we waited and listened for any kind of sound coming from down the hallway, to see if anyone in the building had heard us. Thankfully, it looked like we were lucky, as things were quiet once again. Though that didn't last much longer as Marcus began to march forward towards the end of the hallway. ''Where are you going?'' I inquired.

''To do what we should be doing, finding Carbone!'' He said without turning to face me. We all rushed after him, and when he finally stopped, it was when we had reached the end of the hallway where we were now standing before a flight of stairs that lead to God-knows how many floors above us.

''We're so close! You can't blow it now, we just have to wait and…''

''I'm done waiting! Now that we're here, all I care about is ending that son of a bitch! Right here, right now!''

''All this time we've been trying to play it smart and we've got this far, you're going to ruin everything if you act rash and charge in without thinking.''

As well as not look at me, this time he ignored me completely as he turned to his Toxin buddies. ''We're taking the top floor. You superheroes can search the rest. Follow me!'' They quickly dashed up the flight of stairs towards the top floor. I didn't want to risk shouting out to them in case we get any company.

We couldn't stop them as they had already reached the next floor up, if we chased after them, we'd definitely cause too much noise. I turned back to look at the others. ''Plan doesn't change for us. We stay as a group. I know that it might take longer, and Marcus could give away the element of surprise before we reach them, but it's safer and we'll have more chance of winning. Are we ready?''

They all nodded in response. Now comes the hard part.

Each step sounded louder than the last as we walked up the stairs, keeping our eyes peeled for anything that moves. While Marcus and the Toxins had the top floor, we might as well check out the other floors in between so that we don't miss anything. The second floor was empty and quiet, just like the first. The only sound we could hear was the squeaky floorboards beneath our feet, and the draft that drifted in through some of the open doors.

With the way Marcus and his group were going, if there were guards on these floors, they'll find them before us. Everything seemed far too easy at this point. Surely there would be some guards on the lower levels, a building this big has to be inspected all over…unless…all the guards were on the top floor…

BANG! BANG! BANG! The silence was ripped apart from gunfire coming from the floors above…they had walked right into a trap!

Everyone sprinted towards the stairs and headed upwards. After the gunfire we could hear screams of pain, possibly from the Toxins. If these guards had firearms, then they didn't stand a chance. By the time we had reached the third floor, which I lead, the gunfire had stopped completely and we could hear murmuring. Were they all dead already?

I didn't have much time to think about that, as once we were halfway up the next flight of stairs, a smartly dressed guard with a gun was standing at the very top and had just spotted us running towards him. Before he could draw, an arrow shot past my head and hit him right in the shoulder with enough force to knock him off his feet.

Omega Girl leapt in front of me and lifted herself over the wooden bannister beside the stairs. She spun around kicked at someone who must have been standing there, and as I reached the top of the stairs, I caught sight of the guard wearing the same attire slumping to the ground.

BANG! BANG! The guard who was wounded on the ground tried to fire at us, but his arm wasn't in the right position thanks to the arrow embedded in his shoulder. BAM! I rushed over and kicked him across the face, knocking him out cold. Once he was out, Hood quickly grabbed his arrow and yanked it from the guard's shoulder. We could hear footsteps stomping down the stairs above us, and we all rushed to take cover behind the doors in the third floor corridor.

I had jumped into one of the rooms as the guards started to open fire at us, hopefully everyone else had taken cover just as I had. I sprang to my feet and hid behind the door, waiting for anyone to enter the room I was in. Soon enough, a guard came rushing in to search the place. I reached out and grabbed the gun from his hand. He kicked at me, but I blocked with my knee. As he did this, I twisted his hands and forced him to the ground. BAM! At this angle, I elbowed him across the face, forcing him to let go of his gun and hold his now bloody nose. ''Where are Douglas and Victor?''

''I ain't telling you not…''

BAM! He wasn't going to answer and I didn't have time to keep interrogating him, so I gave him a right hook and he was out.

At that moment, another guard was about to rush in through the open door, until an arrow shot through his hand and stabbed him against the door. He cried out in agony as he tried to pull the arrow out, but it looks like his good hand was the one trapped, so he didn't have the strength to do anything. I marched over to him, and held him down. ''Tell me where Douglas and Victor are, and I'll pull it out!''

He whimpered as I grabbed the arrow. ''Top floor! They knew you were coming, so they set a trap!''

I knew it! This seemed far too easy up until now. Once I got the info from him, I did as promised and pulled the arrow out of his hand and he was free. How did he thank me? He tried to pull his gun on me once again. I was expecting that though, as I punched him across the knee, forcing him to the ground. BAM! I then gave him an Omega-Swing in the face, knocking him back into the door and he was down for the count as well.

I peeked out of the door, looking for any kind of opening. The guards were like ants out of a hill as they ran down the stairs towards where we were. Everyone was busy fighting guards and doing their best to try and advance forward, as we were being pushed back down away from the stairs.

