"Violence? Oh heavens no, he just doesn't particularly like the technology types. Gets him into a fit like a big harmless baby, that's all. I'm the real one you should be afraid of." Era said with a teasing laugh. "Anyway, I think it would be great fun to solve this mystery with you both. It's not everyday we run into new friends. Isn't that right, Clockwise?" "Quite," he replied, offering a forced smile. "It is though, an order by the Alliance to inform them of Ms. Tomorrow's whereabouts. Go ahead and say that isn't fair, but I wouldn't want to risk my reputation if I happened to let it slide." Behind his goggles, he stared back at Shoshanna. "You understand what I mean, don't you, Ms. Underwood?"
"Violence? Oh heavens no, he just doesn't particularly like the technology types. Gets him into a fit like a big harmless baby, that's all. I'm the real one you should be afraid of." Era said Shoshanna's gaze quickly flitted to Era and there was a brief flash of danger in her eyes, like the sharp glare of a feral predator newly emerged from the wild, still deciding how best to establish its dominance in the civilized world. But, the look was gone as quickly as it'd come. Her masters had tamed her well. "Anyway, I think it would be great fun to solve this mystery with you both," Era went on to say. "It's not everyday we run into new friends. Isn't that right, Clockwise?" "Quite," Clockwise replied, offering a forced smile. "It is though, an order by the Alliance to inform them of Ms. Tomorrow's whereabouts. Go ahead and say that isn't fair, but I wouldn't want to risk my reputation if I happened to let it slide." Behind his goggles, he stared back at Shoshanna. "You understand what I mean, don't you, Ms. Underwood?" "Yes… reputation is everything, is it not?" Shoshanna said dryly. "I suppose if we're going to be gallivanting around town, I ought to dress for the occasion. Look away, darling. If you dislike technology, you're going to absolutely abhor this." She knelt to undo the locks on her briefcase, which had been sitting on the ground at her feet. The case popped open, revealing her costume neatly folded in the middle. She stood over the opened case as tiny laser projectors around the edges folded out and flickered on. But the light they produced was dark black and opaque, creating four walls of black light. Within seconds, Shoshanna was standing inside a rectangular prism about the size of a phone booth, hidden from prying eyes. "Shadowlight lasers," Jimmy said. "You stole that from Lightman. His ray guns fired beams just like those." "He shared his shadowlight technology with me as he begged me to spare his life and promised to hang up his cape forever," Shoshanna said as she began to undress. "I turned it to more mundane purposes." Even though she could only be seen in silhouette, Jimmy's face turned red and he averted his gaze, trying very hard not to think about the blonde bombshell in a wall-less changing room only a few feet away. He'd been hanging out with her for hours, yet the thought that she is smoking hot never crossed his mind. He reminded himself that Lightman's shadowlight beams could only stun, not kill, but they stung like the burn of a thousand suns. She might as well hang a big 'DO NOT TOUCH sign on the door. Jimmy whipped out his smartphone, while trying his best to keep it hidden. In under a minute, she was done. Changing quickly in tiny spaces was an acquired skill no veteran hero or villain could do without. The rectangle of shadowlight vanished and Shoshanna, now Galatea, picked up her case. Her chainmail cape jangled with every step as she approached them. "Okay, where to?" "I'm checking her fan site," Jimmy said, giving Clockwise an apologetic 'sorry bro,' frown. "She was spotted a few blocks away… with lots of other people… most of 'em seem to be vigilantes… and a villain or two." He held up the phone, showing a blurry pic someone had posted of Ms. Tomorrow and over half a dozen other costumed weirdos together. Galatea smiled. "Ah, the plot thickens."
"You okay, sweetie? Do you know them?" "Hi, Bill. And don't call me that. I'm not a sweetie, I'm a Princess." She says with crossed arms. "I think they're alright. Accept the Vampire and the guy he's shaking hands with. Pretty sure they're planning something." Milly brushed some dirt off her yellow dress then moaned when she saw it had a hole. "Awwww, this is my favorite dress. Look what you did, Popo." "Apologies, Princess."
Blitz wandered over to the Detective, and set his hand over Nick's leg. Several seconds later, he stood. "Good as new," the speedster said. "I'm Blitz, you?" Meanwhile, Scorpius stood next to Ms. Tomorrow, glancing at the chaos. "Looks like someone is after you."
Nick moved his leg experimentally, the pain had stopped, and it seemed to function perfectly. "Nick Kelvin, CEO of Hero Insurances," he held out his hand. "That is quite an impressive ability you have, have you considered private practice? You'd be rich in a month."
