Note: Happy new year, guys! I hope that everyone is ready for 2023, given how crazy the last few years were. Before we move on, I have something to say to a reviewer.

Ron: He might be a tough enemy, but he's facing off against the Mighty Loonatics, not the original team. I'm not even sure if the original Loonatics will encounter him. If they do, it will probably be a devastating battle. Stay tuned for what happens next!

Now that I've said that, it's time for chapter twenty.

Chapter 20: Someone I Knew

As Jack and Diane entered HQ, they saw their teammates standing in front of the elevator. They all looked ready to head out to the city, presumably having been alerted by the disappearance of the Jarlon-human and the Arctic vixen. Slam in particular looked concerned. Even John looked somewhat rattled, if not unnerved. The stag's face didn't usually show a whole lot of emotion, which made the expression he had more notable. Diane looked at Jack, being surprised by the look on her friend's face. Both of them knew that they had a lot of explaining to do.

"There you are!" Lori spoke. "Where were you, guys?"

"Well," Jack said, "to make a long story short, we encountered a villain who has the ability to manipulate shadows and create shadow monsters."

"Did you beat him?" The fennec asked.

"It wasn't a fight, it was more like a test." Diane said.

"A test?" Simon asked. "For what?"

"I barely understood it myself," Jack said, "but I think he wanted to test how we have improved since we formed the team."

"Then why did he only take the two of you?" Klara asked.

"Because of my telepathy." Diane said.

"What?!" John spoke.

"Her telepathy picked up the guy who wanted to test us today, and he noticed it." Jack said.

Diane hung her head in shame, knowing that her telepathy tracked a villain, but she couldn't tell who it was. She felt somewhat responsible for being unable to get a read on him before, as her powers didn't sense him before. Not only that, but the Arctic vixen didn't try to fight him. However, that was primarily because the tone of the mysterious being's voice startled her. It just sounded familiar, as if the vulpine was facing an old friend or a distant relative. While it was somewhat shocking for her, Diane felt her will to fight drain upon hearing the voice of that entity.

Seeing how his friend looked ashamed, John walked on over to Diane. He lifted her head, trying to look her in the eyes. It didn't take long for the stag to piece what was bothering the vixen together. As they had been friends since childhood, the two often kept each other updated on whatever was going on in their home life. Whenever there was a tragic event, the vulpine and the cervine would speak to each other, needing a comforting hand from outside their respective families. Much like how he talked to her about his sister's death, Diane had spoken to John about a tragic event from her family, and John could tell that it was what was currently bothering her.

"You're thinking about him aren't you?" John spoke.

Looking at John, Diane nodded her head. This got the attention of Slam and their teammates, who noticed the cervine walking on over to his friend.

"Thinking about who?" Simon asked.

"Yeah, who could Diane be thinking about?" Lori asked.

"My father." Diane said.

The Mighty Loonatics looked at the Arctic vixen for a moment, puzzled by her answer. John put a comforting hand on Diane's shoulder, intent on cheering her up. She brought her head up, but she was still frowning. Slam wanted to come and hug the vulpine, but John signaled for him to give her some space. The stag took her over to the couch, allowing her to sit down. Everyone sat down near Diane, their curiosity overtaking them. However, they all struggled to say anything without upsetting her in the process.

"I'm sorry if I'm worrying all of you, but I just froze up when the man who was testing Jack and me left." Diane said.

"Why did you do that?" Klara asked. "And what does this have to do with your dad?"

"I froze up because the voice sounded like his." The Arctic vixen said.

"What was your father like, anyway?" Simon asked. "Was he a bad person?"

"No, he was a great person." The vulpine said. "He took me in when I was a baby and I lived with him for my entire life."

"So, you were adopted?" Jack spoke. "What happened to your real parents?"

"They died when I was a baby, so an officer took me to him." She said. "I don't know how they died, but father always told me that there was a car crash out on the highway. People would often talk about it where I grew up, saying that it was one of the worst crashes they had ever seen."

"How bad was it?" Lori asked.

"It was so bad, the car that my real parents were in practically exploded! Once it happened, my real father's neck was broken by the impact! As for my real mother, the paramedics said that she had a fatal heart attack from the trauma!"

The Mighty Loonatics were shocked by what Diane had told them. John was especially mortified, as she had never told him about this. He was well-aware that the Arctic vixen was adopted, but he didn't know how she became an orphan in the first place. Now that the stag knew, he wanted to hug his longtime friend. Before he could, the cervine saw Diane stand up, wiping a tear from her eye. Slam put his hand on her shoulder, giving her some support.

