Dramatic music begins to play as the words flash across the screen, cutting off the soap opera that had been airing. The attractive brunette behind the news desk is holding a stack of papers and looks legitimately shaken up by whatever it was she was about to report.

“We’re sorry for the interruption, but this breaking news has just hit our desk. Documents have been leaked to high-ranking government officials that BoB Corps has secretly been responsible for the creation of Supes with the aid of a man-made chemical known only as Compound-B. The company is known worldwide for its influence in pharmaceuticals, consumer products, and industrial machine production; but most arguably, they’re noticed for their high-profile partnership with the Superhero community. The evidence also suggests that not only were BoB Corps responsible for the Supes they used to increase their hold across America, they are ALSO responsible for the outbreak of ‘Super Villains’ that have been cropping up in groups across the planet. This news comes on the heels of the announcement made by BoB Corps VP of Supe Relations, Theo Pryce, that BoB Corps would begin a campaign that allows Supes to take an active part in certain military operations around the globe. The proposed bill has caused an uproar on both sides of the argument; with this information coming to light, how will this affect BoB Corps bid for a hands-on role with sensitive government and military matters? Though our offices have attempted to contact representatives with the company, BoB Corps has refused to comment on the issue at this time.”



As the reporter continues, Starbright watches from her phone, unable to keep the gleeful smile off her face. Seven months had passed since that fateful night at the religious festival and much had happened. Despite her determination to stay out of the Tower, Theo Pryce himself had sought her out and asked her politely to return to the Elite. Even though Howie hadn’t liked it, Axer had managed to convince him that it was the perfect opportunity for Betsy to gain more recon for them. Though she hadn’t been thrilled by the prospect of being back, Betsy had agreed with Axer’s assessment, promising Howie that she’d be okay. Theo had sworn to her that no repercussions for her actions would be taken and that he would handle Beastlander himself. To sweeten the deal, it had turned out the public was quite disgusted by the behavior of The Vast; once the video of her speech had hit, the backlash against him was immediate and scathing. He had been shipped to some backwater town in Ohio, likely never to set foot in the Elite, or the Tower, again.

Betsy watches the blurbs continue to pop on her phone, all of them reporting the news that just broke. A satisfied smile crosses her face as she reflects on what it took to get her to this point. Beastlander has made it clear that the only reason she wasn’t dead was that the public was firmly behind her. Jenna had been fired, something she’d gotten an angry text about, cursing her name. Though he’d reassured her of her safety, it was clear Theo wasn’t particularly inclined to protect her. Ever since The Vast had departed from The Tower, B-Train had become relentlessly cruel in his quest to punish her. Any chance he had, he cornered her and threatened to tear her limb to limb, after he took from her whatever he wanted to take. Even with his great size, his speed was unmatched and Betsy knew that if he wanted to, he could take her head off clean before she even knew he was there. As it happens, he had just arrived quietly, watching her face as she looked at her phone. His eyes narrow as he recognizes the smug satisfaction that passes over her face. He enters loudly at this point.

“What the fuck did you do?” he snarls, closing the distance between them and shoving her violently.

She gasps, dropping her phone as she stumbled over the small table behind her knees and landed hard on her side. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” she manages to say as she crawls away from him.

He snarls at her, too far gone to hear a word she says. “I know it was you and that group of fuckwads.” Her heart leaps into her throat, but she forces her face to remain neutral. B-Train watches for a reaction; when he gets nothing, he tries again. “I know you still sneak out to meet those assholes that want to kill us all. Do you think they’ll spare you once they’ve succeeded? You’re just the pawn they’re moving across the board to get to the rest of us. As soon as they do us in, they’ll turn the gun to your head.”

“My guy… Are you high again?” Finally getting to her feet, she turns to face him, rubbing her arm. “I know this is going to make your habit a lot harder to sustain, but maybe you should put the needle down long enough to listen to yourself. I had nothing to do with this information leaking, I’m just as shocked as anyone… Well, besides you, of course. Because you know all about Compound-B, don’t you?”

“What are you getting at, Starbitch?” B-Train growls, lowering his head to put his face directly into hers.

Betsy doesn’t flinch. “I know about your little addiction, B-Train; you couldn’t make it any more obvious if you tried. You NEED Compound-B to function at this point, isn’t that right, you pathetic addict?”

