Disclaimer: This is the second chapter in a story about an "other world" based on the Arrowverse, the CW shows that focus on DC superheroes. I am writing this as my way of paying homage to my fandom for the Arrowverse. The character names Supergirl, Green Arrow, The Flash, Canary and Brainiac are trademarks of DC Comics. These chapters are free to read, they will not be published in book format, nor will any revenue be generated from the chapters. If there are legal issues involved with the usage of these characters, please email me at bwmorris at mail dot com and I will cease with the writing. Critiquing of my writing is welcomed and may be left in the comments.
Every night, it seems I'm discovering something new. A lot like those archaeological expeditions I ventured on in Qurac.
Only this stuff I'm discovering is right here, in my hometown, Hub City.
Tonight, it's a nondescript warehouse. I remember driving through this part of town when I was younger, not thinking much about the surroundings. Looked like any other city's industrial district, I suppose. Large, sprawling buildings that had seen better days, but at least the walls and the roof were still intact.
Never did I imagine, though, the type of industries these buildings housed. Oh yeah, the worst industry of them all -- the criminal industry.
I know this is the warehouse where Intergang is hoarding weapons -- the kind they say are only sold to the military. But I've been researching this criminal organization and they seem to have connections everywhere. Like, way up the corporate ladder. Still trying to put all the pieces together. But it's like any archaeological dig -- you uncover it, bit by bit. And even after all the digging is done, you have more questions to ask. It's a never-ending puzzle, and when you think you have everything answered, it's not unusual to find another question along the way.
Slipping through the darkened street, avoiding the lights along the sides of the building as much as possible, I make my way toward a metal door. But when I'm about to try the handle, I feel a vibration in my pocket.
I shake my head. Gotta be my partner and his texts. Love him with all my heart, but I wish he wouldn't bother me right now. Unzipping my pocket, I retrieve the phone, its screen lit up.
He's not texting me any longer-- he's calling. Perhaps this is what I get for ignoring the eight messages he's sent me already. Thank goodness I silenced the ringtone. Don't want to blow my cover as it is. Part of me thinks I should reject the call, but after all those unread messages, I realize I can't ignore him any longer.
My thumbs slides across the green arrow and I lift the phone to my ear. "Doug, I told you not to call me. You know I've got work to do."
His tone is even but direct. "Carl Kanigher, I can't believe you're doing this again. You know how dangerous Intergang can be."
Don't mind my partner. He worries, that's all. "Look, Doug, I can handle this. Haven't gone wrong before. All I have to do is be aware of my surroundings."
Doug's tone doesn't change, but I can picture that look in his eyes as he talks. You know, the one that tells you that you better listen to what he's saying. "Right -- like you were aware when you got grazed with a bullet in your arm. You do realize that trinket you found in Qurac doesn't make you invulnerable, right?"
"I told you I'd be more careful. But I can tell I'm on to something big. I can't just turn away from it."
"Yeah, Carl, every time you go exploring, you don't stop until you get the answers you want. But I swear you're more careful when you're digging for artifacts in the desert than you are digging around where Intergang hangs out."
I'm about to respond, but I think I hear something. Pressing up against the wall, my eyes move about but I see nothing. Swear, though, that I heard the sounds of a semi truck applying the brakes. Any minute now, they'll finish loading that shipment. That means I need to get moving.
"Listen, Doug, I told you I'd be more careful," I say. "Right now, though, I've got a shipment to stop. Might not get another chance."
I just know Doug is rolling his eyes right now.
"You're crazy, you know that? About as crazy as calling yourself the Canary," he says.
"No matter how many times you say I'm crazy, you know you love me." I smile and wink -- yeah, I'm on the phone, but I can't help it. I do that to Doug all the time.
"You better call me when you're done. And watch the bullets this time." Doug hangs up on me.
I swipe my finger over the top of the phone, once, twice. Airplane mode selected. Don't need another interruption. Sliding the phone back into my pocket, I zip it up and step away from the door. Have to get the pitch just right.
My mouth opens and a slight, sonic blast rushes outward. It's strong enough to loosen the lock and handle. The door pops open and I slide in.
So how did I do that sonic cry? Well, it goes back to that trinket Doug was talking about. Found it in Qurac. Thought it was some kind of gemstone at first, so I pocketed it. Only when I got back to Hub City did I determine it was a totem of some kind. When I looked at it closer, I noticed markings that resembled a bird.
That's when my fingers ran over the markings and I felt this surge of energy flow through my veins. Next thing I knew, I opened my mouth and the glass that was on my desk shattered. You can imagine how embarrassed I was when Doug came running into my office.
Though it took me a few days of practice, I learned to control this new power. But I had to keep this totem in my possession in order to harness. Soon figured out the easiest way to do that was to put it on a chain and wear it around my neck.
That's when I got this idea to use this new power to my advantage -- like I'm doing right now Rather than be satisfied with exploring archaeological digs, I'd go exploring the criminal underworld of Hub City.
Especially when it came to Intergang. Every day I sit in front of my laptop and read the headlines, there was some other crime Intergang was committing. Intergang this, Intergang that. I knew I had to do something because I love this city too much. Besides, taking down bad guys sure is fun.
Anyway, I slip through the warehouse, though I have to quicken my pace because I'm positive they'll be loading up some tractor trailer to make their way off with their ill-gotten gains. Probably rocket launchers or something like that. They don't sell those kind of weapons at your local outdoors store, you know.
