[b] The Den [/b] 

The EMT gulped and gingerly took the girl into the VTOL. Vigilance started carrying the civilians out, one at a time over his shoulder. There were over a dozen women being held along with the superhumans. The big seven footer was too much for Vigilance who said to Ocean Warrior, "Get this guy out!" He shouted at the other team members, "Quit dragging your feet and get to work!" He muttered something about lazy superhumans under his breath and he threw another woman over his shoulder and put her in the VTOL. It was going too slowly. Legion would be on them soon. 

Pariah only nodded at Morningstar, as if all that happened between them didn't matter. He simply said, "Good. They'll probably try and overwhelm us so the flasbangs will help us with the first wave. Don't detonate the charges until we can get a good number of them bottled up." Pariah assumed the same tone that he had used on all their missions together. Businesslike and to the point, betraying no emotion while conveying absolute belief in his authority. He didn't seem to acknowledge the strain in her tone. 

Finally after a few seconds, Pariah grunted in clear discomfort and inclined his head, "Its... fortunate you're on this op. Can't trust most of these rooks to get it right." Afterwards he just focused back on the hall in front of them, obviously infinitely more comfortable with impending violence. They could hear the frantic stopping of Legion trying to get at them and then a cluster of thugs with guns rounded the corner. They charged up and sighted the pair with their weapons right when the flashbangs went off. 

Pariah's visor protected him from the effects of the flashbang but the thugs weren't so lucky, crying out and clutching ringing ears or blinded eyes. Pariah dispassionately began opening fire with his automatic pistols and cutting them down while saying, "Speed it up. Get the civvies out now." Already he could hear more men working their way up to them. Who knew when they would start throwing superhumans at them? Pariah kept firing. Already half of the goons were down, holes peppering their chests or heads as remnants of Pariah's no-nonsense and effective style. 

[b] The Prison [/b] 

The Growth swallowed the ball of energy and his blob form ballooned before splattering his goo all over the walls and ceiling in a messy explosion. However the goop already started to run together again and start to reform. Sarco screeched in pain as his head created a hole in the concrete and he fell to the ground in a titanic fall. However his hide took most of the force away from the hit and he already got back to his feet. The Behemoth grabbed Abaddon by the leg and slammed him into a wall before throwing him at Sarco who punched the hero (for a given definition of hero) into the ground with his massive right fist. Sarco snarled, "Ant." Before lifting his massive reptilian foot to stomp down on Abaddon. 

Polaris grinned as he sensed the hero about to falter but then frowned when the lights turned out in the Prison, his own and Flashbolt's glows the only light in the room long with the purplish haze of the portal. Polaris knew his opponent to be an electrokinetic so he put two and two together and figured he would try an attack to overwhelm him. He presses in and his fists keep bashing into Flashbolt's face and torso, trying to knock him out before he can try anything. 

As close as he is he sees the energy start to gather in his opponent's foot, static electricity popping out from it. He sees the kick aimed at his crouch, telegraphed by Flashbolt's movements. As the foot came up he knew in that close distance he wouldn't be fast enough to dodge it cleanly. He slapped the foot down with a hand, away from his crotch, and the world seemed to explode. Flashbolt's electric reserve and Polaris's light conflicted. Unstoppable force met immovable object. 

The electricity poured and collided against his light and Polaris was thrown back down the length of the room as a massive blast opened up and sent pieces of wall flying off outside the prison. Sunlight poured in to the rubble that was the midway point of the maximum-security wing and Flashbolt was blessedly knocked out as he was thrown back as well. The conflagration of energy sent shockwaves rippling down both sides of the room and actually picked up the limp forms of the League heroes and sent them flying several yards away and causing the portal to collapse from the sudden overload. Even Behemoth and Sarco were rocked off their feet as the Growth's goop was all blown away but closer to each seperate piece. The Growth quickly reformed and went after Abandon and Desert Vampire. 

Polaris' shield had collapsed in the explosion and his clothes were torn up with cuts and bruises peppering his body. But he was alive. And worse yet still able to fight. He unsteadily got to his feet and his aurora slowly reformed. Unlike his opponent his reserves weren't drained. Polaris leaned on a wall for support and grinned, "Good hit. But you won't do that again." He groaned and was about to move when Zenith, Raptor, and Olympia flew in followed by Chrome and Michael. 

Chrome and Michael immediately started beating down on Sarco and Behemoth who were caught off guard. Michael's sword made Sarco's hide glow with fiery slashes while Chrome brutally punched away at Behemoth. Raptor began evacuating the downed members, picking up Light and Sonja both before flying them as far as he could before going back for Hot Rod and Flashbolt. Zenith yelled out, "Freeze Damien!". Olympia screamed in rage at the sight of him and overtook Zenith who barely caught up, as the two heroes caused the wind to whirl in their wake. Polaris grinned and finally got his footing and his shield up before Olympia slammed into his mid-section and wrapped her arms around him with Zenith flying fists forward into his chest. 

