“Of course Mabatsekker! Think OUTSIDE THE BOX! Why wouldn’t the fastball special work!?”
“Because he doesn’t have claws and static electricity would pretty much cause him to rebound from any tar… RETURNING FASTBALL SPECIAL!”
high-fives self
The Beta Legion soldier took a seat next to Mabat, even though the spell fire had died down after the front entrance was destroyed. “Name’s Rainor of Beta Legion,” he said, his mood surprisingly cheerful despite the situation. “You…remember us, right?”
“I’ve got three damn bullet holes to remind me,” snarled Mabat, briefly baring his arm. “Now, what the hell is Beta Legion doing here?”
“Cleaning up, no doubt,” said Wil, his eyes locked unfeelingly on Rainor. “They think the invasion will either destroy them or raise sympathy for metahumans, so they decide to stop the invasion first. Now, if you’ll excuse me, the air’s getting a bit thick.” With that, he teleported.
“Nothing so base!” said Rainor. “Adrianne and I, we’re here to help. Just one question: where’s the rest?”
“Half of us went to get Bahamut,” said Weiila. “As for Galloway…”
“He’s inside,” said demigod. “Get us to the roof. We may be able to get inside that way.” Once again, he teleported.
The remaining Task Forcers looked around in surprise. “If they could do that from the beginning, why the heck did we throw that kid through the window?” asked Weiila.
MEANWHILE, INSIDE THE BUILDING ITSELF…
Galloway appeared right next to Zachary’s surprisingly unbruised body, secretly glad that the UN, like all governments, was full of cheapstakes. A few Ionese soldiers were already heading for the child, but stopped when they saw Galloway standing there, sword drawn. Three nanoseconds later, their surprise vanished; two charged him with weapons raised, while one held back and fired a beam of white light from her fingers…
Wil suddenly teleported behind Galloway just as the saiyan rolled to the side. Acting immediately, he cast a Wall spell, causing the beam to bounce back at its caster. Galloway blocked the swiping attack of one attacked and quickly thrusted, impaling her. Before the third could reach Galloway, a sudden field of energy erupted around her, completely disintegrating her as demigod appeared in her place.
“…Well…let’s never do that again,” said Wil. Zachary nearly vomited from disgust, and Galloway barely managed to hold himself from crying, “Telefrag!”
“We must head for the roof,” said demigod. “The others will join us there.”
“You mean those Beta Legion thugs are coming?” shouted Wil. “Fine, you guys go ahead. I’m taking Zachary and getting out of here.”
Zachary finally climbed to his feet. “Look, I’m fine! I can-”
“We’re going to need all the help we can get, Wil,” said Galloway. “The kid’s coming, and so are you.” Wil tried to stammer something, but Galloway raised his hand. “Wilfredo, stop being a pain and-”
Suddenly, the entire building was rocked with an explosion, sending all four tumbling to the ground as debris began to fall from the ceiling. demigod was the first to raise his head. “Sounds like they are destroying the building!” said demigod. “We must hurry!”
MEANWHILE, ON THE ROOFTOP…
“DAMN IT, RAINOR!” shouted Adrianne, barely able to be heard over the loud helicopter. Beneath them was the former roof of the UN building, much of it now blown apart by missile fire. “Can you do ANYTHING without blowing stuff up?”
“You know I can’t, baby,” said Rainor. Mabat rolled his eyes at the comment, barely able to fathom that someone with such an 80s attitude could still be alive. On the rooftop, the remnants of the Ionese forces began to scatter, in preperation for another rocket barrage. Before they could fire another barrage of shots at the chopper, however, its occupants jumped onto the roof, consisting of Rainor, Adrianne, and the rest of the Task Force. “O…kay, I wasn’t planning on this.”
“Rainor…you’re an idiot,” said Mabat. “Come on! Let’s kick some ass!”
(to be continued)
Sorry this is taking so long.
MEANWHILE, IN ANOTHER DIMENSION…
A series of figures, clad in colorful heavy robes and masks, stared intently at a large crystal orb, showing the oncoming battle in the UN Building. They were inside a beautiful crystal-esque palace, its floors polishes beyond measure, its walls made of a combination of jutted reflective points and crystal thin enough to function as glass, showing a full view of strangely-colored gardens and various houses and residents. Despite their surroundings, however, the figures were focused on the orb.
“Is it time, mistress?” asked one.
The lead figure, obviously the “mistress” referred to, was seated on an ornate chair, while her companions were seated on only slightly less decorated padded stools. Her voice was low and pondering, depicting a deep intelligence and comprehension beyond normal understanding. "No. Give them some time. Soon, we will be able to make our move.
MEANWHILE, ON THE ROOFTOP…
Galloway, Wil, demigod and Zachary barged onto the roof just as the action was heating up. Rainor tossed one Ionese soldier at Galloway, who sliced her in half out of raw reflex. The others raced past the dead body, Wil using a series of cold blasts to knock down two Ionese soldiers that were close to pushing Mabat off the roof. Weiila struggled to remain out of the battle as much as possible, her mind focused on helping her companions without breaking her vows against pacifism any more than she already had. demigod utilized his power to cut through the enemy forces like a hot knife through butter, blue claws and thick bursts of magic marking his path.
Zachary struggled to remain in the fight, but was almost immediately cornered by a single large Ionese soldier. As she raised her weapon to cut him down, Pierson suddenly leaped down from the air, kicking the soldier in the side of the head as he did so. He was followed by GG Crono, who quickly engaged in a sword fight with several soldiers at once, parrying and countering strikes like a skilled fencer. Above head, BahamutXero soared in his full dragon glory, while OmegaFlareX and Val leaped from his back and took their positions in the battle, Val utilizing Gungnir’s superior reach and Omega utilizing the surprise of the enemy to full advantage.
Soon, the fight began to turn against the Ionese; only a handful remained both alive and able to remain conscious. Just before the proper interrogations could take place, however, every Ionese soldier, dead and wounded alike, faded away, leaving only a trail of destruction all around to mark their presence. “…Okay, what the heck was that?” asked Weiila, landing on the roof.
