The Blower File: Part 7

"There is a tide in the affairs of men.

Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;

Omitted, all the voyage of their life

Is bound in shallows and in miseries."

--William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar---

“So what's our plan?” asked Parkour looking at Hooded Angel.

Hooded Angel shook his head. “I don't even know where to start anymore. Sky, since you seem sure that Bone Crusher isn't behind this, could it be your brother?”

“A good trainer wouldn't leave one of his friends in the hands of the enemy, that's certain. And he or one of the others might have the ability to sneak in and steal it back, though I find it difficult to believe that he's actually created something that can use Teleport. As I said, I do have some kind of faint energy signature.”

“Can we follow it? Or, better yet, can Yfi track down the monster digitally?”

“No on the second. If that were possible, I would have tried hacking in on Ashton and his friends long ago. That is one of my things, after all. But his robots have no connection to the digital interface.”

“How does he control them?” Greenshade seemed genuinely curiously.

“They're all voice activated, somehow keyed to his voice so they'll only respond to him--but so specifically keyed that I can't even override him by recreating his voice digitally. I've tried that too, you know.”

“Well, how about tracing that energy signature you mentioned?”

“That I can do. Maybe." Sky frowned and started working the controls on his computer. "OK, I think I've got a fix on it. If I'm right, it's leading us towards the good part of town."

"McHenry City has one of those?" asked Hooded Angel, a little bitterly.

"It's not all that bad, really. If we follow this signal, it may lead us to who or what stole that ball--who may or may not have any connection to the other things going on around here."

Hooded Angel stood for a moment with his head bowed in thought. Then he shook it. "We don't have any other leads. But there is one thing--something I should have thought of at the beginning. The last place anyone saw Blower and his friends was at the BBB. If we want to track him down, that's the place to start. But this--even though it doesn't make any sense, it happened and it has to mean something. So--Forester, you and Discus go back to BBB and investigate there. If you come up with anything, call us. The rest of us will follow up on this."

"It would be my pleasure," said Forester with a bow.

Discus threw away her cigarette and readjusted her cowl. "Fine with me. He doesn't talk so much when you get him away from you guys."

"Are you sure sending them together was a good idea?" asked Sky after they had disappeared.

"I think so. Tracking is the Forester's specialty, so it is possible that he can track down Blower. And if he's focusing on that, he'll need some backup. And no matter how much he and Discus may fight in private, they're both mature enough to put that aside when there's work to do."

Sky nodded. "That seems logical. All right, then. Let's go." He switched on his invisibility shield and rose a few inches off the ground. "I'm feeding my data into your headpiece, Hood--as much data as I've got, anyway."

"Check." Hooded Angel was back in vigilante mode. He moved swiftly across the rooftops, using his grapnel when necessary. Greenshade floated along close behind, helping Parkour whenever they reached a point where even Parkour's free-running abilities would not provide easy passage. "Any idea what we're following yet, Sky?"

"Something fast. Basically, what we're following is a blur. You know that when a boat passes through a lake it leaves ripples, right? What I'm picking up is basically the ripple left behind by the passage of some very swift object."

"Object?" repeated Greenshade. "That's not very specific."

"Well, considering how faint this trail is, it's a miracle we're able to follow it at all. There's not enough data to say anything definite about it at all, except that it's very fast." He frowned and shook his head. "But it doesn't make much sense. I've never encountered something quite like this before. Hood, Snow Angel doesn't have any powers besides her ice powers and those wings, right?"

"No super-powers, no. She's got a handful of other skills--strategy, tech, marksmanship, and deduction--but no other super-powers."

"The Bell Ringer doesn't have any super-powers, and this certainly doesn't match Big Foot's powers. So if this has something to do with that side--"

"It has to be Bone Crusher."

"But Bone Crusher didn't have powers before, and this doesn't fit the profile of the Heroic Ion."

