The pillar to Heaven built in Hell

Roughly forty minutes later, after a quick lunch, Sam and doctor Janssen continued with their tour. With the most urgent cases handled before noon, only the routine visits were left. These children were still not well enough to be allowed to return home, but couldn’t be called really sick either. Most of them were well-behaved, but as always there were a few of them who were bored because they had to stay in their bedroom for most of the time, and kept pestering whoever came into their room in order to drive away the boredom. Once they recognized Sam, they wouldn’t let her go until she had at least spent some time playing with them. Which she did, with doctor Janssen’s approval.

These events were the reason they finished their tour much later than expected. By the time they had left the last patient, it was past six and had already gone dark outside. Sam left doctor Janssen in her office, who still had a few administrative matters to take care of regarding the approaching conference, and returned to the dressing room. On the way back, she bumped into Jan Klaassen. He still had the same worrisome expression on his face.

“Still worried about that door?” sheasked him.

He didn’t immediately acknowledge her presence. “What? Oh, I’s you. Yes, and it’s doors now. About an hour ago we had a similar case. A different door was opened and again nothing on the camera’s. but apart from that, nothing out of the ordinary has happened. Maybe it really was a malfunction in the locking mechanism. Anyway, there’s a specialist coming tomorrow. He should be able to give us a definite answer.”

With these words Klaassen returned to his normal activities and Sam resumed to the dressing room. She figured there was still enough time to return home for a decent meal before flying back to Cebra’s place. One hour more or less wouldn’t make the difference.

Cebra knocks on Francine's door only to be met with utter silence. After a few more times knocking Cebra decides to use the same trick to unlock Francine's door He would gladly accept whatever rage filled fit she threw as long as he knew she was alright. Cebra opens the door and walks inside to a sight that filled him with a sinking feeling. Francine despite living in a poor area of the city kept her apartment immaculate. However the apartment was a mess now as though it had been ransacked. The tv broken on the floor, glass shards everywhere and a large hole in the wall.

"Francine!"

Cebra frantically searches through the mess, worrying him even more are the smears of blood on the floor and walls. Cebra looks all around the apartment with Jeannie. The broken glass cutting Cebra's fingers as he moves around the debris. The sound of a low moan comes from the bathroom. Cebra hearing this rushes over to the door, the door itself being partially destroyed.

"Jeannie over here!"

Cebra tries to break the door down as it is still shut and blocked by debris. Cebra had none of his abilities including strength or regeneration while his internal systems were being repaired. It would take another hour or so before he was operational.

"Jeannie I need you to break the door down, I can hear her in there."

what a mess looks like a tornado went through Jeannie looked around the room. break the door down ok, inside if she inside doesn't want to blow it up. maybe could smash it open, need a big hammer! she looks around for something to break the door down with.

Cebra points to the bloody baseball bat lying in the corner.

"The bat Jeannie, you can use that. Sorry I'm not back to full yet."

ewww it's messy, ok then play ball she whacks the door with the bat.

In little under ten minutes Sam had gotten changed into her regular clothes and flown back home. When she arrived at home, she noticed the lights in the living room burn. Arielle must have gotten back too. Rather than knock on the window and ask Arielle to let her in, Sam landed on the pavement and climbed the stairs.

“I’m home,” she announced out of habit when entering the apartment.

It was quiet for a moment before Arielle showed her face to greet her. Out of character, she wore a blue apron with many dark stains on it near the chest and belly. There were also a few red stains on her left cheek and above her eye. Sam knew the human anatomy too well to mistake it for blood, even for a second.

“What happened?” she asked the moment she saw Arielle.

“Had trouble opening the can of tomato sauce,” Arielle explained with a casual shrug as if these things happened all the time. “And before you ask, I’ve already cleaned up the kitchen. I hope you’re hungry, dinner is always ready. We’re having spaghetti.”

That last one she needn’t say, spaghetti was about the only thing Arielle was able to make on her own. And it wasn’t do to a lack of trying on her side. At least three times a month she tried to make something other than spaghetti and for some unexplainable reason it had always failed. Even making scrambled eggs last week had failed because in her enthusiasm for finally doing it right, she had mistaken the salt and the sugar. The result had been too sweet too eat.

