#18- "Moving In"

An uneasy silence came over the office of Heroes for Hire after the dramatic departure of the Empress. Upon learning about the team's new base and the role they were going to be playing with Icicle's rehabilitation, the elemental heroine had stormed out, quitting the team. Much to her surprise and most everyone else's for that matter, Blizzard didn't immediately leave with her.

"That was unexpected," Sabre commented offhandedly, breaking the silence. "Like I said, that's what I like about this group. Always so unpredictable."

"But not that surprising," Shockwave quietly added. In spite of the glee she felt with Angie's departure, Sara tried to remain low key for Blizzard's sake. They had been friends too long for her to rub his nose in this. Still, not having that annoying woman around could only be a good thing, she quickly decided.

"No, not at all," Morning Star stated. "The Empress never seemed to be interested in being part of a team. That has been clear from the start." It had been blatantly obvious to the veteran heroine. 'Star had also sensed the dislike between Shockwave and the Empress and knew that something had to give eventually. Had she been given a choice, Morning Star would have rather had Shockwave remain with the group, so the turn of events was not too disturbing to her personally.

"I'm really sorry about this, Blizzard," Spectrum said to the icy hero. "I never meant for the situation with Icicle to come between you and the Empress."

"Hey, boss man, don't worry about it, Blizzard responded with a sigh. "Angie's a big girl. She can take care of herself. You're just doin' what you think is right, no matter how nutty it sounds. I can't honestly say that I would have acted differently if I were in your situation. I guess I'll just have to see how this plays out before doing anything too rash."

"Thanks, I appreciate that," Spectrum continued. "But if you feel that you have to walk, I certainly won't hold it against you. Everyone is here of their own free will. If things get too trying I won't be upset if people bail out."

"I do have business considerations to be concerned with," Blizzard admitted. "Now that I've got serious competition from the Wild Cards, I've got to be concerned about the image of Heroes for Hire."

"We're a team, Spectrum," Mockingbird excitedly added. "Teams stick together through thick and thin. You guys went out on a limb for me, the least I can do is return the favor. I'm certainly not going anywhere."

"A sentiment that I echo, my charming companion," Sabre joined in. "As was stated when we formed: 'We're here to make a difference'. If that includes helping a young woman back onto the right path, then so be it. There is no more noble task for a hero."

"Well said," Shockwave spoke up. "I'll give you one thing Sabre, you've certainly got a way with words."

"And a nice way to put positive spin on a potential public relations nightmare," Blizzard added, his mood lightening noticeably. "If you're ever looking for a job, good buddy, just give me a call."

"I'll remember that," Sabre answered with a grin.

"That seems to take care of that matter," Morning Star summed up. "Shall we go tour our new base?"

"I am quite expectant to explore our new domicile," SIMON spoke up. The robotic major domo had been quietly observing the goings on from the sidelines thus far. It was not his place to get involved in such discussions. It was the information carried by SIMON from his creator, Captain Lightning, which had led to the downfall of the former VIPER nest. "No doubt there will be an immense amount of labor needed to make the abode habitable once more."

"No doubt," Spectrum echoed.

"There are many advantages to having a base," Morning Star continued. "For instance, each of us now has their own quarters."

"Who the heck would want to live down there?", Blizzard quickly countered.

"I wasn't suggesting moving in," 'Star explained, "Just that you'd have a place to crash should it be necessary. I'm dropping off a change of clothes and a few other necessities today myself. You never know when you're going to need to take advantage of the opportunity. Plus we have areas for training and scientific investigation by our resident tech heads."

"Sounds great," Mockingbird spoke up. "Let's go check it out."

By mutual agreement, the team departed the offices of Heroes for Hire. Mockingbird and SIMON piled into Shockwave's van and drove off. Sabre and Blizzard each headed off to their private vehicles, while Morning Star hopped into her white Porsche. Spectrum flew off under his own power.

In short order, the team arrived at the garage that led to the underground VIPER's Nest. From the outside it appeared to be a typical car repair shop and the inside did little to stray one from that assumption. Vehicles for the VIPER's Nest had been stored in the spacious garage and worked upon there.

