Arnold immediately jumped over the swinging blade as he saw the brute.
"I've been waiting for a shot at you, Shadow! Come on! I'll slice you to shre-" Arnold interrupted his sentence as he kicked his knee down and upper-cutted him.
"This is gonna hurt!" The brute swung three times. And missed every swing.
Arnold kicked the same leg down again, elbowed the back of his head, jumped off his chest plating, and came down as he dug his fists into the brute's mask and made the brute crash his head onto the metal flooring.
The brute laid there, knocked out.
"Get up here, guys! We still have a mission to do here!" Arnold said over the earpiece.
Gerald and Spinelli grappled up after each other as Star Sapphire flew up there.
Arnold had finished hacking a panel that blocked off their pathway. "Took you guys long." He lightly smirked. "Let's just keep going." Spinelli replied, unamused.
"WHERE are the files?!" A soldier interrogated.
"I'm not saying fuck!" Dr. Rash replied, angrily.
"You want us to cut off your fingers? We don't mind. We can start with the fingers and see how long your bitch ass lasts!
"UGH!" Sapphire dropped in as the others dropped in and knocked out the other soldiers.
"Perimeter breach! It's those Vigilantes! KILL THEM!"
Meanwhile…
"Ugh! If we would've known they would take this long, we should've just stayed back at the lair!" Rhonda complained.
"Nah. You're just mad you don't get to have your fun with Arnold." Nadine laughed. Ariel only looked away as she contained her laughter.
"Keep that up and I'm smacking you with a mop when we get home." Rhonda lowered her eyelids.
A Few Minutes Later
Sapphire slammed a soldier against the ground as Arnold finished the last soldier with a ground takedown. He jumped onto the soldier's stomach and turned mid-air to punch the soldier right in the stomach.
"That should be the last of them." Spinelli said as she dusted off her hands. "I counted at most forty soldiers." Sapphire added.
"Thank God you're all here! I thought they were going to kill me!" Dr. Rash said.
"Why? What'd you do?" Gerald asked.
"Nothing! These animals came in and started shooting the place."
"They were also collecting those cylinders." Star Sapphire added.
"Ah. Nimbus Generators. A totally clean power cell we've been developing."
"Where's Alastor?" Arnold asked.
"Oh, they're on the second airship, I don't know why though."
"Was anyone with them?" Spinelli asked.
"I genuinely have no idea."
A flashbang went off as the five of them were all blinded briefly.
"My eyes!"
"Target secured. We're bringing him to Ark Two. Over." A soldier said.
"NOOO!"
"SHUT IT!"
"Wave goodbye. That's the last time you'll see them."
"Ugh…" They all got up as Dr. Rash was being taken away.
"Guys, I've been analyzing the schematics of the second airship, it's being defended by gun turrets. I also called the Hyperjet back to the lair, seeing now that you four are busy. There's a security terminal in the Research Laboratory in the rear of the vessel you guys are currently on. You should be able to disable it from there." Phoebe told the four.
"Thanks, Pheebs."
"Did you guys really think you stopped me at the Hexion Plant, Shadow?" Alastor started over the airship speakers. He then gave an evil chuckle. "You merely delayed the inevitable. Hillwood is mine to do as I please. And soon, I will say the same thing once I have your friends, CRIPPLED, and begging for their lives… I will drag your wife through the streets, begging for her life, and make her tell the world how much of a failure and fraud you all are. This will be a forsaken symbol around the world to demonstrate how much of a CURSED HERO you are…! Once I've broken your wife, I will strike her down. If I wanted, I'd kill her right now, but that would be cruel. And I intend to break you all once I move forward with this. As for your friends, I will have them crippled, broken, and battered. They will soon curse the hero that FAILED them! And Haidra knows the type of person you are… And just know this… I will break your family! And strike them down with my blades! And I'll have your wife, begging for death!"
"Sounds like he really hates your wife. What gives?" Star Sapphire asked. "I seriously don't know. We made a lot of enemies over the years. Let's keep going."
They all reached the rear of the airship within a couple of minutes.
"Men, it looks like there's a bit of a pest infestation… CRUSH THEM!" Haidra told her soldiers.
"No way. They can't be that stupid to take us on. We're in a damn airship!" The soldier replied. "They come in and they're dead."
