Chapter 6- Philadelphia Freedom


"Please, girls, just try. We need to know what happened."

They all were back in the safe house, which was under armed guard. All around it, FBI and police had formed a defensive position, armed to the teeth. They couldn't risk it. Not now.

They all thought back.


"What happened?" Lita ran away from the agent watching her and reached the window, seeing what had happened. "Someone's hurt!"

Rushing to her, the agent saw the car, then ran for the door. "Don't move! I'll be right back!" Most of the other agents in the house ran out too, leaving the girls, for the most part, unprotected.

Banshee smiled. This would be almost too easy. Six girls against him and his men. Nothing could have wiped the smile from his face. After all, a kill was a kill.

"I hope everyone is alright," said Ami, watching the action unfold outside. The agents were trying desperately to pry whoever was in the car that was hit by the truck.

"How did it happen?" Serena was vying for a spot, but they all were taken.

"It looks like there was some stuff in the road," said Lita. "Hey, those are spike strips!"

"What's a spike strip?" asked Molly.

"Its something police use to stop speeding cars-" but she stopped. She just realized that anyone who worked for the government could get one. "Hey, FBI!" she screamed to the three agents still in the house. "This is a trap!"

Before the three agents could respond, they were riddled with 9mm.

"Oh no," said Ray. Then, six figures in black swarmed in through the front door.

Banshee quickly took in the situation. Six of them, six Spirits. This could only end well for him.

Lita and Ray stepped in front of the other girls. "You guys get to safety!" cried Ray, grabbing a sutra out of her pocket. "We'll handle them."

"We don't have time for this ladies. Just tell us where Poltergeist is, and we'll kill you fast."

"Not much of a deal," said Lita.

Slowly, the other four girls tried to back their way onto the stairway. "You two," said Banshee, pointing to his SAW gunner and comm. man. "You two handle these two. We'll handle the others."

Lita squared off against the one with the large gun. He was big too. "Ha, ha, ha. This is a joke right?" He stared down at the girl. "I'm a black belt in five different martial arts. What makes you think you can take me?"

Lita didn't know.

"Put that piece of paper away, girl. Its not nice to litter." The comm. man circled the girl, curious to see what she could do.

"Phantom, you take blue hair. Ghoul, the straight blonde. Daemon, you take the brunette. I'll take the blonde with the freaky do."

"I do not have a weird hairdo!" Serena yelled, before barely missing a punch meant to knock her out.

"Serena!" Ami ducked just in time to miss a roundhouse kick sent at her.

Lita was barely keeping up with the furious blows that came from her opponent. The man was fast, but he was big. "If I can just get him off balance…" Then she saw it. Her chance. Thinking fast, she dove for the backyard, and the man followed. He was to big to notice the small rise between the yard and house, and in the moment he lost his balance, Lita turned out a vicious right hook to the mans jaw, then a kick to his stomach. As he fell back, trying to regain some momentum, she finished by jamming her shoes in his face. He was out.

"Come on, girly, I can't take all day! Just tell us where your boyfriend is, and we can leave." Ray decided not to listen, knowing Bob would want them to fight, and jammed the sutra on the man's right leg.

"What the hell?" he yelled. He stumbled for a minute, trying to get up. Ray was on him in an instant, slamming the sutra down on his forehead, taking him out as well. Four to go.

Ami swung the book at the man again. And again, she missed. He was just to fast.

"Keep trying, honey, I'm sure you'll connect soon!" He laughed, then swung the butt of his weapon at her. However, the next time she swung, the thick book connected with the rifle butt, and both bounced back. "You little…" the man rushed at her, but was shot. The other FBI agents had heard the fighting, and had rushed back.

"We don't have time for this! Fall back!" Jumping out the window, Banshee, Phantom and Daemon leaped out a window. Ghoul was shot, but still kept running. That left the other two, who were quickly handcuffed and incarcerated.


"So, that's what happened?" The girls nodded at Darien. Maxwell had stood up and walked away. The girls were each sad and depressed, Mina most of all.

