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Post by One Hit Wonder on Oct 18, 2019 16:36:40 GMT -5
Sean looked at the bulky envelope curiously. There was no return address and no postmark to give any hints to where it had come from. Just his name and address. Shrugging, he opened it and pulled out the contents. His heart stopped for a moment when he saw the first picture of a redheaded woman, lying in a hospital bed. Several more pictures of her were included, as well as a note that read: An address in Scotland was printed on the back of the note. Rei looked over his shoulder at the pictures. “She's pretty, who is she?” Sean took a deep breath and let it out before answering, “My wife.”
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Post by Highland Storm on Oct 20, 2019 10:32:47 GMT -5
Sean looked at the photos again, then set them aside. “Rei… I’ve been intentionally vague about my time at the university. I had all but completely erased that part of my life... especially the last five years. It’s just too painful.”
He took his fiancé’s hand and looked into her eyes. “I was hoping to completely put it behind me and start a new life with you, but… if this is true… “
Sean sat down and was silent for a moment. Rei sat down across from him. “Babes… if you have something to tell me… now is the time,” she said, apprehensively.
Closing his eyes, Sean nodded. “As you know, I started studying Ancient History at the University of Edinburgh in 2010. I had already received the training my dad thought I needed to be a hero, but I wanted to continue my education. I went to school and worked as a solo hero during my free time. But, it was during my first year that I met… Emma.”
Sean shook his head and paused for a moment. “She was an American… and attending the university for Archaeology. We were in a lot of the same classes and ended up spending a lot of time together.”
“Sean? This almost too predictable!” Rei exclaimed as she stood and walked out of the room.
Sean took another deep breath. “Then, one thing led to another and… Emma and I were married a year before we were to graduate.”
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Post by Highland Storm on Oct 20, 2019 20:28:21 GMT -5
June, 2014
Sean Morrison and his wife, Emma, were participating in an archaeological dig underneath the ruins of Dunscaith Castle on the Isle of Skye. A network of tunnels had recently been discovered and a dig was immediately organized by the head of the Archaeological Department at the University of Edinburgh – Dr. John McGregor. The newlyweds had just graduated, but they were still allowed the honor of attending the dig.
The labyrinth of tunnels were uncomfortably low and narrow – forcing the students to crawl on their hands and knees. However, a number of the tunnels opened into large burial chambers. Sean and Emma had been exploring one of those chambers when they discovered the remains of what appeared to be a nobleman of some rank. Based on the artifacts they uncovered with the body, he appeared to be a Norseman. They had placed a number of the artifacts in bags so they could send them back to the university to be catalogued and studied. This included a large book that Sean had shown particular interest in.
Sean had flown back to Edenborough in the university’s helicopter to deliver the first load of artifacts. He was on his way back to the dig the next morning when he heard chatter over the radio about an explosion at the ruins. Fearing for his wife’s safety – he made all haste back to Dunscaith.
As the ruins came into view, Sean could see smoke rising from side of the hill where the tunnel entrance had been discovered. As he landed, he could also see that a section of the cliff overlooking the ocean had collapsed. Sean surveyed the area. The police had already arrived and were interviewing witnesses. The bodies of several of Sean’s classmates lay scattered about the area where they had camped – most of them had been badly burned, while some appeared to have been hacked to death. But, he didn’t see Emma.
Sean ran to the cave entrance, but it had collapsed and was full of ruble. He quickly found the officer who looked like he may have been in charge. “My wife… Emma Morrison… should be here! Have you seen her? She has red hair!” Sean asked – a note of panic in his voice.
“We ain’t found anyone matching that description, Lad. We’ve already sent three of the survivors to the hospital – everyone else is still here. I’ve not seen a soul with red hair except you,” the policeman said.
The officer pulled a small note pad from his pocket. “Maybe you can help me make sense out of what the witnesses have been telling me. I don’t know what that fella over there had been smoking, but he claims it was aliens that did all this,” the officer said – pointing toward one of Sean’s classmates. When he heard the word – alien – Sean froze. Memories of his mother’s abduction by the Rikti flooded his mind.