The vehicles were driven inside the garage and parked. A private parking area had been set up. The garage employees were now all actually PRIMUS operatives. They would act as the security force for the converted base. Their task was now twofold. One part was to contain Icicle and the other was to prevent others from getting inside. A few VIPER operatives had been captured attempting to return to the base in the days since, unaware of its downfall.

More importantly, the main entrance to the Nest was located in the back of the garage. An underground monorail had been used to whisk VIPER Agents to and from the nest. It remained in place to be used as the primary base access.

As the team re-gathered in the garage, they could see that local Silver Avenger, Joseph Gray, was present. The PRIMUS official was overseeing his troops with the assistance of another man in full PRIMUS uniform. This second man was a tall and muscular black man.

A wave of trepidation went through the PRIMUS operatives upon seeing SIMON. Weapons were drawn and pointed at the construct. None of them were expecting to see anything like SIMON come ambling out of the large van!

"Oh dear," SIMON responded, his pipe thin arms rising into the air. "I can assure you gentlemen that my intentions are peaceful. There is no need for violence."

"Hold your fire!", Silver Avenger Gray called out. He too didn't know what to make the mechanical man. He did look something like DUKE, the robotic major domo of the Superior Six.

"It's alright, guys," Morning Star called out as she tried to defuse the situation. "This is SIMON. He's with us. He's perfectly harmless."

"Quite so," SIMON chimed in. "I am perfectly harmless. It is against my programming to deliberately cause injury to anyone."

"He was a gift from Captain Lightning," Spectrum added as he moved to help out SIMON and Morning Star. "Sorry, I guess I should have given you guys the heads up on him."

"Stand down, men." The Silver Avenger's command was quickly carried out and the situation in the garage smoothly returned to normal. However more than a few eyes remained locked on SIMON.

Gray and his associate approached the heroes. "Spectrum! Glad your team could make it. We're just completing the finishing touches on everything right now. The base is just about yours to use."

"Sounds good," Spectrum answered. "No complications I hope?"

"Nothing major," Gray reported. "All weapons and sensitive VIPER equipment have been removed from the base. You'll also be happy to know that we disarmed and removed nearly three-dozen mines from the installation. No doubt part of a self-destruct sequence to protect VIPER secrets. Forgive my manners; this is Lieutenant Franklin. He'll be the one in charge of this operation."

"I trust you people won't be making my life difficult," Franklin stated as he shook Spectrum's hand. There was a hint of menace in the man's voice. "I hate difficulties. Too much paperwork."

"We'll do our best, but I can't make any promises," Spectrum offered as he gingerly took his hand back. The Lieutenant had an iron grip and had nearly crushed Jim's hand. Introductions with the rest of the team followed.

"You will use this entrance to enter or leave the base," Lieutenant Franklin instructed. "The hotel exit is for emergencies only. The elevator will be secured down in the nest at all times to prevent unauthorized entry. Furthermore, you'll have to display your ID card to get past security."

Franklin displayed a credit card sized identification card for all to see. "Each one of you will get a card. Don't lose it! Otherwise you don't get in. I guess we'll have to come up with a pass for the tin man." The PRIMUS Agent quickly handed out the cards to the heroes.

"My driver's license picture actually looks better than this," Blizzard complained as he studied the card. The pass had his picture on one side and a magnetic scanning strip on the back. None of the pictures were very flattering.

"Where's the Empress?", Franklin wondered upon realizing that he had a pass left over. He looked around but couldn't see the heroine anywhere. "What's the deal?"

"Uhm, the Empress has decided to leave the group," Spectrum explained. "At least for the time being. I don't know if she's going to change her mind or not."

Lieutenant Franklin simply shrugged in response and pocketed the unneeded pass. "One less headache for me. The day's looking better already."

"Shall we take the grand tour?", the Silver Avenger asked as he gestured towards the waiting monorail car. X-Factor and the two PRIMUS Agents piled into the cars and were whisked away to the former VIPER Nest.

Spectrum slipped away from the others while they were being given a tour of the base. He and Morning Star had already been given one by Icicle the day before. This one was primarily for the benefit of the other members of X-Factor anyway. 'Star could handle any questions that might come up during the tour.