"If I can't show Bob I love him, I might as well just give up."

After most of them had gone to bed, Molly decided to look for Maxwell. Bob and Darien were discussing what to do next, while Ray apologized to Serena.

Maxwell was out in the yard, staring at the sky. "I shouldn't have gone," he thought. "I left Molly and the girls alone, and they were attacked." He heard a noise behind him, and saw Molly there. "You should go to bed, Molly. You've had a rough day."

"I can't Max." She inched closer. "I…I was so afraid when those men attacked us. All I could think of was how I wanted you there to protect me." She hugged him. No matter how many times she did it, she wanted to him to remember that she loved him.

"I'm sorry Molly. I couldn't protect you. I wasn't there for you." He put his chin on her head. "I wish I wasn't so caught up so that I could be with you." He became serious. "I swear, I will never let anything bad happen to you again."

Molly pulled away. "You can't be serious!" Maxwell recoiled. "Bad things happen! You can't stop them! No one can! The more you try to prevent them, the more they happen!" She started crying. "I learned that when I lost you." Without another word, she ran to her room and shut the door, leaving Maxwell confused and depressed.

"Our next move should be to find out where they're going." Darien stared at the bullet holes in the side of the wall.

"That won't be easy. I just spoke with the new agent in charge. He says the prisoners had a slow acting suicide pill hidden in their mouths. One swallow, and they were dead." Bob looked over the map of D.C. he found. They could be anywhere. Washington was a town full of secrets, after all. It wouldn't exactly be reported if a group of men in black passed by a senator's window. That would only add fuel to the distrust against the government.

"Maybe we should-" but Darien didn't finish. He couldn't think of anything to say.

"They should have contacted us by now." Mondale was in the dining car of an Amtrak to Philadelphia. All of his men were. After all, robbing a Salvation Army store wasn't that hard.

"They must have run into some trouble. You know as well as I do, director, that anything could go wrong on a mission. Maybe not as many FBI left the house as we planned." Wraith sipped at his coffee. It was bitter, just as he liked it.

"Still, we had an agreed time if something went wrong, and even that's gone by." Mondale looked out the window, unaware that someone else was listening.

Whitey still had some lawyer friends. After dropping in on one of them who was a congressman, he bought the clothes and a ticket, then followed the men onto the train. This had something to do with Bob, and he intended to fine out what. A sudden wave of coughing hit, but it soon passed.

"Hey," said the one with the coffee. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," said Whitey. "Just a little cold." Turning back to his food, he pretended to read a book he had, while listening very carefully. It wasn't a very good book anyway.


"You two had better get out of here. Everyone's so nervous, you might get shot." The FBI SWAT team member looked at the two cats, then looked back at the house. He was under strict orders to watch the house, or it was his job.

Artemis nodded to Luna, who hung back while he nudged the sharpshooter's leg.

"Now, come on. That's not even fair." The man turned back, intensely focused on watching the house and surrounding area. But Artemis wouldn't stop.

"Okay, come here." He picked up the white cat, and started petting and scratching him. "You know, I had a cat like you when I was a kid."

Artemis meowed for good measure, while Luna bypassed them both, and made a beeline for the house.

Darien saw a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. It was quick but he knew he saw it. He edged closer to the glass door, then fell to the floor when he saw a pair of glowing eyes. Only after he pulled himself together did he realize it was Luna.

"Luna? How did you get here?" He opened the door a little to let her in. It looked like she hadn't eaten well in days, and smelled like sweat and smoke.

"It doesn't matter how. What's important is how we are all holding up." She saw the bullet holes. " What happened?"

"We were attacked. The girls managed hold them off until the FBI showed up." He looked as hurt as Maxwell about the fact that he couldn't protect Serena.

"Are they alright?"

"Yeah, they're alright."

Just then, Bob walked in and saw Luna. "Hey, Luna! How'd you-"

"Bob, do you know anyone named Whitey?"

This struck a chord with Bob. "Yeah, he's the guy who gave me this knife. Why?" He suddenly looked very concerned.