The hero sprinted to the tent where the police were interviewing his classmates. His friend, Wade, sat on the ground, wrapped in a blanket. Sean knelt on the ground next to him. “Wade… have you seen Emma? Where was she when this happened?”
His friend looked up at him as tears begin streaming down his cheeks. “Emma had gone into the tunnels! She was still in there when they came!”
“When who came? Try to make sense, Man!” Sean pleaded as tears began to sting his eyes. “What did they look like?”
Wade described what he had witnessed, and Sean’s heart turned to ice. He had lost someone else that he loved to the bastard Rikti.
“Where were you when this happened? And, where’s Dr. McGregor?” Sean growled.
Burying his face in his hands – Wade cried, “I was hiding behind some rocks at the foot of the hill! I started to come out after they left, but there was a second explosion. A bit after that, I saw Dr. McGregor take off in his Jeep.”
Leaving without a word – Sean ran to the ruins. He would spend the next few days looking for a way into the tunnels, but it would be of no avail. He couldn’t bring himself to return to their apartment in Edenborough. He would return home to the farm and make the necessary arrangements from there. He would learn a few days later that Dr. McGregor had disappeared. His Jeep was found parked in front of his house, but there was no sign of him.
A small memorial service was held at the university’s chapel. It was then that Sean decided he would become a hero, full time. He would hunt down John McGregor and learn if there was a connection between his disappearance and his wife’s death. And, he would exact his vengeance upon the Rikti wherever they may appear.
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Post by Highland Storm on Oct 21, 2019 0:11:58 GMT -5
As Sean packed a small overnight bag, his thoughts drifted back to Emma and their time together. Then, he thought about Rei. He loved her but, if there was a chance that Emma was alive, he had try to get to her.
He was about to step out the door when he thought that he should probably call in some backup. Whoever he might run into there may be more powerful than even him. Or, it could be a trap and they’re using Emma as bait.
Sean took his phone from his pocket and touched an icon, dialing Dave’s number. “Hey, David… I have a bit of a strange request… even strange for me. No! It’s got nothing to do with bears! I need you and maybe a few other Patrol members to back me up on a rescue mission… in Scotland. Yeah… yeah… I know. I have the transportation taken care of. Who is it? Her name is Emma… Morrison. She’s… my wife. Just… Dave… David… Stop! I’ll explain on the way. Meet me at the airport… Hangar 27. Thanks.”
Ending the call and slipping his phone back into his pocket, Sean closed his eyes and whispered, “Reina… I’m so sorry.” With that, he closed the door to their apartment behind him and flew off into the darkening sky.
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Post by One Hit Wonder on Oct 23, 2019 10:22:38 GMT -5
((Note, the events of this rescue will take place before the pregnancy reveal.))** Dave scowled at the phone. He didn't know exactly what was going on, but he did know he would help Sean, regardless. Stacey came out of the kitchen, dusting her hands off on her apron. “Who was that?” she asked. “Sean. Wants me to get a team together to go to Scotland and help rescue... his wife.” Dave answered. “His wife? He's married? What about Rei?” Stacey fired off questions until Dave raised his hands, signaling her to stop. “I don't have the details. He said he'd tell us on the way. I need to make some phone calls.” “Okay, I'll go pack.” “You're not coming.” Stacey whirled around to face him. “The hell I'm not!” Dave came over and put his hands on her shoulders. “Babe, you've been exhausted lately. International travel is not going to help that.” “And neither is sitting here worrying about what's happening over there. I'm going.” Dave sighed and pulled her in for a hug. “Okay Beautiful, but promise me you'll be careful and rest up as much as you can.” She hugged him tightly, then gave him a quick kiss. “I promise. Now go make your phone calls.” Dave thought a moment more about who he should call, then made a short list. - Sunny & Erik
- Eddie
- Sheena
- Aion
He called each of them and told them he needed them for a rescue op in Scotland and that they would be briefed on the situation when they arrived at Hangar 27.
