RKMBs Forums .::Important::. Writer's Block Strikeforce Special: "Facing death, 24/7"

The private jet plane of Jack Merlin was flying over the Mediterranean Sea, heading toward Athen International Airport.

Soon, the first step in the rebuilt of the Strikeforce would be taken.

As Merlin reclined in his chair, first class acommodations only, his thoughts wandered back to earlier that morning.

He had been sitting at his desk in one of many private hideaways he'd set up over his long lifetime, reviewing the files he'd been making for potential members of the second Strikeforce team. In his head, he'd jokingly referred to it as "Strikeforce Version 2.0."

He began going over a particular file named "Lykopsis" when a loud BOOM! knocked him out of his chair and scattered his notes across the room.

As Merlin collected himself from the floor, he looked up and saw a rather large hole in the wall, a familiar silhouette blocking out the early morning rays of the sun.

"Ah, like the prodigal you are, Amuck. Did you miss me?" Merlin asked, brushing his long, white hair out of his face and grinning.

Amuck started to move forward, then doubled over in pain, clutching at his stomach. His grimace could be seen through the shattered remains of his leather face mask, destroyed in battle with Tobias Christopher.

"Bassss. . .tarrrrd. . .Illkllyuuuu. . ." He weakly pointed at Merlin with one arm as his armor's knives popped forward and locked into place.

"Ahh, I've no doubt you would, if not for that nasty little addiction I've given you. But how else was I to keep a sociopathic speedster under control? Your former employer wasn't very forthcoming about that. Now, be a good little child and follow me. We'll get you what you need to take the pain away." Merlin strolled down the corridor with Amuck crawling behind him. "Oh, and you'll be paying for that wall, as well. . ."

Now that Amuck had been brought to heel and secured Merlin could begin the recruitment drive in earnest. His thoughts wandered back to the present as the stewardess brought his drink to him.

Unnoticed, a figure clad in a peculiar shade of light green observed the plane from a rather close distance. He was invisible to radar, and so remained unbothered by anything as trivial as air traffic regulations.

He hovered in the air and listened to the conversation between Merlin and Amuck through a radio transmitter he'd just thought. He ran his fingers across the silver necklace that dangled down over his chest, and just listened.

A driver was waiting for Merlin as he exited the plane at the Athens International Airport. It was madness. The entire area was flooded with tourists, but soon the hustle and bustle gave way as Merlin was escorted to the car Lykopis had provided. The potential Strikeforce member had been kind enough to provide a Mercedes. They were driving away of Athens, and heading into the Greek countryside. "Can you tell me anything about Kyria (Lady) Lykopis?" Merlin asked the driver.

The man in the driver's seat shrugged. "The Kyria hires me to run errands for her. Pick up things for her, mail letters, that sort. She keeps to herself mostly in that plaster-white mansion of hers." Still keeping his eye on the road, the man grinned. "Woman's got Aphrodite's ass and she hides in that prison like a nun. Unfair to the male population, I assure you."

***

Merlin did find the house quite abandoned. Quite a contrast to the early Greek homes, when slaves and women worked the rooms and pagan gods were worshiped. Or in this case, goddesses.

The walls were plain and white, but there was a sense of color from all the pieces in the rooms. Imported rugs, ancient weapons of war, and busts and statues of Greek goddess. Aphrodite stood naked and laughing, Athena looked serious and somber, and Artemis had her bow pulled taunt.

"I know what you're thinking."

Merlin turned around. A tall woman with dark brown hair and gray eyes walked towards him. She was dress in black and gray, like any other sophisticated European. What a mask. "I know what you're thinking," she repeated. "You're wondering, 'Is the house really as old as the other things in the room? As old as her?'"

"I was thinking, actually 'Couldn't she have found a smarter way of hiding that internet cable than under a rug?'" The woman smiled. "Follow me."

The pair walked along a hallway. "You're right, the house is actually less than a hundred years old. I purchased it and restored it myself. I installed the plumbing, removed the old floors, cleaned the stables, and even managed to bring all the...odds and ends...I've collected over the years."

"All yourself?" asked Merlin, only half-impressed.

Lykopis turned a smiled. "I have lots of time on my hands. And I have to admit, I've been waiting for decent sanitations to return since all the Roman's technology was lost."

They reached the drawing room. Lykopis motioned for Merlin to have a seat. She poured wine into a glass and handed it to him before serving herself. Judging by the fact that the hostess was serving him, Merlin realized his thoery was right -- no one, not even a servant, live in the house. It was only Lykopis. "I've read all the information you've sent me. Everything about Vanguard and the Strikeforce. It seems a shame, really, for you to come all this way so I could turn you down."

"I thought you'd enjoy a challenge. You were an Amazon, back in the day. I thought you would have a thirst for violence."

Lykopis sneered. "And all the Amazons are dead. My sisters failed over two thousand years ago, Merlin. Why?" She leaned forward. "Because you can't go into a battle thinking you're a diety when you can be killed like a dog. When we fought the Spartans, the Corinthians, and half the Greeks' men, we fought like no man could harm us. But spears and arrows and swords could make us bleed.

"Then I was alone. I had seen my mother die at the hands of Greek Athenian. Who knows -- he could have been a descentant of our own house. Should I be like Oedipus, and drive myself to my own misery by my own stubborness?

"And you want me to fight for you? Ha! I owe no alligence to a man! There are not enough diamonds, or bearskins, or gold coins, or topez in all the world to tempt me to fight for a man."

Merlin laughed. Lykopis, surprised at this, curled her lip. There were only a few times she allowed men in her house, and none would dare to laugh at her like that. "So, you've spent the last two thousand years doing what? Learning the art of war, for what purpose?" He laughed some more. "You know what I think, Amazon? You're afraid to die, like the rest of us, but after years of avoiding Hades, you're sick of living!"

