To The Nines

Home > Other > To The Nines > Page 4
To The Nines Page 4

by Quintin Fortune


  # # #

  The Heroes found themselves in a run-down apartment building that had been turned into a bordello. A few men guarded the front, their muscles trying hard to break the sleeves of their shirts.

  “How many people am I going to have to hit between her and there,” Deadguy questioned.

  “All of them,” Kiri answered.

  “Aw man. I knew I should have eaten my Wheaties this morning.”

  “We will endure,” Lilith remarked, trying to sound encouraging. She walked up towards the building while the two bodyguards began to whistle and catcall her. She simply moved her hands away and the two bodyguards went flying off in those directions.

  “This could be fun,” Kiri stated.

  “Yeah,” Our Hero agreed before the two rushed of after the necromancer.

  The three had a fight on their hands while trying to get from the first floor to the top where the Madam of the bordello resided. As they fought their way up, many of the patrons fled while trying to cover their face but not much else.

  A long, grand hallway separated the team from the Madam of the bordello, Vivian. Along that hallway stood several bodyguards, some with weapons. The office door opened and Madam Vivian stepped out. She had blood red hair that was shaved on the sides and a smart gray business suit. “What do you want,” she snarled.

  “That's a long list,” Our Hero stated. “I would Cliffs Note it for ya, but it wouldn't make any sense. We've been at this all day and I'm still confused, honestly.”

  Lilith pulled Gregory out of her cloak and began the incantation. The bodyguards moved to attack. Deadguy and Kiri moved to stop them. Punches and kicks were thrown. Bodyguards were flipped or knocked out cold as the necromancer started walking forward, continuing her incantation. One bodyguard lunged at Lilith, but Deadguy crashed a right hook on him. He gut checked the man behind the attacker, knocking the air out of him.

  Another bodyguard tried to attack Lilith from behind, but was met with Kiri's Shock-Ra and a swift kick to the stomach. He was sent crashing into the men behind him.

  A deep pink glow began to envelope Madam Vivian. “What...are you...doing,” she strained. The three were almost upon her. The glow began to grow brighter. “Stop it,” she yelled. The remaining bodyguards made a last ditch effort to stop them, but the combined might and finesse of Deadguy and Kiri knocked them away. A deep pink orb of energy pried itself away from the madam. She slumped to the floor, out cold. The orb was sucked into the crystal Lilith held up.

  “You always know how to show a girl a good time DeeGee,” Kiri stated, pushing a wild blond curl out of her eyes.

  “Yeah, well, remind me never to get in a fight with you,” he remarked.

  “Don't pat yourselves on the backs just yet,” Lilith remarked. She held Gregory and wore a worried expression.

  “,” the skull announced.

  “You have got to be kidding me,” Kiri said, looking up at the concrete building. A banner with the name 'New Order Nation' and their eerily familiar symbol underneath “I won't get in the front door.”

  Our Hero was rubbing his fist. “Don't worry. Once we're done, they won't have a front door. Or even a building, for that matter.”

  “Explain,” Lilith requested.

  “A bunch of racist assholes in one area,” the Techie answered. “And I'm two halves of the races they hate.”

  “Then there's me,” Deadguy added. “No one's quite sure what race I am.” He cracked his knuckles and tugged his fingerless fighting gloves. “Let's do some damage.”

  Before Lilith could react, Deadguy had already kicked in the door. “Party time, Poozers,” he called out. The few black leather-clad recruiters that sat in the Reception Area shot up in confusion. A few charged at him, ready for a fight.

  Kiri bolted in behind him, her Mecha Maiden armor on and firing off streams of electricity. The brawl had spilled out into the hallway behind it as more NON Members spilled out into the battle. Lilith stayed behind a bit, more to scare off the fallen NON Members than anything else.

  She looked after the battle, trying to find the one that was inhabited by the soul of Ignorance. Down the hallway and up a flight of stairs stood a clean-cut man with broad shoulders and carried himself with a regal air. She noticed he was more concerned with the battle before him. She pulled out Gregory and focused on him.

  “,” the skull remarked.

  “We will deal with him when the time comes,” Lilith commented. “Right now...” She began her incantation. The man became rigid as the soul tried to stay inside. His body shook as he pulled something out of his pocket.

  “He's got a trigger,” Kiri called out.

  “I didn't say anything to upset him,” Deadguy replied.

  “Not that kind of trigger! A bomb trigger.”

  The inky black orb of Ignorance was ripped from the man. He squeezed the trigger as something started erupting from underneath them.

  “Bombs,” the Techie called out, reading out the display on her visor. “Lots of bombs.”

  “Not the way I usually end a party,” DG remarked. “Time to GTFO!”

  The Heroes raced for the exit along with the remaining NON Members. The building exploded, causing a plume of fire and smoke to fly into the afternoon sky. The soul was drawn into the waiting crystal.

  The three left the smoldering remains of the New Order Nation building. “That was strangely cathartic,” DG said.

  “Yeah, it was,” Kiri agreed. “If that's the worse, then we're in the clear.”

  Lilith shook her head. “Not even close,” she said. “The last two are the most dangerous souls. The ones that were locked away deeper than the others.”

  “



‹ Prev