Trident Force Chronicles

by Paul Richardson

  Red-Eye Destrobot tried to get up, but he slipped and fell into the water himself.

  Green Silk #2

  (2015/11/02)

  Sandra Padgett awoke with a start. She was now in a hospital bed hooked up to all kinds of wires and was totally confused.

  "Oh snap!" snap Dante, Sandra Padgett's friend, next to her, which only further startled Sandra Padgett. He had been snoozing next to her since he got to the hospital.

  "Oh Dante, what happen?"

  ***

  "...and so Harry Hendrickson promised not to press charges and pay for the medical expenses if you promise not to sue." explained Dante as they left the hospital a couple of hours later.

  "I can not believe it! Now that creep Harry Hendrickson has long bulldoze that helpless tree and is building his awful nuclear bomb just waiting to happen!"

  "And to top it off, we did not actually get that much media coverage." said Dante trying to keep up with an angry Sandra Padgett. "The Westgate Wire only devoted a small five lines to us about the groundbreaking ceremony. No one cares about Occupy Glass Street anymore."

  Sandra Padgett stopped dead in her tracks. Tears streaming down her face. "Go home Dante. We will regroup and think of something else."

  When Dante left, Sandra Padgett turn back to where she had come and walked up to a limo parked on the curb. The driver was already waiting and open the door for her. There sat an middle age gentleman reading the newspaper.

  "A whole five lines." said the older man. "Oh how the mighty have fallen."

  "Okay, dad, you do not need to rub it in." said Sandra Padgett with a heavy sigh. Dennis Padgett put the paper away.

  "Honey, when are you going to give up this 'hippie' thing and come work for me. You did study finances in that very expensive university I sent you."

  "But I dropped out!"

  "You still know some things! I am the boss! I can hire whoever I want!"

  "I-" said Sandra Padgett as she turned to look at him. A smile was on Dennis Padgett's face. "I will think about it."

  "That's all I ask. You want to come home tonight?"

  "No, I rather my own apartment." Dennis Padgett handed her fifty dollar bill and kissed her on the forehead.

  "Don't go spending it all in one place, now." Sandra Padgett smiled at her father's words. He always made her feel like a little girl. Sandra Padgett both loved and hated that about him. "I do love you, very much."

  ***

  Back in her run down apartment in Leftover Hill, she went to her fire escape. She was on the top fourth floor and the ladder from her fire escape landing to the roof had long since broken. Since the idea was to escape the building, not get on the roof during a fire, so no one had fixed it.

  Looking around to see if anyone was watching, she looked at her palms and then slowly put them on the wall just above her window. Then she felt her grip the wall with nothing but her palm. Then, as if she did not weigh anything, she pulled herself up. Soon she was scaling up the wall like it was nothing.

  "Wow!" said Sandra Padgett after she climbed up and onto the roof. "So it wasn't a dream after all!"

  Now on the roof, she looked closer to her wrists. Sandra Padgett notice a single small slits on each arm. After a long hour, Sandra Padgett was to figure out how to shoot webbing from her wrists. One of the long web strings hit the billboard on the next building. It took her a minute to figure out how to dislodge the webbing from her arm with two quick yanks.

  While satisfied for now, Sandra Padgett returned to her apartment and took a long hot shower. Her next move was the make a costume. Wait until the world gets a load of the Green Silk!

  Blue Star #2

  (2012/10/09)

  Patricia Johansen, in the months since Natasha had ran away, had cut her long blonde hair and had redoubled her personal archery training. Patricia Johansen was seeing Natasha's father in the city jail later today to see if he had any information on the teen. Waking up at two in the morning and not able to go back to sleep, Patricia Johansen wanted to shoot some arrows to expend some energy. Putting on a pair of white panties and her old white shirt with the faded blue star, went into the huge living room where she had her target set up with bow and her hand guard.

