RPG- Superhumans 2: Anarchy (Page 8 of 18)

Shift looked over as he took a turn. "The most important thing is to not just sprint in there. That could get you killed. Just watch what your doing and you'll be fine."  Chink continued looking out the window and sighed. "Hey, just because Jack is involved with her doesn't mean you should get all depressed. I mean, Jack has some serious problems." Chink continued to stare out the window, apparently not feeling like talking. Shift was silent for the continuation of the drive. 

As he pulled up near the bank he placed a hand on Chink's shoulder. She looked over, "You should smile." he said quietly. She smiled sadly and stepped out of the car. Shift followed slowly, pulling his gun from it's holster and stepping into the bank.

Inside there were people lying on the ground, a man stood above them, wearing gloves that were glowing red. He turned as Chink and Shift stepped in and yelled something, lifting one of the gloves. The glove darked and an energy blast shot from his glove, directly at Chink. Shift stuck his arm out, grabbing her shoulder and shifted, the energy bolt went right through her. When he pulled his hand away she looked down, apparently surprised. Shift pulled his pistol out and shot at the  criminal, who dived behind cover

Seth, or Lightshow, as he prefered to be called, was nervous. Here he was in some strange car, with some wierd, scaly looking guy, headed after some unknown monster. Recruitment, he felt, wasn't the problem; although he wasn't entirely sure what he was recruiting for. If it came down to a fight, he knew he'd have only his street brawling to keep him safe. Not that he was a combat specialist, he won some and he lost some, growing up on the streets of Mission City. He didn't know if he'd be able to hold his own against proffessional supers.

The blaring of Rammstein's "Du Hast," helped to calm his nerves and focus him. He reached over cautiously to turn up the volume, but the scaly guy didn't seem to mind, so he did. He nodded his head to the music, eyes closed, for a bit. As he opened them, he noticed how fast they were moving through the city, and watched the scaly guy concentrate on his driving.

"Alright, two in one day." Shift said, he usually didn't get to go and do this.  They got into the car, and Shift drove off. He turned on the radio. It wasn't a long drive but Chink wasn't as talkative as she usually was. He found a station he thought she might like and turned the volume up a little. He looked over and tried to see  what her reaction was. He couldn't see her face, she was staring out the window, watching the city speed by. The song that was playing ended and Enter Sandman by Metallica started.

About a quarter of the through the song Shift saw a man's pants inexplicably drop, as he very quickly bent to lift them up, he fell flat on his face. Shift stopped the car and popped the door open. "Looks like we found him." Shift left his gun and sword in the car.  He walked over to assist the man, and felt something snag his foot. He tripped, as he hit the ground he cloaked himself. He heard someone talk "What the he-" Shift kicked out and hit something, the super blinked into view for a second.  Chink came up behind him and punched him in the back of his head. Hard. The super went down, and Shift called for someone to come down and pick him up. He looked over at Chink, who hadn't even bothered to bring up her scales, and grinned. "So, where to now?"

The thug immediately charged at Jack.  Jack casually sidestepped and smacked the man on the back with the flat of his sword.

"Bad form chap.  Stand up and keep your guard up this time when advancing. Try to come at me like this."

The man got to his feet and Jack came at him with his sword causing the man to try and dodge but Jack knew it was coming and came at him with a punch to the gut causing him him to double over.

"Make sure the foes don't expect what comes next.  Now you try."

"I'm gunna gut you."

"Actually I'd prefer if you don't.  I like to keep my organs in their original container.  Gutting isn't cool.  I gutted some fish when I was younger.  Smelly stuff.  That could have been due to the fact that I was supposed to do it 3 weeks prior and I left it out in the sun.  Now try to get me."

The man feinted a punch a brought his chain out whipping it at Jack's legs.  It wrapped around his leg but Jack used his momentum to rip the chains out of the man's grasp and he delivered a kick to the man's jaw as he came around knocking him out cold.

"Good try but it looks like you lose.  The follow through was a bit sloppy and it looks like it cost you.  Oh and I charge by the punch for the lessons.  The knuckles don't heal themselves you know.  Wait...  They do!  Well I'd still like the money anyway."

