To recover a lost soul...; invite only

It had been two days since the Black Arrow took Elena back to his headquarters, or the Phantom's Headquarters to be exact. Paradox has been experiencing a lot of mental anguish thinking that Elaine's apprehension was entirely his fault. If only he had been stronger, maybe he could have saved her... If only he was a little faster, maybe she wouldn't have been captured. But strength and speed weren't his only weaknesses. Paradox needed more experience, and he knew that from deep down in his heart. No matter what he did though, he always found himself back in the air patrolling the city. Like every other super-hero, he wanted to make a difference for the greater good. Only... could he do it? He was in a battle with himself, fighting to maintain calmness and focus. If he was to recover Elaine from the villains, he couldn't lose sight of the larger goal at stake. And so there he was... back in his "uniform" and back behind his mask; the mask that protected him from the real evils of the world...

Dammit! Why am I so weak... If only I had done something about Phil... I should have done more than just bash him in the jaw. He was a threat, he IS a threat! I knew that then, and I know that now. Dammit! Maybe... maybe if I had trained more... I've been lenient on myself, but there are too many people to save - to protect! Argh! ... Oh, it looks like it's time to go...

Effortlessly soaring through the sky, the super-hero speedily decreased the distance between him and the rendezvous point. Black Arrow had given him three communicators after Phil and The Huntress took Elaine. Earlier he was told to meet at a specific location to plan a certain mission. The mission was obviously to save a certain person; Elaine. They were to meet in a warehouse, in the most discreet location, to discuss the plan with the other "associates". If possible, they would supply each other with the basic use of their powers in order to strategically take advantage of each other's strengths. To have a successful mission, that was the bare minimum. They needed to understand each other to understand the situation. There was no way to identify what might attack them on foreign territory. And it was certain they would be attacked.

Spotting the rendezvous point in the distance, Paradox descended to the ground only 15 meters away. Returning his body to normal, Paradox's former state seemed to disappear like steam. He wore his usual hero-gear, only now with two added knives. The knives were special though, as they were attached to small, yet strong wires. Stealthily making his way into an abandoned warehouse, which was the rendezvous point, the cliché meeting place would have to do. Waiting inside, Paradox climbed atop several crates into the shadows. He had gotten there first, it was only fair he got to make an awesome entrance.

And so it begins...

Clayton cursed as he walked down the road looking for the warehouse he was supposed to be in 10 minutes ago now. It was oddly still here, especially for New York; must have been the heat. Clayton couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to be out in this heat. He wore a navy blazer with a plain white t-shirt underneath and dark blue jeans. The blazer was linen, but he still found himself pushing the sleeves up. A toothpick hung lazily from his mouth- a habit he'd taken up in an attempt to replace nicotine. Clayton was in the biggest city in the world again, only this time he wasn’t here for himself.

It had only been hours since he was contacted by someone calling himself Black Arrow, but it felt like days. The guy knew more about Clayton than he told most people: his full name, his occupation, everything, and he also knew about the recent museum incident that Clayton was involved in. This Arrow character said he was a member of the team the Asian cowgirl from the museum field trip joined before they parted ways; some superhero team led by the Black Knight. They called themselves the Phantoms, and Black Knight once offered him a place on the team. Clayton wondered if Black Knight would offer him that place again now that he knew just what Clayton was. Arrow did have one thing wrong though, and that was his assumption that Elaine and Clayton were friends. He didn’t really know anything about her other than her name and that she was seemingly bat shit; though Clayton suspected there was more to her than that, perhaps some spark of intelligence beneath the bizarre exterior. He hadn’t been around her enough to put that suspicion to the test, though. So why was he flying out to rescue her then? Fear of the Phantoms, maybe? It was certainly possible, but he felt he didn’t have anything to fear from them. Clayton knew that if they wanted to bring him in they’d probably have done it already. Maybe it was just a sense of empathy for the girl, or maybe Clayton was just looking for something to do. Whatever the reason, he was here now.

It was almost like the security checkpoints took longer than the flight itself, because apparently traveling without luggage is somehow even more suspicious than travelling with tons of it. It wasn’t Clayton’s fault he didn’t have time to pack, but here he was now, at this cliché warehouse with nothing but the clothes on his back and the money in his wallet. He stood staring at the door for a brief moment before running his fingers through his hair, taking a deep breath and stepping inside.

