At the Legend Factory, in Virginia, Mechanna and her fellow classmates are in a large underground tunnel below the school grounds, being bombarded with fairly harmless plasma blasts. Early students had dubbed this training area the "Tunnel of Love", and the name stuck. Large blasters at the end of the tunnel are firing bursts the size of file cabinets at them, and their responsibility is to avoid them, using their powers, and teamwork, to do so. Mechanna, really not wanting to test how the plasma would feel slamming into her, is doing her best to keep out of the way, using her telekinetic powers to both dodge and stop the onslaught of blasts. Prometheus is dodging using his heightened speed...the chemicals that gave him his powers made him several times faster and stronger than ordinary men. He's no powerhouse or speedster, but still remarkably strong and agile, especially considering his being middle-aged. Slide is trying to keep out of the way, only using her intangibility sparingly, not counting on it as Banner had instructed her. Inferno is flying around, avoiding blasts, and is frying them as they pass with his flame powers, even after they're clear of him. He's turned this defensive exercise into a chance to show off his offensive abilities, and almost seems to be keeping score, wearing a cocky smile on his face. Meanwhile, H20 is running around in a panic, already having been hit and knocked around by several of the blasts. He's using his control over the limited supply of water stored in his body (he's sort of a water sponge, one of the bizarre parts of his power) to try and keep more of the things from hitting him. But he's not faring too well.

Suddenly, blasts start coming from behind them. More blasters have popped up from the tunnel floor. And none of them were told to expect this. Prometheus takes one in the back and is thrown to the floor in a roll. Slide, panicked, switches to her intangible state and stays in it as more and more of them pass through her. Inferno starts spinning around, firing at anything that moves. One of the blasters homes in on H20 and blasts away again and again at him, pinning him to the wall. The blasts aren't really dangerous, but they do hurt some, and he's not enjoying it at all. Mechanna sees this and instinctively rushes to him, throwing up a telekinetic wall to shield him as he drops, dazed, to his knees. But with her attention diverted, she, too, gets hit, and falls to the floor. Inferno finally loses his edge and is knocked down, too.

The voice of Banner calls out "end session!", and the blasts, thankfully stop. The students all sit up and try to recover from the unpleasant after-effects. Banner walks out of a side door and looks over them, shaking his head. Inferno immediately starts to protest, saying that they weren't told to expect assault from the rear. Banner asks how many super-hero battles are fought with sets of rules sent out early on engraved invitations? The unexpected is the only thing you CAN expect. And it won't just be themselves they'll have to worry about. There will be innocents around counting on protection, too. And what they'll be facing won't be harmless plasma. It will be bullets, dark magic, lasers, and any number of deadly threats. And he won't be there to just turn it off.

He gives them a combined lecture and performance review. Most of them did all right...though H20 still needs work on his defense (he pretty much still needs work on everything, their time in school so far has shown). Inferno spent too much time trying to show off and feed his ego, and not only didn't follow the objectives, but didn't attempt to help his other teammates. Mechanna was the only one who showed some teamwork trying to save H20. She paid for it, but that's part of the self-sacrifice that goes with being a hero. Yes, the second volley of blasts was meant as surprise, to get them used to thinking on their feet and reacting to new threats. Most classes usually didn't do well against that the first time, so they don't have to feel like failures. But he hopes it's shown them that they still have a lot to learn before graduation.

He tells them all to go get cleaned up. They have a paranormal law lecture in twenty minutes. On the way back, they talk about the experience. Prometheus feels they got their butts good and kicked, and Banner is right...they have a long way to go. Inferno is still angry, and feels the true test of heroism isn't against blaster cannons, but out in the real thing, where he knows he'll shine. Slide comforts H20 good-heartedly, reminding him that there's still plenty of training left, and they all need it. Back in their room, Mechanna and Slide, who have been becoming good friends, talk about the other students. Slide feels Inferno needs to get his ticket punched a few more times to bring his ego down to Earth, and hates the fact that such a macho jerk has to be so cute. Mechanna blushes a bit at this, having had similar thoughts. Mechanna expresses doubts about her own abilities again. Slide tells her she's doing just great, and when she gets back to Phoenix, her APEX pals are going to be very surprised.

And back in Phoenix, the other members of APEX are...in Colombia?

