1 Intro
...6 years ago...
A gun was held to a hooded girls head. She was stern and had blood trailing down the corner of her mouth. She said, teeth pink and tongue red from the blood, "Don't die for me."
A man's voice, gurgling and wheezy, came in; full of hate,
"You've made," a wheezing breath, "this choice."
Then I woke, in soft covers, it being a dream.
...Present Day...
The flight to Houston was terrible. Even on first class in a leer jet, I hated it. Yet, I don't know why.
Seven years ago, a Infection broke out across the planet. It was non-lethal and highly contagious, but the effects of it were devastating. The disease made the victims forget everything; brutal animistic violence commonly followed.
The CDC and even later international research teams developed vaccination programs for the rich. The disease quickly disappeared, and the virus lost the ability to spread over time. However, another challenge soon caught the attention of international alliances and even the UN.
The unknown effects of the hastily made vaccine. It wasn't long before children of governors and millionaires were flying in the skies. WW1 was the advent of mechanical warfare and this was the advent of superhuman warfare.
A criminal calling himself 'Augustus' has opposed his will over the world and war followed soon after. Using the Infected as pawns, he strikes terror into the bloodstream of the world. However, explosive pops and strong words from the weak wake giants.
The Vigilante Act.
"ETA five minutes." The plane captain said through the microphone.
I sulked back in the first class chair. After this I got a ten-hour drive to Oklahoma City. There's so much air traffic over the Vigilante American HQ that there's no room for leer jets carrying a kid.
I chewed the gum I had harder, I hate the thought of joining the Vigilantes. I have no other choice, I volunteered to kiss and spit shine boots if they could help me escape fate. Fate is hard to change, but it can be done.
The speaker rung again and I braced myself for landing. I clamped my eyes shut, not for the landing, but after it. I didn't even know if the Guild has mixed dormitories.
My shoulders slumped and I shook my head at myself. Why do the women always come to my mind? I hate all of this situation.
The engines roared and the breaks screamed as we landed. As the pilot went over the norm, Mr. Burke aka just Burke, came and sat next to me. He asked if I was fine and I reassured him.
Mr. Burke is a mid-40's man with grease black hair combed straight back. His hair was like that off of Grease or Elvis, but if he had a thicker hair texture he'd look like Wolverine with a bad hair day. He commonly wore a MIB suit and really reminds me of Alfred off Batman.
He's my secret service guy; whenever I can't tell the classified details of my life he helps out. Whether it be blackmail, assassinations, or a coffee break to say 'Don't mess with me' he's my guy.
"Maverick," he said, "are you ready?" As the plane touched down.
I shrugged, and my new name started me thinking. That's what everyone is gonna call me now. I should have picked the name "handsome", or "sire", or "my liege". I chuckled at my silly thoughts; I'm an idiot.
Burke accompanied me to the hatch. I took a deep breath. This was it.
Burke checked up on all the stuff that he had already asked me. When I gave him the same answers he sighed. The hatch opened, light seemed to envelop me, and four sets of eyes were on the other side.
Two were women and two were men. A tall husky African American with blue eyes, dreads, Burke's suit, broad shoulders and nose, gave me a friendly smirk.
One man, or kid, had his hood up. Part of his hair covered his left eye. He wore a chain clip to his wallet and chains on his boots which reminded me of a biker. After a bit more of examination I noticed chains over his shoulders as well.
The first to catch my eye was a tanned blonde. Skinny but not unattractive, her vase-like figure still demanded attention. I could tell she was athletic by how toned her legs were, but I need to recognize her face and not her gluteus maximus. I took a deep breath, why do women plague me so!?
There was a black mass in the corner, the other girl. Her black clothing reminded me of a 1900's style funeral. A cloak hid her figure, of which I was kinda glad; her friend in the grey dress didn't leave much to be imagined. The WIB was a brunette that boasted deep hazel eyes. Her face was the only thing showing and I seemed to stow it in my increasingly fickle photographic memory.
