Sky High After Dark: Siren's song

I, and I know many of you, who call Fides home, have come to accept this hero as one of ours since she became a fixture with The Sovereign Crusaders. I know all of us, myself included, will miss her and thank her for all that she has done for Fides and the world at large. I know her death will affect a great many people." Aron felt a little odd when they listened to the man cry on air. He didn't understand why people assumed she was dead; he knew most likely she was only knocked unconscious due to the impact, but he knew she wasn't dead. "What's that?! What do you mean there's movement where Nightshade fell?!" A smirk rose at the corner of his mouth; he knew she wouldn't be down for long.

"You give them hell, Stacy," Aron whispered into his mind as he listened to the joyous man as he detailed what they saw on the ground. Turning back around to finish his meal, listening to the man going on and on about how lucky she was and they were to still have a fine hero among them.

"Nightshade! Nightshade!" Aron's ears perked up at the man's frantic voice to get her attention.

"Yes, go ahead, Jim."

"Tell us, we all saw you getting shot; how can you be here standing there, talking to us?" Jim asked, holding out his microphone to her.

"Well, Jim, as you and the rest of this city knows how my last suit was destroyed over six weeks ago. So I spoke to a friend of mine; I think you have heard of him, haven't you?" Nightshade asked with a coy smile on her lips.

"You mean this Void character?"

"The very same," Nightshade nodded. "You see, my friend is really shy until you get him talking, and he just rambles on and on about things." A round of chuckles and giggles circled the Carter's kitchen table at that. "Anyway, I asked him about who made his suit, and well, I'm very thankful for Mist Manufacturing and Technology Corporation," lifting up the left cuff of her sleeve, showing off Aron's makers mark to the news crews there that day, "without him and the people who traveled with him to make this new suit so quickly for me. I've been on the sidelines long enough I wasn't about to allow these villains to think I was out of the game for good. If you're listening, Mr. Carter, thank you very much. Without this suit, I know I would have been killed today. Oh, I hurt; it felt like a horse kicking me in the gut," Nightshade spoke before the woman to her left could ask her question. "But without this suit, I would be lying dead back there," she said, jutting her thumb over her shoulder at the spot where she fell. "Void if you're listening to this or watching; I also thank you for introducing me to your friend. I know we, The Sovereign Crusaders and Mist Manufacturing and Technology Corporation, as our new donors, will have a very fruitful relationship." Aron felt the eyes of his family on him as the reporters called out to Nightshade as she and her group walked away towards their hover car. "If you want more information on our new donor, please see Newman at the base; he will answer any and all questions you might have about this new partnership we have with Mist Manufacturing and Technology Corporation."

"Why are you all looking at me like that?" Aron asked, getting a little freaked out by their hard staring. Rising from his seat, plucking his plate off the table and walked over to the sink.

"You best not be sneaking off and playing hero with another group of superheroes," Vera pouted from her seat as she crossed her arms below her breasts.

"Yeah, Dad, you just can't see another team; that's just wrong," Jill teased, joining in with her niece.

"Whoever said I played hero?" Aron asked from over his shoulder as he placed the plate into the sink.

"We did," Tazia spoke up. "Remember Bosnia? Remember the battle we had with Cestron? Or you're trip to space?"

"Yeah, kind of hard to forget Bosnia and that device exploding in my face Tazia," Aron retorted as he spun around.

"Well, you're my hero, grandpa," Tazia uttered, seeing everyone at the table fighting back their laughter. "You know you're the wind beneath my wings?!" Belting out a crackle as Aron tossed his head back and groaned loudly as he walked out of the kitchen.

"Don't you dare go down into that lab of yours!" Vera shouted out. "We have to visit the site in an hour so we can discuss the planning of the complex, then we have to run over to the factory and see how the contractors are faring," she said in a motherly voice. "And we're taking the babies with us!" Seeing the wide smiles on her sisters' lips, knowing that would give them at least three hours without Henry underfoot or Nettie wanting attention from either one of them. Not that they weren't good parents, they were, at least Vera thought they were. No. Every parent needs a break every now and again, especially with Henry starting his terrible twos.

