JB: Chapter 18

The Main Building of the New Hope Pharmaceutical Building was fairly trashed. Scorch marks adorned the walls where SKULL Troopers had fired their Red Ribbon Laser Weapons at them, leaving Carbon Scoring on the sleek metal walls. As I made my way into the Lobby, I idly wondered just what was with the DCU and all their Research and Development Firms going for metal walls. Then I realized that in a world where Metahumans were a thing and could be created by scientific experimentation, that wasn't an affectation, it was a sensible precaution. Either way, it wasn't what I was here for.

As I entered the Lobby, I frowned as I took in the scene. Not just the carbon scoring on the walls, but there were actual bodies on the ground. Security Grunts who had tried to stop SKULL were laid out on the floor in varying stages of casualties. Some had only been winged by the Laser Bolts from the SKULL Troopers, but were still out of the fight. These were mostly unconscious, though someone had bandaged them up, but there was one of these Wounded Troops who was clutching a burned-through right bicep and leaning against the wall. He was one of the lucky ones, because there were a lot more that either wouldn't make it or had died on the spot, in the case of a few, being practically immolated alive, which had to have been by the Atomic Skull himself.

I made my way over to the still-conscious Wounded Security Grunt and nodded at him. He had a goatee, curly black hair, and a strong jaw, which seemed familiar to me. He huffed at me, and I took a thing of Healing Fluid Spray out of a pouch at my belt. As I brought the dispenser up to the Man's arm, though, his eyes narrowed at me and he jerked his arm away from the spray nozzle.

"What's that?" He questioned, accusingly.

"It's healing fluid. It should heal your arm." I explained.

"I'm fine. If you got that sorta thing, use it on some of the guys who ain't gonna make it." Insisted the Security Grunt.

"Noble of you." I nodded.

"Yeah, yeah. You gonna yap at me or are you gonna heal the others?" Demanded the Security Grunt.

"I will. What's your name?" I queried.

"Mark. Mark Santana." Huffed the Security Grunt.

I nodded at that and headed off to use the Healing Fluid Spray on some of the Mortally Wounded cases. One of them had a hole burned through his gut, another was bleeding out via a stab in the back, while a third had a massive burn on his chest. It took the entire dispenser to stabilize them all, and they would still need a short hospital stay, but they'd live. I had only brought two of these things, so I was debating whether or not to use some of the fluid from my last dispenser on Mark as I stood in the lobby. On a whim, I checked my scouter, trying to get a feel for power levels, even though I knew by now that power levels didn't tell the whole story. Surprisingly, Mark's was pretty good. A power level of sixty, even with a wounded arm.

"Did you bandage the others up?" I asked.

"Did the best I could with one arm. Damn shame, I was just getting the hang of this job. Now it looks like I'm gonna haveta get a new one. Dues at Satan Castle ain't cheap, you know." Huffed Mark.

"Satan Castle?" I questioned, beginning to put the pieces together.

"Yeah! It's a Martial Arts Dojo and Gym. I don't wanna brag, but I'm something of a rising star there!" Boasted Mark.

I couldn't help but crack a grin at that. I'd apparently run into a twenty-year-old Mister Satan. Before he'd gone and won a major tournament and let it all go to his head. No wonder his power level was what it was. That tore it. I was gonna heal him up. I used some of my healing spray on his arm, and Mark couldn't help but grin at that, working his arm around and seeing how the spray worked. As he did so, his power level jumped back up from sixty to eighty. Respectable for a Human, even if it wasn't exactly Budokai level yet. I knew he'd get there eventually, though if nothing changed, he'd get lazy afterward and stop seriously training in favor of doing gimmicky matches and trying to merchandise himself. I was determined not to let that happen this time around.

After all, Mister Satan was, when he stopped worrying about his image and money, actually a pretty good dude. He was down to help save the planet multiple times, even though it had been against guys like Cell and Buu, who could splat him casually without even thinking about it. Honestly? There were worse folks to have as part of your supporting cast, especially if I could help train him to a decent standard. I was drawn out of my thoughts by an exclamation from Mark as he seemed to have decided that his arm was as good as new, thanks to my healing fluid spray.

