Carter swerved to his right, just avoiding several of Sergei's barbs. Fists glowing, he launched himself at Madrid, the two rolled through the snow and away from the group. Madrid struggled to free herself, mind growing fuzzy being so close to Carter's whammy energy.
Grabbing his hand, Madrid twisted with all her strength, Carter bellowing as she bent the bones in his wrist back. He released his hold, kicking at the actress and separating the two of them. Madrid glared at him, going for her guns and firing, Carter just managing to dive behind some trees.
"Are you insane?" He shouted, charging up a whammy blast.
"You kidnapped my baby sister, you freak! I'm not insane, I'm pissed!" Madrid roared, firing into the trunk of the tree.
Carter was learning quickly the problem that arose when fighting someone that was a copier: As long as they had a loaded weapon on their person, they could endlessly summon ammo. Already, Madrid had 4 empty guns at her feet, and she was close to finishing off the 5th. Two more bullets, and she let the fifth gun drop, raising the sixth while copying the seventh.
"Oh yea, I took my daughter away from a crazy Russian, a hot tempered strong woman, a man that tried to kill me and her emotionally stunted, pampered sister. My God, lock me up and throw away the key!"
"SHE ISN'T YOUR DAUGHTER!"
Carter laughed bitterly. "Keep singing that tune, Madrid, keep singing that tune. In the end, you're just to have to accept that Vally isn't your sister, she's our test tube baby. You want to do what is right for her? Then grow up, stop bitching, and be the mother that girl needs!" He swung around, firing a blast of energy that sent Madrid to her knees. Carter stormed towards her, grabbing her by the hair and forcing her to look at him. "Because until you do, I'm going to make sure you don't hurt her." And with that, he cocked back his fist and drove it into her gut.
&&&
Marshal snarled as he struck Galatea, his claws digging into her skin and cutting rivets of blood. Not to be outdone, Galatea's hand lashed out, gripping Marshal by the neck and slamming him into the ground again and again.
"Why do you fight?" Galatea asked, in tone confused even as Jessica cheered her one. "Why do you care about these people? Your only connection is to the woman…" She nodded at Helena, who was currently dodging attacks from Lee's clones. "And even then, I have not seen enough to understand why you stand with her."
Marshal roared, bucking up and smashing Galatea's chin with the back of his head, sending her tottling back. "Why? Because I have seen how much Carter loves his daughter. I've watched him in this month give more love to that child then most will receive in their lifetime. I have this group of strangers, old friends and even enemies come together, all to protect a little girl most have no stake in. Why? Out of loyalty." He punched Galatea in the gut several times before tossing her into a snow bank. "So tell me…why do you fight?"
Galatea didn't have an answer.
&&&
Sergei fired off several barbs, Linda zig zaging as best she could. She was trying to keep the battle near the house, to protect the tourists and civilians on the island that could easily step into the path of a black barb.
Holding her hands out as she ran in a circle around Sergei, Linda forced her eyes shut and focused on the ground below her.
"You have been misled." Sergei said coldly. "This Carter Daniels is not to be trusted. He is a monster that will take the child's innocence and shatter it like dry clay."
Linda's eyes snapped open as she tightened the circle she was running in. "If you think that, then you are the one that has been misled."
Sergei scoffed. "I have seen the power Carter wields. He believes he is some sort of Voice of God, and deems himself worthy of commanding others. He is power hungry and delusional."
"I saw Carter's dead body." Linda countered. "I was there when his mother found him, cold and still. There was no life in him, no spark. Then, weeks later, I find him alive, breathing and living and protecting Vally. And I knew that I was seeing a mira-AAAAAAAAA!"
Linda grabbed her leg, gasping as she tore the black barb from her calf. Sergei raised his hand, targeting in on her. "You know nothing."
Linda's eyes flashed, a cyclone of water, the one she had been making while running, shot from the ground, sending Sergei hurtling through the air.
"Then I prefer to know nothing then to know your everything." She muttered, watching Sergei smash to the ground.
&&&
Helena pulled a hunting knife from her boot, using it to slice into the clone that was coming up behind her and rip out his jugular. The clones never made a sound when she sliced the, never squeaking or yelping or crying out.
The former Company Woman didn't know if that was a blessing or a curse.
She had thought about, in the past, what could have driven her son to unleashing his powers as he did in the Mint. What could have forced him to commit the very act that lead to his death.