I stuck my leg out, tripping one of the guards that ran in my direction. He fell to the ground, and I used him as a jumping platform to do a flying kick against another guard standing next to him. BAM! I kicked him so hard he slammed through a door, crashing into the other room. Another guard had snuck up behind me and grabbed me, lifting me off my feet before throwing me to the ground. My arm was numb for a split-second once I made impact.

As the guard tried to regain his footing before me, I decided to use the arrow in my hand and whack him across the face with it, leaving a bright red line across his cheek. Now that he was out of the way, I made a run for the stairs. But I was cut short, as another guard crashed into me and pinned me against the wall. That didn't last though, as Emeraldian kicked him off me, while she held another guy by the neck with her arm. BAM! I jumped off the wall and punched him in the face. The two of us then stood back to back as we waited for more guards to arrive.

''One of the guards said that Douglas and Victor are on the top floor. They were expecting us.'' I told her as I got into a fistfight with a guard who tried to challenge me.

BAM! BAM! She punched another guard twice in the face, trying to hold him off. ''Attila and Hun must have warned them after we lost them on the street.''

''That makes sense.'' I said as I continued to fight one of the guards. He threw a punch at me, and without even realising, I tried to block him with my hand that was still holding Hood's arrow. He instantly jolted back as the weapon cut open his fist. We could get enough time and space to form a new plan, until something crazy came to mind. ''Duck down, now!'' I called out.

I could feel her duck behind me, here goes nothing. I lifted myself off of one foot and held out my other. BAM! I kicked the screaming guard in the chin, knocking him back. I rolled across Emeraldian's back and brought my foot down. BAM! I managed to kick her opponent right in top of the head and landed back on my feet. Thanks to the momentum of that move, I nearly fell backwards, luckily she grabbed onto my costume. ''I can't believe that worked!'' I said excitedly.

''Nice move!'' She said before we turned back to look at the stairs. Finally, there were no more guards rushing down the stairs.

''There might be more on the upper levels.'' I said to her. ''I need all of you to give me a clear path.''

''Go get them!'' She ran over towards the others to help them out and tell them about our plan. We couldn't hold them off forever, and even if we could, that would give Douglas and Victor plenty of time to make a run for it. Not this time.

I charged towards the stairs, hoping that someone had my back as I ran upwards. Before I could reach the next level, I could see another guard waiting for him. I leapt forward and stabbed the arrow into his leg, causing him to scream and crumbled down the stairs. Another guard was on me, about to draw his gun until an arm grabbed his and stopped him. BAM! Ultra Kid threw a punch and knocked the guard out. As two more ran in our direction, Ultra Kid's brother backed him up and they held them off as I ran past them up the next flight of stairs.

There, three more guards were making their way down. Just then, Big Bob's giant hand burst out from under the wood and grabbed one of the guard's legs and pulled him down. This caused the flight of stairs to crack and disintegrate beneath their very feet, making them stumble. I ran forward, hoping to jump over them, but it wasn't going to be enough. Until I noticed Omega Girl above my head, holding onto the bannister and reaching out her hand for me to grab. I did so, and she helped lift me over the falling guards and crumbling staircase, onto the next set.

Once I was on the next floor, a guard held out his gun about to shoot. Then, an arrow was fired from below and landed into his leg. Thanks to this hesitation, I leapt forward and kicked him square in the chest BAM! I looked down to see Hood, trying to hold his own against two more guards without any of his arrows. ''Hey!'' I called out and threw him the one still in my hand. He found some space and caught it. He spun and whipped a guard in the face, before quickly placing it in his bow and firing it at a guard's chest point blank, knocking him down.

The others were helping greatly, but now without Hood to back me up and with Big Bob wrecking the stairs below me, it looked like I was on my own for the final floor.

As I made it to the top, I had to duck back down as three more guards fired in my direction. I rolled past the bannister, hoping that they would cover me for a little bit. BANG! BANG! BANG! Splinters sprayed all around me, and I think I could feel some digging into my skin, better that than bullets. Soon enough, the sound of bullets being fired was replaced by the sound of clicking, they were out and now I could fight back.

I noticed a large piece of wood from the destroyed bannister beside me; at least I had some kind of weapon. I picked it up and charged at them, and they did so against me, I guess they figured they had the advantage at three against one. The first one punched at me, and I manoeuvred to the side, grabbed his arm and flung him over me before slamming him to the ground. BAM! I did a spin-kick against the next guy, knocking him to the side.

The last guy tried to hit me with the side of his gun, but I blocked him with my arm. BAM! BAM! BAM! He left himself open as I punched him with the wooden shard, over and over again until I was sure he wasn't going to get back up for a while. The one that I had kicked was about to get back up, until I rushed towards him. BAM! BAM! I jumped up and gave him a double-kick to his chest, knocking the wind right out of him and knocking him out cold.

I fell flat on my back on the floor, completely exhausted. It took every bit of energy and strength I had left just to lift myself up so I was in a sitting position. Now that I had a chance to rest and take a breathing, I realised how drained I was. Every muscle in my body was aching, my eyes felt heavy and were probably swollen, and I felt like I was going to faint at any given moment. But I can't give up now, not when I'm so close. I just have to push a little bit more, than I can have a long, peaceful sleep.

