Nighthawk: A Superhero Story (closed for Siobhancan99)

[Halcyon638]

Monica heard the boom of a muzzle as she lowered her shoulders and desperately raced toward them with blinding speed. Both shoulders found their targets, sending the woman and her male counterpart bouncing into the walls, hard, before they both slumped to the ground. Their guns clattered to the floor. The first guard looked on in disbelief, then raised his hands up into the air again.

The attack had winded Monica a bit, but neither guard would be getting up any time soon.

 

[siobhancan99]

putting down the boxes Monica grabbed the guns and stashed them "how many of you mooks in this building?" she asked? then picked up her boxes again, moving towards the window. If there were just the three she'd probably be better off taking the elevator down, but if there were more she needed to get the fuck out of dodge.

 

[Halcyon638]

The man thought for a moment. "Usually about 6 to 8 of us, this time of night," he responded. As in response to her question, she received a call from Thalmer: "Any luck? I had to hightail it outta there. Jen's bringing the car around the front."

 

[siobhancan99]

"yeah, dropping out the window momentarily. Disarmed one guy, took two more out. I'll be around front. I got the blue shit the buyer asked for. Some other shit too maybe we can sell" She moved over to the window, then tied the boxes to the chair with the end of the rope. She began lowering it down, keeping her eye on the guard "move away and I wont have to shoot you." She didn't want him fucking with the rope when she went down.

 

[Halcyon638]

“Great,” Thalmer managed in a strangely strained voice, as if he’d suffered some kind of injury. “Meet you down there.” The guard stood silently, keeping his distance as Monica made her way to the window.

Just as she was lowering herself down, she saw the driver’s car speeding toward the entrance and Thalmer stumbling out, clutching his left side. As she continued to descend the 3 floors, she could see the flash of police sirens in the distance.

“Hey,” Thalmer said, the left side of his chest saturated with blood that was visible even with the dark colors of his uniform. A pained look on his face, he was keeping pressure on a wound. “You…should see the other guys,” he said, lurching toward the car and pulling open the backseat.

“May have taken a bullet or two. One’s gone, so…that’s good,” he said as he entered the vehicle.

“Fuck,” the driver exclaimed as she saw Thalmer’s state.

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica felt sick. Yet another person seriously hurt or who could die over her bullshit. She swallowed her vomit and nodded "Thalmer for fuck's sake you should have gotten out of there once I was inside." She moved to press the wound "I'm going to guess you don't have a doctor on speed dial or anything." She shifted a bit "get us the fuck out of here while we figure out what to do with him."

 

[Halcyon638]

“It’s alright,” Thalmer said, face slightly pale. “Didn’t hit…anything vital.”

Jen revved up the car and peeled out of the place. “Just…gotta keep the wounds packed while we ride back,” he stated. “I’ve got a med kit back in the van.”

Instead of heading directly back to the main highway, the Centauri woman drove the vehicle along the darkened campus of the complex, looking for a path that cut onto the main road, presumably, as the police cars started approaching the entranceway. At last, she spotted an opening and punched it, rocketing the vehicle onto the highway, getting a series of groans from Thalmer as they bounced and shimmied onto level ground.

“Fuck,” Jen said.

“You’re getting compensated…for your car,” Thalmer said. “Outside and…in,” he added, glancing at the blood stains.

The highways were particularly empty at this time of night, and they were able to make better time to Thalmer’s van, though it still seemed like an eternity.

“You ever…removed a bullet before?” Thalmer asked as he and Monica exited the vehicle.

 

[siobhancan99]

"no" Monica was, frankly, horrified. "I hope you understand that's not a normal question for people that grew up on earth." She put all their ill gotten gains in the van "Really Gabi would be better for this. She's you know. Compassionate. and medical. I can fix your ipad." She sighed and turned, trying to work up the courage "so what am I doing?"

 

[Halcyon638]

“Mostly…joking,” Thalmer said, half-collapsing into the back of the van, before regaining the presence of mind to go through his medical supplies. “Figured you’re…an American college student. Must have gone through…at least, 1, 2 school shootings by now.”

He tore off the top of his bloody uniform and balled it up in a corner of the vehicle, revealing wounds to his lower left side and a smaller but still crimson-soaked injury near his left armpit. “I can deal with our little…metal…friend down here,” he said, eyeing the lower wound. “Can you take that cloth and soak it in alcohol?”

