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split-level house perched on one of the Hollywood Hills. The tea helped relax her. She avoided caffeine, as it interacted badly with her nervous system. She was a slim woman in her early twenties, with brown skin and close-cropped blonde hair that was so pale it was nearly white. Her large eyes were ice-blue. She wore only a robe of Navajo design, black with interlocking red diamonds. As she gazed out over the mist-shrouded hills, she felt something at the edge of her mental awareness. It was very faint, barely a whisper. She concentrated, trying to focus in on it, but it evaporated, just as the mist soon would. She stood motionless on the deck for a few minutes, hoping to pick it up again, but there was nothing. Shrugging, she turned and went back inside.\n\tIn the bedroom, a double bed lay before a large window whose blinds were presently drawn. In the bed lay a gray-furred creature, about half Katrina's size. Its face extended forward in a blunt, rounded muzzle with pronounced buck teeth, and its ears were small and leaf-like. Its eyes were closed, and its big fluffy tail was wrapped around its body. Katrina sat down on the bed, and the creature's enormous black eyes slowly opened. It turned its head and looked at her.\n\t\"Hey there, sport,\" Katrina said, smiling.\n\t\"Hi,\" the creature replied, in a slightly nasal voice.\n\t\"And how is the great Supersonic Squirrel feeling this morning?\" Katrina asked, sipping her tea.\n\tThe squirrel bit his lip. \"A lot more grown-up.\"\n\tKatrina grinned. \"There's nothing to be ashamed of, Supersonic. It was just sex. It's not that big a deal.\"\n\t\"Maybe not to you,\" said Supersonic, sitting up in bed, \"but it sure was to me! I never . . .\" He let the sentence trail off, too embarrassed to finish it.\n\tKatrina giggled. \"I know.\"\n\tSupersonic looked at her pensively. \"Was it . . . okay?\"\n\t\"I can honestly say I've never experienced anything like it,\" Katrina replied.\n\tSupersonic frowned. \"That's not exactly reassuring.\"\n\t\"Okay. You were magnificent; a sexual powerhouse. James Bond himself couldn't have done it better. I'll never want anyone else.\"\n\tThe squirrel scowled and folded his arms across his furry chest. \"Now you're just poking fun at me!\" Then his eyes went wide as Katrina leaned forward and pressed her lips to his muzzle, and he melted into the kiss, his eyes closing and his arms wrapping around her as he sighed with pleasure.\n\tKatrina broke the kiss, smiling at him. \"You were fine.\"\n\tSupersonic smiled and lay back on his pillow, clasping his hands behind his head, the fur-covered folds of skin that stretched from his wrists to his ankles draping over the sheets to either side of him. He looked very pleased with himself. Katrina reached out and stroked his chest, which made him chitter happily. \"You sound like you're ready for another round,\" she said, grinning.\n\tSupersonic stopped chittering and blinked. \"You mean now? In the daytime?\"\n\tKatrina shrugged. \"Any time's a good time for sex.\" Then she giggled at his uncertain expression. \"You know, for someone who doesn't wear any clothes, you're a real prude, Supersonic.\"\n\t\"Squirrels don't wear clothes,\" he sulked. \"And I can't help being a prude. I'm from a different time, remember?\"\n\tKatrina nodded, affectionately ruffling the fur atop his head. \"I know, baby.\" It had only been a few months since an errant wish had brought him to life. Prior to that, he'd been a character in a cartoon made in the early 1960s. He was still adjusting to life in the 21st Century.\n\tSupersonic chittered again at the ruffling, then stopped when he noticed she seemed to become distracted. \"Is something wrong, Kat?\" he asked.\n\t\"I felt something a few minutes ago,\" she replied. \"Some kind of psychic contact. It was very faint, though, and it hasn't returned.\"\n\t\"Could it be another telepath trying to talk to you?\"\n\t\"Maybe, but who would do that? It's not like I'm a famous superhero, like you.\" She smiled as he grinned sheepishly at that. He was a humble soul at heart; praise embarrassed him. \"Anyway, who even knows we're here? Only your friends in the Millennium Guard know we're vacationing in Hollywood, and none of them are telepaths.\"\n\t\"Maybe it's a stray broadcast, and you're just picking it up, like a radio,\" Supersonic suggested.\n\t\"It's possible,\" Katrina said. \"Tell you what. Let's get some breakfast. Then we can take a walk around town, and I'll scan to see if I can find the source of that contact.\"\n\t\"You aren't gonna read anyone's mind without their permission, are you?\" asked Supersonic warily.\n\tKatrina put on an innocent expression. \"Would I do that?\"\n\t\"Yes, you do that all the time, and it always leads to trouble!\"\n\t\"As I recall, it led to saving someone's life in Vibora Bay a few weeks ago,\" Katrina retorted. \"And before that, to our first meeting.\" She smiled and batted her eyelashes at him.\n\tSupersonic folded his arms again. \"It also led to ARGENT Industries trying to kill you!\"\n\tKatrina shrugged. \"So, what's life without a little danger? Besides, people try to kill you all the time. You don't hear me complaining.\"\n\tSupersonic sighed. \"It's just that I really care about you, Kat. And I've lost so much already . . . all my friends and family. I don't want to lose you, too.\"\n\tKatrina kissed his muzzle again. \"I promise I'll be very discreet. Now, go take a shower, and then we'll go get something to eat.\"\n\tSupersonic nodded, threw aside the covers, flew across the room and into the bathroom, turned on the water, and began scrubbing himself down.\n\t\"Such a cute little ass,\" Katrina said, watching it as he showered.\n\t\n\t[i]You won't break my heart\n\tNo matter what you do\n\tMy love is especially for you\n\t\t\t\t--The Smithereens[/i]\n\n\t\"Mommy, look at the squirrel!\"\n\tSupersonic glanced at the little girl pointing at him as he and Katrina walked down a residential street together, holding hands, the squirrel sipping from a cup of soda left over from the breakfast they'd purchased at a fast food restaurant. A moment later, the girl's mother hushed her and threw a disapproving look at the pair before whisking her child away. Supersonic's heart sank a little at the woman's visual chastisement, though he couldn't be sure if it was due to him and Katrina holding hands in public, or because he was wearing only a leather flying helmet and goggles, or both. In the cartoon world he remembered, he'd never had to bother with clothes, and his arm webs made conventional clothing impractical anyway. Of course, humans and animals also hadn't formed couples there, not because there had been any laws against it, or because anyone had considered animals inferior, but because it had simply never occurred to anyone that it was possible. That was all different here, but there was still a part of him that felt it was wrong for a squirrel to have a human girlfriend, and apparently, he wasn't the only one.\n\t\"Anything?\" Supersonic asked, looking up at Katrina as he sipped his soda, trying to get his mind off his own thoughts.\n\tShe shrugged. \"Two kids arguing over which TV show to watch.\" She was now wearing a brown leather jacket, a black T-shirt, tight blue jeans, and black leather boots. The T-shirt bore an image of his old cartoon self, which was still recognizable as him, even though it looked quite different from his new flesh-and-blood form. He didn't like her wearing it, as it embarrassed him, but she thought it was funny, so he didn't bother to press the issue.\n\t\"How many people have you been eavesdropping on?\" Supersonic asked.\n\t\"Dozens,\" Katrina replied. \"Normally, I block them out so I'm not buried in other people's garbage. Seriously, you wouldn't believe all the crap people think.\"\n\tSupersonic summoned a gust of wind to carry the empty soda cup from his hand and drop it in a nearby trash container. \"It may be crap, but people still have a right to the privacy of their own thoughts.\" \n\tKatrina chuckled and shook her head. \"You're such a Boy Scout.\"\n\t\"Why? Because I respect people's right to privacy, or because I don't believe in littering?\"\n\t\"Both!\"\n\tSupersonic's eyes widened as something occurred to him. \"Have you ever read my mind?\"\n\t\"Oh, I may have taken a peek once or twice.\"\n\t\"Katrina!\"\n\tShe crouched down to be eye to eye with the squirrel. \"It was back when we first met. I didn't know you then. And it was just surface stuff. Nothing that would embarrass you.\"\n\tSupersonic swallowed. \"It's just kind of scary, knowing you can go into my head any time you want and read my most private thoughts.\"\n\tKatrina grinned. \"You mean like how you had a secret crush on Suzie Squirrel in the seventh grade?\"\n\tHe gasped, eyes going wider. \"You saw that?\"\n\t\"Millions of people did, you dummy. It was on your TV show.\"\n\tSupersonic blinked. \"Oh, that's right, it was. Sorry.\" He grinned sheepishly.\n\t\"Anyhow, what's so embarrassing about an adolescent crush? Everyone has them. And you gotta admit, she looked pretty cute in that flowered skirt.\"\n\tSupersonic blushed, remembering. \"Yeah, she did.\"\n\tKatrina stood up and resumed walking. \"You know, that's something I never understood. How come the boy animals could run around naked—or just wearing a hat or a vest or something—but the girl animals all had to wear skirts?\"\n\tSupersonic shrugged. \"I guess so the audience could tell they were girls. Anyway, it's not like those skirts covered a whole lot.\"\n\t\"It stills seems sexist.\" \n\t\"It was the early '60s, Kat.\"\n\t\"Yeah, yeah. Come on, let's try this way.\"\n\tThey turned a corner and found themselves facing an alley that dead-ended in a chain-link fence gate bearing a sign whose lettering was almost obscured by rust. The alley was bordered on either side by cinderblock walls eight feet high, covered with ivy and topped by strands of barbed wire. A guardhouse stood silent vigil over the padlocked gate. Curious, they walked toward it, and Supersonic began reading the sign aloud as they approached. \"Warning: controlled area. Entry prohibited without permission of commander of Eagle Mountain Air Force station. Personnel entering this area agree to a search of their vehicle and/or persons if directed by the above commander.\" They stopped just short of the gate, and he peered through it at the crumbling buildings beyond. \"Looks deserted.\" Then he felt Katrina's grip on his hand tighten, and he looked up at her. \"What's wrong, Kat?\"\n\t\"I'm feeling it again,\" she replied. \"That presence. It's stronger now.\"\n\t\"What, here? Look at this place, Kat. It's been abandoned for years!\"\n\t\"Then why is the padlock on the gate brand new?\"\n\tSupersonic looked at the padlock. It was bright and shiny, quite unlike the rusty gate itself. \"Maybe the old one got broken and they replaced it,\" he suggested. \"Even if it's abandoned, they don't want people going inside and getting hurt. Plus, they don't want it to become a hangout for winos and junkies.\"\n\t\"There's also a plant in the window of the guardhouse,\" said Katrina, nodding at it. \"Plants need to be watered.\"\n\t\"Not if they're plastic,\" Supersonic countered.\n\t\"You could always fly over the gate and check.\"\n\tSupersonic looked uneasy. \"I don't know. We're not supposed to go in there.\"\n\t\"What difference will it make, if it's been abandoned?\"\n\t\"It would still be trespassing on government property!\"\n\t\"Oh, for pity's sake! Fine, I'll do it myself!\" She went up to the gate and hooked her fingers into the fencing.\n\t\"No, wait!\" Supersonic cried, running up to her. \"I'll do it,\" he said, resignedly.\n\t\"You sure?\" Katrina asked.\n\tHe nodded. \"If you got hurt climbing over that fence, I'd never forgive myself. Plus, I'm a registered hero, so at least I have some official status. You're just a civilian . . . whose powers [i]should[/i] be registered with the government!\" he added, scowling up at her with his hands on his hips.\n\tKatrina groaned. \"Please, let's not start that again! I'm not registering my powers with anyone!\"\n\t\"Fine!\" Supersonic turned, spread his arm webs, and summoned a gust of wind that lifted him off the ground and over the fence. He flew over to the window of the guardhouse and peered through it at the plant Katrina had indicated. It was obviously real. Since he was already inside, he decided to do a quick flight around the supposedly abandoned base. As he soared across the rooftops, he noticed a very modern-looking satellite dish nestled between two buildings, out of sight of the street. On the ground near it was a steel rotary turbine ventilator, which was spinning even though there was no wind. Both the dish and the ventilator were in perfect condition. He landed beside a large building with a garage door in the side and examined it. There were fresh tire marks leading up to it. Frowning, he took off and flew back to rejoin Katrina.\n\n\tA man wearing a black T-shirt, camouflage pants, black boots, and a black beret walked up to a door and pressed the button beside it. A moment later, the door slid open and he stepped inside. \"Director,\" he said to the man sitting at the desk in the darkened office, \"there's been a paranormal incursion.\"\n\tThe director lifted his steel-blue eyes from the reports he was studying. \"Details?\" he asked, emotionlessly.\n\t\"It was that cartoon squirrel who was brought to life by magic a few months ago.\"\n\t\"Ah, yes, Supersonic Squirrel. Did he find anything out?\"\n\t\"He overflew the base, sir. He can't have failed to notice that it isn't abandoned. There was also a girl with him. Twentyish, brown skin, white hair, blue eyes. We're still trying to identify her.\"\n\t\"Any indication of paranormal abilities?\"\n\t\"None so far. If she has any, they're not registered. She's not in our database.\"\n\t\"I see.\"\n\tThe man waited a moment while the director thought. \"Orders, sir?\" he asked, finally.\n\t\"Take no action,\" the director replied. \"It's possible they were just curious and that nothing will come of this.\"\n\t\"And if something does come of it, sir?\"\n\t\"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Dismissed.\"\n\tThe man turned and left.\n\n\t\"You sure we can trust this guy?\" Katrina asked dubiously, as Supersonic sat down at the dining room table of the house they were renting and opened up a laptop computer.\n\t\"He's a retired Air Force colonel and military historian,\" Supersonic replied as the machine booted up. \"I met him at a signing for one of his books. Military history is a hobby of mine. He seemed like a stand-up guy. He's also a fan of my show.\"\n\tKatrina shrugged. \"Oh, well, if he's a fan of your show, then he must be okay!\"\n\tThe monitor lit up with the image of a man in his sixties with thinning white hair, moustache, and beard and watery blue eyes, wearing a white fisherman's sweater. His lined face split with a wide grin when he saw who was calling. \"Supersonic Squirrel! Nice to see you again, kid! How's it going?\"\n\t\"Fine, Colonel Jensen,\" said Supersonic, grinning back at him. \"Oh, this is Katrina Werner.\" He gestured at Katrina, who was standing behind him. \"She's a friend of mine. I was wondering if you could help us with something.\"\n\t\"Please, call me Abe,\" Jensen said. \"And sure, anything for Supersonic Squirrel. What's on your mind?\"\n\t\"Are you familiar with Eagle Mountain Air Force station?\" Supersonic asked.\n\t\"Eagle Mountain?\" Jensen asked, raising an eyebrow. \"Jesus, that's going back a ways!\"\n\tSupersonic leaned forward, his tail twitching. \"You've heard of it, then?\"\n\t\"Sure, I've heard of it! It used to be the nerve center for the entire West Coast defense network. They built it back in '42. Hollowed out the whole mountain, six stories deep.\"\n\t\"Why would they build a top secret military base in the middle of a major city?\" Katrina asked.\n\tJensen shrugged. \"Like hiding a diamond in a pile of broken glass. Back then, they were seriously worried about Japanese carrier planes bombing Los Angeles, since most of the U.S. Pacific fleet was at the bottom of Pearl Harbor. With so many potential targets around the base, what were the odds they'd pick the right one? And they'd have to drop a bomb right down one of the ventilation shafts to do any real damage.\" He tilted his head. \"Why the interest in Eagle Mountain?\"\n\t\"Katrina and I stumbled across it while we were walking around Hollywood Hills,\" Supersonic replied. \"It's not still in use, is it?\"\n\tJensen laughed. \"Hell, no! The Air Force closed it down in . . . '75, I think. It's been derelict since then.\"\n\tSupersonic nodded. \"Yeah, it looked pretty deserted.\"\n\t\"Where would we be able to find some blueprints of it?\" Katrina asked, causing Supersonic to look at her in surprise.\n\t\"There's probably a set gathering dust in some file room in the Pentagon,\" Jensen replied, \"but it would take some digging to find them. I doubt they're available online. All the information on Eagle Mountain has been declassified, but I can't imagine anyone would bother posting it. The place is a relic.\"\n\t\"Well, thank you very much for your help, Colonel . . . I mean, Abe,\" said Supersonic.\n\t\"No problem!\" said Jensen, smiling. \"Always nice to talk to a young fellow who's interested in military history. Call me anytime!\"\n\tKatrina giggled as the screen went blank. \"Young fellow? You're older than he is!\"\n\t\"Well, only in terms of my birthdate,\" said Supersonic. \"By my reckoning, I'm eighteen, which makes me younger than you!\"\n\t\"Does that mean I'm robbing the cradle?\" Katrina asked, bending down and kissing his furry cheek.\n\tSupersonic sighed with pleasure at the kiss, closing his eyes. Then he opened them again. \"Why did you ask him about blueprints?\"\n\t\"Oh, I thought maybe we might poke around down there a little.\"\n\tSupersonic turned his head and stared at her. \"Poke around? Kat, that's government property!\"\n\t\"Which is still in use, even though it's supposed to have been abandoned.\"\n\t\"That's even more reason not to do it! If the government is doing something secret down there, they're gonna want it to stay a secret!\"\n\tShe looked at him reproachfully. \"You're not even the least bit curious?\"\n\t\"Sure, I'm curious, but whatever they're doing down there, I'm sure there's a good reason they don't want anyone to know about it!\"\n\tKatrina smirked. \"You're way too trusting, Supersonic.\"\n\t\"And you're way too paranoid!\" the squirrel shot back.\n\t\"Yeah, well, you didn't live through Vietnam and Watergate!\"\n\t\"Neither did you!\"\n\tThey stared at each other in silence for a moment. Then Supersonic bit his lip and his big eyes began to glisten. \"I'm starting to think this isn't gonna work out,\" he said at last. \"Maybe we're just too different.\"\n\tKatrina sighed, put her arms around his small gray form and pulled it to her. \"I'm sorry, baby. You know how I feel about you. You're a great guy. Just a little naive.\" She kissed him on his muzzle, eliciting a happy growl deep in his throat. Supersonic hugged her and returned her kiss.\n\t\"You know,\" said Supersonic, between kisses, \"I just thought of something.\"\n\t\"Mmm,\" Katrina replied, running her fingers down his furry back. \"Does it involve a gallon of whipped cream?\"\n\tSupersonic blushed. \"No. What if someone else is using Eagle Mountain?\"\n\tKatrina blinked and drew her mouth back from his. \"That's a thought!\"\n\t\"I mean, the place has been abandoned for decades, and I doubt the government has been checking in on it. Anyone could have moved in and taken it over—VIPER, ARGENT, DEMON, PSI . . .\"\n\tKatrina nodded. \"The Church of the Sub-Genius.\"\n\t\"The what?\" Supersonic asked, baffled.\n\t\"Nevermind. Yeah, we should definitely check it out.\"\n\t\"But what if it turns out it [i]is[/i] the government down there?\" asked Supersonic.\n\t\"Then we'll just tell them we had a legitimate concern and were investigating to make sure there was no danger. You're a registered hero, so they'll believe you're on the side of right, right?\"\n\tSupersonic nodded. \"When do you wanna do this?\"\n\t\"Probably best to wait until dark,\" Katrina replied.\n\t\"We've got a few hours to kill, then.\" \n\tBoth their eyes wandered to the bedroom, then back to each other.\n\t\"But it's daytime,\" said Katrina, smiling at him.\n\tThe squirrel grinned. \"Who cares?\"\n\tThey both raced for the bedroom.\n\n\tThe fading sun bathed the rolling hills in a warm, orange glow, casting long shadows as Supersonic and Katrina made their way through the dry brush that surrounded Eagle Mountain. As the twilight deepened, Katrina removed a small but powerful LED flashlight from her jacket and played it around on the ground before them.\n\t\"You sure we're in the right place?\" Supersonic asked doubtfully.\n\t\"We should be,\" Katrina replied, \"according to the blueprints.\"\n\tSupersonic looked around as well, his big squirrel eyes able to see better in the gathering dusk than Katrina's could. \"I still can't believe someone posted those.\"\n\t\"You're not the only military history buff out there, you know,\" Katrina said, the brush rustling as she walked through it, sweeping her flashlight around. \"I should be wearing a bowler hat.\"\n\tSupersonic looked up at her, puzzled. \"Why a bowler hat?\"\n\t\"[i]NBC Sunday Mystery Movie[/i], 1971 to 1977. The intro had a guy in a bowler hat walking through the desert at night holding a flashlight, with theme music by the great Henry Mancini.\"\n\t\"The Pink Panther guy?\" Supersonic asked.\n\tKatrina nodded. \"The Pink Panther theme, the Peter Gunn theme, the Baby Elephant Walk from [i]Hatari![/i], Moon River from [i]Breakfast at Tiffany's[/i],—the man was a freaking genius!\"\n\tSupersonic shook his head. \"I'm amazed you know about stuff that old.\"\n\tKatrina smiled at him. \"You know I like old things.\"\n\tThe squirrel grinned sheepishly, then stopped and pointed as his eyes caught something. \"Over there!\"\n\tKatrina aimed the flashlight in the direction Supersonic was pointing in, illuminating a square concrete slab covered in graffiti, four feet on each side and about a foot high, with a rusty steel plate atop it. They both ran over to it.\n\t\"This has to be the ventilation shaft that leads down to the second level,\" said Katrina.\n\t\"Looks like it's been sealed off,\" Supersonic commented.\n\t\"Perfect!\" said Katrina. \"Then there probably aren't any alarms.\"\n\t\"I'm still not sure this is a good idea,\" said Supersonic. \"This is government property!\"\n\tKatrina sighed. \"Just imagine it's VIPER down there.\"\n\tSupersonic nodded. \"Stand back.\" \n\tKatrina moved away as the squirrel covered his eyes with his goggles and began building up a ball of super-compressed air between his hands. He flew up above the opening, to minimize the chance of being hit by shrapnel, and released the ball straight down. It slammed into the steel plate with an impact like a sonic boom, and his ears were raked by the screeching sound of tortured metal as the plate ruptured inward. He landed beside it and inspected the damage as Katrina rejoined him. His blast had punched a hole through the plate about two feet in diameter. \"Jeez!\" said Katrina. \"Remind me to never get you pissed at me!\" \n\tShe pointed her light downward. The beam revealed a concrete shaft that descended into darkness with rusty steel rungs on one side. \"Looks okay,\" said Supersonic, \"as long as we're careful not to cut ourselves on the edges of the hole.\"\n\tKatrina nodded. \"I'll go first.\" She moved to climb down.\n\t\"Oh no,\" the squirrel said, putting his hands on her shoulders and holding her back. \"I'm going in first.\"\n\t\"Don't give me any macho bullshit, Supersonic,\" Katrina growled at him.\n\t\"It's not macho BS,\" the squirrel replied calmly. \"It's just practical. I can fly and you can't. If you slip, there's nothing to stop your fall. I'll go in first. Then you come down, and I'll put my arms around you and lower us both to the bottom.\"\n\t\"Okay, that makes sense,\" said Katrina. \"Sorry about the bullshit remark.\"\n\tSupersonic smiled. \"You know I'd never patronize you, Kat.\" Mindful of the jagged teeth of downward-pointing metal, he floated down carefully through the opening, descended a few feet, and waited while Katrina climbed through as well. Once she was clear of the opening, he flew up to her, wrapping his arms around her. She let go of the rungs, and they slowly descended together.\n\t\"This is actually kind of fun,\" Katrina said, smiling at him.\n\t\"Think they'll give us adjoining cells in Stronghold Prison?\" Supersonic asked, smirking.\n\t\"Doubtful,\" Katrina replied. \"But they might allow us conjugal visits.\" She kissed his furry cheek, which made him blush.\n\tAfter descending for about thirty feet, the shaft opened into a horizontal tunnel four feet high. Supersonic could stand upright easily, but Katrina was forced to crouch. She shone her light down the tunnel, revealing bundles of wires running along one side. The floor was dry and dusty, but free of debris. The pair began moving down the tunnel. After a short distance, they found themselves facing an iron grate, which Supersonic reached his arm through and unlatched, swinging it open. They climbed out into a room, one wall of which was taken up with banks of dials, switches, and wheels.\n\t\"Looks like something from my time,\" Supersonic commented.\n\tKatrina nodded, playing her light across it. \"Yeah, definitely 1960s technology, maybe older.\"\n\tSupersonic went over and randomly flipped some of the switches and spun some of the wheels. \"Whatever it is, it's dead. I don't think anyone's used this equipment since 1975.\" He turned back to Katrina. She was standing rigid, her eyes wide. \"Kat?\" he asked. \"Is something wrong?\"\n\tShe dropped her flashlight, grabbed her head, and emitted an ear-piercing scream.\n\n\tIn the main laboratory, four doctors stood over a small figure lying on an operating table. Each of the doctors was wearing a biological containment suit covering their entire body. The figure on the table was humanoid, its pale form illuminated by the bright overhead lights. It might have been a human child, save that the cranium was somewhat larger than normal and hairless, and the body had no nipples, navel, or genitals.\n\t\"Ready to begin, Dr. Marshall?\" one of them asked.\n\tMarshall nodded, and started speaking. \"The subject's skin is smooth and featureless, with no identifying marks or scars of any kind, and has a slightly blue-gray tint. I'm going to make an incision along the ventral surface, starting at the clavicular notch and working down toward the pubis.\" He pressed the blade of his scalpel to the base of the figure's throat. The blade sank into the skin, and blue-white fluid welled up around it. \"The skin is rubbery and more resistant to penetration than human skin. The blood is bluish-white in color, suggesting a possible copper base. It's also—\" He stopped in mid-sentence as a woman's scream rang out from the air vent in the ceiling. \"What the hell?\"\n\t\"Continue with the autopsy, doctor,\" came a calm voice through the intercom. In the observation deck overlooking the operating theater, the director turned to his security chief. \"Find out where that came from.\"\n\tThe security chief nodded and left. A slim man with black hair and an olive complexion stepped up beside the director. He was dressed in a brown suit and wore steel-rimmed glasses and polished black-and-white shoes. \"You think this has anything to do with that incident earlier today?\" he asked.\n\t\"I expect it almost certainly does,\" the director replied quietly.\n\tThe man scowled. \"Damn supers, always sticking their noses in where they don't belong.\"\n\tThe director looked at him with steel-blue eyes. \"If they didn't do that, Mr. Abruzzi, it's very likely that none of us would be here now.\"\n\tAbruzzi frowned. \"Be that as it may, what do you intend to do about this?\"\n\tThe director was about to reply when a second scream echoed from the air vent above them. \"I intend to wait and see, Mr. Abruzzi,\" he said when it had died down, \"and I suggest you refrain from telling your superiors at the Justice Department about this until we have a clearer idea of what's going on.\"\n\tAbruzzi simply nodded as a third scream came from the vent. \"It's your show, director.\"\n\n\tSupersonic Squirrel tried desperately to hold Katrina still as she thrashed about hysterically on the dusty floor, screaming. \"Kat!\" he exclaimed, confused and worried. \"What's wrong? What's happening?\" He didn't notice when two men ran into the room, wearing flak vests over black T-shirts, camouflage pants, black boots, and black berets and carrying high-tech-looking rifles. The men paused at the unusual sight of a three-foot gray squirrel wearing a flying helmet and goggles grappling with a screaming girl on the floor. Then one raised an odd-looking pistol and fired a beam of energy at Supersonic, who immediately collapsed, unconscious. \n\tSeeing him go down snapped Katrina back to reality. She glared at the two men and lashed out with a devastating mental blast, overloading with psychic energy the nervous system of the one who had shot Supersonic, dropping him. The other drew his own pistol and fired at Katrina, and she joined the squirrel in unconsciousness on the floor.\n\n\tSupersonic awoke lying on a single bed in a barren room whose walls were painted olive drab. The squirrel groaned and grasped his head, which was throbbing with pain. Looking around, he saw Katrina lying asleep on another bed nearby. He jumped down off his bed, ran to her, and shook her gently. \"Kat? Wake up, Kat!\" \n\tKatrina's eyes opened, and she, too, groaned and put a hand to her forehead. \"Oh wow! I've got an Excedrin headache number zillion!\" \n\t\"Did you see who hit us?\" Supersonic asked. \"My back was turned.\"\n\t\"A couple of soldiers wearing black berets,\" Katrina replied.\n\t\"Black berets?\" asked Supersonic. \"That sounds like PRIMUS!\"\n\t\"That bunch of fascists!\" Katrina scowled.\n\tThe squirrel blinked. \"Why do you call them that?\"\n\t\"Because they are!\"\n\tSupersonic frowned. \"I hear that word get thrown around a lot, and most of the time, I don't think it's being used properly. Back in my day, there were a lot of people who called anyone who disagreed with them about anything a communist. It was wrong then, and it's wrong now. PRIMUS protects America from superpowered threats, like VIPER, DEMON, and PSI. You know, the guys we were afraid might be down here?\"\n\t\"You know they want to enact a law that'll require all telepaths to take psi suppressant drugs, right?\" Katrina asked.\n\t\"Yeah, and you're kind of making their case for them!\"\n\tTheir conversation was interrupted as the door opened and two men walked into the room. One was tall, square-jawed, and muscular, with wavy blond hair and blue eyes, wearing a skin-tight costume with blue sleeves, leggings, belt, and mask and a golden torso, pauldons, wrist bracers, thigh bands, and boots. On the left side of his chest was the presidential eagle. His companion was a slim, black-haired, swarthy man wearing steel-rimmed glasses, a brown suit, and polished black-and-white shoes. \"Hello,\" the blond man said. \"I'm the Golden Avenger, director of the Paranormal Research and Investigation Mission of the United States.\"\n\t\"Hello, sir,\" said Supersonic, bowing his head respectfully.\n\t\"We know who you are,\" said Katrina, glaring at the Avenger.\n\tThe Golden Avenger gestured to the other man. \"This is special agent Anthony Abruzzi, my Justice Department liason.\"\n\t\"How do you do?\" Abruzzi asked.\n\t\"Oh, just peachy!\" said Katrina, smirking. \"I love getting shot by jack-booted thugs! Always brightens my day!\"\n\t\"You were trespassing on government property!\" snarled Abruzzi. \"Those agents were well within their rights! You're lucky they only used nerve stunners!\"\n\tThe Golden Avenger glanced at him. \"Mr. Abruzzi, if you please. There's no need for hostility. We're all on the same side here.\"\n\t\"That's a matter of opinion,\" Katrina growled.\n\t\"Kat, be nice!\" said Supersonic. He turned back to the Avenger. \"Sir, I apologize for the intrusion. We noticed Eagle Mountain was active when it was supposed to have been abandoned, and we thought someone like VIPER or DEMON might have taken it over. We didn't know PRIMUS was using it.\"\n\tThe Golden Avenger nodded. \"A reasonable concern. It speaks well for your vigilance, and your desire to protect your country from such malevolent threats.\"\n\tSupersonic grinned, buck teeth gleaming, his furry chest swelling with pride. \"Thank you, sir!\"\n\t\"However,\" the Avenger continued, \"there is something that puzzles me. We were alerted to your presence when this young lady,\" he nodded at Katrina, \"began screaming. The agents who apprehended you said she was already screaming when they arrived, so it clearly wasn't because she was afraid of them.\" His steely eyes focused on Katrina. \"Why were you screaming, miss?\"\n\t\"I . . . saw a spider,\" Katrina replied.\n\tThe Golden Avenger raised an eyebrow. \"Are you that afraid of spiders?\"\n\tKatrina nodded. \"It was a really big one.\"\n\tThe Avenger sighed. \"Miss, please stop being disingenuous. We know you have telepathic abilities. You knocked out an agent with some kind of mental attack. Did you feel or sense something that frightened you?\"\n\tKatrina folded her arms and looked up at the ceiling. \"I'm taking the Fifth.\"\n\t\"You can't do that once you've already started answering questions!\" Abruzzi retorted.\n\tKatrina glared at him. \"Watch me!\"\n\t\"Miss,\" said the Golden Avenger patiently, \"these aren't legal proceedings. You haven't been arrested or accused of anything . . . yet.\"\n\t\"Good!\" said Katrina, smiling. \"Then we're free to go! Come on, Supersonic!