Electro-Cute and Fantasy walked through the forest outside of Founders Falls, the report on Slice and Dice said that they often trained together in the heart of the forest.
“I hope Hannah is right wanting the Wonder Twins for the team.” Fantasy said.
Electro-Cute smiled. “She’s been a pretty good leader in Knight’s absence, I think she knows what she’s doing.” she said.
As the pair came to a clearing they heard the sound of metal clanging together, the sounds of people fighting.
“Sounds like we’re just in time for the show.” Electro-Cute said as they made their way to the clearing.
Two young twins stood in the clearing, the boy Carl stood with his swords grating against the claws of the girl Sarah. The pair were engaged in a heated training exercise when Samantha and Miranda came upon them.
Sarah pushed her brother backward and swiped at his chest with her claws, tearing deeply into his skin and getting a loud howl of pain from the boy.
“You’re gonna pay for that.” Carl shouted as he lunged at his sister with his swords, hacking at her wildly.
“Not if you keep swinging those swords like you’re swatting at flies.” she said, blocking each attack with her claws. Deflecting another slice of her brothers swords, Sarah spun around and kicked her brother square in the chest and sent him sprawling backward. Making full use of her brothers momentary stumble back, Sarah ran headlong for a tree on the other side of the clearing and up it and into a backflip as her brother followed closely behind. Sarah’s flip landed her behind her brother who spun around quickly and impaled his sister in her stomach with his swords.
“I think we’ve seen enough of what they can do.” Samantha said.
“I dunno, I’m kind if enjoying it.” Miranda said with a smile.
Samantha sent a soft bolt of electricity at the young siblings, stunning them and getting their attention.
“Who are you guys?” Carl asked with his swords pointed at the two heroes.
“I’m Electro-Cute and this is Fantasy, we’re here to recruit you to the Freedom Phalanx Reserve.” Samantha said.
Carl and Sarah looked at eachother and smiled widely as they began to jump up and down hugging eachother. “We’re gonna be heroes!” the pair cheered.
“Yeah, great decision.” Miranda said as she and Samantha watched the young heroes carry on in their celebration.
To Be Continued…
<center>Part III: Broken Home
Chapter II: Lines In The Sand</center>
Jesseca and Hanako knocked on the front door on an old run down apartment in the heart of Skyway City. The apartment was the only known address for Derrek Elswick, the man recently registered under the codename Arsenal.
Hanako knocked on the door again. “Maybe he’s not home.” she said to Jesseca.
“Mr. Elswick, we’re here to talk to you about membership into the Freedom Phalanx Reserve.” Jesseca said and knocked again on the door.
“Get out of here!” a man yelled from inside.
Jesseca and Hanako looked at eachother with puzzled expressions before they heard a window shatter from within the apartment. Jesseca charged up her fist and smashed through the door just in time to see a large member of The Lost climbing through the broken window.
The intruder wore a broken television on his head like a helmet, his scarred face looking out through the screen which made him look more silly than menacing.
“You’re gonna pay for that door little lady.” the other man in the room said before he lunged at the large man and kicked him in the chest and knocked him back into the wall hard enough to dent the plaster. The intruder pulled a large metal pipe from the satchel on his back and swung it at Derrek. The gray haired man ducked under the swing and swept his leg across the intruders legs and dropped him to the ground. Picking up the pipe, Derrek stabbed it down into the other man’s eye, killing him instantly.
“What was that all about?” Jesseca asked.
“Damn looters, think they can just waltz in here and take whatever they want.” Derrek said. “Who are you?” he asked.
“Diapered Dandy and this is my teammate Flower Child.” Jesseca told him as Hanako entered the room to join them.
Derrek lit a cigarette and nodded. “And what can I do for you ladies?” he asked.
“We’re here to recruit you into the Freedom Phalanx Reserve.” Hanako said.
Taking a long drag of his cigarette Derek sat down in the chair across from the two heroes. “Why me?” he asked.
Jesseca and Hanako shrugged in unison. “We assumed that you had applied.” Jesseca said.
“Nope, I just do the hero thing part time.” Derrek explained.
“Oh, well sorry to have bothered you then.” Jesseca said and ushered Hanako and herself out the broken door. “If you change your mind, you know how you can reach us.” she said on her way out.
Derrek sat in his chair and finished his cigarette before calling the police to come get the body out of his house, all the while thinking about what Jesseca and Hanako had proposed to him.
<center>****************</center>
“Brianna, do you have to go potty?” Hannah asked her charge.
Brianna looked up from her coloring and nodded. “Yes Ms. Hannah.” she said.
“Alright, let’s get that taken care of then.” Hannah said as she offered Brianna her had and helped the child minded hero of the floor and walked her to the bathroom.
As Brianna used the facilities Hannah stood in the doorway of the bathroom smiling at the young girl. “I’m so proud of you.” Hannah said and patted the girl on the head with a smile.
