#1 - "A Call to Arms"
#1 - "A Call to Arms"
Charger and Feur streaked overhead, discharging lightning and fire down upon the fleeing heroes. The Gremlin came in on a different attack vector and attempted to rake her claws along Blizzard's back. "I'm getting sick of these turkeys!", Blizzard yelled as he dove for cover.
The group of heroes had been casually making their way out of the mountains when they were unexpectedly attacked. Obviously, the Claw's Citadel had not moved as far away this time as they thought it had. The surprise attack opened up when Charger blasted away a nearby peak, causing numerous boulders and rocks to rain down upon the heroes. Before they could even gather their wits, they were beset from by the air.
"If I only had my bow and arrows," Silver Arrow lamented. Without his trademark equipment, the Freedom Leaguer was little more than a man in a costume.
"I've had enough of this crap!", Imperial shouted. "Let's take'm out!" The red and gold hero took to the air and gave chase to Feur.
"You heard the man," Spectrum said, "Let's do it!" He also went airborne, followed by the Empress. The colorful mutant closed in on the slower Gremlin and blasted her with a burst of light. "Hi, ugly! Remember me?"
"How could I forget you!", the villainess screamed. "I'll tear you apart with my claws!"
"You remembered! I'm touched," Spectrum taunted as he soared past.
Back down on the ground, the Renegade was unexpectedly knocked off his feet. Morning Star saw the event unfold and yelled to her companions. "We've got an unseen enemy in our midst! Watch your backs!"
"I'll try to locate them with my sensors," Shockwave reported. Unexpectedly, a large blip appeared on the heroine's sensors. Shockwave pivoted to look in the direction of the approaching target. "Look out! Incoming!"
In response to Shockwave's warning, a huge boulder streaked onto the scene and smashed into Supreme! The Avenger never saw it coming and disappeared underneath the huge rock. From a nearby cliff, the Ripper roared his approval. "Bullseye! Hey, Morning Star! I'm comin' ta get ya, darlin'!" The misshapen brick roared with laughter. "Jus' sit tight!"
"You'll forgive me if I don't go willingly," Morning Star shot back.
"Sniper!", Peregrine shouted as laser fire erupted from an unseen marksman further up the mountain. One of the blasts caught the heroine, sending her sliding back down the hill she had been climbing.
"I'm on it!", Sabre responded. He concentrated and winked out of existence.
Maelstrom stood amongst the heroes on the ground. He concentrated and summoned forth a twisting vortex that appeared around a surprised Charger! Electricity played about the villain, but it seemed to have no effect on the winds containing him. "I'll hold him," Maelstrom shouted, "someone shoot him down!"
"With pleasure!" Blizzard generated an ice ram and shot it towards the vortex. It passed through the winds as if they were not there and caught Charger right in the breakbasket.
The Empress circled around the swirling vortex. "Hey, you're cutting into my turf, Maelstrom! Air is my gig!" The heroine's power reached out and took a hold of the air funnel. The vortex twisted under her command and collapsed in upon Charger. Caught in the funnel's powerful grip, the villain dropped to the ground, unconscious.
"As long as we get results, it matters not who can do what," Maelstrom retorted.
Elsewhere, Imperial now had Feur on the run. "What's the matter, flame-brain? Can't take the heat?", the hero taunted as he fired another mental blast. The experiment that created Imperial was designed to amplify his body, but it altered his mind as well. The result left Imperial with a odd hodge-podge of powers, both physical and mental. His versatility gave the red and gold-clad hero a wide variety of tactics in battle.
Feur had no defense against this type of assault and was getting weaker quickly. Reluctantly, he turned and flew away. Professor Muerte would be most displeased if he was captured. "Perhaps if you fought like a man, I would be more interested in continuing this battle."
Imperial pulled up and hovered as he watched Feur streak away. "I fight to win, loser! Go ahead an' run, ya flamin' freak!"
Sabre appeared a few yards behind the sniper that had those on the ground on the defensive. Silently, he moved forward towards the unsuspecting gunman. In a quick motion, Sabre reached forward and grabbed the man by the back of his gleaming bronze armor.
"Hey!", Lazer cried out as he was hoisted into the air. "Get yer crummy hands off me!"
"As you wish, friend." In a quick motion, Sabre pivoted and slammed Lazer into the nearby rock face. After a second impact, Lazer just groaned and collapsed. Sabre grinned and gave his comrades below an 'okay' gesture.
"I'm getting something," Shockwave reported. "It's a tiny villain-- over there!"
Morning Star looked off in the direction that Shockwave indicated and caught a glimpse of what her teammate had located. "Shrinker!" The purple and lavender clad heroine took a swing at the diminutive villainess, but was far from the mark.
"You can't lay a hand on me, Morning Star! But I can hit you!" Shrinker generated a bio-blast and it struck Morning Star directly in the face. "Let the humiliation of Morning Star begin!", Shrinker giggled maniacally.
Shockwave moved in to help, but she too couldn't lay a finger on the tiny villainess. "In spite of my sensors, she's too small-- too quick to hit!"
Unexpectedly, Spectrum passed overhead. While leading the enraged Gremlin on a wild goose chase, he had spotted the troubles his teammates were having. He adjusted his course and flew towards them, traveling about eight feet above the ground.
Spectrum used his teammates' reactions to judge where their tormentor was located. As he passed before Morning Star and Shockwave, Spectrum generated a pulse of light in the direction they were looking. "Need a spotlight, girls?"
Shrinker cursed loudly. "AUGH!! My eyes! I'm blind!"
Morning Star looked up and waved. "Thanks for the assist, Spectrum. Allow me to return the favor!" As Spectrum flew off, the Gremlin was right behind him. She had also adjusted her course and was therefore close to the ground. Morning Star timed the Gremlin's approach and leaped!
The Gremlin was shocked to suddenly find Morning Star in the air right before her. "Huh?!"
The heroine reached out and grabbed the Gremlin, bringing her back down to the ground. "You've just been grounded!" Two quick punches later, the reptilian villainess was no longer among the conscious.
In the meantime, Shockwave moved in on the blinded Shrinker. Finally, she was able to connect, sending Shrinker flying back into the distant rock face. "That was the most pesky fly I ever tried to swat."
Elsewhere, Supreme stood up, holding the boulder that Ripper had pegged him with over his head. "Now I'm mad!" With a surge of his powerful muscles, the Avenger sent the missile hurtling back towards its source.
However, Ripper wasn't content to be a sitting target. He leaped into the air, propelled by his powerful exo-skeleton. Ripper easily sailed a few yards past the rocky missile in mid-air.
"Damn it!", Supreme cursed. The hero's eyes grew wide when he realized that Ripper's arc was carrying him right towards him! "Oh man..."
Ripper pounced on top of Supreme, driving the hero into the ground like a tent peg. "Hah! That'll settle yer hash! Now, where's my girl at?"
