Growing Dangers - part 4
by Bryan

Synagogue of Liberty: Rabbi Samuel Dirchuemon was always at work early, though this was early even for him. His cousin, Chad Harrick, was missing and he felt responsible. He took the twenty year old in and yet did nothing when his landlord evicted him. Sure, he stole from him, but forgiveness was a virtue he taught; how could he not forgive his own family. He paced the aisle reading the Torah and a light hit him. It was very odd. He felt a power greater than anything he'd ever felt. He could hear the voice of God, like he was being spoken to by the divine. The voice told him he now had amazing powers, he could feel the power surging through his body. His mission was to protect innocents from all that would seek to harm. Yet the voice had a darker message, he was told of great danger to come.

Freedom Fortress:

Blackbird returned to see a surprising site indeed. Alex Craft, Sarah Craft, and Brandon Dierheart all regained consciousness and were practicing their new powers in the team's Hazard Room. Alex and Sarah both seemed to have powers like their brother Nick. Aside from strength they could manipulate energies similar to Nick's ability to make inanimate objects into bombs, except they made fireworks. Brandon had mimicked the Vampire's powers perfectly, except he could survive light. He had to wear sunglasses even with the indoor lights, though, or he'd not be able to open his eyes.

"They've all made progress." Mentor said as she walked next to him.

"Good. We'll need it. Shadow's back." Cassandra replied with a slight anger in her voice. She wondered how many families Shadow had ruined with her Darkmen. The entire team had assembled to watch the new recruits. They now turned their attention to Blackbird.

She continued, "I saw her meeting with someone with powers similar to Brandon's. She said 'us' like she was working with others."

"Not again." Ant said with a pain. Shadow had controlled him and she had made herself his mistress.

The group had planned a priority meeting and all but the new recruits and their relations were present.

"Who could Shadow be working with?" Alchemiss asked herself as much as her teammates.

"Pinstripe?" Diablo asked.

"Pinstripe is behind bars where he belongs." Order, Law's other half, quickly pointed out.

"Maybe Pan?"

"That impure heart could not return without my knowledge!" Eve quietly and forcibly remarked.

"Deja Vu?"

"Jail, and thanks to Mentor's power nuller, he cannot duplicate himself. So there is no chance he could have escaped and left us all clueless." Minuteman said. They all knew the status of their enemies, they did not need the reminders, but they ran through them anyway.

"Timemaster?" It was the one name everyone thought but did not want to say. They did not know where he was, but when they defeated him he lost all his powers. Unless Man-bot gave him back his powers, Timemaster would be no threat. The alarm sounded reporting a situation.

Simultaneously:

Nick had no idea what to say to his brother and sister. How do you even begin to have a 'suprise I'm a super hero' conversation?

He didn't even have to start the conversation.

"So, all this time when you were at the library, out with a friend, or mysteriously disappearing from school, you were fighting crime as Liberty Lad?" Sarah asked.

"Pretty much, wham bam out for the count." Nick replied sheepishly.

"You know mom would freak out." Alex said raising his voice a little. Nick hated it when his brother took on the 'dad' role.

"She can't know." Nick replied firmly.

"Why not?" Sarah now raised her voice.

"It'd be too dangerous. A lot of people want to hurt me, and a good way to do it is hurt those you love."

His siblings looked slightly annoyed.

"Come on! Don't you read the comics! Aracni-man #75 The Dancing Demon kidnaps Gloria Swanny!"

The alarms sounded.

"What's that?" Sarah asked.

"Super villain, get ready. I think you're about to meet some bad guys."

Simultaneously:

Cassandra felt so bad for her friend and just held him. She didn't know how to tell him that woman was now a vampire and working with the villainous Shadow. She had to think of something.

"That woman will become a vampire, like me." Brandon said with a slight hesitation. His whole body, even his blond hair looked guilty.

"Yes, I saw her. She now works with a Supervillian named Shadow." Cassandra replied.

"I can't let anyone else turn."

"Couldn't Mentor help you?"

"In a way yes," Brandon sighed. "He studied human blood and has been able to artificially recreate it. Though the hunger may never leave me."

Before Blackbird could reply the alarm sounded.

"Evil beware, time for you to meet Bloodknight." Blackbird said returning to her crimefighting self. They joined the others.

"What's going on?" Minuteman inquired.

"Currently monitoring four situations. Pete's Midtown Cafe. Status: Under attack. Threat: villain Malguard. City University. Status: Under attack. Threat: Spy Nuclear Winter. First Patriot City Bank. Status: Robbery In Progress. Threat: Rhyming Rogue Deja Vu Patriot City Botanical Gardens. Status: Under attack. Threat: Beauty Hater Shadow." Microwave stated, running down the threats against the city.

"They are obviously working together. We must neutralize this team of foes!" Mentor cried. With the new recruits they had enough to take care of each incident with one person staying behind to monitor.

"Jeepers, and it's not even six am yet!" Liberty Lad cursed

Pete's Midtown Cafe:

Rabbi Samuel Dirchuemon always had some coffee at this cafe before work. Sometimes he'd bring his troubled patrons and talk to them not as a religious leader, but as a friend. Today he was alone, however.

"How are you today, Rabbi?" the waitress asked filling his cup with his usual brew.

"Good, Allison, and you?"

