[Mkguild] Return to the Island part 11

[cokane8116 at aol.com]

    “MAYDAY! MAYDAY!”    “This is an all points alert! We have agiant monster attack underway in Bangor Maine,” the voice of Emergency Commandsaid. Showing emotion for the first time. “All available units there now.”    “What is it?” Trick Shot asked.    “It’s an octopus the size of a battleship.”    Moonshine looked at a tentacle that towereda hundred feet into the air. “He’s a lot bigger than that.”    “Attention all hands!” Bob said calmly overthe radio. “This is Sea Watch. Clear Penobscot bay immediately. This is an emergencyorder. Clear the bay and the shoreline. Get at least a hundred yards inland.”    “Where did she get that thing?” Mishashouted.    “There are reports of large sized octopus inthe really deep ocean,” Orca said. “But nothing THIS big.”    “Don’t you dare blame this mutant onradioactivity from the atomic bomb tests,” the nanites said in an annoyedtone. “That old trope has been overused.”    “And besides we haven’t detected anyexcessive radiation.”    “How about contaminants from illegal, toxicdumping?” Orca responded. “That is a problem we’ve been studying.”    “Also an overused trope,” the nanitescountered. “But a good one.”    “We must consider that it could be a naturalphenomenon that has just never been seen till now.”    “We know little about the really deep oceandepths. The ancients called it the Abyss for a good reason.”    “We know more about the Moon than we doabout those depths,” Nor’ easter added.    Allthe heroes were gathered a respectful distance away from the monster.    “How do we do this?” Trick Shot asked.    “We go after each tentacle in turn,” Stealthsaid.    “We need to keep him out in the middle ofthe bay,” Bob ordered. “Out here there isn’t too much to destroy and nocivilians to get hurt.”    “Good point,” Silvermane added.    The entire group gathered a together a shortdistance from the creature. Only Steel Horn was absent. The nanites stilltrying to get their new toy up the steps to the deck. The list the ship had wasnot making this any easier.    Those who could fly hovered near thecreature and showered it with fire. Arrows, bullets, blasts of water and boltsof electricity struck the creature. Those like Stealth, Moonshine and Orca whopreferred to fight crime close up had to swim close to a tentacle and strike.Stealth’s blades slashed the rubbery skin of the tentacles while Orca and Moonshinepummeled it.    For all the effort directed at it themonster seemed to ignore it. It’s massive tentacle tried to smash and pulverizethe little things annoying it.    “We’re not hurting it,” Nor’eastercommented. “We’re just making angrier.”    “Agreed,” Bob added.    “Back off,” Silvermane ordered. “Fall back.We need to regroup and rethink.”    The group backed and regrouped near theship. A little more battered and bruised but still all right.    “We need more people,” Misha said as hegingerly touched his right side where he had been hit hard.    “What do we do?” Orca asked.    “We wait,” Silvermane responded. “Attackingnow would only waste our time and resources.”    “What the hell is that thing?” A voice saidloudly over the radio.    “Mermaid?” Bill asked over the radio. “Isthat you? Where are you?”    “Off Lincolnville and Seven hundred AcreIsle,” she answered, “I’m pulling people out of what’s left of the car ferry.Is that really a giant octopus?”    “Yes,” Bob answered. “I’ve no idea whereMaelstrom got it from.”    “Maelstrom? I thought she was arrested,” thewoman responded.    “She keeps escaping,” Bob explained.    “We’re assembling a team to deal with themonster,” Silvermane added. “At the moment we’re trying to keep it out in moreopen water.”    “What can I do to help?” She asked.    “Do you have any weapons mounted?” Silvermaneasked.    “No,” she responded. “Those are still in thedesign stage. I intended to test those later this year.”    “Concentrate on rescue and moving people outof the danger zone,” Silvermane ordered.    “How can I do that?” The mermaid asked. “Theferry here was hit by a piece of wreckage that monster threw at least threemiles! That puts the whole area at risk.”    “We’ll try and keep him busy,” Misha added.“Once we attack in strength I’m sure he’ll concentrate on us.”    “Good for the civilians but bad for you,”The mermaid commented.    “It’s part of the deal of being a hero,”Strela responded. “It’s what we do.”  *************** 
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