It had now been a week since Kat and Marco got their powers and since the failed hit on Chemistro by the Scourge of the Underworld things had been quiet on both sides leaving the two young heroes with no one to bust aside from the common criminals such aa the bank robbers they had beaten up on their first outing as heroes.
"Man, what's with my upper back recently?" Kat groaned as she looked at her upper back in the mirror in front of her bed which was also attached to her wardrobe. "It's been hurting like hell ever since me and Marco busted that jewelry store robbery on Saturday and I'm pretty sure that none of the robbers were strong enough to do any permanent damage to my spine, in fact the only guy I've fought recently with that kind of strength was Rhino and all the damage he did was to my ribs" Kat thought before sighing and grabbing a hairbrush. "I'll give it until tomorrow, if my back is still hurting then I'll ask my parents if they can take me to the hospital."
"Getting ready to go out for some Superheroics?" Kat looked up and saw her mother standing by the door to her room with her arms crossed. "Seems that's the only thing you have time for these days."
"Sorry mom, me and Marco have to work extra hard to improve our reputations due to our poor choices of hero names." Kat responded sheepishly before she finished brushing her hair and flipped it so that it was behind her shoulders. "Besides, I'm not going out on patrol just yet, Marco's finally getting a mode of transportation for himself and whilst I'm glad that I don't have to keep carrying him around that means we won't be going out on patrol until the early afternoon at least."
"I understand, I just wanted a chance to talk to you before you went out." Lin responded before she stepped into the room and Kat turned to her. "Look at you, you've grown up so fast and into a beautiful young woman at that, Marco's a lucky man."
"Or he will be as soon as I get around to telling him how I feel." Kat thought before swinging her legs over so that she was looking directly at her mom. "I know mom, it's not like you haven't been reminding me of that at every opportunity."
"Doesn't make it any less true." Lin responded before frowning. "Though you would look better in make-up."
"Yeah I tried using make-up on my first day out as Dragon Girl." Katrina responded as she motioned over to her make-up kit. "I don't know if it's the stuff I've been using or whatever but when I got home from patrol to get changed for the meal out my mask had smudged up my make-up to hell and back, ended up being late because I had to reapply it but since then I've decided to not bother with make-up when I go out on patrol."
"I suppose that makes sense." Lin nodded in understanding before sighing. "Look Kat, I've always called you my Xiao tianshi for good reason, because I knew you'd be a force for good in the world, it was fated."
"Right, I've always been your little angel." Kat responded with a small laugh. "Man, I used to hate that nickname as a little girl but now that I'm a Superhero it makes a lot more sense, pity the Angel name is already taken and Dragon Angel just doesn't sound right."
"Your still an angel, just in another way." Lin responded, and Kat grinned in response. "That said, I had hoped that you would never resort to violence, that's why I suggested you take up a nonviolent sport after you developed an interest in athletics, but I now know that you share the same passion for justice as your father, just in a different way." Lin added before pulling her daughter in for a hug and Kat reciprocated it. "I only ask that you be careful Kat, you are strong but there are stronger beings out there and as you are my only child I don't want your flame to be snuffed out early."
"Don't worry mom, I'll be careful." Kat responded with a reassuring grin as she pulled away from the hug. "So, how goes the hunt for line cooks?"
"Pretty good, I've been able to recruit some boys from other Asian American families and I've started teaching them how to cook my dishes, most of them are around your age." Lin added, and Kat blushed a little bit knowing where this was going. "If you weren't already in a relationship with Marco I would probably introduce you to them."
"Well, maybe if things don't work out with Marco." Kat thought before getting a text and getting her phone out. "Marco's waiting outside, something about having a new hot ride."
"I hope he isn't talking about cheating on you." Lin responded with a frown, but Kat ignored her as she stood up with a groan as she felt her upper back ache. "Something wrong Kat?"
"Huh? Oh that, I'm not sure really." Kat responded with a shrug as she turned to her mother. "Recently I've been getting upper back pains, at first I thought it was nagging injuries from my fight against Rhino but my injuries from that fight where to my ribs." Kat added with a frown. "I don't think its related to my boobs either, even if my boobs were bigger than a C-Cup that kind of back pain only affects the lower back."
"Has it been irritating you?" Lin asked with a concerned look on her face and Kat shrugged.
"Only mildly but it seems to get worse as the days go on, barely even noticed it when it first started happening." Kat explained with a shrug and Lin nodded.
