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The Life of Valor (Grave x Kat)

Scott went inside and met with Lee. The two shared a couple jokes before getting down to business.
"Lee, is there any way that you can tell me who made this or where it came from?"
Lee examined the piece for a moment and looked up at Scott.
"These are some sophisticated electronics, real top-of-the-line stuff. I'll need some time to examine it before I can give you a positive answer."

"How long?"
"Come back this evening and I'll have an answer for you."
Scott nodded and left the store with Jessica.
"Well, while we wait, I say we head back to the office and take a look at some other cases."
Scott got into the car and waited for Jessica to join him. He then began heading back to the office, happy that Jessica could be there with him.
 
Once they were back at the office building, Scott parked his car and walked into the building with Jessica. They took the elevator up and Scott took a seat behind his desk.
"You can take that desk over there for your own. I just used it when I needed the Internet to verify something, but it's yours now."
He pulled out one of his case files and looked over it.
"We're going to be on a stakeout, so can you grab some bottled water out of the cooler in the storage room?"
 
Jessica followed him and nodded as she set her stuff at the desk before looking up at him and nodding. "Sure thing." She said, heading to the storage room to do just that.
 
Scott nodded.
"Thanks, babe."
When she came back, he walked with her over to the elevator and then got into the vehicle.
"Okay, here's the case we're working. A guy named Alan Jackson was working on a job site for a construction company when he fell off a ladder and severely hurt his back. He's been out of work since then and collecting worker's compensation."

"The problem is that he's been off work for close to five years now. He hasn't seen a doctor recently to verify that he's still injured and can't work, and so the construction company has hired me to sort out the truth. We're going to watch Mr. Jackson and get video evidence one way or another. If he's truly hurt, then the comp will keep coming. If he's faking, the comp will be cut off and he'll be ordered back to work or else lose his job. You can read the file if you want more details."

Scott handed her the file and parked a few houses down on his street. He pulled out his video camera and aimed it at his house.
"I'm not sure how much video evidence we'll be able to get, because if his back is truly still fractured, he won't be leaving the house much. But, we'll do the best we can."
He turned on the camera, sat back, and waited. It would be dull work, but at least he and Jessica would be spending time together.
 
Jessica nodded and looked over the case file as they waited. Once she'd read it she took a sip of water before leaning against Scott and watching the house with him.
 
Scott and Jessica watched the house for hours with nothing happening. He took a drink of water and checked his watch,noticing that it was getting close to time to meet with Lee.
"We'll give it about thirty more minutes and then we have to roll out of here."
The time went by rather slowly, but when nothing happened, he turned off the camera and started the car to head back to the electronics shop.
 
Scott pulled up to the electronics store and went inside with Lee. The old man smiled, happy to see them.
"Scott, Jessica, just in time."
He motioned for them to follow them into a back room and they did so. The head was in parts on a table, and there were tools scattered around.
"The person who made this is great with tools and electronics but not so good at covering their tracks."

"What do you mean?"
"This android head was made of parts that all came from one factory, Airtech, located in the industrial sector. As you might guess from the name, they make jet and small aircraft parts. My guess is that somebody has a lab somewhere where they make these. If it is one person making them, they are quite talented. If you go looking for this person, please be careful, both of you."

Scott shook Lee's hand and thanked him for the help. As he was leaving, Lee gently shook Jessica's hand and winked at her.
"I'm so glad that Scott finally found himself a nice girl. You remind me of my dear, sweet departed wife when she was young."
Once Jessica was back in the car, Scott started it up.
"Looks like we're going to Airtech," he said as he began driving.
 
Jessica nodded, impressed by his skills with the tech and shook his hand as they left, blushing a little as he realized their relationship, nodding her thanks to him she hurried after Scott and nodded, still looking down a little in embarrassment of Lee's words.
 
Scott made the drive to Airtech with Jessica and got out when they got there.
"Be careful. We don't know yet what we're dealing with."
They approached the factory hanger and he noticed that it was chained shut.
"Huh, that's weird. I wouldn't think that an active factory would chain these shut like that."

Quickly summoning Valor onto his right arm, he grabbed the chain and crushed it in his hand. Quickly opening the doors with an effortless shove from the arm on both doors, he put it aside and continued going forward. In the dark, however, he saw several glowing red pairs of eyes begin proceeding toward them.
"I guess we've met the welcoming committee. Stay behind me."
Bright flashing light began erupting from Scott and the ground began to tremble.

