Rumble in Eden

Prologue

“Min, Paine, where’d you girls get to?” Miko Black said, tightening her grip on her phone as she looked over her situation.
“Don’t worry Miko, we picked up everyone, we’ll be there soon, just stay alive!”
Miko had no time to respond as a huge claw ripped at the ground she had just occupied.  The Nemesis Army had found a lone hero, and cornered her in the ruins of a small office building.  She couldn’t get off the ground and fly, snipers made sure of that.  She could only look on as the soldiers surrounded her, and watched the Warhulk stride toward their prey.  
The Warhulk was huge, but not as foreboding as the other robot behind it, the one that looked like Nemesis himself.  Miko dodged another claw, barely.  She breathed hard as her wound opened.  She had been hit by a sniper trying to escape, and paid for it.  Her vision was blurring with the ongoing blood loss, and she couldn’t concentrate as nearly as much as she wanted, to make use of her normally, super-human reflexes.
“Hero, you will soon be a trophy for Nemesis, there is no hope for you now.” the Nemesis robot was right, her hospital beacon had taken the brunt of the snipers’ attack, its pieces still dug into her skin.  
“Well, it may be over for me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t make you work for it, get ready!” Miko shouted, her realization of her more than likely death, now spurred her into action “Its time to ‘not go gently’ as they say.”
The Warhulk’s steam pipe billowed black smoke as it roared forward, claw raised.  Miko glowed as the robot charged; she burst with purple light, and jumped up into the air as the claw struck the ground she had leapt from.  She came down on the claw with both feet, and with such force, the arm became severed from the body.  The soldiers snarled at this momentary setback, and the Warhulk steamed.
“I’m going to show you guys something I was saving for my friends to see, it will be something.”
Miko Black let out a bloodcurdling scream, the ground beneath her shook with the force.  She vanished momentarily as the Nemesis soldiers looked on, only to re-appear on top of the Warhulk.
“You won’t get as far as the Zig, too bad for you!”
Miko Black rolled down the front of the robot and onto the ground, striking up with enough force that the robot was lifted off the ground.  Miko Black, with surreal speed kept pace with the robot’s ascent and rolled again, in the air, and came down on the machine with both feet, shattering its midsection completely, metallic parts rained down on the surrounding soldiers.
“Compliments of the Children of the Sky!” Miko Black hit the ground, and wheeled on the Nemesis leader.
“Get her! Kill her where she stands!” he roared, bringing up a force field around himself.
Miko shot across the ground running headlong into the soldiers that charged her, scattering them like bowling pins.  She dodged and parried every blow thrown at her, and returning the harmful attempts back at her foes.  Miko Black was upon another soldier when she was thrown against a wall with such force, it cracked with her impact.
“Enough!” the leader shouted “I will end this.” He sneered as he walked towards the hero, who now lay crumpled on the ground.
The Nemesis leader stood over Miko for a moment, licking his lips with anticipation of the kill.  He pulled from its holster on his back, a staff with a spinning gear at its head and a razor sharp metal edge at the other.  He raised it above Miko’s head, and laughed sadistically.
“A shame your friends won’t get here in time to see you alive.  Lord Nemesis will certainly give me accommodation for your mantle!”
Miko looked up as the staff came down, and closed her eyes.  Who would have thought it would end here, sure Eden was an unsecured zone of Paragon, but no one ever ventured into Eden who couldn’t handle it.  Just another sign she wasn’t thinking like her sensei had taught.
Time slipped by as she waited for the end, but it did not come.  Stunned, and startled by this, she opened her eyes, to look upon her reaper.  She saw Atomic All-Star standing over her, a big smile on her face.
“Miko, what are you doing?” she asked, brushing her blonde hair off her face.
“I was, dying?” Miko asked surprised, “What are you doing?”
“We’re only here to save your butt Miko, remember?” Min Jee laughed as she twirled her sword with such skill; it looked more a dance than a combat technique.
“Time to get up Miko.” Atomic closed her eyes, and put her hand on Miko’s forehead.  
