The Protectors

“Who's That Girl?” by Martin Maenza

The blue and red garbed body of teen super-speedster known as Ricochet came crashing through the wooden banister posts and dropped down with great force onto the oak hardwood floors of the front foyer. If he hadn’t been stunned before the fall, he certainly was now.

The sound of the crash was enough to bring four other costumed figures running out of the nearby dining room area. “What was that?” the white costumed Rainbow asked. She saw Ricochet roll over on the floor and groan; his eyes were still dimly closed. The heroine rushed to her teammate’s side to see if he was okay.

“Looks like the kid tripped over his own two feet,” the orange and green costumed Larynx scoffed. “It was bound to happen sooner or later.”

“Look again!” the red and purple dressed Hydro Girl replied. She pointed to the top of the stairs where a raven haired figured dressed all in white was hovering in the air. The way the clothing flowed about, it was almost as if this were some kind of apparition.

The green clad hero known as the User couldn’t help but smile at the sight. “Looks to me like someone was bowled over by a beauty.”

“Yeah,” Larynx nodded in agreement. Hydro Girl gave him a sharp elbow to the ribs. “Hey, babe, I was just lookin’ is all.”

“Well, both of you need to put your eyes back in your sockets and get her!” the red haired heroine ordered. As the two guys started to move, Hydro Girl couldn’t help but wonder about the events leading up to this moment.

***

Ten minutes prior, the five members of the Protectors arrived just outside the Haygner Manor in Greenwich Village. “So, where’s Amazon?” Larynx asked.

“She said she had some business to attend to first,” the User said as he produced a small amulet from around his neck. “She said we should get settled and start the meeting without her. She’ll be along in awhile.” He held the piece of jewelry to the front door of the building. From the inside, there was a click and then the door opened for them.

Rainbow glanced about the neighborhood before stepping inside. “Funny, our presence here doesn’t appear to be raising any eyebrows,” she said.

Hydro Girl nodded. “Mystifier probably doesn’t worry about people in the Village knowing who he is,” she guessed. Either that or they’re used to him.  After all, he’s got a rather ornate looking home amidst the row of brownstones and eclectic shops.”  Indeed, above them on a third floor window ledge were pairs of gargoyles keeping vigil. “Plus, if it takes special magic like the amulet for us to gain entrance, he doesn’t really need to worry about unwelcome guests now, does he?”

“Really,” Larynx said as he followed the others inside. “Besides, anyone who had a huge beef with him a) probably knows his house is here anyway and b) would likely be up to the challenge of getting inside. Somehow I think your average door-to-door salesperson isn’t going to be an issue.”

The group gathered in the front foyer, and Ricochet closed the door. "So, we gonna get started or what?”

The African-American hero slipped the amulet’s chain back over his neck. "Okay, let’s see here.”   He ducked his head around a doorframe; even from the darkened room he could make out roughly what was inside. "Yeah, yeah, this will do.”

The User motioned to the others to follow him into the room. He flipped a light switch, and the large overhead chandelier illuminated the room. There was a large wooden dining room table with eight high back chairs seated around it. “Everyone grab a seat.”

“This is nice,” Hydro Girl remarked as she noted the quality of the woodwork and the well-kept nature of what was clearly antique furniture over a century old. She started to take a seat when Larynx stepped in and pulled it out for her to sit. “My, what a gentleman. Thank you.” She gave him a little wink.

The blonde started to blush slightly. Then he noticed his teammate giving him a look. “What?” he said to the User.

“Nothin’, man,” User said with a smile. Blondie’s done bitten by the love bug.

Rainbow couldn’t help but notice the painted portraits on the wall. There was one of man in his forties and one of a woman slightly younger. She saw something familiar in their features – a jaw line here, the eyes there. "You figure these are Alan’s parents?” she asked.

“Most likely,” said User as he took a seat at the head of the table. "So, how’s about we get started.” He noticed that one person had yet to take a seat. “Ric, you joinin’ us?”

The speedster glanced about. “Yeah, yeah…” he said absentmindedly. “Say, you think Mystifier’s got a TV around here?”

“Probably,” Hydro Girl said. “Why?”

“The Dodgers are playing tonight,” he said. “I just wanted to check the score before we start. Be back in a flash.”

