Only Superhuman [Inactive]

[Mooalally]

Orville listened to this conversation with great interest. There was a lot of information to take in here, something to memorize and try to understand later because right now, he couldn't wrap his head around it at all. Though he did get that this car thief was trying to get into the mafia that ran the night club.


"Do we know what this mafia specializes in? Drug trafficking, arms dealing, exporting cars? Maybe this guy is infiltrating the mafia because of something they did."


Suddenly it clicked in his mind. And every way he thought about it, it lead back to the possibility of Interpol setting all of this up.


"Surely we could find out if they was done by a crime-fighting agency? I mean, I realize that this group we have is supposed to lay low, but don't we still have some ties to the government? And if not, don't we count as vigilantes?


He was beginning to question the morality and legitimacy of this organization he had gotten himself into. Of course, these agencies do work secretly, especially in operations like these, and it was hard to find out whether or not they were legally authorized if it is actually a sting.


"So the way I see it, the first thing we have to do is find out if this is actually Interpol. That way, we know we're not interfering with someone who's supposed to be on our side. And assuming that we're clear to move forward and stop the car thief, we should find out what the mafia is all about. Perhaps this Black Lightning had something done to him, say a family member killed, and wants to get revenge by bringing it down from the inside. So how are we supposed to find this out?"

 

[sharlene79]

Amaretta was a little surprised when this squad finally started to wake up and get into the mission. “Mr Schuyler, keep thinking of a codename. Somehow I don’t think the suggestions I got from some of the others would strike much fear in the hearts of criminals - Snowflake, Twinkletoes and Frosty the Snowman. They weren’t being very serious and the last one is trademarked already.


“Vigilantes? We stand between injustice of humans to metahumans and vice versa. And we will stand to stop wars between metahumans as best we can. What we avoid is everyday crime. That we try to leave to the regular law enforcement unless asked to intervene. We were already asked to look into these four missions by the NYPD liaison, Detective Mitchell Cantrell. It is often unofficial. We are asked to ‘look into things’ without officially being asked. When that happens they want us to be discrete and not destroy half the city. This happens to be the case in your original mission. The Black Lightning mission was made an official request.


“What we lack are legal credentials. In short we have no charter or special licensing that allows us to arrest, enter crime scenes, etc. For that we’d need to call in the police. We almost have a search warrant for the auto shop. If we can legally tie Guzman Cascia to Black Lightning we can. But I am not so sure we should or need to.”


“Jinx … the specialties of that mafia?”


“None really. But arms dealing is definitely one. So is drugs, prostitution, extortion, blackmail. I’d say blackmail is the real specialty surrounding the nightclub. But Cascia seems more interested in the arms smuggling. And I may have a possible ID for Mr Cascia. I ran a search on race car drivers and tragic deaths … and came up with a big one. Really big.


“World class race car driver, John Hughes. Three deaths in the family. First his father, then younger brother, and finally himself. He is survived only by his mother. Deaths resulted from extremely powerful explosives except the last one. No devices discovered. john Hughes died in his last race a little over a year ago. There were rumors he was about to unveil a new hydrogen cell and an engine that would make use of it. He was going to use it in marathon races. The car the fuel cell was being used in was a prototype. That vehicle was destroyed in the race when the fuel cell overloaded. At the time Hughes was ahead of the competition by several laps.


“I would almost say that our Mr Hughes was definitely our man, however I ran a photo comparison and it isn’t especially close. It would have taken extreme and painful plastic surgery to produce the changes I am seeing. Same height and frame though. It isn’t impossible with modern technology for them to be the same man, just drastic. Then again if your father was killed over your invention, then your little brother, would you go to such lengths?”





“Jinx, you said no explosive device?” Amaretta’s normally impassive face was showing a little concern.





“Yes, and I know who it sounds like, except they are supposed to be dead.”


Amaretta nodded. “Guys, this does change things a bit. We are going to need to get some DNA off of Mr Cascia. If it is possible some from Black Lightning as well.”

 

[Mitheral]

Joint Post by Mitheral and Sharlene79


Heather shook her head. “Blade’s old parts are no longer available. This was as much for her benefit as the rest of the planet. The technology they were based upon is one this world simply isn’t ready for. It isn’t that I don’t trust you. it is that if you fell into the wrong hands the technology might be reverse engineered to create what would be an unstoppable army that even metahumans couldn’t fight.


“As to your privacy, rest assured I will extend the same courtesy I offer everyone else.”


“Now then, actually Blade could wait, if you would like to get out in the field. We just need to get you some normal street clothes so you can blend better. I have a squad of new recruits heading out soon on a very simple mission. Not a combat mission unless something happens. But rest assured it is going to lead us to one later. They are just beginning to discover the many things I already know.


