Danger Squad Legends: The Shadow

New Supers!! New Supers!!? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!!" Major Payne screamed at his fellow Super Society members, who he had called for a secret meeting at their headquarters.

Little did they know they were there to discuss new supers appearing.

Well, Mr. White knew but didn't care, since he wouldn't be doing any talking or listening. He had a new level of Plants vs. Zombies to finish, and these arguing "chuckleheads" would provide enough distraction.

"So, this is what you dragged us here to scream about, Payne? Some rookies in over their heads?" Forest Fire said, annoyed that she had to miss filming her new movie for this buffoonery.

"I admit, Payne, this isn't what I'd call the best use of our time. I was in the middle of planning Captain Rocket's funeral," Canman said.

"Oh, that loser's funeral can wait! Our most important asset is at stake with these new guys around!" Major Payne shouted, trying to solidify a non-existent problem.

"Loser?! He was our friend, Payne! Even if you two weren't on good terms, at least honor him by taking his funeral seriously! What the heck! What's so at stake that's got you so worked up?" Canman shouted.

"You want to know why I don't want to take his funeral seriously? It's because he didn't bother to come to my son's funeral, or daughter's funeral either! Which really sucks since he was the one who got them killed in the first place!"

"Now, now, Payne. We all know that wasn't Rocket's fault. He may have asked Kara and Claw to join the Danger Squad, but their deaths were beyond his control."

"Whatever, you piece of shit!! I ain't having this argument with you! We have bigger fish to fry. Have a look at the news footage. Hummingbird!! Bring it over here!!"

With that command, Hummingbird, the leader of the Super Society's green branch, entered the room wheeling in a small television on a stand. He nervously switched it on.

"I'm Stacy Scott, filling in for today on Empire News, discussing the rise of three new supers in Empire City! During a robbery of a Miltron labs warehouse, these three appeared on the scene of a car chase between the police and perpetrators! Although they stopped one criminal, another managed to escape with valuable Miltron Labs tech!"

"What're we getting from watching this?" Forest Fire asked impatiently.

But Payne merely shushed her and pointed at the television.

Well, except Mr. White, who was halfway through the level and not paying attention. That is, until...

"From footage we acquired from our helicopter, we have the Hawk, the jet owned by retired Super Hawk Knight, beaming the new supers away from the scene of a complication with the police."

Once that was said, Mr. White put the phone down. This became important to him.

"Hawk Knight?! I thought he was retired?!" Forest Fire asked, shocked.

"Well, from the looks of it, the fucker's back in business. And he's recruiting a new team of idiots to go and die for him!"

"Whoa, now Payne! Hawk Knight is retired! I'm sure! He must have a perfectly logical reason for saving those vigilantes," Canman assured his friend.

"I don't know, buddy. Hawk Knight does have the reputation of taking in young ones and leading them to their doom. Isn't that right, Hummingbird?"

The teen merely nodded nervously.

"So, your point here is?" Canman asked.

"I say we find that Hawk fucker and make him pay for getting a group of kids killed! I let you bring him in before because that was the only way to get Ace to talk, but Ace ain't here right now!"

"I'll think about it. But we aren't doing anything rash. After a failure of a mission like that, I'm sure Hawk Knight's scolding those kids like a madman. Heck, if we're lucky, they'll leave on their own!"

"WE AREN'T LEAVING!!" Jake shouted at Austin, who tried to convince Jake, Zack, and Stacya to disband the team.

"Listen, if you want to form your own supergroup, leave me out of it. If you want to get captured by the government, leave me out of it! If you want to give them a name, leave the Danger Squad out of it!"

"C'mon, Austin! The news has already seen you! They all knew you led the Danger Squad, so it's only fitting you lead it again!" Zack nervously insisted.

"I agree! Do you not want to do proud the memory of your deceased comrades?" Stacya asked.

Austin suddenly gave her the scariest look she had ever seen.

"Don't ever mention them. EVER!!" Austin commanded.

"L...look Austy! Buddy! I can call you Austy, right?" Jake asked.

Silence.

"Uh... So the news has recognized us as supers, and who cares?! Come on! Stop talking about the past and focus on the now! We're helping people here! Who knows what those criminals would've done with that tech?"

And that's when Austin started laughing like a madman, distressing everyone in the room.

"Aww? What's wrong? Haven't heard me laugh before? Well, what should I do when I'm surrounded by complete and utter fools!"

Austin revealed, still laughing.

"Why... are you laughing?" Stacya asked, confused.

"Simple, revenge! Mr. E, the man who killed Buford, needs that Black Reactor for God knows what, so I knew stealing it would lure him out to look for it. Then I'd make my move and finish him."

"So you want revenge against the man who killed Mr. Buford?" Jake said, slowly approaching Austin.

"Oh... why didn't you tell us sooner? Now that makes a lot more sense. So what are we gonna do now that we lost that reactor thingy?" Jake asked.

"What the...?! I thought you were one of those morally high asshats who didn't allow vengeance. Why are you okay with this?" Austin asked.

"Because Mr. Buford was my friend. Even though it was some secret identity bullshit, he was still my friend. And you're right, I don't condone vengeance, but I do condone justice. And working to find his killer and bring him down is justice."

"Except I don't want justice. I want to tie him up in a chair in a dark room and slowly beat him to death! Sounds like justice to you, kid?"

