"So, what did you boys find out?" Hyperion threw his query out to the assembled staff. It was late Thursday evening and another impromptu staff meeting was being held. With Pooka still recovering, Sanctuary's founder Hyperion was taking a greater interest in the day to day operations than he normally would.
As always, Metalla was present to take notes. Once she had been a normal corporate secretary. That was until one day when she mysteriously changed into living metal. Her skin took on the appearance of polished silver and she became super strong and super tough. For a short time Metalla operated as a member of a hero team. However, that wasn't the life for her. When the chance to work as a secretary at Sanctuary came up, she eagerly accepted the opportunity.
Charcoal was next, leaning back in her chair, biker boots propped up on the conference table. The young woman had a triangular face often sporting an impish grin. She was of average height and slender with short flaming red hair and bright green eyes. In spite of her appearances, Charcoal was the head of Island Security and possessed super strength. Rumor had it that she was Hyperion's daughter, but there was no proof of it.
The Deacon listened closely to what was transpiring. He was the spiritual leader of Sanctuary. Like Metalla, he too once worked as a superhero, but found it quite difficult as he was a peaceful man at heart. His sole super power was the ability to manipulate others with his words.
Gladiator sat back in his chair, content to observe. The man known only as Gladiator was the mentor of the Young Champions program. It was his task to take raw supers and teach them how to use their powers effectively. Very little was known about the man's private life. But as the Gladiator, he was considered to be the greatest hand-to-hand combatant in the world.
Everyone was waiting for Peacekeeper to give his report. In reality, Peacekeeper was a copy of Mechanon; a spare body to be used should the mechanical menace be destroyed. Peacekeeper showed up on Sanctuary's door a few years ago, completely reprogrammed. Standing seven feet tall, the robot was silver in color with golden power cords.
But unlike his creator, Peacekeeper had a love of life. He sought to protect humans and learn from them. In time, Peacekeeper was readily accepted at Sanctuary and came to assist Charcoal, along with Sapphire, as part of the Island Security force. It was widely believed that only a scientific genius on the order of Dr. Destroyer could have successfully reprogrammed Peacekeeper to be so radically different from his creator.
"Thanks to the assistance of Terra Fire," the robot reported, "we have successfully located all of the hidden labs of the former master of this island: Dr. Destroyer. Including the one we have already uncovered, there are a total of eight such areas."
"Eight!?" Metalla repeated, not believing what she was hearing. "How did these labs go unnoticed for so long?"
"Is there anything in them?", was the Deacon's question.
"I gave them instructions not to enter any of these labs," Gladiator stated, answering the Deacon's question. "At least until we know what we are dealing with."
"UNTIL assured me that all dangerous technology had been removed from the island before we moved here," Hyperion explained. "We had no reason to look before."
At one time, Dr. Destroyer had been the master of this island. From it he launched his first bid for world dominance only to be foiled by the combined forces of the Minutemen, the Freedom Squad, and several other heroes. Destroyer abandoned the island and UNTIL moved in. Once they were sure all Destroyer technology had been removed, UNTIL used the island for live ammunition practice. Shell casings are still being found to this day.
"They were wrong," Charcoal countered. "The first lab proved that. Each one of these places holds a potential danger to the island. Where are the other seven labs located?"
"From between fifty to one hundred feet underground," Peacekeeper answered.
"I know that, tin britches!", Charcoal shouted in annoyance. Peacekeeper could be so literal at times. "Where are they located on the island itself."
Peacekeeper turned to face a large map of the island on one wall of the meeting room. With mechanical precision, he marked each location. The hidden labs were spread evenly across the island, but thankfully the first was the only one actually underneath an existing structure.
"Seems to me that we need to search all of these hidden labs," Hyperion casually remarked.
"One at a time," Gladiator added. "Negate the threat of one before opening another. This is going to be a very time consuming process. I assume that we do not wish to disturb our guests during this endeavor."
"That is very important," the Deacon added. "Otherwise, we might have others like Armadillo trying to gain access to these hidden labs. It would just worsen an already stressful situation."
