Chapter 44 : Abduction foiled

Hello, there ! *insert image of Obi Wan*

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Finally, the story of the day… isn't exactly a story. Do you know the Valiant comics franchise ? It's less known than Marvel and DC but just as epic, well-written and drawn. It's also much darker, a grayer world where it's difficult to determine who's a good guy or a bad one. They even made a movie out of one of the character recently, played by Vin Diesel : Bloodshot.

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With a quick cast, I materialize skates and rush toward the confrontation. Cory's having more and more trouble while Colossus can do this all day, like a certain human/American flag. It's not surprising really…

Colossus has years of experience and training on us. Even if Quake's power is effective against the Alter-Human, she has had enough time with it. Or with dealing with conflict situation. Moreover, she still hasn't figured how not to injure herself with her power. The more she uses vibration, the more her body takes damage. Split blood vessels, minuscule cracks in the bones which widen over time and uses, torn muscles, tendons and ligaments…

Although her power is powerful, I don't envy her one bit. Besides, my own power might not be immediately powerful, but the sheer diversity of things I can do with it makes it much more worthwhile in my eyes. The fact that I'm actually not a battle addict with a hero complex only add to this fact…

Why am I even here, again ? I ask myself not for the first time. The answer is… There are several. I let myself be dragged into the hero games by my friends. My own conscious forced me to follow them in order to keep an eye on them. And, I suppose, a very tiny part of myself wants to be recognized by the public as a superhero. To be acclaimed, worshipped…

I wonder how those reasons will fare when I face off against an alien invasion or a reality-level threat…

As I get close to the fight and prepare to apply the new symbol, Colossus, belying his massive frame, swiftly turns around with a reverse-lariat, trying to take my head off. I duck under his arm, but am soon kicked in the torso.

« Damn… This fridge is fast ! » I mutter to myself while Cory lands beside me, breathless.

« Right ? » She manages to say.

We're unable to exchange anymore as Colossus, like a relentless and mindless drone, charges us again. We part, going in opposite direction as I look for a way to apply the symbol… People would believe it to be easy, right ? All I have to do is spit a little bit of ink and direct it toward the enemy. Wrong ! First, it takes a great deal of concentration to shape the drawings in the way I want it too. Concentration that I can't use to dodge the kind of haymaker the man is throwing around… In addition, I'm still not used to the kind of inner sight the belt gives me when it comes to my ink : I need to see what I'm doing !

Basically, that's one of the reason why I've never used my ink in an actively offensive ways. I mean, setting up trap and applying buff to myself and allies is easy enough. It doesn't mean I don't have any. I do, and I've used them a few times. But those are coded constructs programmed to settle in certain form. Something I haven't been able to do in this situation…

Throwing caution to the wind and because I'm becoming increasingly more frustrated with myself, I duck under another one of his punches and grab onto his arm. Idly, I think that it would have been easier if I had my tentacles…

I use the centrifugal force of him pulling back his punches to land in his back and grab onto his neck. I squeeze the hardest I can before I spit my ink and shape it… Just as the massive hand of Colossus lands on my face, he falls down, like a puppet whose strings were cut.

I get up from his prone form, wiping the cold sweat on my brow, commenting :

« I've seen my lives flash before my eyes… »

« Lives ? » Cory points out my blunder with a raised eyebrow.

I nod as seriously as my inner panicked self will allow, fumbling for an excuse that I find almost immediately :

« O-of course ! Like the Hindus believe, you know ? Reincarnation and stuff… »

I'm not sure she's buying it…

* * * * *

As we were struggling against Colossus, Peter and Doreen finished pretty quickly since Lullaby isn't exactly a fighter… All she did was try to sing them to sleep a couple of times, before Doreen agreed to knock the lady out since Peter couldn't.

So, Cory and I arrive in the middle of a conversation about equality of rights and how male superheroes should smack female supervillains :

« So, you're sexist… » Doreen declares, crossing her arms.

« How am I sexist because I don't want to hit a lady in the face ? »

Doreen scoffs :

« Lady ? This isn't the 17th century anymore. We ladies don't need a knight in shining armor to fight our battles for us… »

I can't help but interject :

« Actually, knights and armors became obsolete long before the 17th century with the use of black powder… »

Doreen, and for some reason, Cory both whirl toward me and yell :

« Shut up ! »

Cory decides to back Doreen's argument up :

« She's right, you know, Peter… It's not right for you to refuse fighting against women. What if she takes hostages ? Which she kind of did, BTW ! »

Like a pigeon pecking its food, Doreen nods repeatedly and says :

« Yeah, that too ! Like I said, if you want to be a true hero, you should make peace with the fact that you'll punch and kick women, too ! Gender equality ! »

Like a slogan at a protest, she starts to chant it while pumping her fist in the air. That's how the X-men find us. Two of their own knocked out and the last one, apparently unknown even to them…

Since they seem about to want an argument, I explain preemptively. I point at the woman :

« She's an Alter with the power to put people to sleep and then… I guess she hypnotize them. That's what she did to the big guy over there. She had him carry the young girl which, I also guess, is the one giving birth to nightmares, right ? »

Cyclops and Wolverine pause at that and turn to Xavier. Beast, AKA Hank McCoy, someone I've already met, is the one to speak instead :

« Hm… She must have wanted the Young Moonlight for her power to manifest subconscious fear. With one being able to put people to sleep and the other to awaken their worst nightmare… I shudder to think what those two might have accomplished. It's a good thing you were all here ! »

I shrug. I'm pretty sure their team could have handled it as well… I mean, with Xavier and Jean Grey, they were probably safe from the effect of Lullaby's powers. The real trouble would actually have been to fight their own teammate. Since they didn't know what got into him, they might have tried to reason with him… I doubt it would have worked.

Doreen claps her hands and exclaims :

« Well, I'm hungry with all of this ! Maybe we should get home ? »