⚠️Authors Note - Mature Content
"This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, nations, corporations and events are products of the author's imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real events or persons is coincidental."
Tags: Alternate World, Dark, Vigilante, Cyberpunk, MegaCorps, Single-Shot Stories, Short-Stories, Hero, Supervillain, Magic, Fiction, Science Fiction, Superheroes, History, Futuristic,, Noir
"A separate series that explores other aspects of the world of Crown Obsidian from multiple points of views, years and places. Each chapter is its own standalone story."
Date: 15th May 2017
Character (s) Name: The Owl
Location: Promise City, Ct
District: The Wound, The Owls Clocktower
Time: 2310 (11:10 PM)
The sewer of the Bridgerton District was dangerous, winding, its fumes alone poisonous enough to melt flesh. The pools, and rivers of toxic waste sewer sludge were inhabited by alligators, ones that arrived in Connecticut after a lone pregnant alligator gave birth under Promise City.
They swam, heads faintly above the murky surface. Their beady red eyes searching for their next meal. Their long scaly tails wading, and steady. But the gators weren't alone.
A small pod, a silver tube with a glass visor bobbed slowly. It didn't belong in the sewer, no one did, it wasn't inhabitable for humans or life for that matter.
An unofficial dumping ground for the MegaCorps of the world to discard their worst secrets.
BlueJet lost something valuable, and now they were here to reclaim it.
'So, the asset should be here?' a voice echoed-
'It's a silver pod. That's what we're looking for.'
The two hazmat suited agents trudged through the sewage water. Their torches lit their path.
BlueJet.
The MegaCorp wasn't above getting their hands dirty. In fact, they go where the government refuses.
'Careful. Plenty of dangers down here.'
'Yeah and gators are the main one-'
'Gators? In Connecticut? Nah come on-'
'I'm being serious. They are - watch out for the shadows in the water.'
One of the agents slammed a metal pole used for measuring the water level into the shadow he mentioned and yep, without delay-
CHOMP
-an alligator snapped its jaws inches from their legs.
'Listen out for the hiss-'
'Hiss?'
'Yeah. That's the give away.'
Then one of the agents had a light shone in their visor.
'What the hell..?'
One of the agents looked at the light that approached slowly in the distance.
'Probably smugglers. We are near the Wound district after all.'
Click
The metallic sound of a pistol being prepared to be used.
'Smugglers are dangerous… assuming they are smugglers…'
The 'Smugglers' came closer, there were two, then three, then five and then ten of them. All armed, all masked, and all soaked. One, in a yellow puffer jacket, gave the orders, he led from the front.
'F*ck. BlueJet.' he muttered, looking back at the others.
'What now?'
'Why are you here?' another asked, aiming his assault rifle muzzle at the agents-
The agents slowly backed away, their pistols drawn, cocked and ready.
The armed thugs approached closer and closer-
'Only TWO of you?.. Wha-? BlueJet works in pairs now? Thought you corporate monkeys worked in squads.' The yellow clad lieutenant taunted.
'Two, as far as you know, could be more…watching.'
An agent responded confidently.
Slowly behind him the silver pod bobbed along, undisturbed by the gators that circled it peacefully or the stand off on the walkway.
'HANG ON BOYS!'
A voice chirped, but not with honeyed words…venom.
Marching to the front of the group of thugs, splashing the others as she went, it was-
The Owl.
She was flamboyant. Sassy. Every footstep shot the concrete walkway.
She wore a flowing fluffy white fully covering robe. Thick black winter boots. And white gloves.
Her dark brown hair flowed. Her stride was powerful, over confident even. Where her enforcer's slogged through the murk, the Owl DID NOT. She was above that.
'Ew.. this place is…putrid.'
She scoffed looking at the sludge. She elegantly clicked along the walkway, taking a drag of a thick cigar that sat between her tanned talons.
FWWWwwwooooshhhhh
She exhaled.
The cigar smoke filled the cold toxic air.
'SO, why are YOU here little boys?'
'Could ask you the same thing…'
'Well… my associates and I were here to move some merchandise through the sewers…'
The Owl slowly approached like a bloodthirsty predator-
'And we have been for the last few nights… from the Wound to Bridgerton..'
Another drag, a deeper one, then exhale.
'BlueJet is here to take the asset and leave.'
An agent answered.
The Owls brown eyes fixated on the silver pod. Like an Eagle who found its prey.
'Hello~' she cooed-
'Don't get in the way. Or face the full force of the BlueJet security forces.'
The agent warned holstering his pistol, and cocking his much more deadlier assault rifle with an audible-
CLICK
'You want to start a fight?'
He continued.
Beep Beep Beep
One of the agents gestured to a beacon on their body armour.
'You see one of these -
It flickered blue light.
A BlueJet beacon, reinforcements arrive in less than five minutes.'
The Owl spun around with a scoff. With a final puff, she flicked the remnants of the cigar into the sludge.
'Well then… I guess we gotta HURRY.'
She said with a menacing cruel cackle, and then-
CLICK
Her own golden plated pistol was ready.
She aimed, her pearly white sharp smile gleamed like the gold plating…
BAM
An agent fell forwards into the sewer water, and immediately alligators in a frenzy tore the blooded trooper apart.
