《A Hero Among Us》Chapter 31 "Ultimatum"

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Fatal grabs both sides of her head with her hands and falls to her knees.

Fatal: *many loud grunts*

Walker looks worried.

Walker: (That glow in her eyes… I’ve seen that once before… this isn’t good.)

Walker looks back at the cabin and sees the students.

Walker: (I can see they’re all afraid, even the ones trying to pretend they’re not, EMD literally ran circles around them yesterday… and now he’s dead. I count 8 attackers… They all look to be around the age of my students. These kids have to be working for someone, but who?)

Jagger steps forward.

Jagger: So, as I was saying to that guy before he met his end, we’re here for the students, and if you get in our way… well, you know what will happen.

Walker: You seem like quite the brat. Did your parents hit you a lot when you were a child, or did you just come out this way?

Jagger: Trash talking will get you nowhere; we have a mission and plan to complete it. You should consider yourself lucky I haven’t given the order to have you killed already.

Walker: Oh, I’m not worried about that.

Jagger: How come? Feeling suicidal?

Walker: Why don’t you tell me why you haven’t done that.

Jagger hesitates.

Walker: Your silence speaks volumes. You kids clearly aren’t powerful enough to defeat Fatal or me. Even the cloaked one who was able to kill EMD needed to catch him off-guard to do it, and their quirk was a perfect counter to his. So the fact that you Fatal and I are still standing shows one critical piece of information: You’re not allowed to.

Jagger grinds his teeth.

Walker: If your goal is to capture the students, leaving us alive would not only make it harder for you to do that, you’d also leave witnesses. You had the drop on us long before EMD stepped out of the cabin. So logically speaking, if you could kill us, you would have done it long ago. But you waited and lured us out here. Then you killed EMD when you realized he would pose a threat to your plan. I'm doing the same right now, but I’m still standing.

Jagger: Clever…

Walker: (But now that leaves one big question: Why were they allowed to kill EMD but not Rachel or me? Something’s not adding up.)

One of the members of Jagger’s team steps up next to him.

Yusuf: *whispers* Jagger, he’s figured it out; what do we do?

Jagger: *whispers* Well, without the ability to threaten their lives, we’re pretty much forced to fight them.

Yusuf: *whispers* What! We can’t take them!

Jagger: *whispers* Well… one of us might be able to.

They both look over at the cloaked figure still crouched over EMD’s body. Then, another member of Jagger’s team steps forward.

Darian: She’s not gonna be happy you made her kill someone.

Jagger: I know, and I’ll deal with that later. EMD and his quirk were going to be major problems; we had to remove him quickly. If he stuck around, this mission would be next to impossible.

Walker looks at Fatal; she hasn’t moved at all.

Fatal: *frustrated grunts*

Walker: (If she has a freak out right now… things could go south fast. It’s been a long time since I saw her lose control, but if it’s anything like that time at the Sports Festival… God help us.)

Jagger motions to the female of his group.

Jagger: Mara, scan the building. How many people are inside?

Mara walks forward, forms her index fingers and thumbs into a square, and points it at the cabin.

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Mara: 20, 14 males, 6 females. They’re all located right next to the front door.

Jagger: Good, everyone is accounted for. I’ll start the fun; it looks like Femme Fatal won’t be joining us for a short time which is good; we can eliminate Phantom Walker first!

Jagger and Walker begin walking towards each other.

Walker: Do you know how many years you’re going to spend behind bars for killing my colleague?

Jagger: That implies that I’m going to lose this fight.

Walker: What, you think you can beat me? Kid, you don’t stand a chance.

Walker cracks his knuckles.

Walker: You’ve already made a costly mistake: You put me in a bad mood.

Jagger starts rolling up his sleeves to reveal five small holes going up each of his arms.

Jagger: Who said anything about winning?

Walker: What?

Jagger fires 10 needles from each hole in his arms at Walker. Walker opens a portal, and the needles fly into it.

Walker: You really should have done your homework. An attack like that never stood a chance of connecting.

Jagger: Clay! I need you!

One of Jagger’s team members steps forward, and his skin and clothes turn metallic.

Walker: Calling for help already?

Jagger: I never said this would be a one-on-one match, and besides, Clay isn’t going to fight just yet.

Walker: (That one followed his orders on cue, which means I should take the mouthy one out quickly, he seems to be the head of the snake.)

