| All Will Be Well: Target Locked | |||||
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| What: A missing girl, a great cosmic power, and a dangerous bounty hunter from space. All three are about to collide in the town of Livonia and everyone's in danger. With more of that same unusual cosmic energy that had been in the crater near Ducksbeard washing over the town, can the day be saved or is everyone about to be fragged? | |||||
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Livonia is usually a quiet little town in Michigan. At least it was until teenage girls began disappearing and police were unable to figure out who was behind it. The most recent girl to go missing was one Nicole Morrison, having vanished after leaving a fast food place two days ago. She's very recently returned though, suddenly appearing on top of the local church cloaked in brilliant blue light. A massive crowd that had been gathered for a press conference is in front of the church, looking up at the rooftop in awe and concern.
Nicole isn't alone on the rooftop. With her is Axiom of the Young Allies. About an hour ago he was suddenly teleported out of the Terminal and found himself in Michigan again. He sent a text to the team letting them know he was safe and where he was though. "We r-really need to get you somewhere safe, Nicole. And t-to figure out how to seperate you from Adara," the power boosting teen explains to the glowing girl. Of course that same unusual energy that had been at the Ducksbeard crater is now washing over Livonia and centered on the church.
Jo was up at the Helicarrier, studying the controls of a flight trainer for Shield aircraft. He is a good pilot, he just needs to learn the mofern control boards to be requalified.
The simulation shuts down and a voice comes on, "Agent Nah, you asked to be notified of anything unusual happened near the place the Khunds landed. I think this qualifies."
The scene from the church yard shows on the viewscreen. Jo says, "Right, I am on it."
At Ultra Speed, Jo exits the Helicarrier and switches to flight, withing Livonia in seconds.
After the text, Zenith soon shows up in Livonia as well. Last time his friend got teleported away, aliens attacked. He's going to be nearby in case anything happens again. Seeing Axiom talking to the glowing girl, he doesn't get too close immediately. He hovers in the air a few blocks away, close enough that he can help if needed, but staying far enough back that he won't distract if Axiom's trying to talk the girl down.
There doesn't seem to be much trouble at the moment. Nicole just looks a little confused as she talks to Axiom. "Why? Adara just wants to help people and I can help it," she says.
Axiom sighs a bit. "Uhh...here. My boss said you'd know once you saw this," he says, finally sliding the bracer off his arm and handing it to Nicole. The girl looks at the gem but before she can reply, there's some screams from below. Axiom looks up in time to see several missiles headed for the church. There's an explosion seconds later but when the smoke clears, Axiom, Nicole, and the church are unharmed and protected by a glowing blue shield.
"Frag it!" the intergallactic bounty hunter known as Lobo grits his teeth and flicks over the trigger cover on his bike's handlebars again. More missiles can be seen loading into position on the flying bike's pods as he flies closer to the town from high above. This is probably not good.
Jo looks up, from where he landed moments before, to trace the path of the missiles. Using Ultra Vision, he has a clear view of the alien. And a clear memory of were he saw one almost like it. He switches to Invulnerability and places himself between the flying motorcycle and the church using his flight ring. In Interlac, he says, "Halt, this is a restricted world. Cease attacking and state your business."
Zenith's eyes widen at the explosion, but he's there just outside the bubble by the time the smoke clears. He's turned to face Lobo, apparently not having a clue who it is. He flies forward, visibly backing Jo up even if he doesn't have the first clue how to understand Interlac.
Lobo sneers at Jo a moment before taking the cigar out of his mouth and flicking it at him. "One side, chief. The Main Man's got a job to do," he snaps, revving the bike and charging forward. Jo and Zenith will want to move since that bike hits a lot harder than it looks.
Axiom meanwhile blinks a few times when he sees the shield bubble. Letting out a breath of relief, he smiles when he sees Zenith and then Jo. Of course screaming people below get his attention. "Nicole, w-we need to get those people down there to safety. Can you help?" he asks the girl, frowning when she looks down at the crowd in thought.
Times like this, Jo wishes he could uses more than one power at a time. As it is, he elects to brace himself and stay where he is. His job is protecting those innocents beyond him. If that meant taking a hit...well he has probably survived worse... On the other hand, Zenith tries going forward. He becomes a blur as he flies forward, aiming not at the bike but at Lobo on top of it. Zenith's probably never heard the term 'clotheslining', but seems to understand the concept of it.
