Chapter 10 - Messes Are the Status Quo
It was mostly peaceful at a nearby construction site. A truck was driving by but wasn't transporting its materials to this one. Surely, a truck carrying an open cart filled with blue powder wouldn't be appropriate for an apartment currently in development. The top of the blue powder was clumped up and wet from the early drizzle.
"Are you sure about this?" asked the driver. "I still think we should stop to put the cover over."
"I'm really sure!" said his companion, grinning. "The cart isn't THAT full and there's barely any rain that could wet the powder. It's not like anyone is gonna tip this thing over."
CRASH!
Cue the yellow Lamborghini the Bad Guys were in smashing the top of the cart and ending up pushing the truck to its side.
Blue powder flew everywhere; despite how thick it was, it blanketed the front of the construction site in a thick fog similar to snow. One could mistake it as a windy tornado leaving behind infected dust from the dirt. The yellow Lamborghini was its victim, spinning and bouncing around until it inevitably crashed through the broken fences of the construction site.
The Bad Guys kept screaming until the car eventually stopped rolling, coming to a slow stop. It didn't even hit the side of the unfinished apartment, letting it stand on all four wheels. There were a few hisses and crackles from the blue powder floating around them, but the rest was silence.
All of them were sitting there, shocked by the miracle that ensured their safety. A sweat drop slowly trailed down Wolf's head.
Without needing to agree, they all quickly got out of the Lamborghini.
Inspecting it, there was barely a scratch of the yellow paint left on the car.
"We're dead," said Wolf, pulling on his ears. "We're SO dead!"
"...it looks fine," said Snake, grinning anxiously. "I mean, it only needs a new coat of paint."
"I hope that guy is insured," said Piranha.
It only got worse when the entire car collapsed. Its walls, doors and engines fell apart like pieces of an unstable LEGO building. By the time it was done, the fancy yellow Lamborghini now appeared like a pancaked version of itself. Claiming that a monster truck ran over it seemed to be the perfect excuse.
"Well, hopefully, his insurance is big enough," chided Webs.
The blue powder hadn't cleared yet and no silhouettes appeared from the backdrop. But the sirens of police cars were still in their hearing range. The Bad Guys turned towards where the source of the sound was coming from, already traveling down the hill they rode.
"We're SO dead!" cried Shark. "We're really dead!"
"I did not expect this ride to be the most lethal," said Snake, rubbing the back of his head.
"Any idea of where to go?" said Wolf, looking around.
"You guys are lucky that you caused a distraction," said Diane's voice.
The Bad Guys turned around to find the irritated fox behind them. Her clothes were ruffled, but her face wasn't. Except for the stink eye she was giving to them. She didn't even appear to be worried about being caught. Judging by her crossed arms and slacking shoulders, she seemed more annoyed than tense.
At this point, the blue powder was gradually fading away, leaving them visible.
"Come with me now," she said, reassuring and calm to make the next steps straightforward. "There's a good passageway through here to get out."
"Alright then," said Wolf sheepishly.
Despite his giddiness, he felt ashamed that he let the blood rush to his head and get all of them in trouble. It was nearly too late to say sorry, considering he was still grinning stupidly.
As Shadow Squad G exited the construction site, the blue powder had already faded enough for anyone to see through. The police cops were already yelling in a mixture of professionalism and panic. Several got close, waving their arms to eliminate the excessive smoke. Many had already placed on face masks.
Fortunately, they didn't need to worry since by the time they came to the truck drivers, the blue powder was already gone. They said that it was harmless, so they should be fine.
Gumbo was here as well, trying to see through the fading blue fog. He took off his glasses, blinking. He expected to see the car and the unconscious drivers inside. All he found was a flattered car with no signs of spilled flesh and bones.
Worry got through him as he looked around. There was nobody else in sight while the cops tried searching around the corners of the area. The crocodile made a daring step towards the broken car, noticing that the car door appeared to have been ripped apart. It was scratched up, its yellow paint ruined.
It looked faintly familiar to Gumbo. He didn't know why, but it looked like the ripped door he once saw. Back then, when he was nearly close to the car crash…
"You might outgrow these clothes once you reach 15, mate," said his fellow classmate, a male human. "You're sure that you want to buy those?"
"Please," said a 14-year-old Gumbo, carrying several bags around his arms. "It's not like I'm going to grow any taller. I probably already hit the height limit already!"
"You know that you've been eating much, Milton."
The crocodile usually preferred working solo, but he was a bit cool with working in groups for his class project. His team agreed to split up in the city on their excursion to take notes from numerous attractions. And secretly buying toys and clothes for themselves. Despite being more interested in the project, Gumbo couldn't help but join in with their shopping. It should be a normal activity everyone does.
He could feel his heartbeat increasing rapidly as he remembered the day he feared going outside. None of them needed to have a reason to look through the glass when they were close to death's door. Why didn't they sense going to another hallway instead?
"So where else do you want to go?" asked his classmate. "Maybe look around at the food court?"
Gumbo hummed, rubbing his chin. Crossing over the frame of the mall's entrance, they were hit by the bright sunlight. It made the young crocodile feel more awake. While he liked to stay inside to feel the cold, feeling the sun after being cooped up for too long was refreshing. He was already satisfied with what he got, so he didn't feel like choosing a spot for lunch.
