The Blower File: Part 9

Dr. Drone glanced up at Sky. “So how did you get involved in all this, anyway? This seems a little outside your normal territory. You are usually only an observer for the Futureplex.”

“Yeah, well, Hood was desperate for help. And he thought invisibility might be the one useful weapon against a super-powered Bone Crusher.”

Dr. Drone shook his head. “If Boris has gained full access to the Heroic Ion, all of us together won't be a match for him.”

“We don't yet know the full extent of my powers,” Conan pointed out.

“No, but I think it's unlikely that even at their best they could match the Heroic Ion. And, anyway, if you push yourself that far, you'll kill yourself. As it is, you're already causing your body a good deal of stress whenever you use your powers.”

Conan shrugged. “Everyone dies sometime. But not like that!” Without warning, he raised his hand which glowed white for a second. A short shaft of metal struck his hand and splintered, falling in shards to the ground.

That was the first intimation anyone had that they were under attack. Even Sky had been caught off guard.

“You may have blocked that one, but you won't catch the next one,” called out a very juvenile, very familiar voice. Metal Kid, wearing a metal domino mask and a studded jacket that made him look like a punk rocker, had just landed on the roof several yards away. A storm of small metal shards was flying around him.

“What--” Hooded Angel began, and then, warned by a slight sound, he whirled around just as the Cavalier and Dr. Genius suddenly dropped to the roof behind him.

“Stand down, all of you,” said Dr. Genius, crossing his arms

“Or get knocked down,” finished the Cavalier, drawing his saber.

Sky sighed. “What are you three doing here?”

“Trying to keep you mavericks from making an already bad situation even worse,” answered Dr. Genius, taking a step forward. “I don't know what you thought you could accomplish by coming out here, but stop right now.”

Hooded Angel shook his head.”You're about five hours too late. If you were so concerned about this, you should have been on the ground a long time ago. Do you have any plan to take out Bone Crusher?”

“That's not my concern. My concern is you people. And why are you here with these rookies?”

“Hey, who's a rookie?” asked Brave Eagle.

“You are, kid,” answered Conan, with a grim smile. “It's not the worst thing you could be.”

“Why @%#@ are you still talking?” asked Metal Kid.

Dr. Genius nodded. “This is no time to talk. Are you going to stand down or not?”

Hooded Angel clenched his fists. “No.”

“No?” repeated Sky. “That's pithy, but not very original.”

“I'm not in this job to be original. Parkour, stay back. Yfi will never forgive us if anything happens to you. Sky, take a high position.”

Sky willingly vanished and rose. Fortunately neither Dr. Genius nor the Cavalier could fly. Metal Kid could sort-of fly, but his attention seemed occupied with the others. If Greenshade were there, he wouldn't have been worried at all, but Metal Kid was powerful and unstable enough that he wasn't sure what would happen. Fortunately, with Drone and his two trainees, they had the other three outnumbered.

Dr. Drone's drones scattered and formed a swarm around Dr. Genius. “I've been looking forward to a battle with you, Xavier. I imagine it will be very educational. You can always learn from a doctor.”

Dr. Genius clenched the fingers of his robotic arm. As sturdy as Drone's drones were, he could crush them easily--if he could catch them. But that wouldn't be so easy. “Will you never desist from your childish games, Drone? That's why you're still only second-rate as a scientist.” There was a long-standing rivalry between the two (which, if Sky was right about who Dr. Drone really was, went back to the time before they both became super-heroes.)

“I'm not about to let you stop us after everything else we've gone through today,” said Hooded Angel, rushing the Cavalier.

“En garde,” responded the Cavalier, flashing his saber forward.

Hood had spared with the Cavalier before and knew his tactics fairly well. He came to an abrupt stop and pivoted, lashing his cape around, using his tech to increase its mass as he did. It knocked the Cavalier back and almost but not quite knocked the saber out of his hand.

But even if the Cavalier wasn't quite on the same level as Hood when it came to fighting, he hadn't lasted this long as a vigilante without his fair share of skills and tech. Before Hooded Angel could move in for a follow-up attack, the Cavalier had pressed a button on the handle of his saber which now began to glow red hot. “Your costume is insulated, but this should be able to melt it.”

“Only if you hit me,” Hood answered.

Sky frowned as he watched them. Hooded Angel might be stronger and more skilled than the Cavalier, but he wasn't as agile. That encounter might end badly.