Lush vegetation surrounds the low plateau on which the mansion/fortress is built. There are stone walls surrounding the complex, and Latino guards with automatic rifles walk along it, keeping watch in the sweltering heat. On a high hill overlooking the plateau, Magistrate watches these guards through high-powered binoculars. Next to him as they both stay hidden in the trees, Atlas is watching, too, through his armor's own telescopic visual sensors. He's also listening closely to the radio built into his helmet, waiting for the word. Magistrate is anxious and edgy...not from fear, but from frustration at having to wait in the background in a support capacity. It's not something he's used to. But it's his place in this. Though he's been elected the team's current field leader (see APEX #11), the plan was not designed by him, but by Talon. This first Mindscape training session's is Talon's, and here, in the cerebral virtual world--the actual members of APEX are in the base in Phoenix, reclining motionless on the Mindscape room's comfortable couches, with high-tech headsets feeding and receiving signals from their minds--the team has agreed to follow his rules, to learn from his experience. Each team member will be "hosting" such sessions in turn, in keeping with their goal of becoming a tighter, more effective combat unit.

Talon's voice comes over the radio, signaling that he's inside the complex. Magistrate acknowledges, and tells Mercury and Nita to hold their positions, and to be ready. Atlas crouches down and quietly marvels to Magistrate about how real the Mindscape environment is, right down to the bugs. Magistrate agrees, but tells him to stay focused. If they start acting like the whole thing is just an illusion (which it is), it won't be an effective test.

Talon stealths around the side of the main house, taking in the scene. It's not so much about recon, since he knows every inch of the place already (it was re-created from his own memories...in his past, working government ops, he was already here). He knows how many men they're facing...but he doesn't control where they are and what they're doing, and he gets a quick look at where everyone is. When there's an opening, he dashes silently across the yard and slides under the drug lord Jorge Perez's private helicopter, and plants the explosives there that he's carrying. That done, he makes his way to the generator shed that gives the complex, out here in the middle of nowhere, its electricity. He plants explosive there, too, and makes sure they're all linked up to the detonator in his hand. Then he's back across the complex, back to the house, and, when the guard on the wall passes, he climbs the house to the second story and vaults over the balcony. Once safely inside the spacious master bedroom, he whispers into his radio again.

Magistrate acknowledges, and signals Mercury that it's her turn. Mercury, hiding outside the complex with a view of a first floor window, teleports into the house, adrenaline surging through her silver body. She creeps through the house, hearing the occasional Spanish-speaking voice in another room, and feels both fear and exhilaration. Having memorized the map of the place that Talon had given her back in the jungle (one of the many advantages of having a photographic memory), she knows the whole layout, and does a careful room-by-room. She hears a couple of men coming, laughing and talking amongst themselves (and since Spanish is one of the five languages she speaks (so far), she can understand them perfectly), and she hides behind the door in the study. They walk in, and she touches them both, using her molecular disruption powers to stun them into unconsciousness. Thankfully, they go down quietly, and she quickly drags their bodies into a closet for hiding. Then she's off again, looking for anyone else on this floor.

Upstairs, Talon is repeating the same tactic. He's sneaking up on the few men up there, covering their mouths, and ramming his desolid neural claws into them, putting them into small comas. He comes across the drug lord himself, in a large room watching a soccer game and smoking a cigar, cheering loudly. Standing behind him, Talon asks, in Spanish, what the score is. Perez turns around, cigar between his grinning lips, and starts to answer. He's eyes go wide as he sees Talon standing there. Just before he can cry out, Talon decks him, and the fat man rolls limp onto his carpet. Talon radios that the top floor is clear.

Mercury has cleared the first, and signals that she's heading down to the basement, where the hostages are. The hostages are a group of American Special Forces troops, captured by the drug lord and held for political ransom. As she reaches the bottom of the stairs that lead to the first hallway, a guard starts to turn the corner. She quickly teleports to the other end of the hall, barely escaping discovery. The guard goes up the stairs, and she whispers into the radio to Talon that one's coming up. Moments later she hears a thud up there, and smiles.

She sneaks down the hall and hears more guards. She knows this is where the barred cell is, and where the hostages are. This is where things get tricky. There are several guards there, and if things aren't done right, they could shoot the hostages (even if they are just illusion hostages, the bodies will look plenty real, and she doesn't want that memory on her conscious). She hears something behind her and whirls around. It's Talon, and he nods. She exhales quietly, and forces her heart back down her throat. Talon holds up two fingers, the signal for phase two. She nods. He points to the position she should take. Each of them gets their backs to the wall on either side of the "T" intersection. Talon whispers into the radio. Phase two is about to begin.

