Everything came to him like a flood. Warm metal heated his body. A cascade of sounds accumulated in his ears as pain receptors shot signals to his brain, jolting him awake.
Blue Bird shot up, air catching in his throat. He grunted and stumbled to his feet. His head burned and thumped. His vision was blurry with fleeting memories of what occurred.
"Henry!" A familiar voice called out.
Beast Woman came running up to him, holding him up until he regained his senses. Her clothes were torn as if she had gotten out of a bear attack, but her skin was fine. Blue Bird held her forearm, how could she possibly come out of the explosion unharmed?
"How?" He mumbled looking at the gashes in her suit.
Beast Woman hesitated, "I don't know, guess I'm stronger than I look, thank God…"
Ash and embers ran thick in the air. The scent of gunpowder trickled into his nose as thick smoke swirled eerily around them.
Blue Bird began stumbling toward the right side of his manor. Beast Woman followed close behind, eyes glued to him and arms slightly up, ready to catch him if he fell.
The entire right side of the manor was gone. The hall leading toward his living room was blown to bits. The chilling fall breeze scraped past him. Trailing off from the grass on the side of his manner were tire tracks.
Edges of the carpet and wood were seared and the doors to his living room were blown in. Rooms where they stored memories of his mother were incinerated. Blue Bird felt his mouth turn bitter, his throat dry as he stepped off the shattered hallway floor and landed on dirt.
Bits of wood still burned, leaving a grim reminder of what occurred. His breathing picked up, though it seemed as if less air entered with each breath.
"Henry?" Beast Woman asked, holding onto his arm.
The fire flickered as if igniting a memory Henry had long sealed away. Glimpses of a burning home flashed through his mind like a projector on a movie screen. The heat of the explosion returned. Droplets of sweat trickled down his forehead. It was getting hot. Really hot. Henry removed his mask and hood, burning away the memories that once haunted him as fast as he could.
"Henry, are you ok?" Beast Woman pushed. He was unreadable as his face looked toward the sky. This wasn't pain, it was something else, but she didn't know what.
"Yeah, yeah, sorry," he said. Finally, he turned to face her. Her eyes softened as the tears poured down his dust-covered cheeks.
"Where's my dad?" He wept. He puffed his chest out. His voice remained firm, his posture strong. He stood tall as if nothing could hurt him, but his eyes gave him away. They couldn't hide his true feelings in the way his suit could hide his identity.
She looked down toward the dirt they stood on, unable to tell him what had happened while he was out.
Her silence carried on for too long. Wiping the tears from his face he pushed for an answer, his hand twitching, "Emma, where's my father."
"They took him, Henry," she managed to push out.
"Who?" He questioned, anger swelling in place of sadness. His nose scrunched. His eyes stared intently as if scanning for sudden movements. For a second, Beast Woman thought Man Beast would be a better name for him.
"I don't know."
"Ima need more than an 'I don't know' Emma," His voice wavered, almost as if panic and anger were fighting for control. He grabbed her shoulders, wanting her to blurt out whatever information she held.
Beast Woman flinched slightly at his touch, bringing Blue Bird's feelings and thoughts back down. When she flinched he lifted his hands off her shoulders, watching as she tucked her arms and head in.
"Sorry," he said confused.
"No, it's fine." She said, recollecting herself. "While you were out, the explosion only left me unconscious for a few moments. When I woke up, I saw Shell Shocker and a group of maybe twelve men with him. They had your father, I tried stopping them but with bullets flying everywhere and Shell Shocker attacking me I wasn't able to stop them. I'm sorry."
Beast Woman looked away from him and stared out toward the greenery outside, "They left a message for you."
Four men were scattered on the floor. They were armored with thick black vests and thick leather pads on their legs and arms. Lying next to them were M16s, knives, and pistols. They were probably desperate trying to fight off Beast Woman during the attack.
"They're well equipped. This wasn't a random thug like Shell Shocker. This was planned. Probably ordered." Blue Bird chirped, eyes glued to the bodies displayed before him. "What's the message?"