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Post by Scarlet Storm on Oct 23, 2019 10:55:57 GMT -5
Sunny answered her cell, absently wiping pizza grease off her hands onto her pants. "Sunny, here...I...SCOTLAND?! Okay, we're moving." She hung up and stared at the phone for a long moment.
Erik came into the room and wrapped his arms around her waist. He looked down and frowned. "Sunny, how many times have I told you to use a napkin?"
She snorted. "C'mon, we've got to pack. We're going to Scotland."
Erik frowned. "Do you even have a passport?"
Sunny led the way into the bedroom, clearly agitated. She began pawing through the drawer in her nightstand. "I put it in here for safekeeping. It was one of the few things I remembered to grab when I was getting out of my parents' house."
The big man shrugged and reached into the top of the closet, pulling out a couple of suitcases. "Why are we going to Scotland, again?"
"Rescue mission." The words were slightly muffled as she was head-down, still searching through the drawer. "Sean's wife."
Erik froze in the middle of tossing a field uniform into one of the suitcases. It slithered to the floor. "What did you say?"
Sunny pulled her head out of the drawer. "I said, we're going to rescue Sean's wife. AHA!" She pulled a ragged-looking, blue-covered booklet out of the drawer and tossed it onto the bed. It was a passport.
"His...wife?"
"I don't know. They'll tell us more at the hangar. Come on!" The slender redhead seemed to fly as she vaulted over the bed and picked up the uniform Erik had dropped. Perhaps she had, as faint orange tendrils dissipated from her eyes. She folded the uniform as best she could and slid it into a suitcase.
Erik frowned at her, then shrugged and continued his packing.
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Post by Drive Train on Oct 23, 2019 15:01:46 GMT -5
Sprawled out on the floral print couch, one mechanical hand propped behind her head while the other swirled an empty beer bottle, Sheena stared blankly at the darkened TV screen. As the seconds passed, she barely moved, save for the swirling motion of her hand and the occasional blink. The nearly oppressive silence in the room made the subsequent beeping sound coming from the red visor on the table seem even louder.
She leaned forward towards the coffee table, placing the bottle down and picking up the visor in one fluid motion. Placing the visor over her eyes and feeling the cybernetic connection attach itself to the port behind her ear, she blinked a couple of times, her eyes refocusing on the projected number and name. "Dave callin'... huh. He better not be askin' fer a babysitter." She cleared her throat, sitting up a little straighter than before. "Canister, answer call."
The visor beeped once in response, and Sheena smiled as the call connected. "Yo, Davey boy! 'Sup?"
She paused, her expression darkening as she got the abbreviated explanation. "Huh. 'Kay, I'm on board. Hangar 27? See ya in five."
A faint coruscation of crimson lightning played over her body as she rose from the couch, grabbing a small kit bag that sat next to where her visor had been. With purpose, she strode towards the door, letting herself out of the apartment, leaving only the faint smell of ozone behind.
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Post by British Steel on Oct 28, 2019 9:55:00 GMT -5
Erik shoved his stuff into his bag without really looking at it. He shoved his patrol uniform in and then threw his rocket boots in on top of it. Frowning he pulled the boots back out and made sure they were turned off. Last thing he needed was for them to come on and fry everything in the bag.
"His wife," Erik said shaking his head. "But I thought he and Rei....ah well whatever. He helped me when you were snatched of course I'm going to help him."
He pulled the rocket boots back out of his bag and shoved his feet into them. He was going to need them to get to the hangar quickly. Finishing up he looked at Sunny.
"Okay, I'm ready when you are. Let's go."
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Post by Scarlet Storm on Oct 28, 2019 10:01:55 GMT -5
Sunny zipped her bag, shouldered her duffel, and nodded. "Let's fly." She walked to the unlocked balcony door of the penthouse, slid it open, and leaped off the balcony.
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Post by Xaddak on Oct 30, 2019 11:12:15 GMT -5
A flash of light and noise, and Aion appeared in his apartment. Stretching and sighing, he tapped a few buttons on his wrist comm. His patrolling gear responded by phasing out of this dimension with a glow. All that remained was an innocuous device on his belt.
