(Un)Retired Superheroes

Ah, shit. was Danny's first thought as he fell through the air. Again, I've acted to quickly, Silhouette if she's came back doesn't know where we are and now Sapphire is dealing with computer guy. He grasped at ledges as they sped past him, but only ended up grazing his fingers, and by the third one they were bleeding and raw. I let go too high up, and now... is Joey alright? He couldn't hear anything except the air rushing by him. And here Danny found himself, a 'superhero', hoping he would be saved.

 

Jacob shared Silhouette's frustration as he climbed into her car. Traveler seemed a little on the ball, but the others... He hated to use the phrase "Back in my day," but neither he nor his former associates in the Guild had simply run away like that. He knew they weren't active Capes anymore, and maybe that was a good thing.
"Were we really the best you could scrape together?" he asked Silhouette.

 

With no response from Timothy, as if he was ignoring her, Sapphire got mad. She felt blue energy surge around her, and pointed a finger at him. Instantly, her blue belt streaked through the air, and wound itself around his neck. Reaching forward, she plucked the USB drive from his hands and jumped out. Sticking the USB drive in one of her gloves, she stood and saw a black van divebombing the taxi. Where is Pigeon Man!? Sapphire turned, and saw him plummeting to the pavement. Looking around wildley she grabbed one of her gloves, and threw it into the air. She used her powers to put the glove on Pigeon Man, and tighten it. Holding it suspended in the air. Is it enough to stop his momentum?

 

Danny felt a sudden vice-like grip on him and saw a van below him, will I fall to quickly to land on that? As if to answer him the thing gripping him slowed his fall and now without the the rush of air he could see what it was, a single blue glove. Danny whipped around to see Sapphire breathe a smile. He was about to return it when he felt sharp pain shoot up his side. There on the bonnet of the van, Danny could see a slightly perturbed Silhouette and Maestro who was shaking his head in vague disappointment at him.
"Er I know you're driving, but could you let me in?" Just as soon as those words past his lips, Danny realised that this van and he were still several feet of the ground.
"I'll just stay here." Danny mouthed, while clinging to the speeding van. I never knew Silhouette had a flying van!

 

Tim had actually been unresponsive. It turns out having a door torn from a car after another had been thrown in front of it while being pursued by a monster, as a large man is presumably cursing in Russian, was a bit of a traumatic thing. Then someone had started choking him and suddenly everything was a little bit worse. "Why am I getting hurt for taking the thing we were after to safety?" He managed to mumble.

 

Sapphire lowered Pigeon Man to the ground, and summoned her belt back to her. She turned to Pigeon Man.
"Where's Joey? And we best get into the car, and fast!" She said while running after the black flier.

 

"Thanks!" Danny shouted, struggling to keep up with her. Neither Silhouette or Maestro looked very pleased with me. Perhaps I should just get Joey and... Joey?
Danny cooed softly hoping for a reply as he bounded after Sapphire. None came.
"You want us to get into the flying one or the taxi?" That's going to be seriously hard. I was just on the bonnet of the thing, and now you want me to get inside of it. Joey?! Where in hells name are you? His knife dropped in front of him, barely missing him as if answering him. There above was the pterodactyl flying off but he could barely make it out. Joey? He can't be. Danny slowed and picked up the knife, then after jamming the blade in his pocket, he rolled up his sleeves and rubbed his arms to start feathers growth again.

 

Despite being royally pissed off, Silhouette gave Jacob a rueful smile and said, "You were the only ones who responded to my emails." Then she pulled up on the steering wheel and the flying van came to a halt in mid-air, directly over the taxi. Silhouette pressed a button on the dashboard and a laser turret stuck out the front of the van and shot the taxi engine with an electric blue laser-bolt. The taxi immediately lost all power; it wasn't going anywhere.

Sticking her head out the window, she yelled, "Everyone, get in! RIGHT NOW!" She pressed another button and the trunk of the van fell open and stairs extended to the ground for them to climb in.

