#13 - "A Change of Color"
#13 - "A Change of Color"
Reaching the end of the monorail shuttle tunnel, the Silver Avenger directed his troops' actions. "Separate into your individual units and spread out! I want a hard search of the nest, top to bottom! Unit Commanders report in every two minutes! Move out!"
While his men rushed to comply with their orders, Gray and his own support team advanced on the entrance to the Nest Command Center. The large steel door that led to the security checkpoint had been ripped off its hinges and casually discarded on the corridor floor. Unconscious VIPER Operatives were inside the checkpoint and the entrance into the Command Center stood open.
The Silver Avenger quickly led his team through the checkpoint and into the Command Center beyond. All was quiet in the large room, the fighting having been over for quite some time. Gray scanned the room, taking in every detail. Most of the members of X-Factor and their allies were relaxing now, recovering from the battles they had endured.
Impact sat on the floor, back against a wall, appearing woozy. The armor of his new red and silver costume had many dents in it. Morning Star and Spinnerette were conversing quietly. At the feet of the two heroines were the webbed up forms of Brick and Shadowfist. Shockwave and Mockingbird were looking over the Nest's equipment under the watchful eye of Vindicator. Sabre was reviewing Satara's combat performance, much to her annoyance. Blizzard and the Empress stood off to one side of the room, arm in arm. Most surprising of all, Spectrum and the criminal Icicle were speaking at the far end of the large chamber.
"At ease, men," Gray told his troops, instructing them to lower their weapons. "Let's get these snakes into custody." As he holstered his own weapon, Gray approached Morning Star. "Let's have it, Morning Star. How did the mission grade out?"
PRIMUS Agents began the tedious task of taking away the VIPER Operatives while the Silver Avenger took in Morning Star's report on the situation. How Shockwave had the Serpentine Crystal in her hand only to have it destroyed and the unexpected escape of the Nest Leader. "It is still a victory," Silver Avenger Joseph Gray responded, trying to conceal his disappointment. "Not as great a victory as we had hoped for, but you and your associates have done well here this night."
"We were close," Morning Star responded wistfully.
The Silver Avenger nodded in kind. "We'll break through one of these days and land a knockout punch on VIPER. Why don't you and your team clear out and let us mop up. Once the base has been cleared, the bomb squad will be sent in to inspect the premises. The snakes are well known for leaving surprises behind."
"Well, Commander, there's something that I haven't mentioned yet..."
"Commander!" The cry of the PRIMUS Agent interrupted Morning Star as both she and Gray turned towards the source. "We've got a problem over here!" The problem was immediately obvious as Spectrum had interposed himself between the armed PRIMUS Agents and Icicle. The icy villainess peered out nervously from behind X-Factor's leader.
"Um," Morning Star muttered as she cleared her throat. "As I was saying, we need to talk..."
Gray just groaned, his hand covering his face in disbelief. "What kind of trouble are you people going to cause for me now?"
The other members of X-Factor watched and listened as Morning Star did her best to explain the situation. She tried to explain how Icicle had assisted in the capture of the VIPER base and that she really wanted to turn away from her criminal past. Morning Star brought up some of the details about Icicle providing clues that helped prevent the destruction of Dallas and how she had helped out during the crisis with the Crimson Claw. Spectrum interjected his own opinions quite often. Reactions, however, were varied.
"I don't believe this," the Empress complained to Blizzard. "She's a crook and Spec's treating her like a long lost friend! How is this team ever going to get a respectable image if he keeps doing stupid stuff like this?" More importantly, how was it going to make the Empress look in the public eye?
"Search me, babe," Blizzard answered as he watched the scene unfold. It brought to mind the first time he had met Spectrum while guarding the Tanghal Tower. Icicle and Shadowfist had showed up to cause trouble. While Blizzard and Shockwave dealt with VIPER Agents and Shadowfist, Spectrum encountered Icicle. Strangely enough, all they did was talk until Blizzard showed up and Icicle departed. (Editor's Note: Back in Spectrum #13-14)
"But you're right, this could make Heroes for Hire look bad," Blizzard continued. While being members of X-Factor, Blizzard and the Empress continued to operate independently for a fee. Business had been slow as of late, with guard duty at the Lawtech plant being the only real job. Being associated with criminals was going to drive away any business that might come their way.
