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The gray, overcast sky outside CIA Headquarters provided a perfect physical mirror to the mood of the agents that worked inside. Dozens of field workers had been pulled from assignments as a result of the potential leak. There was no use in sending out walking bullseyes. For the first time in its existence, ANGELS, one of the most covert squads in the intelligence community, nestled in the fifth subfloor underneath the main lobby of Langley's most secretive building, suspended all activity until further notice. After all, it was one of their agents that may have provided the release of information in the first place.
Faith-Mari Hopkins had been warned by Director Lee that relations between CIA and ANGELS operatives were strained. What began as a smile from the entrance guard changed to a distrusting scowl the moment she flashed her blue and white badge. As she entered the Headquarters lobby, she shivered as much from the chilly glares of Counterintelligence and Espionage officials as from the gloomy winter weather.
Still, she took comfort from the occasional amorous look that she could wrangle from the less enraged employees. Faith-Mari knew she could turn many a man into putty. At five feet five, she was one of the shorter inductees into the ANGELS, but her lack of size was more than made up with cunning, improvisation, and beauty. With a slight touch, she checked her short, cropped blond hair, then fixed her wire-rim glasses. Her navy blue business jacket and miniskirt hung perfectly onto her athletic frame. Faith-Mari noticed more than a few pairs of eyes looking down to her toned legs, which were encased in the ANGELS' standard light blue tights.
After the retinal and fingerprint scan, as well as her personal password (SERAPHIM), the basement elevator opened its door, waiting to take her to the subfloor where ANGELS operated. Faith-Mari soon saw that the spirits of the division workers were just as dour as those in the lobby. With pindrop silence, desk jockeys in work shirts and ties typed, faces registering little emotion.
"Miss Hopkins, front and center. On the double," yelled a gruff, distinctly bass voice from the back office.
Oh, no, she thought. The gadabout gadfly.
She entered the dimly lit room as a series of slides scanned across the back wall's screen. In one photograph, a pair of Blue Angels lay unconscious on a hotel room floor, with a single catsuit-clad woman standing over them, triumphant. In another slide, a hooded figure clutched at the stomach of a brunette Angel that Faith-Mari recognized as a graduate from the class prior to hers. In yet another slide, a handcuffed Victoria Stackhouse smiled at the camera, as if the information she had come across was well worth the eventual prison time.
"Son of a gun," muttered the same bass voice from a chair turned to the back wall, away from Faith-Mari. The man in the chair kicked at the wall and spun around, revealing the silver-coiffed figure of ANGELS Deputy Director Carter Roberds. He looked his usual dapper self in a three-piece powder blue business suit and matching tie. In his application for the position, he said that it would be honored to assist Karla Lee in turning the fledgling division into a top-notch covert outfit. However, even recruits like Faith-Mari knew the real reason for his willing assistance; the sight of a Blue Angel in her field uniform made the department's second in command weak in the knees.
"I guess you all know why you're here," Roberds said. Faith-Mari looked to her left, and saw three of her fellow graduate recruits sitting on the office couch in the front of the room, each dressed in the same navy-blue business attire as she. "Miss Hopkins, I assume you've met everyone."
Faith-Mari nodded. She was especially familiar with the abilities of Cyan McCullers, who looked as though she were trying to bore a hole through her with eyes the same bluish color as her name. With her soft, shoulder-length, layered red hair, patrician face, and statuesque, six-foot frame, Cyan was stunning, even by ANGELS standards. This made her tenacity and violence even more surprising. Faith-Mari still remembered Cyan's demonstration on how to break an attacker's arm twenty-five different ways during combat training, using Faith-Mari as the would-be assailant.
In the next chair sat the mirror opposite, Kelly Penrose. Whereas Cyan revealed her intensity in every stare, Kelly betrayed her emotion by looking down at her feet, hiding her warm brown eyes and luminous, open face behind curtains of lazy, brunette ringlets. At 5'3", she was the shortest trainee in the entire recruiting class, but her skill with any computer system known to the CIA made up for her shy demeanor.
In stark contrast to Cyan and Kelly, April Hsu sat still, not a strand of midnight-hued hair out of place, her attention fixed on the slides that flashed behind the Deputy Director's chair. Her linguistic skills had caught the attention of Langley, but it was her expertise in chemistry, and advancements in truth serums in particular, that secured her status as a graduate recruit. Her gaze remained focused as a slide of Jennifer Ryan flashed on the screen.
Roberds shook his head. "Because of the recent altercation between Agent Ryan and Ms. Stackhouse, we are unsure whether or not sensitive information or identities were leaked, or who else may have acquired that information. That leaves us short on agents, as we aren't going willing to send them into potential traps. However, Agent Ryan would not have known about any future operatives. As a result, Director Lee has given me the authority to use recruits for any emergencies. It just so happens I have four of the brightest lights our last class had to offer. And it just so happens that we have an emergency."
The next slide, taken in the dead of night, captured the entrance of the Nathan Hale Building in Boston, the new glass tower that matched the John Hancock across town as the tallest skyscraper in Boston. Outside the giant windows stood a single young woman with long, straight auburn hair, her face hidden by a yellow phantom mask. Her outfit, a gold catsuit with flecks of scarlet, accentuated her dancer's figure. With one red gloved hand, she carried a nondescript black briefcase.
"That, recruits, is Coquelicot," said Roberds. "She slipped into the U.S. from St-Pamphile not two days ago. And it seems like she has been busy. Records are showing she has been on a tour of Western Europe, and that somewhere along the way, she came into the possession of that suitcase. She went into the Hale Building last night, and has yet to exit. The contents of the briefcase are classified. Even I don't know what's in it. All I know is it has a lot of powerful people feeling real vulnerable."
"You want us to pick up your lost luggage?" Faith-Mari asked.
Roberds winked. "You get the prize, beautiful. You all have your orders. Retrieval of the briefcase by any means within your disposal. Be careful, though. Coquelicot may be dangerous, but she's a thief whose bottom line is profit, not political gain. Someone else's M.O. is all over this. Expect others to get in your way."
The four new angels nodded and began to walk out of the office.
"Say, boss, don't we get a super cool code name for this mission?" asked Cyan.
Roberds put his legs up on the desk and looked up. "Code Name: Chrysalis. Consider this your breakout case. Soon you will emerge as a true angel, the way a butterfly emerges from its chrysalis to reveal its true nature."
Cyan shook her head. "Lamest analogy ever." She left first, followed by Kelly and April, leaving Faith-Mari with Roberds.
"Now I expect you to hold this team together," the Deputy Director said. "You finished first in your class. Show me this department can still help Uncle Sam sleep well at night." Roberds took out a white bar from the top drawer of his desk. "You're Team Leader on Chrysalis. Be sure to pin that to your field uniform."
Faith-Mari laughed. "You probably wish you were coming along, don't you?"
Beads of sweat formed on Roberds' silver hairline, and his face turned red as a matador's cape. Hastily, he straightened his tie. "I would've asked you to suit up for the debriefing, but company rules. They're not quite office dress code, you know. Not go on and make the world safe, why don't you? Shoo."
Faith-Mari left the office and met with her teammates in the elevator. A jet waited outside at the Langley airstrip for their trek to Boston.
Blue Angels: Chrysalis
-
The Dutch Ninja
Many thanks, pzgr6. Had a disclaimer on the top stating that characters were originated by Mighty Hypnotic and yourself, but I don't think I highlighted. Hope you both accept this belated credit.
****
The Cessna Citation flew at top speed for Boston's Logan Airport. Inside, the four angels were preparing for action. Each agent took her turn in the back of the plane, changing from her navy blue blazer and miniskirt into uniform. As all four operatives were still in Recruit status, their shiny, skintight, baby blue leotards and phantom masks were several shades lighter than the outfits for experienced angels. The opaque white tights finished the rookie uniform. The one difference in Faith-Mari's was the white bar, pinned to her right arm.
The team split into pairs, each looking at various photographs of evidence: the map showing Coquelicot's travels (Paris, London, a weekend stop in Meyrin, Switzerland), her entrance into the Hale Building, the map outline of the grand skyscraper itself. In the front seats of the plane, Faith-Mari and Kelly retrieved whatever files they could find on missing weapons.
"Don't understand why Hopkins got to be team leader," Cyan said, out of Faith-Mari's hearing range, as she brushed her fire-tinged hair out of her eyes.
"Probably because she finished first in our class. Ever thought of that?" asked April, reading the floorplans for the Hale Building.
"Ever thought that she was just Ms. Lee's favorite?"
"Yeah. Ms. Lee tends to like diligent, tenacious, hard-working agents. Funny how that works." April put on her IPod earphones and listened to the melodious chamber music of Francois Poulenc as she examined the architectural design of their target.
"So that means our conversation is over, then." Cyan shook her head. "I'll be Team Leader in no time. Out there, we'll see who's best."
"There seem to be no evidence of missing weaponry in the FBI or CIA database. What could she possibly have?" Faith-Mari turned to her partner, and was surprised to see Kelly Penrose shivering, her teeth chattering.
"Hey, kiddo. What seems to be the problem?"
Kelly looked up to Faith-Mari for the first time. "I don't think I'm up to this."
"Don't be silly. What would you think that?"
"I mean, check me out. I don't have your leadership, or Cyan's strength, or April's ingenuity. And, don't take this wrong, but you all look... unbelievable. I just look like a kid playing superheroine dress-up for Halloween." Kelly sighed and looked down at her feet, face hidden again in a sea of brunette curls.
Faith-Mari placed one finger on Kelly's chin and lifted her head up until their eyes met. "Now you listen to me, and you listen good. We have no idea what's in that case, and we can't afford to have anyone cracking up. Besides, what if they have an EMP or a device that can launch an all-out cyberattack? I'm not going to be able to do anything. I still have trouble using Excel, for crying out loud. Computers hate me. We're going to need someone who knows the language. And that's not me, and it's not them back there. Believe me, we're going to need you." For the first time that Faith-Mari could recall, Kelly's lips showed the faint upturn of a smile.
"Besides, if the three of us are the cat's meow, why is the co-pilot not looking at us?" Faith-Mari pointed to the front of the plane. Kelly looked in the same direction, and noticed the flyboy in front, eyes looking her way, mouthing out a "wow," followed quickly by an "oh, sh..." as he realized he was being watched.
"Eyes to the sky, Smitty," said the pilot. "Sorry 'bout that, ladies. Next stop, Logan. ETA: five minutes."
"Coquelicot could be alerted to our presence when we reach Logan," said Faith-Mari.
"No kidding," Cyan answered. "We aren't exactly dressed for the CPA convention in town."
"Then why blow the element of surprise?" Faith-Mari walked to the back of the plane. "Pilot, how long until we're over the Hale Building?"
"About two minutes. Why?"
The team leader opened up the cabinet in the rear hold of the plane. She then tossed out the first of four parachutes. "Two minutes. More than enough time. Who's with me?"
Cyan nodded. "Pure craziness, Hopkins. Count me in. This time."
April walked to the cabinet and took out her own chute. "See you on the roof."
Kelly hesitated, then slowly walked to the cabinet. "Well, I'm in and all, but can I take a sedative first?"
As the Citation flew over the Hale Building, a rapid succession of four impromptu skydivers jumped out of a perfectly functioning plane. They landed on the helipad in the dead of night, well after all employees had left for the night. The quartet ran to the locked stairwell door.
"Leave that to me," said April. She took out a clear eye-dropper out of her utility belt. With a few droplets, the handle melted off the steel frame.
With a running start, Cyan dropkicked the door open.
And that was when the alarm sounded.
****
The Cessna Citation flew at top speed for Boston's Logan Airport. Inside, the four angels were preparing for action. Each agent took her turn in the back of the plane, changing from her navy blue blazer and miniskirt into uniform. As all four operatives were still in Recruit status, their shiny, skintight, baby blue leotards and phantom masks were several shades lighter than the outfits for experienced angels. The opaque white tights finished the rookie uniform. The one difference in Faith-Mari's was the white bar, pinned to her right arm.
The team split into pairs, each looking at various photographs of evidence: the map showing Coquelicot's travels (Paris, London, a weekend stop in Meyrin, Switzerland), her entrance into the Hale Building, the map outline of the grand skyscraper itself. In the front seats of the plane, Faith-Mari and Kelly retrieved whatever files they could find on missing weapons.
