The Olympians
Episode Six: TARGET PHOENIX
By Nike
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	A lone jet soared the Arctic skies. It was the Foxbat, an experimental supersonic jet, and it was going for a test flight. 
	“This is Lt. Ryder, in the Foxbat. Do you hear me, control tower? Over.” The pilot began. 
	“This is control tower, we hear you, lieutenant.” A voice in the radio replied. 
	The pilot frowned as he saw something huge was moving under the ice on the radar. “I’m picking up a strange reading under the ice. I’m going to investigate. Over.” 
	He was about to take a closer look when all of a sudden a beam of energy shot at the jet from behind, causing the pilot to lose control.
       “ARGH! I’ve been hit!” the pilot exclaimed as he prepared to abandon the jet. “The controls aren’t working! I have no choice but to evacuate. Request for assistance!”
	The Foxbat crashed into the ice-covered sea, leaving a lone parachute floating down.
	Inside an underground mansion, Death Valley, a fat man stood before a collection of stuffed animals and strange machines. 
	It’s not enough!” the man shouted pointing at now-framed Foxbat jet hanging on the wall. “I, Emil Escobar, first class hunter and now the new owner of the one and only Foxbat, don’t have anything to pit my superior skills against anymore. They are all gone!” he added, looking at the stuffed animals in the hall.
	He was going to add something when an announcement from the TV took his attention. “…. The mayor gave his thanks to Phoenix and the Firebirds for saving the city from another Harpy attack yesterday…” the news announcer began.
	“Firebirds?” he began in surprise. A sly smile formed on his lips as a thought came into mind. “Hmm, why not? They will make a good part of my collection.”
	In the Firebird Volcano base…
	“Phoenix? Are you in here?” Psyche began as she knocked on the door of the Firebird commander’s room. No answer. She tried the knob and found that it was open. “Phoenix?” she began as stepped inside.
	There she found Dazzler and Firefly inside.
	Psyche blinked in surprise. “Firefly? Dazzler?” she began. “What are you two doing here?” 
	“Shhh. Not so loud!” Dazzler hushed her. “You’ll wake Phoenix up!” she added, glancing at the Firebird commander who was still asleep in her bed.
	“We thought that it would be good to let Phoenix sleep a while.” Firefly explained.
	The Firebird second-in-commander nodded. “Yeah, poor her. She hadn’t got a wink of sleep when we finally got rid of the SECOND batch of those killer weeds Cosmos brought.”
	Psyche frowned. “So, what will we do now?”
	“The usual, Psyche.” Dazzler told her. “We’ll still patrol the city for any Harpy activity, only it would be without Phoenix. It’s just the same anyway.”
	“Okay, but I’ll be going to the video arcade down the city later, Dazzler.” Firefly replied.
	With a sigh, the Firebird second-in-commander opened the door and walked outside. “Come on, let’s go.” Dazzler told them. “We have a lot to do.”
	Soon, Storm and Thunderstarr were walking in an alley dressed in Earth-outfits, when suddenly they heard a scream nearby.
	“What was that?” Thunderstarr began. 
	Storm shrugged. “I don’t know but let’s find out.” She told her she they rushed towards the direction where the scream came from.
	They came into another part of the alley and saw a young boy being attacked by a gang of street punks.
	“I, Storm, mistress of the elements, order you to release the child!” Storm shouted and, with a burst of lightning, the Firebird weatherwitch changed into her fighting uniform and flew towards the scene.
	“Why do you always have to make a scene when we’re together?” Thunderstarr sighed as she also changed into her uniform and flew after her.
	“Because my rank is higher than yours.” Storm replied as she started hurling the gang with lightning to scare them away.
	“You had to remind me.” She muttered and landed beside the child.  She then reached down to help the child get up, while Storm summoned a small whirlwind to blow the gang away. “Don’t worry, kid. We’ll help you get home…huh?” 
