Lance had scanned perhaps every square inch of the warehouse by now. While large in comparison to his size, it was a fairly standard building with only the one entrance in or out. What side doors there were had become either blocked by refuse thrown in haphazardly, or had been locked with no key in reach. However, that wasn't to say Lance was without a plan. Going through his resources, he found he had acquired a Big Bertha Birthday Buster firework rocket. They were illegal in most parts of the country for their overladen gunpowder capacity and tendency to explode in the lighter's face, but Lance had toyed with a few of them in his time and knew he could make this work. All he needed to do was get to the roof and fire it off. With luck, it would get someone's attention and bring them to investigate. Even if they didn't outright come to save him, he could use the distraction to make a breakaway and find a better place to hide. But first he had to get to the roof.
Suddenly, he could hear the main doors slide open with a bang, and he went flat against the side of a large crate as he heard the Dock Boys pour in.
"Ye're sure ye didn't see him go past?" he heard Mr Salts thunder.
"Naye, Skipper!" one of the boys rumbled. "If he tried, I would have gullied him on the spot!"
"If ye did, I'd feed ye to the sharks fer it! Spread out, but you two stay on the door! The moment we grab him, we make for the Dead Man's Hand! Move it, boys!"
Lance gulped hard. He had hoped to at least find the ladder to the catwalk above before he had to run for his life, but fortune favored the bold rather than the cautious. All he had to do was stealthily and quietly...
"Oi, Skipper! I found him!"
RUN LIKE HECK!!!
Lance took off like a shot just as a heavy body crashed down behind him, grabbing for his ankles and narrowly missing. Lance could barely tell where he was going, but he knew where a ladder leading to the catwalk was. The problem was that these guys likely knew as well, which meant he had to be prepared. As he ran, he dug into the makeshift satchel he made for his makeshift weapons and fished out a line of firecrackers. Up ahead, he could see a Dock Boy making like a goalie, poised for the capture. Lance lit his firecrackers with the lighter and hurled the poppers into the man's face. They exploded in a cacophony of exploding pain, sending the man to the ground and possibly blinding him in an eye. However, this left Lance with a clear line to a ladder, which he promptly started to scamper up. He could hear the other Dock Boys moving in on their wounded compatriot, and he spied a fuzzy blob at the bottom who must have been Mr Salts. Hooking an arm through a bar for balance, Lance lit another firecracker and dropped it. It popped over Mr Salt's head, making him let go of the ladder and jump back.
"He's dropping depth charges!" he thundered angrily. "Mind ye'r heads, lads!"
Lance took the opportunity and at last reached the catwalk. After ensuring his balance, he scanned the area for a source of light, finally spotting what looked like a large window. Lance took off like a shot, following the path along the side of the warehouse wall. By now, he could hear the clamber of heavy bodies making their way up the ladder, which meant the boys weren't far behind. Lance dug into his satchel again, this time taking out a roman candle and a single strip of duct tape he managed to find. He stopped short, spun about, and laid the roman candle on the floor. After securing it with the tape, he lit the fuse and ran the opposite direction. Mr Salts, ever the frontline leader, barely saw the dwindling fuse before the candle loosed its flame. Multi-colored comets of fire went popping at their feet, causing the man to dance and stumble back into his men. This of course resulted in a rush of showings which ended with him landing flat on his belly, and a bright green fireball came screaming into his face. A beard as oily as whale blubber went up in a geyser of flame, making the large man scream and flounder about, rolling into his men and even causing a couple to fall over the side of the railing and hang on for dear life.
Lance likely would have had a good laugh had he seen it, but his focus was purely on the window. Fortunately, it was long, rectangular, and it was already opened a hair. Though it jammed, the adrenaline coursing through Lance's little body was enough to bring it open just enough that he could slip through. Once more in the wide open air, Lance carefully inched away from the window and sidled towards the middle of the warehouse. He had to plan this just right. Taking out Big Bertha, he carefully sat it down. The roof had a slant to it, so the rocket wouldn't stand perfectly upright, but all that Lance needed to do was send it up to the sky where it could explode safely as well as visibly. The only concern he really had was how creaky the roof sounded. It was obvious that the Dock Boys didn't care much for maintenance, and the typhoon from last summer had done a number on the old building. What was worse, Lance realized how short term this plan was. Even if he did manage to signal someone, he still had to go down again, and now he had an angry line of sailors to contend with.
