| Site menu |
|
 |
| Search |
|
|
|
 | |  |
| HOT PURSUIT
VOL 2 EPISODE 8
After landing on the roof Corona walks to the apartment building wall and concentrates on the flames and begins to pull them into his body absorbing the flames, showing mastery over them until the fire is fully extinguished.
After the flames are out he pauses a moment from the exertion of the control over them then heads for the fire escape to gain access to the Emporium store but as he gets to the edge he sees cops racing for the same fire escape. Corona approaching the edge of the building begins to form a ball of fire between his hands and launches himself about 10 feet and then lands suddenly seemingly over exerted from absorbing the fire.
…..................................................................................................................................................................
Strike begins looking around for the mother of the girl. Strike tries to smile in relief and carries the girl to her mother, her eyes are puffy and moist, and the cook has her arm around her as she screams at a young girl.
"Why did you leave her ALONE in the BUILDING, Sasha?! You were supposed to be BABYSITTING!!!” the waitress yells at a teen Asian girl.
Sasha tries to defend her reasons, but only stammers out lame excuses, and her mother will have none of it. Strike moves to the woman, "Ma'am.. just be happy she is safe...this was a tough time for all but you have your baby back." He hands her the girl and then turns to go deal with Corona.
"You FOUND her! But how did you... Who ARE you?!” She asks sobbing.
Strike turns back to her and shrugs, "Just call me Strike."
"Oh... THANK YOU! Thank you SO MUCH!” she thanks him through tears of joy.
Strike smiles for the first time tonight, "You are welcome."
The man and woman huddle with their child. The child wails, partly out of fear, and partly out of relief... now safe in her mother's loving arms...
Strike then turns and begins to look for Corona.
The cops are arguing amongst themselves. A female cop is reluctantly handing her gun to the other officers, who demand that she sit in the cop car and cool off. An ambulance pulls away from the scene. From what Strike can gather, someone had been accidentally shot. But not sure of the details.
Strike curses under his breath, "Dammit.. he's escaped again!" Continuing to look around in case he missed something.
Meanwhile a couple of firetrucks have pulled up to the building, and firefighters swarm into the building.
Strike scans the sky and rooftops nearby to see if he is sticking around to see what is happening. Not seeing Corona.. but noticing that the flames inside the Jade Peacock seem to be exhibiting more strange behavior. The wall was coated with cheap whiskey, so it was odd that the flames didn't spread... while he was in one of the apartments, however, suddenly and inexplicably they rushed to the back of the building with a huge "whooosh". And the second floor was engulfed. It was through those flames that you had to fight, to find the trapped little girl hiding under her bed. Now, the flames are doing something else weird... suddenly the flames are churning on the whole east side of the 3rd floor. But they seem to be getting weaker on that side of the third floor. The flames lash out, leaping and seemingly struggling in an attempt to survive.
Strike turns and begins to run around to that side of the building.
Strike looking into the window... the flames seem to be winning their invisible struggle... it's like something is trying to pull them east, and upward. The flame remains capped at the third floor..From the speed that it was moving at before, it should have reached the fourth floor by now, but hasn't.
Strike runs towards the building and noticing a cop standing at he doorway. Strike runs up to him and point up in the air, "Look! Corona!"
The cop cocks his eyebrow before quickly glancing to the area where he points. This is the oldest trick in the book, and this cop doesn't exactly fall for it. The cop simply steps out of the way.
"Listen, Mr. Cage, I KNOW you're one of the good guys. You don't need to try to bluff ME. Give me a little more credit than THAT. Just be CAREFUL in there!”
Strike grumbles but doesn't say anything and runs on inside.
The entire first floor is much hotter than it was before. The whole reception area is engulfed by flames. You can hear the fire fighters shouting as they valiantly fight the blaze. As the fires are extinguished, churning black clouds of churning smoke rise from the ashes, obscuring you from their view.
Strike, thankful for the smoke and moves as best he can in the direction he thinks Corona may be in... in the east side. Strike heads to the stairs, racing to the third floor, the entire hallway is engulfed in heat and flame...managing to avoid the lick of the flames. Strike thinks "I may be invulnerable to fire, but my COSTUME ain't!” As he races up the stairwell, he notices that the flames seem to be pulling themselves through the east wall, and dissipating at a remarkable speed! He's never seen anything LIKE this. On reaching the 3rd floor, the hallway is black. The area is full of ash and debris. Flames are gone except for a column of flame heading up. The swirling flames are being drawn TOWARD something above the third floor, AND on the opposite side of the wall...It's as if they're being drawn to a MAGNET....
Strike heads for the stairs and keep heading on up and hopefully to a roof access.
Strike grumbles "How tall is this building..." then keeps on going up the stairs emerging onto the roof!
Strike looking around to get his bearings, runs to the east side of the building and look over the side.
That's when he sees him... frozen in his spot overlooking the fire escape! His back towards Strike. He seems to be looking at the street below. He's crackling with residual flame.
