#7 - "The Mechanon Swarm"
#7 - "The Mechanon Swarm"
In response to the attack, Blizzard had thrown an ice wall over the hole opened up by the explosion. "It might slow them down a bit," the icy hero observed, but he wasn't convinced it would either.
The members of X-Factor spread out and awaited the inevitable breach by the machines. Sirens and klaxons blared in the background as PRIMUS Agents rushed to defend their base. Concealed gun turrets popped out from the walls and ceiling.
"Here they come!", Sabre warned as he drew his sword. A flash of energy lit up his blade as Sabre filled the weapon with his deadly energy.
A heartbeat later, the makeshift wall exploded in a shower of icy shards. The first of the machines tore into the base, followed by the rest of his mechanical brethren. Each machine superficially resembled Mechanon-- complete with the same metallic silver finish and golden power cords. However, these robots were only six foot in height, compared to Mechanon's normal seven foot stature.
"Chew on this, tin man!" Blizzard shot an ice lance towards the lead Mechanon. The icy missile struck the robot and penetrated its armor plating. Electricity arced about the wound, but it continued to advance. "I've set it up, you finish it off, Empress!"
However, the instructions came too late as the elemental heroine engulfed one of the other Mechanons in a blast of fire. "Don't worry, Blizzie, I can take these tinker toys out all by my lonesome!"
In spite of her claims, the mechanical construct continued to advance, ignoring the flames. Its weapons port slid open, followed a split second later by a rocket!
"Yikes!" The Empress managed to overcome her surprise and duck at the last second. The heroine's assault must have damaged the robot as the rocket's trajectory was low and it struck several yards before the Empress. The force of the explosion knocked the heroine off of her feet and sent her crown flying backwards. "My crown!!"
Elsewhere, the PRIMUS Base's defense systems kicked in. The gun turrets opened fired, filling the area with deadly projectiles. Most of the bullets bounced harmlessly away from the robots. PRIMUS Agents fired their weapons, hand-held and rifles, at will, filling the area with lasers and other assorted beams. Concentrating their fire, the robots damaged by Blizzard and the Empress were quickly destroyed.
More rockets were launched by the advancing Mechanons in retaliation, sending the PRIMUS Agents diving for cover. One rocket exploded into a gun turret near Shockwave, knocking the armored woman back a few steps. "It's like being in a warzone!", Shockwave thought to herself. "I just hope my armor can hold itself together!"
Picking up a large chunk of debris, Shockwave lifted it over her head. As she did so, a systems failure alarm went off inside her helmet. "Hydraulics are giving out! Can't hold this weight--!" With great effort and her strength fading, Shockwave hurtled the makeshift missile at the closest Mechanon.
Her aim was true and the automaton was knocked back several steps before falling to the floor. The Mechanon robot twitched unnaturally as electricity played about its armored form. A few moments later, and after several hits from PRIMUS blaster fire, it was still.
A short distance away, Sabre advanced on one of the robots and slashed its torso with his energized sword. "En Garde', varlet!" Bare circuitry was exposed from the cut and the robot began to quiver uncontrollably. A rocket appeared in its launcher. The weapon fired prematurely causing the rocket to explode while still inside the Mechanon copy. The force of the explosion threw Sabre backwards, but he went with the force, tumbled in midair, and landed on his feet. "A '10' from all the judges! Thank you, thank you!"
Elsewhere in the base, Morning Star led Spectrum and Nightingale towards the exit. The trio was quiet as they reflected upon recent events. (Editor's Note: As shown in Spectrum #24)
"I can't believe that I've been manipulated all this time," Spectrum thought to himself. "Used by some unseen foe. But why? By who? What for?"
"This whole experience has put most of my fears about Spectrum at ease," Morning Star mentally mused. "I just wish that I hadn't been forced to use such questionable methods..."
"My powers seem to be back to normal," Nightingale silently reasoned. "That was the most intense use of my abilities since I went on leave from the Avengers. Linda will be pleased."
