"What was that?" The Huntress directed her question towards the Scarlet Sabre, another of the prisoners.
"Our cue to get out of here!", was Scarlet's answer. "While my teammates are distracting the VIPER agents, we can free ourselves and Night Owl." Another screeching blast resounded elsewhere, which only served to punctuate Scarlet's point.
Once more the Scarlet Sabre had mentioned something that she couldn't have possible knowledge of while bound to the large support pillar. Sounds of battle could be heard faintly in the distance.
"Night Owl? I thought you didn't know who she was?" The Huntress was genuinely puzzled, but that didn't impede her attempt to escape her bonds. She began to rub her thumb against her forefinger, pushing towards the fingertips. As she did this, a tiny blade began to emerge out of a hidden slot in her gloves, sliding up along her forefinger. The blades were not large enough to make much of a weapon, but they could cut ropes. Once fully extended, the Huntress used the blades to cut through the ropes binding her hands with only a few slices.
"I didn't know before," was Scarlet's reply. "I've learned a few things since then." Scarlet likewise was working on freeing herself. Unlike the Huntress, Scarlet used a different tactic. She had been relaxing her body the entire time she had been held captive, using various yoga techniques and her own special physical skills. Slowly she began to work her right hand out of the ropes holding it.
Once her hands were free, the Huntress wasted no time in removing the rest of her bonds. She stretched for a bit and tried to regain the feeling in her hands while working the small blades back into their hiding place. "Man, do I ache." While she had practiced many different types of escapes as an amateur magician, performing such things for real was very different. The audience used to give her a rush. Now that it was for real and that her life could easily be on the line, she felt that same strange thrill. Helena was going to enjoy the hero game.
Reaching the table where her equipment had been stored, the Huntress replaced her mask, donned her gadget belt, and strapped her crossbow back into its holder on her right calf.
The Huntress had no idea how long she had been held prisoner. A watch in her gadget belt informed her that it had been over twelve hours. It was now the middle of the afternoon! "No wonder I'm so hungry." Having not eaten in a long time, Helena's stomach was growling. She searched her belt for one of the special nutrition bars that she had placed there the night before. While not a complete substitute for food and drink, it would provide her with the necessary minerals and vitamins to keep her body going.
That task complete, she turned back to her companion. The Scarlet Sabre had her hands free by now and was squirming out of the rest of her bonds. While Jessica Flynn had been an annoying rival in the past to Helena Kirby, right now as the Scarlet Sabre she was clearly the more skilled when it came to operating as a superhero. Scarlet had been active for years and it showed. She endured this whole ordeal without ever appearing to become nervous, acting as if she was in complete control the entire time. Given that she had learned things without any visible means, perhaps she had been in control all along!
The Huntress produced a knife from her belt and finished cutting Scarlet loose. "Let me give you a hand."
"Thanks!" Scarlet advanced towards her gadgets, appearing no worse for wear from her captivity.
"How about you tell me what's going on and how you learned so much recently?" The Huntress didn't like things she couldn't figure out. Not that she was overly fond of Jessica to begin with, but the Scarlet Sabre was beginning to earn Helena's respect.
"All in good time," was Scarlet's response as she strapped on her sword belt and replaced her mask. "Those horrible noises are sonic blasts from Resonator. FIST and Silver Arrow are here as well. They should be more than able to occupy VIPER's attention, allowing us to free Night Owl and destroy the photos they took of us." Scarlet pushed a button on the handle of her lightsabre and a tubular energy blade formed. "Would you be kind enough to watch the door? I'll free Night Owl."
"Alright." The Huntress moved awkwardly towards the door, her body movements still out of whack from the long hours tied to the pillar. She opened the chamber door slightly and peeked out. "All clear. Not a snake in sight."
"Good! Everything is working out just as planned." The Scarlet Sabre had turned off the bright spotlights that had been shining on the still unconscious Night Owl. Then using her energy sabre, she sliced through the chains that held Night Owl prisoner.
"Let me guess," the Huntress said, "since she is called Night Owl, exceptionally bright light takes away her powers?"
