"We have movement!"

"Finally," Silver Avenger Joseph Gray commented, primarily to himself. Speaking into his walkie-talkie he added, "All units at the ready! The show's about to begin."

Raising his binoculars up to his eyes, the Commander of the Los Angeles branch of PRIMUS stared intently at the distant garage. On the surface it appeared to be any number of small time mechanic shops located in Los Angeles. There was no indication to lead anyone to believe that this was actually one of the entrances to a VIPER's Nest. That was until green and yellow dressed VIPER Agents began to rush out of the garage!

This was going to be quite the feather in Gray's cap. The fact that this whole situation just dropped into his lap out of the blue was immaterial. The heroine Morning Star had called up the PRIMUS Commander and causally asked if PRIMUS would be interested in helping take down a VIPER Nest. Given the past rocky relations with X-Factor, the new hero team that Morning Star was a member of, perhaps this was some sort of peace offering. Such an invitation to thwart VIPER was eagerly accepted.

A plan of assault was quickly put into operation. The newest hero team in LA, X-Factor, would spearhead a sneak attack before PRIMUS would move in. Normally, Gray would have rejected such a minor role in this mission. But with the opportunity to capture a Serpentine Crystal at stake, he saw the wisdom in the covert lightning strike.

The Serpentine Crystal was the heart of the VIPER communications network. Its capture would strike a tremendous blow against VIPER as an organization. With it, other VIPER Nests and operations could be rooted out. Its retrieval was the top priority of this mission. Every other goal was secondary.

But now, finally, the Silver Avenger was seeing signs that the plan was working. The heroes were driving VIPER Operatives out of the base in droves-- right into the waiting arms of PRIMUS. Even now the first few snakes were being taken into custody. In a few more minutes, the PRIMUS forces would begin to move in.

"Everything is going according to plan," Gray commented to his aid. There was nothing the Silver Avenger loved better than a well executed plan of attack.

#12 - "Snake Bit"

"I don't recall this being part of the game plan!", Impact noted in surprise as he stared down the hallway. The hideous pea green and white paint job did not hold the heroes attention. Nor did the shrilling of the Nest intruder alarm. Impact and Satara had just taken out a VIPER Assault team when they ran into unexpected complications. "What do we do now?"

"We adapt and overcome," Satara informed her companion. The blonde Blood warrioress gripped her namesake weapon tightly. She had the feeling that her natural strength alone was not going to be enough to defeat this new enemy.

"You will be crushed by the Brick," the large, reddish-orange man informed the young heroes. Brick stood eight feet tall and looked very much like a walking brick wall. Even being nearly thirty feet away, the Brick seemed large and imposing.

"I'll take some of that action!", Impact yelled in a cocky voice. "This is one wall that's coming down! Hard!" The young hero pointed at Brick to further emphasize his boast. Impact shot into the air and accelerated towards the Brick. Satara, weapon in hand, rushed down the corridor after her comrade.

At the last moment, Brick sidestepped allowing Impact to harmlessly sail past. "No fair!", Impact shouted as he flew further down the passageway. He barely avoided colliding with the end of the corridor by diverting down an intersecting hallway.

"Hammer time!", Satara yelled as she struck with the hammer side of her weapon. The tremendous blow sent Brick flying all the way down to the end of the corridor at the intersection.

"Whoa!" Impact had just returned in time see the rocky villain go airborne courtesy of the blond warrioress. "That is one chick I don't want to get mad at me!" Especially with the nasty looking weapon she was wielding. Even now she was rushing forward screaming a battle cry to take the fight to Brick.

Brick was already getting to his feet as Impact approached once more. "Hey, Satara! Watch me strut my stuff!" Impact knew that he had superhuman strength and now he had the opportunity to try it out against another muscle man. Besides, it would give him a chance to impress Satara. Landing, Impact struck Brick across the face with a punch. "Take this, you walking patio!"

"You call that a punch?", the Brick wondered showing absolutely no effect from the feeble blow. "Now this is a punch!"

