After heading down to San Francisco on a quick jaunt for more information and to follow up on some leads about the where-abouts of Crystal, Coriolis returns to the empty state. Empty in both answers to his questions, and empty as in the headquarters are completely bereft of living occupants. There is a note scratched into the newly poured foundation for the Danger Room expansion. Coriolis makes a mental note to talk to Crete about his use of writing implements, as he scans the brief blurb:
"\/\/e|-;+ +0 |>,ee|) |\|ee|) |_i|\|6\/is+"
Coriolis is eventually able to make out the crude markings, he heads over to the university that was tomb, domicile, and nanny to Crete for over fifty years, and quickly finds the stony scholar in company of Professor Splint, a number of his grad students, a strangely garbed indian looking like he stepped out of the production of the old 1960's F-Troop, and a freakishly twitching fellow who can't seem to stand in one place for more than a second.
Introductions are made all around, and Coriolis is informed that the two wackos are the new recruits to the team. Crete cheerfully explains that he vouched for them both. Coriolis remains skeptical. More so when the indian introduces himself as "Blazing Arrow from the western sea who talks to the old mule". Truthfully, Coriolis was more interested in what the linguist professor was trying to say than listening to the obviously peyote induced ramblings of a madman. The twitchy fellow, named aptly enough SuperFreak, seemed less annoying, but that is just first impressions.
Turns out that Blazing Arrow and Blob (ed: not appearing in this issue) managed to recover some interesting alien-like artifacts (not to say that aliens exist......) during a recent scuffle with Air Strike, the Mighty Flea, Heist and Centurion. AS got away leaving with only some goods. After an inspection of the foreign flight craft, a small cube of some sort of high tech plastic is found. A company N-tec makes similar cubes that hold roughly 100gb, this one however holds 1000gb. After getting a reader hooked up, the data is discovered to be in some strange code or language, hence the visit to Professor Splint. The good doctor promises that in just a few days time his grad students will be able to make something out of the gibberish.
The team comes up with a fiendishly simple but effective ruse to capture Air Strike. They will hire her through the usual channels and arrange a meeting out at the waterfront (just blocks away from the HQ).
Air Strike falls for it, and with Crete laying in wait under the cement, Blazing Arrow dressed in his regular duds, and SuperFreak and Coriolis holding up at the top of the Marriott across the street, she appears at the appointed time.
At the signal, Crete grabs her about the legs, while Freak and Coriolis
stealth down the side of the building at nearly triple terminal velocity.
(note: even the highly perceptive sometimes have a difficult time noticing
brightly garbed superpowered buffoons heroes) With a
resounding PA-POW! a pair of high velocity strikes are performed. Even so,
the great power unleashed is not enough to break the mighty grab of
Crete, and he yet holds tight, as Blazing Arrow attempts to explode Air
Strike's brain with his keen mental abilities. Nothing happened. Freak
proceeds to berate Air Strike with numerous pokes and jabs from his highly
trained pointy fingers while Crete and Coriolis look on in an apparent
state of stasis.
Blazing Arrow, not about to be outdone, karate chops Air Strike in the throat, leading to a strange conversation about just which tribe he hails from. Crete, well versed in history and local culture is unconvinced, Coriolis on the other hand refuses to listen to the Amerind (if he is really an American Indian at all), telling the put off Blazing Arrow, to talk to the hand and stay the hell away from the cameras when the press shows up to speak with Coriolis. (which they surely will be doing at any moment). Air Strike seems to agree and attempts to a not too well placed kick into the side of Blazing Arrows foot. His keen senses tell him that if she had been more accurate, he would be in sorry shape.
Finally able to fight off the strange temporal effects of being slow, Coriolis and Crete get in some panel time, Coriolis using his wind mastery to blow the citizens of Portland to a safer distance, while Crete exerts his strength and attempts to cause Air Strike to go limp.
Another karate chop to the throat, and a flurry of finger pokes from Freak, and Air Strike complies, but not before growing uncomfortably warm in Crete's hands. Having heard about the way Air Strike has taken out other very powerful opponents in the past, Freak is instructed to use his jittery powers to some useful effect and toss her glowing, unconscious body into the Willamette river, where hopefully the pollution will keep her sedated and hold off the incredible burst of energy that is soon on its way.
This is only mildly effective, as a huge blast of previously unseen proportions scorches the waterfront park to a cinder, taking out cubic yards of reinforced concrete seawalls and carefully manicured lawns with ease. The shocking death of so many three eyed fish is too much for Blazing Arrow and he feels utterly compelled to perform a mystic ceremony in their honor. Coriolis discusses the possible origins of the familiar dance routine, telling Crete a bit more about his missing period and bringing Crete up to date on the Brady Bunch's trip to the Grand Canyon and Dance Fever.
Eventually, Coriolis uses the wind to blow Air Strike out of the poisonous drink (don't want to get any of that water on your clothing, the stains will never come out), and she is brought back to HQ while Crete repairs the park to better than it was before.
SWORD (ed: Special Weapons Ordinance, Research and Development) lends a hand in the interrogation of Air Strike, allowing the group to get to the juicy bits faster. One of the SWORD agents is a bit dubious about allowing Blazing Arrow in on the interrogation, and to show them that he has real powers he allows them to shoot him (!). Blazing Arrow easily deflects the bullets right back at the agent, who becomes mollified enough to let the heroes take over.
Air Strike informs the group that not only was she willing to surrender to us prior to being dipped in the Willamette (she didn't get the chance to do much of anything thanks to our amazing efficiency, but she holds no allegiances to Crystal and, while she doesn't outright say so there is implication that everything has a price.
Conversations are paused while Air Strikes criminal status is looked at. She is wanted for crimes committed in Egypt (presumably archaeological in nature), but has a clean bill of health in the US. A hero only discussion of Air Strike's fate continues late into the night.
Should she be let free? Crete believes she would willingly return to Egypt on her own recognizance. Coriolis is skeptical.
Should she be enlisted to help with the forthcoming altercations with Crystal?
Should she be locked up in the Sieve, never to be seen again?
Tune in next issue to find out.....