"I don't mind where you want to eat," he said, gazing at the lazy crossing lane. Strangers walked through it, looking left and right. A reminder to watch out for the slow trams. There was some persuasion of their own activities, not paying attention to each other. Unlike Gumbo and his friend.
"C'mon, Milton!" said his classmate. You're probably the only guy in my class who never made a suggestion. Just say the word and we'll take a look."
The crocodile shook his head. "N-No thank you. I'm not really picky on food."
"You sound a little nervous."
"No, I'm not," said Gumbo, blushing. "I just don't feel like to. I'm alright at the moment."
"You are kind of lying right there," teased his classmate, elbowing him.
"I'm not lying. I can go with any food. And if I'm really nervous, then I would have tried to run away-"
"MILTON! LOOK OUT!"
The crocodile deemed it too late as he swerved around. He finally acknowledged why several people were running back inside the mall for safety. It wasn't due to the addiction to shopping as he guessed.
At the corner of his eye, he saw a speeding car coming in his direction, its silver headlights blinking madly.
He heard a yell from his classmate as he was pulled back into the safety of the mall's interior.
His eyes continued watching the car, his vision only going dark before he could see the car driving towards a fallen shopper.
Gumbo winced, one hand clutching his chest. He felt like his heart was going to explode.
In a twisted sense of nostalgia, he placed one finger on the broken car door and let it slide. Or at least let his claw slide. It scratched the yellow paint, reminding him of the damage the car took on that very day.
At the same time as his nail dragged along, his clenched teeth matched the shaking twitchiness. On instinct, his long tail curled around his legs protectively. He felt ashamed. But he felt like he wanted to defend himself from anything unsafe.
Gumbo's back was against the wall, his chest heaving rapidly. His classmate was swearing away, but he didn't acknowledge his presence. All the crocodile could hear was the terrified screams, the car screeching and heavy objects falling apart. Matching the situation of a gigantic statue tumbling down on a thousand people. The thought of so was distressing.
A loud explosion followed.
A few minutes later, Gumbo could smell the developed smoking and hear the gunfire.
He couldn't unsee the damage, letting his eyes peek around the corner.
A couple of people were still on the road, but not because they were late in running away. With a few unconscious people left on the streets, they were trying to pull the lucky survivors to safety in hopes of reviving them.
Gumbo couldn't see properly at this angle, but he swore that he saw red splatters from their chests…
And right in the middle of the lazy crossing lane was a violent, intense shootout.
The reckless driver was already in a frenzy, hiding behind his now-ruined car like it was a shield. The car was worse for wear, with one of the doors being ripped off, evidential with the numerous dents and scratches all over the vehicle. He didn't focus on a burning car nearby, ignorant of what must be left in the blaze.
On the other side, the police cops were taking cover behind a few thick trees, but that was weak in contrast to the more sturdy car the driver was hiding behind. Case in point, Gumbo found a couple of cops lying down on the road for unknown reasons. But there was another gunshot. A cop dropped dead. The driver raged on, not caring about his latest victim.
A loud wail of agony cut through the shootout. Gumbo's eyes fell upon the source.
No other scream could ever overcome the things that shook Gumbo to his core.
"Officer Gumbo?" said a voice behind him. "You're alright?"
The flashback ended and the young crocodile's claw finished dragging along the broken car door. He looked ridiculous staring at the mess for too long. He briefly glanced at the scratch he made before he turned around. Just put that nightmare in a neat, tidy box. His tail uncurled and began wagging around slowly, trying to present his undisturbed attention to the current scene.
"I-I'm fine," lied Gumbo. "I'm all good."
The cop next to him raised a worried eyebrow. "Sure then…"
Without batting an eye, Gumbo tried to search through the remains of the car. Not even three cops were with him and he already flipped the flattened roof off so that he could see the inside. He took a minute to watch the car collapse again, shivering from the parts rattling inside.
Squinting his eyes, he detected no bodies in this heap of wrinkled cushions. A couple of personal belongings, but not relevant to the cause of the crash. He wondered if this car was stolen or the driver had a bad night.
That was until he noticed a shiny object that nearly stood out from the rest of the objects.
Barely.
He picked the pair of sunglasses up, snorting at the fact that the glass was only damaged. He placed his reading glasses on to see if there were any small details on it. To his surprise, he could see a big 'BG' on the sides of the glasses.
That was weird, he thought. The font of these letters looked familiar to him. This was probably due to him looking up for glasses a few months ago and stumbling upon a few independent companies. Some were bad influences and insecure channels. Where did he see this from before?
He slowly looked down to find at least four trails of footprints behind. Two sets were shaped in the sizes of normal boots, but three stood out. One was large as if they fit the size of a bear's feet. The second was small as if a toddler was playing in the sand. And the third…well, it should be just called a trail since it looked like someone pushed a box through this dirty ground.
Immediately, he made the connection. Four trails of footprints make up the one group who owned this pair of sunglasses.
He groaned, rubbing his eyes. "Just when I thought American criminals are becoming more dangerous…"
"Why's that?" asked one cop, approaching him. "What did you find?"
Gumbo turned around, swinging the pair of sunglasses in his meaty fingers. "Guess where this come from?"
The cop observed it with narrowed eyes. "Some store?"