"Worry about that later." he growled at himself. "Rocket now."
He set up Big Bertha, as well as three more roman candles. The big kicker with Big Berthas was that they had hooks that you could put additional fireworks on for an even bigger boom. In this instance, Lance just needed some stabilizers, though he held the third to his teeth for an impromptu weapon should he need it. Taking out the lighter, Lance whispered a small prayer and lit the fuse. It began to crackle and hiss as it worked its way up into the rocket. Lance couldn't get far back, but he nevertheless made his distance while grabbing the roman candle in his fist. Quietly, in his head, he counted down the seconds.
3...
2...
1...
Nothing.
Lance's eyes went wide as he stared at the rocket, his last hope for rescue, as it sat there idly and still smoking.
A dud!
The Big Bertha was a dud!
Of all the ill gotten luck, how could it have been a...
Strong arms suddenly twined about him, wrapping Lance in a bear hug. Lance couldn't smell burnt hair and bilge water, and he quickly identified his captor.
"Let me go!" he wailed as he kicked his feet.
"Ye've been a less than accommodating guest, young man." Mr Salts growled, tightening his grip more. "But we'll have no more of ye'r horse play! We're shoving off here and now."
Desperate and terrified, Lance forced his arms to move despite Mr Salts' iron grip. With some wriggling, he brought the roman candle to his lighter, and he leaned his head as far back as he could while pointing the candle up. Once more, brightly colored comments of burning pain were launched cleanly into Mr Salts' face, making the man scream and drop Lance. The small boy had to maneuver around as Mr Salts jumped and danced and slapped at his own face, and all the while the roman candle was rolling down the roof before falling off, shooting a few colorful rockets into the air. However, Lance's suspicions about the room were soon proven correct. With one mighty stomp of his foot, Mr Salts rumbled a support beam beneath them. It buckled, then cracked, and then fell out completely. A sinkhole formed in the room, sending Lance, Mr Salts, and the Big Bertha rocket falling in.
Mr. Salts landed on the catwalk, dazed and in pain.
Lance had grabbed one of the dangling light fixtures, which only barely took his weight.
As for Big Bertha, the rocket landed squarely in the center of the many boxes and crates placed haphazardly in the center of the warehouse. Then, at long last, the rocket released its explosively delayed payload, erupting in a deafening boom followed by a deluge of fire. Anything and everything flammable went up in smoke, suddenly there was nowhere to go safely below. Lance continued to dangle from the light fixture, where he eyed some of the Dock Boys trapped in a corner of the flame. He held tightly to his own lifeline, but he could see it was only a matter of time before the chord holding the fixture to the ceiling snapped under his weight. He could only hang on for dear life, and look at the fiery death looming below him.
"Jacob...help."
...............................................................
Speaking of, Jacob was once again in the passenger seat of Deborah's old Oldsmobile. He had refused to sit still while they were waiting for Deborah's crime scene friend. So, as an attempt to appease him, Deborah had taken him on a drive under the pretense they would look for Lance. In actuality, she just wanted to calm him down. She was however failing.
"This is hopeless!" Jacob thundered angrily, kicking the glovebox so hard it flopped out of socket.
Deborah bit her tongue, not wanting to snap despite the blatant vandalism to her car. She knew where the boy's head was at, having occupied that particular headspace herself on more than a few cases.
"Don't say that." she said evenly. "You said yourself that you didn't go to sleep until nearly three in the morning. If we guess that he was nabbed about then, then it's not even been a full twenty-four hours. For all we know, that door just fell down in the night and Lance went off to get parts."
"His wagon was still on the front lawn." Jacob growled. "He'd never go without it, plus someone would have seen him."
Deborah had to agree. She knew she was grasping at straws, but she couldn't think of anything else to say. She just wanted Jacob calm. However, nothing could prepare her for the sudden appearance of Merrick right in front of her face.
"I found him!"