Polaris' shield flashed with the simultaneous impacts and wavered but remained intact as the trio slammed into the back wall. Zenith wrapped a hand around his neck and pinned him there where his form was embedded into the concrete with Olympia standing and holding his chest down. Polaris groaned in pain but gritted his teeth in a pained smile, "Nice to see you guys. You don't call. You don't write. You don't visit. Been too long since I've seen either of you. Who knew I had to commit a crime to get your attention?" Olympia snarled, "Shut up Damien before I stick my sword through you." Damien laughed, "What a reversal." Olympia was about to say something when Zenith cut her off, "Shut up Damien. We're taking you in. Come quietly or this time we won't try to bring you in alive."

Olympia grunted, "It's more than you deserve." For a moment, despair and pain flashed through Polaris' eyes but were soon replaced by his easy confidence, "Tempting. But no thanks." Zenith said, "Don't do this Damien." Polaris said, "I have to. And I'll never stop. For her." His body suddenly burned as bright as the sun and Olympia and Zenith were thrown back by a massive burst of heat and energy. Zenith rolled in the air before checking himself and Olympia landed on her feet, turning the fall into a backwards somersault. Zenith shook his head and flew forward with twin beams of red energy flashing from his eyes while Olympia drew her sword and shield and charged. 

Polaris lifted a hand and blocked Zenith's heat vision and grunted as it flared against him and pulsed against his shield. He escaped the wall and sent a long stream of light with his other hand at Olympia who blocked it with her shield and kept advancing. Polaris kept trying to stall Olympia as Zenith flew at him. Polaris ducked his head to the side as Zenith punched at him, and twisted his head to fire his own eye beams into his side. Zenith yelled in pain and Polaris used his now free hand to blast Zenith away. But now Olympia was upon him and her shield bashed into him, knocking him to the ground and taking the wind out of him as Olympia raised her sword and stabbed down. Polaris flashed to the side and his leg blurred as it swept Olympia's own feet from under her. 

Olympia fell down and ditched her shield and sword to grab Polaris' foot and swing him into the ground in a super-powered overhead swing. He was rocked into the concrete before Olympia pulled on his leg to grab with her arms and wrap her legs around it in a classic kneebar. She used her iron hold and strength to twist his leg away from him and make him scream in pain. Zenith flew back in and kicked his shielded head before grabbing him by the neck and raining down punches while squeezing. Each titanic hit made his light shield flash and shudder and Polaris felt every hit. But then he tried something out of desperation. 

Suddenly Polaris' foot flashed next to Olympia's face and she screamed as it burned her, loosening her grip enough to allow his light-hardened leg to smack into her face. He broke the hold and his own fist of light flashed into Zenith's face. The hero grunted and Polaris had enough time to concentrate and blast him with another pair of eyebeams. Zenith screamed and fell to his knees before an uppercut from Polaris knocked him back. 

Polaris got to his feet and fired a beam at Olympia who managed to grab her shield and deflect it right back at him. He grunted as his own energy hit him and Olympia flew at him with her sword arm raised. He dodged the first slash and grazed Olympia with a beam, but didn't dodge the knee to his gut which made him double over allowing Olympia to slam the hilt on his back and use her shield to bash him into the air. Zenith flew into his stomach, grabbed him and threw him at Olympia while blasting him with heat vision. Olympia slashed him to the ground with her sword and the blade managed to pierce his shield and draw a long shallow slash along his stomach. 

Polaris lifted both his hands and fired two beams of light faster than either could react and knocked Olympia to the ground and Zenith into a wall. He sped forward and rapidly punched Olympia in the gut before grabbing her and blasting her into the recovering Zenith. Polaris lifted both of his hands to blast them but Zenith flipped their positions to protect Olympia and screamed in pain as the beams struck him. He gritted his teeth and blocked the beams with his arms and advanced. 

Olympia jumped above the struggling Zenith and extended her feet to stomp on Polaris. Polaris managed to dodge but was backhanded and his beams failed. Olympia grabbed his arm and locked it behind him while wrapping her arm around his neck and twisting. She held him down and allowed Zenith to knock the wind out of him with a flurry of punches. Without his shield he would have been paste by now, as it was, his body would be a mass of bruises and cracked bones. 

Zenith punched him twice in the face, "Give it up Damien." Polaris coughed and said, "Never." He turned into a corona of light and pressed his weight against Olympia, giving him leverage to kick Zenith in the chest with both feet. Zenith was shoved back and Polaris flew up towards the ceiling and Olympia tried to squeeze the air out of him, the shield denying her the chance and allowing him to keep flying. Polaris' protected by his shield, flew through the ceiling, and flew into the open air. Olympia was durable but not protected from slamming into the concrete ceiling. 

Her grip on Polaris was loosened enough to allow him to break free, knocking her back with a starburst of light. She fell through the air and Zenith flew up to catch her in his arms. She grunted and they both stared at Polaris who extended his arms and seemed to breath in the sunlight, "Ah. It's been too long." Polaris was bloodied but unbroken and despite the wounds inflicted on him he smiled, "You can't beat me. And I can't beat you. Yet. We can settle this another time. But for right now. I'm back. And I've got things to do. Take care of yourselves, tell the guys I said hi." 

Olympia flew out of Zenith's arms but Polaris turned bright white and then zoomed away in blinding speed, a star in the middle of the day. Zenith cursed as Olympia roared in frustration. Zenith tapped his communicator, "Zenith to all points, be advised. Polaris is loose. Repeat, Polaris is loose."