We all stood there for an awkward moment. I was positive that sizing each other up was rather mutual. The awkwardness was beginning to be a blushing invasion on my part.
Thankfully, Burke was going to start introductions but the woman in black kindly stopped him.
"Keeper," she said gripping his shoulder, "we can introduce ourselves to our new leader."
'LEADER?!' I cast a stony glance towards Burke. He caught it and discreetly started an update on his phone, telling people we were safe via text. He discreetly glanced up at me and said, "I gotta make a few phone calls."
'Jerk, it's your job description to help me!' I thought. Thankfully the woman in black, or WIB, started,
"Hello, my name is Scarecrow." And she topped it off with a long curtesy. I offered my hand to her gloved one and then, after a handshake, the tall one came next.
Offering a hand he said, "Good morning, names' Andy, but call me Sparks."
They all held a greeting smile but the blonde's was pretty. She said,
"My name is Nova. It is a pleasure."
After shaking her hand the last boy's fist was held up to me. He greeted,
"Wassup dawg, names' Spider." We fist-bumped awkwardly.
Sparks suggested a stop at the airport's coffee shop and no one objected. I got a hot chocolate, Scarecrow got a frozen coffee, Nova a normal coffee, Spider got a bagel and soda as Andy got- nothing...
"You gonna get anything? It was your idea."
"He-" Spider quickly swallowed the hunk of bagel as if to seize an opportunity I opened up, "Ahhh- he would mess up his aim bots."
Andy rolled his eyes, "I don't have aim bots!"
Spider smiled, he must be the group clown. At least he was good for starting conversation.
"I have NEVER seen someone do a 1440 degree quick-scope, three times consecutively, in the head!"
I was the only one who laughed and Scarecrow iterated, "He's been on and on about this a whole month."
"Don't worry," Andy said idly, "I'm working on getting past 2000 degrees."
"You-!" Spider growled and everyone laughed. I had choked on my hot chocolate and Spider said,
"You know, I like you already boss."
I was going to say something about being their 'boss' but Nova lightly shoved my shoulder and said,
"Quit trying to suck up to the new leader."
"I'm not!" He said with his hands in the air, then he squinted his eyes as if just noticing something, "Why are you wearing that then?"
Her face went red but not from embarrassment but from boiling rage. She got up and stormed off, casting an evil eye behind her leveled at Spider. She must be the one with the explosives, as in, the explosive temper.
Scarecrow face palmed and raked her hand through her hair. Afterward, she twiddled with a black strand with rolling her eyes. I found it slightly attractive.
"She wore that when she first met Two Owls," Scarecrow tilted her gaze to me, "our recently deceased leader."
Everyone went silent as if in a solemn moment of the memory for their lost friend. Course, I never knew the guy so I pretended that awkward silence would make the awkwardness go away. Spider snorted from something he remembered that slightly amused him.
"Dang, Nova was 12 and in training then."
Another moment passed before Scarecrow rested her arms on the table.
"That's what I had said, and added the fact that she's 18 now." She sighed, "But you know Nova: never listening." She groaned as she rose, "I'll go calm her down, you guys have-" she waved dismissively, "guy time."
Andy sighed and looked at me with a welcoming smile, "Have a nice flight?"
I snorted a laugh, "I hated it."
His brows hopped in surprise, before continuing, "Don't mind Nova, Spider gets smacked all the time."
"Pssh, whatever," Spider said, "I like it when she hits on me."
Andy stifled a laugh but the look in Spider's eyes gave me a off feeling. A facade? But I still had a feeling it was more than that.
"So," I said, "tell me about them, guys."
Spider perked up but Andy gave him a stifling glare.
"Sure boss," Andy said, "Spider will bug you about anything."
Spider playfully shoved himself into my line of sight.
"You mean everything?"
His cheesy face disappeared once he went to get a refill. Andy's eye twitched from the annoyance a second ago.