Deborah slammed a foot on the brakes, making the car jerk to a stop and Jacob slammed his forehead against the dash. After a moment to collect their breaths and slow their hearts, the two humans glared up at the lumino sapien.
"What is wrong with you?!" Deborah snapped. "Are you trying to kill us?!"
"Excuse me if I'm contributing." Merrick scoffed dismissively.
"Wait a minute!" Jacob exclaimed as he sat up. "What was that you said? You found Lance?"
Merrick nodded, pointing towards Lowtown.
"The radius in which I can leave the Sterling Star could only barely reach it, but I spied Lance inside a warehouse. It appeared he was being chased by those surly sailor types from the night club. I wanted to help, but I couldn't go in any further."
Jacob's blood ran cold.
The Dock Boys, it had to be. The roughnecks what nearly stomped his face in because he spilled their beer. Jacob had been in his armor at that time, so the idea of what they could do to a small boy...
He was quickly out the door and out onto the street.
"Jacob, wait!" Deborah called from out the window. "You might need backup!"
Jacob wasn't listening, and he seized a hold of the Sterling Star around his neck.
"Tolle-te!"
With his declaration came an eruption of silver starlight which surrounded and encased his body, becoming his amor and cape. Jacob then coiled his legs and took off. Having never gone full speed before, Jacob could be forgiven when, in his zeal, he blasted several parked cars off their tires and onto the side walk, followed by a sonic boom shockwave that shattered every window within a full block. Deborah was left alone in her car, simply watching Jacob become a silver dot in the distance.
..............................................................
Jacob skidded to a stop, his heels kicking up sparks with friction, but these didn't hold a candle to the roaring blaze before him. The entire warehouse was a lit tinderbox with no clear means in or out. Jacob balked in horror before shooting Merrick an angry sneer.
"In my defense, it wasn't burning when I left." Merrick said quickly.
"Find Lance!" Jacob ordered. "He's gotta still be alive! He has to be!"
Merrick didn't believe so, given his own experience with fire, but he elected to show a rare bit of compassion as he phased through the wall and into the building. Already, the supports were burning, and it would only be a matter of time before the entire structure crumbled and burned to ash. While looking about, Merrick eventually heard someone shouting his name, and he tilted his head back to see the boy in question dangling from the ceiling on a light fixture. Merrick zipped upwards, meeting the boy eye to eye.
"Lance, are you alright?" Merrick asked.
"Not really." Lance coughed, the smoke growing thicker around him
"Hang tight. Jacob is right outside, he's on his way in!"
Merrick zipped back down and through the wall, relaying what he had seen to Jacob.
"Then there's no time!" Jacob said, coiling his legs to jump.
"Hold it!" Merrick declared, rushing into the boy's face. "You do not want to go in from the top. The place is coming down around their ears as it is, and one wrong entry could cause a collapse."
"Then what do you suggest?" Jacob snapped.
"Well for starters, you need to calm down."
Jacob groaned at the sight of Gloria as the elder lumino materialized. Now there were two.
"My queen, this is combat." Merrick hissed. "My territory. So butt out."
Gloria whacked him in the head with her umbrella before turning to the burning warehouse.
"A fire by the sea." she mused with a stroke of her chin. "What an interesting puzzle you're presented with, my boy. Fortunately, the answer is quite simple."
"Gloria, I really..." Jacob growled through his teeth, but he paused when Gloria beckoned him.
She led him to where the wharf met the sea, and, without a word, she touched the Sterling Star on Jacob's chest. The star shined to live, and a small vortex formed. A moment later, water began to rise from the sea and into the star like it was being drawn through a straw. After a few tense moments, unspeakable amounts of water had been stored away.
"Oh right!" Jacob gasped. "That pocket dimension thingy. I forgot the star does that."
He shot Gloria a look.
"But what did that accomplish?"
Gloria grinned.
"Raise your hand, if you please."
Jacob could literally hear the supports inside of the warehouse creaking, no doubt ready to give way, but nevertheless he humored her. He raised his right hand out towards the sea. Once more, Gloria touched the star. Another vortex formed, this one smaller and placed over Jacob's palm, and a pressurized burst of sea water burst forth. It caught Jacob off guard, and he fell onto his bottom. He looked down at his hand, and then to Gloria. The elderly woman simply smiled, and she gestured to the warehouse. An odd euphoria seemed to overtake Jacob as he scrambled to his feet. He rushed to the front door, and with one solid punch it crumbled into splinters. A wave of heat and fire rushed to meet him, but Jacob retaliated with twin bursts of water from his hands. He let out a whoop and a holler as he made his way inside, blasting fires small and great.
