Team Effort

Sunstream ventures into the suspect’s house on her own, revealing a new unexpected power while Charge, Sentinel, and Steel provide backup. Meanwhile, Anathema and Sidestep meet up with Linda Goodman to arrange the trade.
(It’s hard to juggle this many characters but I so wanted to write this story! I hope it worked and people reading enjoy it!)

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“You guys said this was going to be subtle!” Sunstream complains through her intercom.

“You’re doing fine. We support you!” Charge encourages on her earphones quickly enough.

“That’s not what I’m talking about!” Sunstream lets out an irritated grunt as she lands on the other side of the fence.

“Hey, you volunteered, miss!” Sentinel argues. “You’re the one who said we should draw sticks, and that we never let you get your hands dirty with stealth missions.”

“Yes, but I didn’t know I was going to be breaking and entering!”

“Don’t break anything then?” Steel suggests, mildly amused.

“I hate all of you so much.” She grumbles, making her way through the bushes to the vicinity of the front door.

“You are approaching the cameras” Sentinel points out. “It’s time to do your thing.”

“Alright, I’m going bright. Look away” she replied.

Sentinel lowered his dark goggles, and even that was barely enough to cover from the incoming flash, even behind the van’s tinted glass.

“Shit, that’s bright.”

“Told ya. No way the cameras will pick anything but white while I pick the lock.

“Well remind me to wear sunscreen next time,” Sentinel said, rubbing his eyes.

The flash died down and disappeared as the door closed again.

“I’m in,” she replied. “Please tell me Goodman isn’t coming back home.”

“Steel?” Sentinel asked.

“Still driving her Pontiac, heading downtown. I’m following at a distance… there are no signs of her turning back.”

“Good.”

“If anything happens, I’ll cut the power and come get you out,” Charge said, from his hiding spot,  covering the back doo. near the fuse box.

“Thanks, mom, but I can handle myself,” she replied as sarcastic as she could deliver, taking a few steps forward into the unfamiliar living room.

“Focus. If this person is involved with Husk, then she’s a menace and it could get dangerous fast.”

“If she drives a Pontiac even with all of those native-American protests going that already makes her a menace, right?”
“What do you see?” Sentinel asked, rubbing his temples behind the van’s monitors, ignoring her comment.

The question would go unanswered for several tense minutes.

“Sunny?”

“I hate to disappoint, but I don’t see piles of corpses or living husks hooked to the ceiling like you said there would be, Marshal Sparkles.”

“Husk wouldn’t be so obvious in the middle of a residential area. This isn’t a sewage tunnel like last time,” Sentinel spoke, suddenly wishing he hadn’t, the revolting memories come back to his mind.

“This woman is classy. Wish my apartment looked half this good.”

“Focus,” Sentinel repeated.

“I am focused! Moving to the corridor… aaaand…”

“…”

“…and?” Charge asks, again the impatient one.

“And her bathroom has a bidet. I’m telling you guys, this is really upper-crust!”

Sentinel resisted the urge to curse at these kids as Charge laughed heartily on the other end.

“She’s stopping her car by a bar… she came out, and now… she’s looking for something in her trunk?” Steel pointed out

“Just a random bar?” Charge asked.

“It’s called Joels.”

“What kind of name is Joels?”

“I’m not going in to find out”

“The kitchen is nice too. I’m headed into the bedrooms.”

“I think there’s something fishy in that bar…”

“Keep the channel silent for Sunny and Steel, would you?” Sentinel interjected.
“Sorry.” Charge said.
“You can take your time, she’s not returning soon.” Steel said. “Left her car around the corner… I’ll park closer to the front door to see  when she comes out.”

“Alright, bedroom number one is… very weird.” Sunstream continued.

“Weird how?” Sentinel asked.

“Many posters… and there are CDs everywhere. She must be a real fan of the Blue Guys Group!.”

