Heroes Uprising Part 5

With the events of the night cleaned up everyone headed to their respective quarters to sleep or do whatever. In the morning Minerva and Tesla where have breakfast and sitting at the same table. The other Avengers was already finished and gone about their day. There is a awkward silence between the two for quite a while as they realized that they never really really talked much one on one before. "So... um, going to Emmet's today." Tesla stated, trying to get some conversation to spark.

Scott got the call that the situation had been resolved and returned to The Avengers HQ with the others. He carried a sleeping Minerva home and left her in her own bed before collapsing into his own. He was up at 1 PM the next day, feeling refreshed and ready for a day of crime fighting. However, before he could do that, he wanted to do a training session to help out with the mastery of the new power that Alan had given to him. Once they were inside of the training room of The Avengers, he flared up with his Destructive Aura and expanded it to cover the whole inside of the room. Focusing hard, he was able to keep it in place and use Enjela's power to create his own dimension within it using his heart, something he had been taught how to do when he went to Kasha for the first time while he was still attending Shadowgreen.

Using Quick Armor to suit up, he conjured up some targets for him to hit, the full size and shape of a Grymwar. Charging up his power, he mixed the Pure Flames with his spirit energy to create the catalyst for a Burning Fist of Valor. Jumping forward in a way that seemed to be colliding, he hurled his fist at the target and collided with it. Between the energy and the flames, the target was disintegrated, proving that this was a potent technique indeed, perfect against anything that would burn. Switching to the Forbidden Tenth Fist, he summoned the Pure Flames and fired what he called a Blazing Fist of Valor, since Burning Shining Fist of Valor sounded way too awkward and goofy. As expected, the blast was like a flamethrower, perfectly disintegrating the targets from a distance.

Every Fist of Valor strike had been upgraded with the addition of the Pure Flames, including his Million Punches of Valor and Drilling Fist of Valor. Summoning up some new targets made out of stone, he decide to practice his martial arts techniques, as well.
Well, Valor, now all we need is some kick-ass training music.
Pure rock 'n' roll, of course.
The two thought about it and came up with a perfect song for them. It was old-school, but it fit perfectly with exactly what they liked to do.



As the music began playing, Scott cut a stone statue in half with a perfect Karate chop. This was followed by a jumping kick to decapitate a statue behind him. One pivot reduced another to dust with a single backfist. Unlimited statues meant enough for his endless martial arts knowledge, and he even used some very obscure techniques that had not been used in over 1000 years. Once his groove was established, he practiced his Valor techniques to keep them sharp. The Drilling Fist of Valor spun his fist 360 degrees to pass through the stone like paper, making for an easy practice session.

Dissipating the armor, he removed his shoes and began to practice barefooted. In his own training area, he could safely get back to the basics. His skin was dense like stone and rough to the touch, the result of so much conditioning and training. Scott was also covered in scars from head-to-toe, only his face remaining unblemished. The responsibility to protect the Earth had caused him to live a life far rougher than many, but Scott had no regrets. No matter the pain he had endured, he would not trade a single second of the life he had lived away.

Scott finished his warm-ups and dispelled the training area.
Well, it's time to fight crime again, Valor.
Yes, but I don't think The Avengers will be okay with you taking the motorcycle again.
Oh, don't worry. We'll soon have our own motorcycle and we won't have to pay a dime for it.
I really don't like how you just put that.

Relax, we're simply going to take advantage of our new celebrity status to acquire something we want. There's a Harley-Davidson dealership downtown, and if we get them some free exposure and an endorsement, we'll have our pick of their merchandise free of charge. It's how celebrities do things, Valor.
It seems slightly unethical, but if it's not illegal, I suppose it's fair game.
Trust me, Valor, it's a win-win-win situation.
Scott and Valor left Avengers HQ, casually making their way to the dealership in order to acquire their own form of transportation.

Minerva was suprised when Tesla spoke to her, in all the time they'd been on the Avengers, the two women had never exchanged a word of dialogue, aside from the song they sung with Emmet " Oh...um yes, I was planning too, I mean since he invited me and all......your going too right? "

Tesla gave a slight nod and replied with "yes". And as quick as that Tesla found herself out of words to say once again. The first time talking to a new person was always so awkward. One would figure Tesla would be used to it by now after SXM and Avengers, yet here they where again. "Hmm, I suppose Emmet will arrive to pick us up, or do we find our way to Paris on our own?" Tesla realized Minerva probably didn't know any more then herself, Tesla just had to find something to say.

