The Legacy of Eros - Dark Son Ch. 03

"Let go, damn you," he seethed even as he brought a series of punishing knee strikes up against my stomach and diaphragm.

"Not likely," I growled. I responded to his blows with some gut punches of my own. I could tell I was really hurting the bastard too. A few more blows and I'd exhaust him.

"Butler, save me!" Heir Apparent shouted.

In the next second, a body went slamming past me. Bonny had hit the butler.

"Reynard, look out," Bonny yelled. "He's a ...

And the butler reached out, touched Heir Apparent's shoulder and they both vanished. The guy I had grappled with was just gone. For a moment I felt myself getting dragged along with them to wherever ... but I chose to let go instead.

"... demon," Bonny finished up. "Oh damn."

"Well, we've got three of them and Barry who is physically alright, if a bit naked," I responded to her. Inez went over, retrieved her firearm and then knelt to check on the girl who had answered the door.

"She's out cold," Inez remarked. "Did you have to hit her so hard?"

"Yeah ... yeah, I did. She was an unknown metahuman, so I put her down because I didn't want her helping out Heir Apparent ... who was fighting you and Kyle, less you forget."

Inez grunted in response.

"Well, I for one am thanking you," Kyle grinned. "Also, how did you know he was Heir Apparent?"

"I fought with Touché downstairs, the butler was self-evident and the Uptown Crew only has three men in its ranks."

"Making our guy the group's leader. Thanks again for saving our asses. The guy was manhandling us both without much effort," Kyle explained.

"He was an amateur," Bonny grumped. "The butler is a high ranking demon. I'm going to have to let the Supreme Mystic know about this." The Supreme Mystic was in the Ultimates and the Earth dimension's chief magical guardian.

"Let's gather up the others," I told Bonny. I left the other woman and Touché downstairs with India and Barry."

She gave me a curt nod then went down the stairs to retrieve the others. Soon enough we had everyone upstairs including a dressed Barry. About that time the police crashed our party. Inez identified herself as did Bonny.

The MMPD brought in their Metahuman Containment Unit to take care of the three members of the Uptown Crew we had managed to apprehend. With them arrived the FBI guys and the MMPD officers who had been assigned to the case. Bonny refused to let them drag off Inez for a private ass-reaming, which was something.

"You still haven't done my career any favors," she griped.

"Why?" Kyle spoke up first. "You were the officer on scene when Barry was rescued. It was your legwork, not theirs, which got the guy home alive."

"That's not how they will see it," she frowned. "They will see it as me going rouge with a bunch of metahumans and civilians."

"You were heroic," Louise insisted.

"No. I could have gotten you, Kyle and India hurt, or even killed," Inez frowned.

"I don't see it that way," Bonny shook her head. "Sometimes you have to bend procedure when lives are on the line. These people had a major, bad-ass demon in their mix. I, for one, am glad I've found out about that critter. I'll be ready for him next time."

"Was he really that tough?" India asked.

"Not tough - just hard to it," Bonny sighed. "He had up some pretty powerful 'wind' enchantments which allowed him to do things like dodge bullets and teleport. Your average demon is big, strong and dumb. This was a wholly different matter."

"Then we count this as a win for the good guys," India smiled.

"We got Barry back alive and unharmed ... well, sort of unharmed, and that is what we set out to do. Destroying the Uptown Crew wasn't ...," Bonny agreed.

"Was what Romeo Dusk wanted us to do," I put two and two together.

"With a slip of paper we have removed some rivals of his," Inez nodded.

"What do we do about that guy?" Kyle wondered.

"We do nothing," Inez put her foot down. "He hasn't broken any laws. Perhaps we - as in the MMPD - could bring him in to know how he knew where the Uptown Crew was hold-up, but his lawyers would get him out so fast ..."

"So we just let him get away with being a bad guy?" Louise worried her lower lip.

"Until he crosses the line and we catch him at it," Bonny backed up Inez. I, for one, will never be part of a vigilante posse."

"What do you think about all this?" Kyle asked me.

"I think there will be a day of reckoning for Romeo Dusk and I plan to be there when it comes to pass, but I'm not going to break the law to get at him either," I answered.

I was lying about that last part two. He had used me ... and the others ... to take down the Heir Apparent and his team. Romeo had also sent his own flunkies - the Night Crew - after Liberty Lincoln, Arachne and Lucky Dead and he was going to have to answer to me about that. I would simply have to make it at a time and place of my choosing. Romeo Dusk played mind games and I was going to show him I wasn't someone you played with.

