The Gathering of Young Heroes

Chapter 1: In the City That Never Sleeps

//New York City, present day//

"COME ON! Move it!" screamed a cabbie next to Ezekiel Jones.
Stuck in traffic again? Ezekiel thought to himself as he let out a loud sigh. His delivery was supposed to have been made 30 minutes ago. What could it possibly be this time? Ezekiel found himself stuck smack dap in the center of three NON-MOVING lanes of traffic. His delivery: 2 Large cheese pizzas and a liter of cola; was tightly fastened to his handle bars. Such is the curse of recently graduated college students. Without a car, Ezekiel got used to borrowing his Uncle Pete's bike to make his pizza deliveries. But after experiencing the treacheries of New York City's rush hour traffic, Ezekiel found himself losing enthusiasm for his new job.

It wasn't always like this, Ezekiel Jones once lived with his parents and enjoyed hanging out with his best friend Ziggy Adams back in Meredith, Pennsylvania. Like most high school seniors, Ezekiel suffered from senioritis and gained greater confidence in himself than he had ever had before. But, Ezekiel's happiness was short lived. When a deranged student wanting vengeance from being thrown out of school returned to Meredith and pointed a gun at Ziggy's head, Ezekiel snapped and it was here that his mutant powers first manifested in his attempt to save his best friend. After his powers were revealed, he became the target of mutant aggression and was shunned by all his peers, teachers, and his friends, even Ziggy. His parents worried about him being killed by anti-mutant activists and so they sent their only son to live with relatives in New York City where mutants were more tolerated. Since that day, Uncle Pete and Aunt Mary had treated Ezekiel as if he were their own son and successfully covered up the fact that he was a mutant. After graduating from Fordham University, Ezekiel vowed to his beloved aunt and uncle that he would make a name for himself in this city and move out of the house. Unfortunately, the only job he had managed to get was his current lousy pizza delivery job.

"BEEP! BEEP!" Ezekiel shook himself out of his daydream and moved up in the line. Wow three feet! Nice! But sarcastic thoughts would not save him from the boredom he faced due this wretched traffic.

KA-BOOM! Smoke and flame erupt 3 blocks ahead of him. Ezekiel eyes grow in shock and horror. He desperately strains himself to get a better view of the situation. No such luck. Soon, sirens and flashing red lights come flying into view. Not good, thought Ezekiel as he removed his helmet and began moving his bike to the nearest alley way as quickly as he could.

"Well it looks like the Niels family won't be receiving there order for a while." he said to himself with a smirk climbing to his face. Safely away from human view, Eziekel secured the pizzas and his uncle's bike and packed his uniform away in the alley. Then without a word, Eziekiel's skin became cold, clammy and then metallic. His mutant abilities had been activated. "Time for Metal Spyke to do his part." And then without another word, our hero Metal Spyke sprints toward the scene of the crime.

Tearing around the corner, the young hero is overwelmed by the visions that he sees. Screaming citizens run by him as smoke and fire can be seen only a few yards away. Police officers scream into their radio pleading for backup. Gunshots can be heard connecting with something metallic.

Suddenly out of the thick smoke, there emerges a flying car. One teenage girl falls down in her efforts to avoid the car, her friend attempts to help her up. Metal Spyke realizes they'll never be able to dodge the car in time.

Reacting instinctively, Ezekiel leaps past the girls, clasping his hands together he brings his strength down upon the car, attempting to stop the cars momentum and protect the girls.

His attack is successful! His strength manages to oppose the momentum of the thrown car, sending it crashing to the ground a few feet in front of the teenage girls. Nearby citizens just stare in awe at the metallic man before them. Finally, one of the girls smiles nervously and whispers thank you to the young mutant hero.

"Are you alright?" asked Ezekiel in a calm voice.
"Yes we are, thanks to you!" remarked the other teenage girl. Ezekiel smiled. It was the first time someone had actually thanked him for stepping in. Most people tend to just scream "Mutant!" and runaway.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! [size=150]CRUNCH![/size] [size=200]KA-BOOM![/size] The sound effects drew him back to reality. "Get as far away from here as you can!" yelled Metal Spyke, and he continued to charge forward towards the source of the sounds.

Suddenly the smoke cleared and there in the midst of smoldering wrecked cars and cracked pavement, was a creature unlike any other, Metal Spyke had encountered. Of course, that was partly because this was not a creature, but a man in a ridiculous costume. The Armadillo glared back at the cops who shot at him, he was easily 5 times their size in height and width. Growling with anger, the villain seizes the nearest car in the vicinity and hurls it at the cops. The police manage to dodge just in time, avoiding any injuries.

Physically the Armadillo has the desired features of a walking tank, but mentally he lacks the ability to formulate a plan of attack. He is so preoccupied by the cops that he does not even notice the metallic man who just entered the scene. Metal Spyke is only a few feet away from the Armadillo, just the right distance for a sneak attack!

[+10 to damage if attack is successfully done without the villain being aware of your presence]

"Well time to make a good impression... on the Armadillo's face that is!" Metal Spyke says happily as short metal spikes began to protrude out of his body. Ezekiel had activated his second mutant power.
He begins to charge full speed toward the oblivious supervillain.

"CHOO CHOO! Here comes the Metal Spyke express! Better get off the tracks Armadillo!" shouted Metal Spyke as approached with his shoulder lowered hoping to hit heavily armored villain in away that would send him face first into the ground.

[size=150]KA-LUNK![/size] The deafening sound of Armadillo's armor clashing with Metal Spyke's metallic form is music to the latter's ears, as his heavily clad foe falls to the ground by the surprise attack.