Just then, explosions rang out in the distance, followed quickly by alarms and sirens. "Wha--? What's going on?", Morning Star wondered bewilderedly.
"Maybe they changed their minds about letting me go?" That would just be Spectrum's luck.
Behind the three, Silver Avenger Joseph Gray came running along. "The base is under attack by Mechanons! We could use your assistance!" Without waiting for an answer, the PRIMUS Commander kept on moving past the heroes and towards the battle site.
"Mechanons?", Spectrum repeated. "As in more than one? One's bad enough!" The colorful mutant thought back to his brief encounter with Mechanon near the Flying Beagle Cafe. He, Spinnerette, and Pulsar were outclassed by a single Mechanon. What could they do against several of them? (Editor's Note: Back in Spectrum #9)
"It must be Kilbots!", Morning Star explained as she sprinted after the Silver Avenger. "Robot warriors Mechanon sometimes uses to do his dirty work." Nightingale silently flew after the lavender-clad heroine.
"Oh," Spectrum muttered. Taking to the air, he flew after the others. "That makes me feel better." But not really.
"Oh no! I've got to save Angie!", Blizzard thought to himself, seeing that the Empress had lost her crown. Without it, she was a powerless normal. Unfortunately, Blizzard's concern blinded him to the danger that he himself was in. Another volley of rockets came forth from the Kilbots, impacting on the wall and ceiling to his left. That section of the base collapsed, pinning Blizzard among the debris!
Unaware of the fate of her boyfriend, the Empress frantically searched for her lost crown. "My crown! Where's my crown!?" At seemingly the last second, she noticed yet another rocket streaking towards here. With a gasp of horror, the Empress dropped to the floor while the missile passed overhead and flew deeper into the PRIMUS Base. It exploded, sending more debris into the air and causing more rubble to pelt the powerless Empress. "I knew it was a bad idea to stay here!", she fumed to herself. "But no one ever listens to me!"
By now, the reception area of the PRIMUS base looked like it had been repeatedly struck by a wrecking ball. The multiple rocket strikes had created numerous craters and holes in the walls. Several walls had collapsed and much of the base's defense systems had been obliterated. The Kilbots continued to swarm into the base, several managing to penetrate deeper into the building. PRIMUS Agents bravely tried to defend their base, but were overmatched. The order to fall back was soon given.
"Oh hell!", Shockwave thought to herself. Her scanners picked up a pair of missiles streaking towards her! With great effort, the armored heroine dove for cover. Her armor was sluggish in responding, but she reached cover before impact. A fresh layer of debris covered her after the explosion. "My armor is going to need a complete overhaul by the time these guys are done with us!"
"Have at thee, knave!", Sabre yelled as he struck another Kilbot with all his might. Using his Blood movement powers, Sabre had teleported behind the intruders and struck the last Kilbot in the swarm. The robot went rigid with arcs of electricity flashing about its form. Another slice put the Kilbot down for good. "Ole'!" With several quick slashing strokes, Sabre carved an 'S' into the robots leg. "The mark of Sabre!"
"Angie!", Blizzard yelled. His legs were pinned underneath the debris from the collapsed wall and ceiling. He would need help in freeing himself and the only person in his line of sight was the Empress. "Angie, help me!"
However, the Empress continued to be oblivious to his cries. Her eyes darted about frantically in a desperate search of her crown. She spared Blizzard a glance and saw that he was pinned. "I'll be right there, Blizzie-honey! Just let me get my crown back! Then I'll teach these things to mess with the Empress!!"
Blizzard cursed under his breath and looked back at the rubble holding him down. Perhaps he could get free on his own? Blizzard generated an ice blast and blew most of the debris away. "You want something done, you've got to do it yourself!" With effort, Blizzard pulled himself free from the remainder of the rubble.
Looking around, he spotted the Empress moving a small pile of debris aside. "I've got it! I've found my crown!!"