  Her rich Glass Street uncle had died and left her everything a few years ago, including this apartment. Having now more money than God, she was able to retire from the WCPD, and became a part-time auxiliary police officer, and focus on becoming a philanthropist. Since this apartment's living room was huge, she was able to fit a decent target to shoot arrows. It was always a great ice breaker at charity parties. After shooting two arrows into the target and loading the third one into the bow, a very naked Asian woman with unbrushed hair walked in the living room rubbing her eyes.

  "Patricia," said the woman in very feminine but croaky voice. "Are you coming back to bed or what?"

  Patricia Johansen gave the naked Asian woman a long sideways glance. Then she looked back at the target and drew her third arrow in a fluid motion, hitting the arrow in a nice tight grouping with the other two.

  "Oh yeah."

  ***

  At the Westgate City Correctional, or the "Iron Zoo" as the Westgate City criminal underworld had grown to call it, Patricia Johansen sat across the glass window of the jail that held Jacob, the father of Natasha, on the other side. After a long minute, Jacob pick up his phone so he could talk to Patricia Johansen.

  "You." Jacob said with as much contempt as he could muster. "Have you come to gloat."

  "Natasha is missing. Ran away." said Patricia Johansen, getting right to the point. "I was hoping you might know where she is."

  "Do you know I am looking at a dime, minimally, here because I robbed that store with a gun?!"

  "Look, I did not make you rob that store! Especially with a gun!" shot Patricia Johansen back angrily. "That was all you! I can not do anything for you! What I can do is make sure Natasha is found and you can help me to find her! I mean, do you even care about her?!"

  "How can you say that, yes I care about her!" responded Jacob with tears pouring out of his eyes. "You know, they pump you with this nonsense that a father has to be the breadwinner. To bring home the bacon, in a way, to his family. But how can you do that with no jobs? How?!"

  Jacob broke down and cried in his arms for a few minutes. Patricia Johansen sat quiet for a time, letting Jacob cry out. When he started to calm down, Patricia Johansen pleaded with the man.

  "Help me find Natasha, please."

  "Yes, alright." said Jacob, collecting himself. "Natasha's maternal grandmother lives in Leftover Hill's West Melbourne neighborhood. She might be there."

  West Melbourne and East Melbourne neighborhoods where the Leftover Hill's leftovers went. The gangs were so in control there, that even the Westgate Sentinel himself had trouble there. The last twenty or so years, 'Ma Melbourne' ruled West Melbourne and 'Pa Melbourne' ruled East Melbourne.

  "My goodness." said Patricia Johansen. "Why would Natasha's maternal grandmother want to live there?"

  "You do not get it, do you?" asked Jacob with a wary smile. "Natasha's maternal grandmother is 'Ma Melbourne' herself."

  Red Spade #2

  (2013/05/24)

  It was not the case that the newly minted Red Spade did not want to patrol the more dangerous neighborhoods of Leftover Hill. No forRed Spade, crime was crime. It was because he wanted to come home at night. He had a wife, Rebecca and Jack Jr. (or "JJ" for short). At the end of the day, Red Spade was really Jack Spade and also wanted to look out for them. So he patrolled Emerald Gardens for the time being.

  Red Spade was a real working class hero. After he brought down that motorcycle thug some two years ago, he has become something of a legend. People here in Emerald Gardens praise Red Spade for stepping up where Westgate Sentinel let them down. Two Emerald Gardens' labor pools now take up a collection so that he can be their hero full time. Red Spade thought that the Westgate Sentinel would return to the hearts people of Emerald Gardens i
n time, so he let the people praise him for now.

  Red Spade's uniform reflected his working class status. He had a yellow hard hat with combat goggles on to give him some protection. Red Spade was able to get a bullet proof jacket. On it, he was able to get a Red Spade printed on it, tilted to the right. Red Spade was able to make himself a holster for his shovel. Despite everything, Red Spade still had his long red Irish beard. Red Spade himself got a small motorcycle in order to better get around.

  Red Spade had gotten into a pattern driving around Emerald Gardens to cover the hot spots in the shortest amount a time. Soon, he was making the rounds and getting home by six o'clock in order to watch his favorite news program, Fox News' Special Report with Bret Baier. Only rarely did he stay out longer.

