Magical Huntresses: Chapter 9

MAGICAL HUNTRESSES: CHAPTER 9
We're All Heroes

Caleb was typing away on his laptop, currently in the midst of writing another report for Dr. Bronel...  

“Now students, I want you all to write another report on a historical figure of your choice. Of course, I do want to point out that some of you have been...rather disappointing,” Dr. Bronel stated, “I have graded these papers and I am heavily disappointed. So think of this way to make up your work.”

Groans erupted around the classroom as Dr. Bronel kept a stoic look.

“Now, if you did get a good grade in this assignment, you may finish this for extra credit. Now then... Class dismissed.”

Caleb looked at his paper. One that said “64%.”

“...I really hate that he is a college professor... We're not even an AP Class,” Caleb stated as he calmly typed information down on the computer, “Thankfully, he gave us some leelay, but... He doesn't need to grade us as-” He blinked as he noticed an incoming Skype call. With a small smile on his face, he clicked the button and was greeted by the image his mother.

Evangeline Biyuti had seemingly not aged in the intervening years since her husband's death and she had a consistent smile.

“Soo... How's my baby boy doing?” She asked with a soft and gentle look on her face.

“I'm fine mom,” Caleb replied back, “You had a good day at work?”

“Yeah, but well...” Evangeline closed her eyes wistfully, “...I'm needed back in the office by in a couple hour. Some overtime because you know your mom, she is a good worker! Oh! I need to ask you... Have you been keeping in shape?”

“W-W-Well, I've been jogging everyday after school and-”

“Not trying to figure out how to gain more strategies, hm?” Evangeline asked with a smile on her face, “You're a tough young boy with the whole world ahead of you! Oh! And I've sorta heard that there is a...superhero in Grand Hills?”

Caleb nodded.

“Ah... I still remember your father. He was quite the sort of man who would help an old lady cross the street,” Evangeline said with a smile on her face, “Anyways, keep up your training! You don't want to fall behind your mom after all! In fact, I have a few places that you can check out if you need more training. I'll send you the links.”

“...Thanks mom,” Caleb nodded as he looked aside, “Hey mom... Um... Well...”

“Yes?”

“...I'll tell you later,” Caleb said, “I have to write a report on...” Caleb groaned as he hit his head against the laptop, “Honestly, I don't know who to write a report on. My teacher wants us to write something on-”

“Houdini. His life is fairly interesting,” Evangeline said, “The man was interested in the occult and everything, so...” It was then she gave a little wink, “Sound good to you hun?”

Caleb nodded in return.

“Great!” Evangeline kept a happy smile on her face, “Oh! And good luck with your assignment! Love you honey! I wish I could hug you right now!” Evangeline exclaimed.

“...I wish too,” Caleb replied back as his mother ended the call and Caleb sighed to himself.

“...Houdini, huh?”

Dr. Bronel looked at his students as they exited the classroom...and someone nudged Phyliss up from her sleep.

“Huh, what?” Phyliss said with a bit of droll going down her mouth and on the desk, “Oh... Class is over.”

Dr. Bronel shook his head as he noticed Caleb coming up to him.

“Ah, Mr. Biyuti. If you need help with your assignment, I would be more than willing. I'm aware that during my college years, my 'Rate My Professor' rating was less than stellar, often times saying that I'm more apathetic, but if you would just ask I would-”

“That's not the problem,” Caleb responded quickly, “Dr. Bronel, my friends and I would like to take you up on your offer to help train us.”

“Yeah that,” Phyliss said as she groggily got out of class, “See ya Bronel.” With a lazy wave, she exited the classroom.

Dr. Bronel shook his head as he said to himself, “Ms. Fernion will hardly get a good grade if she keeps at this.” It was then his attitude seemed to change to a much more friendly and affable face, “Now then, Mr. Biyuti, you would like my help with your little hero group?”

“Mostly in publicity... Though, I think we also need the 'okay' from our parents that we're...sorta heroes of a sort,” Caleb explained. His mind went all the way back to his mother, his loving and caring mother... One who would be...devastated if he died.

“Come to the field behind the school when I e-mail you. I would like to run some experiments if so,” Dr. Bronel responded with a smile, “Don't worry, it won't bring any harm to you children. Now that would not be good at all!”

Caleb smiled back, “Thanks Dr. Bronel.” He started to walk away before his teacher shouted before him.

“You might want to also work on your classwork!” He announced to his student, “And keep Phyliss awake in class!”

