The Red Blade

The soft female voice seemed to sing the question:

Are you sure?

A smile crawled along Scarlet’s lips.  She pressed the button that would process her request.  Deep inside Dawn Patrol Headquarters in Paragon City, machines started making the weapon.

3 days later

“Well, what do you think?”  Scarlet was beaming with pride.  She felt like she was in front of a classroom during ‘show and tell’. But it was a class of one and he was not looking impressed.

Grand Battler Daikar looked down the length of the blade and kept his frown.  He then turned it to it’s side, then the other side.  Taking a step back, he lifted the sword and swung two-handed in a wide arc in front of him.  Finally, he lifted the sword on both palms and bowed his head as he presented it to Scarlet.  “This was manufactured by a machine, correct?”

“What?!”  Scarlet blushed. ”Well …yes.”

Daikar smirked.”Good luck then.  If you are looking for the perfect sword then I know someone who can help you.”

After a small pause Scarlet said, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch. What’s the price.?”

“Time.”

She slid the gleaming sword into its sheath.  “What do you mean?”

“Kathryn, you don’t need this.  The Zenith Fangs were bestowed to you as weapons to augment your anima.”

“But I want this.  I want something I own.  Not just what was given to me by genetics or celestial lineage.”

Daikar nodded.  “Then you understand the cost.”  It was not a question.

“Yes, I suppose so.”

“We’ll see about that. You may as well start using that thing to get a feel for what’s wrong.”

She felt her pride finally washed away from the insult, “how am I supposed to know the difference?!”

“Once you learn the improper way, then the real lessons will be more rewarding.  You will be contacted by a friend of mine in two days.  Do what he says without question and trust him like you trust me.”
---

The day after meeting the Grand Battler

The man looked like a stereotypical Secret Service agent: crisp suit lines, opaque sunglasses, muscular and clean shaven yet somehow rugged looking.  The person fit the mold so well his next words were almost comedic.

“You have two days.”

He placed an envelope on the table and calmly walked away.

Nathan Maddox relaxed then lifted a cup of coffee to his lips.  “You make some interesting friends.”

Scarlet smirked then snatched the envelope and stood.  “I’m sorry, but duty calls.  Rain-check for tonight?”

“You know, your tab is starting to get high.”

She leaned down to whisper something but gently licked the rim of his ear instead.  After kissing Nathan on the cheek, she finally whispered, “I’ll pay in full with interest when I return.”  Scarlet stood straight and quickly walked away without looking back.

3 days later - Osaka, Japan

Scarlet was stunned by the request.  “Forgive me Master Snow, my hearing must be fading.”

The little old Japanese man was calm, his voice harsh from age yet gentle with wisdom.  “That’s hard to believe considering your reputation.  But I will gladly repeat for your American ears … I need a lock of your hair and three drops of your blood from a cut made with this sword.”

Scarlet was staring at the invidious wakizashi and noticed the blade did not reflect anything on its surface.  It looked as if it absorbed light.  She forced herself to look away as if looking at it further would steal her soul.

“Do not be afraid little warrior … but it will hurt.” Master Snow raised the short sword above his head.  “A lot.”

Her face betrayed her surprise and fear.

“If you want my help then this must be done.  From what Daikar tells me, you will heal perfectly … which makes you fortunate.”  He immediately swung the sword one –handed with such speed Scarlet barely registered the attack.  Several strands of her crimson hair floated to the ground.

“Now for the blood,” Master Snow whispered darkly.

Scarlet’s pride reeled in shame as she realized she was losing consciousness and rolling to the ground.
---

3 Months after meeting Master Snow

Exalted.

That’s how she felt.  The hilt seemed to grip her hands and massage her fingers when she flexed them around the shaft.  Although not weightless, the sword floated from one position to another as she moved in slow moving arcs.  Scarlet couldn’t help but smile at her enjoyment of the moment.

Master Snow was indeed an artist and Daikar was absolutely right, again.  How would she repay the boon they had given her?  That will have to be explored another time.  For now, her concentration returned to the finely crafted sword.  Against her expectations, Master Snow did not place a hand guard where the handle met the blade, common to almost every sword used by sword-smiths.  He said a guard-less sword would allow for better fluidity and range of motion, once she learned to use the sword of course.

Thinking of the blade stopped her joy.  Aside from the volcanic rock the core was made from, she had to surrender a few things of herself, the least of which was a lock of her hair.  She clearly remembered when Master Snow took that from her.  She released one hand to touch the healing laceration across her stomach; the source of the blood needed apparently.  The wound was healing but it was unsettling to think Master Snow did what he did while she was unconscious.  It was her blood that gave the blade its red color.

The final product Master Snow requested was her Zenith Fangs: ancient weapons bequeathed to her from another life she lived.  According to Master Snow, the Fangs were forged in the fires of a funeral pyre fueled with undead corpses and it was from the same fires they could be re-forged …

She looked at the blade.  Its beauty and perfection marred by the knowledge of its creation.  Scarlet didn’t fully believe the tale told to her, but after everything she’d seen in Paragon City … anything was possible.

