“You’ve lost your edge.” The Freak taunted, as he swung his fist at Darklight, connecting with the side of the villain’s face. “I’m as strong as you are now.”
“I’m still faster.” Darklight replied, as he delivered two blows to The Freak’s torso, before he could react.
“You move faster, but your reactions aren’t faster.” The Freak got another shot in, winding his opponent. “I can still hit you.”
“But I can hit you more.” Darklight hit The Freak with a flurry of shots, each one harder than before.
The Freak replied with a roundhouse kick to the hip, and a punch to the solar plexus, sending Darklight reeling. “I was trained by The Blackbird. I can hit you better.”
In the air above them, Thunderbolt and the shadow dragon circled each other. “You’re never going to win this, you know that right?” Shadowjumper shouted, from his position on the dragon’s back.
“My predecessors lived to fight dragons.” Thunderbolt said. “I think I can beat you.”
The sky above them began to darken with clouds, as Thunderbolt summoned his powers to their full force.
“You’re making it darker?” Shadowjumper laughed. “You’re just making my dragon stronger!”
“I can still beat it.” Thunderbolt said, as he swung his hammer at the dragon, barely grazing its scaly chest.
“You’re going to have to do better than that.” Shadowjumper laughed, as the dragon engulfed Thunderbolt in flames.
The dragon wasn’t the only thing strengthened by the shadows cast by the stormclouds that were filling the sky. The huge, batlike creatures that composed the Black Swarm were much stronger than they had ever been in the material dimension. While they would usually be destroyed by a moderate impact, they had become almost completely corporeal. The Swarm was deadly, there were dozens of them, and they were all focused on one target. Nymphette.
The slender beauty had managed to hold her own against the swarm, dispatching at least ten with her water jets, before the sky had clouded over. Now she was on the defensive, using her control over water to erect barriers, deflecting the Swarm’s attacks, as she ducked and weaved around the street. She was successful in her defense, but she was getting tired fast.
Her distress didn’t warrant a glance from her ally Perdition, as he focused his strength on battling the other magician, Darktamer. The two traded spells, as each one tapped into his seemingly limitless knowledge of attacks and counterspells. Occasionally, one would tap into his natural abilities, Darktamer’s natural affinity for summoning and controlling pure darkness and Perdition’s ability to control the earth around him, courtesy of his demon father. Each of these attacks would be met by their counterpoint. Neither magician could gain the upper hand.
“Mate, unless you get very very lucky, I’m gonna win this.” Perdition grinned. “My power reserves are deeper than yours.”
“I don’t need luck.” Darktamer scowled, as he activated another spell with a wave of his hand. Glowing knives appeared in front of him and directed themselves straight at Perdition, who drew a symbol in the air in front of him. The knives hit an invisible barrier and disappeared.
“I think you do.” Perdition said, as he drew his sword and charged.
In the middle of the street, there was nothing but darkness. In the middle of the darkness stood Talon, The Gibbon and Hyper Girl. Somewhere in the depths of the darkness was Nightfall.
“You’re never going to be able to beat me.” Nightfall said. Talon instantly threw a shuriken towards the sound of his voice.
“You know I can throw my voice.” Nightfall taunted, from a completely different spot, almost the opposite of his previous position. Moments later, from a third position, a kick connected with the side of Talon’s head, the unexpected blow staggered the heroine, but she managed to stay standing. She swung a fist into the darkness, but found nothing.
“You’re going to have to do better than that.” Nightfall hit her again, from the other side, knocking her legs out from under her, before kicking her in the ribs a few times. Before she could grab his leg, he had ducked back out of her range.
“Where are you?” Hyper Girl demanded. “Just try and attack me.”
Nightfall’s laughter echoed around the teenager. “I’ve already seen your forcefield.” He said.
The Gibbon cried out in pain, as he received a kick directly to his groin area. He fell down, clutching the damaged region.
“Two down…” Nightfall chuckled.
Hyper Girl was starting to get worried. He couldn’t touch her, sure, but her team mates were on the ground, incapacitated, vulnerable to any assault. She had to act fast. It only took her a moment to think of her plan.
“You’re right.” Hyper Girl said, as she silently prayed for her idea to work. “They are both down.”
A halo of light formed around Hyper Girl’s waist, before expanding in an instant, passing safely over her teammates, and hitting Nightfall full force, knocking him flying. The villain crumpled onto the ground, unconscious, and the darkness dissipated.
Hyper Girl acted fast. One Hyper-Blast dispatched Shadowjumper, knocking him from the dragon’s back and onto a nearby roof. Hyper Girl assumed that there was no way he would fall so far without at least falling unconscious from his injuries. Thunderbolt summoned lightning from the storm clouds and dispatched the dragon, while Hyper Girl turned her attention to the Dark Swarm.
His opponent dealt with, Thunderbolt rushed to The Freak’s aid. Although the stone man was more than holding his own, Thunderbolt’s added power made short work of Darklight.
“Guys, tend to Talon and The Gibbon.” Hyper Girl ordered, as she fried the last of the Shadow-plane creatures. “We’ll finish this fight.”
Hyper Girl and Nymphette rushed to Perdition’s side. “Nymphette, hit him with everything you’ve got.” Hyper Girl said. “Perdition, I assume you’ve got some big magical whammy saved up?” The Brit nodded. “I’ll shield you, you get it started.”
“It’s already started; I just need to get close enough.” Perdition said, hefting his sword. “His defences are fairly strong.”
“So are my attacks.” Hyper Girl said, firing a Hyper-Blast at the black fog swirling around Darktamer.
Perdition seemed satisfied and charged forward, protected from the tendrils of darkness that Darktamer attacked him with, while all the while defending himself from the deluge Nymphette was attacking him with. Perdition shouted something in another language, as his sword burst into flames and cut through all the magical shields Darktamer had surrounded himself with, and cut through his shoulder to the bone.
The villain screamed in pain, as he clutched at his haemorrhaging shoulder. Perdition calmly wiped the blood off his sword on his opponent’s clothes and sheathed it. Barely a minute later, Darktamer collapsed from blood loss.
“Alright Boomers, stick a fork in it. We’re done.” Hyper Girl said.
<><><>
“And, though it was a team effort, it was truly Hyper Girl who saved the day.” Talon told the assembled press.
“Hyper Girl! What do you have to say to your detractors now?” One of the journalists shouted.
Hyper Girl smiled. “I guess I’m not the baby of the team anymore.” She paused. “Of course, with a name like Hyper Girl, I’m always going to have that image. Which is why, before this very press conference, I re-registered my identity.”
“From this day forward, my name is Aurora.”
“How much longer is he going to be here?” Hyper Girl scowled at Perdition, who was stretched out on the sofa, with soccer playing on the television.
“Until the Order of Darkness turn up.” The Gibbon shrugged. “He’s not that bad.”
The two heroes sat at the dinner table. The Boomers had a common area in their headquarters, from back in the glory days, when the whole team had lived there on a semi-permanent basis. It had all the basics, a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom and a recreation area, complete with pool table.
“He’s such a pig. And he’s… Ugh.” Hyper Girl said, poking around at her cereal. “He just makes me so mad sometimes.”
The Gibbon looked at his younger teammate carefully. “We’re not talking about the Brit anymore, are we?”
Hyper Girl looked back up at The Gibbon. “… No.” She admitted.
“Boyfriend?” Gibbon asked.
Hyper Girl nodded. “We had a fight. A stupid fight. I overreacted. I’ve been ignoring his messages out of stubbornness.”
The Gibbon smiled and shook his head. “Kids.” He said.
Hyper Girl gave a faint smile. “I know, it’s silly… He just… For a genius, he really doesn’t think sometimes, you know?”
“Look who you’re talking to here.” The Gibbon said.
“True.” Hyper Girl had a full smile on her face now. “I guess if anyone knew about that kind of thing, it would be you.”
“Easy now kid.” Gibbon laughed.
“Quiet, I’m trying to watch the bloody game.” Perdition yelled.
<><><>
“There is absolutely no way.” Nymphette insisted.
“I’m telling you it’s true. It’s my job to know what my team is capable of.” Talon said.
“So? You’re wrong. You’ve gotta be.” Nymphette said.
“No. Thunderbolt is still as strong as The Freak, even without his hammer.” Talon said.
“Impossible. The hammer is the source of his powers.” Nymphette said.
Talon shrugged.
“It’s not possible. You have to prove it.” Nymphette insisted.
Talon sighed. “Fine. Arm wrestling?”
“Done.” Nymphette said.
“Do they know we’re right here?” The Freak whispered to Thunderbolt.
“Talon does.” Thunderbolt replied. “I’d bet my hammer on it.”
“Bet!” Nymphette yelled, overhearing the men. “We need to put a bet on this!”
Talon shook her head. “You’re kidding.”
“No! Loser has to pay for the winner’s drinks every night out for the next month.” Nymphette said.
Talon smiled. Nymphette spent many more nights out on the town than she did. The bet was definitely in her favour.
“You’re on.” Talon said.
Moments later, there was a table in the middle of the Boom Room, and Thunderbolt and The Freak sat on opposite sides.
“This is going to be interesting.” The Freak said.
“I agree.” Thunderbolt said, handing his hammer over to Nymphette, who took a few steps back.
“This bet is as good as mine. Thunderbolt is powerless without his hammer.” Nymphette said.
Talon sighed. “No he’s not.”