Minerva wasnt actually sure how to get there, it felt presumptous to think that Emmet would pick them up. It was times like this that she wished she knew teleportation magic.

" Good Morning Miss Mercury, Mss Nova " Emmets familiar voice spoke in their heads " Let me know when your ready to come over, I have transportation ready "

"Transportation..." Tesla wondered if it was merely teleportation, or if it was something overly elaborate and complex. Tesla took the last bite of her food and responded to Emmet. "I'm ready if Minerva is." Tesla stood up from the table. "Ready?" she asked her fellow Avenger. Tesla had to admit Emmet had good timing, at least he saved her from any more awkward one on one small talk, hopefully.

When Scott and Valor arrived at the Harley-Davidson dealership, they drew no more attention than any other customer. This was perfectly natural, since none of the newscasters had video of Scott outside of his Valor Armor. Dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt with black boots covered by the jeans, he looked like your average American young adult, although his muscular physique and handsome features still turned the heads of some women inside the store. He approached the counter where a man who looked like a former member of the Hell's Angels regarded him with a tough look behind black wraparound sunglasses. The man working the counter was the owner of the dealership, and his first impression of Scott was someone who looked like he belonged in an SUV rather than on a motorcycle.

This appraisal was not without merit. Back home in his own dimension, Scott was in fact the owner of an SUV, a 2015 GMC Terrain. He needed it for work as a private investigator and would have rather owned a muscle car or a motorcycle, but the need for an inconspicuous vehicle overruled personal preference on that front. Not intimidated in the slightest by the biker, Scott approached the counter and smiled at him.
"Sir, would you mind stepping in the back so that I can talk to you?"
The biker almost cracked a sneer, but kept his face like stone for professionalism.

"May I ask what this is concerning?" he asked, sounding every bit the professional owner.
"Nothing bad. I was wanting to talk with you about endorsing one of your models. You don't know this and I don't mean to sound like I'm bragging, but I am a celebrity."
At those words, the biker could not hold back the sneer any longer.
"Did your dog win the Eukanuba Dog Show or something?"

Boy, this guy really doesn't like us very much, does he?
He thinks we're posers, Valor, and no one likes a poser.
Keeping cool, Scott surreptitiously encased his arm in a Valor Gauntlet.
"I'm Crusader, the guy who's been cleaning up the streets so that honest citizens like you can go to and from work and home without being afraid for your safety."
The biker's jaw almost hit the floor, and he hurriedly got someone else to watch the counter while he went to the back with Scott.

Once behind closed doors, Scott assumed the full Valor Armor, and turned to the owner.
"Hey, I'm really sorry about how I talked to you back there," the owner said, his voice much less rough and snarly, "You just looked like one of those pretty boys who come in all the time, buy a bike they don't know how to ride, crash it, and then blame us for selling it to them. I got dragged into court over an issue like that, and even though the judge dropped the case, I was still left with a bad taste in my mouth for anybody who even looks like that asshole."
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure you know all about what it's like to be judged by your appearance."
The owner nodded, actually turning out to be a much nicer guy than his appearance would suggest.

"So, anyway, man, I can't tell you how honored I am to have you in my shop. My son talks about you all the time, and we even taped the news footage of you fighting that mutant for him. Do you think I could get an autograph for him?"
Scott chuckled.
"Of course. But before we get into that, I'd like to talk business."
Using a catalog in the back, Scott picked out the motorcycle he wanted to own, and the owner agreed to give it to him for free in exchange for a five hour autograph session inside the store and an endorsement of the Harley-Davidson brand and store staff. Having Crusader associated with Harley-Davidson would make sales shoot through the roof, more than making back the money that it would have cost to buy the motorcycle outright. Scott agreed to the terms and they shook hands on it; he also autographed a picture of the owner's son, something he knew would make his day.

When Scott exited the back room in full armor, everyone went nuts. The store was swarmed with people wanting autographs and pictures, and he happily gave them to everyone. When the news team arrived, he gave an earnest endorsement of the Harley-Davidson brand and the owner, and even posed for a newspaper picture shaking hands with the owner. The event was a huge success for everyone, and by the time Scott left on his new motorcycle, there was not a single model still in the store; they had all been sold during the event. By 5:00 that afternoon, Scott was riding a wave of positive energy.

However, it was now time to get down to business. For the next three hours, he stopped criminals and hauled them off to jail. When he decided to take a breather, he was sitting on a roof installation when something strange began to happen. The sky began to shimmer, and then a spaceship as long as a mid-size cruise ship came through like it was passing through a curtain.
"Well, that's something you don't see everyday."
The ship shone a spotlight on him, and Scott raised a hand to cover his eyes.

