//------------------------------// // Issue 2: Hunter, or Hunted // Story: The Peerless Power Patrol in: Terror of the Nighthawk! // by Silent_Witness //------------------------------// Issue 2: Hunter, or Hunted? Monday   The steel wall slid open, and Zapp and Saddle Rager filed into the sanctuary. The two were covered with small scratches, but Zapp in particular had a painful-looking black mark on her left shoulder. Once she was in range, the weather master collapsed into a comfortable armchair and groaned. As Saddle Rager sat down as well, Fili-Second shot over to them. “You guys look pretty beat up. What happened?” Zapp sank deeper into the chair and groaned again. “Pharaoh happened.” “Pharaoh tried to rob a jewelry store on Park Avenue,” Saddle Rager explained. “Zapp and I happened to be in the area, so we stopped him. But he got Zapp in the shoulder with one of his spells.” “Don’t worry, it’s nothing I can’t live with.” Zapp rolled her shoulder, wincing slightly. “Just part of the job, right?” At that moment, Matter-Horn called from her computer console, “Okay Power Patrol, gather round.” “Why?” Saddle Rager asked. “Using the information I’ve collected thus far, I believe I’ve constructed an accurate M.O. of our vigilante.” As the others gathered around Matter-Horn’s computer, Zapp asked, “Can I just stay over here for a little bit?” Matter-Horn glared at Zapp. “You may not. Now come on.” Zapp groaned yet again, but stood up- when she had joined the others, Fili-Second said, “Alright, lay it on us.” “Very well.” Matter-Horn turned to the console and began typing. In response, map of Maretropolis appeared on the computer’s screen. Various locations were marked by an angular bird inside a circle- the Nighthawk’s logo. “First, based on accounts of his previous activities, I think it’s safe to conclude that our vigilante is only active at night.” “That makes sense,” Radiance said. “I imagine sneaking around the way he does is much easier at night. And don’t forget, he does call himself ‘Night-hawk.’” “I think there’s more to it than that,” Matter-Horn replied. “At night, unless we’re called out, there’s normally only one of us patrolling the city at any given time. This would allow him to evade detection more easily.” The Nighthawk logos faded from the map as Matter-Horn began typing again, and several red lines surrounded a number of Maretropolis’s districts- all of them were on the city’s south end. “Second, all the crime scenes I’ve investigated thus far have been in districts on the city’s south side- Downtown, the Narrows, Fisherman’s Row, and so on. While these are the more crime-heavy areas of the city, they’re also normally the last stop for our nightly patrols.” “So…” Mare-velous began, “…you think he’s tracking our movements?” Matter-Horn looked back, crossing her arms. “It’s a distinct possibility that we can’t rule out. Which is why, starting tonight, I’m changing our nightly patrol protocol. From now on, we will have two members patrolling the city: one will start in the south and work their way north, and the other will start in the north and work their way south.” She looked to Radiance. “Radiance, you take the north side tonight. Zapp would have been joining you, but because of the incident with Pharaoh earlier today, Mistress Mare-velous will be taking the south end.” “Fine by me,” Mare-velous said.   That night…   “Remember; at midnight, the two of you are to meet up at the Convention Center in Midtown and contact me,” Matter-Horn said through the radio. “If you fail to link up, or to contact me, then we’ll move to your last known locations and start searching.” “I got all that,” Mare-velous said into radio impatiently. “What do we do if we find Nighthawk?” “Don’t call him that. But if you find him, you’re free to engage. But notify both me and your partner of his position first.” “No problem.” The radio went silent. Mare-velous breathed a sigh of relief, before stepping out to the ledge of the building. The moon was nearly full tonight, its light reflecting in the waters of Maretropolis Bay. The wind blew in from the south, carrying with it a briny scent that grated against the back of one’s nose. She loved the south side- sure, it was a rough place to live, but it was her home. She gazed out over the edge of the building, looking down at her old neighborhood. But after several moments, she turned away- she had a job to do, after all. Mare-velous approached the building’s west edge. She pulled her lasso from her belt, looked down to