Matt stepped through the front door of the mansion and his jaw dropped. The entry hall opened on to the most picturesque view of the Pacific Ocean he had ever seen.
“Now this is what I’ve been talking about!” He exclaimed, as he rushed to the huge floor-to-ceiling windows that stretched the length of the house’s west side.
“This place is huge!” Kevin agreed, as he joined his team-mate, enjoying the view.
“It gets better.” Katie said. “We also have eight bedrooms, in case we expand the team, three bathrooms, two living rooms, a library, a rumpus room, and a play room.”
“A play room? You and jock-strap planning on starting a family?” Mosley asked, as he followed her through the door, looking unimpressed.
“No. I was thinking we could turn it into a command centre. Fill it with computer gear and radio scanners and junk. The library could be a weight room for you boys; some of you could use the workout.” Katie paused to glare at Matt, who just smirked.
“Sounds like a plan.” Ally said, as she trudged into the room.
“I already bought the house with the last of my Belle Bottom jeans endorsements, but if we’re going to trip this place out, you’re all going to have to put in too.” Katie said.
“Of course. Security systems?” Matt asked.
“Yeah, the best. Not just the usual private gear either. We’re registered heroes, we can apply for military grade stuff. Radar, motion sensors, the whole nine yards.” Katie said.
“We should all have some leftover cash from Hire-A-Hero… Right?” Kevin asked.
“We should have enough.” Matt agreed.
Matt turned to look out the window again, taking in the view. He jumped back a moment later, as Fisher rose up from the ground before him.
“Woah! Dude! Don’t sneak up on me like that!” Matt shouted.
“Apologies, but I saw a news report. Long Beach is under attack. Captain Blackblood.” Fisher said.
“The pirate dude? Are you serious?” Mosley asked.
“Looks like I get to cross something else off my “Awesome Things to Fight Before I Retire” list. First ninjas, then dragons and now pirates. Let’s do this.” Kevin said.
<><><>
“That is an honest-to-god pirate ship down there.” Mr Perfect said, as he and Mr Universe surveyed the scene.
“Yep, made from wood and all. Before you ask, no, I can’t just pull all the nails out and sink the ship. They’re stuck in tight, and it would take forever.” Mr Universe replied.
“Well, there goes Plan A…” Mr Perfect said.
“How about Fissure builds a sandbar underneath, beaches the ship so they can’t get away.” Mr Universe suggested.
“And then we take down his crew… Solid plan.” Mr Perfect replied.
“I’ll take care of his cannons, no sweat. It’s the guys on the beach I’m worried about…” Mr Universe said.
“Blackblood is a weather controller right? What about the rest of his crew?”
“Hook has a magical hook, it changes shape. It’s not ferrous, whatever it’s made from, so I can’t touch it with my powers. Davey Jones is super-strong, stronger than you, but not stronger than say, Dark Rose of Blood. Arawelo is a Somalian, she’s a telepath, pretty strong by all accounts, but nothing on Helix. Hiah and Di are brothers, not sure which is which, they’re from Singapore, both speedsters, you’re faster though… I think.”
“Thank god for the internet.”
“Amen… Are you sure Ally’s up to this?”
“She insisted. I’ve got her back, just in case.”
<><><>
“Avast ye, scurvy dogs!” Captain Blackblood shouted, as he swung his sword menacingly at the fleeing civilians. “You bilge rats had better be searching for their valuables!” He ordered his crew.
His crew began scouring the beach for every abandoned wallet, watch and bag, while his super-powered officers looked on. “We be havin’ bigger fish to fry!” Captain Blackblood pointed his cutlass towards his true target. The Queen Mary.
“Cap’n, what be we doin’ with another ship?” Hook asked.
“Aye. We only have enough crew for one.” Davey Jones agreed.
“This ship be worth millions of doubloons! We be selling it to the highest bidder. Yarr.” Captain Blackblood argued.
“But how be we stealing it?” Hook insisted.
“We be sailing it out of the port and into the ocean! How else do you think we be stealin’ it?” Captain Blackblood exclaimed.
“… Sir… The Queen Mary has been docked here for forty years. It doesn’t have fuel… Or engines…” Hook explained.
“Then we’ll tow it out! Onward!” Captain Blackblood charged towards the decommissioned ocean liner.
“You guys really thought this through, didn’t you?” Belle asked, as she stepped out from behind a nearby lifeguard station.
“It really puts Mr Perfect to shame.” Firestorm agreed, leaping from the observation deck.
“Could we stop the banter? It’s a little unprofessional.” Mr Perfect said, as he landed in front of his teammates.
