Arc 6, To Skin A Cat, Chapter 7

Fold appeared to be hovering over us to the side, until I saw the stretched out fire escape that he had materialized on. I thought this guy made portals? So where the hell is it? If there was one thing I had to compliment this asshole on, it was his style. The guy looked fabulous. He had on a tight red leather jacket that was likely a small, when he was a medium since it could not even be zipped up, showing off his red under suit. There appeared to be a white utility belt and some padded armor over his chest. His face had little more than a red face mask and bandanna holding his spiked blond hair up. Why does this guy like red so much? It sort of reminded me of a singer or something in a band. That being said, he did not look all that intimidating. I get the feeling if I got one good punch in on him, he would be toast.

This guy is like the leader of the Scarlet Souls, right? I think I heard about these guys from dad a few times. Don’t they own the Atomic Strobe or something like that? Wait a minute… that means he works for these guys. Oh, MY GOD! My Dad is a goon! Shit, is he alright? Well, I can’t imagine them sending out a bouncer to do illegal shit, ah fuck I totally can. I am going to have a long talk with you, dad, when I get out of this. Never mind that for now, I gotta think. Gotta remember everything he told me about these guys.

Ok, so there were five Supers in the gang last I heard. Fold makes portals and is the leader. There was some bitch named Shadow who can distort reality or something to move through objects. I think there was a guy named Jack the Hammer? He had Super strength while swinging something, at the least that is what I had heard, might be something else, though. Mist… I remember there was some girl called Mist. Can’t recall what the hell she did, which is a little concerning. Then there was Cinder Lad. Some punk assed kid my dad beat up with his bare hands, well actually I think a beer bottle, but close enough. At any rate, he was a Pyrokinetic, no idea what rank, though, can’t be too strong my dad, a civi, beat his ass. Although that was like four years ago.

Why the fuck are these guys attacking us? Their turf is on the opposite side of the city, so what are they doing down here? I will have to think about this later. In terms of powers, I am pretty sure we have them beat. Wait… can we even hit Shadow? Physical stuff is useless if she has her power on, right? Looks like we got a fight on our hands, shit is about to get real. What should a bug like me even be doing?

A shiver ran up my spine and I rolled, kicking off the ground so that I was about ten feet from where I had been. It seems my reflexes were working very well. Where I had just been was a crater and a big dude stood up, lifting a steel girder. He hefted it on his broad shoulders and started advancing towards me. Jack, I take it? He wore a football helmet that had a visor to shield his face. For the most part, he looked like a football player. He had the chest guard and shoulder plates, granted, I think they are actually made of some sort of metal or something and on top, there was a crimson jersey with Bronson University, number sixty-eight. The pants were plated and the knees were spiked as were his elbows. It looked like he could get down and dirty with the fighting. I did not want to fight this guy, he was going to beat my fucking ass! I bailed, scurrying away. At the least, I am faster than him.

I thought that I was safe, oh boy, was I wrong. Jack threw that support beam at me. It nearly hit me and I could guess very easily that it would have destroyed me if it had hit. Wait, he is unarmed! I eyed him, ready to pounce when he pulled out a metal baseball bat. Retreat! I don’t want this guy hitting a homer with my head. As I fled, I tripped over the metal beam he had thrown. I grasped up the girder from the dent in the ground that it had made. I was never really a pro batter, but I had seen enough and practiced a fair bit. So I guess I have a fighting chance here. Bring it bitch!

He stopped about twenty feet away, it seemed that he was contemplating what I was doing. Wearily I scoured the ground and lifted up a chunk of concrete. I guess it will have to do. Lightly I tossed it up and smacked it with the improvised bat. It zoomed at him and he blocked with that bat, swinging it at full force, sending it right back at me. Chunks of rock sprayed through the air as fragments shot all over the place from the blow. Oh, fuck! He knows how to hit a pitch?! The rounded mass was halved and that much harder to hit. Oh, god the hitbox got so much smaller. All four limbs bristled and I lashed out, catching it dead center. Fragments went everywhere as it exploded from the force. Shrapnel shot into my eyes, only one of them was spared as the yellow gushed out and drooled down my face. It took a few moments to register exactly what just happened and then the pain dulled out everything else. I guess getting hurt all the time is starting to make me build up a tolerance to it. It still stung like a bitch, though. How bad is it? It feels like something is flopping around.