"Well, he's the man who got Artemis and I here."

"What?! Where is he? Can I see him, where-"

"He's not here, Bob. He's following Mondale and the others on a train to Philadelphia. He knows this is about you."

A car pulled up out front, and the major got out. "Apollo? The general needs you."

Nodding, he turned to Luna. "Don't worry, you can talk in front of the major, as well as the general. They know what's going on. Come with me. Maybe you and Artemis can help us make a plan."

Luna nodded. "Alright. Lead the way, major."

"That…cat…just…"

"Yes, we know," said Bob, holding his head.

"Hey, what's with this crescent bald spot?" The FBI man gently touched it, and pulled back. It was cold!

Just then, another meow came from the ground. The cat leapt out of his arms and flew onto the awning below.

"Thanks for the petting! I haven't had any for days!" The cat then leapt into the car waiting nearby, which then sped away.

"It…talked…?"


The first thing Bob saw was the former leadership of the RIRA. The second was SEAL team Alpha. The last was general Eastwing. "Well," he said. "This must have an interesting story behind it."

"It does. Robert, meet Patrick Reilly. The former head of the RIRA. His second in command, William, and their third man, James." The general seemed to overemphasize "former".

Bob nodded in acknowledgement. But the mood in the room was one of barely contained anger. SEAL teams and terrorists traditionally don't get along well.

"So, what's the plan to stop these men?"

They all stared at Luna, shocked.

"Oh, yeah. Everyone, these two cats can talk, which is exactly why I brought them with me. They have above average human intelligence, are capable of forming complex plans, and have fought with the Sailor Scouts for the past few years now." He purposely omitted the fact that he was their general, as the SEALs and RIRA would see him as a nut.

"Robert, you said you've served with these men. Can you tell us what you know?"

Bob sat down, then started telling the long, strange history of the black-op "Spirit" unit.

"Back in the 1970's, the CIA formed a black-op unit consisting of highly trained assassins and killers either handpicked from the military, or from death row. They were trained in Area 51, and, until recently, under the direct control of the CIA. As far as equipment went, they were on par with the US military, and were sent on missions that required the most absolute secrecy. The president and a select few in the DoD and Congress knew about it."

"Missions typically consisted of assassinations, though sometimes a larger message was needed. Bombings, Public killings, and so on. During a wartime setting, the unit's primary mission was to infiltrate behind enemy lines in groups of three or four and cause as much discord as possible."

"I was the last member to be inducted into the unit before the attack on Tokyo, and as such, I have very little in the way of considerations on the personalities of the unit. I will say this, though. Every man in that unit is a killer, and they accept it. They will gladly kill anyone in their way, to the point of attacking innocent civilians. I repeat, some of the members were recruited straight from death row."

He sat down, and let the full implication that these were killers who were happy to do their job, before speaking again.

"They also have advanced weapons and technology from Area 51, and I doubt they will hesitate to use it."

"You're joking, right?" laughed William. "There's no such thing as bloody 'Area 51'…is there?"

Eastwing nodded. "Since you're all sworn to secrecy, I can tell you. Area 51 had no flying saucers, but it was a test bed for some of our most advanced weapons. The training program was a secondary function."

Artemis spoke next. "When we were thrown off the train in Washington, they mentioned something about Philadelphia. Is that significant?"

Bob looked stunned. It was like someone had kneed him in the gut and decided to kick him in the balls while he was down.

"Maybe there's another testing area in Philly?" asked Jester.

"Negative," replied the general. "There's only the Navy yard. Aside from that, Philadelphia isn't of that great an importance to us."

"Excuse me, general?" Bob finally spoke, but it was very distant. "I need to talk with the two cats in private for a minute."

Nodding yes, Bob left the room with Luna and Artemis in tow.