Registering her discomfort, seemingly, Thalmer only asked that Monica hand him objects, including painkillers, as he set about working on the bullet lodged in him. “I’m glad…you’re safe,” he said, letting out a groan as he dug out the ammunition. “Fuuuck. I can stitch…this one up…but…I’m going to need your help on the one near my armpit.”

 

[siobhancan99]

"I can stitch it up. its ... its fine" Monica took the sutures and needle, working them through Thalmer's flesh, pinching the wound together as she stitched "don't we have any like, star trek instant heal bullshit? what sort of raging space empire are we from anyway?" She joked, as always, to cover her discomfort as she finished him up. "lets not get you shot again. I think that has to be the plan. So. the driver. ex girlfriend?" she changed the subject, trying to draw him out a little and also have something else to think about.

 

[Halcyon638]

Thalmer managed a grin. “Yeah, they have that tech, more or less. They weren’t going to waste it on Battle Caste scum on some intergalactic backwater, though.” He adjusted his position slightly to make it easier for Monica to get an angle, looking into her eyes as she stitched him up. “Jen?” he said with a laugh. “Nah, she’s just another operative like me. Unless you were sent here to pull of the whole 'white picket fence' thing, we don’t really do relationships. Operatives. Complicates things.” For a moment, Thalmer’s tone turned a bit serious, bordering on melancholy. "It doesn't end well."

 

[siobhancan99]

"Why not just go home?" Monica sat back "I mean, the mission here is totally fucked. most of you went home. The only ones that didn't near as I can tell are low caste that have a much better life here than they ever had at home. People with an incentive to stay. I doubt anyone would be mad if another able body came back to fight the cultists and you know, contribute his genetic material to the resurrection of the Centauri. So why not go back and be put out to stud for a few years then die gloriously on some piece of shit mining world?"

 

[Halcyon638]

Thalmer sighed. “That would require me to make my own choice. It’s much easier to go through life following orders,” he said. “Having a mission. Stops you from questioning whether the fuck the shit you do each day matters or means something. Someone higher up thinks it does. I guess that’s enough.”

He grinned a bit, his face beginning to recover a little color. “By the way, this is waaay off-mission for me. This has only happened twice, and both times, there was a girl involved. I’m predictable like that.”

Pulling a shirt out of a compartment, Thalmer said, “Figured you know a thing or two about a pretty girl making you do dumb shit. I guess we should get you home before the Missus starts worrying about you.”

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica snorts "Gabi ..." then realized Gabi got her to have a threesome with zoe and made it seem like the most natural thing in the world. "yeah well. She fortunately doesn't abuse her power for evil" She got herself into the van "so honestly, I'm super curious as to this other shit that was in the vault. I made it sound like that's what we were stealing, but now I have to figure out what the fuck it is."

 

[Halcyon638]

Thalmer began to exit the back of the van. “I could have someone check it all out.” Staggering a little, he added, “By the way, you’re driving.” He made his way to the passenger side as flecks of snow began to fall.

 

[siobhancan99]

"maybe ill have you take a vial and I'll see what I can see as well" Sutter or one of his people might know something, but she couldn't reveal his involvement to Thalmer. Climbing into the van she started it up "a key? how old is this thing?" she smirked "old as you are?" then laughed and set out on the road. At least out of their gear they'd be more comfortable for the ride.

 

[Halcyon638]

Thalmer nodded. “Sounds fair. Or we could just test it the old-fashioned way—bottoms up,” he said, miming taking a drink.

He grinned as they got into the vehicle. “Not sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it had a woman in chain mail bikini riding on a dragon painted on the side at one point.”

Thalmer had Monica drive him back to their usual, under-construction apartment complex meeting spot. “Well, this is my stop,” he said as she exited the vehicle. “Again, I hope you’ll remember this when you’re Space Empress.”

 

[siobhancan99]

"Oh Thalmer, of course I'll have you executed so you can't tell my scandalous earth secrets and undermine the empire" Monica was clearly joking and she reached out to squeeze his arm "thank you. Couldn't have done it on my own without killing someone." She unpacked all her shit, putting the boxes on the stolen wheely chair so she could wheel them out to a street she could get an uber from. Getting in late, she tucked the boxes under her bed, had a quick shower and hit the sack.