Strike runs to the edge of the roof and yells, "CORONAAAA!!!!!!"
Corona spins around....
Strike yells out "STOP!!! YOU AND ME.. WE HAVE THINGS TO TALK ABOUT!"
Corona spins around to see who just called for him and begins to run towards the other end of the building.
Strike thinks "Your not getting away this time!!”
Corona tries to launch himself into the air, using his powers to propell himself like a rocket... Unfortunately, before he gets even 10 feet off the ground, his power suddenly fizzles, and he falls back onto the rooftop...He spins to face Strike.
Strike leaps over the ledge and races toward Corona attempting to grapple him in a bear hug. "Not goin' nowher' now. I got ya'."
Corona asks"Who are you what do u want with me?” as he dodges out of the oncoming man.
Strike glares at Corona, "'Memba' N'Orleans, Corona?! You gotta pay for what you did.. you gotta answer for yourself!" Corona states "I did nothing wrong in Orleans I was set up!” Corona points at this new masked man. "Listen to me I was set up in New Orleans. I was sent there to assist not harm."
Sparks shoot from Corona's fingertips...Flame twists, forming shapes in the air above Strike...
Strike attempts to dodge under the fiery barrier before it touches down, but his timing is off. He quickly finds himself trapped in a cage of flame!
"Listen to me. I was blamed for the fires in New Orleans but I had nothing to do with them. I was blamed for helpin looters what i did was stop cops from beating a helpless man and the framed me.” Corona begins to relate what happened in New Orleans.
Strike attempts to bust out of that cage as he speaks to Corona, "I know wha' I know! ARGHHHH!!!!" Summoning the will to move beyond the flaming barrier, Strike pushes forward....He winces in pain as he crosses the barrier... OBVIOUSLY he underestimated Corona's power...he crosses to the other side, standing before Corona.. and BOY does he look PISSED!
Corona backing away from him holding his arms wide. "Wait...I just put this fire out...u ran through the fires didn't you notice anything strange about how they were acting?” he asks.
Strike moving deliberately towards Corona but for the first time, a flicker of doubt crosses his face. "Yes... they were... but..." **
Corona drops his arms to "What were u doing inside the building anyway? Did u notice anything odd about the flames? I mean besides how they were not touching an area that should have been engulfed.
Strike continues to move towards Corona but he slows, "I was here looking for you... 'dese fires are suspicious and I thought... I mean, you caused those fires back home..."
Corona backs away from Strike stating "I didn't start the fires in New Orleans I already told you that...I was here trying to find out about the arsons here and ran into this problem."
Strike lowers his voice, doubt cracking it. "I have thought of nothing but bashing you when I found ya'... now I have you and... now... I dunno..." He pauses... " De cops in N'Orleans... dey were not de mos' 'onest of folks sumtimes..."
"I was sent there to find a person with abilities. Sent by the Professor I should have the address in my GPS if you will let me get it?" Corona states as he reaches for his belt pouch.
Strike looks wary, but what if Corona is telling the truth... what if... he's been wrong all this time... He nods to Corona but is prepared to attack if he pulls out a weapon.
Corona pulls out the gps and recalls the destination then hands it to Strike "Here it is I think his name is Dwight? No..No thats not right its Dwayne, Dwayne Murphy.”
Strike reaches for the device but then pauses. He looks at Corona and narrowed his eyes, "Wha'... what did you just say?"
Strike examines the GPS. Sure enough, it lists his full name, and old address in New Orleans.
Corona stops back stepping " Dwayne Murphy...."
Strike has to take a deep, sharp intake of breath. "What d'you need dis' one for?"
"The professor told us to get him and bring him back to bring him for training or something like that.” Corona realizing that this may be his objective from New Orleans.
Strike tosses the gps back to Corona, "How I know dis' is not just some game. A way ta keep you from paying for what you did?" He says the words but his earlier conviction isn't fully there.
"Come with me to the Professor and he can explain everything and what I'm saying is true.”
Strike makes a face, "Who is dis' Professor ta send you into N'Orleans after some innocent man..."
"We better get out of here the cops are coming up the fire escape....should be here any second....the Professor only has good intentions.” Corona says calmly.
Strike grimaces and looks around. For the first time, indecision shows clearly on his face and it's not something that he is comfortable with.
"He's telling you the TRUTH, Dwayne." a raspy voice calls down to you from the rooftop of Ling Furniture Refinishers.
Strike spins at the sound of the voice, looking for the source of it.
"But you're not going ANYWHERE with him." Strike see him, a man almost hidden in the shadows...
A dark blue costume, a cowl... his silhouette in the moonlight casting the shadow of a bat. "You're coming with ME, Dwayne. BACK to GOTHAM."
To be continued...
| |
 | |  |
|
| Calendar |
| « May 2024 » | | Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | | | | | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
|
|
| Entries archive |
|
|
|