“Ric…” the User started to say. But the speedster was off in a blur before he could get the next word out. That kid!

The speedster quickly made the rounds of the first floor in just under twenty seconds.

Ricochet ran through the kitchen and then examined a small personal quarters off of there. Nope, he thought to himself. Most of the latter room was vacant of any personal effects, just furniture and some sparse decorative touches. Back through the kitchen, he then found a small hall bathroom and then a large sitting area with a huge fireplace and a number of antique chairs and chaise. He quickly glanced around but shook his head negatively. Not one here either.

Back out into the front hall and then the foyer, he raced up the seventeen steps that made up the front staircase that led to the second floor. Maybe I’ll have better luck up here, Ricochet thought. He tried one door and then another. Most of knobs on the doors refused to turn with his touch. Locked, he thought. For a second he was half tempted to race back down and outside, then up the outer walls to check through the windows. Nah. Mystifier might be mysterious and all, but he’s not likely to have a TV behind some locked doors.

The speedster turned back and raced across the railed walkway to try down the other hall. Maybe I’ll have some luck there, he thought. Not looking where he was going, he cut around the corner and ran right into something. “Oooof!” he exclaimed, the air rushing quickly out of his lungs.

Ricochet tumbled to the floor and then realized it wasn’t a thing he ran into.A pair of legs moved underneath his lower body quickly. “Get off!” the female yelled as her feet pushed against his body. Her legs then straightened up and out in a fluid motion.

Caught off-guard by the sudden surge of strength, Ricochet went flying through the air. Whoa!” He tried to reach out and grab something to slow himself, but he was out of reach from anything that could be of help. The blue and red garbed teen went crashing through the wooden banister posts and dropped down with great force onto the oak hardwood floors of the front foyer.

***

The User bound up the stairs, taking them two at a time. “Hold it right there, missy!” he ordered.

Larynx took to the air and went the more direct route. “Yeah! You attack one of us, you attack all of us!”

The black haired female touched down on the floor, bent down and snatched two of the broken thick wood spindles. “I’m not looking for a fight,” she said, “but if that’s what you boys are offering then I’ll be happy to reciprocate!” She took a defensive stance, ready to strike.

“Oooh, she’s got some wood,” Larynx mocked her. “Like what good is that gonna…” His words were cut off as one of the spindles flew through the air at great speed and bounced off the side of his skull. “Owww! Hey! That hurt!”

The User suppressed a chuckle. He knew it wasn’t cool to laugh at one of his own teammates, but the woman’s aim was spot on.“Luck nothing,” she said as she let fly the other piece of wood like a boomerang.The wood shattered against the User’s new exterior, and it didn’t faze him a bit. "Your aim ain’t gonna help you against me.” He grabbed her left arm with his rock hard grip and held it firmly. “Gotcha!”

The woman grimaced slightly at the pain but did not let it deter her. Using her free hand, she grabbed his hand about the wrist, planted her feet, and jerked with all her might.

“Wha…?” the User was caught by surprise. He had not expected someone with such a lithe, delicate frame to be so strong! Before he could even think about adjusting his stance, she pulled him off of his feet, into the air and flipped him over her shoulders. The dark skinned male when flying over the damaged rail.

Instinctively, he released his grip on her arm so that he could use both hands to catch himself. He grabbed the wooden ledge and hung there for a moment. The User looked up and saw the woman standing above him. Looks and moves, he thought to himself. What a combo! Too bad she’s an intruder.

Larynx, meanwhile, had shaken off the blow and dove at the woman. At the last second, she ducked out of the way and took flight herself. “Hey, get back here!” he yelled.

The woman shook her head. “You’ll never sneak up on anyone with a voice like that,” she stated. “Melodic, but not subtle.”

The sonic hero fumed. “We’ll just see about that!” Larynx opened his throat wide and let forth a might burst. The sonic scream rocked through the air.

The woman in white swooped out of the way, and the blast shattered the bulbs of the glass light fixture that hung from the foyer ceiling.

Rainbow, who was still tending to Ricochet directly below heard the glass shatter above her and screamed. “Eeek!”

“Look out!” the User called as he was pulling himself up on the landing. There was little he could do as the glass shards showered down past him.