“Are you sure?”  The small and demure female spoke from behind a mask.  The Japanese accent made the question seem rhetorical.  Her hair curled into tight rolls behind her ears.  Every muscle in her body trained to make her one of the world’s foremost assassins.  Her presence was ironically intimidating yet Scarlet showed no fear.

“Yes”, the tall red-head replied with confidence.

“Then let’s see what you can do.”  The little woman quietly drew her own sword from the scabbard on her hip.  She bowed to Scarlet and slowly slid into a starting stance that was both an attack posture and defensive position.  Kitai nodded once.

Scarlet exhaled and attacked.
---

Yesterday

She pulled down the sheet of paper.  It was marked with the Japanese kanji that appeared with growing frequency around the city.  This page was fresh compared to the dirty and neglected warehouse she stood in.  The trail seemed cold but this was just the entrance to the massive building.  The Scarlet Scorpion was confident to find more around the corner.

Three shuriken whistled from the darkness in a long blur.  One struck the wall; a second ricocheted from her armor, but the third imbedded deep in the flesh of her shoulder.  Scarlet barked in pain and surprise and finished turning in place to face the source of the attack. Her sonic abilities alerted her to the missile attack but that doesn’t mean she’s was fast enough to do something about it.  Biting down to prevent revealing any agony, she reached for the shuriken and pulled it out.  She dove for cover behind a desk and looked at the sinister weapon.  Half covered in her blood elevated her pain to anger.

Three more shuriken attacked various objects around her.  Scarlet tightened the grip on her sword and removed the cowl over her head.  She debated the addition to her costume and this event was enough to prove she didn’t want it anymore, but the mask had to stay.  The pain in her shoulder started to fade as she concentrated on healing and realized she was breathing heavy.  Looking around the corner caused another assault but with crossbow bolts.  Scarlet shifted the other side and the attacker shot another round.  She was blocked from escape.

“Surrender, Miyagi,” the female voice said from the darkness.  Scarlet closed her eyes trying to think of a comeback.  She heard the whisper of movement.

There is more than one.  These are not Tsoo.  She rolled her eye at the revelation.  The best defense is a better offense.

Scarlet quickly stood with red blade in front.  Arrow bolts flew toward her.  Their silent flight betrayed their path to her.  She raised her sword and deflected the three from her front, then raised an armored gauntlet above her right.  Three missiles clanged off the gauntlet to crash around her.  She dodged the last three from the left, one skipping off her hip.

Enough.  Absorbing the resulting noise of combat, Scarlet refocused the sound into a defensive shield around her.  The debris of the ruined warehouse vibrated and danced in the faint glow of the sonic barrier.   She heard gasps as if she surprised her assailants and that made her grin.  She was not your average sword-fighter … she was more than a martial artist.

Today, 30 minutes ago, Scarlet’s home in Founder’s Falls

Scarlet massaged her shoulder as she looked at the piece of paper with the Japanese kanji printed on it.

There is a coincidence I’m not seeing.

The Knives were not known to attack heroes without cause, and mayhem is not their business.  Someone has been laying these leaflets with enough frequency to mean something... was it from the Knives?  Scarlet made enough enemies during her tenure with the Dawn Patrol and to think she were important enough for their plans felt obnoxious.  It was as if she could see the other side of a chasm and all she needed was the bridge.

Then the bridge appeared … they called HER “Miyagi”!

She dropped the paper and ran toward her phone.  Quickly dialing a phone number she started pacing for a connection.  When it was answered, Scarlet paused suddenly not knowing what to say.

“We need to talk.  Something has happened and you need to know about it.”

The phone was placed on the receiver and Scarlet paced to wait for a reply of some kind.  With Kitai, one never knew how she would respond to a message like that.

The Run

Looking around a corner to make sure no one was looking, Proust nodded in satisfaction that he was, in fact, alone.  He checked his new comm to the Codex and Sanctuary.  It beeped once in recognition to his genetic signature.  From this he looked at the pile of armor at his feet.  Once he "found" the pieces needed (that would fit him) from the Codex armory, Proust decided to give them a run for the money ... wherever that money came from didn't matter to him.  The armor was here and it was his.

He looked around the corner and spied a group of Council soldiers setting up a streetside rally.  Only a few of them at that corner, but that's all they needed anyway.  Proust shook his head and popped a knuckle before grabbing a burgundy and gold colored gauntlet.

Proust started mumbling the litany of combat he was trained to use inmoments like these.  He felt proud as his right arm snuggled perfectly into the second gauntlet.  It sensed his fingers at the tips and shock padding inflated to securely "hug" his arm.  He stomped once, as was his practice, like a bull ready to charge. Proust's black body-suit sported the cross of the Codex and flexed comfortably to his moves.  He stretched slightly and calmly exhaled.  Activating the rune on the comm, he said, "Training".  This alerted everyone on the Codex frequency that Proust was active.  Then he turned a corner and calmly walked into street.