Worse maybe but it's still enough to knock the air out of Jo as the bike connects with his midsection and carries him down to crash right through the church roof and into it. Lobo himself meanwhile gets knocked off the bike. Cursing all the way down, he hits the street and there's an impact that shakes parked cars and sets off alarms. He's not out of the fight though, spitting out a chunk of street as he stands. "You're gonna pay for that one, Junior," he snarls, taking a gun of his back and firing a bright red energy pulse up at Zenith. Other weapons might not be much cause to flinch but should Zenith get hit by this one he'll find out it hurts like getting punched by someone with his own strength.
Axiom yelps as the church is struck, wobbling and almost losing his footing. He's about to say something when Nicole gets his attention. "Adara and I will help. Come," she says, levitating herself and Axiom to the ground. As she touches down, she begins opening portals to what appears to be the lake this all started at. Axiom stares for a second before jumping. "This w-way, everyone! You'll be safe through here! Hurry but d-d-don't push!" he calls, helping to direct the crowd to safety.
Jo is not really hurt much, about the same as a light belly punch. He is glad he does not need to breathe while invulnerable though, because if he did he would not be able to for a few seconds.
Jo switches power to "Ultra Strength" and pushes the bike off him. It may not have stopped the bike, but at least he did not fire more missiles into the crowd. Jo sees the flash of energy from the rifle and knows that it is not an Eart weapon. He throws the bike at the source of the energy flash.
Zenith, expecting the weapon not to hurt, doesn't dodge. He ends up knocked back to crunch into the brick of a nearby building. "Ow," he comments in complaint, but he gets up and moving quickly again, flying back at Lobo, fist positioned for a punch if Lobo is still standing after the thrown bike.
Glowing red eyes go wide when Lobo sees his bike thrown his way. He catches it and sets it down with surprising gentleness, the bike hovering in place a moment later. "Yous did NOT just try to hit me with my own hog, ya fraggin' bastich!" Lobo snarls before opening fire on Jo with the gun he'd shot Lor with. Of course he's not expecting Zenith to come back so the punch catches him off guard and knocks the bounty hunter back several feet. He skids to a halt and rubs his jaw. "Junior's got a good right hook," he remarks. "Naptime, baby!" he calls, grabbing the nearest car and swinging it down at Lor with strength on par with Superman's.
Jo drops out of the way as the red beam hits where he was standing, he is glad again for his flight ring, he really does not need to hit the ground. He frowns thoughtfully, strength is clearly not going to work. He needs to try something else, "Ultra Speed."
Jo rushes past Lobo, not getting in arm's reach, but running circles around him at speed to try to create a vortex.
After the last shot, Zenith doesn't trust his invulnerability to be enough to protect him. So, as the car swings down towards him, he zips away, flying into the air, blasting away at Lobo with his heat-vision from above while Jo runs around him, "My name is Zenith, and I'm no baby."
Letting the poor car break apart, Lobo just sneers again as Jo starts zipping around him. The first few blasts of heat vision hit his vest and bring a snarl out of the bounty hunter. Watching Jo a few times, the alien lifts one arm to shield against Zenith's attack and then flashes a mad grin. With speed surprising for someone so big, he whips a big arm out into the vortex and then swings. The impact isn't what Jo will have to worry about most, no...it's the fact that he's being thrown at Zenith that he'll want to focus on. Look out!
Axiom is still helping Nicole evacuate the people, explaining to Mr. and Mrs. Morrison that Nicole can't go through with them because she has to keep the portals open. He looks over and frowns when he sees how Zenith and Jo are doing. "You want to help your friends," Nicole startles Axiom and he jumps. He frowns, nodding a little. "Adara says it can help," she goes on, Axiom's eyes widening behind his mask.
The good thing about Ultra speed is that it gives Jo plenty of time to react, and it effects his flight ring too. He can not move any faster with his flight ring than his Ultra Speed would go, but he can move AS fast. He turns aside to just barely miss Zenith, though it is going to take some time to pull out of his arc. He elects not to switch to flight, it may be faster movement, but slower reflexes.
Zenith's eyes widen as Jo Nah is sent his way, at a speed pretty much close to what he can manage. Luckily, Jo Nah manages to help avoid the impact, leaving Zenith open again. Zenith flies in at Lobo to try to punch him again.
