The Outstanding Runaways ARC 1: TRIALS
PART 1 OF 3
Downtown Los Angeles
Wilder Industries - Duel Building Annex
His stealthy pace on the cushioned rug helped him slip past a few Night Watch guards. The shoes, extra padded on the bottom, didn't hurt either.
Making his way down the dimly lit hallways, Chase Stein, son of the infamous Mister Stein, runs up behind a beam that protrudes out the wall. Pressing his back up against it, Chase peaks out from behind it, scanning the hallway for any movement. His blue eyes searching for anything or anyone that could give him away. Nothing.
Satisfied, Chase slicks back golden yellow blond hair and wipes the sweat away from his forehead. He was nervous. So nervous in fact he almost wished he used the bathroom once more before he did this. He shouldn't have eaten at 'In N' Out'. He should've listened to his dad and just ate a power bar and some coffee – stupid. Chase could feel his resolve waning. He needed to reassure himself and check everything once more, even if it was in the middle of the hallway.
Glancing down, Chase down a 'pat-down' check on himself. Wearing a fitted black vest he felt the lock picking supplies he had, the top of his white shirt was unbuttoned and he loosened his black tie. Checking his pants pocket, Chase felt the objects he needed to have.
Lastly, he raises his right hand that's encased in a weight metal glove. It resembles that of an armored glove from the Knights in the 16th Century – was purposeful; as was the small screen on the back hand and buttons that ran up the gauntlet covering his wrist.
He had everything he needed. He was good. Chase whispered it to himself. He knew what to do. He was the best.
Calming himself, he draws a deep breath, opens his blue eyes once more and proceeds down the hallway.
Proceeding along the ugly yellow carpeting under foot cushioning his footsteps, Chase looks to the back of his metal gloved hand. A small screen shows a 3D map of the building with a red dot of his location and a blue dot of his destination which says 700 feet closer. Glancing straight ahead, Chase sees the doors with various brass numbers on them. "Three seventeen." he mumbles to himself, turning left down a hallway.
Firming his face, Chase straightens his tie and hastens his down the long corridor looking for the right suite number.
However, before he can get much further, the sound of the elevator arriving behind him is heard. Chase looks at the clock on the wall and sees it is 12:51pm. Chase quickly ducks behind a secretary's desk outside an office suite. Squatting down, Chase feels the beads of sweat gather on his forehead. Carefully peeking over the mahogany desk, Chase blue eyes peers over the wood and between the decorative crystal paperweights to a door across the hall. The exact door he was looking for '317'
Then, Chase's eyes shift to the four security men with flashlights, exiting the elevator and kicking down the office doors. Chase slowly squats back down and firms his face, he needed more time, but that didn't matter now. Getting the job done was a priority.
Taking a deep breath, Chase slowly raises up from behind the desk, not immediately noticed by the four mystery men.
Quietly he walks out to the middle of the hallway, still unnoticed, and then holds out his metal gloved hand, palm facing outward as a smirk comes across his face.
"HEY!"
Immediately all four men turn to him in unison and immediate reach for the guns.
Within seconds the metal glove on Chase hands, slides out plates metal up his arm, along his shoulder, covering his torso, then over his entire body increasing his height to 7 feet tall, only exposing his mouth and nose.
Where his eyes once were, now is replaced by two hollow lenses, which glow red.
"SHOOT EM!" yells one of the men as the rest are hesitant.
"Bad idea." grunts Chase as he charges them fast!
"WE NEED BACK UP!" yells one of the security men as the others shoot at him.
Bullets bounce off Chase's suit as he clumsily staggers over to them and swats one of the shooters, throwing his body like a rag doll across the width of the lobby and smashing through a pane glass wall. Turning to the other three, Chase races after the men with the momentum of a freight train. Colliding into one gunman who just shoots at him, Chase sends him back 30 feet right into the elevator door! One jumps on Chase back, shooting him point blank in the back of the head.
Chase jumps up, crushing the man between his back and the concrete ceiling! Landing on his feet, Chase grabs him and tosses him aside before balling his metal fist and bashing the last gunman across the face, sending him bouncing off the wall.
Seconds is all it took. Chase deactivates the suit, the metal places sliding back into each other with abnormal ambiguity. Smoothing his golden blond hair back, Chase steps over the bloodied and battered gunman who lay amongst scattered debris.
"Don't mess with Steins." Huff Chase, turning aside from them to the Office Suite he needed to get to, 317.
As Chase turns the doorknob to the office, he's taken off guard as enters and sees Nico Minoru, dressed in black jump suit standing on a desk, a painting clearly meant to be on the wall, now on the floor and a flashlight in her mouth with documents in her hand.
Chase's eyes open wide as he slams the door behind him, throwing his hands up in the air.
"ARE YOU FREAKING SERIOUS!" Chase exclaims, "I WANTED TO USE MY NEW FEATURE
ON THIS THINGAMAJIGG!" he says pointing to his metal glove.
Nico spits out her flashlight, "Not my fault you're too slow." She quips, slamming shut the safe door and spinning the rotating lock.
"Besides, this is a single effort trial." she says flirtatiously.
