When someone yells fire, what they really mean is help. I learned that from Jhaelyn, that and never to ask what's in SnakeSnacks that make them wiggle like that.
I was coming home from work when it happened. I'd taken an afternoon shift at the resturaunt. One of my coworkers needed the afternoon to get clearance to register for classes. I had already taken care of that about two weeks ago. So I was looking forward to actually getting home and even asleep at a reasonable hour.
Then I heard a female voice scream fire. It wasn't the screaming fire that got me. I think when I heard the words "fucking inferno" was when I knew it had to be serious. So much for my early night.
I dove from the upper levels. I caught a glimpse of a pair of legs and hair cutting around the corner into an alley. The men who followed her were all wearing Synth-Leather jackets, with a skull which had a pair of crossed pistons where the cross-bones should have been.
MotorHeads.
I don't like MotorHeads. They are one of only two groups not allowed at Edgeside. They had tried to take over my building once and they are almost the sole source of crime in this neighborhood. It's almost enough for a guy to get a grudge over this.
I cut into the alley a few seconds behind them. One guy stuck out like a hammer-banged thumb. They were a mixed group of humans and Orcs. I picked an Orc. You know a competition blastboard can take 24,821.6 kg/10cm2 of pressure. It only takes 500kg/10 cm2 to knock a 350kg Orc 3.3 meters forward into a Sterl brick wall and knock him out cold.
I admit it was a bit of a dirty trick. I would have rather taken him head up, but given the circumstances it was acceptable. I still found myself apologizing for using my blastboard as a tranquilizer. But the flashy entrance made everbody stop and it gave me a chance to take off my work jacket and get my board out of the way.
There was still that other guy and from the look of him he was pro. I put myself between the girl, the MotorHeads and Mr. Unknown. Stormspell: the voice rang familiar. I took a look from the corner of my eyes for a second. Lyssra. And it looked like something might be broken. It was time to finish this...fast.
Luckily most of these idiots were weilding chains, crowbars and bats. And since Mr. Unknown wasn't taking a shot at me, I figured he had to be on my side for the moment.
I pointed at the group. "Two for you, two for her, and four for me."
He shot me an angry glance as I pushed my goggles down. Everything went green as the details became clearer. The gangmembers' auras were clean: no mystic of metapowers in any of them. There was an undulating rainbow of colors beside me and somewhat behind me. So Lyssra was a shifter, as well as Mr. Unknown. Well at least whatever was broken on Lyssra wouldn't be for much longer.
I called on the spell. It was a simple lightening spell. I call it Blitzkreig. I did the mental calculations for guys about their size and weight. Once you pick a spell it's kind of like a switch that goes off inside of you. The energy wraps around you like a warm blanket and you embrace it for a split second before you release it. Some of my classmates say it's almost sexual. Not like I would know anything about that, but that's a whole other story.
The lightening struck the first one with the chain, and then as lightening tends to do, leapt across the gap and hit the second guy holding the crowbar. I love electricity.
From behind me I heard a crack and what sounded like a squeeky moan. Well, Lyssra had already started. A bad was swung in my general direction. I barely noticed the incoming bat. I was casting another spell. The wielder of the baseball bat was hit with an invisible cannon ball in the chest. The spell had enough force to send him sailing out of the alley.
Mr. Unknown and Lyssra made quick work of the others.