The Masked Matterhorn #8-Rise of The Kraken Part 1
"You fools! You have trifled with me, but now you will suffer! Pop Quiz Time! Put all books away," Crawford said as he handed his class their quizzes with most of the students groaning.
"Ugh," Twilight lay her head on her desk. "Do you think Crawford developed his finely turned grumpiness over time, or was he born this way?"
"I just think he's still grumpy because Randall send him back to drawing board on his mech arms project," Moondancer thought.
"No. I'm saying he was born this way," Sandbar said. "I bet his first words were This diaper design is ineffectual.
"You two have him all wrong. Out of the teachers here, Crawford cares the most about these students," Then Crawford gave them and Ocellus theirs.
"You call this caring?" Twilight asked when Crawford handed her quiz. "Were raised by a pack of crazed zombie wolves?"
"He's just misunderstood. You guys probably don't know it's like."
"I know what it's like to turn a brilliant prototype into a High Frequency Energy Reader and get a C because it didn't have a cooler name," Ocellus groaned.
"I need a way out this test!" Sandbar exclaimed.
"Best of luck, an act of nature," Twilight said to him then ground was rumbling.
Attention students. Nexus High is experiencing an emergency. Drop everything and follow standard evacuation procedures.
"What's going here?" Moondancer as the class headed out.
"Who cares, as long as the quiz in canceled," Sandbar said.
"This only means the quiz is postponed!"
"Shit," Both Sandbar and Ocellus groaned.
As everyone was in the hall, Twilight looked outside as sees a giant robot breaking in the school.
"Of course, another giant robot," Twilight said before heading the other way.
Outside...
"Hey rustbucket!" Matterhorn grabbed the bot's attention. "You do know Nexus has a front door, reception desk, and the whole works, right? And you have sign in to get a hall pass, Mr... What's your name?"
"Miss Gold Smash! And this my hall pass!" She fired a ton of rockets at her.
"Not what I meant..." Matterhorn prepared for the worse, but a pink blur grabbed making the rockets missed.
"What the..." Gold Smash was surprised.
"You missed!" The blur blew a raspberry at her while wearing a white suit with pink stripes.
"Thanks for the save..."
"I'm Filli-Second. The fastest hero of Canterlot City! And also save the introductions because we need to flee!"
Both of them dodge a laser blast from Gold Smash.
"If this how you make a first impression," Matterhorn used her magic to bring it down then froze it but breaks out of it. "You're going to be hugely unpopular at Nexus."
"I do not care about this school, only what it is hiding."
"Can't talk about this over scones? Green tea? Borscht? On me," Fill-Second said.
"You're wasting my time!" Gold Crush fired rockets at her, but she tried to outrun them.
"Sure, time is a terrible thing to waste, but yet got no problem wasting doors and ceilings!" She said as Gold Crush engage her rocket boots.
"Enough of this tomfoolery, you will impede me no further!" She fired two heat seekers but avoided it. "This building is harder to breach than I imagined. But every security grid has a weak spot. There!"
She made a hole through a building then went inside.
"Even, Crawford's pop quiz would've be more fun than this," Matterhorn said as she and Filli-Second followed. "Now we're playing hide and seek?"
"That Gold Crush is one weird supervillain. So how can we find her?"
"Thermal Mode not cutting... Wait Ocellus's High Frequency Energy Reader will do the thing," Matterhorn went to get it.
"That's quite a mouthful," Fill-Second said as Matterhorn came back and tried to use it.
"If our golden girl, is emitting an energy signal, a little twist on the dial... Goctha! Running low on the power, aren't we? That's odd now it's picking up a massive high energy source in the basement?"
"Maybe that's Gold Snore is looking for."
"Smash. And thank you for locating it for me." She fired a laser at them then headed down to the basement level.
"Finally."
"Somehow, I doubt have permission to access complex mostly likely dangerous machinery. But maybe I'm little paranoid."
"I have not come this far to be stopped by two children in costumes."
"Have you seen one!"
Fill-Second kicked Gold Crush at the face then Matterhorn hurled a large rock shard which cause impact. Then Matterhorn did fire beam that made it skid back at bit.
"They have a floppy shoe and a nose that honk... and why are arguing with someone in a bootleg version of Iron Mare."
"My armor is far better than that. This ends here." Gold Smash tries to fire her laser but nothing. "Damnit! My power been drained."
"Yeah, now's who the clown," Fill-Second joked.
"Is it safe to come in?" Randall asked.
"Yeah, she's drained of power and totally harmless," Matterhorn said.
"Thanks, but uh, how on earth are we going to move that thing."
"Good question?"
"Is this what she was after? Do you know again about Mr. Mclean?" Fill-Second glanced over a large machine.
"I never seen this type of machinery in my life?" Randall told her.
"I'm not exactly sure what it does, but it is emitting large amounts of energy."