"Okay, we'll keep an eye on it, if the pain becomes to great we'll go straight to the hospital to have your back checked." Lin responded, and Kat grinned in response.
"Thanks mom." Kat responded before getting another text. "I'd better get going."
"Be safe Katrina." Lin called out to her daughter who nodded before leaving her bedroom. "Between Howard's work for the NYPD and Kat's Superhero antics I fear that I may end up burying one of them, hopefully my fears don't come to pass." Lin thought before standing up and leaving the room.
*outside*
"Why do I get the feeling that this isn't what Kat thought I meant when I texted her about my hot new ride?" Marco thought as he sat inside his new car which had been a present to him from his dad, it wasn't an expensive model, but it was a nice enough car which Marco had wasted no time in loading up with his CDs. "Now what should I play first? Lamb of God? Testament? Exodus? Dragonforce?" Marco thought before shaking his head. "Considering her powers, Kat might find Dragonforce a little too on the nose." Marco's train of thought was interrupted when the car door opened, and he looked up. "Morning Kat."
"Morning." Kat responded before hopping in the passenger side. "When you said, "hot new ride" I thought they had finished your hoverboard already." Kat said before putting the seatbelt on. "My mom thought that you were being refreshingly honest about cheating on me but then again, she still thinks we're a couple."
"Nah, the hoverboard's still being tested as of my last conversation with Cap which was last night." Marco responded as he started the car. "And if we were dating, I wouldn't cheat on you! For one thing, you can easily kick my ass all over New York!"
"At least you admit that." Kat responded with a grin as she started fidgeting with her hair. "So, what's the plan? Drive around New York for a while?"
"Well, its not like we have anywhere to be, Cap's given us the day off from training due to Avenger business and, well, we both know what happened to the school." Marco added before grinning. "And yeah, I know you can fly around New York pretty easily but in here we'll have some privacy." Marco added, and Kat grinned as she got the idea. "And yes, I did bring them." Marco added before motioning to the bags in the backseat. "And by them, I mean our Superhero costumes, you never know what might happen."
"Just try to avoid the area where we almost got carjacked and killed again." Kat requested as Marco started driving off. "Never mind the fact that I nearly got gang raped, if you got carjacked twice in a row I don't think your dad would ever let you live it down."
"Sophia definitely wouldn't but dad? After how much money he spent on this thing he'd have a mental breakdown if I got carjacked again." Marco responded getting a laugh out of Kat. "Can we just talk about how crazy this past week has been? At the beginning of the week, we were just two new students at Mid-Town High and one week later we have mutant powers, are on good terms with most Superheroes and are Superheroes ourselves."
"Yeah, tell me about it, when I moved to New York I thought the craziest thing that was going to happen in my life was learning of some big bust my dad was apart off." Kat responded with a grin on her face as the two teens drove around. "And now we're getting training for our Superpowers from Captain America, a guy I've had so many dreams about…..."
"I'm going to stop you there Kat, because your making it sound like you had wet dreams involving you and a guy who's technically old enough to be your great grandfather." Marco responded, and Kat blushed like a madwoman once she realized that Marco was right. "And that is wrong on so many levels!"
"I meant fighting side by side as Superheroes!" Kat asserted, and Marco laughed. "I'm serious! I only had that kind of dream once anyway, not counting the gang rape nightmares, that involved me in a threesome with two guys dressed as Iron Man and Captain America and I swear to god, if you tell them that I said that then I'm taking this car straight to the nearest junkyard and scrapping it! And no, I don't mean by driving it." Kat added, and Marco nearly doubled over in laughter.
"I know your strong, but can you even lift a car?" Marco asked before face-palming. "I just asked a girl with Super Strength "can you even lift", good god, what has my life come too?!"
"Still not as bad as the entire reason we nearly got carjacked last week." Kat responded with a grin and Marco groaned. "And as for that dream I mentioned, what can I say? My first time trying alcohol was rough!"
"Not sure if your talking about the dream sex or the hangover." Marco responded, and Kat death-glared at him. "Changing subject! Look as long as we don't meet someone like Professor X or someone with similar abilities we should be okay."
"I hope so! God, having those kinds of dreams was so much easier before I met them in real life." Kat responded as she shook her head. "Let's just focus on driving around New York before I get tempted to go through with my threat!"
"Sounds good to me!" Marco responded with a nervous laugh as the two teens drove off.
*meanwhile*
Back at Scourge Headquarters Target had a very important decision to make regarding Kara as he looked over her file.
