New Justice Union#12 - Stressed to Kill

"So basically, you can see the bind I'm in..." Madia, my ESP-bound friend, explained. I listened.

"I think I'm going to swear off guys for a while. It only leads to trouble," she said.

"It'll be good to have a little alone time," I agreed.

We walked through the airport, looking for Gate E20. I was headed to Chicago for a strict "business meeting." Flocks of people destined to depart to their own destinations roamed the area, searching for their own way, some, without even knowing it. Almost strolling as if it were their daily routine.

"I don't get it though," she said. "Why are you going to Chicago? You weren't assigned anything there. And you don't look so good either."

She was right. I was feeling a bit fatigued and out of step lately. But that wouldn't get in the way of my figuring out a good lead.

"This is something I need to find out. If there's trouble brewing back at our humble abode in the atmosphere up there, then this little trip might slow it down a bit."

I stopped to a halt. Madia wondered what was wrong. We were being followed. I looked beyond the corner of my eye to see a young lady with dark sunglasses and a shawl, suspiciously walking behind.

"I'm going to take a trip to the restroom for a moment," I told my friend.

"Ok," she said.

I stopped by the facilities, and took my bag inside. There were a few others inside, but I knew that my stalker couldn't follow me in here. I waited, and peeped from the wall inside the restroom. There was no door, it was just a long hall that led to inside. There, the woman stood, situated casually, almost eerily, with those dark sunglasses. It seemed like she was waiting for me to make a wrong move. I stood silently and waited behind the wall. Within a few seconds, I peered back outside and she vanished. I looked around. There was no sign of her. I picked up my bag and watched my back warily.

We reached the security checkpoint, where the a security guard asked me to put my bag under the scanner. I did so.

"Well, looks like this is where we part," I said.

"Looks like it. Well, see you later, kid," Madia said.

"Alright. And good luck with the alone time," I answered.

The guard asked if he could handcheck the bag. Growing a little concerned, I agreed. He had me pass the check point, and set the bag upon a nearby table. He opened. From it, he grabbed a surprising item. A pair of nunchuks.

"Nunchuks?" I thought to myself.

"These aren't mine," I explained to the guard. "I usually leave mine at home."

But he wasn't finished. He emptied the bag to reveal a large butcher knife, a swinging mace, a pair of scissors, and a small pistol.

1

At this point, I was quite confused with droplets of perspiration forming upon my forehead.

"Uhh...." I said, unsure. The guard narrowed his eyes.

"What are you trying to pull, sir?" He answered angrily.

"Nothing," I answered. Then it hit me. That woman that was following me must have been a distraction. There must have been someone in the bathroom that switched my bag with this fake one. Someone wanted to get me caught.

The guard called for backup, and within seconds a group of security guards surrounded me and took me into some type of isolated room. I sat down in a small, black chair.

"Those things... in the bag, aren't mine. Someone switched my bag while I was in the bathroom," I explained.

"Sure, guy, that's what they all say..." One of the guards mocked.

A group of other security guards, one female and two male, came in. I began to grow suspicious.

"We'll handle this," The woman said. "You're needed out at the east gate," she ordered them.

"Hey, lady, we only take orders from the boss..." but before he finished, the woman made swift work of him as she walked by slamming him to the ground, and taking out the three other guards that foolishly tried to subdue her.

"You survived," she said, raising her disguised police hat, and removing her sunglass. Her long, black hair, rolled down to her back, and her penetrating eyes were revealed.

"If it isn't my old friend, May-Lin Cancra. Or should I say, May-Lin Chan Sook," She was the one assassin who thoroughly bashed me once before.* (The Face#9)

"Of course. I've followed up on your progress. It seems you have learned much. However, I unfortunately have to end your charade. My employer orders it. And I can never back down an order," She explained. What looked to be two of her cronies who were much larger, were by her side.

"Taking orders, now, Lady Cancra? That doesn't seem like you. And it also doesn't seem like you to have lackeys do your dirty work."

"You fool," she angrily exclaimed, throwing a sharp shuriken that brushed against the hairs of my cheek with a gush of wind. "These are my students. They also wish to learn the ways of the assassin." She smiled, and eased her stance.

"I will see how well you have progressed. Consider this a challenge. You are not worthy enough to face me once again. But face my well-trained students, and we shall see how great of a fighter you are."

I stood from the chair that I sat in. I wasn't dressed for the occasion and wasn’t feeling at all my best. But still, I accepted the challenge.

The first supposed guard removed his mask, and raised his fists. He stood, with knees bent, and one foot leaning forward in front of the other. He charged, and using his own weight against him, I swiftly evaded the attack and twisted his arm in a manner so that his own balance would be greatly altered. He fell with a rumble upon the few boxes that were stacked by the wall. I breathed heavily, I couldn’t hold this up for much longer.

2

The other guard charged at me with a flying fist heading toward my face. I was quite unprepared, but as I was attempting to fend the attack off, another force interrupted.

