Frontier #27 - Shadowed Past pt. 6

                “I’ll never understand your plan,” Tommy said rubbing his hands together in anticipation. “Why tell them they have an hour, and then actually wait the hour? We should attack now when they are off guard!”

                Volt shook his head with a sigh, but the rest remained quiet. Richard did not even acknowledge Tommy’s question from his workbench. Volt cleared his throat and responded instead. “Because it means more if we beat them when they are at their best. Frontier has had a whole week to prepare for us, just like we’ve had a week to prepare for them. That way when we win, we know it was earned, and it will be all the sweeter to see the utter desperation in their eyes right before we kill each one.”

                Tommy nodded, but couldn’t sit still. “Fine, but I hate waiting.”

                Which is why if it weren’t for us, you’d still be behind bars, Volt thought. He did not particularly like Tommy, but the young man was better company than any of the others. Too much power, not enough brains to use it wisely.

                Volt recalled not too long ago he was in the same boat. Never one to value intelligence over power, that all changed after being defeated by the Electric Eagle. Volt took it upon himself to start learning all he could about his abilities, and in the in process became almost a disciple to Richard. Volt learned all he could in the few months he was away, and now that he understood the world around him better, found it insulting that others did not do the same. If he could take a few months to become smarter and more sensible, anyone could.

Volt looked around at the others. Besides for Richard, who was putting the finishing touches on his suit, the rest were sitting quietly in wait for the time to be up. Brian and Jasmine sat on opposite ends of the couch, each to their own thoughts, and Sentinel stood by the doorway as he always did, waiting for the next order.

                Sentinel freaked Volt out. Volt knew he was a metahuman like the rest of them, but Sentinel was just too inhuman to fit in. His eyes rarely opened, and it seemed like he never slept nor ate anything. Volt had seen no expression on his face since arriving here, and he has yet to speak a word to anyone. He obeys commands given like a golem, and if it weren’t for Richard’s word, Volt would have sworn Sentinel was a robotic guard built in a lab.

                Let’s just hope he is as powerful as he’s supposed to be, Volt thought, not for the first time. He glanced around at the crew of villains surrounding him. This is going to be close, no matter what Richard says. Whichever team screws up first is going down.

                “Let’s hope the message was an indication to where as well as when,” Natalie said through the radio to the rest of the team. Natalie was standing on a rooftop overlooking the center square of Hopling; a massive clearing in the city which housed numerous billboards, lights, signs, and open space. It was built to resemble the old city of New York’s Times Square. The sky was illuminated by all the flashing lights and brilliantly lit despite the darkness of the late night. The multitude of streets leading off the center square helped add to the feel of an arena, forming the perfect place to trap an enemy. Natalie just hoped they weren’t falling for a trap themselves. The rest of Frontier was scattered around the square as well, keeping an eye out for the villains. They had no idea what to expect, but as the minutes ticked away, the anticipation for the confrontation grew in each of them.

                “Even if it wasn’t, let’s hope they come to us.” Steve was in the center of the square, helping to direct the crowd control operations. The Hoping Police were there, along with numerous agents from the GMA who weren’t assigned guard duty at the temporary metahuman prison. The center square and the surrounding city blocks had been evacuated already, and the crowd control was just to set up a perimeter and not let any super villains go by unnoticed. Bright floodlights were positioned on every street so nobody could slip by in the darkness. “Is Alex here yet?”

                “Affirmative, my friend,” Jackson replied through his microphone. “I’ve already met up with Marian and received the information on what is happening. I’m going to be positioned by the gigantic electric billboard, just as you asked. I also brought along some of my Eagle Men to aid in the perimeter control. I’m sure you’ll notice them in their uniforms.”

                Steve looked around and saw men in golden military uniforms filing amongst the ranks of police officers and GMA agents. Each man carried a weapon, and Steve assumed it was a high powered stun gun capable of discharging dangerous amounts of electricity. Marian did mention something about Jackson having a standing militia on the Eagle, just in case.