\"\n\t\"I don't think you quite understand how serious this situation is, miss,\" said the Avenger, solemnly. \"You may have gained access to classified information in this facility, in which case you could be charged with espionage.\"\n\t\"Good luck proving that!\" Katrina sneered.\n\t\"One thing I [i]can[/i] prove is that you are both guilty of trespassing on government property,\" said the Golden Avenger. \"And I can hold you for twenty-four hours without leveling formal charges.\"\n\t\"You still have to provide us with legal counsel,\" Katrina shot back. \"And we get a phone call. That's the law!\"\n\t\"You smug little bitch!\" Abruzzi snarled.\n\t\"Hey!\" Supersonic protested indignantly.\n\t\"Mr. Abruzzi!\" said the Golden Avenger, raising his voice for the first time and frowning at him in disapproval, which made him fall silent. He turned back to Supersonic and Katrina. \"I'll see what I can do about getting you a phone and a lawyer. Is there anything else you'd like in the meantime?\"\n\t\"Some aspirin?\" Supersonic asked meekly.\n\tThe Avenger nodded. \"I'll see that you get it. Come along, Mr. Abruzzi.\" They both departed, and the door locked behind them.\n\tKatrina looked over at Supersonic and smiled. \"Thanks for not giving me up, lover.\"\n\tThe squirrel blushed beneath his fur. \"You know I couldn't do that. I still don't understand why you're being so difficult, though. They're not the enemy.\"\n\t\"Not to you,\" Katrina growled.\n\t\"Why [i]did[/i] you start screaming, Kat?\" Supersonic asked.\n\tKatrina reached out with her mind and touched the squirrel's brain. \"I felt pain,\" she thought to him. \"Incredible, god-awful pain!\"\n\tSupersonic's eyes widened. \"Pain from who?\" he thought back.\n\t\"I don't know. They're hiding something, boyfriend. We've got to find out what it is.\"\n\t\"How are we gonna do that?\" the squirrel asked.\n\t\"Not by staying in here. You could blow that door off its hinges, you know.\"\n\tSupersonic shook his head. \"I'm not getting us in any more trouble than we're already in!\"\n\t\"We're already in more trouble than we're already in!\"\n\t\"Let's just wait and see how things go,\" said Supersonic.\n\tKatrina smirked. \"Fine. Just don't blame me if we both end up with our faces on milk cartons.\"\n\n\tAbruzzi seethed as he and the Golden Avenger walked down the hall together. \"You know that girl's a telepath!\"\n\t\"Knowing something and proving it are two different things, Mr. Abruzzi,\" the Golden Avenger replied. \"As an agent of the Justice Department, I'd think you'd be aware of that.\"\n\t\"Do you think they know about the aliens?\"\n\t\"It's possible the girl may have overheard someone thinking about it.\"\n\t\"So, what are you going to do?\" Abruzzi asked. \"It's only a matter of time before that damn squirrel starts blasting his way out of here! Then the shit'll really hit the fan!\"\n\t\"I'm considering all my options, Mr. Abruzzi. In the meantime, I'm going to have a Porgrave receiver set up outside their room. If the girl broadcasts any telepathic messages, I want to know about them. And while I know you're not a fan of paranormals, please try to refrain from antagonizing them further. It doesn't make things any easier.\"\n\tAbruzzi nodded and stuck his hands in his pockets as he walked along. \"It's still your show, director.\"\n\n\tKatrina hurled the magazine she'd been reading against the wall, making Supersonic Squirrel jump. \"I hate this!\" she growled. \"I hate being locked up!\" She looked over at the squirrel, who was sitting on one of the beds, holding another magazine. \"They have no right to do this!\"\n\t\"You know they do, Kat,\" Supersonic replied calmly.\n\t\"We're supposed to get a phone call!\"\n\tThe squirrel sighed. \"It's not like we got caught shoplifting. We broke into a top secret base!\"\n\t\"Why are you taking their side?\" Katrina demanded.\n\t\"Because we made a mistake,\" Supersonic replied. \"When you make a mistake, you take responsibility for it. That's the grown-up thing to do.\" He bit his lip. \"And I've been doing a lot of growing up the past few weeks.\"\n\tKatrina came over, sat down on the bed beside him, and put her arm around him. \"Any regrets?\"\n\t\"Not about anything we've done together. I mean, I do kind of miss the guy I used to be, but I've learned so much about myself. You've opened a lot of doors for me, Kat.\"\n\t\"I wish I could open that one,\" Katrina said, glaring at the door to their room.\n\t\"We just have to be patient,\" said Supersonic. \"Things'll work themselves out, eventually.\"\n\tKatrina shook her head. \"You're so trusting.\"\n\tThe squirrel smiled up at her. \"I trusted you, didn't I?\"\n\tKatrina smiled and leaned down, kissing him, and they embraced. Then they quickly broke the kiss and let go of each other as they heard the door unlock. It opened to reveal a PRIMUS agent. \"Come with me, please,\" he said. \n\tThey both hopped off the bed and went over to him. He led them out of the room and down a series of corridors. On the way, they passed a number of PRIMUS agents, who stared at them as they went by. Some of the agents bore cybernetic prostheses, a reminder of the inherent danger of their occupation. They arrived at a steel door guarded by two PRIMUS agents, one of whom pressed a button beside it. A moment later, the door slid open, and their escort led them inside. They entered a large room that was noticably colder than the corridor. Inside were the Golden Avenger, Abruzzi, several PRIMUS agents, and a number of men and women in white lab coats. In the center of the room were three transparent horizontal cylinders, each of which contained a small, naked, pale-skinned humanoid with a slightly enlarged head, lying motionless inside. Katrina took one look at the creatures and collapsed to the floor.\n\t\"Kat!\" Supersonic cried, catching her and cradling her in his arms.\n\t\"Revive her,\" the Golden Avenger instructed one of the doctors.\n\tThe doctor crouched beside Katrina and broke a capsule of smelling salts under her nose, which roused her to consciousness. She blinked, got unsteadily to her feet, and stared at the creatures in the cylinders for a moment. Then she turned to the Avenger. \"They want to know what happened to their friend,\" she said.\n\t\"I knew it!\" exclaimed Abruzzi.\n\t\"You can communicate with these creatures?\" the Golden Avenger asked Katrina.\n\t\"I can hear them,\" Katrina replied. \"They want to know where their friend is. That's all I'm getting.\"\n\t\"You're lying!\" one of the doctors said accusingly. \"We did an EEG on each of them! They were completely flat! Even people in deep comas still have some brain activity! With these things, the machine might as well have been hooked up to a wax dummy!\"\n\t\"Ever think that maybe your machine might not work on aliens?\" Katrina shot back.\n\t\"Why would she lie, Dr. Marshall?\" the Golden Avenger asked calmly. \"What would she gain by it? And how could she have known there were originally four of them?\"\n\tKatrina turned to the Avenger. \"So where's the fourth one?\"\n\tThe Golden Avenger was silent for a moment. \"Come with me, please,\" he said finally, and began heading toward the door.\n\t\"Where is he?\" Katrina demanded.\n\t\"Your question will be answered,\" the Avenger said, \"but there are things you need to know first. Now, please, come with me.\" Katrina followed him, as did Supersonic and Abruzzi. They walked down the corridor and entered a small, spartan office. The Golden Avenger sat down at a desk, and Katrina, Supersonic, and Abruzzi all found themselves chairs.\n\t\"Sixteen days ago,\" the Avenger said, \"the Army was testing a new anti-tank laser at a top secret testing range in Nevada. During the test, several military and civilian employees noticed a luminous object hovering nearby. The OC directed the civilian test crew to fire the laser at the object, which they did. There was a bright flash, and the object fell to the ground. Upon inspection, the object appeared to be an alien craft with an unknown source of power. It also contained the remains of four humanoid beings.\"\n\t\"Remains?\" asked Katrina. \"Those aren't remains! They're alive!\"\n\t\"Apparently, the aliens were in some kind of dormant state,\" said the Golden Avenger. \"Our medical team thoroughly examined them. They gave them EEGs, CAT scans, MRIs, the works. There was no indication of any metabolic activity. As far as anyone could tell, the aliens were dead, presumably killed in the crash.\"\n\tKatrina's eyes widened. \"You cut one up, didn't you? That was the pain I felt!\"\n\tThe Avenger nodded. \"Dr. Marshall was in the process of performing an autopsy on one of them when we heard you scream. At the time, there was nothing to connect the two events. The timing might have simply been a coincidence. But then I began to suspect it might be more than that, so I decided to bring you to the aliens and see what happened. And it appears my suspicion was correct.\"\n\tKatrina glared at him. \"That alien died in agony! That makes you a murderer!\"\n\tThe Golden Avenger looked unperturbed. \"We had no way of knowing it was still alive. Every test said it was as dead as a doornail. I deeply regret what happened, but nothing can be done about it now.\"\n\t\"Why all the secrecy, though?\" asked Supersonic. \"I mean, it's not like people don't know aliens exist. How many times has Earth been invaded? There were the Sirians in 1938, the Qularr in 1965, the Gadroon in 1977 and 1984, and the Qularr again in 2009! Heck, Ironclad of the Champions is an alien, and his son Ironkid is half alien and a member of my superteam! And the wreck of a giant Qularr mothership is lying in the middle of the Detroit River! I think the cat's out of the bag!\"\n\t\"All of that is correct,\" the Golden Avenger replied, \"but this is a race we've never encountered before. We know absolutely nothing about them.\" He turned his gaze to Katrina. \"And that is where I'm hoping you might be able to help us.\"\n\tKatrina smirked. \"Why would I want to help you?\"\n\t\"To prevent another tragedy like the alien's death that you felt. We don't know what we're dealing with here. Until we know more, we have to assume these aliens are dangerous, for everyone's safety. You might be able to help us learn more about them so we can determine what, if any, threat they pose. We have no desire to harm these creatures. They might turn out to be valuable allies against hostile alien species. Or they might be advance scouts for another invasion. Or they might be harmless tourists. But we have to know!\" He looked at Katrina imploringly. \"Help us find out.\"\n\t\"Do I have a choice?\" Katrina asked suspiciously.\n\t\"We can't force you to cooperate,\" the Golden Avenger replied, \"but I'd hope you would, if only to avoid any further mistakes on our part.\"\n\t\"Don't you have other telepaths you can call upon?\" asked Katrina.\n\tThe Avenger nodded. \"We do, but we're trying to keep the number of people in the know as small as possible to avoid leaks, and since you already know . . .\"\n\tKatrina frowned and glanced over at Supersonic, who was looking up at her. \"He makes a good case, Kat,\" the squirrel said. \"I think you should help.\"\n\tKatrina looked back at the Golden Avenger. \"Okay. I'll see what I can do.\"\n\tThe Avenger held out a hand to her. \"Welcome aboard, miss.\"\n\tShe shook it hesitantly. \"Thanks.\"\n\t\"I imagine you're both tired and hungry. Feel free to avail yourselves of the amenities here, such as they are. Once you've eaten and rested, we can begin.\" He pressed a button on his desk. \"Saunders, send someone to escort our guests to the mess hall, please.\"\n\t\"Thank you, sir!\" said Supersonic, grinning. \"I am pretty hungry!\"\n\tAfter they left the room, the Golden Avenger turned to Abruzzi. \"I want to know everything there is to know about that girl. And I mean everything.\"\n\tAbruzzi nodded. \"I'm on it, director.\"\n\n\tKatrina and Supersonic Squirrel sat facing each other at a table in the mess hall, chewing on leathery slices of microwaved pizza. There were also several PRIMUS agents in the room, who occasionally glanced at them but didn't speak.\n\t\"Awful quiet,\" Supersonic commented, looking around.\n\tKatrina nodded. \"They're keeping their minds blank. Their boss must have told them I'm a telepath.\"\n\tSupersonic looked at her curiously. \"Is something wrong, Kat?\"\n\t\"I feel like a collaborator,\" she replied.\n\t\"You can't be a collaborator with your own government.\"\n\t\"It's not [i]my[/i] government! I don't want any part of it!\"\n\t\"Why not?\" the squirrel asked. \"What's so bad about it?\"\n\t\"Read some history!\"\n\tSupersonic frowned. \"I'm not ignorant of everything that's happened since my time, you know. I [i]have[/i] read up on it.\"\n\t\"And you still trust the government?\"\n\tThe squirrel shrugged. \"In my time, we trusted our government, for the most part. We didn't all approve of everything it did, but nobody gets what he wants all the time. Sometimes, the other fellow gets what [i]he[/i] wants. But we still considered ourselves loyal Americans.\"\n\t\"Well, I don't! As far as I'm concerned, the government can go straight to hell!\"\n\tSupersonic nodded. \"You know, my friends showed me a movie where the government had gone to hell. It was called [i]The Road Warrior[/i]. I don't think I'd want to live in that world.\" He took a bite from his pizza.\n\tKatrina looked at him sharply. \"You'd rather live in a world where everyone's a good little patriotic zombie?\"\n\t\"Those are the choices?\" Supersonic asked. \"[i]The Road Warrior[/i] or [i]1984[/i]? I think there's room for something in between, Kat.\"\n\tA PRIMUS agent entered the mess hall and came over to their table. \"The Golden Avenger requests your presence in the laboratory at your earliest convenience,\" he said.\n\tKatrina sighed. \"Big Brother is calling.\"\n\tThey quickly finished their pizza and accompanied the PRIMUS agent back to the laboratory. The Golden Avenger was waiting for them, along with Abruzzi, Dr. Marshall, and several technicians. A complex-looking device that hadn't been there before was now set up in the room. \"This is a Porgrave receiver,\" the Avenger said, gesturing at the device. \"It picks up telepathic transmissions. We haven't heard any from the aliens yet, but they may be using a technique the machine can't read, or they may simply be keeping silent. Hopefully, we'll be able to adjust it so that we can hear your conversations with them.\"\n\tKatrina smirked. \"Want to make sure I don't tell them anything important?\"\n\t\"I doubt there's anything you could tell them that would concern us,\" the Avenger replied. \"We're more interested in what they have to say.\"\n\tKatrina nodded. Turning toward the three small figures lying in their clear cylinders, she closed her eyes and reached out to them with her mind. Supersonic bit his lip, watching her anxiously as minutes ticked by and technicians fiddled with the receiver. Finally, she opened her eyes. \"They need light,\" she said.\n\t\"Light?\" the Golden Avenger asked.\n\tKatrina nodded.\n\tSupersonic glanced at the reciever. It remained silent.\n\t\"Can you understand anything else?\" asked the Avenger.\n\t\"No,\" Katrina said.\n\t\"Is that all they're saying,\" Abruzzi asked, \"or is that all you can understand?\"\n\t\"They're not using words,\" said Katrina. \"It's more like impressions, images.\" She looked at the Avenger. \"They need light.\"\n\t\"They must be photosynthetic,\" Marshall said.\n\t\"Like plants?\" Supersonic asked, astonished.\n\tMarshall nodded. \"It would explain their lack of any digestive system. They don't need one.\"\n\t\"But they're not green,\" Supersonic pointed out.\n\t\"There are other light-sensitive pigments besides chlorophyll,\" said Marshall. \"And we have no idea what color their sun is.\"\n\tThe Golden Avenger nodded. \"What are your recommendations, doctor?\"\n\t\"Well, we could bathe them in the full spectrum of visible light, see if that revives them.\"\n\t\"Do we really want to risk that?\" Abruzzi asked. \"We have no idea what they'll do if they wake up.\"\n\t\"We have to,\" said Marshall. \"We have three potential fountains of knowledge here.\"\n\t\"Or three potential world-conquering monsters!\" Abruzzi shot back.\n\t\"We have no proof they're hostile,\" countered Marshall.\n\t\"We have no proof they aren't!\"\n\t\"Gentlemen,\" said the Golden Avenger calmly, \"I don't believe that any of us has the authority to make this decision. I'll need to consult with the President.\"\n\tAbruzzi and Marshall both nodded in agreement, and Supersonic felt a shiver run down his spine. It was thrilling to realize that he was only one step away from the President—him, a small-town squirrel from Minnesota! Then he noticed Katrina moving toward the wall. \"Kat, what are you doing?\" he asked.\n\tKatrina didn't reply. Instead, she grabbed a fire axe from the wall and ran toward the nearest cylinder with the axe raised above her head. \"Kat, stop!\" Supersonic cried. \n\tThe Golden Avenger reacted with blinding speed, a blue-and-gold streak intercepting Katrina and seizing her before she could strike. She snarled and unleashed a devastating mental blast that staggered the Avenger and allowed her to break free of his grasp. She raised the axe to strike at the cylinder.\n\tHis throat tight, Supersonic Squirrel hurled a blast of wind at her, knocking her off her feet and into the wall, where she slumped to the floor, unconscious. Marshall ran to the girl and crouched beside her as Supersonic stood still, frozen by what he'd just done. The Golden Avenger, recovered from Katrina's mental attack, turned and looked at the shaken squirrel. \"Good work, Supersonic,\" he said.\n\tSupersonic just stood there, staring at Katrina, numb.\n\n\tThe Golden Avenger was sitting at his desk in his office, twiddling a pen between his fingers as he considered what to say to the President, when his door buzzed. He pressed a button on his desk. The door opened, and Anthony Abruzzi and Dr. Marshall entered. The Avenger narrowed his eyes. The tense look on Abruzzi's face told him that his Justice Department liason had urgent news for him and that it probably wasn't good.\n\tAbruzzi slapped a pair of photographs down on the Avenger's desk. \"Take a look at these.\"\n\tThe Golden Avenger picked up the two pictures and studied them. They were both aerial photographs of the same patch of desert, one with a dark circle on it, the other with a somewhat larger dark circle. His brow furrowed in consternation.\n\t\"What are those pictures of?\" Marshall asked.\n\t\"The one on the left is the crash site shortly after the alien ship was removed,\" Abruzzi replied. \"For a radius of 200 meters around ground zero, all vegetation died immediately. The one on the right is the same spot as of today. The area of devastation has increased by seventy percent.\"\n\t\"Was there any evidence of mutation in the new plant growth?\" Marshall asked.\n\t\"There was no new plant growth,\" Abruzzi replied. \"The soil now seems to have some kind of lethal quality. Samples of it seemed normal in all respects, but everything planted in the samples died immediately.\"\n\t\"Is the soil radioactive?\" Marshall asked.\n\t\"Slightly, but not enough to account for this.\" He turned to the Avenger. \"Director, I think we should consider moving the aliens out of here.\"\n\tThe Avenger raised an eyebrow behind his mask. \"What do you suggest? Put them on a truck and drive them through central Los Angeles?\"\n\tAbruzzi shrugged. \"That's how we got them in here.\"\n\t\"Yes, but when we brought them in, we didn't know they were alive.\"\n\t\"Have you spoken to the President?\" asked Marshall.\n\t\"Not yet,\" the Avenger replied. \"This new information changes the picture considerably. How's the girl doing?\"\n\t\"She's in the infirmary, recovering,\" Marshall replied. \"That squirrel gave her a nasty knock on the head, but there's no indication of a concussion.\"\n\t Abruzzi smirked. \"I'm surprised he had it in him. He seems to be quite fond of her.\"\n\t\"He's from an older time,\" said the Avenger. \"He knows where his patriotic duty lies.\"\n\n\tSupersonic Squirrel sat in a chair in the infirmary, hunched over, his hands clasped atop his knees, his feet hanging above the floor, gazing anxiously at Katrina with his huge black eyes as she lay on a hospital bed, unconscious. He perked up as she groaned, put a hand to her head, and opened her eyes. \"Kat?\" Supersonic asked. \"Are you okay?\"\n\t\"Fine,\" she replied, \"except that my head feels like someone drove a spike through it.\"\n\tThe squirrel bit his lip. \"I'm so sorry about that. I acted out of instinct.\"\n\tShe turned her head and looked at him dispassionately. \"You know, I'm not even surprised. You were just being a good little soldier.\"\n\t\"I didn't want you to be hurt, Kat!\"\n\t\"You sure have a funny way of showing it.\"\n\t\"For Pete's sake, you mind-blasted the Golden Avenger! They might have shot you!\"\n\tShe raised herself on her elbows. \"And that was the only reason? Your concern for my safety?\"\n\t\"Well, I also didn't want you smashing open that cylinder and letting one of the aliens out. At least, not before we get the go-ahead from the President.\"\n\t\"Ah, yes, the President,\" said Katrina, saying the word with exaggerated emphasis. \"Can't do anything without his say-so.\"\n\t\"Well, yeah!\" said Supersonic. \"He's the American people's elected representative, and this is a decision that affects every American! Who else should make it?\"\n\tKatrina smiled and shook her head. \"God, you're so naive it's pathetic. Are you even capable of independent thought?\"\n\tThe squirrel flinched as he felt a shock of pain in his heart. \"After all we've been through together, you can ask me that?\"\n\t\"Suppose the President decides to have the aliens destroyed?\" Katrina asked. \"Would you stand by and let that happen?\"\n\t\"I . . . I don't know,\" Supersonic admitted. \"I don't think so . . .\"\n\t\"They haven't done anything wrong, Supersonic. Not the slightest thing.\"\n\tThe squirrel squirmed in his chair uneasily. \"Can I ask you something, Kat?\"\n\t\"What?\"\n\t\"When you were trying to break the cylinder, was it you, or was one of the aliens controlling you?\"\n\tKatrina smirked. \"How do you know one of them isn't controlling me right now?\"\n\tSupersonic shrugged. \"I don't.\"\n\t\"Then it doesn't really matter what I say, does it?\"\n\t\"Well, if you were being controlled, you'd probably say it was your own idea. And if they could do that, why wouldn't they just control the Golden Avenger? I doubt any of us could stop him.\"\n\t\"Sounds to me like you've answered your own question, then.\"\n\tTheir conversation was interrupted by the buzzing sound of an alarm going off, and they both jerked their heads up.\n\t\"What the heck?\" Supersonic asked.\n\t\"Come on,\" said Katrina, sliding off the bed. \"Let's find out what's going on.\"\n\tThey exited the infirmary into a hallway, where they bumped into several of the PRIMUS agents who were running in both directions. As they approached the Golden Avenger's office, they saw the Avenger, Abruzzi, and Marshall coming toward them.\n\t\"What's happening?\" Supersonic asked.\n\t\"We just got a message from the crash site,\" the Avenger replied. \"Of the thirty-four witnesses we had isolated, eleven have died and the rest are sick.\"\n\tThe squirrel's eyes went wide. \"Holy cow! What are we gonna do?\"\n\t\"There's no alternative,\" the Avenger replied grimly. \"I'm sealing the base.\"\n\n\tKatrina and Supersonic stood side by side in the room with the three aliens, holding hands as they gazed at the small, pale figures lying motionless in their cylinders.\n\t\"You know,\" said Supersonic, \"on my show we encountered a couple of moon men.\"\n\tKatrina glanced at him. \"What were they like?\"\n\t\"Short. Green. Kind of goofy.\"\n\t\"Were they evil?\"\n\tThe squirrel shook his head. \"No, they were friendly. Even helped me and my buddy out of some tight spots.\"\n\t\"What happened to them?\"\n\t\"They became entertainers in Vegas. Famous celebrities.\"\n\tKatrina looked back at the aliens and tilted her head. \"I can see that happening with these three.\"\n\tSupersonic sighed. \"Maybe they [i]did[/i] come here to destroy us.\"\n\t\"Why?\" Katrina asked. \"Why would they even care enough to bother? We must be like cavemen to them.\"\n\tSupersonic shrugged his furry shoulders. \"Who knows? But they must have come here for something.\" He looked up at her. \"Are they saying anything?\"\n\tShe shook her head. \"Not a peep.\"\n\tThe squirrel swallowed. \"Kat, if we don't get out of this, I just want to thank you for being my friend. It's really meant a lot to me.\"\n\tKatrina smiled at him and squeezed his hand. \"It's meant a lot to me, too, Supersonic. You're the first guy I've ever met who treated me like a lady. It's a nice change.\"\n\tSupersonic squirmed in embarrassment. \"Well, that's just how I was raised.\"\n\t\"You mean, it's how you were written,\" Katrina said, grinning.\n\t\"Yeah, I guess so.\"\n\tThe Golden Avenger and Abruzzi entered the lab. \"The ventilator shafts have been sealed,\" the Avenger announced. \"We have about six hours before the air becomes unbreathable.\"\n\t\"Are you really prepared to kill everyone in this base?\" Supersonic asked, eyes wide.\n\tThe Avenger nodded. \"If I have to.\"\n\t\"But we don't even know if what happened at the crash site will happen here!\"\n\t\"We can't afford to take that risk,\" the Avenger replied. \"I've spoken with the President, and he concurs with my decision.\" He looked at Katrina, his expression grim. \"We need to talk to the aliens.\"\n\t\"I've been trying,\" Katrina said. \"They don't answer.\"\n\t\"Maybe they're mad about what happened to their friend,\" Supersonic suggested.\n\t\"Wouldn't you be?\" Katrina asked sharply.\n\t\"Yeah, but I'm not an alien.\"\n\t\"No,\" said Abruzzi, \"you're a walking cartoon!\"\n\tSupersonic glared up at him. \"I'm as alive as you are!\"\n\tKatrina smirked. \"And no doubt better in bed, too.\"\n\tSupersonic bit his lip and squirmed again.\n\tThe Golden Avenger looked around. \"Where's Marshall? I told him to meet us here.\"\n\tOne of the technicians spoke up. \"He went to his quarters, sir. He said he wasn't feeling well.\"\n\tThe Avenger tapped his right ear. \"Saunders, get a medical team to Dr. Marshall's quarters on the double!\" Then he turned to the others. \"Come on!\" And with that, he bolted out the door, PRIMUS agents in the corridor jumping aside as he barrelled past them like a blue-and-gold freight train. Supersonic flew after him, leaving Katrina and Abruzzi to run along at an ordinary human pace.\n\t When Katrina and Abruzzi arrived at Marshall's quarters, they found Supersonic and the Golden Avenger watching as Security Chief Saunders and three medical technicians tried to revive Marshall, who was lying sprawled on the floor, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. Saunders stood up as the med techs worked. \"The other three doctors who participated in the autopsy are already dead,\" he said.\n\tThe Avenger clenched his jaw. \"What killed them?\"\n\t\"Unknown, sir,\" Saunders replied. \"Whatever it is, it's not airborne. They were all wearing sealed containment suits during the autopsy.\"\n\t\"Has anyone else gotten sick?\" Abruzzi asked.\n\tSaunders shook his head. \"There've been no reports of any other illnesses.\"\n\tThe Avenger gazed down at Marshall as the med techs labored to no effect, and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. \"Why just those four?\" he mused.\n\t\"They were closest to the alien,\" said Supersonic.\n\t\"And the ones most directly responsible for its death,\" Katrina added.\n\tAbruzzi looked at her sharply. \"Are you saying they were killed in retribution?\"\n\tKatrina shrugged. \"Maybe?\"\n\tOne of the med techs stood up and turned toward the Golden Avenger. \"It's no use, sir. Dr. Marshall is dead.\"\n\tThe Avenger nodded. \"If it's not airborne, then closing the ventilators won't help. I'll have them reopened.\"\n\tSupersonic sighed in relief. \"Good! At least we won't all suffocate!\"\n\t\"No,\" said the Avenger, \"but I don't dare let anyone leave the base until I'm sure that whatever killed Dr. Marshall and the others won't be spread to the outside world.\" He turned to Saunders. \"Get everyone out of the room with the aliens. Seal the door. I don't want anyone to have any further contact with them.\"\n\tSaunders nodded. \"Understood, sir.\" He left the room to carry out his orders.\n\tSupersonic heard Katrina's voice in his head. \"I have an idea,\" she said.\n\t\"Does it involve the aliens we're not supposed to have any further contact with?\" the squirrel thought back.\n\t\"What do you think?\"\n\t\"I think you're gonna get us both in trouble again.\"\n\t\"News flash, Supersonic. We're already in trouble. Anyway, Goldie's just being paranoid. It's been established that whatever killed Marshall and the others isn't airborne. And we've both been in the alien room, so going in again isn't going to put us at any greater risk, is it?\"\n\t\"It'll put us at greater risk of getting shot!\"\n\t\"Please. That's the least of our worries.\"\n\t\"What exactly are you planning on doing?\"\n\t\"I'll tell you on the way. Come on.\"\n\tKatrina left the room, and Supersonic reluctantly followed her.\n\n\tSupersonic and Katrina arrived back at the alien room as Saunders was in the process of ordering everyone out of it. They waited silently, standing to one side as technicians and PRIMUS agents departed, until only Saunders and themselves remained in the room. The security chief turned and looked at them. \"Go on, you two! Get moving!\" he ordered them.\n\tKatrina smiled. \"After you.\" She concentrated on Saunders. The security chief's face went blank, and he turned and walked out of the room. \n\tSupersonic went to the steel door, shut it, and threw the bar that locked it. \"Remember what I said about them giving us adjoining cells in Stronghold?\" he asked.\n\t\"You'll look adorable in a little striped shirt and cap,\" said Katrina. She knelt down beside the Porgrave receiver, removed some tools from her jacket pocket, and began unscrewing a plate in its side.\n\t\"Where did you get those tools?\" Supersonic asked, coming over to her.\n\t\"Found them,\" Katrina replied, opening up the machine.\n\tThe squirrel snorted. \"Stole them, you mean. And how do you know how this thing works?\"\n\t\"It's an anti-psi device,\" said Katrina. \"Do you really think I wouldn't educate myself about them? That would be like a burglar not knowing anything about alarms.\"\n\t\"I'm pretty sure there are burglars like that,\" Supersonic said.\n\t\"Yeah, and they're all in jail.\" \n\tBoth their heads jerked up as a warning klaxon went off above them and a red light on the wall began flashing. \"Speaking of alarms,\" said Supersonic.\n\t\"Shut that up, would you, honey?\" Katrina asked him. \"It's distracting.\"\n\tThe squirrel sighed, raised a hand, and fired a blast of wind at the klaxon, destroying it. \"It's not gonna take the Golden Avenger long to bash that door down. He's pretty strong.\"\n\t\"I just need a couple of minutes,\" said Katrina, working feverishly on the device.\n\t\"You really think you can use that thing to boost your psi abilities?\"\n\t\"It contains a resonating psi amplifier to pick up low-level psychic transmissions, so in theory, it should work. Of course, I've never actually done this before.\"\n\tSupersonic rolled his eyes. \"How did I let you talk me into this?\"\n\t\"Easy,\" Katrina replied. \"You're in love with me. Don't worry, my furry little Romeo. Your Juliet has everything under control.\"\n\t\"You know, things didn't work out too good for them!\" Supersonic said sharply.\n\t\"Only because Romeo was stupid,\" said Katrina. \"If he hadn't been in such a hurry to off himself, Friar Laurence's plan would have worked, and he and Juliet would have lived happily ever after.\" There was a loud, reverberating pounding on the steel door. \"Would you get that? I'm kind of busy.\"\n\tThe squirrel sighed again and walked over to the door, his tail drooping. \"Yes?\"\n\t\"If you both surrender now,\" came the Golden Avenger's muffled but stern voice, \"you have my word that no charges will be filed against you. We'll just forget this ever happened. Otherwise, I can't be responsible for the consequences.\"\n\tSupersonic nodded. \"I understand, sir.\"\n\tThe Avenger's voice softened. \"Supersonic, I know all about you. You're a good, loyal American. I've even considered inviting you to join PRIMUS.\"\n\tThe squirrel's huge eyes blinked. \"Really?\"\n\t\"I think you have the makings of a fine PRIMUS agent. Now, I implore you, do your patriotic duty and open this door.\"\n\t Supersonic glanced back at Katrina, who was still working on the receiver. Then he looked back at the door and swallowed. \"I'm sorry, sir. I can't.\"\n\t\"Very well,\" said the Avenger. \"I suggest you stand back, for your own safety.\"\n\tSupersonic backed away from the door. A few seconds passed. Then, there was a tremendous impact that made him cover his ears as the steel door bulged inward. He looked over at Katrina. \"You almost done?\"\n\tKatrina nodded, taping a pair of electrodes to her forehead. \"Just about.\"\n\t\"Good, 'cause that door's not gonna last much longer!\"\n\tThere was another ringing impact, and the door bulged in even farther.\n\t\"I don't think it's gonna take another hit!\" Supersonic shouted.\n\tKatrina switched on the device. Instantly, her consciousness expanded to encompass the minds of everyone in Eagle Mountain, including the three aliens. She sat frozen, her face expressionless, as she was buried under an avalanche of thoughts, both human and alien. She felt as if she were drowning in information. She knew her mind could endure only a few moments of this before it cracked and she succumbed to madness. She focused on the three aliens, delving into the sea of strange images in their minds. God, they were so old! So many memories! She maintained contact as long as she dared, then tore the electrodes from her forehead, severing her connection to the receiver.