“The band?” Charge asked, confused

“Yeah, and these tattoo designs are just sick good…”

“When I said take your time, I didn’t mean check out her music!” Steel interrupted.

“Alright, alright! I’m moving to the next room.”

“Thank you.”

“Geez, I’m just looking for clues here…”

“We can discuss what bands Linda Goodman likes later.”

“Whatever, it’s not like you guys appreciate a…” She interrupted herself abruptly, letting out a sudden yelp.

“Are you ok?” Sentinel asked. “Come in Sunny!!!”
“That’s it, I’m going in” Charge let out after a couple of seconds passed, standing up and opening the fuse-box, ready to fry the circuit.

“No, wait. I’m fine” Sunstream voiced from her end

“Shit don’t scare us like that!” Charge complained.

“What did you find?”

“Steel… are you 100% sure you’re following Linda Goodman?” Sunstream asked.

“Positive. It’s definitely her, I even took pictures of her going into the bar.”

“Thing is… I’m standing right next to Linda Goodman as well.”

They all went silent, as the thing they were all fearing became a reality.

“Describe her for us,” Sentinel asked calmly.

“She’s in pretty bad shape… drained I don’t know what’s wrong with her…There are bruises everywhere, I think she’s unconscious…? She’s attached to a machine, I think it’s a respirator?”

“This confirms it. It’s what Husk does. They’re a shapechanger but they can’t take someone’s appearance without constant access to the base DNA. If she’s hooked to medical machines then there’s no telling how  long Husk has been replacing her for…” Sentinel pondered

“Don’t touch anything!” Charge warned

“Uh…oh.”

“What do you mean ‘oh’ ?” the Marshal asked

“I tried to see if she was awake… and I think I… triggered something?”

“Something like what?”

“An alarm…?”

“Get Goodman and come out of there right now!” Sentinel spoke in an urgent tone.

“Gotcha!” Sunstream huffed, seconds before as a large explosion shook the house, quickly putting the whole building in flames.

—

“Mierda!!!!” Charge let out a frustrated cry, taking a few steps back from the heat coming from the house. “Mierda, this is my fault! it, I’m coming in, I’m getting Sunny out!!”

But a blast blew up the back door before he could, Suntream jumping out of the raging inferno,  carrying the unconscious woman past a shocked Charge.

“SHIT! … I fucked up!” She yelled, still shielding Goodman with her body as she moved her away.

“She’s alive!” said Charge feeling her pulse. “Sentinel, call an ambulance”

“Already did Marshal”.

“I shouldn’t have…”

“Stop it. You didn’t fuck it up, Sunny you just saved this woman.
“I did?" 
"Definitely did… mierda that was a close call, are you alri…-? Eh… you never told us you were fireproof?”

“I… didn’t know?” Sunstream said looking at herself, only now realizing she didn’t even have a scratch on her.

“Well, now you know and it’s perfect! Now stay with her until the ambulance arrives, I’m going for my motorbike.”

“Alright, I’ll do it!” she said, slapping her own cheeks, trying to get herself back in the game.

“Suspect is coming out of the bar! On the run!”

“That’s definitely Husk and we tipped them off!.”

“I’ll be there in a second Steel!” Sentinel said, walking out of the van to take off “Just don’t lose that bastard.”

“I’m going to cut them on foot, stand between them and the car”
“Don’t let them get away guys!” Sunstream said while holding the real Linda Goodman in her arms.
“… what the…” Steel grunted, confused “There’s a crazy guy in a horse mask chasing Husk with an energy gun… wait no! Two crazies in horse masks!”
“Say again?”
“Husk just stole a motorbike! I’m getting back to my car!”


———Meanwhile——–
Joels
It makes you roll your eyes that they would just add an L and call it a day after the LDPD closed their previous establishment.

The bar offers diamante masks for anyone not already wearing one, a common courtesy in some of the old-fashioned villain bars. You politely reject the bouncer offering one, since the mask Anathema asked you to wear already covers all of your head.