"They told me to tell you to give up the footage. Give up the case and they'll let your father go."
"And how'd they know I had footage?" He asked, turning to face her.
"I don't know." She said, staring into his voided eyes.
"I do. A snake is in their den. We have to go to the police station and root it out. It's probably the same person who leaked the footage to begin with."
Her heart began racing, "The police? If a traitor does lurk in there then maybe the less they know the better," she said, locking her arms. "You- We should investigate them in secret. If the traitor knows we're looking for them then they'll hide. If they don't, it'll be easier for us to catch them."
"Let them know I'm looking for them then. Let them fear," He snapped.
"Don't be rash. You're emotional right now, think. Think like you always do. Breath."
She rested her hands on his cheeks, breathing along with him. Blue Bird closed his eyes, letting out controlled long breaths. It helped, though not a lot.
Grass blades crunched behind them. One of the soldiers on the ground began grunting as the bruises woke him. The soldier tried standing, but the weight of his body and vest kept him down.
Suddenly, a hand shot at him. Wind smacked his face as he was lifted off the ground. His back tensed as the impact spread, the grass doing nothing to cushion the blow.
Blue Bird was hunched over him, a knee on his waist and a leg on his right arm, pinning it. The rough edges at the bottom of Blue Bird's boot dug into the man's arms.
The soldier gritted his teeth as his skin warmed. The man tried fighting back, but it was no use. The more he struggled the more the boot dug into him, slicing his skin until blood spewed out.
"WHO THE FUCK SENT YOU?!" Blue Bird began, eyes bulged and fist pulled back.
"Blue Bird!" Beast Woman called, "Ease up a bit."
"No!" He barked, the anger swelling in him again. "Who sent you?"
"But the law! We can't use unnecessary force!"
"Fuck the law" He snapped.
Beast woman's claws shot out, piercing her leather gloves. She took a step back as Blue Bird glared at her. Her muscles tensed, Blue Bird's eyes locked onto her claws. No one moved.
Finally, Blue Birds form loosened. "Sorry," he murmured, picking up the soldier from the ground and slamming him onto the tree in front of them. The leaves rattled as the tree shook. A snap followed the soldier's grunts, though both heroes were unsure if it was the man or the tree.
"Talk before I ignore her words."
"I can't. He'll kill me," the soldier blurted out. He looked to Beast Woman as if pleading for her help. She looked away, letting Blue Bird have his ventilation.
"Who is 'He'," Blue Bird asked, tightening his grip around the soldier's neck.
The soldier's heart felt like it was trapped in his throat. He began swinging his legs trying to find the ground. He tightened his grip around Blue Bird's arm, fighting to push him off with no success.
"Yellow Mask!" He blurted. Blue Bird let him go. The soldier fell to his knees, coughing as he finally caught his breath.
"Tell me more."
"That's all I know. We aren't allowed to speak to the big man, he sends his messengers and that's how we get orders. That's all I know, I swear."
"Who's the messenger who sent you to kidnap Dr. Stone?"
"His name is LionHeart-"
Blue Bird chuckled, "To think that battle-hungry lion joined you,"
"LionHeart? Who's he?" Beast Woman chimed in.
"A lion knight. I fought him a couple of months after I started being a superhero. He nearly killed me, pretty strong dude."
Beast Woman gawked at the groveling soldier, "A lion knight? Where is he now?"
"I don't know."
Blue Bird sighed knowing they exhausted all the information they could from him. "Can you take him and his buddies to the police station for me since you're heading into the city? Just tell them you stopped a bank robbery or something."
"Yeah, I got it, what are you gonna do?"
"Figure things out. A vigilante is running around the city. A crime syndicate is somehow involved and now they attack Dr. Stone and ask me to step away from the case? Not to mention the traitor. This is much bigger than I thought and I'm gonna need all the help I can get."
"Meaning what?"
"Ima get the boys in on this." Blue Bird smirked.