"Hell yeah! That's some healing juice you got there!" Beamed Mark.

"It has its uses. Listen, Mark, I stabilized the others, but they're still going to need to stay in the hospital for a bit, just to finish healing up. Do you think you can get them out of the building?" I queried.

"Leave it to me, they don't call me Mister Satan back at the Dojo for nothing!" Confirmed Mark.

"Good, Captain Maggie Sawyer and the Special Crimes Unit are out in the Parking Lot. She should be able to get an ambulance for them." I informed.

"No worries, I'm on the job!" Grinned Mark.

"After this is all over, I'll help you train, too. If you've ever wanted to do stuff that the various superheroes could do, stick with me and we'll get you there." I added.

"I mean, I ain't gonna look a gift horse in the mouth, but why me, though? You looking for a sidekick?" Asked Mark.

"More like a partner. Superteams are pretty thin on the ground these days, from what I can tell. It couldn't hurt the city to have one, even if it is just the two of us." I shrugged.

"You don't gotta say any more, I'm definitely in." Responded Mark.

"Good. Then I'll see you after I beat the Atomic Skull." I affirmed.

And with that, Mark began to pick up unconscious Security Grunts in a fireman's carry and take them out to the parking lot where Maggie Sawyer was waiting with the Special Crimes Unit. In the meantime, I clicked my Scouter to scan for Power Levels. There were thirty or so off to my left in a room down a corridor that ranged from five to sixty. Around ten of those were fives, meaning those were clearly hostages, while the remaining twenty had an average power level of thirty-two, clearly SKULL Troops. On the levels above us were another two dozen or so power levels of five, scattered about as if they were hiding in broom closets or under beds. Clearly, those were employees whom the SKULL Troopers hadn't found and were keeping their heads down until this was resolved. The last group of people came from down below. One power level of five, with another five power levels ranging from eighty-five to one-hundred-five, with an average power level of ninety-five. Those had to be SKULL Lieutenants and another hostage.

The last power level, though, was thirty thousand. That had to be the Atomic Skull, and it also had to be deceiving. This guy regularly mixed it up with Clark, which, given the last time I had scanned Clark's Power Level, he had been at seven hundred thousand, meant that the Atomic Skull's blasts had to be able to do something to Clark beyond what the power level suggested. It was yet another case of Power Levels not telling the whole story. Even without that, though, the Atomic Skull was still stronger than I was by five thousand Arcosian Power Units. The guy was stronger than Dodoria and could mix it up with Zarbon in his transformed state, even without using whatever special properties his Atomic Energy Blasts might have. I still had to head down there no matter what, though.

As I began to descend down into the basement levels where the Atomic Skull was, however, a voice came through the radio over my Scouter. Captain Maggie Sawyer of the Special Crimes Unit was contacting me for an update, it seemed.

"Rugulo, can you read me?" Came Maggie Sawyer's voice over the scouter.

"I can read you, Captain Sawyer." I confirmed.

"Did you send a Rookie Security Guard out to us with wounded New Hope Security Team Members?" Questioned Maggie Sawyer.

"I did. Mark's a good guy. He jumped at the chance to help out. Why do you ask?" I queried.

"Just had to be sure. SKULL has been known to try various tricks in the past. I wanted to make sure this wasn't one of them." Explained Maggie Sawyer.

"It's not. Be advised, though, that there are about two dozen hidden employees on the second, third, fourth, and fifth floors that SKULL hadn't captured. They have ten or so hostages in the Security Room and one in the basement levels, along with the Atomic Skull and five of his captains. Let me know when you're ready to extract the hostages." I informed.

"How did you figure that out?" Queried Maggie Saywer.

"I scanned for them." I answered.

