The House of Cards

Noelle Frost and Puck Bunny had searched the lab in Skyway City from top to bottom before they found the three hostage scientists, and the mad doctor who'd kept them there against their wills. When they'd finally cleared everyone out, and slapped prison transport beacons on the villains, they headed out into the fresh air and stretched, Puck's protective force field still wrapped around them both.

Noelle grinned. "A successful rescue attempt like that – I think that calls for a shopping trip!"

Puck laughed, well aware of Noelle's addiction for shoes. "Does anything NOT call for a shopping trip?"

"Umm... nothing comes to mind." The two heroines headed towards Icon in Independence Port, chatting about what Noelle was looking for, discussing options. As Noelle tried on a few possibilities and modeled them for Puck, her comm buzzed. No words, just a blank signal from Reese.

Noelle sighed. She should just ignore it. She was still pissed about what he'd said before about Kid, when he deliberately tried to make her mad. It was infuriating. He was infuriating. Still, he could be in trouble. "Yes?" she replied.

Nothing, just another buzz. While Puck complimented Noelle's current outfit, her comm buzzed again. And then once more. "Reese?" Noelle responded. "You ok?"

Silence. Noelle was getting worried. "Reese, answer me!"

In the small dressing room, Reese's words were suddenly loud. "The problem with your little plan, Mr. Spade, is that you aren't planning for the future at all."

Noelle quickly replied, "Reese, do you need help?" No answer. Noelle pulled on another top and stepped out to show Puck, who gave her a thumbs up. Reese's voice crackled in her ear, "Lots."

Her pulse raced. Was that a response to her question, or just part of whatever other conversation he was having? She had to know. She held up a finger to quiet Puck for a sec as she asked, "Where are you?"

She tapped her foot. Come on, come on, come on! She thought, and spoke again, "How can I help if you don't tell me where you are?"

"Home." Noelle ripped the price tags off the outfit she was wearing and tossed them at her friend, leaving the dressing room scattered with her discarded clothes. "Puck Fair, I... I have to go to Reese. I think he's in trouble. Can you take care of this for me?" She tossed her charge card at her friend.

Puck nodded, "Ok...you go and take care of Reese then, Noelle."

"I'm sorry. And thanks!" She rushed out of the store in brand new heels and flew to the train station, heading to Steel and Boomtown. She knew Reese lived there, somehow, she just didn’t know where. She'd have to find him. "I'm on my way."

His voice echoed in her ear again as she hit the skies in Boomtown, looking for him. "Well I can't have you going alone."

"What?"

"It's not safe unless you have someone with you is it?"

Noelle wanted to scream with frustration. Was this all just another mean trick to make her feel bad about her relationship with Kid? She hovered high off the ground and sent back a terse message. "Reese, are you just teasing me? I thought you were in trouble! I'm in Boomtown."

"Just that it could be very dangerous."

Suddenly she spied him below, taking to a dark figure surrounded by a cloud, wearing a red fedora. "I think I get that."

Noelle touched down a hundred yards or so away from Reese and his companion, and walked slowly up towards them, trying to keep one of Boomtown's dead trees between her and them. Just as she thought she probably should have approached in Reese's line of sight, rather than his companion's, the man in the scarlet hat saw her.

"Hmph. What is the girl doing here?"

Reese was answering some question Noelle hadn’t heard, "Been a prisoner a few times. I'm not too big on it. Huh? The fuck should I know? Probably looking for Babbage or something."

Swallowing hard, and walking up behind Reese, Noelle approached, "Sorry, was this a boys only meeting?"

Spade Fearra – it had to be him – greeted her. "Pleasure to meet you in person, Cold One."

"I can't say the same, unfortunately."

Spade's smile was grim. "I am sure the Ace would welcome you to the Mansion as well. But first, the Felon here must make a decision."

Noelle raised an eyebrow, or tried to. "Oh?" Out of the corner of her mouth, she whispered to Reese, "What do you need from me?"

He looked over at her. "Hey... new outfit."