"I say we should ditch these losers," the Empress arrogantly stated. "Before they drag us down into the gutter with them." Reluctantly, Blizzard nodded in agreement. His girlfriend just might be right. It was rapidly becoming the fiscally sound decision.
Mockingbird, Shockwave, and Vindicator also watched the scene unfold from close by. "I wonder what they are up to?", Shockwave wondered aloud. Like Blizzard, she recalled the minor encounter they had with Icicle back at the Tanghal Tower. That had been the only time Shockwave had ever crossed paths with Icicle.
"Redemption, perhaps?", Mockingbird offered as she watched with interest. "Maybe Spectrum and Morning Star see something in Icicle that we do not?"
"But what?", Shockwave asked. "I mean, I trust Spectrum and Morning Star's judgement, but--- but this is very unexpected."
"Maybe she's not really evil," Mockingbird suggested. "Maybe she's just a kid who's had a string of really bad luck? Maybe she could be a decent person if given the chance? I for one am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt."
"An awful lot of maybe's," Vindicator pointed out. "We can only guess without having all the facts in hand."
"Maybe you're right, M-bird," Shockwave stated with unmistakable concern in her voice. "Still, you've got to wonder if Icicle can change her spots just like that."
"She can if she wants it bad enough," Mockingbird said, a look of hopefulness on her face. "It's all up to her now."
"An unexpected turn of events," Sabre casually noted. Standing close to the Blood swordsman was his younger sister Satara and Spinnerette. "I always did wonder just how Spectrum uncovered the location of the blue dome after it vanished. Didn't really dwell on it at the time, but in hindsight it makes sense that he had access to inside information."
"I wondered about that myself," Spinnerette added in agreement. "That was one hair brained stunt but he somehow managed to pull it off. It's going to be interesting seeing how this one is going to play out though. This isn't the first time I thought 'Star was out of her mind."
"Really?", Satara asked with great interest. "She's done things like this before?"
"'Star's got a big heart and sometimes it gets in the way of her sanity," Spinnerette commented offhandedly.
Satara just chuckled at the comment, and playfully slapped Spinnerette's shoulder. "That's why Morning Star has been one of my personal heroes for so long. She's tough, she's powerful, but she's got a heart of gold."
"That's about the size of it, rookie," Spin shot back, critically eyeing Satara. "Still, there's one thing I've been wondering about. You seem like a typical California girl to me, so why the ancient duds? I mean, that get up went out with the Dark Ages. Get with the times, girl!"
Satara took a step back in surprise. More by reflex than intent, the young woman critically eyed her attire. "Well, I do have the blood of the Norse Deities in my veins and it seemed like a fit."
"Good idea, bad execution," Spinnerette answered as she thoughtfully rested her hand on her chin. "Tell you what, let me do some thinking and I'll come up with something much better than that."
"You would do that for me?" Satara was surprised by the generosity being accorded her by such a far more experienced heroine as Spinnerette. "I'm flattered and honored."
"Doing my part to keep you rookie heroes on the cutting edge of fashion. Now just don't go around tellin' everyone that I have a heart of gold, kid," Spinnerette informed the blonde Blood battle maiden. "Or I'll have to hurt you."
"Don't you people do anything the easy way?", Silver Avenger Joseph Gray lamented to himself. "I don't know about this. Given the way we've been bending over backwards as of late, I'm not sure my superiors would go for this. You're simply asking too much!"
"She's not exactly the most hardened of criminals," Spectrum objected. "What charges do you have against her?"
"I've never really hurt anyone," Icicle explained in a quiet voice. "I know that I've done some bad things in the past and that I'll have to make up for them. But I do know quite a bit about the local VIPER operations. That has to be worth something, doesn't it?"