"How would you know?" Hooded Angel sounded worried. "Up to this point, Heroman is the only person in human history to have access to the Heroic Ion. We have no idea how much of the nature of his powers have been molded by his own personal physical make-up or psychology. There's no telling exactly what the Heroic Ion would do melded to someone else. It might give him entirely different powers."

"There is that."

"Probably the scientists at the Futureplex have some scientific guesses, but even so, they can't possibly know for sure. I just can't believe they thought doing this kind of experiment would be a good idea."

"Kind of makes you question their judgment, that's for sure." Sky couldn't help remembering Ashton's comments about the Futureplex. Did he really believe the world could be made better and that the Futureplex would really be very likely to do it even if were possible?

"But don't you work for them?" asked Parkour, seeming a little confused.

"Yeah, and having the Futureplex is better than having a lot of superheroes and vigilantes just working on their own. But that doesn't mean I have to agree with everything they do." Hood grimaced. "I guess I'm just not the type to have faith in something. I can't follow something blindly." After he spoke, he seemed to think better of his words and added hastily, "No disrespect to you, of course, Greenshade."

"Why would that be disrespectful to me? I've always had quite a bit of reserve in working for the Futureplex--I think more so than the rest of you. Frankly, I've always considered myself just an associate of the Futureplex, not an actual agent. I just wanted their help to track down the other Polytechnics. And now--anyway, why did you think I'd be offended?"

"I didn't mean that. I just meant--well--skip it."

"He meant that a Christian, having blind faith in someone is something sacred to you," explained Yfi, helpfully, speaking from Parkour's earpiece.

"Oh! I see now."

"Well, that got blown out of proportion real quick. I wasn't trying--"

"I really don't mind, Hood. But faith isn't always blind, you know."

"Again, I don't mean any disrespect--but you live your entire life based on the idea of following someone you can't even see."

"Um-hum. And right now you're putting your life on the line by following Sky--who right now you can't see either."

Sky chuckled. "That's the first time anyone has ever compared me to God. Thanks."

"That's not really a fair comparison," Hooded Angel objected, a little flustered. "I know Sky."

"And I know God. But I agree it's not entirely fair since I've never seen God--no man has--but we've all seen Sky before. Still, leaving invisibility aside, you do realize you're putting faith in him, don't you? We're following a signal that he says he can see, but we can't. He could be betraying us and leading us into a trap for all we know."

"But he wouldn't do that," Parkour protested, trotting to keep up with the others who were moving more quickly now.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"I don't see your point. Of course, I trust Sky, but that's not the same as having faith in God."

"What's the difference, exactly?"

"As I said, I know Sky. I've worked with him probably more often than with any other single superhero or vigilante. He's my friend. If you want to put it that way, I have evidence--evidence that he's trustworthy."

"And I have evidence that God is trustworthy--based on what He has done throughout history and what I've seen Him do in my own life."

"That's only a matter of indirect inference, though," Hooded Angel pointed out.

"Maybe in one sense. But when you're dealing with a matter of life and death, when the nature and meaning of the entire Cosmos is at stake, it becomes quickly more than that. You can't suspend judgment about it like you can about a theory about science or history. You have to accept it or reject it. You have to accept or reject Him."

Sky paused for a moment. Though Greenshade talked a lot about God, Sky had never heard him talk quite like that before. "Wow. That sounded awfully... evangelical. But you're a Wesleyan, right? So are you even considered an Evangelical?"

"Sky, of all the possible things we could discuss, I would put that question about at the bottom of the list. Just above eschatology. Still, I guess there is one thing. You all know what I believe. But it isn't just what I believe. It's what I act on--it's what I live. God--religion--Christianity--it isn't just an idea to which I subscribe. It's a choice I make; it's the life I live. It's not just a philosophy, but the center of every choice I make. If that's what it means to be an evangelical, then yes, I am one."

"Huh. Well, that seems a little fanatical." Hooded Angel spoke in a low voice and Sky guessed he was more thinking out loud than intentionally adding to the conversation.

"I don't think fanatical is the right word."

"I certainly don't mean any disrespect to you, Greenshade," explained Hood hastily.

