Happy new year everyone! To kick off the new year, here's the latest chapter of the Wave, with only heroes appearing in it and with twice the length of a normal chapter. When four times two heroes meet in the evening, what will these two do?

Enjoy this holiday chapter!

-Writer207

As usual, the Crusher was working out at home. His wife was working in the office next to his personal training room. Whenever he couldn't train at the Mighty Med, he would train at home, even if his wife wasn't too happy about all the time he put in working out. Too bad he couldn't explain to her why he had to work out all the time, but she did like his muscles.

He was now lifting weights, hoping to become stronger, faster, better. He needed to be stronger because the villains were very strong nowadays. He needed to be faster so he could outrun those who were willing to turn him evil like they did with his best buddy, the Blue Tornado. He needed to be better so nobody would even dare take him on whenever alone. Stronger, faster, better. So he wouldn't become evil. So he wouldn't have to drag his wife into this big mess.

He almost didn't hear his phone went over. He stopped lifting weights, putting it back in place. He took his phone and saw it was a number he didn't have in his phone. Yet, he did answer. Who knows, maybe the person at the other side had punched in the wrong number. "Hello?" The young man said.

"Are you the Crusher?" asked the voice on the other side. The hero was silent because of that sudden question, but as he trained to be better, he also practices his lying to sound convincing enough to have people stop bothering about that topic.

"Mister, heroes don't exist. They're comic book characters. Who are you anyway?" he eventually added. He needed to know who was calling him, so he could address this person properly. It stayed silent at the other side and the Crusher was about to hang up when the voice at the other side decided to reply.

"It's me, Brain Matter, and I want to ask some question. If you hang up on me, I'll just keep calling you," the voice at the other side, which really did belong to Brain Matter, said. The Crusher heard how serious Brain Matter sounded and decided to just tag along. He needed to take a break from the work out anyway.

"Are you or are you not working for the Annihilator?" The Crusher frowned. Brain Matter indeed was very straight when it came to these questions, and he could already guess what was following. The crusher answer truthfully he doesn't work for that 'guy who thinks it's easy to enslave heroes'. It stayed quiet for a while as Brain Matter probably noted down the answers.

"Have you been in contact with anything evil lately, excluding the fact you fight evil?" No, I have not, good sir. The Crusher sounded almost upset with the distrust the man was showing. Again there was silence before the last question was asked eventually.

"Do you or do you not want to trust a few people?" The Crusher stayed quiet, but then eagerly answered he did want someone to trust. He didn't even need to think about the answer. Everyone wants someone to trust. He trusted his wife, yes, but that was different. She's a Normo. She didn't understand nor did she read comic books.

"I believe you," Brain Matter eventually said, "and I think you'll believe me to when I say I am willing to include you in my team. This team solely consists of heroes I consider trustworthy and which I have tested the same way as I tested you. Nobody is the leader, everyone is equal to another. We meet up each night to share some theories, to try to unmask the mole and secret villains. If one of us is acting weird or is lying, he or she will be banned from the group and the memory about this group will be taken away."

"You have a memory manipulator?" the Crusher wanted to know, and Brain Matter laughed at the other side of the line.

"I just finished building one and tested it. So, what do you say?" the Crusher was still doubting. How could he trust Brain Matter? The man could be lying. He could be lying about all of it. This could be a trick of the Annihilator to lure him to the lair, to overpower him and turn him evil as they did with Blue Tornado. I'm not gonna end up like George, he thought, the image of the Blue Tornado attacking him still clearly visible whenever he closed his eyes.

"How do I know you're not lying? And what do we do when you're the evil one?" Silence. Brain Matter was thinking about this question before he responded with an honest answer.

"Then one of you has to erase the memories by me. And I swear on my mother's grave that I do not lie to you about this, nor that I am evil." The Crusher nodded, because what Brain Matter swore, he was gonna do. "Have we got a deal?" If Brain Matter was standing next to the Crusher, they'd be shaking hands by now.

"Yes, we have. I'll contact you later," the Crusher said and he hung up. He and Brain Matter would have chatted for a long time if the Crusher hadn't noticed his wife, his dearest Amelia had walked in. she walked closer to him as he smiled at her.

"Who was it?" she asked, and the husband shrugged.

"Just someone from work. It's nothing you should worry about, honey."