"Bingo. Her real name is Lydia Jansen. Her father is Karl Jansen, a chemist of minor notoriety. He was researching a method of growing plants without a source of sunlight; highly useful underground or in space. Karl had devised a formula and Lydia drank it by accident. She gained superhuman strength, but only at night or in the dark."
"That's pretty wild." The Huntress had joined Scarlet in reviving Night Owl.
"It is one of the more odd sources for super powers that I've heard about. My guess is that VIPER captured Lydia and is forcing Karl to reproduce his formula so that it can be used on their agents. Superhuman VIPER agents are something that I'd rather avoid."
"No argument there," the Huntress agreed. Night Owl was jolted back to reality after the Huntress waved smelling salts under her nose.
"UGH! What the---!!" It took a few moments for Night Owl to shake off the cobwebs in her brain. "What was that awful smell?! Hey, who are you people?"
"I'm the Scarlet Sabre and that is the Huntress. We're your rescue party."
"It's about time! Where are those no good snakes? I owe them some lumps! Is my dad safe?"
"Not yet," the Huntress stated. "We just escaped ourselves."
"But we have a very effective diversion in progress," Scarlet continued. "I wasn't able to get a layout of this place. Do you know where your father is being held?"
"He's been working in one of the old science labs on the third floor. Got anything to eat? I'm starving."
"Here," the Huntress said handing Night Owl one of her nutrition bars. "They're not much, but better then nothing."
"Thanks," Night Owl said taking a bite. "Geez, tastes like cardboard!" She stood and stretched for a few moments. Night Owl reclaimed her black mask as well. "I'll be alright. The darker it is, the better I am."
Scarlet accepted yet another nutrition bar from the Huntress as well. "I knew I should have packed a lunch."
"Let's get going," the Huntress said. "The Nest Leader is mine alone."
Without another word, Scarlet led the way to the door. Beyond was a hallway leading to the left and right. Night Owl gestured to the left and the group turned that way. A short distance away was a flight of stairs. A squad of VIPER agents were running down them!
"The prisoners have escaped!", one of the snakes shouted. The Huntress recognized him as Michael Potts, the agent that led her to this nest of vipers.
"Don't you just love villains who state the blatantly obvious?" Scarlet taunted as she activated her lightsabre.
"FIRE!", another of the snakes shouted.
One of the agents who had his VIPER issue blaster in his hands fired away, but the Scarlet Sabre was ready him. She waved her lightsabre about and deftly reflected the energy blasts from the Fang Pistol back to its holder! The VIPER agent crumbled on the stairs from the force of his own weapon.
Night Owl acted with incredible speed. In almost a single motion she ripped the door to the room she had been imprisoned in off its thick hinges and threw it at the VIPER agents! One managed to avoid the large missile, but his comrades were hit hard.
The Huntress dove forward, tumbled across the floor, and then exploded upwards in a powerful leap. She connected with a spinning kick square in the remaining agent's chest. He hit the stairwell wall and slumped to the floor. The dazed VIPER agents were quickly overwhelmed by the heroines.
"Nice move," Night Owl said to the Huntress after sending the last snake into dreamland.
"Thanks, although a little less widespread than your method of snake bashing." The Huntress was pleased that her first fight as a hero had gone so well.
"Let's get going, rookies," the Scarlet Sabre interrupted. "This isn't over yet. We've got to rescue Night Owl's father and recover those photos before the Nest Leader gets away!" Scarlet dug into her sword belt and produced a small hand held gadget about the size of a pocket calculator. She activated it and a soft 'pinging' sound could be heard.
"What's that?" Night Owl looked on with a puzzled look on her face.
"A short range sonar," Scarlet explained. "It should prevent any more surprises."
"Right," the Huntress said as she gestured for her companions to move along up the stairs. With that, Night Owl led the way.
The heroines moved through the darkened school halls at a brisk pace. Scarlet's device had alerted them to another group of VIPER agents. This time they took the snakes by surprise and put them down before they could even react.
Before long they reached the science lab that Night Owl had spoken of. "This is it," Scarlet said shutting down and storing her sonar device.
Suddenly a small explosion was heard in the science lab! "My teammates have targeted the lab. They'll give us the diversion we need to get inside. The computer is inside as well. Try to destroy it if you get a chance."
"Shouldn't we try to capture it?", the Huntress asked. "It could contain vital information."
