Jessica smiled at the two roof guards who handled their demonstration of power over her life with a degree of civility lacking in her other Foster Unit in the remote Falklands.

She sympathized with her Guardians knowing that she was a nightmare not yet full grown; she could bend a primal element to her bidding. And the most delicious thing about it was that they had made her their perceived threat, had taught her where her limits were and how to push past them. They who schooled her to be <counted an expert in the field of things magnetic; they used her to expand the understanding of the earth's Van Allen belts and realized as she grew older her control expanded exponentially.

She knew that the squints had come to the same conclusion as she had and that was the data tracking her power levels almost since she'd gained them seven years plus. She was an open book to the squints who knew her more intimately than any Meta ever

So she just gave up driving them away or running away because the way she saw it she only needed to live in the open and build trust levels with the mundanes. She had plans and she knew in less than 1 year she would be free of all ^unwanted rules and intrusion.

So making big plans Jess asked to use the HQ stairs in lou of the elevator; she hated them. Hated elevators because of being trapped with six doctors fresh from roast beef an cabbage for three hours; she'd murdered the car's high tech computer with an EMP brought on by cramps. Since that day she vowed to never trap herself again using either the shaft or stairs never the box.



The fire door opened on the ground floor then out drifted Jessie suspended about five cm off the floor. She is clad in a form fitting suit designed by some mad research team in MI6 which drastically altered her body's drag, kept her warm at altitude, dry in rain and clouds; Hot Pink so that she could be visually tracked because she flew so efficiently she didn't show up on radar.

In the suit is a hardened electronics commsystem which can double as a transponder when she enters occupied airspace. She knew that they sometimes used the transponder to spy on her because it tingled when active. Jessica could snuff out the electronics if she really wanted but also knows if she pays the price of privacy she gains a Rescue/Support team, access to really neat toys and free medical tailored to her personal biology; how many girls could brag about having the guaranteed services of three personal MDs?

After pausing to scan the area around her Jess settled to the floor and gave an exasperated sigh

"Well here I am on the ground at last and you in midair" she sang in a sweet tone that made her smile as she looked for the quartermaster's, sure she could check in with her assigned boss but that wasn't tactical.

It wasn't about rebellion as some saw it but about boundaries; she knew if she didn't set some that she'd not have any. She had grown up observing how authority was dealt, earned and extracted an it was a lesson she intended to be mistress of by her conversion from girl to full on adult woman in what claimed to be a free society.

Meandering through the area of the city she had been assigned, Naomi kept a lookout for any suspicious activity. She found it at the sound of gunfire, quickly teleporting to a rooftop above the source of the sound. She looked down to see old cars decaying in their metal frames abandoned, store fronts with broken windows, and trash lining the street. Among these things she also noticed a body lying still, puddle of blood seeping from under their body. Naomi leaped down from the roof, landing on the top of a car. She silently moved across to the body, checking his neck for a pulse. Nothing. Looking up, Naomi made her way to the corner, peeking around it. A hooded figure could be seen running. Smirking, Naomi teleported right in front of the person. The man let out a high pitched scream, skidding to a halt and pointing his weapon at Naomi. She darted forward quickly and kicked it from his shaking hands. Then she kicked the mans chest, sending him flying backwards. Naomi threw a punch at his nose, breaking it. He was a pathetic, whimpering mess. Sneering, Naomi used the commlink to contact the police about the murder, then she slammed the mans head into the brick side of a building, rendering him unconscious.

"Pity I can't do more. Murder? What a waste of space you are," Naomi spit on the man, then threw a blast of dark matter at the gun, destroying it.

Sighing, Naomi decided she was done for the night. She teleported back to HQ, and made her way toward her new place. She was already tired of wearing the Black Cheshire outfit, and wanted nothing more than to relax.

"Thanks for having my back tonight Kain," Grant mentioned again, feeling a better connection with his teammate than they'd had earlier this morning. "I need to find Tia and sort some things out." He departed and left. He'd meant what he said. He needed an explanation. He'd fought mutated humans in the war. Toward the end that seemed to be all his missions were targeting. But that, what had happened tonight, on US soil, that was an abomination. The experiments being done across the pond were no where near that caliber.