the street below… and leapt from the edge of the building. She whipped out her lasso at a truss spanning two buildings- at once, the lasso snaked toward the truss and looped around one of its beams. She swung over the street below, her lasso unknotting itself of its own accord, and she snared the next overhang. It may not have been the safest way to get around Maretropolis, but it was fast, and nothing sent criminals running like seeing an angry woman swinging towards them on a rope. And, unless Zapp ever let her borrow that necklace, it was closest she’d ever come to flying. But as she swung over Harbor Street, Mare-velous spotted something on one of the rooftops. She quickly climbed up to another rooftop, and ducked down to get a better view- on a long, fairly tall building right on the shore, a man was holding another man by the ankle, dangling him over the edge of the roof. She swung down to another roof closer to the two men, trying to stay out of sight. She looked again- the man holding the other’s ankle wore a long cape, a suit of red and grey with red highlights, and a distinct mask shaped like a bird of prey’s beak. There was no doubt about it- it was Nighthawk. Mare-velous touched her radio, and said to it in a low voice, “Matter-Horn, I found him.” “What! Where?” Matter-Horn shouted. “Keep your voice down. He’s on top of the Seaport Hotel down in Fisherman’s Row.” Nighthawk shook the man. “…And it looks like he’s interrogating another thug. I’m moving in.” “Alright. I’ll notify Radiance. In the meantime, be careful.” Mare-velous moved carefully, trying not to draw attention to herself as she flanked the vigilante. Soon enough, she stepped onto the Seaport Hotel roof- Nighthawk seemed none the wiser. As she approached, she could hear Nighthawk talking to the thug: “…I won’t kill you, but by the time I’m through with you, you’ll wish that I did. Now where is she!?” “Put him down, Nighthawk!” Mare-velous shouted. Nighthawk calmly looked over his shoulder to her, before returning his attention to the thug. “I’m not finished with you yet.” Then, he tossed the thug onto the roof. But before the thug could rise, Nighthawk punched the back of his head, slamming his face into the concrete roof and immediately knocking him unconscious. “So is this how you do things?” Mare-velous asked. “Threaten them for information, and then kill them if they don’t talk?” “I don’t kill,” Nighthawk replied harshly, holding up a black cord connected to the thug’s leg. “I tied a rope to his ankle- he wouldn’t have fallen far even if I had let him go.” Mare-velous crossed her arms. “You know, you’re the worst kind of criminal- the kind who thinks he’s doing the right thing. Well let me break it to you- you’re not. If you really wanted to help this city, then you wouldn’t be hiding behind a mask.” He looked at her. “Aren’t you hiding behind a mask right now?” “You shut up!” Mare-velous pulled out one of her Hoofarangs and threw it at him. He pulled out a wing and threw it at her projectile in turn. The two objects collided and fell to the ground with a clatter. Immediately, Mare-velous charged at the vigilante, and he charged at her. She pulled back her fist and threw a powerful straight punch- but he caught it in his hand. She pulled back her opposite leg and threw out a kick aimed at his head, but again he caught it. She spun, lifting her other leg off the ground to deliver a roundhouse kick again aimed at his head. He released her and leapt back. “Not so easy when they can fight back, is it?” she taunted. He said nothing in reply. She gritted her teeth, enraged. She wouldn’t let him make a mockery of her like this. So she charged again, throwing another Hoofarang. He dodged, but she hadn’t tried to hit him. She drew back her fist again as he was distracted… but he dodged again. She let out a flurry of attacks, but each one he either dodged or blocked: Straight punch- he caught it. Sweep kick- he jumped over it. Hook- he blocked it with his forearm. Headbutt- he moved back. Low kick- he blocked it with his leg. Then he threw a straight punch of his own- but the punch had an obvious tell, and she moved to the side. Another straight punch- he blocked it with his forearm again. Mare-velous grew more and more frustrated as her attacks failed to connect. He was good. Too good. She needed to end this, now. So she whipped out her lasso- it shot towards Nighthawk and looped itself around his neck. He tossed one of his wings at her, but she evaded it easily, and tightened the lasso’s