Brick swung hard, catching Impact in the chest. Impact was suddenly launched back down the corridor towards Satara! The young Blood warrior deftly tumbled underneath the flailing Impact and continued on towards Brick. Impact glanced off the wall before regaining control of himself. "Okay, big guy, I'll give you that one. But this game has a long way to go before the final whistle sounds."

"AAAIIGHHH!!", Satara screamed as she swung her hammer at Brick once more. But this time Brick was ready and avoided the blow.

"That's one trick I will not fall for twice, Viking girl," he informed Satara. "I don't know who either one of you chumps are, but you cannot stop the Brick!"

Impact was streaking towards Brick once more. "I don't want to stop you-- I wanna run you over!"

"Impact!", Satara shouted in warning. "NO!!"

Ignoring his companions urging, Impact continued to bear down on Brick fully intent on crashing into the large man. At seemingly the last moment, Brick sidestepped and Impact missed again. But this time there was not enough room for Impact to swerve and he collided headfirst into the corridor wall with a terrific crash! After the dust had settled, all that could be seen of Impact was his legs dangling out of the hole he had just created.

"I felt that...", could be heard barely above a whisper coming from the opening.

"How could anyone be so stupid?", the Brick wondered aloud. After all, if one strategy failed with the first attempt, would it not fail the second as well?

"Practice," Satara muttered as she steadied herself for the inevitable counterattack.

Brick reached back and locked his large, rocky hand around Impact's ankles, pulling him out of the hole with ease. "Hey! Let go of me, you big ape!"

Ignoring Impact's cries, Brick swung the hero through the air in one motion and slammed him hard into Satara! That was one move the Young Blood was not expecting: having her own partner used like a club! Satara was sent flying back down the corridor almost as far as she had sent Brick originally.

"Finally, you've managed to contribute to this battle," Brick informed a groggy Impact. The VIPER staff villain retained his hold on Impact as he was not ready to relinquish such a useful weapon. "Smashing two heroes with one stone."

"Up yours!", Impact spat out defiantly. "This game ain't over yet!"

"Not yet," Brick answered as he rushed down the hallway towards Satara. The young warrior was still picking herself up off of the floor. "But time is running out on you."

Impact strained, trying desperately to free his legs from the vice-like grip of the Brick. But it was no good. The villain was far too strong. On a whim, he tried to fly free of the powerhouse's grasp, but not even that was enough.

"And he swings for the fences..." Brick brought his unusual 'bat' into play once more swinging hard at Satara. This time, she was ready and ducked under the attack. Impact bounced off the wall with a thud.

"Extreme situations call for extreme measures," the Blood muttered as she switched to the bladed side of her satara. Yelling another battle cry, Satara swung hard, driving her weapon deep into Brick's shoulder. The villain's rocky skin gave and chunks of brick and stone came flying out.

If Brick was in any pain, he didn't show it. "Impressive," he calmly intoned, staring at his wound. "But ultimately futile."

The lack of effectiveness of her attack startled Satara and she froze long enough for Brick to strike her with Impact once more. Satara flew backwards once more, groggy from the blow. Impact hung limply in Brick's grasp, finally knocked into unconsciousness. Fearfully, Satara watched as Brick advanced on her once more...

"Blizzie!", the Empress screamed in a combination of surprise and fear. Seemingly out of nowhere, a black man dressed in exercise gear had suddenly appeared between the two heroes. Before either one could understand what was going on, the intruder had struck the unsuspecting Blizzard.

"Let's see you go ten rounds with Shadowfist!", the newcomer threatened. The villain struck a boxing pose for a moment and then rocked Blizzard with a flurry of punches. The icy hero groaned and then collapsed to the floor.

"What are you?!", the Empress wondered in terror as the villain turned towards her. The man had no eyes, instead ebony flames danced where his eyes should be! Having exhausted her powers against the regular VIPER Agents, the Empress was helpless against this new foe.

"Guess you weren't paying attention the first time, babe. The name is Shadowfist and now I'll show you why." Out of nowhere, a shadowy fist shot out of the darkness and slammed hard into the elemental heroine. The force of the blow threw her back hard into the wall and the Empress' world went black.

