The Spectrum Force by Heather Ray (good inspirational books .TXT) 📖

^And now, thirty-six hours after the terrible eclipse ended, the snow has started to melt all over the world, and meteorologists predict a return to typical springtime weather,^ reported the young woman, striding through the muddy slush that still spotted the banks of the Hamilton River, ^Although scientists try to determine the cause of the unexplained eclipse, the leading hypothesis is that the event is related to the mass invasion of strange beings that flooded the frozen streets of LA during the blizzard. Who was this army? Information is sparse, but the invaders were referred to by a member of the Spectrum Force as Denebians, which may connect them to the distant star Deneb. There is no sign of these invaders presently, as they vanished completely only minutes after the Sun's return.^

Tracy Preston then paused by one of the bridges crossing the river, which was all but destroyed. She leaned against part of the railing, and continued. ^The mystery woven around these strange recent events is still clouded. However, one thing the eclipse certainly confirmed for the entire world was the existence of the Spectrum Force. This team of superheroes made their debut several weeks ago, when they dodged media coverage after fending off an attack at a local upscale restaurant. Since the actual footage of the team is so sparse, very few individuals out of the Langstrum Alps area put any faith in their existence. However, the eclipse brought these heroes into the public eye yet again. During the eclipse, six members focused their attentions right here at the Hamilton River, where a strange creature was reported to exist. This monster destroyed the bridge I'm standing beside. Also, a new and unidentified winged member of the Force, shown here at the side of the National Guard, came to the general aid of the street forces against the invading Denebian armies. With this footage, plus the inexplicable eclipse, even the most skeptical are beginning to believe that we are not alone in the universe. Rather, there is at least one other species of intelligent life, and they are without a doubt belligerent.^

As the reporter continued her summary of the historic invasion, various clips of the Spectrum Force, including their newest member, snapped past on the corner of the screen. Also shown were screen captures of the invading armies, including one female warrior with a golden tiara and a fierce long bow.

^While the Spectrum Force's existence has been verified, the United States government for one is not planning on letting us fall victim to this type of invasion again. The Secretary of Defense is at this very moment assembling a committee of scientists and military agents to form a defensive strategy to protect the entire planet from such an offensive. Obviously, this endeavor is in its earliest of stages, but the total cost of such a global protection policy with doubtless cost trillions of dollars.

^Now, just a handful of hours after this momentous event, it's clear to see that the world around us is changing. Enemies we didn't even know existed have come out into the open, giving the entire planet all the more reason to consent to peace talks. It's still too soon to know for certain how greatly this event will change the world scene. Back to you, Greg.^

The reporter vanished, only to be replaced by a shot of the news desk. An elderly man with a receding hairline nodded his head, and then fixed his eyes on the camera. ^Thanks, Tracy. While it's true that Langstrum Alps was hit the hardest by the eclipse due to the invasion, it can't be denied that the unseasonal snowfall was devastating to other parts of the world as well. Blizzards threatened crops across the planet, and left many homeless. Globally, several thousand are estimated to have been either killed or seriously injured by the freezing temperatures and unnatural snowfall. Locally, with the strange invasion coupled by the weather, dozens of deaths and numerous injuries have been reported, including a significant percentage of the National Guard. Also, one young woman, a local UCLA student, has been reported missing. As of now, there are no new developments to the whereabouts of Miss Tamara Fox--^

"Enough," Jocelyn whispered, turning off the television and taking another sip of coffee. Wearily, she pushed herself off the couch, and walked into the kitchen to refill her cup. Bloodshot hazel eyes stared into the whirlpool created by her spoon, drinking in the spinning blackness. Vaguely, she wondered if that was what the Nightfall had looked like from the inside... as Tamara had seen it.

Jocelyn swallowed hard, gathering the folds of her cream-colored robe and taking a seat upon the kitchen stool. She lay her heavy head on her palm, and let her elbow rest on the countertop. Lifeless strands of auburn hair fell about her shoulders, as her right hand was caught in the same routine of stirring the coffee.

All she could see was the spinning void of darkness. All she could hear was the sound of silence.

How ironic... the people of the entire planet celebrated their salvation, but the people who fought for that salvation were all neck-deep in depression. And the one person who carried out the impossible... well... she could never celebrate anything.

The hardest thing was lying about Tammy's fate. With all her courage and strength, she couldn't claim her rightful place in history as the hero who saved Earth. Instead, the team decided to report Tammy as missing to the police. Also, Rachel made the painful call to Tammy's parents, informing them of Tammy's disappearance.

