Heroes of Angel City - Black Three

On a world far from Earth, a building stood in the middle of a bustling city. The building stood out from the surrounding city, its alien influences and bright colours contrasting with the uniformity of the very, very old city which surrounded it. The inhabitants of the city, both the slender, dark bipeds native to this world, and the aliens who have come from all corners of the galaxy for reasons as varied as their forms, prefer it this way. They need only look up and be reminded that the Colour Guard stood watch over them, as they do much of the galaxy.

Within that building was a large room, lined with a bank of computers, operated by almost a dozen individuals of as many different species, with as many forms – one each in uniforms black, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, white, and stripes of all the others. One of the computers chimed, and its operator, a spheroid being dressed in stripes, spun, part of its substance expanding into a tendril, followed by another, forming into an eye.

The spheroid vibrated. ‘Unauthorized access of wormhole network in Red sector. Tracking culprit.’ The tendril played over the controls of the computer. ‘Destination: Black sector.’

The black-clad computer operator grunted, and raised one of two ursine heads, turning to look toward the network display with deep black eyes. ‘Black Beta acknowledges, and queries target’s method of access.’

The red operator, a squat humanoid with deep grey skin set off against red hair and eyes, tapped her computer. ‘Not clear, Black Beta. No hack, but no authorization.’

The insectoid in green climbed up and leaned across the back of his chair, clicking coming from inside his thorax. A whistle came from the glow around his upper wrist. ‘Lord [Imago].’ The device translated. More clicking. ‘It would not be the first time he had done it. And he was last seen in Red.’ He brushed a hand over an antenna. ‘My homeworld is in Black sector since the last reassignment.’

‘Calm yourself, Green Beta.’ Red Beta shook her head, then looked toward Black Beta. ‘Can you help Green stop his palps chattering?’ She grinned a bit as Green Beta’s chittered response was pointedly left untranslated.

Black Beta simply grunted and played its paws over its computer. ‘Black Beta acknowledges. Black Beta has determined the target’s destination to be the planet designated “Earth”. Black Beta will contact Black Three. She has made that world her home.’

***

A young woman sat at a table in Kirby Park, halfway through an ice cream sundae and occasionally looking toward the vendor she bought it from, considering buying another. Short and plump with a slightly upturned nose, she was passingly pretty, but likely wouldn’t have turned heads like she did, were she not dressed as she was. A floppy, bright pink hat was pulled over shaggily cut shoulder-length hair, a shade of red more commonly seen on cherry-flavoured candy. A sky-blue high-collared top was topped with a broad purple scarf (currently sporting several bright red spots where her sundae’s strawberry sauce had dripped) and matching man’s waistcoat, all set above a lime green skirt, rainbow-coloured tights, and sneakers in the same pink as her hat. Her makeup was, relatively speaking, reserved – if the foundation was a touch thick – some tasteful eyeshadow and pink lipstick.

She started, her spoon sticking out of her mouth as her phone rang. She finished her mouthful of ice cream as she fished the phone from her pocket and frowned at it. She accepted the call and spoke quietly. ‘Black Three reporting.’

‘Black Beta calling Black Three.’

Black Three shook her head, and moved to a more normal conversational tone. ‘Yes, that’s been established. How can I help you?’

There was a brief pause, then Black Beta continued. ‘Black Beta apologizes for redundancy, and gives you information on a threat entering your area.

‘Ok, go on...’ Black Three sighed and began quickly finishing her sundae, hoping that the eating sounds couldn’t be heard on the other end.

If they could, Black Beta ignored them as it continued. ‘Black Beta continues. One entity, suspected to be the former [Coleopteran] tyrant Lord [Imago], has achieved unauthorized access to the Colour Guard wormhole network, and is moving toward Black Sector, apparently specifically for your current location.’

‘Right.’ Black Three tapped her spoon on the edge of the now-empty ice cream bowl, frowning a little as the dull thumping of plastic on Styrofoam was hardly as satisfying as metal on glass when she was thinking. ‘When can I expect him to arrive?’

‘Black Beta expects fifteen standard temporal units.’

About half an hour, local. At least she’d have time to dress and intercept him. ‘Thanks. I’ll get right on it. ‘Bye.’

Another brief pause as Black Beta processed the casual sign-off. ‘Black Beta understands. Black Beta signs off.’

Black Three turned off her phone and started home.

***

Black Three entered her apartment, and shut the door quickly but carefully, and kicking her shoes carelessly into a corner. She reached up and pulled off her hat, wiggling her feline ears once they were revealed. Unbuttoning her collar and cuffs she hurried into the bathroom and closed her eyes as she stood before the mirror and tapped a button hidden under the vanity. Her makeup lifted off her face and faded away as a light scanned over it, revealing the light gold sparkle of her skin, and the darkened skin of the underside of her nose.

She quickly stripped off her clothes, dropping them on her bed, and walking to her dresser, which slid aside at the wave of a hand, revealing her uniform. She pulled on the undershirt – shiny black, with a high collar and long sleeves – then the pants and jacket – matte black with a sharp, military cut – then finally the boots, belt and baldric – shiny black, again. She picked up her sidearm – a pistol made of a shiny black ceramic of no earthly manufacture – and fastened it to the baldric, before clicking the cuff of her jacket shut, a blue aura forming around her wrist. A voice chimed from the aura. ‘Black Three, activating.’ Blue light flared from her hair, ears, and eyes, then faded, all having been coloured black.

She picked a comb off her dresser and forced her hair into a more professional style, much against its will, then brushed a finger against the aura. ‘Exit?’

After a brief pause, the voice chimed again. ‘Clear.’

Black Three nodded, then headed out the window, disks of blue light spreading from the soles of her boots, raising her into the sky.