The Metahuman Agency: The Superhuman War

Cellblock Showdown

In an explosion of debris and a tumble of their bodies, Audrey and Jacqueline crashed between Jason and Incisor. Incisor smashed right into them and tripped forward, smashing face first into the floor. The hallway buckled from the impact, a several lights coming loose and crashing about. Jason scurried backward, barely avoiding several chunks of the ceiling.

He saw Audrey was on top of Jacqueline, grabbing the Skeleton Crew commander's shoulders. Jacqueline slammed her knee into Audrey's chest and the beetle girl screamed before Jacqueline threw her off. Audrey smashed through a cell, crashing down on her back.

Jacqueline rose, sections of her suit damage and fizzling with sparks. Next to her, Incisor also tried to rise but with one hand, he seemed to be having trouble. Akihiro paused behind them, his knife halting an inch from Tuatara's eye.

Tuatara's tail lashed out, slamming against the bars and nicking Akihiro's leg. Akihiro hissed, stumbling back. Hiroshi then raised one trembling hand, still gasping for breath, and fired an energy blast into the cell door. It was blown loose and fell forward, dragging Tuatara down with it. Akihiro melted into the floor a second before the cell door slammed down where he had just been. The tendrils of paint melted off Tuatara, who yanked himself to his feet.

Jacqueline raised one arm, snarling as she aimed her gatling gun at Audrey. Jason lunged forward and leaped at her. But as he did, she suddenly spun and clobbered him in the midair. Jason gasped, feeling the massive weight of her mechanical arm smashinto his side. The blow sent him flying and he crashed down at the other end of the hallway, rolling before flopping next to the cell door.

Jason dizzily looked up at the ceiling, the room coming in and out of focus. He couldn't breathe. Everything hurt. His head was swimming. He felt nauseous, horribly nauseous, and each movement of his chest caused him a stab of agony. He gurgled, trying to raise one arm, flopping about on the floor like a drowning fish.

The floor shook beneath him. With a massive amount of effort, Jason managed to raise his head. He saw Incisor had managed to get up and was stomping toward him, a giant chunk of debris clutched in his single hand. Behind him, Jacqueline spun back towards Audrey but Tuatara sprang out of his cell, slamming onto one of her wings. He attacked her viciously, his claws bouncing off the metal wing harmlessly. Jacqueline roared, twisting her wing as she tried to throw the lizard-boy off. Audrey burst from her own cell and lunged at Jacqueline as she was distracted. The beetle girl slammed hard into Jacqueline's midsection and rammed her into the wall, Tuatara leaping off just in time to avoid being smashed to paste.

Jason groped at the floor, trying to grab onto something. But he wasn't fast enough. Incisor was upon him, towering over his fallen form. Jason finally managed to get a breath in, a wheezing gasp that sounded terrified to his ears. Incisor's bloodshot eye glared down at him as he raised the chunk of debris over his head, blood spurting from his wounds. He roared a triumphant bellow as he pulled back his arm to smash it down.

A blast of fire suddenly slammed into his backside. Incisor howled and staggered backward, dropping the chunk of debris. It landed next to Jason, rattling the hallway. Jason gritted his teeth and with another painful gasp of air, he staggered to his feet. He turned and saw Laureen at the other end of the hallway, leaning against the wall and arcs of smoke wisping from her mouth.

Jason gave her a nod. Laureen looked around and barked, "Tuatara, Audrey! Bring down Jacqueline! Jason, Hiroshi, and I will pound some elephant! And keep a fucking eye peeled for Akihiro!"

Hiroshi struggled off the floor and fired a volley of shots at Incisor, keeping him off balance. Behind him, Audrey began pounding on Jacqueline, the Skeleton Crew commander unable to get free. Tuatara slinked next to Audrey, claws peeled, waiting for an opening. Laureen began hobbling toward Incisor's position, sucking in more air.