Kihonne: Hey everyone, I'm back! And this time, I've brought The List. I know it was one of the more popular episodes of the series, so I'm not going to waste too much of your time by babbling. So, here are the shoutouts!
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Blah I Say: Thank you for pointing that out. As you might have noticed, I fixed the mistake. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!
SzymonS: I guess so, yeah. As for Perry, honestly I wasn't a big fan, so I'm not sure how often she'll appear. And yes, I realized the mistake (it's so much easier to see things like that when you're reading than when you're writing) and it has been corrected. As for my midterms, I think I did well, but we haven't received our marks yet, so I'm not sure.
MayLeaf2001: Actually, your review made it through, but because you reviewed as a guest, the review was withheld for my approval. I have my account set up like that, as a result of some less-than-positive reaction to certain decisions I've made with my stories, such as Alivia's sexuality. You'll see your review around 5 AM tomorrow (EST), as it takes 24 hours to go through my account. Anyway, I'm glad I can make those days a little brighter. I'm glad you like my story so much, and thank you so much for your kind words. I can't wait for the wedding either – it's going to be so much fun. And I hope I did well too – they haven't given us back the results yet, and I don't think I'm going to relax until they do. As for the Rock, you're going to have to wait a little bit for that – that chapter doesn't come out for a while. The List is this week's chapter, and I hope you like it!
LabGirl2001: Thanks, you too! And who says Calla hasn't figured it out – it's entirely possible that she knows and just hasn't said anything yet. And yeah, even though I personally wasn't Perry's biggest fan, I have to agree that there should have been more of her. She's going to make another appearance for sure (though how many I can not say). Anyway, enjoy the chapter!
Algernon23: Honestly, if I do have Kaz propose in the story (and not in the time gap between stories), I'm probably going to have him propose like that. As for Calla, it is easy to forget that she spent 90% of her time in the lab, as opposed to out in the field with the rest of the team. But while it may be easy for others to forget, even her own team, Calla certainly remembers. She's almost as inexperienced as the younger members of the team, and without powers, she's definitely at a disadvantage. She'd probably feel more useful back in the lab, and that's something she's going to be dealing with as the story goes on. I'm glad you like the direction I'm going with the story – focusing on Calla and Dani. My plan is to have this season be kinda like Calla's season – including the wedding, I've got a few plots that focus mainly on her this season – while there's going to be a major arc concerning Dani in the second season. I can't say what yet, but 'things are going to get crazy' is a bit of an understatement. I really hope you enjoy the chapter – I put a lot of work and thought into it, and gave it more time than I usually do a chapter, since I know it was one of the most loved episodes in the series. As for the original chapter, I think you're going to like what you see, though that conversation might not be dealt with in the way you expect. That's all I want to say for now, especially since I might be changing the draft I have now quite a bit between now and then. Anyway, I hope you had a good Valentine's Day, and enjoy the chapter.
Eliteforce12: No, I was not dropping hints. Another reader commented on how they expected Chase to propose in a much bigger way, but then realized that something like that would be more like Kaz. That's all. If I do have Kaz propose to Dani, it won't be for a long time, mainly because they're currently 17 years old. Anyway, I think you're going to like what I do with the List, so enjoy the chapter!
Layla347: Thank you.
IAMAGUEST: I did consider showing everyone's reactions, but it would have been weird, since the chapter was supposed to be set a week or so after the last, and they wouldn't wait a whole week to tell everyone. As for the mission leader thing, I'm fifty-fifty on it. Yeah, it is his thing, but I like the character development. And I'm pretty sure he's still in charge, it's just no longer an official position. I mean, in future missions, like in The Attack, he just tells them what to do and they don't argue. The way I'm planning on writing it is that if they'll follow his orders and all, but they're still free to do things they're own way, and if one of them needs to step up and take control of the situation, he won't argue with them. I still want to show that he's a respected member of the team, so I'm going to end up writing it like that. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!
NightAngel365: Thanks so much!
GU3ST: You are correct, Oliver does have both Cryokinesis and Hydrokinesis. I never said he didn't have them, I'm just more likely to refer to him as the cryokinetic because it contrasts Kaz's powers more than hydrokinetic.
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Kihonne: An on with the chapter!
