LessThanThree Comics Presents » Boomers

East Coast Boomers: Darkness Falls, Part Four

Author — Tue, 17 May 2011 15:55:09 +0000

“You’ve lost your edge.” The Freak taunted, as he swung his fist at Darklight, connecting with the side of the villain’s face. “I’m as strong as you are now.”
“I’m still faster.” Darklight replied, as he delivered two blows to The Freak’s torso, before he could react.
“You move faster, but your reactions aren’t faster.” The Freak got another shot in, winding his opponent. “I can still hit you.”
“But I can hit you more.” Darklight hit The Freak with a flurry of shots, each one harder than before.
The Freak replied with a roundhouse kick to the hip, and a punch to the solar plexus, sending Darklight reeling. “I was trained by The Blackbird. I can hit you better.”
In the air above them, Thunderbolt and the shadow dragon circled each other. “You’re never going to win this, you know that right?” Shadowjumper shouted, from his position on the dragon’s back.
“My predecessors lived to fight dragons.” Thunderbolt said. “I think I can beat you.”
The sky above them began to darken with clouds, as Thunderbolt summoned his powers to their full force.
“You’re making it darker?” Shadowjumper laughed. “You’re just making my dragon stronger!”
“I can still beat it.” Thunderbolt said, as he swung his hammer at the dragon, barely grazing its scaly chest.
“You’re going to have to do better than that.” Shadowjumper laughed, as the dragon engulfed Thunderbolt in flames.
The dragon wasn’t the only thing strengthened by the shadows cast by the stormclouds that were filling the sky. The huge, batlike creatures that composed the Black Swarm were much stronger than they had ever been in the material dimension. While they would usually be destroyed by a moderate impact, they had become almost completely corporeal. The Swarm was deadly, there were dozens of them, and they were all focused on one target. Nymphette.
The slender beauty had managed to hold her own against the swarm, dispatching at least ten with her water jets, before the sky had clouded over. Now she was on the defensive, using her control over water to erect barriers, deflecting the Swarm’s attacks, as she ducked and weaved around the street. She was successful in her defense, but she was getting tired fast.
Her distress didn’t warrant a glance from her ally Perdition, as he focused his strength on battling the other magician, Darktamer. The two traded spells, as each one tapped into his seemingly limitless knowledge of attacks and counterspells. Occasionally, one would tap into his natural abilities, Darktamer’s natural affinity for summoning and controlling pure darkness and Perdition’s ability to control the earth around him, courtesy of his demon father. Each of these attacks would be met by their counterpoint. Neither magician could gain the upper hand.
“Mate, unless you get very very lucky, I’m gonna win this.” Perdition grinned. “My power reserves are deeper than yours.”
“I don’t need luck.” Darktamer scowled, as he activated another spell with a wave of his hand. Glowing knives appeared in front of him and directed themselves straight at Perdition, who drew a symbol in the air in front of him. The knives hit an invisible barrier and disappeared.
“I think you do.” Perdition said, as he drew his sword and charged.
In the middle of the street, there was nothing but darkness. In the middle of the darkness stood Talon, The Gibbon and Hyper Girl. Somewhere in the depths of the darkness was Nightfall.
“You’re never going to be able to beat me.” Nightfall said. Talon instantly threw a shuriken towards the sound of his voice.
“You know I can throw my voice.” Nightfall taunted, from a completely different spot, almost the opposite of his previous position. Moments later, from a third position, a kick connected with the side of Talon’s head, the unexpected blow staggered the heroine, but she managed to stay standing. She swung a fist into the darkness, but found nothing.
“You’re going to have to do better than that.” Nightfall hit her again, from the other side, knocking her legs out from under her, before kicking her in the ribs a few times. Before she could grab his leg, he had ducked back out of her range.
“Where are you?” Hyper Girl demanded. “Just try and attack me.”
Nightfall’s laughter echoed around the teenager. “I’ve already seen your forcefield.” He said.
The Gibbon cried out in pain, as he received a kick directly to his groin area. He fell down, clutching the damaged region.
“Two down…” Nightfall chuckled.
Hyper Girl was starting to get worried. He couldn’t touch her, sure, but her team mates were on the ground, incapacitated, vulnerable to any assault. She had to act fast. It only took her a moment to think of her plan.
“You’re right.” Hyper Girl said, as she silently prayed for her idea to work. “They are both down.”
A halo of light formed around Hyper Girl’s waist, before expanding in an instant, passing safely over her teammates, and hitting Nightfall full force, knocking him flying. The villain crumpled onto the ground, unconscious, and the darkness dissipated.