Magnificent Man "I guess we are done here.” Tomorrow said crouching down and scooping up one of the many damaged drones. She bit her lip, Tomorrow should have been focusing on opening up a way to get back to her time but she supposed that an investigation was in order. “I can probably figure out what’s going on with these things but I’m going to need all your cooperation, kay?” "I'll need to break into their systems and see just what the hell happened to them." “That won’t be necessary Ms. Tomorrow.” A thunderous but calm voice boomed above them the caped god himself was floating over the city, his bright eyes directly scanning every meta human or costumed crusader within the area. When had he gotten there? Magnificent Man the leader of the Golden Alliance dressed in his bright red costume with a giant golden M directly across his chest that seemed to glow in the sunlight. “I apologize for not arriving sooner.” He said rubbing his large chin. Tomorrow’s face went ghost white, the guy was the clichéd image of a hero through and through but she didn’t have a chance of getting away from him if he decided to make an arrest. “We have a serious problem.” MM’s eyes narrowed at the villains and vigilantes around him. “Shit!” Tomorrow snapped readying herself for a losing battle. “I understand the hostility but don’t worry I’m not here to take any criminals, wanted or otherwise.” "Well where the hell were you when this mess was going on?" "I was doing my best to contain the breakout." He frowned. “Breakout?” Tomorrow dropped the robot she’d been planning to take and crossed her arms. “Do you mean-“ “When the drones were hacked, I and other alliance members were called in but we didn’t realize that severity of the situation. All of Alcatraz was shut down.” “Shut down how?” “A man named Felix Frost whom we have in custody now somehow managed to shut down all the power in the prison after the drones took off to attack here.” He shook his head “Wait, wait, wait.” Tomorrow held up her hands. “Aren’t the energy source for Alcatraz and most meta human prisons basically really small star thingies?” MM gave a proud little smirk. "That is correct, I make them myself. We need big enough sources of power to properly contain the most dangerous of meta humans." Another good reason to avoid direct confrontation with this man, never exactly a good sign when some admits casually to making something that likely can genernate a billion life times worth of energy. "Then who the hell managed to switch it off?" Tomorrow looked around at the others. "That is the issue." MM said. "And the reason I'm currently not throwing some of you in jail. It wasn't shut down it just....vanished." "Like poof?" "Poof indeed." He swallowed. "Once we arrived we fought with all the escaped super criminals who were still left but we had to retreat after three Alliance members were killed but Frost was easy to catch....much easier then expected considering what he did." Tomorrow's teeth showed in a feral grin. "You need our help?" "Not exactly." MM looked in the sky. "Hundreds of the most sick, twisted and powerful superhumans have been released in the country. Even more importantly there is a man at the GA HQ who's known power is ice manipulation that has suddenly gained the skill to erase a star of from existence." Her eyes widened. "The world need's every capable hero on call whether you're Alliance or a vigilante." MM stared at them with hard eyes. "We have a crisis on our hands that I believe outweighs our current conflict." He held up his wrist revealing a small dial like watch. He twisted it. --- The bell sounded off for all Golden Alliance members after MM had twisted his dial. It was a beacon, a beacon that stretched to every ends of the Earth, contacting every Golden Alliance member even the reserves from different countries by way of their watches. Alerting them with a small alarm letting them know that all were to report the Golden Alliance base in Washington. The place was an impregnable fortress that could rival that of Fort Knox but only made better by the fact it had been crafted by the most powerful beings on the planet. --- "So." MM said. "Can we call a truce until we've managed to contain the escaped convicts currently running free? Vigilante support would be an important asset in the oncoming battles and certainly make things easier on us all and the people."
"Mhm, and then you can throw us all in prison the second that our backs are turned and we're no longer useful to you all, or if we don't submit to the Golden Alliance." I said frowning, crossing my arms. I often wondered how many 'dangerous' vigilantes rotting in Alcatraz for made up charges...
"Still, better to throw our lot in with the "good guys," Blitz pointed out. "Magnificent is good to his word. I trust him." For now. "There are villains on the loose and you guys are talking about politics," Scorpius said. "Forget political lines, we got people to save."