"Blizzard and the Empress are in trouble!", Vindicator shouted to Mockingbird and Spinnerette. The five heroes had been taking on the majority of the VIPER troops on the upper level of the nest. Spin had used her webbing to secure the weapons lockers, while Blizzard laid down a sheet of ice on the floor. Lacking their major weapons and unable to stand on two feet, the Snakes made easy pickings.

From there, the heroes had split into three groups. Blizzard and the Empress forced the snakes down one corridor, while Mockingbird and Spinnerette teamed up in the other. Vindicator was in the center of the action where the corridors converged. His metallic body simply waded through the normal men, sending them sprawling. Wisely, a majority of the operatives made for the elevators and fled this floor entirely. Very little resistance remained on this level.

"They're being attacked!", Vindicator explained further. While appearing to be humanoid, Vindicator was actually a remote controlled robot. TJ Lawrence Jr. controlled the mechanical hero from a lab at the LawTech facility. A wide array of sensors had been placed inside the blue and gray Vindicator granting him detection abilities far beyond a normal human. Even at this great distance, he could make out Shadowfist's assault on Blizzard and the Empress with ease.

"I'm on it!", Spinnerette shouted in response. The heroine ignored the few VIPER Agents below her and started to run down the ceiling of the corridor. Mockingbird was back in the VIPER lounge, recovering from the effort put out to drive the snakes away. Exhausted much the same way as the Empress was.

"I believe that will not be necessary," Vindicator mechanically intoned as its targeting sensors locked in on the enigmatic Shadowfist. Raising his right hand, a blast of energy came forth and unerringly sailed down the corridor. The attack struck the totally unsuspecting Shadowfist, sending him against the wall, and sprawling behind Blizzard's ice barrier. "The situation has been dealt with."

"It's never that easy, tin man," the black and red clad heroine warned as she continued her advance. Her spider-sense was telling her that they were not out of danger yet. "Yeow!" Unexpectedly, a solid shadow shot out seemingly from nowhere and narrowly missed the wall-crawling Guardian. "Shadowfist can manipulate shadows and make them attack you. He can strike from anywhere!"

"I stand corrected." While Vindicator had indeed struck the VIPER Staff villain, Shadowfist had not been knocked out but had also changed locations. His assault on Spinnerette proved this. "Attempting to re-acquire target."

"I've located him!", Mockingbird stated as she landed next to Vindicator. A sonar pulse generated by her sonic carapace allowed the heroine to locate the shadowy-villain. The young woman wore a gray and white bodysuit, with black gloves and boots. Mockingbird also wore a golden harness with long, white feathery wings projected along the back of her arms. "Shadowfist is thirty feet ahead of you, seven feet to your left."

"Thanks for the assist, M-Bird." Spinnerette continued to run forward towards the direction Mockingbird had suggested. Nearing her target, Spinnerette leaped into the air towards Shadowfist.

The shadowy-villain easily ducked under the flying kick. "A clumsy move," Shadowfist remarked.

"Perhaps, but who said that was the real attack?"

Spinnerette's intent had been to only locate Shadowfist, not attack him directly. Her follow-up move took care of that. Her flying kick having been only for show, the heroine used the wall behind Shadowfist like a springboard and leaped back at him! This time, Shadowfist was unable to dodge as Spin collided with him shoulder first!

The two were spent sprawling out into the icy coated corridor. Shadowfist tried to stand, but was unable to get his bearings. Spinnerette leaped to the safety of the ceiling.

"Do you have the ability to generate a burst of light?", Mockingbird asked of Vindicator as the pair observed the battle. Being new to the hero game, much like Vindicator, the heroine was unsure of the mechanical man's abilities.

"Yes, I can, Mockingbird. Of course! I should have realized that sooner." Raising his left arm, Vindicator generated a pulse of light that momentarily illuminated the hallway containing Spinnerette and Shadowfist. The effect was like a super-flashbulb going off. "Light should prove to be a most effective weapon against this villain."

"That was my theory," Mockingbird added with a slight smile.

The scream of pain that came from Shadowfist further proved this hypothesis to be correct. While the villain was stunned and disorientated Spinnerette connected with a flurry of blows that put the VIPER operative down. A blanket of webbing further incapacitated him. "And that takes care of that," Spinnerette stated as she patted her hands as if to clean them.