“They must have returned to Iona,” said Wil. “I guess they decided to cut their losses here.”
“So…it’s over?” asked Mabat.
“No, they’ll probably launch another invasion,” said Wil. “Galloway, what are we going to-”
Galloway, however, was focused on Adrianne, who ever so calmly walked towards him until she was toe-to-toe with the saiyan. Before he could respond, she kneed him in the groin, and when Galloway tumbled over, hammered him in the back. She turned back to Rainor. “All right, we’re done here! Let’s go.” Rainor pressed a switch on his wristwatch, and both vanished in a Star Trek-esque transporter effect.
“Well…that was unusual,” said Val. “Now what?”
Suddenly, another series of swirling blue portals opened, dropping off a number of robed figures…
THE END OF ISSUE 15
Next Issue: Things heat up as the Task Force is separated. Can the reserves take over for key members? Can our heroes discover the REAL cause of the invasion? Stay tuned to find out!
Issue 16: Revelations (Matricide, part 2)
SOME TIME LATER…
Wil slowly came to, his head groggy and throbbing in agony. His body was covered in bandages and greasy salves, with one patch over his left eye. He was inside a small grey room with no window and only a glowing lantern hanging from the ceiling to provide any light. There was a single closed wooden door directly opposite of his current position, but when he finally managed to stumble to the door, he found it to be locked. He looked about again in confusion, finding absolutely no sign of anyone else in the room. He tried to shout something, but no words came out; he quickly realized he had been muted, a condition he could not reverse without white magic.
Even stranger, he had no idea how he got there. He remembered a robed figure throwing something at him, and everything going dark after that. He knew, however, that things were only going to get a whole lot worse from here on out.
MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE UN BUILDING…
The Task Force members slowly awoke, looking about in absolute confusion. When the Ionese had been defeated, it was mid-afternoon; now, it was just about midnight. There wasn’t a single sign of life around them for miles, especially not in the building. There was no sign of Wil, Galloway, or demigod anywhere. “Ugh…what…the hell was that?” cursed Mabat.
“I have no fricking clue,” mumbled GG Crono. “Where the hell’s Galloway and Wil? AND demigod?”
Val stumbled to her feet first, having to lean on Gungnir for support. “I haven’t felt like this since Glenton spiked my booze,” she mumbled. “Who the heck’s behind this one?”
Suddenly, Pierson’s communicator went off, obviously prompting him to answer. It was Heaven’s Soldier on the other end. “Task Force! Where the hell are you?”
“On the UN Building…I think,” muttered Pierson. “We must have been knocked out for a few hours. Galloway, Wil and demi are MIA. Over.”
Heaven’s Soldier raised an eyebrow. “Since when did we say, ‘over?’ Anyway, you’ll be glad to know that the Ionese forces have completely redrawn. They just…vanished.”
Pierson jumped to his feet nearly stumbling back down from exhaustion. “No, that’s not good! Don’t you remember what those five back at the station said? They were AFTER Galloway, Wil and demi! This whole damn invasion must have been a setup!”
“…That’s a little extreme,” muttered Mabat. “Maybe they really WERE after this world, but just cut their losses after they realized they couldn’t win.”
“In any case, the government’s started to lift more restrictions on metahumans as a result,” said HS. “Apparently you guys were the only ones at the UN Building because the other groups and heroes were busy freeing their own countries. Guess Wil was wrong about internationalism, right?”
“Uh…huh,” stammered Pierson.
“Look, we need you back at RPGC,” said Heaven’s Soldier. “It’s Glenton again. I’ll tell you the specifics when you get here.”
The communicae ended, and Val walked to Pierson. “You mean…I can fight Glenton LEGALLY this time!” Pierson nodded in agreement, and a light from heaven appeared to shine forth on Val, her smile practically overtaking her entire face.
(to be continued)
Heh… since when was it ever ILLEGAL to fight me? I am probably on several wanted lists by now.
But, glad to see you are keeping it up, d. And, I recommend you do, though I do not know you well enough to think up a cheesey threat.
MEANWHILE, BACK INSIDE THE DUNGEON FROM ANOTHER DIMENSION…
Wil was prepared to fight some way to pry the door open when the wooden obstruction suddenly came flying back, ripping right off the stone walls. Behind the door was Galloway, who set the door aside and walked into Wil’s cell. Wil tried to say something, but he quickly remembered that he had been silenced. “…Let me guess,” said Galloway. “You don’t know white magic.”
Wil’s face turned redder than that time Nel accidentally poured gasoline and Insta-Lite Cooking Embers on his prized porn collection. He struggled to shout something, but finally pulled out an index card and scribbled, “WHERE THE HECK ARE WE? HOW DO WE GET OUT OF HERE?”
Galloway pulled out another set of index cards and wrote his response. “WE WERE CAPTURED. WE’RE IN IONA AGAIN. COME UPSTAIRS. THEY’LL EXPLAIN EVERYTHING. ESPECIALLY THE HOT ONE.”
Wil raised an eyebrow and wrote something down. “THERE’S A HOT ONE? WHY AM I SILENCED? AND WHY ARE YOU ANSWERING WITH INDEX CARDS?!”
Galloway smirked and wrote something down. “FIRST, THEY NEEDED TO KEEP YOU FROM BLOWING YOUR WAY OUT. SECOND, YOUR PICK-UP LINES INFLICT SO MUCH PAIN UPON THE POPULOUS THAT THEY ARE SUBJECT TO DEATH. AND BECAUSE I LOVE MOCKING YOU.”
Wil smacked Galloway across the face so fast that even the saiyan couldn’t see the blow. The two then walked out of the dungeon…
MEANWHILE, AT THE RPGC DOCKS…
The ruined section of piers and warehouses, long since abandoned by business and pleasure ships, was now swarming with all three officers of the RPGCPD. A bloody crime scene was blocked off by yellow tape, which did nothing to block the sight of a number of chalk outlines, one of which looked like someone had squashed a huge tomato. Pierson, GG Crono, and Val stepped underneath the police tap, quickly sidestepping the outlines and walked to the waiting Heaven’s Soldier. “Damn, what happened here?” asked Pierson.
