The Return Of Nevermore free porn video

This is the twenty-second story in my Legacy Universe and was written as a serial over a several month period. Normally, this is where I'd point out that the story could be read on its own, but in this case, it helps to have read some of the previous Legacy stories. A complete list of the Legacy stories will be provided at the end of the story as well as the order in which they were written. The Return of Nevermore By Morpheus Part 1 It was early afternoon but Julie Matthews was already exhausted. Julie was a young woman, just barely eighteen years old, but at that moment, she felt much older. She leaned back on the bus stop bench, let out a loud yawn, and then rolled several strands of her brown hair around her finger, while she waited for the bus to arrive. This morning, she'd been forced to get up early so she could help open the restaurant where she worked. After getting up at four, then working a full shift, she was ready to just go home and crash. Of course, she knew that it wouldn't be nearly this bad if she hadn't been out late last night. "I should pick one job and stick with it," Julie told herself with another yawn. Julie thought about her other job, the one she'd been out working last night. It was volunteer work of sorts, so unlike her job at the restaurant, it didn't actually pay anything. However, she got to help people who needed it, while hanging out with her friends, so there was no way she was going to give that up. Unfortunately, she still had bills to pay as well, which meant that she couldn't give up her waitressing job until she found something better. Just then, Julie noticed a young man coming towards the bus stop. "Hey," he greeted her with a faint smirk and an appreciative look. "You got a light?" He held up a cigarette. "I don't smoke," she responded apologetically. "Then, I'll just take your money," he announced, pulling a switchblade from his pocket and springing the knife. Julie slowly stood up from the bench, not making any sudden moves. "Really?" she asked, looking around for anyone who could help her. She saw two other young men a short distance away, but no one else who was close. And from the smirks on their faces, they were friends with the one who was mugging her. "Do I look like I have anything worth stealing?" "Give me your money," the punk demanded. "And your jewelry." "What jewelry?" Julie asked, knowing that she had to call for help. There was no one close enough to hear her if she yelled, or at least not close enough to come in time. However, when Julie called out for help, it wasn't out loud. A moment later, she heard the responses as several voices from beyond offered their help. Julie listened to these voices, the voices of the dead, sensing their personalities and skills, then reaching out for the one she wanted. Julie almost felt sorry for this mugger, since he had no idea that she was a developed, with the ability to channel the dead through her own body. This was why she was sometimes known by her codename of Channel. The spirit used the link that Julie provided to come into her body and take control, while she slid into the background. She could still see and feel everything, and could even eject the spirit if he started to go out of control. But for now, she was more than satisfied to let this martial arts master save her. "You are a foolish child," the spirit announced from Julie's body, while taking a completely different posture than what she usually used. "Who's the fool?" the punk demanded, waving the knife into Julie's face. Julie's body moved more quickly than she could have done on her own, grabbing the mugger's wrist and twisting so that he dropped the knife and screamed in pain. The man who controlled her body then snapped out several quick kicks into the mugger's side, before driving him face first into the ground. "JIMMY," one of the mugger's friends cried out in shock, right before both of them came running over, drawing their own knives. "I'm gonna kick your ass, bitch..." "Cease your attack or face the consequences," the spirit warned. "We're gonna fuck you up," one of the men responded as he lunged forward with his knife. The spirit didn't bother to say anything in response, and merely moved to the side, grabbing the mugger's arm and twisting until it broke. He followed this up by kicking the other mugger several times in the side and then in the back of the leg. In seconds, all three of the muggers were sprawled on the ground, where they remained when the bus pulled up mere seconds later. "Thank you," Julie told her spirit who had just saved her. He gave a mental bow, saying, "It was a pleasure to put my skills to good purpose again. Thank you for giving me this opportunity." And with that, the spirit faded back to where she had drawn him from. Julie smiled as she climbed onto the bus, absently wondering if one of these spirits could help with her finances, so she wouldn't have to keep working such a crappy job. After all, she could probably find some kind of financial guru to give her investment advice, or maybe even a pirate who'd tell her where he buried his gold. However, that could wait for later. Now, she had to get home and get some sleep, so she'd be well rested by the time she had to meet up with the rest of the Slackers. -------------------- The large windowless room was cold, hard, and dark, with all surfaces being made of black stone. An empty throne, which appeared to have been made of human skulls, was placed in the middle of the room, dominating the attention of those who were gathered in front of it. A loud 'caw caw' filled the air as two black ravens swooped through the throne room, flying right past the small group of people who stood there waiting, and landing upon the back of the throne. The ravens both turned to look over the gathering, each clawing loudly before hopping off the throne and landing on the ground beside it. As soon as they touched the stone floor, each of the birds began to shift and change, taking human form. To the right of the throne, Edgar Munin leaned on his black cane. He was tall and thin, wearing an old fashioned black suit, which almost looked as though it could have been worn in the Victorian era. His black hair was brushed back and his eyes hidden behind a pair of round sunglasses. Alan Hugin was on the other side of the throne. Like Munin, he was dressed all in black, though his clothing more closely resembled a ninja's uniform, with armored pads on each shoulder, which looked almost like layered feathers. A black partial helmet adorned his head, with the forehead piece resembling a raven's head. And though most of his face was covered, a pair of glowing red eyes could still be seen. Suddenly, a thick black smoke formed over the throne, spreading out and solidifying to reveal that an attractive young woman with blonde hair now sat there. She wore a costume that was purple and black, with pieces of gray metal armor. A gray metal skull adorned her belt while a chain hung loose from her side. A black cloak was wrapped around her shoulders with the hood draped down to obscure her face. Two metal broaches in the shapes of skulls held her cloak close to her. Baron Nevermore had been a villain of immense and terrifying reputation, until his fortunes had turned and his soul had been trapped in a dimension which could only be described as Hell. But in spite of this setback, the dark sorcerer had escaped, acquiring a new body and another opportunity to achieve her goals. "The time is upon us," Nevermore announced. Though her features appeared young and innocent, there was a dark edge to her voice that was anything but. "The day we have prepared for is finally at hand." "As long as I get what you promised me," an annoyed voice commented. "I'm no hired henchman. I have my own reasons for helping you." Nevermore's eyes, which glowed a malevolent