Milly was talking with Popo when she saw Era and Clockwise approaching with Shoshanna and some other person close behind. She waved and grinned at them. Era and Clockwise were odd couple, the time-traveling duo, but they were still nice. Shoshanna was legendary, being an ex-villain. Many of the heroes treated her with disdain but Milly just found her interesting. She liked to be nice to her just to irk some of the other heroes. Especially her parents who declared adamantly that the former villain was a bad influence. "Hi you guys! Fun day right?" She asked grinning despite the cut on her forehead and the multiple bruises on her arms. "You two know each other?" Jimmy said, slightly confused. He turned to Shoshanna. "How do you know Fin-" Shoshanna elbowed him in the ribs. "I've known Milly for quite some time, actually," she said, protecting the girl's secret identity. "Oh, dear, what happened to you?" she said, kneeling before the girl. "Shoshanna fished a handkerchief from her case and dabbed at Milly's cuts and bruises. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, you've had a little too much fun," she said in a doting tone. Her first encounter with Milly was a little over a year ago; Shoshanna was helping the police take down a man holed up in an abandoned warehouse, surrounded by hostages. They knew the man had superpowers, but had no idea who he was. They needed a way to find him and take him down without endangering the hostages. That's when the little girl and her robot were brought in as 'special consultants.' Shoshanna had no idea who or what Milly was, but five minutes after the girl showed up, the villain's exact location was revealed. The cops sent in their hero to take care of things. Without even entering the building, Galatea snatched him through a brick wall, cuffed him, and took him into custody without losing a single hostage. She encountered Milly a few more times since then, under similar circumstances, and they became fast friends. "Oh, I see, you must be her mom," Jimmy teased… which earned him another elbow in the ribs and left him doubled over and wheezing for air. "I wish! She'd be so much cooler than mine." Milly replied, and she meant that. Her parents were always gone on missions. And even when they were here, they weren't really. "Who's the guy? Your boyfriend?" teased. "Jimmy, this is Milly," Shoshanna said. "Milly, this is Jimmy B... who will never 'b' my boyfriend. Or anyone else's, for that matter. It's quite sad, really." "Ha, ha, you're so funny," Jimmy said dryly. Ignoring her, he focused on the little girl and her robot. "The name's James Buckworth, aka the one and only Lucky." He removed his hat and bowed. "The greatest hero you've never heard of. My incredible luck has allowed me to find you." He winked. "Get it?" Shoshanna's brow raised and she gave him an odd look. "Oh, it's just 'Lucky' now? What happened to 'you gotta say the whole thing?'" "Not in front of the kid," he muttered under his breath. Milly crossed her arms at James, apparently unimpressed. "Buckworth is the stupidest last name I've ever heard." She said honestly. "Almost as bad as Woodchuck, or Woodrow." She mused. "But I like your hat." "Well, it's a hundred times better than Pennyworth," Jimmy said with a bright smile. He placed his hat on her head before she could object. "There ya go, kiddo. Now you're lucky, too." Shoshanna lightly applauded. "Congratulations, Milly, now you have lice. This is a fun day, isn't it?" "Stop that," Jimmy said wagging a finger at her before returning his attention to Milly. "We're here to see Ms. Tomorrow, unless you know of someone else who can do robot brain surgery," he said, revealing the little box he'd plucked from the destroyed drone. Milly grimaced as she plucked the hat off her head. When he mentioned the robot brain she quickly covered the box in his hand with the hat. "Don't show that around Popo!" She declared earnestly. "He might get upset." "Query: Why would I get upset?" Popo asked with a cock of his dented head. "Nothing!" She replied cheerily grabbing his hand. "Future lady is over there. But she's kinda grumpy. Oh, and there is a Vampire over there too who also has grumpy pants on. I don't like him." "Oh, a vaaaampire," Shoshanna said in a whisper. "During the day, no less. Now I've seen it all. What next, a pair of albino twins who talk like they've fallen out of a badly translated kung fu flick and landed on their heads? My my, Milly, what strange company you keep." "Doesn't matter," Jimmy said as he returned the brain to his coat pocket and the hat to his head. He stood with a look of absolute determination on his face. "Shana, keep Milly safe. I've got a date with Tomorrow." He turned and proudly strode away, trying way too hard to look heroic as he wove through this menagerie of metahumans, headed straight for Ms. Tomorrow. ----------------------------------------------- Before Jimmy could reach her, Ms Tomorrow began to speak, addressing them all. She pretty much answered every question he was about to ask. He was just about to speak to her when a thunderous voice stole the show. Magnificent Man had arrived. Jimmy stood in awe as this living legend addressed the crowd. Alcatraz had been robbed of its power source, and the mighty Golden Alliance was in peril. When Magnificent Man sent out the call, Jimmy's watch began to buzz in tune. He felt his heart pounding in his chest. He was one of them, one of the real heroes. Magnificent Man needed him. ----------------------------------------------- Galatea stared at the man hovering above them, looking down on them, like he always had. There was nothing magnificent about him or anything he stood for. He was a tyrant, a monster, an overseer cracking his whip on the backs of an army of super-slaves. For Milly's sake, Shoshanna swallowed her pride and tried not to let the intense hatred bubble to the surface. When he sent out the call, she didn't receive it because she wasn't one of them. She was merely a tool, handed down to the Alamance PD to be used and thrown away. They didn't even respect her enough to invite her into their so-called 'alliance,' even though she could probably mop the floor with half of these self-righteous pricks without breaking a sweat. Golden Alliance? Hmph, fool's gold, she thought. She did not realize her grip on Milly was tightening, to the point that she was beginning to hurt the girl. "Ow! Ow!" Milly exclaimed pulling out of Shoshanna's grip. Popo immediately went on alert, his eyes pinning on the former villain like a predator. She shook the numbness out of her hand. "Wow, you really don't like him. It's ok. I won't tell. I don't like him much either." Shoshanna stared at Milly for a moment, as if confused. She couldn't believe what she'd just done. After a long silence, she turned and began to walk away. "I-I'm sorry. I should go. I don't belong here." She rose and flew off, without another word. Milly sighed sadly as we watched her go and then climbed onto Popo's shoulders, as M&M talked to the people around them. Escaped Villains meant she'd be spending a lot of waking and possibly even sleeping hours finding people. She dropped her head onto Popo's head. "I haven't even started yet and I'm already tired."
