Howler's head throbbed terribly and she groaned slightly in response. She could faintly make out voices close by. No, not real voices, at least not in the traditional sense. What she was hearing were sounds, not words. They were meaningless at first, but a few were somehow understandable to her. The longer she listened, the more she could comprehend.
"Individual medium identified. ID code: Zanthar. Shutting down examination process."
As Howler opened her eyes she got a glimpse of several mechanical arms being quickly drawn back up and into the ceiling. Metallic covers appeared across these access hatches an instant later, sealing them up again. The covers blended in perfectly with the ceiling making the openings completely invisible to the naked eye. Each mechanical arm appeared to have a different device at its end. Just what they had done was unknown to Howler. She wasn't sure that she really wanted to know either.
The sonic-villainess sat up and twisted to her right. Howler was seated upon a flat metallic surface. Her feet dangled a few inches above the floor. She didn't feel any different than before, apart from the headache, but even that was fading. Howler sat on what she guessed to be an examination table, if what she had heard was correct. Did whatever was controlling the pyramid think her to be some kind of specimen? Just how had it examined her?
The last thing Howler could remember was that she was outside the pyramid trying to find a way in. Tempest was there as well. Then a light from atop the pyramid flashed. It fired off an energy beam of some kind and Tempest vanished. Howler followed a moment later.
And then she was here. Looking around, Howler found it to be a metallic chamber that was highly reflective. Stainless steel in appearance if she were to venture a guess as to what it was made from. Oddly enough, it was the only real feature in the small chamber. There were the now concealed access hatches up in the ceiling, but no obvious controls on how to open them up.
Howler slid off the metal table and stood. A quick check revealed that none of her possessions had been taken away. She was still in her in dark blue costume and with white cape. The pulsating orange amulet was there as well. Howler unconsciously rubbed it treating it like a favored possession. Her over the shoulder bag was present too.
"I've got to find a way out of here," Howler thought to herself.
But no exit was apparent. The chamber was only marginally larger than the examination table. There was enough room for Howler to easily walk around the structure. No controls of any type could be seen. Likewise, there was no obvious door or even a door handle.
"Can anyone out there hear me? Let me out of here!", Howler cried out in frustration. In spite of the fear in her voice, Howler couldn't help but make her appeal in a most seductive voice. "Please! I mean you no harm!"
As if in response to her plea, a previously concealed door silently slid open. It startled Howler momentarily. One minute the room was sealed, the next there was a door that appeared as if by magic.
Howler quickly recovered and advanced cautiously to the opening. She stepped through the opening before it could close on her. Looking around, Howler found herself in what she guessed to be a hallway. As she spun to get a better look around, Howler noted that the doorway she had just passed through had sealed up behind her. No going back now, she thought to herself.
The hallway was made of the same shiny metal that was inside the examination room. And like the examination room, there now were no obvious doors, controls, or other features in the hallway. Just a seemingly smooth metallic surface from floor to ceiling was all that she could see.
The passage was well lit, but there was no obvious source of illumination. Both ends of the passageway met up with other hallways. At least Howler was no longer trapped even if she had no idea where she was.
Howler had seen something like this before. It reminded her of the small alien ship where she had found her amulet in. It had the same type of metallic walls and lack of obvious doors. The only portals on the ship that were open were the ones that lead her to the skeleton and the amulet now in her possession.
"I think I understand now," Howler mumbled aloud. "The are no physical controls for this place, rather they are all sound-based. A type of voice recognition."
It did make sense to Howler. After all, the alien amulet had given her vast sonic powers, so sound was very important to the aliens. Sounds triggered the obelisks, which in turn had revealed the lost realm. As she was waking up Howler had heard strange sounds and somehow had managed to translate the last few words into something she could understand. Lastly, the examination room door had opened after she had asked to be let out.
A pleased grin came over Howler's face. She had been right all along. Azkan was a member of the same alien race as the former owner of the pulsating orange amulet. There was alien technology here that she could make use of! It was now just a matter of finding it.
As Howler tried to make up her mind which way to go, another thought crossed her mind. Was Azkan still here? There had been no sign of anyone else around so far. Were the aliens watching Howler, trying to gauge her reactions? Studying her like some laboratory specimen? Or was the pyramid automated?