[DINNER WITH BONNY AND BEYOND]

[OR]

[BONNY AND THE END OF MY OLD LIFE]

Boniface (aka Ultima) called me and told me she wanted to meet for dinner at some upscale eatery. I knew the MMPD was keeping an eye on me, but since I was going on a date with the most powerful metahuman known to Mankind, I didn't feel bad about ditching them. The ever-present contest film crew was close by, recording everything we said for eternity.

"You look really nice tonight," I complemented her, mentally adding 'for an old chick'.

"You look as good as ever."

"You are just saying that because you think you own me," I bit back.

"I do own you," she whispered over the table.

My phone rang at that most inopportune moment. Reluctantly I answered it.

"Dark Son, this is ... Arachne," she gasped through her pain. "I'm being hunted down ... I need your assistance immediately!"

Holy shit, she sounded bad ... as well as bad off.

"I'm on my way," I declared.

"What was that about?" Bonny questioned me.

"None of your business, but I've got to go right now," I declared as I stood. "We'll pick up our conversation later," and I headed for the kitchen.

"Mr. Haven?" from my film crew. "Mr. Haven!" when they realized I was ditching them too. Through the busy kitchen I went and out the back door. I was moving too fast for them and the kitchen was too crowded for them, as a group, to keep up. Out the door I went and the up - way up. I had to get away from the majority of obstructions if I was going to effectively teleport using my emergency teleportation device.

I 'blinked' away right as the film crew came rushing out the same back door I had so recently exited. I was pretty sure they didn't get a picture of me leaving as they weren't even looking up when they appeared. A second later I was in my Dad's most secret base. I sprinted to the chamber which held my suit while simultaneously giving orders to the base's computer system.

"Jasper (the computer's name), track the last phone to make contact with me. I'll be teleporting to that location."

"On it, Sir," Jasper complied. It took me too many seconds to don my suit. Still, I was moving as quickly as possible. "Sir, what is the reason for this action?"

"Huh?" I grunted. It wasn't like Jasper to question me. "I'm going to save Arachne - good enough?" I barked.

"As Sir wishes," Jasper sighed electronically.

"Listen," I calmed a bit, "I will explain this later when I get back."

"Yes Sir," Jasper replied.

I finished prepping myself and headed back to the teleportation disc, taking the prime location on the pad as this device could teleport up to ten people at a time.

"Teleport me," I commanded.

[~]

I arrived hovering over a chaotic scene. Patrol cars were all about, some overturned. My glasses reported eight hostiles and one friendly - Arachne. She was in a world of hurt - fighting the entire Night Crew by herself. I swore to God right then and there, Romeo Dusk was going to pay for this ... and in I went.

[~]

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Arachne muttered as she escaped another one of Psy Lord's illusions. Frenzy and Berserk were right on her heels, she had several cracked ribs and a concussion - she was sure. If Dark Son didn't arrive soon ... and then Backlash snagged her ankle with one of her sashes. 'Oh Fuck!!"

Berserk & Frenzy were right above her in an instant. "This will really ...," she was going to say 'really suck', but right as Berserk wound up for one of his mighty blows, a flash of dark grey came across her line of sight. Dark Son had arrived ... finally! Charging in like a bolt from above, he wrapped up both Berserk and Frenzy and the three were propelled into and through a nearby wall.

Only Dark Son immediately returned.

"Happy to see me?" he laughed.

In the vicious tug of war which followed, Backlash lost badly as Arachne quickly brought her within punching distance and then the black-clad villainess went flying.

"I'll answer that after we win," she answered with her own sly smile. Once again, the so-called villain hadn't let her down. They really were going to have to go out on that promised date alright.

[~]

Having momentarily disposed of the two toughest brawlers, I back-pedaled out of the room I'd placed them in order to take in the greater scene. Sinister Syd and Hammer Storm were closing on me on the ground. Brain Bane was swooping down to take me unaware, or so he thought, from above. The building in front of me was a series of offices zoned 'Industrial' and unoccupied at this hour. I had a plan.

With my TK gauntlets I telekinetically reached out and grabbed Syd and Hammer Storm. Into the room they went. Dodging Brain Bane was risky, but I survived the gambit. Next I tore down the entire building from above, burying half of the Night Crew underneath the wreckage. Four on two were much better odds.

