It was a cool autumn day in Dakota City. Windy too, especially if you were flying over the rooftops which most people weren't. But there were some people…"Static! Backpack is picking up a weird signal from the park. Massive electrical discharges." Gear said as he flew alongside Dakota City's premier superhero—Static.

"Sounds right up my alley." Static smiled as he surfed through the skies on a flat, retractable metal disk. "Let's go!" Static and Gear flew over the city and into the park. Right inside a stand of trees they saw flashes of lightning.

"Our disturbance?" Gear asked.

"Hhhmmmm…could be." Static replied dryly. As the two of them landed, the electrical discharges promptly stopped. The two teenaged superheroes looked at each other. "Okay, this isn't ominous." Static said sardonically. "What's going on? Who's there?"

"Hello Static." A voice called as a figure in red stepped out of the trees. "My name is Red Nova and I'm here to propose an arrangement…"

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"Misfits, Welcome to Dakota City." Duke said as he, the Misfits, and their Handlers arrived via the Mass Device.

"What do you suppose the Hellions are up to?" Pietro asked. Wanda glared at him.

"Don't you ever pay attention during briefings? Dakota City is ripe with metahumans."

"I'm not sure I've got this, what's the difference between a mutant and a metahuman?" Fred asked.

"It's complicated." Althea said. "Long story short, the metahumans of Dakota City, the so-called 'Bang Babies' aren't mutants. They're powers don't come from an active X-Gene but from a mutagenic agent that gave them their powers."

"So why are the Hellions here?" Pietro repeated. "I mean we all know what snobs the Hellfire Club and the Hellions—well, the original Hellions anyway—are. They want only good human-looking mutants with controllable powers. They dole out enough grief to mutants with physically obvious mutations and uncontrollable powers, so why try to get their hands on super-powered humans who aren't even mutants?"

"Surprisingly, that isn't that bad a question." Althea allowed. "It's possible that these Hellions have a different social outlook than the originals. Heck, look at their leader!"

"Yeah, that Red Nova's a genuine Red." Todd nodded.

"Marxist rhetoric and all." Althea agreed. "Bit of a shift from the rich, elitist snobs who make up the bulk of the other Hellions," She said dryly.

"That takes me back." Shipwreck said nostalgically. "The October Guards were fun. You know, when they weren't trying to double-cross us or take over Alaska. But they had the best Vodka."

"Take over Alaska?" Angelica blinked.

"Long story." Duke sighed. "Can we focus on the matter at hand?"

"Right." Roadblock nodded. "Everybody go look around, see what's going down."

"That doesn't rhyme." Arcade pointed out.

"Haven't you read Frost? Take a peek!" Roadblock said. "When a rhyme's not quite it's called oblique." Althea rolled her eyes.

"Let's split up!" She ordered. "Contact everyone if you find anything. Break!" The Misfits split up and scattered across Dakota City. In most cities the sight of teens dashing through the streets at nearly the speed of sound or hopping from rooftop to rooftop or flying through the skies would be regarded as weird. Not in Dakota City.

Metahumans, or as they were more colloquially known, "Bang Babies" were a fairly regular sight. They were seldom seen walking down streets or hanging out in the park, but were more often seen robbing, destroying, or committing various other crimes. While the tremendous shock that the initially accompanied the emergence of Bang Babies had faded, acceptance hadn't been achieved either.

Lina noticed several signs and posters for the Friends of Humanity and Purity as she flew through the city. She grimaced. Apparently, if the Hellions could reach out to Bang Babies; so too, could racists reach out to hate someone besides Mutants.

As she flew over what looked like a town park, she spotted two people in costume speaking to several familiar looking figures in red. "The Hellions!" She exclaimed in her head.

She quickly landed in the trees, behind the Hellions so she could hear what was being said. An African-American teen in a purple and black costume with gold highlights was speaking to the Hellion Lina recognized as Red Nova, their leader.

"…So this Academy of yours will take in the Metahumans I bring down, even the Meta-Breed, and reform them?" Red Nova nodded.

"When we're through they won't be some petty street thugs or hoodlums, but people who use their power for the good of humanity." Red Nova said sincerely, as if he were an X-Man.

Lina's eyes widened as she recognized whom the Hellions were talking to and whom they were talking about! They were going to use Static and Gear as recruitment agents for the Massachusetts Academy!

She reached for her communicator and said hurriedly. "I've found the Hellions! They're in the park talking to Static and Gear! They're—hurk!" Lina gasped as she felt a metallic tentacle wrap itself around her body, pinning her wings and covering her mouth. Her communicator fell to the ground; it was picked up by Forceflow's telekinesis and crushed.

Lina struggled but was trapped tight. She saw a familiar yellow and purple portal open up on the ground beneath her. Metatak let go. Lina fell in before she could spread her wings and was sucked inside. The portal closed.