Brave Eagle was trying to attack Metal Kid, but that wasn't exactly easy since he was protecting himself with a shield of metal shards. However, though his power over all things metal was great, he had to consciously will it, meaning it was a difficult thing to deal with multiple threats--and so, between Brave Eagle and his tomahawk (which definitely seemed to have a mind of its own), he had his hands full, even though neither had been able to hurt him, either.

Both Conan and Parkour were standing back, though both looked dissatisfied with the arrangement. Conan was glowing slightly, which Sky took as a sign of emotional turmoil, though he still didn't understand how his powers worked.

The two doctors were at a standstill. Dr. Genius couldn't actually catch and destroy any of Dr. Drone's drones, but Dr. Drone didn't seem really able to hurt his opponent either. Neither one was much a fighter and usually tried to deal with situations in a less direct way. For the moment, Drone was at least keeping Dr. Genius occupied, but Sky knew it was only a matter of time until Dr. Genius gave up trying to deal with the drones and went after one of the others.

The battle between Hooded Angel and the Cavalier was definitely the most intense. Cavalier's agility and his saber were enough to make him an equal match for Hood's fighting skills and the tech in his suit. Sky frowned worriedly as he noted that Cav had actually managed to create a few rips in Hood's cape.

Sky bit his bottom lip nervously. The situation unnerved him--and it unnerved him even more because he realized just how it paled in comparison to the problem Bone Crusher would be if and when they cornered him. This was no ordinary tussle. They were fighting in a battle in which death might be a real possibility for either side. That was nothing new. Sky knew that. Even for him, though he usually didn't get personally involved in battles. But this was different. The day before, he never would have imagined that they might be fighting against their fellow Futureplex heroes. An hour before, he never would have imagined that they might be fighting alongside Conan and Brave Eagle. And the worst part was that they might be wrong. Drone and his group might actually be working with Bone Crusher, for all they knew. Dr. Genius and the Cavalier might be right in trying to stop them. Of course, it wasn't very likely. But it was possible and yet they had had to choose a side in this fight or it would have been too late to do anything.

This wasn't a leap in the dark. But it was most certainly a leap. And right or wrong, it might prove a fatal leap.

Metal Kid had gotten tired of his standoff with Brave Eagle and had taken to the offensive. Brave Eagle's staff and tomahawk weren't much use as defensives against MK. Fortunately, Brave Eagle was agile enough to avoid most of Metal Kid's projectiles, but unless he was sturdier than he looked, it would only take one or two good hits to take him out.

As Sky had feared, Dr. Genius suddenly began to ignore the drones and turned towards Hooded Angel. “Your continued failure in attitude requires disciplinary action,” he commented, as he advanced.

And then suddenly he stumbled and fell headlong to the ground.

“Pride goeth before a... well, you know,” said Dr. Drone's voice. Once Dr. Genius had begun moving, it had become a simple thing for him to rearrange his drones to form an obstacle for him to trip over.

The fall of Dr. Genius had given Hooded Angel the temporary distraction he needed. Rushing forward, he wrenched Cav's saber out of his hand and threw it wide. “Now, let's see how you fight without your fancy weapon.”

Cavalier looked frightened and, at first, Sky thought it was of Hood. And then he saw what the Cavalier saw. His saber should have fallen to the ground far below. But it hadn't. It was hovering in the air.

“This all stupid,” said Metal Kid, rising a few inches off the ground, floating on a couple pieces of metal. “Who said you guys could win? His sword is made of metal. That kid's tomahawk is made of metal. Those drones are made of metal. Your costumes are made of metal. This building is made of metal. This whole @#$* town is made of metal. And metal is my thing, not yours.” The metal studs in his ears were glowing white with energy and the air was filled with a strange whining sound. The Cavalier's saber and Brave Eagle's tomahawk were both vibrating and Dr. Drone's drone began to move erratically. Dr. Genius had gotten back to his feet, but he looked almost as distraught as the other side. It almost seemed that his robotic arm was twitching. “Be careful, Dani--”

“What has being careful ever gotten anyone?” asked Metal Kid. He was nearly two yards off the roof now.

Sky could swear that he saw the rooftop itself begin to vibrate slightly. He wasn't sure exactly what Metal Kid was doing, but he was expanding his powers so far that they might all be in trouble. But this was also the one good chance for a counterattack. While MK's ability made him extremely powerful it also made him vulnerable. A good, solid attack right now might put him out of commission.