"Agreed." Hyperion stood as he spoke. "These labs are to remain our little secret until we know what we are dealing with."
"I would suggest that we run more tests on these areas before attempting to enter any of them," Peacekeeper stated. "I can assemble the necessary equipment."
"A sound plan. We'll let Peacekeeper investigate further before making any firm decisions. Good evening." Hyperion waved as he departed the meeting room. He wanted to check on Pooka before retiring for the evening. Hopefully, the director would be back on the job soon.
Pulling himself up, Jason wandered from his bedroom, passed through the front room, and into the bathroom. His roommate, Archangel, was just finishing up brushing his teeth. "Mornin', roomie!", the winged Young Champion announced with just a slight touch of a French accent. He was already dressed in his gold and white costume.
"What's so good about it?" Jason made his way to the double sink and splashed cold water on his face to help wake him up.
"I didn't say 'good morning'. I just said 'morning'. It's more noncommittal that way. Hey, it's just another day in paradise. What could be finer?"
Jason just grumbled his response as he started to wash up. He would just get sweated up from the morning drills anyway, so he didn't bother taking a shower right now.
"Besides, I am told that you have been making time with Firestar from the Avengers. Jace, my man, you have landed yourself one fine lady friend." Archangel heartily slapped Jason on the back. "You're making me proud!"
"Thanks," Jason mumbled in response, slightly embarrassed.
"And you could really do me a big, big favor."
Between the water and the scrubbing, Jason was becoming more and more coherent. He eyed Archangel suspiciously. What was the overly amorous mutant getting at? "What kind of favor?"
"Well, it seems to me that you've now got contacts with the Avengers. So I thought maybe you could put in a good word for me with the Enchantress. You got to love women with silver hair!"
Jason sighed to himself. His roommate was reading far too much into the situation than actually existed. It certainly wasn't his place to secure dates for Archangel. Especially not with the Avengers.
"Of course, I'd settle for Black Diamond or any of the others. There's definitely no dogs on that team!"
"If it comes up in conversation, I'll mention you," Jason answered in the most diplomatic manner he could think of.
"You're a pal, Jason! Thanks! But, we had best get moving or we're going to be late." A wide grin on his face, Archangel departed. Behind him, Jason just shook his head in amazement.
Jason arrived at Training Town a few minutes later, traveling there by way of the ground. His was becoming more and more skilled at this particular mode of travel. He popped up right where he was supposed to be.
Most of the other Young Champions were already present. The hyperactive Turbo raced around the area with a reckless abandon. He was little more than a red, yellow, and white blur. While appearing to be a normal teenager, albeit on the short side, Turbo was actually only ten years old.
Sapphire and Nemesis stood close by chatting. The two women presented a sharp contrast to each other. Sapphire was a member of an alien species generally called the Azurians. She was a gladiator who came to earth seeking to battle the improbable men and woman this world had to offer. In short, those who possessed superpowers. Sapphire stood a full seven feet tall and had light blue skin. Her long hair was dark blue in color. She was incredibly muscular as well.
Nemesis on the other hand was far more petite than her large teammate. The top of her head didn't even reach Sapphire's broad shoulders. Wearing her pink body suit, Nemesis was the most unusual of the Young Champions. She was a genetically engineered being based on the DNA of a dead girl named Jennifer Powers. In essence, she was a clone.
However, her DNA had been tampered with, giving her the Nemesis power. This mysterious ability allowed Jennifer to strike down her foes with their own weaknesses. The experiment was not a total success as Jennifer only had the mentality of a eight year old. However she was maturing rapidly.
Archangel and Gladiator were also already present, but strangely enough no one else was. Jason didn't really expect his sister Jessica to be present. She pretty much confirmed that she was leaving last night. However, to his surprise, the Tigress wasn't around either. It was unlike the feline Young Champion to be AWOL.
"Work on your personal drills and exercises for the time being," Gladiator finally announced. "I shall return shortly. In the meantime, Sapphire shall handle any questions that you may have." Without another word, Gladiator stalked off, away from Training Town.
"This is really strange," Archangel remarked. There was a trace of concern to his voice. "Both Tempest and Tigress not being here, I mean."
