The Serpent and the Devil (IC)

[Supercape]

GM

"There were a few" answered Dr. Cream. One other, he got busted up just as bad...he said, pointing at the bed on the far side of the ICU. "Just came out of surgery, intestines all shot...messy business, don't ask. Don't worry..." he added, in a reassuring tone. "Actually, he should be fine, better off than Captain Meddows. It just he will be out for the count for the next day or two on morphine..."

"We had a few others with less severe injuries. A few broken bones, scrapes, bruises, burns. Some are in here, some back at home on painkillers and, no doubt, a stiff drink. They might tell you something. But it was Meddows here who was in the car and in charge of the operation, he knows the most, and I guess he ain't up to... well I'll be damned!!!"

Meddows sat straight up, his face full of colour and his eyes bright, the power of El Heraldo and the dame having revived the unlucky police hero.

"Sonovagun!" he shouted, all golden smiles once more. "If it ain't my favourite hero and his spunky little sidekick lady friend!" he beamed, giving Glow a saucy wink.

"You seemed to have saved my bacon, son!" he said, patting El Heraldo on the back.

[Ari]

The Banner fell from Heraldo's slackening hands with a resounding clatter as it struck the floor, rolling partially under the hospital bed. Panting heavily, the young hero smiled at Meddows before the pat on the back sent him sprawling to the floor, where he lay very comfortably. His hat rested partially under his head, the rest of it waving grandly at Glow and the two men.

In a weary but cheerful voice he said "Anytime, sir. But if I may say," he added, raising himself on his elbow "pretty sure I'm the sidekick here! Glow, I'm sure you can take it from here, wake me up when we need to go, or if the good captain wants his officers healed too." With that, he dropped neatly down and fell silent, only the slow movements of his chest signifying he was still breathing.

[Scuffles]

Glow shrugged. "I guess I'll just talk to Meddows then," she said wryly, then watched in bemusement as Heraldo immediately laid down for a power-nap. "Glad to see you feeling better there Captain, and I'm sorry we left you with El Sierpe. I'm afraid we underestimated him somewhat because of how easily he gave up the first time."

Her tone turned cold as she continued. "It's not a mistake we'll make twice," she said firmly as she folded her arms across her slender body. "Did he say anything useful when he escaped?" she asked the seemingly totally healed officer. "Like what he was planning to do, or where he was planning to go? It's well past time that Heraldo and I put a stop to his reign of terror and this time he hasn't got the law to hide behind."

[Supercape]

GM

"Did he say anything useful when he escaped? Like what he was planning to do, or where he was planning to go? It's well past time that Heraldo and I put a stop to his reign of terror and this time he hasn't got the law to hide behind."

"Pleased to hear it!" said Meddows, pressing his body in various places to make sure it was now in once piece.

"The guy just slipped out of his cuffs, easy as you like. Then, it was pandemonium in the car - he took out the two officers in a blink of an eye, then grabbed the wheel...we went into a spin...and..." he pointed at his hospital bed.

"I guess right now he knows he has blown any chance of a lawyer saving his ass. He is going to go to Mexico if I had my guess. Probably on foot, stay away from the roads and all...."

"You can sock it to him from me, when you see him!"

"In fact, I'm coming with ya!" he said, jumping to his feet and giving a helping hand to El Heraldo.

"I feel right as rain! quick, we haven't got a moment to lose! the longer we delay, the colder the trail! we have to stop him before he crosses the border!"

[Ari]

Heraldo was jerked unsteadily to his feet, smiling from ear to ear at the infectiously cheerful Meddows.

Snapping to attention despite his sudden weariness, he said "Lead on, O Captain! We're with you all the way!" He frowned suddenly and looked at Glow "Actually...maybe you should get some backup for us sir? In case he ends up being more trouble than we can handle, which isn't likely! But we can't let him escape, not again!" he slammed the Banner on the floor for emphasis, eyes alight with determination. Marching over the window he jerked it open "Ready when you are, Glow!"

[Supercape]

GM

A little later, by the coast of Mexico...

Meddows was not boasting when he said he knew the terrain. The man was competent, and knew the arid land well. From the car wreckage, which was already being cleared, he was able to pick up a trail.