Chase narrows his eyes, "Single? So does that mean I have to stop you then?"
Rolling her eyes, Nico reaches down and picks up the painting, carefully placing it back on the wall. Seeing the painting positioned the way it was when she walked in, Nico hops off the desk and wags the rolled up paper to Chase, who stands by the door, stiff lipped and rather quiet.
"Stop me now, but I may make you 'chase' me for it though." she says sultrily.
Chase immediately blushes as he nods, "We-well ya...that's what I thought. We're working' together" he says.
Nico winks at him, "You'd think I was gonna betray you now? Come on, we only got each other in this, who knows what our parents have planned for us, we just gotta get through this together."
Chase nods happily, "Right. Now let's get outta here." he says.
Suddenly the dim lit lights go out!
"What's happening?" Nico asks, concerned about lacing her voice.
Promptly Chase looks on the screen on the back of his metal glove, "Someone is cutting off all the power to the building." He replies.
Nico raises her eyebrow, "Why?! This is a simple extraction. We only have an hour left." she says.
Chase shakes his head, "No, no, no all the safety precautions we took, are getting undone. Someone is interfering. Get ready to use that staff."
Nico faced firms, "No."
Chase looks at her in visible protest, "What do you mean know?! You know this building was chosen because it has an ex-military back up security force! I can take out a few guys but not…Nico get it out."
Nico's face shifts from angry to scared, looking at her chest, "I-I no. I can't."
Suddenly a TV behind them turns on, bathing them in a soft white glow. Nico and Chase hold their hands just over their eyes from glare as gates slam shut over the massive windows and then the door to exit the office!
Immediately a face appears on the television screen. A bald African American man, his expression tired but almost aglow with irritation. He threw his head back, swallowing down a mouthful of whatever liquor made him suck the air between his teeth. He returned his eyes to the screen, opening the top button on his white collar.
"So it's you two. Stein's boy and Minoru's girl."
"Mister Wilder?" Chase exclaims in almost disbelief, "What are you doing?!" he asks.
"You can't do this, Mister Wilder." Nico states, hoping to reason with him, "Stop now and I promise we won't say anything." She pleads.
Chase cuts her look, "We won't?" he scoffs.
Nico face firms with determination, "NO, we won't." she insistently replies.
"Nico Minoru…" Mister Wilder sighs, "…if only your mother was as kind as you, but I'm afraid that even if you made that promise, its too late for that."
Chase points at the screen, "Listen old man…" he says in a slightly deeper voice that only Nico knew he was forced to put on so he could sound tough like his father, "…this is Trials and you know the rules…
"Shut up boy." Wilder snarls, silencing Chase, "…bad enough I had to deal with your father all these years, I won't deal with him again in the lesser undistilled form of your arrogance and stupidity!" he states.
"And I know what this night is." Wilder continues, "This, is Trials." he says, his tone carrying a sort of 'weight' at merely uttering the word. "The night to prove yourselves to the Pride that you're worthy of Leading our Cabal by surmounting the challenges set by the Pride. So what do they have you doing?"
. "Looking for ways to piss on your coffin when they hang you for this." answers Chase, then, narrows his eyes as if in disbelief, "You DO understand you can't be here, right?!"
Nico steps forward, "This is a treasure hunt. Plain and simple."
"NICO!" Chase exclaims, upset she told him anything about Trials.
Turning aside, Nico address the large glowing screen, "We've been going through all of Los Angeles." Nico explains, "That's all it is. It's all Innocent Mister Wilder. Please just let us continue."
Still on the Television, Mister Wilder starts to chuckles, "Innocent, really Nico? Then how come all the places you've been 'infiltrating' in your 'treasure hunt', are my Companies, my subsidiaries. Everything you've taken, ruins me overnight!"
Chase and Nico look at each other confused.
On the television Mister Wilder rubs his eyes, "Look, you can pretend like you don't understand. But I know how much your parents have a hold over you…"
Nico tilts her head at the screen, feeling nauseous at his presumption.
"…but I can't, I won't let them ruin my legacy after already ruining my son!" Wilder says, focusing his attention to them he shakes his head sadly, "We did this before to a good man in New York. Parker I think. It was on New Year's too. Talk about Karma."
Chase grits his teeth, "KARMA ISN'T GONNA GIVE US BACK THE TIME YOU'RE WASTING WILDER! NOW RAISE UP THESE SHIELDS AND LET US OUT OF HERE!"
Nico looks at Chase, stunned at his temper, "You're going to make this worse!" she whispers, "He's clearly upset don't…"
"Look Stein boy…" Wilder says with a pointed finger, "You're father may think of you as a his pride and joy genius, but I don't like you, bad enough Nico had to be here." He says, shifting his eyes to her, "My boy always said you were nice to him."
Nico gulps, "We did get along."
"And now he's a low life runaway." Chase blurts, "A dead beat just like his father."
"Now…" Wilder retorts, "…you sound like your Father." He sighs leaning back, "Although I doubt he'll ever know that after tonight."
Nico feels her face drain, "Mister Wilder…"
Wilder holds up his hands, "Enough." He sternly interrupts, "I've been with the Pride for decades, but after EVERYTHING I've done for them, after the lies, the secrets, the
killing…" He recalls, balling his hands into fists before slamming them flat on the table and staring at the pair, "See, the Pride, belonged to me."
