Some Days are Diamonds (cont.- Jump in anyone!)
Apr 29, 2007 19:00:20 GMT
Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2007 19:00:20 GMT
Captain Generica and Tong Lieng flew the most direct route that they could from Generica to Albandia. They figured that it would be the route that the bandits would take. From experience, Lieng knew that toting around a diamond of that size made you a very high target. It was like being the poor boy carrying the football while playing "Smear the Queer." Everyone would be after you. A bandit's best bet would be to sell the diamond as soon as possible, take the money, and run. So they wouldn't bother taking a roundabout path to throw off their trail. The longer they had the diamond, the more danger they would be in, and a good bandit knows that there's no point to risk unless he can enjoy the fruits of his labors.
They arrived at a port town at the northern end of Albandia along the Lemon Sea. As they flew over the town, they noticed a bustle of activity. Tong Lieng kept his eyes fixed out the window towards the town below, "There's a lot going on down there."
"I'm always wary when I come to Albandia," replied Generica.
"Come here often?"
"Yes. It's only obvious that a superhero would go where the super villains are. All of that activity down there is for us. It's kind of hard to sneak in non-nonchalantly when there's a big green lighted 'G' on the bottom of your flying car."
They landed in a parking lot on the edge of town. They stepped out of the car, but Lieng noticed that the engine was still running.
"Captain, your car is still on. Does this mean we're only stopping for a short time."
"No. I never trust parking here. Most people can just pay the bribe and know that their car is taken care of. Superheroes don't have that luxury. I remember the first time I parked here. I paid the bribe and walked into town. When I came back, there was a bomb under the driver's seat."
The car roared with life and took off. "I'll call the car back when it's time to leave. In the meantime it will be parked at an Embassy in a neighboring country."
"How long will it take to get here from the time that you call it?"
"Oh, a couple of hours."
"So basically we're stranded here?"
"Yes."
"Great," said Lieng as he noticed a large mob closing on them from all sides, "So... are any of these guys friends of yours?"
"Not a single one of them."
"Any of them hated enemies?"
"Just about all of them."
"Great," sighed Lieng, "so, are we in for a fight?"
"Maybe."
Lieng brought his fingertips together at chest level as if holding an invisible ball. His hands brightened a bit and six orbitals formed in the space between them. When he separated his hands, the orbitals jumped in all directions and began to circle him and the Captain.
The Captain turned to address the mob, "ALRIGHT! EVERYBODY STOP RIGHT THERE!"
Everybody stopped.
"Now we didn't come here looking for any trouble!"
Someone from the mob stepped forward, he looked a lot like Mr. Clean, tall, muscular, bald, with an earring, and wearing a tight white tank top, tattered blue jeans, and boots that must have weight 100 lbs each. "You've got a lot of nerve showing your face back here, Generica! We've all been waiting to get a second crack at your skull."
"HA! You wish! Wasn't one beating enough to teach you a lesson?"
"Beating? What do you mean beating? You escaped when the Hero Force came to rescue you! They took you out of here unconscious!"
There was a general laugh from the mob.
"But looks like all you brought this time was a scrawny little sidekick. I tell you what, Generica. We're not really bloodthirsty men-- well, some of us are, but you know what I mean. All we really want is a little cash to support our families. So why don't you just play nice and be our hostage for awhile. We'll get the ransom money from the government and then we'll let you go. Then maybe we can repeat it again a second time."
"That's the stupidest plan I've ever heard. We all know you don't have any families. All you've got is those ugly diseased wenches of yours. Besides, the WORLD'S MIGHTIEST HERO would never stoop so low."
"It's always the hard way, isn't it, Generica?"
Tong Lieng chimed in. He wasn't looking forward to conflict. "Hey, all we're looking for a stolen diamond."
"Ha ha," chuckled Mr. Clean, "Isn't everyone? Everybody's heard about the stolen Presidential Diamond. You're wasting your time. And we're wasting ours, too! LET'S GET 'EM BOYS! LYNCH 'EM!! TAKE GENERICA ALIVE AND KILL HIS SIDEKICK!"
