[CHAPTER_08] The Siege Of The Capital

[S.H.R. Agency]

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The Fall of Egypt: Part 2

Siege on the Capital

"Avalanche is indestructible." the female Australian voice played over the black darkness right before Maria Beckingtail, eyes full of concern, came to report that day.

"Although we have no news footage of the event, there has been another battle today. That comment was by Ribbon, a Superhero from the Australian continent, and it tells the whole story."

Maria looked down, clearly upset by this turn of events.

"Five of our greatest Superheroes, the amazing Sir Aquifer from Great Britian, whose popularity and power in the Super world rivals only with Flashcharge's, the great duo from Africa, Windshade and Timestop, who have fought many times with Avalanche's under-villains, Duniya himself who is rumored to have been the reason Flashcharge still lives, and Ribbon have failed to secure Cairo, Egypt."

The cameras moved to Ribbon, the only one of the group willing to interview. She was reading a statement, representing her group, "Avalanche is merely a man and mortal, he is destructible, despite my friend's current lack of confidence, and will be destroyed. We will review our situation, what we have done well and what we have errored in, and we will succeed in the end not only to rid ourselves of Avalanche, but of others."

"Do you think that this Avalanche could be another Solarduct or Nova?"

Ribbon sighed, looking down, "Maybe they'll get jealous and take him on for us."

The room exploded in questions, and Ribbon got more and more flustered. In the end, she was crying miserably and some British soldiers were announcing that no more questions would be taken.

"There you have it," Maria spoke as the camera faded from the Super back to her, "One brave statement holding a brave stand, and one honest young Super giving her bleak view. Are the Supers really hoping for salvation from the other Villians? Although not much information has been given to the public over this latest incident, we can assume that Sir Aquifer is unable to come to the camera, as he usually will give a statement to reporters. Rumor has it that many of the Supers are in care in the hospital and that all may not have survived. Ribbon's emotional state may suggest that to be the truth. And all of the world sits and watches. What country may be next, and who will win?"

"And other politicians ask... How can we stop humans from ever becoming Evos? That is what many believe will prevent crisis like this from happening in the future..."

The report moved on from there to political debates.  

[S.H.R. Agency]

It'd taken a few weeks to plan the counteratack, but plan it they did. The Supers of the world couldn't allow Avalanche to have his so-called kingdom in Cairo. The Supers of the USA couldn't be involved in this counterattack, as a matter of fact, after Flashcharge's defeat the situation had suddenly become so dire that Errow from Spain had to be sent there to help, but five other Supers stepped up.

The great Super duo from Africa, English names Windshade and Timestop, had shown up, although the public was not informed of their whereabouts the day of the initial attack and capture of Cairo. Duniya was also back, having recovered from the surprisingly minor damage from earlier. Joining was Sir Aquifer of Great Britian, knighted by the Queen, and one of the original Super Heroes of the world. He was an extremely powerful water evo, said to be able to create water from none even. Finally, Ribbon from Australia had stepped up. Unlike the others, she was not the number one acclaimed hero of Australia, but her explosive or sticky ribbonlike streamers would make a good addition to the team. Strong defensive and offensive abilities and well-experienced, these five would gain above on man and his second. The language barrier was resolved through communicators, tapping into each other and human translators.

In their plan, Timestop was first in action, with his ability to either speed or slow himself and others up or actually slow or speed time (which it is is unknown) he set time slow as to get himself and his friends in position.

Despite political complaint and red tape (which was why no army came to help), Sir Aquifer stepped past international lines, creating a large, though well-targetted tidal wave to drop on top of Avalanche's castle. Of course, it came in his signature form of a shark.

Windshade created a gigantic sand (mud and water)storm around the premise to disorient and lower the visibility of Avalanche.

Ribbon stood by Duniya and Timestop, a protective wall of sticky ribbon around them, not distinguishable in moments by other sandy rocks. Duniya, lying on the ground, felt carefully for unusual rock movements. When Avalanche began to use his abilities, Duniya used his to try and counteract - or at least lessen - Avalanche's abilities.

When all was in place, Timestop released his hold. With extreme luck, a powerful tidal wave alone would end everything. More likely, Duniya's weakening of Avalanche's abilities combined with the windstorm would allow Windshade and Sir Aquifer to step up and defeat Avalanche with a small struggle. If it held out too long, Timestop would give the Supers the edge in speed. The strategy and suprise would start them right and should win the fight.

----

Avalanche was dining well when the rumble of earth warned him straight to his feet. Scorpion was there by him already, and so they were up on top of a gigantic rock snake already when the water shark hit. When water disappeared, Windshade found Avalanche alone standing among a pile of rocks, looking more annoyed than anything. His snake should not have dissolved!

