Chapter 9

Countdown to the Firestorm 

In the oppressive confines of an underground prison, Firestorm struggled violently against five guards who held her down on the cold, grimy floor. Doctor Kreggs hovered just outside the cell, a look of fear etched across his face.

"Okay, doc, we got her; hurry up!" one of the guards barked.

Doctor Kreggs, trembling slightly, entered the cell. Clutching a syringe in his hand, he knelt by Firestorm’s muscular thigh and inserted the needle into her skin.

"Stop! Stop! Don’t— I don’t want to be Firestorm any—" Her voice faltered and ceased as she lost consciousness.

"How long will she be out?" a guard asked.

"An hour. You don't want to be inside the cell when Fiestorm wakes up," Doctor Kreggs warned.

"She won’t act any meaner than usual," the guard scoffed.

"Much more," Kreggs replied with a wicked smile. "I tripled the dosage."

The guard's eyes widened. "Oh? Sounds like we’re getting ready to pull up the tent stakes."

Kreggs' smile grew darker. "Yeah. Too bad our contestants won’t live to fight another day."

Back at Logan's house, Logan was bent over the computer, meticulously working to fix the damage caused by a water spill. He pressed a switch, and the screen flickered to life.

"Bling! Bling, I booted the computer," Logan called out.

Bling entered as a computer-generated map resembling a radar scope flickered on the screen. "How close are we to finding Max?"

Logan sighed. "Not close enough. If I can re-establish the link to the satellite, I can pinpoint her location within a hundred-meter radius."

Bling spotted the infrared glasses on the desk, put them on, and scanned the room. Everything appeared in stark black and white. Bling glanced down at his shirt and noticed a glowing residue on his collar.

"What the heck is this on my shirt?" He removed the glasses to double-check, then put them back on, noticing the glowing residue on his hands.

"Did you spill that transparent dye on your computer? I've got that infrared dye all over my clothes and hands," Bling said, concern etched on his face.

Logan continued working on the computer. A single red dot appeared on the screen. "Got it. Bling, you must've touched something to get the dye on your hands."

Bling's eyes widened with realization. "No, the only thing I've touched recently was Ruth—"

Silence fell between them as the realization sank in.

"Ruth!" Logan exclaimed.

Logan grabbed the glasses and examined his hands, finding the same glow.

"Samaritan Peoples," he muttered.

In the underground arena, Max stood in the middle of a large wrestling ring built like a jail cell with bars thirty feet high. The stadium seats creaked with big butts filling the seats like people with worn sofas, folding chairs, and ragged bar stools. The crowd chanted fervently.

"Firestorm! Firestorm! Firestorm!"

Max tugged at the chains binding her wrists, her eyes scanning the frenzied crowd. Suddenly, the crowd erupted into a loud cheer as Firestorm entered the stadium, her eyes glazed over as if hypnotized. Samaritan followed closely behind her.

"Well, look what the mad scientist dragged in," Max muttered.

A guard tossed keys into the cell. Max quickly unlocked her shackles. Firestorm stepped inside, circling Max ominously. Samaritan took the microphone, his voice booming.

"Ladies and gentlemen, in honor of the last night of Noctropolis, we have a special event. Firestorm will fight the Outsider in a winner-take-all about."

Firestorm lunged at Max, who easily avoided the charge. "Listen. I know they’re drugging you. You've got to fight it," Max pleaded.

Samaritan's voice echoed through the arena. "Tonight, you’re witnessing the first Noctropolis Three-Minute Death Match. After three minutes, if one of the fighters hasn’t perished at the hands of the other, they both get sent to Hades!"

Meanwhile, Bling steered through the back alleys in Logan's van as Logan checked his tracking device. A red blip blinked weakly on his laptop.

"Damn, the signal is getting weak," Logan muttered.

"We know she's around here somewhere. How do we spot the tree and not the whole forest?" Bling asked, glancing at Logan.

Logan pondered momentarily, and then his face brightened with an idea. "The same way we saw the trees in the house!" He grabbed the infrared goggles from the bag, and Bling nodded approvingly.

***

In the underground arena, Firestorm lunged again, grabbing Max around the waist. Max broke the hold, spun behind Firestorm, and caught her. Firestorm flexed, exerting all her power to break Max's grip. Max stumbled backward, stunned by Firestorm's strength.

"Okay, this isn’t going to be as easy as I thought," Max murmured.

Outside the ring, Samaritan checked the time on his watch and waved a guard over. "The shackles are set to activate in two minutes and thirty seconds. Start clearing out," he whispered.

The guard nodded and dashed off, disappearing behind the doors leading to the prison.

***

Logan and Bling canvassed the back alley, wearing their infrared goggles. Logan spotted a ragged warehouse door with glowing fingerprints.

"There, we've got something," Logan said.

Bling kicked the doors open, revealing a plush, elegantly furnished room beyond. On the other side, an elevator door stood open.

"This looks like the spot," Bling remarked.

They stepped into the elevator, which had only one button. Logan pressed it, and the doors closed.

***

In the arena, Samaritan rechecked his watch and grabbed the microphone. "Only two minutes left, ladies and gentlemen! Prepare yourselves for the fireworks."

