Charcoal yawned as she relaxed behind the wheel of one of the islands numerous golf carts. She was leaning back in her seat, her biker boots resting on top of the dashboard. As usual, the young woman was wearing her biker leathers and an AC/DC 'Back in Black' t-shirt. Dark sunglasses covered her eyes.
The golf-cart was parked just outside the dock on the southern-most tip of the island. It was the arrival point for seaplanes bringing guests to or taking them away from Sanctuary. One such seaplane was due for arrival in the next few minutes. As a courtesy, Sanctuary was always informed of any impending arrivals.
Typically one of the Island Security force was on hand to check out the newly arriving guests. With Sapphire away with the rest of the Young Champions on a mission, that just left Charcoal and Peacekeeper to handle security. Since Peacekeeper was a dead ringer for the infamous Mechanon, it was generally considered a bad idea to have the mechanoid assigned this task. The first sight for any guest arriving on Sanctuary should not be a Mechanon look-alike!
The sound of the arriving plane reached Charcoal's ears. "Finally," the young woman sighed. This was the part of her job that usually bored Charcoal to tears.
The Head of Sanctuary Security watched as the seaplane came into view. It circled around and came in for a landing. Once on the water, the boat taxied towards the dock. At the dock, lines were cast to draw the craft up to the pier allowing the passengers to disembark.
The Arrival Dock was built to match the one seen on the Fantasy Island television show. Everything was perfect right down to the tiki torches and attractive Polynesians to greet new arrivals with leis. Charcoal refused to wear a white suit, in keeping with the theme, threatening to punch out anyone who would suggest such a thing.
The hatch of the seaplane opened and the newest arrival to Sanctuary stepped out. The guest was not what Charcoal was expecting.
A small wisp of a woman emerged from the hydroplane. She barely stood five feet tall. In spite of her thin appearance, the woman had excellent muscle tone. From a distance she appeared to be Japanese in origin, but upon closer inspection it could be seen that she was of a mixed heritage. Her hair was short and black in color, but her eyes were brown. She wore a floral strapped top that left her midsection bare, plain white shorts, and sandals.
Bearing only a single carry-on bag and a worn six-foot long wooden staff, the woman softly walked down the arrival dock. She politely and graciously accepted the leis, pausing to enjoy their fragrance. The men handing out the flowers pointed her towards Charcoal's direction. With a bow to show her gratitude, the woman continued down the dock and toward the waiting Charcoal.
"Welcome to Sanctuary," Charcoal said to the approaching woman. "I'm Charcoal, Head of Island Security."
"An honor," the woman said in perfect English and with a bow for respect. Close up, Charcoal would have guessed the young woman to be in her late teens. "I am White Crane."
"You can put your bag in the cart. I'll escort you to the arrival center. There'll be forms you have to fill out since this is your first visit to Sanctuary."
"I understand." White Crane did as instructed. After placing her bag and staff in the back of the cart, she took a seat beside Charcoal without comment. The young woman sat perfectly straight and upright in the passenger seat.
Several long minutes passed as the pair drove along the concrete paths towards the Arrival Center. Usually most guests to Sanctuary were regular chatterboxes, oohing or awing over the beautiful tropical resort. But not this one. It made Charcoal curious. Her passenger didn't appear dangerous, but in the world of superpowers that meant little.
"So what brings you to Sanctuary," Charcoal asked, breaking the silence. "I can't say that I've heard of White Crane before."
"I seek training by the hand of the one known as Gladiator."
"I see. Then you're looking to join the Young Champions?"
"I do not know of these 'Young Champions' of which you speak", White Crane responded, her eyes continued to stare forward.
"They are a group of supers who are being trained in the use of their superpowers by Gladiator."
"Then I wish to become one of these Young Champions", White Crane casually stated.
The Wave Runner was sailing along at full speed once more. The ocean-going yacht had been a gift to Sanctuary and was normally used for guest cruises or as a rescue vehicle when needed. It was the later situation that the Wave Runner had been engaged in for almost a week now.
Tigress had inexplicably vanished from Sanctuary. Days later the feline heroine had managed to make contact. Tigress had been keeping an eye on the activities of Howler while the sonic villainess was on Sanctuary. This in turn led Tigress to the Jade Princess. Much to the heroine's surprise, Tempest was with Howler! Puzzled by this, Tigress stowed away on the Jade Princess.
