DIFFERENT FONT STYLES USED:
"STORYLINE" "'SPECIAL SKILLS OR MOVES'" "SPEAKER" "SPEECH" "THOUGHT"
SCENE:Gogen evilzone.
Lazarus' squad arrives first, landing their plane on the rooftop of a building close to the entrance; right at the border. As they disembark the vehicle, Lazarus looks around, to see a mostly fast-asleep district, with only a few lights on in a handful of buildings. Calculette walks up to him, standing right next to him, he briefly turns to face her, she doing the same. They both nod to eachother and turn back to face the evilzone; both closing their eyes.
Lazarus: 'INVASIVE MIND: WIDESPREAD'.
Calculette: 'SEARCH'. (both enforcers use their skills to scour the area, standing in silent concentration almost a minute; they finally open their eyes, turning towards the other who're waiting patiently behind them)
Lazarus: Most of the inhabitants are all asleep, only a handful are still awake but they're too preoccupied for us need to worry about them. That said…
Calculette: I detected a warehouse with multiple human presences near the center of the evilzone; everyone there still active. It's mostly the one we're looking for.
Gravitator: (nods) Alright then. Lead the way. (she nods and all five leap from rooftop to rooftop, the four males following her lead)
The five arrive at the roof of a building that gives them a good vantage point from their target: a large warehouse lit up from the inside, at least ten armed guys standing guard around the building. Calculette "searches" the building, using a form of x-ray vision that displays building's interior in a manner similar to that of a blueprint diagram, and the people and objects inside as pink figures. She sees a far greater number of people inside, all handling large crates, loading stacks of them into trucks.
Calculette: Okay, this is definitely the place.
Sound Wave: You sure?
Calculette: Inside, I see several people loading a bunch of crates into trucks.
Gravitator: What's inside them?
Calculette: Hold on. (concentrates and sees shapes of different weapons inside them, ranging from guns to swords, lasersword hilts, etc.) They're stock full of weapons.
Sound Wave: So this is the place.
Manhandle: What about Don Weaver?
Calculette: (looks over to far back of the building to see an overweight figure with two leaner ones by its side) He's in there too.
Manhandle: Then let's go in take them dow--
Lazarus: (cuts him off) Wait! Don't you remember what we talked about? If we just barge in there, we're all gonna get killed before we even see Don Weaver's face.
Manhandle: (sassy) You're implying we'll lose to a bunch of weak background characters?
Lazarus: I'm suggesting you remember the plan we spent four hours working on. Wait, do you even remember it?
Manhandle: (looks up in thought) Ahh…?
Lazarus: (sighs in exasperation) Forget I asked.
Calculette: (frustrated) Cut it out you two.
Sound Wave: (equally frustrated) Enough. Now's not the time to be arguing amongst ourselves. Remember the plan.
(flashback)
The five sit at the table, brainstorming ideas to defeat Don Weaver.
Lazarus: We should first deal with the mooks.
Gravitator: He's right. As soon as the fight starts, they'll immediately swarm us. We don't know how many they'll be, so it'll be best to think of a way deal with them.
Saeto: Yes. The Spider Cartel is an extremely powerful gang. The mooks alone may not be villains but they're still nothing to sneer at.
Corinth: Another factor is that they won't be weak. They're likely to be tier-knight or higher.
Merlin: (yawns sarcastically) Oh please. Aren't they just a bunch of small fries?
Lazarus: Hey, are you really that cocky or just stupid?
Merlin: (angry) What did you just say?!
Lazarus: What on earth makes you think they're weak? Literally both your friends and even the proctor just admitted they're not to be taken likely.
Merlin: Whatever. Like I'd believe some small-time crooks could possibly be stronger than me.
Lazarus: (sighs) You'd no doubt be the first to die.
Merlin: (furious) WHY YOU!
Saeto: That's enough you two. We're here to plan not to fight.
Lazarus and Merlin: … (cool down)
Lazarus: (clears throat) Right. Well, if it's a question about how to deal with the mooks I have an idea.
(flashback ends)
Gravitator: Okay. Everyone into positions. Don't forget to turn on your comms.
