Having picked up a clue from an informant of her father's, the Huntress' quest to uncover those who killed her father had begun. The late Hunter had been inside the Avengers Mansion when it mysteriously exploded. For nearly a month he laid in a comatose state in the hospital. Just four days ago his heart finally gave out.
However, the situation wasn't that simple. Someone had to have plotted and planned the destruction of the Avengers Mansion. Such things don't happen by random chance. The European assassin, the Mechassassin, had attempted to finish the job but was thwarted by the Avengers. (Editor's Note: See Avengers #4)
Even more ominous, the autopsy performed on Hunter had revealed he had been poisoned. Somehow, someone had managed to inject him with a toxin while in a supposedly secure installation.
Clearly, parties currently unknown had gone to a great deal of trouble to do in several Avengers, including Hunter. Helena couldn't be sure if her father was the real target or if it was simply someone with a grudge against the Avengers, who was just trying to finish the job. She came to reject that last theory. So far no one had made any attempts against Black Diamond or Nightingale, who were already Avengers at the time the mansion went up. Of course, the grudge might have been against only certain Avengers...
The informant's clue was beginning to make more and more sense. The criminal organization called VIPER had clashed with Hunter and the Avengers almost regularly for the past several years. Murderous revenge on their part wasn't beyond feasibility. They had even left a calling card-- the venom that poisoned Hunter came from a barba amarilla, more commonly known as a fer-de-lance-- a snake. It all fell into place. VIPER did have a large enough organization and the guts to pull off something of this scale and in this fashion.
That had all lead the Huntress to her present location: inside a black corvette in one of the seedier portions of Brooklyn watching her only lead. The car was originally used by Hunter in his war on crime. He never bothered to give it a fancy name, shunning such things as they would only bring it to the attention of others. "The more you reveal, the more your enemy knows," was one of Hunter's favorite phrases. So the vehicle never became known as the Hunter-Mobile. Now that it belonged to the Huntress, the Huntress-Mobile sounded even worse.
The windows of the car were tinted to prevent the outside world from seeing inside. The Huntress had parked the car in a dark spot to further avoid attention. Inside the car, she worked the controls of a large combination helmet/visor that she was using to track her prey. It was known as a Multiplex Visor and it functioned much like a pair of binoculars, but with the added features of night vision and infrared sight.
Aided by the visor, the Huntress had found her target- a man by the name of Michael Potts. Potts had been a lead that the Hunter had uncovered before his untimely demise. It was his informants who had first brought word of this man to the Hunter's ears. During the drive from Kirby Manor, Helena had brought up a file on Potts on the car's computer.
Michael Potts had been a marine given a dishonorable discharge for his violent tendencies. With no real enemy to fight, Potts seemed to take his frustrations out on his fellow soldiers. Since that time Potts bounced around to various para-military organizations before ending up in VIPER. It was a good fit.
Potts made a regular circuit of topless bars and clubs that he frequented. The Huntress picked out one of them and waited for her prey to arrive. It was after midnight when she finally spotted Potts.
"Finally!", was the Huntress' thoughts on the matter. "Now be a good little snake and slither back home to your nest."
Michael Potts stepped out of Club Divine and lit a cigarette. He gave a casual glance both ways, pulled up the collar on his leather jacket, and walked off into the night.
Once her target was a safe distance off, the Huntress started up the car and slowly followed. Aided by the Multiplex Visor, she was able to keep a fair distance between herself and Potts. Potts made his way through the streets and the lights of the all-night clubs began to fade. Soon he was in one of the more rundown districts. The gangs that were out gave him a wide berth. The Huntress silently followed at a safe distance.
Potts ducked into an alley and made his way to the rear of what had once been a public school; PS 47. Helena recalled reading about the school several years ago. A portion of the building had been ravaged during a rampage by Grond. With the decline of this part of the city, it was never repaired. What students remained were absorbed by other schools and PS 47 was shut down. Potts knocked on a rear door and was let inside a moment later. The Huntress momentarily spotted a man in a yellow and green uniform.
