John set the girder down and reverted to his flesh and bone form revealing a large and very handsome African American gentleman. “Well, if y’all want me, I can’t say no to a pretty lady.” he said. “Hey Tito, I’m off to be a super hero!” John shouted to his boss and walked out of the warehouse with Hanako and Jesseca.
<center>****************</center>
“I’m glad that you all decided to join the team.” Hannah said to all of the new heroes that had gathered in the meeting room along with the rest of the team.
Slice and Dice, Tidal Wave and Metalicious sat next to eachother at the large round table smiling at the fact that they were now a part of something greater in the grand scheme of life.
“I’m glad that the rest of you could be here as well because I have an announcement, I’m splitting up the team.” Hannah said.
The assembled members of the team looked from Hannah to one another in surprise at the announcement.
“Elysa will take the younger members of the team and form a faction of her own here in the base. My hope is that this will teach her a lesson in responsibility and teamwork that she has displayed a lapse in recently.” Hannah said.
“So you reward her being a brat by making her a team leader?” Fantasy asked.
“No, I’m giving her this task as a learning experience not as a reward. I prefer to think of it more like a punishment than anything else.” Hannah said.
“And what if she fails to learn anything and gets her team hurt or worse?” Flower Child asked.
“I believe that she will rise to the challenge and I would hope that the rest of you would support my choice and help her to succeed.” Hannah answered.
“So who’s on her team?” Jesseca asked.
Hannah picked up a list with the team divisions on it and read off the names. “Elysa’s team will be comprised of Flower Child, Slice and Dice, Tidal Wave, Electro-Cute, Fantasy, and Arson if and when she recovers.” Hannah said. “My team will be Ataris, Drool, Keyword, Diapered Dandy, and Metalicious.” she said.
“What about Sue and Premiere and Knight and Severe?” Jesseca asked.
“If and when they return the teams will be adjusted accordingly.” Hannah said.
The tone of the room was one of doubt and uncertainty as the realization of what was happening to the team became painfully clear to everyone.
To Be Continued…
<center>Part III: Broken Home
Chapter III: Over Before The Beginning</center>
Elysa stood in front of her mirror and splashed some more water on her face. The young hero was nervous about her first day of captaining a team. She’d requested that her team meet her in the training room for a few practice sessions before heading out into the city for a hands on exercise. Taking a deep breath she headed out of her room and to the training room, her diaper crinkling softly and bulging only slightly beneath her uniform.
“You do realize that it’s only five in the morning, right?” Fantasy asked Elysa as she approached the door to the training room where her team was drowsily gathered.
“I wouldn’t worry about that, no amount of beauty rest can help you Miranda.” Electro-Cute said with a wink toward the young telepath.
“Funny Sammy, keep it up and I’ll have you believing you’re a monkey before lunch.” Miranda shot back with a smile.
Elysa opened the door to the training room and beckoned her team inside before following them in and closing the door. “Ok, I think our first lesson should be teamwork.” she said as the lights came on in the vast room.
Tidal Wave and Slice and Dice marveled at the giant room and wondered what kind of training they’d be receiving within it’s walls.
“From what I understand, Carl and Sarah have a very strict training regimen already. They know eachother’s moves and style so well that they can anticipate the other’s moves without much thought. The goal is to have you all in tune with eachother in that same way.” Elysa said.
“It’s pretty easy for us, we have some kind of twin psychic bond.” Sarah said with a smile.
Elysa moved off to one side of the training room and motioned for the team to follow her. “Miranda and Samantha, I think I’d like to see the two of you go first.” she said.
Fantasy and Electro-Cute moved to the center of the training room and waited for their exercise to begin.
“Computer, downtown King’s Row.” Elysa commanded.
The room changed instantly from an empty space to a downtown city scene, startling the new members of the team.
“Give me ten Outcast gang members all level twenty.” Elysa told the computer system.
“Looks like we might have some fun after all.” Miranda said.
Miranda and Samantha took to the air and began searching for their targets. They found three of them standing near a burning barrel chatting.
“I’ll soften them up for you sparky.” Fantasy said with a giggle as she set to subduing the enemies ahead of them. Using her powers she forced the three gang members to believe that they were covered with venomous spiders. As the enemies began slapping at themselves to remove the imaginary arachnids Samantha hit them with bolts of electricity and sent them flying backwards and writhing on the ground.