Nymphette’s eyes went wide, as the boys started their arm-wrestling match. They strained in the middle, neck-and-neck for a minute, before Thunderbolt began to gain ground on his teammate, eventually putting his hand flat against the table.
“But…” Nymphette pouted.
“Just because the hammer is the source of his powers doesn’t mean he’s powerless without it.” Talon said.
Thunderbolt smiled. “Mjolnir does give me a boost.” He reassured her. “But I’m still pretty tough without it.”
Talon patted Nymphette on the back. “I think a night out is in order.”
“That’ll have to wait.” Perdition was standing in the doorway.
“They’re on the move?” Talon asked.
Perdition nodded.
“Let’s move. It’s Boom Time.”
<><><>
“Kind of fitting, isn’t it?” The Freak asked, sitting next to Talon in the cockpit of the Sonic Boom.
Talon looked out the windshield at the city below. Miami.
“We’re going to win this time.” Talon said. “We’re going to get those bastards back. For Minerva, Pike and Blowout.”
“And for your limbs.” The Freak nodded.
“Right. Have you got this? I have to brief the troops.” Talon asked.
“Of course.” The Freak grabbed the second set of controls.
<><><>
Darklight hefted the pile of paintings. “Ok, let’s go.” Nightfall said. “Shadowjumper, we need an exit.”
Shadowjumper nodded, as he searched, using his natural affinity to find the best entrance to take. “Just outside. Minimum travelling distance.” He said.
“Darktamer, release the guards.” Nightfall ordered.
The thick, black tendrils that held the gallery’s security in place receded. “There’s nothing that can stop us now anyway.” Darktamer said.
Nightfall gave a faint smile, turning back to face his teammates as he walked out the front door. “Nothing can stop us ever.” The leader said.
“We’d like to put that one to the test.”
Nightfall’s eyes went wide, but he regained his composure as he turned to see Talon and the East Coast Boomers standing in the street.
“Here to sacrifice another team to us?” Nightfall asked, drawing a scowl from Talon.
“Oh no Nightfall, they’ve got backup this time.” Shadowjumper scoffed.
“A pretty boy, two little girls, a monkey and whoever that guy with the sword is.” Darklight laughed.
“Idiot.” Darktamer said. “Thunderbolt, Hyper Girl and Perdition. Don’t take this lightly.”
“Aww, we don’t get a mention?” The Gibbon asked.
“Darktamer is just trying to sort out which one of us ‘e’s going to have to fight ‘imself.” Perdition said. “Don’t worry Darkie, it’s just little old me.”
Relief appeared on Darktamer’s face, as he realised he wouldn’t have to fight Thunderbolt, but the seriousness was back within a moment.
“Shadowjumper…” Nightfall said.
“You’re not escaping.” Talon said.
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Shadowjumper smiled.
The largest shadow in the vicinity was that cast by the gallery itself. A clawed arm reached out, followed by another, and a large, scaled head and neck.
“Oh my god…” The Freak said.
“There wasn’t one near enough in Salt Lake City, or else those kids would all be dead.” Shadowjumper said. “But Miami is dragon-country.”
The dragon emerged from the shadow portal, followed by a cloud of winged shadow-beasts.
“Thunderbolt… Dragon’s yours, you got this?” Talon asked.
Thunderbolt smiled. “Of course. Who better to fight a dragon, than the embodiment of Thor’s power?”
“Are we going to stop talking and fight, or what?” Nightfall asked.
The Dark Swarm began divebombing Nymphette. “I guess that answers the question.” Talon said.
The Freak crash-tackled Darklight, and the two titans began wrestling on the ground, as Thunderbolt flew at the dragon, and arcane energies began crackling around Darktamer and Perdition.
“I guess that just leaves us.” Nightfall laughed, as the lights went out for Hyper Girl, Talon and The Gibbon.
Matt held Hannah tight, as the two curled up on his single bed. “I’m so glad you came.” He whispered in her ear.
“I’m glad your room mate had class.” Hannah replied with a giggle.
“You have no idea how bad it’s been.” Matt groaned. “No privacy whatsoever.”
“Must make the whole ‘hero’ thing a little difficult.” Hannah said.
“Thank god for hidden pockets.” Matt waved at his bag.
“Clever.” Hannah said.
“I try.” Matt smiled. “We don’t all have huge Boomers budgets.”
“I guess you small-timers need to make do with what you’ve got.” Hannah teased.
“Small-timers? Really? Coming from ‘Hyper Girl’?” Matt teased.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Hannah asked.
“I mean, with a name like that, you’re not really in a position to be calling anyone ‘small-time’.” Matt said.
Hannah turned to face him. “Is that so?” She did not look amused.
“Come on babe, it is kind of childish.” Matt said.
“And I suppose you think ‘Mr Universe’ is just soooo mature?” Hannah asked.
“Well, compared to Hyper Girl…” Matt shrugged.
“Well, if I’m so childish, I guess you won’t want me in your bed.” Hannah slipped out of his arms and stood up.
“Hannah, come on. It’s not that big a deal.” Matt said.
“Isn’t it?” Hannah asked, as she pulled her clothes on.
“Come on babe. I was just teasing.” Matt protested.
“It’s because I’m a Boomer, isn’t it?” Hannah asked.
“What?”
“Because I got what you always wanted, you’ve just got to bring me down.” Hannah said.
“That’s not… What are you talking about?” Matt asked, but got no reply, as Hannah slammed the door behind her.
Matt climbed out of bed and pulled his pants on, not even bothering with a shirt, as he ran out the door after her. When he reached her, she had her phone in her hand. “Ok… I’ll be right there.” She said, before hanging up.
She gave Matt one more hurt look, before taking off into the air with a flash of light.
<><><>
Jasmine rolled her eyes, even though she knew her sister couldn’t see her. “I’m not telling you.”
“You have to. I came all the way across the country to see him. Where is he?” Adrienne whined through the phone.
“I don’t have to do anything baby sister. This isn’t healthy.” Jasmine held a dress in front of herself in the mirror, before tossing it back onto the bed.
“What isn’t healthy is the way that he’s moved his entire life to stay with her.” Adrienne said.
“You can hear yourself, right?” Jasmine asked, pausing for a moment to check herself out in the mirror, clad only in her skimpy lingerie. Was she putting on weight? She squeezed her stomach, watching it in the mirror. “How is that any different to what you’re doing?”
“I’m here to get him back.” Adrienne said. “He’s supposed to be with me.”
Jasmine let go of her stomach and shrugged. Of course she wasn’t putting on weight. Look at that midriff, it’s perfect. “You’re an idiot. He doesn’t want you, he wants Barbie.”
“He thinks she’s what’s best for him. That’s why he had to get away. Because he knows he wants me more.” Adrienne said.
“You need help.” Jasmine said. “Professional help. Preferably back in LA.”
“Just tell me where they are. That’s all I’m asking.” Adrienne begged. “That’s all I want.”
Jasmine sighed. “Addy, I can’t. I might not like her, but I’m not going to help you break up Barbie and Ken.” Before Adrienne could answer, there was a beeping sound. “I’ve got another call, I have to take it.”
Adrienne didn’t get the chance to argue. “Hello?” Jasmine said.
“Jasmine? We need you at Headquarters as soon as possible.” The voice on the other end belonged to The Freak.
“I’ll be right over.” Jasmine said, hanging up. She picked up the last dress she had tried and sighed. It was going to have to do.
<><><>
Hyper Girl walked through the door of the War Room and looked around. The rest of the team had already assembled. Talon was standing in front of the screen, The Freak was at the main computer terminal, Thunderbolt and Nymphette were sitting across from each other at the middle of the table, while The Gibbon sat between Thunderbolt and The Freak, trying not to be noticed.
“Sorry I’m late, I was visiting my boyfriend…” Hyper Girl explained, taking a seat between Nymphette and The Freak. She face Talon.
“Now that we’re all here, it’s time to get down to business.” Talon said, before nodding at The Freak.
The screen behind her came to life, displaying photos of The Order of Darkness.
“I have gathered you all here today for one reason.” Talon said. “The Order of Darkness escaped from Guantanamo Bay a year ago.”
“That’s hardly news.” Nymphette said.
“And we haven’t done anything about it.” Talon said. “That’s going to change.”
“Finally, we’re taking action to stop evil before it has a chance to strike.” Thunderbolt said.
“Exactly. They’ve been active for months now, they go where they please and take whatever they want. Any resistance they meet is dealt with quickly. Nobody else has the firepower to take them down.” Talon explained.
“You mean no-one else has Thunderbolt?” The Gibbon asked. “Because really, he’s the only one here on their level.”
“That’s not true.” Thunderbolt said. “Everyone here does their own part. We’re a team.”
“Thunderbolt is right. Just because I don’t have a magical hammer, doesn’t mean I’m not strong enough to take on Darklight.” The Freak said. “Doesn’t mean Hyper Girl isn’t powerful enough to take down Darktamer. We built this team to cater for each other’s weaknesses. We’re all a part of this.”
“Right up until Thunderbolt is done with us. When does this temporary arrangement end?” Nymphette asked.
“Enough.” Talon said. “We need to focus on the task at hand.”
“Ummm…” Hyper Girl raised her hand. “We only found The Order of Darkness back in Salt Lake City because Fissure was from the future, and knew where they would be… How are we going to find them this time? Shadowjumper makes it impossible to track them, and pretty difficult to catch them.”
“That’s true. In the past, we haven’t been able to track them. But now, we have an advantage.” Talon said.
