Blood Sisters
Chapter 23

Winter had brought Marty to the Ft. Miles Trauma Center. She did not stay long, wanting to get back to Jenny. She told the charge nurse how Goldstar was injured, and was told that her locking him in ice may actually have served to prevent further injury or complications from swelling. Marty was still completely unconscious and they wheeled him away immediately. As Winter was leaving she heard someone saying it was a good sign that he was breathing on his own and that he responded to stimuli in his eyes and extremities.

North Star was skating back as fast as she could when the strange shadow wave hit her. The disruption of her powers sent her flying off her own ice at nearly fifty miles an hour. She tumbled more then a hundred feet down the packed dirt of the mountain road until rolling off it into a shallow drainage ditch where the road took a sharp curve.

Winter's beta-cloth protected her from most of the abrasive damage of scraping through half a football field of gravel, but it could do little to save her from the impact damage when she came to a sudden halt in the ditch. She blacked out for only a few minutes, when she woke Winter found herself in three inches of muddy water. Her right leg hurt badly, she was almost certain it was broken. The rest of her didn't feel all the great either. Jenny was in danger, North Star knew this. She would have to lick her wounds later.

Winter drenched, then froze her leg in ice as a temporary cast, getting awkwardly to her feet. She puzzled over what happened to her, she almost never slipped, the way she learned to combine ice and water below her feet created a suction that kept her on the ice. There was no time, that would have to wait too. Creating a new slide before her, North Star went down on her belly, looking as if she flying an inch above the ground back to the battle, desperate that she would now be too late.

Iron Gargoyle had shook off her horror and retreated up the stairs as Level C began to explode. Sarah felt the whole underground facility shake as she was in the utility lift returning to the surface.

Far below her, she could see the blast as it blew into the elevator shaft. The lift lurched dangerously, but the cables below ultimately held. The lift came to a stop, and Sarah worked her way back into the vast lab where all the carnage had occurred.

Agent David had walked across the floor to the still form of Cricket, checking for signs of life. He looked up and glanced around, Broadsword was walking towards Cricket as well. The whole room shook around them and a wave of heat came up through the floor as the lower levels blew apart. David told Broadsword “She's gone”. He paused with a grim look then waved a hand around the room “Wildfire, Peregrine and Agent Goliath are all out and injured. Who knows about Desnoyers, he is still in that D-Day wreck over there. Get Wildfire and Peregrine out of here at least, they look the worse off, if you still have room in the Masterson grab Goliath too. I'll get Desnoyers out of that ruined armor if I can”. The room shook again as more of the structure below collapsed. Then all was quiet, a sudden hush mixing with the smoke above the devastation and tragedy around them.

Jack hesitated, he himself was injured, and he did not trust this man. “Now, Marshal Broadsword!” David ordered into the grim quiet. Reluctantly, The Metal Man followed his instructions.

***

Miracle and Miss Liberty appeared in a flash of gold. Allison was ejected out of Jenny's force-field and fell hard on her side. Miracle was bleeding from her nose and lay on the ground softly moaning, spent from her colossal effort. Miss Liberty got to her feet, still glowing with Bio-energy as it healed and fortified her body. Allison put a hand on Jenny's force-field, and tears came to her eyes. It was such a bittersweet moment for her, there was tragedy and conflict all around her... but she was able to hold her Jenny, finally after all these years. She saw that Miracle was beat up, burned and bleeding; but she was coming around. Allison patted her force-field and smiled “Great job Miracle”.

Miss Liberty then turned around and saw Agent David standing over Cricket's still body, cracked open and smoldering. “Oh no. Oh please no!” Allison said, walking over to the girl. She bent down and found no signs of life. “No... no, oh poor little Cricket”. She rested her head on the girl and held her body close. Allison looked over at Jenny, who had gotten up on her knees. The look on her mother's face told Jenny all she needed to know. She bowed her head and cried, then started to sob with her whole body.

Agent David spoke quietly, still standing above the grieving family. “I regret the harm that this event has caused your family, Mrs. Ashton”. Jenny glared at the Agent, he killed Cricket as far as she was concerned, she was going to... “Your husband is badly injured, he is at the trauma center right now.” Allison got to her feet and Jenny gasped, remembering. “I saw it mom, he flew into the floor, he saved Aunt Winter.... he hit it, so hard... mom.” She bit her lip. This was all too much for Jenny, her world was spinning out of control... She took a long look out the door “Dad...” then back at Crickets still form, too still. Jenny shut her eyes tight, wanting to wake up from this nightmare.

Allison looked sternly at Agent David as she spoke firmly to her daughter “Jenny, take Cricket's body with you and go to your father. I am going to have a word with this man. I will meet you there shortly.” Jenny jumped, brought back into the horror of the moment. As Agent David spoke Jenny glared at him through her tears, walking slowly to Cricket's side. There was a hard fire in her chest, a burning rising up, spreading to her brain. She wanted to breathe it out, to destroy this horrible man that took Cricket away. Jenny realized, this, this was hatred. “Jenny” Allison said calmly, sensing her daughters rage, “Take Cricket, go to your father. I will deal with this.” Agent David, barely glanced at Miracle “Mrs. Ashton, I am sorry but it is still Government Prop...” Allison got into David's face “Call Cricket an 'it' an 'asset' or a 'thing' one more time and I will fly you to a desert island so far from anywhere that you'll never be seen again!” The agent held her gaze “Miss Liberty, this project is top secret... you can't...” “and just how are you going to stop me David?” The agent gave up. “Fine, this will be dealt with later.” Allison nodded to Jenny and her daughter picked up her sister gently as she could and headed towards the door.