Only by exploring was Howler going to find the answer to those questions and many others. Regardless of the potential danger, Howler had to press on. Her compulsions would allow her no other choice. Howler arbitrarily chose a direction and headed off to explore the strange pyramid. She couldn't help but feel like a rat in a maze.
Archangel soared high in the clear afternoon sky. The Young Champion felt especially at home on a day like this. The bright sunlight warmed his wings making him feel good inside. After being cramped up on the Wave Runner, the winged Young Champions could now spread his wings and fly free.
The clouds were few and far between. But at this height Archangel appeared to be just another sea bird to those observing from the ground. He casually glided on the warm air currents, his wings fully outstretched. It was a glorious feeling.
The Wave Runner had finally closed in on the distant Jade Princess. According to their reading of the homing beacon, the yacht was only a few miles away now. As the Wave Runner slowed and drew closer, Archangel was dispatched to perform aerial reconnaissance. A task that Jean Paul was most familiar with and most adept at. With his wings and superior eyesight, Archangel was an ideal aerial scout.
A small island lay before the Wave Runner. Archangel, propelled by powerful flaps of his wings, flew nearly straight up until the Wave Runner was little more than a speck on the vast ocean below. But this was no hindrance to the young man. At his current elevation, Archangel could see that the Wave Runner had actually arrived at a collection of four islands. There were three outer islands with a larger one in between.
What immediately attracted Jean Paul's attention was a massive pyramid smack dab in the center of the inner island. Unlike other pyramids that Archangel had seen on television, this one appeared to be in excellent condition. There was no trace of crumbling or wind erosion so common with the Egyptian pyramids. The winged man couldn't help but stare at the structure in awe.
It wasn't until minutes later that two other objects attracted Archangel's attention. Both were close to each other and just off shore of the middle island. One was a yacht, the other a submarine. It was not difficult to make out the names painted on the side of each vessel. They were the Jade Prince and the Jade Princess, the vessels the Young Champions had been chasing for almost a week now.
Upon seeing the ships, Archangel adjusted the microphone on his headset and spoke. "Archangel to Wave Runner, come in."
"We read you loud and clear, Archangel," came the reply over the headset. The voice belonged to Gladiator himself. "What do you have to report?"
"I've located the ships in question. Both appear to be at anchor just off shore of an island behind the island facing the Wave Runner. I can see numerous armed men on both ships and the beach, but no signs of any of the villains." Based on the reports provided by Tigress Howler, Daigon, Panda and Raccoon should be around as well. All Archangel could make out where normal looking men carrying side arms and assault rifles. Apparently they were on guard duty.
"No sign of Tempest, either, but they could be below decks I suppose," Archangel quickly added. The former Young Champion had been something of a sore spot on this mission. Just what exactly was her role in all of this? Jean Paul didn't want to lump her in with the criminals just yet.
"Complete your scouting and return to the Wave Runner," Gladiator responded. "We'll begin to plan on how to proceed from here."
"Gotcha, Sarge. Oh, by the way, there's a gigantic pyramid on the middle island as well. Looks brand new. Archangel over and out." That would give those back on the Wave Runner something to think about!
The first sensations that Tempest could perceive were a painful throbbing in her temples and horrible screeching noises. There was a terrible taste in her mouth as well. With a painful groan, Tempest struggled to open her eyes.
"What's going on here?", the teal clad young woman uttered in confusion.
Being struck by a light emitted from the top of the pyramid was the last thing that Tempest could remember. Jessica wasn't concerned at first as she was currently in air form. The attack should have just passed harmlessly through her.
Or so she thought. Whatever the nature of the attack, it had rendered her unconscious for an unknown amount of time. Additionally, it had transported her to this place. Where ever that was.
As she opened her eyes, Tempest saw nearly a dozen mechanical arms moving rapidly above her. All of the arms ended in weird looking devices that Tempest could not identify. Some of the devices appeared menacing. The arms moved and weaved above the young woman like metallic octopus tentacles.
"Aighhh!", Tempest screamed as her eyes bulged in surprise.
The startled young woman scrambled backwards as fast as her arms and legs could propel her. She promptly fell off the examination table to the solid metallic floor below. But even this unexpected development didn't serve to impede her progress. Tempest continued to backpedal until she hit the wall of the examination room before stopping.