The four high-tiers leap off the roof, each in their own direction, leaving their proctor behind. They place earpieces in one of the ears which enable them to communicate with one another over the distances. Meanwhile, Kyle's glider arrives at the evilzone, landing on the roof of a building also at the evilzone's borders on the other side of the district. They dismount and look around; Candy looks with a deadpan expression as she examines the place.
Candy: So this is an evilzone, huh? Looks more normal than I imagined.
Neil: It's a place of business, not an inferno pit. That said, this is my first time in an evilzone; in Gogen's evilzone at least.
Kyle: (taps the glass smartwatch on his left wrist that projects a holographic map of the evilzone, studies the map for a bit and deactivates it) Alright, let's go. We've got to save Laz. (leaps off from building to building, the others following suit)
Mavy: You only looked at that map for a second Kyle, you sure you have it memorized?
Kyle: Don't worry. I may not have a photographic memory, but I'm very confident in it. Come on, no time to waste.
Candy: (speaking a little too loudly) Hey! Wait up, Kyle!
Neil: Shhhhhsh. This place is crawling with villains remember? They may all be asleep right now, but you'll wake them up if scream like that.
Candy: (sheepishly) Sorry.
Kyle: Doesn't matter anyway. As soon as the fight starts, it'll wake everybody up.
Mavy: So we got to get there as soon as possible.
Kyle: Right.
Back with Lazarus' team, all four enforcers reach their chosen vantage points.
Gravitator: Everybody in position?
Lazarus: Alpha 1, in position.
Sound Waves: Alpha 2, in position.
Calculette: Alpha 3, in position.
Manhandle: (upset; speaks unenthusiastically) Alpha 4, in position. (sighs in annoyance) How did I get number 4?
Gravitator: Alright. Time to begin Operation: Sand Raid.
Manhandle: (confused) What?
Lazarus: That's definitely not the name we agreed on.
Calculette: We didn't agree on naming it at all. (Gravitator pouts)
Lazarus: I'm pretty sure we did. We decided to name it--
Sound Wave: Focus everyone.
Lazarus: Right. Okay Gravitator, go!
Gravitator: (grinning enthusiastically) You got it! (stands erect with both hands pointed towards the sky above the warehouse and…) 'GRAVITY BARRIER'. (…projects a giant dome of pure gravitational force that spreads throughout the entire compound of the warehouse; encasing the area around the building) There. No one can go in or out but us. It can't completely keep in the noise and force of the upcoming battle, but at least we'll be uninterrupted.
Sound Wave: Good.
Calculette: Excellent.
Lazarus: Alright. Now it's your turn, Merlin. (said meta just smirks and leaps into the barrier, phasing through easily just as their proctor had said)
Meanwhile, all the mobsters – men and women, mostly the former, in black suits and ties – standing guard look on in confusion at the sudden dome appearing out of nowhere. They look around and murmur amongst themselves, trying to figure out what is going on.
Mobster #1: What the heck is going on here?
Mobster #2: Heck if I knew; I'm just as confused as you are.
Mobster #3: What is that?
Mobster #4: Some kind of dome?
Mobster #5: Where'd it come from?
Mobster #6: (runs up to the edge of dome and touches it, finding it solid before attempting to push through it but finding that impossible; yells back to the others) … We're trapped.
Mobster #7: (shocked) … Not good. The boss is expecting to make the next shipment tomorrow. (turns another mobster) Hey tell the boss, quick.
Mobster #8: (nods…) Right. (…and runs off inside)
Mobster #3: (points at something in the sky) Hey what's that?
Mobster #8: (looks up) Huh? What now?
Mobster: (inside, the man runs up to someone sitting at the far end at the back of the building, enjoying his dinner with two man standing guard at his sides) Sir! Sir!!
Don Weaver: Yes, what is it?
Mobster: Sir, some kind of barrier suddenly appeared out of nowhere and-- (the man is caught short when the ceiling suddenly breaks down with a storm of sand missiles falling and breaking through the ceiling; the whole warehouse quickly shits to pandemonium, inside and out, with people running helter-skelter in panic, crates getting destroyed and weapons getting damaged)
(flashback)
The five sit to discuss a strategy for taking down the Spider Cartel when Lazarus suddenly offers an idea; the others all focus on him to hear it.
