“Scientists have determined that there was some catastrophic event millions of years ago that wiped out the dinosaurs and altered the placement of Earth in the solar system. How insane is that?”
“I’m not quite sure, Artemis. Isn’t it that crater in like Arizona or something in the United States?”
“You see, that’s what we used to think, but now it’s looking more and more like the first one would have hit in Carmsborough. Can you imagine something that devastating hitting our little city-state?”
“I hear what you’re saying, but where in Carmsborough? We don’t have some massive crater in the center of the city, Tim. Quite the opposite, actually. You sound more like a conspiracy theorist every time you hop on the show.”
“Well, they’re still working out the finer details of it, but based on what we know about the rotation and distance from the sun, it makes perfect sense.”
“We’re going to have to cut you short there, I’m afraid, Tim. For those of you listening, we’ll play today’s story of ‘The Vigilantes of Carmsborough’ after this word from our sponsors. This is Andrew of 98.4 FM, filling your rainy morning with a little fun.”
Luna turned the knob of her ship’s radio down when the commercial started and focused on the sea ahead of her. She was in the South Bay, at the mercy of the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
All because she lost her balloons in the airship battle two hours ago.
It was a dramatic clashing of good versus evil, and evil had prevailed by getting in close and literally taking a knife to each of her balloons. Those that had gotten on the Constellation hadn’t left it, but that didn’t make up for the fact that she was essentially stranded at sea.
“Meow.”
“I know you were listening to that, but I didn’t want to hear the same Orion and the Clockwork story for the fifteenth time. Or at least, multiple versions of the same story. ‘Grew up poor and isolated, the Clockwork came to his side at the darkest hour, now he rescues old women from fires on the fourth floor of their apartment complexes.’ Makes me throw up.”
“Meow.”
“I am not jealous. I’m doing what actually matters, while he only plays the part of fixing our broken country. If there were more people like me out here, things would go a lot more smoothly.”
Just then, a red dot pinged on her dashboard. She’d arrived at her target. Better yet, she’d arrived at land. After wiping out Ace Arrow, she could figure out her location and flag some of Syndra’s team to get her back in the air.
Although that was proving to be much easier said than done. Ace Arrow, despite being a supplier and the lowest on her food chain so far, had avoided her grasp repeatedly within the last two weeks. The first time was a simple assassination attempt near the northern Port Monroe, the second a coordinated attack against his base near the center of the Industrial District, and the third being their airship battle off the southern coast.
And that hadn’t gone as planned, clearly.
“Ready for round three and a half?”
“Meow.”
“That’s the spirit. Come on, let’s get to port. I’m willing to bet good money they’re not expecting us to show up.”
She dawned a waterproof coat, a few choice weapons, and her signature mask, while Freckles waited patiently for her to finish her routine. Together, they walked up to the deck, which rocked violently with the water, constantly drenched by both the ocean and the heavy rain. Thunder roared in the sky, announced a few moments prior by a bolt of lightning that never made it past the clouds.
At the speed the Constellation was going, they were bound to connect with the dock any time now. It wasn’t going to be a pretty docking, but it would give her enemies the urgency she so desperately wanted to stir in them.
“You know, one day when Andrew’s on the radio telling some over-exaggerated vigilante story, it’ll be me saving the day. Not about the destruction derailing a train caused.”
“Meow.”
“Well said.”
The ship lunged forward as the front connected with a crumbling dock, placing her exit point cleanly at the end of the destruction. She offered Freckles an arm, which he delicately climbed, wrapping himself around her shoulders.
“Well, now we really need some Syndra help. Completely totaled the front of the ship.”
“Meow.”
“I keep trying, but for some reason, Bijabers doesn’t wanna front the bill. I even sent a nice letter with the last request.”
What did she know about the situation? The weather was a hazard and drove visibility low, in front of her was some sort of loading shipyard, and an unknown number of enemies were roaming the yard, likely on alert from the attack. She would’ve preferred to just bomb the place, but without knowing if there were innocents, it wasn’t an option. You know, on top of the whole “grounded ship” thing.
Still, she liked her odds. Maybe because nobody could see her against the dark night sky until it was too late. With Freckles on her shoulder, he could use his incredible robot vision to alert her of enemies long before she could make out their shapes.
Tap. Drag.
Speaking of…
Freckles spotted a man to their right walking slowly their way, who was more preoccupied with the rain in his eyes than the possibility of being ambushed. Luna quickly and decisively retrieved her silenced pistol, which barely made a sound louder than the drumming of water against a large metal shipping crate.
She walked over to confirm her kill, pressing two fingers against his neck. Already her bulky black boots were coated in mud. They stuck slightly with each step.
This was going to be inconvenient.