As if they had also been frightened, the mechanical arms all retracted into the ceiling. Each arm disappeared into its own individual ceiling cavity. A moment later a covering appeared over each of these cavities, completely concealing the openings. The strange noises she had heard earlier were now gone.
"What the hell is going on around here?", Tempest cried out in bewilderment. "What are those things? They better have not touched me or I'm really going to be pissed!"
Tempest finally took the opportunity to look about the small room she found herself in. The sole remaining feature was the metallic examination table in the middle of the room. The walls, floor, and ceiling were seemingly constructed out of the same shiny metal. There were no seam lines from individual pieces overlapping. It was as if the entire room was cast in one single piece.
Picking herself up off the floor, Tempest voiced more questions. "Where am I? What is this place? And where's the door at?"
Silence was Tempest's only response, much to her frustration. She gave the small room a more thorough examination. The metal felt just as smooth to the touch as it appeared. Still, there had been holes in the ceiling so there must be away out of here. All Jessica had to do was find it.
Concentrating, Tempest's body started to take on a wispier, ethereal appearance as she turned herself into air. That task complete, the young woman took flight and began to search every inch of the surface of the room, looking for a way out of this prison.
Archangel stepped away from the large map and took in his work. Upon returning to the Wave Runner, 'Angel had added what he had spotted on his scouting mission to the charts for the islands. It would help the group come up with a strategy.
"That is what we're dealing with," Archangel explained pointing at his additions to the map. "The sub and the ship are about here, just off shore. The pyramid is here."
The rest of the assembled Young Champions were evenly spread out around the table. Each had a clear view of the map and was currently in costume. They were fully expecting trouble and were prepared. Gladiator stood back a bit, but could still see the entire map. This was an excellent training exercise for his students.
"Do any of you know how we should proceed next?" Gladiator tossed his query out to the trainees. "What is our best course of action?"
"We take the battle to the enemy!", Sapphire stated excitedly. "Strike before they realize we are here. While we still possess the element of surprise."
"Strategically sound, but unwise under these circumstances," Gladiator retorted.
"The target is out in the open," Archangel added. "On clear day like this, we would be spotted long before we reached the target. Likewise, we don't have enough flyers to launch an effective aerial assault."
That part was true. Archangel was unable to carry anyone and fly effectively. That just left Nemesis and the young girl couldn't carry everyone present.
"I think I'd rather remain land bound," Terra Fire admitted. Just being on board the Wave Runner had been something of a trial. Jason's connection to the earth had been severed and he was missing it. His powers did not function properly unless he was in close proximity to the ground. Jason found it strange to feel normal now.
"I gotta agree with Mole Boy on that one," Tigress tersely added. "I'd rather feel terra firma under my feet."
"I could simply leap in carrying everyone," Sapphire offered with a shrug.
"While that would circumvent being rapidly spotted, the odds of you actually landing on either ship are slim. Furthermore, you'd probably sink the yacht if you tried to land on it in that fashion," Gladiator explained. "Any other suggestions?"
"Wait until nightfall and move in under the cover of darkness," Tigress suggested. "Pick them off one by one until they are no longer a significant threat. I always did prefer stealth to the direct approach."
"Better," Gladiator said with a nod.
"I think we need to know more about what is going on," Jason spoke up once more. "Find out what they are doing and where the villains are before acting. You know, get a more complete picture than what we have now then act once we have all the information in hand."
"Agreed." For a moment, Gladiator actually almost seemed pleased. "We can recon while we wait for night to fall. We'll move the Wave Runner closer to the main island on this course."
Gladiator pointed towards the map depicting the cluster of islands and the ships near them. His finger traced a path that led the Wave Runner around the island before it and closer to the main island. The course he had plotted took the vessel away from the other ships and then swung back around towards them. The maneuver placed the Wave Runner close to the Jade Prince and Princess, but used the main island to shield their presence. They would be just a few miles apart.
"We'll make landfall here," Gladiator continued as he indicated a place on the map. "Then we'll make our way towards their beachhead. Hopefully, we will be able to learn more about the strength of our enemy and what their goals are along the way. Any further questions or comments?"
Gladiator looked over his students for any queries. After a few beats, Jennifer shyly raised her hand. "Yes, Jennifer?"
