Episode XXI: Revenge of a Super Scholar
After a quick victory from our valiant fighters the Calabro crew, which at the moment consisted of Mike Gilday, Sean Bastedo and Joe Zukoski, there was a decision to split up, with the hopes of more quickly discerning to plans of a vile alien race hell-bent on conquering Earth. Mike and Sean set off on their new journey to hopefully meet at the base of operations of these evil creatures. Zuk was left on his own for now, charged with finding Calabro and investigating the school for clues.
After Mike and Sean took off out the gym doors, they bolted to the right and to the outside of the school. Joe decided that the best place to pick some evidence from this new invasion was right here in the school. But first, like all warriors, one must equip oneself with proper fighting garbs and weaponry. Well, Zuk had his Nyoibo Staff, so that was a start. But now, he had to get his infamous Namek-jin Gi and weighted cape for both protection and mobility. But while he fights, that cape (with the extra weight) can be removed to add to his strength and speed dramatically. So, Joe casually ventured to his locker after leaving the empty gymnasium. He wandered to the right and walked to the end of the hall. He wondered why the place wasn't crawling with zealots, cerebrates, and even berserkers? But he had no problems with no one in the school at the moment. He found his locker, midway into the orange locker section and popped it open. Inside, hanging was his cape and gi. He quickly changed into his new fighting outfit and found his Nyoibo staff case, which he swung across his back. Zuk continued beyond the orange locker and to the end of the hall. "Hmm, might as well stop by the cafeteria for a quick bite to eat so I won't get hungry" he said to himself. But Zuk felt a hand across his shoulder. Certainly didn't feel like a human, but a low snarl ignited the fact in his brain that a weak majin was probably after him. He grabbed at the wrist of the unknown being and flipped him over his shoulder, smashing his humanoid body into the floor. Zuk tugged roughly at his arm and ripped it off. A squeal of pain as well as blood pouring from the arm and socket finished off with a gasp of death. Zuk threw the left arm onto the side of the hallway. "The janitors can clean up that mess later." Joe remarked.
He wandered into the Cafeteria and all was quiet and dark. Zuk walked to the opposite end of the darkened area to the snack bar. He found traces of spilled coffee and crumbs of cookies and chips. "What a piece of shit this place is now. Geez, not a single thing for me to snack on." He said to himself. But then, Joe heard a rustle of something behind the counter. He took a defensive position and readied as a figure leapt onto the counter, armed with a sword and swung a deep slash to Zuk. But our hero reacted much faster than the slash of metal, grabbing the side of the blade and held it in place. He raised his arm up to the figure and readied to fire. But the darkened opponent fell into the small amount of light channeled by our hero's current "chi" attack. The face revealed…Mr. Calabro!
"Zuk…is that you?" asked the Master of English. "Oh, Calabro. It's only you. Geez, don't scare me like that. I get jumpy in these situations." Replied Zuk. Calabro took back his sword and flipped it back into his sheath strapped to his back. "What the hell is going on? I was trying to get some good coffee, when those ugly alien creeps ran in here and ransacked the entire place of all our food. I hid in here and they didn't notice me. I prefer not to fight on a 1:310 ratio. I am a good fighter, but not that good. I found this sword mysteriously appeared off to the side when those creeps ran away."
Zuk began telling Calabro the tale involving the pep rally and the first wave of attacks with the Majin Assistant Principals trying to kill him and Gilday, as well as Bastedo. He made sure not to leave out Brian's death as well. Calabro studied the story, like all typical English teachers, very critical. After explaining to Zuk how he might make it sound more dramatic, Calabro suggested, "I say we explore the Resource Center. If the administration was taken over as majins, there is not doubt that they got some of the teachers. If they did, the Resource Center would be the best place to search for clues." Stated Calabro. The pair then began their journey to the upstairs floor via the stairwell by the red locker section. Across the way were a few carcasses of Cerebrate warriors and a few Berserkers. "Someone around here has been busy." Zuk said to Calabro, who motioned an immediate nod of agreement.