At least for the time being, not even Tamara's family would know what happened. They would think her death a pointless tragedy, rather than the selfless sacrifice it truly was.

Suddenly, the slim strength in Jocelyn's body gave out. The young woman pushed her coffee cup away, and let her head drop to the tabletop, nestling it in her arms as she let her weary eyelids drop.

Yet as soon as the darkness became all she could see, her eyes shot open with desperation, and once again stared blankly at her coffee cup.

She just couldn't stand the darkness.

"Hello?" came a weak voice, reminiscent of a groan. The Orange Enforcer rolled her eyes towards the door, where a faint knock accompanied the voice.

"It's... open," she called, her voice hoarse. Slowly, the door pushed open, and a tall figure stepped into the room. He lumbered towards the couch, and sat down heavily, releasing a long sigh as he stared at the ceiling. Both hands reached up to his head, and ran along his face and smooth head slowly. Finally, he leaned forward, clasping his temples between both hands.

"Still suffering from that hangover?" Jocelyn asked, pushing her head up so she could see Craig better.

"Yeah," Craig moaned, shaking his head, "It was dumb, but I didn't know how to handle it all. I mean... it was so out of the blue, you know? The emotional rollercoaster of sure defeat, a glimpse of hope, utter doom, sudden salvation, and then shocking tragic news... I couldn't take it. So, I became good friends with Jose Cuervo."

"It's a good thing Matt stopped you from drinking the whole bottle," Jocelyn muttered accusingly, picking up her coffee mug and walking back to the couch, "You've never been much of a drinker, and tequila isn't something to mess around with. The last thing we need is another tragedy on our hands. Here, drink this."

Craig accepted the coffee, and stared at it a little. "I'm not still drunk, you know."

"True, but caffeine is a great pain-killer," Jocelyn pointed out.

Craig shrugged, taking a long sip of the strong brew. "Thanks, Kiddo."

"No problem," she answered, leaning back on the couch beside her friend. She chewed on her lip for a moment, and then turned back to Craig. "So, how're Matt and Keith? I haven't seen nor heard from Keith since we left Cloud Castle, and Matt's been a stranger too."

Craig nodded. "Actually, Keith hasn't been back to the apartment at all. Matt was basically watching over me," he admitted grimly, "but now he went to find Keith. God knows he's suffering the most."

"Tell me about it," Jocelyn sighed, "And the worst part of it is, Tamara is probably the only one who could've made him feel better about what happened to his father, and now she's..."

Jocelyn cut herself off, her eyes casting towards one of the three bedrooms. "You know, this morning, I woke up, and I honestly thought it was all a dream," she confessed, "The Nightfall, Keith's father, Tammy... I thought it was a nightmare, and that I had woken up to the uncomplicated life I've always had. And then, as I stepped out of my room and saw Tammy's empty room, it dawned on me just how real it is."

"I know," Craig revealed, "Being the Spectrum Force sure did mean we put our lives on the line, but we never won a battle with anything more than a couple scratches. Now, we might have won the battle, but we definitely took a hit... that can never heal."

Craig swallowed another sip of coffee, and glanced around the room inquisitively. "Say... where's Rachel, anyway?"

Jocelyn shrugged her shoulders. "She left before I woke up... or at least, before I got out of bed. Actually, Chris came by about an hour ago looking for her."

Craig nodded. "Yeah, he came by my apartment too. I wonder where she is?"

"She's okay," Jocelyn pointed out, "If she weren't, then our Spectrum Stones would have warned us. I think she just wants to be alone. It's her way of dealing with problems."

"It doesn't matter what she wants," Craig stated, "I have a feeling Chris won't let her be alone. Not at a time like this."

There she was. Standing right in front of her. Grinning despicably, sharp fangs and blood red lips. Laughing mockingly, knowing the pain she caused. Knowing the innocent blood that wet her hands, but feeling no guilt whatsoever. Confident that she would be the victor.

No, she wouldn't be.

A powerful right punch landed in her stomach, while the follow-up left pummeled into her wicked grin. Then, the offense pulled both arms back, and balanced herself for a wicked kick, whipping her right leg with all her strength and plowing it into Celea's knees.

The dark princess only glided back from the fierce attack, and slowly faded away. She was replaced by her father, the towering despot Acheron.

The cold being that threatened to drain the life energy of the mythical