"Shadow of Doubt"
As the sun began its descent, casting a warm glow across the city skyline, a sense of anticipation hung in the air. The team of lower-tier B heroes from the ASH branch in City S gathered, preparing for their mission to apprehend the elusive villain known as Quick-Sand.
Captain Valor stood at the head of the room, his presence commanding respect from his team. "Listen up, everyone," he began, his voice steady and authoritative. "We've been tasked with bringing Quick-Sand to justice. He's a dangerous adversary, but we're more than capable of taking him down."
Blaze, Frostbite, and Thunderbolt nodded in agreement, their expressions determined as they geared up for the confrontation ahead.
"We'll split into two teams," Captain Valor continued, laying out their strategy. "Blaze and Frostbite, you'll take the west side of the city. Thunderbolt and I will cover the east. Keep your eyes peeled and stay in communication at all times."
With a final glance at his team, Captain Valor led them out into the bustling streets of City S, the fading sunlight casting long shadows behind them.
As they patrolled the city, the heroes remained vigilant, scanning the crowds for any sign of their quarry. But as the minutes turned into hours, frustration began to mount.
"We've been at this for hours," Thunderbolt remarked, her voice tinged with impatience. "Do you think Quick-Sand is even is in the city?"
Captain Valor frowned, his brow furrowed in thought. "It's possible he's lying low, waiting for the right moment to strike," he replied. "But we can't afford to let our guard down. Keep searching."
Just as they were about to call it a night, a sudden commotion erupted nearby. Without hesitation, the heroes sprang into action, racing towards the source of the disturbance.
There, in the heart of the city, they found Quick-Sand, his powers unleashed in a torrent of chaos. Buildings crumbled, and the ground trembled beneath their feet as the villain wreaked havoc upon the unsuspecting citizens.
"Blaze, Frostbite, contain him!" Captain Valor shouted, his voice ringing out above the chaos. "Thunderbolt, with me!"
With practiced precision, the heroes launched into battle, their movements fluid and coordinated as they sought to subdue their adversary. But Quick-Sand was a formidable opponent, his powers wreaking havoc at every turn.
The battle raged on, the clash of powers echoing through the streets as heroes and villain fought for supremacy. Yet despite their best efforts, Quick-Sand proved to be a formidable foe, slipping through their grasp time and time again.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the city into darkness, the heroes knew that their fight was far from over.
Fifteen minutes before the inevitable clash between Quick-Sand and the heroes. Lennie and Anna found themselves in a nondescript motel room. The space was small, barely accommodating a single table and two beds. Lennie sat hunched over a compact computer device, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he searched through databases for any trace of the man described by the bartender. Meanwhile, Anna sat on one of the beds, her posture tense with anticipation, her eyes fixed on Lennie's screen, waiting for any breakthrough.
"Ah! I got something," said Lennie.
"You found out who the guy is?" Anna asked eagerly.
Lennie shook his head. "No, I couldn't, but I found something on that bartender. Turns out he's a rapist, kidnapper, and a thief from City H. He has the power to turn himself invisible for a short period, allowing him to make a lucky escape before imprisonment seven years ago."
"Ugh. I knew he was a sleaze ball, but I didn't expect this," Anna said, her disgust evident.
"Guess we should pay our friend another visit if he hasn't escaped already," Lennie remarked grimly.
BAM! Suddenly loud crashing and thundering, accompanied by the desperate screams of people, filled the air. Lennie got up quickly from his seat and turned around, his expression tense with concern. "Anna, come look at this," he urged, gesturing towards the window.
Anna joined him, her eyes widening as they witnessed sparks of a distant battle. "We need to get there fast," Lennie said, already moving towards the door.
As they arrived at the scene, Lennie and Anna saw the group of heroes who had confronted Quick-Sand, their expressions weary yet determined.
"Who are those guys coming?" Thunderbolt asked, eyeing detectives Lennie and Anna who just arrived. "Maybe they have business here," Blaze suggested.
At the scene of the crime, Lennie and Anna noticed something horrendous: the bar they had just visited was gone, drowned in sand. They saw a hand and a face sticking out—it was the bartender's. "I guess he didn't try to escape," Anna remarked grimly. But then Lennie said, "How ironic. His name was Felix, which means "Luck" or "fortune"" as he stooped down for a closer inspection.
Lennie then continued, "Guess he didn't have any of that today," as he got back up from stooping.
Captain Valor, a towering figure with a chiseled jawline and piercing blue eyes, approached the detectives. "I guess you two are detectives, am I right?" he inquired.
"Yeah, we've been sent down here to City S for our investigation pending a case," Lennie confirmed.
"I see. I hope what happened here doesn't hurt your case, and good luck," Captain Valor said before turning to leave the scene with the other heroes.
"So they're leaving just like that?" Anna remarked.
"I guess they gotta report back in and leave the clean-up to local officials, I guess," Lennie replied.
Before the next morning sun had fully risen above the sky, Lennie and Anna got ready to head back to City H, reflecting on the events of the previous night and the mysteries that still lingered.
The heroes of the City S branch were holding a meeting, Thunderbolt began by saying, "We could have captured Quick-Sand if we didn't have to hold back."
"We had to," Frostbite began, "there were people living around there."
