Date: Monday morning - August 19, 2024

  Amber was at the table with Johnny, who had just cooked breakfast for the two. Amber finished chewing her latest bite and swallowed before looking up at her boyfriend.

  “Thanks for breakfast, sweetie. It’s certainly pleasant to wake up to it in the morning. Especially after spending the night before,” Amber said with a slight smile.

  “Anything for you, Amber. How would you like to spend the day?” Johnny asked.

  “I wouldn’t turn down a movie, or a date at the park, or-” Amber began before feeling her earpiece vibrate in her right ear, putting her index finger up to it.

  “This is Omega Woman calling for assistance at the Shadow Citadel Penitentiary. Starfall and I need support over here!” Omega Woman exclaimed.

  “On my way,” Amber responded before standing up. Johnny, who had been aware of Amber’s double life as Blur since day one, looked up in understanding.

  “Good luck. Please be careful,” Johnny said.

  Amber nodded and used her super speed to run upstairs to Johnny’s room. A moment later, she sped back into the kitchen, fully suited up in the Blur costume. She approached Johnny to give him a quick peck on the cheek before speeding out of the house.

  At a local diner, Matt and Sally were sitting across from each other at a small Brightmark diner, having just received their breakfast from a waitress.

  “Hey Matt. I meant to say this to you sooner, but I enjoyed our lunch date last Friday,” Sally said with a smile. Her hand intertwined with Matt’s across the table.

  “I’m happy to hear that, Sally. It was nice to do something, you know, normal for a date,” Matt replied, smiling back.

  “Isn’t that the truth? I just enjoy spending time with you whether it’s for ‘work’ or just doing everyday stuff,” Sally said. Before either could say anything else, Matt and Sally both felt their earpieces vibrate.

  “This is Omega Woman calling for assistance at the Shadow Citadel Penitentiary. Starfall and I need support over here!” Omega Woman exclaimed.

  “On my way,” responded the familiar voice of Amber.

  “Looks like it’s time to go to ‘work’,” Sally said to Matt, who nodded. Both called for their check and left their payment along with a tip on the table before heading out of the diner.

  Omega Woman knocked Bulldozer away with a punch before turning her attention to Shadow Stranger. As she hovered off the ground to release a beam of light from her hand, Lady of Wrath sped in front of the attack to keep it from hitting her shadow-powered colleague.

  “Get yourself out of here with Power Thief and Bulldozer,” Lady of Wrath said to Shadow Stranger.

  “You’re not coming, too?” Shadow Stranger asked, confusion evident in her voice.

  “I’ll find my way back,” Lady of Wrath replied.

  Shadow Stranger nodded and gathered alongside Power Thief and Bulldozer. She enveloped herself and her colleagues inside a dark shield that expanded outward. The dark shield then shrank and dissipated, the three supervillains covered by it no longer on the grounds of the Shadow Citadel. Omega Woman glanced back to spot Blur speeding to the island after running on the water, while Red Phoenix carried Red Diamond by air before both made landfall. Lady of Wrath turned her attention to Blur and flew forward at high speed.

  Omega Woman flew and pulled Blur out of the path of Lady of Wrath’s attempted strike. Once the two stopped moving, electricity generated in Blur’s hands before aiming them forward and releasing a stream of lightning at Lady of Wrath. The clone got slightly staggered by the lightning. Red Phoenix took the opportunity to fly forward with a strong punch of his own. The attack caused slight bruising to the clone’s cheek before her healing factor made it vanish almost instantly. Omega Woman made a mental note that Red Phoenix had become strong enough to deal some physical damage to her clone.

  Lady of Wrath kicked Red Phoenix away from her. The kick was not strong enough to knock Red Phoenix down outright, but it was hard enough to send him flying a short distance. Lady of Wrath soon took flight, ascending and flying away from the Shadow Citadel. Omega Woman, Starfall and Red Phoenix began flying after the clone in pursuit. The three heroes began to fly closer.

  “Lose your pursuit, then we can meet,” said a mysterious feminine voice.

  Lady of Wrath didn’t have her earpiece in place. That fact alone made it clear whoever the voice belonged to was communicating with her some other way. Telepathy was the most likely method, as Lady of Wrath doubted the three heroes chasing her could hear the voice. If she had to guess, whoever the speaker was likely sent the VALOR agent who approached Lady of Wrath’s cell two days earlier. Whatever the case, she had to demonstrate her ability to follow directions.

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  As Omega Woman, Starfall and Red Phoenix drew closer, Lady of Wrath reoriented herself to fly backwards while facing the three of them. Almost immediately, she aimed her hands forward. She fired two strong beams of red light that struck both Starfall and Red Phoenix. As the two were sent reeling from the hit and falling to the water below, Omega Woman flew down after them. Using the distraction, Lady of Wrath continued her flight away from the trio of heroes at her top speed.