\n\tKatrina rose unsteadily to her feet and looked around the room. It was completely silent. Supersonic Squirrel was standing a few feet away, motionless, staring at the bulging steel door, waiting for the third blow that still hadn't come. She went to the wall, picked up the fire axe as she'd done before, and walked to the nearest alien's clear plastic cylinder. She raised the axe and brought it down as hard as she could, putting a crack in the cylinder. She struck a few more times, taking care not to harm the occupant, until there was a gaping hole in the top of the cylinder. The alien's eyes slowly opened. They were amber-colored, with slitted pupils, like those of a cat. The creature sat up and began climbing out of the cylinder, as Katrina went to the next one and repeated the process. Supersonic still had not moved.\n\tOnce all the aliens were free, Katrina went over to Supersonic, crouched beside him, and touched his fuzzy cheek. The squirrel blinked and turned his head, looking at her, eyes wide. \"What . . . what happened?\" Then he saw the three aliens standing watching them. \"Holy cow! You let them out?\"\n\t\"It's okay, Supersonic,\" said Katrina, smiling. \"They don't mean us any harm.\"\n\t\"How do you know?\" asked Supersonic.\n\t\"Because I read their minds.\"\n\t\"But . . . what about Dr. Marshall and the others?\" Supersonic protested.\n\t\"I'll explain that later. Right now, we need to get them out of here.\"\n\tSupersonic swallowed. \"Are you sure that's a good idea?\"\n\t\"Don't worry, they're not carrying any diseases.\"\n\tOne of the aliens went to the steel door and touched it, and it fell inward, striking the floor with a loud clang. On the other side stood the Golden Avenger, Anthony Abruzzi, Security Chief Saunders, and several PRIMUS agents, all frozen. The Avenger appeared to be in the middle of preparing for another run at the door.\n\t\"What did you do to them?\" Supersonic asked, staring at the motionless figures.\n\t\"I paralyzed everyone in Eagle Mountain while my powers were enhanced,\" said Katrina. \"It won't last long, though. Come on, we have to get out of here.\"\n\t\"And go where?\" asked Supersonic.\n\t\"Anywhere,\" said Katrina. \"Anywhere but this loony bin.\"\n\tKatrina and the three aliens made their way down the corridor past the frozen figures, and after a moment's hesitation, Supersonic followed them.\n\tThey entered the elevator, and Katrina pressed the button for the ground level. As the box rose, Supersonic studied the three aliens curiously. They were all about a foot taller than himself, and while they appeared basically similar, there was enough variation in their facial features to tell them apart. They noticed him staring at them, and looked back at him with unblinking eyes.\n\t\"Hi,\" the squirrel said, smiling and extending his hand. \"I'm Supersonic.\"\n\t\"Don't touch them!\" Katrina snapped.\n\tSupersonic yanked his hand back and looked up at her. \"I thought you said they weren't dangerous!\"\n\t\"I said they didn't mean us any harm,\" she replied. \"I didn't say they weren't dangerous. Their bodies don't interact well with other living things.\"\n\t\"I don't understand,\" said Supersonic. \n\t\"They absorb the life force from everything around them, including people,\" Katrina explained. \"And right now, they're starving.\"\n\t\"Is that why Dr. Marshall and the others died?\" Supersonic asked.\n\tKatrina nodded.\n\t\"But they were fine for hours after the autopsy!\"\n\t\"They only seemed fine. The alien they killed drained their life forces as it tried to stay alive. Marshall and the others were already dead; they just didn't know it yet. They were like old-style watches, slowly running down as the spring uncoils.\"\n\tSupersonic shivered and hugged himself. \"Is that why the people and plant life at the crash site died, too?\"\n\t\"Yeah. The aliens sucked the life force of that whole area dry to heal themselves when their ship crashed.\"\n\tThe elevator reached the top and opened into a garage containing several cars and trucks with government plates. Katrina opened the door of one of the cars and began to hotwire it.\n\t\"Why am I not surprised you can do that?\" the squirrel asked, smirking at her.\n\t\"Because you know how clever and resourceful I am,\" Katrina replied. \"Open the door, would you?\"\n\tSupersonic searched for the button that opened the garage door while the aliens stood watching Katrina work. The car's engine revved to life as the garage door ground open, revealing that it was night outside. The squirrel came back and opened one of the rear doors for the aliens, standing well back as they climbed into the back seat. He slammed the door shut behind them, then got into the passenger seat next to Katrina. She gunned the engine and drove out into the compound, heading for the chain-link fence gate. Supersonic clenched his teeth and braced himself as the car burst through the gate, relaxing only a little as it then tore off into the residential neighborhood beyond.\n\n\tInside Eagle Mountain, the Golden Avenger unfroze, noticed that the door he'd been about to hurl himself against was lying on the floor, and ran into the room where the aliens were being kept. \"Damn it!\" he swore, seeing the smashed, empty cylinders. He whirled as Abruzzi, Saunders, and several PRIMUS agents came in to join him. \"They're all gone!\"\n\tAbruzzi nodded, glancing at the opened Porgrave receiver with its electronic guts hanging out. \"It was that girl. I told you we should have neutralized her.\"\n\tThe Avenger looked up at the clock on the wall. \"We've only lost a few minutes.\"\n\t\"Enough time for them to have reached the surface,\" said Abruzzi, sourly. \n\tSaunders tapped his ear and looked at the Golden Avenger. \"The front gate has been breached, sir.\"\n\t\"Great!\" said Abruzzi, scowling. \"Now they have the whole city to hide in!\"\n\tThe Avenger nodded and frowned. \"We're going to have to put out an APB.\"\n\tAbruzzi raised an eyebrow. \"You want to bring the LAPD into this?\"\n\t\"I don't see that we have a choice,\" the Golden Avenger replied. \"PRIMUS doesn't have the manpower to search all of Los Angeles for them. Fortunately, a three-foot talking squirrel and three naked aliens are going to tend to stand out, even in Hollywood.\"\n\t\"Should we tell them about the risk of contagion?\" Abruzzi asked.\n\tThe Avenger shook his head. \"If we do that, we'll have a full-scale panic on our hands.\"\n\t\"We'll have one anyway when people start dropping like flies.\"\n\t\"We don't know that that's going to happen. So far, nobody in Eagle Mountain apart from Marshall and his colleagues appears to have been afflicted.\" The Golden Avenger turned to Saunders. \"Get that APB out on the double. Tell them they're authorized to use deadly force if necessary and that under no circumstances is anyone to go near the bodies. And have my personal helicopter prepped.\"\n\tAs Saunders left to carry out his instructions, Abruzzi lit a cigarette and puffed on it. \"You know,\" he said, \"when the superhero community finds out you've declared open season on flying squirrels—\"\n\t \"I'm aware of the possible complications, Mr. Abruzzi,\" said the Avenger, sharply. \"Let me handle that end of things. In the meantime, I suggest you notify your superiors at the Justice Department so that they can take whatever actions they feel are necessary to deal with this problem.\"\n\tAbruzzi nodded. \"Rest assured, director, I will give them a [i]complete[/i] report.\"\n\tThe Golden Avenger gave him a hard look, then turned and left the room as Abruzzi continued smoking his cigarette.\n\n\tSupersonic Squirrel winced as Katrina swerved violently around a truck that she had apparently decided was moving too slowly. \"Do you have to drive so fast?\" he asked.\n\tShe nodded. \"We have to get out of the city. Soon every cop in LA is going to be looking for this car.\"\n\t\"Then why don't we just ditch it and find a place to hole up?\"\n\t\"We can't hide out forever, Supersonic. They [i]will[/i] find us eventually. And the aliens can't do what they need to do in the city.\"\n\t\"What do they need to do?\" asked the squirrel.\n\tKatrina was about to reply when she saw a pair of red and blue flashing lights come on in her rear-view mirror. \"Shit! We've been made!\" She looked over at Supersonic. \"Can you deal with that?\"\n\tThe squirrel looked back at her in horror. \"I'm not gonna blast a police car!\"\n\t\"You don't have to blast it, just slow it down so I can lose it!\"\n\tLooking unhappy, Supersonic unbuckled his seat belt, flew out the window, and headed to intercept the pursuing police car. The two officers inside it stared in disbelief at the sight of a three-foot squirrel with a leather helmet and goggles flying toward them. The squirrel raised his arms and unleashed a torrent of wind that slowed the car down dramatically. The driver responded by gunning the engine, causing the car's rear wheels to squeal and smoke as they tried to propel the vehicle forward against the onslaught of wind. Supersonic glanced back over his shoulder to see how much distance Katrina had gained. Then he turned his gaze back to the police car, and his eyes went wide as he saw the officer on the passenger side leaning out the window and aiming a gun at him. As the man fired, the squirrel created a shield of solidified air in front of him, which deflected the bullet, but doing so forced him to drop the stream of wind that was retarding the car's motion. The car shot forward suddenly, and in swerving to miss Supersonic, the driver lost control. The car skidded, jumped the curb, and slammed into a concrete embankment, caving in the front end. Supersonic flew to the car, his heart in his throat, and sighed with relief when he saw that the airbags had deployed and the two occupants appeared uninjured. \"Sorry, officers,\" he said, then flew off after Katrina.\n\tHe caught up with Katrina's car, flew in through the window, and plopped himself down in the passenger seat. She glanced over at the squirrel and noticed that he was sulking, his arms folded. \"Well, I hope you're happy,\" he growled.\n\t\"You deal with those cops?\" Katrina asked.\n\t\"Yeah, I dealt with them.\"\n\t\"What's wrong, then?\"\n\tThe squirrel exploded. \"What's wrong? I just totaled a police car, Katrina!\"\n\tShe shrugged. \"That's okay. They have lots of others.\"\n\t\"Those officers could have been killed!\"\n\t\"But they weren't, right?\"\n\tSupersonic shook his head. \"No thanks to me!\"\n\tKatrina reached over and stroked his head. \"I know that must have been hard on you.\"\n\t\"I'm a hero!\" the squirrel said mournfully. \"I'm not supposed to fight cops! They're gonna put me in jail for life!\"\n\t\"I don't think wrecking a police car carries a life sentence.\" She pulled over to the side of the road and killed the engine. \"We gotta ditch this car. Those cops will have radioed our position. In a few minutes, this area is going to be swarming with fuzz.\"\n\t\"We're not gonna be any less conspicuous on foot, you know!\" said Supersonic.\n\t\"But it [i]will[/i] be easier for us to hide, at least until I can appropriate an alternate means of conveyance.\" She got out and opened the rear door for the aliens.\n\t\"You're gonna steal [i]another[/i] car?\" asked Supersonic, getting out as well.\n\tKatrina nodded. \"Being an outlaw's exciting, isn't it? Just like Bonnie and Clyde.\"\n\t\"They got gunned down by federal agents,\" Supersonic said, \"which is probably what's gonna happen to us!\"\n\t\"Don't be such a Debbie Downer,\" Katrina admonished him.\n\t\"I am not a Debbie Downer!\" Supersonic protested.\n\t\"You absolutely are! Everything you say is like, 'Oh, we're all gonna die or spend the rest of our lives in prison!' Anyway, Clyde didn't have wind powers, and Bonnie wasn't a telepath. Now come on!\"\n\tThey ran across a grassy area toward a 24-hour convenience store, and Supersonic noticed that each of the aliens left a trail of smoking footprints in the grass behind them. He remembered what Katrina had said about them absorbing the life energy of everything they touched. It made him feel a bit uneasy. They entered the convenience store, and the girl behind the counter stared at the strange group as they moved along the aisles.\n\t\"We'll need supplies,\" said Katrina. \"Especially water. Lots of water. And salt. We're going to be out in the desert.\"\n\tSupersonic picked up several six-packs of bottled water. \"Why are we going to the desert?\"\n\t\"So they can contact their people.\"\n\t\"How are they gonna do that?\"\n\t\"With their minds.\"\n\t\"Why can't they do it here?\"\n\t\"Two reasons,\" said Katrina. \"First, they don't know how long it'll take, and they don't want to be disturbed. Second, there's too much thought pollution in the city.\"\n\t\"Thought pollution?\" asked Supersonic, puzzled.\n\tKatrina nodded. \"Millions of minds produce a lot of mental static. They need to get away from all that noise.\" She stopped before a shelf. \"Ah, peanut butter! Great stuff! High in protein and energy, and doesn't need to be refrigerated.\" She gathered up an armful of the brown jars and brought them to the counter. \"You got this, right?\" she asked Supersonic.\n\tWith a sigh and a nod, the squirrel took his wallet out from under his flying helmet, removed a credit card, and handed it to the cashier. As she rang up the items, he glanced back at the three aliens. They were looking at a display for sunscreen that showed a woman in a bikini sunbathing.\n\t\"You're a superhero, right?\" the cashier asked him.\n\t\"I used to be,\" Supersonic replied. \"I'm not so sure anymore.\"\n\t\"Oh wow, bummer,\" the girl said. \"Who are those guys?\" She indicated the aliens.\n\t\"They're visitors from outer space.\"\n\tThe girl nodded. \"Cool. So, are they, like, on the run from the government or something?\"\n\t\"Pretty much,\" the squirrel said.\n\t\"Awesome! Do you need any help?\"\n\t\"We could use a car,\" said Katrina.\n\tThe girl grinned. \"You can borrow mine! It's right out back!\"\n\tSupersonic stared at her. \"You're letting us use your car?\"\n\tShe shrugged. \"It's insured. And I was thinking about getting a new one anyway.\" She fished the key out of her purse and handed it to Katrina.\n\t\"Thanks a lot,\" Katrina said, grinning at her.\n\t\"No problem!\" the girl said, smiling. She looked down at Supersonic. \"You know, you're really cute!\"\n\t\"Thanks,\" the squirrel replied, squirming a little.\n\t\"He's also taken,\" said Katrina, smirking as she and Supersonic gathered up the bags of supplies in their arms. \"Come on, let's go.\"\n\tSupersonic nodded as he followed Katrina and the three aliens. At the door, he stopped and turned to say goodbye to the helpful cashier. She smiled back at him and made the \"call me\" gesture with her fingers. The squirrel blushed beneath his fur and shook his head. \"Californians,\" he muttered as he left the store.\n\tFollowed by the three aliens, Supersonic and Katrina went around to the back of the store, where a single small car was parked. Katrina opened the trunk, and she and Supersonic began loading the supplies into it. As they did so, a helicopter flew by overhead, and they all looked up at it.\n\t\"That's a police chopper!\" Supersonic exclaimed.\n\t\"Those cops whose car you trashed must have called for it,\" said Katrina. \"We have to get out of here, now!\" \n\tSupersonic nodded, turned, and walked right into one of the aliens, who was standing and staring up at the helicopter. The squirrel gasped and staggered backward, eyes wide, then collapsed to the asphalt.\n\t\"Supersonic!\" Katrina cried, running to him and kneeling down beside him. The squirrel was shivering, apparently too weak to move. She looked up at the three aliens, who were standing around Katrina and Supersonic, staring down at them. \"What do I do?\" she asked desperately. A moment passed, and then she nodded and said, \"I understand.\" She gathered up the squirrel's small body and placed it in the passenger seat, strapping him in while the aliens got in the back. Then she took the driver's seat, turned on the ignition, gunned the engine, and drove out into the street. She looked over at Supersonic, who was curled into a furry gray ball, tail wrapped around himself, trembling.\n\t\"Hang on, baby!\" she pleaded at him as she headed east.\n\n\tTwo hours later, Katrina pulled off the highway onto a dirt road that led out into the desert. The car bumped along across a flat landscape of sagebrush and Joshua trees as the sky slowly grew pink in the east. Eventually, she came to the mouth of a small canyon, and stopped. She got out, went around to the passenger side, lifted Supersonic's inert, trembling form in her arms, carried him over to a nearby rock, and sat down, holding him close. The aliens climbed out of the back seat, walked over to a flat, open area, and stopped, facing east, as still and silent as statues.\n\tKatrina sat on the rock, watching the eastern horizon impatiently, one of her arms wrapped around Supersonic. The land all around them was as dry, rocky, barren, and lifeless as the surface of the moon. Soon, it would be baking beneath the merciless sun. Still, there was a kind of austere beauty to it. It looked like a place where nobody had ever been. The only sound was the constant whistle of the wind ruffling her hair and the squirrel's fur.\n\t\"Come on, rise, you bastard!\" Katrina said, gritting her teeth as the minutes crawled by. She looked down at Supersonic. The squirrel's big eyes were closed. \"You're gonna be okay, baby! Just hang on a few more minutes!\" He didn't respond. She reached out with her mind and touched his. It was a haze of delirium. He wasn't aware of anything around him. \"Please, don't die, Supersonic!\" Katrina begged, tears rolling down her cheeks. \"This is all my fault! I got you into this! You're sweet, and kind, and brave, and selfless, and everything a hero should be, and I'm so mean to you, and I'm sorry! You mean so much to me! Please, don't go!\" She hugged him tighter.\n\tAfter what seemed like an eternity, the sun finally peeked over the eastern horizon, casting long shadows across the ground. Gradually, the bodies of the three aliens began to glow, like metal heating up. Soon, they were so bright that Katrina had to shield her eyes. Then the glow faded, and they looked as they had before. They walked over to Katrina and Supersonic, their bare feet crunching on the dry ground, and one of them reached out and touched the squirrel's shoulder. \n\tSupersonic stopped shivering, and his eyes opened. He looked up at Katrina holding him. \"Hi,\" he said. \"Why are you crying?\" She replied by planting a deep, passionate kiss on his muzzle. The squirrel blinked, then responded in kind.\n\t\"How do you feel?\" Katrina asked when their mouths finally separated.\n\t\"I feel fine,\" Supersonic replied. He looked around. \"How did we end up here? The last thing I remember, we were in the parking lot behind the convenience store.\"\n\t\"I drove us here,\" Katrina said. \"You bumped into one of the aliens, and it drained you.\"\n\tThe squirrel's eyes widened. \"Drained me?\"\n\tShe nodded. \"They can't help it, any more than a sponge can help absorbing water. They had me drive out here so they could recharge themselves when the sun rose, and then one of them healed you.\"\n\t\"Oh,\" said Supersonic, looking at the three aliens. \"Well, thanks, fellas.\" He looked back up at Katrina. \"I guess that explains the tears, then.\"\n\t\"Yeah,\" said Katrina, stroking his cheek. \"I wasn't sure you were gonna make it.\"\n\tSupersonic smiled. \"Nice to see you really care about me.\"\n\tKatrina looked surprised. \"Of course I do! I'm sleeping with you, aren't I?\"\n\tThe squirrel bit his lip. \"I kinda got the impression that that didn't mean much in this time. And could you please not talk about it front of the aliens?\"\n\t\"Oh, they don't care. They're very curious about you, you know.\"\n\tSupersonic stared at her. \"Me?\"\n\t\"They wonder why you look so different from everyone else, and how you're able to control the wind.\"\n\t\"I don't even know how I do that,\" said Supersonic. \"Did you tell them what I am?\"\n\t\"I don't think they'd understand,\" Katrina replied. \"The idea of magic is, well, alien to them.\" \n\tThe squirrel nodded, turning his gaze back to the aliens, who were watching them with unreadable faces. \"Do they have names?\"\n\t\"Not like you or I do. Their names contain their whole history.\"\n\t\"You mean like where they were born and everything they've done?\"\n\t\"Something like that.\"\n\t\"Huh. Must take them a long time to introduce themselves.\"\n\t\"They talk a lot faster than we do.\"\n\tSupersonic looked around at the desert. \"So, now that we're out here away from the city, they're gonna try to contact their people, right?\"\n\t\"That's the plan,\" Katrina replied.\n\t\"But won't it take years for the message to reach them?\"\n\tKatrina smiled. \"You're assuming telepathy is limited to the speed of light. It isn't.\"\n\t\"How long is it gonna take, then?\"\n\t\"They don't know. Could be a while.\"\n\t\"Well, what do we do in the meantime?\"\n\tKatrina grinned. \"There's the back seat of the car.\"\n\tThe squirrel's eyes went wide and his mouth fell open. \"I'm not doing that with them here!\" He pointed at the aliens.\n\t\"I told you, they don't care. They're gonna be busy anyway.\"\n\tSupersonic folded his arms. \"Absolutely not!\"\n\tKatrina clenched her jaw. \"For the past two hours, I've been driving like a bat out of hell, with you lying right next to me, afraid that you might drop dead at any moment. So forgive me for wanting to celebrate your still being alive, lover!\" She turned and began stalking toward the car, then stopped and turned back to him. \"And by the way, you're welcome!\" She turned and continued toward the car.\n\tSupersonic stared after her, then at the three aliens. \"What are you looking at?\" he shouted at their blank, unblinking faces. Then he shot into the air and flew off to be alone.\n\n\tThe Golden Avenger was sitting at his desk, his handsome blue-masked face gazing solemnly at the wall opposite him as he twirled a pen between his blue-gloved fingers. The pen was a Sheaffer's fountain pen, one of the last ever produced before fountain pens had been supplanted by cheaper, easier-to-use ballpoints. He used it when filling out all his official reports. It was a relic of another time, much like the base around him. The Avenger sighed. There were times when he felt like a relic as well. He wasn't an especially old man, but he believed in an older vision of America, where words like \"duty,\" \"honor,\" \"loyalty,\" and \"patriotism\" still mattered. When he'd been made director of PRIMUS, he'd staffed the organization with people who shared that vision, and his commitment to battling crime, anti-Americanism, and treasonous activities. He sighed again. Perhaps PRIMUS itself was a relic. Still, someone had to set an example. \n\tLooking up as his door buzzed, he stopped twirling the pen and pressed the button that opened it. Abruzzi entered his office, holding a printout. The Avenger frowned. He didn't especially like the Justice Department man. He lacked sincerity and honesty, two traits the Avenger valued highly. However, PRIMUS operated under the auspices of the Justice Department, and the Attorney General had appointed Abruzzi as liason, claiming he was one of their best people. The President had approved it, so there wasn't anything he could do about it. \"Any news?\" the Avenger asked.\n\tAbruzzi slapped the printout down on the Golden Avenger's desk. \"We just got this from NASA. It's a satellite image of part of the Mojave Desert. Tell me what you think.\"\n\tThe Avenger looked down at the picture, which showed an aerial view of a desert landscape with three bright spots forming a perfect equilateral triangle. \"It's them,\" he said. \"It has to be.\"\n\t\"Shall we attack, then?\" Abruzzi asked.\n\t\"Not yet,\" the Avenger replied. \"We don't know what those aliens are capable of. I'm not risking anybody's life but my own.\" He stood up and went to a cabinet, removed a headband with microcircuitry on it, and placed it on his brow. \"This should shield me from the girl's psionic powers.\"\n\t\"What about the squirrel?\" Abruzzi asked.\n\t\"I know what he's capable of. I was considering asking him to join PRIMUS, after all.\"\n\tAbruzzi stared at him. \"You were serious about that?\"\n\t\"Of course I was. He has the right character, and his powers would make him a useful asset. You saw what he did to that police car.\"\n\t\"But he's a squirrel!\" Abruzzi protested.\n\tThe Golden Avenger frowned at the Justice Department man. \"Of all the reasons I might have had to disqualify him, that would be the least important. In any case, I may still be able to avoid conflict with him by appealing to his sense of patriotism.\"\n\tAbruzzi shrugged. \"If you say so. If it were up to me, I'd just napalm the place and be done with it.\"\n\t\"Fortunately, Mr. Abruzzi, it is not up to you.\" He left the office, the door sliding shut behind him. Abruzzi picked up the printout from the desk and studied it for a moment. Then he picked up the Avenger's phone and began dialing.\n\n\tSupersonic Squirrel sat atop a tall pillar of rock overlooking miles of desolate desert, his knees drawn up against his chest, his arms wrapped around them as the wind ruffled his fur and tail. He glanced down at the canyon. The three aliens were bright beacons of light arranged like a triangle. The car sat in the shadow of one of the canyon walls. The sun was high in the sky now, beating down on him. He realized he was thirsty. It would have been smart to take a bottle of water with him before he'd flown off to be by himself. Then again, he reflected, he hadn't been acting too smart lately. He glanced down at his loins and growled at them. \"This is all your fault!\"\n\tNo, that wasn't fair. It hadn't been his libido that had gotten him involved with Kat. It had been a desire to learn more about the new world of the 21st Century he'd found himself in. He'd been drawn to her because she was so different from any girl he'd known in his own time. In hindsight, he probably could have picked a better guide, but there was nothing he could do about that now. He'd fallen in love with her, and that was all there was to it.\n\t\"Supersonic?\" came Kat's voice in his head.\t\n\t\"Yeah?\" he thought back.\n\t\"You okay?\"\n\tThe squirrel sighed and shook his head. \"No, I'm not. I'm sorry, Kat. I wish I could be as uninhibited as you are, but that's just not how I am.\"\n\t\"I understand. I guess I can be kind of pushy sometimes. I'll try to ease back. Respect your boundaries, as we say in my time.\"\n\t\"I'd appreciate that.\"\n\t\"Want to come down to the car? We don't have to do anything. I'd just like to see you.\"\n\tSupersonic thought about it. He [i]was[/i] pretty thirsty. He stood up, then noticed a bright light in the sky, almost obscured by the glare from the sun. He shielded his eyes to get a better look. Was it a flying saucer, come to take the three aliens home? Then he heard the fluttering sound of helicopter blades. The bright spot grew larger, until he could make out a blue-and-gold helicopter with the presidental eagle emblazoned on the side. The Golden Avenger had arrived.\n\t\"Oh shit,\" the squirrel said.\n\tThe Golden Avenger's personal helicopter was a sleek, single-seat vehicle designed to quickly get him where he needed to be. In form, it resembled a smaller, more streamlined verison of the famous Bell AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter used in Vietnam. It was armed with six small missiles mounted on stub wings and a Gatling-style minigun in the nose. As it dove out of the sun toward the three aliens, Supersonic donned his goggles, flew up, and interposed himself between the aliens and the Golden Avenger. The copter braked and hovered motionless in the air as they faced each other.\n\t\"I am only going to say this once, Supersonic,\" came the Golden Avenger's calm voice over a loudspeaker. \"Stand aside. It's your patriotic duty.\"\n\tThe squirrel shook his head. \"I'm not going to let you kill them. They haven't done anything wrong. They just want to go home.\"\n\t\"They're responsible for multiple deaths,\" the Avenger said, \"and for all we know, they're calling an invasion fleet.\"\n\t\"None of those deaths were their fault,\" said Supersonic. \"They absorb energy from everything around them. They can't help it. But they never meant us any harm.\"\n\t\"How do you know that?\" the Avenger asked.\n\t\"Katrina read their minds.\"\n\t\"And you believe her? She's a criminal, Supersonic.\"\n\t\"I know that. I also know she's fought villains, risked her life to save others, and saved my life more than once.\"\n\t\"That doesn't make her trustworthy.\"\n\t\"I trust her.\"\n\t\"I don't. She reads people's minds, violating their basic right to privacy. Now stand aside.\"\n\tSupersonic shook his head again. \"Not gonna happen.\"\n\t\"Very well. Goodbye, Supersonic.\"\n\tOne of the missiles shot from the copter's left stub wing and snaked toward the squirrel, leaving a trail of smoke behind it. Supersonic raised his wind shield before him, and the missile impacted on it, exploding into an octopus of flame and sending debris raining down toward the desert far below. The squirrel spread his arms and legs wide, building up a sphere of super-compressed air before him, and sent it hurtling at the copter, striking it dead center. The copter shook and went spinning backward. Supersonic flew after it, building up another sphere between his hands as the Golden Avenger fought to regain control of his craft.\n\t\"Please stop!\" the squirrel shouted. \"I don't want to fight you!\"\n\tThe copter stabilized, and its nose erupted in a blaze of gunfire, the minigun's cylindrical barrel assembly spinning as it bombarded Supersonic with a hundred rounds per second. The squirrel gritted his teeth, his wind shield absorbing the impacts as the relentless assault pushed him backward. He swooped down under the copter, out of the gun's line of fire, and released the sphere straight up into the craft's belly. The machine shook again, but it was well armored underneath to resist ground attacks. It pivoted and fired its five remaining missiles at the blindingly bright shapes of the three aliens.\n\t\"No, no, no, no, no!\" cried Supersonic, rocketing after the missiles, knowing even as he did that it was hopeless. They were much faster than he was. He couldn't catch them. He might be able to shoot down one, two if he were lucky, but never all five. He fired a wind blast at one missile, blowing it apart, and winced as he flew through the cloud of shrapnel, little bits of metal raking along his furry body. He blasted a second one, taking care to veer around the debris cloud this time, but there were still three left, and they had almost reached their targets. There was nothing he could do to stop them. His eyes welled with tears behind his goggles.\n\tAs the missiles closed, they suddenly stopped trailing smoke and dove into the ground, exploding well short of their targets. Supersonic blinked, then grinned as he realized what had happened. The aliens had absorbed the energy from the combustion of the missiles' solid rocket fuel, essentially snuffing them out like candles. The squirrel sighed with relief, then spun about as he heard the copter's minigun whirring behind him. The craft was coming in at a steep angle, its nose gun tearing up the desert, a line of death marching across it toward the three aliens. Supersonic shot upward over the copter and fired a wind blast down at it. The blast struck the craft's rotor, wrecking it, and the blades went spinning away as the copter nosedived straight into the ground and exploded in a huge ball of flame.\n\tSupersonic flew down and landed near the crashed helicopter, his heart pounding in his chest. The thought that he might have just killed someone made him feel sick with guilt. He knew the Golden Avenger was pretty tough, though. Perhaps he'd survived. He peered at the burning wreck, searching for some sign of life. Something moved amid the smoke and fire. As the squirrel watched, the figure of a man came forward out of the flames, his face and blue-and-gold costume streaked with black, his blond hair mostly burned away. Supersonic sighed with relief. He wasn't a murderer.\n\tThe Golden Avenger walked up to Supersonic, his tall form towering over the little squirrel, and Supersonic smiled up at him. \"I'm glad you're okay,\" he said. Then his smile melted as he saw the grim look on the Avenger's face. The Avenger gave a wordless yell, raising both his fists above his head, and Supersonic formed a wind shield, closing his eyes and bracing for the impact as those blue-gloved fists came down. They never connected, though. The squirrel opened his eyes and saw that the Avenger was frozen in mid-strike.\n\t\"Asshole,\" said Katrina, walking up to them, hands in her jeans pockets, her leather jacket ditched somewhere due to the desert heat. Then she noticed the bloody streaks along the squirrel's body. \"Oh damn, you're hurt!\"\n\t\"Eh, it's nothing serious,\" said Supersonic. \"Not that I'm not grateful, Kat, but why didn't you do that before?\"\n\t\"I tried,\" Katrina replied, \"but something was blocking me. He must have been using some kind of anti-psi device, but I guess it was destroyed in the crash.\" She smiled at him. \"That was pretty amazing, Supersonic.\"\n\t\"Thanks,\" said Supersonic. Then he sighed. \"I guess I really am an outlaw now, though. I just beat up the leader of PRIMUS!\"\n\t\"That makes you okay in my book,\" said Katrina, grinning.\n\t\"What are we gonna do?