"Mhm, and then you can throw us all in prison the second that our backs are turned and we're no longer useful to you all, or if we don't submit to the Golden Alliance." "Still, better to throw our lot in with the "good guys," Blitz pointed out. "Magnificent is good to his word. I trust him." "Please." MM said. "I mean know harm today and we are planning to make a public a statement to call cease fire if we can gather enough Vigilante Support. We don't have to like each other but time is short." He turned to the others. "I'm down." Tomorrow said. "Just so long as you make the statement and we get in writing." She needed this, Golden Alliance probably enough resources that she could tinker with anyway, maybe open a rift. Besides better to make friends with MM then piss the guy off. "I'll need all Golden Alliance members with me now." He said nodding to Milly, Popo, Era, Clockwise and Jimmy. "I'm glad I managed to catch you all here, my core team is out recruiting more help. I decided to come and do a sweep of this area." He gave a much friendlier smile to them. "Are any of you injured?" He asked. "Can you make it to headquarters?" "What about us?" Tomorrow asked. "If you're willing to work with the Alliance." He said. "Then follow along or come to the HQ in Washington tomorrow."
"Hi, Bill. And don't call me that. I'm not a sweetie, I'm a Princess." She says with crossed arms. "I think they're alright. Except the Vampire and the guy he's shaking hands with. Pretty sure they're planning something." Bill smiled, then left her alone when Magnificent Man came and spoke. He'd make sure to keep an eye on the two Milly had mentioned. Bill listened intently, eyeing everyone else present. No one had really noticed him. "Can we call a truce until we've managed to contain the escaped convicts currently running free? Vigilante support would be an important asset in the oncoming battles and certainly make things easier on us all and the people." Bill looked around, and most seemed to look up to him. However, there were some who looked at him with distaste. Turning around, he looked at Shoshanna and Milly. He always felt like Shoshanna would burst any moment and start doing evil again. He listened intently to them talking, and saw Shoshanna fly off. He eyed her retreating form darkly, a bolt of electricity forming in his hand. It dissipated within a few seconds as he realized she was flying away. Thinking about all the criminals he was being asked to face, he realized he might have to take that special storage unit the superhero science department had been working on for the past few months. Calculations had shown it would multiply his storage capacity by more than 60, up to an insane amount, increasing the maximum amount of power he could wield. Some of them were worried that making a regular human a class B superhero would dehumanize him and demoralize him, at least, that's what the head of the department thought. Utter nonsense. As a senior home grown in America, the hero Magnus was the one any citizen could trust to defend the values of the everyman. He'd stop by the government officer soon and have it attached. With the power, he could more than compensate for his lacking physical abilities. He imagined the increased possibilities, and how easy it would be to kill... He shook that thought out of his head. He'd use the power to save lives. "I'll need all Golden Alliance members with me now. I'm glad I managed to catch you all here, my core team is out recruiting more help. I decided to come and do a sweep of this area." Magnificent Man nodded at all the alliance members there, including Bill, and Bill nodded back. Bill walked towards Jimmy, a man he barely recognized and only met once. The supposed 'lucky bastard' of the GA. It would be a quite spectacular power to have around. Bill remembered that Jimmy wasn't a prominent figure in his town, and may not have been to the GA HQ. Bill put his hand on Jimmy's shoulder. "I hope you're looking forward to stepping foot in the HQ, my boy. I don't recall seeing you around there."
"Did you see that brother?" "To see that I did!” “His entrance was perfect and in the right moment!” “A big sense of true art he must have!” “Never seen that man before, but important he seems to be!” “Magnificent is the only word that justice pay for him!” “And the name he happened to pick…” said Artemis while rolling his eyes. “Yet confused I am, he claims a truce between the parties however…” “However…” “We had just arrived the city a week ago!” “All this different parties, it’s frankly confusing!” “Where do we classify here?” “Are we just delinquents?” “Or is that perhaps the best choice to take?” “Regardless” “Regardless” “A NEW ACTOR HAD ENTERED INTO SCENE REQUESTING OUR HELP, IT WOULD BE A SIGN OF DISCOURTESY NOT TO HELP SUCH MAN” said both at unison. “Yet an eye open to keep in him we must” “That we must my sister?” “Yeah, a big entrance he had, either means a big hero, which I do hope, or a man with shady intentions, I must claim to my dismay that his heart protected from my sense is” “If his heart my sister to read could not, then truly aware of him to be we must”
"I hope you're looking forward to stepping foot in the HQ, my boy. I don't recall seeing you around there." “Probably because I usually don’t stay long,” Jimmy said humorlessly. He never really thought of himself as a true member of the GA. He donated a lot of money to them and that was probably the only reason they even allowed him membership. Most seemed to acknowledge he was a nice guy with good intentions, but they didn’t seem to think he was doing real hero work. Well, now’s my chance to show them what I’m all about, Jimmy thought. He was really psyched about this. He had always felt the Golden Alliance was a little too elitist for his taste. Maybe this temporary truce with the vigilantes would show them even unregistered heroes could do a world of good. Here he was, standing with Magnus, a hero waaaaay out of his league. This was proof that a new day was dawning and every hero, great or small, would bask in its light. Then again, Bill had always been more down-to-earth than most of the GA elites. “I’m so ready for this, man. I’ll catch up with you guys there,” Jimmy said, giving Bill a smile and a pat on the shoulder. “I gotta swing by my place to grab a few things and I need a sec to say goodbye to…” He looked around, as if searching for someone. “Umm, nevermind I guess.” He whipped out his phone and dialed one number. He had his pilot on speed dial. “Yo, Jeeves, I need a pick up. I’m at the intersection of Fifth Street and Vine Avenue.” He paused. “Dude, the robots are gone. The skies are clear.” Pause. “Helipad? Man, just land the thing in the street. This is official GA business!” Pause. ”The FAA can kiss my ass. Stop being a pussy, bro.” Pause. “Awesome. See you in ten minutes. Bye.”