red, slowly looked over her allies, settling on the man who'd spoken. Force was tall and muscular, with blonde hair and handsome good looks. The former hero wore a blue and black costume, which resembled the blue and white one that he once wore. His costume had a stylized F on the chest and included a black cape and silver metal shoulder armor. "Each of us has a reason for this alliance," Nevermore stated. "Each of us has something to gain." "Force is motivated by pride," a woman commented with a smirk, drawing Nevermore's attention to her. The Sinner was currently an attractive woman with long black hair, a tight black outfit with stiletto heels, and a long crimson coat that was open, so as not to hide her curves. She looked much more appealing than she had in her original body, though the same could be said of Nevermore herself. Of course, the Sinner was correct about Force. The former hero had joined their alliance purely out of pride and ego. That made him easy to understand...and manipulate. "Soon, you will have your revenge," Nevermore promised Force. "You will show your former allies how powerful you truly are as you crush them beneath your heel, and you will make them pay for the way they turned on you." Force puffed up, smirking in eager anticipation. "Some of those assholes have had this coming for a LONG time." "Circuit Monger," Nevermore announced, turning his attention to the robotic woman. Circuit Monger's body was entirely metallic, though female in shape. Most of her body was painted green or black though several parts were more of a dark gray color. Her face was one of the parts painted black which gave her something of an African appearance, an impression which was increased by the dark gray metal cables that came from the back of her head and hung down, looking almost like dreadlocks. At the same time, thin glowing green lines ran over her body, forming patterns similar to a circuit board. The Sinner looked Circuit Monger over and smirked. "Gluttony is your defining sin." "Negative," Circuit Monger responded in a flat voice. "This unit does not require sustenance." The Sinner just smirked at that. "Well, you do have some pretty big power requirements, but that isn't what I was referring to. You consume information...data...and you aren't ever satisfied." "The Sinner is correct," Nevermore said as she stared at Circuit Monger. "Your craving for knowledge is unquenchable, but soon, you will have access to countless new sources of information." Nevermore turned her attention to Loki, a skinny young man who had a pinched face and black hair with a white lock in front. His costume was red and gold, with some black trim, and was adorned with a red cape. Loki's left arm from the elbow down, was covered in red scales and claws, looking as though it belonged to a demon rather than a human. And in that clawed hand, he held a black staff. "Not a fucking word," he warned the Sinner. "Loki," Nevermore announced. "I promised you the opportunity to unleash more chaos and destruction than you have ever dreamt of. Soon, my promise will be fulfilled." "About fucking time," Loki grumbled, though he clenched his staff more tightly and had a nearly manic gleam in his eyes. Next, Nevermore turned her attention to a woman who was wearing a suit of red and white armor, which included a long red cape. She wore a red helmet with white trim, which covered her entire head except for her lower face. In one hand, she held a scepter, though her other hand held a length of chain. The other end of the chain went to the collar of a large black panther. "Scepter," Nevermore said. "To you, I have given freedom from slavery and power over the one who would have enslaved you." Ebon growled from the other end of the chain, clearly not happy about this turnabout. "Silence," Scepter snarled at the cat, who immediately cringed back. She looked at Nevermore and responded, "You gave me the power you promised. I'll fulfil my part of our deal." "And I believe, that leaves me," the Sinner commented, buffing her nails on her coat. "You swore service to my cause," Nevermore agreed, "in exchange for power and your life." "And you gave me this nice new body after my last one was killed," the Sinner responded with a smirk, taking a sexy pose. "I have to admit, I kind of like this one better. It's so much more fun." "Regardless of your reasons," Nevermore announced, "each of you has agreed to assist me in this venture. Soon, I shall have the power I require to achieve my goal, and each of you shall have what you were promised." She paused at that and slowly stood up from her throne, slowly looking around her group of allies before announcing, "Now, go and unleash all the nightmares of Hell." Part 2 Joselyn Knight bolted straight up in bed, gasping for breath and shaking a little from the dream she'd just had. She took several deep breaths to calm herself down, then brushed the long pink hair from her face and tried to calm down. "It was just a dream," she told herself, still haunted by her quickly fading dream. Unfortunately, she knew that it was more than just a dream. "Damn..." Joselyn climbed out of bed, then quickly grabbed the pink bathrobe from the back of her bedroom door. She didn't even bother to put on her slippers as she opened the door and rushed down the hallway to her parent's bedroom. At sixteen, Joselyn was far too old to go running to her parents every time she had a nightmare, but this was a special circumstance. Her heart was still racing from the memory of this one, and even though she couldn't remember all the details, she remembered enough to know that this was urgent. "Wake up," Joselyn called out as she loudly knocked on the door. "Dad! Wake up..." When that didn't work, Joselyn held her hand out and a ball of glowing pink energy formed in it. She opened the door and stepped into the dark room, using her glowing orb to see by. As soon as she reached the bed, she shook her dad, "Dad. Wake up..." "Huh," her less than awake father mumbled, opening his eyes and looking at her in confusion. "What...?" Joselyn's mom woke a little more quick and sat up in bed, using her sheets to cover herself. "Honey," she started, staring at Joselyn. "What's wrong?" "I had a nightmare," Joselyn said in a shaking voice, which made her sound more like a small child than a teenage girl. "A nightmare?" her mom asked, giving her an odd look in the dim light. "It was just a bad dream, honey. Go back to bed..." "No," Joselyn stated firmly. "It wasn't JUST a nightmare..." That was enough to get her mother's full attention. "Was this one of THOSE dreams?" "Not exactly," Joselyn admitted with a shudder Joselyn was psychic and sometimes had dreams about the future, though they often lacked enough context or important details to be useful. Because of that, she usually didn't bother to worry about them, at least not very much. However, the dream she'd just woken from had definitely been different. She took a deep breath before announcing, "I think this one is happening NOW." "Now?" her mom asked in surprise. "Do you know what time it is?" her dad grumbled as he slowly sat up, still more than half asleep. He looked at the clock, then at Joselyn. "It's time to get up and save the world," Joselyn answered firmly. Then before her dad could ask any more questions, she turned to leave the room, announcing, "I'll get the coffee going." As soon as Joselyn stepped into the hallway, she realized that she must have been a little too loud in trying to wake her dad, because she'd woken both of her sisters as well. Twelve year old Katie poked her head out from the doorway of her own room, and just outside of the next door down, stood Evie. Evie was Katie's twin sister, except that she was eighteen. The fact that they were twins, yet had such an age difference, was due to a complicated situation involving another dimension where time passed at a