Once Scott's armor was fully assembled, he could hear the voice of Valor.
Well, machines wanting to kill us. That's a new one.
Let's smash them into scrap!
Scott made his arm glow and jumped at them.
"Fist of Valor!"
 
Jessica nodded and stayed behind him as they entered, swallowing nervously when she saw all the eyes and hung back, hoping the machines wouldn't notice her.
 
Scott's Fist of Valor strike collided with a machine and it exploded into pieces. Clearly, these guard dogs were not of the same quality as the androids that he had fought previously. With precision and skill, he used his Muay Thai prowess to dispatch the machines. Thankfully, none of them were rigged to explode...or so he thought. He saw one begin a countdown, and it was in a place where if it blew, all of the others would blow with it. Because of Valor, he would be fine, but Jessica could be badly hurt by the shrapnel.

"Jessica, get back!"
Scott dove at her and embraced her in a bear hug, using his armored body as a shield. When the machines exploded, the flying shrapnel glanced harmlessly off of his armor and Jessica was completely untouched. He released her and gave her a nod, making sure everything was okay. He then held her hand as they proceeded further in. After such a devious booby-trap, he wanted to be ready to defend Jessica at any moment.
 
Jessica watched on worriedly as Scott fought before she gasped as she was tackled and closed her eyes against the explosion. She then nodded to him, indicating that she was fine and walked with him slowly.
 
Scott lead Jessica through a maze of hallways that seemed like a maze. Whatever this place was, it didn't feel like part of the regular factory. They were heading downstairs when more of the machines attacked. Scott fought them off with one arm and both legs, and fortunately, these androids were not booby-trapped to explode. The way forward was very dark, and Scott made sure Jessica stayed with them. What neither of them knew was that every movement since they had stepped onto the property was being watched by someone...
 
Scott and Jessica made their way further into the maze, reaching what looked like a factory of sorts. On an assembly line, he saw androids being put together in a mass-produced fashion.
"Well, at least now we know where the androids are coming from."
He looked up and saw the control room, but the windows were too tinted to see anything.
"The person behind all this might be up there. Let's go."

Scott headed to the back of the factory and then up a staircase to the control room door. It was locked with a fingerprint scanner, but Scott had ways of bypassing such security. With his enhanced strength, he pulled the door open and entered the room. There were levers and buttons on a large console ahead, and he pulled a lever to stop the assembly line. As the machinery ground to a halt, a video monitor above them began to whir to life. Scott watched closely, unsure what he was about to see.
 
When the monitor came on, a man with red hair, glasses, and some kind of apparatus on his head appeared onscreen. He looked like a scientist, but the gleam of madness in his eyes indicated that he was unhinged.
"Well, well, Crusader himself has arrived in my lair. I've waited for this moment for quite awhile."
He cued up video footage behind him which showed several of Scott's fights against supervillains.
"Your reputation precedes you, Mr. Crusader, and that armor you wear fascinates me to no end."

"Who are you? What's this all about?"
"Oh, of course, how rude of me not to introduce myself. I am Dr. Hans Holbrook, engineer and tinkerer supreme. I have been fascinated by machines my whole life, and when I saw your armor, I was transfixed like never before."
"So...You did all this for me?"

"Of course! Did you really think that a man who could build such technological wonders has any use for stolen money? I make six figures a year plus some from investments in robotics companies. No, it isn't money that drives me."
"You want to build a copy of my suit of armor, right?"
"Very astute, I like that about you!"

Scott shook his head.
"Impossible. This armor cannot be replicated by human hands. It looks and behaves like metal, but it isn't metal."
"You lie!" Holbrook shouted, losing his very fragile composure.
"I don't lie, Holbrook."

"If you won't tell me how you built that armor, I'll just have to take it from you."
On the screen, Scott watched as Holbrook got into a suit of armor of his own, clear and white but modeled after Scott's Armor of Valor.
"Wait for me, Mr. Crusader. I'll be with you shortly."
The monitor went dead and Scott was flabbergasted. Of all the motives for this crime spree, he had never expected that the motive would be an obsession with his armor.
 
Jessica was also quite surprised and looked at him, placing a hand on his arm, though it was covered in armor. "It's not your fault." She said, as if reading his mind.
 
