Thrilling Adventure Episode 1 Read online

Scarlet Tie had never expended himself this long.

  Weary, his reflexes became slower. The incoming thrust aimed at his chest wouldn’t incite a fast enough reaction from his tired frame. Safety came from the small boy that tackled the creature’s side. Its body smacking the pavement first, ending in a screeching halt. Key-Master pulled up beside Scarlet Tie in the exo-suit he built. Its wheels providing speed to get in and out of harm’s way.

  “You must be that masked man from Cleveland, stay back. Allow us to handle this…”

  Scarlet Tie wanted to speak, to express his confusion at the two strangers. Not enough strength remained in his body to make the action possible. Key-Master charged in, striking the beast in the side with the power provided by his exo-suit. To keep it off balance. Tyke came in striking the creature to distract. The computers in his exo-suit ran a full DNA analysis to determine the problem. The read out made Key-Master grit his teeth. The regenerative formula had a delayed mutation effect changing the black rhino DNA beyond its original design. It was running on rage caused by carry over memories from the original and last black rhino.

  “Tyke, we need to subdue this animal. Keep it busy so I can figure out a way to neutralize it.”

  “You got it boss!”

  Tyke charged into the belly of the monster, tossing it over his head. Its horn driven straight into the pavement. It flailed wildly. Its hands caught purchase of the paved street and it jerked its horn out of the hole. Tyke stuck out his tongue to antagonize.

  The next charge went past the vaulting Tyke. It dug its heels in to stop itself. Turning, it charged and charged. Missing, feeding its temperamental state. Tyke turned, bent over and smacked his backside. Key-Master watched the child with a mixture of annoyance and frustration.

  The work he did on the hud focused on a cure. To stabilize and hopefully reverse the mutation. Key-Master run afoul of multiple problems. The creature mutated at an accelerated rate due to adrenaline surges. Coming up with a cure become an impossibility until they could subdue and wind down the creature. Key-Master shifted priorities to make a sedative to calm the monster. With it calm, the mutations would slow. A cure could be more feasible with the change in mood.

  “Tyke,” said Key-Master. “I’m preparing something. Get ready to disengage.”

  Scarlet Tie sat on the pavement. Collecting himself. He stood up feeling a bit better. He listened to the exchanges between the two that came to his aid. Not certain what they had planned. Scarlet Tie looked around for a measure to slow the beast. To keep it corralled until a plan could be conceived.

  The extended parking garage still being worked on had wet concrete not yet hardened. The workers only got off a few hours ago. Scarlet Tie appeared next to Tyke, spooking the child at first.

  “Help me direct him over to where the extended parking garage is being built.”

  “Why?” asked Tyke.

  “Just trust me!” Scarlet Tie said, pushing the boy out of harm’s way. He stepped between where he was to where he stood in front of the wet concrete. Tyke jumped, a couple of frog-like leaps to stand beside the Scarlet Tie. The angered behemoth charged. Scarlet Tie counted to five, picked Tyke up, and moved to where Key-Master stood. The black rhino mutate could not stop. It slid right into the wet concrete. Its feet becoming stuck. A blast of heat hardened the wet concrete, buying time for Key-Master to finish the sedative formula.

  “No, this is bad!”

  “What’s happening now?”

  “The Rhino Morph is mutating again!”

  Scarlet Tie saw the rhino morph secrete ooze from its pores that dissolved the concrete on its feet. The rhino morph leaped free, coming down with a shockwave and dust carried by the wind. Scarlet Tie saw Tyke charge forward.

  “That boy is suicidal.”

  “Don’t mistake Tyke’s bravery for stupidity,” said Key-Master. His fingers stroking keys fast to work out the right compound combination in the sedative to halt the rhino morph’s mutation and put it to sleep. “Adrenaline is feeding its adapting capability, if I work in a adrenaline inhibitor like so…”

  Tyke’s small frame flew by Scarlet Tie and Key-Master, bouncing off the pavement. Sliding to a stop, Tyke appeared to be out of the fight.

  “If you don’t hurry up, we are going to be like your friend.”

  “I need another moment, you have powers, Do something!”

  What can I do? It changes to combat whatever is thrown its way.

