CHAPTER 1 : STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
The police had the bank surrounded. "The robber is believed to be alone inside there," one of them explained to his friend. "Just barged inside with his motorcycle and guns, told them to give him all the cash…Crazy."
"So he's not a big planner" replied the second officer. "The real issue will be the hostages…"
"It just got more complicated" told them a third cop, obviously agitated. "From descriptions, it sounds like this guy is Risk-Runner."
The two others paled. "Risk-Runner? The Risk-Runner?"
About then, a shout came from inside the building: "Okey-dokey, boys in blue, I'm coming outside. Warning, though: I'm holding a hostage in front of me!" For the next few seconds, nothing happened…Then the glass door shattered into thousands of shards as a motorcycle ran through it, carrying the robber, and, in front of him, his terrified hostage. As soon as they got out of the bank, the criminal, not speeding down, let go of the steering wheel; holding a gun in each hand, he began shooting at the police before going past them. Some police cars began pursuing him, but he pushed his hostage off his vehicle after a few blocks; some of them stopped to help the victim. One car kept going after him; after a few minutes of chasing him through traffic, he suddenly turned around, and drove at full speed toward the police car. A second before impact, he stood up on his motorcycle, and jumped upward, catching a power line. The two vehicles collided; the robber simply ran away, laughing and looking at the bank bills in a plastic bag he was carrying. "That was fun. Risk-Runner takes another one!"
His self-satisfied moment was interrupted when he noticed a faint buzzing coming from a device of his. He took a quick look at it. "Fearstorm meeting? Could be fun."
Inside City Hall, under the cover of the night, a sleek and shadowy figure was silently but quickly progressing. Checking around a corner, she saw a security guard walking in her direction. Hiding behind the corner, moving so fast it would have been hard to tell what she was doing even in broad daylight, she put some sticky glove-like object on her left hand, and held a dart in the other. Only a few seconds later, when the guard came around the corner, he didn't see anyone – she was above him, her glove attached to the ceiling, her dart ready and aimed at the guard. Luckily for him, he didn't turn around or look up – he hadn't heard or seen anything, and just proceeded to the next corridor.
She went on, picking a lock, using stolen keys on another, before finally reaching a safe. There, using another set of tools, she used acid to melt specific parts of the mechanism, opening the safe; looking quickly through its contents, she picked a few documents, then made her getaway. A clean job – she had found what she wanted, hadn't gotten detected, and hadn't even needed to kill anyone this time.
Later, on her cell phone, she was holding a discussion with her client:
"Yes, I got City Hall's plans, Mr. Hoover. This will ensure an easy victory against the mayor at the next elections – you're not worried about being linked to this, I assume?"
"Not at all. Guy based his entire campaign on security – he can't admit his own City Hall was successfully visited by a burglar."
"Not just any burglar, Mr. Hoover. I am Weaver, and I charge accordingly."
"Of course. Best money for the best professional, I know. The other half of your pay will be where you specified as soon as I have the documents. Incidentally…I might have another job for you…"
"Tempting, but I'm afraid I have to decline. Fearstorm meets tomorrow, and my gotta attend."
Inside the huge countryside villa, gunshot after gunshot resonated.
"I knew the cartel wouldn't like my going solo" said the villa's owner, "but this is overkill. Will you boys be done with the hit men soon?"
"Mister Valdez," said one of the two bodyguards who remained near him, "you don't understand. We're losing! Most of the bodyguards are dead already!"
"What? How many hit men are there?"
"Just one, sir. It's Multi-Shot."
"They…They sent Multi-Shot?"
At that moment, the door to his room exploded. The assassin walked in – he was covered from head to toe in a brown-copper full body armor. The two bodyguards quickly lifted their guns, but only one was fast enough to shoot – the bullet ricocheted on the armor. Multi-Shot, despite his heavy armor, moved very fast, raising both his arms. He moved his fingers; cannons on the armor's arms quickly rotated, and shots came from both arms. The bodyguards fell.
Valdez looked at them. He looked at the assassin. Sweating, he tried to force a smile. "V-very good, mister Multi-Shot. You're as extraordinary as your reputation. I'll pay you twice – no, three times what they pay you if you work for me!"
"Tempting," Multi-Shot spoke for the first time since the carnage had begun, "but I've already accepted the cartel's contract, and a mercenary's reputation is as vital as his skills."
Only a few minutes later, his contract fulfilled, Multi-Shot left the villa. He had a Fearstorm meeting to attend.
There was a sudden crackling, then the door burst into flames and fell apart. The engineers and lab assistants recoiled in surprise as a strange figure walked through the doorway. He was oddly clothed, costumed with numerous wires and coils on his upper body, arms, and the space surrounding his head.
"Who-who are you?"
"Oh, surely you've heard of me" he gave them a cruel smile. "I am Zap! I am the master of electricity! And you have angered me!"
"Wh-what?"
"Don't deny it! This laboratory is dedicated to the creation of long-range electric weapons!"