                High above the center square, Matt hovered in the air, acting as air reconnaissance and using his energy tracking abilities to sense for a super villain’s signal. So far he had detected nothing, which was completely unnerving to him.

Where’s Jasmine? He thought for the hundredth time this night. The lack of her signal meant two things; either she had left and gone somewhere else, or she was purposely depowered to avoid his detection. Matt knew with dread which it was, and he did not look forward to this meeting. The last words she ever spoke to him were a question.

How could you do this to me?

Matt shook his head to clear it. Emotions long buried were bubbling up, and he could not let them. Frontier will deal with Jasmine, he thought as he went back to scanning the city. But deep down he knew that wasn’t true. He would have to face her tonight, one way or another.

                As the villains filed out of the apartment complex to their designated positions for the upcoming battle, Richard stopped Jasmine with a hand on her shoulder. Brian looked back, but Richard motioned for him to leave.

                “You are to stay here until we need you,” Richard said in his monotonous tone once they were alone.

                “But won’t I be too far away to help you quickly?” Jasmine asked without facing Richard.

                “Yes, but I do not think aiding us is what you have in mind.” Richard quickly slapped his hand on the back of Jasmine’s neck. Before Jasmine could react, she felt the device sink into her skin and activate, flooding her body with an electrical charge that put her in a deep trance.

“I’ve been watching you this entire time through the cameras I placed in each room. You have been crying too much for the cold-hearted super villain we mistook you to be. So I took it upon myself to find a way to sway your loyalty.” Richard walked in front of Jasmine and tilted her head up. Her eyes were glazed over and her body stiff. “Perhaps giving you so much freedom was a mistake on my behalf.”

As he stared into her eyes, Richard noticed something that made even his cold heart skip a beat. In the far-off stare a darkness was seen in the girl’s eyes that pulsed with a life of its own. Hmm, just as I thought, Richard mused, the dark energy she controls must bring out the worst in her. Good, at least I now know a way to summon the evil within her when I need it.

A few minutes later he left the room and locked it behind him. Richard walked up and activated his battle suit, which was waiting by the exit door. He climbed inside of it and allowed the advanced technology to mend with his soft flesh, turning him and the suit into one complete being. Clad head to toe in silver metal and outfitted with devastating weaponry both in plain sight and hidden within the suit, Richard was an incredibly deadly living robot. As the suit powered up, Richard became the Obliterator once more, the most fearsome and deadly enemy Frontier has ever faced. Exiting the building, he flew up into the night sky and towards the center square of the city, intent on bringing much pain and death to the superheroes of Frontier.

“Here they come,” Matt said, his voice hiding all the anxiety he felt. “Everybody ready?”

“Can I get five more minutes please?” Tony chuckled at his own joke, though even his usual arrogance was curbed tonight. Everyone was on edge and dreading the battle ahead. These were the strongest enemies they had ever faced, all together as one deadly force. Though it was not said, they all knew there was a chance not everyone would make it out of this fight alive.

“Remember your jobs, and hold nothing back,” Steve said, his voice carrying the strength his body possessed. It was his duty as team leader to rally his troops, and Steve had years of experience behind him. “They will not hesitate to kill you. Normally I would suggest pulling punches and rising above the instinct of kill or be killed, but tonight is an exception. Do not stop until they do. And above all else, please be safe; every one of you.”

The radio was silent after that as the six heroes made last minute preparations for the battle. Matt pulled energy into this body, charging it up for the first blow. Natalie floated off the rooftop to get closer to the main action, while Jackson activated his gauntlets. Electricity sparked through his body, and he looked across the open space towards Marian, who was taking a deep breath and steadying herself for whatever may come. No harm will come to that girl, as long as I live, he swore to himself.

The center square was quiet. Every soul there was holding their breath, waiting for a sign from the enemy. In the eerie silence, the only thing they heard was the wind blowing through the skyscrapers on that hot summer’s night.