In the days that followed, Tigress and the rest of the Young Champions became caught up in Howler's Quest that culminated in the discovery of a lost world where creatures and cultures previously thought extinct still thrived. Things got even more convoluted when it was discovered that Howler was actually controlled by a creature Sapphire called a Screamer; an alien race with sonic abilities. This alien reconstituted himself and threatened to destroy this lost world. Aided by a second alien creature, the scientist conducting the lost world experiment, the first alien was defeated. But the damage had already been done and the experiment was concluded.
In a flash, the Young Champions, along with Howler and her assistant Akeem, were sent back to the Wave Runner while the alien departed. Now freed from the alien influence, Howler was in complete control of herself for the first time in years. Unsure what to do, and branded a criminal by most, she requested sanctuary on Sanctuary. (Editor's Note: A brief Recap of Young Champions # 13-25)
With Archangel at the wheel, the Wave Runner was now sailing away from the now permanently gone lost realm. The four islands that held the grand experiment slowly faded over the horizon behind the ocean going yacht.
However the thoughts of the young winged Frenchman was not on the ancient creatures now lost once again to the world. No, his thoughts were focused solely on the young woman he had met before leaving on this mission. Indeed, Archangel had thought of little else during the past week. For the first time in his life, Archangel felt the pangs of love.
She was a beautiful Japanese girl calling herself Black Raven and she had natural wings growing out of her back like Archangel. However, hers were black in color. The two had flown together at first. Then they landed on one of the outlying islands from Sanctuary. They walked the island jungle, talking and holding hands. For the first time ever, Jean Paul had bared his soul to a woman. A woman very much like himself.
The mission to rescue Tigress had interrupted his time with Black Raven. Jean Paul didn't even have time to explain what was going on in person. Instead, he left a note at the location the two had agreed to next meet and prayed that Black Raven would understand. As soon as the Wave Runner was near to Sanctuary, Archangel would fly off to try and find his one true love. Just three more long days of waiting to go.
Down below decks, Jason McTaggert made his way along the narrow passageway. The mission to rescue Tigress had been a success. They had also rescued his sister Jessica and the supervillainess Howler. Jason didn't know a whole lot about Howler personally, primarily just her reputation.
According to Jess, Howler had undergone some life-altering change on board that strange spaceship. She was now free of alien influence for the first time since becoming Howler. Jason had no way to know if that was true or not. Still, Howler had to have the sexist voice he had ever heard. There were probably men out there who would believe anything Howler told them just because of that voice.
However, it was his sister Jessica that dominated Jason's thoughts. He, like most everyone else, had figured that Howler had kidnapped Tempest for some nefarious purpose. It was that notion that had gotten Tigress into this situation to begin with.
Then it was discovered that Jess had willingly gone along with Howler! Jason couldn't accept the fact that his own sister had turned criminal. It shocked him to the very core of his being. How could she be so different from him?
The situation then took another unexpected turn when the Young Champions finally caught up to Tempest. They were teleported on board the alien ship in hopes of stopping a second alien from destroying this lost land. Howler and Jess were trying to save a whole bunch of extinct creatures! It was certainly a noble endeavor. It also restored Jason's faith in his sibling.
The question that now remained was what would Jess do now? Would she just leave again in her pursuit of material wealth? Or would she stick around a while longer? Personally, Jason hoped for the later.
The twins' parents divorced while they were still young. Jason remained in Detroit with their father, while Jessica moved to Miami with their mother. Later on his mom remarried and had another daughter, a half-sister that Jason had never met. He felt like he was finally getting the chance to know his sister when she turned around and left. Perhaps he would get a second chance.
Reaching the door to the cabin Jessica had been assigned; Jason stopped and lightly rapped on the door. Being out of direct contact with the earth here on the Wave Runner, Jason no longer had his powers. His earthen sense was dead and it was not a sensation that he cared for. He couldn't even be sure Jess was in her cabin with his senses dulled.
Everyone had remained up on deck for several minutes after the alien ship had departed. No one knew what to say. Thankfully the actions of 'Snuggles', a baby saber-tooth tiger that Jennifer had taken from the island, provided some much need laughter.