And the counterattack came, so smoothly and perfectly that if he hadn't known better Sky would have sworn it had been planned out carefully in advance. Parkour rushed forward, did a handstand, and rolled straight into Metal Kid's face. He wouldn't have been able to get through his shield of metal if Brave Eagle hadn't simultaneously leaped from his place and transformed into his firebird form. Passing through Metal Kid's metallic shield, the heat of his body melted it to slag, simultaneously blinding Metal Kid. As Sky had theorized, Metal Kid was using his power at such an intensity that it had severely weakened him, so that Parkour's attack left him stunned and he dropped to the roof, only partially conscious.

The instant Metal Kid lost control of the surrounding metal, Dr. Drone's drones formed a solid pattern around Dr. Genius's left foot and lifted him into the air. Hanging upside down by one foot, it was next to impossible for him to bring his robotic arm into play. Normally, no one could catch Dr. Genius off guard like that, but Sky knew that Drone had an advantage--because he was controlling his drones remotely, he had been in no physical danger during the encounter, unlike all the others, allowing him to keep his head.

And almost at the same time as the attack on Dr. Genius, Hooded Angel had made a flying tackle and taken down the Cavalier. Though Cav was decent at hand-to-hand combat, he was still significantly smaller and lighter than Hooded Angel and under the circumstance, he couldn't call on any extra tech.

“We have them for the moment, but what do we do with them?” asked Dr. Drone.

Dr. Genius spoke very calmly, despite the fact that he was hanging upside down several feet in the air. “Your infantile games are merely delaying the--”

“Please don't say 'the inevitable,' Dr. Drone interrupted. “I expect more original dialog from a man with your IQ.”

“We aren't here to fight them,” said Hood in a low voice. “This is all a waste of time.”

“But we can't let them stop us, either,” Sky pointed out. Metal Kid was badly stunned but he was superhuman and his body would recover more quickly than any ordinary person. Dr. Drone couldn't keep holding Dr. Genius forever and, anyway, in time he would find a way to break free. Of course, Hood could just tie the Cavalier up--he always carried rope for such an occasion--but though it was a special kind of rope it wouldn't be enough to hold either Dr. Genius or Metal Kid. And if they were free, they could continue the fight--and an extra fight was something they didn't need.

Sky had wondered vaguely how Dr. Genius and the Cavalier had gotten to the rooftop since they couldn't fly, but with everything else going on, he hadn't had time to think about it much. But now from above them, a large Futureplex coaster (rather larger than the one they had flown to McHenry City in) dropped out of the clouds to hover a few inches above him.

“Sorry--I'm back.” Yfi's voice came from Parkour's earpiece. “Everything's in place over at the lab and Greenshade and Caffeine Girl are on their way back. Just get your drones back, doctor, and I'll take care of Dr. Genius and Dani.”

Parkour looked up doubtfully. “Are you sure you know what you're doing?”

“Totally. I just need to reroute a few circuits and their coaster turns into a giant electromagnet, strong enough to hold Dr. Genius prisoner because of his arm. And strong magnetic fields weaken Dani's powers, too.”

“Wait, what?” Hooded Angel threw back his cape and glanced at Parkour. “I didn't know that.”

“It's all in the databanks. The Futureplex figured if they ever needed to take him down, they'd be able to do it using magnetism.”

“That's--” Dr. Genius was still keeping his composure singularly well, considering, “that's highly classified information. How could you--”

“This is Yfi we're talking about,” Sky reminded him.

The next instant, Dr. Drone's drones scattered, dropping Dr. Genius towards the ground. Only he didn't fall. Instead, he rose upward and his metal arm clamped firmly against the underbelly of the coaster. Sky had dropped to the ground already to get out of the way, and now Yfi brought the coaster down so that it was almost but not quite sitting on the rooftop, directly over Metal Kid.

“Well, that takes of them,” Sky commented.

“And we should be getting some results soon,” added Dr. Drone, as his drones resumed their humanoid configuration, though a few remained hovering around Conan's head. “Are you getting anything, Conan?”

“Just give me a second.”

Yfi had taken care of Metal Kid and Dr. Genius, and now Hooded Angel was busy tying up the Cavalier. Meanwhile, Parkour was helping Brave Eagle. The boy had landed on the edge of the roof after his attack on Metal Kid and he may or may not have thrown-up over the side. He seemed a little weak and dizzy but once Parkour helped him back to his feet, he seemed better. “Thanks,” he said a little uncertainly. “I-I'm fine now.”