Magistrate, very glad to hear it, gets on the radio to Nita and tells her to get the Phoenix in the air. She gives an okay. He and Atlas stand. Magistrate's back on the binoculars, telling Atlas to wait for it.

Talon triggers the detonator, and the helicopter and generator blow sky high.

Magistrate smiles, turns to Atlas, and says, "This is how we used to do it on my side of the galaxy." Taking to the air, he loudly shouts, "Let justice fly!!" Atlas, lighting his boot jets, soars right after him.

Guards run about like headless chickens in the compound, trying to figure out what's happening. One on the wall happens to look back, and sees Magistrate and Atlas flying up. He yells out, and whirls his weapon around and starts firing. Bullets bounce off Atlas's armor and Magistrate's force field. Atlas opens up with plasma bolts and blows a chunk of the outer wall away, sending the sniper flying. The others on the wall, and those on the ground, spot them too, and start firing away as the two airborne heroes swoop down and start strafing the place.

The house finally stops shaking from the explosion, and the guards by the cell come rushing down the hall to get upstairs. Talon and Mercury let them pass, and then Talon jumps them, claws and feet flying. Mercury, as pre-arranged, leaves them to Talon (Magistrate's suggestion in the planning session) and teleports down the hall. One guard (a rather fat one) was disciplined enough to stay with the prisoners, and almost has time to draw on Mercury before she gives him her explosive touch. The prisoners are badly beaten, but are alive, and rush the bars excitedly. Mercury takes a moment to look back and see how Talon's doing (the noise from down there is enough to tell her), then tells the boys to stand back. She lays hands on the lock, and disrupts it explosively. The door blows open, and she motions everyone out, stepping past them to aid a soldier in helping his wounded comrade along. Talon's waiting for them at the end of the hall, standing over a number of unconscious guards. He radios to Magistrate that the package is out of the box, and they're coming up. Taking point, he heads up the stairs to make sure the way is clear...Mercury and the soldiers follow right behind.

The last of the outer guards fall to Magistrate's energy blasts. He and Atlas land by the burning copter, and Atlas nods proudly at their handiwork. Magistrate radios Nita again, and she says she's coming over the mountain and will be there in a moment. Talon, Mercury and the troops pour out of the house's front door. Atlas greets them, asking what kept them.

And then Atlas is hit with a devastating barrage of crimson beams and flies across the compound, through the outer wall, in disappears into the trees.

Before anyone has time to react, a rocket hits the front the house and blows it apart, sending Talon, Mercury and the troops diving for cover as a shower of debris rains down on them. Magistrate looks up, and sees a very buff latin man in black garb floating there, his hands crackling with energy. Behind him are three black stealth copters, all heavily armed. He announces that he's El Cajon, and that he came to take the hostages from Perez and make them his own. But now he would have to settle for taking them from APEX.

Magistrate yells for Talon and Mercury to get the hostages behind the disabled copter, and he takes to the air with fierce determination. This has just gotten very bad. A flying villain and three copters, and half of APEX's air support gone. He takes them alone, flying straight at this "El Cajon". El Cajon waits and smiles, and instead of doing the work himself, he lets one of the gunships open up on Magistrate. The hero's force field deflects most of the onslaught of firepower, but he's battered out of the air and knocked back down the ground. He thinks, as he hits the dirt and loses his breath, how much they needed Mechanna with them. He'd already thought of three different ways to use her in the situation. She isn't even an official member of the team yet, and already, they're incomplete without her.

Talon and Mercury try to get the hostages behind cover. One of the copters is already circling around to get a clean shot at them. Mercury asks what they're supposed to do, as the plan has gone south and all hell has broken loose. Talon answers that they do what one always does in field situations...improvise.

El Cajon drops to the ground in front of Magistrate as the hero gets back to his feet. The villain laughs, and says he expected more from the famous American hero team. Magistrate tells him not to get too disappointed yet, and drops low and lets fly with his energy beams. El Cajon flies back, crunching into Perez's green Ferrari. He tells Magistrate that wasn't bad, and then does some blasting himself. Magistrate leaps out of the way just in time, and the front gate of the complex all but disappears in the blast. He's forced to dodge another blast, not wanting to try the power that had taken out Atlas so quickly. He blasts past the villain, shooting the Ferrari instead, and the car explodes, not hurting the villain but sending him stumbling. When he gets his footing, he looks up in time to see Magistrate flying right at him. Magistrate topples him, and the two grapple in the dirt.