"Jack he's out cold.  He can't hear a thing."

"Oh.  Bummer.  Who did that?"

Chink skimmed through the menu, she didn’t feel particularly hungry but she didn’t want to dampen Shift’s enthusiasm more than she already had. “I’ll have the Peking Steak with Sweet and Sour Sauce. You want to share a serve of Fried Rice?”

Shift seemed to perk up at her change in mood. “Yeah okay we can do that. I was thinking of getting a duck dish, we could just share all round?”

Chink shrugged as she closed her menu, “I guess so.”

Shift smiled and gave their order to the waitress when she came over. Shift opened his mouth to speak but Chink beat him to it.

“I didn’t know you could turn invisible,” she said as she fiddled with the tip of her fork, although her eyes were on Shift.

“One of my many tricks,” Shift said in response.

“So what else can you do?” Chink asked.

If Desdemona had been capable of laughter she would have chuckled at Jack. But since emotions were all but a fleeting memory Desdemona simply answered, “You did that, Jack.”

Jack scratched his head, “Oh yeah I did.”

“You are most peculiar at times, Jack.” Desdemona commented as she tilted her head slightly to study him.

“I like it when you say my name,” Jack said with a smile as he slipped his sword back into its sheath.

“Jack,” Desdemona said to please him.

Jack smiled and closed his eyes, he quickly opened them again. “I can’t believe you’re here,” Jack said as he reached out to touch her. His hands encircled her upper arms and he drew her close. “I feel like I’m dreaming.”

“I don’t remember how to dream,” Desdemona said quietly.

“But what about between soul collecting? What do you do?” Jack asked still holding her close.

“I return to the underworld and rest. I would not call it sleep though,” Desdemona informed him.

“I’m just glad your back, dreams can only take you so far.” Jack said with a knowing smile.

Desdemona did not understand his meaning. “As I recall you could do anything in your dreams.”

Jack’s thumbs stroked the skin on her arms gently, “Some things are much better in reality.”

Desdemona nodded, “That can be true, although some things can be worse.”

“Not when it comes to you Dessie,” Jack said as he leant forward, moving his face closer to hers.

Desdemona was unsure of what he was doing until his lips brushed against hers. Sadly her emotions were so minimal that she only felt a small tingle at his touch. She sighed and Jack seemed to take it as a positive response as he deepened the kiss. Desdemona raised her hand to cup Jack’s face, she gently pushed him away.

“No?” he asked looking confused.

Desdemona looked at him awkwardly, “My feelings are less then when I last saw you.”

“You mean you don’t like me anymore?” Jack said looking as though she’d just ripped out his heart.

“No, I mean that my humanity is further from my grasp so I feel less.” Desdemona tried to explain.

Jack still looked hurt, “So why are you here?”

“I had a soul to retrieve. That is now done but I felt something. I think Void is going to resurface from where ever he went.” Desdemona informed Jack.

Jack started to jump up and down clapping his hands, “This is great! This means you get to be human again!”

“Possibly,” Desdemona said cooling his enthusiasm.

“What do you mean possibly? I thought he completed your quota,” Jack said in confusion.

“I made a new deal, remember? I don’t know if the old one still stands.” Desdemona said telling Jack of her dilemma

“So what are you going to do?” Jack asked.

“I still intend to collect Void’s soul, it’s my duty.” Desdemona answered.

Jack stared at her for a moment and changed the subject. “So where’d you get that outfit?”

“I morphed it on. I was trying to blend in with this time period.” Desdemona told then blinked, “Is it inappropriate?”

Jack looked her up and down for the longest time, “If you were at my place I’d say no, but in public it’s a little revealing.”

“What do you suggest I wear?” Desdemona asked.

“I suggest we all return,” Chromium stated to those who were left at the café.

“Fine, let’s get out of this dump.” Vandal growled, as her headache was only making her mood worse.

“Would you like some ice for your head?” Frost asked as he opened his hand ready to oblige.

