When Skyfire entered the meeting room the rest of the heroes all stood to greet her, except Might Guy who sat back relaxed in his seat.

"What's going on Skyfire?" Cyprus asked.

"Black Phoenix has been taken," she announced to the surprise of the others. "An extraction team attacked the night club Rose Colored two hours ago. After disabling three of the henchmen I learned that they had blown a wall and removed Black Phoenix from the club."

"I'm sorry Cam," Arcturian consoled.

"Within fifteen minutes I began to follow Black Phoenix' tracker," Skyfire continued in a hawkish tone, much to Arcturian's chagrin. She clicked the holographic map open and pulled up the location of Rose Colored on the map. "I gave chase but the tracker continued to elude me until it eventually went offline here." She pulled up the location on the map that the tracker deactivated. "According to one of the henchmen they were heading to the castle. We need to get as many heroes on this as possible to locate the castle."

"We've been looking for the castle for three years now Skyfire, no one can seem to locate it." Dr. Gemma noted.

"Anytime we try to interrogate one of the pawns they don't seem to know anything and mind reading finds nothing as well," Dr. Felix added.

 Skyfire slammed her fist onto the table, "I don't have time to worry about what we've been doing. I need answers on what we need to do going forward. We need to find Black Phoenix."

Calm Camilla. We're here with you, we're on your side.

Get out of my head Cyprus. Now. 

Skyfire turned and scowled at Cyprus as she flooded his mind with horrid mental images until he disconnected from her. Her eyes scanned the group and fell on Universa.

"You know don't you?" She interrogated staring into Universa' cosmic eyes. "Where he is."

"I do," Universa answered concisely.

 "Then how about you speak up for once and help us find him."

"You know I can't do that Skyfire. Revealing that kind of information could have grave consequences. If I could tell you I would have already."

"You knew he would get taken and you said nothing."

"Because I wasn't allowed to."

"Then what use are you?"

"Lay off of her, she cares about Jam as well. You don't think it kills her not to be able to tell you, or go save him herself. If she could she would," Voodoo Priestess defended.

"We need to find the castle and get Black Phoenix out of there. This is the Lunar King we're talking about, who knows what he is putting him through. We need search parties that start looking from the last known tracker location and expand from there."

Cyprus rubbed the bridge of his nose before standing. "LionHead and Inspector. I want your teams on the search. You're the best trackers we have. LionHead, I want you to send half your team to Rose Colored and see what they can sniff out. Inspector, get in touch with your contacts at the department and see what they know about the castle. Look for clues at the site of the tracker disappearance and see what clues you can find."

"Could the tracker have been destroyed?" Inspector asked.

"It's subdermal, they shouldn't have been able to detect it at all," Skyfire answered.

"So there's a good chance that they have some kind of signal blocker then." 

"Probably, take GearFreak with you. The rest of you return to your previous details." Cyprus instructed and the others began to file out. 

"I'll go with LionHead's team." Skyfire announced. 

"You're staying here. You're way too hotheaded right now, you need to calm down," Cyprus commanded.

"No, I need to be out there looking."

"Cyprus, give us the room." Arcturis requested. 

Cyprus and the others left, leaving only Skyfire and Audrey, Arcturian, Voodoo Priestess and Universa.

"Camilla, you have to calm down. I get it, you're angry and afraid but biting the heads off of your friends isn't getting him found any quicker. You have to breathe," Arcturian advised.

"I don't need this right now."

"Yes you do, you're freaking out kid." Voodoo Priestess commented. 

"You're angry." Arcturian said.

"No shit I'm angry, my friend has been abducted and you guys want to have an intervention."

"You are angry at yourself," Universa stated. 

"Why shouldn't I be?" Skyfire barked kicking the chair that flew across the room into the door. "I've been his partner for less than a week and our first night out he gets taken." 

Universa floats across the room to embrace Skyfire who fights it at first before settling into the hug.

"What kind of shitty sidekick am I? I couldn't deal with Might Guy, I can't save Black Phoenix. What am I even wearing this suit for if I can't do anything to help?" She sobbed. 

 "You can't be so hard on yourself," Arcturian consoled. "I don't know what went on between you and Might Guy but I know for a fact that if you could have done anything to prevent this situation you would have. You had no way of knowing what was going to happen."

