" ... but there's something there that really bothers me."
Flea, Ramm, Sonic Boom, and Cutup are sitting around a table with a notebook on top, discussing information gathered at the incident when Demolition wrecked City Hall. (NOTE: See last issue)
"Listen, I heard him distinctly. He said 'Miss Maroone said you would be here.' I don't know many other women named Maroone other than the late Virginia Maroone."
"Then how could Demolition be getting any instructions from her?" Ramm interjects. "You were right there when it happened. She shot herself with your gun!"
"And fell to the ground from the 193rd floor of Maroone Technologies," Cutup adds. "If she survived the gunshot, there's no way she could have survived the fall."
Flea's eyes suddenly roll back in her head. After a few seconds of concern, Sonic Boom approaches her.
"Is dat you Ferret?"
"Yes. There is a way that Virginia Maroone could have survived. The same way that Jill Burke survived."
Ramm suddenly looks concerned. "You mean a mind transfer?"
"Exactly, Jack Porter. After the mind transfer which produced me, it is possible that the Gaoans have learned a way to prevent what happened to me from happening again. Although when Cass went back to the ship, he put a moratorium on mind transfer procedures, he would not have been in time to prevent Virginia Maroone from undergoing one."
"Oh God ... if what you said is true, we have more trouble than we've ever had with her before."
All turn to Cutup.
"Sonic Boom told me that the reason why Jill has her powers is because Earth has lighter gravity than the Gaoan homeworld. If what you think has happened has happened, Ferret, then we're dealing with a superhuman mob boss!"
The rest of the team sees the urgency in Cutup's tone. Immediately, they mobilize.
In the same office of Maroone Technologies where Virginia Maroone seemingly met her untimely demise, a secretary is getting ready to leave, giving another woman off frame some last words.
"... research and development say that their new piece of equipment for you is almost ready. Anything else, ma'am?"
"No, that's all, Winifred. Hold all my calls until about three, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am." Winifred leaves. The woman talking to Winifred turns toward the window: it's Virginia Maroone, but she doesn't look like herself. Rather, she looks like a twisted version of the Flea. She has the same face and hair color, but her features are contorted into an evil smile.
"Well well, Flea, I finally know your secret."
Maroone moves toward the window.
"If my guesses are right, you have met your match, Detective. I can match you jump ..."
Through the missing window pane, Maroone jumps. She flies on an angle over the Detroit skyline.
" ... for jump!"
Maroone continues to leap around the Detroit skyline, taking full advantage of her new powers. Finally, after spending most of the afternoon in the air, she returns to the Maroone Technologies building, coming to rest inside an open window from the research and development department.
"Is it ready?"
Three technicians in lab coats turn away from their work. A fourth, within the glass wall of a dust-free "clean room," turns toward Maroone.
"Yes. Here." One technician hands Maroone a limp bodysuit. The only indication of its technological advances is a slight shine on the cloth. Maroone steps inside a conveniently placed office cubicle and begins changing into the bodysuit.
"Tell me, gentlemen, what will this do for me?"
A different technician speaks. "You should feel the difference once you put it on. Suddenly, you will feel lighter, as will a lot of everyday objects which would normally be much heavier. There is a full activation switch just underneath the left breast which will put the system fully on line."
Maroone walks out from behind the wall, wearing the outfit. A shocked, yet ecstatic, look is on her face.
"I feel it already!" A husky tone comes into her voice. She is becoming drunk with her new power. Eagerly, she touches a small square under her left breast. A humming sound is heard, then everything is silent again.
"We have yet to field test this design ..."
Maroone looks at a photocopier, an office appliance which would weigh normally about 750 pounds. With one hand, she reaches under the copier and lifts it over her head.
"A feather."
The three technicians outside the clean room smile ecstatically. The fourth, pulling off his hood from the clean room, joins them.
"Gentlemen, I believe our prototype passes field testing. Project C is officially a success!"
Maroone has twisted her expression to one of insane delight. "How much stronger am I?"
A technician turns toward her. "That suit augments your strength 35,000 percent. You should be able to shoulder press at least five tons."
"Perfect!"
Even before the team leaves the 7th Precinct, they know what they're dealing with. A faraway female figure is seen silhouetted against the morning sun over Detroit. Flea is the first one to see her.
"That's gotta be her."
Flea immediately takes to the air, yelling a quick message back to the rest of the team: "Don't follow me!"
Sonic Boom's face takes on a trademark Burke look. "No way, sis. I'm cobing ub dere, too!" Launching a beam from her right hand, she takes to the air as well. As soon as Flea sees her behind her, she immedately yells back at her.
"What the hell are you doing? Trying to get our entire gene pool killed?!"
"I don'd care, Jill! I'm nod gonna watch you die for duh second dime!" Sonic Boom alights on a rooftop, as Flea lands next to her. Flea's anger is building.
"MAROONE!! We're here, waiting for you! Come and get us!"
Up in the air, only four rooftops away from the Burke sisters, Maroone spots them.
"Ah, there you are, my fine alien friend. You're simply waiting for me, aren't you, Detective? Far be it for me to keep you waiting."