“No I just want to go home and lie down,” Vandal hissed as she stormed away from the others.

Haze linked arms with Chromium, “You look stressed,” Haze said quietly.

“Sometimes I worry that I’m too powerful,” Chromium replied just as quietly.

Haze’s brow furrowed, “If you don’t want to merge anymore I understand.”

Chromium shook his head, “No, I do that for your added protection. Besides there are things you can do that I cannot.”

Haze smiled, “We are good together but as I said we don’t have to merge. I can protect myself with my telekinesis.”

Chromium raised her hand to his lips, “I know that, but it reassures me to know that I can protect you. You’ve said yourself that you can only protect yourself when you see things coming at you.”

Haze shrugged, “That’s true but I’m so much more aware of what’s around me these days. Vandal and I have been teaching each other methods we use with our mind control. I even helped her to move a pencil the other day. She’s starting to extend her telepathy to telekinesis and I’m starting to learn how to strengthen my weak telepathy.”

Chromium smiled, “That’s great.”

Haze noticed that the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “You really are concerned aren’t you?”

Chromium nodded, “In that attack we didn’t even build up a sweat.”

“But you don’t let the power go to your head, Chromium. That’s important.” Haze pointed out.

Chromium wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. He placed a kiss on her cheek then moved up to her ear, “I knew there was a reason why I love you.”

“For my good looks and witty humour?” Haze said cheekily.

“Well there’s that, there’s also your wisdom.” Chromium said as he wrapped his other arm around her. He launched into the sky to give them a little privacy from the others.

“We don’t fly like this often enough,” Haze said as she wrapped her arms around Chromium.

“Life is too hectic these days,” Chromium replied with a weary note to his voice.

“Maybe we should take a holiday together. Just you and me, we could go to Austria. I’d love to see the castles and try the chocolate.” Haze informed him.

Chromium chuckled, “You’d sell your soul for a good block of chocolate, wouldn’t you?”

Haze laughed in response, “Nah, but I might dance naked for it.”

“Now that I’d like to see,” Chromium said with a twitch of his metal eyebrows.

Haze grinned, she was glad to see a genuine smile on his face, “I’m serious about the holiday. I think we deserve it.”

“Let me think on it some more,” Chromium said as they landed back at their headquarters.

Haze held him a moment longer, “Work isn’t everything, Tanis. We may be Supers but it doesn’t mean we always have to save the day. Sometimes we need to be selfish and take some time for ourselves.”

Chromium nodded then rubbed his nose against Haze’s. She moved forward to kiss him and they stayed in the moment for a while longer. The sound of an internal siren made them part. “Can’t we ignore it, just this once?” Haze said.

“We’re here, it’s our duty.” Chromium said as he started forward. He stopped to take Haze’s hand, “Come with me.”

She smiled, “Okay.”

-

Vandal was ready to scream, “Shut that damn alarm up before I rip someone’s head open!”

“Charming as ever I see,” Burnout commented as he moved to the nearest console. We got a fire at a Gas Station.

Frost was up in a second, “Oh pick me, I want to go.”

“Fine just go already and turn off that alarm,” Vandal growled as she put a pillow over her head.

-

Chink picked up a mini spring roll and dipped it in the sauce bowl. “If you want I could take you flying.”

She took a bite then looked up at Shift, “That would be awesome.”

Chink smiled, “I see you neatly avoided telling me what you can do.”

Chink studied Shift for a moment, he suddenly seemed very intent on his food, his eyes stayed on his plate. Chink shrugged and took a mouthful of her fried rice. Her pager went off and Shift’s quickly matched the sequence of bleeps.

Chink looked at hers, “Fire at a Gas Station. Isn’t that the Fire Brigade’s responsibility?”

Shift dropped his fork and looked at his own pager. “It might be too dangerous for them.”

Chink rolled her eyes, “I should have stayed in the Control Centre.”

Shift put his pager back in its holder, “We should go.”

Chink sat firm, “I’m finishing my meal. I can walk back if I need too.”