loop. With the lasso cutting off the blood to his head, he would pass out in less than a minute. “Another twenty seconds and you’ll lose consciousness!” she shouted. “You’re not getting away this time, Nighthawk!” He gripped the lasso and replied in a strained voice, “Don’t be so sure of that.” Suddenly, something struck the back of Mare-velous’s head, making her stumble forward. At that exact moment, the lasso was suddenly yanked from her grip. She looked up, just in time to see Nighthawk untie her lasso and toss it aside. She threw yet another Hoofarang at him… but he caught it with his bare hand. “Mistress Mare-velous,” Nighthawk said. “Equipment: psychically-controlled lasso, supplemented by custom-make boomerangs and various other tools. Six years of experience as an amateur MMA fighter. Weakness: physical contact must be maintained with lasso in order to maintain control.” “You really think I need my lasso to beat you!?” she snapped. Mare-velous charged, drawing back her fist as she prepared to punch his head clean off… It wasn’t until Nighthawk knocked her feet out from under her with a sweep kick that Mare-velous realized the tremendous tactical mistake she had made. In slow motion, she watched as Nighthawk raised his arm, before slamming a powerful palm strike into her chest. Pain flared through both Mare-velous’s front and back as she struck the hard roof of the hotel. She immediately cried out in pain. “Subject is also of an aggressive temperament,” Nighthawk continued, “making her easily provoked and goaded into traps.” “Shut up!” Mare-velous gasped. She tried to stand, but pain flared through her spine, keeping her from rising. Nighthawk walked away, picking up the thug from before and slinging him across his shoulder. “I’m not your enemy, Mare-velous,” he said. “I don’t want to hurt you, or any other member of the Power Patrol… but I will if you force my hand. Don’t follow me.” He pulled out his grappling gun, fired it at a nearby building, and shot up into the air and out of sight. Mare-velous tried to rise to her feet again, but the pain that shot up her back prevented her from doing so. She gasped for breath, feeling as if some sort of weight were resting on her chest. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t taken a hit before, she had, countless times. But this… this time was different from the others. As Mare-velous strained to stand yet again, a lavender streak shot across the sky and swooped down toward her. She knew that it was Radiance, held aloft by the power of her bracelets. A moment later, the woman herself landed next to Mare-velous. “Mare-velous!” she said in surprise. “What happened? Where’s Nighthawk?” “He got away,” she groaned. “Tried to stop him. We fought. He hurt my back.” Radiance touched her radio. “Matter-Horn, I found Mare-velous. She’s still on the roof of the Seaport Hotel.” “What about the vigilante?” “He’s gone. Mare-velous said he got away, but not before he hurt her back.” “Understood,” Matter-Horn replied. “Radiance, bring Mare-velous back to the sanctuary, and resume your patrol. I’ll send out Fili-Second to replace Mare-velous.” “Okay. See you soon.” Radiance held out an arm- a beam shot from her bracelet, forming into a long flat surface. She carefully slid the surface under Mare-velous, saying to her comrade, “It’ll be alright, Mare-velous. Just lie still. We’ll be back at the sanctuary and Matter-Horn will be looking after you before you know it…”   Tuesday Night…   “Hey Matter-Horn, is Mare-velous gonna be okay?” Zapp asked. “She will be,” Matter-Horn replied through the radio. “The vigilante cracked her sternum and several of her vertebrae in their fight last night. She’ll need to spend some more time under the healing lights, but she should be fine in a few days.” “I won’t lie- I used to think this Nighthawk guy was pretty cool. But now… I’m gonna kick his ass.” “Don’t be reckless, Zapp. Mare-velous was the best unarmed fighter among us. It’s clear that the direct approach is not advisable when confronting this vigilante.” “Yeah well Mare-velous can’t shoot lightning out of her hands. I’ll be fine.” With that, Zapp touched her pendant and focused, calling upon the wind to carry her into the air, before taking flight. She chose to begin her patrol in North Point, one of Maretropolis’s wealthier districts. She didn’t like it- she preferred the south end of the city. The people there might’ve been a little rough, but they were decent enough most of the time. Still, the north side wasn’t