Chapter 2: Smash Hit
Wednesday: This isn't working.
Britannica: Just give it time.
Vegi-La: We've been standing like this for over ten minutes.
Ace: My arms are getting tired.
Britannica: We have to summon Dark Wednesday and DLD.
5 minutes later
Wednesday: This isn't working.
Britannica: Just give it a little more time.
Vegi-La: We've been standing like this for over fifteen minutes.
Ace: My arms are getting tired.
Cowgirl Jack: Maybe if we chant or something.
Di Bat Pho: I thought we did not like Chant.
Registered Member 552: We don't. She meant we should—
Midnight Spectre: Try shutting up! I can't concentrate with all this noise
!
Wednesday: Oh look, he's mad again.
Vegi-La: Can I at least open my eyes?
Midnight Spectre: I'M NOT MAD
!
Wednesday: Okay, Sparky
.
Ace: Really, my arms are getting tired.
Britannica: SHUSH!
Ace: Don’t shush me. You SHUSH!
Cowgirl Jack: SHUSH!
Registered Member 552: That’s not very lady-like.
Di Bat Pho: SHUSH!
Britannica: SHUSH!
Di Bat Pho:
Britannica: Sorry. Got carried away.
Midnight Spectre: All of you, SHUSH
!
Wednesday: This isn't working.
A loud rumbling noise from above causes the team to look and see that, in seconds, the sky has gone from blue to crimson red. DBP glances to see her worry mirrored in her fiancé’s face. Midnight tightens his hold of CJ’s hand.
Ace: What the—
A falling light in the distant sky stops his obscenity dead its tracks. The team watches as a huge chunk of glowing rock descends from nowhere in the sky, leaving a long trail of smoke in its wake. If someone did't do something soon, it would strike populated land just over the horizon.
Then someone does something. Just before impact, the fiery meteor turns from its intended course…
…And heads straight for the JLR.
Britannica: JLR, go!
Windows shatter when they scatter to either side of the road. It slams into the ground, demolishing buildings, crushing and combusting cars, and melting gravel as it digs along the street. A few seconds after hitting the exact spot where the JLR had stood the meteorite is over a mile away.
But so was Midnight.
There was already too much devastation in this small town, but, for what it’s worth, the JLR did everything they could and more. DBP, Brit, Ace, and Vegi-La used projectiles to rescue as many as they could from the rubble. RM used his strength to divert the gushing water from torn away fire hydrants and put out as many fires as he could.
Clockwork.
Midnight gave himself just enough of a lead then ran directly in front of the rock. He was now in the outskirts of town, less risk, but in less than a minute he and the chunk of cosmic rock would reach Lavannah, a very populated city. He knew it would hurt, but he had no time for second thoughts and pushed against the burning meteorite. His struggle made a small difference, he could feel it slowing down, but it wouldn’t be enough to stem the loss of life. If he was at his full ability, before The Room of Spirit and Time, before his power waned, he could have saved countless lives. He thought about all those lives and pressed his weight and might against the body of rock with everything he could.
Cowgirl Jack: Need a hand?
CJ leaned against her teammate, using his body as a barrier from the heat, but it still burned. She had to try something new. The gears in her speed boots clicked and she ran in the opposite direction of the meteorite, giving added resistance. Sparks flew from her heels as sweat ran down their faces.
Cowgirl Jack: We're not gonna make it!
Midnight Spectre: We have to!
She ran faster still. Her fight added just enough and they stopped.
Cowgirl Jack: We made it.
Midnight Spectre: Thanks to you.
Cowgirl Jack started to fall back, but only bumped something hard. She turned around and three inches from her nose the grey, back wall of Lavannah’s First Municipal Center stood. Several judges, police, and civilians peered out and down their windows at the cooling rock and huffing heroes. More than one had peed their pants.
Wednesday stood in the middle of the street, looking straight ahead, down the path of destruction. He looked to his left and watched Brit and DBP pull a mother and child from the debris of their apartment. He looked to his right to see RM showering down a car mashed into what used to be the town’s favorite convenience store.
Wednesday closed his eyes and laid his palms to the ground. He could feel something surge from him and into the ground. Soon he could almost feel everything around him and down the miles of destruction.
He lost his breath for a moment and almost choked. Then with a cough he opened his eyes, stood up, and looked around.
Other than the shocked faces around him, there was no sign of any devastation. It would later be hailed as a miracle.
Ace: What was that?
Wednesday: I don’t know... All of a sudden, I just knew... My new power, I guess. I didn’t think I could do this, though.
Britannica: On such a high scale. I’ve never seen anything like it.
CJ and Midnight zoomed back into the scene, equally surprised.
Midnight Spectre: How did this happen?
Cowgirl Jack: That's what I'd like to know. You guys can fix an entire town in three minutes, but it's been months and you still haven't fixed the hole in the roof back home.
Ace: CJ, you’re all blistered.
Wednesday: Let me look at that.
BOOM!
With a loud crackle, a bright light appears in the center of the gathering. The JLR step back as gusts of air threaten to take their footing and throw them back. After a few moments, a motorcycle emerges from the light, carrying a man in a glittery, silver motorbiking outfit. Finally, the light disappears, the man gets off the bike, and takes off his helmet. With a shake of his head his hair regains its bounce and he smiles brightly.
Wednesday: Oh no.
Ace Rimmer: Smoke me a kipper. I’ll be back for breakfast
!
To be continued...