"My sister left," Jason announced. "She decided on it yesterday."
"That is not surprising," Sapphire interjected. "She does not have the heart of a warrior."
"Jessie's gone?" The query came from Jennifer. The two had been roommates until Jennifer's bedroom had been inadvertently destroyed. Since that time Nemesis had been staying at the main hotel with Nightingale. The two women had grown into almost a mother/daughter relationship ever since Jennifer had copied some of Nightingale's psyche into her own mind. "I thought she liked me..."
Jason could see tears starting to well up in Jennifer's sad puppy dog eyes. Obviously, she thought she had done something wrong. "Hey, it's okay, Jen. Jessica likes you. She just didn't like staying here and so she left. It has nothing to do with you."
"Oh." That seemed to cheer Jennifer up. "Okay!" With that, she skipped off.
"...Ahhh...", Jessica McTaggert sighed peacefully as she came out of her sleep. No ringing alarms to annoy her, no practice drills at the crack of dawn. This was far more to her liking. No responsibilities or cares in the world. The only thing she felt was the gentle sway of the ocean.
Tempest was thankful to have been given her own private cabin on the Jade Princess. It wasn't very large, in fact down right tiny compared to the bungalow she used to share with Nemesis. Its primary feature was a pair of bunk beds, a table, and a chest of drawers. A small closet provided more storage space. But it all was hers alone. She finally had the privacy she craved and she could sleep in if she wanted to.
Jess didn't really know what to make of this mission she had signed on for. The acquisition of missing artifacts wasn't of any particular interest to her. The recovery of lost history didn't stir any great feelings in her, regardless of how noble it might sound. Whoopie. Big deal.
When it came right down to it the money was her primary motivation. Fifteen thousand dollars in advance. Money that she currently had in her possession. Tempest had counted it nearly a dozen times the night before, still not believing her good fortune. Even better, four times as much was coming upon completion of this job. Life was good.
Having superpowers was going to provide her with the life of ease and comfort that she had long desired. No longer would she have to find a safe place to sleep or scrounge for her next meal. Her life had finally taken a turn onto easy street. She planned to ride her sudden windfall into a wave of financial success.
But she did have her doubts about the others involved in this endeavor. They were all known felons, but certainly not the most dangerous supervillains you could encounter. None of Howler's crew were wanted for major crimes like murder. No, they were more akin to thieves. But then, those were the kind of people Tempest could relate to.
Howler was the leader of this band. All that Jessica knew what that the older woman possessed sound-based powers, namely a sonic scream, and was able to fly. What Jessica didn't know, was that Howler was primarily an archaeologist. She had accidentally gained superpowers by way of her primary interest when she discovered a long lost alien amulet. Now Howler searched the world for other such artifacts and this mission promised to lead her to other alien devices.
The enigmatic Daigon appeared to be the enforcer of the group. Sealed up in her very creepy armor, Daigon was a remorseless mercenary. Jessica didn't trust the woman one little bit, but then again, she didn't have to. Should circumstances warrant it, Tempest could just fly away at the first sign of treachery. Literally, she could take the money and run, confident in being able to outdistance any pursuit.
Rounding out the little band Howler had assembled were Panda and Raccoon. The duo were husband and wife mutants, each bearing physical manifestations of their namesake animals: Panda had panda bear-like ears, while Raccoon a large ringed tail. They both seemed too wrapped up in each other to be much of a bother to Jessica.
Then there was their employer. He was simply a man named Carlson and he seemed to run the show. According to Howler, he was working for some unnamed rich philanthropist. Everyone else on the Jade Princess took orders from him. That included the master of the vessel, Captain Pressman.
Informal introductions were made once Howler's team had arrived. Drinks were shared and conversation followed, but Tempest stayed on the fringes. She retired early to her cabin for the night.
And so, after a full night's rest, Tempest awoke to a new day, refreshed. As she considered what to do next, a hand clamped over her mouth and a voice whispered in her ear. "Don't make a sound!" It took a few moments to register, but that voice belonged to the Tigress! "Do you understand?"