“And totally lame.” Pixel agreed, as she appeared next to Firestorm.
“Yarr! What be the meanin’ of this?” Captain Blackblood demanded.
“We be here to be puttin’ you away!” Mr Perfect said.
“Aye. Be that so matey?” Blackblood asked, a wicked smile appearing on his face, as the sky began to darken.
“Yarr. That be so.” Mr Perfect replied.
“You are having way too much fun with this.” Belle muttered.
“I know, right?” Mr Perfect replied. “Damn, I broke character.”
“Can we just keelhaul these guys already?” Firestorm asked.
“Fine…” Mr Perfect said.
“You’ll be the one getting keelhauled matey!” Hook shouted, as his right hand melded into the form of a giant sword, which he swung at the young hero, who ducked it easily.
“You’ll have to do better than that.” Firestorm laughed, as he blasted fire into the villain’s eyes, sending him staggering backward, blinded temporarily.
Mr Perfect fought against the gale-force winds that were directed at him, as he struggled to reach the Captain. Hampering his movement even further were the speedsters, Hiah and Di, who were attacking him from both sides, using hit-and-run tactics to keep from his reach.
“I think I’ll be makin’ you walk the plank boy!” Blackblood shouted, as the young hero continued to fight his way towards him. “Or maybe I’ll be takin’ the easy way out.” Thunder boomed in the sky behind him.
“Not on my watch!” Pixel shouted, and suddenly Blackblood’s vision was filled with bright light.
“Get her!” Blackblood ordered, and Davey Jones charged forward, eager to please.
Pixel froze, as the giant bore down on her.
“Pixel! ‘Port!” Mr Perfect ordered.
Pixel snapped out of it, and disappeared, Firestorm and Mr Perfect both heaved a sigh of relief.
Firestorm’s reprieve was short-lived, a blow to the side of the head leaving him seeing stars, as he turned to see Hook standing beside him, his hook in the form of a club.
“Ok, no more Mr Nice Guy!” Firestorm snapped, as he began gathering flames around himself.
“One of the best parts of having a magical hook… It can’t melt.” Hook taunted.
“That’s ok.” Firestorm replied. “The fire wasn’t for your hook.” Firestorm unleashed the inferno onto the sand around Hook. The flames cleared out within seconds, and as the air cleared, Hook realised that his feet were now encased in glass.
“What the f-“ Hook got cut off, as Firestorm pounded him in the face with his fist.
“You know, it’s kind of funny how you all drop the pirate act when Blackblood isn’t listening.” Firestorm commented, as he landed blow after blow on the villain. “He must pay pretty well to turn you all into cosplayers.”
He pounded the pirate into unconsciousness, and turned just in time to see Davey Jones swinging at him. He ducked under the blow and stepped around the hulking brute, getting behind him. As Davey Jones turned, Firestorm ducked down again, this time sweeping the legs. The towering beast left a crater in the sand as he fell on his back. Firestorm mentally thanked The Shadow for teaching him that trick, before moving to finish the job.
The flame-enshrouded teen fired off a quick succession of fireballs, spraying sand all over Davey Jones. He then engulfed the fallen giant in a blazing shroud, encasing the villain’s body in glass, leaving only his head free.
“How’re things on your end jock-strap?” He shouted.
“Been better.” Mr Perfect replied. In the minutes since Firestorm last looked, Mr Perfect had walked all of ten feet. “Check on Belle for me.”
Firestorm obeyed, turning to the third teammate on the battlefield. The young psychic was in bad shape. She had broken out in a sweat and as down on bended knee. She had not broken eye contact with Arawelo since the battle had begun. Arawelo, on the other hand, stood strong, no emotion on her face.
“Ok, I’ll take care of this too. Time to go three for three!” Firestorm shouted, as he began firing at the African psion. His attack backfired, as the fireballs hit a wall of wind and blew back at the hero, who merely absorbed them on his skin. “Huh.” He mused. “So much for that.”
“Argh! Ye children are beginnin’ to irritate me!” Blackblood shouted. “I’m gonna end this fer good! Starting with yer Cap’n.”
Mr Perfect’s eyes widened as he realised what was coming. They widened further when he felt the hand grasping his ankle.
“We be eatin’ barbecue tonight!” Captain Blackblood exclaimed, as he summoned his control over lightning.
Mr Perfect smiled. “Is that what they serve in Alcatraz on a Saturday?” He asked, as he felt his body turn to stone.
“What do ye think yer doin’!” Blackblood demanded, but it was too late. The lightning bolt hit just as Mr Perfect faded into the sand.