In the next moment, hell broke loose in the city of Hopling.

Frontier #26 - Shadowed Past pt. 5

                Some time had passed since the attack by Land Slide. The destroyed blocks were being cleared away and cleaned up to be readied for new buildings. Though the villains hadn’t shown themselves for a week, the heroes of Frontier have been hard at work searching through the city and keeping a constant eye out for any hints of the villains’ hideout. However the heroes aren’t the only ones who were distressed about the current predicament.

                The citizens of the city of Hopling are not used to having this many super villains running amok. In the past couple of months, they have seen the arrival of new, powerful villains in the city, and it was the general feeling of fear that was driving the political machines at the moment. The public outcry at the Metalock’s jailbreak was fierce, and directed fully at the GMA. While the diplomatic agents of the agency tried to stem the flow of anger and fear, it only continued to grow with the destruction caused by Land Slide. The people wanted someone to blame, and although that was a complicated issue, they knew yelling at the GMA was inefficient. So they turned to blame someone else, and found the members of Frontier to be easy targets.

                Now the heroes of Frontier had to use their secret routes out of the mansion due to the crowd of protestors hanging around their building. Once loved by the city, the heroes found themselves hated and blamed for the chaos. They either did not stop the villains fast enough, or when they did it caused too much property damage. While some saw this as foolishness, the majority jumped on the bandwagon, slandering the few individuals who put their own lives on the line to save the public. The GMA tried to help once more, but there was little they could do now that the tidal wave of public opinion was in motion.

                “Public Demands Fix to Frontier!” Volt threw the newspaper on the table laughing. “This wasn’t part of the plan, but damn is it a good consequence!”

                Tommy joined in his laughter. “The moment they throw them in jail, I am bringing the whole building down on them!”

                “They won’t throw them in jail, Tommy. Don’t be ridiculous.” Richard’s cold voice stopped the youth’s laughter. Richard looked over at the two younger men from his work bench in the basement corner and lifted up his protective goggles. “They are still the only major superheroes in the city. The public may be full of idiots, but nobody is that foolish to go through with the notion of imprisonment.” Richard paused, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Tommy. “Plus I don’t think the rest of us would like it very much if you had all the fun with killing Frontier.”

                Tommy glanced nervously around quick. “Yeah yeah, fine. As long as I get the psychic broad I’ll be happy.”

                “I don’t think anyone will abject to that,” Volt replied with a grunt, “but personally I don’t care who I kill. As long as they suffer while I’m doing it. Damn heroes.”

                As the two men went back to talking, Richard returned to his work. His suit had been in need of repair, but in this past week he had done more than just repair it. With Jasmine’s shadow cloaking, the villains were able to steal anything they needed, including spare parts and weapons for Richard’s suit. New weaponry, force fields, defense systems; there was nothing Frontier could throw at Richard in which he could not handle.  I don’t even need these buffoons to take out Frontier anymore, Richard thought while he toiled. But they will be good fodder. Plus I’m no fool; I understand the need for a healthy support system.

                Meanwhile, Jasmine was just getting out of the shower a few floors up. During the week, tenants have…disappeared, including the land lord and apartment manager. These eliminations have made it easier for the villains to move about the apartment complex, taking rooms for themselves and enjoying the comforts of home while evading the ever-watchful eye of Frontier. Jasmine had chosen a room far away from the others. As she sat down on the bed and pulled up her legs to her chest, she began thinking again what trouble she had gotten herself into this time.

                Jasmine had never meant for this to happen. She remembers the fight with Matt, and how she wanted them to rise up. But she was young, and stupid; she didn’t realize what really had to be done. Humans could not be enslaved, but that did not mean she had to live oppressed by them. She could run away, find an island and create her own kingdom. If only she had been smarter all those years before! If she could reach Matt, then maybe she can explain everything to him. But alas, with Richard watching her every move, she was as much a prisoner here as she was back in the Metalock. And she had no idea how much Matt had changed, if at all, in the recent years.