Peregrine reached the top of the slope she had been climbing once more. She leaped into the air and caught the wind with her glider wings. Gaining altitude, the heroine took in the battle scene. Off in the distance, she spotted a new figure flying onto the scene. Banking, the Peregrine gave chase.
Rapidly she closed in on the man who she could identify, once close enough, as Foxbat. Oddly enough, he was singing. "Oh, he flies through the air with the greatest of ease, that daring, dashing, devilishly handsome young Foxbat who doesn't need no stinkin' trapeze!" Peregrine reached out to grab the maniac, but he ducked her attempt at the last second. "Ah-ah-ah," he taunted. "You can look, birdlady, but you can't touch!"
Foxbat entered a deep power dive, pulling up at the last second to land several dozen feet from Morning Star. "Now Morning Star, you shall face the awesome power of my ping-pong ball gun! You'll face your---" Unexpectedly, the villain stopped in mid-sentence and stared at the heroine. "Your face... I never realized just how attractive you are, Morning Star. You're beautiful! What could I have been thinking of? To attack someone as lovely as yourself!"
"Drop the act, Foxbat! I'm not falling for any of your tricks today."
The villain returned his dreaded ping-pong ball gun to its holster. "You wound me, my love. Yes, how could I have been so blind?!" Foxbat moved closer, staring at Morning Star lustfully. "You are the perfect woman. Whaddya say that me and you retire to the back seat of my Centipede Mobile for some heavy panting?"
"I think I liked you better when you were attacking me," Morning Star stated in disgust.
"Forget the twerp," Ripper roared out. "You're all mine, Morning Star!"
Spectrum flew up and landed next to his teammate. "Gee, I never knew you were so popular, 'Star."
"Neither did I."
Sabre popped in on the other side of Morning Star. Shockwave, Blizzard, Maelstrom, Imperial, and the Empress were making their way over as well.
Undaunted, Ripper continued his advance, his gaze locked on Morning Star. "I beat you, return you to the Claw, and I advance to the final round."
"Anybody have any idea what he's talking about?" Blizzard wondered out loud.
"I'll fill you in later," Spectrum answered.
Foxbat was the first to move. He rushed right up to the much larger Ripper. "Buzz off you big brute! No one harms my beloved!"
Ripper just shook his head in disbelief at the antics of Foxbat. "Get lost, you twit!" A powerful backhand sent Foxbat flying off to one side. "Which one a'ya wants ta play hero next?"
"You can't defeat us all, Ripper," Imperial warned. "Don't be a fool."
"I got next!" From behind Ripper, Supreme picked up the large villain and slammed him head first into the rocky ground. "Let's see how you like this move!" Supreme maintained his grip on Ripper after the impact. He raised him up once more and slammed him hard again.
"That's gotta hurt," Sabre commented.
"Not if he hit his head," Blizzard added.
His anger quenched, Supreme picked up Ripper by an arm and a leg. Supreme rapidly spun in place until finally he let go of Ripper. The large purple villain shot of out sight, disappearing over the hillside. "And that, boys and girls, is how you take out the trash!"
Spectrum clapped his hands. "You must be really busy on garbage night."
"That seems to be all of them," Shockwave reported. "I'm not picking up anyone else on my sensors."
"Good!", Imperial stated. "Let's get out of here and back to civilization. You have no idea how badly I need a cold beer."
"I could use a hot shower," Peregrine chimed in.
"Me, I want a nice, two inch thick porterhouse steak," Supreme stated. "Rare."
"Hell, all I want is some sleep," Blizzard added. "We've been up all night."
Morning Star turned to face Spectrum, "Don't you think its about time that you shared what you learned with the rest of us? I wouldn't want to see what happened to the Black Phantom repeated."
"Yeah!", Blizzard added. "We need some explanations."
Spectrum thought for a moment as everyone present looked toward him. He had planned on springing what he had learned while inside the Claw's Citadel once everyone had made it back to the Guardians Headquarters. But there was wisdom in Morning Star's words.
"You're right," Spectrum answered in agreement. "Quick Reader's Digest version. Okay, the villains are holding a contest. Pull off crimes, defeat and capture heroes for points. That's why so many heroes have been disappearing."
"That seems to have changed," Shockwave observed. "Ripper specifically targeted Morning Star."
"That's right," Spectrum continued. "The contest has just advanced into Round Two. The random attacks are over with. The top eight villains from Round One have advanced. In Round Two the villains draw a target hero. All they have to do is capture this hero to advance to Round Three."
"Ripper made it to Round Two and selected me then," Morning Star reasoned.
"Who else made it to Round Two?", Peregrine asked.
"More importantly, who are the target heroes?", Imperial added.
"I don't know who the targeted heroes are," Spectrum conceded. "But the villains are-- obviously Ripper,-- Dr. Destroyer, Firewing, Black Paladin, Borealis--" Spectrum paused, trying to recall the remaining names. "Uhm-- the Monster-- "
"An impressive line up," Morning Star commented.
"Come on, Specs," Blizzard urged. "Who's the last two?"
The answer was on the tip of Spectrum's tongue. It seems that he had been concentrating more on Scorpia than the contest. "Void and-- Armadillo?? Or was it Ankylosaur? I get the two of them mixed up."
"Anything else?", Sabre asked. "That's all you got from being inside the Dome all night?"
"Well-- I was sort of busy dodging villains," Spectrum explained sheepishly. He decided that it would be best to not let his teammates and allies know that he spent most of his time in the arms of Scorpia! "There's a virtual who's who of bad guys in there. Spent a lot of time laying low."
"That's understandable," Imperial said in agreement. "It took a lot of guts to do what you did, Spec. Let's get moving."
The band started to set out once more when Spectrum suddenly spoke up. "Oh! There is one other thing. The Claw, the guy running this shindig, is an alien. The dome is really a spaceship."
"That explains it," Shockwave inserted. "The ship must be able to transport itself from place to place. Hence, the reason why it keeps disappearing on us. How interesting." Shockwave would dearly love to get her hands on that kind of technology!
"Yeah, well, there won't be much left of the Claw once we kick his butt back up into outer space!" Supreme smacked his left hand with his right fist for emphasis.
The heroes continued onward.
"Where are they?", Spinnerette asked rhetorically. The heroine was busy pacing the walls in the main meeting area of the Guardians Headquarters.
Density and Warlock sat at the table chatting between themselves. Victrix, Goshawk, and Jo-Tan of the Freedom Squad paid more attention to the spectacle of Spinnerette walking back and forth on the room's walls than to the conversation. The woman known as Quantum watched from one of the chairs that ringed the chamber.
"According to our security records, Spectrum, Sabre, Blizzard, and Shockwave left here last night and they haven't been seen since."
"Perhaps they discovered something about our missing teammates?", Victrix offered.