“You do seem somewhat recovered and without assistance from Conan,” Dr. Genius observed. “Perhaps you are beginning to have some kind of grip on your power.”

And then Conan's body glowed white for a second. “I've got it. I've found Bell Ringer's energy signature. He's in McHenry Park.”

Sky and Hooded Angel glanced at each other. “Well, that could be problematic. That's the middle of town.”

“But at this time of day, there may not be many people in the park itself. I searched there earlier, but they may not have been there then--or there would be lots of places to hide.”

“Of course, Bone Crusher may not be with him--”

“No, but it's too good a lead to ignore. Yfi, have Greenshade and Caffeine Girl meet us there--Discus and the Forester, too. The rest of you, follow me. We're finally going to have this out.”

Sky turned invisible. He couldn't help thinking that this was another leap of faith since it would be a perfect set-up for a trap, but that wasn't his main concern. His main concern was that their little group, even with the addition of Drone and his trainees, had no chance against Bone Crusher. He had kept putting off the thought because of the problem of finding him. He suspected Hooded Angel had been doing the same. With their new allies, he wasn't so worried about the Bell Ringer, Snow Angel, and Big Foot, as dangerous as the three of them were. But Bone Crusher, with access, even limited access, to the Heroic Ion tipped the scale completely. Even if he had only a fraction of Heroman's power, that still put him in an entirely different class from any of them--from all of them put together.

He pressed his lips together and shook his head. They had already made their choice. It was too late to be second guessing that. Besides, it had to be done. A super-powered and bitter Bone Crusher loose in the city was a bad thing no matter how you looked at it--even if he didn't have any grander schemes.

That was all true, but it didn't make Sky feel much better about it. As an observer, he generally avoided getting directly involved in fights if he could. Sometimes he couldn't remain detached and entered fights which he lost--particularly with the Flying Aces. But he had never gone into a fight being so sure before had that he--that they--would lose. And, more likely than not, that at least some of them would get killed. Snow Angel had already almost killed Greenshade and he hated to think what Boris's already brutal tactics would have become with his new power and new anger.

McHenry Park was an island of green in the middle of the business section of town. It wasn't very big and it struck a strange contrast, standing alone as it did among towering skyscrapers. The Blower Broadcasting Building could even be seen some distance away. The park, though in the middle of the town, was not very well frequented, especially at this time of day. And what few people were there were pretty well scared away as the group assembled at one side. Greenshade and Caffeine Girl had reached there first and were waiting impatiently (at least, Caffeine Girl was impatient) when the others arrived. Hooded Angel and his group--Sky, Brave Eagle, Conan, Dr. Drone, and Parkour--reached the park at almost the same time that Discus and the Forester appeared, having made their way over from the BBB.

“This park is too small and tame to be called a natural place,” remarked Forester.

“We don't have time for your opinion on parks,” barked Hood, shortly. “Conan, do you still have a lock on the Bell Ringer?”

Conan nodded. His body was still glowing slightly. “We're close enough that I can pick it up without the help of Drone's tech. He's right--”

He paused and the silence was broken by the slight tinkle of a small bell.

From out of a tree, several yards away, a figure dropped. It was a man, wearing a trench-coat, fedora, and domino mask. And from one sleeve hung a small bell. He dropped from the tree by use of a grappling hook and with almost incredible speed, as he landed, he pulled it loose and heaved it as a weapon at the Forester.

The attack might have felled anyone but the Forester, but with his reflexes, it wasn't hard to dodge.

But there was no time to think or talk just then because at the same instant the Bell Ringer appeared, Snow Angel had dropped from the sky and nearly skewered Hooded Angel with a shaft of solid ice. It was Caffeine Girl who saved him, rushing forward so fast that she was able to deflect Snow Angel's attack without being hurt. Meanwhile, Big Foot (who looked pretty much like what you would expect someone called Big Foot to look) had rushed out of a small storage shed and tackled Brave Eagle. At least, he tried to tackle Brave Eagle, but the boy rolled out of the way at the last possible second, using his staff to make a spring and land on the other's back. Not that that would have meant much to Big Foot who could dislodge him easily, but it distracted him for long enough for Greenshade to get in position for a head-on attack, slamming into Big Foot with the full force of his armor, temporarily stunning him.

