***10 years ago***

“So you’re deciding if I get to be a heroine or not?”

“I’m deciding if you get a license.  Whether or not the Legendary Consortium will sanction your actions.  Whether you’re a heroine or not is ultimately up to you.”

Anna sucked in her breath in a sharp hiss, her knuckles white as she gripped the leather seat of La Trogón’s blue corvette.  Callie wove in and out of traffic, barely even glancing at the road.  She narrowly missed an oncoming truck as she swung out into the other lane.

“Can you please slow down?  Or at least look at the road?”

Callie laughed.  “Relax.  Did you see so much as a scratch on my paint job?”

Anna hadn’t really been paying attention, but she didn’t want to admit it.  She gripped the seat tighter, squirming uncomfortably in her still damp costume bottom.  With no other option, she’d been forced to put back on the garment that had been used to gag her before Callie’s timely rescue, and now she was sitting shotgun, wondering if being raped might have been preferable to the inevitable car accident that would most assuredly kill her.

“The Legendary Consortium likes to keep tabs on people with unique abilities, especially ones as potentially powerful as yours,” Callie explained.  “We check in and make sure they’re using their powers for good.  If they’re abusing their power, we put a stop to it.  If they’re like you and attempting to fight crime and corruption, we generally license them to practice.  If we really like them, we invite them to join us.”

“Wait.  Like, join the Legendary Consortium?” Anna asked.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself chica.  That’s a big if.  Worry about proving to me you’re responsible with your power first.”

Anna gasped as Callie whipped around the car in front of her, narrowly avoiding another head on collision.

She opened her mouth to tell her to slow down, when Callie slapped her hand over her mouth.

“Lesson one.  Don’t tell me what to do.”

“Hmmph?”  Callie removed her muffling hand.  “How did-”

“How did I know what you were going to say?  The same way I knew I wasn’t going to hit that car.  I’m a precog.”

“That’s-”

“Where I can see into the future.”

“How-”

“Usually about eight or nine seconds clearly.  Past that the future gets muddled.  But I know what you’re going to say before you say it, and I won’t hesitate to shut you up if I don’t like what you’re going to say.  I am uniquely suited to work with you,” Callie explained.

“That is so cool.  I have so many questions.”

“And they’ll have to wait.  We’re almost here.”

“Where are we going?” Anna asked.

“I told you, this was an interview of sorts.  As lucky as it was for you that I showed up when I did, my first impression of you is still underwhelming.  Lucky for you I’m big on second chances.”  She pulled off the highway.

“So this is like, a job, a mission?”

“Aye, chica.  Not the ideal job for this sort of thing, but I’ll make sure you don’t get killed.”

“Killed?”

“Relax, I said you wouldn’t be killed.  Just do what I say and you’ll be fine.”  She pulled onto a dirt road, shutting her headlights off, even though she continued to barrel along at 70 miles per hour.

“Where are we?” Anna asked.

“Welcome to the good reverend John Percy’s sanctuary for self righteous assholes.  It’s a cult, protected by religious freedom laws to have their own private military.  Normally, they’re not a problem, but they’re harboring an eco terrorist by the name of Francis Stiggs.  Stiggs has a nasty habit of blowing oil pipelines, and killing people who get in his way.  The FBI is giving us time to extract him before they try a warrant, which will likely lead to a small war with the cult.”

“I don’t think I’m qualified for this sort of thing.”

“You’re not.  But if you can help us avoid bloodshed, that’s great.  If not, well, I brought firepower.”  She pulled the car to a stop, getting out.  

Anna climbed out, glad to be out of the car.  Lights in the distance illuminated a large compound, surrounded by high fences topped with razor wire.  She jumped as a shadowy figure appeared next to her.

“Good, you’re already here.  Siren, I’d like you to meet Barrage,” Callie said.

“Howdy,” The man said, stepping forward, the interior light of the car illuminating the man in dark jeans, black shirt and vest, a black stetson pulled low over his eyes, leaving his stubbled face cast in shadow.  “Israel Le Blanc,” he said, extending his hand.


***present***

Izzy tried the door handle to Anna’s apartment, finding it unlocked.  Macy had told him she’d come by to look for Anna already, and it wasn’t surprising that she’d leave the door unlocked.