Walker opens a portal behind Jagger.

Walker: Let’s see how you like a taste of your own medicine!

Five needles come flying out of the portal at Jagger.

Jagger: You really think it’s that easy to defeat me?

Walker: Huh?

Suddenly, the needles change direction and fly towards Clay, bouncing off his metallic body. Clay’s body returns to normal.

Walker: What the hell!

Jagger: See? I told you he isn’t fighting! Clay is the ultimate defense, the human magnet!

Walker: Coward!

Jagger: Don’t go name-calling already Walker, we’re just getting started!

Walker looks over his shoulder at Fatal.

Walker: (He knows my hero name and knows how my quirk works, so I’m outnumbered and at an information disadvantage… I have to buy some time.)

Walker looks back at Jagger.

Walker: Alright, it’s time I asked some questions.

Jagger: Ask away; you might not like the answers we give… if any.

Walker: How did you know where we would be? This trip was classified information for the safety of the students. The only people who know about it are the hero course teachers and the principal himself.

Jagger: Let’s just say there was a recent event where your security wasn’t exactly at its best.

Walker: (The Sports Festival… but when… ugh whatever.) Second question: What do you want with the students?

Jagger: That’s for us to know.

Walker: And for me to beat out of you!

Jagger: So bold, you know I was told to expect up to five teachers here, but to see only three was a pleasant surprise.

Walker’s eyes narrow.

Walker: Sometimes we make mistakes, but I’m not worried about a bunch of clowns like you.

Jagger: Oh, you shouldn’t be. There’s only one person here you should be scared of.

Walker looks out of the corner of his eye at the cloaked figure.

Walker: Alright, final question: Who is that?

Jagger laughs.

Jagger: I’ll tell you a little bit; her name is Ivy, and her quirk is beyond dangerous. So much so, in fact, that it’s been classified as S-Rank.

Walker's eyes widen.

Walker: What!

Jagger: Oh boy! Look at that reaction!

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Walker: (That girl… I’ll have to save her for last, and I might need Fatal’s help.)

The students continue to watch from the cabin windows. Most of them still have their hero gear from earlier in the morning on them.

Lilith: Can anyone make out what they’re saying?

Karma: No, they’re too far away.

Zach: Man, what’s Ms. Fatal doing? It’s like she’s in a trance!

Jace: Mr. Walker can’t deal with all of those guys on his own, can he?

Silver: We have to hope he can, for our sake.

Ash: Please don’t say that; you’re scaring me!

Justus: He’s just speaking the truth, Ash, I don’t know about the other 7, but the one on the left, they killed EMD in a matter of seconds while we struggled to get a ball from his hand.

Everyone looks worried.

Hayze: (I don’t know what’s going to happen, but if Mr. Walker and Fatal need our help… I’m ready to step in.)

Yusuf and the yo-yo guy walk forward.

Clay: Yusuf, Julio, we need to charge him!

Yusuf: Yeah, we need to shut his quirk down; he’ll be useless after that!

Julio: I’ll restrain him.

Jagger turns his head towards his comrades.

Jagger: Wait for one second, guys; I’d like to talk to Walker a little longer.

Yusuf: Whatever you say, Jagger.

Jagger looks back at Walker.

Jagger: Before we continue, I should warn you that the outcome is already determined.

Walker: That you’ll lose? I know, don’t delay the inevitable.

Jagger laughs.

Jagger: I’ll let you in on a secret; I know something about you that will assure our victory.

Walker: You do, huh?

Jagger: Don’t believe me? That’s fine.

Jagger whistles; Julio, Yusuf, and Clay charge at Walker.

Walker: Foolish.

Walker opens a portal in front of Clay, the remaining five needles come flying out of it, but just before they make contact, Clay makes his body metallic, protecting him, but halting his advance.

Walker: (He’s got good reflexes.)

A yo-yo wraps around Walker and ties him up.

Julio: I gotcha!

Walker opens a portal below Julio.

Julio: I don’t gotcha!

Julio falls into the portal, Walker gets pulled in via the yo-yo, closing it. Yusuf and Clay start looking around frantically.

Yusuf: Where did he go?

Clay: Like I would know!

A portal opens above Clay, a beaten-up Julio wrapped up in his own yo-yos falls out and lands on him.

Julio: *groans*

Clay: Goddammit! Are you useless or what!