Within moments, he was surrounded by five alien-looking men, each one carrying the unmistakable air of an intergalactic bounty hunter.
"So, are you guys the latest?"
Ever since Scott had defeated the Grymwar chieftain Dulzak in battle, the Grymwar had periodically sent assassins and bounty hunters to kill him.
"You've been fortunate to defeat our colleagues in the past," an alien with sandpaper for skin said, "but this time, we came prepared."
They each drew bladed instruments, and each of the instruments had the aura of Blood Magic around them. With these weapons, they could erase his Valor Armor wherever they stabbed to hurt the flesh-and-blood underneath.

Without fear, Scott smiled icily.
"You have some nice toys there, but do you think you can even touch me with them?"
"I guess we'll find out!" the alien retorted, and then they all jumped at him to attack him at once.
Tactically, the bounty hunters had done a passable job. They had the numbers, skills, and weapons that it took to achieve victory, but they had neglected to account for their environment. Scott was sitting on top of a skyscraper, and that meant that a long fall was in their future.

Scott unleashed a Shockwave of Valor that pushed his opponent's right off the edge of the roof. Overconfident in their victory, the hired help had neglected to wear any kind of jetpack or anti-gravity device, which meant that they had a date with the pavement of New York's Fifth Avenue. Scott got up and peered over the edge, seeing all five laying dead far below him. It was fortunate that they had slipped up in their attempt to capture him, or he could have had a far tougher fight ahead of him. Looking up, he saw the ship turn and exit using the same warp hole it had entered from, no doubt going to inform the Grymwar of another failure. Scott leaped from the roof and landed next to his motorcycle, his Valor Boots sparing him the same grisly death the bounty hunters had experienced.

Getting onto his motorcycle, it was about 8:30 PM when he returned to Avengers HQ. Parking his motorcycle in their garage, he proceeded up in an elevator to the main business floor. Willing away his armor, he hoped to find Minerva so that he could ask her out on a second date. Not being able to find her, he tried sensing her energy but found that she was not in the building. A search of her favorite Starbucks turned up empty, so with no other leads, he turned to a telepathic connection with Emmett to try and find Minerva.
Hey, Emmett, do you know where Minerva is?

A rainbow of colors washed over the two women found themselves on the roof of Emmets mansion, the rooftop garden to be specific. Emmet was sitting at table sipping tea and enjoying some rolls he'd just prepared, baked with cream at the center and bowls of honey, cinnamon, fruit, tea, and coffee " It's so wonderful to see you two again "

Minerva started to bow but quickly stopped " G-Good Morning Emmet " she smiled a little, happy that she barely stuttered and kept control of her voices volume.

Emmet received Scott's mental calling " Yes, she's currently in my presence. I've invited her and Tesla Nova to spend the day at my home. Congragulations on your victories last night, I regret missing it, but had other affairs to deal with "

"Good to see you again as well Emmet" Tesla said with a pleasant smile as she looked out over the garden view from the roof, admiring the sights. "Well, you sure do have a beautiful place here when half a dozen people isn't trying to destroy it."

Emmet laughed " Too true dawling, too true. Thankfully the cleanup process is fairly simply, please, have a seat "

Minerva sat down and immediately her nose was filled with the smell of the pastries laid out. She reached out and took one, applying a fine layer of honey, and took a bite. It was one of the most delicious things she'd ever tasted in her life. Before she knew it, she'd eaten the whole thing and reached for another, but stopped, only for Emmet to assure her that she could have as many as she wanted.

" Nothing warms one heart quite like seeing their cooking being enjoyed " he smiled warmly in a way that made Minverva think of her mother, in the kitchen, making sweet. Minerva smile and hastily took another pastry, this time applying the cherry sauce available.

Avery woke to a wonderful aroma in a stranger’s bed room. He shot up, confused and alert. The dagger he kept close to him for so long was on a dresser next to the bed. Avery grabbed it quickly, but began to slow down, asking himself “Wait, what happened yesterday?” the fact he had to ask the question was concerning. He didn’t drink and the last time he was so exhausted from fighting was during the alien invasion last year. Even then he earned some scars, but now…no marks or pain like before. His clothes were fine and his shoes were placed right next to the bed.  