"I'd like macaroni and cheese and hot dogs for lunch."
Howler casually walked along the metallic corridor. Whoever these aliens were, style and aesthetics were not their strong suit. From what she had seen thus far, the entire pyramid was constructed of the same shiny metal. It reminded her of stainless steel in appearance. There were no color variations. After a time, one hallway seemed exactly like all the rest. It would be very easy to get lost in here.
Still, Howler thought she was making progress. There had been a few open doors encountered along her inspection. These openings revealed small rooms, much like the examination room Howler had woken up in. The features were different, such as not having an examination table in the middle of the room. Most of the rooms were actually featureless. Just essentially empty metallic cubes.
A few objects had been found along the way, but nothing for which Howler could immediately determine its purpose. They were stored in her pack for a more thorough examination later. They might be alien artifacts, but from her initial observations, not objects that could increase her powers in any manner. They could be alien knick-knacks for all that Howler knew.
For the most part, Howler's explorations had led her down deeper into the strange pyramid. But Howler had to wonder if this was really a pyramid or an alien ship in its own right. The pyramid did seem genuine enough from the outside, but was definitely not of this Earth from the inside. Perhaps the pyramid was just an illusion that masked the alien vessel? Her own observations thus far made this a most likely theory.
Like Tempest, Howler had dared venture underneath the thick jungle of the fourth island and was surprised by what she had found. Thanks to her greatly enhanced hearing, Howler could clearly make out many strange and unique sounds coming from underneath the jungle below.
Once past the canopy of vines and trees, the jungle had inexplicably vanished and Howler found herself menaced by half a dozen air borne creatures. They were almost bird-like, but lacked the telltale feathers. Instead, their wings were a thin membrane of flesh spread out between its limbs. The wingspan was nearly twenty feet and they screeched hungrily at Howler!
Wisely, Howler fled back the way she had come. All at once, the jungle foliage returned and the winged creatures were gone. Howler could still hear them, but they could not be seen. Moments passed and their cries grew more distant until they were gone.
As Howler reviewed her brief encounter, she realized that those things greatly resembled something that Howler had only seen in books and on television. A pterodactyl was what they were called. But those creatures dated back to the time of dinosaurs and had been extinct for millions of years now. Apparently that was not true here in the Lost Realm.
The encounter and subsequent experience on board the alien ship made Howler realize that the Lost Realm was a controlled reserve of some sort. Illusions of some type were in effect and they separated the boundaries between the areas of the reserves. It explained the sudden change in landscape and why the pterodactyls didn't follow her.
The sight of an alien spaceship smack dab in the middle of the island could be very disconcerting to those arriving at the island and to those who could see it from the various game preserves. So, a less threatening image was needed. Azkan apparently had settled upon the image of a pyramid to conceal his vessel. It made sense in a fashion. Of course, a pyramid would stick out like a sore thumb, but not as much as an alien spacecraft.
Up ahead, Howler saw something that made her stop dead in her tracks. Finally, there was something in the hallway up ahead. Something Howler found strangely familiar. Up ahead, sprawled on the floor was a skeleton.
As Howler drew closer, she realized that the bone structure of the skeleton was similar to the one she found in the small alien shipwreck where she had acquired her amulet. One immediate thought came to mind. Could this be the remains of Azkan himself?
Howler couldn't help but gasp in astonishment when she noted that there was something around the skeleton's neck. It was a pulsating blue crystal held on a band of shiny metal. It was too tight to be a necklace. Instead it was a choker and it seemed to hold the power that Howler had been searching for all these years. It was another artifact like her amulet!
Trembling, Howler reached for the choker. She had to have it. The power it possessed must be hers! As for the reason why she had to have it, not even Howler knew. Its pulsating blue light actually seemed to move a bit faster as Howler drew closer as if enticing the woman to pick it up.
Inexplicably, great pain shot through Howler's body before she could reach the choker. Her own amulet pulsated orange just a little bit faster. Howler cried out in anguish and pulled her arm back. As she did so, the pain lessened to a more tolerable level.
Howler made another grab for the choker and the pain returned in full earnest as well. The closer she came to the choker, the greater the agony that filled her body. Her fingers made it to within a few inches before Howler could bear the torment no more. She moved away from the skeleton and its choker and the pain was gone from her body.