"Um, yes…They're improved stun guns…We know that by ionizing the air, we can make it conductive…"
"No-one is allowed to mimic my powers!" Zap roared. He then lifted his right arm, aiming it at some of the prototypes. Electric bolts came out of the machinery surrounding his arm, destroying his targets. He aimed again and again, destroying nearly half the lab, before he was satisfied.
"I'll stop…This time. If I find out this research has started again, there will be lethal electrocutions. Now if you'll excuse me, Fearstorm awaits."
Brenda Connors was glad to be home after such a day. Despite everything that was happening, she at least felt safe there.
The illusion of safety wasn't going to last. All of a sudden, the light went out. Surprised, she got up from her armchair, and, slowly, began to move toward the table. She knew she had a flashlight in the upper drawer…But as suddenly as the darkness had come, bony hands caught her from behind. She screamed in terror; the next moment, the hands threw her forward; she fell down. A dim light appeared, and she gazed at her attacker; she screamed again when she saw a monstrous-looking being, attired in a dark cloak.
For a short while, the frightening intruder delighted in bringing her to the height of terror. Finally, when she stopped screaming, he leaned toward her, and said "Good evening". Somehow, the way he said it, it was scarier than silence. "Who are you?" she barely managed to say. "I am Doctor Fright" he said with pride. She gulped, recognizing the name. "I feed on people's fear. And you, Brenda, have a very good reason to be afraid." She said nothing. "If you testify against Colt&Roentgen…Then I'll be back."
With that frightening threat, the darkness returned. For a while, Brenda remained sitting in the dark, too frightened to move. When she finally managed to bring the lights back on, the vampire was gone.
Inside the military base, the FBI agents were trying not to show their fear as they kept interrogating one of the most feared men on Earth.
"So this…Second Alaska base. Anything special about it?"
"Automated impulse guns, to defend it from attackers for a while" explained Checkmate Warren. "There's also a half-mile long tunnel with a small railway that allows one person to reach the tunnel's exit in a very short time. The exit is a small helicopter hangar, hidden by a roof that blends with the ground. The whole idea was that if the base was besieged, I could go through the tunnel and escape with a helicopter no-one would suspect the existence of."
"I'm getting a headache. Just how many contingencies did you plan for?"
"Not enough, obviously. But I spent years planning everything."
"And I still don't think you're telling us everything."
"No, I'm not. There are things I'd rather keep for myself."
"You – you can't! Your pardon…"
"…has already been granted, and had no strings attached. And what are you worried about, anyway? That this is yet another twisted machination? That I'm still plotting a takeover? I've given you the coordinates of dozens of lairs, the intricacies of hundreds of tricks, the ways I went past all your security measures…I've even told you how to free your computers from my control! If I still intended to pursue my goals of conquest, do you really believe I'd have worried about getting pardoned in the first place?"
"It could be a ruse to get our trust."
"When have I ever needed it before? I had your fear; that was enough.
Now if you'll excuse me, I believe I've told you enough for today. I have more constructive projects to attend to."
Weaver and Multi-Shot were already seated in Fearstorm's HQ when Zap showed up.
"Looks like the electrician's in."
"Watch your tongue, Weaver" replied Zap. "I don't fancy smart nicknames, not even from the world's greatest cat burglar."
"I think of myself as more of a spider" she said, "moving from thread to thread. Besides, when have you ever seen a venomous cat?"
Not much later, Doctor Fright arrived. "Ah. Dracula's home" said Weaver.
"Have I ever missed a Fearstorm meeting?" asked Fright smugly. "Incidentally, Multi-Shot," he turned toward the armored mercenary, "I heard about your recent shootout in New Mexico. Twelve victims? You're overdoing yourself."
"A pity I only got paid for one. To think he had eleven bodyguards…And none of them good enough."
Another hour passed before Risk-Runner finally came.
"You're late" said Zap, annoyed.
"Got hungry on the way, so I robbed a convenience store."
"You robbed a store just for lunch?" Weaver seemed disturbed. "I'm all for getting stuff free, but wouldn't it have been simpler to just buy it?"
"Sure. But…I was bored."
"Well, everybody's here" said Multi-Shot. "At least everyone who matters. Let's get down to business."
A minute later, the five villains were listening as a voice came from the phone system:
"Is everybody present?"
"All five of us, Control."
"Five will do. Now, I believe it's been four months since I last called upon your services…But I believe you could be of use to me in a small matter."
"Speak your piece" said Zap.
"It concerns an ancient Eastern artifact called the Gemskull. It is a seven-inches high skull carved in ebony, with emeralds for eyes. Possibly of a magical nature. It is currently in the hands of a certain Mr. Ci.
In his city, Ci is a pillar of the Hmong community. He is very easy to underestimate – do not mistake him for a pushover. Just get the Gemskull and give it to me.
Also, if the Gemskull is what I suspect it is, then avoid direct contact with it. If it talks, do not talk back.
I'm sending you coordinates. You will be paid standard fee, of course."