Scott turned to her and affectionately placed his hand on her arm.
"I know, but thank you."
He sighed.
"But it is my responsibility to stop Holbrook before he hurts himself or innocent people."
Scott looked around.
"While I'm gone, try to power down these androids and stop the production of them."

Scott retracted the helmet on his armor and gave her a loving kiss on the lips.
"Be safe, my love."
Scott then reapplied his armor and left the control room.
He walked down to the factory floor and followed a hallway deeper into the factory. Dr. Holbrook and his mechanical suit would soon be clashing with him, and he knew from fighting those androids that this wouldn't be easy. After all, someone like Holbrook would save the best components and mechanics for his personal use.
 
Scott had proceeded deeply into the factory and found Holbrook standing there in his armor.
"It doesn't have to be this way, Holbrook. If you surrender now, you can turn yourself in and this will all be over."
Holbrook laughed with just a touch of insanity.
"Why would I surrender when I have the opportunity to acquire the greatest armor I have ever seen right here and now?"
Scott shook his head.

"I told you already, this isn't armor that can just be put on like yours. My armor comes from a source not of this world."
Holbrook cocked his head to the side.
"Are you saying that's alien technology?"
"This suit was born of it, yes."
Holbrook's eyes twinkled.

"Then there really is life beyond the stars?"
"Yes, but we have business right here on Earth."
"I want the secrets of your armor. If I must fight you to acquire them, then so be it."
Scott got into a fighting stance.
"Then you leave me no choice."

Holbrook's helmet locked into place and his armor was ready for combat. Charging forward, he seemed to move rather well for a scientist. Scott lashed out with a kick that pushed him back and left a small ding in the armor.
"Titanium?"
"The very best."
Holbrook tackled Scott and the two were soon rolling on the floor, each trying to get the upper hand.
 
Jessica, being a natural when it came to computers and other such technology, figured out how to stop the androids then rushed down the long hallways to stumble upon the two fighting.
 
Scott managed to break away from the ground grappling by getting onto his back and throwing Holbrook into the wall. His opponent, however, was quick to recover and tried to punch Scott while he was on the ground. Scott dodged the punch and countered with a leg sweep before pushing both legs into his chest to send him back into the wall. Once back on his feet, Scott got into a boxing fighting stance to counter the next attack from Holbrook. However, his opponent in the titanium body suit seemed to brush off his attacks.
"You'll have to do better than that, Mr. Crusader."

On his right arm, Holbrook had twin thrusters attached to his gauntlet to give his punch more force. It was modeled on seeing Crusader's Fist of Valor, and allowed him to achieve a more powerful punch, even if it was inferior to Crusader's attack in terms of pure destructive power. The Thruster Punch, as he called it, built up momentum from a spin and hammered Scott in the chest. Scott was sent sliding back, but was able to regain his balance. Launching forward with a flying back kick, Scott sent Holbrook careening toward the wall, and he anticipated that his opponent would go right through it this time. This time, however, the crafty machinist had a trick up his sleeve.

Flipping his body over, he was able to activate thrusters in his boots to not only prevent the crash into the wall, but to send him hurling back toward Crusader at full force! He had designed the thrusters to give him short-term flight, but this way of using them worked just as well. With a tackle that would have shattered every bone in Scott's body had he not been protected by the armor, Holbrook took him through three walls before slamming him into the ground. Still trying to recover, Scott began receiving kicks to the head from titanium boots that didn't hurt but were making him dizzy from all the sudden trauma.
"Maybe I don't need your armor, after all, Mr. Crusader. It seems that my creation is superior!"

Scott waited until Holbrook had committed to another kick, and then launched a surprise counterattack. Moving away from the kick, he reached up with his legs and wrapped them around Holbrook's throat.
"Your creation is nothing."
Scott then tossed the machinist with his powerful legs and got to his feet. His Valor Armor was a little banged up, but he had more than enough power to finish this foe. As Holbrook got to his feet, Scott cracked his knuckles.

"I'm done playing around with you."
Scott's arms began to glow, a sure sign that he was about to use Million Punches of Valor. When he unleashed the attack, Holbrook never had a chance. His titanium armor was busted to pieces from a flurry of fists harder than any human metal. The last punch shattered Holbrook's helmet and sent him skidding across the floor, crashing into the wall hard enough to break both legs. The titanium armor had protected him from life-threatening injuries, but it seemed that the fight was over.
 
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