By now, this level of the nest appeared to be empty. Any VIPER agents that remained were snoozing. "I'll rouse the lovebirds," Spinnerette stated as she took to the ceiling once more and headed towards the location of Blizzard and the Empress. "Then we can continue on with the plan."

"Destroy the invaders!", the Nest Leader commanded. Chaos reigned inside the Command Center for the entire Nest. Morning Star and Spectrum had reached this inner sanctum to find a surprise waiting for them. The Nest Leader himself was present, seated on a chair that looked more like the maw of a serpent than a piece of furniture. Heavily armed VIPER Agents were firing relentlessly from protected positions.

Stepping out from behind cover, the blue and white clad Icicle gulped hard and wondered just what she should do. For the last several months she had served as a Staff Villainess for VIPER. They took her in when she had no where else to go after the fiasco in Denver.

At one point, the situation in Denver had seemed to be the start of better things. Icicle had met and befriended Spectrum, whom she believed to be a criminal like herself. The only bad thing was the presence of Shadow Queen who appeared to be smitten with Spectrum.

The trio had take a flight to Los Angeles and what Icicle hoped would be a new beginning. She had never set out to be a criminal, it just sort of worked that way. At times Icicle felt that she was never in control of her life. That outside forces were always making choices for her.

Jennifer Brockington had been a typical teenager growing up in Cincinnati. She was good in school, a fair artist, and a bit on the shy side. But her life was normal. That all changed as she entered puberty and Jennifer underwent bodily changes far more extensive than most teenage girls. Her mutant ability to generate ice surfaced.

She sought out her father to help her through this most trying of times. That was when Jennifer's nightmare began. Instead of understanding and comforting his daughter, Jennifer's father flew into a rage. His own child was some sort of freak?! He snapped and took his frustrations out on Jennifer, nearly beating her to death. Crying hysterically, Jennifer fled with just the clothes on her back. She left home and never looked back.

Life on the run was hard. There was no one she could turn to, no one who could understand her problems. Jennifer took to stealing to survive. In time she adopted the identity of Icicle. Jennifer was a nobody, but Icicle was a force to be reckoned with.

While everyone knew Icicle was a supervillainess, her crimes were not the most violent in nature. She never used lethal force against anyone. Robbery and intimidation were the most common.

Paired with Spectrum, Icicle thought that things would get better. That she would find a home and gain the acceptance that she so desperately needed. But that was not to be. Jennifer awoke alone in the hospital after the plane crash. Her dreams lay shattered yet again. Hurt and disillusioned, Jennifer slipped away one night and made her way to Los Angeles alone.

Interacting with the criminal underworld was becoming more and more easy for Icicle. In short order she found employment with the local VIPER Nest as one of the resident villains. While the work was not the most pleasant, at least she had a place to stay, was making a generous income, and had a great deal of time to spend by herself. Traveling to the beach to sketch the sunset became a favorite past time.

For the most part, Icicle avoided the other villains working for VIPER. Brick and Shadowfist plain creeped her out. She did miss Blue Jay, another villainess who had been captured a few months back. The two women both seemed out of place in the VIPER's Nest, as if neither one of them truly belonged there. They might have become friends had Blue Jay been around longer.

Then Spectrum re-entered Icicle's life, quite by accident. She had been assigned by VIPER to investigate the Tanghal Tower. Turned out that Spectrum, along with Blizzard and Shockwave, had been hired to guard the tower. The two talked for a few moments. Spectrum was now going it as a hero, seemingly shedding his villainous nature. In hindsight, Icicle realized that Spectrum never really acted like a criminal back in Denver.

Spectrum urged Icicle to leave VIPER and join up with him. But she refused. She was too afraid to betray VIPER like that. Jennifer was tired of running and wanted a home. Icicle watched from a distance as Spectrum's heroics started to pile up. He even became the leader of a hero team-- X-Factor. If he could change maybe she could as well. If only she wasn't so afraid to try.

She had talked to Spectrum on several other occasions, even paying her respects at the funeral of his father. But now her worst fears had been realized. Icicle had encountered Spectrum once more-- this time as enemies.