"Well, goodie for you," Blizzard stated sarcastically as he approached. "I could've used your help!"
"Do I look like I've got big muscles?", the Empress countered in an annoyed tone. "Look, my claim to fame is beauty, not brawn. There's no way I could have dug you out without the crown!"
Before Blizzard could even respond, a pair of rockets struck the ceiling above them! Debris and rubble rained down following the explosion. When the dust settled, both Blizzard and the Empress were unconscious.
Across the room, Shockwave shakily regained her footing. Her scanners had shut down after that last explosion. It wasn't going to be long before her entire armor failed as well. "This is crazy!", she thought to herself. "These robots are too powerful for us!" Rising, Shockwave turned to look around. To her immense shock, she had turned to find a Kilbot right in front her!
The automaton grabbed Shockwave around the torso and put her into a bear hug. With ease, the Kilbot lifted the armored heroine off the ground and began to squeeze!
"Oh God! He's going to crack me like an egg!" More system failure alarm flags went off inside her armor. Total failure was imminent! The armor began to crack as the Kilbot continued to apply pressure. "Crushing me--!!", Shockwave thought, ignoring all the alarms and the growing pressure on her chest. "Just-- one-- chance!"
Raising her gauntlets to the head of the Kilbot, Shockwave generated a strong vibratory pulse into her attacker! Slowly at first, but rapidly gaining speed, the Kilbot began to shake as Shockwave exerted all her remaining power into this one attack. Each breath was becoming more and more labored as the Kilbot held the heroine in its crushing embrace.
Finally, the vibrations reached a fevered pitch and the Kilbot exploded into thousands of pieces! Shockwave fell to the floor, her armor severally damaged and now cracked. One by one, her systems failed leaving Shockwave virtually helpless and nearly immobile.
"There they are!" The Silver Avenger pointed further down the corridor. Several of the Kilbots had broken into one of the secured areas and were now retreating. They seemed to be carrying an occupied body bag.
One of the Kilbots turned and silently regarded the approaching heroes. It fired off a rocket to deal with this new threat.
"Incoming!", the Silver Avenger yelled as he hit the deck. Spectrum simply soared over the missile while Morning Star ducked under it. The projectile exploded before reaching Nightingale, sending the psionic-Avenger backwards and into the wall. Her telekinetic shield spared her any serious injury.
The Silver Avenger was on his feet and rushed the mechanical invader. Top secret treatments had made those who volunteered to become Silver Avengers far more than human. "Get out of my base, you vile machine!" Using a powerful two handed smash, the Silver Avenger sent the Kilbot stumbling backwards.
Spectrum fired off an orange blast of light from overhead, further damaging the robot. Morning Star then landed a powerful right that shattered the Kilbot! "These things are nasty," the heroine stated. "Taking them down en masse is the best way to go."
"The others are getting way!", the Silver Avenger reported. The members of X-Factor turned to see the other Kilbots flying off with the body they had retrieved.
"I'm on it!" Spectrum streaked after the robots and was quickly out of sight.
"Flight is a new wrinkle for Kilbots", Morning Star observed as she and the Silver Avenger followed as best they could on foot with Nightingale trailing behind them. Morning Star felt a pain in her torso from where she had been injured by the Crimson Claw. That effort might have reopened one of her wounds. That was something Morning Star would have to deal with once this current crisis was over with. "What were they after?"
"I have no idea what they are planning to do with it," Joseph Gray explained, "but those things stole Halfjack's body!"
Out in what remained of the lobby, Sabre turned to find a trio of Kilbots flying out from deeper inside the PRIMUS base. They were flying straight towards him. "Low bridge!" Dropping to his knees, Sabre avoided the collision. The first two Kilbots were carrying something between them. "Was that a body?"
