1.26

Hunter, Jimena, Gauzelle and Silas were staying in Michael’s secret underground base underneath the high school.

Michael sent Brickla out to attend to the shark teen. He had Brickla take the teen to The Fortress for study.

Michael also sent out a small team of cleaning experts to clean up the carnage. One of the cleaners vacuumed up Halite into a polymer cylinder and had him taken to The Bunker, the maximum-security prison for dangerous criminals.

“How did you not get destroyed when that kid punched you?” Silas asked. “I felt his hit and I was inflated.” They were standing around a table, drinking milkshakes that Michael had prepared for them.

“Hunter, I watched what happened. The dust around your forearms looked like a shield. It immediately dissipated after the impact.” Gauzelle informed him.

“Really?” Hunter was surprised. He had never thought to be able to make constructs with the dust.

“Yeah. You didn’t know you did it?” Gauzelle asked.

“Nope. I wonder if I can do it again.” Hunter opened a flask of dust he had and had it coalesce around his arms. He willed it into a circle around and watched the dust form into the shape he imagined.

“Hit it,” he said to Jimena. She shot a slime ball at it. It splattered onto the dust shield and stuck. “Do a few more.”

Jimena shot at it three more times, and after the third ball, the dust shield crumbled away. Hunter could feel each impact as it hit but was impressed at how durable it was.

“In that fight, I had a lot more dust make the shield. I guess that’s why it could take a bigger hit.”

“Yeah, probably,” said Jimena, her tone flat.

“What’s up?” Silas asked.

“Nothing.”

“Hey there my young heroes. Good job with helping Twister. Your team is making a good name for yourselves. What are you called?”

“We’ve got nothing,” Silas admitted. He had hoped they had a name by now.

“Any ideas?” Gauzelle asked Michael.

“Its something you need to decide on your own,” he chuckled. “It took us almost a year to come up with our team name. It needs to reflect who you all are and what you all stand for.”

“Yeah, I’ve got nothing,” said Hunter.

“Neither,” Gauzelle agreed.

“Doesn’t really bother me,” said Jimena. “We are more than just a team name.”

“It’ll come in time,” said Michael.

“How are we looking for The Academy?” Jimena asked.

“Very well indeed.” Michael’s computer started to beep, and he approached the oversized screen. “What’s happening?” he asked. A face obscured by shadow appeared on the screen.

“Remember that pink cloud? She’s back. But she isn’t a cloud. And she isn’t alone.” The voice was gravelly, like someone who had smoked for way too long.

“Who else is with her?”

“Copter and Rampage. They’ve robbed money from a few shops and are now destroying a park.”

“Why are they destroying a park?” Silas asked.

“Rampage just likes destroying things,” said Hunter.

“We had a little trouble last time we ran into Rampage,” said Jimena. “And now we’ve got the three of them?”

“You won’t be alone. I’ll send Claw out to oversee everything. If you’re struggling, he’ll jump in and help.” Michael informed them.

“We needed Traffic Control last time, if Rampage has that serum,” said Jimena.

“Claw is more than capable. But of course, I can’t stop the police if they send out their own officers.”

“I wouldn’t reject the help, that’s for sure,” said Hunter. “How far are they from here?”

“Looks like they’re two blocks over.” Michael squinted at the screen and nodded.

“That’s convenient,” said Silas.

“Claw will make his way over there. Be careful.” The teens made their way out of the school through the backdoor in Michael’s base. As they made their way to the criminals, Jimena’s ribs started to ache again.

They made it to the fight uninterrupted. Copter rotated in the air. Hunter noted he’d acquired another element gun. Hot red flames burst forth, lighting up the trees and grass. He now wore a helmet as well and what looked like basic body armour.

Rampage hadn’t transformed into a monster yet. He was currently pulling a car apart. Hunter noticed all the cars around had been destroyed.

The biggest change was Woolpack. Her cotton candy body was shaped to look like a human, complete with cotton candy hair. Woolpack stood there, taking in the carnage, laughing.

“What’s the plan?” Silas asked.

“Gimme a sec.” Flashes of what had happened to Hunter last time he encountered Rampage went through his mind. He was a little apprehensive about fighting the trio.

“You all right?” Jimena asked Hunter.

“Yeah. Just, its three of them. Its not going to be easy.”

“We’re with you Hunter,” said Gauzelle.

“Silas, you focus everything you can on Rampage. Jimena, you should be able to easily take out Copter if you destroy his rotor blade. Gauzelle, you’re with Silas. Offer support in any way you can. I’ll take on Woolpack.”

“Right,” the team replied at once.

“You think you kids got this?” Hunter snapped to his left and a figure came out of the shadows. The voice was the one that had informed Michael about the activity the three criminals were up to.

He lit a cigarette. He wore a red tee-shirt and black combat pants. He wore army boots and over his tee-shirt he wore a flack jacket. One of his arms was metal that ended in five pincer-like fingers. He had a holster around his left leg, but Hunter couldn’t make out what it was.

“I take it you’re Claw?” Hunter asked.

“What gave it away?” Claw chuckled.

“To answer your question, we’ve got this.” Jimena answered. “Mite, we still following your plan?”

“Yeah.” Hunter nodded and watched the three villains laying waste to the area.

“Michael’s given me a rundown. Stay safe, if you need help, just call out. I’d rather help young heroes than see them dead.”