"See what I mean?"
"Anyway," he began, "Nova is a drama queen and has a bear of a temper at times. Guys who don't know her-" he rolled his eyes as if it were enough, "infatuated."
"And Crow?"
"Crow? Never heard anyone call her that."
I shrugged as Spider returned.
"Let me guess," Spider said, "you like Nova?"
Why does he care?
My eyes burned into him before I discreetly looked both ways and leaned in closer to him with one word:
"NO."
Spider gulped nervously and Andy said,
"Crow would like you-" Spider about interrupted but Andy finished, "as a friend."
"Tch." Spider said before looking as if he wasn't listening and searched for someone in the herds of people in the airport.
"She's second in command, not a romantic." Andy said, "Nobody messes with her."
"What chu think of that stupid curtesy?" Spider asked.
"I thought it was nice."
"It was a well performed 1900's curtesy." Andy said.
Spider thumbed to his tongue in a fake gag.
"So," Andy asked, "how did you do on the tests?"
I discreetly looked both ways with a perplexed look, "Tests?"
"Aw hell nah!" Spider said, "Don't tell me you got aim bots to! Don't tell me you're an Andy!"
"And what would that be?" I snapped, now getting annoyed.
"A... robot?" Spider said uneasily.
I discreetly looked both ways and leaned in again to tell him: NO. A man in a military uniform came following Crow and Nova as they returned. Andy and Spider stood, and I followed suit so I wasn't out of place then... Nova slapped Spider.
"This," Crow introduced, "is our driver, Private Anvil."
He saluted me, poking his chest out. I closed my eyes and shook my head with my hand to my face, muttering embarrassed, "There's. No. Need."
Everyone blinked back surprise... except the soldier and Crow told him to be at ease. The group gave me a funny look as if no one ever did that before. Then Spider came out of the blue saying,
"I like you already boss, a lot."
On the drive me and Crow were in the back, Andy and Spider in the middle with Nova at shotgun in the humvee. Most of the ten hour drive was full of Spider bugging everyone and Nova trying to smash him. What is up with that guy? Even the stoic Pr. Anvil got sick of it and turned up some screamo.
"Is he always like that?" I asked Crow.
She didn't hear me and I leaned in closer to her which made me... comfortably uncomfortable. I asked again and she said with a smile and nonchalant wave,
"Aw nah, not when he's asleep."
I chuckled and she added, "He's not to bad when it counts."
I nodded and she said something I didn't catch. I tapped my ear to tell her to speak up, I didn't want to make my Lieutenant comfortably uncomfortable. She leaned in.
"How was the flight?"
I gave her a thumbs down and a shake of my head.
"Just something about planes." I basically shouted.
"How'd you do on the tests?"
I mouthed with a shrug, "What tests?"
She gave me a incredulous look, "You didn't take the entrance exams?"
I internally groaned, I wish Burke was here but he got called out on some errand in the Middle East. I shook my head.
"Are you the son of some rich guy?"
Well since I can't remember my parents... I shook my head. I looked out the window for a second but said next,
"I guess I ran away."
"Oh!" She said, the confusion on her face diminishing, "You're like some Cinderella-man!"
I arched a brow.
"You like old boxing movies?"
"You saw it?" She asked.
I smiled in reply but when some memories came that I'd rather forget my smile faltered.
"Sorry," she said, thinking it was her that made me uneasy, "I'm not a people person really."
"No insult intended," I said with a reassuring smile, "I could tell by the Galaxy Black."
She arched a brow.
"Sell old cars?"
"You got the reference!"
"You're not a people person either mopey dopey."
"Hey!" I whined playfully and she laughed.
She turned to watch the sunset and I, in turn, caught myself looking at her. I tore my eyes away, trying not to gawk, and caught some zzz's after jet lag set in. When I woke up we were almost to HQ.