He took a moment to look at the room. Queen sized bed, chocolate colored hardwood floors, starch white walls, nice gaming laptop next to the window, books haphazardly tossed around along with a few articles of clothing. The signs of a sort of messy person was obvious but Avery shrugged and figured whoever it was couldn't be as bad as he is. Even with what was seen there was a sense that whoever lived here moved a lot. There wasn't a nice personal touch to the decor and it reminded him of his sister. She moved often due to her job and wasn’t even sure about settling down. Soon he decided to leave the room and made the decision to leave his weapon behind. It always came back to him when he needed it anyway.

“Um, Hello?” he asked cracking open the bedroom door and waving his hand. The aroma from earlier was only stronger. Is it eggs? Sausage and peppers to? Before he could wonder further about it there was a response.

“Hello, Smith, right?” The sound of a gentle feminine voice came from further down the hall. Avery fully opened the door and walked out the room almost confused by the name. He would give out that name when fighting in the street, but how did this woman know? When he came out and walked down the hall a few steps he could see someone staring back at him. A tall woman with fair skin and golden blonde hair very much like his. While she was wearing light blue pair of pajamas there was no mistaking those violet eyes. At that moment yesterday’s events flooded his mind and he remembered it all. “Glory?”

“It is I. I assume Smith isn’t your real name? Come on out I don’t usually bite.”

“I might not mind that.” He thought to himself before fully entering the living room. It seemed very spacious, but had the same feel as the bedroom. The TV was on and he noticed it was on a news channel, but didn’t pay too much attention to it. “Yeah you noticed? Usually when I’m kicking ass at home I try not to reveal my identity often. But seem ok my name’s Avery nice to meet you again. Sorry you had to drag me off the street.”

“Well you really weren’t the issue. That dagger of yours over there.” Glory pointed towards the couch. He walked over there and could see it sitting on a cushion. “If I said it was a bitch carrying that would be an understatement.”

“Heh yeah it's weird, I always thought it was some weird magic crap going on with it. Actually do you have any idea what this is?” Avery was surprised she could even move it. Everyone else can barely even make it budge. Her strength seemed even more amazing than he first thought.  Before she could answer Avery yelled.“Oh shit my sister!”

“The phone is on the table over there next to your breakfast. Wasn’t sure how much you liked Mexican omelets.”

His hunger almost made him prioritize the food first. Avery quickly called his sister who was all but yelling at him the entire time. Knowing her she was up all night and worried that their mother would kill her. “Yeah yeah I’m ok! Yeah just doin hero stuff I’ll be there soon. No don’t pick me up I’ll be over there. Gotta go by!” he hung up purposefully neglecting to talk about where he was staying all night. Avery felt that it wasn’t the time to brag he spent the night in some hot girl’s apartment. Glory just smiled and kept herself from laughing. Her own hearing picked up on his sister’s side of the conversation and the statement “If mom find out about this she’ll kick my ass then kick your ass with my corpse!” was perfect.

“I suspected you didn’t know much about it. If you want we can ask my mother about this. That’s if you want to come.”

“Wait really? Fuck yeah lets go.” Avery was more than thrilled. He did enjoy using the dagger, but the day he first wielded it was still hard to remember. Learning anything more would help. “When and where are we going?”

“In a few minutes after you eat and where might depend. I’m gonna get dressed you can sit here and watch something until I get back. Oh and my mother gets into more fights than I do so just be ready.” Glory went back to her bedroom leaving Avery on the couch with his omelet while wondering what type of mother is she? The news channel the tv was already on just switched to a segment focusing on what happened yesterday. A big portion of it focused on the Avengers and Scott. Then it showed footage of Avery briefly fighting with Glory. There was even footage of her later cooperating with police in further cleanup. There were even people calling her New York’s very own Shogun because of the samurai armor.

While changing Glory telepathically linked with Emmet. For a moment she wondered when was the last time they met in person. "Mother? Do you have a moment?"

Tesla took a seat as well when Emmet suggested it. Even though she just ate, she decided to at try one of Emmet's pastries. Tesla took a roll and dabbed it into the honey before taking a bite. It was quite good. "Well this sure beats breakfast at the Avengers." Tesla finished her roll and then passed on any more. "Quite the tasty treat Emmet." While a beautiful garden and tasty treats was all well and good, Tesla was a little eager to see the rest of the place.

" GLORY!! " Emmet yelled " Oh dawling, it's been far to long since i've heard from you. Of course im never to busy to see one of my precious, wonderful children "

To Tesla he said " Thank you, We can start our lovely tour just as soon as another guest arrives " he spoke so fondly, making the women wonder who was coming.

"You sure seem fond of this new guest." Tesla leaned back in the chair to get comfortable as they waited.