"Don't understand why Hopkins got to be team leader," Cyan said, out of Faith-Mari's hearing range, as she brushed her fire-tinged hair out of her eyes.
"Probably because she finished first in our class. Ever thought of that?" asked April, reading the floorplans for the Hale Building.
"Ever thought that she was just Ms. Lee's favorite?"
"Yeah. Ms. Lee tends to like diligent, tenacious, hard-working agents. Funny how that works." April put on her IPod earphones and listened to the melodious chamber music of Francois Poulenc as she examined the architectural design of their target.
"So that means our conversation is over, then." Cyan shook her head. "I'll be Team Leader in no time. Out there, we'll see who's best."
"There seem to be no evidence of missing weaponry in the FBI or CIA database. What could she possibly have?" Faith-Mari turned to her partner, and was surprised to see Kelly Penrose shivering, her teeth chattering.
"Hey, kiddo. What seems to be the problem?"
Kelly looked up to Faith-Mari for the first time. "I don't think I'm up to this."
"Don't be silly. What would you think that?"
"I mean, check me out. I don't have your leadership, or Cyan's strength, or April's ingenuity. And, don't take this wrong, but you all look... unbelievable. I just look like a kid playing superheroine dress-up for Halloween." Kelly sighed and looked down at her feet, face hidden again in a sea of brunette curls.
Faith-Mari placed one finger on Kelly's chin and lifted her head up until their eyes met. "Now you listen to me, and you listen good. We have no idea what's in that case, and we can't afford to have anyone cracking up. Besides, what if they have an EMP or a device that can launch an all-out cyberattack? I'm not going to be able to do anything. I still have trouble using Excel, for crying out loud. Computers hate me. We're going to need someone who knows the language. And that's not me, and it's not them back there. Believe me, we're going to need you." For the first time that Faith-Mari could recall, Kelly's lips showed the faint upturn of a smile.
"Besides, if the three of us are the cat's meow, why is the co-pilot not looking at us?" Faith-Mari pointed to the front of the plane. Kelly looked in the same direction, and noticed the flyboy in front, eyes looking her way, mouthing out a "wow," followed quickly by an "oh, sh..." as he realized he was being watched.
"Eyes to the sky, Smitty," said the pilot. "Sorry 'bout that, ladies. Next stop, Logan. ETA: five minutes."
"Coquelicot could be alerted to our presence when we reach Logan," said Faith-Mari.
"No kidding," Cyan answered. "We aren't exactly dressed for the CPA convention in town."
"Then why blow the element of surprise?" Faith-Mari walked to the back of the plane. "Pilot, how long until we're over the Hale Building?"
"About two minutes. Why?"
The team leader opened up the cabinet in the rear hold of the plane. She then tossed out the first of four parachutes. "Two minutes. More than enough time. Who's with me?"
Cyan nodded. "Pure craziness, Hopkins. Count me in. This time."
April walked to the cabinet and took out her own chute. "See you on the roof."
Kelly hesitated, then slowly walked to the cabinet. "Well, I'm in and all, but can I take a sedative first?"
As the Citation flew over the Hale Building, a rapid succession of four impromptu skydivers jumped out of a perfectly functioning plane. They landed on the helipad in the dead of night, well after all employees had left for the night. The quartet ran to the locked stairwell door.
"Leave that to me," said April. She took out a clear eye-dropper out of her utility belt. With a few droplets, the handle melted off the steel frame.
With a running start, Cyan dropkicked the door open.
And that was when the alarm sounded.
-
phoxy_brown
- Sargeant
- Posts: 108
- Joined: 19 years ago
amazing storyline!!! nice touch giving it kind of a tom clancy feel to it. great job of characterizing each angel. can't wait to see the further adventures.
-
The Dutch Ninja
Thanks, phoxy.
****
"I don't think that was the best idea," said Faith-Mari as the initial blares of the alarm sounded.
"Then why didn't you stop me?" Cyan asked. She ran into the stairwell, racing past the sixtieth floor entrance. Faith-Mari followed her, doing her best to catch up. Kelly and April, as surprised by Cyan's sudden move as their leader, gave pursuit.
"Wait! Don't do anything before we come up with a plan," Faith-Mari said, but Cyan kept her torrid pace, blowing past the fifty-eighth floor entrance.
"Oh, so it's all right for you to be all spontaneous and jump out of a plane, but heaven forbid I should take the initiative."
"Cyan, what we need to do is..."
"FREEZE!"
The four angels stopped in their tracks. Standing in their way were two male security guards, dressed in black buttoned shirts and slacks. The letters VSI were emblazoned on their breast pockets. Both guards pointed their .38 Chief Special at the quartet.
"And what do you think you're doing here tonight, girls?" asked the blonde guard, a snarl forming on his lips.
"We're here to pick up some excess baggage," said Cyan as she took another step toward the guard.
"We don't deal in luggage, sweetie." The bald guard, forehead beading, turned his gun away from Kelly and April, turning it to the advancing angel. "We only deal in trouble. And you and your friends have just bought plenty of it."
"That might be the worst tough guy threat I've ever heard," said Cyan. "You make a Stallone villain sound wry and eloquent."
"Shut up," said the bald guard. "Everybody through that door and into the elevator." The two guards ushered the captured angels out of the stairwell, and onto the fifty-seventh floor, a maze of unfilled office space and cubicles. The bald guard pushed Cyan in the back of the line. The redhead spun around and pulled back her fist, only to stare down the barrels of the guards' .38s.
"Let's not get all riled," said the bald guard. "I wouldn't want to muss your make-up, cutie pie." He then motioned to his blonde counterpart. "Keep a watch on them while I call this in." He pushed the squawk button on his shoulder-mounted walkie-talkie. "M'am, this is Norwood on fifty-seven. We've found the source of the problem... yeah, four of them... situation is nominal. We're taking them down to thirty-four and placing them under custody. Will inform you when matter is fully contained. Out."
"Okay, then," said the blonde guard. "Let's all go for a ride."
The four angels and their captors walked inside the awaiting express elevator.
Within seconds, they arrived at the Hale security center, almost blindingly lit in flourescents and white walls, with a panaroma of television sets showing the activity from random vantage points of the skyscraper. A panel of monitors showed heat sensors, wind and stress factors throughout the building's outer frame and inner pillars, elevator statuses, and energy conservation readouts. In the middle of the floor was the holding cell for disruptive patrons.
"Now, girls, if you'll put your hands and toes to the wall, we'll make sure you haven't any tricks up your sleeves." The blonde guard removed the yellow utility belts from the angels' waists, placing them in an evidence locker next to the cell.
"You know, Burkett, just when I think that guarding this rich bugger's paradise isn't worth the pay, something like this comes along and completely redeems every lousy, boring day of it." Norwood unhooked his walkie-talkie. "Well, shall we begin?"
"I thought you'd never ask," Burkett said. All too eagerly, he placed April's extremities apart. "I don't know how'd they be able to hide anything, but it's always best to play things safe." He ran his hands up the outside of April's right, nylon-encased leg. "If it's any consolation," he said. "You're probably the prettiest prisoners we've ever had around these parts."
"And if it's any consolation," said April. "You're going to be having the most pleasant dreams in about thirty seconds."
"That a threat?"
"No. Just a fact, like the earth being round."
"Your turn next, spunky." Norwood separated Cyan from the rest of her group and forced her hands onto the desktop overlooking the panel of monitors.
"Touch me and die," the angel said.
The bald guard laughed. "I think I'll chance it." He slid his hands around Cyan's waist and went slowly upward.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"Or you'll what?" asked Norwood, half lost in the feeling of the angel's uniform.
Cyan spun around and launched a kick that would make Adam Vinatieri proud, splitting the uprights of Norwood's legs and landing flush in the groin. The guard went down to his knees and howled in pain, holding himself. Cyan took advantage of the opportunity by unhooking the keyboard to the heat sensor monitor and whacking the injured man in the side of the head. Letters keys flew everywhere as Norwood fell prone to the floor, out like a light.
"What the hell is..."
Burkett never got to finish his question, as he felt a prick in his neck. Moments later, he joined his partner in slumber, crashing to the ground. Behind him, April Hsu was busy resetting her silken black coiffure.
"Told him. Thirty seconds exactly."
Faith-Mari blinked. "You dip your hairpin in knockout solution?"
"In highly-concentrated calmative," April said. "You never know how many situations merit it. Bad dates, insurance salesmen, security pervs. The list is endless."
"Good to know," Kelly said. "Cyan, you all right?"
"Yeah. Rickey Henderson over here got caught trying to steal second. I don't think he'll be attempting that again."
Kelly turned the unconscious Burkett over and saw the embroidered letters on his pocket. "VSI. Any doubts as to who might be running the show?"
Cyan shook her head. "Not possible. Victoria Stackhouse no longer has any control over the company."
"But that doesn't mean her successor, whoever that may be, can't. April, does VSI own any space in this building?"
"Nothing listed, but there were two floors yet to be filled."
Faith-Mari checked the sensors. Other than the six people on the thirty-fourth floor, there were three other heat signatures. Two outlines walked on floor fifty-one, the other on fifty.
"Let me guess which two. April, stay here and give us any word on any sudden moves. Kelly and Cyan, let's put this mission to bed." Faith-Mari ran to the elevator, with her teammates close behind.
On floor fifty-seven, a lone, svelte figure in a gold catsuit pressed the squawk button to her walkie-talkie. "They have disposed of the guards. Three of them are coming to meet you now. Should I rectify the situation now?"
"No," said the voice on the other end. "Let them come to me. Be sure to take care of the straggler."
"But of course," said Coquelicot. As she signed off, she muttered, "Si vous voulez quelque chose droite faite..."
****
"I don't think that was the best idea," said Faith-Mari as the initial blares of the alarm sounded.
"Then why didn't you stop me?" Cyan asked. She ran into the stairwell, racing past the sixtieth floor entrance. Faith-Mari followed her, doing her best to catch up. Kelly and April, as surprised by Cyan's sudden move as their leader, gave pursuit.
"Wait! Don't do anything before we come up with a plan," Faith-Mari said, but Cyan kept her torrid pace, blowing past the fifty-eighth floor entrance.
"Oh, so it's all right for you to be all spontaneous and jump out of a plane, but heaven forbid I should take the initiative."
"Cyan, what we need to do is..."
"FREEZE!"
The four angels stopped in their tracks. Standing in their way were two male security guards, dressed in black buttoned shirts and slacks. The letters VSI were emblazoned on their breast pockets. Both guards pointed their .38 Chief Special at the quartet.
"And what do you think you're doing here tonight, girls?" asked the blonde guard, a snarl forming on his lips.
"We're here to pick up some excess baggage," said Cyan as she took another step toward the guard.
"We don't deal in luggage, sweetie." The bald guard, forehead beading, turned his gun away from Kelly and April, turning it to the advancing angel. "We only deal in trouble. And you and your friends have just bought plenty of it."
"That might be the worst tough guy threat I've ever heard," said Cyan. "You make a Stallone villain sound wry and eloquent."
"Shut up," said the bald guard. "Everybody through that door and into the elevator." The two guards ushered the captured angels out of the stairwell, and onto the fifty-seventh floor, a maze of unfilled office space and cubicles. The bald guard pushed Cyan in the back of the line. The redhead spun around and pulled back her fist, only to stare down the barrels of the guards' .38s.
"Let's not get all riled," said the bald guard. "I wouldn't want to muss your make-up, cutie pie." He then motioned to his blonde counterpart. "Keep a watch on them while I call this in." He pushed the squawk button on his shoulder-mounted walkie-talkie. "M'am, this is Norwood on fifty-seven. We've found the source of the problem... yeah, four of them... situation is nominal. We're taking them down to thirty-four and placing them under custody. Will inform you when matter is fully contained. Out."
"Okay, then," said the blonde guard. "Let's all go for a ride."
The four angels and their captors walked inside the awaiting express elevator.
Within seconds, they arrived at the Hale security center, almost blindingly lit in flourescents and white walls, with a panaroma of television sets showing the activity from random vantage points of the skyscraper. A panel of monitors showed heat sensors, wind and stress factors throughout the building's outer frame and inner pillars, elevator statuses, and energy conservation readouts. In the middle of the floor was the holding cell for disruptive patrons.