“I’ll be right back,” Sam said before she hurried upstairs to get changed. Unlike this morning she took better care for her discarded clothes by putting them back in the right place. She also cleaned-up the clothes she had left behind this morning. Afterwards she slipped into her spare Fort-costume as she was going to need it again soon and picked a dark green tracksuit she could easily put on and off in case she needed to change in a hurry. Once dressed, she returned downstairs where a plate of hot spaghetti was already waiting for her.

For all Arielle’s poor qualities as a kitchen princes, her spaghetti was excellent. It could even stand to the test being compared to that of some of the better Italian restaurants in the neighbourhood.

“You’re leaving again, aren’t you?” Arielle asked during dinner.

Sam nodded. “Yeah, there’s a few things Jeannie, Cebra and I need to take care off. It might take a day or two.”

“I like Jeannie,” Arielle stated. “And this Cebra, does he look like one of those muscled demi-gods you still need to introduce me to?” There was a teasing undertone in her voice, enough to provoke a sight from Sam. “Oh, come one, don’t be so serious all the time. Lighten up a bit, will you.”

“Sorry, it’s just that these people we’re after are really bad, that’s all.”

“That’s what you get when you fly over the ocean to go and help people, you end up with the nutters,” Arielle ridiculed the situation a bit. “You can always stay here of you want, I need a hero too! Robin en Bois’ head came off yesterday and now I’m left without a model!”

Robin en Bois was the life-sized wooden puppet Arielle kept in her atelier to use as a model when she couldn’t find any real person to pose for her instead. It loosing its head wasn’t much of a surplice, it had been its weak spot for over a year now.

“If I happen to run into someone made out of wood, I’ll be sure to send him your way.”

“Oh, aren’t we funny. You could help me put poor Robin’s head on again when you’re back. Or better yet, pose for me.”

“When I’m back,” she promised Arielle.

“Thanks. And give Jeanne my love, will you.”

“I shall.”

With those words Sam left the dining table, opened the window, jumped out and started flying back to the States.

The door already kind of weakened breaks down after Jeannie's swing. Cebra steps in and looks around the bathroom, the wall had a large crack in it and the water was leaking from pipes behind the wall. Cebra heard the moan again and turned towards the bathtub, he quickly rushes over and pulls the curtain up. The first thing he see's rips the breath from his lungs and makes his body shake as he stares in horror Francine lay in the bathtub drenched in blood. She had so many cuts, bruises and burns it was hard to even recognise that it was her. She was still conscious and shifted slightly holding a meat cleaver in her right hand weakly. Cebra kneels in to get a better look at her wounds when suddenly she springs to life in a violent frenzy, she swings around with a panicked wild look in her eyes.

"Francine relax! It's me!"

Francine keeps swinging at him, something is wrong with her clearly. She almost looks as though she didn't even know where she was, pure survival mode had taken her mind. Cebra none the less easily grabs the butcher knife from her and then holds her arms. She flails around and screams madly enough for anyone in the next apartment to hear. Cebra pulls her to his chest hugging and holding her tight as she keeps flailing around. Cebra pulls her head to his and whispers in her ear.

"Calm down, calm down Francine. It's me, it's Cebra. You're safe now, I have you now."

She keeps panicking but starts to slow down as Cebra holds her close and comforts her stroking her hair. Eventually she looks up at Cebra with her normal expression and tears streaming down her face, still looking rather frightened.

"Cebra..."

She passes out a second later. Cebra starts to craft basic medical tools out of pieces of metal, he also grabs some towels, bandages and alcohol from the cabinet over the sink. He begins treating her serious wounds disinfecting, stitching and bandaging.

"Jeannie please start the car, you'll have to drive. We're going to the hospital."

Cebra tosses the keys to Jeannie

yikes there a crazy zombie in the bath tub Jeannie was surprised with what they found but calmed down when Mr. cyborg said it was his friendoh ok then, what do you think happened,well she alive still so that's good, right hospital, too bad sammie isn't here she's like studying to be a doctor or somthing she hurries to start the car as his friend would need a doctor quick

Little over half an hour later Sam arrived at her destination. She hadn’t gone as fast as she could, deliberately taking a bit longer so she could enjoy from the flight a little longer. At times like these she had to grab every joyful occasion she could get and make the best of it. And if there was one thing she liked about her powers, it flying. It was a feeling of unlimited freedom that was hard to explain to anyone who wasn’t able to experience it first-hand.