Pedestrians of Paragon City have learned when a meta-fight was about to happen and stopped in their tracks.  Proust was aware they were also looking at an 8-foot tall purple-skinned person.  The Council group noticed him as well and pulled out their rifles.  The people wanting to watch the brawl started to cower or scatter.  Only the brave kept looking.

"Know you cannot defeat the Council, welp.  We have a right to assembly!"

Cars stopped for Proust as he strode across the lanes.  He shook his head at the words but did not stop.  Traffic resumed behind him and cleared quickly.

"You will not stand," Proust growled and pointed toward the statue in the center of Steel Canyon.  One soldier lowered his rifle to follow Proust's finger. 

First.

"Cheddar this fool!"  The Council soldiers raised rifles to shoulders and released projectile and laser pain.  Proust jumped before the triggers and was airborn as the ammunition exhaled.  He landed near the curious soldier and brought down both armored fists.  A crack of thunder and blast of light exploded from the helmet and the soldier crumpled to the ground.  The flash seemed to daze the others and Proust wheeled on his heels to smash the faceplate of a second soldier.   That one went flying backward and Proust fired another fist at a third with the same effect.

The last cowered at the sight then regained his courage to face down the juggernaut.  A round was fired point-blank into Proust's chest.  The bullet pentrated and tore through him, missing his heart.  Blood trickled from the wound but was ignored. Proust grabbed the rifle by the barrel and twisted to bring the soldier closer, then brought his free hand from under.  His armored fist bowled into the coucil soldiers torso, causing a yelp from the pain.  The follow-through tossed the soldier fifty feet away.  He landed and did not move.

Proust looked around and a few people started to clap at his performance.  He waved them off and started to fast-pace down the road until he saw a group of Outcast thugs threatening someone near an alley.  He started a run toward the group who was too busy to notice his approach.

This training session to the hidden entrance to Sanctuary would prove to be very relaxing.

D.U.S.T. to dust

This should be easy.

She cracked her knuckles while looking at the target from the 10th floor of the ruined building. The glass window was shattered open and grimy from age and weather. The inside of the room was empty and equally grimy. Her footsteps unsettled the layers of dust and she prepared to attack.

The D.U.S.T. patrol had thinned out since the three-man team arrived in the area. It had been a few minutes since the lone soldier was left standing sentry in the street. Scarlet was not sure where the others were, but she couldn’t wait to long as they may be returning from their individual patrols. D.U.S.T. soldiers looked formidable as the armor was thick and their rifles were rather large. She had not seen them in serious action but the few visual records available revealed their firepower can easily dispatch the Devouring Earth. If the soldier got a good shot at Scarlet, then this sortie would end poorly for her. All she wanted was his gauntlet.

Scarlet planted a foot of the window frame and jumped. She absorbed the rushing wind from her fall and created a personal shield that enveloped her body. Two stories later she pushed against gravity and flew toward the soldier, his back to her. With both fists in front, Scarlet stretched her body flat and concentrated sonic shield around her hands and wrists. She couldn’t prevent her flight from being utterly silent and was a little surprised the solder started to turn in her direction, but he was too late.

She struck him in the upper left arm first. The sonic shield dented the armor but there was an audible snap before Scarlet coiled her body to wrap around him as he collapsed. They fell into a heap of clattering armor and flesh. Her skin-tight black body suit stretched with her movement and she recovered quickly. Jumping to her feet, she was surprised the soldier kept the grip on his rifle and lifted it, pointing toward her head. Scarlet dodged as the beam burned the air nearby. She lifted a leg as she moved and the rifle was kicked away but didn’t leave his grip. He grunted and struggled to get off his back with a useless arm.

“Bravo one!” He yelled.

A warning! Scarlet thought.

She lunged for the broken arm. He yelled incoherently as she yanked at the gauntlet but it was fixed in place. Again, the beam rifle was leveled but in close quarters the shot went wide again without much effort from Scarlet. She was frantic and thrusted her elbow against his helmet attempting to stop the fight quicker. His body went limp and the rifle clattered to the concrete.

As she removed the gauntlet, Scarlet checked it was still functional. Noticing no serious damage she checked the soldier for a pulse. After a few seconds she checked again and started to worry.

A blue laser beam crossed in front of her vision and temporarily blinded her. She fell back on her buttocks reacting to the surprise attack and could only think of the concept of luck. Another beam destroyed the concrete nearby and showered her with debris. Scarlet willed herself to resist gravity and propelled along the road. Only inches above the broken gravel she spun to orient herself then lifted toward the sky, clutching the gauntlet. She looked back as the two other D.U.S.T. soldiers arrived to their fallen comrade, the predator turned prey forgotten.

