Sparks and Bullets

Star Sign

I woke to the blindingly white ceiling of the Hero HQ med bay. My head thumping and muscles aching madly.

"She's awake! come quickly." Worried voice of my mother called out.

I slowly tried to sit up but gave up to the complaints of my muscles. Instead I lay still staring at the ceiling.

"I wouldn't try sitting up yet my darling." Said the serious voice of Dr Charm. "Here let me move the bed up for you."

A chorus of electric motors whizzing away lifted the bed, raising me up towards the ceiling.

"Ahh wrong button." Said Dr Charm stopping the bed from raising further and instead raising the top half of the bed. Familiar green curtains gradually came into view, followed by my mother and Dr Charm.

"I am so glad you are OK Poppy, how do you feel? What even happened out there??" Asked my tearful mother, squeezing the air from me.

"Ow ow ow let go first." I wheezed, immediately she let go, leaving a hand on my arm. "I'm fine, just achy."

"Thank god when I heard you were being rushed here I had a heart attack. I got here as fast as I could." Tears formed in her eyes. "That's the last time I'll leave you with that Sparks fella."

"How is Sparks?" I asked Dr Charm, suddenly worried, hoping he really was fine.

"That idiot is fine, he was discharged a short while ago." He informed me, sneering at the thought of him. "More importantly we need to know what happened there, where is the Emperor?"

"What!? He was there, I knocked him unconscious." I exclaimed, terrified. That mad man is still out there!

"When we got there, all we found was you, Sparks, Dragon, Warp and Death's door. It looked like there had been a big fight." He explained.

"You have to find that mad man, The Emperor!" I said, almost stumbling over my own words. "He.."

"We know what he did. The Commissioner told us everything." Dr Charm interrupted. "We are searching for him, but so far no luck, so you need to tell us exactly what happened there."

I told him everything, explaining it all, in as much detail as I could.

"Thank you, I'm sure this will help. I should let you rest now after all you'll have a lot of visitors later." He said.

"I will see you later darling." Said my mother kissing me on the forehead. "And nice one getting both that guy I met at yours and Dr Charm, you are my daughter after all. Get some rest ok." She added whispering.

"It's not like that ..urrggghhh what's the point?" I sighed, realising my explanation wouldn't get through to her anyway.

They both left, leaving me my thoughts and the controller for my bed. Probably best get a bit of rest I thought, closing my eyes and trying to drift off.

A while later, I was woken from my light sleep by the sound of the green curtain moving.

"Are you awake?" Asked Barry as he stepped softly into the cubicle.

"Yes, glad to see you are ok Barry, I hit you quite hard after all." I smiled inviting him in.

"Yes I'm fine, Dr charm fixed my shoulder, so I've only got a small fist shaped bruise on my back." He answered, rubbing the bruise.

"Sorry about that." I apologised.

"No I should thank you, you did break me from that horrible man's control."

"What about the others, Warp and Dragon?"

"They are fine, Warp's already back on active duty and Dragon is visiting family up north. All thanks to Dr Charm, just a shame he can't do anything about fatigue. I'm still achey and don't even remember what happened."