Moments later the three gang members were back up again. The orange skinned Scorcher hurled several fireballs at the two heroes, they evaded them and Samantha fired another bolt of electricity at him and put him down for good. As Samantha was downing the fire controller, Miranda had her hands full with the blue skinned Freezer.
Fantasy was finding it hard to concentrate on forcing a fantasy on her foe as she was dodging his multiple volleys of icicles. “Boy do I wish Arson was here.” she thought as she flew above a tight grouping of projectiles. “Any chance I could get you to help me out with this guy?” she shouted to Samantha.
Samantha had her own troubles in a stone covered gang member. Every bolt of electricity she hurled at him was completely ineffective because of his stone armor. “Be right there.” she shouted back.
As the two heroes fought against their own opponent they failed to notice a mob of five more Outcasts coming up behind them. Electro-Cute was hit in the back by a fireball and fell hard to the ground below. Fantasy turned to check on her teammate and got a volley of icicles in her back, bringing her to the ground as well.
“Computer, end simulation.” Elysa commanded. “Congratulations, you’re both dead.” she said to the two heroes with a mock applause as they got up from the ground.
“We’d have been fine if you had helped me with Frosty.” Miranda spat angrily at Samantha.
Samantha scoffed. “Yeah, and as I was saving your butt I would have gotten flattened by the stone guy there.” she argued.
“Enough!” Elysa shouted. “You guys are on the same team, that’s the point of the exercise, work as a team! Maybe if you two stopped arguing so much you’d be able to get along long enough to stay alive.” she scolded.
“Well, if you’re such a great team player why does Arson have a bruise on her head?” Miranda asked.
Elysa fumed. “That was different.” she said as calmly as possible.
Miranda nodded. “Yeah, we were arguing like adults and you were throwing a little temper tantrum.” she said.
“I am your team leader and you will show me some respect now!” Elysa yelled.
Miranda only smiled at her team leader. “And if I don’t, are you gonna attack me too? Or maybe you’ll cry and run to big sis.” she said with a small mental suggestion to Elysa to make her believe that she was an upset toddler.
Elysa began to cry out of frustration. “You’re just a big mean poop head!” she screamed at Miranda and ran out of the training room crying as her attacker laughed uproariously at her victim.
“Why are you being so mean to her? She’s trying her best to be a good leader.” Tidal Wave said to Miranda.
“I’ll be damned if I’m gonna take orders from some overgrown baby.” she said.
“If you ask me you’re the one that’s acting like a child here.” Tidal Wave said with a scoff.
Miranda glared at the young scientist. “Good thing nobody asked you then.” she said.
Tidal Wave felt a tickle in her brain and suddenly felt compelled to put her thumb in her mouth.
“There, I like you much better like that.” Miranda said with a satisfied smirk at her mental handy work.
Tidal Wave glared at her and suddenly turned to a human shaped mass of water freeing her from Fantasy’s mental attack and shot a torrent at Miranda, sending the woman sprawling backward and skidding across the floor.
“Well that wasn’t very nice.” Electro-Cute said and blasted at Tidal Wave with a bolt of electricity.
Tidal Wave altered her form again and became mist allowing the attack from Samantha to pass through her harmlessly and collide with Carl sending him flying backward.
“Hey!” Dice yelled as she ran at Samantha and leapt at her with her claws bared.
Samantha took flight and dodged Dice’s attack only to be knocked out of the air by a blast of water from Tidal Wave.
“Enough!” Hannah shouted from the entrance to the training room.
The quarreling young heroes stopped what they were doing and looked to Hannah and Elysa as they walked into the training room.
“Do any of you understand the concept of teamwork?” Hannah asked with a look that was mixed with anger and disappointment.
Each of the heroes averted their gaze from Hannah and opted not to answer her.
“Fantasy! You will not use your powers on your teammates if you want to remain a part of this team. Am I understood?” Hannah asked the dripping wet young hero.
Fantasy looked at Elysa and then back at Hannah. “Yes ma’am.” she answered quietly through gritted teeth.
“Good. As for the rest of you, I’m very disappointed in you and never want to see you carry on like this again.” Hannah said. “Training is done for today, you are all to stay in your rooms except for meals and missions for the rest of the week.” she added.
The scolded heroes gasped and mumbled complaints as Hannah and Elysa left the room.