While Silhouette waited for them to get on, a man in his pajamas came out of an apartment building and stared at all of them with his mouth hanging wide open. He took out a cellphone and started recording them with his camera. His wife and two kids stood in the doorway behind him, wearing equally shocked expressions. The lights in other apartments started coming on and more people looked out their windows and started coming out onto the street to stare at the flying van and the retired superheroes.

 

Sapphire lept into the van, and immediately started talking.
"Silhouette, what happened to Morgana? And Danny is off to get Joey, he will catch up with us." She told them. Sitting next to John, she wrenched off her other glove, and took the small black USB from inside. I will need another pair of gloves. And that pair was Persian Silk! Reaching over the seat, she put the USB on Silhouettes lap.
"That, I think, is yours."

 

"So, are we going to discuss the damage that was done? Considering it could have been prevented by, well, not doing it?" He asked. All the damage had actually been done by his "allies", not the actual villain of the story. "Not to mention the fact I got choked for trying to take the device to a safe place."

 

Silhouette quickly tucked the USB into a pocket on her belt. "Thanks," she told Sapphire. "Morgana got beat up pretty badly. She ran away before I could get any answers out of her, but she might have let a few clues slip without knowing it. I also got her dagger, which I'm going to analyze once we get out of here."

Then Silhouette turned to Tim with a look like death. "None of us knew why the hell you ran off with the USB stick," she told him. "Some of us thought you were a traitor. Maybe next time actually fill us in on your plan, or maybe just NOT run away, especially when I just gave an order for us to stay together. How are we supposed to avenge the League of Heroes when we fall apart at the first sign of trouble?"

Meanwhile, people continued to gawk at the flying van and take pictures and video. Police sirens blared in the distance and they got closer every passing second.

 

Sapphire laughed as she heard of Morgana's recent fate. Turning to Tim she said,
"Hey, sorry for choking you and all, but who says "good luck" in the middle of a battle and rides off?"
Sapphire then heard the sirens.
"Silhouette I think its time for us to leave. Want me to take care of the police cars?"

 

While they dive-bombed down towards the cab, John saw the flying-dinosaur-who’s-name-he-couldn’t-pronounce flying away from a rooftop. He opened the side-window and pulled out his gun again. Tracing the over-sized bat with the barrel of his pistol, he realised it was too far away for him to have an accurate shot at a moving target when he himself was also in a flying car currently plummeting down like a bat out of Hell. Well, as long as it’s gone right?

“As much as it was a bad idea to take a cab in the middle of a fight, That Guy Over There does have a point. Split second, I’ll be back before you know it, I promise!”

John quickly hopped out of the Silhouette-mobile and walked over to a man who looked like he’d pop a blood vessel if he didn’t calm down soon.

“Sorry about the damage sir, we had a little misunderstanding going on here. Superhero business and all, I’m sure you’ll understand. I have a few gold coins left that I got from the Golden Planet where they treat it like common dirt, heh. It should be more than adequate to cover the costs. Now if you’ll excuse us, we have a historic character to catch, have a good night!”

Leaving a much calmer, though completely confused cabdriver behind he quickly hopped back into the car.Meanwhile, police sirens started getting closer.

“Alright, let’s get going then shall we!”

 

Danny leapt into the air and beamed at the van, but they were deep in discussion. I'd better get on with it, otherwise I'll get left behind. Swooping over the roof where Joey had been, Danny found a horrific scene. Feathers danced around on the roof and blood ran into the gutter. Danny felt bile rise to his mouth and as he landed he threw up. Fuck it. Fuck it all. There was Joey, unreconisable. Danny gently lifted him up as he spotted blue lights out of the corner of his eye. He wrapped the young pigeon in his coat as he had done when he was a chick. Wiping the bile away from his mouth, he took of again and set off in the direction of the van. Tears made his journey hard and the shaking of his hands made it hard to latch onto the van when he reached it.
"Can you let me in so I can catch that bitch?" he asked.