Yusuf: Clay, are you okay?

Clay: Yeah, but I don’t think Julio is.

A portal opens up above Yusuf; Walker jumps down and punches him in the nose so hard he breaks it.

Yusuf: AHHH!

Yusuf falls to the ground holding his bleeding nose.

Walker: (This is just like fighting my students on the first day.)

Jagger: *from afar* Over here, jackass!

Walker looks over and sees that Jagger is holding a knife to Fatal’s neck. Her eyes are still glowing, but she seems catatonic.

Jagger: If you make a move, she dies.

Walker: I know you can’t kill her; don’t think I’ve forgotten!

Jagger: You’re right. I can’t.

Walker: Then why are you-

Walker feels something against his ankle. He looks down to see Yusuf grabbing it; Yusuf uses his other hand to make a hand sign.

Yusuf: Curse of Locking!

Walker feels a force over his body, and a lock symbol appears on his forehead. Walker kicks Yusuf and knocks him out.

Walker: (The hell was that?)

Jagger releases Fatal and leaves her hunched over, still not moving.

Jagger: And that, my friend, is checkmate.

Walker: What are you talking about?

Jagger: I’ll show you.

Jagger fires a single needle at Walker, Walker lifts his right hand to open a portal, but nothing happens.

Walker: (What!)

Walker gets hit by the needle in the chest and falls to his knees. Jagger starts approaching Walker.

Jagger: My quirk is called Poisonous Needles, enough of my needles could neutralize an elephant, Yusuf’s quirk is called Curse, anyone he touches he can afflict a curse upon; in your case, he gave you the curse of locking, sealing the use of your quirk for the next 6 hours.

Walker: Damn you!

Jagger: Without your quirk, you’re nothing. Like I told you, who said anything about winning? All we needed to do was distract you for just a second so that Yusuf could curse you.

Walker starts to feel the effects of the poison.

Walker: *pained grunt*

Jagger: Alright, Clay and Mara, you take care of Yusuf and Julio. Darian and Adonis come with me, let’s collect our targets.

Adonis (The large muscular man) and Darian start walking toward the cabin alongside Jagger.

Jace: Ah crap…

Zach: Here they come!

Aaron: Alright, guys, it looks like we’re gonna have to protect ourselves!

Lilith: Are you serious!

Gus: We don’t stand a chance against those guys!

Silver: There’s 20 of us and only 8 of them; we have the numbers to win.

Ash: But what about the cloaked person?

Wes: Yeah… I’m very concerned about them.

Aaron: It doesn’t matter; we have to fight! Otherwise, they’ll capture or kill all of us!

Everyone has nervous expressions as the three continue walking towards the cabin.

Walker: Rachel! Wake up! You’re the only one left! You have to fight!

Fatal doesn’t move.

Walker: (I have to get her moving, even if it means making her lose control.) Rachel! You have to move! If you don't, everyone is going to die!

Fatal’s head moves slightly.

Walker: (That got to her!) Rachel, I know you’re battling with yourself right now, but you have to do something otherwise, all the students and you and I will be killed!

Fatal looks down at the ground; her eyes are still glowing as her facial expression turns from indifference to anger. Finally, she starts to stand up.

Walker: (She’s getting up! But who is in control… Rachel or her quirk?)

Fatal starts screaming at the top of her lungs; Adonis, Darian, and Jagger all stop moving and turn their attention to her.

Walker: (The quirk…)

Jagger: What the hell! She wants to move now?

Fatal starts speeding towards the three of them.

Darian: Oh god, she’s gonna kill us!

Jagger: Adonis, stop her!

Adonis starts charging at Fatal, and the two leap at each other.

Fatal: *frustrated screech* DIE!

Adonis: Adonis doesn’t die! Adonis kills!

Fatal dodges Adonis’ punch midair and smacks him right in the face, instantly giving him a blackeye and fracturing the area around it. Fatal then uses him as a springboard to backflip through away from Adonis while kicking him into the ground.

Darian: Should we be worried? That chick looks insane…

Jagger: I- I don’t know, Adonis is powerful, but Femme Fatal is on another level. I thought she wasn’t going to help! I’m not sure what we can do against her with Yusuf down.

Fatal starts charging at Adonis again as he stands back up.

Adonis: Puny girl seems to think she can beat Adonis. What a shame!