Jim was more interested in checking up on Icicle. The icy mutant was now entering the second day of her probation. So far she had just kept herself scarce while PRIMUS was stripping the base of dangerous VIPER technology and disarming all the traps and weapons. Spectrum made his way to Icicle's quarters, as that was her most likely location.

Reaching her room, Spectrum knocked on the door. "Can Jennifer come out and play?"

The door opened a moment later revealing Icicle. She was still casually dressed from the night before, wearing only a t-shirt and shorts. "Hi!", Icicle cheerfully greeted. "I'm happy to see you."

"How's it going?" Spectrum stepped inside the young woman's quarters and she closed the door behind him.

"Pretty boring," Jennifer admitted. "What's going on?"

"The rest of the team is here. They're getting the ten-cent tour from Silver Avenger Gray and Lieutenant Franklin."

"I met Franklin earlier," Icicle related. "Not the friendliest of people. He's kind of intimidating actually."

"No, not the most pleasant of fellows," Spectrum agreed. "But he hasn't got to know us yet. Of course, that might be a good thing. Anyway, I figured I'd pop in and see how you were before introducing you to the others."

"Yeah, I guess that's another thing that I'm going to have to do." Jennifer sighed deeply with that realization. Just one more difficult step on this journey Jennifer now found herself upon.

"Hey, it'll be all right. They're good people and they've been briefed on everything. You don't have anything to worry about."

"I just want them to like me," Jennifer said in a voice just above a whisper. Every since her mutant powers appeared, Icicle's life had been one trial after another. All she really wanted was to be accepted by others. To have that feeling of security that had been missing for so long. She didn't want to feel alone any more.

Seeing the concern on Icicle's young face, Spectrum placed his hands on her shoulders. "Just be yourself and they'll like you just fine. You managed to get people like Morning Star and the Silver Avenger on your side, so the rest of the team should be pushovers. Seems to me that you've got the hardest part over with already."

"I didn't think about it like that," Jennifer admitted, a smile returning to her face. "When you put it that way, it really doesn't seem so bad."

"Sometimes our imaginations run away with themselves and make a situation seem much worse than it really is. It's very easy to do when facing very difficult and trying circumstances."

"Thanks for being so understanding."

"I've gone through some tough times myself. I just don't let them get me down. Must be tough just sitting around in your room waiting for something to happen. Gives your imagination plenty of time to blow things out of proportion. Speaking of which, I've got something for you." Spectrum reached into a concealed pocket in his costume and pulled out a floppy disc. "I copied a bunch of my short stories onto this disk this morning. Check them out and maybe you'll get the inspiration to draw something to go along with them."

Icicle accepted the disc and set it near her computer station. "Thanks. I'll give them a look later on and see what I can come up with. In the meantime, I guess I better change so I can meet the others."

"I'll wait outside." Spectrum stepped out into the hallway, giving Jennifer privacy to change into her Icicle costume. At least for right now she wanted to protect her true identity from the rest of the team. She just felt more comfortable that way. It was understandable.

A short time later, Spectrum and Icicle walked into the former VIPER Command Center. More than likely it was now going to be the main communications center for the team. The spacious chamber had been the sight of the main battle against the VIPER forces and had been heavily damaged. Coupled with the fact that PRIMUS had removed many pieces of VIPER Equipment made the large room look like a disaster area. Standing near the center of the room conversing were Shockwave, Mockingbird, and SIMON.

"I never imagined that I would ever be back down here again," Mockingbird sighed in resignation.

"I know what you mean," Shockwave agreed. "Had I known the way things were going to turn out, we probably wouldn't have broken so much stuff in the attack."

"A circumstance that I shall be more than content to remedy, Madame," SIMON spoke up. "Captain Lightning has incorporated fundamental electronic maintenance and assembly of various team oriented devices into my core memory. I estimate a time frame of fifty-three hours, twenty-six minutes, and forty-two seconds before I can have this equipment functioning within acceptable parameters."

"Only fifty-three hours, twenty-six minutes, and forty-two seconds?" Mockingbird repeated in disbelief.

"That is correct, Madame," SIMON answered. "My computations do include several unknown variables, such as the availability of necessary replacement parts in the store rooms. I will have to conduct an inventory before I can provided a more accurate completion time."