Crossbow: Kihonne doesn't own Lab Rats, Mighty Med, or Elite Force. She only owns Calla, Dani, and anything else you don't recognize.
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Dani's POV
"Hey, check it out." Chase announced, walking into the penthouse, carrying a large box in his hands. "Mr. Davenport shipped us a box from Mission Creek."
"As long as he's not in it, then yay!" Bree joked. I laughed, getting up from the kitchen counter with her.
"Awesome." Calla grinned as she opened the box. "He sent us some of our old technology."
"Dude." Kaz shook his head at the girl before snatching a piece of paper from the box. "You're supposed to read the Daven-Card."
He opened it up and read from it. "'Dear Elite Force, I am converting the lab into a nursery for the new baby, so please keep this stuff at the penthouse for me.'"
"He's raising a baby in the basement? That kid's going to have some serious issues." Ollie commented, smirking. Bree and Chase cleared their throats. "Uh, no offense."
I glanced inside the box. There was a small silver box sitting on top of a folded, silvery cloak, along with a silver device and a couple of toy dolls of Bree, Chase, Davenport, and who I could only assume was the other Davenport sibling, Adam.
"What's this?" Skylar questioned, pulling the small box. Inside were two tiny microchips.
"Those are cyber cloaks." Calla explained, taking them from her. "They're cirtual body disguises. They can make you take on anyone's appearance."
"One time, I got stuck looking like Bree, and I had to go to the school dance with Calla's brother." Chase reminisced.
"The same thing happened to me, but with a guy named Barry." Ollie remembered. "Not the cyber cloak thing, texting mishap. It's a long story; I'll tell you later."
"And then Dee and I will tell you how we orchestrated the whole thing." Kaz added with a grin. Ollie glared at us, having not realized before now that we had been responsible for that oh so funny accidental date.
"What's this?" Kaz pulled out a small device from the box.
"Be careful!" Chase warned him quickly. "That's a Neural Scrambler. It can erase someone's memory. Minutes, hours, even years of someone's life."
"Oh, please tell me you did that to someone!" I grinned. That sounded so cool.
"Well, Chase did." Calla commented, crossing her arms and looking pointedly at her fiancé.
"Okay, I've apologized, like, six times for that. And I bought you chocolate." He insisted. Skylar and I exchanged amused looks – oh, we were so getting that story from one of them later.
"So how does this thing…" Kaz pressed a button on the device and a light flashed in his face. He blinked, confused. "What's this?"
"Okay, I'm taking that away before we end up with a five year old Kaz." Calla decided, taking the device from his hands. I grinned, looking at the device. Oh, and I was taking that for a test drive.
Skylar's POV
"Okay, team meeting time." Chase announced, walking into Mission Command. The rest of us were sitting around the cyberdesk, waiting. "Thank you all for coming."
"Honey, we live here. We didn't really have a choice." Calla pointed out.
"Yeah, did you really have to post flyers in the kitchen?" Bree agreed.
"That was Oliver's idea." Chase explained.
"And I think attendance speaks for itself." Oliver grinned.
"Anyway, I have an update about our plan to warn all the superheroes about Roman and Riker." Cahse continued. "By using Kaz' computer password from Mighty Med, we were able to access the encrypted superhero communications network."
"It's a secure way for superheroes to message each other without exposing themselves to the outside world." I explained for those who didn't know. "It's also a great way to share recipes. Red Assassin loved my banana muffins."
"Anyway, using the network, we were able to gather the locations of most of the remaining superheroes." Calla continued, standing up. "It took some time since most of them use civilian cover identities to live undetected. But we were able to locate any and all superheroes who've accessed the network since Mighty Med was destroyed."
"That reminds me," Kaz piped up. "I have a civilian cover now. Secretly, I'm Kaz, a fire-powered superhero. But to the world, I'm Matchhead, a mild-mannered, regular Joe."
"Matchhead?" Bree repeated. "So your civilian cover has a superhero name?"
"Dude, I know, like, four Matchheads." Kaz reasoned.
"Anyway, here's the list." Calla pressed a button on the cyberdesk, and a list of names and locations appeared above us. To our dismay, there were only ten names on there. Before Roman and Riker, there had been at least eighty active superheroes.
"Scarlet Ace, Frostbite, Temperament…Spotlight." Dani let out a breath. "Oh, thank goodness."
