#1 - "The Hunt Begins"
#1 - "The Hunt Begins"
Among these estates is Kirby Manor. On the surface it was no different than any of the other manors. But Kirby Manor was the home base of the original Hunter, and later his son who also took the name Hunter. Soon the mantle would be passed once more.
For many years now the house had been used sporadically. The few surviving family members made their homes elsewhere. Helena Kirby had her own place in Manhattan. Lane, the former Hunter, split his time between the Avengers Mansion and the Estate. Felina Kirby had taken up residence in Europe almost twenty years ago. Her mother now lived on Sanctuary.
Behind Kirby Manor was a small, private mausoleum where generations of Kirbys had been laid to rest. On this day, Lane Kirby, the second Hunter was joining his ancestors. The ceremony was mercifully brief; the mourners but a select few.
Afterwards, there was a small gathering inside the Manor. A few close personal friends of the family attended. Most had, at some point, been allies of the Hunter. By now, the gathering was beginning to break up. Helena spoke to the various guests as they departed.
Helena hugged her long time acquaintance Linda Taylor, far better known to the world as Black Diamond. "Thanks for coming."
"Your father was a wonderful man", the blonde heroine replied, teary eyed. "I shall miss him so."
"We all will."
"I still intend to find out just what happened."
"I appreciate that, but I'm going to look into this situation myself," Helena stated. While she admired Black Diamond's powers and abilities, a situation like this was beyond her skills. Deduction, investigation, and reasoning were skills far bettered suited to the task at hand.
"Just don't do anything crazy on me." Black Diamond wasn't the least bit surprised that Helena would continue on with the family tradition. Being a superhero was almost commonplace in the Kirby Family.
Bruce Kirby had been the original Hunter back in the late thirties. He was among the first of the masked crime fighters that began to appear in that era. He had been on the first true hero team formed, the Liberty League, who battled Axis powers during World War II.
Lane Kirby, Bruce's son, carried on the tradition and became the new Hunter in the sixties. It was Lane that had aided in the formation of the Avengers and provided the team with its home base. For over twenty years he had fought the forces of evil.
But super powers were not exclusive to the males of the family. Helena's mother, Felina, had been a super powered cat burglar during her day. A love/hate relationship between Felina and the second Hunter emerged after several conflicts. It eventually blossomed into love in the end. The couple married and their love bore Helena. Exactly what happened between them after that was unclear to Helena. Her parents had some sort of serious falling out and they separated when she was a young girl. With all of the strains placed upon a hero, it was a wonder they lasted as long as they did.
Coincidentally, Felina's mother had been a heroine during World War II as well. Going by the name of Shadow Cat, she had been among the first of the strong women heroes. She founded and led the Crimebusters during that golden age.
"Me? Do something crazy?", Helena said with mock surprise.
"You know what I mean. Just don't go off half-cocked and get in over your head," Linda said.
"Yes, mother."
The two exchanged a small laugh and Linda departed. Helena watched her step into a secluded portion of the garden behind the main house. Linda concentrated for a second and her wardrobe changed in a brief flash. Now dressed as Black Diamond, Linda soared into the sky and flew out of sight.
"Boy", Helena thought to herself, "that's the only way to change outfits and travel. Oh well, I'll just have to work with what I've got."
The last two guests were departing. They appeared to be a very mismatched pair on the surface, but as is often the case appearances were deceiving. An elderly woman in a wheelchair was pushed along by a man who had the appearance of a Greek god. He was tall, muscular, and actually seemed to glow. From his looks one would never have guessed that he was over seventy years old. He had been known as Hyperion during World War II and often battled along side the original Hunter.
Helena bent down and hugged and kissed the woman in the wheelchair. The woman, once known as Shadow Cat, was Helena's grandmother.
"Thanks for coming, Grandma Jenny."
"You're welcome, dear. I don't get out much anymore, but I had to pay my respects to your father. He was a good man."
"Aye", Hyperion said in agreement. "Much like your grandfather. I had the pleasure of watching him grow into a fine man. It is sad to witness his passing."
After more pleasantries, the elder heroes departed for New York City. A secret teleportation system inside the UN would take them directly back to Sanctuary Island in the South Pacific.
Helena closed the door behind them and then leaned wearily against it and let out a long sigh. She was now alone in this huge house. It had always been such a happy place in the past. In spite of not knowing her mother very well, Helena had a happy childhood. Her father was not alone in raising her, for Grandma Jenny had stayed with them for many years before she moved permanently to Sanctuary. Her departure came shortly after Helena had gone off to college.
Now only the echoes of Helena's footsteps made noise in the quiet house. Much of it had not been used in years. The majority of the rooms had their furniture covered by sheets to protect them from dust. Lane had only used a handful of rooms and closed off the rest.
Helena's room was much as she remembered it. Moving the protecting sheets aside, she searched her old belongings. Locating the object of her search, she sat down next to it and opened it.
"My old hope chest", she thought to herself as she began to sort through the chest. "Funny how things can become so important when the people attached to them are gone."
"The doll Grandma Jenny gave me on my seventh birthday-- The first chemistry set dad bought me-- Sweet stuffy teddy-- Ah, here it is, my diary."