“Glenton happened,” said Heaven’s Soldier. “One of the victims identified him right before he died from a couple dozen bullets wounds. Most of the others were sniped through the head. The last was apparently thrown from the roof of the warehouse.”
“Sounds like someone wanted someone else rubbed out,” said Val. “Come on, let’s just kill this-”
Steam practically blew out of HS’s ears; Poke and Fou-lu raced behind a dumpster to avoid his wrath. “Kill? KILL?! DAMN IT, IT’S HARD ENOUGH KEEPING GALLOWAY IN LINE!!! NOW WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH ESKER?!!”
The three Task Forces bent back, their hands raised defensively. “L-L-L-Look, HS,” said GG Crono, “I’m sure she meant nothing by it!”
Heaven’s Soldier finally calmed down. “Alright, then we have another problem. We think all of the victims…were Triad members.”
Pierson raised an eyebrow. “Triads? I didn’t know we had any here.”
“We shouldn’t,” said Heaven’s Soldier. “And quite frankly, I’d be surprised if anyone else knew they were here.”
“And why would Glenton splatter someone across the street like that if this was a hit?” asked GG Crono. “That sounds awfully loud and messy.”
Heaven’s Soldier lifted a corncob pipe to his lips. “Well, looks like you guys have a mystery on your hands. Good luck with all that, we’re hitting Tahiti!” With that, the entire RPGCPD ran to a nearby taxi and drove off to the airport.
(to be continued)
Next time: The terrible truth about the hot one!
MEANWHILE, BACK IN IONA…
Galloway and Wil wandered out of the dungeon, pushing open a heavy wooden door at the top of the stairs. Immediately, their eyes were struck by an array of incredibly bright lights, which left the two stumbling and falling forward in a vain hope to see. Finally, the lights died, just as a quatet of armored female figures grabbed the two and dragged them to a large table. Sure enough, Deralin was already seated, dressed in a goldish set of wizard’s robes and wearing a jeweled circlet around her head. “Sorry if I am overdressed, but we had little time to pull you here.”
Wil wrote something on an index card, and showed it to the guards. However, they scratched their heads in response, unable to translate the writing into a language they could understand. Meanwhile, Deralin continued to sit, patient and contemplating, completely oblivious to what was going on around her. Meanwhile, another female figure entered, her face partially revealed. Galloway smiled to himself at her approach, unwilling to accidentally get the two in deeper crap than they already were.
Finally, Galloway grabbed the card. “Wil wants to know if you’ll remove the ‘mute’ spell.”
Deralin nodded in agreement, raised one hand, and began to mutter a series of hushed incantations. Wil felt a relaxing feeling in his throat, as if something that had previously been there had just vanished. “Thank you,” he said. “Now, why are we here?”
“You will answer my questions first,” said Deralin. “Why was your world planning to invade us?”
Galloway and Wil practically did a spit take. “WHAT?!”
“Our leader, the Matriarch, learned that your world planned an invasion, and that you three had revealed how to get here the last time you came,” said Deralin. “You planned to rescue your brother, remember?”
“Well…yeah, but I didn’t plan on bringing a damn ARMY!” shouted Galloway. One of the guards quickly drew a knife, grabbed Galloway by the hair, and pulled his head back, lowering the knife to his throat. Deralin shouted something in an alien tongue, and the guard reluctantly backed off, Galloway breathing a sigh of relief. “Why did you invade us?”
“It was preemptive,” said Deralin. “We planned to show your leaders how powerless they were, persuading them to change their plans. That way we would be safe. Then you killed dozens of our soldiers.”
“Look…Deralin, was it?” said Wil. “We had no plans for an invasion. We wanted to get Gemini out of here, of course, but that was more out of a…general concern than anything else.”
The figure muttered something in the alien language, her voice seeming strangely accented and thick. Deralin and the figure whispered to each other, Galloway and Wil trying in vain to hear what they were saying. Finally, the two broke off, and Deralin turned to the two. “All right, we believe you…for now. But until the Matriarch calls off her search for you, you will have to stay here.”
“…Fine,” said Wil, hanging his head in resignation. Galloway, however, jumped from his chair, angrily turning towards Deralin and the figure. “Just wait a-”
“Just do what she says,” said the figure, in semi-perfect English. “She has your best interest in mind.”
“Look, all I know is, my brother’s goddamn DEAD!” shouted Galloway. Both the figure and Deralin looked at each other in confusion. “I’m not going to-”
“Your brother’s not dead,” said Deralin. “He escaped, yes, but I just had a fake body created and dumped, and took him back here. Then we just disguised him and he’s been living quite nicely for the last few weeks.”
A look of pure relief washed over Wil and Galloway’s faces. “Then…where is he?”
The figure raised her hand. “Uh…hi.”
Galloway raised his hand. “Nice to meet you. Now, wh-” Suddenly, it started to hit him. “W-W-Wha? You mean-”
The figure smiled and removed the rest of her hood, revealing the slightly altered but otherwise recognizable face of Gemini. “Good disguise, huh?” Galloway, meanwhile, felt the parts of his brain controlling sex drive shriveling and dying, while Wil found himself nearly vomiting.
(to be continued)
MEANWHILE, AT THE TASK FORCE HQ…
The entire reserve force stood outside the bunker, their eyes blindfolded, their faces reflecting a sense of distaste with the current situation. Mabat stood next to the massive door’s keypad, his fingers hovering over the keys like a hungry animal. “Alright, reserves, in front of you stands our top-secret headquarters, home of our-”
“We know where your HQ is,” said Val.
Mabat’s face suddenly went blank. “Wha? But…Of course! Lord Slash must have revealed-”
Weiila raised her hand. “I was here BEFORE that, remember?”