 

"Oh, I don't know, civillians, people with no combat skills, people with anxiety. It's quite a broad spectrum." Tim replied to Sapphire, before turning to the leader. "Yes, because I'd run away from people who can fly or kill me with a punch. I'm nervous, not suicidal."

 

Silhouette was about to snap at Danny to get in the van and stop talking, but then she saw the tears in his eyes and her facial expression softened. "I'm...I'm sorry," she said, guessing that something had happened to Joey. "Morgana got away, but I'm sure we'll run into her again. Just get in and we'll get to my safe place and make a plan."

"Listen, even if you're scared or not that good at fighting, that's no reason to run off," Silhouette told Tim. "You would have been easier to pick off alone if someone had caught you. We don't know what we're up against, so we need to stick together. In the future, just stand behind me or Sapphire or somebody, okay?"

The police cars skidded around the corner at the end of the street and were approaching fast. "Don't bother trying to stop them," Silhouette told Sapphire. "If you do, they might think we're villains. They can't catch us, anyway." Silhouette pressed a button to make the trunk close and the stairs retract, and then she floored the gas pedal. The van took off at full speed, leaving behind the damaged taxi and the crowd of people that had been watching them. Once they were at a far enough distance, Silhouette pulled a lever under the steering wheel. The van shimmered all over on the outside and then the light faded away. "Now we're invisible," Silhouette told them.

In less than ten minutes, Silhouette landed the van on an empty street and pulled the lever to make them visible again. This time they were in a quiet suburban neighborhood on the outskirts of Fortress City. Silhouette drove the van in front of a pretty white house with a tidy lawn and gray Jeep in the driveway. "This is the place," Silhouette told them. She cut the engine and got out, looking both ways to make sure no one was spying on them. Then she walked up to the front door and knocked four times. Someone turned on a light inside, peaked through the window, and then opened the door. It was a man that looked very similar to Silhouette, dressed in a charcoal button-up shirt, a red tie, and creased black pants. He pushed his glasses up his nose and whispered, "Come inside, hurry!"

They all crowded into his living room and he stood in the hall, staring at them nervously. "So, this is your new team?" the man asked Silhouette, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, they are," Silhouette replied testily. To her team, she said, "This is my brother, Mack. He's not a superhero, but he's a doctor. If anyone is hurt, tell him right now and he'll see if he can help."

 

Danny allowed his mouth to twitch into a smile as he stood there in the tidy living room. Gingerly he removed Joey from his coat and everyone, whether they meant it or not, recoiled. "Do you have a shoe box?" he mumbled, looking at his feet trying not to start crying again.

 

Mack stared at the dead bird, trying not to look disgusted. "Um...sure," he replied finally. He went down the hall and returned with a shoe box and a shovel. "There's a big apple tree in the backyard," he told Danny. "I would recommend burying your pigeon there. That's where the dirt is softest."

Silhouette patted Danny on the shoulder. "He was a good, loyal bird," she said softly. Now that her anger had worn off, she had returned to using her usual whispery voice. "I've never had a pet before, but I lost my parents two years ago, when I was just nineteen years old. If it's anything like that, then I understand."

"Is anyone hungry?" Mack asked everyone else. "I have some microwave dinners and some Oreos. I'm a bachelor," he added, as if that explained why he didn't have any real food.

 

Jacob felt himself sliding into Dad Is Pissed Mode. "You three," he said to Traveler, Sapphire and Tim, "sit."
While Silhouette and her brother helped Danny with Joey, he'd have it out with the rest of the kids.
"I get why you took off, Tim. You're a non-combatant and wanted to keep the drive safe. But tell us what the hell you're doing next time. And Sapphire, I don't even know where to start. Rampant personal property damage, complete disregard for public safety, and ditching your teammates during a fight to chase down a guy with situational abilities at best--no offense. Get it together."
Traveler had at least behaved with some sense, but he was in time out with the others, anyway.
Jacob turned and sighed, willing the tension from his posture as he looked at the distraught Danny. Turning to Mack, he asked, "Is there anything at all you can do?"