“I can't believe this...” one of the guards said to his co-worked, a hint of annoyance in his tone of voice, “We're looking after what is basically a dead man walking. I mean, he's been out of it for a week!”

“Please,” The other guard exclaimed as the two continued to walk, “Isn't the doctor going to pick him up?” The guard laughed it off.

“...I really don't like the idea of this though...” He explained, “The man's a lunatic after all...”

Both of them stopped in front of the cell door and opened a small slot in the window.

“Hey buddy, are you still alive?” The guard said, mockingly, “Buddy?”

“...” It was then the cell door suddenly got pulled off as the mocking guard screamed in fright. A death grip promptly took a hold of him as his partner started to run for his life, screaming into the walkie-talkie one sentence over and over again.

“We need help! We need help! Send help to Prisoner 6471389!”

“...Where...is...he?” A man fully encased in metal said as he walked up to him. As the

Sakura Mato had stepped out of her class with a sigh of relief, holding a paper that said 100%. While yes, she was quite the weird girl, she still remained one of the smarter girls on campus. Her eyes darted to Dr. Bronel's classroom... She heard...many things about Dr. Leonard Bronel, but never really understood him. Rumors of his teaching style and even his connections to the people of Grand Hills.

That is when she noticed Caleb talking to him. Immediately, she hid behind one of the trash cans and listened in to their conversations.  

“Don't worry, it won't bring any harm to you children. Now that would not be good at all!” Dr. Bronel's comforting words...did not bring comfort to Sakura herself. She knew it was related to the magical powers that Caleb and the other girls got. Powers that she herself had gotten too.  

She crafted a small, tiny bug...and looked at it.

“Watch Dr. Bronel for the remainder of the day,” Sakura said as she let go of the bug. She stood up, dusted herself off and immediately went on her merry way.

Phyliss' eyes were closed, currently lying down on the top of the roof.

“I know you're there Teddie,” Phyliss simply said as a shadow loomed over her, Phyliss opened one eye and sighed, “Yeah, I missed another class. See how many craps I give.”

“Actually, it's just me. Grant,” the voice said as Phyliss blinked and saw said boy looming over her, “Sorry, I just... Well...” There was a noticeable awkward tone in his voice as he looked at the red-haired girl, “...Teddie-”

“Let me guess...”

“Said to focus,” the two of them said at the same time...and suddenly both of them chuckled as well. Grant smiled at his friend and sighed before talking once more.

“I've known Teddie ever since I've joined band. She's a supportive girl, always wanting to help people out with whatever situation they're going through. She loves those who work hard and thus is a hard worker. She keeps up her grades in her classes and-”

“Yeah, yeah, I get that. Meanwhile, I'm basically passing. I mean, I've got a 2.0 GPA average. That's my business though. Not Teddie's,” Phyliss pointed out to Grant, “Tell her that.”

Grant sighed, “Well... You should also...accidentally see her get changed one of these-” He noticed Phyliss's annoyed look on her face and awkwardly smiled, “Sorry! I'll...be going now!”

Phyliss watched Grant walk off and groaned to herself. She wanted to be a hero. She wanted to be one so badly. Helping out those in need, defending the weak from bullies... She closed her eyes once more, reminding herself of a situation she was once in.

A young Phyliss was currently raising her fists at a much larger boy, protecting a young boy. She had a black eye, bruises on her cheeks and a rather pissed-off look on her face.

“Heh, is this what the Father's daughter think she can do? Listen Philly, you're just a girl. Girls should be out there playing with dolls and make-up!” The much larger boy went in for a strike when Phyliss blocked it with her arm. She grit her teeth and immediately went in for a headbutt to the nuts.

“Gah!” The larger boy screamed as he went on his back. He growled at Phyliss, nursing his current manliness, “You think that because you're the daughter of the Father in charge of the orphanage makes you better than me!?”

“It's because you're a bully that I'm better than you!” Phyliss replied before helping the young boy up.

“Come on! Let's get patched up!”

“Got one hell of a scolding from one of the sisters back in the day,” Phyliss said wistfully, remembering her time at the Catholic orphanage. Oh she didn't live there, lived in the church that helped pay for it though. Watched her adoptive father do mass...but...

“Being a hero...” Phyliss closed her eyes when she suddenly received a text. She looked at her phone and chuckled at it.