B-Train pushes her into the wall and pins her crudely against it. She struggles against him, trying to wriggle free, but it’s to no avail. Desperate, she lifts her leg and brings the heel of her boot down on his toes as hard as she can. He yelps loudly and jumps back as the pain hits; taking advantage of the opportunity, Betsy slides away and hurries over to where her purse sits. B-Train recovers quickly and turns to resume his bullying, but when he faces her, he stops dead. His eyes grow wide and a bead of sweat appears on his forehead. In Betsy’s hand is a small vial filled with purple liquid: pure, undiluted Compound-B. She moves it from side to side, watching his eyes follow her hand.

“You want this, don’t you? You NEED your fix right about now, I can tell.”

His voice is low and dangerous when he replies. “I’ll tell everyone it was you who leaked all of this. Theo and Vinnie won’t bat an eye when Beastlander melts your fucking face of your skull.”

“Go ahead and tell them; I don’t give a shit anymore.” Betsy smiles and shakes the vial temptingly. “And how do you think they… And the news desks of all the major news outlets… Would feel when they found out that YOU are the one who killed Springclaw?”

Now his face shows clear panic. Backing away slightly, he puts some distance between them as a nervous chuckle leaves him. “What are you talking about? Everyone knows Springclaw committed accidental suicide when she overdosed-”

Betsy grins wickedly at him, her green eyes shining with malicious intent as she cuts him off. “On heroine? Oh yeah, I saw the coroner's report, written up nice and neat and tied with a bow. Easy to believe, given her addictions were public knowledge… Then I got my hands on the actual report and you know something B-Train?” She shakes the vial again. “It seems suspect that a tiny woman like her could have injected herself with eight needles at the same time, with enough force to shatter the bones in both her arms…” Palming the vial, Betsy hides it behind her back. “We wouldn’t want that to be the next report that leaks, would we?”

“Shady slut…” he hisses at her furiously, backing the rest of the way to the door. “I’m going to enjoy watching Beastlander rip your skin off your bones.” Before she could reply, he sped off.

Her breath leaves her in a shaky little sob that she manages to keep quiet. Knees buckling, she gets herself into the nearest chair and sags down in relief. Green eyes droop shut, exhaustion crashing over her like a wave…

“You fucking traitorous whore!”



Before her eyes could pop open, she was being pulled violently out of the chair and thrown into the fireplace across the room. Hitting it with a sick thud, the marble breaks into chunks as her body connects. Falling to the ground, she rolls over onto her stomach, groaning in agony. Beastlander, eyes glowing and furious, crosses the room quickly and connects a hard kick to her stomach. Her breath leaves her instantly as a fresh round of pain leaves her screaming silently. Getting to her hands and knees, she tries to crawl away desperately; Beastlander watches her for a moment, his face ice cold.

“Ooohhhh, you aren’t getting away that easily.” he purrs menacingly, leaning down and grabbing her by the hair.

Gasping, she swings blindly, hoping to connect; with an evil chuckle, he moves his face away easily and uses his free hand to grab her throat. She scratches at his hands, trying to pry his fingers apart, but he only smiles and lifts her into the air with ease. Her eyes tear up as her breath leaves her; she can feel the muscles in her cheeks begin to contract as her face grows hot. Beastlander pulls her in close, tightening his hold as he whispers. “Don’t worry, Starslut; I’ll give you the chance to say your final words. I wouldn’t let you off this quickly anyway.”

He drops her on the spot and turns away, hands behind his back and looking out the window. Betsy remains still where she landed, looking up at the ceiling and quietly sucking in the air. Her eyes follow Beastlander’s every move as he paces before the window, taking in the cityscape below them. Minutes tick by as Betsy slowly catches her breath and sits up, wincing in pain as she does so. She looks up at Beastlander, who turns on his heel having heard her moving. Dead, steely blue eyes stared holes into her as she slowly got to her feet, her green eyes never leaving him. He smiles almost pleasantly, which unnerves her completely; squeezing her hands into fists, she begins to concentrate, drawing on her energy. As sparks begin to fall from the lights above them, Beastlander, enjoying his moment, just laughs at her, reading her like a book.

“Do you really think you can kill me?” he asks her in the most mocking tone he can muster.



