Tags: Psychological Thriller, Urban Noir, Vigilante, Mature Themes, Serial Killer, Crime Drama
⚠️Authors Note - Mature Content
"This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, nations, corporations and events are products of the author's imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real events or persons is coincidental."
Continues straight after Chapter Eleven…
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The download wasn't fast enough-
Soon Near will be under attack by the Doctors experiments. He knew the clock was ticking.
'Sunohara. Continue the download. I will delay the-'
['Kids?']
'-Yeah kids.'
FWABOOOOOOMMMMM
A door exploded off its titanium hinges-
It launched across the hall, folding upon impact with the stair bannisters of the lab with a thunderous metallic crack.
'Oooo a new toy!' a cheerful voice echoed.
The figure emerged from the doorway, it was small. Barefoot. In rags. Its red eyes gleamed from within the darkness of the black smoke.
'Hope this one doesn't break..'
FWWOOoooooshhh- He appeared like a flash-
SLAM
A fist connected with Near's mid-rim, he gasped as blood shot from his jaw.
Near fell to his knees. He was hunched. He stared at the small, dirty bare feet.
He was then pulled to his feet by the figure, it was a kid.
The kid was small, pale with long brown matted hair. He was skinny, almost like bones. His skin was covered in scars, roughness and bruises. His tired, black ringed eyes were bloodshot as if he hadn't slept in years.
'You must be Near-'
Near was held higher in the air-
'My name is Exorkid! Nice to meet you!-'
The kids' eyes gleamed red. A deep bloody crimson.
SMACK
It was merely a smack. Casual. But a casual smack from Exorkid? Packed with enough force to snap titanium like a twig.
FWWWwwwooooshh
Near was thrown with little effort into the lab's concrete wall.
'OOOoofff-'
Near cough, and coughed. Something broke inside.
Exorkid walked briskly towards the injured Near. His little feet pattering upon the concrete.
PAT
PAT
…PAT
WIth a wind up of his fist, the much smaller Exorkid smacked Near again as if he was playing roughly with a toy.
THWAP
Crack.
Then there was a pause-
Near fell like a swatted insect off the lab's wall.
Behind him an imprint marked the concrete surface.
Near rose to his feet, or tried to. He stumbled to his knees. He pushed using his arms, using all the strength he had left.
He swayed, blood trickled down his cheek. Behind the grey balaclava, blood slowly dripped through the fabric.
Ringing buzzed in his ears. All he could taste was iron.
'How… the hell does a 8 year old pack such a punch…?', Near muttered
'I am actually 11.'
Tap Tap Tap
Thud Thud Thud
One by one the others appeared-
'And here are my friends.'
Exorkid folded his arms, his eyes piercing the vigilante.
'Meet-
Penndragon
Storm-Of-Boy
Luna…'
All three kids-
Stood in front of the broken Near.
Penndragon. A dragon in the body of a boy. His skin is impenetrable, scaly, dark ash grey. His nose nonexistent, his mouth filled with sharp razor-like fangs. His ears hooked. Trailing behind his broad back flowed black spiked hair.
Storm-Of-Boy. A figure perpetually hidden in black storm clouds. His emotions delineate and dictate the ferocity of the thunder and lightning. The young boy lost his physical form and instead became a mass of intelligent sentient energy.
Luna. The girl is small, but very dangerous. She is capable of magic, not just any magic, but lunar magic. Energy given by the moon's rays. Using it she could caste beams of energy, and create shapes using it.
'Hey Exorkid! So THIS is the vigilante?' Luna shouted, flipping her long blonde hair behind her neck.
'I know right?! Talk about weakness.'
(I have….) Near stood, his stance was not firm, it was broken and weak.
The vigilante's brain was stinging with pain, not a manageable pain, a hangover followed by a train and then followed by a needle to the brain.
(No choice…)
'STOP HIM!' Luna cried with a shriek-
Near reached for his gauntlet-
Beep
He was coming.
Star-Patriot.
Outside the Warehouse…
Star-Patriot is a god. He is invulnerable. Ultra fast. Ultra strong. Invincible. He hovered above Promise City, his thick arms folded. His long red cape trailing behind him in the freezing cold wind. Not that he could feel it. His cold blue eyes calmly watched the whole city, he could hear every conversation, every action. His blonde slick back hair blew peacefully to the side, his pale complexion illuminated from the distant moon. It could take him only a day to reach the moon. He hovered in place, unmoving. Unmoveable.
Then he heard it. A faint Beep.
Then he was off. With the speed of a jet, no. Faster.
He would reach the BlueJet Lab quickly-
Above the warehouse.
CRASH
He landed on the lab's concrete ground. With a knee planted firmly in the ground. A fist through the concrete. And the red cape, wide, sprawled across the floor.
The first thing the reawakened BlueJet security saw was the godly figure they've always seen in the news, papers, and internet.
'H-Holy sh*t it is HIM.'
'Star-Patriot…'
As smoke and debris cleared they saw the golden star etched across his broad blue leather chest. His eyes fixated on the entrance to the lab.
Patriot's words were calm-
'Please stand aside.'
Patriot walked powerfully past the security personnel who held their heads from the previous injuries from Near.
'I don't want to hurt you.'
The security stood aside and didn't DARE stand up to him.
And then he did it.
He walked past them. And THEY ALLOWED it.
'I don't want to see ANY more of your colleagues enter the warehouse. That's an order.'
Patriot's words were powerful. Irriristible.
The BlueJet security dropped their rifles to the ground-
'Understood sir.'