Icicle's criminal record was something that Gray wasn't immediately aware of. Spectrum was correct in that Icicle was not considered the most dangerous of criminals: she wasn't on any of the most wanted lists. "All right, all right, we'll look into the matter. But in the meantime, we're playing this by my rules!", the Silver Avenger barked out. Icicle shrunk back visibly. "Understood?"
"Perfectly," Morning Star stated, unphased by the boisterousness in Gray's voice. She had heard it all before. "What would you have us do, then?"
"Secure the prisoner," Gray directed to his men. One tentatively came forward with a pair of Suppression Cuffs that resembled oversized manacles. He nervously approached Icicle.
"Spectrum?", Icicle wondered as she eyed the cuffs, fear showing in her eyes.
"It's okay, Icy. They've got their rules to follow."
Icicle nodded her understanding and presented her wrists to the PRIMUS Operative. The heavy shackles were applied and closed with a loud ominous click. Their weight didn't seem to bother the icy mutant. "No turning back now," Icicle mumbled to herself.
"You two," Silver Avenger Gray pointed at Morning Star and then Spectrum, "are staying put until this matter is resolved. I want the rest of you to clear out!"
"Go on, go ahead," Spectrum added with a wave to the rest of the team. "We'll be okay."
"You heard the man," Blizzard said to the Empress. "Let's blow this joint." The Empress smiled seductively, took Blizzard's hand, and departed the Command Center without looking back.
Shockwave was visibly torn on what to do. "Are you sure about this, Spectrum? I could--"
"Your heart is in the right place, Shockwave," Morning Star informed the heroine gently, "but there's nothing you can do. Go home and we'll be in touch as soon as this matter is resolved. One way or the other."
"Come on, guys, you heard the lady," Spinnerette urged as she took hold of Shockwave's arm. "Let's beat feet."
"Best of luck," Mockingbird waved as she helped Spinnerette take Shockwave out of the Command Center. Sabre, Satara, Vindicator, and Impact followed the heroines out, saying their goodbyes.
"Thank you for everything," Icicle told Gray, Spectrum, and Morning Star once they were alone. "You have no idea how grateful I am."
"Don't thank me yet," Gray countered, his tone softening. This was the closest that he had ever been to Icicle before. She seemed more like a teenager than a notorious criminal. Icicle couldn't have been much older than Gray's own daughter. "In the meantime, you three stay put. We'll continue to secure the base while I contact my superiors.
The PRIMUS Agents started to thin out as well, leaving Morning Star, Icicle, and Spectrum mostly alone. "Don't worry there, Icy, things will work out," Spectrum gave Icicle a friendly pat on her shoulders. "Somehow." To Morning Star he added," Thanks for backing me up on this, 'Star."
"No need," Morning Star responded calmly. "As your teammate, I'm beginning to trust your judgement more and more. In this case you were right that there was more to Icicle than meets the eye. If she can be turned away from being a criminal, then it's to everyone's benefit to help push the process along."
"No one has ever had that much confidence in me before," Icicle added, tears welling up in her eyes. "No one's ever really cared about me. I promise I won't let you two down."
"That's good enough for me," Spectrum answered. "In the meantime, we might as well relax. I have the feeling it's going to be a very long night." Spectrum sighed and looked around for a seat. "So, anybody have any playing cards on them?"
Elsewhere, the rest of X-Factor and their allies were making their way down the long monorail tunnel. Around them PRIMUS Operatives moved back and forth, leaving with VIPER Agents in custody or returning to the Nest to gather more of the snakes.
"I still say we should have stayed behind in the spirit of team unity," Shockwave stated as she walked along. "You know, united we stand, divided we fall."
"All for one, one for all," Mockingbird added hopefully.
"Oh, enough of the bleeding heart routine," the Empress cried out. "You're not impressing anyone with it. If Specs and 'Star really want to do something this stupid, I'm certainly not going to stand by their side and go down with them."
"Of course not," Shockwave retorted snidely. "You'd never do something like that. Heaven forbid that you should actually care about anyone other than yourself!"
"Ladies, please," Sabre interrupted, trying to defuse the growing argument. "This is hardly the time nor the place..."