Lobo's got his guard up this time. When Zenith's fist comes flying his way, he catches it in his own meaty grip and squeeze painfully. "Little brat. Someone needs to spank ya!" he barks out a laugh, pointing that gun at the little Kryptonian's face woth his free hand. Before he can even start squeezing the trigger, Lobo's gun gets blasted out of his hand by a thin beam of blue energy. Where'd that come from? Well, that would be Axiom. His uniform is a lot more blue, a strange symbol glowing on his chest...a blue ring on his finger. "Hit him hard, Zenith!" Axiom calls to his friend, smiling as he boosts his teammate. Nicole meanwhile has finished evacuating the citizens and is watching the fight with a neutral expression.
Jo returns at Ultra Speed, he has realized that he is not powerful enough himself, but possibly together, he moves around awaiting and then times his blow with that of Zenith, switching at the last moment to "Ultra Strength".
Zenith gives a little whimper as his fist is squeezed, and his eyes widen as the gun is brought up, but then there's the flash of blue light and Axiom's arrival. Zenith's expression turns to a smile as he feels that boost of strength, and whips his free arm around in an uppercut at Lobo's jaw.
Double Super-Ultra Uppercut! The impact produces a nasty CRACK and sends out a shockwave that shatters a few nearby windows. Lobo gets sent flying up into the air, flipping end over end. Axiom lifts right off the ground, flying over to land near Zenith and Jo. "Is your hand alright?" Axiom asks Zenith. There's a few moments delay before something comes flying down at the three heroes. A strange metal ball with a digital display counting down quickly. It's a bomb! Looking up with reveal that Lobo has righted himself in the air even if he is still heading upwards and he's scowling down at the assembled young men.
Jo switches to ultra speed, catching the ball-bomb and spinning arouns to build up inertia before tossing it as fast as he can high into the air
Zenith shakes out the hand that had been nearly crushed, but says, "It will be, just need a little time in the sun." He blinks at the bomb. He leans forward, probably about to try something similar to what Jo Nah just did. After Jo Nah's throw, he watches to make sure it's not going to start dropping back down before it explodes.
Axiom starts to say something when he sees the bomb. He watches Jo toss it up...the bomb rising and just as it starts to give into gravity again....
BRAKKABOOOOM!
More windows are shattered and a large smoke cloud spreads. This turns out to be a bad thing. Lobo comes crashing back down to Earth, heavy boots leaving imprints in the pavement and unbalancing anyone standing with the shockwave. Thick fists are swung, one smacking into Jo to send him flying and another knocking Axiom sailing back into the church. The bounty hunter then looks to Zenith and flings his chain-hook at the young Kryptonian. The hook is sharp enough to leave a gash even in Zenith's boosted kryptonian skin as the hook wraps around a limb and Lobo uses the chain to throw Zenith, the chain uncoiling after the throw to let Lor fly.
Fortunately Jo is in Ultra Speed, he is able to roll with the blow to reduce it to something bruising, rather than something that would crush him like a bug. He comes to a rest a ways distant and returns to a spot nearby and pauses. It is time to get smarter, he switches to ultra vision and starts studying the alien's anatomy for weak points.
Zenith is moving to fight again, but even with his speed he's too slow, the hook wrapping around his leg and slicing through his Kryptonian clothes and into his skin. He struggles against it, but he's still thrown, sent flying to crash down a few blocks away, leaving yet another dent for the street repair crews to deal with. He's a little slower picking himself back up this time, but soon enough he's flying back towards the battle again.
That's a scary thing about Lobo. There's nothing that could really be considered a 'weak' point on that Czarnian body. Turning to Jo, Lobo draws a smaller gun and fires another round of energy blasts at Jo. Lor is met with the same response, energy blasts strong enough to hurt even a kryptonian as the bounty hunter draws the gun's twin from his belt. Axiom tries to get back into the fight but quickly has to shield himself from more gunfire.
Lobo laughs and keeps pulling the triggers. "I'll frag the lot of ya! Cuz I'm the Main Man!" he barks out. The blasts come to an abrupt stop as the guns just melt in Lobo's hands. "That's Enough" Nicole's voice is a lot more...echoy as she speaks, walking forward slowly while surrounded by bright blue energy.