Dr. Bronel wants to see us tomorrow! Be prepared Phyliss! ^^ - Green Hotosis

Class had ended and Caleb was currently waiting in the field, which currently had a rubber track around it, out in the back of the school. Dr. Bronel's decision? For them to focus on their heroics during after the day's classes. Caleb agreed to it, along with everyone else.

He looked over to where three familiar faces started to walk into the field. Teddie was currently in what appeared to be work-out clothes, mostly something that would be loose-fitting, Green as well. Phyliss on the other hand seemed to decide to simply wear a sports bra and shorts.

Caleb waved over to them as the three girls decided to sit next him.

Teddie went into a conversation, “Well everyone, I have a bit of an idea. We focus on our fitness, a bit of a warm-up before Dr. Bronel comes here. After that, we can focus on our other skills such as magic.”

Green smiled, “So we just go for a jog?”

“I'm down with that,” Phyliss simply said before standing up, “We warm-up our bodies first and then we wait for Dr. Bronel.”

“A mile run?” Caleb asked Teddie when Teddie simply nodded.

The four of them stood up...and immediately started to run... As soon as they ended their mile run... That's when Teddie's phone went off. She took it out.

“Grant Norm.”  

“I do apologize,” Teddie said before answering, “Grant, what's going on?” Her face began to look much more worried, much more concerned... She ended the call and blinked.

“...What's going on?” Phyliss said with a rather annoyed tone of voice, “Is there like some sort of super-powered villain going around?” She ended that with a smirk on her face.

“Yes,” Teddie said.

There was a silence for awhile...before said silenced ended by Caleb closing his eyes and speaking.

“We need to stop it,” Caleb simply said before racing out of the field.

“Hey wait up!” Phyliss yelled as she transformed, her feet hitting the ground at a much faster rate than before.

“I'm coming too!” Green exclaimed as she transformed as well.

“...My day has just gotten much more busy,” Teddie said to herself as she transformed.

...Unknown to them, hiding behind a wall...was none other than Sakura Mato. She too transformed, silently following them without a peep to be heard.

The town was being utterly terrorized by a man...who was currently throwing cars and around. While this would be a complete oddity, which it was to the townsfolk since Grand Hills was a rather peaceful town where not a lot happened, in fact, there weren't even any huge gangs trading drugs, just the regular rabble that befitted a normal town. However, the most shocking fact was the fact that the man was currently...fully metal. 

"Where is he!?" The metal man shouted as he tossed another car into the building, "Where is the man who did...this to me!?" The metal man punched a hole into the wall and growled. The people residing in the building watched the man in horror... The foundations were going to fall down and then...

Nobody wanted to think what would happen. Nobody wanted to believe that they were going to die.

...It was going to happen eventually and with the fact that the front of the building was blockaded by the cars in the front made the whole thing even worse.

Was there going to be no hope for everyone? Was there going to be no hero that would come to save the day?

Grant was currently in the building as well, looking over his phone as he looked down at the window. People were going down the back entrance, yes, away from the damage and thank goodness for that. With a sigh, there was only one thought in mind:

'My bad luck really gets me into these situations, huh?'

It was then that the cops surrounded the man as they pointed guns at him. Jack Creed growled as he turned around to face the people who were most certainly going to be dead-meat eventually. He took a step forward.

“Sir, do take another step forward,” the head police officer stated as he looked at the man, “Please state your demands and intentions.”

“...Give me the man who did this to me,” Jack Creed growled as he looked at the head police officer, “If I have that, I'm done here, got that?”

“Sir, we don't know who you're-”

“Bullcrap!” The man shouted as he started to run toward the head police officer. The bullets deflected off of him, as it should be when you're facing a man who can turn into metal. He grabbed the head police officer...and to put it simply, he raised him off the ground, choking him.

“Now then, tell me what his name is and where he is and I won't choke the life out of you,” Creed said with a noticeable growl.

“...I don't know...” The head police officer said as the man growled.

“...Wrong answer,” Jack Creed's grip tightened as the life started to drain out of his eyes. A resounding crack was heard as the head police officer's body fell, lifeless. A life was lost.

It just then Phyliss, Teddie, Green and Caleb came upon the scene as they saw a man lose his life. Phyliss's eyes had widened.

Teddie tried to do everything in her power to keep steady, but nothing was working. Someone was murdered in front of her. Meanwhile, Green had put her mouth to her face as her eyes widened in horror. Caleb closed his eyes as he started to transform...

However, Phyliss had done so already.