Lykopis was about to get violent, but Merlin stood up. He politely took her glass and poured more wine into it. But he didn't not give her back the glass. The Amazon looked on as Merlin took the tablets from a container and put them in her drink. He then gave the glass back. "If only," he began, as Lykopis began to drink, "the goddesses you pay homage to had made you immune to injury, in additon to giving you immortality. If only you were like Achiles. He was invincible. Think of what you could do with that sort of power -- you'd be forever young, forever deathless -- Hell, you'd be a goddess."

And with that, Merlin stood up and stabbed Lykopis in the chest.

Blood instantly shot out and stained the 18th century carpet and the Victorian chairs as she fell to the ground. Lykopis coughed and gurgled for a moment, but as she clutched her cheat and mouthed curses at Merlin, the pain began to disappear. The blood went down to a trickle, and less than a minute after Merlin had tried to kill her, she was standing in front of him. "What just happened, Merlin?" she hissed.

"I made you immortal. Only for about three hours though." The eyes of Lykopis widdened. Suddenly, the diamonds and bearskins and gold and topez had manifested itself into a different form. "I can give you an unlimited amout. After you help take care of Vanguard, that is. Are you game?"

Lykopis grinned devilishly. Merlin really did have the thing in the world she lusted for the most. "The Amazon will join the Strikeforce."

The Treasure Gallery of the State Hermitage Museum; St., Petersburg, Russia

Well after public hours, a security guard passes by the priceless objects in the Gold of the Nomads display. As he steps around a corner, a figure steps out of the shadows of an apparently empty corner. It's a strangely dressed man in a black costume with an image of a black disc almost completely covering a white one, leaving only a tiny sliver of a crescent. He moves silently toward one of the large displays when he hears a voice behind him.

"If you're looking for souvenirs, I'm afraid the shop has closed." The voice belonged to an even more strangely dressed man. He was dressed in body armor festooned with gadgets and his face was almost completely covered except that his eyes could be seen through colored goggles. The whole thing was black and maroon.

"Apparently, the crappy costume store is open!" smirked the thief as he unleashed a blast of black energy at the armored man, who quickly dodged.

"Form follows function." He quickly grabbed a disc from his hip and threw it at the black-clad man. He's hit and electricity arcs through his body, knocking him out. He walked over to the unconscious man and nudged him with his foot. "No challenge at all."

"Eclipse is nothing but a thief, he didn't come here ready for a fight" said Merlin as he entered the display hall. "I can provide you with much better competition, Texhèk."

"I am not foolish enough to believe that is a challenge. It sounds much more like an offer. What can you offer a man like me, I wonder?"

"There are many things I can offer you; money to fund your lab work, access to the most advanced technology on the planet, but I know what you want. An opportunity."

"What sort of opportunity?"

"To be a member of Strikeforce 2."

Texhèk made a waving off motion with his right arm "What makes you think I'd be interested in that?"

"Because, Mr. Datsuyk, there was a Strikeforce 1, a team of Metahumans who failed in their mission. I am assembling a replacement that will succeed in what they could not do."

Texhèk smiled beneath his mask. "Very well. Your Strikeforce 2 will have its technician. The world will see what the common man is capable of."

Easter Island

Inside an unusual (for its enviroment) luxurious mansion near the coast, a generic butler (also unusual for the enviroment) led Jack Merlin through a series of intrincate long white corridors, decorated with all kinds of priceless treasures (most of them made of gold), until they reached a tall wide wooden blue door. Obviously the main bedroom, Jack thought. Usually these rooms aren't located on the first floor, but Merlin could understand that in this particular mansion that was a requirement.
The room's dimensions could easily be compared to a basketball court. The white color of the tall walls could barely be seen behind so many gold framed portraits, golden candles, and such. Merlin calculated that most of the portraits were older than himself. The whole floor, except for the sides of the room and the small section where Merlin and the butler were standing, was covered by a magnificent pool.

"The master will see you in a moment, sir," the butler said in an annoyingly polite tone. Jack noticed for the first time that the butler was carrying some sort of white silk cloth folded under his arm.

Jack walked to the edge of the pool and looked down. There was an underwater set of stairs that came from the side of the pool he was standing on and ended about ten steps down. Beyond that, the pool seemed to be bottomless.
Suddenly, something the size of a man and with the speed of a missile came from the underwater dephts, moving up and in Jack's direction. Jack calmly took a step back so the thing woulnd't splash him when it came out of the water, but it started slowing down as it approached the surface.
When the thing reached the stairs it was clear that it was a man, who walked out of the pool one step at the time. He had black short hair, excellent physical state and wore nothing but dark green spandex underwear. Deformities in his legs made it seem like he had a flipper on the back of each shin and small ones on the outer sides of his feet.

"Welcome to my humble home, Jack Merlin," the man said without hiding his arrogance as he stepped outside the pool. The butler unfolded the white cloth, that turned out to be an expensive robe, and placed it on his master's back.

"The famous Water Man, 'Prince of Atlantis'..." Jack said with a grin.

Water Man seemed shocked at first and then just annoyed. The tone in which Jack said those words indicated that he knew his dirty little secret: Atlantis doesn't exist, and if it does, Water Man has never been there. He isn't the Prince of Atlantis, like he told the press after making his heroic debut almost four years ago. He's just another metahuman.

"What do you want, Merlin? I don't have much time."

"Exactly an hour, I've heard..."

"Merlin."

"Right, right. I'll cut to the chase: Strikeforce 1 is down, as you may have heard. I'm assembling a Strikerfoce 2, and I want you in it."

Water Man smiled. "Screw you, Merlin. I don't care if you tell people about whatever you think you know about me, I'll never join your team. My reputation can't get any worse, anyway."

