The warrior clad in form-fitting blue and white aimed a sleek deadly looking firearm at the creature. It had been causing chaos throughout the town all night and was now getting away at an unnatural speed. Cáit, the current Emergency Sentinel 999 Police was going to end its reign of terror. Or rather, that is what would have happened if a man wearing paisley green boxers hadn’t tackled her to the ground.
“Do NOT point that thing at my cat!” Yelled Myles Endeavour with surprising authority. The impressive spectacle of cat dad in action was only mildly diminished by shades of paisley green.
The retort was a fast sharp elbow to his face, followed by a boot… also to his face. Several bins clattered loudly as they were knocked over at the other end of the street. Cáit, now on her feet, took the opportunity to give a stunned Myles another swift kick to the face and took off after the monster that would later be described in her report as ‘Did you see that thing? course we should fucking kill it’ Cáit set off running at a para-human speed, determined to catch her quarry no matter how many idiots in disgustingly unsexy underpants tried to jump on her.
Killing Fae was incredibly difficult. It was the big reason why Fairy Triggers are tolerated in the community. Whatever bullshit triggers ran on let it bypass all the Fae nonsense keeping them dangerous. But, difficult was not impossible and Cáit had managed it before, several times. Tonight, she would do it again. She loved making those walking time bombs obsolete one kill at a time. Cáit had also been proven right about Endeavour, not only was he clearly some kind of zombie, he was cracked in the head. He seemed to genuinely believe the thing tearing through town was his cat. At least he would be out of her hair judging by that last kick to the head.
The fairy monster in question… probably fairy but what else ignores Sentinel given damage like it was a gentle massage… was scrambling up the wall belonging to a corner shop and disappearing onto the rooftops. Balls, Cáit hated rooftop chases, but if a hunt required stomping over slate tiles she was game, this fussy little backwater town was a lost cause so a little property damage was probably acceptable. The Sentinel jumped at the opposite wall and kicked off the bricks somersaulting to land on the shop roof. The thing had something… someone, in its jaw. There was a snap. Cáit opened fire. She blasted the monster with rapid bolts of sizzling blue. The projectiles hit true and sent the creature reeling before it gathered itself and fled once more into the night. Slate roof tiles cracked as they paid for the beast’s acceleration.
The body however was not human. Cáit felt a sense of relief, at least. At least she did until she realised the humanoid thing in front of her did not match any of the mission files. New Fae moving in was a bad sign. But that could wait for the morning. The chase continued.
Emergency Sentinel 999 did not sway towards offensive as a team, as you would rightly assume from a team styled after the emergency services. But that did not mean the team was without offensive power and Cáit, like her mother before her, was that offensive power. But attack power was now proving useless. The mark was staying too far ahead and any other monster it met became a corpse before introductions were over. She swore she would get it before it met a real human. Not being idle, she has documented the dead monsters with her community-issue phone for the report later. Two, possibly three… she couldn’t tell these bloody abominations apart… to report in. Maybe, just maybe if these things caused havoc, she would have a chance to shine. There was honour in carrying a Sentinel legacy, but Cáit would have traded it for a frontline spot in the good fight within a heartbeat. She would start by catching up to the four-legged menace and putting it down… Endeavour’s fucking cat indeed. Cáit would be having words with Zara about her choice of friends.
The thing was savaging another ‘probably’ Fae as Cáit lined up her shot. As if it had a sixth sense, the thing looked up. Bright blue filled its vision as it was blasted further down the street knocking over a poorly parked moped and crashing into someone’s garden down a cul-de-sac.
A large baton, cracking with blue energy appeared in Cáit’s hand. She ran, jumped and brought the weapon down on the monster’s head. The beast slumped to the floor, dazed, but still moving.
“Cáit NO!” Shouted Zara, arriving in full Sentinel form
Of course, her cousin would get an auxiliary legacy and straight to her head it went. Zara grabbed the baton before the second swing could connect. But Zara, despite her exterior was always soft inside. Cáit took full advantage and shot Zara in the centre body mass. She knew it would not be lethal, but it would keep her out of the way until the task was done, then any messy bits could be sorted out either with administration or in the family. Zara’s Sentinel uniform has dissipated with the blast, she was out cold and smoking a little but otherwise fine.
