The Ultimates Chapter 2 (Part 2)

2:30 p.m.
62℉

The rest of the day passed, arithmetics and logistics clouding Alex’s notebooks throughout the day. When the school day reached it’s conclusion, Alex was jet set on compromising the protest with his colleagues. They met behind the school’s gymnasium to plot their anarchic ordeal…

“Don't start the party without me.” Alex said, setting his stuff on the table.

Naga greeted Alex with a fist bump. "Kat was starting to miss you."

“Oh shut up, Naga.” Katherine retorted, clearly blushing red. She parted the hair from her eyes and gave Alex a tender hug.

 They had planned to raid a protest, a sort of counter protest. The details eluded Alex's perception, not seeing the clear reason for such an operation. Or maybe it's because he wasn't really paying attention. It seemed simple enough, wreak havoc, mark the territory under the Talons, and stop the movement in its tracks. Leave no evidence, and then simply put: profit.

“Is it just the three of us on this?” Katherine quietly asked.

“Unfortunately, yeah. Rook said he wanted to keep this kinda low key by just sending us three, after what happened with Alex the last time.”

“Listen ya little shit, mention that little flop one more time, and you’re gonna be a puddle down the drain.” Alex lashed back, filled with insecurity.

“Easy, Alex. Let’s just get this done. Then you can obliterate Naga.” Katherine put her hand on Alex’s shoulder in an attempt to simmer him down.

“Fine. By the way, how’s the lot looking to be, or did Rook not tell you?” Alex relented, inquiring a final notion.

“Between 10 to 20 people, nothing we can’t handle.” Naga answered.

“Heh, then let’s not try to cause too much of a shitstorm.”

“No pressure when you put it like that.”

Returning to the phase of setting up, the trio’s get ups were all, but subtle. Alex, wore his usual attire minus his hoodie with the addition of a eerie anbu mask. Katherine, who pulled over her black hood and covered his her mouth with her grey scarf. Naga, on the hand, donned a bandanna over his mouth with a design of shark teeth and heavily tinted sunglasses. Like I said, all but subtle.

“Naga, if you're so insecure about your actual shark teeth, we could always toss you back into the harbor.” Alex teased. Katherine gave a soft giggle.

“I will eat your goddamn face.” Naga answered with a mix of sarcasm and chuckling.

And so the three kids scaled the closest building and proceeded to make their way to Dawn Heights. Alex loved the feeling of scaling tall buildings, the rush of lunging from one to the next. He loved the sensation of the cool breeze flying past his pale face. It was this sense of adventure that pushed him to learn such a form of travel. Naga decided to keep to the low ground, rushing through immense crowds, seemingly unfazed by the constant chatter of the denizens passing along. He flowed past each and every person, like a fish dividing the schools of oceanic traffic. Katherine was not one for the constant leaping, nor the surfing of the sidewalk channel. Rather, she moved by means of the underground tunnels, beneath the feet of the unwary. Surprisingly, the dusk tunnels were filled with a deafening silence, hushing away any who dare defy it. The quiet had pleased her.

25 minutes later…
Alex arrived to his vantage point first, scanning the grounds for any activity, but none was seen. However, a stage was set up for some sort of rally. At least for the moment. To pass the time, he tried conjure his electric energy on some poor chimney. He concentrated on a fixed point, cleared his head, and released his energy, thrusting his hand forward. But nothing had been done, say for startling a lone pigeon.

'That should've worked. Let’s try again… ’ Alex thought, readying his stance once more.

Concentrate, clear, release, and thrust. Crackle crackle, the gold bolt went making a small black stain on the chimney.

‘Better, but still not quite…'

 Once again, Alex readied his stance, this time however, closing eyes, imagining the energy cultivating within him. Subconsciously, Alex unclogged the blocked paths of energy in his being. He felt his spirit spark and pop with pulses of flowing life force. The ethereal power flowed into his mind, filling his brain. Alex slowly opened his eyes, breathed in and out, slowly freeing his power into a single focal point. The bolt streamed, glowing with ever changing frequencies. Once making contact with the brick construct, the bolt completely obliterated it, even pulverizing the roof door behind. Recovering from the brief recoil, Alex looked in astonishment at the sudden change in level of his power. Just then, a raucous chanting broke the silence, disturbing Alex’s concentration. The crowd of protesters had arrived, picketing around the block to converge onto the stage.