"These sunglasses would only be worn and used by the Bad Guys," explained Gumbo. "See those trails right there? They just crashed a car right there!"
The cop cast a worried glance at the footprints. "But…how come it's them? Why would they be here?"
"I don't know, too, mate. They were never reported to be seen in Oceania or Asian continents before. But all I remember from my research is that they're not good in making things subtle."
"But haven't the Bad Guys redeemed a long time ago?" questioned the cop. "Why would they want to make a scene here?"
"They're still delinquents," pointed out Gumbo. "Wouldn't take long for one of them to achieve a daring crime." He looked back down at the sunglasses, miffed. This pair didn't look like an offense, but it just gave him a feeling that this was going to suck. "Gonna need a search warrant on them or whoever bought these. The Bad Guys did not think this one through."
Centralway Mall, Los Angeles, America
The interior of the Centralway Mall appeared more devastating than the outside. If one were cruel, they would say it was an impressive set for a more convincing apocalypse movie set.
Anyone who had been to this mall before would remember its calm moments of enjoyment. Walking through this clean place was an opportunity for shopping or walking alone. Its colorful shops offered much to look at, a good distraction for shoppers to waste their time here. But it was the liveliness of the shop owners and workers that caught the attention of customers.
Not only were services and businesses booming, but the friendly and passionate nature brought many customers to a safe place.
And now, it was never the same as usual.
Hornet held back any urges to fly away since the ruined mall screamed danger to him. But it was harmless at this point with the damage done. The empty stores appeared intact or had a couple of holes in their windows. The walls and the ceilings suffered the most, with their broken parts lying around on the floor as now useless debris. The rising moon from the night sky illuminated the mall through the cracked windows, but it wasn't enough to fill every detail of the place.
What made the whole place suspenseful was the large number of police cops roaming around, wearing darker outfits and weapons in their hands. Even though the news of an impromptu camp was fresh in his mind, Hornet found it scarier that the troops were practically invading this place for any 'inconvenience'. A sudden switch from a bright mall to a haunted wasteland.
Hopefully, that inconvenience, in turn, would be guilty of some cause.
Hornet was further away from the cops as he watched from behind. Fortunately, he was small, so there were too many places he could hide in. As long as no one saw him here.
At one point, the cops stopped at a corner to check which hallway was safe. They were really taking it seriously, their guns out in case of any threats. Their shoulders were hunched up in a defensive position. Ashton was in front of them, frowning at the apparent emptiness. However, the other cops, including Gwen and Stefan, appeared more bored by this.
Watching from an abandoned hot dog stand, Hornet wondered how these cops were sent on something like this. Given their ranks, this situation would be too high for them to handle. At the same time, they didn't seem to be too bothered. He still remembered what Ashton snarled at him, leaving a huge mark that these cops were determined to keep anyone else out of this.
The addition of Gwen and Stefen still confused him. He worked with Gwen and heard a good word about the cheerful Stefan. OK, maybe Gwen might not confuse him since she was serious every day. But she and Stefan were content with remaining in the local ranks. It was big news for them to move upwards since they would have to use a lot of focus to get through the coming pressure.
The cops finally moved again, but it took the people behind a while to get moving. Especially Stefan, who nearly lost interest in their investigation.
"Oh, look!" he said, waddling towards a shoe shop. "This place here is open!"
"Stefan, c'mon," said Gwen, grabbing him by the arm. "This is serious."
"Can't we just take something from here? There's no one at the mall!"
"You'll get charged for stealing from here," deadpanned Gwen. "Besides, don't you already have enough shoes to stare at?"
"...it's my shoe collection," pointed out Stefan.
Gwen rolled her eyes. "...OK, but collections don't usually include things you steal."
Hornet silently agreed with this, watching Stefan leading the way back to the rest of the cops with a wary Gwen. Stealing from this mall was tempting, but a lot of people were hurt during the explosion, so it was best not to. And then, his eyes fell on a wallet.
He flew close to it, inspecting the brown leather wallet. To his surprise, it revealed one of the cops' faces. The little bug looked around, checking if anyone was watching. However, none of the cops far away from him paid attention.
With a low chuckle, Hornet slowly pulled a dollar note from the wallet. And then another. And then the whole thing, his arms wrapped around it.
"I'm so gonna die here," he joked sarcastically.
He caught up to the cops, hiding behind a large pile of debris. They were already at a large clearing of what used to be a food court.
It must be where the explosion occurred, judging by the large crater in the middle of the room and the piles of debris surrounding it.
Signs and platforms left hanging looked like they were about to fall. Surprisingly, there seemed to be a makeshift hut at the crater's edge. One that was only built by chairs and a wooden 'roof'. There was even a mysterious puddle right in this hut.
As the cops flashed their lights over the crater, Hornet peeked over the pile. He wondered what the hut was there for. It made him think that somebody was robbing this mall. It could be anyone who was too desperate to find the safest place.
"Oh, hey there!" said Stefan from behind.
Yelping, Hornet whipped around, took out his sniper gun and fired. The small paintball missed Stefan and Gwen even jerked her head away. It hit a sign, sending it toppling down with a loud clank.
This alerted the other cops, who whipped around.
Hornet was still behind the debris pile, so they didn't see him yet.