"I didn't take it like that."

"We all have a right to our own opinions."

"Though, as we discussed yesterday, opinions don't seem to get us very far," added Sky.

Greenshade paused for just a moment as if trying to think of the proper way to frame his next comment. "Opinions are all right in their proper sphere. For instance, I have a very different opinion about what a superhero's name should be like than the Control Center did; that's why I've shortened my name to Greenshade. To me, 'The Emerald Shadow' and all the rest of them just sounded corny. But it doesn't bother me if someone else has a different opinion, because ultimately there is no reference point. Both opinions are equally right and equally wrong because they only correspond to our feelings about reality and not to reality itself."

"That makes sense," agreed Hooded Angel.

"But when it comes to what I believe as a Christian, that is not a matter of opinion, though many people have opinions about it. It does have a reference to reality. Either God exists or He doesn't. If He doesn't, then I'm wrong; if He does, everyone else is wrong. In either case, one view is right and the other is wrong because the opinions correspond to reality. To what is actually there--or not there, as the case may be."

"All right, so God exists or He doesn't--that's logical, I suppose--but since we don't know and can't know which it is, doesn't that mean it's still a matter of opinion?" Sky asked. "I mean, I could ask whether Heroman could destroy the entire planet and we could all have opinions about that. And while the answer is a matter of science, it's an answer none of us will ever know positively because Heroman is never going to try to destroy the entire planet. It could be proved by experiment but it never will be." He paused and thought for a moment and then added, "And if he ever snaps and does try it, we'll probably all be dead before the theory could be proved or disproved."

"It's just something you have to take by faith, Sky," Hooded Angel told him. "If you can take things by blind faith; if you're willing to make a leap in the dark."

"Well, if that were true, I'm not sure that would answer his objection," returned Greenshade cautiously. "If it's simply a matter of faith, and faith is merely a blind, arbitrary act of the will, then I don't see how it would differ in quality from an opinion. Of course, I disagree with your analogy because I believe that there will be a time in which the existence of God will be finally and completely settled--by God. So in that sense, belief in God will have an objective verification."

"But it will be a little late by that point, won't it?"

"In a certain sense, yes."

"So doesn't that throw it back into being just an opinion?"

"Not quite." Greenshade paused for a moment. "You know, it sometimes seems that all kinds of stuff from comic books is coming to life now, so maybe next thing we know we'll have an alien invasion."

Parkour paused. "Wow. That was random. Do you really believe in aliens?"

"No. But, we can't dismiss the possibility with everything else weird going on around here."

"I assume you're working up to some kind of illustration?" commented Hooded Angel, a little wearily.

"And do you use these kinds of illustrations in your sermons?" added Sky. "Because, if so, I may have to stop by your church some Sunday when I don't have anything else going on."

"Just for the sake of argument, think about it. What if we came in contact with an alien civilization that wanted to annex Earth to their Empire. Suppose they had some kind super-powered champion, whom they claimed could destroy the Earth and would do it if we didn't submit."

"Just like we theorized about whether Heroman could destroy the Earth?"

"Exactly, Sky. And whether this alien could do it would be a matter of opinion in the sense that we would have different opinions about it."

"But since we still couldn't have objective verification of it until after the fact, I don't see the point."

"The point is that, in that case, we would have to make a choice. If aliens really did deliver that ultimatum, then the way we, as humans, answered them would depend on whether we did or did not believe in their claim to be able to destroy the Earth. Because it was a matter we had to act on, it would no longer be merely a matter of opinion."

Hooded Angel shook out his cape. "That seems pretty far fetched."

"OK, well, then I'll use a concrete example, then, though I hate talking about myself so much. I already talked about this today--that first time we met, Sky--on Santa Barbara."

Sky didn't answer. For just a moment, he was concentrating on his readings and paying just slightly less attention to the conversation. Besides, he wasn't sure he wanted to hear that much more about himself either.