"What're you smoking?" Chase chides.
Wilder narrows his eyes, "Save for the Mancha boy, my boy Alex was gifted."
Chase remains quiet, not willing to dispute it.
Wilder points at him, "And your father knew it. And sabotaged my entire family so he could keep his grip on the Pride through you boy." He says, folding his arms, "But that plan is gonna go up in smoke, along with you."
Chase steps forward, "Screw this." He huffs, "Wilder, you know that if any 'participant' during the night of Trials, if faced with an imminent threat of exposure, We can kill you! You know that right?" he sneers coldly.
Nico pulls his arm, "Chase stop we're not killing Alex father!"
Chase yanks his arm away and points at Mr. Wilder, "I mean it! I'll back trace this feed to whatever hole you're in and put a bullet square in you before daybreak!"
Nico shakes her head, "NO YOU WON'T!" she protests, "There's another way! There's always another way."
"You don't listen, do you boy." Mister Wilder says to Chase, "I have a private ex-military crew ready to do a clean up in twenty seconds after you go up in smoke." he says as red countdown numbers start to flash on the television screen, starting from 10.
"Up in smoke?" Nico nervously repeats, hoping it doesn't mean what she thinks it does. She knew from Alex that the Wilder's were kind and intelligent people, but the meaning of their actions were in their words, and when they were mean, they were ruthless.
"Yes…" Wilder answers, "Because after the C4 lining the walls in that office."
Chase shakes his head, JEEZUS!" he exclaims in a panic and points his glove at the floor and blasts it. The floor rumbles but Chase and Nico quickly find a thick metal sheet glistening in the dark under the rug that smolders from blast fire.
Suddenly, the screen on Chase glove shows the through the x-ray mode of where the C4 is looks at Nico as the numbers hit six and points to the wall.
"Remove the C4! Use that stinkin staff! That's the only way you can channel your powers and save us!" he yells, panicking.
"I can't, I'm too stressed, I need to focus!" she exclaims as she looks at her chest.
Angered, Chase grabs Nico by the shoulders, "WE ARE GONNA FREGGIN DIE NICO!" Chase yells they both see the numbers hit five.
"STOP YELLING AT ME I CAN'T DO IT LIKE THAT!" Nico yells.
"DO IT!" yells Chase as they lock eyes.
As Nico turns and sees the numbers on the television go down to 1 and then zero.
Suddenly, as if the walls seem to jump, all the glass shatters as the walls crack like paint chips from a ceiling with a red glow of fire behind them.
Almost as if the room slowly started to lift from the opposite end of the hallway into the air and the opposite towards the floor, everything started to shift to a steep incline.
Confused, Nico feels the room start to vibrate as she looks at the wall behind the television start to glow red at the center and slowly become engulfed in a seemingly never ending pit of fire!
As if fear and dread made a hole in his stomach, Chase eyes open wide as his hair starts to fly back from the force of the oncoming explosion and sees Nico remains motionless and in a trance-like state.
As if something calmed Nico. Staring at the fire, she becomes almost completely entranced by it. It was beautiful. More than that. It was powerful. The curling fire engulfs the wall, quickly devours along the flammable rug towards them and smothers the glass table ahead of them, shattering completely. She loved it. She felt it. Not the fire…but the power.
Tuning almost everything out as the wall gets brighter and brighter white with Chase yelling at the top of his lungs until he is red-faced for Nico to do something.
Suddenly a glow emits from the center of Nico's chest. A long bronze staff extends out of Nico's chest and she automatically grabs hold of it with both hands.
Baring her teeth, Nico's eyes glow bright yellow as she exhales white smoke from her mouth and nose. The Staff vibrates in her hands, trembling with raw power but she focuses on the approaching fire, the eruption from the C4. She feels everything moves, crackle and burn all at once and channels it, into one word:
"WINTER!" yells Nico.
Suddenly, Chase is slammed against the wall as fire fizzles out at his feet while he slumps to the floor. Holding his head, Chase slowly opens his eyes as he sees Nico standing in the middle of the room with a bright moon glow on her. However, as Chase gets his bearings, he rubs his eyes and sees Nico standing in the middle of the room with her staff in her hand, snow on her shoulders, ice on the floor and thick clouds floating on the ceiling as the moon glows from outside filters in through the blown out windows!
Chase staggers to his feet as he sees Nico turn to him with glowing yellow eyes. Chase gulps, "What the fudge…"
To be continued….
PREVIOUSLY
The Outstanding Runaways - CHAPTER 1
Downtown Los Angeles
Wilder Industries - Duel Building Annex
Holding his head, Chase slowly opens his eyes to see Nico standing in the middle of the room with a bright moon glow on her.
However, as Chase gets his bearings, he rubs his eyes and sees Nico standing in the middle of the room with her staff in her hand, snow on her shoulders, ice on the floor and thick clouds floating on the ceiling as the moon's glow from outside filters in through the blown out windows!
Chase staggers to his feet as he sees Nico turn to him with glowing yellow eyes. Chase gulps, "What the fudge…, was that, Magic?"