She looked away from the scene toward the gauntlet and it activated on its own. “Cape, you’re lucky you escaped. You are being tracked –“

The Scarlet Scorpion shut off the receiver and threw it to the ground.  She stomped on it, crushing the gauntlet and then flew toward the Survivalist Compound.

Corpse Box

The War Wall thrummed with life. The aegis that protected, defended or quarantined Boomtown (depending on your point of view) was also bright. In addition to its radiant visage, it was huge: several meters tall and thick at the base that supported the columns which emitted extremely dense laser beams. The laser is what gave the War Walls their distinctive color and purpose. The Scarlet Scorpion was using the height and luminosity to hide her intentions. She was flying at the zenith of the Wall, only a few meters away. At that distance, the treacherous warmth from the laser would be more uncomfortable. At her elevation, the bright shimmer would down out her silhouette.

The irony was not lost on Scarlet that Boomtown was a dark and ruined landscape while just on the other side of the south Wall was Steel Canyon, alive and perky by comparison. Both cityscapes were home to various villain groups to equally varying degrees, but Boomtown was more often ignored by both Heroes and Longbow lately. This has allowed certain groups to proliferate. One group was the Vahzilok and they were purpose of her visit.

She was approaching the northeast corner of the zone at a comfortable pace. Her contact would be waiting in the corner-most building to be sure, but she wanted to be as unnoticeable as possible … even to the undead. Scarlet was grateful for the ability to fly now. The dank stench of death wafted to her elevation. She would dread the smell on the surface. But duty calls.

As she reached the corner, she slowed and found shadow along the support column. Gloam had settled on Paragon and especially here. She willed herself to fall controllably until she landed on the support base. Looking down she did not perceive any threats at the top of the building below where her contact was resting. Again, she floated down until she landed softly on the rooftop. Finding the entrance door she entered and covered her mouth to keep from gagging out loud.

Scarlet recovered and blinked trying to remove the stench from her eye. Somehow it worked. Gulping a few times she started to reluctantly get used to the smell. Her heavy boots made echoes down the dark hallway and Scarlet absorbed the sound and projected them away from her to create a silent sonic shielding. Any sudden attack would be deflected away, or at least softened. But with the Vahzilok, she would hear them before her shielding was needed. This was just a precaution.

She heard some dirt shuffle and paused. “It’s ok, the building is clear”, whispered a woman unseen. The female voice was strained, as if she were hiding the fact she had cried recently. Scarlet frowned in recognition. “Just be careful of the blood on the floor to your left.” She looked left and noticed an eviscerated cadaver still trickling blood and formaldehyde from its many cuts and severed limbs. Scarlet shook her head and kept walking to the source of the whisper.

Turning a corner into a room overlooking the road in front, Scarlet noticed her contact crouched at a window, its pane shattered long ago. She was dressed in mostly black combat fatigues and boots with camo-green armored pads. A large vibrosword was resting at her feet while combat goggles were resting at her neck. Her long blonde hair pulled back into a pony-tail. The crossbow attached to her arm was armed with extra bolts in pockets on her leg.

Scarlet crouched at the window and looked out. Not seeing anything of value she spoke to the woman without looking at her. “You know, I’m not really fond of being here for several reasons.”

The woman spoke without looking away from the window either. “I know, but the sentiment is appreciated.” She sniffled, but the air was not cold.

“Does Sister Hecate know you are seeing me?”

“Does Indigo know you are seeing me?”

Scarlet nodded. “Fair enough. I see you are a Hand now. Congratulations.”

“I see you are a Field Commander. Congratulations as well.”

“Thank you. Sheryl sends her regards and wishes you’d come home.”

Silence. Scarlet nodded again. “Now that I’m here to help her, why am I here to help you?”

The blonde nodded toward a cargo trailer near the building. Scarlet looked. Through the darkness she noticed what was not there before: a wandering conglomeration of Vahzilok cadavers herded by a few Reapers. On the backs of the cadavers were other bodies. More fresh in death, or maybe even alive but unmoving.  Either way, Scarlet counted twenty wobbling cadavers before estimating at least that many more again in the whole group. They were shuffling toward the cargo container.

“What’s in the box,” Scarlet darkly wondered.

“Nothing … yet.”

Now Scarlet was confused. “I think you could handle this pack, so what’s the deal?”

The Hand of Artemis looked to Scarlet. “You owe Sheryl a favor and this is it: my husband is on the back of a cadaver and we’re going to rescue him. Dead or alive. After that, I’ll turn myself in to you.”

Veni, Vidi, Vici

She leaned against the wall and stared at the gravel surface. Facing the helicopter landing pad in between the two buildings, she knew she was taking a risk. Technically she was in the open with very little cover to run to, short of the landing pad itself, several yards away. But she was also thirty stories up on one of the tallest buildings in Crey’s Folly. Still, this massive building was captured by the Rikti during the First Invasion, and they still occupied several areas in this city zone.