"Now, girls, if you'll put your hands and toes to the wall, we'll make sure you haven't any tricks up your sleeves." The blonde guard removed the yellow utility belts from the angels' waists, placing them in an evidence locker next to the cell.
"You know, Burkett, just when I think that guarding this rich bugger's paradise isn't worth the pay, something like this comes along and completely redeems every lousy, boring day of it." Norwood unhooked his walkie-talkie. "Well, shall we begin?"
"I thought you'd never ask," Burkett said. All too eagerly, he placed April's extremities apart. "I don't know how'd they be able to hide anything, but it's always best to play things safe." He ran his hands up the outside of April's right, nylon-encased leg. "If it's any consolation," he said. "You're probably the prettiest prisoners we've ever had around these parts."
"And if it's any consolation," said April. "You're going to be having the most pleasant dreams in about thirty seconds."
"That a threat?"
"No. Just a fact, like the earth being round."
"Your turn next, spunky." Norwood separated Cyan from the rest of her group and forced her hands onto the desktop overlooking the panel of monitors.
"Touch me and die," the angel said.
The bald guard laughed. "I think I'll chance it." He slid his hands around Cyan's waist and went slowly upward.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"Or you'll what?" asked Norwood, half lost in the feeling of the angel's uniform.
Cyan spun around and launched a kick that would make Adam Vinatieri proud, splitting the uprights of Norwood's legs and landing flush in the groin. The guard went down to his knees and howled in pain, holding himself. Cyan took advantage of the opportunity by unhooking the keyboard to the heat sensor monitor and whacking the injured man in the side of the head. Letters keys flew everywhere as Norwood fell prone to the floor, out like a light.
"What the hell is..."
Burkett never got to finish his question, as he felt a prick in his neck. Moments later, he joined his partner in slumber, crashing to the ground. Behind him, April Hsu was busy resetting her silken black coiffure.
"Told him. Thirty seconds exactly."
Faith-Mari blinked. "You dip your hairpin in knockout solution?"
"In highly-concentrated calmative," April said. "You never know how many situations merit it. Bad dates, insurance salesmen, security pervs. The list is endless."
"Good to know," Kelly said. "Cyan, you all right?"
"Yeah. Rickey Henderson over here got caught trying to steal second. I don't think he'll be attempting that again."
Kelly turned the unconscious Burkett over and saw the embroidered letters on his pocket. "VSI. Any doubts as to who might be running the show?"
Cyan shook her head. "Not possible. Victoria Stackhouse no longer has any control over the company."
"But that doesn't mean her successor, whoever that may be, can't. April, does VSI own any space in this building?"
"Nothing listed, but there were two floors yet to be filled."
Faith-Mari checked the sensors. Other than the six people on the thirty-fourth floor, there were three other heat signatures. Two outlines walked on floor fifty-one, the other on fifty.
"Let me guess which two. April, stay here and give us any word on any sudden moves. Kelly and Cyan, let's put this mission to bed." Faith-Mari ran to the elevator, with her teammates close behind.
On floor fifty-seven, a lone, svelte figure in a gold catsuit pressed the squawk button to her walkie-talkie. "They have disposed of the guards. Three of them are coming to meet you now. Should I rectify the situation now?"
"No," said the voice on the other end. "Let them come to me. Be sure to take care of the straggler."
"But of course," said Coquelicot. As she signed off, she muttered, "Si vous voulez quelque chose droite faite..."
-
The Dutch Ninja
Thanks, cthulhu and sgz6 (btw, excellent opener on Extra! Extra! Supergirl). What Coquelicot said at the end of part three was a French equivalent for, "If you want something done right..." She ends this part with the other half of the old saying. Hope you enjoy the next part.
****
Genevieve Comeaux wasn't always a bad girl.
She became aware of her power early in life. As a child, she would cover her ears at night, hoping to someday escape the yelling and fighting of her parents. Barely a day went by in her primary school years without the threat of damaging words and volcanic anger. But she soon learned of a way to fix her problems.
Mr. Comeaux, a music teacher at the Villa Maria girls' secondary school in Montreal, attempted to recruit his daughter in the academy's choir when she was thirteen. As Genevieve listened, her father played the ascending notes on the music scale.
"Now you whistle the notes back to me," he said.
Genevieve took as deep a breath as she could. As she did, Mr. Comeaux noticed something slightly unusual in his daughter's eyes...
"Dearest, what..."
The subsequent exhaling and whistling of notes created a faint orange mist that instantly knocked Mr. Comeaux out cold.
Genevieve stopped immediately and shook her father. "Papa, please wake up!" It would be a couple of hours before Mr. Comeaux regained consciousness.
She began to test her powers on neighboring pets, flocks of pigeons on the side of the road, anytime she wasn't being observed. When her parents began to argue, all Genevieve would have to do was enter the room and breathe in as deep as possible. Mr. and Mrs. Comeaux were quick learners, and soon backed down into a begrudging peace.
In her teenage years, she perfected her skills with the bratty kids that she babysat in her posh Westmount neighborhood. Within minutes, her responsibilities were off to Dreamland, giving her the entire evening free to catch up on her studies, watch television, or, on occasion, invite the occasional cute boy from Selwyn House Academy.
It was only when her father was released from his job that the shouting matches returned, and no amount of threats of slumber could stop them. At eighteen, Genevieve Comeaux turned to the vocation that would dominate her life: cat burglar extraordinare. With her long auburn locks framing a yellow mask that she purchased in a dollar store, and a gold unitard she pinched from the theater dressing room at Villa Maria (and which she covered in flecks of scarlet thread to compliment her new name), she became Coquelicot, the worst one-woman crime spree in Montreal's history. Ten years into her collections, she had amassed a king's fortune. Her parents, now taken care of in full, enjoyed the most sanguine years of their lives, not knowing that their daughter wasn't working her way up in the business world, as was their belief.
However, most banks knew her well. Most of the city's security guards would share the familiarity, had she not knocked them out well before any visual contact could be confirmed.
She only knew fear once in her life, for a brief instant, a month ago, when she received a letter with no return address. Instead of her real name, the envelope simply read: "For Coq."
She cut it open, expecting some nosy journalist or detective's attempt at blackmail, or worse. Instead, she saw a piece of paper and a check for $500,000 Canadian. The chill running down Genevieve's spine thawed.
Written on the letter: "If you want to see this bad boy's identical twin, you will go to the following places and secure these items. Meet me in four weeks in Boston. Sincerely..."
April Hsu wished she was going up to the fifty-first floor with her teammates. Nothing proved a better booster for morale than being responsible for busting the baddies, but she knew her job was of equal importance. It was easy to check the heat sensors, to see that two of the signatures were standing still on fifty-one...
...and that the third signature was riding the elevator at the opposite end of the floor, coming her way.
To prepare for the incoming threat, April took out the calmative solution from her utility belt and re-dipped her hairpin. She then walked up to the elevator doors, standing beside them. She didn't have to wait long for the metallic ring to confirm that she had company.
As soon as she saw the gold and scarlet figure walk out of the cabin, April made her move. Wrapping her arm around Coquelicot's neck, she shoved the Quebecois against the wall of monitors, trying to prick the neck with her hairpin. She kicked out the back of the catsuit-clad burglar's knee, forcing her down into a kneeling position.
"What do you have up there?" asked April.
"The end of your friends," spat Coquelicot. "Care to join them?" With all the strength she could muster, she pushed back against April, eventually knocking her back against the opposite wall. This did not relinquish the angel's grip, and Coquelicot felt her energy slowly draining out. She had time for only one more attack.
She elbowed April in the ribs. weakening the chokehold but not breaking it. The burglar powered back into the elevator cabin, and using her own weight to her advantage, crunched the angel against the back wall, once, twice, a third time. Finally, Coquelicot wrested April's arm away from her throat, and with lightning speed, executed a perfect seoi-nage, grabbing her enemy by the arm and tossing her over the shoulder.
April landed on the metal floor of the elevator with a flat thud. She reached for her aching side, but before she could move, Coquelicot pounced, straddling her, forcing the shoulders flat against the elevator bottom.
"My first angel," said the criminal. "What a treat." She giggled, then leaned down, her face only inches from her prey's. "Who am I, mon petit ange?"
"You're a thief and a menace," April said, her voice tinged with pain.
"Guilty on both counts, but I think you're fully aware of my work. Tell me, do you know what my name means in French, dear?"
April groaned. "It means poppy."
"And you know what poppies do?" Looking skyward, Coquelicot took in as much air as she could. And for the first time, April Hsu could see what Genevieve Comeaux's parents had witnessed for years; the eyes of her attacker began to gain a cloudy bittersweet hue, growing in saturation until the entire eyeball glowed orange.
Then came the exhalation. Mist of the same color smothered April's face, rendering her unconscious before she could register what was happening. Slowly, Coquelicot's eyes returned to their normal emerald green.
"As the Wicked Witch of the West said, poppies make us sleep." Coquelicot stood up straight, then lifted the sleeping angel up to her feet, propping her against the corner of the elevator. She then looked at Norwood and Burkett, tied up in the holding cell, sawing logs.
She shook her head. "Le faire vous," she said, pressing the button for the fifty-first floor.
****
Genevieve Comeaux wasn't always a bad girl.
She became aware of her power early in life. As a child, she would cover her ears at night, hoping to someday escape the yelling and fighting of her parents. Barely a day went by in her primary school years without the threat of damaging words and volcanic anger. But she soon learned of a way to fix her problems.
Mr. Comeaux, a music teacher at the Villa Maria girls' secondary school in Montreal, attempted to recruit his daughter in the academy's choir when she was thirteen. As Genevieve listened, her father played the ascending notes on the music scale.
"Now you whistle the notes back to me," he said.
Genevieve took as deep a breath as she could. As she did, Mr. Comeaux noticed something slightly unusual in his daughter's eyes...
"Dearest, what..."
The subsequent exhaling and whistling of notes created a faint orange mist that instantly knocked Mr. Comeaux out cold.
Genevieve stopped immediately and shook her father. "Papa, please wake up!" It would be a couple of hours before Mr. Comeaux regained consciousness.
She began to test her powers on neighboring pets, flocks of pigeons on the side of the road, anytime she wasn't being observed. When her parents began to argue, all Genevieve would have to do was enter the room and breathe in as deep as possible. Mr. and Mrs. Comeaux were quick learners, and soon backed down into a begrudging peace.
In her teenage years, she perfected her skills with the bratty kids that she babysat in her posh Westmount neighborhood. Within minutes, her responsibilities were off to Dreamland, giving her the entire evening free to catch up on her studies, watch television, or, on occasion, invite the occasional cute boy from Selwyn House Academy.
It was only when her father was released from his job that the shouting matches returned, and no amount of threats of slumber could stop them. At eighteen, Genevieve Comeaux turned to the vocation that would dominate her life: cat burglar extraordinare. With her long auburn locks framing a yellow mask that she purchased in a dollar store, and a gold unitard she pinched from the theater dressing room at Villa Maria (and which she covered in flecks of scarlet thread to compliment her new name), she became Coquelicot, the worst one-woman crime spree in Montreal's history. Ten years into her collections, she had amassed a king's fortune. Her parents, now taken care of in full, enjoyed the most sanguine years of their lives, not knowing that their daughter wasn't working her way up in the business world, as was their belief.
However, most banks knew her well. Most of the city's security guards would share the familiarity, had she not knocked them out well before any visual contact could be confirmed.
She only knew fear once in her life, for a brief instant, a month ago, when she received a letter with no return address. Instead of her real name, the envelope simply read: "For Coq."
She cut it open, expecting some nosy journalist or detective's attempt at blackmail, or worse. Instead, she saw a piece of paper and a check for $500,000 Canadian. The chill running down Genevieve's spine thawed.
Written on the letter: "If you want to see this bad boy's identical twin, you will go to the following places and secure these items. Meet me in four weeks in Boston. Sincerely..."
April Hsu wished she was going up to the fifty-first floor with her teammates. Nothing proved a better booster for morale than being responsible for busting the baddies, but she knew her job was of equal importance. It was easy to check the heat sensors, to see that two of the signatures were standing still on fifty-one...
...and that the third signature was riding the elevator at the opposite end of the floor, coming her way.
