Disclaimer: Nope, don't own.

:}

Harry Puckett, code named Striker, moved across the street to get closer to his target. Sam, temporarily jacked up on his abilities thanks to her mothers plastic surgeons side gig, had been named skirmish and told to keep Phantom busy. Velvet Phantom hadn't instantly showed, but that girl was good at finding things out, and so had shown up after the Constable had started his scheduled public appearance at this opening of a youth center. Sam's blue eyes had found her, in her disguise, hiding among the crowd.

'Velvet Phantoms supposed to be one hell of a fighter.' She told herself. 'Okay, make this look good, cause if Cat did her job, then I'm already covered, and Phantom knows this is part of the act. Kinda surprised they agreed to let this event happen, given how many kids are here. Then again, mostly minorities and gang affiliated…' The blond didn't like where that thought was heading.

Striker moved quickly, closing on Constable, weapon in hand. A close in shot was preferred, making it seem like nothing more then a standard assassination. 'Armored clothing, so placement counts….'

Things moved very quickly from there. Velvet Phantoms hand grabbed the weapon as Striker pulled it out, forcing a confrontation. Striker, Harry, was fast, strong, inhuman in so many ways. His speed was blinding, and as such, missed her by less then she'd have liked, even as I t struck something unimportant, and sent the crowd running. But that one move forced others, and Sam was moving through the crowd towards the scuffle.

Harry was being overwhelmed. 'She's countering everything.' Sam noted. 'I was told she was the single best hand to hand combatant the heroes got, so I'm thinking this was to be expected. Now, how to make this look good and avoid anyone getting dead?'

Sam hadn't expected the twist of her being the one paired off against Constable. The police hero attempted to grapple, allowing his maximum human strength to supposedly dominate the petite girl. Only Sam was a scrapper, strong and quick and very knowledgeable about wrestling, even without the enhancements. She twisted in his arms and attempted a counter hold. "Good move." He whispered.

"Shouldn't you be the one taking Striker down?" Sam asked.

"Striker? Again?" Constable whisper-groaned. "That makes him like the fifteenth Striker I've heard of. People, get some original names."

Sam wondered again at the logic of her cousin, her large, intimidating cousin, enhanced and well armed, going against someone who was basically a sidekick. 'Okay, She's a great fighter, but Harry has so much more then just his hand to hand skills. Boy has weapons…'

Striker, for his part, wasn't even aware yet how he was being herded out of the main entrance to the youth center, and to a side room where his weapons were far less likely to hurt anyone. Ballistic blankets hung from the walls, and The Velvet Phantom was well aware of his every move.

'They're separating us.' It his Sam. "Why separate us?"

"Phantom is the best fighter we have." Constable insisted. "And we have backup, right here, if we need it."

Sam executed a flip, taking control from the police hero. Well trained, experienced, the man wasn't easy to overcome, but her own strength and endurance were pushed about as high as they could go, and for her, that was higher then his. Sam felt bad that she'd been reduced to brute force to take control, but understood how to do so when needed, and that sometimes that's all you have. Now, she wasn't going to win. Constable had too many weapons of his own. He could, however, make mistakes, and to the blue eyed girls mind, they already had. 'Got to get control, cause Harry, he's got to have him some bad intentions for that girl.'

Harry had long ago given up trading blows with some chick who was almost as strong as he was, and had disarmed him of his initial gun in the first seconds. But the decision was more that, as the crowd thinned, her ability to second guess his ever move increased. 'She can read my moves.' He decided, and made his last break to get back among the bangers, most of whom, he assumed, would help him out.

The figure that rose up to stop Harry's jump jet assisted escape heaved him back, tossing the man across the room and into the prepaired area. Well past the do not enter tape, Striker landed with a thud, his own acrobatics not yet developed enough to have countered the sudden appearance of Warpath. He lay on his back, rolling to his feet even as it hit him, he was in a one on two now.

"Warpath?" Sam felt the surprise. "You guys brought Warpath?"

The change was instant. The gathering, with a large percentage gang affiliated, suddenly saw someone they could root for, and parted to let her move in on Sam, Skirmish, and free the hero to help Phantom deal with the villain.

"Yea, sorry, but your dance card just shifted." Constable joked, and rushed off to help contain the real target of the operation.

Warpath was a very difficult fight, even if Sam had been intent on winning. The styles were so different, with Warpath very much a striker who knew how to deal with throws and take-downs, and Sam more into take-downs and holds. The biggest difference, however, was strength. Warpath was the strongest on the field, easily overpowering Skirmish with her moves. Moreover, the part time hero was doing her true job, keeping the press, the kids, everyone's attention focused right there.

Sam didn't have to try to lose, not against this hero, as Warpath proved to be her better. 'Even jacked up like I am, god, this woman, she's amazing. I mean, how does she get that bulk to move that fast? And, and her skills…'

In the other room, Phantom had done everything she could to disarm Striker, and for the most part, had control. However, the goal had been capture, so while the would be assassin tried to get some distance to maybe try another escape, or perhaps draw yet another weapon, Constable shot him with two taser darts, bringing the fight to an abrupt halt before the petite girl could finish capturing the man. "Really? You darted him? I mean, I knew how he was gonna try to escape, and had a counter."

