//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 // Story: American Fox // by madhat886 //------------------------------// ! Ms. Poppins and her two wards were led to a large building set away from the others with the sun setting. It look more like a school dorm then anything else and it's also sounds like one too. They're being guided by a young woman name Dorothy Gale, a dirty blond farm girl who kept her hair in a ponytail. She like Ms. Liddell had found herself in the Land of Oz after a tornado had gone and swept her along with her house there. (1) "You still have the silver slippers?" Ms. Longstockings ask. "No, I left them in Oz where they belong," Dorothy said. "Even then they would just be slippers here," Ms. Liddell said. "Which is a good thing. The last thing we need are people and things who can use their magic and abilities running around," Ms. Poppins said. "Well that's not all true," Dorothy said. “Empress Norton or Princess Sunset?” Ms. Liddell ask. "The Jedis?" Ms. Longstockings ask. "There are them," Dorothy said as she opens the front double doors for them. A young blonde girl ran by who is dress very colorful. She has her hair in pigtails with streaks one blue and one red on them. And dress is like that of a clown, with a pair of shorts over the tights she wore. Behind her came a redhead dress in green dress and tights. Who has look like vines growing on her clothes and hair. Followed by another blonde dress in a blue shirt and red skirt who is flying after them. (2) "Is she flying?" Ms. Liddell ask. "Wow," Ms. Longstocking said. "Kara Zor-El or Supergirl, she's a Kryptonian an alien from another world who under the rays of a yellow sun in her words is a flying brick. The girls with her are Harleen Quinzel or Harley Quinn the blonde and the redhead is Pamela Isley or Poison Ivy. In their world they go to a school that trains young people like them into becoming superheroes or heroines in their cases," Dorothy said. "Super... hero?" Ms. Poppins ask. "It's something that happens here in America that seems doesn't happen elsewhere. Some of the events open to worlds where people have powers and go around fighting crime in costumes. Ivy has the power to control plants and for Harley she in her words is a badass normal who's fighting skills and physical abilities allow her to fight against people with powers," Dorothy said. (3) "Wait they're heroes?" Ms. Liddell ask. "Yes but with powers that's why we're super," a man dress in a suit but has large bird like wings on his back. "And you're?" Ms. Poppins ask. "Harvey Birdman, attorney at law. Well, I was one in my world and was a hero in my world till, I decided to change jobs," Harvey said. "And now he's working in the legal department," said a black woman dress in a men's business suit that hide her figure but still shows that she's a statuesque knockout of a woman. "Meet Karen Quilt who goes by the name of Stealth when she's in costume," Harvey said. "I'm in charge of the Super Crops," Ms. Quilt said. "Right now this part of Spookhouse handles all the people who find themselves in this world who came from a superhero world. Right now it's best for those of us from a superhero world to get use to this world first before we reveal ourselves. People are still getting use to the idea of beings from other worlds and the last thing they need on their plate is to learn there are still people from other worlds who still have powers." "That or some villain shows up that needs a superhero to handle things," Harvey said. "Supervillains?" Ms. Longstockings ask. "People with powers or abilities which they use to commit crimes. With some of the villains being able to be shot at while naked with bullets bouncing off of them. Not to mention that some of them are able to literately rip the door of a bank's vault door off it's hinges or just rip the vault out and carry it away. And it's clear that normal police and army are not equip to deal with that level of threat, so superheroes are the ones who handle them," Harvey said. "There have been cases where someone with powers would have made things much easier and fewer deaths," Ms. Poppins said. Even with creatures from magical worlds losing their powers here, didn't mean that a 10 foot demon weighing hundreds of pounds would be easy to take care of. "Dorothy you can go, we'll handle it from here," Harvey said. "Alright," Dorothy said taking her leave. "Follow me the others are in the lunch room, it's dinner time," Harvey said leading the group into the lunch room. "Lunch room?" Ms. Poppins ask. "Cafeteria but some of the people here call it the lunch room," Ms. Quilt