"Maybe," Spinnerette offered, tapping her finger rhythmically on her chin. "But they should have waited for the rest of us to return to base before doing anything."
A button lit up on the panel before the Warlock. "Hey, Spin, we've got company coming."
"Another attack?", Quantum asked, rising to her feet.
The Warlock made several adjustments to the controls before him. "No-- more like the advance guard and some reinforcements."
The front doors to the Guardians Base were thrown open as Spinnerette and her teammates and allies went to greet the new arrivals. "I don't believe it," Spinnerette muttered as she watched the approaching heroes. "They found Morning Star and some of the other missing heroes!"
The Empress, Imperial, Maelstrom, Peregrine, and Spectrum all landed close to the Guardians. The remaining heroes followed at a much slower pace.
"It's been a long time, short stuff," Imperial said to Spinnerette. "Where ya keep the beer at?"
"Don't make me hurt you, Imperial."
The hero laughed, and slapped Spinnerette on the shoulder as he walked past. "Yer my kind of gal, spider-lady!"
"All I have to do is breath to fit your qualifications, Impy."
"Hi, Spin!", Spectrum waved in greeting. "We found some of our AWOL friends."
"Where? How? What happened?", the heroine asked.
"To make a long story short, I learned where the Blue Dome had moved to. When I came back here, only Sabre, Blizzard, and Shockwave were around. Not wanting to wait in case the dome moved again, we took some initiative and you can see the results."
"Still, my good man," Warlock stated, "you could have alerted the rest of us."
"Perhaps, but this isn't over yet," Spectrum explained. "I told everyone with me what I learned while in the Dome. Give us a few hours to unwind and then we'll figure out what we're going to do next." After a pause, he added, "We have to find the dome again anyway. Some down time is not going to make a big difference one way or the other at this stage of the game."
"Yeah, what he said," Imperial added, gesturing towards Spectrum. "Some of us have been stuck in a cell for months now."
"We need to contact our loved ones," Peregrine added.
"I want an honest to goodness real meal," Supreme replied. "Meat. Real bloody."
Spinnerette held up her hands. "Okay, okay, I get the hint. Let's meet back here this evening. Then we can get on to the business at hand."
"Sounds good, Spin. Seeya later." Spectrum took the air and flew off.
The plan slowly filtered through the rest of the group. Most of the local heroes departed as well. The rest remained at the Guardians Base. Morning Star slowly approached the Guardian Headquarters. At one time she had called it home. But that was long ago. Now she felt more like a visitor than anything.
"'Star!", Spinnerette said as she approached, giving her good friend a hug. "Good to see you again."
"Good to be seen," Morning Star answered.
"She is a bright, shining light in an otherwise cloudy sky. Truly a ray of pure sunshine in a dark and dreary world." Spinnerette looked around Morning Star to see none other than Foxbat trailing up behind her. "The light of my life, the radiant Morning Star!"
"Oh dear," Spinnerette noted in an amused tone. "I think you have a fan."
"Unfortunately. It seems that Foxbat has developed something of a crush on me. This is the first time in my career that I ever wished I wore a cape."
"Lo, look to the east!", Foxbat continued unabated. "It is the dawn and Morning Star is the sun!"
"I've tried to get rid of him, but he just keeps coming back," Morning Star explains. "You think you could--?"
Catching her friend's meaning, Spinnerette flicked her wrists, activating her web shooters. In moments, Foxbat was wrapped up in webbing. He futilely struggled for several seconds, before finally falling over.
"Hey!", Foxbat protested. "That's a mean thing to do! I'll be loose before the end of the issue!"
"Thanks," Morning Star said to Spinnerette.
"No problem."
Spectrum's arrival home was pretty much what he had expected it to be. His sister Stephanie was a wreck. It took some time to calm her down. However, once she did relax, she wanted to hear every detail of Jim's adventures. Jim indulged her, but did edit out some of his experiences in the dome of the Crimson Claw. (Editor's Note: As seen in Spectrum #21 & 22.)
"If you ask me, big brother, I think you've got serious problems. We never knew what the deal between you and Terror Inc. was before." Of course he didn't tell Stephanie about the relationship Spectrum had with Scorpia. There were some things that you don't share with your sister.
"Now it sounds like the real thing," Jim finished. "Believe me, I'm fully aware of the implications. I'm probably wanted down in South America. Maybe by UNTIL as well."
"What are you going to do about all this?"
Jim reflected for several seconds before answering. "I really don't know. In the meantime, I'm going to catch some shut eye before going back."
"I wish I could stay longer, Jim, but my plane leaves this afternoon. I've got a case to prepare for on Monday."
Jim reached over and took his sister's hand. "Hey, don't worry about it. I'll figure out something. Sorry that I wasn't around all that much for your vacation."
"It's not your fault. I should have realized that as a superhero you wouldn't be here all the time. Don't worry about me. I'll get my things together and be ready to leave. In case I don't see you before I leave, just be careful, Jim. You're the only older brother I have, you know."
Jim smiled and squeezed her hand. "I won't let you down."
On a bluff overlooking the ocean, a couple was enjoying an impromptu picnic lunch. The woman sat Indian style on the blanket, feeding grapes to her boyfriend who was resting his head on her lap.
"You have no idea what it was like," the woman, better known as the Empress, stated. "And I was only trapped in that cell for a few hours. I couldn't imagine being in there for days, let alone weeks or months." An involuntary shudder went through the woman.
"It's okay, babe. Spec's plan actually worked and we sprung you out."
"Oh, Blizzie, I missed you so much."
"Me too, darlin', me too." Blizzard, sans his heroic costume, leaned up and softly kissed the Empress. "It was like a part of myself was missing while you were gone. I was goin' crazy tryin' to get you back. Now that you're here, I'm not gonna ever let you go."
"That's so sweet." The Empress shifted position, in order to hug her boyfriend. The two kissed once more, oblivious to the world around them...
Shockwave skidded to a stop before the entrance to the 'Heroes for Hire' offices. She retracted her rocket skates and deactivated the security system through the system link in her armor. The front door slowly opened as Shockwave approached. Once inside, the heroine moved to her small lab in the back room.
"I can't believe everything that's happened today," she mused to herself as she began the arduous task of removing her armor. "I'm now a part of a hero team. A brand new hero team at that: X-Factor. What an appropriate name. Other than Morning Star, we're all pretty much unknowns. I hope I don't end up regretting this."
Once out of her Shockwave armor, Sara Redmond went to the refrigerator and took out a salad and diet soda. The food was quickly consumed and Sara moved towards the cot in the corner. Exhausted, she collapsed onto it. "I'll just take a quick nap before I begin working on my armor," she planned to herself. Between the poundings she had taken the last few days, it was in need of maintenance. "Perhaps I should think about installing a targeting system to work in conjunction with my sensors..." The thought was never finished as Sara fell fast asleep.