"Hey, Crossbow's on here." I smiled widely, noticing her name sitting between Captain Atomic and Defroster. "She taught me everything I know about being a superhero. She was my first real friend on Earth."
"But I was your first best friend, right?" Dani asked.
"No, not even close." I replied. She frowned, but didn't comment on it. "Look, she's living undercover right here in Centium City." I smiled. "I can't wait to see her. It's been years."
"I'm sorry, Skylar, but no meeting up with the superheroes." Chase told me apologetically. "We never know who's watching, and we can't take the risk of exposing their true identity."
"But Crossbow's in danger." I argued.
"Every hero is in danger." He reminded me, not unkindly. "That's why using the network is the safest option."
"We can get the word out to everyone at once, without putting them at risk, and confirm when they receive it." Calla added.
"Okay." I sighed. They were right, I suppose. "I guess I won't get to see my friend. But I still have you, right Dani?" I asked, turning to the closest of the girls.
"Not even close." She retorted, getting up and sitting between Bree and Calla.
Dani's POV
"I'm Bree, whoosh, whoosh." Calla, Chase, and I all stopped at the bottom of the stairs, staring at Kaz as he played around with dolls Davenport had sent us. "I'm Chase…smart, smart."
"What are you doing?" I asked, amused. Kaz looked up, surprised, but didn't try to hide the dolls.
"Dude, put those down." Chase scolded.
"Why?" Kaz questioned, confused. "They're just dolls."
"Action figures!" Chase insisted. Kaz gave him a look.
"Dude, I've been on that side of the argument. It's a losing battle." My boyfriend advised. "Let's just admit it; we like dolls."
"It takes a real man to admit that." Calla complimented, walking past us on her way to the kitchen. Chase looked at her grumpily, then snatched the dolls away from him.
"Action figures." The smarter boy hissed. I laughed lightly, then joined Kaz on the couch.
"So, that new X-men movie comes out next week, and I wanna go see it." I told him, swinging my legs up onto his lap. "Wanna make a date of it?"
"Sure. If I get to pick where we eat." He reasoned. I opened my mouth to protest, but he quickly cut me off. "I will make sure they have vegetarian options."
"Okay." I grinned as Skylar and Bree walked in from Mission Command.
"Hey guys." Bree greeted.
"Hey, has Crossbow responded to her message yet?" Skylar inquired.
"No, but almost everyone else has." Chase replied. Kaz grinned.
"The system's working, and it's all thanks to Match Head." He complimented himself. I frowned at him.
"All you did was give Chase your password, which you only remembered because you copied my password so you didn't have to remember one." I pointed out.
"He did?" Chase asked, confused. I nodded. "Dani, why is your password DaniStayOutOfMyStuff?"
"Because I copied Ollie's password so I wouldn't have to remember one." I replied simply. He stared at me for a moment, then shook his head.
"Something's wrong. She should've checked in by now." Skylar worried.
"Don't worry, Skylar. I'm sure Crossbow will get her message soon." Bree assured her.
"And what if she doesn't?" Skylar shook her head, clearly concerned. "She's here in Centium City, which also happens to be the last known location of Roman and Riker. They could be tracking her down just like they did with us."
"Skylar, calm down. Chase and I both did the math, and this is the best and safest way to spread the word." Calla promised her. Chase nodded in agreement.
"There's a 98% chance that the message will get to her." He agreed.
"Which means there's a two percent chance that it won't." Skylar stood her ground. She went to storm off, but Kaz stopped her.
"Hold on." He frowned for a moment, then his face cleared. "No, two percent. That's right."
She shook her head in frustration and stormed off onto the veranda. "Should someone go talk to her?"
"I volunteer Ollie." I spoke up. They all looked at me. "Oh, please. Despite what she says, she likes him best. He'll have the best chance of talking her out of doing something stupid."
Skylar's POV
I sighed, leaning against the wall of the veranda. I didn't know what to do. I'd always been trained to follow orders, and despite the fact that he'd given up the official title, it was still pretty clear that when push came to shove, Chase would lead this team. Not to mention, it felt like everyone else on the team agreed with him. But Crossbow could be dead already for all I knew.
"Hey Skylar." I looked over my shoulder to see Oliver walking up behind me, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. "I just got back from the gym. I blasted the old delts."