The other returned fire with a hail of rounds-
RATATTATATAATTATATA
The Owl turned to her lieutenant with a sneer and growled-
'One of you grab whatever the F*ck that is!' She gestured to the pod.
As the agent's beacon beeped rapidly, bullets rained.
They ricocheted off walls.
Struck the living agent's body armour.
Gangsters fell into the river of muck, shot to pieces.
The queenpin sped walked away from the fight. Her heels pounding the sewers wet concrete walkway. Her white coat flowed behind her as she left the scene, entering the city outside, the air was delightful, less toxic and NOT overwhelming.
She could still hear the rattling unending gunfire behind her. Besides the matriarch, the crew's lieutenant carried the pod with another.
'Ummm ma'am…the crew-'
The Owl ignored him.
'Meat shields.'
She continued-
'Disposable. Dirt.
Her voice became a cruel, insidious hiss.
'A sewer suits them for their tomb.'
They stopped dead in their tracks. They had their backs to the sewers entrance wall. Peering around the corner-
They saw an alternative entrance. A giant hole in a wall, sealed with a metal door being blown wide open-
KABOOOOoooommmm
The metal door was torn to ribbons by an assault mech. A tall, 2 metre mechanical suit of titanium armour equipped with a wrist mounted rocket battery and wrist mounted las-cannon.
The cockpit is a blue illuminated control hub where the operator sat. These monsters of machinery enhance strength, speed and agility, powered by an energy core developed by BlueJet.
This is only ONE of such mechs at their disposal. BlueJet had thousands.
'These must be those reinforcements-'
The Owl watched carefully.
'Find the asset. Now!' A BlueJet officer shouted. As a hundred troopers stormed the sewers cutting all exits from the underground.
Drones buzzed in the sky, circling the district, their payloads trained on the buildings that sat on top of the sewer tunnels.
The Owl looked above the nearby skyline, she could see the dark blue helicopter gunships approaching.
The lieutenant watched on-
'I'm counting… one hundred troopers… six reaper drones…. And two gunships..'
'Shut it. I don't pay you to count.'
The Owl snapped, gritting her teeth.
She looked back at the silver pod her henchmen carried, a smile appeared on her tanned face, the grin stretching her skin.
Later on…
Date: 16th May 2017
Character (s) Name: The Owl
Location: Promise City, Ct
District: The Wound, The Owls Clocktower
Time: 0100 (1:00 AM)
The enforcers stood in a gaggle in the main hall of the clocktower, they knew better than to stick around when the Owl's having one of her 'moments'. She paced, smoking a cigarette, exhaling smoke like a chimney. She wore her red lacey nightgown. She ran a tanned finger along the silver pod, it was smooth with no roughness.
She leaned over the pod, she casually pressed on its control panel, its screen illuminated green.
[Subject Name: COrrupted_BrOke_UnfOunded_NOthingFOund
Status: Alive
Age: COrrupted_BrOke_UnfOunded_NOthingFOund]
Ability: COrrupted_BrOke_UnfOunded_NOthingFOund]
'Hhhmmmm what are you…' her voice predatory, she took a large drag of her cigarette-
'I wonder what happens if I open you up-'
'Your probably nothing THAT valuable, probably a jewel, maybe a gun, or perhaps something completely pitiful-a waste...' she hissed each word as cruel, and wicked as the next.
'Maybe-.... I can use it… maybe I can have another slave.. Another TOY..-'
She leaned so far over the pod, her nightgown parted almost fully, her tanned creased breast falling out almost entirely. She gritted her white teeth, her eyes wide with excitement, her long dark brown hair wet, tangled and wild.
Her medallion dangled freely between her wide creased cleavage, it glistened against her skin, perhaps a light entered her heart-
She pressed one of the buttons and immediately, it HISSED-
The air exhaled, it was concentrated.
And the small pod opened…
Her eyes widened-
And her heart THROBBED.
As if she felt something for the first time, maternal love.
She reached down, her hands cradling what was inside.
Wrapped in a white blanket-
A small infant child, no older than a month old. She smiled, it was not her usual venomous smile, this one was warm and filled with love.
Meanwhile…
Date: 16th May 2017
Character (s) Name: Julian
Location: Promise City, Ct
District: BlueJet Administration Building, Central District
Time: 0100 (1:00 AM)
Promise Cities BlueJet Director Julian Asanta sat at his desk, his hands clasped together. In front of him were the Military Wing Commanders of the company.
'The asset was stolen in the sewer system leading from the Wound.'
Julian sighed. He tapped his long desk.
'So what did you do to get it BACK?'
'We sent an entire response team. The sewer system is now under our full control. Two of our agents from the "Clean Up Team" are dead-'
'Yeah - don't care about that.' Julian waved off the officers.
'Where is it now?' he continued-
'We lost track of it.' One spluttered-
Julian frowned, brushing a hand through his black slickback hair.
'Then, all we can do is wait.'
He leaned backwards, and spun his chair around to face the window behind him.
Glaring out into the city, observing the Wound, a district of the city constantly at war, he then spoke calmly-
'The asset will resurface. And when he does, we'll PUNISH those who stole from us.'
'And what of the thieves we encountered? The insignia they wore bore the symbol of the Owl.'
'Then, again, we wait. Street scum aren't a concern. Let her wage her war that she declared against us-
Our plan of action is a long game.'