explains. Opening the double doors into the lunch room where all the people living in the building have gathered for dinner. Some of the people in the room are dress normally while others are wearing costumes. "Roosevelt is passing a bill to allow us to fight crime without having to be a cop. Mostly once the bill passes we'll be in the eyes of the law bounty hunters and will need to follow some rules to be able to do what we do. Like while stopping someone in the middle of a bank robbery is one thing, if we're going after someone we need to issue a warrant first so that a lawyer can't get them off. Of course there is always going with the other option of being government employees and having a pension when it's time to put away the costume. Which is makes it a good plan as being a hero doesn't play the bills," Harvey said. (4) "All of these people have powers?" Ms. Poppins ask looking over the large group sitting at tables eating. "Yes or skills that allow them to fight against those with powers," Ms. Quilt said. "They seems to eat alot," Ms. Liddell said seeing how much food many of the people in the room are eating. "They need to as those with powers need all the food they can eat to use them. It's the reason why you rarely see any fat heroes or villains. All the fat is used up by them using their powers, well for most of them anyways," Harvey said. "Hey they're like me," Ms. Longstocking said as she eats big meals because of her strength needs the fuel. And no matter what she eats she's still skinny as a rail. Which Alice and the other girls at the school can only watch in envy as she eats as many cakes as she wants without gaining any weight. "Is that why many of the women are very physical appealing?" Ms. Poppins ask. Seeing how many of the women have quit ample bodies. "It's due to them working out fighting villains and them using their powers. As with men who workout or do something that has them doing physical labor have a certain body type compare to those who don't. I have no powers but workout when, I can to keep in fighting shape," Ms. Quilt said. "Really?" Ms. Liddell ask looking over the older woman and made a note for her to workout more then just running around. (5) "I tell you women who's who," Harvey said as he began pointing out the people in the room. "The purple woman is Clarice Fergusson or Blink who is is a mutant who was born with her powers, which is teleportation. The other woman with pinkish hair is Sarah or Marrow with the power to grow her bones that allow her to make it into armor, or weapons by pulling bones out of her body. Like others she has secondary powers that allow her to survive using her main power. She has superhuman endurance, pain resistance, healing and strength. The young man with the red wings is Jay Guthrie or Icarus, besides flight he is super strong and has enhance vision. The other guy with the gold skin is Josh Foley or Elixir with the power to heal by touching," Harvey said. "He heals people by touching them?" Ms. Liddell ask. "Yes he can and is a great help for agents who are injured," Ms. Quilt said. "Over there the 3 women who all look alike are Duo Damsel or Triplicate Girl. Their power is that all of them can merge together or is it the other way around where one can split into 3. The big ape is Henry Bucher or Grunt is a young man who was kidnapped by a crazed doctor. Drugged and against his will his brain was taken from his body and implanted into that of a four-armed ape. The woman next to him is Mi-Sun Kwon or Nudge who has mind powers, from limited mind control persuasion and telekinesis. Don't worry those with strong wills can't be mind control by her, only those with weak minds. The guy with them is Ulu Vakk or Color King with the power to change the color of any object," Harvey said. "Changing color is more useful then it seems once, I pointed out how for him to use it to it's full potential," Ms. Quilt said. (6) "The lumbering mountain of muck and garbage is Garson Grunge or Muckman. He was a garbage man who was hit with a canister of mutagen and was transform into what he is now. He is a well known hero in his world and well loved by the people he saves. The big guy near him is Moby Lick who was transformed into an orca hybrid by a Dr. Paradigm in his world. The man dress as a clown is Zachary Johnson or Jack-In-The-Box. He's a gadgeteer genius who owns a toy company in his world and all his weapons he uses as a hero are enhanced versions of his various products," Harvey said. "Eeww," Ms. Liddell said seeing Muckman. "Now be nice he can't help it," Ms. Poppins said to her. "The four at the table