A trail like nothing else - in the dust and sand, a man. But a man slithering on his stomach.

He pulled up in a cloud of smoke in a rather beat up but serviceable police car, sirens blazing. And got out of the car. The land was getting broken. Easier to follow El Sierpe, but harder for a car to make it.

He pointed at the horizon, where the fences and barricades that made up the Mexico / USA border lay.

"We ain't far behind, as far as I can make out. Man is fast, but still on foot. He ain't flying, and he ain't no Johnny Rocket. I guess we can catch him. We just got make sure we catch him before he crosses the border. We ain't got guards everywhere...enough to make sure that yer v'rage illegal immigrant don't get across. But this guy...well, even if he weren't some crazy ask snake blood drinking villain that moves like one, he is still one of the biggest crime lords down south. He must no ways to cross..."

[Scuffles]

"That trail is clear enough now that we'll probably be able to follow it from the sky," Glow noted with a look at Heraldo. "No chance he's going to be able to out-run us like that."

She lifted herself a foot or two off the ground in a faint green haze, then turned to face the enthusiastic Policeman. "Captain it might be best if you sit this one out," she suggested. "I would rather we kept you at one hospital trip for the day, and El Sierpe is going to be pretty desperate to get himself out of here - I doubt he's going down without a fight this time."

She wasn't about to tell the captain he couldn't come along of course, but she hoped the man might see sense. "And from here you can muster the backup we need to take him in properly this time once we have him subdued."

[Supercape]

GM

Meddows scratches his chin, now ripe with stubble as he gazed into the Mexican border. His shades blocked out most of the fierce midday sun, but he frowned anyway.

"Well, I guess you guys are faster...but I know this area....and I know tracking..." he said, to himself as much as the heroes.

"Here..." he continued, passing them both hand held radios.

"So we can stay in contact. And I'll follow, just in case. El Sierpe ain't gonna catch me off guard this time. And he ain't getting away with what he done!" he fingered his gun on his belt.

"But, you guys are faster than me on foot. Just make sure you catch hmm, huh?"

[Ari]

"Thanks captain! We won't fail you!" Heraldo said brightly, mostly recovered by now from his exertions. He clipped the radio onto his belt and took off over the desert, a gold trail of smoke behind him.

"I'm going to try and listen for the guy" he called over to Glow, closing his eyes and concentrating for the sounds of a man slithering across the desert. He slowly 'scanned' the sand below and before them, tracing the movements of snakes, small lizards scuttling as they went about their daily business, the soft treads of coyotes and the faint pounding of rabbits evading the enemies that hunted them...

[Supercape]

GM

The uncanny hearing of El Heraldo could pick up the slithering hero. He was quiet enough, but nobody is that quiet slithering around on their stomach.

It was the sound...of an echo....

The trail lead straight to nowhere...a large rock on the side of a hillside, maybe 200 yards from the first border fence with all its camera's and steel.

A tap on the rock...an another echo...

Between Glows telekinetic power and El Heraldo's strength, the boulder was simple to shift (although it would have taken a strong man to move unaided). And down below, was a dimly lit tunnel, stretching all the way to Mexico. It was cramped, enough for a man to crawl in (or for the elusive El Sierpe to slither down), and highly claustrophobic. The only consolation was a string of dull green lights and the cable that stretched along the narrow passageway...

[Scuffles]

Glow peered down into the tunnel with an expression of distaste on her face. "Well this is going to suck," she noted as she looked over at Heraldo. "Talk about drawing us into his own territory, I bet we get attacked by a bunch of snakes down here."

She lifted her radio and keyed it to speak to Meddows. "Captain, the trail leads to a really narrow little underground tunnel - it's right next to a bigass boulder," she informed the police officer. "Best you don't follow us down there, there's not much room to move, and who knows what kind of trouble we're going to run into. Keep heading south and you can pick the trail back up when he comes out!"

She shrugged at Heraldo. "I'll go first - I'm smaller and it looks pretty narrow down there, don't want you getting stuck!"

Not waiting for an answer she dropped down into the tunnel and started to crawl into the gloom. "And no checking out my butt!"