The man known as Sabre materialized in a small medical laboratory. A woman with long blond braided hair was working nearby, looking into a microscope. With a mischievous grin on his face, Sabre silently advanced on her.
"Don't even think about it, Sabre," the woman stated, still not having looked up from her work.
Sabre stopped a sheepish look on his face. "How did you know it was I?"
"I sensed your presence," the woman explained. "Only you and Blade regularly teleport in here. And I've broken Blade of the habit of sneaking up on me."
"Why mother, you wound me." Knowing his mother and her hair-trigger temper, no doubt she literally 'broke' his father from surprising her! "Are you suggesting that I--"
The woman turned away from her work and towards Sabre, a scolding look upon her face. Her eyes were clear blue. "Don't play games with me, Sabre. I know exactly what you were going to do." The frown slowly broke and the woman smiled widely. "Besides, Marie alerted me to your impending arrival a few minutes ago." She opened her arms and gave her son a big hug. "Welcome home, son. To what do we owe this pleasure?"
"Figures...", Sabre muttered. Marie, Sabre's cousin, was a nice but very unusual girl. Her clairsentience could be most annoying at times. "I've joined a hero team, mom. I think it's going to be an interesting experience."
That seemed to concern the woman commonly called Bryn. "Are you sure about this? I mean, your Uncle Affrighter is still after you. I think it's a poor idea to draw more attention to yourself. What about the Bloodletter?"
"They're always going to be after us, mom. I'm not going to live hiding in fear of my enemies. You and dad taught me that."
Bryn sighed. "I know. But then again, we're not the most normal of parents either. I guess your father and I should have considered the possibility that you or your sister would do something like this some day." It would be hard for any outsider to believe that this very attractive woman was seventy-one years old! She didn't look a day over twenty-five. Bryn's bloodline was tainted in the distant past by some forgotten norse deity, granting her super strength and retarding her aging.
"I think you and dad are the greatest parents in the world. In fact, I thought you both may be interested in a little excitement."
That caught Bryn's attention. An adventure every once in a while added some spice to life. "Let's go find your father and you can tell us all about it..."
"Where are you, my beloved?" Foxbat, once out of Spinnerette's webbing, searched the Guardian's Headquarters for the object of his affections. "I be looking for you!", he added in a Pepe Le Pew-esque voice. "Where are you, my little heart's desire?"
The voice slowly grew more and more distant until it could no longer be heard. Once she was sure Foxbat was far away, Morning Star spoke. "I suppose I should be flattered, but..."
"But who wants a twerp like Foxbat on your tail all the time," Spinnerette finished.
"Very much so," 'Star nodded in agreement.
With Foxbat having moved on further down the hallway, Spinnerette turned the conversation back to its original topic: "So tell me, what caused you to lose your mind recently?"
The two were sitting in Spinnerette's rarely used personal quarters. Each had discarded their masks while alone. Morning Star had just informed her friend about her joining X-Factor, before Foxbat had made his brief appearance.
"What makes you think it's so crazy?", Morning Star retorted, as she took a bite from her sandwich.
"For starters, how much do you really know about these people? Spectrum seems competent enough, as does Shockwave, but I wouldn't trust the others. Blizzard's a hot head, and we know next to nothing about Sabre and the Empress. Whatever possessed you to join them on this new team of theirs?"
Morning Star shrugged. "It seemed like a good idea at the time. Maybe I was just ready to join a group again? It's been-- what?-- almost four and half years since I quit the Guardians."
"Then why not come back to the Guardians? You know we all would love to have you back."
"I know that, Tori... It just wouldn't be the same. The accident might have something to do with it. I just don't really want to come back to the Guardians. At least in X-Factor I get a clean slate. A brand new start. No bad memories."
Victoria Lacey sighed and looked at her best friend. "If it's what you really want to do... I'll support you one hundred percent, you know that."
"I appreciate that. Besides, it's a new role for me, being the seasoned veteran for a team. Sure, they're young and relatively inexperienced. But I think it's going to be a refreshing change." Morning Star paused for a moment. "And there are a few things that I do want to find out."
"It's that Spectrum guy, isn't it?", Tori asked, knowingly.
"Well-- some of it. I wonder what he looks like underneath that mask. And those eyes-- you could just drown in them."
"Take my advice, Denise. Guys with full-face masks have them for a reason. Probably got warts or something all over his face."
Morning Star smiled. "Perhaps, but I think it'll be fun finding out. Besides, you should talk when it comes to full face masks!"
Elsewhere in the headquarters, the other heroes tried to relax, with mixed results. Supreme had eaten almost non-stop since they had arrived. Imperial helped himself to the team's wet bar. Peregrine, meanwhile, spent most of her time on the phone, reconnecting with family members. The Protectors, Maelstrom and Renegade, were making contact with their fellow teammates up in San Francisco.
"This is silly," Imperial stated for anyone who would listen. He took another long gulp from his beer. "We should be out looking for these clowns instead of holed up here."
"I can understand your eagerness for retribution," Warlock responded. "But we don't even know where the Dome has re-appeared."
"In spite of all the heroes here, our foes still outnumber us greatly," Jo-Tan added. "We need to plan our counter-attack carefully to avoid being overwhelmed again."
"Quantum, Victrix, and Goshawk are all out searching for the Dome," Density explained. "If they find it, they'll let us know. In the meantime, relax. I have the feeling that once everything gets started, there won't be any time for rest."
"If that's the case, then why don't we call in more heroes?" Everyone glanced at Imperial, looks of realization coming to their faces.
"Why didn't I think of that?", Supreme wondered aloud.
"I've got a call to make!", Silver Arrow announced. All he had to do was contact his teammates on the Freedom League, have them come out to Los Angeles, and bring his spare bow and arrows with them.
James Sculley awoke to the sound of the phone ringing. He glanced at the clock and found that he had slept much later than he had intended. Groggily, he reached for the phone. "Hello--?"
"Jim? It's Shockwave."
Jim sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "What's up, Shocky?"
"Well-- we're kind of wondering where you are? The others--"
"I know, I know. I overslept. I'll be there in a few minutes. Bye."
"Wait!", Shockwave yelled over the phone.
Jim paused, and raised the phone back up to his ear. "Yeah?"
"There has been some new developments since you left," Shockwave stated.
"Such as?"
"Many of the heroes you freed have contacted their teammates. We've got hero teams from all over the country coming out here to lend a hand."
"From what I've seen, we're going to need them," Jim added.
"Black Diamond has disappeared in New York. Most likely, she was one of the other targets. Even more ominous, Hornet and American Eagle turned up at the Guardians Headquarters about an hour ago."
That got Jim's attention. "How did that happen? I thought they were both captured?"
"They were," Shockwave explained. "Neither one knows how they got out of their cell. They just simply appeared on the front door step."
"I don't like this," Jim answered, his mind swirling with troubled thoughts. "I'll be right there."
