Here? the blue and gray garbed Silent Knight signed. All three knew basic American Sign Language, making it easier for them to converse without making any sounds. Even though they had not seen another person in a few hours, they still felt the caution was necessary.

The woman in gray and red nodded and moved towards the rock wall. She ran her red gloved hands along one of the seams and pressed against the flat of a rock. A spring loaded latch released, showing a control panel behind it. Without hesitation, she punched in a code on the numeric keypad.

A large section of the rock face slid slowly away like a hidden pocket door.

Impressive, the completely gray clad Phaedrus signed.

Trance gestured to the men to hurry inside. After they cross the threshold, she herself ran through the opening. The rock face slid back into place behind them.

They didn’t change the codes? Silent Knight signed to the group.

I guess not, Trance signed back.

Never mind that, Phaedrus said. Look what we have here! The trio was standing in a dimly lit garage area with a number of vehicles present. The heroes quickly recognized a police car and paddy wagon that had been present at the park earlier in the week along with another large truck which could be used to transport a number of agents quickly.

Without any word, Phaedrus unsheathed the Kara-Ton battle razors from his wrists and made quick work of slashing the tires on all the vehicles present.

Trance looked at Silent Knight inquisitively and signed a question: Why do all that?

The Knight responded firmly in sign: That’s so nobody uses them to get away again!

When Phaedrus finished his work, he withdrew the razors again. Where to now?

Trance made a gesture to them to follow her. They did so, and the trio went down a small tunnel to the right. There it opened to another chamber, this one with a set of light-rail tracks that split off into two small alcoves. One of the spots at the end of the tracks was empty but the second had a small shuttle car parked in it. She gestured towards the car.

The two men hesitated.

Trance sighed. She was half tempted to use her telepathy to explain it but decided against it. Instead, she relied on sign language. It seemed to make Silent Knight more comfortable. If the car is here, that means they’ve got to be off-grounds. That shuttle will take us into the base proper. We can go in, do what we need to do. I know the codes, just like I knew the one to get us inside to begin with. We won’t set off any alarms.

Silent Knight signed: How come your codes still work anyway?

Trance replied: They likely didn’t change them because they didn’t expect me to come back here. I told you before I tried to run away once. They knew I hated this place and them.

The Knight signed again: Just in case, I’m riding shotgun. He reached for a small ladder on the back of the shuttle car and climbed up to the roof. He positioned himself in such a way to lay flat along the roof of the car, hidden from the ground and safe.

Trance turned to Phaedrus and signed: Is he serious?

Phaedrus just shrugged his shoulders.

The two entered the shuttle car through the left doors. Trance moved to the back of the car, opened the control panel and entered a code. The shuttle came to life and began to move down the light rail track that ran deeper into the mountain.

The two stood silent in the car as the lights of the tunnel flickered through the windows as they passed each one. Phaedrus seemed focused, deep in thought. Trance was hoping he was thinking about what they might encounter and not about her.

The car soon came to a stop at the end juncture. Automatically, the doors opened to signal their arrival.

Trance started to take a step but Phaedrus threw up his hand to gesture that she not move. He looked carefully at the platform area through the open door and listened. He even took in a deep breath; the air was sterile and processed.

Suddenly, Silent Knight dropped down from the roof of the car and signed towards the car: The coast is clear!

Phaedrus gestured to Trance, and they joined their ally outside the vehicle. We need to look around, he signed.

Together, Silent Knight added.

Trance nodded, and the trio moved down the hallway into the main portion of the base. With Phaedrus’ guidance, they very systematically searched the first few rooms. There were two metal barred cells that were empty. An armory room had weapons in a few of the lockers, but those lacked any power packs to charge them. The nearby barracks and the quarters belonging to someone of higher authority were sparsely furnished but orderly. All the while, they encountered no one else. The place appeared to be vacant.

It was only when they arrived at the computer room did they take some pause. On one of the large screens was an active program. It appeared to be analyzing various footage from the battle between the heroes and the Viper agents in the park earlier in the week. The program moved quickly, cutting from video footage where measurements were taken, back to data screens that documented things like skeletal make-ups and projected limits of capabilities, and back again to the video. Every now and again the message “saving data” would flash up briefly.

Phaedrus stared at the screen, trying to take in as much of it as he could until the Knight got his attention by tapping him on the shoulder.

What’s all this about? the Knight signed.

I’m not sure, Phaedrus replied. They both turned to Trance.

She shook her head. No clue.