Max and Firestorm were locked in a fierce wrestling hold. Max shoved Firestorm, who fell back, pulling Max with her and flipping her over. Max used the momentum to do a forward somersault, landing on her feet and delivering a back-kick to Firestorm's belly. She spun into a defensive stance as the crowd roared its approval.

Logan and Bling entered the main arena at the back, pushing Logan's wheelchair. Logan scanned the crowd and spotted Max in the ring.

"There’s Max in the ring!" Logan shouted.

"Yeah, but who’s the walking tsunami she's fighting?" Bling asked, squinting at the commotion in the ring.

Bling pushed Logan's wheelchair down the ramp toward the ring. Samaritan noticed them and sent two guards after them. The guards charged at Bling, but he easily deflected a punch and knocked the first guard out cold. Logan tripped the second guard with his wheelchair. The guard reached for his weapon, but Bling, quicker, yanked out his gun and jammed it into the guard's throat.

"You ever have your tonsils taken out?" Bling asked menacingly.

The guard shook his head frantically and dropped the weapon.

Max and Firestorm went toe-to-toe inside the ring, trading punches and kicks like seasoned heavyweights. Max dropped Firestorm to her knees with a powerful right cross. Logan wheeled himself closer to the ring.

"Max!" Logan shouted.

Max saw him and felt a surge of hope. She turned to Firestorm and said, "Listen to me. They’re going to blow us both up. We’ve got to get out of here."

"Why don’t you shut up and fight?" Firestorm retorted, launching herself at Max with another ferocious charge.

Logan reached into his bag, pulling out a sonic disruptor. He hurled it into the ring. It landed at Max's feet, and she quickly picked it up.

"Hey, Firestorm! You might want to cover your ears," Max called out.

She aimed the device and activated it. A piercing sonic wave filled the arena, disorienting Firestorm. The crowd covered their ears in pain. Firestorm collapsed to the ground, clutching her head.

Max grabbed the chains and shackles, tying Firestorm's hands and feet. "Now, let’s get out of here."

Firestorm groaned, her eyes starting to clear. "What... what happened?"

"You were under some kind of mind control. We've got to get you out before they blow this place up," Max explained hurriedly.

Bling rushed to the ring, helping Max and Firestorm out. Logan kept the disruptor aimed at the remaining guards, who were too disoriented to fight back.

"Let's go, we've got less than a minute!" Logan urged.

They made their way to the elevator, cramming inside just as the doors closed. The timer on the shackles counted down to zero.

The elevator ascended quickly, and they burst into the street just as a massive explosion rocked the underground arena, sending smoke and debris into the air.

Max, Firestorm, Logan, and Bling stood in the middle of the deserted street, breathing heavily. The distant wail of sirens filled the air.

"Well, that was close," Bling said, shaking his head.

Max turned to Firestorm. "You okay?"

Firestorm nodded, still a bit dizzy. "Yeah, I think so. Thanks for saving me."

Logan wheeled himself closer. "Let’s get out of here before the authorities show up."

Max glanced back at the burning warehouse as they moved away from the scene. "What about Samaritan?"

"He's probably long gone," Logan replied. "But we’ll find him. Eventually."

They walked into the night, the city lights casting long shadows behind them, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

Jam Pony was alive with the bustling energy of its couriers. Sketchy swaggered in, his excitement palpable. Behind the dispatch center desk, Normal was deeply engrossed in paperwork. Herbal and Original Cindy meticulously inspected their bikes.

"Hey guys, isn't today a lovely day?" Sketchy's voice cut through the air, vibrant with enthusiasm. "Especially when you're getting paid —"

He leaned in closer to Normal, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Double!"

Average remained focused on his paperwork, offering a dry retort without lifting his gaze. "Every dog has his day, Sketchy."

Undeterred, Sketchy strutted like a homeboy, throwing around silly gang signs.

"Bow-wow-wow, yippee-yo, yippee-yay!"

Original Cindy couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Shut up, Sketchy, you're giving the homeboys a bad name."

Herbal pulled Sketchy aside, curiosity piqued. "Sketchy, man, you must tell me how you finished your route so quickly."

Sketchy's laughter erupted, nearly causing him to keel over. Original Cindy punched him in the arm, a mixture of annoyance and amusement on her face.

"Sketchy, I'm about to put my size nine up yours. Now stop laughing."

Once he composed himself, Sketchy revealed his stroke of luck involving Miss Muir and a scenario. Herbal and Original Cindy exchanged glances, impressed by Sketchy's ingenuity.

"Way to go, Bro!" Original Cindy exclaimed, slapping him a high five.

"You're the master," Herbal commended, shaking Sketchy's hand.

Meanwhile, Normal's voice rang out from behind, drawing the attention of Sketchy, Herbal, and Original Cindy. Miss Muir stood beside him, casting an unexpected aura of significance.

"Oh, Sketchy," Normal's tone hinted at pride.

Sketchy's initial trepidation melted into relief and gratitude as Miss Muir announced her continued business with Jam Pony. Yet, a new route loomed, promising challenges and opportunities.

"Now —" Normal's eyes twinkled as he turned to Herbal and Original Cindy, seeking affirmation.

"Who's the man?" Herbal and Original Cindy chimed in unison, echoing the sentiment of admiration and respect.

With Normal and Miss Muir departing, Sketchy stood alone, mixed emotions swirling within him.