The copter swings around, and Mercury can see grinning pilot behind the glass. Thinking quickly, she teleports, and is suddenly in the back of the copter. She doesn't give the startled men in the back time to react, and blasts and punches them, even shoving one out the side (hoping the trees outside the wall will cushion his fall). The pilot is yelling over his shoulder for them to get her, but she's on him instead, pulling at the control stick and causing the copter to pull up wildly. As they fight for the controls, she sees the other copters across the way, and sees the tactical HUD display on the glass in front of her. Quickly figuring out where the weapons control is, she grabs it before he can, and aims for one of the copter's rotors. She fires, and the rotor comes apart in a burst of sparks. Blades fly, and the copter and its crew drop straight down behind the wall and into the trees with a loud crash. The one next to it banks and flies off to get out of the way. The pilot gets to be too much trouble, so Mercury gives him the touch. The copter starts to pull madly to the right, and Mercury quickly pulls the pilot's harness off, yanks him over the seat, and throws him out the side (and again, over the trees, which are now brushing against the copter's landing runners). She teleports out, clinging to the memory of where she'd started, just as the copter goes down. She appears next to Talon and stumbles back onto her butt as the copter explodes some distance away. Talon grins, and compliments her improvisation.

Magistrate and El Cajon are locked in primal battle, rolling around, punching each other, dealing out close range blasts that deafen the ears. They're both straining, feeling the effects of the other's attacks, each sweaty and dazed. But El Cajon seems to enjoy the pain, and grins through most of it. They manage to get back to their feet, and grapple and punch and blast more, there in each other's faces. Suddenly, Magistrate hears a something in the small radio transceiver planted in his ear. Responding to it, he pulls a spin move on El Cajon, twists the villain around, and blasts him in the back, sending him stumbling a few feet away. The villain angrily spins back around, his hands raging with scarlet power, and sees....

A girl.

Dayton O'Brien stands there, wearing the jean shorts and blouse she'd had on when she and Magistrate had body switched earlier in the day. She's smiling coyly, innocently, at the villain, and is fanning her collar against the heat.

"Excuse me," she says, with lips all a-pouty. "I'm really lost. Do you know where a girl can find the beach around here?"

El Cajon stands there, befuddled, and his glowing hands die out in his perplexed state.

Talon comes from nowhere, and does a flying, full-body flip over the villain's head. As he passes, he slashes down fiercely with both sets of claws, and the pass through El Cajon's head, scrambling his brains.

El Cajon screams in pain, grabbing his head and doubling over. Talon lands gracefully on his feet. Dayton smiles at him. Then her faces changes--along with her body--and Magistrate is smiling, too. Magistrate blasts the villain, throwing him back. Then blasts him again. And again. Talon leaps by and gives him a flying kick across the face. Mercury suddenly teleports in and gives him a blast in his chest of her own. They all keep working at him, driving him back, and the villain is unable to defend himself, unable clear his head long enough to. Then all three heroes hear a voice in their radios say a single word.

"Mine!"

They quickly step aside, and Atlas comes flying in low, but at top speed, and rams the villain, sending him into the outer wall. The wall crumbles behind him, but he stays on this side of it, sagging to his knees, and then flat onto his face, down for the count.

"Yeah, here's your hostages," Atlas says, landing and grabbing his armored groin, watching the villain fall.

The group exchange quick high fives and smiles (at least, they assume Atlas is smiling behind that face-plate), and Magistrate quickly gets back on the clock and runs toward the hostages, reminding them all that they're not across the border yet. He starts to call out some orders, when suddenly, the last stealth copter appears at the wall, and its guns are trained on the hostages. As close to the soldiers as they are, the heroes can only react, doing what they can to protect the men. Talon tackles a trio of them, knocking them clear as the lead starts flying and the ground gets torn up. Atlas pulls a pair behind him and takes the fire on his armored chest. Mercury leaps on top of the wounded man she'd helped earlier, who's on the ground and unable to run, and shields him with her body, hoping her armored skin is tough enough to save them both. Magistrate widens his force field around a soldier, covers him with his body, and bullets blaze off of field. The onslaught proves to be too much to be completely stopped, and the force hammers his shoulder and might have just broken it. The copter's pilot switches from gun to artillery, and thumbs up the cover over the switch that will let him fire the rocket and blow the heroes and the hostages to kingdom come.

