The Scarlet Scorpion was stalking prey. Her heart was racing and
beads of sweat were slowly crawling down her cheek. She took an annoyed look at
the alarm lights ahead and to the right. The intruder alarms had been silenced
at her command earlier but the lighting would have to be reset.
Someone had infiltrated Dawn Patrol headquarters and Scarlet was the only one on the hunt. Once the alarm went off she instinctively accessed Dogma to lockdown the base. No one was getting in or out unless Scarlet allowed it. Eventually Shan would get to the base and override the lockdown codes, but until then some fool would have to deal with Scarlet’s anger.
No one breaks into Dawn Patrol on my shift, she thought to herself.
Scarlet was creeping toward the generator room because that is where she would go if she were going to do infiltrate a base. Knock out the power internally, steal material or wreck it, then make a break for it and hope no one was around. She mused that at least the intruder had the peace of mind to obtrude when most Patrollers were away from the base. Lucky for him he will get to meet the Scarlet Scorpion face to face.
She grinned at the thought as she looked around a corner into the general meeting room. She saw an armored boot disappear behind the opposite wall across the room. Unless he was heading for a telepad … Dogma!
Scarlet found the intruder was heading for the mainframe computer. She broke into a sprint and cursed that her boots were making more noise on the metallic floors than she wanted. Leaping onto a chair and vaulting close to the ceiling she was hoping her flight would land her into the hallway bisecting the telepads and behind the invasor.
The dark armored figure appeared as she was halfway to the floor and Scarlet recognized the uniform immediately: Council. He was holding a rifle at least as large as he stood tall and scanned the room before he caught Scarlet heading straight for him. She could see his determined eyes gauging if he was going to win this round. Time seemed to slow as he raised the large-barreled rifle faster than seemed possible for it’s size. Scarlet could see him brace for impact.
Somehow she was too slow. The blast from the rifle hit her like a truck ramming a wall. She screamed in pain as the sound waves seemed to pass through her and she crashed to the floor sliding to a stop at the Council’s feet.
As Scarlet started to lift herself from the floor he muttered, “Mea culpa baby.” He kicked her in the ribs hard enough to lift her off the floor. She coughed out blood and the flash of pain seemed to ignite her anger to a new level. Scarlet swept her foot and connected at the Council’s knees. He yelped and tumbled down, dropping the rifle. She jumped up and moved toward the mainframe room to defend it. When she turned he was gone.
“Chwen joo,” she cursed. Only a few steps and he escaped?! She quickly scanned the hallway. A shadow moved! She ducked and rolled toward it. Another blast passed overhead and obliterated a section of wall plate sending shards of metals dancing across the floor. When Scarlet lifted herself she was face-to-face with the soldier. An uppercut sent him flying into the next hallway where he landed on a potted plant, destroying the pot and spilling the earth. She was impressed he still held on to the rifle.
As he was recovering she charged him. Her hands grabbed the chest straps and he was pushed back to the ground. Scarlet vaulted over him still holding on to the straps and when her feet touched the ground the force of her momentum lifted him. She overhand threw the soldier down the hall into the next room. He uncontrollably landed among the metal storage boxes in the lab and Scarlet knew that landing was going to hurt.
To her surprise he shoved a metal crate to the side and lined up another shot. This time the sound blast was aimed low and Scarlet jumped over the visible sound waves as they impacted and bored into the monitor of the telepad behind her. The machine crumpled with each wave and finally exploded sending sparks, plastic and metal everywhere. The heat wave washed over Scarlet and smoke immediately crawled along the ceiling. Fans started sucking the smoke out the room and localized automatic extinguishers doused the flames.
Scarlet ran toward the lab and dodged another shot as she closed the distance. The soldier kicked a small container toward her and she parried the cylinder with her left arm as she rose her right aiming for his face. “Rrrrrrraaar!”, she yelled as her fist landed on his cheek. The soldier stumbled back and, and as Scarlet inhaled a deep breath and focused her power, he quickly recovered and fired point blank.
He bones seemed to rattle as the shock wave hit her and she was thrown against the bulkhead. She collapsed from the indention in the armored wall and looked up in time to see the soldier bring the rifle stock toward her head in a golf swing. Scarlet threw herself against the bulkhead as the swing whistled past where her head was a second before.
Using the wall behind her she propelled herself against the soldier. Left fist landed across his nose. He stumbled back again. Scarlet pressed the attack. Right fist found his chest. Another step. Left fist under the chin. Another step. Right fist against his cheek. Another step. Left fist slammed against the jaw. Another step. Right fist on the chest again. As the soldier stood stunned, she jumped up and gave a spinning kick landing a boot flat against his helmet. The chin-strap tore and the helmet went flying in one direction, the rifle spun away in the other. The soldier crumpled to his knees, blood flowing from his nose and mouth. Scarlet stepped aside as he fell forward. She placed a teleport beacon to his collar and activated it. Within a few seconds he disappeared, transported to the Zig for medical attention and processing. She would have to file this event by lunchtime tomorrow or the PPD will be breathing down her neck.
The thought of breathing forced a cough and she felt blood trickle down the side of her chin. Wiping the blood with the palm of her glove she strolled to the computer room. Her chest felt like a weight was being pressed onto it and she was wheezing. Scarlet didn’t notice any damage to the machines. Slowly she turned and achingly surveyed the base. She knew she was alone but she had to double-check.
Her hour-long circuit brought her back to the lab with the Council rifle still on the floor. Slowly Scarlet picked up the rifle and winced as she lifted it. To her surprise it was very light for it’s size. She found a chair nearby and slumped hard into it wincing again as the pan flashed across her body. Scarlet chided herself for not finding a cot to lay in. She put the rifle in her lap and closed her eye as the pain in her chest forced her to sleep.