Bringing his sword into play once more, Sabre slashed the last Kilbot as it flew past, severing one of its legs. The Kilbot spiraled out of control and crashed headlong into the concrete sidewalk outside the PRIMUS base. Rushing to its side, Sabre stood over the automation and thrust his sword through its chest, ensuring its destruction. "Your pilot's license has been revoked, my friend!"
Spectrum emerged out into what had been the reception area a few seconds later. "Man! I haven't seen this kind of destruction since the Tanghal Tower!" Not pausing to take a good look around, Spectrum continued to chase the fleeing Kilbots and the lifeless Halfjack. Once out into the open streets, the Kilbots rapidly accelerated gaining more and more speed.
"They're pulling away!", Spectrum thought to himself. He was already flying as fast as he could, but it wasn't enough. Soon the Kilbots were nothing but distant specks. Then they faded from sight all together. Disappointed, Spectrum turned and retraced his path back to the PRIMUS Base.
Morning Star and the Silver Avenger had unburied Blizzard and the Empress by the time Spectrum returned. He landed near the group. "They out distanced me," the colorful mutant reported. "Is everyone here okay?"
Looking around Spectrum could see that this corner of the base was a total loss. As he watched, PRIMUS agents rushed to shore up the corner of the building before a potential collapse occurred. Elsewhere, Nightingale assisted Primus medics as they tended to the wounded.
"I think so," Morning Star reported. "Blizzard and Empress got banged up a little bit, but nothing serious. Shockwave's armor was heavily damaged." Morning Star pointed across the lobby to where Sabre was assisting Shockwave in standing.
"Good grief!", Spectrum exclaimed in a startled voice. Shockwave's armor was visibly cracked and partially re-shaped thanks to the Kilbot's mechanical grasp. "You okay, Shocky?", Spectrum asked as he and Morning Star approached.
"Personally, I'll be all right. As for my armor, I really can't say at the moment. I don't know if I'll ever be able to repair all this damage."
"What's important is that you were not really hurt," Morning Star replied in a reassuring tone. "Kilbots typically use lethal force."
"Come on, Shocky. You can do it," Blizzard stated as he too joined in on the conversation. He approached arm in arm with the Empress. "I know you're smart enough to patch it back up."
"Thanks, Bliz, for having faith in me," Shockwave answered. "I really appreciate it. However, my skill is not the issue, having the money and the material to affect repairs is the problem. My days as Shockwave may very well be over."
"That would be a pity," the Empress added in a slightly mocking tone.
Bending down, Sabre picked up the remains of one of the Kilbots. "Well, what about this stuff here? Could you use any of this to help fix your armor?"
Giving it an eye, Shockwave stated, "It might be useful."
Spectrum turned towards Morning Star. "'Star, do you think you could--?"
"I'll take care of it," the heroine answered, having reached the same conclusion as Spectrum had. Locating the Silver Avenger, Morning Star went to see if she could secure his permission to take some of the scrap Kilbot parts.
"So, Spec, what the heck is going on here?", Blizzard asked while the group waited for Morning Star to return. "I thought you were under arrest?"
"That's all been cleared up," Spectrum informed the rest of X-Factor. "The charges have been dropped. It was all just a case of mistaken identity."
"That's a great relief," Shockwave added. "I was very concerned."
"I feel better knowing that our fearless leader isn't a crook," the Empress noted. "The press tends to have a field day with that kind of thing." And it would make her look bad in the eyes of the media. That would not do.
"'Star told me everything you guys did to help me out. I just want to say 'thanks'. I owe you guys one."
"That's what teammates are for," Sabre replied with a grin. In spite not knowing Spectrum for all that long, Sabre was beginning to take a liking to him.
"Uh, huh. Here comes trouble," Blizzard noted as he saw Morning Star and the Silver Avenger approaching the group. "We're probably going to get a bill for all the damage."
"Officially, I want to thank X-Factor for their assistance in helping repel the Kilbots," the PRIMUS operative stated. "It could have been much worse had you not been here. Morning Star explained to me the situation with Shockwave. Help yourself to what you need with the scrap. There are plenty of parts for both yourself and our lab boys to examine."
