Imp 9: An Imp-eriled Heart (Part 3) by Morpheus

Sunday afternoon, Dec 30th 2007

Unfortunately, the traffic situation had only gotten worse. After the encounter with Speedbump, the MCO and H1 had both come out with an even greater presence.

Arrggh! I want to see Speedbump clobbered for believing anything the MCO puts out about a 'dangerous mutant' without assessing the situation for himself first. H1 needs to be shut down, it should be listed as a hate group and whenever it mobilizes like this the authorities arrest them for whatever they can get them on. Faking a car breakdown to block an entire lane is a felony, I hate they are getting away with this.

Rats, no fun messing with H1 idiots since she has to keep Chris safe.

I shrugged. “Who knows. Your PK shell is a lot more flexible than most, but it isn’t quite up to my level. We’ll have to practice and see…sometime when our lives aren’t on the line.”

Chris with more of the PK field abilities that Imp has, yes please. Engine trouble, about to push it out of the way, and don't take offered help to do so, anyone would have alarms going off at this point.

Nice lie, get them to believe you are a member and on their side, it might get you overlooked as you drive past. They are going with that lie, that is sick, blaming him for the death of his parents when it was a drunk driver, plus he was never in MCO custody. Fear and bigotry are a scary mix. Ah, get Chris in the back seat and covered so he won't be noticed. Just more proof these H1 idiots are that gullible.

Ah, a fond memory of her and Susie Q having Imp's dad sneak them into the drive-in theater the same way.

“I can’t even get my stuff from my bedroom,” he muttered bitterly. “My cousins have probably already raided it.”

I scowled at that. “We’ll get the lawyers involved,” I promised him. “They’ll look over your parents’ will and make sure you’re not being robbed of anything they wanted you to have.” Then I smirked. “And if necessary, I’ll send a recovery agent to get back any of your belongings that they snatched.”

Good, don't let this 'family' that abandoned him and never considered him family steal what his parents left him.

“I know,” I responded with a sigh. “I’m not a fan of the law since it never seems to work in my favor, and I’m an even lesser fan of lawyers.” I gave an exaggerated shudder. “Some of those guys are worse than most villains I know.”

Way too believable, along with politicians worse than most villains she knows.

Darn H1 and the MCO, making him miss his parents' funeral is over the line. Crap! MCO field operations site, all this over a kid they know didn't kill his parents, I bet the MCO came up with the lie about why they are after Chris. Oh, good, just drive past them, don't speed, don't draw attention to yourselves and it should be good. Smashed into by a blue blur, Speedbump, you jackass! Has to reassure Chris they are both alright, he has PTSD due to the crash and Speedbump just triggered it, I hope Imp teaches him a lesson that sticks this time.

Crud, half a mile from the MCO operations site, if they show up this will go from bad to worse. Chris has to deal with Speedbump while Imp takes care of the MCO issue, this is going to be rough. Hehe, the special feature of his watch, it was obvious Imp gave him that present. Scramble all video recordings of Chris for 10 minutes, I hope that is enough time to deal with Speedbump and get out of there. With all the training, it is time for real-world use now to show how far Chris has come.

Sunday afternoon, Dec 30th 2007

Darn it, Chris did nothing wrong and Speedbump believes the MCO lie yet still calls him a murderer, powers going out of control isn't deliberate murder even if it happened, this guy either isn't a mutant or isn't very bright. Bodyslammed by Speedbump and sent flying, he tried to kill him!

“You shouldn’t have picked evil,” the hero exclaimed, posing a bit as he did so as if he was in front of a TV camera.

Oh god, he is even worse, he is a vain gloryhound.

Nice sidestep by Chris to avoid another bodyslam, is that all Speedbump knows how to do for attacks? Yes, Chris, we like Imp not being serious, serious Imp is scary Imp as the fight with Barney showed.

Speedrun relied entirely on his powers, with no real skill or training involved. All he seemed to do was blindly charge in.

Even without training that is just pathetic, if he used his brain even a little to think of other attacks he might be truly dangerous.

Chris has learned how he fights and can easily deal with Speedbump's attacks now, Speedbump is like an MMORPG boss with a very simple attack pattern. Ah, there is the lightbulb. Chris knows Speedrun is fighting the way he used to before he had those bad habits broken and learned.

He’d been where Speedrun was…and he’d grown past it.

Chris needs this win right now to help his spirits. Speedbump has some kind of fast healing, so Chris feels no remorse for breaking his leg and shoves him into a ditch off the road.

