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Adventures Of Oakheart, Issue #003

June 22, 2013 in Adventures Of Oakheart Tags:

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Issue #003 – – – – – controlled by Wayne Gildroy – – – – – Credits 92

As he approached the underpass, Oakheart considered two possibilities.  First, that this was exactly what it seemed – a woman who had (foolishly) ventured into the park and been waylaid by a group of the sort of thugs that seem to like dark, quiet places so much.  But then there was the second possibility.  A lure or a trap of some kind?  Oakheart decided to move cautiously – after all he was still quite unsure what had happened to him.

Instead of marching up the path, Oakheart moved through the foliage, which parted easily for him.  Generally, Oakheart’s size and weight made him noisy, but moving through park areas he was very quiet indeed.  It was his domain, of sorts.  When he was close enough to peer into the entrance he froze still and looked, for all intents and purposes, like just another tree.  Unless you looked closely enough to see he was no longer rooted in the ground.

Beneath the bridge he could see five gangers; four men and a woman.  They were dressed in the “uniform” of their kind: denim, leathers, tattoos, so stereotypical that Oakheart nearly laughed.  Did they outfit themselves from some special mall for the criminally-minded?  Gangs-R-Us?  Their victim, laying prostrate on the floor, was an attractive middle-aged woman.  Her smart business jacket and blouse were muddy and torn.  Her dark grey skirt ridden halfway up her thigh, apparently as a result of her trying to scramble away from her tormentors.

There were several things wrong with this scene.  First, while Oakheart did not claim to be an expert in the behaviour of women, or indeed of normals, he was surprised that she wasn’t trying to pull her skirt back down.  In his experience, women who feel vulnerable take quick action to restore modesty.  Of course, she may just be too terrified to have considered it.  But then – he thought it odd that she was so muddy, given that the path she had fallen on was tarmac.  Certainly he’d had expected scuffing and dirt, but mud?  Also, for a gang that had been threatening violence, or rape, or both – they didn’t seem to be rushing to actually do her any harm.  Perhaps they just enjoyed toying with their prey, but Oakheart still thought the situation suspicious.  It just seemed so contrived.  From the flash of bare skin to the helpless wails that the gang were making no attempt to silence.

“Leave the girl alone,” said a voice from somewhere.  Oakheart peered around, he couldn’t see anybody at all.  The Gangers reacted by rising to their feet.
“Who said that?” said the guy with the buzz-cut.
“It doesn’t matter who said it,” came the voice again, “Get out of here or you’ll wish you had.”   Though the voice was gravelly, Oakheart thought that this was affected.  There were moments when the gravel disappeared and the voice was reedy for a second.  Somebody was doing their best to sound like the voice-over from an action movie advert but their acting skills weren’t well-honed.  “I don’t think so,” screeched the girl ganger, “You gonna make us?” Again, Oakheart was struck by the idea that this voice was not her real voice, but a pretence.  Though she was better at it than the unknown hero.

Just then a colourful character appeared.  Dressed in a light green bodysuit adorned by a logo on the chest of a shield with a leaf in its center, the (very) young man was standing in the middle of the path with his back to Oakheart’s location.  He wore a black full-face mask and a short black cape.  In his hands he carried a pair of tonfu; the short wooden t-shaped batons that cops called ‘nightsticks’.  Hmmm, Oakheart thought.  He has either teleported in, or he was invisible, or he is very good at hiding and moving stealthily.  He looked very young though. Perhaps only fourteen or fifteen, by the slight build and diminutive form.  “Step away from the lady,” the young man declared again, forgetting his deep voice on the first two words so that the effect was almost comical as he went from high to low mid-sentence.  The gangers laughed. “Or you’ll what?” said one, pulling a snub-nosed pistol from his belt and aiming it at the hero. “Or I’ll make you,” said the young man.  Though he didn’t sound quite so sure.

The fallen woman leapt to her feet and brought her own pistol out.  The other gang members also drew firearms, except for Buzzcut who pulled a long metal tube that flashed silver in the halflight.  Oakheart didn’t have time to wonder what that was. He had to decide whether to intervene or not.

The “victim” spoke now: “Park Defender, you are under arrest for the crimes of conducting vigilante behaviour and of the unlicensed use of abnormal powers.  I suggest you surrender and come voluntarily with us or we will have no choice but to use force to apprehend you.”
“You were too easy man,” Buzzcut laughed, “Falling for a sting like this. Hardly seems worth hiring us.  Could have used the Bullies to take you down.”
“Shut up, Mark,” the woman told him.
“I’m not the Park Defender,” the young man said, all attempts at a low voice gone as he looked visibly shaken.  “I’m going to a fancy dress party?” he tried.
“Oh come on,” the woman sighed.  “You were invisible when you got here.  Did you buy that trick from the costume shop too?”

Park Defender looked like he was thinking about running.  He glanced around and Oakheart could see his muscles tensing.  “Don’t do it,” the woman said, mildly.  “Even if you turn invisible again, we will all spray the area with bullets. Chances are, you’ll be dead.  Is that really how you want to end your night?”
“But I haven’t done anything wrong,” Park Defender quailed.  “I’m just trying to help.”
“What you’re doing is illegal, young man,” the woman pointed out.  “And you’re going to jail.  Or The Institute.  Depending on how interesting the boffins think your brain is.”  The gangers, who apparently were not gangers at all, laughed at that.  Oakheart didn’t think it sounded funny at all.


3 Responses to “Adventures Of Oakheart, Issue #003”

  1. False Bill Says:

    Wonder if it’s a new naive sidekick for Oakheart, or in fact a fake trap to lure in Oakheart?

    Could get very messy. Good luck

  2. Fraser Machin Says:

    I am sure that Oakheart can handle these bullies and hired hands

  3. Cary Ruiz Says:

    Excellent blog you’ve got here.. It’s difficult to find high quality writing like yours nowadays.

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