Part Eight

Soviren was very upset as he left the War Room at the main police building. How dare that, that... Fed call him like that?! How dare the operator at police headquarters forward the call like that?! She was so fired! Right now, though, he needed to get outside, get some fresh air. He stormed out of the building and into the parking lot, leaving it to his escort to keep up. The police Chief intended to walk around a bit to cool off, then get in his limo and have his motorcade take him to the office of Mayor Minot. Part of his job was to assure that insecure man that all was well. Unfortunately, no matter how much either of them wished all were well, it wasn't.

"Have you lost your mind?!"

Those in the parking lot looked up, startled, at the irate comment from above, the security detail quick-drawing their Personal Defense Weapons. Above them hovered a woman in an easily-recognized, colorful costume, hands on hips, glaring down at the Chief of Police.

"Special Agent in Charge Drake gets clearance ahead of time for some of us volunteer crime fighters to help corral this Dare woman, and after we're on scene you decide you don't want us?! Make up your mind! We have better things to do than travel back and forth on your changing whims!"

She wore a light green body stocking which covered everything below her chin, and included integral gloves and socks; it also contained some flexible armor and subtle padding to disguise her true figure. (Much of that was, of course, not visible currently, due to the rest of her costume covering it.) A sleeveless red leotard went over that, with fake muscles airbrushed on the fabric to further disguise her figure. Next came her green mask, a disposable peel-and-stick accessory with polarized lenses built in, as both glare defense and to foil identification through iris patterns. Medium green boots with turned-down tops and a bit of heel, and a green utility belt and short cape completed the outfit. With all that and her bright red hair in a high ponytail, she was both clearly visible and quite distinct. Especially since she currently had her glowing plasma wall up, at about a quarter of full strength.

"I honestly don't understand you," said Energia, staring at the speechless man from her position above him and his security team. "You perform lip service, order things done which you know won't help, cancel things which will, lie about how much you've done, then act insulted when someone even suggests you need to actually do your job."

"You don't get to judge me!" Soviren suddenly shouted, his tone and volume in stark contrast to the super's calm if angry words. "What have you ever done for this country?!"

"Wiped out most of a Shilmek task force during their invasion, for one thing," said Energia, dryly.

"Huh?" said Soviren.

"You still don't get it," said Energia, more resigned than angry, now. "I suspect you never will get it. You will just continue, failing miserably at your job, completely oblivious, until you finally do something so bad you're replaced. Hopefully with someone more diligent."

She turned and rose into the air, as he spluttered after her.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the demonstration, the masked volunteers - having been informed that they weren't welcome at the event - were still trying to leave. Given the police and news helicopters flying around, they actually had to call air traffic control for clearance. That finally came, and the two very different craft lifted off. They quickly climbed straight up out of sight.

Perhaps because of this, the protest hadn't even properly gotten started when, soon after the departure of the apergy vehicles, trouble appeared.

Dare bounded onto the repaired stage from apparently nowhere and grabbed the mic. She began shouting into it, but since the PA wasn't turned on yet only a few heard her. However, just her appearance was enough to cause multiple reactions. For example, the relatively few protestors already present were rapidly leaving. Dare was just realizing that the sound was off when she saw several uniformed police officers running towards her, weapons out.

The situation escalated rapidly from there.

Dare grabbed the mic stand, lifted it over her head, started to smash it on the stage. However, when she saw the charging uniforms she instead threw it at one of the the officers. What saved him from likely severe injury was that the cable was still attached. The mic tore free, but only after the path of the stand had been diverted enough for it to cleanly miss the cop.

The bizarrely costumed woman struck a pose and opened her mouth, obviously intending to snark at the cops and fleeing bystanders. However, seeing the thrown mic stand as a potentially lethal attack, the other officers opened fire. Dare stared in disbelief for a moment as 9 millimeter bullets and 00 Buck pellets whistled past her. Then she screamed and threw herself at the nearest officer.

He died, in a quick and gory fashion. Dare continued on, grabbing one of the few protestors still present and tossing her at another officer, killing both. She blurred forward and grabbed an officer, lifting him over her head to smash against the pavement. She dropped him with a yell as something struck her from behind.

The thrown hanbo caught Dare squarely in the back of the head. It didn't hurt her; Vic didn't expect it to. It did get her attention. She dropped the cop and whipped around, looking for the source. Dare quickly found Vic. This was no great feat. Everyone else who could was running away. Vic was just standing there, in her repaired armor, relaxed, watching Dare. Who smiled.

"I remember you," she said. Her smile turned to a sneer. "The prudish one, who doesn't approve of the way I dress. Well, let's just see if I can manage a bit of attitude correction."

She darted forward. Vic spun out of the way and tripped her. Dare's face actually left marks on the pavement, though not because the pavement was having any effect on her. Suddenly berserk, she popped back to her feet and swung clumsily at Vic. Who ducked under the swing and hit Dare in the solar plexus, putting the Purple Art and her ki manipulation to good use.

