Polekitty/not-so-secret origin part3
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
Rhonda stood wide eyed, frozen at the sight of the robed cultists and the large demonic things rushing towards her. As Raym screamed for her to run she started to turn, only to catch her foot against a rock on the top of the hill, tumbling backwards landing with a painful thump on her rear. This seemed to shock her out of her momentary freeze, just as one of the cultists pulled a wicked looking blade from under his robes. 'that thing hits me ah'm dead ' she thought, raising her hand in a futile gesture to protect herself.
“Now you pay intruders!” he screamed as the blade came down, and whiffed past her ineffectually. He frowned and swung again, his face wrinkling up as if he smelled something really, REALLY bad, 55 gallon drum of tomato juice to get rid of the smell bad. The green cloud of something swirling around him and most of the other cultists made their carefully aimed shots go wild. This also had the effect of all of them turning their attention on her, sword swings and fireballs passing her without hitting.
Raym blinked at the sudden change “how are are you doing that?”
“Ah dunno!”
“Well however or whatever it is, don't stop!” She didn't waste time as the Thorns turned into the gang that couldn't shoot straight, turning to the large hooved demon-thing she concentrated, muttering to herself quietly. It turned from Rhonda and let fly with a huge fireball right into the midst of the Thorns, this time actually hitting them, setting several of their robes on fire. As the cultists tried to deal with their pet demon turning on them, she raised her arms over her head. There was another blinding flash of light, causing most of the cultists to clutch their heads.
“Where are those blue friends of yours?”
“Takes a min-yeep! Minute till I can do that again” She shouted , ducking under a swing from one of those wicked looking thorn blades.
Rhonda got to her feet, as Raym kept blinding and confusing the cultists as fast as she could, the two girls pulling back. The yellow skinned mutant was hurting them...but it was just illusions after all, and she couldn't do it fast enough to knock them out, buying time was the best she could do at the moment.
One however was missed. The cultist shook his head at the weakness of his brethren, just can't get good quality in cult members these days. Stepping back out of the green mist, once clear he shook his head, clearing it , though the smell still lingered, Pulling a crossbow from its holster he took a stance and aimed it as the white haired girl.
Rhonda was actually laughing as the thorns kept swinging and missing, or clutching their heads, or attacking each other. As she backed up with she heard a soft twang then felt a sudden stab her her side. Looking down wide eyed she saw it before she felt it, the bolt from the crossbow sticking in her, blood starting to seep around the wound staining her shirt. Reaching down instinctively she pulled it out she, as she did so she realized it was a big mistake. The bolt was plugging the hole, once removed she began bleeding heavily as the pain hit her, dropping to her knees. She bit her lip to keep from screaming as she clutched her hand to the spot, the wound closing under her fingers? Blinking in confusion, a green glow spreading from her as the wound on her and several small cuts Raym had gotten healed themselves. She straightened up and glared at the crossbow wielder “That was mah favorite shirt!” she yelled at him, a green glow forming in one hand. Without thinking or even knowing how she was doing it she flung the energy at him again and again, until he crumpled unconscious.
“Really, time to end this farce” Came a new voice, also one of the cultists, this one an old guy with a beard that would make ZZ Top proud, wearing a really stupid looking hat and large spines coming out of his shoulders. Raising his hand he chanted an incantation...now it was the girls time to clutch their heads helplessly, the old man pouring his madness into them. The confusion and smelly green fog around the cultists faded as they closed in on the two helpless teens.
Rhonda was aware but unable to act. She watched in horror as the ten foot tall winged demon stomped up to her, flames crackling around its body, heat singing her, scent of brimstone overpowering as it roared, it's ravenous maw inches from her...and a red dot between it's eyes?
Suddenly there was yet another voice, up higher it sounded like “Now” There was a sudden crack and flash as lightning hit the behemoth, along with a blast of ice, chilling the demon, only to be finished off by the high powered shot between the eyes, not enough to kill it but definetly enough to have it crash to the ground with a shuddering whump. The second behemoth found itself encased in solid ice as electricity and gunfire raked the cultists. Rhonda couldn't see who was firing, just the muzzle blasts from the invisible sniper, but the lightning was coming from a familiar looking blonde woman in dark brown jeans with a matching vest and a cowboy hat, the ice from a younger woman with blue skin and a rather ,uh, interesting outfit (she couldn't help thinking that her parents would ground her till she's 40 if she ever went out like that). The invisible man shouted “Panda, get the mage!”
“Already on it!” came the reply, as an Asian girl in a black and white outfit leapt over the cultists between her and the leader “Hey love the hat chuckles, I know what would make it better though-BOOT TO THE HEAD!” With that she snapped her foot up, catching the mage in the chin, then leapt into the air, spinning back kick getting him right in the face. A few more hits and it was all over, the cultists and demons splayed across the top of the hill like a barrel full of monkies that had been dropped on the floor.
“a....are we safe now?” asked Rhonda shakily. Raym just sighed, looking embarrassed “No, now we're in real trouble..” Seeing Rhonda's apprehension she whispered quietly “They're friends of mine, the guy with the cloaking device is Centerfire, his girlfriend with the ice is Icy Gale, the martial artist is called Panda Express...and the blonde...er....well, we call her Shepherd..”
With a start Rhonda realized where she had seen the blonde woman before, just a few hours ago in fact. It was one of her doctors, Carolyn Majias, though looking a bit different than before without the lab coat, and the angry expression on her face wasn't there before earlier. “What the hell were you thinking Raym? You just got out of the ICU two days ago after that Devouring Earth infection, are you in that much a hurry to get back to antibiotic iv's?”
“And dragging a civilian along with you to boot!” said Centerfire from somewhere up there in the air, Rhonda thought she could see a faint distortion where he was, as he kept a watch overhead for any more cultists.
“Go easy on em CF, it was just a few mooks they were dealing with, not their fault that the group that was after us for breaking into their Library of Souls “ the blue skinned girl added.
“Point taken. Do you two think you can find your way back to the hospital? We're on a time limit here, need to get moving.”
“It's just up the street, we'll be fine “replied Raym. Dr, or Shepherd Majias added “By the way Miss Evans, it seems we need to run some different tests on you tomorrow. It's possible there is more than just cosmetic changes to you” With that the doctor and the blue girl took off into the air. Panda paused before she leapt after them “don't worry Raym, they're only angry cause they're worried about ya. And next time you get tired of hospital food, sheesh, give me a call. After all, I've spent so much time in there myself, I know every takeout number in town by memory.” With that she grinned and leapt into the air.
Rhonda and Raym watched them go “Damnit” said Rhonda as they headed back towards the hospital “ah'm hungry again.”
((Thanks to CF Gale and Panda for letting me use them in this))