"Hey old buddies!" Called ANTI happily "I looked for clues on the culprit behind this attack but didn't find nothin." ANTI, smart as he was, had a bit of a disinterest in detective style work. One day at Hawthorne's mansion, he read about 25-30 detective novels. He retained the methods and details of every book to this very moment. He was so bored by it, however, he didn't bother even thinking back to the mystery novels or doing any actual detective work. "Anyway, I see the grand old GA has at long last realized how much it sucks and is now begging us 'vigilantes' for help. Well I know im sure as fuck not going. How about the rest of you?" ANTI announced happily to MM and any vigilantes present.
I looked over at the newcomer quietly and then at Magnificent Man. "I'm not going to participate, I'm not a hero, just a detective with some... extra 'oomph', a detective that you label a vigilante that needs to be captured for going around and solving murders." I said shrugging. "The only real reason I participated in all of this was because it seemed interesting and I've been looking for a decent fight where I didn't need to hold back." I said, I crossed my arms. "Furthermore, I don't trust Brainwashed Government Puppets, the second that we've cleaned up your mess, that little cease fire will end abruptly, you'll be shoveling us into Alcatraz as well if we don't accept whatever silly titles you offer to those of us you believe to be useful in your little cult." I said.
"Just as well, we don't need you selfish types anyway." Milly said, addressing the vigilantes who were refusing to help. She glanced up at Magnificent Man. She'd never liked him much, to cliche...that and it was because of him, people like her weren't given a choice about where or how they wanted to use their abilities. Despite that she tapped Popo on the head. "G.A. Headquarters? Looks like we're headed home early. But, lets get some icecream on the way." "Affirmative."
This was shaping up to be the longest day of his life. With a heavy sigh, Chief Thomas Thompson stepped out of his battered Alamance police car, which was riddled with bullet holes and scorch marks, and had one flat tire, which had been dragging on the street for miles. The smell of burning rubber was making him lightheaded. He tossed the keys to one of the maintenance workers in the police station's garage. They would have their hands full for days repairing all of the vehicles in the police department's fleet. The drone attack had taken its toll on everyone and, according to what the Golden Alliance had told him, this was only the beginning. Alcatraz was torn wide open and all of America --especially Alamance City-- was bracing for a huge wave of escaped villains. "Christ, I need a vacation," the Chief muttered when he entered the break room and found all of the coffee was gone. "Goddamsunovabitch…" he muttered an unintelligible string of curses under his breath as he dragged his tired body toward his office. It was barely noon and he already wanted to curl up and die. He usually didn't feel that way until he got home and saw his wife. Chief Thompson inserted his keys into the lock on his office door and began stripping off his bulletproof vest as he stepped inside, but stopped when he noticed something was amiss. His office window was wide open, the curtains fluttering in the breeze. Nothing else seemed out of place, except for what was waiting on his desk: A broken electro-shock collar and a tracking anklet. "Aw, shit," the chief muttered as a cold sweat began to trickle down his brow. Shock collars were supposed to be impossible to remove. The team of scientists who designed them put all sorts of failsafes into them. Trying to break it should've made the collar explode. A technician from the IT department checked it twice a week to make sure it was still working properly. "Shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit…" Thompson muttered as he picked up a folded piece of paper pinned under the broken collar. He unfolded it, revealing a note written in fancy cursive script: Dear, TomTom, 'I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.' Yours truly, Shoshanna Underwood a.k.a. Galatea, the Starkiller PS: let Milton out of the closet Chief Thompson quickly turned and snatched open the doors of his office closet. An IT technician, wrapped in duct tape, tumbled out onto the floor. He flopped around like a fish out of water, whimpering and crying. "Hold still," Thompson said as he tore the duct tape off of the man's mouth. "Which way did she go?" "Don't know, sir, but she was scary," the technician said. "I… I pissed myself. Sorry, sir." Thompson barked another string of expletives and pounded a fist on his desk. That's when he noticed the steaming cup of coffee sitting there, still hot. He picked it up, bought it to his lips, but stopped. Probably poisoned, he thought as he went to the window and poured it out. But there was a message scribbled on the bottom of the mug, in the same fancy handwriting: PPS: You're an ass.