different rate. "What's going on?" Katie demanded curiously. "Sorry I woke you," Joselyn told her with an apologetic smile. "Go on back to bed." "What is going on?" Evie repeated the question. Joselyn looked at her older sister, who used to be her younger sister until about a year earlier, and let out a sigh. Evie was eighteen, and old enough to be an official member of the family superhero team, Knight Force, when Joselyn herself wasn't. "I'll explain once Dad gets in the kitchen," Joselyn told her with a shake of her head. A minute later, Joselyn was in the kitchen, getting the coffee pot going while Katie stood there in her own robe, looking both tired and impatient. Katie, who wasn't about to be left out of whatever was going on, plopped down onto one of the seats at the kitchen nook and let out a loud yawn. Then their parents finally arrived, with their dad wearing boxer shorts and a worn out t shirt. Joselyn watched her dad for a moment, noting that even at this time of the morning, when he was still half asleep, he still looked every inch a superhero. William Knight was tall and muscular, with the good looks that would be expected of someone who was called the White Knight. Of course, his dark hair was currently messy and he was in need of a shave, but those things could easily be fixed once he had his coffee. "What's going on?" Joselyn's mom asked, still more awake than her father. Ellen Knight, formerly known as Deception, had retired from being a superhero in order to focus on being a full time mother, but most people would never know that from her calm and serious demeanor. She glanced to her husband, then to her youngest daughter Katie, before turning her attention back to Joselyn. "Something big is going on," Joselyn announced, meeting her mom's eyes. "I don't remember all the details, but I know it's bad. Very bad." "Details," her dad said before taking a long sip of his coffee. He was already starting to become more alert. Joselyn stared at her dad for a moment before answering. "Force is involved." That suddenly earned her the undivided attention of everyone in the room. Every one of them knew Force, a former superhero whose arrogance led him into a self-destructive spiral that had ended in his becoming a villain. Joselyn glanced quickly to her mother, who scowled deeply. Long ago, before she'd met Joselyn's father, she and Force had been partners...and more. However, it was not the distant past that they all thought of, but the more recent past. Just a little more than six months ago, Force had launched an attack on their family, capturing most of them in a twisted quest for revenge over imagined wrongs. Joshua was the only one to escape the initial attack, though the stress and terror had caused his latent powers to develop, and his entire body to change as a result. Joselyn shuddered as she remembered that night, and the many hours that she'd spent hiding while her body underwent the excruciating transformation from Joshua to Joselyn. Afterwards, she'd managed to find her long lost Uncle Edward, the Black Sheep of the family, and together they'd rescued the others. "Force," her father stated, now fully awake. He looked at Joselyn with a worried frown. "When he somehow escaped from Mount Prometheus, we knew that he might come after you. You humiliated him, and he isn't the type to ever forget that..." "I know," Joselyn agreed. "But he isn't after me. Or at least, I'm pretty sure he isn't...yet. He's involved in something a lot bigger than that, and..." Then she paused, unable to look at her dad as she added, "I think he's working with Loki." The mention of Loki's name immediately caused Joselyn's dad to go pale. "Loki," he spat the name out a moment later, looking even angrier than he had upon hearing Force's name. Force had kidnapped and endanger their family, but not long ago, Loki had slaughtered a superhero group known as the Seven...a group that the White Knight had once belonged to. Loki had viciously murdered his friends, and like Force, Loki had somehow escaped from prison. "I...I think they're working for someone else," Joselyn quickly said, still shaking a little as she thought of the dream. "I don't know who, but..." She paused to take a deep breath. "I had a feeling of overwhelming dread, and that if they aren't stopped soon...the whole world is in danger." Joselyn's mom gave her a reassuring hug before gently asking, "Do you remember anything else?" "Just a couple birds," Joselyn admitted. "Black birds. Maybe crows or ravens." Joselyn's dad shifted his posture, and she could see that he'd gone into White Knight mode. He gave her a worried look, and then with a deep scowl, he went over to the phone and began making phone calls. Several minutes later, he grimly announced, "Joselyn is right..." "What is it, Dad?" Evie asked with a worried look. "Honey?" Joselyn's mom gently asked. For several long seconds, Joselyn's father just stood there with a dark look on his face. "It's Baltimore," he announced. Only those who knew him best would have noticed how shaken he was. "A group of villains just attacked Baltimore...and erected some kind of barrier. Now almost a fifth of Maryland is completely cut off." "A fifth of the state?" Joselyn's mom exclaimed in surprise. "Force is powerful, but even he can't do that much." "It isn't just him," Joselyn reminded her mom, wishing her dream had been a little more clear. Joselyn's dad nodded at that. "And if what Joselyn says is correct, then this may just be the beginning." -------------------- Sam Johnson stepped through the restaurant doors, letting out a loud yawn as he did so. Sam worked from home as a freelance software designer, so he was usually able to sleep in a bit, then have a little something for breakfast before going to work in his home office. However, this morning, Sam wanted to shake things up a little, or at least get out of the house for a bit. "Damn voices," Sam grumbled, thinking of the voices that had woken him up in the middle of the night. His wife Anne hadn't heard the voice, or at least he'd assumed she hadn't since she hadn't said a word about them, but that wasn't really any surprise. Sam had known about them for some time and had yet to utter a single word about them to Anne. One day, Sam had been walking through Bison Park, when he'd seen a ball of light and suddenly heard voices speaking to him, and then had a strange vision to go along with that. The voices told him that a darkness was coming to the world, and that he'd been chosen as the one to fight it. This announcement had been completely ludicrous, and Sam probably would have assumed that he'd been hallucinating the whole thing, if it wasn't for the fact that these mysterious voices had also given him powers. In spite of the fact that Sam had never agreed to fight this darkness, and had been reluctant to use these new powers, he soon discovered that fate seemed to be conspiring with these voices to ensure that he did as they asked. After all, it hadn't taken long before he discovered the location of this darkness...in his son's school. The darkness was a supervillain named Baron Nevermore, who'd come back from the dead by possessing the body of a teenage girl, and who was infecting all the other students her dark corruption. Sam shuddered at the memory of Nevermore, and how she'd transformed normal teenagers into monsters. Of course, some people might joke that all teenagers are monsters, but most don't have fangs, claws, and a desire to murder you like the ones Nevermore had corrupted. He was just thankful that between himself and his young friends in the Slackers, they'd been able to stop Nevermore before anyone else had been hurt. "I thought it was done," Sam muttered to himself as he went and took a seat in a booth. "I thought it was over..." Once Nevermore had been defeated, and apparently sent back to where she'd come from, Sam had