Owl flew through the city's skyline with silent grace and dignity. James likened it to water flowing in between the rocks and ridges of a stream. While everyone else pivoted and jerked when they ran the roofs Owl was meticulous like every step was carefully considered.
James admired his unique outfit as it swayed in the wind. A cape made of owl feathers paired with rustic, worn-looking leather padding made for an unusual combination.
"Where are we heading?" James shouted as the wind drowned out his voice.
"To our grave, if we are not careful," Owl replied portentously. Then, while stopped atop the roof of an abandoned factory, he took in a deep breath through his nose.
"Ahhh," he belted out. "This will do nicely."
James looked at him, confused. "What will do nicely?"
Owl pointed to a garbage dump off in the distance. "The beast relies on smell. If you muddle its senses the advantage is ours."
"Oh," James exclaimed. "You want us to go in there?" He asked, apprehensive of the response. Owl confirmed his fears with a nod. "Great, can't wait to go dumpster diving."
Now walking among the piles of trash, James held his nose while taking in the skeptic scene. Rainbow streaked streams pooled in the dirt, flowing throughout the dumping grounds like caustic little rivers. Rats scurried up and down the walkways as they carried discarded food items back to their dens.
Owl had no problem getting dirty it seemed. He jumped atop the mountains of trash, picking up baubles and trinkets, keeping them if he liked them or tossing them back if he didn't.
"You looking for something buddy?" James asked with genuine curiosity. He truly wondered what Owl was hoping to find.
"Anything and everything," Owl chirped excitedly while flinging bits and baubles of the heaps and onto the ground below.
The smell was now overpowering and James could barely keep from gagging. "Kazav, I'm begging you please turn off my nose!"
Kazav mercifully reduced James' olfactory abilities. "I'm with you on this one kid, this place smells downright awful.
James let out a relieved sigh. "Thanks, Kazav, for being less of a sadistic jerk than usual."
He let out a chuckle. "No problem kid. Besides I have to smell whatever you smell so really I did this for my own sake."
The feeling of being watched was growing palpable as the day stretched on. "Keep your wits about you kid," Kazav warned. "Something big is coming your way, something angry."
James gulped as his throat tighten in anticipation. Between Owl's ominous tone and Kazav's genuine concern, he was starting to get worried. "Hey Owl," he called out into the junkyard.
"Yo!" Owl shouted back from behind a stack of old magazines.
"This monster we're hunting, what's the story behind it?"
He jumped out from behind the pile and landed in front of James with a tattered issue of 'Avian Monthly' in his hands. "This beast, it's a scientific and medical abomination."
Images of Frankenstein-like creatures flashed through James' head, "What do you mean?" He asked back, determined to know more.
Owl sat on a rubber tire and explained while scrolling through the magazine. "This creature is made by warping an already hyper corrupt being with a corruption crystal to the point of insanity. So basically, it's a monster even to other monsters.
Owl's tone was confusing. James was trying to get a better idea of the threat they were about to face but was getting nowhere with context clues.
"So, how concerned should we be?" James asked frankly, hoping to cut through the uncertainty.
"Oh, very!" he barked while turning a page. Then, in true Owl form, he casually added, "we may both die here today."
Kazav was becoming impatient. "This guy is a weirdo! Is he like this on purpose?"
James laughed to himself as he watched Owl sprawl out on the ground and rifle through another issue. "I know he is a bit odd, but it's usually the odd ones that hide the most amazing talents. I'm sure Owl will surprise us both before this day is over, even if he is an oddball with a bird fetish."
"Oddball with a bird fetish?" Kazav repeated back. "I'll be sure to put on your tombstone when you get beaten to a pulp."
Hours ticked by of Owl rummaging through piles of trash and James pacing, mentally prepping for the battle. With the sun now setting his fear grew ever more intense. Once the final ray of dusk vanished from the sky the night set in and the tiny, twinkling lights from thousands of stars beamed down on the planet below, illuminating the junkyard in a fluorescent glow.
In the distance, James could detect the faint sounds of people screaming alongside a ferocious grunting as the monster made its way through the city and over to the junkyard. As it got closer, Owl too could detect the beast's proximity and he took his position behind a mound of trash.
Staying silent, they went hyper-alert, twitching and jumping at the slightest sounds. James nearly jumped out of his skin when a loud crash erupted from behind. Turning his head, he looked over to see the monster sitting atop a mound of refuse, hunkered over while taking in long, deep breaths. It knew they were here, it just couldn't see them yet.
He took in the monster's wicked form while he sat frozen behind an abandoned car. It resembled a cougar, only it had scaly skin and rows of needle-like teeth. Massive, jagged claws protruded out of each of its 3 toes, and a row of spiny ridges extended from its head to its tail.
James felt trapped, he was unsure of what to do. If he moved the beast might see him but if he stayed still it would probably sniff him out anyway. Owl had already started to position himself for an attack. He hovered above the monster in midair, silent as an Owl in flight, and motioned for James to make his way behind the beast.
