ADAM

 

Tuesday January 14 - 2002 CST

One day until Turbocharger activates

 

The parade had just started and already there were problems. Namely, the float with the spider-crab on it had broken down, and people weren't even freaked out about a giant, black clawed monster in their midst. Camera flashes went off all around the float as the spectators went wild over seeing the living embodiment of their town's mascot. None of them realized how much danger they were in as they crowded around for a better look.

I flipped the safety off of Dominus and hefted it up towards my shoulder. Before I got it sighted Colonel Sterling's hand pushed the muzzle down towards the pavement. "Adam, you can't take the shot with so many civilians around it."

He was right unfortunately. The big fifty caliber rounds from Dominus were made to go through armored vehicles. They'd punch right through the monster's hard shell and keep flying into the crowd of families. I couldn't live with that. "Okay. Just say the word and that thing gets mulched."

"Someone is keeping that thing leashed with an incantation." Doctor Johnson scanned the crowd as he spoke. He too was right, because there's no way a spider-crab would just sit still like that. I'd fought one just like it before and it went nuts around humans. The thing was a killing machine that viewed humans as lunch. For it to just sit there staring while so many helpless people crowded around it there must have been some powerful magic in the air. "If we find the person responsible for the spell then we can move the spider-crab somewhere to dispose of it."

I flicked open the lid of my sparkler and it was a solid line of green turning blue. Definitely, bad. I don't recall seeing signals that strong before outside of Taob's inter-dimensional prison bubble. There was transient magic flowing through the air and we had to find the source quickly.

My eyes scanned the crowds, but everyone looked the same. Families, smiling faces, camera flashes. No one jumped out at me as sinister…until I looked down to the end of the street at the big traffic circle in the center of town. In the middle of it was a grassy area like a little park that someone had built a gazebo on. The gazebo had a rustic feel to it, all black stone and ancient oak, but that wasn't what caught my attention. It was the trio of weirdos in black cloaks looking like monks from a nightmare monastery. Their hands were held high and they were chanting. One of them had bright, neon red hair hanging limply out of a drawn hood.

"There's our witch." Was all I said before I broke out into a sprint straight at them.

People gaped at me as I shoved my way into the street. I couldn't blame them though, it's not often you see a seven foot tall guy with a hand cannon in a small town like Port Moreau, or anywhere for that matter. I understood now why they wanted me to wear something with brightly stenciled F-B-I on it. "Federal agent! Out of the way!"

People moved at my words and the looks I got went from wide-eyed fright to confused concern. That was good because I didn't need a frightened herd of people between me and the cultists summoning a demon lord.

The sidewalks were choked with spectators so I couldn't go that way. Out in the street though I was able to pour on the speed. As the wind began to rush by my ears I knew I was really turning it on. The gazebo came ever closer. People were probably wondering how I could move so fast, but I didn't care. What I cared about was getting to the witch and getting the spider-crab moved away from the crowd. Families. That was all that mattered.

Then one of the cultists raised an arm at me. The sleeve of his cloak was so long and baggy I couldn't see if he had anything in his hand, like a gun. I'd been spotted and the fight was now on.