Bark replied through his voice box, “Yeah, and you get a man who can’t even talk.”
The shuttle controls lit up and Spark sat forward. “Prepare for landing. We're over Tennessee, approaching Knoxv – HOLD ON!!!”
Suddenly Spark turned the shuttle into a hard left, then a hard right. He dodged two green energy blasts coming at them. They flew like mad around the buildings and bridges of Knoxville, barely missing a few disastrous head-on collisions with the glass walls of several skyscrapers. Following them was some kind of flying man with a heavy suit of armor and no head.
“What the hell is that,” Spark yelled while he attempted to out-maneuver the attacker.
Snow unbuckled herself in a brief moment of stable flight and jumped into the copilot’s seat. “How did it find us? Aren’t we cloaked?”
Spark almost answered, but the ship was hit by a green energy blast and sent tumbling out of the sky. It fell right through the downtown area, missing several buildings by only a few inches. The shuttle headed for the river. Spark got control just in time to miss the water’s edge and fly right under the Henley Street Bridge.
“It must be tracking our heat signature. I'll try to mask that.” Spark stopped the shuttle near the bridge and lowered it to the water’s surface. The shuttle changed to look like water. Inside, the cabin went dark as the systems reduced their power output to lower the temperature.
“I'm going to cool us off,” Snow said to Bark, making sure to warn the man wearing nothing but his briefs about the impending temperature change. Holding up both hands, she calmly caused the water particles in the air to slow down, which made the interior cool off significantly.
Bark shivered and held his arms against him. He wanted to do something, but he felt useless right now. “Spark, what can I do to help?”
Spark, who was checking the readouts for a damage report, shook his head and waved a hand at Bark. “Nothing, nothing. Just stay quiet.”
Bark shivered more and frowned. What could he do? He was a hero without the ability to help anyone. Right now, his girlfriend was doing more to save them than he was. He was like the family pet, shuffled out of the way when the situation got dangerous.
Snow stopped cooling things off when the temperature was cold enough. Only she could really feel comfortable in this climate. Spark, also shivering, shut off the damage reports. “The ship is okay, I think. The propulsion and shields are working, but they won’t take much more. These shuttles were not designed for combat.”
Snow nodded. “We're going to have to do something. That thing is attacking us and who knows what it's going to do to find us. There are thousands of people out there in danger.”
Bark held up his condensed staff. “Let me out. Maybe I can get it to fight me, instead of firing random energy blasts.”
Snow smiled. “Hold on. Right now we need to identify it. You may not be able to fight that thing. It is…uh…too powerful.” She chose her words carefully, knowing that Bark was self-conscious about his capabilities on the battlefield.
Bark did not reply. He simply tucked his arms back together and waited for whatever they came up with next.
Snow felt terrible. She really didn’t mean to upset him, but she also didn’t want him to get hurt. She quickly changed the subject back to the task at hand. “Spark, have you located it yet?”
Spark checked his scanners again. "I think. This thing is showing some unique energies. OH NO!”
Just then there were several large blasts, each hitting the waters of the river. The water rocked, rolled, and splashed clear over the shuttle.
Snow fell against a bulkhead but quickly got back to her feet. “How could it have found us?”
"IT DIDN'T! IT’S TAKING POT SHOTS AT US!” Spark started up the engines to move them away from firing range.
They had hardly made it out from under the bridge when the green energy beams blasted the bridge and sent concrete, cars, metal cables, and other various things down into the Tennessee River. The shuttle did not fully escape the rain of debris.
The cabin of the shuttle was crushed pretty badly. It was designed to take a lot of abuse, but an entire bridge falling on it was not calculated. The systems were all destroyed and the shuttle was sinking into the Tennessee River. It took Bark a good deal of strength to rip his belt off. Snow was fine; she was thrown to the ground, which saved her considering a large chuck of concrete was now sitting in her seat. Spark was out cold. Something had slammed into the roof above him and given him a bad blow to the head.
