Previous chapter: http://www.comicvine.com/forums/fan-fic-8/crank-gunship-10-1720909/#15
**
“Faster!” yelled Blue Bobcat as he rode Gunship like a surfer, the winds buffeting him about. Gunship poured on the speed as he zeroed in on Doctor Falcon who stood on the steps of the Philadelphia city hall laughing. Gunship carried in his arms a giant ball of molten ice, an almost contradictory thing created by Panopticon teammate Fryce. “This all goes wrong; you look after my son okay.”
Gunship nodded as he weaved between the arcane blasts Falcon was firing up at him.
“Oh no! Gunship is coming to get me!” chortled Falcon in fake distress. “Your country has already accepted my rule which makes YOU the bad guy. You’re the rebels who won’t quit because you just can’t accept that you’ve lost!”
Blue Bobcat sprinkled the last of Unicorn-Man’s magical dust onto himself then leapt up and off as Gunship slammed into an invisible wall of force; molten ice spraying everywhere and the shockwave rippling for miles. Bobcat spun like a top high in the air before slowly bringing his rotations under control. For a split second he hovered in the air over Doctor Falcon as he gripped Malletina’s enchanted sledge. “Atheist man of science holding a mystical hammer over a guy in a demon-infused tank suit who thinks he’s a god.”
**
“There’s a break out at Alcatraz!” yelled Tigarayn as the mega-board lit up. “Alerts from NSA, the prison itself, ZNN; looks big!”
“Who?” asked Shadowave as he entered the room.
“Seems the Fearsome Horde are going to town!” Tigarayan punched buttons and typed like a demon. “Visual confirmation on…Gold Shark and…Clockwork Brigand.”
“Anyone onsite?”
“Looks like Bengal’s helping them out,” Tigarayan replied “So what do we do? We’re like an hour away. You put Gunship on administrative leave who could be there, like now.”
“Where’s Bobcat?”
“On route from Chicago, eta fifteen,” Tigarayan clicked through some screens. “Danica could, maybe make it if she pushed hard, across the country in about ten.”
“My record is seven,” Stunning Girl said. “You call Ship?”
“He handed back his communicator,” Shadowave replied as he looked up at the mega-board that showed new images and alerts of Doctor Falcon. “Never rains…” he muttered.
**
Firepunch signalled Gundog whose shot into the head of the armoured car guard told Eyeshockit to hit the truck. As she whipped off her goggles a figure landed heavily in front of her taking the brunt of her electrical attack.
“HOLY CRAP IT’S GUNSHIP!” she yelled as energy poured from her eyes. Sparks danced all over his metal frame making a dazzling lightshow. Gunship grabbed her by the face and threw her up into the air before turning his attention to the gunman on the roof. He aimed his arm cannon and let out a barrage sending Gundog scrambling for cover. Firepunch stood paralysed with fear as he watched his team get decimated and slowly slunk away.
Gunship took to the air and caught the petrified Eyeshockit. From his aerial position he could see Gundog running across the rooftops making his escape.
“You may want to close your eyes,” Gunship told her as he hurled her like a frisbee at her fleeing partner in crime. The two slammed together and collapsed in a heap. Gunship hovered down to attend the guards.
**
“Doctor Falcon has Freshbook?” Blue Bobcat was stunned as he prepped the Panopticon jet for takeoff. “I wonder how many likes he has?”
“Hassan Jahangir, shopkeeper in San Diego took a photo of him,” Shadowave said as he took his seat. “The post went viral, which caught the attention of the NSA who contacted us.”
“The NSA has Freshbook as well?” Bobcat chuckled. “What an awesome waste of taxpayer money.”
“So we’re going without Gunship?” Stunning Girl asked as she buckled in. “Shouldn’t we at least, y’know…”
“Who needs him?” cried Bobcat as the jet roared to life. “Next stop San Diego.”
**
“You ask a lot doctor,” Wolfrazer stroking his pockmarked chin before shooting down his tequila. Doctor Falcon sat opposite the Mexican crime lord, one of the richest men in the world though he never showed up on a Fortes 500 list because his wealth was acquired through pain, death, misery and chemistry. “What do I get in return?”
“How about I build you a replicator,” smiled the doctor as he poured some tea into his cup.
“Replication is a dream,” Wolfrazer scoffed. “Besides I have enough mules and flyers.”