It looked as if he had punched some invisible, metal-plated wall, for his hand bounced backward with a crack and he clutched it. And then I knew with another forcible blast that struck the student, who had saved me from the blow.

Lady Cancra looked outside the room to see my good friend, Madia.

"Thought you could use a little help," she said.

"Thanks for the hand," I said.

She telekinetically lifted a heavy box with her palm faced forward, and thrust it toward my relentless assassin. However, the elusive woman quickly evaded the attack.

"It seems certain circumstances have disrupted our reunion, my friend," May Lin greeted. "We shall meet again." She then disappeared amongst the crowd of people from across the room.

"What was that all about?" Madia asked.

"Just an old acquaintance," I answered.

And then I was finally able to depart on my plane as intended.

Meanwhile, back at the headquarters, the heroine Jade, along with her argumentative friend, James Nordwell, were in a heated debate over liberalism.

A loud crash, however, interrupted their conversation. It was the sound of crumpling metal, and a loud scream.

Hurriedly, Jade switched into her wind-empowered form, Cywind, and James formed his skin into a hard, impenetrable, rocky substance.

They rushed to the scene of the commotion.

“Attention all units,” Psychocess explained over the intercom. “The Bulk has by some circumstance triggered an emotional reaction exhibiting highly aggressive behavior. Use extreme caution while patrolling the halls of the headquarters. And use force, if necessary, to subdue the danger.”

She was correct. The Bulk tore through a room that he had been resting in, and had a large chemist’s table grasped in the palms of his hands. He threw the metal table at James, who guarded against the blow with his rocky skin.

Cywind began blowing powerful gusts against the large beast, attempting to control him. Bulk, aggravated by this, shielded himself with his arms and stood his ground. But then, he decided to change his pace and stormed after the heroine. Soon, he was stopped, however, with the stone-clad hands of James Nordwell. They clashed in a battle of brute strength, and the Bulk thrust James backward with a his powerful fist.

The Bulk continued his rampage.

While this happened, undetectable to myself, I had already landed in Chicago and was sitting in my hotel room, looking through files upon my laptop.

3

“Dr. Laramie, I know you’re here somewhere,” I said, tapping my pencil upon the desk. I looked through some old news articles upon the web.

“An old friend of Ultraman’s, eh?” I investigated. “Seems interesting enough. But what are you doing now? My search has led here to Chicago… but where are you hiding out?” I asked myself.

“Aha,” I said with triumph, after some time. “Star Labs is where it’s at. Looks like you have yourself a little one too many research facilities, my friend.” I suited up into my faceless mask with newly added white eyeholes, gray trench coat and fedora, and was on my way into the windy Chicago night.

Inside the headquarters, the Bulk was in a confused and fiery rage. Various heroes and heroines tried their hand at stopping the monster, including one unique recruit. His name was Zig Zag, and his secret alias was Phillip Zeegler.

“Down there, fella,” He said, aggressively riding his skateboard down the halls of the corridor. He whipped a few small bombs out of his pocket, and threw them at the raging beast while whisking on by at top speeds. The bombs exploded upon impact. He smiled coolly as he always did as he rode his skateboard, and the wind from the blast made him feel all the more cooler.

“Yep, I’m good,” he said.

However, he underestimated the monster’s strength, who rose out of the smoke in an even more angry fury.

The monster tore a piece of the metal floor beneath him and hurled it at the skating hero. Reacting quickly, Phillip jumped with his skateboard into the air, and skidded across the hurling metal board, and landed safely on the ground below.

“That was close,” he said.

Next, Capital D took the stand, allowing himself to grow in size to take on the super-powered hero. He grabbed the Bulk in one gargantuan hand and struggled to keep him captive. However, Bulk proved too powerful, for he broke the hero’s clasp, and leapt to the ground, leapt back upward to smash the jaw of Capital D and send him backward, forcing him back to original size.

“You hit him high, I’ll hit ‘im low,” Vagabond said, stepping up to the plate.

“Whatever!” Stargirl replied, rushing through the air.

Vagabond stepped, back, twirled his revolvers, and began shooting at the Bulk. Unfortunately, the bullets could do nothing against the Bulk’s impenetrable skin. However, the deflections did capture his attention. He looked backward at Vagabond angrily.

“That’s no good…” he said.

Stargirl intervened just in time, smashing the raging hero’s face the other way. She continued jabbing at the monster in order to beat him senseless. But the monster would not be defeated so easily. He grabbed the heroine’s thrusting hand, and threw her in the other direction directly toward Vagabond, who unfortunately cushioned her fall.

I had reached Star Labs at around 10pm central time. It seemed that the good doctor was still busily toiling away in his work. I entered the laboratory he resided in.

“Who are you!? How did you get in here?!” Dr. Laramie wondered.

4

“The question is, doctor, how did you get here? And what did you have to do with Stargirl’s clone?” I questioned.

“How… you… you followed me!” He cried in upset.

“Weren’t you friends with Ultraman? Now how did relations get so thin, that you went and pulled a stunt like this?” I asked.

