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Armageddon

“It’s alright Kenny, I’ll be fine.” Tara’s mother whispered gently as he helf her hand.

“You sure, after what Tara did…”

A fire light in the older woman’s eyes, even as she lie there in the hospital bed. “That wasn’t my Tara. It may have had her face and voice but it was not her. My daughter would never do this to me. Now please go, you don’t want to miss the celebration. You’ll never live it down if you miss it.”

Kenny nodded solomly, “I will Ms. Mayers.”

“Call me mom, please.”

At this Kenny was taken aback, “M…Mom?”

Did she somehow sense that his body was not is own, that past the peach skin and the third leg was nestled the orginal body of a teen age African American girl?

The older woman smiled knowingly, “I see how you two get along, see the things you create. You may not come out and say it but I know you have feeling for her. And she does for you.”

The woman leans back in the bed, her eyes heavy, the pulse monitor steady and stable though. “You have brought out a side of her I never saw, and regrettable never encouraged. She is quite good with electronics isn’t she? And she in turn has taken that introverted little boy who was always picked on and drawn out the courage to stand on his own two feet. I know you will find her, save her. And together you will go on to…whatever life your shared path takes.”

The woman smiled then as she closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep. Kenny sat by her side a moment longer, holding her hand gently before he rose and silently exited the room.

The viewer of the command center glowed with the image of the city park, a stage had been set up and the Red Lion, Blue Eagle, and White Wolf power suits were already on stage. The mayor stood in front of the trio addressing the large assembly of people. In the command center the Hydro Hag, Kenny, Malcom, Micheal, Jason, Claire, and Trinity were all watching, a palpable discomfort evident int heir stances.

“You all ready for this?” Micheal asked nervously.

A silent nod from the assembled prefac their sudden dissapearce in a kiladascope of light. Moments later the seven landed on the stage. The Hydro Hag taking a moment to swig a cup of her own concoction.

“These teleports really throw my stomach in a tumble if I don’t prepare just right.”

A light chuckle rose from the crowd.

The frog creatures face flushed purple as she realized her silent wisper had been spoke into the microphone stand inches from her face. As Micheal steped closer she stepped to the side and back vanishing behind the core group.

“I speak for all of us,” he began, his unseen eyes glackign back to where Tara would have stood. “Even those of us who could not make it.”

Jason fidgeted under the glare of the people, it felt like they were watching him. Did they forgiv him for all he did as Reeva’s pet? Trinity was also uncomfortable under their eye, for similar reasons.

Kenny stepped up cautiously, Micheal handing the microphone to him. “We never choose to be your heroes, we never set out to be great men of valor. Greatness was thrust upon us, like you we are civilians, thrust into the middle of a conflict we were I’ll prepared for. In the beginning we resisted being ‘drafted’ at time we have wondered if we did more harm then good. So this celebration, this gesture, it means more to use then you can even imagine.”

Claire steped up next, Kenny steped back, handing the mike to Micheal who paused before handing it to Claire. “We apologize, sincerely for any damage this war has had on your life. We do our best…” Claire paused, her voice cracking as tears streamed down the inside of her helmet, pooling at her neck before seaping into the colar of the suit.

“We do our best to force the battles out of the city, to get the towering giants intothe querry or waters beyond the city, or to stop them before they can injur to many people. Our allies: The Silver Knight, Hydro, and these new allies from Project-H here with us today, they lessen the burden, but at the end of the day every life lost, every building destroyed, they are my…our fault alone.”

Claire’s audible sobbing was heard over the mike before it fell clattering from her hand, forcing the crowd to cup their ears fro mthe feedback. Jason stepped up as Claire turned to the closest person, Micheal and leaned against him, Jason came up beside her offing additional comfort. The trio slowly making their way off stage.

Voices rose from the gathered that made the trio stop on the steps.

“It’s not your fault.”

“You’re doing great!”

“Please don’t…”

“We need…”

“You’re our…”

The voices blended together, giving strength to Claire, she smiled weakly under the helmet, the trio heading back for the main stage area.