Once he was sure no one was around, Bob got straight to business. "Listen to me, both of you. I have to get to Philadelphia ASAP, or something bad will happen. You tell the girls nothing! They have enough to worry about as it is. They don't need to worry about me! And, to make sure," he said, as he threw them into a trashcan. "I'm sorry, but I can't have them worry about me." Running down the hallway, he changed into Apollo, and within minutes was a stowaway on a C-130 flying to Willow Grove Naval Air Base.


"Molly, are you awake?" Maxwell tried as quietly as he could to walk up the stairs, to apologize for what had happened.

"No," she replied sarcastically. "I'm just sleep talking."

He chuckled. "You really do know how to hurt a man, you know?"

"What!" She bolted upright at that. "I know how to hurt someone? Who here is the sailor scout, mister!"

Maxwell tried again. "I just wanted to apologize. I'm still getting the hang of emotions. Remember, I'm kind of new at being human."

Molly remained angry for a minute, then smiled slightly. "I know. I guess I'll just have to be patient with you."

"Thanks, Molly." He got up and went out the door. "I think we'd all better get some sleep. I feel like we have something big coming up ahead."


"Sir, I think we're being followed."

Mondale didn't show any outward emotion. "Who?"

"The man with the cough. The one who sounds like he's lost half a lung?"

Mondale glanced over his shoulder at the man, who was now quietly sleeping three seats behind in the opposite row.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because, on the way up here, I thought I heard that same cough."

"NSA?"

"No. I don't think he's FBI either. He's too old."

"Maybe that's they're plan." Mondale smirked slightly.

Wraith wasn't as amused. "Should we look out for him?"

"No," said Mondale. "If he is a tail, he won't last very long where we're going."


They spent hours combing the Pentagon and D.C. They checked the airports, the docks, the train yards, and even the bus stations. It was almost like Bob had vanished.

"Sir," said the lieutenant. "What happens if we can't find that guy?"

"Then the general gives us an earful."

A loud meowing and yelling came from the trashcan they had just passed.

"What the hell was that?"

"Beats me, sir, but I'm seeing what it is." Opening the lid, he saw the two cats from earlier. "What the hell are you two doing in here? No one here likes tuna anyway!"

"That's not why we're in here, you twit!" Luna tried to climb up to slap the man, but the bag was too slippery.

"Need some help?" asked the major.

"Thought you'd never ask." Artemis lifted a paw, and soon found himself on solid, stench-free ground.

"What happened?"

"It was Apollo, major. He's gone rampant! He stuffed us in the trashcan and took off!"

Artemis took over. "I think it has something to do with Philadelphia. Does that mean anything to anyone?"

"Its where the boy's family lived." The four turned to see Young walking toward them, polishing his glasses. "At ease, gentlemen."

"The president!" Luna didn't know what to do. Thankfully, Artemis did it for her.

"Sir, we have to start looking for Apollo now. Otherwise, it will be to late."

The president didn't even bat an eye because of a talking cat. "Agreed. General," he turned to Eastwing. "Set up a patrol around every military installation around the greater Philadelphia area. Kelling," he turned to the FBI man. "Have your people and local authorities carpet every inch of the streets. If we don't find Apollo, the enemy will."

Both men nodded, and ran off to their respective duties.

"And you two," he said, pointing to Luna and Artemis. "You should come with me."


It was 4:12 AM when the limo pulled up. By then, the whole house was asleep. Only by letting Luna and Artemis in through a window could they get everyone awake.

"Luna!" Serena's scream was more than enough to wake the house, but Mina yelling Artemis' name was a nice failsafe. Soon, the whole crew was downstairs in their pajamas, listening to the most powerful man in the world.

"He did what?!" Darien literally almost hit the roof when he heard this. Everyone else was too dumbfounded to react.

"He never found out that his family had moved." The president was sipping at the instant coffee that all safe houses seemed to have. It wasn't as good as the White House coffee, but it did the job. "Mondale kept all the information about his family from him- the important information, because he didn't want his star agent getting distracted on a mission.

"But why is he going through all this? What has Bob ever done that deserves this?"

"Good question, Ami." The president signaled an aide behind him to hand over a mission dossier. "A year ago, Bob was ordered to kill a reporter in Iraq that disagreed with the policies of the Iraqi government."