"And when you get cleared to carry weapons, so you can have a few things to incapacitate guys like him, THEN we'll forget teamwork." Constable chided the girl. "Lets just hope the other parts of the team do their part."

Across town, things were in motion. Beck sat watching his assigned part of the city, wondering when the distraction would happen. 'My work on the streets showed that whomever is behind this isn't stupid. One thing we do know is that assassinating Constable, that's not just taking out a cop, it's taking out the police's number two propaganda device, as well as one of the guys the cops use to make them feel safer. No, taking out someone like that, or Blue Shield, the guys told me that would bring the entire force of every police department in a thousand miles down looking for the one's behind it. They needed a distraction so they could pull it off. Course, given the short notice of when things were gonna happen, it's highly possible whatever distraction they have planned won't happen before the assasin starts his attempt. Still, as long as the police are distracted…'

His radio started buzzing as reports started coming in. "All units, metahuman sighted near City Hall. Reports indicate a metahuman with earth and fire based powers, growing to over ten feet tall. We need confirmation, and are vectoring The Black Dahlia towards this incident now."

'Metahuman with earth and fire powers….' Beck thought, checking his database. "Magmasar, the living volcano. This is bad, cause if it is him, then we're all in for a major fight. And if it's not, then god, talk about distractions. I…"

"Steel Copper, remain at your post until we confirm there isn't another metahuman threat." Came over the radio. "We don't have anyone else who might be able to help deal with this threat."

"Rodger that." Beck said, and wondered if even Tori's luck would be enough to get them out of this situation alive.

Near City Hall, or more specifically the Los Angeles County Building, Jade materialized out of a fountain and started seeking her target. Wasn't hard to find, the now twelve foot tall figure had just finished his own transformation and started tearing up the street in preparation for his eruption, the attack he'd use to kill as many police and innocents as possible.

Jade called the earth elemental she'd used in the attempt to free her grandfather, aware that it'd be all but immune to the heat and fire abilities of her opponent, and centered herself to move in. 'Showtime, West. Lets hope that long list of protective spells Sikowitz was supposed to have taught you work, cause I don't know if anyone else in the whole city can handle this.' Blue eyes glanced around, hoping that several of the more powerful members of LA Justice might be showing up. 'Travel time, girl. They could take minutes. Think of how many people will die in that time. No, I'm on this, and Bastion should be on her way. Cat, never wanted you near this kind of fight…'

Flying closer, she knew her first job as to get the monsters focus on her. 'Koval, I have a plan…'

'Let us hope it's not as bad as the one's you've had in the past.' The less then encouraging voice of her familiar echoed in her mind.

'I need you to help me by faking an attack on that guy. Um…' Jade wondered, would he even be able. 'Can you safely do anything?'

'I can do a lot more then that.' The lion all but roared. 'I see the plot, and understand. Summon my physical form, and let me distract the monster…'

Cat, meanwhile, was trying to move, to get to where her friends were, despite the warning she'd been given about the possibility of other attacks. 'Jadey is gonna face some flaming dude with an attitude. She needs me. I'm… God, when did I become the strong one? I.. Jadey, I'm coming….'

Across from her, she saw an old man smiling, shifting from his disguise as a homeless man to his real purpose, as his body expanded and filled out with bulging muscles. The man reached for a car, hefting it up and looking to see what target would cause the biggest headlines in the paper. He knew, given what his allies were doing, he'd have to be extra fiendish to win any print space once the dust had settled. Constable wouldn't even make the first page.

Cat knew that man was up to no good, and despite her desire to rush out and save Jade, she knew she had to be the one to stop the now nine foot tall man from whatever evil he had planned. "Okay, mister… You have a name, cause I really don't know who you are. Just, yea, drop the car, and maybe we can get ice cream and talk this out? I know a place…" The car came hurling towards her. Telekinetic fields withing her reached out, along with her hand, wrapping around the vehicle so that when she exerted force, it wouldn't shatter. The caught vehicle was gently placed on the street. 'Oh, look, a puppy in the back seat. Sorry, puppy…' Hardened brown eyes turned to the old man, ready to do some damage.

"Call me Grendel!" The man declared, rushing towards her, and the fight before him.

Jade approached Magmasar, while she brought Koval to the physical world. The lion had no desire to bite anything still burning at Magma temperatures, but also knew he didn't have to. Instead, he rushed forward, biting a street lamp, and causing it to fall on the twelve foot tall mound of humanoid lava. "So, the Black Dahlia has opened up with her heavy hitter? Not impressed." The villian scoffed. Jade resisted the urge to react, instead waiting her time. She didn't have to wait long.

Magmasar tossed a chunk of his flaming body at her, the lava burning it's way through the air as the molten rock reached for her tender flesh, only for her earth elemental to flow up in front of her, catching the ball and getting covered in the melting liquid.