“Fuck!” I screamed, clutching my face.

My one good eye watched Jack, as he started charging towards me. Oh, hell no! My claws ripped into the ground and I burrowed through the hard soil. Hand over hand. Faster, must be faster! All four worked like machines and my legs kicked the dirt back, piling it up behind me. I must be part ant or something since I practically swam through the dirt. Sub was helping me with the pain, sharing it as our eyes started to push out the debris. Absently, I plopped back in the eye that had been hanging out. Thankfully, it was still attached and did not separate. That was a close one. I was safe in this damned hole. I must embrace the bug if I am going to survive this. I sat, feeling the vibrations and listening to the sounds. It seems that Jack had bigger fish to fry and did not pursue me.

The ground rumbled and I could hear the manic laughter of Burnout. I guess that she just blew something up. Now that I was repairing myself, all be it slowly, I had a bit of breathing room. At this rate my eyes would be alright in about ten minutes or so. The safe thing to do would be to just wait it out down here. That being said, I kinda wanted to see what the hell was going on up there. As long as I was sneaky about it, I doubted that anybody would notice me. I mean, I have never actually seen a real life Super Villain fight that involved so many. There was the Blaze Runner fight, but that was like six against one.

Warily I made my way over to the side away from all the sounds. Slowly I created a hole and poked my antenna out into the fresh air. The coast seemed to be clear, so I raised my head out, looking over my surroundings. Several cinder block dividers sat over to my side with weeds dried up, old dead vines made their way up the side of the building. The fight was near the center of the open ground. Fire raged, burning up the wither foliage and clogging the air with smoke. Den Mother could be seen, lumbering through the haze. She was a big girl after all and it was a little hard to miss her. She seemed to be fighting somebody, it was Jack. He swung the girder, but she caught it and crumpled it in half. Holy fuck! How strong is that bitch? She was about to hammer fist him when she suddenly sunk into the ground, up to her waist. A darkened figure appeared, floating out of the ground. Shadow I take it.

It seemed that Den Mother was in need of help. Which a certain bunny supplied. I heard a padded footstep above me and cranked my head to see Thumper on the roof, taking aim. After another moment the gun went off and the boom made me wince, retreating back into my hole. I missed exactly what happened, but I can assume that Shadow had saved Jack since he flickered like shadowy mist for a few moments before materializing again. Speaking of mist a filmy fog had descended over our area, cutting me and Thumper off from the rest of the fight. She pulled out a ribbed knife, stuck it in between her teeth and unholstered a submachine gun from her hip. It looked like she was about to go Rambo or something. We looked around cautiously, this was not normal. It was not smoke. Somehow it was almost like a cloud had come down here.

After a few moments, it became so thick that I could not see two feet in front of my face. Sounds became dampened as well, smells were washed away, except for a rather feminine scent that was spiced with lavender. My antenna swished, trying to discern anything. Usually, fog was cold, but this was warm, gentle even. I started thinking that I was going insane, when the low thumping of a heartbeat filled my antenna. There is no way that this cloud is alive is there? Wait, is this thing Mist? She can turn herself into a fucking cloud?! Seems rather useless… hmm, maybe not. Actually, now that I think about, this is an extremely versatile ability. She is a portable smoke screen. She just zoned the shit outa me and Thumper. Not that I particularly want in on this fight until I am in tip top shape. You can’t fight what you can’t see after all. How the hell do you even beat somebody without a physical body?

