Volcrona

I left S.W.O.R.D for two reasons: One, I was needed by Darkling for a personal matter that I didn't want S.W.O.R.D. knowing about, and two, I was tired of pretending to be a hero. So, I departed with no other explanation than a note saying that I was leaving (which isn’t much of an explanation).

The first reason stemmed from the fact that a villain called Volcrona was on the loose, and had captured the White Ninja’s wife. Granted, the capture had happened ten or so years ago, but the villain responsible wasn’t discovered until now. Volcrona is an old nemesis of Darknight, so naturally, Darkling wanted to help his brother.

Volcrona was a little-known villain for the sole reason that he didn’t want to be known. Most of the time, his base was a volcano of some sort, but he was very creative. One of his few known stunts took place on Hawaii, but his base (at the time) was in the ocean, halfway between Japan and Alaska!

So I’d decided to help Darkling and Darknight rescue the White Ninja’s wife. Her name was classified information, so none of us knew it but the White Ninja.

I set off to S.O.S. in the dead of night, so no one in S.W.O.R.D would see me leave.

___________________________________________

I’d arrived at S.O.S. headquarters about dawn, was welcomed back by many of the villains, and holed up in my room for the rest of the day, sleeping, eating, and hacking. The next day was just as uneventful. The third day, I sparred with Darkling and a couple other villains.

Then, we found Volcrona. His location was a mountain in Washington (the rest of the info is classified). Darknight contacted White Ninja while we all stood around the hologram table thing that had the information on it. “When will White Ninja be here?” Darkling asked impatiently.

Right on cue, White Ninja burst through the door, his twin daughters, Jewel and Jayla, right on his heels. The six-man Ninja Elite Guard filed in after him, lining up one per wall, with two by the door. The Black Ninja stayed with White Ninja, Jewel, and Jayla, most likely to protect them.

“You found her?” White Ninja asked immediately.

“Yes,” Darknight replied, “She’s inside the mountain.” He pointed on the holo-map. “Volcrona is holding her in the center.”

“Um… one question,” Jayla interrupted. “Why are you and Darkling helping us?”

“Because,” Darknight replied, “I’ve seen what Volcrona does to his female prisoners, and it isn’t pretty.” He clenched his jaw, probably holding back details for the sake of us younger heroes and villains. “Anyway, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?” White Ninja nodded, smiling slightly. “Let’s get down to business, then.” Darkling explained the plan to White Ninja and his Guard. “We’ll approach the target on foot, so we have the element of surprise. Then I’ll distract him while Jay telekinetically opens the door to your wife’s cell. You, Jay, and your daughters will get her out, and then I’ll follow with the Guard. Darkling will stay with you. Anything to add?”

“Hey,” I told them, “I have a visual! I hacked a camera…”

Everyone crowded around the screen. White Ninja’s wife was tied up over a pit of lava, while Volcrona stood off to the side with a control device. White Ninja’s calm expression melted, a frightened one replaced it. Jayla and Jewel exchanged equally scared expressions. The Black Ninja leaned in to get a better view. “There!” I exclaimed, “Audio!”

Volcrona’s voice came through the speakers, crackling with static. “What was that you said? ‘They’ll come for me’? You really think so? Because no one has come for you yet… and it’s been almost ten years… You’re lucky I need you as bait, or who knows what I’d have done to you.” His voice was mocking. White Ninja’s wife struggled against her bonds.

“They’ll come,” she replied, gritting her teeth. Volcrona laughed, then pressed a button that lowered his prisoner closer to the lava. The thick soles of her tennis shoes sizzled as they came in contact with the surface of the bubbling goo.

“We have to help her. NOW!” White Ninja drew his weapons. “New plan: Darknight and Darkling, distract Volcrona. Guards, wait outside the entrance we use. Jay, you will telekinetically lift my wife onto solid ground, then the four of you (his two daughters, me, and his wife) will escape to the guards. I’ll help Darknight and Darkling. We’ll follow you out. Is everyone clear?” Nods around the room. “Good.” He darted out the door.