"Ah, the dolphin incident..." Merlin said. "That made the news all over the world."

Water Man seemed pissed. "You're only giving me more reasons not to accept your offer, Merlin."

"I'll give you one good reason, my friend. If you join me you'll get the one thing you don't have. Respect. I'll make the people love you once again... No, I'll make them love you like they never did."

Water Man was tempted by this offer. He would do everything to be loved and respected. Anything.
But he didn't trust Jack Merlin. On one hand, he tranformed the Strikeforce 1 into worldwide celebrities... on the other, they all ended up dead.

"I understand if you have your doubts," Merlin said. "Tell you what: once I get this thing going, pay me a visit and we'll talk more."

"Where's your new HQ?"

"Oh, I'm not sure where it'll be yet... But I'm sure you'll hear about it once it's inaugurated. The event will be covered by everyone from CNN to E!."

"All right, I'll think about it," Water Man said and he shook hands with Merlin, and Jack could see in his eyes that he had already made the decition...

I understand if you have your doubts. Tell you what: once I get this thing going, pay me a visit and we'll talk more."

"Where's your new HQ?"

The man clad in light green's ears attention was piqued at this point. He had a rough idea of where Merlin was setting up shop, but he was curious to see if Merlin was being that open with the metas he was trying to recruit.

"Oh, I'm not sure where it'll be yet... But I'm sure you'll hear about it once it's inaugurated. The event will be covered by everyone from CNN to E!."

"All right, I'll think about it."

He listened intently as his shining silver necklace searched out soundwaves from inside the mansion several kilometres below him, and translated them into audible voice patterns. He sat in mid air with his legs crossed and his chin leaning on his palm, looking slightly bored with the events that had taken place below. He'd wished that Water Man had either agreed or declined right there; he didn't like things being left uncertain. It wasn't worth getting into a fight until you know everyone else there, be they your opponents or your allies.

The man in green thought briefly about paying a visit to Water Man, but dismissed the idea as irrational. Instead, he wondered briefly what the score of the soccer game in Italy was. A green television screen appeared before him, displaying the game in full colour as his necklace searched the earth's orbit for satellite TV signals and patched them through to the newly created screen.

He kicked back on his comfortable green couch and watched the game.

Jack Merlin sighed and paced impatiently as he waited at Beijing Capital International Airport for the arrival of his newest recruit. Luckily for him he had to wait no longer.

A young Chinese man dressed in a simple robe seemed to hover as he walked down the corridor towards Merlin, his tread subtle to the point of seeming almost imperceptible and his face completely unreadable. The man was completely bald, save for his impassive, starkly black eyebrows, and he stood at little more than five feet, two inches tall. He was wheeling an obviously heavy trunk before him with complete and apparent ease.

The man stopped with a few feet of Jack Merlin and spoke: "I am Bei Rui-yu."

"Ah..." Merlin replied, unimpressed. "Uhhmm... well, I'm pleased to meet you... though you're not at all what I expected. I was given to understand that your government was providing me with a valiant warrior with... shall we say... certain... technological enhancements which allow one to... uh... shrink to microscopic size and back?"

Bei Rui-yu remained silent as Jack Merlin looked him over apprehensively. He was starting to think that this may have been a huge waste of time. China wasn't serious about honouring their commitment to his Strikeforce after all.

Just then, the sound of distant running could be heard a moment before two swinging doors crashed open, and a big, burly Caucasian man came running out carrying a huge knife in one hand and a heavy suitcase in the other. Five airport policemen trailed behind him.

Jack Merlin stepped back, his first instinct self-preservation rather than interference in a matter for the police, while Bei Rui-yu stayed in place, one eyebrow raised as the burly man twice his size came barrelling angrily towards him and waving the knife with a beefy fist, shouting in a gruff voice, "Outta me way!"

It all happened in a second:

The burly man had been at the point of nearly running over Bei Rui-yu when he swung at him with his fist in an attempt to quickly gut him, when Bei Rui-yu ducked and grabbed the man's arm, causing the burly man to flip (trip?) completely over onto his back even as the knife and suitcase flew out of his arms. A sharp crack against his forehead with Bei Rui-yu's palm put him out before he had time to realise what had happened to him.

Bei Rui-yu then stood up and inspected a slight tear in his robe with concern.

"Ah..." Jack Merlin finally said, "...well then... welcome to Strikeforce, Mister..."

"Bei Rui-yu."

"Hmm... about that... a name like that isn't going to work in a group like Strikeforce. How about something descriptive? What about 'The Mighty Atom' or... or 'Iota'?"

"My name is Bei Rui-yu..."

"Excellent! Iota it is, then!" Merlin began walking away, back towards his private jet-plane as a flabbergasted Bei Rui-yu trailed behind him, lost for words at this strange westerner's rudeness.

"And you're certain everything else will remain a secret?"

Merlin nodded. "Provided you have no trouble sharing some of your valued information with us."

The short Palestinian man shrugged. "I've already betrayed the Jewish faith and the nation of Israel. What makes you so sure you can trust me?"

Merlin grinned wickedly. "Because I know what I do to people who double-cross me."

"And what is it that you want with me?" Rosenblum asked. "There are much more impressive metahumans in the Middle East. Who, after all, do you think has been stealing and destroying Iraqi nukes and nerve-gas rockets for the past fifteen years?"

Jack shook his head. "Impressive, yes. Telepaths, no. There are many who would seek to oppose us, and among the advantages they've enjoyed, they have a handful of empathically- or telepathically-adept individuals. I want to take that advantage away." He paused. "You were a student of Uri Geller, were you not?"

Rosenblum nodded. "He taught me how to harness what I already had."

"I knew Uri," Merlin lied, "once upon a time. And he told me that he had students who could prove more than a match for any psychic or mentalist in the world."