Turning slightly, Tempest could see that it was indeed her former Young Champion teammate. The Tigress was crouched next to her bunk. Tempest nodded yes in response to the Tigress' query. Slowly, the hand was pulled away. "What are you doing here?", Tempest demanded.
"What am I doing here?", the Tigress whispered back. "More importantly, what are you doing here?"
"I happen to have a job with these people," Jessica sneered in response. "Cash money."
"These people are hardened criminals, Jess. I have dealt with their kind before."
"So what? I'm not doing anything criminal," Tempest explained. "We're just recovering some artifacts or something."
"I find it hard to believe that anyone on board this ship is suddenly involved in an entirely legit operation. They're using you!"
"Maybe, but I'm getting 75 grand out of this job for a very simple task. Call that 'using me', if you want. I call it easy money."
"You don't mind having that on your conscience if your little job turns out criminal?", Tigress asked bluntly.
Tempest thought for a moment, but wasn't about to give in. "I have to worry about myself, not what they're doing."
"Fine," the Tigress sighed. "I see that I can't change your mind. But remember this conversation when everything starts to blow up in your face over this little escapade. Face it, you are worth nothing to them and completely expendable. Whatever it is that Howler's after is worth a LOT of cash, if she can throw around the money's she's been spending. She'll sacrifice this boat and everyone on it, including you, if she has to."
"Okay, Sarge," Tempest said sarcastically. "Lighten up. I can take care of myself. I've been doing it for a long time."
The Tigress looked away, put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "I can see I'm wasting my time here," she said quietly. "I was trying to help you out. In fact I thought I was rescuing you." She laughed mirthlessly. "Pardon me for bothering to be concerned. Obviously you are quite good at taking care of just yourself." The Tigress turned on her heel and opened the door out of the cabin.
Jessica watched her disappear through the opening. "Erica! Wait," she finally said, as the door closed silently. A moment passed, then the door slowly opened again.
The Tigress crept quietly inside again. But she had a look on her face that Jessica took to mean that she better not be wasting her time. Jess swallowed slightly. This wasn't easy for her. "So what are you going to do now?", she finally asked.
"Look, Tempest, I don't have any time to sit and chat. The sun's up and it's a lot harder for me to find a hidy hole in the daytime. I gotta get moving." She started to leave again.
"Maybe I can help,... or something." That made the Tigress pause. "I mean, you could stay here during the day and do whatever you're doing at night. No one should come in here except for me."
The Tigress was silent for a few moments as she looked back at her ex-teammate. "I thought you were only worried about yourself?"
"Yeah, well, it's a surprise to me too. Look, you've always been straight with me, probably more than anyone on the Young Champs. I'm not used to having people concerned about me that didn't expect something in return." The Tigress started to say something, but Jessica cut her off. "I'm not saying I'm going to give this job up and I don't know if I can even help you, but at least I can hide you out here. Maybe we'll see what happens from there?"
"Alright, Jess. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Thanks. But I have to warn you, don't get in my way when this all comes down."
"Point taken." Tempest answered, understanding forming on her face. "Hopefully it won't come to that!"
"So," Tigress said, settling into the top bunk, "why don't you tell me what's going on around here?"
Jason half-heartedly went through his personal drills. He was still tired from his work last night with Peacekeeper. But there was more to it than that. His heart soared when he met Firestar while at school. The two had hit it off splendidly. In fact, she even asked him if he wanted to go to a pool party tomorrow night. Without hesitation, he had accepted the invitation.
But now he was having his familiar self-doubts. In spite of his new body, it was so hard to relinquish a lifetime of feeling like an outsider. He was used to being ignored by the 'in crowd'. Somehow he had become a part of it without even realizing it.
The party was being held by the Huntress. Jason wasn't sure who she even was. Of course he hadn't paid all that much attention to the world of superheroes before his transformation. It was just starting to sink in to him that he was going to actually meet the other world famous Avengers! He just hoped that he didn't make a fool of himself.
Then there was the situation with his twin sister, Jessica. Both of them had come to Sanctuary and the Young Champions program to learn more about their powers. However, the regimented lifestyle didn't suit Jessica and so she left. That saddened Jason, leaving him with very conflicting emotions.