With that, he headed for the kitchen.
Some time later, having eaten and showered, he sat down in front of his gaming rig, ready to relax. Before he could even touch the mouse, the device on his belt started beeping. Frowning, he unclipped it, pressed a button, and held it to his ear.
"Le- Hey-"
Aion shut up as Dave explained the situation.
"But - alright, alright. Hangar 27. On my way."
Jumping up from the chair, Aion ran to the bedroom and grabbed a duffel bag. He packed it in a hurry, but made sure to include his passport, a spare uniform, and a small repair kit for his equipment. Looking around and double-checking the bag, he placed the device back on his belt and pushed a button.
His patrolling gear phased back into place with another glow. He zipped up the bag and put it over his shoulder. He set his teleporter for long range, and selected the airport as his destination. A thrum began to grow in proportion with a glow around Aion’s body as capacitors built up the charge they needed.
Another flash of light and noise, and Aion was gone.
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Post by Highland Storm on Nov 11, 2019 16:57:50 GMT -5
Pre-Flight Briefing
Sean was going over the pre-flight checklist when the rest of the crew arrived at the hangar. Hangar 27 was empty, except for the private jet that Sean was inspecting. Aside from the “6X” on the tail, the plane had no markings.
Stacey walked up to Sean and gave him a hug. “Are you Ok, Sean? Where’s Rei?” she asked.
The tall Scotsman looked at the floor and nodded. “I’m fine… I think. And, I’m not sure where Rei is.”
“Come aboard, everyone.” Sean said, nodding toward the jet. “Have a seat and I’ll get you up to speed.”
Once his friends were seated, Sean told them about the archaeological dig and the explosions… and about his wife, Emma. Afterward he passed around the pictures he had received in the mail.
“Do you have any idea who we might be going up against?” Dave asked as he looked at the photos.
“I think its Arachnos.” Sean answered. “Look it the picture of Emma in the hospital bed. See the window in the background? Look at the reflection in the glass.”
The reflection of three people were plainly visible in the window. There were two men with a woman in a white lab coat standing between them. The men were wearing what appeared to be Arachnos uniforms.
“At least we have an idea of what we’re walking into.” Dave said as he passed the photos to Aion.
“Spiders.” Aion whispered as he examined the photos. “Why haven’t you told any of us about this?”
Sean took a deep breath. “It’s a part of my life that I had tried to put behind me. It’s a time that I’m not particularly proud of.” He said as he collapsed into one of the seats.
“After Emma’s funeral, I started drinking heavily. I also started doing hero work – mostly around London. I operated under the name, Fallen Hawk. In my grief, I had become more of an anti-hero than a hero, I’m afraid. Then, about a year and a half ago, I had tracked down the members of a terrorist cell. They were holed up in an apartment building in the Southwark neighborhood of South London.”
Sean paused for a moment and looked down at his hands.
“Wait. I read a report on that. That was you?” Dave asked. “An IED they had built exploded. Most of the terrorists were killed, but several innocents were injured… including some children.”
“Aye. It was me.” Sean said, sullenly. “I was drunk – as I was most of the time. I kicked in the door and blindly fired a blast into the dark. It caused the explosive to go off. The blast through my backward and stunned me for a few seconds. When I saw what had happened and the extent of the damage, I stumbled to the nearest window and tried flying away, but I passed out. I woke up in an alley several blocks away. It wasn’t until a few hours later that I heard about all of the people that I had hurt.”
Sean stood up and walked to the plane’s bar and took a bottle of water from the mini-fridge. He removed the cap, raised the bottle to his lips, and nearly emptied it.
“After that night, I returned to the farm. I was going to give up being a hero. I hadn’t given up drinking though. I wallowed in my self-loathing for a while. I anonymously sent money to the families that I had hurt. Fortunately, none of their injuries were serious. Eventually, Dad convinced me to get back out there. He suggested moving to Paragon, taking up a new hero name, and starting over. The day I left, he gave me Jenny’s number and said that I should contact her as soon as I arrived – which I did. You pretty much know the rest.”