Scott smiled as Emmett answered him back.
Hey, thanks. Please keep Minerva safe. I want to take her out tonight.
Yes, he'll freak if there's so much as a scratch on her, the poor guy.
Dammit, Valor!

Valor didn't often get to communicate with others, but he couldn't resist the opportunity to get some good-natured ribbing in on Scott. It was rare for Scott to be so smitten with a girl, so he couldn't resist. The mind link with Emmett was broken, and Scott returned to his room to rest. He laid down and closed his eyes to rest up. Elsewhere, the Shadow Force was defending the world, Shell-Shock taking advantage of Scott's absence to grab some spotlight for himself, much to the chagrin of his brother Richard and their leader Madame Shadow. Alan, Chiang, and Enjela continued to keep an eye on the planet Grym, and more bounty hunters were being hired and sent to Earth to deliver Scott's head on a platter.

Glory smiled, she was always connected with her mother but just communicating again set her mind at ease. "I missed you to mother and I'm sorry for not talking with you sooner." there was a hint of sadness in her voice, but they both knew Glory was the type to travel around and usually come back when one least expects it. Not unlike her father.

"Would you mind if I brought someone with me to come visit you. He's fought with me before and I would like to help him. I think you have the knowledge he needs."

Emmet chuckled at the interaction between Scott and Valor " You have my assurance that she will be perfectly fine " as that conversation was going on, he was also still talking with Glory " I see, well dawling come over right away and i'll see what I can do for this friend of yours "

He sipped his tea before responding to Tesla " Yes, one of my precious daughters is coming for a visit, oh it feels like centuries since i've seen her, though it's more accurate to say decades "

"Your daughter? Neat, should be interesting to meet her." Tesla had no idea Emmet was actually talking about Glory, the girl Tesla had met just yesterday.

-----

Meanwhile Sandra was seen awakening in a bed, she was surrounded by men and women all of which was nude. The orgy with the wrestlers had started off at the arena but eventually Sandra moved it to Genosha. She was still a honorary SXM member and still owned the old stand alone house she previously sheared with Dave. Sandra contacted Abby to get herself and the kids out before the party arrived. Sandra didn't want to spend the night at the arena, Dave was living a new life in England (far as Sandra was still aware) So it came down between Emmet's mansion or her house. Sandra figured Emmet's mansion was more active with everyone running around, Sandra's own home had a few people left at most. So for better privacy, Sandra decided on her old place to spend the night.

The first thing she had to do upon appearing was to super size the bed to fit 8 people. From there the fun continued well into the night. Sandra was currently cuddled up with Tanesha, Roberta to to her back. Sandra smiled as she gently brushed away some of Tani's hair from her face, the girls hair was a mess from rocking all night long, Sandra knew hers was no better either. Speaking gently so to ease Tani awake and not startle her, Sandra said "Hey babe, it's morning."

"Perfect! We'll be over in a few seconds." Glory just threw some clothes on and went out to grab Avery. He felt her hand on his shoulder while he was just getting done eating. "Finish up we're leaving."

"Wait we're going now?" As soon as he could finish his statement Glory focused on her mother's location. Teleportation wasn't something she could do without a specific connection to the person she wants to teleport to. Emmet was one of them. Avery could see the scenary change around them from the inside of an apartment to a lovely garden on Emmet's rooftop. In the distance he could see the Eiffel tower, but what really made him nearly collapse was the sight of Emmet sitting at the table.

"Holy shit its-"

"MOM!" Glory yelled rushing towards Emmet. When he got up she wrapped her arms around him holding back the urge to lift him up. "I missed you so much!" the calm voice from earlier gave way to a child who missed her mother. They let go after a long embrace. Glory fixed her jacket a little and turned towards Emmet's guests. "Greetings I'm sure my mother mentioned me but again my name is Glory and this is my comrade Avery. Its a pleasure to meet you all."

"Umm hi. Oh hey Diamo!" He waved at her nervouslys still unable to comprehend what was happening. Meeting one of the most famous people on the planet now and Glory is his daughter was a surprise.

Tesla was surprised to see Glory was the daughter Emmet mentioned. Tesla never would of thought Emmet was the mother Glory was talking about yesterday. When Avery spoke Tesla paused for a brief moment. "You know what, just call me Tesla." If they was friends of Emmet they couldn't be that bad, at least Tesla hoped.