"One of the earliest recruits, Chemistro was her first hit, no family in New York or the surrounding area." Target muttered to himself as he read her file. "And the first Scourge to fail to kill her target, yet I am giving her another chance, why?"
"I don't know, because she has a great set of tits?" Shaun asked as he walked up behind Target and the Englishmen turned around. "You should've cut her lose, she didn't even have any firearms training when she joined."
"Neither did you and no, I don't count going to the shooting range every Saturday as firearms training." Target responded before turning his back on Shaun. "Besides, I asked you for the current location of our targets."
"Right." Shaun responded before picking up the list. "Termite's still in jail, no one's bothered to try to kill him since The Enforcer was killed by the original Scourge of the Underworld organization whilst on a mission to kill him, no one's seen or heard from Green Goblin in months and a villain that dangerous won't be easy to get close too anyway, Blowtorch just got out of Rykers and from all reports he's back to his old tricks and Lady Stiltman…" Shaun commented before shaking his head. "Lady Stiltman? Seriously? Was Stiltwoman too simple for that idiot?!"
"I asked for her current location, not your opinion on her name." Target responded, and Shaun nodded.
"She's been in hiding ever since she fell down a manhole whilst fighting Spider-Man, and that's not counting the hits that are being carried out." Shaun responded before pocketing the list. "Speaking of hits, what are we going to do about Chemistro?"
"He's in protective custody courtesy of the NYPD." Target responded with a frown under his mask. "The last time a Scourge operative tried to kill a villain whilst in custody Spider-Man got involved and besides that, escape will be a lot harder."
"So, forget about him?" Shaun asked, and Target nodded. "I'll keep you posted on any targets becoming available for killing." Shaun added before walking off whilst Target stared intently at pictures of Marco and Kat that were now on the wall in front of him.
*later*
It was still early at the restaurant, but Lin was as busy as ever preparing everything that needed to be ready in advance for that night's service and with the help of the new line-cooks that was easier than ever, still that didn't stop some famous customers from coming over.
"I don't usually open the restaurant this early." Lin admitted as she brought Captain America some tea which he was happy to take. "But for the man who's helping my daughter live her dreams? I'm willing to make an exception."
"The pleasures all mine Mrs. Lao." Captain America responded with a nod of gratitude, Steve was in his civilian clothes, but it was easy to tell who it was once you knew what to look for. "Your daughter's taken to her new role rather quickly, questionable name choice aside off course."
"I remember telling her over the weekend "if you wanted to run your Superhero name by anyone, you should've asked me"." Lin chuckled as she sat down opposite the hero. "But she's always been a stubborn one, I guess she got it from me."
"My, my, what a charming little restaurant." Lin looked up and saw several finely dressed yet intimidating men walking into the restaurant with the source of the voice, a man in his early fifties with short grey hair who was also wearing a suit, being in the middle of the crowd. "I tire of all these fine dining places, for me nothing beats a good mom and pop restaurant."
"Unfortunately, this mom and pop restaurant is closed until dinner service." Lin said as she walked up to the man with her arms crossed. "So, if you want to taste my food, you'll have to come back later."
"Oh, I understand." The man responded before holding out his hand for a handshake. "My name is Julius Drexo, I am an investor of sorts."
"We already have enough investors, now leave and come back later." Lin said as she went to escort Julius out of the restaurant but two of his thugs got in her path.
"I'm afraid you misunderstand me." Julius chuckled as he looked around the restaurant. "I am what I like to call a protection investor, lots of nasty sorts all around this city, in fact I understand that your daughter was nearly sexually assaulted by such a gang."
"That is none of your business." Lin responded as her eyes narrowed. "And if you know what's good for you, you'll leave my daughter out of this!"
"You see, I find that impossible to do, the fact that she's a mutant is the worst kept secret in the city and you already had one protest group attempt to ruin your dinner service simply because she was working on the line." Julius responded as the thugs started cracking their knuckles. "It would be a shame if something happened to this establishment, wouldn't it? How much of your own money do you have invested in it hmm? Two thousand? Three? Four?"
"That is none of your business and I believe she asked you to leave." Steve said as he marched up to the thugs and they scoffed. "This is her restaurant and she has the right to refuse service to anyone so even if this was dinner service I'd still strongly suggest that you leave."
"What do we have here? A good Samaritan?" Julius scoffed as he looked over Steve. "Boys make an example out of this punk to anyone else who might try something like this." Julius said as he adjusted his tie. "After all, her mutiie daughter isn't here to save her."
