Week 18.1 – Defcon 5

Previously: Digger and Metalord entered Professor Exotherm’s waterfront headquarters to stop his plan to destroy downtown San Francisco. And now…

Digger stumbled to the railing on the second floor walkway. He could feel his skin beginning to parch from the heat boiling off the evil professor’s armor.

“How can that destroy downtown?” Metalord asked. “It’s pointed at the sky.”

Just then, the blimp flew into sight from the hole in the roof, far up in the sky and far out over downtown. A glittering mesh unfolded from the top, covering the sides of the gasbag with reflective squares. The blimp now looked like a giant flying disco ball.

“Once the laser strikes those reflectors, its power will be spread across all downtown! In fifteen minutes, the city will be virtually flattened!” Professor Exotherm’s amplified laughter boomed throughout the warehouse. “And best of all, the control button is inside my armor, where you can’t tamper with it.”

The energy cannon began to hum to life as lights flickered on across its control consoles and power readouts.

“Interesting,” Metalord admitted, “but there’s one thing you’ve overlooked. You’re wearing metal armor against a man with magnetic powers.”

Metalord reached out his hand and closed his fingers into a fist, as if crushing a can. Nothing happened.

[blockquote type=”blockquote_quotes” align=”right”]“My armor is heated past its Curie point, fool! It’s non-magnetic! I am immune to your power. But you are not immune to mine!”[/blockquote]Professor Exotherm’s laughter boomed even louder. “My armor is heated past its Curie point, fool! It’s non-magnetic! I am immune to your power. But you are not immune to mine!”

He pointed his hands at Metalord, and once again, the air between them rippled with immense heat. Digger flinched back from it and looked around for an exit. To his left, a stairway led down. Digger headed for it, hoping that Metalord would refrain from using his lightning long enough for Digger to get across the metal floor to the exit.

Metalord swooped behind the force field protecting the energy cannon. He kept the field between them as Professor Exotherm stomped around, trying to get a clear shot.

“Yeah, it sure looks like you’ve covered all your bases,” Metalord shouted over the sound of the laser cannon building energy. “Armor proof against my powers and a force field protecting your doomsday weapon. Still, you’ve overlooked a few things.”

“Like what?” the professor boomed.

Digger flinched back against the wall at the foot of the stairs as Exotherm stomped past him. Digger turned his face to the wall and threw an arm over his eyes. The waves of heat radiating from Exotherm made his eyes hurt, as if the tears were being boiled away. The breath was short in his lungs, and the perspiration that sprang up all over his body offered little relief.

“Like, the energy field that protects your cannon from me protects the city from it,” Metalord said. “You’ll have to drop the field to shoot, and when you do, I’ll squash it like a juice box.”

Professor Exortherm’s amplified chuckle rattled Digger’s ears and chilled his bones. “Will I?”

A beam of blue lanced out from the laser cannon into the sky. Digger looked up and saw the beam strike the blimp’s reflective sides.

That’s not good? Will Metalord find a way to defeat Professor Exotherm? Join us tomorrow for the next explosive episode!

To read from the beginning, click here…