I smiled lightly as he stretched his legs. "Your delts are up there." I informed him, pointing at the upper part of his arm.
"So you've noticed." He grinned back at me. I rolled my eyes. "You're still worried about Crossbow, aren't you?"
He always could tell. "How could I not be?" I sighed as he walked over and leaned against the wall besides me. "So many of our friends are dead. There were ten names on that list, Oliver. Ten."
"Yeah, I know." He agreed. "Jaime, Alan, Philip, Liv…none of them were on it."
"We lost them all when Mighty Med was destroyed," there was no denying it anymore. If they hadn't been on the list, they were gone. "But we had no way of seeing that coming. If something happens now, and I know I could have warned her, I'll never be able to live with myself."
"I know." Oliver nodded.
"What if Crossbow doesn't get that message, and Roman and Riker get to her before we do?" I thought aloud. I sighed in defeat, ducking my head. "I don't know what to do, Oliver."
He put his hand on my shoulder. "I do." I looked up, surprised. "You're going to find Crossbow, and I'm coming with you."
"Really?" He was going to help me with this, against everyone else's wishes?
"Yeah. We'll just get her location off the superhero list." He smiled at me. "As long as we're careful and quick about it, no one will even know."
"So it'll be like our little secret." I smiled back.
"Yeah." He nodded. I lunged forward, hugging him tightly. He hugged me back, then I felt his muscles move.
"Are you flexing?" I asked, not pulling away.
"…Possibly." He admitted. I laughed and pulled away, then grabbed his hand.
"Come on." I told him, leading him down to mission command.
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"Alright, according to the list, Crossbow's civilian cover name is Angela Conner. She's a groundskeeper." Oliver read off his phone. He looked around at the huge part. "This place is huge, there's no way we're ever going to find-"
"There she is!" I exclaimed, grinning when I caught sight of Crossbow. She was standing near a tree, sweeping up a pile of leaves. Despite the fact that she was wearing a Normo uniform – specifically a blue-ish green groundskeeper's uniform – I recognized the African-American superhero instantly. Her black, curly hair was swept over her shoulders, leaving her face visible. Her brown eyes widened when she saw me.
"Skylar?" She questioned, dropping her rake.
"Crossbow!" I exclaimed. She started towards me, then stopped when she saw Oliver.
"Uh, no. I have never heard that name before." She said, trying and failing at making her lie sound believable, or smooth in the slightest. When she spoke, the words came out in a monotone, obviously forced. "My name is Angela Connor, and I am a groundskeeper here at the Centium City Community Park."
"She's good." Oliver commented sarcastically. "That sounded real natural."
I couldn't help the smile that came to my face. "It's okay, Crossbow." I assured my friend. "He's with me. He's a superhero too."
She looked at him skeptically. "Seriously? Are we just letting anybody in?"
"Pretty much, yeah." I agreed. She laughed and stepped forward to hug me. I hugged her back tightly, then pulled away and sat down on a bench below the tree. "I was so worried about you, Skylar. I wasn't sure if you made it out of Mighty Med alive, but judging by you sitting here, breathing and stuff, I guess you did."
"That's not the only surprise I have for you." I grinned. "I got my powers back."
"No way!" Crossbow exclaimed, beaming. "How?"
"Don't say it, don't say it, don't say it." I heard Oliver mutter from behind me. But I had to.
"This amazing bionic guy named Chase." I told her. She smirked.
"He's the cute one on TV right?" She questioned.
"He's also engaged." I told her before she could get any ideas.
"Oh well. More fish in the sea, I suppose." She shrugged. Oliver stepped in.
"Look, Crossbow, the people who destroyed Mighty Med are in Centium City," He told her, "hunting down superheroes, including you."
"You found the people who destroyed Mighty Med?" She demanded. Oliver nodded and handed her his phone, showing her a blurry-ish image of the two shapeshifters.
"Roman and Riker. Roddiseus' kids. They're shapeshifters who can fuse together to form an incredible powerful black swarm." I filled her in. "So if you see them, don't try to fight them alone."
"Yeah. Alright." She nodded.
"Skylar," I looked up at Oliver. He jerked his head towards the park entrance, "we better get back before someone realizes we're gone."
I nodded, knowing he was right. Crossbow and I both got up. "Take care of yourself." I told her, giving her one final hug.
