Woman's Touch

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT PUNZ!" Merida cried as she attempted to beat her best friend to death with a pillow. The blonde yelped as she attempted to defend herself against the red heads relentless pillow assault.

"What's my fault?" Rapunzel squeaked out.

Merida only growled and kept hitting her. After defeating the group of Outcasts alongside Fury he decided patrol was over. So he carried her back to HQ before immediately walking to his quarters without saying a word. Merida went to her own room and attempted to organize her thoughts. She also tried to banish the new feelings that had taken root in her chest.

But she couldn't. Because the cold hard truth of the matter was she was falling for Fury. So she decided to vent her frustration out on Rapunzel who she blamed for putting the idea in her head.

"Ye put the idea in my head that I might like Fury. And now Ah do," she shouted before smothering her friend's face. Rapunzel said something muffled that she couldn't understand. So deciding not suffocate her best friend she lifted the pillow off her before smacking her one more time for good measure.

"So you really like him?" Rapunzel asked curiously. Merida flushed as she hugged the pillow to her chest. Then she gave a tiny nod. "Aww. That's so cute," Rapunzel giggled out.

Merida looked up at her threw her a withering glare. "No its not. Ah still like Hiccup too," Merida cried in frustration.

"Well maybe you just like both of them," Rapunzel offered. "And maybe you should consider Fury as a more suitable partner. I mean, I'm sorry Mer, but maybe Hiccup just doesn't want to be anything more," Rapunzel said apologetically.

Her last words stung Merida in the heart. But with the way Hiccup had been acting towards her, maybe she was right. Maybe she had to face facts and accept that she and Hiccup would never be anything more.

"But I don't even ken what he looks like," Merida said with a groan.

"They say love is blind," Rapunzel said with a shrug.

Merida released a gusty sigh as she attempted to come to terms with her feelings. Then she wondered what exactly she should do about this new development. Should she just tell Fury? Or should she wait for him to do something about it?

"So what's the deal between you and Merida?" Jack asked inside of Fury's quarters. Hiccup laid upon his couch pensive. He'd been trying to distance himself from Merida. But after tonight he'd felt the spark between them once again. Jack noticed the change between them.

"Nothing," Hiccup lied.

"Didn't seem like nothing," Jack insisted. He saw how Hiccup all but ran to his room with Merida watching him go with a look of longing. And something more.

"Then you saw wrong," Hiccup growled out. He wished Jack would just drop it.

"You still like her man. Why are you making this so difficult? Just be with her," Jack insisted.

"You know why I can't do that Jack," Hiccup said as she tried to control his temper.

"Dude. Merida doesn't need to be protected. You've seen her. Hell, she beat you in a fight the first time you met," Jack pointed out.

Hiccup remained silent as she stared straight ahead. He wouldn't allow himself to be swayed.

Jack sighed. He ran a hand through his hair as he looked at his friend. "Look man. I know what this is really about. This is about Ke—"

"Don't you dare say her name Jack," Hiccup cut him off with a snarl. He glared daggers into his friend's eyes. He knew any mention of her was taboo.

"You can't know that the same thing would happen to Merida like it did to her. And Merida is a hero. She knows the risks and can take care of herself," Jack persevered.

Hiccup remained silent as he tore his eyes way from Jack and glared at the wall in front of him. "Get out Jack. I'm tired," he said evenly.

Jack scowled at his friend. But with a huff he stood and made his way to the door. It opened and he stepped into the doorway. "Merida isn't Keiko man," Jack said before he stepped out of the room and the door closed behind him.

Hiccup frowned some more as the memories he'd buried inside of himself started to spring forth. The pain was the reason he'd rather not remember it. It was a reminder of why Fury couldn't have anyone special. A reminder of why he'd stayed alone for all these years.

He couldn't let that happen again. He wouldn't. And if being alone would ensure that. Then as a hero it was what he had to do.

The next day Jack and Rapunzel went on another date. They went to the local carnival to have some fun. They very much enjoyed each other's company. There they rode some rides, played some games, Jack won her a chameleon plushy, and they ate some junk food. They spent hours walking around and having a good time.

As they held hands and walked side by side Jack glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Jack was really liking Rapunzel. Jack had never been a relationship type of guy. He'd really only ever had one serious girlfriend and then a whole bunch of flings and one night stands. But Rapunzel was so sweet and fun he was actually hoping for it to become serious. He felt a little guilty for hiding his superhero identity from her and hoped he could reveal himself to her one day.