Lazarus: Alright, the data we received on the cartel doesn't say anything about how many men Don Weave has, or how many we'll be likely to face when we get there. So we'll need to work around that first.
Corinth: (skeptical) And how?
Lazarus: We send them into a state of panic. (this response surprises everyone)
Saeto: What?
Lazarus: People, by nature, are less likely to think rationally and work together when in a state of panic. It'll be easier to quell their numbers without having to worry about being ganged up on and overwhelmed.
Saeto: Hmmm. (thinks it over) I admit your plan makes sense, but how exactly to expect to do that?
Gravitator: Yeah! These are well trained mobsters. I imagine they've been in a lot of fights and been through it all, how exactly do you plan to make them lose their cool?
Lazarus: Well, I imagine that anyone would lose their cool when suddenly under attack without warning.
Corinth: (confused) Under attack?
Lazarus: (nods) Mm-hmm. (turns to Merlin) That's where you come in.
Merlin: (surprised) Huh?
Lazarus: I'll need to bombard the warehouse with your strongest attack. (this shocks everyone present) Not enough to completely destroy the place, but enough to throw them into complete disarray. When people suddenly get attacked or are put in dire situation, they're first instinct is to panic and scram to save to themselves, moreso, if they don't know where the attack is coming from and thus can't stop it. When we get there, first thing to do is to put them into a state of confusion and use said confusion to take them out one by one.
Corinth: If we do that, it'll just wake up and alert all the villains in the evilzone.
Lazarus: I've already thought about that. What we'd need, is a barrier that can prevent anyone but us from going in or out.
Corinth: I'm not strong enough to create a shield that big, especially one that complex.
Lazarus: (rudely) I wasn't going to ask you. (Corinth gasps, insulted; he turns to Gravitator) Gravitator, can you please create a barrier for us?
Gravitator: (a bit surprised) Huh?
Lazarus: You can do it, can't you?
Gravitator: Well, yes. I--
Lazarus: Then it's decided.
Gravitator: …
Lazarus: Most of the villains there aren't particularly strong, even when the villains try to interfere, they wouldn't be strong enough to do get through.
Saeto: Okay. So that'll give us a fighting chance, but how do we actually fight them?
Merlin: (yawns in boredom; stretches in his sitting position) Who cares? We just go in while they're in chaos and take them down.
Saeto: No.
Corinth: Even if we defeat the henchmen, we still have to deal with the bodyguards and the man himself. I doubt they'd just leave Don Weaver to fend for himself just to save themselves; even in a state of confusion.
Lazarus: Do not worry. I made sure to consider all factors in this plan before deciding it good enough. We'll use the ensuring chaos to take down the henchmen alright, but for Don Weaver, Gravitator, a high-ranking top-tier and the strongest among us will be the obvious choice. (all agree except for Merlin, who yells in angry disbelief)
Merlin: (angry) What?! We get stuck with the small fry while he gets to fight the real threat?!
Lazarus: (speaking calmly, not missing a beat) Gravitator has more experience than the four of us combined; both as a fighter and as an enforcer. Not to mention his higher power level; statistically speaking, it's the most logical choice. (Merlin growls in anger and is about to say something when Corinth beats him to it, but not in support; atleast not his)
Corinth: I agree.
Merlin: (shocked) WHAT?!
Saeto: Please stop yelling.
Corinth: It does make sense that the top-tier amongst us takes on the main boss.
Gravitator: Very well. But what about the two bodyguards.
Lazarus: (smirks) Hmmm! Don't worry. And don't fret Merlin, I mean don't you want to take on real rogues? (this question both confuses and alarms them all)
(flashback ends)
A rather short, obese man with receding, brownish-gray hair sits alone at a table filled to the brim with food; various delicacies ranging from sugar-powdered cornbread and honey to boiled lobster marionetted in Hawaiian sauce. This man – with pale skin and brown eyes, wearing a dark gray, cashmere tuxedo with black dress shoes and a matching wide-brim hat – greedily stuffs his face with whatever food his hands get a hold of first; two men standing guard at his sides.
Both tall and clearly muscular, the one to his right is a bulky, top-heavy, dark-skinned, bald-headed man with blue eyes, wearing a black, short-sleeved top with matching pants and a pair of dark gray and black pauldrons along his torso on his shoulders; pads fortified with jagged blades. Black metal bracelets with blades along the backs, and metal boots.
