Chapter III: Tears Of The Fallen</center>

Babbage smashed into a building as he took a swing at a hero flying near him like an insect in front of a person. The hero dove under the massive fist and blasted at Babbage with a sheet of ice. The giant stood strong against the attack, and smashed the hero between his hands.

Fire Water took her opportunity and lassoed Babbage’s hands at the wrist with her flaming rope. Ryver flew closer and shot at Babbage with a bolt of electricity, sending the titan staggering backward. Fire Water was pulled forward when Babbage went back, she tightened her grip on her fire rope and tugged hard to keep her hold on the behemoth. Babbage recovered quickly, and with a flick of his arms, lifted Fire Water into the air, and swung her into the side of a nearby building.

“No!” Ryver yelled as she watched the murder of her teammate. Fighting back the tears, Ryver summoned a massive electrical blast that lifted Babbage off the ground and sent him crashing into the building behind him.

“And stay down you bastard!” Ryver spat.

Her victory was short lived however as a mechanical tendril came out from the building and wrapped around her, pinning her arms at her sides. Babbage rose from the building and began retracting the tendril he’d sent out. Ryver fought against her bonds, but was unsuccessful. Just as she started to fear the worst a blast of white energy came from above and melted through the tendril, allowing Ryver to regain her mobility.

“You ok?” Sue called out to her teammate.

Ryver nodded and sent another blast of electricity to Babbage’s chest. The blast was not enough to keep him down, as he rose and hurled a car sized chunk of concrete at the cybernetic defender, she only had a split second to think of all she’d done to help the city before the projectile smashed into her, killing her instantly.

Sue flew upward and away from the carnage, she saw Final Flame laying beaten and bloody on a nearby rooftop, surrounded by a dozen or so Clockwork minions, that were blasting her lifeless body with bolts of electricity.

“So much for safety in numbers.” Hannah thought as she neared the carnage.

Jesseca looked up at her, “Let me go.” she said.

Hannah shook her head, “Not a chance.” she replied, and took them up higher into the air.

Jesseca tried to wiggle free, but Hannah held strong. Jesseca looked down at the wrecked streets, littered with bodies and robot carcasses, she took a deep breath and charged up her hands with energy and encased her feet in stone. The weight of her stone feet caused Hannah’s grip to slip, and the force of Jesseca’s energy caused her to not be able to regain her hold, and she screamed as she watched Jesseca plummet to the Earth below.

Jesseca hit the ground only about twenty feet from Babbage, the robot looked enormous in comparison to her small stature, and she was sure that she was soiling herself just looking at him. Running toward the mechanical beast, Jesseca smashed her charged fists into it’s foot, barely denting it. “Shit.” Jesseca thought as the foot rose and came crashing down on her, smashing her through the concrete and into the sewer below.

“Jesseca!” Hannah screamed as she watched her best friend succumb to the force of Babbage. Hannah was blinded by tears as she flew toward the monster, “Die!” she screamed as her body began to glow green with radiation and she plowed into Babbage’s chest, and rocketed him back with her progression.

A rift was torn into the concrete by Babbage’s dragging feet as Hannah pushed him back with her energy. Windows shattered as they went past, and the concussive force of Hannah’s energy field that she was generating. Nearing the harbor, Hannah altered her course, and pushed herself and Babbage into the air above the water.

Pushing with one hand, Hannah turned on her communicator, “If anyone can hear this, please let my loved ones know that I’m doing this for them, and for the city, Hell probably the world. The heroes of this city are the finest in the world, and I, Half-Life Hannah am proud to have fought alongside them, even if it was for only a brief time. I’m sorry that I couldn’t protect you Dandy, but we’ll be together soon.” she said tearfully as she climbed higher into the sky with her opponent who was struggling to break free.

Hannah closed her eyes for a moment, and her body began to glow brighter, she opened her eyes, and beams of radiation erupted from them, her mouth performed a similar action as her body began to hum loudly with energy output.

The armor that covered Babbage began to melt as the radioactive energy reached critical mass. Hannah’s screams were barely audible as the pair were engulfed in a tremendous ball of atomic energy. The explosion could be seen for miles, and it spread through the air, and sent a shockwave to the city below. Buildings close enough to the harbor disappeared as they were blown away by the blast, vehicles were sent flying like toys through the air. The water in the harbor was sent into a tidal wave by the blast, and flooded nearby streets and buildings, boats crashed into the cityscape, and destruction came in a mighty wave.

Nothing was left of either combatant after the blast, and the city was deathly silent for a long while.

<center>****************</center>

Jesseca slowly regained consciousness, and climbed her way out of the sewer cautiously. Seeing no signs of Babbage, she emerged, a bloody and battered mess, but alive.

Sue flew down to her as she saw her come out of the crater, she picked her up and held her close to her chest as she flew the injured girl to safety. “It’s good to see you’re alive.” she told Jesseca with a tear in her eye.

“Hannah, where’s Hannah?” Jesseca asked weakly.

Sue was silent for a moment, she was crying now as she looked down at the weakened hero in her arms. “I’m sorry honey, but she didn’t make it.” she said.

Jesseca’s mind shut down, unable to cope with the news she’d received she began to bawl, and scream like an errant child throwing a temper tantrum.

Sue hugged the girl tighter, and cried her own mournful tears for all of the fallen heroes that paid the ultimate price for the city they loved.

<center>One Week Later</center>

Jesseca stood on the dock of Independence Port, and looked out at the now still waters. She wore a black dress and held a single rose in her hand. She wiped a tear from her eye and sniffled back her sadness.

“Do you wanna say something honey?” Sue asked, placing a hand on Jesseca’s shoulder.

Jesseca nodded without looking at the woman. “Hannah, I can’t thank you enough for the sacrifice that you made for this city, and for the love and care that you gave me in our short time together. You were family to me, I loved you, and will miss you forever.” she said, her tears free flowing as she finished, and tossed the rose into the water.

“Ready?” Sue asked.

Jesseca turned and nodded, and taking Sue by the hand the two walked back to the car.

<center>****************</center>

“So, my prize creation was destroyed, and my plot was foiled by someone that you were supposed to have killed anyway.” the Clockwork King said to Rick Davies.

Rick cowered before his metallic task master. “I’m sorry that I failed you my master, it won’t happen again.” he said, and wiped the sweat from his brow.

The Clockwork King hung his head for a moment, “That’s true,” he said, and grabbed Rick by the neck and picked him up, “you won’t fail me ever again.” he said, and squeezed the man’s fragile neck and popped his head off like a cork from a wine bottle.

Letting the lifeless body drop to the floor the Clockwork King turned and looked at the monitor behind him which was displaying a picture of Half-Life Hannah and Diapered Dandy. “One down, best to take care of the other.” he said, and set to work laying out a plan to destroy Jesseca and the people of Paragon City.