Hey, everybody. Back with another chapter. Hope you like this one, although it may be a shorter one.
Let's get to it.
warlocktongue: No, I won't be including flashbacks. The Endgame story will include Nora and Stephen explaining to their Dad and the Avengers what happened in the years following the Decimation, though you will get some clues throughout this story.
Chapter 3- Canary in Baghdad
The sounds of fighting are nothing new in the streets of Baghdad. After two Iraqi civil wars following the Decimation, and extensive criminal activity, the city is used to the sounds of combat. But the sounds currently in downtown Baghdad are not from violence between gangs. But rather something rather new.
In an alley between two crumbling skyscrapers, several members of a gang that has caused mass trouble throughout Iraq are running for their lives. But, no matter how fast they go, they seem unable to shake their pursuer.
They turn onto the main street and speed up. Suddenly, from behind them, they hear a an agonizingly loud scream that makes them all stumble, clutching at their ears in pain.
The scream soon stops, but the pain lingers. Before the men can recover, powerful blows to the head knock two of them out. Before the third can recover, he's shoved to the ground.
Turning around, he sees a black clad woman, with two batons in her hands, and a black face mask, with a small device fitted around her neck.
"Where's your leader?" she demands in fluent Arabic.
"I-I don't know," the thug responds in fear.
"Wrong answer," she says as she steps forward and raises her baton threateningly.
"Alright! Alright! I'll talk! He's in our hideout in the outskirts!" the thug cries before giving the location of the gang's hideout.
The woman smiles as she says, "Thank you." She then swings her baton and hits him across the face, knocking him out.
(Half an hour later)
Zoe smirks as she walks up to the building in the outskirts of Baghdad where the thug said she could find the organization's leaders. She's been looking for them for a while, and finally she has them in her sights.
Zoe kicks in the door and rushes into the building. There are two guards right inside the door, which she quickly knocks out with two blows from her batons.
She races past them and into the building. She finds several more guards along the way, easily dispatching them with a few moves. Rounding a corner, she finds fifteen heavily armed men. They all turn to stare at her. She smiles and says, "Hi, fellas."
She then leans forward and releases a scream from her Canary Cry necklace. All the men clutch at their ears in agony.
After a few moments, Zoe stops the Cry and races towards the men. Still dazed from the cry, they are unable to fight back. Zoe darts among them, knocking them out with quick blows to the head. It's not long before all fifteen men are lying unconscious at her feet.
Zoe chuckles to herself. "This is going very well," she says under her breath. She then turns towards the door leading into the next room, where hopefully the men she's been chasing for 6 months are hiding.
Suddenly, a flash of yellow and red lightning streaks past her and into the room. Zoe looks to the side, then to the door in confusion. "What was that?" she asks herself. After a few moments, she jogs over to the door, now open slightly, and opens it all the way.
The moment Zoe steps into the room, she stops short. All the men are tied to the chairs, with gags in their mouths, and struggling to get out of their bonds.
"What the h***?" Zoe says under her breath.
Right then, there's another flash of yellow and red lightning, and suddenly Stephen is standing in front of Zoe, grinning.
"Hello, Zoe Ramirez. I thought I'd just give you a hand real quick," he says cheerfully.
Zoe narrows her eyes. "How do you know who I am?" she asks.
"Well, me and my team are quite resourceful. Plus, we tracked down your old teacher, and he helped us find you," Stephen says.
Zoe calms a bit. "So, Bruce is still alive. I've wondered for a while if he was still around. Good to know he's still alive," she says, almost to herself. The, she looks up at Stephen and asks, "So, why are you here, speedy?"
"I need to talk to you, Canary. Let's go somewhere we can talk in private," Stephen says before racing her out of the building.
A few moments later, the two come to a stop in a warehouse. Zoe stumbles for a few moments before grabbing onto a pole to steady herself. After a few moments, she turns back to Stephen and glares at him. "Please don't do that again," she says.
"Sorry," Stephen says with a chuckle, showing he's not really sorry.
After a moment, she shakes her head a bit to clear it, then folds her arms and asks, "So, what does the so-called Silver Flash want with me?"
"So, you've heard of me. I'm a little surprised," Stephen says.
"I still keep up on things back in the US," Zoe explains.
Stephen nods, then removes his mask. He looks at Zoe and says, "Well, Zoe, my name is Stephen Allen. And I've come with a request."
"What could I do for a speedster?" Zoe asks.
"We have a little problem back home. A new speedster is causing trouble in Central City. He calls himself Godspeed, and now he has a team. Deathstroke, Captain Boomerang, and Weather Witch. Me and my sister and our friend, John Diggle Jr., can't stop them on our own. We went to Bruce, and he suggested we find you, and you may be able to help us," Stephen explains.
Zoe considers him for a moment. "And why did Bruce suggest me?" she asks.
"Because he knows you've spent years trying to follow in your dad's shoes and bring order and justice to this world. And that's what we need you to do," Stephen says.
Zoe looks at him impassively, considering his words. Then, she slowly nods, and says, "Alright. I'll help. You helped me out. Only fair I do the same," she says. She extends her hand, and Stephen grins as he takes the hand. Zoe regrets her action a second later as Stephen races away, pulling her with him as he races out of Baghdad, heading back to the United States.
And, I'll stop there.
Hope this wasn't too bad. I know it's not too long and not the best chapter.
Next chapter will show John finding Jenna, and you'll finally find out which hero persona I have selected for her. I think you'll like my choice. Keep your guesses coming.
Now, I'm heading out of town for a brief vacation right after I post this. So you won't be getting another chapter until next week. I'll still be able to read your reviews, so keep those coming, and say tuned!