As Aion passed the photos to Sheena, he asked, “Are you sure that this is her, Sean? This could very well be some kind of trap.”
“Aye. I’ve considered that, Aoin. I’m still going to try… alone if I have to. If she’s alive, I’m bringing her home.”
“You won’t have to do it alone, Sean.” Erik said, rising from his seat. “You helped me get Sunny back from Sid and the fucking Council. I’ll give you whatever help you need.”
“O’course we’re all gonna help! Now, let’s go! We’re on the clock!” Sheena blurted out from her seat. “This is a pretty nice ship. Whose is she?”
Sean grinned and replied, “Well… she’s sort of mine… or… ours. I have connections with someone on the board of directors of Dassault Aviation. It’s a long-term loaner.”
As Sean made his way to the cockpit, he called over his shoulder, “Strap yourselves in! I’m gonna kick her in the bahookie and see what she’ll do! The normal flight time to Edinburgh is 7.5 hours! The Falcon 6X should do it in six… but let’s try for 5, shall we?”
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Post by Highland Storm on Dec 30, 2019 18:33:37 GMT -5
The plane touched down just after 2:00 AM, then taxied to a waiting hangar. The heroes exited the jet and were met by redheaded giant. Sean approached the man, hesitated for a second, then the two men embraced. “Thanks, Dad.” Sean whispered.
“Gather around, folks. I’ve made what preparations I could.” he said as he pulled a map from his leather jacket.
The elder Morrison was easily three inches taller than Sean and, though in his mid-sixties, he could’ve easily passed for forty. Their faces were similar but, where Sean had his mother’s sky blue eyes - Heath had forest green.
“I looked up the address that you sent me and scouted the area. That’s the address of the Bangour Village Hospital – an abandoned asylum a few kilometers west of the airport. There’s been no activity at the hospital itself but, just north of there is a small warehouse. There’s been an unusual amount of traffic in and out of that building. That’s where I suggest you enter.”
Heath continued, “I’ve contacted friends with the Edinburgh Police – there are several squads on stand-by in Livingston, waiting to move in. EMTs from Saint John’s are ready to respond as well. Once you enter and engage whoever is in there, signal me and I’ll have them move in. I’ve also secured rooms at the Oatridge in Uphall. If things go sideways, you should all try to rendezvous there.”
Sean tapped a few icons on his phone, then tapped a button on the side of his visor. “I’ve entered the coordinates for those locations into my GPS and transferred them to all of yours.” He stood and looked at the group for a moment, then said, “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you all being here.”
Stacey replied, “Absolutely, Sean… you’d do the same for any of us.” The rest of the group nodded in agreement.
At that moment, Drive Train stepped forward and interjected, “Come on, chompers! Let’s save the group hug fer after we’re done!”
Sean chuckled. “Okay, brothers and sisters… are you ready? The warehouse is surrounded by trees… let’s meet in the woods just east of the building.”
With that, Sean lifted off the ground and sailed out of the hangar – followed closely by the other flyers. A second later, red lightning flashed past him. Sheena and Aion would be the first to arrive at the rendezvous point. To help avoid detection, he kept his altitude just above ground level. He could see in the map that was overlaid in the left side of his visor that he was already nearing the warehouse. He touched down on a narrow road at the edge of the trees. There was no one in sight, so he jogged into the woods. The others landed behind and entered the trees behind him. Sheena and Aion were peering through the trees toward the warehouse.
“What do we have, guys?” Sean asked.
“I’m not detecting any movement in or around the building, but there are fairly fresh tracks going in and out. There are also surveillance cameras mounted on the corners of the building.” Aion whispered, pointing toward the building. “There has to be more security measures than just a few cameras.”