Holes in the ceiling of the abandoned warehouse allowed the sun to light parts of the warehouse but not the whole thing, and unfortunately it was roughly as muggy in the warehouse as it was outside; the shade did nothing to prevent the humidity. The light from the ceiling was enough to show that the building was practically empty aside from the various boxes and crates lining the walls, and a table with a young woman wearing what looked like military gear sitting at it. “You who I’m supposed to meet here? One of the Phantoms or Specters or whatever?” Clayton had to ask, even if she was the only person in the room she didn’t look old enough to be heading some covert rescue mission. Maybe he was in the wrong warehouse, or maybe the Phantoms were a group of young girls led by mysterious old men; something like that ark music factory scandal fifteen years ago. He'd find out now.

Gracie confirmed Clayton was in the right warehouse; If he wasn’t, things probably would have been pretty awkward. Black Arrow hadn’t mentioned the girl in his phone call; he only mentioned one person, a man. Clayton didn’t see reason to doubt her, because, really, who would bother throwing themselves into something like this uninvited? You’d have to be crazy. Was he crazy for sticking his neck out for Elaine here? Probably , he reasoned, still unsure why he was doing this. He walked to his new, probably temporary ally, and accepted both the handshake and the chair she offered. He sat down with his feet up on the table, similar to how Gracie had been sitting earlier. Clayton took his toothpick out while he spoke, “Not a Phantom? Me neither, but if you want to be my fan girl, you’ll have to get in line” he placed the toothpick back between his teeth, “I’m Clayton, by the way.”

Clayton eyed around the room, checking to see if there was anyone else he may have missed, but there didn’t seem to be anyone else there but them, and if there was they were certainly pretty good at hiding. “So, is it just us or are we waiting on someone?”

(Sorry for the wait, here is a crappy post to make do for now...)

"You certainly are waiting on someone."

Leaving his hiding place, Paradox walked from the shadows and into view. His shadow marked his presence as an impressive, almost intimidating figure. His real emotions, however, were guarded by the mask he work over his face. " I am not a Phantom either... and I doubt that our reasons for being here are very similar as well." Peering down on the woman and man below, his first thoughts were made up of one question. Is this going to work? He didn't know much about them other than what Black Arrow had told him, but he knew them not on a personal level at which they could easily cooperate together. But there was no time to think, it was time to act. He floated down to the floor and greeted them as comrades, which they were... for now. "Whether you have heard of me or not, I am Paradox. I'm sure the both of you have been informed of the details of our mission. We are here to rescue Elaine from Shade. As much as I'd like to get to know the both of you, there is not enough time to have idle chit-chat." Waiting patiently for each of their answers, he hoped that they would be positive and in his favor. Paradox didn't want any more negativity, as he already had his fair share. If it weren't for him, maybe Elaine could have been saved. If it weren't for him, none of them might be in this mess...

The voice that answered his question seemed to come out of nowhere, and startled Clayton; it nearly knocked him out of his chair. He looked over to see the newcomer floating down from a stack of crates. Clayton was taken back a bit by the unusual sight of the costumed Paradox, there’s something you don’t see every day. He figured that display was Paradox’s idea of a grand entrance, and while it probably would have looked like one to someone watching it, Clayton didn’t appreciate being snuck up on and startled like that. “Okay, Paradox, just how long have you been there? You shouldn’t do that; it’s creepy. Also, take that mask off; I feel like I’m talking to a pervert.” He probably sounded meaner than he meant to, but he did find the mask slightly disturbing.

There was a long list of things stolen by Clayton Wray, and that list probably included just about every sort of thing there is. Every sort of inanimate object, that is. The truth was that Clayton never stole anything living before, but still that’s what he viewed this rescue mission as: stealing. It helped him feel like he wasn’t out of his natural territory here. For someone who seemed so young, Gracie seemed to have a good grasp on this, or she was at least good at pretending. “Of course we’ll need a plan, and it’d help to know exactly what we’re up against here. Either of you have any idea who has her and what they want her for? That Arrow guy said one of you would fill me in when I got here, and well, here I am.”

