A Line Drawn In Space

[dajinx1]

I hope you guys like this story, I'm a big fan of the "City of Heroes" online game and I wrote a few stories based on my characters (superheroines) that I created for it. If you ever played the game or are just familiar with it you'll recognize a few names and places. For those, that don't know, I hope you enjoy too. I included a few screenshots to help the story.


A Line Drawn in Space

“Oh…My….”, Murmured Electra Dame. It was quite a sight to see and a very disturbing one at that. Her first journey into this area was to be a rescue mission but after what she saw, she wondered if she should have geared up for war instead. As she flew over this section battle-scarred city she could only wonder and dread what she had gotten herself into. As she looked for her target, her mind was abuzz with thoughts of prior challenges and travels.

The Faultline and especially Boomtown were in worse condition. Those areas were so bad that they looked nothing like they did before the alien invasion. Now, they have earned their nicknames based on the destruction that they have suffered. These parts of the city have become safe havens for the villainous group and the marauding depraved like the "Circle of Thorns" and the "Clockwork gang". The law-abiding citizen has fled to more secure and civil parts of the Paragon City. Thankfully the War Wall force fields have contained the areas so the madness hasn’t spread to the restored and flourishing parts of the great Paragon City. But this part of the city, now only known as the Rikti Crash-site is slowly becoming just like its uglier, unrepairable counter-parts. The only difference is that this is still an actively volatile area and a very crucial area to save and secure.

“From what I heard of this place, the Rikti are slowly gaining ground in this battle. If they were to regain a stranglehold here it will help them deliver a big counter-attack....What’s that?” Something caught the heroine’s eyes. At first, it looked like a small blue spark, as she flew closer she passed by buildings, scarred and burnt by the war. Now they are mere shells of their former selves. The streets were all but deserted with just a few tanks scurrying across. “ I wonder if they are running to or retreating from a battle. I should…. no, I came here on a mission, gotta stick to it.” She struggled with her conflicting emotions. She should fight but she can’t, not right now. As she flew closer she heard a familiar sound that filled her with dread and anxiety, “Swwiirrrshhh!” It was the sound of the teleportation that the Rikti used to get around, usually into battle. Electra Dame has fought the Rikti many times in her career but usually not on this grand scale and not this many. “Swwwwiiiiirrrsshhh!” She heard that sound, again and again, each time her heart pounded harder. “Do they know I’m here? Did they see me?” she whispered to herself. She knew she was powerful and it was on par with some of the strongest heroes in the city but those sounds indicated that there was an army below of some of the most vicious beings in the universe and if they were to focus on her she wouldn’t stand a ghost of a chance. She looked down and saw skirmishes between the Rikti and our military.

[dajinx1]

As she watched on, her thoughts went back to a few hours earlier. She just got back from a mission from another dimension at Portal Corp. As her team disbanded a military figure called her to the side. He introduced himself as General Hammond. He spoke to her in a worried and shaky voice that seemed unlike a man in his position and stature. As he went on, she soon learned why. “My… nephew went missing a few days ago, while he was on a special mission at the Rikti Crash-site. It pains me to ask you like this, I’m supposed to be impartial in matters like this but…the war took so many… and in my family too. He’s my brother’s last and only son. That boy is my only reason why I do what I do now.” We walked down a hall to a high security area. His strength and will seemed to improve as he talked to me. “I’ve heard a lot about you and I’ve followed up on your successes with your missions here at Portal Corp. Your powers and skill would be ideal for what I am going to ask of you, also time is short.” Then he stopped and placed both hands on my shoulders, looking deep into my eyes, I had to admit that it caught me off guard but then I began to understand. “I need to keep this quiet, no one can know that I sent you out on this mission. Lets just say that it would be bad, if it gets out that I am giving special treatment to my nephew, while so many more soldiers are out there putting their lives on the line.” Electra Dame responds, “ Don’t worry General, in my line of business you learn how to create stories to cover your tracks.”

General Hammond then takes out a crisp, new map and begins to point at certain points on it. “Good, I need you to get to the Rikti Crash-site. The last time he was seen was in this area, heading here.” Then he took out an old beat-up picture out of his wallet. “This is my nephew, Tommy Hammond. He should be with a small group of other soldiers, I’m not sure of the exact number.”

That was a few hours ago, as Electra Dame regained her composure she continued to fly to the blue spark, surprisingly it was in the same direction as where the General pointed on the map. “I don’t …believe it.” The Rikti Mother ship was wedged into the ground tight. Although it was apparently damaged, the Rikti has been able to make some repairs, including restoring the force field. “God I hope he’s not in there.” She muttered to herself. As she scoured around the saucer-like ship, she noticed groups upon groups of Rikti elite soldiers heavily guarding it. They were constantly teleporting in and out of their positions. “I wonder what they are up to down there, I bet that’s why Tommy was sent out here to find out.” With that thought, she flew a couple of hundred feet higher up and began to head back. “It’s way too hot here and I doubt our guys would try to get that close.” Electra Dame the looked at the old buildings nearby. “If I wanted to spy, I would be there.”