Emmet was already out of his seat the instant he sensed Glory making her way there " GLORY! " he yelled and embraced her, holding her tightly. Emmet loved all of his children equally and it was always a joy to see them, whether they lived with him or it had been years since he'd seen them. He made sure to keep as much in contact with them as possible.

Once the long embrace ended he turned to Avery " You must be the associate that Glory mentioned needed my vasy expertise " he cocked his head to the side slightly, something about him seemed familiar.

Minerva was suprised to hear that Emmet had children and was a mother no less, a part of her was wondering how that process worked, but quickly dismissed it as being rude to pry into what was certainly a private matter " It's nice to meet you Glory, I heard about you from the other Avengers, thank you for the help last night "

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Tanesha yawned stretched out, she blinked a couple times as last night came back to her, all the naked men and women on the bed, and grinned " Last night was fun "

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Back at the arena, the ring was filled with sleeping/exhausted naked men all in a pile, with Riku at the top in Chris Jericho's arms, he was buzzing with all the sexual energy he'd absorbed, making sleep completely unnecessary " Damn, I have a presendial debate to get ready for, oh well can always do this again "

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Dave was currenly sitting, naked, in a large magic circe. Runes had been carved all over his body. The god slayers were sitting around the circle, chanting. This had been going on for a few hours now. Dave had been completely motionless, even as the magic began taking affect, his stare remained forward. His new powers allowing him to see anywhere he wished and he'd been watching Sandra this whole time. As he watched her shift the orgy to their home, practically throwing their kids out on the street just so she could get plugged.

He clenched his hand slightly and the dimention shook. He had to keep it together, he was stronger now, so much stronger. But he wasnt quite ready, not to face that bitch, but soon he would make her kneel to him.

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Cassandra suddenly found herself standing on a cliff in the middle of nowhere. Just a moment ago she'd been in the kitchen, making breakfast for Nick and herself. What was going on? She looked around and saw nothing for miles.

" So, your the one "

She turned around sharply and saw Godric sitting there, with a bottle of sake in his hand, his eyes roamed all over her body " Heh, not bad, hmm kinda makes me wonder. Your a clone of Sandra and she's a grandaughter of how many greats to my bro, maybe all this is just running around in our blood " he shook his head and chugged the bottle " Deep thinkings not really my thing, but I can manage it sometimes "

Sandra returned the grin. "Immensely" Sandra responded before saying "well one things for sure, I now know what The Rock is cooking." Being between Tani and Roberta Sandra had found herself with not much room to move. "Psst, Roberta baby, you awake back there? Sandra couldn't really roll to face Roberta without jarring her awake suddenly, So like with Tani Sandra softly spoke again, just this time telepathically.

-----

Cassandra could sense it within this man, his power, her power, The Goblin Force. Cass remembered Sandra warning her of a man with vast cosmic power and to stay away from him. Apparently that was no longer a option. "Look whoever you are, whatever your here to offer, I'm not interested alright. So lets not waste either of our time."

Cassandra seemed ready to fight, but she recognized Godric's power. This man standing before her, he could tap far deeper into the Goblin's well of power then she ever even dreamed of. If this came down to a fight Cass already knew she didn't stand much chance.

-----

Tesla was listening in, the surprise reveal aside Tesla was quick to put two and two together and realized Emmet might say something about Avery's weapon, which she was still interested in herself.

"Well Tesla it is then. Oh and I forgot to mention but I love your power. Crushing the skulls of your enemies with a body that would make any jeweler collapse in envy has to be fun." Glory wasn't just being nice. Watching her fight was fun and the diamond form didn't really hide her more pleasant features. When Minerva spoke Glory examined her briefly sensed some power from her. A young magus which was a surprise since Glory was more used to Emmet interacting with more experienced users of magic. "No, thank you for risking your life to help innocents. I just couldn't say no to a chance at dismembering a dozen or so people. It helps if they're bad guys."

As Emmet approached Avery had to think about why he was here. "I-I-I uh yeah umm. Yeah HERE!" He yelled and gave his dagger to Emmet. "I was just wondering what this is! Dammit why can't I calm down. Its just one of the most famous and powerful beings on this planet no big deal" The last statement was all in his head. At least he was able to sort of tell Emmet why he was here.

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Roberta frowned as Sandra tried to wake her up. "Five more mins. I need to forget that little comment about The Rock anyway." sometimes waking her up was easy while other times like now was a chore. Five more mins could easily mean thirty.

Tesla got a satisfied grin from Glory's compliments. "I won't lie, it it pretty awesome. It helps that I can generation and liquefy large amounts of diamond with ease, then re-harden it at will. I love to take the ugly and make them into sparkling pillars of art" Tesla was referencing the orges and punks she turned into diamond status.