The place was clean, much cleaner than Anna normally kept it.  He’d fixed up her busted up place once before, and from her time at the LC he knew she was a bit of a slob.  Her apartment was staged.

So this is where she was taken, he thought, moving silently through the apartment.  He pulled a strange device out of his pocket.  It was a small top made of burnt wood with strange runes carved into it.  While his own powers were mysterious, he knew very little about the arcane arts.  He relied on being able to put down most spell casters before they could do the same to him.

He set the relic on the floor.  It was supposed to spin in the presence of magic, even picking up the lingering aftereffects left by the arcane.

It balanced on its tip for a second, before toppling to its side.  Izzy bit his lip, setting it up again, where it fell instantly.  Maybe he’d set it in a groove on the floor the first time, maybe the magic he suspected might be here was long gone, maybe there’d never been magic in the apartment at all.

He pocketed the device and moved into the kitchen, his keen eyes noting scuffmarks on the floor.  He opened the cabinet under the sink, finding Anna’s trashcan.  It was empty, but whoever had taken out the trash hadn’t bothered to replace the bag.

He eyed the refrigerator.  The legend got down on his knees, feeling under the appliance.  Dust, dirt, and something else.  He fished out a broken shard from a plate.  It wasn’t covered yet in the same grime that collected under the fridge; it hadn’t been there long.

So she put up a fight at least.  But then what?  The place was scrubbed, and he knew that even with LC’s forensic resources, he’d find no fingerprints.

The neighbors were all useless, those that weren’t out that night had all been sleeping.  A coincidence, or the work of magic, either way, it was of no use to him.

He pulled out his phone as he left Anna’s apartment, dialing.

“Hey, I’m almost there,” a woman answered.

“Stay away from the LC for now.  Meet me outside of Arlington.  I can be at my safe house in an hour,” he said before hanging up.



***10 years ago***

“Anna, Anna Carillon,” she replied.  The grip of his calloused hand was firm as she shook it.

“This the mind controller?” Barrage asked.  

"Sí, but she's gonna be good, aren't you?" Callie said condescendingly, ruffling Anna's hair.  

Anna bristled, but she kept her mouth shut, hoping the dark hid the blush spreading across her cheeks at Callie's patronizing treatment of her in front of the attractive male legend before her.

"Let's get started," Barrage said.  "I count six guards on watch, but double check; I haven't gotten too close."

Callie nodded.  She pulled a small pair of high powered binoculars and a flare gun out of her belt.  She stared through the binoculars, pointing the flare gun at various points along the compound.

"Is she-”

“Running scenarios, seeing how they react," Callie answered.  “There's six watching the fences, but it looks like there's four more on guard inside.”

“Ten eh?  We’ve never done ten before.  Say when.”

Siren watched as Barrage pointed his finger at the compound, slowly moving it across the roof.

“Annnnnnd stop!” Callie said, still watching the roof through her binoculars.

Siren’s confusion grew as Barrage unfolded his middle finger, repeating the process.

“What are you doing?” she finally had to ask on Barrage’s fourth finger.

“Taking aim,” Barrage answered.

“He can shoot kinetic energy.  He points and gets- stop- ready to fire, I look into the future and see where he hits,” Callie explained, not taking her eyes off the compound as she directed his thumb.

“Wearing scopes on your fingers is awkward,” Barrage added, aiming his other hand.

“You guys have combo moves and everything.”

“Well, Callie cheats, but it lets us get away with all sorts of bullshit.”

“It’s not cheating, it’s- hold up, your pinky guy moved, a little to the left, little more, stop- going in there without leveling the place.”

“Hey, if I take out ten guys in one shot, I don’t care what you call it.”

Callie smiled.  “Yeah, you’re not going to pull it off if you can’t keep your hands steady.”

“My hands are plenty steady, you pointed them out in a terrible order,” he shot back, the fingers on his left hand jutting in odd directions.

Siren watched them banter while they lined up the shot.  She was actually watching two members of the Legendary Consortium.  It was unreal.  She was tempted to pinch herself to make sure it was really happening.