Sean thought for moment, “I think the element of surprise is out. We should take out the two cameras on this end of the building then charge the door. “
Aion growned, knowing that there weren’t any other options. “Erik… take point. Eddy… on three, take out the two nearest cameras. Then, we go.” Aion gave Stacey a concerned look and added, “Once we’re inside, Stacey and BD… cover our rear. One… two… three…”
Extraction Eddie stepped from behind a tree, drew one of his pistols, then cracked off two quick shots. His targets shattered. At that moment, the rest of the crew burst from the trees and quickly covered the distance to the warehouse. Erik lowered his shoulder and plowed into the door, easily knocking it off its hinges. It flew several feet inward and crashed against a stack of crates. The rest of the group dashed in behind him.
The inside of the warehouse was dimly lit. Wooden crates and larger box containers were stacked along the walls. The smell of machine grease was heavy in the air.
Within a few seconds, the sound of a door swinging open and running footsteps could be heard from the other end of the building. Three men in gray and black security guard uniforms came from around a stack of crates – their pistols drawn. Beams of energy lanced out from Sunny’s eyes, felling one of the attackers. The other two were sent flying by lightning blasts from Sean’s hands.
The group quickly surveyed the scene, then headed toward the door from which the security guards emerged. Sean tapped a button on the side of his visor, signaling his father to moving in with the local police and emergency response personnel. In the center of the far wall was a large aluminum garage door, with a normal-sized door just to the right of it. There was a small window in the door and, “No Admittance,” was printed in yellow letters. Erik turned the knob and pushed the door open. They found themselves in another, smaller, storage area. Across the room was a large set of elevator doors. There an office just to the right.
Sean and Erik walked over to the office and entered. There was a large console against the left wall where security monitored the area outside of the warehouse. There were buttons controlling the garage door, as well as a PA system with a handheld mic. There was an old wooden desk against the wall next to the door. Magazines and dirty coffee cups were scattered across the top, as well as a small laptop. One of the guards had been watching internet porn when the heroes arrived.
“He’ll go blind watching this stuff,” Sean chuckled. “Actually… this gives me an idea.”
Sean picked up the laptop and placed on the security console, pulled the cable from the PA mic, and inserted it into the microphone jack on the laptop. He then pressed a tiny panel on the top of his visor, releasing a tiny SD card.
“What’s that?” Erik whispered as he observed.
“It’s my patrolling playlist.” Sean whispered. “They know we’re here – we may as well shake things up a bit.”
“What are you guys doing?! We’re on the clock!” Aion whispered, poking his head into the office.
“Just a little psychological warfare,” Sean said as he inserted the SD card into the laptop. He tapped the keyboard a few times then, grinning, said, “Let’s go.” He tapped the keyboard again, and music began blaring from speakers in the ceiling.
“Slayer!” Erik yelled. Sean clapped him on the shoulder and the two exited the office and headed toward the elevator.
While Sean and Erik were in the office, Dave relieved one of the unconscious guards of his security badge and used it to gain entry to the elevator. The two heroes joined them a few moments later. The crew boarded the elevator and, as he pressed a large button with a downward-pointing arrow, Aion turned to rest of the group and said, “Ok, guys… with done this a hundred of times before. Stay together. Erik has point.”
Turning to Stacey, he continued, “I want you to stay in the center of the formation.” She gave him an exasperated look but nodded her head without a word. “Dave and I will stay close to you.”
After a few moments, the elevator came to a halt. The doors slid open to reveal another, much larger storage area. It was cleaner and more brightly lit than the building above. A forklift was parked off to the right of the elevator. It was then that they saw five squads of black-armored soldiers lined up, two files deep, about fifty yards from the heroes. The Arachnos troops leveled their rifles at the group and begin firing.
Sean and Aion exited the elevator first, hovering up to draw the enemy’s fire away from the rest of the group. A second later, Erik left the elevator and ran over to the nearby forklift. In one deft motion, he grabbed the vehicle’s roll cage and flung it side-armed into the center of the enemy formation, sending half of them sailing toward the back of the room.
“A split!” Erik called out to the two heroes above him. “Can you guys pick up the spare?!”
