“I was sure Maximo would’ve taken that cat!” the club director moaned as he handed another man a wad of cash.
Gar watched this exchange of currency with great interest. After a moment, he turned his attention back to the Master of Strength. The lion man roared and challenged everyone he saw. All the heroes backed down from the challenge, most of them still sporting bruises from their last bout with this fighter.
“Mr. Strength, I think we should be going.” Gar said.
Strength roared again and then said, “Why? I am having so much fun! SEND ME ANOTHER CHALLENGER!”
“There are none. You have beaten them all. Let’s head back to the station to celebrate.” Gar tried yet another tactic to get this creature out of here.
Strength laughed and said, “I celebrate victory with more fighting! SEND ME CHALLENGERS NOW!”
“You do not understand. Your friends, they have been taken. You’re in danger.”
“HA! Danger! Only those who oppose me face danger!”
The club director said, “Mr. Gargoyle, you ain’t gonna get through to him. If he ain’t fight’n, he’s looking for a fight. Unless someone can beat him, he ain’t going anywhere. He breaks everyone he fights, so you can’t win.”
“Breaks?” Gar smiled. “Strength, I challenge you.”
“HA! I ACCEPT!” Strength beat his chest and growled.
Gar stood across from him and readied his fists. Strength barreled across the mat and slugged Gar right in the chest. This shoved Gar back into the cracked wall. Gar grabbed Strength by the arm and flipped him over, slamming him into the ground. This drew a great applause and cheers from the onlookers. Strength got up and grabbed Gar by a wing. He swung Gar around and nearly hit three heroes as he threw Gar across the room. Gar turned, met the wall with his feet, and launched himself directly at Strength. He punched him in the jaw and then grabbed his arm and pulled him forward, head-butting the lion with a hard crack. Strength stumbled back and then threw a fist at Gar, hitting him in the face and smashing him through a wall. Gar came out of the hole with unhindered ferocity.
Strength caught Gar, and both stalemated each other in the middle of the mat. “You are stronger than you appear. Do you not feel pain?”
Gar smiled, “No. And I don’t break either.” He thrust his knee up right into Strength’s crotch. Then swiftly kicked and sent the man crashing into a wall.
Strength lay on the ground for a moment and then roared with glee, “FINALLY, A WORTHY OPPONENT!”
As he rushed back into this combat, the bets were taken and more onlookers joined in.
***
Agent Justin readied himself as his shuttle approached St. Peter’s Square. A second shuttle followed. Crowds were gathering near the Pontiff’s balcony with dozens of camera flashes showering the building. The glorious wings of the half-dressed Master of Supernatural could be seen as he spoke with the pope himself.
“What is he doing?” Justin asked.
The pilot shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“Tell the teams to be ready. He’s a prime target standing out there on that balcony.” Justin charged his laser pistol.
The shuttles landed after the crowd finally made space for them. Justin rushed out, directing BADGE agents as he went. “Go, go, go. Disperse these crowds. I don’t want any civilians here while we get to him.” Both shuttles were emptied.
The agents went to work escorting the devout away from the square. Several of the Vatican’s Swiss Guard ran up to Justin.
“Sir. You do not have jurisdiction here. What are you doing?”
Justin flashed his credentials. “I’m from BADGE. We have a problem. There is an elite strike force hunting that man. They will kill anyone who gets in their way.”
“We need to get you inside!” The Vatican security chief ran with Justin into the main building while his people worked with the agents to help clear the crowds.
In a short matter of time, this security chief escorted him through many check-points and into the Popes room. The sudden appearance surprised and highly agitated everyone. The security chief knelt down on one knee.
“What is the meaning of this?” One of the Pope’s personal assistants intercepted them.
“We have a security risk.” The chief said.
The Pope stepped in with Master of Supernatural behind him. “What is going on?”
The chief said. “Holy Father, BADGE has sent a security force due to a threat to your guest.”
“Oh?”
Justin bowed slightly and said, “I am sorry to intrude. But, we have a high risk of attack. The Avatar must come with me for his protection and yours.”
The Master of Supernatural said, “I can defend myself. I…”
Just then, the scream of a missile came, followed by an explosion. After this came the roar of helicopter blades.
Justin’s comm came alive with the shuttle pilot. “Sir, a missile just destroyed shuttle 23. We have incoming.”
“Understood. Get into position.” Justin looked up at the Swiss Guard. “get the Pope to a secure location.”
The Pope said, “No need. We are quite ready for this.”
“I don’t think you understand.”
The Pope’s assistant went to the wall and pulled a painting aside, revealing a hi-tech panel. He pressed a code in and the color outside changed. He said, “After what happened last year, we installed this morphon based positron energy barrier.”
Justin watched as those helicopters released another volley of fire and it exploded against an invisible bubble around Vatican City. “Nice work.”
The Pope turned to the Master of Supernatural. “You may stay if you like, for your safety.”
“No, sir. Thank you for the offer, but I shall not put you or others in danger. These enemies are relentless in their pursuits. I will go with the BADGE agent. Once we leave, your city will be safe again. Thank you for the conversation, it was enjoyable.”
“I agree.” The Pope offered his ring, and the Avatar kissed it and then left with Justin and the Swiss Guard.
After a quick trek back through the Vatican, Justin and his team rushed Supernatural to the nearest BADGE shuttle. The Swiss Guard were at the ready to defend the Vatican.
“How are we going to get away with them right there?” One BADGE agent asked Justin, while watching the barrage of weapons fire from the helicopters.
The Chief of the Swiss Guard smiled. “Don’t worry. Just get airborne and we’ll take care of the rest.”
Justin wasn’t sure what to make of that, but he had no other ideas. “Pilot, get us out of here.”
The doors closed and the three remaining shuttles took off. Just as they were passing through the barrier, there came a fountain of flares bursting up from all over Vatican City. The enemy helicopters stopped firing as their systems couldn’t pick targets. By the time the flares stopped, the BADGE shuttles were gone.
0 Comments