Anger growing on her face, the Empress turned and stalked towards Shockwave. "That's right, I do care about myself 'cause I'm the only one around here who's going to do it. I'm certainly not going to let a loser like you take care of my reputation!"
Moving quickly, Blizzard stepped between the two women. "Hey, gals, lighten up. We're all friends here after all. Teammates, at least."
"It's amazing that anyone else can even fit into the same room with you, given the size of your ego!", Shockwave spat back. "Bliz, how can you be so blind to what she really is?"
"Ouch," Satara noted with amusement. "That was a direct hit."
"I've got the feeling the best is yet to come," Spinnerette added nonchalantly. Having a sizable ego was one of the normal components of being a superhero in Spin's mind. Such clashes of ego on superteams were inevitable at times and could even be a healthy way to blow off steam.
Mockingbird stood next to Satara, a look of surprise on her face. She had no idea that relations between the two heroines were so strained. Spectrum had told her that the Empress could be a pain in the rear, but this seemed extreme. "Shouldn't someone do something? This doesn't seem right."
Remarkably, the Empress just laughed in response and glanced over toward Blizzard. "Jealousy is such an ugly thing, Blizzie," she told her boyfriend with a seductive grin.
"Are you that demented that you think that I'm actually jealous of you?!" Shockwave couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I don't even like you! Why should I be jealous of you?"
"Because I've got beauty and the boyfriend that you could never have," the Empress smugly answered. "I'm going places in this world and you're not. I've got style, grace, class, and a superior fashion sense. I mean, just look at that outfit you wear. It's just so nowhere! It says, look at me, I'm a dull little mouse! No sense of style. You can't compete with me because I'm out of your league and that just burns you up inside. So why don't you just go home and polish your ugly armor, little mouse. Come on, Blizzie, let's go find a club and get down to some heavy partying. We just might make this night worth our while after all." Without waiting for a response, the Empress took to the air and flew further down the tunnel towards the surface access up ahead.
"Game, set, and match," Impact muttered to himself in amazement. He found the Empress' self-assured manner and style highly attractive. Too bad she already had a boyfriend. There was also something about her that Impact found very familiar.
"Sorry, Sara," Blizzard quickly offered to Shockwave. "Angie's just upset. She really didn't mean it. I'll call. Later, guys." Turning away, Blizzard generated an ice slide and slid after his girlfriend.
Both the Empress and Blizzard were long out of sight before Shockwave could utter a word. She stood still, her clenched fists shaking in anger. "That bitch," she finally stated to no one in particular.
"Don't let miss hot-to-trot get you down," Spinnerette said, placing her hand on Shockwave's shoulder. "I've run up against my share of people like her before. They're so wrapped up in themselves, that you'll never get anything through their thick heads."
"If it makes you feel better, I find you to be a much more reliable teammate," Sabre added in a calm voice. "The Empress is too flighty for my tastes."
"They're right," Mockingbird interjected, and placed her hand on Shockwave's shoulder. While she had only been a member of X-Factor for a few days, Mockingbird felt the closest to Shockwave in temperament and personal interests. "I'd rather have reliable teammates than one who's bloated up on self-importance. And your armor isn't that ugly."
"If it was me, I'd knock the snot out of the wench," Satara casually commented. "Take her down a few pegs. See how good she looks with two black eyes."
"As tempting as that sounds, violence is not always the answer," Shockwave answered, her anger and frustration fading. Satara just shrugged in response. The young Blood had inherited some of her mother's battle lust and was occasionally ruled by that urge. "Come on, my friends, let's call it a night." Underneath her mask, Shockwave smiled gratefully at the support given to her by her allies and teammates. At least she wasn't the only one in the group with a dislike of the Empress.
A few minutes later, the group of heroes emerged from the mechanic's shop that served as a VIPER front. They were not prepared for the sight that greeted them. PRIMUS and LAPD vehicles and officers were everywhere. Given the sheer number of VIPER Agents captured tonight, PRIMUS had brought in LA's finest to assist. That much activity had also attracted the attention of the press. The media was out in full force as numerous television trucks could be seen while news helicopters circled over head. Currently, a herd of reporters were circled around Blizzard and the Empress.