"Standard? Last time you agreed to triple fee" protested Multi-Shot.
"Last time was a far bigger job" replied Control's voice. "Now go at it."
As the communication ended, the villains looked at each other. "Well, that's disappointing" said Risk-Runner. "That's all he has for us? Jewelry theft? So much for our best client."
"I'll admit I was hoping for more" said Zap, "but standard fee is still a good price. Let's get to work."
"Work, schmork. I'm telling ya, we just get no respect."
"We are Fearstorm! We are villains feared nation-wide, and beyond!"
"Riiiight. Time to face it, Zappy: We're the losers of evil!"
"Be silent!"
"It's true!" insisted Risk-Runner, ignoring the worried looks on the faces of Weaver and Doctor Fright (and Multi-Shot, though his face was concealed behind opaque Plexiglas). "We're not super-villains, just freaks. You want big shots? No Heart has the world shaking in its boots. Professor Blue Skin freezes whole cities. Checkmate can threaten the UN. Control can do anything he damn well pleases. Us? We're one guy in riot armor who's a good shot, one chick who decided to be an evil cross between Spider-Man and Catwoman, one bloodsucker who gives a good boogah-boogah, one armed robber who feels no pain or fear of death, one walking battery, and one guy who's actually in jail."
Zap's short temper kicked in, and he clenched his teeth as he sent a high voltage through Risk-Runner. The latter's hair was singed, but he didn't seem to particularly care about being electrocuted. "I'm telling ya, we just get no respect. I know we got together to make it big time, but it just ain't working. Maybe it's the name. You think "Fearstorm" is a bit corny? Maybe we should cal ourselves M.A.V.O."
"MAVO? Sounds familiar" said Weaver. Zap, too, was trying to remember.
"Stands for 'Monsters And Villains Organization'" replied Risk-Runner. Seeing their perplexed faces, he added: "Hey, I always liked Teddy Ruxpin."
Zap electrocuted Risk-Runner again, but again, despite some cosmetic damage, he seemed indifferent – maybe even amused. It was Doctor Fright who ended it, putting his hand on Risk-Runner's shoulder, approaching his teeth to his neck, and saying, in an amused yet threatening voice: "I think you've had enough fun at Zap's expense for today, don't you think?"
For the first time since the meeting had begun, Risk-Runner showed actual signs of fear. "I-I guess so."
"Good. Then let me talk."
Circling the others, Doctor Fright spoke: "Risk-Runner isn't completely wrong. We're minor villains, nothing more, nothing less. We're feared enough that the police usually avoids us, but not enough to achieve anything important. Compared to the truly major villains, we're considered jokes. This has to stop – but we won't change that by changing our names. The names are fine – it's our work that has to change."
"Personally, I like our work the way it is" replied Multi-Shot. "I'm the most sought-after and best-paid mercenary in the world, even when I work solo."
"Good for you, but it's not enough" insisted Fright. "As long as we stick to normal crimes, we'll be the little league, just a few notches above common criminals. If we want real success, we need to do something bigger. Something that will shake the world!"
"Hold it," said Zap. "Before you start building a doomsday machine, let me remind you of something: We have a job to do for Control, and I don't think it would be wise to forget about it."
"Perhaps. So we simply do both" replied Fright. "We will retrieve the Gemskull, yes…But we will also take advantage of this operation to set a deathtrap!"
"A deathtrap? For whom?" asked Weaver, getting curious.
Fright paused dramatically. "For…The Care Bears!"
There was a moment of silence. Then Zap laughed.
"The Care Bears? I remember you tried to get them before Fearstorm even existed. They beat you. What exactly do you think you could achieve by taking again on the pastel teddies?"
"Last time, I failed only through a fluke" said Fright. "This time, all five of us will be working together. And once the Care Bears have been defeated…The whole world will understand that Fearstorm is made of truly dangerous villains!"
"I see the idea" said Multi-Shot. "You figure taking out the world's greatest heroes, when even the big names like No Heart couldn't, will convince the world we're the big league. Sounds like a plan to me. Reputation is half the work in this job."
"Love the idea" said Risk-Runner. "Count me in."
"It sounds good" admitted Weaver, "but can it work? After all, even the major villains failed…"
"But we won't" assured Doctor Fright. "We'll plan this carefully…"
In Care-A-Lot, the Caring Meter was showing signs of trouble.
"What is it, Bright Heart?" asked Brave Heart as the raccoon was examining the Meter. "Is caring on Earth down again? I thought it was going up these days."
"That's not the problem" replied Bright Heart. "I think there's trouble on Earth…Destruction and fear."
"Maybe another natural disaster?" the lion was getting worried. "Wish, can you spot it?"
"It's not natural, for sure" replied the teal-colored bear. "It's somewhere in this neighborhood down there, see?"
"Then let's get down there and help! Brave Heart Lion to the rescuuue!" the leader of the Care Bear Cousins yelled one of his catchphrases as he ran to the cloud cars, with the two others following him…