The Phoenix roars overhead, jets screaming at full power. It's gone so fast they barely see it, and it passes a mere few feet above the copter. Caught in the jetwash, the copter spins madly out of control, passing over the heroes. The pilot fights with the controls, but never wins, and the copter smashes into the house, destroying what's left of the structure and, thankfully, not exploding. The soldiers rise up and cheer, as does Mercury, calling out, "Go Nita!"

As Nita brings the jet in its long circle back around, Mercury rushes to Magistrate--as the hero drops to the ground--to check out his wound. A trained paramedic, she examines his shoulder, and Magistrate winces with pain. Granted, the Mindscape systems allows for the control of pain in its world, and the group did choose to build some dampers into their exercises, but it still hurts quite a bit. But through it, he tells Atlas and Talon to keep an eye on the perimeter while they're waiting, in case any other surprises are waiting. Nita's back with the jet very shortly, and lands the VTOL craft just outside the main gate, on the road. The heroes rush the hostages to the jet, while Talon helps Magistrate along. It’s a tight fit, but they all load in, take off, and leave the ruins of the compound behind and below them.

And a signal is given by moderator George Darby, and the system shuts down, and they're all back in the APEX base, on their Mindscape couches, removing their head-gear.

The heroes, Nita, and George head for the "War Room" and gather around the meeting table to discuss their "mission". Atlas gripes at Talon about his programming of it, complaining that the mission briefing had mentioned nothing about an "El Cajon" or the possibility of any super-powered people showing up. Talon smiles softly, saying that he thought they might all benefit from an extra curve thrown in, just to keep them on their toes. Mercury asks him why he named this villain "The Box". He explains that the villain's a real guy in South America, and "El Cajon" can also mean "The Coffin". They debate Spanish semantics a little further before George calls things to order.

Mr. Darby had been hooked into Mindscape in "observer" mode, seeing all that happened without being there, bodily, like the rest of them. The group agreed that they wanted his input on the missions and their performance, seeing as how he'd had many years of experience in the British military and intelligence. And they see some of that "old" George Darby as he critiques the mission--his manner and personality become much different, harder, than what they're used to. He breaks down the good and bad of their performance...as individuals and as a team. For the most part, very good, and a successful mission is always something to be proud of. He points out to Atlas that he got taken out because he got cocky, thinking he had only guards and machine guns to deal with. He didn't expect the unexpected (as Talon had probably assumed when he played with the programming). He also has to knock Talon a bit for his idea of having Magistrate turn into Dayton. Creative and ultimately effective in this case, but first, it was dangerous for Dayton, and second, it was a fine way to blow the Magistrate secret ID. He knows it was just a simulation, so there was no chance of either really being a problem, but during these sessions, they have to react as though it were the real world. Talon agrees with him, and will keep this in mind in future sessions. Mercury's using their own copters against them was very commendable, and quick thinking. And speaking of quick thinking, he also commends Nita for a risky, but highly effective, piece of combat flying, and the rest of the team joins in the praise as well, since she saved all their butts. Nita smiles and accepts their praise, but seems distracted and uncomfortable. George reminds them why they chose to include Nita in these exercises in the first place--because even without powers or a costume, she's an essential part of their unit, and proved that today.

Overall, he gives them a very good score, and opens things up for discussion. Magistrate--who keeps touching his shoulder, still amazed that the pain that was there...isn't there now--brings up his thoughts on Mechanna, and how he's looking forward to her coming back to join in these sessions. The team agrees. Each offer their thoughts on what they could have done differently, and brainstorm a few new tactical ideas. Magistrate also voices his discomfort with how many of the bad guys could have been killed. This was just a simulation, but he reminds them that as heroes, they have to be especially careful to keep things from getting lethal. Talon concurs, stating that this was a mission from his old life where death was a part of the covert game, but since his vow not take another human life, he's in the "no kill" category himself. Most of their heroing won't be done in the jungle, but on the streets of Phoenix with plenty of bystanders around, so caution will definitely have to be something they practice.