Vic had met supers with skin like armor, and some who were just tough all the way through, as well as a few who had both forms of protection. As she had feared, Dare had both. However, that punch had far more effect on the rogue super than Vic was expecting.

Dare backed away, gagging, now looking frightened.

"Stand down," said Vic, voice and gaze steady.

Instead, she fled. Far faster than Vic could have followed, even in Monstro. Vic sighed, and turned to help with the injured.

* * *

The meeting in the Mayor's office the next morning was by no definition quiet or businesslike, despite its small size.

"This whole mess is because you put all those supers there, in spite of being told not to! You provoked that woman needlessly!"

"I got approval ahead of time to have supers on the scene," said Drake, stiffly, as he stood across the desk from the seated Mayor. "Just like I did the first two times. Except for our office's one agent, they were already gone for several minutes when the trouble started. Also like the previous time, my agent did not act until Dare started hurting people."

It was just the two of them in Mayor Minot's office. This surprised Drake; he thought the man would want witnesses, or at least security to make himself feel safer. Still, Drake considered this setup to be to his advantage. Especially given the digital recorder running in his pocket.

"Your excuses don't matter to me," screamed the Mayor. "I'll have your job!"

"I don't work for you, remember?"

"I'm the mayor of a major American city! The President will listen to me!"

"I have documented every step in this process," said Drake, loudly and clearly. "If you try that I will defend myself and my agents with the facts, and you will look like the fool you are. I suggest you stop this nonsense and help us catch Dare, instead of worrying about trying to blame others for your failures."

Mayor Minot grew red in the face and his mouth worked silently. Drake was pretty sure he wasn't breathing just then. He was beginning to worry that he'd have to call for medical aid when the man suddenly gasped, leaned forward to use his arms for support on his desk, and took several deep breaths.

"Get out," the Mayor finally husked, not looking at Drake.

"Gladly."

On the way out, Drake did tell the Mayor's secretary that he was concerned about the man's health. That let him leave with a clear conscience.

Now, he had to prepare for his next meeting, this one with the police chief.

* * *

"Y'know what's weird?" said Vic, in her own follow-up meeting with Drake later that afternoon. "I mean, especially weird, about this encounter with Dare. This time she didn't seem to remember that we'd met two days earlier, at the previous rally. Though she obviously remembered the time before that."

"Dare has more than once been seen in widely separated areas at close to the same time," said Drake, frowning in thought. "Maybe even at the same time. It could be super speed, or there could be more than one of them."

"That's all we need," said Vic, with a groan. Now she frowned thoughtfully. "Although, I'm sure this was the same woman as first two times I encountered her."

Before they could go any further, though, Drake's phone rang. He answered, and then mostly listened. Vic could hear Chief Soviren's voice but not make out the words. Drake finally hung up and sat there for a moment, hand on the phone. Then he sighed, leaned back and looked at Vic.

"The exhibit hall was robbed. Several items were stolen, including those two swords. Probably during or shortly before the third protest."

"They just now discovered that?!" said Vic, outraged.

"Businesses and city offices for a couple of blocks around the small park where they held the demonstrations were closed as a precaution, remember," said Drake. "That included the exhibit hall, something which many people have complained about. That includes folks who made a trip to the area specifically to see the exhibit. As I understand it - the Chief was none too clear - no alarms sounded and the security guards didn't notice anything. Anyway, the staff came in early this afternoon to get ready to open tomorrow and discovered that fakes had been put in place of several items. Including the balance blades. They actually took an inventory before calling the police, who in their turn waited a while to notify the State Department, who then called me. Naturally, the Mayor and Chief are blaming us. Including you and me, personally."

"Let me guess," said Vic, sourly. "Whoever committed the theft used the distractions of Dare's attack and the subsequent search for her."

"Possibly. The theft may have occurred before last night. The previous check was made the day before the first demonstration. The thieves must have prepared very well to get everything done in a relatively short period of time," said Drake. He sighed and shook his head. "Real professionals."

"Now that makes me wonder about something else," said Vic, gaze distant. "Just how many top-notch professional criminal groups are there in the area?"

"I think I know where you're going with that," said Drake, nodding. "Maybe some or all of those bank robbers are involved in this. It does bear their mark... or lack of marks, actually. We might be able to tell if it's the same people, if I can get more details on this new robbery."

"Even if that speculation is true," said Vic, still thinking it through, "that doesn't help us much in finding them."

"It might," said Drake, nodding. "Like you implied, there can't be that many teams this talented around here."

"I'm starting to think that the balance blades are somehow responsible for all this fuss," said Vic, scowling.

"There does seem to be something in the air," said Drake. He sighed and stretched in his chair. "I've never seen so many people - all the way up to the Mayor and Chief of Police - be so determined to make so much trouble for so many people. Including themselves."