Better yet, Sonic Scythe was occupied keeping law enforcement at bay making this more of a one on one (Backlash was still recovering from Arachne's punch).

"You are going to pay for humiliating me," Brain Bane slashed his sword back and forth with a flourish.

"Yeah - whatever," I yawned, getting further underneath his skin.

"Rrraaarrr," he bellowed before charging in.

"Oh - frack," Arachne cursed as she fell into another one of Psy Lord's telepathic illusions.

I quickly drew my own (Dad's really) broadsword and activated the encompassing force field which both protected it and gave it a mono-molecular edge.

Brain Bane and I clashed blades rapidly in succession three times. I could feel his mind trying to weasel is way past my defenses so he could figure out my moves before I could enact them - giving Brain Bane a nearly insurmountable edge in our fight. Sadly for him, he wasn't succeeding.

Worse, I was stronger and my tech was better. On the fourth parry, his blade chipped and on the seventh - it snapped off entirely. I could have let this guy off with a warning, but after the damage Liberty had taken from the explosion and their attempt to overwhelm Arachne, I wasn't in a forgiving mood.

"Regenerate this, Bitch," I growled as I severed both his hands in one mighty swoop. Brain Blade howled, staggered back (in the air) and began weeping in pain and indignation. "One more peep out of you and I'm cutting off our head," I promised, adding emphasis by putting the tip of my blade to his throat.

I didn't get a response, but then I wasn't expecting one. Brain Bane had to be in a shit-ton of pain. I headed over toward Psy Lord, who started to panic. As I came on, he gave up on his illusion and fled. Right as he exited the field, the rubble behind me shifted and Berserk rose out of the ruins ... really, really pissed. Frenzy tossed another wall section away so she too could enjoy the upcoming fun.

"Let's get them," Arachne declared jubilantly. She was (perhaps) less happy with what I did next. She had a Code Against Killing. I didn't. I tossed my blade at Berserk, cleaving his sternum in twain and causing him to stagger backwards then fall over. "Did you just kill him?" Arachne gasped.

"Not yet, but it's coming if he doesn't get the fuck out of here," I proclaimed.

I knew for a fact Berserk regenerated (slowly), so I left the sword were it was, vibrant and alive within his soon to be corpse. Frenzy launched herself at me, but Arachne intercepted her, going down in a fur-ball of flying fists, kicks and elbows. Given a moment's respite, I telekinetically picked up more wreckage and brought it down on the still trapped Sinister Syd and Hammer Storm ... oh yeah, and the gravely wounded Berserk. Fuck him.

As I was playing wack-a-mole with the trapped members of the Night Crew, Sonic Scythe realized their dire predicament and came to save her companions. Her blows staggered me and made me drop my wreckage on her compatriots. I back-flipped in the air then charged her. Another wave of sonic death washed over me then I slammed into her ... HARD! Something went crunch and she screamed.

I had broken one of her collarbones - YAY ME! Her discomfort allowed me to pick her up and hurl her at the recovering Backlash, knocking that metahuman back into unconsciousness. In fact, both of them were hors de combat after that attack. Which was fine, because Sinister Syd had belched up an acidic cloud of something to disintegrate the debris above him and Hammer Storm, freeing them both.

Hammer Storm quickly hurled a mini-sledgehammer at me, only to see me deflect it with my vambrace. I wasn't going to fight Sinister Syd in close combat unless I could help it, or until I could give him a whole container of breath mints. Even with my armored suit I was leery of what his toxins could do. Fuck it all, I had to buck up!

I launched a barrage of mini-missiles upon those two, concentrating on choking out Syd with fire-retardant. He met my attack with a wave of acidic toxins of his own. The resulting cloud still allowed me to get close enough to him to launch a TK-accentuated punch into his face. His nose broke and blood fountained from his mouth as he pitched over backwards.

The cost was my sensors telling me I'd lost some of the augmented functions from my left gauntlet which had to push through his toxic fog. Worse, for my troubles, Hammer Storm hammered me into the ground with twin sledgehammer blows. My suit's optimum operating capacity dropped to 91%. I put my telekinetic field into 'self-repair' then rolled over just in time to catch one of the two tandem hammer blows - my hand landing on the shaft.

"You're dead!" Hammer Storm snarled.

I took the other blow to my chest plate. My suit's optimum operating capacity dropped to 89%. I compensated by bringing my feet up and slamming them into his crotch and left knee. Away he went.

