Atlantis Rising: Chapter 2
The second chapter of the series.
Previous Chapter: Phoenix Rising: Chapter 1
Homepage: Atlantis
I've done some switching around of chapters, and a bit of off-line work, which brings this chapter into play.
Also see: Reaper's First Drop
23:04 Hours, December 11, 2012 (Military Calendar), a crowded bar, Miami, Florida. "Hands off, creep!" Matt Kenderson looked up. There was a white guy in baggie pants with a backward hat standing over Holly, his hands on either side of her blocking her escape."Hey! Get away from her!"
At six feet, 180 pounds, Matt was an imposing sight, made even more so by his three friends backing him up. First and foremost was Jamie Campbell. The other two, girls, Scarlett Miller, known to them as Scar, and Holly Dayne, the one the man in the hoodie had been messing with.
Jamie stepped in front of Scar, placing himself between her and the man as well as next to Matt in case he should need back up.
The hoodie guy scowled. "What, are you gonna rough me up, punk?" And at that, Hoodie's posse appeared and stood at the guy's shoulder, arms crossed. Matt rolled his eyes. Here they went with the whole macho-scripted clichés.
"We're kinda hoping it won't come to that." Jamie growled. "For your sake."
"Watch your mouth, buddy. You must be what, sixteen?" The posse chuckled. They were all above 21. "Yeah. That just makes it all the more humiliating when I mail your butt back to you in a pringles can." Jamie continued.
"That's it, punk. Lemme teach you a lesson."
"I wouldn't advise that." Matt said, stepping in front of Jamie before he dropped the guy.
"You first! Come on!" The Baggy pants took a swing at Matt.
"He did warn you." Scar sighed before taking a step back.
After having ducked under the swing, Matt stepped forward and threw his fist into the man's stomach.
The man collapsed to his knee and coughed a couple of times. Hoodie looked up and glared at Matt.
Matt stepped in towards the guy and clocked him solidly in the mouth. The hoodie guy tried to rise to his knees, but Matt stepped in again and kicked the guy's ribs.
Matt turned to Holly, who had retreated to Scar's side behind Jamie."You okay?"
She started to say something when Jamie cut her off, "Matt watch-" It came to late. The man had stood back up and tackled Matt. He was about to punch the teenager when Jamie rammed him into the wall. With that the rest of Baggy Pants' posse jumped in. It became an all out brawl. Matt was taking on two guys while Jamie was backed into a wall fending off three others. Baggy Pants and two others walked towards the girls.
Baggy Pants approached Holly, obviously not expecting resistance. Holly waited until he was within reach, then smacked the guy in the mouth for the second time in as many minutes.
Baggy Pants stumbled backwards, surprised, then roared and attacked. Holly dodged to the side and threw another punch. Then one of his posse tackled her to the ground.
“Holly!” Matt grunted, pinned in a corner. He threw his weight at the man standing between him and her, and they both toppled to the ground. Matt got right back up, but came down again as the guy tripped him up. Matt flipped onto his back and shoved his foot into the guy's face, then grunted as the other guy kicked him in the stomach.
Scar, meanwhile, was fending off Baggy Pants while Holly wrestled with his buddy.
Jamie took a hit in the mouth and stumbled to his knee, then sprang up and clocked his attacker in the jaw. Then one stepped in, and they were grappling on the floor, the fistfight having been reduced to a wrestling match.
Matt yelled a curse as Holly was hit in the mouth. Rage mounting, Matt noticed pressure building in his head. It increased in intensity until he had a splitting migraine. Adrenaline coursed through his limbs, turning them to fire, and his breathing unconsciously quickened.
All of a sudden, an immense energy exploded from his chest, the pressure broke, and Matt watched dumbstruck as pipes burst out of the walls, sending a jet of water pulsing at such high pressure, it peeled the skin and clothes off the back of the man assaulting Holly. The guy dropped, unconscious.
Jamie barely noticed, but after the pipes burst out of the wall, something happened to him, too. Adrenaline flooded through his body as well, lending his thoughts unnatural clarity and quickness. His hands and ears grew unbearably hot, pressure built in his head, and seconds later, energy exploded out in the form of a stream of fire, emanating from his upraised hand. It scorched Baggy Pants, dropping him to the ground, and sent him crawling for the door.
The same thing happened in Holly and Scar. Holly's reaction sent two of Baggy Pants' posse to the ER with various broken appendages as chunks of concrete flew from the ceiling, snapping bones. Scar followed Jamie's example, roasting the clothes off of two more of Baggy Pants' crew. The one guy left standing beat it quick, throwing open the door and scrambling out.
“What... the.. .crap?” Matt huffed. He felt as if he had just run a mile in five or six minutes. “Pyro... sweet.” Jamie muttered, leaning on a table. After another second, his knees buckled, and he dropped to all fours. Holly's eyes fluttered, and she said, “I'm going to pass out.” Then dropped. Matt lurched forward and caught her, steadying himself on a chair. Scar simply sat on the floor, informing him, “Me too.” then fell sleeping.
Matt's legs buckled as well, and he and Holly toppled to the floor. “What is this?” Matt croaked to himself. The last thing he saw before passing out was the face of a man, clean-shaven, with a military crew cut.
Then the lights went out, and Matt fell into his own personal world of darkness.