Aion held his hands out in front of him – palms out. Instantaneously, a large green dumpster appeared out of thin air in front of him… hovered there for a second… then streaked forward and into the remaining troops on the left. At the same time, Sean launched two balls of lightning toward the men on the right. The crackling projectiles struck them… the soldiers spasmed for a moment, then collapsed to the floor.
The group advanced, and they continued to be met by groups of Arachnos troops. As they ventured deeper, the opposition grew more powerful, and the groups became gradually larger. They were eventually met by Arachnos’ special shock troops – the huge, black-armored Wolf and Crab Spiders, as well as the venomous Night Widows and Fortunata. Then, the enemy was joined by giant robotic spider abominations. They fared no better than the rest.
The team was perfectly chosen. Their powers intermeshed almost perfectly. Erik comprised the front line of the attack. Much of the enemy fell to his strength and ferocity. Sunny, Aion, and Sean hovered over the group and rained destruction down upon the Arachnos troops ahead of them. Eddie and Dave made short work of the soldiers that managed to get past the others. All the while, if any of the group became injured, Stacey’s healing aura kept them going. If Erik became overwhelmed, Sunny would take her dwarf form and drop onto the enemy, where she and Erik would fight back to back.
The battle continued in this way for what seemed like hours. They had descended down five levels when they came to an area that was obviously a medical/science wing.
“She has to be here!” Sean yelled over the sounds of battle.
They were finishing off the defenders on this level when a huge blast of red energy plowed into them from out of a dark corridor opposite them. Aion and Sunny were felled by the blast. Then, from out of the darkness, stepped a giant in evil-looking black armor. He looked more machine than man – the only non-mechanical part visible was the head which sat in a recess between its huge shoulders. A giant scorpion tail – the source of the blast – extended from the brute’s back.
“Black Scorpion!” Dave growled through his teeth. Stacey was already seeing to their fallen friends. The shield-baring fighter placed himself between her and the enemy.
Sean launched a round of lightning bolts into the giant, but they barely phased him. At the same moment Erik rushed toward the enemy, but Black Scorpion fired another blast which sent him sailing backwards into Eddie. Dave charged the enemy – plowing into him. The force of the blow caused Black Scorpion to take a step back, but Dave was knocked to the side by the giant claw that was where the enemy’s left hand should’ve been.
Sean hovered in front Black Scorpion – placing himself between him and his fallen friends. He fired bolt after bolt into the monster, but it had almost no effect. Sean felt something move past him. It was Frank - Stacey’s phantom companion. The phantasm launched a barrage of energy blasts into the face of the enemy. Black Scorpion roared and fired another blast from his tail. The red energy blasted through Frank, and he dissipated into a shower of glittering light.
Sean flew directly into Black Scorpion’s face. He drew a lightning-swathed fist back and let it fly – catching the giant on the side of the head. As he drew his fist back to deliver another blow, the giant brought his clawed hand down on Sean’s head – knocking him to the floor.
Black Scorpion laughed – a low, guttural sound. “Now you all die!”
His tail arched over his shoulder as he aimed it Stacey – who was tending to her fallen love. Then, there was a flash, and a thunderous clang. Sean lifted his head from the floor in time to see Black Scorpion stumble backwards a few steps. His father stood next to – his huge sword at the ready. Heath reached down and took Sean by the shoulder – lifting him to his feet.
“Noo, let’s finish this big dobber ‘n’ rescue yer wee guidwife!” Heath said with a rumbling, almost other-worldly voice.
Sean shook his head to clear it, then nodded to his father. Sean lifted his tattooed fists in front of him as electricity began arcing between them. Then, thrusting his fists toward his target, he launched a thunderous blast of lightning into the Black Scorpion’s chest. The enemy howled as he was engulfed in arcing electricity. At the same instant, Heath whirled his giant blade and brought it down on the enemy’s shoulder. The armored assailant stumbled backwards.
Howling his battle cry, Sean fired another huge blast – catching the giant in the face. Black Scorpion froze – his glowing red eyes wide open. The swordsman swung his blade in a low arc - catching the enemy behind the knees. His legs swept from under him – Black Scorpion crashed to floor – still frozen. Smoke began bellowing from the joints of his armor.