Zachary raised his hand. “What she said.”
“B-But you two must have blabbed!” said Mabat.
“Didn’t have to,” said Omega. “The staff thought a superhero group would bring in tourism, so…they’ve been advertising this place for months.”
Mabat pulled a binoculars out of nowhere and raised them to his eyes. Sure enough, in the distance was a large neon sign, displaying, “RPGCity. HOME OF THE RPGC TASK FORCE!” He lowered the binocs in disgust. “Why the hell haven’t I noticed THAT before?”
“Now that we’ve established your blindness,” said Xero, “remove this blindfold before I personally tear out your eyes.”
In a flash, Mabat removed the blindfolds and punched in the code to the door. The metal portal opened, revealing a waiting Pierson and GG Crono. “Alright, two ladies, gentlemen, and boy,” said Mabat. “please step inside. We have a long night ahead of us.” The reserves slowly shuffled in, Weiila muttering, “Why don’t we have any women around here?” under her breath.
MEANWHILE, IN THE ABANDONED PORTION OF THE RPGC DOCKS…
Another cab pulled up to the warehouse, trying not to stand out in this abandoned district. Two distinctly asian figures exited from the back of the cab, one dressed in a very fine three-piece business suit, the other dressed more casually, like a tourist. Several other figures emerged from hiding as well, running a gambit of different ethnicities, all dressed in such a way to avoid attention.
From across the street, on the roof of an office building, PC Glenton waited, PSG-1 in hand. He watched the scene below him with bemused interest. He knew it was only a matter of time before HE started looking for him again, but he had no idea a little life like his would be worth stomaching working with the Yakuza, the Columbian drug cartels, and over six different nationalities of Mafias. All had a chip on their shoulder with Glenton; after all, he had stolen a good couple million off of each, blackmailed a million more, even killed a few members.
But the Triads…they had come for him.
He checked his ammo and scope a second time and took aim. This had to work. He had to get them off his back for just a little while longer…at least long enough to kill Esker.
MEANWHILE, ON A STREET IN DOWNTOWN PORTLAND…
Nothing important happened.
MEANWHILE, BACK ON IONA…
After about five minutes of stone silence, Galloway and Wil’s minds returned to normalcy, snapping back to reality like a neck after a kick from Chuck Norris. (Note: It’s still 2003 in the story. The joke’s still funny.) Gemini was gone from the room, along with most of the guards. Deralin and a single guard remained, the former seated at her position at the table. “Good to see you’re back amongst the living,” she said.
“Wha…huh…za…da…eugh…” mumbled Wil. Galloway began to chant the words to every Richard Wagner opera backwards and in double speed. “Why the hell is he a girl?”
“After you left, your brother was tried for your actions,” said Deralin. “He was supposed to be executed a few days ago, but the Male Liberation Alliance tried to break him out. They were killed, of course, but Gemini happened to run into me while I was also setting him free. We faked his death, and took him back here. Then I disguised him as a female.”
“You…I mean, he…he didn’t agree to this, did he?” asked Galloway.
Deralin rolled her eyes. “Strangely, no. But a sleep spell later, and we were able to use the magic without interruption. Since then, he has been relatively safe, as the guards do not bother to search for a female.” She raised an eyebrow at the two. “Is this…that strange?”
Galloway stumbled to the door. “I…I need to get some air.” He pushed the door open and stepped outside, the portal closing behind him.
“…He’ll be all right,” said Wil. “But for now, why are we here?”
“The Matriarch has to be stopped,” said Deralin. “That much is certain. She wishes to expand Iona’s power into other worlds, to provide herself a legacy that the multivese will know in the millenia to come. You may very well be the only hope to stopping her mad delusions…”
(to be continued)
Next time: More trouble on the horizon…
MEANWHILE, AT THE TASK FORCE HQ…
“THIS IS IT?!” shouted the valkyrie. “You guys live in a dump like this?”
Val flopped onto the couch, slightly displacing the already-seated Omega, who was trying desperately to get a laugh out of the nearby BahamutXero, who was trying to fend off the morbidly curious Zachary, whose presence had brought back unfortunate memories for Weiila, who was trying to go over the notes Pierson had gathered on Glenton’s history. Unfortunately, there was almost nothing new present, with one notable exception.
“It says here most of Glenton’s early work was linked with one Triad in particular,” she said to no one in particular. “The Chinese military slaughtered them to a man a few years ago…”
“Which would be around the time he joined RPGC,” said Mabat. He was standing next to the kitchen door, a bottle of vodka in his hand. Pierson and GG Crono were at the computer, looking up any information on the victims. “The question is, how are the two connected?”
Finally, the not-so-dynamic duo hit something. “Alright, all of the victims have a criminal history,” said Pierson. “Apparently during their last stint together in prison they managed to hook up with some guy named Charlon.”
Omega raised an eyebrow. “Char…lon? Sounds like a bad french meal to me.”
“We can’t get much on Charlon himself,” said GG Crono. “This guy’s damn good, I’ll give him that.”
“That is not a great deal of information to work with,” said Xero. “Perhaps we must-”
Suddenly, the computer screen switched to Heaven’s Soldier, now wearing a hawaiian shirt and standing on a beach. “Task Force! We have a problem!”
“What, did you run out of suntan lotion?” shouted Mabat. His attempt at humor was met with dead silence.
“No…look, I just got word. There’s been a sniping attack at the docks. Over a dozen people were killed, mostly assorted organized crime guys.” He looked down at a notepad. “Hmmm…apparently two of them were also Triad members.”
“We’ll look into it,” said Pierson. “Task Force out.” He pushed a button on the console, and the computer screen went dead.
MEANWHILE, BACK IN IONA…
Galloway could tell they weren’t in the same place as last time. Deralin had apparently rented a hideout of some kind, tucked away in a back alley between a large number of tall buildings. There were no sign of any giant lizards, indicating that they were deeper in the city than before. Realizing that he was mostly safe, he took a seat on the ground outside the dingy building, soaking in the alien atmosphere, silently cursing his brother, Wil, and everyone else for being responsible for this.