Jennifer gave Jessica a giant hug upon seeing her. The young woman, while a teen in appearance, only had the mentality of a child. She had thought that Jess had left because of her. So Jennifer was very excited to see her friend once more. That was until her new pet attracted her attention once more and Jess was forgotten.
After that, everyone went down below to get cleaned up. Jason took a quick shower and changed into shorts and a tank top. Now Jason was hoping to speak to his sister in private.
"Who is it?" was heard from within the cabin.
"It's me: Jason."
After a pause, "What do you want?" was heard.
"I just wanted to talk. Come on, open up Jess."
Another pause followed. "All right. Come on in."
Jason turned the knob and opened the door. He stepped into the small cabin. It was much like the one he was using. A bed and dresser were the major furniture in the room.
Jess had changed out of her Tempest costume and was wearing a two-piece white string bikini. Her wavy blonde hair was still wet, suggesting that she had just gotten out of the shower. She was sitting on the far end of the bed.
"That's far enough, Jace," Jess called out. "You should know the drill by now."
"Of course," Jason nodded in response. He kept his distance and closed the door behind him.
The two had been experimented on by VIPER, which led to them gaining their individual powers. Their powers were based on the mythological elements of fire, earth, air, and water. Jess had air and water powers, while Jason had earth and fire powers.
Unexpectedly, the two had somehow merged, combining not only their bodies, but their powers as well. This combined form had control over all four of the ancient elements, but only one of the twins could control the body. The other was essentially a back seat driver. Even worse, the combined form could not speak, but the twins could converse telepathically. It was a situation that neither Jason nor Jess wished to go through ever again. Because of this merging, the two had vowed to not physically contact each other to prevent it from happening again.
"We didn't exactly get much of a chance to speak earlier," Jason stated after another long pause. He didn't really know what to say to his sister.
"Yeah, I guess not. It's been quite a day."
"Very hectic. I even got shot by one of those goons. That wasn't fun."
"No, I suppose not," Jess agreed looking her brother over. "But at least you don't look any worse for wear."
"Remember Dr. Marin talking about us having dense skin?" (Editor's Note: Way back in Young Champions #4)
"Yeah, back when we first arrived on Sanctuary. I thought she was a bit nutty, myself."
"Well, I guess we're both bullet proof to a point," Jason explained. "It still hurt like the dickens."
"I'll take your word for it and hope I never find out for myself." Jessica looked away from her brother. There was an underlying tension in the cabin between the two. "I take it you had more to talk about than how dense you are?"
"We were worried about you, Jess. We didn't know what happened to you or why you were with Howler and her gang or anything."
"I told you I was leaving Sanctuary, so it shouldn't have been a big surprise to anyone. Howlers offer came up at the last moment. I couldn't refuse that much cash."
"Yeah, I guess that makes sense," Jason agreed reluctantly. "If Tigress hadn't gotten involved, we might not be having this conversation."
"Given how things turned out, I'm glad she did. I don't know what would have happened to me if you hadn't come looking for me. I could be halfway across the galaxy by now."
A look of minor surprise came to Jason's face. "Now that doesn't sound like the sister I knew. She would have hated having people butting into her private affairs like that."
"Maybe I'm not quite the same person I was when I left Sanctuary," Jessica admitted.
"Now I really am worried," Jason teased.
"Go ahead and rub it in, Mole Boy," Jess shot right back. "I'm just-- suggesting-- that maybe I learned something from all of this. Exactly what I'm not sure."
Another uncomfortable pause followed. Jason could see in Jessica's face that she was telling the truth. Perhaps this whole misadventure with Howler had led to her growing as a person?
"So what happens now? Are you going to leave again?"
Jessica turned and looked her brother in the eyes. "I'm not sure. I haven't made up my mind yet."
Tigress strolled into the sick bay of the Wave Runner. She had also changed clothes and cleaned up. Erica now wore a tiger stripped two-piece bikini. The feline heroine had been bloodied and mud covered after her battles with the demonic Daigon. A large bruise was clearly visible on her left side, along with other numerous smaller bruises and cuts. Even worse, several of her ribs had been either cracked or completely broken in the battle. Each step caused shooting pain to flare up Tigress' side. A grimace was locked on the heroine's face.
Waiting for her was Gladiator, mentor and trainer of the Young Champions. Amongst his many skills was basic medical training. He would now tend to his student's wounds. Gladiator was still dressed in his ancient style armor, but had removed his helmet revealing his short white hair.
