[color=red] "YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!!" [/color] Jack was on the phone with Damien, his father's steward. Damien's family had been vassals to House Cochran for thousands of years, and Damien had faithfully served Dad since before Jack was even born. With Dad and Jack out of the Manor so often, it was usually up to Damien and his brother Danny to actually run everything most of the time. The old winter elf replied, [color=blue] "It's all over the aether and the internet. There was an explosion right after you and the Champions left the airport. And now this Phalanx put out the word against you. They want your blood. Plus the Japanese have outlawed the presence of you and your comrades in their country." [/color] Jack fumed. Someone was trying to set them up. Someone was trying to challenge them. Well, if they wanted to play, Jack would play. They would regret the day they ever squared up against him. 

Jack downed another beer, trying to calm himself while Cynthia rubbed his back, [color=red] "Well if that's the case, they'll have blood. Oh you can be sure of that. Put out feelers to every tech genius, agency, and corporation we have our fingers in. Tell them if they can track that broadcast we'll make it worth their while. I think they have something to do with this airport bombing but I'm not sure. Put out the word to the local Youkai, they'll earn a good reward and the favor of Duke Cochran if they help us find out who did the bombing. Canvas the local cops too, I don't care how you do it, bribing, beating, or bedding just do it. I want to know everything there is to know about that bombing. I also want to issue a statement immediately, condemning the bombing and vowing to bring the perpetrators to justice. Have Theresa do it, she's good with public appearances. Also put in our strident objection to the Prime Minister's decision and forward our assertion that the government was responsible for Nagoya. It was their faulty intel and their shitty officers who ruined the whole deal. Have the publicity people put the hit pieces out on the internet through our friends in the press and have the politicians we own start making noise. Make sure the Foundation makes a donation to help repair for the airport, as well as pay for healthcare and funeral costs. Not for Nagoya, we'll admit to no responsibility for that. We've been getting hit in the media, it's time to fire back." [/color] 

Jack's family had been vassals to Queen Mab of Winter since mankind lived in straw huts. They had been fighting wars and performing assassinations for millennia. They had money, power, influence, and plenty of it. The family had been taking their cut and applying pressure to human endeavors since the invention of the wheel. Their fingers were deep and the mortals didn't even know it. Jack might not be Duke Cochran, or even the heir, but he could pull strings of his own. He had let the whole affair get to him too much, distract him from his options, that had been a mistake. It was time to get his head on right and remember what he did to his enemies. Time to fight fire with fire. Damien had been writing everything down and replied, [color=blue] "Got it. We'll get to work on it right away. Your Dad has been friends with this local Oni chief for years, they worked together on some tough jobs, fought in some good battles. I'll see if he'd be willing to use his connections to help us out. Your Dad might not be pleased by all this though. He always said your involvement with these superheroes would bring trouble." [/color] Jack said, [color=red] "Well remind Dad this a golden opportunity for us. If we're the first of the Families to break into the superhero craze and help set everything down, we'll have a huge advantage over the other Dukes. Besides, I'm his favorite." [/color] Damien laughed, [color=blue] "You remind me so much of him at your age. Very well, I'll sell it to the Duke. Anything else?" [/color] Jack thought on that. Was he missing anything? 

He replied, [color=red] "Yeah, put in a call to our knights, our sworn swords, our troubleshooters. Make sure everyone in the family is protected. Double the guard on all our houses. Pull all our heirs out of their schools, have them be privately tutored for the foreseeable future. Everyone who's on vacation, get them to a Keep immediately. Nobody in the family walks around without bodyguards. Call my Mom and invite her to stay at the Estate. If anyone so much as looks at one of my kin wrong, you make sure they get what's coming to them." [/color] This Phalanx seemed to have quite a bit of power themselves. He had to assume they knew all about his heritage and had the means to get to his family. He had to keep them safe.

Jack added, [color=red]"Have another company sent through a Nether Gate to protect my sisters in Japan, with as many knights as can be spared. And call my sisters. Tell them to seduce all those ministers as soon as possible. I don't care if they do it or sic their handmaidens and squires on them. Just get it done. Most of them are older than those mortals but they look like high schoolers or coeds and those officials will be married, so get the pictures and video and post them all over the web. They have one day, so they can be as trashy and kinky as they want. Then, I want them all through that gate and back home by this time tomorrow. Mobilize my fans, quietly get them to start protesting the government. I want as much egg on their collective faces as possible." [/color] 

Damien replied, [color=blue]"Acknowledged. And here I am missing the days when all you asked of me were keys to the cars." [/color] Jack laughed, [color=red] "Just one more thing old friend. Put the word out in the hero and vigilante community. My team is looking for recruits. Thank you, I don't deserve you Damien." [/color] Damien dryly said, [color=blue] "No you do not sir. Good luck on your travels." [/color] Jack said goodbye and hung up the phone. 

He turned to his team, [color=red] "It's decided. I'll lead an away team to take care of this Skull guy, while Patrick helps the Champions against Tinhead Ned. We can engender some good will and we still have enough firepower to take this guy on between the rest of us. We land soon, get ready." [/color] The jet landed just before the Champions did so Jack and his team missed all the excitement with Tinhead Ned as he led them to find the new villain. Patrick was left behind at the airport to wait for the Champions to arrive. 

Jack had managed to secure a car from the rental agency and he drove the team in a nice sturdy jeep to look for the skeleton. Not his usual style but in this case, functioned ruled over form. Checking his phone, he found the App that let him tap into the police band and listened in. Looked like the cops had stumbled onto Dem Bones already. Jack smiled at the team, [color=red] "We got a lead, let's go save their bacon." [/color] It was a small town and they found the scene of the crime easily. Jack parked the jeep a block down and loaded his pistol with incendiary ammunition. This threat seemed magical in nature and it was an arcane truism that fire was often an effective weapon against Supernatural beasts. He got out of the car, [color=red] "I'm gonna try and talk him down. You guys circle around and cut him off from all sides. If it comes to a fight, we got him caught in between us. See you on the other side." [/color] 

Jack jogged down the street in his leather and steel, hand on his pistol. With his far-sighted eyes, he saw the Skeleton attacking a cop. The big guy seemed preoccupied so he jumped up onto a roof and quickly and quietly maneuvered behind him. Jack was lighter on his feet than any normal human so he silently stepped across the rooftops and landed behind the assailant with nary a sound. Then he drew his sword in one hand and shouted, [color=red] "Put the officer down! This is your first and only warning. You are assaulting an agent of the law, and you have already murdered innocents. Do not put yourself in further jeopardy. I am Red Jack, scion of the Duke of Red and sworn sword to the Queen of Winter. You have my word that if you put the man down and yield peacefully, you will not be harmed and will face fair justice. Resist, and I will be forced to protect these officers at any means necessary, including destroying you. Resistance is futile, you are already a monster in the eyes of the human law. Even if you escape you will be hunted down until you are captured or destroyed forever. But yield now and there will be no further bloodshed. Make your choice quickly." [/color] Jack readied his sword and drew his pistol, ready to slash and burn the Skeleton into oblivion.