Helena slowly paged through the book and stopped on the page she was searching for. "Here's what I was looking for. The night dad first showed me his costume..."
"Dear Diary: I can hardly believe it! My daddy, my very own daddy-- The Hunter! I knew he was the strongest, smartest, most wonderful dad... but he's a hero too! I do so want to spend my life being just as good as he is!"
Closing the diary, Helena hugged it to her chest. "That still sends chills down my spine. Daddy, I love you so- and miss you too. I guess it's my time to shine, to carry on the family tradition. I won't let you down."
Rising, Helena repacked and stored her hope chest. She then made her way through the mansion towards her car stored in the garage. After removing a package from the trunk, she returned to the house and made her way to the basement. Activating a hidden latch, a portion of the wall slid back to reveal a secret passage. Stairs led down to a secret sub base and into the Hunter's Lair.
The Hunter's Lair had been constructed by Bruce Kirby when he had the mansion constructed and it was expanded upon later. The Lair consisted of a main working area, several small labs, and storage areas. A side tunnel led off to a vehicle garage. Placing her burden down, Helena surveyed the lair. "You're all mine now", she quietly thought to herself, filled with a feeling of great remorse and yet great excitement.
After a time, Helena opened her package and stared at the gray and magenta garments that rested within. "My whole life seems to have been leading up to this moment", she thought. "I've longed dreamed of this day. Now that it's here, I'm not sure what to do. If only it was not under these circumstances..."
Helena's father had intended to take her under his wing; to show her the ropes, so to speak. Now there were many things that she would have to learn the hard way, on her own.
In spite of that handicap, Helena had much going for her. The original Hunter was one of the success stories of the original Super Soldier program. The chemical enhancement and treatments had bolstered his strength, agility, and endurance to superhuman status. This enhancement had been passed along to his son, and in turn, into Helena. She was physically as strong as four men were and as agile as any gymnast. Her training had only served to accentuate her impressive physical talents.
Helena had been admitted to Harvard Law School at the age of 14 and excelled in her studies. She nearly made the Olympics as a gymnast, only to be narrowly beaten out by a rival. Whatever she set her mind to, Helena not only learned but also excelled in. She mastered such skills as karate, boxing, and stage magic in months where it would take others years. Her formative years were spent learning skills that would help her follow in her father's footsteps.
Without a word, Helena began to remove her outer garments and set them aside. It was time for her to carry on the family tradition. The butterflies in her stomach were replaced by a sense of excitement.
First she donned an armless, legless, v-neck body suit. It was magenta down the front, with gray panels on the sides. The material was a bit thicker than normal and contracted to fit her body like a second skin. The garment was one of the types of 'ballistic cloths' devised by Trans Defense Systems, Inc., a pioneer in the field of ballistic materials and personal body armor. The fabric had some of the qualities of Kevlar, as well as Lycra, so as to be form fitting. It would resist penetration similar to Kevlar, but was far more flexible. In Helena's new profession maneuverability would be extremely important. Additionally, it had been chemically treated to resist heat and fire. As a final touch, Helena added many, tiny pockets to the garment in strategic locations. During her time as a stage magician such hidden pockets were essential to pulling off her tricks.
Next came a pair of magenta boots that reached high up on Helena's thighs. Additionally there were secret compartments within the stacked heels of the boots. A pair of matching magenta high gloves came next. They, as well as the boots, had the same special treatments as the body suit.
A yellow and black belt emerged next. A large raised letter "H" was on the buckle. Around the belt were many small pouches. Helena intended to store her gadgets here, saving the hidden pockets for special or emergency things. After all, were she to be captured by criminals the first thing they would probably remove would be her gadget belt! Also on the belt was a small quiver where a dozen small bolts were locked in place. On the opposite hip rested a coil of rope.
A small collapsible hand crossbow came out next. Its holder was strapped to Helena's right calf. A dark blue cape fit over Helena's shoulders and attached to the "V" portion of the body suit. It could be quickly discarded if necessary.
The last part of the costume was the facemask. It was magenta in color and covered only her eyes. The mask was pointed at the ends and projected upwards above her eyes. Below her eyes, the mask also flared to slight points, not as exaggerated as the upper ones.
Moving in front of a full-length mirror, Helena regarded the image she saw. "Not bad", she thought to herself.
"I am the Huntress! The scourge of the underworld!", she added with a laugh. "Oh, daddy, you'd be so proud..."
Turning more serious, the Huntress began to explore the Hunter's Lair. At first she felt odd about being down here. It was her father's for so long that Helena almost felt like an intruder. The labs were given a cursory going over. They would be an invaluable aid to her in the future.
The gadget storage area was of even greater interest. Literally hundreds of items were stored here. The Huntress sorted through them and liberally added some of the more interesting ones to her gadget belt or to one of her many hidden pockets.
Finally she returned to the main room and sat herself down before the large computer system. "Of everything here, this is going to be the most important. Everything my father and grandpa learned is stored here. I had better get myself familiar with his system setup...."