Rosenblum bought it. "Did he?"

Merlin nodded. "I don't know if that's true or not. But if I were you, I'd hate to be the one to disappoint him."

The Palestinian thought a moment.

"Sign me up."

A few days after Merlin left Greece, Lykopis recieved the coordinates to the new hideout. He had offered her a private jet, but the Amazon declined. One of her weapons didn't fly well. So Merlin asked her take one of his smaller ships, docked in a nearby port.

She stepped out of her mansion and walked across the courtyard towards the stables. She spent the morning cleaning all the stalls and feeding the mares. There were twelve stalls, each with the name of the horse hanging above the door. They read AELLO, AINIA, ALCIPPE, BREMUSA, CLYEMNE, HIPP, HIPPOLYTA, HIPPOTHOE, LYSIPPE, MELANIPPE, PHILIPPIS, and XANTHIPPE.

She went up to one of the old mares, Alcippe, and rubbed the horse's face. The roan mare whinnied softly. "Ah, my dear girl, it seems like only yesterday I stole your mothers and aunts from the Greeks. Diomedas ruled Bistonia then. He found an unusual herd of mustangs there. Your mothers were flesh-eaters. So he fed traitors and foreigners to them." Lykopis allowed herself to smile. "And then, I fed him to his own herd. It's a shame a bastard son of Zues got credit for the whole thing."

Lykopis tossed some of the riding gear out to be cleaned. As always, she did everything herself, and was satisfied with the good job she was doing. "Now, which of you do I bring with me? Ainia's fast, Polly's frightening, Lysippe's is fearless, but who is perfect for this job?"

As if on cue, Lykopis heard one of the horses near the end cry out. Her horses, the daughers of the Man-Eating Mares of Diomedas, sounded like no other animal. They hissed, they barked, they roared, they screamed like unearthly demons looking for souls to posses. A dark bay mare, with inky black eyes and mane and tail, snorted and hissed. Lykopis headed towards the stall.

"Of course. My dear Melanippe." She stroked the horse's head. "I named you well, my black-hearted mare. When Melanippe was captured by the Greeks, she formed a mutainy on their own ship. But the winds blew her to Scythia, where she became a marauder." She whispered into the horse's ear. "You and I will sail on the sea, then we will be marauder's too. But we seek not gold or jewels. We seek to steal the lives of men."

With that, Melanippe roared in delight and rage. Within a half hour, other people living in the country side saw a woman dressed in red and gold riding a dark horse whose hoofbeats sounded like thunder.

Rosenblum paused slightly with a worried look on his face as Merlin stood to exit his room.

"Wait..." The telepath said.

"What is it?" Merlin asked, somewhat impatiently.

"I think there's someone... listening to us."

"You sure?"

Fifty thousand feet above them, the man in green cursed himself. He'd thought hard about his necklace masking him from any telepathic awareness. But his concentration had slipped momentarily. He was tired from following this Merlin character all over the world. He'd have to be more careful in future.

He focused his will on deflecting telepathic energy away from himself.

"I thought I felt something. It's gone now. But I warn you to be careful. It's possible you're being watched," Rosenblum said.

Merlin laughed. "A guy with my technology and my intel? If I was being watched, trust me, I'd know about it."

Rosenblum shrugged. "Very well. Just proceed with caution."

"And that, Iota, is the Academy test field. The place where our youngest recruits... the next generation, so to speak... train themselves to the fullest exploitation of their powers. Surely, most of them are metas... but the world is not ready to understand and accept that... so we have to keep that fact a secret. A minor nuisance, nothing more." Merlin was walking steadily along a narrow corridor, in fact a sort of bridge above a series of wide rooms, without ceiling, where youngster... child, in many cases... were fighting robots and other mechanical apparatuses.

Next to him, a short oriental man was looking at all those kids without revealing any feelings though his still face.

"Next, is the battle room. The men and woman you see are the survivors of Strikeforce 1. The few that survived the war to Naecken. Rose Biggle, Freehand and Director. Three out of fifty-five tenants and agents, not counting those held captive in Mandelovia... a fact that soon I will rectify... thanks to you."

The Chinese man looked directly at Merlin, but the long white haired man didn't respond to the obviously puzzled expression. Instead, he walked even more fast toward an ample window, from which was visible another ample room, that was like it faced the space beyond the atmosphere. In fact, there was the Earth, shining like a little blue marble up in the black sky. The white ground was obviously the moon.

"The virtual reality room, Iota. Your training ground, along your new comrades: Lycopsis, Texhèk, Mindgame and that blur, that is Amuck. Basically, for now you have just to learn how to coexist with the latter. You will be the Strikeforce 2. The elite team. You have to learn how to work together, before I will let you leave this base. You will learn how to move and think like a single unit... a single being... just then you will be ready for your mission."

"And that would be?" asked the oriental man.

Merlin smiled, and didn't answer.

Lykopis was in the one of the sitting rooms. She was reading some older hardback dating from the 19th century. Merlin's library was fully stocked -- thank the godesses for that.

And the bickering had already erupted between Texhek and Water Man. "And you think your ability will aid this team...how?"

Lykopis put her book down. No way she could read with all this noise.

"At least I have a meta-power, Commie-nerd. Go drown yourself in some Vodka."

This triggered an old memory in Lykopis. The younger Amazons would bicker like this. She picked up her book again. "If you two don't stop, I'll have to get violent. Might be embarassing to be beat up by a girl." She flipped to the next page. Pre-Victoria literature was somewhat predictavle, but the characters were interesting.

Texhek looked at the Amazon. "Actually, the two of us are in the same boat, really. I've spent all my lifetime mastering how to fight, and you've done the same. You just have a two-thousand year headstart."