"Thing is, the blade which would do this is supposed to be kept in check by the other one. Even if the thieves separated them, this all started well before the swords were stolen, when they were together."

"You didn't know?" said Drake, surprised. "For liability reasons - and in violation of the specific instructions of the owner of the swords - the insurance company insisted the blades be in separate cases on opposite sides of the exhibit hall. The owner was already raising a fuss about this. Now, the swords are gone."

"Oh, that's just perfect," said Vic, sourly. "So, the insurers don't believe in curses?"

"I'm starting to wonder if they're a victim of this one," said Drake, shaking his head again.

"Huh. Well, as my grandma likes to say, 'Beware of self-fulfilling prophesies.'"

"Hah! Okay, yeah, this could all be due to a combination of coincidence and greed. No curse necessary. Whatever is going on, we still need to try and solve the crime."

"Why not just leave this to the locals?" said Vic.

"Several reasons. First, the swords officially belong to a Japanese citizen who has government influence, and they are only here with his and his government's permission. That makes the theft of special interest to our government. You better believe several federal agencies - including the local FBI office - are giving this matter their attention.

"Second, there's a good chance that whatever buyer the thieves have lined up - and pros like we think they are would have a buyer ready before committing the crime - is probably at least from outside of the state. More likely from outside of the country.

"There's also the fact that if there is something supernatural going on you're much better equipped to deal with it that anyone on the police force."

"We're back to that, are we?" said Vic, reluctantly.

"Look, I don't like fooling with supernatural stuff any more than you do," said Drake, consolingly. "However, you're the closest thing to a supernatural expert available to the local feds."

"Okay, okay," said Vic, her tone resigned. "Let's just hope there's not anything supernatural involved. Especially an ancient, Japanese curse."

* * *

Vic and her boss were far from the only people grousing about the Detroit Chief of Police.

"That idiot police chief is claiming I 'harassed' him!" said Energia, outraged, as she read her online news clipping service in Tricorne's lair the next morning. "Since when is it harassment to tell someone what they're doing wrong?!"

"Since always, for some people, I'm afraid," said Blue Impact. "Especially powerful people who aren't used to hearing any criticism."

"Things like this are why secret identities are a good idea," said Gadgetive, not even looking up from where she was browsing channels on the big TV in the entertainment section.

"Yeah, but this could cause me a lot of trouble, and the team as well." Energia looked at Blue Impact. "So, teach, how do I fight this without taking off my mask?!"

"He hasn't actually taken any legal action against you," said Blue Impact, thoughtfully. "He apparently thinks that just complaining to the press that you spoke to him out of turn is enough to raise outrage from the public on his behalf. I'll check on the details, but a simple press release from the team might be enough to head off any trouble from this. For what it's worth, I don't think you did anything wrong. Just not particularly... diplomatic."

"I hope this doesn't drag on, like that drunk driver thing," said Energia, sourly. "Even after he was convicted, he and his family kept trying to sue me for daring to interfere with him living his life the way he wanted to."

"The injunction took care of that," said Blue Impact, confidently.

* * *

The Monday morning briefing for the Detroit office of the Bureau of Special Resources was a bit of a downer this week.

"Crime, overall, is up for the area," said Drake, glancing at his notes. "Apparently, so many people committing spectacular crimes and so far getting away with them is encouraging others. Additionally, there have been multiple sightings of both Dare and the black SUV, but most remain unconfirmed."

"Dare probably made some brief appearances just to show she's not afraid of the cops," said Vic, nodding unconsciously. "The SUV sightings are probably just ordinary black SUVs, since there have been no reports of attacks."

"What caused Dare to change like that?" said Cindy Larsen. "I mean, her first few appearances she was just... wild. Why start murdering people, including cops?"

"I think it was just a matter of time," said Vic, slowly, after Drake passed the question to her. "With her powers, she got used to having things go the way she wanted. Being frustrated at the second protest made her come back to get it right. Except that the second time she showed up, she was not only frustrated again, people actually started shooting at her. Whether or not she's bulletproof, she panicked. Panicked people do stupid things. Super panicked people make huge, stupid messes."

"All that is beside whatever her attitude toward others is," said Drake, picking up the topic as Vic ran down. "The FBI profiler who has been helping us in this matter says there's a good chance she's a total narcissist due to her powers causing her to develop an exaggerated sense of self-worth. If this is true, in her mind nothing matters except her. Anything she wants is fine, and anything - or anyone - interfering with what she wants is an enemy, to be attacked and eliminated."

"If the profiler is correct," said Cal Pavolin.

"We should assume the worst-case scenario is true and work to stop her based on that," said Drake. "If things don't turn out that badly, so much the better."

"She could come to her senses and surrender," said Cindy, hopefully.

"That's possible," said Drake. "Let's not count on it."