"Now there was only one left to face and I knew my three months of training would not compete with her years of it in the military. At half power, I was at a serious disadvantage already, but I would give it all I had. "
-Shawn Lockhart
Secret Origin
The only aspect I remember of that day was flames engulfing buildings and everything in its path--including the multitude of corpses lining the streets--as colossal machines ripped apart and mutilated the small country town . Somehow I was the lone human surviving the massacre in the desolated town.
For all I knew, my friends were dead and I was at a loss. All six--in the Marine’s Special Alpha Division--were no match for the mechanical beasts. As I stood in awe and fear, one of the giants robots twisted around, detecting the final subject of annihilation. I began to turn and head for any remaining shelter when a small projectile shot past the robot’s arm hitting mine like a 100 small sharp needles.
I screamed in agony as the tiny robot leapt from my arm into the air and flew away. A hot searing pain immediately coursed through my entire body like molten lava in my veins and I collapsed onto the blood drenched ground. The pain was coupled with mechanical grinding sounds echoing through my skull. The robot must be speaking in its alien tongue. All I could make out amidst my agony was something about a brainiac. A massive explosion went off to my left as debris soared over my paralyzing body. The robot must have somehow imploded, I thought before I was consumed by utter darkness.
The Quest
Three months later…
I was sure I had found them. Though it seemed like I had been searching forever. After my narrow escape from Brainiac’s prisoner holding bay, I returned to find the bodies of my dear friends, but there were no traces of them nor of the town that was completely obliterated. I dared to hope of the possibility of them being alive. But after three months and the power of the machines, it was unlikely for them to have survived. I was grateful at the possibility. With the assistance of my new ally, Dr. Lightning, I discovered that they were in fact alive.
I longed to be united with them, but the reunion did not go as well as I had hoped. As I had long since guessed, the tiny metal robot that had stung me that day was actually an exobyte, which had attacked my friends as well.
As I entered the old airplane hangar where we had tracked them down, they stood like statues as if awaiting my arrival. My jubilant reaction was met by cold, unchanging expressions of malice. They were totally changed and seemed not to even know me. I called out their names as I continued forward. No answer. I called again holding my distance now. Something was very wrong.
The answer I received from their leader--standing prominently in the middle of the group--did not matter as much as was voice that said it. It was my sister! She informed me that the names I had called were dead. I had no idea what she meant and she introduced herself to me as the Scarlet Queen.
Confused and angry with her answer I vowed to snap her out of this hypnotic state one way or another. Two others, who were with her, referred to themselves as the “Hammers of Justice.” They must be brother and sister, Ben and Lillian, I thought as they unexpectedly lunged at me. In a split second, I wielded my sword from its sheath and blocked Lily’s attack, sending her over my shoulder to slam into the wall. The brother now known as Pork Hammer then came at me from the opposite side and with a mighty shove from his hand blasters, I lost my balance crashing hard against the concrete.
Somewhat stunned I had to quickly reassemble myself and call upon the new powers I had honed over the past few months due to exobyte‘s sting, sending a sizzling ball of fire from my palm straight into his chest. He soared backward and crashed into the body of an old aircraft. Wood splinters still flying in the air, I turned to face the remaining threat standing between me and my sister. I was not sure if I could survive--much less save her--but I was going to try. The one called Blue Bomber X walked toward me as a huge cable swung in from out of nowhere, nailing him in the chest and crashing through the back set of double doors into a hallway.
Dr. Lightning appeared around the remains of the old plane and boy was I relieved to see him. As Blue Bomber X faintly stirred in the hallway, the doctor assured me he would take care of him as he ran that direction. Now there was only one to face left and I knew my three months of training would not compete with her years of it in the military. At half power, I was at a serious disadvantage already, but I would give it all I had.
When the heated battle was over, I was on one knee barely able to breathe. As she walked toward me, she kept murmuring that death really changes a person. She stood over me and said I'm not going to let you stop us and I’ll kill you if I must. She assured me that I had no business with them anymore and that if I wanted to preserve my life a little longer I would run out of there right then. My vision was slowly blacking out as I noticed a dark figure slipping into the room behind Scarlet Queen.
The next thing I knew was Scarlet calling out to her, but I could only make out something about Shadow Judge. I could see two figures locked in an intense battle, which ended with a swift kick to the Scarlet’s chin from her opponent’s back flip. When I got enough sense about me to understand what had happened, the Shadow Judge was leaning over my body on the ground placing a healing spell over me. She assured me that I would survive as she leaned down unexpectedly and placed a swift kiss on my lips.
I slipped into semi-consciousness as she stayed beside me and I recovered. I could not utter a word when I regained my breath either from the sheer magnitude of my sister and friend’s evil turn or from receiving a kiss from a superhero. I was jerked out of my mind’s rambling as I heard a familiar voice. I turned my head and my eyes grew wide as I looked into the face of my best friend and rival, Lafitte. I knew who Shadow Judge was at that moment, his younger sister. I attempted to yell for him to step away now, but the healing spell apparently was having a paralyzing effect on me.
Though Lafitte’s powers involve ice, he left me fire for my destruction. The fire was inching swiftly toward several barrels of fuel in the far corner of the hangar. I had no way out. I was just gaining feeling to the tips of my fingers when a crash in the rumble revealed Dr. Lightning. He hoisted me over his shoulder and traveled as quickly as possible out of the hangar as it exploded moments behind him.
He deposited me into a pile of leaves at the wooded area a hundred yards from the hangar. Once I could move my arms and regain the feeling in my legs, we were exhausted and deliriously laughing about the whole matter--maybe it was because of our first run-in facing death. I joked and told him that for saving my life I’d buy him some food, which was the least I could do. As I stopped laughing, I could not help but wonder why Shadow Judge had helped me and if her brother knew.
To be Continued..........
Submit your Secret Origin Story and Pics to Ultramann.dd@gmail.com to be the Next Member Spotlight!