Claire’s blood ran cold a moment later when Reeva appeared in a flash of lighting at the back of the crowd. Time seemed to slow and even at their distance apart it seemed to take forever for the heros to draw pistols. The crowd reacted in panic with raising of weapons as lighting crashed from Reeva’s staff head, arching out and enveloping not just the people gathered but the whole city in a flash of lightning.

They were gone, all gone. Not a bird in the sky, not a dog barking, not a single human face.

There was only the five marines, the silver knight, Hydro Hag, and the trio.

“What have you done with everyone!” Claire demanded, her voice bellowing like the wail of some terrible beast.

“Sent them away…for good.” She cackled casually.

Malcom voice cracked next, just as Claire’s bow formed in her hands Malcom’s axe formed in his. The other seemd to be similarry upset, but were far calmer then the marines in pink and black armor. Hydro Hag was errily detached, silently moving off the stage as Malcom charged, his axe carvignthe ground as he ran, meanwhile a single shot lauched from Claire’s bow. There was almost a palpable heat rolling off the duo. Malcom commencted with Reeva. Spiralling to the ground as a equal force repelled him before he touched skin or cloth, while Claire’s arrow was easily deflected.

Energy crackled from Reeva’s staff as she vanished, a moment later a giant of a man, with one eye set in the middle of his forhead glared down at Malcom.

In a instant the others had their weapons drawn, and charged, all except for Kenny who had vanished with the Hydro Hag.

The sounld that poured out Claire was barly human. “Not this time…”

Malcom rose coming up beside Claire the palpable fire of their focus caused the others to stop and pause.

“No holding back, no playing nice.” Claire growled her eyes fixed on the monster. “This time you die.”

“I hear you sister, “ Malcom bellowed.

Their armor shifted, rolled, grew tighter, more form fitting, like a second skin. For Malcom the skin sprouted a course black shag while pink scales and feathers covered Claire. The helments shrank, metting the flesh under. Their hair pushed through hthe helmet as their faces contornted into twistited visages of a pteradyctle and mastadons heads, the eyes wide and black, as if hidden by a visor or lens. The almost looked like a humanoid mastodon and pteradyctle, clair even had a sheath of skin under her arms that reselbled the membrane of a bat or flying squirl.

They charged, savage claws slasing gashes into the Cyclops while the mosnted tried in vein to stop them. It was over in moments, even as the creature exploded in a final sick attack by Reeva the duo stood unharmed. Breathing labored they turned back to the others.

And collapsed, their bodies returning to their normal human forms. Jason, Micheal, and Trinity rushed to their friends sides and were gone a moment later in a flahs of light.

“In the command center Kenny staggered away from the control panel, the Hydro Hag beside him as the 5 appeared. Rotoscope quickly set up bedding and they laid the duo down.

“What the hell just happened!” Micheal demanded.

Zardoz’s voice seemed slow to respond. “Exemplar level. I have never see it happen though.”

“What the hell is that!” Jason demanded.

“It’s a short intense burst of power that comes when you are overcome by your virtue, in their case protection and love. It turns you into your totem beast, but is very draining. They should be fine after a day’s rest.” Rotoscope explained.

“And where the hell were you!” Micheal demanded, looking to Kenny.

The viewer came to life, a endless expanse of space that housed the population and animals of Angel’s Basin.

“Hydro Hag had some idea where the people were sent, but need Rotoscope and I to access it.”

Trinity’s voice quivered, “Can you…get them back?”

“Over the next few days,” Rotoscope explained, “It will take a lot of power to pull them all back, if Reeva attack in the mean time your powers might be unreliable.”

As night fell Micheal and Jason watched over Claire, her home was so quiet with all the other living being I nthe coty gone. Just them as his soft, controlled breathing.

Kenny and the Hydro Hag were hard at work on pulling back people in small groups ver countless hours in the command center while the Project H trio increased their patrols. The city was quiet, but in the stillness the claymen were attempting a looting spree.

As for Trinity, she watched over Malcom, a lonely vigil broken only by a break to the bathroom to shower. As she dried herself her gaze fell to her chest, a blotch ofo metal seeming growing out of her flesh, about 3 inches wide sat dead center of her chest, a few dios glowed wit hthe pulse of her heart.