Anathema also refuses, wearing the second horse-head mask they were carrying in their bag. Themmy’s is black and hairy with a small pink hat on top, while is white with a rainbow-colored unicorn horn.

“I really like these,” you say, pondering on how would you go around making it practical for a suit.

“Thanks. They’re leftovers from the last pride.”

“Pride?” you ask, confused.

“Eh?”

“Oh, right… the parade,” you say quickly, catching the thought fast enough to cover for your ignorance. “Where are we supposed to seat?”

“There” Themmy points out to a table on the far corner. “It’s reserved.”

The decor and music here are more vintage than Joes, but the bar has the same feel to it. And of course, there are Joes everywhere waiting tables and manning the bar, making your skin crawl when you remember them shooting you. Anathema promised they’d act as a human shield if need be, but you know it could get ugly if Joes figure who you are. Their Invulnerability can’t protect you from a dozen attackers.

The two of you make your way to the table without causing much more than a glance at the colorful masks, and Themmy orders some fries.

“She should be here in a few minutes.

You give them a single nod, looking for all the exits and scanning to see who might be a treat, as you wait.

“There’s Goodman!” Anathema announces after a few minutes pass, their mask looking at the woman by the door, also wearing a horse-head mask, this one brown, heading for your table.
“Wow. Nice detail with the masks.”

“I knew it would make us easier to identify each other.”
You scan at her mind directly now, quickly realizing that the core of her thoughts is protected. Familiar… you’ve definitely felt this woman’s mind before, and…

No, you have to be wrong…
She can’t be…
Is she…?
(!!!!)
“She’s Husk,” you whisper as the false Linda Goodman approaches
“WHAT?” Anathema gasps.

“I’m telling you that’s not Linda Goodman. It’s Husk taking her shape, I know that mind! What do we do?”
“Oh shit! Shit shit shit….” Themmy lets out. “Alright… we have to arrest her then? We need to capture her first.” they ponder, as Husk takes a seat in front of you.
“Good evening gentleme…-.” Husk’s words are cut off by the electric blast making them twitch and fall back limp on the chair.
“Done!” you tell Anathema, making sure anyone looking dismisses the sudden movement.
“… the fuck?” Themmy asks, confused, looking between the twitching Linda Goodman and the smoking energy gun in your hand, still pointing at her under the tablecloth. There’s a trick to shooting someone before they notice, a trick the farm taught you well.
“What did you do?”

“You told me to capture her?”

“I didn’t mean here you moron! How are we going to arrest her in a villain bar!” their whispering gets louder and louder.

“I don’t know!” you whisper back, cursing yourself for being an idiot. “I’m sorry!”
“Alright… Alright. Let’s… Let’s pretend she’s drunk or something..? And walk out with her and make the arrest outside.”

“Drunk? But she just got here?” you point out

“Got any better ideas?”

“No”

“Then help!”

“Alright… I’ll just try to make people not look at us.”
Themmy starts standing up, grasping for Linda…? No, Husks hand… And against all odds, she breaks free, springing to life like a viper and running for the door, faster than any human should be able to.

“After her!” Anathema hisses hiss, jumping over the fallen chair, you following closely behind, gun in hand as you topple a Joes over, the one that was bringing your fries to the ground.

All you can think about is how your handlers would NOT be amused about this fuckup of yours.
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My Fanfiction:https://chaniters.tumblr.com/post/181692759294/my-fanfiction-for-fallen-heroDISCLAIMER: This is a work of fan fiction using characters and the setting of the Fallen Hero: Rebirth and upcoming Fallen Hero: Retribution games written by Malin Riden. I do not claim ownership of any characters from the Fallen Hero world. These stories are a work of my imagination, and I do not ascribe them to the official story canon. These works are intended for entertainment outside the official storyline owned by the author. I am not profiting financially from the creation of these stories, and thank the author for his wonderful game/s, without which these works would not exist.