AGONY'S GAMBIT: Issue 1, Chapter 7

Magetti's Bar
Southside, Freedom City

At the head of the room, a stranger cleared his throat. The man had slick black hair and heavy horn rimmed glasses. His conservative suit and tiny radio earpiece clearly marked him as a federal agent. "Thank you for coming, everyone. Two people are missing; Rubber Band is dealing with a problem down in Tennessee, and Neutrino is believed to be dealing with a radioactive menace in the Ukraine. They'll be briefed separately." The man cleared his throat again.

"I'm Agent Robert Morrison of AEGIS, the American Elite Government Intervention Service and the agency which coordinates law-enforcement efforts against super-powered threats. On behalf of Director Powers and myself, I'd like to welcome you here today. Food and drink are on the house, so help yourself.

"As you may know, we're facing a bit of a crisis here. We believe the Atom family is off in another dimension somewhere. We have no idea where the Freedom League is; they could be in Timbuktu or the N-Zone, but they aren't here where we need them. We've had a few problems here in Freedom City that have been handled by individual heroes, inexperienced groups like Next-Gen or well-equipped agents. We can't count on that, because it's only a matter of time until something emerges that they can't deal with. I'm here to say that we'd like to bring back Code-4, and we'd like each of you to be a member."

The room was silent except for Boulder grinding two fingers together.

"Several of you were associated with the previous incarnation of Code-4: Dr. Oliver Arkham, now acting through the latest generation cybernetic marvel of the Omnibot V. Boulder, the Eternal Sentinel, Nine Lives, Rubber Band. Some of you are new, and selected for your skills and potential: Wave, Neutrino, and the Reformer. Accept our offer and you'll have full government support. You'll even have back your old island headquarters, The Fortress, brought out of mothballs and revamped with the latest in technology."

Morrison suddenly stopped and held a finger to the radio in his ear. He spun and pointed to the silent TV set over the bar. "We've got a Code-4 at WNTW in midtown that's just getting patched through to me now. Vinnie, turn the TV on to channel 3!"

Vinnie reached up and flipped the switch. The picture rolled once in a burst of static before fading in to show an attractive but clearly upset newscaster sitting behind a generic channel 3 news desk. She looked like she has been crying. The TV's color balance appeared to be off slightly, as the woman had a slightly green skin tone. The picture rolled again, and Vinnie slapped the bottom of the set until it stopped.

The sound was tinny, emerging through low-fidelity speakers. "This is Amy Feng coming to you from a remote broadcasting facility in Freedom City. I'm about to show you a clip filmed not fifteen minutes ago for Channel 3's Nine o'clock News. We warn you, this clip is not for children or the squeamish. Please ask children to leave the room. Emergency personnel are on their way to the scene you are about to see."

The picture shifted to show the Channel 3 News Logo, then focused in on two well-known newscasters. Both lolled back in their chairs, green mist scudding around their unmoving forms. Blood trickled from sunken eyes. Both were clearly dead.