The computer was a HE-3000, one of the more advanced systems from Henderson Electronics, a well-noted company in the field. On top of this, the Hunter had added several unique security features. Being an Avenger and a government operative, he had access to advances not generally available to the public. Much of it was beyond Helena's current computer skills. But she would figure it out eventually.
Defeating the computer system's security measures took the Huntress over an hour. Were it not for her intimate knowledge of her father, it could have taken days or weeks. The Huntress was so engrossed in her task that all her feelings of remorse and not belonging in the lair faded. Her goal drove her on.
The scope of the information contained on the hard drives surprised even her. There were literally hundreds of files ranging from old cases to in-depth studies of criminals to gadget designs. "This will take me months to digest," the Huntress thought to herself. "First things first, though."
The hours rolled past as the Huntress worked the computer keyboard. First she reorganized the security system and changed the passwords so that no one else could access the system. While she knew her father well enough, she was unaware just whom else he had shared his information with. They system had both phone and satellite access. The Huntress couldn't be sure which mode the Hunter used to access his system. Perhaps both?
The deeper the Huntress moved into the Mainframe, the more security measures she encountered. If the Hunter was anything, he was very cautious! His most private files were sealed off with dozens of counter-measures. Realizing this, Helena worked towards finding a way around the system instead of opening particular files.
Nearing the completion of that task, she discovered a type of informant hotline that the Hunter had set up many years ago. Instead of the risk of meeting informants face to face, they could call a particular number and record a message. The calls were later channeled to the Hunter's Lair and were stored there digitally. "I never realized just how clever pop was."
The Huntress stood up and stretched the kinks out. She had been so engrossed in her work that the hours had rolled past. It was now well after dark. "Time flies when you're having fun. I could use a snack."
Popping out the most recent of the informant recordings into a portable player, the Huntress made her way up the stairs to the kitchen. By now, Helena had completely forgotten that she was still in her costume and caught herself. While there should be no one else around the estate, she couldn't risk someone spotting her through the windows. "Have to be more careful. You've got an identity to protect now."
Proceeding with more caution, the Huntress dimmed the lights and stealthily proceeded to move through the house. "If anything, I'm getting in some practice in using this outfit." Hugging the shadows, the Huntress made her away around the Manor, pulling down shades and closing shutters. The final touch was activating the perimeter of the home security system before returning to the kitchen.
With everything secure, Helena began to play the tape while she made a snack for herself. The opening messages dated back to the time of the incident at the Avengers Mansion. To the last time Hunter had seen his daughter. The first few were not interesting. A few tips to drug deals and such going down. All of which were now outdated.
One message did, however, get Helena's immediate undivided attention.
"Hey, Hunter, Freddie here! I'm figurin' that you're still alive since I haven't heard anything in the news. So, if our agreement is still in effect, then I've got a hot tip for you. The local-yokel who runs one of the VIPER nests in Brooklyn is hot to take the credit for doin' in yer buddies. The Nest Leader says that it was his plan that blew up the Avengers Mansion. I doubt he's got the brains to pull that one off, but he's startin' to get more respect. Looking forward to my 'package'."
"VIPER is behind this?!", the Huntress wondered out loud. "I guess it makes sense. Dad's been a regular thorn in their sides for years..."
Grabbing her sandwich and milk, the Huntress raced down to the Hunter's Lair once more. Back at the keyboard, Helena began to seek out the system's information on the VIPER branch in Brooklyn.
The Hunter had been piecing together the location of this particular VIPER Nest. Aided by confidential tips, deduction, and personal observations, he had narrowed the bases location down to a small area of Brooklyn. Such was the Hunter's standard procedure when dealing with villain organizations. He'd do the legwork, locate their key installations, and then go in with super-powered assistance, shutting that branch of the organization completely down. Unfortunately, it was usually a temporary victory at best. The true masters of an organization like VIPER remained far removed from the day-to-day operations. It was only a matter of time before a new Nest would open and the process would start anew.
One of the Hunter's more intriguing leads was uncovering the identity of a minor VIPER operative; a Michael Potts. The Hunter was in the process of observing this agent when he met his untimely demise. The man had a regular routine. Hunter theorized that this man would ultimately lead him to the Brooklyn VIPER Nest.
Grabbing the relevant information, the Huntress rushed from the Hunter's Lair down the tunnel that connected it to the garage. At the center of the garage sat a black corvette that otherwise was unremarkable. The vehicle was occasionally used by Hunter as a means of transportation. It contained a link to the Hunter Mainframe, some gadgets, and other crime fighting gear. It's dark tinted windows allowed the driver to see normally, but no one could see in. The Hunter always preferred to carry out his business in an unobtrusive manner.
The Huntress did a quick inventory of the fine vehicle and its accessories. "Talk about a to-die-for machine! I can't wait to see what this baby does!"
Her check complete, the Huntress slid behind the wheel and adjusted the seat for her frame. The machine roared to life with the turn of the key. A touch of a button opened the garage door and the Huntress took the vehicle out. The garage door was actually the rear of a storage barn that set near the rear of the Kirby Estate. A back road quickly connected to the main streets and the corvette sped off into the night.
"I don't know what this Nest Leader thought he had to gain from this," the Huntress thought to herself. "He's going to pay for what he's done! My hunt begins now!"