"To each their own, I guess. But what makes you think I'm gonna let you dish that out, eh, Austy?"

That's when another silence broke out. The atmosphere was so thick you'd need a chainsaw to cut it! The two men stared each other down, and Stacya watched in awe.

Austin radiated immense, indistinguishable bloodlust, the kind that could make a man go mad with just a look. Similar to what he did to Zack earlier. But Jake radiated something else – something she had only seen in Captain Rocket. A unique and powerful sense of authority.

It was like he was telling Austin, "Oh, I'm afraid of you, alright, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be afraid of me..."

That's what surprised Zack the most. The man standing before him was nothing like the Jake he knew.

First, he was just a stammering nobody, and now he was staring down Hawk knight, one of the deadliest supers out there!

The two continued staring each other down, and Jake began to glow blue. Was there gonna be a fight?

Di~sco girl!! Coming thro~ugh! Ooh ooh ooh!!

Well, apparently not, since at that exact moment, Zack's phone began to ring.

"Uh, s...sorry guys, I gotta go. My girl only calls for emergencies. I'll uh, catch you later, hehe..." Zack said, dashing out of the tense room.

"Hmmm, I guess we were gonna get a little carried away, huh?" Austin said.

Austin signaled Jake to follow him. Jake looked at Stacya to see if she knew what this was about, but she was just as confused.

Reluctantly, Jake followed Austin through the wooden base to the wooden elevator, with Stacya not far behind.

Once the three entered the elevator, Austin pressed the necessary buttons to send them up.

Away they went at such speed that Jake screamed like a baby.

And confusing Stacya even more. How can someone able to stare down Austin be scared of the wooden elevator? What a strange person indeed!

She thought as she looked at Jake, who quivered in terror once they reached their destination – the convenience store above.

"So you wanna get me outta here, huh? Well, you can do it while I'm kicking and screaming. And by what you saw earlier, it's not a pretty sight, my friend," Jake said trying to guess what Austin was trying to do.

"Oh, hush. Don't make this more difficult than it needs to be," Austin said.

Austin pulled out a key with an eagle riding a rocket keychain.

"That's the key to the store. Take care of it for Buford, okay?" Austin told Jake.

"Ah... well, Buford's identity was fake, but the store wasn't. He built it over my secret base and had been working on it for five good years! Now it's yours. I can see why Buford told me to let you have it if he ever passed on. Manage it well, kid! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some vengeance to seek."

Austin said playfully as he pushed the two

"So you wanna get me outta here, huh? Well, you can do it while I'm kicking and screaming. And by what you saw earlier, it's not a pretty sight, my friend," Jake said.

"Oh, hush. Don't make this more difficult than it needs to be," Austin said.

Austin pulled out a key with an eagle riding a rocket keychain.

"That's the key to the store. Take care of it for Buford, okay?" Austin told Jake.

"Huh? I thought this store was fake?! Why are you giving me the key?!!" Jake asked, shocked.

"Ah, well, Buford's identity was fake, but the store wasn't. He built it over my secret base and had been working on it for five good years! Now it's yours. I can see why Buford told me to let you have it if he ever passed on. Manage it well, kid! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some vengeance to seek."

Austin said playfully as he pushed the two out of the elevator and quickly went back down to his base.

Leaving them confused.

"Wow.. I'm manager now... Holy shit! I'm manager now!? What the fuck!? I'M MANAGER NOW!!" Jake screamed as he hugged Stacya tightly and began to jump for joy.

Until he realized what he was doing. He let her go faster than she could process, and the two were standing there, confused and blushing like high schoolers.

"Uh..lo..look sorry about manhandling you like that. It's just.. I've never been handed such an opportunity, and well..uh.. I got a little too excited."

Jake said, too shy to look her in the eye.

Which confused Stacya way too much. Just a moment ago, he was staring down Austin, and now he couldn't look her in the eye, and his skin was turning red.

"What a strange human indeed."

But she couldn't help finding him charming in an interesting sort of way.

"It's no problem, my friend...uh..well, the role surely suits you. Although I'm not familiar with what it entails."

Stacya said, also feeling a bit shy.

"Well, uh.. lemme show you. As my first act as manager, I'm hiring you Stacya! How about helping me out here at the store! We..well, if you don't have anything doing already."

"Oh no! I live in a lake at the park! I have literally nothing to do! I would be honored!" Stacya said.

As she began to salute her new boss.

"Ok, great. Now what are we gonna do about your look? Uh.. don't get me wrong, you're very pretty, but well, not a lot of people are gonna vibe with a giant shark lady."

"Oh, do not distress, friend.. I mean boss! I have a solution to this predicament."

Stacya assured him.

As she pulled out a snorkeling mask and put it on. Then it suddenly disappeared.

Soon her body began to shrink, and she was now shorter than Jake.

She got long purple hair, pale skin, and her mouth already let Jake know she could still grin from ear to ear.

"Wow.. you look.. stunning," Jake said.

Totally unaware of what he just said.

And it made Stacya grin sheepishly like a child.

"W..wow thank you, boss.. I.. BIIIIIIING!!"

Suddenly, a customer walked in.

And Jake motioned for Stacya to go to the storage room and get some working attire.

Once she was gone, he saw to the customer.

And was shocked at who it was.

"Hey big bro! Long time no see, eh?"

It was none other than his younger sister, news reporter at Empire News.

And his more successful counterpart.

Stella Scott!

...To be continued...