"GRAHHHH!!" groaned the Armadillo as he struggled to lift himself up. But his armor's weight slowed his efforts.

People stared in horror at the fight that was about to ensue! METAL SPYKE vs. THE ARMADILLO!

[current damage dealt to Armadillo is 20 health + 10 more health due to sneak attack.]

"Stay down Armadillo!" growled Metal Spyke, lifting a fist menacingly in the air. "I mean it stay down! If you don't I might have to persuade you otherwise. And I can be very persuasive, indeed."

Realizing that he wasn't about to go down. Metal Spyke decides to let his spiked fists do the talking as a set of spykes protruded from each hand. He then proceeds to let a punch fly into the face of the Armadillo.

[size=150]KERKT![/size] The Armadillo looks just in time to catch steely, spikey fist collide with his face. The cartilage in his nose cracks under the pressure, and blood spurts out as the villain falls back to his knees again. Enraged, the Armadillo looks back up at Metal Spyke and snarls: "Who in the hell are you supposed to be?!" But Armadillo is too slow to react to Metal Spyke's attack.

[Metal Spyke is able to get two free attacks on the weakened Armadillo. Current HP for villain is 80.]

[size=150]WHAM![/size] Another successful blow to the head of the Armadillo. [size=150]WHAM![/size] Again! Metal Spyke took up a boxing pose as blood flowed from the Armadillo onto the street.

"Had enough! Or do you want some more? Man I am just getting warmed up!" shouted the ecstatic Metal Spyke. He knew that this fight was his if he could just keep the Armadillo on the ground.

Suddenly, Armadillo charges up and lunges for Metal Spyke. His eyes are bloodred with rage, as he hurls his massive body to tackle the hero.

As the Armadillo closes in on Ezekiel, he desperately attempts to leap over his attacker in an attempt to dodge the attack.

Unfortunately, Ezekiel quickly realizes that whilst his armor skin provides him protection, it also slows his speed down. Halfway through his hurdle, he is caught by Armadillo and slammed to the ground.

[size=150]WHA-DUMP![/size] The massive weight of Armadillo falls on the hero dealing some damage.

[Metal Spyke receives -20 damage to his hit points.]

Catching his breath, Metal Spyke realizes that he is pinned under the weight of The Armadillo.

"Get your stinking mitts off me! You damn dirty Armadillo!" howls M.S. as he attempts to headbutt the villain in the head, with spikes protruding from his forehead.

The makeshift horns effectively plunge into forehead of the Armadillo forcing him to momentarily real back in pain. Relinquishing his pin on Metal Spyke, the villain screams as he stumbles backward trying to shield his face with his artificial claws.

[Current Health of Armadillo: 50 hp]

With the Armadillo disoriented, Metal Spyke clambers to his feet and takes a fighting pose. The Armadillo had now recovered and was glaring once again at Metal Spyke.

"What you just gonna stand there and twiddle all day or are you going to hit me?" Metal Spyke joshed at the wounded villain.

A teenage boy who happened to be watching the fight laughed out loud and shouted: "BURN!" behind the Armadillo's back.

Unfortunately for the teenager, the Armadillo was not deaf and he turned his attention on the citizen.

"Oh crap!" cried the boy as he started to run.

The Armadillo proceeded to charge after him. Raising his claws over his head and growling as he ran.

"GRAHHHHH!!!"
"AHHHH!!!" responded the kid.

Metal Spyke tore after the villain, growing spikes on his hands once again, he let his right fist fly towards the closest side of the Armadillo's head.

"Hey numbscull, didn't your mommy ever tell you it's impolite to attack random teenagers in the city?" Metal Spyke stated, while attempting to impede Armadillo's pursuit.

[size=150]Klunk![/size] M. S.'s fist connects sending the Armadillo once again tumbling to the ground.

"Argghhh! Leave me alone metal man! This is none of your concern" uttered the Armadillo. As he attempted to climb to his feet again.

[Armadillo's current hp: 40 health]

Metal Spyke's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Damn Armadillo! I didn't think you could speak! What with all the "GRAHHHHHHH". I thought that was just your way of speaking." said the grinning Ezekiel. He could tell that his words were hitting a couple nerves. "Last chance! You gonna surrender or what?"

"HA!" snorted Armadillo as he finished rising to his feet. "You think just because you got a few lucky hits on me that you can order me around? HA!" said Armadillo as he proceeded to wipe away the blood on his face with the back of his left artificial claw. "Your done mutie! You should have minded your own business!" snarled the Armadillo as he pointed his right claw at Metal Spyke.

"Bring it on, walking trash heap! Let's see what those big old claws can do against my spikes!" yelled Metal Spyke. Soon spikes protruded out of his metallic skin as he waved a hand to beckon Armadillo to come to him.

[Current Health for Metal Work: 74hp]
[Current Energy for Metal Work: 70ep]

Enraged by the cocky attitude of this young mutant hero, the Armadillo flies into a fit of rage.

"GRAAHHHHH!!!!" he roars, looking up to the sky. Then the villain, with clenched teeth, proceeds to charge at Metal Spyke again. His footsteps crushing the asphalt of the street due to the tremendous weight of his armor. Saliva mixed with blood, oozed from the Armadillo's face as he proceeded to launch himself at his opponent.

Once again, Metal Spyke is forced to act quickly. He proceeds to crouch low and upper cut the lunging lunatic under the jaw with the hopes of sending him kareening backwards. Spikes for on his right fist as he times his attack with percision crouching and aiming just as the Armadillo is upon him!