Where did it come from? How did it get in the middle of downtown? Was this the first time? Grant was puzzled and in shock. Something, or someone created that monster, and Grant doubted it was an accident.

Room 7 pushed open. He'd retraced his steps back the way he'd come and entered his room with caution. "Grant Eren Finley! You are tracking mud all over my clean floors! OUT! OUT! OUT!" Grant missed his mom and looked down at his boots. He was filthy and messing up his tidy new room. "Wow," Grant let out just now looking about. Even if he hadn't just defeated a 7 foot tall acidic ooze monster he'd feel like he needed a shower before stepping onto the plush beige carpet. The walls were painted a relaxed sandy brown and seemed to stretch far away from each other for a generous space before begrudgingly succumbing to meeting again. It wasn't bigger than his parents home back in Missouri, but you could call it more than a single persons room! The bed fit in a cornered off section of the room separated by half walls giving the rest of the open space its independence. The bathroom had a full tub and shower and full counter space for a wall length mirror and sink. This was no army base. This was a hotel that was almost too good not to be suspicious.

Grant looked at himself in the mirror. His curly brown hair was clumping with dirt and sweat. A car antennae must have ripped that hole in his shirt during the flee down to the bay. What a day. From plane ride to shower, Grant had experienced nearly every emotion he could handle. But relaxation was brief. He had to find answers, and he only knew Tia to have anything around here. He toweled off. Put on his jeans and stretched a white t shirt across his large shoulders and left the room.

He began exploring the compound. Kitchen. Elevators. A lounge. All just as nice looking as the room. Maze-ing backward and around, Grant had B lined his way to an indoor pool and spa. Not having seen anyone while wandering, he felt less rigid military and more country boy again. He let out an impressed whistle that echoed in the room. "Well I'll be.." A splash knocked him back to where he was. It was Tia swimming in the pool.

There was a mix of thought. So far Tia was the only commanding officer he knew. However, she also looked incredible in her bikini. This was a more informal meeting than Grant had had in mind. He decided it would still be best to follow authority. He stood at attention again. "Commander Tia. May I speak with you?"

Jess had found the adjutant of the HQ and allowed them to check her in an tuck her into her quarters then changed out of uniform into sandals, tight red spandex shorts and a yellow tank top as if she were about to ride waves. The thought made her giggle because the waves she rode were one of the invisible forces that made the world not a basic element. No she was in search of indulgence, decadent pleasure, she was after a hot fudge sacrifice.

She was high performance and because of it required the calorie count of three adult males to not feel a bit washed and weak. She could use high protein bars but where was the fun in that she thought as she resisted exploding into the cafeteria and walked like the earth bound.

The people in command were once more spot on having hard serve and fresh brownies, they used the quality to conceal the light protean powder they mixed in the sauce. As it didn't effect flavor and added to the hot fudge the right amount of sludgieness Jessica didn't complain eating the delight as if starving.

After consuming her chocolaty victim Jessica cleared her palate drinking a 24 oz class of whole milk as she cat in the dining room listening to dub over her hidden communication head phones she wore hidden as a hairband.

"Sheep!" she threw out in a non sequitur kind of way which she used to confuse her meaning.

After getting everything he needed and setting his stuff in his room, Brian followed Tia to his area, and immediately watched her spring into action. He thought she might need some help but she handled the situation easily with only a missing led to boot. He went up to the guy after she left and looked down at him.

"Hey man, that was stupid, now you have done lost the leg, you do know you only get two right." As he said this the guy kept groaning in pain at ever word.

He decided it had been long enough and flew up into the sky he could see all that was happening, from the giant monster to the action going around. He did not know just how much this city need to be cleaned up. He saw some men dressed in red robbing a grocery store not to far from the docks and decided to take that. He landed at the back alley entrance of the store and walked in to the supply area. Brian could hear all of the scared screams and the bullets and the threats for the money.

He came onto the main floor and saw 6 guys in red so far, a woman and her son hiding in the meat section, and an old guy being yelled at from behind the register and two teens video tapping it all. He decided to start off easy and go for them isle by isle. The closet two were in the bread isle next to the door and Brian crept over to the guys eating some kind some sweet bread.

