Chapter 18 - The storm

I awoke suddenly and abruptly, my hands were shaking and forehead sweating. Great, the nightmares are back. Thunder then rumbled in the distance, of course a storm was rolling in. I eased my breathing and tried to calm down. I stared out the window watching the rain start lightly but then begin to pour down hard, hitting the ground like rocks in an avalanche. I looked at the time to see it was only three o'clock in the morning. Maddy waddled slowly out of the bedroom, leaping when the thunder struck, she's afraid of thunder.? It's been a few weeks and I've recovered quite a bit, I still have some remaining pain and a few healing wounds but nothing too serious anymore. I'm able to move myself around without hobbling or using walls and objects to support myself. Maddy sat next to me, she had basically cocooned herself in a blanket, it was kinda cute, I put my arm around her as more thunder boomed, I felt her jolt then huddle up next to me. I didn't expect this from her, she never struck me as someone afraid of thunder of all things. I smiled as I slowly drifted back to sleep. I was woken up again by a loud kaboom and nails digging into my arm. The storms still going? I check the time to find that it's seven O'clock. Four hours? We haven't had a storm that long in 3 years, strange. There was no weather warning either. An email notification popped up on my phone, 'school cancelled due to severe flooding and dangerous weather', what in the world? I turn the tv on to watch the news.

Meteorologists are baffled by the sudden appearance of a massive storm swallowing the entire city, there were no signs of warnings, all citizens are advised to stay indoors and prepare for flooding, the storm shows no signs of ending soon, all are advised to stay-"

The power went out. This seems more and more off by the moment, I need to look into it somehow. Maddy's mother walked in stretching her arms.

"Hey kids? What happened to the power?"

"The storms damaged the powerlines."

"Storm? what's sto-"

Thunder crackled, shaking the house and everyone in it.

"Oh my, where did this come from?"

"No one knows, it's been going since three this morning."

"What? Really?"

"Yeah. I'm gonna try look into it, luckily the phone towers are still operating, I can use data."

"Alright."

I started searching online whilst barricading the door to keep the water out. The rain smashed down on the roof like an drum. Nothing, not one thing online that could point me in the right direction, this had never occurred before.

"I'm gonna have to go look outside, don't worry I have a protective outfit for this sort of thing."

Sleepily Maddy replied; "I- Wha?"

"I need to investigate the storm from outside."

"Klyde... it's too dangerous."

"I'll be okay, I promise, I know what I'm doing."

I quickly changed and climbed out the window to avoid letting water in. It was already at least four inches deep, engulfing my feet the moment I dropped into it, and we weren't even that low, I could barely see but it was apparent that some houses a little down the hill were almost completely swallowed. I step carefully as I march for a high spot hoping to find something. The rain baring down like bullets. The rain was falling in a southeast direction from northwest, a clue. I begin marching in that direction.

"I'm going to maintain radio contact to let you guys know I'm ok, I'm heading northwest."

"Ok, stay safe Klyde, don't be to long."

fifteen minutes pass and it feels as though the weather is ever so slightly worsening the further I go, I was now past knee deep in floodwater, meaning the water was almost a whole foot deep. I enter a more metropolitan area as the water reaches my waist, I'm going to have to try get higher to travel if it gets much worse. The wind was now picking up and boy was it powerful, I watch as it along with the water spun a car upside down.

"The weather gets worse the further into the city I get, hope no idiot is trying to get a helicopter through this, it'd basically be suicide."

"Klyde I think you should turn back, I don't like how dangerous it sounds..."

"I need to find out what's happening Maddy, I'll be careful I promise."

"If you die I'm gonna kill you Klyde."

There was a moment of silence then we both start laugh. I switch to heat vision to try get a better view, bingo. The eye of the storm was right there. Is that building, producing it? What the hell? The base of the building looks as if it was designed for this exact occasion. The water around it is somewhat violent, enough to keep me from entering that way, I approach a fire escape ladder and climb to the top of the building closest to the building that's seemingly producing this nightmare of a storm. This is gonna hurt, I leap from the building and plummet into one of the windows of the building, smashing through it and rolling across the floor. I stand to find myself being glared at by at least ten people, well now I'm in trouble. I bolt for the door to the stairwell and charge down the stairs, it stopped where the water was flooded, even the stairwell is waterproofed? I go up one and exit the stairwell, then quickly enter the elevator and close the doors, I plug into a slot in the elevator and hack into the system, allowing myself to access their 'secret' underground floor. Not that secret if there's a covered button for it. The doors open and sure enough, a giant machine was pumping away, a large label saying 'warning: Storm producer, use with caution.' Only one person was watching over it, when he realised I was there he pulled a gun out of his jacket and began firing.

"STAY AWAY FROM MY MACHINE!"

Well this guy's nuts. I somehow avoid the bullets and kick the gun out of his hand.

"You'll never turn it off," he spare while laughing "It requires ID and proof."

He can't see but I'm smirking under my mask. I grab his hand and shove it against the scanner, it dings and an option menu appears on the screen, I use his finger to tap 'open emergency shutoff switch' then knock him unconscious. The machine grumbled and croaked as I pulled the lever down, red lights flashed and steam was being released from multiple spots. I figured the building would be on lockdown now so no elevator, I pop the top hatch climb up to the next floor, climbing out and racing up the stairs with haste each floor I pass people piling in with guns and charged up after me. I get to the top but don't slow down, I charge at the edge of the building, leaping off it like a pool dive. I push my hands against my lower back then spread my arms wide, glider wings stuck to my arms and I glide safely to the ground before charging through the flood water to return home.

"I confirm it was being produced by a building, I've shut it off and I'm on my way home, the storms settling quickly."

"How did you-"

"I kinda broke into and out of the building to shut off a giant machine in their basement."

"WHAT?! Do you have a death wish?? There were people with guns weren't there? You could've died!"

"Woah woah calm down, I knew what I was doing, I didn't even get hit, the only one that actually fired was a psychotic scientist in the basement."

"You still could've died!"

"This isn't that different from my usual missions, why's it bothering you all of a sudden?"

"I- Just get home before they catch up to you please..."

That was, weird, to say the least. Is she being overprotective because I got hurt before? Crap I haven't considered how she was feeling at all have I. Finally made it home and Maddy was waiting at the door for me, she looked upset. I step right up to her and look her in the eyes, then I give her a hug, sweeping her off her feet. When I put her back down she was shocked, then turned bright red like a firetruck, covered her face and ran off.