But in the meantime he enjoyed teasing her as Frost. He had a feeling she was developing feeling for him as Frost as well. He didn't find anything wrong with it since they were the same person after all. And he imagined the look on her face when she found out would be priceless.

As they got onto the carnival's Ferris wheel Rapunzel looked around. Something caught her eye.

"Hey Jack, what's that for?" Rapunzel said as she pointed to a large stage being set up.

"Oh there's supposed to be some kind of party or celebration concert during the eclipse," Jack said shrugging.

"There's going to be an eclipse?" Rapunzel asked curious.

"Yeah….solar I think. I forget when exactly it's supposed to occur," he replied.

Rapunzel 'hmmed' thoughtfully.

"You wanna go?" Jack asked with a smile. Rapunzel smiled back. She nodded in confirmation. "Great, it's a date then." Rapunzel giggled excitedly. Looking forward to the concert and another date with Jack.

Jack continued to look into her eyes. Then slowly he began to lean forward. Rapunzel noticed this and began to lean forward to meet him. Slowly her eyes started to close as her lips met Jack's. The pair had shared kisses like these a few times already. They both found it very enjoyable.

Jack began to move his lips against hers, earning a pleased hum. Slowly he reached out with his free hand and pulled her closer. Rapunzel didn't protest as he deepened the kiss.

It was awkward to kiss Jack at first. The only other person she'd ever kissed before was Eugene. But after only a moment she found it very enjoyable to kiss him. It was different then kissing Eugene. Not worse or better, just different.

She decided that she liked a little different.

Archer panted heavily after defeating a group of ten practice drones. After waking up and going to work to plan for the upcoming ball being hosted by their companies Merida noticed a change in Hiccup. She was now sure he was staring at her when he thought she wasn't looking. And it was confusing her.

Did he not like her anymore? But if he didn't why was he staring? These thoughts swirled in her mind like a maelstrom. And all the while she was also thinking about Fury. She had feelings for him. He was compassionate, intelligent, strong, and brave. Everything Hiccup was. Her heart was torn, at war with itself.

After work she went home to change before heading to the Cove. As she walked around she unwillingly was searching for Fury. She didn't know why, but she was desperate to find him. She had to confront him. But when she walked to the supercomputer she was surprised to find him not there. So then she walked around and checked the other rooms. But he wasn't in the training room, garage, or any of the unrestricted areas. So that left the restricted areas and his own quarters.

She ended up walking to his room. But when she reached the door she just froze. What should she do? Ask him if he had feeling for her? Confess that she was developing feelings for him? And then what?

With a heavy sigh she walked back to her own room. Miserable and confused by the turn of events in her love life.

Rapunzel sat with Frost in the lounge as they watched TV. After her date with Jack Rapunzel had headed back to the base. When she got there she ran into Frost and the two of them decided to relax together. As they sat together Rapunzel though about their other two teammates.

"Hey Frost?" Rapunzel said looking to him. He 'hmmed' to acknowledge her. "What kind of girls does Fury like?" she asked curiously.

Frost turned to look at her. "You're not falling for him, are you blondie? I thought we had something special," he said dramatically as she placed a hand over his heart to feign heartbreak.

Rapunzel rolled her eyes. "No. I'm just curious," she said with a shrug. "I mean you know who he is out of costume so I thought you might know his preferences."

Frost looked at her and evaluated her question. He wondered if it was ok to tell her. "Fury has never been with anyone since I've known him," he informed her.

Rapunzel cocked her head to the side. "Really. No girlfriend at all?"

Frost sighed and nodded. "Fury lost someone he cared about a long time ago. He's avoided romance ever since," he replied evenly.

"What happened to her?"

Frost remained silent and his jaw clenched. "He couldn't save her," was all he said before remaining silent.

Rapunzel's eyes went wide at that information. Fury had lost someone? And she guessed it meant from his superhero identity. She couldn't imagine what that must have been like. She got up and went to go look for Merida. She went up to her room and waited for the door to open. When it did she stepped inside to see Merida in her Archer costume and looking ready to head out.

"Going somewhere Mer?" Rapunzel asked curiously.

"Aye. I'm going to find some answers about our enemies," she said firmly.

"Ok, should I go tell Fury?"

"Nae," Merida said sharply. Rapunzel flinched at her harsh tone. Merida noticed this and softened. "Sorry Punz. Ah think Ah would rather handle this alone," she said politely.

Rapunzel frowned at her. She reached behind her and pulled out her mask before putting it on. "We're a team Mer. If Archer goes out, then so does Limelight," she said firmly.