"I'm not really up for this," Shockwave told her companions, as she closed the door again. "Is there any way to get around this media circus?"
"Permit me, comrade," Sabre announced as he touched Shockwave, Mockingbird, and Vindicator. A moment later, all four vanished, leaving Spinnerette, Satara, and Impact alone in VIPER garage.
"That is one handy power," Spinnerette observed in admiration.
"Yeah, really," Impact nodded in agreement. "I think I'm gonna cut out of here. Later, ladies. I'm beat." Impact opened the garage door once more and shot out in the air, quickly disappearing from sight.
"I've been thinking about your offer," Satara said after a moment. "You know, about the costume change? If you could come up with something that cool for Impact, then I think I'll let you see what you can do for me as well."
"Now you're getting into the spirit, kid," Spinnerette laughed. "Why don't we hit Super Starz on the way home and let me work my magic?"
"I'd really like that," Satara answered gratefully.
The woman better known as Scorpia sighed to herself as she thumbed the television remote. It was well after midnight, but the master terrorist wasn't quite ready to call it a night. She sat propped up by pillows in her bed. Shamrock lay beside her, snoring heavily. "He's a good, lad," Scorpia mentally decided. Like herself, Shamrock hailed from the Emerald Isle. He was superstrong and handsome. The two had been lovers in the past, a relationship that they had continued while in Terror Unlimited.
Neither Shamrock nor the mentalist Mind Slayer had presented any problems to Scorpia. Both filled certain niches in Terror Unlimited and followed Scorpia's orders to the letter. No, it was the fourth member of the group that was the current source of trouble. At first he had called himself Spectrum, and then later Lightmaster. Whatever his name, he was quite insane and showed little respect for Scorpia's authority. That was a situation that she could not, would not tolerate.
Mysteriously, Lightmaster had collapsed, his features changing into someone completely unknown to Scorpia or anyone else for that matter. Using her telekinesis, Mind Slayer placed the changed Lightmaster in bed. That was days ago, and the man had yet to stir. Given how irrational he had become, the loss of Lightmaster wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Still, Scorpia had plans and goals to reach. Thanks to the favor she had completed for Iron Maiden, a Vibratory Bomb would be delivered into her hands in a few days. From the bank robbery she had acquired the cash necessary to initially fund Terror Unlimited. But she still needed to acquire troops and weapons to carry out her plans. Lightmaster was going to have to be replaced. There was no way around that. Word on the street had it that the Thugmaster's Elite were in town as part of the final exams for their current graduating class. Perhaps one of these raw recruits could serve Scorpia's needs? Giving the Irish terrorist the chance to mold a young talent before they got to set in their ways was an appealing thought.
As she considered the possibilities, something on the TV screen attracted her attention. It was the latest news report from Gyro Jim, a local reporter who covered the superpowered set. The scene was downtown Los Angeles as Jim reported on the sacking of a VIPER's Nest. With great interest, Scorpia watched the report. Quickly, a plan began to form in her mind. A way to accomplish one of her goals with only minimal risk. However, the window of opportunity was going to be a small one. Immediate action was required.
Excitedly, Scorpia nudged Shamrock into a half-awakened state. "Not again, me wild irish rose," he groggily grumbled. "I'm beat."
"Business before pleasure, me lad," Scorpia cooed. "An opportunity has presented itself, one that I intend to exploit! We move out in fifteen minutes!" Throwing the covers off of herself, Scorpia rose and quickly got dressed.
Shockwave was still grumbling to herself as she drove her oversized van back to the Lawtech plant. Mockingbird sat in the passenger seat, while an inert Vindicator was in the back with the X-Forms, flying platforms that Shockwave had 'borrowed' from Hexmaster. Sabre had teleported the trio directly from the VIPER garage into Sara's van. His passengers delivered, Sabre had then teleported back to the waiting Satara, Spinnerette, and Impact. TJ Jr. had disconnected himself from Vindicator's interface, leaving the two women alone.