"What are you waiting for!?", the Nest Leader screamed in anger. He fired his hand blaster at the heroes, but had yet to score a hit. "I gave you an order!"

"Maybe she's finally beginning to realize that she's been playing for the wrong team?", Spectrum suggested hopefully as he caught the Nest Leader in the chest with a blast of light. The attack momentarily stunned the Nest Leader, causing his fang-chair to spin rapidly from the force of the blast.

"I don't want to fight you...", Icicle said barely above a whisper. "I can't--" She dropped her head, as if in shame.

"You don't have to fight us!", Morning Star added. While she only knew a small portion of Jennifer's plight, her chance meeting at Jordan Sculley's funeral had convinced Morning Star that Icicle was not the villainess that she had been made out to be. That, perhaps, if shown kindness and guidance that she could be turned into a force for good. "We can help you!"

Morning Star's body had been soaking up the blaster fire, which in turn amplified her already considerable strength. Reaching down, her powerful hands dug into the metallic floor. With a quick jerk, the heroine ripped the floor up cracking it like a whip. Across the room, several of the control centers went flying along with a half dozen VIPER Agents. Machinery, bodies, and sparks went flying everywhere.

"We've reached the turning point, Icy," Spectrum continued as he fired a blast of red light at a distance piece of machinery. The equipment exploded in a shower of parts, pelting the nearby VIPER Agents. "The proverbial fork in the road. Whose side do you really want to be on? I know in your heart that you're not a criminal. I will give you that chance to redeem yourself and do everything I can to help you, but you've got to take the first step!"

"Stop listening to this drivel!", the Nest Leader shouted, regaining control of his chair. "VIPER has invested a great deal of time and effort into you. We own you, body and soul! Betray us at your own peril!"

Morning Star rushed the nearest batch of VIPER Agents, tearing into them. There were too many foes to be subtle, so she just tossed them around like rag dolls. "Don't you see, Icicle, that to VIPER you are just a tool! A means to their end. They don't care about you as a person, just what you can do for them! As soon as you've outlived your usefulness, they will toss you aside."

Confusion was clearly etched on the young mutant's face. She didn't know what to do-- what to think. She looked at Spectrum, then Morning Star, and finally the Nest Leader as if pleading for guidance.

"I always knew that you were a worthless little mongrel," the Nest Leader sneered. "Too easily suckered in by anyone trying to be nice to you!" The villain swung his pistol around and pointed it at Icicle. "If you won't fight for me, then you can die with your hero friends!"

"I think that's the last of them," Shockwave observed as she stood amongst a pile of unconscious VIPER Agents. The armored heroine, along with Sabre, was in the hallway outside the Command Center. The heroes breaching the inner sanctum had brought more guards to the scene. Shockwave and Sabre had been dispatched to deal with this new menace.

"At least of the ones looking for a fight," Sabre added. Dozens of VIPER Operatives filled the hallways, but they were only looking for escape. Caught off guard, overwhelmed, and their moral broken, the snakes were fleeing the base like rats escaping a sinking ship. The garage entrance had been purposely left alone during the heroes assault giving the snakes an avenue of escape. They would be surprised and disappointed to find the forces of PRIMUS waiting for them at the other end of the tunnel.

"Looks like we came up with a winning plan." Shockwave seemed more relieved than happy at the turn of events. She had been nervous about this whole raid from the start.

"Perhaps. However, you will note that the rest of our team has yet to appear."

Shockwave considered for a moment what Sabre was saying. She knew that Morning Star and Spectrum were in the Command Center. That just left-- "Impact and Satara! Where are they at?" The heroine looked around in concern. The two young heroes were supposed to join up with their group once they took out the second VIPER assault team. But they had yet to appear. "Do you think that--?"

Shockwave let the question hang as she could tell that Sabre was no longer concentrating on her. Judging by the look on his face and his actions, she could tell that Sabre was using his special Blood Vision to search the base for his younger sister and Spectrum's younger brother. "It appears that our young associates could use some assistance."

"What about Spectrum and Morning Star?" Shockwave was nervous about the idea of abandoning them against the forces they must be currently facing.