To prepare for the incoming threat, April took out the calmative solution from her utility belt and re-dipped her hairpin. She then walked up to the elevator doors, standing beside them. She didn't have to wait long for the metallic ring to confirm that she had company.
As soon as she saw the gold and scarlet figure walk out of the cabin, April made her move. Wrapping her arm around Coquelicot's neck, she shoved the Quebecois against the wall of monitors, trying to prick the neck with her hairpin. She kicked out the back of the catsuit-clad burglar's knee, forcing her down into a kneeling position.
"What do you have up there?" asked April.
"The end of your friends," spat Coquelicot. "Care to join them?" With all the strength she could muster, she pushed back against April, eventually knocking her back against the opposite wall. This did not relinquish the angel's grip, and Coquelicot felt her energy slowly draining out. She had time for only one more attack.
She elbowed April in the ribs. weakening the chokehold but not breaking it. The burglar powered back into the elevator cabin, and using her own weight to her advantage, crunched the angel against the back wall, once, twice, a third time. Finally, Coquelicot wrested April's arm away from her throat, and with lightning speed, executed a perfect seoi-nage, grabbing her enemy by the arm and tossing her over the shoulder.
April landed on the metal floor of the elevator with a flat thud. She reached for her aching side, but before she could move, Coquelicot pounced, straddling her, forcing the shoulders flat against the elevator bottom.
"My first angel," said the criminal. "What a treat." She giggled, then leaned down, her face only inches from her prey's. "Who am I, mon petit ange?"
"You're a thief and a menace," April said, her voice tinged with pain.
"Guilty on both counts, but I think you're fully aware of my work. Tell me, do you know what my name means in French, dear?"
April groaned. "It means poppy."
"And you know what poppies do?" Looking skyward, Coquelicot took in as much air as she could. And for the first time, April Hsu could see what Genevieve Comeaux's parents had witnessed for years; the eyes of her attacker began to gain a cloudy bittersweet hue, growing in saturation until the entire eyeball glowed orange.
Then came the exhalation. Mist of the same color smothered April's face, rendering her unconscious before she could register what was happening. Slowly, Coquelicot's eyes returned to their normal emerald green.
"As the Wicked Witch of the West said, poppies make us sleep." Coquelicot stood up straight, then lifted the sleeping angel up to her feet, propping her against the corner of the elevator. She then looked at Norwood and Burkett, tied up in the holding cell, sawing logs.
She shook her head. "Le faire vous," she said, pressing the button for the fifty-first floor.
-
The Dutch Ninja
sgz6: I did sign up, under the name The Great Dutch Ninja (an obscure Mystery Science Theater 3000 reference). Unfortunately, my attempts to sign in have been unsuccessful. I keep getting a notice that my account is invalid.
****
Faith-Mari reattached her utility belt in the express elevator, as did her teammates.
"All set?" she asked, slowly pacing in the cabin.
Cyan tossed back her layers of fire-red hair. "Like you need to ask."
"Kelly?"
The nervous rookie barely kept her breathing in check. "Ready as I'll ever be."
The metallic ring signalled their arrival. The doors opened to reveal a vast, dimly lit office. A gray couch, the same color as the bare walls, and a glass coffee table sat unused to the side. A single door stood near the elevator. A crystal chandelier hung down above the center of the floor. The suitcase stood on the surface of the desk at the far end, next to the windows, with the Boston skyline clearly seen in the background. The giant chair behind the desk faced the view, away from the angels.
As the trio exited the elevators, the lights turned on, stopping their progress.
"Son of a gun," said a man from the chair. "I knew we should've had more guards. That not withstanding, A+ job, girls. Well done."
Faith-Mari recognized the voice immediately. That's not possible, she thought.
The chair swiveled to face the angels, and Faith-Mari's fears were confirmed. The pitch black three-piece suit was different, but the silver newscaster hairdo, the smug grin, and the patronizing turn of phrase made his identity crystal clear. His ice-cold glare softened upon eyeing his pursuers. "My goodness, but you all look absolutely stunning."
"Carter Roberds," Faith-Mari said. "But how did you get here before us?"
The Deputy Director laughed. "Why, I just took a spin on the company's supersonic jet." Mockingly, he gasped. "Oh, did I fail to mention we had one of those?"
"But why?" asked Kelly, her face etched with confusion.
"Because I'm jobhunting, sweetie. Didn't anyone tell you? Heads are rolling over the number of agents we've lost. And do you think Langley is going to release an institution like Karla Lee? Of course not. So guess who they're sacrificing to make the top brass happy." Roberds pointed at himself. "You know, if we kept secrets on the outside as well as we do inside, the world would've been blown up so many times. I wasn't even supposed to know for another week. So I think about who needs help getting weapons. Stackhouse Industries had the demand. I just needed some help getting the supplies." He opened the top desk drawer. The three angels reached for their utility belts, but relented when Roberds pulled out a bottle of Southern Comfort and a shot glass. "Twenty years of work, girls. Just as long as each of you has been alive. Maybe if you put in that much effort, you'd understand my distress."
"So you put a nuke into play? That's how you plan to pay everyone back?" Faith-Mari slowly took out a pair of plastic handcuffs from her utility belt as she spoke, but she was still too far away to put them to use.
"A nuke?" Roberds let out a low gut-laugh, then downed his shot. "My child, nuclear arms are so twentieth century. Step into the new millennium." Roberds stepped away from his chair. "Miss Hopkins, what do you know about CERN?"
"Why?" Faith-Mari knew full well about CERN. Near the French-Swiss border, the building housed the largest particle physics laboratory in the world.
"Well, it's amazing what is scientifically possible. Did you know that if you collided gold atoms into each other at nearly the speed of light, one of the potential outcomes is a black hole? Sure, it may be the subatomic in size to begin with, but if you feed it matter quickly enough, its potential to grow is endless. And thus, without further ado, I give you CERN's latest marvel: the portable supercollider." Roberds opened the suitcase, revealing a metallic circular tube, attached to two pistons. On the upper part of the suitcase was a laptop, wired to the pistons.
"Now, we need to let the world's willing buyers witness a demonstration. You think a radius of two miles is sufficient to let everyone know I mean business? That should swallow everything from the Back Bay to Jeffries Point."
"You're not doing anything," said Faith-Mari, moving toward Roberds, handcuffs at the ready.
"I'm sorry," he said. "If you're going to make any appointments, check with my receptionist."
The door near the angels exploded open, and the three angels found themselves shoved off their feet and scattered across the marble floor. The plastic cuffs flew out of Faith-Mari's hand, landing well out of her reach. She peered up to see a gargantuan block of a woman, six feet four at least. Her black crewcut sat on top of a face that looked like a reflection in a shattered mirror; eyes not level with each other, mouth crooked but expressionless, nose visibly broken in half. She wore a simple gray sweatshirt and matching pants. A red M on the sweatshirt looked as if it had been written in blood.
"That would be her," said Roberds. "Angels, this is Louise, also known as... what did they call you in the ring, dear?"
"Monstrosity," Louise growled.
"How droll," Cyan said, getting back to her feet.
Roberds grinned. "She's quite handy, you know. In her career, she's broken seven legs, fourteen arms, and a neck or two. And those were in choreographed fights. With people she liked. Imagine what she will do to people she doesn't care for."
Cyan ran up to Monstrosity and swung away, trying to make soup out of the henchwoman's face. The blows barely registered, with the only effect being a scowl that crackled across her fractured lips. Then she struck with a single uppercut, connecting flush onto the angel's chin, sending her flying backward into the couch.
Simultaneously, Faith-Mari and Kelly savate-kicked the hulking bodyguard in the back, to no reaction. Monstrosity twisted around with a quickness that was superhuman for her size. She grabbed both angels around the throat and held them in a double headlock. The blows from the angels lightly glanced off her castiron middle. When she tired of squeezing her adversaries' noggins, Monstrosity held Faith-Mari and Kelly by the neck, then rammed their faces together. The two rookies fell into each other, sliding down to the ground.
Cyan tried to get up from the couch, but she wasn't nearly fast enough. Monstrosity grabbed a handful of her crowning glory, then bent down to scoop the angel up. The henchwoman purred slightly as she reached around Cyan's frame and dug into the seat of the redhead's baby blue leotard. With as much velocity as she could gather, Monstrosity bodyslammed Cyan through the glass table, KO'ing the heroine.
With one angel down, Monstrosity calmly walked to the remainder of her prey. Lifting Kelly to her feet by the collar of her uniform, she placed one hand on the dazed angel's neck, and the other on her upper leg. In an effortless display of power, she bench-pressed Kelly over her head, waiting for Faith-Mari to recover. When the team leader stumbled onto her feet, Monstrosity played a game of human javelin, launching her enemy. Despite Kelly's shouts to move out of the way, the two angels collided, every bit as unconscious as Cyan.
Roberds shook his head. "I thought I taught you girls better."
Moments later, Coquelicot walked onto floor fifty-one with April in tow. "Zut alors," she said. "I was hoping to have some more fun."
"Enough games for now," said Roberds. "Let's get to business." He pulled a check out of his jacket pocket. "Here's the rest of your hard-earned dollars. But let me give you a word of warning; I'd be finding a way out of town if I were you."
"I figured that much out, Monsieur." She ripped the check out of Roberds' hands, dragged April to her temporary employer, and ran to the elevator. "Au revoir," she yelled out as the doors closed in front of her.
Louise Brach normally looked at a fight as a job. Each busted lip, broken bone, and cracked vertebrae equalled another client safe. She certainly felt that way when Carter Roberds hired her last week, and told her of the potential obstacles that might be in her way.
And for the most part, she felt that way now, on the fifty-first floor. The blonde and brunette were cake; their kicks felt like taps on the shoulder, and they were easily dealt with.
But the redhead was another story. She never knew a woman who had the nerve to start an unrigged fight with her face-to-face. Although Monstrosity hid it well, the punches actually caused moderate discomfort. It stung. It hurt. And Louise Brach liked it.
She knelt down and gently removed Cyan McCullers' mask. She was amazed that such force and anger came from such a porcelain, angelic face. With an equally soft touch, she brushed her hand against the unconscious girl's layers of hair, then down her spandex-covered side. For the first time in her life, her head felt light for a different reason than a well-placed punch.
"What beauty," said Monstrosity, her voice somehow airy despite its gravel tone.
"Okay, point taken," said Roberds, rolling his eyes. "Bring her along; you'd be saving her life. Just tie the others up, and be speedy like Alka-Seltzer about it; the real estate around here is going to be real cheap in about three hours."
Monstrosity grunted as she leapt to her feet. Using the rope supplied by Roberds, she bound the three remaining angels to each other, then tossed the end of the rope around the chandelier, creating a makeshift pulley. In short order, she hung Faith-Mari, Kelly, and April four feet off the ground.
"Good job," said Roberds. "Now, let's catch our flight."
Monstrosity nodded. She tossed Cyan over her shoulder and followed the Deputy Director to the elevators, leaving the three sleepers hanging in mid-air.
The fifty-first floor was silent, save for the beeping noise of the laptop, ticking off the seconds until the creation of the black hole.
Two hours, fifty-nine minutes and counting...
****
Faith-Mari reattached her utility belt in the express elevator, as did her teammates.
"All set?" she asked, slowly pacing in the cabin.
Cyan tossed back her layers of fire-red hair. "Like you need to ask."
"Kelly?"
The nervous rookie barely kept her breathing in check. "Ready as I'll ever be."
The metallic ring signalled their arrival. The doors opened to reveal a vast, dimly lit office. A gray couch, the same color as the bare walls, and a glass coffee table sat unused to the side. A single door stood near the elevator. A crystal chandelier hung down above the center of the floor. The suitcase stood on the surface of the desk at the far end, next to the windows, with the Boston skyline clearly seen in the background. The giant chair behind the desk faced the view, away from the angels.
As the trio exited the elevators, the lights turned on, stopping their progress.
"Son of a gun," said a man from the chair. "I knew we should've had more guards. That not withstanding, A+ job, girls. Well done."
Faith-Mari recognized the voice immediately. That's not possible, she thought.
The chair swiveled to face the angels, and Faith-Mari's fears were confirmed. The pitch black three-piece suit was different, but the silver newscaster hairdo, the smug grin, and the patronizing turn of phrase made his identity crystal clear. His ice-cold glare softened upon eyeing his pursuers. "My goodness, but you all look absolutely stunning."