The other guy, who stood at the left, is slimmer and a head shorter than the other guy. He has fair skin, shaggy, pale-blond hair, and lemon-green eyes. He wears a long-sleeved, mint-green top under a dark-green sleeveless hoodie with black pants and orichalcum boots with adamantine soles. Don Weaver looks around, watching his people work, loading boxes filled with weapons into trucks.
Don Weaver: (laughs) 100 million tokens just for transporting this stuff? Hah! If I knew I could rake it in big for this, I would have teamed up with those Terror guys sooner.
Black Ant: (speaking in gruff, deep voice) It was really a stroke of genius to get this gig, sir.
Crashhopper: (speaking in a slightly high-pitched voice) You always know all the best ways to rake in the cash, boss.
Don Weaver: (laughs) It just takes to know the right places to work. The villain association was great, but this is a real job.
Outside…
Mobster #1: (points up to the sky) Hey, what's that? (everyone looks up to see giant cloud of sand)
Mobster #2: (running into building, straight through the crowd of mobsters working and towards to Don Weaver) Boss! Sir!
Don Weaver: (looks up unenthusiastically) What is it?
Mobster: Sir there's-- (he's cut off by a sudden downpour of solid, sand missiles, crashing through to the roof; they all run helter-skelter, abandoning their work as they scramble to get to safety)
Manhandle: (disembodied) 'SANDSTORM'.
Don Weaver: (shocked and terrified) What is this?! What's going on?! (falls from his chair)
Black Ant: (kneeling down to helphim up; voicefull of concern) Don Weaver!
Crashhopper: We're under attack!
Don Weaver: (shocked) WHAT?!
Mobster: (frightened) What's going on?
Outside, Lazarus rushes to work, speeding towards the panicking mobsters that were posted as guards and the few that rushed out of the building fear. He one-shots all of them, effortlessly knocking each man and woman out with only single strikes. Once they are all knocked out, he speaks into his comm to the others.
Lazarus: Okay. Let's go.
All: (over the comm) Right.
Lazarus rushes into the building, taking out the henchmen who were still running back and forth frantically. Calculette and Sound Wave crash in through the windows, skidding through the floors to halts. Calculette projects a barrier around the latter to protect him from friendly fire as he rushes towards Don Weaver and his bodyguards; Crashhopper – the slimmer one – sees that he is approaching quickly.
Crashhopper: Oh no you don't. (leaps into the air, shooting off like a rocket, he then freefalls back down with a foot extended out towards Sound Wave)
Sound Wave: (suddenly stops, looking up) …!
Calculette: 'ELEGANT CUBE'.
The square shield wraps around him, transforminginto the large cube. Crashhopper still manages to smash through it in one hit to the ground. The force of the attack sends Sound Wave flying back, his arms up to his face like a shield; he skids to a halt.
Crashhopper: (laughs coldly) Don't know who you are, but making enemies with the Spider Cartel? You guys are must be stupid. (speaks in a blood-chilling tone) Prepare to die.
Sound Wave: (nervous sweatdrops) …! (Crashhopper leaps towards him but he propels himself to the side with his sonic waves; dodging the attacks)
Crashhopper: (engages in dance of kicks and dodges with Sound Wave, with the former kicking and the latter dodging; him using his skill to boost his speed) Huh! You're fast, but let's see how long you can keep this up. (Sound Wave shares a quick glance with Calculette and smirks)
(flashback)
Lazarus: (smirks) Hmmm! Don't fret Merlin, I mean don't you want to take on real rogues? (this question both confuses and alarms them all)
Merlin: (skeptical) What?
Lazarus: Well if Gravitator is busy with Don Weaver, someone has to take down the bodyguards. (Merlin first looks surprised by this statement, then his face spreads into a wide grin; he can't believe what he heard)
Corinth: (surprised) What?! Are you serious?
Lazarus: Black Ant and Crashhopper won't just sit around and watch Gravitator and Don Weaver fight. Obviously, we need to deal with them too.
Saeto: Even with your strengths, do you honestly believe you two can actually handle fighters like that?
Lazarus: Maybe not the two of us, but all four of us probably can; or at the very least hold them back for a while.