"It does, but I already have a copy of it."
"You've certainly got the mysterious heroine part down pat." It was really beginning to annoy the Huntress. "You can control machines or something?"
"You're warm," was Scarlet's answer. "Let's just say that I have a guardian angel. Right now we've got some snakes to educate."
"Let's do it!" Night Owl moved towards the door and kicked it in. The door was blasted off its hinges and sent flying into the room. It clobbered a VIPER Agent square in the back sending him to the floor with the remains of the door on top of him.
Scarlet drew her lightsabre, activated it, and dove into the room. She hit the floor rolling and tumbled to her feet, sword in a defensive posture. The enemy was just beginning to realize they were being attacked from the rear. Seeing no immediate threats, the Scarlet Sabre thumbed another button on the sword's hilt. This adjusted the energy blade, reshaping it into a blunt force, akin to club. In this mode, Scarlet laid into the closest VIPER agent sending him flying like a ball from a baseball bat.
The Huntress was not as fast as her comrades and brought up the rear. Spotting a concentrated group of VIPER Agents, she tossed a darkness pellet in their direction. The pellet began to issue a dark gas upon impacting with the floor. The Agents were blinded. Night Owl, unhindered by the darkness, waded into the cloud and began to clean house.
Scarlet tumbled across the chaos filled lab and landed in front of a man in a white lad coat. "Dr. Jansen, I presume?"
"Uhm-- yes, miss--?"
"That name's Scarlet Sabre. We're your rescue party. Take cover and try to stay out of the way."
Gun fire sprayed the area near the floor. Dr. Jansen dropped and hid behind an lab table. "Not a problem!", he said taking cover.
Upon spotting the computer terminal, the Huntress lobbed another pellet at it. This one was a thermite pellet and it began to emit great amounts of heat upon impact. In moments, the entire table the computer rested on was in flames. The computer was melted slag in seconds! "I got the computer!"
"Good work!", Scarlet shouted as she fought off a trio of VIPER agents. "Behind you!"
The Huntress whirled about in time to see the Nest Leader dart out of the door. "Damn! I'm on him!" The Huntress gave chase through the halls of the abandoned school. The heroine was much faster then the head snake and the gap between the two closed quickly. Finally, with a flying tackle, she brought the Nest Leader down.
The Nest Leader hit hard, the wind being knocked out of him. The Huntress was on him in a flash. She flipped him over and sat on his chest, her knees pinning the man's arms. Her hands locked around his neck in a death grip. Red hot rage ruled her heart.
"End of the line, scum bag!"
The pressure on the Nest Leader's neck increased. His eyes grew large. "No!", he screamed with what breath he had left. "Didn't--- do it!"
This made the Huntress pause. She eased up her grip. "You lied, didn't you?"
"Yes! I had nothing to do with what happened to the Avengers!" It did make sense to the Huntress. This Nest Leader really was the coward that the Scarlet Sabre made him out to be. Given the resources he had, it was unlikely that this branch of VIPER could have destroyed the Avenger's Mansion.
"You used what happen to bolster your image. To impress others. To regain your precious position."
"Yes," the Nest Leader hissed in a defeated screech.
The Huntress let go of the man's neck, her rage fading. "You're garbage, you know that?"
< The Nest Leader didn't say anything. Instead, he had gathered a small portion of dust and dirt in his right hand. As the Huntress relaxed her hold on him, he acted, tossing the debris into the heroine's face! "AH!, the Huntress cried out in surprise from suddenly being blinded. Her hands automatically moved to her face. The Nest Leader pushed with all his might and threw the Huntress off to one side. He got up, ran and didn't look back.
"Damn!", the Huntress cursed as she worked to clear her eyes. By the time her sight had returned, the Nest Leader was long gone. "Dumb, dumb, dumb. Dad was right. I do have a lot to learn." The Huntress spun and headed back to her comrades....
Within the hour, the situation was completely under control. PRIMUS had arrived and took control of over three dozen captured VIPER agents. The media had also arrived and was interviewing the heroes. The Scarlet Sabre fielded most of the questions, as she was cordial with the reporters. They avoided Resonator and FIST, but flocked around Silver Arrow.
