Slowly, Maverick descended the stairs to the ground floor. She wore her traditional costume minus the facemask and cowboy hat. It was more out of habit than by design. Near the front door, several of her Superior Six teammates were getting ready to depart for the evening.
Captain Lightning and Titan were there, each in their costumes. Tanya Chamberlain, also known as the Sorceress, was also present. Since her identity as the Sorceress was public knowledge, Tanya had changed into a more traditional Mexican festival garb. She wore bright yellow skirt with a ruffled top. A thin yellow scarf had been tied into her hair and she was currently wearing big hoop earrings. A pair of espadrilles graced Tanya's feet.
Today was a holiday for those of Mexican descent, the Cinco de Mayo celebration. Cinco de Mayo, literally translated into Fifth of May, celebrated the defeat of French forces in East Mexico back in 1862. In Dallas, the day was marked by a celebration in Pike's Park.
The Superior Six had been invited as guests of honor for the festivities. Ever since the team had debuted over a year ago as the Superior Seven, there were only two things more popular in the state of Texas: JR and Da Boys.
"Are you sure you won't reconsider," Tanya inquired upon noticing Maverick. "If past festivals are any indication, this one will be a great deal of fun."
"It sure beats hanging out at the Ranch all alone," Titan added with a grin. "You always loved being out in public."
Before becoming a member of the Superior Seven, Maverick had been a rodeo star and sharpshooter. She was accustomed to performing before large audiences and enjoyed being in the spotlight. Joining the Superior Seven had taken her stage to an all-new level. Maverick quickly became one of the more popular members of the team.
A relationship with a fellow member, the Comet, came along and all seemed right in the young woman's life. Then Maverick's life was shattered. Comet was brutally murdered and suddenly her life didn't seem to have meaning any more. She was no longer sure of herself or her role on the Superior Six. Did she even belong here anymore?
"I appreciate yer concern," Maverick drawled in response, "but I reckon I'll just sit out this one. I don't feel much like celebrating."
"We'll respect your wishes," Captain Lightning stated. "If there is anything that we can do to help, please let us know."
"Thank ya kindly."
"We'll talk later," Tanya promised to Maverick with a small hug. "In the meantime our public awaits."
"Have a good time, partners."
Good-byes were exchanged and Maverick watched as her teammates crossed the short distance to the nearby hanger. Duke had the Lone Star 3 already prepped for the short trip. Once on board, Titan lifted the Lone Star 3 into the sky and then flew off out of sight.
Hundreds of miles to the south and west, the remainder of the Superior Six was flying over the skies of El Paso in the Double J. The Double J, the commonly used nickname for the Jump Jet, was a small two-man long-range transport. The bigger Lone Star 3 was used to transport the entire team, and other passengers if necessary, to distant locations.
As of late, the Superior Six had been spending an unusual amount of time in El Paso. There had been reports of strange creatures, a sudden burst of superpowered teens, and the fiery villainess the Phoenix. A hidden VIPER research lab was uncovered, including several teenagers who had been given superpowers. The teens had joined the Young Champions program and the monstrous Caiman was captured. With the exception of the Phoenix herself, the situation in El Paso seemed to have been resolved. (Editor's Note: Back in Young Champions #1-3)
However that was now clearly not the case. Phoenix had surfaced again in the company of several other unidentified superpowered teens. Had there been other teens transformed by VIPER before the fall of their research lab, or was some other agency at work? It was a mystery the Superior Six wanted get to the bottom of.
Centurion and Earthquake were dispatched to scout out the situation in El Paso, with Captain Lightning, Titan, and the Sorceress arriving after fulfilling their Cinco de Mayo obligations. The pair had arrived in the Double J earlier in the afternoon.
The heroes had touched base with the locale authorities and were currently out on patrol as night had begun to fall. All was quiet until a message came in over the Double J's radio.
"Looks like we're gonna see some action," Centurion reported excitedly. The receiver in his armor had been tuned to the local police bands and he had been expecting a call.