Like before she landed in the small back ally, away from preying eyes and did the last part on foot. She looked up when she crossed the street. The curtains where open, but she couldn’t detect any movement inside. Either they were both resting, or had, against her warning, decided to go out. She hoped for the first, but expected for the later.

Her worst expectations were confirmed when she reached the front door, rang, but didn’t get an answer. Not even after a few attempts.

“Great, they’re gone and I’m left waiting here,” she mumbled.

Than she remembered she didn’t have to wait on the doorstep for the others to return; she still had Cebra’s key. Along with his warning to only enter through this door and with the key. She complied and slowly pushed the door open.

“Anyone home?” she asked.

Unsurprisingly there came so answer. She closed the door behind her, grabbed a newspaper that was lying around and made herself comfortable on the big couch. Hopefully they wouldn’t be away for too long. But when they did com back, she’d scold them for their irresponsible behaviour. What where they thinking, going away like that was Cebra was in such a bad condition?

The silence of the apartment Sam returned to was only broken occasionally by the passing of vehicles. Nearly ten o'clock the street lights were in full force bracing against the black of night. An odd thing happened a while after Sam was inside, a little bright blue light traces along the floor like a specter. The light stops near Sams feet before suddenly vanishing, a moment later a high pitched sound breaks through the silence slowly becoming louder. It's a missile, the missile crashes through the glass with violent force and hits right next to Sam. The explosion rips through Cebra's apartment and bursts through walls to other apartments. The sounds of screaming can faintly be heard above the fires and fire alarms.

Cebra had carried Francine to the car and layed her in the back, he keeps her head elevated on his lap as she lies motionless across the back seat. When they reach the hospital it is quite busy as expected, Cebra pick up Francine and rushes out of the car to the emergency entrance.

"I'll be back in a minute Jeannie."

When Cebra gets inside holding Francine he's met with a number of stares, perhaps it was because of the injured Francine or the fact they knew who Cebra was. It didn't matter to him, as long as Francine got treatment fast. A female doctor sees the woman in Cebra's arms as she's passing and stops immediately.

"Put her on here gently, she has multiple bruises, some second degree burns, deep lascerations geez what the hell happened? Can I get some help here!"

"She was attacked by somebody, I dont know more than that... Is she going to be ok?"

"Well at least you helped slow down the blood loss, but these stitches are sloppy and she needs a lot more than disinfectant and stitching I can see she has a number of internal injuries, possible kidney damage."

two orderlies come by and follow their orders to take the woman into Intensive care.

"You... you're that Cebra person arent you? You didn't do this to her?"

Cebra looks at her with a glare stifling his rage at the implication, indeed there was a large portion of people that saw Cebra as violent and dangerous. Some even call him a terrorist.

"She's my friend doctor, I just please help her."

The doctor gives Cebra a skeptical look before following Francine and the orderlies to the ICU. Cebra stands there still for a moment dejected, still aware that he was bing stared at. He leaves a few moments later not wanting to attract more attention or God forbid the police. Cebra gets back in the car on the passengers side and lets out a deep long sigh as he buries his head between his knees.

"Let's go home Jeannie."

oh ok, you don't want stay and make sure your friends okay? she would probably want to see a familiar face when she wakes up, it can be scary waking up in a hospital and not knowing how she got there. hope she ok that was just awful what happened to her.

she starts the car up to drive back to his house

A shrill noise caught Sam’s attention. She looked up from the newspaper. ‘What on earth is causing this ungodly sound?’ she wondered. She could locate the source of the sound quite easily, it was coming from outside and apparently airborne too. But what was it?

The next moment the sound of shattering glass filled the room as a high-speed object breached through, sending splinters flying through the room. It was fortunate she was alone, to her these splinters were less than an annoyance. Anyone else could have been seriously injured as a result.
It didn’t stop there. Her eyes slowly widened when she noticed the cylinder like, silvery object flying right besides her, hitting the wall where her head had been mere moments ago. A missile! The next moment all hell broke loose.