Beast Woman shifted uncomfortably, "Well, I guess that would help. Good luck. I'll see what I can scrounge up, maybe I'll even get a lead on Dr. Stone's location."
Blue Bird nodded, "See you soon, Beast Woman."
He tinkered with his datapad and from beneath the mansion came flying a hoverboard. It was blue and had a small disk beneath it that kept it levitating off the ground.
"Take this to get to the station faster."
She sighed, "Oh God, I don't know how to use this thing."
"I set it to auto, just steer it with your feet. You have good balance you'll be fine."
Beast Woman went around gathering the bodies of the soldiers. She carried two on each shoulder and got on the hoverboard.
Before leaving she turned to look at him once more, "Are you sure you're gonna be ok?"
Blue Bird nodded. She knew he was lying but didn't press him. He had enough to deal with.
The hoverboard faltered briefly as she placed her weight on it. She could feel the force of the gravitation jets pushing against the floor, but she got the hang of it quickly.
They waved each other goodbye and as Beast Woman turned into a faint dot in the sky, Blue Bird nearly broke. His ribcage tightened around his lungs. His heart compressed and his hands fell to his knees.
He took a deep breath, stopping the tears from rolling down his face. How could he be fine? His father was taken and he could do nothing except pray for his safety. Suddenly the conversation they had this morning felt distant, quick, and foggy. He balled his fist in resolve and wiped the pent-up tears from his face.
Blue and red lights painted the distance. Blue Bird wasted no time. He ran down to his Bird Nest and got on his aircraft, The Diver, and took off. The controls felt heavier than they should. His heart and mind weighed down on him.
He knew he'd have to come up with a good excuse when he returned as Henry Stone. But he could care less right now. He's been forced to migrate out of his home, out of the place filled with endless memories with him, his father, and his mother. He turned on the rearview camera and watched as his manor faded behind clouds of ash and smoke.
***
Road rage ensued outside the Starbucks. A line extended out toward the street, wrapping around the coffee shop like a coiling snake. The interior was plastered with vibrant greens and browns. The color of the smooth wooden tables was like that of a Green Kingfisher.
Henry sat next to a window overlooking the traffic. It was noon now and most cars cared for very little except getting home, how lucky they were, Henry thought.
"Coffee for Mike!" The barista shouted.
Henry stood up to grab his coffee. As he did, the barista looked him up and down like a hawk. Her eyes screamed suspicion, though Henry couldn't tell if it was because he was dressed like a private investigator undercover, or if it was because she recognized him as the billionaire's son.
"Thank you," he turned quickly and trotted back to his table. He began drinking his coffee. It was sweet, just how he liked it, and the heat that would typically incinerate a person's taste buds no longer bothered him.
He continued watching the news broadcast from the Tv at the corner of the Starbucks. News stories of villains and kidnappings passed along with celebrity scandals and the recent presidential election.
A news story managed to catch his attention. "Billionaire Roy Stone kidnapped," was placed beneath the news host as they retold the story.
"Police are yet to know who is responsible for this attack but they speculate that it might have something to do with the invading criminals syndicate responsible for killing Mark Hammen and they go by the name, 'L.A Branch of TOA.'Authorities are working hard on this investigation, but are yet to gather any meaningful information."
The news host continued rambling, providing no useful information besides imposing logical questions that Henry had already been pondering. The New Toa Organizers were a powerful syndicate stationed in Toa. They had a powerful drug trade and held control of Toa's government, but what could they possibly want in L.A.?
Finally, the doorbell rang and a tall man with dark coal-like skin walked in. He wore a leather jacket over a black simple T-shirt. His dreads hanged over his eyes and a piercing on his nose shined when the light hit it at just the right angle.
"What's up, Henry," he said, walking up to him. So much for not wanting to attract attention.
Daunte, otherwise known as the hero All-Star Blue, went ahead and grabbed an empty chair and sat it next to the empty chair across from Henry.
"So what's the move? Why'd you call?" he asked, slouching on both chairs.