"What's happening?"
"Something's going down in the warehouse district," Centurion explained to Earthquake. "Phoenix has been spotted on the scene! If she's there then maybe her whole gang is there as well. I'm changing course. We'll be there in a few minutes."
The Double J banked, carrying its passengers towards a rendezvous the Phoenix and her unknown allies...
Captain Lightning, Titan, and the Sorceress had arrived at the Pike's Park and had spread out to enjoy the festivities. The Sorceress had joined in on the folk dances and was greatly enjoying herself. A mariachi band was playing in the background. There were clowns for entertainment, games for amusement, and food booths featuring a wide variety of Mexican cuisine.
As Tanya danced with other festivalgoers, a strange feeling came over her. Thanks to her training in the mystic arts by the Master of the Circle, the Sorceress was sensitive to strong traces of magic. Her senses were telling her that powerful magic was in the immediate area.
Excusing herself, Tanya stepped away and activated her wrist communicator. "Captain Lightning, come in please."
"Yes, Tanya. Are you enjoying yourself?
"Immensely, but I fear that this is not a social call."
"What's the problem?"
"I do not wish to cause an alarm, Captain, but I am sensing the presence of powerful magic here in the park," the Sorceress reported.
"Any idea what? Friend or foe?"
"Not as of yet. I shall investigate and report back to you."
"Understood," Captain Lighting responded. "I'll fill in Titan. Cap out."
Elsewhere in the park, Titan was having the time of his life. Joe Timonson had always loved children and children were always in awe of his giant-sized incarnation. Having grown to his full height, Titan was giving rides to scores of kids. Their laugher and cries of glee filled the air.
The merriment was briefly interrupted by a message from Captain Lightning relaying the message about the magic that the Sorceress had detected. Titan had excused himself from the children and shrunk back to his normal size to receive the message.
"I'll keep my eyes open, Cap," Titan promised before closing his own wrist communicator. Titan started to head back towards the other children, when soft sobbing reached his ears. Close bye, a little girl was crying.
"Is there something wrong, little one?" Titan gently inquired as he approached. "Tell me what's wrong."
"It's my mommy!" the little girl cried out. "She needs help. Can you help my mommy, mister?"
"Where's you mommy at? Can you take me to her?"
"This way!"
The little girl ran off before Titan could answer. Greatly concerned, the hero followed and kept the little girl in sight. Titan was led away from the park into one of the large parking areas. After rounding a tractor-trailer, Titan came face to face with someone that he was not expecting to see.
"Black Paladin! What's the meaning of this?"
The evil knight was standing there, his arms folded. Eerily, his eyes glowed with green energy. The little girl ran up to Black Paladin and stood by his side. Paladin didn't responded to Titan's question. Instead, he dramatically gestured with his arm and said, "Now my knights! Take down the giant!"
Blaster fire from half a dozen DEMON Warriors was unleashed on the unsuspecting hero. Titan was down on his knees before he even realized the danger he was in. Black Paladin's Knights had been very well hidden.
The villain himself delivered the final blow, as his enchanted mace slammed hard into Titan's chest. Titan fell face first into the dirt. It all happened so fast that he never even tried to grow or call his teammates for assistance.
"Your plan worked perfectly, Master!" the little girl happily complimented. As she spoke, the little girl suddenly grew and changed back into the evil and malevolent Lady Bale. "The Titan has fallen!"
"Naturally," Black Paladin snorted. "The fool's love for children blinded him to any possible danger. You performed your role in this ruse adequately. Now, to make sure that he will not interfere with my plans..."
Black Paladin produced a green glowing gem, one of the legendary Lesser Emerald Eyes of Azog. The dark knight concentrated, bringing the powers of the evil artifact to bear. Tendrils of greenish energy shot out of the gem and whirled around the unconscious Titan. As they did, Titan began to shrink!