I rolled onto my hands and knees and lifted myself up, shaking and feeling like I was about to vomit. Just one more day! Just one more day! I repeated over and over, trying to motivate myself as I limped towards the last door at the end of the hallway. This door was noticeably different; with a much finer paint job and it looked sturdier than the ones downstairs that we could actually break and punch through. But there was one detail that stood out above the rest…the blood-trail that was splattered across it up to the doorknob.

As I edged nearer, I listened carefully, ready for any surprises that would come my way as soon as I opened that door. With one hand on the bloody doorknob, I sneakily looked through the gap to get an idea of where I'll be fighting. It looked like a very large office room with a window looking towards the street where we parked. Just in front of the door was a desk that I could probably use for cover. Bodies of the Toxins who were just with us littered the floor, but I couldn't actually see anyone else who was standing, there had to be somebody in there. There was no sign of Marcus either.

I breathed in deeply, readying my body for another beating. I twisted the doorknob and dived into the room, taking cover behind the desk.

BANG! BANG! Instantly, shots were fired at me as I hid behind the desk. ''Omega Kid?''

''Marcus?'' I called out and cautiously glanced over the desk. The giant was standing, bloodier than before, holding up Victor Crowsworth by the scruff of his neck, as he also held a gun in his other hand. The banker whimpered and covered his face, trying to curl himself into a protective ball. ''What happened?''

''This bastard and his guards ambushed us!'' He said. His grip on Victor's neck tightened. If the guy kept this up, he would snap Victor's head right off his shoulders. ''And if he doesn't want me to shoot him in the balls, he'll tell me where Douglas is!''

''Wait, wait!'' Victor begged as he struggled to break free of Marcus's grip, but I know first hand that was near impossible for anyone to do. He then turned to look at me. ''Omega Kid, tell him to leave me be! You won't let him kill me, will you?''

''I'm not going to let him kill you.'' I sneered. ''Although him shooting you in the balls doesn't sound like a bad idea right now.''

''What?'' He cried.

''You really think I'm going to let you off easy after everything you've done? After you shot Donavan in cold blood? No way! I'm not going to kill you, but if you don't answer our questions, you'll be going to prison with both your arms and legs broken!''

His eyes were wide and his face white like a ghost. I made sure I was very clear that I meant what I said. It's the least he deserves after all the harm he's caused. Not just since working with Douglas, but all the way back to him betraying Donavan and those soldiers he left to die in cold blood at Attila and Hun's hands. Marcus brought him closer to his face, looking him right in the eyes. ''You hear that? You've got no one else to turn to. Now talk!'' He then aimed the gun in between Victor's legs.

''I don't know where he is!'' He screeched. ''He took off as soon as we got word from Attila and Hun you were on your way here! I swear that's all I know! Please don't shoot me in the balls. I'll give you anything, please don't!'' He blubbered even harder. It was almost pathetic seeing him like this.

But if he's really telling the truth, then Douglas had escaped again. He made a run for it before he could face all of us, just like he did before, just as he's always done since we first fought. I slammed my fist on the desk; the pain didn't even bother me anymore. I rested my body against it, holding my head in my numb hands, careful that I don't topple over from fatigue. Now that I had the chance to rest my head, I realised how tired I was. Other than the sound of my heavy breathing, I could just barely hear Victor's cries of mercy as Marcus threatened him more. ''You just killed my men, and you think that you can bribe me?''

I had to stop Marcus. If we can at least bring Victor to justice, then all of this might not have been for nothing. I inhaled a deep breath, and made one final push. I lifted my head out of my hands and stood up straight…only for someone to grab the back of my head tightly and the slam me right through the desk. My stomach felt like it had caved in as I sank to the floor, covered in the remains of the demolished desk.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could just about pick up fading images of Marcus turning and trying to take shots at a dark figure. My hearing was near enough gone, even the sound of the gunshots were barely audible. It was Douglas, in his No-One costume. He managed to kick the gun out of Marcus's hand and then using one of his knives, stabbed the beast in the stomach. Marcus was in no more shape to fight, as was I for the matter, as I couldn't find the strength to lift myself out of the debris that was once a desk.

Helplessly, I watched as No-One stabbed Marcus in the ribs this time, before lifting his leg and bringing it down to kick Marcus in the head and smash him into the floor. Victor had scrambled over to fetch the gun that had been kicked him the giant gangster's hand. By the time he did so, No-One stood over Marcus's motionless, battered body.

''I knew you wouldn't leave your best business partner.'' Victor said, his voice still shaky from his ordeal a few seconds ago. My hearing was starting to return. That was a start. Once again, I tried to lift myself off the ground, pushing myself up until I was at least a few inches off the ground. However, that was as far as I got, because I stopped immediately once I felt Victor press the gun barrel against the back of my head. ''If I remember correctly, didn't you say something about breaking my arms and legs? Hmm, maybe I should do that to you, before I shoot you in the balls, then kill you!''

''Let him get to his feet first.'' No-One commanded.