"Then I best get you ready for your daddy, shouldn't I?" Aminah cooed down at her daughter, who held out her little arms to her once Nettie had made a complete and sticky mess of her highchair. Smiling down at her daughter as Nettie sucked her left hand clean of the syrup they had with their breakfast that morning.

"No, mine!" Henry shouted as Tazia moved to clean Henry's highchair off.

"Henry!" Tazia yelled, holding her left wrist against her chest when Henry squeezed a tad too hard that she had to activate her powers just to keep her son from breaking anything.

"Bad boy?!" Vera hissed in a disapproving grandmotherly voice, slapping his wrist as she did. "You do not put your hands on your mother?! What if you hurt her, huh? Do you want to injure your mother to the point she can't take care of you?" she asked, peering down at her grandson as she placed her hands on her hips. Only to turn as Aron instantly appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. She noticed how Henry instantly got quiet and sunk back into his highchair as his father's gaze burned into his son.

"Henry, what did you do?" Aron asked in that stern fatherly voice. "Did you hurt your mother?" His tone was devoid of emotion, so Vera knew her son was not pleased. "Seems you did," he said when his son shook his head. "You didn't then; why is your mother holding her wrist like that, huh?" Pointing over to Tazia as she rubbed her wrist, hoping Henry didn't break anything. "Everyone out, my son and I need to have a talk, alone," Aron spoke in a not too pleased tone.

"Go easy on him; he's only two, son," Noah whispered into Aron's ear before lightly patting his son's back so he could speak to Henry alone.

"You okay?" Aron asked low in a loving tone as Tazia came up to his side, still cradling her wrist.

"Yeah, you should have warned me that you'd spread out your strength to your children," Tazia cooed, leaning in, placing a loving kiss on Aron's lips. "Don't be too hard on him; I know he didn't mean to."

"I know, but he needs to learn how to control his strength just like I had to," Aron stated, rubbing Tazia's back as she leaned into him.

"Whatever you're going to do, as long as it's not too oppressive to Henry, he is only two, after all, I will go along with your punishment," Tazia whispered into Aron's left ear, her hot breath played along the fine, nearly invisible, hairs that lined his ear.

"Veil!" Aron called out, knowing she was never too far away from him or the kids.

"Yes, father," Veil replied, appearing in the doorway.

"Go and fetch E3 from the vault," Aron directed, seeing Veil nod, knowing what he meant by E3.

"What's E3?" Tazia asked worryingly.

"Nothing harmful, I assure you," Aron stated, running his hand down Tazia's arm as she nodded in understanding, looking back at their son and seeing the fear of his punishment in her son's eyes. Aron watched Tazia leave the room; he couldn't help it; his eyes did dip down towards her ass. What could he say? He did enjoy holding onto it greatly. The smirk on Tazia's lips wasn't lost on him as he caught a glance of it before Tazia disappeared behind the wall. Aron had assumed she knew he was staring at her ass. What could he say? It was an obsession. "Now, Henry, what are we going to do about you?"

"Nothing," Henry spoke in his best cute voice to get out of trouble.

"Yeah, that's not going to happen; you've already injured Aminah and now your mother, son," pulling out a chair, stopping himself when he realized he sounded like his father, "I get it, it's very hard to control your strength every second of the day, yet you're going to have to learn how to. What if you had really hurt your mother just then? How would you feel knowing you broke your own mother's wrist?" Aron asked; he knew Henry wouldn't understand most of what he was saying, but his son understood enough to know he was in trouble and what he had done was a bad thing. "What will happen if you can't control yourself around normal people? You know you will have to interact with them here in a few years," trying not to smile as his son just shook his head vehemently, "it's going to happen, Henry; your mother wants only the best schooling for you," seeing the fear of the unknown playing across his son's eyes, "so I developed something thinking this might happen when you were born," he said as the sound of the elevator doors rolled open.

"Father? I have retrieved E3 as you've asked," Veil stated, appearing in the doorway, holding the two-piece garment in her left hand.