It looks like maybe that whole park encounter was some kind of test, Phaedrus said, to study us. Having spent many years with the Kara-To, he didn’t relish the idea of being anyone else’s lab rat again. He had too many painful scars from that.

But how did they get the video? wondered Silent Knight.

Phaedrus surmised: they must have had some hidden cameras somewhere. He reached for the keyboard nearby and attempted to cancel the program, or at least interrupt it. The keyboard was non-responsive. Locked.

Then let’s break them! Silent Knight said as he looked about for something with which to smash the systems.

It could set off some alarms! Trance signed.

Phaedrus nodded in agreement. As much as I hate it, the damage appears to be done. Someone here wanted information on us, and they’ve already gotten it. Let’s see if we can find out who and why.

The heroes reached the end of the first level and a stairwell that led down. What’s down there? Silent Knight signed to Trance.

She replied: locker rooms and a training area.

We better check it out, Phaedrus signed, just to be thorough. They descended the two flights of metal steps which opened to a hallway. There were sets of doors at each end. I’ll take the left; you two go right.

Phaedrus kept on-guard the entire time as he entered the darkened locker room. It took but a moment for his vision to adjust. His senses were fully focused, waiting to pick up anything out of the ordinary. He could pick up the occasional lingering scent, mostly from damp towels discarded in a cart at the far end of the room. Someone was here recently.

He found the door at the other end and depressed the bar slowly so that it wouldn’t make a sound. As he opened it, he realized the large room beyond it was also completely in darkness. He heard a click from down the way and, turning, saw two figures emerge from a similar door in an equally cautious manner. He knew it had to be the Knight and Trance.

He moved along the wall towards them and whispered as he got close, “Looks like this is total bust. There’s no…” And then Phaedrus stopped.  He noticed something in the center of the wooden floor, something very low to the ground perhaps an inch or so in height and rectangular. He said to his allies in a whisper, “Wait here.”

“What?” Trance whispered but he was already moving across the floor.

Phaedrus reached the center of the room and quickly scooped up what he saw. It appeared to be some kind of card, folded to stand on its own. As he raised it up and felt the surface, he could make out some raised lettering on the front. He formed the word on his lips softly. “Welcome?”

Suddenly, the room was flooded with light. The entire gymnasium was illuminated from the lights high up near the ceiling.

The heroes looked about, their vision having to adjust to the change. That’s when they saw raised platforms on the far wall. On each of the lower pair were two armed guards with laser rifles pointed at the group. The four men wore the same Viper armor as those agents they had battled in the park previously, complete with flash visor masks.

On the center platform was a handsome brown haired man in protective body armor. Next to him, crouched on all fours was a greenish-gray skinned figure with a long, segmented tail. From the mannerisms, this bald figure with dark sunken eyes, malformed nose and fanged teeth was clearly someone that was a cross between man and beast.

The brown haired man spoke. “Welcome, gentlemen and dear Trance,” he said rather coolly. “We have been expecting you.”

Another trap! Silent Knight signed. He turned towards Trance; his full face mask blocking the glaring stare he gave her.

“You have us at the disadvantage,” Phaedrus said as he contemplated his next move. “You know who we are, as evidenced by what we saw in the computer room. We’ve encountered your gunmen before. But we don’t know you or your ‘pet’ there.”

The man with the brown hair smiled. “I don’t think you want to insult my associate Scorpio here,” he said. “He might kill you for remarks like that.”

Scorpio smiled and swished his mighty tail. “Or I might just do it for fun,” the beast-man rasped.

“As for me,” the brown haired man continued, “I am Dr. Kale, the geneticist in charge of this operation.  You’ve seen our computer room so you know we have been studying you in combat. You both are quite interesting individuals, fine specimens of beyond-human conditioning. My organization would like to offer you an invitationto join us so that we can observe you further and perhaps help improve upon your abilities.”

“What, no refreshments?” Phaedrus joked. “You sure need to learn a lot about warming up your guests before you get down to business, Kale.” He turned to his teammate. “What do you think, Knight?”

Silent Knight flipped Kale the middle finger.

Kale laughed. “You two seem to have a little difference in opinion. Perhaps you’d like to take a moment to discuss my offer amongst yourselves. We can wait. Trance, perhaps you can help them see the benefits of cooperation.”

The young woman had hoped that their arrival at the base would catch Kale and his group off-guard.   Instead, she was the one thrown off by their preparation. Instead of having her new friends help her to escape the situation she had gotten herself into, she had played right into Kale’s hands. She reached a breaking point and couldn’t contain her frustration any longer.