\" the squirrel asked plaintively.\n\tKatrina shrugged. \"You like Mexican food?\"\n\t\"Not especially.\"\n\t\"I think you're gonna have to learn to.\" Then she noticed something in the distance. \"What the hell?\"\n\tSupersonic turned around. There was a cloud of dust to the east of them. \"Sandstorm?\" he asked.\n\t\"Looks too close to the ground for that,\" Katrina replied.\n\t\"Can you scan it with your mind?\" Supersonic asked.\n\t\"Not without letting Goldie here loose.\"\n\t\"I'll go check it out, then.\" \n\tSupersonic shot off toward the dust cloud, flying low over the desert. As he drew near, his eyes widened as he saw what the source was—a dozen armed green hovercraft, with a familiar snakehead insignia painted on the front. His mouth fell open. \"VIPER!\"\n\tSupersonic Squirrel floated motionless in the air for a moment, stunned by this latest revelation. VIPER was a paramilitary terrorist group bent on world domination, with agents and secret bases scattered across the globe, led by a mysterious figure known only as the Supreme Serpent. Supersonic had read about them but never actually gone up against them. Apparently, that was about to change. \n\tThe squirrel was startled out of his trance when the laser cannons mounted on the fronts of the hovercraft opened fire on him, criss-crossing the desert with beams of white-hot light. Supersonic whirled and flew back to rejoin Katrina and the Golden Avenger.\n\t\"Were those laser beams?\" Katrina asked when he arrived, still holding the Golden Avenger paralyzed in mid-strike with her mind.\n\t\"It's VIPER,\" Supersonic replied, grimly.\n\tKatrina blinked. \"VIPER? What are those psychos doing here?\"\n\t\"They must have a base hidden somewhere nearby. It's a cinch what they're after.\" He glanced over at the three aliens, who were still standing there glowing, seemingly oblivious to the oncoming danger. \"You're gonna have to release the Golden Avenger, Kat.\"\n\tShe stared at the squirrel. \"Why?\"\n\t\"Because we need him! He hates VIPER, and you can't do anything while you're keeping him frozen!\" He looked up at Katrina pleadingly. \"I can't fight them alone, Kat!\"\n\tKatrina sighed, and the Avenger was suddenly free, his body recoiling back into a ready position.\n\t\"Did you hear all that?\" Supersonic asked him.\n\tThe Avenger nodded. \"I heard.\" He glanced at Katrina, eyes narrowed. \"I would place you under arrest, but right now we have more important matters to deal with. VIPER cannot be allowed to take custody of the aliens.\"\n\t\"Agreed,\" said Supersonic, and looked again at the three glowing figures. \"Are they gonna be any help, Kat?\"\n\t\"Probably not,\" she replied. \"All but a tiny fraction of their awareness is focused on trying to contact their people. Unless they sense some immediate threat, I don't think they'll get involved.\"\n\tSupersonic pointed at the oncoming dust cloud. \"That's not an immediate threat?\"\n\t\"Not in their minds. They're barely even aware of what's happening.\"\n\t\"Great,\" Supersonic muttered.\n\t\"In that case, it's up to us,\" said the Golden Avenger. \"I'll lead the attack. Supersonic, you provide air support. Miss Werner, if any get past me, turn them against each other.\"\n\tKatrina bristled. \"I don't take orders from you, Goldie!\"\n\t\"Do as he says, Kat,\" said Supersonic. \"He knows his stuff.\"\n\tKatrina frowned, but nodded.\n\t\"Let's go!\" the Golden Avenger shouted, and charged toward the approaching VIPER forces, a blue-and-gold streak tearing across the desert at over forty miles per hour, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake. Supersonic flew above him, keeping pace easily.\n\tThe VIPER hovercraft opened fire, and two laser beams struck the Golden Avenger but appeared to do little damage. As he neared the closest hovercraft, he leaped, landing on the vehicle, and smashed his fist through its armored front. The hovercraft's nose plowed into the ground, and it flipped forward, lying upside down as the Avenger jumped off, landing in a crouch a dozen feet away. Another hovercraft fired at Supersonic, but the squirrel nimbly dodged the scorching beam and unleashed a powerful blast of wind that slammed into the side of the vehicle, sending it careening into a third hovercraft and causing them both to spin out of control.\n\tKatrina watched from atop a rock as the hovercraft at the far ends of the formation continued forward while the Golden Avenger and Supersonic Squirrel battled the ones in the middle. She smiled, reaching out with her mind and touching that of the pilot of the craft on the far right end, causing him to veer into the craft next to his, which forced them both into the path of the next one in, causing a three-hovercraft pileup. Then she did the same with the one on the far left end. \"And there's a multi-hovercraft accident on the Mojave Desert Expressway today!\" she said, laughing, as the vehicles tumbled over each other. \"Psycho terrorists might want to consider an alternate route!\"\n\tAs the VIPER forces swirled about in utter chaos, filling the air with dust, a door in the rear of one of the crashed hovercaft fell open and a massive figure emerged. Fully eight feet tall, its body was covered in lumpy purple skin, and its hands, feet, shoulders, and loins were covered with gleaming metal that appeared to be fused to its flesh rather than worn. Segmented metallic tubes sprouted from its body at various points, only to dive back in elsewhere, giving it an untidy, asymmetrical appearance, and a metallic grate covered the lower part of its face, while a pair of metal tubes ran like twin crests from just above its brows to the back of its hairless head. A metal band around its waist bore the snakehead emblem of VIPER. \"Golden Avenger!\" the creature roared in a deep, throaty rasp, glaring hatefully at the leader of PRIMUS. \"Ripper wants a rematch!\"\n\t\"Come on, then, monster!\" the Avenger shouted back. \"You'll fare no better this time than you did the last!\"\n\tWith another roar, Ripper charged toward the Golden Avenger like a maddened bull, throwing a punch that knocked the Avenger backward thirty feet and into the side of one of the crashed hovercraft, caving it in. \"VIPER rebuilt me, fool!\" Ripper snarled. \"Ripper is stronger, tougher, and deadlier than ever!\"\n\t\"But no smarter,\" the Golden Avenger retorted, \"knocking your opponent back into a potential weapon!\" He seized the crashed hovercraft, lifted it over his head, and hurled it at Ripper. It struck the purple-skinned creature, burying him beneath a pile of twisted metal. Then the Avenger turned as the back of another hovercraft opened up, disgorging a squad of VIPER agents in green-and-gold body armor and helmets who blasted away at him with energy rifles. With an exultant cry, the Avenger laid into them.\n\tIn the meantime, Supersonic Squirrel was busy darting about the battlefield, blasting the hovercraft and disabling the turbines that kept them aloft and mobile. There was so much dust in the air that he could barely see, and without his goggles shielding his eyes, he would have been utterly blind. As it was, he was coughing violently, which kept him from noticing that a man in a blue-and-white full-body costume done in a snowflake motif, with the VIPER emblem on his chest, was rising up toward him on a ramp of ice. The man raised a hand, and a clear, gleaming ice shard shot from his fingertips, embedding itself in the squirrel's left shoulder. Supersonic cried out in pain, clutching his wounded shoulder, and whirled to face his adversary. He recognized the man from a file he'd seen in the database of UNTIL—the United Nations Tribunal on International Law. His name was Fred Ellsworth, and under the codename Freon he worked for VIPER as a literal cold-blooded killer. \"Aww,\" said Freon mockingly. \"A cute, fuzzy little squirrel! How adorable! Got your nuts buried for the winter?\"\n\t\"I prefer to keep them on me,\" Supersonic replied, gritting his teeth at the pain in his shoulder. He hurled a wind blast at Freon, who deflected it with a shield of ice.\n\t\"Not smart,\" said Freon. \"They could get frozen that way!\" He unleashed a torrent of icy particles at Supersonic, coating his entire front in glittering white frost. The cold seemed to be almost alive, seeping into the squirrel's skin and numbing him, and his goggles were entirely iced over. He shot straight up, trying to put as much distance as he could between himself and the icy villain, reasoning that Freon could make his ice slides only so high.\n\tKatrina watched the battle from a distance, squinting. Most of the action was obscured by dust. However, a lone hovercraft was zooming across the desert toward her. She grinned and reached out with her mind to control the pilot, but then frowned. Some kind of psychic interference was blocking her, preventing contact. The hovercraft skidded to a halt a hundred feet away from her, the rear door fell open, and from it emerged a tall and strikingly beautiful woman with long blonde hair, wearing a fuschia costume with long gloves and boots that left her arms, legs, and shoulders bare. Her eyes glowed bright yellow. Around her waist she wore a belt with the VIPER emblem for a buckle. \"So,\" the woman said, in a strange, hollow voice, \"you fancy yourself a mentalist, do you? Well, I am Esper, and I'm going to find out how good you really are!\"\n\tKatrina smirked. \"Do you always dress like a hooker?\" Then she gasped as her mind was hammered by a massive psionic blast that dropped her to her knees. Nothing she'd felt before even came close to this.\n\tEsper's lips pulled back in a cruel smile. \"As I thought. You're not remotely in my league. I'm going to enjoy this!\" She began building up another psionic attack.\n\tThe Golden Avenger was pausing to take a breath, a dozen VIPER agents lying scattered on the dusty ground around him, when the groan and squeal of tortured metal caused him to whirl toward the wrecked hovercraft he had hurled at Ripper. The ruined machine was slowly rising from the ground as Ripper lifted it over his head, glaring at the Avenger from the shadows beneath it. \"You didn't think this stupid, flimsy thing would keep Ripper down for long, did you, Avenger?\" the creature growled.\n\t\"Long enough,\" the Avenger replied. \"Ready for another round, James?\"\n\tRipper roared and hurled the hovercraft at the Avenger, who leaped aside as it smashed into the ground, the vehicle reduced to nothing but a pile of debris. \"Don't call me that!\" Ripper yelled. \"James Allison is dead! I'm Ripper now! Only Ripper!\"\n\tThe Golden Avenger charged at the purple-skinned behemoth, landing a punch squarely in the center of this chest, staggering him. \"To think you were a Green Beret, who served his country with honor,\" he said.\n\tRipper snarled and backhanded him across his face, knocking him away. \"Not every super-soldier project ends up looking as pretty as you, Avenger!\"\n\tThe Golden Avenger wiped the blood from his mouth on his forearm. \"That's why you went rogue? Because of your looks? I've known dozens of soldiers disfigured in combat who didn't lose their principles. Some even married and had children. They found someone who loved them in spite of how they looked. It's not too late, James!\"\n\t\"I told you,\" Ripper growled, clenching his gleaming metal fists, \"the name is Ripper!\" He charged, swinging wildly. The Golden Avenger dodged his blows nimbly, landing punches on Ripper's chest and stomach, which made him even angrier. \"Stand still, damn you!\"\n\t\"And let you pulverize me?\" the Avenger asked. \"No, thanks.\" \n\tThen he cried out in pain as a spear of ice struck him in the center of his back. He spun around to see Freon skating across the desert toward him on an ice slide. \"Your furry friend chickened out,\" said Freon, chuckling. \"Doesn't that just make your blood boil?\"\n\t\"I suppose you're going to offer to cool it off for me,\" the Avenger muttered, \"or tell me to chill out, or something equally clever.\"\n\t\"Aww,\" said Freon mockingly. \"You're stealing my lines!\"\n\t\"Your ice puns got old a long time ago, Ellsworth. I doubt there are any I haven't heard.\" He backed away from Freon and the seething Ripper, trying to keep both of the villains in view. He noticed that the remaining VIPER forces had formed a ring around them, preferring to hang back and let the superhumans fight it out.\n\t\"All right, then,\" said Freon. \"No more jokes. Just die, Avenger!\" He raised his hands and fired a burst of razor-sharp ice shards at the Golden Avenger. They sliced through his armored costume, leaving scarlet trails behind them. At the same time, Ripper barreled into the Avenger, knocking him flat on his back. The Avenger responded by striking Ripper's jaw with the heel of his boot. \n\tRipper howled in pain, bleeding from his mouth, and glared down at the Avenger, eyes blazing with hatred. \"Your pretty face is going to hell!\" Ripper snarled, raising his metal fists above his head. \n\tThen there was a tremendous impact, not from Ripper's fists hitting the Golden Avenger, but from something slamming into Ripper from behind, knocking him fifteen feet forward and planting him on his face in the desert sand. Above him, Supersonic Squirrel reeled in the air, dazed by the force with which he'd struck the purple-skinned monster.\n\t\"So, you didn't chicken out after all,\" Freon commented. \"Oh well, time for a squirrel-kabob!\" He raised an arm above his head. An ice spear appeared in his hand, and he hurled it at Supersonic. \n\tThe Golden Avenger reacted with blinding speed, interposing his body between the squirrel and the spear. The spear struck the presidential eagle over the Avenger's heart, slipping through a cut in his costume and embedding itself deep in his chest. He staggered and fell to his knees, blood welling up in his mouth, then pitched forward and lay motionless on the desert sand.\n\tFor a moment, there was silence, save for the sound of the wind blowing the dust across the desert as Supersonic Squirrel, Freon, and the VIPER forces stared at the Golden Avenger's body. It was finally broken by Freon, who simply uttered a bemused \"Huh!\" \n\tThen Supersonic lifted his eyes from the Avenger's body to Freon, and his muzzle twisted into a feral snarl. \"You bastard!\" the squirrel screamed, hurling a wind blast at Freon that knocked the villain off his feet and sent him skidding across the ground on his back. As Freon struggled to rise, the squirrel blasted him again and again, knocking him farther back each time, until he lay unconscious at the feet of some VIPER agents who had been watching the fight. The agents looked up from Freon at the enraged squirrel floating in the air before them, and raised their energy rifles. Supersonic spread his arms and legs wide, creating a mini-hurricane around himself, scattering the agents across the desert.\n\tAs he hovered above Freon's prostrate form, silently daring anyone to attack him, he heard Katrina's voice in his head saying, \"Supersonic, help, please, she's tearing my mind apart!\" The squirrel blinked, then shot off like a furry gray rocket, racing over the desert.\n\tAs he neared the rock where he'd left Katrina, he saw her lying on the ground with Esper standing over her, the glowing-eyed woman grinning maliciously as five VIPER agents stood around them, watching. Tendrils of magenta-colored energy snaked from Esper's forehead to Katrina's, causing Katrina to writhe and moan in pain. Esper was saying something, but the squirrel couldn't hear what it was and didn't especially care. He flew into the midst of them, wind swirling around him, scattering the VIPER agents and sending Esper flying, while taking care to avoid Katrina. \n\tEsper cried out in pain as she landed hard on her rump, and then narrowed her glowing eyes at the squirrel. \"You think [i]you[/i] can stop [i]my[/i] fun? Think again, while you still can, rodent. I'm going to squash your tiny brain like a grape!\" Supersonic screamed as he felt an explosion of agony inside his head, a bolt of psychic energy shooting from Esper's forehead into his. He grasped his head in his hands and fell to the ground, curling up in a ball, trembling. \"By the time I'm done with you, normal squirrels will think you're a brainless dolt!\" growled Esper, lashing out with her mind again, and again making Supersonic scream in pain as Esper stood over him, laughing. \n\tThen she cried out as a plasma bolt struck her in the back. Esper whirled as a field of magenta energy sprang to life around her to see Katrina standing there holding one of the fallen agents' energy rifles. \"I'm amazed you still have enough of a mind left to know which end to point at me!\" Katrina just scowled and fired again, but this time the shot bounced off Esper's force field. Esper unleashed another mind blast, and Katrina screamed, the energy rifle falling from her hands as she collapsed to the ground. \"You may have some potential after all,\" said Esper, gazing down at Katrina. \"VIPER can always use more mentalists. I'll have to take you to Project Awakening and see what they can do with you.\" \n\tThen she heard movement behind her and turned quickly. Supersonic was on his feet, a sphere of supercompressed air between his small hands, a look of pure hatred on his furry face. \"BITCH!\" Supersonic screamed, and fired a wind blast that slammed Esper into the rock. She slumped to the ground, leaving a trail of blood on the rock behind her. \n\tSupersonic ran to Katrina and knelt beside her. Blood was trickling from her ears, nose and mouth. \"Katrina?\" he asked, trembling. \"Baby? Can you hear me? Are you still there?\" There was no response. He cradled her in his arms, holding her tightly. In the distance, he could hear the whine of hovercraft. VIPER was coming.\n\tThe VIPER hovercraft surrounded the three aliens, who gave no indication of being aware of them. The backs of the hovercraft opened up, and dozens of green-and-gold-armored VIPER agents spilled forth, energy rifles held ready. Four of them came over to where Supersonic was kneeling and clutching Katrina against himself, their boots crunching on the dry, dusty ground. The squirrel watched them approach, numbly.\n\t\"Careful,\" one said. \"That squirrel's dangerous!\"\n\t\"Doesn't look so dangerous now,\" another scoffed.\n\tThe first agent turned to the other two. \"Get Esper aboard a hovercraft.\"\n\tAs the other VIPER agents went to retrieve Esper, the second speaker snorted. \"If it was up to me, I'd leave that mind-witch to rot in the sun!\"\n\t\"It's not up to you!\" snapped the first agent. \"Learn to follow orders!\"\n\t\"Well, what are our orders concerning these two?\"\n\t\"SOP for defeated supers is to bring them back for experimentation and possible brainwashing.\"\n\t\"Do they count as defeated?\"\n\t\"The girl does. Not so sure about him.\" The agent lowered his rifle and crouched down, extending a gloved hand toward the squirrel as the other agent stood with his rifle ready. \"Hey, little fella,\" he said soothingly. \"You wanna hand over that girl? We'll take her back to our nest and make her all better, I promise.\" Supersonic merely narrowed his eyes and growled at the agent, causing him to draw back quickly. \"I guess that's a 'no.'\"\n\t\"Fine,\" said the second agent. \"Let's just shoot him, then.\" He drew a bead on Supersonic with his rifle.\n\t\"Are you crazy?\" the first agent asked, knocking the man's weapon aside. \"You want to set him off?\"\n\t\"Well, what are we supposed to do with him, then?\" the second agent asked, sounding annoyed.\n\tThe first agent touched the side of his helmet. \"Commander, we have two supers here. One is unconscious, the other's protecting her. Yes, sir, it's that squirrel. No, he's not making any hostile moves. I see. Understood, commander. Hail VIPER.\" He turned to his companion. \"Our orders are to leave them alone.\"\n\t\"What?\" the second agent demanded. \"We're not gonna kill 'em?\"\n\t\"The commander doesn't think it's worth the risk. Now come on!\" He turned and began walking toward the main body of VIPER troops surrounding the three aliens. With an angry glance back at Supersonic and Katrina and a sound of frustrated disgust, the second agent turned and followed him.\n\tSupersonic watched them go, still cradling Katrina in his arms. He pressed his muzzle against her cheek, squeezing her tightly. Then his ears detected the roar of jet engines in the distance, getting closer. He turned his head in the direction of the sound. A group of jet fighters were coming in low over the desert. It looked as if they were making a bombing run. \n\tThe two VIPER agents stopped and turned toward the sound, too. \"Oh crap,\" the first one said.\n\tHolding Katrina's limp body, Supersonic rose into the air. Whatever happened here no longer interested him. All that mattered was Katrina. He rotated as he went up, scanning the landscape. There was nothing but endless desert in every direction. He realized he didn't actually know where he was, or where the nearest hospital was. And even if he could find one, would they be able to treat a victim of a mental attack?\n\tAs he floated in the air, trying to decide what to do, Supersonic noticed a bright star in the blue, cloudless sky. He was reasonably sure it hadn't been there before. It was brighter than Jupiter, brighter even than Venus, as well as being in the wrong part of the sky at the wrong time of day. He watched as it steadily grew brighter and larger. In a few seconds, he realized what it was.\n\tThe aliens' call had been answered.\n\tThe alien ship quickly grew until it filled the sky. It wasn't a flying saucer, as Supersonic had been expecting. It was a blank, featureless sphere, at least a mile across, whose mirrorlike surface reflected the land and sky around it. It floated silently down until it was hovering just above the three aliens, and bolts of lightning periodically arced between its bottom half and the ground. The squirrel stared at the thing in awe, his mouth hanging open.\n\tThe sphere's effect on the humans present was immediate. The jet fighters aborted their attack and peeled off in all directions, while the VIPER agents scrambled back to their hovercraft, which then began speeding away across the desert. In a few moments, all was silent save for the crackle of an occasional lightning bolt.\n\tSupersonic flew down to the aliens, Katrina in his arms, and landed before them, laying her at their feet. \"Can you help her?\" he asked, his big black eyes glistening. \"Please?\"\n\tOne of the aliens stepped forward and knelt down, touching its fingers to her forehead. Katrina's eyes flickered open, and widened as she saw the funhouse mirror images of the ground and themselves reflected on the underside of the alien ship. \"Awesome!\" she breathed. Then she yelped as Supersonic threw his arms around her and hugged her. \"Hey, nice to see you too!\"\n\t\"I'm so glad you're all right,\" said Supersonic, tears darkening his furry cheeks.\n\tShe grinned and kissed his bucktoothed mouth. \"Me too!\" Then she got to her feet and looked around. \"Where is everyone?\"\n\t\"VIPER took off when the sphere arrived,\" said Supersonic.\n\t\"What about Goldie?\" asked Katrina.\n\tThe squirrel looked at the ground. \"He didn't make it.\"\n\tKatrina bit her lip. \"Oh.\"\n\tA black circle opened up in the bottom of the sphere directly above the aliens, starting as a pinprick and expanding until it was about twenty feet across. The aliens each raised their right hand, waved to Katrina and Supersonic, and rose up into the circle, which then quickly shrank back to nothing. At once, the ship began to rise. In a few seconds, it was just a bright spot in the sky. Then it was gone.\n\t\"I wonder what they think of us,\" mused Supersonic.\n\t\"They think we're nuts,\" Katrina replied. \"And they're right.\"\n\tThe squirrel looked up at her. \"Do you suppose they'll come back?\"\n\t\"Would you?\" Katrina asked sharply.\n\tSupersonic shook his head. \"Probably not.\"\n\tKatrina looked at the silent desert around them, the wind ruffling her hair. \"So, now what?\"\n\t\"I expect PRIMUS will show up soon,\" said Supersonic.\n\t\"Do we want to be here when they arrive?\"\n\tSupersonic sighed. \"I'm ready to take my medicine.\" He looked up at Katrina. \"What about you?\"\n\tKatrina shrugged. \"I'm not that crazy about Mexican food either.\"\n\tThey both sat down to wait.\n\n\tThe sun was shining brightly in the clear blue sky as Supersonic Squirrel sat in a comfortless folding metal chair, his feet hanging above the temporary platform upon which the chair stood while his tail flowed over the back. His big black eyes gazed past the throngs of reporters and spectators at the long rows of white headstones converging in the distance on a field of verdant green. It was sobering and humbling, he reflected, to visit Arlington National Cemetery and see how many had given their lives for their country.\n\tHe glanced up at the white-haired, olive-skinned woman who sat beside him, wearing a gleaming metal chest plate over a black T-shirt, camouflage pants, a belt lined with pouches, black gloves, and black combat boots. Her name was Mayte Sanchez, and she was a Silver Avenger, one of a dozen PRIMUS agents who had undergone a lesser version of the biochemical augmentation that had created the original Golden Avenger. Upon his death, she had become acting director of PRIMUS, pending a permanent replacement. To the other side of her was a chair that had, until recently, been occupied by the President of the United States, who was currently standing before a microphone and delivering the Golden Avenger's eulogy. A flag-draped coffin lay on the ground before the platform, and in the distance, the flag at Arlington House flew at half-staff, as it always did during interments.\n\tThe President finished speaking and returned to his seat, and Supersonic hopped down off his chair and walked to the microphone as an aide lowered it to his level. He swallowed, his throat tight as he felt the eyes of the entire world upon him, which made him deeply uncomfortable. He prayed that he wouldn't make a fool of himself.\n\t\"I was with the Golden Avenger when he died,\" said Supersonic, \"so I've been asked to say a few words. I'm afraid I'm not much of a public speaker, so I'll keep this short. Others have already spoken about his courage, his determination, and his patriotism a lot more eloquently than I ever could. All I can add to what's already been said is that he died bravely, fighting for the country he loved, and I'll always feel honored and privileged to have fought beside him.\" He left the microphone and returned to his seat.\n\tThe ceremony proceeded in the time-honored fashion. A squad of Marines fired rifles in salute, Taps was played, and all on the platform stood at attention and saluted as the casket was lowered into its final resting place, while two Marines solemnly folded the flag that had been draped across it. Supersonic shook hands with Sanchez and the President, descended the platform, and walked over to Katrina, who was standing at the front of the crowd. She knelt down and hugged him, and he hugged her back. \"Nice speech,\" she said, smiling at him. \"Short and sweet.\"\n\t\"Thanks,\" Supersonic replied. \"I was more scared standing up there than I was fighting VIPER.\"\n\tShe nodded. \"It showed. I don't think I've ever seen your eyes so big, not even during . . . well, you know.\"\n\tSupersonic blushed beneath his fur. \"There are reporters watching, Kat.\"\n\tKatrina shrugged. \"So what? I don't care if the whole world knows we're together.\"\n\t\"Even so, I think I'd like to be somewhere else.\"\n\tKatrina nodded and stood up. \"Hold on, I see someone I want to talk to.\" She walked over to a slim man in a brown suit who was in the process of leaving the scene, and interposed herself in front of him. \"Hello, Agent Abruzzi,\" she said, smiling at him.\n\t\"Hello, Miss Werner,\" Abruzzi replied, not returning her smile. \"Hello, Supersonic,\" he said to the squirrel, who had come over to join them.\n\t\"I imagine you're not too happy to see us here,\" said Katrina, smirking.\n\tAbruzzi shrugged. \"You can thank Acting Director Sanchez for that. She's the one who decided not to press charges. Personally, I think it was a bad call. If it'd been up to me, you'd both be locked up in Stronghold Prison.\"\n\t\"Well, fortunately, it wasn't up to you,\" said Katrina. \"You know, Tony, ever since that day in the desert, something's been bothering me.\"\n\t\"What's that, Miss Werner?\" Abruzzi asked.\n\t\"How did VIPER know where to find us? I mean, they came right to us. They even brought three of their pet supers along, to counter me, Supersonic, and the Golden Avenger. It's almost like they knew exactly what to expect.\"\n\tAbruzzi's eyes gazed at her coldly from behind his glasses. \"Yes, Miss Werner, I noticed that too.\"\n\t\"Perhaps Director Sanchez should be looking for a VIPER spy inside PRIMUS,\" said Katrina.\n\t\"PRIMUS personnel are extensively screened, Miss Werner,\" said Abruzzi, \"using very sophisticated techniques. It's highly unlikely that any of them could be working for VIPER.\"\n\tKatrina nodded. \"But you're not a member of PRIMUS, are you, Tony? You're only their Justice Department liason.\"\n\tSupersonic blinked. \"Kat, what are you suggesting?\"\n\t\"She's suggesting I may be a VIPER spy,\" said Abruzzi, smiling thinly. \"If you suspect that, Miss Werner, why don't you just read my mind and find out?\"\n\t\"I think we both know this area is blanketed with Porgrave broadcasters,\" Katrina replied. \"After all, the President is here. If I tried to read your mind, all I'd get would be a headful of static.\"\n\t\"Well, there are other possibilities, Miss Werner,\" said Abruzzi. \"The picture we used to locate you came from NASA, so someone there could have leaked the information. And I called the nearest Air Force base and ordered the strike on you and the aliens, so that's another possible leak. For that matter, VIPER might very well have their own survelliance satellite, disguised as a legitimate commercial satellite. But as long as we're freely throwing around accusations, there is someone else who knew where to find you. You.\"\n\tKatrina stared at him. \"Me?\"\n\t\"You're a telepath. It wouldn't have been difficult for you to let them know where you were.\"\n\t\"Kat would never do that!\" Supersonic protested.\n\t\"She's a thief with a history of rebelling against authority,\" Abruzzi countered. \"Just the sort of person VIPER would recruit.\"\n\t\"I know all about her history!\" said Supersonic angrily. \"I also know she's saved my life more than once, at the risk of her own!\"\n\tAbruzzi shrugged. \"A good spy needs to be convincing.\"\n\tKatrina glared at him. \"Esper nearly pounded my brain into mush, you prick!\"\n\t\"We only have your word for that, Miss Werner, and I'm afraid that's not worth very much.\" He looked at Supersonic. \"You might want to ask yourself how much you can really trust her.\"\n\tSupersonic scowled. \"Mr. Abruzzi, I don't like you!\"\n\tKatrina blinked. \"Wow, that's quite an accomplishment, Tony! Supersonic likes everyone. You really have to work at it to get on [i]his[/i] shit list!\"\n\tAbruzzi frowned. \"I didn't take this job to be liked, Miss Werner. I took it to uphold the law—the same law [i]you[/i] have such an open contempt for. Good day.\" And with that, he turned and left.\n\t\"What a slimy little weasel!\" Katrina growled, watching the Justice Department man go.\n\tSupersonic nodded. \"You said it! He makes me ashamed to be an American!\" Then he noticed Silver Avenger Sanchez walking toward them. \"Heads up, Kat.\"\n\t\"It looked like there were some strong words being exchanged between you two and Agent Abruzzi,\" Sanchez said, her deep voice containing a slight Spanish accent.\n\tSupersonic snorted. \"He's a jerk!\"\n\t\"He is not a pleasant man,\" admitted Sanchez, \"but he is good at his job. And a job is what I'd like to talk to you about, Supersonic.\"\n\tThe squirrel looked up at her, puzzled. \"A job?\"\n\t\"My predecessor had been considering you as a potential recruit for PRIMUS.\"\n\tSupersonic nodded. \"Yeah, he mentioned that.\" Then his eyes widened. \"You mean, you'd still be interested in having me? After everything that's happened?\"\n\t\"I am at least interested in exploring the possibility. Bear in mind, PRIMUS is an elite organization, with extremely high standards. There is no guarantee you would be accepted. After the stiffest physical you have ever experienced, after weeks of computer and psychoanalytic tests, after a training course that will tear your guts out, you might be halfway there. I am just giving you the option to try.\"\n\tSupersonic stood there silently for a long moment. \"I . . . I need to think it over, Director.\"\n\tSanchez nodded. \"Of course. No hurry. The offer will remain open. [i]Buenas dias[/i].\"\n\tKatrina and Supersonic walked away from Sanchez across the cemetery's soft green grass, past headstones bearing the names of the honored dead. \"Well, that's interesting,\" Katrina said at last.\n\tSupersonic simply nodded.\n\t\"Think you might take her up on it?\"\n\tSupersonic shrugged. \"I don't know. It would be a big commitment. And I'm not sure what it would mean for us. I know you don't like PRIMUS.\" He looked up at her. \"I need some time alone, Kat. To think. About a lot of things.\"\n\tShe nodded. \"I understand.\" Then she knelt down, put her arms around his gray-furred body, and kissed him on his bucktoothed muzzle. \"I love you, Supersonic Squirrel,\" she said, smiling.\n\tSupersonic smiled back. \"That's the first time you've ever said that.\"\n\tShe shrugged. \"It's the first time I was sure it was true.\" She let go of him and stood up.\n\t\"See you later, Kat,\" the squirrel said. Then he shot off into the clear blue sky and was gone.", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "
The Patriot