''Are you kidding me? I've got him right here, why can't I just shoot him now and…''

''Mr Crowsworth, if I recall, I just saved your life a moment ago.''

After a while, the gun was no longer pressed to my head, and I could see Victor back away from me, until he stood next to No-One, who continued to watch me. Now that I was free, I tried to stand up. My body felt like steel, it was so heavy my legs felt like they would give way. I didn't even have the aid of the desk anymore, as my hands dropped to my knees, trying to keep myself from falling back down to the ground. ''I thought you ran away!'' I mocked No-One.

''I was about to leave, but I thought I'd say and see what happens. And I am so glad that I did. It gives me great pleasure to see you like this, barely able to stand on your own two feet. You've had a rough time, dear boy.''

''For the love of hell, can we just get this over with?'' Victor groaned. ''Why must you superhero-type always be like this? Droning on and on with your big, epic speeches. All I want to do is make a few deals and get richer every day, is that too much to ask?'' He stepped forward and aimed his gun right at me. My legs wouldn't move, and I couldn't attack him from how I was currently standing, I was wide-open.

Like a blur, I watched as No-One reached from behind Victor, grabbing his arm to move the gun away and point it up towards the ceiling. ''Consider this partnership closed!'' He hushed before sinking his knife right into Victor's back.

Victor gasped for air as he was lifted off his feet by No-One's strength. Blood started to drip down his legs and onto the floor. The banker turned his head to face his attacker, his mouth opening and closing, but no words came out, only more huffs and pants. He had only a few more breaths left in him, before he stopped struggling completely and his head slouched down, his face lifeless. No-One proceeded to casually toss him off his knife and onto the floor.

''Why?'' I breathed.

''I was going to kill him eventually. I just needed his recourses to get the job done. Toxin is dead, the gangs and villains of this city are either under my influence or on the run. It will only be a matter of time before I save the people of this city, and…''

''You're not saving anyone!'' I roared. ''All you've ever done is kill everyone around you! You think you're saving the city? You're the one who's destroying it! You're no hero…you're just sick in the head!''

''I've done more good for this city…''

''No you haven't! You're out of your mind, you can't tell right from wrong at all!''

''And you think you can? What is right and wrong? It's not that black and white, Omega Kid!''

''Yes it is!'' I silenced him. ''Don't try to bullshit this! Don't try and say that things are more complicated than they are. I may be just a kid to you, but I have a better judgement of what's right and wrong then you ever will. You're so blinded by your girlfriend's death…''

''Don't you dare talk about her.'' He threatened me.

I was too far-gone now. I had been pushed to breaking point, and all I cared about was getting everything bottled inside my mind out for him to hear. ''You think you're doing some kind of justice to her and your unborn baby by doing this? You're only doing this for yourself!''

''How can you say that?''

''I remember you saying that, before you met her, you were a shadow, someone who was stepped on his whole life. At first, maybe you thought you were doing this for her, but now I know you're only doing this for yourself. You want to make yourself look like the powerful one…you don't want to be a no one. Well congratulations, you're someone now…a murderer…a criminal. There a millions of people in this world, who are a hundreds the hero you'll ever be!''

His grip on his knife stiffened so much that his black gloves began to rip around his knuckles, and blood was seeping from the material and down the handle. I could hear him grit his teeth through his mask. I watched as his whole body was visibly shaken. I pushed his buttons, and now he was going to fight me. While I don't regret anything I said, it might not have been the smartest move to taunt him while I can barely stand, let alone fight.

Just as I feared, he sprinted for me with his knife outwards to strike. I steadied myself, hoping for the best. BAM! As he was about to smash into me, Viper rushed past me and struck him in the chest with enough force to cause him to soar backwards into a wall. Tensing my body for a fight was enough to cause me to buckle under my tired legs. Viper managed to reach me in time and hold me up. ''You okay?''

''I'll live. What about the others?''

''Still holding off whatever's left of the guards.''

There wasn't much time for a chat, as No-One cried out in anger and rushed back towards us. Viper had to let me go as she charged at him, while all I could do was hang back and try to stand up right. He swung his knife at her, which she managed to block with her bow staff and push his arm away. She threw a punch towards his chest, but he had puffed it out and Viper couldn't stop her punch from colliding. I knew from experience that when he does that, it's like trying to punch a brick wall and hoping it would break. Unfortunately though, I knew that something broke as soon as I heard a cracking sound.

Viper grunted and reeled back away from No-One, holding her hand. I had to try and help her, I tried to walk forward, but I was lucky I didn't trip over my own two feet. No-One came at her again, though she managed to jump out of the way and avoid him. She rolled along the ground, keeping her weak hand behind her back, as she held out her bow staff in the other in a protective gesture.

No-One kicked at her, as she blocked with her arm. He threw another kick, and this time she blocked with her knee, however she wasn't prepared for No-One to fall to the ground and then kick out at her standing leg. BAM! As she fell to the ground, No-One raised his arm and hit her in the ribs. That blow was strong enough to send her flying up and then crash back down to the floor. He was on her again, about to strike. Thinking quickly, Viper spun around and swung her legs to fend him off as she returned to her feet.