Mockingbird couldn't hide the amused look on her face. "You do that, SIMON." Fortunately her armored helmet concealed Shockwave's response. She was getting more used to SIMON by now and took it all in stride.

"Hi guys," Spectrum greeted as he and Icicle advanced on the trio. "I thought I'd introduce Icicle to you." Icicle couldn't help but stare at SIMON in wide-eyed wonder.

"Greetings, Madame," SIMON intoned. "I am pleased to welcome you to the team. I am currently updating my database with Ms. Icicle's particulars."

"Icy, this is SIMON. He's our--," Spectrum started to say. "Actually, I'm not sure exactly what he is."

"I am the major domo," SIMON explained. "I was constructed as a gift to X-Factor for their assistance in adverting the destruction of Dallas by Captain Lightning."

"Oh, I see," Icicle mouthed, her eyes having yet to stray from SIMON. "Yes, the Gravimetric Bomb blackmail scheme."

"You are familiar with the particulars of this case?", SIMON inquired.

"Actually, I sort of leaked info about it out to Spectrum here. He and Morning Star did the rest."

"I see. Then in this matter you have my creator's thanks and mine for your actions. It would have been most unfortunate to see Dallas destroyed."

"Icicle this is Mockingbird and Shockwave," Spectrum spoke up, directing Icicle away from the construct. "M-Bird, 'Wave, this is Icy."

"Hello," Icicle said with a wave and slight smile. "Nice to meet you."

"Hi. How are you?" Mockingbird offered her hand, which Icicle shook after a pause.

"Very nervous," Icicle admitted sheepishly.

"That's understandable," Shockwave stated. "This is a very unusual situation for everyone involved."

"So what are you gals up to?"

Turning back to Spectrum, Shockwave explained. "We were checking out the base's equipment. It's going to take a lot of work to make this base functional again. But this place does have lots of possibilities. Plus, SIMON holds plans and schematics to a bunch of team related electronic devices courtesy of Captain Lightning."

"That is correct, sir," SIMON chimed in. "I will now be able to serve X-Factor in the manner for which I was created. I look forward to maintaining daily operations at this new domicile. I have much work to do to make the base functional."

"I'm sure you'll do just fine," Spectrum added. "Well, don't let us hold you back. I've got to introduce Icy to the others. Talk to you later."

"Bye," Mockingbird called out.

"Have a pleasant afternoon," SIMON stated before turning back to the task at hand.

"See?", Spectrum whispered to Icicle as they departed. "That wasn't so bad was it?"

Icicle let out a small laugh and wrapped her arm around Spectrum's. "No, it wasn't. I guess I was being silly."

"Come on, let's go find the others."

Elsewhere in the expansive base, Morning Star, Sabre, and Blizzard were in a corridor. They had been walking along until Morning Star slowed their progress.

"Which one of these do you guys like better?" 'Star was holding up paint swatches against an open spot along the wall. She found the VIPER green to be very offensive. So did just about anyone with any semblance of taste.

Sabre stepped back and considered for a moment. He compared the various samples before answering. "I think this one here is the best." Sabre pointed to one of the sample colors.

"Yes, that was among my favorites as well," Morning Star answered, a grin on her face. "You have excellent taste. What about you Blizzard?"

The icy hero had mostly been tagging along with his teammates, but not participating in the conversation all that much. Blizzard had been deep in thought and not really even paying attention to what was going on around him. In fact, Morning Star's query brought him back to reality. "It don't matter to me. Go with what you guys like."

Morning Star walked closer to Blizzard and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Are you all right?"

"Just thinkin' about things," Blizzard answered. "I've got a big meeting involving Heroes for Hire tonight. I'm just hoping that it leads to our next contract."

"I understand," Morning Star responded. "I thought that maybe something else was bothering you."

A voice called out from further down the corridor interrupting the conversation. "There you are!" The heroes turned to find Spectrum and Icicle approaching them. "I wanted to introduce Blizzard and Sabre to Icicle."

"Ah yes, our young ward," Sabre responded. Once close enough, Sabre gallantly kissed Icicle's hand. "Worry not, fair maiden, we shall see that no harm comes to you. I am looking forward to your participation in our missions."

The whole thing took Icicle aback. Her cheeks began to redden in embarrassment. "Uhm, thank you. Most kind."