Hyper Girl acted fast. One Hyper-Blast dispatched Shadowjumper, knocking him from the dragon’s back and onto a nearby roof. Hyper Girl assumed that there was no way he would fall so far without at least falling unconscious from his injuries. Thunderbolt summoned lightning from the storm clouds and dispatched the dragon, while Hyper Girl turned her attention to the Dark Swarm.
His opponent dealt with, Thunderbolt rushed to The Freak’s aid. Although the stone man was more than holding his own, Thunderbolt’s added power made short work of Darklight.
“Guys, tend to Talon and The Gibbon.” Hyper Girl ordered, as she fried the last of the Shadow-plane creatures. “We’ll finish this fight.”
Hyper Girl and Nymphette rushed to Perdition’s side. “Nymphette, hit him with everything you’ve got.” Hyper Girl said. “Perdition, I assume you’ve got some big magical whammy saved up?” The Brit nodded. “I’ll shield you, you get it started.”
“It’s already started; I just need to get close enough.” Perdition said, hefting his sword. “His defences are fairly strong.”
“So are my attacks.” Hyper Girl said, firing a Hyper-Blast at the black fog swirling around Darktamer.
Perdition seemed satisfied and charged forward, protected from the tendrils of darkness that Darktamer attacked him with, while all the while defending himself from the deluge Nymphette was attacking him with. Perdition shouted something in another language, as his sword burst into flames and cut through all the magical shields Darktamer had surrounded himself with, and cut through his shoulder to the bone.
The villain screamed in pain, as he clutched at his haemorrhaging shoulder. Perdition calmly wiped the blood off his sword on his opponent’s clothes and sheathed it. Barely a minute later, Darktamer collapsed from blood loss.
“Alright Boomers, stick a fork in it. We’re done.” Hyper Girl said.
<><><>
“And, though it was a team effort, it was truly Hyper Girl who saved the day.” Talon told the assembled press.
“Hyper Girl! What do you have to say to your detractors now?” One of the journalists shouted.
Hyper Girl smiled. “I guess I’m not the baby of the team anymore.” She paused. “Of course, with a name like Hyper Girl, I’m always going to have that image. Which is why, before this very press conference, I re-registered my identity.”
“From this day forward, my name is Aurora.”

East Coast Boomers: Darkness Falls Part Three

Author — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 04:38:15 +0000

“How much longer is he going to be here?” Hyper Girl scowled at Perdition, who was stretched out on the sofa, with soccer playing on the television.
“Until the Order of Darkness turn up.” The Gibbon shrugged. “He’s not that bad.”
The two heroes sat at the dinner table. The Boomers had a common area in their headquarters, from back in the glory days, when the whole team had lived there on a semi-permanent basis. It had all the basics, a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom and a recreation area, complete with pool table.
“He’s such a pig. And he’s… Ugh.” Hyper Girl said, poking around at her cereal. “He just makes me so mad sometimes.”
The Gibbon looked at his younger teammate carefully. “We’re not talking about the Brit anymore, are we?”
Hyper Girl looked back up at The Gibbon. “… No.” She admitted.
“Boyfriend?” Gibbon asked.
Hyper Girl nodded. “We had a fight. A stupid fight. I overreacted. I’ve been ignoring his messages out of stubbornness.”
The Gibbon smiled and shook his head. “Kids.” He said.
Hyper Girl gave a faint smile. “I know, it’s silly… He just… For a genius, he really doesn’t think sometimes, you know?”
“Look who you’re talking to here.” The Gibbon said.
“True.” Hyper Girl had a full smile on her face now. “I guess if anyone knew about that kind of thing, it would be you.”
“Easy now kid.” Gibbon laughed.
“Quiet, I’m trying to watch the bloody game.” Perdition yelled.
<><><>
“There is absolutely no way.” Nymphette insisted.
“I’m telling you it’s true. It’s my job to know what my team is capable of.” Talon said.
“So? You’re wrong. You’ve gotta be.” Nymphette said.
“No. Thunderbolt is still as strong as The Freak, even without his hammer.” Talon said.
“Impossible. The hammer is the source of his powers.” Nymphette said.
Talon shrugged.
“It’s not possible. You have to prove it.” Nymphette insisted.
Talon sighed. “Fine. Arm wrestling?”
“Done.” Nymphette said.
“Do they know we’re right here?” The Freak whispered to Thunderbolt.
“Talon does.” Thunderbolt replied. “I’d bet my hammer on it.”
“Bet!” Nymphette yelled, overhearing the men. “We need to put a bet on this!”
Talon shook her head. “You’re kidding.”
“No! Loser has to pay for the winner’s drinks every night out for the next month.” Nymphette said.
Talon smiled. Nymphette spent many more nights out on the town than she did. The bet was definitely in her favour.
“You’re on.” Talon said.
Moments later, there was a table in the middle of the Boom Room, and Thunderbolt and The Freak sat on opposite sides.