Merida smiled. With a nod they headed out. But not before stopping by the garage. Merida was about to jump on her bike when another caught her attention.

It was all a blue, sleek, and looked very advanced. She walked over to it and eyed it curiously. Just below the windshield there looked like a screen interface. She touched the screen curiously and it came to life. Suddenly a blue light scanned the surface of her face.

"ARCHER RECOGNIZED. FLIGHTMARE ENGINE ENGAGED" came a computer voice. Suddenly the console came to life and the engine roared. Archer smiled. She threw a leg over and put her helmet on. She touched the console and a display of the bike's status came up. It showed the weapons system, power levels, and even a flight mode.

Archer smiled in excitement. Next to her Rapunzel stood at the ready. They waited until the pathway to the exit lit up. When it did Archer revved the engine and took off while Limelight floated off the ground and after her.

Archer loved the feeling and the sound of the bike. Eventually they reached the top and she headed straight for the exit of the shipyard. The door opened automatically and she zoomed outside with her partner following close behind.

Curious she activated the flight mode. She waited until she could feel vibrations coming from the bike. The soon it began to shift around as parts realigned and even wings popped out from the sides. Then its thrusters initiated. Pulling back, lower thrusters along the bottom of the bike propelled her into the air. She looked down and smiled.

"WOOOO HOOOOOO!" she shouted as she threw a fist into the air.

In downtown Berk was a small bar that was notorious hangout for the Outcast gang. No one came to this bar besides them. Not unless they had a death wish. The bar was currently run by a man named Savage. He was a high ranking member of the Outcasts gangs and was in charge since their leader was put away. He smiled as he enjoyed a drink from his private office above the bar.

All around him Outcasts were talking about scores and crimes they committed or planned to commit. Others were drinking, playing pool, betting, arm wrestling, fighting, and playing a game of darts. As one man was preparing to throw a dart something whizzed past his head and buried itself into the bull's eyes. The bar went silent as they saw it was an arrow. All at once their gazes drifted to the entrance to see someone in a cloak and a lady with long blonde hair. Instantly they recognized them as Archer and Limelight.

Slowly the women entered with Archer taking the lead. They made their way to the bar. The Outcasts eyed them warily. They wondered what these two heroes were doing in town. Ever since they'd heard of their arrival they'd had to cut back on crime. They already had enough to deal with Frost and Fury around.

"Bar keep. Give me some whisky," Archer demanded. The bar tender raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest in defiance.

"We don't serve your kind here," the big man said gruffly.

"Ladies you mean?" Archer asked sarcastically.

"Maybe you ladies should leave before you get hurt," came a man from beside Archer. She turned to look at him. The man was huge. Over six feet in height with rippling muscles. He could easily crush her like a grape. But she wasn't scared in the least.

"Oh should we?" Archer asked dangerously. "And who is gonna make us?" she asked lowly as she leaned back against the counter top. The big man growled and stepped forward. He reached out to grab her when a hand grabbed his wrist. He looked down to see Limelight grabbing him. He was about to snatch it out when she increased the pressure of her grip, causing him to cry out as he felt her nearly crush his bones.

"Easy there boys. We just want some information," Limelight said as she twisted the man's arm back and forced him to his knees. Suddenly a shout from behind caught her attention. She glanced back to see a man coming at her with a wooden chair over his head. She just stood there as he charged and swung it down on top of her.

But even with all his strength she didn't budge as the chair broke apart upon contact. The man stood there in shock as he still held the chair's legs in his hands. With a growl Limelight swung the man she was holding around and crashed him into the man who'd attacked her, sending them both flying across the room in a screaming tumbling heap.

"Anyone else wanna make us go?" Archer challenged aloud as she swept her gaze across the room. Everyone remained silent. "Thought not," she said smugly. She turned back around to see a shot glass of whisky in front of her. She smiled in satisfaction as she downed it. "Thank ye," she said politely.

"So what information are you looking for then?" the bar tender asked with a scowl. He might as well humor them. The sooner they got what they wanted the sooner they would be gone.

"We're looking fur two men. Tall, brothers, red heads, one has an eye patch," she said listing off a brief description of the Stabbington brothers. She'd figured they'd probably visited this place at least once.

The bar tender rubbed his chin in thought. He did remember the two. And if the ladies were looking for them then why shouldn't he tell them? It's not like those out of towners were Outcasts. He held no loyalty to them.