Before he even knew it, the morning's practice was over. Jason rushed back to the bungalow he shared with Archangel and showered. He spent an unusual amount of time brushing his hair, trying to make it look just right.
From there, it was off to the Island hotel and the kitchen for a quick lunch. Then he left for school, the thing he currently looked forward to the most.
Jason was usually early to his classes. Today was no exception as he had homework that he needed to finish up. He never had gotten the chance to work on it last night. Jennifer showed up a few minutes later and quietly took her seat. Jason didn't really pay her much attention as he tried to concentrate on his work. Having Cassie around was too much of distraction for him to concentrate. He would try to get as much done as he could before she arrived.
Nightingale and Firestar showed up a few minutes late for class. From the look on Cassandra's face, Jason could tell that something was wrong. Dejectedly, the young Avenger took a seat next to Jason. "Hi," she muttered.
"Are you okay, Cassie?" Genuine concern came over Jason's face. "What's wrong?'
Finally, Firestar turned and looked at Jason. "I messed up this morning." From there Firestar told the tale of how she and the Thing had been on the set of the Guardian Angel show when a strange vortex appeared and swallowed the actors. Firestar had the actress who portrayed Guardian Angel by the hand. However, her strength wasn't enough to keep the woman from being pulled into the twisting vortex. (Editor's Note: As shown in Avengers #24)
Jason listened intently to Firestar's tale. "It sounds to me that you did the best that you could."
"That's what Di said. But, if I could have--"
"You can't spend your live worrying about if's," Nightingale interrupted.
"That's right," Jason added. "You're blaming yourself for something that was out of your control."
"But if I had held on just a little bit longer, she would still be here."
"You don't know that for sure," Nightingale added. "Cassie, you're just going to get ulcers if you play the 'if' game. Just look at me. There are numerous what if's I could be worrying about. What if I hadn't been struck by lightning? What if I hadn't lost my hearing? What if my parents hadn't unknowingly turned me over to PSI? What if they were still alive?"
Jason had no idea that Nightingale's past had been so gloomy before. Yet somehow she made it through all that adversity and survived. It made his problems seem tiny by comparison. He never realized just how tough his instructor really was.
"What happened, happened," Nightingale continued. "There is nothing you can do to change it. You have to accept it and get on with your life. Sometimes, the hero doesn't save the damsel in distress. Now, shall we get down to our studies?" The speech didn't seem to cheer up Firestar any, but at least she didn't dwell on the matter for the rest of class.
"There was one thing I was wondering about," Jason asked of Cassie as they walked along the beach. Class was over less than an hour ago and the two had decided to go for a walk. Firestar's book bag was slung over Jason's shoulder. "Exactly how are we going to get to New York City for this get-together tomorrow?"
"By way of the teleporter, of course."
This was news to Jason. "What teleporter?"
"Sorry, it was supposed to be a secret. There's a teleporter in the Arrival Center that takes you to the basement of the United Nations in New York City. That's how I've been coming here for class. Didn't you ever wonder how I got back and forth so fast?"
"I guess I never really thought about it," Jason answered sheepishly. It was true: he hadn't even considered it. She had flown back and forth each day for all he knew.
"I'll stop by and pick you up around five tomorrow. Then we'll just teleport back and go and have fun. You can return by way of the teleporter later on."
"Okay." Jason wasn't so sure about this teleporting business. But, obviously Firestar had used it several times and didn't seem any worse for the wear so it must be safe. "Is that in my time or yours?"
"Mine," Firestar responded. "I guess it would be about noon, your time."
"Eleven actually. No problem. I just wanted to be ready."
"I should probably get going," Firestar explained. "It's been a long day and I'm beat."
"I understand. Here." Jason handed Cassie back her book bag. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."
"I'm looking forward to it," Cassie smiled. "Have a good night." Firestar waved and then flew off towards the Arrival Center.