“This is going to be interesting.” The Freak said.
“I agree.” Thunderbolt said, handing his hammer over to Nymphette, who took a few steps back.
“This bet is as good as mine. Thunderbolt is powerless without his hammer.” Nymphette said.
Talon sighed. “No he’s not.”
Nymphette’s eyes went wide, as the boys started their arm-wrestling match. They strained in the middle, neck-and-neck for a minute, before Thunderbolt began to gain ground on his teammate, eventually putting his hand flat against the table.
“But…” Nymphette pouted.
“Just because the hammer is the source of his powers doesn’t mean he’s powerless without it.” Talon said.
Thunderbolt smiled. “Mjolnir does give me a boost.” He reassured her. “But I’m still pretty tough without it.”
Talon patted Nymphette on the back. “I think a night out is in order.”
“That’ll have to wait.” Perdition was standing in the doorway.
“They’re on the move?” Talon asked.
Perdition nodded.
“Let’s move. It’s Boom Time.”
<><><>
“Kind of fitting, isn’t it?” The Freak asked, sitting next to Talon in the cockpit of the Sonic Boom.
Talon looked out the windshield at the city below. Miami.
“We’re going to win this time.” Talon said. “We’re going to get those bastards back. For Minerva, Pike and Blowout.”
“And for your limbs.” The Freak nodded.
“Right. Have you got this? I have to brief the troops.” Talon asked.
“Of course.” The Freak grabbed the second set of controls.
<><><>
Darklight hefted the pile of paintings. “Ok, let’s go.” Nightfall said. “Shadowjumper, we need an exit.”
Shadowjumper nodded, as he searched, using his natural affinity to find the best entrance to take. “Just outside. Minimum travelling distance.” He said.
“Darktamer, release the guards.” Nightfall ordered.
The thick, black tendrils that held the gallery’s security in place receded. “There’s nothing that can stop us now anyway.” Darktamer said.
Nightfall gave a faint smile, turning back to face his teammates as he walked out the front door. “Nothing can stop us ever.” The leader said.
“We’d like to put that one to the test.”
Nightfall’s eyes went wide, but he regained his composure as he turned to see Talon and the East Coast Boomers standing in the street.
“Here to sacrifice another team to us?” Nightfall asked, drawing a scowl from Talon.
“Oh no Nightfall, they’ve got backup this time.” Shadowjumper scoffed.
“A pretty boy, two little girls, a monkey and whoever that guy with the sword is.” Darklight laughed.
“Idiot.” Darktamer said. “Thunderbolt, Hyper Girl and Perdition. Don’t take this lightly.”
“Aww, we don’t get a mention?” The Gibbon asked.
“Darktamer is just trying to sort out which one of us ‘e’s going to have to fight ‘imself.” Perdition said. “Don’t worry Darkie, it’s just little old me.”
Relief appeared on Darktamer’s face, as he realised he wouldn’t have to fight Thunderbolt, but the seriousness was back within a moment.
“Shadowjumper…” Nightfall said.
“You’re not escaping.” Talon said.
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Shadowjumper smiled.
The largest shadow in the vicinity was that cast by the gallery itself. A clawed arm reached out, followed by another, and a large, scaled head and neck.
“Oh my god…” The Freak said.
“There wasn’t one near enough in Salt Lake City, or else those kids would all be dead.” Shadowjumper said. “But Miami is dragon-country.”
The dragon emerged from the shadow portal, followed by a cloud of winged shadow-beasts.
“Thunderbolt… Dragon’s yours, you got this?” Talon asked.
Thunderbolt smiled. “Of course. Who better to fight a dragon, than the embodiment of Thor’s power?”
“Are we going to stop talking and fight, or what?” Nightfall asked.
The Dark Swarm began divebombing Nymphette. “I guess that answers the question.” Talon said.
The Freak crash-tackled Darklight, and the two titans began wrestling on the ground, as Thunderbolt flew at the dragon, and arcane energies began crackling around Darktamer and Perdition.
“I guess that just leaves us.” Nightfall laughed, as the lights went out for Hyper Girl, Talon and The Gibbon.

East Coast Boomers: Darkness Falls, Part One

Author — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 11:10:37 +0000

Margaret woke up gasping for air, cold sweat dripping from her skin. It took her a moment to realise she was back in her room at Boomers’ Central. She cursed her recurring nightmare, and cursed herself for being weak enough to fear it every time.
It certainly didn’t help that every second of it was an actual memory, not just some terror conjured by her mind, but something that had actually happened to her.
The Shadow Plane. Every moment spent there was etched into her brain forever. Try as she might, she couldn’t force herself to forget the terror, or the pain.