In the evening, in a calm neighborhood in downtown Philadelphia a woman was readying herself to go to the hospital. She came there every week, and on special occasions too, like the time she got beaten up by the Vanquisher. Alley Cat knew she had to pay part of the bills, since most doctors were paid with the money the comic books made and most equipment as well. She had a job which allowed her to pay those small bills and to go to work during the times she wasn't fighting crime as the Alley Cat.

She normally stopped crime in the smaller neighborhoods of Philadelphia. Sometimes she'd go to the center of the city with a partner to stop a major villain and on a rare occasion she'd travel to New York with the League to stop a very big threat.

But right now, she liked to stay at home and show her face as less as possible. If she didn't show up much, there would be a reduced chance someone would attempt to turn her to the Dark Side and make her a villain for the Annihilator. The message about the mole and the petrification of Blaylock was much classified, and thus knew all heroes about it. Everyone was wary. Right now, she wished she had accepted the offer to join the SSHH when she had the chance.

She was about to leave in her Normo attire when the doorbell rang. Alley Cat looked up when she heard the familiar sound. To be honest, this was only the fifth time someone rang her doorbell since she moved into the house. The previous four times, someone was trying to look for evidence, which he never found. Alley Cat sighed and walked to the door. When she opened it, she knew who it was. In modern civilian clothes – he'd learned a lot about today – stood Captain Atomic and Alley Cat sighed.

"Captain, I'm very busy right now. Why don't you come back tomorrow?" she wanted to slam the door in his face and considered leaving for the Mighty Med through the backdoor, but the hero entered before she could do these things. She sighed. "Why today?" she wanted to know.

"Because of what happened to Surge, off course. I want to be sure it wasn't you." Alley Cat followed him as he entered her living room. Off course it hadn't been her; she'd been living here for three months and hasn't visited Tidwell Manor once since she moved out.

"I have to ask you to leave my house immediately?" she said, and the hero looked up, not really surprised by her reaction. This is what she said every time, with only slight variation. Each time, trouble had risen and the Captain had come to check upon her. Apparently he and other tended to think she had chosen to be evil. Okay, she may have robbed a shop once but that was before she was Alley Cat and it wasn't an excuse to come over at the slightest sign of evil growing.

"What do you have to hide?" Captain Atomic asked, and Alley Cat rolled her eyes.

"I have nothing to hide, sir, you're the one entering and looking for something you probably won't find." She looked at her watch, "And I'm already very late for my visit, so would you mind?" The Captain stopped looking under the couch and put it back in the right place.

"I'm sorry if I annoy you, but you know I care about each and every other fellow hero. I'm not only visiting you. I visited Incognito too. I couldn't hear or see him, but he did open the door." Alley Cat frowned.

"Is that supposed to make me feel at ease?" she asked and shook her head, "Captain, you are wasting your time. You could better focus on stopping the villains then to annoy me. And I'm super late for my check-up at the hospital. And If Diaz asks where I've been, you can explain it to him." He didn't doubt any of that, except for one thing.

"But I am stopping villains. I'm making sure you don't become one. Now, I know you don't like it, but I seriously will have to check the closets in your bedroom, so…" Alley Cat let out an irritated growl and she rolled her eyes, glaring at the man. Captain Atomic also didn't like having to check the closets, but he told himself he'd keep his fellow heroes safe, even if that meant they had to be saved from themselves. Even if they didn't like him visiting only to check up on them, they would probably thank him later.

"No way that you are going to my bedroom!" she almost yelled these words, and he heard so much anger he almost run. When Alley Cat's angry, you'd better stay out of her way.

"No bedroom then," he quickly said, and she gave him an innocent smile – at least, she attempted to smile at him. "You sounded very angry. Are you becoming evil?" That was it. Alley Cat grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him all the way to the door. The hero didn't fight it; if the people wanted him to leave, he'd leave.

"Goodbye!" she said, and this time she did slam the door in his face, and she sighed. It was always stressful when Captain Atomic visited her. You never knew what could possibly lead to him thinking you had become evil. She walked up to her bedroom, which always had been her space, with everyone else forbidden to enter. She sat on her bed and after a lot of thinking, she stood up again and she grabbed a coat out of her closet. She also took her mask with her; she was wearing her costume already.