       The child immediately broke into pieces upon Thunderstarr’s touch and the alley transformed into a steel metal room whose walls began to move closer and closer until they were all trapped in a dark cramped steel box that served as a prison. Storm, being claustrophobic, couldn’t stop screaming in her terror.
	Escobar stood watching from the shadows as the machines began to carry the box, which imprisoned Thunderstarr and Storm away. “Amazing.” He began. “These aliens actually have the power to control the weather.”
	Later, few blocks away, Red Cross and Firehawk were patrolling the area, completely unaware of the incident earlier.  Suddenly they noticed a nearby building on fire and they immediately rushed towards it.
	“What’s going on here?” Red Cross demanded to a fireman as they reached the fire.
	He pointed at the window. “Well, we got almost all of them out.” The fireman told them. “Except for two people still back there but we can’t get them out!”
	“Stay here!” Firehawk told the fireman. “We’ll go get them.” She added, carrying Red Cross and flew towards the building’s window.
	As soon as they left, the fireman took out his hat, revealing Emil Escobar’s face. 
	“Amazing,” he whispered, watching them go. “They aren’t even afraid of fire.” 
	Inside the building, Red Cross and Firehawk looked for the people trapped in the raging inferno.
	“Hey RC!” Firehawk pointed at a child and a woman crying by a window. “There they are!”
	Red Cross nodded. “Come on let’s get them!”
	 They ran towards them, but before they could reach them, the mother and child vanished into thin air.
	“Holograms?” Red Cross blinked in surprise. “FH, think that this could be a trap?” 
       But before Firehawk could reply, two beams of energy shot out from behind, knocking the two of them out at once. 
	When Firehawk came to, she found herself lying into a platform with a heavy bar on her chest. They were all made out of some strange alloy. She tried lifting the bar but it only became heavier. 
	“I didn’t know that you were finally awake, Firehawk.” A voice near her spoke up.
	Firehawk turned to see Dazzler strapped into some sort of metal wall. “Dazzler?” she began in surprise. She looked around to see that the other Firebirds, each imprisoned in a forcefield and forced to do something to keep them from escaping.  “What happened? Where are we and what IS this place?”
	“I don’t know. Someone trapped all of us and caged us in here.” Dazzler admitted. “I tried to get out but, these shackles are draining my energy.”
	“Where’s Phoenix anyway?” Firefly gasped out, tired from running from the laser beams that kept on chasing her in her small prison. “I don’t think I can hold out much longer.”
	“Firefly, don’t grope.” Flicker began from her cage. “There’s still some hope.”
	“Oh sure,” Lance puffed in a sarcastic voice, running from a large metal boulder on racetrack, along with Firefox, Blast and Hotshot. 
	“Lance!” Dazzler shouted at him. “Storm happens to be claustrophobic!”
       Suddenly a viewing screen came out from the screen and the Firebirds got their first look at their kidnapper.
	Emil Escobar.
	The face on the viewing screen grinned. The Firebirds didn’t think of it as funny. “Enjoying your stay, my guests? I designed this room to nullify your powers so you can’t escape even if you try.” 
	Lance glared at him. “When I get out of here, I am going to make you wish you’ve never been born, HUMAN!”
	Escobar causing Lance to be angrier. “Don’t worry, soon, your leader will be joining you.” 	
	Back in the Firebird Volcano Base…
	<What could be taking them so long?> Phoenix asked herself, walking back and forth at the command center. She was already awake and was waiting for her fellow Firebirds to come back from their patrols but none had yet returned.
	All of a sudden, Synergy I, the Base’s supercomputer, interrupted her thoughts. “Firebird commander, I am picking up a communication signal from an unknown sender.” The computer began. “Request to receive?”
	“Affirmative, Synergy,” Phoenix nodded, grateful t have her mind not directly on her missing fellow Firebirds for a moment.  
	The image of a human quickly appeared on the viewing screen. “Greetings, Firebird commander.” The human began.
	Phoenix frowned, no human had ever penetrated their frequency without them knowing before. “Who are you?”