“I don’t need to kill you, Beast Bitch.” she growls towards him, her voice painfully hoarse. “Your cowardice will reveal itself eventually and you’ll become your downfall. You can kill me here today and they’ll weave you up a story to tell to explain why it was necessary. Perhaps I won’t be the one to stop you in your tracks; but mark my words, you worthless shitbag. Someday, someone is going to come along and they’re going to be stronger than you… And better than you, in every conceivable way. And when they get their hands on you, they are going to rip you apart, limb by limb while the entire world cheers. Because before your public execution, those who are left to stop you will speak out. You’ll be exposed for the heinous fuckwad you are and nobody will be left to come to your rescue. Do you think yes-men like B-Train and The Vast are going to save you? They weren’t even clever enough to cover their tracks that well; one email to the right person, and I can destroy both of their lives.” Their gazes lock intensely as her voice grows stronger. Betsy takes a step closer, her fear giving way to her anger. “You’ve spent your life being the biggest man in the room and look at what it’s made you. A sniveling piece of garbage with a yellow streak a mile wide down his back. Always exerting your power to get your way like an overpowered toddler. The day Stormfury came along must have been a blessing to Queen Dolly; I’m amazed she didn’t find a way to kill herself having to be with you.” Beastlander’s eyes narrowed to slits, but Betsy doesn’t back down now. "It’s funny how much someone can change so quickly… I can’t help but think back to when I first got here, how wide-eyed and naive I was to you… To all of this. Thinking you were some sort of hero, a beacon of strength that the American people could turn to for hope and security when the days get dark. It was a hard road leading to this moment, realizing that everything I ever thought of the Elite was a lie. Heroes of the public, what a joke; the only thing anyone around here ever gets to be is a showhorse. You know who leads you around on a leash without you even realizing it's happening?” Betsy smirks as she looks past Beastlander’s shoulder. “Right on cue”

“So it’s true what they’ve been whispering. There’s a backstabber in our midst.” Stormfury purrs as she slinks into the room and stands beside Beastlander. He puts an arm around her waist as they exchange a kiss.

Betsy clears her throat loudly and regrets it immediately as her throat burns from the effort. “Nice of you to join us, we were just having a friendly chat about why you guys won’t be killing me today.”

“Oh? THAT’S what we were discussing, was it?” Beastlander laughs in her face, Stormfury cackling along with him.

Betsy grins, even though her heart was pounding. Even if her plan worked, she wouldn’t have much time before the building went on lockdown. If she could aim her shot just right… She snaps her attention back to the pair in front of her as their laughter dies down. Fixing her expression, she straightens her shoulders and lifts her head slightly. “Indeed it was; the worst thing you could have possibly done was allow me into the Elite. If I had known what I was walking into, I wouldn’t have started as sloppy as I have. But I’m a quick study and lesson number one was quite simple: stay alive at any cost. I may not be powerful enough to overtake either of you and I’d be a fool to try. However, I’m a naturally curious type of person and anyone worth their salt knows that information is the most powerful force on the planet. You can consider me your Nancy Drew nightmare because I did a lot of digging on the people around here.”

Stormfury narrows her eyes, pulling away from Beastlander and inching closer to Betsy. “Whatever you think you have on either of us is clearly all fake and you're a lying skank.”

Betsy leans forward slightly, grinning as she bites her lower lip. Beastlander hovers behind Stormyfury, tensed like a lion about to attack. Neither woman seems to remember he’s in the room. “Ah, so you HAVE told him the truth. I’m impressed.” Betsy claps her hands suddenly, morbidly cheerful in the face of their combined anger. “This really must be love, after all. I wouldn’t have thought two of the most self-involved people I’ve ever met would be capable of putting someone before themselves. Then again, if I had a weird Oedipus thing going on, I’d probably put my ‘Mommy’ on a pedestal, too.” A loud crack echoes through the room as Beastlander punches the wall behind him. Stormfury’s eyebrow quivers slightly, but her expression doesn’t change. Mustering up her courage, Betsy carries on. “I’ll give you enough credit to say that you didn’t birth him; it’s sort of a relief to know that this is the first time he’s been near your vagina. But the levels of messed up this sordid shit between you two... “

“You’re going to stop right fucking there.” Stormfury interrupts viciously. Electricity crackles around her as her rage takes hold. The moment was coming. “It’s pathetic that you would sink to such desperate levels to try and blackmail us. Who the fuck do you think they’re going to believe once it gets out there that you betrayed your own kind?”