Eerily Nico, cranes her neck to Chase, gazing upon him with both eyes glowing yellow, "No." she replies, "It's the power within, and the power exterior and the power in you."
Chase scratches the back of his head, "Yeah I totally make sense."he winces, feeling as if her answer hurt his brain somehow.
Suddenly, Nico eyes close and she tilts her head, as if listening for something Chase cannot hear. Then, Nico opens her eyes, glaring at the door "More are coming. A lot more." she says eerily.
Chase looks at the metal glove on his hand, and taps the screen on his forearm, "Okay, I'm adjusting my assault settings, I can spare a charge but we need to be quick…"
However Nico extends her hand to him, rendering him silent, "Don't move" she warns. Chase brow furrows, "Hey, who died and put you in char..."
Suddenly the floor begins to vibrate as if an Earthquake struck, making Chase stagger a bit, struggling to keep his footing, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" he says.
Nico closes her eyes, extends her arms forward and her Staff Floats between her extending her arms. Chase's eyes open wide in shock as all the snow on the floor around Nico's feet, floating up beside her in large heaping chunks. With a twiddle of Nico's fingers, the floating clumps of snow tremble and reshape into dozens razor sharp bullet-like spikes.
A chill runs down Chase's spine, "Mother of freakin' mercy." he blurts.
The Outstanding Runaways ARC 1: TRIALS
PART 2 OF 3
Nico's brown eyes snap open and glow bright yellow as if light-bulbs glow behind her irises.
The Office Suite doors are kicked in. Nico's eyes immediately lock into the black tactical boot retreating away from the door as he opens. Quickly a heavily armed security team
sent by Mister Wilder rushes over the threshold, assault rifles with flashlights raised, their faces covered in masks.
Immediately Nico flicks her fingers forward, shooting the snow spikes straight into the gun nozzles and into the shooter's shoulder and legs!
Cries of pain erupt from the men collectively. Some clutching their bleeding shoulders, others their legs while their comrades pull them back behind the door, screaming at each other.
Another man, though, dives inside acrobatically. He rolls and comes onto his knees aiming his weapon at Nico but too late finds her Staff of One floats over him with authority, throbbing red and crackling with energy.
The man's eyes open wide in horror as he's then bathed in red light, "Mother of…"
A bright red bolt of lightning shoots out and the gunman explodes into a cloud of particles, leaving his boots and gun with smoke rising from it and the smoldering carpet.
Chase eyes open wide before looking at Nico, "WHAT THE HECK HAS YOUR MOTHER BEEN TRAINING YOU TO DO!" he shouts.
"Same as yours." Nico replies, extending her arm forward as another bolt of lightning strikes the front door, making another gunman stagger back.
"THEY TRAIN US..." Chase shouts, "...BUT THIS IS SOME NEXT LEVEL…"
Suddenly a deafening explosion erupts. Dropping down behind a desk, Chase leans over the top, and holds his metal glove out and shoots out a blast from his fist-cuffs. His energy blast streaks across the dark and explodes off one gunman, launching him off his feet and smashing out a window.
Ducking back behind the desk, gunshots rip into the thick mahogany wood. Hunched over, "OKAY THEIR PISSED!" he calls out.
Chase looks to Nico, thinking she is caught in the crossfire.
However to Chase's amazement, Nico arms remain raised with her Staff floating in front of her and numerous bullets remaining in suspended air as if held by invisible strings.
Then, fear strikes Chase. Nico's face pales as if she was about to faint. Her knees go wobbly. Her breathing fatigued, sweat running down her face, Nico looks ready to pass out, Chase was sure.
"I CAN'T CONTROL IT!" Nico screams, "THE POWER…. IT'S TOO MUCH!"
Chase turns around and shoots a blast at the man, making the rest scatter for cover, then he rushes for Nico, "NICO I GOT…"
However, Nico sees past Chase, an assailant raises up from the desk and aims his gun right for Chase's back.
Nico's eyes shift red, "NOOO!" she screams and swings her arm left, punching the air.
Immediately, Chase feels as if a tremendous gravitational pull yank him straight down to the floor. Groaning in pain, Chase can barely register what happened to him before he's feeling the entire floor slowly lifting, making him slide down the carpet at rapid speed.
Confused, Chase is sent sliding down the carpet as if he was pushed down a hill, towards the windows?
"WHAT THE…"
Chase tries to stand up, but fails. Onto his feet and two rapid steps, Chase falls forward from the floor still leaning up to almost a complete straight drop. Chase is sent tumbling over and over, unable to stop himself. Then he hears it. The crashing and smashing of items on both sides of him. Seeing a fast approaching pillar, Chase grabs for it. The pillar that goes from the floor to the ceiling, Chase is barely able to hold on to, but looking up, spots a desk falling for him.
"CRAP!"
Letting go, Chase curls up as the desk smashes into the pillar and breaks in half over him!
Now falling straight down, Chase eyes open wide as he sees chairs and desks, printers, copiers and various office supplies, smashing out the window and falling to the street.