"Why would you order that? That's just dirty!"

"I didn't order it, Lita. When I found out, I was just as furious as you. Thankfully, Bob was the only Spirit who remained human."

"He kept saying that at Area 51," said Darien. "What do you mean when you say that?"

"When the program was already into its first decade, the people in it resigned themselves as nothing but killing machines. It got to the point where the missions were so bloody, and body counts so high, that Congress considered pulling the plug."

"Then what happened?" Mina leaned in, intent on finding out more.

"Bob happened. He refused, in the middle of the mission, to kill said journalist. Later, the man wrote a very flattering letter praising the US, and giving up information on his terrorist cousin."

"I guess Mondale wasn't to happy."

"No, he wasn't Max. Mondale was the type of man who was to be obeyed, or you'd get thrown under a bus he was driving. That's what happened here. He was sent to Tokyo to monitor the strange activities going on, but obviously, got caught up in this." He motioned to the girls themselves.

"So what should we do now?" Ray was rearing to go, not just to help, but prove she was Bob's perfect girl.

"You will all team up with some old friends of yours. Your flight for Philadelphia leaves in two hours. Pack light."

When the president left, Serena asked the obvious question. "What old friends?"


Apollo ran through the dawn streets of Philly. He carefully avoided the police stations and major intersections. Slowly, he made his way to his old house on Yerkes Street. What he saw nearly made him faint.

There was no longer a GMC truck in the driveway, or a Chevy van, but instead, a piece of crap Ford from the 70's. There was no American and Irish flag flying from the flagpole. Instead, a Confederate one.

"Who's out there?"

It was Mr. Johanson. Quickly, Apollo dove for the bushes as his old neighbor called out again.

"Its me, Mr. Johanson. Its Robert." Apollo was beyond sad. It felt like he was crushed.

"Robert? What are you doing here, boy? Didn't you're family call you to tell you they moved?"

"No, sir. Where did they move?" His voice was wavering.

"They said out to Arizona somewhere. Your dad's engine company was shut down. City said it wasn't effective at all." The old man also seemed emotional, but more angrily than anything.

"Who…who moved in, sir?"

"Some white supremacist freak. He threatened me, Robert. He said to leave." Now the old mans voice started to fail. "He said if I didn't move by next week, he'd kill my family."

Apollo couldn't bear it anymore. "Don't worry, Mr. Johanson, I'll take care of this." Without another word, Apollo slipped in through the back window, and into the rednecks bedroom.

"Who's there?" The voice had a heavy southern drawl.

"Your worst nightmare." Before he could get anything else out, Apollo dodged a shot from a .357.

Quickly, Apollo moved from the window to the bed, one hand over the mans mouth, the other disarming him. "Now listen Bubba," he said, barely containing his rage. "That man next door is a very old and dear friend of my families. If I find that you have done anything to harm him-"

"What?! You're getting all bent up for some damn n-" But the word was cut off when Apollo twisted the mans arm.

"I'll say it differently then. Leave the neighborhood, or they'll find you with your own gun in your mouth, and a suicide note in your handwriting. Comprende?"

The man nodded, fear prevalent, and Apollo went back out the window. By the end of the week, the Confederate flag was gone back south.


"So, here we find ourselves again, eh, lads and lasses?" At least one of them was in a good mood, as James tried to lighten the atmosphere in the Black Hawk.

Everyone wore an expression of indifference. Venus wore one of despair.

"Keep quiet, you idiot," said Iceman. "We have more important things to worry about."

"Sorry," he mumbled, as he leaned back and closed his eyes.

The RIRA men didn't have a set uniform, so for the time being they were wearing black uniforms normally worn by urban SWAT teams. The regular humans were armed with H&K UMPs. The others were transformed.

"So Mondale tricked Apollo into going to Philadelphia, because he knew that Apollo would run to his families rescue, but his family wasn't there, so it's a trap, right?" asked Serena.

