The Power Stones

(8) Steven's story

"Who are you?" questioned Alex. She was staring down at what appeared to be a human wearing a wetsuit with a sort of motorcycle helmet with a large screen on it. The assassin's weapon had been smashed in the fight and was now shooting out sparks as it lay motionless on the floor. The weapon looks like a handle with a button on it and when the user activates it would become a beam of light taking the form of any weapon the user chose.

Alex had decided to leave the scrap yard in hopes of taking the horn of the golden bull being showcased at the national art museum for one week only. She had only just set to work on opening the display case when two dark figures jumped on top of her leaping out from the shadows. She rolled over, knocking one off, right as the other tried to taser her. She immediately jumped up and ran for the stairwell.

She had a head start but her pursuers were close behind. She was now on the roof and was cornered. "Ok, you guys may be faster but let's see how you do in a fist fight." She said to the two phantoms. She was pugnacious and ready for a fight. Instead of jumping at her they simply took a long shiny eccentric cylinder from their belts. "What's that, A flashlight!" she said with a mocking voice, "What are you going to do, blind me?". With that the first figure nodded and the second like ways. THe two figures then pressed a hidden button and two light green blades appeared.

The first quickly cut through a large antenna cutting it instantly. "Well, when you put it that way..." She began but she was cut off by one of them leaping at her, she dogged it, only getting signed by the blade. She patted the hot area of her coat. "Hey, this is vintage!" Alex then ran up to the next goon and lid on her news between their legs and snagged an extra saber from the belt.

"Lets see how you like this eh!" She then fingered at the device and it turned on shooting a bright beam of light. "That" began the goon who had now turned around, "Would be my flashlight..." Alex chucked the object at their face, cracking their viser and knocking them out. "intuitive ." said the second. "I'm not as innocuous as you thought eh?" "Come with me, you are to be taken to headquarters and questioned immediately." He stated. "Why should I take orders from you?" "Because, I'm your key to the past."

"You mean?" she began "The fire, yes" he cut her off. "Wanna know something?" she said a plan begging to form in her brain. "What?" said the figure. "I never looked back" The shadow was hurt by these words, letting his guard down long enough for Alex to charge tackle him to the floor wrenching the tool from his hand. She then kicked it followed by a belated explosion. "How come its destination was delayed?" She questioned her prisoner who she sat on top of pinning down.

"Stander defense, it blows when it is out of its user proximity for more than 4 seconds." "So I did not destroy it with my kick?" she said disappointedly "Fraid not." "Who are you?" questioned Alex. "Don't you recognize me?" "It's kind of hard to recognize someone in a motorcycle helmet as they try to take you out." "Let me help with that." from somewhere inside the suit came a hissing noise and the mask fell away. "Steven!" shrieked Alex. "Yes" He said "what happened to you?" she questioned. "Let me tell you a story" And with that Steven began to tell Alex the story of TOAD and how it accrued.

"Many years ago in a secret mountain base two scientists, husband and wife, worked together on a top secret mission to create human super soldiers. They lived there with their five year old only child, a girl. Long story short the base was compromised and eminem troops floodied the building. They killed one of the two and the other ran off to the core of the building to destroy the work to keep it from them, leaving the girl behind, and she wandered off only to be found and taken to the core where her father was trying to destroy his work.

They tried to use her as a compromise to keep him from destroying it all but they were too late. The entire lab was destroyed in the blast. The child was flung from her captures and smashed into an energy core that would theartectly give superhuman strength. It now only did that but much much more. She could fly,control fire and make any weapon she chose out of thin air." "Wait just a second!" said Alex, cutting him off, "her smashing into a giant energy core made her superman?" "Basically, any ways" "You know what, just skip childhood, skip to where this involves me!" "but it already does... Fine, skip all of her childhood she grew up to be a hardened villain." "Wait, just like that? Seems like you missed something don't you think?" You asked to skip her childhood." "Fine, tell the whole story." "Ok then, She had to grow up on the streets, stealing and surviving on whatever she could get her hands on.

"How bout this, say her childhood but fast." "Aggg, fine, Has friend, friend died, anger issues goes on rampage." Steven took a deep breath "Meats guys, falls in love, gets married, guy gets shot and wasn't able to save him, leaves only son behind to go avenge the father, gets in trouble with the military and is captured. Whew, I need a little air, ok. Breaks free, goes on another rampage, uses powers and a gullible best friend to build an army of robots to take over the city." "hold up" she once again cut him off, "This seems to be huge, how did I never hear about this?" "One, it was twenty years ago, and two, it was kept very hush hush."

"Okay, procide." The people were disconsolate with no end to this teraism in sight when the son teamed up with another warrier he found on the streets, a former gang member and together they overthrow the mom but as it turns out all the radiation from the explosion had made a second side to her and losing it from the loss caused it to take over her and in the fight her power was extracted from her along with the second side. The two who passed through her decided there should be an organization against such threats so they started toad.''

"Ok, but I missed the part where this ties into the fire from five years ago?" "I was getting there, anywho the founders of Toad forgot to tie up loose ends and before they could get around to disposing of the robots they were all taken by an unknown third party. Using these robots they have committed many crimes and theft across the globe making your little operation look like an insect on the ground." "I resent that, plus it's taken your little toad a while to squash this "Little Bug"".

"Well, we believe that your parents somehow got involved in this organization that we refer to as Shark. When your parents failed to hold down their end of the bargen Shark moved in to tie down loose ends." "So what does this have to do with me?" Asked Alex who didn't know what to do with this new information, she had reached her full gamut of emotions. "We've been tracking you and decided that you are perfect to help us take down shark before they can complete their machination." "What's their plan?" We don't know yet but based on their past activity we can only guess that it's something big.""What do I gain from this?" she asked, "Well, avenging your family I guess, experience?" "See! That's the problem, I've moved on from that. The past is the past." "And only we can change the future." "Look,I don't need to be savant and learn your tricks, I'm content with my currerent, but I'll think about it. But don't get your hopes up." "I dont think thats how this work..'' But before he could finish she interrupted him for the last time and jumped off the building into the starry night. "She will come around, eventually." And with that he turned to go attend to Agent Z who was still lying unconscious.