“The rumors are true.”
Galloway turned his head at whiplash speed, locking his eyes on a tall, robed figure. For quite possibly the first time in both trips, they were completely without headgear, revealing the face of an older man wih a sharp black beard. The saiyan’s hand reached for his sword, but found it missing. “You must be one of the four aliens,” continued the figure.
Galloway thought about smashing the guy’s head in, but quickly realized it would draw attention. “Alright, yes, I’m an alien. What’s it to you?”
“I’m a member of the MLA, Male Liberation Alliance,” said the figure. Galloway found the name “MLA” strangely fitting. “We attempted to free your companion, but he managed to escape on his own. Still, it is fortunate we learned you were here.”
Galloway raised an eyebrow. “How’d you-”
“We have our sources,” said the figure. “However, we have a proposition for you…”
MEANWHILE, INSIDE THE BUILDING…
Wil returned to the dungeon, his mind still reeling from the bombshell Deralin had just dropped on him. When he opened the door, however, a bucket of shuriken overturned, dropping its deadly payload of sharpened points and throwing utensils. The sage immediately jumped back, barely dodging the deadly shower. From behind, Gemini exited the shadows, laughing to…herself all the while.
“Gemini, was that supposed to be a joke?” shouted Wil. “I could have been killed!”
“Did you think I would have done it if I KNEW you couldn’t get away in time?” asked Gemini. “To be fair, though, I expected you to use a shell spell, not jump back.”
“Deralin thought it wouldn’t be a good idea to use magic. The Matriarch might be able to sense us that way.” His attention turned to Gemini. “Uh…just out of curiosity…and you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but…”
“Why am I like this?” asked Gemini.
“Well…yeah, I mean, uh…you don’t strike me as…”
“To be honest, it wasn’t by choice,” said Gemini. “I’m sure Deralin told you her AMAZING story of how she knocked me out, shoved a gender change potion down my throat, and refused to give me the antidote or counterspell.”
“Well…she didn’t tell me the last part,” said Wil. “But…why do you…?”
Gemini sighed, holding her hand to her forehead. “Look, let’s not get into it for now. I just thought I’d let you know, demigod followed us back here. He’s out there somewhere, keeping an eye on the MLA. There’s going to be a parade tomorrow to celebrate the successful attack on our world…”
“Which would be the perfect time for an assassination,” said Wil. “They could just melt into the background before and after the attack!”
“Well…actually, there’s only one man for every thousand women on this world,” said Gemini. “But yeah, they could probably pull it off, if they had someone that could get that close. But from what we know, there’s no way they could do this…”
MEANWHILE, RIGHT OUTSIDE THE BUILDING…
“So we need someone to plant the bombs,” said the figure. “We know you could get close enough with relative ease. Do this, and you should be able to return to your world without any danger. Agreed?”
Galloway climbed to his feet. “The usual ‘yes or f-you’ response?” The figure nodded in response, and Galloway…
Shook the man’s hand. “Yes.”
THE END OF ISSUE 16
Next issue: The battle against the Matriarch is waged, while the Task Force wages battle against both Glenton and Charlon. Who will win on any side? Only time will tell.
I see you did read my origin story. I hope you liked it.
And, good luck with those bitc… er, women. Just hope the MLA don’t kill Gemini by mistake.
Keep it up, d.
Issue 16: Past Sins, Future Tragedies (Matricide, part 3)
THE NEXT MORNING, AT GLENTON’S SAFEHOUSE IN THE SLUMS…
Glenton cautiously awoke, his hands having never left his sword and knife the entire night, his body still covered in his black clothes and trenchcoat. The deactivated hilt of his Dragon’s Tooth sword was under his bed, within easy access from any position at the bed’s head. The window above him was locked tight, a thick covering of grime preventing anyone from seeing in or out through it. The rest of the house, although not bad for an economically poor neighborhood, was still a junk heap compared to how Glenton had lived the last several years…
He shook his head as his memories tried to retreat back to the nightmares that marked the beginning of his short life. Cursing himself both for trying to remember, and for being foolish enough to stay in one place for so long, he pushed himself out of the squeaky mattress, his body hunched over so as to avoid any possibly flying knives. Once he was satisfied there were none, he walked to the kitchen, pulled out a package of Pop Tarts, and slammed one into the toaster. As he did so, he raised his silenced pistol and fired behind himself, right into a closet door. A few seconds later, the body of yet another Triad member tumbled out, his body riddled with shots.
“Well, that’s one problem down,” mumbled Glenton. “Now I just need to get rid of Charlon, kill Esker, and get out of this dump.” His eyes slowly moved to a nearby newspaper, advertising a new restraunt across from Auntie McFrank’s. The picture of the restaunt’s front, however, was what truly caught his eye: on the window, he recognized the small symbol of the Sunrise Dragon Triad.
(to be continued)
MEANWHILE, BACK ON IONA…
Galloway slowly awoke, his back aching from sleeping on the hanging prison cot. The site of the stone walls first sent Galloway into a panic; however, after only a few seconds he realized he was simply back in the dungeon he had woken up in the previous day. There was no sign of Wil; either he was already up, or in the other cell. Seeing no point in staying in the dungeon, and quickly realizing the mountain of work he had before him, Galloway started to shift out of the bed…
And set his foot right into a hidden bear trap. Screaming in surprise, he threw his hands down at incredible speed, grabbing both ends of the trap just before the jaws closed on his ankle. With a series of grunts and curses, he managed to pry the trap open enough to pull his foot out, and quickly let go of the trap, pulling his fingers back just in time to avoid having them clamped off. At first, the saiyan believed that Deralin and her minions had betrayed him, or that the MLA was waiting to make sure he did as he promised…
Then he recognized the trap. Just as a bucketload of water came rushing down, completely drenching the saiyan. Which was followed by the bed suddenly flipping over, sending Galloway tumbling to the floor. The saiyan picked himself up, only to be sent face-down yet again by the falling foot of Gemini, now dislodged from the ceilings. “Ha! I was up all night setting that up, you-”
Galloway quickly jumped to his feet, grabbing Gemini by the collar of his robe. “Up all night? You must be REAL tired. Let me give you some shut-eye…PERMENANTLY!”
