THE TEAM

Chane crouched atop the tower of corrugated, steel shipping crates overlooking the storage yard; where she awaited the meeting of supplier and buyer. She never regretted taking down the Syndicate, but it had left a power vacuum that other small-timers were flooding in to fill.

Feeling at least partially responsible, and unwilling to look the other way as evil took root, she'd determined not to let it happen again. Not in her city. It was time to stop being reactive and start proactively preventing those criminal abuses. No more victims, not in her family or anywhere else.

She had to admit to feeling a little cliché all done up in black. Leather, lace-up boots, tactical cargo pants and gloves. The system didn't yet have the means of identifying mutant fingerprints, but white wool really stood out in the dark. Her hoody at least was slightly less monochromatic, being black and grey camo to break up her silhouette. It could've been worse. She could've accepted the ninja-pajama suit that Aunt Karai and Uncle Leo offered her. That would've been fun to explain if she'd ever gotten caught.

Under the hood, she wore a mask of blackened steel, designed after the style of the Hannya mask from Noh theatre. Seeing herself as a force of anger at the injustices these criminals perpetrated against the innocent and vulnerable, it felt appropriate. But it did more than disguise her white, fluffy face. Thanks to Uncle Donnie, it served as her hands-free communication system to the team.

"Everyone in position?"

Nothing could top Drea's bike. But, the full black ninja suits she and Scout both now wore, sure came close. With it on, and her head-cover blocking out the red of her hair, she was near invisible; and that was downright fun. Those same suits presented the kind of opportunity that had both girls lurking in the shadows at the end of every night, waiting to scare the shells off their fathers and uncles. Well- when they didn't get caught, and lately it'd been quite the game of stealthy one-ups.

Her heart swelled as she fastened the chin strap on her helmet. Who knew who they were at sixteen? Who found their calling that young? She had. From sensei to vigilante. It was in her blood, heart and soul. She came by it honestly and lived it with her entire being. Even when it was dangerous. She'd never felt so alive, so complete. Flipping down her visor, she revved the engine. "I'm ready."

Shen waited in an alley across from the storage yard entrance, straddling her mother's bike. Her mother's black riding leathers and helmet were way less lame than the silly ninja suit her dad insisted she use. While a rational part of her mind insisted she save her earnings for the future, she was pretty sure that all her initial income from her music career would go into her own set of wheels. She already knew what the specs and design would be. It wouldn't do to let Drea have all the fun.

The bike made it worthwhile, because the rest sorta sucked. It was late, on a school night no less. She was bored, and couldn't help thinking of all the other things she could be doing. Two tests to review for, a paper that needed to be done by the end of the week, a music video demanding she create it despite her many other obligations.

But it was better to nip this crap in the bud before it really took root. If they stayed ahead of it, they'd control the situation. Not the other way around. She never wanted her back to the wall like that ever again. Nope. With some preemptive planning and Uncle Don's stun arrows, there shouldn't need to be any lethal take downs.

At least she hoped not. Because she also couldn't turn a blind eye to these bastards. She'd seen what happened to their victims. Hell, Scout and Alli had been victims and it was... awful. She couldn't live with letting that go on. Not when it was in her power to stop it. So, she'd do what was necessary, because she could.

Chane's voice called out over her helmet's intercom. "Everyone in position?"

She took a steadying breath and tapped the unmute button along the bottom edge of her helmet. "Ready and waiting."

Yes. It was time to shut these upstarts down and get back to her real life. Ready and waiting.

Jem elbowed his stubborn twin then signed. "It's my spot."

Scout glared at him, her hands expressing her frustration. "I was here first."

"No, I was here and you were there." He pointed to the spot overlooking the office door. "Why you came over here. In my space. I still don't know."

"Jem, I was here first." Scout huffed as she signed to her brother. "You came over here while you were on the phone, talking to Blondie. This is my spot, see-" She pointed to the warehouse entrance. "I'm guarding this door, you're guarding that one."

"No, Nik is on that one, and stop calling Mimi that." Jem's hands slapped together for emphasis then he pointed to the crate across the yard, nothing visible but blackness. "He's already taken out the light. At least he's doin' his job. Why the shell aren't you doin' yours?" He loved being a superhero but gees his sister could be a total pain.

"Hamato Jem, this is my damn spot!" Scout pushed him, just hard enough that he had to step back, only to have her step toward him so he could see her hands were still in motion. "The question is, where is your spot? Cos' it isn't over here!" She stomped her foot, feeling the vibration roll through the top of the crate they were fighting over.

"Be quiet!" He signed. "Just because you're deaf doesn't mean you don't make noise!"

Her jaw shifted, eyes narrowing. "Not. You. Spot."

"Is too." He scowled.

He didn't know why Chane put them together. Yes, his sister was badass awesome, in fact he loved the way she had his back, and the way they fought alongside one another. The two were in tune as though they were one being. In team training they soon discovered the ability to anticipate one another's moves before they were made, enabling them to fight in sync. She threw him a weapon without looking, he ducked as her foot flew over his head; landing into an attacker, she stepped out of the way precisely as he released a shuriken destined to fly right by her. It was almost like they shared a brain. They had as much cadence as when she sparred with their dad and that had taken them years to master. Not so for the amazing Hamato twins. Yeah, they were amazing. He grinned. And they never spoke a word, often didn't even look at each other. His smile melted.