"After everything that went down with the Polytechnics, I really didn't have much interest in superheroes for a while. And so when I met you, I didn't know anything about the Futureplex or Sky."

"At that time the Futureplex was keeping a lower profile than they are now," commented Hooded Angel. "Now, most people at least know the name of the Futureplex even though they don't know where it is and couldn't really tell you what it does. And, of course, Sky has never really been known outside the Futureplex.”

"Anyway, so there I was, in a strange country surrounded by enemies and you showed up, Sky, and offered your help. I didn't know you and for anything I knew, you could have been working for Dr. Koan and have been luring me into some kind of trap. And since I didn't know, I suppose you could say it was a matter of opinion. But I had to make a decision. It wasn't a blind leap of faith. I had some evidence, but ultimately it was a choice I had to make, whether to believe you or not."

"And now," thought Sky, though he didn't say it out loud, "you're wondering if you should still trust me since my brother is a criminal."

Hooded Angel seemed to know exactly what he was thinking. "Look, Sky, I know you're upset about Ashton--and I can't pretend to know how you feel since I never had any siblings at all. But none of us hold your responsible for Ashton's choices. And I think we all know you well enough not to blame you for keeping it a secret." Hood glanced at Greenshade with a wan smile. "And I suppose that's an analogy for how you can trust God even when in individual instances you don't understand why He does what He does--because you trust Him as a person?"

"That's a very good way of putting it, yes."

They had reached the broad, flat rooftop of an old warehouse that seemed incongruously set in one of the better sections of McHenry City. Sky touched down and stared with a frown at his readings. He had seemingly lost the trail. He touched a control to flip through various sensors and then glanced up and commented, "So the point you're trying to make is that belief in God is not an opinion, because it involves a choice?"

"And objective verification. Obviously, you can make choices about things that are purely a matter of opinion--like what color you want to paint your car. And it's not just any choice--I mean, believing in God--or not believing in Him--is a life-or-death decision."

"Oh, right, because if you don't believe in God, He'll send you to Hell for being a sinner." Hooded Angel sounded a little more scornful than usual. "As if Christians were all that much better than anyone else. There's a little good in the worst of us and a little bad in the best of us."

"Exactly."

"What?" Hooded Angel had obviously not expected Greenshade to agree with him.

"That's the human condition--in Bible College, they called it the tension between Total Depravity and Prevenient Grace--but in any case, you're right. Everybody has good and bad in them."

"Which means--"

"Which means that we all need help. Because we are all in the same boat. You said it yourself. No one is that much better than anyone else. In other words, you and me aren't much better than the murderers and rapists and muggers that we chase down."

"That isn't quite what I meant." Hooded Angel frowned. "But I thought you claimed to be better than that, as a Christian."

"What I am in principle is nothing better than anyone else. 'False and full of sin I am,' as Charles Wesley put it."

"So if you're not better than anyone else, what good is there in being a Christian?"

Sky couldn't help smiling to himself as he listened. Hooded Angel had managed to work himself around in a complete circle.

"That's just the point. I would be a sinner--if it were not for Jesus Christ. 'I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.' In so far as Christ is living in me, then I am something different than what I would otherwise be--what I once was. Everything about me is different, because it is not about me, but has its roots in Christ. Apart from Him, I am a sinner; in Him, I am righteous--just as a branch is dead unless it is connected to the tree."

"Well, even supposing that's true, do you really think God will be so hard on us sinners? I mean, if all people are bad, how can He blame us?"

"I couldn't blame you for not paying off a debt--if you didn't have money. I couldn't blame you for being sick--if there was no cure. But there is a cure for sin. So if someone remains in sin, it is their fault."

Hooded Angel threw back his cape in annoyance. "But can you really say that everyone who isn't a Christian has consciously rejected the possibility of salvation and so is doomed to go to Hell?"

"I don't know--and since I'm not God, I don't have any reason to know. My job is simply to help people find that possibility."

Hood seemed unusually agitated and he swore under his breath. "Well, I still think it sounds awfully evangelical."