Suddenly, Wil pushed the door open. “Gallo! Are you-” He then saw Galloway threatening Gemini, paused, and cleared his throat. “Well…you might be interested to know something big’s going down outside. Come on up, Deralin and demigod will explain everything.”
(to be continued)
MEANWHILE, AT THE TASK FORCE HQ…
Pierson slowly stumbled outside, his eyes half-closed, his face disshelved and twisted, his movements awkward and half-hearted. As if out of some mechanical process, he bent down, picked up the newspaper, and walked inside, closing the bunker door behind him. GG Crono was already awake, his bowl of cereal already overflowing with blood-spilling Capt’n Crunchberries. Everyone else was still sound asleep, the sound of snoring wifting slowly into the living room, meeting room, and kitchen.
Pierson unfolded the newspaper, grunting in some strange animalistic tone to GG Crono. Somehow, the amnesiac was able to respond in kind, as if the two understood some sort of wordless language. There was a huge article about a new restaurant, but besides that there was nothing worth taking a look at, so Pierson put the newspaper away and walked into the kitchen for something to shove down his throat.
MEANWHILE, BACK ON IONA…
Galloway, Wil and Gemini wandered onto the roof of the building. Despite its cramp surroundings, they were able to see through a break in the buildings in front. On the other side was a large street, on which rode the biggest parade the RPGCers had ever seen. Soldiers marched in unified beats, large platforms showed caged POWs, and the usual flower-covered floats. Deralin and demigod were already waiting for them.
“Hello, demigod,” said Galloway. “Where have you been?”
“Investigating the MLA,” said demigod. “We must be wary. I learned they have an assassin ready to eliminate the Matriarch.”
Deralin turned in alarm. “They’re going to murder m- the Matriarch? How can they possibly pull that off?”
“They could probably just have her watch reruns of this thing,” said Wil. “I mean, over fifty floats so far and not a half-nu-”
Gemini quickly clamped her hands over Wil’s mouth. “E-Excuse him, Deralin! He just…has senior moments occasionally.”
Deralin rolled her eyes at the sight. “Alright, if we’re going to stop the assassin, we’ll have to get down there. Old guy, Gemini, come with me. demigod, red guy, stay up here for the moment.” Deralin, Gemini and Wil vanished back down the stairs, while Galloway and demigod waited on the roof for something to happen…
(to be continued)
Next time: Ripping off a near-classic!
MEANWHILE, AT THE TASK FORCE HQ…
“Any leads?” asked Omega.
Pierson continued to browse through the computer, searching for any clues about Charlon, the Triads, or anything relating to the killing spree. “Not a damn thing,” he said. “Charlon’s impossible to trace, the Triads are very good at hiding, and-”
Suddenly, inspiration hit the grit. He quickly hacked into the records on Hong Kong, long the center of Triad activity, searching for anything similar to the massacres that had occured in RPGC. Sure enough, after about ten minutes of searching, he found a news clipping about a large-scale slaughter at an office building owned by a “Sunrise Dragon Triad.” The descriptions matched Glenton’s execution style perfectly, but…
Weiila looked at the date in the corner. “This thing’s from the late 21st century! How the hell is that possible?”
“This Hong Kong must be a technocracy bent on enslaving all of humanity!” shouted Xero. “Hurry, we must destroy it!”
“You’re thinking of Silicon Valley,” said GG Crono.
“Come to think of it,” said Mabatsekker, “doesn’t Glenton seem a little…too advanced for a regular thief? Even with his genetic modifications, he shouldn’t be THIS skilled.”
“File that under unexplained,” said Pierson. He switched gears, moving on to searching for anything about the Sunrise Dragon Triad. Sure enough, he found more news clippings about more recent massacres, resulting in the near destruction of the entire Triad. Then he remember the newspaper article about the restaurant; the Sunrise Dragon Triad was in a corner of the window!
“Mabat, get the Task Force-Mobile prepped!” he shouted. “We have a long night ahead of us.”
MEANWHILE, ON THE IONESE ROOFTOP…
“God, are all parades EVERYWHERE so boring?” cursed Galloway.
“You see one thousand, you have seen them all,” said demigod. Galloway chuckled a little. “That was not a joke.” Galloway quickly stopped laughing. “Now, we must discuss the assassin’s identity.”
“Yes…yes we should,” said Galloway. He looked at demigod. “You knew this whole time, didn’t you?”
“I witnessed your…alteration with the MLA,” said demigod. “I was curious to see if you would go through with your scheming.”
Galloway smirked. “Interesting. You’re as perplexing as always, demigod. Why didn’t you rat me out when Deralin was up here?”
“Once again, I wish to see if you will go through with your scheming,” said demigod. “You have all been so interesting to observe this Task Force and their meaningless crusade against evil, not to mention these…moral codes you swear by.”
Galloway shrugged. “Whatever.”
AT THAT MOMENT, INSIDE THE BUILDING…
Gemini raised the binoculars to her eyes, looking at the passing parade with both bemused interest and total concern. Deralin and Wil stood at both sides, looking out the window as well. “So, you really think Galloway would try to kill the Matriarch?” asked Deralin.
“The guy’s a murderer,” said Wil. “I wouldn’t put it past him.”
“PLEASE, this is my brother we’re talking about!” said Gemini. “He wouldn’t agree to something like this without a reason!”
“That’s not the point,” said Wil. “Your brother is deranged, homicidal. That’s not what a superhero’s supposed to be. He needs to be-”
“Don’t worry about him,” said Deralin. “I trust demigod to deal with him if need be. But if that doesn’t work…Wilfredo, please go back to the roof. Destroy Galloway if need be.” Wil nodded in silent agreement and rushed up to the roof.