  Some days were harder than others. Those days the criminals had a gun and he barely got out of these scraps with his life. Luckily, most of these guys were bad shots and he has not been hit yet. Red Spade thanks God he is still alive.

  Always on Friday he drove the family car, so he can get groceries on the way home. Someone had the misfortune to try to rob the grocery story while Red Spade was getting groceries this Friday night. After shoveling the thug to the WCPD, the grocery store gave him 10% off what Red Spade was getting that day.

  When Red Spade return home this day, Rebecca Spade seemed upset. At first Jack Spade did not pick up on his wife's temperament when she pointed out that J.J. was in bed.

  "Whoa, is everything okay?" asked Jack Spade. He had long since gotten out of his gear and taken a shower by this point.

  "No," Rebecca Spade responded as tears started welling up. "J.J. got in a fight today in school over you."

  "He did?" said Jack Spade with real concern in his voice. "I better talk to the kid."

  Jack Spade went into his son's room. The nine year old boy was lying in his bed with his sleepwear.

  "Hey champ." Jack Spade patted the boy on the head and messed up his hair a little. "You want to talk to me about what happen today."

  "Not really." said J.J. sheepishly.

  "Oh, that's not an option. Come on man, you can tell me anything. Why did you get in a fight today over me?"

  "Some of the kids at school said you are not a hero. That you are just a guy with a shovel. So I hit them."

  "I see." said Jack Spade sadly. "I am really disappointed in you right now. You should stand up to bullies son, but unless they hit you, you don't hit them. I do not go out there and pick fights. I am out there to stop fights and try to stop some people from hurting other people. You understand?"

  "Yes dad." said J.J. on the verge of crying.

  "Now I still love you, but I am going to have to punish you. Did your mom take away your Xbox One controllers already?" J.J. nodded between sniffles. "Okay then, two weeks and you can get them back."

  "Two weeks?"

  "Three weeks. You want to push for a fourth?" J.J. zipped his lips. "Now I don't think a spanking is in order tonight. But don't you go around starting fights, do you hear me? Say your prayers, brush your teeth, and go to sleep."

  J.J. nodded. Jack Spade kissed J.J. on the forehead (with his big bushy beard tickling the boy) and bid him a good night as he left the room.

  Mantis Skin #2

  (2012/02/12)

  The twenty three year old Johnny Kobayashi stood in the middle of an empty warehouse. Light was falling on him and about twenty feet around him. The rest of the warehouse was in deep shadows. Johnny Kobayashi wore a completely green ninja gi from head to toe.

  The Seven Star Praying Mantis Master smiled as he stood in the shadows. There was no more instruction today, just a test of young Johnny Kobayashi's abilities. The final test. To his right stood a table with an iPhone hooked to a docking station and speakers. The music was cued up and all he had to do was press play. Waiting was also part of the test, but he figured that Johnny Kobayashi waited long enough as he reached over and hit play. The dubstep beat of "Control" by Traci Lords filled the warehouse.

  Immediately Johnny Kobayashi got into his Mantis style stance, hooking his figures. At that moment, four other men, each in a black ninja gi, came out of the shadows. One had a Katana sword, one a heavy looking pipe, one a staff, and the last one a gun. Even though he could not technically be hurt, if any of these weapons hits him, Johnny Kobayashi loses. If Johnny Kobayashi has not finish the fight by the time the music ends, Johnny Kobayashi loses.

  'Where is the fifth ninja?' thought Johnny Kobayashi has he launched him against the ninja with the gun, thinking the gun would be the biggest problem. Before the other ninja could take aim with the glock, Johnny Kobayashi quickly caught the other ninja and hooked the gun to toss it aside. Completing the motions, Johnny Kobayashi knock the ninja to the ground (enough to take the wind out of the man, but not seriously hurt him).

  Just in time, Johnny Kobayashi dived out of the way of the falling staff weapon. When Johnny Kobayashi got back to his feet, he was face to face to face with the pipe and Katana wielding ninjas. Grabbing the heavy pipe, Johnny Kobayashi then used the pipe to deflect a series of Katana blows while still holding onto the pipe ninja. Soon Johnny Kobayashi was able to tag the Katana ninja and sent the man sliding on his back. The pipe ninja followed the Katana ninja in short order.