"I just dropped my gun…" lied Stefan, a nervous grin creeping on his face. "I dropped my gun just there. Let me…pick it up."
Gwen could only stand like a deer in headlights. She wasn't a good liar, so she needed a moment to think. Stefan slowly bent down and stiffly pretended to grab something behind the pile. And it worked as the other cops nodded before continuing their investigation near the crater.
"You missed," whispered Gwen, looking back at Hornet once nobody was watching.
"I was…doing some target practice," lied Hornet.
"You aimed for Stefan's head."
"I thought he was a monster," said Hornet sheepishly, embarrassed with his second mistake of shooting something that wasn't his target.
"What are you doing here, Mr. Hornet?" asked Stefan with a friendly smile. "Thought the chief wants you out of this."
Hornet inhaled sharply. "I cannot let this slide. If they have something I need for Alex, then I might as well have to spy on you!"
"You're lucky that the two of us are more merciful," said Gwen. "You shouldn't stay here for longer."
"What are you two here as well?" questioned Hornet. "How did Ashton approach you two?"
Gwen shrugged. "It's for work. No personal feelings."
"She's in for the money," teased Stefan.
Gwen frowned. "And to keep watch on him. He cannot stop bouncing off the walls."
Stefan gasped. "Why so serious, sis? Isn't this job great?"
"You need the money?" asked Hornet, incredulous.
"Given that it would allow me to fill in my taxes finally, yeah," said Gwen, trying her best not to look at her feet.
Stefan sighed with a soft smile. "Honestly, I accepted the offer because it's kind of for the best. With us here, we might be doing a good thing for everyone."
"You're sure about this?" asked Hornet in concern. "Cause it sounds like Alex had been asking Ashton questions for around two years?"
The two cops glanced at each other before shrugging.
"We don't know what's going on," said Gwen. "We aren't given the full details unless necessary for all. Maybe it's due to the case being something worse that could end up hurting more people."
"People are already hurt by the Sunnyside disappearances," said Hornet. "Better to give it to them now when already 'broken'."
"Then would this protect them from anything else that could happen?" asked Gwen curiously. "What if what we find might even endanger others the sooner they get involved?"
Hornet could see what Gwen meant there. She didn't use the same intimidation Ashton carried, her body language becoming more casual than professional. This was why Hornet liked Gwen since she rarely used force when explaining her point. Nevertheless, he was still doubtful and the fact that neither Gwen nor Stefan knew the full objective made it unfair for the people impacted by the disappearances.
Even Stefan went quiet. He was usually goofy and cheerful, though he often let Gwen take over for most of the chatting whenever something bad happened.
"There has to be a way," insisted Hornet softly. "Anything to at least make things right."
A commotion was happening, prompting the three to look to the front. Hornet remained hidden behind the pile of debris, putting on his helmet in case of undetected anomalies.
From nearby the crater, something rumbled underneath. Debris close to it shook as if somebody was using a jackhammer. The cops lifted their flashlights and guns, getting ready to shoot. As they drew closer, they could hear someone…singing?
A metal shovel head burst through the floor to make a hole.
"Fifteen soldiers on the shelf on the wall!" sang two voices. "Fifteen soldiers on the shelf! Take one down, pass it around. Fourteen soldiers on the shelf on the…"
Both men stopped singing when they realized that they made a horrible spot to dig back up. Even the cops around them were baffled.
The two men seemed normal since they wore matching black leather jackets and striped yellow and black shirts. However, they stood out because a certain part of their face was seemingly made from a black plastic shell and neon-colored glass materials. They even sported one eye tinted in a completely different color and a yellow pupil. Those eyes didn't look like contact lens!
"Get on the ground!" yelled one of the cops.
"Hands in the air!" said another.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" said one of the two diggers. "We aren't doing anything wrong here."
And then, the second digger realized something. "Oh, I nearly forgot the box!"
He ducked back into the hole and pulled out a box.
Hornet's eyes widened, surprised by the details of the box in question.
It was light blue with dark blue stripes on the side. It looked like it came from a sci-fi movie as an invention due to the buttons all around the box. Would that be why there was a camp set up here?
"I'm so worried we would lose it," said the second digger, not realizing what he presented.
Immediately, the cops began to demand.
"Stand down and give us the box!" yelled one cop.
"Put that box down right now," said Ashton quietly.
"Drop it and put your hands up," said another.
"C-C'mon, guys," said the first digger as he climbed out of the hole. "I-It's a fun search! A fun search! Am I right?"
The second digger quickly caught up, stepping out of the hole with the box. "Y-Yeah! Finding treasure is impossible when the…stairs aren't working! Yeah!"
"It's not like we are technically stealing here? Right? Right?"
Hornet glanced at Stefan and Gwen slowly taking out their guns. The two diggers might be acting dumb, but they were trying to escape this with a weird box. So far, the action wasn't called yet.
"Know what? I cannot lie here!" snarled the second digger, pulling out a grappling hook gun. "We're getting out of here!"
"Drop the gun!" demanded Ashton, lifting up his weapon.
"You can't make us!" said the first digger, now losing all attempts of lying.
POW!
In fact, they couldn't. Ashton fired a round, but to everyone's shock, both diggers were scratchless. They didn't drop down when they were shot. The bullets just bounced off their bodies!