He didn't give her much time as he brought his knife back down to her, while she raised her bow staff to block his attack. But now she was defenceless, all she could do was cover herself with her bad hand. BAM! BAM! BAM! He launched a barrage of punches and kicks at her. I could tell she was trying to move away from him, trying to find some cover to tend to her hand, but he wouldn't allow it.

If I was going to do something, it had to be now. I stumbled forward, putting down one foot after the other, careful not to buckle over. I swung my arm sluggishly at No-One's head from behind. BAM! I may not have connected properly, and I may have slipped and fallen down to the ground again, but at least I got him off of Viper. Now that she was free, she quickly pressed her knuckles against her other hand. Clicking sounds followed, and she tested her hand to see that her fingers were moving much better now.

As No-One steadied himself after my sneak attack, Viper held out her arm and helped me back onto my feet. I was running on the last bit of energy I had, if I take one more hit, or even dish it out to extremely, I was going to collapse again. We took a stand as the black-clad villain charged at us once more. Viper threw a punch at him, however he dodged, and using his string that he brought out from his belt, tied her arm and swung her around his body before throwing her against me, causing us both to tumble and crash along the floor.

BAM! I was hit cleanly in the face by his knee, knocking me upwards and giving him the opportunity to grab my neck. His fingers wrapped around me and started to choke me. By this point, I was coughing up blood. BAM! He connected his fist with my stomach hard. Reacting quickly, I grabbed his arm with both my arms and legs, the weight causing the both of us to fall to the ground. BAM! While I held his arm, I kicked him square in the face.

BAM! His lower body hopped upwards, and allowed him to spin around and kick me in the back, forcing me to let go. I rolled away from him, as he did fro me. I rolled up until I hit the wall on the other side of the room. Watching on, I saw him get back up and take his mask off. He grabbed his blood-stained nose, trying to stop anymore from leaking out. BAM! Viper whacked him on the back with her bow staff. BAM! She then uppercut him under his nose, blood exploded from his nose yet again.

He staggered backwards, and Viper was at him yet again. She tried to push him down with her weapon, however he grabbed it, then spun around and thumped over causing Viper to go flying over his head before crashing onto the ground again. ''This time, I'll make sure to cut you…'' BAM! I cut him off before he could even finish his threat, punching him across the side of the face and knocking him away from her.

I was distracted by checking Viper to see if she was still conscious, so I could do nothing as No-One thumped his foot down on top of my left one, just above the ankle. CRACK! I yelled out and plummeted to the ground next to Viper. Every single little pain that I felt all over my body disappeared and was transferred over to my ankle. One of my arms instinctively went to cover my eyes as I held back the tears, while the other gripped tightly against my leg, hoping that would suppress the pain in someway. It was bad enough my legs already felt like jelly, now my foot felt like it was going to fall off completely.

My throat was so hoarse and weak by this point, there were no more screams or cries of pain from me, only quick pants of breath just so I could remain awake. My arm that covered my face slumped downwards, and my vision was blurred at first, as No-One stumbled about holding his face. It looked in pretty bad shape from here, and yet I was still probably the worse off of us two.

''Thomas…'' Viper breathed next to me as she tried to stand back up. ''I heard a crack…''

''It's my ankle, I think it's…''

I was interrupted as No-One stood over us, glaring down fiercely at me. ''You think you're the hero, and I'm not? You're wrong, and I'll tell you why! When this is over, and I'm the only one of us alive, I'll tell everyone that I was the hero! A real hero is the one who comes out on top, and declares what he sees as right or wrong. I'm the hero of this story, and there's nothing you can do to…''

BANG! No-One froze instantly as blood burst from his side. He screamed in agony and backed away, turning to find the culprit. I had to use Viper for support, lifting myself up just enough to see Hunter standing behind No-One holding Victor's gun at him, pulling the trigger over and over, only to come up empty each time. ''That's what you get for cheating!'' She bounced over towards me. ''It's been fun, but I gotta go before you guys probably tie me up again. Toodles!'' Before she could be stopped, she rushed out of the door, bursting through it and long gone already.

Watching her leave, No-One wobbled towards the door himself, hoping for his own chance at escape.

No! I can't let him escape again, not again. This might not have been how I wanted it to end, but it's happened this way, and I have to work with it, otherwise this will start all over again…and Donovan would have died for nothing.

I rolled onto my front, and pushed myself up. My foot was burning greatly, was probably facing the completely wrong way from where it should, and what I was about to do was only going to make it worse…but I had to do it.

Running on reserves now, I launched myself onto my right foot and quickly limped for No-One as he tried to rush past me. BAM! I gave him an Omega-Swing onto his new wound, forcing him back into the room. He bellowed and held onto his side. I wasn't faring much better, as I almost broke down over my left foot.

BAM! I wasn't ready for his punch that landed right over my lip, causing me to spit blood. He was trying to wear me down on my bad foot.

BAM! I came back with another punch, hitting him across the face and cutting him above his nose. It was like he was wearing a new mask now, as his face was now coated in blood.