“They aren’t MY team. I am just a trainer. And I mainly work with children. I don’t have the patience to put up with adults any more. I am otherwise retired. I started my superhero career when I was 11. It pretty much ended by age 20. Now then, if you are interested I will have Jinx bring you up to speed on the squad’s progress.


“Summed up, they were assigned to hunt a car thief. Their most likely suspect was the owner of Momentum Custom Auto Center, Guzman Cascia. Police lost their target right in the vicinity of his shop. They tried to search the place without a warrant. Cascia didn’t refuse the police and allowed them to search. Nothing. The man has been trying to get his license to perform customs inspections. And he is a frequent guest at a mafia owned private night club.


“Now there has also been a new superhero / vigilante out there known as Black Lightning. Same driving style as the car thief. And he IS a hero. Make no mistake. He takes great pains to avoid collateral damage.


“They believe that Cascia is attempting to infiltrate the mafia. The cars he is stealing appear to be his own, sold to various individuals. The cars are insured by insurance companies that are fronts. They believe he is a matter manipulator that turns his own cars into the cars he later steals. He changes them back as soon as he gets to the shop. All the police find is a car not reported stolen.


“The reason they believe Black Lightning and Cascia are the same man is that Black Lightning also appears to be able to manipulate matter. He punched through the hood of a car to yank a kidnapper’s gun arm up through and molded the metal back trapping him for the police - while leaving the victim safe from harm.


“The question boiled down to why. Why was Black Lightning / Guzman Cascia trying to infiltrate the mafia? Jinx did some research found a man who is supposedly dead, a world class race car driver. Think Speed Racer or Racer X good. His name was John Hughes. His father and then younger brother were killed. It is the manner in which they were killed that concerns me. Powerful explosion - no device. Everyone is blaming the Hydrogen cell that Hughes invented. It is also believed by some that he committed suicide in his last race.


“I believe both his father and brother were killed by a metahuman contract killer - actually a pair of twins - with the ability to disrupt matter. They were known as Plastique and Napalm. Except that they are supposed to be dead. We need to discover if John Hughes is still alive - preferably without blowing his cover. He may be part of an Interpol sting operation. If we are right about the killers, then Interpol is out of its depth. It also means that another villain known as Professor Muerte may have recruited them. And that would be very bad.”


“Let’s go meet the squad. I am afraid there is no clear cut leader to this squad. I’ll send you their dossiers. Amaretta Carnegie is assisting them with Jinx’s help. Morningstar seems to be taking a bit of a lead, but she isn’t really trained. My advice, she is the sort that wants to be at the top of the pecking order whether she is qualified or not. Shoved roughly aside she will pout and be less than useful. But if she feels her input is taken seriously, she will try harder. Eventually the behavior will have to be curbed. but it would be wiser to give her a chance to prove what she can do first. She will be great at crowd control as you will see when you read her file.”


+++++++++++++++++


Heather led Cyber to the Danger Room where Valerie, Jason and Orville were researching the situation regarding the car thief and Black Lightning with the help of Amaretta Carnegie.





“Major, I am going to suggest that Cybera join this squad. While it is probably overkill, I am expecting that the missions will soon converge into one. And if Guzman Cascia is who we believe he is, Cybera should be just his type. Cybera, I present Morningstar, Burst, and …. Mr Schuyler who still needs a codename. I have already brought Cybera up to speed on your investigation.”


++++++++++++++


Outside the Danger Room a very tired dragon trudged by with two energetic fledglings in tow. This was none other than Warlock and his two children, Prometheus and Pandora - born Sept 11, 2001. He thought the date ironic considering he had been born the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Warlock had been better known during the 70’s and 80’s when he became a member of a superhero team. (He had really been more of a mascot.) His singing Bee Gee songs and blasting out the radio stations prompted the FAA to authorize him his own frequence known as WRLK radio. He also had a 1-800-WARLOCK line to report leads on crimes. And for a very short time he even had his own comic book.


“Access Denied!” the computer console bleeped at Pandora.





“No Pandora. That is a Danger Room.”





"But what's inside?" His daughter asked.





“Danger. That’s why they call it a Danger Room.” Warlock chuckled.





“I wanna see,” Pandora whined.


“Access Denied.” The computer warned yet again. It repeated itself.





“Weren’t you just grounded for opening a door you weren’t supposed to?” Warlock sighed. It was so hard to say no to his daughter. She didn’t really care about what was inside. She just wanted to open the door.


“Access Denied.”


++++++++++++++


On the other side of the door the access way kept repeating the same phrase over and over again. “Access denied.”


Amaretta and Heather exchanged looks and in an annoyed look they said in unison. “Pandora.”


Heather smiled. “She is nothing if not persistent.” She walked over to the PA. “Warlock. Do you know where your daughter is? I have a Danger Room door …”





“...Repeating itself. I am here with her.” Warlock responded.