	“I am Emil Escobar, the finest hunter in the whole world.” The human told her.
	The Firebird commander raised an eyebrow. “What do you want?” she demanded.
	“It’s not about what I want, Firebird commander, but what you want.” The human chuckled. “Your fellow Firebirds are here with me and are now part of my collection.” Escobar told her, showing the captive Firebirds. “Unless of course, you’re willing to come here and rescue them, I don’t think they’ll last long under my hold.”  
	“Dazz! Psyche! Firefly!” Phoenix gasped in horror upon seeing all of the other Firebirds in chains and are being driven to their limits.
	At that moment, Dazzler twisted towards the camera. “Phoenix! Don’t listen to him! It’s a trap! He wants to turn you into one of his trophies!”
	Phoenix flared in anger. The Phoenix force appeared and immediately covered her body with it’s flaming mantle. “By the gods, what is he going to do to you?” the Firebird commander whispered softly, unconsciously making her hands burning hot but still bearable to Synergy I. 
	“That’s for you to find out.” Escobar sneered, quickly replacing Dazzler’s image on the screen. “I’ll be waiting, Firebird commander.” 
	The Firebird glared at him. “I’ll be there but before I go, here’s a little something for you, human.” Phoenix icily replied as she pushed an overload control button on the computer. 
       Back in the fortress, Escobar jumped away in time as the screen suddenly exploded and then turned to face the captive Firebirds. “Your leader has a hot temper, doesn’t she?” he remarked, laughing with amusement.
	Dazzler narrowed her eyes as she glared at him. “When Phoenix gets here, let’s see who’s going to be on the laughing end.”
	Escobar snickered. “You don’t understand.” He shook his head and then glanced at the several television screens at his right. “I AM expecting her to come.”
       At that moment, Phoenix angrily left the base after placing it on a protective forcefield. After all there was no sense in letting the Harpies attack the Base while they were all out.
	<It’s all my fault. I should have never overslept. The others should have never been captured. > She thought, wiping away the fiery tears that fell from her now glowing eyes, and then flew towards the direction that Escobar sent her.  <It doesn’t matter. > She shook her head, anger boiling inside her veins. <THAT HUMAN WILL PAY! > 
	Filled with those thoughts in her head, the Firebird commander didn’t even notice that she passed by two Harpies. 
	“What in Hades was that?!” Kamikaze exclaimed in surprise as soon as the huge fireball passed by them.
	Rusty pointed at the direction it was heading. “It was going that way.” He told him. “Come on let’s go after it.” He began and they followed it from a distance.
	The fireball began to change shape as it neared the ground. Rusty and Kamikaze hid in the shadows and watched as the flaming ball transformed…	
	…Into the Firebird commander, Phoenix of Olympia!
	“Phoenix!” Rusty gasped in surprise and they hid behind a huge boulder nearby.
	Phoenix sharply glanced over her shoulder and frowned. She could have sworn she heard someone call her name. But she could see no one around. <Must be my imagination. > She thought as she continued on her way.
	Soon, the Firebird commander came upon a gigantic fortress. She looked around and saw a young crying girl that was chained to the ground. 
	<Poor girl, > she thought as she slowly approached the prisoner. <Who could have done such a thing? >
	Suddenly, a screen emerged out of the bushes and the figure of Escobar appeared. “That’s right, Firebird commander. Free the poor girl.”
	Phoenix stopped abruptly and then turned to face the screen. “Not this time, Escobar. Not this time.” She swore and then changed direction, heading towards the fortress instead.	
	“Why didn’t she free that human?” Kamikaze asked from where they hid.
	Rusty shrugged. “I dunno. But let’s find out.”
	“Phoenix didn’t help you, did she?” Kamikaze began as they approached the girl.
	Suddenly two bear traps emerged from the ground and clamped each on the two Harpies. 
	“What the---?!” Kamikaze exclaimed. 
	Rusty turned to look at the girl as saw that it was actually a life-like mannequin. “It’s a trap!”	