"Pay dirt! This must be VIPER's idea of higher education..." The Huntress brought the car to a stop two blocks away from the school and looked about. It was now nearly 2 AM and the streets were deserted. The Huntress shut the car down and stepped out into the night. After activating the car's security system, the Huntress moved off into the shadows.
The Huntress came to a stop upon finding a good place to make her climb. Traveling by rooftop would allow her to get close to PS 47 and hopefully avoid any watchers. A series of buildings would give her a direct path to her goal.
Reaching into her hip quiver, the Huntress pulled out a bolt. She attached her belt line to one end and extended the grappling hooks away from the other end of the shaft. The bolt was loaded into her hand crossbow and fired up to the building's roof. It caught securely on a vent pipe. Returning the crossbow to its holder, the Huntress tested the line and then climbed up the side of the building with ease.
Moving across the rooftops was also very easy to someone who possessed the skills of the Huntress. Most often she simply leaped from building to building covering distances of over twenty feet with ease. She reached a vantagepoint where she could observe the school in minutes.
The Huntress scryed the building using a small sight glass from her gadget belt. While the Multiplex Visor would have served her better, it was too large and bulky to make it practical in the field. The building appeared to be deserted, which was exactly what VIPER wanted you to believe. "The doors are probably pretty well secured... Perhaps the roof will have an easier entrance."
Instead of leaping, the Huntress fired her line off once more and quietly climbed the short distance to the roof of PS 47. Once on the roof, the climbing gear was stored and the Huntress began to look around. After a few minutes of searching, she heard a small creak behind her. Readying herself, the Huntress spun around in a defensive posture.
Instead of seeing a squad of VIPER agents, she found a costumed woman standing some twenty-five feet away. "And just who are you supposed to be?" the woman asked.
The woman's outfit consisted of a black body suit, presumably made out of some material similar to the Huntress' costume. Over this the woman wore scarlet red accessories. She had high boots, the one on the right leg high and pointed, the one on the left leg folded down below the knee and tied off with a scarlet sash. A matching red blouse covered her torso and was tied off. Another scarlet sash was around her waist along with a belt. A half mask covered the upper portion of her head and long, black hair flowed out from underneath it. Scarlet red gloves finished off the costume. She stood a full seven inches shorter then Helena.
The Huntress recognized the woman immediately as the Scarlet Sabre, a member of the Freedom League: New York City's other hero team. They were unique in that the Freedom League was sponsored by Campbell Industries International. In short they were a corporate sponsored super team.
The Scarlet Sabre had been an active heroine for over five years now. Her first exploits were with the now-defunct Crusaders. Later she was a founding member of the Freedom League. Her trademark weapon was her lightsabre that projected a scarlet red beam of energy. The Sky Sabre, a small mini-jet, was her vehicle of choice.
"You're the Scarlet Sabre", the Huntress stated.
"So what was your first clue?", Scarlet taunted. "Just who are you and what were you doing with the Hunter's car? I spotted you earlier this evening from the Sky Sabre and just had to find out what was going on."
Helena paused at this. She knew that her father had often worked with other heroes in the area, in particular the ones who where more street oriented. Could the Scarlet Sabre be one of his regular allies? Just how much did she know about the Hunter? The Huntress had the nagging feeling that this woman was somehow familiar to her...
"I'm the Huntress. Hunter was my father."
"I see...," Scarlet replied. "So you're taking over for your father, like he did from his father?"
"Something like that."
The Scarlet Sabre eased her posture seeing that battle was no longer imminent. She moved closer to the Huntress, eyeing her warily.
"So what are you hunting for atop a deserted school in the middle of the night?" After the Huntress didn't reply, Scarlet added, "Look, I don't have much reason to trust you right now, but your story does make sense. Your father was a great man and I enjoyed the few times we worked together on cases. We were collaborating on shutting down the flood of Retaliator weapons when he was hurt. If this has something to do with finding those who blew up the Avengers Mansion, you can count me in."
"I've had a lead that suggested that VIPER was behind that. That's what I'm investigating."