Gemini continued to peer through the binocs, a look of surprise spreading across his face. “Deralin! It’s-”
MEANWHILE, ON THE ROOF…
“-the Matriarch!”
Galloway lowered the binocs, a look of grim seriousness in his face. demigod was behind him, one of his long claws lowered in a striking position. The Matriarch was riding on a large throne, which sat upon a massive vehicle shaped like what looked like a cross between a cloud and the Battlestar Galactica. She was clad in a long yellow robe and a massive gold mask, which served to cover most of her face. She was surrounded by other figures, similarly clad but seated upon less impressive chairs and wearing a myriad of colors.
Galloway reached into his pocket and pulled out a small detonator. “demi, I rigged the float last night. It was pretty easy, but that’s not important. Just stand back, cause it’s gonna be-”
Galloway suddenly froze. demigod’s claw reached back just as Wil ran onto the roof. “What the hell’s going on!”
demigod lunged his claw forward, impaling Galloway in the back. The saiyan screamed and groaned in agony as the claw rescended, sending him falling to the floor, bloodied and gored, hollering in mortal agony. Wil grabbed him by the collar and lifted him to face level. “All right, you bastard! Why’d you try-”
“W-Wil!” spat Galloway. “L-L-Look!” He pointed weakly to the float, now stalled because someone just got ran over by the equivalent of an ox cart. The float did not just hold the Matriarch and what was most likely her cabinet; now there were children on the float, interacting freely with the rulers, and others were now surrounding the float. “Kids…they-”
“I know the rest of the line!” said Wil. “Just…shut up for once, okay?” He turned to demigod. “Go downstairs, and tell Deralin it’s all over.” demigod nodded and quickly descended to the bottom floor. “And as for you, what the hell’s wrong with you?”
“Right now…three stab wounds to the gut,” chuckled Galloway.
“I mean why do you do this?” said Wil. “You’re supposed to be a hero, not a killer! And just now you tried to overthrow a whole damn government!” He dropped Galloway, who was in the middle of transforming into Kai Lord form, and looked back at the float; the crowd was still swept upon it. “You could have killed hundreds here! You could kill thousands back home!”
Galloway climbed back to his feet, now fully healed. “Wil…we have bigger things to worry about. Remember, the Matriarch can still launch an invasion at any time. We still have to get home. Gemini should probably be returned to normal. But first, we need to get the Matriarch off our back somehow.”
“No…first, you’re gonna promise me something,” said Wil. “Both you and demigod. You’re going to…”
(to be continued)
Next time: The issue concludes. The Task Force faces off against Glenton and Charlon, the truth about Glenton is revealed, and Wil must prove himself to be RPGC’s Black Mage Supreme.
Note: This is a placeholder post.
To be honest, I’m trying to work on a more grand conclusion for the current arc, which means, unlike the others, I’ll be writing it SEPARATE of posting it. And since I already have the next storyline planned out fully, I’m going to give it a jump start.
This post will be edited once the last part of the current issue is finished.
Issue 17: Integration and Murder
THREE DAYS AFTER THE MATRIARCH’S TEMPORARY DEFEAT…
“Hello, and THIS is the RPGC News at 6:15. First off, horrible things are happening all over the world, ranging from wars and famine to pestilence and William Shatner still having a career. But in other news, the RPGC ruling council has passed historic rulings against the Catbeing Segregation Act of 1982.”
Mabatsekker looked up from his copy of Blue Mage Monthly at the news.
“President Merlin announced today that, effective next week, Catbeing-only schools will be shut down , and the students incorporated into existing schools. Although the law stands that Catbeings must live in the so-called ‘Catgirl District,’ this is surely a first step in greater civil rights for Catbeings following the horrible events of the Catgirl Wars. And in sports, not even God can help the Dodgers win-”
THE SUNDAY BEFORE THE BIG SWITCHOVER…
Mabatsekker and Kat-Chi walked up the rickity apartment buildings stairs, the Blue Mage using all his skill to keep from causing the steps to collapse into a pile of splinters. “I suppose you heard all about what’s happening,” said Kat-Chi.
“You mean about how groups similar to the one that was cremated last month have surfaced and responded violently to these new laws and statutes?” asked Mabat. “We put GG Crono and demigod in charge of handling any more riots.”
“Well…there’s that,” said Kat-Chi. “But there’s more! We have new neighbors, Maxim.”
The couple reached their floor. “Uh…okay, that’s nice, I guess.”
Kat-Chi slapped Mabat slightly across the back of the head. “I thought we agreed to be more sociable! This isn’t going to be like Paragon! I want REAL FRIENDS this time, not just your buddies wandering in and out!”
The duo reached their door. “Okay, Kat, first off, they were NOT buddies, they were co-workers.” Kat-Chi unlocked the door. “Second, Paragon wasn’t THAT bad!” The door opened, revealing Galloway and Zachary seated on the balcony. “And third, what the hell are they doing in here?”
MEANWHILE, WITHIN A SHADOWY BOARD ROOM…
A massive television monitor showed scenes of death and destruction, as entire city blocks were reduced to rubble. Dead bodies littered the street, many of which were in elaborate costumes. A female news correspondent stood in front of the mass of ruin. “Paragon City officials have still not come up with a complete death toll, but it is estimated to be around fifteen hundred, including over two hundred registered metahumans. As these mercenary attacks continue to escalate, the question begins to become, ‘Is the presence of metahumans to blame?’”
The monitor switched itself off. “Well, I assume you now realize how effective Beta Legion truly is.”
“True, striking Paragon City was a tremendous feat. However, they were still driven off.”
“By a massive force, fellow chairman. And with the aid of the MES, we will soon be able to destroy the metahuman populace completely.”
“Hm, perhaps. Still, what about that girl? Should we have-”
“We already discussed this. She will do her duty. In the meantime, prepare the whole of Beta Legion to invade. However, keep the MES here for the time being.”
