Broker

Chapter 9

Sonya slipped inside the warehouse and slid to a stop, the gate was up, fortunately. So many abandoned buildings in this part of town. She glanced around, the gate controls were fairly easy access but would they even work? She darted over to them and hit the button, nothing, she looked around the control mechanism and found a lever attached to some sort of crank. She tilted her head up and followed it, A release lever? Perfect. She turned around and darted further inside as a roar echoed from the Lurk. 

BOOM!

Something heavy hit the ground out on the street, sounded like Shark was still trying to get it moving in her direction. She had barely a minute. She whipped her head around, police would be here soon and the last thing she wanted was her face next to Shark’s. There! A line of lockers against the wall. She switched off Genius Level Intellect and pulled out Heroic Strength, she didn’t have time to play with the locks. She ripped the first one open, empty, the second, the third, on the fourth she nearly let out a shout of triumph.

A coverall-style suit, like a hazmat suit, a hard hat, and a respirator. 

It’ll do.

She snatched up the coverall, pulling it over her shoes and shoulders as fast as she could. Another bang and crash, Shark was getting closer. She tugged the respirator on and stuffed her hair into the hood of the coverall and threw on the hard hat for good measure. She tucked her sunglasses into a pocket just as a shadow hurtled through the open warehouse gate, the noisy crash sent a shudder throughout the entire building. She looked up at the door and watched Shark stalk inside, his shoulders heaving from the effort of the fight. She stepped away from the lockers and towards the quick release for the gate, casting her gaze towards the Lurk.

The beast was tangled in heavy equipment, grunting and thrashing at the weight that had fallen on it. She could see a few decent injuries on it already but not nearly enough to take the thing down. She stopped next to the release just as Shark stepped inside fully.

“Oi! I got it here, now what?” He shouted into the warehouse over the frustrated roars of the Lurk. 

Sonya hit the release and the sliding gate fell down hard behind Shark. He spun with a curse, stepping back from the gate. He spotted her and his eyes widened. “The fuck?”

Sonya shrugged, “It’s not as stylish as the suit, I know,” She said casually and turned to face the beast as it tossed aside a hunk of metal that was digging into it’s shoulder. Shark relaxed and tensed in just as much time as she drew closer. “Hold still.”

“What-” Green light erupted from Sonya’s fingertips and the little blood on his body began to vanish. He let out a relieved breath, “-the fuck?”

“You’ve got a foul mouth, Shark,” Sonya said with a snort and stepped back, “Think you can kill it in here?”

“Can you keep doing that?” He asked.

“Only as long as it sits still,” Sonya said and turned to face the creature.

He cracked a razor-sharp grin and turned to face it, slamming his fists together hard enough to shake the air. She could see the sweat beading on his brow but also something else, eagerness, excitement. She felt a twist in her gut. She knew that look. Most heroes of her time had the same looks in their eyes. They didn’t really care about helping or saving people, they were addicted to the thrill of battle. Seemed like Shark was no different, but as long as she kept him on a leash it could be useful.

BANG

Another heavy piece of metal was cast to the side and the Lurk was back on its haunches. It roared in violent promise and she took a few steps back, “You’re up.”

“Nice,” Shark snarled and started a light jog forward that broke into a full sprint, “Come on, you ugly fucker!”

He threw his shoulder forward just as the semi-reptilian behemoth tried to rise to its full height to drop down on him. It got about to a half crouch before slamming its head on the catwalk above. It grunted and snarled, distracted by the obstruction just as Shark collided with its abdomen. There was a loud pop and crack as the creature was thrown backwards and skipped across the concrete floor. It rolled and whipped its tail out, Shark leaped over it before getting caught in the chest by a powerful forelimb. He hit the ground hard, leaving a cracked surface beneath him.

A follow up attack missed by a hair as Shark rolled out of the way, he swore and dove for the creature’s leg, rearing his fist back and punching it. Sonya crossed her arms, Your teeth are stronger, idiot. She thought, but didn’t want to distract him at this point. He wailed on the creature’s knee over and over, each punch coming down with increasing force. Soon his fists began to sound more like small bombs going off rather than flesh against flesh. She narrowed her eyes, Not all powers are created equal, he’s basically already got Heroic Strength like Marta.

A noisy crack brought her out of her thoughts and the Lurk howled in pain, savagely grabbing him and pulling him off of its knee. It threw its head back and roared in agony, tossing him away and trying to position the bulk of its body between him and its now injured leg. He slid across the ground and stopped just at her feet. She looked down at him, knelt, and gave him a small amount of healing. “It’s not over yet, Shark.”

“Ha ha! Damn right it ain’t!” He cackled, blood dripping from his lips as he spit out a broken tooth that immediately regrew.

“You know, sharks have pretty impressive bite strength,” Sonya said casually as he brushed himself off and got ready to charge back in, “Might be gross, but…”

He looked at her in surprise even as the beast started to limp towards them, “R-really?”

She went deadpan behind her mask, “Yes, really. More than a crocodile if I’m not mistaken.”

He rolled his jaw thoughtfully and looked back at the creature, his eyes wide with delight, “Aw hell yes! C’mere!” He snarled and charged, throwing himself at the beast. It reared its arm back before shifting its weight as it realized he wasn’t heading for its midsection again. Before it could change things up he had landed on its shoulder and dug his fingers into its neck. He opened his mouth and with a howl of laughter that would never be considered heroic, bit down into its neck. The creature screamed in pain as black blood sprayed, it tried to thrash away but Shark just held on, digging his fingers in deeper into its flesh. He tore his head away with a hunk of meat in his mouth before spitting it out and going back in.