"I'm so glad I got to see you again, Skylar." She replied. "We'll have to get together when all this blows."
"Definitely." I agreed.
"And thanks for the heads up." Crossbow added, nodding at Oliver appreciatively. Oliver and I started away from her, but I stopped a few feet away.
"Thank you, Oliver. Really." I told him, taking his hand again.
"My pleasure." He assured me.
"The pleasure's all mine." We spun around at the sound of another's voice. Behind us stood Roman, the older of the two brothers.
"Come on! Seriously?" Oliver held up our still clasped hands. "We're having a moment!"
I pulled my hand away, staring at Roman. "Is that one of the guys you just showed me?"
"Yeah, this is…" Oliver paused. "I wanna say Riker."
"Roman." The villain corrected with a roll of his eyes.
"So close." Oliver muttered.
"Nice work. You played right into my hands." Roman sneered, beginning to pace. "And as a thank you, I'm gonna let you watch your friend perish."
"I don't think so." Crossbow retorted. She reached down and ripped her uniform off with a single pull, revealing the black and red superhero suit underneath.
"Velcro." Oliver hummed, impressed. "Smart."
"Stand down." Crossbow said to us. "He's mine."
She raised her right hand, and a golden, high-tech crossbow slid out of her glove, assembling itself. "You know what's the worst thing about being a groundskeeper?" She questioned, glaring daggers at Roman. "After I fill you with arrows, I'm going to have to clean up the mess."
Without another moment, she shot an arrow at Roman's chest, not holding anything back. He reacted instantly, spinning around, ripping a street sign from the ground, and used it to deflect the arrow back at Crossbow. She dodged it with ease, but looked a little surprised to see him react so smoothly.
"My turn." He smirked cockily. He spun around again, this time generating power, the energy flowing directly into the metal sign, before he propelled it right at Crossbow. She tried to leap out of the way, but as she hadn't been expecting it, she didn't get away in time. The sign knocked her flat on her back, the air rushing from her lungs.
"Crossbow!" I shouted, rushing towards her. I knelt next to her, making sure she was okay, before glaring at Roman.
Dani's POV
"He seriously that?" I laughed as Calla, Bree, and I walked into the penthouse, smoothies in our hands. Calla nodded, smiling.
"And this was, like, a week after they started going out too." Bree added, giggling. Chase looked up from the book he was reading.
"What are you guys talking about?" He asked. We all looked at each other and started laughing. "What?"
"Nothing." Calla replied, a smirk on her face as she headed for the hyperlift.
"No, tell me!" The boy insisted, only making us laugh more.
"I want to check the list again, see if anyone else has responded." I commented, following Calla into the hyperlift.
"Seriously, what are you guys laughing at me for?" Chase called just before we sped down into mission command.
"I can't believe he erased your memory right after you started dating." I smirked. "I mean, that's something you do after you've screwed up a relationship not before."
"I know, right?" Calla smirked as we stepped out. "Oh, hey Kaz."
Kaz spun around, turning his back to the cyberdesk. "Oh, hey…you guys."
"What are you doing?" I asked curiously.
"Um…" He thought for a moment. "I just wanted to go over the superhero location list one more time."
"Why?" Calla questioned.
"To make sure there's no typos." He explained. Calla and I exchanged looks.
"Bree was telling me earlier about how the last time you texted her, you misspelled LOL." Calla said cautiously, frowning. "Why are you so worried about typos?"
"Just pull up the list." Kaz insisted harshly.
"Alright, chill." I walked past him to open up the cyberdesk. "There's no need to snap."
"It's fine. He's probably still cranky because Chase took away his dolls." She teased. Kaz gave her a blank look.
"What does that even mean?" He questioned, confused. That made us stop. How did he not know what she meant? I mean, unless he accidently wiped his memory with that neural scrambler, but I thought Calla hid that away to avoid just that.
"Uh, the dolls? The ones you were just playing with earlier?" I prompted. He nodded, still looking confused.
"Oh, right." He paused before adding, "Those were, um, very special to me."
Okay, that was just plain weird. Calla put her hand on my arm, gently pushing me away from him.
"Hey, Kaz, what did those dolls look like?" She questioned suspiciously. He froze, unsure of the answer, and that was all the confirmation we needed. Calla whipped her plasma gun, aiming it at his forehead. "Who are you?"