As he opened his mouth to speak he was cut off. "Not so fast now," came the voice of his boss. He looked over to see Savage walking over to them. He walked up to Archer and looked down at her condescendingly. He snorted, unimpressed by her. "Sorry ladies. But my patrons come here for a little privacy. I can't just break their trust," he said with a sneer.

Archer frowned. "Its nae like they're one of you. What does it matter?"

"Be that as it may. The answer is no. Now I suggest you leave," he said dangerously.

"Oh laddie," Archer said shaking her head. "You don't want to threaten us," she warned waggling a finger back and forth in the air.

Savage scowled and snapped his fingers. Immediately many of the Outcasts stood up. A majority of them pulled out weapons such as knives and guns. "You're outnumbered," Savage said blankly.

The room was tense and silent. But Archer just smiled. She wasn't scared in the least. "Ye may have more guns," she conceded. But then suddenly a golden glow caught everyone's attention as their gazes shifted to Limelight, whose hair was starting to glow and flash with power. "But mine is bigger," Archer said confidently.

Just as the Outcasts prepared to take aim Archer leapt behind the counter. While she did this Limelight raised a fist up high before punching the ground with all her strength. The force of which rocked the entire building and created a shock wave that shattered all the windows, opened up a crater, and knocked everyone off their feet.

As the Outcasts started to get up some of them found Limelight's hair lashing out from the cloud of smoke and wrapping around them. They screamed as it lifted them up before tossing them out of the broken windows or through the door while also ripping their weapons from their hands.

With a cover Archer leapt back out and charged into the fray. With kicks and punches both fast and precise she downed the outcasts left and right. People tried to charge Limelight but she easily batted them aside. Eventually no one was left to face them.

They both turned to see Savage still on the ground. Archer came over and yanked him to his feet. She gave him a punch across the face to let him know the meant business.

"Start gabbin'," she demanded harshly. He remained silent and sneered at them. "Oh, so that's how it's gonna be then?"

"Oh, are you bad cop then Archer? The only lady I fear would be Calamity. So piss off," he snarled at them.

"Oh nae. Aam not bad cop. She is," she said motioning with her head to Limelight. He looked over to see her raise an arm up. Then her hand started to glow as she focused energy into it. Then without warning the shot off a sun blast that opened up a truck sized hole in the side of the building.

Savage growled and cursed in anger before looking back at Archer. "If ye still want a building to run Ah suggest you talk before she reduces this place to a pile of wood," she warned.

Savage growled and glared. But in the end he relented. He still wanted his place after all. With a smile the women left. Knowing where to find their guys. As they exited the building the Outcasts cleared a path for them as they sauntered off.

Inside an abandoned warehouse the Stabbington brothers were looking over their haul. In the back of an 18 wheeler was a large selection of robotic parts for their bosses' ally Drago Bludvist. They'd managed to smuggle it in unnoticed and were waiting for Drago to come pick it up. They sat there bored as they downed beers and fingered their knives.

Horace finished off a can and got an idea. Standing up he walked to place it atop an old assembly line. Then he walked back to where he'd been sitting and pulled out his gun.

"What are you doing?" Jasper asked him in annoyance.

"Just passing the time," he said taking aim. He lined up his shot and moved his finger to the trigger. Keeping his aim steady he was about to squeeze the trigger when suddenly an arrow came flying out of nowhere and knocked the gun out of his hands.

He yelled in surprise as his gun went flying away. His brother leapt to his feet and they started scanning the room. Suddenly they heard a faint humming sound before something flew through the open window. It was some kind of machine that was hovering above them. And atop it was a familiar cloaked figure.

"Archer!" Jasper growled with hate. He was about to pull out his own gun when suddenly golden locks whipped around it and yanked it from his grip. He turned to see Limelight standing a few feet to the side with a playful smile.

Archer hovered above them on the Flightmare. Its sensors locked onto them. "Targets Identified. Neutralize?" it asked.

"Neutralize," she commanded. Her response was followed as the machine began covering the brothers in a blue vapor like substance.

The brothers watched confused as they were sprayed by the strange substance. And then suddenly they found themselves frozen before keeling over. They looked around bewildered as they couldn't move a muscle.

"Cool," Archer said in amazement she touched down and got off. She ran a hand over the bike in appreciation. She was really starting to like it.

She and Limelight walked over to stand above the brothers and looked down at them with proud smirks. "Well that was easy," Limelight said happily.

"Aye," Archer agreed. "Now let's see just what you two know when ye can move again," she said as she pulled out handcuffs.

They weren't going anywhere.

New chapter. Hope you like. Feel free to review.