Quickly Chase smacks the back of his metal fisti-cuff and grabs for anything to stop his descent. His glove smashes into the drywall of the office, tearing through as he falls until he stops abruptly, having grabbed a metal pipe.
"Oh geezus…" Chase gasps, hanging off the side of the wall, trying to catch a breather.
However, flickers of light catch his attention from above. Chase looks up and sees despite all the logic in the world telling him it's not true, that the office, the entire office, is completely turned onto its side. And then, Chase sees it again, the flickers of light.
"Oh you've got to be kidding." Chase groans.
Rappelling down the office walls, the security team with assault weapons slug over the shoulders like bags, one hand on the rope another with a pistol, and crawl down the walls like roaches.
Suddenly a closet door swings open, a mop and bucket fall out and drop, and Nico emerges, holding her hand out to him, "CHASE!"
Chase looks at her and wastes no time grabbing Nico's hand. Throwing herself back, Nico pulls him into the closet and closes the door shut, hiding from the security team.
Nestled in two corners opposite each other, Chase presses the raised smooth bump on his metal glove which activates a very bright miniature flashlight at the center of his gloves metal palm.
"Okay, what the frick did you do Nico?!"
With the light illuminating the dark crawl space, Chase sees he is now laying what seems to be a floor with Nico curled up on top of him. His black vest dusty, his black shirt and tie rumpled as his blond hair is flayed outward, Chase gulps as he sees no way out and even wonders how they got in there.
With a groan, Nico rubs her temples.
"I meant to go through the floor but I threw the entire floor itself on end and lost control for a sec." she says.
"FOR A SEC?!" Chase repeats, "Nico, you bent freakin' physics."
"I KNOW!" Nico barks back, "It's not like I planned it!" she says, looking at her Staff of One on the floor, "It does what it wants!" she says, kicking it away from her.
"Your mom said that you mastered your powers! It's freakin' Trials Nico!" he retorts.
Nico folds her arms, "And clearly my Mother exaggerated! I do not know how to use my powers fully, especially when I got armed men trying to SHOOT ME!" she shouts.
"Well now we're here!" Chase says, "Stuck in a closet with armed men from our parents i take it, ex-friend, trying to kill us and you, miss 'I can't use my powers'."
Nico shoves him back to the wall, "I didn't say I can't use my powers, I said it's hard to control!"
"What the difference!" Chase shouts, "I mean my Dad made me study everyone, even you, because Alex Wilder's father made 'his' kid do it. He said, 'know everyone, and you'll know yourself'!"
Nico's face turns red, "I DO know myself!" he bitterly retorts, "I have to concentrate being between angry and calm all at the same time to summon that thing to..." she says as the pole lifts off the floor and merges into her chest and into her body.
Nico winces as if she swallowed a bitter pill, "I hate it when it does that." she groans.
"Okay so, while you concentrate on being bi-polar to use your powers…" Chase says, "...we got armed men, an office you somehow tilted, trying to kill us and my gloves battery, is dying." Chase interjects, "Can't you teleport us out of here or something?!"
"Chase it's not that simple!" Nico says defensively, "Every time i'm mad, or sad, or even freakin' happy, my powers go haywire and the staff comes out and makes real whatever is in my head."
"Is that why at that time you saw that movie a while back, wax models of Brad Pitt started appearing all over your house?" Chase asks.
Nico folds her arms and remains silent.
"Or so I heard." Chase says awkwardly, "Okay, okay, well, like didn't your mom or Dad, I mean your biological dad, ever explain your powers to you? It's Pride rules that they explain so you don't accidentally kill a member."
Nico rubs her temples, "Yes I've read everything from Quantum Physics to Tachyon energy string theory..." Nico replies, "...It doesn't change that it's hard to do what I do especially with people TRYING TO KILL US!"
Chase runs his hand through his blond hair, "True, but we are not dying in a closet , we just need a plan."
"I think I have one." Nico says.
"Does it involve turning the office back onto its right level?" Chase asks.
Nico shakes her head, "When we leave, everything will go back to normal, but I can't just, 'undo' it."
"Alright alright." Chase sighs, trying to think of an idea, "So what's your plan?"
"Dangit my glove is running out of battery faster than I thought." Chase complains, trying to tinker with it. The Powerful metal gloves held nanite tech, enabling him to
activate a metal body armor and, once activated, convert his gloves into a weapon; that is if the battery life could last for more than 2 hours. The Fisti-cuffs gave him only his edge in the Trials to win his place with the Pride...and now it was backfiring at the wrong time.
"Let's run away together." Nico blurts out.
"WHAT!" Chase exclaims, his train of thought crashing together like a train wreck. "Or just not go back." Nico suggests, hoping it would sound different but it didn't.
Chase turns away from her in shock and then looks at Nico again, "You mean like run!" "Yes." Nico replies, "Like Run run." she says.
To be continued…..
PREVIOUS ISSUE PART 2
"Like I'm crazy."
Chase clears his throat, "You're talking about Running Away Nico!" he says.
"Yes…" Nico reasons, "...with twenty thousand in my bank account, the best education, and powers! People have made it on less, LOOK at the Kardashians"
Chase puts his hand on Nico's shoulders, "What you're saying is crazy Nico!"