I sat up after we had received clearance through a checkpoint. The Vigilante American HQ, the Old Saint Francis hospital was looming over us. Soldiers were everywhere of all nations when we entered a drop-off area. Too exhausted to think straight, I tried to just stroll in and I was met by three soldiers telling me to halt with an outstretched hand. I gave them a look like, 'What?'.
They pointed towards the two rows of soldiers whose hands clapped their sides as they finished a salute. Andy and Crow had their hands covering their mouths, Nova was red in embarrassment this time, and Spider pretended to observe the scenery. A man with seven or eight rainbows of medals on his name tag was blankly glaring at me. I could tell he was doing everything possible to control himself.
Pr. Anvil told the others to go inside but I and Scarecrow had to talk to this Commander Karver.
Tch, great. Someone shoot me please.
After awkwardly passing through the two lines of soldiers the Commander offered his hand to both of us. After a hand breaking shake to both of us, he greeted coldly,
"Good evening," he attempted a friendly smack on the back, "Come, walk with me."
I rubbed my shoulder when he started walking. I thought he might dislocate it. We walked the pavement, passing a statue and going around the interior perimeter.
"So, Maverick, I was interested in how you, a civilian, would proceed to lead your team."
"Well... I had told Burke-"
"Pardon," he said, "this Burke doesn't exist. He's your superior."
"Oh... yeah, well the Keeper."
He cleared his throat.
"Well, my superior-" I couldn't help but start laughing. Burke? MY superior?
"I'm sorry sir."
He surprised me when he laughed as well, "It's okay, I've been called diggy dawg before-"
Crow fake coughed behind me, muttering, "Kff, Spider. Kf-kf."
He mentioned the next two to present a point, "Commander, President-" he smiled, "and Honeybunch."
Crow coughed for real this time. And Karver sighed,
"I have an amazing wife."
Crow tried to clear her throat to remind us that we're still in mixed company.
"Well, I told him that I didn't want a position of command."
"Well," Karver said, "your superior sent me a telegram from a sub in Japanese waters to tell you that this is the lowest you can get." His tone and gaze changed, "Pretty high if you ask me. He said your abilities would instantly move you to your position anyway."
He stopped walking, flood lights and soldiers were all around and he leaned closer to me.
"That worries me. He also said I'm not allowed to pry and I'm pretty high up." His brows furrowed deeper, "That worries me also."
He continued to walk.
"But your business is just that isn't it? Yours. So what about my first question?"
"Well," I said, ignoring Crow's confused face behind me, "I hope to get used to things here and lead by example." Then I added, "Sir."
He waited for if I had anything else as we walked, but I was no flowery speaker.
"Good," he said dryly, "well if there's no questions then I'll let you and Crow be."
"No sir."
"Dismissed."
Conversation between me and Crow was minimal as she guided me to my room. I tossed and turned on the all-to-comfy hospital bed; dreaming dreams of a man covered in crimson and killing all my old friends and my fiancée. She screamed for me to awake and I woke covered in sweat.
A red light was whirring in the corner of my eye an alarm was on. On cue, a voice from a megaphone told me to report. Report for what? I got dressed and hurried into the hall.
Before I got through the door an armored soldier stood there in a full-helm with spider-like eyes. Before I punched his head off he put his hands up defensively, half cowering.
"Whoa boss! Sorry!"
Boss?
I sighed as Spider raised his chin-to-hair visor like a garage door.
"What's good boss?"
"How about you tell me?"
I mean, I had only learned how to go to the bathroom around here and I didn't like the AC, the futuristic railway outside keeping me awake in this CITY. Even if I wasn't having my normal PTSD nightmares I wouldn't have gotten much sleep. Now, the room and halls were dimly lit with spinning red lights, a dull alarm played like an undertone, and personnel ran this way and that like chickens with their heads cut off.
"Don't worry boss, Crow will be here in a sec."