“Oh honey, I wish I could make up this shit; I’m almost certain Flowers in the Attic was inspired by you on some level,” Betsy says with a sneer. She flicks her eyes back towards Beastlander. “You don’t think you’re the first clone that she’s formed a… ‘special’ attachment to, do you?” Panic fills her as she realizes that Stormfury had blocked the door while Beastlander stalked her from the window. Her opportunity had passed. Heart sinking, she continues, scrambling to come up with a plan B. “This Lil cougar here has a long history of creating clones to be her children; but every so often, one of her babies catches her eye and the uncontrollable narcissism comes into play. I would have thought that was something she’d keep from you, but you embrace that shit with your whole being. I honestly can’t say which is worse right now, both of you just really suck all the dirtiest buttholes. You’d think Compound-B would be enough to ensure the future of the Supe Species, but nooooooo. You two just had to go and make it weird.”

“She’s stalling now,” Beastlander says, looking right past Betsy. Stormfury nods her agreement, matching Beastlander’s amused expression. “I think it’s time we had some fun. What shall we do with her first?”

As they both take a step towards her, Betsy takes a compensating step backward, trying to keep both of them in view. “Do you think that scares me? You’re just an overaged hag who got lucky with the original dose of Compound-B. Oh yeah, girl,” Betsy snickers as she finally manages to catch Stormfury off guard. “That’s how deep I dig baby; can you both feel me crawling inside of you now? Ask yourselves something before you do anything in haste: how do you know killing me stops all your secrets from spilling out?”

“You mean those friends of yours? We’ll kill them too when we’ve finished handling you.” Beastlander says flippantly, waving off her threat. They move closer to Betsy again; this time her step causes her to bump the wall. The smile that spread across Beastlander’s face sent a chill up down her spine. “Seems you’ve got nowhere left to go. So as I was saying… Where do we begin, my everything?” His voice takes on an almost childlike quality as he draws his eyes to Stormfury.

“You know, as much as I appreciate that pretty blonde hair of hers… I think plucking it out of her head, strand by strand would be a good start.” Stormfury replies, reaching out to Betsy and twirling a finger around a golden lock. Smiling sweetly at Betsy, she yanks it hard, pulling the entire lock out of her head. Screaming, Betsy grabs her head and hops around wildly.

“You psycho fucking cunt!” Starbright shrieks. Without hesitating, she brings her glowing hand up and smacks the smug grin off Stormfury’s face; the force of the swing sends her adversary into the opposite wall.

As expected, Beastlander takes exception and wastes no time in launching himself at Starbright. He puts every ounce of his larger frame into the collision, sending Starbright crashing to the floor. Stormfury, holding the side of her face, slinks to his side, looking down at Starbright with eyes full of hatred. When she moves her hand, Starbright can see, with a flicker of satisfaction, that her hand had left a glowing red mark on Stormfury’s face. Sitting up and leaning back against the wall, Starbright can only look up at the two of them as they slowly stalk towards her. Acceptance of her inevitable death settled heavily onto her heart and with nothing else left to do, she tipped back her head and began to laugh hysterically. This seems to stop the pair in their tracks as they exchange a confused look. Beastlander looks down at her, his face contorted with confused ire.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone laugh at me as I turn their bones to dust,” he murmurs, cracking his knuckles.

“Honestly, could you be any more of a repetitive blowhard? For all your threats and cleverly crafted insults, you never say anything of actual substance. Look at how many times you’ve failed to live up to your tough words; all these threats and so little results to show for them. Ooooh, you’ll kill me… Will you, though? And even if you went through with your empty threats, then what? As soon as word reaches my friends that I’m dead, they’ll be able to guess what happened. They aren’t as stupid as you seem to think they are; who do you think orchestrated the murders of Obscurus and Flambeau?” Starbright finally reaches her feet again, feeling a reckless abandon. “Them Boys that are always on your ass? They’ll never stop until all of you have been eliminated; it isn’t Supes in general that they target. It’s both of your heads they want to hang on our walls. Are you truly surprised by the fact that I want to help them bring the Elite to the fucking ground? Overblown bullies spout nothing but hot air and idle threats. I can’t believe I ever felt an ounce of fear when it came to you.” She cackles again when Beastlander grabs her and throws her again. Plaster crumbles as she collides with the wall, sliding down to the floor once more. She crawls away, still laughing. “One day, Beastlander, you’re going to wake up and all of this will be gone. Stormfury might be stroking your ego along with your dick right now, telling you that you’re her one and only, but think about it. The woman is over one hundred years old by now, how many times has she done this throughout her life. There were tons before you and there’ll be hundreds after you. Once you’re dead, she’ll forget all about you once the body has turned to ash. You aren’t special on any level, she’s only exploiting your male weaknesses and using them to get what she wants. You’re nothing but a pawn in a bigger game and it’s fucking hilarious that you can’t even see it. How does it feel to be a puppet; we already know you love having Stormfury’s entire fist up your ass. But one day… Something will happen, a test of faith, and that’s when Stormfury will show you exactly what you are to her. That’s when you’ll know, Beastlander; when Stormfury leaves you for dead, taking the rest of the Elite with her. They’ll carry on, as they always have, and the name Beastlander will fade away into the abyss, where it belongs. Your memory will fade into the ether as new, worthy heroes enter the scene. The entire world will forget Beastlander ever existed, and do you want to know why? Because you are NOTHING.” Stormfury, having had enough of Betsy, aims a bolt of purple electric energy at her. Betsy holds up her hand and blocks with a burst of white-hot plasma of her own as she continues. “Everyone can see it but are too afraid to say it. You are the smallest, weakest, most insignificant piece of human refuse I have ever had the displeasure of knowing. I’ll say to your face what the mild and the meek are too afraid to even whisper. I’m not mad at them for staying silent, fear of death is the most natural thing in the world. The idea of dying at your hands makes even me filled with cold dread. I can only imagine how a non-Supe would feel being under your terrifying scrutiny. Like the unfortunate Kasey Axer, for example…”