“Thanks to our little journey into the Shadow Plane, we know the nature of their teleportation.” The Freak explained. “We know that they have to travel through the Shadow Plane to get to their destinations. Shadowjumper is attuned to the Plane somehow, and can place the best trips in and out.”
“How does that help us?” The Gibbon asked.
“The Shadow Plane is a mystical realm.” The Freak said. “It’s highly magical.”
“And we don’t have a magician on this coast.” Nymphette said.
“No, but we do have the budget to hire one.” Talon said.
“Oh no…” Hyper Girl covered her face with her hand.
“’Ello love. I see you remember me.” Perdition said from the doorway.
Margaret woke up gasping for air, cold sweat dripping from her skin. It took her a moment to realise she was back in her room at Boomers’ Central. She cursed her recurring nightmare, and cursed herself for being weak enough to fear it every time.
It certainly didn’t help that every second of it was an actual memory, not just some terror conjured by her mind, but something that had actually happened to her.
The Shadow Plane. Every moment spent there was etched into her brain forever. Try as she might, she couldn’t force herself to forget the terror, or the pain.
Absentmindedly, she flexed her robotic fingers, as she thought of the arm she had lost to the dragon. Over the past year, the new arm and leg that Don Harris, the former Boomer known as Junker, had built for her felt like they were natural, an actual part of her body.
Still, she knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep again, not for a while. She thought about calling her husband, but she didn’t want to wake him. Instead, she pulled some sweatpants and a t-shirt on and left her room, heading for the Boom Room, the team’s training facility.
Inside, she found Dr Eugene Phillips, better known to the world at large as her teammate, The Freak, struggling under what appeared to be a giant car-crusher, a hydraulic press designed specifically as an exercise machine for super-strong individuals. Lately, it had been used mostly by the new Gauntlet, as his mentor wanted him in full control of his newfound powers. Margaret had been impressed by the rate at which the boy was learning. Maybe he could be a Boomer some day.
“You’re up late.” Margaret said.
“I hardly sleep at all. I’m not sure I even need to.” Gene replied. “What are you doing up here?”
“Couldn’t sleep.” Margaret said. “Thought a work-out might help.”
Gene eyed up his teammate, trying to figure out what was wrong. They had been working together for decades, and had been close friends for almost as long. There was no-one Margaret trusted more in the world, except for Ralph Davis, the original Blackbird, her surrogate father. Even he drew a blank though, as Margaret’s face betrayed no emotion.
“Be my guest. I’m just doing the weights anyway.” Gene said, still inside the hydraulic press.
“I’ll stay out of your way.” Margaret said. “Computer, Agility training. Level Three, Randomize Level Four.” She ordered, as the room’s built-in hologram and robotic system flickered to life, attacking her from all sides, as she strained to block each blow. Even with the enhanced strength her cybernetic limbs gave her, her greatest edge was still her speed, and her training. Without those, she was just another street tough. With those, she was the leader of the primary super-team in the world, regardless of the fact that she was severely underpowered compared to her peers.
“You’re not big on warm-ups, are you?” Gene shouted out from the press. “I was in here yesterday, and that was as high as Pete would go.”
Margaret smiled. “You don’t get warm-ups in the field Gene; you of all people should know that.” She never paused in her motions, always catching the next attack.
“This isn’t the field Maggie. Don’t want you straining yourself.” Gene said.
Margaret shrugged. “I’ve had worse.” She looked down at her robotic arm. The moment’s distraction saw her hit in the head, followed by a series of body-blows, leaving her on the ground.
“All systems shutdown!” Gene ordered, and their was an audible hiss as the hydraulic press shut down.
He rushed over to his teammate as the holograms around her disappeared. “Are you ok?”
“I’m fine.” Margaret said, as she sat up. “I just got distracted. This stupid arm…” She trailed off, staring at the metal appendage.
“Are you having problems with it? You should call Don.” Gene said.
“No, it’s not that. The arm and leg are perfect…” Margaret paused for a moment. “I just… Look, the reason I can’t sleep is… I have nightmares.”
“Nightmares?” Gene was intrigued.
“About the Shadow Plane. About the dragon.” Margaret explained.
“Completely understandable.” Gene said, placing a hand on Margaret’s intact shoulder.
“No, it’s weak. I can’t let it affect me.” Margaret said. “I’m Talon. I’m strong, nothing gets to me.”
“You were dismembered. You’re allowed to carry a little baggage after that.” Gene said.
“I’m not. I have too much responsibility to this team, to the world. I have to be at the top of my game. I can’t have this weak spot. Eventually someone’s going to start exploiting it.” Margaret said, as tears welled in her eyes, refusing to drop.
“Maggie, you’re the bravest person I’ve ever known. You know what that means coming from me.” Gene said.
Maggie stared at him for a moment. The Freak had been a member of the original Boomers team, along with the likes of Miss Liberty and, of course, The Blackbird. “… Thank you.” She said, wiping her eyes. “I’m sorry. I got a little emotional.” She said.
“That’s fine.” Gene said, hesitating for a moment. “Maggie… If you wanted to, you could take some time away from the team.”
Margaret shook her head violently. “It’s going to take more than time off to deal with this.” She allowed herself a small smile. “Besides, without me, you guys are aimless. And this is my team. From Day One, and until the day it’s all over.”
Gene returned his teammate’s smile. “So what’s the plan then? How are you going to beat this?”
Margaret thought about it for a moment. The source of her problems was The Shadow Plane. “What’s the word on the Order of Darkness?” She asked.
“Still at large, they got out in the big Gitmo break-out.” Gene said.
“Thought so.” Margaret said. “Well, I’m going to have to bring them in, aren’t I?”
“And how are you going to find them? They strike whoever, whenever they want.” Gene said.
“A minor detail. Are you in?” Talon asked.
“Of course. I can’t let you fight them on your own.” Gene said.
Margaret smiled. “A Boomer never fights alone.”
“As true as the day Miss Liberty first said it.” Gene said. “I’ll assemble the team in the morning.”
Alison looked up at Cal Richards, noting that while he wasn’t that much taller than her, and that he wasn’t particularly intimidating. He did, however, hold himself with enough self-assurance that she found him quite powerful, and attractive.
“You’re new.” He said, a look of indifference on his face. “Cal Richards. Mr Hart called for me.”
“Of… of course. I’ll just check.” Alison stammered, pressing the button on the intercom. “Mr Hart? Cal Richards to see you.”
“Send him in.” Mr Hart buzzed back.
“Thanks.” Cal said, opening the door.
“Richards, thank you for coming up so quickly.” Mr Hart said, not moving from behind his desk.
“My workout can wait.” Cal shrugged. “What do you need?”
“We have some new recruits.” Mr Hart said. “We’re reshuffling your team.”
Cal raised an eyebrow. “We just got Red Streak settled in.”
“And you’ll keep him.” Mr Hart said. “But we want three of these guys on your team.” Mr Hart threw five folders down on the desk in front of Cal.
“And you want me to choose?” Cal asked.
“It is your team. Figure out who will be the best fit.” Mr Hart said.
Cal skimmed the first file. “Masked Ranger? He’s from San Antonio.” Cal said. “A little old for my team though. He must be in his forties.”
“They’re all from San Antonio.” Mr Hart said. “We’re closing the branch.”
Cal was taken aback. “You’re what?”
“The San Antonio branch is no longer financially viable, so we’re transferring the more valuable heroes to New York and LA. As this is my home branch, I wanted you to have first choice of the transfers.” Mr Hart said.
“And Texas is left with no-one?” Cal asked, shaking his head in disbelief.
“The other employees will be staying in the area, I would assume. They have no other means of employment.” Mr Hart said.
Cal flipped through each file. “Masked Ranger, Clarion, Hellene, Osprey and The Atlantean. Who exactly is left?” He asked. “Quark? Twister?”
“Along with another dozen employees we couldn’t afford to keep.” Mr Hart said. “It’s strictly a business decision.”
Cal turned and walked out the door. “Wait!” Mr Hart said, leaping from his chair, but he was too late. Cal was in the elevator, the doors closing as Mr Hart crossed his waiting room.
Cal reached Level Thirteen, where his team was based. “I’m leaving.” He announced.
“You came down here to announce that?” Lee asked, not even looking up, as he completed his squats, an enormous weight on his back.
“I meant I’m leaving Hire-A-Hero.” Cal said. “I’m moving back to Dallas.”
His teammates all stopped in their tracks. Even Lee dumped his weight and stared at his brother. “What?”
“The San Antonio branch has been closed.” Cal explained. “Their top five guys are being sent here or New York. There isn’t anyone defending the entire Gulf Coast.”
“And you’re going to drop everything we have here, and go be a hero?” Lee asked.
“Haven’t you learned anything?” Cal asked. “The whole time we’ve been here? All those stories Grandpa used to tell us about the old days on Liberty Force?”
Lee bowed his head. “It’s not about the money.”
“Damn right. Now, we have a duty to our home, and to the entire damn country.” Cal said. “I intend to go down there and do what I have to, to keep those people safe. What about you?”
Lee sighed. “I’d better make sure nothing happens to you. I mean, you need your little brother to save your ass all the time up here.”
Cal smiled, and shook his brother’s hand. “The Richards Brothers, tearing up Texas all over again.”
Ossuary cleared her throat, and the two men looked at her. “And what, you were just going to leave me here?” She asked.
Cal was still smiling. “No, I was going to ask you to come live with me in Dallas, maybe help us out.”