                A tear ran down her cheek thinking of him. Suddenly, a knock at the door stirred her from her thoughts, and she slowly approached after wrapping a towel around her. She found Brian standing on the other side, looking up and down the hall to make sure no one was watching.

                “Can we talk?” he asked quickly and quietly as soon as she opened the door.

                “I suppose,” she replied and retreated back within her room. While the others tried talking to her when they met in the halls, Brian had made no sign of communicating with the girl, and personally Jasmine had no desire to talk to any of them. She closed the door to the bathroom and quickly dressed, putting on a bright red summer dress. Brian had taken a seat in a chair opposite of the bed, and Jasmine sat down ready to hear what he had to say. At first they sat in silence, but Brian finally plucked up the courage to speak.

                “Matt’s yours if we get to him. I know you two have more between you than we ever did. I was just…an apprentice to him. You were way more than that.”

                Jasmine looked at him, surprised by his honesty. “How do you know I meant so much?”

                Brian smiled and shook his head. “Because he never mentioned you. Not once in the months we trained together. I heard bits of his family, but never a hint that he knew a girl as beautiful and as powerful as you. And that’s how I know it hurt him so much what happened to you, and how it still haunts him. So he’s yours to take out if you get the chance.”

                Jasmine looked down, but could not hide her smile. It was a huge relief to hear Matt still held some feelings for her, deep down inside his heart. She had no intention of hurting Matt, but no one here could know that. Then she caught something Brian said. “What do you mean if?”

                Brian sighed. “Come on Jasmine, we’re the bad guys. Do we ever win?”

                “Then why do you continue on?” she asked, puzzled by this layer of complexity Brian was showing.

                “I’m not here cuz I wanna be, but Richard has a point. I want power above all else, and I know the good guys won’t let me have it without a fight. Sooner or later I’ll have to fight and kill them to keep my power, so I might as well do it while I have allies instead of waiting until I am alone. Strength in numbers and all that.”

Brian smiled, and Jasmine saw the wickedness behind it. She suppressed a shudder and smiled back, knowing that it wouldn’t be long before she could stop acting and be free once more. Brian stood up and made to leave the room, but stopped before closing the door. “Oh, and Richard says he’s done. It’s time.”

                “Alex could help us out. He has technology onboard the Eagle that might be able to pinpoint and find these guys before they do something, instead of us sitting here waiting.” Marian had her hands flat on the table while she stood up, resting on the arms and giving the impression of towering over her fellow superheroes. Steve shook his head in response to her statement, though.

                “We already have enough problems concerning the negativity in the public eye. I don’t want to drag Alex into this as well.”

                “Why not leave it up to him?” Everyone looked at Matt, who up until now had been silent in these meetings. “I mean, I could have left at any time. Not now, since people finally started associating the shiny flying man with Frontier, but I chose to stay and help you guys no matter what because you are helping me out. And he is technically a member of the team, so maybe he’ll feel the same and lend a hand.”

                Steve was about to elaborate on his reason when the siren went off in the mansion. They all rushed to the command center, where Francis was at his post monitoring the city. “It’s Sewage,” he said without looking away from the screen. No one had to leave the room to understand that this was not exactly an attack, but a message. Every network in Hopling had camera crews on the site and was recording the message; written in decaying materials and liquid waste, it hung in the sky over the center of the city. The message was short but clear, its meaning grave to the members of Frontier.

                It simply read, “One Hour.”

                Breaking the silence, Tony cleared his throat. “So, how about that call to Jackson?”

Frontier #25 - Shadowed Past pt. 4

The sirens blared through the Frontier mansion and the team assembled in the command room. They all had their uniforms on, and Matt was surprised by his honest envy. Marian caught his eye and smiled. “I’m sure you’ll have one soon enough if you keep showing up like this.”

