32 Productions Presents…

A HIVE Team Story

The HIVE Team In…

"A Tragic Loss"

Chapter Two

POWER PLANT!

Since Krystal wasn't sure on the exact location of the power plant, she couldn't teleport there. The pair had to fly. This was all well and good because it gave time for Blackfire's lips to get better. The plant was just as dark as the rest of the city. Flamebird had used ducts to get around the building, so the doors were still sealed with their electronic locks…which were now dead. Not that that meant anything to the likes of them. A well placed kick from Blackfire sent the door flying open…and almost off the hinges. Krystal peered into the dark hall.

Krystal: (whisper) M…M…Mario?

Blackfire: Shh!

Krystal: Relax. Nobody's in there. I can smell it…they've been here though. Might not be too far away. …and I smell blood.

Snapping her finger, Krystal sent an orb of light up to the ceiling and it glowed bright enough to illuminate the room. It was just a hallway, but there was a worker slumped on the wall, his throat cut. Blackfire scowled and opened her communicator.

Blackfire: Blackfire to all HIVE members. The black-out was no accident. Something is definitely going down.

Jinx: Alright…Gizmo, get down there and try to repair the generator.

Gizmo: Gotcha.

Jinx: You two search the place. Whoever did it could still be in there somewhere.

Krystal: Doubt it…but there's a body here. We'll search for survivors.

Jinx: Do that. Everyone else, keep their eyes peeled. If you encounter any crimes in progress, I'm counting on you to judge whether or not you'll need back up. Don't bite off more then you can chew. Jinx out.

Blackfire shut the communicator and turned to Krystal.

Blackfire: You wait for Gizmo. I'll…

Krystal: Ah, ah, ah. Who's got the super sniffer, Blackie?

Damn, she was right.

Blackfire: …I'LL wait for Gizmo. You search for survivors.

Krystal: Righto.

The pair split up.

City Roof tops

Mammoth landed hard on the next building. Why was it that only Sonic was allowed to drive the car? He was so damn possessive of that thing. Everybody else had to fly or something…well, not Red X. She had her own bike. In any case, he was stuck jumping. He was in mid jump when he was suddenly blasted out of the sky. He fell heavily to the streets below, but it would take more then that to put Mammoth out of commission. Dazed, Mammoth looked up and saw Red Star floating in the air, arms crossed. Flamebird's plan was to assign each of her team to a specific HIVE member. Since Mammoth relied on brute strength, someone who is not only super strong but can use projectiles was perfect for the job. Flying was also a plus. Holding up his hand, Red Star formed another blast and let it fly. Mammoth dodged it and leapt up at Red Star, his fist connecting with the Russian's stomach, sending him into a nearby building. He didn't stay there long, bursting out and charging up more blasts.

Power Plant: Control Room, Exact Same Moment

Gizmo scowled. Something was seriously messed up with this system. The buttons didn't seem to do anything. Not to mention the constant stream of binary code that spilled across the screen. Whatever had happened to this computer, he'd have to purge it completely and start over. It would take hours, but if the computer was to be repaired, he didn't have much choice short of building a new one and putting it in. Both would take a while and the purging would be easier. He plugged his pack in…which was exactly what Binary was waiting for. It surged into his pack, which promptly ejected him and rose up on its spider legs.

Gizmo: Oh crap…it's just like that movie where the technology turned on humankind. I think it was called "The Day Technology Turned on Humankind".

The legs started toward him.

Staff Room, Exact Same Moment

Krystal sighed and shook her head. How tragic. More bodies lined the room. Whoever did this was precise as well as heartless. Most only had single puncture wounds. The door opened and there was a gasped.

Argent: God damn…what have I gotten myself into?

Krystal: Argent!

Argent held up her hands.

Argent: It wasn't me! I swear, I didn't kill anyone! I'm not a killer…that said…

Argent created a series of items from her powers. A floating fist, a sword, and other such dangerous tools floated around her like the electrons of an atom.

Argent: …I still gotta kick your arse or I won't get paid. …though I'm starting to think it wasn't worth it.

It was too late now though. Argent was in this. Of course if it all went downhill, she'd gladly rat Flamebird out for a lighter sentencing. If Argent knew that Flamebird was such a bloodthirsty whack job, she never would have accepted the job. Krystal blocked each thing that Argent flung at her.

Krystal: You're gonna need to do better then…URK!

Krystal was cut off as a giant red hand grasped her from behind and began to squeeze. Argent sighed.

Argent: I'm not going to kill you…but I'm probably going to break a lot of bones. Nothing personal.