‘That's more like it. Back to business...’

Alex’s ear piece began ringing.

“Aye.” Alex answered.

“You in position?” Naga initiated.

“Yeah. I’m guessing that's you in the puke green beanie down there?”

“Yes, and shut the hell up. Where’s Kat?”

“I’m right under the belly of the beast. How’s the crowd looking? They as feisty as Rook said?” Katherine ringed in.

“Yeah. These guys are real riled up about this. Let’s go over the plan one more time. Alex, when you see the smoke, start torching the banners. While they’re stirred up, Kat, you start laying on the hurt. Once they’re in disarray, we’ll raise our flag and be out before more trouble arrives. You guys got that, or do you need some pen and paper?” Naga recited.

“I think I got it.” Alex said.

“Same.”

“All righty then. Let’s get started.” Naga signed off.

 As the group waited to begin their ritual of chaos, the leading protester got on stage and walked up to the podium. His appearance was rather stout, cane in hand which had a mysterious jewel in its hilt and a hunched back. His attire was a strange all red tuxedo.

“My fellow citizens of Adonis City! Today, we’re here to day

“Shit, this guy’s annoying.” Alex said, observing.

“How do you think I feel? I’m in the crowd.”

“So, Alex, you doing anything later?” Katherine asked.

“Eh, if you count homework. Why?”

“Well, I figured we could go check out that new arcade plaza down by Pike. Heard its even got a restaurant inside.”

“I’d consider it.”

“Are you two seriously setting up a date? Now, of all times?” Naga questioned with an irritated mood.

“Problem?” Katherine spoke over, trolling her friend.

"As spoken in Deuteronomy 32:35, ‘Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, In due time their foot will slip; For the day of their calamity is near, And the impending things are hastening upon them.' They think us usurpers, taking away their freedom. That freedom is not their birthright. Our time is at hand, my friends! We will be known, not as non-Powered, but as humans, the heir to natural selection! We will show no mercy to these heathens from beyond!” the old man spout out.

'Here goes nothing…'

Naga popped a smoke grenade from within the crowd, stirring up commotion, and disappearing once more.

“You guys are up!” Naga yelled over the comm.

From atop the nearby building, Alex commanded his armada of electric bolts onto the separatists’ banners of injustice. One by one, each was lit aflame, seared in an orange blaze, then crumbling to ash.

Naga was then engaged in hand to hand with the guards standing upon the stage. He was severely outnumbered, 6 to 1.

“Uh, guys? A little hel-” Naga cried out, a guard knocking the comm of his ear.

“Kat, let’s get on it.”

“Way ahead of you.” Kat replied, emerging from the tunnels through a portal.

Katherine summoned her subversive and ghastly specters and unleashed them on the crowd. Jumping around, terrified of the sights they were witnessing, some of the crowd members fled, shrieking in horror. Alex had climbed down the building and made his way to ruckus that was ensuing. However, many of the protesters began to notice Alex and rushed towards him to attack, pawns trying to take the king. Charging his singularities, Alex shot bolts at two of them, stunning them as they spark with electricity. Aided by the specters, Alex glided his fists across the faces of each and every person tanking him, feeling the blows rock his knuckles. Naga had managed to separate himself from a few of the guards, taking them on one by one, but still finding it difficult to jump between them and the incoming debris. Rocks, punches, kicks, flying everywhere like cloud of violence.

Alex joined the fray with Naga, taking on the guards who still occupied the stage. It was tough at first to dodge projectiles and strikes, but their movements moved were of a dichotomous harmony. Alex and Naga were swift with their combat, defeating the guards as a furious duo.

Once the crowd and guards were pacified, the old man was grabbed by one of the specters, kneeling in front of the stage. Alex hurriedly wrapped the man in remaining ropes from the banners and strung him high up the flagpole. Looking down upon the hazardous trio, he started barking, trying to free himself.

“You miserable wretches! Release me, right now!” the old bespawler shouted.

“Not a chance. You’re gonna send a message for us. And you better make sure every one of your prejudiced friends hears it.”

“I will do no such thing. You Powered are the reason that this city is in peril. You don’t deserve to be live, let alone order me to do such chagrin tasks. You will not win. You hear me?! You will not win!”