	A greenish smoke started to emit from the mannequin.		
	“We’re being gassed!” Rusty exclaimed, coughing from the smoke. “Kamikaze, use your powers! Blow this gas away!”
	“Can’t do it…feel so tired…” Kamikaze gasped and fell down, unconscious. The same thing happened to Rusty.
	Phoenix glanced over her shoulder to see that Rusty and Kamikaze had fallen into the trap. “Well, well. What do you know?” she began with amusement, as a metal floor was revealed and opened under the two knocked out Harpies and swallowed them up. “That turkey trap actually caught TWO turkeys.” The Firebird commander added, and then stepped into the fortress.  
	Phoenix soon came into a dark room. <Why is it so dark? > She wondered as she stepped inside. She fumbled around for a switch when the floor opened into some sort of trapdoor causing her to fall down into another dark room.
	“Ouch,” Phoenix muttered, rubbing her sore bottom. “Next time, I’ll take the scenic route. Where am I?” she whispered, straining her eyes to make out some movement in the darkness.   
	CLICK! A bright light immediately filled the area. Phoenix winced as the harsh glare hurt her eyes and looked around to find herself in some sort of steel web and facing a giant mechanical spider.
       A viewing screen appeared on the robotic spider’s head with the image of Emil Escobar’s face. “Hello, Firebird commander.” He began at Phoenix. “Nice of you to drop in.”
	Phoenix glared as his as she quickly got up. “Another one of your TOYS, Escobar?” she began wryly as she tensed for an attack.
	“This is a state-of-art mechanoid similar to the Nightstalker that you and your fellows had battled sometime earlier.” The human told her. “I stole some of the doctor’s plans and built it for my amusement.” He added and attempted to swipe Phoenix’s head of with one of the spider’s mechanized claws.
	The Firebird commander moved away just in time to avoid the claw. “You couldn’t think of one yourself, so you had to steal someone else’s idea.” She snorted. “Have you ever heard the term, ‘plagiarism’, before Escobar?”
	“It doesn’t matter, you won’t be talking that way once I have you for my collection, just like the rest of your fellow Firebirds.” He replied, as the robot spewed some sort of acidic venom at her.     
       Phoenix dodged it. “Oh wow,” she whispered, staring at the way the metal floor melted under the spider’s venom. <Time to take action. > She silently told herself as she faced the robot. “Look, human.” She began as her body burst into flames. “I don’t know who you are or how and why you are doing this but I DON’T get captured THAT easily!” And with blinding flash of light, the Firebird commander attacked the robotic spider.  
	Meanwhile, Emil Escobar watched inside the control room. “Unbelievable! She fights like a demon!” he whispered in awe. “She destroyed my robot in minutes! But I still have a couple of tricks up my sleeve.” He added, pulling down a nearby lever.
	At that moment…. 
	“ESCOBAR! Show yourself!” Phoenix shouted angrily as she stood over the remains of the robotic spider. She heard something coming from the wall on her right and quickly blasted a huge hole at it, revealing a room. “Damn you, I said, SHOW YOURSELF!” she added as she went into the room through the hole and found it empty.   
	Slam! Phoenix quickly turned around to see that the hole, which she entered, was gone. There was a slight creaking sound and the walls started to come closer. Instinctively, she tried pushing the walls back into place but it was no use.
	She noticed in a corner of her eye, that the ceiling didn’t move. <Could it be?> she asked herself silently, looking up. <But first, I got to destroy that camera.> she added, blasting the video camera that she saw earlier into ashes. 
       Meanwhile, above that room…
	“Darn that Firebird!” Escobar cursed as he angrily punched the controls. He then turned to face the two Harpies. “If I let you two go, will you help me destroy her?” he asked.
	Kamikaze gave Rusty a quick glance and then spoke up. “Of course, we will.” He smoothly began. “We give our word, you can trust us.” 	