A pandemonium of sound and light filled the room, within moments the place was turned into an inferno. In the nick of time, Sam had braced herself. Any lesser person would have been reduced to ashes by the sheer force of the explosion. Not her. All this destructive power had managed was tearing her tracksuit, revealing parts of the costume she wore underneath. Key amongst these was the yellow tower that decorated her chest.

Though she had never been shot at by a missile, Sam did not let that stop her. She got up and ripped the shreds of her tracksuit off; it was of no use any-more. While a missile was new to her, a burning building was not. There had to be other people in; she couldn’t have been the only soul in a place this size. She would have preferred it, but knew that was unrealistic. Getting them out would be her first priority. Looking for whoever was responsible would have to wait.

She ignored the smoke irritating her lungs as well as the sounds one usually found within a burning building and concentrated on the sounds of the people inside. Even amidst this chaos she could hear the heartbeat of anyone trapped within this building. Some stronger than others. There was a pair of them nearby, behind a thick fire.

Beams of chilling power escaped from her eyes, extinguishing the seat of fire. This made the air around her more bearable to breath, if only a little bit. She couldn’t afford linger her overlong. Her vision switched to her X-rays, allowing her to see as well as hear the unfortunate souls. They lay buried under a pile or rubble. Injured, yes, but nothing too serious. They had been fortunate, likely because she had unknowingly shielded them from the worst of the blast.

Without losing another second, Sam removed the rubble, freeing them from underneath. An elderly man and woman. Blood dripped from his temple, she had her right hand pressed against her left arm where a scarlet stain was forming. Both looked at her in a mixture of horror and hope.

“I’ll get you out,” she told the elderly pair. Which she did. She lifted both of them simultaneously and flew them out.

On the streets the locals had gathered and were already offering help to those who had managed to free themselves from this death-trap. Some of the looked up when the noticed her, stopping with whatever it was they were doing. Others just kept going as of it her arrival was a normal thing. She left the couple in their care before turning her attention back on the building. There were still people inside who needed her.

"I dont want to cause her any more trouble right now, it's bad enough she ended up like this. I... This is my fault, they tried to get to me through her. If I stay then she'll only have more questions to answer from the police likely. Also if she did tell whoever it was that attacked her about my location or our plans then being near her would put her in more danger... I can only hope for the time being she's not important to Orion anymore... Anyways we still have a lot of work to do and Sam might be back by now, if not we can still begin the next phase until she returns.

On the roof top of Orion's corporate HQ a brunette woman in an expensive suit, blouse and stern expression stands waiting. She holds a phone in her hands looking at the screen occasionally. A moment later leaping across the roof tops of the various sky scrappers the assassin in silver armor that attacked Cebra arrives. He slowly approaches her with his arms folded. Up the side of the building a sentient translucent liquid climbs to the top and also approaches the brunette woman. It transforms into Still water, she stretches out and looks at the other two.

"You took your sweet time getting here didn't you? Time is money you know."

The assassin in silver turns away with disinterest in the woman.

"I'm not one of your assets corporate dog."

"Excuse you?! So much for respecting those that gave you your power you ingrate."

"Power?... And you had me use my power to threaten and harm an innocent woman? You are as evil as that monster Cebra. I see why he wants to destroy you."

Still water watches the exchange with a slight smirk, amused at the flaring tempers. However she would prefer to get back to the reason they had been called there.

"As fun as watching you two is I want to know why you called me here, the hunt continues, my prey awaits."

"Right... Yes let's get to the point I suppose. We now know what project Hephaestus was up to in that facility. He took information on White bridge, the share holders and CEO especially have become nervous. He'll no doubt discover the location of the dig site in the Nevada desert. I mean, if he is not already disabled that's where he'll be going."

Still water looks at the woman with something resembling concern.

"Disabled? Still? I did not think that knife wound would be enough to stop him. I would like to finish the prey personally."

"Humph if I could not bring him down then what chance do you think you have?"

Still Water glares at the assassin in silver.

"Would you like to test my resolve souless? I assure you, you will not come close to besting me."

Souless turns to the brunette woman brushing off Still water.

"It's not by either of you that he might be beaten, it's Horus who might have. He was sent out not too long ago to take care of Hephaestus, he should report back soon. If he was succesful then we can go gather the inert nanobots and reform his body in confinement. Otherwise we must prepare and bolster our security in our desert facility. That is where we are sending you."