"Great. I'm taking Max down to the park after work. Going to teach him to fetch." She smiled at the kind hearted man. He gave her Max to keep her company as she had been lonely on her own for the first time. They weren't much different in terms of age. He was twenty six and she was twenty three and he admired her convictions. The waitressing was only until she could get the job she really wanted. She was hoping to work as an anthropologist at the museum.

"I bet he'll enjoy that," he replied as she went to the kitchen or work other tables.

Suddenly a black clad man walked up to his table. Sam raised his eyes to see the man's face, it was one he recognized. He stood up to greet his cousin.

"Chad, good to see yo-" he started to say but the former security guard did not intend a happy reunion. He used his mental powers to propel the smaller man away and into a support pillar. The roof above him collapsed as the pillar snapped.

"It's too easy, you fool." Malguard laughed. He then caught sight of the horrified Allison and started choking her with his mind.

Not to be taken out that easily with his new energy X infused body, Sam climbed out of the rubble. Unnoticed by his cousin or Allison, he focused on the mental mad man. He shot a bolt of light from his hand and knocked his cousin back twelve feet.

"Run!" he yelled to the waitress.

She obeyed.

He walked closer to his cousin and focused on the rubble behind him. It was repaired instantly. "Now to take care of you."

Before Sam could approach his cousin further, a small grenade fell three feet from the monstrous version of his younger relative. Sam stopped dead before the pulsating sphere. Malguard, as he called himself, did not. When he got closer the sphere exploded in a ball of fire and the mad man fell in pain. Suddenly from behind, four figures landed from the skyscrapers above. The smallest figure threw another grenade at the villains feet exploding in a white flash.

The entire team moved forward, Samuel recognized two of them, Order and Liberty Lad, but the other two were strangers. The girl wore a nearly angelic white gown. Her blue gloves made her look like a revolutionary war era belle. Though this was no little lady, she could pack a punch with the best of them. Her chest was emblazoned with a red peace sign. The guy, who could pass for her brother, looked like a red Liberty Lad, except his shoulders bore money symbols. They all hit his cousin with everything they had. Finally, Order brought his giant gavel over his shoulder and swung it around, hitting Malguard in the chin and sending him flying into the air. As he tumbled back to the ground, Order became Law.

Malguard was not out of the picture. He focused all his might and caused a shockwave to ripple along the ground they stood on. Landing on his feet, the evil one walked towards Liberty Lad.

"I'll destroy you," he said simply as he picks up the teen hero.

Seeing their brother in trouble the new heroes acted quickly.

"Time for you to experience Peace..." the girl started.

"And Prosperity!" the boy finished. Suddenly their powers seemed to join as one and a great beam of white energies shot forth from their bodies, striking Malguard in his chest.

"ARRRGH!" He screamed. "This is not over!" He cried as his body disappeared in a teleportation portal.

"Threat one: Eliminated. Good Job Team." Microwave chimed over the mental link communication system.

"Liberty Lad to Freedom Force, Malguard is out for now. Returning to base with a new super powered friend!"

"Good work, Liberty Lad." Minuteman said.

City University:

Jordan Adamson was showing off his prize possession, a hornet farm.

"Isn't it dangerous to keep hornets in your dorm, Jordan?" the girl he was with asked.

"Yeah, but the danger is what makes it so cool!"

Suddenly, it got cold.

Snow was now falling on the University campus and being May, it was highly unusual. The few people outside this early quickly went back inside. The sight they saw was too familiar from a near brush with death.

"Time for Nuclear Winter!" a cold voice said as the owner stepped into the main grounds. Nuclear Winter was back. A Freedom Force strike team of Minuteman, El Diablo, Mentor and Alchemiss arrived to face the master of cold.

"We meet again, Winter!" Minuteman cried.

"Foolish American, I will destroy that flag and your face it's hidden by!"

The two fought while the other Freedom Force members had their hands full with some of Winter's frosty minions. As the last minion fell, the others knew they couldn't attack with Minuteman so close. El Diablo could take Winter out with one fiery attack, but his aim was terrible and he'd take out his friend and leader in the process. Winter let out a frozen beam that Minuteman dodged, the beam entered one of the dorm windows.

Horrified, Jordan looked on as a beam of ice hit his hornet home and broke the glass, letting loose the hornets that now stung him. He was glad the girl was now gone. The only thing that saved him from the pain was a beam of purple light. He felt the power surging in his body and he flew out the window to aid the heroes. Fortunately, the situation was under control.

Alchemiss had banished Nuclear Winter to another plane of existence. As the team waited they were joined by a flying young man who looked familiar to Alchemiss.

He had on a make shift costume, in essence an old green and black sweat suit and a cloth covering his face. Before he could introduce himself Winter came back from Purgatory and Diablo sent a tongue of flame toward him but he missed. Taking his cue, the new hero sent a stinger flying towards the super villain. He was weak and the venom was enough to knock out the treacherous winter wonderland creator.

"Thank you, friend. What shall we call you?" Minuteman asked.

Looking at his green outfit, the stranger replied, "Jade Hornet!" Suddenly Minuteman got a report from Microwave, followed by reports from individual teams. All threats were now eliminated.

"Return to base! We have won today." Minuteman said as he turned to face Nuclear Winter. But the fiend was gone.

The team did not see the small portal open, nor the aliens that stepped out of it carrying an eerily familiar canister. They did not see when a disgruntled faculty member was given a dose of energy X.

To be continued...