Hannah’s tears returned with a vengeance as she looked down at her sister. All the color had drained from her, she was still and silent. Hannah stopped flying and landed on a nearby roof, her own body weak from the fight and from her emotional turmoil.
“Please don’t die Elysa.” Hannah pleaded to her lifeless sister.
Hannah rocked her sister slowly in her arms and hummed her favorite lullaby to her as she stroked her hair.
On the rooftop of a nameless building in the heart of Galaxy City Half-Life Hannah held her sister as she slipped away. The once strong and determined heroin was now an emotional wreck as her body was rocked by uncontrollable sobs.
“I love you so much.” Hannah said.
Elysa lay motionless, a single tear leaking from her closed eye and freezing as it rolled down the side of her face.
To Be Continued…
<center>Part II: The March Of War
Chapter IV: Backs Against The Wall</center>
My normal life ended when I met Sue. I was Darius Martin, a successful business man, an up and comer, if you will, in the Portal Corporation. She was the hero that had saved me from an experiment gone out of control. Since that day I’ve devoted myself to her and to fighting alongside her as the living rock man Premiere.
I’d known that I had meta-human abilities since I was a young boy. I remember falling off my bike when I was a kid and looking down at my knee to inspect the damage, instead of finding blood and broken skin I found scraped rock where my skin should have been. I hid my abilities from the world and carried out a normal life.
Sue and I are engaged to be married after several months of dating. I don’t know what I’d do without her.
<center>****************</center>
Sue Radiance and Premiere watched a Malta patrol go by from their hiding place in the dense forest of The Serpents Teeth area a few miles off the coast of Talos Island. The patrol guarded several large tents, one of which contained Citadel.
“I’m kinda disappointed in the number of guards they have posted.” Premiere said with a smile.
“Be glad that we have an easy mission ahead of us darling.” Sue said as she gave her fiance a kiss on the cheek.
“I just wanted a chance to smash Malta into the ground.” he said.
“I’m sure before all is said and done you’ll have more than enough enemies against you to keep you happy.” she said with a smile.
Premiere hugged and kissed his bride to be, “I love you.” he said before turning to his stone form.
Sue smiled at him. “I love you too.” she said and took flight with him in tow, dropping him from the air onto the soldiers below, preparing to fly in after a moment to provide backup.
As Premiere plummeted to the ground he looked back up at the love of his life. “Good luck Sue.” he thought as he hit the ground with a shockwave that knocked several nearby soldiers off their feet.
Bullets bounced of his stony hide harmlessly as he bent down and pulled a large section of the Earth up and launched it at a group of soldiers, smashing them to the ground with the weighty chunk.
Another group of soldiers scattered when a blast of energy struck the ground in the middle of them. Sue hovered down to meet with her teammate and carry on the fight.
Several soldiers came from the forest and opened fire on the duo. Premiere shielded Sue with his body and provided her cover to fly up and blast the soldiers away.
“These guys are rookies.” Premiere said as Sue came back down to him.
“Then maybe you’re ready for the majors.” a man’s voice said from one of the tents.
“Who are you?” Sue asked the man as she prepared an energy attack for him.
“The name’s Alpha Black.” the man dressed like a cowboy answered with a tip of his hat.
“What are you doing here?” Premiere asked.
Alpha Black smiled. “Well, I’m not gonna lie, I’m here to make sure you die.” he said.
Sue blasted at Alpha Black, leaving a smoking hole in the man’s chest.
“Please.” Alpha Black said as he looked at Sue and Premiere with a smile.
Sue and Premiere watched in amazement as the hole closed up before their eyes, leaving no mark behind save the burned clothing around it.
Alpha Black quickly drew his weapon and shot Sue in the stomach sending her sprawling to the ground.
“Sue!” Premiere shouted as he leapt in front of her to protect from further attack.
Alpha Black fired another shot at Premiere and hit him in the shoulder. The shot went through his rock armor and arm below and back out the other side.
“Looks like you can get blood from a stone.” Alpha Black said with a smile. “Now that you two are weakened, I have a new playmate for you.” he said and pulled a remote control from his jacket and pressed a large red button on it’s face.
Premiere crouched near Sue as the ground began to rumble and a heavily armored robot came from the forest behind.
“Premiere and Sue Radiance, meet the Kronos Class Titan.” Alpha Black said. “Twenty feet tall, weighs two hundred tons, and has a nasty disposition, enjoy.” he said as he ran for the cliff side near the campsite and leapt off. Seconds later a helicopter appeared in the air with Alpha Black inside saluting the two heroes with a smile as he flew away.
“Sue, wake up honey.” Premiere said as he hoisted his lover into his arms.
Sue held her bleeding stomach and looked up at him. “We’re not gonna make it, are we?” she asked weakly.
Premiere shook his head. “Doesn’t look like it hon.” he said.
“Set me down.” she said.
Premiere gently set his fading girlfriend down onto her feet.
“Now is as good a time as any to try this out.” Sue said.
Premiere watched as Sue’s body began to glow, softly at first but gradually building to a near blinding glow.
“What are you doing Sue?” Premiere asked, concerned that she was expending too much energy in her weakened condition.
“It’s something I’ve been working on, I call it Super Nova.” she explained. “Give me your hand.” she said.
Premiere took her hand in his, his stony mitt enveloping her small hand easily.
The Kronos Titan moved in quickly for a behemoth of it’s size and swung it’s mighty fist down onto the two heroes. The great metallic fist struck the barrier of energy that Sue had created and left them unharmed.
“I love you Darius.” Sue shouted over the deafening hum of her building energy field.
Darius focused his mind on keeping his stone armor intact as Sue’s energy waves ripped at it with every pulse. “I love you too Sue.” he shouted back.
The Titan fired several laser blasts that were deflected easily, and moved to punch at the pair of heroes. The giant fist melted and broke away as it neared the now white hot energy sphere.
As the Titan made another attack the energy sphere exploded creating a massive crater and melting the Titan and the entire are within a mile radius.
As the smoke cleared from the area Sue Radiance and Premiere could be seen laying motionless in the epicenter of the blast. The Kronos Titan moved only slightly as it’s circuits fired randomly in the throws of death.
As the sun began to set, Sue Radiance and Premiere lay unconscious they continued to breathe softly and weakly but made no moves to get up.
<center>****************</center>
Dementia’s Knight pulled the red hot poker from the Malta spy’ shoulder. The man’s screams were muffled by the tape over his mouth.
“It’s funny, now that I don’t have my armor, I have no sense of what your feeling right now. I suppose I should thank you for that.” Knight said.
The man muttered something behind the tape.
Knight ripped the tape from the man’s mouth roughly.
“Doing this won’t bring your friends back.” the man said.
Knight smiled. “It’s a good thing that’s not why I’m doing it then.” he said and replaced the tape over the man’s mouth as he heated up the poker again.
<center>****************</center>