"Unbelievable." Clockwise said under his breath. He hadn't moved once since they had come upon the group, listening to the numerous conversations unfold. Only because of Era's willingness he had joined their company. The sight of Ms. Tomorrow put him on edge and Magnificent Man even further, despite him being the leader of them all. Not to mention, Milly's mechanical pest. Ever since he met her, he felt sorry for the girl, having to befriend a non-sentient being rather than a living breathing human. "You better believe it, darling. All of the heroes, fighting together for the same cause! Wow, we haven't had an adventure like this since we teamed up with The Raider." Era grabbed hold of his arm, leaning her head on his shoulder. "And, you know how much I love going to Washington, it will be grand!" Clockwise sighed, smoothing back her hair. Era's excitement was contagious, but the thought of being associated with the vigilantes he'd come to despise, didn't thrill him. "Why do you still wear that...thing?" "Whatever do you mean?" She glanced up at him, batting her long eyelashes in innocence. Clockwise smirked and took her hand, gently tugging her right gloved wrist."The G.A. device...I'm not deaf." "I thought it'd come useful somehow. And look here, it has!" "We're standing directly in front of the one who made the call. Oh yes, very useful." Era frowned. "Gosh, you're being ridiculous today. We have bigger matters to deal with..." Her voice grew distant as she stepped away. Clockwise's blood pressure rose, watching her walk into the crowd to march straight up to the one and only Magnificent Man. "We will gladly assist you, Sir." Era said with an elegant salute, laced with a dainty breeze. "It would be an honor."
"Looks like we're going to DC tomorrow," Blitz stated, carrying Scorpius. The other hero didn't say anything as the two rushed over the ground, the street, cars, and people blurring. "We could hit the Smithsonian. The Lincoln Memorial..." Scorpius shrugged, and Blitz fell silent. ---- Sarah groaned as she leaned back against her seat. "God damn you, Magnificent," she muttered, picking up a book featuring a small glass shoe on the cover. Nearby, Melody gestured to her homework, and scowled. "Wonder if Magnificent will give us an excuse pass," Sarah muttered, flicking back her dark hair. "Aajiyah, what do you think?" "I think Japan is nice this time of year," the former Muslim stated, glancing up from an issue of Playgirl. "I came to this country to escape oppression, not commit it, and now I'm back in a dictatorship." Melody made a gesture of sympathy. "We know," Sarah said. "In the meantime, we're trying to do the best we can..."
"I can't help but notice we haven't run away yet," Jenny said impatiently. "That because I'm not planning to," answered Nick. "You are not seriously considering helping the GA?" she asked, stunned. "I am always serious, you should know that by now, and yes, I am." "His offer was for vigilantes only, not villains." "Then it's a good thing I'm not a villain then, isn't it?" Jenny snorted at that, but Nick continued: "I'm not a meta-human, I don't pranse around in a ridiculous outfit and I doubt the GA can scrounge enough evidence together to link me to jaywalking, let alone imprison me in alcatraz." "I don't think the Golden Alliance cares about having proof, they'll throw your ass in a cage the moment they are done with you." "Let them try, I can already see the headlines: 'America's Superheroes imprison CEO', the government will just love that. Remember, to almost everyone I'm just a legitimate businessman, if they make a move against me the city's capitalists will stand in line to demand my release." He turned to face Jenny, "Besides, if I'm wrong and they do throw me in some hole in the ground, I'll have you to get me out of there." The unusual display of trust shut Jenny up, for a few seconds at least, and Nick used those to walk to the caped hero. "I accept your request, you may hire me. We can negotiate payment later."