It did make them flinch, but it didn't subdue them this easily.
"You know this is worthless," deadpanned the second digger, lifting his grappling gun upwards. "Why don't you run after us?"
And the cops did. At the same time, the diggers shot the grappling hook, attaching itself to the edge of a hole made in the ceiling above them. It was rather quick as the diggers held onto each other and let the hook pull them in. Or upwards?
Unfortunately, the hook only ended up pulling a piece off that roof.
Apparently, these diggers forgot their strength.
The first digger's eyes bugged open. "Uh, oh!"
SPLAT!
In the end, the two diggers would end up having their flattened bodies sent to the coroners with the dust from the now orphaned floor debris being evidence for their deaths. At least the box bounced out of their hands and landed safely in front.
"...well, that makes Wolf better at using the grappling hook," commented Hornet dryly, rubbing his face with one hand in disappointment.
"Wait a sec," said Gwen, a dawn of horror written on her face. "I…don't think it's their fault…"
All the cops suddenly gasped, scurrying backwards. It turned out it wasn't due to the grappling hook that caused a piece of the ceiling to squash the two unfortunate diggers. Standing on top of the debris was the Great White Shark himself.
[Obey (Bring Me The Horizon feat. YUNGBLUD Instrumental) - ShenKO]
[Repeat 0:00 - 0:03]
Nobody expected him to look similar to the two diggers. His face and arms were visible to reveal his part-cyborg form. His red eye glowing brightly, a true menace.
Additionally, he wore his iconic outfit. The first noticeable was an alien-inspired vest with a thick collar, a symbol of a dark brown shark with golden eyes and two bones behind it to form an X, crimson leather covering the breasts and abs and the rest of the material coated in black with similar purple stripes to Oscar's.
Adding to the complexity and edginess of his outfit was a half dark red leather vest, dark red jeans held up by a black utility belt with a red ring buckle and black boots with metallic cuffs and red soles. Lastly, like any other supervillain, he wore a black cloak over his shoulder, the right ride held by the red leather vest and the other buttoned into the alien vest. And oh, the left side of his cloak was longer and torn.
While he might earn points for his 'intimidating' looks, there was actual fear. Real fear. Confusion as well for those new. To anyone who knew his track record, it was endgame. This wasn't his first time attacking the cops.
"Oh, I'm sorry," said Oscar, not acknowledging the cops first. "That'll be mine."
With a toothy grin, he picked up the light blue box.
Hornet gasped. "Is that the Great White Shark?"
"That's the father of Lou, isn't it?!" exclaimed Stefan.
"Wait, I thought his son's name was just Mr. Shark," said Gwen.
"You didn't know?"
Hornet tilted his head, a little confused. "You mean, my friend, Mr. Shark?" He took a look back at Oscar. "He never told me and my friends that much about his family!"
Oscar only seemed to notice the crowd hen he heard the cops clamoring around him. They were panicking, but they kept up a metal gate to not be intimidated. Fear translated into anger and coldness. Guns and flashlights pointed at him while they yelled at him to stand down immediately.
The only response the giant Great White Shark gave was a thrilled grin.
"Stand down now, Oscar Quibble," growled Ashton, his voice echoing through the mall. His authority was high and firm, vocalizing for the police. "We got you surrounded."
"Finally!" said Oscar, grinning. "I'm glad that you arrived here just as I planned!"
"No more games now! Drop that box and put your hands in the air."
Oscar only laughed loudly, his arrogant, booming voice shaking the entire mall. "Oh yeah? Don't you remember who I am? I bring the thunder! I bring the LIGHTNING! I AM THE PERFECT STORM! Prepare for the GREATEST-!"
[Pause]
Annoyed, the cops fired at Oscar. To their surprise, much like the fallen diggers, the bullets just bounced off Oscar. Even his outfit barely shed a hole! Except for his cloak, everyone was shocked to see his body unaffected and intact.
He only laughed like a little kid, clearly enjoying this. Squirming around too many times like he was too sensitive. It was ridiculous.
"Stop it! Stop it!" he giggled. "This is too ticklish!"
Hornet's jaw dropped. "He…wouldn't make himself an easy target."
"That guy is a dumbo right there," grumbled Gwen. "What is he trying to do?"
Stefan gasped. "I know what he did to himself!"
Hornet raised an eyebrow. "You do?"
"This guy is testing out his new powers from multiverse demons!"
"There is no such thing as multiverse demons," deadpanned Hornet.
"It looks like he is corrupted by multiverse demons."
[Resume at 0:03]
Stefan proved wrong when a small mechanical gun popped out from Oscar's shoulder. The cops were too dumbfounded by the reveal to get out of the way as he shared a smug smirk. A green dart popped right out and shot one of the cops in the neck. And she went out like a light.
"OK!" said Oscar, hopping onto a tall pile of debris. "Poisonous dart, check!"
"Yeah, he definitely isn't corrupted by demons," said Gwen, sweating.
All the cops fired once again, trying to shoot Oscar down. A few cops quickly took cover with Ashton jumping behind a flipped-over table. Gwen and Stefan hid behind the same pile of debris Hornet was at.
"One man down," said Hornet nervously, checking the ammo in his sniper gun. "Oh, I don't have a good feeling about this!"