"Yes, your long winded rant is dead on," said Jester. "As far as we can figure, Mondale and his men are in the city now, combing it for Apollo. We have to reach him before they do."

Ghoul, the teams op-man, picked it up from there. "Local police and the FBI are carpeting the news and the papers with pictures, saying he's missing. A runaway. So far, they've gotten some credible tips, but nothing else."

"What happens if the enemy shows themselves before we find him?" inquired Maxwell.

"The local police have been told that there are terrorists on the loose, and the locals have been given the watered down version. If they do show themselves, we let the locals handle it. Our mission is to find Apollo, nothing more." Finishing, Ghoul started checking his weapon.

"This is the pilot," said the voice over the intercom. "We are five minutes out from Willow Grove Naval Air Base."

After landing, they all got the situation. All the freight trains had been inspected thoroughly since the announcement went out. All news programs and papers ran the story about the "missing" boy, and police patrolled every street, looking for a skinny white sixteen year old.


Whitey tried to be low profile. He waited at restaurants for a minute or two until the men left until he started following them. He rented a hotel room across the street instead of the same hotel. He contacted old friends, claiming he was back on his feet. They gave him as much as they decided he deserved. There was enough to set up a small fortune.

"Its official sir. He's a tail." Wraith looked in his rearview mirror at the cab behind them, which contained the same man from the train.

"So, do you want to make an example out of your newest hostage?"

Wraith smiled, then picked up his Tracphone, but it rang before he could dial. Surprised, he answered.

"Sir, this is Banshee." The voice on the other end sounded exhausted, desperate, and near collapse.

"Banshee, where are you?"

Banshee looked around the highway carefully, but could not find any authorities, decided to step out of the bushes a little. "I think we're outside of Baltimore. Christ, sir it all went to hell."

"Calm down, Banshee. Just find a way to get to Northern Maine, and then look for a way to get to Portland Maine. Clear?"

The other voice replied "Crystal", then cut the connection.

"Permission to have a little fun, sir?" said Wraith, glancing back at the following cab.

"Granted."

They spread out through the city, tailing with FBI agents in unmarked vehicles. Sailors Moon, Venus, Earth and Mercury took Center City. Jupiter, Mars, Mask and Nephrite took the Northeast. The SEALs took the West side of the city, and the RIRA men took the waterfront and surrounding area. But they wouldn't find him until it came crashing down.

Wraith had sent out the text. Within a half hour, almost all the Spirits spread across the city would converge in front of city hall.

Whitey saw the men exit the vehicle, the taller man wearing a ski mask. Without saying anything, he produced a gun and pulled the other man from the car they were both in.

"Oh, shit." Without another word, the cabby ran, and Whitey found himself confronted by a .44 magnum.

"Get out now." The man didn't look like he would ask twice, so Whitey followed him and the other hostage to City Hall. Without even sweating, the man with the gun killed one of the policemen there, just as another man in a mask came riding in on a motorcycle, spraying his machine gun at a police officer, along with at least five other people. The man on the bike seemed like he could care less.

"This is insane…" said Whitey.

"You don't know the half of it," said the other hostage, as they were led from their cars into the courtyard. The police were to late, and by the time everyone had been evacuated, the Spirits had taken over city hall.


"Where is he?" Venus thought, as she scanned the monitors all over the side of the van. Just then one of the agents shoved her and Mercury aside to change one of them.

"Sorry, ladies, but something came up." Switching it to channel 4, the local news reporter was in the studio, and it looked like he was put there in a hurry.

"This is Dave Roberts live in at the Action News desk, with this breaking news. At about 10:30 this morning, an armed group walked right into City Hall, shooting at least three police officers and numerous civilians. The mayor has been evacuated, but at last report, there are at least two hostages, one," he said in mock surprise "believed to be the head of the CIA. Chopper 6 is live on the scene, and we go live to Evan Trect, Evan, can you hear me?"

The scene went from the news desk to City Hall, where there were only a few police cars and officers. A voice started talking over the scene.

