IT'S OVER!

It'd been a week since the whole Seth thing. After talking with Terra, it seemed neither of us were really sure that thngs were back to normal. Those who had quit the Urban 30, despite having their powers restored, still wanted to leave or stay gone.

Brice was M.I.A., again.

Terra gave me an update on how Tony was doing. I actually havent spoken to him since this whole ordeal. It's probably a good idea right now. As far as I saw it, the whole fall of our team and the sloppy play agaist Seth was Tony's fault. He failed to be in touch with his people. Now, aside from me and Terra and the place holder I call Brice, there are no people.

The night it all ended, Terra mentioned she saw Ralph, or the undead spirit of. I think that would have freaked me out. She said Ralph mentioned something about Tony, Terra and me being resistant to Seth's magic. I suppose I should find that peculiar. I find it more lucky.

The whole Seth thing is over. It seems when Bitter caught up with him, there was some very graphic torture put into place. The gist of it boiled down to Bitter freezing Seth piece by piece, and then shattering the frozen statute. Apparently, long before I ever got to Seth's magic mansion, Bitter had already seen the totem of him and his boys - courtesy of Christopher. That was the leverage that Christopher needed to recruit Bitter, causing Bitter to double cross Seth. Luckily, the favors that Bitter owes me helped to keep me on the winning side of this mess.

There was no point in locking Bitter up. Since Seth doesn't have a public record, no one cared he was gone. However, I'd heard that Bitter had been hanging around the HQ - probably for the free food. I told B, he had two days to clear out. I guess that makes things back to normal with him - I think.

On a brighter note, I did actually hook up with the hot villian chick. It turns out, her name is Wilona, but she prefers to be called Lola. I don't care what she wants me to call her, she's hot. But I kept my mask on the whole time. I ain't stupid.

Terra and I both plan to take a few weeks of and just be normal folks. I wonder if I can actually show that much restraint from being super. What I do know is that I plan to see Lola a few more times... that is, before i finally turn her over to the cops. I saw her profile in the most wanted database. She's a hot gal!

SO THAT'S WHAT THEY DO!

The whole section of basement was empty. Aside from my “disagreement” with the hot chick (and the two towel boys), there was nothing. The last room had a giant monitor on the wall. I wondered if it would fit in the living room of my apartment. After this guy goes to jail, it becomes police property anyway – better my living room then theirs.

I picked up the remote and pushed the power button. Not only did the screen come on, but an entire console emerged from the floor – not to mention the book case on the left wall flipped around to reveal a huge glass display of small figurines. Very familiar figurines.

I put down the hot chick – apparently just as she was waking up. Quickly I ripped a strip of the metal plate in the wall and wrapped it around her hands.

“Sorry for the make-shift shackles, but I don’t want to have to hit you with any more tables.” I smiled. Damn she was hot!

I walked over to the wall casing with the figurines. The glass doors were locked, sort of like the display in a jewelry store. I looked back at the console that had appeared from the floor and then to the remote. Pushing several buttons I realized it worked just like a regular television remote.

Menu. Room Features. Walls. Unlock Case.

Much like when I push the button to unlock my car doors, I heard the click. I walked back over to the case and studied each figurine. These things were so detailed – more so than the ones we found a few months ago. This guy had a lot of time on his hands to design them with such accuracy.

“You are not a real man, to have hit me with a table.” Apparently the hot chick was fully alert.

And that’s when I noticed it. There was a small rendering of the hot chick. I picked it up and walked over to her. Kneeling down, I held the clay mini next to her face, amazed.

“I wonder if he does this from pictures. This would be perfect for my parent’s anniversary.” I smiled. “This one looks just like you.”

The hot chick gasped as she noticed the figurine.

“You must destroy it now!” She panicked.

“Why?”

“You fool…” She sounded so cliché. “Your powers and life are attached to the totems. You must destroy them to break Seth’s magic.”

I saw the worry in her eyes. Considering I can’t leave a damsel in distress, I smashed the small figure between my fingers. Hot chick released a sigh full of tension. Her relieve brought on a level of sexiness. I swear of she stops being evil, I’m taking her out on a date.

As a courtesy, I pulled off the jagged metal I bent around her wrists as hand-cuffs, and told her she was free to go. I had found the source of Seth’s power. There was no need for me to worry how the rest of this day would go.

But I kept her cell phone. I needed it to call a few people. First Barry. I dialed as I walked back to the to the glass case. I searched for his figurine, finding it by the time he answered the phone.

“Hey Barry. How ya doing.” I laughed at my own game. “So. Um, pick up any cars or buses lately.” My grin was wider than a nerd who got is first kiss.