BAM! Another punch came my way, striking me across my right-side cheek, again trying to force me onto my bad foot. As he stood there, like he was waiting for my punch, that's when I knew there was no longer any concern for blocking or trying to evade the other's attacks…this was a last-man standing punch out.

BAM! I hit him once more across the face.

BAM! He repeated the action to me.

BAM!

BAM!

BAM!

BAM!

Each time between punches was longer than the last, as fatigue was playing in both of us. He was no longer holding his bloody bullet wound. All he wanted to do was wait for my punch so that he could throw his. I tried to punch him. But I couldn't. I tried to muster up any strength I had left, but I couldn't. My arms were still. I was unable to raise them any higher. Seeing me like this, he started to laugh maniacally. ''You've got nothing left…I've won!''

He raised his arm, ready to throw a final punch at me. BAM! Just then, Viper's bow staff smacked him over his wound, knocking him off his feet and down to the ground. She rushed to me and held me close as I limped down to the ground. I closed my eyes, finally able to close them and rest, truly for the first time tonight.

''We did it!'' Viper said as she looked down towards my foot…or ankle, I don't even know which it is that's broken anymore, and I don't care.

''You think this is over?'' No-One coughed as he lay on the ground, staring back at us. ''This isn't over until my mission is complete. When I purge the city of every criminal, and every gang. You're helping them Omega Kid, you and your other so-called heroes! I've done more good for this city than you ever will. When I see Sandra and our child again, they'll look at me with pride, knowing all the good I've done…''

As he ranted on, Viper and I watched Marcus rising back onto his feet and standing over him. I knew how this was going to end, and I was powerless to do anything to stop it. He raised his giant first, and Viper and I turned away.

BAAAM! The crunching sound alone nearly made me feel sick. There was complete silence coming from behind us now…it was over. Douglas Carbone and Victor Crowsworth were dead. ''You didn't have to do that!'' I shouted at Marcus.

The lumbering giant stepped closer to us, thankfully blocking my view from what remains of Douglas's head. ''Yes, I did.'' He murmured as he reached for, what looked like, a fire alarm on the wall. He pulled it while slumping down to the ground at the same time, and the whole room was filled with an ear-piercing alarm. I was too weak to cover my ears and block the sound, so Viper did it for me when she noticed I was in a bit of distress. ''Go! Now!'' Marcus told us.

''What about you?'' Viper asked him. Her voice could be just about heard over the alarm.

''I've done all I wanted to do. And don't worry, I won't tell the police about your identities.''

''Why?'' I asked him, as Viper helped me up. I leaned on her for support as we headed for the door.

''Douglas was right about one thing…Toxin is dead. I've got nothing else left to give. All those years of working for someone…or being apart of something…it's all over for me now. I'm done.'' He leaned his head back against the wall, staring off into space.

Viper helped me move forward, I couldn't even stand on my good foot anymore without it affecting my bad foot. Any kind of pressure I put on it made my skin crawl, as I bit my lip so I don't cry out in pain. As we were about to pass the door, I took once last look at Marcus. There was something about what he just said, about working for others and being apart of something, it made me stop and think. He must have been in gangs his whole life, he had to know people…including a certain someone who helped us tonight.

''Hey!'' I called out to get his attention. Viper stopped in her tracks, and Marcus slowly turned to look at me. ''You knew Hellrider before, didn't you?''

Although his expression was deadpan, the shiftiness in his eyes was enough to convince me that he knew what I was talking about. ''What?'' Viper questioned.

''A while back, Marcus had Hellrider and me cornered, and he recognised him! Why is that?''

Marcus remained pokerfaced about my interrogation, eventually though he talked. ''I was part of a gang, and my boss wanted my boys and I to burn down a couple of houses around an area for some kind of protection payment. There was this one kid who tried to fight us, but he didn't stand a chance. His house burned down, and whatever family he had in there died in the fire.''

Jesus, no wonder Hellrider had such a vendetta against the guy when they saw each other again. Another thought came to mind. ''Who was your boss?''

''It doesn't matter; he's been dead for years. But he taught me a lot. Gave me the values that I hold to this day, and will continue to hold until I die in prison.''

That wasn't a good enough answer for me, I wanted to press on until I knew more, but I could feel Viper pulling on me harder. ''We have to go now, before the police get here.'' She told me firmly.

She was right, there wasn't any time. Besides, if Hellrider was out there and still willing to help us when we need it, then there will be a day when I can talk with him about it. I rested my head on her shoulders as she helped me out of the room and back down the corridor leading to the stairs.

Once we reached it, I looked down to see the others waiting on the floor below. Dozens of unconscious bodies littered everywhere. ''What happened? Who set the alarm?'' Ultra Kid asked me.

''I'll tell you more about it later, right now we have to go.'' I said as Viper helped lower me down to them.

''But is it over?'' Super Kid asked me.

''Yeah…not how I imagined it would be…but yeah, it's over.''

As the others helped carry me, Viper jumped down. ''You've probably broken your ankle, there's no way we can walk out of here before the police arrive without making it worse.''