Hannah helped the girl wash her hands and then led her back to the living area where her coloring book and crayons were. “You can play for another hour and then it’s nap time, ok sweetie?” she asked the girl.
“Yes Ms. Hannah.” Brianna responded with a smile as she continued to color a picture of a bunny for her sister.
“I hate you.” Elysa said to Brianna from her seat on the couch.
“What’d I do?” Brianna asked with a furrowed brow of confusion.
“You’re just a pathetic little freak, and you don’t even know it.” Elysa said with a disgusted look on her face.
Brianna stuck her tongue out at the blue haired hero. “You’re just jealous cuz you still hafta wear diapers like a baby!” Brianna teased.
Elysa’s blood began to boil and before she could even think about controlling it she was blasting Brianna backward into a wall with a strong pillar of ice. As the young girl hit the wall and fell to the floor Elysa formed an ice sword and ran at Brianna screaming like a madwoman.
Brianna was crying on the floor more from shock than anything else, and covered her head and buried her face into the floor when she saw Elysa running at her with a weapon in her hand.
Before the killing blow could come Hannah had blasted Elysa off her feet with her own attack and took a position standing over her stunned sister. “What the Hell is wrong with you?!” she shouted.
“She started it, she said I was a baby!” Elysa yelled back.
Hannah sighed. “So you decided to prove her wrong by throwing a tantrum and attacking her?” she asked.
Elysa blushed and looked down at the floor.
Hannah went to the crying Brianna and helped her up and hugged her tightly before picking her up. “Elysa, apologize to Brianna now.” she ordered.
“I’m sorry Brianna.” she said with no sincerity whatsoever.
“Brianna, can you go ask Mr. Ataris to help you with that cut on your forehead?” Hannah asked the sniffling girl.
Brianna nodded softly and ran out of the room as Hannah set her down on the ground.
“I’m very disappointed in you ‘Lysa.” Hannah said.
“I told you not to call me that anymore.” Elysa said as she got up from the floor.
“Act like an adult and I’ll treat you like one.” Hannah said.
Elysa bit her tongue and looked down at the floor in shame.
“I just don’t know what I’m gonna do with you.” Hannah told her sister.
<center>****************</center>
Keyword and Drool walked into the air conditioned Croatoa University lab and spotted Elizabeth Fierro sitting at a lab station looking into a microscope.
“Ms. Fierro?” Keyword asked.
The young brunette looked up from her research and smiled at the two men in front of her. “Yes, what can I do for you?” she asked.
“I’m Thomas Kinson and this is Adam Styger, we’re members of the Freedom Phalanx Reserve, and we’re here to recruit you into our team.” Keyword said.
“Really?! You guys want me?” she asked with an excited smile.
“Yes ma’am, and if you’ll come with us we can get everything set up and have you in the ranks before dinner.” Drool told her.
Elizabeth nodded and grabbed her coat from the rack against the wall and left the lab with the two heroes.
“So, how did you get your powers?” Drool asked as they made their way to the train station.
“I was studying the restorative properties that come with Immersion Therapy, where a patient is completely immersed in water and healed through constant time in the tank and decided to test my theory on myself.” she explained.
“What was your theory exactly?” Keyword asked.
“That with the right amount of radiation added to the water, healing would occur at a much faster rate. The idea being that the radiation would interact with the water already in the person’s body and use that to speed the whole thing up.” she said.
“And did it work?” Drool asked as they boarded the train for Skyway City.
Elizabeth nodded. “I cut my hand before the experiment and it healed almost instantly when the radiation was introduced. But it came with a side effect.” she said.
“You’re powers.” Keyword deduced.
The young scientist nodded. “I can turn into a living water being and control water in any of it’s forms, it’s actually quite fascinating.” she said.
“Can’t wait to see it in action.” Keyword said with a smile.
Elizabeth returned his smile and looked down with a blush as the train departed the station.
<center>****************</center>
Jesseca and Hanako came to a large warehouse in King’s Row and walked through the large open door and into a vast workshop. They immediately spotted the man they were there to recruit, John Parson A.K.A. Metalicious. They saw him in the process of bending a large steel I beam.
“Mr. Parson?” Hanako asked.
“Well hello their ladies, what can I do for y’all today?” the large metallic man asked with an endearing southern drawl.
“I’m Flower Child and this is Diapered Dandy, we’re here to recruit you into the Freedom Phalanx Reserve.” Hanako told him.
“Y’all really want me for your team?” John asked as he bent the girder to the desired angle and picked it up as if it weighed nothing.
Jesseca smiled at him. “Why wouldn’t we?” she asked.
John shrugged. “I ain’t really that good with the whole hero bit.” he confessed.
“We’d be happy to help train you.” Hanako offered.
