The Mavericks | Neo-Genesis
Prologue
"Blitzed, Bolts and Bad Luck
Ram
Ram scrambled back, suppressing his yelp of surprise to a grunt as he was nearly blinded from the change in light. As the shudder subsided, he risked rising to a low squat and peeking to see the damage.
He was only dimly aware of the ambulance halted in the middle of the street, only having eyes for the destroyed door.
”What have I thrown myself into?” he whispered as he viewed the destroyed bank door. The darkness of the block dampened his vision, but he wanted to garner what he could from these men. The chances were slim that
he could do anything as a solitary individual, the least he could do was get intel. Whatever these men wanted, standing in their way seemed suicidal to Ram.
”Don’t be a hero, unless you’re willing to pay the hero’s price””You’re damn right, abuelo,” Ram said with a nod as he prepared to back up and get better view elsewhere. The words rang fondly in his head, coloring the dark humor of the situation he found himself in.
Those words also left his mind almost immediately as he saw the doors on the opposite end of the building he peeked around burst open, and a smaller figure charged out. As the figure came to the curb--Ram took a deep breath, stimulating his vision to make out more detail, able to see this person was likely a child-- purple light began to extend down both his arms and past them before quickly massing into a pair of larger glowing arms.
Followed by another form, Ram saw as the two heading to the bank suddenly turned, alerted to more people.
”That...will not end well,” he stated as the first fireball was launched from the criminals.
Miles
“Dude! Don’t try to save the criminals,” Miles chided the older man with a cry. There was no time for more conversations as the pair across the street launched into action simultaneously.
Miles dove to the side, narrowly missing the first wave of heat. Landing on his feet, he spun around and crossed Fitz’s arms in time to block the second fireball headed straight for him.
“Ooph!”His feet slid back slightly from the force. That last fireball had packed more of a punch. Miles looked up in time to see the fire guy direct his efforts at the Not-Dead Guy. Miles took the opportunity to dip low and dart around, giving the Fire guy a wide berth before darting in and launching himself with Fitz’s hands from the hood of a parked car. Coming down on the man, Miles let out a holler!
”Get some!”Bad idea.
The cry gave the man the heads up he needed and he turned to meet Miles, releasing a quick burst of electric energy. Miles’ body locked up, Fitz absorbing a good amount of the energy before quickly dissipating, and he fell to the ground with a soft
thud.
Miles saw the man look to his partner.
”Go!” he barked.
The pain wasn’t overwhelming, but his joints were locked up and spasms ran the length of his body. Miles knew he was in a relatively tough spot. He felt like there might have been a lesson on being a Hero on the Rise, that covered something like this situation.
“Dammit kid,” a voice said above him, he could just move his still tensed head to see the Fire-Lightning guy standing a few feet from him,
“you really should have just stayed in your lane.”Ah. There it was.
Allen
First off, the job hadn’t said anything about civilians. Hell, that was the whole reason Allen had
taken the job. No riff-raff, no problem. Secondly,
“Are you fucking kidding me?” He asked, a beautiful blend of irritation, anger and fear playing into the inflections of his voice. At least one of these civvies were Hypes, and what were the chances of
that? He took a pause, slumping forward.
He was irritated because the dark figure had been right, even worse that fucking
blitzed looking chick had been right. His anger stemmed from knowing the night had just become
that much longer. And that voice of fear whispering in his ear told him, that blitzed bitch was probably right about
everything.
“Fuck that, fuck that fuck that!” His partner would kill him if he fucked up further, and he liked living. His proclamation rang out as he shook his head and produced a smooth black cube from the inside of his jacket.
However, the memory still crept in for a moment. Jilted flashes of Allen leaving their assignment pick-up spot.
Walking down a hallway. Peering--for one stolen second--into the crack of a partially opened door. Seeing that blitzed bitch from before, talking to someone.
”He isn’t ready. His error will be a great one.”
Allen knew
she spoke of him. There was no question about that. But, he wouldn’t fuck up, not with this much money on the line…Ventus shook his head and took off running, quickly building momentum as he neared the entrance of bank, it’s entrance still smoldering slightly.
”Get in and get out,”, he told himself as his image began to blur with his increasing speed.
Ram
Old memories of panic began to play in Ram’s mind as he ran into the fray unfolding itself. But a touch of exhilaration traced the length of his form as well. Some of the frenzy he felt just like that day back home, so long ago. This time though, maybe he could do something. He darted forward, noting the patient who had spilled from the back of the vehicle. This definitely was no place for someone already injured.
”Are you well?” Ram asked her, kneeling quickly beside her and hoisting her up into his arms,
”sorry about this. Gotta get you to safety.” He stepped into the back of the vehicle and set her down. Images of acrid smoke, coughing people and a toppled building met his minds eye, but he pushed it before it overwhelmed him.
’Not here.’ he scolded himself.
He looked around the small area, before finding a fire extinguisher.
Perfect! He took it and handed to her.
”You take this, and if that guy outside gets in here, you give him a hefty cooldown, yeah?” With a nod, he darted from the vehicle, peering around the open door, just in time to see the older figure from the abandoned building run
through the ambulance!
God, what was this night? He didn’t have time to worry, as his eyes rested on the boy from earlier. Things weren’t looking good. He focused on the figure hovering above the boy. What did he know? Quickly!
’His body is like a conduit. He channels the energy, but has the most control in his hands. The hands!’Producing his pocket knife from the side of his shoe, Ram knew he only had one shot. But, with his enhanced aim, one shot would be all he needed. He hoped. Ram straightened, darking a deep breath and holding it. His eyes welled, pupils dilating and expanding. Gaze narrowed, breath held, heartbeats felt, the weight of the blade taken in, the path of the blade accounted.
The man lifted his hands up, and a small glow appeared in between them, aimed directly for the young boy on the ground still.
And, go!A swift motion and Ram chucked the blade through the air, the slice of it creating a small cycle of whistles.
Its aim sat true as the knife lodged into the right hand of its target.
Ren
Ren felt blinding pain--jarring him from the budding cathartic release of expelling more energy. He had been about to toast this kid. He cried out, turning his hand over to see the knife blade sticking through it. His head whipped to the right, focusing on the ambulance, the source of the assault. Pain dulled the edges of his eyesight for a moment and a groan of pain doubled him over as he ripped the knife from his hands.
He seethed now, bits of spittle dripping from his mouth following the effort of “de-knifing” himself. They had been
assured there would be no external interference. Yet here they were,
“And if I have anything to say about it, someone’s going to burn.” He lobbed a fireball at the ambulance, the concussive force more than the heat rocking the vehicle.
Ventus appeared in the entrance of the bank, and Ren looked at him expectantly. He’d be damned if they didn’t finish their primary objective: switching out those metallic cube containers. Ventus nodded at him curtly, before Ren focused his attention back to the ambulance, momentarily forgetting the boy. He pointed to the vehicle.
”New rule: no loose ends,” he stated simply.
Allen
Allen sped forward, reaching the ambulance drivers side door and opening it in one swift movement. He gave the driver a quick smile,
“Sorry bud, nothing personal. But, ain’t nothing more important than the moolah. You know how it is.” He gave the driver a weak smile before reaching in, un-belting the seat belt, taking out the keys and grabbing the man in less than a second. He flung the driver from the ambulance and out in the street.
Allen shrugged again nearing him,
”It’s just business.” After he took care of this guy, he’d be taking care of that Hype from before. He’d leave the freakshow kid to Ren.
Blitzed bitch predictions or not, Allen Ventus was getting paid tonight no matter what.
Izurich,
Lord Wraith,
Crimson Flame,
Mixtape Ghost N