  The snarl, thundering footsteps snapped Scarlet Tie out of his self-counsel. He moved out of the way. Reappearing on the other side of the beast. The rhino morph dug its hands into the ground, turning around to successfully gore those in its way.

  Scarlet Tie saw the path the rhino morph headed, its horn aimed right at the heart of Key-Master. Scarlet Tie touched Key-Master moving him through the planes of reality and stopping a good forty five feet behind it. If Key-Master noticed the event, he didn’t show it. Scarlet Tie wiped the sweat off the top of his head. His exhaustion would be the death of them yet.

  “GOT IT!” shouted Key-Master in excitement. He aligned the projectile launcher over the exo-suit’s right shoulder. Firing six dart like fluid filled missiles. Each penetrated the hide of the creature.   Its eyes glazed over, wobbly on its feet. It feel over, still, loud snores could be heard.

  “Thank god,” said Scarlet Tie. “It’s over.”

  “Tyke, are you okay?” asked Key-Master examining his side kick. “You took quite a pounding by that beast.”

  “I--I’ll be fine boss. I just need some rest when we get home.”

  “What will you do with him, she, it?”

  Key-Master pressed a stud on the exo-suit. Energy gathered around the rhino morph, forming a solid energy cage.

  “I’m going to try and figure what happened. What caused it to mutate beyond its…”

  “Fine, whatever.”

  Scarlet Tie walked away, back toward the main hospital. Key-Master watched him. His feelings obscured by his mask.

  -

  Terrell supervised the procedure to save the mayor of New Detroit’s life. Making sure that no mistakes were made. He had four hours of rest after last night. Still feeling exhausted. If not for the mayor’s request, he would have slept in. The two costumes he meet last night surprised him. Their help proved beneficial and crazy. Something about the masked man made Terrell feel at unease.

  The boy, he saw innocence and a strong desire to prove himself.

  The man’s cold attitude about everything. It made Terrell wonder if he would be dangerous. If so, did the child know?

  Terrell pushed the thoughts away. Monitoring the mayor’s blood pressure in the observing room. The monitors showed his vitals. Three technicians were with Terrell.

  Several hours passed, the mayor came out of it okay. The doctor would watch over the recovery. Allowing Terrell to get some rest, eat, and book a flight home.

  The thought of the two people he meet still nagging at him during his preparations.

  -

  Kirk examined the rhino morph in his more sophisticated lab in the keyhole. Checking its dna, the growth accelerant he added to its genetic make up worked too well. Frustration gnawed at him, he didn’t want to create more problems. Only solutions.

  Tyke watched Kirk from the balcony above. Staying quiet so Kirk would not notice him. He worried that Kirk needlessly blamed himself for what happened.

  “You are a good man,” said Tyke in a low voice. “don’t blame yourself…”

  “How, how did this experiment go so horribly wrong!” Kirk shoved the notes he kept onto the floor along with the vials of liquids. The notes drenched. He slammed his fists down on the table several times. Calming down after freeing his frustration.

  Kirk slid down onto his knees, his head pressed against the cupboards. He had his hands against the cupboard doors. Remaining like that until he collected himself. Picking up his mess and disposing of it. Kirk went to writing new notes, working out a different str
ategy for growing extinct organisms.

  -

  Terrell checked on the mayor the next morning. Bandages on his arms and ribs concealed by his clothes. He couldn’t conceal the swollen cheek of his face.

  “All of the results seem to be coming back positive.”

  “So he’ll pull through?”

  “With time, he has to adapt to the physical therapy and get his strength back first.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Gibbs. I don’t know what my husband and I would do without you.”

  “No problem, if you will excuse me. I need to speak to the primary one last time before I go.”

  Terrell shut the door behind him. Wincing from the pain of his injuries. He wondered where the other masked man took that mutation, if it would go on another rampage. Not like he didn’t already have a enough on his plate with his own city.

  The SAG organization (Saints Against Gays) were attacking every outed LGBT persons, injuring them to the point of severe damage or death. The CMPD kept looking the other way while the crimes continued. Terrell would need all of his strength and cunning to stop these abuses of civil rights.

  Terrell walked down the hall. To have his last briefing with the primary doctor in