Ah, yeah that’s gross, Sonya winced, I regret telling him.

Recovered from the initial shock, the Lurk snarled and yanked him off its body with another howl of pain, slamming him back onto the ground. Shark got up and threw himself right back in with a roar. 

Again, he was thrown to the ground and again he got back up, more frenzied than ever. It was like the scent of blood was driving him crazy. Sonya crossed her arms, wondering how long he was going to last before he needed healing again-or if she should heal him again. She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully and watched from the shadows near the lockers, leaning against the wall. Shark hit the ground yet again and finally, finally, made a mistake. He stumbled back a few steps and tried to catch his breath. Her eyes went wide, No! If you’re going to retreat, come back to me don’t stay within range!

She stepped forward to shout just as the Lurk threw its entire body into a crushing tail whip, sending Shark crashing through several pieces of rusted equipment and into the far wall. He hit the ground and lay still. 

Damn it!

There was no way she was getting to him before it did. She needed to do something. But did she make a bet on a power she hadn’t even tested yet? She grit her teeth behind the rebreather, so much for being careful about her cards! She mentally reached back and swapped out Hands of the Healer for Firestorm. No choice. A spark crackled between her fingertips as she started to move in the direction of the beast as it turned to face Shark, ready to deliver the finishing blow.

That was when the ground started to shake. She looked down at her feet, Huh?

A crack began to form in the cement, spreading across the ground from several points around the warehouse. The shaking increased, What the hell?

The creature charged just as Shark got to his feet, He’s standing?!

FWOOSH!

A hole exploded in the concrete and a narrow column of water blasted through the side of the Lurk like a gunshot. Pipes, ripped up from the concrete, bent and twisted beyond usefulness, had been forced to the surface. 

FWOOSH!

Another column of water blasted into the beast, then another, and another, it thrashed left and right, carried by the force of the impacts that pierced its tough hide like butter. She turned her head towards Shark and stared as he, bloody and broken, held his hands out towards the creature, his fingers twitching with effort. He was barely conscious, his eyes glazed over as instinct took over. Her eyes went wide and a vicious smile ripped across her face beneath the mask. Now that’s a power! She cheered while a staccato of water blasts ripped hole after hole in the body of the Lurk.

As fast as it had started, it was over, the great beast trembled and collapsed with a last, rattling breath.

“Fuck… you…” Shark croaked, coated in his own blood, and collapsed.

Sonya let out a breath and turned her eyes on Shark. There's no way I’m letting you get away now, she thought and started walking towards him.

–

Shark woke with a start, everything hurt and it was crazy dark. He squinted and tried to shift into his shark form to get a better visual on his surroundings. He was rewarded with a dull ache that warned him he’d overextended himself. He tried to remember what had happened. He’d been in the warehouse, fighting that ugly-ass thing, that chick had been healing him. He’d done some good damage too! Then it hit him, hard, he remembered fragments after that; sensing the water beneath his feet and… pulling on it? He’d pulled on water? Was that even possible?

I can turn into a shark, of course it’s possible, he thought ruefully. Now where is that bitch? I need healing.

“Glad to see you up, Shark,” The woman’s voice came from above him. 

He grunted and looked up, the woman, Sonya was her name, was sitting on top a pile of junk. Next to her was a woman in a green dress who stood at attention like some sort of maid or something. Amos was there too, trembling. What was Amos doing here? He glanced around in confusion, where was he anyway? This wasn’t the warehouse they’d fought the beast in. It looked like someone’s garage.

“We’re in the storage room of Amos’ shop,” The woman said, “If you’re curious.”

He narrowed his eyes, that checked out, he tried to sit up but every bone in his body felt like it was broken. It would take days for his body to heal and that was only after he got his powers working again. He frowned, “What is this?”

Sonya was holding something in her hand, the respirator she’d been wearing to cover her face during the encounter. She held it up over her mouth playfully, “Don’t be like that, I’m hoping we can have a good business relationship, Shark.”

He narrowed his eyes, “Yeah? Well you’ve got me at a disadvantage, not gonna heal me until we come to terms?”

“Smart boy,” Sonya said softly, lowering the mask.

“What do you want?” He demanded.

“You, Shark, and your gang,” Sonya said with an easy smile.

He snorted out a laugh, “My boss won’t like that.”

She snorted out a laugh as well, “Then we’ll get rid of him.”

He froze, “What?”

“You heard me,” Sonya said and stood up from her seated position. She hopped off the junk and strode towards him, the mask still in her hand, her eyes glowed eerily in the dim light, “Here’s what’s going to happen, Shark. You’re going to work for me, you’re going to take control of the gangs around here, and you’re going to be the boss in charge. Then you’re going to do the same with every other gang in this city.”

His eyes widened as she came to a stop, standing over him, her glowing eyes blazing so brightly it made it hard to see her pale face. “I want to make you into a King, Shark. All you have to do is what I tell you to do and I’ll make sure you get everything you need.”

His throat had gone dry. “A king?”

“That’s right,” She said quietly, “King of the scum of this city, but that’s just the start, I have bigger plans for you, Shark. Much bigger.”

He tried to swallow, “What do I have to do?”

She smiled at him and held out a hand, “Let’s make a deal.”

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