"As I said, all it means is bringing people to the point of decision."

"How sharp is it? I mean, if it's a point, it'd be really sharp, wouldn't it? Can you impale people with it? I've always wondered exactly how you'd go about impaling someone--not that it's something I think about on a daily basis, you know--but sometimes you just wonder about those things."

At the sound of this unexpected voice, all four of them stopped and glanced around. There was no sign of anyone in their area. And yet the voice--a female voice, seemingly young--had come from almost directly by them.

“Prepare for action,” hissed Hooded Angel in a low voice. “I think we've found our target.”

“Or our target has found us,” suggested Sky. He was tapping through various kinds of scanners on his built-in computer, looking for any sign of their mysterious interloper. He also pulled up on the side a new gadget he'd been wanting to use for a while, a voice analyzer. “Well, based on her voice, she's about fifteen, well-educated, from a large city in the midwest but with roots on the east coast.”

“Oh, you're so proud of yourself. But I could have told you all that myself if you'd asked.” Again the voice seemed to come from right behind them, but when they turned, there was no sign of the speaker.

“Sky, are you getting anything?”

“Yes. I think so. But I'm not sure that it makes any sense.”

“Of course it doesn't, you silly man. Don't you know that it's a waste of time to try to understand women? Anyway, this is what you want, isn't it?” For an instant, a human form appeared in front of Hooded Angel and bopped him lightly on the nose with Ace Trainer's ball. The next instant it was gone before they could take stock of it, except that it was green.

“Sky?” Hooded Angel sounded angry. “You'd better have something. Is she teleporting?”

“No. She's just moving very fast. I've worked out her energy signature now. She is moving at incredible speeds.”

“Well, I need something to defend myself with--when all of you gang up on one poor, helpless girl. Only I'm rich and more powerful than any of you--but still, the principle is the same.”

Suddenly, she stopped moving and they finally got a good look at her.

What they saw was a short girl with a rather petite figure and an extraordinary pony-tail of luxuriant copper-colored hair. She was wearing thigh-high boots, a pleated skirt, and a jacket--all made of leather and all mint green in color. She also wore a short cape, cream white on the inside and green on the outside, and a green domino mask. As she stood there facing them, she was holding a small bag of something like candy and she popped one piece into her mouth as they stared at her.

“So you're the thief.” Hooded Angel frowned. “But whose side are you on?”

“Whichever side you aren't.” She popped another piece of candy into her mouth.

“Well, anyway, we're going to have to ask you to give that back. It's important evidence.”

“Which is the exactly the reason why I'm not going to give it back.”

“Look, you may be fast, but that's not going to be enough to beat us. Greenshade is fast too and now Sky has a lock on your energy signature.”

“Oh, I'm so scared now.” She popped a couple pieces of candy in her mouth. “Let me guess, you're thinking that I'm just a weak little girl and can't hurt you, right?” She smiled and then shot forward and punched Hooded Angel in the cheek. She came too fast for him to dodge and was gone even before he was done staggering backward.

"Hood! Are you all right?" Sky knew that Hooded Angel's face had less protection than the rest of his body,

"I'm fine," he answered in a voice that somewhat lacked conviction. "But she packs quite a punch."

"That's why you study science." She was back to her previous location, again popping candy into her mouth. "The power of a blow can be figured by multiplying the force of it by the speed of it. So if you can move with enough speed you can make up for any lack in force. I'd get into some of the more technical equations but you wouldn't understand them--and, anyway, they would require knowing the mass of the object in question, and that's something it's not polite to ask a lady."

"Well, aren't you a barrel of fun," remarked Hooded Angel brusquely. "Why did you steal that ball, anyway?"

"For science! And for fun. Speaking of fun, want some?" She tossed a piece of her candy at Hood who didn't even try to catch it.

"What are those?" asked Sky, curiously. He was still invisible, a fact which he supposed must slightly puzzle the girl, not that she showed any sign of it--or maybe she knew about them and their specific powers already.

