Last one!

Part Seventeen

As if to spite the local police, Dare made multiple, all brief appearances over the next three days. None lasted long enough for Vic or even the air mobile Lady Green to reach the scene in time. However, the new metro still blamed Vic and the Bureau for Dare repeatedly appearing and escaping. She claimed that Vic's previous "attacks" on Dare had made her shy and wary.

"Wary, yes," said Vic, sourly, to Michelle that Thursday night, as she did fingertip pushups while on her toe tips. "Shy? Has Lady Green even seen what Dare wears?!"

"Preaching to the choir, hon," said Michelle, who was watching her wife appreciatively.

* * *

"This time I'll get her," said Vic, almost growling, as she headed for a Dare sighting Code 3, the next day, not long after lunch.

The report had come in to the Bureau office from the police just after the 911 call. The police - through virtue of having people closer - arrived first at the small, downtown mall where Dare had appeared, beating Vic by several minutes. After working with mall security to quickly and quietly evacuate all staff and customers they had cordoned the place off. Supposedly, they had every exit - including the emergency ones - at least watched. Vic wondered if they had thought of the roof. For someone who couldn't fly, Dare had a surprising proclivity for using the high road.

Why Dare was there was confusing. It seemed that each member of the Collective who manifested Dare had different motivations for their actions. What was known was that some wanted to fight crime, some to make mischief (including disrupting protests) and some just to show off.

Apparently, this one wanted ice cream.

"Ice cream," said Vic, blankly, when she checked in with the senior officer on site.

"Yeah. There's a small shop about three stores in from this entrance, on the right. She's been in there for nearly half an hour, sampling various ice creams and occasionally making a sundae or whatever."

"Maybe she'll eat herself into a stupor," said another officer.

"Not likely, unfortunately," said Vic, making a pessimistic guess.

"Anyway," said the man in charge, giving the other officer a brief glare, "we took advantage of her distraction to get everyone out of the mall, except for the security staff in the monitor center, and some of our people who are with them. All the outside doors have been chained shut except those on this corner, and have at least two officers standing guard outside."

Vic took a look around. There were bystanders, curiosity seekers trying to figure out what was going on. So far the police hadn't said anything to them. Most of those evacuated from the mall - who presumably knew why they had been ushered out so precipitously - had already left the area. For a public super villain event, this was so far low key. Which was causing its own problems.

"Would you believe we keep having to physically stop people who want to get inside to buy something?" said the officer in charge, looking irritated. "They argue with us, saying they just need a moment. They evade the officers and go around the barricades and if they can't be stopped in time they even try opening the doors, despite the very obvious chains. Some of them have become very upset when told they can't get in, even when the officers explain that there's a dangerous super inside."

"I know the type," said Vic, recalling the previous time she had fought a Dare inside a mall. "They've made their plans and have included no allowance for changes."

She shook her head.

"Okay, back to business. What's that atrium like?"

"Three stories high with a ground area about the size of two handball courts."

"So, small footprint, but high ceiling."

"Yeah. There's balconies for both the upper levels."

"Gotcha. You said these doors at the corner, here, are unlocked? I think I'll sneak in, then, and see what I can do."

"No offense, but better you than any of us."

"Hey, I'm the one in the armor," said Vic, giving him a brief grin before donning and fastening her helmet. "Listen, there's an FBI team on the way with a neutralizer. Be sure they get it inside as soon as they get here."

"Got it."

Incongruously mellow music was still playing as Vic entered the mall through the street corner entrance. Fountains were running, and somewhere, something was beeping. Keeping close to the right wall, she made her way slowly and carefully towards the ice cream shop. Vic jumped a bit as one of the elevators at the back of the atrium dinged, and opened. Empty.

The were other sounds. They were intermittent, and difficult to identify, even with her helmet audio turned up. As she approached the ice cream shop - staying close to the right wall - Vic turned the audio back down. She did not need any distractions right then.

Just before reaching the window of the ice cream shop Vic stopped and flattened herself against the wall. Eyes closed, she focused on her sense of perception. There was no movement within her range, but she got a good idea of the layout, including where the tables and chairs were. There was enough disorder to confirm that the occupants must have evacuated rather quickly.

Vic sighed, and straightened. She decided not to walk in with weapons in hand, which might be seen as provocative by Dare. She could grab what she needed quickly enough. Though Vic had a brief regret she didn't have the balance blades. Quickly quashing that thought, Vic stepped out away from the wall, and walked confidently to the door of the ice cream store.

There was no-one visible inside. Even after Vic opened the door, making the bell ring, there was no reaction. She activated her mask's PA function.

"Hello?" she called out. Then, on an improvisational impulse, "Are you open?"

Still no reaction.

Carefully, Vic made her way to the counter. There was quite a mess behind there; the transparent hoods over some of the ice cream bins had been left open, and dirty dishes were piled on the counter instead of being placed in the sink.

