Danger Squad Legends: The Shadow

"Come home now."

That's the message Zack got from Paulina during his meeting at the Station and usually Paulina always ends her calls by calling him by a petname but not this time.

Something was up..

The apartment was empty but there was a cup of hot cocoa on the counter. It was still hot, so it was freshly made. But Paulina wasn't around to drink it though.

She never leaves hot cocoa lying around.

PAULINA! SWEET GEM?! I'M HERE!!"

No response.

Paulina always responds when he calls her that.

Now something was really up..

Zack looked in every room in her apartment but she was no where to be found. That's when he started hearing slurping.

Paulina never slurps.

"Who is.." But Zack stopped in his tracks at what he saw...

Right in her living room, there she was..

His girlfriend, sitting in a chair. Or more accurately, tied to the chair with strange rope and a strange rag in her mouth.

"Hot cocoa? It's wa~rm! Your girl makes a mean cup of the stuff! " Paulina's captor said, slurping the cocoa like a child while giving Zack a sadistic look behind his four eyed mask..

It was none other than Mr E..

The Danger Squad's most dangerous villain... Someone partly responsible for their deaths.. and wholely responsible for Captain Rocket's death...

But Zack had no time to worry about that though. His girlfriend was in danger and he needed to step up.

So why didn't he?

Zack stood there and looked on for what seemed like an eternity. He was too scared to move..

He didn't stand a chance against Ace so what was he gonna do against Mr E?!

Yet he wanted to save Paulina...

"Sooooo this this awkward! You gonna move or what Expander?"

Zack was about to deny his super identity, but couldn't bring himself to do it. At this point lying was no use.

But why did Mr E attack him?

Or does he know about Paulina's identity as Diamond light, the last Danger Squad member other than Hawk knight?

Zack still didn't move though. His body was shaking all over but it didn't take a step... He wanted to take a step.. run towards the bastard and punch him clean across the jaw..

If only he wasn't such a coward..

Maybe Paulina was right. He wasn't right for this super work.

"Wow, I assumed you'd be fun to talk to but you haven't said a word! Man you're boring! Or is it that you don't give a damn about this girl?!" Mr E said, grabbing Paulina by her hair and bringing her in close.

Infuriated, Zack tried to shout in rage, but he lost his voice.

If only he wasn't such a coward.

You knooooow, these ropes are actually made of alligator skin! I'm sure you know I have the ability to use the power nature has to offer and it comes with the neat trick of making copies of parts of myself! And I gotta say, it's pretty fun!" Mr E says, as he moves his Alligator ropes around Paulina's body.

And under her skirt.

LET GO OF HER YOU MONSTROUS BASTARD!!" Zack finally screamed in rage and lunged at Mr E, expanding his arms to giant proportions to give a strong blow.

But giant tentacles covers in alligator scales popped off the ground and tied him up as well.

Ah there it is! I love the spirit! So young! So much instinct! Don't worry, in a few moments this love you think you feel will be gone and all that remains is pure wild instinct.

W..why are you here? What do you want from us?"

Zack said, choking in a mixture at rage at himself, for putting himself and his girlfriend at the mercy of this psychopath.

Oh well you and your little team caused a little bit of trouble for me and it got me thinking. If I let you guys go Scott free, you could ruin all my plans! Sooooo I have to uproot the weed before it grows." Mr E says as he covers Zack's mouth with a tentacle and begins to open up the ground like it was a pool of water.

Now enough talk, I've got a Danger Squad to hunt"

And just like that, they all disappeared from the apartment.

Ah! Gotcha you son of a bitch!"

Who do you got friend Austin?" Stacya asked with a curious look in her eye as she entered his wooden lab.

With Jake on his little date, she was alone and managing the store. Something that was extremely boring on her own.

Plus she missed having Jake to talk to.

The location of that asshole Mr E's base! Oh Im so close to vengeance i can fell it!" Austin says with glee in his voice which slightly startles Stacya.

Are you sure this is only for vengeance friend Austin?" Stacya asks

What the hell do you mean" Austin says, going from gleeful to pissed off in a matter of seconds.

And this startles Stacya even more.

I..I mean Captain Rocket taught Zack and I about revenge and said how it can destroy you."

And your point is?"

My point is I hope revenge isn't the only reason you're chasing Mr E"

I'm gonna level with you kid. Yes. Yes it is and I'm proud of it. If you think I would've given a damn about Mr E if he didn't kill Buford then your wrong. I want to avenge Buford. That's the only reason I'm donning this horrible mask once more!" Austin says, pointing at the Hawk symbol on his chest.

But friend Austin, that shouldn't be the case. That symbol shouldn't be worn out of vengeance but..."

SLAM!*

Austin slammed her to the wall and pinned her down, holding down her arm and threatened to break it the longer she kept talking.

