Week 17.5 – The Crash

Previously: Digger met Metalord, who was in the process of battling robots constructed by an enemy named Professor Exotherm. Together, the two heroes flew over the professor’s warehouse to learn his ultimate plan. And now…

Below in the cavernous space of the warehouse, an energy bubble glowed. And within the translucent shimmering field was what looked like a giant energy cannon aimed at the empty sky. Metalord and Digger hovered motionless over the empty warehouse until Digger said, “Dude, put me down. I hate flying.”

“Oh. Sorry.” Metalord lowered them down to land on the warehouse floor, twenty feet from the energy bubble. “I don’t see any booby traps, do you?”

“No,” Digger said, looking down at his feet. He had expected a wooden floor in the warehouse, since the pier was suspended on pilings, but there was steel plating underneath his feet. “But then again, they wouldn’t be obvious.”

“Yeah, I’m going to try this anyway.” Lightning arced out from Metalord’s hand toward the energy bubble. The bubble rippled as the energy cascaded over its surface. A large tendril separated itself from Metalord’s bolt and struck the metal floor.

Digger screamed as pain jolted through his body. His muscles tensed all over, worsening his whiplash. He came to in mid-air, being lifted up to a second floor walkway made of wood.

“Sorry, guy,” Metalord said as Digger was lowered onto the walkway. “Lightning is not one of those things you can really aim.”

[blockquote type=”blockquote_quotes” align=”right”]Lightning shot out from Metalord’s hand and struck the armored figure. The Professor’s amplified laughter pounded at Digger’s ears as his armor glowed even hotter. “Is that the best you can do?”[/blockquote]Digger didn’t bother trying to answer. Pain throbbed through his neck, chest and back, and he knew it would be even worse tomorrow. Being normal sucked.

“Guess I’ll call Cortex and see if he has any ideas how to shut this thing down,” Metalord said, putting a hand to his right ear. “Hey, you guys about done?”

A wooden door to one side of the room suddenly exploded inward. Flaming shards skittered across the floor as amplified, distorted laughter echoed through the cavernous space. A huge man in lizard-like armor that glowed red-hot stomped into the room, his heavy boots clanking loudly on the steel-plated floor. “Don’t bother, Metalord. You can’t stop me.”

“Professor Exotherm,” Metalord said. “I can’t believe you’d be stupid enough to actually face me again.”

Lightning shot out from Metalord’s hand and struck the armored figure. The Professor’s amplified laughter pounded at Digger’s ears as his armor glowed even hotter. “Is that the best you can do?” the Professor exulted. “I came prepared for you this time. My new armor is made from thermoelectric alloys. They convert your lightning bolts to heat. Your attacks only make me stronger, fool!”

Professor Exotherm aimed his hands at Metalord, and the space between them rippled with impossible heat.  Metalord flew up and out of the path of that wave of destruction. The wall beyond him exploded into flame, which was immediately doused by a hiss of foam from nozzles embedded in the ceiling. Alarm klaxons added to the noise pounding at Digger’s ears.

“You should have used your influence with the City Council to pay the ransom, rather than wasting time attacking me,” Professor Exotherm said. “Now they will pay the price. My energy cannon will destroy downtown San Francisco!”

Exactly how does Professor Exotherm plan to destroy San Francisco with a weapon aimed at the sky? Is he an idiot or what? Find out next week as Run, Digger, Run! continues with Week 18: Defcon 5!

To read from the beginning, click here…