"Hey, Sarge."
"Hop on up here and lay down," Gladiator directed, indicating the examination table.
"Given how my side feels, I think I'll just gingerly lay back and skip the hopping part."
"A wise decision."
Lacking her usual grace, Erica slid up on the table, swung her legs around and then gently laid back. "I can't believe that I let that creepazoid do this to me."
"Let's see how bad the damage is. This may hurt," Gladiator warned.
"OWWW!", Tigress cried out as Gladiator probed the injury to her ribs. "Why don't you just stab me with a knife?"
"Apart from this injury, how do you feel? Any lightheadedness? Do you feel weak? Tired?"
"Nothing like that," the Tigress replied between clenched teeth. Her entire body was tense. "It just hurts to move, even to breathe."
"Typical for this type of injury." Gladiator ceased his probing and stepped back, as if contemplating the results of his examination.
Letting out a long sigh, Erica tried to relax once more. "So what's the verdict, Sarge? Am I gonna live?"
"It appears that you were most fortunate."
"Funny, I don't feel all that fortunate."
"Fortunate in the sense that your ribs were only cracked and not broken. Fortunate in that there doesn't appear to be any internal bleeding either. This could have been much worse, considering how you repeatedly aggravated the injury."
"How long am I going to have to put up with this?", Tigress inquired.
"The pain should subside in a few days. However, you won't be able to exert yourself for at least two weeks. There is no definite timetable for this type of wound to heal. Simply don't do anything that causes you pain."
"What am I supposed to do in the meantime? Just lay around?"
"Essentially," Gladiator explained. He stepped away from the examination table and began to rummage through a cabinet holding medical supplies. "Just relax. You are excused from all your duties."
Erica thought about that for a few moments. Finally, a bright smile came to her face. "I can get behind that. It'll give me a chance to work on my tan."
"I'll give you some mild pain killers for the rest of the trip back to Sanctuary. Once there, the medical staff will have to examine you once more. In the meantime, you may sit up once more."
"Sounds good." Gingerly Tigress sat up and swung her legs out over the side of the examination table. She sat slightly hunched over, her palms resting on the edge of the table.
Gladiator stepped back to the examination table and stood before his patient. He held several ace bandages in his hand. "I'm going to apply a wrap around your damaged ribs. It will limit your movements and in turn help protect your ribs. Keep it on as long as regular movement causes you pain."
"This is going to seriously clash with my wardrobe," Tigress complained as she raised her arms over her head. Gladiator began to apply the wrap around her injured ribs. "Not to mention ruining my tan line."
"The price you must bear for being a heroine," Gladiator wryly commented.
"Come on, Sarge! Don't make me laugh." Tigress tried to stifle a chuckle, but couldn't conceal a grin.
Gladiator finished wrapping the first bandage around Tigress, using a pin to hold it in place. He unwrapped a second bandage to completely cover the bruised area.
"I had the opportunity to observe part of your battle with Daigon," Gladiator commented out of the blue. "Before you foolishly pursued her into the jungle in spite of your injury."
Erica groaned silently to herself. She could sense yet another lecture coming on. "Yeah, well you know how good we cats listen to our masters."
"Indeed. I was most impressed. You have mastered your physical talents. You are no longer that unskilled girl who arrived on Sanctuary months ago."
You could have knocked Erica over with a feather by this point. Any praise from Gladiator was a rare thing to be treasured. In this aspect he tended to be brutally honest. To earn such a rave review from Gladiator was unheard of.
"Come on, Sarge, you're gonna make me blush. So what does this mean? I'm graduating?"
"You may depart whenever you wish, as may any member of the Young Champions," Gladiator simply stated. "There is little left for me to teach you when it comes to your own physical abilities. You've learned to act on instinct. In that particular sense, yes you are ready to graduate."
"Wow," Tigress mouthed in surprise.
"The choice is yours, of course. You may stay as long as you like. There is much for you to learn in other training areas. Such as functioning as part of a group, for instance."
"I knew that was all too good to be true," Tigress sighed in response.
"You could even become an assistant instructor. There are many possibilities. The choice is yours. But should you decide to leave, then you would have my blessings."