"Maybe it's a weapon that Gold Smash was trying to steal!"
"Of course it's not a weapon, bluderhead!" Crawford shouted. "It's a revolutionary power generator that uses regenerative ion technology. Once, I'm done it will change the world. I called it the RIOT III."
"Regenerative ions? Do you know how volatile that is?" Randall asked Crawford.
"Our whole school could implode in a vortex of swirling atoms!"
"In the hands of lesser mind, yes, but I have taken precautioned measures to sure it won't."
"No. Dismantle this immediately."
Just as Crawford grunted in frustration, Fill-Second felt a tingle in her body which means something bad going to happened.
"Uh, guys, you might want to move, like now," Fill-Second exclaimed.
"Thank you," Gold Smash as she got back up. "Your inane prattling has allowed me to resort to the power reserve. Now leave, I need to charge."
She fired a laser but Filli-Second grabbed both officers before it made contact then Matterhorn countered with a fire beam.
"Looks like somebody doesn't get when they're not wanted," Matterhorn retorted. "Randall, Crawford, get the students to safety, let us handle the big bot."
"What you want doesn't matter in the face of the power I will now wield," Gold Smash said as she drain the RIOT 3.
"No, no, no! You're overloading the transmission conduits, fool!" Crawford exclaimed then pulled out his pad.
"Uh, Crawford, is it a bad time to check for emails?" Matterhorn asked him.
"I'm doing something more ingenious."
"What? What you have you done?" Gold Crush screamed.
"I've remotely expanded the generator's engery shield, entrapping you."
"I will not capture," She removed her arm by force.
Waring, meltdown in 30 seconds.
"See you around, Matterhorn," Gold Smash engaged her jets and left not before Matterhorn placed a tracer on her.
"Okay, I can track her later," Matterhorn said then looked at the RIOT III. "Assuming there is a later."
"Uh, you how to defuse overloads with regenerative ions?" Filli-Second asked her.
"Somewhat," Matterhorn said then look inside to see fuel rods. "Okay if I take out the rods, it should avert the overload. Filli-Second, I need you to make that the school is cleared."
"On it!" Filli-Second said before boosting out of the room.
"You're doing it wrong, ignoramus!" Crawford actived his robotic arms and pulled Matterhorn out of the way.
"Crawford, what are you doin-"
"Let an expert handle this!" Crawford went to work. "You fool! Decoupleing the rods in a improper sequence could destroy the my generator!"
As he fixing the RIOT the walls closed in on him.
"David! Let me help!" Matterhorn pleaded. "You don't have it alone!"
"I just more time..."
5... 4... 3... 2... 1
The coutdown went off and the device overheat as Crawford screamed.
"No!" Matterhorn shouted.
Much later, the meds came by and carried Crawford on a strecher and into an ambulance then it took off as Randall, Matterhorn and Filli-Second watched.
"We're lucky that no students were hurt. I warned him about unsanctioned expermints," Randall said. "You guys did everything you could."
"Thanks, but there's one more thing I can do, find the crimminal responbie!" Matterhorn said. "Filli-Second, any sign of her?"
"Nope. She left as soon she casue the meltdown. Do you have an idea?"
"I place a tracker on her but it ain't picking up her signal, and I just got it to work," Matterhorn said then flew away.
"Okay, bye!" Fill-Second said. "Shit! I'm late for class!"
...
At the Canterlot Hospital...
"Moondancer," Twilight walked to her. "How is he?"
"The doctors are with him now. They asked me to wait outside. But he's not excatly in good spirits."
"Well, that's nothing new. But nearly blowing up the school with a unsanction expermental generator can really be a bummer."
"Blow us up? Gold Smash did that. Dr. Crawfore put himself in harm's way to try to save us. He even save Matterhorn."
"Save Matterhorn. Crawford was just trying to get her out of the way so he can save his precoius machine."
"Of course he wanted to save his machine, and our lives. I know he's not the nicest guy. But I was there, Twilght. I saw it. He inteionally did that away from danger. Dr. Crawford acted like a hero."
"Good guy Crawford. I guess, that's a possible theory," Twilight gave it some thought just as Moondancer's phone ringed.
"I can't wait, I gotta jet. But tell him we're all greatful," Moondancer then headed for the exited with Twilight she enter the room.
"Hey, doc. Great to see you looking better."
"Please do not partonize me, Sparkle."
"Noted. So what did they say?"
"The so-called mediacl professionals at this estabishement have infomed me that they cannot remove these metal arms, ever. The explosion had fused them with my brain. I'm stuck like this for life."
"I'm sure you can still..."
"Still what? Still be an outcast? This accident has made me more of a freak than I already was. My small-minded peers have mocked my differnces since youth. These will only give them more cause."
"My uncle told me, that accidents can either be an end or a beginning."