"Can I ask an honest opinion of you?", Shockwave inquired of her passenger.
"Sure," Mockingbird answered simply. "What's on your mind? The awful things that the Empress said?"
"Partly," Shockwave admitted. "Now, honestly, what do you think of my armor? It's not that ugly, is it?"
"You know, if you don't respect the woman, then you shouldn't respect her opinions either. Just because she doesn't like your armor, that doesn't mean it's ugly."
"That's a valid point, but then again style has never been my strong suit. The armor was designed for practicality and ease of use, not to make a fashion statement. I didn't become Shockwave to make Blackwell's Best Dressed Heroes list."
"There's nothing wrong with something being functional and stylish," Mockingbird stated, trying to reassure her friend. "Maybe all you need is a fresh coat of paint? A different color scheme?"
Shockwave considered for a few moments. "You might be right, M-Bird. I'll see what I can come up with."
"I could always give you a hand, if you'd like," Mockingbird offered. "I'm a bit too keyed up to sleep anyway and I've been wanting to check out your lab."
"I'm not going to be able to sleep for a while, either. Now will be as good as time as any. I'd really appreciate your help in this."
"What are friends for?", Mockingbird answered with a grin.
It was well past one in the morning, but the Super Starz boutique still had activity at this late hour. This branch of the famous apparelers to the super-powered was open around the clock. Most of their clientele kept unusual hours and it was usually more busy through the night than during daylight hours.
Inside Spinnerette was finishing perusing the aisles of merchandize. Having just gone through this escapade with Impact a little over a day ago, she was pretty familiar with what stock was on hand. Although this was a bit of a different challenge, the idea was the same. The poor kids just didn't quite cut it when it came to real fashion sense. A problem that 'Auntie Spinnerette' would take care of.
Spinnerette had booked a private room for Satara's costume revisal. The staff had already assembled a collection of items in the style and colors Spinnerette had requested. She had used the phone in Sabre's car to call ahead. Two attendants were waiting nearby to assist. Spin had done this many times before over the years. It was a challenge that she enjoyed. The heroine turned to Satara and regarded her one last time with a long thoughtful stare.
"Why do I feel like I'm in trouble?", Satara asked her brother who stood nearby, an amused grin on his face.
"No pain, no gain," Sabre answered back. "Besides, what are you so worried about? This is all coming out of my pocket. By the way, early Happy Birthday."
"That doesn't make me feel any better." Satara let out a heavy sigh. "So, where do we begin?"
"It's not that bad," Spin answered enthusiastically. "Didn't you ever play dress up as a little girl?"
"I always kept ripping the dresses," Satara answered quietly. "It annoyed my mother to no end."
"Well, what we have here is a little more durable. Not to worry. At least until you get my bill." Spinnerette walked around the young heroine one last time. "Okay, let's get down to business. Strike a battle pose for me."
"Huh?", Satara uttered, genuinely confused. "You want me to hit you?"
"No, silly. You want to look good for the magazines and TV, right? That's how they're going to show you most often: in action."
Realization dawned on Satara's face. "I get it," she added with a smile. Drawing her war axe, Satara struck an aggressive posture as if she was going to smash someone with her weapon. "How's this?"
"Perfect," Spinnerette said, her mind a whirl of possibilities. "Okay, first we need to ditch this helmet." Much to Satara's immediate dismay, Spin snatched her helmet from her head and tossed it aside. One of the assistants quickly scooped the horned headpiece up and stashed it in a waiting container.
"Hey!", Satara started to say defensively. "My mom got that for me for my birthday!"
"You asked for my help, right?"
"Right," the young heroine responded pensively. "You know I have the blood of Norse deities in my veins?"
"Yeah, well they're not here anymore. Most likely 'cause they didn't have any fashion sense. Just trust me. I've made Blackwell's Best Dressed list for the last five years running, you know. If I can make a disaster like Impact look good, wait 'til you see yourself when the night's out." Satara smiled again, and resumed her battle posture.