With what Commander Karver let her overhear last night I wasn't very assured. Crow, Nova, Carver and a Spec Op soldier turned the corner like on cue and there was NO reassurance of any kind to be gained.
"Maverick!" Karver barked, "Your superior told me you're a translator?"
"Yeah- Yes sir." I corrected.
"Go with Col. Sanders."
Me and Crow only shared a brief glance before being whisked away.
"Have you heard the news?" The spec op asked.
"I only just woke up."
"A group of Infected tore a woman into shreds Attila the Hun-style on the morning news."
"Imperials." I growled, another term for the Legion. "No demands?" I asked.
He shook his head, "They just keep filming their little party." He air quoted with disdain. "Stay close," he informed, "your not getting your cape yet. You're just going to watch how we carry out operations."
A/N: ... but that never happens does it? If you forgot to vote do so now dear reader! 🤗
***
A suit shirt, jeans, Jordan's, Kevlar vest and security jacket really go well together. So well in fact it's comparable to not brushing your teeth or hair! Which I also did. I heard the other supers making jokes about 'that security guard' over 'there'. The saddest part was I didn't even need super hearing to hear them.
Two hours passed in the hostage situation before they wanted me to negotiate. Several men, probably Linguistic professors stood next to a phone with defeated expressions as I approached. I sighed and tried to calm my anxiety.
The Legion is legendary for it's violence and suicidal zeal of fighting for their 'rights'. A synopsis of their beliefs, however, is they think they are the supreme race and normal human beings should cease to exist. Yeah, I'm trying to negotiate with that. Not easy at all.
In combat, should I fail, they have insane pain tolerance. They are also unorthodox, one moment they are being lead the path of guerrilla warfare and then the next they are ordered or decide to fight to the death. Yeah, not fun.
The eyes of everyone who was close to me bore into me. The professors, Spider, Col. Sanders, Karver and others all watched. I picked up the phone and put my ear to it.
In a thick English-Spanish hybrid language he yelled something. In return I greeted him with a noble dialect and he stopped in surprise. The professors around me cringed, thinking that I had screwed up but they just didn't know the dialect.
*translated*
"Who is this?"
"It is Maverick comrade, a Vigilante of the Act. Now-"
"Shut it! How long have you been in the guild?"
"A few weeks-"
"Am I a dog?! Wait..."
He began to think, confused and I seized the opportunity.
"Sir, Kaiser and the Royals are dead. Why-"
*translation over*
He surprised me when he spoke in English.
"Be quiet."
The professors' jaws who heard dropped, there was only one case of billions of an Infected regaining a complete language. Krimson. The chief Lancer of the Legion's Royals and he's dead.
"I want you to understand what is coming. After we publish our propaganda, we will release the hostages and turn ourselves in."
"S-sir-"
"If you bring Krimson to me alive."
I sighed closing my eyes. Fate has already caught up? Why can't I just wish my devil of a past off my shoulder?
"Kaiser lives and tell me..." he asked, "who taught you that dialect?"
"I can't believe-" I started.
He interrupted, "Answer my questions or I cut negotiations."
"You didn't recognize my voice, Slaymore."
He screamed and swore, "Assassino! Hict sont lupi! You wanted demands! You will have them!"
(*Murderer! Here lie wolves!)
Before I hung up I was in high gear.
"We need to go in now!"
A window shattered and a phone smashed onto the ground.
"What did you do?! Whose Slaymore?!" Karver roared.
"WE," I corrected, "did all that could be done!"
"WE," he matched, "can't do anything without the Chief Executive's approval. The SWAT isn't here yet either."
I looked at him in unbelief. The. Building. Was. Surrounded. By. Supers!
"Whose the executive?"
"The president." He snapped.
My face was a flat line as I looked side-to-side and leaned in...
"NO."
Everyone's eyes bulged from their skulls and their jaws hit the floor. Spider was speechless and Karver swore like a NAVY officer as I pushed my way to the skyscraper that housed one of the largest news institutions in the US. Crow saw the pandemonium, then me before cutting her talk with a cop short and coming through to take my wrist.
