Maria, Maria Read online

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  The crowd cheered as Aaron finished the last few cords on his bass. The Heroes noticed an energy to the room. It felt strange. There was the people cheering, but there was something over it. "Kill the Heartbreaker," someone in the crowd yelled. The Heroes watched as large, bald man jumped up on stage and charged at Aaron. He had one of the electric gauntlets on his arm. Just before he came in contact, there was a blur of blue and a flash of silver. The man ended up on his knees with his arm cut off. Between him and Aaron stood Valkadaidan, his katana drawn.

  "Valk, don't kill him," Deadguy called out as the Heroes rushed the stage. The crowd started to panic as more of the cult members also ran towards the stage. Our Hero elbowed one in the face as they reached the stage first and stood between the cult and Aaron. "I don't know what you psychos are planning, but it's not going to happen."

  "It's The Enemies," one of the cult members said. There were murmurs among them.

  "The doors are locked," one of the patrons screamed from the front of the venue. The crowd began to scream.

  "We will make you and these people a glorious sacrifice to our queen," another cult member said. They all readied their electric gauntlets.

  "Please, those are so last year," Kiri remarked. She threw her arm out. Two prongs ejected slightly from her over sized bracelet. "Let me show you this year's model."

  The cult charged the stage once again. Deadguy, Valk, and Kiri jumped off to meet their assault. Our Hero ducked a shock-charged lunge from one guy, returning with a punch to the abdomen. He turned to barely dodge another attack. He slammed his foot on top of the attacker's, then kneed him in the groin. The attacker fell like a rock.

  Meanwhile, three cult members were trying to get in close to shock the Dragon-Blooded. He stood, waiting for the first one to strike. The red-headed one was brave enough, but quickly regretted it when his arm was cut off before he could blink. The next guy took a step, then threw a punch. Valk grabbed his fist, crushing it within his hand. The third tried to catch him off-guard, but he quickly spun his sword around and slashed into his chest.

  Kiri moved as if she was dancing, deftly avoiding the shock attacks of the cult members. They tried to grab her, but she simply slipped away. Her bracelet began to spark with electricity, then she punched the closest attacker. The jolt to his head knocked him out cold. Two more attackers tried to jump on her, but she danced out of their way as they crashed onto the floor. They landed on their electric gauntlets.

  "She's coming to kill me. She's coming to kill me," Aaron said over and over.

  "Oh will you shut up," Jill replied. "She wants us dead, not you."

  "No, I'm pretty sure she wants me dead too," he said. "I'm the Heartbreaker." As the battle raged on, the lights in the venue suddenly went out. "This is what happened last time," he yelled. "Now I know she's here to kill me.

  The Heroes were still locked in battle with the cult, the electric jolts the only light. "Well, we can say that Maria doesn't get points for originality," Deadguy remarked, narrowly avoiding a punch.

  "That's Queen Maria to you," the attacker spat out.

  Our Hero responded by slapping him with the back of his fist. "Whatever dude."

  "Hold on," Kiri exclaimed. "I've got this." She kicked away a cult member, then pulled out her phone. With several taps, a couple of slides, and a few choice words, the lights came back on. "Fixed it."

  "Oh you clever little girl," a voice replied. She looked up from her phone to come face-to-face with Maria. The Techie doubled back, but she was too slow as Maria grabbed her.

  "Let her go Maria," Deadguy commanded. "She's not part of this."

  "Did you hear that," Maria said. "He says you're not part of the Professional Heroes."

  "That's not even remotely what he said," Kiri replied. "Stop trying to be manipulative. That's not cool." She reached up and tried to shock Maria with her bracelet, but nothing happened.

  "I take it back about you being clever," she hissed, then threw her back with the other Heroes. "You're just as much a fool as the rest of them." Electricity started crawling all over her body.

  "Hail Queen Maria," the cult members started repeating in unison.

  "She goes off, a lot of people are going to die," Deadguy observed, trying to shield his eyes.

  "You have any bright ideas on how to stop her," Valkadaidan questioned, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

  Maria shot out a huge bolt of electricity, sending Deadguy flying backwards and slamming into the stage. The drum kit crumpled around him. "You have two choices, Heroes," she said. "Give me Aaron and Deadguy, or I will kill everyone in this room, maybe even in this whole city."

  "No deal," Jill replied. "We don't negotiate with terrorists."

  "Too bad," she said, a devious smile on her lips. "I'm going to enjoy killing you while your spiky-haired boyfriend watches. But first..." Electricity jumped around her arms as she turned her attention to the patrons that were cowering at the entrance to the venue. "This isn't personal, guys. This is all the Professional Heroes' fault."

