Chapter 4

Chapter IV (March 28-31, 1984)

Bolt, Red Squirrel, Force and SHield followed Disintergrator as he led them up darkened alleys. Disintegrator suddenly stopped. "Get into the shadows!" They all squeezed themselves into crevices betwenn buildins and behind debris. Ten feet ahead of them, there was an intersections of alleys. A garrison of green unifromed soldiers marched through.

After they passed, Bolt walked out and said, "Should we-"

"Shhh!" Disintergrator whispered as loud as he could. "Get back!" Bolt quickly resumed his previous positions. The alleyw as totally silent. Disintegrator waited five minutes before he walked out and called the others out. "First rule of survival here: Always wait a good amount of time after a patrol leaves before you show yourself."

"I'll remember." Bolt said. Disintergrator nodded and led the other four through the alleyways. he was two blocks from Central Park. The park burnt, scorched and brown. In the cneter of the park was a large building, fifty stories high.

"What is that?" Force asked.

"That is our destination, The North AMerican Governor's Building." Patrols and garrisons coudl be seen leaving Central Park. A fifteen foor high metal fence surrounded this section of the park.

"HOw are we gonna get past the fence, the guards and into the building?" Bolt asked.

"Simple." Disintergrator said. He waved the others back into the shadows and whispered his paln to them. "Everyone know what to do?" he asked. They nodded. "Good, get ready." They stood by and waited. They didn't have to wait long. A patrol of eight soldiers approached the area they were in. When Disintegrator gave the word, they ambushed the soldiers.

Shield flung his shield at the first two. It smashed into thier faces and then, boomerang like, arced back to him. Force created too round cyclinder forcefields and rammed them intot he sides of the last two soldiers heads. The soldiers' heads collided with each other. Both of them fell to the ground. Bolt ran intot he center of the remaining four and alomst simultaniously knocked them all unconscious. The whole attack took four seconds.

"Very impressive," Disintegrator said. "Now, quick, let's go." They drug the soldiers intot he dark alleyways. Shield put his shield over his shoulders. ALl of them, save Disintegrator, removed thier masks and put on the green uniforms. Disintergrator took a pair of hexigonal cuffs off one of the uniforms and put them on. he then instructed Red Suirrel to put a metal neckband on his neck. "This is a dampener. It cancels our powers. the soldiers wouldn't let us get near the gates without one on. We justwon't turn it on." He checked them out, making sure they were clothed properly. "Okay, everybody, jsut stay calm and things will be fine."

Bolt and Red Squirrel walked in front of Disintegrator. Force and Shield followed, weapons drawn and held at Disintegrator's head. They walked across what was fifth avenue and approached an guarded opening in th fence. As they walked past, one of the guards there spat at Disintegrator. "Traitorous freak."

Disintegrator stopped. Force saw raw anger building in him, so with the end of his weapon, he nudged Distinegrator on. After they were outof range of the guards, Disintegrator said, through clenched teeth, "Thanks. " but he was still angry. They passed garrisons of twelve men, patrols of eight, and smaller groups of guards. This part of Central Park was like a bee hive with uniformed men all around.

When they reached the building, one of the guards by the door stopped them. he quickly glanced at Disintergrator's cuffs and neckband. Another guard snapped, "Where you taking him?"

"To see Mr. Hapsbourg." Bolt said. The guards stopped what they were doing and looked at each other.

"High Marshall Hapsbourg wants to see this runt? Why?"

Bolt shrugged. "Perhaps he wants to interrogate him himself. We didn't ask. Perhaps you'd like to ask the High Marshall yourself?" The guard paled.

A third guard spoke. "Go ahead, I'll radio ahead and tell the High Marshall you're coming." Bolt nodded and led the group through the doorway. INside, the whole ground floor was one giant room. Guards stepped from multitudes of elevators, scurrying here and there, coming and going through various doors to the outside. Again, the beehive analogy came to mind.

"um..." Bolt, only loud enough for those in his group to hear. "WHich way to Hapsbourg's office?"

Trying to not be obvious about speaking, Disintergrator said, "Over there. The guarded elevator. The one with the swastika painted on it." Near the center of the room, an elevator stood with guards all around it. On the door was indeed a red swastika. They approached it.

When they reached it, a guard looked at them. "Ah, youv'e arrived. High Marshall Hapsbourg is waiting for you." Taking a card from his belt, the guard slipped in into a slot next to the elevator doors. They slid open, and the group walked in. Inside, there were simply two buttons, one with an arrow pointing up, the other with an arrow pointing down. Bolt pushed the button with the up arrow, and the doors slid shut and the elevator began to rise.

"I don't like this," Shield said. "This is coming off much too easily."

"Ah, don't worry, we're pulling the wool over thier eyes." Bolt said, although, in truth, he had some similar feelings. No one spoke for the rest of the trip. When the elevator slowed to a stop, an eerie feeling filled Bolt. Pictures of the doors opening and many weapons being fired in filled his mind. He preapred for an attack, but when the doors opened, none came. Beyond the doors was a wide, high hallway. Guards were stationed at even intervals along the walls. At the end of the hallway was a set of ten foot hig, wooden double doors.

The group left the elevator and walked past the guards, towards the doors, expecting an ambush or attack. Again, none came. When they reached the doors, Bolt and Force pushed them open. They were awestruck.

Beyond was a gigantic room, perhaps a fifty foot cube. The opposite wall was completely glass, looking out on the ruins of New York. The Empire State Building was only half as tall as it should have been. there was debris and large bomb craters all around. A really depressing sight. Four large columns held up the ceiling. They were each of solid silver. The floor and remaining walls were polished marble.