The meeting breaks off, as each of them have things to get to in their own lives, but it's a successful first training session. Nita heads upstairs, the first one to leave, and Atlas beams his armor back to its holding place at AZtech and follows her as Dr. Robert Mason, now in Dockers and an olive button-down. He joins her in the elevator, and asks her if everything is okay. He noticed she seemed uncomfortable, even in the initial mission briefing when Talon described the scenario. As he walks her up the stairs to the base's upper-level second floor, she just says that the whole thing hit a little too close to home for her, but won't go into detail about it. She says it just reminded her of some things she came to Phoenix to try and forget. He says he'd wished he'd known...he'd have suggested a different kind of scenario. She thanks him for the thought, but says she's fine, and it's okay. He tells her, outside her room, that if she ever wants to talk about it, or just wants to talk, period, she can talk to him. She smiles and thanks him for the offer, and he says he means it, and gives her his card with both work and home phone numbers on them. She says, kindly, that she'll keep it in mind, and that he's sweet, and squeezes his hand before going into her room. Mason heads back downstairs. Hey...at least he'd tried.

Talon is in the kitchen, pouring himself some juice, when Dayton walks in, having body-swapped with Magistrate, apparently. She comments on how nice it is to be able to be at the base as herself and not have to worry about anyone finding out, since the announcement of her new position as the AZtech teleport specialist assigned to APEX (see APEX #11). Talon agrees...a very smart move. Speaking of smart moves, while she understands Mr. Darby's point of view, she rather LIKED his body-switching idea. He says it just seemed like the perfect distraction...the villain spinning around to face the hero and finding a beautiful woman there instead. She's a little thrown off by this comment, but quickly covers by noting that Magistrate, too, was very impressed. She thinks he and Talon work very well together, and finds this ironic, seeing as how Magistrate's a former space cop and Talon's a former super-villain. Talon, on the other hand, thinks she and Magistrate work well together, and thinks today was just another example of how important a part of APEX she's going to be. She's not too sure about that, and talks about how it all still seems to surreal sometimes...her, a grad student and scientist, hanging out with a bunch of super-heroes. Talon tells her we all have things inside us that would surprise us if forced to surface, and her unique situation has given her the rare opportunity to explore these things. He feels she's going to be surprised at all she's capable of. She thanks him for his vote of confidence. He tells her he's sure he won't be disappointed in his beliefs.

And somewhere inside, Magistrate finds himself experiencing, for the briefest of moments, an unfamiliar emotion. Jealousy? Couldn't be. He knows himself better, and puts the thought quickly out of his mind.

Later that afternoon, Mercury is picked up by a private driver, and waiting for her in the car is APEX's agent, Darrell Barrett. They drive the short distance from the base to America West Arena, where they're escorted through the back way and into the Arena for a special fundraiser, one of the first of many Darrell has set up for Mercury. As she's the most outgoing and accessible member of the team--and a natural in front of the press--he's made her the team's official "ambassador", and live appearances like this one are a staple of his plans for team PR and Mercury's own personal marketing. He's found that Mercury prefers these kinds of events to product endorsements, so he's keeping them coming to keep her happy.

The fundraiser event is one to promote girls sports programs in Arizona schools and colleges, and Mercury is here to appear with none other than the Phoenix Mercury, the city's own WNBA team (Darrell has been waiting since the beginning to start THIS cross-promotion). It's a good time for Mercury (the hero) to meet the Mercury (the team), since Darrell plans on having them seen together quite a bit when the season starts in June (already billing her as their unofficial mascot). The whole team is there, along with coach Cheryl Miller, and a very large crowd. The event is part awards ceremony (for local high school and college athletes that have stood out the past year), part exhibition (a Mercury (the team) 3-point shoot-out and tutorials for young girl players...and even Mercury (the hero) is invited to try a few shoots--and makes a couple, to the delight of her thousands of fans), part sporting event (a game between the state's two top high school teams), part concert (Brandy and Britney Spears), part women's sports education, and a whole lot of fund-raiser. Mercury plays to the crowd perfectly when it’s her time to speak, and sits among all her young girl fans when it’s everyone else's turn. She finds herself having a wonderful time, and really appreciates her hero role for the first time, seeing all the young faces looking up to her.