a story set in the universe of Champions Online


\tKatrina Werner sipped from a cup of ginseng tea as she stood on the sundeck of a split-level house perched on one of the Hollywood Hills. The tea helped relax her. She avoided caffeine, as it interacted badly with her nervous system. She was a slim woman in her early twenties, with brown skin and close-cropped blonde hair that was so pale it was nearly white. Her large eyes were ice-blue. She wore only a robe of Navajo design, black with interlocking red diamonds. As she gazed out over the mist-shrouded hills, she felt something at the edge of her mental awareness. It was very faint, barely a whisper. She concentrated, trying to focus in on it, but it evaporated, just as the mist soon would. She stood motionless on the deck for a few minutes, hoping to pick it up again, but there was nothing. Shrugging, she turned and went back inside.
\tIn the bedroom, a double bed lay before a large window whose blinds were presently drawn. In the bed lay a gray-furred creature, about half Katrina's size. Its face extended forward in a blunt, rounded muzzle with pronounced buck teeth, and its ears were small and leaf-like. Its eyes were closed, and its big fluffy tail was wrapped around its body. Katrina sat down on the bed, and the creature's enormous black eyes slowly opened. It turned its head and looked at her.
\t"Hey there, sport," Katrina said, smiling.
\t"Hi," the creature replied, in a slightly nasal voice.
\t"And how is the great Supersonic Squirrel feeling this morning?" Katrina asked, sipping her tea.
\tThe squirrel bit his lip. "A lot more grown-up."
\tKatrina grinned. "There's nothing to be ashamed of, Supersonic. It was just sex. It's not that big a deal."
\t"Maybe not to you," said Supersonic, sitting up in bed, "but it sure was to me! I never . . ." He let the sentence trail off, too embarrassed to finish it.
\tKatrina giggled. "I know."
\tSupersonic looked at her pensively. "Was it . . . okay?"
\t"I can honestly say I've never experienced anything like it," Katrina replied.
\tSupersonic frowned. "That's not exactly reassuring."
\t"Okay. You were magnificent; a sexual powerhouse. James Bond himself couldn't have done it better. I'll never want anyone else."
\tThe squirrel scowled and folded his arms across his furry chest. "Now you're just poking fun at me!" Then his eyes went wide as Katrina leaned forward and pressed her lips to his muzzle, and he melted into the kiss, his eyes closing and his arms wrapping around her as he sighed with pleasure.
\tKatrina broke the kiss, smiling at him. "You were fine."
\tSupersonic smiled and lay back on his pillow, clasping his hands behind his head, the fur-covered folds of skin that stretched from his wrists to his ankles draping over the sheets to either side of him. He looked very pleased with himself. Katrina reached out and stroked his chest, which made him chitter happily. "You sound like you're ready for another round," she said, grinning.
\tSupersonic stopped chittering and blinked. "You mean now? In the daytime?"
\tKatrina shrugged. "Any time's a good time for sex." Then she giggled at his uncertain expression. "You know, for someone who doesn't wear any clothes, you're a real prude, Supersonic."
\t"Squirrels don't wear clothes," he sulked. "And I can't help being a prude. I'm from a different time, remember?"
\tKatrina nodded, affectionately ruffling the fur atop his head. "I know, baby." It had only been a few months since an errant wish had brought him to life. Prior to that, he'd been a character in a cartoon made in the early 1960s. He was still adjusting to life in the 21st Century.
\tSupersonic chittered again at the ruffling, then stopped when he noticed she seemed to become distracted. "Is something wrong, Kat?" he asked.
\t"I felt something a few minutes ago," she replied. "Some kind of psychic contact. It was very faint, though, and it hasn't returned."
\t"Could it be another telepath trying to talk to you?"
\t"Maybe, but who would do that? It's not like I'm a famous superhero, like you." She smiled as he grinned sheepishly at that. He was a humble soul at heart; praise embarrassed him. "Anyway, who even knows we're here? Only your friends in the Millennium Guard know we're vacationing in Hollywood, and none of them are telepaths."
\t"Maybe it's a stray broadcast, and you're just picking it up, like a radio," Supersonic suggested.
\t"It's possible," Katrina said. "Tell you what. Let's get some breakfast. Then we can take a walk around town, and I'll scan to see if I can find the source of that contact."
\t"You aren't gonna read anyone's mind without their permission, are you?" asked Supersonic warily.
\tKatrina put on an innocent expression. "Would I do that?"
\t"Yes, you do that all the time, and it always leads to trouble!"
\t"As I recall, it led to saving someone's life in Vibora Bay a few weeks ago," Katrina retorted. "And before that, to our first meeting." She smiled and batted her eyelashes at him.
\tSupersonic folded his arms again. "It also led to ARGENT Industries trying to kill you!"
\tKatrina shrugged. "So, what's life without a little danger? Besides, people try to kill you all the time. You don't hear me complaining."
\tSupersonic sighed. "It's just that I really care about you, Kat. And I've lost so much already . . . all my friends and family. I don't want to lose you, too."
\tKatrina kissed his muzzle again. "I promise I'll be very discreet. Now, go take a shower, and then we'll go get something to eat."
\tSupersonic nodded, threw aside the covers, flew across the room and into the bathroom, turned on the water, and began scrubbing himself down.
\t"Such a cute little ass," Katrina said, watching it as he showered.
\t
\tYou won't break my heart
\tNo matter what you do
\tMy love is especially for you
\t\t\t\t--The Smithereens

\t"Mommy, look at the squirrel!"
\tSupersonic glanced at the little girl pointing at him as he and Katrina walked down a residential street together, holding hands, the squirrel sipping from a cup of soda left over from the breakfast they'd purchased at a fast food restaurant. A moment later, the girl's mother hushed her and threw a disapproving look at the pair before whisking her child away. Supersonic's heart sank a little at the woman's visual chastisement, though he couldn't be sure if it was due to him and Katrina holding hands in public, or because he was wearing only a leather flying helmet and goggles, or both. In the cartoon world he remembered, he'd never had to bother with clothes, and his arm webs made conventional clothing impractical anyway. Of course, humans and animals also hadn't formed couples there, not because there had been any laws against it, or because anyone had considered animals inferior, but because it had simply never occurred to anyone that it was possible. That was all different here, but there was still a part of him that felt it was wrong for a squirrel to have a human girlfriend, and apparently, he wasn't the only one.
\t"Anything?" Supersonic asked, looking up at Katrina as he sipped his soda, trying to get his mind off his own thoughts.
\tShe shrugged. "Two kids arguing over which TV show to watch." She was now wearing a brown leather jacket, a black T-shirt, tight blue jeans, and black leather boots. The T-shirt bore an image of his old cartoon self, which was still recognizable as him, even though it looked quite different from his new flesh-and-blood form. He didn't like her wearing it, as it embarrassed him, but she thought it was funny, so he didn't bother to press the issue.
\t"How many people have you been eavesdropping on?" Supersonic asked.
\t"Dozens," Katrina replied. "Normally, I block them out so I'm not buried in other people's garbage. Seriously, you wouldn't believe all the crap people think."
\tSupersonic summoned a gust of wind to carry the empty soda cup from his hand and drop it in a nearby trash container. "It may be crap, but people still have a right to the privacy of their own thoughts."
\tKatrina chuckled and shook her head. "You're such a Boy Scout."
\t"Why? Because I respect people's right to privacy, or because I don't believe in littering?"
\t"Both!"
\tSupersonic's eyes widened as something occurred to him. "Have you ever read my mind?"
\t"Oh, I may have taken a peek once or twice."
\t"Katrina!"
\tShe crouched down to be eye to eye with the squirrel. "It was back when we first met. I didn't know you then. And it was just surface stuff. Nothing that would embarrass you."
\tSupersonic swallowed. "It's just kind of scary, knowing you can go into my head any time you want and read my most private thoughts."
\tKatrina grinned. "You mean like how you had a secret crush on Suzie Squirrel in the seventh grade?"
\tHe gasped, eyes going wider. "You saw that?"
\t"Millions of people did, you dummy. It was on your TV show."
\tSupersonic blinked. "Oh, that's right, it was. Sorry." He grinned sheepishly.
\t"Anyhow, what's so embarrassing about an adolescent crush? Everyone has them. And you gotta admit, she looked pretty cute in that flowered skirt."
\tSupersonic blushed, remembering. "Yeah, she did."
\tKatrina stood up and resumed walking. "You know, that's something I never understood. How come the boy animals could run around naked—or just wearing a hat or a vest or something—but the girl animals all had to wear skirts?"
\tSupersonic shrugged. "I guess so the audience could tell they were girls. Anyway, it's not like those skirts covered a whole lot."
\t"It stills seems sexist."
\t"It was the early '60s, Kat."
\t"Yeah, yeah. Come on, let's try this way."
\tThey turned a corner and found themselves facing an alley that dead-ended in a chain-link fence gate bearing a sign whose lettering was almost obscured by rust. The alley was bordered on either side by cinderblock walls eight feet high, covered with ivy and topped by strands of barbed wire. A guardhouse stood silent vigil over the padlocked gate. Curious, they walked toward it, and Supersonic began reading the sign aloud as they approached. "Warning: controlled area. Entry prohibited without permission of commander of Eagle Mountain Air Force station. Personnel entering this area agree to a search of their vehicle and/or persons if directed by the above commander." They stopped just short of the gate, and he peered through it at the crumbling buildings beyond. "Looks deserted." Then he felt Katrina's grip on his hand tighten, and he looked up at her. "What's wrong, Kat?"
\t"I'm feeling it again," she replied. "That presence. It's stronger now."
\t"What, here? Look at this place, Kat. It's been abandoned for years!"
\t"Then why is the padlock on the gate brand new?"
\tSupersonic looked at the padlock. It was bright and shiny, quite unlike the rusty gate itself. "Maybe the old one got broken and they replaced it," he suggested. "Even if it's abandoned, they don't want people going inside and getting hurt. Plus, they don't want it to become a hangout for winos and junkies."
\t"There's also a plant in the window of the guardhouse," said Katrina, nodding at it. "Plants need to be watered."
\t"Not if they're plastic," Supersonic countered.
\t"You could always fly over the gate and check."
\tSupersonic looked uneasy. "I don't know. We're not supposed to go in there."
\t"What difference will it make, if it's been abandoned?"
\t"It would still be trespassing on government property!"
\t"Oh, for pity's sake! Fine, I'll do it myself!" She went up to the gate and hooked her fingers into the fencing.
\t"No, wait!" Supersonic cried, running up to her. "I'll do it," he said, resignedly.
\t"You sure?" Katrina asked.
\tHe nodded. "If you got hurt climbing over that fence, I'd never forgive myself. Plus, I'm a registered hero, so at least I have some official status. You're just a civilian . . . whose powers should be registered with the government!" he added, scowling up at her with his hands on his hips.
\tKatrina groaned. "Please, let's not start that again! I'm not registering my powers with anyone!"
\t"Fine!" Supersonic turned, spread his arm webs, and summoned a gust of wind that lifted him off the ground and over the fence. He flew over to the window of the guardhouse and peered through it at the plant Katrina had indicated. It was obviously real. Since he was already inside, he decided to do a quick flight around the supposedly abandoned base. As he soared across the rooftops, he noticed a very modern-looking satellite dish nestled between two buildings, out of sight of the street. On the ground near it was a steel rotary turbine ventilator, which was spinning even though there was no wind. Both the dish and the ventilator were in perfect condition. He landed beside a large building with a garage door in the side and examined it. There were fresh tire marks leading up to it. Frowning, he took off and flew back to rejoin Katrina.

\tA man wearing a black T-shirt, camouflage pants, black boots, and a black beret walked up to a door and pressed the button beside it. A moment later, the door slid open and he stepped inside. "Director," he said to the man sitting at the desk in the darkened office, "there's been a paranormal incursion."
\tThe director lifted his steel-blue eyes from the reports he was studying. "Details?" he asked, emotionlessly.
\t"It was that cartoon squirrel who was brought to life by magic a few months ago."
\t"Ah, yes, Supersonic Squirrel. Did he find anything out?"
\t"He overflew the base, sir. He can't have failed to notice that it isn't abandoned. There was also a girl with him. Twentyish, brown skin, white hair, blue eyes. We're still trying to identify her."
\t"Any indication of paranormal abilities?"
\t"None so far. If she has any, they're not registered. She's not in our database."
\t"I see."
\tThe man waited a moment while the director thought. "Orders, sir?" he asked, finally.
\t"Take no action," the director replied. "It's possible they were just curious and that nothing will come of this."
\t"And if something does come of it, sir?"
\t"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Dismissed."
\tThe man turned and left.

\t"You sure we can trust this guy?" Katrina asked dubiously, as Supersonic sat down at the dining room table of the house they were renting and opened up a laptop computer.
\t"He's a retired Air Force colonel and military historian," Supersonic replied as the machine booted up. "I met him at a signing for one of his books. Military history is a hobby of mine. He seemed like a stand-up guy. He's also a fan of my show."
\tKatrina shrugged. "Oh, well, if he's a fan of your show, then he must be okay!"
\tThe monitor lit up with the image of a man in his sixties with thinning white hair, moustache, and beard and watery blue eyes, wearing a white fisherman's sweater. His lined face split with a wide grin when he saw who was calling. "Supersonic Squirrel! Nice to see you again, kid! How's it going?"
\t"Fine, Colonel Jensen," said Supersonic, grinning back at him. "Oh, this is Katrina Werner." He gestured at Katrina, who was standing behind him. "She's a friend of mine. I was wondering if you could help us with something."
\t"Please, call me Abe," Jensen said. "And sure, anything for Supersonic Squirrel. What's on your mind?"
\t"Are you familiar with Eagle Mountain Air Force station?" Supersonic asked.
\t"Eagle Mountain?" Jensen asked, raising an eyebrow. "Jesus, that's going back a ways!"
\tSupersonic leaned forward, his tail twitching. "You've heard of it, then?"
\t"Sure, I've heard of it! It used to be the nerve center for the entire West Coast defense network. They built it back in '42. Hollowed out the whole mountain, six stories deep."
\t"Why would they build a top secret military base in the middle of a major city?" Katrina asked.
\tJensen shrugged. "Like hiding a diamond in a pile of broken glass. Back then, they were seriously worried about Japanese carrier planes bombing Los Angeles, since most of the U.S. Pacific fleet was at the bottom of Pearl Harbor. With so many potential targets around the base, what were the odds they'd pick the right one? And they'd have to drop a bomb right down one of the ventilation shafts to do any real damage." He tilted his head. "Why the interest in Eagle Mountain?"
\t"Katrina and I stumbled across it while we were walking around Hollywood Hills," Supersonic replied. "It's not still in use, is it?"
\tJensen laughed. "Hell, no! The Air Force closed it down in . . . '75, I think. It's been derelict since then."
\tSupersonic nodded. "Yeah, it looked pretty deserted."
\t"Where would we be able to find some blueprints of it?" Katrina asked, causing Supersonic to look at her in surprise.
\t"There's probably a set gathering dust in some file room in the Pentagon," Jensen replied, "but it would take some digging to find them. I doubt they're available online. All the information on Eagle Mountain has been declassified, but I can't imagine anyone would bother posting it. The place is a relic."
\t"Well, thank you very much for your help, Colonel . . . I mean, Abe," said Supersonic.
\t"No problem!" said Jensen, smiling. "Always nice to talk to a young fellow who's interested in military history. Call me anytime!"
\tKatrina giggled as the screen went blank. "Young fellow? You're older than he is!"
\t"Well, only in terms of my birthdate," said Supersonic. "By my reckoning, I'm eighteen, which makes me younger than you!"
\t"Does that mean I'm robbing the cradle?" Katrina asked, bending down and kissing his furry cheek.
\tSupersonic sighed with pleasure at the kiss, closing his eyes. Then he opened them again. "Why did you ask him about blueprints?"
\t"Oh, I thought maybe we might poke around down there a little."
\tSupersonic turned his head and stared at her. "Poke around? Kat, that's government property!"
\t"Which is still in use, even though it's supposed to have been abandoned."
\t"That's even more reason not to do it! If the government is doing something secret down there, they're gonna want it to stay a secret!"
\tShe looked at him reproachfully. "You're not even the least bit curious?"
\t"Sure, I'm curious, but whatever they're doing down there, I'm sure there's a good reason they don't want anyone to know about it!"
\tKatrina smirked. "You're way too trusting, Supersonic."
\t"And you're way too paranoid!" the squirrel shot back.
\t"Yeah, well, you didn't live through Vietnam and Watergate!"
\t"Neither did you!"
\tThey stared at each other in silence for a moment. Then Supersonic bit his lip and his big eyes began to glisten. "I'm starting to think this isn't gonna work out," he said at last. "Maybe we're just too different."
\tKatrina sighed, put her arms around his small gray form and pulled it to her. "I'm sorry, baby. You know how I feel about you. You're a great guy. Just a little naive." She kissed him on his muzzle, eliciting a happy growl deep in his throat. Supersonic hugged her and returned her kiss.
\t"You know," said Supersonic, between kisses, "I just thought of something."
\t"Mmm," Katrina replied, running her fingers down his furry back. "Does it involve a gallon of whipped cream?"
\tSupersonic blushed. "No. What if someone else is using Eagle Mountain?"
\tKatrina blinked and drew her mouth back from his. "That's a thought!"
\t"I mean, the place has been abandoned for decades, and I doubt the government has been checking in on it. Anyone could have moved in and taken it over—VIPER, ARGENT, DEMON, PSI . . ."
\tKatrina nodded. "The Church of the Sub-Genius."
\t"The what?" Supersonic asked, baffled.
\t"Nevermind. Yeah, we should definitely check it out."
\t"But what if it turns out it is the government down there?" asked Supersonic.
\t"Then we'll just tell them we had a legitimate concern and were investigating to make sure there was no danger. You're a registered hero, so they'll believe you're on the side of right, right?"
\tSupersonic nodded. "When do you wanna do this?"
\t"Probably best to wait until dark," Katrina replied.
\t"We've got a few hours to kill, then."
\tBoth their eyes wandered to the bedroom, then back to each other.
\t"But it's daytime," said Katrina, smiling at him.
\tThe squirrel grinned. "Who cares?"
\tThey both raced for the bedroom.

\tThe fading sun bathed the rolling hills in a warm, orange glow, casting long shadows as Supersonic and Katrina made their way through the dry brush that surrounded Eagle Mountain. As the twilight deepened, Katrina removed a small but powerful LED flashlight from her jacket and played it around on the ground before them.
\t"You sure we're in the right place?" Supersonic asked doubtfully.
\t"We should be," Katrina replied, "according to the blueprints."
\tSupersonic looked around as well, his big squirrel eyes able to see better in the gathering dusk than Katrina's could. "I still can't believe someone posted those."
\t"You're not the only military history buff out there, you know," Katrina said, the brush rustling as she walked through it, sweeping her flashlight around. "I should be wearing a bowler hat."
\tSupersonic looked up at her, puzzled. "Why a bowler hat?"
\t"NBC Sunday Mystery Movie, 1971 to 1977. The intro had a guy in a bowler hat walking through the desert at night holding a flashlight, with theme music by the great Henry Mancini."
\t"The Pink Panther guy?" Supersonic asked.
\tKatrina nodded. "The Pink Panther theme, the Peter Gunn theme, the Baby Elephant Walk from Hatari!, Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany's,—the man was a freaking genius!"
\tSupersonic shook his head. "I'm amazed you know about stuff that old."
\tKatrina smiled at him. "You know I like old things."
\tThe squirrel grinned sheepishly, then stopped and pointed as his eyes caught something. "Over there!"
\tKatrina aimed the flashlight in the direction Supersonic was pointing in, illuminating a square concrete slab covered in graffiti, four feet on each side and about a foot high, with a rusty steel plate atop it. They both ran over to it.
\t"This has to be the ventilation shaft that leads down to the second level," said Katrina.
\t"Looks like it's been sealed off," Supersonic commented.
\t"Perfect!" said Katrina. "Then there probably aren't any alarms."
\t"I'm still not sure this is a good idea," said Supersonic. "This is government property!"
\tKatrina sighed. "Just imagine it's VIPER down there."
\tSupersonic nodded. "Stand back."
\tKatrina moved away as the squirrel covered his eyes with his goggles and began building up a ball of super-compressed air between his hands. He flew up above the opening, to minimize the chance of being hit by shrapnel, and released the ball straight down. It slammed into the steel plate with an impact like a sonic boom, and his ears were raked by the screeching sound of tortured metal as the plate ruptured inward. He landed beside it and inspected the damage as Katrina rejoined him. His blast had punched a hole through the plate about two feet in diameter. "Jeez!" said Katrina. "Remind me to never get you pissed at me!"
\tShe pointed her light downward. The beam revealed a concrete shaft that descended into darkness with rusty steel rungs on one side. "Looks okay," said Supersonic, "as long as we're careful not to cut ourselves on the edges of the hole."
\tKatrina nodded. "I'll go first." She moved to climb down.
\t"Oh no," the squirrel said, putting his hands on her shoulders and holding her back. "I'm going in first."
\t"Don't give me any macho bullshit, Supersonic," Katrina growled at him.
\t"It's not macho BS," the squirrel replied calmly. "It's just practical. I can fly and you can't. If you slip, there's nothing to stop your fall. I'll go in first. Then you come down, and I'll put my arms around you and lower us both to the bottom."
\t"Okay, that makes sense," said Katrina. "Sorry about the bullshit remark."
\tSupersonic smiled. "You know I'd never patronize you, Kat." Mindful of the jagged teeth of downward-pointing metal, he floated down carefully through the opening, descended a few feet, and waited while Katrina climbed through as well. Once she was clear of the opening, he flew up to her, wrapping his arms around her. She let go of the rungs, and they slowly descended together.
\t"This is actually kind of fun," Katrina said, smiling at him.
\t"Think they'll give us adjoining cells in Stronghold Prison?" Supersonic asked, smirking.
\t"Doubtful," Katrina replied. "But they might allow us conjugal visits." She kissed his furry cheek, which made him blush.
\tAfter descending for about thirty feet, the shaft opened into a horizontal tunnel four feet high. Supersonic could stand upright easily, but Katrina was forced to crouch. She shone her light down the tunnel, revealing bundles of wires running along one side. The floor was dry and dusty, but free of debris. The pair began moving down the tunnel. After a short distance, they found themselves facing an iron grate, which Supersonic reached his arm through and unlatched, swinging it open. They climbed out into a room, one wall of which was taken up with banks of dials, switches, and wheels.
\t"Looks like something from my time," Supersonic commented.
\tKatrina nodded, playing her light across it. "Yeah, definitely 1960s technology, maybe older."
\tSupersonic went over and randomly flipped some of the switches and spun some of the wheels. "Whatever it is, it's dead. I don't think anyone's used this equipment since 1975." He turned back to Katrina. She was standing rigid, her eyes wide. "Kat?" he asked. "Is something wrong?"
\tShe dropped her flashlight, grabbed her head, and emitted an ear-piercing scream.

\tIn the main laboratory, four doctors stood over a small figure lying on an operating table. Each of the doctors was wearing a biological containment suit covering their entire body. The figure on the table was humanoid, its pale form illuminated by the bright overhead lights. It might have been a human child, save that the cranium was somewhat larger than normal and hairless, and the body had no nipples, navel, or genitals.
\t"Ready to begin, Dr. Marshall?" one of them asked.
\tMarshall nodded, and started speaking. "The subject's skin is smooth and featureless, with no identifying marks or scars of any kind, and has a slightly blue-gray tint. I'm going to make an incision along the ventral surface, starting at the clavicular notch and working down toward the pubis." He pressed the blade of his scalpel to the base of the figure's throat. The blade sank into the skin, and blue-white fluid welled up around it. "The skin is rubbery and more resistant to penetration than human skin. The blood is bluish-white in color, suggesting a possible copper base. It's also—" He stopped in mid-sentence as a woman's scream rang out from the air vent in the ceiling. "What the hell?"
\t"Continue with the autopsy, doctor," came a calm voice through the intercom. In the observation deck overlooking the operating theater, the director turned to his security chief. "Find out where that came from."
\tThe security chief nodded and left. A slim man with black hair and an olive complexion stepped up beside the director. He was dressed in a brown suit and wore steel-rimmed glasses and polished black-and-white shoes. "You think this has anything to do with that incident earlier today?" he asked.
\t"I expect it almost certainly does," the director replied quietly.
\tThe man scowled. "Damn supers, always sticking their noses in where they don't belong."
\tThe director looked at him with steel-blue eyes. "If they didn't do that, Mr. Abruzzi, it's very likely that none of us would be here now."
\tAbruzzi frowned. "Be that as it may, what do you intend to do about this?"
\tThe director was about to reply when a second scream echoed from the air vent above them. "I intend to wait and see, Mr. Abruzzi," he said when it had died down, "and I suggest you refrain from telling your superiors at the Justice Department about this until we have a clearer idea of what's going on."
\tAbruzzi simply nodded as a third scream came from the vent. "It's your show, director."

\tSupersonic Squirrel tried desperately to hold Katrina still as she thrashed about hysterically on the dusty floor, screaming. "Kat!" he exclaimed, confused and worried. "What's wrong? What's happening?" He didn't notice when two men ran into the room, wearing flak vests over black T-shirts, camouflage pants, black boots, and black berets and carrying high-tech-looking rifles. The men paused at the unusual sight of a three-foot gray squirrel wearing a flying helmet and goggles grappling with a screaming girl on the floor. Then one raised an odd-looking pistol and fired a beam of energy at Supersonic, who immediately collapsed, unconscious.
\tSeeing him go down snapped Katrina back to reality. She glared at the two men and lashed out with a devastating mental blast, overloading with psychic energy the nervous system of the one who had shot Supersonic, dropping him. The other drew his own pistol and fired at Katrina, and she joined the squirrel in unconsciousness on the floor.