"On behalf of X-Factor, you're welcome," Spectrum stated as he shook the Silver Avenger's hand. "Glad we were able to help out." Being on good terms with the local law enforcement agencies was always a good thing. Especially considering the events of the last 24 hours.
"And thanks for the parts, sir. I really appreciate it." Assisted by Sabre, Shockwave began to scour the area for anything she thought might be useful.
"The media has already started to gather if you're interested in sticking around," the Silver Avenger continued. "The vultures need to be fed something."
"You better believe it!", Blizzard inserted. "It's high time we introduced ourselves to the world." Besides, it might help drum up business for Heroes for Hire on the side as well.
"Let's get cleaned up first, Blizzie,", the Empress added. "I must be a mess to look at. If I'm going to be on TV, I want to look my best."
"Babe, you'd look good covered in mud."
"Thanks, Blizzie, but you should get washed up too." The Empress dragged her boyfriend off so the two of them could find a place to get cleaned up. "And don't get any ideas about me and mud..."
"We might as well take the opportunity to introduce ourselves to the public," Morning Star stated. "Free publicity never hurts."
Spectrum nodded in agreement. "Besides, it will annoy my doppelganger. Maybe even drawing him out into the open. I'd love to get my hands on that guy."
"That's certainly understandable."
"I think I'll take a rain check on meeting the press," Shockwave added, taking a moment from collecting parts. "While I'm not as vain as the lovebirds, I'd rather not be seen like this. Also, I'm going to need some way to get back to the shop."
"My car is in the lot out back," Morning Star explained. "Load up what you can fit into it, and I'll drive you to wherever you need to go."
"Thanks."
Moving to Spectrum's side, Morning Star took a hold of the colorful mutant's arm. "Shall we meet the press?" Together, they went to join the Silver Avenger, a smile etched on Spectrum's face underneath his full-face mask.
"NOOOO!!!"
The unexpected cry startled Mind Slayer, causing her to drop the dish she had been cleaning. Discarding the towel in her hands, she rushed to find out what was happening. Rounding the corner, she found Spectrum ranting and raving before the television set.
"You fools! You stupid fools! You're just going to let him go?!"
"Spec? What's wrong? What's going on?" Not getting a response, Mind Slayer turned to see what was on the TV that Spectrum found so upsetting. The image on the screen was a close up view of several costumed individuals. Behind a speaking podium was a Silver Avenger. Mind Slayer didn't know which one, but their uniforms were unmistakable.
On one side of the Silver Avenger was the famous heroine Morning Star. The sight made Mind Slayer sneer in anger. She had a sore spot when it came to heroines. Several Chicago-based heroines had made a fool of Mind Slayer in her early days of crime. Over time, she began to hate any and all heroines. Past encounters against Morning Star only reinforced this fury.
Next to Morning Star was man she identified as the 'other' Spectrum. He wore a costume that divided up different parts of his body into the primary and secondary colors. It was easier on the eyes than the costume worn by her rainbow striped teammate.
On the other side of the Silver Avenger were two of the newer supers on the LA scene, Blizzard and the Empress. The man was dressed in blue and white, while the woman wore gold and red.
"What are all those people doing with PRIMUS? I thought the other Spectrum was in jail," Mind Slayer wondered aloud.
"He was!", the Terror Unlimited Spectrum screamed. "Those idiots let him go! They cleared him of all charges! Even worse, he's apparently the leader of some new hero team called X-Factor!"
"X-Factor?", Mind Slayer repeated haven't not heard of them before. This didn't bode well in her mind. With the considerable friction between Spectrum and his double it was only a matter of time before Terror Unlimited clashed with this X-Factor. Of course, it would give Mind Slayer another shot at Morning Star. The thought of taking that self-righteous heroine down a few pegs cheered Mind Slayer up. And then after her, the Empress would suffer as well.