The two reached the Resource Center, beyond the toppled desks and thrown papers, was a lone figure, examining something in the darkness. Zuk walked over to examine the figure, as he got closer he found specific details of him. Long shoulder length hair, a blue jacket, gray pants as well as a kitana sheathed onto his back. Zuk snapped, "Richard. How the hell and what the hell are you doing here." The youth, who had since aged to the age of 18 from their last encounter involving the Super Clones, turned to see his old companion for what seemed like the first time in many years. "Joe! It's good to see you again! I've come back from the future after sensing someone, who traveled from my timeline to this one. I am on the hunt of something or someone that may have caused this new invasion and I am here to stop it. I killed the clones of the future and brought a year of peace to our fallen town. As you can see, I have been so busy helping others rebuild that I had no time to cut my hair. Besides, it makes me look kind of mystical and cool." Replied Richard with a smile. Joe gave Richard a "thumbs up" and he motioned to group to search around the Resource Center for anything of interest or value. After turning over desks and such, Calabro found something unique near his desk on the left right side of the large room on the 2nd floor. Calabro picked the item up and he saw it was a scouter. "Hey guys, I found one of those scouter items." Zuk and Richard ran over to examine the technological artifact. Calabro then placed it onto his face and adjusted it appropriate. "Now I can get a very accurate reading of the surround areas. Maybe we can find some others of our group, based on these levels. "Hmm, I see two sets of powers, leaving the school and, wait they disappeared. I last read the powers at 450,000 and 300,000." Stated Calabro the Super Scholars. "Hmm, I think it is my mother and Miss Tara, they have the lowest combat rating of the group because they lack the patience and will to train and fight." Replied Richard. "But why would they leave the school and disappear? Perhaps they may have found something. I am going to teleport to their position. Now…to lock onto them." Said Joe, placing his fingers on his forehead. "No, wait, Joe. Don't make a move. I thought I heard something moving around here." Interrupted Richard as he placed his hand onto Joe's shoulder.
Zuk searched around the toppled Resource Center and then saw something on four legs running across the floor. It stopped and hid behind a desk. "What the hell is that?" Calabro said. "I am going to check it out, cover me." Calabro drew his blade and held it out, Zuk and Richard were shortly behind, Zuk drew his Nyoibo Staff and Richard drew his kitana. Calabro moved closer to the toppled desk from the history department. He glanced over the desk, so as not to be seen by whatever it was. But nothing was there. But Calabro moved forward a bit more and then heard a drooling sound. Then, drool dangled from above him and fell onto the desk. The acid properties of it burned through the desk. Calabro glanced up and saw the creature. It was a four-legged human-like alien, with a bloodied flesh color with large, dull, pupil-less eyes and a long tongue, which dangled from its large gaping jaws with rows of sharp teeth. "Ahh, shit, a Berserker! Get down!" Shouted Richard. All three warriors spread out. The Berserker fell to the ground in a flip format, landing on its hind legs. It snarled at Calabro, who was directly in front of him. But then, several Berserkers from the sides of the room leapt from their hiding spots and encircled our heroes.
Zuk kept an eye on one Berserker that was trying to prepare for an attack from behind. The creature leapt right behind Zuk and toward him. But the Joe was too fast for him and caught his arm in mid jump and swung him around a few times. Then letting go at the last second to send him crashing into the side of wall. Then, a bone-shattering crack was heard as the Berserker splattered itself against the wall. Slowly the Berserker got onto its hind legs and stood up. It hunched over slightly, but it may continue to be agile in this fight. Zuk, smirked, "No way you little piece of crap. TAKE THIS" he shouted aloud as flattened his palm above his head in a quick motion and a flat disk shape of "chi" formed. "HAHA…take that." He threw the disc of living energy to the Berserker, who was very naive to the fact he was going to get hit. About a second later, the disc tore right through him easily. The Berserker stood wide-eyed and immobile, as then his body split itself horizontally from his mid torso. The Upper portion fell backward as the lower half fell forward.