Kaz flipped into the air, shapeshifting mid-air, first into a cloud, then into the younger of the evil shapeshifting brothers. "Riker."
"I'm taking that list." He informed us. "The only question is, how much I have to hurt you to get it."
Skylar's POV
"Right now, my brother's retrieving your list of superheroes and taking out the rest of your team." Roman sneered. "So congratulations. You're all failing at the same time."
I grit my teeth together. Oliver got to his feet. "You protect Crossbow." He told me, clenching his fists. "I'll take him out with my super strength."
He glared at Roman, who only looked amused. "You're going down." He said before charging at Roman, screaming. Roman kicked him hard in the gut, sending Oliver sprawling back down to the ground.
"A for effort." I told him, patting his shoulder before getting up myself. "You're really getting on my nerves." I growled to Roman.
I charged at him, swinging my fists at his head. He dodged the blows, spinning around to try and take me off guard. It worked a bit, as he did manage to jab me right in the stomach. I stumbled back, into the bench we'd been sitting on earlier, but before he could get another punch in, I leapt into the air, landing on top of the bench with steady feet before attempting to kick him in the head. The first kicked missed, so I tried again, only for him to grab my leg with a steel-like grip. He flipped me over his shoulder and slammed me into the ground as hard as he could. I groaned in agony, writhing on the ground as he stepped over me, heading for Crossbow.
"Come here." He growled, forcing her to her feet. He raised a glowing, purple fist. "Say goodbye to your besties."
"Roman, wait!" I turned my head to see Riker race into the park. "Don't do it."
"Why not?" The older brother demanded.
"I've got the list, but they've already sent out the alert." Riker explained. "The other superheroes know we're coming. Let's keep her alive so we can use her as bait, to draw them to us."
"Good idea." Roman dropped his fist, then ducked down and lifted Crossbow over his shoulder. He rolled his eyes when she tried to protest that she was capable of walking, "shut it!"
"Don't move!" Oh, thank goodness. Just then, Chase, Bree, Calla, and Dani all raced into the park, ready for a fight.
"They must have followed me." Riker cursed.
"They'll be sorry they did." Roman replied as Oliver and I climbed to our feet. Roman tossed Crossbow to the side like she was a ragdoll, then held his arm out to his brother. Riker took it, and the two prepared to attack.
"Watch out!" I shouted, backing up slightly. "They're making their swarm."
But then, something weird happened: nothing. They didn't transform, they didn't attack, they didn't do anything. "…Why isn't it working?" Roman hissed after a moment.
"Probably because I'm not Riker." Riker smirked before punching Roman in the gut. Roman dropped to the floor, much to the other's pleasure. Riker, or not-Riker, raised his hand to his neck, where he pressed down on a faint, silver colored, translucent square. Suddenly, his entire body changed, transforming into Bree's.
"What?" Oliver questioned, confused. He looked over at the Bree standing between Chase and Dani, but she too raised her hand to her neck and transformed, this time turning into Kaz.
"You just got cyber-cloaked!" Bree mocked, smirking.
"That's right! And I was Bree!" Kaz chuckled.
"Why?" I asked the obvious questioned. He shrugged.
"I don't know. I just really wanted to use the cyber cloak." He explained. Roman slowly got up, looking between all of us.
"Where's my brother?" He questioned. Dani smirked and crossed her arms.
"Locked in an industrial freezer." She said cockily. "That way, he can't shape-shift his way out."
"Give up, Roman." Calla advised. "You've been outsmarted and outnumbered."
Roman looked at us, frowning angrily when we all circled him, blocking his escape in every direction. Then, he leapt into the air, flew above our heads, and landed just behind Oliver and I, just a couple of feet away from Crossbow. She tried to get up and get away, but he grabbed her first, forcing her to her feet and holding a purple, glowing fist in front of her face. "Well, this is interesting." He commented, eyeing us.
"Let her go, Roman." Oliver told him, glaring. Roman smirked a little.
"How about a trade?" He proposed.
"Crossbow for your brother." Dani nodded. He laughed darkly and shook his head.
"Crossbow for my brother, and the list." He countered.
"That's not a fair trade." Oliver refused.
"Yes, because up to this point, he seemed like such an honorable guy." Bree commented sarcastically.