“Am I good?” Barrage asked one more time.

“Fire when ready.  Actually hold up.”  She turned to Siren, handing her the binoculars.  “Here, you know you want to watch.”

“I really do,” she said, looking through the binoculars.  She found the guards stationed around the roof.

The air shimmered in front of all ten of Barrage’s fingers, a slight whooshing sound.  Siren’s jaw dropped as the guy she was staring at was thrown backwards, a barely perceptible force striking him in the chest.

“Oh shit, did you kill them?”

“With that?”  Barrage laughed.  “No.  Let’s go.”

Callie took the binoculars back from Siren, pushing her after Barrage who’d started running for the fence.  She double checked the compound.  Barrage’s blasts at the four inside had broken some windows, but there was no movement from the compound.

Barrage reached the fence.  He held his arm in front of Siren, keeping her back as he pointed his other hand at the fence.  He blasted through the links of the fence from about four feet up down to the ground, pulling the wrecked fence aside for Siren and Callie to duck through before following them.

“Stay behind us,” Callie whispered to Siren as they ran across the gravel lot, coming up to a door.  There was a keypad next to the lock.  La Trogón stared at the pad, her fingers hovering above it.

“You can’t precog your way through that,” Barrage said.

“I can too, just shut up and give me a minute.”

“How much faster is that than actually trying every combination?”

“Uh, somewhat faster.  Shut up.”

“Just move.”

“No, I’ve got- shit!”

“What?” he asked, his question answered as a loud alarm began to blare a few seconds later.

“Blow it,” they said in unison, Callie pulling the overwhelmed Siren back with her as Barrage pointed a finger at the door.  

“Your aim was off,” Barrage said as he fired at the door, blowing it open.

“Psh, if they were able to get up a few minutes later and trip the alarm, that’s your weak ass love taps, not my fault.”

“I’ll have to hit harder,” he replied, stepping through the busted door.  “What am I looking at?”

“We got a straight hall, about thirty feet, all clear,” Callie said, following, tugging Siren after her by the arm.

She was a rag doll along for the ride.  She’d been careless earlier that night, and it had almost ended up with her getting raped.  These two were playing, joking and taking jabs at each other as they broke into the compound without even a pretense of a plan.

“Around the corner from the right, we got incoming.  They’ve got machine guns.”

Barrage ducked into a hall, and Callie pulled Siren in after them.  Soon they heard booted footsteps coming down the hall, and men shouting.

“Stay here,” Callie ordered her, crouching next to Barrage, ready to strike.

“How many?” he asked.

“Uh, shit, sixteen.”

“That all?  Tell me when, I’ll lay down cover fire.”

“Hold,” Callie said, wiggling her fingers in anticipation.

Siren watched, stunned.  They were just going to walk into a hall with sixteen men with machine guns.  Callie wasn’t even armed.

It’s an interview, she told herself.  Show some initiative.  Siren took a deep breath, and stepped forward.  

Callie snapped her head back, looking at her, seeing what she was about to do.  She was about to hand gag Siren when she saw the effects, and stopped.

“Everyone put your guns on the ground and put your hands up!”

There was a clatter down the hall as sixteen men laid their guns on the ground.  Neither Barrage nor La Trogón had guns, but they put their hands up, exchanging a confused glance.

“Well fuck me,” Callie said, turning the corner and looking out at the sixteen men, standing with their hands above their heads.

“She kind of takes the fun out of everything,” Barrage said, walking out next to her, slowly lowering his hands and pointing out at the men.  “So who’s going to tell me where Figgs is?”

They were silent, glaring angrily back at the invaders.

“We’re the Legendary Consortium.  And also Siren, who you have to thank for not getting the beating of a lifetime.  So we’ll ask again, where is Figgs?” Callie asked.

“We’re not telling you anything.  You have no right to be here.”

“And you have no respect for warrants.  Last chance,” Barrage said.

Siren stepped between them.  “Tell us where Figgs is,” she said.

“He’s in the basement,” all sixteen of them said.

“Damn, that is useful,” Callie said.

“I’ll admit, I see your merit,” Barrage conceded.  “Not bad.”

Siren beamed.