Bark got up and looked at the water flooding into the cabin behind him and then at the hole now cut into the roof of the shuttle. “We have to get out of here.”
Snow got off the floor and brushed some debris out of her hair. “Come on, let’s get Spark up before he drowns.”
They grabbed Spark by the arms, ripped out his safety belt and pulled him clear of his chair. Bark climbed up through the hole to be standing on top of the shuttle and pulled on Spark’s arms while Snow pushed.
Bark was doing a pretty good job when he heard the sound of something flying at them at nearly a super-sonic speed. Bark let go of Spark and let him fall back into the cabin while he crouched down to miss the fire of the green energy beam. Bark flicked his staff to expand it and then prepared himself for another blow. He spread his legs and took a grounded stance, just as Toshi had taught him. The headless body approached and let out an energy blast. Bark let it hit him. It did virtually nothing to him. It shot several more times, but Bark literally absorbed the blows.
“Come on, you can’t hurt me with those attacks. Show me what you got,” Bark called out from his collar.
The body took the prompt and changed arms to fire a small missile at Bark from a wrist-mounted launcher. Bark waited and, at the very moment that the small projectile was about to hit him, he twisted to the side and batted it away from him, sending it down into the water. The ensuing explosion forced the water to erupt upward.
The body flew right at Bark, its arms reaching out to grab the mutt. Bark was patient, waiting until the last moment and then using his staff to pole-vault himself upward and over the body. He grabbed the collar where a neck would be and slammed his knees into the thing’s back. Bark rode it while the body tried to shake him, and they flew furiously over the Tennessee River. The body spun around, dunking Bark over and over into the water. Bark retained his grip. Without warning, it flew right into the water, submerging both of them. Fish hit both of them, and there was a few randomly floating pieces of trash and wood that they both crashed through. Yet, Bark did not lose his grip or drown. Even without a head, the body could not remain under water and it shot out, finally giving Bark air to breathe. Bark kept his left hand gripping tight and hit the armor over and over with the collapsed staff, hoping to break through. It didn’t work. The metal of this armor was tougher than any he had fought against in training.
Just as he was about to rip a metal plate off of the armor, Bark noticed that they were heading right for a train bridge. The body was going to scrape Bark off by going under a cross beam. Bark realized he would have to do something, or his face was going to be awfully rusty in a few moments. With precise timing, he used the collapsed staff to jam right into the hole where a head would be. Just as they reached the bridge Bark yanked up on the staff and used his knees to hit the body right in the middle of the back. He let go in time to jump over the cross beam, while the body slammed into it.
Bark tumbled with the precision of a martial arts master, landing right in the middle of a set of train tracks. He took a moment to catch his breath and make sure that he was still in one piece. He was alright, but something about those energy blasts he had absorbed were making his head feel funny.
The body flew overhead, its arms held out with two energy emitters emerging from the back of the wrists. “Stand down, Villain.”
Bark expanded his staff and prepared to continue fighting. The body flew at Bark, and his weapons just about fi
red when a bright blur ran right under it. The blur clipped the armor’s hovering foot and the whole body was spun head – or really, shoulders – over heels in the air.
“Put me down,” came a familiar voice. Bark turned around to see that Snow was being carried by Spark.
Spark stopped and set her down. “My pleasure, my lady.”
Snow got to her feet and smirked at him. “Next time you put your hand on my butt like that, carrying me or not, you're going to have a miserable case of frostbite.”
Spark grinned. “Sounds like fun.”
Snow was just about to slap him when a red energy beam went right between her and Spark, hitting the tracks not too far from them.
“Stand down, villains. You are under arrest for attacking Knoxville, Tennessee.” The body was at it again.
Snow frowned. “We're not attacking Knoxville! We were summoned.”