"Thanks, Sarge," Tigress beamed with pride. "That really means a lot to me. At the moment, I really don't know what I'm going to do. I really wasn't even thinking about leaving just yet."
"That is your prerogative, of course." Finishing up with his wrapping, Gladiator applied another pin to hold the bandages in place. "All finished."
"Great!" Tigress slid off the examination table. The bandage did feel snug and as Gladiator explained, it did help ease the pain on her cracked ribs. "Thanks for everything."
At a leisurely pace, Tigress made her way from the below decks area of the Wave Runner up to the rear deck. The shadows were growing longer. Nightfall was only a few hours away. After leaving the sick bay, Tigress had stopped by the galley for dinner. She climbed the gangway and emerged on the main deck of the ship. The rear deck of the yacht was very spacious. Several deck chairs and tables had been set up for relaxation.
Several others were currently on deck. Jennifer, still in her pink and baby blue costume was seated on the deck playing with her new pet 'Snuggles'. Snuggles was the sole survivor of the weird island the Wave Runner was sailing away from. He was a baby saber-toothed tiger!
"Freaking furball," Tigress grumbled underneath her breath. She had been on the wrong end of tongue-lashings from the ancient feline not once, but twice. Archangel had suggested that perhaps Snuggles' sense of smell suggested that Tigress was another feline. Whatever the attraction, Tigress wanted no part of the cat.
Sapphire was on deck as well. The Azurian warrior stood seven feet tall and had sky blue skin with dark blue hair. She wore a form-fitting orange and silver spandex outfit. The large woman stood near the gangway, her arms crossed. Her eyes were locked on their unexpected guest.
"Hey, Big Blue," Tigress greeted. "Guard duty?"
"Tigress," Sapphire replied with a nod, turning to face her teammate. "I am pleased that your injuries were not serious."
"Apart from the pain, I'm fine."
"Indeed. You have the heart of a warrior, my friend. You have distinguished yourself in battle."
"Jeez," Tigress chuckled. "This must be my day for compliments."
"I speak only the truth. As to your earlier question: yes. I have been assigned to monitor our guest for signs of treachery."
"I'd say you're the best woman for the job," Tigress stated as she stepped away.
"Indeed." Sapphire turned back to observe her assigned target.
Two other women were seated at a table near the rear railing, staring out into the ocean behind the Wave Runner. The yacht's high-powered dual engines spewed water behind the craft. The small chain of islands that made up the Lost Realm had long since disappeared from sight. One of the women was Tempest, who wore a white string bikini.
The other was the supposedly former supervillainess Howler. She still wore her trademark costume: a dark blue outfit with a white cape. A pulsating orange amulet rested around her neck. A new addition around her throat was a choker that pulsated blue.
Tempest and Howler sat across from each other, apparently chatting. Tigress wasn't sure what to make of Howler. She was a criminal in the feline's eyes, pure and simple. There was a long list of crimes that Howler was wanted for around the world.
And yet there was some room for doubt. For the most part, Howler had kept her word to Tigress. Daigon and the fuzzy duo of Raccoon and Panda caused whatever friction there had been on the Jade Princess. Howler had declared that no harm would come to Tigress and the villainess did not once act against her.
Erica didn't believe that someone could change his or her stripes that easily. But if the story was true and aliens the team had encountered in the Lost Realm really were controlling Howler then it was something to consider. At this point, Tigress simply could not be sure of Howler's true intentions.
Jessica seemed to trust the sonic villainess and that was something in Howler's favor. Tempest herself seemed to have undergone a change during this past week. When Tigress first caught up to her on the Jade Princess, Tempest was only looking out for herself.
Later when Malachite's forces had captured Tigress, Tempest had sneaked on board the Jade Prince to find her. In spite of her claims of being only worried about herself, Jessica had gone out of her way to help Erica. Several times in fact. It was Tempest who had helped Tigress free herself after being nearly strangled by the demented Daigon.
Tempest didn't say the words, but she felt that Jess was starting to come around in her attitudes. Her personal and selfish attitude was starting to crumble. Perhaps it was even the start of a true friendship.
"Hey," Tigress called out as she stepped up to the table beside Tempest. "What's happening?" Gingerly, Tigress slipped into one of the open seats.
"Not much," Tempest replied. She couldn't help but notice the large wrap on Tigress' torso. "Just taking in the sights. How are you?"
