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.