"Bye."
Throwing the covers off to one side, Jim stood up. A quick inspection of the house revealed that Stephanie had already left. Her flight would be taking off in mere moments. He concentrated and changed into his heroic garb. Upon making sure that everything was secure, Spectrum departed.
"Given the nature of the cells the heroes were being held in, I doubt American Eagle or Hornet could have escaped on their own...", Spectrum mused while soaring over Los Angeles. "They could have been broken out by someone. But who? And why just those two? That's it! It's the only thing that makes sense..."
Angie Szymanksi stirred the ringing of the phone forcing her awake. She had been reclining in an easy chair in Blizzard's apartment. Glancing around, she could see Tom still asleep on the couch.
"Shut up, you stupid thing!", she softly hissed. Reaching over, Angie picked up the phone and its cradle. Sliding a switch along the side, she turned the phone's ringer to the off position. "There. Much better."
"Tom needs his sleep," she thought to herself, setting the phone back on the end table. With a yawn, Angie shifted into a more comfortable position. A few more hours of rest would be good for her too. Whoever it was and whatever they wanted would just have to wait.
Shockwave set the phone back in its cradle. After a pause, she tried Blizzard's number again. Still no answer. The other hero teams would be arriving in the next few hours. She would like X-Factor to be well represented since they were so heavily involved in this Supervillain Contest. At Morning Star's suggestion, Shockwave had contacted Spectrum and was now vainly trying to reach Blizzard.
"How's it going?"
Startled, Shockwave looked up to find Morning Star standing in the now open doorway. She reached for her helmet more out of habit than intent.
"Sorry," Morning Star offered, looking away. "I didn't mean to pry into your identity."
"It's my fault," Shockwave offered, as she secured the helmet in place. "I was careless."
Morning Star entered the small side room, closing the door behind her. "Don't worry, I still have no idea who you really are." She quickly changed the subject. "Have any luck?"
"Spectrum is on his way," Shockwave explained. "I haven't been able to get a hold of Blizzard."
"Good." Seeing Shockwave's odd look, she continued, "That'll give us a little time to chat. I generally make a point in trying to get to know my teammates better."
"That sounds reasonable," Shockwave said in agreement. "I have to admit I'm surprised that I'm actually doing this. What's it going to be like? I mean, being on a super team. I know that you've been on several in the past, but..."
"It's like any group of people who spend a lot of time together," Morning Star answered. "You get along with some, with others it can be difficult. I think I'm pretty easy to get along with myself. I've worked with Spectrum a little in the past, so I think we can co-exist comfortably." (Editor's Note: See Spectrum # 16-18.)
"But you don't know much about everyone else." Shockwave finished up Morning Star's train of thought. She hadn't thought of this impromptu alliance in that manner before now.
"That's pretty much what I was working towards. You seem pretty down to earth, Shockwave. What do you know about the others?" Morning Star took a seat opposite from Shockwave.
Shockwave sighed, popped her helmet off once more, and shook out her hair. "It's much easier to talk this way," she explained. "You've already seen my face... And if I can't trust you of all people, then I'm in real trouble."
"My lips are sealed. If it makes you feel any better, my first name is Denise."
"Hi, Denise." Shockwave waved with one of her gauntleted hands. "You can call me Sara. Anyway, I know who Spectrum is. And I knew Blizzard before his powers even surfaced, so I know who he is as well. In spite of all his talk, Bliz is an okay guy. He can be a jerk at times, but then who isn't? As far as Empress or Sabre, I don't really know anything about them."
"There's something familiar about Sabre, but I can't really place it." Morning Star paused for several moments. "May I ask you a personal question?"
"Uhm, I guess."
"Why did you become Shockwave?" The query caught Sara off guard. Before she could answer, Morning Star added, "No offense, but you don't come across as the type who gets into this line of work."
Sara sighed and looked at the floor. "Honestly? Because of guilt, mostly."
Seeing that she had broached a touchy subject, Morning Star decided to back off. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get that personal."
"It's not your fault. I suppose that I should explain now." Shockwave took several deep breaths before going into her explanation. "I used to work for Advanced Technology Designs. One of the projects I worked extensively on was a vibratory sensor."
"What kind of sensor is that?" Advanced technology wasn't Morning Star's area of expertise.
"Without getting too technical, it was a device that measured the integrity of walls, ceilings, caverns, that sort of thing. The sensor generated low level sound waves that would resonate in whatever it was measuring. Something that would be potentially useful in examining buildings to see if they should be condemned or not and also in the mining industry."
"So what went wrong?"
Sara paused once more. "Somehow, someone got a hold of my designs. I think ADT sold them directly, but I can't prove it. Anyway they made some minor alterations, and converted it into a weapon. By increasing the intensity of the sound waves, a powerful vibratory field was established."
Seeing that Morning Star wasn't quite following the implications, she continued. "In plain English, they created weapons that would shake things apart. One of my devices was used in a robbery down in San Diego. The robbers attempted to shake open a safe. The safe was more solid than they expected however. To make a long story short, they shook apart the room instead of the safe. They were on the forth floor..."
Morning Star could just imagine it all in her mind. It made sense that the safe would be tougher than the room it was located in. The robbers got far more than they bargained for.
"Part of the building collapsed. Lots of people were hurt. Some killed. Children too..." Sara held her hands up to her face to wipe away the tears.
"And that's why you became Shockwave. No doubt modifying your own technology to create your armor."
"Yes," Sara answered, regaining her composure. "ADT wouldn't do anything about it. They completely denied any involvement. I couldn't prove that they did anything wrong." Sara thought back to her fateful decision to become the armored heroine. "I had to do something to make up for the terrible things my technology had caused and this seemed like my best option. I joined Blizzard in Heroes for Hire mainly to keep myself in enough money to maintain my armor."
Morning Star stood up and patted her new teammate on the shoulder before heading for the door. "Thanks for the insight, Sara. And the trust."
Shockwave shrugged. "You've got a great reputation. Of anyone in the group--"
An explosion in the distance suddenly interrupted Shockwave. "Come on!", Morning Star said as she darted out of the door.
Outside the Guardians Headquarters, Firewing threw another ball of fire that briefly illuminated the night. Another portion of the base exploded in a fiery detonation. "I seek the one called Hornet!", he announced. "Bring him forth or I shall lay waste to this structure!"
"Here I am, madman!" The door to the base swung open. Hornet swathed in his black and yellow armor emerged. Behind him many of the other occupants made their way out as well. "What do you want here?"
"We shall duel, you and I. Upon your defeat, I shall depart. On this I give you my word."
"Oh, like that's a fair fight, flame-brain," Spinnerette taunted. She had suspected that the release of Hornet and American Eagle could mean only one thing: that both were targeted heroes for Round Two of the contest. The heroes didn't have to wait long for an attack to come.
