Silent’s Wraithjet was able to attach three cylinders to its underside that could be cloaked. Within these cylinders lay SteelStar, Elementus, and Speedshock. All three felt cramped in that tight space and had to resist the urge to wiggle too much.
“Couldn’t you just make a bigger jet?” asked Elementus.
“Apologies,” said Silent, his voice coming over the speakers within the cylinders. “The power requirements of the cloaking material are considerable. Even these cylinders are pushing things. A bigger jet would have too unstable a cloak. Don’t worry, this won’t be a long trip.”
“You could at least put cushions in these things,” said Speedshock.
“I’ll take that under advisement,” said Silent.
SteelStar, in his organic form, just took deep breaths. He hoped this would all go smoothly, but experience had taught him that this was unlikely. He knew something would probably go wrong and that he should be prepared for it.
You can do this, he told himself.
###
“What have you got for me?” asked Paramount as remained at the command center.
“We’re still going through the list of heroes at headquarters for ones that can detect subterranean threats or those electric worms,” said one of the technicians. “We thought of Captain Quake or Oracle, but neither are available.”
“That won’t be necessary,” said Animage, keeping her eyes closed. “I didn’t detect Biomaster’s creatures initially because neither the organic bombs nor those worms have brains, and therefore no minds, which threw me off. I suspect that whatever monster he used to make that tunnel also had no brain, and while I don’t know how Biomaster would control them without that organ, I now know what to look for. I can currently sense the electric worms in the lab and should be able to detect anything travelling underground as well.”
“I hope you’re right,” said Paramount. “What about the hostage situation?”
“I can spare an eye or two on that,” Animage replied.
Paramount nodded, turning back to the technicians, “Still no word on heroes that can more easily disable sister nature?”
“I’m afraid so, sir,” a technician confirmed. “All our ice heroes are still dealing with that wildfire in the south.”
Paramount hummed thoughtfully.
A moment later, they all heard a sigh from a corner. Paramount frowned as he turned to Demigoddess sitting in the corner looking bored. She’d been teary eyed for a minute or two when she returned but hadn’t kept the act up long. Paramount didn’t need telepathy to know she wasn’t here by choice. Her boss at Sonnelicht probably sent her back, forcing Paramount to wonder if her initial demand to join this mission was just an order as well. Paramount had noticed a pattern of Sonnelicht sponsored superheroes helping with any Tholatite related missions. After a few accidents with prototype Tholatite generators, Sonnelicht needed the positive P.R..
Paramount knew Demigoddess’ power was needed here, but it didn’t make it any easier to work with her, especially after what she’d just done to Elementus. A reckoning for that would have to come later, though. They still had a hostage situation to deal with.
###
Silent parked the Wraithjet in an alley, letting the others slip out of the cylinders while hidden. Buildings near the hostage situation had long since evacuated, giving them plenty of places to hide one Silent lockpicked a few buildings. Once inside a building, Silent stood at one window, cloaked, aiming his special tranquilizer rifle, while Elementus stood at a second window. SteelStar stood at the back of the room while Speedshock waited in another building, ready to rush in at a moment’s notice.
“You see that desk to Sister Nature’s left?” asked Silent.
Elementus, his face hidden in shadow, nodded.
“On my signal,” said Silent. “I want you to freeze a section about one cubic foot wide just to the left of that desk. Once Paramount contacts Sister Nature, she’ll stand by the intercom on that desk, our best opportunity for a clear shot. Remember, on my signal.”
Elementus nodded, and SteelStar, wearing his metal form, took a deep breath.
###
Black Ash wandered the underground subway in areas long since been abandoned, with broken rails and cracked walls. For his part of the plan, Black Ash needed a place to plant himself that was out of the way. As he walked, he heard two of his allies over the communicator embedded in the bark of his shoulder.
“You sure this is going to work?” asked Speedclaw over the communicator.
“No,” said Biomaster over the same line. “There is absolutely a chance the bomb will detonate prematurely. That’s why this wasn’t our first plan.”
The feline supervillain huffed irritably.
“Don’t worry,” said Biomaster. “I’m monitoring the bomb from here. If the Tholatite becomes unstable, I’ll give you the heads up.”