"Don't tell me you have grumpy pants on too!" Milly said as she rode Popo over to Era and Clockwise. "You look like you ate dirt." She said, looking at Clockwise. "Hello to you too, Miss Milly." He said without enthusiasm. "Shouldn't you be at home doing your schoolwork at this hour?" Milly stuck her tongue out at him. "I'm taking a break. Too much homework kills people. It's called 'Suicide'." "Correction," Popo began but Milly put a hand over his mouth. "No correction." "You have it right, Milly." Era said with a flamboyant flick of her wrist. "Homework was the bane of my existence. You'll learn more in everyday life than in those boring books you read." "You shouldn't tell her that," Clockwise huffed. "Education is of utmost importance!" "Says every adult that just wants you to leave them alone." Milly grouched crossing her arms. Her own parents had said those same words to her one too many times. "You are upset." Popo noted. "Cause you haven't gotten me any icecream yet." She said in mock anger tapping her heels against his chest. "Are you guys going to the HQ too?" Milly asked, addressing her question to Era. "Yes, we are. Can't turn down something as big as this." Era replied. "I suppose that means we'll be seeing more of you and your friend." She nodded towards Popo. "Wait, we haven't even discussed going." Clockwise cut in. "What is there to be discussed? We're needed, villains have run rampant, lives are in danger, and you have to admit that your curiosity is much too great." "But--" "We'll be there." Era said again, flashing a smile to Milly. "I'm glad you will be. But its ok if Clockwise doesn't come." She said honestly. Era bit her lip, trying to hold in a laugh. "Well, you'll never get one of us without the other, so he doesn't really have a choice." "That's not true." Clockwise said, hitting the ground with his cane. Era ignored him. "When you're grown up Milly and have a boyfriend someday, remember that us women always get the last word." "Bleh! Who needs boys?" She declared adamantly then hugged Popo around his head. "All I need is Popo." Clockwise grunted. "Ever thought of having human friends?" "What are you talking about? She's a popular girl in the G.A., she has bunches of friends. And, I'm her friend too!" Era said quickly, shooting him a disapproving look. "We are friends, right Milly?" "Will you get me icecream?" "Well, what are friends for? Sure, I'll get you some!" Era said as her feet lifted off the ground several inches. "What kind would you like?" "I like the bubblegum kind." She grinned then patted Popo on the head. "Era's a good friend, even if she's an adult." "Affirmative, Princess." --------------------- Era returned with two large ice cream cones, handing one off to Milly. "Do I get promoted to best friend status now?" "No. That's reserved for Popo. Then I like Shoshanna second best. And now you are third." She smiled while smooshing her lips into her icecream. "That's why you shouldn't spoil children." Clockwise muttered to Era. "You're under appreciated." "And for that, you're not going to get any ice cream." Era said, licking her chocolate cone. "Thank you Milly, I'm honored to be third. Shoshanna seems to be a tough woman to beat. Do you happen to know where she went? I haven't seen her." "No, but I..." She paused mid-sentence and gave Era a look. "That's a trick question, isn't it? You're trying to trick me into finding her for you, aren't you." Milly lowered her cone and glared at Era. "No, no, I didn't mean anything by it besides genuine concern." Era said, shaking her head. "And, why would I want to find her? I have nothing against her." "Good." Milly nodded. "A lot of people don't like her...but thats just cause they don't know her." She returned to licking her icecream contentedly. "Why do you stick around with him anyway? He's grumpy." Milly asked, nodding at Clockwise. "You could do better." Era choked, coughing and laughing at the same time. "He's not always grumpy," she said when her voice came back. "Once you get to know the real him, there's a good man under that mask with an equally good heart. He's been there for me when no else has and if it weren't for him, I probably wouldn't even be talking to you today." Era grinned. "As for doing better, yes I'm sure that I could, but love makes you do strange things sometimes." "Like what?" "Like waiting around for hours while she gets her costume on." Clockwise chimed in. "It doesn't take me hours!" "You saw how long it took Shoshanna. Less than one minute and she didn't even have a mirror in that awful tech-tent...I think." "Anyway, Milly." Era said. "In summary, he sacrifices his time for me, which is a display of love. And I put up with him when he's being ridiculous, which is also love." Milly blinked at them then looked over at Popo. "Well then I must love you cause I wait around when ever you're charging your battery or getting repaired." She grinned at him. Popo patted her on the head. "I love you too." He said, his voice strangely non-monotone. "Do you think my parents love me?" Milly asked curiously, almost as if she were asking what their favorite color was. "They don't like me when I'm ridiculous and they only spend time with me on my birthday. So...maybe they don't." She didn't seem distressed by the fact and continued to lick at her icecream. Era and Clockwise exchanged a nervous glance. "Well...love can be strange and love can be hidden too." Era spoke slowly. "I never met my parents; I was put up for adoption. As hard as that was for me, it was easier to believe they gave me up out of love so I would have a better life. I'm sure your parents love you, they just might not realize how much more love they could give to you." Milly sat quietly for a bit. "Adults are weird. I hope I never become one." She said finally. "Aw, but you'll be the best adult ever! There won't be any weird in you. Right, Clockwise?" "Not a bit of weird."
Santiago didn't know what to think. All the super villains had escaped Alcatraz, some Nick Frosted Flakes guy with ice powers was behind it, and Magnificent Man himself was recruiting them to go to DC. "Things must be really desperate if he wants me to help," Santiago grumbled to himself. He tugged his cloak tighter around his skinny frame and thought about whether he should go with them, or head back to his lavish penthouse and eat another concierge boy for dinner. He came to a decision: he would go with the rest of the goody-two-shoes gang and see what there was to see, and possibly take advantage of all the chaos and find a way to rule the world. Maybe Santiago could get Nick Frost to tell him how he stole those super-powered star-thingies from Alcatraz and he could use that knowledge to his advantage. But, madre de dios, it was going to be so goddamn borrrring traveling with all these squeaky clean costumed do-gooders. Santiago glowered at all the heroes and levitated closer to Nick. "I'm sticking with you," he said in a low growl, annoyed with everything and everyone.
