Later, after “meeting” her former teammates and experiencing a profound sense of déjà vu Jesseca had Severe scan her memory for answers.

As the memories came rushing back,

Jesseca was thrown into a rage that led her to kidnap and kill Ernesto Hess.

Evading the police,

Jesseca left her teammates to uncover the truth behind Ernesto Hess and his operation.

Now, the once fledgling hero has become a pariah and fugitive with no power to help herself.

“Are you sure we should be meeting in public like this?” Jesseca asked Hannah as she looked around cautiously.

Hannah smiled after taking a sip of her iced coffee,

“Relax dear,

Severe is making us look like two seventy-something gentlemen to anyone in a three-block radius that sees us.” she explained.

Jessica relaxed noticeably in her chair upon hearing that news and took a sip of her own drink.

“Have you guys found anything useful yet about Hess?” she asked.

Hannah nodded,

“We found a few files on his computer that link him to the Malta Group,

Knight and Ataris are checking out the lead right now,” she said.

“What’s the Malta Group?” Jessica asked.

“They’re a paramilitary group that sells their services to the highest bidder.

They have an unlimited budget and a limitless army of spies and assassins.

They operate under the governments’ radar,

and whenever they’re involved in something it’s very serious.” Hannah explained.

“What would Ernesto Hess have to do with a group like that?” Jesseca asked.

Hannah shrugged. “I don’t know, but whatever he was involved with,

it won’t be easy to bring it into the light,

Malta will see to that,” she said.

Jessica slumped in her chair with a pout on her face.

“So basically there’s no telling how long I have to go without using my powers?” she asked.

“Aww, don’t look so down,” Hannah said with a smile.

“Until we sort this out,

why don’t you hang out at the base and get to know the team a bit better,

that way when all of this blows over,

everything will be smooth sailing,” she said as she got up from her seat.

Jessica smiled and nodded

. “I think I will,” she said and waved to Hannah as she walked away.

“Remind me again why we’re risking our necks to clear the homicidal white girl’s name,”

Ataris said as he and Dementia’s Knight crept along the rooftop of the building the file on Ernesto Hess’ computer had led them to.

Knight turned to face Ataris.

“When we became heroes we vowed to help anyone in need of assistance.

Jessica says that Hess was involved in something other than what he was paid to be doing,

and the file on his computer corroborates that,

hence we risk our necks for the homicidal white girl.”

Knight said before turning back to their slink across the rooftop.

The pair crept to the edge of the roof and looked across the street to the adjoining rooftop where a black helicopter was landing.

Several well-armed soldiers in full black-ops gear were waiting for the passenger of the helicopter to emerge.

“Looks like our guys,” Knight said.

“For a secret group that operates in the shadows,

a daylight helipad meeting seems a little out of character,” Ataris said.

“You’re right,” Knight said,

and turned just in time to see a bandoleer of grenades land at their feet,

tossed by a fleeing Malta soldier.

 

“Hi, Hanako,” Jessica said with a smile as she walked into the small atrium where the young Korean girl was tending to her plants.

“Hello, Jessica,

it is good to see you again, and in good spirits too.” Hanako said with a smile of her own.

Jessica kneeled next to Hanako and marveled as she watched a wilting rose flourish and bloom as Hanako held her hand near it.

“That’s quite the green thumb you have,” Jessica commented.

“My name means Flower Child,

so it’s only fitting that I live up to my namesake,” Hanako said.

“Tell me, Jessica, what can I do for you?” she asked.

“Well, Hannah thought it would be a good idea to get to know you guys,

and you’re the first person I’ve seen, so you get to go first,” she explained.

“I see, what would you like to know about me?” Hanako asked as she pruned the newly rejuvenated flowers.

“Well, where are you from? How’d you become a hero? The basics.” Jessica said.

“I am seventeen years old.

I immigrated to America with my parents when I was seven.

When my father got us passage to America,

he was led to believe that he and my mother would have jobs and a better life waiting for us here,

but he was deceived.” Hanako said.

“When we arrived here,

we discovered that we had been sold into slavery to the Tsoo, an American faction of the Yakuza,” she explained,

a forlorn expression on her face as she recounted her history.

“That’s awful, what did your father do?” Jessica asked.

“My father and mother and I worked every day for the Tsoo,

hoping that we would be rewarded for our hard work with our freedom,

but as the months and years went on, our hope began to fade,” she said.

“One night out of desperation to save his family,

my father gathered my mother and me and attempted to escape the camp the Tsoo were keeping us in.

As we neared the fences we were attacked by several of the Tsoo,

they killed my parents right in front of me, and moved in to do the same to me,” she said,

a single tear trailing down her pale cheek.

“What did you do?” Jessica asked,

her own eyes brimming with tears of sympathy for the brave young girl.

“My powers emerged that night as the Tsoo warriors moved in on me,

and I killed them all,” she said flatly. “

After I escaped I lived on the streets for a long while before I was discovered by Ataris,

he brought me in to give me a warm place to stay,

and when he discovered my talents I was recruited to the team.” she said.

“Wow, that’s an incredible story Hanako,” Jessica said.

“You’re a very brave woman,” she added.

Hanako bowed her head to Jesseca.

“Thank you very much Jessica.” she said with a smile.

Jesseca returned her bow and rose to her feet.

“I’m glad to be on the team with you,” she said as she made her way out of the room.

“I am as well.” Hanako said and went back to caring for her flowers.

In the seconds before the grenades went off,

Knight used his power over dark energy to teleport across the roof and grab the fleeing soldier,

knocking him to the ground and pinning him down.

Ataris used his power to make his body intangible and stood in the explosion unharmed.

“Knight, I hate to ruin your fun,” Ataris said as he came upon the armored her beating on the captured soldier.

“but those other soldiers are gonna come and investigate that explosion soon, maybe we should question this guy back home,” he suggested.

Knight nodded and hoisted the unconscious soldier over his shoulder and made his way back to the base with Ataris.

In a large office across town, a man sat at his desk.

He tapped away at the keyboard of his computer when his phone began ringing.

“Yes?” he asked as he picked up the receiver

A voice on the other end said something, causing the man to furrow his brow.

“So, they escaped, and they have one of our men in custody?” he asked and listened to the reply from the voice on the other end.

“We can ill afford for them to discover our plans,” he said,

“Call in the Blades of Artemis,

I want this resolved tonight.” he said and hung up.

The man turned his chair around to face the window and looked down on the city below.

He smiled as he thought of the assassins he’d just dispatched slaughtering the band of heroes in accordance with his orders,

and turned back to his computer.