Absentmindedly, she flexed her robotic fingers, as she thought of the arm she had lost to the dragon. Over the past year, the new arm and leg that Don Harris, the former Boomer known as Junker, had built for her felt like they were natural, an actual part of her body.
Still, she knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep again, not for a while. She thought about calling her husband, but she didn’t want to wake him. Instead, she pulled some sweatpants and a t-shirt on and left her room, heading for the Boom Room, the team’s training facility.
Inside, she found Dr Eugene Phillips, better known to the world at large as her teammate, The Freak, struggling under what appeared to be a giant car-crusher, a hydraulic press designed specifically as an exercise machine for super-strong individuals. Lately, it had been used mostly by the new Gauntlet, as his mentor wanted him in full control of his newfound powers. Margaret had been impressed by the rate at which the boy was learning. Maybe he could be a Boomer some day.
“You’re up late.” Margaret said.
“I hardly sleep at all. I’m not sure I even need to.” Gene replied. “What are you doing up here?”
“Couldn’t sleep.” Margaret said. “Thought a work-out might help.”
Gene eyed up his teammate, trying to figure out what was wrong. They had been working together for decades, and had been close friends for almost as long. There was no-one Margaret trusted more in the world, except for Ralph Davis, the original Blackbird, her surrogate father. Even he drew a blank though, as Margaret’s face betrayed no emotion.
“Be my guest. I’m just doing the weights anyway.” Gene said, still inside the hydraulic press.
“I’ll stay out of your way.” Margaret said. “Computer, Agility training. Level Three, Randomize Level Four.” She ordered, as the room’s built-in hologram and robotic system flickered to life, attacking her from all sides, as she strained to block each blow. Even with the enhanced strength her cybernetic limbs gave her, her greatest edge was still her speed, and her training. Without those, she was just another street tough. With those, she was the leader of the primary super-team in the world, regardless of the fact that she was severely underpowered compared to her peers.
“You’re not big on warm-ups, are you?” Gene shouted out from the press. “I was in here yesterday, and that was as high as Pete would go.”
Margaret smiled. “You don’t get warm-ups in the field Gene; you of all people should know that.” She never paused in her motions, always catching the next attack.
“This isn’t the field Maggie. Don’t want you straining yourself.” Gene said.
Margaret shrugged. “I’ve had worse.” She looked down at her robotic arm. The moment’s distraction saw her hit in the head, followed by a series of body-blows, leaving her on the ground.
“All systems shutdown!” Gene ordered, and their was an audible hiss as the hydraulic press shut down.
He rushed over to his teammate as the holograms around her disappeared. “Are you ok?”
“I’m fine.” Margaret said, as she sat up. “I just got distracted. This stupid arm…” She trailed off, staring at the metal appendage.
“Are you having problems with it? You should call Don.” Gene said.
“No, it’s not that. The arm and leg are perfect…” Margaret paused for a moment. “I just… Look, the reason I can’t sleep is… I have nightmares.”
“Nightmares?” Gene was intrigued.
“About the Shadow Plane. About the dragon.” Margaret explained.
“Completely understandable.” Gene said, placing a hand on Margaret’s intact shoulder.
“No, it’s weak. I can’t let it affect me.” Margaret said. “I’m Talon. I’m strong, nothing gets to me.”
“You were dismembered. You’re allowed to carry a little baggage after that.” Gene said.
“I’m not. I have too much responsibility to this team, to the world. I have to be at the top of my game. I can’t have this weak spot. Eventually someone’s going to start exploiting it.” Margaret said, as tears welled in her eyes, refusing to drop.
“Maggie, you’re the bravest person I’ve ever known. You know what that means coming from me.” Gene said.
Maggie stared at him for a moment. The Freak had been a member of the original Boomers team, along with the likes of Miss Liberty and, of course, The Blackbird. “… Thank you.” She said, wiping her eyes. “I’m sorry. I got a little emotional.” She said.
“That’s fine.” Gene said, hesitating for a moment. “Maggie… If you wanted to, you could take some time away from the team.”
Margaret shook her head violently. “It’s going to take more than time off to deal with this.” She allowed herself a small smile. “Besides, without me, you guys are aimless. And this is my team. From Day One, and until the day it’s all over.”
Gene returned his teammate’s smile. “So what’s the plan then? How are you going to beat this?”
Margaret thought about it for a moment. The source of her problems was The Shadow Plane. “What’s the word on the Order of Darkness?” She asked.
“Still at large, they got out in the big Gitmo break-out.” Gene said.
“Thought so.” Margaret said. “Well, I’m going to have to bring them in, aren’t I?”
“And how are you going to find them? They strike whoever, whenever they want.” Gene said.
“A minor detail. Are you in?” Talon asked.
“Of course. I can’t let you fight them on your own.” Gene said.
Margaret smiled. “A Boomer never fights alone.”