"It's my job to do anything I can to stop him from getting hurt," she said sliding away from Universa. "He has a lot of skills yes but I'm also the senior superhero on the team. It was just as much my reponsibility and I failed him."

"I wish I could tell you what you need to know child," Universa told her dejectedly. "I honestly do. All I can tell you is that you need to let go. Breathe and let go. Then you will find your answers."

"Always cryptic riddles with you," Skyfire spat. "I'm going to go do something useful and look for Jam."

She marched out of the room grinding her teeth along the way.

"I'm sorry love; I know that wasn't fair to you." Voodoo Priestess said.

"It is ok, I would probably be worse if I lost you." Universa responded.

Skyfire's mood was already poor, so when she found Might Guy leaned against the wall outside of the elevator she had no interest in shooting the breeze with him.

"What do you want Warren," she growled. 

"So you're 'Skyfire' now?" he mocked. 

She didn't bother to answer as she pressed the button to call the elevator.

"I'm sorry, I don't handle change very well. I'm just readjusting to this new situation. I always thought we'd stay together and to lose you to that guy," he sighed and stepped onto the elevator with her and it came. "Listen, I know it was wrong how I treated you. I know you won't take me back but at least take this." He held out his hand with a small device in it. 

Continuing to ignore him, she just kept her arms securely crossed under her chest. He took her hand and put the device in it and it took all her will not to snatch her hand away. He let her go quickly.

"It attaches to your watch, GearFreak made it for me. It adds a choice on your phone to emit a frequency that I can hear from anywhere on the planet. If you ever need me, you can call. I don't trust this guy and I know you'll regret following him someday, but I won't turn my back on you." Might Guy conveyed before floating out of the elevator as the door opened.

"What are you going to do with it?" Audrey's voice rang out, interrupting Skyfire's turbulent thoughts. 

What the hell am I going to do with this thing? What the hell am I doing?

She absently clipped the small device onto her watch and headed outside. Audrey's orb phased out of the building and followed. 

"He's awake," Audrey announced. 

"What?" 

"He reconnected to me. Apparently the Lunar King is Jack?"

Camilla stopped cold; suddenly things began to make sense. 

"Can you track him?"

"No, there's signal blockers all around it. I can't get any signal out, that must be why your tracker shut off."

OK think, what do we do?

Skyfire got back on the Skycycle and rode to the spot her tracker disappeared. 

"Where are you going?"

"If there are signal blockers then it must be a location near where he dropped off at right? I just have to find it near there."

"Maybe, guess that's our current only choice."

She pulled out her Sky grappler and rappeled up a building. The nearby area was strangely quiet, she must have beat the other groups there. She knew it would take time for them to mobolize, if she wanted to get it done quickly then she'd have to do it herself. Looking up and down the streets and to the corresponding buildings, nothing looked like it could be called the castle. The whole area looked dead and abandoned. 

Maybe it's not literal like th castle in the video. Maybe, I just need to check some buildings.

"He's escaped!" Audrey exclaimed.

"Great, where is he?"

"He's running through the castle, there's an alarm going off. Listen for an alarm."

Skyfire closed her eyes and focused her hearing but she couldn't hear anything. A moment of hope was quickly dashed when an alarm she began to hear was only a police car approaching her location. No doubt one of the Inspector's team members. Frustrated she rappelled back down from the roof. 

"He made it outside!" Audrey piped in again. "I can get a location."

She pulled the map up and showed exactly where Jam currently was. The tracker had gone missing in the south part of town but his current location was at the north west end of the city, almost 50 miles away and it was moving. SKyfire didn't care, she drove at breakneck speeds to try to close the distance but dot had a wonky travel pattern. It went through buildings. Still, Skyfire began to feel a touch of their mental link and could vaguely begin to detect what direction he was in.

"Stop Camilla, don't waste your time. You can't get to him."

"I can."

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"He's about 1500 feet in the air."

Skyfire screeched the Skycycle to a halt and the side of the street. 

"What?"

"You couldn't find the castle because it flies."

"That can't be, we would have seen it by now." She argued in distress. "I mean it comes down to pick people up right? There are jets and helicopters, someone would have seen it." 

"It's completely cloaked. I doubt even if you were over it, or right next to it, you would be able to see it."