Ossuary’s eyes went wide. “You finally want to move in together?” She asked.
“And all it took was moving across the country.” Cal joked.
“I’ll take it. Besides, without me, you boys would be completely lost.” Ossuary said, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend’s neck and planting a kiss on his lips.
Cal couldn’t take the grin off his face. “Now, as for the rest of you, I can’t ask you to leave your jobs here. You’ve got a good thing going here, I don’t want to ruin that for you.”
“Well, that’s too bad.” Mr Hart stepped out of the elevator. “Because they’re all fired.”
The Dirty Baker’s Dozen stared at their boss in disbelief. “You can’t do that.” Epic said.
“I’m afraid I can.” Mr Hart said. “I own this company. And this team is worthless to me without the Richards Brothers.”
“You’re an idiot.” Cal said. “Tide is every bit as powerful as her sister, Red Streak is unstoppable, LatX and Link are both good leaders. I could go on, but all I’m trying to say is: I’m just another part of this team, no more important than the others.”
“You would disrespect me like that?” Mr Hart’s voice was raised now. “Get out of my building, before I call someone to kick you out.”
Cal rolled his eyes, knowing the only person Mr Hart could call was Captain Awesome. “Move out of the way then.” Cal said, walking towards Mr Hart, and the elevator behind him. Mr Hart dove out of the way, as the rest of the team followed Cal onto the elevator.
Once outside the building, Cal assembled his team one last time.
“Guys, I’m sorry about how that all went down.” Cal said. “But I did what I had to do.”
“We understand.” Melchior said. “You have your duty.” The rest of the team nodded in agreement.
“Besides, now we can finally settle down.” AV squeezed Link’s hand.
“No contracts to worry about, we’ve got enough money for a place outside the city somewhere. We can go get real jobs.” Link said.
“Any of you are welcome to join us.” Cal said.
“Nah, I’m not sure I could put up with a whole state of Lees.” Epic joked, and the whole team, Lee included laughed.
“We’ll survive on our own.” Tide agreed.
As the team said their goodbyes, Epic sidled up next to LatX. “You know, Cal was right.” Epic said. “You’re a leader.”
LatX eyed his teammate for a moment. “So?”
“Well, it seems to me, we’ve got a bunch of superheroes here, without anything to do.” Epic said.
“No.” LatX said.
“But…”
“No.”
<><><>
Adrienne immediately recognised the Richards boys, and the blonde girl who must have been Ossuary, but she knew they wouldn’t recognise her. Lucky, the last thing she needed was for them to spot her at the airport.
Her heart raced, as she hurried out of their sight. What if they did spot her? How would she explain what she was doing? There was nothing left for her in LA, she needed a change. She needed something new. Or something else.
Her heart in her throat, she presented her ticket at the gate, as she boarded the flight to New York.
<><><>
Crackshot’s eyes fought to adjust to the darkness, but he couldn’t make out the man across the table.
“And how do I know I can trust you?” Crackshot asked. “I can’t even see you.”
“You have a reputation.” The other man said. “And I will pay you well for your skills. And your discretion.” The man pushed a briefcase across the table.
Crackshot looked at it for a moment. If it was booby-trapped, surely this man in the shadows would also be affected. It seemed safe. Crackshot opened the briefcase. Even in the low light, he could see Benjamin Franklin’s face looking back at him, dozens of them.
“If my calculations are correct, that’s ten times the amount of money that you earned in a year at your previous employer.” The man said.
“But only three-quarters of what the last offer someone made me for my services.” Crackshot said.
“This is just the retainer. Every two months, you will receive a briefcase just like this one. That’s around two million dollars, you’d have to ask an accountant for the exact amount.”
Crackshot smiled. “And in return?”
The other man laughed. “You kill anyone I tell you to.”
Crackshot only nodded.
<><><>
“It’s ours. All ours.” Linda said, as she stood outside the house.
“Well, mostly the banks’, but it’s a start.” Oscar said. “And we have enough in our savings to make our mortgage payments for a year.”
“It’ll be so much easier when we find jobs.” Linda said.
“I’ve applied to work at the supermarket, on the back loading dock, we’ll hear from them soon enough.” Oscar promised.
“You should apply for that Audio-Visual technician course I saw in the paper. You’ve got the experience.” Linda said.
The retired hero, formerly known as AV shook his head. “I’m going to need to work full time, if we’re going to be raising a family here.”
Linda looked confused. “Family? But we’re not even marr-“ Linda let out a gasp as Oscar got down on one knee.
<><><>
Eric sighed, as he stared at the phone. Two weeks ago, he had started placing ads in every newspaper in the city, offering his personal accounting services. The same place he had earned his Bachelor of Accounting was where he had been introduced to the world of the occult. It had both offended his Christian sensibilities, and intrigued him. The next thing he knew, he was signing up at Hire-A-Hero, and never really found a chance to use his Bachelor’s degree.
And he would have to keep waiting. The phone rang.
“Hello, Eric Caulfield speaking.” Eric said.
“Mr Eric Caulfield, formerly known as Melchior?” The voice on the other end asked.
“Y-yes.” Eric said.
“We have need of your abilities, and your experience.” The voice said.
“… What?” Eric asked.
“How would you like to serve your government?”
<><><>
“An office? Are you serious?” Lee asked.
“What? We need somewhere for people to contact us. And we need a public base of operations, we can’t just use our apartment.” Cal said.
“Which will, of course, just be our apartment once you find your own place.” Michelle added, looking pointedly at Lee.
Lee ignored his brother’s girlfriend. “We’re going to need a name. For the business.”
“Richards Brothers’?” Cal asked.
“Two Guys and A Girl?” Michelle asked.
“Texas Trio?” Cal suggested.
“Mid-South Boomers?” Lee said.
“Rose Between Two Thorns?” Michelle asked.
Cal suddenly thought of it. “Trilogy.”
“That’s kind of lame.” Lee said.
“What was dad’s favourite series of movies?” Cal asked.
“The Dollars Trilogy.” Lee said.
“And the last movie was: The Good.” Cal pointed at Michelle. “The Bad.” Cal was now pointing at Lee. “And The Ugly.” Cal pointed at himself.
Lee chuckled. “Trilogy it is.”
<><><>
“I can’t believe you talked me into this.” LatX said.
“I can’t believe you just spoke a full sentence.” Epic said.
LatX grunted.
“You were serious when you called us?” Fuse asked.
“Damn right.” Epic said.
Iaso smiled. “You couldn’t help yourself, could you?”
“Nope.” Epic said. “It’s addictive.”
Red Shift shrugged. “It’s a living.”
“Not yet. We need sponsors. And to get sponsors, we’re going to need publicity, and a catchy name.” Epic said.
“Any ideas?” LatX asked.
“One. Quintessence.” Epic said.
“What?” Fuse asked.
“I looked it up. It’s the name of the whole five element belief system thing.” Epic said. “Fire.” He nodded towards Fuse. “Water.” He nodded at LatX. “Earth.” He nodded at Red Streak. “Air.” He shrugged. “And the ether. The indefinable.” He pointed at Iaso.
“It’ll do.” LatX shrugged.
How did I get myself into this mess? Sheer stupidity, that’s how.
A few weeks ago, I was walking home one night. Probably not the smartest idea, considering the part of Brooklyn I lived in. But I’m not exactly a small guy, I played football in high school, so I figured no-one would mess with me. I was safe. Of course, that didn’t stop me from getting myself into trouble.
I was three blocks from home when I heard it. The cry for help. The sounds of a struggle were coming from an alleyway. I couldn’t help myself, I had to look, my every instinct, honed as a lifetime New Yorker, screaming at me to stop.
I saw two guys, young guys, with ski masks over their faces, holding an old man at knifepoint. They hadn’t seen me yet, so I had to spring into action. I cleared the distance between us in five steps, picking up enough speed to crash-tackle both men away from their victim, sending their knives flying into the darkness. The guys freaked out and bolted, they didn’t want someone who could fight back, I guessed.
After they disappeared around the corner, I turned to the old man, who was leaning against the wall, catching his breath. As I got a decent look at him, I realised he wasn’t really that old, in his forties, fifty at the most.
“Are you ok sir?” I asked.
The man nodded. “Thanks kid. They really had my number. Good thing you came along when you did.” He said.
“It was nothing, really.” I said. “You needed help, I helped you.”
The old man smiled, as if there was a joke I wasn’t getting, before extending a hand. “Tristan O’Neill.”
I shook his hand. “Danny. Danny Chang.” I replied.
“Well Danny, could I trouble you to walk me home? It’s just two blocks over.” Tristan pointed, in the opposite direction to my house.
I nodded. “Sure, wouldn’t want those guys to come back.”
<><><>
When we got to his building, he insisted that I come up for a drink.
So we walked into his place, and it was huge, for a Brooklyn apartment. “This used to be the owner’s place. He knocked out the wall between two apartments, and rebuilt the whole interior. Bastard charges me double for it too.” Tristan explained.
“Oh, it’s a really nice place, but if you can afford a place like this, why don’t you live in Manhattan? Or upstate? Somewhere nicer?” I asked.
“Because Manhattan is where all the superheroes are. Last thing I need is to be dragged back into that. At my age.” Tristan explained.
I looked at him quizzically. “You used to be a superhero?” I asked.
“Yeah, back in the good old days. I’ll show you.” Tristan rushed out of the room, but reappeared moments later with a large chest, which he placed on the kitchen counter.