Scarlet chewed on her lip. It had been 5 minutes and her contact was never … ever … late. “Go se.” Her Chinese was getting rusty.

Gravel churned ahead of her at the other end of the landing pad. She looked up without moving and saw him. He wore a one-piece suit, colored dark blue and black. Various armored plates were attached at tactical locations. A helmet and visor covered his head. Her relief was muted by the large case strapped to his back.

He stepped around the landing pad never looking away from her. She pushed away and sauntered toward him, her stiletto books stabbing into the gravel. “Is that a picnic basket on your back? I didn’t know you were such a romantic. Did I ever tell you I’m a fan of red wine?”

“You flatter yourself, Scarlet Scorpion.” His voice was modulated.

“And you must be a single man, Paladin.” She smirked and lifted her head slightly as she stopped and leaned on one leg. Her opposite arm bent at the elbow to rest a hand on her hip. She was ready.

The man’s helmet nodded at the touché then hissed as pressurized locks released. Paladin removed the helmet; his hair was wet with sweat. “This is an impressive piece of hardware. I’m surprised you let me play with it.”

“I’m impressed you even asked. Now then, let’s finish business. I have a date.”

“Ah, yes. About that, no offense Scarlet, but I need one more favor.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You always do Paladin. I came here for a simple trade. Quid pro quo.”

He nodded again and removed the case. Placing it on the floor, he unlocked it and revealed its contents. “You want information, it’ll cost you more than a joy-ride in Dawn Patrol’s new toy.”

Scarlet looked at the item then to Paladin. “You do realize I have the kill switch? That suit will crush you into tomato sauce.”

“Then you’d be a murderer.”

“I’d be one with that thing!” She pointed at the particle projection cannon in the case.

“I see you don’t think of all the possibilities. It’s murder if you kill a human, but it’s not murder if it’s Rikti.”

Her eyebrows rose again. She looked to the sinister weapon then back to Paladain as he dismounted from the combat suit. “What I need is not worth the effort, unless the target is in this building.” She countered on a hunch she was safe.

“It’s your lucky day then.” Paladin smiled.

Scarlet frowned.

"He’s alone, on the tenth floor, looking for the same info you need.” He pulled out a data-pen and handed it to Scarlet. “That’s the map to the files’ precise location, and to where that alien is going.”

“Can’t get your hands dirty on this yourself?”

Paladin raised both hands as if he were under arrest. “I’m not the one snooping in Crey’s dirty laundry. Proust and his Korps are busy at the Crash Site. That pop-gun will disintegrate the Rikti's existence, that's why your powers will not be used.”

Lifting the rifle, she frowned again. “To hell with you and Longbow. Proust has no idea how much of a prick you are. After this we are done.”

He pulled out a pair of sunglasses, placed them on his face and ‘shot’ Scarlet with one hand. “Yes, he does, dear Scarlet.”

Sky Raider Secret

She stood over the body and breathed heavily. He was having a hard time breathing as well and she could tell he knew it would be over soon. She almost pitied the man but that emotion was a vestige of her former life.  Even as a “hero” she learned a new kind of compassion, yet she still had some limits.

She put a high-heeled boot on his hand and heard the broken bones grind.  He winced and so did she.

“You are the last one I’m going to try to talk to about this.  What happened to the shipments meant for Vigilance?”

Vigilance was the name of a special operations unit designed to combat super-powered actions and threats.  The group consisted of very well trained mercenaries and some metas willing to work for a para-military outfit.  Yet, it was the hardware that gave Vigilance their strength.  Having their “toys” go to the wrong hands would be disastrous.

Gazing up at the Scarlet Scorpion through his broken visor, he started to remove it with a free hand.

Scarlet allowed the movements but was wary.  His rifle lay too far for him to reach and Sky Raiders were not known to have any superpowers: the high-tech weaponry they were infamous for aiding their viciousness.  Still, she had come to learn that villains came in various sizes, shapes and abilities.

He coughed up blood and wheezed, “They were diverted.  The paperwork was forged.  It was Katcher’s plan ever since the beginning but he didn’t know where the shipments were really going.”

That fit what she found out already.  Scarlet started putting the pieces together.  Her contact will not like what she will tell him. B ut still, one part vexed her more than the others: Captain Indomitable . She grew up hearing tales about the man and even had a crush on him as a child.  She had to know for certain.  It was hard enough to discover his body yesterday.  The police department was gracious enough to let her keep his bracers as a souvenir for her service, but it was a bitter gift.

She snapped out of her reverie and returned to her stern look.  “Who is Katcher?  You have nothing else to lose now and you know it.”  She applied more pressure and more bones cracked.

He smiled weakly and whispered, “He was tracking the shipments and got a little sloppy cleaning up after himself.”  He smirked and blood trickled from his quivering lips.  “He discovered the truth but it was too late. We used all of it already.”

