Chapter 60
27 days later…
Bailey stood with Bobby and June at the entrance of the last remaining tower that her team had to capture: Team 4’s Fortress. Everything appeared normal on the outside, but she had learned to maintain her guard. For all she knew, the fortress could be bigger on the inside, or more dangerous. At that moment, Bailey wished she had spent more of her life exploring her meta ability and testing what it could do. However, she really hadn’t had the need to do so. Growing up, she was warned by her mom to hide her abilities so she could experience a normal childhood. And as she became an adult, her focus had been on acting. She’d kill to be able to see inside right now, without having to explore the small castle physically. She thought about using “X-Ray” but worried that it might cause some sort of radioactive side-effects.
“Okay, Angels, are we storming this thing or what?” June asked, trying to contain her excitement. On the hours-long journey over, the three metas had decided that they would call their small, elite, fortress-storming squad ‘Bailey’s Angels.’ Due to the secret identity rule, Production would likely have changed it to ‘Hieroglyph’s Angels,’ which didn’t have the same ring to it. So they shortened the trio’s name to, simply, ‘Angels.’
“If we want our asses handed to us, then sure, be my guest,” Bobby retorted.
“Alright, fairytale boy, knock that shit off, or I’ll hand you your wise-ass on a platter,” June snapped.
“It’s Kidd Grimm, and good fucking luck, Sparkler,” Bobby said while rolling his eyes dismissively.
Ignoring the bickering, Bailey asked, “Hey, Kidd Grimm., can’t you just become a character from one of your stories? Maybe someone good at stealth maneuvers?”
Bobby shook his head, “I gotta constantly recite the story in my head, or out loud. When I try to turn myself into another character, their consciousness stops that process, and the character I inhabit goes ‘poof!’ Sometimes I’m able to conjure them without inhabiting them,” Bobby went on to explain, “but in those instances, I can’t stop thinking the story, and am therefore unable to communicate my wishes to the conjured being. Maybe I could summon someone and have you guys ask for their help, but even that has its risks if they go rogue.”
“Damn, you really know your power's ins and outs,” June said in slight awe.
Bobby shrugged. “It’s the only thing that’s kept me alive for most of my life. I didn’t really have a choice.”
A tense silence filled the air after Bobby spoke. Bailey often forgot that Bobby lived a much more tragic life than one would think just by looking at him. She glanced at June, who seemed to be having a similar realization. “Well, I’m glad you’re here, Grimm.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re not soo bad,” June said as she lightly punched his shoulder.
Bobby rubbed the area, acting as if it hurt. “Don’t get all mushy on me now, we got a tower to storm!” he laughed.
With that, the three friends opened the double doors to the tower. None had an idea what was beyond the fortress’ threshold, but it mattered not: They simply had to take this tower. No way were they going to lose to Lizzy’s team. Not again. The War Games were winding down. Only three days remained to achieve the two points needed to overtake the blond socialite and her juggernaut team, and it was up to Bailey’s Angels to do so.
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***
Bobby sidestepped a blow from the cartoon bureau he was currently locked in battle with, only to have his opponent’s doors open, subsequently burying him in a seemingly unending barrage of clothing and rags. “Jack be nimble, Jack be quick,” Bobby thought over and over again as he rolled out of the ongoing rag-valanche.
“I could use a little help over here, Angels!” he called to his fellow fortress crashers, letting his meta-powered agility fade into a word jumble of visible letters.
“That’s great Kidd! But unless you have some way to clone me, I’m a little busy myself,” Bailey shouted back, as she let off a blast of lightning that shattered the walking and talking dining table and chair set that had her pinned down in the main floor’s dining area into splinters. She didn’t even have time to celebrate before the tiny pieces of wood started knitting themselves back together, advancing and forcing Bailey toward the kitchen where June had her hands full with a collection of evil, animated cooking appliances.
“These fucking things are off-putti-” June started to say before being cut off by the stovetop range blasting a burst of fire past her and laughing in a deep booming voice.
“Ha hah ha! You look yuh-mmie. Grille-y need yummy snack bite. Sear you now. Bite later, snack!” the range spat out before opening its front oven door and letting out a huge blast of heat and fire in June’s direction.
Luckily, as a result of her abilities, June wasn’t much bothered by heat. Direct fire, however, could be a bit of an issue, so she ducked, allowing the fire to blaze over her head and incinerate the attacking blender, mixer, and toaster. Upon destruction, the three appliances each exploded, sending flames and shrapnel out in all directions like a trio of shotgun blasts. While June was able to call on her training to avoid all of the fire, tiny superheated metal pieces of blender pierced her left shoulder and bicep that she was using to shield her face from the blasts. June screamed.
“Aaaahhhhh! I’m fine, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me!” she yelled. June wanted to make sure no one came running to try to rescue her. She could handle this herself. “Be careful, though! It seems they explode on… death? Destruction? They explode when you kill them!”
“Great!” Bobby responded. “Just what we need. More fire. You’d think one of us would have some way to battle these things! Maybe someone who can, I dunno, use words like extinguish, or douse, or something.”
“You think I haven’t thought of that. The problem, oh wise-ass one, is that we need to destroy them before they burst into flames. Right now, I’d just be extinguishing a fork, which doesn’t exactly do anything. Less talking, more fighting, Grimm!” Bailey knew enough about Bobby’s powers to know that if he was talking, that meant he wasn’t using his powers. And, right now, with how outnumbered they were, none of them had that luxury. The rest of their team was depending on them. As The War games stood at this moment, their team was losing to Team 1 by a score of five to three. Once she, Bobby, and June captured this fortress, they would be only one point down, with three days left to fight.
Her momentary loss of focus was punished as a fork flew into Bailey’s face, lodging itself in her forehead. “What the-”
“Come on up, fellas!” The fork’s squeaky voice yelled, as another dozen forks and knives flew toward Bailey’s head. This time, however, the silverware lacked the element of surprise, and Bailey threw up one of her patented shields. The sterling silver utensils bounced off the glimmering purple energy dome that appeared, like momentary armor, around Bailey’s whole body. She pulled the fork out of her face and threw it across the room. She used the slight reprieve to think through the situation.
Right now, the trio were overwhelmed. They hadn’t even identified which competitor had conjured up or animated all of these common household objects guarding the fortress. Maybe their opponents had just set the traps and had left to go on offense, but Bailey doubted that. They surely would have left at least one of their team members behind to guard the flagpole. But where were they?
“Hey, Angels! I've got an idea,” Bailey shouted as loudly as she could. “It’s a bit of a gamble, but it may end this quickly if it works.”
“Say no more, dear leader,” Bobby shouted from inside an armoire that seemed intent on eating the young punk rocker, “Where do you need me!”
“Actually,” Bailey answered, “I think it’s more of a job for the sensational Skyrocket! You up for a little search and destroy?”
Bailey couldn’t see the joyous expression that came over June’s face, but she swore she could hear it in her response.
“Oh, I think it’s well past time,” June laughed, “Just point me at ‘em.”
Bailey pointed straight up, and following her lead, June winked and exploded into action.