Issue #6 - "Fire" (Continued)
Scene 2: "Two Heroes in Hiding"
They're gone, the Scoundrel realized as he poked his head out from his hiding place. I only hope they've lost interest, or maybe are too scared to come after me. He smiled.
He looked around, and saw only black rocks and the sea. This place could be miles from shore. With no planes around, and no normal ships in sight, getting back to the mainland could be a real challenge.
The hero jumped out from his ledge, and saw the soldiers and the big blue guy gathered around that submarine-like vessel they came in. The bad guys did not seem all that interested in coming back.
He crawled down and approached the shore. Maybe I could swim off the island. How far could it be?
As the Scoundrel prepared to dive in, he considered that the 'fish-men' did not swim to this island -- they took a ship. If they couldn't swim all the way here from wherever they came, the Scoundrel considered, what chance do I have?
As he looked around for other ideas, he heard a big splash, like something had washed ashore. The Scoundrel turned, and saw a very injured (but alive) Torpedo!
*********************************************
One final thunderous blow dropped the Atlantean captain, and he fell to the ground, never to rise again. Barracuda stood over his failed subordinate, and then gazed at the six soldiers who remained.
(All of this dialogue is in the Atlantean language -- editor)
"Let this fool be an example to the rest of you," Barracuda said. "Failure is not an option. Our supreme leader will not brook any more failures."
One of the more courageous soldiers spoke up. "Do you want us to go after the surface man again?"
Barracuda's look got even more sullen. "Of course not!" he barked. "You can't catch him. He is too fast and too skilled for you. I thought perhaps your numbers would overwhelm him, but he is better than I had imagined."
He turned and spotted a ship on the horizon. "The master returns. He will have news for us."
**********************************************
Torpedo and the Scoundrel huddled in a small cave near the shore. The Atlantean hero was badly hurt, with bite marks and gashes across his chest, arms, and legs.
"So Barracuda thought you were dead?" the Scoundrel asked.
"Yes," Torpedo replied. "Although he sent sharks to finish me off."
"How?"
Torpedo smiled. "Like myself, Barracuda is a mutant Atlantean. He has gained special powers, and one of those powers is the ability to communicate with and control sea creatures, such as sharks."
"Not to mention his strength and bite," the Scoundrel added.
"Yes, those are considerable abilities as well," Torpedo replied.
"But the sharks didn't kill you. I mean, you're here, aren't you?" the Scoundrel asked.
"By the grace of Atlantis, yes, I yet live," Torpedo responded. "I am tougher than Barracuda thinks."
"But... sharks!"
"Unlike those of you who live strictly in the surface world, we Atlanteans are used to sharks, and are not as afraid of them as perhaps you might be -- no offense. We might think of sharks in the way that you would react to a big dog."
The Scoundrel frowned at the suggestion that he was afraid of anything. "If you say so," he replied. "Hey, how did you find this island?"
"This is an island?" the Atlantean hero asked. "I hadn't noticed. Well, I guess we could swim back to the mainland. It's not far."
"Not far for me, or not far for you?" the Scoundrel asked sarcastically.
"Seeing as how I'm not in the best shape," Torpedo answered, "I'm sure we could both make it. Even in my weakened condition, I swim much faster than you. Perhaps you could ride on my back."
"Like a dolphin at those sea park shows?" the Scoundrel asked. "Sounds like fun."
"I suppose," Torpedo said. "Let's start on our way back. Now that we know where this island is located, we should report back to the rest of the team."
"I don't know about you," the Scoundrel commented. "I have no idea where we are."
"Swimming here from San Francisco Bay, I think I can figure out how to get us back. We are about 17 miles from the mainland, southwest of the bay. As we return, I can confirm the exact location of this place should we need to return."
The heroes exited their cave and started toward the ocean. As they did, Torpedo spotted a hydrofoil-like vessel approaching the island.
"Hmm... it appears we have more visitors," he said.
***********************************************
The heroes approached a bluff overlooking the area where the hydrofoil vessel arrived, and those who had arrived in the ship were talking with Barracuda and his soldiers. The Scoundrel and Torpedo recognized the villain Fang with the group, indicating that these villains must have somehow secured the bestial Fang's rescue.
"Barracuda," Trickster said. "I expected far more soldiers than this."
"There were 15 of them when I arrived, but..."
"Don't tell me you ate them," the Duchess suggested.
"Your Scoundrel escaped, Trickster," Barracuda replied. "We tried to stop him, but my men were not up to the task."
The heroes looked at each other. "These must be all of the villains we've been looking for," the Scoundrel whispered.
"There must be eight super-villains down there," Torpedo replied in whisper.
"I think the guy in the hat and trench-coat is the leader," the Scoundrel pointed out. "I've tangled with him. He's dangerous."
"Regardless," Trickster said in response to Barracuda. "I was not looking for an army right now. I just wanted to see what sort of soldiers you could come up with." The villain looked over the Atlanteans. "Nice rifles."
"The device is almost complete then?" Barracuda asked.
"Yes," Lodestone responded. "One part remains to be found, and then the Chaos Engine will be complete."
Torpedo shot a concerned look at his counterpart. "We must leave now," he said. "The others need to know what we're up against!"
"Wait!" the Scoundrel replied. "We should listen to the rest of this."
"The Chaos Engine is nothing to trifle with," Torpedo warned. "We must return to headquarters now, and brief the rest of the team. Decisive action must be taken -- quickly!"