***present***

Anna kicked at the door, ignoring the bruises on her heels as she kicked over and over at the unyielding door.  She was lying flat on her back, her feet pounding relentlessly onto the door until her legs screamed in agony, the tight strap of the straitjacket rubbing irritatingly against her sex with each kick.

The door finally opened, and Anna squinted against the harsh light.  The silhouette of a woman in a nurse’s outfit stood in the door.

“It’s time for your treatment, patient 236.”

Anna screamed into her gag, struggling frantically as the two burly orderlies stepped in, grabbing her by her flailing legs and pulling her out of the cell.  They picked her up and forced her into a waiting wheelchair, strapping her in.

“My name is Nurse Delamonte.  I am in charge of your rehabilitation,” the nurse explained as she started walking down the hall, the orderlies pushing the helpless girl after her.

They went into Nurse Delamonte’s office, pushing Anna in front of the desk, locking the wheels of the wheelchair.

“Thank you,” she said to the orderlies.  “You may leave us.”  

They nodded, shutting the door behind them.  Nurse Delamonte sat behind her desk, folding her hands in front of her.

“I want you to understand that this is not your fault.”

Anna glared at her, her nostrils flaring.

“You’re sick.  An affliction that has warped your mind.  But I’m going to help you.”

Anna shook her head, tugging against the straitjacket and straps holding her to the wheelchair.

“Your delusion that you are some sort of super heroine has made you a threat to others as well as your self.  It won’t be easy, but I can fix you.  But you must also help yourself.”  She got back up, coming around her desk.  “I’ve looked into you,” she said, unbuckling the leather muzzle keeping her patient quiet.  “Running around in your little costume, taking the laws of man and god into your own hands.”

Anna coughed, working her jaw as the leather plug was pulled from her mouth, a long strand of drool spilling onto her canvas straitjacket.

“Let me go,” Anna said.

Nurse Delamonte set the gag on her desk.  “See, I have no desire to let you go.  Not until I’m sure you’re cured anyways.  Your words have no magical power.  You’re just a sick, confused girl.”

“I’m not confused.  Look, you have to listen me.  My power was stolen.  Who brought me here?  Was it Ursula?  Jet black hair, complete psychopath?  It was, wasn’t it?”

Nurse Delamonte’s face showed no reaction.

“She’s dangerous, the things she could do with my power.  Please, she needs to be stopped.”

“You were brought here by a concerned friend.  She cared about you enough to get you the help you need.”

“No ‘friend’ would do this to me.  She’s a monster, and she needs to be stopped.  At least let me call the LC.  They can explain everything.”

“That misguided freak show?  No, you aren’t allowed any contact.  Any enablers would be detrimental to your treatment.”

Anna screamed in frustration, fighting against her restraints.  The wheelchair rocked as she threw herself back and forth.  “You can’t keep me here!  I have rights!  You can’t do thmmmph!”

Her tirade was cut short as Nurse Delamonte forced the gag back into her mouth, strapping it even tighter around her bald head.

“I can do this.  One day you’ll understand that this is for your own good, and you’ll thank me.”

Anna roared into her gag, thrashing in her restraints, the wheelchair coming dangerously close to tipping.

Nurse Delamonte calmly walked over to a cabinet, pulling out a syringe and a small bottle.  She hummed to herself while she extracted the sedative.  Anna tried to move her head out of the way, but the nurse swabbed her neck with a cool alcohol swab, and jammed the needle in.

“Mmmmm,” Anna moaned, quickly settling down.  She stared at her captor, her eyes glazing over as the strong sedative quickly took effect.  

“This is for your own good.  The sooner you realize that, the sooner you can start to get better.”

She knew she should be fighting.  Ursula had sent her to this hell to keep her out of the way.  Ursula had kept her alive, left her with the knowledge that Ursula was out there, with her power, and there was nothing she could do to stop the witch.  She couldn’t even warn anyone.

Her rage fought a losing battle against the strong sedative coursing through her veins, robbing her body of the strength to fight.  Her butt felt warm and wet, and she realized that she was peeing.  Ursula was out there, somewhere, with her power.  And she couldn’t even keep from pissing herself as she was wheeled back to her tiny padded cell.