With my right TK gauntlet I brought down more of the ruins around me down on Sinister Syd putting him out for the fight. Six down - two to go. Hammer Storm landed twenty feet away. My left gauntlet was trashed so my attempt to shove him up in the air failed to take hold. On he came, twin sledgehammers spinning around.

"I'm going to kill you," he gloated ... prematurely.

"Not in this lifetime," I growled right back. Now it was fists versus hammers. I was more agile and hit harder, quickly deflating Hammer Storm's bravado. Back and forth we traded blows. My armor held while he had to soak up the real damage my fists dished out to him.

Finally, I caught another one of his hammer shafts in mid-strike. My palm hurt yet I was able to keep the hammer stuck between us.

"Give it back ..." he got out before I educated him on the use of helmets with several rapid fired head-butts. HS's eyes crossed and lost focus. I wrenched one hammer away and threw it over my shoulder.

My weakened left fist then landed a series of crushing body blows which drove the air out of him. An uppercut from my more potent right finished him off - rendering him unconscious. I looked over to Arachne just in time to see her vomit webbing all over an unconscious Frenzy. None left.

"Bravo," another figure saluted us from a building top above us. We had been observed while we fought for our lives. "You both are worth $5 million a head. Do you want to come along quietly, or are you going to really make us earn it?"

By 'us' I assumed the talker - wearing a black cloak, black and white body stocking and a haughty, condescending glare plus her four back up metahumans - meant Arachne and I. These jokers had to be 'High Society'.

"I don't know about you," Arachne addressed me, "but I'm just getting started." She also stumbled slightly, suggesting she was much the worse for wear after dispatching the last of the Night Crew.

"They are not alone," came from on high. Angelheart had arrived and with her, I assumed, the rest of Freedom Force was soon to make an appearance.

"Don't be so hasty," a different voice announced from around the block across the street. The leader flourished an orchid before his all-girl squad made an appearance. They - the Masquerade of Mystery - were the ones I was looking for as they had a bomb-maker in their midst. One of the TEN of them that was.

[END]

(1204)

A Few 'Good Guys'

The Ultimates [12]

Ultima [Earth's most powerful metahuman]

Elite 99 [An AI/android created by Prodigy]

The Supreme Mystic [Guardian of the mystic forces of the Earth-Nexus dimension]

Prodigy [Not regularly a field member] [2nd smartest person on Earth]

Lady Domino [Controls the forces of Space/Time and Luck]

Warhawk [Metahuman in an armored suit created by Vulcan]

Starborne [Alien - controls Cosmic Forces]

Chaos Theory [Controls the forces of Order and Chaos]

Vulcan [Not always a field member] [Claims to be the God Vulcan / Hephaestus]

Storm Lord [Controls elemental forces]

Lady Spectrum [Controls electromagnetic forces]

The Moon Huntress [Immortal avatar of the Egyptian Pantheon]

[13+1] Metahuman Team-X

Ruby Lenses ~ fires lethal eyebeams of destructive power

Seraphim ~ angel-winged metahuman acrobat and charismatic face man

X-Girl ~ telepathic and telekinetic metahuman wonder-kin yet to come into her own

Animus ~ engineering genius who can assume the powers of various animals

Deluge ~ metahuman mistress of the Elemental Storm

War Cry ~ Sonic powered metahuman

Phantom Girl ~ metahuman able to control her density

Weapon-Y2 ~ a 2nd, female attempt at the Weapon-Y project ... using a young metahuman girl with rage issues ...

Gremlin ~ a metahuman with the ability to jinx others as well as alter her own luck

Futurista & Warbeast ~ a metahuman girl able to utilize super-science equations they appear to be magic plus her pet baby dragon-like creature

Chromium Steel ~ a metahuman who can transform into a living Chromium Steel colossus

Star Stepper ~ metahuman misfit with the ability to rapidly teleport around as well as possessing superhuman agility and coordination

Soul Stealer ~ touch mimicry with a horrible Cajun accent

[5] The Sidekick Super-Squad

Night Owl

Nova Blaze

Starling

Techno

Animal Lad

Nightingale

A Host of Villainy

[5] The Uptown Crew ~ they HATE 'High Society'.

Heir Apparent ~ a physical metahuman with above normal characteristics in all fields of physical, mental and social endeavors.

The Dilettante - uses a variety of "store-bought" gadgets to make up for her lack of personal abilities.

Touché ~ an exceedingly capable acrobat with the ability to absorb attacks and redirect the energy as heat rays.