The mob rushed in from all sides. "Stay close to me, rookie! I'll protect you! Waaahh!!!" The Captain threw a punch forward at the closest man but was tackled from behind. Before he knew it, he was being crowd surfed away, leaving Lieng alone, "Hey, let go of me! I'm gonna knock your heads off!" Meanwhile, Lieng was also on the brink of ambush. He took a quick look left and right, then spread his feet into a fighting stance and waved his arms in opposite circular motions over his head and outwards. The orbitals shot forth from his body in all directions. By waves of his hands they zoomed around cutting straight through whatever was in their way. Bodies fell dead everywhere and everyone backed up. Everyone looked on in surprise awe as the orbitals loyally returned to surround their master. Mr. Clean drew a handgun from his side, "Shoot him!" Those with guns mimicked his same motion and hundreds of bullets came flying Lieng's way. The orbitals shifted positions and five formed a pyramidal crystalline shield around him. Little white flashes erupted on the shield's surface after blocking every bullet. Meanwhile, Lieng was free to use the sixth orbital to wreck havoc upon the mob. It flew through the mob, killing a dozen more men, and forcing the rest to stumble and dive out of the way. Everyone was so closely packed together that they fell over each other. Finally, the sixth orbital blew through one last man and fizzled out of existence. Lieng sent the other five out into the mob and they did the same. Everyone fled except for the wounded, and even some of those were desperately trying to crawl away from the massacre. Lieng turned to Mr. Clean, who was uninjured but on one knee a few yards away.
Mr. Clean spoke up, "You're stronger than you look, sidekick."
"Tell me where the diamond is."
"What? You think I have it?"
"No, but you're obviously a man with a lot of connections."
"Hmph, I'm not telling you a darn thing."
Lieng teleported forwards a few feet. Mr. Clean jumped up and lunged forward, but a powerful front kick put him back on the ground. Lieng waved his arm forward and Mr. Clean rose up from the ground in a telekinetic hold, "There is no pleasure for bandits after death. I don't want your life, only the diamond, but if you don't tell me, then it will force me to take your life and get the diamond some other way."
"Fine. Fine. You drive a hard bargain. Besides, you'll never recover the diamond anyway. It's in the hands of Master Pluto by now."
"Master Pluto? I should have known. Who else could it have been." Lieng threw his arm over his shoulder. Mr. Clean went flying through the air. As Lieng followed the trail of mobbers that carried away Captain Generica, he heard Mr. Clean crash violently somewhere behind him.
Lieng glided quickly through the streets, passing more mobs of people who were sprinting towards what looked like a giant amphitheater. He pushed his way through the crowd until he came to the landing behind the balcony level, which dipped downward in tiers of seats. Looking down towards the stage, he saw Captain Generica chained spread eagle style to a large upright spinning wheel. He was yelling obscenities about how badly he was going to beat them once he got free. Apparently they weren't planning on holding him quietly hostage. Until the time that they got their ransom money, he was going to be their constant entertainment (apparently Albandian bandits didn't mess around when it came to extorting people to the fullest; they would sap every dollar they could out of an operation). The activity at that precise moment was the blunt object toss. Everyone was lining up to pay to have three chances to hit Captain Generica with whatever garbage they had on hand, so long as it wasn't sharp or poisonous.
Lieng sprinted forward, jumped off the balcony, and flew into the air. He threw his arms out and six more orbitals launched out and around him. He did a flew flips like a perfect diver and landed right on the stage, between the Captain and the mob. A few tomatoes splattered against the Crystalline Shield he set up. All the Captain could say was, "Rookie! You're alive!"
"Those are some pretty heavy chains they got you bound with, Captain. Hold on a sec."