“Got it!” Hydro Girl called out. From the side of the foyer, her arms were extended outwards. A protective dome of ice started for form above her two teammates. The glass fell and impacted into the ice but did not cut its way through.

Rainbow crawled out from the frozen igloo with a woozy Ricochet in tow. "Thanks,” she said. "That was close.”

“Hey!” Larynx called out from above as he was darting and dodging in the air. The woman in white flew ahead of him, always just out of reach. “A little help here! We’ve got to capture her!”

“Let’s see her handle this!” Rainbow said. For a second she thought of using one of her multi-colored blasts. No, we’re already making a mess of Alan’s place, she thought. Ah, this should work though. She fell back on her original powers and concentrated.

Suddenly the entire scene changed.

The heroes found themselves no longer standing in the foyer of the mansion. Instead, it appeared they were in the wilds of a jungle with huge trees and vegetation.

Larynx blinked. “RB, did you…?”

“Yes,” she was quick to reply. Rainbow said no more, hoping that her illusion would distract the elusive woman long enough for the others to catch her.

The sonic hero flew at the woman, hoping to corner her. She merely zoomed about as she had before, passing through what appeared to him as a huge tree without hesitation. Hey, what gives? She completely ignored the illusions.

The woman meanwhile had plans of her own. I have no idea who these intruders are or how they got in here, she thought, but I need to get them out of the mansion before they trash the place further! Besides, there appears to be five of them and that puts me a bit out-numbered. If I can just get them to follow me outside, I’ll be more in my element.

She spun about in the air, dodged yet another grab by Larynx and swooped down with her arms extended. Before she reached the floor, she cut sharply into a glide and then soared over the heads of the two other women and the starting to stand Ricochet.

“Hey, she can fly!” the speedster said. “I mean really really well!”

“She’s fast,” Hydro Girl conceded. “She’d have to be to get the drop on you and elude all of us.”

“She’s good,” Ricochet had to admit. “Uh, hey! Where’d she go?” The jungle brush was limiting his view of the situation.

“Wait!” Rainbow said, having the added ability to see beyond her own illusions.Indeed, the woman in white was landing where the main entrance to the manor would be. “All right you ruffians,” the woman taunted as she opened the door, “follow me if you dare!” She took off into the night air.

The User dropped down and ran towards the others. “How’d she know where the exit was?”

Rainbow frowned. “No clue,” she said. With a thought, the jungle was gone and everyone saw again the mansion as it truly was. “No sense in keeping that up though.”

“Never mind the how! Get her!” Ricochet shouted as he took off like a shot. The others were following on his heels.

The woman in white soared above the streets of Greenwich Village, much to the speedster’s dismay. “Come back down here and fight fair!” He shook his fist at her, frustrated that she remained out of his reach.

“Leave this to us,” Larynx said. He motioned to Rainbow who followed him into the air.

“What’s the plan?” she asked as she flew beside the sonic hero.

“Let’s hit her from multiple angles,” Larynx stated. “Try to force her down to the others.”

“Gotcha,” Rainbow nodded. She arced off to the East; Larynx swept around to the West. Together, they bombarded their quarry with blasts of light and sound energy.

From the ground, the others waited and watched. “Get her!” Ricochet cheered.

Hydro Girl’s brow furrowed. “Something doesn’t seem right to me,” she said.

The User nodded. “I’m with you, Red. We’re missing something, but I’m not sure what.”

The woman in white swooped out of the way, barely avoiding one attack after another. I could easy take off from here to safety, she thought to herself. But that would leave Mystifier’s mansion unattended. And that might be just what they want! If only I could take them out one at a… Her thought was cut off as one Larynx’s sonic blasts finally connected.

The blonde male smiled as she started to fall. “Yes! Finally nailed her!”

“Idiot!” a familiar female voice boomed. Suddenly, a large orange gloved hand the size of a park bench reached up into the sky and scooped up the falling, stunned woman. “What do you think you’re doing?” The hand belonged to the red and orange costumed Amazon who was at maximum height. The woman in white was like a large doll to her.

“We caught her trespassing at Mystifier’s place,” Rainbow explained, trying to justify their actions.