Now, as she was being pulled to the ground by Lee's mindless clones, Helena wished she could just explode as well.
&&&
Lee held up his hand, his cloud of locust swirling about him as he searched for Hank. The slightly younger man was proving hard to find then he had expected, managing to avoid the swarm that would give away his location.
'thank God he doesn't have a gun.' Lee thought as he continued to walk about, his locust buzzing loudly.
A movement to his right caught his attention, moving enough so that Hank's punch only grazed his cheek. Lee Swung wildly, hitting something hard, Hank grunting before he rolled out of the way and back onto the bare road.
"I won't let you hurt Carter again." Hank's voice rang out.
"I'm not trying to hurt Carter. I'm here to help Madrid."
"Helping her will hurt Carter. Taking away his daughter will only shatter his heart."
Lee nodded. "And you don't think it hurt Madrid when he took Vally?" He frowned, sending a wave of locust where he thought Hank was. "Madrid has been raising Vally since their parents died, and Carter just swept in and stole her away."
"He didn't steal her. From the way I hear it, there is a spy in your group working for my family."
"Your family…you're related to the people that want to kidnap Vally?"
"Unfortunately. But unlike your spy, I have Carter's interests at heart…and Vally's."
Lee frowned, the locust not as enraged as they had been moments earlier. "So we both want to protect Vally?"
"Oh yea." Hank said.
"…then why the hell are we fighting?"
Hank paused, slowly reappearing next to Lee. "I…I don't know."
&&&
"NO!" Vally screamed, pink flames flying in every direction. Tina and Kelly were trying to hold the girl down, having already wrapped her up tightly in a bed sheet to keep her from darting out of the room. They were now dodging blasts from her eyes, the energy firing off as she threw her tantrum.
"Vally, calm down!" Tina pleaded.
"NO! DADDY! MADDY!" She cried out, struggling to get free. Kelly wrapped her arms around the little girl, hugging her tightly. "LET GO LET GO LET GO!" She squealed, little feet kicking from where they stuck out of the blanket. The whole scene would have been cute, if not for the life and death struggle going on outside the mansion.
"Vally, sweetie, listen…your mom and dad just need time to talk things out…"
"YOU BITCH!" Carter roared, his voice echoing up through the window. "You nearly blew my head off!"
"Sorry, next time I won't miss!" Madrid snapped back.
"I'm going to reduce your brains to mush!" Carter bellowed right before Tina slammed the window shut.
"See…just talking…everyone is happy."
Vally stared at them, brow furrowed.
"Not buying that, huh?" Tina asked.
"….DADDY! MADDY!" She screamed, thrashing violently.
&&&
Helena dodged a punch, only to get a nasty kick to the head that sent her spinning. Arms grabbed her, pulling her in all directions, a scream breaking from her lips as she fought to free herself.
BOOM!
Helena just managed to take a breath before the wall of water fell on her, clouding her vision and chilling her to the bone. She felt herself hit the ground as the wave rushed over her, pulling the clones away and leaving her fighting against the current. It was the weirdest feeling, to know one was on dry land yet feel like they had just taken a dip in the ice Great Lakes.
As suddenly as the wave had appeared, it was gone, leaving only Helena and Linda, the professor offering Mrs. Daniels a hand.
"C-c-c-couldn't have used warmer w-w-w-w-water?" Helena chattered.
Linda held up a hand, pulling the water from Helena's clothing and hair, drying her instantly. "Sorry about that, had to act quick."
"Not complaining." Helena muttered, rubbing her cold arms. "Any sign on the others?"
Marshall grunted as he carried Galatea's knocked out form towards the two women, gently setting her down in the snow. "Guess I'm 2-and-0 when it comes to fighting her."
"Lets hope we can figure out how there won't be a next time." Lee said, him and Hank walking together. The artist held up his hands when Helena glared at him. "We've come to an agreement…I never wanted to hurt Carter…I like the kid. Just got roped into this mess…"
Hank nodded. "I can vouch for him…Lee just wants to help us get things settled."
Helena nodded. "That's fine and dandy…where is my son?"
"Fine and dandy?" Lee questioned, the women just glaring at him. "Shutting up." Hank made a quiet whipping noise. "When your girlfriend can rip you in half, you learn to behave." He muttered.
