A Star is Born (part 2)
Filed under Fiction on February 5, 2007
Tagged: City of Heroes, Crey Industries, Jumpstar
Han sat in one of the leather chairs outside his father’s office. The light clicking of the secretary’s fingernails on her keyboard registered in the back of his mind as his eyes wandered blankly over the Korean artwork that hung on the walls. Han’s legs bounced with a mixture of excitement and impatience.
“How much longer will he be?”
“I’m not sure, sir. The representatives from Crey Industries did not have an appointment.”
Han frowned. Crey Industries had initiated a hostile takeover as soon as his father had submitted a patent application for a new bionic prosthetic ealier this year. Having them show up unannounced could not mean anything good.
Angry voices filtered through the office door, followed by a crash. Han lept to his feet. “Call for help,” he told the secretary then burst into the room.
Two men in armored body suits loomed over Han’s father as he braced himself in his high-backed chair, his eyes wide with fear. His solid oak executive desk had been flung aside and was now leaning against the far wall. Han swallowed.
“You-you should leave now. The police are on their way,” he told the men.
“Run along, boy. We’re in the middle of a business meeting,” one of the men sneered. The other reached for Han’s father.
“Get your hands off him.” Han charged the man, jumped and landed a kick to his chest. The man staggered back a few steps.
“Han, get out of here. These men will hurt you.”
“I’m not leaving you, father.” Adrenaline surged through Han. The fight with the Hellion played in the back of his mind, but he ignored it. All he had to do was hold them off until help arrived.
“You should listen to your dad.” The other armored man advanced toward them. Han snapped a kick at his chin, but the man caught him by the ankle and delivered a punch to Han’s inner thigh with his other hand. Han heard a crack then pain lanced up and down his right leg. The man had broke his femur with one blow.
The man still held his ankle and began to squeeze. Waves of pain turned Han’s muscles to jelly as more bones popped. He cried out and his other leg lost all its strength. The man laughed and flung him across the room. Han slammed into the far wall and slid to the floor with a groan. His vision swam with black dots.
A loud creak caught his attention and he turned his head to see the man he had kicked pick up his father’s desk.
“Maybe this will teach you to respect your elders.” The man hurled the desk at Han. Han tried to roll out of the way, but his body protested the quick movement. He threw himself to the side, flopping on to his belly and dragging himself by fistfuls of carpet. The desk smashed into the wall, one end breaking through. The other end swung down onto Han’s left leg, crushing it. He screamed and lost consciousness.