"Your uncle clearly wasn't a scienstist?"
"No, he was not. But he also wasn't a quitter either. Sure you can give up and sulk for the rest of your life. But you should know, no matter what's happened to you, there are people out there, like Moondancer and the students at Nexus, who belive in you, who think you can change the world. Maybe even as a hero."
"And what do you know, Sparkle?"
"I think they're right.
"I don't know. I'm not sire on how to stop Gold Smash if she comes back."
"Why would she come back?"
"I evaluated her armor during the attack. It's inefficent desgin of Iron Mare's armor."
"As cheap copy."
"Yes. The fuel rods I invented for my generator would maxime her suit."
"Giving her a major power upgrade. But the generaotr was destoryed."
"The one at the school, yes, but earleir protypes are in off-site storage. Then give off a small signature but she'll detect them eventullly."
"Then there's a good chance we know where she's going to be. And have a chance to stop her."
"Matterhorn we'll take care of it. I have nothing to offer."
Hours later...
"Ugh, stakeouts are so boring," Mattehorn said as she was looking out for Gold Smash. "Three hours and nothing. Note to self, borrow Sandar's Nintendo Switch to starve off bordem," Then her tracker tracer beeped. "And my brillantly desgined tracer couldn't be more useless. If I'm reading this right, Gold Smash should be right behind me. If that's was the case, then my Danger Radar would..."
Then her Danger Rader went off.
"Go off!"
She immediately jumped out of way before a rocket hit her then flew around as Gold Smash fire more rockets at her.
"Leave! I do not want to hurt you or anyone! But I will if I must!"
"Not doing well, on the hurt nobody front," Mattehorn did a magic blast at Gold Smash but it only skidded her back. "A brillant scienst is in the hostapital because of you."
"He tried to deny me what I needed. I was a victm in my counrty," Gold Smash shouted then fire a laser at Matterhorn which she dodged but Gold Smash catch her.
"Mobsters took everything I had, even my family's land. I seized this armor so that I will never feel vurnable again."
Gold Smash threw Matterhorn to the ground as she rebound from the ground.
"The power source is the key to unlocking features of the armor that cannot be gerated with normal energy. I will use the extra strengh to become rich, so that no one will push me or my family around again."
"I lost someone close me to crime so I know what it's like to be powerless. But you don't fight crime with more crime. You fight it by being a hero!"
"A hero? I'm a thief."
"Recently, the meanst guy I know saved my life. Sometime people will suprise you."
"Yes, they do. They act like friends, then they betray you," Gold Smash exclaimed then punched through roof of the storage then Mattehorn followed.
"Sorry, I can't let you take it."
"You can't stop me," Gold Smash placed a power rod at her core which light up as a shield came around.
"Now you look light a nightlight. Not very impressed," Matterhorn said then fire an eletric blast at Gold Smash which got absorbed by shield. "Okay, I'm little impressed."
"Like that? Try this! I finally have enough power to use them. Gold Drones, launch!" She lanuched two drones. "Now you know what I speak of, Masked Matterhorn. Strength."
Mattehorn leaped over the drones that shots at her but only to get punched by Gold Smash which sent her into a wall.
"If Crawford asks, I am so telling him that you broke his stuff," Matterhorn said. "Mental note. Beat the baddies before they get the upgrade."
Gold Crush, your new to Canterlot City, are you?" Matterhorn asked then gunfire from Gold Smash. "Instead of fighting, why not I give you a tour."
"Show you the sights. Catch a show."
Gold Smash scored a direct hit at her that crashed into a wall.
"I'll take that as No thanks, Matterhorn".
Then Gold Smash armed sveraled rockets at Matterhorn which made her yelped in suprise. Before Gold Smash had the chance to fire a metal arm burst through wall from Matterhorn was standing and knocked Gold Smash back.
"Huh? Crawford? Awesome!"
"You are trying to purloin what does not belong to you," Crawford said. "You now face The Kraken!"
"You again? You belive metal arms are power? Drones, attack!"
The Gold Drones closed on Kraken but he use his metal arms to block them which allow Gold Smash to bash through the wall and escpae then Kraken picked up one of the drones.
"You saved me. Again," Matterhorn said to Kraken. "Who's the superhero here, me or you?"
"The least likelist student helped make me aware I was not as helpless as I thought. But I am no hero. I merely came to protect my property."
"As The Kraken huh?" Matterhorn asked as she gave a sly grinned to him.
"It is an expression of simple humor, given that my last name comes from crawdad, so I thought it worked."
"Yeah, I got that, heh. If it weren't for you, I'd be toast. Matterhorn toast. So, thanks."
"Nevertheless we failed. Gold Smash escpaed with my tech and can ultized it for any nefarious purpose that she pleases."
"Well I place a tracker on her, but it ain't working."
"Bring your amaterish device back my lab, where I am certain I can correct its flaws."