Grace seemed a little too knowledgeable about the subject, but Paradox was perfectly fine. If she could help in any way possible, then it was better for all of them. In other news, his entrance managed to at least startle the other man. It was either what Clayton said or how he acted, but Paradox could tell he did not appreciate his grand entrance. Not that it really mattered. "C-creepy!? How could you say that about my grand entrance! It was an entrance of epic proportions! The only thing that could have improved it would be lightning and some dramatic music in the background... and I'm not quite sure either of you have those as a super-power. Also... how can you insult my mask like that? It symbolizes my entire hero image, you know?" Chuckling a little to himself, the atmosphere around him suddenly transformed into a deadly serious state. It was now time to make the plan.

To get straight to the point, we are up against a powerful organization. We won't be fighting normal thugs, but superhuman beings of unimaginable strength. But with teamwork and a grade-A plan, we need not worry. It was all true, though. If they managed to cooperate with each other, and used each other's optimum potential, success was not a dream, but a goal they had merely yet to accomplish. "Clayton, due to my experiences with our foes, I can only assume we have enough information to strike back. There is one man, Phil, and... basically, he is a brawler. He is powerful and will do anything to hurt you. By what I have witnessed, and felt, his powers are limited to physical strength and speed. I wouldn't underestimate his fighting technique, either." Exhaling, Paradox quickly inhaled to continue informing his comrades. Oxygen was important. As were all six of the necessary elements for all living things... (Sulfur, Phosphorous, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbon, and Hydrogen. If you already didn't know.) There was another woman named "The Huntress". She seemed to rely more on ranged tactics, but can easily fight close-ranged if put up to the task. In other words, she is a bundle of surprises yet to be uncovered. Since Elaine was the one to fight her, I don't have much knowledge other than the fact she has a cross-bow and will most likely use it to hit you with poison. I'd also like to add that the Huntress and Phil are capable of teamwork. So be wary of your surroundings in case they double-team you, if you're alone that is. Since I have already captured Elena, the person who caused this entire catastrophe, I'm sure we can get some information out of her. I will leave that up to the Black Arrow though, as I'm sure he is more up to the task."

Looking at Grace with interest, he truly wondered how and why she was so informed of these type of things at such a young age. Paradox then replied earnestly, hoping Clayton and Grace could be patient. "All of these things are important, and I have no intentions to allow any of us to be captured. I'm sure Black Arrow will provide us with back-up, and any necessary escape routes. And yes, Elaine is injured. When she was captured her body was battered beyond belief, I hope her current state is more at peace... Rather, I hope they have done no harm to her. And as I said, we'll be dealing with more than just the common thug." Smirking from behind his mask, he wondered if both of them had already thought of the next step. The next step being...

"So that we can perform at 150%, I think we should tell each other at least the basic functions of our powers. I can guess neither of you want to, (even I don't), but we'll find out eventually... and we might as well use it to our advantage. In order to make the future rescue be in our favor, we must make haste with our plan in order to rescue Elaine!" Finally sitting down at the table, he rested on the chair alertly, even with comrades he should always be ready for anything. Because anything can happen... anything...

Okay… was Clayton’s first thought at both the idea of a power showcase and at the beginning of Gracie’s sentence. Okay, so she’s smart but what’s that got to do with anything…? Now where the hell is she going?, it wasn’t so much that Clayton doubted that she was both smart and technologically inclined, but that he felt like he’d been doing this sort of thing long enough to be able to take care of whatever security systems they might encounter. His jaw still dropped at the demonstration of her power; it was certainly a unique ability. Clayton didn’t know just how tough the kidnappers were, but he was sure they probably wouldn’t be getting up anytime soon if they got hit with something like that.

“Cool” he complimented Grace on her raw power, and removed the tooth pick from his mouth before speaking again, “Now I don’t have any powers; none that would be relevant anyway. What I can already do is what’s important here. Now, I don’t know about you two, but breaking and entering is a hobby of mine. I guess you could even call it my calling in life. So, whaddaya say I get in, grab Elaine, have her jump us through the wall and one of you brings the car around and gets us out of there? If everything goes according to plan, they’ll never even know I was there. I doubt I could take those two by myself, though. So I’ll need both of you standing by in case things get… difficult, and knowing the way my life gets around that girl they probably will.” Clayton was probably coming across as arrogant and cocky, but he didn’t care. The fact of the matter was that he simply wasn’t used to working with a team of people he didn’t know, and he didn’t want to risk bringing them in if they had no idea what they were doing; it could ruin the whole operation and end with them all captive, or worse. It seemed much safer to him to just get in there on his own and do what he did best.