"Yeah! He must've joined with those guys for protection. Probably too afraid to go around by himself. No matter. This guy is toast." After a pause, Spectrum added, "Still, he's got a couple of babes for teammates. I guess he's got some semblance of taste after all."
"Watch it, lover-boy," Mind Slayer interjected. "You've got all the woman you can handle right here. No need to go drooling over those two."
"Don't I know it, MS. Still, I can't stand by and let this clown get all my glory. Say, why don't we go down there and give them all a major reality check?"
"I don't know...", Mind Slayer answered. While the prospect of getting back at Morning Star appealed to her, Mind Slayer was very concerned about getting on Scorpia's bad side. Going to confront a bunch of heroes at PRIMUS Headquarters, no matter how tempting, seemed like an extraordinarily bad idea to her.
"Come on!", Spectrum urged. "We'll be back before we're ever missed."
"You will do NO such thing!"
The pair turned to find Scorpia standing in the doorway. The Irish powerhouse Shamrock loomed behind her. "Uhm, hi there, Scorpia," Spectrum casually stated, trying to change the subject. "What's new?"
"Don't play games with me, lad," Scorpia announced as she strode into the room. "I have no interest in any of your personal vendettas. They are not the concern of this group. Is that understood?"
"Yes, ma'am." Mind Slayer stood quietly, gazing at the floor as she delivered her answered. The time spent being trained by PSI had conditioned her to obey orders without thinking. With Scorpia clearly in charge of the team, the mentalist would defer to her authority almost instinctively.
"But...", Spectrum tried to answer.
Scorpia would have none of his excuses. Her eyes squinted in anger. This nonsense needed to be put to a stop right here and now. "Let me make things crystal clear for you, lad. You will obey my instructions and I will let you remain part of our little quartet. Cross me and you will never cross anyone ever again. Now do I make myself clear?" The villainess popped the claws on her right arm to reinforce her point.
"Heh-heh," Spectrum muttered, eyeing the business end of Scorpia's claws. He knew the Irish terrorist well enough to know that she was not bluffing. With Scorpia being fully backed by Shamrock, and apparently by Mind Slayer as well, Spectrum was outnumbered and outgunned. "Yer the boss."
"That's better," Scorpia cooed. "I will brook no challenge to my authority. I've arranged a meeting with Iron Maiden in the morning. Until then, we shall continue to lay low." That said, Scorpia and Shamrock departed.
Mind Slayer went to clean up the dish she had dropped. Still angry inside, Spectrum turned back to the television. He would get his revenge, whether Scorpia liked it our not...
"Man, has the last few days been crazy, or what?", Spectrum noted before taking another bite of pizza. He, like the rest of X-Factor, was now in Shockwave's makeshift lab at the offices of Heroes for Hire. After the press conference, the team had traveled here to relax and unwind. In a sense, this was their team headquarters. To show his appreciation for their help, Spectrum had bought pizza for the entire group.
"That they have," Morning Star added. "This is the first time since we've formed that we've actually had the time to just sit and talk."
Spectrum was sitting on top of one of the workbenches, an open pizza box close by. He had removed his full-face mask while he ate. Morning Star stood a few feet away, next to a sitting Sabre. Shockwave had removed her damaged armor and stood amongst the group in civilian garb. Blizzard and the Empress sat on another bench.
"What's there to talk about?", Blizzard wondered between bites. "We've done okay so far. Sure, we're not big like the Guardians or the Freedom Squad, but that'll come with time."
"There's quite a bit to discuss, actually," Morning Star explained. She was beginning to understand why her friend Spinnerette had little patience in putting up with Blizzard. He came across as a rookie with an attitude. "Things such as team organization, rules, regulations, bylaws, and other important concerns."