Sunday afternoon, Dec 30th 2007

Chilly outside so Imp wants to get her part over with and back to the warm car fast. No time to change into her costume, I hope her outfit doesn't get ruined. Great, a large power frame and it is being moved out, just what we don't need. Full stealth mission for Imp this time. Chameleon field from her PK aura up, moving fast enough that she is a human-shaped blur if anyone looked. Yet she gets to the power frame unnoticed.

12' tall, I knew those things were big, but not that big, I thought 8-9' tall from previous stories' descriptions of them. Stink bombs into the cockpit, they won't be using that power frame for a long while. Imp uses her PK claws to wreck the hydraulics and cables of the power frame, and the stink bombs were from Trixie, correction, they won't be able to use that thing for a minimum of 12 hours now.

At least 2 slashed tires on each MCO vehicle, Imp shows how she was such a good thief, sabotage without being noticed is very hard. Imp slips away to head back to the car, finds Chris ok, and asks where Speedbump is, down the hill and in pain as he grabs at his legs.

“I get it,” I told him gently, putting a hand on his shoulder. “I hate riding in cars too… I feel…trapped.”

He gave me a look of surprise. “You do?”

“It’s not as bad when I’m the one driving,” I admitted. “But yeah, I get it. Unfortunately, it’s either this or try to get away on foot.”

I know a little of what Chris is going through, PTSD from car accidents sucks.

“It’s a hundred and six miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, and it’s dark…and we’re wearing sunglasses.”

Sorry, Imp, I don't think Chris has ever seen the Blues Brothers.

A new car from a used car dealership, lucky to find one out there.

Then I pointed out, “The people I always stole from could afford to lose a painting or two. Hell, half the time, they tried to inflate the numbers for the insurance company, trying to steal from them.”

Hard to feel any sympathy when someone steals from the rich, at least most of the time. Ah, so he is stealing a car, but just because of how shady the place is and she doesn't want to leave a paper trail.

“Okay,” he responded, though he seemed a bit hesitant about something. After a couple seconds, he blurted out, “Thank you for teaching me not to fight like Speedrun.”

Now that is a high compliment. Didn't know who Chris was when she first started tutoring him and only found out thanks to the tracking pendant.

“Partly,” I admitted with a shrug. “But I also have an interest in a couple of your friends as well, and even more importantly, I REALLY like your team name.” I flashed him a grin and he laughed.

Shenanigans is one of the few team names that stand out.

Great, 3 people flying towards them in lightweight armor with jetpacks and energy rifles. Darn it, Imp drops her disguise, Chris' watch needs to be recharged before he can use it again, please let this group be reasonable. Each in a different color, I wonder who they are with. Great, they recognize the car and Chris, Speedrun said Chris ambushed him, lying coward! Great, bounty hunters and they want the payout from H1 for killing Chris.

Red and Green focus fire on Chris while Imp has Blue aiming at her. Fired at her and missed, Chris got hit and knocked back, but not seriously hurt. Hehe, the old smoke bomb to hide her activating her chameleon effect trick, classic. Blue can't see her so no heat sensors it seems. PK enhanced leap into the air and Imp comes down with her PK claws to disable Blue's jetpack.

Chris is alerted by Imp and he punches Blue as he falls, Hendricks is his name and Green is concerned for him now. Blue is in pain, alive, but no longer a threat.

“You don’t tug on Superman’s cape,” I cheerfully sang after I hit the ground and rolled back to my feet. “You don’t spit into the wind. You don’t pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger and you don’t mess around with Imp.”

Hehe, I love it when she gets to taunt opponents. Now they realize Imp is dangerous, fat lot of good it will do them.

More taunts by Imp, PK-enhanced spikes at Red, and one hits his leg, now they want to kill Imp even if there isn't a bounty. Fly higher up, moving targets, but with a worse aim, this is a stalemate unless something changes. Repeat of smoke bomb disappearing act to try and get Red and Green off guard, but they learned from last time, rats.

Nice combo to try and take out Green's jetpack, I wonder if the small hole she put in it might make the fuel leak. Imp defends against another attack by Green and lands safely, how to take away the other two's aerial advantage? Chris thinks he is holding Imp back, but then suddenly has an idea. Darn, ran for Blue's weapon, but Red destroys it rather than it falling into enemy hands.

A distraction so Chris can get away, but he says he won't leave without her, oh boy. Imp tries to think up a plan, but while doing so a sudden flash of light happens and Red falls and hits the ground. Chris takes out his jetpack with a PK blade, then knocks the creep along with a PK punch, fast thinking.

This new arrival wore lightweight blue and white armor, which was thin enough that it easily blended in with the rest of his costume so that it almost looked like spandex from a distance. The armor was in a completely different style from the bounty hunters, and instead of a helmet, he had a dark blue cowl that covered the top part of his head.