[dajinx1]

She proceeded to fly to the run-downed, hole-plagued buildings. As she got closer the sound of gunfire got louder. “I think I’m on the right trail.” She flew in between two tall building and looked down at the savaged streets. There was a badly damaged tank, pinned under debris from the surrounding buildings and 3 dead soldiers scattered around the tank. There was a dozen Rikti soldiers including heavily armored Headman Gunmen firing at the two survivors wedged in between the tank and debris doing all they could to stay alive. One of them was Tommy Hammond. He was bruised and battered but in pretty good shape, his comrade was in the similar shape. “I don’t like those odds but here goes.” Thought Electra Dame as she dropped in the middle of the Rikti and let loose a short circuit attack that stunned most of the Rikti. The two headmen were mildly affected and began to charge in on her. A half dozen Rikti began to recover from the first assault. “Not good!” she groaned. She looked over at her 2 new companions; they were in shock but also physically and obviously mentally drained.
“Gotta end this now, get down… now!” She yelled at them. The Rikti surrounded her now, raising their weapons to fire execution style. “Thunderous blast!!!!” She screamed at the top of her lungs and let fired a tremendous blast of electrical energy that downed all the Rikti troops. All but one, this Headman was obviously very hurt and dazed. He staggered back and before Electra Dame could fire one last shot he teleported out.

She turned back and made her way to over to the survivors. She was wobbly and staggered a little. “Hey…are you ok?” Tommy asked. “Yea..Yeah. Just can’t do that too often. That type of blast leaves me totally drained. Just give me a minute to regain my energy and I’ll be fine.” She spoke back.

“Have a seat here maam.” He brushed of some dust from the tank for her to sit. “Thank god, you showed up when you did. I’m Sergeant Kenji Shoji and this is Corporal Thomas Hammond. “Nice to meet you too, I’m sorry, I wasn’t there in time for your comrades.” Tommy spoke softly, “We were fighting…those things for the last 2 days. They were relentless; as soon as we knocked one down after a few minutes another teleported in. We had a few breaks but in the last few hours they began to really pour it on.”

Kenji began to ask, “If you don’t mind me asking, superheroes, er…heroines don’t come to this area often and...” Electra Dame interrupted “ I was in the neighborhood, now we got to get out of here before the reinforcements get here.” Tommy Responded, “Good enough for me, lets move!”

[dajinx1]

After a few minutes of clearing the debris and making a few repairs, the trio was on their way to the soldier’s base. Electra Dame rode on the tank with them, staying close to protect them and their frazzled nerves. Kenji let out a burst of glee, “Hey folks, I got the radio working and they are waiting for us with open arms at the base.” “Great Kenji, I can see the base now. Almost home free!” Shouted Tommy over the roar of the tank’s engine.

“Swwiiiiirrrssshhh!” there was that dreadful sound again. “What the…” Electra Dame shouted as the group of three looked all round frantically. “Swwwiiiiirrshhh!” they heard that sound again and again. “Oh no…we’re too close now” Electra Dame screamed at herself. A blast of energy shot over there head. “There they are!” shouted Kenji as he grabbed his gun. There had to be at least four dozen in the Rikti infantry. Including the heavily armored Headman Gunmen but this time they had a Chief Mesmerist with them.

“We are not going to make it, we gotta fight!” Shouted Tommy. “ No, you guys have to get to the base, I’ll keep them occupied.” Ordered Electra Dame. Technically she had no authority over the two soldiers but the two respected her and heck she’s a well-known superhero, who saved them only a few hours earlier. Still Kenji felt awkward leaving a lone heroine to battle these incredible odds. “You’re not a tank Electra Dame, you can’t stop all of them. You'll be killed…stay with us!” begged Kenji. “I won’t have to. I just have to take the heat off you guys. Go get help! I’ll be able to get away, once you are clear. Now go!” She ordered as she soared off over the alien infantry.

“Oh man! Go, Tommy, Go!” Kenji screamed as Tommy hit the gas and they roared off to the base. The tank was still taking shots but it didn’t slow it down a bit. Electra Dame thought to herself, “Easier said than done. It’ll be easy to get them focused on me but then what? They could take me down easy and go back after the tank.” She looked around and saw some damaged vacant buildings, barely standing. A desperate plan was devised.