“Trespassing?” Amazon said as she started to return to her normal height. As she did so, she positioned the struck woman in a cradling position in her muscular arms. Do you have any idea who this is?”

“No,” Larynx said, looking dumbfounded. “Should we?”

“Try reading something other than Rolling Stone sometime, goldilocks,” Amazon retorted. “This woman’s name is Night Owl.”

“I take it you know her?” the User asked, still not getting the connection.

Ricochet paused for a second as if trying to register the name. After a moment, his brain hit on something. “Night Owl? Uh oh…”

“What?” Hydro Girl asked.

“I remember where I’ve heard that name before,” the speedster said with some regret in his voice. "She’s a hero.”

Amazon nodded. Bingo! She normally operates out of Los Angeles though.”

The woman in her arms started to stir. “Anyone get the number of that bus…?” she grumbled to herself as her head started to clear. Then she realized where she was and began to struggle in Amazon’s arms.

“Relax, Night Owl,” the blonde heroine said as she placed the woman on her feet. You’re among friends. We’re the Protectors.”

“The Protectors?” Night Owl registered the name.

“Yeah,” the User said. “Sorry about all this. We didn’t know who you were.”

“Of course,” Night Owl said. “That makes perfect sense. Why didn’t I think of that before?”

“I think we all should go inside and continue the conversation there,” Hydro Girl suggested. The others nodded in agreement.

The seven heroes returned to the Haygner manor and went inside.“A broom might help,” Hydro Girl agreed.

“I saw one back by the kitchen earlier, along with a dustpan and some trash bags,” Ricochet said. “I’ll go get them.” The teen took off.

“I am really sorry about all this,” Night Owl said.

“No need to apologize,” the User said. “After all, we all jumped to conclusions.” He bent down and picked up one of the larger pieces of wood. "So, you’re a hero out in California, huh? I’m sorry that most of us haven’t heard of you before.”

“I’m still new at it,” Night Owl said. “Just a little over a year or so. I tend to keep a low profile. It helps when you’re trying to break up some of the organized crime families.”

“You move pretty well,” Larynx said. “Flying like that in combat takes a lot of skill.”

“And practice,” Rainbow added. She knew that as that was something she had been working a lot on since Mystifier helped boost her powers a month prior.

“Thanks,” the raven haired woman said. “I have worked hard on that.”

“She’s pretty strong too,” User chimed in. “And that throw move you used on me was solid.”

“I’ve been doing martial arts since I was twelve,” she said. “Mostly self-defense moves really. But it comes in extremely handy.”

Ricochet rushed into the room with a broom and some trash bags in one hand and a metal dustpan in the other. “Here, catch!” he called out as he tossed the later across the way.

"Ric, no!” User said. The object was hurtling right for Night Owl who had her back to the hall. The woman spun about and caught it in her right hand mere seconds before it hit her. "That…was amazing!”

“What?” she asked.

“The way you caught that,” he said. “You must have eyes in the back of your head or somethin’ 'cause most people never would have seen that coming.”

Night Owl sighed. “Well,” she started to say, “in truth, I didn’t see it coming.” The others looked at one another, trying to manage what she meant. “The truth is…I’m blind.”

There was an awkward silence for a moment.

Larynx was the first to speak up. “Ah, you’re kidding us, right?” he asked. “You know, joking with the new acquaintances.”

Night Owl shook her head. “No, I’m not. I’m really blind.  I’ve been this way now for a few years. I hope…that doesn’t bother you, does it?”

Hydro Girl popped Larynx gently upside the head. “Don’t mind him, Owl,” she said. “Sometimes his mouth runs faster than his brain.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow added. “Though that explains a few things – like why my illusions didn’t distract you when you all were fighting.”

“Hey,” Ricochet called out, “is anyone gonna help me clean this up?”

“Not me,” Amazon said. “I came to this party after you all threw down. You guys clean it up.”

“The rest of us will pitch in,” User said. He reached for Night Owl’s hand. “May I?” He took the dustpan from her hand, holding the latter for a lingering moment.

“I’ll help too,” she said. “After all, that is why Mystifier asked me to come here. We met early on in my career, and I must have impressed him enough for him to ask me to fly out here. I’ve not worked as part of team before.”

User smiled. “Lady, I think you’ll fit in just fine.”