"Carter Roberds," Faith-Mari said. "But how did you get here before us?"
The Deputy Director laughed. "Why, I just took a spin on the company's supersonic jet." Mockingly, he gasped. "Oh, did I fail to mention we had one of those?"
"But why?" asked Kelly, her face etched with confusion.
"Because I'm jobhunting, sweetie. Didn't anyone tell you? Heads are rolling over the number of agents we've lost. And do you think Langley is going to release an institution like Karla Lee? Of course not. So guess who they're sacrificing to make the top brass happy." Roberds pointed at himself. "You know, if we kept secrets on the outside as well as we do inside, the world would've been blown up so many times. I wasn't even supposed to know for another week. So I think about who needs help getting weapons. Stackhouse Industries had the demand. I just needed some help getting the supplies." He opened the top desk drawer. The three angels reached for their utility belts, but relented when Roberds pulled out a bottle of Southern Comfort and a shot glass. "Twenty years of work, girls. Just as long as each of you has been alive. Maybe if you put in that much effort, you'd understand my distress."
"So you put a nuke into play? That's how you plan to pay everyone back?" Faith-Mari slowly took out a pair of plastic handcuffs from her utility belt as she spoke, but she was still too far away to put them to use.
"A nuke?" Roberds let out a low gut-laugh, then downed his shot. "My child, nuclear arms are so twentieth century. Step into the new millennium." Roberds stepped away from his chair. "Miss Hopkins, what do you know about CERN?"
"Why?" Faith-Mari knew full well about CERN. Near the French-Swiss border, the building housed the largest particle physics laboratory in the world.
"Well, it's amazing what is scientifically possible. Did you know that if you collided gold atoms into each other at nearly the speed of light, one of the potential outcomes is a black hole? Sure, it may be the subatomic in size to begin with, but if you feed it matter quickly enough, its potential to grow is endless. And thus, without further ado, I give you CERN's latest marvel: the portable supercollider." Roberds opened the suitcase, revealing a metallic circular tube, attached to two pistons. On the upper part of the suitcase was a laptop, wired to the pistons.
"Now, we need to let the world's willing buyers witness a demonstration. You think a radius of two miles is sufficient to let everyone know I mean business? That should swallow everything from the Back Bay to Jeffries Point."
"You're not doing anything," said Faith-Mari, moving toward Roberds, handcuffs at the ready.
"I'm sorry," he said. "If you're going to make any appointments, check with my receptionist."
The door near the angels exploded open, and the three angels found themselves shoved off their feet and scattered across the marble floor. The plastic cuffs flew out of Faith-Mari's hand, landing well out of her reach. She peered up to see a gargantuan block of a woman, six feet four at least. Her black crewcut sat on top of a face that looked like a reflection in a shattered mirror; eyes not level with each other, mouth crooked but expressionless, nose visibly broken in half. She wore a simple gray sweatshirt and matching pants. A red M on the sweatshirt looked as if it had been written in blood.
"That would be her," said Roberds. "Angels, this is Louise, also known as... what did they call you in the ring, dear?"
"Monstrosity," Louise growled.
"How droll," Cyan said, getting back to her feet.
Roberds grinned. "She's quite handy, you know. In her career, she's broken seven legs, fourteen arms, and a neck or two. And those were in choreographed fights. With people she liked. Imagine what she will do to people she doesn't care for."
Cyan ran up to Monstrosity and swung away, trying to make soup out of the henchwoman's face. The blows barely registered, with the only effect being a scowl that crackled across her fractured lips. Then she struck with a single uppercut, connecting flush onto the angel's chin, sending her flying backward into the couch.
Simultaneously, Faith-Mari and Kelly savate-kicked the hulking bodyguard in the back, to no reaction. Monstrosity twisted around with a quickness that was superhuman for her size. She grabbed both angels around the throat and held them in a double headlock. The blows from the angels lightly glanced off her castiron middle. When she tired of squeezing her adversaries' noggins, Monstrosity held Faith-Mari and Kelly by the neck, then rammed their faces together. The two rookies fell into each other, sliding down to the ground.
Cyan tried to get up from the couch, but she wasn't nearly fast enough. Monstrosity grabbed a handful of her crowning glory, then bent down to scoop the angel up. The henchwoman purred slightly as she reached around Cyan's frame and dug into the seat of the redhead's baby blue leotard. With as much velocity as she could gather, Monstrosity bodyslammed Cyan through the glass table, KO'ing the heroine.
With one angel down, Monstrosity calmly walked to the remainder of her prey. Lifting Kelly to her feet by the collar of her uniform, she placed one hand on the dazed angel's neck, and the other on her upper leg. In an effortless display of power, she bench-pressed Kelly over her head, waiting for Faith-Mari to recover. When the team leader stumbled onto her feet, Monstrosity played a game of human javelin, launching her enemy. Despite Kelly's shouts to move out of the way, the two angels collided, every bit as unconscious as Cyan.
Roberds shook his head. "I thought I taught you girls better."
Moments later, Coquelicot walked onto floor fifty-one with April in tow. "Zut alors," she said. "I was hoping to have some more fun."
"Enough games for now," said Roberds. "Let's get to business." He pulled a check out of his jacket pocket. "Here's the rest of your hard-earned dollars. But let me give you a word of warning; I'd be finding a way out of town if I were you."
"I figured that much out, Monsieur." She ripped the check out of Roberds' hands, dragged April to her temporary employer, and ran to the elevator. "Au revoir," she yelled out as the doors closed in front of her.
Louise Brach normally looked at a fight as a job. Each busted lip, broken bone, and cracked vertebrae equalled another client safe. She certainly felt that way when Carter Roberds hired her last week, and told her of the potential obstacles that might be in her way.
And for the most part, she felt that way now, on the fifty-first floor. The blonde and brunette were cake; their kicks felt like taps on the shoulder, and they were easily dealt with.
But the redhead was another story. She never knew a woman who had the nerve to start an unrigged fight with her face-to-face. Although Monstrosity hid it well, the punches actually caused moderate discomfort. It stung. It hurt. And Louise Brach liked it.
She knelt down and gently removed Cyan McCullers' mask. She was amazed that such force and anger came from such a porcelain, angelic face. With an equally soft touch, she brushed her hand against the unconscious girl's layers of hair, then down her spandex-covered side. For the first time in her life, her head felt light for a different reason than a well-placed punch.
"What beauty," said Monstrosity, her voice somehow airy despite its gravel tone.
"Okay, point taken," said Roberds, rolling his eyes. "Bring her along; you'd be saving her life. Just tie the others up, and be speedy like Alka-Seltzer about it; the real estate around here is going to be real cheap in about three hours."
Monstrosity grunted as she leapt to her feet. Using the rope supplied by Roberds, she bound the three remaining angels to each other, then tossed the end of the rope around the chandelier, creating a makeshift pulley. In short order, she hung Faith-Mari, Kelly, and April four feet off the ground.
"Good job," said Roberds. "Now, let's catch our flight."
Monstrosity nodded. She tossed Cyan over her shoulder and followed the Deputy Director to the elevators, leaving the three sleepers hanging in mid-air.
The fifty-first floor was silent, save for the beeping noise of the laptop, ticking off the seconds until the creation of the black hole.
Two hours, fifty-nine minutes and counting...
-
The Dutch Ninja
Two hours, twenty-eight minutes and counting...
Faith-Mari awoke to fins herself swinging below the chandelier. Although she couldn't see anyone else, she could feel someone tied close to each side.
"Kelly? Cyan?"
"I'm here," said Kelly, sounding groggy.
"And April to the right of you. Cyan's gone. Roberds must've taken her."
"Yeah, with Coquelicot and that pet monster of his," said Faith-Mari. "Any luck with the ropes?"
"I'm still stuck, but Kelly's almost free."
Faith-Mari could feel the smaller angel wriggling her way out of the trap.
"Go, Penrose. I'm not even going to ask how, but I'm grateful."
"Yeah, well, it's not too much of a problem." Kelly freed her left arm from the ropes, which she then used to tear off her bindings. "Being a magician's assistant for a year helps." She slipped out underneath the ropes, landing on her feet with feline assuredness. Taking her pocketknife out of her utility belt, Kelly walked to the couch, where Monstorsity tied the rope that held the angels aloft.
"Brace yourself," she warned as she cut with one swoop. The rope end flew upward, unwrapping around the chandelier, and then falling to the ground. Faith-Mari and April collapsed in a heap, groaning from the impact.
"Sorry about that."
"Never mind," said Faith-Mari, unwrapping herself from the ropes. "See what you can do about stopping the supercollider."
Kelly ran to the briefcase, facing the monitor that showed the time remaining, and the radius of the calamity that awaited Boston. Underneath the timer was a red button marked abort. Without hesitation, Kelly moved the desktop arrow onto the button and clicked.
The timer screen blipped. Two hours and twenty-six minutes became two hours and eleven minutes. A window opened on the screen, with the following text: "Try that again. I dare you."
Kelly gulped. "Guys, I don't think we're going to be able to stop this thing. Looks like Roberds hardwired it. I can try to reduce the radius, but that's about it." She moved the arrow to the radius sensor and pressed on the minus key. The number lowered from 2.0 to 1.95 miles. Simultaneously, the timer changed from two hours and ten minutes to two hours and seven minutes. Another window popped up: "Think this is the answer? Go down to zero and find out."
Kelly clicked on the minus key again. 1.95 miles became 1.90; two hours seven to two hours four.
"The timer goes down six minutes for each tenth a mile. If we get the radius down to 0.05 that's going to leave us with seven minutes."
"Will the radius go down to zero?" Faith-Mari rushed to the suitcase, studying the monitor.
"Judging by the handy little note that was left for us, I wouldn't try it."
"What would be taken out at .05 miles?" asked April.
"This building would be history, that much is true," said Faith-Mari. "But I'd take one building against thirteen square miles anyday. I'll make sure the radius is set. You guys wake up our two sleeping beauty guards and get them out. They might be thugs, but we shouldn't hold that much against them. I'll give you a three minute headstart, then I'm coming down."
"You got it," said April. She hurried to the elevator, followed by Kelly.
"Hey, Penrose?" yelled out Faith-Mari.
The brunette turned around, her head uncharacteristically held high.
"Knew you'd come in handy, kiddo."
Kelly smiled, looking down for an instant, then ran into the elevator. The doors closed, leaving Faith-Mari alone with the suitcase.
Three minutes, Faith-Mari thought. Then let's hope the term express elevator lives up to the name.
Norwood and Burkett were still asleep when April and Kelly rolled them into the elevator and pressed the G button.
"How much time do we have left?" Kelly asked.
April glanced at her watch. "Faith-Mari flips the switch right about..."
Now.
Faith-Mari clicked on the minus key as quickly as she could. The radius mark passed under the one mile mark; a moment later, the timer clicked under one hour.
.90, .80, .70...
Fifty-nine minutes, fifty-three, forty-seven...
April and Kelly carried the two unconscious guards across the lobby of the Hale Building. In preparing the building for its grand opening, the owners spared no expense. A fountain, complete with a statue of the skyscraper's namesake as the centerpiece, fed a river that flowed across a fake riverbed that ran down the middle of the floor. The information desk and security desks were immaculately polished, pyramid-shaped lights hung from the ceiling, and the uniformly off-white furniture, couches and chairs alike, formed sharp, stark cubes, betraying the designer's postmodern sensibilities.
"Three and a half minutes," said April.
Faith-Mari ran into the express elevator and pressed G repeatedly. She counted down each floor as it flashed on the screen.
31st, 30th, 29th...
"Faster!" yelled Faith-Mari. "I didn't get all the way through training just to blow my first mission."
19th, 18th, 17th...
April looked back at the Hale Building from across Causeway Street. She could see the light of the express elevator blink down the floors.
"Will she make it?" she asked. "Two minutes left."
Kelly dragged the bodies of Norwood and Burkett past the stop light. "If she gets through the lobby, she should be out of the radius. If the radius sensor is inaccurate, then I don't know."
"Of course it's accurate, mon petit ange," said a voice behind them. "The Swiss are very proficient."
April spun around. She recognized that voice.