Superhawk has arrived and quickly subdues Green too.

I’d called Ryan awhile back, letting him know about all the troubles that I’d been running into and that I’d be late getting back to Manhattan. I hadn’t told him the full story of what was going on before I left to get Chris, but I had told him enough.

Good idea, always let someone you can depend on know where you are going and what route you are most likely to take.

Oh boy, Imp's clothes were torn up and ruined by the fight, I knew this would happen sooner or later.

“I won’t let you touch her,” Chris stated, clearly ready to fight.

Bwahaha, Chris, think about it, why would he show up to save her if he was going to hurt her. The GET OF JAIL FREE CARD only works between Imp and Superhawk, part of their relationship.

“What?” Chris gasped, his jaw dropping in disbelief. “That actually works?”

Don't leave Chris confused, Imp, explain why that worked.

Finally in Manhattan and going to the Imp Lair, how long has it been since she has been there? No more incidents after the bounty hunters, good, I hope the New York MCO branches don't come looking for Chris now. Superhawk escorted them back to Manhattan, I wonder if any more goons did show up but saw him flying nearby and left.

“What?” I asked with a smirk. “Were you expecting a funhouse with death traps and a giant painting of myself sitting over the fireplace?”

Chris hesitated for a moment before admitting, “Well… Kind of.”

Even supervillains in comics need a place that is just a home away from work.

“A lump of coal,” I answered with a grin. “Given to me this Christmas by Santa himself.”

That might have been bait, but it is hard not to think it might be true in the WAU. Ah, the guest bedroom, I wonder what the girls who've stayed with Imp in the past will think of Chris living there now. Imp points out the other rooms in the Imp Lair. Yeah, understandable mix of emotions to have right now, I wish Susie Q and her husband could have lived. The day that felt like a week, oof, we've all had at least one of those. I hope the last part will see the MCO and H1 in Chris' former hometown investigated for lying about him and the hunt they made on an innocent kid who just lost the parents who raised him.

MCO and H1 on the hunt. Welcome to the Imp's world Aegis. Also, who ticked off the Chinese philosopher who moonlights as a probability warper?
Accusing Aegis of killing his parents. That's a low blow, but about what might be expected from those elements. It's a good thing that Aegis doesn't have a 'Rager' marking on his MID.

Who knew that being sneaky at the drive-in would come in useful in survival?
Comparing lawyers to villains. Who knew that the Jurist Doctorate parchment came with a red border?
If Chris' cousins thought lawyers were scary, wait until the firm of Nalley, Frost, and Walcut gets involved in the case. Not that they would at this age, but turn the clock forward a few years....
MCO and Speedbump. Just have to take them one at a time. Even if I can see the Imp wanting to give Speedbump the Slipstream treatment.
And Aegis has a face blurer. Better make those 10 minutes count.

Definitely looks like Speedbump is /that/ type of a hero. At least Aegis was paying attention to the Imp's match with Barney and BMA. Nothing like a practical exam.
Lesson learned, though be careful of that moral event horizon. And don't let another bad encounter with a hero steer you away from the light side. That said, it probably was necessary to disable Speedbump.

Imp taking a card out of Mischief's playbook. Fluster Cluck will never see that coming if they meet again. The only problem with saving up the one-liners is that they're going to have to vent at some point. And it'll be epic!
Hopefully Chris will be able to work through his fear of cars (that's 3 accidents in about as many days that he's witnessed or been in).
So many classics for Shenanigans to catch up on. Though Alys probably will be comfortably acquainted with them.

And another hambush. The imp is going to need to get plastered when she gets to NYC. I suppose the adage about not being able to outrun a radio is rearing its head.
Aegis and the Imp have worked together enough that a single word can get the message across. Hendricks is going to feel that hit in the morning. Plus the failed jetpack is going to leave a hole in the pocketbook.
Aegis going to borrow a weapon. Good plan, if you can make it work. It worked in Berlin, after all. Unfortunately, it didn't work as well as intended, but the collateral damage probably was worth it.
And seizing the initiative when an opportunity drops in front of you is always a good idea.
Props to Chickenhawk for the save. And loving how the Checkov's gun showed back up. I think Chris will be surprised when the masks drop.

Welcome to the Imp Lair, Chris. Your mom would be flattered if you signed up for one of her art history classes in the spring, though you'd probably have to audit it due to conflicts of interest.
A day like that would take a lot out of anyone. I'm fairly certain Chris is basically running on Adrenalin by this point.

Hopefully they'll be able to ring in New Year's Eve in comfort.