Meanwhile…
The powerful kids continued to pound Near into the ground and wall. By now Near managed to disarm Luna and Storm-Of-Boy-
But Exorkid and Penndragon continued to strike Near who by now could barely stand-
His armour was cracked.
His hood was torn.
His cape was in tatters.
Storm-Of-Boy and Luna's abilities were turned against one another-
Storm Boy was trapped in an energy field, Luna was tied up with a titanium cord.
It was a struggle but Near was able to do it.
'Near you're the coolest action figure!' Exorkid exclaimed cracking his knuckles-
'Hey Penndragon, use your fire breath to melt Near.'
Penndragon's jaws began to boil, and flicker with embers-
Exorkid continued.
'Hey! Kid! Help me!' Luna pleaded writhing around the floor.
Storm Boy screeched with fury, unable to use his energy beyond the energy field.
Thud Thud Thud
Patriots footsteps echoed-
'Huh?' Exorkid muttered with confusion.
'Kid. The night is only beginning…. Don't make it a long one.'
His words were calm.
Patriot's eyes faintly illuminated a crimson red, looking at the group of enhanced children.
The temperature of the room, no the world, dropped in an instant. Their faint breathing billowed icy moisture.
Near reached his feet. He popped, a smoke pellet out of his utility belt-
With a casual roll it slid underneath Exorkid and Penndragon.
The humanoid dragon's jaws erupted with fire and fury.
The Patriot stood unbothered.
Wwwwwooooshhhh
He blew on the flames, freezing them in place. And then-
Crack Snap Crack
Crackle Crackle
The ice shades fell off his broad shoulder with a weak brush off his red gauntlet hands.
'Ok. So I now know where you stand….'
Patriot stepped forwards-
'I won't have to feel too bad. This won't hurt. You'll be cold for a little while.'
Patriot reassured the boys with a slight smile.
As the black smoke surrounded both Penndragon and Exorkid.
The patriot walked into the fog. He could see as clear as day-
He walked powerfully and authoritatively, as if he was a teacher about to scold children.
And then, he, Patriot began to exhale-
Wwwwoooshhhhhhhh
Ice began to form, encasing Exorkid.
And then, soon enough, Penndragon also began to freeze in place.
Near perked up. Finally reaching his feet. His arms firmly at his sides-
His body was broken and bloody, but he could stand.
He faced the two human sized ice cubes. Trapped Storm Boy and tied up magician.
'I could have handled them.'
'HA! Oh please Near, they were throwing you like a play toy.' Star-Patriot dismissed with amusement wavering his red bracer hand.
'Was not.'
'Sure.. so you weren't brooding and thinking to yourself "I have one option left"' Patriot smirked-
'No comment.'
'Ha! Knew it!'
Near walked back over to the main terminal of the lab-
He typed-
The keys clicked as he manually opened Talons pod.
Beep..
["WARNING! Pod seven is now opening. Please stay at a safe distance."]
The pod opened, with the cold nitrogen emission whistle, Talon's unconscious body fast asleep.
He was small. He had long black shoulder length hair. Pale. He was only three years old.
'He is only three?' Patriot muttered.
'He is the Owl's son.'
Later on…
The two heroes walked side by side, Near in his case limped painfully, Patriot carried Talon in his arms. The lab was shut down, its systems controlled and hacked by Sunohara. Outside the warehouse the Promise City Police Department guarded the perimeter. Called in, conveniently by Detective Brady who was 'on patrol'. Near needed to vanish, he was a wanted criminal, Patriot? He had no such constraints.
As they reached the entrance to the lab-
Near looked towards an open cell, its reinforced glass cell door wide open. The electronic panel besides the cell read;
[Subject Name: Clownbozzo
Age: Unknown
Description: A ghostly apparition, with the subtle likeness of a clown. Possessing a dark sense of humor. Known for pulling elaborate pranks.]
The cell? Empty.
Near's blue eyes narrowed.
Patriot could hear the heartbeat of the younger vigilante.
'Your thinking of following up on this?'
Near didn't even hesitate-
'Already made a case file.'
Patriot stopped dead in his tracks, he turned his powerful unmovable shoulders, and blocked Near's path, hugging the little boy close.
'No.'
'What?' Near asked brooding, his blonde eyebrow twitched.
'You WILL not suit up tomorrow or for the next whole week.' The Patriots' words were firm. Like judgement.
'Your body is broken. You have twelve broken bones. Eight torn muscles. And three fractures.'
Near brushed it off-
'Frozen bath. Ice bath therapy. That'll do the trick.'
Patriot stood in front of Near. His blue leather chest inches from his face.
'I will take your place next week. Including tomorrow.'
'You can't make me.'
'Oh, I can. You know it, I know it.'
Near pushed past Patriot with the little force he could muster. With a shove of his shoulder.
'I have to find Dr Stout. He was the lead scientist-
who experimented on the kids.'
'Leave it to me-
I will find Dr Stout.
I will find Clownbozzo.
I will ensure BlueJet faces consequences
I will protect Promise City.'
For the first time Near stood still. And listened.
And for once he trusted someone else.
Later on…
Owl's Mansion…
Patriot descended upon the Stretch. He still held the toddler close in his arms. The Owl's crew stood back, they watched as a god appeared in the dark wintery sky and slowly stepped upon the pothole ridden ground, his red boots crunched on the ice.
The Owl stumbled out of her Mansion, bare foot. She ran and ran towards the descending Patriot who held the toddler to her. Her maternal instincts drove her forward. Until she was within reaching distance of her son.
'Your son, Madam Owl.'
'Where is the vigilante?!'
The Owl exclaimed, snatching her son and holding him against her partially exposed bosom which swelled with maternal love, her night robe clung on by a thread.
But her son was home…