"I thought we just hung out together," the Empress said. "Kind of like a gang. I'm not sure we need rules and such." This was the first time Angie had seen either Spectrum or Shockwave's face. To her mild surprise, they were both fairly attractive people. Spectrum even looked vaguely familiar to her, but she couldn't seem to place him. On her hunk scale, Spectrum rated about an '8', as did Sabre. "Leave it to me to pick the least attractive of the guys," she thought to herself in regards to Blizzard. "I guess Shocky isn't a dog either. It's a good thing she's not done up-- she might look better than me!"
"To be honest, I never gave it any thought," Spectrum added. "This whole group idea was a spur of the moment thing."
Shockwave spoke up next and tried to not glare at the Empress. "We definitely need a charter." She really wasn't sure on the matter, but if the Empress didn't want rules, then Sara did. It was the principle of the thing.
"If I learned anything from my father, it is that any type of unit needs to be organized." Sabre added his two cents as he munched on the pizza. "A group of individuals all on the same page can be a formidable fighting force."
"Oh, this is silly! We're not in the military!" The Empress objected to such strict rules. They usually cramped her style. "The next thing you know, we'll have ID cards and passwords!"
"We can't have total chaos either," Morning Star countered. "Look, I realize that most of you are new to this sort of thing. I've been on several hero groups before. I simply think it's wise to avoid any potential difficulties before they arise."
"The lady does have a point," Spectrum added. "She's probably got more heroing experience than all of us put together. 'Star knows what she's talking about."
"A group, like any business, needs to be organized," Blizzard rationalized. As a businessman, he knew this to be true. "I'd have to go along with Morning Star on this one."
"Blizzie?!", the Empress chirped in an annoyed tone. She couldn't believe that he was siding with them.
The icy hero just shrugged in response. "Hey, when they're right, they're right."
"Fine. Go and make your silly rules." The Empress hopped down from the workbench and made a beeline for the exit. "I've got more important things to do."
Blizzard let out a long sigh. "I'll talk to her." Sliding off the bench, Blizzard went after the Empress as the others exchanged concerned looks.
The pizza boxes were now all discarded and the dishes cleared away. X-Factor had finally completed their first organizational meeting. All in all, the team appeared that they would live up to their name. Who truly knew what to expect from them when not even they did?
"Well, this looks good to me," Spectrum said, as he stood and stretched. "How 'bout we call it a day?" It was now late in the afternoon and several days since Spectrum had been home. A hot shower was going to be most welcome by now.
For Morning Star, the results were far less structured than she would have liked. "I suppose they'll just have to learn some of these things on their own," the heroine thought to herself. "I'd like to tell them how to do everything right from the start, but maybe this team will find a different way. It's own way." That thought was both appealing and frustrating at the same time.
To most of the team, it seemed like a very good start. Sabre was happy that there was now organization to the team, but it also allowed a fluidity that was necessary in combat. Blizzard and Shockwave were both satisfied with what had been accomplished. It was an improvement over what they had started with Heroes for Hire and neither were truly aware of how much may be missing at this point.
For the Empress however, the long discussion about structure and formation and rules was boring, tedious, and wholly unnecessary. Blizzard had managed to drag her back to the group gathering, but she occasionally continued to be difficult throughout the proceedings. "I'm glad that's finally over with. Anyone want to go out dancing? I need to cut loose."
"A most charming invitation, but I understood you were spoken for, my dear," Sabre answered in the silky smooth tones of Cary Grant. The Blood warrior found the Empress to be attractive, but considered her and Blizzard to be a couple.
"The more the merrier, I say if you're gonna have a party," Empress countered enthusiastically. She liked the prospect of hitting the dance floor with Sabre and being held in his muscular arms. "How about you, Spectrum? Wanna come play with us?"
"Sounds like fun, but I've got things to do." Like talking things out with Whitney, Spectrum thought to himself.
"Count me out too," Morning Star spoke up. "I'm looking forward to unwinding with a nice quiet evening at home. Maybe another time," she added apologetically. Besides, she wanted to clean up her torso wounds and let them breathe for the night.