She didn't pay attention to the com-set on the ground at the closet, which she could easily use to contact Skylar or the Annihilator.

A smaller town close to Philadelphia was the territory of the Dark Warrior, who liked to watch the city when on the roof of the city hall. It made him feel like he was, literally, standing above the mayor and 'above the law'. There were other buildings, but he did like being on top of the city hall. Just as he liked the fact someone was trying to sneak up on him, which meant he could finally have a fight again. Without any warning, he turned around and ran towards the man behind him. He had no idea Titanio would just step aside, not willing to fight him.

"Good to see you too," Henry Tidwell said, "Why did you want to attack me?" The Dark Warrior turned back around, ready to fight if it was necessary and ready to fight for his amusement.

"With the threat of being turned evil I'm not taking any chances. And if you're not here for those reasons, then I still don't want to join your stupid League!" Titanio shouted. The guy was quite a pain in the ass when it came to talking, especially if he wanted to stay independent.

"I'm here for neither. Stand down." The Dark Warrior glared at the hero, but he gave in eventually. Almost all weapons were dropped on the floor, except for one gun the Warrior kept in his hand. Titanio frowned – which his fellow hero couldn't see because of the helmet – and didn't ask for any explanation, because he knew the Dark Warrior would tell why he kept that one gun instead.

"If you have the guts to call someone else, I hit you with my stun ray." Titanio decided to put off his helmet so he and the Dark Warrior could look each other in the eye.

"I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. So, I came here because I needed to discuss things with you." The Dark Warrior rolled his eyes.

"I already said no!" Titanio sighed and shook his head

"When this is over, there might not be a League of Heroes anymore, so we're not going to discuss that. I wanted to talk to you about the evil heroes. Did you notice that each and every single one of them has superpowers?" the Dark Warrior nodded.

"I think I know where this is heading. But yes, I did notice that. One of them tried to take me, too, but no way they'll ever make me evil!" Titanio nodded.

"They'd have to send Tecton and the Crusher to overpower you," Henry said, "and that one common trait makes me want to seek help with you. You are one of the few Normo heroes I dare to trust."

"What are you suggesting?" the Dark Warrior said, slightly lowering his gun.

"I thought you knew where this is heading?"

"And now you've proven me wrong. Well, continue, I'm waiting." Titanio shook his head again. Sometimes, the Dark Warrior was unbelievable. He really was a master of deception, but still a good guy and easy to understand when he wasn't putting up his defenses and blocked himself from the outside world.

"I want to create an alliance between the two of us, only you and me," he hastily added when he spoke about the alliance, "I know I can trust you because you're not easy to take and because you have no powers. And I swear you can trust me too, because I'm like you, but I am very rich and handsome and want to be in an alliance."

"What's in it for me?" the Dark Warrior said. And Titanio's mouth fell open.

"Are you serious? The world is about to be overrun by evil heroes and you want some reward for being my ally?" The Dark Warrior grinned.

"Just kidding. I'm in! And if I'm not mistaken, that wasn't the only reason you came here. You could've made this agreement over the phone." Titanio nodded – that hero was really good at analyzing the situation, which would be really helpful for the crazy idea of Titanio.

"I need your help," Henry said, "I need someone to help me with a plan which could help the evil heroes."

"I'm listening," the Dark Warrior said, and he finally put away the stun ray. Titanio sighed in relief and explained his plan to the Dark Warrior, who immediately told the leader of the League it was one of the dumbest ideas he had ever heard, but Titanio had just shrugged. There was no need for everyone to know what was going on around there, and in times like these it was best to keep secrets.

"I'm gonna do it anyway, but it's your choice to help me with it," Titanio said. "I could really use you. Even if you decide not to help me with the pan, we're still working together, right?" the Dark Warrior nodded.

"Off course we are. I can't let a Normo be taken as a prisoner of that annihilating freak!"

"So, we have a deal?" Titanio said, extending his hand to the Dark Warrior, who took it.

"Like I just said, off course we have!"

Solar Flare flew to the roof of one of Philadelphia's skyscrapers. It was later in the evening and as usual, nobody looked up to notice the hero fly over. This made her journey so much easier. She was flying there for only one purpose: despair. After finding Blaylock as a statue, every hero became very careful around other heroes. There was a mole, but nobody knew exactly who it was. Then there was the attack on Surge, because of which the League might be disbanded. All because of distrust. Only the Super-Secret Heroes in Hiding were safe because nobody knew anything about them.

