Mystery Men Conclusion

Sara watched as the creature hurled Paradox at Fade. The masked man managed to catch Paradox and cushion the impact for him, but the two of them still flew backward into the wall that ran around the roof’s edge. The concrete shattered on impact, and she cried out as she watched the Fade go over the side. Paradox lay there, shaking his head, trying to keep consciousness.

She turned to Dave, who was just getting to his feet. “Catch him, Dave! You’re his only chance!”

He didn’t answer, just raised the palm unit he used to control his jet-pack and activated it. With a small burst of noise, he flew through the air over the edge and dived down out of sight, his jet-pack humming loudly.

The creature turned at the sound of commotion and made to leap after him, but Sara rushed it.

From what Dave had gathered after running a few tests on the golden fluid, he had determined that it absorbed friction. With one step, she glided across the rooftop at great speed and slammed right into the thing’s back. It whirled on her, claws lashing out. They glanced off her second skin.

She leaped back reflexively, but the thing rushed right in, its fanged mouth dripping saliva. Its huge arms enveloped her, and she screamed again.

The golden fluid allowed her to slip free easily…it couldn’t get a grip on her. She slipped from its grasp and slid away from it. It growled and ran toward her.

Champion leaped in between them. He caught the beast with a powerful punch to the jaw. Spittle and a fang flew from its mouth. It turned back to face him, its red eyes gleaming angrily.

Champion hit a button on his belt buckle and then grabbed the two discs that hung at his hips. He raised them to the backs of his hands and placed one on each. They locked into place and he took a readied stance.

The creature attacked. Champion met each attack, using the discs as small shields, deflecting the beast’s claws, sending sparks flying about them. It lashed out with its feet as well, but somehow, Champion was able to turn each attack away. He couldn’t really form an attack of his own, though…he was fighting a purely defensive battle.

Steeling herself, Sara slid back into the fray.

*****

The Steelhawk whined at maximum thrust. He hadn’t yet managed to test it in a full dive, and wasn’t sure that it could handle it. So far, so good, he thought as he rocketed toward the streets below. His eyes stung from the wind and he did his best to blink the tears away. Sure wish I had grabbed my helmet, though.

Though he could hardly see, he managed to spot the Fade about two dozen meters down. They were about halfway down to the ground…he should have no trouble reaching him. Pulling up out of this dive, though…that’s gonna be the tricky part.

He caught up with Fade a few moments later and reached out for the man. He caught him and tuckedhim up against his wounded shoulder, crying out in pain. Between the speed and the pain, he thought he might blackout. Just pull up, Barry! he told himself. Just pull up!

He thumbed the stick on his controller, trying to force the Steelhawk to pull up out of the dive. He killed nearly all of the thrust. The fins on the rear of the Steelhawk shifted to bring him out of the dive, but he wasn’t sure if it would be enough. The street was rushing up at him at an incredible speed.

“Pull up!” he screamed. “PULL UP, DAMN IT!”

They started leveling off. He tried to shift his own weight into the move…anything to help.

They pulled up about ten feet above Central Avenue and roared down the street. He screamed in triumph and pulled the Steelhawk up into an ascent.

They made it up about five stories when the engines cut out.

“Oh, shit,” was all he could think of to say.

He thumbed the controls…even with the engines out, he could still use the fins to guide his descent. There was a three story building not far away. If he could get them over that they might have a chance.

As they came in, he rolled, trying to keep the Fade protected and let the Steelhawk itself take the brunt of the crash. The metal screeched as it struck the rooftop and skidded along, bringing them along for the ride. They came to a stop when they crashed into a large ventilation unit.

David Barry lay there for a moment, looking up at the stars. Finally, he rose, pain shooting through his entire body, and let the unconscious Fade tumble to the rooftop. “You okay there, Mr. Fade?” he asked. “Good, good…because I’m going to throw up.”