  Valkadaidan rushed up to try and stab her from behind, but she moved quickly and grabbed his katana. All the electricity she had built up surged through the metal blade and into his system. He pulled away, smoke emanating from his body. She fired another shot of electricity from her hand, but he still stood in front of her. "Oh, you've gotten stronger I see." A cymbal came flying at her, but she knocked it out of the way with a flick of her wrist and a jolt of electricity. "Stupid Hero," she yelled.

  "That's 'Professional Hero Extraordinaire' to you," he responded. "and I'm not the one who took their eyes off Valk." Maria turned to see that he had disappeared. The sound of people running out of the front door caught her attention as the patrons escaped. Valk stood between her and the fleeing people. "Looks like it's just you, us, and your idiot minions."

  "Those hopeless boys," Maria scoffed. "Who said I needed them?" She charged up some electricity, and fired it all at them. The blast killed them all instantaneously. "Now, are you going to give me Aaron or what?"

  "No," Our Hero replied. "Mostly because we don't know where he is." Maria, Jill, and Valk started to look around. Aaron had disappeared.

  "Um...where did Aaron go," Jill asked. "He was just right here."

  "I guess he ran away," Deadguy answered. "Just couldn't take the pressure of the rock and roll life style."

  "Then I guess I'll just have to take you," Maria cooed.

  "You couldn't take me even if I wanted you to. Wait, that didn't sound right..." Maria giggled as she fired off more electricity. The blast hit Our Hero, but he stood his ground. "Come on," he said through gritted teeth. "Is that the best you've got."

  "I always love a man that has stamina," Maria said, continuing to hit him with more electricity. The stream grew larger.

  "Okay, so we take these lines here..." Kiri muttered as she attached the few beer tap lines to something that looked like either a small shotgun or a caulking gun. "then we move this little lever to the left...and..." The piece she was moving sprang off and tinked off of a scotch bottle. She paused, hoping that small noise didn't get Maria's attention. All she heard was the psycho cackling as she was firing electricity at someone.

  "What are you doing," Aaron asked, barely speaking above a whisper.

  "Heroing," she answered.

  "That's not a word."

  She reattached the piece and screwed in an ice water wire into the side. "It is now," she replied. She jumped up out from behind the bar. Deadguy was still standing his ground on the stage. Maria had one arm pointed at him, draining electricity. With her other arm, she was trying to electrocute Valkadaidan. The Dragon-Blooded held the attack at bay with his katana. "Hey, Sexy," Kiri called out. Maria turned and stopped electrocuting the Heroes. "Chill out." She pulled the makeshift trigger and blasted the Electric Psycho with ice cold beer. The blast soaked her to the bone within moments.

  "Th...th...that...was...uncalled for," Maria said th
rough chattering teeth.

  "Grab her," Deadguy yelled. Both he and Valk pounced, pinning her down.

  "Let me go," she yelled, trying to charge herself up. Unfortunately, due to the mixture, she was unable to do anything.

  "Are you going to behave now," he asked.

  "Are you going to punish me if I don't," she purred.

  "Get me some duct tape," he said to no one in particular.

  "Mm, I like where this is going," Maria said.

  "I think I've heard just about enough out of you."

  "Why won't you let me love you," she screamed "I just want you to tell me what you already know in your heart."

  The police flooded the building. Several of them had more black water guns aimed at Maria and the guys. "What are you going to do, moisturize me," DG asked.

  "I think they're aiming more at Maria than us," Valk stated, standing up. He grabbed Our Hero's trench coat and pulled him off the psycho. She started to cry as the police handcuffed her and took her away. Other police and crime scene investigators came in and started setting up kits and cameras and tape.

  "I feel bad for her," Kiri said as she walked up to the rest of the Heroes. "I mean, she just wants to be loved."

  "Yeah, but she can't touch anyone," Deadguy noted. "I don't think she even knows what love is."

  "You," a voice yelled.

  "Ah crap," DG groaned as Lieutenant Ramirez stormed up to them.

  "I thought I warned you 'Heroes' to stay out of police business," he yelled at them.

  "We had nothing to do with it this time," Jill defended, stepping forward. "We were out having a relaxing evening and Maria just showed up. We defended ourselves accordingly."

  Ramirez looked over the Heroes. Kiri smiled brightly as Deadguy rubbed the back of his neck. "Then what about him," he asked, pointing at Valkadaidan.

  Jill looked over at the Dragon-Blooded. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said.

  "You can't play stupid with me," he said.

  "Can we try," Deadguy asked.

  He looked them over for several moments. "Tell the detective what happened, then get the hell out of my sight," he growled, then stormed off.

  "Nice to see you again," Our Hero said, waving as he walked away. "You know, we should put him on our Christmas card list."

  END