all bad- she didn’t have to dodge as many skyscrapers while flying. She looked out to her left- above the other buildings in North Point rose the Starlight Tower. If she remembered right, it was supposed to be some kind of luxury apartment building, until the company building it ran out of money. Now it stood empty and abandoned, save for the odd squatter. Normally, the building wouldn’t have caught her attention. But there was something about it this night that was different- she could see a light shining inside, near the tower’s top floor. Zapp touched her radio. “Hey Matter-Horn, there’s some kind of light up in the abandoned Starlight Tower. I’m gonna check it out.” “It’s most likely just a few squatters. Nothing we need to worry about,” she replied. “Doubt it. The light’s near the building’s top floor.” “…Understood. Move in to investigate- keep me posted.” Zapp banked, and flew up to the floor the light had shone from. The Starlight building never had any windows installed, so entering was easy enough. A whistle sounded through the empty floor as the wind blew through the building unobstructed. Zapp moved deeper into the building, treading lightly to avoid being heard by whoever may be lurking within. As she ventured deeper into the building, the light from the moon faded. So, she touched her pendant and focused- a small beam of sunlight shot out, illuminating the room. In the light, she could see that the walls, the floor, even the ceiling of the hallway she stood in were covered in hieroglyphics. “This is Pharaoh’s lair,” Zapp muttered to herself. But she suddenly heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Zapp hid, pressing herself into a doorway- after a moment, a light passed, and the footsteps began to grow fainter. She peered out after the stranger had passed, and saw that it most certainly wasn’t Pharaoh. “…one of them’s gotta know where she is,” Nighthawk said aloud. “She’s been laying low for a while, but one of them must’ve seen her- it’s been a month now.” He stopped for a moment, pulled a small vial from his belt, and drank its contents before tucking it away once more. “Soundblaster could know. Or maybe Shade. I could try her old hangout on Charge Island…” He seemed to be completely oblivious to her presence. So Zapp touched her pendant again, calling on the wind once more. It began to swirl around her hands, condensing into a rippling sphere of air. But she continued to focus, until the sphere contained enough wind power to blow down a house. Then, she stepped out, and unleashed the gale at the vigilante. Nighthawk glanced back only briefly before the sudden gust sent him sailing down the hall. He slammed into the far wall before crashing down to the ground. But to Zapp’s shock, he quickly rose to his feet, throwing out a small canister that emitted a thick cloud of smoke. She used her wind to blow the smoke away, but by the time it cleared, Nighthawk was gone. “Zapp,” he said from the darkness. “Powers: control over various weather phenomena through a magic amulet. Moderate hand-to-hand combat ability.” This wasn’t good. Zapp may have gotten the drop on Nighthawk, but now she’d lost the one advantage she had. And the narrow hallways restricted the usefulness of her pendant’s magic. She had to get out into the open. So she ran. She touched her pendant, and fired lightning bolts at any shadow that moved… or any that she thought moved. After a few moments, she reached a window and leapt out- the wind spiraled, and lifted her up from below. “Alright Nighthawk!” she shouted. “Come and get some!” But Nighthawk did not emerge. She touched the pendant, and a light shone from it. She swept her spotlight across the building, driving away the shadows, but the light did not reveal Nighthawk anywhere. As she moved her light, Zapp suddenly saw a glint of silver shine from one of the windows. She knew what it was instantly- one of Nighthawk’s… wing-things. She moved back to avoid the projectile… …but the wing sliced through the cord of her necklace. The wind holding her up immediately died away. Zapp made a desperate grab for her pendant… and missed. She began to fall. A terrified scream ripped out of Zapp’s throat as she tumbled to the earth. She had nothing, no way to slow her fall. Images of her splattering against the hard ground below ran through her mind over and over again. She fell end over end… But then, something grabbed her out of the air and held her close. There was a jolt, and she felt herself slow down. She looked up to the