"Stand back Mrs. Lao." Steve whispered to her and she nodded without hesitation. "This is your last warning, leave now and no one gets hurt."
"Poor deluded fool, you're the only one who needs to worry about getting hurt." Julius scoffed before motioning to the guards to attack, the thug nearest Steve swung with his fist but Steve dodged under it effortlessly before using the thug's momentum to judo throw him to the ground, the one behind Steve tried a sneak attack only for Steve to spin around and punch him in the gut knocking the wind right out of him.
"Julius, if I where you I'd be more concerned with investing in medical insurance for your thugs." Steve said as he glanced towards the two thugs he had just beat up. "I won't say this again, leave or you'll get worse."
"Come on boys, it's clear that our business isn't needed here." Julius responded as the two thugs were helped up before they all left.
"Thank you, Captain America." Lin said once she was sure that Julius and his thugs were out of earshot and Steve grinned in response. "I knew opening a restaurant here was a risky move but as long as you're here and my daughter's around I shouldn't have to worry."
"Not a problem." Steve responded before glancing up at the newly installed CCTV cameras. "Don't suppose you have video of that incident, do you?"
"Off course, I'll go get the tapes now." Lin responded before heading into the house, once she was gone Steve put a hand to an earpiece.
"It's Steve, I need you to run a name through a few databases for me." Steve said into the earpiece and listened to the response. "Julius Drexo, mob boss of some kind, just tried to extort Katrina's mother for protection money."
*later*
It had taken them an hour, but Marco and Kat had driven out to a spot on the outskirts of the city that overlooked the large area, the two teens were sat down on the grass next to each other and Kat had a big grin on her face.
"Feels like an eternity since we've been this far away from the big city." Kat commented as she leaned back with her legs crossed and her hands on the ground. "And yeah, I know we only moved to New York two weeks ago Marco."
"Yeah and things were so normal back then, no superpowers, no run ins with Supervillains." Marco responded before sighing and laying back on the grass. "Look, that cloud looks like Stone after you sent him flying."
"I don't think a cloud can be that ugly!" Kat responded with a grin getting a laugh out of Marco. "Unless it's a storm cloud off course!"
"Yeah, might not be a good idea to go out flying in a storm, just my two cents." Marco responded before Kat groaned and rubbed her back in pain. "Still experiencing that back pain?"
"Yep, and I'm still clueless as to it's origin." Kat responded with a sigh as she glanced up at the clouds. "Remember when we last came here and I went on a bit of a ramble about how I dreamt of flying with the birds?"
"And I pointed out the high risk of you getting sucked into a plane engine if you went to high?" Marco responded, and Kat nodded. "I mean, if you stay low enough you'll be fine but any higher and it'd be like Icarus getting to close to the sun."
"Only a lot gorier." Kat nodded in agreement before sighing. "Marco, I've been thinking about what you said last week, near the end of the hostage crises at Mid-Town High?"
"You mean my declaration of love?" Marco asked, and Kat nodded. "What about it?" Marco asked, and he quickly got his answer as Kat shifted her weight until she was on top of him.
"How's this for an answer?" Kat asked before she went in for a kiss, Marco was all ready to reciprocate the kiss and whatever else Kat had in mind but just as their lips was close enough for the kiss Kat's ring tone went off. "Ugh, seriously?"
"Can't you ignore it? I mean we had a good thing going." Marco asked, and Kat checked her phone.
"I'd better answer, it's my mom." Kat responded as she shook her head before getting off Marco and sitting up before she answered it. "Hi mom, no you weren't interrupting anything, me and Marco were just talking." Kat lied as Marco sat up. "WHAT?!"
"That doesn't sound good." Marco thought as the Chinese girl got up and ran over to the car.
"I'll be right over mom, don't worry." Kat added before hanging up. "Marco, which bag has my stuff in it?"
"The one closest to the door your next too." Marco responded, and Kat quickly opened it and started putting on her Dragon Girl outfit on top of her regular clothes not caring about the fact that her regular clothes included a top that covered her midriff. "Why?"
"Some mobster just tried to extort money from mom." Kat responded as she put the mask on and Marco's eyes widened. "She's fine, Captain America was there to scare off the thugs, but I need to be there, and I can get there a lot faster flying."
"No worries, I guess we'll pick up were we left off another time?" Marco asked, and Kat sighed.
"Sorry, that seemed like a perfect time to cement our relationship." Kat responded before she started to fly. "See you back in the city."