Snow Angel's wing flapped, holding her aloft a few yards above the ground. “Well, there's nothing like a good battle to break the ice.”

“That's not the only thing that's going to get broken,” answered Hooded Angel, looking up at her. “We have you outnumbered considerably.”

“Outnumbered but not outgunned. I don't think any of you are a match for me--and I know none of you are a match for Boris.”

Hood threw his cape back impatiently. For the moment, the two groups had temporarily paused in their battle, while the two angels talked. “We'll see about that. If he's so great--then why isn't he here?”

“Oh, you'll meet him soon enough. He's keeping an eye on a couple of friends.”

“But if you want to see him, we can arrange that,” added the Bell Ringer, in a low, somewhat raspy voice. “OK, Foot, do your stuff.”

Big Foot stood up, still seeming a little groggy from Greenshade's attack. “Sure... just give me a sec... OK!” He pulled two machetes from his belt and starting charging through the undergrowth of the park like some kind of living lawnmower.

“That so cool. Can I have a few machetes?” asked Caffeine Girl.

“You'd be lucky for me to trust you with scissors,” Conan answered.

But before anyone could say anything more, Big Foot had accomplished his task. Though most of the park was fairly open, right here there was a patch of thick, uncut undergrowth, almost like a small forest. But Big Foot had opened a path through it, allowing them to see something they couldn't have seen otherwise. Nestled right in the middle of the wild patch was a large cage and inside it stood (rather squashed together) Silence and Time's Detective. And standing directly in front of them stood another figure.

It was a large man, with a bulky build and rippling muscles. If he couldn't quite match the Forester's muscular definition and tone, he made up for it sheer bulk. He wore green camo pants, a large canvas belt with metal spikes, a leather vest which hung open over his muscular torso, mesh gloves, and a black headpiece like a durag which also came down over his forehead and covered the top part of his face like a mask. It was a figure Sky knew very well--the one he had been expecting but not wanting to see all day. Boris Blower--Bone Crusher.

Sky noted that there was no reaction on his sensors to Bone Crusher's presence. Either he wasn't actively using the Heroic Ion or they had found some way to cloak his energy signature.

“A cage? Really?” Hooded Angel sounded disgusted.

“I wanted an ice castle, but these boys have no imagination,” Snow Angel responded.

“This is war--not an art exhibition,” the Bell Ringer pointed out. “Practicality counts for more than imagination.”

“In any event, that should keep them safe--especially with Boris to watch over them. It's a heavy cage, but it was an easy matter for Boris to carry it here--even with the two of them inside it. You know, Hood, that Boris could have torn you apart on his worst day, and now--now, he could kill all of you with one hand. Still, I would never forgive myself if I let him cheat me out of this opportunity.”

Sky vanished and rose upwards to get out of the way as Snow Angel shot another shaft of ice at Hooded Angel. But he was ready for the attack and dodged easily. Sky frowned as he watched. Something was wrong. Naturally, Snow Angel might like a chance to defeat Hooded Angel personally, considering their long-standing animosity. But why was Bone Crusher just standing back and guarding the prisoners? Or, for that matter, why reveal that they had prisoners at all? Probably, they were saving them for bargaining chips if things went south--though the stakes in this battle were so high, Sky wasn't sure that Hood would make peace even to save his teammates. Still, something didn't add up. Somehow, this battle wasn't what it appeared to be.

“We've got to take out all the others before Boris decides to join the battle,” Hood barked out, as he dodged another attack by Snow Angel. “Forester, Conan, and Drone--you take the Bell Ringer. Discus, Parkour, and Caffeine Girl--you take Big Foot. Greenshade and Brave Eagle--help me with Snow Angel. Yfi, if you can find any drones, bring them in. They should be able to confuse Snow Angel, even though they can't hurt her. Sky, get us some back-up. Two should be enough.”

Sky nodded. He knew exactly what Hood meant. He rose further into the sky.

Big Foot had returned after clearing the path and now stood beside the Bell Ringer. But with a flash of green, Caffeine Girl plowed straight into him. Even as fast as she was going, it wasn't enough to deal serious damage--not to someone like Big Foot. But it did accomplish the primary thing--which was knocking him some distance sideways. At the same time, Dr. Drone's drones formed a swarm around the Bell Ringer's head, blocking his vision. This allowed Conan and the Forester to jump him by surprise and force him backward.

