1.32

The destruction in the area was fierce. Many buildings had been destroyed. Not a single car had gone undamaged. Trees were uprooted and civilians were scattered, injured and some were possibly dead.

Clara was infuriated. She had just seen her son be skewered and now Cardinal Knight, an old member of her husband’s team, The Victories, was standing in front of her. Michael had just reported this once legendary hero was the one behind upgrading and organizing the criminals that had given her son and his friends trouble.

Woolpack stood frozen in ice. Copter was unconscious on the ground and Rampage had a three-storey building collapse on top of him. Silas was also out.

“What are you doing Halle?” Clara asked.

“Hello Clara. I didn’t expect you to be here. I though you were still a drunken wreck at home on your couch.”

Clara darted toward Halle. Halle’s cape came to life. It fanned out and from within, hundreds of small phantasmal birds ploughed into Clara. Clara was lifted high into the air and the assault stopped. She plummeted but managed to twirl just in time to land on her feet.

Jimena stood next to Clara. Halle’s latest subordinate stood next to her. The fingernails grew, looking like malicious knives.

“Is that?” Jimena asked.

“Yep. Keegan trusted you Halle. How do you think he’d act knowing you put his son in danger?” Clara asked.

“Doesn’t matter, he’s dead.” Halle flicked out her coat again, releasing more phantasmal birds. The birds instantly disappeared on impact, only to be replaced by more birds. Clara was knocked to the ground. Jimena shot her slime balls at the birds to no effect.

Dagger-like fingernails sped for Jimena, she ducked and rolled. One of the nails zigzagged and turned back on her. It cut across her right shoulder, leaving a deep gash.

As this was happening, Gauzelle slid along the ground and came to Hunter. The panic she had eased when she noticed Hunter was still breathing.

“C’mon dude. Your mom needs help.” Gauzelle wrapped herself as tightly as she could, covering most of his wounds. She pushed with the end of her bandage and was able to get Hunter into a sitting position. Gauzelle then used his own hand to slap him several times until he began to stir.

“Wha-” Hunter moaned.

“Your mom and teammate need your help. Some weirdo with ghost birds is attacking them. Nail person is also fighting.”

“Birds. Cardinal Knight?” Hunter snapped to attention as his mind pieced together the information. He looked over and saw the four fighting among the debris.

“We gotta hurry. I don’t know how well they’re going to do,” Gauzelle urged.

“Where’s Silas?” Hunter asked.

“He went over that way.” Gauzelle spun Hunter’s body.

“We should go check on him.” Hunter started to run toward his downed friend, but his body jerked in the opposite direction. “What are you doing?”

“The fight’s this way. We’re needed.”

“Silas could be hurt.” Hunter fought against Gauzelle and pulled as hard as he could. The blood from his wounds started to spread.

“I don’t know how long I can staunch the bleeding. We need to help them.” Gauzelle pulled and Hunter almost fell over.

“My mom is more than capable. She was one of the greats.” Clara’s body flew past Hunter and Gauzelle. She slammed into a building, leaving an impact mark on the rendered building front.

“Was. Hunter, c’mon.” Hunter stopped fighting and they ran over to check on Clara.

“Mom, you okay?” Hunter helped his mother to her feet.

“I’ve been out of the game for too long. Bit rusty.”

“What’s the plan?” Hunter asked.

“We beat them.” Clara raced toward Halle and her sidekick. Hunter ran along beside her.

Fingernails shot out toward Hunter and Clara. Clara sidestepped and smashed them with her truncheon. Gauzelle helped Hunter dive out of the way just in time.

Birds came for Clara. She pushed a button on her gauntlet and an energy shield expanded. She braced for the impact. The birds smashed into the shield and she was pressed back. Pressing another button, supports came out of her armor and dug into the ground, making her stalwart.

“You two in?” Jimena growled. She stood next to Hunter and Gauzelle. The three of them stared down the wielder of the fingernails.

Fingernails shot out at them. Hunter was jerked to the ground by Gauzelle and Jimena dodged it just in time. Hunter jumped back up and ran toward the attacker.

The nails shot back to pursue Hunter. Jimena concentrated on forming a large slime ball. She opened. the container of pellets and picked out the orange-red ones. She put them into the growing slime ball.

Hunter let loose some dust and directed them in under the hood. The person coughed and sneezed. Hunter let loose more dust and the sneezing and coughing intensified.

The fingernails went haywire. They exploded out in all directions. Everything got skewered.

“Hunter, get down.” Hunter whirled and Gauzelle dropped him just in time to dodge the incoming slime ball. The slime ball exploded against the fingernail manipulator. The hoodie burst into flames. Halle’s subordinate started waving side to side and dropped to the ground and rolled.

“Jimena put it out,” Hunter called. More slime balls splatted against the burning person. The flames were extinguished, and the person lay still on the ground.

Hunter looked to his mother and saw she was struggling to keep up with Cardinal Knight. The hero turned villain was too much to handle.

Now that he wasn’t moving, Hunter noticed that he was feeling lightheaded and woozy in his stomach.

“I don’t think I’ll last much longer,” said Hunter.

Jimena took aim and shot her slime balls at Cardinal Knight. Hunter, with Gauzelle’s help, closed the gap and directed all the dust he could to fly around Cardinal Knight’s head, obscuring her vision.

The former hero struggled to keep up with the onslaught. Cardinal Knight’s cape shot out and birds exploded forth in every direction.

Jimena, Hunter, and Clara were all blown back. The birds continued to blast out. Everything left standing was ripped to shreds.

Laying on the ground, Hunter strained to see Cardinal Knight. She was crouching down and looked to have lost all control of her power.

Then, the attack stopped.

Jimena and Clara pulled themselves up to see Cardinal Knight on the ground at the foot of a building. Silas stood over her, a determined look on his face.

Hunter’s vision went dark.