"Sending me? No, I will not give up the prey so easily. I know he's alive, I can feel it in my bones."

"What bones? Furthermore you will do as instructed as per your agreement with Orion. I hope you dont think Orion has no countermeasures against the powers you were given. This isn't a negotiation, you will comply."

Souless and Still water exchange a nervous look.

"Fine... But my hunt will continue until his head is mine, wherever he is."

Sam returned to the building and used her X-ray vision to scan if for anyone still trapped inside. To her horror she found more people inside than she initially had believed. Due to the late hour most of the residents were already back at home when the missile had gone off. Those on the lower levels were relatively safe for the time being. The people living on the top levels were less fortunate. The explosion had damaged the lift shafts and the main staircase. Those in close proximity of the emergency exit could use it to escape, but the rest were effectively trapped inside while the fire spread.

A scream caught her attention. She looked up. On one of the higher floors a window had opened and a small boy, no more than six if she had to guess, tried climbing out of the window as a means to escape the approaching flames.

Sam didn’t waist another second. She took off, to be hovering next to the window only seconds later. She spread her arms, giving the boy a gentle nod. His eyes, read by tears, immediately brightened. Having grown up with the concept of superheroes as some kind of special guarding angel, the boy didn’t hesitate and threw himself in her arms. Now all was going to be well.

“Mommy’s still inside,” the child told Sam when she wrapped her arms firmly around his small body.

She looked inside. The boy was right, she saw his mother lying on the floor amidst the flames in what once used to be their living room. The woman didn’t move, she must have been struck because of the smoke. Sam could still hear her heartbeat, but it was a feeble one. There wasn’t any time to lose! She couldn’t bring the child to safety and still be back on time to save the mother. She’d have to take the child inside if she wanted to save both.

“Take a deep breath, and hold on tight,” she told the child while she supported him with one arm and use the other to wrap a part of her cape around him. It should provide ample protection.
The child did as told. Sam could feel his grip around her tighten as he put his head against her shoulder. He took a deep breath, as did she. She’d have to be fast now, every second counted.

She flew inside through the open window, making sure to keep away from the flames as much as possible. The door separating the boy’s bedroom from the living room came down when she pushed it open. There was no time to worry about it. She hurried to where the mother was lying on the floor and kneeled beside her. Apart from being knocked out by the smoke, the woman had suffered some burns, but nothing too serious. She lifted the women with her free arm and put her on her shoulder. Not the most elegant way to move someone, but it would have to do. Already she began to feel her lungs screaming for oxygen. Time to get out!

Sam left the building the same way she’d come in and immediately set course for the group of helpful people down below. The moment she landed helpful hands relieved her of the mother and the boy.

“Your mother’s going to be fine,” she told the boy, which brought a smile to his face.

In the distance she could hear the sirens of the emergency services rapidly approaching. She sighed with relief knowing that help was on its way. But she’d still have to do something about those people trapped on the top floors. She was about to return to get the rest of them out, when she noticed a big crack that wasn’t there before. The crack was situated where Cebra’s apartment had been. Likely the result of the initial explosion. If it got any bigger, the whole place would come down! Something would have to be done about it and fast!

The drive back was relatively uneventful, Cebra was not in much of a talking mood after what happened. The guilt was nothing new to Cebra as he had been the cause of many people getting hurt. This was a result of him trying to help and save people. As they closed in a slight red glow comes into the distance. Cebra takes notice and perks up to the glow and smell of smoke.

"Jeannie... Something is wrong. That smells like smoke, it's coming from the safe house!.

Pulling up close to the apartment complex Cebra see's the chaos ongoing. The ambulance treating injured victims, the police securing the area and the firefighters going into the building and spraying it. The fire high up roars and blazed out of Cebra's apartment as well as others. Immediately Cebra jumped out of the car and rushed to the barrier made by the police. Cebra looked around for a way inside past the police, the only way was to go up into the adjacent building and leap from that structure to the burning apartment. Without a second thought her ran off to the next apartment building.

"Jeannie let's go before we're identified, we can go up the building there. Where the hell is Sam? I hope she wasn't hurt in this."

Cebra ducked into the nearby alley and ascended the building via the stairwell. When he reached the top and looked across the thought that his powers were offline didn't even occur.

"Jeannie let's go!"