The Lucky Foot

Dragon Part One

Last summer.

In the scorching hot summer of August, there was a city called Shore City. It was nestled at the coast and east of Black Waters. The city was known to be a superhero hotspot as went many generation of superheroes. The newest generation was The Bone, a bit of a hot headed heroine, but also benevolent. The Bone wore body armor with gold plating. Her matching pants and sleeves contained the very essence of her character, a bone printed in fluorescent green. Her power was to summon the dead, mostly skeletal remains like dinosaurs. Her powers were both impressive and envious. She was indeed a powerhouse. Many villains have sought to steal or blackmail her into doing crime, but none have availed. The Bone thwarted them every time except for the summer of August. This was the one summer where all known super villains and nemesis’s of The Bone were in jail. And The Bone was celebrating with an ice cold beverage atop a roof.

“You don’t have the luxury to waste time, evil is coming” a shadow from behind her came into the light of the full moon. Snowy white hair and an all-black suit man stands before the celebrating hero. She turns her attention to him.

“Oh, it’s you again. Look the villains are in jail and I haven’t seen any sign of your high super villain if he ever existed” she bends her arms behind her head relaxing on the cold roof top. “If he does exist why hasn’t he tried fighting me yet? Does he think he can the best of me by trying my patience” her anger was started to come out.

“He’s not a villain, you would normally fight. Dragon doesn’t want material things, he wants you and the pride of the city” he sat down and looked up at the moon.

“He wants me, but doesn’t want fight?”

“More of a fixation on super heroines, heroes who have developed a powerful relationship with their city. And he wants to take it all away from you”.

“Thanks for the warning, but I don’t need it. What this guy wants or thinks he can do will stopped by me. There is nothing I won’t do for the people of this city” The Bone stands points toward the streets and buildings. “This is my home and I will not give it up so, easily. Understand”?

“Yes, and good look” the ghostly man disintegrates into pieces scattering in the wind. The Bone watches before sitting down again.

“As I can’t handle a single man, I’m The Bone! I have armies at my disposal”.

In present Black Waters, Lucy sits in the park licking ice cream. She watches as children play on the swing sets and play set. The children scream and shout as they play man on wood chips. Clarice steps behind the park bench Lucy is occupying and drops a couple of marbles on her lap.

“Clarice what is this?” dumbfounded as her new friend sits next to her.

“Something new Kyle and I have been working on. They secrete a special chemical which latches on to the target and allows for a unique way for me to track criminals”.

“They better not be open” panic in her voice.

“Not to worry these aren’t the functional prototype, just something to show for now” Clarice attempts to get closer, stretching out her tongue a tries to steal a lick. Lucy raises the ice cream cone away from the thief. Clarice snatches the marbles away. She fits them back in her pocket.

“Clarice, you’ve changed. I mean you have more… um seem to be upbeat and not at all like the ‘you’ on the last day of school”.

“Hmm… Yay but, my alternate persona kind of took up that side of me. Now I feel more alive than before. I can be less serious here, so I will be more serious on the job”

“I guess it makes sense but, it feels like you’re lying to yourself” Clarice glares at Lucy. The intensity brings back the original Clarice for a blink.

“You asked him didn’t you”?

“I-I… Yes” Clarice giggled returning to the new chipper self.

“So, what did he say?”

“He’s training for soccer camp. He said he doesn’t have time for a relationship” Clarice places a comforting hand on her friend’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry”.

“Don’t be. I ‘m the one who got my hopes up only to lose them all with a single question”.

“Well, patrol starts at 8 o’clock so, stay sharp and meet at the usual” Clarice gets and leaves the park. Lucy continues her ice cream until it’s nothing more than a napkin warped around the now digested cone. She burbs. Slumping after her snack, she walks over to park’s trash can throws away the paper.

“Patrol at 8 huh? Sniffer you’re always so, serious” Lucy left the park as the children stare at the lonesome girl.

The sky is filled with clouds hiding the stars. The moon is the only brightest light in the sky, although covered by cloud. The moon rays shine down on the roof tops where the heroines The Lucky Foot and Gloom Doom stand by. They wait for the next police call.

“Communications, anything yet?” The Lucky Foot speaking into the ear piece.