thing that had caught her, and it was… it was… …Nighthawk? His cape was spread wide, catching the air and slowing their descent. They glided through the air for several long moments, until he landed them both on another rooftop. He released her; instantly, she sank to her knees, still on shock from almost falling to her death. But after several moments, she forced herself to stand, and she looked to Nighthawk in disbelief. “Dude, did you just-” Nighthawk suddenly seized Zapp’s shoulders and headbutted her in the face. She wavered, her eyes rolling back, before she slumped forward, unconscious. He moved to catch her, and gently laid her down on the ground. “Weakness…” he continued, “pendant must be kept on her person at all times to maintain abilities.” He turned away, walking to the edge of the building, and jumped- he spread his cape, and glided down to the streets below. Later… Zapp groaned as a ringing sound filled her ears. She slowly sat up, rubbing her forehead, when she remembered- “Nighthawk!” Zapp jumped to her feet and looked around… but she was all alone on the rooftop she and Nighthawk had landed on. She forced her breath to slow, before she answered her radio, saying, “Hello?” “It’s midnight,” Matter-Horn said. “Where are you?” “Uh…” Zapp looked around to get her bearings. “…I’m on top of an S&S Bank at the base of Starlight Tower.” “You should be in Midtown. What happened?” “I found Pharaoh’s old lair. And, I ran into Nighthawk.” “Are you injured?” “Well my forehead hurts like hell, but other than that, I think I’m okay.” “Good. Link up with me on the roof of the Convention Center. If you find him again, do not engage. Track him and notify of his position, but do not engage until I reach him. Understood?” “Gotcha.” The radio went silent. Zapp stood up, but after a moment, she realized something- her pendant was gone. Without it, she had no powers, and thus no way to reach Matter-Horn. And, she had no way of knowing where her pendant had fallen. But then, she saw a golden glint out of the corner of her eye. She looked down- at her feet was her pendant, strung on a silver chain. Next to it sat a piece of paper that read: “You should use a stronger material for your necklace.” There was no signature- in its place was a drawing of the Nighthawk’s logo. She picked up the chain cautiously and examined it, but found no evidence it was booby-trapped. She touched the pendant- it glowed faintly in response, indicating it was the real deal. She closed her hand around the necklace and looked up to Starlight Tower, and asked aloud, “What’s your game, Nighthawk? Just what’re you after?”   Wednesday night…   “It’s weird though, right?” Zapp said. “I mean, he could’ve let me fall, but he caught me. And, he found my magic pendant and returned it. And, he got me a new chain for it!” Zapp rested her head in her hands. “Man, I just can’t figure him out.” “It’s gotta be some kind of mind game,” Mare-velous replied. She was out of costume on Matter-Horn’s orders, and wearing a large brace that wrapped around her torso. “Make us doubt ourselves, and each other. I mean, if we’re at each other’s throats, it’s less competition for him, right?” “Well if he wanted to get rid of competition,” Fili-Second began, “then why not just let Zapp fall? It would’ve been easier than going to save her.” She scratched her head. “I wonder why he did that.” Fili-Second’s pondering were interrupted, however, when the computer let out a loud alarm. “Just got a call,” Matter-Horn said. “Soundblaster is attempting to rob an electronics store in Unity Heights. And… the vigilante is with him! Fili-Second, get over there, now!” “On it!” Fili-Second turned and bolted down the sanctuary’s westbound tunnel. A few moments later, she made a hard right and jumped out onto the streets when the tunnel opened up in Old Town, from there, she ran north, toward Unity Heights in Maretropolis’s upper east side. Fili-Second heard Soundblaster long before she saw her- the loud, thumping techno music she played everywhere she went was a little hard to ignore. And down the street ahead, she could see the source of the music- sure enough, it was a blue-haired woman in wicked sunglasses, wearing a massive suit of white powered armor. Fili-Second wondered how Soundblaster ever got enough money to keep replacing the suits that got destroyed in her fights with the Power Patrol. She slid to a stop, ducking down behind a nearby car, and leaned out to look at Soundblaster. Matter-Horn was right- Nighthawk was