"DUNIYA!" was the angry shout as a hand came to swipe Windshade. Instead of the expected impact, Windshade felt like her kid sister had dumped sand on her. She wiped it away with a slap of wind, then concentrated a powerful blast of sand, rock, mud, water, and whatever else the wind caught on top of Avalanche. It was shortly followed by another snap from a watershark.

When it cleared, there was no one. Avalanche had disappeared.  

[S.H.R. Agency]

Duniya's translator presently stated that he didn't feel the Villian, and stopped.

"So he's gone or dead?" Windshade demanded, unsure what that meant.

After a moment of silence, Timestop's shocked voice answered, "He passed out!"

"So much for sure and steady," Sir Aquifer muttered.

His sarcastic comment was met by a shriek from Ribbon. A ball of sand was tossed in the air, followed by a gigantic snake, in the mouth of which stood Avalanche.

A ribbon, laughably small, burst from that ball and exploded almost harmlessly against the serpent. A wall of water collided in the side, knocking the snake off course, before forming into an impressive dragon. Power against power collided again as Windshade caught the ball and landed it safely. Sir Aquifer had studied Avalanche's moves and knew the general weak areas of Avalanche's snake. He pounded against these spots, tumbling the snake down bit by bit, well-focused and never letting go to allow Avalanche to build up.

After several minutes though, Avalanche stopped front-ward attack. The snake's tail whirled around as the dragon broke on the snake's head, and the tail came close to hitting Sir Aquifer, forcing him to drop back and stalling the dragon long enough for the snake to build back better.

In this process, Duniya had woken and was back to trying to weaken the foe. Timestop had slowed time for the four, and now an army of explosive ribbons backed by another powerful gust of wind striked at the monster snake and blew Avalanche to the ground. Water toppled onto the fallen Villian.

Avalanche was down.  

[S.H.R. Agency]

Avalanche was down for about two seconds. With a deep rumble, the ground all around ripped up and in, curving downwards in a series of continuous avalanches. Combined movements from Windshade and Timestop brought the four Supers safe, but Sir Aquifer was lost inside the resulting rock pile.

Wide-eyed shock was the reaction for several moments from three of the Supers. Sir Aquifer was forever gone. Duniya was well-aware though, and it was his shout that snapped the others out of their shock. Windshade again flew upwards to grimly meet the major Villian of her continent.

Avalanche came out in an explosion of rocks, laughing manically. It made Windshade all the angrier, and she hurtled everything she could catch at him, including long, thick, and highly explosive ribbons. Boulders burst, and even the momentum of Avalanche's snake couldn't get to her, but Avalanche was not going down. Contrarily, he seeemed to enjoy the breeze.

"SOME HELP!?" Timestop, her loyal second, and Duniya, who she had guessed would be at his element at this point, seemed out of commission.

Timestop was, indeed, out of commision, "Sorry, love." Was his tired response, and in a moment, "Duniya's doing something."

"Well, it's obviously NOT working. How about flinging some boulders, Duniya!?"

"No." was Duniya's clipped answer. That was an English word he knew.

Windshade was shocked by that response by the Super who was usually a follower and companion helper, "What good have you been?" She growled.

The argument was the straw that broke the camel's back. A moment of shock and lost concentration, and she was hit in the hip by some rocks that had amazingly gotten through. Timestop's last move of the day was to be where he needed when she fell to the ground, along with Ribbon and a safe, sticky web. Avalanche came to gloat and give an ending strike to three of the world's greatest Supers.

"HAHAHA! There I go AGAIN. First Flashcharge now all of you." He shook his head amusedly before breaking out into full blown laughter. "I, Avalanche, do literally and fully RULE! Good-BYE and have a nice after-life." He roared with laughter again as he brought up his hand to finish off the remaining four superheroes.

They had thought the rumble behind Avalanche had been him pulling up another snake. Wrong. A powerful blast of water sent Avalanche and the rock hovering above the heroes flying sideways. Puffing, leaning on Duniya, who'd expertly move sand and stone away from Sir Aquifer and his bubble of water that had saved him.

At the same moment a large scorpion rose up from underneath all the rubble with on its back Avalanche's young apprentice looking down quite bored at them.

"Avalanche. Should I strike them down or will you?" Her eyes remained fixed on the party of Superheroes. Her voice only carried the slightest hint of question showing no further emotion. It sounded as dull as the look in her eyes. She sighed as she studied her nails for a moment before her eyes landed on Sir Acquifer's.

"We need to go while we can still stand." Sir Aquifer said, and used his emergency transporter.

Five Super Heroes, one weakened Villian. And the Villian won.

In the news, a sorrowful clip from Ribbon was floating around, "Avalanche is indestructable."

TO BE CONTINUED....