Vulcan: Soldier of Fire

Chapter 3: Not Your Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman

        Streets of Metana Capital City

        Vulcan whistled down the street. He was in a good mood. Him and Teresa had decided to stay on Metana for a while. Meanwhile, he was going to visit some old friends.

        The alleys were filled with wrong. Drug dealers, killers, prostitutes, rapists. Which is why he was snooping around them this afternoon. He was bound to find her.

        "Her" was a beautiful Metanoid named Jaya Farkyx. She cut her hair short and worked for the Black Eagle club. When there was a Black Eagle club. About a week ago ('bout a week ago, week ago). Her life of a stripper and prostitute had been exciting enough. But now, if Vulcan knew anything about his friend, she would be a street hooker now. And many men would flock to her services.

        Vulcan headed down an alley. The walls of the buildings on either side of it were covered in spraypaint. Obscene gestures, inappropriate pictures, grotesque slang. But that wasn't why he went down there.

        The reason he went down there was what was at the end of the alley.

        There, a man shoved a Metanoid woman to the ground. "You think I'll pay you bitch? That service wasn't worth the fi'ty bucks I'm supposed to owe you."

        The woman sneered at him. Her jeans were ripped and her bra was exposed by the open leather jacket she wore. "Pay up asshole. My pimp will get you, so why not save yourself a lot of trouble?"

        The man pulled out a knife. "Ain't so tough as you think. Now I'm gonna carve you a new face!"

        The woman pleaded. "God no! Please - AAAAAHHH!!!!!!"

        Vulcan had seen enough. "Pay up, bastard."

        The man turned. "Whatcha gonna do about it, buddy?" He held up his weapon. "I got a knife!"

        "I have fire."

        The man laughed. "Whatcha gonna try? Flick a Bic at me?Bwuhahahahaha!!!!!!!!!"

        Vulcan smirked and put arm out, palm forward. "Boom."

        Fiery mist spread form his hands and to the man's jacket. The piece of clothing immediately burst into flame. "Gaaaaaaaaaah!"

        He ran out of the alley, the fire spreading onto his head and legs. Vulcan didn't give it a second thought and knelt next to the woman. "You knwo, we gotta stop meetin' like this."

        "If you would let me move in with you, we wouldn't have to." She took Vulcan's hand and stood up. They hugged.

        "Missed you Jaya."

        "Missed you too, big guy." Jaya stepped away from him and smiled. "How are you holding up?"

        "Okay, I guess. I got a girlfriend." Vulcan smirked.

        "Nice." Jaya walked with him out of the alley. "She cute?"

        "Beautiful."

        "What race?"

        "Smilodonian."

        "Double hitter." Jaya took Vulcan's arm. "I always liked their soft fur."

        "Maybe join us sometime, my bisexual friend." Vulcan looked around. "You still live at the same place?"

        "Nah, moved to a better part of town. Closer to the palace."

        "Then what the hell are you doin' out here?" Vulcan's eyebrows pursed together.

        "Gotta pay for law school somehow." Jaya shrugged.

        "Don't gotta do it by putting you body parts on some guy's dong."

        "I don't mind. Besides, it's somewhat entertaining and I'm not in any relationships right now." Jaya smiled, but Vulcan had fought enough wars for others to know that she really was hurting inside.

        He put his arm around her shoulder. "Closer to the palace, huh? Well, President Mercane should be happy to see me."

        "Lol, big guy. He sees you in town and we're likely to have a Royal SWAT team on our door with every cop in the city as back-up."

        X

        Jaya's apartment

        Jaya drank once again from the bottle of alcohol he and Vulcan shared. The past six hours had been spent catching up. Vulcan had been saddened to find out his old friend had degenerated into a broken, alcoholic woman. That much was eviden by the shape her apartment was in and the stash of alcohol in the kitchen. 

        "And so, he takes half of all the money I make. And it isn't fair! He's not the one fucking all those guys and girls!!!!! I can't pay off law school with him taking my bucks to buy drugs or whatever!!!!!!"

        Vulcan put a hand on her arm. "It's okay. I'll straighten this out."

        Jaya's tears stained her pink bra. "Could you do that? I mean, get him, convince him?"

        "Trust me Jaya, I have a way with people you won't get from anyone else." Vulcan stood. "I'll see you soon."

        X

        Stalker Syndicate Headquarters

        The enforcers looked in surprise at the man who blatantly walked onto their turf. "Hey, yo mista! This is Stalker's territory!!"

        Vulcan waved casually. "I want to talk with your boss."

        "Yeah, well he's fuckin' six hookers upstairs right now, so get!"

         Vulcan smiled. "Kid, I'm in no mood for games."

        Blasts of kinetic fire enveloped the doorway. The men burned and their weapons clattered to the ground. "That'll teach you to respect you elders."

        He kicked in the door. It's jamb was burnt a dark black. Several more guards came down the stairs after the commotion. "Hey, what the - "

        Blazing hot flames licked their skin and they screamed in agony. Vulcan proceeded up the stairs. The wooden platforms were damaged heavily. Despite the fact that it was dangerously close to the palace, the syndicate's headquarters seemed to be thriving in buisness.

        He lit his entire body on fire and he flew up to the second floor. Gaurds screamed in terror as the flaming figure rained super-heated death upon them. The flaming bolts turned juggernaut-like henchmen to piles of stinking ash. 

        Several men opened fire with automatic weapons. The bullets came waaayyyyy to fast for Vulcan to dodge them all. Several pounded into his chest. His breathing momentarily disappeared, as he fell to the ground, receding back to his human form.

        One of the men, painfully obviously a cyborg, leaned over him, pointing a high-power slug-throwing automatic pistol at him. "Who are you? Where do you come from?" His robotic voice had a slight Jamaican accent. 

        Vulcan brought himself to his knees and gave a saddistic chuckle. "Not your friendly neighborhood Spiderman."

        The air was suddenly superheated in an instant. The men flew backwards. Vulcan stood. "The day scum like you can threaten me, is the day I'd rather God kill me!!!!!!!!!!!"

        The men tried to run, but were immediately slaughtered by fireballs. Vulcan stepped around the corner and walked into a room. A tall black man stood dressed in a towel. Several women stood around her. "Hello sir, ma'ams. My name is Vulcan. You are dead."

        He turned around and walked away as they burned in agony.