Leaping straight into action, she tossed a poi ball directly at the metal man as the fire make contact with the metal on his skin. His eyes widened as he looked at Phyliss. As the poi ball returned to her, she kept a stoic look on her face.

Everyone's eyes were on her...

Cameramen pointed their cameras at the girl in a hula grass skirt and chest that was on fire. She twirled her poi balls as she looked at the policemen, “Help evacuate the people in the building! Like right now!”

Nobody wanted to question the girl who was currently on fire now. They all ran toward the building as Creed looked at Phyliss.

“You might have stepped me the first time girlie, but I'm not interested in you anymore. I don't hold a thing against you,” Creed said as he glared at her.

“You killed a man, that's more than enough for me,” Phyliss coldly stated.

“...Tch, do you want to meet the same fate?” Creed said, “You're a young girl, go and do something with your life.”

“That's not what a hero does,” Phyliss had reasoned, “...I can't let something like that go.”

Creed looked at her...and punched her in the stomach. Phyliss's eyes widened as she was tossed right into the street. The man clad in metal looked at her.

“Listen he-” His arms were caught by vines, created directly from Green's bamboo. He looked at the other girl and sighed, “The sidekick? Alright then, guess we're doing this.” With brute strength, the man ripped free from the vines when suddenly he was accosted by a wave of water. His eyes widened as another girl, this time clad in a blue band uniform pointed a stick at him.

“Nocturne op. 9 No. 2,” Teddie said as waves of water crashed upon the man, in rhythm to the beat in Teddie's mind, “Sir, I would recommend you stand-down, you are by-far outnumbered. And we have long-range attacks.”

Creed growled as he grasped a police car...and hurled it directly at Teddie. With a sudden motion, Caleb stepped forward, this time clad in his own outfit. His fists gained a golden glow as he punched the car right back at Creed.

The Magical Huntresses and their leader were all there. Looking directly at the man made of metal.

“...I don't have any thing against you kids,” he said as they took fighting positions, “...Alright then.”

The stage was set, the heroes against a villain. The heroes took point as they ran toward him.

Caleb looked at Green as he motioned over to the police cars. Green nodded as she jumped up and vines started to surround the police cars. Teddie taking the opportunity, let a blast of water take hold of Creed. He fought against the force of water as Phyliss quickly went behind him, as she sent fire on the man. He cried out against both forces attacking him. He felt his body rapidly heating up and cooling down. While he was made of metal, he was still a regular person...and he was screaming in pain.

Teddie, realizing this, stopped her attack as she looked at Phyliss, who was pouring on more flames on the man's body. She looked at Caleb and pointed at Phyliss.

Caleb realizing what was going on, ran toward Phyliss.

“Phy-” He exclaimed before looking at Green, who was shaking her head as she mouthed one word.

'Codenames!'

Caleb, nodding, looked at Phyliss, “Feuer!” He shouted at her, “I think he's had enough!”

Phyliss blinked as she looked at the man, now in a fetal position, her eyes widened as she stopped the flames.

“Thanks dude...”

Everyone stopped their actions as the man curled up. He looked at the heroes that had stopped him...and attempted to move...when suddenly, we felt electricity course through his body. Dr. Bronel, standing with a taser, loomed over the man.

“Metal conducts electricity my good sir.”

The surviving police officers, finally escorting everyone through the backway, looked at the Magical Huntresses and their leader. One of them took a step forward when one of them stopped him.

“Remember what the chief said, we can't take action against these people,” he quietly said, “We don't even know who they are. Just take the guy...” The police officer went up to the man before Dr. Bronel stopped him.

“Let me take him my good sir, I know what to do with him,” he looked over to the Magical Huntresses and Caleb, “My fellow citizens, our new heroes of Grand Hills.”

Camera flashes, people trying to get their attention, news reporters talking to each other about the people who had come to save a building. It was something else entirely.

“...So... Our faces are on camera,” Phyliss said to Caleb.

“...Crap, that's right,” Caleb looked at Dr. Bronel, “Dr. Bronel...”

“Don't worry, I've contacted certain people, your faces are blurred and nobody will be the wiser,” Dr. Bronel said as he waved to crowd, “Let me handle your public affairs, understood?”

Caleb looked over to Dr. Bronel and shook his head, “Let's go team. I suppose we got someone to handle everything right now...”

Everyone nodded as Dr. Bronel looked at the rest of the reporters, “I'll handle the questions, now then...”