"Chocolate covered espresso beans," she answered immediately. "Great for energy. In case you were wondering, my speed comes from my body's ability to metabolize energy at an increased rate by utilizing the chemical properties of caffeine."

“So you're a hyperactive teenager, and that's a superpower.”

“Exactly. Isn't science wonderful?”

Sky nodded and then switched on the private communications channel. "All right, so do we try to fight her or not? I really don't see what good Ace Trainer's monster is to either one of us--"

"She is a threat," answered Hood in a low voice. "And she's here in McHenry City right in the middle of this mess."

"She isn't anyone's archenemy, but she does have powers. She could be another distraction."

"If Bone Crusher--or Snow Angel--is responsible for her being here, then no matter what part she plays in all this, she may be able to tell us something once we capture her."

"If we capture her. Her speed outclasses you and though I may be able to do something with invisibility, I don't know what exactly."

"We're going to have to work together." Greenshade spoke for the first time since they'd met the girl. "I don't have the speed to match her. If the White Wind were still alive--but--well, anyway, if we work together, combining your invisibility and my speed, we may be able to do something."

"Are you guys talking about me behind my back?" asked the girl, looking at them. "That's rude, you know. Not that I'm surprised, of course."

She could have simply run away and there was no way they could have caught up to her, and even though he had a lock on her energy signature now, she could still escape them easily, probably. So why was she staying around, Sky wondered. Was she spoiling for a fight? Was that her purpose here? Or was she just confident in her own power and rubbing in her superiority? Or was there something she wanted from them? "Are we going to engage directly or wait for her to make a move?" he asked.

"We'd better engage. The way this day is going, I don't want to take any chances. Sky, any idea how we can use your invisibility as a weapon?"

Sky frowned thoughtfully. "We can assume that she knows that I'm invisible because I was talking but she can't see me."

"Yeah."

"Well, then we may be able to use her knowledge of my invisibility better than my invisibility itself."

"I think I see where you're going with this," commented Greenshade. "The main goal being to confuse her, I take it?"

"Exactly. And then you can do the rest."

"All right. Just give me a location."

"Right. Hood, say something to throw her off."

"What do you mean?"

"Just be yourself."

"Anyway." Hood shook out his cape and glanced at the girl, who was still watching them with something like amusement. "So, what are you doing here, anyway?"

“Annoying you. I thought that was obvious by this point.”

Sky smiled and manipulated the controls of his exoskeleton's computer. He was counting on the girl not being able to suspect that he could or would do what he was about to do. And that was to throw his voice.

"Maybe. Maybe not." His voice seemed to be coming from right beside where Parkour, Hooded Angel, and Greenshade stood, even though he had risen a yard or so above them. "But do you really think you can beat us?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, it's not like any of you have the power to match my speed."

"Are you sure of that? Some of us may be faster than you think we are. Isn't that a possibility?"

The girl, for the first time, seemed just a little startled, as (due to an adjustment on his computer) the last sentence seemed to come from directly behind her--as if Sky had moved across that space in a brief instant. "Oo, somebody thinks they're fast, don't they? Well, you may be fast but are you fashionable? That's the real question."

"Fashion really doesn't matter when you're invisible." This time, the voice seemed to come from much closer to her, though at her side rather than behind her.

"You do realize that whether I can see you or not, I can still find you, right?"

"Only if you're faster than me."

"That sounds like a challenge. All right, then. Challenge accepted."

Sky suspected that he wouldn't be able to fool her for very long. Still, he didn't need to and he had calculated right that she was a little proud of her own abilities and would be glad to test them against him or anyone who could rival them.

What followed next was more like a ballet than a battle. Sky kept throwing his voice to different points and the girl in green chased him. Her speed was so great, he could barely keep ahead of her, even in throwing his voice. He had no time to think of anything coherent to say, so he just shouted out, "Run, run, fast as you can; Can't catch me--"

And then it happened. She was so focused on him, that she momentarily lost track of Greenshade. Using his stealth abilities, he had moved silently into position, and then while she chased Sky, Greenshade lunged. His armor gave him the ability to go extremely fast for a brief period of time, and it was enough--enough for him to close in on the girl from behind and pinion her in one place, using the incredible strength of his armor.