“As true as the day Miss Liberty first said it.” Gene said. “I’ll assemble the team in the morning.”

Author — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 14:55:53 +0000

“I have to get this.” Hannah groaned, as she struggled up from her bed, searching for her phone, which was blaring out ‘I Don’t Like Mondays’.
“No. Let it ring babe. I have to go back to college in the morning. This can wait.” Matt reached out and embraced his girlfriend, kissing her on the lips, then the chin, progressing lower and lower. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
“No, that’s my Boomers ringtone. It’s business.” Hannah giggled, as she squirmed out of her boyfriend’s grasp.
“Oh, the Boomtown Rats. Clever. I knew I liked you for a reason.” Matt smiled. “Guess you’d best answer that.”
“I knew you’d understand.” Hannah smiled back, as she found her phone. “Hyper Girl here… Ok… Yep… Lirabite?… Oh, ok… Yeah, I’m just with my boyfriend… Uh huh… Ok… See you soon.”
“Lirabite? Aren’t they the aliens who were in Canada last year?” Matt asked.
“Probably. How do you feel about team-ups?” Hannah asked, as she pulled her costume out of her drawer.
“Team-ups?… Wait… Did Talon ask…? Holy crap!” Matt said.
“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.” Hannah laughed. “You’re so cute when you’re being a fanboy. Did you bring your costume?”
“Always. It’s in my bag. I’ll get changed now.” Matt tumbled out of bed, scrambling across the floor to his bag.
“Amateurs…” Hannah rolled her eyes.
“I’ve been doing this as long as you have!” Matt said, pulling his tights on.
“Of course you have sweetie.” Hannah said, putting her mask on.
<><><>
Mr Universe took a deep breath as Hyper Girl opened the hangar door.
“-so I told Ralph I didn’t mind, I’m sure it was the right decision.” Talon was already waiting, talking to The Freak.
“And you’re fine with it? I mean, we all assumed you were next in line.” The Freak replied.
“No, I think I’ve done alright for myself.” Talon said, looking over at the door. “Oh good, you’re here.”
“And Mr Universe accepted our invitation.” The Freak added. “It’s good to see you again.”
Mr Universe’s eyes went wide. “Th-thank you sir.” He stammered.
Talon smiled. “You can face off against Gauss alone, but we still make you nervous? Kid, we owe you our lives; you’re practically one of us now.”
“Not quite one of us though.” Hyper Girl warned.
“Although, if you’re going to be on the East Coast for a while…” The Freak said.
“We’ll worry about it later. The Gibbon just arrived, so we’re taking off. Nymphette is already on board.” Talon said, making her way up the ramp into the Sonic Boom II.
“Oh, Mr Universe is coming out with us today? Should be an easy one then.” The Gibbon said, as he swung through the doorway, getting down on all fours to bound across the hangar.
“Thunderbolt is meeting us there, he was working in Mexico.” The Freak said.
“Of course. He’ll probably beat us there.” The Gibbon said.
<><><>
The Sonic Boom II ducked and wove between the shots being fired upon it from the spaceships that swarmed the Miami skyline.
“Why doesn’t this thing have guns?” Mr Universe asked, as he clung to his seat for dear life.
“It’s technically a civilian vehicle. We’re not allowed.” The Freak said.
“And just how good a pilot is Talon?” Mr Universe asked.
“We’re not dead yet.” The Freak replied.
“Ok, I think we need to take some action. Hyper Girl, you with me?” Mr Universe asked.
“What did you have in mind?” Hyper Girl asked.
“Distract the ships so Talon can get this thing on the ground.” Mr Universe replied.
“Is that ok with you?” Hyper Girl shouted up to Talon.
“You got it. Freak, Gibbon, Nymphette, grab on to something, I’m opening the hatch.” Talon ordered.
As soon as the door was open, Mr Universe and Hyper Girl released themselves and sailed straight out, using their powers to fly.
“Try not to get hit.” Mr Universe said.
“Thanks sweetie. What would I do without you?” Hyper Girl deadpanned, as she blocked laser fire with her photonic shield.
“I have no idea.” Mr Universe replied, as he dodged an oncoming ship.
<><><>
Thunderbolt flew through the air, a loud roar following along behind him, as he flew at top speed. As he moved, the Miami skyline appeared on the horizon, rapidly getting bigger and bigger. It didn’t take him long to spot the swarm of alien ships flying around the buildings, shooting at two tiny figures in the air. Moments later, he recognised one of the figures as his team-mate, Hyper Girl, and rushed to her aid.
“Hyper Girl! Where is the rest of the team?” Thunderbolt asked, as the sky began to darken, thunder rolling in the background.