"I don't think it'll be hard to take!" said Stefan confidently. "We outnumber him!"
"Stefan, don't have any stupid ideas now," said Gwen as she reloaded her gun. "We are up against one of the deadliest mercenaries in the world-"
"TAKE A LOAD OF THIS!"
[0:17]
Turned out that Stefan had a clever method. He shot down one of the wires hanging a sign and the sign swung towards Oscar.
The Great White Shark quickly leaned back and opened his mouth. Red fire burst out from his jaw of razor-sharp teeth, setting the sign on fire. Literally RED fire, not a trace of orange or yellow! With the sign set ablaze, Oscar spun around and roundhouse kicked the sign, sending it flying towards a group of cops who quickly scattered away.
"Ah, damn it," growled Stefan. "I forgot that we need a better plan around him."
"Wait, but he shouldn't be able to do that," said Hornet, trying to analyze. "Since when did he get dragon breath?!"
The cops continued to fire at Oscar, but the giant shark barely fell. If anything, he was trying not to fall backwards as the rain of bullets became heavier like it was just wind. It made his feet move, nearly slipping off the pile of debris as he struggled to see what else he could do. Having an idea, he leapt upwards and slid down the crater, making his way into the middle of the cops.
One of the cops nearby tried taking out an electrical baton, only for Oscar to grab it. Unaffected by the electricity, he crushed it and punched the cop straight in the face. So hard that the cop flew out from the crater as if it was set in a superhero movie. Hornet, Gwen and Stefan watched in disbelief as the unlucky cop crashed into a huge rectangular statue.
Once down, the statue followed, crushing him in a cartoonish manner.
"Oooh!" groaned Stefan. "Hope there's a mop."
"And a bucket of water," said Gwen, gritting her teeth as she stood up to shoot. "I'm gonna drench that water toy robot if that's his weakness now."
Hornet did the same, but he made sure to remain hidden. He didn't want Ashton to blame Alex and Mira as well if they got out alive. He didn't have a chance against the taller and acrobatic Oscar, only able to use his sniper gun. The little bug took fire, but some shots weren't too good.
At a few times, he missed or accidentally hit some of the cops. Good thing they weren't lethal and left behind orange paint splatters on their hats. He did hit Oscar, but like the bullets, it didn't do anything on Oscar. It only served as a minor annoyance, prompting the shark to grunt whenever Hornet landed a paintball on his skin.
As the little bug thought about flying over for a closer view to shoot, Oscar hopped onto a taller pile to stay away from the charging cops, already whipping out their batons.
"I shouldn't be wasting my time," he said casually. "Let's try another power!"
He activated his other arm to transform into a weapon. This time, it looked more like a bazooka that was built too thin to work. No rocket could be shot out from this mouth. Oscar himself was unsure if it would work.
"Now let's see," he said, daringly moving his eyes over the mouth of the weapon. "How do I shoot again? Splaarghön did say to press the 'A' button or maybe she was too caught up in-"
[0:45]
BOOM!
A rocket missile shot right out from the weapon, sending Oscar flying backwards. Hornet watched it spin around in circles before landing right in the middle of a group of cops. The small yet fiery explosion sent them flying in the air. It was such a surreal scene that Hornet thought he was dreaming.
"I knew that it would fire with a thought in my mind!" said Oscar cheerily. "Missile launcher, check!"
"Damn, this is getting serious now," muttered Gwen.
"This is getting ridiculous!" said Hornet, his good antenna twitching. "What is he exactly doing here?!"
Not satisfied with the kills so far, Oscar ran through the open space of the crater, knocking aside several cops who tried to tackle him. Once he reached the edge of the crater with no one around, he decided to test his next power.
"Hopefully, they're right that I won't die from this," he said.
And then, his left arm detached itself.
So did his right arm.
Hornet grunted in confusion. To his relief and confusion, the sockets didn't reveal any meaty parts. It looked more like Oscar was made from machine than flesh.
Even weirder that Oscar detached both of his legs and sent all four limbs towards the cops. Like they were floating in the air as if controlled by magic. They came in closer to one group of cops trying to shoot Oscar from this angle. They spotted the arms and legs, pointing their guns to shoot them as they drew closer…
[1:20 - Pause]
Nope, the limbs didn't do anything. All they did was limply slap the cops on their faces. Even when the feet started trying to kick them, the cops just used their weapons to defend themselves. It was as if watching fat fireflies bumping into each other robotically.
Oscar had a REALLY serious look of determination, but his wiggling on the ground was silly. On his chest. Looking like a non-anthropomorphic shark wiggling on the dry land. If he had a tail, then it would complete the picture.
One of the hands placed a finger right into the cop's nose, eliciting a high-pitched scream.
"What the heck?!" said Stefan, his face scrunched up.
Hornet grunted, slapping his gun. "OK, I wonder why I left the Great White Shark alone for THIS long."
[Resume at 1:20]
Thankfully, Oscar didn't go further with the strange floating limbs. They flew back to his body and reattached themselves in the right sockets. He realized how long the uselessness would last, rolling around clumsily. Getting back on his feet, he ran back into the crater with his arm again changing into another weapon. But this one was unrecognizable, making it look like a mysterious blaster.
"Now, testing airbag ammo," he said with a smirk.