“You’ll forgive me if I’m not brimming with confidence,” said Speedclaw.
“You’ll be fine,” said Black Ash. “If anyone can escape that bomb before it goes off, it’s you. Don’t worry, I’ll be backing you up.”
“Easy for you to say,” said Speedclaw. “You don’t have to set up right next to this thing. Man, these organic bombs give me the creeps.”
“Really?” asked Biomaster, intrigued. “Could you describe that feeling in more detail.”
“Oh, I’ll give you details, alright,” said Speedclaw. “You creepy…”
Black Ash turned off his communicator. He didn’t need a rant from Speedclaw right now. Instead, he found a section of that subway that suited his purpose. Spreading his legs, roots extended from his feet deep into the ground, giving himself a solid foundation. He grew all six of his arms then sent them upward, breaking the stone ceiling to tunnel through the earth above.
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###
“Paramount,” said Silent into his mask’s communicator. “We’re in position.”
“Roger that,” Paramount replied. “I’m contacting Sister Nature now.”
“Elementus,” said Silent. “Get ready.”
Elementus nodded and then blew out some freezing breath from his mouth. Gathering a whirlwind above his hand, he captured the mist and held it swirling and ready to launch. Satisfied, Silent turned back to the building and watched Sister Nature through the scope of his tranquilizer rifle.
Sister Nature paced back and forth, her body rigid with agitation. The intercom on the receptionist desk lit up, showing an incoming call, but while Sister Nature paused for a second, she resumed pacing quickly, her eyes never leaving that blinking light.
“Come on,” Silent whispered. “Hold still for a moment.”
Elementus held his breath as he waited for his que, the frozen mist still spinning above his palm. Silent gripped the rifle tightly and SteelStar stood still as a metal statue.
Finally, Sister Nature stepped up to the intercom, ready to answer. For a moment, Silent was ready to shoot, but three of Sister Nature’s henchmen followed her, blocking Silent’s line of fire.
“Come on,” Silent muttered in frustration.
###
“What is it?” Sister Nature demanded.
“Money’s on its way,” said Paramount. “Taken from my own bank account. I’d like to see the hostages, just to make certain that you haven’t already killed them.”
“If you insist,” said Sister Nature. “Though I will confess, one of them tried to attack me, and I defended myself. I’m sure you understand.”
Paramount grimaced but didn’t comment.
A moment later, they received a transmission, and a technician cast the video to the big screen. Paramount soon got footage of the hostages through a camera held by one of the henchmen. The hostages looked frightened and covered in oil, but most were alive, though Paramount did note a pile of ash on the oil covered floor.
Another thing Paramount noticed was the henchman standing near Sister Nature. Given that the woman wasn’t tranquilized yet, Paramount figured that Silent didn’t have a shot. As he kept up his conversation with Sister Nature, Paramount contacted Animage telepathically while he also reached out his mind for Silent. It would take time to find him at this distance with so many minds in the city to sort through, but this was the only way Paramount could coordinate a response.
“Hey,” Paramount said to Animage with his mind. “Think you can get the henchmen to move? I’m sure Silent would appreciate it.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Animage thought back.
At the same time, Paramount said to Sister Nature, “Was it really necessary to kill that person? Surely you could have stopped an ordinary human without lethal force.”
Sister Nature considered hanging up but decided to keep Paramount talking. That would keep the superhero at headquarters, which would hopefully be destroyed soon.
“I had to send a message,” said Sister Nature. “Knowing the consequences meant that the other hostages wouldn’t try anything. Yes, I killed one man, but that eliminated the need to kill anyone else.”
As he talked, Paramount found Silent’s mind and linked with him, “Silent, Animage is going to try and clear the way for you. Get ready.”
“Roger that,” Silent thought.
Out loud, Paramount said, “The only reason you…had to send a message…as you put it…is because of conditions you created. You talk a big game about how humanity brings evil to this world, but you don’t seem to have any qualms about doing so yourself.”
Sister Nature laughed out loud.