Matt returned the smile and then Steve announced what was going on. “One of the escapees decided to show himself. It looks like Land Slide, and he’s tearing up a section downtown. I say we all go out there and put him down fast; he alone can cause a lot of damage.” Steve looked at Francis who was standing in the doorway. “Any sign of trouble, you get out of here, understand?”

“You don’t need to tell me twice, Steve,” Francis said with a grin. “I’m no fighter.”

The team left the mansion in haste, with Tony, Matt, and Natalie racing to get there first and stop the chaos Land Slide was causing. Tony arrived first as usual, and ran right up to Land Slide, aiming to knock him out and end it quickly. However Tony had never battled this villain before. Tommy Goodman was very skilled with his powers, and sensed the approaching speedster through the vibrations in the ground. Just before Tony reached him, Tommy caused a rock to jut up in front of his body, shielding him from Tony’s attack. Tony managed to avoid running straight into the rock, but found himself smashing into a store front in the process.

Natalie and Matt arrived next. “I’ll distract him!” Matt yelled and released an energy blast at Tommy. The blast destroyed the rock shield Tommy had created around him, and Natalie grabbed hold of Tommy with her telekinesis. She picked him off the ground, rendering him powerless.

“Not so tough in the air, are you Tommy?” Natalie taunted. Tommy glared at her and struggled against her grip, but she was not letting him go. “You destroyed three city blocks in a matter of minutes. I really hope it was worth it, because this is the last time you’re getting out of jail to do it.”

Tommy started laughing, a frightening laugh that belonged to a madman. “Oh, it was, bitchface. Bye bye!”

“Look out!” Matt yelled, shoving Natalie to the side. The bullet struck Matt in the abdomen, knocking him spinning to the ground. The surprise attack caused Natalie to loosen her hold on Tommy, and a blur of rockets flashed by, snatching Tommy and disappearing with him into the night sky.

Natalie dropped to the ground next to Matt, who was propped up on his elbows. “I’m fine,” he replied to her worried looks, downplaying the pain he felt, “I sensed the attacker’s energy before I saw him. As for the bullet, I absorbed the kinetic energy, stopping it before it went through me.” Matt pulled the bullet out of his abdomen with bloodied fingers, leaving a hole less than an inch deep. “I’m still working on stopping it before it goes into me, though.” He smiled at his joke, and Natalie relaxed a bit.

Steve and Marian pulled up at this point, worried and wondering what had happened. Natalie briefed them, and Tony appeared next to them. “I chased after them, but he must be cloaked or something cuz I lost sight of him. They just disappeared in the dark.”

They all gave a look to Matt, whose wounded expression was from more than just the bullet. “Dammit, Jasmine,” he whispered.

Five Years Ago…

                “This is incredible Matt!” Jasmine stood on an outcrop overlooking a snow-topped forest. The sun was shining, but despite it being late summer the wind had a chill to it. As far as she could see, there was nothing but untouched forest and mountains. As she watched, a flock of birds took off from the forest canopy and flew towards the horizon. Jasmine drank in the beautiful scene for a long time, but soon started shivering. Walking up behind her, Matt wrapped his arms around Jasmine and slowly emitted a low heat to warm her up. Jasmine snugged back against him, enjoying the view and the comfortable of Matt’s body.

                “I come up here every now and then. Sometimes to train, other times just to get away. It’s my secret spot.”

                Jasmine sighed, “It’s beautiful. A little cold,” she jested as she tried to cuddle closer, “but I love it. And there’s no one here but us.” Jasmine turned and went up on her tiptoes to give Matt a kiss.

                “That’s the point,” he said brushing her windblown hair out of her face. “No monitoring, no agencies, nothing but isolation and open space to do whatever we want. I’ve learned so much about my powers here doing things that can’t be done in populated areas. It’s the perfect spot to learn more about what you can do with those shadows of yours.”

                Jasmine smiled broadly as she cupped her hands. In the small space in between their bodies, she began focusing, and soon a small orb of darkness formed in her hands. Slowly tendrils starting coming out of it, reaching for them and swirling around her arms.