“You’re getting really good at the whole ‘last-minute save’ thing, aren’t you?” Mr Perfect asked Fissure.
“Yes sir.” Fissure said.
“You think I can’t hit you over there!” Blackblood shouted.
“Oh look, you’re out of character. Minus a Hero Point.” Mr Universe joked from overhead. “Good thing for me, none of you are out of costume.”
The pirates felt as their belts, swords and anything else made from iron began dragging them up into the air and turning them upside-down.
Arawelo’s concentration was broken, and her struggle against Belle ceased, the young psi taking her chance and knocking her opponent out with her own mind.
The speedsters moved to unbuckle their swords, but found themselves on the receiving end of both of Mr Perfect’s fists, rendering them unconscious.
“It’s just you captain, and honestly, you can’t think you’ve still got a chance.” Mr Perfect said.
“I’m more powerful than the lot o’ yeh!” Captain Blackblood screamed.
“No point getting back into character now. Your ship is beached, your cannons are in the ocean, your crew are unconscious or trapped or both. You’re done.” Mr Universe said.
“And you can’t concentrate hard enough to use your powers.” Mr Perfect added, and Belle smiled. Creating confusion was an easy enough task for Belle, even after her long battle against Arawelo.
“I think I be wantin’ a lawyer.” Captain Blackblood conceded.
<><><>

Sweat beaded on Mr Universe’s forehead, as he fought to keep his barrier intact. A latticework of coins, paperclips, and anything else containing ferrous metals surrounded the bank, supported by Mr Universe’s control of magnetism. Nothing larger than a cat was getting in or out of that crime scene, so long as he held.
“Guys, if you could just catch this dude, I’d be much obliged.” He joked.
Mr Perfect stood next to him, body tensed, ready to pounce. “Any second now…” The team’s leader said.
Firestorm barely stifled a yawn. “Is this seriously how we’re going to do it? Wait for him to tire out? You guys are geniuses.”
“Well I can’t catch him, can I?” Mr Perfect argued. “If you’ve got a better idea, I’d like to see it.”
“Allow me to demonstrate.” Firestorm said. “First, I turn up the heat.” The team’s bad boy snapped his fingers, and flames began to leap up from the ground surrounding the team. “Now, see, he can’t stay in here indefinitely. He needs to make his move. He needs to take down Mr Universe to escape. Otherwise he might get burned.”
“Wait, you want me to let him take down Mr Universe? You’re insane!” Mr Perfect exclaimed.
“No… I get it… Belle, link with Perfect and scan at a radius of twenty feet. We’re only going to get one shot at this.” Mr Universe said through clenched teeth. “And I’d prefer not to take a hit from this guy.”
Belle and Mr Perfect stared at him blankly, the plan not yet fully formed in their minds.
“Belle will be able to pick up when he’s on his way, and then you’ll hit him. Get it yet, jockstrap?” Firestorm taunted.
Belle and Mr Perfect’s eyes widened as realisation dawned. “Oh yeah. I’ve got it.” Mr Perfect grinned.
“But you just blurted out the whole plan. He knows what we’re doing.” Belle said.
“Don’t worry, I’ve already got Fissure working on Plan B.” Mr Universe said.
“You think that will still work?” Mr Perfect asked.
“Damn straight it will.” Mr Universe said. “Now, for the love of god Firestorm, flush him out!”
Firestorm laughed, and the flames began burning hotter, their patterns more erratic, until it seemed as though the entire bank was surrounded by a raging inferno.
Mr Perfect lunged forward, and their opponent appeared, as his forward motion was stopped, just millimetres away from Mr Universe. He instead began moving sideways, in the direction of Mr Perfect’s punch.
Blue Shift was unconscious before he hit Mr Universe’s barrier.
Mr Universe fell to his knees, and the barrier came crashing down around them. The crowd of onlookers surged forward, cheering for the heroes. The media pushed their way forward, asking their questions.
But they all hushed, as a huge shadow was cast over the top of them. The hush was quickly shattered by another cheer, as the crowd recognised the Sonic Boom, the custom jet belonging to the Boomers.
The Sonic Boom hovered a mere ten feet above the crowd, who parted in a hushed reverence, to allow the country’s foremost superhero team to land in their midst.
The door on the side of the jet opened, and by the time the ramp had lowered itself, the crowd was roaring again, chanting for the Boomers.