"Yes, Dave, I can hear you, and the scene here is one of confusion and fear. Right now, we have no information on who is being held hostage, who these men are, or what their demands are, but, and this is a personal assumption, but I think these are the same men who attacked the airport in Missouri and the park in Las Vegas."

"Evan, can you confirm that?"

"As I said, Dave, that was a personal assumption, but I think a pretty safe one."

Wraith looked up at the helicopter and laughed on the inside. He decided to show their buyers the strength of their new toys.

"Wait," said the voice. "I see one of them- he's in a business suit! And, I don't know what he's carrying, but it seem to be some sort of weapon, and- Jesus, he's pointing it at us! Get us out of here!"

The man below the chopper pointed the strange looking weapon at the helicopter, then looked like he pressed something. But before they could find out what, the screen went to static.

Unknown to the FBI teams, what Wraith had done was send a fire-and-forget seeker missile, intended to replace the aging Stinger. The warhead, not only tracked a target, it impacted where the pilots signature was, producing a confirmed kill every time.

"We have to go to City Hall," said Mask to his FBI escorts.

"Negative," said the team leader. "Unless we find Poltergeist, we stay here and wait for more orders."

Nephrite didn't wait for words. Without speaking, he grabbed the three other superheroes in the van, and, knowing what he was doing, they followed him to Center City. The other teams quickly followed suit.


Apollo scanned around, looking everywhere. But when he picked up the story of what was happening at City Hall, he broke cover and ran for a motorcycle that was nearby. Without a word, he took off.

"Are we ready, Wraith?" Mondale was in his best pose, playing the role of scared hostage. The man that followed them made a great part of being stoic in a bad situation.

"Roger, sir. We are ready." He pressed the signal button, and soon, the face of Mondale was plastered over every TV in Philly.

"He's coming on now, sir." The general was once more in the office with Kelling and the president, watching the situation in the nations former capitol unfold.

"This is the head of the CIA, William Mondlae," said the pitiful excuse that was before the general. Kelling saw a hostage. The president didn't know what he saw. "I am inside the city hall with at least two dozen armed men. They want one thing; their former companion, Poltergeist. If he does not arrive in two hours, and present himself to their leader, they will shot this hostage, and whoever is left in the building, one every half hour."

The man said nothing. He didn't have to.

Turning off the TV, the general turned to Kelling. "Now are you convinced? That man wasn't a hostage. If he was, there wouldn't be any message. They would just have killed him! They obviously aren't afraid of doing it!"

"Come off your high horse, dammit." Kelling was clearly tired of the generals theory. "I am going to tell my team in Philadelphia to prepare for a hostage rescue. Even if Mondale is in with the enemy, that man isn't." Without further discussion, Kelling walked out.

Both men simply stared, and the general walked out as well. Young held his head in his hands. He had to do something fast, or he would lose all control.

They all arrived at the same time from the different parts of the city.

"Mercury," said Specter. "Scan the building for heat signatures. Pick out any room with more than three."

Mercury did so, and soon, plan was being formed that was going to take down the enemy once and for all. No one planned for Apollo.

"Alright. We know that there are at least two dozen." Specter was going over the plan one last time. Lord knows Moon needed it. "Scouts, you will go in from the back, here, and sweep through the building. Stay together. Nephrite, Mask, you both take the roof. Work your way down and meet up with the girls. We," meaning the SEAL team and RIRA men "Will take the front, providing a distraction. If any of you find Mondale, try to take him alive. Once done, we meet back here. Understood?"

They nodded. "Alright, lets move!"

Revenant saw it. The seven men were sprinting from cover to cover, wearing black uniforms and carrying MP5s. He shifted his newest weapon towards them. This was going to be fun.

James saw movement in the window. Motioning, he knew that Patrick saw it too. He then passed it down to Specter. They all spread out.

Revenant was disappointed. The weapon didn't work well against spread out targets. Now sad, he instead aimed for the police barricades.

A bright light erupted from the second floor window, and a second later, the police barricade behind them was a mass of flame and death. Screams were everywhere. Cars were either melted or thrown around like a kids toys. "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph…" said James.