"Why is this happening?" Howler cried out in frustration. The choker was so near and yet so far. "I will find a way to possess the artifact! I swear I will! I have not come this far only to be stopped like this!"
Angrily, Howler drew her cloak about her body and spun away from the skeleton and its prize. Perhaps she could find something elsewhere in the ship that would allow her to claim the alien treasure. She didn't know how just yet, but that artifact would be hers in the end.
"This is so much better," Terra Fire remarked as he could feel earth underneath his feet once more. The Wave Runner had dropped anchor just off shore of the middle island and the Young Champions had made their way to the beach. Nemesis and Archangel flew to the island, while everyone else swam the short distance. The great pyramid in the center of the island silently watched over them.
Jason's earthen sense was alive once more. He was aware of everything touching the ground in his general area. Each of his teammates was readily identified. Further off he could sense other things, but these contacts were not as easy to identify. They could be people that Jason had never met or animals of some kind. Regardless, it felt good to be back on real ground again.
The remainder of the group made their way onto shore. The Tigress stopped to wring the water from her long hair before continuing on. Sapphire didn't concern herself with such things and simply advanced forward onto the beach dripping wet. Gladiator followed the large woman, water dropping from his armor. Nemesis and Archangel landed on the beach and waited for everyone else to join them.
"I'm sensing all kinds of things moving around in the area," Jason reported. "They're all over the place. I can't make out what they are this far away."
"I can hear them as well," Gladiator answered. The training Gladiator had undertaken honed his hearing to a fine edge. He could identify and pick out targets strictly by the noise they made if need be. The noises reminded Gladiator of animals and birds in other jungles, but ones that he was not readily familiar with.
"Yeah, well you two can count yourself lucky then," Tigress snorted as she crinkled her noise. "I can smell those things out there and believe you me they desperately need deodorant!"
"Now what, boss?", Archangel inquired. "Want me to scout some more?"
"That will not be necessary," Gladiator responded. "I am familiar with terrain such as this. The jungle is too thick for aerial reconnaissance. We'll stay together on the ground for the moment. Tigress, you have the point."
The group fell into a loose formation and made their way into the thick jungle foliage. The Tigress, with her sharp senses, made the ideal scout. She moved out ahead of the main body of the group. Terra Fire was also near the front as his earthen sense was a tremendous aid in this situation. Sapphire secured the rear guard position.
With Tigress leading the way, the group moved deeper into the dense jungle. The vegetation was thick and gave the impression that no one had ever come this way before. Numerous vines and creepers blocked the path and had to be physically removed.
The band moved forward mostly in silence. Unexpectedly, Tigress came to a complete stop approximately twenty feet ahead of the others. "Whoa. Now this is weird." She quickly dropped to a crouch.
Gladiator signaled for everyone else to come to a stop; although Sapphire had to physically hold Nemesis back before Jennifer realized that she was supposed to cease walking. Jennifer just giggled in response and hugged the large blue woman. "I like you too."
"What do you see?" The query came from Gladiator.
"The jungle is gone," Tigress answered. "I'm now on a plain of high grass."
"That doesn't make any sense," Terra Fire chimed in. "How can the jungle be gone? It's right here!" Jason gestured to everything around him. Had the Tigress taken leave of her senses?
"I'm telling you that the jungle is gone," Tigress repeated with more authority. "I was in the jungle, took a step, now I'm on this plain. It doesn't make any sense."
"Kitty cat's brain must have gotten sunburned," Archangel called out. "Now she's hallucinating!" It was blatantly obvious to Jean Paul and his superior eyesight that they were still within the claustrophobic jungle.
"So help me, bird-brain, don't make me claw you!", Tigress shot back with an annoyed growl.
Gladiator didn't respond to the banter going on amongst his students. Instead, he stepped forward with purpose, crossed the short distance in just a few steps and joined up with Tigress.
"Interesting," Gladiator commented offhandedly as he looked around. He signaled for the others to join him.
The remainder of the Young Champions came forward. As they did, each seemed to cross some invisible boundary. When they did pass over, the world they perceived around them inexplicably changed. Each cast their gaze about in stunned silence. What Tigress had said was true. The jungle was gone!