Scarlet leaned in, putting her weight on his hand.  He flinched but the pain didn’t bother him much.  That meant time was running out.
---

Scarlet sat down hard into her chair at Dawn Patrol HQ.  As she closed her eye and tried to collect her thoughts she was washed with a feeling of exhaustion.  She put her head down and nuzzled into her arms on the desk.

Three men: the former General of Vigilance, former Deputy Secretary of Defense and Captain Indomitable had a meeting in an abandoned office in King’s Row.  They were almost killed by the Sky Raiders but she was tipped off and rescued them in time.  They were extremely resistant to discuss their affairs and Scarlet knew it was not her place. Still, she decided to track the Raiders movements and learned they were going after the three men again but separately.

The General was saved when Scarlet and a short-lived team-up with Xiana stopped the Raiders from reaching him.  Scarlet found the deputy secretary and put him in a safe house.  He said Captain Indomitable went to a warehouse to check on some shipment irregularities meant for Vigilance that came from Europe.  Chasing after Captain Indomitable, she found his body and paperwork that pointed everywhere but to Vigilance headquarters.  All the shipments came in to the Talos Port Authority managed by Irving Katcher, whom she rescued from a Sky Raiders assassination attempt.  The last Raider on that mission spilled the beans.

At this recollection she forced her tired body to sit up and look at the file she created for this puzzle.  The pieces were there and now it’s time to make a picture.

Irving Katcher was the mastermind that diverted the shipments.  But he thought it was for the black market and planned to make a lot of serious money.  As nefarious as that plan was he was also just a dock manager and didn’t seem to be the kind of man to pull off a grand scheme.

So, what was happening?  Scarlet laid out the papers on her desk and stood up to look at them from a different view.  Her eye darted from one sheet to another: columns, rows, scrambled …

Something caught her attention and she leaned in.

Hand written on each of the documents was a small letter ‘D’ scrawled in different locations.  Always by itself and not connected to invoice numbers, item codes, contacts ... nothing.

She took a few steps back and looked to the ceiling deep in thought.  Ok, that’s it.  That’s all you have: a dead hero, lots of documents, the letter ‘D’, and the Sky Raiders.

Sky Raiders.

Like a thunderbolt Scarlet darted from her office and ran to the mainframe.  She hurriedly sat in the chair and entered passwords in a flurry.

“C’mon, DOGMA.  Show me the truth,” she whispered. Dogma was the name Scarlet gave the Dawn Patrol mainframe.  Since she joined the Dawn Patrol nothing impressed her more than what this computer could tell her about anything.  From the mundane to the complex, whomever inputted the information seemed to leave nothing out.

Window upon window opened on the main screen: Sky Raiders documented history, recent attacks, DP patrol entries, dossiers …

That’s it!  Colonel Duvay, commander of the Sky Raiders.  ‘D’ for Duvay.

At least Katcher did something right.  His simple bookkeeping note was enough to remind him about these shipments, but not enough to save him anywhere else.   Scarlet sat looking at Duvay’s name for long seconds. She closed the files and patted the top of the user screen.  “Thank you, DOGMA.”

She stood and walked back to the locker room while putting the pieces together in her mind’s eye.

Colonel Duvay tricked Katcher into sending the Vigilance weapons and supplies to Duvay’s contacts.  Katcher discovered this and wanted out, revenge, or a piece of the pie.  Whatever he wanted, Duvay didn’t agree and wanted him dead.  Meanwhile, the three men that started the game became a thorn in Duvay’s side somehow with Captain Indomitable being the most troublesome.

She closed her locker door with the thought: the Sky Raiders have been using the equipment meant for Vigilance!  Or rather, that the Sky Raiders exist because they have been using the material meant for Vigilance.

Their secret would no longer be secret soon.  It was the least she could do for Captain Indomitable.

Moment of Weakness

Scarlet’s left knee was starting to ache and she slightly shifted her weight. The faux-gravel of the rooftop crunched with her movement. She winched as a joint quietly popped. She returned her attention to the streets below her. So far Steel Canyon had been quiet but she knew that would change.

“It always does”, she whispered.

Trust to your instincts
If it's safely restrained
Lightning reactions
Must be carefully trained

Then she heard it: gunfire. Scarlet smirked as she scanned left then right. The sound waves were bouncing off the monuments of concrete and steel around her. Scarlet’s training and “expertise” in sound helped her find the trouble-spot. Two blocks away and around the other side of the DynaCorp building.

Scarlet leapt off the roof in a swan’s-dive and free-fell for a moment before she willed herself to fly horizontally. She brought her arms to her side and heard the firefight again. Fast-floating down and around the corner, Scarlet swooped under the claws of a granite gargoyle overlooking the street. She released her Will to fly and she streaked straight to the ground. Thirty meters is a long way to fall and as she looked toward the thug with the assault rifle, Scarlet activated her personal sonic shield.