But aside from that she was downright annoying.

This was his spot.

He knew where his spot was.

He did.

His lip curled as he pouted. Chane said the northeast crate behind the office- He looked around as he reviewed his cardinal directions. Coming up with an unexpected consensus, he looked again. Then again. Oh. Uh-oops.

He flashed his sister a sheepish grin.

Scout's arms were crossed, eyebrows raised.

"This isn't my spot." He signed.

She shook her head. "Nope."

He glanced over the backside of the crate, to the rusty ladder that had broken off on their climb up. Without looking back, he extended his hand, a grappling hook appearing in his palm. With a flick of his wrist it anchored into the crate adjacent.

He tapped the com on his utility belt. "Scout's in place… uh. I'm almost there."

Almost. Gonna be rich with mad singing skills, got the prettiest girl in high school, a kickass sister and a gig as a superhero. Yeah. He was almost there…

Nik shifted, trying to get comfortable. He wasn't used to being so completely covered, but Aunt Karai swore by the get up. Too bad it felt like he was being smothered. But, tempted as he was to pull the mask and head covering off as he did in practice, he'd promised his dad he'd try.

And that he'd keep on the experimental body armor his dad had started working on once they'd made their lifestyle choice. Some kind of modern, carbon-polymer version of chain mail. Dad had lost him at nanotubes. At any rate, it was just a vest at present and he wasn't, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, to test it out on bullets. So, he didn't know what good it would do him, as those were the only things he anticipated having difficulty evading. But he wore it anyway. Whatever gave his pops some peace of mind.

He glanced up at the streetlight, no longer emanating the fuzzy warmth of its bunched-up electrical current. Theoretically that meant no one but him could see. Perfect.

It was good to have purpose, to feel useful. He'd spent so long as the odd one out. No siblings to mutually drive nuts. No genius brains like his dad. No unyielding motivation like his mom. Only passable combat skills of the sort his family valued. That and his weirdo abilities that made most people uncomfortable and avoid him.

Until now. Now the way he saw music allowed him to make his songs what they were meant to be and enabled not just him, but Shen and Jem as well, to live their dreams. It made him the best at recon and accuracy, able to identify and stop bad people before they could hurt his family and his city.

Instead of keeping him apart, it made him valuable, made him belong. His life wasn't meandering along aimlessly anymore. It had direction. And he was ready to roll.

"Everyone in position?" Chane's voice called out over his headset.

"I'm ready."

And he was.

Scout crouched near the edge of the crate. Her crate, her spot, as her brother finally came to realize. Just like she'd said.

Eyes moving in sequence, over each location of where she knew her cousins and brother should be, she awaited the signal that would put her into action.

Funny how the daughter of the family prankster turned out to be the one to charge in first in almost every battle. Although, she was equally satisfied to come up from the sides, the back, wherever she was needed. Usually, it was up front clearing a path to the target. She smiled at the tingle of anticipation filling her from head, to heart, to toe. There weren't words to express the joy of letting go, no need to hold back beyond the mercy she showed. And lately, she showed quite a bit while being as effective as ever. Her only limit out here was not to kill anyone, and even that line would be crossed in a dire situation.

They were more prepared now. Armed with strategies, the adults in the loop, two back-up teams on stand-by whenever they went out. Anton's team would be called if needed, and they in turn would call the adults if it came to that. It hadn't yet.

But those days would come. She felt it in her gut. Knew it in the deepest parts of her. The longer and more frequently they were out here among the savage, unshielded from evil, the closer, the more inevitable such days became.

This, this fight, from tournament politics that were more about who and what she was, to here on the street, pushing back the wannabes, the opportunists, the next filth to crawl out of a hole. This fight was her calling. And it was terrifying, dangerous, came with no recognition and a shit ton of bruises.

But it also satisfied a need in her to help those who could not help themselves, and to stop those who would take advantage of them. The way it had been done to her. In some regard it could be considered penance, if she didn't find it so damn gratifying.

It wasn't all fun anymore than it was pain. And it was a lot of both. But the longer they did this, the more evil she saw, the more unsavory things they encountered, and the more the shields her parents put up for her became clear before crumbling away. Just the same, every single life mattered. Every save mattered. It mattered to the victim and it mattered to her.

How her eyes got so good she couldn't say. Some people thought when one sense failed the others became more enhanced. No matter what the truth of it was, she didn't know or really care. The longer they worked in the shadows the better she saw in them. The more she sensed those lurking in them. And for whatever reason, her dad and uncles were out there tonight. Whether her cousins knew it or not she didn't know and wasn't motivated to tell. Let them watch. She just hoped they weren't needed. One thing she did know, is she was ready for the coming fight, and that flicker of silver in the moonlight, one shipping crate to her right... that was her signal.

As the replies came in, Chane swelled with pride and satisfaction. Her city. Her family. Her team. They were going to change everything.

Eyes roving their positions, she saw Scout, sharp as ever, begin to move.

Her adrenaline surged and she couldn't help but smile as she pressed the intercom button on her wristband.

"It's time."