"Fuck!" she shouted and assaulted the handlebars. 

After alerting Juniper to the situation and having her inform the HoD, Skyfire headed home. The Skycycle needed to recharge and she needed a shower.  After her shower she attempted to sleep but chaotic dreams haunted her. She jerked awake, breathing heavy and covered in sweat with a massive headache.

"Are you okay?" Audrey asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Camilla answered her breathlessly. She swallowed then continued, "I just need to get up. Call Juniper and tell her I'm on the clock. I need to go patrol." 

She remembered what her headaches usually mean and clicked her phone.

New Task Added: Finding Phoenix

Task Description: Black Phoenix has been abducted from the Rose Colored Club

Take Objective:

< > Locate Black Phoenix

< > Return Black Phoenix to Safety

< > Locate the Castle

Task Reward: TBD

Yeah, I know. I need to find him

 For the next couple of weeks, Camilla went patroling from morning to night, but there wasn't anything bigger than the common criminal. It was like every powered villain had taken vacation. She needed to hit something, to hit someone, to do something that could prove her worth. What was she worth if she couldn't protect the people most important to her. 

She finally got a chance when Juniper came on the line to announce that Twinsanity was wreaking havoc in Midtown. Twinsanity were a set of twins, named Levita and Seth, who were the living embodiment of chaos. Both bronze skinned and they looked almost identical, though Levita had white hair that was cut short into a flat top crewcut while Seth's hair was long and flowing past his shoulders.  

Skyfire arrived and found the street was barren, the police had cordoned off most of the nearby area. six bodies lay face down in the street, three on each end.

"Who is in charge here?" She asked the group of anxious police officers.

"Right here," a barrel chested man of six feet who looked like he spent way too much time in the gym answered.

"What's the deal?"

"They are firing at anyone who gets too close, the bodies mark the territory. No one can move close enough to collect them." 

"Hostages?" 

"Not sure. They just went into the bank and started shooting. We haven't been able to get any kind of surveilance and they haven't responded to any attempts to speak to them. We haven't heard any sounds either." 

"Alright, stay back. I'll see what I can do."

Task Added: Twinsane 

Task Description: Twinsanity has holed up in a building barring anyone from approaching.

Task Objective:

< > Get into the bank

< > Apprehend Twinsanity.

Skyfire walked down the street and stepped over the bodies, she reached for her cape ready to block the shot but it didn't come.  Upon seeing this one cop moved closer but was met with a hail of gunfire that drove her back. 

OK, guess they just want me.

"Audrey, scan the door please. See if there's any traps or explosives."

"You got it," Audrey answered as she went to scan the area. "It's clear, infared isn't showing anything either. I'm not sure anyone is still alive in there." 

Skyfire moved through the door, into the wide open bank. From what she could see at least ten bodies lay on the ground.

"Well sister, do you see what I see?" Seth's spoke in a soft voice that echoed through the empty bank.

"Looks like a brand new hero is on the scene brother." Levita's husky voice rang through.

"Not new dear sister, repackaged. You remember the news."

"Ah yes, you're right as always brother. The kid has become an adult. 'Skyfire' she's called now." Levita taunted.

"I'm taking both of you in," Skyfire declared. The two just laughed an echoing laugh in response.

"Quite the comedian isn't she brother?"

"Indeed sister. Indeed. Shall we show her the error of her ways?"

"I do believe we should brother." 

The two entered simaltaneously from doors on the opposite sides, They both wore black but Seth wore a loose fitting bomber jacket and Levita wore a tight fitting leather biker jacket with patches missing that showed generous amounts of her well defined muscular arms. She reached under her jacket and pulled two daggers out while Seth pulled out two small cannons that barely seemed like they could be called pistols. It reminded Skyfire of Alucard from Hellsing. 

"Should we wait for backup? This doesn't feel like a good idea," Audrey cautioned.

"What fun is that?" Skyfire asked cockily, grinning madly. She covered her gauntlets in a thin layer of energy and took up a fighting stance.