A glowing projectile was shot out from the mini cannon and landed in the middle of a few cops. They actually tried to run, but it didn't seem to matter when the projectile bloated. Right into a huge, inflatable ball like it was a beach ball! Expectedly, it pushed several cops away while tossing some in mid-air.
"Ah, so that's what it does!" said Oscar chipperly.
He hopped back into the battle zone, apparently satisfied with the weapon tests. The cops tried to charge in but were quickly subdued due to the shark's flexibility and strength. He used more hand-to-hand combat, effectively mowing all the cops who didn't know how to fight against experienced brawlers.
It was a smooth combination of boxing and karate, not needing more than one punch or two kicks to knock out his enemies. He was smirking the whole way, taking pleasure in the simple task of pile-driving these inferior men.
Hornet was having one hell of a hard time. As if Gwen's and Stefan's efforts weren't enough, not even he could take him down with a good shot. Every time a bullet was close to piercing the shark, it reflected off as if he was made from metal. The little bug noted that something was different about Oscar here, even though his facial appearance could just be cosmetics.
But what wasn't different was his childlike mannerisms and his sadism.
[1:46]
One cop ran towards him, striking her baton onto Oscar's back. It actually caught him off-guard, but he shrugged it off despite feeling the shock. He immediately turned to the cop with a grin, punching forwards before landing a kick in the stomach. The cop fell backwards but regained energy in trying to get up. Right until Oscar took the time to swipe and kick her in the face.
With her dazed, he grabbed her by the collar, uncaring to see the pain.
"You little girl," he whistled. "At least you have guts. I believe you deserve to have a more merciful death."
A few other cops tried to run in, but despite monologuing, Oscar leapt backwards with the cop in his hands. Once far away, he drew out what looked like a sword.
His signature sword shaped like a katana.
[Pause at 2:02]
Gwen and Stefan gasped, lowering their useless guns haplessly.
The sword-slicing sound was enough to get the captured cop squirming. Mouth covered by his arm, she screamed, but it was muffled.
"At least you think this is more merciful," said Oscar, suddenly sounding deadpanned.
And then, he swung it downwards.
Gwen gritted her teeth, refraining herself from screaming. Stefan took a few steps back, knowing they couldn't hold out this long against the Great White Shark.
Amongst the surviving cops, the bruised Ashton gasped, placing a hand over his trembling mouth. A wail threatened to escape his lips, but a mixture of emotions prevented him from showing such vulnerability.
Hornet saw this in a different light. Oh no, he saw this kind of thing before.
In fact, it would never go away.
A frightened young hornet watched on the side, trying his best to stay away from the others.
It was a massacre. It was a blur. It kept escalating moment by moment. The young hornet could see the remains from it. Broken bodies with an unknown liquid dripping from their wounds. Large groups of hornets pounced on each other. The air was thick with soldiers, spears and unidentified objects the young hornet couldn't even describe. Males came in with their spears and sharp teeth while the females used the advantage of their stringers.
The young hornet suddenly sensed reinforcements behind, accidentally shoving him into the battle. Not like the others care, he thought. This was nearly like every man for himself. And he hadn't even learnt how to use the spear in his hands properly.
Up this close, he could see the bloodbath. No soldier of the fight retreated, not even caring if they were injured. And that was taking into account that his colony had to defend their hive against another rival colony. The young hornet nearly doubted this was the case once he saw some soldiers having their wings ripped off or heads torn from their necks.
And then an enemy hornet struck the young hornet. The latter could only use his spear, but it was already obvious that he was no match for his enemy. The momentum pushed him against a tree branch and he looked up to his attacker. A bulky, scarred soldier, foaming by the mouth. Bloodshot eyes of a warrior who got lost in the madness.
His spear lifted upwards, adding to his frightening height towering over the young hornet. A weapon being the giver of death at his doorstep.
The young hornet couldn't find himself the will to scream, frozen in his position. As the spear was thrown forward, he looked aside to find one hornet soldier, their enemy in his arms and their neck right up close to his spear.
The corners of Hornet's vision began to darken. He couldn't control his impaired vision. He felt like his vision was edited just to spite him. Hornet wanted the darkness to take over, not wanting to look at this longer. He barely could make the image, but he made up the shape of Oscar dropping his latest victim and putting his sword back into his utility belt.
[Resume; Repeat 0:00 - 0:03]
"Hornet?!" shouted Stefan's voice. "Hornet?! Can you hear me?!"
The blonde cop's voice echoed, but it felt so far away. Hornet couldn't feel himself trembling or his heart beating rapidly. He blinked a few times, but his mind was going insane already. For some reason, the only thing he could focus on was Oscar mowing down the rest of the cops, rushing heedlessly.
With several cops trying to retreat, Oscar made this an easy hunt. One cop tried to fight back, but his body suddenly twitched violently. Hornet only saw his back, so it was hard to see what Oscar did to him in front. But when the cop dropped to the ground, the giant shark's arm already transformed into a minigun weapon with an unknown red substance dripping from the barrels.
As the shark let the glory sink in, he looked to the side to find a cop crawling away, barely clinging to life. He was injured, whimpering in pain. However, once he felt Oscar dragging him by the feet, he let out a terrifying scream enough to get Hornet clutching his head. The little bug tried looking away as a smiling Oscar calmly shot one round in his face.