"Yeah..." Noelle looked down at her clothes. For once, it didn't seem that important. Spade spoke again. "Will you come with me, or must I force you, Mr. Riley?"

"Sorry, I only let the ladies force me."

Noelle glanced at Reese. "Who's using force here?"

Spade gestured a welcoming hand, and flipped a coin. "The Ace of Spades requests Mr. Riley's presence. If he refuses, I shall take him."

"Yeah the Ace wants to see me and I get beat up and dragged there if I don't go on my own."

Noelle grabbed Reese's hand. "Where? Where do you think you'd take him?"

"Is this a 'nother dimensional thing?" Reese asked.

Spade flipped the coin again. "I'm sure you would be welcomed along as well, Cold One. But no, the Mansion is within this very city, right under your feeble noses."

She shook her head. "No thanks, my dance card's pretty full as it is."

"I am afraid that just won't do," Spade replied. "The Invulnerable One surprised me last night. But I assure you, I will not be bested again."

Noelle whispered to Reese again, "Does he mean Star?"

"Yeah I think that's who he meant. Probably got an ass kicking."

Spade chose to ignore their whispers and wrapped his shadows around himself. "Prepare yourselves."

"Whoa, wait one sec." Noelle surrounded them with a blast of arctic air. "Just cool it."

"My master requests I take you with me, his wishes shall not be denied."

Noelle turned her head towards Reese and whispered again. "Tell me if you want me to get someone, or run, or whatever."

With his chin pointed firmly towards Spade, Reese responded. "Good."

Noelle’s mind churned. Good? Good? So she should run, or get help? What kind of an answer was "good"?

Spade continued, "If he so wishes, I shall strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger."

"Please," Noelle said, "At least get an original line."

Reese, meanwhile, said, "I'll take a number one please."

Shade nodded. "A good choice, Felon."

"Will I know your name is the lord?" Reese continued.

Spade gestured, and the smoke around him roiled. "My apologies, the White One's influence is still present."

Reese asked, "Tarantino?" while Noelle went with a general, "Who?" but Spade ignored their questions. "Now, what of you, Cold One? Will you come with me like the Felon has chosen, or must I take you down first?"

"What? Huh? Me? I'm not going anywhere." Noelle planted her feet on the shattered pavement of Boomtown.

"I am sorry to see you are not as wise as the Felon."

Noelle snorted.

Spade looked at Reese. "I will give you the opportunity to talk some sense into this woman, Felon."

Noelle crossed her arms. "As if."

Reese grabbed her arm. "Seriously Noles, are you crazy? Haven't I told you before to get help?"

She stared into his eyes. He was making fun of her NOW? "What? I'm not mental!"

His grip on her arm tightened as he stared down at her. "I don't know what kind of Superman power trip you're on but I'm in no shape to fight this guy. I hope Jack is."

Jack. Right! Noelle shaped her pet iceman from the moisture in the air around them. As she did, she spoke, still trying to diffuse the situation. "Who's fighting? No one needs to fight, right?"

"It is not necessary if you come with me."

"Really, no thanks." Noelle demurred, finishing shaping Jack. Spade scoffed. "Your pathetic snowman is no match for me."

Noelle glanced at Reese, and suddenly, something finally clicked. Get help. Right! Oh goddamn. With Jack between her and Spade, she flipped on her coalition channel. "Agent Seven, sir? Or Bill? Or Star?"

Agent Seven's terse response came almost immediately. "What is it?"

"That Spade guy, that Bill was looking for... He's..." She looked up. He was listening. Of course he was. He'd broken into the comm channel. Reese reminded her. "You know he can hear this, right?"

Crap! Noelle clenched her fist as Spade mocked them. "Do not try to call for help. It is useless."

Reese tried to distract Spade as Noelle fumbled for a private channel to Agent Seven. "You should be nice to Jack. He's a Utopian Snowman."

But Spade was having none of it, as he mused about reinforcements. "Hmm, the Seventh One could post problems. I think I may have to take you two before he arrives."