A heard a low thump and a bullet tore through the mist near me. It cracked somewhere off in the distance. Was she firing at random? I can’t imagine that she can hear or see anything after all. I guess there is no point in staying here. I scuttled back into my tunnel. Mist had not come down in here. This time, since my eyeballs were able to see, somewhat, I started making my way toward the sounds of combat. Along the way something passed ahead of me through my tunnel like a ghost and all the little hairs stood up on my body. Wearily I stopped, listening and smelling my surroundings. The earthy scent was here, but there was something else too, a rather humany stench. That was a bit concerning. I don’t see anybody, though. Am I just going crazy? It might be that Shadow, she did pop out of the ground to attack Den Mother. Well, I guess I will deal with it when the problem arrives.

I arrived somewhat near the fight, but I still kept some distance. My antenna broke the surface, they honed in on the sounds before prairie dogging my head up. Smoke billowed from the burning wreckage of a car. A roar made me look up in the sky to find Burnout charging on wings of fire straight at a young man with a red hoodie, at the least, I assumed that it was a young man. Only person left would be Cinder Lad and seeing as how he is throwing fireballs it is safe to say he has Pyrokinetic powers. The lower section of a gas mask was illuminated and the glint of goggles made it clear that he was not just running around in civi clothes. I could not really tell too much from here, but it looked like there were added protective plates on his chest, arms and legs. Honestly, I am surprised that he is not wearing a helmet. He looked like he was putting up a fight, but it was clear as day that he was quickly losing. Burnout was on a whole other level after all.

A weird distortion on a wall drew my attention. It glowed for a moment and Fold leaped out and into another one that he had formed on the ground. He went through both a couple times, gaining moment. It was easy to see why he seemed rather desperate. Glitter Kitten appeared from thin air and he barely had time to open another portal below her feet. He closed it half a second later, but she had jumped to avoid it. What would have happened if part of her went in there then it closed? It would separate, wouldn’t it? Holy shit, that is scary. You could totally kill people with that! Jesus, no wonder Fold is considered an A list Super Villain here. I think the only thing holding him back would be that he can’t make portals in the air. They have to be physically touching something. At the least that is what Crimson Sweeper had in his report.

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It seemed like a game of cat and mouse. Fold was running for his life. Of course, all that it would take is one misstep for the tables to turn and he could kill Glitter Kitten. I bit my lip. Damn it, I don’t want Glitter Kitten to die. He seemed dangerous though, so I was going to have to approach this carefully. I observed them for a few moments, scuttling on all sixes across the open ground. Not entirely sure how the hell he was keeping up with her speed… unless she was simply toying with him. When she actually went full out I could not even see her. She was just a blur. Does she actually need my help? Preoccupied, I did not even see the warped hand lunge out of the ground, until it was already stabbed into my chest. Shadow can move through organics?! A cold sensation radiated out from where she touched, it felt like I was being ripped apart from the inside out. My breath seized in my throat as her fingers clutched my heart.

It beat angrily in protest, then slowed and stopped completely from the pressure she applied. I gasped, clawing at my throat. Can’t breathe. Slowly she materialized a few feet away. She had black, short hair it almost looked like a butch cut. She had on some stupid cape that was red and black. Not that I really cared. She stared down at me with those cold green eyes. I could not tell if she was pitying me or mocking me. I reached at her, wanted to hurt her, destroy her. She took a step back out of my reach, as I writhed there. Kill, I will kill you bitch! My claws dug into the ground as I heaved towards her. She seemed rather surprised that I was still up and about. Well, down and crawling, but still moving none the less. It was easy to know why, she had just crushed my heart. Unfortunately for her, I have three.

She flickered and a bullet slammed into the ground where she had just been. I turned my head to see Thumper, plunging back into Mist in the distance. She had jumped clear out of the fog, aimed and fired before falling back down. After another moment Thumper emerged once more and fired again. During her distraction, I had closed the distance and latched onto Shadow’s foot. There was a look of disbelief that quickly turned to horror as my claws clenched down, snapping her foot like a twig. My other hands grasped at her and then the world shifted. Everything lost its color. Filtered lights wavering and flickering. I could see the fires and shadows dancing in abstract. I tightly held onto Shadow as she tried to slip free. You won’t escape me! Try to kill me will you?! I will crush your heart and see how you like it.