"I get it... this must be VIPER's new nest in Brooklyn. We smashed their regular one over a year ago. They must be really desperate to take up residence in an abandoned schoolhouse. If this is a VIPER base, we're going to need help. You can't take them on all by yourself."
"My father was a good judge of character. If he worked with you before, then I have no problem with you helping me out now. Just don't get in my way when I find the person responsible for this..."
The Huntress didn't finish her sentence as several gas grenades exploded around the heroines! Caught by surprise, neither one could stop themselves from breathing in the foul gas. Each choked for a few seconds and then fell to the roof unconscious...
Sometime later, the Huntress fought her way to consciousness. Her head was pounding from the sleeping gas used on her earlier. Her body was sore, her muscles ached. She tried to move but found that she could not. Opening her eyes, the Huntress found herself now indoors in what she guessed to be the school's basement. The room was dirty with bits of garbage lying here and there. Large, circular support pillars were evenly spaced about the room. The Huntress was bound to one of these pillars.
Her hands were drawn behind the pillar, but the support was too large for them to actually touch. Thick ropes secured her hands in this position. Likewise, ropes tied around her knees and ankles held her legs tightly together. In turn, a band of ropes held her body to the support at the shins, the waist, and at her neck. The rope at her neck was not tight enough to interfere with her breathing, but it did limit her ability to look around. The Huntress struggled against her bonds, but they didn't give and actually seemed to grow tighter. Already her hands were feeling the effect of cut off circulation.
"Well, this is just great," the Huntress thought. "Easily captured on my first mission just like some amateur. Who am I kidding? I am amateur. Linda was right. I let my desire for vengeance get the best of me. I went off half-cocked and got myself in deep trouble. Dumb, dumb, dumb."
Resigned that to fact that she wasn't going to free herself by muscle power alone, the Huntress surveyed her surroundings as best she could. To no surprise of hers, her gadget belt was laying on a nearby table along with her crossbow and other items. "No big deal there. I couldn't reach it even if I was wearing it."
The Huntress sighed when she saw that her facemask was on the table. This was turning out to be a real nightmare. At the mercy of VIPER and unmasked. Not the best way to start her crime fighting career.
Nearby was the Scarlet Sabre who was tied to another supporting pillar. Her mask was also missing and was laying on the same table as the Huntress'. Likewise her belt and lightsabre was missing. Mysteriously, a third mask was present as well. The Huntress then realized that she had been right earlier. She did know who the Scarlet Sabre really was...
"Figures," the Huntress said with a groan. "It's you."
"Once more it appears that we are rivals," Scarlet said with a smile. "It's been a long time."
Helena Kirby had been a very good gymnast when she was in college. So good that she tried out for the 1980 Olympics team and was just narrowly edged out by one Jessica Flynn. In the years since, Helena had become the Huntress, Jessica the Scarlet Sabre.
"Not long enough."
"You still aren't carrying a grudge are you? I beat you fair and square."
"Only because you were double jointed."
"Like you, I was born with certain gifts," Scarlet said. "Given the testing surrounding Olympic athletes, it is quite feasible that you would have been found out and disqualified."
In a world filled with paranormals, strict testing was enforced in almost all athletics and professional sports to separate human from super human.
"I may have done you a favor by beating you."
"That's very well possible," the Huntress conceded. "But that's in the past. It's the present that concerns me."
"Agreed. We can swap stories once we're out of this mess."
"Anything interesting happen while I was out?"
"We're in no immediate danger. We just need to sit tight until the time is right."
"Maybe you like being tied up, but I've got a job to do," the Huntress said.
"While bondage is not among of my hobbies, it has its use at the moment. As long as we're not a threat we can learn information. Once I have uncovered what I need to know, then we can clean house."
"How are you going to learn anything tied to a pole?"
"Trade secret," Scarlet said with a smile. "I know that you practiced stage magic and with escapes in particular. Just be ready when the time comes."
"Alright. I'll play along for now," the Huntress conceded.