Jo is glad that Lobo only pulled out the guns at normal speed, it gave him just enough time to switch powers to invulerability so the gun blast is not fatal...but he will have burns on top of bruises later.
He is preparing to attack again when the blue glowing child intervenes. He pauses to see what happens next. Zenith dodges the blasts, but it keeps him from getting close as he ends up just flying in circles. He, too, stops as Nicole melts the guns. He gives her a relieved smile, "Thank you."
Nicole offers Zenith a serene smile as her entire body turns to a glowing blue light. She keeps walking towards Lobo, Axiom quickly flying over to put himself between Nicole and the Czarnian. "One side, bastich. Lobo's got to bring the pretty bird back home," Lobo snaps, threatening to gouge Axiom with that hook. Considering what it did to Lor, it'll probably go through Axiom like butter. Before the weapon can be swung, Nicole reaches out to place a hand on Lobo's chest. "Your dolphin friends need you." she intones, Lobo's eyes glowing blue. Lobo's arms fall to his sides and his jaw goes slack for a moment. When he regathers himself, he holsters his weapon and whistles. "No one gets away with hurtin' Lobo's dolphins!" he growls, his bike flying itself over to him. He leaps onto it and blasts off to the sky.
After a moment of silence, Axiom gives a faint. "What...?" and looks to Jo and Zenith.
Jo shrugs, "Don't ask me, the last time I met him we did not get to talking much. Actually, it was a gene inverted clone I met. I have no idea why talking about Dolphins distracted him." Zenith blinks too, watching Lobo fly away with a look of total confusion. He looks back to Axiom and gives a shrug. "Glad it worked. Was starting to think we'd need to call in help."
"You've met that guy b-b-before?" Axiom asks Jo, the aura that had been around him fading away. He nods to Zenith before turning his attention to Nicole. "This k-kind of thing is why you need t-t-to leave Nicole. You're putting her in danger and not g-giving hope to her family," he says to the girl in blue. She frowns, walking over to Jo and reaching out to lay a hand gently on his chest. If she's allowed, Jo will find his injuries healing rapidly. She'll give Zenith the same treatment if allowed as well. "Maybe you're right..." she trails off softly.
Jo says, "In the time I have been with the Legion, we have faced lots of things. That clone I mentioned was one of a few that came before the greater threat when Darkseid enslaved the entire Daxamite race...other than Mon-el. Fighting three billion supermen is not something I even want to think about doing again."
Zenith accepts the healing, and says again, "Thank you." He steps back, stretching his leg a little as he steps back again.
Axiom smiles as he sees Zenith healed but just ends up staring as Jo explains his future. "There is...s-so much wrong with that..." he trails off.
Nicole meanwhile frowns a little more, deep in thought. "Very well," she eventually speaks up. There's a massive flash of blue light and when it clears, Nicole is laying on the pavement unconscious and dressed in street clothes. But most shockingly? Floating above them is a huge glowing blue bird with three heads. "G-guys...meet Adara," Axiom says, gesturing up at the huge bird.
Well, it is not like it is the first time Jo has met a strange possessing alien, but most of them are not friendly. Jo bows slightly (obviously you do not shake hands with a bird) and says, "Pleased to meet you Adara."
Zenith blinks, looking up to the blue bird a moment. Then he says, a little sheepishly, "Hello, Adara."
Adara floats there for a moment, eyes closing and head faintly bobbing in reply to the greetings. "Come, Axiom. There is much we must do," Adara's voice comes from just about everywhere, bringing a soothing and peaceful feeling to all that hear it. Axiom nods a bit and looks to Zenith. "C-can you tell the others I'll be back as s-s-s-soon as I can?" he asks, starting to glow blue. Starting to float into the air, he only gets about a foot off the ground before both he and Adara vanish in a flash of light. There's a small delay before those portals open again, the town's population starting to return from the lake. It seems this small town is safe for now...but who knows what Adara is or what it's work is.
Jo stares after them for a moment, then shakes his head, "Why do I get the feeling this is going to lead to more trouble down the road?"
Zenith nods quickly and says, "I'll tell them." He watches them go and says to Jo, "Probably, but Axiom knows what he's doing." He's totally confident in his friend. Waving then he lifts into the air, and starts to fly back towards Metropolis.