"Don't do it." Crossbow struggled against Roman's grip, but there was a fierce look on her face. "It's not worth it."
"To them it might be." Roman looked directly at me. "That's my offer. Take it, or say goodbye to Crossbow forever."
"Stop." I said quickly as he pulled his arm back, more energy swirling around it. "We'll take the deal."
I glanced back at the others, and though they didn't look like they were happy about it, no one argued with me. "Skylar, please don't." I looked back at the sound of Crossbow's voice. She looked at me imploringly. "If Roman and Riker get that list, they'll take out every superhero on it."
"She's got a point." Calla murmured.
"We'll find a way to stop them." I insisted.
"And what if we can't?" Chase challenged. "You're putting the life of one hero over all the rest."
"I can't just let her die." I insisted. "If she were your friend, you'd take the deal."
"She's right." Dani agreed. I nodded at her, grateful to have at least one friend on my side.
"I'm with Skylar." Oliver added. Chase sighed, then nodded at me to continue.
"I'll get Riker and the list." Bree offered, before speeding off. She returned half a second later, one hand holding a memory stick, and the other gripping onto the sleeve of a very cold-looking Riker.
"Good choice." Roman commented. "Let him go."
Bree pushed Riker forwards and he walked over to his brother, scowling at us angrily.
"Now the list." Roman continued.
"Crossbow first." I retorted. Roman glanced at her, then at me.
"Same time." He decided.
"Don't do it!" Crossbow protested. She looked at me. "Skylar, you've done all you could to protect me. Just keep the other heroes safe."
"No." I shook my head. "I'm just going to let you die."
I took the list from Bree and placed it in Roman's hands. Like he promised, he released Crossbow, shoving her forward towards us. "This is it!" He proclaimed, smirking. "Everything we need to wipe out the rest of these pathetic heroes."
He looked at his brother, then tossed the memory stick into the air, towards him. "You keep this safe."
Everything seemed to slow down then, and I watched as Crossbow raised her weapon and shot an arrow towards the stick. It hit its target with pinpoint accuracy, destroying the memory stick mid-air. "No!" Roman shouted in fury before spinning and shooting a blast of energy at Crossbow. It hit her before anyone could react, throwing her into a nearby rock. She hit it hard and slid to the ground, unmoving.
"Crossbow!" I screamed, rushing towards my friend. I knelt down next to her, looking at her hopelessly. She looked hurt, bad, with a deep looking gash in the side of her head. "Crossbow!"
Her eyes fluttered open. "Don't…let them…win." She managed to gasp before her entire body went limp, her head rolling.
"No, no, no!" I murmured, shaking her to try and wake her up.
"She doesn't have a pulse." Kaz murmured quietly, checking her wrist.
"One superhero down." I heard Roman brag. I stood up, shaking in anger. "And now, time to exterminate the rest. List or no list."
That was it. I leapt towards them, catching their fists as they tried to fight back, then flipped backwards and used my super speed to push them away as hard as I could. They stumbled backwards and I smirked, remembering when Crossbow taught me that move, during my first few days a superhero. Before they could properly recover, I sent a powerful wave of energy their way, knocking them back to the ground.
"Forget this!" Riker shouted, climbing to his feet. "I'm out!"
True to his word, he left, shapeshifting into a bird and flying away as fast as his wings could carry him. "Riker!" Roman shouted, clearly pissed. "Get back here, you coward!"
He looked at us, then back in the direction of his brother. "This isn't over." He told us, before shapeshifting into a crow and flying away. "Skylar." Dani called me back over to the group. I walked over, staring at Crossbow's body.
"We should…" Chase glanced at me. "We should get her out of here."
"Right, yeah." I nodded, bending down to help.
Xxx
I couldn't break my gaze away from Crossbow's prone body, lying on top of the cyberdesk. She was dead, and she would still be alive right now if I hadn't gone to find her.
"Crossbow sacrificed herself so that others could live." Bree told me, trying to make me feel better. "She's a true hero."
"This is all my fault." I murmured.
"Skylar, that's not true." Chase promised me. "No one blames you."
I turned to look at him. "Well, you should. I messed everything up."
"No, I was the one who offered to take you to Crossbow." Oliver commented, crossing his arms. "I just couldn't stand to see you hurting."
"Thanks, Oliver." I placed my hand on his arm. "But I started this. And now I have to live with it."