Bill flew ahead of the others, using an iron platform attached to propellors. Nobody really noticed his departure, but he was okay with that. One doesn't need to hold the spotlight to do good. Occasionally, being there was fun and motivating, but being in it too long can cause too much pride. Bill wanted to be always modest. He wanted to learn more about the universe: to learn more about heroes and villains and their powers. Most of all, he wanted to stop crimes from happening. He wanted to stop the super-villains. The best way to stop them was most often to kill them. It was too bad that some people didn't always agree. He had experience in the field; just as much, if not more than Magnificent. It had always been a mystery how the man could still disagree. Bill shook his head, reclining back in a well-made metal chair. It wasn't very comfortable, but it was nice.
Nick sighed mentally, sometimes he was a little too good at flattery. Then again vampires were notoriously susceptible to politeness. They basically handed out wooden stakes to everyone that asked nicely, or, in Santiago's case, magic blood. While he pondered the apparent undeath-wish of the Spaniard Jenny punched him in the shoulder. “You ass, do you never learn? First the killer golem, then the kidnapping, and now this? You are digging your own grave, and who is the mighty jinn that’s expected to pull you out again?” “No idea, but it won’t be you.” “What do you mean? There is no way I’m going to let you go to GA central without any backup.” “Yes, you are,” he said and faced her with a stern gaze. “Let me assure you I know exactly how dangerous it is, and that is exactly why I need you to stay here for a while longer. I don’t know who is behind today’s events, but I know these heroes are already dancing in the palm of his hand.” “What do you mean, didn’t they catch the guy?” asked a puzzled jinn. “Frost is just a henchman, he would never agitate the GA like this if he wasn’t hired to do so. And even then only if he had faith in his boss’ scheme. I need to talk to him, figure the plan out before the next move.” “Next move?” “Magnificent Man just summoned all GA members to Washington, almost all the world’s heroes in one place? Something is going to happen there, and I plan to be in the middle of it.” “Then what about me?” “I need you to run a few errands for me, and set up an exit strategy for me if things go south in HQ, feel free to hire a few people to help you if you need it, I’ll cover it. Now, here’s what I need you to do...”
“What is it that you wish for?” “It is a golden key or the silver moon to reach?” “An impossible dream, sad I am” “For someone as you who hath fell even after licking so many shoes” “That face you offer me won’t change the fact, that sad stare that tries to pierce through me won’t even scratch the surface of my garments” "…" “I see now, for the stare of filth that hath failed your new resource are words of condemn” “Such a sad being had I encountered with” “This city is truly a pool of filth” A smile “I’ll grant you this, a new opportunity for you.” “It certainly won’t grant you neither a key of pure gold, neither the silver surface to step on.” “But is a small chance, to waste it you must not.” “What to do with it? Why don’t you let the emotions dwelling within your soul to pick that decision?” And like that the figure played its role, a simply talk of despair and an ominous present. It was a black shadow walking down empty allies, a black shadow carrying a golden key for the damned one and dancing under the silver moon. …………………………………………………………………. “Gasp! An unexpected foe that one was, my breath I hardly can maintain” “I agree with you my brother, but to vociferate the gasp you had to?” “ ‘Tis an act, with passion I’ll play my role” Both siblings were breathing heavily after containing a fire in a building that belonged to a prestigious corporation. The job was a task of mid difficulty until the perpetrator showed up. At first Artemis thought it was just a homeless man caught in the fire yet as Apollo was almost lit like a candle by the man they quickly realized of the danger. Fire was a simple yet destructive force, in a few seconds both found themselves surrounded by the fire ignited by the man. To stop him would had been an easy task yet both siblings had to maintain a considerable amount of their focus in containing the spreading flames, some of them even escaped their radar and crossed the boundaries of their territory making them unable to turn them off, luckily the firemen played their role. It was then when Apollo had an idea to stop the man, using her sixth sense he controlled the hose and wrapped it around the homeless one stopping his movements, after that knocking him was easy. “Look brother, a gold dust, hath a fairy visited us?” “That I see, but fairies figures of goodness are not all the time, carefully observe the mouths and palms of this man.” “In gold covered they are” “I can only wonder the meaning of this, yet for now to retire we must, an appointment with the Magnificent one we have and I’m sure that the police being already aware of the man’s magic will know what to do” “Let’s make haste my brother, to inform this we must…” Both quickly departed however Apollo stopped for a moment “A report you say? To who?” “The Magnificent man of course!” “Certainly is we agreed to help, but I don’t like the idea of playing the role of his subordinate” “In other words can you express?” “ ‘Tis Golden Alliance feels like a cage” …………………………………… The Police would later find that the homeless man used to work at the building he tried to burn down, after a very small interrogatory it was easy to find the reason of the crime, vengeance. ……………………………. The figure meanwhile on a different location played a monologue “Hath thou been drown in the red pool of deep hate and profound pain? Waiting only to be washed ‘till no more than speck of dusts to be devoured by the drops of water? And caught in that voragine of turbulent thought which if given that little flick, would take a heinous shape, a pure discharge of that filthy red liquid?............. No?........... Well they are, the ones that drowned, and who am I but no more than the little flick.”