been certain that it was over. He'd completed the mission that the voices had given him, and he'd been waiting until they realized this and took the powers back. However, it seemed that there was a reason they'd left those powers with Sam. The darkness wasn't truly gone yet. Then a few hours ago, in the middle of the night, the voices had awoken Sam with another vision and a message. "THE DARKNESS IS SPREADING AND MUST BE STOPPED BEFORE YOUR WORLD IS CONSUMED." Between that, and the vision of the world being smothered in darkness and evil, Sam hadn't been able to get back to sleep. Just then, Sam noticed the waitress that had just stopped by his booth. "Coffee," he announced, before he even looked up at her. "All right," the young woman responded. "Would you like anything besides the coffee?" Sam finally looked at the waitress, who was about eighteen years old, maybe two years older than his son Todd, and she had long brown hair and a name badge that said her name was Julie. The girl looked extremely familiar, and it took Sam several seconds to realize that he knew her. However, he didn't know her as Julie. He knew her as Channel...a member of the Slackers. "Um," Sam stammered in surprise. For a moment, he was about to exclaim, "I didn't know you worked here," until he remembered that none of the Slackers knew what he really looked like when he wasn't using his powers. As far as Channel was concerned, he was just another middle-aged customer. Giving her a weak smile, he just said, "I'll have the hash..." While Sam ate breakfast, he kept watching Julie, wondering if he should say something or not. After all, they were part-time teammates, and Sam did think of her as a friend. Of course, it was hard to really be friends with any of the Slackers, when they had no idea that he was actually twice their age...and a guy. None of them knew him as Sam Johnson, only as a teenage girl named Glamour Girl. "Maybe I should let them know," Sam mused. After all, he'd fought alongside the Slackers and thought of them as his friends. Maybe it was time to let them in on the truth...that his powers transformed him into a girl whenever he used them. When the bill came, Sam gave Julie a large tip, and he was still thinking about whether or not to reveal himself to her. Suddenly he heard a buzzing sound, which he quickly recognized as coming from a cell phone in silent mode. And it was coming from Julie's pocket. A second later, a similar buzzing came from his own pocket. "What the...?" Sam started in surprise, reaching into his pocket and pulling out two cell phones. One of these phones was Sam's personal phone, the one that his wife, kids, and friends used when calling him. The second phone was his business phone, though not for his software business. Sam didn't actually have a cell phone for his software business, since he usually did his work on that over e-mail or the landline in his home office. This phone was reserved for Glamour Girl business...and it was the one making noise. Sam looked at the screen, and it simply had a text message from Zero Kay, another member of the Slackers. 'EMERGENCY. CALLING IN THE RESERVES. COME TO HQ ASAP.' "Damn," Sam muttered, getting up and hurrying out of the restaurant. He spared a glance back towards Julie, but she had already disappeared. "I guess I'll see her there..." Sam quickly climbed into his car and drove home, which was a short distance away so didn't take very long. Once he'd done that, he slipped around to the back yard where he was out of view, and called on his powers. A rainbow of light suddenly began to swirl around Sam, infusing his body and transforming it. In mere seconds, Sam was gone and Glamour Girl stood in his place. As Glamour Girl, Sam now looked like a sixteen year old girl, with pointed ears like an elf, and long golden blonde hair that glowed. She wore a green and gold costume that left her midriff exposed, and which included fingerless green gloves. In addition, her entire body was covered with a bright and swirling rainbow aura. "Even after all these months," Sam mused as she looked down at herself and her transformed body, "I'll never get used to this." Then with a sigh, Sam shook her head, pulled the light around her body so that it not only dulled, but helped her blend into her surroundings like a chameleon, then flew straight up into the sky. Once she was high enough that no one would notice her, she released her aura and flew off, leaving a trail of brilliant colored light behind her. It didn't take Sam long to reach her destination, a somewhat run down building where the Slackers had their headquarters. Of course, Sam knew that calling it a headquarters was being generous, since the truth was, it was actually just an apartment where they all gathered and hung out. She wasn't sure, but strongly suspected that the building's owner was Chrome's uncle, which was why they were allowed to use the place. Sam stepped into the apartment and saw that more than half the team was already there. Chrome was a young black man with a shaved head. He was currently on the couch, sitting on the opposite end as a little girl, who might have looked cute if it wasn't for her grayish skin, dull eyes, and the dried and crusted blood on her forehead. "Hello, Deadbeat," Sam greeted the 'little girl'. "Gorgeous Girl," Deadbeat responded with smirk, waving to Sam with the beer bottle in her hand. In spite of her appearance, Deadbeat wasn't really a little girl...or even a girl at all. She was actually a guy, or at least, she had been when she'd been alive. From what Sam understood, Deadbeat was some kind of ghost, who had the ability to possess and animate any dead body she found. She went through bodies pretty quickly, as they were damaged or rotted away, so she usually looked completely different each time Sam saw her. However, the one thing that was always constant, was that she was very unnerving to be around. "Chrome," Sam said, looking to the young hero, who was currently playing some kind of hand-held video game, similar to what Todd owned. "What's going on?" Chrome looked up and shrugged. "You'll have to ask Kay." "I want to wait until everyone gets here," a girl exclaimed as she stepped into the room. Sam looked at Zero Kay, a cute blonde with short hair and a blue and grey costume with white trim. Kay had a grim look on her face, so whatever was going on, she obviously thought it was serious. If Deadbeat had called for everyone to come to headquarters, Sam would have suspected that it was because of a poker game, and probably wouldn't even have come. However, because it was Zero Kay, Sam had come as quickly as she could. "I guess we wait then," Sam announced, moving an empty pizza box off a chair and then sitting down. The next to arrive was Nike, a young woman with naturally tan skin and short black hair. She wore a white costume with black trim, which included grey metal armor pieces on her shoulders and elbows, along with a matching belt. Then, from her back, she had a pair of gray feathered wings. "What the hell is going on?" Nike immediately demanded of Zero Kay. She glared at Deadbeat, then at Chrome. "I do have things to do..." "I'm sure Kay has a good reason," Sam assured Nike. "And we'll find out what it is, once Channel arrives." "Then we can find out now," Channel announced as she came in through the door. Instead of the waitress uniform that she had been wearing a short time ago, Channel was now back in her familiar blue and violet spandex costume. Until this morning, that was the only thing that Sam had ever seen her in, except when her clothing was changed by whatever spirit she was channeling at the time. Channel gave Zero Kay a curious look and asked, "What's going on? I had to leave work early for this, so it had better be important." Zero Kay looked annoyed that everyone was questioning her, but she didn't let that bother her as she