"But Greenshade can catch you," Sky finished, dropping to the ground and becoming visible.

Hooded Angel took a step forward. "Now, let's get down to business."

The girl seemed annoyed but far from upset. "It's funny that it takes four big men--well, two big men, one little man, and a boy--to gang up on one little girl, doesn't it? That's not very chivalrous--not that I expected anything different from your kind."

"Your opinion about our character isn't really relevant at this point," responded Sky. “So, why don't you tell us why you stole that ball--or why you're in McHenry City in the first place. This isn't your home territory, I take it."

"You are supposed to be so smart--why don't you figure it out?"

Hooded Angel shook his head in irritation. "We don't have time for this."

"I could finish things faster if the big lug in the armor would let go of me. I--"

She never finished her sentence, because without warning the air was rent by a weird scream or whoop. A spinning object flew through the air directly towards Greenshade. He sidestepped to avoid it, but in doing so, he loosened his grip on the girl who broke free and, the next instant, was on the far side of the rooftop.

The object was a tomahawk.

Sky glanced up and saw the newcomer who had vaulted over the facade at the top of a neighboring rooftop and dropped into the arena. What he saw was a boy of fourteen or fifteen, with dark skin and jet black hair, worn in a mohawk. His body was muscular but lean and compact like a gymnast. He wore leggings of deerskin, beaded moccasins of the same material, and a pendant around his neck which was shaped like an eagle and made out of some shiny metal like gold but darker in color. In one hand, he held a long poll decorated with brightly colored feathers. As he landed on the ground beside the girl, he reached out with his other hand and caught the tomahawk which had arced around back to him, almost as if it were sentient and were seeking out its master.

"Funny how the savage has to keep coming to the rescue of the scientist, isn't it, CG?" he commented, glancing at the girl.

"It would be funny, BE, if it weren't for two things--first, that this is the only time you've had to rescue me even if you had to this time which you didn't--and second, if I hadn't saved your hide more times than you could count--which admittedly isn't very high."

Hooded Angel was staring at the two blankly. "Who on earth are you?" He seemed more amazed than anything else.

"Right," commented the girl, "I forgot introductions. I'm Caffeine Girl and this is Brave Eagle.”

"Caffeine Girl and Brave Eagle? Are you two for real?"

"Yeah, that kind of skeptical attitude is typical of palefaces, isn't it?" returned the boy.

Sky glanced at Hooded Angel's white mask. “I guess the term 'paleface' does really apply to him. Not so sure about the rest of us.” Then he switched to the private communicator. “Hood, is there any point in engaging these two? I really can't believe they pose a threat of any kind.”

“Don't be so sure. This goofy act of theirs may really be just an act.”

“And as the only one of us who was a superhero when a teenager, I think I'm qualified to say that just being immature doesn't mean you don't have superpowers and can't pose a serious threat,” added Greenshade.

“Anyway--” Hooded Angel shook out his cape-- “they may have information that can help us. There has to be a reason they're here.”

Sky couldn't help thinking it might be to distract them--but he knew there was no point in saying that. Once Hooded Angel made up his mind, it took pretty solid evidence to make him change it. “Well, then.” He switched on his invisibility and rose five feet off the ground. “This isn't really my department and I've already used my one good trick. I'll keep a watch from up here and see if I can pick up anything interesting.”

“Check. Parkour, stay back unless you see a good opening. Greenshade, you take the girl; I'll take the boy.”

“What about me?” asked Yfi.

“Just keep out of this unless we need you.”

Sky wondered if Hooded Angel was beginning to be worried by Yfi and her powers. They had always known she was a little unstable, but before today he hadn't realized just how far her powers extended. No wonder the Futureplex had been worried about what would happen if she completely lost control.