"How are you today, Icicle?" Morning Star's query averted the icy mutant's attention away from Sabre.

"Okay. Thank you for asking."

"That just leaves Blizzard," Spectrum spoke up.

Blizzard sized Icicle up for a moment before speaking. She was just a slip of a girl. Barely over five feet tall and thin. Probably in her late teens. "Hey, kid. Guess we've got similar powers here."

"Uhm, yeah. Seems that way."

"We'll have to compare them in the gym one of these days."

"I think I'd like that," Icicle answered. "It'll be different anyway."

"Yeah, really."

"I'm glad that you showed up," Morning Star said to Spectrum. "There were a couple of things that came up during the tour that I'd like to discuss with you. If you've got the time, I'd like to go over them."

"Sure, no problem."

"If you will excuse us." Morning Star's comments were directed towards Blizzard and Sabre this time. "See you both later."

"Sure thing," Blizzard answered. "I should get going anyway. Got a busy day ahead of me."

"Bye guys," Spectrum added as Morning Star started to lead him away from the two heroes.

Icicle stood there, unsure of what to do. Finally, she walked after Spectrum and Morning Star. "Nice to meet you both," Icicle waved back to Blizzard and Sabre. A moment later all three were lost from sight around a corner

"I've said it before and I'll say it again," Blizzard said aloud.

"What is that, my friend?"

"That Icy chick's got nice buns."

"Indeed," Sabre added with a hearty laugh.

Several hours later, Icicle poked her head out of her quarters. The hallway outside was deserted. Everything had been quiet for hours now. Much to Icicle's disappointment, Spectrum had left shortly after his talk with Morning Star. Apparently he was having someone over this evening and had to finish getting everything ready. (Editor's Note: Whitney came over to Jim's house in Spectrum #30.)

Morning Star also departed soon after and Icicle found herself alone with just the other members of X-Factor. She had retreated to her room and managed to read a few of Jim's short stories. Jennifer had never been much of a reader, but she did find the tales to be very imaginative. A few ideas even sprang to mind for things to draw. This wasn't the type of art she was normally comfortable in doing, but she would at least try for Jim's sake. A few sketches were started, but nothing was near completion.

But now Icicle was bored and desperately wanted to get out of her room. It had been days since Jennifer had been outside the base. She used to love to go to the beach and sketch. Cabin fever was now beginning to set in. At least with all the PRIMUS workers gone, she could walk around the base without worry. Perhaps that would help make her feel more at ease.

Unfortunately, that turned out to not be the case. It was too quiet in the base. Normally, the Nest was full of activity and noise. Even when the PRIMUS workers were here it seemed semi-normal. But now, there was only silence and empty hallways. It all seemed very surreal to the young woman.

Suddenly, a nearby door opened and SIMON stepped out into the hallway from a storage room. Jennifer couldn't help but cry out in surprise. The android was carrying a box full of spare electronic components.

"A thousand pardons, Ms. Icicle," SIMON apologized. "It was not my intent to startle you."

"S'okay," Icicle gulped as she tried to regain her composure. "I thought I was alone here."

"That is an incorrect assumption. I am serving my new masters by making this domicile functional once more. I shall be overseeing base operations and shall be on the premises in a permanent capacity. Unless drawn away on team business of course."

"Oh, I didn't know that." Jennifer still found it very odd to be talking to an intelligent machine. It really creeped her out but she tried hard not to show it. Still at least the mechanical man was someone to talk to. "Looks like we'll be seeing a lot of each other then."

"I would surmise that to be the case," SIMON agreed. "Is there anything I can get you? I have been programmed to provide for any needs that my charges may desire."

"Really? Does that mean you can cook and do the laundry?"

"That is correct, Madame. Would you like me to prepare dinner for you?"

"S'okay," Icicle responded. "I'm used to fending for myself. I'll throw something together."

"As you wish. If you will excuse me, I shall continue to effect base repairs."

"Oh, go ahead. Sorry, I didn't mean to hold you up."

"No trouble at all, Ms. Icicle. I enjoy conversing with those I serve. Have a pleasant evening." SIMON turned and started to walk away with his burdens.

After a pause, Icicle chased after the mechanoid. "SIMON, can I ask you a question?"