"Zip it. You men are NOTHING compared to that team! Make good use of that drone." Haidra ordered.
"EUGH!" Arnold dropped in for a surprise attack as Sapphire took the other soldier out. The two escaped quickly as soldiers heard the ruckus.
Meanwhile
"Mom? Dad? What a pleasant surprise to see you here!" Rhonda greeted her parents upstairs after the Hyperjet returned.
"It's so great to see my little Princess up and about!" Brooke replied as they hugged her. "Oh, don't mind us. We had to make ourselves at home while you were gone." Buckley smirked.
"Dad!"
"Oh, we're just kidding, sweetheart! So, where's Arnold? It'd be great to see my son-in-law once more."
"Out on a mission."
"Sweetheart, we can't tell you how proud we are of you for choosing the best husband." Brooke smiled at Rhonda. "Thanks, Mom." She smiled wholeheartedly.
"Say, who's your new friend over there? It's been a long time since we last saw each other." Brooke mentioned. "Her? Our new teammate and friend! Ariel, mind coming over here?"
Swoops flew over as Ariel approached. "Sorry about Swoops. You need something?"
"Ariel, I want you to meet my parents." Ariel looked over as she smiled. "Ariel. Ariel Flyer. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lloyd." She offered her hand. "The pleasure is ours." Buckley shook her hand.
"Former Hillwood Firefighter and pilot. She's one of the best pilots across the country!" Rhonda patted her back. "Oh, why- I wouldn't go THAT far." Ariel blushed.
"This team expands and expands." Brooke smirked.
"Uh, Arnold? Regarding the identities of Alastor and Haidra?" Phoebe started. "Found anything?"
"Nothing. None of the former prison city inmates who remained unaccounted for fit the profiles."
"Widen the search. When the Asylum was broken into, dozens of inmates escaped. Focus on young men with Military experience."
"I have Impulse downloading the files now."
"What the?! What'd you do to me?!" A soldier asked as he looked at his suit. "Helped you, idiot. Anyone who touches you now gets a thousand volts through them." A new form of Militia soldier said.
"Looks like their combat suits can temporarily carry an electric charge." Spinelli pointed out. "Making it difficult for us… Unless you have someone like Sapphire." Arnold looked over. Sapphire smirked as she blew a kiss to her ring.
"I see where you're going with that." Spinelli smirked. "We can't touch 'em, but she can."
"Knock out the medics. They're in the white uniforms, and they're the ones who give electric charges and bring back the soldiers."
"EUGH!" Arnold came crashing down onto the medic, taking him out. Sapphire grabbed and launched the electrified soldier into another soldier.
"GET THEM!" A soldier yelled.
A Couple of Minutes Later
Spinelli tossed a soldier into the air and smashed his face into glass as she kicked away the soldier running in from behind.
Sapphire launched a soldier toward Arnold as he grabbed him and slammed his back into the floor.
"That should be all of them." Gerald said.
"Let's go!"
The turrets on the second airship were destroyed, making it easier for an entrance.
Sapphire formed a shield as she crashed through the window.
"LOOK OUT!" A soldier shouted as one of them got knocked unconscious.
Star yanked one of the ninjas in surprise and slammed both the ninja and soldier through a weak wall as the others came in.
Arnold yanked one of the soldiers' arms and twisted it to a weird angle, breaking it. Spinelli grabbed one of their wrists and kneed his ribs, and then broke his wrist. Gerald bodyslammed a soldier into the ground and smashed the back of his head with his handgun.
"Gentlemen, an announcement. Our one-time friend Dr. Rash neglected to keep the Cloudburst charged and ready for operation. We will need to do the job ourselves." Alastor started over the airship speakers. "I need men to Biological Engineering ferrying energy cells to charge the device. And I need more men to defend them. Do not fail me!"
The four of them moved throughout the airship and they soon found an area that looked severely suspicious.
"ACCESSING RESEARCH NOTES: USER ID RASH, JONES. OCTOBER TWENTY-NINTH." A computer voice said. A cell was found with two dead bodies. Both heads were covered with bags and their bodies were covered in blood. One of the bodies had a knife sticking through its back. A sliver of bone was sticking out of one of their arms.
"The revised formula works perfectly. It passes through the clothing and is readily absorbed through the skin and eyes. Gas masks are useless. The results, are horrifying." Dr. Rash said over a tape recording.