Faith-Mari checked her watch as she burst out of the front lobby doors. Ten seconds. Nine, eight...
The blast blinded everyone.
As she regained her vision, Faith-Mari watched as the building across the street from her began to creak and moan. The steel supports bent and snapped. Glass windows busted out, then imploded back toward the fifty-first floor, where the singularity formed. Beams of steel stretched out, then poured into the center like granules of sand. Entire floors collapsed onto themselves, slowly swallowed into the abyss.
For the first time, a black hole became visible to the naked eye. Cars stopped in busy traffic, creating pileups along Causeway. Subway commuters exiting North Station stood still, every pair of eyes wide open.
The steel beems, now elongated and bent into curves, circled into the photon spheres, like water flowing into a drain. Glass shards, papers, desks, computers, and walls followed suit, flying into the apex, well within the event horizon. As they neared the center, every object faded into invisibility, past the point where light from the inside could reach the spectators.
And then, another flash, and the black hole swallowed itself.
No one dared go near the remains, although it was now safe to do so. The first floor of the Hale Building was untouched. The remainder now curved up to the eleventh floor, where only the mere corners of the support structure stood. The rest was gone.
Faith-Mari combed through the crowd. Normally, her field uniform would steal some glances, but now she was glad that she was unnoticed. She powered her way past the growing mass, and toward the corner of Causeway and Canal. There she saw Kelly, April... and Coquelicot, with a knapsack in tow, and a pistol in her hand.
"Mademoiselle Hopkins," said the thief. "Glad we could meet."
"I have nothing to say to you, except you're under arrest." Faith-Mari took out her plastic handcuffs.
"Even if I were to tell you how to find Monsieur Roberds, as well as your friend Ms. McCullers?"
Faith-Mari stopped in her tracks. She lowered the cuffs. "I'm listening."
"Well, I think we need to start the bidding. Mr. Roberds had a demand. For a million Canadian, I supplied. I feel an equal price is fair enough."
April shook her head. "No way. That's blackmail."
"And it's something I'm very good at," Coquelicot said. "One million, and you have Roberds, Monstrosity, and the soon to be Mrs. Monstrosity."
Faith-Mari sighed. "He must have designs. He wouldn't be nearly stupid enough to blow his only device on a demonstration."
"Very true," said Coquelicot. "You find Roberds, you find the designs. With that taken into consideration, one million is but a pittance, wouldn't you agree?"
April looked toward the phone booth on the corner. "I say let's do it."
"Fair enough," said Faith-Mari. "But we get the whereabouts first."
Coquelicot laughed. "You must take me for a moron. The money, then the information."
Faith-Mari dialed the number for a secret accounts payable division within the ANGELS' homefloor. As soon as she got through and identified herself, Coquelicot shoved her aside. Faith-Mari moved forward ready to pounce, but stopped when Coquelicot pointed the pistol in her direction.
"Please don't make me use this. I've had a rough trip. I've been lied to by an employer. I'd hate to have that happen twice in one day."
"You didn't know what Roberds was planning to do with the supercollider?"
"Don't be silly," said Coquelicot. "He told me he was working at a laboratory in Texas that fell behind CERN, and the technology was to be acquired at all costs. I didn't know what his plan was until this evening."
"Yeah, right," said April.
Coquelicot shrugged, then picked up the receiver. "Hello? Yes, this is an important transfer... Because your agent will perish if you don't, and I know it's ANGELS policy to retrieve your precious little darlings... yes, here is the account number. It is Swiss, so I wouldn't advise trying to look for any names. The amount is one million dollars Canadian, or 635,000 Euros..." She took out a laptop from the knapsack and clicked on a window that showed her account screen. She clicked on the refresh button. What she saw made her laugh. "Wonderful. It has been a pleasure dealing with you." She hung up the phone. "Mr. Roberds is at Logan as we speak, with Ms. Brach and Ms. McCullers. Mini-Concorde, hangar 18. Au revoir."
Faith-Mari grabbed Coquelicot by the wrist. "Now, hold on. How do we know you're telling the truth?"
"Because I am a good businesswoman. Ask my parents. You give me good money, I give you good information. Besides, I like having happy customers. Who knows if I will have to deal with them again? Now, if you will let me go, I must be on my way home."
Reluctantly, Faith-Mari released her. Smiling, Coquelicot flipped the knapsack across her golden shoulders and ran into the New England night. For a second, Faith-Mari considered giving pursuit, but realized that there were greater problems ahead.
"To Logan?" asked April.
"Yeah." Faith-Mari nodded. "We got a plane to catch."
Faith-Mari awoke to fins herself swinging below the chandelier. Although she couldn't see anyone else, she could feel someone tied close to each side.
"Kelly? Cyan?"
"I'm here," said Kelly, sounding groggy.
"And April to the right of you. Cyan's gone. Roberds must've taken her."
"Yeah, with Coquelicot and that pet monster of his," said Faith-Mari. "Any luck with the ropes?"
"I'm still stuck, but Kelly's almost free."
Faith-Mari could feel the smaller angel wriggling her way out of the trap.
"Go, Penrose. I'm not even going to ask how, but I'm grateful."
"Yeah, well, it's not too much of a problem." Kelly freed her left arm from the ropes, which she then used to tear off her bindings. "Being a magician's assistant for a year helps." She slipped out underneath the ropes, landing on her feet with feline assuredness. Taking her pocketknife out of her utility belt, Kelly walked to the couch, where Monstorsity tied the rope that held the angels aloft.
"Brace yourself," she warned as she cut with one swoop. The rope end flew upward, unwrapping around the chandelier, and then falling to the ground. Faith-Mari and April collapsed in a heap, groaning from the impact.
"Sorry about that."
"Never mind," said Faith-Mari, unwrapping herself from the ropes. "See what you can do about stopping the supercollider."
Kelly ran to the briefcase, facing the monitor that showed the time remaining, and the radius of the calamity that awaited Boston. Underneath the timer was a red button marked abort. Without hesitation, Kelly moved the desktop arrow onto the button and clicked.
The timer screen blipped. Two hours and twenty-six minutes became two hours and eleven minutes. A window opened on the screen, with the following text: "Try that again. I dare you."
Kelly gulped. "Guys, I don't think we're going to be able to stop this thing. Looks like Roberds hardwired it. I can try to reduce the radius, but that's about it." She moved the arrow to the radius sensor and pressed on the minus key. The number lowered from 2.0 to 1.95 miles. Simultaneously, the timer changed from two hours and ten minutes to two hours and seven minutes. Another window popped up: "Think this is the answer? Go down to zero and find out."
Kelly clicked on the minus key again. 1.95 miles became 1.90; two hours seven to two hours four.
"The timer goes down six minutes for each tenth a mile. If we get the radius down to 0.05 that's going to leave us with seven minutes."
"Will the radius go down to zero?" Faith-Mari rushed to the suitcase, studying the monitor.
"Judging by the handy little note that was left for us, I wouldn't try it."
"What would be taken out at .05 miles?" asked April.
"This building would be history, that much is true," said Faith-Mari. "But I'd take one building against thirteen square miles anyday. I'll make sure the radius is set. You guys wake up our two sleeping beauty guards and get them out. They might be thugs, but we shouldn't hold that much against them. I'll give you a three minute headstart, then I'm coming down."
"You got it," said April. She hurried to the elevator, followed by Kelly.
"Hey, Penrose?" yelled out Faith-Mari.
The brunette turned around, her head uncharacteristically held high.
"Knew you'd come in handy, kiddo."
Kelly smiled, looking down for an instant, then ran into the elevator. The doors closed, leaving Faith-Mari alone with the suitcase.
Three minutes, Faith-Mari thought. Then let's hope the term express elevator lives up to the name.
Norwood and Burkett were still asleep when April and Kelly rolled them into the elevator and pressed the G button.
"How much time do we have left?" Kelly asked.
April glanced at her watch. "Faith-Mari flips the switch right about..."
Now.
Faith-Mari clicked on the minus key as quickly as she could. The radius mark passed under the one mile mark; a moment later, the timer clicked under one hour.
.90, .80, .70...
Fifty-nine minutes, fifty-three, forty-seven...
April and Kelly carried the two unconscious guards across the lobby of the Hale Building. In preparing the building for its grand opening, the owners spared no expense. A fountain, complete with a statue of the skyscraper's namesake as the centerpiece, fed a river that flowed across a fake riverbed that ran down the middle of the floor. The information desk and security desks were immaculately polished, pyramid-shaped lights hung from the ceiling, and the uniformly off-white furniture, couches and chairs alike, formed sharp, stark cubes, betraying the designer's postmodern sensibilities.
"Three and a half minutes," said April.
Faith-Mari ran into the express elevator and pressed G repeatedly. She counted down each floor as it flashed on the screen.
31st, 30th, 29th...
"Faster!" yelled Faith-Mari. "I didn't get all the way through training just to blow my first mission."
19th, 18th, 17th...
April looked back at the Hale Building from across Causeway Street. She could see the light of the express elevator blink down the floors.
"Will she make it?" she asked. "Two minutes left."
Kelly dragged the bodies of Norwood and Burkett past the stop light. "If she gets through the lobby, she should be out of the radius. If the radius sensor is inaccurate, then I don't know."
"Of course it's accurate, mon petit ange," said a voice behind them. "The Swiss are very proficient."
April spun around. She recognized that voice.
Faith-Mari checked her watch as she burst out of the front lobby doors. Ten seconds. Nine, eight...
The blast blinded everyone.
As she regained her vision, Faith-Mari watched as the building across the street from her began to creak and moan. The steel supports bent and snapped. Glass windows busted out, then imploded back toward the fifty-first floor, where the singularity formed. Beams of steel stretched out, then poured into the center like granules of sand. Entire floors collapsed onto themselves, slowly swallowed into the abyss.
For the first time, a black hole became visible to the naked eye. Cars stopped in busy traffic, creating pileups along Causeway. Subway commuters exiting North Station stood still, every pair of eyes wide open.
The steel beems, now elongated and bent into curves, circled into the photon spheres, like water flowing into a drain. Glass shards, papers, desks, computers, and walls followed suit, flying into the apex, well within the event horizon. As they neared the center, every object faded into invisibility, past the point where light from the inside could reach the spectators.
And then, another flash, and the black hole swallowed itself.
No one dared go near the remains, although it was now safe to do so. The first floor of the Hale Building was untouched. The remainder now curved up to the eleventh floor, where only the mere corners of the support structure stood. The rest was gone.
Faith-Mari combed through the crowd. Normally, her field uniform would steal some glances, but now she was glad that she was unnoticed. She powered her way past the growing mass, and toward the corner of Causeway and Canal. There she saw Kelly, April... and Coquelicot, with a knapsack in tow, and a pistol in her hand.
"Mademoiselle Hopkins," said the thief. "Glad we could meet."
"I have nothing to say to you, except you're under arrest." Faith-Mari took out her plastic handcuffs.
"Even if I were to tell you how to find Monsieur Roberds, as well as your friend Ms. McCullers?"
Faith-Mari stopped in her tracks. She lowered the cuffs. "I'm listening."
"Well, I think we need to start the bidding. Mr. Roberds had a demand. For a million Canadian, I supplied. I feel an equal price is fair enough."
April shook her head. "No way. That's blackmail."
"And it's something I'm very good at," Coquelicot said. "One million, and you have Roberds, Monstrosity, and the soon to be Mrs. Monstrosity."
Faith-Mari sighed. "He must have designs. He wouldn't be nearly stupid enough to blow his only device on a demonstration."
"Very true," said Coquelicot. "You find Roberds, you find the designs. With that taken into consideration, one million is but a pittance, wouldn't you agree?"
April looked toward the phone booth on the corner. "I say let's do it."
"Fair enough," said Faith-Mari. "But we get the whereabouts first."
Coquelicot laughed. "You must take me for a moron. The money, then the information."
Faith-Mari dialed the number for a secret accounts payable division within the ANGELS' homefloor. As soon as she got through and identified herself, Coquelicot shoved her aside. Faith-Mari moved forward ready to pounce, but stopped when Coquelicot pointed the pistol in her direction.
"Please don't make me use this. I've had a rough trip. I've been lied to by an employer. I'd hate to have that happen twice in one day."
