Chapter 7: Second String
by Chaz Hamilton
After allowing Poundcake a few minutes to pack what she needed for her and Chuckie, Starmaster lifted all of them into the air and headed back to his league’s headquarters. Chuckie giggled the entire trip, entranced by the passing sights below while his mother remained quiet about the situation, reacting only in response to his cooing.
Once they arrived at the Star Force Observatory a red-haired woman with bright white angel’s wings met them at the front door. She wore a white toga-like dress, held shut with a golden chain wrapped around her waist. Matching gold chains decorated her wrists like bracers. Where Krystal’s statuesque beauty could be described as ethereal and full of grace, this woman shone with the beloved charm of the girl next door every man (and some women) dreamed of from their youth.
She smiled as the group approached, warming Chaz’s heart as if he had been greeted by the world’s sweetest grandmother with a plate of freshly baked cookies and a glass of cold mild. She knelt and offered a hand to Chuckie. “My, aren’t you a sweet little cherub. I’ve got a room ready for the two of you. Follow me, please.”
Susan and Chuckie seemed equally enthralled by the woman as they followed her into the building.
“Wow,” Chaz said, his mind reeling as he watched her walk away. “She’s unbelievable.”
“I wouldn’t advice getting too interested,” Starmaster chuckled. “The way she tells it, Morphons caused her to absorb an Angel of Death and take on its mantle when it came to claim her, binding it and its power to her. Hence her codename, Chained Angel.”
“That’s a story I haven’t read in Krystal’s ‘Hero Highlights’.” Chaz pushed his wonder for the amazingly attractive woman aside, thinking instead of Romana’s exotic appeal. “Who could get in a fight with that?”
“I don’t think anyone looks to start a fight with her, but believe me, she’s getting better and better at finishing one.” Starmaster stepped away from Chaz. “Angel will find out what she can about Poundcake’s old gang and where they might be. Fill in Krystal on what we’ve found out so far.”
Starmaster blinked out of sight with a brief blue-white flash of light.
*****
A few hours passed as Chaz and Chained Angel questioned Susan, aka Poundcake, while Chuckie slept. She shared where the Bakers Dozen used to meet and the names and powers of the members. Most were gifted with low levels of enhanced strength and durability. Five of them were more formidable, with varying levels of elemental control, shapeshifting, and energy projection.
Chaz texted Krystal Fae all the information they had collected, not wanting to speak directly with her.
Other members of the Star Force joined them in a small conference room. Two television screens had been unpackaged and hung on the wall. Wires dangled in bunches, bound together with zip ties, and connected the screens to an inelegant computer system, with open panels and electronic hardware visible. Lines of code ran along the screen as if program data was being input, while Catalyst sat at the computer keyboard, his fingers touching the device but not actually typing on it.
“What are we here again? I could be out doing something interesting, ya know.” Wyldfyre leaned back in his chair with his legs propped up on the conference table. His bodybuilder frame and darker skin tone, as well as a large tribal tattoo on his arm, spoke of a possible Pacific island background. “There’s got to be a fight club around somewhere I can get a few rounds in at before League War.”
HowlingMoon, sporting deep purple and black colors on his fully enveloping bodysuit, washed a window built in the outside wall. “If you’re bored, you could help clean.”
“Yeah, I could bang your momma too, but I ain’t that desperate for cheap entertainment,” Wyldfyre snarked.
“My mother is dead, along with my father and the rest of my people,” HowlingMoon turned his attention to the occupants of the room. “Is that all there is in this world for him? Sex and fighting?”
“No. Of course not,” Wyldfyre said in response. “There is also wanton destruction of public property and good booze.”
“Knock it off, Wyldfyre,” Chained Angel said from the head of the table. “If Catalyst can find these miscreants, you’ll soon have your fill of action. And if you want to get there before the fighting ends, you’ll need HowlingMoon to fly you. Unless, of course, you want to walk?”
Wyldfyre grunted and crossed his arms on his chest, but otherwise remained silent.
“What's Catalyst doing?” Chaz asked.
“I’m using two drones I made. Check the former lair of Bakers Dozen and the manufacturing company where their employer, Eli Hendricks, produced materials for space arena.” The two monitors changed from text to camera feeds. “Why split up group when this can be done?”
“Won’t they see the drones?” The Infinite Tempest asked. A new member of the league, Chaz didn’t know much about the muscular blue man beyond the fact that the center of the man’s chest crackled and sparked with arcs of electricity while he sat across the table.
“Stealth drones.” Catalyst peeked over his shoulder and gave a winsome grin. “Stealth nano-drones, to be precise. Not much smaller than Wyldfyre’s—”
“Watch it, nerd!” Wyldfyre kicked the edge of the table with one foot.
“So, by Poundcake’s information, there are thirteen members of their group and,” Chaz said while pointing at the gathered heroes, “One, two, three, four, five of you. Can you handle more than two-to-one odds?”
"Bah. I could handle them all by myself.” The Infinite Tempest snorted while the arcing at his chest increased in activity. “The fury of all nature flows in my blood and will not be bested by their puny ilk.”
“That won’t be necessary, Tempest” Chained Angel said, while raising an scolding finger to him. She stood and moved beside Catalyst's chair. “We have three other league members who will join us on scene. Prysmatica and two other, newer members, El Rey and the Unstoppable Nightmask. They are currently on the other side of town. We’ll message them the location once we have it.”
“And Prysmatica? Where are they?” Chaz asked. He had never heard that name before. “Did they join after your recruitment drive?”
“She’s…” Chained Angel glanced at the other members of the team with a stern eye. “Close by.”
The light above the table dimmed and then a brilliant mass of luminescence poured out from the fixture. Chaz had to cover his eyes with an arm, as the multi-hued glob glided from the ceiling and morphed into a humanoid shape. A glowing female form coalesced, glittering with all the colors of the spectrum refracted in her energized body. She nodded at Chaz before zipping outside through the glass window.
A flash of red blazed across the screens on the wall, switching to a local news broadcast. At the same time, Chaz’s phone began to chirp.
“The scene unfolding outside the Sentinel building has many people very concerned and asking one question. Where is Chaz Hamilton?” The speakers broadcast from the urgent news bulletin.
Chaz looked at his phone, instantly aware that his Editor-In-Chief was calling. Tapping the screen, Chaz answered. “Hello—”
A deep, angry voice shouted from the tiny device. “You need to get down here right now. I don’t know what you did, but he’s demanding to speak to you before he brings the entire building down.”
“And Prysmatica? Where are they?” Chaz asked. He had never heard that name before. “Did they join after your recruitment drive?”
“She’s…” Chained Angel glanced at the other members of the team with a stern eye. “Close by.”
The light above the table dimmed and then a brilliant mass of luminescence poured out from the fixture. Chaz had to cover his eyes with an arm, as the multi-hued glob glided from the ceiling and morphed into a humanoid shape. A glowing female form coalesced, glittering with all the colors of the spectrum refracted in her energized body. She nodded at Chaz before zipping outside through the glass window.
A flash of red blazed across the screens on the wall, switching to a local news broadcast. At the same time, Chaz’s phone began to chirp.
“The scene unfolding outside the Sentinel building has many people very concerned and asking one question. Where is Chaz Hamilton?” The speakers broadcast from the urgent news bulletin.
Chaz looked at his phone, instantly aware that his Editor-In-Chief was calling. Tapping the screen, Chaz answered. “Hello—”
A deep, angry voice shouted from the tiny device. “You need to get down here right now. I don’t know what you did, but he’s demanding to speak to you before he brings the entire building down.”
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