"Jupiter Supreme Thunder!" The man was too quick, and dodged out of the way just as the attack hit where he once was. "Dammit! Missed again!" Jupiter then dove for cover when he popped back out, with two of his friends, guns blazing.

"Any ideas?" asked Mars. They were just within reach of the courtyard, bodies everywhere.

"Mercury Bubble Blast!" In seconds, the courtyard was filled with a fog.

"Great job, Mercury!" Venus led the way, unaware she was being watched. The Scouts didn't know the enemy had infra-red goggles. When the bullets started flying, they panicked, then ran back to where they started. "Any other ideas, Mars!" bellowed Jupiter.

The police heard it, but before they could do anything, the motorcycle came screaming through the line, the driver carrying a shotgun of some kind. Without any words or emotion, the driver jumped from the bike just as it hit ramp made from a melted cruiser. It sailed towards the window where the light had come from.

"Shit!" Revenant left the plasma cannon and ran. The bike sailed through the window, destroying the delicate workings of the cannon, taking out one more piece of Dreamland technology.

"Apollo!" No one, especially Specter, was surprised at this. But the boy didn't answer back. Without even a word, he charged straight into the courtyard.

They heard it. Gunfire, and the sounds of dropping bodies. They didn't know who it was, but the fog was lifting by then.

"Get ready," said Mars. They all hid, ready to make the person pay for attacking them. But, as in Tokyo, they were given an unexpected surprise.

"Apollo!" Venus rushed over, embracing him. But he was all business now. "Apollo, are you…alright?"

"Yes, Sailor Venus, I am." He had a cold air around him. His face showed no emotion. "Follow me, I know where they broadcasted that message from."


Mask and Nephrite closed in on their prey, but before they could get to him, an ear shattering noise erupted from all around.

"What…is…that?" screamed Mask, as he fell to his knees. It was like his head was going to burst.

"Sonic weapons system," said the man they were chasing. "Designed to take an enemy out of the fight by non-lethal means. But, leave it on long enough, and it will rupture your eardrums, and possibly cause a hemorrhage." The man smirked. "We just want to test it out." With that, he walked down to the second floor, leaving Mask and Nephrite to a grisly fate.

"He won't fall for it, you know." When the man finally spoke, it almost made Mondale jump. But he quickly regained his composure.

"Who won't fall for it?" he asked.

"Robert," said the man. "I know he's the one you're looking for. I know about what's been happening. Friends in Washington, after all. He knows you aren't a hostage. He knows you aren't being held captive. He'll find you and kill you."

Wraith walked over and drew his gun, but before he could do anything, the doors to the pressroom burst open, and the Sailor Scouts and Apollo burst through. Wraith turned for a minute, but still shot Whitey, but not in the head. In the stomach. A much more painful death.

"So long Poltergeist." Without another word, he and Mondale ran out into the courtyard. Unknown to everyone, including the media, one of the Spirits had commandeered a helicopter, and was now picking up all the Spirits for a little rendezvous with their newest client.

"Uncle Whitey!" Apollo rushed over, the girls close behind. "Its okay now, its okay," He tried desperately to stop the bleeding, but it was no use.

"I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye, Bob." The man was weak now, blood coming from his lips. It was all over now.

Apollo was crying. "I thought I wasn't ever going to see you again." He pulled out the knife. "This saved my life, you know that?"

"Yeah," said Whitey. "I know." He was coughing now, that same hacking cough. "I wish I had more time."

Quietly, Venus whispered into Mars' ear. "Isn't that the drunk from the station?"

Mars nodded. "That's him for sure."

"Bob," said Whitey, voice fading away with his life. "Bury me near my daughter, okay?"

"Sure thing." Bob was crying heavily now, his tears mixing with Whitey's blood.

It was quiet, but after a few seconds, Whitey spoke his last words. "I wish…I could've done more."

Uncle Whitey died at 12:47, on May 3, 2012.