"They'll be all right. Come on! Our assistance is required." Sabre, namesake weapon in hand dashed off down the corridor, pushing his way through VIPER Agents. The snakes offered no resistance and seemed more relieved that the hero wasn't going to attack them.

"Right behind you!" Shockwave activated her jet skates and surged forward. Wisely, the VIPER Agents gave her plenty of room. Shockwave quickly caught up to and passed Sabre.

Rounding the corner into the adjacent hallway, Shockwave could immediately see the root of the problem. The villain known as Brick was using Impact like a club to hit Satara! "Time to play cannonball once again!" Hoping that her recently upgraded armor could take the pounding, Shockwave accelerated forward and lowered her shoulder.

So wrapped up in his battle with Satara, Brick failed to notice the rapidly approaching Shockwave until it was too late. The armored heroine slammed hard into Brick, causing the giant to go flying backwards down the hallway! Impact slipped free of Brick's grasp and fell to the corridor floor. Shockwave continued on with Brick for about twenty feet before she too stumbled to the floor.

"Good hit!", Satara cheered, realizing that the dire situation she had been in had taken a sudden turn for the better. "I could have taken him, but didn't want to show off."

"Tell me another one, little sister," Sabre teased as he rushed past. "You show off every chance that you get."

"I do not!", Satara protested as she ran after her brother. "Well, I guess it is expected by we Norse Goddesses."

The brother and sister warriors quickly advanced on their foe. Brick had been rocked by the impact with Shockwave, but still had his wits about him. But Sabre was on him before he could defend himself. His sword, aglow with energy, smacked Brick across the chest. Brick roared in pain from the attack and stumbled back up against the wall, using it for support. Satara didn't give the villain a chance to recover as she too struck with her hammer.

"Fore!", the Blood warrioress yelled as her blow sent Brick flying down the corridor. "I knew all those hours of croquet would pay off eventually!"

"Well struck, sister, but I fear the giant is still not yet defeated." Once more, Sabre rushed down the hallway towards the prone Brick. The villain was just beginning to struggle to his feet. Follow up attacks by the two finally settled the issue.

"I was beginning to think that he would never go down." Turning the brother and sister could see Shockwave approaching with a still groggy Impact. The younger Sculley leaned on Shockwave for support.

"Put me back in, coach," Impact mumbled in a daze. "I can shake it off."

Turning to Sabre, Satara said, "And you complain about my aggression being used against me?" The blonde Blood warrior gestured towards Impact. "You should see this guy in action."

"We should get back to Spectrum and Morning Star," Shockwave urged.

"Right you are, comrade." Without another word, Sabre put his one hand on Shockwave's shoulder, the other on Satara's. A moment later, all four heroes winked out of existence.

Icicle's eyes grew wide in shock and surprise. The Nest Leader was turning on her! Spectrum had been right all along! "No!", the icy mutant yelled as she erected a wall of ice between her and the Nest Leader a split second before he fired! The laser struck the barrier and harmlessly bounced off.

"Traitorous wench!", the Nest Leader screamed. "Kill her! Kill them all!"

"Oh, stuff a sock in it!" While his attention was directed at Icicle, Morning Star had reached the Nest Leader. She grabbed the side of his fang-chair and gave it a healthy shove. Before he could realize what was going on, the Nest Leader's chair was rapidly spinning in place!

"I hate you!!", the Nest leader bellowed as he spun helplessly like a top.

"In case you hadn't noticed, Bozo, the feeling is mutual," Spectrum taunted as he made his way to Icicle's side, blasting agents as he approached. "You okay?"

"I don't know...", Icicle answered. "But I do know that I'm angry!"

"Then don't let me hold you back, kiddo. Join in on the fun!" Spectrum fired another blast, catch a VIPER Sniper square in the chest. Knowing from past experience that his stunning yellow blast was ineffectual, Spectrum stuck to using his orange blast on the agents, saving the red one for machinery.

Icicle gestured towards a group of VIPER Agents and the next thing they knew the snakes were encased in ice. "You're right," Icicle added with a small smile. "This is kinda fun."