James threw a can to cause a distraction, giving him enough time to move from his current position to the one Owl was suggesting. With a series of silent hand gestures that they had mastered in training, Owl signed for James to restrain the monster so he could unleash a powerful blow.
James gave him a thumbs up, shuttering as he did. The plan would mean he would have to not only get close to the monster but hold it in place.
James decided to rip off the bandaid and latch on to the beast as fast and as tight as possible. With lightning speed, he reached out and grabbed the monster from behind, wrapping himself around its arms and waist while giving it the tightest bear hug of its life.
Immediately, it let out a demented, ear-piercing howl as it jumped around trying to buck James off of its back. He held on as best he could and tried to keep it below Owl who was still charging his strike.
The air began to shake and vibrate like water next to a speaker. Sound waves began to pulse out from Owl's chest with greater frequency as the power built inside his lungs. Now ready, he shouted, "Hold it still," as James clung to the monster, trying not to get flung off its bony back.
Smashing the creature's feet into the ground to prevent movement, James dove out of the way, giving Owl the all-clear to unleash his full force upon the beast.
He swooped in and grabbed hold of the beast as a swell of power worked up from his lungs, pooling in his throat. Finally, he opened his mouth, letting an eruption of air-distorting sound waves shoot directly through the monster's head and off into the background.
Even with his ears covered, James could hardly keep from screaming as the mind-melting vibrations flew out in all directions. At point-blank range, the monster was taking the brunt of it, letting out distorted howls as the pain raced through its mind.
After what felt like forever Owl finished his attack, letting out a parting kick that sent the beast flying through mound after mound of junk.
James uncovered his ears and shook his head. Once his vision stopped splitting he looked on in awe at the destructive power of Owl's abilities. As far as the eye could see a massive hole had been torn through the landscape. The force of his soundwave attack was so intense, and so focused, that whatever stood in its way was turned to dust.
Erupting out of the pile of scrap it had been thrown into, the monster came at them with claws outstretched, eager to take revenge for the skull-shaking assault it had endured.
A back and forth of attacks and counterattacks started to turn against the both of them as the creature became better at predicting their movements and absorbing their blows. Now with the odds against them, James was caught off guard. The monster was able to move in fast, swiping at him with both its arms and inflicting deep, painful wounds.
Owl was able to send it flying back with a palm strike but the blow hardly made it flinch. "This is unsustainable," He shouted as he huffed from fatigue.
Kazav chimed in with a suggestion. "Kid, this beast, it's got have a weak spot. Try to single out a target area and strike with more precision."
James tried examining the creature further while Owl kept it at bay, pelting its hide with precise blasts of his sonic voice. After failing to find an area of its outer body that stood out, James had an inspiration. If it didn't have a weak spot outside its body then maybe I need to attack it from the inside.
He began to manipulate the dark, burning energy that coursed through his veins, focusing it in his fist. "Do you think this will work?" He asked Kazav as his fist red and began to glow.
"No idea!" He shouted manically. "Let's find out!"
With every bit of speed he could muster, he flanked the monster from behind. Then, with a crimson glow, he slammed his fist into the beast's armored back sending chunks of its plating flying off in every direction. Like lightning scars on a victim's skin, red veins crept throughout its body, searing its supple flesh from the inside.
Attempting to finish the beast while it was down, Owl ran forward and leaped into the air only to be blasted off to the side by a beam of energy emanating from the creature's mouth.
James tried to run over to Owl who now lay motionless on the ground, smoke rising from his wound, and make sure he was okay, however, the monster afforded him no opportunity as it shot off blast after blast of deadly energy from its gullet.
Even just in passing, they caused James' skin to burn and blister forcing him to realize that a direct hit could be the end of the fight. After the beast fired a shot directly at his face, and James instinctively deflected it, he began to realize that, just like his plasma powers, he could also manipulate the energy attacks sent at him by his opponents.
With newfound confidence, he stood at the ready for the monster to launch another shot, eager to test his theory. Sure enough, it fired another beam at him, and with his arms outstretched, he caught it before it could make contact. Then, sending it back, he blasted it into the monster's shoulder, forcing it to lose balance.
Before he could close the gap the monster let out a sustained blast of energy in an attempt to vaporize James in his tracks. With his hands held up like a shield, the energy stream split in two, bypassing him but leaving the ground behind scorched in its wake.
The creature, now completely exhausted, cut off the beam and let out a fatigued growl. Having spent most of its power, it tried to crawl away as James approached. With his hands charged and ready, he raised them, aimed at the monster's face, and let loose all that he had.
The junkyard was lit up for miles around as a blue and black stream of molten plasma flowed from his hands. The monster disappeared into the torrent of burning power, letting out screams of agony as it was cooked inside its chitinous shell.
Once James was done there was nothing left but a molten hole in the ground. With the danger passed he rushed over to check on Owl. "Hey! Are you ok?" James asked franticly.
Owl rolled over and groaned. Once he saw the monster had been dispatched he whipped his magazine back out and began to flip through the pages.
James let out a relieved sigh. "I'll take that as a yes."
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