"You didn't know what Roberds was planning to do with the supercollider?"
"Don't be silly," said Coquelicot. "He told me he was working at a laboratory in Texas that fell behind CERN, and the technology was to be acquired at all costs. I didn't know what his plan was until this evening."
"Yeah, right," said April.
Coquelicot shrugged, then picked up the receiver. "Hello? Yes, this is an important transfer... Because your agent will perish if you don't, and I know it's ANGELS policy to retrieve your precious little darlings... yes, here is the account number. It is Swiss, so I wouldn't advise trying to look for any names. The amount is one million dollars Canadian, or 635,000 Euros..." She took out a laptop from the knapsack and clicked on a window that showed her account screen. She clicked on the refresh button. What she saw made her laugh. "Wonderful. It has been a pleasure dealing with you." She hung up the phone. "Mr. Roberds is at Logan as we speak, with Ms. Brach and Ms. McCullers. Mini-Concorde, hangar 18. Au revoir."
Faith-Mari grabbed Coquelicot by the wrist. "Now, hold on. How do we know you're telling the truth?"
"Because I am a good businesswoman. Ask my parents. You give me good money, I give you good information. Besides, I like having happy customers. Who knows if I will have to deal with them again? Now, if you will let me go, I must be on my way home."
Reluctantly, Faith-Mari released her. Smiling, Coquelicot flipped the knapsack across her golden shoulders and ran into the New England night. For a second, Faith-Mari considered giving pursuit, but realized that there were greater problems ahead.
"To Logan?" asked April.
"Yeah." Faith-Mari nodded. "We got a plane to catch."
-
MightyHypnotic
- Site Admin
- Posts: 3134
- Joined: 20 years ago
- Contact:
I checked into this. You signed up as The Great Dutch Ninja. You should have received an email asking you to validate your account. It probably went into your bulk folder, that happens from time to time. I have activated your account for you.
You're doing a great job with this story, BTW! Keep up the excellent work.
;-)
MH
You're doing a great job with this story, BTW! Keep up the excellent work.
;-)
MH
-
The Dutch Ninja
Roberds breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the hangar. The Mini-Concorde awaited, with a younger pilot checking the flaps. With Monstrosity carrying Cyan behind him, he walked in, his swagger back in his step.
"You know how to fly one of these?" he asked.
The pilot turned toward him. "Only in simulations, chief. I usually handle the Corsairs. The pilot you're looking for is in the terminal lounge."
"You're good enough to take this thing up, then," said Roberds. "Louise, get our passenger inside."
The pilot's eyes widened. "Is she going to be all right? What about the others?"
Roberds hurriedly ran up the portable stairs into the plane, unaware of the pilot following him. He motioned to Monstrosity. "Get her fastened in. We take off in five minutes, tops."
"What about Kelly?" asked the pilot. "The brunette?"
Roberds spun around. "Everyone else is dead, kid. We need to get the hell out of Dodge, and I mean now."
The pilot fell back into the front chair of the passenger cabin, his eyes glazed. He shook his head. "That's not possible."
"No time for tears," said Roberds. "Time to fly, and then we'll commiserate. Go!"
The pilot looked up to the Deputy Director. "We can't, sir. You may not have heard, but the Hale Building is gone. It came over the radio not twenty minutes ago. Boston's in lockdown."
Roberds froze. The supercollider wasn't supposed to go off for another two hours...
The angels tripped it off. And if they did that... then they're on their way.
"We can still get out, right?"
The pilot shook his head. "No, sir. FAA's stepped in. Logan traffic is grounded. They've evacuated the Fleet Center, Harvard Square... the city is at a standstill."
Roberds gave a resigned sigh. "Son, what's your name?"
"Dylan Smith, sir," said the pilot. "My friends call me Smitty."
"Well, Smitty," said Roberds as he removed his .38 Chief Special from its holster, "We're going to ignore the FAA's little proviso, okay? You got five minutes to get us airborne and Canada bound." He aimed for the airplane's two-way radio and pulled the trigger. The console burst into a shower of sparks.
The pilot rose out of his chair. "Yes, sir."
The three angels opened the back door to the hangar as the Mini-Concorde's wheels began to move.
"Who's up for a foot race?" Faith-Mari asked.
Inching toward the entrance, the airplane rolled a hundred feet ahead. Faith-Mari kept her concentration on the rear wheel well.
"What about when we get in?" asked April, running at top speed.
"We played to their strengths last time," Faith-Mari said. "This time, we make them play to ours."
"And that would be?" Kelly waited for an answer.
With a burst of speed, Faith-Mari grabbed onto the landing gear and inched her way into the plane's undercarriage. "When I know, you'll know."
"Wake up, angel. Come on, now..."
Cyan woke to a slight slap to the face. "What the... Where am I?" She opened her eyes to see Monstrosity leaning over her.
"Welcome to Arms Dealer Airlines," said Roberds, sitting in the front row, across the aisle from her. "Consider this a one-way ride. You and Miss Brach will be getting off wherever she chooses. I imagine this would be good-bye. Miss McCullers, thank you for maintaining the standards of the ANGELS organization."
"I'm leaving? With her?"
"She told me nothing would make her happier. Better than cash, she said."
Monstrosity ran her fingers through Cyan's hair, then scratched her nails down the angel's tights.
"You've got to be kidding me."
"Nope. I'd feel flattered. Out of everyone on the team, she chose you. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and tingly inside?"
Cyan sighed. "Like I just got crowned Miss America."
"Knew you would," said Roberds. A static sound crackled over the public address system.
"We're at cruising altitude, sir," said Smitty. "Might need to know where we're heading."
"Good. I'll leave you two lovebirds together."
Seconds after Roberds closed the cockpit door, the floor panel flipped open. April jumped out of the underbelly of the plane.
Monstrosity looked away from Cyan and moved toward the intruder. She launched a right hook, but April saw the blow coming. Ducking under the fist, April connected with a spinkick behind the knee, temporarily felling her foe.
Faith-Mari and Kelly lifted themselves from the hole in the floor. They tried to hold down the oak-sized legs, but were forced back into the walls of the plane by flailing kicks. Demonstrating her deceptive speed, Monstrosity kipped up to her feet and pursued April.
"Keep her busy," said Faith-Mari. "We're going to ground this bird." Taking a pick out of her utility belt, she began to work on the cockpit lock. Kelly removed a flathead screwdriver and commenced removing the hinges.
"Thanks," said April as she jumped out of Monstrosity's reach. "For a second, I thought you were going to give me something difficult to do." She leapt over a row of seats, barely evading another right hand.
Monstrosity ripped a rear seat out of the metal rivets, and with an effortless velocity, tossed it at April. The angel skidded across the aisle as the seat bounced off the cockpit wall.
"Stand still," growled Monstrosity. She ripped a second chair out. April looked over the seats in the third row, just in time to take the plush side of the seat in the face. Semi-conscious, she slid down the side of the plane. The lights of the overhead compartments turned black as Monstrosity blocked them from the angel's sight. April was barely cognizant enough to see the hamhock of an arm come down, on a collison course with her head. She ducked, with just enough time to feel the wind from the punch.
Monstrosity punched through the fuselage. She let loose with an unearthly scream, her arm bloodied and stuck in the side of the plane. Even her strength couldn't compare to the pressure exerted on her arm from the freezing outside air.
"Everybody get into a chair and buckle your seatbelts!" April yelled. Faith-Mari and Kelly moved into the chairs next to Cyan and latched themselves in. April moved into the seat behind them.
They watched as the metal envelope of the plane peeled outward like the skin of an orange. The inbound air burst inside the cabin with a deafening howl. Monstrosity yelled as the explosive decompression sucked her headlong out of the plane, followed by cups, papers, and pens.
"We've got a breach," said Smitty. "Taking emergency measures. Lowering altitude to ten thousand feet, looking for the nearest strip to land."
Roberds pressed the barrel of the Chief Special against the pilot's temple. "Like hell you will."
"Either that or freeze to death up here. Your choice." Smitty pressed forward on the controls.
The howl died down with the lower altitude. Faith-Mari motioned to Kelly. After making certain that the decompression was complete, the pair continued their work on the cockpit door. Kelly worked faster, unhinging the bottom.
"Halfway there," she said.
The door exploded into bits of shrapnel as the first bullet tore through, whizzing by Faith-Mari's head. The angels ducked under the front row as four more bullets punched past in rapid succession.
"Excellent work, girls," yelled Roberds through the door. "Nicely done. Too bad there's only one pilot onboard, and that there's one bullet left in this chamber with his name on it. You think I'd prefer life in prison over crashing this heap? Try me."
Kelly crawled back to the door and continued manipulating the top hinge. When the metal dropped to the aisle, she held onto the unconnected door, careful not to let the men inside know that they had access.
"You don't think you're leaving this plane a free man, do you?" asked Faith-Mari.
"Of course not," said Roberds.
Faith-Mari motioned to Kelly where Roberds' voice was coming from on the other side. Kelly nodded and moved to the left side of the door.
"Why do you think I saved one bullet? I can't imagine what they do to traitors in Lewisburg."
"You'll find out soon enough," said Faith-Mari, giving the all clear. Kelly burst the door open, using it as a shield against Roberds. The door brushed the Deputy Director as he fired the last shot, changing its trajectory, sending it far to the left of Smitty. Roberds spun the gun around in his hand and clubbed Kelly, knocking her out.
Jumping past the door, Roberds tried to break out of the cockpit, only to be tackled down by Faith-Mari. Held down by Cyan and April, Faith-Mari connected with blow after blow, dimming the lights. The three angels dragged him to the gaping hole in the fuselage.
"Playing jarts with a CIA officer," Roberds said. "What a way to go. Do it, Miss Hopkins."
Faith-Mari looked down at her former employer. She grabbed onto his tie, pulling him up to meet her eye-to-eye. "I'm not like you." She pulled back and KO'd Roberds with a left-handed haymaker. She leaned back into a row of chairs. "I think Logan's going to wonder what happened to one of its planes. Smitty, get us back to Boston."
Kelly Penrose woke up trying to move. She looked to her sides, and saw the stretcher straps that held her in place. At least they were back on terra firma, she thought. The bright lights of the nearby ambulance kept her from heading back to dreamland. She rested her head on the pillow. "Can I please get up?" she asked to no one in particular. "I've been tied down enough for one day already."
She looked to her right. She watched Faith-Mari and the pilot talking to each other. She noticed them pointing to her. The pilot patted Faith-Mari on the shoulder and walked up to the stretcher.
"So," he said, "this is the girl who kept Boston from getting sucked into another dimension. Thanks. Because, you know, baseball without the Red Sox would've sucked."
"Anyone would've done the same." Kelly was sure that her blushing would radiate through her mask.
"Not the story your boss gave me. She said they would've been doomed if it weren't for you." He sighed. "So you save a city and a stupid pilot's life. Is there anything you can't do?"
Kelly tried to shrug. "I can't touch my tongue with my nose."
The pilot reached around her head and removed her mask. "I'm Smitty."
"And I'm someone who just lucked into completing her mission."
Smitty nodded. "Faith-Mari told me you'd say that. She told me to tell you that the whole humility thing only works when you something to be humble about. Oh, and if you ever catch me gazing back at you when I'm supposed to be flying, you're more than welcome to hit me over the head with the cockpit door."
Kelly smiled. "Will do."
One week later, Faith-Mari Hopkins was summoned back to Langley. Again, she was fashionably late. Again, she was joined by her teammates. This time, the office was brought to order by the legend herself.
"I suppose you know why you've been called in," said Karla Lee. "You graduated from a course that no recruit has ever been asked to endure. Your success tells us all we need to know about your character, your resolve, and determination to keep this country safe. Congratulations are in order. To my newest agents, and to many successful missions to come." She withdrew a bottle of Dom from the desk and promptly popped the cork.
At the initation party, Faith-Mari noticed Cyan McCullers standing alone in the darkened corner of the office, a glass of champagne still full in her hand.
"Hey, McCullers. The party is this way," Faith-Mari said.
"Not interested."
"But it's in your honor."