She built up speed as she dodged their fire. The Rikti were confused for a moment as to what their target should be and Dame took advantage of this. She dropped into the middle of the group, as the Rikti were aiming their weapons at her she released an enormous electric pulse that stunned the closest soldiers. She jumped over them and ran towards the buildings as the soldiers began to recover she turned around. Using every bit of her concentration and power she fired another Thunderous Blast in a wide spread to get as many of the Rikti as possible. But due to their number and also because of the wide blast of the shot, the effect was somewhat diluted. Some fall, others were injured but most were still able to fight. Her powers depleted, she took off on foot to the ravaged buildings, hoping to hide until enough of her power recharged and allowed her to fly out of there. “Swwwiiiiiirsh”, she could here the sounds of the teleporters and the feet of enraged pursuers after her. Soon blasts of energy was whizzing by her head as she leaped through a whole. “No…good, they saw me… come in here,” the out of breathe heroine murmured to herself. She was drained, her costume and tights were drenched with sweat and she was on the verge of passing out from exhaustion. “Gotta get higher.” She thought to herself as she willed herself up the steps, getting herself to the higher the floors. She hoped, that in due time her energy will return enough to allow her to fly out of one of the holes in the building and she would be already high up so her pursuers won’t follow.

As she reached the fifth floor, she felt some power return, not enough to fight but possibly enough for her to fly the short distance to the base. Suddenly she heard the horrible teleportation sound, as she turned she saw a Chief Mesmerist in full armor, posturing to attack telepathically. She had to act fast; she leapt toward him just as the psionic was being fired. Her head began to throb; “Oh no…gotta do this now!” With almost every bit of her strength, she delivered a power thrust punch. Her head spinning, the punch connected. It didn’t do much damage but the force of it knocked the mesmerist through the weakened wall and the chief officer fell five stories down into a heap of jagged metal and concrete. “Gotta…fly.” Electra Dame was dazed her energy already dwindled down to almost nothing, her head nauseous and dizzy. She could hear the Rikti running up the steps. Out of desperation, she leapt out of the hole in the wall and flew as fast as she could in the direction of the base or so she hoped.

Whoosh! A blast of energy whizzed passed her body. The Rikti that was left on the ground saw her escape and was firing up at her. She had no power to go higher and she was slowly descending as she flew to the base. “Almost…out… of… “ Before she could finish her thought a blast caught her shoulder. The force of it sent her spinning clockwise like a corkscrew, and then another blast hit her dead-on in the gut. ”Gahhhh!” she screamed in pain. The wind knocked out of her and the effects of the blast were short-circuiting her nervous system. Now one blast out after another was hitting their target. The heroine lost count as each blast just knocked her higher, flipping her over and over but her moment was carrying in the same direction of the base. “ “Can’t….” The last word she heard herself as the firing stopped. She knew she was falling uncontrollably but knew she couldn’t stop. “Boom!” Her body hit the ground hard, her body rolled wildly until it came to rest on the scorched Earth. She was sprawled on the ground on her stomach, unable to feel anything and blacking out. “Is this …it?” She couldn’t move an inch and everything was getting blurry and dark. The last thing in her mind was seeing the distorted vision of the Rikti running towards her, the sounds of there metal feet getting louder. Then all went black.

A few moments later, there was a dim light. Slowly it got brighter. Electra Dame began to slowly blink, her vision was returning and she noticed she was on her back in a bed, or something close to it. “Where am I?” She asked. A human voice answered, “In the infirmary my dear. At the base you fought valiantly to get to.” She weakly asked, “Who are…” “I’m Dr. Render.” He answered. “I and a staff nurse have been taking care of you for the last few days.” As he continued, he told her how they protected her secret identity when they removed her costume and mask to treat her wounds and examine her. They made no attempt to learn her identity and they kept her isolated from the others on the base while they treated her. Fortunately, she wasn’t too badly injured so the doctor and nurse was enough to treat her. “Our Soldiers reached you just as you hit the ground. After they found out how you courageously saved their comrades they fought as though possessed to rescue you. The Rikti were overwhelmed and driven off. Morale has been at an all-time high thanks to you.”

“It seemed like this story has gotten out all over the military. Even General Hammond was by to check up on you.“ Revealed the doctor. “General Hammond was here?” She asked astonished. “That was a big surprise here, seeing as how he came all the way from Firebase Zulu.” The Doctor continued, “He had to return but left two notes for you.” The doctor then took something else out of his pocket. “Here’s your mask, when you’re strength returns you’ll be able to leave. In the meantime your costume is being fixed. Feel free to put back on your mask cause you’ve got some very thankful soldiers that would like to see you.”

She thanked him as she put back on her mask, she felt almost naked without it. As the doctor left, she read the letters from the General. One was a thank you note; the other was an official request to assist him at Firebase Zulu on some sort of expedition into another dimension. She let out a slight chuckle, “A never-ending battle, and now in other places besides Earth, how ironic.”

The Saga Continues….

[phoxy_brown]

Wow!!! Awesome story...I was a part of the COH community for a brief moment and that story pretty much sums up the experiences of a fledgling heroine. Loved the screencaps and artwork.

[SGWriter]

Defenity a nice stroy Dajinx. Like your heroine, hope you post more stories of her in the future, thanks for adding to the fourm

[dajinx1]

Thanks for the encouraging words guys. I'll definitly try to contribute more in the future.

[Gigaboy]

What a babe!