“Unclear. Stand down.” The body showed signs of damage. Small sparks were flickering where the armor it had come into contact with the bridge. With its left arm, it shot another red energy beam at Snow. Fortunately, Spark grabbed her hand and moved her out of the way quickly.
“That’s enough.” Spark let go of Snow and ran at the body, hoping to out maneuver it with his superior speed.
The body ran after Spark at almost the same speed, both nothing but a blur to anyone else. Snow and Bark stood together and waited to see who would win this speed contest. Then, with a great thunk, Spark was hit in the side and sent flying against a metal beam of the bridge. He was not seriously hurt, but he was knocked of his senses for a moment.
The body stopped running right in front of Bark and Snow. “You….zzzzzzz….are under a-a-a-a-arrest.” It was obvious that something was not right with this thing.
Snow threw her arms out and a massive white blast of ice hit the armor and froze to it. She was concentrating and forcing the ice to grow, hoping to encompass the body. Soon, both arms and the torso were covered in three inches of ice.
The body was forcing its arm to move, slowly cracking the ice.
“I don’t think this is going to work,” Bark exclaimed.
Snow was about to disagree when the arm thrust through the ice and hit her directly in the shoulder, sending her down and stopping her from ice-tombing this thing.
Bark growled and hit the arm away with his staff. The body attacked him without weapons, having realized that its energy weapons were useless against this foe. Bark was able to keep it from hitting him, but it was a stalemate. Each attack was deflected.
Without warning, the whole body lurched forward as a massive blast of electricity hit it right in the back. Bark used the moment of disorientation to land a harsh kick in its abdomen, sending it down. The body jostled left, then right, then stopped moving. The little lights on the armor dimmed and went off.
Spark, who had used his unique control of electricity, stood up while holding himself against the side of the bridge. “I think we finally got it.”
Bark helped Snow up and was sniffing her arm where she was hit. “Are you okay?”
Snow frowned. “I think so. Why are you sniffing me?”
Bark backed up a little and realized what he was doing. “I…I don’t know. For some reason a part of me thought that I needed to sniff to figure out what was wrong with you. I’m sorry.”
Snow smiled and patted him on the head. “It’s okay. Sometimes I forget that you have a little dog in you.”
Bark stuck one eyebrow up. “A little? Have you noticed the tail?”
Spark, who had returned to them, replied. “Oh, she’s seen your tail.”
Snow did not respond. “Come on, let’s get it off this bridge. Wouldn’t do us much good to have that thing trampled by a train before we can figure out what it is.”
“Stoppppp,” the body announced as it reanimated itself. It sat up and held out an arm to blast them with yet another energy beam.
Bark didn’t take a second to consider his options. He leaned back and lobbed his staff at it. The staff stuck into the chest armor with precision, lodging itself like a spear. The body lay back against the tracks again.
“Good arm,” Spark commented.
Bark smiled at the rare compliment from Spark. “Thanks. No one hurts my girl.”
Snow dusted herself off from being pushed down on the train tracks. “Is he…I mean, is it dead?”
Bark walked over and unceremoniously yanked out the staff. He looked deeply at the wound and shrugged. “I don’t see blood. I don’t even see skin.” He started walking back when the body suddenly lifted its arms, turned over, and stood up.
Bark regained his defensive posture, but it was unnecessary.
“Regeneration required.” The body shot off into the sky, seemingly apathetic to those it had just attacked.
Snow looked at Spark. “What the hell was that all about?”
“I have no idea.” He cocked his head side to side, popping his neck loudly. “Wow, that hurt worse than training with Thrasher.”
All three noticed the scream of sirens as a gathering of emergency vehicles surrounded Henley Street Bridge. Snow asked, “Should we go help?”
Spark thought for a second, then said, “They can handle this. We need to get to this Dr. Ogle’s place. Maybe he knows something.”
Bark came back to them and asked, “What makes you say that?”