"Great. You've got the typical California blonde look going for you. We just need to bring that out more. The helmet is too clunky. Come to think of it, so's most of this armor. Let's see what we can salvage here." Turning to one of the young salesgirls, Spin ordered, "I'd like a couple of capes. Maybe a few shades of blues or purples." The young lady was quickly onto the task. Refitting a real superhero's costume was usually a very lucrative sale. The girl's weren't about to hesitate in helping any way they could. The tips were usually very generous as well.
"Okay, ditch the gloves and boots," Spinnerette ordered. Satara handed her axe to Sabre and started to comply. "And those heavy metal bands need to go too. Oh the heck with it, let's just start from scratch. Take it all off."
A few moments later, Spinnerette had the 'blank slate' she needed to create on. Satara was down to a dark blue pair of briefs and a sports bra. Like most superhero costumes, the pieces were made from kevlar woven spandex and lycra. One of the attendants was working on rebraiding Satara's hair in a little different style. It was now parted on the side, rather than the middle. She kept the long single braid, but it was a little more feminine looking. Satara watched in the full-length mirror. So far, so good, she thought to herself.
Spinnerette returned with an armored breastplate under her arm. It was bright silver, almost chrome in color, with golden edging. Spin and the other attendant, having set aside the capes that were asked for, fitted the armor in place. It was much more modern looking than her previous armor.
"What do you think?", Spinnerette asked.
"It fits alright. It seems a little... bare." The armor left Satara's shoulders completely uncovered and extended just past her navel. It had an simple, yet attractive etched pattern and the whole piece accentuated her figure while protecting it as well.
"Style, sweetie, style. Trust me."
"It does feel more..." Satara paused, looking for the right word.
"Sexy?", Spin offered.
"Something like that."
"We're going for People magazine here. Cover shot." Satara smiled wider this time. She just might end up enjoying this after all.
"Okay, definitely no helmet. Maybe a headband would work." Spinnerette talked her way through her work. It always helped her think to talk out loud. Plus, the attendants knew how to help out this way. After a few tries she settled on the headband she liked. "The old metal bands are way to thick and clunky, but we need something to break up the bare arms and legs." She added these accessories in a similar style and color to the headband, then stepped back to admire her work in progress.
"I like the cape over one shoulder better," Spin finally concluded after a few tries. Currently they settled on a royal blue one, attached to Satara's right side.
Satara admired herself in the mirrors once more. It was starting to come together, she decided. She smiled again, as she often had once she got comfortable with the idea of such a radical change.
"Maybe we should ditch the gloves completely and go with matching bracers," Spin suggested.
"If you don't mind, I'd prefer having gloves to not having them. The war axe feels a lot more comfortable in a gloved hand. I think I'm too used to the feel to change it now."
"Alright, I'll buy that," Spinnerette responded thoughtfully. "You know, I think I have a better idea, one that you might agree to. Now where did I see them?" Spinnerette disappeared again in the establishment's vast storeroom and returned a moment later. She handed a pair of gloves to the young heroine.
Slipping them on, Satara found that the dark blue leather gloves were fingerless. She took back her axe and took a few light swings to get the new feel. "They're really comfortable," she commented. "They seem to be a lot better quality than my old ones." The gloves were trimmed out on the edges in a similar gold piping to the armor and other metal accessories.
"They're lighter, softer and probably a million times more durable," Spin answered. Looking over at Sabre, she playfully added, "And a lot more expensive too."
Satara set the axe down again. "And here's the boots to match," Spin said offering them to her 'project'.
"Very cool," Satara responded excitedly. Much like the gloves, the footwear left her toes and part of her heel exposed. "I'm really glad you talked me into this!"
"Not much more to go yet. Just a belt and we might be done here," Spin answered. She turned to the attendants who presented her with a large selection. She worked her way through the mix, picking up each one in turn, regarding it critically and then tossing it aside. "No. No. No. Not even. Over my dead body. Not in this town." She grabbed a wide, studded belt and fastened it around Satara's waist. "Yuck. Too archaic." Spin removed the offending article and tossed over her shoulder. "This one should do rather nicely," she finally decided. Spinnerette's choice was a thin dark blue belt, double wrapped around Satara's torso, in a swashbuckling style, fastened over her right hip. "Much better. Tres chic."