“Not another fucking word,” Beastlander growls, the name triggering something he’d just as soon forget. He swings and connects his powerful fist to the side of Starbright’s face.

Pain explodes through her cheek and the familiar coppery taste of blood invades her tongue. Still, she refuses to back down, looking over at the couple. Laughing again as tears stream down her face, she points at Beastlander and shakes her head. “Big man, picking on someone smaller than him; Kasey never stood a chance. Kill me, if you want, do you think that’s going to stop Axer from his pursuit of you? He and his boys are the leading experts in ways to kill Supes, and they’re not afraid to do it. Here’s a fun fact for you guys: the only reason that group is as powerful as it’s become is because of Shawn Axer. When you raped his wife and subsequently had her murdered to keep her quiet, what did you think that would do to him? The reason these head-hunters are after you is that you painted the target onto your own back. Like the coward and moron you are. Men like you are so short-sighted, their only motivation stemming from greed and unfulfilled whims. On second thought, I’m being generous calling you a man; you’d need to have your balls for that and Stormfury has them tucked away safely in her mouth.”

Having heard enough, Beastlander and Stormfury descend on her without mercy. Beastlander throws his arm around her neck and lifts her enough to keep her feet off the ground. Stormfury smiles viciously and pulls a knife from her belt; a moment later, the sounds of Starbright’s screams fill the Tower as Stormfury begins swiping meticulously at her midsection. Plunging in the knife and flicking her wrist just enough to leave a wound, Stormfury’s demented smile grows wider as she watches Starbright’s blood pour down her torso. Beastlander takes his free hand and runs his fingers over the wounds, covering his hand with her blood. Starbright shudders as he brings his fingers to his lips and licks the blood off them slowly. Stormfury continues to slash her way up Starbright’s body, a trail that was leading straight for her heart. Closing her eyes, Betsy prepares for her final moments, an image of Howie flashing through her mind. Her heart clenches painfully with her regret, knowing she’d never had the chance to tell him how she felt about him…

BANG!

Shock fills her as her ears begin to ring; a moment later, Beastlander’s arm was gone and Stormfury’s slashing had been paused. Smoke fills the room, obstructing her view of Beastlander and Stormfury. Crawling blindly, Starbright coughs as the smoke invades her lungs uninvited, squinting through the thick smoke and debris that still hung in the air. When a pair of hands with remarkable strength grab at her, she struggles wildly, biting down hard on her attacker's arm.

“OW, what the fuck, Starbright?” an aggravated female voice hisses at her.

Recognizing the timber immediately, Betsy gasps. “Queen Dolly! Sorry, I thought you might have been…”

“Not this time, though if you bite me again, I’ll leave you here for them. Come on, then, we don’t have a lot of time to get you the fuck out of here.” Without another word, Queen Dolly pulls Starbright to her feet.

Taking a moment to steady herself, she finally wipes her face and looks over at Queen Dolly, who is staring at her curiously. “Why are you helping me?”

“Because I overheard what you were saying… All of it.” The edge in her voice let Starbright know that she’d heard all of it. “And I happen to agree; those two need to be brought down. I just disagree when you say that you may not be the one to do it.”