The bell rang again, and through it walked in a teen only a year older than Henry. Elias Reyes otherwise known as Tempest. Teenage girl's heads turned when he walked in. His chest was puffed and his shoulders were brought back.
Elias noted a girl that sat two tables down from them staring at him. He couldn't help but smile seductively at her. She nearly fainted as his blue eyes looked her up and down like a snack.
"I swear you worse than us sometimes," Daunte said as he moved his arm and leg from the chair.
"Can't help the fact that I attract," Elias smirked, removing his sweater. It only made the attention their table was getting worse. His broad shoulders and slim waist made him appear like he was four years older than what he really was.
"So what's up bro? What was the call for?"
Henry explained what had happened. He told them about the footage, the attack on his manor, and the kidnapping of his father. They looked shocked that all that happened in one morning.
"Well, you've had one shit fucking morning," Daunte said, "So what you want us to do?"
"Remember when we talked about how cool it would be to have a superhero team up with all of us?"
"Dude, Hell yeah! But wouldn't that be against the law? I mean, we can't team up without one of us having a leader license, right?" Elias inquired.
"We aren't technically teaming up though, more like uh," Henry paused thinking of the correct words to say, "more like we're sharing information strategically. Plus, they know every hero in the city is on the case of Mark's murder, and if it happens to connect to the syndicate and my dad's kidnapping, we're good. Easy defense."
"Henry's right," Daunte said, tapping Elias on the shoulder, " so you want us to help catch these guys?"
"Sorta, me and Elias are gonna go after them. I want you to go after Mask. A vigilante posing as a hero who murdered the mayor's kid isn't exactly a good look for us."
"So?" Daunte questioned, tilting his chin upward, "If they gonna blame us over a jackass pretending to be a hero they gonna, us catching him ain't gonna change that. Our focus should be on the syndicate and getting em out of the city."
"It is our focus, that's why I want Elias to come with me. There's this guy named Lionheart who joined them. I fought him once when I first started, nearly killed me. It's why I want the mighty Tempest over here to back me up."
Elias was too busy playing with his phone to catch the compliment.
"The cops are already on his ass, they'll find him eventually. Besides, Mask also took out a member of their syndicate. Which means those fuckers are probably after him too. The quicker we work together to get em out, the easier it'll be to catch Mask."
Henry sipped his coffee, "Yeah, but we don't know how long that'll take. For all we know it could take a month or more. And the more time Mask spends free the worse it looks on us."
"I already told you, these fuckers are gonna find any excuse to complain about us. So let em. Let's take these guys out first. It'll make it easier for our families to feel safe in this city."
"It's because I want everyone's family to feel safe that we should catch this guy. What if he messes up like this again and kills another civilian? A father? A son? A mother? Him being a rookie is dangerous. He could end up doing more harm than good if he remains unchecked."
Dante scoffed. His stubbornness is gonna be a problem if they're to do this as effectively as possible. Any more mistakes from the registered heroes of the city and their reputation takes a hit. Henry knew this. And it worried him.
"Elias, you uncharacteristically quiet,' Daunte teased, shoving him.
"My bad, I'm texting my girl."
"Which one?" Henry and Daunte asked.
Elias tilted his head at them and smirked exaggeratingly as if he were a cartoon character. The trio laughed, creating a toon that caught the attention of the coffee shop.
"I tell you, one of these days this motherfucker gonna get caught by one of em," Daunte laughed.
"I could teach you how to hide your tracks if you'd like?" Henry smiled.
"Hey!" A voice ripped across the Starbucks. A man, roughly around his forties approached their table. He looked worn, wrinkles claimed the sides of his eyes and forehead. His hands were shaded with splinters and bruises, maybe a construction worker? Henry assumed.
"What are you doing here?" He spoke to Elias. He had a strong Spanish accent and his voice was like a deep pit.
Elias turned to us, confused, "Can I help you, sir?"
"Yes, you can start by doing your job and protecting the people of this city!"