"Psssst! Hey guys you know there is some stuff down here on sale 2 for 5 bucks." He said as the three dropped it and turned around. All three of them raised there guns, and pointed them at the man dressed in purple and black. "Whoa! Guys lets not be hasty I was just trying to get you a better deal. But if you want I can show you what it feels like to hit the floor." As he said this, with his hands up, Brian snapped his fingers and and a red aura outlined the isle and Brian's eyes turned red. Immediately you could see the packaged foods and breads start to crush and, deflate flattening out. Brian had increased the gravity of the area x5 and made everything fall under a pressure except himself. All three of the dudes where still standing, but you could see them shaking having trouble staying up on there legs. Then one by one they started to drop like flies, each one still holding up their guns as they came down to their knees. "You see fellas, when you increase the initial gravity of earth, things start get flat and it becomes hard to hold up your own weight. Now because of this your organs are gonna start to fail because your body is no used to so much weight....wait am I doing a monologue?" As he said this he had turned around and began to pace. When he looked back all three dudes had already passed out.

Brian snapped his fingers again and moved on up the isle. When he peaked out the other three were now crowded around the register and the old man was on the floor knocked out. Brian sprang into action and jumped onto the conveyor belt the next isle over in front of them. Freeze villain! Justice has come in the form of Gyro!.......Nawww I'm just kidding but I do need you guys to stop stealing this hard earned money." All three turned around and started to fired at him. Brian ducked behind the counter and grabbed a snickers bar. His palm glowed red and he increased the weight of the bar until it felt like a baseball. When the shooting stopped he popped up from behind the counter and threw it at one of the guys, it hit him in the head and he fell back, his friends started to shoot again. Brian smiled and grabbed two butter fingers and when they iron rain broke and the culprits had to reload, he threw his other to and it hit them in the head as well. Brian then walked over to the old man and kicked him until he heard him groan. "That is a nasty bump pops, just take to Bayers and put some steak on it when you get home." He then looked at the three "Red Hots" and saw they wore some kind of red bandanna with a black eye spray painted on it. He took one and tied around his arm so that he could show the Boss Lady later. Brian went to the phones they always keep at the register and turned on the intercom. "Ummmm....People its safe I guess, so come to the front of the store and get out. Yeah...also there is an online survey going around to see who saves the best, my name is Gyro and please give me the rating I deserve..a 10. Thank you for shopping and have a nice night!!"

As the people inside started to file out of the store Brian left with them and contacted HQ. "This is Gyro reporting in. There is some creepy cult, wearing red going around and they just robbed a grocery store, but its all fixed now. Over and out?" He said this as he flew back to base and went into the lobby and laid face first on one of the couches.

Tia looked up and smiled at Grant. She swam over to the edge and stood up exposing the upper part of her body to the air and her long green hair hung in long green tresses. "You don't have to call me commander. Tia is fine. Anything I can help you with? How was your mission? Anything interesting?" She could feel herself slipping into leader role and she didn't want to with Grant. He was a good old country boy and she liked that. "Hold on," She swam to the stairs and walked out of the pool grabbing a towel to dry off with. Tia blushed when she saw him watching her dry off. She slipped the towel into the basket by the pool and walked up to him. She could feel the tension and she noticed the vein in his neck seemed to twitch a little faster.

"I want to duck into my room and change if you'll give me just a minute." Grant nodded and She walked through her wall and went into her room and changed clothes. In just a minute or two she emerged wearing jeans, a tank top and ankle boots. Her hair was wet and in a pony tail.

"So" she said pulling on her jean jacket. "What's up? I noticed that some of the others called you 'The Hammer.' I like that. It makes you sound tough. I mean you are, obviously, but to someone who hasn't seen you it sounds tough." Tia realized she was rambling and changed the subject a little.

"I had a screwed up time tonight. I messed up...big and it's been bugging me. I did something that I haven't done in a long time and it almost cost me." She wasn't sure why she was telling him but she was comfortable doing it so she continued. "I let myself get caught off guard and it really pissed me off and I took it out on the human who did it." She frowns at her memory. "It cost that man his leg. I didn't restrain myself and I should have." Grant looked at her thoughtfully for a moment.