''Well,'' Omega Girl called out. ''We still have a truck outside. Anyone know how to drive it?''

Hood raised his arm. ''I can drive.''

''Okay, we have our ride then.''

It felt so good to have the morning sunshine brightly on my face as I stepped out of the truck. Thankfully it was still too early in the morning for the neighbours to have woken up, it would take a lot of explaining if any of them saw me limping out of a Toxin truck while in an Omega Kid costume just outside my home. ''You sure you're going to be okay, buddy?'' Alex asked as he stood by the truck door.

''I don't know. I'm honestly more scared of facing Jenna now than I was facing Douglas a few hours ago.''

''Really?''

I hesitated. ''I think.''

''Well, think of today as the day you saved the city, rather than the day you were grounded for the rest of your life.'' He joked, and it did manage to get a chuckle of me, although my throat hurt just from breathing alone.

He gave me an encouraging pat on the back, before stepping back into the truck and closing the door. As I quickly limped over toward my home, their pulled out the truck and soon took off down the street and out of sight, heading for their own respective homes. There really is no place like home. I now know just how true that quote was.

KNOCK! KNO- I didn't even finish knocking before the front door flung open and Rachael came flying out hugging me tightly. ''Ow, ow, my foot.'' I whimpered, and she immediately stepped back. Before she could apologise though, it was now Jenna's turn to lock me in her arms, even tighter this time. ''Ow, ow, my everything.''

She pulled back and looked at me with great concern. ''What happened to you? Where were you?''

''Don't worry, I'm feeling much better now. Though Stella said my foot might be…''

''Wait, what? Stella's a superhero too?'' Jenna gasped in disbelief. Wow, I am really bad at this secret identity thing. ''Never mind, just get in before someone sees you.'' She gently shoved me inside and quickly slammed the front door shut.

While she did that, and looked out through the spy-hole to make sure no one was looking, Rachael led me towards the sofa to rest. ''You guys won?'' She asked me.

''Yeah.''

''Douglas and Victor are…'' She didn't need to finish her question, as the disheartened look on my face probably said it all. Once we reached the sofa, she helped me down, and it felt like heaven to sit on something so soft and comforting. ''I'm going to wait upstairs, I think you and Jenna need to have a talk.'' She said. She leaned down to plant a kiss on my cheek before leaving.

Now comes the part I'm really not looking forward to at all, as my sister came and sat down next to me. ''I'm really sorry!'' I got out straight away.

''For being Omega Kid? Or for drugging me?''

''Both…I guess.''

There was another awkward silence between us. At this moment, I don't even know what to say anymore, even if I wasn't completely exhausted. She rubbed the back of her hand against her forehead. ''I can't take away all the things you've already done as Omega Kid, and all the times you've been hurt.'' I nodded understandingly. ''Thomas, I really do not like this, and I don't think it's a good idea at all. But…'' She stopped mid-sentence.

My head picked up in hope. ''But?''

''But…if you really think what you're doing is for a good cause…then the least we can do is make a few rules. Just to make things safer for you.'' I couldn't believe what I was hearing. What did Rachael say to her last night? Whatever it was, it must have got through to her…then again my tactics of drug and run weren't that great.

''So, you're going to let me continue as Omega Kid?''

''Thomas, I don't think I could stop you even if I really wanted to…and I really want to! So if you're going to go on like this, we need some rules.''

''Yeah, yeah, of course! Anything!''

After so long, it was nice to finally see a smile on her lovely face again. ''Rule one, you're going to be taking a two-week break!''

''What?'' I groaned in disappointment.

''Not with your foot like that! We're going to get it check out today!'' She told me determinedly. ''Rule two, you won't go into fights alone, always have someone there to help you.''

''I like that one.'' I said tiredly.

I felt like I was going to pass out in a minute, and Jenna must have noticed because she stopped with the rule giving straightaway. ''We'll talk more about this later. Get some rest, then we'll get your foot checked at the hospital, then we can go over the rest of the rules afterwards. Deal?''

I nodded drowsily, and leaned forward to hug her warmly, which she happily returned. ''Thank you.'' I whispered to her.

''Don't make me regret this.'' She said.

''I promise, I won't.'' I know that she's right. After the night I've had, I think I can take some time off to rest. After that, I'll be back and stronger than ever. And I'll keep getting stronger, until I really am the greatest superhero in the world, just as Donavan saw me. With the awesome team I have, I feel like I'm ready for anything…at this point, nothing can surprise me anymore.

''You know, I think I could modify the truck to fit our needs.'' Harry said.

''Seriously? We could have our own truck? Awesome.'' Alex smiled, liking the idea of us having our very own Hero mobile, and I just know that's probably the name he would give it.

I listened to them discuss more about their truck as the rest of us watched the madness going on in the distance. The paperclip factory that covered over our HQ had pretty much been burned to the ground, as firefighters and paramedics worked on the scene to try and get the damage cleared of the roads or away from the surrounding buildings. We shouldn't be too suspicious, to anyone, we were just a bunch of normal teens watching a burnt down building in the distance. While the other heroes were around, Rachael was also here with us, sitting beside me and holding my arm. ''They won't be able to find anything from your HQ, would they?''