He punched in a code on the lock, and it popped open, revealing a blue-and-white costume. He lifted it out, and I could see sitting underneath were a matching blue mask, and blue, metal gloves.
“Umm… I don’t recognise that costume.” I said.
“Hmph. Kids today. I was Gauntlet.” Tristan said.
The name sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place it. Obviously Tristan could see it in my face.
“I was a Boomer! On both coasts!” He insisted.
“Look, I’m only twenty one. I barely remember who is on the Boomers right now, let alone past members. I’m sorry.” I said.
Tristan smiled and shook his head. “It’s not your fault. I was the same at your age. When I found the gauntlets, I was too absorbed in my studies to keep track of what was going on in the world. I was an anthropology student. I found these gauntlets on a dig in Nevada. I didn’t understand what they were doing there, the design was like nothing I had ever seen. I still haven’t seen anything like them. I’m pretty sure they weren’t a part of the Native American burial ground we were studying.”
“Yeah, Native Americans aren’t exactly known for their metal-working.” I said.
“Exactly. But these weren’t European in nature either. It was like they were from an entirely separate culture. Completely alien. Anyway, one night on the dig, I put the gloves on. I was swallowed by this bright blue aura, and suddenly I was stronger, faster and I could fly. It took me weeks before I figured out how to control the energy. I could form it around myself, make weapons, force-fields, or just throw it at people. So I made myself a costume, and started fighting crime in Vegas.” Tristan said.
“Why are you telling me this?” I asked.
“Because you saved me. You knew you could do something, so you did. You risked your life for me, just like I risked my life for the people of Las Vegas, and eventually the whole country.” Tristan said.
“But why? I mean, you could have just thanked me and sent me on my way.” I said.
“Because I need to do one last thing for those people I was helping. I need to pass the gauntlets on to someone who is younger, someone who can continue my legacy. A real hero.”
My eyes went wide, as I realised what he was about to say. He noticed my hesitation, but still picked up the gauntlets and thrust them towards me.
“You have the chance, right now to make a difference. You can save the world. You have the heart for it, the will. Take the gauntlets. Be my last gift to the world. This is your reward for saving an old man. Take it.”
I stared down at the gloves. All that power. Could I handle it? Would I be brave enough to fight the real evils of the world? A couple of muggers were one thing. Guys like Radon and Constellation were something altogether different. Tristan had done it. The gauntlets had protected him, and he had used them in turn to protect the world. Maybe I could do the same.
“Boy, if you don’t take them, I’m locking them back in that chest. I don’t know if I’ll ever find someone else who deserves them.” Tristan said.
That was the clincher. Someone had to take them. It had to be me. I reached out and took the gauntlets.
“Good choice kid.” Tristan said. “You won’t let me down.”
I sure hoped not.
One of these days, I’m going to visit a city on my own terms, not on someone else’s.
The Big Easy is wasted on business trips; this is a city I could really have some fun with. But of course, there I was, working for Hire-A-Hero, and the New Orleans City Council. Some bugger down at one of the cemeteries noticed that someone had been robbing graves. Over the space of about a month, there were over a hundred corpses stolen from three different cemeteries. Nobody could figure out why, but the voodoo shaman that the City Council has on the payroll (not on the books, of course) said something wasn’t right. Wouldn’t give much more detail than that, so the City of New Orleans decided to hand it over to someone better equipped to deal with the things that go bump in the night.
And that of course, would be me. The leading source on everything mystical, magical or metaphysical. Or at least, the leading source that money can buy. Jack Roman probably knows more than me, but he’s signed up with the Boomers, and he’s nowhere near as strong as me. And then there’s the Keeper, but the less said about him the better, that’s a trade secret for us magic users. Oh, and that prat Merlin of course.
Anyway, where was I? Oh, the voodoo bloke. Voodoo’s a weird magic, it doesn’t work the way I’m used to magic working, so I wasn’t exactly in my comfort zone. This bloke on the other hand, knew exactly what he was talking about, and still had no idea what was going on. I was bloody out there on his hunch, but at least I was getting paid. And by “paid”, I of course mean that Hire-A-Hero was getting paid, and I was earning my own bloody freedom.
Fortunately, any magic leaves traces. A residue. One look at the gravesites, and I knew a big-time magic user had been there. He hadn’t actually been on the graves though, looked like he’d had someone else doing the hard work. Brilliant, he had lackeys.
Of course, the residue is only obvious enough when the magic hangs about in one place, if the magician is moving… It’s not so easy. The trail goes faint, paths intersect, and you lose it within a couple of yards. It was a good start though. I knew this wasn’t just a red herring.
So I asked the voodoo bloke what he knew about the local scene, he said there were a couple of big names around the city. I don’t remember half of them, but I interrogated all of them. Baron Voodoo was among them. I had a bad feeling about him, and what kind of arrogant bastard calls himself Baron Voodoo?
So I decided I’d track him down, the bastard led me on a merry chase around New Orleans, before disappearing somewhere in the French Quarter. He’d made me, and decided to have some fun with me. At least I knew I was on the right trail.
It took me a while to piece things together. I was in the city for a week before I read a newspaper. Apparently one of the logging companies outside the city had laid off a few hundred workers a few months ago. There was a big uproar, and they were fighting them in the courts. Strange thing was, the company had actually increased production. They sacked every man who worked for them, and they were still, somehow, putting out more timber than ever before.
It took me a while to twig on to the fact that there was a link. Like I said, voodoo’s not my strong point. But horror flicks are. I know one thing about voodoo: Zombies.
So I figured out these guys must have been using zombie labour. Baron Voodoo hooks them up cheap, they don’t have to worry about salaries, benefits or unions, and they get workers who can go all day and night, until they drop. And there are no shortage of replacements. There’s not exactly a premium on corpses in a big city like New Orleans.
Of course, this was all just speculation, I’d have to check out their operations. So, when night fell, I grabbed my sword and head to the nearest sawmill.
It didn’t take long for me to make up my mind. Dozens of shambling corpses populated the sawmill, working at their snail’s pace. It looked fairly obvious. Nothing left for me to do but start taking them apart.
The thing with zombies is: once they’re given an order, there’s no stopping them from carrying them out indefinitely. Until they can’t do it anymore. Cut one in half, they’ll keep reaching for their target. You’ve got to keep cutting until there’s nothing left.
Of course, that also means they’re not going to fight back until they get the order. I got all the way through the sawmill without any of them stopping me. Still, it was strange they’d been left unsupervised. I checked the next location on my list and headed out there. More of the same.
I reached a third location, another sawmill, and that’s where I found what I was looking for. Baron Voodoo.
Apparently he knew what I’d been doing, and had summoned every zombie under his command to this spot. He gloated for a while, you know what those evil types are like. Then he ordered them to attack.
There’s nothing like fighting an enemy you know you don’t have to hold back on. Against people, you have to make sure you don’t kill anyone. That’s what got me into this bloody mess in the first place. Against the undead, or demons, or any of the other hundreds of inhuman beasties I have to fight, there’s none of that nonsense. You unleash everything you’ve got.
My sword was everywhere, cleaving zombies from arse to elbow. Dozens of bloody zombies everywhere, I had to move faster than bloody GL to keep them away from me. It didn’t help that Baron bloody Voodoo was chanting and shaking powder everywhere. Felt like a curse. Looks like we were playing serious.
I didn’t have the time, or the concentration for a full spell. Of bloody course. I had to tap into my natural magic. The ground erupted below me, putting me on a pedestal, ten feet above the zombies, out of their reach. They started climbing, but it gave me time. Even with my head throbbing, the bloody ringing in my ears, I began the incantation. My counterspell was stronger, and my style was more intricate than the Baron’s, I reversed it on him. He collapsed, his knee started to rot out from underneath him. I followed it up with my own spell, a basic fireball, which engulfed the zombies.
I moved to trap Baron Voodoo, but he was already gone. One of these days, I was going to learn that trick.
Still, bloody good fight.
“I have to get this.” Hannah groaned, as she struggled up from her bed, searching for her phone, which was blaring out ‘I Don’t Like Mondays’.
“No. Let it ring babe. I have to go back to college in the morning. This can wait.” Matt reached out and embraced his girlfriend, kissing her on the lips, then the chin, progressing lower and lower. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
“No, that’s my Boomers ringtone. It’s business.” Hannah giggled, as she squirmed out of her boyfriend’s grasp.
“Oh, the Boomtown Rats. Clever. I knew I liked you for a reason.” Matt smiled. “Guess you’d best answer that.”
“I knew you’d understand.” Hannah smiled back, as she found her phone. “Hyper Girl here… Ok… Yep… Lirabite?… Oh, ok… Yeah, I’m just with my boyfriend… Uh huh… Ok… See you soon.”
“Lirabite? Aren’t they the aliens who were in Canada last year?” Matt asked.
“Probably. How do you feel about team-ups?” Hannah asked, as she pulled her costume out of her drawer.
“Team-ups?… Wait… Did Talon ask…? Holy crap!” Matt said.
“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.” Hannah laughed. “You’re so cute when you’re being a fanboy. Did you bring your costume?”
“Always. It’s in my bag. I’ll get changed now.” Matt tumbled out of bed, scrambling across the floor to his bag.
“Amateurs…” Hannah rolled her eyes.
“I’ve been doing this as long as you have!” Matt said, pulling his tights on.
“Of course you have sweetie.” Hannah said, putting her mask on.