\tSupersonic awoke lying on a single bed in a barren room whose walls were painted olive drab. The squirrel groaned and grasped his head, which was throbbing with pain. Looking around, he saw Katrina lying asleep on another bed nearby. He jumped down off his bed, ran to her, and shook her gently. "Kat? Wake up, Kat!"
\tKatrina's eyes opened, and she, too, groaned and put a hand to her forehead. "Oh wow! I've got an Excedrin headache number zillion!"
\t"Did you see who hit us?" Supersonic asked. "My back was turned."
\t"A couple of soldiers wearing black berets," Katrina replied.
\t"Black berets?" asked Supersonic. "That sounds like PRIMUS!"
\t"That bunch of fascists!" Katrina scowled.
\tThe squirrel blinked. "Why do you call them that?"
\t"Because they are!"
\tSupersonic frowned. "I hear that word get thrown around a lot, and most of the time, I don't think it's being used properly. Back in my day, there were a lot of people who called anyone who disagreed with them about anything a communist. It was wrong then, and it's wrong now. PRIMUS protects America from superpowered threats, like VIPER, DEMON, and PSI. You know, the guys we were afraid might be down here?"
\t"You know they want to enact a law that'll require all telepaths to take psi suppressant drugs, right?" Katrina asked.
\t"Yeah, and you're kind of making their case for them!"
\tTheir conversation was interrupted as the door opened and two men walked into the room. One was tall, square-jawed, and muscular, with wavy blond hair and blue eyes, wearing a skin-tight costume with blue sleeves, leggings, belt, and mask and a golden torso, pauldons, wrist bracers, thigh bands, and boots. On the left side of his chest was the presidential eagle. His companion was a slim, black-haired, swarthy man wearing steel-rimmed glasses, a brown suit, and polished black-and-white shoes. "Hello," the blond man said. "I'm the Golden Avenger, director of the Paranormal Research and Investigation Mission of the United States."
\t"Hello, sir," said Supersonic, bowing his head respectfully.
\t"We know who you are," said Katrina, glaring at the Avenger.
\tThe Golden Avenger gestured to the other man. "This is special agent Anthony Abruzzi, my Justice Department liason."
\t"How do you do?" Abruzzi asked.
\t"Oh, just peachy!" said Katrina, smirking. "I love getting shot by jack-booted thugs! Always brightens my day!"
\t"You were trespassing on government property!" snarled Abruzzi. "Those agents were well within their rights! You're lucky they only used nerve stunners!"
\tThe Golden Avenger glanced at him. "Mr. Abruzzi, if you please. There's no need for hostility. We're all on the same side here."
\t"That's a matter of opinion," Katrina growled.
\t"Kat, be nice!" said Supersonic. He turned back to the Avenger. "Sir, I apologize for the intrusion. We noticed Eagle Mountain was active when it was supposed to have been abandoned, and we thought someone like VIPER or DEMON might have taken it over. We didn't know PRIMUS was using it."
\tThe Golden Avenger nodded. "A reasonable concern. It speaks well for your vigilance, and your desire to protect your country from such malevolent threats."
\tSupersonic grinned, buck teeth gleaming, his furry chest swelling with pride. "Thank you, sir!"
\t"However," the Avenger continued, "there is something that puzzles me. We were alerted to your presence when this young lady," he nodded at Katrina, "began screaming. The agents who apprehended you said she was already screaming when they arrived, so it clearly wasn't because she was afraid of them." His steely eyes focused on Katrina. "Why were you screaming, miss?"
\t"I . . . saw a spider," Katrina replied.
\tThe Golden Avenger raised an eyebrow. "Are you that afraid of spiders?"
\tKatrina nodded. "It was a really big one."
\tThe Avenger sighed. "Miss, please stop being disingenuous. We know you have telepathic abilities. You knocked out an agent with some kind of mental attack. Did you feel or sense something that frightened you?"
\tKatrina folded her arms and looked up at the ceiling. "I'm taking the Fifth."
\t"You can't do that once you've already started answering questions!" Abruzzi retorted.
\tKatrina glared at him. "Watch me!"
\t"Miss," said the Golden Avenger patiently, "these aren't legal proceedings. You haven't been arrested or accused of anything . . . yet."
\t"Good!" said Katrina, smiling. "Then we're free to go! Come on, Supersonic!"
\t"I don't think you quite understand how serious this situation is, miss," said the Avenger, solemnly. "You may have gained access to classified information in this facility, in which case you could be charged with espionage."
\t"Good luck proving that!" Katrina sneered.
\t"One thing I can prove is that you are both guilty of trespassing on government property," said the Golden Avenger. "And I can hold you for twenty-four hours without leveling formal charges."
\t"You still have to provide us with legal counsel," Katrina shot back. "And we get a phone call. That's the law!"
\t"You smug little bitch!" Abruzzi snarled.
\t"Hey!" Supersonic protested indignantly.
\t"Mr. Abruzzi!" said the Golden Avenger, raising his voice for the first time and frowning at him in disapproval, which made him fall silent. He turned back to Supersonic and Katrina. "I'll see what I can do about getting you a phone and a lawyer. Is there anything else you'd like in the meantime?"
\t"Some aspirin?" Supersonic asked meekly.
\tThe Avenger nodded. "I'll see that you get it. Come along, Mr. Abruzzi." They both departed, and the door locked behind them.
\tKatrina looked over at Supersonic and smiled. "Thanks for not giving me up, lover."
\tThe squirrel blushed beneath his fur. "You know I couldn't do that. I still don't understand why you're being so difficult, though. They're not the enemy."
\t"Not to you," Katrina growled.
\t"Why did you start screaming, Kat?" Supersonic asked.
\tKatrina reached out with her mind and touched the squirrel's brain. "I felt pain," she thought to him. "Incredible, god-awful pain!"
\tSupersonic's eyes widened. "Pain from who?" he thought back.
\t"I don't know. They're hiding something, boyfriend. We've got to find out what it is."
\t"How are we gonna do that?" the squirrel asked.
\t"Not by staying in here. You could blow that door off its hinges, you know."
\tSupersonic shook his head. "I'm not getting us in any more trouble than we're already in!"
\t"We're already in more trouble than we're already in!"
\t"Let's just wait and see how things go," said Supersonic.
\tKatrina smirked. "Fine. Just don't blame me if we both end up with our faces on milk cartons."

\tAbruzzi seethed as he and the Golden Avenger walked down the hall together. "You know that girl's a telepath!"
\t"Knowing something and proving it are two different things, Mr. Abruzzi," the Golden Avenger replied. "As an agent of the Justice Department, I'd think you'd be aware of that."
\t"Do you think they know about the aliens?"
\t"It's possible the girl may have overheard someone thinking about it."
\t"So, what are you going to do?" Abruzzi asked. "It's only a matter of time before that damn squirrel starts blasting his way out of here! Then the shit'll really hit the fan!"
\t"I'm considering all my options, Mr. Abruzzi. In the meantime, I'm going to have a Porgrave receiver set up outside their room. If the girl broadcasts any telepathic messages, I want to know about them. And while I know you're not a fan of paranormals, please try to refrain from antagonizing them further. It doesn't make things any easier."
\tAbruzzi nodded and stuck his hands in his pockets as he walked along. "It's still your show, director."

\tKatrina hurled the magazine she'd been reading against the wall, making Supersonic Squirrel jump. "I hate this!" she growled. "I hate being locked up!" She looked over at the squirrel, who was sitting on one of the beds, holding another magazine. "They have no right to do this!"
\t"You know they do, Kat," Supersonic replied calmly.
\t"We're supposed to get a phone call!"
\tThe squirrel sighed. "It's not like we got caught shoplifting. We broke into a top secret base!"
\t"Why are you taking their side?" Katrina demanded.
\t"Because we made a mistake," Supersonic replied. "When you make a mistake, you take responsibility for it. That's the grown-up thing to do." He bit his lip. "And I've been doing a lot of growing up the past few weeks."
\tKatrina came over, sat down on the bed beside him, and put her arm around him. "Any regrets?"
\t"Not about anything we've done together. I mean, I do kind of miss the guy I used to be, but I've learned so much about myself. You've opened a lot of doors for me, Kat."
\t"I wish I could open that one," Katrina said, glaring at the door to their room.
\t"We just have to be patient," said Supersonic. "Things'll work themselves out, eventually."
\tKatrina shook her head. "You're so trusting."
\tThe squirrel smiled up at her. "I trusted you, didn't I?"
\tKatrina smiled and leaned down, kissing him, and they embraced. Then they quickly broke the kiss and let go of each other as they heard the door unlock. It opened to reveal a PRIMUS agent. "Come with me, please," he said.
\tThey both hopped off the bed and went over to him. He led them out of the room and down a series of corridors. On the way, they passed a number of PRIMUS agents, who stared at them as they went by. Some of the agents bore cybernetic prostheses, a reminder of the inherent danger of their occupation. They arrived at a steel door guarded by two PRIMUS agents, one of whom pressed a button beside it. A moment later, the door slid open, and their escort led them inside. They entered a large room that was noticably colder than the corridor. Inside were the Golden Avenger, Abruzzi, several PRIMUS agents, and a number of men and women in white lab coats. In the center of the room were three transparent horizontal cylinders, each of which contained a small, naked, pale-skinned humanoid with a slightly enlarged head, lying motionless inside. Katrina took one look at the creatures and collapsed to the floor.
\t"Kat!" Supersonic cried, catching her and cradling her in his arms.
\t"Revive her," the Golden Avenger instructed one of the doctors.
\tThe doctor crouched beside Katrina and broke a capsule of smelling salts under her nose, which roused her to consciousness. She blinked, got unsteadily to her feet, and stared at the creatures in the cylinders for a moment. Then she turned to the Avenger. "They want to know what happened to their friend," she said.
\t"I knew it!" exclaimed Abruzzi.
\t"You can communicate with these creatures?" the Golden Avenger asked Katrina.
\t"I can hear them," Katrina replied. "They want to know where their friend is. That's all I'm getting."
\t"You're lying!" one of the doctors said accusingly. "We did an EEG on each of them! They were completely flat! Even people in deep comas still have some brain activity! With these things, the machine might as well have been hooked up to a wax dummy!"
\t"Ever think that maybe your machine might not work on aliens?" Katrina shot back.
\t"Why would she lie, Dr. Marshall?" the Golden Avenger asked calmly. "What would she gain by it? And how could she have known there were originally four of them?"
\tKatrina turned to the Avenger. "So where's the fourth one?"
\tThe Golden Avenger was silent for a moment. "Come with me, please," he said finally, and began heading toward the door.
\t"Where is he?" Katrina demanded.
\t"Your question will be answered," the Avenger said, "but there are things you need to know first. Now, please, come with me." Katrina followed him, as did Supersonic and Abruzzi. They walked down the corridor and entered a small, spartan office. The Golden Avenger sat down at a desk, and Katrina, Supersonic, and Abruzzi all found themselves chairs.
\t"Sixteen days ago," the Avenger said, "the Army was testing a new anti-tank laser at a top secret testing range in Nevada. During the test, several military and civilian employees noticed a luminous object hovering nearby. The OC directed the civilian test crew to fire the laser at the object, which they did. There was a bright flash, and the object fell to the ground. Upon inspection, the object appeared to be an alien craft with an unknown source of power. It also contained the remains of four humanoid beings."
\t"Remains?" asked Katrina. "Those aren't remains! They're alive!"
\t"Apparently, the aliens were in some kind of dormant state," said the Golden Avenger. "Our medical team thoroughly examined them. They gave them EEGs, CAT scans, MRIs, the works. There was no indication of any metabolic activity. As far as anyone could tell, the aliens were dead, presumably killed in the crash."
\tKatrina's eyes widened. "You cut one up, didn't you? That was the pain I felt!"
\tThe Avenger nodded. "Dr. Marshall was in the process of performing an autopsy on one of them when we heard you scream. At the time, there was nothing to connect the two events. The timing might have simply been a coincidence. But then I began to suspect it might be more than that, so I decided to bring you to the aliens and see what happened. And it appears my suspicion was correct."
\tKatrina glared at him. "That alien died in agony! That makes you a murderer!"
\tThe Golden Avenger looked unperturbed. "We had no way of knowing it was still alive. Every test said it was as dead as a doornail. I deeply regret what happened, but nothing can be done about it now."
\t"Why all the secrecy, though?" asked Supersonic. "I mean, it's not like people don't know aliens exist. How many times has Earth been invaded? There were the Sirians in 1938, the Qularr in 1965, the Gadroon in 1977 and 1984, and the Qularr again in 2009! Heck, Ironclad of the Champions is an alien, and his son Ironkid is half alien and a member of my superteam! And the wreck of a giant Qularr mothership is lying in the middle of the Detroit River! I think the cat's out of the bag!"
\t"All of that is correct," the Golden Avenger replied, "but this is a race we've never encountered before. We know absolutely nothing about them." He turned his gaze to Katrina. "And that is where I'm hoping you might be able to help us."
\tKatrina smirked. "Why would I want to help you?"
\t"To prevent another tragedy like the alien's death that you felt. We don't know what we're dealing with here. Until we know more, we have to assume these aliens are dangerous, for everyone's safety. You might be able to help us learn more about them so we can determine what, if any, threat they pose. We have no desire to harm these creatures. They might turn out to be valuable allies against hostile alien species. Or they might be advance scouts for another invasion. Or they might be harmless tourists. But we have to know!" He looked at Katrina imploringly. "Help us find out."
\t"Do I have a choice?" Katrina asked suspiciously.
\t"We can't force you to cooperate," the Golden Avenger replied, "but I'd hope you would, if only to avoid any further mistakes on our part."
\t"Don't you have other telepaths you can call upon?" asked Katrina.
\tThe Avenger nodded. "We do, but we're trying to keep the number of people in the know as small as possible to avoid leaks, and since you already know . . ."
\tKatrina frowned and glanced over at Supersonic, who was looking up at her. "He makes a good case, Kat," the squirrel said. "I think you should help."
\tKatrina looked back at the Golden Avenger. "Okay. I'll see what I can do."
\tThe Avenger held out a hand to her. "Welcome aboard, miss."
\tShe shook it hesitantly. "Thanks."
\t"I imagine you're both tired and hungry. Feel free to avail yourselves of the amenities here, such as they are. Once you've eaten and rested, we can begin." He pressed a button on his desk. "Saunders, send someone to escort our guests to the mess hall, please."
\t"Thank you, sir!" said Supersonic, grinning. "I am pretty hungry!"
\tAfter they left the room, the Golden Avenger turned to Abruzzi. "I want to know everything there is to know about that girl. And I mean everything."
\tAbruzzi nodded. "I'm on it, director."

\tKatrina and Supersonic Squirrel sat facing each other at a table in the mess hall, chewing on leathery slices of microwaved pizza. There were also several PRIMUS agents in the room, who occasionally glanced at them but didn't speak.
\t"Awful quiet," Supersonic commented, looking around.
\tKatrina nodded. "They're keeping their minds blank. Their boss must have told them I'm a telepath."
\tSupersonic looked at her curiously. "Is something wrong, Kat?"
\t"I feel like a collaborator," she replied.
\t"You can't be a collaborator with your own government."
\t"It's not my government! I don't want any part of it!"
\t"Why not?" the squirrel asked. "What's so bad about it?"
\t"Read some history!"
\tSupersonic frowned. "I'm not ignorant of everything that's happened since my time, you know. I have read up on it."
\t"And you still trust the government?"
\tThe squirrel shrugged. "In my time, we trusted our government, for the most part. We didn't all approve of everything it did, but nobody gets what he wants all the time. Sometimes, the other fellow gets what he wants. But we still considered ourselves loyal Americans."
\t"Well, I don't! As far as I'm concerned, the government can go straight to hell!"
\tSupersonic nodded. "You know, my friends showed me a movie where the government had gone to hell. It was called The Road Warrior. I don't think I'd want to live in that world." He took a bite from his pizza.
\tKatrina looked at him sharply. "You'd rather live in a world where everyone's a good little patriotic zombie?"
\t"Those are the choices?" Supersonic asked. "The Road Warrior or 1984? I think there's room for something in between, Kat."
\tA PRIMUS agent entered the mess hall and came over to their table. "The Golden Avenger requests your presence in the laboratory at your earliest convenience," he said.
\tKatrina sighed. "Big Brother is calling."
\tThey quickly finished their pizza and accompanied the PRIMUS agent back to the laboratory. The Golden Avenger was waiting for them, along with Abruzzi, Dr. Marshall, and several technicians. A complex-looking device that hadn't been there before was now set up in the room. "This is a Porgrave receiver," the Avenger said, gesturing at the device. "It picks up telepathic transmissions. We haven't heard any from the aliens yet, but they may be using a technique the machine can't read, or they may simply be keeping silent. Hopefully, we'll be able to adjust it so that we can hear your conversations with them."
\tKatrina smirked. "Want to make sure I don't tell them anything important?"
\t"I doubt there's anything you could tell them that would concern us," the Avenger replied. "We're more interested in what they have to say."
\tKatrina nodded. Turning toward the three small figures lying in their clear cylinders, she closed her eyes and reached out to them with her mind. Supersonic bit his lip, watching her anxiously as minutes ticked by and technicians fiddled with the receiver. Finally, she opened her eyes. "They need light," she said.
\t"Light?" the Golden Avenger asked.
\tKatrina nodded.
\tSupersonic glanced at the reciever. It remained silent.
\t"Can you understand anything else?" asked the Avenger.
\t"No," Katrina said.
\t"Is that all they're saying," Abruzzi asked, "or is that all you can understand?"
\t"They're not using words," said Katrina. "It's more like impressions, images." She looked at the Avenger. "They need light."
\t"They must be photosynthetic," Marshall said.
\t"Like plants?" Supersonic asked, astonished.
\tMarshall nodded. "It would explain their lack of any digestive system. They don't need one."
\t"But they're not green," Supersonic pointed out.
\t"There are other light-sensitive pigments besides chlorophyll," said Marshall. "And we have no idea what color their sun is."
\tThe Golden Avenger nodded. "What are your recommendations, doctor?"
\t"Well, we could bathe them in the full spectrum of visible light, see if that revives them."
\t"Do we really want to risk that?" Abruzzi asked. "We have no idea what they'll do if they wake up."
\t"We have to," said Marshall. "We have three potential fountains of knowledge here."
\t"Or three potential world-conquering monsters!" Abruzzi shot back.
\t"We have no proof they're hostile," countered Marshall.
\t"We have no proof they aren't!"
\t"Gentlemen," said the Golden Avenger calmly, "I don't believe that any of us has the authority to make this decision. I'll need to consult with the President."
\tAbruzzi and Marshall both nodded in agreement, and Supersonic felt a shiver run down his spine. It was thrilling to realize that he was only one step away from the President—him, a small-town squirrel from Minnesota! Then he noticed Katrina moving toward the wall. "Kat, what are you doing?" he asked.
\tKatrina didn't reply. Instead, she grabbed a fire axe from the wall and ran toward the nearest cylinder with the axe raised above her head. "Kat, stop!" Supersonic cried.
\tThe Golden Avenger reacted with blinding speed, a blue-and-gold streak intercepting Katrina and seizing her before she could strike. She snarled and unleashed a devastating mental blast that staggered the Avenger and allowed her to break free of his grasp. She raised the axe to strike at the cylinder.
\tHis throat tight, Supersonic Squirrel hurled a blast of wind at her, knocking her off her feet and into the wall, where she slumped to the floor, unconscious. Marshall ran to the girl and crouched beside her as Supersonic stood still, frozen by what he'd just done. The Golden Avenger, recovered from Katrina's mental attack, turned and looked at the shaken squirrel. "Good work, Supersonic," he said.
\tSupersonic just stood there, staring at Katrina, numb.

\tThe Golden Avenger was sitting at his desk in his office, twiddling a pen between his fingers as he considered what to say to the President, when his door buzzed. He pressed a button on his desk. The door opened, and Anthony Abruzzi and Dr. Marshall entered. The Avenger narrowed his eyes. The tense look on Abruzzi's face told him that his Justice Department liason had urgent news for him and that it probably wasn't good.
\tAbruzzi slapped a pair of photographs down on the Avenger's desk. "Take a look at these."
\tThe Golden Avenger picked up the two pictures and studied them. They were both aerial photographs of the same patch of desert, one with a dark circle on it, the other with a somewhat larger dark circle. His brow furrowed in consternation.
\t"What are those pictures of?" Marshall asked.
\t"The one on the left is the crash site shortly after the alien ship was removed," Abruzzi replied. "For a radius of 200 meters around ground zero, all vegetation died immediately. The one on the right is the same spot as of today. The area of devastation has increased by seventy percent."
\t"Was there any evidence of mutation in the new plant growth?" Marshall asked.
\t"There was no new plant growth," Abruzzi replied. "The soil now seems to have some kind of lethal quality. Samples of it seemed normal in all respects, but everything planted in the samples died immediately."
\t"Is the soil radioactive?" Marshall asked.
\t"Slightly, but not enough to account for this." He turned to the Avenger. "Director, I think we should consider moving the aliens out of here."
\tThe Avenger raised an eyebrow behind his mask. "What do you suggest? Put them on a truck and drive them through central Los Angeles?"
\tAbruzzi shrugged. "That's how we got them in here."
\t"Yes, but when we brought them in, we didn't know they were alive."
\t"Have you spoken to the President?" asked Marshall.
\t"Not yet," the Avenger replied. "This new information changes the picture considerably. How's the girl doing?"
\t"She's in the infirmary, recovering," Marshall replied. "That squirrel gave her a nasty knock on the head, but there's no indication of a concussion."
\t Abruzzi smirked. "I'm surprised he had it in him. He seems to be quite fond of her."
\t"He's from an older time," said the Avenger. "He knows where his patriotic duty lies."

\tSupersonic Squirrel sat in a chair in the infirmary, hunched over, his hands clasped atop his knees, his feet hanging above the floor, gazing anxiously at Katrina with his huge black eyes as she lay on a hospital bed, unconscious. He perked up as she groaned, put a hand to her head, and opened her eyes. "Kat?" Supersonic asked. "Are you okay?"
\t"Fine," she replied, "except that my head feels like someone drove a spike through it."
\tThe squirrel bit his lip. "I'm so sorry about that. I acted out of instinct."
\tShe turned her head and looked at him dispassionately. "You know, I'm not even surprised. You were just being a good little soldier."
\t"I didn't want you to be hurt, Kat!"
\t"You sure have a funny way of showing it."
\t"For Pete's sake, you mind-blasted the Golden Avenger! They might have shot you!"
\tShe raised herself on her elbows. "And that was the only reason? Your concern for my safety?"
\t"Well, I also didn't want you smashing open that cylinder and letting one of the aliens out. At least, not before we get the go-ahead from the President."
\t"Ah, yes, the President," said Katrina, saying the word with exaggerated emphasis. "Can't do anything without his say-so."
\t"Well, yeah!" said Supersonic. "He's the American people's elected representative, and this is a decision that affects every American! Who else should make it?"
\tKatrina smiled and shook her head. "God, you're so naive it's pathetic. Are you even capable of independent thought?"
\tThe squirrel flinched as he felt a shock of pain in his heart. "After all we've been through together, you can ask me that?"
\t"Suppose the President decides to have the aliens destroyed?" Katrina asked. "Would you stand by and let that happen?"
\t"I . . . I don't know," Supersonic admitted. "I don't think so . . ."
\t"They haven't done anything wrong, Supersonic. Not the slightest thing."
\tThe squirrel squirmed in his chair uneasily. "Can I ask you something, Kat?"
\t"What?"
\t"When you were trying to break the cylinder, was it you, or was one of the aliens controlling you?"
\tKatrina smirked. "How do you know one of them isn't controlling me right now?"
\tSupersonic shrugged. "I don't."
\t"Then it doesn't really matter what I say, does it?"
\t"Well, if you were being controlled, you'd probably say it was your own idea. And if they could do that, why wouldn't they just control the Golden Avenger? I doubt any of us could stop him."
\t"Sounds to me like you've answered your own question, then."
\tTheir conversation was interrupted by the buzzing sound of an alarm going off, and they both jerked their heads up.
\t"What the heck?" Supersonic asked.
\t"Come on," said Katrina, sliding off the bed. "Let's find out what's going on."
\tThey exited the infirmary into a hallway, where they bumped into several of the PRIMUS agents who were running in both directions. As they approached the Golden Avenger's office, they saw the Avenger, Abruzzi, and Marshall coming toward them.
\t"What's happening?" Supersonic asked.
\t"We just got a message from the crash site," the Avenger replied. "Of the thirty-four witnesses we had isolated, eleven have died and the rest are sick."
\tThe squirrel's eyes went wide. "Holy cow! What are we gonna do?"
\t"There's no alternative," the Avenger replied grimly. "I'm sealing the base."

\tKatrina and Supersonic stood side by side in the room with the three aliens, holding hands as they gazed at the small, pale figures lying motionless in their cylinders.
\t"You know," said Supersonic, "on my show we encountered a couple of moon men."
\tKatrina glanced at him. "What were they like?"
\t"Short. Green. Kind of goofy."
\t"Were they evil?"
\tThe squirrel shook his head. "No, they were friendly. Even helped me and my buddy out of some tight spots."
\t"What happened to them?"
\t"They became entertainers in Vegas. Famous celebrities."
\tKatrina looked back at the aliens and tilted her head. "I can see that happening with these three."
\tSupersonic sighed. "Maybe they did come here to destroy us."
\t"Why?" Katrina asked. "Why would they even care enough to bother? We must be like cavemen to them."
\tSupersonic shrugged his furry shoulders. "Who knows? But they must have come here for something." He looked up at her. "Are they saying anything?"
\tShe shook her head. "Not a peep."
\tThe squirrel swallowed. "Kat, if we don't get out of this, I just want to thank you for being my friend. It's really meant a lot to me."
\tKatrina smiled at him and squeezed his hand. "It's meant a lot to me, too, Supersonic. You're the first guy I've ever met who treated me like a lady. It's a nice change."
\tSupersonic squirmed in embarrassment. "Well, that's just how I was raised."
\t"You mean, it's how you were written," Katrina said, grinning.
\t"Yeah, I guess so."
\tThe Golden Avenger and Abruzzi entered the lab. "The ventilator shafts have been sealed," the Avenger announced. "We have about six hours before the air becomes unbreathable."
\t"Are you really prepared to kill everyone in this base?" Supersonic asked, eyes wide.
\tThe Avenger nodded. "If I have to."
\t"But we don't even know if what happened at the crash site will happen here!"
\t"We can't afford to take that risk," the Avenger replied. "I've spoken with the President, and he concurs with my decision." He looked at Katrina, his expression grim. "We need to talk to the aliens."
\t"I've been trying," Katrina said. "They don't answer."
\t"Maybe they're mad about what happened to their friend," Supersonic suggested.
\t"Wouldn't you be?" Katrina asked sharply.
\t"Yeah, but I'm not an alien."
\t"No," said Abruzzi, "you're a walking cartoon!"
\tSupersonic glared up at him. "I'm as alive as you are!"
\tKatrina smirked. "And no doubt better in bed, too."
\tSupersonic bit his lip and squirmed again.
\tThe Golden Avenger looked around. "Where's Marshall? I told him to meet us here."
\tOne of the technicians spoke up. "He went to his quarters, sir. He said he wasn't feeling well."
\tThe Avenger tapped his right ear. "Saunders, get a medical team to Dr. Marshall's quarters on the double!" Then he turned to the others. "Come on!" And with that, he bolted out the door, PRIMUS agents in the corridor jumping aside as he barrelled past them like a blue-and-gold freight train. Supersonic flew after him, leaving Katrina and Abruzzi to run along at an ordinary human pace.
\t When Katrina and Abruzzi arrived at Marshall's quarters, they found Supersonic and the Golden Avenger watching as Security Chief Saunders and three medical technicians tried to revive Marshall, who was lying sprawled on the floor, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. Saunders stood up as the med techs worked. "The other three doctors who participated in the autopsy are already dead," he said.
\tThe Avenger clenched his jaw. "What killed them?"
\t"Unknown, sir," Saunders replied. "Whatever it is, it's not airborne. They were all wearing sealed containment suits during the autopsy."
\t"Has anyone else gotten sick?" Abruzzi asked.
\tSaunders shook his head. "There've been no reports of any other illnesses."
\tThe Avenger gazed down at Marshall as the med techs labored to no effect, and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Why just those four?" he mused.
\t"They were closest to the alien," said Supersonic.
\t"And the ones most directly responsible for its death," Katrina added.
\tAbruzzi looked at her sharply. "Are you saying they were killed in retribution?"
\tKatrina shrugged. "Maybe?"
\tOne of the med techs stood up and turned toward the Golden Avenger. "It's no use, sir. Dr. Marshall is dead."
\tThe Avenger nodded. "If it's not airborne, then closing the ventilators won't help. I'll have them reopened."
\tSupersonic sighed in relief. "Good! At least we won't all suffocate!"
\t"No," said the Avenger, "but I don't dare let anyone leave the base until I'm sure that whatever killed Dr. Marshall and the others won't be spread to the outside world." He turned to Saunders. "Get everyone out of the room with the aliens. Seal the door. I don't want anyone to have any further contact with them."
\tSaunders nodded. "Understood, sir." He left the room to carry out his orders.
\tSupersonic heard Katrina's voice in his head. "I have an idea," she said.
\t"Does it involve the aliens we're not supposed to have any further contact with?" the squirrel thought back.
\t"What do you think?"
\t"I think you're gonna get us both in trouble again."
\t"News flash, Supersonic. We're already in trouble. Anyway, Goldie's just being paranoid. It's been established that whatever killed Marshall and the others isn't airborne. And we've both been in the alien room, so going in again isn't going to put us at any greater risk, is it?"
\t"It'll put us at greater risk of getting shot!"
\t"Please. That's the least of our worries."
\t"What exactly are you planning on doing?"
\t"I'll tell you on the way. Come on."
\tKatrina left the room, and Supersonic reluctantly followed her.