Thunderbolt chuckled, "They are a bunch of skunk heads, homeless, and prostitutes. We shouldn't have cared about them and should've just focused on Quick Sand."
"How dare you?!" Frostbite scolded, "we are heroes; our jobs are to—"
But Thunderbolt cut them off, "Yeah, yeah, save people's lives. But what about ours? Our careers? We've been trying to catch this guy and his boss for 6 months... 6 months!! I'm starting to think that the association sent only four of us here just to screw up!"
While Frostbite and Thunderbolt were in a heated argument about what was right and just, Blaze was sitting across from them, lost in his own thoughts.
"Wow, Thunderbolt can be a real bitch sometimes. But anyway, something has been bugging me during our fight with Quick-Sand. I don't really want to think about it, but when the captain made contact with him, for just a moment, I swear their attacks were both coordinated and destroyed that bar tje detectives were inspecting. Should I ask the captain? No, I shouldn't. Let's not get paranoid."
Captain Valor slammed both his fists on the glass steel table, leaving behind two large cracks. "Enough!" he bellowed, silencing both Thunderbolt and Frostbite. "The Hero Association knows what they are doing. We are here just to do our jobs as heroes, not to focus on our careers or anything else."
He stood tall, his voice commanding and authoritative as he continued, "Our duty is to protect and serve. We've been sent here to take care of this city and its people, and that's exactly what we'll do. Understood?"
Thunderbolt and Frostbite nodded, their heads lowering respectfully, "Yes, sir."
As Captain Valor maintained his position, Blaze glanced at his fellow heroes, his own thoughts still troubling him.
After the heroes planned their next strategy for apprehending Quick-Sand for next time, the meeting adjourned. Before Blaze left the room, he looked back at Valor, who was sitting alone.
"What? You got something to say?" Valor asked him.
"No, sir, I was just in a daze," Blaze replied.
"Well, don't worry too much. We will catch Quick-Sand. Just head home for now until I call you guys back," Valor said.
"Okay, sir," Blaze replied as he shut the door.
An incoming call came in on Valor's wristwatch.
"Hey there," a mysterious voice called in. "You did such a good job successfully taking out that guy. I heard you guys did some damage," the mysterious voice said.
"Enough to not grasp any suspicion from the Hero Association, of course," Valor told the mysterious voice.
"Good, good. I think it's time you get your reward," the mysterious voice said.
"Hahahaha! I'll be right over as soon as I can," Valor shouted.
From a short distance from the door, Blaze was behind a wall with an almost surprised and frightened expression on his face. Before the meeting had been dismissed, Blaze attached a microphone without anyone noticing under the table. As he heard the ongoing conversation with Valor and the mysterious voice, he thought to himself,
Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. Was I right?! Is the captain no good?! Is he up to something?! What the hell did I just hear?!!
At an old construction site, Quick-Sand cautiously made his way through the unfinished building. As he rounded a corner, he encountered the man the barber described to the detectives before his death, accompanied by a slim, tall woman holding his left shoulder.
"Hey, glad you're here," the man greeted, sitting on a steel chair. "Amazing job getting rid of that sleazy bastard who gave my description to the cops. Not like it matters though," he ironically continued, with a dismissive wave of his hand.
"Yeah, yeah, just give me the envelope like you always promised," Quick-Sand hurriedly demanded, his demeanor betraying a hint of addiction.
"Here you go, just like I promised," the man said, sliding the envelope off a makeshift table next to two skulls wearing masks that still had bits of flesh lingering on them. Quick-Sand, curious, couldn't help but inquire, "What's up with those skulls?"
"Oh, these?" The man picked one up and showed it to Quick-Sand. "They were expendable. Got rid of them when they were no longer useful. But you don't have to worry... yet," he said, his tone cold and somewhat joking. Quick-Sand forced a scared laugh.
Taking the envelope, Quick-Sand opened it up and saw two small plastic zip packs of purple powder dust called Neuroflux powder.
"You love it huh? Better than that Fumaria crap, am I right?" The man said with a hint of excitement in his voice.
"Yeah, yeah, thank you so much, I'll be going now," Quick-Sand said, ready to leave.
"Wait!" the man shouted. Quick-Sand turned around slowly, and the man clicked his teeth, pointing at Quick-Sand with his right index finger, giving a wink and a smile. "I'll catch you later," he said, his voice ominous. Quick-Sand forced a crooked grin, and quickly left.
After that, the man, using an unknown ability, squeezed the skull in his hands, until it turned to dust along with the mask.
Author's Note:
Neuroflux:
-Neuro: Relating to nerves or the nervous system.
-Flux: Refers to a continuous movement or flow.
Explanation: Neuroflux is a drug that enhances the activity and function of the nervous system, allowing the user to boost or control their superpowers. It increases the flow of neural signals, resulting in heightened abilities, improved reaction times, and enhanced cognitive functions.
Possible Effects:
- Enhanced reflexes
- Improved sensory perception
- Increased mental processing speed
- Better control over superpowers
Use:
Neuroflux (Serum/Powder) is often used by individuals with superpowers to amplify their abilities or to gain better control over them. However, it can have side effects if used excessively or improperly.
Hence, making Quick-Sand capable of fighting off and escaping from four(4) Tier B heroes. What a hell of a drug ;)