Vic jumped as she heard a toilet flush. She almost laughed at the incongruity.

Dare came walking out from the women's restroom. The (barely) costumed woman did a double-take at seeing Vic. Then screamed as she leapt.

Vic ducked, letting Dare hurtle over her. She felt a bit annoyed that she hadn't even gotten to say anything to the other super. She would have liked to at least try to talk the woman into surrendering. Dare crashed into tables and chairs, sending them flying and coming up hard against the decorative tiling on the wall under the window. She scrambled to her feet and spun around.

Vic swung a punch from her hip at the underside of an overturned table. A spray of plywood and Formica shot outwards, towards Dare's face. The rogue super reflexively shut her eyes, ducked and brought up her hands. She brought them down and opened her eyes just in time to see Vic's right foot almost at her face.

Dare crashed through the ice cream shop's window and onto the marble floor of the atrium. She lay still for a moment, then tried and failed to push herself upright.

Vic hopped out through the broken window, glanced at Dare, then looked out the doors through which she had entered to see if the FBI team were there yet. Unfortunately, they weren't, though the radio in her helmet said they were close. So all Vic had to worry about was keeping Dare under control until they could arrive and get the neutralizer inside.

Yeah; that's all.

Dare tried again to push herself upright. Fortunately, she again failed.

"Stay down!" said Vic, being as intimidating as she could.

Vic had a tonfa in each hand - right one held short and left one long - ready to act if Dare did get back to her feet. She never got the chance to see if that would happen. With a crash, Lady Green broke through the skylight in the roof of the atrium.

She dropped to the floor faster than gravity would have pulled her, actually flying downwards and landing hard but in full control, cracking the marble. Vic had to admit Lady Green knew how to make an impressive entrance.

"Stand down!" Vic repeated, this time directing her words at Lady Green. "This is a federal arrest."

"You're not stealing my collar!" snapped Lady Green, moving across the polished floor towards Vic and Dare. "This is a Detroit police operation and I work with them!"

"You are interfering with the actions of a federal law enforcement officer," said Vic, tone level and dire. Her stance shifted subtly, to get her ready to act against Lady Green if the metro became physically aggressive.

"You're not even a real cop," said Lady Green, with a snarl. "I want this collar!"

She made a show of posturing and posing. As if to intimidate Vic. Who wasn't intimidated. Fortunately, Dare also still seemed out of it.

"How are any of those theatrics making me less want to punch you in the face?"

"Like that could hurt me," she said, smirking.

Vic just looked at her for a long time. The interval and intensity making Lady Green more and more uncomfortable. Vic came very close just then to committing assault. Finally, though, she just sighed, and relaxed.

"You really haven't been paying attention, have you?"

She turned and knelt beside Dare, keeping tabs on the woman with her sense of perception. That left the other costumed super staring after her in complete incomprehension. That changed when two cars came wheeling up, Code 2. When the occupants bailed from the cars and hurried to the trunk of one vehicle, at first Lady Green assumed they were plainclothes city cops, there to help her. Especially when the doors were held open by a pair of city cops to let them enter quickly. However, as the men and women entered the mall - two of them carrying one of the larger and more powerful versions of the portable neutralizers - they quickly ruined the moment for Lady Green.

"FBI!" they announced, those in the lead waving their badges at Lady Green. "Please do not interfere!"

Vic knew most of them, and they recognized her. The neutralizer was brought to the fore of their group. Vic was glad to see that the FBI people were keeping a wary eye on Lady Green.

While Detroit's new official superhero sputtered in incoherent confusion and outrage, Vic quickly stepped well back. The beam from the neutralizer was applied to the fallen Dare. Lady Green didn't bother backing away, but instead decided to strike a dramatic pose. Vic definitely noted that not only did she not seem wary of the neutralizer, but that when the fringes of the beam touched her, Lady Green seemed unaffected.

"Thank you," said Lady Green, when one of the FBI agents placed the neutralized Dare in restraints. "Turn that off, and I'll take it from here."

"Well, look at that!" said one of the agents, ignoring Lady Green. "It's a dude!"

"Huh," said the other. "Weird. The outfit changed, too."

Vic wasn't all that surprised; she had known the fetish club had male members. Lady Green was so astounded she forgot to protest when the FBI agents - carefully keeping the beam on Dare, or whoever that was - moved the rogue super to one of their cars.

* * *

The debriefing back at the Detroit federal offices involved both FBI and Bureau of Special Resources personnel.

"Oh, and the male Dare we neutralized and arrested turned out to be Alvin Courtner," said Dianne Colby, the local FBI Special Agent in Charge.

"The late Madeline Courtner's ex-husband?" said Vic. "Huh. Knew he was a member of the fetish club. Guess I shouldn't be surprised he's part of the Collective."

"There's more," said Colby. "He has powers on is own. Powers very much like Dare's, though not as potent. So they're definitely keeping him under the neutralizer. The experts will decide later whether to give him psianninul."