 

Sapphire grew angry. What right does Jacob have to talk to me like that!?
"Jacob, before you get into a conversation with Mack about Oreos and Cheese Wheels Microwave Dinners, I did what I thought was right. And let's say Mr.Tim here actually was a traitor. Who was the one who got the USB back?" Seething, Sapphire continued. "As well as the fact I AM NOT A SUPERHERO! I only had a mission, to get the USB drive. Public Safety was the least of my worries! And finally, I would not have left if I didn't think you couldn't handle yourselves, which, by the way, you did!"

 

Danny nodded in thanks to Silhouette and her brother. He shuffled outside with Joey and gently lay him in the box. His digging however, was not gentle. He plunged the shovel into the ground and dug furiously. Joey was the only living thing that I ever actually connected with. Damn that lizard. Damn Morgana. Damn that roof. After two minutes of silent digging, Danny placed the box in the ground. He then started the hard process of covering it up. Danny had to that by hand scooping the dirt up and letting it fall, like he had done with Joey's seed. Danny crouched on the ground staring at the mound of earth, beneath which a friend lay. Biting his lip, Danny walked back inside the house to noise and anger and wished he had stayed outside with the cool sadness of mourning.

 

"Actually, my ability works all the time. Not situational whatsoever. I'm just a coward." He declared, not seeming ashamed at all. "I'm actually useful in any situation."

 

Jacob narrowed his eyes at Sapphire. "Public safety is the whole damn point! If you're going to be flinging power around like that, not caring about how many people get hurt, then you're right, you certainly are no hero. In fact, maybe you should be locked up in whatever hole they throw the rest of the villains. And if you don't think the Silhouette can't find this guy--sorry, Tim--wherever he runs, you need to pull your head out of the ground."

 

"Can everyone please calm down," Silhouette ordered, trying to restore order. "What happened is in the past. We will do better in the future. That's all that matters."

"Wow, I thought these people were retired superheroes," Mack grumbled. "Why are they arguing like sidekicks?"

"Go make us some food and shut-up, Mack!" Silhouette snapped, punching Mack in the shoulder. Mack pouted and rubbed his shoulder and headed into the kitchen. "Everyone, this way," she told the superheroes. Without waiting, she turned and headed out the living room and stopped at a door at the end of the hall. Strangely, the door had a peephole like a front door would have. Silhouette leaned right up to it and looked inside. Suddenly, the peephole glowed and scanned her eye.

"Retina scan complete," a robotic voice said. "Identity confirmed. Welcome back, Silhouette."

The door swung open and revealed a staircase that led down into a basement. Silhouette marched down into the basement ahead of them and went straight to a long desk covered in glowing buttons and plugged the USB into it. The blank screen hanging on the wall over the desk turned blue and the word "Decoding..." appeared. Other than the desk and the screen, there was a blue mat on the floor for training, some lifting weights, a punching bag, a few beanbag chairs and regular chairs, and another costume identical to Silhouette's black outfit in a glass case in the corner.

"This is my private headquarters," Silhouette told them. "I had it built when I was with the League, just in case something went wrong and I needed a place to hide. This house is my childhood home. When my parents died, they left it to my brother and I, but I let him have it because I was living at the Stronghold. I just told him to let me have the basement." She smiled for a second, but then the smile disappeared and she turned back to the screen to hide her watery eyes. "It might take a while for my computer to decode the USB stick, so get comfortable," she told them over her shoulder.

 

Sapphire felt her eyes flood with her blue energy, as well as feeling it circle around her.
"I got the email, the same as you. I'm powerfull, I can be helpful. I'm an asset, and I realize that, so I don't think I want to jump in any hole. I do care about people, and I do care whether they get hurt, but I'm just saying, it wasn't my top priority. And don't you DARE try to tell me how to use my powers. Why don't you just go along now, and play your little songs. I'll watch as the rats follow you." She snarled. Sapphire turned, and stomped after Silhouette. "And" She called over her shoulder. "Only an idiot would put supervillains in a hole."