Mrs. S. and Jack Strand’s siege on the old school building went as planned. The whole team went to where Agent Spider’s body lay. The members of CBX stayed back, defending the building. Mrs. S. and Jack first ran into Charles and Sally.
“Get them,” Charles shouted. “We have to protect the soul.”
“Oh, little boy,” Mrs. S. said as Jack grabbed Charles’ arm. “You don’t have the advantage of a sneak attack this time,” Jack hit Charles in the middle of his chest, crushing it. Charles went flying backwards and landed with a hard thud on the ground, unmoving.
Sally stayed closer to the school, hidden out of sight. She watched as Mrs. S. and Jack approached the back door of the old school. When they were almost there, Sally attacked. She landed on Jack and landed a couple of blows, one seeming like it hurt him, before Jack grabbed an appendage and slammed her down on the ground. “Lucy...Linus...they’re going in the school...Charles and myself...down...Please…”
Jack stomped heavily onto Sally’s head. Twice. Like Charles, she was unmoving. Mrs. S. and Jack broke the door down and entered the school building.
“We need to get back to the school,” Superkitten raised her head and turned back. “Chim, stay with Spider. Geo, Fire, and I will go back to the school,” Superkitten ordered.
The three rushed back to the school where they saw Linus and Lucy fighting Mrs. S. and Jack and were seemingly holding their own. Fire created a flame barrier, blocking the way to where the soul was kept. Jack grabbed Linus and threw him at the oncoming heroes. Geo-Whiz was able to slow Linus down with his powers and lower him gently to the ground.
Lucy was still fighting but then made a mistake--switching her fight to Mrs. S.--which allowed Jack to grab Lucy and throw her into the wall. He then slammed himself into her. Superkitten leapt up and collided with Jack, wanting to get him away from Lucy. Like Charles, Sally, and Agent Spider, she had stopped moving but she she was at least still breathing.
Geo-Whiz and Fire focused their attention on Mrs. S. Geo-Whiz used rocks and bricks to trap Mrs. S. against the wall. Superkitten kept at it with Jack who was finding it hard to keep her at bay.
Finally, Jack was able to grab Superkitten by the neck and held her away from him. He stood and began squeezing her neck and throat. She turned red then purple and coughed trying to breathe and get out of his grip. Geo-Whiz used his powers to lift Jack up into the air. He dropped Superkitten and Fire raced over to get her away from Jack.
Geo-Whiz used the earth to throw Jack to the ground and then tried to bury him. Dmitri was coming down the corridor. Fire removed the barrier she put up. Jack overpowered the earth and clawed his way to his feet. He swung at Geo-Whiz and connected with his jaw. Jack then ripped Mrs. S. from her bonds and they ran through the room and into the corridor. Jack shoved Dmitri hard into the wall and kept running, Mrs. S. close by.
They found the room with the soul and Jack ripped the door off. Inside, stood Smoke imbued with the soul of Madame Spectre.
“The soul,” Mrs. S. started. “Madame Spectre.”
“Mom…” Madame Spectre began. “Do you recognize me?”
“No,” Mrs. S. scoffed. “Wait. ‘Mom’?” She looked harder at Madame Spectre. “Vanessa?”
“You remember my name. Do you remember anything else about me?”
“When you were a little girl, about 3 or 4, you loved having me read to you. You would always bring me a book and be so happy when I took it, lifted you up onto my lap, and opened it up. You still have the same eyes,” Mrs. S. said.
Madame Spectre shrunk herself down. She became Vanessa again, but she was able to touch and be touched, something that hadn’t been possible in seven years--when her mom left her. “Why did you leave us?” Why did you leave me and Dad?”
“I’m not really the motherly type,” Mrs. S. said.
“Reading to me. That’s motherly. You didn’t even have to really do anything after that. Just be there. When I became...whatever it was, I was a frightened little girl who needed her parents to love her and help her through this,” Vanessa said. “Instead, you tucked me into bed, shot my father, and left.”
“He loved me too much,” Mrs. S. looked away angrily. “We were just having fun and then we had a baby, got married. I wanted out. I was one of best thieves in the world. I couldn’t do that and be tied down by a husband and child.”
“I was a scared little girl. I needed you.”
“Dmitri did a good job raising you. You didn’t need me.”
“That’s not true. Maybe that’s what you convinced yourself.”
Jack stepped between Vanessa and Mrs. S. “Enough. The soul is in the girl. Do we still want it or are we going to continue this family reunion?”
“You want the soul?” Vanessa turned back into Madame Spectre. “Come and get it.”
“Not so fast,” Dmitri suddenly said, placing a tranquilizer band on Jake’s head. “We’re done here.”
Mrs. S. and Jack were arrested and sent to the holding facility back in Arlington. The team gathered solemnly in the meeting room. Superkitten, Geo-Whiz, Linus, Fire, Chimney Girl, Dmitri, and Madame Spectre. Agent Spider, Charles, and Sally were downstairs in a makeshift morgue. Lucy was one floor above in a hospital bed, hooked up to several tubes and wires to monitor her and keep her stable.
“What now?” Fire asked. “We took a lot of damage in that fight.”
“We keep going,” Superkitten said. “And with Madame Spectre, we’ll be unstoppable.”
“I cannot join you,” Madame Spectre said. “I have all of the universe to look after. I will be here if you need my assistance but I have to leave you.”
“I think I’m going to hit the dusty trail as well,” Dmitri suddenly revealed.
“Our fearless leader?” Geo-Whiz exclaimed.
“Superkitten is your fearless leader now. You’ll still have my support and the government’s but it’s time for you to make your mark on your own.”
“What are you going to do, Linus?” Chimney Girl asked.
“You’re going to keep Lucy here until she wakes up?”
“For as long as she needs,” Superkitten replied.
“I’m without my own team. If you’ll have me, I feel I can offer a lot to the All-American Corps.”
“Glad to have you,” Superkitten said.
“If you don’t mind, I’m gonna go and sit with Lucy for a bit,” Linus said.
“Of course. Take all the time you need,” she smiled at Linus.
Linus left and everyone continued talking. Linus arrived at Lucy’s medical room and sat down in a chair next to her bed. “Hope you come out of this soon,” he choked. “I don’t know what I’d do without you. It doesn’t seem to lose Mom, Dad, and my sister and keep on living. Get better soon, Lucy. You have to get better.”