Firewing was incredibly dangerous. He could take on most hero teams and hold his own. One on one against the Hornet wasn't even a contest.
"This clown wants to rumble, let's give'm one!" Imperial launched himself into the air and circled the hovering Firewing.
"Imperial! Wait!", Hornet shouted at the aggressive hero. Unfortunately, he didn't appear to be listening.
"Here we go again," the Renegade mumbled to himself.
"Chew on this tough guy!" Imperial let loose with a mental blast. In spite of his bravado, Imperial was no fool. He wasn't going to get close enough to get burned by the inferno called Firewing.
"Away with you, annoying one!" Firewing actually felt Imperial's attack, but was not about to show any sign of weakness. Pointing towards Imperial, a wave of fire rushed forth and smacked the hero out of the sky!
All hell broke loose from there. Maelstrom summoned winds to imprison Firewing. "I've got him! He's a sitting duck now."
Quantum, Hornet, and Victrix took to the air. Each launched ranged attacks at Firewing, with virtually no success. Quantum's energy level was too low to let her deal with a threat such as Firewing.
"You have nothing, fool!" Fire flared all around the alien gladiator, blowing the miniature tornado away. Now free, Firewing blasted away at its creator. Maelstrom dropped before he knew what hit him.
Supreme leaped into the air, his powerful legs propelling him right into the startled Firewing. "Supreme is gonna cut you down to size!!" The two plummeted to the ground, Supreme maintaining his hold on Firewing. They crashed, creating a large crater in the front yard. Supreme cut into Firewing with reckless abandon, the things that Morning Star had told him, still very fresh in his mind. The Avenger would now be able to take out his frustrations on Firewing. (Editor's Note: See Avengers #15 & #16.)
Renegade, surged forward towards the combatants. Now on the ground, he could test his mettle against the infamous Firewing. Density, a mere eight inches tall rode on the Renegade's shoulder. In spite of her tiny stature, the heroine's strength was now in her ride's class.
Elsewhere, Peregrine rushed to check on Imperial. "At least some of us are smart enough to know when we're outclassed."
Imperial sat up, trying to regain his wits. "Cute, bird-chick. Real cute. Just keep an eye on Hornet and 'Eagle, and we real heroes will do the dirty work!" With that, Imperial launched himself into the air once more.
"So you're a real hero?", Peregrine wondered aloud. "Gee, I must be a figment of my imagination."
Morning Star and Shockwave came to a halt outside the front door. They quickly took in the scene before them.
"So nice you could join us," Spinnerette said to the new arrivals. "I'm not exactly sure what we can do against Firewing, but at least there's been no sign of Ripper."
"Point taken," Morning Star observed. "But I must try to lend a hand..."
"There you are, my darling!" Morning Star sighed at the salutation, her eyes rolling towards the sky. Foxbat had found her once more. "The chase was grand, my love, but the game is now over."
Irritably, Morning Star spun and faced the loony criminal. "NOT NOW!" With that, she stalked off towards where the battle with Firewing was being waged.
Unfazed, Foxbat turned to Spinnerette and Shockwave. "She's crazy about me," he stated.
Suddenly, a familiar tingling came to Spinnerette. She turned and spotted new combatants rapidly approaching the scene. "'Star!! Look out!"
Morning Star stopped and turned. Unexpectedly, Ripper landed a dozen feet away from the heroine. "I'm back!!", he announced with a malevolent laugh. "This time you're all mine, Morning Star!"
"We've got more company!", Shockwave announced. The sensors in her armor detecting at least one more individual waiting at the edge of the small forest beside the Guardians base. She pointed off in that direction.
"They're coming out of the woodwork again," Spinnerette muttered.
The American Eagle knew he was outclassed by the villains that had assembled outside, but that wasn't about to stop him. He was still recovering from his capture by Lazer and Shrinker and his subsequent ordeal at the Crimson Claw's base. Even so, he could help to direct and instruct the others.
Moving toward a nearby window, American Eagle was surprised to have the glass suddenly burst inwards at him. He turned his head and raised a wing to ward off the flying shrapnel. After a moment, he looked down to see the cause of the crash.
"Goshawk!" American Eagle quickly moved to the young hero's side. He was unconscious. Looking him over, the Eagle noticed that he was bruised and battered. Blood trickled from his nose and mouth and a large bruise was turning purplish upon his forehead.
Before American Eagle could do anything for his charge, he heard a cold voice behind him. A chill ran down the hero's neck. He had heard that voice before.
"Your concern for that whelp shall be your undoing, patriot." American Eagle turned to see the Black Paladin behind him, standing stoically. The knight wasn't even looking at him, just staring off, as if listening to an unseen voice.
"You'll pay for hurting this boy, Black Paladin!" The Eagle took a stance near the dark medieval villain, brandishing his baton in front of him.
"You don't even begin to see the irony of this contest, do you Eagle?" The Black Paladin turned ominously to face his opponent. "You were freed only because you are once again a target. Moreover, you are my prey."
"What are you talking about? None of this makes sense!"
"It all makes perfect sense to one who truly sees the truth." The Paladin pulled his mace from its place at his belt and adjusted his shield.
"If you want me, then why attack Goshawk?" American Eagle moved in on the attack, but was unable to get past the villain's defenses. His baton was blocked by the Black Paladin's shield. This was not the ideal place for a fight for the old hero. He needed room to operate.
The Knight of the Crow had no such misgivings however. He smashed the elder hero with his mace, knocking the fighting baton out of American Eagle's hands. "Simple. His mauling would hurt you. Emotionally, at the least. I understand you have taken him under your tutelage." Black Paladin struck again. The Eagle's wings absorbed some of the impact of the powerful blow, but the hero was smashed to the ground nonetheless.
"You are a sick and evil man," American Eagle said through gritted teeth. His shoulder ached from the force of the blow that had just landed.
"Indeed." Paladin struck again, sending the leader of the Freedom Squad smashing into a far wall. "I am forbidden from causing your death, much to my everlasting chagrin. Perhaps some day this detail can be rectified." Before the Eagle could rise, the Black Paladin had teleported nearby and smashed him again with his mace. "Fortunately, I have the leeway to cause you considerable amounts of pain. That shall have to suffice for the nonce."
The American Eagle didn't rise from that last blow. "Your tongue is silent now, old one," the Black Paladin stated, watching the fallen hero. "And well it should be. No further words need be spoken."
Just then, the Eagle reached up with his legs and locked them around the armored villain's neck. He flipped the off-guard knight onto his back and then wearily regained his own feet, breathing heavily.
"Well-struck." The Black Paladin saluted momentarily as he rose to one knee and then burst forward on the attack again. "I had hoped there would be more challenge to this combat than that. Surely you can force me to work for my prize. To earn my glory through strength of arms and courage of heart."