"You mean a team up?"
"More of a temproay parntership that I will most likely regret in the longterm," Crawford said.
"Not as catchy."
At Nexus High, Crawford was anylzeign Matterhorn tracker as Matterhorn looking up info on Gold Smash.
"This tracker circuit is not as incompently assmbled as I assmued," Crawford said. "But even a broken clock is right twice a day."
"I take it your PhD isn't in giving compliments," Mattehorn said. "Hey I found something on Gold Smash."
"Goverment desgins, I assume."
"Yep. The armor was design by Violet Industreis to protect people, but was recenty was stolen by a Drewlina. A civilian."
"Then she is likley untrained in the finer aspects of the armor," Crawford said then got something. "Perhaps she's incorrectly cycled the armor's juction boxes, which is causing the interfernce with your tracker. There, I have made the proper adjustments."
"Doc, you're a genius!"
"Why do people say that which suprises in their voices?"
With Gold Crush, she was in sewers looking for something.
"The vault should be right there."
"Trying to rob a bank? Well don't back on it," Matterhorn asked which made Gold Crush turned around to see her and The Kraken. "See, all heroes have to come with snappy one-liners. It sells the good guy routine."
"The Kraken and her sidekick, Masked Matterhorn?"
"What the... I'm his sidekick!? He's been doing for like, an hour."
"Two hours."
"Enough," Gold Smash fires laser shot at both Matterhorn and Kraken.
"We need to wrap this up before she can do significant damage."
"Damage? I show you damage!"
Gold Smash fired a barrage of rockets at Matterhorn which casued an explosion as now all of three them were topside of the city.
"At this point, I going to start calling you collartel damage."
"You are a mere petty annoyance."
Gold Smash did a laser blast which made Kraken and Matterhorn dodged then Matterhorn went in for a kick but Gold Smash grabbed and slammed her to the ground.
"An annoyance for certain. But for the moment, he is ally," Kraken was perched on a lampost the dive straight to her only Gold Smash to grabs his arms and toss him aside.
"Both of you are tiresome," Gold Smash said as she charge her laser cannons. "But this will keep you busy."
She fire lasers from her cannons which were casue descruation.
"I can save the others. You stop Gold Smash."
"Crawford saving people, on purpose. We live in such a crazy world," Mattehorn as she confronted Gold Smash. "I'm sorry for what happened to you. From what you said, it sounds like you lost a lot. But you can chosse whenter to be the villian or be a hero."
"I've made my choice."
Gold Crush started to rapid punch Matterhorn as she brought a magic shiled to block them which started to fade with every punch once the shield was gone, Matterhorn tried to magic blast Gold Smash but she got her fist on her. Matterhorn saw her tracker.
"Crawford said something on your armor interferred with it. Is the oppsite true. Could my tracker interfere your armor?" Matterhorn said as she did an eleticl blast at it which the armor to short circuit and power down.
"What did you do!?" Gold Smash exclaimed as she fell down.
"Pull a reverse output, and suprisly it worked. I wonder if I get extra credit for this."
"Your apperes to be complete," Kraken as clean up the damage. "So what now?"
"I usally leave a note for the police and beat it. You got a pen on you?"
Much later...
"We got the bad guy. Nice team up, Kraken," Matterhorn said to him.
"I achevied my desired intention... retrieving that which is mine."
"Don't think I didn't see you save those people, Doc. That had nothing to do with getting your tech back. Face the facts, you're a hero," Matterhorn grinned as she took off in her rocket boots leaving him.
"Perhaps, she's right."
At Nexus High, in Crawford's class.
"You realize the world's meanist teacher is still give us that killer quiz, right?" Ocellus asked both Twilight and Moondancer.
"We should be lucky. He just got out of the hostpital," Moondancer said. "He probably wanna take it easy for a while."
"I wouldn't be surpised if Dr. Crawford is a little nicer. People can choose to change," Twilight added as Crawford enter the room and got his students their students.
"Becasue most of you are all no doubt wondering, no, I will be giving you a pop quiz. I will gving you two of them," He said as most groaned with Oclleus face palmed herself.
"Miss Twilight, I need to see you," Crawford said as he was outside and Twilight walked out to join him. "Miss. Sparkle, I know your serect."
"Uh, you do?" Twilight asked. Crap. Did he figrure out that I'm Matterhorn?
"Matterhorn put this tracker on Gold Crush. Did you really think I would not recognize the project you built from my electral engerring class? Sparkle, I know that you are building tech for Matterhorn."
"That? Oh, helped her, a couple of times," Twilight said. That was a close one.
"Inserting. Having a brilliant mind of my own, I have no need for outside contributions. Perhaps one would say that makes me the superior hero," Crawford said as went into the classroom.
"Good to have you back, Dr. Crawford," Twilight smiled.