“It’s not what you think! We’re only trying to protect the people! It’s our duty!”

“From what? The people who are already trying to protect you?” I asked back.

“Enough of this! I don’t have time for it! I hate to do this, Face, but you leave me no other option! I didn’t want to wake her. She’s still recuperating… becoming stronger than before. She’ll escort you outside and out of our hair!” Dr. Laramie replied.

Dr. Laramie rushed to a hydro-stasis chamber and opened the door. Emerged from the mist was the menacing clone, Oblita. She opened her eyes slowly, vision gradually coming into view.

“Please, Oblita, escort this gentleman out,” Dr. Laramie requested.

“No problem,” she said, with a smirk. She pounded her fist, and rushed towards me in flight.

“Luckily,” I began, releasing a neon-purple crystal from within my coat pocket. “I brought a little something for the ride.”

“The Xenon Crystal!” Dr. Laramie cried.

“The only weakness that Stargirl has, and therefore, her clone possesses it as well,” I answered, as Stargirl knelt, weakened upon the ground from the adverse effects of the crystal I held.

“We were trying to get rid of that weakness!” Dr. Laramie said.

Meanwhile, Eaglet Girl and Electrolight tried their hand against the raging beast back at the headquarters. Using her talon claws, Eaglet Girl swiped at the Bulk, but was caught off guard with a thrust of the hands which were grasped by the hands of the Bulk. He pursued to throw her across the hall and into a metal wall.

Electrolight witnessed the fall, and reported back to the main sector to Psychocess.

“This isn’t looking good. Where’s Ultraman?” she asked.

“He’s out a star system away saving the Arcron Empire,” Psychocess replied.

“That’s great… but our butts may need some saving here just the same.”

“Just do your best. If we need to hold off until more reinforcements arrive, we will.”

Electrolight powered her electrically-induced rings, and shot a powerful yellow blast that encased the Bulk in a large, electrical sphere… at least for now.

The Bulk, in a fit of rage, began pounding at the inner walls of the cage, relentless in attempting his escape.

“I can’t hold this for long…” Electrolight reported.

5

“Any other bright ideas, doc?” I asked, making sure to hold the crystal in front of the ailing Oblita.

“I… I” he stuttered in fright.

“I’ve also found out that you’ve seemed to have frequent run-ins with the Bulk. Let’s see, I think he’s come in multiple times for controlling his emotional factor.”

“So tell me, doc, what’s really going on?” I held the crystal closer to the villainess, who cringed.

“Alright! I’ll tell you. We’re only using it as a safety precaution against the Union. If we had control of the Bulk, one of the most powerful members of the Union, we could stop you all or keep tabs on you.”

“Who’s we?” I asked.

“Who else? The government! The mayor, in partnership with Bolcorp of course!”

“And how are they doing this?”

“I… can’t release that information…” he worriedly stated.

“It looks like your friend is getting a little weak…” I said.

“Okay! There’s a satellite of our own stationed in the sky. Northwest of your own headquarters.” Dr. Laramie explained.

“Good call doc,” I said. I tapped into my comm-link to alert the rest of the gang.

“Hello, Psychocess? Face here, I’ve got quite some information that may be useful in preventing something terrible from happening.”

“I’m afraid something terrible is already happening,” Psychocess replied.

“Don’t tell me… the Bulk is going out on some sort of rampage?” I wildly guessed.

“Yes… how did you know that?” she wondered.

“Call it a hunch,” I answered. “Anyway, deploy the laser cannon northwest of the headquarters at these coordinates…”

I looked at the doctor. He frantically told me the coordinates, and I relayed them back to Psychocess.

“Why these coordinates?” She asked.

“It’s the source of all your troubles. Trust me,” I replied.

A blast of laser erupted in full motion toward an undetected satellite somewhere northwest of the headquarters. It was obliterated into several thousand pieces, thus rendering its communication useless.

The Bulk then ended his forceful pounding against Electrolight’s energy sphere, who was surprised at the sudden halt. She released her rings’ energy and floated toward the fallen hero.

“All stations clear,” Psychocess said of the intercom. “The Bulk has been successfully subdued.”

6

“I have a couple of friends here that you may want me to bring in,” I said.

Psychocess pulled up a visual link on the computer, viewing my current situation.

“Tap them with teleportation links,” she requested.

I reached in my pocket to grab a zip-lock bag which held a few.

“Hold it right there!” A voice behind me spoke. I looked behind me to view five security guards with weapons ready in hand.

“I took the liberty of calling security,” Dr. Laramie said.

“Lucky me,” I answered. “Looks like I’ll need a ticket for one, Psychocess,” I said.

“Agreed,” she said, as she transported me from my coordinates with the flick of a few buttons.

I sat down in a chair to rest. I must have felt as bad as Oblita. I leaned my head against my hand.

“I could’ve had them…” I said.

“You did your best. Don’t forget, it hasn’t been a total loss. The Bulk is back to normal.”

“Normal?” I thought to myself. I feared that things would be far from normal in the future to come.

7