Another smashing blow knocked the hero against a wall. He vainly tried to steady himself against it, looking for a way out of the building. The room felt like it was closing in on him.
In fact only the Black Paladin was closing in and American Eagle was unable to stand up to the assault. The villain brought his mace down on the hero's wing and arm. A sickening crunch caused the Eagle to scream in pain. Under his helmet, the Black Paladin grinned an malevolent grin. Such sweet music.
The Eagle collapsed to his knees, the pounding more than anyone could be expected to withstand. "Still you try to rise? I applaud your courage, if not your senses. I shall prolong this ordeal no longer." One last blow sent American Eagle back into darkness. "Victory is mine."
Replacing his mace into his belt, Black Paladin bent down and collected his prize. Utilizing the magic in his armor, the evil knight disappeared with the unconscious American Eagle.
Back out in front of the Guardians base, the fighting continued. Firewing had managed to free himself from Supreme's grasp. Once back in the air, the villain quickly dominated the battle. More than half of the heroes had fallen before him. Hornet was down after only two blasts. Stopping to collect his prize, Firewing soared off.
"Damn it!", Spinnerette cursed. "He's getting away with Hornet!"
"Not if I can help it!", Quantum called out. She felt a familiar surge in power and accelerated in pursuit. However, the chase ended mere seconds after it started as a tree smashed into the flying heroine! More surprised than hurt, Quantum crashed to the ground.
Slightly dazed, she looked around and found the source of the missile. Close by, standing on top of a large rock was an ominous figure. He was dressed all in black. A large, billowy cape and hat obscured most of his features. His face was green and skull-like. Sinister eyes glowed red. The Monster laughed maniacally as he skulked towards the heroine.
"This just gets better and better," the heroine muttered in amazement.
Back inside the Guardians base, Shockwave skidded to a stop. The room was a mess. Ripper had blasted Morning Star through the outer wall of the base and several rooms deep. Shockwave gasped when she saw the heroine half-buried in debris. "Morning Star!"
Rushing forward, Shockwave helped unbury her teammate. Morning Star stirred, groggily. "Anyone get the number of that truck?" Her costume was more white now than any other color from all the damaged plaster.
A nearby wall exploded as Ripper smashed his way in. "Ah! There you are, my girl! My key to power!"
A tattered Spinnerette clung to his back. "I could use a hand here!"
Shockwave gulped and stood up. She had taken on Ripper before and was outclassed. But she had to do something to help her teammate.
"Here I come to save the day!", Foxbat sang as he entered the room in a flourish. He pointed his dreaded ping-pong ball gun at the Ripper.
"Get outta my way, you little fruit-cake!", Ripper roared. Annoyingly, Spinnerette remained safely out of his reach.
"Go ahead... Make my day!" Foxbat pulled the trigger, firing off a ping-pong ball. Unexpectedly, the missile rapidly grew and was three feet in diameter when it crashed into Ripper! The purple misshapen powerhouse and his unwanted passenger were sent back out of the building.
Spinnerette leaped off of Ripper, landing gracefully on the grass nearby. "Gee, I guess that ridiculous gun of his packs quite a wallop!"
Foxbat posed after firing his weapon. "Yes, true believers, the great Foxbat has made his point! No one harms his beloved and gets away with it! Excelsior!"
Back outside, a new threat presented itself as Terror, Inc arrived on the scene! Feur streaked overhead, his fiery body lighting up the night sky. Upon seeing his target, he dove, pulled up short, and blasted Ripper!
"What the hell are you doing, you creep!?", Ripper roared.
Behind the fiery villain came none other than the leader of Terror, Inc. itself-- Professor Muerte! The armored villain strode forward in his purple armor. A white, skull-like pattern was emblazoned on his face plate. It matched the color of his full-length cape. "I was cheated out of the prize!", Muerte shouted, a notable spanish accent to his words. With that, the master criminal opened up with his gauntlet blasters.
Ripper was not amused. "So? It's not my fault you're a loser!"
"If I can't have it, neither will anyone else!" Muerte fired again, his ally Feur adding his flames as well. Unseen by Ripper, the monstrous Giganto was closing in from the rear.
Nearby, Peregrine and Imperial watched the sudden arrival of Terror, Inc. with great interest. The gliding heroine had been content in the battle to lend aid to the other heroes. Once more she was helping Imperial gather his wits.
"I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes," the heroine remarked.
"Hey, if crooks wanna bash each other, who am I to stand in their way?" Imperial was more than content to let the villains fight amongst themselves. That would just make it all the more easier to take out whoever won the battle. "Talk about a sore loser."
Their attention was suddenly diverted as Quantum streaked overhead. Trailing behind her was the Monster. The creature ran after the swiftly moving heroine, its claws swiping at the air before it.
"There's something you don't see everyday," Imperial noted, watching as the Monster ran past.
"Uhm, no...", Peregrine quickly agreed. "No, you don't."
Off in the woods, the woman know as Scorpia watched the conflict unfold. She had figured that Muerte would attempt some bone-headed stunt like this. He hadn't made the cut into Round Two of the GSVC, so he was going to prevent others from making it to Round Three. How childish and petty. If she was lucky Muerte would be defeated and captured. That would fit her plans quite nicely. Of course, if the others were captured as well, that would throw a wrench into things. "I can always get fresh pawns though", the Irish terrorist concluded. What really was on her mind was Spectrum. She wasn't sure what he was doing-- had he really become a hero and betrayed her? She'd have to find out one way or the other...
Ripper was on the ropes as the male members of Terror, Inc. mercilessly tore into him. Retrieving Morning Star was no longer an option. Avoiding capture was now the villain's top priority. Flexing his powerful legs, Ripper leaped into the air. "I'll deal with you losers later!"
"Flee, you ignorant behemoth!", Professor Muerte taunted, extremely pleased with his petty revenge. All he had to do now was stop the Monster and another contestant would fail to advance.
Quantum continued to flee from the Monster. Her surge in power was, unfortunately, brief. Her light blasts did little to slow the Monster down. It kept behind her, grinning malevolently, staring at her with its devilish red eyes. The sight gave the heroine the creeps. It was taking all of Quantum's energy just to stay ahead of the villain.
Aid came to Quantum in a most unexpected form. Feur streaked in and blasted the Monster. The gothic-esque villain was engulfed in fire! Incredibly, the creature just kept on coming. His costume seemingly ignoring the flames.
Professor Muerte joined the battle, firing blasts from his armored gauntlets. "I will see to it that you will lose this contest, creature!"
The Monster just grunted in response. No one had ever heard the creature state even a single word. The forces of Terror, Inc. were just another obstacle for it to overcome.
"I don't mean to sound ungrateful," Quantum stated, "but why are you doing this, Muerte? Why are you helping me?"
"I do this only for myself, woman!", Muerte shouted back. "If I prevent everyone in Round Two from succeeding, then no one will win the prize! I'll have earned a second chance!"