here. And Soundblaster was too distracted with fighting him to notice Fili-Second’s arrival. The villain aimed one of her sonic cannons and fired it at Nighthawk, the windows on the street shattering from the sudden burst of noise. But the dodged the blast with ease, before throwing out some kind of metal can. The can let out a bright flash when it hit the ground- Fili-Second had to shield her eyes, but when she looked again, Nighthawk was gone. Soundblaster looked around as well; suddenly, Nighthawk jumped onto Soundblaster’s back, and stabbed something into the space between her armor’s chestplate and pauldron. Steam shot out from the gap in the armor, and the suit collapsed to its knees. Soundblaster strained inside the suit, but it would not rise. Nighthawk reached into her armor and yanked out a wire, instantly causing the techno to go silent. He then climbed down, saying to her, “Bit of advice: next time, don’t have your suit’s vital components displayed out in the open like that. You might last longer than three minutes.” He was distracted. Now was her chance. Fili-Second shot towards him, drawing back her fist. But he suddenly stepped aside, and her punch met only air, throwing her off-balance. She jumped and flipped several times, landing on her feet. She looked to Nighthawk and pointed. “You!” She let out a hurricane of punches… but somehow he evaded every one. She was stunned- most people couldn’t even see her attacks coming, much less avoid them. He jumped back, and said, “Fili-Second. Powers: Superhuman speed. Maximum speed: approximately Mach 3.” She let out another flurry of punches. “How do you know so much about us!?” Nighthawk again dodged every one. “I spent time observing you all: the Power Patrol, the rogues, every major player in Maretropolis. As the saying goes: know your enemy, know victory.” “So you think you know the Power Patrol? Time for a pop quiz then!” Fili-Second jumped back and started running- she ran up the side of one building, back down, across the street, and then up and down the building opposite the first, trying to build up as much momentum as she could in the small space available. It was risky, but she could pull it off, she could put a stop to Nighthawk once and for all. As she built up momentum, Nighthawk pulled out a vial and threw it against the ground- a puddle of black liquid rapidly began expanding over the asphalt. Fili-Second saw this. “Ha, ya missed!” she called. He simply stood, watching her. “I hit exactly what I intended to.” Fili-Second finally built up enough speed, and sprinted at Nighthawk. He remained motionless as she darted toward him. She pulled her fist back as she stepped onto the puddle… But her foot suddenly slipped. She slid uncontrollably across the puddle, until she touched dry asphalt- the sudden traction caused her to fall forward, and slam face-first against the ground. Nighthawk cringed when he saw how hard Fili-Second impacted the ground. “…Weakness: impulsiveness, and a tendency to act before thinking.” He rushed over to the fallen Fili-Second, and rolled her onto her back- she simply laid in the street, motionless, her face already bruised and bleeding. He pressed his fingers against her neck, and after a moment, breathed a sigh of relief- she was still alive. But something needed to be done about those wounds. So, he reached into his belt, pulled out a miniature medical kit, and set to work.   “Hey. …Hey!” Fili-Second jolted awake and leapt to her feet, bringing up her fists. The others immediately pulled back in surprise. “Whoa, whoa!” Mare-velous shouted. “Easy! It’s just us.” “Where’s Nighthawk?” Fili-Second asked. “Gone. Again,” Radiance replied flatly. She then asked, “Are you feeling alright, dear?” “Yeah, I feel fine. Why?” “Your face…” Saddle Rager began. “What about my face?” Fili-Second touched her face, and winced from the pain- she could feel some sort of cotton bandage on her cheek and forehead. “Oh, right! Nighthawk used some kind of oil slick and made me fall!” She smiled to the others. “Thanks for fixing my face, guys!” “Uh, Fili-Second? We didn’t fix it,” Saddle Rager said. “It was like that when we got here.” Fili-Second’s cheerful smile faded. “Wait, if you didn’t do it…” “That’s right,” Matter-Horn replied. “It’s our vigilante’s handiwork. Soundblaster saw everything.” “Man, I don’t get it,” Zapp said. “First he beats the crap out of us, and then he turns around and helps us out! What’s with this guy!?” “I wish I knew, Zapp…” Mare-velous replied. “I wish I knew.”