Lady Bale advanced on the shrinking Titan giggling evilly as he grew smaller and smaller. "A most supreme jest, Master! Transforming the giant into an itsy bitsy mouse!" Lady Bale accepted a glass bottle from one of the Knights. Reaching down, she picked up the now tiny Titan and stuffed him inside the bottle. A cork was then rammed down the opening sealing the bottle tight.
"His teammates shall be along shortly," Black Paladin nodded. "Prepare yourselves."
At his command, the Knights returned to their hiding place and Lady Bale obediently joined her master's side. The first part of Black Paladin's plan to divide and conqueror the Superior Six had been completed.
In her quarters at the Ranch, Maverick half-heartedly paged through a photo album. She had done this many times before in the past few weeks. The pages were full of memories from a happier time. Most were shots of her and Comet together.
On the surface, the two didn't seem like much of an ideal match. Maverick was far more outgoing and boisterous. Comet was more the quiet, reserved type. But as many times is the case, love had bloomed between the two seemingly mismatched individuals.
What really struck Maverick as odd was that in almost all the pictures she was wearing her cowgirl outfit. Even now she was wearing it. In fact she was rarely seen out of it. It was as much a part of her as her six shooters or her being a member of the Superior Six. It was part of her identity; an identity that she was sure no longer applied.
"Beggin' yer pardon, Ma'am," Duke interrupted over Maverick's wrist communicator, "but I plumb reckon that yer gonna wanna take a gander at this." As Duke spoke the monitor in Maverick's quarters flared to life.
"What is it, Duke?" Maverick closed her photo album and moved closer to observe the screen.
"Perimeter sensors are picking up a whole lotta movement out there. All around the Ranch. They're too far away to clearly make out, but too many to be normal. We're not talkin' about prairie dogs here either."
"That's a might strange," Maverick agreed. "Rouse the Ranch defenses just in case we're gettin' uninvited guests and contact the rest of the team. I reckon I'll head on down to Centurion's lab for some extra heavy-duty weapons. Keep me advised."
"Understood, Ma'am."
With a sigh, Maverick replaced the photo album and donned her mask, put on her cowboy hat and slipped into her boots and gloves. Her holster went on last. The strange readings by the Ranch defense system could all be nothing, but Maverick's gut told her otherwise. Regardless of her personal feelings, Maverick was going to be needed at the top of her game tonight.
After much effort, the Sorceress had managed to separate herself from the crowd of admirers. That was the downside of being a public celebrity. Unlike the rest of her Superior Six teammates, Tanya's identity was not a secret. By now everyone knew who she was and what she looked like.
Unlike many heroes, Tanya had no great fear of harm befalling the rest of her family. Magic had run strong in her family tree and most of the Chamberlains could wield its forces to some degree. Tanya was more powerful than most of the other Chamberlains, her cousin Greg better known as Starbolt, being one of the notable exceptions.
A few villains had tried to take advantage of the lesser-powered Chamberlains, but were rapidly taught the error of their ways by more powerful family members. Such lessons were not easy to forget and rarely was such an attempt tried again.
It was difficult for the Sorceress to separate her life as a magic-wielding heroine to that of a wealthy socialite. To her, both were facets of her life and not something you could just separate. Now she didn't have to bother with such things.
While she had been enjoying the festival, her responsibilities as the Sorceress took precedence. The magic she was sensing could be perfectly harmless, or it could be disaster waiting to happen. It must be investigated regardless and neutralized if necessary.
Once away from her admirers, Tanya had used a simple spell to conjure her Sorceress costume. Her bright festival clothes changed into her dark green costume. The Shadow Cloak appeared about her shoulders and the Amulet of the Warrior dangled from her neck. Both were magical artifacts that Tanya had uncovered in past years and made much use of. Both items, along with the sword Reaver, had been past targets for those who made use of magical equipment.
Tanya's search had led her out to one of the parking lot areas surrounding the park. The source of magic was close, but that was not all. Her amulet was beginning to tell the Sorceress that danger was near as well. Tanya slowed her pace and proceeded with greater caution.