“Then I have nothing to offer but my company,” Peregrine stated. “If you do not want the ability to instantly create product from here to anywhere in the world in the beat of your heart, eliminating thousands, possibly millions of dollars of middle men then I will take my idea to say…the Ruiz cartel perhaps.”
Wolfrazer drew a machete from beside his chair pointing it at Falcon. “You dare mention that stinking perro name in my presence!”
Peregrine sipped his tea. “The choice is up to you Wolfrazer. Do you accept my offer or do I go shopping elsewhere. There is no rush, I have at least three more cups left in the pot, but when that is finished I will need an answer.”
**
“HURRY UP MUTE!” yelled Gunship as he held the tear in the fabric of reality together, tentacles, talons and ectoplasmic goop trying to claw its way out.
“Just…a…bit…longer,” grunted Doctor Mute as he waved his arms as if conducting an invisible orchestra. “And…it’s…Doctor Mute…thank you!”
“IF YOU DON’T SEAL THIS RIFT, IT WON’T MATTER WHAT YOUR DAMN TITLE IS!” shouted Gunship.
“If you…stopped talking…you overgrown…mechanized…maid servant,” Mute seethed through gritted teeth as mystical sparks danced off his hands. “And…held the…gap…shut…like I…asked you too!”
The sky seemed to burble and pulse as the unspeakable horrors tried to barge in through the hole that Gunship held closed as Doctor Mute, the Magician Maximus of this reality, wove a spell to seal it. Myrick Mute slapped his hands together creating an eldritch power wave that spiralled along the rip.
“ANY TIME MUTE!”
“Magic is…not like…baking a…cake you metallic…cretin!” snapped Mute as he added another spell. In a flash of crimson and lime the rift exploded knocking both of them onto their behinds. For several long minutes neither spoke as they gazed up at the stars from the peak of Mount Damavand in Iran.
“Is it over?” asked Gunship as he sat up.
Myrick Mute stood up, brushing dust off his cloak. “Do you see Nergal the Mesopotamian god of plagues? No I don’t, meaning I fixed it.”
“You fixed it?”
Mute flicked his top hat back into shape. “Yes, I fixed it. Your assistance was appreciated.”
Gunship stomped towards him. “You…”
“No, no need to thank me,” Mute smiled as he consulted his pocket watch. “Oh look, three, two, one happy new year! The world turns again thanks to Doctor Myrick Mute. I do wonder what 2001 and this new millennium holds. Now, about this ridiculous little group of yours…” Mute looked around to find himself alone on the top of the Iranian peak.
“How rude,” he exclaimed turning his nose up. "Not that I was even remotely interested in joining your gaggle of misfits. A superhero team, how…common!"
**
Captain Scorpion hung by his wrists in the centre of the cell inside the Omniacorps headquarters in the reversed universe. His face was caked with layers of dried blood and swollen like rotten fruit from the continual beatings of his captors. Black Bobcat held up his chin. “It has been fun these past few weeks, but my patience has run thin Captain.”
“I’m not who you think I am,” wheezed Scorpion through his shattered teeth.
“Yeah you keep saying that,” Bobcat cracked him in the face with a left hook. “But Ramar, I just don’t believe you.”
“My name is Otto,” coughed Scorpion. “Otto Ramar you stupid c…”
Bobcat grabbed him by the throat and shook him violently. “Just shut up!”
“He’s telling the truth,” said Striking Girl as she entered the room. “Took Shadestream a while to work it out and verify it, but this is not Captain Scorpian.”
“Looks like him,” Bobcat rammed a knee into the already broken ribs. “Sounds like him. Has the same name.”
“Our guy is Scorpi-AN with an A. This loser is ON. Also names reversed Ramar Otto, Otto Ramar. Plus he’s right handed.” Striking Girl slapped Scorpion across the face. “So this clown is a bad guy in his world.”
“You telling me there’s a whole other world out there that is like, ass backwards of what it is here?” Bobcat asked.
Striking Girl nodded before slamming a punch into Scorpion’s belly. “Yup. Black is white, good is evil, totally weird.”
“Wonder if there’s another you over there,” mused Bobcat licking his lips. Striking Girl grabbed him by the back of the head and dipped him backwards.
“You can barely handle me,” she purred before kissing him roughly.
**
To be continued same time, if not sooner, next week.....see you there!
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