I listened as Barry went into a funk about his powers and telling me it wasn’t funny to keep reminding him. Something about salt and a wound, I don’t know. Just as I was about to tell him about the totems, the hot chick walked over to the console and began to push buttons. Before I knew it, I could see Barry on the giant monitor.

This, at that moment, became the coolest television ever. But, it doesn’t take away from Seth being a perv for having cameras in our homes. I hope he wasn't watching while I was taking a shower.

“Ok Barry. Tell me how you feel…” I picked up the figurine and gripped my fist until there was nothing but dust. “Now!”

I watched Barry on the screen. At first he looked confused. Then, he jumped around like a teen aged girl who’d just met her favorite boy band. Somewhere in there, he crushed the phone and I lost communication.

Ok. Got Barry out of the way. Now I needed to call the rest of the Urban 30 who lost their powers.

THE BIG HOUSE

For a bad guy, Seth didn't have much security inside his building. The room I was locked in was about four flights down. If they ever put a subway in Georgetown, this guy will have some structural issues. I was certain we were in some sort of row house, but there were way too many levels and rooms to be certain. Maybe he owned more than one, and knocked the walls out. This was like a mansion.

I wandered the place for about 40 minutes. Apparently, my watch was not only water proof, but resistant to the block of ice Bitter had trapped me in. My cell phone wasn't so lucky. Somebody was going to have to buy me a new phone. The entire place was decked out with seemingly expensive vases and glass cabinets filled with plates and paintings on the wall. How do folks who decorate this much ever get comfortable in their own homes? The place was like walking through a museum.

After walking through nine different sitting rooms, library and all, I found another door that led downstairs. Since this level seemed like a show room, I figured the levels below would hold all the action. I went back into the basement. But this was different. Before, there was more concrete and dim lighting. Now, this area was bright. There was lots of glass and modern décor.

I peered around the corner to see two of those guys dressed in towels, each with tribal markings tattooed on their bodies. Finally some action… These guys were fairly buff – probably the reason Terra followed them so much. I took in a deep breath and rushed both guards. They actually looked terrified. The first guy didn’t even try to block my attack. I knocked him out with one hit. The other tried to run, but he didn’t get far. If the whole night was going to be like this, I might be disappointed.

Just to cover myself, I dragged both men into a nearby closet. Not that I knew how many guards there actually were, but I felt like I made a difference taking down those two.

My back pressed to the wall, I quietly moved through the area before finding another door. Another flight of stairs leading down… It was then I wondered how much this guy paid for mortgage.

I slipped into the first room and searched for a light panel.

"What took you so long to get here?" The lights came on.

"Oh shit!" I dropped my jaw.

It was the hot chick from the break room that turned the bird into some gross giant feathery dragon. Nasty power, but still hot.

"How did you get out?" She pulled her hair over her right shoulder. I don’t think she was afraid of the pending brawl.

"Does it matter?" I said, watching her seductively slide off the long metal table to stand up.

I'd moved away from the door, giving myself space to maneuver. Hot Chick pushed some chairs from her space and reached her arms in front of her, folding her fingers into little toy fists.

"I don't like to fight women." I said. "I'd much rather take you out and get to know you – provided you stop the whole bad guy… girl, thing." I winked.

"You wear tight clothes. You are not my kind of man." She relaxed her shoulders.

Sometimes, superheroes get no respect.

Hot Chick launched her attack, a series of kicks and punches and loud noises. HA, she'd yell with nearly each attack. Maybe she watched too much television. I picked up the long metal table and swung it like a bat. She went down like a rag doll. Just as I thought, every person with super powers doesn’t have super strength.

I pulled the cell phone from the case on her hip and threw her over my shoulder. Part of me wondered if she would have gone out with me – under a different situation.

Another bad guy… girl, down. I carried my prize as I continued to explore the downstairs.

I'M SO CONFUSED...

Usually when I wake up with a pounding headache, I can remember that the night before was well worth the misery. But this ain't one of those times. I was cold and my clothes were drenched.

"Thawed you out as quick as I could." Bitter's voice interupted my thoughts.

"What the hell, B. You froze me!" I shouted.

Bitter didn't turn to face me. "Would give you some dry clothes, but all this guy has is towels and robes."

"What guy." I responded, more calm than a moment ago. I pulled off the top of my super suit, leaving on the mask.

"Seth." Bitter leaned against the wall.

"Seth. Are we at his crib? What kind of room is this?" I said, realizing the hazy barrier covering the entrance. Some sort of holding cell, I thought to myself.

"You're moving too slow, Sonus. There ain't much time." Bitter pushed his hands in his pocket. I'm sure the cold air had nothing to do with it.