  Johnny Kobayashi still had the pipe, so he threw the pipe at the staff ninja and distracted him long enough for Johnny Kobayashi to disarm and lay the staff ninja on his back.

  It was at this moment that the Seven Star Praying Mantis Master came out of the shadows with a single pair of nunchucks. Johnny Kobayashi re-established his Mantis style fighting stance and waited for an opening.

  'So, sensei is my last opponent.' Soon, Johnny Kobayashi realized that the Seven Star Praying Mantis Master was repeating the nunchucks moves. Seeing the pattern, Johnny Kobayashi was able to disarm his sensei, land two blows, and sweep the man off his feet. Just at that second, the music came to an end. After the exchange of customary bows and the other four men had left, Johnny Kobayashi turned to his sensei and held out the nunchucks.

  "You started training with them, sensei?" said Johnny Kobayashi as he placed the nunchucks in his sensei's hand.

  "I have nothing more to teach you, Johnny Kobayashi." said the Seven Star Praying Mantis Master with a smile. "I hear you are heading off to Texas A&M University to get your Doctor of Engineering degree. Congratulations! I am sure you will keep up with your training too?"

  "Thank you and yes, sensei." said Johnny Kobayashi has he removed the gi's head covering. "My father wants me to come work for Martian Rose Mechanics after I finished there and developed my new body armor. I plan to head there this summer to start work year round to finish my degree."

  "We are all proud of you, Johnny Kobayashi." The Seven Star Praying Mantis Master place his hand on the boy's shoulder. "You have come a long way in ten years. I foresee you will have a huge impact on this world."

  Trident Force #2

  (2015/11/02 and 2015/11/04)

  "Oh good," said Westgate Sentinel, then turn to one of the police sergeants. "Hey, sergeant. Will you please arrest these three for vigilantism."

  All three of the Trident Force took a step back. A female police sergeant walked up to Westgate Sentinel and took a long look at Blue Star, Red Spade, Mantis Skin, then returned his gaze to Westgate Sentinel.

  "You know as well as I do, according to the Super Citizen Arrest Act of 1990, that you yourself champion, as long as they are willing to make a statement and are not carrying any firearms, they are free to go." said the police sergeant. Westgate Sentinel glared at the police sergeant for a full minute before turning to the Trident Force members. Then the Westgate Sentinel took off without saying another word. After he was out of sight, police sergeant walked up to the trio. "I am Sergeant Yuriar. Do not worry about Westgate Sentinel. Under all that tin, he is a pussy cat. Oh, I know who you are Red Spade. Great work in the Gardens. Patricia Johansen-"

  "Blue Star now." said Patricia Johansen with a smile.
<
br />   "Okay then. You guys know that Patricia Johansen, err Blue Star is a part-time auxiliary police officer and brought down two gangs in the Leftovers?" Both Red Spade and Mantis Skin nodded. Sergeant Yuriar pointed to Mantis Skin. "And, I am sorry, but I do not recognized you."

  "Mantis Skin." said Mantis Skin, giving Sergeant Yuriar a slight bow. "I just more or less started."

  "Welcome to Hot Draconia, the other hell hole of Westgate City." said Sergeant Yuriar to the Trident Force. "Let us get statements from you guys and get you on your way."

  ***

  "I am slightly disappointed in you, Westgate Sentinel." said Mayor Joseph 'Smokeless Joe' Sperrazza as he threw down the paper. The eighty year old and bald Smokeless Joe had seen better days. A huge scar ran down the left side of his face that left him blind in his left eye. The headline on the front page of the Westgate Wire read 'Trident Force's $40 Million Marijuana Bust' and the subtitle read 'Is Westgate Sentinel Losing His Edge?' "Up until now these two bit hero wannabes have not been a problem. Now they are a problem! We had a deal! Now the family in Hot Draconia is breathing down my neck and The Eye in White Sands is getting antsy, seeing that they are the new guys!"