Friday 4 May 2007

ASBO-Boy - A Vue to Kill: Part 2

One hour ago.

Squeeze hugged his knees closer to his body, they were all sitting in the basement in their skin-suits watching Gwen point to the image on an old OHP screen. There was a blurred photo of the Elementals standing in front of County Hall. In the foreground was a tall boy with shoulder length hair and a wide grin. “This image was taken a year before the Battle of Dyfatty. Vue can open windows in the air and bridge large spaces with little effort.”

“Is that like event horizons?” Squeeze wondered aloud.

“Similar.” Gwen continued, “We can only guess why he’s searching the Dyfatty ruins. The entire area has been sealed with reinforced lead radiation walls. Going in is going to be dangerous, so you’ll need to be in and out fairly quickly. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to train you, but there’s not much we can do now, you’ll just have to do your best.

“Details are sketchy regarding the Battle itself. Communication was lost just prior to the black-out. The whole thing was hushed up quickly and the area was sealed within days. They say the explosion was clearly heard in the Vale of Glamorgan, but the cover up was so thorough most locals never knew it happened, beyond the noise. All we know is that in the helicopter journey before hand there was a fall out between Vue and Helix. We think Helix lost control of his powers and caused the incident during the suppression of an older, more vocal resistance group. He has the disturbing ability to control atoms. It gives him near limitless power – he can fly and he’s stronger than any Other, even his successor Beacon. Helix survived the battle and was contained, Vue managed to leap away but was apprehended later. Seraph and Physic were injured in the blast, but Core’s body was never found.”

Squeeze looked around at the others. He wondered which one of those was her brother. Her face betrayed nothing. Bark was sitting stoically in the corner, flexing his skin, Arc-Light was playing with her static hair, Flicker was twitching in the corner and Malady was watching intently with her legs swinging over the edge of the bed.

“The Elementals are going to be there. You can be sure that the message has been passed along to them. We’ve secured a vehicle to get you close to the wall but after that you’ll have to get in by yourselves. Arc-Light – you’ll be leading the team. Your task is simple. Deliver the message to Vue that I wish to speak with him; tell him I’m Seraph’s sister. He’ll understand. Good luck.”

Now.

It had taken a combination of everyone’s skills to get in. Arc-Light short-circuited all the electronics, Squeeze managed to wedge his way under and over the fences. Flicker by-passed the security system by doing something – Squeeze couldn’t figure out what – and Bark took care of any unwelcome guests. Malady hung back and took care of scrapes and grazes, periodically being zapped by Arc-Light or made to laugh by Bark. When they were past the wall it didn’t take them long to find Vue – they just followed the noises and the light until they were looking down on him fighting the Elementals. Squeeze immediately spotted Nia on the floor, swathed in her purple cloak. The water in his skin-suit went cold. “Wow! It’s her!” Malady gasped.

“Excellent.” Vue cried, “Now you definitely wont stop me.”

“Want a bet?” Squeeze found his voice shouting. Everyone seemed to turn to look at him but Squeeze could only see Nia. The message was clear, she’d recognised him. The next few minutes passed in a blur. Vue seemed to bounce around the forgotten playground like a man possessed, his anarchic laughter echoing into the night as he deftly struck the gathered from all angles, appearing out of thin air one moment here then another somewhere else.

“It’s the Hounds!” He heard an unfamiliar voice shout. Over the edge of the crater Beacon appeared, the Union Jack emblazoned on his skin-suit. Nia was still sitting in the centre of the playground, her arms raised to the sky and haloed by a strange glow.

Squeeze felt the air around him ripple as Vue appeared out of nowhere. He didn’t waste time in throwing a punch and Squeeze summoned all of his strength to dodge it. As he did his body twisted and changed more than it usually did and he found that he could easily avoid everything he was being dealt. Vue didn’t waste any more time in figuring this out and vanished. Squeeze pounded over the rubble towards Nia and slid to a hault near her. “Nia?”

She nodded fiercely, clearly concentrating on the bubble of energy around her. He could hear Arc-Light screaming his name, but it didn’t seem to register.

I’m a little busy, Mike,” Nia managed to splutter. Squeeze was stunned at the use of his real name – his old name; nobody called him that now.

“These aren’t Hounds,” Beacon shouted over the din of the battle. Squeeze looked up and saw him with his arms around Malady’s neck. In a burst of rage Squeeze leaped across the distance and struck Beacon across his smarmy, pretty face. It did no good, the poster-boy shook him and Malady off and returned the favour. Squeeze felt himself being knocked back. Stars swam in his eyes as he wondered what the burning sensation around his neck was. Everything swam into focus. He was staring down the length of Swelter’s arm, his body engulfed in red hot fire.

“Get away from Siren!” He spat between gritted teeth. His eyes looked as if they were burning. Squeeze felt himself beginning to slip into unconsciousness, the water around his body began to boil. Vaguely he heard his name being called, there was rushing in his ears. Then silence.

1 comment:

Jester said...

What a dark ending. I don't think that's the best way for Swelter to win himself back into Nia's good books.

I'm very curious to see how this turns out- so I shall immediately read on.