“There’s a cat stuck in a tree on Madison, a sad little girl would be happy if you recovered it. Communication out” though electronically distorted the voice is indeed Kyle’s, aka Lucy’s foster brother. Back at their house in the basement, Kyle sat in a chair staring at three monitors. Each screen had something different on it: where one is a camera recording everything Lucky Foot sees while the middle is a map pinging different areas considered to be hot spots for crime. One ping is at the park in Madison, above it is labeled ‘cat in tree’. The last monitor is everything Gloom Doom sees. He goes by the name Communications while they’re on the job. The two heroes rush into action.

The Lucky Foot and Gloom Doom reach Midwest Park in downtown. Gloom leads the way with her super hearing. The park lights are off and it is dark in the park. Nocturnal animals race around the trees and empty trash cans. Glooms finds the noise they’re following is getting louder, her ears twitch in the direction tracing the source. They come upon a tree in the center of the park. Suddenly Gloom stops Lucky Foot. “Wait something doesn’t smell right, Lucky Foot”. A figure comes out from behind the tree. It seems to be carrying something in its mouth. The silhouette figure is short like a child. “Are you the girl?” the figure drops the thing in its mouth. The shadow stops. At this moment the lights flick on and the figure is revealed to be indeed a young girl. Though shock spreads across Lucky Foot’s face and Gloom’s if you could see it behind the mask. The thing at the girl’s feet is a raccoon. She smiles at them.

“You’re late. I had to save my little kitty without you”.

“Hey sniffer, what is she?” Lucky Foot notices Gloom is shaking. Lucky Foot steps forward. “So, do you like your meat raw then? Me I like a good carrot”.

“Lucky Foot, Gloom Doom. These are the names the criminals of Black Water know you by. But, I know your real names and where to find you” the girl’s voice became deeper and more demonic. “You have no idea what’s coming do you?”

“Well I might if you told me, kid”. The girl’s smile fell off along with her face as the entire girl turned into a fleshy ooze. It reconstructed itself into a new form, a teen boy about the age of Lucky Foot. Strapped in a black tight suit covering the entire body except for the head. His head is slightly more vulpine like, a fox.

“I am Faux Fox. And like you a victim of the experiment. We are the same”.

“Nah, I don’t turn into jelly when I change clothes” Lucky Foot got a giggle out of Gloom Doom who was petrified. A big chuckle came from the ear piece.

“We will crush you!”

“We?” as soon as the word left her lips, five raptor like creatures sprang on them from the bushes. Faux Fox charged at Lucky Foot tackling her. Grabbing both of his hands, Faux Fox tries to sink his fangs into her. Gloom fights the raptors. The raptors circle around Gloom. Hissing and screeching at Gloom, she raises her fists keeping her eyes on each of them and her ears on all. Faux Fox launches his jaws at Lucky Foot’s neck as she fights with his arms. She dodges many of his attempts to kill her. “Communication, need advice fighting on my back”!

“Try using his weight against himself. Communications out”. Taking in a deep breath she throws him off balance by locking her legs around him and rolling to her advantage. Now on top Lucky Foot throws his arms on the ground. Staring deeply into his eyes, until a question popped into her head. She couldn’t see him with red vision on. Back under the tree she couldn’t decipher the figure- no body heat.

“Why can’t my heat sensors pick up on your body signature?” a creepy smirk spread across his lips.

“My suite counters it and… changes shape with me”.

“You’re no fox more like a snake. Bless be Lady Luck” she head-butts him. Lucky Foot rolls off him covering her head as he lies next to her heavily breathing.

The raptors surround Gloom. Suddenly one of them attacks. Springing into a jump, the raptor extends its talons out ready to carve into Gloom. Gloom Doom manages to duck in time and barrel rolls under him. The gliding raptor ends of knocking into the other two, which leaves two more. Gloom takes out the marbles from under the cloak. She extends them in between her fingers. “Stink bombs” she throws them like ninja stars, hitting the raptors. A green smoke spews from the orbs. The raptors cough before keeling over. Gloom turns her attention to Lucky Foot. She runs over to her side.

“Are you alright”? The question seemed to echo to Lucky Foot.

“I will be. Tie up the baddie” Gloom looks over to an empty space.

“Lucky Foot, he’s gone” Lucky Foot sits up to see both he and the raptors are nowhere to be seen.

“So, he got away. Darn” Lucky falls back down lying on the cool grass.