Hallway, Exact Same Moment

Why didn't she tell Krystal where to meet her? Now Blackfire was stuck wandering around the dark building, looking for her. She hated to admit it, but the way her blackbolts lit a room was kind of creepy. Her sister was lucky to get a bright green color. The dark purple made the room seem…ominous somehow. It was difficult to explain, but she didn't like it. It made her see things in the shadows. Like that large furry thing the corner of the room. The thing with the horns. That couldn't…uh oh. Wildebeest snorted and charged, his head lowered. Blackfire held her hands out and grasped the horns, straining against his considerable strength. The biggest problem was that now it was pitch black to her. Somehow she doubted the animal-like Wildebeest was having the same problem. Her guess was made clear when she felt a solid blow hit just below her rib cage. She coughed, the air forced from her lungs. She could feel his hot breath on her as he panted. She fired her eye beams, sending him flying. She dropped the broken horns, smirking.

Blackfire: I wonder if there's a fairy that gives money for when you lose your horns.

She charged a blackbolt…but couldn't find him.

Blackfire: …damn…

Jump City Streets, Exact Same Moment

Red X screeched to a stop in front of the museum. There was a gaping hole in the side of it. That was a pretty good indication that someone or something had broken in. She climbed in through the hole and pressed a button on her belt. The lens of her mask turned green as the night vision clicked on. She frowned. The place was empty…there wasn't even any dusty footprints…there wasn't anything but the priceless exhibits, still on display. Something was rotten in Denmark. That quoted observation was confirmed when she got that funny "there's somebody behind me" feeling. Panthra brought the motorcycle down. Red X rolled out of the way, tucking up. By pure luck the bike didn't explode. Panthra tossed the scraped bike back through the hole she had made to lure Red X inside. Her tail twitched with excitement and she held up her clawed hand.

Panthra: I'm going to enjoy this so much.

Red X: Then you're a glutton for pain.

Bold words, but not easily backed up. The human/cat hybrid was strong. Strong enough to break Mammoth's leg when they first met. Not only that, but she was quick too, with a cat's reflexes. With a bizarre yowl, Panthra leapt at her, planning on pinning her down and then…well, it was probably best that Red X didn't think about that part. But Panthra had jumped too high and Red X could roll under her. She had a cat's physical attributes, but not the mental ones. Her ability to judge pounces didn't match her namesake's. Red X fired X-rangs at her, but she swatted most of them away. One imbedded itself in her arm. Grinning, Panthra pulled the bladed object out. It barely bled. It hadn't gone in very far at all. At the range Red X had fired, it should have touched the bone. Panthra's hide was thicker then she feared. Suddenly she wondered if she was going to be keeping that promise to Knife-play after all. Shaking off her doubt, she prepared herself for a tough fight.

Rooftop, Exact Same Moment

Jinx scowled as she looked down at the city. It was way too quiet for a night like this. The power had been shut off for a reason. What the hell was it? With the power off, breaking into any place that would be worth sneaking into the power plant for would require substantial force to break the now inoperable security measures on the doors.

Voice: A wonderful evening, wouldn't you say?

Jinx turned to see a blonde haired girl in a redish costume, flames designed on it.

Flamebird: Jinx, isn't it?

Jinx: Who are you?

Flamebird: My name is Flamebird. I'm the one who has engineered the downfall of your team. Right now, each of your friends is under attack by somebody I carefully selected. Ones that can play to your friends' weaknesses. I promise you this, Jinx. By sun rise tomorrow your friends will be gone.

Jinx's eyes narrowed.

Jinx: You seriously underestimate my team. You can't calculate a way to win. Not with people you barely know. You have to be with them for months, know them inside and out.

Flamebird sneered. Nonsense. Her calculations were flawless. It WOULD work. Even if the impossible happened…

Flamebird: Perhaps…but can the same be said for your tower?

Jinx: What?!

Flamebird: Beat me and maybe you can persuade me to tell you more.

Clenching her teeth, Jinx flung a hex at the girl. Nobody threatened her friends. Nobody threatened her home. And most of all, nobody threatened Sonic…who was sick at home. Flamebird ducked, bolting forward. Jinx just barely dodged a kick toward her head, her eyes wide with surprise. The girl was fast. Jinx tried to grab her foot before she could pulled back. Flamebird pushed herself up with her free leg and spun, bringing her leg across Jinx's face. Landing on her hands, Flamebird flipped back to her feet.

Flamebird: Impressed?

Jinx: Hardly.

Jinx let out a large hex wave. Flamebird jumped over it just to get kicked in the gut.

Jinx: I was just warming up.

City Streets

Mammoth rolled as he took another blast. It was no good. He couldn't touch him. Red Star was glowing now, his body so hot that it burned Mammoth to try. It was starting to look pretty bad. Red Star landed, his feet melting the pavement.

Red Star: It's been enjoyable…but I think I shall end this now, comrade.