  Down above the water, Omega Woman descended to see Starfall and Red Phoenix both surface. Omega Woman used her strength to pull them both up above the water before they took flight once more.

  “Are you guys okay?” Omega Woman asked.

  “Yeah, we’re good,” Red Phoenix affirmed.

  “What about Lady of Wrath?” Starfall asked.

  “Gone for now,” Omega Woman replied as the three began to fly back in the direction of the Shadow Citadel.

  Blur, Red Diamond and Colonel Fox were gathered in the prison yard of the Shadow Citadel by the time Omega Woman returned with Starfall and Red Phoenix.

  “Hey, are you okay?” Red Diamond asked Red Phoenix as she approached.

  “I’m alright. I appreciate you asking,” Red Phoenix replied sincerely. Blur smiled as she glanced over at them. She could tell the two were on the path to becoming more than friends. Blur could not be happier for the two of them.

  “The clone got away, Colonel. She seemed in a hurry to leave instead of fighting for longer,” Omega Woman informed Colonel Fox.

  “She’ll turn up again. In the meantime, I would advise you and your team to recover before going after her again,” Fox replied.

  As soon as Fox finished talking, a pair of male VALOR agents were escorting a female agent who was not wearing her helmet.

  “Colonel, Omega Woman, I…I caused Lady of Wrath’s escape. Two days ago, I visited her cell and…somehow inspired the way she went about getting out today. I tried to stop myself, but I couldn’t control my actions,” the female agent said, tears welling up in her eyes as she collapsed to her knees.

  “Hey. Everything’s going to be okay,” Omega Woman said as she crouched to look the female agent in the eye.

  “Do you remember anything unusual leading up to your shift last Saturday?” Omega Woman asked.

  “All I remember was smelling some strange but pleasant scent. That’s all I can remember. I’ll submit to any tests VALOR wants me to do. We have to be sure there’s no lingering effects,” the female agent said. The two male agents escorting the female agent walked away with her between them.

  “Starfall and I are headed back to HQ, Colonel,” Omega Woman said before she and Starfall took flight. Fox turned to look at Blur, Red Diamond and Red Phoenix.

  “We’ll handle the cleanup from here. You guys are free to go,” Fox told the trio.

  Blur dashed away and began to run on the water back toward Brightmark. Red Phoenix carried Red Diamond as he took flight.

  Lady of Wrath made her way into the Syndicate headquarters. Up ahead, she saw Shadow Stranger, Power Thief, and Bulldozer gathered in a corridor with Technomancer.

  “Lady of Wrath got all of you out?” Technomancer asked.

  “She did. After taking down nearly the entire Supreme Allies team outside of Omega Woman and Starfall beforehand,” Shadow Stranger replied.

  “I heard her order Shadow Stranger to get the rest of us here while she bought us time,” Power Thief added. Bulldozer simply nodded in affirmation.

  Glancing around the corner of the wall as she listened, Lady of Wrath was pleased. She knew this would pay off for her in the long run. Having multiple testimonies from other Syndicate members was good for her standing. Earthshatter and Technomancer hearing that she acted in favor of the others would go a long way for her. Lady of Wrath made her way back to her quarters and laid down on her bed.

  “Clever girl. Good work on shaking your pursuit loose out there and improving your standing a little with your bosses,” said the telepathic voice Lady of Wrath heard earlier that day.

  “You wanted me out, and I did as you instructed through that controlled VALOR agent. Are you going to tell me who you are?” Lady of Wrath asked quietly, not wanting this conversation to be heard by anyone else.

  “You’ll find out who I am in time. Meet me tomorrow at Lawstrong Manor off the coast. Come alone, and make sure no one sees you,” the telepathic voice replied.

  “Sure. I’ll be seeing you soon,” Lady of Wrath said in agreement.

  BRIGHTMARK NEWS FIELD REPORT:

  August 19, 2024

  9:00 AM

  “Good morning, this is Stacy Kolton reporting live for Brightmark News. As you can see, I am on the coast of Brightmark and the Shadow Citadel Penitentiary, located in the distance behind me, has been the latest source of disturbance,” Stacy began.

  “Brightmark News has received eyewitness reports of Omega Woman, Starfall and Red Phoenix chasing Lady of Wrath away from the prison not long after the supervillain in question escaped and subsequently orchestrated the escape of three of her supervillain colleagues,” Stacy continued.

  “Reports went on to claim Lady of Wrath blasted both Starfall and Red Phoenix out of the sky. While Omega Woman flew back to rescue her allies, Lady of Wrath proceeded to use the distraction to make her escape. Lady of Wrath’s current whereabouts are unknown,” Stacy added. Behind Stacy, the camera panned to show Blur, Red Diamond and Red Phoenix arriving a short distance away.

  “It appears Blur, Red Diamond and Red Phoenix have just returned to the city. Brightmark News will follow up with more information as soon as it is available,” Stacy concluded.