Each now found themselves standing on a plain of high grass swaying gently in the tropical breeze. There were a few trees that could be made out over the grass, but they were few and far between. The tall grass towered over everyone but Sapphire. Everyone couldn't help but look about in astonishment.
"What was this about me hallucinating?", Tigress said in a mocking voice.
"All right, all right, I take it back, Stripes," Archangel acknowledged. "I guess you hadn't gotten into the catnip again."
"But we saw you still standing in the jungle!", Terra Fire cried out. "This doesn't make any sense."
"Some type of illusion, perhaps," Gladiator suggested. "A very potent and powerful illusion. Obviously, things are not as they seem in this place."
"Hey, guys, we've got company," Tigress added in a voice just above a whisper. She could smell something moving closer to their position.
"Now what?", Archangel complained.
A silent hand gesture from Gladiator ended the conversation. Those possessing superior senses used them, trying to locate what Tigress had spotted.
"There's something over there." Terra Fire pointed to a spot just to the right of Tigress' present location. "It's about the size of a dog, maybe like a German shepherd. I can't quite make out what it is."
"That may be its size, but it's definitely feline in species." Gladiator could hear what Tigress smelled and Terra Fire sensed. It had sounds similar to jungle cats. There was a soft ruffling sound as the high grass parted before the beast.
"I'll check it out." Tigress stalked silently forward towards through the tall grass towards her unseen prey. Cautiously, Tigress reached forward and parted the grass with her hands. As the grass parted, Erica could see what she had sensed. Any words she might have said died in her throat upon seeing what she saw.
As Terra Fire suggested, the animal in question was about the size of a fully grown German shepherd. Gladiator was right as well, as the beast was definitely feline in species. The cat had a deep tawny coat and white underbelly with large golden eyes that stared back at Tigress. But what astonished Tigress the most was the six-inch curved fangs that emerged down from the roof of the great cat's mouth!
"It's a freakin' sabre-toothed tiger!"
Upon hearing that, the rest of the Young Champions drew closer to observe what Tigress had found. The great cat looked at the new arrivals with interest, but ultimately turned back to Tigress. He reached forward and licked the side of her face with its large tongue.
"Hey, watch it, furball!" The Tigress stepped away, cursed, and tried to clean herself up from the unexpected tongue-lashing. The whole left side of her face felt damp and wet. "That's nasty!"
"Aw! He's so cute!", Nemesis called out. Jennifer literally flew forward and hugged the sabre-tooth tiger kitten. Surprisingly, the cat didn't seem to mind Jennifer being so close to him. He allowed her to hug and pet him. The cat licked Jennifer in the face, causing the young girl to giggle madly.
"Looks like Jen made a friend," Archangel noted in amusement.
Nemesis continued to pay attention to the great feline before turning back to Gladiator. "Can we keep him? Please, please, pretty please? I'm gonna name him Snuggles!"
"Snuggles?", Jason repeated in disbelief. "This is impossible! Sabre-toothed tigers died out millions of years ago!"
"It is a magnificent beast," Sapphire added in admiration. She bent down on one knee to more closely inspect the creature. It appeared to be a predator species in Sapphire's eyes. Its long fangs were dangerous weapons. 'Snuggles' playfully tried to bite Sapphire, with little success.
"I think he likes you," Jennifer giggled.
Archangel couldn't help but break out in laughter. "Looks like our feline has got herself a boyfriend! He must have smelled you out! That explains why Tigress was so cranky-- she was in heat!"
Gladiator cut off what most assuredly would have been a very angry retort from Tigress. "Silence! There are others close by!"
Sure enough, the sounds of men and machines reached the Young Champions' ears. The approaching group was making a lot of noise. Most likely they were unaware of the presence of Gladiator and his students.
Jason closed his eyes to better concentrate on his earthen sense. "There are a couple of jeeps and over a dozen men. Plus there is something big with them as well. Really big!"
"Mole Boy's right," Tigress quickly agreed as she surged forward through the tall grass. She would have to wait to get back at 'Angel. Gladiator, Terra Fire, and Archangel followed closely behind. Each ducked closer to the ground, using the tall grass for concealment.
Finally, the tall grass began to thin out and a clearing began to form. For the second time in as many minutes, a stunned silence came over the group. Moving through the clearing were many armed men and two jeeps. Lines from the back of the jeeps were attacked to a large lizard-like creature they were attempting to drag along.