	Escobar quickly pushed some buttons, freeing the two Harpies. “Now, kill her!” he ordered, pointing at the Firebird commander. 
       Kamikaze faced Escobar. “And just why would we do that?” he added as he prepared to fire a plasma beam at the human.
	“Now, where were we?” Rusty began as he stepped out of the shackles that bound his feet and wrists. “Oh yeah, we haven’t paid you for chaining us.” 
	Escobar stepped back in shock and fear. “But…but you gave your word that you’ll help me if I’ll free the two of you!” 
	Kamikaze snickered as they slowly approached Escobar. “Never trust Harpies, human.” He began, cracking his knuckles. 
	Rusty nodded. “It’s payback time.”
	Dazzler glanced at their direction. Obviously, Kamikaze and Rusty were keeping Escobar occupied for a while and so she decided to see if she could do something about their situation. “Hey Moonshine!” she whispered loudly at the Firebird sprite at her right.
	Moonshine turned to face her. “Yes, Dazzler? What is it?”
	The Firebird second-in-commander glanced nervously at Escobar’s direction before facing the sprite once more. “Can’t you teleport us out of here?”  
Moonshine twisted and turned and after a while, she concentrated. Then finally she opened her eyes and shook her head. “I’m sorry Dazzler, there’s nothing I can do.”
	Dazzler sighed and looked ahead. <Hurry, Phoenix. Please hurry. > She thought silently.  
       Suddenly the area shook under a huge explosion. Escobar quickly hid under a nearby table, fearing that the whole building would fall down on him.
       “What was that?” Kamikaze exclaimed.
       At that moment, the smoke cleared, revealing the Firebird commander standing in a huge hole in a nearby wall.
       “Hi guys, miss me?” the Firebird commander began as she flew towards the computer and blasted it, freeing the captive Firebirds.
       “All right!” Firehawk exclaimed as the chains fell from her wrists and legs. “We’re free!”
       “Let’s PARTY!” Hotshot began as she quickly took out an unconscious Storm out of the weather witch’s cramped prison.
       “Where’s Escobar?” Phoenix demanded as she looked around.
       Dazzler frowned as she rubbed the scars caused by the manacles around her wrists. “I don’t know.” She began as she looked around. “That asshole was here awhile ago.”
       Meanwhile, the two Harpies were alarmed to see that the Firebirds were free.  
	“They are too many of them.” Kamikaze began. “Come on, let’s get out of here!” 
	Rusty nodded and they quickly flew off. 
       Firehawk quickly spotted them. “Harpies!” she shouted. “Come on, let’s go after them. They might get away!” 
	“Leave them alone, Firehawk.” Phoenix told her as she faced Escobar who was huddled in a corner. “This is the trophy I WANT.”
	An hour later, outside the remains of the fortress. The Foxbat was ready to take off.
	Phoenix snickered as she finished tying Escobar on the plane’s nose while the other Firebirds were inside the fortress checking to make sure that they hadn’t miss anything. “You’re lucky that I decided not to think of anything worse. But I guess this will do.” She told him. “You are going for the ride of your life.” She paused as she heard the sound of footsteps coming towards her.
	She turned around and saw the other Firebirds approaching her.
	“Everything ready?” The Firebird commander asked them in a bright voice.
	Dazzler nodded. “Uh huh, everything is set.”
	“Well, I’d better get this over with now.” Phoenix remarked as she faced her prisoner. 
	“What are you going to do to me?” Escobar asked, nervously licking his lips. 
	Phoenix smiled thinly. “Let’s just say you have just won a one way ticket to the White House.”  She chuckled. “Via Air Mail, that is.” She added as she taped a note to the President on Escobar. Then she glanced at Centaurie. “Activate the plane.”
	Dazzler looked uneasy. “Phoenix, are you sure you want to do this?”
	 Phoenix nodded. “Oh yes, VERY much.” She told her as Centaurie activated the Foxbat.  
	“Bon voyage.” She added, waving at the plane as it flew off.