Saeto and Corinth: (shocked) What?!
Merlin: (cheers) Alright! Now that's what I'm talking about. I take back what I said about you.
Gravitator: (uncertain) Are you sure?
Lazarus: We may only be top-tier enforcers, but we're certainly not weak. If we work together, or try to, we should at least be able to hold our own against them… (turns to Saeto and Corinth) …or are you getting scared?
Both: …
(flashback ends)
Crashhopper: (radiating bloodlust) You're dead! (leaps towards Sound Wave to kick him, but he dodges the attack)
Calculette: Take this! 'FLYING SPIKES'. (summons a swarm of spikes and launches them at Crashhopper)
Crashhopper: (sees the spikes…) …! (…and leaps out of the way)
Black Ant: (stands in front of Don Weaver to protect him) Stay behind me sir. (four pillars of sand suddenly sprout from nowhere around the two, alarming them both)
Manhandle: (disembodied) 'SAND CRUSHER'.
The pillars bend down towards Don Weaver and Black Ant, trying to crush them. Black ant however, blocks it with his bare arms, raised over his head as a make-shift shield; more to protect the shorter man almost half his size than himself. He groans and grunts as focuses his strength and repels; letting out a roar as he forces are the sand with just brute force.
Manhandle: (materializes from a puddle of sand in his elemental form; shocked) What?! He pushed back my sand crusher with only pure physical strength?
Black Ant: I don't know who guys are, but you made a big mistake messing the Spider Cartel. (raises his left hand…)'WARHAMMER'. (…and summons a large sledgehammer with a long handle, smashing the hammer unto the ground, sending a shockwave that solidify and harden into a flood of snow-white, crystalline spikes; alarmed, Manhandle leaps back from the range of the attack)
Manhandle: …! What kind of attack was that? (Crashhopper keeps trying to kick Sound Wave, who swiftly dodges his attacks; Calculette projects a barrier in front of him but the rogue smashes through easily forcing Sound Wave to leap back)
Sound Wave and Calculette: …
All three enforcers: This guy's strong.
Don Weaver: (yelling at his men) Hurry up already. (suddenly stiffens up as he hears someone's voice from behind)
Gravitator: I suggest you focus more on the opponent in front of you.
Don Weaver: (shocked) What?! (turns around to see Gravitator)
Gravitator: (smirks at him as he pulls his googles over his eyes) Let's dance.
Lazarus battles against the mobsters. Several mobsters charge at him. One fires an energy wave blast at Lazarus, he teleports out of the way and fires a telekinetic wave attack at them; sending them flying. The two rush at him, one grows two more arms and the other grows wolverine claws and both attack. Lazarus dodges the first man's attack and touches his back, firing a psychic energy blast. The other lunges for him, one arm raised; he projects a telekinetic forcefield to protect himself. He generates psychic energy in both hands fires it at him through the shield. Glowing, red-hot chains materialize from the ground and wraps around the forcefield; they squeeze the forcefield hard enough to crack it.
Lazarus: … (nervous sweat drop) They're cracking my forcefield? No way. (grits his teeth)
Lazarus teleports away from the forcefield and into the sky, he looks over the mobsters. One of them releases a sonic scream at him. He projects another forcefield in front himself and generates a bolt of lightning in his hand and fires it at them. Several of them project a multitude of energy barriers, protecting them. Lazarus glares and shoots a stream of fire at them, which they shield against. He grits his teeth in anger and drops to the ground. One swings his arms at Lazarus, summoning a barrage of shuriken, which he deflects. Several more fire energy beams at him, which dodges, but he's suddenly hit by the sonic attack which literally causes his ears to burst with blood. He screams in pain and falls to the ground; groaning.
Lazarus: Goddammit! (he gets back up) What is this? These guys are surprisingly stronger than they're supposed to be. How is this possible? (looks over at the others and sees how the others struggle with their opponents, Gravitator of course seems to be holding his own well against Don Weaver; he turns back to his own opponents, who have grown a bit in number) … I have to go to help the others. I can't waste time with these guys. But…why are they…? Why are they so much stronger than the data showed? They're supposed to be middle-ranks at best.