Miko tingled all over, and slowly rose to her feet.  Atomic had used her radiation powers to heal her, amazing!  Atomic had done so a number of times before, but it never ceased to amaze Miko.  Intrinsic Paine and Diamond Prince were all over the Nemesis soldiers, laying waste to the villains.
“You cannot defeat me!  Nemesis is forever!” the Nemesis leader spoke harshly.
“So you say.” Min Jee snickered as her sword danced about the force field he held up.
“I think I’m going to Icon after this.” Paine strode up next to Atomic and waved at Miko, “I need to fix this tear in my cape.”
“Min, I got him held, he isn’t going anywhere.” O’ Toole yelled, hovering above the action “Miko, you got put down.” he waved.
“If he does move, I’ll put him down, or lower.” Diamond crossed his arms as he looked on standing atop a small pile of soldiers.
“No guys,” Miko cracked her knuckles, and rubbed her neck “This one is mine, I still have to show you my new trick, maybe on Tool too.” She shot her friend a look.
Her fellow Children of the Sky motioned her on.  Miko smiled wide, it was great having friends such as these.  Each one of them was one of the best heroes she knew and had worked with.  Nemesis was about to find out just how good they were.  
Miko put her arms down, and palms open for a moment, gathering her concentration, “Tool, let him defend himself.”  Then looked up at the Nemesis and smiled as he shifted to a defensive stance.
“Thunder!”
“Storm!”
“Crane!”
“Crippling Axe!”
“Dragon’s Tail!”
Each kick was performed with such precision and strength, that the parts of armor that were hit cracked and bent almost before impact.  Miko danced around her prey, her face beamed with excitement.  The Nemesis snarled as the kicks kept incoming, unable to fend off his attacker.
“Eagle’s Claw!”
Miko leapt into the air and for a moment hovered above the Nemesis.  Her body radiated white light as she gathered her strength for the final blow in her combination strike.  It was in that instant, the Nemesis vanished, and she impaled the ground he had just inhabited.
“Looks like he had backup.” Min Jee looked about intently.
“Stay frosty team.” Paine said as she helped Miko from her self-made hole in the ground.
“What was that, he was the only one left?” Miko asked aloud.
“Well, Arachnos has been up to mischief with the unsecured zones as of late.  Maybe they have something to do with this.  The soldiers are all gone too; we haven’t cuffed them yet either.” Atomic said as the group gathered around Min Jee.
The Children of the Sky stood in a circle, facing out.  Each one wore garb much like the others, Miko, Min, Paine, and Diamond all wore Asian influenced costumes with matching insignias while Atomic sported her popular cheerleader outfit and O’Toole with his makeshift leprechaun suit.
“So if we get swarmed, does anyone know a tanker we can get a hold of?” Miko laughed, “Not like we will, right?”
“Look.” Paine pointed to the nearest War Wall.  Its force field fluctuated and waved, then went still. “That’s worth checking out.”
The team moved together on the ground, covering and clearing each portion of zone they crossed until they reached the wall.  It all looked normal, well, as normal as a wall with a force field can look.  Atomic waved them all to her, and outstretched her arms.
“Here’s some ‘hero crack’ or so I’ve coined it.”
Her radiation powers increased their metabolisms, giving them a little bit more strength and stamina.  Good thing too, for about a hundred Arachnos soldiers appeared out of the air, flying down on jetpacks.  The heroes tensed, and waited for a strike, but none came, and instead, the soldiers formed divisions or firing lines more likely.
“I got an idea,” Miko said “Dibs.” She laughed as she charged straight into the nearest ranks of Arachnos.
“Crazy.” Paine shook her head and followed.


Rumble in Eden (Part 2)

As the heroes fought the massive villain force, a smile crossed the Stalker’s face.  He had been waiting for worthy prey, tired of those he found in the other zones.  Here he had found some of the best prey Paragon City and the Rogue Isles had, heroes.  He watched as they fought, the Arachnos he had followed, it had been a good move.  He could tell each hero was well trained in their respective combats, but he found one, most peculiar.  The one who had charged first seemed especially skilled.  While the others took hits, she took them almost never save for the big Wolf Spider freaks and Huntsmen.  Their support players were good as well, keeping the scrappers in the fight so they needn’t pause.