announced, "You know my brother is with Faction Zero..." "Yeah, that has come up once or twice," Channel responded with a wry smile. Sam chuckled at that since Zero Kay liked to remind everyone that her big brother Shiver, was a member of a big league superhero team. Faction Zero had a MUCH better budget than the Slackers. Then again, a local bowling league team would probably have a better budget. There was a reason these guys were called the Slackers. "Shiver called me a little while ago," Zero Kay explained. "He said that something major is going on in Baltimore, and they're calling in everyone they can to help..." "Wait," Chrome exclaimed, finally giving her his full attention. "Everyone?" "Yeah," Zero Kay responded with a nervous smile. "The Face is going to come pick us up in about half an hour..." "The Face?" Deadbeat exclaimed. "That guy is kind of freaky..." "So says the zombie girl," Zero Kay responded. "Don't you get what this means?" Nike demanded, glaring at Deadbeat. She slowly looked around the room at everyone else. "This is our chance to show what we can do...to prove that we have what it takes." Deadbeat snorted at that. "Or we could stay here, and save ourselves the trouble." Sam stared at Deadbeat for a moment, then shook her head in exasperation. "You give zombies a bad name," she told the lazy corpse, who responded by flipping her off. "We already proved we have what it takes to play in the big leagues," Chrome pointed out with a smirk. "Remember Nevermore? We kicked her ass..." "I...I think this is Nevermore," Sam announced, and suddenly had everyone staring at her in surprise. "What are you talking about?" Channel asked, giving Sam a curious look. Sam let out a sigh, hoping that she was wrong, but she doubted it. "Last night...I received a warning that Nevermore might be back...and making a big move...even worse than the last one." "And then this thing happens in Baltimore," Zero Kay said in realization. "Shit..." "And isn't that where Edgar Allan Poe is buried?" Channel asked, while Sam nodded in confirmation. "And we all know that Nevermore has some kind of Poe fetish," Chrome pointed out with a scowl. Sam slowly looked around the room and saw the worried looks on each of their faces, even on Deadbeat's, and she was already dead. Then as one, they all exclaimed, "SHIT." Part 3 Joselyn stared intently at the shimmering barrier that was only five feet away from her. It was purple, slightly transparent, and radiated a sense of malevolent power that sent chills running down her spine. "Don't touch it," Joselyn's dad warned as he came up behind her. She glanced at her dad, who was wearing his White Knight uniform. As his codename suggested, his uniform was predominantly white, with a modified domino mask and a white cape. In addition, he had gold metal wrist bracers, a belt, and broaches for a cape. Then, on his chest, he had the symbol of a knight helmet. Of course, Joselyn was wearing her costume as well. Hers was black and pink, with a black belt that included a pink buckle with the family logo in the center of it, the same knight's helmet that her father wore on his chest. To finish her costume, she had a black domino mask that covered her eyes, though she thought it was probably a bit unnecessary. After all, with her long pink hair, it wouldn't do much to hide her identity. "I wasn't going to," Joselyn said, looking back at the barrier that completely not only surrounded Baltimore, but also a large area of the surrounding land. After a moment, Joselyn turned to look around, seeing the growing gathering of heroes that had formed just on the outside of the barrier. Many of them had already tried to break through the barrier, without any luck, so they were trying to figure out a plan of action. Someone had already set up a command tent, while others were briefing the newcomers as they arrived. Then, as Joselyn watched, a portal opened in the air and a man stepped out of it. He wore a long blue coat, a blue fedora, and a gold metal mask that covered his entire face. The Face was some kind of magic user, and he could create portals through space, which was why he'd been given the task of playing taxi for all the other heroes. Right behind the Face, six more heroes appeared from the portal. Though Joselyn had never met any of these heroes, she recognized them as the Slackers. They definitely weren't a big name team, and the only reason that Joselyn had recognized them at all, was that after she'd developed her own powers, she'd made an effort at researching all of the active hero groups, so she could at least be familiar with who the other players were. "All that research is finally coming in handy," Joselyn joked to herself. Then as she looked at the other heroes, her eyes went to a gorgeous blonde woman, who wore a red and gold spandex outfit. Joselyn immediately recognized Ms. Miracle, as well as her team, the Miracle Men. At that moment, they were deep in conversation with several members of Faction Zero. For a moment, Joselyn was tempted to go over and talk with Ms. Miracle, but then she noticed that the Face was coming in her direction. "You managed to bring quite an army," Joselyn's dad told the other hero. "I brought as many heroes as I could locate," the Face answered. "Unfortunately, the Protectorate is busy dealing with the Quakemaster in California, and the Lightning Force is caught up with a Lendali incursion in Florida." "Are you sure they aren't just down there on vacation?" Joselyn asked wryly. "This is my daughter," Joselyn's dad introduced her with a smile. "She's called the Lady Knight." "Not the Pink Knight?" the Face asked. Joselyn was pretty sure he was teasing her, but it was hard to tell when that mask hid all of his expressions. Joselyn shook her head, feeling self-conscious at the reminder of her original codename...Pink. At the time, she couldn't think of anything else. "No. I decided to skip the color coding part of my family tradition." "A wise move," the Face responded with a chuckle. Then he gestured towards a teenage girl a short distance away, indicating that she should come over. "And this is my daughter, Witch Girl." Witch Girl looked to be about the same age as Joselyn, with long violet hair and a sexy blue witch costume with a violet sash around the waist. The whole outfit was topped off with a blue witch hat, with a violet sash around the base. Joselyn stared at Witch Girl for several seconds, feeling a little nervous and excited at the same time. She'd seen Witch Girl before...in her dreams. From what she'd seen of these brief glimpses of the future, she and Witch Girl were going to end up on the same team at some point, and were apparently going to be friends as well. After all, she'd seen Witch Girl...or an older version of her...as one of the bridesmaids in her own wedding. "Hi," Joselyn said to the other girl, deciding to keep quiet about her visions of the future, at least for now. She didn't want to scare the girl away or make her think that Joselyn was some sort of creepy stalker. "I'm Lady Knight." "Witch Girl," she responded, holding out her hand, which Joselyn shook. "I didn't know you had any children," Joselyn's dad said, giving the Face a curious look. "He didn't either," Witch Girl commented wryly. Then at Joselyn's curious look, she quickly explained, "My mom kept me as a surprise." "Your mother was Ms. Witch," Joselyn's dad said, though whether it was a statement or a question, Joselyn couldn't quite tell. "You wear a version of her costume." "Yeah," Witch Girl responded, suddenly looking a little depressed. "Mom..." "Her mother passed away rather unexpectedly," the Face said. The tone of his voice was pretty rough, so Joselyn guessed that there was a good story behind that. After a few seconds, he quickly changed the subject. "I thought you were going to keep your children out of the business until they were