SHUT UP! Your even lucky to get a warning. Usually I would've broken your body to pieces but since you saved my life earlier, this is your first and last mercy. You don't know nothing about me so stop acting like I'm some student!"

Y..yes, I do k..know noth.. nothing about you f.. friend Austin, but I do kn..know what it means to seek revenge on someone w..who took something from you. I assume you, this path is not the right one!" Stacya shouts, clinging onto dear life while resisting his grasp.

Or at least trying to.

Austin stares into her eyes in silence for what seems like an eternity and sees something in them.

Something he hadn't seen since Kaya, the original Blur.

Austin let's her go only for her to spring back up and laugh of the attack like nothing happened.

You truly are a wierd one. I wonder where Austin keeps finding you guys. First you, then that annoying nerd and that arrogant upstart. He really has a knack for picking up weirdos."

Yes, but that is exactly why he picked us up. For our quirks. And that's why he chose to mold us into heroes before his passing. But friend Austin, do you think he would liked this little vendetta of yours?"

Austin couldn't even attack her at that point.

The answer was a strong no. Vengeance was never Captain Rocket's thing. In fact he strongly hated it.

So was it right to seek revenge for him?

WHO CARES WHAT HE THINKS!"

A mysterious voice filled the room, leaving the two confused.

W..what the hell?!" Austin shouted in shock as he reopened his security system through his wooden supercomputer.

INTRUDER ALERT!" The whole base shouts as it initiates a lockdown of the entire base.

I.. I do not believe locking us in here is a good idea friend Austin!" Stacya says as a cold sweat trickles down her cheeks, now grey once she removed her scuba gear which temporarily turned her human.

Oh and why do you think that girl?" Austin says as he uses his hawk eyes to look around but to no avail.

BECAUSE YOURE STUCK IN HERE WITH ME!"

MR EEEEE!!!"

Austin activates his full armor and charges at Mr E , who was loitering next to the wall behind the two. Austin had no idea how he found his base or how he managed to get in but one thing was certain...

This fucker dies today!

Or at least what Austin wanted, as Mr E disappeared in the wall the moment Austin got close enough for a hit, leaving the exchange in only 3 seconds.

Austin!"

Austin heard Stacya's voice and turned to see if Mr E attacked her, but once he saw she was fine, he realized her eyes were fixed on something.

Mr E dropped a few gifts before he disappeared.

BOOOM!!!*

Austin woke up in a pile of rubble.

His base was gone...

His memories..

Kaya's suit...

Kaya...

Austin freed himself from the load of the rubble and noticed Stacya wasn't around. Just when he thought she was dead, he sees her unconscious lunder some rubble.

He hurries to rescue the poor girl but before he can even touch her, he hears that damn voice again.

OH COME ON! DON'T SAVE HER!! I THOUGHT YOU WERE BETTER THAN THAT!"

Austin turns to Mr E and sees the four eyed masked scumball sitting on some rubble.

First he destroys our home.

Then you destroy my family.

I won't let you destroy!!"

Austin instantly lunges at Mr E, but his tentacles reveal themselvelves quickly from the ground and grab him.

Now held in place, Mr E approaches him and grabs him by the throat.

Damn! I appreciate the revenge story, but can you do that after I finish my plans?"

H..how did you find me?" Austin asks.

Oh, that day I took your buddy from you, I thought he was the only one capable of stopping me, but it turns out he was assembling a team of you fools to take me down. This I did the only rational thing and shot a piece of myself at you once you escaped.

Then once you met your little team, the piece broke to pieces and followed you to your respective lives.

Your boring lives.

But soon, those lives will cease to exist! Soon your new lives will begin! Soon your new world will..."

SPECIAL MOVE, HAWK ARSENAL: GOLDEN CLAW!

SLASH!*

With a swift and decisive motion, Austin slashed Mr E's head clean off.

It was over.

Austin had won.

So why was he still standing?

And holding him by the throat like he was nothing?

Suddenly his head grew back like Austin's special move was never even made!

Damn! You sure are a determined mother fucker! But I like that! I love that instinct in you!"

But Austin barely payed attention to his words. He was more focused on finding something in the large piles of rubble that could get him out of this.

That's when he noticed a pile starting to melt.

Oh! You saw it too! And I thought I was crazy for a second there!" Mr E said as is fingers became large white spikes and headed towards the pile of melted rubble.

SPECIAL MOVE, ANIMAL KINGDOM: WHITE QUILLS!!

BOOM!*

The rubble was ground to dust by the overgrown quills but no one was there.

Huh I could've sworn your little fish friend was under there! Well no matter! One of my clones will find her soon! But as for you and me Austin, I have someone you'd really want to meet!" MrE says to a silent Austin as he sank into the broken ground...

While Stacya watched from a far off corner behind them..

And swam away to find Jake...

So she could do what her master couldn't...

Stop Mr E once and for all!

To be continued...