Careful not to sink in and lose her shoes, she pressed on, hunting for the most logical spot Ace Arrow would hide. You’d think with a name like that he’d be an assassin or something, but his fighting skill was far from practiced. If it hadn’t been for being interrupted during their first encounter, she would’ve had him.
“Hey!” a voice yelled from behind, prompting her and Freckles to turn dramatically. A man stood near the entrance of the shipyard, pointing at the duo. “I’ve got an intruder over here!”
Luna leaned over and allowed Freckles to propel himself off her back, running full speed at the man. They hit the ground with an oof, and he took the chance to decimate his opponent. Meanwhile, Luna rolled behind a shipping crate, narrowly dodging the attention of two more people appearing down the aisle.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
There it was. In the heart of the complex sat an administrative building, hidden in the maze of metal containers. A few figures moved inside, but only one with a beard as distinguished as her main target’s.
A heavy machine gun fired from the direction of Freckles and his adversaries, forcing Luna’s attention back to the group. He was a resilient cat, but she would crumble if he was seriously hurt. The gunfire tapered off by the time she made her appearance, but the culprit was still standing there, holding an empty weapon.
“Are you the Blood Moon Pirate?” the figure asked. It was a woman’s voice.
“Depends. You one of these goons?”
“No, but I am no ally.”
“Oh, so you’re some sort of secret third thing? What is that?”
“I am The Dragon. A rational yet deadly upholder of Carmsborough’s will.”
“Wait. Another vigilante? Are you seriously trying to be another vigilante? Don’t you think two duos are enough?”
“I think one is enough. Unfortunately, neither group is aligned as they should be. Orion and the Clockwork are superficially good, and while they have moral values, do not strike the true evils of our country. You, on the other hand, do, but with no guiding rationality or reason. You simply do it to kill and cause mayhem.”
“You sound almost like a radio host. Been listening to a lot of 98.4?”
“No more games, pirate. It’s time I taught you a lesson.”
The woman dropped the empty gun and brandished two kunai, hoisting them at Luna while charging at the same time. She swiftly avoided the two immediate dangers, but took most of the force of the woman’s tackle and toppled to the ground hard.
Thinking fast, she bounced to her feet and punched at her assailant’s stomach, who folded over and heaved.
“Gotta say, ‘The Dragon’ is so cliché. Not to mention the kunais. You’re straight out of a bad western about Japan.”
“You’re despicable.”
“No, I’m a hero. And you’re in my way. Let the professional handle this. Otherwise, it’ll be more than a fist you’ll get to the stomach.”
Luna turned to walk away but had her feet swept away, sending her face-first into the mud.
“You wanna talk cliché? You named yourself after the moon.”
“I named myself after the island I escaped from,” Luna said, spitting out mud. “The one this very crime organization shipped me to. So, I’m only going to ask one more time: leave.”
“You’re not even doing this to be a hero. You’re doing it out of spite.”
The Dragon launched herself again, catching Luna off guard, and snagged a chance to wrap her arms around her throat. Then, she sat on Luna’s lower body as she flailed underneath.
Any other time, Luna would have been scared to be trapped like this, with a genuine risk of losing her life. But not this time. She was pissed. Who was this random girl accusing her of going on a personal vendetta, and who thinks she can do better?
Luna tried at her powerful arms, but they were locked and unrelenting. The blood in her head was pounding, and her vision was blurring.
“Let’s see who’s under that mask,” The Dragon said, repositioning herself to reach for the mask. As she did, Freckles leaped her way, connecting with her temple and knocking the rookie vigilante unconscious. Luna gasped heavily, the rain catching in her eyes and mouth.
“Meow.”
Luna sat still in the mud, trying to process her near-death experience. That was no random vigilante encounter. That was a calculated attack.
A minute later, she shakily returned to her feet, doing her best to reprogram her brain to focus on the real task at hand: finding and defeating Ace Arrow.
“Let’s finish this, buddy. I’ve had enough action for the day.”
“Meow.”
The duo walked to the administration building in the center of the shipyard. The shadows of the people inside still moved, but were clearly waiting for her surprise entrance.
How to do it? Through a window, leaving them guessing which one? Use the front door, the one they probably expect the most, but would give her some mobility?
Front door.
She stepped quietly to the door, pistols raised, Freckles on the other side. They made eye contact, and Luna nodded. Then she raised her foot and smashed the door in.
An immediate wave of gunfire erupted, which redirected to Freckles when he jumped in and went for one of the men.
Actually, window.
Luna moved to the nearest window and opened fire, hitting two men before ducking to a window on the opposite end of the building. With Freckles causing mayhem inside and her randomly targeting from the outside, it didn’t take long for the room to fall silent.
Luna stepped through the window and analyzed each body. None of them were Ace Arrow. Had she missed him again?
Glass shattered in a storage closet behind her.
No, she hadn’t.