"That figures. We have an ambulance on the way and are breaching the security room in thirty seconds. I'll need you to keep the Atomic Skull occupied. Try not to bring the building down while we're still in here, all right?" Pressed Maggie Sawyer.

"Noted." I intoned as I started a countdown on my Scouter.

With that in mind, I picked up the pace. I moved down the stairs, through blasted open security doors made of some kind of advanced alloy, through a maze of corridors, and into a more open area. In here, another security door of advanced alloy stood the five SKULL Lieutenants, each with a Red Ribbon Laser Weapon trained on a Woman in glasses and a lab coat with her red hair disheveled after such hostile treatment. Standing near the security door was a man with a skull-like mask on, wearing a green and yellow costume with a ridiculous cape, the Atomic Skull. As the Skull Spoke, the countdown on my scouter reached ten seconds, and I realized I didn't have time to wonder about why the universe kept throwing redheads in my direction to meet and save. I only had time to act.

"Tell me the code, Jenet! I know you had access via the STAR Labs-New Hope Pharmaceuticals Research Agreement!" Demanded the Atomic Skull.

"No, Albert! I won't help you rob one of our research partners blind!" Insisted the Redhead.

"Then you will die!" Scoffed the Atomic Skull.

As the countdown reached five seconds, and the five SKULL Lieutenants raised their Red Ribbon Laser Rifles like a firing squad at the Redhead, apparently named Jenet, I chanted a quick few mystic syllables, making a mystic gesture and dredging up mystic power. The Spell of Deep Slumber, modified to hit multiple targets at once, lessened its capabilities somewhat. The Five Skull Lieutenants still slumped to the floor like puppets with their strings cut, one of whom discharged their Red Ribbon Laser Rifle harmlessly into the ceiling as he fell, but the Atomic Skull was barely phased by the Mystical Attack. As the countdown reached Zero, I stepped out from around the corner and blazed for the Atomic Skull, kicking him into the wall with a flying roundhouse kick. The Atomic Skull was blasted through a nearby wall and into a storage room for medical glassware, shattering advanced alloy walls, reinforced concrete, and glassware as he did so. I landed and turned to the Redhead, Jenet, as I did so.

"Run upstairs! Special Crimes is already here, meet up with them!" I insisted.

"Right, I will. Thank you!" Nodded the Redhead.

Then she headed upstairs just in time for the Atomic Skull to exit the storage room through the broken wall and blast me with an atomic beam from his eyes that shredded into me and burned like a Ki blast from someone of just under the Ginyu Force's level. I was sent flying back through two walls, advanced alloy and reinforced concrete breaking around me as I bit my tongue from the process, landing amidst a stack of crates holding scalpels, clamps, and other such surgical tools. I was wounded, but not out of the fight, as I kipped to my feet, chest burned badly, but still in this, charging back out to launch another flying kick at the Atomic Skull. He blocked with a forearm, and a brief exchange of blows occurred, that which neither of us got the decisive upper hand in before breaking apart.

"Who are you supposed to be? You're not Superman?" Asked the Atomic Skull.

"Superman's busy with disaster relief. I'm Rugulo. I'll be your opponent!" I insisted.

"Well then, you picked a very poor day to tangle with the Atomic Skull! For that, you will die!" Spat the Atomic Skull.

"Bring it!" I challenged.

Then the Atomic Skull blasted another beam at me, forcing me to dodge, and the fight began in earnest. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so here's the next chapter. In it, Rugulo not only saves a bunch of people, but meets up with Mister Satan before he can become the arrogant blowhard he was by the time Goku and Company met him in canon. Mister Satan is going to effectively be a teammate for Rugulo in his superheroing going forward. As to the Atomic Skull, well, he's not exactly a pushover. Expect a Zenkai for Rugulo by the time this is all wrapped up.

At any rate, the next chapter will be the bulk of the fight between Rugulo and the Atomic Skull. Then, we'll get an interlude involving the aftermath of this little excursion, followed by an interlude out in space before returning to Rugulo's POV.

Stay tuned. . .