Location: Goldenwalk - Business Quarter, VA, 11:08 PM
“...So why do Jackson and Quint get to sit this out?”
“You know why Kiran. They’ve been chatting it up all week about how they’ve planned out this one night.”
“I know, it’s just...I don’t like doing jobs with our team halved. Even if Quint usually sits on the sidelines, at least he can watch our backs…”
“Kiran, really. Stop worrying. It’s an open and shut job. We show up, wave our stuff around, watch a few bullets ricochet harmlessly off our armor, and maybe knock em’ out for the cops. Easy as pie!”
“If you say so, Sarah…”
Sarah and Kiran bantered back and forth as they approached their destination. IronHeart Server Farm. According to some police communications, an alarm had been set off there. Probably some petty thieves trying to make a buck on the black market, or take a few designs they’d do nothing with. Certainly not of any large concern, but it was always good public relations to be on the scene to apprehend targets, no matter how big they were.
“You guys are coming up on the location now. Like Sarah said, I’m sure this is an open and shut case, but watch your backs alright? We don’t want to get caught off guard.” Priscilla chimed into the conversation. “And, like Kiran said, we’re down two tonight.” Priscilla wasn’t actually with them- she was communicating with them a block or so down, in a van emblazoned with a orange logo for “GerinTech”. Said logo was no stranger to the Business Quarter- after all, that corporation towered over the city of Goldenwalk. Literally, as it was nearly impossible to not see the huge skyscraper of the international headquarters.
“Alrighty Priscilla. Over and out.” Sarah chimed back.
And then Kiran, “Thanks Priscilla, over and out.”
However, this lead to a question.
“Hey, why’d you guys say that?”
“Say what?”
“Over and out. I know you understood me in the first place, so why’d you stick that on the end?”
“Well, uh...I thought it sounded cool.”
“Really.”
“...Yeah.”
“...I thought it sounded cool too.” Kiran added.
A dry chuckle came over the line. “Okay, if it makes you two feel cooler, I suppose I could we could do that...But for now, you two stay safe, alright?”
“Copy that. Over and out.” The hero grinned as she said that.
“...Yeah, let’s not start with that now.”
And now the two had arrived. IronHeart Server Farm. Red emergency lights shone within, illuminating a figure standing in front of the building- a tall individual, armored and imposing. Their face cloaked in shadow. “Hello, Thunderhead. And to you as well, knight. I assume you’ve come here to stop my clients?”
“What the...How did they get you…?” Kiran asked the figure, pulling the hefty blade off his back, landing with a clunk on the ground.
“Fancy meeting you here, Flamebringer. Trouble getting work these days I assume?” Sarah smiled under her helmet, grabbing the axe off her admittedly limited toolbelt. A slight surge of electricity sparked on it’s edge.
The figure gave a chuckle, stepping away from the shaded entrance. Her gauntlets began to heat up, jets of flame engulfing them. “You are correct, work has gotten incredibly hard to find these days...especially when my clients continue to see my failed jobs.” Her voice never became sinister, rather keeping it’s jovial cadence. “Though I’ve been waiting for a fun little spat such as this.”
As Priscilla observed from the van, peering through some of the cameras installed throughout the Thunderhead armor, she noticed a...little blue shard. It was odd, sparkling like it did. Glass should’ve reflected red from the alarm lights. A trap? Didn’t seem like something Flamebringer would do, but Priscilla still didn’t like it.
Though Sarah nor Kiran noted the shard. They had a flaming woman to deal with. The blade of Kiran’s hefty sword began to emit a soft blue glow as it activated, Sarah’s axe began sparking to life. “If it’s a fight you want Flamebringer, it’s a fight you’ll get!”
“Uh, yeah! What she said!” Kiran had to admit, he was not one for the whole banter aspect. And unfortunately for Kiran, Flamebringer was always one for banter. And Sarah was always up to fire back. Of course, with Sarah here, there were no awkward silences. Though as he stared down Flamebringer, he was distracted by a glint of blue. What was it? He whispered into the comms, “Priscilla...do you see that thing?”
“That blue thing? Yeah, it’s weird right? Steer clear of it, I think it’s some sort of trap...”
Though Thunderhead and Flamebringer were now in their own world, both parties unaware of the shard. “Yes, give me the fight I desire! Come, let me prove my worth!” Flamebringer laughed as she charged towards the axe-wielding hero, arms engulfed in fire.
The lightning hero yet out a battle-cry as she charged forward, obviously as pumped for the fight as Flamebringer was. This also had the side effect of drowning out Priscilla and Kiran telling her not to step on the blue crystal, a combination of a “Stop” and “Look out”, but even if she had heard it, her time was up- and the blue crystal shattered under her foot.
Everything moved very fast then, and all that the video feed showed was blue.
And then it went black.
The comms were silent, despite Priscilla desperately trying to get anyone to say something on the other line.
“Sarah! Kiran! What’s going on?! Guys, come on, answer!”
Nothing.
She had to get the others down there, and fast.