"Oops, looks like I had an elemental." Jade teased, even as she shifted position, activating the small fetish that would act as a battery to power her flight and armoring spells while she shifted her own power to a more constructive purpose. 'He need to be cooled down, but not yet. I need him overconfident first, to lure him away from the people, then I strike. So, mister, lets see if a touch of wind gets you attention.' The whirlwind blew around him, air super-heating in an instant, breaking her spell and sending her floating backwards from the sudden heat released.

"YAAARRRRR!" Echoed from the magma man, as his body hardened due to the sudden loss of heat. It took him a moment to melt free of his own body, and Jade knew his vulnerability. Blue eyes glanced back to the small fountain she'd used to get there.

'Gonna be lot of steam, but I'm thinking this fight is already over. I just, yea, time to move….' She rose up into the air, drawing a couple of weakish shots from the still recovering living volcano. Only she had the advantage now, and knew it. Her lion danced around, trying to draw fire, all the while splitting the real him from the illusion to help protect his charge.

Across town, Cat engaged the mammoth man, and found his strength to be greater then hers. Only, that strength wasn't used as well as Ultrabro or anyone trained to fight. Grendel was a berserker, and that had brought him many a victory. His fists and body lashing around, speed and power driving all before him.

Cat finessed him. At first, she needed to break his rush, take away his advantage of being on the offensive. She did so by dancing around him, looking for her opening. In the end, it came down to leaping up, but then hovering, like Jade had insisted she could, and using that moment he was off balance to move in and strike. The running (or in this case, flying) press dropped him to his back, where his berserk rage made it harder for him to regain his feet. From there, she pressed her advantage, striking and moving, tossing him away from the public with each shift in her tactics.

Grendel was to far gone in his controlled rage to react, even as his mind was screaming a warning, that this girls power was nearing his own. If she could ride out the rage, find a way to blunt it, then she could easily gain the advantage, something the man had no desire ever to see. So he refocused on his rage, and pushed to take her down.

Jade had lured her opponent to just where she wanted him, using her magics to help reinforce her summoned assistant. 'Everything in place, and you know what to do, right?' She mentally asked.

'I know my part.' Koval insisted, already in position for his true job now that she'd changed tactics. The elemental didn't so much respond as melt into the ground, waiting for the right moment.

Magmasar had recovered, and was moving to find hostages. He knew, in his mind and heart, she had a lot more of those whirlwinds she could use to hurt him, fill him with pain and eventually maybe bring him down. The living volcano, the walking disaster, wasn't going to be stopped by this one girl. Not when he had victory in his grasp.

Jade focused wind pushed him back a step, something he'd have been surprised she could do. Honestly, she didn't know she could either. But the winds did what they were supposed to, spreading his heat around while slowing him down. In that moment, the elemental rose again, grabbing his still molten form and heaving him upwards towards the fountain.

Magmasar wasn't expecting this attack, believing nothing could move him if he didn't want to be moved. So as his feet left the ground, and he started to hurl towards the water, he was too furious to laugh at the insanity of her actions. 'Not nearly enough water to stop me. It'll hurt, then I'll show the entire city not to mess with me.'

He hit the water, and the portal Jade had placed there, under Kovals control, Seconds later, he was in a large reservoir, not quite over his head, but too much water to just burn away.

In that moment the Black Dahlia struck, throwing a frosty pulse colder then the coldest winds in the south pole, freezing the water even as it turned to steam. Elemental frost flowed around the mans body, hoarfrost and ice forming on the mountainous form. For the moment, the living volcano was stopped.

Cat had shifted tactics now that she'd moved the berserker to a place where they could exchange blows. Exhaustion become her new enemy. Cat was allowing the symbiots to flow psionic energy into each punch, attacking both Grendels mind and body. Each blow was draining her otherwise inexhaustible supply of energy. But each blow was shattering the concentration of her foe, taking away his endurance, his ability to resist, and he was faltering. Already his rage was on the edge, fading with his consciousness. Cat didn't know, didn't care. She had a puppy to defend, and wasn't gonna let this monster be a threat any more.

Her physical power tossed the large muscular form back with each punch, only for her flying body to close the distance again. Finally, she found a place, rose up and came down hard, striking with a blow that caused a localized earthquake. A hole formed from the force, and for the fist time, Grendel was down. Cat was breathing hard, but felt a scene of victory as she looked at the now shrunk man laying in the pit. "Oh, gotta open a window for the puppy…" She rushed off to attend to the young dog.

Jade, meanwhile, had waited, building her next strike, and when Magmasar melted his way through the ice covering, hit him with her strongest elemental pulse, cold and ice so deep that the man wasn't able to resist. His form solidified, the body being forced out to survive. Koval had snagged him once the core froze, pulling him to safety. 'Victory.' The lion told The black Dahlia. She just nodded.

:}

Just a little action to help show how powerful out girls have grown. Grendel is my version of the hulk, cause I needed one. As for Magmasar, who wouldn't want a living volcano. Thinking of seeing if Vegas has one as a greeter.

So, thoughts on our girls fighting abilities? Also, who wants to know hat kind of puppy Cat saved. Me I just wanted cute.