Spark walked down the tracks toward where they could get off of the bridge. “He contacted us hoping to receive help from the UCH. My guess is that he knows something about that strange body. Besides, it will be a good place to rest up and get in touch with UCH Headquarters. Now, let’s get off these tracks before a cargo train finds us.”
Snow and Bark followed. Bark was rolling his shoulders and looking at himself funny.
Snow asked, “Is there something wrong?”
Bark shook his head. “No. Well, I don’t think so. I have a funny tingling feeling all over my fur. It’s probably nothing.”
Chapter 5: Getting Ahead
Bark, Snow, and Spark all approached a very old mansion near the University of Tennessee. The house was built just before the Civil War and had several additions built onto it over the centuries. Currently, only one person lived here. The most brilliant mind of the University of Tennessee's science department, Dr. William Ogle, bought this place and had a whole new part added below the basement.
Spark closed his communicator and looked at Snow. “Command is sending down a salvage team to drag the shuttle out of the river. The General will coordinate with the Knoxville police. We are still on orders to speak with this Dr. Ogle and see if he knows anything about that body.”
Snow nodded. “Good. I hate clean-up missions.” She looked back at Bark, who was licking his arm. “Bark, what are you doing?”
Bark stopped licking mid-motion, his tongue out and still dragging across the fur on his arm. “I have no idea.” He let go of his arm and spit a few times to get the hair out of his mouth. “I…uh…was injured. It felt better to….lick it.”
Snow laughed. “Why don’t you let doctor Stone help you?”
In a humorous tone, Spark added, “Yeah, his tongue is much better at that kind of stuff.”
“Ha, ha.” Bark retorted and then, out of nowhere, stated, “Oh, crud.”
Snow frowned. “What is it?”
Bark slumped his shoulders. “My wallet was back on the shuttle. I hope it didn’t float away.”
Snow grinned and sexily pulled the top of her uniform out a little. She reached in and produced his wallet. “I found it after you dropped Spark on me back there. Thought you might want it.”
Bark took it while his eyes were glued on what only he was allowed to stare at. “Thanks.” And, of course, his tail was wagging.
They had just reached the front door. Spark rang the bell and said to Snow, “Remind me to leave my wallet behind a time or two, you can always carry it for me.”
Bark growle
d viscously at him. Snow wasn’t laughing at Spark’s joke, but she was certainly surprised at her man’s response. “Bark, he was only kidding.”
Bark stepped back and stopped growling. The hair on his back was raised, and his fist was clenched. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
Just then, a voice came out of the intercom box by the door. “I'm not seeing students today. Please, go away.”
Spark pressed a button on the intercom. “We aren’t college kids. We are from the UCH. I'm Spark. The General and Josiah Stone sent me.”
“Oh, you're Josiah’s friends. Please come in.” Without warning, the door opened on its own. “Take the stairs down to the basement, and then move the picture on the lowest landing. There you will find a keypad. Press 865 and another door will open. From there, I'll tell you where to go.”
Spark pressed the button again and said, “Understood.” He released the button and looked cautiously at Bark and Snow. “I don’t like this. A deep, dark basement with hidden doors is a recipe for disaster.”
Snow nodded. “I don’t like it either, it's creepy. But we agreed to come.”
Spark reluctantly agreed. “Yes. We're still going in. Just don’t let your guard down.”
Bark tucked his wallet in the side of his briefs and expanded his staff.
All three walked in cautiously and followed the instructions. The house was well preserved on the inside. Whoever lived here clearly loved antebellum history, as there were many pre-civil war artifacts laid about the house. The trio saw military patches and medals from the time of the revolution and paintings from the early days of the colonies. There was a framed letter written and signed by Ben Franklin. In the corner of a sitting room and library was an old, rusty cannon with a pyramid stack of cannonballs beside it. The house itself was just as well-kept. The woodwork was hand-made and maintained beautifully, with intricate designs carved into every hardwood banister and beam. The ceiling was set with embossed tin tiles that were polished perfectly. To a historian, this house was just as good as any museum.
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