Lykopis grinned. "I had forgotten how much one can do in a lifetime. Still, dying's a bitch, isn't it? Doesn't it bother you that one day your arms will weaken, your legs grow weary, and your mind start to wander? Doesn't it bother you that you will die an old man?"

Texhek didn't take the bait. "You're going to leave such a pretty corpse when someone finally nails you." Lykopis's eyes narrowed. "I've read your file."

Lykopis laughed. He didn't expect that. "Yes, well, Merlin is currently solving that problem for me."

Valencia, Spain. 1.30 AM

In the dim lit cafe, over a table two women, one dressed like a man, and the other wrapped in a form-fitting red dress, dance the sevillaña, accompanying the music of guitars with the heavy clicking of the heels over the centuries old wood.

Around them, a few men sits at the tables, drinking cerveza and pastis. At the farther table, immersed in total darkness, sits two men. One, white haired, without leaving his eyes from the dancers, asks: "So, tell me where I can find this vulture!"

"Amigo, nobody can find El Buitre. It's El Buitre to find you. Always. And usually, you'll be dead, by then."

"This are ten thousands Euros. Tell me where, and they will be yours".

The fat, mustached man takes the money and begins to count one by one. At the end of the count he smiles, and hisses: "The roof of the cathedral, at sun rise".

................................................................

The first ray of the sun baths the grey stones of the centuries old church, when Merlin, walking on air like on an invisible staircase, arrives over the roofs, still closed to the tourist, as it will be for another three hours.

"What do you want, señor Merlin?"

Jack merlin raises his head, to the point from which the voice came.

Standing on the tip of the bell tower, a tall man, dressed in black, with a long black coat and two huge black wings, wide open and beating to fight the wind building up with the sunrise.

"El Buitre!"

"In person, Merlin. You are one of the few people allowed to see me and remain alive. It's a great concession I am doing to you, mister."

"And why you are letting me seeing you, man?" asks merlin, smiling.

"I have heard you are rebuilding the Strikeforce, Merlin, and it happens I am low on founds for my... crimefighting career, so to speak. I have only a question: how much you pay?"

Merlin smiles. "I like this kind of persons..."

Merlin left the belltower, walking jauntily back towards the limousine that would take him to the airport.

His jaunt was lessened somewhat to find the limousine, the driver, and the bottle of finely aged red wine he kept in the back gone.

"...what the hell?" He muttered under his breath.

He was even more shocked to be suddenly enveloped in a bright green glow, and rocketed up hundreds of feet into the sky within seconds.

"Ding. Top floor," Came a voice from in front of Merlin. He couldn't see the source of the voice, then realised with some mild embarassment that this was because he'd closed his eyes tightly at the shock of being lifted so high, so fast.

Jack Merlin opened his eyes. Before him, sitting atop his limousine, was a man clad entirely in a light green form fitting bodysuit. A green mask covered most of his face, leaving visible only his eyes, mouth, nose, and a well slicked head of black hair.

The only non-green item about his costume was a silver necklace that hung from his neck. A green stone sat embedded in the silver, and Merlin noticed that it glowed.

"Jack Merlin," The man in green said. It was a statement, not a question.

"Uh... what am I standing on?" Merlin asked, acutely aware that he could see the ground from far above as if looking down on a detailed map of Valencia.

"My thoughts."

"Oh..."

Merlin noticed as well that the limousine floated in mid air affixed to four green balloons at each corner.

"And who might you be?" Merlin asked, regaining his composure.

"I..." the man in green said, pausing dramatically. "...am the Shining Chartreuse!"

Merlin stifled a laugh.

The Shining Chartreuse placed his hands on his hips proudly, obviously expecting all those he encountered to be impressed and awed by his very presence.

Merlin could no longer hold his laugh in.

"What?" The Shining Chartreuse asked, a little disappointed to be met with laughter and not the awed reverence he'd been expecting.

"Sorry, it's just that..." Merlin choked back another laugh. "...that's the worst metahuman codename I've ever heard."

The Shining Chartreuse narrowed his eyes and said "I could drop you, you know."

"Sorry." Merlin wiped the smirk off his face and addressed the man in green seriously. "What can I do for you?"

"You are putting together another Strikeforce," The Shining Chartreuse stated.

"Yes."

"And you are paying considerably better than any of your rivals."

"Yes."

"I want in."

"Ok. You are in. Now drop me."

"What? Why in the world I should let..."

"Now. Drop. Me. If you want a place in my organization, don't discuss my orders".

The Shining Chartreuse let his thoughts to free the white haired meta from his mental grip.

And, much to his dismay, Merlin remained there, standing on nothing. And then, he began to go down, like he was walking on invisible stairs.

"My codename is The Walker, now you know why."

"Ok, ok, Merlin. What I have to do to sign in?"

"Present yourself tomorrow at the ex-Shell drill station HF-56 on the Northern Sea, in front of Denmark. It's our new base".

"Have you ended your supply of spaceship?

"Ah ah, very funny. That's the kind of humor I don't tolerate in the Strikeforce, Chartreuse. Be warned!"

Strikeforce base, Northern Sea off the Denmark coast.

"And so, lady and gentlemen, the day for your first mission has arrived. You are still under training, and the day when you would be revealed to the world is still far, but finally you have to prove yourselves not in the virtual reality room, but out there. The real world." Merlin was wandering across the room, waving his cane on the air. Behind him, on the other side of the ample window, the sea was showing what the word tempest really stand for.

"During the War with Hell, we lost many valued members, Agents and Soldiers, on the soil of Mandelovia. Many perished at the dirty hands of D'Goon soldiers and of his wicked allies, the Vanguardians... but we know for certain that a few survived... O'ken, ACK... and possibly others. Your mission is to retrieve them safely." Merlin was looking at the big waves and the pouring rain, giving the back to the Strikeforcers.