"Will do, feel free to use your backpack to store the outfit." Marco responded, and Kat nodded before flying off. "Man, I was so close, hope Kat kicks that mobster's ass for cockblockng me!" Marco thought before he went over to his car.
*a bit later*
It had taken her twenty minutes, but Kat had arrived back at the restaurant and had landed on the roof of the building, Kat took a moment to make sure no one was looking before she started taking off the Dragon Girl outfit.
"Son of a bitch! I should've been here!" Kat thought as she stripped down to her civilian clothes and quickly stuffed her Dragon Girl outfit into the backpack. "Thank god Cap was there, I shudder to think what could've happened."
"The criminal element is a nasty thing, isn't it?" Kat looked up and realized that she wasn't alone on the rooftop as Target was standing across from her. "Your mother would've never been put in danger if it was eliminated, don't you agree?"
"Who are you?" Kat asked as she straightened up and slung the backpack over her shoulder. "Are you the scumbag that tried to extort money from my mom?"
"Don't insult me." Target responded as he stepped forward. "They call me Target, I am the leader of an organization that seeks to eliminate the criminal element."
"You mean the Scourge of the Underworld." Kat responded before folding her arms. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't go get Cap."
"Because we are doing the work neither you nor your father have the guts to do." Target said before withdrawing his gun and inspecting it. "We can work together Katrina, eliminate the criminal element once and for all, no thugs to extort money from your mother, you'll no longer have to worry if your father will return home or not, you can focus on your athletics career, think off the possibilities!" Target added and that gave Kat pause. "If there was no criminal element there would've been no criminals to attempt to violate you on your first day in the city."
"He raises some good points." Kat thought before shaking her head. "No! I don't care if you bring up some good points Target, there's no way in hell I'd sink to your level." Kat added before grabbing her phone. "In fact, I could just as easily call Captain America right now and he could…." Kat never finished her sentence as a single gunshot rang out and the bullet impacted her phone destroying it in the process. "Hey! That was a Christmas present!"
"Naïve, foolish girl." Target scoffed as he started to walk away. "We will meet again Katrina and next time I won't be so polite, they call me Target because I never miss and next time? Your phone will be the least of your worries!"
"How the hell am I supposed to explain this to dad?!" Kat thought as she stared at the destroyed phone, when she looked up again however Target was long gone. "Target, great, my first Supervillain who doesn't belong to anyone else's rogue's gallery and he shares a name with a popular supermarket chain!"
"I told you, I thought I heard the gunshot from up here." Kat looked up and saw Captain America climbing up the fire escape she had planned to use before the conversation with Target, when Cap saw her however his expression turned to one of concern. "Kat are you hurt?"
"No, aside from my back pain the only thing damaged is my phone." Kat responded as she held up the destroyed phone. "And you wouldn't believe who I just had a conversation with."
"I fought in the second world war and have been a Superhero a lot longer than you." Captain America responded as he folded his arms. "Try me."
"He calls himself Target." Kat responded as she leaned back. "Apparently he runs the revived Scourge organization, not only that but he tried to recruit me."
"I take it the recruitment was unsuccessful?" Captain America responded, and Kat nodded. "We'd better get downstairs, your mother's worried sick and don't worry about your phone, I'm sure I can talk Stark into buying you a replacement."
"Thanks Cap." Kat responded with a nod before following Cap down the fire escape.
*that evening across town*
Whilst that was going on at the family restaurant something different was happening at one of the seedier nightclubs across town.
"Ladies, ladies, don't fight over me!" Blare said as he left the nightclub in the company of several scantily clad women, the Supervillain had just gotten out of jail after a very brief run in with Spider-Man nearly twenty years ago but still seemed to be up to his old tracks. "There's plenty of Blare to go around! Besides, I could've beaten Spider-Man all those years ago."
"Oh really?" One of the bouncers asked before producing a shotgun from her jacket. "But can you beat death itself?" Blare never got a chance to answer as the bouncer, in reality the Scourge of the Underworld agent Kara, shot him through the back killing him instantly as he collapsed among his lady friends. "Justice is served, Blare." Kara added before pocketing the gun and running off in the confusion.
"Excellent work Kara." Target complemented her through his earpiece as she ran off. "Your getaway vehicle awaits down that alley, you've managed to earn a stay of execution for your failed hit on Chemistro."
"I would be a fool to think that that was all I needed to do to make up for that mistake." Kara thought as she hopped into the back of the truck and it sped off whilst she got changed out of her disguise. "Sooner or later, I will get another shot at Chemistro and next time, that Dragon Girl won't be there to save him!"