"Suit yourself," the Empress responded, relieved at the lack of competition. Her invitation had not been directed towards the other female members of X-Factor anyway. "Let's go, boys. There's serious partying to be done, and I don't want to miss a minute of it!"
"You said it," Blizzard added, as he headed for the door. "Come on, Shocky. Why not come along? It'll be just like the old days..."
Sara felt torn for a moment. She felt like she was losing contact with her friend these last few weeks. On the other hand, she also felt hypocritical trying to make nice around the Empress when that woman bothered her so much. "I don't know...," Sara answered uncommittedly.
"It'll be fun," Blizzard added hopefully.
"Hey, if she doesn't want to go,..." the Empress began to say. She liked the idea of the two heroes vying for her attentions and didn't want to share the spotlight with anyone else.
"You know what," Sara spoke up, "I think I will go along." Perhaps just for spite's sake, she thought to herself. The next few days would be filled with the intense work of trying to repair her armor. She could use a bit of unwinding. "I need some time to get ready though."
"We pretty much all do, comrade," Sabre piped up. "I can stop by and pick you up around 9 or so."
"Great!", Sara answered.
"Yeah, great", the Empress added, not too convincingly.
Spectrum and Morning Star were now alone in the workshop as the others had gone to get ready for their night out on the town. "Well, I should get going," Spectrum announced as he turned to face Morning Star. "I just wanted to say 'thanks' again, for everything you've done for me. It's too bad that Nightingale was called back to the Clinic. I would have liked to thank her too."
"Don't think anything of it," the heroine answered with a wave. "As Sabre said earlier, that's what teammates are for."
"I still means a lot to me."
"Now that we're alone, there are a few things I'd like to discuss."
That piqued Spectrum's interest. What was she getting at? "Uhm, sure. What's on your mind?"
"First, I just wanted to let you know that I informed Ms. Parks about your condition earlier this morning. When we talked last night, she asked me to keep her up to date on your situation."
"That's great," Spectrum answered in a pleased tone. "I planned on calling her as soon as I got home. At least this'll make my explanation easier to swallow. Anything else?"
"I don't know if you've noticed, but there is a bit of tension between Shockwave and the Empress. Such static might cause problems for the team further down the road."
That revelation certainly came from left field, as far as Spectrum was concerned. "No, I really hadn't noticed. I mean, why would they be going out together if there was?"
"Maybe it's just my imagination," Morning Star quickly stated. She found it hard to believe that Spectrum was so oblivious to the situation.
"Tell you what, I'll keep my eyes open."
"That's all I can ask for. Well, have a good evening."
A honking horn attracted Jim's attention. Looking out the front window, he saw that Whitney had arrived in her white Turbo Conquest TSi. "Looks like my ride is here," he noted to himself. It was now mid-evening and Spectrum had returned home, cleaned up, and had a long heart-to-heart talk with Whitney over the phone. Given the circumstances behind Jim's erratic behavior and their subsequent recent break-up, they had decided to give it another try.
Casually, he walked out the front door and up to the side of the sports car. The passenger side window lowered as he approached. "Can I give you a lift?", Whitney announced as she leaned to the passenger side.
All Jim could do was smile upon seeing Whitney. She was beautiful and he had a lot of things to make up to her. "Most certainly, lovely lady." He opened the door and slid into the seat. After buckling himself in, Jim turned to face Whitney. "Got any plans for the evening?" The thought of joining up with the others at the nightclub they had decided upon crossed his mind, but no. He wanted this night to be just the two of them.
"I'm hoping for a quiet evening with my favorite guy," Whitney answered with a smile. "We've got a lot of catching up to do."
"That sounds wonderful, Ms. Parks. I'm all yours for the evening. Maybe even tomorrow, too."
Whitney chuckled, put the car into gear, and eased out into traffic. Perhaps it was going to be like old times again.