\tSupersonic and Katrina arrived back at the alien room as Saunders was in the process of ordering everyone out of it. They waited silently, standing to one side as technicians and PRIMUS agents departed, until only Saunders and themselves remained in the room. The security chief turned and looked at them. "Go on, you two! Get moving!" he ordered them.
\tKatrina smiled. "After you." She concentrated on Saunders. The security chief's face went blank, and he turned and walked out of the room.
\tSupersonic went to the steel door, shut it, and threw the bar that locked it. "Remember what I said about them giving us adjoining cells in Stronghold?" he asked.
\t"You'll look adorable in a little striped shirt and cap," said Katrina. She knelt down beside the Porgrave receiver, removed some tools from her jacket pocket, and began unscrewing a plate in its side.
\t"Where did you get those tools?" Supersonic asked, coming over to her.
\t"Found them," Katrina replied, opening up the machine.
\tThe squirrel snorted. "Stole them, you mean. And how do you know how this thing works?"
\t"It's an anti-psi device," said Katrina. "Do you really think I wouldn't educate myself about them? That would be like a burglar not knowing anything about alarms."
\t"I'm pretty sure there are burglars like that," Supersonic said.
\t"Yeah, and they're all in jail."
\tBoth their heads jerked up as a warning klaxon went off above them and a red light on the wall began flashing. "Speaking of alarms," said Supersonic.
\t"Shut that up, would you, honey?" Katrina asked him. "It's distracting."
\tThe squirrel sighed, raised a hand, and fired a blast of wind at the klaxon, destroying it. "It's not gonna take the Golden Avenger long to bash that door down. He's pretty strong."
\t"I just need a couple of minutes," said Katrina, working feverishly on the device.
\t"You really think you can use that thing to boost your psi abilities?"
\t"It contains a resonating psi amplifier to pick up low-level psychic transmissions, so in theory, it should work. Of course, I've never actually done this before."
\tSupersonic rolled his eyes. "How did I let you talk me into this?"
\t"Easy," Katrina replied. "You're in love with me. Don't worry, my furry little Romeo. Your Juliet has everything under control."
\t"You know, things didn't work out too good for them!" Supersonic said sharply.
\t"Only because Romeo was stupid," said Katrina. "If he hadn't been in such a hurry to off himself, Friar Laurence's plan would have worked, and he and Juliet would have lived happily ever after." There was a loud, reverberating pounding on the steel door. "Would you get that? I'm kind of busy."
\tThe squirrel sighed again and walked over to the door, his tail drooping. "Yes?"
\t"If you both surrender now," came the Golden Avenger's muffled but stern voice, "you have my word that no charges will be filed against you. We'll just forget this ever happened. Otherwise, I can't be responsible for the consequences."
\tSupersonic nodded. "I understand, sir."
\tThe Avenger's voice softened. "Supersonic, I know all about you. You're a good, loyal American. I've even considered inviting you to join PRIMUS."
\tThe squirrel's huge eyes blinked. "Really?"
\t"I think you have the makings of a fine PRIMUS agent. Now, I implore you, do your patriotic duty and open this door."
\t Supersonic glanced back at Katrina, who was still working on the receiver. Then he looked back at the door and swallowed. "I'm sorry, sir. I can't."
\t"Very well," said the Avenger. "I suggest you stand back, for your own safety."
\tSupersonic backed away from the door. A few seconds passed. Then, there was a tremendous impact that made him cover his ears as the steel door bulged inward. He looked over at Katrina. "You almost done?"
\tKatrina nodded, taping a pair of electrodes to her forehead. "Just about."
\t"Good, 'cause that door's not gonna last much longer!"
\tThere was another ringing impact, and the door bulged in even farther.
\t"I don't think it's gonna take another hit!" Supersonic shouted.
\tKatrina switched on the device. Instantly, her consciousness expanded to encompass the minds of everyone in Eagle Mountain, including the three aliens. She sat frozen, her face expressionless, as she was buried under an avalanche of thoughts, both human and alien. She felt as if she were drowning in information. She knew her mind could endure only a few moments of this before it cracked and she succumbed to madness. She focused on the three aliens, delving into the sea of strange images in their minds. God, they were so old! So many memories! She maintained contact as long as she dared, then tore the electrodes from her forehead, severing her connection to the receiver.
\tKatrina rose unsteadily to her feet and looked around the room. It was completely silent. Supersonic Squirrel was standing a few feet away, motionless, staring at the bulging steel door, waiting for the third blow that still hadn't come. She went to the wall, picked up the fire axe as she'd done before, and walked to the nearest alien's clear plastic cylinder. She raised the axe and brought it down as hard as she could, putting a crack in the cylinder. She struck a few more times, taking care not to harm the occupant, until there was a gaping hole in the top of the cylinder. The alien's eyes slowly opened. They were amber-colored, with slitted pupils, like those of a cat. The creature sat up and began climbing out of the cylinder, as Katrina went to the next one and repeated the process. Supersonic still had not moved.
\tOnce all the aliens were free, Katrina went over to Supersonic, crouched beside him, and touched his fuzzy cheek. The squirrel blinked and turned his head, looking at her, eyes wide. "What . . . what happened?" Then he saw the three aliens standing watching them. "Holy cow! You let them out?"
\t"It's okay, Supersonic," said Katrina, smiling. "They don't mean us any harm."
\t"How do you know?" asked Supersonic.
\t"Because I read their minds."
\t"But . . . what about Dr. Marshall and the others?" Supersonic protested.
\t"I'll explain that later. Right now, we need to get them out of here."
\tSupersonic swallowed. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
\t"Don't worry, they're not carrying any diseases."
\tOne of the aliens went to the steel door and touched it, and it fell inward, striking the floor with a loud clang. On the other side stood the Golden Avenger, Anthony Abruzzi, Security Chief Saunders, and several PRIMUS agents, all frozen. The Avenger appeared to be in the middle of preparing for another run at the door.
\t"What did you do to them?" Supersonic asked, staring at the motionless figures.
\t"I paralyzed everyone in Eagle Mountain while my powers were enhanced," said Katrina. "It won't last long, though. Come on, we have to get out of here."
\t"And go where?" asked Supersonic.
\t"Anywhere," said Katrina. "Anywhere but this loony bin."
\tKatrina and the three aliens made their way down the corridor past the frozen figures, and after a moment's hesitation, Supersonic followed them.
\tThey entered the elevator, and Katrina pressed the button for the ground level. As the box rose, Supersonic studied the three aliens curiously. They were all about a foot taller than himself, and while they appeared basically similar, there was enough variation in their facial features to tell them apart. They noticed him staring at them, and looked back at him with unblinking eyes.
\t"Hi," the squirrel said, smiling and extending his hand. "I'm Supersonic."
\t"Don't touch them!" Katrina snapped.
\tSupersonic yanked his hand back and looked up at her. "I thought you said they weren't dangerous!"
\t"I said they didn't mean us any harm," she replied. "I didn't say they weren't dangerous. Their bodies don't interact well with other living things."
\t"I don't understand," said Supersonic.
\t"They absorb the life force from everything around them, including people," Katrina explained. "And right now, they're starving."
\t"Is that why Dr. Marshall and the others died?" Supersonic asked.
\tKatrina nodded.
\t"But they were fine for hours after the autopsy!"
\t"They only seemed fine. The alien they killed drained their life forces as it tried to stay alive. Marshall and the others were already dead; they just didn't know it yet. They were like old-style watches, slowly running down as the spring uncoils."
\tSupersonic shivered and hugged himself. "Is that why the people and plant life at the crash site died, too?"
\t"Yeah. The aliens sucked the life force of that whole area dry to heal themselves when their ship crashed."
\tThe elevator reached the top and opened into a garage containing several cars and trucks with government plates. Katrina opened the door of one of the cars and began to hotwire it.
\t"Why am I not surprised you can do that?" the squirrel asked, smirking at her.
\t"Because you know how clever and resourceful I am," Katrina replied. "Open the door, would you?"
\tSupersonic searched for the button that opened the garage door while the aliens stood watching Katrina work. The car's engine revved to life as the garage door ground open, revealing that it was night outside. The squirrel came back and opened one of the rear doors for the aliens, standing well back as they climbed into the back seat. He slammed the door shut behind them, then got into the passenger seat next to Katrina. She gunned the engine and drove out into the compound, heading for the chain-link fence gate. Supersonic clenched his teeth and braced himself as the car burst through the gate, relaxing only a little as it then tore off into the residential neighborhood beyond.

\tInside Eagle Mountain, the Golden Avenger unfroze, noticed that the door he'd been about to hurl himself against was lying on the floor, and ran into the room where the aliens were being kept. "Damn it!" he swore, seeing the smashed, empty cylinders. He whirled as Abruzzi, Saunders, and several PRIMUS agents came in to join him. "They're all gone!"
\tAbruzzi nodded, glancing at the opened Porgrave receiver with its electronic guts hanging out. "It was that girl. I told you we should have neutralized her."
\tThe Avenger looked up at the clock on the wall. "We've only lost a few minutes."
\t"Enough time for them to have reached the surface," said Abruzzi, sourly.
\tSaunders tapped his ear and looked at the Golden Avenger. "The front gate has been breached, sir."
\t"Great!" said Abruzzi, scowling. "Now they have the whole city to hide in!"
\tThe Avenger nodded and frowned. "We're going to have to put out an APB."
\tAbruzzi raised an eyebrow. "You want to bring the LAPD into this?"
\t"I don't see that we have a choice," the Golden Avenger replied. "PRIMUS doesn't have the manpower to search all of Los Angeles for them. Fortunately, a three-foot talking squirrel and three naked aliens are going to tend to stand out, even in Hollywood."
\t"Should we tell them about the risk of contagion?" Abruzzi asked.
\tThe Avenger shook his head. "If we do that, we'll have a full-scale panic on our hands."
\t"We'll have one anyway when people start dropping like flies."
\t"We don't know that that's going to happen. So far, nobody in Eagle Mountain apart from Marshall and his colleagues appears to have been afflicted." The Golden Avenger turned to Saunders. "Get that APB out on the double. Tell them they're authorized to use deadly force if necessary and that under no circumstances is anyone to go near the bodies. And have my personal helicopter prepped."
\tAs Saunders left to carry out his instructions, Abruzzi lit a cigarette and puffed on it. "You know," he said, "when the superhero community finds out you've declared open season on flying squirrels—"
\t "I'm aware of the possible complications, Mr. Abruzzi," said the Avenger, sharply. "Let me handle that end of things. In the meantime, I suggest you notify your superiors at the Justice Department so that they can take whatever actions they feel are necessary to deal with this problem."
\tAbruzzi nodded. "Rest assured, director, I will give them a complete report."
\tThe Golden Avenger gave him a hard look, then turned and left the room as Abruzzi continued smoking his cigarette.

\tSupersonic Squirrel winced as Katrina swerved violently around a truck that she had apparently decided was moving too slowly. "Do you have to drive so fast?" he asked.
\tShe nodded. "We have to get out of the city. Soon every cop in LA is going to be looking for this car."
\t"Then why don't we just ditch it and find a place to hole up?"
\t"We can't hide out forever, Supersonic. They will find us eventually. And the aliens can't do what they need to do in the city."
\t"What do they need to do?" asked the squirrel.
\tKatrina was about to reply when she saw a pair of red and blue flashing lights come on in her rear-view mirror. "Shit! We've been made!" She looked over at Supersonic. "Can you deal with that?"
\tThe squirrel looked back at her in horror. "I'm not gonna blast a police car!"
\t"You don't have to blast it, just slow it down so I can lose it!"
\tLooking unhappy, Supersonic unbuckled his seat belt, flew out the window, and headed to intercept the pursuing police car. The two officers inside it stared in disbelief at the sight of a three-foot squirrel with a leather helmet and goggles flying toward them. The squirrel raised his arms and unleashed a torrent of wind that slowed the car down dramatically. The driver responded by gunning the engine, causing the car's rear wheels to squeal and smoke as they tried to propel the vehicle forward against the onslaught of wind. Supersonic glanced back over his shoulder to see how much distance Katrina had gained. Then he turned his gaze back to the police car, and his eyes went wide as he saw the officer on the passenger side leaning out the window and aiming a gun at him. As the man fired, the squirrel created a shield of solidified air in front of him, which deflected the bullet, but doing so forced him to drop the stream of wind that was retarding the car's motion. The car shot forward suddenly, and in swerving to miss Supersonic, the driver lost control. The car skidded, jumped the curb, and slammed into a concrete embankment, caving in the front end. Supersonic flew to the car, his heart in his throat, and sighed with relief when he saw that the airbags had deployed and the two occupants appeared uninjured. "Sorry, officers," he said, then flew off after Katrina.
\tHe caught up with Katrina's car, flew in through the window, and plopped himself down in the passenger seat. She glanced over at the squirrel and noticed that he was sulking, his arms folded. "Well, I hope you're happy," he growled.
\t"You deal with those cops?" Katrina asked.
\t"Yeah, I dealt with them."
\t"What's wrong, then?"
\tThe squirrel exploded. "What's wrong? I just totaled a police car, Katrina!"
\tShe shrugged. "That's okay. They have lots of others."
\t"Those officers could have been killed!"
\t"But they weren't, right?"
\tSupersonic shook his head. "No thanks to me!"
\tKatrina reached over and stroked his head. "I know that must have been hard on you."
\t"I'm a hero!" the squirrel said mournfully. "I'm not supposed to fight cops! They're gonna put me in jail for life!"
\t"I don't think wrecking a police car carries a life sentence." She pulled over to the side of the road and killed the engine. "We gotta ditch this car. Those cops will have radioed our position. In a few minutes, this area is going to be swarming with fuzz."
\t"We're not gonna be any less conspicuous on foot, you know!" said Supersonic.
\t"But it will be easier for us to hide, at least until I can appropriate an alternate means of conveyance." She got out and opened the rear door for the aliens.
\t"You're gonna steal another car?" asked Supersonic, getting out as well.
\tKatrina nodded. "Being an outlaw's exciting, isn't it? Just like Bonnie and Clyde."
\t"They got gunned down by federal agents," Supersonic said, "which is probably what's gonna happen to us!"
\t"Don't be such a Debbie Downer," Katrina admonished him.
\t"I am not a Debbie Downer!" Supersonic protested.
\t"You absolutely are! Everything you say is like, 'Oh, we're all gonna die or spend the rest of our lives in prison!' Anyway, Clyde didn't have wind powers, and Bonnie wasn't a telepath. Now come on!"
\tThey ran across a grassy area toward a 24-hour convenience store, and Supersonic noticed that each of the aliens left a trail of smoking footprints in the grass behind them. He remembered what Katrina had said about them absorbing the life energy of everything they touched. It made him feel a bit uneasy. They entered the convenience store, and the girl behind the counter stared at the strange group as they moved along the aisles.
\t"We'll need supplies," said Katrina. "Especially water. Lots of water. And salt. We're going to be out in the desert."
\tSupersonic picked up several six-packs of bottled water. "Why are we going to the desert?"
\t"So they can contact their people."
\t"How are they gonna do that?"
\t"With their minds."
\t"Why can't they do it here?"
\t"Two reasons," said Katrina. "First, they don't know how long it'll take, and they don't want to be disturbed. Second, there's too much thought pollution in the city."
\t"Thought pollution?" asked Supersonic, puzzled.
\tKatrina nodded. "Millions of minds produce a lot of mental static. They need to get away from all that noise." She stopped before a shelf. "Ah, peanut butter! Great stuff! High in protein and energy, and doesn't need to be refrigerated." She gathered up an armful of the brown jars and brought them to the counter. "You got this, right?" she asked Supersonic.
\tWith a sigh and a nod, the squirrel took his wallet out from under his flying helmet, removed a credit card, and handed it to the cashier. As she rang up the items, he glanced back at the three aliens. They were looking at a display for sunscreen that showed a woman in a bikini sunbathing.
\t"You're a superhero, right?" the cashier asked him.
\t"I used to be," Supersonic replied. "I'm not so sure anymore."
\t"Oh wow, bummer," the girl said. "Who are those guys?" She indicated the aliens.
\t"They're visitors from outer space."
\tThe girl nodded. "Cool. So, are they, like, on the run from the government or something?"
\t"Pretty much," the squirrel said.
\t"Awesome! Do you need any help?"
\t"We could use a car," said Katrina.
\tThe girl grinned. "You can borrow mine! It's right out back!"
\tSupersonic stared at her. "You're letting us use your car?"
\tShe shrugged. "It's insured. And I was thinking about getting a new one anyway." She fished the key out of her purse and handed it to Katrina.
\t"Thanks a lot," Katrina said, grinning at her.
\t"No problem!" the girl said, smiling. She looked down at Supersonic. "You know, you're really cute!"
\t"Thanks," the squirrel replied, squirming a little.
\t"He's also taken," said Katrina, smirking as she and Supersonic gathered up the bags of supplies in their arms. "Come on, let's go."
\tSupersonic nodded as he followed Katrina and the three aliens. At the door, he stopped and turned to say goodbye to the helpful cashier. She smiled back at him and made the "call me" gesture with her fingers. The squirrel blushed beneath his fur and shook his head. "Californians," he muttered as he left the store.
\tFollowed by the three aliens, Supersonic and Katrina went around to the back of the store, where a single small car was parked. Katrina opened the trunk, and she and Supersonic began loading the supplies into it. As they did so, a helicopter flew by overhead, and they all looked up at it.
\t"That's a police chopper!" Supersonic exclaimed.
\t"Those cops whose car you trashed must have called for it," said Katrina. "We have to get out of here, now!"
\tSupersonic nodded, turned, and walked right into one of the aliens, who was standing and staring up at the helicopter. The squirrel gasped and staggered backward, eyes wide, then collapsed to the asphalt.
\t"Supersonic!" Katrina cried, running to him and kneeling down beside him. The squirrel was shivering, apparently too weak to move. She looked up at the three aliens, who were standing around Katrina and Supersonic, staring down at them. "What do I do?" she asked desperately. A moment passed, and then she nodded and said, "I understand." She gathered up the squirrel's small body and placed it in the passenger seat, strapping him in while the aliens got in the back. Then she took the driver's seat, turned on the ignition, gunned the engine, and drove out into the street. She looked over at Supersonic, who was curled into a furry gray ball, tail wrapped around himself, trembling.
\t"Hang on, baby!" she pleaded at him as she headed east.

\tTwo hours later, Katrina pulled off the highway onto a dirt road that led out into the desert. The car bumped along across a flat landscape of sagebrush and Joshua trees as the sky slowly grew pink in the east. Eventually, she came to the mouth of a small canyon, and stopped. She got out, went around to the passenger side, lifted Supersonic's inert, trembling form in her arms, carried him over to a nearby rock, and sat down, holding him close. The aliens climbed out of the back seat, walked over to a flat, open area, and stopped, facing east, as still and silent as statues.
\tKatrina sat on the rock, watching the eastern horizon impatiently, one of her arms wrapped around Supersonic. The land all around them was as dry, rocky, barren, and lifeless as the surface of the moon. Soon, it would be baking beneath the merciless sun. Still, there was a kind of austere beauty to it. It looked like a place where nobody had ever been. The only sound was the constant whistle of the wind ruffling her hair and the squirrel's fur.
\t"Come on, rise, you bastard!" Katrina said, gritting her teeth as the minutes crawled by. She looked down at Supersonic. The squirrel's big eyes were closed. "You're gonna be okay, baby! Just hang on a few more minutes!" He didn't respond. She reached out with her mind and touched his. It was a haze of delirium. He wasn't aware of anything around him. "Please, don't die, Supersonic!" Katrina begged, tears rolling down her cheeks. "This is all my fault! I got you into this! You're sweet, and kind, and brave, and selfless, and everything a hero should be, and I'm so mean to you, and I'm sorry! You mean so much to me! Please, don't go!" She hugged him tighter.
\tAfter what seemed like an eternity, the sun finally peeked over the eastern horizon, casting long shadows across the ground. Gradually, the bodies of the three aliens began to glow, like metal heating up. Soon, they were so bright that Katrina had to shield her eyes. Then the glow faded, and they looked as they had before. They walked over to Katrina and Supersonic, their bare feet crunching on the dry ground, and one of them reached out and touched the squirrel's shoulder.
\tSupersonic stopped shivering, and his eyes opened. He looked up at Katrina holding him. "Hi," he said. "Why are you crying?" She replied by planting a deep, passionate kiss on his muzzle. The squirrel blinked, then responded in kind.
\t"How do you feel?" Katrina asked when their mouths finally separated.
\t"I feel fine," Supersonic replied. He looked around. "How did we end up here? The last thing I remember, we were in the parking lot behind the convenience store."
\t"I drove us here," Katrina said. "You bumped into one of the aliens, and it drained you."
\tThe squirrel's eyes widened. "Drained me?"
\tShe nodded. "They can't help it, any more than a sponge can help absorbing water. They had me drive out here so they could recharge themselves when the sun rose, and then one of them healed you."
\t"Oh," said Supersonic, looking at the three aliens. "Well, thanks, fellas." He looked back up at Katrina. "I guess that explains the tears, then."
\t"Yeah," said Katrina, stroking his cheek. "I wasn't sure you were gonna make it."
\tSupersonic smiled. "Nice to see you really care about me."
\tKatrina looked surprised. "Of course I do! I'm sleeping with you, aren't I?"
\tThe squirrel bit his lip. "I kinda got the impression that that didn't mean much in this time. And could you please not talk about it front of the aliens?"
\t"Oh, they don't care. They're very curious about you, you know."
\tSupersonic stared at her. "Me?"
\t"They wonder why you look so different from everyone else, and how you're able to control the wind."
\t"I don't even know how I do that," said Supersonic. "Did you tell them what I am?"
\t"I don't think they'd understand," Katrina replied. "The idea of magic is, well, alien to them."
\tThe squirrel nodded, turning his gaze back to the aliens, who were watching them with unreadable faces. "Do they have names?"
\t"Not like you or I do. Their names contain their whole history."
\t"You mean like where they were born and everything they've done?"
\t"Something like that."
\t"Huh. Must take them a long time to introduce themselves."
\t"They talk a lot faster than we do."
\tSupersonic looked around at the desert. "So, now that we're out here away from the city, they're gonna try to contact their people, right?"
\t"That's the plan," Katrina replied.
\t"But won't it take years for the message to reach them?"
\tKatrina smiled. "You're assuming telepathy is limited to the speed of light. It isn't."
\t"How long is it gonna take, then?"
\t"They don't know. Could be a while."
\t"Well, what do we do in the meantime?"
\tKatrina grinned. "There's the back seat of the car."
\tThe squirrel's eyes went wide and his mouth fell open. "I'm not doing that with them here!" He pointed at the aliens.
\t"I told you, they don't care. They're gonna be busy anyway."
\tSupersonic folded his arms. "Absolutely not!"
\tKatrina clenched her jaw. "For the past two hours, I've been driving like a bat out of hell, with you lying right next to me, afraid that you might drop dead at any moment. So forgive me for wanting to celebrate your still being alive, lover!" She turned and began stalking toward the car, then stopped and turned back to him. "And by the way, you're welcome!" She turned and continued toward the car.
\tSupersonic stared after her, then at the three aliens. "What are you looking at?" he shouted at their blank, unblinking faces. Then he shot into the air and flew off to be alone.

\tThe Golden Avenger was sitting at his desk, his handsome blue-masked face gazing solemnly at the wall opposite him as he twirled a pen between his blue-gloved fingers. The pen was a Sheaffer's fountain pen, one of the last ever produced before fountain pens had been supplanted by cheaper, easier-to-use ballpoints. He used it when filling out all his official reports. It was a relic of another time, much like the base around him. The Avenger sighed. There were times when he felt like a relic as well. He wasn't an especially old man, but he believed in an older vision of America, where words like "duty," "honor," "loyalty," and "patriotism" still mattered. When he'd been made director of PRIMUS, he'd staffed the organization with people who shared that vision, and his commitment to battling crime, anti-Americanism, and treasonous activities. He sighed again. Perhaps PRIMUS itself was a relic. Still, someone had to set an example.
\tLooking up as his door buzzed, he stopped twirling the pen and pressed the button that opened it. Abruzzi entered his office, holding a printout. The Avenger frowned. He didn't especially like the Justice Department man. He lacked sincerity and honesty, two traits the Avenger valued highly. However, PRIMUS operated under the auspices of the Justice Department, and the Attorney General had appointed Abruzzi as liason, claiming he was one of their best people. The President had approved it, so there wasn't anything he could do about it. "Any news?" the Avenger asked.
\tAbruzzi slapped the printout down on the Golden Avenger's desk. "We just got this from NASA. It's a satellite image of part of the Mojave Desert. Tell me what you think."
\tThe Avenger looked down at the picture, which showed an aerial view of a desert landscape with three bright spots forming a perfect equilateral triangle. "It's them," he said. "It has to be."
\t"Shall we attack, then?" Abruzzi asked.
\t"Not yet," the Avenger replied. "We don't know what those aliens are capable of. I'm not risking anybody's life but my own." He stood up and went to a cabinet, removed a headband with microcircuitry on it, and placed it on his brow. "This should shield me from the girl's psionic powers."
\t"What about the squirrel?" Abruzzi asked.
\t"I know what he's capable of. I was considering asking him to join PRIMUS, after all."
\tAbruzzi stared at him. "You were serious about that?"
\t"Of course I was. He has the right character, and his powers would make him a useful asset. You saw what he did to that police car."
\t"But he's a squirrel!" Abruzzi protested.
\tThe Golden Avenger frowned at the Justice Department man. "Of all the reasons I might have had to disqualify him, that would be the least important. In any case, I may still be able to avoid conflict with him by appealing to his sense of patriotism."
\tAbruzzi shrugged. "If you say so. If it were up to me, I'd just napalm the place and be done with it."
\t"Fortunately, Mr. Abruzzi, it is not up to you." He left the office, the door sliding shut behind him. Abruzzi picked up the printout from the desk and studied it for a moment. Then he picked up the Avenger's phone and began dialing.