"It only hurts when I breathe."
"I am pleased that you are otherwise unharmed," Howler indicated in her incredibly seductive voice. Tigress had heard it several times by now, but it still took some getting used to. "I feel that I am responsible for getting you into this situation. If only I had been more aware of Daigon's deception. Perhaps things could have turned out very differently."
"Maybe things could have been differently," Tigress reluctantly agreed. "But with that creepazoid around, I doubt it."
"Regardless, I am in your debt for your assistance and courage in this matter. If there is anything I can do for you, please let me know."
"Uhm, thanks. I'll do that."
A brief silence followed. All three women just started out into the ocean. The approach of Sapphire finally drew their attention away from the sea. Sapphire fixed her gaze on Howler.
"Your presence has been requested," Sapphire informed Howler. "Gladiator wishes to speak to you."
"I understand," Howler acknowledged. She rose from her seat and gathered her cape around her body. "You may lead the way."
Instead, Sapphire stood off to the side and gestured for Howler to proceed first. "I insist."
"As you wish." Howler smiled lightly, realizing that this blue-skinned Amazon didn't trust her in the slightest. Turning back to Tempest and Tigress, she added, "Wish me luck, ladies."
"Good luck," Tempest said, as she watched Howler cross the deck followed closely by Sapphire. Tigress simply watched.
"I'm beginning to think you like her," Tigress finally said after Howler and Sapphire were gone.
"In spite of what you might think, she treated me well and was straight with me. Howler even risked being possessed by an alien again in an attempt to save those on the island back there. She's got more courage than I have. I hope things work out for her in the future."
Again, Tigress simply said nothing. Let the higher-ups at Sanctuary deal with her. Maybe she was going to go straight or maybe it was an act. Howler was no longer her problem. Both teens turned back to gazing out onto the ocean.
"I've sort of being thinking about the future myself," Tigress finally said.
"Me too," Tempest added. "Maybe my leaving was a mistake. Maybe I didn't know when I had it good or had a good friend to be with. Maybe it took this wacky adventure to figure that out."
"Maybe. So you think you're going to stick around for a while longer?"
"Maybe," Tempest answered with a grin.
Erica rolled her eyes in response.
"So what were you thinking about?", Jess asked a few moments later. "About your future?"
"Yeah. Sarge says that I've completed my training. I could leave anytime I want."
"Oh, I see." Was that a trace of disappointment in Tempest' voice? "Where would you go?"
"I really hadn't given that part all that much thought before. I guess back home to San Diego. Besides, the weather is a whole lot nicer there than on Sanctuary."
A surprised look on her face, Tempest turned to face Tigress. "Nicer than living in the tropics? Come on!"
"Well, maybe not for you since you don't feel the heat and humidity, but yes. San Diego is one of the nicest places in the world to live. The temperatures are fairly standard year round and they've got great beaches."
"Humph," Tempest grunted. "I guess I'll have to check it out one of these days."
"You wouldn't regret it," Tigress stated. "Anyway, I think I'll hang around for a while longer. This stupid injury is going to lay me up for a week or two anyway. 'Sides, someone has to watch out for you rookies. It would be dull without me around."
Tempest just laughed at that comment. "Well, at least you're a lot more fun than Gladiator."
"A whole lot cuter too. So what about you? What are you gonna do now, Jess?"
Guided by Sapphire, Howler reached a small office adjacent to the bridge of the Wave Runner. At Sapphire's direction, Howler entered the office. Gladiator was seated behind the desk.
"Come in," Gladiator directed. "Please be seated. You may leave us Sapphire."
"I'll wait outside," the Azurian announced. There was an underlying hint of a threat to her voice.
"That's really not necessary," Howler objected. She casually sat down in the chair and crossed her legs. "There will be no trouble."
"Of that I am confident," Sapphire stated as she closed the door behind her.
"You'll have to forgive, Sapphire," Gladiator said after Azurian had departed. "She takes her duties most seriously."
"I can see that. I understand that you have to proceed with caution."
"I've contacted my superiors back at Sanctuary. They are curious about your situation and wish more information."
"That's very understandable," Howler agreed. "I'm sure that this is not a situation that occurs every day, even on Sanctuary."
"Precisely."