Quantum continued to fly on. Let Terror, Inc. take on the Monster. "I wonder which one of them is more crazy?", the heroine wondered to herself.
Back inside the Guardians base, Shockwave and Foxbat helped Morning Star to her feet. "Thanks for the assist, Foxbat." The loony criminal actually turned out to be a help to the greatly surprised Morning Star.
"Anything for you, my love." The trio moved through the hallways, heading back towards the entrance to the base. The sounds of battle could still be heard.
Unexpectedly, Sabre suddenly appeared before the group. With him were two women. The one on his left stood 5'7" tall. She wore a modified sailor's outfit in white with dark blue trim. A small gun holster was strapped to her left thigh. The woman had shoulder length brown hair with black eyes.
"I'm Sabre's cousin, Marie DeBray," the woman stated.
"Sabre?", Shockwave stated, surprised by his sudden entrance. "Who is this with you?"
Foxbat, Shockwave, and Morning Star all did a double take as the young woman seemingly answered Shockwave's question before it was even asked.
"I figured that we were going to need extra help," Sabre explained, "so I invited some of my family to come back with me."
"Sabre is always so considerate," Marie answered.
"That was good thinking," Morning Star commented, still puzzled by just how Marie did that!
"And this is my sister, Satara."
Satara was about the same height as Marie, but much more muscular. Her eyes were blue and her long blonde hair was braided. Satara wore an armored breast plate that accentuated her figure. She had bracers on each of her forearms, and bands of metal in key locations on her thighs. Black, hard leather boots protected the rest of her legs. A very viking-esque helmet sat upon her head, complete with a pair of upturned horns. Stored in her large belt was a nasty looking weapon. One side had a razor sharp battle axe blade, while the other ended in a larger hammer. The handle was wrapped in leather and had a small carrying thong.
"Nice to meet you," Satara said, putting her hand out to Morning Star. "I've been a fan of yours for a long time."
Morning Star smiled at the comment and accepted the handshake. "Thank you, Satara."
"Here come Blade and Bryn", Marie added.
"I'm picking up two others on my sensors", Shockwave reported. "Can't tell if they are friend or foe--" Since Marie was able to identify the new arrivals, they must be with Sabre, Shockwave reasoned.
Around the corner came Blade and Bryn. Satara and Bryn strongly resembled each other. Most would conclude that they were sisters, instead of mother and daughter. Bryn's hair was even longer than Satara's, but was done up in a similar braid. Bryn was in her combat outfit. A form-fitting, armored bronze plate stretched from the woman's neck to her navel. Dark blue trunks, short light blue gloves, and high dark brown sandals finished Bryn's outfit.
Blade wore a yellow bodysuit with dark red on the upper chest, shoulders, neck, and attached mask. He wore a belt with many small brown pouches on it. Several blades in holders were attached to his arms and legs. He was a large man, easily 6'3" with black hair, a goatee and brown eyes.
Morning Star stepped forward. "I know who you are! You're Blade and Bryn. Sabre must be your son then. I thought he looked familiar."
Sabre's parents approached Morning Star. "It's been a long time, Morning Star," Blade stated. "I am pleased to hear that you're going to be on the same team as my son, Sabre. I think it will be a good learning experience for him."
"I wasn't aware that Blade was your father," Morning Star said to Sabre. The revelation had put many of Morning Star's concerns about Sabre to rest. He did resemble his father and even had similar powers. She mentally kicked herself for not making the connection before.
"We understand there's a great many battles to come," Bryn added. In spite of her high degree of education, the viking blood inside her yearned for combat every so often.
"All you have to do is look outside," Shockwave announced.
Back outside, Terror, Inc. had finally beaten the Monster senseless. Muerte was tired as was his team. The energy to repel Ripper and defeat the Monster had taken its toll. Angrily, he wondered just where Scorpia had gotten off to. If the wench had betrayed him, she would suffer greatly!
"Well done, my comrades," Professor Muerte announced. "Let us take our leave."
"I don't think it's going to be that easy, Prof." Muerte spun and saw a sight that made his jaw drop. Standing behind his team was a large contingent of heroes. Imperial stood before them, seemingly enjoying this surprise. "Please tell me that you're going to resist."
Behind Imperial, Supreme loudly cracked his knuckles. Density, Warlock, Quantum, Renegade, Maelstrom, Blade, Bryn and Satara stood on one side of the heroes. On the other was Morning Star, Spinnerette, Shockwave, Foxbat, Sabre, Marie DeBray, and Victrix. The Protectors had arrived from San Francisco just a few minutes earlier. Ace, Quasar, and Helios joined the band of heroes in staring down the trio of villains.
Spectrum arrived on the scene a few moments later. Wisely, Muerte, Feur, and Giganto had surrendered. The large battles had attracted the attention of the LA Division of PRIMUS. The male members of Terror, Inc. were quickly secured and taken away. Jim consciously avoided being anywhere near them.
Spotting several of his teammates, Spectrum moved towards them. "Hi, guys. What happened? Looks like a barbecue that got out of hand out there."
"There was another attack," Shockwave explained. "Firewing, the Monster, Black Paladin, and Ripper showed up."
"All villains in Round Two," Spectrum added. "Where's Hornet and American Eagle? Unless I'm very mistaken--"
"Here and gone," Morning Star answered. "They were both targets and were unfortunately recaptured."
"Damn!", Spectrum cursed. "How did it happen?"
"Firewing captured the Hornet," Shockwave responded. "He had to beat off a bunch of us, but no one could stop him. It was unbelievable."
"According to Goshawk, Black Paladin attacked him. We're guessing he's the party responsible for taking American Eagle," Sabre explained.
"Then who was the Monster after? And what was Terror, Inc. doing here?"
"Quantum was the Monster's quarry," Morning Star stated. "Professor Muerte seemed to be ticked off for not making Round Two and decided to foul up those who did." There was an unspoken tension in Morning Star's voice as she spoke about Terror, Incorporated, which Spectrum could sense. Did she know about his connection to that group? At the very least, she must have her suspicions.
After a pause, Spectrum continued. "I guess we wait for the other hero teams to arrive. Then we can figure out what we're going to do next." The members of X-Factor made their way deeper into the Guardians Base. "Say, where's Blizzard and Empress?"
Out in the woods adjacent to the Guardian's Base, Scorpia continued to watch. The rest of Terror, Inc. was now in custody. No great loss, as far as Scorpia was concerned. This trip to the United States was working out much better than she ever could have imagined. She was reunited with Spectrum and was able to assume control of Terror, Inc. without lifting a finger. With all the villains in the immediate area, finding new blood to fill out the roster should be extremely easy. Already Scorpia had a few candidates in mind.
She saw Spectrum arrive, seemingly as one of the heroes. They certainly accepted him easily enough. "What kind of game is he playing?", she wondered to herself...