Leaving one triangular shield to protect the Captain, and keeping one for himself, Lieng ran around to the back of the wheel, punching out the concierge on the way. The chain system was mechanically operated by a complex system on the back-- these bandits didn't mess around. But he just focused his energy and gave it a good ki beam. The chains burst and Generica fell to the floor, dizzy and nauseated from spinning for so long. By now, the mob rushed forward to seize the two men again, but Lieng fought through the crowd to get to Generica before they carried him away again. Once he had him, he teleported the both of them out of there and onto the amphitheater roof. Breathing heavily, Lieng looked around, pondering their next move. No one knew they were up there yet, but he wondered how long they could hide before they were discovered. They couldn't stay up there forever.
They arrived at a port town at the northern end of Albandia along the Lemon Sea. As they flew over the town, they noticed a bustle of activity. Tong Lieng kept his eyes fixed out the window towards the town below, "There's a lot going on down there."
"I'm always wary when I come to Albandia," replied Generica.
"Come here often?"
"Yes. It's only obvious that a superhero would go where the super villains are. All of that activity down there is for us. It's kind of hard to sneak in non-nonchalantly when there's a big green lighted 'G' on the bottom of your flying car."
They landed in a parking lot on the edge of town. They stepped out of the car, but Lieng noticed that the engine was still running.
"Captain, your car is still on. Does this mean we're only stopping for a short time."
"No. I never trust parking here. Most people can just pay the bribe and know that their car is taken care of. Superheroes don't have that luxury. I remember the first time I parked here. I paid the bribe and walked into town. When I came back, there was a bomb under the driver's seat."
The car roared with life and took off. "I'll call the car back when it's time to leave. In the meantime it will be parked at an Embassy in a neighboring country."
"How long will it take to get here from the time that you call it?"
"Oh, a couple of hours."
"So basically we're stranded here?"
"Yes."
"Great," said Lieng as he noticed a large mob closing on them from all sides, "So... are any of these guys friends of yours?"
"Not a single one of them."
"Any of them hated enemies?"
"Just about all of them."
"Great," sighed Lieng, "so, are we in for a fight?"
"Maybe."
Lieng brought his fingertips together at chest level as if holding an invisible ball. His hands brightened a bit and six orbitals formed in the space between them. When he separated his hands, the orbitals jumped in all directions and began to circle him and the Captain.
The Captain turned to address the mob, "ALRIGHT! EVERYBODY STOP RIGHT THERE!"
Everybody stopped.
"Now we didn't come here looking for any trouble!"
Someone from the mob stepped forward, he looked a lot like Mr. Clean, tall, muscular, bald, with an earring, and wearing a tight white tank top, tattered blue jeans, and boots that must have weight 100 lbs each. "You've got a lot of nerve showing your face back here, Generica! We've all been waiting to get a second crack at your skull."
"HA! You wish! Wasn't one beating enough to teach you a lesson?"
"Beating? What do you mean beating? You escaped when the Hero Force came to rescue you! They took you out of here unconscious!"
There was a general laugh from the mob.
"But looks like all you brought this time was a scrawny little sidekick. I tell you what, Generica. We're not really bloodthirsty men-- well, some of us are, but you know what I mean. All we really want is a little cash to support our families. So why don't you just play nice and be our hostage for awhile. We'll get the ransom money from the government and then we'll let you go. Then maybe we can repeat it again a second time."
"That's the stupidest plan I've ever heard. We all know you don't have any families. All you've got is those ugly diseased wenches of yours. Besides, the WORLD'S MIGHTIEST HERO would never stoop so low."
"It's always the hard way, isn't it, Generica?"
Tong Lieng chimed in. He wasn't looking forward to conflict. "Hey, all we're looking for a stolen diamond."
"Ha ha," chuckled Mr. Clean, "Isn't everyone? Everybody's heard about the stolen Presidential Diamond. You're wasting your time. And we're wasting ours, too! LET'S GET 'EM BOYS! LYNCH 'EM!! TAKE GENERICA ALIVE AND KILL HIS SIDEKICK!"