Cáit took aim a second time, right at the skull of the groggy armoured animal. It occurred to her that most Fae probably didn’t look like this, all sleek shining metal. But whatever it was, it was probably better off put down.
For the second time that night Cáit was tackled to the ground. However, the bedroom attire of this assailant was a more respectable white T-shirt and black knickers. She would never forgive that bastard for bringing green paisley that close to her.
“The fuck are you doing you soft bitch? It’s a monster and we KILL monsters!” spat Cáit
“Firstly we are peacekeeping officers, not bloody thugs.” Said Zara “Secondly, that thing is Endeavours Cat… sort of… probably.”
“Well sort of probably gets a shot to the head just in case” Said Cáit prying her cousin away. Her still enhanced form making it no competition whatsoever. Zara was bored away, Cáit raisin triumphant ready claim victory on her hunt. Only in to see the humanoid shapes lumber out of the shadows into the orange glow of the street lights ,blocking them into the cul-de-sac.
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They seemed to come in two types, both humanoid, one slightly smaller, but both hairy but not enough to obfuscate the big uncanny valley feeling they gave off,
“TooooMeeeee” one of the larger ones grunted and gave a small laugh
“Toeyou” grunted one of the smaller humanoids in reply. Giggling away.
The creepy hirsute Fae rushed forward. Their arms, longer than a normal human, were reaching out for the two Sentinels. Cáit used her crackling baton to cave in the head of the first creature. It was not easy, it never was with fairy crap. But it was doable and she had all night. The initial wave, over in a minute fell to her stun baton, her confidence skyrocketing. But the frontal assault had been a mere distraction. Cáit had mere moments to enjoy victory as a group of the smaller creatures rammed a ladder into her head. The visor smashed and she has sent tumbling backwards as her uniform disengaged.
“I always knew you would get me killed one day” Said Zara
“Fuck off, this is your fault! With your damn bleeding heart bullshit” shouted Cáit through a blood filled mouth.
Thunder cracked in the distance.
The Monster Cáit had been chasing, rose and placed itself between the two prone sentinels and the fairy horde. The second wave attacked, most falling to the claws of the metallic beast, one able to retreat and try again. The ladders were utilised once more to keep the beat at bay while the others attempted a pincer attack. However, enough time had been bought for the Sentinels to rejoin the battle. Animablion Silver and Emergency Sentinel 999 Police barely held their own against the horde of chuckling monstrosities. Outnumbered against a foe largely immune to their attacks, all they were managing was keeping the heat off a creature Cáit was convinced would turn on them next.
“You really did fuck it up for me” said Cáit “Perfect bloody cousin Zara jiggling your arse around in silver acting better than me”
“Hold on a little more.” Said Zara, keeping it professional and swinging her mighty axe into the face of another strangely uniform Fae.
“At least I can take that thing with me!” Said Cáit, raising her Baton to strike the four legged creature.
What Cáit had failed to realise was Zara’s optimism was not based on hubris or wishful thinking, but that she had noticed something Cáit herself had not. The orange glow of the street lights was being replaced by red.
Before Cáit could bring her baton down on the creature she had hunted all damn night something hit the pavement with a loud crack, knocking her over. Not just Cáit, everything but the four legged creature was knocked off balance by the impact. Jet engines blew away the dust and loose asphalt and red thunder crackled. Myles, in full Trigger armour rose to his feet in the middled of a cracked broken street. Jet pack un-equipping, Knuckle Busters glowing furious crimson on his fists, Myles looked at Cáit.
“I told you to get the fuck off my cat!” Shouted Myles who proceeded to uppercut Cáit with a right Knuckle Buster.
Cáit would be found alive and well several hours later after crash landing on the town leisure centre absolutely ruining the bowling green. The report based on this incident would be featured in the community Christmas party showreel as the most offensive document ever submitted.
“Bloody hell Endeavour!” Said a shocked Zara. “We will be having words later. Right now, do something about the fairies.”
“Charlie!” Shouted Myles
Zara thought he was ignoring her but the four legged… armoured creature leaped at Myles disappearing into his inventory system.