"What I'm really curious about is just who the other prisoner is." Scarlet nodded off to her left as best she could. The Huntress turned that way slightly, but could only catch a glimpse of a third female in a armless, black body stocking. She stood about 5'10" with shoulder length black hair. A picture of an owl was on her chest-- a pair of yellow eyes separated by a inverted triangle of turquoise. A matching waist-length cape came from her shoulders. Matching turquoise gloves and low cut boots finished the outfit. The woman was likewise imprisoned, but she was chained to her support and had several spotlights shining directly upon her. Her eyes were closed and her head hung limply to one side.
"I've never seen her before," the Huntress stated.
"Me neither," Scarlet added in agreement.
"She is of no importance to you!" The new voice belonged to a man. He stormed into the chamber escorted by three VIPER agents in their traditional green body armor with black piping, the symbol of a snake on their chest in yellow. The leader's uniform was a bit more refined and it separated him from his troops.
"I guess that smell was the Nest Leader, Huntress," the Scarlet Sabre taunted. "And you thought it was the garbage."
"Same difference to me," the Huntress added.
"So," the Nest Leader said turning towards Helena. "You call yourself the Huntress." The Nest Leader grabbed her chin as he regarded her.
"That's right. And right now the only thing that's keeping me from tearing you apart are these ropes."
The Nest Leader just laughed. "You don't frighten me, girl. I orchestrated your predecessor's demise. You're not even a challenge to me."
This enraged the Huntress and she struggled like a tigress to be free but the ropes held her fast. "When I get my hands on you...!"
"I wouldn't let the Nest Leader get to you," Scarlet said. "He only has any real balls when he thinks he's in control."
"But, my dear Scarlet, I am in absolute control. Thanks to the capture of you and your friend, I will soon be back in the good graces of the Supreme Serpent. Soon I will have a real nest and not have to hide in an abandoned building like some common thug."
"But, my dear Nest Leader, you are a common thug," Scarlet taunted back. She had crossed swords with this particular Nest Leader before. He talked tough when he had the upper hand but she knew he was a coward at heart. "I think this place really fits you, rats and all."
Now it was the Nest Leaders turn to become enraged. "My fall from grace was all your fault!"
"Well, in all humility I can't take all the credit," Scarlet said.
"But now, fate has delivered you both into my hands. You'll make a proper gift to the Supreme Serpent and then I'll be back to my rightful position. It has a nice irony to it, don't you think?"
"Don't count your snakes before they've hatched," Scarlet countered. "As I understand you're having some trouble with your computer."
"How could you possible know that?" The Nest Leader was completely shocked by that revelation. It was impossible that the prisoner could have known that the computer was down. After capturing the heroines, the Nest Leader had them brought down to the basement and secured. Next, he striped them of their obvious gadgets and removed their masks. He was disappointed to discover that no one knew who the two women really were. Instead, he took pictures and scanned them into the Nest's computer with the intent of sending them to the Supreme Serpent. But right after they did, the phone lines went dead. When that problem was solved, the power went out. Then the computer itself started to act up. It was as if something was deliberately trying to stop him from connecting to the VIPER Network.
"I know all sorts of things," Scarlet said with knowing smile. "In fact, I do know a thing or two about computers. I could solve your problems before you know it."
"Oh, no," the Nest Leader said, having recovered his composure. "You're not going to trick me this time."
One of the Nest Leader's guards pointed his weapon at Scarlet and said, "Let's just off her boss and be done with 'er!"
"Are you nuts?", one of his fellow guards said. "With fine babes like these, I can certainly think of something much, much better then shooting'm!" The guard laughed and elbowed the third guard, who agreed heartily.
"Silence, all of you!", the Nest Leader shouted. "Nothing happens to them until I get the okay from the Supreme Serpent. I'm not going to risk anything on losing this chance!"
"So who's the other girl?", Scarlet asked after a brief silence.
"That's none of your business! But I will tell you this much. After I've learned her secrets and carried out whatever fate the Supreme Serpent has in mind for you, there's not going to be anything that can stop me from taking over! Nothing!"
The Nest Leader let out a hardy laugh as he and his men departed the room, leaving behind the helpless heroines...