###
If Silent’s body armor wasn’t designed to keep him cool, he would have been sweating by now. Elementus was able to cool himself by keeping the air flowing around him, and SteelStar’s metal body didn’t need sweat to regulate heat, though the two of them were as nervous as anyone else. Silent kept his scope trained on Sister Nature, who was laughing out loud. Henchmen were still blocking Silent’s shot, even as the stealthy superhero kept his rifle aimed at the woman.
A moment later, Silent saw something small flying by the henchmen through his scope. The henchmen didn’t seem to notice it, and zooming in, Silent saw a wasp.
Animage had their backs.
###
“My dear Paramount,” said Sister Nature. “I didn’t expect you to be so naïve. You believe that death was unlawful because you follow the laws of man. You should know by now that the laws of man hold no sway over me, only the laws of nature.”
Animage snorted, but Sister Nature didn’t notice.
“The laws of nature, you say?” asked Paramount, his eyes narrowing. “I’m not convinced you even know what that means.”
“Get ready,” Animage told Paramount with her mind. “I’m about to make my move.”
Paramount sent that information to Silent.
###
“Elementus,” said Silent. “Get ready.”
Elementus refreshed the frozen whirlwind over his hand by blowing more frozen mist into it, then raised his arm to shoot it at a moment’s notice. Silent nodded, then went back to aiming. Through the telepathic link with Paramount, Silent started to hear the elder superhero’s conversation with Sister Nature.
“Do you really think the animal kingdom is more just than humanity?” asked Paramount.
“I know it is,” said Sister Nature. “You can spare me your human supremacist propaganda. This world will be given back to Mother Nature. Mark my words. We…”
“Now!” cried Animage through the telepathic link.
Silent signaled Elementus, who threw the swirling ice vapor at the oil covered window, making a small disc of ice. At that exact moment, the wasp that Sister Nature had been controlling stung one of the henchmen, making him cry out in surprise and back into the others.
For a split second, as the surprised henchmen moved out of the way, Silent had a clear shot. He just had to wait for the disc of ice to fall away completely. Sister Nature, however, turned to see what her henchman was shouting about, and almost stepped out of Silent’s line of sight.
“No,” muttered Silent.
“Hey!” cried Paramount.
Sister Nature turned back to the intercom just as the disc of ice fell away, leaving a hole in the film of oil.
Silent pulled the trigger, shooting three darts from his rifle that sailed through the hole and struck Sister Nature in the shoulder.
Sister Nature gasped, staggering before falling to her knees as she held herself up on the desk. Her henchmen watched in shock as Sister Nature fell to the floor, passing out. Before they could react, however, something immediately burst through the door.
Speedshock, in his electric form, ran to each henchman faster than they could react and touched them, sending an electric shock through their bodies that knocked them unconscious. As the oil began to evaporate, starting near Sister Nature’s body and expanding outwards, Speedshock knocked every henchman on that floor out before going up the stairs to the second. It took him only a few seconds to knock out those henchmen before he moved to the third floor. After a minute, Speedshock knocked out every henchman in the building.
Soon, he pulled out a communicator and contacted the others, “This is Speedshock. The hostages are safe.”
And the oil kept evaporating, drifting off the floors, the walls, and some very relieved hostages.
Silent and Elementus both took huge breaths in relief, while SteelStar, leaning back against the wall behind him, smiled as he looked up. He felt great satisfaction that things hadn’t gone wrong after all.
###
In the command center, Paramount took a huge breath as technicians began cheering around him. Even Animage sighed and opened her eyes with a smile. They’d done it. The hostages were safe. Soon they could put this whole ordeal behind them.
“Sir!” cried one of the technicians suddenly. “I have word of a plane heading straight here, following an unusual flight pattern for this area. And sir, it’s not taking the emergency flightpaths.”
Paramount frowned. Surely, they wouldn’t…
He sensed out with his telepathy, searching for the plane. Since it was the only mind in the sky, he found it fast, and sure enough he found Speedclaw, standing by the plane’s exit door. Within the feline’s mind, Paramount detected another Tholatite bomb, tendrils running through the underbelly of the vehicle as it rested between the seats in first class. The elder superhero mentally sent out telepathic signals to everyone he could.
“Everyone, stay sharp. This isn’t over yet.”