It was already dark when the three teenagers stood outside the cave that leads into what was and presumably is still, the ISA base of operations. Hourman and Dr. Mid-Nite were already there waiting patiently for Wildcat to show up. And she did, landing from the branches of the trees beside them.
"There you are," Hourman said.
"Well, I had to wait till my parents were asleep okay?" the brunette shot back." So good to go?" asked the Latina stretching her arms. "Any second thoughts?"
Hourman shook his head in confirmation while Beth just looked around the darkness nervously as a faint roar echoed throughout the woods.
"Probably Grundy," Hourman shrugged.
"Yeah, probably," Dr. Mid-Nite looked around before pressing the side of her goggles. "Chuck, are you reading anything from inside the base?" the girl asked.
"Nothing, Beth. The base appears to be completely empty."
"That can't be right," Yolanda muttered.
"Maybe, they are using some new kind of tech to conceal themselves?" Rick suggested.
"Then the only way of finding out is going in," Yolanda said.
"Uhm… that is a terrible idea," Beth protested.
"How else do you suggest we find out what we need to know?" asked the Latina before walking towards the cave.
"Well, we could…." Beth stopped before realizing there was no better way. "Fine… but what if… someone attacks?"
"We can fight them off," Yolanda shrugged. "And if I come face to face with Cindy, even better, I'll make the bitch pay for ruining my life, and Henry's," Yolanda growled as she clenched her fist before moving towards the cave.
Hourman and Dr. Mid-Nite shot each other a glance, knowingly before following Wildcat into the darkness of the tunnel. As Dr. Mid-Nite walked into the darkness, the goggles began to shine, acting as dim light, lighting up the way a bit, enough for the three to see.
"Yolanda," Hourman walked up towards her. "Are you alright?" asked the boy.
"Why wouldn't I be?" asked the Latina confused.
"You are… acting a bit aggressive tonight," Hourman said.
"Pff… you don't know me well enough then," Yolanda scoffed.
"Uhm… don't I?" asked Hourman, frowning underneath the mask.
"You're not Henry," Wildcat said dismissively before silence resumed between the two as they walked.
"She is troubled," Beth whispered as she walked up to Hourman.
"I know," Rick answered. "She has been like that since Henry's death."
"What else would you expect? She may be trying to look happy, but inside, it is the complete opposite, Chuck knows it too," Beth said.
"Are you two lovebirds done whispering?" asked Wildcat agitated. "Dr. Mid-Nite, which way?"
"Depends where you want to go?" asked Beth.
"Dragon King's dungeon is the best place to start," Yolanda said.
"And the worst place. Wildcat, what if Cindy is waiting to ambush us there?" asked Hourman.
"Let her come then," Yolanda scoffed. "Beth?"
Dr. Mid-Nite sighed before walking forward, with the other two teens following them behind.
Barbara was upstairs standing in front of Courtney's room. She could hear soft sobs coming from inside the room as she pressed his ear to the door.
"She is not taking it well, isn't she?" asked Mike at the dining table. The look on Barbara's face tells it all.
"What about Dad?" asked Mike.
"Recovering, he will be okay," Barbara sighed.
"Tried talking to her yet?" asked Mike.
"Not yet, I thought… she would want to be alone," Barbara said as she looked at the table.
"Maybe… you should talk to her," Mike suggested.
Barbara knew that Mike was right. Courtney has been like this for way too long. She needs someone to talk her out of it. "I am planning to."
Wildcat, Hourman and Dr. Mid-Nite were navigating the cold and dark tunnels, proceeding cautiously as they walked deeper into what was the ISA base.
Beth shivered as she thought she heard something creaking behind her. "What's that?" whispered Beth nervously, drawing the attention of the other two.
"I don't hear anything," Yolanda said as she walked forward
"Neither do I, maybe you're hearing our own footsteps?' Rick suggested.
"Maybe," the girl said unsurely as she looked around.
The three teenagers slowly made their way deeper into the base, walking down the familiar corridors, making their way around the cold and dark hallways till they walked into a large space of what used to be the lair of the vile Dragon King, Dr. Shiro Ito.
"There is no one inside here, Beth," the goggles informed the girl.
"No one? Not even a single person?" Yolanda was frustrated. "You gotta be kidding me."
"Is it not a good thing?" asked Dr. Mid-Nite curiously.
"No, no, no! Not at all! Urgh… that bitch is still out there somewhere!" Wildcat yelled in frustration as her claws tore through the wooden table in front of her as she lashed out. Meanwhile, Hourman and Beth just looked at her.
"Maybe… we can find some clues here?" suggested Hourman. "Plus… this place is like an underground town, there could be some places that we don't know about."
"Chuck, can you scan the interior of the base?" asked Dr. Mid-Nite.
"Scanning," the voice said. "And done." A green 3D map appeared in front of the trio.
"Chuck, check if there are any suspicious looking places," Hourman requested.