are the Impossibles who gain their powers after being exposed to a special radiation in an experiment by F.E.A.R. a group in their world who are a world wide crime group. The girl is Esme who calls herself Cobalt and power to control magnetic fields. The short, barrel-chested and sporting a blonde mod haircut is Hal or Coil-Man. He can transform his arms and legs into impossibly stretchable or coiled springs, allowing him to bounce to avoid attacks, deliver long-range punches, or drill through walls. The dark haired one is Paul or Fluid-Man, could morph parts or all of his body into a liquid form. The redhead is Don or Multi-Man and his power is that he can create infinite duplicates of himself. His duplicates rarely, if ever, functioned independently, and were often used as camouflage, a bluff, for extra strength or transportation, he can also fly by continuously creating replicas above himself," Harvey said. "He can?" Ms. Longstockings ask. "It's not real flight. If one of his duplicates on the bottom are knock down so do all the ones on top," Ms. Quilt said. "The big group over there are the Awesomes a group of heroes all working together. The one in the blue suit with the A on it is Jeremy Awesome or Prock as he likes to be called. He is an omnidisciplinary scientist who is super intelligent and works in the research department. The guy in red and lifting the heavy equipment is Harry Strong or Muscleman. He is very strong but isn't that smart. Over there the woman in the white suit is Concierge who doesn't have any powers. But she is hyper-competent and is skilled in planning and managing things. She was a secretary before she became a hero. The guy in orange is Zip Danger or Frantic and power is superspeed. The redhead in the short green dress is Arlene or Gadget Gal. Her power is that she is a gadgeteer genius in making normal everyday objects into weapons. The man in purple and the turban is Austin Sullivan or Impresario. He has the power to conjure up objects made out of hard light but everything he conjures has his mother's face on it. The young boy over there is Tim or Sumo. When he's angry he transforms into a superstrong sumo wrestler. The woman in pink and holding the baby is Katherine Awesome or Hotwire and she's married to Prock and that's their daughter Lisa. Her power is the ability to manipulate electricity. And the guy in the red outfit and orange cape is Perfect Man who has the same powers as Supergirl. Although incredibly powerful, he is otherwise incompetent," Harvey said. "Why do they have two names?" Ms. Longstockings ask. "Codenames while in costume, I just go by Birdman when, I was a hero in my world. Like Ms. Quilt goes by Stealth," Harvey said. "Oh," Ms. Poppins said. "The anthropomorphic hippopotamuses is Hippo who was force evolved into an adult quasi-human. And took to robbing banks in his world because as he puts it, he can't make a living as anything else. And Flint Marko or the Sandman with the power to transform himself into sand. A former villain he like Hippo works for us now that he found himself in this world. Over there is the middle-age man over there is Ollie Osnick who in his world is known as Steel Spider. He has a costume that is a powerful exoskeleton and is from a future timeline from the one that Sandman and Hippo came from," Harvey said. "Former villains?" Ms. Poppins ask. "They maybe wanted in their world but in this world they haven't done any crimes. So they have a clean slate to work on and it keeps them from becoming villains here," Ms. Quilt said. "And finally over there with Supergirl's group is Cerise Hood the one in the red hood is the daughter of Red Ridding Hood and father is the Big Bad Wolf who in her world is a lycan or werewolf. She is much stronger and faster then she looks and like her father can huff and puff blowing things down. She's not a hero in her world but she decided to train to be one after making friends with Supergirl's group," Harvey said. "Is that all?" Ms. Poppins ask. "As far as we know. People with powers could explain much in old folk tales and tall tales of America," Harvey said. "Like Johnny Appleseed being able to grow apple trees?" Ms. Longstockings ask. "There are more then one person who can cause plants to grow," Ms. Quilt said. "I see," Ms. Poppins said deep in thought. She has seen how much the Americans have going for them already but with these superheroes working for them who can use powers... Ms. Poppins made a note to quickly send a message to M about this latest news. They really need to step up in recruiting out worlders to be able to keep up with the Americans. !