AUGMENT UNLOCKED - MURDER PAWS
APEX PREDATOR MARMALADE DEATH.
Myles manifested large oversized orange gauntlets with equally oversized claws protruding from the knuckles. The orange continued up his arms and met at his chest. There was no glowing red in these claws. The Murder paws dealt one thing. Cruel vicious vivisection.
“TooooMeeeee” cried one of the strange humanoid Fae as it charged at Myles. His Trigger unit’s effect was causing nearby Fae to frenzy and attack him.
Myles blurred. The Murder Paws Augment increased his speed to insane levels. Though he would admit his idea of what sane even was had been repeatedly challenged of late. The uncanny chuckling Fae fell to the ground in fleshy strips. One by one the Fae blinded by Trigger-induced rage threw themselves into razor-bladed oblivion. Myles dodged and weaved between the multiple assailants. The grace imbued by his new augment kept him from harm as severed limbs fell to the broken asphalt.
Zara watched. The Fae ignored her in favour of the thing they now hated so much. As ever she noted, what Myles still lacked in technique he made up for in overwhelming physicality, even more so with this current Augment. She would admit to having had doubts about that thing being his cat. Anything that big should have been in a zoo not hunting pigeons in green and pleasant British suburbia.
Myles whirled through the crowd of nigh identical Fae, slicing clean through with every swipe. A sneaking suspicion was growing in his mind, but it would have to wait until later to be confirmed. Presently Myles was concerned by a sickening observation. The things dressed like a parody of middle-aged conformity. He felt somewhat attacked and would be updating his wardrobe at the first opportunity, possibly burning some of his jumpers.
“I’m pretty sure you have some of the same tops Myles” Zara shouted. “Were they stolen from you?”
It would be a big fire.
“I knew it” Said Myles, poking his foot at some fleshy ribbons. “Proxies, like in that Eldritch wood”
“What do you mean?” Asked Zara “It just looks like abstract expressionism tried to open a butcher’s shop.”
“These are not Fae, they are copies, the originals have probably bugged off by now. I’m able to pull it into inventory but it’s going right to the no can do pile.”
“So how come your cat is able to pull it in”
“Erm… he isn’t, Charlie is just eating it… Charlie stop eating gross stuff, we have cat food at home”
The now tiger-sized Charlie Murderpaws looked up, huffed at Myles and went back to eating the free meat his human had lovingly carved for him. It reminded him of some ham he stole once.
“A Cat that size is going to need a lot of food, how much does cat food cost?” Asked Zara
Myles took a long look at the now tiger-sized Charlie Murderpaws.
“Charlie eat as much as you like, Dad is going to gather some of this tasty stuff up and freeze it for later.” Said Myles gathering up the money-saving free meat.
“Dr Singh is going to get super weird about all this. I can feel it in my bones” Said Myles, holding long ribbons of meat and dripping blood all over his green paisley boxers.
“That’s probably the tracker I put in there” Said Dr Maya Singh.
“What?” Said Myles.
“What?” Said Dr Maya Singh expert at obfuscation. “This looks like the work of The Brothers. John has fought them a few times. Unaffiliated named Fae, they can make obedient but dumber copies so they mercenary themselves out and fill all sorts of different roles and odd jobs for the various factions. From the look of the mess… your cat is still eating by the way… They won’t be fielding any big numbers for a time.”
“Whatever the reasons for them being here the evacuation needs to be sped up doesn’t it.” Said Zara pointedly.
“Good news and bad news there” Said Dr Singh.
“What is the bad news,” Asked Myles deciding to start at the bottom and work his way up to something more optimistic.
Dr Singh gave Myles a dirty look.
“I’m starting with the good news anyway because I want a dramatic reveal.” Said Dr Singh. “The good news is we can hook up some science devices to Endeavours’ magic cube and open a bigger egress.”
“So far so good.” Said Zara, waiting for the hammer to drop.
“Science devices?” Said Myles who was tired and holding a lot of up-cycled cat food.
“the bad news is it is going to weaken the dimensional membrane again, so judging by the reports thus far, we are going a big green scaly visitor.”
“Science devices?……” Said Myles before his brain caught up. “Bollocks.”