He lifted his data-pad from his pocket, and began running through the hero registry he had hacked.  He searched for heroes matching the ones below, and soon found them.
“Children of the Sky, all of them.  A whole Super-Group even!”
It was rare for a whole team to be found in one spot, let alone one of this size.  Excellent!  This would surely gain him Lord Recluse’s attention.  All he had to do was get the mantle of each hero, let alone one would do, but think of it, six mantles!  He would have to act quickly, the Arachnos idiots were getting beaten back, even if it was a slow turning of the tide.
“You guys, I’m up to twenty-three.” Miko shouted as she kicked in another helmet, “Guys?”
Miko turned around just in time to see her friends being slowly swarmed.  Huntsmen of Arachnos appeared all around them, and for just a moment, a shadow appeared and then vanished just as fast.  She evaded a club and sent its owner sprawling, all the while looking to her friends.  She had been cut off from them, the villains forming a divide between her team and herself.
Miko’s eyes darted about as Diamond screamed.  What happened? Atomic and Tool were right behind the others.  Miko looked to Diamond; he was being teleported, his body fading away in a flash.  What had got him?
“Rally!” Min Jee cried “Rally to me!”
Each hero began to cut a swathe towards Min Jee, knocking down foes left and right, until it happened.  Min Jee screamed as she began to teleport away, she was mouthing something before she faded away completely.
“Grab your capsules, use them, and get the heck out of here!” Paine shouted above the fighting.
It was time to retreat and regroup, something was terribly wrong.  O’Toole crafted his illusionary pets and sent them into the fray, giving those around Atomic something to fend off.  Paine was closing on Miko’s location, but then she too yelled and began to teleport.  O’Toole was next, as his minions vanished before Atomic’s eyes.  Miko hurried to her friend’s locale, but as she reached her, the shadow appeared.
“Atomic!” Miko cried, reaching for her friend.
Atomic screamed as a man in black and red garb slammed his glowing fists down upon the defender.  The Arachnos soldiers all paused in their fight.  The man from the shadow stood tall, his fists glowed with power.
“Stalker.” Miko breathed, “How did he get here?”
“Arachnos, don’t make me kill you all here, these heroes are mine!” the stalker boomed, “I’ll do to you, what I did to the other five heroes if you do not leave me and this one alone.”
The Arachnos soldiers, for a moment looked like they were going to charge, but then realizing their numbers had been cut down substantially, they wandered off, towards the Founders Falls gate.  Miko wheeled on them, but they paid her no mind, and she realized just then why.  She rolled to her side, as the ground where she just stood, shattered under the might of the stalkers’ fists.
“You need to look out Miko Black.  Or you might not get away like your friends.” He smiled, and then licked his lips.
He didn’t know Miko’s hospital beacon was broken, or maybe, he was too interested in the kill to notice.  But that didn’t matter; a stalker was trouble, for anyone who dared to cross them.  They were just as bad as a Brute, but at least with those, you could see them coming.  Stalkers were deadly; they could become invisible to any kind of detection, and strike once, and kill.  Miko could only watch as the stalker melted into the air.
“I don’t mind you tracking me.  But you know my name, and I find it only right, that I know the name of my reaper.”
“My name?  You, you who are about to die want to know my name?” the insidious laughter came from all sides, “Very well then little hero, I’ll humor you.  My name is Quason.”
“Stalker Quason.” Miko Black said coldly “I know your name.”
The laughter ensued again, sending chills up Miko’s spine.  Quason was wanted for murder, on all accounts.  Each death by his hand, was gruesome, the bodies often mutilated, limbs severed even.  This was bad, how she would rather be back under the Nemesis’ staff.  Miko Black, daughter of the Children of the Sky, was going to die unless she acted, and fast.