"That son of a bitch lied to us! The Militia didn't come here randomly, he OWES them something!" Spinelli said. "Shh, there's more." Gerald shushed.
"Combined with the Cloudburst, the poten is world-changing! And lucrative. Yet Alastor remains uninterested in commercial opportunities. He intends to squander our work, MY work, on a vendetta! It's time to dissolve our partnership. I should leave Hillwood before his return."
Six More Cells Later…
Some cells were covered in blood, and every single one had dead bodies in there. All tortured and mauled.
"If I see one more cell, I'm gonna puke…" Sapphire said as she covered her mouth. "I don't know about you, but I feel fine." Spinelli replied. "Lier..." Sapphire lowered her eyelids.
"Phoebe, Impulse, Dr. Rash, and Alastor were working together on a project codenamed: Cloudburst." Arnold started. "If that's the case, why is Alastor after him?"
"He must've double-crossed him. They're here for the device. I'm giving you two remote access to Dr. Rash's computer network. Search for anything related to the Cloudburst. We have to know what we're up against!"
"Right you are."
"Please, let me go! I've got so much money even the Vigilants won't be able to stop us!" Dr. Rash pleaded as a minigun brute tossed him into a cell. "But you couldn't stop yourself from betraying Alastor for a little more!" The brute said.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!"
"Nah, you're not sorry yet! But when Alastor's toxin starts pumping into this cell? I think you just might be…" The brute replied.
"Oh, God no… I've seen what that stuff does to people! Someone! Help me! Please!"
"We'll attract too much attention if we take the minigunner… We split up, and take a soldier individually, once they're all down, we all take the minigunner at once!" Sapphire suggested. "Star, I love the way you think." Arnold smirked. Star Sapphire only blushed.
Meanwhile…
"I have to stay in uniform, maybe I have to go out and help the guys." Rhonda shrugged. "Oh, don't worry hun, we understand. And… about the bird?" Brooke asked as Swoops was on the coffee table, pecking at a piece of bread.
"Ugh, does she even feed that bird?" Buckley scoffed. "Dad!" Rhonda glared. "Ariel, I'm so sorry about that…"
"Eh, no worries… It's his feeding time anyways." Ariel said as she got up from the couch. "C'mon boy!" Ariel called Swoops over as she whistled. Swoops heard her as flapped his wings in excitement and flew over to her.
"You gotta admit, it's pretty cool how she owns a Bald Eagle." Brooke said.
Spinelli pulled a skull-crushing takedown as the soldier didn't move a limb. "That's what they get for being a Militia soldier." Spinelli dusted her hands off.
"On my signal…" Sapphire started as they all got into position. "One… Two… THREE!"
Spinelli elbowed the brute's back as Gerald kneed his stomach and upper cutted him. Star Sapphire flew in for another uppercut, and Arnold dropped down and smashed the brute against the floor.
"Alastor, you read? My men have stopped reporting in. And that only means one thing. You have seconds at best! Are we ready?" Haidra started. "No, the Cloudburst must be fully charged to be operational!" Alastor replied.
"Fuck…! We're gonna have to do it off-site. Prepare for extraction."
"We have to hurry or they'll get away!" Gerald soon said. "Not before we deal with this scumbag…" Arnold said as he approached Dr. Rash.
"You lied to us! You got one fucking chance! One!"
"I… Ok, ok. Look, Alastor came to me. He needed my help with the Cloudburst."
"What does it do?!" Arnold got face-to-face with Dr. Rash. Toxin started pumping into the cell as Arnold backed away quickly.
Dr. Rash started coughing and gagging. "It's all over my skin! Don't let it… *cough* touch me!" Veins started popping around his face and arms as the toxin started to fill his lungs.
"We should leave you to your nightmares… Star!" Arnold motioned his head. Sapphire formed a claw as it grabbed Dr. Rash's coat. "Sorry, not sorry." Star Sapphire said as she yanked the claw her way.
CLANG
Dr. Rash's head banged against the metal bars as he was out cold.
"Let's move it!
The four of them soon entered the room which was the front of the airship, containing the uncharged Cloudburst, and Alastor.
"Two of them?! How?!" Gerald noticed how there were… two, of Alastor.