older." Joselyn's dad gave her a wry look, then told the Face, "That was my intention, and still is. This is...an exception." "A very dangerous time to make an exception," the Face pointed out. "I know," Joselyn's dad responded grimly. "But my daughter insisted that she had to be here, and as much as I dislike her involvement, I trust her intuition far too much to leave her behind." Witch Girl gave Joselyn a curious look, and it was all she could do to keep from smirking. Sometimes, being a psychic could be a pain in her butt, but it was useful. The fact that her father actually listened to her...and trusted her...made her feel proud of her abilities and determined not to let him down. "Are you psychic or something?" Witch Girl asked her. "Yes," Joselyn answered with a faint smile. "And I can do this..." A dagger made of glowing pink energy appeared in her hand, and the other girl looked impressed. "I'm a magic user," Witch Girl announced proudly. Then she gestured to the shimmering barrier a short distance away and added, "And this is definitely a magic problem." Joselyn just gave her a wry smile and pointed out, "Maybe, but it's going to take more than hocus pocus to fix it." While they were talking, Joselyn's dad walked off with the Face, to talk to Icarus, Ms. Miracle, and a couple of the other people in charge, leaving her behind with Witch Girl. She glanced at the other girl, who was slowly looking around at the gathered heroes, probably trying to guess who everyone was. After all, that was what Joselyn had been doing herself. "Maybe I should call my boyfriend," Joselyn said with a sigh. "With everything that's going on, this might be the last time I can talk to him..." Witch Girl gave her a curious look. "Does he know you're developed?" "Yeah," Joselyn responded with a chuckle. "He knows all about that. I just don't think he realizes he's my boyfriend yet..." Witch Girl started to chuckle at that. "I imagine it might be amusing to watch him figure it out." "Well, his sister certainly agrees with that," Joselyn added with a grin. "Damn. I wish Vickie and Chris were here..." She gave a nervous look towards the shimmering barrier and gulped. "But I'm kind of glad they aren't too..." A short time later, all the heroes were asked to gather together in front of the command tent. Several large computer monitors had been set up, while the Face, the White Knight, and Icarus stood in front of them. To Joselyn's surprise, her father was the one who seemed to be taking the lead on this briefing. "Everyone," Joselyn's dad announced loudly. "You are all aware of the barrier that is keeping everyone out of Baltimore." He gestured to the nearby barrier. Several heads nodded agreement. "Many of us have tried to break through, without any success at all." "The barrier is magical in nature," the Face added in a grim tone. "It appears to be a bubble, so all attempts to fly over or pass beneath have failed. All attempts to force our way through or physically penetrate, have been in vain. All attempts to teleport through have failed. So far, it also blocks all forms of attempted communication, and nearly every attempt to learn more of what is on the other side." "You said nearly," someone pointed out. Joselyn looked at the speaker, a tall and thin young man, with a blue and grey costume that had some gold metallic trim. She recognized him as Surge of the Miracle Men. "Correct," the White Knight announced. "Between satellite images and communications immediately before the barrier appeared, as well as magical and psychic detection..." He glanced to his daughter at that. "We have been able to learn a number of things, which I am about to share." "Like how we're gonna get past this damn thing?" someone else grumbled. This time, the speaker was a black haired young woman with red and gray costume, with gold shoulder pads and belt. "Patience, Kaboom," a green haired girl told her. This one wore a black and white spandex costume, with green metallic shoulder pads and bracers, as well as a pair of crossed green belts at her waist. Joselyn recognized this one as Counterweight, one of the Miracle Men. Or part time member. She wasn't certain. "As I was saying," Joselyn's father continued grimly. "At approximately midnight, five villains appeared in Baltimore and began causing havoc, then went in separate directions. Video footage and phone recordings show that two of them eventually stopped and placed some type of black stone on the ground. Shortly after, the stones grew into large black obelisks..." A picture of a black stone obelisk appeared on one of the monitors, though it was poorly taken. Joselyn suspected that it had been taken from someone's phone, and probably posted to Facebook right before the barrier came up. The White Knight continued, "We have good reason to believe that the other three villains placed similar obelisks." "And," the Face interjected, "that these obelisks are responsible for sustaining the barrier. If we are somehow able to remove the obelisks, the barrier should fall. Of course, this is a catch-22 as we are unable to reach the obelisks until we can remove or bypass the barrier." "As for the villains who placed these obelisks," the White Knight announced with a deep scowl, "and who we believe remain to guard them..." A new picture appeared on the monitor, of a powerful looking man floating in front of one of these obelisks. There were gasps from the gathered crowd as nearly everyone present recognized him. However, it a woman who vehemently spat out his name. "FORCE." Joselyn looked at the woman, who had pure white skin and hair. Her costume was a green spandex outfit, and over that she wore a darker green cloak. Joselyn had never met Lady Hexx before, but she knew who the woman was. From the way that many of the gathered heroes glared at her, it was obvious that they knew who she was as well. Lady Hexx was a former villain who'd gained notoriety after attacking Force in public. Afterwards, she 'reformed' and joined a superhero group in California, while Force became a wanted fugitive and villain. Many in the hero community blamed her for Force's downfall, suggesting that she'd framed him or had done something to mess with his mind. However, Joselyn knew that this was complete and utter rubbish. Force was a lunatic, and Lady Hexx had only been declared a villain because she'd attacked him when everyone else thought he was a hero. "Force is no villain," someone exclaimed, though Joselyn didn't see who. Her father scowled as he responded, "Make no mistake. Force is no longer a hero. Months ago, he kidnapped my family...my children...and he attempted to murder them. Somehow, he escaped from Mount Prometheus, and hasn't been seen again until now." "Force is powerful," Lady Hexx agreed. "And dangerous. Even when he was still pretending to be a hero, he was enormously reckless...endangering civilians and causing massive collateral damage... If he's decided to drop the act entirely, then there's no telling how much damage he could cause." "Agreed," the White Knight said, before gesturing to the monitor, which changed to show a picture of a robotic woman. "Circuit Monger," Witch Girl snarled from beside Joselyn. "Faction Zero has a history with Circuit Monger," Icarus pointed out grimly. "I thought we destroyed that metal bitch," a woman exclaimed. She had red hair with golden highlights, and wore a red and gray costume with a white sash around her waist. Joselyn didn't know who this woman was, but she remembered seeing a glimpse of her in one of her dreams of the future. "Way too many people here," Joselyn muttered, wondering how she could possibly remember them all. As it was, the sheer number of people was throwing her sixth sense into a tizzy, or at least, creating way too much noise for her to pick up anything useful. "Invincible Woman," the White Knight said, naming the woman. Then he glanced