I had the upper hand now that I had a good hold on her smarmy ass. I started squeezing, my arms coiled around her. I won’t let you escape! The world shifted again as we plunged back into reality. I took the brunt of the fall, but that did not matter my prey was firmly in my grasp. My stinger emerged ready to stab into her and take all the fight out of her, when suddenly I was upside down. I stared as the portal closed, slicing off all four of my arms. His precision was astounding, to say the least. To separate me from her, honestly, I can’t believe it. If I had arms I may have even clapped for him. It must have been the shock since undoubtedly a world of hurt was coming my way and yet I just felt cold, distant, numb. Shadow escaped. She rolled, throwing my arms on the ground and fading into darkness. I hurt her though, almost took that foot clean off. It will at the least be broken and she will be limping.

My legs wiggled as the clawed toes reached for one of my arms, dragging it over. It was one of my left ones. I stuck it back in the socket and proceeded to drag myself to the next in order to recover the rest of my broken body. Blood loss was starting to make me light headed. Not good, so hungry. Finally, my last arm was in its place and I lay there, watching the fires dance. So cold. Am I dying? How can that be? Den Mother fucked me up way worse than this. Then again, I have not eaten anything for a whole day. I should have eaten the damned cat food. My eyes drooped, it was hard to keep them open. Someone touched me and I writhed, attempting to fight back. A familiar green glowing mist filled my vision and the chromatic eyes of Dr. Arbor looked down at me. What the fuck is she doing here? She got her hands under my armpits and started dragging me away. It was hard to concentrate and soon everything turned black.

It felt like only a moment had passed when my eyes ripped open, but I knew it had been a little while since I had blacked out. Wearily I glanced over the white washed room. Contrary to my expectant horror, I was not strapped down to a slab or being dissected. Instead, an IV had been stabbed into my arm, pumping a red fluid into me. Blood? Must be. Woozily I continued my observation. There were computers and technical stuff lining the short walls. In fact, this whole place was rather small. It was probably about ten by ten feet and the only way out appeared to be a ladder at the far side. I squinted at the lab coat-adorned figure, who faced away from me working on something.

“Dr. Arbor what are you up to?” I asked more scared than curious. It was never anything good with this woman.

“Not much, saving your life. Can’t let my specimen die after all. You did a very stupid thing, you know that right?” she replied, turning in my direction, syringe in hand. My stomach felt squeamish at the sight of it.

“What did I do that was stupid?”

“First of all, you need to eat properly. Remember what I told you last time?”

“Yes, yes, I need like five pounds of meat a day.”

“That is if you do not get injured. More protein is required to fill in the gaps with your power, or blood of course. Otherwise, your body will start cannibalizing your muscles. Of course, I imagine that once you go up in Rank this flaw will fix itself.”

“I did not want to eat cat food. So give me a break.”

She sighed, “You can’t be picky. This sort of things is important. It is a real shame that I had to disturb their natural behavior to rescue you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The Sub humans, of course. I have observed Glitter Kitten’s colony for about five years now, with minimal interaction of course. I wish to see them in their natural habitat.”

“You talk as though they are animals.”

Her eyes seemed cheerful, “They are interesting, to say the least. The ferals, as the natives call them, are great test subjects for my more in depth research. Radiation in combination with Mutigene yields some very intriguing results.”

“You are experimenting on them? What is wrong with you? They are people!”

She blinked twice and her eyes widened, an eyebrow raised quizzically. “So? You act like I don’t experiment on people. Human, animal, what is the difference? One talks and one does not, both scream when they are cut open. We are all fresh and blood and bone what does it matter what label we put on things? Progress, nothing will stop progress. My scientific advancement has saved millions already and I have merely scratched the surface of what is possible. It is those like you who do not see the big picture, who cling to such shallow things as morality and balk at the hard choices that hold back the wonders that could be achieved. Sacrifices must be made or nothing would ever get done. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”

“Why are you so inhuman with your thoughts?”