He suddenly turned toward them. "I want an operation done by the foil, not the saber, if you understand what I am meaning. I don't want to see any show of brute force. I don't want to see any show. You will get there undetected and nobody should see you, and especially film you in any way. The operatives chosen for the mission are Iota, Waterman, Shining Chartreuse... I profoundly recommend you to choose a better codename... and Lycopsis. And Techek will lead you."

The hard look of Merlin stopped any comment before anyone had the time to open his mouth.

"The prisoners are kept in a deep dungeon in the underground of Mandelovia, in cells with force field closures and laser rays barriers. The place is guarded by twelve Mastiff of Wars, giant robots in the shape of dogs, each one piloted by two guards. The only access to the dungeons is from the President-Prime Minister Palace, currently in the process of being rebuilt after partial damage during the War. But there are other accesses, possibly not known even to the Mandelovians: an hole in the desert and a tunnel from the sea. Both reach the dungeons through a system of natural caves, that sadly are inhabited by a strange tribe of cave dwelling people, that the legend says are able to summon evil spirits or demons. The origin of this tribe of cannibals is unknown, although probably it derives from escapees of the dungeons across the centuries since the foundation of Mandelovia, five centuries ago. Ant this is all we know."

Everyone was speechless. Just the Technician seemed not shaken by the presentation. "Ok, so, what's the plan?" he asked to Merlin.

The head of the Strikeforce stood up and smiled. "YOU must prepare the plan, people. Good luck!"

Texhek, Lykopis, Iota, Waterman, and the Shining Chartreuse were seated in massive chairs, trying to come up with a plan. "'Still under training'?" said Lykopis, quoting Merlin. "Under training? I've been killing men since before his ancestors sucked from their mothers' breasts, and he says I'm under training? Bah!"

"So prove him wrong," said Texhek. He learned early on that Lykopis could be manipulated by her own vanity. "Kill every guard on the way to free the old Strikeforce members."

"That would be unwise," said Iota. "Merlin said by the foil. Lykopis cannot slay men like she did in past times. At least, not on this mission."

Waterman scratched his head. "Yeah, what did he mean when he said 'By the foil'? Since when were we going to use tin foil to free the old Strikeguard?"

Lykopis rolled her eyes. "You stupid ass." Waterman wasn't use to being insulted. It was clear that the Amazon did not care much for the Fish. "He meant the fencing foil. Merlin means we must use stealth to get into the prison. As oppose to going in with swords blazing -- or in your case, cans of tuna."

"Lucky for us," said Texhek, "we have two means as to getting in under Zero's nose. Waterman can clear the way through the underwater tunnel. I think the Shining Chartreuse can aid in the tunnel. And Lykopis can use her mare to clear the desert path."

The Amazon nodded. "I can dispose of those cannibals easily."

"I know you can," said Texhek, not allowing himself to grin. "Once you clear everything, Iota and I will come and help you infiltrate the base." He turned towards the Chinese man. "You think you can disable their security?"

Iota thought for a moment. "I can allow everyone to slip in and out without the guards noticing. It would be easy to manipulate the security cameras into a pre-programed loop. Of course, that means nothing if a single guard sees us."

"So we knock everyone out," said Lykopis, spinning her sword by the hilt. "Since I can't kill anyone, it's the next best thing."

Waterman did not seem impressed. "So what's the point of having me and Green Ring here swiming in Mandelovia's septic system?"

"I know Merlin said stealth would be key, but there's no reason we can't leave them will a few scratches. I'll check the details out with Merlin before we leave. Dismissed."

***

Lykopis caught Merlin as he was about to retire for the evening in his room. "We'll be leaving soon," she said.

"Yes, I told Texhek we'd confirm everything in the morning. Is there something you wanted?"

Lykopis grinned. In her nightgown, she seems less an Amazon. If it weren't for the aged look in her eyes, Lykopis would pass as some young model in a silk nightrobe. "Is there anyway I can get a payment now? Give me more of that sweet ambrosia I've tasted before. Why not let me be unstopable in this mission? Texhek gave me a big job, and I can do it, but it would be nice to have some insurance." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "I can...concentrate more on the job knowing any resistance I meet can't kill me."

"No," said Merlin in a flat voice. "You get your nector when you complete a mission. You've lasted centuries, my dear, I doubt you'll be killed now." Lykopis's sweet face turned sour at the rejection. "Oh, don't look surprised. We agreed it would be your payment. You do something for me, I give you invulnerability."

"Is that all?" Merlin realized Lykopis's hand had made it around the back of his head. "Well, you know," she purred, "we never discussed what sort of things I had to do for you to get my...payment." Merlin smiled and opened the door to his bedroom. Lykopis walked inside.

"Just think of this as a bonus to working overtime," he said, locking the door behind him."

It was agreed that Waterman and The Shining Chartreuse would travel to Mandelovia together separate from the rest of the team using the power of Chartreuse's necklace.
At the estimated time of departure, Chartreuse waited for Waterman in the hangar. Finally, he arrived, carrying what appeared to be an oxygen tank connected to a respirator mask through a tube.

The Shining marvel raised an eyebrow as he looked at his teammate. "What is that? A fire extinguisher? An oxygen tank?" he asked.

"A water tank, actually," Waterman responded as he strapped the tank to his back and place the mask on his belt.

Chartreuse laughed his arse off. A group of green people that seemed taken from a 50's television show suddenly appeared next to him and started laughing and pointing at Waterman, pressing their bellies as they bended with hilarity.

"That's right!" Chartreuse said between laughter, "You can't live without water for more than an hour! Why don't you use one of those little inhalers for kids with asthma?"

Waterman's face turned red as he gritted his teeth and looked at the green dressed man in anger. He raised the tank and threw it to the floor in front of him. He kicked it out of the way as he walked towards The Shining Chartreuse.