-----

Sandra smiled. "No sweat, we're in no hurry anyway." Sandra knew how Roberta could sometimes get, it was actually pretty cute. Sandra didn't mind though. "Well Tani, we could be here for a while."

Back in Scott's home dimension, the Shadowgreen Institution inner chamber was buzzing with activity. Security cameras in Detroit had just captured strange footage, and the Shadow Force was still trying to verify its authenticity, since the video had been discovered on the Internet. The video itself was that of Crusader defeating three gun-wielding assailants, street thugs that had been out to mug someone. However, two parts of the video made no sense to those that knew Scott. The first was that the real Crusader was in an alternate dimension's New York City, not in their dimension's Detroit. The second was that this "Crusader" killed these thugs, something that Scott would never do.

All of Shadow Force was gathered for this one. Yvette Duchet, alias Madame Shadow due to her ability to become a literal shadow, was the official leader of Shadow Force and the head of the Shadowgreen Institute. The field commander of Shadow Force Richard, who went by the alias Rocky due to his ability to coat himself in stone, was speechless by what he had seen.
"There's no fucking way Scott did that!" shouted Nick, Richard's younger brother and member of Shadow Force who went by Shell-Shock due to his ability to fire energy blasts.
"We know that, but the Internet sure doesn't," spoke up Mike, alias Sandstorm, a Shadow Force member who could turn his body to sand and control sand.
The final member of Shadow Force, Julie, who went by the alias Siren due to her psychic powers, remained silent just like Rocky.

"Have we verified that this video is real?" Yvette asked.
"Yes, it was taken by the security camera of a Citgo in Detroit. Someone is posing as Crusader and going on a vigilante killing spree."
The video showed "Crusader" destroy a man's face with a vicious headbutt, snap a man's head almost completely off, and break a man's spine in two like Bane almost did to Batman in Knightfall. Whoever this was, he had killed fifty thugs within a week, and concerned citizens, who did not know that he was not the real Crusader, were calling for the President to issue a warrant for Crusader's arrest. With Scott not around to expose the fake for what he was, the job fell to the Shadow Force.

Nick was the angriest of all, particularly because Scott was his best friend and he looked up to him as a beacon of moral virtue. For someone to besmirch his legacy and the legacy of Solaris was simply unforgivable in his eyes.
"This guy's a total beast when it comes to dealing with basic thugs, but I bet he wouldn't last five seconds against me. My Shell Cannon would scrap that cheap knockoff Valor Armor."
"Nick, this guy is not to be underestimated. Not only does he show real skill at brawling, but he took an RPG round at point-blank range and walked away unscathed."

"Yeah, so what? I fought the real Crusader and this guy doesn't hold a candle to him. We don't need the whole Shadow Force to deploy just to take down this one guy. I'll have him beat down and locked up within the hour!"
Nick ran off and hopped into his personal jet, taking off before anyone could stop him. Siren turned to Rocky.

"Should I render him unconscious so he doesn't do anything stupid?"
"No, let him go, Julie. He may well be right about this guy, but I think he's going to be surprised by how tough he is. Just in case Nick's plan doesn't work, let's study the footage and work out a way we can beat him."
Using a tablet, they streamed the online footage through it and used video charts to look for weaknesses in his strategy, fighting style, and armor. An in-depth look revealed that the man might not have been Crusader, but he was the next best thing and would not be easy to take down.

Nick arrived in Detroit forty-five minutes after he took off. Running through the streets, he located the last recorded sighting of the fake Crusader and immediately went into tracking mode. It turned out that he did not need to look far, as the screaming of a male and a loud snapping sound filled the air close by. Racing to the scene, he watched in horror as he was too late to save the life of a thug who was literally ripped in half at the waist like a phone book. Blood began filling the alleyway, and Nick clenched his fist.
"You piece of shit, how could you do that?!"

The fake Crusader turned to him, and Nick was haunted by how similar the paint job looked to the real Valor Armor. Every detail had been so lovingly replicated that it would be impossible to tell the fake from the real if you did not know that the man under this armor was not Scott Young. The man seemed to have a relaxed stance, and he began to speak with a voice that was gentle and calm, something that sent even more chills up Nick's spine considering what he had just done.
"Ah, you're one of the Shadow Force. Shell-Shock, right?"
"And you're the fake-ass Crusader wannabe that's giving my buddy Scott a bad name."