Let's do this

Levita ran at Skyfire slashing down at her and Skyfire was just barely able to knock the blade to the side. Whatever those daggers were made of, they could cut right through her energy field, and skin, with a direct hit. Levita chased her slash with a roundhouse kick that Skyfire managed to get her arm up in time to block. A shot just barely grazed her other elbow that she put up to block her face as Seth fired into the space Levita vacated. They continued like this, Levita moving her body in a frenzy of attacks that were more reactionary than anything. She just seemed to attack with any body part that was in a position to do some damage. The second after she attacked Seth would shoot, and never seemed to move from his spot. Skyfire had to decide which attacks to let through in order to block potentially fatal ones. Cuts and burns went up her arms as she was knicked with blades or grazed by bullets. Levita bounced back toward her brother as he reloaded his guns. 

"You're doing wonderfully sister. You're holding back so very well," Seth complimented her.

"Thank you brother, as are you. Your accuracy is as golden as ever. I would applaud if I weren't holding these daggers."

"Holding back? What are you talking about?" Skyfire breathed, strained. 

"The king has decreed that we're allowed to play with you, just not kill you. Isn't that right sister?"

"It is indeed brother. Apparently his newest plaything is quite fond of you and he may need you in the future."

"He told all the other baddies they weren't allowed to play with you as they don't know how to play nice, didn't he sister?"

"He did brother, but he gave us free range to play if we'd like. Just so you don't get too bored. In the meantime though, I don't think he'll mind if we play a little rough."

"Should we show her 40% sister"

"Let's."

Two blades soared through the air toward Skyfire who managed to dodge back out of the way, When she came back up they were both gone. The itch at the back of her neck told her they were still around however. Her knicks were healed by her recovery power and she moved through the space wary of her disadvantageous position. 

"It's very sad isn't it brother?"

"What would that be sister?"

"She's all alone, the poor little sidekick has no one around brother. She let her new boss get kidnapped."

"How very tragic indeed sister."

"Do you think it keeps her up at night brother?"

"I can't imagine it's very easy to sleep with failure looming over you sister."

"I agree brother. The poor girl was right in the next room wasn't she? 

"Shut up!" Skyfire shouted.

"Indeed she was sister"

"I can't even imagine letting you get kidnapped brother and being able to do nothing to stop it"

"Don't let them get to you, focus Skyfire." Audrey pleaded.

"Well of course not sister, your heart is much too large for that. You would fight tooth and nail to get me back. As I would you."

"Brother, are you saying the poor girl just doesn't care enough to get her hero back?"

"Perish the thought sister, surely she must be feeling absolutely dreadful about it. Though she did come here to take us down rather than looking for her precious hero didn't she sister?"

"Shut up!" Skyfire shouted again.

"I believe she did brother. How utterly tragic, how much her poor hero feel locked up in a little box while she is out playing hero without him?"

"I can't imagine he feels very good sister. Though, he probably isn't even thinking about her with all the torture the King is putting him through."

"I do wish that he had let me join, he seemed to be having so much fun with the hero brother."

"Oh I know sister, the screams were absolutely delicious."

A dark anger boiled up inside of Skyfire as an inky black energy radiated off of her, covering her white and flame colored suit with black. She gritted her teeth trying to fight the rage that was brewing as their words cut her deep. Imagination running away from her as she pictured all the ways Jam could be getting hurt right now. When a flash of Shadow Walker beating Jam flashed through her mind, something burst like a balloon and dark energy flew from her in a wave that shattered the windows. Her eyes were completely blacked over and her suit remained with the inky darkness covering it. 

"Skyfire?" Audrey hesitated.

"That was unexpected sister, though quite enjoyable."

"I believe she broke brother."

The twins slid out of opposing doors from the front of the building coming behind Skyfire. Levita ran at her to stab her from behind but Skyfire didn't move taking the blade into her arm. 

"I think you may have been right sister. She may be broken."

She pulled the blade back out of Skyfire's arm but the wound quickly healed itself. Levita kicked the side of her face but Skyfire didn't move an inch. She then turned to look at the foot as if trying to figure out what it was. Skyfire turned to face the twins and tilted her head to the side in confusion. She then held her hand out and fired out a wave of black energy that sent Levita flying into Seth and both flew out the front door. 

"What was that brother?" Levita asked in giddy amazement.

"I don't know sister. I think she just got more fun, shall we try moving up to 60%?"