"Scanning," the voice said before pinpointing 3 spots in the 3D map.
"Hmm, all at the ends of the base," Dr. Mid-Nite muttered as she looked at it.
"We split up then," Yolanda said firmly.
'Wait hold on, is that like the best thing to do right now?" asked Hourman. "They could be waiting to ambush us."
'Well, I can hold my own. Can you?" asked Yolanda fiercely before turning around quickly. "We each go and check the spots and meet back here," Wildcat said firmly.
"B- But," Beth stammered.
"If you two are so worried, then you two go together, I will go alone," Yolanda scoffed, folding her arms.
"Am I the only competent one in this unit?" Yolanda Montez asked herself in her mind as she walked on in disgust; also she really wanted a showdown with Cinthia for her constant bullying of herself in school- as well as tricking her into engaging in nude photos. Yolanda wanted to tear down Cindy a few notches and embarrass her swiftly and reveal her as a pervert and a monster that Cindy was!
As Wildcat walked down the dim-lighted hallway, all she saw was nothing but debris from their previous battle, no signs of someone being here in the past few months. There was no other sound than the sounds of her own footsteps as she walked down the hallway, looking around cautiously. In her heart, she really wanted Cindy to be here, all the more the better, so that she can tear the girl apart, make her suffer for what she did to her.
As the Latina made her next step, she thought she heard something coming from behind her. She quickly turned and unleashed her claws, expecting to see someone behind her ready to attack, but there was no one there, just the dim light barely lighting up the hallway. Yolanda just scoffed before turning back around, making her way towards the ends of the base.
Barbara stood outside Courtney's room,knocking on the door lightly, waiting for her daughter to respond. She heard a muffled sound of Courtney saying that it was okay for her to come in.
"Court… we need to talk," Barbara sighed as she opened the door. Courtney was laying on her bed, her face buried in her pillows. "Are you… okay?"
"Okay? How can I be ok?" asked Courtney sarcastically, her voice muffled by the pillows a bit. "I screwed… everything up!"
"Look… I know… everything is going bad… but you need to keep yourself together… the JSA needs you," Barbara said.
"No… No they don't," Courtney responded miserably. "I am not fit to be their leader, I never was!" Courtney said as she sat up, looking at her mom. Barbara could see that her eyes were red from crying.
"Look, your friends, they look up to you, we all do. Everyone makes mistakes, they can be big or small, but what matters the most is how you learn from them, change because of them," Barbara comforted. "I know, losing Cameron hurts, but you have to move past that, it is all in the past now, wallowing on that won't change anything anymore."
Courtney just looked at her mother blankly, smiling weakly, pained. "How can you be sure? That I won't do it again?"
"Oh, you might. But the most important thing is moving forward now," Barbara said, looking at her daughter.
Courtney looked at her mother, she knew that she was right. "You… are right… gosh I feel like a fool now," the teen groaned.
"No… it is completely normal to have these feelings, it really is, you just need to learn how to handle them… the right way," Barbara said.
"I… understand…" Courtney said nodding, sitting up now. "What did I miss?" asked Courtney sighing.
"Well, your friends did tell me that they were going to scout the old ISA base-" Barbara recalled.
"They said what!?" Courtney jumped in shock.
"Are you seing anything?" asked Rick as they walked.
"Nothing," Dr. Mid-Nite said as the goggles scanned their surroundings. "No signs of anyone else being here."
"Perhaps, for the best, I don't think any of us could've handled another fight," Hourman said. "Wildcat will probably be disappointed though."
"Oh, I bet she will," Beth answered sighingly. "She is intent on revenge for sure."
"Ironic, since she told me that revenge is not the right thing to do," Hourman said.
"Don't let her hear you say that, she would probably kick your ass," Beth chuckled dryly.
"Wait… is this the end of the base?" asked Hourman confused as he approached the wall in front of them.
"It would seem like so, then again, there could be a secret door or whatever," Beth suggested as she pressed the side of the goggles. "Chuck scan for any secret entrances."
"Scanning… there are none," the voice answered.
"Hmm… maybe they really aren't here after all," Rick said as he looked around. 'Wait… do you hear that?"
"Hear… what?" asked Beth, but soon, she could hear that same faint sound of violin playing as well. "Rick? Rick?" asked Beth whisperingly but there was no response from the boy. "Hourman?"
Yolanda was walking in the hallways alone, making her way back to Dragon King's dungeon. Before she heard footsteps coming from in front of her, that got her attention. She looked up,but there was no one else there. Then she turned around, to find Hourman and Dr. Mid-Nite standing directly behind her, which shocked her a bit, making her stumble back.
"Oh god… don't scare me like that!" Wildcat groaned as she hammered her chest, panting. But soon, she realized that they weren't responding to her. "Hourman… Dr. Mid-Nite?" asked Yolanda unsurely.
The two hooded teenagers just stared at the brunette before Hourman stepped forward and landed his fist right in her face.