"Good," Aron spoke as he turned his gaze towards her. "You can put Henry in it while I hold him still," he directed, knowing Henry wasn't going to stay still long enough for them to put the suit on him. At least not when Henry learned that the suit was inhibiting the use of his powers for the time being until they could be sure Henry knew when and where to use his vast strength and not when he was trying to get his way. "Relax, Henry, it's not going to hurt you," Aron said in a fatherly voice as Henry cried and squirmed on the kitchen table as his legs kicked, trying to keep Veil from pulling off his pajamas. "What? Did you think you were the strongest one here?" he asked, smiling down at his son when Henry tried and failed to push his hand off his chest that was keeping him in place. "Oh, no, you don't," Aron uttered, tickling his son's stomach; it was amusing watching his son's face go from straining to budge his hand and the uncontrollable laughter that overwhelmed his son. "Now, Henry," sitting his son up and pulling off the t-shirt he had slept in, handing it to Veil, who in turn handed him the top portion of the suit, "this is your punishment for not only hurting your mother but your aunt as well. This will also teach you when you should use your powers and when you shouldn't because if you keep using your powers just to get what you want, you'll turn into a villain, and you know what I do to villains?" Looking down as Henry's light green - with blue flakes scattered about his iris' - stared up at him. Watching how his head slowly nodded, knowing Tazia only told him that he just put away villains and not what he truly did to them. Noting how Henry jumped when his right fist struck the palm of his left hand, causing the room to shake, and oddly enough, the windows didn't shatter at the same time.

"Henry, I know you're young, and I know you may not understand what I'm saying, yet until you can control yourself, you will have to wear this until you can keep from using your power when you're fussy," Aron said in a loving fatherly tone as he plucked his son off the table. Noticing how Henry looked rather confusing down at his chest when he felt rather weak for the first time in his two years of life. "Veil?"

"Yes, father?" Veil answered, following after him towards the bedroom he shared with Aminah and Tazia.

"While we're gone, help Neil if he needs it when he goes down to level one," Aron said, noting how his son had a furious look on him when he couldn't use his powers as his tiny hand struck his chest.

"Wouldn't you rather I travel along with you since I know you'll be a tad busy," Veil stated with hope in her voice.

"Hmm... good point, but you'll have to look the part of a nanny," Aron said, glancing over his left shoulder at her.

"Father, are you referring to a naughty outfit?" Veil asked innocently as dozens of porn videos that fell under the lusty nanny category played along her mainframe.

"What?! What have you and Jill been watching?!" Aron asked, rather startled that she would think of that. Although, he couldn't deny Veil wouldn't fill that role rather nicely.

"Father, are you saying you wouldn't want to find me bent over in a very embarrassing position?" Veil flirted. "Where I'd have to do some very, very, very naughty things to keep the master of the house from forcing me out of a job?" Aron's eyebrow inched higher; he had no idea Veil was into roleplaying.

"That might happen," Aron uttered, playing along, continuing on with his trek. Not seeing the wide grin on Veil's face as he continued down the hall.

"Veil, what are you doing?!" Aminah's voice filled the air as Veil pushed him out of their bedroom so she could help Veil pick out the best outfit to entice her father with while looking professional at the same time.

"We all set?" Vera asked, walking down the stairs in her best business attire, with Jill following behind fifteen minutes later.              

"We are. Veil's getting the kids settled in the SUV as we speak," Aron stated, not taking his eyes off of how red Tazia's cheeks were getting as he gently probed around her wrist.

"Aron, I'm fine; stop babying me," Tazia uttered in a bashful voice. Only to have her face grow red hot at the smile on his lips, knowing he was doing it for that reason.

"Oh? Don't want me to baby you, huh?" Aron teased.

"Well... maybe," her fingers lightly picked and tugged at the suit jacket he was wearing as she stepped up to him, "later, tonight, I might go for a little babying," Tazia cooed, pressing her 32B breasts against Aron's chest.

"That so," Aron mused with a coy smirk.

"Mmmhmm, and I may let you kiss it all you want," Tazia said, referring to her mound, not her wrist. "Now you best get going; you shouldn't keep them waiting," she whispered as her lips pulled away from his.

******

"Veil, what is this?" Aron asked after spending a few hours down in his counterpart's, now his, sanctuary after lunch when they got home a little past noon. Looking down at a rather large, round, one-inch-thick metal container.