So the despair led her to these skyscrapers, in the hope of finding an ally in these dark times. This possible ally left her a note, which she found and red before she burned the evidence. She may not have the note anymore, but she did remember what was written on it.

I know you probably don't trust anymore, but I need to know if you can be trusted. Mara, I swear you can trust me. You can find me this evening on the roof at 16thStreet and Market Street, PNC. That's all there was. Nobody signed the note, but that wasn't necessary; Solar Flare knew who wrote it because there was only one person who called her Mara.

She landed on the roof of the building he chose and looked over the street and the surrounding buildings. Then, she looked behind her and she saw the writer of the note, when she was certain he hadn't been there before. He came closer and Solar Flare almost flew away as he neared her. "How did you get up here?" she asked.

"I took the elevator," was NeoCortex' answer, "I like the view here. The villains don't come here often, but when they do, they still won't wreck any buildings." He looked at her. "I'm very glad to see you here tonight, Mara." She completely detested the nickname he gave her, but those were the least of her worries right now. She remembered Kaz and Oliver who found out about him and Blue Tornado being evil. She should've flown away when she saw him, but she stayed. She had yet to figure out why.

"Stop talking," she eventually said, backing away from him. NeoCortex frowned.

"I'm sorry, Martina, I can't help it. I…"

"That's not what I meant. I'd better go." She started to hover but delayed actually leaving because of the hero. He looked lost, like he didn't understand what was going on. He came closer and she allowed herself to answer one question, though she feared it might take longer than that. He was her father figure, after all.

"What's wrong?" he asked, and she shook her head.

"It's you, you idiot," she shouted, "You are evil! You wrote the note to lure me here and now you're keeping me here to turn me evil, too!" NeoCortex shook his head and slowly got even closer to her, hands in the air, trying to convince her of his innocence. His eyes didn't meet hers.

"You know," he began, "I wrote you that note to tell you I am not evil, though many believe otherwise. Yes, I was used as bait and I did want to attack the Normos… It was pretense. I never truly was evil and I was able to scare Skylar Storm, the mole – only the Blue Tornado had become evil. I'm only pretending, and I'm doing this for every victim. If I can find out what the Annihilator wants, the others and I can try to stop him and we'd…"

"Stop lying," Solar Flare said, "you're evil. Nothing can change that." With those words, she flew higher, ready to really take off. She shouldn't have stayed this long. But she lingered too long and she still was in hearing range of the newly turned villain.

"Mara, wait! I'm not evil! If I were evil, I wouldn't have let you land. Heck, I wouldn't have even let you talk; I'd shoot you out of the sky and wouldn't bother to catch you, I'd leave you for dead! I would have given you no chance; I would have showed no mercy! But I guess it doesn't matter anymore. I just wanted to be able to trust someone. Goodbye, Martina, and good luck." Solar Flare didn't look back, but his words hit her as if she flew into a wall. He just wanted someone to trust, with everyone thinking he's a bad guy now, and he contacted her of all heroes! I'm gonna regret this, she thought and flew back to the roof, landing a few feet behind NeoCortex, who was ready to leave.

"Michael, wait!" she started to run to him as he turned his head, "Wait! I believe you! I'm sorry for my first reaction, I… I'm a little hot-headed sometimes."

"A little?" he commented and she glared at him, "I know. You are a little too impulsive, too. You should work on that." he advised and she shook her head.

"I'm so sorry I doubted you, but I had to be sure." NeoCortex smiled at her, studying her.

"Always careful, yet always impulsive, too," he said, "A pretty dangerous mix. But you could be really useful." She ignored the signs and just thanked him. Solar Flare had always been quite impulsive, also with this last decision. She didn't think any harm would be done to her when NeoCortex stepped back. One of his stun blasts hit her at full force and she fell on the ground, unconscious. He didn't look at the girl who trusted him and sent a mental message. NeoCortex to Storm. Target unconscious. You can come over.

Almost immediately she appeared and looked at the fallen hero. She then nodded at NeoCortex and smirked.

"Good job." He smirked back.

"She didn't even see it coming."