Noelle frantically sent off a message to the terse Agent. "Spade. In Boomtown. Wants to take Reese. And me."

"So be it." Spade took a step towards them, and Noelle tried once more for bluster. "Yeah, so you better leave before he gets here."

Reese added, "Or before more Jacks arrive."

Agent Seven's reply was quick. "Take you where?"

Noelle backed up, keeping Jack and Reese between herself and Spade as she replied to Seven. "To the mansion thing place. The House of Cards. I don't know where it is. Tell Star. Boomtown."

Spade made a sudden swift moved towards Jack, and Noelle's message ended in a frightened peel as she cut the line. She glanced up at the clouds above and made a yanking motion, as slivers of ice began to fall around them. Spade paid the tiny cuts they caused no mind, as he strode towards Jack, which drew its sword. A sweeping gesture from the man in the hat enveloped the iceman in a choking black cloud.

Reese pulled a kind of pistol from his jacket and aimed it at Spade. "Hey. Freeze." He fired the prototype Crey weapon at Spade, who waved his fingers, and wrapped a blanket of armor around himself. The ice struck, but did no damage. Spade grinned, and with a magician's flip of his wrist, produced a sharp-edged playing card, which he flung at Reese's hand.

"Oh, yeah, I'm terrified of papercuts." Reese circled around Spade, looking for an opening, ducking the torrents of dark energy that Spade threw at him. Noelle tried to keep the air around them chilled, knowing it wouldn't affect Reese, hoping it might slow Spade down. She iced the broken pavement, but Spade floated above it, and Reese slipped before she could pull it back.

"Reese!"

Spade glanced quickly at Noelle, then moved to strike at Reese's vulnerability. As she dragged another rain of ice from the clouds, her private comm buzzed again, this time with Star Breaker's voice, "Ms. Frost, did you need me?"

She panted. "Spade... in Boomtown... The sounds of battle carried with her voice.

Star shouted, "Noelle!"

"He wants... Reese." She had time only for another frantic "Hurry!" as Spade struck again at Reese, his shadows hitting with military precision. One wrapped around his arm and flung him to the ground, nearly at Spade's feet. Reese coughed, and rolled away as another torrent of dark energy hit the street where h'd been. He reached for Spade's leg and -pulled-, and the knave hit the ground, flipping quickly onto the balls of his feet as Reese staggered back up to his feet. Noelle wrapped Reese with a protective force field, but Spade's shadows wormed their way through the light barrier.

She tried to hold Spade still, over and over again, throwing ice at him with everything she had, but nothing seemed to have any effect. He shook off every blow, the dark shadows a better armor than anything she'd seen before against her ice. As Noelle summoned another Jack out of the air, Reese threw a wild roundhouse punch at Spade, who took it on the chin. "Ha. Take that."

Spade settled his fedora with one hand, and wiped at his mouth with a single finger. "Unimpressive, Felon." He jabbed quickly back at Reese's face, and followed with a series of harsh attacks to his chest. They grappled, and Noelle watched them closely for an opportunity to freeze Spade.

Reese kicked Spade in the junk and put a thumb in his eye, as Star Breaker flew in, shortly followed by Agent Seven, Fixette, Jagura, Avocet and Anne Blaze. Noelle kept throwing ice, and Jack swung his frozen blade wildly, as Star Breaker called out, "This ends, Spade."

Agent Seven spoke with his usual calm. "Desist now and you may live to regret your decision."

The man in the hat pulled away from Reese's martial embrace with a swift punch to the gut, followed by a precise chop to his back which flung him to the ground again. He began backing up towards Noelle as he greeting the newcomers. "Invulnerable One, how nice of you to join me. The Seventh One as well. I'm afraid I don't have time for this, goodbye. I believe you remember my teleportation spell?"

His shadows suddenly flew out and wrapped around Noelle, pulling her towards him as Spade began casting a spell to teleport them away. She cried out, kicking and squirming, trying to break free, "Hey!"

Spade Fearra mocked the heroes again. "So long, Invulnerable One, see you at a later date. The girl will be a welcomed addition to the Mansion."