to the teenage boy who stood beside her. He was dressed in a black spandex outfit, with white boots and a white hooded jacket. "Ghost Boy. Your experience with Circuit Monger should be invaluable, once we are able to get through the barrier." Joselyn looked at the monitor again, scowling as she tried to remember everything she'd heard about Circuit Monger. For one thing, she looked like the evil twin of Circuit, a former member of Faction Zero who'd been killed in action. In truth, Circuit Monger had originally been a villain named Trojan, who somehow transferred his mind into a robotic body that was an exact duplicate of Circuit's, and then he pretended to be her in order to infiltrate Faction Zero. Joselyn wasn't sure of exactly what Circuit Monger had done to Faction Zero, beyond impersonating their dead friend, but it obviously left some bad feelings. "Circuit Monger," Joselyn's father continued, "when last seen, had been severely damaged and in custody. And like Force, she mysteriously escaped and hasn't been seen again until now." The next picture appeared on the monitor, of a young man with black hair and a red and gold costume. Joselyn had never met Loki personally, much to her relief, but she immediately recognized who he was. Her father stiffened, and most of the other people present wouldn't have noticed just how tense he was. "LOKI," a woman's voice spat out. Joselyn stared at Legacy, a woman who wore a tight black costume with a flowing white cloak. She was one of only two surviving members of the Seven, a group of heroes who had been brutally slaughtered by Loki. Only one other person had survived Loki's attack on them, and both of them had been left with horrible scars, both physical and mental. Then Joselyn looked to her dad, who had once been a member of that very group. Those heroes who Loki had killed, had been his friends and former teammates. "Loki may not seem it," the White Knight announced, his voice trembling with barely controlled rage, "but he is extremely dangerous. And unpredictable. His magic can do almost anything, but even he has little true control over it. Again, Loki had been in custody and mysteriously escaped..." "That seems to be a trend," Joselyn pointed out grimly. "Indeed it does," the Face agreed. "And not a very good one for us." Another picture appeared on the monitors, one of a black haired woman in a slinky black catsuit, with a long red overcoat on top of it. Though Joselyn didn't recognize the woman, her costume did look a little familiar. It took Joselyn a moment to realize that she resembled the Sinner, a villain that she had the displeasure of meeting. Fortunately, the Sinner was dead. She'd seen it herself when her uncle Edward put several bullets through him. "That's the Sinner," Invincible Woman exclaimed in surprise, while Ghost Boy nodded agreement. "We fought her too..." "The original Sinner could manipulate other people's emotions," the White Knight explained, "creating riots and orgies with equal ease. And though the original Sinner has been confirmed dead, this new Sinner seems to share his powers." "I thought that bitch was in prison," Invincible Woman said. "Let me guess," Ghost Boy added a moment later. "She's another one who mysteriously escaped from prison." "Correct," Joselyn's father said with a deep scowl. "My guess is, the Key is freeing them," another woman commented thoughtfully. She was beautiful, with black hair and a violet and gold costume that included a violet cape. In her right hand, she held a golden staff with several gems set in the head. Joselyn vaguely remembered reading one of her dad's files on her. She was called Mystik, and was some kind of magic user. Mystik continued, "The Key specializes in breaking people out of the clink, so this is definitely his style..." The Face nodded at that. "That was our first assumption as well, though I have reason to believe that this is not the case." Another picture appeared on the monitor, of the fifth villain, a woman in red and white armor. Joselyn had absolutely no idea who she was, though Mystik immediately stated, "She's wearing Scepter's armor." "I noticed that as well," Icarus responded. "She even has a scepter," Mystik mused, gesturing towards the monitor. "The same as he did. I saw Scepter killed with my own eyes, so I don't know who this one is..." Icarus nodded. "So, we have four known villains, and two who appear to be new incarnations of known villains..." "Scepter led the Black Guild," Shiver pointed out. "Could this be a new version of the Black Guild?" The Face shook his head. "Possible, but extremely unlikely." "I don't know much about this new Scepter," the White Knight stated, "but all four of the others are extremely dangerous...and have few interests in common. The fact that they are working together is troublesome." "As is the fact that none of them possesses the power to create this barrier," the Face added. "Someone else is behind this barrier...and is likely the one who freed them from prison and united them. I have a strong suspicion as to who this is, though I hope I am wrong..." "Nevermore," Glamour Girl stated, which made nearly everyone turn to look at her. "Nevermore is behind this." Channel looked at the White Knight and said, "Glamour Girl has been warning us that Nevermore is back, and I think she's right..." "As do I," the Face admitted, which earned gasps from around the crowed. Suddenly, Joselyn's attention was drawn to Ms. Miracle, who was glowing with a golden light. Her eyes were burning with not only this golden light, but with a look of pure fury. "Baron Nevermore," the blonde hero exclaimed, practically shaking in anger. "I thought he was dead...that he was gone for good..." Joselyn gulped at Ms. Miracle's reaction, remembering that years ago, Baron Nevermore had murdered her. Ms. Miracle had been dead for years, before abruptly turning up alive again. Of course, Joselyn was pretty sure that this woman wasn't the original Ms. Miracle, though she was certainly taking the thing with Baron Nevermore personally. Rumor, a black haired young woman in a black and white costume, put her hand on Ms. Miracle's shoulders to comfort her. "We stopped him once," Rumor told Ms. Miracle. "We'll stop him again." "And this time," Quartz, another of the Miracle Men, added, "we'll take him down even harder." Ms. Miracle was still clearly upset, but she stopped glowing and nodded to the White Knight and the Face. "You were saying." Joselyn's father nodded. "We don't know what their endgame is yet, but...." He gestured to Joselyn. "My daughter, Lady Knight, has precognitive visions, and has foreseen that this is a threat to the entire world." "I've been warned of the same thing," Glamour Girl said, drawing Joselyn's attention again. Glamour Girl looked to be about the same age as Joselyn, but she had a strong feeling that the blonde girl was a lot older than she appeared, just as she did with Ghost Boy. On the other hand, she was equally sure that Invincible Woman was actually younger than she seemed. The White Knight slowly looked around the group, his expression grim. "We asked many of you here to help, precisely because you have experience with one or more of the villains involved. You already know how to deal with these enemies. And as soon as we find a way past this barrier, we will have to hit them as hard and fast as we can. The world depends on it." With that, the briefing ended and everyone burst into conversation over what they'd just learned. Joselyn watched her dad walk off to talk with the Face, Icarus, and several others, knowing that they were still trying to figure out how to get through the barrier. She stared at the shimmering wall, hoping that they found it soon, because she was pretty sure that if they weren't able to do so in time, the world would be plunged into an eternal nightmare. Part 4 The man known only as the Face sat