"I think you outdid my expectations", Satara finally said after a few moments regarding her final image in the mirror.
"My little sister is turning into a young lady right before my eyes," Sabre stated in appreciation. "A most impressive look."
"Something's not quite right," Spinnerette interrupted. She looked for a moment and then unattached the cape from Satara's shoulders.
"But I like the cape," she protested.
"Not to worry. We just need a different color. Something to go better with your eyes. Maybe a softer blue." A moment later, Spin had the one she liked and finally gave her approval.
"It's not as imposing a look as I'm used to," Satara commented.
"Maybe not," Spin explained, "but would you rather look tough or sexy? 'Sides, now you might have a little surprise on your side."
"I get it," the young heroine said, realization dawning on her features. "People expect someone in heavy armor to be big and tough."
"Now you can break their hearts too," Spin commented.
"And not just their jaws," Sabre added with a chuckle.
The clock on the wall was showing that it was just past three in the morning. Once back at Shockwave's lab, the heroine had removed her armor and eyed it critically. Likewise, Mockingbird had slipped into something more practical for what they had planned to do. They raided the paint department of the Lawtech plant, bringing back many cans of spray lacquer. Together they discussed many color schemes before finally settling on one. The pieces of the armor were repainted and left to dry. Now they were inspecting the fruits of their labor.
"There, Sara, all finished," Mockingbird stated proudly as she finished helping Sara back into her Shockwave armor. "Now, I'm no fashion expert, but I'd call this functional and stylish."
"Wow...", was all Sara could say, an impressed look on her face as she gazed at her image in the mirror. "I never thought my armor could ever look so good. You're a genius, Lisa!"
Lisa Horton, Mockingbird's secret identity, just smiled graciously. "Thank you, thank you. Guess the Empress isn't the only one with style around here."
Shockwave didn't respond as she posed in the mirror, showing off the new colors of her armor. Her helmet, breastplate, trunks, arm and leg guards were all golden in color with silver trim. The biggest change was in the color of the under armor. It had originally been silver in color, but now it was a cool dark metallic blue in shading. Shockwave's access modules had been changed from dark red to a light blue. The whole effect was very impressive.
"I can't get over how such a dramatic improvement this is," Shockwave uttered in awe.
"Look out world," Lisa added with a laugh. "The new and improved Shockwave is rolling your way!"
Epilogue
"I'm tired," Mind Slayer complained with a yawn.
"You can sleep all day long tomorrow, lass," Scorpia shot back. "Right now we've got a job to do."
"How much longer do we wait?", Shamrock wanted to know.
The trio of villains were on a rooftop overlooking the garage that contained access to the VIPER's Nest. It was nearly five in the morning by now and the chaos from earlier in the evening had been replaced by a more sedate calm. The local news organizations had packed up and left. The majority of LAPD and PRIMUS officers were also gone as well.
"With all the captured VIPER operatives in custody, there should only be a skeleton force on guard inside the Nest," Scorpia surmised out loud. "They wouldn't have had time to remove any equipment as of yet nor are they expecting an assault this quickly. The time to strike is now, lads!"
At the command, Mind Slayer took to the air, mentally carrying Scorpia and Shamrock behind her. The trio landed before the garage's main entrance. The PRIMUS guards on duty were overwhelmed before they could even realize what was going on. The secret entrance to the VIPER's Nest stood open before them.
"All of VIPER's weapons and technology are waiting to be taken, me lads", Scorpia stated excitedly. "All the necessary equipment to arm our forces. Let's go get it!"
Scorpia broke into a sprint as she rushed into the monorail tunnel. A wide smile on his face, Shamrock chased after the lovely, but lethal Scorpia. Mind Slayer took to the air once more, and brought up the rear. Whatever forces were left inside the VIPER's Nest didn't have a prayer of standing up to Terror Unlimited...