The mob rushed in from all sides. "Stay close to me, rookie! I'll protect you! Waaahh!!!" The Captain threw a punch forward at the closest man but was tackled from behind. Before he knew it, he was being crowd surfed away, leaving Lieng alone, "Hey, let go of me! I'm gonna knock your heads off!" Meanwhile, Lieng was also on the brink of ambush. He took a quick look left and right, then spread his feet into a fighting stance and waved his arms in opposite circular motions over his head and outwards. The orbitals shot forth from his body in all directions. By waves of his hands they zoomed around cutting straight through whatever was in their way. Bodies fell dead everywhere and everyone backed up. Everyone looked on in surprise awe as the orbitals loyally returned to surround their master. Mr. Clean drew a handgun from his side, "Shoot him!" Those with guns mimicked his same motion and hundreds of bullets came flying Lieng's way. The orbitals shifted positions and five formed a pyramidal crystalline shield around him. Little white flashes erupted on the shield's surface after blocking every bullet. Meanwhile, Lieng was free to use the sixth orbital to wreck havoc upon the mob. It flew through the mob, killing a dozen more men, and forcing the rest to stumble and dive out of the way. Everyone was so closely packed together that they fell over each other. Finally, the sixth orbital blew through one last man and fizzled out of existence. Lieng sent the other five out into the mob and they did the same. Everyone fled except for the wounded, and even some of those were desperately trying to crawl away from the massacre. Lieng turned to Mr. Clean, who was uninjured but on one knee a few yards away.
Mr. Clean spoke up, "You're stronger than you look, sidekick."
"Tell me where the diamond is."
"What? You think I have it?"
"No, but you're obviously a man with a lot of connections."
"Hmph, I'm not telling you a darn thing."
Lieng teleported forwards a few feet. Mr. Clean jumped up and lunged forward, but a powerful front kick put him back on the ground. Lieng waved his arm forward and Mr. Clean rose up from the ground in a telekinetic hold, "There is no pleasure for bandits after death. I don't want your life, only the diamond, but if you don't tell me, then it will force me to take your life and get the diamond some other way."
"Fine. Fine. You drive a hard bargain. Besides, you'll never recover the diamond anyway. It's in the hands of Master Pluto by now."
"Master Pluto? I should have known. Who else could it have been." Lieng threw his arm over his shoulder. Mr. Clean went flying through the air. As Lieng followed the trail of mobbers that carried away Captain Generica, he heard Mr. Clean crash violently somewhere behind him.
Lieng glided quickly through the streets, passing more mobs of people who were sprinting towards what looked like a giant amphitheater. He pushed his way through the crowd until he came to the landing behind the balcony level, which dipped downward in tiers of seats. Looking down towards the stage, he saw Captain Generica chained spread eagle style to a large upright spinning wheel. He was yelling obscenities about how badly he was going to beat them once he got free. Apparently they weren't planning on holding him quietly hostage. Until the time that they got their ransom money, he was going to be their constant entertainment (apparently Albandian bandits didn't mess around when it came to extorting people to the fullest; they would sap every dollar they could out of an operation). The activity at that precise moment was the blunt object toss. Everyone was lining up to pay to have three chances to hit Captain Generica with whatever garbage they had on hand, so long as it wasn't sharp or poisonous.
Lieng sprinted forward, jumped off the balcony, and flew into the air. He threw his arms out and six more orbitals launched out and around him. He did a flew flips like a perfect diver and landed right on the stage, between the Captain and the mob. A few tomatoes splattered against the Crystalline Shield he set up. All the Captain could say was, "Rookie! You're alive!"
"Those are some pretty heavy chains they got you bound with, Captain. Hold on a sec."
Leaving one triangular shield to protect the Captain, and keeping one for himself, Lieng ran around to the back of the wheel, punching out the concierge on the way. The chain system was mechanically operated by a complex system on the back-- these bandits didn't mess around. But he just focused his energy and gave it a good ki beam. The chains burst and Generica fell to the floor, dizzy and nauseated from spinning for so long. By now, the mob rushed forward to seize the two men again, but Lieng fought through the crowd to get to Generica before they carried him away again. Once he had him, he teleported the both of them out of there and onto the amphitheater roof. Breathing heavily, Lieng looked around, pondering their next move. No one knew they were up there yet, but he wondered how long they could hide before they were discovered. They couldn't stay up there forever.