"Wicked wasn't as upset as I was. Sometimes it is hard being her niece. Everyone expects so much from me but I expect more than anyone I think. Do you know what I mean?" She looked over at him.

@Blop

So it was informal here. Grant had been in the military a long time. There was no first name basis and Tia was already breaking that mold for him. Though, there was little mold to hold on to after the show he'd been given. Tia was a thing of beauty, and unlike any girl he'd ever seen before. It had him a tad hot and bothered, which was very new to him. After all he'd been a high school jock all his life. Girls never were a mystery to him. This one was. A real mystery, maybe that's what was so different about her. Green hair and super powers, Grant knew how to pick 'em.

She left for a more fitting outfit giving Grant a much needed second to clear his head. What did she ask? He'd nearly forgotten why he wanted to speak with her in the first place. Her green swim suit bottoms walking away all but replaced the image of a large green monster he'd put in the bottom of the shoreline just hours ago! Damnit, he thought. This was a league of heroes, not spring break. He shook his head clear as Tia came back to him with more questions. He thought he'd answer but she seemed to be plagued by her own troubles.

They found themselves sitting in deck chairs near the spa, and Grant listened to her story. "Yeah. I'm sorry. I feel like a real jerk now. I came in putting that same pressure on you today too. I was hasty over the comms thinking me and Kain were the only ones facing a problem. Sounds like everyone had their hands tied tonight. Sorry about that. But I think you did great. Everyone seems to be alive... I think. Well then again, I don't really know anyone other than you or Kain. Speaking of, who's Wicked exactly?"

INERTIA A.K.A. Tia Clark

Tia laughed and her eyes sparkled. It was truly an awesome feeling to know that there was at least one person who didn't know who Wicked was. "Wicked Flame is my Aunt and the leader of the Agency for Superheroes. My mother was Dark Duchess and when she was killed my Aunt Wick raised me. As soon as my mom died, fate put me on a new path and I'm still on it. One day she will stop in here and you won't believe it. She is almost like royalty, even to me." Tia realized he had wanted to ask her about something earlier.

"Did your mission go well?"@Blop

"I'm sorry to hear that. To have someone die, whether you know them or not, is difficult." There seemed no level of sympathy Grant could convey for Tia losing her mom. "You're one tough super heroin," he jest with a meek smile. "So your aunt," gesturing to everything around them, "she started all this. Wow. Good thing to. It seems this city needs it. We found something today." He started on about his mission.

"Me and Kain did that is. Something big and different. It was unlike any metahuman I've known or heard about." He tapped his leg and furrowed his brow, like he actually wasn't going to believe himself about what he was saying. "There was a monster in the middle of downtown. It stood over me. Seven feet tall maybe weighed half a ton. It looked human, but deformed and grotesque. Its jaw had extended out with these big gnarled teeth. And its body were disfigured in weird ways. It was oozing a corrosive acid from its skin." He shook with discomfort. "I don't know what it means. I know I'm new to the league here. But even in the military, our enemies were experimenting with trying to make super humans like us. They didn't come close to anything like what we saw today. I think something big is happening, and we need to find out what it is."

INERTIA A.K.A. Tia Clark

Tia pondered telling him. She looked up and closed her eyes for a second then looked right at him. "There is something going on. The agency has people on it but they aren't sure why it's happening but this is not man made. I shouldn't say much more til they can confirm it. They aren't positive but they think it might have to do with the gateway to hell. Someone is trying to open it they believe. I think we are going to see a lot stranger stuff than what we have seen so far."

"I need to check the faxes." She got up and he went with her. "We are expecting attacks here at the base too. There is an amazing alert system. The HQ is outfitted with alarm systems and we can even disallow teleporting if we flip a switch. It's really cool but attacks here are usually by evi leagues of meta humans."

@Blop@Dark Light

His eyes widened. Was she serious! A gateway to Hell! Grant had already been through a manmade hell with the marines. But the real thing coming here, this was going to be something entirely different. He followed her through the doors and halls to her office where'd they'd first met that morning. Hopefully there wasn't another mission to go on, it was getting late. The day's excitement had him worn and the jet lag of flying in this morning was starting to kick in. The sun may have been set only recently, but his body said it was 4 a.m.