"I'm turning in," Tempest announced as she plopped into her bunk. The day didn't turn out to be as relaxing as she had at first hoped. There was the tension of the Tigress potentially being discovered as a stowaway. Fortunately, Jessica was able to squirrel away enough food to feed her unexpected roommate. Her days spent as a small time thief on the streets were very helpful in that task. But apart from that, the day was pleasant enough. Jessica was able to get in a few hours of sunbathing, in spite being scrutinized by the ship's crew. Not that she overly minded. Some of the sailors were kind of cute.
"Time for me to prowl," the Tigress stated as she stretched. "I've been cooped up in this room long enough."
"Just don't get caught."
"That is the general idea. Tonight I'm gonna find out just what really is going on around here." The Tigress didn't buy the story Jessica had told her this morning. Tempest only knew what Howler had told her. But there had to be more to this than just an archaeological expedition. There were too many supervillains to justify that explanation.
"I told you what's going on," Jessica shot back in annoyance. "You think I was lying to you?"
"No, I just think that you're not being let in on the full story." The Tigress listened at the cabin door to make sure the hallway beyond was empty. The heroine opened the door a crack and found the passageway to be deserted. A quick glance either way confirmed this. "So, I'm going to try and find out just what it is that you're not being told. Seeya in the morning." Silently, the Tigress slipped out in the hallway, closing the door behind her.
"Whatever," Jessica mumbled to herself as she rolled over in her bunk. She didn't ask for Tigress to be here. If she got caught, that was her problem. Unless they tried to hurt Erica. That was something that Tempest wouldn't go along with. Not even for sixty-thousand dollars. "Maybe after all these years I'm finally developing a conscience..."
With feline ease, the Tigress sneaked to the upper decks of the Jade Princess. There were only a couple of men in the wheelhouse and a few more on deck. All the others must have retired to their cabins for the evening. Sticking to the shadows was not much of a problem at this time of night. The Tigress was soon crouched on the roof over the wheelhouse. She was content to listen to the conversations of those in the room below.
Unfortunately, the men weren't talking about anything interesting to the Tigress. The only thing she managed to learn was that they heading in a westerly direction and that their destination was an island several days off. The crew probably didn't know much more about what was going on then did Tempest.
That quickly narrowed her options about where to gather more information. Carlson seemed to be running the show based on what Tempest had told her, so he was the best place to start. Lowering herself to the main deck, the Tigress crept along the outside of the ship's lounge. As she had hoped, Carlson was still inside nursing a drink and going over some papers. At least, based on Tempest's description, appeared to be Carlson.
"I think I'll check out our mysterious Mr. Carlson's quarters while he is otherwise occupied," the Tigress mused to herself. "Perhaps I'll find something interesting there.
Retracing her steps back to the below decks, and avoiding a patrolling crewman, the Tigress slipped into Carlson's quarters, quietly shutting the door behind her. The heroine's cat-like eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness.
Carlson's quarters were much larger than the one Tempest had been given. It held a large single bed, a desk, a small couch, a table, a dresser and matching wardrobe. Silently tiptoeing to the desk, the Tigress began to go through the drawers. After several minutes of rifling through uninteresting papers, the hairs on the back of the Tigress' neck started to rise.
"What's that awful smell?", the Tigress wondered to herself. Turning back towards the door, the feline Young Champion could see a greenish gas billowing into the room! Rushing towards the door, the Tigress threw open the door to find the entire corridor beyond filled with this strange gas!
"I'm trapped!", she quickly realized. She could try to hold her breath and run back to the upper decks and risk being caught. That wasn't an option right now. She had to think of something else.
Shutting the door, the Tigress rushed towards the open porthole in the room. At least it would provide her with some fresh air. The gas had a strange sickly sweet smell to it. To the Tigress' superhuman sense of smell, the odor was very overpowering.
The porthole was too small for the Tigress to crawl through, so she tried to breathe in fresh air and avoid inhaling the gas. "Just have to hope I can outlast whatever this gas is."
The minutes slowly dragged past as the gas continued to fill the stateroom. In spite of her best efforts, the gas slowly overwhelmed the Tigress. "Head's gettin' woozy..." Slowly everything went black to the heroine's eyes and she crumbled to the floor unconscious...