Heat of the moment
Curse of the young
Spit out your anger
Don't swallow your tongue

She landed hard behind the thug, but the shield absorbed the impact. Scarlet channeled the sound waves of her flight and projected them away from her in one burst. As the thug flew into the air away from her she looked at the situation.

PPD versus Council. Grim. The Council rarely backed down. She could see the blood splatters and lifeless bodies of several PPD officers around the entrance of the building and around vehicles. Of the Council only a few were in the same condition.

She will tip the balance in favor of justice. She will succeed where the law has failed. She will exact vengeance. She will cause pain.

Natural reflex
Pendulum swing
You might be too dizzy
To do the right thing

Scarlet spun on her heals and back-fisted another Council soldier to the ground. His goggles shattered and the pieces reflected tiny sunbursts as they fell. She focused her attention to a group of Council soldiers who were training their rifles toward her. Scarlet took a deep breath and yelled at them. Although she screamed “YAH”, her powers channeled the sound from her vocal chords into a tight ball of condensed sound.

It fell upon the Council like a bomb. Glass shattered, clothing ripped, and metal buckled under the pressure. All the soldiers collapsed to the ground and writhed in pain. The screams of agony caused a satisfied grin to appear. She looked around for more.

The doors to the Council APC burst open and a high-ranking soldier appeared. He ripped his shirt off and raised his hands to the air. Instantly he was transformed into a hulking Nightwolf and baled in anger. Then he charged Scarlet.

She dug in her heels and braced for impact. Scarlet intensified her personal field and the sound waves became visible. She heard a PPD officer shout behind her but couldn’t hear his words. Bullets flew over her shoulder and around her waist. They impacted upon the Nightwolf and bounced off his skin. Scarlet grimaced with the realization she may be outclassed this time.

Trial under fire
Ultimate proof
Moment of crisis
Don’t swallow the truth

“No”, Scarlet whispered through clinched teeth and she raised her hands as if to wrestle.

Then she got hit. A bright flash replaced the world and Scarlet could feel a shock of pain across her whole body. She crashed into the PPD police cruiser and caved in the driver’s door, lifting the machine off two wheels. Scarlet found herself half in the car and saw the Nightwolf flying in the air with its knees heading for her head.

She rolled out of the wreckage in time to hear the animal destroy the rest of the vehicle upon impact; pavement cracked and spider-webbed away from the small crater. Scarlet picked up a lose chunk and over-hand launched the debris into the recovering Council fiend.

The concrete block disintegrated against the tough hide but Scarlet did not stop her counter-assault. She leapt into the air and focused her power. “HAEEE”, she screamed as she arced over her target. Waves of sound spiraled down and bored into the creature’s back. Bone cracked and skin blistered with each wave as the Nightwolf howled. The last wave finished it’s turn and the car was crushed deeper into the ground sending a plume of concrete sand into the air.

Scarlet landed on both feet, splintering the ground. She took deep breaths and waited for the Nightwolf to make its move. But it was motionless and bleeding. Steam from the engine hissed and the dust started to settle.

Scarlet looked around her and the cops were coming from cover in awe of what they witnessed. They slowly approached the vehicle with weapons drawn on the Nightwolf. Scarlet remained tense: too many times have one of these animals feigned death.

Each time we bathe our reactions
In artificial light
Each time we alter the focus
To make the wrong moves seem right

Did she just kill? A long time ago she would not have thought twice of the action. Or the reaction.  She relaxed and crumpled to the ground with the realization that she took a life.

“Not again,” was all she could muster. Scarlet slowly stood and wiped her Dawn Patrol uniform off of dust. An officer checked for a pulse on the Nightwolf and Scarlet held her breath.

You get so used to deception
You make yourself a nervous wreck
You get so used to surrender
Running back to cover your neck

The PPD officer looked at her with surprise washing over his face. Scarlet dreaded his next words.

“He … it … is alive. Barely.”

Scarlet’s adrenaline evacuated her muscles and she took a few steps to keep from falling. She regained her composure and faked a grin.

“Of course,” she said matter-of-factly. “Gentlemen, I’ve done all I can do. I think the rest is up to you. Be careful with the Nightwolf. It’s no longer a man.”

She turned and walked away, shrugging off every jolt of pain as she moved and forced herself to appear to be unharmed. Scarlet turned a corner and found an empty and dark alley and cried the pain away.

 

(Italicized segments are lyrics from Rush - Counterparts, ""Stick It Out")

A Day In Victory

The sky alternated between light and dark as the clouds themselves alternated between white and grey. The wind smelled clean or dirty. The asphalt was new or old. Buildings changed from pristine to worn. But it was the banners on the buildings that announced the most obvious, allegiance to hero or villain that made the entire milieu recognizable to the participants in the never-ending war. A temporal war for control of the Earth.

Such was each day in "Recluse's Victory".

Scarlet was used to it by now; her powers had matured, along with her sense of place in the world, to the point where she ventured into this chaos with little fear. But the glory of defeating a super-powered villain no longer entranced her to this place. Curiosity was the little itch she needed to scratch. Curiosity lead her to the thing that stood immobile before her.