[Ari]

Subito had just been about to offer to radio the police when Kristin went ahead and did it. He shrugged at the telekinetic's decision "Ladies and mutant powerhouses first, I always say" he said cheekily, making his feathered hat vanish now that keeping the sun off of him wasn't the issue. "It'd definitely suck if I got stuck in that."

As Glow vanished inside Heraldo leaned down to inspect the tunnel, one arm draped over the boulder as he frowned into the hole. "I've heard enough stories about serpents and their lairs to know that following El Sierpe into this is foolish. But, what the heck!" he grinned as he got on his hands and knees to follow Glow in "Since when did we do the smart thing? I'll tell ya if I hear anything bigger than a black mamba" he added teasingly.

"And no checking out my butt!"

Subito snorted derisively "Kris, I like a lot about you, but I can safely say your butt ain't on that list. Besides, people that get all drooly over girls' butts are jerks, and I'm pretty sure I'm not a jerk."

With that, he crawled a few feet behind Glow, eyes on the narrow cave floor and ears pricked for the least sound of danger. His golden aura illuminated the tunnel around them just a bit.

[Supercape]

GM

A few moments later, deep down a tunnel...

"Hssss!"

It was El Sierpe, only a few dozen feet from them, wriggling his way (with much greater ease) through the tiny tunnel. He was able to crane his neck at a quite impossible angle and give them a glare in the almost-darkness.

"Impossible!" he hissed. "Will I never be rid of you two kids?" he snarled. "When I'm back in Mexico, I won't forget about you! I'll have my revenge! My devil doctor will cook up something very special for the occassion! muahahaha!"

With that, he started slithering forward again, to the opposite side of the tunnel, and away from the grasp of Glow and El Heraldo...

[Scuffles]

"Hey, stop!" Glow yelled at the retreating villain as he started to slither off into the gloom again. She scrambled forwards as quickly as she could and lashed out at him with her mind, the tunnel briefly illuminated by a bright green flare as she got a grip on his ankle.

The success was short lived however, for the cramped conditions made it hard for the teenager to properly concentrate, and as she started trying to drag El Sierpe back towards her she lost her mental hold on him. "Damnit!" she hissed as the villain disappeared into the darkness once more. "Almost had him, come on!"

Once again she started to crawl forwards as quickly as she could.

[Supercape]

GM

In such confined quarters, Glow and Heraldo could only scrabble as fast as they could after the elusive crime lord. But he was in his element here, slithering like a snake - for all his bulk and height he contorted and moved at a speed they could not match.

...a few moments later...

The two hero's burst out into sunlight. Waiting for them was El Sierpe, with five of his goons, all holding machine guns. The tall man himself was holding a rather potent looking shotgun, all brass and wooden ornaments and..yes...carved like a snake.

"Stop!" he called at them.

"You have lead a merry chase, my friends. But now, it is over. We are in Mexico..."

He laughed.

"Perhaps, even now, you could overcome me. I know that your strength and power is impressive. A mistake I shall not repeat. But...you cannot. We are in Mexico. Over the border. You are no deputies of the law here, and I have committed no crime here!"

His laughter was mocking and hearty.

"So, my friends. I will not fire, no, I will merely depart and wish you farewell! and you will slink back to your United States of America, like good law abiding citizens! muahahaha!"

[Ari]

Under most circumstances Heraldo would have jumped out of the tunnel with flare and an energetic shout of "Stand, evil doer!" or "Your evil ends now!", but after struggling through the dirt, being nearly kicked in his face and having dirt flung into it by Glow as she charged on, and hot beyond belief in his costume under the blazing sun, his more flippant and showy side was sulking at the back of his mind.

Struggling out of the cramped and grimy hole, Heraldo looked with utter disgust at El Sierpe, restraining himself as best he could from launching at the smug, slimy, self-centered, evil-with a sharp shake of the head, he got his mind back on track. Rising up and surrounded by a golden glow, the Puerto Rican paragon shouted at the Mexican gangster in Spanish <"Idiot! Do you believe we'd chase you ALL this way, go through all this trouble, and not have proof of your evils?!"> turning to Glow he snapped "Glow, let me speak. He won't listen, but it will make me feel better!" Then he darted forward and landed right in front of their nemesis, glaring up at him.