Pushing Betsy in the direction of the explosion, she finally sees the shell of the launcher that had been strong enough to penetrate the Tower. A large hole left the wall completely open and Besty looks out of it at the chopper hovering before it. Her heart leaps with joy as she locks eyes with Howie, who is holding out his arms.

“You have to jump!” he yells to her over the deafening sound of the chopper's blades swinging overhead.

Betsy hesitates as she looks back at Queen Dolly, who is already sneaking out of the room. Beastlander and Stormfury are still recovering and seem to have caught none of this. “Come with us! I know you hate it here, so come with me.”

Queen Dolly shakes her head sadly. “This is my home, for better or for worse. With you gone for good this time, someone has to pick up where you left off. I can be the inside woman… No matter, it’s time for you to get going.”

Though she’s determined to protest, Betsy’s gaze follows Queen Dolly’s; Beastlander was stirring, his eyes open, but befuddled. Stormfury was still out cold beside him. Recognizing defeat, she gives Queen Dolly one last sad smile. “Until we meet again.”

“No worries, Starbright; I’ll be in touch.” And with that, Queen Dolly hurries out of the room before Beastlander realizes she was ever there.

Turning back towards the chopper, Betsy takes a few steps back, preparing for the leap. As she lifts her ankle to begin her job, Beastlander reaches out and grabs at her ankles. With a startled yelp, she crashes to the floor, kicking at Beastlander for all she’s worth. Her boot connects with his face, causing his nose to squirt blood; as it reaches his lips, he sticks out his tongue and draws it over his top lip. He takes in the taste of his own blood like a wine connoisseur would a new blend before turning his burning eyes up towards her. The smile that crosses his lips is bone-chilling as he tightens his grip and begins to slowly move up her body. Despair fills her as she realizes there was no way she could escape his deadly beams this time. And she had been so close to escaping this hell... Even still, she continues to struggle against him, but he’s soon putting all of his weight on top of her, staring down at her with his blazing red eyes.

“Now you die, you fucking traitor.” He tells her in a tone as dead as his eyes.

“Not today, Beastcunt.” A voice breaks through her panic, one that causes her heart to leap with renewed hope.

Before either Supe had a chance to let the words sink in, Axer strides over and slams a crowbar hard over Beastlanders skull. Though it hardly phases him, it’s enough to distract him from his current prerogative. Sitting up, he straddles Starbright, keeping all of his weight on her chest and constricting her lungs. She begins to flail underneath him desperately, feeling her ribs crushing under his weight. Axer swings again, but Beastlander catches the crowbar with a cackle. Axer has the grace to look surprised for a moment before he’s sent flying across the room. Looking back down at Betsy, then up to Axer, back down to Betsy, Beastlander seems to be weighing his options. Betsy is still struggling to breathe beneath him, though her movements are significantly weaker. Smiling malevolently, he leans down over her and wraps both hands around her throat this time, pressing his weight even further into her chest. He leans his face closer to hers, staring deep into her eyes as life begins to fade from them.

Axer gets to his feet groggily and looks around at the scene. He can hear Howie’s desperate screams for help, although they sound as though they are coming from underwater. Looking around, he spots what has Howie in a panic; Starbright was now completely limp in Beastlander’s grip. He stumbles forward in an attempt to save the helpless young woman, but something passes by him in a blur. A moment later, Kimi leaped onto Beastlander’s back and was attempting to rip the flesh clean from his skull. For the first time, Beastlander lets out a howl of pain as he releases Starbright and rolls away, hoping to shake Kimi off of him. The silent young woman wasn’t to be deterred; releasing Beastlander, she rolls away a foot and springs nimbly back to her feet. Beastlander quickly gets to his feet as well and the two face off as Axer reaches Starbright and drags her out of the warzone.

“Come on kid, now is no time to die,” Axer says harshly, tapping her roughly on the cheeks.

Betsy’s eyes flutter open and she looks up at Axer, taking in a weak breath. Satisfied with the reaction, Axer gets to his feet and hoists Betsy up with him, draping her arm over his shoulder. They started walking towards the chopper slowly, but before they could take more than two steps, Kimi came flying from the other side of the room and landed at their feet. Axer stares down at her, watching as the young woman quickly sprung back into a crouching position and launched herself at Beastlander once more. The two collide in the center of the room with a sickening thud. Even though she’s still weak, Starbright pulls herself away from Axer and wills herself to stay upright. Closing her eyes, she draws on every ounce of energy within her, allowing her power to manifest. Kimi keeps Beastlander busy enough for several minutes, attempting many times to take off his head. Eventually, Beastlander grows tired of this and catches Kimi on her next leap; with a sickening crack, he breaks every bone in Kimi’s fragile neck. She drops to the ground, unmoving; Betsy gasps loudly as Beastlander looks up and focuses his gaze on her and Axer.