Maroone alights on a rooftop across from the Burkes.
"Ah, Detective Flea, Officer Sonic Boom. Sisters, am I right?"
Flea leaps across to the other rooftop. "We're taking you in, Maroone. I don't think you realize it, but you should have died when you fell out that window."
"But I didn't. An alien ship picked me up, just as it picked you up, Detective Burke. They took my mind out, and put it into this body. Take a close look, Detective: it should look familiar."
In Flea's mind, Ferret is going ballistic.
"No! NO! NOOO! Anybody but her!"
"What?"
"Virginia Maroone's mind was placed in the body of my twin sister, Celine!"
"I hate to tell you this, Flea, but one of us is going to die a second time this day. And it's going to be you!" Maroone digs her fingers into the surface of the rooftop, digging a piece out of it and pitching it at Flea. It nails her square on, pummeling her and dropping her to the floor.
"That's just a taste of what I could do to you now! Feel the power of Celine!"
Sonic Boom glides across to the other rooftop, launching a volley of Fishbone at Celine which hits her square in the chest. Celine doesn't even flinch.
"It'll take much more than that to take me."
Celine slugs Sonic Boom, launching her over seven buildings. When she lands, she is more intense as ever.
"And you won't get me that easily, Celine!" Sonic Boom looks down at her left hand Walkman, turning up the volume almost to the point of breaking off the knob. Puting it behind her, she launches another Fishbone volley, launching her at supersonic speed toward Celine. One supersonic uppercut later, Celine is flat on her back, and Flea is over her, pointing her pistol straight for her head.
"All right, Maroone. I believe it is you who's gona die twice!"
Celine kicks Flea hard in the stomach, sending her flying once again. Three rooftops later, Flea lands. As her sister valiantly fights on, Flea, lying on the rooftop, reaches for a radio taped into the lining of her jacket.
"Cutup ... Ramm ..."
"We're here, Jill."
"Help ... me ..." Flea drops her head down to the rooftop. A small puddle of blue blood starts forming from her mouth and nose (Ferret Diamond-Points was rendered unconscious in Flea's brain when she was hit by Celine's original attack, and so was unable to treat Flea's injuries.).
"All right, Maroone, it's just you and me. Now you're gonna pay for my sister!"
Sonic Boom lunges at Celine, who recovers quickly enough to avoid the tackle. Celine makes her own rush at Sonic Boom, leaping across the rooftop to slug her. Before she makes it, though, Sonic Boom launches another volley, blasting Celine squarely in the face. Seeing Celine reel from the attack, Sonic Boom closes in for the kill, jumping down on top of Celine, pounding blast after blast into Celine.
"You hurt my sisder, you've hurd sociedy, you eben don'd habe duh sense to die! You're gonna pay for it all righd NOW, dammit! YOUR ASS IS MINE, MAROONE!!"
Sonic Boom keeps pouring the abuse into Celine. The suit finally shorts out, leaving her to feel the injuries that the infuriated Sonic Boom is inflicting. Finally, somebody comes up from behind Sonic Boom and stops her.
It's Ramm.
"Stop it, Meredith! Look at what you're doing to her!"
Meredith comes to her senses, looking at the damage she's wreaked on Celine: Her nose is broken, blue blood is pouring out of her nose and mouth, her body is bruised, her breathing is making the blood from her mouth foam(indicating that she punctured a lung), her strength suit is shredded. Basically, Celine is close to the point of death.
Shocked at what she has done, Sonic Boom drops Celine's lifeless body. Turning to Ramm, she starts to cry. "What about Jill?"
"Jill's all right. Ferret bound up her wounds, and she should recover within the month."
"I don'd know whud cabe over be. I jusd ..." Sonic Boom collapses into Ramm's arms, who tries to comfort her as best he can.
"I know, you couldn't help yourself. I know I wouldn't have been able to in your position."
Meredith looks up into Ramm's purple face. "Chack?"
Jack looks down upon her. Suddenly, Meredith jumps up, wrapping her arms around Jack's thick neck and planting a long kiss on him, one he is surprised, but not unwilling, to receive. When she finally disengages herself, Jack gives her a sideways look.
"What was that for?"
"For rebindig be thad I'b odly humad. And for leddig me know you care."
Ramm nods, sighing deeply and picking Meredith up. "C'mon, Meredith."
"What?"
"We're gonna tell the rest of the team to pick up Celine. This is gonna teach us all a valuable lesson, not to let our anger get in the way of our jobs. Remember, Meredith, above all else, we're police officers, sworn to protect the city at all costs."
While he's talking, he has been walking with Meredith riding in his arms toward Flea. Flea gets up, walking toward the two. When Ramm sets down Meredith, she runs to her sister and embraces her tightly. Cutup comes over to Ramm.
"Think she's gotten over her fear of her sister?"
Ramm puts an arm around Cutup's shoulders. "Jasmine, the thing I've found over my years is that there's no love stronger than that between two sisters."
Cutup nods as they watch Flea and Sonic Boom continue their embrace.
Liked it? Didn't? Think Ramm and Sonic Boom make a cute couple?
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