"Sir, I can assure you I try-"
"No!" He cut him off, "You try nothing. Your fight with that villain last week destroyed my brother's apartment, he has to live with me now, no home. He has wife and kids, what's he to do?!"
"Sir, I'm very sorry about what happened, I hear you, I have a friend that can help with your brother."
Henry knew he was talking about him. He was more than happy to help but Elias offering his services like that surprised him.
"No! What we need from you is to get yourself together," He snapped his fingers, "If not, quit this 'job,' it'd be better for all of us," The man's furry grew. Now, the entire Starbucks had their eyes glued to their chaotic table.
Henry made sure to keep his head facing the window, if they recognized him, it could lead to more trouble, trouble he was very much not in the mood to deal with.
"Why don't you shut the fuck up?" Daunte barked back, "If it weren't for my friend here stopping Zorgod your brother would have lost more than just his fucking apartment."
The man looked bemused. Daunte stood between Elias and the man.
"Watch how you speak to me, boy!" He jabbed.
"Boy?" Daunte's eyes sharpened. Henry bolted up from his seat and stood between them, as did Elias.
"What did you mean by 'boy?'" a man in line asked.
The construction worker finally registered what they were getting at, "Boy, he's young is he not?" He gestured.
More people began to speak up, some in defense of the worker, others in defense of Elias and Daunte. Soon, the place erupted with shouts wanting to stomp over the other. Things began escalating when two men began shoving one another in the line, prompting Elias to step in between the two. One even managed to strike his chin, though they only hurt their hand in the process.
Henry too held Daunte back from causing any more chaos to erupt. A bit of annoyance swelled inside him as he dragged his friend out of the Starbucks, Elias following close behind after calming the men in line. One of them even threw an empty coffee cup at Elias's head, annoying him.
Luckily, his and Daunte's tempers were like night and day, Elias quelled it, keeping an eye on the shop through the window in case the men got rowdy again.
"Daunte, what the fuck was that?" Henry snapped.
Daunte smacked Henry's arm off his shoulder, "Man what the fuck are you talking about," He questioned getting up in Henry's face, "You heard how that old bastard was talking? Acting like we don't save their lives on the regular."
"Yeah I heard, so what? Were you gonna beat his ass in front of everybody?"
"Damn right, it's not like they know who I am for it to matter."
"But they know who Elias is since he doesn't wear a mask. Since they saw him associate with you and me it's a reflection of him."
Daunte turned and rolled his eyes, "Again with that bullshit."
"Look," Elias chimed in, "Clearly, shit's hit the fan. I think Henry's right. We ought to do our best to keep up a good image and," he continued, wrapping a hand over the back of Daunte's neck, "If we can catch that Mask guy and drive these criminals out of our city, we can shut them up. Win-win for all of us, no?"
Daunte glared at him with an eyebrow raised and then turned to Henry. "All right then, I was tripping my bad."
The duo clasped hands, "It's cool man, so you got it?"
"Yea I got it, but soon as I'm done with that, I'm joining you, ight?"
Henry nodded. The sun began dipping behind the towering buildings, basking the L.A streets in streaks of orange gold. Elias's eyes began to glow blue. Wind began swirling around his feet and lifted him off the concrete sidewalk.
"Where you off to?" Daunte asked.
"Home. Continue texting my girls,"
"My man," Daunte smirked, "And you?"
Henry took the last sip from his coffee, "Charity event tonight at the Stone Safety Building, you?"
"Fuck all. Can't your building access security cameras around the city or sum?"
"Damn right."
They both smiled knowing they were thinking of the same thing.
"Must be nice being rich," Elias joked, shooting a small gust of wind at Henry.
"Use them while I make my speech."
"Sounds good to me."
"Excellent," Elias shouted, "Team up is official, see yall losers soon," he mocked as he blasted toward the sky in a burst of wind.
"Do you have your suit?" Henry asked. Daunte lowered his shirt, revealing a blue, kevlar-like fabric beneath his clothes. The team-up had begun.