Helena and Linda, meanwhile, were watching as Carter and Madrid continued to wage battle. It was an interesting fight, as whenever Carter got close enough to Madrid, she would open fire, leading to Carter backing off. But when Madrid would try and capitalize, Carter would fire back with his whammy energy and drive HER back, leading to a stalemate.
That didn't mean that the two were being quiet, however.
No, Carter and Madrid were throwing insults at each other left and right, both claiming to hold Vally's best interests at heart and that the other one would only end up hurting her.
"Its like Krammer vs. Krammer, except with superpowers." Hank muttered.
"They certainly are passionate." Linda agreed.
"I can't tell if they hate each other or are in love." Helena commented. When the others just stared at her, Helena shrugged. "Hate and love exist on a thin line." Watching the fight for a few more minutes, knowing none of them could go down there to help without injuring themselves, Helena finally turned back to Linda. "Where's your sparring buddy?"
&&&
Tina held up her hand, acid dripping from her fingers. "I said back off."
Sergei, bits of snow clumped to his jacket smiled. Vally had, moments earlier, become extremely upset, leading Kelly to do a scan that revealed someone not in their group was coming. Moments later, Sergei had entered, appearing way to calm and claiming he'd been sent to get Vally.
Tina and Kelly didn't buy it.
"I'm just here for Vally…"
"We know that…but you aren't getting her." Kelly said sternly.
Sergei shrugged. "Trust me…I am…you can either give her up now, or…" He raised an eyebrow.
"Or what?" Tina asked right before the air was crushed from her lungs, Kelly's GPS screaming instantly in warning.
Riker laughed as he stretched into the room, having fired his arm from outside to capture Tina. "Or acid girl gets it." He warned, raising his bladed wrist. "You even send a drop of acid out and I'll cut you!"
"NO!" Vally screamed, eyes flashing as her flames exploded. Sergei, Kelly, Tina and Riker blinked as they suddenly found themselves powerless. "no." Vally said sternly, wiggling free from the blanket.
Sergei licked his lips. "The Power of the Light…I didn't think she had it in her." He pulled a gun from his jacket and pressed it to Vally's head, Riker doing the same as he aimed his weapons at Kelly and Tina. "But try and block this, Little Miss Sunshine."
&&&
"DADDY! MADDY!"
Carter and Madrid froze as they heard Vally's panicked cries, followed by the rest of the group yelping in pain. The two glanced at each other, rushing back towards the mansion…
BOOM!
Carter and Madrid groaned as they were hit with the weight of a freight train from above, sending them to their knees. Each gasped, struggling to stand up, as the pressure slowly lessened.
Finally managing to look up, the two found Riker holding Tina and Kelly at gunpoint, Biddy beside him with her own guns trained on the rest of the group, who had been knocked down just like them.
"Sergei?" Madrid whispered in shock, the sight of her friend, the man she had feelings… she couldn't explain but feelings none the less…for, holding a gun under the chin of a scared but stubborn Valencia. "It…it was you?"
Sergei chuckled. "Even the slowest horse finishes the race." He mocked, walking closer. "You know, I was scared to death when Carter figured it out, but you, my beautiful little idiot, you drove away the only people that could really help you. I'm surprised you didn't question the fact that the only people to stick with you were people that barely knew you…that the father of your child and your prison best friend decided to leave."
Madrid glared at Sergei, slowly trying to move forward, only to be crushed again.
"Shhh…don't worry…don't worry…" Sergei said mockingly, "it's ok…we're going to take good care of the little tike."
"Vally…" Madrid whispered, even as Carter tried to gather strength to blast Sergei, the pressure having never left him and making it hard to focus.
Sergei chuckled. "Don't worry, Madrid…when we're done with her, Vally will be the ultimate weapon to secure the Alliance control of the Earth. Now that is quite an accomplishment!"
"Sergei…leave them alone." A man called out. "We have other matters to deal with."
Sergei stepped away, Vally still struggling in his arms, revealing to Carter and Madrid the ringleader of this kidnapping.
"Dad?" Hank whispered in shock.
Merrick Delpine smiled like a wolf as he looked down at Carter and Madrid. "Why so much anger, Mr. Daniels…Miss Alverez? Why so much anger?" His face twisted and he slammed both hands down, Madrid and Carter screaming in pain.