[6/7] Something Awesome [1.3 - Redwatch] [Slot Open - Accepting Entries]

The law enforcement officials rush forward, quickly shooting any remaining enemy soldiers dead.

As all parties bear down on John, he merely stands at the end of the hallway. "You're not going to kill me that easily, you know."

"You're a magical madman pretending you're a member of a dead terrorist organization," the officer snarls.

John laughs. "The Awesome Squad is back. And there's nothing this town, nor the rest of the world can do to stop us!"

As Arthur charges headfirst at John, followed by the other attackers, he takes out another flashbang grenade and throws it directly at Arthur's chestplate. A dull thunk is heard, followed by the ear-puercing ringing and blinding flash of the grenade.

Arthur is flung back, and everyone nearby is stunned and floored. As he light fades, the police officer's voice comes into clarity.

"... the hell just happened? Everyone alright?"

John is nowhere to be seen.

--

Outside, Otto threatens the enemy for info - only for a loud screech inside the building to interrupt him. The piering ringing momentary stuns both of you, and the enemy soldier scurries off.

Into the gunfire of a SWAT team.

The King rises to his feet, sword still in hand, not nearly as dazed from the grenade as the first time. Arthur shakes his head and sheaths his weapon, walking over to the downed Donavan and extending an arm out to help him up.

"Come now, lad. Can you walk?"

Donovan takes Arthur's hand gratefully, gripping his forearm to help stabilize himself. "Thanks. I think I'm fine, the electricity just... numbed my leg real bad."

"Move. Move. Give him room."

Oren rifles through his bag.

"You got burns, kid? Can you walk?"

He pulls out some acetaminophen and gives it to Donovan. "Take two. Get to my office and I'll make sure you're okay."

He puts his gun back in the bag and zips it up. "Cops can't find us in here. Larry, you got the papers? King, you got Donovan? We gotta get out of here, now."

"Yeah, right here. Cop already saw us though, he's right there."

Lawrence walks up to the man.

"Hello officer, sorry to get in your way. Had a bit of a scuffle with... whoever these guys are. My acquaintance and I were looking around for some students who didn't show up when the alarms went off, what with the fire alarm and the generators going down we were worried they might have been hurt. Heard some crashing from the abandoned lab here, and hurried over only to see them getting caught watching Arthur here fighting and we, well, tried to cause enough of a distraction so they could escape. Thank you so much for your help, don't know what we would have done without you showing up when you did. Two of the guys could throw fire and lighting somehow!"

"OH." Oren coughs and straightens up. "Yeah, uh. Yeah. Hello, officer. Uhh."

He wipes his forehead.

"What he said."

"I saw you guys fight them off," the officer says. "Normally you get one magically inclined person in a million, yet they've got a whole range of powers. We dealt with another one a ways down who was blowing things all around."

He lowers his gun. "The entire area's crawling with these guys. I'll help you guys get out of here - but who are they anyway?"

"I don't really know for sure, but that John character claimed to be part of the 'Awesome Squad', and I think they were after that book..."

Lawrence points to the Potato Cult book he had given Melinda.

"Guess they could be members of the Potato Cult mentioned there?"

Arthur lets Donovan prop himself against him if needed be, or just straight up picks the kid up if he wants.

"We nay have time for idle-chatter, we need to find safety for the innocents and hold Silver Hills, the hamlet is in danger!"

"I've got reason to believe they aren't Potato Cultists," the police officer starts. "And if they're apparently members of an 'Awesome Squad', that's it's own host of problems, too..."

"So you know what's going on then?"

Lawrence looks around to make sure they're not going to come under attack again.

"Partially. Here's what I know.

The place where the Potato Cult was believed to be hiding got nuclear-bombed a few months back. Missile of unknown origin, who knows where it came from. Entire place was irradiated, no way anyone survived that.

The Awesome Squad was a short-lived terrorist group lead by a woman named Andrea and her friend, an ex-military sniper. Their small group stole some rocket technology and threatened to put weapons in orbit. She was arrested, managed to break out of jail - but taking her state into account, no way she would've survived more than a week.

I'd bet these guys are trying to revive a dead terrorist organization."

"Why... why would they want the Potato Cult book though?"

"Hell if I know." The officer shrugs. "Perhaps there's some small tidbit of information they wanted that died with the Cult? Was there anything else of value around that may have belonged to the Awesome Squad?"

Lawrence looks over to Oren, briefly looking at his bag and the weapons folder within it before turning back to the nurse.

Melinda leaps to her feet, her eyes moving wildly around the room as she takes stock of the situation. Dammit, that electricity had really rattled her; she'd been unable to get any more strikes in before the cavalry arrived. She wasn't scared, that'd be ridiculous. So what the hell was that all about?

Shaking it off, she listens intently to the officer. The Awesome Squad, the Potato Cult...she sort of wishes the cops hadn't shown up so her and the others could investigate this on their own and get all the glory, like the band of heroes from humble beginnings that she's seen so many times in books and movies. At least the officers come with information and help. But out of everything she hears, one thing sticks out like a sore thumb.

"Hey," she says, pushing her way to the front of the crowd, "did you say something about magic? That John guy's friend said she was picking up magical signatures in the area. Do you think she was talking about us?!"

And in the back of her mind, there's still a little tidbit that she isn't sure what to make of. She hadn't gotten too far away before she heard Mr. Beedle say something about magic himself. She makes a mental note to ask him what he knows later.

"Hey," she says, pushing her way to the front of the crowd, "did you say something about magic? That John guy's friend said she was picking up magical signatures in the area. Do you think she was talking about us?!"

"Could've been? No clue. Can any of you actually perform magic?"

"Uh, no?" Melinda says, raising an eyebrow. If she could use magic, she would've been all over that in the fight. "Can you?"

She shoots a quick glance at Mr. Beedle, as though to say "I know you know something" without making it too noticeable.

"Not really."

Lawrence looks at Melinda shooting him a glance.

"Did you see something, Ms. Greenhill?"

"Nah, all I know is that there's a lot of talk about magic getting thrown around," Melinda says with a shrug. "Still sounds too good to be true to me, but you never know!"

"That indeed. I had heard of random rumours before, but always from strange people with stranger, eh, customs. Always thought it was rubbish up until now though."

"I mean." Oren shifts uncomfortably. He scratches the ward on his wrist. "I don't know if I'd call it magic, but you know. Spirituality, I spose."

"The magic they sensed is none other than my legendary sword!"

Arthur pulls his sword halfway out of it's scabbard, while it certainly looks pretty, the only thing magic about the sword is probably the fact that the clumsy and supposed king hasn't broken it yet. It is awfully shiny though.

"Behold, Excalibur." He boasts, following by a nervous shuffling and a small cough. "But yey, with that settled and while that's all true and just, none of this helps our quest here. We should move, now."

Melinda strikes an overdramatic combat pose and points a stubby finger at the officer. "Yeah, you said you'd help us get out of here, so let's go already!" This talk of magic is cool and all, but clearly the guy doesn't know anything, so she's itching to get a move on and kick this adventure into high gear!

"Right."

Lawrence swings the blade he took off of the Awesome Squad member.

"Do you have any sort of backup or anything? I mean, at least we're all armed in case there's more, but I'd rather not try our chances too much."