“In the ‘Boom, Talon’s going to try landing the thing. We’re up here distracting the ships.” Hyper Girl replied, as she blasted away at a space ship, her blast ricocheting straight off the forcefield that surrounded the ship.
“And this is…?” Thunderbolt asked.
“Oh, right. Honey, this is Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt, this is Mr Universe, my boyfriend.” Hyper Girl said, as she idly deflected another laser blast.
“Hi.” Mr Universe said, waving as he began using his powers to tear chunks off the ship that had fired at Hyper Girl. “Usually I’d start freaking out because I got to meet you, but I’m a tad busy right now.”
“Of course.” Thunderbolt replied, as a bolt of lightning destroyed another ship.
“That is so cool!” Mr Universe gushed.
<><><>
Nymphette looked around. “So if the fliers are up there, fighting the ships, what the hell are we supposed to be doing down here?”
“Saving civilians.” Talon said. “Those ships did some serious damage before we turned up.”
“Or we could take care of that.” The Gibbon pointed at the two ships that had landed three blocks away.
“True.” Talon said. “Ok guys, we’ve all fought Lirabites before. They’re strong, they’re tough, they’re fast. Freak, you’ll head down the middle, charge in, swinging. They can’t hurt you physically, and they’re not likely to fire their blasters at close range. Gibbon and I will flank you, we’re just as quick, and almost as strong as them, so we should be pretty effective. Nymphette, find a water source and hit them hard, but try to keep your distance.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice.”
“Ok. It’s Boom Time.” Talon said.
The Freak began charging forward, letting out a primal scream as he crashed into a crowd of the reptilian extraterrestrials, followed closely by his teammates.
Nymphette looked around, trying to find a faucet or a fire hydrant, but to no avail. Sighing, she reached up and touched the communicator on her left breast. “Thunderbolt, make it rain baby.”
“You got it.” Thunderbolt buzzed back, and the heavens opened up.
“Alright then, time to get wet.” Nymphette said, as she began directing the raindrops, sending streams more powerful that firehoses at the Lirabites, knocking them flat on their backs. “That’s right you slimy bastards, take it!”
“That girl scares me sometimes.” The Gibbon muttered, as he uppercut a Lirabite, sending it sprawling.
“Amen.” The Freak said, tossing another two after it.
<><><>
“… So I figure if I hit just the right frequency…” Mr Universe said, as he sent out a wave of electromagnetic energy directly at an oncoming ship. Moments later, the power cut out, and the ship went crashing to the ground.
“Very nice work.” Thunderbolt said, as he swung Mjolnir, crashing it straight through the hull of the ship.
“Thanks. You too.” Mr Universe said, eyes wide.
“Ok, honey… You think you could do that again?” Hyper Girl asked.
“Of course, that was just a test run. Time for the full wave.” Mr Universe said, summoning all his strength.
“Don’t overdo it babe.” Hyper Girl said.
“I got it… Just be ready to catch me.” Mr Universe said, before throwing out his arms. The gesture was pointless, but he did like to look the part.
As the invisible wave of energy erupted from his body, ships began dropping like flies.
It was Thunderbolt’s turn to be amazed. “Incredible.” He said, as he watched a dozen ships just fall out of the sky.
“He really is, isn’t he?” Hyper Girl swooned, as she caught her boyfriend’s motionless body. “Looks like it took a lot out of him.”
“It took more out of them.” Thunderbolt said, pointing at the remaining ships, as they retreated into space.
<><><>
Mr Universe came to on the Sonic Boom II, Hyper Girl sitting by him, his hand in hers.
“It’s about time you woke up. You missed the press conference.” Hyper Girl said.
“Does that mean I’m not on the team?” Mr Universe asked groggily.
“Not this time babe, but you impressed them. I’m very proud.” Hyper Girl said, kissing him.
“What more could I ask for?” Mr Universe replied, a huge smile on his face.
The lovebirds ignored Nymphette’s chortle at that, too interested in each other.

East Coast Boomers vs Extreme

Author — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 02:14:25 +0000

“Maggie, what did I tell you about fighting on the beach?” Don asked, as he pointed out the rust spots on Talon’s arm and leg.
“I was too busy building the best team of heroes in the world today to oil these damn things. It slipped my mind.” Talon argued.
“Well, if these had gotten any worse, you’d have been a cripple again… Seriously, you were this close to having the joints lock up.”
“How long will it take to fix?”
“To fix? Weeks.”
Talon was taken aback. “Weeks? I’d have to be off the street for weeks? You do realise I’m the leader of the East Coast Boomers, right?”
“Nobody understands that better than I do.” Don replied. For over a decade, Don had led the West Coast Boomers as ‘The Junker’. “Which is why I made a spare set.” Don smiled.
“Did you really have to lecture me about maintenance then?” Talon took a friendly swing at her friend.