The Sorceress walked slowly between two large pickup trucks. She went to step out in front of them when the sense of danger grew greater, causing Tanya to step back. A second later, a sword sliced through the air where the Sorceress would have been had she continued forward!
"Lady Bale!" Tanya gasped as she recognized her assailant.
"Welcome to our festival of blood!" Lady Bale retorted with a sneer. She recovered from her missed attack and pointed her sword at the Sorceress. Lady Bale was about the same height as Tanya and was even similarly dressed as her foe except all in black.
Lady Bale was well known to the Sorceress as a practitioner of black magic and as a woman who lusted for personal power. The two had frequently been at odds in the past as both actively tried to acquire magic items. While Lady Bale didn't have the same quality or quantity of magic items as the Sorceress, the ones she did possess made her a dangerous foe when used in combination.
The high black boots that Lady Bale wore gave her speed and agility. Her short black gloves gave her strength and the ability to toss bolts of energy. Lady Bale's own cloak gave her the power of flight, while her ornate amulet served as protection. She wielded the Sword of Kane in her hands. A black bustier and matching bikini bottoms rounded out the rest of Lady Bale's attire.
"Your blood!" Lady Bale continued as she lunged at the Sorceress.
Tanya quickly backed away from the assault. As she did, the Sorceress summoned her own blade, the magical sword Reaver to her hand. Lady Bale swung down mightily with the Sword of Kane, only to have the effort blocked by Reaver.
"What is your game this time, Bale?" Tanya wondered, as she took the battle to Lady Bale. "Why attack me at this place? At this time?"
"The same as always, hated one. I seek the power you possess and all those wonderfully evil magic items you have hidden away from the light of day! Can you not hear their cries for release? It is a crime to lock up such power!"
The two sorceresses exchanged lunges and parries as they battled amongst the parked cars. Finding herself backed up against a car, Tanya tumbled backward over the hood and landed on her feet on the other side. Reaver was up once more and was ready for battle.
"The only crime would be to allow such dangerous and chaotic magicks loose in the world," the Sorceress countered. "Power from such evil items always carries a very high price tag."
Reaver, the Amulet of the Warrior, and the Shadow Cloak were not the only magic items in the Sorceress' possession. There were many others. Most were minor magicks at best that duplicated effects the Sorceress could easily do herself. A few were very powerful, but were aligned to the dark arts of black magic.
Such items were indestructible so the Sorceress had sought to seal them away for all time. During the renovation of the Ranch, a secret underground vault had been constructed and then buried. Only Captain Lightning or the Sorceress could reach it with any ease. Its existence had not even been shared with the rest of the team. It was here that Tanya had locked away these dangerous magic items.
"A price that I am more than willing to pay!" Lady Bale spat back. The Sword of Kane slashed through the hood of the car separating the two combatants. "Just because you are weak and unwilling to hold true power is no reason to lock them away! Give them to me so that I can use them to the utmost in the service of my Master!"
"Never!"
Lady Bale circled around the car as she continued her assault. The Sword of Kane was not a subtle weapon, unlike the more powerful Reaver. It was forged solely to be used in battle and to kill enemies. Once more the Sorceress blocked a powerful smash.
Taking a few steps back, Tanya mentally altered the properties of Reaver. The sword had several different options when it came to battle and there was one setting that Lady Bale had no defense against.
The Sorceress swung Reaver in a wide arc towards her foe. Lady Bale positioned the Sword of Kane to block the attack, but it didn't matter. Reaver simply passed through the sword and into Lady Bale's body, but caused no physical injury. Instead, Reaver directly assaulted Lady Bale's mind, driving the black sorceress to her knees.
Tanya didn't give her foe a chance to recover and a kick to her torso threw Lady Bale backwards roughly against a mini-van. The evil mage collapsed to the ground unconscious.