<><><>
Mr Universe took a deep breath as Hyper Girl opened the hangar door.
“-so I told Ralph I didn’t mind, I’m sure it was the right decision.” Talon was already waiting, talking to The Freak.
“And you’re fine with it? I mean, we all assumed you were next in line.” The Freak replied.
“No, I think I’ve done alright for myself.” Talon said, looking over at the door. “Oh good, you’re here.”
“And Mr Universe accepted our invitation.” The Freak added. “It’s good to see you again.”
Mr Universe’s eyes went wide. “Th-thank you sir.” He stammered.
Talon smiled. “You can face off against Gauss alone, but we still make you nervous? Kid, we owe you our lives; you’re practically one of us now.”
“Not quite one of us though.” Hyper Girl warned.
“Although, if you’re going to be on the East Coast for a while…” The Freak said.
“We’ll worry about it later. The Gibbon just arrived, so we’re taking off. Nymphette is already on board.” Talon said, making her way up the ramp into the Sonic Boom II.
“Oh, Mr Universe is coming out with us today? Should be an easy one then.” The Gibbon said, as he swung through the doorway, getting down on all fours to bound across the hangar.
“Thunderbolt is meeting us there, he was working in Mexico.” The Freak said.
“Of course. He’ll probably beat us there.” The Gibbon said.
<><><>
The Sonic Boom II ducked and wove between the shots being fired upon it from the spaceships that swarmed the Miami skyline.
“Why doesn’t this thing have guns?” Mr Universe asked, as he clung to his seat for dear life.
“It’s technically a civilian vehicle. We’re not allowed.” The Freak said.
“And just how good a pilot is Talon?” Mr Universe asked.
“We’re not dead yet.” The Freak replied.
“Ok, I think we need to take some action. Hyper Girl, you with me?” Mr Universe asked.
“What did you have in mind?” Hyper Girl asked.
“Distract the ships so Talon can get this thing on the ground.” Mr Universe replied.
“Is that ok with you?” Hyper Girl shouted up to Talon.
“You got it. Freak, Gibbon, Nymphette, grab on to something, I’m opening the hatch.” Talon ordered.
As soon as the door was open, Mr Universe and Hyper Girl released themselves and sailed straight out, using their powers to fly.
“Try not to get hit.” Mr Universe said.
“Thanks sweetie. What would I do without you?” Hyper Girl deadpanned, as she blocked laser fire with her photonic shield.
“I have no idea.” Mr Universe replied, as he dodged an oncoming ship.
<><><>
Thunderbolt flew through the air, a loud roar following along behind him, as he flew at top speed. As he moved, the Miami skyline appeared on the horizon, rapidly getting bigger and bigger. It didn’t take him long to spot the swarm of alien ships flying around the buildings, shooting at two tiny figures in the air. Moments later, he recognised one of the figures as his team-mate, Hyper Girl, and rushed to her aid.
“Hyper Girl! Where is the rest of the team?” Thunderbolt asked, as the sky began to darken, thunder rolling in the background.
“In the ‘Boom, Talon’s going to try landing the thing. We’re up here distracting the ships.” Hyper Girl replied, as she blasted away at a space ship, her blast ricocheting straight off the forcefield that surrounded the ship.
“And this is…?” Thunderbolt asked.
“Oh, right. Honey, this is Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt, this is Mr Universe, my boyfriend.” Hyper Girl said, as she idly deflected another laser blast.
“Hi.” Mr Universe said, waving as he began using his powers to tear chunks off the ship that had fired at Hyper Girl. “Usually I’d start freaking out because I got to meet you, but I’m a tad busy right now.”
“Of course.” Thunderbolt replied, as a bolt of lightning destroyed another ship.
“That is so cool!” Mr Universe gushed.
<><><>
Nymphette looked around. “So if the fliers are up there, fighting the ships, what the hell are we supposed to be doing down here?”
“Saving civilians.” Talon said. “Those ships did some serious damage before we turned up.”
“Or we could take care of that.” The Gibbon pointed at the two ships that had landed three blocks away.
“True.” Talon said. “Ok guys, we’ve all fought Lirabites before. They’re strong, they’re tough, they’re fast. Freak, you’ll head down the middle, charge in, swinging. They can’t hurt you physically, and they’re not likely to fire their blasters at close range. Gibbon and I will flank you, we’re just as quick, and almost as strong as them, so we should be pretty effective. Nymphette, find a water source and hit them hard, but try to keep your distance.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice.”
“Ok. It’s Boom Time.” Talon said.
The Freak began charging forward, letting out a primal scream as he crashed into a crowd of the reptilian extraterrestrials, followed closely by his teammates.
Nymphette looked around, trying to find a faucet or a fire hydrant, but to no avail. Sighing, she reached up and touched the communicator on her left breast. “Thunderbolt, make it rain baby.”
“You got it.” Thunderbolt buzzed back, and the heavens opened up.
“Alright then, time to get wet.” Nymphette said, as she began directing the raindrops, sending streams more powerful that firehoses at the Lirabites, knocking them flat on their backs. “That’s right you slimy bastards, take it!”
“That girl scares me sometimes.” The Gibbon muttered, as he uppercut a Lirabite, sending it sprawling.
“Amen.” The Freak said, tossing another two after it.
<><><>
“… So I figure if I hit just the right frequency…” Mr Universe said, as he sent out a wave of electromagnetic energy directly at an oncoming ship. Moments later, the power cut out, and the ship went crashing to the ground.
“Very nice work.” Thunderbolt said, as he swung Mjolnir, crashing it straight through the hull of the ship.
“Thanks. You too.” Mr Universe said, eyes wide.
“Ok, honey… You think you could do that again?” Hyper Girl asked.
“Of course, that was just a test run. Time for the full wave.” Mr Universe said, summoning all his strength.
“Don’t overdo it babe.” Hyper Girl said.
“I got it… Just be ready to catch me.” Mr Universe said, before throwing out his arms. The gesture was pointless, but he did like to look the part.
As the invisible wave of energy erupted from his body, ships began dropping like flies.
It was Thunderbolt’s turn to be amazed. “Incredible.” He said, as he watched a dozen ships just fall out of the sky.
“He really is, isn’t he?” Hyper Girl swooned, as she caught her boyfriend’s motionless body. “Looks like it took a lot out of him.”
“It took more out of them.” Thunderbolt said, pointing at the remaining ships, as they retreated into space.
<><><>
Mr Universe came to on the Sonic Boom II, Hyper Girl sitting by him, his hand in hers.
“It’s about time you woke up. You missed the press conference.” Hyper Girl said.
“Does that mean I’m not on the team?” Mr Universe asked groggily.
“Not this time babe, but you impressed them. I’m very proud.” Hyper Girl said, kissing him.
“What more could I ask for?” Mr Universe replied, a huge smile on his face.
The lovebirds ignored Nymphette’s chortle at that, too interested in each other.
“I don’t understand why you waste our powers like that bro.” Lee said, as he pounded down his fourth power bar for the day.
“I just think I’m strong enough without having to bulk up. I mean, I’m not as strong as you or grandpa, but I’m still stronger than most of the guys we fight. And I am quicker.” Cal replied. “And smarter.” He added, after a moment’s thought.
“And cuter.” Michelle, codenamed Ossuary, said, as she entered the kitchen, wrapping her arm around her boyfriend’s waist.
“Too bad you don’t have a girlfriend to take your side on this one, hey bro?” Cal laughed.
“I have lots, just none of them are allowed in the HQ.” Lee spluttered.
“Sure.” Michelle laughed.
“I believe you. Otherwise the amount of time you spend clubbing would be kind of pathetic.” Cal said.
“It’s just, ever since Lexi and me broke up, I don’t want to settle down. I mean, we got together kind of young, and I can drink now.” Lee said.
“Of course. I really wish you guys had run that by me first though. If I’d known I’d have to pick up another team member to replace Psyke, I could have done some scouting.” Cal said. “Not that this Red Streak kid seems like a bad choice.”
“Sounds like he should be on the Teen Dream Team.” Lee smirked.
“Would that be the same Teen Dream Team that contains Cobalt, who showed you up in the Shadow Plane?” Cal teased.
Lee scowled at his brother but before he could think of a comeback, a siren began to ring throughout the complex.
“Well, looks like that’s our cue. I wonder what’s going on.”Cal said.
<><><>
Adrienne threw her phone into the wall, before engulfing it with water, short-circuiting it.
“Go away!” She shouted at the knocking on her door.
Regardless of her protests, the door opened, and Jesse stuck his head in. “Boyfriend troubles?” He asked.
Moments later, his head was soaked. “I told you to go away.” Adrienne warned. “And he’s not my boyfriend, I was just using him.”
“And he got wise?” Her size-changing teammate asked.
“He decided his girlfriend was better.” Adrienne said, before sitting down on her bed, cradling her head in her hands, and beginning to sob.
“Oh. Tough break.” Jesse said, unsure of what to do. No sooner were the words out of his mouth, than the siren began to ring throughout Hire-A-Hero headquarters.
“Guess we’ve got a job.”Jesse shrugged.
<><><>
Five minutes later, the team were in their uniforms and in the briefing room, Mr Hart, the chairman of Hire-A-Hero LA standing in front of the big screen.
“Well, what’s going on sir?” Cal Richards asked.
“Twenty-five minutes ago, Gauss broke out of Alcatraz. Five minutes later, The West Coast Boomers were on their way to San Francisco, as were all the solo heroes from this branch.” Mr Hart began.