Nico's eyes welled up with tears as she shook her head, "But you just said you wish..."
"That i could be away from here!" Chase corrects, "As in, not in this closet!" he finishes in a firm voice, "I'm not about to leave the Pride or My dad!" he snaps.
"YOUR DAD HITS YOU!"
"AND YOUR MOM MURDERS PEOPLE NICO!" Chase shouts back.
Nico stiffens at Chase's sharp rebuke. "Our parents aren't the best, but we can be better than them!" he says.
Nico steps closer to him, "You ever pull down the window in your Father's Bentley Chase?" she asks, "See all those kids out there you try not to look at, their parents - yeah some are crappy, but i see what love looks like, and this isn't it."
Chase shakes his head and charges the last bit of battery he has for his fisti-cuff and turns to the door. Nico steps back, catching the sob in her throat and wipes her eyes.
"Look Nico, The Pride, is a group of crummy old people, I hate my father so much, especially for making me lose my mother but Trials, it makes STRONGER people." he says, "And stronger people, can make the world what they want, they don't have to runaway be heroes. I'm not running away, its a dumb idea."
Nico hugs Chase from behind, putting her forehead to his back, "I don't wanna lose you. You're all I got." she says.
Chase turns around and kisses Nico passionately and hugs her.
"I don't wanna lose you either." Chase says, "That's why we gotta stick to the plan." he says. Turning to opening the door, Chase looks at her intently, "We gotta get outta here, remember the paper we have is to prove we completed this Trial. We get back to the Penthouse and set up our story."
Nico huffs, "Unless Mister Wilder tells the Pride that he saw us working together. Which is against the rules and then we're deader than dead, we have to neutralize him, not kill him."
Chase firms his face and looks down to the door, " I can shoot him my 'forget' dart." Nico's eyes open wide, "YOU STILL HAVE THAT!" she says.
Chase nods, "Ya, my father may have destroyed the batch me and Alex made but I kept a few. That's why my high school teacher forgot to give me detention." he says with a smirk.
"You're horrible." Nico says.
Chase shrugs, "If we hit Mister Wilder with this you'll be saying I'm a stinkin saint and we'll home free." he says, turning the doorknob as the door swings open.
"CHASE!" Nico shrieks, pulling him back inside of the closet as the door and gets smashed off its hinges by a falling copier machine!
Nico and Chase's eyes open wide in shock.
Copiers, computers, plants, chairs, desks and other various items rain down past the closet door entry. Nico and Chase peek out the door and look down to see a straight 200 foot drop to the window!
"Out of all the girls..." Chase groans, "...my girl can bend reality."
Nico arches her eyebrow at him, "It's this, or shame you on Instagram."
Suddenly splinters shoot off the edge of the door as Chase falls back into the closetStartled, Chase pushes Nico back but loses his footing, falls out of the closet and plummets.
"CHAAAASE!" Nico however quickly falls back into the closet as gunshots riddle the door.
The Outstanding Runaways ARC 1: TRIALS
PART 3 OF 3
Running across the deserted city street, a young African American teenager, in a green hoodie, white shirt underneath and blue jeans with a backpack in hand, sprints across to the large black glass building.
Racing up the high ascending short stairs leading up to the skyscraper's glass entrance, the young man with sweat dripping down his forehead pushes up his foggy glasses as reaches the glass entrance doors and kneels down to the key card slot.
Looking around carefully, seeing no one in the streets and no security by the door, he slides in his keycard to the slot by the door and immediately hears the door unlock.
"Okay dad...time to pay up." he mumbled, yanking the glass door open and running inside.
Sprinting across the massive first floor of the luxurious building, the boy's fleeting shadow traces along as he runs across the marble floor. Knowing security might arrive at any time, he runs towards the elevator doors.
Sliding off his backpack, he reaches inside and pulls out a black pocket knife. Switching out the blade, the boy looks at a digital code shimmering on the blade before jamming it into the keyhole under the elevator button.
Twisting it as hard as it can go, the boy hears the locks and bolts sparking behind the panel. Suddenly, the massive marble tiles behind him retract, sliding one after the other beneath itself. A blinding bright blue light reflects off his glasses as he raises his hand over his eyes.
Seeing stairs fold out and descend underneath the floor, the boy smiles, "Ah I see, so this is where the black guy dies! In his father's super creepy science lab, wonderful." he mumbles, hurrying down into the hidden laboratory.
MEANWHILE...UPSTAIRS
Scrambling onto all fours, Nico crawls the edge of the closet and peers downward. Immediately she spots Chase flat on his back on the pillar and Mister Wilder climbing up the filing cabinets on the wall.
"KID!" Wilder shouts, "YOU MAY THINK THIS NIGHT IS JUST ABOUT YOUR TRIALS! BUT YOUR FATHER IS TRYING TO RUIN ME I CAN'T LET THAT HAPPEN!"
Flat on his back, Chase groans in pain. However it's Wilder's loud voice that keeps him from succumbing to a concussion. His heart was pounding in his ears. Chase looks up at Nico, far above him, gesturing two fingers at him and moving her fingers about in 'sign' language' - a language her mother insisted she learn.