"Yeah, we're in Mexico. So what? Do you think we can't thrash you, beat you and your goons into the dirt, and drag you all to the highest court in this country?! We have proof, and a witness, to all the evils you've done. You can't run from your fate anymore, El Sierpe, it's caught up to you at last!"

Turning his back on the group he walked back over to Glow and clapped her on the shoulder. "What do we do?"

[Supercape]

GM

"Yeah, we're in Mexico. So what? Do you think we can't thrash you, beat you and your goons into the dirt, and drag you all to the highest court in this country?! We have proof, and a witness, to all the evils you've done. You can't run from your fate anymore, El Sierpe, it's caught up to you at last!"

The smile of El Sierpe was indeed smug, and did not waver.

"I think you may well be able to thrash me and beat me. And do not think I am scared of such brutality. I grew up in the worst streets in Mexico, clawed my way to my throne through iron will, and cold cunning. Do not think I fear the your colourful fist" he explained, smirking as he eyed El Heraldo's costume.

"I have faced much worse and come through. But, the question is - are you the hero you claim to be? are you justice? are you the law? or a lawbreaker? this is Mexico, amigo. You cannot arrest me here. And if you brutalise me - as you suggest, you are the criminal, not I...."

He smirked again, before adding for good measure a hissing...

"Muahahahaha!"

[Scuffles]

Glow seethed silently as Heraldo confronted the smug villain with threats and bluster, but as her friend clapped her on the shoulder she took a deep breath and forced the anger down. Then she did something El Sierpe probably wouldn't expect - she smiled.

"I guess you're right," she told the snakelike man as she brushed dirt out of her hair and off her shoulders. "I guess you made it to Mexico, and I guess we can't touch you here. Well hoo-ray for you!"

Her voice lowered slightly as she continued. "But I'm not sure what you're looking so smug about El Sierpe," she said dismissively. "I mean, sure you escaped, but that doesn't mean you won today. Let's check the score. Today you lost two helicopters, a dozen cars, twenty-something men and a whole mansion full of who knows what. What's all that worth, ten million? twenty? Plus now you can't even go back to the states without the law landing all over you and you didn't even get your hands on the refugees you were after."

She held her hands out wide in an almost apologetic manner. "That's not such a good day hey? But okay, what did you get in return? Oh sure, you beat up a few cops - but thanks to Heraldo here they're not even in the hospital anymore - and then you .. er.. well you got away by slithering through a tunnel like a frightened snake. So.. uh nice one I guess."

"Truth is, El Sierpe," she finished decisively. "You got your butt kicked today, and once you stop gloating about getting away you're going to know it. And more importantly, these guys here with the guns know it too. Soon everyone that you've scared into doing your bidding will know it. How are you going to keep a grip on your organization when everybody knows you got your butt handed to you by a pair of kids El Sierpe?"

[Supercape]

GM

El Sierpe seethed under Glows scornful speech, before exploding into a tremendous display of Spanish expletives.

"I'll string you up by your ankles and set my snakes on you! nobody makes a fool out of me! nobody! you'll wish you had never been born you stuck up little rat!" he shouted at Glow.

"I'll show you who is boss in Mexico! I'll show you how we do it here! I'll teach you some respect you piece of work! you ain't worth enough to kiss the cowdung on my ass kickin' boot you little rodent! you little stuck up foulage! you sewage eater! you pile of excrement! you manure - eating toad!" he screamed, the veins popping out of his neck upon which sat a red face.

"Eat lead!" he finished, unloading a slug right at the heroine.

[Scuffles]

Glow was prepared for the enraged drug-lord's attack and although the shotgun was a powerful weapon the slug merely flattened itself against her defensive barrier several inches in front of her chest, then fell harmlessly at her feet. "Now it's self-defense!" she told the man with a grin as she burst into motion and El Sierpe's second shot missed wide as she launched herself into a dazzling sideways tumble.

As the teenaged heroine regained her feet she thrust both hands out towards the armed men. The movement served as a focus for her telekinetic powers, and their signature green light reached out and wrapped itself around each of the weapons. A moment later she flung her hands wide and the guns were wrenched away from their owners and flung harmlessly aside.