She swung the door open, revealing Ace Arrow holding a broom like a weapon. “Come on, dude. It’s the end of the line.”
“You’ll never get me, Blood Moon Pirate.” He swung at her with the broom, which she grabbed effortlessly.
“Nice try. When you meet Slaphand in Hell, tell him all of this is for him.”
She raised her pistol, ready to fire, but dropped it when a kunai sliced at her thumb, giving Ace Arrow a chance to regain control of the broom and send it crashing into her knee.
“Step away, Blood Moon Pirate,” The Dragon said.
Instead, Luna licked the blood dripping from her thumb and gave the vigilante a crazed look. “This is gonna be fun.”
“You’re twisted.”
“And you’re dead.”
She got up on her feet and pounced at the girl, leaving Freckles to deal with Ace Arrow. The Dragon dodged, but Luna caught her footing and dragged her down with a hooked arm. The two contorted on the floor, pulling and punching, neither holding back any bone-breaking movements.
Freckles, in his fight, swiped the pistol away and grabbed it with his mouth. Ace Arrow paused for a split second, but laughed. “How is a cat like you going to shoot me?”
“With his tongue.,” Luna said, breaking from scratching at her opponent to comment. The man froze, fear on his face, before Freckles pulled the trigger. The first shot missed, but the second hit his chest.
That was the end of Ace Arrow, but The Dragon was still more than active. With the way she was bending Luna’s leg, it was about four more seconds from shattering. Freckles dropped the gun and charged over before biting The Dragon in the arm. His sharp metal teeth dug in deep, immediately unleashing a gush of blood. The Dragon screamed and let go of Luna, clutching to her wounded arm. He unclenched his jaw, blood dripping.
“Damn it!” The Dragon yelled.
“Consider this your warning. Leave the job to me, and don’t cross my path again.” Luna reached into the supply closet and grabbed a roll of toilet paper, throwing it her way. “Goodbye, Dragon.”
“I’ll get you for this!”
“I doubt it.”
The duo stepped out of the building, alone in the rest of the soaked shipyard. The rain mixed with the blood dripping from both of their bodies, leaving contaminated puddles behind as they walked to the Constellation.
“That was sick. I mean, brutal and gross, but sick. Thanks, buddy. You really had my back today.”
“Meow.”
“Yeah, we deserve a break. Tell you what, let’s hit the zoo tomorrow. Just you and me. No hunting Bijabers’ crew.”
“Meow.”
“I don’t know if there’s admissions for steambots or not. As if that would stop me.”
“Alright sir, we’ll be waiting.” Luna clicked her watch off and looked at Freckles. “We’ll be sitting here another hour without help. I’m gonna go take a nap.”
“Meow.”
She walked to her bedroom, exhausted from the day’s events, and stripped the wet, muddy clothes to replace it with some clean pajamas. Then, she turned the radio on low and turned to lie in bed.
“Alondra?” she said, staring at the girl from the Marrow manor, sprawled across the mattress.
“Yeah?”
“I forgot you were here.”
“What happened?”
“Finally finished off Ace Arrow. It was a long fight, part in the air and part on the ground.”
“You had an air fight while I was still here?”
“Like I said, I forgot you were here. I thought you were going out to the soup kitchen.”
“Well, I would’ve, but apparently I didn’t have a chance.”
“Fair. Sorry about that.”
Alondra scooted a bit to let Luna lay in bed, where her head immediately hit the pillow and her eyes drooped.
“Welcome back to 98.4 FM,” the radio said, interrupting her near-immediate slumber. “We have a story we’ve been talking about for the last hour regarding the Blood Moon Pirate and a fiasco with a Mrs. Azalea Marrow. It seems Marrow was part of the crime syndicate she’s been hunting for the past year, but most of the controversy comes from two of her actions last week: not only did she kill the wrong Marrow at first, Mr. Peter Marrow, but when she found out that was the case, she killed Azalea in front of a room of guests.
“Was this the right thing to do? We have a very special guest on, Orion, to talk about the strange situation. Orion, sir, it is an honor to have you on our show this morning.”
“I’m glad to be here, Tim. As you know, the Blood Moon Pirate and I butt heads frequently, and not just physically. Her actions and character are abrasive and dangerous. That said, the people she targets are terrible and do not deserve to be walking the streets of Carmsborough. If she changed her methods, I would be more comfortable, but she at least seems to run on the basis that harming the average, innocent civilian is bad. We don’t know everything that happened at the manor that day, but if killing Mr. Marrow was intentional, I ask her to turn herself in and be tried for the many crimes she’s committed. We’re no longer safe on the streets with her on the hunt.”
“Freckles, would you please?” Luna asked, holding the pillow to her ears. Freckles jumped up and smashed the radio on the ground, cutting the tantalizing voice of Orion short.
“That’s better.”