The event ends in the evening and winds down into a lot of autograph signing, and Mercury (the hero) is, of course, the most hounded, but doesn't mind at all. After it’s all over and she says her good-byes to Mercury (the team) after her photo shoot with them (where Darrell talked her into putting on a Mercury (the team) uniform), she and Darrell exit the way they came in, heading back to their waiting car. Darrell is talking a mile a minute, about how great she was, and how it couldn't have gone better, and what their next step is going to be. Mercury notices a couple of adults, dressed very plainly, and a few small children standing a ways away, and they seem to be waiting for her. She sends Darrell to the van and heads over. It turns out these people are human followers of The Legacy, and came from the compound in New Mexico to see her. They're very meek and gentle, and tell her they made the trip to pay their respects to her, as an Inheritor (a super born with their powers, or given powers by accident (act of God). These are the supers that will rule the Earth after the Second Coming, the Legacy teaches). But more than that, these parents just wanted their children to get a chance to meet her. Mercury's not sure how to react to all this, but is very touched when the children timidly give her flowers. She crouches down and smiles, asking of them their names, and answering questions about her powers and her silver skin. Darrell soon comes up and mentions something about them being in a schedule (assuming Mercury would want help breaking away), and Mercury wishes the children and their parents good-bye. The parents speak of what an honor it was meeting her, and how they, and their children, will always remember it. Not wanting to get into any uncomfortable discussion of how she's NOT actually a god and questioning their faith, she simply thanks them for saying so, very graciously, kisses the very sweet children's cheeks, and leaves with Darrell. As they drive back to the base, Darrell starts ranting about what a bunch of freaks the Legacy are. Mercury finds herself defending them--for the second time now (see APEX #10)--and tells him that even though she doesn't agree with their beliefs, they seem like genuinely good people.

Dr. Robert Mason is sitting in his home that evening, having a Scotch, and watching a Utah Jazz game on his TV via satellite. Suddenly, a small device on the table next to him starts buzzing. It's what he's been waiting for...and dreading. Someone on his team--his "Pit Crew" on the Atlas Project at AZtech--has been gone traitor and has been selling corporate secrets (Veil told him so in APEX #9). He's installed special undetectable security measures into his lab (very tough to do, coming up with something someone on his team couldn't detect) to tell him when an authorized access took place--and one that wouldn't register in the basic security system as unauthorized. He rushes to his car and takes off for AZtech, unable to use his armor to do it, because whoever's in the lab would notice it being teleported away and might get scared off.

Mason gets there, sneaks in, wondering which of his team--his trusted friends, trusted even with the secret that it's Mason in the Atlas armor--could have betrayed him. He hopes Veil was somehow wrong...but he finds out the mystery man was right on the money. He walks in on Felicia Mann, the Pit Crew's armor alloy specialist, at one of the computers. She's startled, and tried to play it off, saying she forgot to finish something up earlier in the day. But Mason can clearly see the files she's pulled up...personal, secure files of his, records of experimental designs. And it's obvious she's saving the files onto a CD. She breaks down into tears. And Mason asks her why she's done this. Consumed with guilt and anguish, she tells all.

In a nutshell, she's being blackmailed. She and her husband are both former Army scientists, her husband being about ten years older than her. She knew that he had once had a serious gambling problem before they'd met. What she didn't know...until a man approached her recently and told her...was that his debts had gotten so bad at the height of his problem that he'd sold a few minor military technology secrets to the Chinese. Minor secrets, yes, but still treason. After that, he'd gotten a hold of his problem, gotten the help he needed, and lived with the secret shame of what he'd done ever since, and had never told his wife about that part of his past. This man, who never gave her his name, showed her the evidence, and said he'd be giving that evidence to the government if she didn't do a little corporate espionage for him. If she didn't, their children would grow up never seeing their father again, and living with the shame of knowing he betrayed his country. Felicia had panicked, not knowing what to do. She knew her husband well enough to know that if she told him, he'd turn himself in in a moment rather than have her do that. For the man she loved, and for her small children, she agreed, trying to justify things by telling herself they were just prototype designs...it wasn't as through she was giving away Atlas armor secrets, or revealing Mason's identity or anything. But she hates herself for it, and it's been destroying her inside, but she didn't know what else to do to protect her family.

Mason has to ask...was she involved in any way with the attack on AZtech, where the villain Onslaught had stolen some AZtech secrets as well (see APEX #'s 1 and 2)? She desperately insists not, and would have ended this thing in a heartbeat if she thought she'd had anything to do with other people being hurt. She tells him over and over how sorry she is, and starts weeping heavily, and Mason can't help but take her into his arms and comfort her. He's angry, but not at her. He's angry at whoever wanted his designs so much they'd do such a thing to a trusted friend of his to get them. He intends to find out who's responsible, and make them pay dearly.