                “It’s like a living thing,” she breathed, mesmerized by the shadows.

                “It could be,” Matt said as he watched, making sure to keep his absorption to a minimum. They already knew he could absorb her shadows, meaning it was a form of energy. Beyond that, however, they were clueless as to how she created this shadow energy.

                Jasmine closed her hands and the shadows slowly dissolved into the air. “I hope I’ll be as good as you with my powers one day, Matt. Then just imagine what we could do!” She clasped his hands and stared into his eyes. “We’d be unstoppable! We could do anything we wanted and have everything we’ve ever wanted!”

                Matt smiled back, but did not like how she kept bringing this up. “Or we could do a lot of good for this world. What you’re talking about wouldn’t go over very well with the rest of the world, and I’d rather be anonymous and unknown than stuck in a cell in the Metalock.”

                “But if they couldn’t stop us, what would it matter?”

                As Matt looked into Jasmine’s eyes, he could have sworn he saw a darkness momentarily overtake her normally brown eyes. But it must have just been his imagination. “They would find a way, Jasmine. Even if I could absorb the sun and you could darken the planet, they would still find a way. That’s why it’s best we do this in secret, until we both have complete control over our powers. Then we can decide what to do with them.”

                Jasmine sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Fine, you win this time. But eventually I’ll convince you we deserve more than what we have.”

                Matt smiled and gave Jasmine a kiss. “And I hope when that times comes, you’ll have learned more from me than just how to control your powers, Jasmine.”

Frontier #24 - Shadowed Past pt. 3

                Hopling’s downtown district is usually a bustling area during the day, being as it is the center of the warehousing and manufacturing businesses in the city. There are very few residential areas though, making it an ideal place for the criminal populace of the city to inhabit at night. On this night, two shadowy figures moved across the streets, walking casually but with purpose and a set destination in mind. After taking many turns and back alleys, they stopped at a corner. Across the street was an unassuming, one storied gray building; on it hung no signs, only the marks of graffiti that nearly every building wore in this part of the city.

                “This is your place?” Volt asked, his harsh whisper cutting through the still air. They hadn’t seen another soul for twenty minutes, and even the background noise of the city had died down.

                “It was,” Richard said, glaring around the area. “Back in my heyday, nobody could ever find where I went. Having a place to disappear to was one of my greatest strengths. But,” Richard paused, staring intently at his old home, “it seems as if someone else has been using it as of late. I suggest we go pay them a visit and reclaim my belongings.”

                Volt broke out a smile. “Ahh, now I see why you brought me along.” Volt cracked the knuckles on his hands as the two men walked towards the building. “Let’s go say hello.”

                “I loved her. I know we were young, but she was my first real love. I took down all my barriers with her, told her everything, and taught her all she knows concerning her own powers. They’re not too different than mine; absorbing, channeling, amplifying. She learned so quickly with me. It was probably inevitable, but we fell for each other fast and hard, and the connection between our similar powers just helped bring us even closer. We were inseparable for that time.”

“But then…I’m not really sure when it started, but she grew more resentful to the world. She felt like since we were so much more powerful, we deserved more stake in this world than we had. I tried to dissuade her, and that’s when we started breaking apart. Then one day we got in a fight about it, she blew up, and the sudden bout of rage sent her powers spiraling out of control. She lost it right in the middle of a park, and I had no choice but to take her down. I didn’t know what to do afterwards, but I couldn’t leave her like that. I took her all the way to the GMA headquarters and handed her over. They promised to take care of her, and I visited a few times, but ever since that day she was completely unresponsive. Her powers put her into some kind of coma. Now all of a sudden she’s awake and causing all this trouble; and I don’t think I can do this by myself. I don’t think I’m strong enough, emotionally, to fight her again. So that’s why I’m here.”

                Matt stared across at the members of Frontier, and then let his gaze drop to the table.