SIMON stopped once more and turned to face Jennifer. "Of course, Ms. Icicle. How may I be of service?"

"It's about what VIPER tried to do in Dallas. There's something that's been bothering me about it. How involved were you in that?"

"I personally did not partake in that Superior Seven mission. However, Captain Lightning did update DUKE's and my database with the particulars."

"What I need to know is--," Jennifer started to ask nervously, "--that bomb thing. Was it real?"

"Yes," SIMON answered simply. "According to my creator, the device in question was based on technology that currently does not exist on Earth. Shortly there after, the Gravimetric Bomb simply disappeared without a trace. Very mysterious."

Relief started to come to Icicle's face. Jim had been right about VIPER all along. They really were going to destroy Dallas had they not been paid. It made Jennifer feel better that she had actually done the right thing for a change. "Thank you, SIMON. Thank you very much!"

"My pleasure, Madame."

Back at Sara Redmond's workshop/laboratory at LawTech, Sara and Lisa were putting the finishing touches on their latest project. Security improvements had arrived early in the morning from CII and the two women had been busy putting it all together. The system consisted of flying units called Monitors and Security Drones.

"I think we're just about ready for a test run," Sara announced. The young woman wiped the perspiration from her brow. Night had already fallen and the hour was getting rather late. Regardless, it was important get the security improvements up and running as soon as possible.

"Yes," Lisa agreed. "I want to see these things in action."

"Me too. Let's take a break first."

"Go ahead, twist my arm," Lisa replied with a grin as she plopped down in a nearby chair.

Sara sat down in an adjacent chair and relaxed. The two women had spent nearly all day on the project and fatigue was beginning to set in. Ever since taking this job, Sara had been working long hours. Between working and her role as Shockwave, Sara's days had been filled.

"I think I'm going to move into the new base," Lisa announced after a time. "There are quarters for everyone after all."

Surprise played clearly on Sara's face. "You're kidding me, right?"

"No, I'm serious. I won't have to pay rent this way. Besides, it probably wouldn't hurt for someone else to be there with Icicle. Given everything she's been through, she could probably use another friend."

"Your current apartment is that bad?"

"Let's just say that I would be embarrassed to invite anyone over," Lisa admitted. "From what I saw, those rooms are nicer than what I have now. Besides, I feel I can help out Icicle in this. It might even be fun."

"That's certainly up to you. I know I wouldn't want to live down there."

"That's your prerogative. It'll be like my days from college."

After a few minutes of silence, Sara finally rose to her feet. "Shall we see if these things work or not?"

"By all means." Lisa stood as well and followed Sara out of the lab.

Elsewhere, Blizzard pulled his car into the parking lot outside the headquarters for the 'A Touch of Grace' production company located in Malibu. Sheila Grace and her brother Adam headed the agency. Sheila was the world famous fashion model, singer, and actress. Truly she was a beautiful and talented lady. She had also been dubbed the most downloaded woman on the Internet. In just a few minutes, Blizzard had an appointment to see Ms. Grace.

Based on what he had seen on the news, in the papers, and from his teammate Sabre, Blizzard had a pretty good idea just what this meeting was going to be about. Yesterday afternoon, Sheila Grace was receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame when she was accosted by Pulsar. The villain had made short work of Sheila's bodyguards, the team of Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones. Only the intervention of Sabre had prevented his mad plan of making off with Sheila. (Editor's Note: As seen in X-Factor #16)

It seemed obvious to Blizzard that Sheila was interested in acquiring the services of Heroes for Hire to replace Smith and Jones as her personal bodyguards. There were certainly far worse assignments than protecting one of the most famous bodies in the entertainment industry! It was almost a dream come true.

Stepping out of his vehicle, Blizzard smartly walked toward the main entrance. "This is business," Blizzard kept repeating to himself. "You've got to forget that you're about to have a meeting with the most beautiful woman on the planet. She's just a prospective client. It's just another business deal. Yeah, right!"

Reaching the front door, Blizzard took several deep breaths before entering. Once inside the receptionist directed the icy hero to the top floor of the building. In short order, Blizzard reached Sheila's office. Her private secretary, Tammy Aldridge, was seated at her desk, popping her chewing gum.