"If there are attacks here at the HQ. Are we all there is to defend it? Are there others with powers other than I've met? Maybe we should rally tomorrow. Get a headcount of who's who and plan our powers accordingly."

"Thanks for having my back tonight Kain,"

Kain let out a slow painful sigh as he rolled his eyes.
"I might have been at your back but I never 'had it'.
Don't be fooled into thinking this means we are chums." his words like acid in the cool nights air.

Kain then turns away from the man and with slow strides heads toward the garage once again.
He frowns as the roller door opens to his touch. He didn't feel the security measures protecting his pride and joy were enough, no matter how much they tried to convince him it was top of the range.

He steps inside and closes the door behind him. The automatic lights flicker to life and Kain is embraced by the still empty silence provided by the rooms thick sound dampening walls. The garage was large, larger then it needed it to be. It made Kain wonder what they might have intended to build or work on when they constructed the building.

Those thoughts fell aside when he came to stand next to a hidden car beneath a large cover in the far corner of the garage. He trails his fingers slowly across the fabric for a short distance before suddenly stopping and dropping to his knees. He reaches up under the skirting and smiles as his fingers find the sleek cool metallic surface.

Kain closes his eyes and his conscious sinks into the machine. He can feel all the varying types and densities of metals. He measures the aspects of the motor. After enough focus, thought and time the beast had practically been serviced and tuned without Kain so much as lifting a tool. Not that it needed one anyway.

Kain found a serene comfort in the nostalgia and familiarisation that came with working on that car. He knew it's inner workings better than the he knew the back of his own hand.

------

A few hours later while everyone else was playing inside, the motor of Kain's powerful advanced custom designed bike spurred to life. It ran smooth and efficient, as so it didn't give off any unnecessary noise. It even went as far as to have things in place to reduce excess vibrations and sounds. To Kain this was art.


-------

Sliding down the black visor of his helm he looks back at the closing garage door the with a short twist of the throttle he takes off down the street, leaving behind the building and his comm's ear piece.

INERTIA A.K.A. Tia Clark

"Yes, I would like to do that very much. But right now." She picked up one of the faxes. "I have to take care of this." Tia started walking back to her room to change. "You want to go with me? It's either a Meta human or a monster/demon. It should be interesting." He followed her and she said, "Be ready in five minutes." She walked through the wall into her room to change yet again. When she got outside the car was there and so was Grant.

Driving to the destination was easier said than done. The closer they got the more people they saw running and screaming. "Crap, I have a bad feeling about this. Let's go, we walk from here. Before we get there your comlink does more than you think it does. It keeps track of your vitals and your location in case you were to be out and be injured." She showed him how to work it. "See." She started to jog towards the crashing and screaming.

When Tia got to see what was going on her heart almost stopped. The statues from the past war heroes were moving and smashing cars. She watched as a woman fell out of a car and was screaming that her baby was inside. Tia ran without thought to herself or anyone else and she jumped onto another car and leapt into the vehicle as it was in the air and phased the baby out. She gave the baby back to its mother and turned towards the statue and it snarled at her. She ducked and it swung an old bayonet at her. She phased but had to materialize to blast it. She had no idea where Grant was at that moment she had to keep her eyes on the several that were moving in on her.

@Blop@Dark Light

Michael Watts a.k.a Omega

"This is so easy!" Michael said as he stretched his arms by reaching the them upward as he sat on the bench at the headquarters' gym. Michael found it pretty nice to workout when he could. The best part was, he was getting paid to do what ever he wanted so far. He smirked at the thought as stood up before turning back towards the bar on the bench press that was stacked with 1,500 lbs. Michael simply used his telekinesis to move some weight off the bar and then began lifting it with his mind.

"Hmm. Maybe I'll stop being lazy once I start to get bored." He said to himself as he lift the weight up and down.

After changing out of the skin tight suit and taking a quick steamy shower, Naomi grew bored. She unpacked the small and worn duffel she brought with her, folding clothes into the provided dresser. At the bottom of the duffel sat a thin black picture frame. In the picture frame was an old photograph of three girls, all similar in face and with sleek black hair. Naomi frowned at it, placing it face down on top of the dresser. After that, she was done with the unpacking.