At that moment, Sabre, Shockwave, Satara, and Impact appeared in the chamber. The four heroes took a moment to take stock of the situation that they had been thrust into. It only took a few seconds for the snakes to attack these new arrivals.

"Glad you could join the party," Spectrum told his teammates. "If it wears green and yellow, smash it! Icicle's on our side!"

While not totally understanding what was going on, the heroes acted. Sabre and Satara leaped at the nearest VIPER Agents while Shockwave gently set the still groggy Impact down. "I'll get the crystal," the armored heroine informed the others.

Ignoring the chaos going on around her, Shockwave made a beeline towards the chamber holding the Serpentine Crystal. The small crystal could be plainly seen inside a closet sized glass walled chamber. A wall mounted control pad was next to the entrance. "This must control the force field," Shockwave mused as she examined the device.

Reaching forward, Shockwave ripped the pad off the wall and examined the wiring behind it. Next, the heroine started to rip wires out, experimentally touching them together trying to short out the force field control. After a few tries, she succeeded.

"Bingo!" Shockwave forced the door open and now stood before the Serpentine Crystal. It didn't look all that special. Simply a large hunk of glass that had been worked into a multifaceted sphere. It was about the size of a golf ball. "I've got it!"

Turning back to the others, Shockwave could see that it was all over but the shouting. The VIPER Agents had either been rendered unconscious or had surrendered in the face of superior opposition.

"You have nothing, hero!" The Nest Leader, finally able to stop his fang-chair from spinning, touched a button on his armrest. A split second later, the Serpentine Crystal exploded into hundreds of pieces! "There, that mars your victory!"

"Maybe," Morning Star threatened as she approached. The heroine stood over the Nest Leader, her hands holding his arm rests. "But we still have you."

The Nest Leader smiled an evil smile. "I will never be captured by a mere woman. Not even by the great Morning Star!" Touching another button, an electric current engulfed the chair shocking Morning Star! Her long brown hair momentarily stood on end. "You will all pay for your actions here today! VIPER does not forgive! VIPER does not forget!"

More by reflex than intent, the heroine let go of the fang chair. Using that moment to his advantage, the Nest Leader activated other controls. Suddenly, the Fang Chair shot into the floor to the Command Center, disappearing down a hidden tunnel. A second after entering the secret escape tunnel, a steel plate slid into place, sealing off the opening. None of the other heroes were close enough to prevent the escape.

"We've got to stop him!" Angered on letting the Nest Leader get away, Morning Star ripped into the steel hatch. Her strength still augmented by all the energy blasts she had absorbed, the heroine violently pulled the hatch lose and tossed it off to one side. As she went to leap into the hole, an explosion rang out in the distance. This was followed by a cloud of dust erupting from the hole.

Sabre approached Morning Star, putting his hand on her shoulder to stop her. "It is too late, my friend. The explosion has collapsed the tunnel." His Blood vision confirmed this.

"Damn!", Morning Star cursed. First they lost the Serpentine Crystal, then they lost the Nest Leader himself. This was not turning out as well as she had hoped. For a few a moments, all was quiet.

"Looks like we missed all the fun," Spinnerette observed as she strolled into the Command Center, the rest of her team behind her. "Like the new hairdo," she told her friend Morning Star. "Very Bride of Frankenstein."

"Did we get the crystal?", Blizzard wondered excitedly as he looked around, hand in hand with the Empress. There was no immediate response to the hero's query.

"They blew it," the Empress finally stated in disgust. "What a wasted Saturday night!"

"It's not like you could have done any better," Shockwave shot back. "We did take down a VIPER's nest, captured tons of agents and staff villains." But that still didn't make the armored heroine feel any better. She had the crystal in the palm of her hands and lost it. In her hands!

Spectrum and Icicle stood on the far side of the room, oblivious to what had transpired. Icicle, tears flowing down her face, sobs racking her body, took refuge in Spectrum's arms. "Thank you, Jim. For believing in me when even I didn't."

"Hey, hey, it's all right. Everything's going to be all right."

"I'm scared," Icicle whispered. "I don't want to go to prison. What happens to me now?"

"I'm not sure. We'll try to work something out with PRIMUS. No need to be so down, Jen. This isn't the end, but just the beginning."

The End

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