It was obvious Bitter wanted me to understand what was going on. "Fine! Let's play catch up." I was still removing my costume, hoping to air it out. I should have worn the insulated one. "You set me up! You came to me, asked to help only to stab me in the back."

"Not quite." He said, his voice was steady - non-responsive to my returning rage.

"Then what?" I demanded.

"I really did want to help you stop this guy from stealing powers." Bitter removed his right hand from his pocket and pressed it against the wall. I could hear the ice forming.

"So why did you put me in a block of ice?" I played along.

"Christopher doesn't like you dating his wife." He responded.

"I'm not dating Elemental." I shot back.

"I know. But Seth also needed you out of the way. He said something about having a hard time snatching your powers. He needed you close so that he could find out why." Bitter walked to the other side of the wall.

"So you're working for Seth, now." I asked.

"I was. But Christopher offered me more money."

"So what does Christopher want?" I felt like we were talking in circles.

"To turn you over to Seth. I told you, Christopher doesn't like you much..." Bitter smiled an icy smile.

"How does Christopher plan on dealing with Seth?" I wondered.

"That's why he employed me." By now, the entire wall from frozen solid.

"And how do you plan to stop Seth?" By now I was tired of the run around. This whole dialogue had amused Bitter.

"That's why I came to you." Bitter had put so much cold on the wall that it practially shattered. "Get dressed. Your partner should be on the way." Bitter walked away.

SUPPOSED TO BE A TEAM?

“It’s probably a good idea that you don’t trust Christopher. Or me for that matter.” Bitter said, looking at me through his peripheral.

“You I’m not worried about.” I responded with confidence.

“We go way back, Sonus. I think you know when I’m telling the truth.” Bitter inhaled and breathed an icy prison on one of the city’s mutant rats in the alley behind the Pips Theatre.

Yoo Street was one of Bitter’s favorite hang out spot, particularly because he had an unproven hold on most of the business owners. Tonight was one of those rare occasions when I turned down a meal. But even with me standing their, they refused to ask for help – or hint that Bitter is strong-arming them.

“Don’t get me wrong, B. I’m not blinded by your eagerness to help. I already know what’s in it for you. I just don’t know what’s in it for Christopher.”

“Sometimes, you just need to be patient and pay attention. But even Christopher knows you aren’t too good at either.” Bitter said as he marveled at the frozen dead he’d just brought on the rat.

I wanted to grab him by the neck and slam his face into the brick wall, but my cell phone buzzed. Terra sent a text message – she’d caught some of those Egyptian dudes in Georgetown. “Let’s go, B.”

I grabbed Bitter and we flew toward Georgetown. When I finally saw Terra, she was doing the tentacle thing, flailing the bad guys around.

“Looks like Elemental has them occupied. We can surprise them and try to get the upper hand over all of this.”

“Indeed.” Bitter responded. Seconds later, his body temperature dropped and my hands were too numb from the cold. I dropped him.

I darted down to try and catch him. Fortunately, he used his powers to break his fall. It’s not often that I see Bitter do anything flashy with his powers. His usual action is to freeze his victims in a block of ice and leave them there until they’re dead.

“You ok?” I asked. For some reason I was slightly concerned. “Why the hell did you freeze my damn hands?” Though I was concerned, I was still mad.

Bitter hunched his shoulders, as though he didn’t mean it. “Panic, perhaps.”

I walked around the corner to see Terra on the ground. The bad guys were gone and it seemed that Torrid had Terra pinned down. I turned back to Bitter and asked why it looked like his guy was attacking.

“I thought we were working to…” I suddenly felt cold all over. I forgot what I was saying, what I was thinking. I think I blacked out.

WHAT IT IS...

I think it just pretty much goes without saying that everything is just screwed up. We’ve got folks quitting on us, a few who have just gone AWOL and a bad guy that we have no answers on. It’s safe to say we are screwed unless we get some major light is shed on the subject.

In the absence of our uninspiring leader, Christopher is attempting to call the shots. He claims that it was Tony’s request before leaving for some secret mission. I believe that to be a load of bull… But, I think that will be an issue to deal with later. There is no way he can stay in that role after trying to use his wife (Terra) as a science project.

Surprising even myself, I flipped open my phone to call Brice. Brice was the guy who walked around as if he were the second coming. No answer. Maybe he already went. Not that we ever saw eye to eye, but last I checked, we were on the same team. He hasn’t been around much at all lately.

I usually pride myself on not needing anyone, but it was obvious that I needed help. Terra is a good start, but we needed more. There was nothing left to do but accept the fact that our only allies right now were a group of villains who’d look for the first chance to stab us in the back – literally.