Super Blogger

27. 'WHERE IS ARCHER?'

Charging to the balcony, I leaped off, fired the thrusters on my boots, and blasted into the night sky.

My hoodie flapped to the air's currents and its chill pricked my skin.

Like a heat-seeking missile, I crisscrossed the streets of New Chronos, searching for any crime in progress.

If I had to pummel every thug in this crime-ridden city to find out Archer's location, then so be it.

"Help!" A scream drew my attention.

I paused in mid-flight and retraced to the source of the voice, coming up at a dark alley where two hooded figures clasping baseball bats, were cornering a boy.

"Save your screaming for when the beating starts," One of them snorted. " Or do you think Tekeon is everywhere at the same time?"

"Hey!" I bellowed, causing their heads to spin in my direction. "Pick on someone who's ready for a fight, otherwise you're the real coward."

They grunted and the taller one snarled. "Who do you think you are? Some wannabe superhero?"

Immediately, they drew out revolvers but it's fair to say I had trained my reaction time more than they could imagine.

Their guns were already flying off their hands when I blasted them with low-intensity electron beams; fast enough to knock them off their feet but not hot enough to singe their skins.

Before they could get up, I swooped in and scooped them up by their collars, pinning them to the wall. A gruesome crack came from their backs as they 'oomphed' in pain.

I tightened my hold. "I'm your worst nightmare." Fear was engraved in their eyes. "Now, you're going to tell me where to find Alain Archer like your lives depend on it."

The shorter one whimpered. "We ain't know where Archer is, I swear!"

"We're just new recruits," the other added. "But the higher up might know something."

From the corner of my eyes, I watched the formerly cornered boy scram. Focusing my glare on the men in front of me, I recognized they had grey headbands with some wacky symbols on them.

Grey...

"Hybrid Cloak?" They nodded affirmatively. "Where's your hideout?"

***

The rundown apartment building loomed up ahead. I was flying to close the distance and the closer I got, the more my blood boiled.

At the front door, two men in grey suits ripped off their shades and squinted up in my direction.
Whether they mistook me for a shooting star wasn't my concern, it was whether they knew what they signed up for.

Like a meteor from the sky, I descended in front of them. The first one whipped out a handgun from within his suit but my beam got to him before he could even aim. He crashed through the front door, making way for me.

The second one had his hand inside his suit but he hesitated. I cracked my neck as I approached him.

"Is Zen home?"

He attempted to thrust out his hand but I grabbed him by the neck and gave him a choke slam. My grip on his neck loosened when I crouched to stare him in the eye.

"Answer me."

He coughed hard. "Zen is on the top floor," a wheeze followed. "You...are foolish for drawing attention, now all the boys are coming out to spray your bloody soul with bullets."

"Is that a challenge?" I knocked him out with a punch.

Cueing an action-themed orchestra in my head, I rose from my crouch.