"My story begins simply enough. Five years ago I was on an archeological expedition in Israel. We uncovered the long buried wreckage of an alien spacecraft. On board, I discovered the skeleton of an alien being. It wore this amulet around its neck."
Howler paused to hold up her amulet, treating it as a treasured possession. It continued to pulsate in orange flashes of energy, but was no longer as animate as it had once been.
"This was one of the aliens from the pyramid?", Gladiator inquired.
"Correct. I didn't know it at the time, but it was Zanthar who was a criminal. These aliens, Screamers as my charming blue skinned bodyguard called them, are a combination of flesh and living sonic energy. Their bodies are quite fragile and like a soap bubble, 'pop' very easily. The amulet was a containment device for Zanthar's sonic essence. His physical body must have perished in the crash, forcing him to retreat into the amulet."
"I was compelled to place the amulet on my body," Howler continued. "A transference process was started, but was only partially successful. We humans are not suitable hosts for the Screamers. Instead it gave me some of its sonic abilities and was able to manipulate me."
"In essence, I've been doing Zanthar's bidding ever since. I've done a great many things that I deeply regret doing. My crimes are numerous and they span the globes. I request refuge on Sanctuary until I can sort this situation out. Given my reputation and that my identity is known as well, I have nowhere else to turn."
"According to our files," Gladiator spoke up, "you're wanted for numerous robberies, smuggling of artifacts, and other such crimes. But none of the more serious crimes and acts of violence."
"I abhor violence," Howler explained. "Fortunately, I was able to avoid such unpleasantries during my criminal career."
"There is just one other thing I was instructed to ask of you. Those of us who call Sanctuary home also give something back in exchange for our room and board. What do you have to offer Sanctuary?"
Howler paused and thought about this for a moment. "Assuming that my skills as an archeologist are not in high demand, I did manage to retrieve a small collection of alien devices from the spaceship before it left. Would Sanctuary have any use for alien technology?"
"That is always a possibility," Gladiator answered diplomatically. "I have been authorized to grant your request for asylum."
"Thank you," Howler sighed in relief. She stood up and shook Gladiator's hand. "I am most grateful. I promise that I will not be any bother. I just want to get my life back together."
"You're welcome. Hopefully this will be a beneficial situation for all considered."
"Agreed. Perhaps we can discuss the matter later on in more relaxing surroundings? Perhaps over a drink?"
"That would be acceptable," Gladiator agreed after considering the invitation. "How about after nightfall?"
"Until then." Howler waved goodbye and exited the room.
Gladiator sat back down and watched her depart. In person, Howler was nothing like her reputation would suggest. Coupled with her seductive voice, Gladiator found the woman to be very intriguing. He found himself looking forward to their chat later this evening. It had been a long time since he had those kinds of feelings.
After a moment's thought, Gladiator rose from his chair and was going to depart the office. He would check in with Archangel up on the bridge, before stopping at the galley for dinner. Then he would catch up with Howler once more.
However, the door to the office opened before Gladiator could reach it. Entering the room were the duo of Tempest and Tigress. This mildly surprised Gladiator. "Something I can do for you ladies?"
"Hey, Sarge," Tigress greeted. "Jess has something to say. Go ahead."
"Uhm, yeah, that's right," Tempest reluctantly agreed. She paused as if gathering her courage. "I was wondering..."
"Yes?" Gladiator leaned back and took a seat on the edge of the desk. He folded his arms, waiting for Tempest to speak.
"I was wondering if it was possible for me to rejoin the Young Champions," Tempest finally stated. "You were right. I'm not all that proficient in the use of my powers. And there are other, more personal, reasons."
"I see. That depends on you," Gladiator stated. "As I recall you seemed unwilling to live with all the rules and regulations that came with being a member of the program. You would be required to fulfill all your obligations with no exceptions."
"I figured that," Tempest admitted sheepishly. "I know I wasn't the best of students. But I do want to improve myself, become better with my powers. I figure any moneymaking opportunities that I might get will still be there in a few months. I think I can ride it out, with a little help from my friends."
"I can see that your attitude has changed, Jessica," Gladiator mused. "However, I want to make it perfectly clear that if you behave like before or leave early again, then you will not get another chance. Am I clear on this?"
"Perfectly clear, Sarge."
"Then welcome back to the Young Champions."