"This is awesome!" Jacob hooted gleefully while blasting a larger blaze to steam. "I'm like a living fire truck! I think I'm finally getting into this superhero business. Hey, Gloria, how does this even work?"
"This is the power of a keystone, my dear." Gloria replied. "Of which I am a master. Opening these little portals is child's play. All that's needed is a brilliant, strong, handsome young man to direct it properly."
Jacob couldn't resist the blush. So this was what having a grandma was like. Boy had he been missing out.
"Yes, yes, very sweet." Merrick said, popping up again. "But might I remind you of the reason we are here?"
He pointed upwards, and through the smoke Jacob could barely make out Lance's tiny frame on the dangling light fixture.
"Lance!" Jacob cried. "Hang on, little guy! I'll be right with you!"
He spied the ladder on the far side, but he paused at the sounds of crying. In a corner, he could see several grown men huddled together and surrounded by fire. It took Jacob a minute to remember them as the Dock Boys, the big surly thugs he fought back at the Carnation Cougar. He explicitly remembered them stomping on his face over an incident of spilled beer. Without a thought, he turned back towards the ladder.
"What're you doing?!" exclaimed an astonished Nina, literally appearing in Jacob's face.
"Gah!" Jacob cried. "Do you guys have to do the whole ghost bit? I'm having a heart attack as it is!"
"You must save them!" Nina insisted, pointing towards the Dock Boys. "They'll die if you don't."
Jacob stared at her blankly.
"Yeah? So?"
Nina balked at him.
"What do you mean so? Jacob, you can't just leave them to such a horrible fate!"
"One, yes I can," Jacob said, holding up a finger. "Two, these are the schmucks what took Lance apparently, so this is just bad karma. Three, they tried to kill me! I'm under no obligation to help these jerks because of their life choices. Give me one good reason why I should!"
Nina's brow knitted itself, and she leaned in close.
"Because you are a good person, and good people don't need a reason to help others because it's the right thing to do. Porque puedo!"
Jacob scowled at her while his ears curled. Of course she would use that line on him.
He sighed through his nose, and he spun back to the fire. Summoning up a greater reserve of water, he fired a powerful stream that cut through the blaze like a knife. A path was opened, and the large, burly men were all too happy to run through. They did not, however, offer so much as a thank you as they passed. Jacob shot Nina one last glare before finally racing for and up the ladder. By now, the greater flame had been quenched, but the damage to the lower levels had been done. Jacob could hear the creaking of the supports below, as well as groaning from the roof. The building wouldn't last much longer. Finally, he reached the spot on the catwalk just adjacent to Lance. He also found the unconscious Mr Salts lying on the catwalk.
"Suppose I'll have to save this jerk too." he muttered under his breath. "Lance, you alright?"
"Why do people insist on asking that in these situations?!" Lance coughed.
Just then, there was a twang, and the light fixture jolted. Lance and Jacob looked up at where the wire connected to the ceiling. Either the heat had gotten to it or Lance's weight, but it was starting to buckle and was preparing to snap.
"Uh, guys, ideas?" Jacob panicked.
"Your cape!" Merrick declared. "It should be just long enough to reach Lance. Throw him an end."
Acting quickly, Jacob removed his cape, grabbing one end and twining it around his fist. He looked to Lance, and the boy met his gaze. Spinning his arm for momentum, Jacob lashed out the fabric towards the boy. It missed initially, and the cable of the light fixture twanged, causing the whole thing to swing. Jacob tried again, only for Lance to be to far. Jacob had to be patient now, watching the fixture swing. He measured the arc and counted the seconds even as he heard the last of the wires tensing for the snap. At the last possible moment, Jacob lashed out again, and this time Lance grabbed hold with both hands. The light fixture gave way, plummeting down, but Lance had a firm hold as the cape snapped rigidly at his weight and made him dangle. Unfortunately, the rescue was short lived. Lance's sudden weight combined with gravity's pull tugged on the already weakened catwalk. It buckled and then slanted, sending Jacob, the unconscious Mr. Salts, and the dangling lance sliding. Acting quickly, Jacob put his back to the railing and planted his feet firmly to the wall, turning himself into buffer and an anchor for Mr Salts and Lance. However, this created the added issue that Jacob couldn't move, and it would be long before the rest of the boardwalk went. Worse yet, he heard a crack as one of the supports gave way and started to topple, smashing through a back wall as the others began to domino.
