TWENTY-FOUR

“Johnny! Good to see you!” Detective Ortiz said as she came running out the door of the police station.

“Detective. Good to see you, considering the circumstances,” Johnny Bubblegum said.

“You know her?” Hanks asked.

“Of course, we’re more or less in the same line of work,” Johnny explained.

“It’s pretty bad in there. Lots of wounded people,” Ortiz said. “But the paramedics are on their way.”

“Good, Sergeant Epps here could use some medical attention,” Katie’s mom said.

“There’s still a few supervillains inside though. They could endanger the medical staff,” Ortiz said.

Johnny turned to Invulnergirl. “Guess we will have to take care of them, then. Are you coming along, Miss?”

“Errr… Yeah, sure. I guess.” Invulnergirl wasn’t too sure about that. Those encounters with Maximizer, Queen Neanderthal, Speed Metal and The Balloon Clown had gotten pretty rough. She wasn’t exactly looking forward to meeting them again. But she couldn’t let down Johnny Bubblegum. If she was going to be serious about this superhero thing she had to be as brave as he was.

“Detective, you stay here and protect these people. Explain the paramedics the situation when they get here,” Johnny told Ortiz. Then he gestured to Invulnergirl to follow him inside.

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He walked into the building quite calmly. Invulnergirl stayed close to him, confident the experienced hero would know what to do. She felt it best to just follow his lead.

When she’d ben intent on getting out of there as soon as possible she hadn’t been able to spend much time looking at her surroundings. That was why she was a bit shocked now how bad the place looked. Walls riddled with bullet holes, bleeding, wounded cops on the ground.

Johnny kneeled down to every victim. Checking their wounds, telling them the paramedics were on their way. In one case he tore of part of a cop’s shirt to bandage his wound.

Taking his queue, Invulnergirl did the same. It was remarkable how some police officers seemed to find some hope in the fact a masked hero was telling them medical help was on the way. It made her feel good. Like she was making a difference just by being there.

A voice startled her. “You! You still here you little bitch?!”

Invulnergirl looked up from the cop she was taking care of. Maximizer had entered the room. He looked pretty pissed.

“Maximizer! Long time no see, miserable creep!” Johnny Bubblegum said.

“I’m going to take you apart like a clock. And then I’m going to have some fun with the little girl,” Maximizer threatened.

“Give it your best,” Johnny said and popped a piece of his special bubblegum in his mouth. Invulnergirl knew the deal about the bubblegum. It was the source of his powers, granting him superspeed and superstrength for as long as the bubblegum kept its taste. Many had speculated to the nature of the ingredients, no one had been able to determine them. The only thing that mattered now though, was the effect it had on the hero in pink.

Maximizer had grown the size of three man and had to crawl to fit inside the building. With a large hand he grasped for Johnny’s head. The hero managed to avoid it with his superspeed and jumped on his large outstretched arm. He landed a big haymaker punch right in the villain’s face.

Enraged, Maximizer slapped at Johnny, knocking him across the room. Invulnergirl ran to the hero, checking if he was okay.

Johnny scrambled up. “I’m okay. Just a bit rattled. He will have to hit me harder than that to hurt me.”

“That can be arranged,” Maximizer said and two huge closed fists came flying at the hero.