“We’ll be right. Okay team, lets go.”

Silas inflated, Gauzelle wrapped around his leg and they went speeding toward Rampage.

Jimena bit her lip to ignore the pain in her ribs and ran for Copter. He turned to her and flames burst forward toward her. Jimena dove and rolled to the side, barely missing the searing heat.

“Your friends with Mite and Balloon Boy, are you? They’re a joke,” Copter rose higher into the air and flipped a switch on his gun.

“From what I hear, you’re a joke too.” Jimena focussed and shot out one of her slime balls. It whizzed past Copter. He laughed and shot out a geyser of water at Jimena. It hit her square on and pressed her into the ground.

Hunter approached Woolpack. She looked to him and waved.

“Hey there darlin’. How you doing?” She stretched out one of her arms and punched Hunter in the gut. It was much harder than he thought it would be.

“You’re looking a little different,” said Hunter.

“Yeah. I’ve got more control now. Had a little help from a mysterious benefactor. We all have,” Woolpack nodded to both Copter and Rampage.

“So you’ve got yourself some teammates. So what.”

“You happened to beat me last time with help. These two have a bone to pick with your team too. Well done on making some enemies Mite.”

“Means we’re being taken seriously.” Hunter smiled and opened his dust and brought them around his arms.

“Beware who you annoy.” Woolpack ducked to the ground, spun, and sent a leg out at Hunter. He was swept off his feet and landed on his backside.

“I’ve seen you before. At the cop station,” Rampage yelled. “You were pretty annoying.” Rampage snapped his neck, cracking it.

“Is he tough?” Gauzelle asked.

“Not so bad. Depends if he has this serum Jimena and Hunter mentioned.” Silas crashed into Rampage’s chest. He knocked the large villain back a step before being swatted away.

“Gauzelle, bind his legs and I’ll come back faster and harder.”

“Right.” Gauzelle unwrapped from Silas’s leg and slithered along the ground. She wrapped up tightly around Rampage’s legs.

“Who are you?” Rampage pried her off his legs. She wrapped down his arm. She formed the top half of her body and laid a few punches into Rampage.

“That tickles,” Rampage laughed. He grabbed Gauzelle, ripped her from his arm and held her out. “Magical bandages? There are some real lame powers here.” He tried to throw Gauzelle, but she flicked the other end up and wrapped around his head.

“Nothing more boring than super strength.” Gauzelle called out.

Silas came flying back and slammed into Rampage’s head. Rampage fell over. He grabbed at his face, grabbing Gauzelle and ripping her off his face.

“Can you do this?” Rampage fetched a needle from the pocket of his shorts and punched it into his thigh. Rampage turned into the monster Jimena and Hunter had faced before.

“So that’s what it does,” Silas sighed. He watched Rampage stand and bounced away just before a giant fist collided with him.

“A little scary,” Gauzelle commented. She attached herself to Silas just before he flew away.

“You’re nothing to worry about,” Copter gloated. Jimena had missed most of her shots. Copter had gotten her leg with a burst of flame and her eyes widened in horror when she saw electricity come out of his gun.

“Neither are you.” Jimena formed a large slime ball and shot for Copter’s rotor blades again. She finally landed a hit. The blades came to a stop in the slime.

Sputtering and smoke came from Copter’s backpack. He jerked up and down and then dropped to the ground.

Copter pulled himself up and shot a bolt of electricity at Jimena. She failed the dodge and was shaken with a white-hot pain throughout her body. Jimena collapsed to the ground.

Hunter watched as Jimena collapsed to the ground. Copter stood there, laughing over her. Woolpack’s fist collided with Hunter’s cheek. Hunter flew a few feet and hit the ground.

“Your fights’ with me.” Woolpack closed in. She shot a fist out at Hunter again. He snapped his arms up, forming a shield with the dust.

“I’ll just keep hitting you.” Woolpack punched with rapid fire. Hunter’s shield didn’t last long before it crumbled away. It willed the dust back up but had taken another fifteen punches before it was ready. Hunter struggled to see Woolpack through his watery eyes.

“Claw!” Hunter screamed out.

Claw was there in a heartbeat. His metal arm swung in low and grabbed Copter. He pulled his feet out from under him and punched with such power that Copter’s helmet cracked. Copter was out.

Silas sped toward Rampage. Rampage grabbed Silas and slammed him into the ground doing a piledriver. Silas deflated, knocked out.

Gauzelle wrapped around Rampage’s throat and pulled as hard as she could. Rampage tried grabbing her, but his claws made it impossible to reach her.

“Time to go to sleep, you bastard.” She continued to squeeze. Rampage’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed.

“Mite, are you okay?” Gauzelle called out. She ran over to Hunter and wrapped herself around Woolpack. Gauzelle sunk into Woolpack. Woolpack’s body separated and Gauzelle fell to the ground. Woolpack reattached herself.

“You thought that would work?” Woolpack laughed.

“This might,” Claw ran over. He grabbed the weapon in the sheath. It was a gun of sorts. A white-blue beam shot from the gun. Ice formed at Woolpack’s feet and started to freeze up her body.

Within moments, Woolpack was encased in ice.

The battle over, Hunter lay down on his back and let out a deep sigh.

“Thanks Claw.”

“No worries kid. They were tough. Imagine if they had four.”

Watching over the whole battle, a figure in a cape hidden in the shadows disappeared without a sound.