 

[Halcyon638]

A few days later, Monica was able to arrange a time to meet up with Alex Sutter to drop off the vial, the Fermian Interface Adapter, and the other, vaguely syringe-shaped device she’d pilfered from HelixCorp. Sutter assured him it would be quick work to finalize the device he’d been building to block the Warpstream now that he had the Adapter, and within another two weeks, he messaged her to let her know the machine was completed and working. The Warpstream coordinates would be scrambled, sending any would-be intergalactic conquerors to some random spot in the vast reaches of space. As for the other finds, Sutter’s hunch was that the vial was some kind of synthetic chemical meant to make the human body more receptive to gene therapy, while the syringe-shaped device appeared to be similar to a key component of Centauri handheld energy weapons.

The city was relatively quiet, which the newly inaugurated DA Fiona Haigler was more than willing to take credit for. As late March rolled in, some unseasonably warm weather came with it, bringing 60-degree temperatures to the Prospect City campus.

Monica was waiting outside of Melanie Howe’s office. The professor was late, which unusual for her, a situation that grew even more unusual when another ten minute past. Finally, at about 13 minutes past their usual meeting time, the red-haired woman came striding down the hall. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said, glasses slightly askew and her usually carefully styled hair a little astray. “I’ve been running around all day.”

“Mel,” a plump, mostly white-haired woman with multicolored glasses frames, said, emerging from of the nearby offices, “I filed your travel voucher.”

“Thank you! You’re a lifesaver. Thanks so much,” she said, fumbling with her keys and opening the door for Monica. “Come in.”

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica headed in, sitting down "going somewhere? conference or something?" She set her bags down. She had had a much easier semester, with crime being so much lower. The DA could take all the credit she wanted. Monica felt the tantalizing call of a normal life and if prospect city settled down the... prospect... of that increased. She actually had some time to think about what might come in the days ahead for once.

 

[Halcyon638]

“Yes,” Melanie said, rounding her desk and taking a seat. She let out a quiet sigh as she rested. “I’m leaving Friday for a conference at Duke. I’m presenting on attachment theory and online relationships.”

She placed her bag on the shelf behind her. “I have a question, and feel absolutely free to say no: the friend I usually have check in on the place and feed Chelsea is traveling with her family this weekend. Is there any chance you might be able to housesit? Or at least check in on Chelsea after I leave?” she said, referring to the short-haired housecat she held in one of her desk photos. “I know it’s short notice. Feel free to bring Gabi along, of course.”

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica nodded "of course. We can totally house sit. I'm mildly allergic to cats but nothing a few zyrtec can't handle." She arched and settled a little "Any special requirements or anything? don't feed the cat after midnight, don't look in the locked door on the third floor... you know, that sort of thing?"

 

[Halcyon638]

“Thanks so much,” Melanie said. Smiling, she said, “No, nothing that cryptic. I can leave a note with her feeding instructions, that sort of thing. I can leave the key with Gabi when I meet with her on Thursday.” Looking pensive, she added, “It’s a bit out of your way, though. It’s about a 20-minute drive for me and I have no idea how long it’d take on the subway or bus.”

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica laughed "its really no problem. I think we can feed your cat for free therapy" She crossed her legs, sitting across from the older woman "really you don't have to worry about it. We can take the subway. I know this girl and she's real tough and she will keep us safe on the trip over."

 

[Halcyon638]

The professor laughed. “Fair enough.” Her phone chimed momentarily. “Excuse me.” She shut it off and returned her attention to Monica. “Ha, I suppose that’s true. I wasn’t so much worried about your safety as the inconvenience. The guest room has a queen and there are dangerous levels of junk food in the fridge. If you wanted to stay rather than making the trip each day.”

That night, Gabi returned to the apartment around 9:30, eyes a little red, her gaze a little distant. “Hey, Cari—” Her term of endearment dissolved into a yawn. “Excuse me.” On Tuesday, Gabi tutored middle school students in the morning, had 3 classes, and had lately been working the closing shift at her pharmacy. She made her way to Monica, wrapping her girlfriend up in a hug and resting her head on the older girl’s shoulder. “How was your day?”