Star Breaker flew towards them, trying to grab Noelle before they vanished, as Fixette broadcast a wide-range jamming signal, trying to block the teleportation. His image already fading, Spade scoffed at Fixette, "That will not work, Fixing One, your machines cannot stop my magic."

Noelle continued to struggle, the black shadows surrounding her almost completely. Agent Seven threw some gas pellets at Spade, which burst just as Star Breaker reached them, clutching for Noelle, almost grabbing at her boot... but it was too late.

A melting Jack lay where Noelle had disappeared.

As usual, Avocet arrived well after everybody else. He landed amongst the heroes to see Fixette press a button on her belt. A diembodied voice, which he recognized as the one identified on the comm as belonging to Spade Fearra, said, "That will not work, Fixette; your machines cannot stop my magic." Too stunned to move, Avocet watched Noelle Frost vanish, leaving Star Breaker grasping thin air as he tried to pull Noelle to safety. Fixette rubbed at her belly, muttering, "Ugh, stupid magic."

Bewildered, Avocet looked around. "Ummm... What just happened, exactly?"

Reese Riley was lashing out at the team of heroes. "So... You didn't come because you thought it was a trap. Never thought, 'Gee maybe we're the ones setting the trap'?"

Avocet shook his head slightly. "Didn’t come"? They were here, weren’t they? How could Riley say they hadn’t come?

Star Breaker confronted Riley, "Why did you try and take him alone, Reese?" while Anne asked quietly, "Reese, hon? You OK?"

Riley snapped, "Hard to be OK when you’re surrounded by idiots pretending to be heroes."

Fixette muttered, "Damnit, she's not on this plane anymore," then looked up at Riley and barked "Shut up, Reese." Agent Seven raised an eyebrow and looked at Fixette.

Reese Riley explained, in measured tones, "Because I lured him into the open then signaled for backup no less than a dozen times and Noelle was the only one who showed up." Fixette shifted uneasily.

Avocet's brow knitted. He had heard no calls from Riley. Not one. Just Noelle asking to speak to Agent Seven or Bill or Star. When had Riley "signaled for backup"?

Agent Seven stated tersely, "Was busy." Riley sneered, "Fuck off busy."

Star Breaker screamed, "I told you how dangerous he was! You should have waited!" Avocet knew little of Star Breaker, but he knew enough of Riley to know that this sort of confrontation would never change his mind. It was a waste of breath. Avocet continued to save his own breath, watching and listening.

Agent Seven scowled at Riley. "You're a 'Hero of the City.' Expected more of you." What? Avocet wondered. What would Seven have expected Riley to do? Attack Fearra? The guy threw Star Breaker through the hull of a ship! What could Riley, or for that matter, Avocet himself, do?

Anne Blaze rubbed her temples. "Damn... I came on comms too late..." As did we all, Avocet thought. We should have gotten here sooner. We couldn't leave those people in the hands of the Carnival of Shadows, though. We had to finish that mission!

Reese Riley glared at Seven. "You’re a member of the US government; I should have expected so little of you." Agent Seven shook his head and walked off. "Best of luck to you." Riley didn’t even watch him leave, just muttered, "Adequate work, jerkoff." Avocet held Agent Seven in high regard, but the man was rather inflexible. Not like Agent Twelve, who seemed to have more depth. She was even beginning to develop quite a sense of humor, much as Avocet had when he came to Paragon City. With a start at the realization that his mind had wandered from the current situation, Avocet returned his attention to the group.

Fixette was saying, "This isn't going to help anything. They obviously used magic. Can anyone here trace them? Anne?"

Anne and Riley both spoke at once. Anne said, "Yes, Fix?" as Riley declared, "I can." "Then try," Fixette implored.

Star Breaker turned from watching Seven leave and asked, "Fixette, where is he going?" Fixette told him, "He’s going to find something productive to do."

When Jagura said, "Seems we were too late," Fixette shook her head sadly. "It’s my fault."