"You never learn," Tanya panted as she sent Reaver away for safe keeping. Lady Bale was no longer a threat. A simple enchantment would restrain the dark sorceress until Tanya's teammates could arrive.
Unexpectedly, the Sorceress heard what sounded like metallic clapping. She spun and was astonished to find Black Paladin standing close by. A squad of DEMON Warriors flanked him. So lost in her battle, the Sorceress never realized that they were being watched.
"A magnificent victory, my dear," the evil knight complimented with a slight bow. "And a most poor performance by my consort. Pity."
"What do you want, Black Paladin?", Tanya inquired. He referred to Lady Bale as his consort and Bale had spoken about serving a master. The heroine had heard about Black Paladin and Lady Bale acting in concert during the incident with the Crimson Claw, but thought nothing of it at the time.
"I want you."
Emerald tendrils of energy shot out from the glowing gem that Black Paladin possessed. Before she could realize what was going on, these tendrils wrapped tightly around the Sorceress body, drawing her legs together and forcing her arms tightly to her sides. The energy covered her body completely from her toes to just above her nose. Tanya teetered for a moment and then fell to the ground helpless.
"And now I have you," Paladin malevolently stated.
The Sorceress could only watch helplessly as Black Paladin's men moved closer to her. With her hands bound and her mouth covered, spell casting was impossible. The Sorceress was now the prisoner of the diabolical Black Paladin and Lady Bale.
Down in El Paso, Centurion and Earthquake had landed the Double J a few blocks away from the target warehouse and were moving in under their own powers. Centurion flew thanks to the jets in his armor. Earthquake had willed a small island of earth to rise into the air underneath his feet. He was able to fly by directing this earthen island through the sky. The sounds of automatic weapons fired reached the heroes' ears as they neared their target.
"How do you want to play this?" Earthquake inquired of his teammate.
"I've always had a fondness for the direct approach," Centurion answered back.
"Somehow I knew you were going to say that." Earthquake could imagine the wide grin on Centurion's face. "Just keep the destruction of private property down to a minimum."
Of all the Superior Six, Centurion was the one Earthquake considered most prone to violent outbursts. At times, the armored hero had a hair trigger temper and seemed to genuinely enjoy blowing things up. Earthquake found Centurion's desire to design and build powerful weapons a bit disconcerting as well. But at least Centurion typically included stun only settings to most of his weapons. That made Earthquake feel marginally better.
Centurion pointed his forearm cannon at the roof of the target warehouse and opened fire. The very air crackled around his weapon as the plasma built up and then discharged with a loud whine. A stream of highly energized plasma streamed forth, blowing open a gaping hole in the warehouse roof!
"You say something?" Centurion asked a moment later.
"Never mind," Earthquake grumbled in response.
Centurion surged forward, flying through the opening he created and into the warehouse. Earthquake followed on his earthen island a few moments later.
The fighting going on inside the warehouse had come to a sudden stop as the unexpected intrusion. There were numerous men armed with automatic weapons that had been firing on costumed individuals in the warehouse.
Hovering inside the warehouse was the woman known as the Phoenix. The villainess wore a black one-piece swimsuit-like outfit with flame accents in orange and yellow with matching knee height boots, elbow length gloves, and facial mask. She immediately noticed the presence of Centurion. "We've got company, my charges! Carry out our mission objectives while I hold off these heroes!"
The Phoenix gestured and fire filled the area around Centurion and Earthquake! Overcome by the attack, both plummeted from the air to the warehouse floor below...
The Cinco de Mayo festival had taken an unexpected turn. The mariachi bands were now silent. Where once cries of joy and laughter could be heard, now only the sounds of fear and screams of terror could be heard. Festivalgoers were in a full panic and ran every which way around Captain Lightning. Sounds of weapons fire could be heard off in the distance.
The sudden change did not totally surprise Captain Lighting. He had been unable to reach either Titan or the Sorceress via their wrist communicators. It wasn't like either one of them to simply ignore a message. No, something had happened to his friends and teammates. Just what, Captain Lighting vowed to discover.