The room was otherwise empty, except for a large fifteen foot long, four foot high, four foot wide desk, and a large high backed chair behidn the desk. The chair was facing the window. From the other side of the chair, a voice spoke. "Enter. And close the doors." THe voice was strong, echoing around the room. It spoke English, but with a diserable German accent.

The group walked in, SHiled and Red Squirrel shut the doors behind them. They stood just inside the doors. The chair swiveled around. In it, sat Martun Hapsbourg. He looked relatively young, in his 30's maybe, to hold sucha high position. He had blond short hair and ice blue eyes. he looked more like a fashion model than a ruthless Nazi. He wore a black jumpsuit, with red boots, gloves and belt. The focal point was a large red swastika on his chest.

He rose from hsi seat and walked around the desk. His heels tapped on the floor, his hands clasped behidn his back. He stopped in the center of the desk and leaned against it. "Bring him to me."

Disintergrator was escorted towards the man. Bolt and Force stopped five feet from the German. They nudged Disintergrator forward. They could see the cuffs that held his hands behind his back were crumbling. Martun Hapsbourg straightened. "I told you I would get all of you. None can escape me." He put his hand on Disntergrator's shoulder and spoke harshly. "your cohorts will be captured, soon, and when all are prisoners, I'll take great pleasure in kill-"

Disintergrator swung his right hand from behind him, and grabbed Hapsbourg's forearm. "Oh, DO shut up!" He made a fist with his left hand.

Hapsbourg gasped. "You're FREE!"

"Nothing gets by you, does it?" Disintergrator said. He punched Hapsbourg's jaw. The blow sent his up onto the desk top. Papers flew everywhere as Hapsbourg rolled over the other edge.

Bolt took charge. "Force, cover the doors!" Force turned and threw a forcefield up over the doors. In spite of hte guards pushign from the other side, the forcefiled held. Sheld pulled off the top of the guard's uniform and grabbed his shield from his back. He held it in front of him. Red Squirrel ripped off his uniform and prepared for anything. Bolt remained still, but ready to move.

"What's wong, Hapsbourg?" Disintergrator taunted. "Can't take a punch from a midget? A traitorous freak?" SUddenly, the desk shot forward. Bolt sped out of the way and saw Hapsbourg had pushed it. The desk was incredibly heavy, and for him to have pushed it made Bolt realize this wasn't going to be as easy as he had thought. Red Squirrel jumped up and over the desk. Disintergrator, however was struck and slammed back and onto the floor. He skidded across the polished marble until he stopped, unconscious. The desk stopped moving before it endangered Force or Shield.

Hapsbourg stood. " I don't know who you people are, or where these rebels dug you up, but if you give yourselves up, I promise a lesser punishment than for the dwarf."

There was a few seconds of quiet in the room, save for the pounding on the outer doors. But then Bolt yelled, "I htink we'll take the option of NO punishment at all!" and he fired two lightning bolts from his hands. Red Squirrel jumped at the man. WHen the lightning bolts struck him, Bolt was surpirsed to see no damage to Hapsbourg. In fact it looked like the bolts might have been absorbed somehow, which caused Bolt to worry even more. Hapsbourg simply smirked. He pointed his hand at the oncominc Red Squirrel, and a lightning bolt shot out of it, striking him. Squirrel was knocked back onto the floor near Disintergrator, unconscious as well.

"He's got lightning powers too!" Shield shouted.

"Not usually." Hapsbourg smiled. He threw back his head and laughed. Shield hurled his shiled at him. Hapsbourg easily ducked beneath it, and it went sailing out throught he window-wall. "how foolish. You've lost your weapon AND broken my window. You'll pay for both." Hapsbourg took a step closer, but then there was another crash of glass behind him. He jerked around in time to see the shield returning. It smacked him sqaure in the face and ricocheted off to return towards its owner. The hit though barely fazed him. Hapsbourg turned back and ran towards, and then jumped up and over the desk. He didn't land. he was caught in one of Force's forcefields, and levitiated off the floor.

Bolt and Shiled both looked towards Force. His face was contorted in concentration. It was quite a strain to maintain both the forcefields. Hapsbourg saw this too, and put his hands together and with all his strength, swung them both against the forcefield. Force yelled and staggered back before falling to the floor. Hapsbourg dropped to the floor, but he was up and scrambling towards Force. He reached him and grabbed Force on either side of his head. And moments later, he dropped him to the floor. Hapsbourg straightened up and declared. "I absorb things. I absorbed your lightning and now I've absorbed this guy's power."

"we are definately in trouble." SHiled murmured.

"You are both definately dead." Hapsbourg said, smiling.

THen, suddenly, the doors burst open. Guards jumped in, weapons ready. Everyone in the room was surprised at thier entry. bolt, because of his heightened reflexes, recovered first. he ran, at full speed, grabbing Shield and then making a 180 degree turn and running for the window. By the time anyone else knew what was going on, the two Protectors had already smashed through the window and were falling.

"What are you DOING?" Shield yelled as the ground gflew up at them.

"I'm gonna try something, hold on. This'll be rough!" Bolt shouted. Shield locked his arms around Bolt's neck and right arm. he closed his eyes and mumbled, "a little rough he says."

Bolt began moving his legs up and down, as fast as he could. In doing so, he createdan updraft. it slowed their descent, but didn't stop it. They hit the ground, and hard, but they were uninjured. "I NEVER want to do that again!" Shield said. "Neverevereverevereverever again."

Botl saw the the guards in the Park coming their way. he reached over and grabbed Shield at the back of his costume. "Hang on." Shield couldn't even mutter a syllable before they were whizzing past guards. They were out of the park and heading south.

Hapsbourg stood in front of the browkn glass wall and watched the blur that was the two intruders. He turned to the line of guards that filled the room. "Take these three to the pits." Red Squirrel, Disintergrator and Force were dragged out, and Hapsbourg turned back and looked out at the ruins.