Now their enemies had been separated, with Snow Angel in the middle and Big Foot and the Bell Ringer to some distance on both sides.

Sky wasn't overly hopeful about the outcome, but at least they were doing well in the battle so far. So long as Bone Crusher remained guarding the prisoners, they might do all right. But right now he had something else he had to concentrate on. Keeping in the air and remaining invisible, he coasted slowly across the tangled undergrowth towards the spot where Bone Crusher and the cage waited. The first order of business was trying to free Silence and Time's Detective. How he could do that with Bone Crusher guarding them was another question. But at least Bone Crusher--probably--wouldn't know he was there so long as he remained invisible.

He dropped silently down so that he was floating a few inches above the ground directly behind Bone Crusher. Still nothing registered on his instruments. He glanced at the cage. Silence's face was turned towards him. And Bone Crusher's back was still turned to him. He took a deep breath and then touched his controls--for just an instant, he became visible before vanishing again. That would alert Silence that he was there without catching Bone Crusher's attention. With anyone else, he would have worried that they would cry out in surprise but, obviously, that was no concern with Silence.

Silence nodded to show that he had seen and then his hands began moving rapidly. The cage was a little cramped, but he still managed enough movement to sign.

And Sky floated for an instant, staring at him in blank amazement. He had learned sign language in school, a knowledge which had been reinforced by his friendship with Silence. So the message was as clear to him as if it had been spoken. But it made absolutely no sense. He glanced at Silence. Of course, the man wore his mask as always. Did he know that this really was Silence and not somebody entirely? And even if it was Silence, how much did he really know about him? Could he really be trusted? Why THIS message of all things?

Then Sky sighed internally and with a flip of a switch began rising again. He might not like it, but he knew what he had to do.

Meanwhile, the battle had been going as well as could be expected. Caffeine Girl and Parkour were both agile enough to stay out of the way of all Big Foot's attacks, but neither one had managed to achieve any kind of solid counterattack. Discus, staying in the background, had gotten a few good hits with her discuses, but they had done no more than stun him for a second or two. Snow Angel was still flying circles around Greenshade. Hooded Angel could do little to attack her as long as she remained airborne. Yfi had brought in several police drones, including a couple with guns, but Snow Angel was able to destroy them as they came using her ice powers. Brave Eagle had almost gotten a hit with his tomahawk, but Snow Angel had blocked it with a shield of ice at the last second. The boy didn't quite seem to have the nerve to try a direct attack with his superpower--not yet, anyway. Dr. Drone's drones had proved no more than a mild annoyance to the Bell Ringer, and while both Conan and the Forester were skilled fighters, neither seemed to be a match for him. Conan was relying on his physical strength. He didn't seem to be emotionally involved in the battle yet. At least, he wasn't glowing.

It wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible either. But just as Sky reached the active part of the battle, something changed. Without warning, a figure plowed into Parkour and with a strange twist sent him flying. “Now this looks like a real good time, now, do'sn't?” Sky barely had time to take in the short, well-dressed form of Fine Print before a voice called out from behind him: “Go! Razor Leaf!” Sky glanced backward just in time to see Ace Trainer throw one of his spheres and release a giant green turtle with a tree growing out of its back which lumbered towards the Forester, firing a storm of what appeared to be leaves. Fortunately, the Forester was able to avoid the attack easily. Ace Trainer landed beside the monster, while the other three Flying Aces landed in a semicircle behind him.

“Fine Print? The Flying Aces?” For just an instant, Hooded Angel stopped in sheer amazement.

“I just wanted to find out what was going on here,” added Fine Print, glancing around. “Fancy costume party or somethin'?”

“Actually,” Ace Professor answered, “this whole battle reminds me of a puzzle.”

Everyone was distracted by the arrival of the newcomers, which meant this was the ideal opportunity for Sky to fulfill his mission. He dropped down until he was directly behind the Bell Ringer. And then he spoke in a low voice, so low, hopefully, that nobody but the Bell Ringer would hear. “This is Sky. Silence said they brought the cage in on a truck.”

The Bell Ringer nodded. “Thanks,” he answered in an equally low voice, speaking out of one side of his mouth. Then, using his grapnel like a flail, he forced Conan and the Forester back and turned to face the assembled group. “Now that this fight is starting in earnest, it's time for the main attraction. Time for you to see Bone Crusher in his true power.”

Everyone stopped for just a moment and most looked a little unnerved. “Come on, Boris, show them what you can do,” the Bell Ringer said, taking a step towards the background where Bone Crusher waited.