"Oh, you've got it all wrong, man. I'm not trying to give him a bad name at all. In fact, I'm holding down the fort while he's gone. If criminals knew that Crusader was no longer in Detroit to stop them, they'd run rampant. I'm just reminding them that Crusader is still in town to fight for justice and protect the innocent."
When he said that, Shell-Shock blasted him in the chest with his Shell Cannon, blowing him back against the alley wall.

Nick was infuriated that this asshole had dared to talk like Scott when he acted nothing like him, and he was not about to let him pretend that he was. As the fake Crusader recovered, Nick fired a barrage of energy blasts so powerful that they incinerated the dead thugs and blew out the alley wall. When the smoke cleared, he was shocked to see that the fake Crusader was standing casually like nothing happened.
"I guess teaming up to fight crime is out then," he said with a casual shrug.
"Who the fuck are you?!" Nick demanded to know.
"I would have told you that sooner if you just would have asked instead of attacking me like that."

The fake Crusader crossed his arms and stood in a noble pose.
"My name is Dr. Hans Holbrook, and I'm an engineer with a specialty in machinery. I'm a huge fan of Crusader, so I studied his armor and fighting techniques, wanting to be just like him. I learned how to box and mixed it with a little bit of street fighting so that I could defend myself, and then I built this custom Valor Armor out of top-of-the-line materials. For someone like you who knows I'm not the real Crusader, you can call me Cybernator. I'd actually love to fight alongside you and Scott, if you'd have me."

Nick sighed.
"Look, man, I hate to tell you this, but if you really were Crusader's biggest fan, you'd know that killing is abhorrent to him. He would have never killed those guys like you did. What you're doing makes you a murderer, not a hero."
Cybernator looked genuinely insulted.
"But it's not wrong to kill bad guys!"

"Yes, it is. We have a court system in this country for a reason, and superheroes like us have a hard time being taken as less than a threat with loose cannons like you ruining our image. Because of you, people want who they think is Crusader arrested. The people loved the real Crusader, but they're scared of you."
"No, that can't be right! If anything, my methods are better than Crusader's, because I make sure that these punks can never hurt anyone again."

"If you truly believe that, than you are more dangerous than you realize. I respect everything about what you're doing except the killing, so I'll give you one last chance to change your ways."
Cybernator clenched his fist.
"If killing thugs is wrong, then I don't want to be right."
Nick took up a fighting stance.
"Then you leave me no choice but to place you under arrest."

Hans cracked a smile behind his reinforced helmet.
"Bring it on!"
Shell-Shock charged up his Shell Cannon and fired once again. However, to his surprise, Hans simply reached out his hand and met the blast, holding it in place without moving.
"Your Shell-Cannon caught me off-guard last time, but I'm not getting hit when I can see it coming."
A small laser cannon popped out of the side of his gauntlet, aiming at Nick and charging up a gold and white blast.

"Shining Fist of Valor!"
The laser fired and pierced Nick through the shoulder due to him moving at the last second. If he had not dodged, that laser would have pierced his heart and killed him.
"This guy is fucking nuts!"
Nick tried to blast through the armor, but his energy blasts were having no effect. Was it possible that it had some kind of energy shielding built into it?

Seeing that the long-range strategy wasn't working, Nick closed in and tried to fight at close range. He aimed Wushu strikes at Cybernator's joints, but his hands were damaged by the reinforced armor. He was grabbed by the throat, punched twice in the face, and then headbutted hard enough to break his nose. Bleeding heavily and with tears blinding his eyes, he tried to scramble away from his foe. Hans, however, stopped his retreat by stomping down on his knee hard enough to break his left leg. Nick screamed in agony.

This scream was cut off as Hans jammed the energy gun into his mouth.
"I will execute evil and protect the innocent," he said in an eerily calm tone.
Nick took advantage of Cybernator's miscalculation to fire an energy blast from his mouth. The energy gun was not made of the same material as the armor, and disintegrated quickly as Hans was pushed back. Firing a powerful blast into the ground, Nick launched himself miles away before Cybernator could try to kill him a third time. Hans simply shrugged and turned to go hunt down more criminals, confident that if the Shadow Force returned, he would simply kill them if they got in his way.

Nick landed hard at the airport and crawled over to the jet.
"Son of a bitch..."
Getting into the jet, he began flying it back to Shadowgreen.
"I'm sorry, Scott..."
His brother had been right once again, and he would be out of action for at least a month. His only hope was that the other members of Shadow Force could win as a team, since one-on-one seemed to be out when it came to fighting Cybernator.