"Ah, Mr. Blizzard," Tammy stated as Blizzard stepped into the outer office. "Have a seat. I'll let Ms. Grace know that you are here."

"Thanks," Blizzard responded as he sat down on nearby couch. He absentmindedly sifted through a pile of magazines. He picked an issue of Sports Illustrated out of the bunch and began to page through it. Inside was a small article on Bryan Sculley and how he mysteriously quit the USC football team.

"Boy, would they be surprised to find out the real truth," Blizzard snorted. Of course, Blizz knew the complete story on why Bryan had quit football. Hexmaster had unleashed his mutant potential in a scheme to kill Bryan and Jim's father. Bryan was now working for Blizzard as Impact. His new superhuman powers had given the lad no choice but to quit football before they were discovered.

"Ms. Grace will see you now," Tammy spoke up from her desk.

"Thanks," Blizzard mumbled in response. He tossed the magazine back on the pile and rose to his feet. He took several more deep breaths when he reached the office door. "Stay calm and don't say anything stupid," he thought to himself before entering the office of Sheila Grace.

"Here we are," Sara Redmond announced as she unlocked the door with her security pass. Reaching inside, Sara flicked the light switches and the overhead fluorescents came to life. "This is the control center for all the drones."

Leaving her lab, Sara had led Lisa to the plant security building. The control center equipment had arrived late last week and was assembled by other factory workers. There was a large console with several chairs before it. Multiple keyboards, joysticks, and monitors filled the countertop.

Sara stepped up to the control console and used her access card once more in combination with a security key. The console flared to life after a moment. Taking a seat, Sara started to manipulate the controls. "Let's see what this thing can do."

"What are you going to try first?", Lisa asked as he settled into an adjacent chair.

"One of the Monitor Drones. Just take it out and look around a bit." Sara punched in several commands on the keyboard. The central monitor on the console flared to life as it displayed the picture from one of the numerous drones in Sara's lab. The drone rose into the air and hovered for several moments.

Grabbing the adjacent joystick, Sara experimented with the control. It all seemed simple enough, almost like a video game. Once comfortable with the controls, Sara directed the Monitor Drone out of her lab and out of the building. Once outside, the Monitor rose into the sky several hundred feet and hovered.

"This is pretty neat," Sara stated. "Let's try out the imaging systems."

The image on the monitor changed as Sara experimented with the zooming features of the Drone. At the touch of another button the view changed to infrared. The small drone turned slowly, scanning the entire plant below it. After a time, two heat sources appeared on top of one of the buildings.

"Say, what's that?" Lisa pointed towards the two heat sources. "Is there someone up there?"

"Looks that way," Sara replied. She was equally curious as to what the heat traces were. "Let's see who they are."

The image on the monitor changed once more as Sara removed the infrared filter and zoomed in on the desired target. In mere seconds the image grew larger and two people came into view. Both were easily identifiable to the pair.

"I don't believe it," Sara muttered in astonishment. "I knew she was a tramp, but this?"

"I'll say one thing," Lisa added with a grin, "she works fast."

Standing in the center of the view screen was Spectrum's brother, Impact. His red costume with metallic gray accessories was easily identifiable to the pair. The woman with him looked like the Empress, but she was not wearing her standard costume. Instead it had been replaced by a full-length midnight blue dress with a high slit that exposed plenty of Angie's legs. Dark red gloves and matching cape finished off the new costume. But was most surprising was that Impact and the Empress were sharing a long passionate kiss!

"Poor Blizzard," Sara whispered as she sadly looked away.

Before another word could be said, one of the lights on the console started flashing. "What's that?"

"I'm not sure," Sara answered, turning back to the controls. "An alarm of some kind. The drone has picked up something else: an intruder. Locking in on this new target. Correction multiple targets."

The image on the monitor shifted as the drone's camera panned across the LawTech plant and then up into the sky. Finally the view stopped and the two women could just vaguely make out movement in the sky in the center of the screen. After magnification, the identity of the intruders became obvious.

"It's Mechanon!", Lisa cried out in astonishment. Five flying constructs appeared on the screen, each bearing the visage of the powerful prime machine.

"Kilbots, actually," Sara corrected. "But they're almost as bad. And they're coming this way!"