“No way, Kale!” Trance exclaimed as she pushed her hands away in front of her as a gesture. “I won’t be used by you any more! I never should have come back here!” The brown haired young woman bolted for a third door before any one could stop. The door slammed behind her.

“I think she has the right idea,” Phaedrus said. “Thanks but no thanks, Kale.”

Suddenly, the door Trance departed from flew open and a man in red and gray armor strutted in, dragging the young woman by the arm behind him. She struggled to get free but he just twisted her arm tighter. “Hey, doc,” the newcomer said. “Look who I caught making a break for it. You’d think she was changing her loyalties after all this time.” He whipped her about and tossed her to the ground. “Sometimes you just can’t trust broads like that.”

“Very good, Lazer,” Kale said. “Thank you.”

Lazer? Silent Knight thought. The name and the appearance of the man triggered something in the mute hero’s mind. While the memory was as hazy as smoke from a fire, an image came through more sharply – that of the man who put him in the hospital with the injury that ruined his vocal cords and his life. That man now stood before him. Lazer! The anger welled up inside the Knight and terminated into clenched fists.

“Maybe I should teach her a little lesson, eh?” Lazer laughed. “Maybe take her back to the barracks and teach her how to follow instructions.”

It was now the Silent Knight’s turn to reach a breaking point.  He sprang forward, pulling forth a boomerang in each hand and letting them fly.

Lazer saw the attack and yanked Trance up at the last minute. Using her body as a shield, the boomerangs struck her in the lower torso.  She screamed out in pain. He tossed her aside.

“Nice try, buddy!” Lazer said. “But you just ain’t fast enough for the likes of me.” He whipped his blaster rifle around from over his shoulder, pulled it into his hands and took aim. “Now it’s my turn!” His finger depressed the trigger, sending a burst of searing energy at the hero.

Silent Knight leapt backwards at the last second, avoiding the deadly blast. The floor was charred where the hero had been standing.

Without a word, Phaedrus took the moment of diversion to bolt for one of the doors.

Kale glanced down at Scorpio. “Bring him back,” he ordered.

“Can I rough him up a bit first?” Scorpio rasped.

“I want him alive.”

The green-gray man-beast nodded and leapt from the platform, bound across the floor and went in pursuit.

Kale turned back to the other hero. “Well, now, looks like your comrade has abandoned you.” He glanced over to the guards on the two lower platforms and nodded towards the floor. They all leapt down and began to circle the hero. “Care to reconsider my offer?”

Silent Knight pointed firmly at Lazer and then at the floor before him, issuing a challenge to the villain.

Kale chuckled. “Lazer, it looks like someone is calling for a challenge. Care to accept it?”

Lazer smirked. “Hey, I trained your foot-soldiers,” he said.   “Let’s see what they can do first.”   He reached to his belt, turned a knob and kicked in the jetpack he wore strapped to his back. This caused the villain to raise up in the air towards one of the platforms.

The four armed men in the circle around the hero began to taunt him, pointing out he was outnumbered and that they had superior weapons.

The Knight kept moving and turning, trying to keep an eye on as many of them as he could at one time.   He waited for one to make a move to attack.

From her position on the floor, Trance winced through the pain. She knew Silent Knight hadn’t meant to hit her when he attacked Lazer.   It was the blaster-toting jerk she was mad at. She looked to the four agents who had the Knight surrounded. It was time to teach Lazer a lesson.

She concentrated on the men and opened her mind to theirs. Attack Lazer instead.

Two of the armed men paused a second. Two others immediately swung their weapons around towards the platform and opened fire.

“What the hell?” Lazer balked as he dodged their shots. “You bunch of ingrates!” He brought his own weapon up level and opened fire. His accuracy was superior to theirs, and he scored direct hits on the two men who fired on him. They both went down hard, their weapons skittering across the floor. Only their body armor had saved them from suffering from a lethal blow.

“Idiot!” Kale shouted.   “Don’t shoot them!”

“They shot first!” Lazer retorted. “I’m not giving them another chance to do it again!”

Kale glanced at the floor.   “It was her! Trance! She must have made them do it.”

The Knight, meanwhile, had moved forward and slammed the heads of the two still standing but confused gunmen together. They both fell to the floor. He pulled one of the rifles from their hands and trained it on Lazer.

The shot went whizzing past the airborne villain’s shoulder.

“Hey!” Lazer balked.   He took aim and fired on the Knight, forcing the hero to roll and take cover.