Talon is cruising the dark streets of downtown Phoenix, riding the Predator, the high-tech, sleek black bullet-bike that Atlas had helped him design and build. The team had decided on patrolling schedules (see APEX #11), and this is one of his nights to keep an eye out downtown, and let the non-powered bad guys of the city see that APEX is always around somewhere. He's already busted up a couple of drug deals tonight, and is looking for more trouble as he turns his bike down an alley. Well, he finds it. Appearing there in front of him, out of nowhere, is Spook, the grim blonde with few social skills that leads the "Razors"--the group of covert government supers Talon used to belong to. He slides the bike to a stop, just short of hitting her, and she doesn't even flinch. As he gets off the bike, she asks why she got a message from him through channels, and why he assumes he has the right to page her. He tells her to lighten up, to lose the "darker-than-thou" attitude...and that he wants to know the truth about Mind Dagger. She says he killed himself in prison. Talon says that would be a neat trick, him being dead and still being able to come visit Talon in his dreams (see APEX #11).

She asks him for details, but he wants details first. Okay, so Mind Dagger isn't dead. The government needed him back in their hands, since he was one of their own gone rogue, and couldn't have him rotting in a villain prison in Montana and chatting about the Razors. They arranged his "suicide" and spirited him away. They needed to interrogate him, find out what he'd been doing since faking his death the first time and disappearing on them. But, she admits reluctantly, Mind Dagger managed to escape them. Again. All their resources are currently focused on finding him, and she's confident that they will. Talon's not so sure, seeing as how they've lost him twice. Ignoring this, she asks about the dream. He tells her, and asks her about the extent of Mind Dagger's abilities, and if he would have had to be in close geographical proximity to Talon to get into his mind like that. Spook admits no. She says Mind Dagger one of the most powerful beings created by the Razor program, powerful beyond anything they'd expected. That's one of the many reasons why they have to get him back. And now that she knows he's got a personal beef with APEX, she'll be keeping an even closer eye on them. She gives him a more direct method of getting a hold of her, and insists he contact her if any more dream visitations come up. Gosh, now he has permission to page her...he feels all warm and fuzzy. She says she'll keep in touch, and then vanishes, leaving him alone in the dark alley.

Dayton is home at her apartment, up late studying, something she rarely has time for anymore, it seems. Suddenly, her roommate, Maureen, comes through the door. It's obvious she's been crying, which is nothing new these days, but this time she looks absolutely terrified, too. Dayton quickly asks what's happening, and Maureen tries to close her out again, and runs to her room. Not this time. Dayton follows her in and insists on knowing what's going on. Unable to hold it in anymore, Maureen breaks down in a weeping mess and reveals the truth. Yes, her boyfriend, Officer Pete Webber, has been abusing her during their relationship. In all her life, she never thought she'd let herself get into a situation like that, and now hates herself for it. But that's not the worst part. Tonight was the worst part.

Webber, and a few of his cop pals, are dirty. Maureen had suspected this, but only tonight found out the truth. She had been out with Pete and his partner, Nick, for a night of clubbing. After, as they were driving home, they made a stop in a bad area of town. Pete said they had some business to take care of. And he needed Maureen to make a delivery for him...he gave her a gym bag and told her to carry it into the run-down looking building for him. Confused and afraid, she'd wanted to know why, and he'd gotten angry and just insisted she do it. Like a fool, she'd gone in with the bag, and inside, she was met by a small but scary group of men. The one who seemed to be in charge commented on liking Webber's choice in mules, then took the bag and opened it. It was filled with bags of heroin. The man tested the quality while Maureen stood there, shaking and terrified, afraid for her life. The man gave her an envelope, and a final appreciative glare, and sent her on her way.

Back in the car, she'd been infuriated that Pete had made her do such a thing, and had put her in such danger, and wanted nothing more to do with it...or him. She'd told him it was over. While Nick drove, Pete roughed her up in the back seat, and told her she was now an accomplice. How would the criminal justice major's career be looking if THAT ever came out? She now knew too much to just be allowed to walk away. She would not only stay with him, Pete let her know, but she would help him and his cop buddies in their little enterprise as well. If she knew what was good for her.

Now Maureen doesn't know what to do. It isn't just her career she's worried about, it's her life. She doesn't know how she could have been so stupid, letting herself get involved in something like this. Now she doesn't know how to get out. Dayton comforts her friend as best she can, insisting they'll come up with something, and that everything will be okay. Finally, she has something concrete on this Webber, and just has to figure out how to make him pay for it and still protect Maureen. Inside her mind, Magistrate is in a quiet rage. Dirty cops. Those sworn to uphold the law breaking it. He wants this Webber just as bad. One way or the other, he'll get him.