Sure enough, I round a corner and see the loading bay before me. Count about six or eight Intergang members. All of them dressed in black. And I thought the bad guys didn't always wear black any more. No matter. I see the boxes they have and that's gotta be the weapons they're loading up.
Normally, I'd sneak up on them and take them by surprise, but considering my earlier delay, I better get right down to business. I step out of the shadows and reveal my presence.
"Boys, you know it's time for the Canary to sing!" Yeah, that sounds cheesy, but I'm not that good with quips.
My mouth flies open and sonic waves flow forward, wide and far, sending four of these Intergang members flying about in different directions. Two more crash into boxes stacked onto a dolly. The other two, they drop to their knees and cover their ears.
I rush the two that lie before the now toppled boxes and dolly. Leaping into the air, I swing my right leg around, catching one of them square in the jaw before he can rise to his feet. The other manages to stand up and swings a fist, but I'm quick to block it, catch him with a blow right to the ribs, then another, before swinging my right leg high, my foot nailing him upside the head.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see the other two, closest to the open trailer parked at the bay. Sure enough, they've got guns. One of them jerks a finger in my direction. "Take him down!"
Of course, the bullets start flying, but I'm quicker than that. In fact, I'm able to leap up into the air toward the catwalk above. Another power I got from this totem. I mean, I can't fly like a bird , but I can leap high, which I guess is close enough to flying.
The two Intergang members come forward, their weapons trained on me, but I race along the catwalk, avoiding the barrage of gunfire from below. That's when I come to the catwalk's end, grab the railing and leap over, able to control my body so I land lightly on the ground below -- and right up close to these two Intergang jerks.
They're each frozen in place, eyes wide with shock. I grab their heads and ram them together, then send an uppercut right into one's jaw, do the same to the other. One of them drops his gun, so I grab it and clobber him upside the head. He goes down face first. Before the other can make a move, I kick my right leg upward and catch him in the face. He crashes into the boxes loaded in the trailer, several of them toppling onto him and pinning him down.
Darting my head back and forth, I notice two Intergang members to my right, two I took down with my earlier sonic scream, now raising their weapons. Wasting no time, my mouth opens again. Another loud, piercing cry, the sound waves rippling through the air. They fly backwards into the same wall they crashed into before. This time, they don't get up.
Now I glance to my left and see the other two, but they are slower to move. I charge toward them, leaping over scattered boxes, and come right at one guy, my left foot extended. It contacts his chest and forces him backward. He tumbles over one box, bangs his head against another and collapses in a heap.
The other reaches into his pocket with his right hand, pulls out a knife and takes a swipe. I feel the blade rip through my yellow top and pierce my skin, a sharp pain jarring my stomach. Ignoring the blow, I grab my attacker by the right wrist, twist his arm around and knee him right in the gut. He takes his left hand and catches me in the stomach, the same spot where he cut me. My grasp release and I stagger backwards. Clutching my midsection, I can feel the warmth of my blood seeping out.
But when he tries to charge, I'm ready for him. My mouth opens again and I let loose my cry -- enough of a pitch to force him back. He might have hurt me, but I can't risk shouting too loud, because I figure I could kill someone if I scream at close range. That hasn't happened yet, but I'm not about to let this be the first time. Yeah, these are the bad guys, but they don't deserve to die.
As he stumbles backward, he drops the knife. Now is my chance. Forgetting my wound, I charge toward him, spin around and leap into the air. My yellow boot connects with his head and he collapses to the ground.
I stumble a bit and catch myself against another stack of boxes. Looking toward my stomach, I press my hand against it and pul back. It's red, all right, but it's not as bad as it seems. At least, I hope not. Don't feel dizzy or anything like that. But I can imagine I'll hear it from Doug if I need stitches.
Making my way through the carnage, I don't see any more movement. But I hear something in the distance. Sounds like a police siren. Guess somebody alerted them. Wonder if it was Doug. Like I said, he worries. And the Hub City cops know all about me, the Canary. I never bothered to wear a mask or anything like that to conceal who I am. Figuring the cops will have this in good hands, I'm prepared to get out of here.
But I hear a voice. Oh, great. One of them won't stay down? My gaze turns toward the trailer. No, that guy's still pinned underneath the boxes. But he's saying something that I can barely make out.
"You organics shall be terminated."
I cock my head. "What did you say?" Walking toward the mess of boxes, I shove one aside. The guy underneath isn't moving a muscle, but his brown eyes are glazed over and his facial features are frozen, like he's in a trance of some sort. His deep voice sounds cold.
"You organics shall be terminated," he says. "For too long, your kind has done nothing but harm to your world. Harm that happened to other worlds as well. And it cannot be allowed again."
I knew Intergang was a criminal organization, but I had no idea they were cultists, too. That's what cultists do, right? Talking about the end of the world and stuff?
"What?" I ask. "What are you talking about?"
This guy's facial features relax, then his head tilts to the side and he groans. He blinks and his eye catches mine. "What's going on..."
The sirens are getting closer. Questions will have to wait for another time. Though I think the cops, deep down, appreciate what I'm doing, they don't exactly trust me. Seem to think I'm a vigilante, when all I want to do is help.
I slip out of the trailer, leap to the ground below and jog away from the warehouse, pressing my hand against my stomach as best I can. Don't think I'm losing a lot of blood, but sure hope I don't need stitches. Doug will never let me hear the end of it.
But what that guy said -- organics shall be terminated. Such a strange statement. Looks like I've got dig deeper to find out what that means.
To be continued in Chapter 3.
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