“Forget him!” Kale yelled. “Get the girl!”

Lazer turned to Trance and smiled.

She met his gaze and concentrated. Get out of here!

Lazer hesitated as her mental order sunk in. He then turned back to Kale. “Forget that!  You paid me train your monkeys to use weapons, not to fight a bunch of costumed heroes or break up on some broad!   I got my money, so I’m gone!” And with that, Lazer flew towards one of the exits.

Silent Knight prepared to take aim for one more shot on his fleeing foe, but the villain was quickly out of range. He instead turned back to Kale, the blaster rifle still in his hands.

“Don’t think you’ve won, hero!” Kale said as he pulled a small device from his belt. He punched in a few codes. “I have the information I needed. As for this base and those incompetent fools, it is an acceptable loss! Hope you don’t mind being buried alive!”  And with that, the man vanished.

The Knight threw down the weapon and signed to Trance. Where’d he go?

“He must of teleported out of her,” she said as she tried to stand. She winced with pain; it felt as if one of her ribs were broken. “We’ve got to…” She started to collapse but the Knight caught her under one arm and supported her. Trance smiled. “Thanks. We’ve got to get Phaedrus and get out of here.”

The Knight nodded.

Phaedrus had made it to the top of the stairs when Scorpio leapt up from below and struck him.   “Going somewhere?” the green-gray figure rasped. The two fell to the floor.

Phaedrus glanced over at the computer room, just a few yards away.

Scorpio caught his look as he pushed the hero to the floor. “Thinking of trashing the computer data? No point in that! Kale’s no fool. He has everything backed up and transmitted to another location.”

Frustrated, the hero flipped over. He knocked Scorpio’s arms away and pushed him over. He then moved to gain the upper hand. The two ended up wrestling back and forth for a moment, each trying to get a better position over the other.

Phaedrus could tell that Scorpio was every bit as strong as he was, perhaps more so. And he was agile too. The villain’s tail struck the hero from behind, knocking him off aside.   As he rose to his feet, Scorpio was doing the same.

“I’ll enjoy taking you apart,” Scorpio said.

Phaedrus extended his Kara-Ton battle razors. “Really?”

Scorpio paused and considered. “Maybe we can work something out?”

Phaedrus growled and lunged forward.

Scorpio leapt into the air, vaulting over his attacker.

Phaedrus reached back and swiped at the villain, catching him with a grazing slice to the leg.

Scorpio hit the ground, grasping at the wound on his thigh. A slight bit of blood appeared between his fingers. “You’re every bit as good as the data suggested.”

Phaedrus stood his ground. “We can continue this or you can surrender.”

Scorpio grinned. “You don’t survive long in my business by surrendering.”

“Scorpio!” a voice called firmly. Both turned to see Kale suddenly standing behind the villain. “It is time for us to go!” Kale reached forward, placed his one hand on the villain’s shoulder and pressed a button on the device in his other hand.

“But retreat is always an option,” Scorpio said.

“Wait!” Phaedrus shouted.   He lunged forward but the two vanished into thin air. “Damn!”

Silent Knight and Trance appeared on the stairwell. “Phaedrus!” she shouted.

“They’re gone!” Phaedrus admitted.

“We need to go too!” Trance explained. “Kale must have activated a self-destruct sequence. That’s the only reason he’d flee.”

“He got what he wanted.”   Phaedrus saw her injury and scooped her up in his arms. “Let’s get out of here!”

The group ran as fast as they could for the shuttle bay. The car they had arrived in was still waiting. They quickly boarded it, took it to the garage and exited the mountain lair through the garage entrance.

Just as they reached daylight, they felt the ground shudder. Suddenly there were muffled sounds as portions of the mountain caved in on itself. Dirt and rock poured out of the opening as the garage area was the last to cave-in.

“That was close!” Phaedrus said as put Trance down gently and brushed himself off.

“Guys, I’m so sorry…” the brown haired woman started to say.

Later, Silent Knight signed to her. First we need to get you to a hospital to be examined.

“But I got you into this mess…” she tried to continue.

And you helped me out back there too, the Knight said. He picked her up to carry her out of the woods.

“I wouldn’t argue with him if I were you,” Phaedrus said.

Trance couldn’t help but smile. Though she had screwed up and put them in harms way, they still cared enough about her.   She certainly couldn’t go back to working for Kale and his group. If anything, they probably would kill her on sight. She realized that she needed to break from the past and have a fresh start with people who would look out for her best interests.