One mobster materializes a ball of pale, beige light and throws it at the ground, the flashbang goes off, emitting a bright light and sound that causes Lazarus to yell in pain as he got temporary blinded and more blood spurt from his ears. He drops to his hands and knees, groaning again. The mobsters all rush at him, one of them fires a beam of plasma at his back, his new suit took most of the grunt of the attack, but it still hurt like hell.
Lazarus: Dammit all.
Elsewhere in the Gogen evilzone, Kyle and the others leap across the buildings and suddenly skid to a halt as they hear a sudden boom.
Neil: What?!
Candy: What was that?!
Kyle: (squints his eyes in an attempt to see what is happening) Ah…?
Mavy: (seeing the whole commotion at the distance easily) It seems the fights already started. It looks like a storm of sand in the sky, raining missiles of solid sand unto the warehouse.
Kyle: (surprised) You can see that from here?
Neil: If we can hear it from here, then the whole evilzone will be alerted in no time. We got to hurry.
All: (nod) Right! (the four continue on the way to the warehouse)
Mavy: Hey, there's some kind of transparent dome surrounding the area.
Kyle: (squinting his eyes more as he just barely manages to finally see the barrier as he got closer) Wow. You got good eyes.
Candy: A barrier?
Neil: They made preparations to ensure that no one could interfere. Smart.
Mavy: But wouldn't that also just keep us out?
Kyle: (smirks) Don't worry about that.
Meanwhile, the villains are indeed awakened and alerted by the chaos going on; they all get out and look around the evilzone to find out what was happening. As they look up towards the direction of the warehouse; a handful of them however, notice four figures leaping over rooftops.
Kyle: Hey, I was thinking.
Others: Huh?
Kyle: Once we get there, let's not interfere with the battle until Laz takes down Don Weaver.
Candy: (surprised and confused) What? Why?
Mavy: I get it. (Candy turns to her) Since Don Weaver is basically just a tyrant that's pretty much enslaved this evilzone. Turning it into some kind of front for a crime syndicate. It's not much of a front considering most people already know he's here.
Candy: (finally getting) But…if Don Weaver is a confirmed rogue, why are the authorities not doing anything to apprehend him?
Mavy: Because he's the boss of a low-rank district.
Candy: What?
Neil: The authorities don't bother with the affairs of low-rank districts like this. Even if the Devil were to take over the Gogen evilzone one morning, they'd just say there was never an evilzone in Gogen and that would be it.
Candy: (shocked) So that's it? They just decided not to do anything because it's a place where minor-grade villains work?
Neil: (sarcastic) Welcome to earth. This is a "might makes right" world.
Candy: (grimaces) …
Back at the warehouse battle, Lazarus leaps back to dodge a bo-staff held by a mobster and fires a blastwave at them. He fires another beam at them, which they blocked. He thinks for a moment, then fires a combined blast of psychic energy and blue flames, which completely destroy the barriers. He then leaps into the air, creating a metal whip with blades trailed throughout the tail and swings it at the mobsters; wiping them out. He drops to the floor, breathing hard, he gets back up.
Lazarus: (turns to face Manhandle and Black Ant's fight)I need to get to him. (is about to run but stops when he hears a symphony of footsteps behind him) !! (turns to see more mobsters coming) Damn. (Sound Wave and Calculette continue in their battle against Crashhopper who at this point, is no longer going for flying kicks but is charging straight towards them, sending high kicks; Sound Wave raises his arms to his face to block a kick that still sends him flying into a wall)
Calculette: 'ELEGANT CUBE'. (traps him in a cube)
Crashhopper: … (looks around the box)
Calculette: (smirks triumphantly) Let's see if your kicks can get you out that.
Crashhopper: (grins evilly) With pleasure. (his feet ignite in brilliant, sapphire flames and kicks the wall of the cube, shattering it in an instant)
Calculette: (shocked) What?! That's--
Crashhopper grins a slasher smile as he bolts towards Calculette, he prepares a foot for a flaming kick. She creates a wall to protect herself, but he destroys it in one hit; the force of impact creating a shockwave and explosion that sends her flying too.