"What the hell are you doing?!" She shrieked.
"I'm goin' in. That's what."
The pandemonium stopped, eyes up as me and Crow bickered.
"You can't do that!"
Someone shrieked, but I didn't pay heed, "Oh my God!"
"If you want to sit out here and watch be my guest!"
The crowd screamed and pointed in vain. The splash of a body that had a Molotov strapped to it broke Scarecrow's concentration and I went inside. They had tossed a woman out a window with a Molotov strapped to her in case she was caught. Even if a super flew to her she would have died from the flames.
Upon entering the lobby, it was high time I showed my true colors.
It wasn't until I reached the elevator that I heard two Imperial's talking and joking while one sharpened his machete. At this moment, my anger and zeal driving me faltered. Will Karver have my head? What will this team I only met yesterday think? I shook myself, the hostages have it much worse than me at the moment.
I focused a steely glare on the two Imperials leaning back in chairs. Their confused and surprised faces were priceless in the dim white light of the hall leading to the elevator. They shouted something at me in a Creole-English hybrid dialect, trying to scare me away. I stood, watching and waiting for them.
The worry from earlier of this stranger gave way to their ecstasy for killing. Their feet clomped towards me on the white tile floor and the machete goon swung first. I hate showing my true colors.
Before he got to me I drained the red auras of his life force as simple as lifting my hands from my pockets. He fell into a mummified husk at my feet and the machete clattered from his now bony fingers. The one with the bat stopped, turning pale as I walked over and casually picked up the machete and dramatically observed it before snapping it on my knee like a ruler. Bat-man, after a few seconds, comically dropped his bat and ran to the elevator.
My shadow loomed closer as he bashed on the fire escape, the elevator to slow coming from the top floor. I kept my arms crossed and casually leaned against the wall next to the elevator as the plants around me died and the thin skinned skeleton of a man clattered to the ground as the elevator door dinged open.
A shocked Imperial with an AR stepped out as the plants completely died. He was so concentrated on everything around him that he walked past me, jaw down. I checked my nails, sighed, and flicked my fingers towards him draining his life. I took the AR and slung it over my shoulder onto my back.
I stepped inside and clicked the highest button. The power coursed through me and I clamped my eyes shut in resistance. A campaign raged within me against the bloodlust, I am not a monster anymore. I popped my neck to resist the urge to blast this cursed elevator music.
I closed my eyes tighter as the elevator dinged open. I answered the exclamation of a Imperial with taking my hand from my pocket and blasting. I opened my eyes to a pile of red meatballs and my shoes scrunched over the boney and meaty blood puddle. Three sets of dumbfounded eyes met my steely ones as I took the AR off my back. I cocked the gun dramatically as one ran off, going to tell others of my assault no doubt.
One had a rifle and sidearm and the other was unarmed but the war began. The gunner hurried to raise his rifle as his partner leapt over the table they were sitting at and shoulder rolled to cover. Before he could shoot I released an automatic burst, tearing one of the gunner's arms off. Both behind cover the gunner tossed his buddy the automatic rifle. They tossed curses at me in dialects I was loosely familiar with and the wounded one spat blood.
I waited a moment behind a corner before walking out. Now they came up, one with an AA-14 and a ARS-17 and the wounded guy throwing a rock at me. I made a weak pulse-bubble from my free hand and bounced the 'rock' back at them. Even though Imperial's would literally fight with sticks and stones, they still know what a grenade is.
They screamed incoherently when their 'rock' turned them into gore ridden hunks. Still walking casually, I traded my AR for a AK-49 and a belt of grenades. Shouts grew closer before I casually propped myself in the corner beside the set of double doors and chewed my nails. Maybe they'll check their corners this time?