“And we’re still here? After Guantanamo Bay, shouldn’t we have all hands on deck?” Epic asked.
“Richards, quiet the child down.” Hart ordered. “No. We keep someone in reserve at all times. Because there is never just one crisis. Case in point.” Hart pointed at the screen, which changed to grainy security footage. “West 7th Street, Los Angeles. Seven minutes ago.”
The young heroes watched in shock, as Gauss dropped another car to its doom, cackling with glee. “We have to stop him.” Epic said.
“We can’t.” Cal shook his head. “He controls magnetism. Lee and I are useless, not to mention the amount of metal in all our costumes… What’s this really about sir?”
“Castor and Pollux are in San Diego. They’re on a rampage, tearing up every bank and jeweller in their path. We were hired by San Diego County to stop them. There are two choppers on the roof waiting to take you to the airport. Good luck.” With that, Mr Hart left the room.
“Castor and Pollux? We’re doomed.” Epic said.
<><><>
“The plan is pretty simple.” Cal said, as he gestured over the map. “At their current trajectory, by the time we’ve reached them, Castor and Pollux will be at the Chase Bank on Broadway here.” Cal pointed at the map. “Across 7th street is a tall building, I want Bravo Team to hole up somewhere between the fourth and sixth floors, with a window that can at least see the street directly in front of the bank. That’s where Alpha Team will be doing most of the fighting. Charlie Team will be directly across Broadway from the bank, and will be laying covering fire on us. Red Streak, you’ll be in reserve, it’s your first mission, I don’t want anything to go wrong, and so you’ll be on the roof with Charlie Team.” Red Streak nodded, his ginger curls shaking in time. “I trust the rest of you know your team placements by now?” The rest of the team nodded. “Link is in charge of Bravo Team, and Ossuary is in charge of Charlie, naturally I’m in charge of Alpha. Link will keep us connected, so any order from Link or Ossuary may as well be directly from me.”
“We know Cal, it’s hardly our first mission.” AV said.
“It’s the first time we’ve fought anyone this strong without Captain Awesome or the Brats backing us up. I can’t afford to assume anything.” Cal said.
“Ok, what’s the deal with their powers? I was in junior high when they got arrested.” Tide asked.
“More like elementary school.” Iaso muttered.
“You’re right. It was seven years ago, so we pulled the official file. Castor is the one in the armour, Pollux is the other one. They’re twin brothers, but somehow have different fathers. Pollux got superpowers and stole that power armour for Castor. Now Castor might actually be stronger. They’re both about as strong as Lee, which puts us at a disadvantage straight away, because there’s only one of him. They’re bulletproof, so Crackshot’s going to have to start using his trick bullets. Pollux has super-speed too, around the level of Wolf Spider, slightly slower than Red Streak here. Castor can fly, and he has energy blasts, so all teams need to keep an eye on him. Team Bravo, you’ll be firing on Pollux, keep him switching directions so he can’t use his super-speed, which will make him a prime target for Lee. Epic and I will be taking Castor, though I will call in support from Bravo if we need it. Any questions?” Cal looked at his team expectantly.
“Yeah.” Epic said. “Why couldn’t we go fight the prisoners at Alcatraz instead of Captain Awesome? It’d be a fair fight for him. We’re doomed.”
“We make do with what we have. We’re the only option here. I’m going to need you all on your best game today. We can pull this off.” Cal said.
“These guys beat the Boomers in Cuba, and then beat the West Coast Boomers again like, a month ago.” Epic argued. “This is suicide.”
“Then you’d better go down fighting, because I don’t expect any less from all of you.” Cal said.
Epic sighed. “Yes sir.”
<><><>
“Alright bro, we’re done here. Where to now?” Pollux asked, hefting the bags of money.
“There’s a jewellery store down the street. Let’s get us some diamonds.” Castor replied, nodding towards the door. “You go first. I’m gonna level this place.”
Pollux laughed, as he headed for the door. “You got it bro.”
Castor’s hand-mounted energy blaster began to hum, as the bank tellers began to pray.
“Uh bro.” Pollux shouted from outside. “I think you might want to save that…”
“What?” Castor demanded, as he spun to look out the front window of the bank. “Oh. We have company.”
Standing directly in front of Pollux were the Richards Brothers in their steel forms, and standing at around ten feet tall was Epic.
“Castor and Pollux, we have been granted permission from the Californian Government to place you under arrest.” Cal Richards said.
“Oh really?” Castor asked, as he exited the bank. “You and what army?”
“This one, jackass.” Lee said, as he gestured at the rooftop behind him, where seven of his teammates were standing.
“You idiot.” Epic said, as Castor laughed, pointing his blaster at the rooftop.
“Swear to god…” Cal muttered, as he charged at Castor, but he was too late, the air sizzled as the supervillain unleashed his energy blast at the assembled heroes.
The rooftop exploded, sending debris and dust into the air. “Son of a bitch!” Lee shouted, as he charged at Pollux, catching the faster supervillain by surprise.
”Link?” Cal thought, as he traded blows with Castor.
”They’re ok. Melchior had a shield up.” Link’s voice was in his head.
”Give Michelle the order to open fire.” Cal thought back.
”Got it.” Link thought.
“Epic! Back up!” Cal ordered.
“Yes sir.” Epic gladly took a few steps backwards.
“What the fu-“ Pollux was cut off, as he took a high-pressure jet of water to the face which was closely followed by a shower of bone fragments and a series of explosions.
“There’s no way!” Castor shouted, as he too was hit with attacks from above, this time a blast of pure light energy to the chest and a bullet that released a thick viscous liquid that covered his visor, filling his entire field of vision, completely blinding him.
”Tell them to switch to containment. I only want them firing if they try to escape.” Cal ordered.
”You got it.” Link said.
“Epic, help me out. Lee, keep Pollux busy.” Cal shouted.
“Uhh…” Epic hesitated.
Castor laughed, as he broke free of Cal, sailing into the air, as he wiped the fluid from his visor.
“Get him back down here!” Cal shouted.
“I… But…” Epic stammered.
“Goddamn it!” Cal roared. “Fuse! Fastball!”
“Already working on it!” Fuse shouted from the rooftop, as she pitched an energy ball the size of a softball at Castor.
The resulting explosion engulfed Castor, the fireball extending more than ten yards in every direction, scorching the buildings around them.
“So you’re their heavy hitter?” Castor asked, as he rocketed through the flames, snatching Fuse from the rooftop.
“Hold your fire!” Cal ordered.
“Tell your brother to stop wailing on mine too.” Castor said. “Or the girl gets it. And the giant wuss can shrink back down.”
“You heard him.” Cal said. “Stand down.”
Reluctantly, Lee let go of Pollux, and Epic shrank back down to normal.
“Now, I’m going to keep hold of this girl until we’re long gone. Just to keep you from doing anything.” Castor said.
“She’s kind of cute bro, we should probably have a little fun with her too.” Pollux laughed.
“Way ahead of you bro.” Castor said, groping Fuse, as the teen whimpered in his grasp.
“NO!” Epic shouted, instantaneously growing to gigantic proportions and back, sending himself sailing through the air, directly at Castor, grabbing the startled villain around the head, twisting himself around so he was hanging behind him.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing boy?” Castor asked.
“Testing the upper limit of your flight capabilities.” Epic said, as he began to grow.
“You idiot. You’re only going to kill yourself.” Castor said. “I can survive the fall.”
“I’m counting on it.” Epic said, as they started to drop.
Epic hit the ground hard, screaming as he felt his legs shatter, but he clung to Castor, bringing the flying villain down hard on his back, protecting Fuse from the fall, while still sending enough of a shock through Castor to make him let go.
Fuse was up and running seconds before Cal Richards came crashing through, tackling Castor before he could get back to his feet properly.
”Link! Epic needs Iaso now!” Cal thought, as he watched Epic shrink back down, as he drifted in and out of consciousness.
”On our way.” Link’s voice buzzed.
Moments later, LatX slingshotted himself and Iaso from their vantage point, wrapping himself around the healer to protect her from the impact.
They landed next to Epic, and Iaso wasted no time laying her hands on his broken legs. “One of these days, I’m going to be the one saving you.” Epic laughed weakly.
“Sure you are.” Iaso smiled, as she used her powers to heal his wounds.
“Pollux! Get the healer!” Castor ordered, as he wrestled on the ground with Cal Richards.
“You got it bro!” Pollux hit Lee with a haymaker, stunning the powerhouse, before charging towards Iaso.
He stopped short, when he found Epic towering over him. “I hesitated once. You’re not going to get her.” He said, cracking his knuckles.
“Kid, get out of my way before I throw you.” Pollux said. “In fact, I just might.” The villain advanced on the goliath.
“Not on my watch. Red Streak! Plan B!” Cal shouted, as he held Castor back.
“You got it Cal!” Red Streak called, using his powers to create a forcefield in front of his face.
“What? What’s Plan B?” Epic asked. “What does he even do?”
Red Streak rushed forward, faster than any normal man could, faster than most race cars. He hit the ground running, and was just sort of the sound barrier when he drove his forcefield directly into Pollux’s face, sending the villain tumbling through the window of the store nearest him.
“LatX! Get her out of here!” Epic yelled, and LatX wasted no time obeying, grabbing Iaso and slingshotting the two to a rooftop.