"Possibly a decoy. Stay sharp."
Arnold and Spinelli got behind the two 'decoys'. The two yanked them around.
"What the?!" The two were simple controlled mannequins with toxin sprayers for heads. The two dropped the mannequins but they had already gotten sprayed.
"AAH!" Sapphire fell to her knees as she got shocked from behind. Gerald looked back and the real Alastor was behind him. Alastor sprayed him with a dose of toxin as well.
Their faces were pale with veins popping up, coughing and gagging while they had a horrifying visual of their fears.
"You're not dying, it feels like you are. My toxin is filling your lungs, drowning you in your greatest fears." Alastor started as he walked around the tossing and turning heroes. He bent over to Arnold. "What do YOU see? A city engulfed in fear? Betrayed by those you trust the most? Your deepest, darkest secrets revealed?" Arnold kept coughing and gagging on the toxin. "As I tear your mind apart, I will have all of Hillwood watch. I shall cut each of those facemasks with my bare hands and the whole world will see the FEAR in your eyes. Then they too, will understand…" Alastor kneeled over to Arnold. "There is no savior. No more hope… No more Vigilants!" He had an evil grin behind his mask.
"Maybe it's already happened…" Arnold had an evil clown smile creep up as he grabbed Alastor's throat. Arnold felt his mind being toyed with in such a way, he couldn't control it. He then tossed Alastor to the ground.
"I'm AMAZING! And this body… I can't believe how STRONG it is!" Arnold clenched his fists as Militia soldiers came in.
While Gerald, Spinelli, and Star Sapphire were all down, Arnold felt out of control.
One after another, Arnold used brute force on the soldiers.
"He's gone nuts!"
"He's fuckin' insane!" Soldiers said, terrified.
Arnold crushed one guy's ribs then got another back on his feet and smashed his face into the ground. Another got back onto his feet, but it was best for him to stay down…
Arnold pulled a wrestling move and slammed the soldier onto the floor and tossed him away onto a soldier's body. Several bones were even heard being crushed.
"Astonishing… Such brutality." Alastor started as he walked forward. "You almost killed these men. You were ready to abandon your beliefs, everything you stand for." Alastor then walked in a circle around Arnold. "You tell yourself you are not like us. You tell yourself you are something more, something better. But fear reveals the truth, erodes your self-control. Soon, you will kill and become the thing you hate the most. Soon, the Shadow will be revealed to the light!"
Alastor then took a swing, but Arnold grabbed his arm and tossed him hard to the ground. He then slowly walked to him as Alastor cowardly backed away a little.
"Come on! Finish him!" A voice in Arnold's head started. "Look at him. He's no better than the creep who killed your grandparents. You need to do something… You need to stop him." Arnold then had his hand repulsor all charged up and aimed at Alastor. "Good!" The voice said as Arnold closed his eyes.
The repulsor fired as Arnold's eyes soon turned back to a normal color. His skin tone went back to normal as the veins disappeared. Arnold looked at his hands, in shock at what could've happened. He dropped to his knees.
Gerald and Spinelli had also recovered from the toxin effects as Sapphire finally got up from the shock.
"Something's changed." Alastor started as he was next to the Cloudburst device. "You're different than your teammates' fears!"
"I'd call it a work in progress but we'll get there!" The voice faded from his mind. Arnold soon took two steps forward as the three others soon got behind.
"You're trapped! And there's nowhere to run!"
"Who said anything about running?" Alastor then pressed a button. Wires and tubes from the Cloudburst device detached as electric currents ran through them, swinging about.
The front of the airship was soon cracking open as helicopter blades were heard. It was Haidra with the Militia. The Cloudburst detached from the airship as the helicopter lowered down, revealing Haidra, armed with a missile launcher.
Haidra fired the missiles in their direction. Gerald and Spinelli avoided both missiles, but Haidra knew where she was aiming.
CRASH!
BOOM!
The missiles impacted as black smoke had risen from the airship.
"Get us out of here. And step on it." Haidra told the helicopter pilot. Black smoke filled the area of the airship as several fires had broken out.
A faint pink lighting was seen among all the smoke, while an Eagle was swooping around the area.
That'll do it for these two chapters. Again, once I return to this story, we're off to Chicago. I really can't express my excitement for the upcoming adventure!