[Ari]

Heraldo listened in silent awe as Glow neatly dissembled the crime lord's entire future, and had to restrain himself from just clapping with super-powered claps at her crisp and cutting words. He was about to say something along the line of "Yeah! What she said!" when the world was completely overturned by the crack of doom that blasted through his ears, and Subito clutched his head briefly, wincing in pain as enhanced hearing again became a terrible curse.

After the ringing and dull ache had begun to fade, Heraldo saw Glow deftly disarm the hardened men El Sierpe had brought along, giving a pained whoop as their guns were torn from their hands! Picking up the Banner, he leaped into the middle of El Sierpe's forces. "That snake's all yours, Glow! I won't get in the way of his beatdown!" the stocky boy told the upbeat telekinetic, grinning as he landed, and slamming his hand into the ground, causing a blast of power to surge form him into a potent and destructive wave that smashed into the thugs!

'This is a good day! Thanks to her, yes Still a good day! ...Yes'

[Supercape]

GM

The Guns were ripped from the goons, and the barrage of energy from El Heraldo blasted them into the air, knocking them like rag dolls.

"Curse you! You'll feel the sting of the serpent!" screamed El Sierpe, before leaping forward with an alarming pace, swinging his fists left and right and glow.

"Stand still! Let me hit you! Let me wipe that stupid grin from your face! Let me stuff your tongue down your throat!" he yelled, his arms fuelled by rage - powerful, by telegraphed and wide.

"You'll haven't heard the last of me! I swear it!"

[Scuffles]

Glow swayed back away from El Sierpe's enraged punches as the man lunged at her. Though they were powerful she was quick enough to stay ahead of them, and the few that seemed closed to landing were brushed aside with wisps of telekinetic energy. As the assault played itself out she suddenly stepped forwards underneath the last punch and seized hold of the snake-like drug lord with her telekinesis.

"Got bad news for you," she informed him with a grin as she lifted him clear off his feet. "You might have made it to Mexico, but you didn't make it far into Mexico."

A moment later El Sierpe found himself hurtling northwards towards the United States, propelled by a powerful telekinetic throw.

As the man disappeared over the hill just north of his chosen battleground Glow glanced over at Heraldo. "We can't arrest him because we trespassed into Mexico," she explained. "But Meddows didn't. So when he finds El Sierpe all beat up on our side of the border..."

[Ari]

"...The captain can just happen to pick him up. Y'know, serendipity and stuff." Heraldo followed up, smiling cheerfully as though the badly winded Puerto Rican paragon had already known what the Australian telekinetic was going to say.

Surveying the scattered thugs left after his ill-considered attack, he frowned "Better get these guys to the police. I'll do it, but I'll need a sec to get my strength back-" putting the Bandera back into its sheathe, Subito was about to sit down on a rock when his hand brushed the radio on his star-buckled belt, he blushed suddenly and slapped himself in the face "Or I could use this" he said sheepishly as he took it and called the captain "Hi, this is Heraldo. We trashed some of El Sierpe's goons who'll need collecting by Mexican police, they're at..." he quickly gave rough directions to where the crime boss's men could be found.

Sliding it back onto his belt, the muscular boy was briefly surrounded by a golden fog, and with a rush of power his energy and speed were restored. It was the work of moments to bind the thug's hands with their own weapons, and when that was done he turned to Glow with a cheerful grin "Alright! Let's get out of here" he floated into the air, ready to soar back to captain Meddows and to Freedom!

[Scuffles]

While Heraldo called in the position of the battered gunmen, Glow set about destroying their weapons to ensure that they wouldn't be any threat to the police who came to pick them up. When she got to El Sierpe's magnificent looking weapon she picked it up, then ripped the firing pin out with a quick burst of telekinesis.

"Here," she called to Heraldo as she tossed him the disabled weapon. "It'll make a sweet souvenir!" She made her way over and clapped her friend on the shoulder. "But no more of this 'I won't get in the way' thing alright? If you see a chance to smack the bad guy then smack him, I'm not going to complain!"

She lifted herself into the air and turned to the north. "Let's go see if El Sierpe landed near Meddows or not, shall we?"