“To the ‘copters, then,” Darkling said, walking out the door. Everyone else followed. I tagged along next to Jayla, while Jewel caught up with her father. “Hey, Jayla,” I said, “We’re gonna get your mom back, ‘kay?” She nodded, but she still looked skeptical.

“Hurry up, slowpokes!” Darkling was already in the helicopter when we got to the pad. I climbed in after everyone else to make sure there were no stragglers. The helicopter took off, flying as fast as it could towards the target location. It took nearly two hours to fly there.

___________________________________________

We’d reached the target location. The helicopter could only land us partway up the mountain, so we had to trek the rest of the way by foot. “Almost there,” I told everyone after I checked out the location on my GPS map. “The entrance should be on that ledge.” I pointed to the said ledge, a good hundred feet straight up from our current position. “Uh… how are we-”

“Hurry up, y’all!” Jayla, Jewel, and all of the ninja were waiting on the ledge for us. Darkling shrugged, and he and Darknight used darkness to lift themselves up to the ledge. I used telekinesis on my clothes to get myself up.

“Remember the plan,” Jewel reminded. “We get in, get my mother, and get out.”

“Agreed,” Jayla replied, and the rest of us nodded. I used my superior hacking skills to open the secret door without setting off any alarms. We were in. The Guards melted into the shadows as we approached the main cave. The air was distinctly warmer in that part of the cave. Darknight and Darkling entered the room with White Ninja, while Jayla, Jewel, and myself crept along the outer wall and behind a cluster of boulders. I saw the White Ninja’s wife, dangling low over the lava. She had to tuck her knees to her chest to keep above the magma.

“Let her go!” Volcrona turned from his computer and finally noticed White Ninja, Darknight, and Darkling. White Ninja repeated his demand. “Let her go, now.”

“HA!” Volcrona’s laugh shook the cave. “HA! You puny humans think you can tell me, the mighty Volcrona what to do? FOOLS!” He scooped up the control device. “With one push of this button, I can send this woman plunging into the lava!” His finger hovered over the button. I quickly and telekinetically undid the ropes, catching White Ninja’s wife before she hit the bubbling lava. I safely deposited her by her daughters.

“C’mon,” Jayla mouthed, “Let’s go.” I nodded, and the three of us crept away. We were joined in the dark hallway by the Guard, and we quickly made our way to the exit. Our helicopter was hovering outside, so we hopped in. Darkling soon joined us, with White Ninja on his heels. Darknight had remained in the cave. “Get us a visual, and audio,” Darkling whispered. I pulled out my computer and re-hacked Volcrona’s system. Darknight stood by the exit hall, with Volcrona by the lava pool.

“I should kill you,” Darknight told him.

“Puny man, you cannot kill me! I am the Element of Fire! Nothing can destroy me!” Volcrona laughed at Darknight. “Pity you rescued that woman. I had plans for her if you and your friends didn’t show.”

“Plans like you had for my wife?”

“And much, much, more. You know how I enjoy playing with my prisoners.” Volcrona smiled. Darknight let out a yell, charging the so-called ‘Elemental’ and slamming him into the magma. Then he turned and sprinted out of the room. Seconds later, he leaped from the ledge into the ‘copter, and I saw tears glistening in his eyes. “Get us out of here,” he told the pilot, who flew the ‘copter away from the mountain. By then, I had closed my computer and changed it back into a phone.

Darkling started to speak. “Darknight-”

“I’m fine.” Darknight interrupted, though he sounded completely not fine. Darkling sighed, sitting back in his seat. White Ninja, his wife, and his daughters were all crowded in the back seat, exchanging stories and getting to know each other again. I smiled. The rescue had succeeded. The ‘copter landed on the S.O.S. helipad and we all hopped out onto the blacktop material.

And then all hell broke loose.

Reviews

[Jay_Bluefire]

Last paragraph before the line: make the last sentence a new paragraph

[Jay_Bluefire]

Change first paragraph: 'I left S.W.O.R.D. for two reasons: One, I was needed by Darkling for a personal missing that I didn't want S.W.O.R.D. knowing about, and two, I was tired to pretending to be a hero.'

[Locke Redwyne (night sys)]

*three thumbs up*