The message from Duke concerning the situation at the Ranch greatly concerned Cap as well. Regardless, he needed to locate his missing teammates before they could return to the Ranch.
Locating the source of the problem was relatively simple. Cap just went the way everyone around him was running from. The location finders built into the wrist communicators told him his teammates were in that same direction as well. In short order, Captain Lightning reached a small clearing in the festival. The area had been set aside so that children could hit piņatas with sticks to free the sweet treats concealed inside.
What Captain Lighting saw in this area made him freeze in shock. The Sorceress was dangling by her ankles like a piņata. Some type of greenish energy had wrapped the heroine up like an Egyptian mummy. Her head swayed a few feet above the ground, her long hair swirling in the light breeze. Standing close by, greatly enjoying the Sorceress' predicament was the infamous Lady Bale.
Even more shocking, standing close by was the fearsome Black Paladin and he now wore Tanya's Shadow Cloak! Several heavily armed DEMON Warriors were present as well. Much of the crowd had vacated the area by now.
"Let her go, you monsters!" Captain Lighting called in anger.
"Excellent," Black Paladin remarked as he spotted the hero. "The last player in our little drama arrives on the stage."
"You heard me, Paladin," Captain Lightning continued. "We both know I can hurt you like I have in the past. Let Tanya go and you can go slithering back under whatever rock you came out of."
"You are in no position to make demands, whelp. You will do exactly as I command or my charming consort will drain your precious Sorceress' life's blood. Then we can watch as it drips away and seeps into the earth."
As Captain Lightning watched, Lady Bale placed her sword at Tanya's throat. Obediently, the green wraps around the Sorceress' neck parted, allowing the Sword of Kane to touch her unprotected flesh.
"Just give me the command, Master, and she dies!" Lady Bale gleefully called out.
"What shall it be, Captain," Black Paladin demanded. "Surrender or the wench has breathed her last. A pity that such a lovely creature has to meet such a brutal end."
All the while, Captain Lightning's eyes had not left the bound form of the Sorceress. He knew that she would yell at him later for what he was about to do, but in the end he could not let Tanya be harmed no matter what the cost.
"You win, Paladin," Captain Lightning called. "I surrender."
"As always, you weak-willed fool," Black Paladin noted. "Giving up oneself for the sake of beauty or friendship. Pathetic."
"Spare me the speeches, villain. What would you have me do?"
"Approach me," Black Paladin commanded. The evil knight grasped the sides of his stolen Shadow Cloak and opened up the portal to the Shadow Plane. "Step inside the cloak. But I warn you at the slightest sign of treachery, the wench dies!"
"I have your word she will not be harmed?" Lightning inquired as he cautiously walked towards Black Paladin. Each of the DEMON Warriors had their weapons trained on him.
"You have my word as a gentleman. The wench shall join you shortly."
Captain Lightning accepted the word of Black Paladin, stepped into the Shadow Cloak, and vanished. Paladin concentrated and sealed the portal once more. The evil knight was most pleased with his new acquisition.
"Can I kill her now?" Lady Bale called out once the leader of the Superior Seven had vanished. The black mage was eager to slice open her hated enemy and end her life.
"Stay thy hand, my consort," Black Paladin command sharply as he approached. "My word is my bond. For now the wench shall not be harmed. She is yet still useful to me."
"Let me torture her then."
Black Paladin responded by slapping the face of Lady Bale with the back of his gauntleted hand. The force of the blow sent Bale to the ground, the Sword of Kane falling free from her hand. Tears began to well up in Lady Bale's eyes. "Master? Why--?"
"Silence!" Black Paladin thundered. "Your place is to obey my commands without comment, without question. Continue with this insubordinate behavior and you shall be severely punished!"