"Lets" 

The twins both ran back into the bank in a near blur, Levita threw her throwing daggers and pulled two longer daggers out of her back. Skyfire pulled her arm up to block the daggers coming for her face, taking the daggers into her forearm. Again a look of confusion, as if she didn't know what they were attempting to do. She flicked her arm and the daggers clattered to the floor. A gunshot that grazed her shin dropped her down to one knee as Levita brought both daggers down stabbing into her forearm. Another wave of energy sent Levita flying across the room. Skyfire stood back and grinned madly before forming a finger gun with her hand, as if saying: I can do that too! When she dropped the hammer with her thumb, a thin beam of energy fired from her extended finger through the side of Seth's knee. The hole was clean and through the bone and he crumpled down to the ground in pain. The wound bubbled for a moment before it healed itself. 

"Damn it, that hurt. Sister, I don't think we can play any further without killing her." 

"I'm sure you're right brother." 

"Should be bid her adieu for now my sister?"

"Au revoir, Skyfire," Levita waved. "I hope we get to play with her again brother. She was fun."

"I do as well sister." Seth agreed as they faded away.

"What the hell just happened? How'd they do that?" Audrey exclaimed.

 She floated down and observed Skyfire but couldn't seem to get a reaction. However she noticed an energy field around Skyfire and when she floated within range of the field, an energy beam streamed through her catalyst. She was luckily able to phase out in time for the attack to slice a hole into the ceiling. She decided it was time to call for back up. 

"Juniper," she called over the desticom channel. 

 "Audrey? Are you guys still on the Twinsanity call?"

"We need assitance, I think we need Cyprus here quick. Make sure the police keep the perimeter going."

"That sounds serious. I'll see what I can do."

Half an hour felt forever as Cyprus and LionHead hustled out of Cyprus' jeep and into the bank. Skyfire still stood stone still in the same spot. 

"What's wrong with her?" Cyprus asked as LionHead slowly approached. 

"Don't get too close LionHead. She attacks when you step into her energy field," Audrey warned.

LionHead stuck his hand out warily and was met with an energy wave that knocked him off of his feet.

"They taunted her and her energy changed."

Cyprus sat down cross legged and tried to tap into Skyfire's mind. It was flooded with dark and violent visions. It almost overwhelmed him. 

"Do you see anything?"

"Her dark thoughts are clouding her energy. Energy manipulation is a very fickle power, highly susceptible to contamination. She is covered in the darkest parts of her spirit. I need to bring the light out."

Cyprus tried to break through the dense wall of the prison that her anger was trapping her in. No matter how much he beat against it though, it seemed to do nothing. Then he saw something in the distance and reached for it. 

"Cam." Jam's voice rang through bringing a light with it. 

The screaming inside of her mind seemed to quiet some.

"Cam, it's ok." 

Her eyes went back to normal and the dark energy seemed to fade back into her body. Cyprus fell to his back breathing heavily and Skyfire dropped to the ground unconscious. 

"What'd you do?" Audrey asked.

"There's still a connection to Jam in there. I strengthened it but I couldn't really reach far. It took nearly all of my strength." 

"Take her back to the HoD, I think we need to put her in Jam's room for a little while. Maybe the connection will strengthen." 

"Good idea. LionHead, can you grab her?" Cyprus requested.

Another forty five minutes later and Camilla was laid in Jam's bed. 

"Jam, can you hear me!" she kept sending but she didn't hear anything back.

She woke up with a start and couldn't figure out where she was at first. 

"It's ok, you're in the Hall of Destiny."

"How long have I been out?" she asked with a dry throat.

"Two days."

"What happened to me?"

"We decided to call it 'Darkfire'. You were covered in negative energy. You're drowning in guilt."

She laid her head back on the pillow and sighed.

"They were just playing with me. I went in all cocky like an idiot. What the hell am I doing Audrey?"

"You've barely slept, you're losing your mind. We'll find him, just breathe."

Breathe and let go

Camilla just breathed in deep and closed her eyes. She let her mind wander, and before she knew it she was asleep again. Except this time she didn't dream her troubled dreams again. This time she dreamed she was running through the streets and she didn't know why but for some reason she was on all fours. Not able to control her body at all she just got taken along for the ride. Then she was flying through the air and got taken to a dark room and heard a lot of weird noises. Her body turned and then she saw a nest of rats, she woke up with a start.

What the heck was that.