Mammoth suddenly had an idea (the third time this week, it was a record!) He grabbed a manhole cover out of the street. Red Star shook his head, charging a blast.

Red Star: Wasted effort. I'll melt that thing with ease.

Ah, but Mammoth had already thought of that. Rather then use the manhole cover on Red Star, he kicked a fire hydrant, causing it to shoot high pressured water straight up into the air. Using the lid, he was able to redirect the water, making it spray over Red Star. Steam formed as his white hot body was slowly cooled off, his view obstructed. He coughed until Mammoth's fist connected with his face. It still burned a little, but it knocked the Russian cold. One down.

Power Plant: Control Room

Gizmo yelped and ducked behind the console. Binary ran through the tools, finding them all very interesting and very destructive. Suddenly it seized up, the pack falling to the floor. Grumbling, Gizmo walked out from behind the console, holding a remote in his hands.

Gizmo: Good thing I put that override in there.

Binary tried to escape, but it was trapped inside. Gizmo picked it up and sighed.

Gizmo: Guess I need to build a new one. Damn it…

Staff Room

Krystal teleported away in a flash, making Argent hiss. That really hurt the eyes. Krystal blasted at her, but Argent incased herself in a shield when she was blinded.

Krystal: Alright, Argent, spill the beans, preferably pinto!

Argent rubbed her eyes, but Krystal kept setting off flashes. She couldn't see and now she was becoming disoriented.

Krystal: You know how some people have epileptic seizures? Did you know that the right combination of lights can set ANYONE off? See, it's all a matter of how the eyes interpret the lights. If the lights move too fast, are too bright, or too random in position, it causes the brain to just…pfft.

Krystal had no idea if this was true or not, but it sounded like a good threat, given that she couldn't hit Argent from inside her bubble. The flashes got faster and Argent's head began to swim.

Argent: Alright! Just stop! Please!

Krystal: Talk first, stop later!

Argent: We were hired by some lady named Flamebird! She had this plan to wipe you out! I…I didn't want to kill you guys, but…I was tired of losing.

Argent let the bubble down and sank to her knees.

Argent: I never should have started this…why didn't I just stay in high school like Mom wanted?

Argent began sobbing. Krystal bit her lip and edged closer.

Krystal: Aw…c'mon, Argent…

Argent: …Krystal?

Krystal: What?

Argent: …you're a real sucker.

Krystal flew back and hit the wall as she was hit by a battering ram from Argent. Argent turned and created another ram.

Argent: Flamebird can go jump off a bridge for all I bleeding care. I'm getting out of this.

Using the ram, Argent started to break down the walls of the building, running through the holes. Once she got outside, she took off flying. No more murdering. Argent was a thief. She stole jewels, money, anything but lives. Krystal groaned and shook her head.

Krystal: Bitch…

Hallway

Blackfire shook her head, dazed. She wasn't sure how many more times she could take being rammed like that. Wildebeest picked her up, lifting her over his head. Clenching her fists, she slammed both of them against the sides of Wildebeest's head, right over his ears. With a groan, it dropped her, collapsing. Blackfire huffed.

Blackfire: That was for drooling on me.

Museum

Red X panted, hiding behind a corner. Panthra was too strong. She needed a plan. Panthra sniffed the air.

Panthra: I can smell your blood, Red. I know you're here.

Hissing, Red X touched her wounded arm. Yep, bleeding. Glancing up, Red X noticed something. Hmm… Panthra came around the corner, stalking her prey with delight. She saw Red X leaning on the opposite corner, hiding. Grinning, she crept up behind the girl and pulled her fist back. It slammed forward, going right through the girl's head. …no blood. Confused, Panthra turned in time to be struck over the head with a flail. Reeling, Panthra was hit again and again until she collapsed with a groan. Rose sighed and pulled her mask off the dummy of Martha Washington she had dressed up and propped on the wall. She had been sitting in the spot the dummy used to be in when Panthra stalked by. She had smeared her blood on the dummy to give it her scent. How fortunate that Panthra didn't notice the stronger smell from her.

Rooftop

Flamebird grunted as she took another blow to her chest, knocking her over. Wiping her bleeding mouth, Jinx kicked Flamebird across her face. She grabbed Flamebird by the front of her costume.

Jinx: Now talk! What did you mean about my tower?!

Flamebird: Back up plan.

Flamebird hit a button on her belt. She grinned.

Flamebird: In less then five minutes, your tower will be rubble. I've had somebody waiting close by to deal with it, should I lose.

Jinx: No…

Jinx dropped her and opened her communicator.

Jinx: C'mon, c'mon…

Sonic answered.

Jinx: Sonic! Get out of the tower!

Flamebird: Oh, that's even better.

Sonic: What? Why?

Jinx: It's going to come down! GET OUT!

END PART TWO