"When I was adopted," Diane spoke, "I was hoping that my father wouldn't leave me. I knew that he wasn't going to be around forever, but I was scared of losing him like how I lost my real parents. There were even occasions where I would ask to go to work with him. He would take me to therapy every so often, wanting to help me cope with the deaths of my loved ones."

"Did it work?" Teagan asked.

"I still had nightmares, but he made me feel safe." The Arctic vixen said. "Dad was nice, protective, and comforting. However, he wanted me to feel like I could take on anything, so he had me sign up for certain activities during middle school. They were hard, but I didn't let any of them keep me down. Every time I succeeded, I felt like giving my father a hug. For every loss, he would take me out for ice cream and tell me that losing wasn't something to be punished for, but as a reminder that there is room for improvement in life."

"He was a pretty cool guy." Jack said. "But why does the guy we were fighting remind you of him?"

"Because I haven't seen him since." The vulpine said.

"What happened to him?" The Jarlon-human asked.

Diane got a lump in her throat, not wanting to go over what happened on that day. She looked down, trying to hide how sad she looked. However, the Arctic vixen's expression didn't go unnoticed by her teammates. They were all concerned, wanting to know what had happened to the man who had raised her throughout her life. John knew what had happened, but he decided to let the vulpine tell her own story. He just felt that it would be rude and disrespectful for him to explain something from his friend's life instead of having said friend explain it herself.

"He went missing after the meteor struck Acmetropolis." Diane said. "I was on my way home when it happened, so I didn't make it in time. When I woke up, a friend of his told me that I would have to stay at the hospital for a while. Before he left, my powers kicked in and I read his mind. He seemed to notice, so he told me what went down at my home. When the meteor struck, it got demolished, and witnesses tried to save those inside."

"Did they find anyone?" Simon asked.

"Only a few family friends." The Arctic vixen said. "But my father, they didn't see him anywhere. They only found a piece of fabric from the shirt he was wearing, but no body. It was at that moment he was pronounced dead!"

Hanging her head, Diane let out a few pained sobs. In an attempt to comfort her, Slam gave her a hug. This didn't seem to help, as the Arctic vixen continued to cry. John stood by her, putting his hand on her shoulder. The rest of the team didn't know what to say, looking at each other for guidance and support. Klara in particular was worried that whatever she would say would make the situation worse. When it came to comforting someone over a death in the family, the girl would either stay quiet or refuse to approach anyone.

"All this time," Diane said, "I was hoping that he would still be alive! My search for him hasn't been a success, and I'm worried that he might actually be dead! I've heard that villain's voice, and it reminded me of his voice! If it is him, then how can I fight the man who raised me? Why am I so afraid of facing him again?"

"Maybe it's because you want to see him again, but you feel that some things are too good to be true?" Klara spoke.

"I just want some closure!" The Arctic vixen sniffed.

"And you'll get it." Jack said. "When we encounter that man again, we'll be able to unmask him. If he's your father, then you'll be reunited. If he's not, then we'll help you search for him."

"Thanks Jack," the vulpine said, "but I probably won't get the closure that I need. Without my father, I don't have a family."

"We're your family now." Lori said. "No matter what happens, we'll be by your side."

"And you can count on us for support and strength." Klara said.

"You don't have to worry about us leaving you, because we're there for you." Simon said.

"Trust me, I won't do anything to you other than give you a hug every now and then." Jack said.

"I'll keep you out of trouble, especially when there's someone suspicious around the corner." Teagan said.

"You might think that you're alone without a family, but you're not." John said. "You and I have been friends since childhood, and you've kept me away from a life of crime. Now, I want to keep you from going down a dark path. We're in a team now, and everyone is here to help."

Slam grumbled in agreement, nodding his head. This seemed to reassure Diane, as she had calmed down. While there were still tears in the Arctic vixen's eyes, but she was now happy to have some support from her teammates. She approached them, allowing them to hug and comfort her. As the vulpine was doing this, the Mighty Loonatics nodded at Slam, signaling that they were going to handle. The Tasmanian Devil nodded back, telling the new recruits that he understood.

Meanwhile, the mysterious being was sitting on top of a nearby tower.

"Odd how I remind her of someone." He said to himself. "Come to think of it, she reminds me of someone that I knew. My memory's a bit hazy, but could she be someone from my past?"

Note: Looks like the entity who tested Jack and Diane has a messed up memory. Could he actually be Diane's father? Is it just a coincidence? Who could he actually be if that's the case? Does he have other villains waiting for the Mighty Loonatics? Can the team handle said villains? Who is coming to watch after the new recruits next?

Until next time, guys, this is Newcomer24, signing off. Peace!