Ahndrian Archives

Dust billowed out, blanketing the back alley. The bright blaze of neon lights may have been muted, but they still surged through. The entire city outside of the darkened alley seemed to sing with life, as electric as the energy that powered it.

The dust began to settle, and images of dancing silhouettes cut their way through the earthen veil. One of the shadows, larger than the rest, bent forward, crouched with its fist to the ground. The colossus stood. Falling particles of dust rushed toward the shape, covering its large physique. Now visible, this being was a mass of gnarled muscle. A crater lay down below, the victim of its rage.

“You do know taxpayer money’s gonna have to fix that, right?” a voice from the shadows spoke. The source of this voice stepped forth into the dim hoverlights above. His face wasn’t fully illuminated; a half-mask covered his mouth and nose. But what could be seen fully was the crop of braided, almost obscenely red hair.

“Poor taxpayers,” another voice seemed to come from nowhere as a third figure appeared.

The red-haired figure was clad in urban wear: baggy black shorts with neon red cords dangling from them, a form-fitting hooded track jacket, and a pair of what could only be the newest shoes. However, this new person wore a tight cobalt bodysuit, almost black in the low light, fitted with high-tech gear. The mask he donned covered his entire face, its front an almost translucent and glossy green.

“Red. I already told you I don’t want no trouble,” the colossus groaned out into the cool night air.

A salvo of fire showered the giant man, searing against his stone-covered skin. The smell of charred earth and singed flesh wafted through the alley. The goliath roared, tearing toward the masked men, murderous intent bleeding outward.

Red held his right hand out, pointer finger and thumb extended like a gun. Sparks of flames crackled to life at his fingertip, blasting off towards the towering assailant. His comrade dashed off to the left; he was lithe and fast like an animal, not much more than a blur.

The fire sputtered out against the coming rockflesh; the goliath lifted his broad arm and swung wide. Red dropped just before getting brained and rolled forward. He was on his feet in no time, shuffling away to turn and face his foe’s back.

“Zephyr, now!” Red cried out. The speedster came out of the dark, dropping into a crouch of his own.

“Try this out, Dustbowl,” Zephyr yelled. His fists shot out over and over and began to buffet against the giant’s bare stone-like torso.

“I told you that’s not my name,” Dustbowl gurgled out and tried to catch his annoyance in a vice grip. This was Red’s chance.

He dashed forth and leapt, kicking off of Dustbowl’s large back. His arms reached out towards the ledge of a nearby building. An immense pressure locked down on Red’s leg. Dustbowl had recovered in enough time to strike out and get ahold of the cocky youth. The goliath slammed the boy down on the ground.

“Fuck,” he cried out, his bones whining and cracking in unison.

Dustbowl raised his hands above his head, intertwining his fingers, and began to come down.

“Red!” Zephyr shouted as he raced in to help. But he knew there was no way he’d make it in time. He had backed too far away.

The giant fists landed with a loud, reverberating thud. But what they met was not their target. Instead, the fists had collided with a glowing green barrier; tiny hexagons comprised it like the compound eye of a flying insect.

A large shadow, illuminated by the same green light of the barrier, surged forward from the other side of the alley, knocking into Dustbowl. The two giant shapes grappled with one another while Zephyr rushed to aid his fallen comrade.

“Where does it hurt, buddy?” was one of the questions Red could make out as the speedster released a rapid-fire of them.

“Everywhere, you idiot,” he managed to wheeze out.

“Well, I guess it’s a good thing I’m here then, huh, boys?” The voice had come from above. A young woman hopped down from the same building Red had been trying to get to earlier. Though dim, the lights shone off of her bright green hair. She raised her hand, glowing with brilliant golden light, above the battered hero.

“Ugh,” Red whined out between clenched teeth. His skin writhed. Unsettling clicks and snaps could be heard as his bones fit back together and mended themselves. Zephyr shivered at the process.

The two men still raged against each other close to the mouth of the alleyway. Dustbowl crossed his arms to protect against the assault of punches from his newest assailant.

“That’s right! Get his punk-ass, Scale!” Zephyr cheered trying to distract himself from the healing.

Scale went in with a right hook. It was so straightforward that anyone could’ve seen it coming from a mile away. Dustbowl prepared to counter. But he didn’t see the southpaw attack from his left. Scale clubbed him against his temple. The force caused the stone-skinned giant to tumble to the side; he was wide open. Scale grabbed him, pulling him around. A barrier formed right in his path and he slammed the huge man against it with all of his might.

“Tough bastard,” Scale spat. Even though Dustbowl had collapsed to the ground, he was already trying to wrestle free from the hold his opponent had locked him in, “Cure! You got anything to help big boy over here calm down?”

The green-haired woman made her way over from where Zephyr was helping Red to his feet. She unholstered a device from her side and stuck it to the writhing giant’s forehead. Glowing and popping electricity streamed out; Dustbowl convulsed, his limbs wiggled out in a perverse dance before falling completely still.

“That should take care of him for a while,” she said while putting away the weapon.

Zephyr put his hand to the side of his mask, listening intently, and said, “We got company incoming, folks, time to go.” He dashed away, leaving his comrades trudging behind. A smooth black vehicle awaited them a few blocks away. Zephyr had it started and ready to go. The dark vehicle sped away into the bright lights of the city.