“And there is the problem with the Nukleoids…”
“They know their usefulness is running out. Just keep them in line until the MES becomes fully operational. Remember, if fear does not work, simply inspire them to hate.”
“This meeting is adjourned. May the Eye watch over you.”
(to be continued)
Well, as long as they make the difference between catgirl and furry distinct, it should be a piece of cake!
… What are you looking at?
So, did the villains hit a newbie zone or just got lucky?
MEANWHILE, AT THE HAPPY PLACE MENTAL ASYLUM…
Pierson followed the hideous, hunchbacked doctor down the corridor, trying his best to ignore the pained screams that came from every direction. Happy Place Asylum was far from state-of-the-art; in fact, it was almost like something out of the early 20th century. Rusted hallways were lined with various steel doors, all looking into padded cells covered in grime, blood, and more unspeakable fluids and substances. Patients screamed out in a combination of mental anguish, total horror, and absolute despair, the kind that chewed on the soul until nothing but the husk of a human being was left.
The doctor opened a large metal gate at the end of the hallway, revealing a rather spacious office. Compared to the rest of the asylum, this was in generally good shape, with a fine oak desk, a massive filing cabinet, a few desk plants, and the main attraction, a familiar suit of armor.
Lord Slash’s armor…
MEANWHILE, BACK AT KAT-CHI’S APARTMENT…
Mabat stormed up to behind Galloway, but the saiyan did not flinch. “Alright, you red-haired punk! What are you doing in here?!”
“What does it look like, blue mage?” said Galloway. “I’m sitting on a balcony in a rotting portion of RPGCity, watching what’s left of today’s madness disperse.”
“The riot was shut down hours ago!” said Kat-Chi.
“That was just the first round,” said Galloway. “There are always a few stragglers, waiting for just the right moment to strike out. That’s why we have to stay guard over this district, ignoring every single-”
“We ALREADY had this discussion,” said Mabatsekker. “And why’s the kid here?”
“Dad got a new job, and mom got stuck in a meeting,” said Zachary. “Mr. Galloway is my…” He choked. “…babysitter.”
Kat-Chi moved to the kitchen. “I don’t know HOW you got up here, but can you please leave? We’ll have company here any minute now!” The inevitable door knock immediately followed. “AND NOW IT’S TOO LATE!”
Another knock came, followed by the door falling off its hinges and crashing into the floor. On the other side was a man and an adult catgirl, each holding a small dish covered in plastic wrap. Next to them was a small child, sheepishly looking around the small apartment. She was a catgirl, of that there was no doubt, but her fur was noticibly less, even for someone her age, with only a pair of catears and a tail to mark her true genus.
(to be continued)
MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE ASYLUM…
The doctor moved to Lord Slash’s armor, a glimmer of morbid curiosity shining in his eyes. Pierson himself barely knew what he was doing here, the mad compolsion that had driven him to visit this accursed blot on the world. Why was it such a big deal to him all of the sudden? Wasn’t it all right before?
So what if he was the only Task Force member without powers?
“As you can see, the armor is still in excellent condition, despite the recent electrical charges it received,” said the doctor. “Will you be taking it all with you?”
“No,” said Pierson. He walked to the armor and pulled off the gloves. “Just these.”
A FEW MINUTES LATER, AT THE APARTMENT…
Mabatsekker stood out on the balcony, watching as Poke and Fou-lu cleared what few stragglers remained on the streets below. He could hear laughter and chatting coming from inside the apartment, but didn’t feel like joining in at the moment. There was just…
Something leaped at him from behind, wrapping clawed hands around his eyes and pulling him back as if trying to remove his entire head. Almost instinctively, the blue mage flipped onto his back; the mysterious attacker jumped off in alarm just as Mabat flipped back over and landed on his hands. The attacker was none other than the small catgirl, a huge smile on her face.
“kiro!” shouted the girl’s mother. “What have we told you about pouncing?”
kiro’s expression changed to the usual child mixture of resentment and submission, coupled with the usual plotting of her overlord’s eventual comeuppance. “That I don’t jump on random strangers.” Her attention turned back to Mabat. “Hey, aren’t you a superhero?”
A smile of pride crept across Mabat’s face. “Well…yes, I am. Name’s Mabatsekker, of the RPGC Task Force.”
“Is it true you’re completely worthless?” shouted kiro, her voice still filled with excitement and joy.
Mabat looked angrily at Galloway, who was washing the dishes with Zachary. “I gather our illustrious leader has already talked to you? Look, he has…problems with blue mages.”
kiro looked over at the two. “Oh. Well, you don’t seem like a bad guy, Mabat…sikker?”
“Mabatsekker,” corrected Mabat.
MUCH LATER THAT NIGHT, AT THE TASK FORCE HQ…
Galloway and Mabat walked into the bunker, the doors closing behind them. “Well, thanks for dinner,” said Galloway. “I’m going to bed.”
“Hold it,” said Mabat. “We have a few things to talk about.”
Galloway sighed. “Look, I’m sorry I told that kid the truth, alright? And I’m sorry I crashed your precious little dinner, but we have a long day ahead tomorrow-”
Mabat grabbed Galloway by the shoulder and swung him around. The blue mage lifted the saiyan from the ground and raised him until their noses were practically touching. “Now listen good, Galloway. We have worked together in the past. We fought against Naar, your clones, and GOD. But this is different. These are people’s lives we’re supposed to be protecting, and you’re running around killing them all! You’re not a hero! Hell, you’re worse than a damn supervillain! Now, we’re going to keep working together, and we’re going to fight evil, but we will never be friends, we will never be equals, and above all else, as far as I’m concerned, you will NEVER be a real hero!”
Mabat shoved the frightened Galloway aside with disgust and marched into the living quarters. The saiyan slowly pulled himself to his feet, completely shellshocked and off-balance after Mabat’s flash of anger.
(to be continued)
Next time: Pierson’s new toys.
The soup thickens, Gallyway. Mayhap I should write another chapter in “The Origins” myself?