Chapter 2: Chapter Two - The Red Streak
Zion swings the sword in front of her, before looking straight at the Hellhound's eyes, who finally noticed her presence. Now growling madly at her as if she had done something bad to it, which she didn't. Well, nothing she can remember, at least.
She rolls her eyes at the attempt of the Hellhound to scare her when it suddenly surges forward. Its fang and pointed sharp teeth, ready to shred her to pieces. Zion takes a defensive stance, but before she can even make an effort to block the Hellhound's upcoming attack, something fast, incredibly fast sweep past her. Followed by a gush of wind, and when she looks back at the Hellhound, it was out of sight. Then she heard a crash, and when she looked to her left, she saw the huge creature collapse under a nearby tree.
Zion's brows furrowed together, wondering what in the name of Hades, happened. She's on the verge of turning back the sword in her hand to its necklace form, but then realize that taking care of a huge Hellhound, can't be that easy. It can't be killed unless you're using something like the silver sword Zion was holding or a bronze sword that most of the demigods use inside the camp.
Suddenly, an image of something like... a red streak of lightning circles around the creature, as if it was checking whether the Hellhound was really down. Though, Zion doubts that everyone around her can see the same thing she was seeing. After all, there's the Mist. The thing that protects demigods from being found out, and prevent the normal humans from seeing monsters or things no normal mind can fathom.
Zion then saw something moving near the face of the Hellhound, though when she squints her eyes, it turns out that it was someone. A guy wearing a full-body red costume, standing in front of the creature. His finger in his right ear, and speaking to someone Zion can't see. But Zion knows too well, that standing a few inches away from the Hellhound's face or claws, might end up in the guy losing his life.
Even though she's still thinking that it was all bullshit, Zion rushes into a run towards him, planning to warn him and get him away from the Hellhound as fast as possible. But the moment she reaches him, the Hellhound was already standing mightily in front of them. Showing just how angry it was by growling at them and baring its teeth. Its red eyes glowing and glaring. The only thing that Zion can do at that moment, was push the guy down, and take the full-blown pain of the Hellhound's claw, as it swept her off of her feet and send her flying a few feet away from where she stood.
Air was completely knocked out of Zion's lungs. She falls into the hard ground with a loud thud, followed by her grunt. She knew something broke around her ribs because she swears she heard a sickening crack upon her impact. She wheezes when she tried to suck air, and end up coughing miserably. The most frustrating part, she can feel the blood rushing out of the deep gash on her arm, probably from the claws. She tried to push herself up to find her sword, which she accidentally let go of when she was hit, but she just plops down back on the ground.
Zion felt weak and helpless for the first time... Well, aside from those times when her mother left her all alone, and the time when she realizes she will never be claimed. She never felt such pain, aside from those times where she was almost shredded to pieces by the first Hellhound she encountered, that time where she was stabbed in the chest by another demigod amidst the battle between Kronos, that time where she was almost buried in the Tartarus, and that time where she literally flew a hundred miles away after receiving a full-blown hit from Gaea's earthly fist. It's not that she doesn't feel pain, it was more like, she doesn't care about the pain. But now that Zion's out of Camp, had given up all hope of being claimed, she finally felt everything. Bit by bit. As if every pain she ignored before is now surging through her blood, pumping her whole body until it gave up on its own.
Amidst her pointless battle within herself, Zion felt a hand on her shoulder. She instinctively grabs them and twist, but then quickly let go of it when she heard a man's groan. She looks up, just to see the guy who made the red streaks earlier. The guy wearing a full-body red suit, with lightning on his chest, reminding Zion of someone she never wanted to think of.
"Woah! Calm down. Are you okay?" Zion stares right through the guy's eyes, trying to decipher what he looks like under the mask.
Finally getting a hold of herself, Zion pushes herself up, letting out a few groans, while clutching at his wounded arm. Both of them whip their heads at the sound of a low menacing growl. Both were greeted by the, now angrier Hellhound.
"Hey! Tell me what you see?" Zion demanded to the guy while roaming her eyes around them, trying to spot her sword which she drops after she got hit.
"W-What? What do you mean?" The red streak, which Zion decided to call him, tried to catch her attention. Worried about the wounded girl she never met before. Her wound was so deep, that the blood won't stop coming out of it. He feared that it might cause the girl's death.
"What do you see?! That thing! What is it?!" Zion demanded again, pointing her hand at the Hellhound that is about to ram them. If she's right, the Mist would be doing its job now, and if that's right, the red streak can't help her if he thinks he sees something else.
"It's a... It's a... I don't even know what the hell is that! All I know is that there's a huge black dog in front of me. A huge scary dog, ready to tear me to pieces!" Zion's brows furrowed as she looks at the guy. He might not know what he's facing, but he clearly sees what Zion sees. That only means one thing.
The Mist isn't working on the guy.
"Any physical attack– what the hell?!" Zion bursts out when the red streak disappeared from beside her, only to appear in front of the Hellhound.
The guy strongly punches the Hellhound, which did nothing to it at all. He tried it a couple of times, going faster and faster than the first ones, but the Hellhound remained unfazed. Zion shakes her head in annoyance when the red streak was hit by the creature's claw and went flying just like what happened to her. The guy landed with a groan at the side of Zion's feet, which the latter finds herself being amused.
"Physical attacks won't work on it." The Flash, which was the hero's real codename, stares at the girl beside her.