Chase narrows his eyes, ignoring Wilder and trying to decipher Nico's sign language, "One..." he mumbled, "...coming behi…"
Then it registers. Chase springs onto his feet and leaps off the pillar.
Desperately grabbing onto one of large open filing cabinet drawers, Chase turns around and shoots out a crisp bright blue energy beam that explodes through the chest of the gunman trying to kill him.
Watching the man fall, Chase's blue eyes suddenly settle on Mister Wider in his rumpled suit, standing on another pillar far below. Holding up his shiny gold gun aimed right for him, Wilder pushes up his fogged glasses.
"BOY…" Wilder shouts to Chase as his men scale the sides of the cabinets, "...YOUR JUST A FREAKIN' ANNOYING AS YOUR FATHER!" he shouts, "GIVE ME THAT DOCUMENTS, AND I'LL ET YOU RUN OUTTA HERE."
Overhearing all this from the closet far up above, Nico frowns, confused.
"If we're going to get shot I need to know what we have." Nico mumbles to herself, pulling out the document she stole. Flattening out the sheet, Nico's eyes skim the document and her mind runs through what she knows.
They were in Trials and she was supposed to do a simple 'catch and retrieve' sort of thing. That made sense. At the end of Trials, the crowned winner - would be the 'Chief Family' within The Pride for the next generation - that made sense. However, Nico and Chase both lied to their parents and planned to work together to 'change things' . This too, made sense.
However, Nico's eyes come to a dead stop over the document. Everything she knew and planned made sense, but the document didn't - absolutely made no sense to her, but it made exact sense as to why Wilder wanted it so badly.
"You think I'm gonna just run away? If you want that document!" shouts Chase, leaping off to the pillars, "THEN COME GET IT!" he shouts, shooting out a bright blue
super-charged ion beam that ricochets off the metal cabinets and rips through two men cleanly.
Dropping down flat on the pillar, Mr Wilder hugs the concrete mass as the super hot beam shoots over him, hits the metal cabinet and sears through two of his gun men.
Feeling the beam dissipate, Wilder pushes up his glasses and raises his gun, "Oh I'm so killing you."
MEANWHILE...DOWNSTAIRS IN THE SUPER CREEPY LAB
Standing in the dimly lit laboratory with only a blue light shining over head, the african american teen stands before an unconscious blond haired teenage girl. Laid flat dressed in a white bodysuit and floating inside a tube of pink liquid. The boy reaches into his laptop and plugs it into a large machine that is behind the woman in the large tube.
Beside her, another african american boy, trapped inside an almost large sealed vat, filled with black liquid. Both teens seemed asleep, at peace even. However his eyes settle to his laptop as his screen turns black and green lettered computer codes appear.
"Interesting." he mumbles, keying in some commands.
Within moments he hears over the speakers in the Laboratory, "GOOD EVENING ALEX WILDER."
"It's not a good evening." Wilder mumbles, keying more codes to the mainframe of the building that now starts to narrow down Alex location on his laptop.
Having pinpointed his location, Alex sees the area he is in and types in, "SHUTDOWN".
Suddenly Alex looks behind him and sees a large shiny black box, at least 20 feet big, raise out the wall and lift large black panels off the top and expose another boy who is wrapped in a black cloth floating in blue liquid.
"Okay." Alex mumbles, simply staring at the screen, "Didn't think it'd be that easy."
Suddenly Alex noticed out of the corner of his eye a short man with a big hea0, eyes devoid of irises and dressed in what could only be described on Greek or Roman throw-back robes, sitting on the counter.
"WHAT FRIGGIN HECK..." yells Alex, pulling out a stun-gun from his backpack, "BACK UP DUDE! OR WHATEVER SHORT PERSON YOU ARE! DUDE YOUR HEAD! IS THAT AN
ALLERGY'' He screams.
Uatu puts his hand up, "Calm yourself human. Finish your duty. You have a lot to do." Alex looks at him, "OH my gawd were those brownies laced? This can't be real!"
"I'm your helper for today." Uatu says and raises a finger that starts to glow bright at the tip.
"Oh gawd…" Alex gulps, "...what are you gonna do with that?" MEANWHILE UPSTAIRS
Back in the closet, stuffing the document into the back of her pants, Nico breathes in and out rapidly, readying herself and closes her eyes. Twiddling her fingers, Nico concentrates, "okay, come out, come out come out…" she mumbled.
Within seconds, a warm glow comes from her chest. Opening her eyes, Nico sees the Staff of One emerge from her chest and float before her.
Grabbing hold of it, Nico takes a deep breath, "You better work." she says.
Far below on the pillow, Chase crouches back down to the column, curling into a ball as chunks of debris shoot off the edge from all the gunfire. Then he feels something grab his leg. Turning around, Chase flips himself onto his back and kicks the gunman in the face, "LET GO!"
Throwing him back, Chase sees more men reaching him. He was trapped, there was no way out and he could see as if time came to a slow halt, everyone aimed their guns at him.
Seeing no choice, Chase slides off the pillar and drops like a stone!
Plummeting through the air at high speed, Chase sees he's seconds from smashing through the window that rapidly approaches.
However, Chase feels and sees the entire gravity shift within the Office. The floor now tilting up towards him, Chase grunts in pain as his back hits the floor. Sent rolling, Chase, feeling the floor lift to its proper level, rolls onto his stomach and slams his fisti-cuff that sprouts sharp claws, into the carpet.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Chase sees he's not even six feet away from the shattered floor to ceiling window. Looking across the office, Chase opens his eyes in astonishment at the sight of Nico floating in the air with her Staff of One in hand and all the gunmen spinning around her like moons around a planet!
"What the..." Chase mumble to himself as the gravity returns to normal as the entire office floor tilts back to regular level.
On his stomach, Chase rises to his feet, watching Nico land on her feet and thrust her arms out, hurtling all the men in every direction!
"YEAH! PAYBACK BABY!" Chase cheers but suddenly hears the 'click' of the gun. Chase's eyes open wide in shock as he turns around to see one of Wilder's men standing in front of the door, pointing his gun at him with a clear shot at Chase's head!
Chase narrows his eyes and glances at his fisti-cuff just as its power battery light flickers off.
"Dangit!" Chase grumbles as he looks up at the man smiling evilly at him with his gun raised, "Night night punk!"
With two loud bangs startle Chase flinches, knowing he's dead, having no time to dodge. However Chase feels only the impact of dirt hit his face and head.
Confused, figuring he probably is just feeling the dirt getting shoveled on the last feeling part of his body at his funeral, hesitantly peaks his eyes open, but sees dirt sprinkled all over him. Touching his head, Chase pulls his hand back, seeing fresh soil on his head as a pink flower drops to the floor. Confused, Chase looks up at Nico standing between him and the man with her Staff of One glowing in her hands, having turned their guns into flowers.
Chase looks at Nico in astonishment.
"So you like to shoot kids huh?" Nico snaps, her eyes frosting over white, "So SHOCKING!." she shouts, thrusting forward her Staff.
Instantly a bolt of lightning from outside strikes through the ceiling, connects to her Staff and streaks out through all men, cutting through their torsos, out their back and into everyone else!
"GEEZUS" Chase shouts, dropping to the floor at Nico's feet as his hair stands on end.
Gritting her teeth, Nico screams at the top of her lungs as the entire office floor quakes with her power before ceasing her attack as thunder roars outside. Chase's eyes open wide in pure horrifying shock. Crackling blue dust and ash fill the entire office space with dozens of empty shoes and gun belts smoldering on the carpet.
Twirling her staff in her hand Nico slowly stalks to Mister Wilder covered in his men's ashes. Holding out her crackling Staff to him, Nico glares at Mister Wilder on his back, trembling in horror as her eyes shift red.
"Rise." she growls.
At her command, Wilder is helplessly launched off the floor, and hits the ceiling flat against his back, his limbs forcibly stretched out.
Holding his neck, "I...I...can't breathe!" Wilder chokes.
"WHAT DOES THIS MEAN..." Nico growls, holding up the crumbled paper in his fist, "...WHO ARE THE GIBBORIM!" she shouts.
"Nico…"
Looking over her shoulder, Nico sees CHase rise to his feet, "CHASE, THE LOSER OF TRIALS GET SACRIFICED, DID YOU KNOW THAT?!"
Chase eyes open wide, stunned, "N-NO"
Nico turns right back to Wilder, "But you did! OH YOU KNEW! YOU ALL KNOW!" she shouts, clenching her jaw.
Clenching her jaw, Wilder squeals as whatever force Nico is wielding, chokes him more.
"So this is what's gonna happen…" Nico says to Wilder, "...i'm gonna let you go and you're gonna spill all you know or so help me, i'm gonna show you what evils mother taught me I can do with a paperclip!" she says, dropping her Staff to her side.
Immediately Mister Wilder drops from the ceiling to the floor with a thud, gasping for air. Coughing repeatedly, Wilder rubbed his throat. Immediately, Nico squats to the floor, glaring into his eyes, "TALK!" she yells.
Rubbing his neck, Mister Wilder takes a deep breath, "The Gibborim, is what the Pride worships." he gasps, still trying to catch his breath, "The Pride sacrifices to them every one hundred years, a new generation. That's what trials are about."
"WHAT!" Chase shouts.
"LET EM TALK!" Nico shouts to him and turns back to Wilder, "KEEP TALKING!"
Wilder sighs, holding his throat, "Whoever wins, the loser dies as so do the rest of the children."
Nico's eyes open wide and the staff drops out her hand.
"Hence why must have ran away…" Wilder admits, "...in addition to discovering my pet project to counter your parents. Project DarkLight."
"Wah-what's that?" Chase asks.
Wilder remains silent but feels the searing heat from Nico's Staff of One. Looking at the red hot metal close to his face and Nico holding it to him, she narrows her eyes.
It wasn't lost to Mr. Wilder that Nico had remained largely silent. Yet the scorn etched across her face could have cracked a stone.
Nico moves forward, her voice trembling in control anger, "Answer the question."
Wilder sighs, assessing his survival was best playing the long game; it was after all what Wilders' did best.
"Two kids." he answers, "A Cloak and Dagger team if you will."
To be continued….