“Now we end this.” He says calmly, taking a step towards them.

“Hey dickhead.” a new voice; when Beastlander turns to face her, Queen Dolly aims a mighty punch to his face.

Taking advantage of his distraction, Starbright allows her power to overtake her and she pushes her arms out, sending a blazing glow in Beastlander’s direction. Queen Dolly pushes him right into it; an inhuman scream of agony leaves him as his entire body is scorched. Meanwhile, Kimi’s regenerative powers have healed her; she sits up suddenly, eyes wide open, and looks around. Seeing the situation, she rushes forward again and grabs his neck, plants Beastlander’s face into the glass coffee table, sending shards flying everywhere. Head full of cobwebs, Beastlander barely has a chance to recover before all three women surround him. By now, Howie and Tugu have joined Axer to help; now all three men just watch as the girls lay curb stomps on every inch of Beastlander their boots could find.

“Huh… Girls really do get it done.” Tugu says wondrously as he watches the ladies beat up on Beastlander.



Desperately, Beastlander looks upward and shoots the deadly red lasers from his eyes; all three women manage to dive out of the trajectory. Crawling away, Beastlander looks around at the chaos as he reaches Stormfury’s side. She still hasn’t stirred and was bleeding heavily from her head. With an enraged roar, Beastlander gets to his feet, gently lifting Stormfury with him. Them Boys begin to surround the two evil Supes, getting ready for the kill. Beastlander, obviously having other plans, flies off quickly, creating another hole in the roof of the Tower.

“Damn it…” Betsy growls, ignoring the excruciating pain in her throat.

“He escaped, but he hasn’t won, don’t worry.” Queen Dolly says, patting Betsy on the back. “You’ve got their asses pretty much nailed to the wall.”

“They’ll never stop until we’re all dead,” Betsy says mournfully.

Queen Dolly nods her head in agreement. “Probably not; fortunately for us, you have enough blackmail on them to keep us safe for a while. We can figure something else out while we have that time.”

“This is all good and well ladies, but perhaps we ought to be heading out while we still can?” Axer suggests, shouting from the chopper. Howie and Tugu had already boarded and were watching the women. Kimi glances at Queen Dolly, then Betsy, smiling at her, then turns and leaps onto the chopper.

Betsy looks at Queen Dolly. “Come with us, at least for now.”



Queen Dolly shakes her head as she gives Starbright a wistful smile and gestures towards the building. “One of us needs to stay behind, it might as well be me. The rest of them don’t know about my intentions yet, and I can handle Beastlander when the time comes. We have to figure out how to get you back here, and we will. But for now, you have to go.” Betsy attempts to protest, but Queen Dolly waves her off, turning away. “I’ll contact you as soon as I have something for you.”

And with that, she retreats. Betsy turns towards the chopper and mustering the last of her strength, takes a running start and jumps gracefully into the chopper. Axer catches her with ease and sets her back on her feet with a wink. Betsy gives him a grin in response, then looks over his shoulder to meet Howie’s gaze. Realizing a moment was in the making, Axer steps aside and takes the co-pilot's chair next to Father’s Food. Tugu and Kimi watch them from their seats, knowing grins on their faces as the pair close the distance between them. Betsy smiles warmly up at Howie, hot tears of relief springing from the corners of her eyes. Howie holds his hands out for a moment, before deciding against whatever he was going to do and letting them fall uselessly to his side again. Despite all the pain throbbing all through her body and the tumultuous emotions running rampant, another feeling sneaks its way inside of her as she stares up into his face.

“You came to rescue me,” she says simply, hating how dumb the words sounded leaving her lips.

“Of course, Bets… When Queen Dolly called and said you were in trouble… How could I not come for you?” Howie replies, suddenly bashful.

The feeling squeezes itself tightly over her heart, radiating warmth and desire through the pain, making her head spin. Forgetting about everything else, Betsy grabs his face and pulls him in for the kiss she’d been longing to give him ever since that first day on the park bench. Howie freezes for only a moment before wrapping his arms tightly around her and returning the kiss passionately. Kimi grins widely as she and Tugu both clap happily.