The first out the door was GL, the fastest man on Earth, and the leader of the Boomers. Close behind him was Talon, former leader of the team’s East Coast branch, and current second-in-command of the united team. They were followed by the other members of the team: The Freak, the other survivor of the East Coast Boomers’ tragic journey into the Shadow Plane, over six feet of solid rock; Plasma and Corona, the brothers were former criminals, Plasma able to blast energy from his hands, and Corona with the ability to harness the same energy, augmenting his strength and agility; Next was Southern Cross, Australia’s foremost superhero, who had rejoined the team in their hour of need, the handsome man drew man screams from the assembled ladies, while his powers of super-strength and energy blasts had drawn many screams from his enemies. The final member of the team was Maxim’s Hottest Superhero three years running, the United States’ only bisexual superhero, the Mistress of Moisture, the Angel of Aquakinesis, Nymphette.
“We were held up in Savannah, but came as soon as we heard something was up. Looks like you had things well in hand.” GL said, his smile beaming at the young heroes.
“Y-yes sir.” Mr Perfect said. “We heard the reports too; I guess we were just closer this time.”
“You answered the call. What more can we ask of our heroes?” GL asked, and the crowd cheered.
“You did a pretty decent job of it too.” Southern Cross said. “Hey GL, isn’t Blue Shift one of your rogues?”
“One of my greatest enemies. The Brat Pack did very well to take him down so easily.” GL said.
“There should be more of you.” Talon said. “Where are Pixel and Fissure?”
The ground parted beside Mr Perfect, as Fissure’s body oozed from within the asphalt of the road.
“Ma’am, I was just setting to rights our contingency plan. I couldn’t in good conscience leave a six foot tunnel hidden just below the surface; it could have collapsed at any time.” Fissure explained.
“I don’t know… I think a moat would be a vast improvement.” Southern Cross joked.
“And as for Pixel, she’s taking some time off, for personal reasons.” Mr Universe said.
“I see.” Talon said. “I don’t believe I ever got the chance to thank your team for rescuing The Freak and I from the Shadow Plane.”
“Like GL said, we just answered the call ma’am.” Mr Perfect said.
“And I’m alive, and here, because of it. I can never thank you enough.” Talon said.
Corona made an audible gagging noise, as he made the gesture of sticking his fingers in his throat. Plasma started laughing, earning both brothers a smack across the back of the head from The Freak.
“Anyway, I’m glad to see that California is in good hands, even while we’re away.” GL said. “And it’s especially good to see that the world will be safe long after we retire.” The hero extended his hand to the leader of the Brat Pack, who stared at it in awe for a moment, before shaking it.
“Sir, I don’t know what to say.” Mr Perfect said.
“Just soak in the moment kid.” Southern Cross said.
“We’re holding a fundraiser at Boomer’s Plaza tonight, how would you like to be guests of honour? Think of the publicity.” GL said.
Mr Perfect was stunned, unable to form a thought, let alone a word.
“We’d love to.” Mr Universe stepped in. “But do you know anywhere I can rent a tux at this hour?”
<><><>
“What? Of course not!” Matt shouted into his phone.
“Then what? You weren’t flirting with her?” Hannah shouted back.
“What? No! I was talking to her!”
“Then why did you dance with her?”
“Because she asked me. It was her favourite song, and she couldn’t go dance on her own, she’d get mobbed.”
“A likely story. You’re telling me you’re not attracted to her? Hell, I’m almost attracted to her.”
“Of course I’m attracted to her, she’s freakin’ Nymphette! Everyone’s attracted to Nymphette! But not everyone is already in love with the most beautiful girl in the world!”
“So you’re not into her?”
“Of course not.” Matt’s phone beeped. Call Waiting. He checked the caller. “Crap… Babe, hold that thought, I’ve got a call on the other line.”
“Ok, don’t take too long, we still need to talk.”
He sighed, as he pressed the button.
“You danced with HER!?”
“Yes…” Matt sighed.
“Of all the people in the entire world, you picked her!”
“Well, when Nymphette asks to dance, you dance. You’d have to be an idiot, or gay, not to.”
“It’s not enough that I’m the other woman, I have to play second fiddle to Little Miss Perfect, Hyper Girl, but now you’re out dancing with my sister!?”
“Look, I don’t have time to have this conversation right now. I’ll talk to you later.”
“You’re talking to Hyper Girl, aren’t you? Is she as pissed off as I am?”
“Not anymore. I’ll talk to you later.” Matt hung up, before switching over again.
“Sorry about that babe, damn telemarketers won’t take no for an answer.”
“No, I’m sorry… I overreacted. I know you’d never cheat on me. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“No, you were right. If I saw you on TV dancing with Southern Cross like Nymphette was dancing with me, I’d probably freak out too.”
“I’m still sorry.”
“Ok babe… So… What was that about you being attracted to Nymphette?”
“Ugh… Men!”