Adonis tries to punch Fatal, but she leaps up and jumps on his arm, runs up it, and punches him square in the face.

Darian: What about now?

Jagger: Well I-

Fatal starts pummeling Adonis with a barrage of punches and kicks.

Darian: WHAT ABOUT NOW!

Jagger: Fine, nobody ever said I couldn’t use the same trick twice!

Jagger takes out his knife and looks for Walker, but the hero isn’t where he left him.

Jagger: What! Where did he-

Jagger spots Walker crawling towards the cabin.

Jagger: Damn you!

Fatal grabs Adonis by the leg and starts spinning him around and around.

Fatal: *frustrated screams*

Adonis: Adonis doesn’t like this ride!

Fatal releases Adonis, sending him flying into a tree head-first.

Adonis: *groans*

Fatal: YOU WILL DIE!

Jagger: *from afar* Hey bitch!

Fatal looks back to see Jagger holding his knife to Walker’s neck.

Jagger: Power down now, or I kill him!

Walker: Bad idea…

Jagger: Huh?

Fatal: *frustrated screech*

Fatal begins charging at Jagger.

Jagger: SHIT!

Darian: I don’t think it worked!

Jagger: I can see that!

Suddenly Ivy runs in front of Jagger.

Jagger: Ivy? I didn’t order you to-

Ivy: Shut up.

Ivy holds out her hand, Fatal continues charging at them, but just as she reaches Ivy and Jagger:

Ivy: Push.

Fatal gets sent flying back and lands in the dirt 60 yards away.

Jagger: Is she down?

Ivy: I doubt it.

Fatal gets up and runs at them again. Jagger stands up and leaves Walker.

Jagger: She doesn’t seem to be thinking straight.

Walker: (Dammit! I was really hoping this masked one wouldn’t get involved. Fatal’s strong enough to beat her, but not when she’s in Frustration Mode.)

Walker starts crawling toward the cabin without Jagger or Ivy noticing. Fatal once again reaches Ivy and Jagger.

Fatal: I WILL KILL YOU!

Ivy: Push.

Fatal gets sent back another 60 yards. Fatal immediately gets back up and charges again.

Jagger: Do you have any way of neutralizing her?

Ivy: I have an extreme method.

Jagger: As long as it doesn’t kill her, I’m fine with it.

Ivy: Okay.

Fatal reaches Jagger and Ivy once more, but this time Ivy unsheathes her sword and performs a spin move to dodge Fatal’s punch and get behind her.

Fatal: Huh?

Ivy slashes both of Fatal’s Achilles tendons, causing her to crash to the ground.

Fatal: AHHHHHH!

Ivy: There.

Jagger: You’re right, that was extreme, but it got the job done.

Ivy: You’re welcome.

Fatal’s eyes stop glowing as she passes out.

Jagger: Alright, that’s it for the teachers. Now, it’s time for us to take the students; we don’t want to miss the rendezvous with Zaire. Adonis! Get your ass over here!

Adonis stands up.

Adonis: Adonis is concussed, but Adonis doesn’t care!

Adonis starts running toward them.

Jagger: *to Ivy* Stay out here. This won’t take long.

Ivy: Ok.

Ivy walks away.

Ivy: Also, you let the other one get away.

Jagger: Huh? “Other one?” Who do you-

Jagger turns and sees that Walker is gone.

Jagger: Dammit!

Inside the cabin, Walker breathes heavily due to the poison taking effect; the students all look over him.

Ash: Mr. Walker, what should we do?

Walker: Listen, you’re gonna have to fight them.

They all get nervous looks on their faces.

Walker: I took two of them down, five of them don’t seem too powerful, and you’ve seen what some of them can do. Just be careful.

Jace: Fight them? Really?

Walker: It’s the only choice. They’re here to kidnap you all.

Everyone is shocked.

Walker: Before you ask, I don’t know why. He wouldn’t say, but you have to defend yourselves… I’m sorry I failed to do that for you.

Karma: It’s okay, Mr. Walker.

Blair: Yeah! Those douchebags used a dirty trick to get you down!

Aaron: We’re going to take them out!

Walker: Okay, but whatever you do: don’t fight the masked girl, she’s on another level; I’ve never seen a quirk like that… avoid her at all costs, you hear me?

They all nod their heads.

Walker: And one more thing.

This piques their interests.

Walker: Use of deadly force... is permitted.

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