"Oh give me a big, fat break!" Jacob squealed.
Summoning his will, he managed to reel Lance back up and into his lap, wrapping him in his cape for good measure.
"Merrick, Gloria, I'm out of ideas here! Do something!"
"Don't panic!"
"Oh real funny!"
Merrick reappeared in full, and he looked about before focusing on the Sterling Star.
"Well, I wasn't supposed to do this again but..."
He reached down, touching the star. Its power began to shine, filling the room with Light. Jacob's spin tingled and his hair frizzed. He recognized this sensation. Meanwhile, outside, the Dock Boys had done a headcount and finally realized that their skipper was missing. Immediately they rushed to get back in to find him, but it was already too late. Down came the warehouse, smashing in on itself with a decayed creak and groan and sending a shower of splinters in all directions. The men were forced back, utterly helpless as they watched their home and Skipper vanish into a pile of rubble. Surely nothing could have survived such a horrible travesty, not even their beloved and powerful skipper. However, before they could mourn their beloved Mr. Salts, a powerful burst of light sent them all to the ground. A moment later, appearing from within, came Jacob, Lance, and Mr. Salts. Jacob staggered, his stomach lurching, and he had to set Lance down, who likewise looked sick. As for Mr. Salts, the man was finally rousing, and ultimately he looked none the worse for ware. His boys immediately rushed to him, knocking Jacob aside, as they all looked their skipper over for harm.
"So glad I saved those ungrateful jerks." Jacob muttered while dusting himself off.
He then turned to Lance, helping the boy sit up and pulling his cape tighter around him.
"You ok, pal?" he asked.
"I've been better." Lance gagged. "Star Trek has nothing on the real thing. Beaming sucks."
"Been there, done that." Jacob said with a panting laugh. "At least I didn't pass out this time, but boy does it take it out of you."
Jacob's brows jumped.
"Oh! I almost forgot! Pene-To!"
Jacob's armor vanished, and he dug into his pocket, retrieving Lance's glasses.
"I fixed the duct tape." he said as he offered them to Lance. "Next chance we get, we're getting you some actual glasses, bud."
Lance smiled at the sight of his oldest friend, and he gladly spun them around as he slid them up his nose. However, his smile faded when he could finally see.
"J-J-Jacob!" he gasped.
He pointed at Jacob's arms, which were now sporting golden like veins spiderwebbing up and down from wrist to shoulder. They were forming along his neckline as well. That tightness Jacob had noticed in his chest was getting worse, too. This prompted Jacob to pull down on his collar, and sure enough what appeared to be a star shaped scorch mark had formed on his chest. It wasn't painful so much as uncomfortable, but Jacob could feel his heart sinking at the sight. It only got worse when Gloria appeared, eying the strange lines and scarring. She bit her lip and shook her head.
"By the Light, I didn't think it would spread this fast. Was I not managing the energy well enough?"
Jacob shot her a look.
"Care to share with the class, professor?"
Gloria adopted a mournful look.
"It would be best discussed elsewhere. Namely back at Paradiso. Let's get out of here before things...get...worse?"
In the excitement, no one had noticed a convoy of cars and motorcycles moving in and blocking the only way off the wharf. Jacob immediately identified the Serpents and the Bills stepping out from their vehicles and all armed for war. The burning warehouse had been a beacon for them all, no doubt, along with the bright flash the Sterling Star had made for their escape. Jacob quickly pulled Lance behind him as the Dock Boys stood ready for battle. With no hope of escape and a literal army standing in his path, only one thing was on Jacob and the Dock Boys' mind.
Protect Lance.