|
Registered User
Currently Offline
|
Posts: 225
Join Date: Jan 2008
|
Months have passed since mafia don Franklin Harrier tried to get his hands on the power of the crimson shield. During this time some important things have happened. Hercules Cole the hero called Voltage, Melanie Neidich the heroine called Bombshell, and newcomer Orion Smith naming himself after the Crimson Shield he now carries founded what was to become known to the world as the Superhuman Defense League.
Six months earlier…
As the trio stood over an unconscious Kremlin the security guard bent down to look him over “he’s not dead” Orion said checking the Russian’s pulse.
Voltage channeled his electrical energy into the absorbing Bombshell and the two of them performed a temporary telepathic invasion. Reaching into the unconscious Kremlin’s mind they searched for the whereabouts of the mysterious Midnight Avenger. Finding his location in a sewer tunnel the three of them jumped into action.
They arrived just in time to save the Avenger from being shot in the face as he lay helpless in the sewage covering the floor. Voltage zapped the Dark Eagle with a bolt while Orion positioned himself between the vigilante and the Eagle protecting Midnight with his shield.
As the Dark Eagle was struck by the lightning, Bombshell tackled him, pinning the hit-man to the ground.
Present Day…
John Dark aka the Midnight Avenger is back home in Saint Katherine’s Bay recovering from his wounds. The Superhuman Defense League offered him membership on the team but he refused citing “I am done with the mask. I rushed into this and almost got myself killed. Had you guys not been there I would most likely be dead. I appreciate the offer but I need a lot more training before I try to tackle the bad guys again.”
Thousands of miles away on a remote island, somewhere in the South Pacific…
“Mistress the ritual is almost complete” a shadowy man bows before his master.
“Good Kokushibyou, once I have raised the General from the dead he will make a most loyal servant, as have you” the robed woman says endearingly.
With that Kokushibyou Shakou, the shade ninja departed to attend to his duties while Ichiko Shi; the necromancer put herself into a trance and readied herself for the final spell.
Close by two warriors watch the ritual with disgust as they weigh their options…
“Master we must act at once. If they succeed all is lost” the young woman said impatiently.
“Remember your training my student. We must not rush into battle heedlessly. There are alternatives to consider.”
“You are right as always” the woman said with resignation in her voice “what if I got in unseen and disrupted the ritual?”
“Now you are thinking my child. Use your inherit talents and you will succeed. We will both go in unseen.”
The shinobi warrior, Shadou, and his young apprentice Alicia both began delving into their inner chi. Focusing their will they starting phasing out of existence, becoming invisible to the naked eye. Shadou, being far more experienced, was invisible in a matter of seconds whereas Alicia took a full five minutes to complete the transformation.
Once the two became “ghosts” they slipped past Ichiko Shi’s perimeter guards and made their way into the ritual chamber where they came within inches of bumping into the shade ninja, Kokushibyou Shakou. As they watched him finish drawing strange symbols on the dirt floor Shadou acted.
He seemed to materialize out of nowhere and drew his twin katana blades as he did so. Kokushibyou was taken aback for only an instant and then he too drew his own hook bladed swords. As the two warriors struck blow after blow Alicia went around still unseen and erased the strange symbols by kicking the dirt with her feet.
Kokushibyou summoned his power and engulfed his fists in flame as he struck out towards the shinobi master. Shadou’s left arm was slightly singed before he could flip out of the way. Alicia noted the other ritualistic items in the room and destroyed each one in turn. Suddenly a loud cackle flooded the chamber.
Ichiko Shi had walked in with a half man, half monkey following her. The ritual was completed! The hidden warriors had been too late! The monkey king had returned to life! Upon seeing this Shadou struck out swiftly with his katana cutting a large chunk of flesh out of the shade ninja’s leg allowing himself to break away and confront the new threat.
Alicia materialized at the same instant and flanked Sun Wukong from the left. The monkey king was dressed in his fabled golden armor, winged boots, and feathered cap all of which granted him amazing powers. He held in his hands his iron staff in a defensive position as he surveyed his opponents. A ferocity was in his eyes and a paleness to his skin. Alicia realized at once that he wasn’t up to full strength, he was being controlled like a puppet therefore he could be outsmarted.
Shadou must have realized this too because he quickly began summoning his chi. He unleashed a powerful blast of force that struck Wukong in the chest. His golden armor absorbed most of the blast but Wukong still let out a shriek of agony. Then he swung his staff connecting it with Shadou’s twin swords.
Alicia made her move then. She phased her body in order to become completely intangible and shoved her fist through Wukong’s armor. Her fist connected with his spine. The cracking noise was loud enough to make anyone nearby flinch. The reanimated corpse of Sun Wukong fell to the ground. Though he was not in pain, even an undead warrior needed his spine intact in order to stand up.
At that moment Ichiko Shi and Kokushibyou were upon them. The shade ninja and the shinobi stood toe to toe once more. As their blades clanged together, the two seemed oddly at peace. Alicia however knew she was outgunned by the necromancer so she quickly vanished into thin air.
“You cannot escape ghost, my minions flood this island and they will find you” Ichiko snarled.
At that moment Kokushibyou struck Shadou a fatal blow. The shinobi master’s twin katana blades clattered to the ground. With his dying breath he unleashed a powerful chi blast that destroyed the ritual chamber and swept Alicia up in a whirlwind carrying her out of the compound and off the island.
As fate would have it Alicia Martin was carried to Wayward City. Once there she collapsed into uncontrollable tears as her master’s spirit tried to comfort her.
“Do not despair my student, you have performed admirably. It is my honor to bestow the title of Ghost Ninja upon you.”
“But I failed you master and now you’re… you’re gone” she continued to cry.
“I will always be with you. Remember your training. And be vigilant; continue to protect the world from Ichiko’s Shadow Dragon Clan.”
With that the shinobi spirit was gone, and Alicia was left alone. She looked around at her new surroundings in awe and despair for she had never seen such buildings before, their grandness terrified her.
Just a couple of miles from her location…
“Alright team the mayor has just tasked us with investigating that weird storm that just swept through the city” Voltage briefed.
Bombshell was the first to ask “so now we are meteorologists?”
“No but it was an energy storm of some kind. It dissipated only a few blocks from here. We should be finished in no time.”
“Well then what’re we waiting for?” the Crimson Shield asked strapping his power shield on his left arm.
to be continued...
|