“Give us a moment. There is a bit too much danger in the Danger Room.” She flipped the intercom off. “Jinx? Planet Dante 113, Danger level zero. Toss us a few dead critters around. Lots of scary lightning and volcanism in the background. Then let Warlock and his fledglings in.”


The Danger Room's scenery suddenly changed into a hellish and hostile alien world with nasty looking beasts laying about dead.


“ACCESS GRANTED.”





“Hah! It opened!” a girl’s voice piped up.





“Oh brother,” the boy’s voice dripped with disgust.


Warlock stood right in the doorway. As soon as the door opened the weather in the room gave a very nice display of violence that made the eyes of both fledglings open wide with alarm. Prometheus stood right in front of his father. Pandora had merely poked her neck out to look in timidly. Prometheus tried to backpedal and smacked against his father. Pandora yanked her head back, squealed and hid behind her father.


There was a long pause until Warlock finally prodded his son. “Well, aren’t you going to introduce yourself?” He looked at the sky and growled at the lightning which quickly dimmed.


Amaretta and Heather winced. Apparently this was getting old.


The young male huffed up hesitantly. “I’m Prometheus - BRINGER OF FIRE!”


“That’s my boy,” Warlock patted the fledgling on the head which started a bout of tail wagging. “I am Warlock. And this young lady over here is Pandora who does her best to live up to her name. My apologies, but they were curious. I realize you are all trying to get off and going on a mission. Please don’t let us interrupt.”

 

[Valor Green]

Well, it wasn't anywhere near what she'd thought, but she was glad to be pushing the group in the right direction. "A quest of personal revenge sounds entirely possible. The deaths of his father and brother could have very well been hits put out by this mafia. Perhaps, they wanted to threaten Hughes into submission that he might hand over his research or even be persuaded to convert it into a new weapons system. This would also explain Cascia's interest in their operations concerning weapons. He wants to know what - if anything - they obtained from his-..."


She cut herself off as the door opened behind her. She turned toward Heather and her companion, looking over the woman known as Cybera. She offered a smile and a wave, when her name was introduced. "If I may ask, what is your mission, and in what way does it relate to our's?" She became distracted, when the computerized voice rang from the entrance. She was taken aback by the sudden change of her surroundings into an immolated hellscape littered with the cadaverous creatures one might expect Dante to see grazing at the banks of the Phlegethon. She was equally shocked to see the beings standing in the now open doorway.


She couldn't help but smile, however, at the fledglings, finding their mannerisms endearing. She figured that she may as well reciprocate the friendliness offered. She approached the two little ones and lowered herself down into a crouch to greet them. "My name is Morningstar." She grinned and offered a hand toward Prometheus as she added, "Angel of Light."

 

[Mitheral]

Warlock leaned against the frame of the entryway looking a little weary. Clearly his offspring were wearing him down. Prometheus was enough of a chatterbox for both of them.





“Pandora’s busted - cause she opened a door she wasn’t s’posed to.” Prometheus blatantly announced. “She’s ALWAYS opening doors.”


“Prometheus?” Warlock’s tone was one of mild reproof.





“And she’s mad at Shadowhawk ‘cause he gave her a box for a birthday present. It was cool.” He glanced back at Pandora who bristled and came out from behind the protection of her father.





“Huh uh! It was mean!” Pandora sounded miffed. “I don’t like him.”


Warlock chuckled. “Well, YOU were the one who opened it a day early.” He turned to the humans. “Jack in the box She like the gift he gave the previous year much better. It was a box in a box in a box, in a box … you get the idea. She loved it.”


Prometheus was already getting bored with teasing his sister. “Hey, you wanna see my collection?”


Warlock shook his head above his offspring. “Oh maybe you can do that later. They have a mission. You can show them all those round things later. And you are going to give Dr Johanson his hubcap back. And let’s hope noone falls through the hole you left wherever you found that manhole cover.”


“You said to go find something round.” Prometheus declared.





“AHHHarummmm!” Warlock tried to drown out the statement a little to late. “So I did. And you did such a fine job of it.”


Amaretta decided it was time to save the dragon’s sanity. “Warlock, why don’t you show them how to hunt?”


“CAN WE?!!” Even Pandora looked at her father for an answer.


Warlock glared at Amaretta, who mimed a full belly and lots of yawning. “Erm .. why YES! What a splendid idea. Glad I thought of it.” He winked at Amaretta. “And we won’t burn our meat the way humans do. I know just the place.”


As the family of dragons departed Amaretta sighed. Two birds, one stone. “Not to worry. He owns a number of ranches with cattle.”

 

[Mooalally]

Orville found himself surprised at the sight of this woman. And then more so by the fact that she was joining their team on this mission. It was comforting, yes, to have someone older than these he sat with, but still unnerving that she was joining just now. He narrowed down the thoughts in his head to one possibility: that either she or them were having difficulty in their respective missions and needed the help of the other. If the latter was true, then this woman should have vital information or she was experienced and able to aid them in proceeding. No doubt that they could learn something from her, though.