Scene 2: "Two Heroes in Hiding"
They're gone, the Scoundrel realized as he poked his head out from his hiding place. I only hope they've lost interest, or maybe are too scared to come after me. He smiled.
He looked around, and saw only black rocks and the sea. This place could be miles from shore. With no planes around, and no normal ships in sight, getting back to the mainland could be a real challenge.
The hero jumped out from his ledge, and saw the soldiers and the big blue guy gathered around that submarine-like vessel they came in. The bad guys did not seem all that interested in coming back.
He crawled down and approached the shore. Maybe I could swim off the island. How far could it be?
As the Scoundrel prepared to dive in, he considered that the 'fish-men' did not swim to this island -- they took a ship. If they couldn't swim all the way here from wherever they came, the Scoundrel considered, what chance do I have?
As he looked around for other ideas, he heard a big splash, like something had washed ashore. The Scoundrel turned, and saw a very injured (but alive) Torpedo!
*********************************************
One final thunderous blow dropped the Atlantean captain, and he fell to the ground, never to rise again. Barracuda stood over his failed subordinate, and then gazed at the six soldiers who remained.
(All of this dialogue is in the Atlantean language -- editor)
"Let this fool be an example to the rest of you," Barracuda said. "Failure is not an option. Our supreme leader will not brook any more failures."
One of the more courageous soldiers spoke up. "Do you want us to go after the surface man again?"
Barracuda's look got even more sullen. "Of course not!" he barked. "You can't catch him. He is too fast and too skilled for you. I thought perhaps your numbers would overwhelm him, but he is better than I had imagined."
He turned and spotted a ship on the horizon. "The master returns. He will have news for us."
**********************************************
Torpedo and the Scoundrel huddled in a small cave near the shore. The Atlantean hero was badly hurt, with bite marks and gashes across his chest, arms, and legs.
"So Barracuda thought you were dead?" the Scoundrel asked.
"Yes," Torpedo replied. "Although he sent sharks to finish me off."
"How?"
Torpedo smiled. "Like myself, Barracuda is a mutant Atlantean. He has gained special powers, and one of those powers is the ability to communicate with and control sea creatures, such as sharks."
"Not to mention his strength and bite," the Scoundrel added.
"Yes, those are considerable abilities as well," Torpedo replied.
"But the sharks didn't kill you. I mean, you're here, aren't you?" the Scoundrel asked.
"By the grace of Atlantis, yes, I yet live," Torpedo responded. "I am tougher than Barracuda thinks."
"But... sharks!"
"Unlike those of you who live strictly in the surface world, we Atlanteans are used to sharks, and are not as afraid of them as perhaps you might be -- no offense. We might think of sharks in the way that you would react to a big dog."
The Scoundrel frowned at the suggestion that he was afraid of anything. "If you say so," he replied. "Hey, how did you find this island?"
"This is an island?" the Atlantean hero asked. "I hadn't noticed. Well, I guess we could swim back to the mainland. It's not far."
"Not far for me, or not far for you?" the Scoundrel asked sarcastically.
"Seeing as how I'm not in the best shape," Torpedo answered, "I'm sure we could both make it. Even in my weakened condition, I swim much faster than you. Perhaps you could ride on my back."
"Like a dolphin at those sea park shows?" the Scoundrel asked. "Sounds like fun."
"I suppose," Torpedo said. "Let's start on our way back. Now that we know where this island is located, we should report back to the rest of the team."
"I don't know about you," the Scoundrel commented. "I have no idea where we are."
"Swimming here from San Francisco Bay, I think I can figure out how to get us back. We are about 17 miles from the mainland, southwest of the bay. As we return, I can confirm the exact location of this place should we need to return."
The heroes exited their cave and started toward the ocean. As they did, Torpedo spotted a hydrofoil-like vessel approaching the island.
"Hmm... it appears we have more visitors," he said.
***********************************************
The heroes approached a bluff overlooking the area where the hydrofoil vessel arrived, and those who had arrived in the ship were talking with Barracuda and his soldiers. The Scoundrel and Torpedo recognized the villain Fang with the group, indicating that these villains must have somehow secured the bestial Fang's rescue.
"Barracuda," Trickster said. "I expected far more soldiers than this."
"There were 15 of them when I arrived, but..."
"Don't tell me you ate them," the Duchess suggested.
"Your Scoundrel escaped, Trickster," Barracuda replied. "We tried to stop him, but my men were not up to the task."
The heroes looked at each other. "These must be all of the villains we've been looking for," the Scoundrel whispered.
"There must be eight super-villains down there," Torpedo replied in whisper.
"I think the guy in the hat and trench-coat is the leader," the Scoundrel pointed out. "I've tangled with him. He's dangerous."
"Regardless," Trickster said in response to Barracuda. "I was not looking for an army right now. I just wanted to see what sort of soldiers you could come up with." The villain looked over the Atlanteans. "Nice rifles."
"The device is almost complete then?" Barracuda asked.
"Yes," Lodestone responded. "One part remains to be found, and then the Chaos Engine will be complete."
Torpedo shot a concerned look at his counterpart. "We must leave now," he said. "The others need to know what we're up against!"
"Wait!" the Scoundrel replied. "We should listen to the rest of this."
"The Chaos Engine is nothing to trifle with," Torpedo warned. "We must return to headquarters now, and brief the rest of the team. Decisive action must be taken -- quickly!"
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