“So much for passiveness. Alex, shut this guy up, please?” Naga asked in a coy manner.

“Gladly.” Alex replied.

Charging his energy, Alex released a short range bolt to incapacitate the man, silencing his belligerent mouth. The bolt glowed with a weak hue a of red, instead of the normal yellow. Hatred...

Breaking the thought, sirens and car wails bellowed throughout the neighborhood. Lined up along the following rooftops, SWAT officers aligned their sights toward the epicenter of the tumult. Vans surrounded the perimeter, enclosing it.

“Um, guys? This isn't looking too good.” Alex said concerningly, preparing for the worst.

“Shit. Think we can rush past them through the smoke?” Naga inquired disdainfully.

“Don’t know. Feel like getting your ass shot?”

“Good point. Any bright ideas?”

Katherine ran to the boys, grabbing their shoulders. “I got one. Hold on to me!”

A swirling dark portal swirled on the ground, instantly sucking up the trio, vanishing into nothingness.

As the smoke cleared, the ravaged stage was left in pieces, the officers finding nothing, save for unconscious protesters and their strung up leader.

Later…
“Are we dead?” Naga asked, eyes still snapped shut from fear.

“Don’t think so.” Alex answered.

Naga let out a sigh of relief. However, Katherine was keeled over on the ground, breathing laboriously.

Alex grabbed hold of the scarlet witch, embracing her. “Kat? Kat, you okay?”

 “I… I… used… too much pow… power… drained me… “ Katherine felt numb, visibly shaking. Her hands trembled, her nose bled down to her neck. Katherine held on to Alex as she stood up once more.

Alex scanned the landscape to find some key as to where they were. No cars on the road, rustic neighborhood, odd smell of greenery from a nearby estuary. Winset Road, a sign read. This is near where Kat lives.

"So what now?" Naga shrugged.

"I'll take Kat back to her house. You should go and tell Rook we succeeded."

"Alrighty then. Great work, guys. I'll let ya know when the man pays us. Later!" Naga waved goodbye heading the opposite direction toward the subway.

Alex remembered a forgotten task, Actually, I should call him. Forgot to last night. But first...

"Let's get you home, Kat."

Katherine's breathing slowly returned to normal, "Th... thanks, Alex."

The remaining two Talons started down the road to Katherine's abode, mingling amongst themselves.

"So, I suppose the arcade's rain checked?" Alex asked with a slightly askew smile.

"Give it a few hours, my head's still a little fuzzy. If I'm not better, let's try tomorrow."

"Yeah. Y'know, I forgot you could do that in the first place."

"Same. I guess it's more of a subconscious ability. I felt endangered, I thought of home, and my powers kicked in. Or at least that's what it felt like."

Katherine had a placid demeanor about her all of a sudden. Alex cracked his knuckles along with every other bone, seemingly to relax his body. Katherine gave a quick shudder and glared at Alex. It seemed funny to him, getting on someone's nerves. Knowing how to make them crack, knowing just what buttons to press. He would laugh, but it would've sounded hollow. Scrape, scrape. These sounds would make anyone cringe, but only Alex could. It was just Kat's boots dragging against the cement. "Don't look at me like that, you know I'm too lazy to pick up my feet." They laughed at each other.

They had reached. Katherine opened the small gate, entering her yard. Katherine and Alex stood in front of each other, and were brought into a tender hug. For a time, they felt like the only people on the Earth. It was wonderful, they thought. She's so damn alluring.

"Bye, Alex."

Gotta do it. Gotta do it now, Alex thought. "Hey, wait."

Katherine turned around to face our hero. Alex took a deep breath and advanced toward Katherine.

"Fuck it." he thought out loud.

Unexpectedly, he pulled her toward him and he felt the gentle play of tongue. Her lips softened at the experience, wrapping her arms around Alex. This is heaven. It felt awkward, but it felt right to him. She then gazed at him.

"Alex..."

"I'll, uh, see you tomorrow." Alex finally said.

Pulling over his emerald jacket, Alex headed to the subway station and got on the train back to Merrick Place. He sat isolated away from the hustle and bustle of the crowds filling the stomach of the vessel. Channeling out the world around him, Alex departed into a ponderous state. Wondering if he had felt right. Wondering if this was the beginning. Wondering how it would end...

Gotta call Rook.