"I need that as much as I need you for this mission," Waterman said to Chartreuse looking at him right in the eye. "And in case you don't understand irony, that means I don't need you. I only agreed to let you come along to please Merlin."

Chartreuse had stopped laughing by now. The green people were talking amongst themselves about topics like race, feminism and religion. "That's not irony, that's--"

"ENOUGH!" Waterman yelled. "Let's go, already."

A green energy surrounded Waterman and The Shinning Chartreuse, and they levitated out of the hangar...

Iota looked at the armored personnel carrier that Lykopis was leading her horse into. "I don't see how you expect to drive to Mandelovia."

"The BOT is currently in its land configuration. Once we are ready to go, I will shift it into flight mode."

"So, it turns into an airplane?"

"A vertical take off and landing flying wing to be precise. We'll fly at low altitude to the edge of the desert to avoid detection and then drive through an unguarded area to the cave entrance."

"Why did you name it BOT?"

"An acronym in Russian for Air/Ground Vehicle. I see no need to give a fanciful name to a piece of equipment."

"Really?" Said Lykopis as the walked down the loading ramp. "I'd have thought you'd name it the Texmobile or the Texwing..."

"It will perform its function. Its name is irrelevant."

"Fine, then 'Texmobile' it is."

There was no change in Texhek's expression, "It makes no difference to me. If your animal is secured, it's time to go."

"Melanippe is fine. Let's go."

The three members of Strikeforce 2 entered the newly named "Texmobile" and then its wings folded out as powerful jets roared to life. Once its full flight mode was reached, it lifted into the air and sped off toward its destination.

Merlin picked up the phone from one of his assistant. "Baron? I guess you would be interested into know that an aircraft bearing no identifications signs is entering your air space!".

Tuck! Merlin hung the phone before any reply, and smiled.

___________________________

The Texmobile was flying fast and low above the desert of Mandelovia.

"We'll land in one minute, get ready to leave" said the young Russian Strikeforcer, when on his radar five flying interceptors appeared.

As his grip on the cloche got harder, five Mandelovian Ospreys came out behind the mountains, and started to fire at the Texmobile.

The Texwing was flying low enough now. Lykopis mounted her horse and prepared to jump into the sands. "Give me enough cover to get into the caves." Smiling with confiendence, she drank from a small bottle. It was the same drink Merlin had offered before. "I'll signal when I clear them."

Texhek opened the hatch and Melenhippe jumped. Horse and rider fell into the sand, but Melenhippe had some Arabian in her, and was racing across the desert, faster than any of her kin could run.

Lykopis could almost see her opponents. They would attack her from every angle once she ran into the caves. She grabbed two long swords and belted a warrior's cry as the mare's hooves stepped off the sand and onto the stony ground of the caves.

No spirits were summond by the cave-dwellers, no ghosts appeared. Which suited Lykopis fine -- in this state, she was divine herself, and would have run down any demons before her. She screamed and she cut and she swung her weapons. One arrow lodged itself in her right temple behind her eye. She cried out -- it did hurt -- before pulling it out and stabbing the next opponent with it. The wound healed -- but not before splatter blood on Melenhippe's flanks and Lykopis's breastplate.

The rush of it all. The bloodlust. Lykopis's spirit was reawakened. She could almost see her sisters and mothers and aunts running by her side, shouting and driving their lances into their quarry. And yet, so much unlike them, the wounds that inflicted her sides and her limbs didn't drag her down. Like the other Amazons had been dragged down. She was a goddess among her people, loved by Aprodite and Athena. She was forever young, forever deathless...

...but at the price of being whatever Merlin wanted her to be? Warrior? Lover? Part of Lykopis's heart was disgusted at the idea of serving a man, but Lykopis was too eager to grasp immortality to care.

She had cleared the area. The caves were empty of all life, save for a black-hearted horse and her rider, who was busy pulling arrows out of her chest. "Tex? It's Lykopis. You and Iota are clear."

"Us? Clear?" laughed Texhek, his Texwing dancing in the sky to avoid the missiles and laser rays shot by the five Osprey fighters.

Meanwhile, Waterman and the Shining Chartreuse swam through the submersed second entrance to the underground dungeons.

Water streamed to the sides around the Shining Chartreuse, deflected by the energy of his necklace. He was creating a pocket of air around himself, striding clamly and confidently across the ocean floor untouched by a single drop of water.

Waterman swam alongside him, his visage distorted somewhat by the wall of water in between them. A small green radio was lodged in Waterman's ear so the two of them could talk.

"Where did you say you where from?" Waterman asked.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," The Chartreuse answered.

"I'm from beneath the murky depths of the sea! I swear I'll believe you."

The Chartreuse sighed. "Okay. I'm from Saturn," He finally said.

"...I don't believe you," Waterman replied.

"It's true!"

"No. No, it really isn't."

"One of Saturn's moons, actually. I'm from one of Saturn's moons," The Chartreuse explained.

"It is scientifically impossible for human life to be sustained on Saturn," Waterman protested.

"But it's true!"

"No, it isn't, is it?"

"...no, no it isn't."

They continued through the water in silence for a brief period.

"Can I say something?" Waterman asked.

"Sure."

"You have the worst codename ever."

"I make things that are Chartreuse! Hence the name!"

"You don't have to name yourself after things you make! I don't call myself 'The Stinky Poop'!"

It took two hours for all the members of the mission to gather in front of the gate to the dungeons.

"I have slaughtered all the cannibals" was telling Likopsis, making boast of her battle.

"And I have drown the Mastiffs of War flooding the galleries" was saying Waterman.

"And our little friend here, Iota, has beamed trough the radio waves to reach all the Mandelovian fighters chasing us, destroying one by one." The shy Chinese had trouble to hide the personal satisfaction .