“Yes. Do you remember that guy who put together a Junker suit from my spare parts?”
“Of course I do. He stole my name.”
“Yeah. ‘Magpie’. Because he stole shiny things. That jackass gave us grief for years. I don’t want some psycho replacing his arm and leg with my tech. Looks bad when it comes to staff evaluation time.” Don had retired from the superhero game in 2008, handing the leadership of the West Coast Boomers to GL and taking a government contract, designing the new Patriot Armour. In his spare time, he still took time to help his old friends.
Talon was about to make a reply, when her pager began beeping.
“Crap. How quick can you get me hooked up to the spares?” She asked.
“By the time Nymphette gets here from her shoot at the Statue of Liberty, that’s for sure.” Don replied.
<><><>
“That’s it baby, loving it, loving it.” The photographer said, as the flashbulbs went off.
His subject was Maxim’s Hottest Superhero two years running, The Mistress of Moisture, the Angel of Aquakinesis, Nymphette. They were working on a series of promotional pictures for the New York City Chamber of Commerce. She’d already been photographed at the Empire State Building, and would be at the Brooklyn Bridge the next day.
“How much longer?” Nymphette asked, as she pouted and posed for the camera.
“Not much longer. The camera loves you. Every shot is perfect.” The photographer flattered her, as he kept snapping.
Nymphette’s pager began to beep. “Good thing then. We’re going to have to cut this one a little short babe.” Nymphette said, pulling the pager from her purse. “Gotta go save the world.”
<><><>
Thunderbolt swung his hammer one last time, cleaving the huge funnel of the tornado in two. The storm began to dissipate almost instantaneously, the magic of Mjolnir completing the job begun by the broken twister.
He touched down and began surveying the damage. Calhoun, Kentucky was a small town, but the tornado had torn up a lot of buildings. It was going to be a long afternoon’s work.
The locals began crowding around him, cheering as he began piling wrecked cars together, clearing the streets for the support crews that would be arriving within hours.
He cursed as his beeper went off. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Duty calls.”
Thunder cracked in the distance, as Thunderbolt took off into the air.
<><><>
“And if we isolate this strain right here, we could just cure the common cold.” Dr Eugene Phillips, better known to the world as The Freak, said.
“Assuming it works in humans, of course.” His new lab partner, Dr Peter Ulrich, The Gibbon, said, as he swirled the contents of his test tube.
Since they had found themselves team-mates earlier in the week, the two had discovered they had something in common, both men were biologists. They had bonded quickly, and were already putting their headquarters’ laboratories to good use.
“We’re not even sure it works on mice yet.” Dr Phillips laughed.
“We’ve got plenty of time to figure that out.” Dr Ulrich replied.
Both men’s pagers began beeping.
“Or not.” Dr Ulrich muttered.
<><><>
Hannah stared at her phone, wondering why her boyfriend hadn’t called yet. She hadn’t heard from him in days, ever since the day of the press conference. What was that boy up to?
She jumped as she heard a beeping noise, seizing her phone in excitement. Her face fell, as she realised it was her pager going off instead.
“I guess I’d better go answer this instead.” She said. “I’d better find a missed call when I get back.”
<><><>
“The computer picked this up off a police radio band in Queens. Extreme is destroying everything within a two-mile radius.” Talon said.
“Then what are we waiting for? It’s Boom Time!” Nymphette said.
“Worst catchphrase ever.” Hyper Girl said.
“Don’t start.” The Gibbon said.
“We need a plan. She’s strong.” Talon said.
“And we’ve got Thunderbolt. What’s the problem?” Nymphette asked.
“I must agree Maggie.” The Freak said. “Surely Thunderbolt is her equal, at the very least.”
Talon sighed. “Ok, let’s go. Thunderbolt is to engage her head on, the rest of us are to contain the damage she’s caused, and to stop anymore.”
“You’ve got it.” Thunderbolt said, hefting Mjolnir. “What should I expect?”
“Extreme is strong, fast and super hot.” Nymphette said. “Like, literally. She can control temperature. And she’s got a quick healing factor. We fought her on the West Coast a bunch of times.”
“But UNLEASHED got the capture.” Hyper Girl added. “I saw it on the news.”
“Hey, when we’re putting Radon back in his nursing home, we’ll talk to you babe, but until then, the big kids are talking.” Nymphette snapped.
“What about the Order of Darkness? Got any tips for them? How about Constellation? Because I fought both. What have you guys got going on the West Coast that even compares to the guys we fight over here?” Hyper Girl shouted.
“Girls, can we deal with this crap later? We’ve got a supervillain to deal with, remember?” The Gibbon asked.
“She started it.” Nymphette pouted.
“Shut up Jasmine.” Talon ordered. “We’ll deal with Extreme, then worry about the catfight.”
