Growing Dangers - part 5
by Bryan

The team had reconvened in the Freedom Fortress. No one said anything for a long time. Finally, Liberty Lad spoke.

"How did Deja Vu get out of jail? That power nullifier should had been full proof. He shouldn't have been able to get out of that jail."

"If it had malfunctioned in anyway, I would have known." The Ant replied, in defense of his work.

Before he could continue anymore, the computer screens switched from maps of Patriot City to a familiar and gentle face. Man-bot had managed to gain temporary control of the base's computers.

"Freedom Force, it's Man-bot! I don't have much time so you have to listen to me very carefully. What you faced today was only the beginning. The Domain is working with a super powered human to create an army of villains. The mastermind behind it is incredibly powerful. He can hide himself from me, and all the base's scanners. You can find out about him through detective work, it will take time but I believe you will succeed.

"As you can tell, I've sent some new people towards you. Each was chosen because their hearts are pure and their potential great. My time is short. I must go."

"But Man-bot! How are you holding up, friend?" Minuteman asked. It was the least he could do.

"I'm well Minuteman. I will lose the connection sho-"

And he was gone.

AlcheMiss left the room, she couldn't stand to be there any longer.

El Diablo went after her, but a hand quickly grabbed him.

"Let her go. She needs to be alone for a little bit." Blackbird said in a hushed and comforting voice.

The Ant wanted to talk to the Jade Hornet, there was something about him. Something, familiar. He walked up to the other insectial hero.

"So, you have all the powers of a hornet, right?" The Ant asked.

"Yeah, and you the powers of an ant?"

"Yeah. Is that you, Jordan?"

"How'd you know?"

The Ant took off his mask and removed his hood.

"John! Well, if anyone could be a hero, it'd be you. Me, I just fell into this."

"No, you heard Man-bot. You were given these powers for a reason. If you didn't have what it took to be a hero, Man-bot would not have given them to you. You were picked for a reason."

"But why'd he pick me?" Jordan thought to himself.

"What's the matter, Lass?" Hank Waters asked Merry Mason, who seemed troubled.

"I can't put my finger on it. When we were fighting Shadow, she seemed more powerful than before. Maybe I'm just imagining it, but I thought I could FEEL the night. Like she summoned it. I know I'm not the only one who noticed it was getting darker, even though it was nearly noon by the time we stopped her."

Hank didn't want to admit it, but she was right. Shadow was getting stronger. "This is not good, this is not good at'll." Hank sighed heavily.

Later, Patriot City District Attorney Office:

"Thank you for seeing us so quickly, Ms. Taveris," Minuteman told the Assistant District Attorney.

"You're welcome. We were shocked to learn of Deja Vu's escape, Nuclear Winter's as well. Probably as much as you were," Gloria Taveris, the Assistant to the Patriot City District Attorney stated sternly. She paced her office covered with books of law. The Ant, Eve, Blackbird and Minuteman looked on.

"We'd like to see the power nullifier," The Ant said, nearly demanding. If he could look at it, he'd be able to determine how and why it failed. Most importantly, he'd be able to make it never happen again.

"Very well," Gloria Taveris replied. "I'll take you to the maximum security prison."

Patriotic Paradise, Craft Residence:

Angelica Craft worked diligently in her kitchen preparing food for her family. She expected her children to be home soon, though they wouldn't be happy. They were late and had not called. Listening to the news reports from the TV in the living room did not ease her mood.

"In an apparent, organized attack by powerful super villains, many citizens of Patriot City are panicked. Millions of dollars of damage has been calculated. At City University alone, an experiment of plants using cold sensitive was completely destroyed as Nuclear Winter froze the entire campus. Police are baffled at the attack on the Botanical Gardens, though many plants went untouched, one was stolen. The endangered Trillium reliquum was..."

Angelica Craft removed her attention from the newscast as she heard the door opening. She got to the scene quickly to confront her children.

"Where have you been?!" She asked all three at once.

Before Nick could reply his mother once again spoke up.

"I don't want to hear it right now. You're grounded."

Nick felt bad lying to his mother, but he had to protect his identity, to protect her.

Undisclosed Location, Underneath Patriot City:

The fates were not smiling on the solider of the Domain selected to make the energy X delivery to the University, he had messed it up.

"Your mistake may have cost us dearly. Not only are we down one killer, Freedom Force has a new hero in their ranks." The boss of the evil plot was clearly annoyed.

"I apologize greatly for my error, I will report to Lord Dominion myself."

The terrorizing one smiled a smile that can only belong to a mad man. "You'll not live to tell Lord Dominion." With that, the solider of the Domain collapsed to the floor, his heart stopped.

"Waste of skin. Prepare for the next attack!" he said to his followers.

To be continued...