“‘Bout fucking time,” Axer says gruffly, hiding his grin.

The couple seems to hear none of this as the kiss continues; the chopper flies off into the sunset towards the safehouse. And for the first time in a year, Betsy finally felt at home…

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“... It’s no secret that tragic events transpired two weeks ago right here in the BoB Corps Tower. In light of the events that took place, it is with a heavy heart that I must confess to you all that it has been revealed that Stormfury had been a traitor the entire time. It has recently been uncovered that the creation of Compound-B has links to Nazi Scientists who defected to our great nation after World War 2 had ended…”



Two weeks had passed since the incident in the Tower. After lying low in the underground safe house, Betsy had watched the news every night, waiting for the ax to fall. The entire group had gone around, holding their breath, waiting for the Elite to show up at their door any moment… But they never came. Two days prior, Betsy had received a phone call from Queen Dolly, telling her that she was to come back to the Tower. Vinnie Lane and Theo Pryce had met with her personally and through clenched jaws, invited her back into the Elite, congratulating her on being discreet with the reputation-damaging information she possessed. Understanding how bound their hands were, she was able to negotiate the terms of her return, all of which were agreed to without hesitation. Now she and Queen Dolly stood behind Beastlander as he read the prepared speech in a dead monotone. Time and again, he’d turn towards them slightly, offering them a glare the cameras couldn’t catch, before turning a neutral expression back to the press standing before him.

“If it weren’t for the detective work of loyal friends like Queen Dolly and Starbright, Stormfury would have succeeded in her plans to create an army of Super-Villains to challenge our United Armed Forces. It has also been discovered that not only was she the first successful recipient of Compound-B during her time in Nazi Germany, but she had also developed clones of herself through the years for… procreational purposes.”

A murmur runs through the crowd of journalists as they all scribble furiously on their notepads. Several raise their hands at once, hoping to catch his attention for a question. Beastlander only stares out at the crowd, ignoring everyone.

“I was a victim of her depraved schemes, engaging in a sexual relationship with the woman who essentially acts as the mother of all us Supes… A relationship that I regret with every fiber of my being. At this time, Stormfury has been properly neutralized and is being held in The Tower for more questioning. I report this with a heavy heart, as Stormfury was viewed by many as the hero this world needed in these times. Luckily for all of us, the true hero stood quietly in our midst the entire time…”

Though his voice seemed to take on a lighter note, anyone paying attention would notice the hint of disdain in his tone. The smile that crosses his face doesn’t reach his dead blue eyes; still, he holds out his hand and Starbright takes it, allowing him to present her properly. She maintains her smile as he crushes her fingers under his grip.

“Truly, all of us in the Elite, BoB Corps, and the entire world, owe our undying gratitude to this brave young lady. In the face of heavy odds, she stood her ground like a true warrior and did what was right. Indeed, a hero we can all look up to...”

From the crowd, Them Boys watch, keeping a close eye on Beastlander, just in case the distressed Supe decides to snap. As Starbright looks out into the crowd, she manages to catch a glimpse of the oddball crew that had become her family. And she would need every bit of them as time continued. She didn’t know what the future would hold from here, but she knew one thing for certain…

Them Boys may have won the day, but the war was far from over...

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"Come on Bets, come back to me..."

Through the exquisite pain in her skull and darkness, Betsy Granger's eyes slowly flutter open. Blinding fluorescent light stabs at her retinas for a moment before it's blocked out by the worried face of James Raven.

"Hey, I think she's coming around!"

Betsy attempts to sit up, but a wave of nausea consumes her the moment she's upright. James pushes her back down gently, pushing a lock of her hair tenderly out of her face.

"James... Wha... Where am..."

"We're still at the arena, Bets; those chair shots you took from TK did a number on you. The fact that you were able to get through that entire match..."

"The match... We lost... I failed the team." awareness comes back to her slowly. "God damn it..."

"That's the last thing you need to worry about, love; besides, ol' Robbie Bourbon crashed and burned pretty much right away in the finals."

Grim satisfaction takes hold for a moment before another bolt of pain floods her skull. "How long was I out?"

James looks at her for a moment, his brown eyes filled with concern. "Almost an hour. I'll have you know that I don't appreciate that level of worry, by the way."

"My fault." She says with a gentle chuckle. Reaching out, she takes his hand and squeezes it lightly. "I just... had the weirdest dream."

Ignoring the cameras still watching them, Betsy dives into the strange tale that had just transpired within her rattled mind...