“Wow, you really have a knack for creating super villains, don’t you?” Tony joked, but quieted himself at Steve’s glance.

                “Tony has a point,” Steve said after a moment of consideration. “You do seem to draw powerful metahumans to you. Are there more out there you know of but are hiding?”

                “I’m not hiding anyone,” Matt said defensively. “Most of those I know are already registered with the GMA.”

                “Except you,” Natalie cut in.

                “I’m not licensed, but I am registered. It’s just…not updated.” Matt said, shuffling his feet. The Superhero Rights Act was always a touchy subject, since Matt did not personally believe you needed to be licensed to do good for the world. However, as far as superheroes being licensed is concerned, the public opinion is not in Matt’s favor.

                When the US government passed the Superhero Rights Act, there was another piece of legislature quietly attached that had huge ramifications. Called the Metahuman Registration Act, it forced all metahumans to register with the GMA once their powers manifested, and to periodically update their registration if additional abilities appear. This allowed the GMA to maintain detailed records of every metahuman’s abilities and mental state. Seen as a first line of defense against potentially crazed metas, the bill was initially met with scorn, and it’s only after two decades have passed that the public has finally simmered down and accepted the registration as normal. Just like it is a federal crime to seek and stop crime using your powers, it is a federal crime for a metahuman to not be registered with the GMA. Matt might believe a license is unnecessary, but neither he nor his father is stupid enough to defy the GMA by not registering his powers.

                Hmm, Steve thought to himself. Ken had mentioned getting Matt on our side. This might just be the opportunity we need. “I’ll tell you what Matt,” Steve said out loud, “We will both do each other a favor. We will back you up in dealing with Jasmine, as long as you help us out with defeating the remaining villains.”

                “There’s still some left?” Matt asked in surprise. “I thought she was the only one who got away.”

                “Unfortunately not; apparently a group escaped with her, and some of our most powerful adversaries are among them. Including your old pal Sewage.”

                A look of concentration appeared on Matt’s face as he bit his lip. “Brian and Jasmine? This is going to be much harder than I thought.”

                “And that’s just the tip of the iceberg,” Steve continued, “the other four are powerful metahumans, three of which we have fought before and just barely managed to defeat. Volt, Land Slide, Obliterator; all have given us a run for our money individually. We now have to assume they are working together, and the danger they present is unimaginable. We will need your help as well, Matt. Think of it as an even trade.”

                And perhaps a spark to get you on the team as well, Steve thought to himself.

                The bodies of the few guards laid sprawled out in the hallways connecting the subterranean rooms under the super villain Obliterator’s old hideout. Volt tossed the last man aside and dusted his hands off. “Too easy,” he complained and followed Richard into a poorly lit workroom.

                “That’s because whoever was using this place has left hastily, taking all their work with them. These must have been the crew tasked with burning the building down. It’s very good you stopped them, or else they might have damaged my life’s work.” Richard walked up to a wall and moved a graph that had been taped up. Underneath was a hole dug into the concrete wall, and inside the hole was a keypad. “Idiots,” Richard laughed, “they had to force their way to my lock, yet they could not break it.”

                “Take a look at this,” Volt said, picking up a stray piece of paper. “Looks like a formula for some kind of substance.”

Richard picked up a sheet with molecular jargon and notes written on it and bared his teeth. “Volt my boy, don’t ever let anyone degrade your intelligence. All that reading you’ve done in prison has paid off handsomely. That’s exactly what this is.” Richard crumpled up the paper and threw it back down. “Useless without the rest of the notes, but judging by the handwriting I at least know who was here.”

“Should we go take them out too?”

“No no,” Richard walked back to the keypad and initiated a series of complex codes. “We’ll leave the good doctor alone for now. We have bigger fish to fry, as the saying goes.” As he talked, the concrete wall lowered, revealing a collection of advanced weaponry surrounding a high-tech personal suit of armor. “Besides, Tommy should be starting the distraction any minute now.”