I shook my head. ''I doubt it. Anything that wasn't destroyed is buried underneath all that rubble and earth. And since that place didn't exist in the public eye anyway, no one is going to search for it.''

''Which probably means we're going to have to set up a new base somewhere.'' Diandra said.

Suddenly, a voice called out from behind us. ''I might be able to offer some help there, badass!'' We all turned and saw Omega Girl hiding around the corner of a building. Once all our attention was focused on her, she leaned against the wall and tried to play it casual. ''You know, my places are always free if you guys ever want to set up your super, cool bases there. I don't use most of them anymore.''

''You'd do that for us?'' I inquired.

She shrugged her shoulders. ''Yeah, why not? You all seem cool. And it's kind of nice to work with other superheroes. Also, if you all want another team-up, you can just look me up and I might help you out if your asses need to be saved again.''

Diandra and I looked at each other, both thinking the exact same thing. She smiled and turned back to Omega Girl. ''That's not really going to work, seeing as you're already part of the team.''

Hearing that, Omega Girl looked at each of us with wide-eyed surprise. ''You want me to join your team?''

''If you want,'' I offered. ''You were a really big help, and we can't thank you enough.''

What followed was probably one of the most adorable things ever, as she shook her arms excitedly and squealed in delight. After that, she tried to play it cool again, giving off her best pokerface. ''I accept you offer. Although I have one condition.''

''Okay?''

''See, I took your costume and name as a tribute to you cause I thought you were...you know, kinda dead. Now that I know you're not, I want to do my own thing, with a new costume and name. I just wanted to put that out there because I don't want an awkward moment where you give me a name tag, and I don't have that name anymore and...you get what I mean.''

''So, what do you want to be called?'' Alex asked her.

''I've always liked the name...Silver Saint!''

''Cool,'' I said, and I think the others agreed. It's not like I'm the best with names anyway, I had to get mine from an X-Men comic that Rachael gave me. I turned to our newest member. ''Silver Saint, welcome to the League of Heroes.''

The End of Volume 5...

And now for an exclusive trailer preview of Omega Kid Volume 6

(Cuts of the heroes riding through the streets in the Hero-Mobile, now with their symbols on the side.)

Ultra Kid: Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?

Hood: I will shoot you if you keep this up!

(Everyone in the truck laughs, including Omega Kid, until he stops as rubs his arm to quell a sudden pain. Cut to Thomas and Rachael sitting together in a park bench, Thomas holding looking down at his bandaged foot while Rachael watches on with concern.)

Thomas: I'm telling you, I'm fine. It's just been taking me a little longer than usual to get back to 100 percent.

(Omega Kid squares off against a villain with a large metal shell over his back, the villain slams a baton against it, causing a noise loud enough to make Omega Kid collapse to the ground holding his ears.)

Stella: You don't get it. You're not getting better...

(Omega Kid is bloody and wounded in a secluded alleyway, surrounded by hooded thugs, snarling at him and brandishing knives. One jumps behind him and strikes him with a knife.)

Stella: You've been getting worse!

(Cuts of Omega Kid and Ultra Kid being pushed back by an unseen enemy while Silver Saint lays on the ground crying; Thomas, Crystal and dozens of other people on an underground tube-train taking cover from gunfire; Hood and Hunter surrounded by more snarling hooded thugs; the heroes fighting against more of the snarling gangsters, Omega Kid managing to knock one down; Diandra standing at a door, greeted by an old stranger.)

Diandra: What exactly are we dealing with?

Old Stranger: Demons.

(Cut back to Omega Kid as he pulls back the hood of the thug, revealing a demonic face that roars at him)

Face...

(Omega Kid fights more of the demons on a rooftop during a huge lightning storm; Hood drives the Hero-Mobile into the front gates of a building; Megan, in her own superhero costumes, watches on as Omega Kid is fighting with Ultra Kid and Super Kid.)

Your...

(A female fighter grabs Omega Kid by the neck and tosses him away as the demons watch on, cheering for their demon leader; Rachael cries in the middle of a hallway, blood staining her hands; the villain with the metal shell fights with Emeraldian; Omega Kid charges at Hex, who readies his sword at our hero)

Demons!

Demon Leader: Did you really think it would end any other way?

(The demon leader holds Thomas by his neck, his body motionless with his costume ripped to shreds and blood pouring to the ground. She smiles devilishly at him. A flash of lightning and we fade to black.)

Omega Kid Volume 6: The Demons Arc

(Omega Kid stands alone in a dark room)

Omega Kid: This day cannot get any worse.

(The lights come on, and Omega Kid is forced to dodge attacks from Triple Terror, Volos and Hungary Cook. He jumps out of the way, about to charge at Volos, who is also charing at him, until our hero is grabbed by the neck and hoisted up by another villain. He turns to reveal Mother Russia, and Chris D'Amico applauds in the background)

Chris D'Amico: We meet at last!

Coming Soon...

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