But he was even more puzzled at the sight of three dragons in the doorway. Weren't they the stuff of legend, not reality? From the voices coming through the intercom, he assumed that there was just a curious girl trying to get the door open, standing with her dad, which was also a super, implied by the code name, Warlock. And only then did he realize the room had changed when it growled at the sky. He. Not it. He had to force himself to think of these beasts as fellow humans, as they were obviously sentient.


The sky lit up frequently with the garish, representational screaming of lightning, casting eerie glows on their faces. And then he noticed the odd-looking creatures on the ground. Was there something he had missed here? She had said something about 'Planet Dante 113', which he supposed was a code for some training simulator they had created, but it still confused him. 'Planet'?


Though the time for that wasn't present, as the smaller dragon seemed to be trying to hide behind it's, it was appropriate to use 'it' here, for her did not know the gender, father. This was odd because it meant that it was shy. And when were dragons ever shy? They were scaly, fearsome beasts that seemed to be the predators, not the prey. And his assumptions were confirmed when the older one was to teach his children how to 'hunt'. For all hew knew, hunting could be another code for something. He was wary now after making the realization that they might be vigilantes, as he got no proof, written or word that they were tied to the official law. But this woman, perhaps he had learned her name and he had forgotten it, but he could not say it now, implied that they were going to go eat cows. And from what Warlock had said, raw cows. This was getting much weirder than he had originally predicted it to be.


But the matter at hand was now the newcomer, named Cybera, now that the dragons were gone.


"Yes, my last name is Schuyler, but you may call me Orville. Formalities slow us down. And speaking of slowing down, this introduction of myself is doing that. Now, the way I see it, there are two possibilities," he said, remembering back to the thought process he had had before. "That you have come because either you or we require aid in proceeding with our missions. I don't think that we're stuck too much though. So, quickly so we can act, share with us the information you might have for us, suggest to us what we should do next, in the case that you are, instead of a bringer of intelligence, an experienced superhero. And in the case that those two aren't true, then tell us of your mission, as my colleague has just asked, and we'll try to help you by solving our own case."

 

[Pattycakes]

Cybera was about to introduce herself when she was interrupted. The dragons were...interesting to say the least. It was looking more and more like a freak show around the base. First superheroes and now dragons.


As soon as the dragons were done, the one named Schuyler wasted little time launching into an interrogation of her. Did these people have no sense of personality? She could have been more polite to a newcomer drunk. Still, if they were not going to waste time on formalities, neither was she.


“Valerie Middleton, 19, light manipulator,” she said, saying the information audibly as her mind accessed the file. “My mission is the successful location of John Hughes, an Interpol string operation, and to determine if Professor Muerte of,” she paused for a moment looking for a Proffesor Muerte in the informatin grid, “Terror Incoperated is involved.


“Orville Schuyler. Male, 31, author. Iceman. John Hughes' brother and father were killed by metahumans contact killer, a twin duo that can disrupt matter named Plastique and Napalm. However, both of these killers are supposidly dead. John Hughes may be involved in an Interpol sting operation. He must be found, alive if possible, without blowing his cover. If the killers are the twins, then Interpol will likely need metahuman assistance as Terror Incoperated is likely involved.


“As such, the next course of recommended action would be finding John Hughes.”

 

[sharlene79]

Heather smiled thinly. “While Micronaut was designated as the team captain, I believe he would have made the same assignment for Cybera. The three of you are all earth bound - not alternate modes of self capable mobility - such as flight, teleportation or web slinging. Shadowhawk and Arachne are nocturnal - as the monster appears to be. Both are capable of a lengthy period underwater. Shadowhawk is a superb combatant and very fast. Arachne can subdue. Theirs was considered the most dangerous mission.


“Micronaut and Lady Jane were assigned to Dark Knight. It is doubtful they will make an approach. He hasn’t shown his face and is known to go for days without activity. He probably has a real job. I suspect his next appearance will be in sync with the weekly drop by a money laundering operation. I also believe that is going to become an ambush for him. The criminals aren’t stupid. While the whole team will be a bit of overkill, it should be enough to prevent heavy collateral damage. Expect heavy weapons fire on that mission. Cybera, even you will have reason to be cautious. I am expecting vehicular weaponry. They gunned him down once and he came back. They will escalate.


“Your mission. Why Cybera? Because I believe Guzman Cascia is a very well developed alternate ID created with the help of Interpol for John Hughes. Further I believe John Hughes is Black Lightning. Black Lightning appears to have the ability to manipulate machinery. He was able to override the computerized systems of that car he put his hands through and order the fuel and breaking systems to a quick and safe halt. I think it is how he is able to break into computerized security of high end luxury cars so fast.


“I believe it is too early for you to encounter Plastique and Napalm, I will hand over dossiers on them. We know what they look like in their civilian ID’s. We also know how to destabilize their disruption power. A simple electromagnetic burst will suffice. Cybera, your Blaster produced a strong enough field if you get right up to the effect. It is quite visible once induced, so you will know if your were successful when the glow recedes. Plastique’s power glows bluish. Napalm’s is reddish.


“Another reason I assigned Cybera? John Hughes was known for having two … loves. Fast cars and fast women. Morningstar, judging from your reaction to the business of the nightclub, I gather you would prefer not to be placed in that position. Unless there is something else around to distract him, he would likely give you a second or third look.”

 

[Mitheral]

Backpost - About One Week Ago


The following is a scene that occurred about a week ago. The bookstore is owned by Micronaut - and is located on the corner across the street from Momentum Custom Auto Center. There was a scene of violence that barely made it to the level of a police report, but with a car left on the street looking like it had been used in a Dillinger movie remake ... And barely a police report is still a report. The car has yet to be hauled away. And John hasn't lifted a finger to repair it.

****************

​

John and James had just returned from visiting the bookstore. At first John hadn't been especially enthusiastic. But there was something about James Stevens that reminded him of his kid brother. And just how much so became evident when the guy talked about authors like Jules Verne and Edgar Rice Burroughs. The shop had few in the way of comics, but the guy still seemed to love those too.


While far from enthusiastic about having a kid in his place, James had been talking real money when it came to leasing part of the garage space - and pay for some practical hands on. He wanted to do the work himself, but simply lacked the facilities. And well money was money. The kid clearly wasn't interested in competing with his own garage.





About 30 minutes after they had returned, John heard the sounds of souped up muscle cars - street legal stuff mostly. But he caught sight of one of the cars and knew trouble when he saw it. One of the gang's members had brought a car in for some custom work and claimed the work was shit - and refused to pay. He'd drawn a knife and John had put the man down. Now trouble was back in spades.


Of course, the man he had put down stood to the rear. None of the others were tiny. Each one stood over 6 feet tall and had to be strong as oxen. Odds were most had seen time in a prison once or twice.


James read their stances and immediately assumed a more attentive position, ready for trouble. As geeky as the kid had once been, he was not afraid to take a punch. In the past few years he had filled out a little with something resembling real muscles. Still the members of the gang dwarfed the kid.


Their leader, Ganz, stepped forward. "My boy says you screwed up the repairs and you wouldn't return his car. He wants a second opinion."


John waved James back telling him to go into the customer waiting room. Meanwhile John's employee Eugene Parks turned the corner from the vehicle bay having heard the raised voices. He had come over to see what was going on. John glanced at him and signaled with his eyes. Eugene was a big man, built like a truck; he had been a former prize fighter and maintained his rock solid form. Unobtrusively Eugene grabbed a large pry bar that was the size of medieval sword and held it behind his back. He had seen these guys around the area and they were trouble.


John wanted to roll his eyes but that probably wasn't the best thing to do in front of these guys. He knew the type... "Your boy, “ he paused, "took exception to our refund policy." He said gesturing at the wall where the policy was clearly displayed. "Time and labor was put into that car..." He said but his tone sounded like he may have been better off skipping that particular work. "I run a business here..." He added, "I can't do work for free."


Ganz nodded at a couple of his men and they started closing the garage doors. They turned to do his bidding.


"Kid and girl can stay." Ganz looked Jennifer up and down. "She might just liven things up a bit."


James bristled, but Jennifer laid a hand on his shoulder. She leaned over and whispered in his ear. "It's okay. Leave it."


James leaned over and whispered even lower. "I know. Halon." But his expression didn't change - except for the mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "You don't want to go there man. I have been in more fights than you can imagine." That just got a laugh out of the men. James didn't really expect more. But it was true. Then again, he never claimed to have WON those fights.


The gangbanger continued. "Well, you may have put work into the car, but it was a lot of shit. You're going to hand over the keys - or we are going to have to explain our quality guaranteed policy."


John sighed, "Look... I offered to deduct the cost of the parts... I wouldn't have made a thing on the job." He frowned, "Instead your guy threw a fit and tried to hit me." He stared straight at the gang’s leader, "Pay for the cost of labor and I'll gladly let you have the car back." He tried to wave James off but the kid didn't seem to get the idea. He could see the way some of the big dudes were eyeing the girl. He did not like the way they were looking at her. As if she was some kind of piece of meat. He ground his jaw and stepped in front of the two of them. "This is between the two of us. Leave these kids out of it." He said firmly. He gestured behind him as if to shove James and Jennifer out of the way.


He saw the expressions on the gang members faces, "If that doesn't satisfy you... maybe we can come to other sort of arrangement?" He suggested.





Well these guys hadn't drawn weapons yet. James did NOT want Jennifer in this mess. And as brave a front as he wanted to show, her safety came first. She wasn't knife or bullet proof. John’s mechanic, Eugene took one step during the tenseness and the attention of two more of the main six turned his way.


That was the moment James seized. The gang didn't care about paying. They just wanted the car and they were willing to kill for it. The only reason they hadn't was that they didn't have the keys. James could only guess it had some sort of enhanced security - or was locked up by such. Either way, he and Jennifer represented nothing but leverage. With them gone, only the mechanic would be at risk - and James had a plan for that already - though even he thought it was lame.


He grabbed Jennifer and used her as a obstacle to push off of, spun around and put a foot in the chest of the man closest to them, sending the man into another, using the momentum to push off. The change in direction put them behind a car before the rest could react and they simply vanished. Four men moved rapidly as Ganz barked orders to get them and not let them escape. That left Ganz and three others for Eugene and John. The garage doors had closed and now running was less an option. Unfortunately the gang wasn't smart enough to think of that fast enough and the door to the customer lounge bounced open and slowly closed. _Divide and Conquer,_ James thought. Then he dropped Jennifer off out of sight and had her start spinning some webs.


John hadn't hired Eugene for his fighting skills; that had just been a bonus. The man was strong and an excellent mechanic. He was also much smarter than he looked. John's heart sank when James pulled his little maneuver but he was surprised at how fast the kid had moved. James was definitely faster than he looked. A smile came to his face, one of reluctant admiration. Kid had some guts... reminded him of his Brother. He was sure being reminded of his kid brother a lot lately...


With that he turned his attention to the leader, Ganz. As he moved to throw a punch he noticed the guy going for his gun. John grimaced and turned the movement of the punch into a dodge. He wasn't nearly as fast on his feet as he was in a car. He had learned some techniques to defend himself which had surprised Ganz's man but without his suit or his car... He'd have to rely mostly on luck.


He rolled to hit a switch on the wall that deactivated the lights. He hoped this would disorient the Gang members and distract them in order for Eugene to get clear.


Ganz and the other man watching John took pot shots at him, but too late to do any good. Eugene was less fortunate, for he was a lot slower and right out in the open. One of the men pointed his gun and fired.


To John's horror Eugene slammed backwards and bounced off the car in the bay there and collapsed. Only John's rather unusual visual acuity caught the faint movement of a tiny object just in front of where Eugene had been standing - and something small - perhaps a few inches in length - move away at slow bullet speeds.


An instant later the yellow emergency halon activation lights came on the alarm began to blare. Someone had tripped the manual activation. In several seconds the halon would go off and oxygen would start getting sucked out of the room. But it would also fill the room with a dense fog. That would even the playing field fast.


This was an interesting turn of events... just what was that that had knocked Eugene back like that? John figured that sort of fall must have rendered him unconscious. The sound of the alarm and the flashing of the emergency lights would disorient the thugs further. He had selected priority targets, intending to take their leader down and the others and then once that was taken care of... make sure his man was okay.


Moving quickly, while the men were distracted John closed the ground between him and Ganz. He went for a sweep at the back of the man's knees to knock him flat and hopefully disarm him. He added a punch to the pressure point under the man’s arm for good measure.


One of the men went to turn his gun on John as he charged, as did another, but something - with looked like silk threads glistening in the yellow light - yanked the guns away and off toward the small storage unit and locker room. That part of the garage didn't reach the main roof. It had once been an office for the last business that had been there. Someone was up there in the darkness. In one flash of yellow light, John caught sight of a woman's head with sunglasses on.


Small objects began flying around the room bouncing harmless off the men. It was just bottles of oil, small wrenches, and the like. Then the items got larger as a plastic drum half full of rags shot across the room - attached to a silk thread. It bounced unnaturally as this time John saw what had slammed into the drum hard enough to knock it about. It was the small figure that had stopped the bullet. This time it was closer and he could tell it was human shaped.





Silken threads? Something connected in John's mind. There had been news reports of a multi-armed person swinging about and saving an attempted suicide from the Brooklyn bridge. Some had claimed that the arms were fake and that it was some sort of hoax. This... what? Fly man? Tiny flyer? Was something different? If John's vision hadn't been so attuned to movement and speed he might have missed the sight. As it was he had to pay attention to the gang members which were easier to dispatch without their guns.


John then moved over to the wall as fast as he could to slap a panel inset into the wall. This would override the gas and shut off the emergency lights. Once the thugs were down.


John was breathing quickly after this exertion. However he wanted to bash some more heads for all that they had done. He did not like being threatened or having other customers threatened in his own shop. His eyes looked intense as thoughts of revenge flooded his mind.


John had turned away from the halon for no more than a second when it went the sirens started up again. As he looked about for another man to go after, he saw one suddenly start getting slammed about by the tiny hero. The hero struck with all the force of a rubber bullet but it was more than enough. Another one running toward John tripped on something - another thread. They still had no clue what was hitting them.


Between flashes Eugene's body vanished. John barely caught sight of the miniature hero - much larger now moving toward the customer lounge. Another flash of light - and the door rocked opened, closing slowly on its own. Suddenly all the garage doors started rattling at once. The door to the lounge slammed shut. John saw why. There were threads attached to each one and the woman atop the locker room was yanking on them.


Cursing, the gang was starting to panic. This was just too damned weird. They headed for the customer door entrance - which swung inwards. The woman couldn't hold that shut. At first the door stuck shut and they bunched up. Again John had time to shut off the halon.


Then the door opened. As the gang made it outside the windshields, headlights, tail lights began to explode. Then one of the cars started up on its own and shifted into gear - reverse. It was as if the car was driving itself ... badly. Like the driver couldn't really see where they were going.


Then tires started blowing. John could see the cause. It was the tiny hero.


After that the gang was too damned afraid to get the cars. They started off down the street on foot. A couple of bottles of oil were tossed after them, and then finally stopped.


John opened the garage doors and watched, grinning as the gang took off running down the street. He was half tempted to shout something after them but he decided against it. That would certainly teach them... He felt his anger dissipate. He was laughing too hard to hold on to it.


Now... he wondered if what he suspected was the truth... Otherwise it was some really good tricks... Those kids had disappeared all the sudden.





He went into the lounge to check on the two kids and his employee. Where had Eugene gotten off to? "You alright big guy?" he asked the lumbering mechanic.


As soon as the commotion had suddenly stopped the kids - led by Eugene - who was trying to keep them back - poked a cautious head out. Eugene looked red faced, like he had been gut punched hard. Jennifer was jumpy, reacting to every slight movement. James looked like he had just passed through a hurricane. His hair was disheveled, clothing torn. His hands looked burned as did the side of his face. It wasn't extremely bad - more like a scald. But the kid tried to look as if nothing was wrong.


All three looked at the scene of devastation where the gang's cars had been left behind. "What happened?" James asked.


Eugene was shaking his head. "Felt like I got slammed into by a Mack truck and gut punched at the same time."


John shook his head... his eyes narrowed suspiciously. But then he sighed and shrugged, "It appears the shop has some ghosts..." He said his tone slightly facetious, "They didn't appreciate those characters muscling themselves about." He chuckled, "They sure taught them a lesson those thugs are likely not to forget." He eyed James pointedly. "What happened to you?" He gestured at the scald on the kids face.


One thing that Eugene could do was take a punch... though this was not any normal punch. "Why don't you lay down on the cot for awhile Eugene... I can take care of the rest for today." He suggested. "I'll bring you some beer." He added smiling.


Eugene waved it off. "I'll be fine. Let me walk it off. I don't know how the guy could have missed." His face went a little ashen at that thought.


James smiled. "Well, if he hadn't, you'd never get to show me that John Henry impression you were doing with that pry bar. At least that move you made bought Jennifer and me to escape. I won't forget that. I owe you one."


Eugene didn't seem to realize exactly what he had done. But he smiled anyways. He was just glad everyone was okay. "Hell of a mess."


James' stomach rumbled. "Yeah ... tell you what. Something just reminded me I haven't eaten yet. I'll help clean up. I can start on the broken glass. Jennifer can order us some food."


Jennifer was fumbling in her purse. She pulled out lotion bottle with a green goo in it and opened it up. She glowered as James didn't hold still for her. It was, of course, aloe.


James finally noticed. "What? Oh. Thanks."


Only then did John realize just how messy the shop was... it was as though a miniature hurricane had torn through the inside of the shop. He tsked but even though it meant a lot of work he smiled. So... the kid wanted to lease some space huh? John was of half a mind to let him do more than that... he didn't want to let on what he thought he knew, at least not in front of Eugene. However, the way he was looking at the kids they might have thought he was up to something.





"I appreciate the help cleaning up..." He said nodding though there was an odd tone to his voice as though he meant more than he said. "I really do. This shop is a wreck... such a pain to clean. Let me pay for the food, at least." He added looking closer at Jennifer. Yup... those sunglasses. Boy the girl was twitchy... He backed off almost as quickly as he had moved to look at her. He held up his hands to show he meant nothing aggressive by the movement.





With four people working it didn't take so long to get the place cleaned up. Even with Jennifer yawning constantly, James was a diligent worker. It was how he had started at the bookstore.

 

[Valor Green]

Valerie stood up as the dragons left and returned to her group. "I prefer 'photokinetic', but 'light manipulator' works too." she commented in an off-handed manner. "Or 'lightbearer'." Cybera hadn't brought much new information, aside from that about the killers - confirmed freaks for hire to help support her theory. Her recommendation didn't happen to be very far from what she already had in mind either. Valerie was nearly ready to speak but stopped herself to listen to Heather.


"I appreciate the consideration." she said with a nod. She didn't take much joy in the idea of playing the seductress, especially on her first assignment. As much as she tried to hide it, even she was not above the nervous jitters. "Must we get so personal, though, in order to obtain a DNA sample? Surely, a good Samaritan like Mister Cascia donates blood, or perhaps, something in his business or home may have caught a stray hair. Would that not be sufficient?"


"If it does confirm to be an Interpol operation that we've found ourselves involved in, how are we to proceed from there? Are we to disengage and let sleeping dogs lie, or are we to meddle further in this affair in order to gather more on this Professor Muerte?" The name rolled awkwardly off her tongue, as she couldn't help but find a tinge of embarrassment at the mention of such a ridiculous moniker.

 

[sharlene79]

Heather responded. “While I am 99% positive there is an Interpol operation in progress, it is NOT on any official books. It is a black op. I believe Mitchell Cantrell’s brother was running an operation off the books - mainly to prevent the flow of money from being traced back to any form of law enforcement. I believe they were also the money source for the bribes to Detective Shawn Brady. As I said, these missions are linked.


“DNA. No, there are no records of Guzman Cascia donating blood. In fact I would not be surprised if he takes great care not to leave much in the way of DNA evidence laying around. But there is more than one way to get DNA. It is next to impossible to work in an auto shop and be trying to rub elbows with mafia without leaving some around somewhere.


“Regardless, Black Lightning AND Dark Knight combined do not have the means to face off with Muerte. Whether they like it or not, they need our help. And we could use theirs. Today, I would just try to speak with Guzman - discretely - and feel him out. He MAY try to set you up to get in with the mafia. Hopefully not. That is another reason I am sending Cybera. I would NOT try to speak to him about these matters in front of his employee.





"If you need to use a vehicle I can send you with one. Oh … and I suppose I may as well inform you - “ she paused and smiled, “ - about the POV he normally drives. It is a 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. It comes with a 1200 HP engine, but has no back seat. He’s a bachelor, to say the least. And THAT is good reason to park it INSIDE his garage.”

 

[Mitheral]

In the past week since the incident with Ganz and his friends and the police raid on Cascia’s shop, little had happened. Business had returned to normal. Well, almost normal … Outside of the auto shop were parked a few small TV vans. They weren’t from any broadcasting station. The vans looked to be in far too poor a shape for that. They had a couple men shooting video of the car that Micronaut had nearly turned into scrap.


The team’s target was standout nearby talking with a couple of the men. To Cyber’s trained eyes he seemed more than a little annoyed at all the attention, yet a little amused at the same time. To everyone else he seemed to be treating this like free advertising for his shop. He was speaking loud enough that even the team could hear him.


“Sure, I could fix that,” he announce with a grin. It wasn’t entirely faked. He spent several minutes telling tales that might be responsible for the spirits that might be responsible for the car’s condition and how the shop and his customer’s had been threatened by some gangbangers unhappy with his services. His favorite version seemed to be about some 90 year old WW II vet that owned a bookstore across the street that had passed away recently. Rumor had it that the man had valued good manners, quality service, blah, blah …


The ghostbuster crew were eating it up, especially when Guzman told them his facts were a matter of public record. But he was more than relieved when they stopped interviewing him and he finally had some customers to speak with. When his ‘customers’ turned out not to even have a car in need of his services he seemed less enthused.


Guzman’s attention was riveted on Cybera. Her senses warned her immediately of an attempt to probe her. However that was a possibility that had been considered long, long ago. Part of her design included a platinum iridium mesh to prevent manipulation by cyberkinesis. Originally the idea had been passed up by NYPD because of the expense. DARPA had been less concerned with that issue. They didn’t want their prototype hacked and stolen. Of course, if Guzman really was Black Lightning, then he could easily bypass that defense. The man could turn her into scrap. But then a thug with a pistol could turn a normal human into a lump of lifeless flesh. Quid pro quo.


Guzman used his employee, a lumbering mechanic named Eugene to keep the ghostbuster crew busy while he dealt with the new arrivals, excusing himself on the pretense that he had a business to run. He seemed to be at ease. Nothing could have been further from the truth. But he was good at acting his part. He invited his new visitors back to his office. He found that had been taken over with ghost sniffing equipment and signed in resignation.


“There’s a bookstore across the street. I know the owner. I think I might be able to talk the manager into letting me borrow an office.” Guzman already had this team pegged as not being ordinary humans. The bookstore in question belonged to Micronaut and Arachne.


There was an older man and a young street chick working the store. They recognized Guzman on sight. After a brief explanation the street chick took them down to the basement level where there were no customers to bother them. Then she turned and left.


“The owner is leasing part of my garage to work on his car. It’s a piece of junk, not worth the cost of the lease. But he knows that.”

 

[Mitheral]

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