"A film canister, my maker, took that from the OSS when he broke in to steal the files they had on him," Veil said informatively as she stood by the desk, still wearing the tight-fitting skirt and white blouse Aminah had picked out for her before she left with Aron to view the site that morning.

"Can I ask why he thought it wise to break into a government building?" Aron asked, peering over at her.

"Hoover, as you would have put it, had a hard-on about finding out heroes' secret identities so they could blackmail them into helping them with difficult tasks without a care for their safety. Moreso when it came to you," Veil said in a deadpan voice.

"Why?"

"He was secretly running the OSS after the war alongside the FBI before they renamed the organization the CIA. When you broke in, you were nearing your time, so to keep you and the timeline secure or as secure as he could, my maker stole those. Also, he didn't believe he had finished off the Collector. At least not all of him; your other self started to spot the little signs that he or something was keeping the organization alive. However, due to his... condition, in the later months, my maker couldn't keep track of everything as he once did, so he tried to find out where the Collector came from in the first place. If he found anything about it, he never told me. So I do not have the information that would allow me to tell you what you're likely to find in that file cabinet," Veil stated, nodding towards it.

"We'll just set this aside for the moment," Aron said, laying the container onto the desk. "Veil, did I leave any audio files behind relating to what's in there?"

"Bottom drawer, far back," Veil answered quickly.

"Veil, do we have something that can play these?" Aron asked, looking through the stack of mini reels in his hands with names on them that he had no clue who they were about. He was equally confused when the label for a Dr. Sikke Hahn appeared once he had set the small reel down on top of the others.

"Do you have anything in your data banks about whoever this was?" Aron asked, showing her the label as he held it out to her.

"He was a Nazi," Veil stated truthfully.

"Really?"

"Mmmhmm," Veil nodded.

"Okay, I'm kind of proud of myself going off and fighting Nazis," Aron mused down at the reel.

"As you should be, that man was one of the vilest people to have ever existed in that war."

"Even more so than Mengele, Hitler, Goebbels?" Aron asked, rattling the names off the top of his head.

"Even more so," Veil nodded once again. Her eyes glanced down when she heard the scraping of the feet of the chair as Aron pulled the chair out from beneath the desk and spun it around towards her.

"Okay, Veil, tell me everything you know about this man," Aron said, gesturing for her to continue.

"I have to take you back to '39," seeing his nod, taking that as her cue to continue, "three months had passed since my maker had created my physical form," referring to her mainframe and Aron's original suit, "when one night while conducting field tests on the suit, you were approached in a sense..."

"I take it in the form of being surrounded with guns pointing at me," Aron cut in to this Veil agreed.

"Not that you were worried about them; you knew I would protect you," Veil said proudly, puffing out her chest. "So there you stood, pointing your guns at them, them pointing their guns at you. It continued for some time; I was quite amused with myself; he was like you, allowing me to talk to the authorities while my maker would play some word game with himself." Seeing how Aron was thinking back to how he played bejeweled whenever he interacted with the police. "While at the time the US wasn't in the war at the moment, yet they have been keeping watch on heroes, super and non-super alike. So they could use them for their own means without regard for the heros' safety or families. This wasn't the first time the OSS had tried to get you to work with them, yet that night was when you actually gave it some thought when the man in charge stepped out of the car that had you ringed in."

"And just what did this man say to get me to work with them?"

"He didn't necessarily say anything, father, all he did was pull out a picture," Veil said, wondering how he would react.

"Of whom?"

"Henry." Noting the scowl on Aron's face when she said that.

"In or out of costume?"

"Both."

"So I take it they threatened my son, to out him or something if I didn't work with them?" Aron asked, keeping his temper in check.

"More or less," Veil nodded.

"Go on," Aron rolled his hand. Thinking to himself that government agencies hadn't changed in eighty-plus years. Also, thinking of how they could use those with superpowers to their advantage.

"It was in November of that year that you were parachuted into France. You didn't trust them enough to put your life in their hands, so you made your own parachute. The gadgets they gave you, you left those behind. You surmised, and rightly so, that they were subpar and liable to fail. You put your trust in me, and I have never once let you down," Veil stated with pride.

"True, you haven't," Aron agreed, seeing the happiness, which was odd to see in an AI, in Veil's eyes as he said that.