Crashhopper: (laughs evilly as he slowly strode towardsher) Too bad little girl. (Calculette watches his approach with fear, only for him to be sent flying himself via a sonic wave; he screams in surprise)
Calculette: (surprised) …! (turns to the source – a staggery Sound Wave with heavily injured arms) Sound Wave! (gets up, picks up her staff and runs straight to him) Hold on, I'll heal you. (points her staff towards his arms…)'HEALING GLOW'. (…the head glows a bright pink over Sound Wave's skin, healing his injuries)
Sound Wave: (fully healed; stands upright) Thanks.
Crashhopper: (gets back up with a creepy chuckle) Didn't see that coming. (looks on in mild surprise at Sound Wave fully recovered…) You're healed (…and Calculette healing herself) Oh, you're a healer too, huh? (his grin grows wider) You two will be fun.
Manhandle meanwhile swings his arm at Black Ant, extending it into a whip at the same time. Black Ant just tanks the slash to his face like a boss and lunges straight at him, his hammer raised overhead and brought down to him, flattens him like a pancake. The sand that made up Manhandle's body rises and wraps around him, Black Ant drops with the hammer, grunting as he struggles to free himself and bursts out of them. The sand flows away towards another spot before reforming.
Manhandle: … I can't believe he got out of that with just pure strength. (Black Ant picks his hammer back up before slamming it into the ground, creating large cracks that fill with lava; alarmed) …!
Manhandle slams his hand down to the ground, causing stalagmites to pierce through the ground and rise high, twice Manhandle's height. The stalagmites block the lava but get melted down. He turns his left arm into a kind of cannon and fires balls of sand at him. Black Ant raises and crosses his arms in front of his face to block the attack then lunges at Manhandle. Lazarus swings his arms outwards, creating and throwing a swarm of metal spikes coated in poison. The spikes stab into a number of mobsters, knocking them down.
The others rush in, one of them turns his hand into a mace and swings it at him. Lazarus summons a metal shield to block it, using his telekinesis to dispel the force before putting his hand to their chest and shoots a torrent of blue flame. Three of them fire energy beams at Lazarus, which he deflects with his telekinesis. Another handful lunge at him, one with a green, fiery aura enveloping his hands. Lazarus dodges him effortlessly, grabs him by the arm and waist and flips him away. He then turns to the others and releases an omnidirectional telekinetic wave at them, knocking them back.
Lazarus: (breathing heavily)I'm using too much minergy, this is draining. I've got to at least help out Manhandle while I still have some minergy left.(about to the leave but stops when a bit more arrive)Are you kidding? Weren't most of them supposed to have been taken down by the sand storm?(sees that among them are some healers who treat the others)They got healers too?
Lazarus fires a beam at them, but some of the healed members create barriers to block it. One of them fires a storm of energy spikes are him. Lazarus creates a forcefield to block them and sends a tornado at them, sending them flying away. He then raises a hand and sends out a torrent of electricity that electrocutes them. The healers begin treating them.
Lazarus: … I'm not getting anywhere like this.(one of them shoot a chain with a spike at the end from their hand, Lazarus dodges it, but the energy spikes hit him, piercing through the fabric in his suit; the armor under the suit protected his torso, but his limbs get stabbed, eliciting screams in pain, clutching his injured arm with the other one)Even with the solidium, they still got through; the chestplate at least seems to be stronger.(Manhandle struggles to dodge Black Ant's swings, the latter swings his hammer vertically unto the former who manages to dodge it, the hammer slamming unto the ground just in front of him; the hammer creating a pulse wave that unravels his sand body and sends it blowing in the air)
Manhandle: (reconstitutes himself and slumps in a standing position, breathing heavily) This stinks! Wasn't that shrimp supposed to be help me fight this guy? (looks around) Where is he?! (sees Lazarus struggling with the henchmen) Are you serious? You can't even take care of a bunch of small fries?!
Lazarus: (turns to Manhandle) It's not my fault, these guys are way stronger than the records show.
Manhandle: Yeah right. You really are just a useless weakling.
Lazarus: (points an angry finger at him) Hey! If you think you can do better, then I'm happy to switch.
Manhandle: … (turns back to his opponent, only to see him charging towards them) Gah! (both get back to their respective battles)
The scene fades to black as the chapter ends.
STORY CONTINUES IN CHAPTER: 21 (NIGHTTIME BRAWL II: WAR IN THE EVILZONE)