"And I... I..." babbled The Shining Chartreuse.

"You?" asked Lycopsis.

"I... cleared the tunnels from hordes of hungry rats..."

"Bwahahahahaha!!!!"

Ended the laughs, they looked at the gate. It wasn't looking very hard to win.

The Chartreuse pressed the palm of his hand over one of the door leaves, and it simply opened up. The Strikeforcers looked at each other.

"I don't like this..." whispered Texhek. They entered the dungeon, which was a tunnel burrowed in the underground, stuffed with complex high teach gear at the walls.

"Have you shut down any communicating and control device, Chartreuse?" asked Texhek.

"No need for that, Tex. Here is all dead". And just after he said those words, they began finding cadavers of guards, and of inmates. They found also the corpses of the members of the old Strikeforcers.

"What happened?" asked Iota, to no one in particular.

"I can't understand" whispered Texhek. The opposite end of the dungeons, the part communicating with the railroad to the basement of the Mandelovian Palace, was closed by big rocks, fallen from the ceiling. Noises were heard of people and machines trying to reopen the fallen section.

"We have to go, NOW!" shouted Texhek.

"Have we to take the cadavers?" asked Chartreuse, as green coffins were forming out of air.

"No. They would refer this... slaughter... to the Strikeforce. Better leaving all as is" ordered Texhek, as the coffins exploded with a dull POP.

Just two hours later, the Texwing landed on the helicopter platform of the Strikeforce bases. The sea was still raging furious.

Merlin was awaiting for them, with a broad smile.

"My heroic soldiers. I have heard your first mission was a splendid success!"

"Don't be sarcastic, Merlin" said Texhek, pulling a long face. "we did what we had to do. It was just late!"

Then, behind Merlin, he saw the faces of ACK, O'Ken and Mimic.

"How... I saw your cadavers..." babbled Waterman.

"It's how I said. You performed perfectly, lady and gentlemen" explained Merlin. "All went as I planned. I didn't expect you to actually perform your mission... I needed you just for a distraction... you are too bold and boastful to work together satisfactory. You are still individualities... powerful individualities, but nothing more."

"And who freed them? And what about their cadavers?" asked Texhek.

"Ah, for the cadavers, they are just of doubles found and killed for this purpose". Merlin smiled wickedly. "As for who performed the true mission, the one that single handedly freed those men... let me present you your new teammate...

UBERMENSH!"

Very suddenly, Waterman bended in pain.

"Ugh!" he exclaimed.

"What...?" Jack Merlin started. "Ah. One hour."

"59... minutes..." Waterman replied, speaking with difficulty. "Now... if you'll excuse me..."

He left the room running as fast as he could. Moments later, a splash was heard.

The Shinning Chartreuse started laughing. Lykopis turned to Merlin.

"Would you mind telling me why he's with this team, Merlin? We're suppoused to be the best... not the most ridiculous."

Merlin grinned. "You'll see, darling, you'll see."

Merlin was followed by Texhex, Lykopis, and Ubermensh along a hallway. Lykopis was talking to Ubermensh in German, but then she realized -- Texhex and Merlin could still understand what she was saying. Frustrated, Lykopis turned her bitterness towards Merlin. "That was a dirty trick, Merlin!" she hissed. "I am not use to working with men as it is, but I also do not permit myself to be duped by one!"

"Save your moaning for later, Amazon. I wanted to see how you worked as a team. And you did poorly." Lykopis was about to say something, but Merlin continued. "Yes, I know you do not take orders from a man!" He spun around and grabed her by the wrist. "But while you are part of this team and taking benefits from it, you will follow orders from anyone who outranks you.

"Besides, I didn't want to exhaust everyone before the team was fully assembled. Ubermensh here is a late arival. So is Isis."

Lykopis realized Merlin had led the three of them into a small room. She looked at Texhex. His eyes did not betray any emotion. Ubermensh seemed alert and curious. "Gentlemen and Lady, this is Isis."

Isis was standing on a perch in the center of the room. Lykopis had never seen anything like her in all her existance. Isis had golden-brown eyes, deep, tanned skin, and hair was dark brunette. Her lips were painted gold, and her eyes had the heavy eyeliner pattern found in the old images of Old Eygpt.

And that's where any similarity with humanity ending.

Lykopis and Texhex ran their eyes down the body. Isis's legs were human enough, but they ended with giant talons that griped into the wooden perch. Instead of arms, she had masive wings, the same color as her hair. She was naked, save for the bit of cloth around her bust and her hips. She also wore the bird-helmet similar to the old Egyptian crowns.

Merlin grinned. "Remarkable, isn't she? Isis comes to us from one of the cities along the Nile. I'm sure you've spent time along that river, Lykopis. Men whorshiped her there."

Isis said nothing in the presense of the three Strikeforce members. A few minutes later, Ubermensh and Texhex excused themselves. They appeared to be discussing 'prep time'. Lykopis whispered something to Merlin and left as well. Isis and Merlin stood there, alone.

Isis hopped off the perch. She was incredibly clumsy on foot, but she needed the exercise. She waddled along the floor. "I don't understand. Why did you lie to them?"

Merlin laughed. "Tell them the truth, Isis? Tell them that I found you about to be killed by a mob? Tell them that you permitted yourself to be displayed in a zoo for money? Tell them that you eat humans where the rats run too quick for you to catch?"

Isis winced at the last sentence. "No, I didn't want you tell anyone I was a cannibal."

"Good. Now try and keep this between you and I. Work with Strikeforce and I'll give you all the flesh you want. Just imagine how tasty those Vanguard members are. Pick on Grimm's bones, nibble on Banshee wings, tear at Raptor's lizzard...hell, I'll throw in Lykopis is she continues to displease me in battle."

Isis nodded. "Sounds like a deal to me."