"My guess is that he was the pattern for the powers used by the Collective to empower Dare," said Drake, thoughtfully. "The other members would then amplify them for whoever was currently Dare."

* * *

As usual, once the joint verbal mission report was over, Vic and Drake had a follow-up later, in his office. Enough time passed between the two meetings that by the second one Vic had some additional thoughts on the matter, and her boss had some additional information.

"I'm a little worried those swords might have had some sort of lasting effect on me," said Vic, to Drake, as a postscript at the end of her extended verbal report on the operation. "I was... Well, I almost lost it with Lady Green. I came a lot closer than I admitted in front of Colby. It wasn't as bad as when I was in that alley, but it shouldn't have happened."

"I think you were just understandably frustrated with both Dare and Lady Green," said her boss, his tone reassuring. He indicated his computer. "Anyway, I just got an e-mail from the experts studying Alvin Courtner. They have already confirmed that everyone who manifested as Dare was copying his powers. Powers which he was not previously known to have."

"That was fast," said Vic, impressed.

"I have a feeling they're fascinated by the situation. Some of them also have powers of their own, which they're using to help with the examination. Anyway, Alvin could have saved us and the local police a lot of trouble by just mentioning that he had powers. Whatever caused the Collective shared those powers - and the form of Dare, which seems to have come from Mrs. Courtner's imagination - with other members of the club. Some of the members are now saying that they didn't just dress up at their gettogethers, but performed some sort of rituals. They have been reluctant to go into details, but we're checking both Alvin Courtner's and his wife's libraries for clues."

Vic nodded, though she knew there would likely be months of work ahead for many different government agencies in this case. With a bit of dark humor, she decided to think of it as ensuring job security.

"There's something else I didn't mention to the FBI; I don't think their agents on the scene even noticed. I want to make clear that either Lady Green is good at hiding any wariness about neutralizers, or she thinks - or knows - her powers won't be affected by them. Though she never got the full effect of the beam, so maybe it was just acting."

"Interesting," said Drake, frowning in thought.

"Well, we have one of the Dares in FBI custody and being examined by Bureau experts," said Vic. "Hopefully that will lead to a solution."

She yawned, barely covering her mouth in time. He boss seemed amused at her sleepiness.

"Well, this day will be over soon," said Drake, philosophically. "Hopefully there won't be any alerts for the next few days. Meanwhile, we have several people who are specialists on powers examining Mr. Courtner and the two Dares in police custody. They'll be busy all weekend, most likely, and may actually have a report in time for the Monday morning briefing. I have the feeling they find the case very interesting, and will likely be putting in a lot of overtime on their own initiative."

* * *

Monday morning once more brought the assembly of the handful of employees in the Detroit office of the Bureau of Special Resources for a briefing. Drake seemed as upbeat as he ever got, and, indeed, what he told them was almost entirely good news. In brief, there had been no more Dare appearances. Despite her threats to complain about Vic "stealing my collar" Lady Green had been silent about events involved in the capture of the latest - and hopefully last - Dare event.

"How likely is it that this is the last we'll see of Dare?" said Cindy.

"Confirming my guess, once we got Alvin Courtner contained and examined by experts they realized that whatever triggered the formation of the Collective - almost certainly Madeline Courtner's accident - he was the model for the powers Dare had."

"Makes sense, I guess, since he was the only one in the fetish club with any sort of overt powers," said Vic. She frowned. "Except, howcome nobody knew he had powers?"

"I have the impression he was embarrassed by them," said Drake.

"They're sure that putting Courtner under the neutralizer for a while will break whatever connection that was?" said Vic.

"Reasonably sure," said Drake. He sighed. "You should know, when powers are involved few things are certain."

"Oh, yeah..."

* * *

The "Adventure Seven" super hero team was actually more of a club, a support group, for masked, freelance crime fighters who occasionally worked together in the Atlanta area and often gathered to talk to peers. They mostly handled street-level problems, not only catching drug pushers and petty criminals, but doing positive things for their community. Using their powers to help those in need, especially during emergencies, was a major part of why nearly all of them had taken up the mask. However, the group had just recently broken a major prostitution business, something which extended far outside their city and even their state. Something they were still celebrating. They had turned people and physical evidence over to the FBI. With that, all the members of the group figured they had done their part. Let the feds handle the rest of it.

The knock on the door during their review session - which had been called primarily as an excuse for members to brag about their accomplishments and have some snacks while socializing - was not unexpected. Major Maelstrom, already up to get coffee, headed for the door, still talking.

"Yeah, right, Water Wizard. I was there, remember? That fire hydrant..."

He stopped in confusion as he opened the door. Instead of a reporter or a citizen wanting a favor, the visitor was in disposable coveralls, wearing gloves, a safety helmet with a face shield and rubber boots. What really got the Major's attention, though, was the muzzle of the large-bore big game rifle almost touching his nose.

"You're arrested."