“Inhuman?” she chuckled, “The human race is all that I think about. How can I make us stronger, faster, smarter, immortal, and more durable? Just to name a few. We are flawed, but seek to change that. It is the purpose of my life after all. My meaning of existence and the thing that I find joy in.”

I made a sour face, looking away from her, “You are sick, you know that? Like crazy.”

“The kettle calling the pot black. Well, don’t let me ruin that little reality for you.”

“Why do you always speak so cryptically?”

“Life is full of mysteries, my dear Vespidian. The real question is, what are you going to do from here?”

“What do you mean?”

She paced a little and stopped in front of me, “Are you going to turn on the Hero League or not?”

“Obviously not.”

Her eyebrow raised, “I suppose more research is required then. My hypothesis was wrong.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

She wagged her finger at me, “I thought you had decided on a mate and were going to start creating a nest. Had my hopes up, you know.”

“Ok, you totally lost me.”

She nodded and replied with a rather heated voice, “Your physical coupling last night. I must say you were rather vigorous and enthusiastic in your attempts at copulation. As futile as they may have been, I can assure you it left an impression.”

The room became dead silent, the low buzzing of static from the computers was the only thing that stirred. Oh god. She was watching me all along?! My words tripped over my tongue, “You… you saw that?”

“Of course. Is it that surprising? I have eyes and ears everywhere, for my research specimen observation. How do you think I found you not too long ago? I see and hear it all. You did not think that I would allow one of my specimens to run around unsupervised did you? Especially not one as vital to my goal as you are.”

I frowned, “You mean that world domination thing? You are like freaking me out here.”

“You should not be worried. I will always be on your side, looking out for your best interests, even if you don’t realize it.”

I looked at the floor, how the fuck was I even supposed to reply to that? She turned away after a brief moment and continued her mixing of things over in the corner. Her hands worked two vials, one blue, the other red, but when they mixed it turned yellow. Ok, now that is weird. Red plus blue is supposed to equal purple. It bubbled a little as she looked it over, noting things and setting it to the side.

“So what the hell is this place anyway?” I asked as my eyes wandered the contained room once more.

“This is my field post. I keep track of the Slums from here. Gathering data and specimens to be shipped off to my main facility.” She replied and pointed to a ball that had legs and arms. A camera like lens sat in the middle. The thing did not seem too intimidating, “Usually, it is all automated and this robot I got from Neon Nurse takes care of everything.”

“So Neon Nurse knows about this place?”

“Well, most likely. She is something of a partner to me, though our expertise are vastly different and we tend to keep our pet projects separate.”

“Wait, wait.” I said, realizing something, “So, you know everything going on down here and have not helped to get Glitter Kitten and her gang arrested?”

“Why would I do that?” She almost choked, “I am not about to ship off more specimens to Chimera. If they want anything from me they will have to pay dearly.”

“Chimera?”

“You don’t know? What the hell do you think happens to criminals? The Institute is a government run research lab. I used to work there ten years ago. You think I am scary? I am what was called a moderate. Well, I hope you never have to see that place. Brainwashing and re-education is the norm there. A good number of the Hero league are “reformed criminals”. Not particularly a fan of Mind Divers. They tend to ruin my behavior observations.”

“That sounds sketchy as fuck.”

“Oh, it certainly is. It is why I broke ties. I prefer my freelance work. Granted If they bring something particularly interesting, I will cooperate. Say, Arachnaon. I would love to get my hands on her again.”

“That is right, you actually saw her up close.”

“She is a very wonderful creature. I have hopes that you will become rather similar to her, in power magnitude and form. As is you are already rather similar. I think you two might hit it off if you met. Then again, you would probably be the victim of predation. She is a bit aggressive.”

“That sounds a bit scary.”

“I understand your apprehension. As is it is doubtful that you will meet her, she is rather busy hunting Kraken members.”

I nodded. Good, meeting her did not exactly sound like something that I wanted. Speaking of hunting, I wonder if Glitter Kitten caught Fold yet? Are they still fighting? It started to make me a little worried actually. Then again, I am basically safe here and just have to wait to get picked up and go home. I just hope there is not an unscheduled medical check up.