Meanwhile, another of these little critters had just caught Calabro off guard. It leapt right toward the Master of English, who then sidestepped and smacked the creature in the back of the head with the hilt of his sword. The Berserker fell flat on his face, but flipped up and spat up some drool from his mouth. Calabro couldn't defend an attack like that, and so was hit onto his left shoulder. The secretion began to slowly eat away at his skin, Calabro grasped his arm in pain, but nonetheless picked up his blade and threw it directly to the Berserker, and the blade spun forward, wildly. "C-Sword, Image Split!" he shouted. The sword, then split into to identical sword entities, they phased into almost transparent effect and the hurtled toward the alien. He had no idea what sword was real, or if they both were. He squatted down and attempted a block. The swords went right by the creature; therefore he let go of his block and felt relieved. But, Calabro shouted, "RECOMBINE!" Then the sword flew right beside the creature and then fused themselves in between the four-legged fiend, slicing him into several pieces before the actual sword came together.
Richard was already getting into a hardcore fistfight with the last Berserker. They both zanzokened out and in during the battle, as if they were performing a routine, fighting as almost equals. Richard then caught the creature off guard by sweep kicking him. The monster fell, but flipped back up and back flipped about 3 more times till he stopped and readied for another attack. It rammed at full speed against Richard and head butt him in the stomach. Then uppercutted him into the air with a swift blow of its right arm to gain the advantage of the battle Richard was getting mad that it caught him off guard, so to finish him off, he was going to impress Joe and Calabro. He cupped his hands horizontally, "ME…HA….KA….ME….HA!!!" he thrusted his hands forward and balled beam of energy fell right onto the Berserker and flattened him straight into the ground where he then disintegrated.
"Nice Job, Richard." Applauded the others. Richard smiled, "It was nothing, really." But then a sound bleeped from deep in Richard's jacket pocket. He instantly pulled out a device from there and pressed a few buttons. "What the hell? This is telling me that a few Zealot warriors have made their way to the roof of the school. I say we sneak up there and find out what is going on." Said Richard. The trio ran into Calabro's room, to find it in disarray and torn apart (reminiscent of the first assault two years ago.) Well Calabro, with the hilt of his sword, bashed the closest window to him. Then Zuk flipped out and hovered near the window as Richard followed the same. The two turned in mid air to face Calabro still in the school. "You all know I can't fly. Here, I will scale the wall. I am surely strong enough. Just keep an eye on me. The two Super Scholar's slowly flew to the top of the building, hiding behind the edge of the school. They stuck their heads over the edge as Calabro reached their position from scaling the wall. Over the edge was a group of four Zealot class warriors with their backs turned to the group. A bright flash of golden energy swept the top floor as the form of a Chinese Dragon swam several hundred feet into the air and the gold image if itself changed to it's forest green self with it's yellow belly and red eyes. "WHY HAVE YOU SUMMOMED ME?" Zuk flew up over the edge "Oh no! They summoned the dragon! We've got to stop them!" Richard was slowly behind, and Calabro just flipped to the roof and followed. The Zealots turned upon Zuk's announcement. A figure parted the mass of creatures; it was the Joe the Powerful clone. "Oh, it is Joe Zukoski. Dammit, the only one with the power to beat me! Grrr, I wish you were a freshman so I could kick your ass easier." The Joe clone muttered. "YOUR WISH WILL BE GRANTED" replied the Shenlong. Joe could only stand in awe as the dragon circles his entire body and in an instant he shrank slightly both in physical traits and mental ones. When the Dragon disappeared and the medallion pieces separated, there stood Joe Zukoski…as a freshman.
Tune in next episode as Freshman Zuk battles through the rooftop and finds an even greater mistake within his new transformed state. It seems that he will have to find the medallion pieces one again. That would be no problem with his Instantaneous Teleportation…or will it be? All this and more in episode XXIII: Mystery Revealed!"