Someone had infiltrated Dawn Patrol headquarters and Scarlet was the only one on the hunt. Once the alarm went off she instinctively accessed Dogma to lockdown the base. No one was getting in or out unless Scarlet allowed it. Eventually Shan would get to the base and override the lockdown codes, but until then some fool would have to deal with Scarlet’s anger.
No one breaks into Dawn Patrol on my shift, she thought to herself.
Scarlet was creeping toward the generator room because that is where she would go if she were going to do infiltrate a base. Knock out the power internally, steal material or wreck it, then make a break for it and hope no one was around. She mused that at least the intruder had the peace of mind to obtrude when most Patrollers were away from the base. Lucky for him he will get to meet the Scarlet Scorpion face to face.
She grinned at the thought as she looked around a corner into the general meeting room. She saw an armored boot disappear behind the opposite wall across the room. Unless he was heading for a telepad … Dogma!
Scarlet found the intruder was heading for the mainframe computer. She broke into a sprint and cursed that her boots were making more noise on the metallic floors than she wanted. Leaping onto a chair and vaulting close to the ceiling she was hoping her flight would land her into the hallway bisecting the telepads and behind the invasor.
The dark armored figure appeared as she was halfway to the floor and Scarlet recognized the uniform immediately: Council. He was holding a rifle at least as large as he stood tall and scanned the room before he caught Scarlet heading straight for him. She could see his determined eyes gauging if he was going to win this round. Time seemed to slow as he raised the large-barreled rifle faster than seemed possible for it’s size. Scarlet could see him brace for impact.
Somehow she was too slow. The blast from the rifle hit her like a truck ramming a wall. She screamed in pain as the sound waves seemed to pass through her and she crashed to the floor sliding to a stop at the Council’s feet.
As Scarlet started to lift herself from the floor he muttered, “Mea culpa baby.” He kicked her in the ribs hard enough to lift her off the floor. She coughed out blood and the flash of pain seemed to ignite her anger to a new level. Scarlet swept her foot and connected at the Council’s knees. He yelped and tumbled down, dropping the rifle. She jumped up and moved toward the mainframe room to defend it. When she turned he was gone.
“Chwen joo,” she cursed. Only a few steps and he escaped?! She quickly scanned the hallway. A shadow moved! She ducked and rolled toward it. Another blast passed overhead and obliterated a section of wall plate sending shards of metals dancing across the floor. When Scarlet lifted herself she was face-to-face with the soldier. An uppercut sent him flying into the next hallway where he landed on a potted plant, destroying the pot and spilling the earth. She was impressed he still held on to the rifle.
As he was recovering she charged him. Her hands grabbed the chest straps and he was pushed back to the ground. Scarlet vaulted over him still holding on to the straps and when her feet touched the ground the force of her momentum lifted him. She overhand threw the soldier down the hall into the next room. He uncontrollably landed among the metal storage boxes in the lab and Scarlet knew that landing was going to hurt.
To her surprise he shoved a metal crate to the side and lined up another shot. This time the sound blast was aimed low and Scarlet jumped over the visible sound waves as they impacted and bored into the monitor of the telepad behind her. The machine crumpled with each wave and finally exploded sending sparks, plastic and metal everywhere. The heat wave washed over Scarlet and smoke immediately crawled along the ceiling. Fans started sucking the smoke out the room and localized automatic extinguishers doused the flames.
Scarlet ran toward the lab and dodged another shot as she closed the distance. The soldier kicked a small container toward her and she parried the cylinder with her left arm as she rose her right aiming for his face. “Rrrrrrraaar!”, she yelled as her fist landed on his cheek. The soldier stumbled back and, and as Scarlet inhaled a deep breath and focused her power, he quickly recovered and fired point blank.
He bones seemed to rattle as the shock wave hit her and she was thrown against the bulkhead. She collapsed from the indention in the armored wall and looked up in time to see the soldier bring the rifle stock toward her head in a golf swing. Scarlet threw herself against the bulkhead as the swing whistled past where her head was a second before.
Using the wall behind her she propelled herself against the soldier. Left fist landed across his nose. He stumbled back again. Scarlet pressed the attack. Right fist found his chest. Another step. Left fist under the chin. Another step. Right fist against his cheek. Another step. Left fist slammed against the jaw. Another step. Right fist on the chest again. As the soldier stood stunned, she jumped up and gave a spinning kick landing a boot flat against his helmet. The chin-strap tore and the helmet went flying in one direction, the rifle spun away in the other. The soldier crumpled to his knees, blood flowing from his nose and mouth. Scarlet stepped aside as he fell forward. She placed a teleport beacon to his collar and activated it. Within a few seconds he disappeared, transported to the Zig for medical attention and processing. She would have to file this event by lunchtime tomorrow or the PPD will be breathing down her neck.
The thought of breathing forced a cough and she felt blood trickle down the side of her chin. Wiping the blood with the palm of her glove she strolled to the computer room. Her chest felt like a weight was being pressed onto it and she was wheezing. Scarlet didn’t notice any damage to the machines. Slowly she turned and achingly surveyed the base. She knew she was alone but she had to double-check.
Her hour-long circuit brought her back to the lab with the Council rifle still on the floor. Slowly Scarlet picked up the rifle and winced as she lifted it. To her surprise it was very light for it’s size. She found a chair nearby and slumped hard into it wincing again as the pan flashed across her body. Scarlet chided herself for not finding a cot to lay in. She put the rifle in her lap and closed her eye as the pain in her chest forced her to sleep.
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