The Huntress sat quietly inside the Situation Van, one of the many vehicles the Freedom League employed in their crimefighting endeavors, hidden from the chaos outside. A glass of water was in one hand, her second sandwich in the other. Dr. Jansen and Night Owl were inside as well.
"Cheer up!", Night Owl said to the Huntress. "We made a great team and kicked some butt! Why so glum?"
"My daughter is correct," Dr. Jansen added. "If not for you, we would both still be prisoners of VIPER. Given more time I might have even re-discovered the formula that gave Lydia her powers and VIPER would have super-powered agents. We are both in your debt."
"Thanks," the Huntress said. "I guess I did some good. This was not quite what I expected from my first mission. Plus I didn't solve who was responsible for killing my father. I'm back to square one on that front."
The door to the van slid open and the Scarlet Sabre entered. "Man, those reporters don't know when to quit! How are you guys doing? Don't worry, Dr. Jansen, I didn't mention you or your daughter to the media. That can be our little secret."
"Thank you," Dr. Jansen said. "The damage might already be done. What's to prevent another organization from trying the same thing?"
"There are no guarantee’s, doctor. I'll do what I can to erase what is known about you and the results of your experiment. Perhaps you might consider taking a position with Campbell Industries? The Freedom League does provide a good measure of security. I can talk to Sheryl about it, if you are interested." Sheryl Campbell was the owner of Campbell Industries International. It was she that brought the Freedom League together as corporate heroes. In short, Sheryl was the Scarlet Saber’s employer.
"A most kind offer. I'll consider it."
Scarlet took a refreshment for the refrigerator and downed a large gulp. Then she moved towards the Huntress. "You're going to make a great hero once you get some experience under your belt. I was impressed. You held up much better then I did on my first few missions. I was a nervous wreck."
The Huntress managed a weak smile.
"The night's still young and there are things to do if you are willing."
That got the Huntress' interest. "What do you mean?", she asked.
"Like I explained earlier, I was working in conjunction with your father and Black Diamond on the Retaliator problem. I now have the information I need to put a stop to it once and for all."
"Are you ever going to tell me how you do that?" The Huntress was greatly annoyed.
"I will, I promise. Just under more ideal circumstances." With that Scarlet motioned towards the Jansens. "We both have secrets that we'd like to keep. Our identities should be safe. You trashed their computer and I located the pictures and negatives. All they have left are their memories."
"I hope so."
"Buck up, things will be alright. Anyway, I helped your dad when this Retaliator problem started. I thought that you might like to finish the job."
"What do you have?", the Huntress asked with growing interest. She liked the idea of finishing up loose ends left by her famous father.
"The Nest Computer had all the information on it. The guns were designed by a Dr. Victor Tennison, a VIPER scientist. VIPER forces broke into a Simcorp weapons plant outside of Buffalo and turned out a couple of dozen of the weapons as prototypes. It was in testing that they found a design flaw. The gun dissipates heat poorly. Use it too much and the magazine explodes."
"That explains all the injuries that these weapons have caused."
"Exactly. The Nest Leader was stuck with all these weapons that were little more than time bombs. He dumped them off to a second-rate fence locally for a huge profit. The guns work fine in demonstrations. It takes long term use before they explode."
"And so the computer told you just who this fence was?"
"Yes. Believe it or not, it's Crazy Teddy." Crazy Teddy ran a second-rate business that focused primarily on household electronics: Crazy Teddy's Slightly Used Bargains.
"That clown from TV?" That was almost too much for the Huntress to swallow.
"The same. We've had suspicions that he was a small time fence. Looks like he's upped the stakes to illegal weapons."
"Alright. Let's shut this guy down!" The thrill of the hunt was coming over the Huntress again.
"Hey, count me in!" Night Owl had overheard most of their conversation. Scarlet Sabre and the Huntress looked questioningly at each other. "I still owe those guys a few lumps. It'll be night pretty soon and I'll be at full strength. I had a blast working with you two. We made a good team."
"Night Owl does have a point," the Huntress said. She too had enjoyed working as a group. She was beginning to understand why Hunter had been in the Avengers for so long.
"Alright," Scarlet added, "it's a trio. The brunette squad has a deranged retailer to bust before anyone else gets hurt..."