\tSupersonic Squirrel sat atop a tall pillar of rock overlooking miles of desolate desert, his knees drawn up against his chest, his arms wrapped around them as the wind ruffled his fur and tail. He glanced down at the canyon. The three aliens were bright beacons of light arranged like a triangle. The car sat in the shadow of one of the canyon walls. The sun was high in the sky now, beating down on him. He realized he was thirsty. It would have been smart to take a bottle of water with him before he'd flown off to be by himself. Then again, he reflected, he hadn't been acting too smart lately. He glanced down at his loins and growled at them. "This is all your fault!"
\tNo, that wasn't fair. It hadn't been his libido that had gotten him involved with Kat. It had been a desire to learn more about the new world of the 21st Century he'd found himself in. He'd been drawn to her because she was so different from any girl he'd known in his own time. In hindsight, he probably could have picked a better guide, but there was nothing he could do about that now. He'd fallen in love with her, and that was all there was to it.
\t"Supersonic?" came Kat's voice in his head.\t
\t"Yeah?" he thought back.
\t"You okay?"
\tThe squirrel sighed and shook his head. "No, I'm not. I'm sorry, Kat. I wish I could be as uninhibited as you are, but that's just not how I am."
\t"I understand. I guess I can be kind of pushy sometimes. I'll try to ease back. Respect your boundaries, as we say in my time."
\t"I'd appreciate that."
\t"Want to come down to the car? We don't have to do anything. I'd just like to see you."
\tSupersonic thought about it. He was pretty thirsty. He stood up, then noticed a bright light in the sky, almost obscured by the glare from the sun. He shielded his eyes to get a better look. Was it a flying saucer, come to take the three aliens home? Then he heard the fluttering sound of helicopter blades. The bright spot grew larger, until he could make out a blue-and-gold helicopter with the presidental eagle emblazoned on the side. The Golden Avenger had arrived.
\t"Oh shit," the squirrel said.
\tThe Golden Avenger's personal helicopter was a sleek, single-seat vehicle designed to quickly get him where he needed to be. In form, it resembled a smaller, more streamlined verison of the famous Bell AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter used in Vietnam. It was armed with six small missiles mounted on stub wings and a Gatling-style minigun in the nose. As it dove out of the sun toward the three aliens, Supersonic donned his goggles, flew up, and interposed himself between the aliens and the Golden Avenger. The copter braked and hovered motionless in the air as they faced each other.
\t"I am only going to say this once, Supersonic," came the Golden Avenger's calm voice over a loudspeaker. "Stand aside. It's your patriotic duty."
\tThe squirrel shook his head. "I'm not going to let you kill them. They haven't done anything wrong. They just want to go home."
\t"They're responsible for multiple deaths," the Avenger said, "and for all we know, they're calling an invasion fleet."
\t"None of those deaths were their fault," said Supersonic. "They absorb energy from everything around them. They can't help it. But they never meant us any harm."
\t"How do you know that?" the Avenger asked.
\t"Katrina read their minds."
\t"And you believe her? She's a criminal, Supersonic."
\t"I know that. I also know she's fought villains, risked her life to save others, and saved my life more than once."
\t"That doesn't make her trustworthy."
\t"I trust her."
\t"I don't. She reads people's minds, violating their basic right to privacy. Now stand aside."
\tSupersonic shook his head again. "Not gonna happen."
\t"Very well. Goodbye, Supersonic."
\tOne of the missiles shot from the copter's left stub wing and snaked toward the squirrel, leaving a trail of smoke behind it. Supersonic raised his wind shield before him, and the missile impacted on it, exploding into an octopus of flame and sending debris raining down toward the desert far below. The squirrel spread his arms and legs wide, building up a sphere of super-compressed air before him, and sent it hurtling at the copter, striking it dead center. The copter shook and went spinning backward. Supersonic flew after it, building up another sphere between his hands as the Golden Avenger fought to regain control of his craft.
\t"Please stop!" the squirrel shouted. "I don't want to fight you!"
\tThe copter stabilized, and its nose erupted in a blaze of gunfire, the minigun's cylindrical barrel assembly spinning as it bombarded Supersonic with a hundred rounds per second. The squirrel gritted his teeth, his wind shield absorbing the impacts as the relentless assault pushed him backward. He swooped down under the copter, out of the gun's line of fire, and released the sphere straight up into the craft's belly. The machine shook again, but it was well armored underneath to resist ground attacks. It pivoted and fired its five remaining missiles at the blindingly bright shapes of the three aliens.
\t"No, no, no, no, no!" cried Supersonic, rocketing after the missiles, knowing even as he did that it was hopeless. They were much faster than he was. He couldn't catch them. He might be able to shoot down one, two if he were lucky, but never all five. He fired a wind blast at one missile, blowing it apart, and winced as he flew through the cloud of shrapnel, little bits of metal raking along his furry body. He blasted a second one, taking care to veer around the debris cloud this time, but there were still three left, and they had almost reached their targets. There was nothing he could do to stop them. His eyes welled with tears behind his goggles.
\tAs the missiles closed, they suddenly stopped trailing smoke and dove into the ground, exploding well short of their targets. Supersonic blinked, then grinned as he realized what had happened. The aliens had absorbed the energy from the combustion of the missiles' solid rocket fuel, essentially snuffing them out like candles. The squirrel sighed with relief, then spun about as he heard the copter's minigun whirring behind him. The craft was coming in at a steep angle, its nose gun tearing up the desert, a line of death marching across it toward the three aliens. Supersonic shot upward over the copter and fired a wind blast down at it. The blast struck the craft's rotor, wrecking it, and the blades went spinning away as the copter nosedived straight into the ground and exploded in a huge ball of flame.
\tSupersonic flew down and landed near the crashed helicopter, his heart pounding in his chest. The thought that he might have just killed someone made him feel sick with guilt. He knew the Golden Avenger was pretty tough, though. Perhaps he'd survived. He peered at the burning wreck, searching for some sign of life. Something moved amid the smoke and fire. As the squirrel watched, the figure of a man came forward out of the flames, his face and blue-and-gold costume streaked with black, his blond hair mostly burned away. Supersonic sighed with relief. He wasn't a murderer.
\tThe Golden Avenger walked up to Supersonic, his tall form towering over the little squirrel, and Supersonic smiled up at him. "I'm glad you're okay," he said. Then his smile melted as he saw the grim look on the Avenger's face. The Avenger gave a wordless yell, raising both his fists above his head, and Supersonic formed a wind shield, closing his eyes and bracing for the impact as those blue-gloved fists came down. They never connected, though. The squirrel opened his eyes and saw that the Avenger was frozen in mid-strike.
\t"Asshole," said Katrina, walking up to them, hands in her jeans pockets, her leather jacket ditched somewhere due to the desert heat. Then she noticed the bloody streaks along the squirrel's body. "Oh damn, you're hurt!"
\t"Eh, it's nothing serious," said Supersonic. "Not that I'm not grateful, Kat, but why didn't you do that before?"
\t"I tried," Katrina replied, "but something was blocking me. He must have been using some kind of anti-psi device, but I guess it was destroyed in the crash." She smiled at him. "That was pretty amazing, Supersonic."
\t"Thanks," said Supersonic. Then he sighed. "I guess I really am an outlaw now, though. I just beat up the leader of PRIMUS!"
\t"That makes you okay in my book," said Katrina, grinning.
\t"What are we gonna do?" the squirrel asked plaintively.
\tKatrina shrugged. "You like Mexican food?"
\t"Not especially."
\t"I think you're gonna have to learn to." Then she noticed something in the distance. "What the hell?"
\tSupersonic turned around. There was a cloud of dust to the east of them. "Sandstorm?" he asked.
\t"Looks too close to the ground for that," Katrina replied.
\t"Can you scan it with your mind?" Supersonic asked.
\t"Not without letting Goldie here loose."
\t"I'll go check it out, then."
\tSupersonic shot off toward the dust cloud, flying low over the desert. As he drew near, his eyes widened as he saw what the source was—a dozen armed green hovercraft, with a familiar snakehead insignia painted on the front. His mouth fell open. "VIPER!"
\tSupersonic Squirrel floated motionless in the air for a moment, stunned by this latest revelation. VIPER was a paramilitary terrorist group bent on world domination, with agents and secret bases scattered across the globe, led by a mysterious figure known only as the Supreme Serpent. Supersonic had read about them but never actually gone up against them. Apparently, that was about to change.
\tThe squirrel was startled out of his trance when the laser cannons mounted on the fronts of the hovercraft opened fire on him, criss-crossing the desert with beams of white-hot light. Supersonic whirled and flew back to rejoin Katrina and the Golden Avenger.
\t"Were those laser beams?" Katrina asked when he arrived, still holding the Golden Avenger paralyzed in mid-strike with her mind.
\t"It's VIPER," Supersonic replied, grimly.
\tKatrina blinked. "VIPER? What are those psychos doing here?"
\t"They must have a base hidden somewhere nearby. It's a cinch what they're after." He glanced over at the three aliens, who were still standing there glowing, seemingly oblivious to the oncoming danger. "You're gonna have to release the Golden Avenger, Kat."
\tShe stared at the squirrel. "Why?"
\t"Because we need him! He hates VIPER, and you can't do anything while you're keeping him frozen!" He looked up at Katrina pleadingly. "I can't fight them alone, Kat!"
\tKatrina sighed, and the Avenger was suddenly free, his body recoiling back into a ready position.
\t"Did you hear all that?" Supersonic asked him.
\tThe Avenger nodded. "I heard." He glanced at Katrina, eyes narrowed. "I would place you under arrest, but right now we have more important matters to deal with. VIPER cannot be allowed to take custody of the aliens."
\t"Agreed," said Supersonic, and looked again at the three glowing figures. "Are they gonna be any help, Kat?"
\t"Probably not," she replied. "All but a tiny fraction of their awareness is focused on trying to contact their people. Unless they sense some immediate threat, I don't think they'll get involved."
\tSupersonic pointed at the oncoming dust cloud. "That's not an immediate threat?"
\t"Not in their minds. They're barely even aware of what's happening."
\t"Great," Supersonic muttered.
\t"In that case, it's up to us," said the Golden Avenger. "I'll lead the attack. Supersonic, you provide air support. Miss Werner, if any get past me, turn them against each other."
\tKatrina bristled. "I don't take orders from you, Goldie!"
\t"Do as he says, Kat," said Supersonic. "He knows his stuff."
\tKatrina frowned, but nodded.
\t"Let's go!" the Golden Avenger shouted, and charged toward the approaching VIPER forces, a blue-and-gold streak tearing across the desert at over forty miles per hour, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake. Supersonic flew above him, keeping pace easily.
\tThe VIPER hovercraft opened fire, and two laser beams struck the Golden Avenger but appeared to do little damage. As he neared the closest hovercraft, he leaped, landing on the vehicle, and smashed his fist through its armored front. The hovercraft's nose plowed into the ground, and it flipped forward, lying upside down as the Avenger jumped off, landing in a crouch a dozen feet away. Another hovercraft fired at Supersonic, but the squirrel nimbly dodged the scorching beam and unleashed a powerful blast of wind that slammed into the side of the vehicle, sending it careening into a third hovercraft and causing them both to spin out of control.
\tKatrina watched from atop a rock as the hovercraft at the far ends of the formation continued forward while the Golden Avenger and Supersonic Squirrel battled the ones in the middle. She smiled, reaching out with her mind and touching that of the pilot of the craft on the far right end, causing him to veer into the craft next to his, which forced them both into the path of the next one in, causing a three-hovercraft pileup. Then she did the same with the one on the far left end. "And there's a multi-hovercraft accident on the Mojave Desert Expressway today!" she said, laughing, as the vehicles tumbled over each other. "Psycho terrorists might want to consider an alternate route!"
\tAs the VIPER forces swirled about in utter chaos, filling the air with dust, a door in the rear of one of the crashed hovercaft fell open and a massive figure emerged. Fully eight feet tall, its body was covered in lumpy purple skin, and its hands, feet, shoulders, and loins were covered with gleaming metal that appeared to be fused to its flesh rather than worn. Segmented metallic tubes sprouted from its body at various points, only to dive back in elsewhere, giving it an untidy, asymmetrical appearance, and a metallic grate covered the lower part of its face, while a pair of metal tubes ran like twin crests from just above its brows to the back of its hairless head. A metal band around its waist bore the snakehead emblem of VIPER. "Golden Avenger!" the creature roared in a deep, throaty rasp, glaring hatefully at the leader of PRIMUS. "Ripper wants a rematch!"
\t"Come on, then, monster!" the Avenger shouted back. "You'll fare no better this time than you did the last!"
\tWith another roar, Ripper charged toward the Golden Avenger like a maddened bull, throwing a punch that knocked the Avenger backward thirty feet and into the side of one of the crashed hovercraft, caving it in. "VIPER rebuilt me, fool!" Ripper snarled. "Ripper is stronger, tougher, and deadlier than ever!"
\t"But no smarter," the Golden Avenger retorted, "knocking your opponent back into a potential weapon!" He seized the crashed hovercraft, lifted it over his head, and hurled it at Ripper. It struck the purple-skinned creature, burying him beneath a pile of twisted metal. Then the Avenger turned as the back of another hovercraft opened up, disgorging a squad of VIPER agents in green-and-gold body armor and helmets who blasted away at him with energy rifles. With an exultant cry, the Avenger laid into them.
\tIn the meantime, Supersonic Squirrel was busy darting about the battlefield, blasting the hovercraft and disabling the turbines that kept them aloft and mobile. There was so much dust in the air that he could barely see, and without his goggles shielding his eyes, he would have been utterly blind. As it was, he was coughing violently, which kept him from noticing that a man in a blue-and-white full-body costume done in a snowflake motif, with the VIPER emblem on his chest, was rising up toward him on a ramp of ice. The man raised a hand, and a clear, gleaming ice shard shot from his fingertips, embedding itself in the squirrel's left shoulder. Supersonic cried out in pain, clutching his wounded shoulder, and whirled to face his adversary. He recognized the man from a file he'd seen in the database of UNTIL—the United Nations Tribunal on International Law. His name was Fred Ellsworth, and under the codename Freon he worked for VIPER as a literal cold-blooded killer. "Aww," said Freon mockingly. "A cute, fuzzy little squirrel! How adorable! Got your nuts buried for the winter?"
\t"I prefer to keep them on me," Supersonic replied, gritting his teeth at the pain in his shoulder. He hurled a wind blast at Freon, who deflected it with a shield of ice.
\t"Not smart," said Freon. "They could get frozen that way!" He unleashed a torrent of icy particles at Supersonic, coating his entire front in glittering white frost. The cold seemed to be almost alive, seeping into the squirrel's skin and numbing him, and his goggles were entirely iced over. He shot straight up, trying to put as much distance as he could between himself and the icy villain, reasoning that Freon could make his ice slides only so high.
\tKatrina watched the battle from a distance, squinting. Most of the action was obscured by dust. However, a lone hovercraft was zooming across the desert toward her. She grinned and reached out with her mind to control the pilot, but then frowned. Some kind of psychic interference was blocking her, preventing contact. The hovercraft skidded to a halt a hundred feet away from her, the rear door fell open, and from it emerged a tall and strikingly beautiful woman with long blonde hair, wearing a fuschia costume with long gloves and boots that left her arms, legs, and shoulders bare. Her eyes glowed bright yellow. Around her waist she wore a belt with the VIPER emblem for a buckle. "So," the woman said, in a strange, hollow voice, "you fancy yourself a mentalist, do you? Well, I am Esper, and I'm going to find out how good you really are!"
\tKatrina smirked. "Do you always dress like a hooker?" Then she gasped as her mind was hammered by a massive psionic blast that dropped her to her knees. Nothing she'd felt before even came close to this.
\tEsper's lips pulled back in a cruel smile. "As I thought. You're not remotely in my league. I'm going to enjoy this!" She began building up another psionic attack.
\tThe Golden Avenger was pausing to take a breath, a dozen VIPER agents lying scattered on the dusty ground around him, when the groan and squeal of tortured metal caused him to whirl toward the wrecked hovercraft he had hurled at Ripper. The ruined machine was slowly rising from the ground as Ripper lifted it over his head, glaring at the Avenger from the shadows beneath it. "You didn't think this stupid, flimsy thing would keep Ripper down for long, did you, Avenger?" the creature growled.
\t"Long enough," the Avenger replied. "Ready for another round, James?"
\tRipper roared and hurled the hovercraft at the Avenger, who leaped aside as it smashed into the ground, the vehicle reduced to nothing but a pile of debris. "Don't call me that!" Ripper yelled. "James Allison is dead! I'm Ripper now! Only Ripper!"
\tThe Golden Avenger charged at the purple-skinned behemoth, landing a punch squarely in the center of this chest, staggering him. "To think you were a Green Beret, who served his country with honor," he said.
\tRipper snarled and backhanded him across his face, knocking him away. "Not every super-soldier project ends up looking as pretty as you, Avenger!"
\tThe Golden Avenger wiped the blood from his mouth on his forearm. "That's why you went rogue? Because of your looks? I've known dozens of soldiers disfigured in combat who didn't lose their principles. Some even married and had children. They found someone who loved them in spite of how they looked. It's not too late, James!"
\t"I told you," Ripper growled, clenching his gleaming metal fists, "the name is Ripper!" He charged, swinging wildly. The Golden Avenger dodged his blows nimbly, landing punches on Ripper's chest and stomach, which made him even angrier. "Stand still, damn you!"
\t"And let you pulverize me?" the Avenger asked. "No, thanks."
\tThen he cried out in pain as a spear of ice struck him in the center of his back. He spun around to see Freon skating across the desert toward him on an ice slide. "Your furry friend chickened out," said Freon, chuckling. "Doesn't that just make your blood boil?"
\t"I suppose you're going to offer to cool it off for me," the Avenger muttered, "or tell me to chill out, or something equally clever."
\t"Aww," said Freon mockingly. "You're stealing my lines!"
\t"Your ice puns got old a long time ago, Ellsworth. I doubt there are any I haven't heard." He backed away from Freon and the seething Ripper, trying to keep both of the villains in view. He noticed that the remaining VIPER forces had formed a ring around them, preferring to hang back and let the superhumans fight it out.
\t"All right, then," said Freon. "No more jokes. Just die, Avenger!" He raised his hands and fired a burst of razor-sharp ice shards at the Golden Avenger. They sliced through his armored costume, leaving scarlet trails behind them. At the same time, Ripper barreled into the Avenger, knocking him flat on his back. The Avenger responded by striking Ripper's jaw with the heel of his boot.
\tRipper howled in pain, bleeding from his mouth, and glared down at the Avenger, eyes blazing with hatred. "Your pretty face is going to hell!" Ripper snarled, raising his metal fists above his head.
\tThen there was a tremendous impact, not from Ripper's fists hitting the Golden Avenger, but from something slamming into Ripper from behind, knocking him fifteen feet forward and planting him on his face in the desert sand. Above him, Supersonic Squirrel reeled in the air, dazed by the force with which he'd struck the purple-skinned monster.
\t"So, you didn't chicken out after all," Freon commented. "Oh well, time for a squirrel-kabob!" He raised an arm above his head. An ice spear appeared in his hand, and he hurled it at Supersonic.
\tThe Golden Avenger reacted with blinding speed, interposing his body between the squirrel and the spear. The spear struck the presidential eagle over the Avenger's heart, slipping through a cut in his costume and embedding itself deep in his chest. He staggered and fell to his knees, blood welling up in his mouth, then pitched forward and lay motionless on the desert sand.
\tFor a moment, there was silence, save for the sound of the wind blowing the dust across the desert as Supersonic Squirrel, Freon, and the VIPER forces stared at the Golden Avenger's body. It was finally broken by Freon, who simply uttered a bemused "Huh!"
\tThen Supersonic lifted his eyes from the Avenger's body to Freon, and his muzzle twisted into a feral snarl. "You bastard!" the squirrel screamed, hurling a wind blast at Freon that knocked the villain off his feet and sent him skidding across the ground on his back. As Freon struggled to rise, the squirrel blasted him again and again, knocking him farther back each time, until he lay unconscious at the feet of some VIPER agents who had been watching the fight. The agents looked up from Freon at the enraged squirrel floating in the air before them, and raised their energy rifles. Supersonic spread his arms and legs wide, creating a mini-hurricane around himself, scattering the agents across the desert.
\tAs he hovered above Freon's prostrate form, silently daring anyone to attack him, he heard Katrina's voice in his head saying, "Supersonic, help, please, she's tearing my mind apart!" The squirrel blinked, then shot off like a furry gray rocket, racing over the desert.
\tAs he neared the rock where he'd left Katrina, he saw her lying on the ground with Esper standing over her, the glowing-eyed woman grinning maliciously as five VIPER agents stood around them, watching. Tendrils of magenta-colored energy snaked from Esper's forehead to Katrina's, causing Katrina to writhe and moan in pain. Esper was saying something, but the squirrel couldn't hear what it was and didn't especially care. He flew into the midst of them, wind swirling around him, scattering the VIPER agents and sending Esper flying, while taking care to avoid Katrina.
\tEsper cried out in pain as she landed hard on her rump, and then narrowed her glowing eyes at the squirrel. "You think you can stop my fun? Think again, while you still can, rodent. I'm going to squash your tiny brain like a grape!" Supersonic screamed as he felt an explosion of agony inside his head, a bolt of psychic energy shooting from Esper's forehead into his. He grasped his head in his hands and fell to the ground, curling up in a ball, trembling. "By the time I'm done with you, normal squirrels will think you're a brainless dolt!" growled Esper, lashing out with her mind again, and again making Supersonic scream in pain as Esper stood over him, laughing.
\tThen she cried out as a plasma bolt struck her in the back. Esper whirled as a field of magenta energy sprang to life around her to see Katrina standing there holding one of the fallen agents' energy rifles. "I'm amazed you still have enough of a mind left to know which end to point at me!" Katrina just scowled and fired again, but this time the shot bounced off Esper's force field. Esper unleashed another mind blast, and Katrina screamed, the energy rifle falling from her hands as she collapsed to the ground. "You may have some potential after all," said Esper, gazing down at Katrina. "VIPER can always use more mentalists. I'll have to take you to Project Awakening and see what they can do with you."
\tThen she heard movement behind her and turned quickly. Supersonic was on his feet, a sphere of supercompressed air between his small hands, a look of pure hatred on his furry face. "BITCH!" Supersonic screamed, and fired a wind blast that slammed Esper into the rock. She slumped to the ground, leaving a trail of blood on the rock behind her.
\tSupersonic ran to Katrina and knelt beside her. Blood was trickling from her ears, nose and mouth. "Katrina?" he asked, trembling. "Baby? Can you hear me? Are you still there?" There was no response. He cradled her in his arms, holding her tightly. In the distance, he could hear the whine of hovercraft. VIPER was coming.
\tThe VIPER hovercraft surrounded the three aliens, who gave no indication of being aware of them. The backs of the hovercraft opened up, and dozens of green-and-gold-armored VIPER agents spilled forth, energy rifles held ready. Four of them came over to where Supersonic was kneeling and clutching Katrina against himself, their boots crunching on the dry, dusty ground. The squirrel watched them approach, numbly.
\t"Careful," one said. "That squirrel's dangerous!"
\t"Doesn't look so dangerous now," another scoffed.
\tThe first agent turned to the other two. "Get Esper aboard a hovercraft."
\tAs the other VIPER agents went to retrieve Esper, the second speaker snorted. "If it was up to me, I'd leave that mind-witch to rot in the sun!"
\t"It's not up to you!" snapped the first agent. "Learn to follow orders!"
\t"Well, what are our orders concerning these two?"
\t"SOP for defeated supers is to bring them back for experimentation and possible brainwashing."
\t"Do they count as defeated?"
\t"The girl does. Not so sure about him." The agent lowered his rifle and crouched down, extending a gloved hand toward the squirrel as the other agent stood with his rifle ready. "Hey, little fella," he said soothingly. "You wanna hand over that girl? We'll take her back to our nest and make her all better, I promise." Supersonic merely narrowed his eyes and growled at the agent, causing him to draw back quickly. "I guess that's a 'no.'"
\t"Fine," said the second agent. "Let's just shoot him, then." He drew a bead on Supersonic with his rifle.
\t"Are you crazy?" the first agent asked, knocking the man's weapon aside. "You want to set him off?"
\t"Well, what are we supposed to do with him, then?" the second agent asked, sounding annoyed.
\tThe first agent touched the side of his helmet. "Commander, we have two supers here. One is unconscious, the other's protecting her. Yes, sir, it's that squirrel. No, he's not making any hostile moves. I see. Understood, commander. Hail VIPER." He turned to his companion. "Our orders are to leave them alone."
\t"What?" the second agent demanded. "We're not gonna kill 'em?"
\t"The commander doesn't think it's worth the risk. Now come on!" He turned and began walking toward the main body of VIPER troops surrounding the three aliens. With an angry glance back at Supersonic and Katrina and a sound of frustrated disgust, the second agent turned and followed him.
\tSupersonic watched them go, still cradling Katrina in his arms. He pressed his muzzle against her cheek, squeezing her tightly. Then his ears detected the roar of jet engines in the distance, getting closer. He turned his head in the direction of the sound. A group of jet fighters were coming in low over the desert. It looked as if they were making a bombing run.
\tThe two VIPER agents stopped and turned toward the sound, too. "Oh crap," the first one said.
\tHolding Katrina's limp body, Supersonic rose into the air. Whatever happened here no longer interested him. All that mattered was Katrina. He rotated as he went up, scanning the landscape. There was nothing but endless desert in every direction. He realized he didn't actually know where he was, or where the nearest hospital was. And even if he could find one, would they be able to treat a victim of a mental attack?
\tAs he floated in the air, trying to decide what to do, Supersonic noticed a bright star in the blue, cloudless sky. He was reasonably sure it hadn't been there before. It was brighter than Jupiter, brighter even than Venus, as well as being in the wrong part of the sky at the wrong time of day. He watched as it steadily grew brighter and larger. In a few seconds, he realized what it was.
\tThe aliens' call had been answered.
\tThe alien ship quickly grew until it filled the sky. It wasn't a flying saucer, as Supersonic had been expecting. It was a blank, featureless sphere, at least a mile across, whose mirrorlike surface reflected the land and sky around it. It floated silently down until it was hovering just above the three aliens, and bolts of lightning periodically arced between its bottom half and the ground. The squirrel stared at the thing in awe, his mouth hanging open.
\tThe sphere's effect on the humans present was immediate. The jet fighters aborted their attack and peeled off in all directions, while the VIPER agents scrambled back to their hovercraft, which then began speeding away across the desert. In a few moments, all was silent save for the crackle of an occasional lightning bolt.
\tSupersonic flew down to the aliens, Katrina in his arms, and landed before them, laying her at their feet. "Can you help her?" he asked, his big black eyes glistening. "Please?"
\tOne of the aliens stepped forward and knelt down, touching its fingers to her forehead. Katrina's eyes flickered open, and widened as she saw the funhouse mirror images of the ground and themselves reflected on the underside of the alien ship. "Awesome!" she breathed. Then she yelped as Supersonic threw his arms around her and hugged her. "Hey, nice to see you too!"
\t"I'm so glad you're all right," said Supersonic, tears darkening his furry cheeks.
\tShe grinned and kissed his bucktoothed mouth. "Me too!" Then she got to her feet and looked around. "Where is everyone?"
\t"VIPER took off when the sphere arrived," said Supersonic.
\t"What about Goldie?" asked Katrina.
\tThe squirrel looked at the ground. "He didn't make it."
\tKatrina bit her lip. "Oh."
\tA black circle opened up in the bottom of the sphere directly above the aliens, starting as a pinprick and expanding until it was about twenty feet across. The aliens each raised their right hand, waved to Katrina and Supersonic, and rose up into the circle, which then quickly shrank back to nothing. At once, the ship began to rise. In a few seconds, it was just a bright spot in the sky. Then it was gone.
\t"I wonder what they think of us," mused Supersonic.
\t"They think we're nuts," Katrina replied. "And they're right."
\tThe squirrel looked up at her. "Do you suppose they'll come back?"
\t"Would you?" Katrina asked sharply.
\tSupersonic shook his head. "Probably not."
\tKatrina looked at the silent desert around them, the wind ruffling her hair. "So, now what?"
\t"I expect PRIMUS will show up soon," said Supersonic.
\t"Do we want to be here when they arrive?"
\tSupersonic sighed. "I'm ready to take my medicine." He looked up at Katrina. "What about you?"
\tKatrina shrugged. "I'm not that crazy about Mexican food either."
\tThey both sat down to wait.

\tThe sun was shining brightly in the clear blue sky as Supersonic Squirrel sat in a comfortless folding metal chair, his feet hanging above the temporary platform upon which the chair stood while his tail flowed over the back. His big black eyes gazed past the throngs of reporters and spectators at the long rows of white headstones converging in the distance on a field of verdant green. It was sobering and humbling, he reflected, to visit Arlington National Cemetery and see how many had given their lives for their country.
\tHe glanced up at the white-haired, olive-skinned woman who sat beside him, wearing a gleaming metal chest plate over a black T-shirt, camouflage pants, a belt lined with pouches, black gloves, and black combat boots. Her name was Mayte Sanchez, and she was a Silver Avenger, one of a dozen PRIMUS agents who had undergone a lesser version of the biochemical augmentation that had created the original Golden Avenger. Upon his death, she had become acting director of PRIMUS, pending a permanent replacement. To the other side of her was a chair that had, until recently, been occupied by the President of the United States, who was currently standing before a microphone and delivering the Golden Avenger's eulogy. A flag-draped coffin lay on the ground before the platform, and in the distance, the flag at Arlington House flew at half-staff, as it always did during interments.
\tThe President finished speaking and returned to his seat, and Supersonic hopped down off his chair and walked to the microphone as an aide lowered it to his level. He swallowed, his throat tight as he felt the eyes of the entire world upon him, which made him deeply uncomfortable. He prayed that he wouldn't make a fool of himself.
\t"I was with the Golden Avenger when he died," said Supersonic, "so I've been asked to say a few words. I'm afraid I'm not much of a public speaker, so I'll keep this short. Others have already spoken about his courage, his determination, and his patriotism a lot more eloquently than I ever could. All I can add to what's already been said is that he died bravely, fighting for the country he loved, and I'll always feel honored and privileged to have fought beside him." He left the microphone and returned to his seat.
\tThe ceremony proceeded in the time-honored fashion. A squad of Marines fired rifles in salute, Taps was played, and all on the platform stood at attention and saluted as the casket was lowered into its final resting place, while two Marines solemnly folded the flag that had been draped across it. Supersonic shook hands with Sanchez and the President, descended the platform, and walked over to Katrina, who was standing at the front of the crowd. She knelt down and hugged him, and he hugged her back. "Nice speech," she said, smiling at him. "Short and sweet."
\t"Thanks," Supersonic replied. "I was more scared standing up there than I was fighting VIPER."
\tShe nodded. "It showed. I don't think I've ever seen your eyes so big, not even during . . . well, you know."
\tSupersonic blushed beneath his fur. "There are reporters watching, Kat."
\tKatrina shrugged. "So what? I don't care if the whole world knows we're together."
\t"Even so, I think I'd like to be somewhere else."
\tKatrina nodded and stood up. "Hold on, I see someone I want to talk to." She walked over to a slim man in a brown suit who was in the process of leaving the scene, and interposed herself in front of him. "Hello, Agent Abruzzi," she said, smiling at him.
\t"Hello, Miss Werner," Abruzzi replied, not returning her smile. "Hello, Supersonic," he said to the squirrel, who had come over to join them.
\t"I imagine you're not too happy to see us here," said Katrina, smirking.
\tAbruzzi shrugged. "You can thank Acting Director Sanchez for that. She's the one who decided not to press charges. Personally, I think it was a bad call. If it'd been up to me, you'd both be locked up in Stronghold Prison."
\t"Well, fortunately, it wasn't up to you," said Katrina. "You know, Tony, ever since that day in the desert, something's been bothering me."
\t"What's that, Miss Werner?" Abruzzi asked.
\t"How did VIPER know where to find us? I mean, they came right to us. They even brought three of their pet supers along, to counter me, Supersonic, and the Golden Avenger. It's almost like they knew exactly what to expect."
\tAbruzzi's eyes gazed at her coldly from behind his glasses. "Yes, Miss Werner, I noticed that too."
\t"Perhaps Director Sanchez should be looking for a VIPER spy inside PRIMUS," said Katrina.
\t"PRIMUS personnel are extensively screened, Miss Werner," said Abruzzi, "using very sophisticated techniques. It's highly unlikely that any of them could be working for VIPER."
\tKatrina nodded. "But you're not a member of PRIMUS, are you, Tony? You're only their Justice Department liason."
\tSupersonic blinked. "Kat, what are you suggesting?"
\t"She's suggesting I may be a VIPER spy," said Abruzzi, smiling thinly. "If you suspect that, Miss Werner, why don't you just read my mind and find out?"
\t"I think we both know this area is blanketed with Porgrave broadcasters," Katrina replied. "After all, the President is here. If I tried to read your mind, all I'd get would be a headful of static."
\t"Well, there are other possibilities, Miss Werner," said Abruzzi. "The picture we used to locate you came from NASA, so someone there could have leaked the information. And I called the nearest Air Force base and ordered the strike on you and the aliens, so that's another possible leak. For that matter, VIPER might very well have their own survelliance satellite, disguised as a legitimate commercial satellite. But as long as we're freely throwing around accusations, there is someone else who knew where to find you. You."
\tKatrina stared at him. "Me?"
\t"You're a telepath. It wouldn't have been difficult for you to let them know where you were."
\t"Kat would never do that!" Supersonic protested.
\t"She's a thief with a history of rebelling against authority," Abruzzi countered. "Just the sort of person VIPER would recruit."
\t"I know all about her history!" said Supersonic angrily. "I also know she's saved my life more than once, at the risk of her own!"
\tAbruzzi shrugged. "A good spy needs to be convincing."
\tKatrina glared at him. "Esper nearly pounded my brain into mush, you prick!"
\t"We only have your word for that, Miss Werner, and I'm afraid that's not worth very much." He looked at Supersonic. "You might want to ask yourself how much you can really trust her."
\tSupersonic scowled. "Mr. Abruzzi, I don't like you!"
\tKatrina blinked. "Wow, that's quite an accomplishment, Tony! Supersonic likes everyone. You really have to work at it to get on his shit list!"
\tAbruzzi frowned. "I didn't take this job to be liked, Miss Werner. I took it to uphold the law—the same law you have such an open contempt for. Good day." And with that, he turned and left.
\t"What a slimy little weasel!" Katrina growled, watching the Justice Department man go.
\tSupersonic nodded. "You said it! He makes me ashamed to be an American!" Then he noticed Silver Avenger Sanchez walking toward them. "Heads up, Kat."
\t"It looked like there were some strong words being exchanged between you two and Agent Abruzzi," Sanchez said, her deep voice containing a slight Spanish accent.
\tSupersonic snorted. "He's a jerk!"
\t"He is not a pleasant man," admitted Sanchez, "but he is good at his job. And a job is what I'd like to talk to you about, Supersonic."
\tThe squirrel looked up at her, puzzled. "A job?"
\t"My predecessor had been considering you as a potential recruit for PRIMUS."
\tSupersonic nodded. "Yeah, he mentioned that." Then his eyes widened. "You mean, you'd still be interested in having me? After everything that's happened?"
\t"I am at least interested in exploring the possibility. Bear in mind, PRIMUS is an elite organization, with extremely high standards. There is no guarantee you would be accepted. After the stiffest physical you have ever experienced, after weeks of computer and psychoanalytic tests, after a training course that will tear your guts out, you might be halfway there. I am just giving you the option to try."
\tSupersonic stood there silently for a long moment. "I . . . I need to think it over, Director."
\tSanchez nodded. "Of course. No hurry. The offer will remain open. Buenas dias."
\tKatrina and Supersonic walked away from Sanchez across the cemetery's soft green grass, past headstones bearing the names of the honored dead. "Well, that's interesting," Katrina said at last.
\tSupersonic simply nodded.
\t"Think you might take her up on it?"
\tSupersonic shrugged. "I don't know. It would be a big commitment. And I'm not sure what it would mean for us. I know you don't like PRIMUS." He looked up at her. "I need some time alone, Kat. To think. About a lot of things."
\tShe nodded. "I understand." Then she knelt down, put her arms around his gray-furred body, and kissed him on his bucktoothed muzzle. "I love you, Supersonic Squirrel," she said, smiling.
\tSupersonic smiled back. "That's the first time you've ever said that."
\tShe shrugged. "It's the first time I was sure it was true." She let go of him and stood up.
\t"See you later, Kat," the squirrel said. Then he shot off into the clear blue sky and was gone.", "pools_count": 0, "title": "The Manimal Chronicles #12: The Patriot", "deleted": "f", "public": "t", "mimetype": "application/msword", "pagecount": "1", "rating_id": "2", "rating_name": "Adult", "ratings": [ { "content_tag_id": "5", "name": "Strong Violence", "description": "Strong violence, blood, serious injury or death", "rating_id": "2" } ], "submission_type_id": "12", "type_name": "Writing - Document", "guest_block": "f", "friends_only": "f", "comments_count": "0", "views": "3" }