Shift looked surprised, “Enough action for you today?”

“I thought the aim was to keep me away from Jack,” Chink said cuttingly.

Shift sighed, “I thought we were passed this.”

Chink didn’t say anything for a moment then picked up her fork, “Just go play hero. I might be here when you get back.”

Jack thought.  "I liked how you looked before."  Obligingly she changed back to the form Jack knew. 

"Does it please you?"

"Very much so.  Now we need-"

At that moment someone came whizzing up to them.  Burnout.

"Jack.  I need to talk to you."

Chink stabbed violently into her food with her fork. She was tightly strung with a mix of emotions as she looked up at Shift’s empty seat she realised she owed him an apology. She’d taken her anger and frustration out on him and he hadn’t deserved it. “I’m a mess,” she muttered quietly to herself.

When she finished her meal she got Shift’s boxed up and started the long walk home. After a few blocks she stopped and wondered what she was doing. She had the ability to fly, so why wasn’t she using it? Chink leapt into the air and let the wind sail through her hair. Its coolness calmed her heated temper, “I should have done this earlier.”

But the truth had been that no one had trusted her to be on her own, they’d all expected her to go rushing back to Jack at the first opportunity. The truth was that they were probably right. Chink sighed, sometimes she was her own worst enemy. She had known that Jack had been into someone else. She’s just figured that the mystery lady had not felt the same for him.

As Chink flew over the streets she noticed a woman carrying a basket full of single red roses in canisters. Chink lowered herself to the ground and walked to the woman, “Can I buy a rose?”

“Sure,” the lady said as she allowed Chink to pick which one she wanted. Chink selected a red rose, she noticed it had a heart chocolate in the bottom but it didn’t really matter. This was an apology gift for Shift, she was certain he’d understand it was an impulse buy.

She took the rose in her left hand while she carried the remainder of his meal in the right. When she got back to the Andromeda headquarter she found it relatively quiet. Vandal was asleep in the main lounge area, crashed out on a sofa with a pillow over her head.

Chink made her way to Shifts quarters. She knocked on the door and was not surprised at the lack of answer. She moved her hand to the handle and was surprised that it opened. The room was remarkably empty and Chink wondered if he only used it on odd occasions. Most of the other supers had somewhere else to call home but liked to sleep at Andromeda when things were hectic.

Chink laid the rose on his bed then moved away. She took a marker and wrote Shift’s name on the plastic container so no one else ate it. As she placed the meal in the fridge she looked at the marker in her hand. She decided she should write a note to go with the rose. He might not know it was from her.

Chink replaced the marker and retrieved a pen. She scratched around for a notepad but could only find some purple sheets of paper that Vandal always insisted on having.

Vandal stirred slightly as Chink walked passed and she decided to go back to Shifts room to write the note. She sat on the edge of the bed trying to think what to write.

Flame stopped the car. There was a huge pillar of smoke coming from the city. He opened the door and got out of the car.  He stood there for a moment, before ducking his head back into the car. "You know where to go. I will meet you there." Lightshow moved to the drivers seat and began to drive off as Flame lifted into the air.

--

Shift forgot about Chink momentarily as the gas station came into view. A huge fire was roaring, and a pitch black pillar of smoke rose from it. He something happen, the smoke stopped rising from the fire and seemed to hit a wall. The radiant heat from it stopped as well. He looked over and saw Haze, he assumed she was holding the fire in a telekinetic bubble or something . The fire slowly began to die.

Haze and Chromium had been the first on the scene. Chromium had stretched himself out into a thin sheet. He had then laid himself over sections of fire to smother them. Haze had adopted a similar strategy but used bubbles of telekinesis. It wasn’t something she did very often so it took a lot of concentration.

Shift rolled up next, followed by Frost who looked annoyed that he wasn’t getting to play with his icing skills. Haze reduced the size of her bubble so Frost could put out the fire.

“Where’s the Fire Brigade?” Shift asked to no one in particular.

“Coming,” Haze replied as she continued to reduce her bubble so Frost could do his work.