Naomi figured if her room wasn't going to entertain her, maybe the lounge would provide something to occupy her time with. Choosing to walk instead of teleport this time, to get a feel for the layout of HQ, Naomi set out. Her black tee and ripped up dark blue jeans were all she wore, forgoing the trash running shoes. Not like they would be providing much protection for the bottom of her feet anyway.

Once at the lounge Naomi took a seat in a plush chair, feeling the soft cushions and grinning. "Now this I could get used to," she whispered to herself. She then grabbed a TV remote, turning it on to a random channel. The sound of a cooking show filled the air, and Naomi got settled. Cooking wasn't really of interest to her, but this was the first time she'd have a TV all to herself, in a place that wasn't a correctional center or charity space. She was going to enjoy anything that came across the screen.

Michael Watts a.k.a Omega

After a shower and changing into a black dry-fit t-shirt, blue jeans, and black sneakers, Michael made his way towards the lounge area.

On his way there, he took a peek at the pool and hot tub area and raised an eyebrow. It was empty. I guess she needed less time to get settled than I thought. He continued down the hall going straight into the lounge.

Upon arriving he saw one of the members of his team. A female who was comfortably watching television.

"You look comfortable." Michael said as he walked straight to the bar. "Need a drink?" He asked as he grabbed a bottle of Jameson whiskey and poured two shots of it into a glass cup. Perfect! Man I'm loving this place.

"By the way, I'm Mike, but my codename is Omega. You?"

Naomi flicked her eyes to the new arrival, then focused back on the TV, a frown tugging at the side of her lips. "Supposed to be upholding the law," Naomi began in a bored voice, "don't think Boss Lady would appreciate me drinking underage. Ask again in ten months."

With an agitated sounding sigh, Naomi sat up straighter and turned to Mike. "Naomi. I'm Black Cheshire in the field." She replied coldly. Then Naomi grabbed up the remote and flicked to a random channel, this time settling on a sports game. She refocused her attention on the TV.

Michael Watts a.k.a Omega

"The law?" Michael said with a chuckle before he took a seat on a different plush chair. "Don't you think the law is a bit flexible for people like us? How many people can go out and fight crime and beat up bad guys without having to go through some kind of academy? Shit, half of us used to probably be criminals." Michael shrugged and looked at the basketball game that was on the television before looking out from the corner of his eye.

Naomi was definitely feistier than Tia, but Michael found this interesting. The girl did not seem hot tempered. In fact she was the opposite. Cold. He could not help but think she might be keeping to herself because she either knew of him or that she was trying to keep something hidden.

"Black Cheshire..." Michael said to himself. "Can't say I ever heard of you. What can you do?" Michael took a gulp of his drink, finishing it with ease. Having Enhanced Regeneration gave him no fear of the effects of alcohol. He just liked the taste.

Naomi clenched her hands into fists, getting more annoyed by the second. "After being ignored by your mother all your life because she was either too drunk or too high to care, alcohol kind of loses it's fascination," Naomi bit out. Then she let out a breath through her nose, repeating the mantra play nice play nice play nice in her head, in a voice that sounded suspiciously like her eldest sisters'.

"I can blast a hole through your head with dark energy, then teleport to a remote island in the pacific to avoid the law." So much for nice Naomi mentally chastised herself. She turned to Mike and smiled maliciously, "We done with the twenty questions? I'd ask what you can do but I don't much care."

@FunnyGuy

Michael Watts a.k.a Omega

Michael's eyebrows rose from Naomi's initial statement. Well that's a cat that could of stayed in the bag... He thought before she seemed to snap at him a bit. Michael narrowed his eyes for a second before smiling back at her malicious smile.

"That's peachy. I could say you have one up on your mother. You're doing exactly what she did and you're sober... I'm not asking you to like me, but aren't on a team. I might get the epic chance of saving your life one day, or I can say 'I don't much care.'" He mocked as he got up and revisited the bar to grab the bottle of Jameson and exit the lounge. Michael wasn't the nicest guy around, but he respected giving some their needed space.