* * * * *

Champion felt the claws slash into his thigh. It was the third severe wound that this thing had inflicted on him and nothing he seemed to hit it with hurt it for more than a moment or two. This ain’t going too good, he realized. Even with Sara helping, there was no way he was going to last. Most of its attacks seemed to slide right off of that golden stuff that she was covered with, but it had managed to land a good solid punch that had knocked her to the floor. It lunged forward, jaws gaping as it tried to bite him. He smashed one of his bucklers into its mouth, shattering more of its teeth.

It howled in pain and whirled away, spitting blood. It turned and roared at him, its red eyes wide open. I’m about to die, he thought.

It leaped at him, but came crashing to the ground in front of him as Paradox tackled it from behind. He wrapped his arms around the creature’s neck and held on tight. Its wings battered him and it slashed at him with its claws. He managed to avoid its attacks while still maintaining his hold.

Champion took the respite that Paradox had given them to grab Sara and pull her away. He really couldn’t get much of a grip on her, but she was half-conscious, so all he really had to do was guide her away.

He got her a safe distance away…or at least, as far away as possible on the Spire’s rooftop. He wiped the blood from his eye and turned back to join the fray.

The creature had slumped down to its knees as if dazed. Its wings hung limply behind it. He’s doing it, Champion thought. He’s choking the air out of the thing.

Paradox still held the creature around the neck. “Remember,” he said to the thing. “You’re a man…you have to remember.”

Champion watched, realizing that Paradox wasn’t choking the beast. I ain’t sure what he’s doing to it, he thought as he moved in to help. But it seems like it’s working.

Paradox looked up at him. “Stay back,” he said. “Just stay back.”

Champion stopped in his tracks. Paradox kept speaking to the thing in a calm even tone. “Remember,” he said. “Remember and come back.”

Slowly, the thing began to shift as Champion watched. It seemed to be getting smaller. Its large ears wilted and shrank away. The membranes of its wings melted into some strange black fluid that fell to the rooftop in large viscous drops. Its whole form was changing as he watched. Its talons pulled back into its hand, leaving normal fingers in their place. Its coal black skin became gray, and then an ashen white color.

“That’s it,” Paradox murmured. “Come back.”

Finally, it ended. In the monster’s place now slumped a middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair. Paradox eased him to the floor and then plopped down himself. Whatever he had done had obviously left him weak.

Champion took a few tentative steps forward. “What did you do?”

“I just made him remember who he was,” he answered between heavy breaths.

Champion just shook his head. He went back and checked on Sara. “I’m okay,” she told him. As she spoke, the golden fluid began to seep back into her pores, leaving her a normal woman again. “What about Dave? And that other guy?”

“I’ll find out.” He ran over to the edge and looked down at the street below. No sign of them near where the wall had cracked. That has to be a good sign, he guessed as he started making his way around the rooftop looking for the two men.

His keen eyesight spotted them slumped down near a big vent on the roof of a small building nearby. “I see them,” he told the others. “They’re on a rooftop a few buildings away.”

Paradox rose to his feet and picked up the unconscious man who had moments ago been a huge monster that was trying to kill them all. He slung the man over his shoulder and made his way over to Sara. “Can you stand?” he asked her. She nodded and got up shakily. “We better find them and get out of here. Some one set that thing upon us…who knows what else they are capable of.”

Champion turned and faced the man called Paradox. “Where we gonna go?”

It was Sara who answered. “We can go to Dave’s workshop…it should be safe there.”

Paradox shrugged. “I’m not entirely sure about that, but we don’t have any other choice. I‘ll try and explain more once we are there.”

I can walk away right now, Private Specialist Joe Williams thought. I can make it back to Fort Nick tonight before anyone even knows I’ve left.

He looked at the two people standing before him. Already he felt a stronger kinship with them than he had with anyone at Fort Nicholas, except for Professor Klein. He felt he had to see this through, no matter what happened.

“All right,” Champion said. “Any idea how we’re gonna get down?”