The lizard was about ten feet long from nose to tail. It had a huge crested fin on its back, reaching some nine feet high at its peak. The great lizard's head angrily whipped about, trying to bit anyone who got to close to it. The tether lines were frustratingly out of the giant lizard's reach.
"What is that?", Archangel whispered in disbelief. "What kind of weird island is this anyway?"
"Some type of dinosaur," Jason tentatively answered. "I wouldn't have believed if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. It's just like the Sabre-Tooth. They are both something that shouldn't exist any more today. It doesn't make any sense."
"It's a dimetrodon," Gladiator added. "We are witnessing a real life dinosaur."
"That's just the half of it. We've found our missing villains as well!" The Tigress pointed towards the unusual processing passing in front of the Young Champions. Panda and Raccoon were walking along on the far side of the dimetrodon. Meanwhile, the armored demoness Daigon followed behind the dinosaur. Occasionally she would strike the creature, giving it further incentive to move along.
The Tigress involuntarily licked her lips in anticipation. "Let's get these scum!" Before receiving an answer, the Tigress surged forward through the high grass towards Daigon. The only thought in her mind was settling their dispute once and for all. The battle was on!
Epilogue:
Tempest continued to search fruitlessly for an exit from the examination room. Her own frustrations continued to mount as numerous thoughts continued to run a marathon through her mind. There were so many questions and no answers.
Just what was this place? What were those things that came out of the ceiling? Were they examining her in some manner? And exactly just who were 'they' in this case? How the heck could she get out of this room? It seemed to be solid metal, but was it airtight? If it was airtight, just how much longer would it be before Jessica ran out of air and suffocated?
Tempest, still in air form, was exploring the ceiling, searching for a way out of this chamber. She had never really been what you would consider to be claustrophobic before, but now Jess was beginning to understand what it was like. It was feeling that she didn't like one little bit.
It was then that Tempest noticed that a door had suddenly appeared in the small room. It was just simply there. There wasn't even any noise of it opening.
"'Bout time!", Tempest complained as she flew forward and slipped out through the opening.
Once out of the room, Tempest came to a stop and looked around. She was now in a short hallway that branched off into other passages at either end. The hallway was constructed out of the same shiny metal, as was the room she had just escaped from. Much like the smaller room, the hallway also appeared to be one solid, seamless piece of metal. No openings and protrusions were to be found. Not even a control to open the door into the smaller room.
"Okay, this is perfectly weird. What the heck do I do now?"
The young woman continued to hang in the air as she calculated her next move. She didn't know where she was or if anyone knew that she was missing. Howler might, but that assumed that what happened to Tempest didn't also happen to Howler. Jess serious doubted that any of the others would come looking for her if she came up missing. Definitely not Daigon.
"On my own again," Tempest mused. "Just the way I like it."
Feeling herself getting tired, Tempest returned to her normal fleshy state and touched down. It took only a little effort on her part to remain in either her air or water forms, but over a long period of time it was draining. The same applied to her ability to fly as well. It wouldn't hurt her to explore this strange place on foot for a little bit. That way she could save her strength in case she got into trouble.
The metallic floor felt cool to the touch under her feet, but wasn't uncomfortable. The hallway was eerily quiet. The only sounds were those that Tempest herself was making. Silently she considered which direction to go. Neither way was more enticing than the other. On a whim, Tempest started to walk off to her left.
Tempest had not gone more than four steps when the peace and quiet of the hallway was shattered. Several holes appeared in the ceiling, maybe half a dozen or so. They appeared so fast that Jess couldn't really be sure just how many of them there were.
More of the mechanical tentacles came flying out and whipped around Tempest! Before she could really comprehend what was going on, the tentacles had wrapped around her limbs while two others had encircled themselves about her torso.
"Let me go!", Tempest screamed but the mechanical arms held her fast. The experiment that had transformed Jess into Tempest had increased her natural physical strength, but it was not enough to break free. The grip of the tentacles surrounding her was just too strong.
Seeing that she couldn't physically escape, Tempest began to concentrate willing her body to change back into air. However, as she began to relax, yet another tentacle emerged from the ceiling. This one ended in a three-pronged claw and was moving towards her face!