“Looks like we have a new super villain” Gloom Doom lies next to her. “Why did you choose Lucky Foot”?

“Why, because of my foot necklace” exhibiting the foot from around her neck to Gloom Doom. The curious girl grasps it in her hand.

“Is it real”? The Lucky Foot simply nodded as the girls gleefully stare at the foot.

“Foot was a part of me. When my Dad saved me from the great sleep, I hadn’t realized what had occurred. So, as he helped me out of the pod I tried hopping only to collapse midway through. My foot hadn’t changed with the rest of my body, it was still a rabbit while the rest of me… was something else”. Gloom Doom held the foot in her palm.

“What I said to you at school, I never apologized for. You’re just so lucky sometimes and I get so jealous. Why are we meant to be miserable creatures”?

“Told ya. Gloom fits you perfectly. Let’s go home” The Lucky Foot jumped to her feet. She extended a hand to Gloom Doom who appreciatively accepted. They made their way out of the park and into the night.

Standing atop a roof Lucy watches the night life traffic by. The white hair lad shifting behind her approaches. The Lucky Foot suit laying on the ground next to her feet. Lucy turns around and grabs him by the shoulder. “We are friends right? Bless be Lady Luck. Marco you don’t have to stalk me”.

“Our mutual avatar sent me. Dragon is coming. His embassy has already been built and now is seeking an army”.

“The lady told me, Marco, in my dream yesterday. I know who you are and why you’re doing this”. Lucy gathered her things. She strolls past Marco, “My backpacks over here” mentioning the only reason to get a good look at his face. Pale and smooth skin the face of youth yet he seemed older than Lucy. Much older than his appearance would lead one to believe.

“Sweet dreams Lucky Foot, may Lady Luck show you the way to defeating Dragon” he turned toward the shadows. “Oh and one more thing congratulations on the boyfriend, he’ll be a keeper” Marco smirk while slipping into the shadows. Lucy stuffed her uniform in the backpack before gathering one last look at Marco. She stuck her tongue out at him.

“Gloom, our job just got harder” she muttered to herself. Lucy took the metallic foot off and replaced it with her normal prosthetic one. The metal one she threw into the pack. Lucy glimpsed at the city then to the stars. “Bless be Lady Luck” closing her eyes.

In the blackness a voice spoke “Lucy, we need to talk about the future and what it holds”. Lucy suddenly appeared in the emptiness of space. Stars sprang up and brightened the darkness away. Lucy walked through the stars ever slightly touching them, but keeping a polite distance away as they would certainly melt her hand. “Through the door now, Lucy” the voice beckoned her to come to a strange wood door with carvings of snowflakes and a bronze torch handle. Lucy gasped the handle and opened the world into a snowy night. Only in her pajamas, Lucy did not shiver. Perhaps it is not cold or the concept of freezing temperatures simply could correlate to the weather. A table with a young lady like woman sat staring at Lucy, as she approaches. The lady’s skin is absent of color as well as her hair and dress. “Sit with me” the lady pointed to a chair opposite of hers at the table.

“Where are we at” the curious Lucy asks. The lady continues to point. Lucy takes the seat. “Why am I here, now”?

“I can only talk to you in your dreams” she placed her hands on the table as if inviting Lucy to do the same. “As Lady Luck, I can bestow upon my avatar the powers of luck, a way to defeat Fate, the destiny of all. However, my past avatar is getting older and cannot perform the same rigorous tasks. There’s a war going on. Through space and time. Each battle has been won and lost many times, there is no deciding factor”.

“Dragon, you’ve told me about him, but not where or even when to find him and bring him to justice. If he has the power to destroy cities and their super heroes then, I’m going to need more than what I have now”.

“And I agree, you will have the power of luck, but as my avatar. Lucky Foot, Lucy welcome to my clan and the beginning of the lucky seven” Lady Luck took Lucy’s hand. “Lucy, the luck you are going to receive will be different from the luck you have already obtained. It will go far beyond acceptance, you will know things and may act differently because this. But always remember nothing is more important than saving the innocent. Please remain true to the cause” Lady Luck released Lucy’s hand and faded from the table. Lucy looked around found she is back in her own room sitting on the bed.

“Tomorrow things will be different” she clenched her hand. “The Faux Fox, has just met his match” she smiled down at her fist.