Hornet couldn't keep his eyes off the battle. He found Ashton hiding in his place. However, as Oscar began to use bombs to set the score, an explosion nearby showered him in debris and smoke. It was unclear how badly pinned down he was.
He looked to the side, seeing another group of cops trying to flee. Oscar prevented this when one of his bombs tore apart a piece of the ceiling, raining down on him.
He looked around him, seeing Gwen helping the survivors run away.
It was a nightmare he couldn't wake up from.
"HORNET!" screeched Stefan. "GET OUT OF THE WAY!"
"What…?" choked Hornet, teary-eyed.
The blonde cop pushed him away from a piece of debris that would have crushed them. Stefan turned out to be fine, the hard yet small rocks littering on his hat. He had to jump out of the way when debris showered from above. The huge pile split him and Hornet from each other.
"Get out of here!" pleaded Stefan, his eyes peeping through the gaps. "Now!"
A shiver ran down Hornet's spine as he could only give a meek nod.
He didn't get time to ask what he could do next when the ceiling gave in. Hornet flew out of the way. He looked down at the mess. There were no other survivors here. Thank goodness that Stefan and Gwen managed to get everyone else out. With a gulp, the little bug flew away, narrowly avoiding the place crumbling into a bigger pile of junk.
As a result of the explosions from Oscar, the mall was becoming unstable and the area was beginning to collapse. Fortunately, Hornet found a quick emergency exit and broke through just as another ceiling piece nearly crashed into him.
[End of Song]
He found himself panting once he got out, feeling the cool breeze. It made him feel better after being caught up in a heated battle. Strangely, the midnight sky was peaceful in comparison to the ruined mall. Away from the warzone that gave him hell.
By coincidence, Mira and Alex were just waiting nearby.
"Hornet! Thank goodness you're safe!" exclaimed Mira, checking over the little bug.
Hornet's mind was racing, but his voice had a mind of its own. "I-I'm fine, Mira. I'm alright."
"You call THIS alright?!" said Mira. She wasn't angry. She was clearly frightened by the random explosions inside. "We heard a couple of noises from outside. It sounds like another person placed a bomb there."
"I swear I'm alright," said Hornet, hovering upwards. "It's not my first…time."
Mira noticed that he didn't seem alright. Despite looking close to tears, Mira decided not to continue further if it irritated Hornet. He appeared exhausted and depressed by the whole ordeal. If he went in there and came out rattled, then something also happened to Ashton and his fellow cops.
Meanwhile, Alex stared at Hornet. They had a look of worry and amazement. This was what prompted the little bug to move aside his close hesistance. The way Alex looked at him was as if they had just experienced a hero or villain in action.
"How come you…were able to be THIS brave to get into…this?" Alex asked. "It would be a little…scary? I-I mean, you risked your life with those cops and so…"
Hornet didn't have a clear answer. He could only give a sad smile. "It's…all about confidence, Alex. You just…need to believe you can do it and everyone else will believe it too."
Mira curled her lips, noticing how miserable he sounded.
Before she could ask any more questions, Alex inhaled sharply. The trio turned around to find Oscar atop the mall's roof. He surveyed the bloody scene through the hole he made in the ceiling. He smirked, not even caring that the mall might fully collapse. He looked down at the light blue box in his hands and a creepy smile crossed his face.
Satisfied, he pressed something on his palm before his body disappeared in a red glitch.
As if he was a hologram.
"Was t-that even…Oscar?" sputtered Hornet.
"Who?" asked Alex, terrified.
"The Great White Shark," said Mira, biting one of her fingernails.
"And Mr. Shark's father," said Hornet to himself. "Did…he know about this?"
AN: It would only grow more violent from there, but we're still on Day 2. And these battles will develop over time with new challenges, obstacles and contestants. This is like Level 1 for Oscar testing out his powers.
This goes the same for the Bad Guys, but it spoke volume about their recklessness. Interesting thing to note: Gumbo's recall of a traumatic memory was originally gonna be him being one of the victims of the attack. Though, I changed it to give him a reader-like perspective of the event unfolding before him. Anyone near such a dangerous act would still be scarred by such viewing.
I'll admit that it's my thoughts on the infamous attacks in Bourke Street. At least three times. I crossed over there a few times and yet, I wondered why I felt confident when this seemed to be the shootout hotspot.
The showdown between Oscar and the police cops establishes how easy it is for Oscar to defeat that many like it's just a game. Wanting to stay consistent with the story's tone, I first started with comical moments before going neck-deep into the darker side once Oscar got truly serious.
I have to admit that Hornet should have been more uncomfortable in the first death, but I changed the trigger to a more serious death to avoid making the tone too inconsistent. And this flashback of a battle Hornet partook in is actually a vital part of his backstory; how he stands out from the more violent hornets.
Additionally, Oscar's ability to detach his arms and legs references TDK (The Suicide Squad). Naturally, it's distasteful. But, this is just his first try, so give him some pointers.
This chapter is a little short, but I'm happy with how it is. Let me know what you think of the build-ups so far. Thank you for reading this chapter! If you enjoy this story so far, be sure to favorite or follow. Constructive criticism is appreciated, but if any flames, then it's down the drain.
Until next time, keep on rocking!