The effect of Black Paladin's outburst was immediate on Lady Bale. She scrambled to prostrate herself before the dark knight's feet. "Forgive my insolence, master! I beg of you! I live only to serve you!" Passionately, Lady Bale kissed her master's dirty armored feet. "I promise I will serve you without question!"
"Kneel beside me and stay thy tongue." At Black Paladin's direction, Lady Bale immediately complied.
All of this was not lost on the Sorceress who was helplessly forced to watch this display occurring a few feet in front of her. How had the once proud and arrogant Lady Bale been reduced to this? The woman had always used others like pawns and now she was a willing slave.
The evil knight then turned back to face his prisoner. "And now my proud beauty, you shall reveal where your cache of magic is located." As he did, the strange green glowing gem reappeared in his hand. Tanya realized that it was one of the Lesser Eyes of Azog, a powerful evil artifact. That did explain much.
Green tendrils of energy leaped out of the gem and slammed into Tanya's forehead. In spite of her training, the Sorceress could not keep the Black Paladin out of her mind. The pain was incredible and the Sorceress did what she could to resist, but it was in vain. Her mind was an open book to him and Paladin learned the secret location. A moment later, Tanya passed out from the strain.
"I now know the secret place," Black Paladin declared triumphantly. "And there I will find even more power."
"Such is your right, my Master," Lady Bale chimed in hesitantly. "What is your command? Do you wish the prisoner slain at this time?"
After a moment's hesitation, Black Paladin spoke. "No. I have other plans for her and her colleagues. For now we imprison them on the Shadow Plane. Later, at my leisure, I shall draw them forth and use the power of the Eye to bind them to my will. Then they will serve me as willingly as you do."
"You are wise and powerful, Master," Lady Bale intoned, but deep inside she was not pleased. Only she was worthy enough to serve the Master! Not any of these others!
Beating down her own thoughts, Lady Bale rose to her feet and commanded the DEMON Warriors to cut the Sorceress down. They did without question and the magic-using heroine fell headfirst to the ground before landing in a puff of dust. Her still bound form was picked up and then tossed into the Shadow Cloak like she was no more than a sack of potatoes. The jar holding the tiny Titan was thrown in as well.
"Gather around me, Knights," Black Paladin called out. "We go to plunder the cache of magic."
With Lady Bale at his side, and his warriors surrounding him, Paladin brought the power of the Lesser Emerald Eye into play once more. The eye flashed with green energy and then Black Paladin and his charges were gone. The festival grounds were now empty and a dark storm was brewing.
Maverick moved swiftly through the tunnels underneath the Ranch. Duke had kept the heroine advised of the situation as it had developed. More and more contacts were made along the outermost edge of the Ranch's surveillance system. In short order the Ranch had been surrounded by some unknown foe. The number of the enemy, their identity, and their intentions remained a mystery.
Reaching her destination, Maverick paused to have the entry system identify her. No passes or scan cards were necessary as the equipment near the secured doorway scanned the heroines infrared heat pattern. Her identity confirmed, the large metallic door slid open allowing Maverick access to Centurion's Lab.
"The polecats are on the move, Ma'am," Duke reported excitedly. Well, as excited as the mechanical man could sound. "Positive ID comin' in now. What in tarnation? These bushwhackers are gosh darn VIPER agents! We got ourselves a major snake uprisin'!"
"Not that big of a surprise, partner," Maverick drawled. "We've been a big ol' burr in VIPER's saddle for a long time now. I reckon they're hankerin' for a showdown while the others are away."
"Your orders, Ma'am?"
Maverick reached the secured weapons cabinet and underwent another ID check. That complete the cabinet opened revealing a collection of specially created firearms and weapons. She pulled out a large rifle and settled the support strap over her shoulder. Several power clips were inserted into the weapon and the rifle was turned on. It hummed with power. A few smaller firearms were grabbed and stuffed into her belt.
"Put the Ranch defenses on automatic," Maverick commanded. "It's time we skin ourselves a few snakes. I could use a new pair of boots."