Castor elbowed Cal in the face, breaking the hero’s grip, before taking off into the air. “As fun as this has been kids, I think it’s time my brother and I split.”
“Not on my watch.” Cal said.
“I think it will be.” Castor’s blaster began to hum again.
“Someone stop him!” Cal ordered, but he was too late. The air sizzled, as Castor fired into the side of a nearby building, disintegrating a sizeable chunk out of three storeys.
“So your choice is to stop us, or evacuate that building. What’s it going to be?” Castor asked.
“You’re insane.” Cal said, as he stared up at the villain.
“No, I’m just a man who knows how to get what he wants.” Castor said. “Better hurry, that building is burning pretty fast.”
Cal cast one more glare towards Castor, before giving the order. “Fall back. We need to save those people.”
<><><>
“You had your orders boy. You were to stop Castor and Pollux. You had the warrant for their arrest.” Mr Hart said. “The city has firefighters trained for rescue. You could have stopped them.”
“We were stalling. You knew we had no chance out there. The best we could do was slow them down until Captain Awesome was available again, so you could hire him to the city too.” Cal said.
“And he would have completed the contract. You disobeyed orders. Make sure it doesn’t happen again.” Mr Hart said.
“But sir-“
“Never again.”
“Yes sir.”
Dan laced up his shoes in preparation for his morning jog, before switching on his television. He placed the remote on the control panel of his treadmill, which he turned on.
Sure, he could jog outside, but seriously, who jogs in Queens? And anyway, it was the easiest way to catch up on his television.
It had been four years since the teenager known to the world as Aperture had discovered his powers. Back then he had been a slightly overweight kid, who was way too into video games. His powers just made things worse, as he began to use his portals to cross shorter distances, meaning he barely even had to walk anywhere. By the time he was 13, he was around 180 lbs and still gaining.
At that point, Dan’s parents gave him an ultimatum. He had to lose twenty pounds before his World of Warcraft subscription expired, or he wouldn’t get a renewal. So Dan started his jogging and he started dieting. By the time his renewal came around, he had lost 25lbs, and had become addicted to exercise, adding light weight training to his regimen.
By his 15th birthday, Dan was the fittest kid in his class, without ever getting to the point of unhealthiness. He was proud of the way he had managed to maintain his fitness over the years, all the while still finding plenty of time to play the video games that he loved.
And of course, there was his other life, as Aperture he had founded the Teen Dream Team at age 16, with some other teens he had met up with while fighting Do, Re and Mi. He was the oldest member of the team, now 17, and about to enter his final year of high school.
As he turned the incline on his treadmill up, Dan switched the station to CNN, to catch up on current events. He sighed at the breaking news he saw, before switching his treadmill off, and going in search of his cell phone. “I hate interrupting my jog.”
<><><>
Fiona breathed heavily, as Ken’s lips parted from hers for a moment. “I’m so glad you came.” She murmured, as she resumed kissing her boyfriend.
“Me too.” Ken smiled, as he started to reach under her t-shirt.
Cobalt and Balefire had been dating for months, ever since they had been taken hostage together by Psychopomp in December. The near-death experience had bonded the two together, before the Boomers had come to their rescue.
Fiona let out a faint moan, as her boyfriend started to feel his way around her body. “My parents should go away every weekend.” She said.
“Amen.” Ken replied.
It was at that point that Fiona’s cell phone began to ring.
“Ignore it.” Ken said, as he began to kiss down her neck.
“Mmm… No, it’s Dan. It might be important.” Fiona argued.
“Nothing that can’t wait until we’re finished.” Ken kept kissing her.
“Mmm… I guess so.” Fiona agreed.
Moments later, her phone stopped ringing, and almost instantaneously, Ken’s replaced it.
“And now he’s calling me. Must be something really important…” Ken pulled back, removing his hand from Fiona’s shirt.
“We were just starting to have fun.” Fiona pouted, as Ken pulled his phone out.
“Yeah?” He said. “Yeah, she’s with me. Sorry about that… They’re where?… I can probably make this end of the Brooklyn Bridge in five or six ‘ports, but I’ll need a rest after… Can you meet us there after you get Rose?… Cool, see you in five.” Ken hung up.
“Arachnophobia have hostages at some bank in Manhattan, and Dan says the East Coast Boomers are in Baltimore fighting Mercury.” Ken explained.
“Great… I’ll get changed. Do you have a costume here?” Fiona asked, standing up from her bed.
“Yeah, I packed my spare, just in case.” Ken said.
“Who takes their costume to their girlfriend’s?” Fiona laughed.
“Mr Universe does it too…” Ken said.
<><><>
Rose tried to scream as the shadows engulfed her, but they filled her mouth and forced her into silence. She punched and kicked and clawed and scratched, but still the shadows kept coming. She couldn’t fight them.
The shadows whispered at her. They whispered secrets, and told her what to do, and belittled her. She couldn’t take anymore. She had to escape or just let the shadows take her.
She could hear her cell phone ringing, and her eyes opened. She took a moment to remember that she was just in her room and all that was just her stupid recurring nightmare.
She scrambled over to her phone. “What? Ok. I’ll be dressed in five…”
<><><>
“Rose?” Cobalt eyed what was going on in the bank across the street.
“Don’t tell me you’re worried.” Rose asked.
“Of course he’s not… I mean, just because Mr Universe and Hyper Girl had to save us last time…” Balefire argued.
“Calm down. They didn’t need to save us.” Rose said. “We would have beaten them eventually. We just weren’t prepared. And this time, we’re stronger. Way stronger. It’s time to show Arachnophobia what we’re made of. Aperture, what’s the plan?”
“Ok, this time we know your powers don’t work on them, so we’re not going to make the same mistake as last time.” Aperture began. “Still, you’ll be fighting Tarantula. I’m pretty sure you’re as strong as him, and anyway, you’re the only one who could possibly take a punch from him.”
“Saw that coming.” Rose said.
“Cobalt, you’ll take Black Widow, Balefire, you can take Brown Recluse. Make sure you don’t let him touch you.” Aperture continued.
“Duh. I can do that.” Balefire said, while Cobalt just nodded.
“Just let me take care of Wolf Spider.” Aperture smiled.
“You think he’ll fall for it again?” Rose asked.
“Of course he will. He doesn’t think with portals.” Aperture said.
“Ok Teens, you know the plan, time to mount up. Let’s go.” Rose said.
Aperture opened a portal into the bank, and the team stepped through.
“What the f-“ Brown Recluse was cut off, as Balefire used her powers to summon the streams of liquid fire, tying the villain up and lifting him from the ground.
“Well, that’s my guy. You’d better hurry up.” Balefire said.
“The Teen Dream Team? Didn’t you get beaten by Castor and Pollux a month ago?” Black Widow taunted, before launching a ball of sticky webbing at the Teens, who scrambled out of the way.
“Castor and Pollux are big time, not like you guys.” Aperture replied.
“Yeah. You we can handle.” Rose said, as she strolled up to Tarantula.
“You want to go again girly?” Tarantula asked, cracking his knuckles.
“Yep.” Rose said, looking up at the giant.
Tarantula laughed. “Ok. I’ll even give you the first shot.” The huge beast of a man leaned down, presenting his chin to the fifteen year-old.
“Are you sure?” Rose asked.
“Sure. Why would I be worried about the little-bitty Black Rose of Blood?” Tarantula said.
“Ok then.” Rose shrugged, as she began to summon the powers she had appropriated from Darklight.
“Wait. That’s new.” Tarantula said, before Rose’s fist connected with his jaw, knocking him flat on his back.
“Too easy.” Rose smirked, as Tarantula sat up, rubbing his chin.
“Looks like you’ve been working out.” Tarantula said, before charging at the girl.
Rose ducked between his legs, before smashing him across the back with both fists, causing him to spasm in pain. She followed up with a kick to the back of the legs, bringing the tower of a man crashing to the ground. She then jumped onto his shoulders and started pounding him on the head until his eyes rolled up in his sockets and he collapsed, unconscious.
“I’m done.” Rose said.
“Look out!” Aperture shouted, as Rose’s head exploded in pain.
“I thought you had Wolf Spider under control?” Rose shouted back, rubbing her head where the speedster had hit her.
“Can’t fool him twice, apparently.” Aperture said, as he rushed over to his teammate, going back to back with her.
“Do you have a plan?” Rose asked.
“Naturally.” Aperture smiled.
“Good.” Rose said, as she saw the blur of Wolf Spider approaching them. “Incomi-“ She didn’t finish her sentence, as she felt the villain’s fist connect with her face, at the speeds he was capable of, his blows could damage even Rose.
At that very moment, the ground beneath them opened up, and Rose felt herself falling. Aperture grabbed a hold of her, and suddenly she hit the ground… Right where she had been standing a second ago, except now, Wolf Spider was lying on the ground in front of her, groaning.
“What the hell?” Rose asked.
“We were bait. I used my infinite loop again, only this time we were inside it.” Aperture said.
“And how did you know I was strong enough to survive the fall?” Rose asked.
“We just fell the equivalent of about five storeys. I’ve seen you fall further.” Aperture said. “I knew we’d be fine… Him on the other hand…”
Rose looked down at the speedster, and realised that his legs weren’t supposed to be bent at the angle they were bent at. “Oh. Ouch.”
“How are the others?” Aperture asked, looking around to see Black Widow lying on the ground, clutching her head, Cobalt standing over her, and Balefire still suspending Brown Recluse over her head.
“Well, I’d call this one a win.” Aperture said.