<><><>
The Sonic Boom II hovered above the carnage, sitting just below the cloud of smoke that was building above the city, as homes and businesses burned below.
“Ok, Nymphette, hit the fires. Hyper Girl and Gibbon, you’re with me, we’re saving people from debris and just generally keeping the civilians safe. Freak, I need you inside buildings, there are bound to be people inside. Thunderbolt, just go do what you do.” Talon issued her orders.
The bottom of the jet opened, and Thunderbolt leapt out, landing on the ground with a loud crash, right next to Extreme.
The villainess was beautiful, her black leather outfit barely covering her curvy body, a wicked smile adorning her full lips. “And who the hell are you supposed to be?” She asked, turning her attention to the hero.
“Thunderbolt.” He said simply, as he swung a fist at her face.
Extreme dodged out of the way with ease. “Oh. Big, dumb, thunder-god wannabe. Got it.”
Thunderbolt swung again, and Extreme ducked below the shot, before laying a series of jabs into the hero’s stomach.
Thunderbolt doubled over as the blows hit him, she was strong.
“Awww. Did you get a boo-boo?” She taunted, as her fists began raining down on him, as he raised his hands to block.
“Nothing I can’t handle.” Thunderbolt smiled.
<><><>
“Man, he is getting pummelled.” Hyper Girl said, as she blasted a falling brick into dust, which rained down upon the fleeing family.
“He can take it, at least until we get everyone to safety.” Talon said, as she herded the civilians down the street.
“Here’s two more.” The Gibbon said, as he dropped a couple softly down onto the sidewalk. “Gene’s clearing out the bottom floors where the fire is, I’m helping out upstairs. Care to join?”
Hyper Girl nodded, and flew towards the building, as Talon continued to herd the running crowd of people.
“Oh wow, he’s really getting pummelled.” The Gibbon said.
“Quiet.” Talon ordered, as she began to formulate a plan.
<><><>
Thunderbolt took everything Extreme threw at him, her physical blows, her waves of scorching heat and blistering cold. He never faltered, just continued to take the punishment. He knew his team-mates would help him; he just had to face her while they saved the innocents.
He began his own assault, swinging Mjolnir around and clipping her leg, sending her tumbling and shattering her femur.
“So you’re not as slow as I thought?” Extreme asked, as the twisted wreckage of her leg began reforming itself.
“I have my moments.” Thunderbolt replied, as he charged forward. But Extreme was already back on her feet, ducking below the hero and throwing him from underneath, sending him reeling.
She was ready to make another attack, but found herself on the receiving end of a Hyper Blast.
“Not so fast skank.” Hyper Girl said, as she began launching a volley of blasts.
“I don’t have time for little girls.” Extreme shouted, allowing each shot to hit her, before returning fire. Hyper Girl’s photon shield barely held up against the beams of pure heat.
“Even one who’s going to kick your ass?” Hyper Girl asked, as she blasted at her opponent some more.
Nymphette got in on the action, dousing Extreme with water, but the villainess ignored the firehose-powered blasts, instead focussing on Hyper Girl.
She was so focussed; she didn’t notice The Freak barrelling down on her, or The Gibbon ducking behind her. The Freak tackled Extreme, sending her tripping over The Gibbon’s back and crashing into a puddle of water.
The Freak was on his feet first, grabbing The Gibbon and tossing him towards a building.
“NOW!” Talon ordered.
Thunderbolt smiled, as a bolt of electricity arced across the sky, striking the drenched Extreme square in the chest, knocking her out and burning her body immensely.
“Well, I’d certainly call that a win.” Hyper Girl noted.
“Are you kidding? We just took down Extreme!” The Gibbon shouted.
<><><>
“Are you kidding? I’m going to have to get my nails redone before my shoot tomorrow!” Nymphette complained, as she helped Hyper Girl lift a jagged piece of a broken wooden beam.
“Suck it up Princess.” Hyper Girl said. “Thunderbolt’s only with us on the provision that we help him help regular people.”
“But still, this is like, manual labour.” Nymphette said. “I’m too pretty to do manual labour.”
“Quiet.” Talon ordered, as she hefted the other half of the broken beam. “We’re going to help clean up this town, Thunderbolt said the tornado he stopped was one of the biggest he’s seen. They need our help here.”
“Besides, I have a special mission for you next week.” Thunderbolt said. “There’s a village in Namibia where I promised to break a drought, but even I can’t mess with the weather patterns like that, I’m going to need a hand.”
“Like, in Africa? Eww!” Nymphette squealed.
“Doesn’t Angelina do a lot of missionary work in Africa?” Hyper Girl asked.
“Oh yeah. Hey, maybe it’s not such a bad idea.” Nymphette said.
“I thought you’d see it my way.” Thunderbolt laughed.