As the battle unfolded in pockets around her, Scarlet ignored it all. Glancing over her shoulder, she look past the trees, with bright green leaves quickly wilting suddenly rejuvenating, that she saw the Pillbox. Magnificent in construction, it was a deadly machine of war. Even with her sound-controlling defenses and regenerating abilities, the firepower behind the machines was lethal. She had witnessed more than one Pillbox, controlled by hero and villain alike, destroy man and machine with ease.

Now it was her turn to feel the power for herself. But first she needed to overcome its automated weapon drones, and the means to do so was only a few seconds away.

Scarlet turned to the Longbow Heavy. It's bright red and white armor glistened and dulled. She looked at the control panel and smirked as her fingers danced over command codes and overrode data streams. Her Longbow contact will be recognized for his assistance. Even though he was stationed in Bloody Bay, his knowledge of this action post was now paying off.

Energy was routed to the Heavy. Sparks and steam erupted from cracks and vents as the machine came to life. It's "eye" glowed yellow and the Heavy stood erect, quickly stretching it's arms before taking a ponderous step forward. A second step confirmed the Scarlet Scorpion as its Master. A third step activated its weapons and the console revealed it was fully operational.

Scarlet rerouted control to her wrist-comp and pressed the touch-screen. The Heavy responded to her command and turned on its heel toward the Pillbox. The Heavy's weapon arms were raised as it charged. For her part, she focused the conflict around her, natural and man-made, and created a sonic barrier around her. She was ready ...

She was ready to feel the power of war.

 

Passing Fab

Two hours ago

“You can’t be serious.”

“I’m completely serious. You’ve been tapped for the job. You’re one of the best.”

Scarlet blushed slightly at Lady Jane’s compliment while also looking at her incredulously.

“What about the operative that lost it in the first place?”

“Reassigned. Other duties.” Jane smirked.

Scarlet shook her head. “Any prep time by chance?”

Jane shook her head. “Not a chance.”

---

15 minutes ago

Scarlet tried to play the part. She was a little surprised her off-duty costume would get her past the riff-raff in Grandville. But she reached her limit five minutes ago. The search party was small and she didn’t think they raised any big alarms: what’s one hero going to do in the Rogue Isles anyway?

She pressed against the very large pipe and looked both ways searching for the Arachnos soldiers hunting her. Seeing nothing she sprinted a few steps then flew toward the crates. She couldn’t help kicking up dirt and debris from her flight wash, but she was running out of time. Scarlet entered the small maze of storage crates and ducked hoping to be concealed.

From behind her she heard raised voices: she was caught. Scarlet fumbled at her belt to find a device she used in Warburg. She saved it for moments like these and regretted having to use it now. The small disc fit into a slot on her tactical visor. Heavy-booted footsteps got louder.

Now or never.

She pressed the activation rune and lunged toward an exit way. Her skin and clothing became translucent and her running speed quickened as she hyper-phased toward the ramp that led into The Fab. Scarlet ran so fast that she leapt into the air as she reached the lip of the ramp. Landing hard, her boots slipped on the slope but she recovered quickly and kept running.

Soldiers in front and behind her recognized something strange was happening and tried to react but she was too fast. Red-tinted blaster shots flew past or struck the ground around her. Someone threw a grenade but Scarlet was past its blast radius in less than a second. Following the rail tracks into The Fab’s delivery gates, she had to sidestep onto adjacent tracks to avoid closed doors. Arachnos soldiers were shouting to get others in front of her alerted in an attempt to stop her.

The tactical readout in her visor told her the item should be on the floor near the final gateway. She turned a corner and the gateway was a dark maw willing to swallow her. Scarlet literally skidded to a stop, stunning several soldiers nearby as others behind her were raising their weapons.

Glancing frantically, the item somehow reflected just enough light to reveal its location. She reached for it and a blaster shot whizzed past her head. She could feel the heat of the laser beam on her neck and she flinched. Clutching the item, she turned on her heels and started running back the way she came.

Scarlet could feel her speed slow and she noticed the hyper-phase timer expired. More shouts came as almost everyone she ran past fully realized what was happening: a hero from the Dawn Patrol had infiltrated Grandville. She willed herself to fly and concentrated on her flight path. Scarlet flew exiting almost as fast as she ran entering. She egressed The Fab completely and flew toward Paragon as more blaster shots tried to catch her.

---

Now

“Great work Commander.”

Scarlet was still breathing hard from the experience. “Yes ma’am.” She saluted and looked at the small device she was sent recover on Lady Jane’s desk. Anger continued to simmer and she almost lost control of her composure. “Permission to speak freely, ma’am?”

“Denied, Scarlet. You have performed your duty admirably and with gratitude from Indigo and Crimson. I look forward to your report.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Scarlet replied through clenched teeth. She turned on her heels and exited the office.