She took precious seconds, and gathered her strength, and concentrated.  She would have one shot to try and make it to the gate and the aide of the police drones, but only if she outran the stalker.  She heard the footsteps edge closer, as the dry earth gave under the strain of the stalkers weight; she had time, if she was lucky.  She put her arms down, and palms open, feeling her power grow.  She smiled.
“Sorry Quason, but I will have to make you earn this kill.”
She shot off with blinding speed towards the gate to her safe harbor, hearing a surprised grunt from her “stalker”.  Her thoughts drifted back to her beginnings as a martial artist, when she took up the Miko name.  Her sensei had taught her that her greatest weapon was her mind, and not her power.  Brain over Brawn was the popular saying.  All she had to do was use her speed to get the gate, and she’d be safe.
Miko Black, how proud she had been to be given that name, that mantle.  It was the highest rank in the Miko Order, and it meant Maiden of Power.  She had been thrilled, and so had her sisters in the order as they all shared in the struggle with each other.  She had only edged them out because of her compassion for her fellow sisters.  Even Shade, the Miko turned Stalker.  The reason she came to Paragon to become a hero, was to track down Shade, and make her pay for her crime against the Order, and against her kin.
“You’ve gotten sloppy Miko”
Her thoughts centered once more, but it was too late.  Quason materialized right in front of her, and she dug her heel into the ground.  Quason smiled wickedly.
“Too late!”
Quason brought his hands forward with crushing force.  Miko was sent sprawling has she heard her ribs break.  She landed on the ground and heaved with the blow, water coming to her eyes.  She hadn’t been fast enough, she let herself get distracted.  Quason stood over her, looking down with delight dancing in his eyes.
“Now, lets remove your beacon shall we?” he said as he reached down, “Wouldn’t want you skipping out on me now would we?” he laughed.  “Oh, what’s this?  You’re beacon was broken already?”
He put a hand on his forehead as he laughed.  He couldn’t believe it, what idiot would walk around with no hospital beacon?  Not even villains did that.  He bent down and pressed on Miko’s broken beacon, she screamed.  The hunter was playing with his prey, enjoying the hunt, and now, enjoying the kill.
“What are you waiting for?  Just do it!” Miko screamed, tears ran down her cheeks, “Come on!”
“Oh, come now little hero, you know how the hunt is, all in good time.” He brushed her tears “How would you like it?  The heart?”
“She’ll take hers another day.” A voice boomed from behind Quason.
“Who in the . . .” Quason never finished as a katana found the underside of his chin and burly man grabbed him from behind, crushing him into submission.
“Miko, you ok?”
“Green, is that you?” Miko smiled as she looked up.
“Yea, its me, but you should thank Lion; he’s the one that spotted you.” Son of Green Devil said picking up the wounded heroine, “Really Miko, it’s been too long since we teamed up.”
“Miko, you sure find yourself some interesting problems.” Steel Lion said as he sheathed his sword.
The three made their way towards the Founders Falls gate as they exchanged stories of the events that unfolded moments earlier.  The two rescuers couldn’t believe the trouble Miko and her friends had gotten involved with.  As they reached the gate, they could see smoke rising from the surrounding area the police drones guarded.
As they neared, the Children of the Sky stood tall, waving them in.  The Arachnos force that was taunted by Quason had marched on the gate, but found the rejuvenated heroes ready.  As the heroes all converged on one another, they could only smile at each others safety.
“Miko, did you get the stalker?” Paine and Min asked almost as one.
“He got me good guys.  But I bet Beedra wouldn’t mind helping me out with some medicine eh Green?”
“Hah, I’ll bet she’d be happy too.”
The heroes all turned and ventured through the gate into the magical waterfall filled landscape of Founders Falls as the police drones began to sweep up the Arachnos villains and send them to the Zig.
“Hey, what happened to the stalker anyway?”
“Oh, we left him out there.”
“What? Why?”
“Let the Devouring Earth have him, they didn’t like the holes we made on their ground.”