When they did I sucked their lead man's life away and used the power to push myself down the hall to the next door, knocking them over. I closed the door behind me and took a step to the side, waiting for them to find my present. I didn't get the chance to hear much screaming once the full belt of grenades blew off the door next to me and rolling a marred head into my area as that area collapsed.
I walked past several screens and walked faster when my arch-enemy came on screen.
"Friends, strangers, countrymen; greetings from Abbadon, High Kaiser of The Legion."
I past the golden haired boy with the visage of some Greek hero. His black leather hood was open, revealing a web of red bandages netting his torso, and his eyes... the devil's eyes.
"I live, after a betrayal much like Brutus," zipping up his jacket, "The governments will tell you that you are safe." He leaned closer in his seat, "I have come to tell you the truth. You. Are. Not. They lie, lie to all as governments have done for ages. Nazi's told the Jews they'd be humanely treated. The Spainards- the Aztecs, the Incas, the Huguenots and then America herself. What has America done? Lie to the Amerindians, Negroes, you, I and all your posterity in classrooms? Hundreds of years governments have done this yet they say I am tyrannical. Less than one-hundredth of the world rules how it spins and I am tyrannical?" He waved off the subject, "I have come to give you a promise. Rivers shall flow red, the space for the dead to be buried will disappear, and blood is the only thing that can quench the flames of my wrath."
I shoved open the main studios double doors as the transmission ended. The Imperials were surprisingly nonchalant as I came. Some were clipping off a woman's ring finger while others watched me calmly. I saw Slaymore in the center, cleaning a bloody knife he used on the bled out, gagged woman suspended by ropes on her wrists. He had watched it drip from her.
He looked at me with intelligence that I never saw in a Imperial before. He had long black, unkempt hair, dark tan skin, and a leather jacket with a wolf pelt as a hood. His eyes matched the wolf's.
"Hello, Maverick," he air quoted my new name in disgust. He shuddered from it he hated it so much, "May I call you by your real name?"
"Agent scum will suffice."
He smiled like a hyena, "Good, Agent Scum."
His smile faded and his soldiers readied their weapons. I said over the sound of the guns cocking,
"Slaymore! This is your last chance for surrender!"
"Why?" He said smugly, "Because your not the only one?"
The confidence in his voice put worry in the back of my mind. I didn't get much time to worry when the lights cut out. A cacophony of voices filled the darkness and I picked up that they were taking defensive positions.
A rain had set in outside so the only real light was the lightning and the thundering of our guns. We exchanged hails of razor rain for an entire two minutes in darkness and I screamed,
"Slaymore!"
"I'm here."
The lights came on and I saw his toothy grin. A rocket blew us apart before I could drain him but none of the people had rockets. Slaymore's voice hissed,
"Like the blessings of Kaiser?"
I struggled up as law enforcement entered the room and kept Slaymore's goons occupied. Just me, and Slaymore. He shot me with another arc of electricity before I just finally pieced it all together. He's a super.
I thought my head had fallen off before a hand grabbed my ankle. I absorbed the person's life on instinct to heal but looking down I realized to late it was one of the hostages.
I chastised myself and Slaymore happily joined in,
"Old habits die hard do they not? If my old friend Krimson were here he would have killed them all and then some."
I got up, ready this time, "I'm sorry that your friend changed."
"Don't be," electricity popped in his hands, "he's already dead."
When I jumped to the side I hit a black wall that wasn't there before. I sat up in panic only to see each of us encased in black orbs. Slaymore screamed in pain as he absorbed the power from some broadcasting equipment to stop the himself from burning. Turns out he hit this force field with a blast big enough to hurt himself. He pumped the shield with power and broke through before disappearing. Green energy came from the windows and turned goons into spaghetti topping. Some enemies were being grappled to something on the ceiling and many were shot with robotic accuracy from the windows.
I was glad to see Crow until I saw her glare. The remaining hostages gave thanks to God, cried for joy, or otherwise celebrated. Good for them, I'm about to get deep fried.