North Star skated in and saw... her face turning desperate “No... Jenny....” Jenny nodded tearfully. “Come on Auntie” she sniffed “lets get her to the hospital. I gotta see Dad, please lets go”. Winter glanced over at Allison who said “hold the family together Winter, I will be right there”. Then she turned back to Agent David. Winter said “The hell with that, this man would have killed me if not for Marty, and now he is fighting for his life! And Cricket...” Winter started gathering up a massive wave inside “I am going to freeze you solid, you...” “WINTER!” Allison yelled. Younger sister snapped her attention to older sister. Allison stared down winter with command and compassion. “Go with Jenny, keep everyone safe until I get there. Please.” Winter yelled in frustration and sent two huge jets of water from her hands, drenching the walls. Then like cracking a whip she froze it all. Steam rose off her body as she dispersed the heat. “This isn't over David...” Silence. “C'mon auntie, lets go see my dad.” Jenny swallowed. Winter nodded, with a final glare at Agent David, the two women turned and left. Allison turned her attention back to the Agent, looking down at him since she was much taller. “Agent...”

The whine of servos and steel feet was heard, interrupting Allison who clamped down in annoyance. She and Agent David looked over to see Iron Gorgon entering from the service hallway. Sarah said without preamble “Dead Man and The Silhouette escaped. Michaela is destroyed”. She swallowed hard, still shaken from the horror below.

Agent David said “Thank you Dr. Reed” he glanced over at D-Days wreck. “Marshal Desnoyers is still trapped in there, he is not responding and the cockpit is bent into the torso. I couldn't see how badly hurt he is.” Sarah glanced at her medical scanner “His vitals look okay, we just need to cut him out of there.” Agent David said firmly “Marshal Gorgon, take D-Day's battlearmor back to Ops and have the Tech's cut him out of there.” Sarah glanced between the Agent and Miss Liberty, feeling the thick tension in the air. “Okay, you got it.” “Dr. Reed” Allison said. Sarah stopped and her armor turned towards Miss Liberty. “Give Paul a message for me, will you? I might not get a chance to see him for quite some time.” Her voice was tense. “Sure, of course Miss Liberty” Sarah said. Allison looked back at Agent David as she spoke, her eyes drilling through those damn lenses. “Please tell Mr. Desnoyers for me to enjoy his cornbread. Tell him that we are now even, and that we are quits” she paused and gave Sarah a quick glance and a nod of thanks. “I will speak to him myself later, but I don't want him to come around me or my family right now, thank you Dr. Reed.” Iron Gorgon nodded affirmatively and left.

The mountain had settled. Though smoke was drifting into the room from below. The distant voices of people could be heard as they recovered from the explosions. Miss Liberty, looked down at Agent David, the two stood facing each other in silence for several seconds.

Finally it was Allison that spoke, her voice stiff with quiet anger “I am disgusted by what you were doing here, and what happened when I came to put a stop to it. I am not sure exactly what should be done now, but I will soon enough when I have time to consider.” She kept her gaze on David, eyes like cold stones. “A government program being top secret is not a license for breaking our laws, or even worse, violating our core principles, let alone basic humanity. There is no excuse for that harm you did to Cricket, whatever she was, she became a person, a child” Allison kept her anger in check, and agent was letting have her say. “What I can promise you is that if you or any of your dogs come after me or my family, I will use every bit of my reputation, fame and influence to expose you and all of this.” She raised an arm. “Shut this down, and destroy any bit of me that is left. Or I will shut you down, I swear it”.

Agent David nodded “We will have to, Miss Liberty. The program is hopelessly compromised now.” He looked around at the damaged room. “This facility will be decommissioned as well, I am sure. Sealed up with rock and cement”. He sighed and looked back up at her weary face “I have no intention of coming after your family, as you say, at this time. Ultimately it is my superiors that will decide that, but I will pass on my recommendation and your... threat of exposure. Also Marshal Ashton will likely remain on indefinite suspension, other then that...” He cleared his throat “What I can say is this. The government is going to insist that the body of... Cricket... be returned.” Allison glared at the shorter man. “My family is going to grieve and bury her. I wont be able to guard the graveyard if you decide to add being a ghoul to your list of accomplishments. I want my daughter to see that her sister is below the headstone that will mark her memory”.

David took off his sunglasses, looking up at Allison. He looked tired. “I meant what I said before, Mrs. Ashton. You and your family are patriots, our country needs you. You are a symbol of hope, and all that is good about America.” Allison replied coolly “What does that make you, Agent?” David spoke up to Allison evenly “I do everything that a hero like you can't do, but that needs to be done, Mrs. Ashton.” Miss Liberty bent down close to the man “I am fighting for a world where there is no longer any need for people like you. In fact, I think that world is already here, but men that deal in fear, men that are afraid of losing power, men just like you, are doing everything they can to keep us afraid. Miss Liberty, and a thousand more like me are going to keep holding our torches high, living in the light, while you petty people all cower in the dark.” Agent David nodded, and put on his sunglasses “That's why I need these, it can be hard to see with the sun in your eyes. Goodbye, Mrs. Ashton.”

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