He can't help but wince as he looks at the girl's current state. She looks like she has been hit by a ten-wheeler truck. Her arm is covered in blood, obviously from the very deep gash wound on it. Her cheeks are swollen, the skin almost purple, and her lower lip has a cut. She looks like she'll pass out any moment, but the Flash didn't voice out his thought. The girl looks like she'll punch him straight into the face if he ever did. So, instead of worrying himself about the girl he doesn't even know at all, he focuses on her words.
"Physical attacks won't work on it? What do you mean?"
"I mean, what I said. You speak English, so there's no way you won't understand what I said."
"But I didn't really–"
"Barry. What's wrong? Why aren't you moving?"
Barry put a finger on his earpiece upon the sound of Cisco, the mechanical engineer at Star Labs, and also his guide on his missions.
"Because I don't know how to deal with this! You know I have never fight a gigantic black dog with razor-sharp teeth who looks like it came out of a horror monster film!"
Zion rolls her eyes at the guy's outburst. Badly wanting to go home and eat ambrosia which she never thought she would need. She wince at the throbbing pain on her arm, still trying to spot her sword. Only to groan when she finds it under the huge paw of the Hellhound. Not hesitating for a bit, Zion surges forward. Bringing her whole aching body to move towards the deadly creature. Upon her action, the Hellhound spring to its feet, baring his teeth in Zion's direction in an attempt to bite her head off. Within the last moment, after the Hellhound's fang graze her shoulder, Zion pushes herself down and use the momentum of her run to slide between the creature's leg and grab her sword.
Without waiting for the creature to make any move it can take, she swings her sword across the Hellhound's leg. The creature growl in pain as its leg turns into golden sand. Pouring down on the concrete ground. Zion tried to take another swing, but the Hellhound finally gains momentum enough to give it time to swing its huge paw with razor-sharp claws. Knowing that there's no time to dodge the attack, Zion didn't make a move, only to wait in nothing as no painful slash came into her direction.
Her head then snapped towards a sound of a groan, only to see the Red Streak holding unto her with a deep gash on his legs. Zion look between him and the Hellhound, now realizing that they're already out of harm. A miles away from the Hellhound who is searching for her.
"Stay here. I'll take care of–"
"You grab it's attention, while I strike at it when it's occupied." Zion cut to the man's words, not even trying to listen when he tried to stop her.
"Barry. What's going on? What's taking you so much time? Who's that girl? Don't take so much time, that's only a huge bear." Barry a.k.a The Flash, the red streak which Zion insisted calling him, frown upon the sound of what Caitlin called the huge dog he's facing.
"What did you called it?" Barry asked, making sure he heard her right.
"A huge bear. What's gotten into you?" Barry then looks in front of him, keeping an eye on the girl who was holding a sword, and clearly keeping ahold of the huge black dog as if she knew how to, all this time.
"Okay. I'll take care of it." Barry stated at the earpiece he's using to communicate with Cisco and Caitlin, who are both in the S.T.A.R Labs.
Barry speeds up towards the girl, appearing quickly to her side as if a wind just passed by. Zion looks at Barry and grins.
"Ready, Red Streak?" Barry frown at what the girl had called him. Suddenly remembering how Cisco used to call him that, the day they figured out about his speed.
"It's The Flash." he corrected, only to receive a shrug from the girl. Ignoring her lack of response, Barry once again speeds up, appearing in front of the huge black dog who is still rampaging around the City.
Not wanting to admit that he's doing what the mysterious girl just told him to do, he keeps the huge creature occupied. Appearing like he's intentionally letting it get him, only to move out of its reach in a blink of an eye. He keeps doing this until he caught sight of the girl. Running quietly towards the creature, with a firm grip on a sword.
Distracted by the girl, Barry didn't see the claw coming and getting a direct hit. Flying across the street and slamming into the nearest light pole. Wind knocks out of his lungs upon the impact. Fortunately, there's no gash like the one on his legs. Unfortunately, he can't move. As if his strength was completely drained from his body.
Barry lifts his head to see what's going on, just in time to see the girl being pinned down by the creature on the ground. It's paw digging at the girl's shoulder. Her scream of pain echoing around the messed up place. Barry tried to push his body up, but before he can do a move, a loud boom was heard. He lifts his head to look at the sky, only to see dark clouds forming just above where the creature and the girl were. A consistent rumbling of thunder can be heard as if someone from above was getting mad. More like below.
"You pissed me off greatly, you fucking dog!" The girl exclaimed angrily, lifting her right hand as if she was reaching for something ahead, before clenching it tightly. Making a small gesture of slamming it down on the creature.
What Barry didn't expect to happen next, was a bright powerful lightning, erupting from the sky and striking the creature. So powerful enough to turn it into a hip of... golden sands?!
"Damn, that's tiring!" Barry then looks at the girl, only to find her unscathed from the lightning. Laying flat on the ground, with blood gushing from her deep wounds on both shoulders.
Zion pushes herself into a sit and lets out a tired sigh. She tried to find her sword, which was immediately handed to her. She lifts her head to look at who it is, and find the red streak... the Flash standing beside her. The guy offered a hand which she reluctantly accepts.
Barry pulls her up and heard a soft 'thank you' from the girl. He watches her run across her thumb across the hilt of the sword and it instantly shifted into a silver necklace with a lightning pendant.
"Who are–" Before Barry can finish his question, sounds of police sirens echoes around, getting louder and louder as they get near on their location.
"Shit! I need to bail–" Barry would have stopped the girl from running away, but she suddenly stops from moving only to falter forward. Barry instinctively reaches out his arm to catch her, lifting her into his arms when he realizes she fainted.
"Barry. Get out of there." Barry didn't wait for any more instructions and speed out of the scene.
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Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone