Tales of the Youth League/I Stand Alone
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
Contents |
I Stand Alone
Part 1
By Psi Elixer
Jak of Hearts walked through the shimmering light into the base. He was looking for Psi Elixer. The two were supposed to go on rounds together, but he had never shown. Jak went to Charlie's room and found nobody inside.
"Well, I guess it's not that uncommon." he thought, making his way to Dexter's room.
When he knocked on the door, it slid open. He found Dexter sitting on the bed crying, a piece of paper clutched in his hand.
"Dexter, what's wrong? Where's Charlie?" he asked, walking over to him. He placed a hand on his shoulder.
The younger boy didn't answer. Instead, he handed the paper to Jak. He opened it and read...
Dexter,
I'm sorry that I have to do this like I am. I'm going after
Cryoshock. I saw how six of us fought him and barely phased
him. I can't risk everyone's safety. If I can beat him, then I'm
going straight to the source. Lord Recluse will pay for what he's
done.
If I don't make it, I'm sorry. You know I love you, that's why
I have to do this. If you got hurt, I don't know what I'd do.
Again, I'm sorry.
Love,
Charlie
Jak couldn't believe what he was reading. It'd been weeks since the last time they'd heard anything about the experiment from Arachnos. Why would Charlie go now? Had he heard something? And why would he go alone? Jak Knew that Veronica had spoken to him about this. She had told him that The Youth League worked together. He was sure that she would be mad.
Without a word to Dexter, Jak stood and went to the main computer. He clicked on the comma and cleared his voice.
"Youth League," he said, "this is Jak of Hearts. We have an emergency situation. Everyone meet at the base. NOW!" He screamed the last word.
He then clicked off the comm and went back to Dexter's room. He picked up the younger boy very protectively, then began walking towards the meeting room.
Part 2
By Veronica Volt
The plasma screen monitor beside Veronica Volt let out a sharp squeal of static and flashed brightly before going black. Something inside made a quick popping noise and smoke began drifting up from behind the unit. “He did WHAT?!”” the young girl said loudly in disbelief. Jak of Hearts took a step back and eyed the monitor worriedly. Kid Psyche hung his head and looked even more dejected than he had a moment before.
Veronica stared at the crumpled note in her hands and quickly scanned it again. Her hands shook and the electrical field that constantly surrounded the young cheerleader began to crackle and expand.
“Maybe you should sit down for a bit, V” Fyre Prism said as he carefully reached over and took the note from her hands. Veronica looked at him with a scowl that quickly changed to a look of chagrin as she recognized his concern.
She sat down heavily in her chair and rested her head in her hands. “Of all the lame-brained, ill-conceived…what could he have been thinking?!” She looked at Dexter standing in front of her. He looked miserable with his puffy eyes and red face. He fidgeted with his hands as he tried to look anywhere but at Veronica. “And Dexter, I can’t believe you’d let him do it!”
“But I didn’t know!” the boy protested.
“How could you not know?” Veronica questioned. “You two are in and out of each other’s minds constantly. Do you honestly expect me to believe you didn’t know he was planning this?”
Fyre Prism cut off Kid Psyche’s reply. “Veronica, do you really think Dex would let Charlie try something like that on his own? More than likely, if he’d known, we’d have two missing teammates now, instead of just one. He looked pointedly at Kid Psyche who started to protest and then thought better of it.
Veronica let out a heavy sigh. “You’re right. But Dex, how could he keep something like this from you? I don’t understand.”
“I wish I knew.” Kid Psyche answered her. “I didn’t even have a clue, we’ve both been trying to avoid the whole Cryoshock issue these past couple of weeks. “I…I can’t believe he hid this from me.” He looked around at the heroes gathered together in the Youth League’s meeting room. “…I should have known…” he said miserably. His lower lip began to tremble again.
“It’s not your fault, Kid” Jak said “quit beating yourself up about it.” He frowned at Veronica as he spoke. "We need to focus on what we’re going to do about it rather than point fingers.” He crossed his arms and sat on the arm of the chair nearest him. Veronica looked at him a moment before sighing again. Her expression softened as she made a visible effort to calm down, evident by the shrinking of the energy field that surrounding her.
“You’re right, Jak." She turned to face Kid Psyche and said "I’m sorry, Dex, I’m just worried.”
Kid Psyche smiled for the first time since he’d found Psi Elixer’s note sitting under the stuffed bear on his bed. The bear had been a gift from Charlie, won at a local carnival ring-toss game on their first real date. The smile quickly left his face as he remembered picking up the note, at first dreading to read it. A note on my bed, he thought, What is this, a Dear Dex letter? he’d thought as he opened it. His worry quickly turned to fear, then horror as he read through it. Too stunned by Charlie’s letter to think clearly, he sat down on his bed and tried to think of someway to fix everything. Dexter’s own recent experiences in the Rogue Isles made him painfully aware of the danger his boyfriend was in. Jak had found him a short time later, crying quietly, his mind in turmoil.
“OK, the first thing we need to do is figure out who’s available at the moment to help out.” Fyre Prism said. As usual, his level-headed approach helped to focus everyone’s attention to the job at hand. “Veronica, can you call DJ Zero and arrange for transportation to the Rogue Isle? He certainly owes us a favor or two after all the recent help we’ve given him.” He looked at the blond sitting beside him and she nodded. “Jak, get back to the comm. station and see how many members we have in route to the base so we know what our resources are.” Jak of Hearts stood up quickly and made his way out of the meeting room. Fyre Prism turned to Kid Psyche and put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s going to be OK, Dex. HE’s going to be OK.” He said with a smile. “You’ll see. Why don’t you go get some hot chocolate for us all, you look like you could use it, and I think it’s going to be a long night. We’ve got a lot of planning to do.” Kid Psyche didn’t have to read his mind to feel Fyre Prism’s confidence, it was easy enough to see in the determined look on the young man’s face.
Part 3
By Neutrino’
((WARNING! Going to reveal a serious issue with Ray, not for the faint of heart!))
“What IS going ON?!?!” Ray(Neutrino) Shouted through a pay phone he was on. The people that past by him looked at the opened book bag that lay on the side of the pay phone; a cord connecting the two.
“Yes the lines secure. What are you people doing over there. I want to know what’s going on with that kid. I tapped in the Atlas Surveillance cameras and saw the fight. What is that thing?...What?! How can you say that! You said he’ll stop with the Youth League. Leave us alone!...I can’t believe this….” The boy stood holding the corded phone to his ear and mouth. Everything he was hearing was angering him. He felt betrayed, but at the same time how this could have not happened.
“Fine…So this is it than…he’ll fall…I promise you that.” He slammed the telephone to its post. He disconnected the cord from the Pay Phone, stuffed it in his book bag and closed it, flipping it quickly over his back. He began walking away, head staring towards the floor as if he was looking at something. His com began to glow, help was needed. He responded to it, Fyre Prism was calling for any Youth Leaguer that could help. He quickly squeezed the pendant that was around his neck. He flew towards the Teleporter in Kings Row. He released his hold on Bio when he had reached the base, it returned to a simple pendant in a glowing flash. He saw other Youth Leaguers working around the base; Dex was sitting with a cup of chocolate, Ray had noticed with his advanced sense of smell. He went to Veronica Volt; the beautiful heroin he knew was only just a red figure with his glasses that allowed him only to see shapes of hot and cold.
Looking at her was especially hard since her electromagnetic field is much stronger than the others; it hurt to look at the girl he cared for so much. This put him in his usual state of depression, he tried to keep it under control from the near by mind reader.
“Hey V, I’ll be right with you, anyway I can. Just need to use the bathroom real quick.” He told the girl staring to the floor.
“Sure….Are you okay?” She responded softly realizing that he was not looking at her.
“Yeah, just have a bit of a headache. Don’t worry we have other things to take care of.” He responded quickly and with a small smile that was an attempt to comfort her. She responded with a quick smile, than she went back to work as Ray walked quickly to the bathroom.
He pushed the door open, gasping heavily; he was trying hard to hold it. Tears rushed out of his eyes. He ran into the last stall of the three that stood in the men’s bathroom. He sat on the covered toilet seat and quickly unzipped his book bag open, quickly looking for something. He had a long sleeve shirt; he quickly pulled the left sleeve down with his mouth, revealing multiple horizontal scars, as he still searched his book bag. He pulled his hand from his bag as he found what he was looking for, a small pocket knife. He closed his left fist tightly, veins quickly forming. He pressed the small knife to his wrist quickly swiping it across as he would a credit card in a store. He grinded his teeth together, his eyes tightly shut, tears still running down his face.
Several minutes later he opened his eyes, he looked at his arm; blood had run down his arm. He took out a red cloth from his book bag and started wiping the cut clean. He put a white bandage around the arm. It had been the first time he had done this in the base, but the urge was too intense to ignore it. He only hoped, as he put everything away in his book bag, that the mind reader outside would not know. Ray started to clear his mind thinking about other things, but the rush he had just got, the pleasure was to strong he cleared his mind again, as he left the stall and washed his face. He exited the bathroom and went to Fyre and asked him what was needed to do.
Part 4
By Kid Psyche
Kid Psyche stared into the rapidly cooling cup of hot chocolate clutched tightly in his hands. It seemed like within the course of a few short hours his world had come crashing down. He had returned from a quick trip to the local comic books store loaded down with the latest editions he collected monthly. Since he wasn’t scheduled for patrol this evening, he’d planned to spend it lying on his bed reading comics and eating junk food while watching Serenity on DVD for the seventh time. Headphones in place, he hummed along as he walked down the tiled hall leading to the dormitory section of the team’s base. As he reached out to tap the control panel beside his door he was struck by a strange feeling of apprehension. Hesitating only a second, he opened the door and peered inside. Nothing looked out of the ordinary and more importantly he didn’t sense any hostile thoughts within the room. Ever since Nova Lad had snuck in and rewired his room’s environmental controls as a prank, he’d been on the lookout for other practical jokes. He had to admit, base life was a lot less exciting without some of the more rambunctious members around anymore. The team had lost some of its spunk when Johnny Lightning and Nova Lad had left, and for a while after Kid Ferret resigned, things were downright dismal.
Satisfied that it was safe to enter, he flipped on the overhead light and set his bag of comics on his desk. He turned on the TV and noticed Niven, his stuffed bear named for his favorite writer, sitting on top of a folded piece of paper on his pillow. Again he was struck by the strange feeling of foreboding. His first thought was to call for Charlie telepathically but there was no response, in fact, he didn’t sense his boyfriend’s thoughts anywhere nearby. He hesitantly reached out and picked up both the bear and the note and absentmindedly clutched the bear to his chest as he unfolded the paper. He read Charlie’s letter and it seemed as if the room began to spin. Shocked and stunned by the message, he sat down heavily on the bed.
He sent out a strong telepathic call to Psi Elixer but there was no answer. Panic began to set in and fueled his next attempt. He was sure his call went out further than ever before, but still there was no reply. Charlie’s note indicated that he was setting out after Cryoshock Kid, and possibly even Lord Recluse himself…six members of the Youth League had faced Cryoshock just a few weeks earlier and had been hard pressed to hold off the young man’s assaults. Dexter knew that alone, Charlie wouldn’t stand a chance. The thought of his boyfriend, somewhere in the Rogue Isle hunting Cryoshock and probably being hunted by much worse villains overwhelmed Kid Psyche and he began to cry. How could Charlie leave him like this? After all they’d been through together, and all they shared, how could he have not confided in him? A few minutes later, Jak of Hearts came to his room and found him sitting on his bed, clutching Niven and crying over the crumpled note.
Jak had insisted that they tell Veronica and Fyre Prism immediately and Dexter had no choice but to go along with him. As he expected, the leaders of the Youth League were angry, Veronica to the point that she began to lose control of her energy field, something that rarely happened anymore. Fyre Prism began coordinating plans for a recon trip to the Rogue Isles as more Youth League members began showing up in response to Jak’s earlier urgent call for help. Dexter sat watching the marshmallows melt into his hot chocolate and listening to the bustle around him. Every time he tried to think of a plan of action, his mind turned instead to thoughts of Charlie and his fear threatened to overwhelm him. He felt a familiar presence as another of the senior members emerged from the base’s transporter. Neutrino quickly made his way back to the meeting room and spoke softly with Veronica for a second before turning and walking back down the hall.
Dexter tried to think of some way to help Charlie. He thought of the few people he’d met in his brief trip to the Rogue Isles that might be willing to help, but each of them would come with a price. It seemed that no one in the Rogue Isles believed in charity, it was every man for himself and only the strongest survived in that haven for criminals. Suddenly, he was struck by a strange feeling of longing, and apprehension. Before he could focus on the source however, the thoughts were replaced by a surge of pain and at the same time ecstasy. The emotions quickly faded and before he could get a bearing on them, they faded completely, as if someone had turned off a switch. Puzzled, he started to look down the hall toward where the strange feelings had seemed to originate.
Feeling a tug on his sleeve, Dexter turned to find young Lin Yao Wei standing beside him with a large porcelain mug filled with hot tea. She gently took the cup of chocolate, now grown cold, from Kid Psyche’s hands and replaced it with the tea. “This will be better for you, Dex” she said softly. “The cocoa works like a stimulate; this will sooth your nerves and let you get some peace.” She smiled at him and reached up to wipe a way a tear.
“Thanks, Lin.” He said as he sipped the drink she’d prepared for him. He looked at the young girl and smiled. There was something about Lin Yao Wei that always brought him peace. He thought, not for the first time, how extraordinary it was that someone so young could have such a relaxed and disciplined mind. She was one of the few people he’d ever met that wasn’t surrounded by a constant mental chatter, Lin’s thoughts usually came through orderly and in one voice, as if all of the parts of her psyche thought in unison.
Looking down, he noticed she was wearing her bunny slippers. Following his eyes, she began alternately tapping her feet, making the floppy ears bounce with each tap. Dexter chuckled and looked up to see Lin watching him. Relieved to see his mood changing, she broke into a wide grin. Despite his worry, Kid Psyche began to laugh at the sight of the young powerhouse with the dancing bunnies at her feet.
Fyre Prism and Veronica Volt looked at the two kids laughing together and turned to face each other. Fyre Prism quietly said, “Well, that’s an improvement.”
Veronica closed the cover on her insulated cell phone, designed by Kid Physics to stand up to the punishment of her electrical field. “DJ Zero has agreed to help us, but we need to move quickly.” she said. Just then, Jak of Hearts hurried into the room.
“Blazing Cinders is in Brickstown, she’s on her way to the base portal and should be here in a few minutes. That’s everyone I could contact.” the young man said.
Fyre Prism looked around at the assembled heroes and said,” OK, Youth League, time to shift into overdrive. We need a plan. I want to hear ideas and I want to hear them now. Let’s get to it!”
Part 5
By Veronica Volt
DJ Zero looked at the assembled heroes and shook his head. Turning to face the young girl before him he said, “You know Ronnie, this is not going to be easy, I can get you to the Rogue Isles without a hitch, but getting you back could be a problem. Someone over there seems to have discovered the frequency I’ve been using for communications and has recently started jamming my signals.”
Veronica Volt turned to glance at Fyre Prism who gave her a brief nod. “If we have to, we’ll take Lord Recluse’s personal shuttle.” she said, “We’re bringing Psi Elixer back, Zero.”
The black-suited man crossed his arms and sighed. “I don’t think this is a good idea, V.” he said. “You ought to listen to me, call Freedom Phalanx, or the Gods of the Golden Age, just don’t try this stunt on your own. The Youth League’s good, don’t misunderstand me, but we’re talking about the man himself, Lord Recluse…he’s not someone you mess with lightly, trust me on this. You DO NOT want to show up on that man’s radar, so to speak”
Stepping forward, Neutrino said “It’s too late for that, Recluse has already had his eyes on the Youth League for some time now.” DJ Zero cocked his head at Neutrino’s statement and looked at the young man expectantly. “I mean, he’d have to, right? He sent Cryoshock Kid after Psi Elixer, you know he would have looked us up before committing to something like that.” Kid Psyche turned his head towards Neutrino and shuddered as the memory of their fight with Cryoshock Kid atop the Atlas statue returned to him. Something bothered him about Neutrino’s declaration but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He reached out tentatively with his mind but as usual, Neutrino’s amazing “suit”, bio, blocked any attempts to scan his friend’s surface thoughts.
“We know what to expect,” Neutrino continued, “we won’t underestimate Recluse, or his minions.” He turned to face Veronica Volt. Blinded a few short weeks ago as a result of his battle with Black Scorpion, his newly acquired thermal vision showed her in vivid shades of red and orange, shot through by jagged, painfully bright streaks of white as her mystical lightning danced around her body.
Veronica studied Ray’s face for a moment before turning back towards DJ Zero and echoing Neutrino’s statement. “Yeah, he’d have had every scrap of data about us gathered long before he decided to launch Cryoshock against us. I think we can safely assume he knows at least as much about us as we know about him.”
“But he didn’t!” Kid Psyche spoke out. Turning from his scrutiny of Neutrino, he faced Veronica from his position in the back of DJ Zero’s office. “Lord Recluse didn’t send Cryoshock after the Youth League, he sent him after Charlie! Cryoshock resented Psi’s happiness with the Youth League. The only reason he went after us was to hurt Charlie. I bet Lord Recluse never told him to attack the Youth League at all.” The young red and blue clad hero sounded agitated as he sat on the edge of DJ Zero’s large metal topped desk.
“Are you willing to bet your life on that, Dex?” Fyre Prism asked from his seat beside Veronica.
“Yes!” Kid Psyche said emphatically.
“…and are you willing to bet ours, too?” Fyre Prism quietly continued.
Kid Psyche started to answer and caught himself. “No” he said meekly. He looked around at his friends. Lin Yao Wei reached over and took Dexter’s hand. The young girl smiled up at him and gave him a small nod.
Blazing Cinders stepped toward Kid Psyche. “Kid, we appreciate what you’re going through; believe me, all of us want Psi Elixer back safe and sound. We can’t know what Lord Recluse told Cryoshock, and if we go off half-cocked, we’re sure to end up stuck in Recluse’s web.”
“For all we know, the entire fight in Atlas Park may have been just part of some larger plan.” Jak of Hearts suggested. “Veronica, wasn’t it you who once told me that Recluse was a mastermind, and that even his plans had plans? I mean, this guy’s reputation is incredible.” Veronica and Fyre Prism glanced at each other and then turned to study Jak.
“What do you mean, Jak?” Lin asked. “Do you think Cryoshock was bait or something? Was all that just to get our attention?” The young girl looked from face to face at the heroes gathered together. Veronica looked worried and Fyre Prism chewed on his lower lip as they considered Lin’s question.
“Well, it’s possible, isn’t it? I mean, maybe he just wanted to find some way to lure us to the Rogue Isles.” Jak of Hearts said.
“He may be right.” Fyre Prism said. “We need to consider every possibility here.” The young man looked around at the other members of the Youth League. “We should be prepared for the fact that we may be expected.”
“What are you saying, Fyre, that we shouldn’t do this? But we have too, we can’t chicken out, or dissert Charlie!” Kid Psyche said quickly as he jumped up from his perch on the desk.
“Dexter!” Veronica said sharply. “You know he’s not recommending that we bail. You’re letting your feelings for Charlie interfere with your judgment. Fyre’s right, we know Recluse is dangerous, maybe even the most dangerous foe we’ve ever faced. We need to be extra careful.”
Dex sat back on the desk, chastised by his leader and frustrated by the delays. “We’ve just got to go.” he said quietly, looking down at his boots. “Charlie needs us.”
“We will…we are.” Fyre Prism said as he stood up. The assured confident sound returning to his voice. Facing the club owner he said, “Zero, we’re ready.”
Shaking his head, DJ Zero sighed and walked toward the center of his spacious office. He stretched his arms wide and within seconds, a large disk of bright light had formed before him. He stepped back as the disk continued to swell until it nearly spanned the space between the ceiling and the floor.
The heroes watched as their benefactor moved to his seat behind his desk. The shifting portal threw strange reflections on the walls of the office as Fyre Prism and Veronica Volt moved to stand directly before it.
“This portal will take you to a fairly deserted section of Port Oaks. With any luck, you should arrive unobserved.” DJ Zero said.
Veronica hugged the older man and said, “Thanks, Z. We appreciate this.”
“Just come back alive, Ronnie.” he replied. “Tuesday nights at the club wouldn’t be the same without you cutting up the dance floor or blowing out speakers with a random shock.” he said with a grin as Veronica blushed.
Looking around the room, Fyre Prism caught each hero’s eyes and nodded to them one at a time. “Let’s do this!” the young man said confidently. With that, the seven heroes stepped through the shimmering portal which collapsed quickly as they left. DJ Zero sat watching the space where the portal had floated moments before. After a few minutes of consideration, he reached for the black phone sitting on his desk. He quickly dialed a number from memory and when the receptionist on the line answered he said, “Good afternoon, Marcus Cole, please. Tell him it’s an old friend…”
Interlude I
Part 6 By Bad Day Boy
Allen had been off fighting crime and doing dangerous/important missions for some time now. He trusted the Youth League with his life, knowing to himself that they we're all probably doing good. But truth be told, he hadn't really been stopping crime as much as he used to. He was always gone somewhere and by himself at that. Ever since the Terra Volta accident, his self consciousness must have "mutated" and gotten worse as well. He had some of his original features, but his skin color, eyes, and ears were all different. He just didn't want to be seen by the other Youth Leaguers as a "freak".
But something was wrong, he could just feel it; not like a telepath could, but more of a gut instinct. He hadn't been with the YL for most of their previous battles, he was completely unaware of the Cryoshock incident, and had no idea what other problems the YL were having. But he knew he needed to find out why he was feeling this way, so he decided to fly off and head to the base.
After arriving he realized right away that no one was there, with his "new" ears, he could hear way better than before, more so than he'd choose to. So he'd of heard them chatting, walking, or even breathing if they were home. He knew nothing of what was going on, no one was there to tell him anything. He began to panic, wondering what could have happened to them all, he ran around the base looking for clues as to what might have happened. He ran from room to room, looking through doors, drawers, even the bathroom. He however found a crumpled note near Dex's room. He read it and his mind became more confused than it already was. "When did this all happen?!", he yelled in a panicked tone. He thought he had it rough, no, he could only imagine what Dex could be going through. He could already tell there was something between him and Psi, and he knew others could see it too, he just didn't know that "they" had happened yet. Allen became even more mind boggled. He dropped the note and flew to the portal room, but stopped, he then realized he had no way of knowing how to find them, and he never talked to DJ Zero, so he wouldn't think to ask him. But BDB couldn't just float there and do nothing, so he did the only thing he could... fly around and look for them, "What are the odds of me finding them like this?" "I don't care, I have to try, they're the only family I got left, other than...", he thought to himself. With that in mind, he began searching as though he was scouting for injured or fallen heroes, like he normally would with Kid Psyche; he knew that where ever they went... it wasn't good. As he scouted different sectors of Atlas, Kings Row, etc... he began to more feel alone, very alone, he used to being by himself, he usually liked to be isolated from others, even before the accident he was like that... but being isolated and being alone are two completely different feelings in his mind.
Interlude II - Gotta Warn the Others
Part 7 By Bad Day Boy
Allen (Bad Day Boy) couldn't stand it anymore; he'd been flying around all day with what seemed to be a hopeless mission. No matter what he did, no matter who he asked, no matter where he flew, he had no way of finding the Youth League.
Feeling down about the whole situation, he decided to fly atop of the Atlas statue, sitting and looking depressed down at the gathered heroes below. There were always heroes at Atlas Park walking, flying, running around, sometimes dancing beneath the statue. But something didn't make sense, if there were heroes at Atlas all the time, then how come there weren’t any there when Cryoshock attacked Charlie. It just didn't add up, Allen's mind became even more confused, his head was hurting from all that was bothering him, but that wasn't the only reason his head was hurting. Lately his powers hadn't been working correctly, he sometimes would be flying and then all of a sudden he'd fall from the sky. He couldn't understand why this was happening, even though he wasn't low on endurance, also his "build up" ability would go off by itself, increasing his power for a few seconds. But this was light news to him, he had more important things to worry about, like why were there no heroes at the Atlas statue? Why were the no heroes in all of Atlas Park? Was this part of Cryoshock's plan, or even worse, a plan of Lord Recluse himself? It would be hard to tell, after all, even his plans have plans. What was the meaning of all this, were there so many crimes going on that other heroes could not have time to kick back at AP? Then it struck BDB. "Wait, if Cryoshock could read minds the same as Charlie, then he would know where Charlie was going to be." This was obvious, but something seems to have been forgotten. Allen had been watching the replay of Cryoshock's battle against the YL atop of the Atlas statue on the YL main screen computer. But the images could only zoom in so far, and the sound couldn't even pick up what was being said. All one could hear were the sounds of many different types of energy blasts going off. But we mustn’t forget about BDB's abnormal enhanced hearing ability, he could pick up sounds that only a dog or bat could hear, he could hear what was being said, barely, but enough to understand the conversation.
He heard Cryoshock mention to Charlie that Lord Recluse wanted Cryoshock to destroy those who could defeat Lord Recluse. "Wait a second." he thought. "Why would Cryoshock mention something like that to the Youth League?" "If we were strong enough to defeat Lord Recluse, then why would he have someone much weaker than himself sent to destroy us?" The only explanation BDB could come up with was that... "Cryoshock wasn't supposed to destroy us." "Then why would he say he was gonna destroy us?" "Wait, he's a mind reader too, and he told that specifically to Charlie." "Maybe he knew that Charlie would come after him, maybe he knew that Charlie would leave without telling." Things began to look even worse for the Youth League, but they weren’t in any real trouble yet. "Charlie's walking into a trap, I gotta tell the others." BDB said to himself. He scanned the computer for the last call made by a team member. The computer came up with a list that showed that the last call placed was by Veronica Volt to DJ Zero, and it was filed under urgent. "This isn't good." he thought, we're could they have gone? He flew over to Pocket D to ask DJ Zero what he and Veronica talked about. DJ Zero told him that they were headed to the Rogue Isles to find someone. "Psi Elixer." he thought. "Do you know how they planned to get there?" BDB asked. "Yeah, I owed them a favor, so I let them use one of my transports." said DJ Zero. "Well, how many of them left?" BDB asked impatiently. "I'd say it was about..." DJ Zero thought to himself about the question. "I thought it was the about the whole team, but there could have been some members who didn't go." DJ Zero replied. "Thanks!" Allen said as he flew quickly out of the inter-dimensional night club.
As he flew from King's Row to Atlas, something struck him as odd. Lord Recluse. He's a master mind, therefore, he thinks things through to the point where everything has a loop hole. "Why did he want Charlie to leave and seek him out?" "Of course, Charlie is a mind reader, with Charlie out of the way, then no one will know his true plan, but..." Allen became confused slightly confused. "Dex... he can read minds as well, so why Lord Recluse not single him out also?" A voice inside Allen's head spoke to him. "Because he needs him to follow..." BDB was getting a little freaked out, the voice wasn't another person talking to him, it was his subconscious responding back to him, but it was pretty specific, as though it was someone else, but Allen didn't think anything of it. "What does... of course!", he interrupted himself. "That's why Cryoshock told them that he was to defeat those who could beat Lord Recluse, it was to let them think they could win. If Charlie thought he could win, then of course he would rush to Recluse and Cryoshock with no hesitation, that's how he got him to run away." BDB having thought he figured it all out came to another startling realization. "He knows they're coming... he knows the rest of the Youth League would follow him, he's using Charlie as bait for the YL, he knows that Dex is the only one who can track him, he's using one telepath to find another, Whatever it is... the trap isn't for just Charlie, it's for the entire Youth League! He knows they're all coming for him, he's waiting for them, and they’re in his territory that alone gives Recluse the advantage."
"I gotta warn the others, I have to get close enough to them so that I can reach Dex, but with his mind focused on finding Psi, it'll be more difficult to reach him... is that also part of recluses plan, I don't know what his final plan is, but I hope I can find out before it goes through." Allen headed off to find a way to the Rogue Isles. But an even more puzzling question was running through Bad Day Boy's mind, one that didn't add up. "Why would Recluse target the Youth League, there are other SG's out there that are stronger than us, but why us, what makes us so threatening to him that he'd forget about the Freedom Phalanx and go for us?" "Is there something we have that he wants, is there 'someone' we have that wants, and why?" BDB wonders these many questions as he flies through the sky heading closer and closer to the Rogue Isles, worrying about the team's safety and his own.
Part 8
By Kid Psyche
The man known only as Hero Bane carefully shifted his position atop the steeply slanted tiled roof. He had been sitting, watching the plain wooden door across the street for the better part of an hour and expected his wait was about almost over.
A few short hours ago, Fitz had ordered him to tail the city official and gather proof of his indiscretions. Presumably, Fitz planned to blackmail the politician, or if he became a liability, ruin his career.
In his invisible state, Hero Bane had followed the man through the streets of Port Oaks to the graffiti covered red and brown brick building and waited for him to emerge. The building had a reputation, although not widely known, as a brothel that catered to some of the more unusual residents of the Rogue Isles. Tempted as he was to venture inside and see if the rumors were true, he none the less held his post, following the orders of his boss, the sinister Fitz. Crossing the other-worldly being was not wise, as Hero Bane had seen for himself on more than one occasion. The strange, bat-like leader of the Fangs of Recluse had little to no tolerance for underlings that couldn’t follow his instructions. In the few short months since he’d started working with the team, he’d seen several members fail in their assignments. A couple of them still worked with the team. Most though, just disappeared.
Hero Bane’s relaxed position changed as his heightened senses picked up an unusual sound. Carefully moving toward the back of the roof, he looked down into the alley below. A large shimmering disk of light floated a few inches above the ground, looking like a swirling pool of water held sideways.
Two teenagers stepped through the disk, a male in a red and black costume and cape, and a blond female wearing a bright blue outfit with gold lightning bolts displayed prominently. They looked around furtively before stepping away from the disk. They were followed quickly by several more young people, all wearing colorful costumes. Hero Bane recognized several of them as members of the Youth League, one of the multitudes of super groups that filled Paragon City. They were obviously trying to sneak into the Rogue Isles and it looked like, for the moment at least, he was the only one that knew about their presence. In the Rogue Isles, that sort of information could make a man a tidy sum and he was not one to ignore opportunity when it knocked. The big question was who would reward him the most for the information?
He watched as the young people talked quietly for a few minutes after the disk had faded from sight. He carefully moved to a better vantage point to try to overhear their conversation, trusting in his innate invisibility to keep him undetected. Suddenly, one of the young men looked up, almost directly at him. The shiny red and blue helmet swiveled from side to side as the hero tried to pinpoint his location. “Damn, a telepath!” he thought as he quickly clamped down on his thoughts, shielding them from Kid Psyche’s probing mind.
Below him, Kid Psyche whispered, “Hold it, I thought I felt someone nearby, watching us.” He continued to look around the alleyway in vain. “It’s gone now, but I’m sure someone was there.”
“We need to get off the streets.” Fyre Prism said. “Kid, check that warehouse next to us, anybody home?”
Kid Psyche turned toward the dilapidated building next to them and quickly scanned for any thoughts within. “I’m not getting anything,” he said, “I think it’s empty.” He turned toward the metal door on the side or the warehouse and focused his attention on the lock. With a grinding sound, the steel lock panel began to slowly turn and rivets popped. The entire lock mechanism floated free of the door and with a squeak, the door slowly opened, revealing a dark and dusty interior.
The seven teens quickly moved into the gloom of the warehouse and shut the door behind them. Hero Bane looked back at the brothel he was supposed to be watching and weighed his alternatives; stick to his post as he was ordered, or follow the Youth Leaguers and try to figure out what they were doing here. Risk was an everyday fact of life for the expert assassin, one he took for granted as part of the price for working in the Rogue Isles. He finally decided that Fitz’s crooked politician was the less lucrative choice, besides he’d already collected enough dirt on the guy to placate his demonic looking boss.
Hero Bane quietly crept down the side of the building and carefully peered into a grimy window. He could see rows of dusty boxes and rusting metal shelves, but no sign of the heroes that had entered just a moment before. “That’s right,” he thought to himself, “the girl in blue and gold is a teleporter,” if he remembered correctly. “By now, the bitch could have them halfway to Sharkhead…Damn!” he silently cursed.
He knew that his information was valuable, but only if he could get it to the right people fast enough, before anyone else found out that the heroes were in town. He’d have to head back to base, and tell Fitz what he’d seen, but he knew of one more person who would appreciate the intel, and while she was probably more dangerous than his boss, Ghost Widow was a lot more attractive and her reward to him, much more pleasurable than anything Fitz would give him. With a grin, he headed for a little know Arachnos base to contact Lord Recluse’s formidable underling.
Part 9
By Fyre Prism
He was NOT happy about the situation.
It had only been a couple of weeks since Veronica and him had inherited the leadership of the Youth League. Up to and during that time they had both done everything possible to make a bad situation into a good one.
There was no arguing that they had succeeded into bringing a team that was almost completely splintered into a viable super team again.
He glanced to his right, already knowing that Veronica was next to him. Their relationship was a chaotic one, both knowing that duty and the welfare of the team took precedent over any of their personal feelings. Still it was good knowing she was here.
Drifting, STOP DRIFTING FROM THE OBJECTIVE AT HAND!
He had to rescue his teammate.
He had to make sure everyone stayed safe.
He had to make sure everyone survived!
Different, this situation was totally different then his scouting Rogue Island alone. Hell, anywhere in Paragon City, even the Rikti Crash Site was safer compared to here... And now he had 7 lives to worry about, most of these kids weren’t even old enough to kiss much less put their lives on the line..
Stay Frosty he thought. All we have to do is find one kid in a city of what, a million people, most of them who would slit your throat for a c-note.
Seeing a warehouse to the left, he thought that was a good position to set up a temporary HQ. “We need to get off the streets.”
Fyre looked at Kid Psyche, “Kid, check that warehouse next to us, anybody home?”
"I’m not getting anything, I think its empty." Kid Psyche said in a hushed tone.
"Well lets get in there and figure out a plan then"...
Part 10
By Veronica Volt
The inside of the warehouse was dark and the air smelled stale and musty. Rows of large metal shelves stood along one wall, most of them empty and slowly rusting in the sea-side environment. Several of the windows had been boarded over and feeble rays of light shown through the cracks between the boards. Veronica wrinkled her nose and made a face at the smell. She watched as the last of the special ops team she and Fyre Prism had called together entered the dismal building and Jak of Hearts closed the door behind them. Instantly, Kid Psyche focused on the door and made a squeezing motion with his hand. The metal catch plate quickly bent backward, effectively locking the door in place.
She looked to Fyre Prism and saw him nod at Kid Psyche who slowly turned his head as he scanned the immediate area. Looking back at Fyre Prism, he shook his head. “We’re clear in here, Fyre, but there’s something, someone still nearby. I can’t focus on him though, it’s like his mind is too slippery.” the young boy said.
“Right,” Nick replied, “I think we need to relocate, quickly. V, I saw a tall building about a block from here…” He glanced over at the blond girl and smiled.
Picking up on his cue, Veronica smiled back and headed for the side of the room. She climbed up on a crate and used the corner of her cape to wipe away some of the grime from the filthy window in front of her. She looked through the clear spot she had made, sure enough, there it was; a tall brown and gray building loomed above the neighborhood like some giant sentinel standing guard over the area. She turned back to face Fyre Prism and gave him a quick thumbs up sign.
“Time for another trip, gang.” She said as she hopped down from the crate. She turned to face the direction of the building and flung her arms out wide. For a second, electricity surrounded her, lighting her up like a neon statue. When the glare faded, Veronica Volt was gone.
Kid Psyche turned to face Fyre Prism. “She’s there,” the boy said, relief evident in his voice. He looked over at Jak of Hearts and fixing the boy’s position in his mind, passed the image on to Veronica. Suddenly Jak glowed as brightly as Veronica had and disappeared. Blazing Cinders was next, the young girl’s armored form vanishing in a crackle of electricity. Neutrino and Lin followed in quick succession. “You’re next, boss.” Kid Psyche said to Fyre Prism.
“U-uh.” Fyre Prism responded. “You’re next Dexter.” Kid Psyche started to object but Nick held up his hand and said, “Prerogative of leadership, Kid. No argument on this one.”
Sensing the futility of trying to change his leader’s mind, Kid Psyche relented. Ready here, Veronica, he thought. Instantly he vanished as the others had.
A few short seconds later, Fyre Prism “heard” Dexter’s words in his head. Here goes, Nick. He felt the familiar tingle as Veronica’s magical electricity surrounded him. Seconds later, the stale warehouse odor was replaced with a stiff wind and the smell of the ocean. Sea gulls flew overhead crying out to one another in shrill tones.
Veronica looked around at the city stretched out below them. The building provided an excellent view of the surrounding area and the busy Port Oaks docks could be seen a short distance away. “Remind me to look this place up next time I want a vacation…NOT.” she said sarcastically. Although the architecture of the old city had a certain sense of style, the entire place seemed depressing. Trash littered the streets and graffiti covered most of the walls at street level.
The sound of Fyre Prism’s deep voice shook her from her daydreaming. “OK Dex, I guess this is it. Remember, BE CAREFUL! We don’t want to attract any attention if we can avoid it.”
Kid Psyche sat cross-legged on the roof and tried to clear his mind. Remembered the lesson Lin had been trying to teach him on meditating, he steadied his breathing and closed his eyes. Slowly, tentatively, he opened his mind up to the area around him. The thoughts of his friends suddenly grew much louder as he made an effort to “hear” the minds around him. With each passing second, the volume grew and the background noise he was learning to live with increased exponentially. Still, the voices were fuzzy, indistinct, like a conversation overheard from another room. With a heavy sigh, he reluctantly reached up and released the seals on his helmet. With a sharp click, he pulled the shiny red and blue helmet over his head and handed it to Blazing Cinders standing next to him. Curious, she turned it over and peered inside. Much like her advanced armor, molded padding lined the inside, most of it criss-crossed in delicate lines of circuitry. She noticed several contact sensors inside and frowned. In all the time she’d known Kid Psyche, she never thought his armor served any purpose other than defense. From the looks of the electronics inside of the helmet though, there was more going on there than just some communications hardware. She made a mental note to ask him about it later and turned her attention back to the young boy sitting before her.
Dexter winced as the volume increased dramatically. The “conversation in another room” quickly became more like a shouting match right next to him. He sat very still for several minutes, trying desperately to filter through the cacophony of voices he heard. After about 10 minutes, he shook his head and looked up at the expectant faces surrounding him. The disappointed look on his face told them all they needed to know. Fyre Prism said, “That’s OK, Dex, we knew that simply listening was a long shot. Time for the next step.”
Kid Psyche nodded and with a determined look, resumed his work. Charlie? he thought cautiously, Can you hear me? He waited a few seconds, listening intently to the psychic chatter around him. Charlie, it’s me. Please, if you can hear me, answer me. When he still hadn’t heard a response after a few minutes, he tried again, but this time with more force. Charlie, talk to me, hon. I know you’re out there.
…Dex?!
Kid Psyche’s eyes flew open and he let out an audible gasp. His friends watched him with more than a little concern. Charlie!! Oh-my-god-I’m-so-glad-we-found-you! Where-are-you? Are-you-safe? The questions poured forth from Dexter like flood waters from a broken dam as a wide grin spread across his face.
Dexter, what the hell are you doing here?! I told you it was dangerous, why did you follow me? Kid Psyche could feel the surprise and concern in his boyfriend’s thoughts.
I’m not alone, Dex thought back. We’ve come to bring you home!
No! Charlie shouted telepathically. I’m not going anywhere until he’s paid for what he’s done.
Veronica looked at the worried look on Kid Psyche’s face. Interpreting it correctly she said, “You tell him this is not open for debate, Dex. We’re going home and he’s coming with us.” Dexter hastily relayed Veronica’s message.
I’m too close, Dex. I can’t leave now. I know he’s somewhere nearby, I just can’t pin-point him yet. I just need a little more time. Psi Elixer pleaded with Kid Psyche. Please, Dex, I have to do this, please! I can’t let him go, he’ll never stop hounding us if I do, we both know it. We have to stop Cryoshock Kid, and we have to do it now!
Well, isn’t this just the most touching thing you’ve ever seen?… Dexter’s blood suddenly ran cold and his face turned pale as he recognized Cryoshock’s psychic voice. …the foolish young hero and his silly paramour. How nice of you both to save me the trouble of a return trip to Paragon City. And look, you’ve brought friends. The hateful voice sneered. Wonderful, it looks like I get to kill more than just you today, “brother”. You’ve really made my day, thank you! The last few sentences were projected to the other members of the Youth League, as evident from the shocked look on their faces as they each recognized the source.
Veronica and Fyre Prism shared a worried glance before turning back to face Kid Psyche. Eyes wide, Dexter grabbed his helmet from Blazing Cinders’ outstretched hands and quickly locked it back into place. “We’ve got trouble, gang!” he said in a rush. “He’s coming for us!”
Part 11
By Neutrino’
They all stood in a circle, close to the edge of the building, looking outward for any signs of Cryoshock. Lin stood in an Eagles Claw position, silently waiting. Veronica and Fyre stood close together, arms up. Blazing Cinders looked around, keeping an eye on her teammates. Jack was crouched down waiting to beat the daylights out of something. Kid Psyche listened telepathically for any disturbances. Neutrino was hovering close to the edge of the building, running scans after scans for any approaching trouble. They all stood ready, from afar you could mistake them for the Freedom Phalanxz. Neutrino poked his head slowly to the edge looking down almost a hundred stories. Suddenly the window broke and someone emerged from it, flying and sending a blue crackling light. Before Neutrino could think the light sent flying upwards into the building, crackling sounds were heard, electricity.
“Neut!” Yelled Veronica worriedly, but turning her attention to the trouble.
The rest on the YL turned quickly towards the direction of the blast. The person that emerged from the edge, clearly Cryoshock Kid, began hurling a variety of lights and sounds at them. Blazing Cinders emerged from the back, punching each shot that Cryoshock threw at them, away. She stood there confidently, awaiting his next move. Cryoshock looked at her and smiled.
“Impressive. Lets see if you can keep up.” Endind his cocky words, he began hurling all types of powers at her, three times faster than before. Veronica and Fyre took to the skies and began their electricity show, not wanting for Blazing Cinders to be hurt. Cryoshock diverted his attention to them, moving up high fast. Blazing Cinders flew at full speed towards Cryoshock, a purplish blast went before her. When the blast reached Cryoshock it simply vanished, telepaths would have a hard time with this one. Blazing Cinders reached her objective, her fist blazing on fire as she swung at Cryoshock. He ducked, and made it look simple. An array of blue crackling electricity came at him fast, but slow enough that he could take advantage of. He swept to the side, half of it hitting him, and the other half sending Blazing Cinders to a fall.
“Cinders!” Fyre shouted.
“I got her!” A voice yelled as it went flying at full speed towards the falling girl. Neut had her in his arms, looking up at the situation. Lin patiently waited her turn to fight, not wanting to fall and distract the others. Jack stood next to her bouncing up and down, wanting to hurt the boy that betrayed them.
“CRYOSHOCK! Your gonna’ go down, don’t chu’ worry.” Jack said passionately, fueled and ready to fight. Cryoshock confidently threw a bolt of fire at him; Jack easily hopped out of the way, returning to his bounces. Cryoshock had not noticed what the YL did. He spun around looking for everyone. They had corned him. Veronica, Fyre Prism, Neutrino, Blazing Cinders, all hovering close around him, ready to attack….
Part 12
By Psi Elixer
"I’m gonna go down? And are you the one that’s going to stop me? You without any powers. At least the other one can fly," Cryoshock laughed. As he said this, he started moving closer to Jak of Hearts. "No, I don’t think so. I fact, I don’t really think any of you are worth my time right now. I think I’ll go deal with my dear brother. Don’t worry Dexter, I’ll make sure you can still identify the body." A bright glow surrounded Cryoshock. He was preparing to teleport.
"NO! YOU’RE NOT GETTING AWAY!" Jak screamed. He jumped towards Cryoshock and managed to grab him just as he was teleporting.
"Jak!?!" Veronica screamed. She never thought that he would do something like that. She knew he had a bit of a temper, but to try to single handedly go after Cryoshock? Now both someone very important to her, and another one important to Dexter were in extreme danger. "Dex, see if you can get a lock on him!" she ordered.
"Already trying," Kid Psyche said. "He’s in that direction." He pointed towards his left. "Not far either. Only a few hundred yards."
"Let’s get a move on then," Fyre said.
"There’s something else. Charlie’s in the same place. I can feel him now." While saying this, Dexter felt something grasp his hand.
"Let’s go," Lin said.
elsewhere...
Psi Elixer had been traveling since he received Cryoshock’s message. He had to get to Dexter. That’s when he saw it.
The area he was entering looked like a complete war zone. There were guns, knives, swords, and other assorted weapons just lying around on the ground. He didn’t know what this place actually was, he just knew he didn’t like it.
There was a bright flash of light in front of him. He felt the sinister presence, but he also felt another; one that was familiar.
He watched as Cryoshock appeared out of the light. He also watched as Cryoshock threw Jak of Hearts to the ground. Jak had hit with enough force that he could be dead, but a quick mental sweep ended that thought.
"Well brother, it appears that this time, it will be just you and I."
Cryoshock put a field of crackling blue energy around Charlie. He then shot a blast of extreme cold directly at his chest. "Now where were we the last time?"
elsewhere...
A boy known in the Rogue isles as Hard Psi was out running a errand when he felt a well known and hated presence. He grinned, then decided to head in the direction of the presence. He knew he was very close. Only about a hundred yards. He would get his revenge.
Flying high into the air, he flew faster than ever before. He could see the red and blue clad hero. There were others around, but they didn’t matter. Now it was just a matter of getting his attention. He stuck his hand out and quickly pulled it back, focusing his energy on Kid Psyche. He watched as the hero stopped, then began flying backwards. Revenge would be sweet.
"Help!" he heard Kid Psyche yell. The heroes he was with stopped and turned their attention to him.
"Veronica, Cinders, keep going to help Jak. Lin, Neutrino, you two are with me. We’ll help Dexter. Everyone move out!" Fyre said.
Part 13
By Psi Elixer
"But Fyre..." the girl known as Blazing cinders began to argue.
"Blaze, just shut up and do as your told!" Veronica yelled.
elsewhere...
"I've been waiting a long time for this. Now, I think no playing this time. I'm going to kill you, then I'm going to finish your friends." Cryoshock said. He had a look of extreme seriousness in his face.
Jak of Hearts slowly got to his feet unnoticed by Cryoshock. He watched as the experiment formed a spike of ice and aimed it at Psi Elixer. He knew that he had to do something. Looking at the ground, he found a katana from a fallen warrior. He bent over, picked it up, and moved silently behind Cryoshock.
"Now, dear brother, it's time for you to..." He stopped speaking a looked down at the piece of steel now protruding from his chest.
"You won’t be hurting anyone today, or ever again!" Jak said, thrusting the blade farther into Cryoshock.
"Jak, what are you doing?" came a shocked female voice.
"I’m making sure he never bothers us again. I’m sorry Veronica, but there’s nothing I can do to change what I’ve done."
"Veronica, where’s Dexter?" Psi Elixer questioned.
"Veronica, we’ve got to help them!" Blazing Cinders yelled, picking up Psi Elixer and flying towards where they had left the others.
"Right." Veronica agreed. She pulled Jak into her arms, then flew after Cinders. elsewhere...
"Come on now, is this the best you can do Kid Psyche? Yell for help?" Hard Psi laughed. He could see the other members of the Youth League heading towards him, and he put is other hand out. The three stopped where they were, all trying to move forward with none succeeding. "I at least thought you’d put up more of a fight. He squeezed his hand and Dexter felt the invisible force holding him tighten.
"Child, that is enough!" came a loud, otherworldly voice. "We are not going to kill them. In fact, we are going to help them leave." The creature that spoke clearly wasn’t human. He had a bestial head and an over-sized body.
By this time, Veronica and the others had made it to, but not through, Hard Psi’s barrier.
"We’re going to what?!?" Hard Psi screamed. "No demon, you are not taking this from me."
"Very well then, I believe it is time for you to leave." With that, he raised his hand and the young psychic disappeared. "Now Youth League, I believe it would be in your best interests to follow me to Pocket D and do not ask questions. Let us be off."
"And exactly why should we follow you?" Fyre Prism asked.
"BOY! I SAID DON’T ASK QUESTIONS!" the monster screamed. He then threw up his hands and a bright glow surrounded all of them. A few seconds later, they were outside of Pocket D. "Now I suggest that while I distract the guards, you go in and get back to Paragon City. Go now!"
"Wait, will you at least tell us your name?" asked Lin.
"No." the monster said with authority.
"Charlie, I’m not dealing with you right now. We will most defiantly have a talk about this little stunt you pulled. You better just hope that we don’t decide to throw you out of the League. Don’t argue Dex." Veronica said, immediately silencing the boy. Charlie just groaned as he followed the rest of the Youth League into Pocket D and back to Paragon City.
Epilog I
Part 14
By Kid Psyche
Fitz stood atop a rusted metal building overlooking a charnel field. Before him, an untold number of weapons littered the ground. How quickly the tides of fate can change, he thought. A short while ago, it looked like the Youth League was in for the fight of their young lives. They had managed to invade the Rogue Isles seeking one of their members when they were surprised and then attacked by Cryoshock Kid, the very villain their runaway hero was in pursuit of. What promised to be a desperate battle was quickly ended however when one of the young heroes plunged a katana through the heart of Cryoshock, killing him almost instantly. The body still lay near the center of the grisly field of death. Fitz watched as a large black bird landed near the body and began to eye it suspiciously.
His mind drifted back, before the battle. Sitting in his sanctum, studying the arcane texts he’d recently liberated from the Circle of Thorns, he was surprised when he sensed a familiar presence near by. He turned to find Ghost Widow leaning against the wall, watching him.
“My dear, it is as always, a pleasure to see you.” he’d said. She looked as hauntingly beautiful as ever.
“You may be aware that several costumed heroes from Paragon City have unwisely entered our territory.” she said, her voice smooth and sultry. He tried to look nonchalant as he quickly wondered how she had come to the knowledge. “They’re here searching for one of their comrades who in turn is here on a mission of vengeance.” She slowly walked from the wall to stand behind him and placed her hands on his massive shoulders. “It’s very possible, in fact probable that one or more of them may perish as a result of their recklessness.” As she began massaging the thick, corded muscles of Fitz’s neck, his bat-like ears stood up sharply and then slowly began to relax as her ministrations took effect.
“All well and good.” he rumbled in a deep voice.
“Hmm. Ordinarily, yes, I would tend to agree with you. There are extenuating circumstances however.” she sighed. “Lord Recluse has plans for the Youth League, plans that might be jeopardized should they come to harm here in the Rogue Isles.” She dug her strong fingers deep into the fur that covered his neck and shoulders and began to scratch slowly. A deep sigh sounded through his partially opened fanged mouth.
“Our master wants the heroes saved?” he asked incredulously.
“Only for the moment, I assure you. An agent named Cryoshock has overstepped his authority…” She let the statement hang there for a moment before continuing. “Our lord has decreed that Cryoshock be punished for his insubordination. He stands to unravel years of carefully wrought plans simply for his own selfish reasons. He believes himself special in the eyes of our master and so, has no fear of reprisal.”
Fitz snorted a short laugh and said, “Discipline must be maintained.”
“Exactly,” Ghost Widow replied, “I knew you’d understand perfectly.” She peered over his shoulder at the ancient hide-bound book spread out before him.
Feeling the scant heat from her body as she leaned closer, Fitz reached around with his prehensile tail and gently wrapped it around her calf.
“Is that an Oranbega text?” she queried. Fitz slowly inched his tail higher, caressing her thigh. She casually reached up to tickle one of his oversized ears and catching the delicate folds between the nails of her thumb and index finger squeezed suddenly. Instantly Fitz withdrew his tail, unmistakably chastised by the haunting pale woman at his back. She held his ear for another second before releasing it without a word and resumed massaging his neck and shoulders.
“Hmm,” he growled, “yes, it is, and no, you may not study it, at least not until I have had a better opportunity to do so myself.”
“Very well, my friend.” She said with a chuckle. “Now, about those heroes…” She moved away from him and around to the other side of the large wooden desk where he sat.
“Trouble not your beautiful brow, dear lady. I shall endeavor to accommodate our lord immediately. If I may ask, what is to become of this Cryoshock?” Fitz stood and carefully closed the cover on the large book.
“Cryoshock? He has disobeyed a direct order from Lord Recluse himself. His delusions of grandeur have taken him from his assignment to kill a single hero to taking on the entire team, and thus prematurely alerting them to our lord’s machinations. I would think the answer to your question is obvious…”
Ghost Widow extended her hand and placed a folded slip of paper on the cover of the arcane book. You can find them here.” she said, indicating the paper. “Time is of the essence, Fitzlarenzentothos,” she sighed, using his full name, “You must not fail.”
“I shall take care of the situation immediately.” he said as he escorted her back toward the teleportation chamber that led to the outside world.
After Ghost Widow departed, Fitz read the destination on the paper she had left behind and contacted another member of his team. “Hard Psi, I have an assignment you may find interesting. Meet me atop the refinery in Port Oaks immediately.” He signed off and began the series of extra dimensional hops that would bring him across town to the coordinates indicated by Ghost Widow. He arrived in time to witness Cryoshock’s brief battle, cut short by Jak of Hearts’ sword thrust. Wondering over the whereabouts of his partner Hard Psi, he looked around and spotted the young villain facing off against several other members of the Youth League. Instantly, he teleported close to the boy.
"Child, that is enough!" he growled. "We are not going to kill them. In fact, we are going to help them leave."
Hard Psi looked at him in shock. "We’re going to what?!?" he screamed. "No demon, you are not taking this from me."
Fitz narrowed his eyes and sneered at the angry boy. How dare you question my directions, he thought to the telepath. You will follow my orders explicitly and you will do so now!
Go to hell! Hard Psi thought back.
"Very well then, I believe it is time for you to leave." He raised his hands and spoke a brief spell and instantly Hard Psi vanished from the battlefield a look of rage and disbelief on his young face.
Fitz turned to face the small group of heroes before him. "Now Youth League, I believe it would be in your best interests to follow me to Pocket D and do not ask questions. Let us be off." He crossed his arms and looked at them expectantly.
"And exactly why should we follow you?" Fyre Prism asked angrily.
Furious, Fitz rounded on the young man and screamed, "BOY! I SAID DON’T ASK QUESTIONS!" Before anyone could protest, he cast a spell, enveloping them all in a field of light that quickly dissipated and left them standing before the door to Pocket D.
He glanced around and spotted one of the many homeless people that seemed a permanent part of the landscape. He called forth a trio of undead servants that sprang forth from the ground in a puff of dust and stood staring at the heroes before them. Veronica Volt cringed and moved closer to Fyre Prism who eyed the creatures with obvious disgust. He then muttered a quick incantation and the unfortunate target was teleported just inside the doorway to the club. He turned to his henchmen and nodded. Immediately they set off after the terrified man, chasing him past the doorman and into the club itself. "Now I suggest that while I distract the guards, you go in and get back to Paragon City. Go now!"
Lin Yao Wei bravely walked up to the demonic looking benefactor. "Wait, will you at least tell us your name?" she asked.
"No." he said simply, narrowing his eyes at the diminutive Asian girl before him. With that, he muttered another quick incantation and disappeared before their startled eyes.
He returned to the scene of the battle and stared at the ruined landscape. How had such a simple day become so complicated? he wondered. By aiding Ghost Widow’s scheme, he’d been forced to dismiss Hard Psi, a valuable ally and resource, the loss of which angered him. Still, the day was not without some merit, at least. He walked casually over to the corpse of Cryoshock Kid, still cooling in the afternoon breeze. Several large black birds hopped out of range as he neared the body. I can always use another servant he thought.
He pointed at the body and spoke a few words in a language few people would recognize. The body of Cryoshock Kid shuddered, and then pushed itself up off of the ground. Slowly it turned to face its new master with dull, lifeless eyes. “You won’t be needing this anymore.” Fitz joked as he withdrew the katana from his dead henchman. “Come my pet, there is much to do.”
With an evil laugh, Fitz and his newest servant teleported away, leaving the startled birds to themselves.
Epilog II
Part 15
By Kid Psyche
Ghost Widow watched from the shadows as Fitz and his new servant left the arena of death. Once she was sure they had departed, she carefully made her way over to the scene of the recent fight. Looking around, she spotted the katana lying in the ground where Fitz had dropped it, Cryoshock Kid’s life-blood still covering the silver blade. She picked it up and smiled. Her master, Lord Recluse, had spent a great deal of time and money on this particular project and she was not going to let it amount to naught. There was certainly enough blood on the deadly sword for her master’s scientists to work with. She would see to it herself that they began work immediately. Perhaps this time, the new team in charge would produce a more stable tool to work with, one more obedient to her master’s will. It would take a long time, but again, Lord Recluse would claim victory from apparent defeat. Looking around again to make sure she was unobserved, she carefully made her way out of the arena field and headed back to her base.
Epilog III
Part 16
By Veronica Volt
-Youth League Headquarters-
Kid Psyche sat on the curved sectional couch in front of the large plasma screen TV at Youth League headquarters, his hands busily working the controls of the video game before him. He turned his head slightly and nodded to Brianna Bling as she descended the short steps to the recreation “pit”. She stood watching him play for a moment with her arms crossed and a puzzled look on her face.
“You know, you’re not very good at this…” she said as she watched his character die for the fifth time in as many minutes.
“I’ve got the second highest score yet.” he replied testily.
“Couldn’t tell it from your performance at the moment.” she said pointedly glancing at the score displayed in the top right hand side of the screen.
Kid Psyche’s blue and red helmet swiveled to face her. “That’s ‘cause I’m being distracted!” he said in a huff. On screen his character fell from the side of the castle he was scaling and died again. “See!” he said angrily, stabbing at the reset button.
Mallory looked at him with a trace of amusement in her young face. “…and the previous times?” she queried.
Kid Psyche’s helmet hid the scowl he cast her way.
“I’ve seen you play this one before, and while your timing on the jump maneuvers has never been that precise, you usually perform more competently. In fact, I don’t recall ever seeing you fail quite so dismally yet.” On screen, Kid Psyche’s character exploded in a dramatic burst of flame as a fireball engulfed him. “…or spectacularly, for that matter.” she added with a chuckle.
“No! Damn it, not again!” Dexter exclaimed loudly. Without warning, the game cartridge popped free from the console and sailed across the room before smashing into the far wall with a loud crack. “I hate this stupid game!” he shouted as he flung the controller to the table.
Mallory raised an eyebrow and continued to watch him. She’d seen him in numerous stress-filled situations before but this was a side of him she never even suspected. A temper tantrum of all things…it was almost funny, except that most angry people didn’t wield the powerful psionic powers that he possessed. Logic suggested that it would be best to diffuse the situation before it got out of hand.
With a sigh, she sat next to the distraught boy and said, “OK, spill it.”
“Spill what?” he said angrily.
“Oh, please,” she turned to face him fully, “you’re obviously upset about something, and I seriously doubt that this game is…” she turned to look at the shattered game cartridge, “…or was, the source.”
Kid Psyche looked at her in silence for a moment before sighing and turning to face the static filled screen. “You’re right. I…I just have a lot on my mind right now.”
“That’s probably a bit of an understatement, coming from a telepath.” she said with a smile.
That prompted a chuckle from Dexter and she knew she was on the right track towards changing his mood. She sat watching him, waiting for him to continue.
Kid Psyche turned to face her again and in a troubled voice said, “It’s Veronica…and” his voice cracked, “…Charlie.” His head swiveled to look behind them, back towards the briefing room.
Mallory followed his gaze and let out a small sound of surprise. “What the heck is that?” she asked as she noticed the metal wall that now blocked off the entrance to the Youth League’s spacious briefing room.
“Blast doors.” he answered. “V’s sealed off the room so she can talk to Charlie undisturbed.”
“Oh.” Mallory said softly as the implications set in. “I wasn’t aware we even HAD blast doors.”
“Yeah, stupid, huh? Who the heck would ever dare to attack us here?” he questioned rhetorically.
“Actually, they make perfect sense, I’m sure they can be used to contain any unforeseen ‘incidents’ that might occur in that wing. The Crey power generator itself could cause quite a problem if the power core were to destabilize, in fact…” she trailed off as she noticed Kid Psyche staring at her. It didn’t require even the slightest bit of telepathy to guess his expression behind the mirror-like faceplate. “Sorry.” she said. “Can I assume this has to do with your recent trip to the Rogue Isles?”
Dexter grimaced and hung his head. “Yeah.” he said dejectedly. “She seemed really mad. Mallory, I don’t know what to do.”
The young girl frowned slightly before speaking. “Dexter, I don’t think there’s anything FOR you to do. Veronica and Fyre Prism have to respond to Psi Elixer’s unauthorized excursion. To just let it pass would indicate pretty poor leadership, in my opinion. I’m sure they both realize that, too.”
“I know.” Dexter replied. “But what if she kicks him out of the Youth League? What are we supposed to do then? he asked.
“We carry on.” she said as if it were a matter-of-fact. “We’ve had members come and go before, Dexter. Some of them so quickly in fact that I’ve barely learned their names before they’re gone.
“But I don’t want him to go!” he protested loudly. “I need him here.” He sounded miserable.
“Listen Dexter, there’s no sense in getting bent out of shape yet. You don’t what she’s going to say to him so you may be worrying over nothing.” She saw him turn to face the blast doors again in silence. Suddenly she remembered, Kid Psyche was one of the strongest telepaths in the Youth League. She didn’t know much about telepathy, its ranges and limitations. Could his telepathy penetrate the blast doors, was he ‘listening in’ on the conversation, even as they spoke? She made a mental note to research it further some time. “Dexter…you DON’T know what she’s going to say…do you?”
Kid Psyche just stared at the thick metal doors separating him from two of his closest friends and sighed.
I Stand Alone was started early in March of 2006 and competed around the middle of April 2006. At that time, it was one of the most widely contributed to stories the group had worked on. Several of the events chronicled were based on some of the RP enacted by the heroes. The primary antagonist, Cryoshock Kid, was created by Psi Elixer’s player.
I Stand Alone completes the tale started in Friend?
