The Paragons

Chapter 4: Mode of Transportation

Meanwhile, on the L.I. high-rise's roof, The Crawler was locked in a wide-eyed stare at the massive aircraft situated in front of them. "Wow.....you never told me you owned a plane, boss!" he exclaimed with wonder. 

Duncan laughed. "Well, I haven't really had it for all that long yet....." 

"What do you mean? When did you get it? And how?" 

"It's.....a rather complicated story," the doctor confessed. "I'll wait until The Viper gets here before I talk about it. In the meantime, feel free to head inside and explore. It's very expansive in there.....just don't touch anything in the pilot's cabin until we're ready to take off, okay?" 

The mutant lizard nodded and ascended up the entry ramp into the aircraft, ready to check out everything it had to offer. At the same time, Duncan remained outside, ensuring that the plane was in flying condition and had enough fuel; they would be using it a lot tonight, after all. 

About ten minutes later, Duncan could just barely make out a swift, agile figure in the distance, swinging her way towards the building's roof. 

Yes.....I knew you'd win..... he thought, with a proud smile on his face. He watched The Viper in awe as she launched herself above the top of the high-rise, did two flips in midair, and landed perfectly on her feet. 

"Hey!" she greeted.

"Hey! Umm....do you always have to make such extravagant entrances? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for it; it's just something I was wondering." 

"Well, if I've got it, I might as well show it, you know?" the heroine replied. 

"True. I don't think I've met anyone as agile and graceful as you. Then again, at least part of your roots are in another dimension, so I suppose that's to be expected. You are.....?" 

"A mutant-Opulent hybrid," The Viper reminded him. She then looked at the massive aircraft next to them which took up most of the roof's space. "So.....I take it this is what we're using to travel the country and find the other three heroes.....?" 

"Right!" Duncan responded as he proudly tapped the hull twice. "Isn't she a beauty?" 

"Definitely. It's so big....." 

"That it is. The inside is so spacious, it's like a home away from home!" 

"When did you get it?" 

"Ahhh, yes! I promised The Crawler that I'd tell him about it, too." He hit the hull again to alert his assistant. "Hey, Crawler! Can you come here for a second? The Viper's here!" 

The reptilian walked back down the entry ramp and joined his boss at his side as Duncan began explaining the origins of the plane. 

"I don't think I've told either of you this yet, but about 1.5 years into my 2.5 year prison sentence, Commissioner Marvin granted me a temporary release in order to help someone from Seattle, Washington named James Markovsky, a.k.a. Powerhouse---as well as his partner, Fritz Fornwright---in taking down a notorious sex trafficking ring that used the Avian Wing brothel as a front, after I learned that some rogue Crimson Skulls had their hand in it even after they had supposedly disbanded following my arrest. Although we recruited several allies to our side, some didn't make it out alive. Fritz, James's best friend, was the original owner of this aircraft, and we used it extensively during our mission to take down the Avian Wing. But...." Duncan took a deep breath. "He died fighting Jerry 'The Ibis' Gigliotti, the corrupt leader of the brothel."