in the command tent, looking over the table in front of him in frustration and exhaustion. His hat rested on the table, alongside all of his notes, maps, and the various tools he'd been using to gather information on the barrier and what was occurring on the other side. Though the Face had managed to learn a great deal, it still wasn't enough. He knew exactly where the five obelisks were located, as well as who was guarding each one. He had even confirmed that Baron Nevermore was indeed behind this, as the barrier reeked of that villain's dark magic. Unfortunately, he had yet to discover what Baron Nevermore was after or how to get past the barrier. With a loud sigh, the Face rested a hand against his golden mask. He would have removed the mask were he able, to rub the bridge of his nose as he used to do when deep in concentration. However, that was not an option. He wore the mask, not to hide his identity, but for a much more important reason. Without that mask to anchor him to reality, he would immediately be drawn to another dimension, one where he had been trapped before acquiring the mask. "He's gathering power," the Face stated, looking over his information. That fact was inescapable. Baron Nevermore drew power from fear and death, and he currently had hundreds of thousands of people trapped within the barrier, providing him with both. He was gathering a great deal of raw power, far more than he needed to maintain the barrier. Of course, the Face already knew that Baron Nevermore was up to something but, but he still didn't know what. "Time is of the essence," the Face grimly reminded himself, thinking about all of the people who were trapped within that barrier, at the mercy of those villains. The Face looked up as Ms. Miracle came into the command tent, scowling deeply and nearly radiating her anger. It was obvious that she had a very personal grudge against Baron Nevermore, and he couldn't truly blame her, not after the sorcerer had once murdered her. In fact, many of their gathered heroes had personal grudges against these villains. The White Knight had grudges against both Force and Loki, Legacy had one against Loki, and even he, along with his entire team, held a great deal of anger towards Circuit Monger. The Face just hoped that they would all be professional enough as to not allow their grudges to interfere with their performance, or innocent lives could be lost. Ms. Miracle ignored the Face and went to the opposite side of the tent, to talk to Icarus. However, seconds later, three other people entered the tent as well, Lady Knight, Mystik, and the Face's daughter Gwen...Witch Girl. Ever since Gwen and Lady Knight met a short time ago, the two of them had remained together, much to the Face's approval. Gwen needed more friends her own age, especially ones who could understand the complications that came with being developed. In fact, there were several other young developed, such as Ghost boy and the Slackers, and it might be a good idea to make sure Gwen had a chance to meet them. "I'm afraid that we still haven't found any way through the barrier," the Face told the three, guessing that this was what they'd come to him for. "I tried a couple spells," Gwen admitted with a disappointed look and a shake of her head, which spoke of how effective her attempts had been. "I might be able to do something," Mystik announced, firmly clutching her golden staff. "Unfortunately, my resources are extremely limited..." The Face held up his hand, to keep her from explaining when it wasn't necessary. "Your staff is akin to a genie's lamp, in that it only grants three wishes before it must be recharged..." Mystik gave him a look of surprise, which quickly turned to one of suspicion. "How did you know?" The Face smiled faintly beneath his mask, though none of them could see it. "After the fight with Entropy, I thought you and your staff seemed familiar, so I performed some research. One of your predecessors left behind a journal, where she spoke of the staff of Isis." "I see," Mystik responded carefully. "I'd like to look at this journal sometime, if that's possible. But for now, I think we have bigger fish to fry..." "Indeed," the Face agreed. He stared at her for a moment, then continued, "From what I understand, your staff is quite powerful and versatile, but even so, I am certain it would be of little use against the barrier. Perhaps, once we learn its weakness, you might be able to exploit it...but until then, please do not waste your power. I suspect that when the time comes, you will need all the power you can muster." "All right then," Mystik said. "I guess I can hold off for now. But if we don't find a way in soon, I'm going to try anyway." "Agreed," the Face told her. Just then, the Face noticed a newcomer entering the tent. She had dark hair and was wearing a suit, rather than the dramatic costumes that everyone else in the area was wearing. The woman also looked familiar, and it took him a moment to remember where he'd seen her before. She was one of the DAD agents who'd appeared after the incidents with the Black Guild and Entropy, the same one who made sure Mystik wasn't put behind bars for her previous criminal activity. The woman looked to the White Knight and held out a badge and ID. "I'm Agent Briggs, from the Developed Affairs Department." The Face noticed that Mystik watched the DAD agent with an intent expression. "We've met before," she said cautiously. "That we have," Agent Briggs agreed, giving him the impression that there was a lot more going on than he knew. As soon as Agent Briggs looked away, Mystik hurried out of the tent. "How may we help you?" the White Knight asked Agent Briggs. "There is a glowing purple dome over a large part of Maryland," Agent Briggs pointed out. "Needless to say, the government is extremely concerned. Now, please tell me what the hell is going on." "I don't know how much you're already aware of," the White Knight answered, "so I'll tell you everything we know." With that, they began to fill Agent Briggs in on everything they'd discussed during the earlier briefing, and everything that they'd learned since. As they showed her pictures of the villains who'd been part of the initial attack, she suddenly scowled, focusing on one picture in particular. "She's dressed like the Scepter," Agent Briggs pointed out. The White Knight nodded. We do not know what...if any connection, she has to the previous Scepter." "You have an interest in the Scepter," the Face commented, having noticed that this was the one picture she'd been most interested in. Even the mention of Baron Nevermore's involvement didn't have that much effect. "I was part of the DAD investigation into the Black Guild," Agent Briggs explained, though she didn't say anything more about it. Once they'd finished getting Agent Briggs up to date, they left the command tent and went out for a closer look at the barrier. A few of the gathered heroes were still trying to break through the barrier, though the Face suspected that most of them were doing this to keep themselves too busy to think about what must be going on inside. Glamour Girl floated in the air, firing blasts of swirling light at the barrier. Legacy had out a bone white bow, and was shooting arrows of hellfire against it. Mega had grown to twenty feet tall and was viciously punching it. Even Gwen had returned to the barrier in order to keep trying her magics. However, the Face noticed that Lady Knight hadn't gone to the barrier with his daughter. Instead, she was staying close, though he wasn't sure if that was because she wanted to stay near her father, or because she was interested in Agent Briggs. The pink haired girl kept looking at Briggs with a curious expression. Suddenly, the Face felt a tingling through his mask, which made him pause and slowly look around. He felt a presence, one that he hadn't encountered in years.