Week 18.3 – Defcon 5

Previously: Metalord battled Professor Exotherm inside a waterfront warehouse, with Digger–now without his superpowers–trapped on a burning staircase, as the professor’s laser cannon burned a swath of destruction through downtown San Francisco. And now…

Once again, automated nozzles dropped down from the rafters and aimed a stream of foam at the burning stairs. Digger stumbled back up the stairs, away from the heat and fumes.

Metalord extended his hands and once more, lightning arced from him to the professor.

“You fool! You truly are grasping at straws!” Professor Exotherm boomed. “I already told you, your lightning just makes me stronger.”

“Not stronger,” Metalord said. “Just hotter.”

As stray bolts arced to random places in the room, the light bulbs in the fixtures overhead exploded in a shower of sparks. The nozzles sputtered and stopped as the alarm klaxon gave a final squawk and fell silent. Above their foam-drenched base, the wooden stairs burst into flame once again. “It’s hot enough in here already!” Digger yelled.

“Oh yeah,” Metalord said, shutting the lightning off. He turned toward the open doorway and called to his teammates. “Hey, save this guy, will ya?”

As the lightning crackled down again, the Asian girls ran in holding hands, surrounded by a soft blue-white glow emanating from the white-robed woman.

“Stronger! Hotter! There’re both the same to me!” the professor said, seemingly unfazed by the deadly energies crackling all around him. The floor around him glowed red-hot, going almost white just under his feet.

[blockquote type=”blockquote_quotes” align=”right”]Though the girls were small, probably less than five feet tall, the offered hand was huge, as if Andre the Giant’s hand had been grafted to the arm of a 14-year-old child. “Your hand’s really big,” Digger said…[/blockquote]The twin girls leapt gracefully up to the second-story landing, still holding hands. The girl nearest Digger turned toward him and said, “Grab my hand!”

She extended her free hand and Digger jumped back an inch. Though the girls were small, probably less than five feet tall, the offered hand was huge, as if Andre the Giant’s hand had been grafted to the arm of a 14-year-old child. “Your hand’s really big,” Digger said.

“I said grab it, not critique it!” the girl yelled.

There was a loud pop, and a crackle. Digger turned and saw sparks bouncing off the inside of the force field protecting the laser cannon, and then the blue beam shut off as the field flickered and disappeared.

“Not quite the same,” Metalord said and gestured up with his hands.

The laser cannon ripped from its moorings and leapt into the air as the professor screamed in protest and shot a wave of pure heat at Metalord. Metalord swooped behind the laser cannon, which started to melt under the onslaught. In the sky beyond, the glittering blimp exploded as it was touched by that strange tendril of bursting smoke and fire.

Digger’s arm was grabbed, and he was yanked away. The girls, still holding hands, leapt from the landing toward the door. They soared across the cavernous warehouse room dragging Digger behind like the tail on a kite. Waves of heat washed up from the floor, though enveloped in the white glow, Digger couldn’t feel it as intensely as before.

Distantly, he heard Metalord’s voice say, “You know what? I’ve changed my mind. You can have this back.”

As Digger looked back, he saw the laser cannon hurtle down at the professor.

Is the fight over? Find out tomorrow in the next exciting chapter of Run, Digger, Run!

To read from the beginning, click here…