There was a long moment of silence, then, "Oh my God, we're all idiots."
We all turned to look at Dani, confused. She was grinning ear to ear. "Okay, Dee, we're gonna need a little more than that to figure out why you're smiling." Kaz told her. She turned to Oliver.
"Crossbow's gloves, they're powers by Horologrian pearls, right?" She asked, a twinkle in her eye. Oliver frowned at her, confused for a moment, then it cleared
"Just like the self-regeneration paddles at Mighty Med." He realized. "Dani, that's genius!"
"I have my moments." The short-haired girl smirked.
"What are they talking about?" Bree whispered to Calla. She shrugged, watching the siblings like a hawk.
"Do you guys think we can use the energy from Crossbow's gloves to repair the damage to her body?" Kaz guessed.
"It's worth a shot." Oliver nodded. The rest of us watched as Kaz and Dani each pulled off one of Crossbow's gloves. But before they could do anything with them, Oliver stopped them. "Wait, I just thought of something. The gloves will just direct the energy away from her body, not into it like we need them to."
"Turn them inside out?" Kaz looked at Dani. She shrugged and followed his lead, turning the gloves inside out before slipping Crossbow's hands back into them. Almost immediately, her body began to shake violently, golden waves us energy flowing through her veins. She stilled after a moment, only for her to sit up, gasping for breath. She looked around in confusion, while we all stared.
"Holy crap." Bree stated, staring with wide eyes.
"I don't believe it!" I laughed in amazement as Dani help Crossbow sit up.
"You…" Calla furrowed her brow in confusion, "…You brought her back from the dead by turning her gloves inside out?"
"Superheroes." Chase shook his head. "I give up."
Dani's POV
"Seriously, that's not even scientifically possible!" A couple of hours later, and Calla still couldn't stop staring at Crossbow. It was pretty funny, actually. "I mean…" She glanced at me and my brother before turning back to the hero in question. "You seriously learned that at Mighty Med."
"Yes." Ollie sighed for millionth time. Calla nodded, frowning.
"I should go." Crossbow announced, getting up from the kitchen counter, where and Skylar had spent the last couple of hours chatting.
"You're not staying?" Skylar sounded disappointed.
"Sorry, but now that my civilian cover's been blown, it's time I moved on." She told her friend apologetically. She looked over at me, Ollie, and Kaz. "Thank you for saving my life."
"No problem." We replied. Skylar gave her friend a hug.
"Come back any time." She told her. "And if you ever need help, don't be afraid to ask."
"Right back at you. Call me if you guys need anything." Crossbow replied. She looked at us. "And good luck against Roman and Riker."
"Thanks." "Bye." We said, watching her leave, just as Chase came up from mission command.
"Good news." He announced. "All of the superheroes on the list have received our encrypted message and responded."
"Thank goodness." Bree sighed in relief.
"But that still leaves the bad news." Kaz reminded her. "Roman and Riker are still out there."
"And something tells me that they're not giving up." I added sullenly.
Roman's POV
"This is all your fault!" I hissed to Riker as our father paced around us. He was angry, that was much was obvious, and it was all because Riker was too much of a coward to fight Skylar Storm.
"I don't care whose fault it is." Our father snapped at me as he paced. "First you fail to procure the list of superheroes, and then you fail to capture even one member of this so-called Elite Force."
"We'll get them." I promised. "We just need more time."
"We don't have more time!" He roared at me.
"We did kill another superhero." Riker pointed out.
"And you think that matters?" Father snapped. "There's not enough left for them to be a threat."
He looked at me in disgust. "It was a mistake to think that I could count on you, my eldest son, to make your father proud."
"Just tell us what to do. We can take down the Elite Force." I insisted.
"You've done enough. It's time to switch things up." Father smiled darkly. "This time, the Elite Force won't know what hit them."
Kihonne: Alright, what did you guys think? Good, bad? Somewhere in between? Let me know! Reviews fuel my desire to write. Well, and cookies, but those are really hard to send over the site, so let's stick with reviews. Anyway, here's the schedule for the next few updates:
February 27th: Coming Through in The Clutch
March 6th: The Intruder
March 13th: A Friend in Need
March 20th: The Rock
Anyway, I'll see you guys next week! Until then, don't forget to read, review, and have a good one!