Splinterbark: Chaos of the Coyote Crew

Chapter 2: The Season Pilot Heist

Shelly was not even sure why she was out here. It was Halloween night and while normally she would be more than happy to fully deck out and go on candy hunts-this year her heart just wasn't in it. With everything that had happened she hadn't even dressed the house for the season. Reed had kept trying to give her back the goggles and each time she shoved them right back into his hands. Frix grumbled and complained the entire time.

"That is not now this works, Shelly", he would start ranting. She and Frix were connected and the gem in those goggles were attuned specifically to her. Even if Reed had found a new partner, the gem would not respond to anyone but Shelly.

"Where was all that bravado from before eh? I thought supers were your life. I thought this was something you wanted!" Shelly had no real response for that. Eventually it would end up with her shoving Frix in the closet so she could get some darn sleep.

Tonight something told her she had to just go out. She told her parents that she was just going to check out the decorations in her neighborhood and return shortly. Walking down the road she saw all the numerous costumes of the kids. Her area was a high traffic area for trick or treaters. She had seen the costumes of the latest films and a few Golden Guardian rip-offs. Shelly had a feeling the Silver Guardian was seeing this as well and was probably sulking about it somewhere. As if the fates had decided to respond to her musing, Shelly chanced to see a flash of grey and white above her. Sure enough she watched as the Silver Guardian was flying just high enough to not be spotted easily. So he was trying to do the same candy hunt the Golden Guardian had done. She tried to not laugh at how pathetic but admirable his efforts were to get affection from this city. Well, she had been practically avoiding him for weeks-she might as well at least say hello.

Someone else beaten her to the greeting. She saw a little girl dressed in a makeshift Silver Guardian costume with cardboard wings covered in aluminum foil had had a pair of water squirters painted in white and gold at her hands. Shelly had to stifle her chuckle seeing Silver's embarrassment. He wasn't so bad-if he could do something with that temper of his.

"Let's head back home Frix. Frix? Now where did that bug go this time?" Shelly quietly hissed out for Frix just loud enough he could near, but not loud enough that she sounded like a loony. He could not have gotten far since he was tethered to her position. Shelly was just about to turn the corner when Frix darted right back at her and hid himself inside her hood. She was just about to ask when the growing scuttling sound answered her question. A beast the size of a cow had pulled itself through the wide storm drain in front of the large haunted house. The creature gurgled and clicked as it stretched out its full form before the crowd. At first everything thought it has one of the haunted house's elaborate illusions and some screamed but most booed and clapped. The reaction from the monster responded otherwise. Its throat swelled up and upchucked a morass of slime at the crowd.

The beast began to approach those it had managed to capture and raised its tongue above its prey. Among the screaming people it slowly sniffed and huffed, but seemed dissatisfied with its potential meals. The creature had heaved itself onto the roof and began to scan its surroundings. That thing was frantically looking around at the other buildings as if searching for something specific. Shelly had a vague idea what it was trying to do. A beast like this meant Hunter had to be nearby somewhere. She did not have much time to dwell on it when she saw the Silver Guardian appearing around the corner. She watched the angel battle the beast before it caught him in between two telephone poles and pinned him down. She saw the red haze envelop the hero and the monster greedily inhaling it in. Suddenly Frix shoved Shelly's googles in her hands. The things were coated in slime and the sprite was having trouble flying and keeping the eyewear aloft.