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Strong sat in the meeting room, exercizing. Willow and Riddle were busy doing research, pursuing the name Alexander Reynolds to learn as much as they could. Strong lacked the patience for such work, though, and so was trying to decide what he was to do while they were busy. Usually at such times he would go and do some solo work. In the city where they lived there was always work to be done. Even after years of having super heroes living next door, there were still plenty of people who were prepared to commit crimes and risk the consequences. Strong took a perverse pleasure in showing these people the errors of their ways.
A hearty meal is the key to a successful day, he thought with a smile, and went to load up his plate. Lunchtime had come and gone while they waited for Riddle to finish, and so he found himself eating a strange combination of lunch and dinner, with a foot long sandwich, a can of corn, and left over beef stew from the previous night. That, he thought, should be enough to tide him over until dinner. With a smile, he dug in.
He was halfway through his sandwich when he heard a crackle from the radio. Generally only used when someone was in need of aid, it was definately important enough to interrupt his meal to make sure every thing was alright. He walked over and answered the machine. "Strong here."
There was no answer, and Strong was about to repeat the greeting when a voice started speaking, a voice he recognized very well. "This is the Mastermind. Whether you know it or not, you heroes have a very serious problem that needs to be dealt with. Come visit me and we will discuss the issue at your leisure. Good luck, heroes."
Realizing he was growling at the radio, Strong gave himself a shake. "What do you mean?" he asked the receiver, his anger only barely hidden. "What game are you playing now?" But there was no answer. "You better believe we'll find you," he muttered. Still, he had never known Mastermind to lie to them per se. That meant, unfortunately, that if Mastermind said they had a problem, they almost certainly actually had one. Probably, this was the start of his newest scheme. Good timing, he thought with a smile, we're gonna nail him this time.
Tuning on his wrist radio to team send, Strong said, "Team, and old friend just informed us that we have a problem. Thought you'd like to know."
"I'll be right there," replied Willow instantaneously. Riddle echoed this message a moment later.
A few minutes later, the heroes reconvened in the break room. Strong was finishing his dinner voraciously. Riddle played back the message that they had been sent, and then she and Willow sat for many long minutes considering what it all might mean.
"Mastermind has never lied to us, right?" asked Strong, prompting them towards the conclusion he was hoping for.
"Right," replied Riddle slowly.
"And he said that we should find him, right?"
"Right," Willow answered suspiciously.
"So we should go find him, correct?"
Riddle sighed. "We know you're trying to get at something, just spit it out Strong."
"I'm suggesting that we go to his island and kick the crap out of him and his goons," said Strong, as if he had just presented an unimpeachable argument.
Willow sighed, echoing Riddle. "We've discussed this before, Strong. We know it's his stronghold, we're guaranteed to lose."
"Maybe not this time," Riddle commented thoughtfully. "This sounded like an invitation, didn't it? He's never phrased one of his challenges quite like this. 'Come visit me,' huh? Maybe he means just that."
"Or it's a trap," Willow pointed out as if she thought she shouldn't have had to point it out.
"But you agree that he's never actually lied to us, right?" Strong reminded her.
"I missed the part of the message where he assured our safety."
They continued to squabble as Riddle sat contemplatively. It was clear to her that her opinion would determine which way this argument went. However, she had an advantage that the others did not, an empathic sense that she had come to trust implicitly. She couldn't deny that Willow was entirely correct, and yet her instinct suggested that there was no trap. She really did think that they should do as Strong suggested.
"Enough," she said quietly, and the argument stopped. "I think we should go to his island."
"Let's see what Mr. Reynolds has to say for himself."
A hearty meal is the key to a successful day, he thought with a smile, and went to load up his plate. Lunchtime had come and gone while they waited for Riddle to finish, and so he found himself eating a strange combination of lunch and dinner, with a foot long sandwich, a can of corn, and left over beef stew from the previous night. That, he thought, should be enough to tide him over until dinner. With a smile, he dug in.
He was halfway through his sandwich when he heard a crackle from the radio. Generally only used when someone was in need of aid, it was definately important enough to interrupt his meal to make sure every thing was alright. He walked over and answered the machine. "Strong here."
There was no answer, and Strong was about to repeat the greeting when a voice started speaking, a voice he recognized very well. "This is the Mastermind. Whether you know it or not, you heroes have a very serious problem that needs to be dealt with. Come visit me and we will discuss the issue at your leisure. Good luck, heroes."
Realizing he was growling at the radio, Strong gave himself a shake. "What do you mean?" he asked the receiver, his anger only barely hidden. "What game are you playing now?" But there was no answer. "You better believe we'll find you," he muttered. Still, he had never known Mastermind to lie to them per se. That meant, unfortunately, that if Mastermind said they had a problem, they almost certainly actually had one. Probably, this was the start of his newest scheme. Good timing, he thought with a smile, we're gonna nail him this time.
Tuning on his wrist radio to team send, Strong said, "Team, and old friend just informed us that we have a problem. Thought you'd like to know."
"I'll be right there," replied Willow instantaneously. Riddle echoed this message a moment later.
A few minutes later, the heroes reconvened in the break room. Strong was finishing his dinner voraciously. Riddle played back the message that they had been sent, and then she and Willow sat for many long minutes considering what it all might mean.
"Mastermind has never lied to us, right?" asked Strong, prompting them towards the conclusion he was hoping for.
"Right," replied Riddle slowly.
"And he said that we should find him, right?"
"Right," Willow answered suspiciously.
"So we should go find him, correct?"
Riddle sighed. "We know you're trying to get at something, just spit it out Strong."
"I'm suggesting that we go to his island and kick the crap out of him and his goons," said Strong, as if he had just presented an unimpeachable argument.
Willow sighed, echoing Riddle. "We've discussed this before, Strong. We know it's his stronghold, we're guaranteed to lose."
"Maybe not this time," Riddle commented thoughtfully. "This sounded like an invitation, didn't it? He's never phrased one of his challenges quite like this. 'Come visit me,' huh? Maybe he means just that."
"Or it's a trap," Willow pointed out as if she thought she shouldn't have had to point it out.
"But you agree that he's never actually lied to us, right?" Strong reminded her.
"I missed the part of the message where he assured our safety."
They continued to squabble as Riddle sat contemplatively. It was clear to her that her opinion would determine which way this argument went. However, she had an advantage that the others did not, an empathic sense that she had come to trust implicitly. She couldn't deny that Willow was entirely correct, and yet her instinct suggested that there was no trap. She really did think that they should do as Strong suggested.
"Enough," she said quietly, and the argument stopped. "I think we should go to his island."
"Let's see what Mr. Reynolds has to say for himself."