Sean and Heath rushed to their friends. Stacey was using her healing magic on Dave.
“How are they, Stace?” Sean said as checked on the others. “They’re stunned, but they should be fine.” Stacey replied – cradling Dave head in her lap.
“Good. Stay here. Dad and I will look for Emma.” Sean called behind him as he and his father started down the darkened corridor.
The two Scotsmen jogged down the corridor. In the distance, a light could be seen coming from an open door on the right. Sean rushed to the door and peered inside. The room was large, with six hospital beds against the far wall. Each bed was surrounded by monitoring equipment. Five of the beds were empty. In the sixth lay a fair-skinned redhead. Emma. Next to her bed stood a short, bearded man in a lab coat.
As Sean started into the room, the man turned toward him. It was the missing Doctor McGregor.
“Sean! Wait! She’s fine! I’ve started the waking process!” the Doctor yelled – holding his hands in the air.
Sean lunged toward him – taking him by the throat and pinning him against the wall. He pressed his other hand against his forehead. “If you’ve hurt her, I will bake your fucking brain!”
Coughing, the doctor whispered, “She’s going to be okay. They ordered her termination weeks ago, but I told them I needed her. That’s when I decided to send you the pictures and location.”
Doctor McGregor reached into his pocket and produced a flash drive. “It’s all here! All of my notes. All of the information about her powers.”
Releasing the doctor - Sean took the drive and handed it to Heath. Sean knelt at Emma’s bedside and took her hand in his.
“Why did ya do it John? Why did you take her?” Sean said as he brushed a red lock of hair from his wife’s forehead.
Doctor McGregor explained how Arachnos had recruited him and given him instructions to intercept any artifacts that could be of use to them. On the day of the explosion, he had discovered a second entrance to the tombs on the opposite side of the hill. He was about to enter the tunnels when the blast occurred. Going in to investigate, he found Emma in the cave she had been studying – the tunnels beyond to the front entrance had all collapsed. Emma was unconscious, but her body was surrounded by a glowing, red aura. Her fingers were wrapped around an alien-looking artifact. He believed that either she or the explosion had triggered the artifact, and protected her from the fire that had filled the tunnels.
As Sean listened to the doctor’s explanation, Emma’s eyes fluttered open. Her lips turned up in a weak smile and she whispered, “Sean.”
Sean stroked her flame-red hair and kissed her softly on the cheek. “Its okay, Love. We’re getting you outta here. I’m taking you home.” She squeezed his hand weakly, then closed her eyes.
Sean stood and glared at Doctor McGregor. “Thank you, John.” Sean said – placing his hand on the doctor’s shoulder. A second later, the doctor’s body went rigid, then collapsed to the floor.
“Oh…Sean. You didn’t… “ Heath said, chuckling.
Without taking his eyes from Emma’s face, Sean replied, “He’ll be fine… unless he has a heart condition.”
“Good. I’ll go see to the others, then fetch the EMTs.” Sean’s father said as he left the room.
Sean sat on the edge of the bed, holding his wife’s hand in his. He noted how warm her skin was. “I was a fool for believing that death could separate us. I hope you’ll forgive me, Love. I promise I’ll not be apart from you again.”
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Post by British Steel on Dec 30, 2019 18:57:06 GMT -5
Erik sat in his seat on the plane as they flew home. The right side of his face was bruised and slightly swollen. The look on his face would have given the devil himself second thoughts about saying anything to him. Sunny rested her hand on her husband's arm.
"How's your face," she asked.
Erik smiled slightly, the first smile that had crossed his face in the last two hours. "My face'll be okay," he said. "Sorry to disappoint you, but you'll be stuck looking at my face for the foreseeable future."
Sunny smiled and picked up her husband's hand and kissed it. "Good I like your face," she said.
Erik looked around at the rest of the team. "Everybody else okay? Or at least on the road to recovery," he asked.
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