“It's about time.” Bone Crusher walked forward towards them. “You're all going to be sorry that--”

And then the Bell Ringer threw his grapnel, hitting Bone Crusher in the legs and pulling him off balance. The next instant, he was on top of him. Wrapping the cord of his grapnel around his gloved fist, he punched Bone Crusher in the face. A jolt of electric energy shot out of the cord, stunning Bone Crusher and leaving him limp and unconscious. At the same second, Big Foot screamed and also fell to the ground, unconscious.

Snow Angel wheeled in the air and dove for the Bell Ringer. “Is this treason?”

“Yeah. Make the most of it.” The Bell Ringer used his grapnel to swing out of the way of Snow Angel's attack.

“Clearly, there is a contradiction here,” said Ace Lawyer. “But that does not relate to this case.” And he threw a shuriken at the Forester who blocked it instinctively.

“Well, this has all been a dud, hasn't it?” Snow Angel rose into the air. “I should have known better than to put any faith in you boys. Still, it's not too late to put all of your plans on ice.” She rose higher, her wings flapping slowly, as a network of ice formed around her.

“Look out.” Sky dropped to the ground beside Hooded Angel. “She's pushing her power to the max--there's no telling what will happen--”

And then, without a sound, there was a strange disturbance in the sky, just behind Snow Angel and two figures appeared as if from nowhere.

“All right, I think all of this has gone just about far enough,” said a loud, strong voice. There was a flash of white and a swirl of gray--and for just an instant, the sky was empty. The next moment, the two new figures reappeared, but now without Snow Angel.

Everyone in the park stopped and looked up at the two figures who had been added to the battle. There, floating in the sky just above them, was a tall man with darkly tanned skin and sandy hair. He wore a white tuxedo with a gold cummerbund, gold epaulets, and a white cape which attached to the neck where the bowtie would normally be. He was a remarkable specimen of a man, with a broad-shouldered build and a muscular tone which could not be hidden by his formal attire--but it wasn't just this that made him stand out. As he floated there, silver sparks shimmered around him, and the air itself seemed to be alive with excess energy. This was the mark of the most powerful man Earth, the true possessor of the Heroic Ion--Heroman.

The man who had appeared with him had dropped to the roof of one of the buildings which surrounded the park. He was a much less impressive man, dressed in a loose gray cloak and wearing a conical, bullet-shaped helmet. This was President Conners' personal superhero, Speeding Bullet. His power to teleport was responsible for bringing the two there and had allowed them to remove Snow Angel from the scene of the battle. Most likely, Heroman had overpowered her while SB simultaneously teleported her to a cell somewhere.

Heroman descended slowly until he was just above the group. “Sorry I'm late. Speeding Bullet just informed me of what was going on here. Which brings up the question--what on earth is going on here and why didn't I know about it?”

Hooded Angel glanced at the Bell Ringer. “I was wondering the same thing. What just happened?”

“First of all, everything is a lie,” answered the Bell Ringer, adjusting his trench-coat, which had gotten somewhat disarranged in his fight with Bone Crusher. “You heard the same thing that Snow Angel told me, I take it--that Bone Crusher had gained access to the Heroic Ion. I joined up with them to find out just what was going on and try to stop it if I could. But I got suspicious when I never actually saw Bone Crusher use any super-powers and I couldn't pick up any energy signature from him. Silence and Time's Detective just confirmed the last piece I needed--even though Snow Angel claimed that Bone Crusher used his power to carry that cage out here, they really used a truck. They were lying to everyone the whole time. Maybe Bone Crusher did have access to it for a short time--that may be how he broke out of the Futureplex--but he lost it again. He and Snow Angel were just manipulating everyone's fear. I figured as much, but I didn't know for sure until just now. So then it was just a matter of taking him down and activating the stun-grenade I'd secretly planted on Big Foot this morning. Unfortunately, Snow Angel never trusted me enough to let me plant anything on her.”

Sky face-palmed. “Bell Ringer's legendary paranoia strikes again. Really, I suppose we should have guessed as much.”

“Well, it's over now. That's all that matters.”

“There are some practical matters to be sorted out, but this battle is over,” agreed Heroman.

For just an instant, there was silence. And in the silence, a voice spoke, spoke so quietly that it wouldn't have been heard except in silence. It said only two words:

“Seed bomb.”