“Didn’t have time to pack so I’ll have to stop at a storage locker first, but once that’s out of the way we can find out where they’re hiding her and get this show on the road. Unless you have something you want to show off first, Paradox?" he gave the man in the pervert mask a sarcastically questioning look and tossed the toothpick to the floor behind him.

Paradox watched in pure amazement as Gracie drew the energy from the electricity wire, only to send it right back at the wall across from her. Not only was he curious about her power's potential, but he was curious to how their powers could work together. If they were to combine their strengths... the options were unlimited. "Ask and you shall receive, Clayton." Lifting both of his hands up, Paradox swiftly formed a sphere made of solid energy. It spun about in perfect harmony as its' power lighted up a golden aura steaming from Paradox's body. "I have the power to create, conjure, control, and manipulate complex shapes, or even functional machinery, out of solid energy. Thus, I can do things like this!" Manipulating almost every aspect of the sphere, it transformed into a warrior's longsword, so beautifully detailed and decorated it was almost as if it was a real sword! The double-edged blade seemed to radiate a strong, yet versatile competence, capable of striking down even the strongest of foes. Gripping the sword by its' hilt, he swung the blade in a fury of cuts and slashes. "And yet, that is not the limit of my power!" His eyes shined in content as the swords' blade spread out like a fan, only to separate into twelve different blades. Each blade began to spin around in a full circle, creating a golden haze of energy. All of the blades suddenly shot out from the hilt, stabbing into the walls around the three heroes. Paradox made sure not to make the energy blades strong enough to destroy the walls. They were only sharp enough to stab halfway into them, without even a mention of resistance.

"And as impressive as I hope that display was, even that wasn't the true strength of my powers. Not even I know the limit of my powers, and I'm certain no one can really quite tell. Gracie, by what I have seen, if we were to combine our powers, you would not be so limited as to rely only on electricity wires. Your power is not raw, its' potential has yet to truly unfold!" In an effort to continue with the plan, Paradox turned to Clayton. "Clayton, as you have said, your power is not within the realm of energy as our's are, but in a more physical manner. I think it would be a good idea if Gracie and I were to be... a distraction. We could create attention to ourselves and lead them away from you. This way we'll be able to save Elaine with as little difficulty as we can manage." Thomas then waited eagerly for their replies... but... he couldn't completely hold back his grief. It was his fault Elaine was captured... he thought maybe he could be the one to rescue her. It was his hero mentality that kept him from trying to hog the spotlight, even just this once. The superhero didn't want to ruin the plan because of his own selfishness.

If Grace’s power was cool, that made Paradox’s power really cool. Clayton would probably never admit that; instead he just let out a chuckle once Paradox was done showing off. His laugh was either because he was full of himself, or to conceal jealousy. Clayton wasn’t sure which it was but he didn’t stop to think about it. Sure these two had powers that looked good on paper, but could they use them properly when the time came? He doubted Grace, but at least Paradox seemed somewhat confident. Clayton still didn't like the idea of working with two strangers, regardless of how powerful they might have been he'd still have rather done this on his own or atleast got to throw together his own team. He took note that none of the were actual Phantoms despite them being on a Phantoms rescue mission and worried that the whole thing was being staged as sort of a recruitment test. Clayton already turned them down once; what would make them think he'd say yes the second time? Assuming the rescue was staged, anyway. It was a stupid thought, and he wiped it from his head almost immediately.

Clayton removed his feet from the table and sat leaning forward with both elbows on the table, “If you two wanna throw yourselves into the fire, that’s fine by me. I’m sure you have a better shot at taking them down than I do, but just do me a favor and wait until I’m actually inside. We don’t want them panicking and killing Elaine before we even get a shot at rescuing her. I don’t know about you, but I’d feel just a little bit guilty if we allowed something like that to happen.” He motioned to each of them with his hands while he spoke. He tended to talk with his hands a lot; he wasn’t sure who or where he picked the habit up from, but he’d been doing it for most of his life.