Before she could explain, Star Breaker growled, "Fine, I'm done. I am done playing by the rules. If Spade hurts Ms. Frost I will kill him." Anne smiled. "Breaking the rules. Now you’re talking..." Fixette shouted, "No, Star Breaker... NO!" They watched the hero depart in a rage.

Avocet sighed. It had begun again. Another rift in the Alliance. This had been happening entirely too often of late. Maybe Riley and his ilk were right. Maybe heroes couldn’t function in large groups. A thought suddenly occurred to him. The House of Cards has vowed to destroy the world’s heroes. Could this be how they mean to start? Setting us against each other? He pondered this as he watched Riley run off.

Jagura sighed, "Then he will become no better than the criminals we arrest." Fixette agreed, "As soon as you start doing that you become the bad guys."

Anne Blaze looked at her feet, "Sometimes the ends justify the means..."

Fixette and Jagura looked determined. "Never," one said. "Ever," completed the other. "Noelle would rather die then see you turn," Fixette pointed out. Anne said nothing, but Avocet saw her pull her cape around to hide the gun in her belt.

Avocet was considering the issue. As so often was the case, he could see both sides of the issue. There were strong arguments for and against both sides. Was it time to take more... permanent measures agains evil, or was that in fact the beginning of the descent into evil? He sighed. Am I the most indecisive hero in the city? I may be. Or maybe not.

Anne Blaze seemed to make a decision. "I'm going to looks around maybe... hmm? Better ditch the white outfit though." Anne changed her white, caped outfit into a black, leather cat suit.

Jagura looked uncertain. "Well... Seems there is nothing more to do here. If you have need of me, let me know." Avocet watched her depart the way she came.

Fixette asked Anne, "No magical traces? What of Reese? Anyone on good enough terms with him to find out if he can really track them?"

Anne replied, "I am. He can."

Avocet watched Fixette and Anne leave. He stood there for a long moment, wondering how this situation would play out, what their lives would be like in its wake. He gave a deep sigh, and slowly rose into the air. Alone, he headed for the gate to Steel Canyon. Aloud, he asked himself, "What in the name of Avoset-ta have I gotten myself into?"

----------------

It was all Agent Seven could do to stop himself. Stop himself from reaching out, with both hands, and strangling Reese Riley. Finding that it was, some of the time, best not to go with gut instincts, Agent Seven glanced over at Fixette as Riley ranted, "You're a member of the US government; I should have expected so little of you."

Arching his eyebrow, he shook his head as he ran through the problem in his mind.....drowning out the screaming voices assailing him.

Calm.

Focus.

Fact: Noelle Frost, a memeber of the Alliance and participant in the Project Redemption, has been abducted by an uknown faction.
Conclusion: Previous safeguards, a holdover from the F.O.R.C.E. project, should still be in place to ensure her safety.
Variables: Whether she remembers and is able to activate said safeguards.

Nodding to himself, he gave Riley a steely glare.

"Best of luck to you," the Dark Agent said as he turned and disappeared into the Boomtown smoke.

In his younger days, he would have just snapped a punk like Riley's spine and been done with it. But, things were different now. Someone was in trouble and they needed results. Not a 'pissing contest.'

Secure in his Steel Canyon base of operations, he flipped open his wrist comm and punched in a sequence of nuimbers. A readout scrolled across the small viewscreen:

Satellite uplink: Initiated
Destination: Liberty Force Project: Sentry One. Confirmed
Identity: Agent Seven. Confirmed

His mind ran backwards to the F.O.R.C.E. project. How he had Fixette modify some medcoms so that, in the event of a hostage situation, the captive only needed to hold their breath for twenty seconds to be transported to the nearest hospital. Few thought it worth the effort. Even fewer thought to take one of the modified medcoms.

Noelle Frost was one of those few.

As he attemtped to track down her medcom signal through the satellite relay, he just hoped she had the presence of mind to hold her breath.

Though, he thought, on the other hand....if worse comes to worse....she'll show up, eventually.

The dead don't breathe.

Hrm.