Cyan tossed the champagne glass against the wall. The resulting shatter got the attention of the partygoers. "No," she said. "It's in your honor, and Kelly's, and April's. You guys defused the supercollider. You had to be the heroes. Let's rescue the damsel in distress. Poor Cyan McCullers can't defend herself. She was going to be a monster's plaything, if it weren't for the heroics of those three superior agents. Spare me." She walked inside the awaiting elevator. "I'm going to prove I'm a leader, Hopkins. If it takes me until the day I get pension, I'm going to show you what I'm made of." The doors closed in front of her.
"Just some overdue steam being blown," said April, putting her arm around Faith-Mari. "Don't let her crash the party. It's our time."
"Exactly," said Ms. Lee. "Cyan has much to learn, as do you all. But we will deal with her problems in due time. Tonight, we celebrate."
In the midst of the cheers, Faith-Mari looked back to the elevator. She didn't know who she feared more; the rivals outside the ranks of ANGELS, or the ones within.
****
Blue Angels created by The Mighty Hypnotic
Based in part on characters created by sgz6
Written by The Great Dutch Ninja
(If it pleases the board,)
The Blue Angels will return in Boiling Point
"You know how to fly one of these?" he asked.
The pilot turned toward him. "Only in simulations, chief. I usually handle the Corsairs. The pilot you're looking for is in the terminal lounge."
"You're good enough to take this thing up, then," said Roberds. "Louise, get our passenger inside."
The pilot's eyes widened. "Is she going to be all right? What about the others?"
Roberds hurriedly ran up the portable stairs into the plane, unaware of the pilot following him. He motioned to Monstrosity. "Get her fastened in. We take off in five minutes, tops."
"What about Kelly?" asked the pilot. "The brunette?"
Roberds spun around. "Everyone else is dead, kid. We need to get the hell out of Dodge, and I mean now."
The pilot fell back into the front chair of the passenger cabin, his eyes glazed. He shook his head. "That's not possible."
"No time for tears," said Roberds. "Time to fly, and then we'll commiserate. Go!"
The pilot looked up to the Deputy Director. "We can't, sir. You may not have heard, but the Hale Building is gone. It came over the radio not twenty minutes ago. Boston's in lockdown."
Roberds froze. The supercollider wasn't supposed to go off for another two hours...
The angels tripped it off. And if they did that... then they're on their way.
"We can still get out, right?"
The pilot shook his head. "No, sir. FAA's stepped in. Logan traffic is grounded. They've evacuated the Fleet Center, Harvard Square... the city is at a standstill."
Roberds gave a resigned sigh. "Son, what's your name?"
"Dylan Smith, sir," said the pilot. "My friends call me Smitty."
"Well, Smitty," said Roberds as he removed his .38 Chief Special from its holster, "We're going to ignore the FAA's little proviso, okay? You got five minutes to get us airborne and Canada bound." He aimed for the airplane's two-way radio and pulled the trigger. The console burst into a shower of sparks.
The pilot rose out of his chair. "Yes, sir."
The three angels opened the back door to the hangar as the Mini-Concorde's wheels began to move.
"Who's up for a foot race?" Faith-Mari asked.
Inching toward the entrance, the airplane rolled a hundred feet ahead. Faith-Mari kept her concentration on the rear wheel well.
"What about when we get in?" asked April, running at top speed.
"We played to their strengths last time," Faith-Mari said. "This time, we make them play to ours."
"And that would be?" Kelly waited for an answer.
With a burst of speed, Faith-Mari grabbed onto the landing gear and inched her way into the plane's undercarriage. "When I know, you'll know."
"Wake up, angel. Come on, now..."
Cyan woke to a slight slap to the face. "What the... Where am I?" She opened her eyes to see Monstrosity leaning over her.
"Welcome to Arms Dealer Airlines," said Roberds, sitting in the front row, across the aisle from her. "Consider this a one-way ride. You and Miss Brach will be getting off wherever she chooses. I imagine this would be good-bye. Miss McCullers, thank you for maintaining the standards of the ANGELS organization."
"I'm leaving? With her?"
"She told me nothing would make her happier. Better than cash, she said."
Monstrosity ran her fingers through Cyan's hair, then scratched her nails down the angel's tights.
"You've got to be kidding me."
"Nope. I'd feel flattered. Out of everyone on the team, she chose you. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and tingly inside?"
Cyan sighed. "Like I just got crowned Miss America."
"Knew you would," said Roberds. A static sound crackled over the public address system.
"We're at cruising altitude, sir," said Smitty. "Might need to know where we're heading."
"Good. I'll leave you two lovebirds together."
Seconds after Roberds closed the cockpit door, the floor panel flipped open. April jumped out of the underbelly of the plane.
Monstrosity looked away from Cyan and moved toward the intruder. She launched a right hook, but April saw the blow coming. Ducking under the fist, April connected with a spinkick behind the knee, temporarily felling her foe.
Faith-Mari and Kelly lifted themselves from the hole in the floor. They tried to hold down the oak-sized legs, but were forced back into the walls of the plane by flailing kicks. Demonstrating her deceptive speed, Monstrosity kipped up to her feet and pursued April.
"Keep her busy," said Faith-Mari. "We're going to ground this bird." Taking a pick out of her utility belt, she began to work on the cockpit lock. Kelly removed a flathead screwdriver and commenced removing the hinges.
"Thanks," said April as she jumped out of Monstrosity's reach. "For a second, I thought you were going to give me something difficult to do." She leapt over a row of seats, barely evading another right hand.
Monstrosity ripped a rear seat out of the metal rivets, and with an effortless velocity, tossed it at April. The angel skidded across the aisle as the seat bounced off the cockpit wall.
"Stand still," growled Monstrosity. She ripped a second chair out. April looked over the seats in the third row, just in time to take the plush side of the seat in the face. Semi-conscious, she slid down the side of the plane. The lights of the overhead compartments turned black as Monstrosity blocked them from the angel's sight. April was barely cognizant enough to see the hamhock of an arm come down, on a collison course with her head. She ducked, with just enough time to feel the wind from the punch.
Monstrosity punched through the fuselage. She let loose with an unearthly scream, her arm bloodied and stuck in the side of the plane. Even her strength couldn't compare to the pressure exerted on her arm from the freezing outside air.
"Everybody get into a chair and buckle your seatbelts!" April yelled. Faith-Mari and Kelly moved into the chairs next to Cyan and latched themselves in. April moved into the seat behind them.
They watched as the metal envelope of the plane peeled outward like the skin of an orange. The inbound air burst inside the cabin with a deafening howl. Monstrosity yelled as the explosive decompression sucked her headlong out of the plane, followed by cups, papers, and pens.
"We've got a breach," said Smitty. "Taking emergency measures. Lowering altitude to ten thousand feet, looking for the nearest strip to land."
Roberds pressed the barrel of the Chief Special against the pilot's temple. "Like hell you will."
"Either that or freeze to death up here. Your choice." Smitty pressed forward on the controls.
The howl died down with the lower altitude. Faith-Mari motioned to Kelly. After making certain that the decompression was complete, the pair continued their work on the cockpit door. Kelly worked faster, unhinging the bottom.
"Halfway there," she said.
The door exploded into bits of shrapnel as the first bullet tore through, whizzing by Faith-Mari's head. The angels ducked under the front row as four more bullets punched past in rapid succession.
"Excellent work, girls," yelled Roberds through the door. "Nicely done. Too bad there's only one pilot onboard, and that there's one bullet left in this chamber with his name on it. You think I'd prefer life in prison over crashing this heap? Try me."
Kelly crawled back to the door and continued manipulating the top hinge. When the metal dropped to the aisle, she held onto the unconnected door, careful not to let the men inside know that they had access.
"You don't think you're leaving this plane a free man, do you?" asked Faith-Mari.
"Of course not," said Roberds.
Faith-Mari motioned to Kelly where Roberds' voice was coming from on the other side. Kelly nodded and moved to the left side of the door.
"Why do you think I saved one bullet? I can't imagine what they do to traitors in Lewisburg."
"You'll find out soon enough," said Faith-Mari, giving the all clear. Kelly burst the door open, using it as a shield against Roberds. The door brushed the Deputy Director as he fired the last shot, changing its trajectory, sending it far to the left of Smitty. Roberds spun the gun around in his hand and clubbed Kelly, knocking her out.
Jumping past the door, Roberds tried to break out of the cockpit, only to be tackled down by Faith-Mari. Held down by Cyan and April, Faith-Mari connected with blow after blow, dimming the lights. The three angels dragged him to the gaping hole in the fuselage.
"Playing jarts with a CIA officer," Roberds said. "What a way to go. Do it, Miss Hopkins."
Faith-Mari looked down at her former employer. She grabbed onto his tie, pulling him up to meet her eye-to-eye. "I'm not like you." She pulled back and KO'd Roberds with a left-handed haymaker. She leaned back into a row of chairs. "I think Logan's going to wonder what happened to one of its planes. Smitty, get us back to Boston."
Kelly Penrose woke up trying to move. She looked to her sides, and saw the stretcher straps that held her in place. At least they were back on terra firma, she thought. The bright lights of the nearby ambulance kept her from heading back to dreamland. She rested her head on the pillow. "Can I please get up?" she asked to no one in particular. "I've been tied down enough for one day already."
She looked to her right. She watched Faith-Mari and the pilot talking to each other. She noticed them pointing to her. The pilot patted Faith-Mari on the shoulder and walked up to the stretcher.
"So," he said, "this is the girl who kept Boston from getting sucked into another dimension. Thanks. Because, you know, baseball without the Red Sox would've sucked."
"Anyone would've done the same." Kelly was sure that her blushing would radiate through her mask.
"Not the story your boss gave me. She said they would've been doomed if it weren't for you." He sighed. "So you save a city and a stupid pilot's life. Is there anything you can't do?"
Kelly tried to shrug. "I can't touch my tongue with my nose."
The pilot reached around her head and removed her mask. "I'm Smitty."
"And I'm someone who just lucked into completing her mission."
Smitty nodded. "Faith-Mari told me you'd say that. She told me to tell you that the whole humility thing only works when you something to be humble about. Oh, and if you ever catch me gazing back at you when I'm supposed to be flying, you're more than welcome to hit me over the head with the cockpit door."
Kelly smiled. "Will do."
One week later, Faith-Mari Hopkins was summoned back to Langley. Again, she was fashionably late. Again, she was joined by her teammates. This time, the office was brought to order by the legend herself.
"I suppose you know why you've been called in," said Karla Lee. "You graduated from a course that no recruit has ever been asked to endure. Your success tells us all we need to know about your character, your resolve, and determination to keep this country safe. Congratulations are in order. To my newest agents, and to many successful missions to come." She withdrew a bottle of Dom from the desk and promptly popped the cork.
At the initation party, Faith-Mari noticed Cyan McCullers standing alone in the darkened corner of the office, a glass of champagne still full in her hand.
"Hey, McCullers. The party is this way," Faith-Mari said.
"Not interested."
"But it's in your honor."
Cyan tossed the champagne glass against the wall. The resulting shatter got the attention of the partygoers. "No," she said. "It's in your honor, and Kelly's, and April's. You guys defused the supercollider. You had to be the heroes. Let's rescue the damsel in distress. Poor Cyan McCullers can't defend herself. She was going to be a monster's plaything, if it weren't for the heroics of those three superior agents. Spare me." She walked inside the awaiting elevator. "I'm going to prove I'm a leader, Hopkins. If it takes me until the day I get pension, I'm going to show you what I'm made of." The doors closed in front of her.
"Just some overdue steam being blown," said April, putting her arm around Faith-Mari. "Don't let her crash the party. It's our time."
"Exactly," said Ms. Lee. "Cyan has much to learn, as do you all. But we will deal with her problems in due time. Tonight, we celebrate."
In the midst of the cheers, Faith-Mari looked back to the elevator. She didn't know who she feared more; the rivals outside the ranks of ANGELS, or the ones within.
****
Blue Angels created by The Mighty Hypnotic
Based in part on characters created by sgz6
Written by The Great Dutch Ninja
(If it pleases the board,)
The Blue Angels will return in Boiling Point
Very sweet Ninja, can't wait to see the girls return. Although I detect a little disadent with Cyan...hmm... Great story Ninja glad to see ya writting.
Yes Supergirl, that's right its a necklace for you....What's the matter you don't like Kryptonite?
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Anonymous
Ask The Great Dutch Ninja about THE SCRIPT. Been bugging him for almost 8 years about it now 