Unsure as to what to do with the "incredible shrinking (and growing) girl", the team opted for a bird cage they found in the barn. She was only capable of shrinking down to approximately the size of a man's pinky finger and she was unable to grow past the size of the cage without harming herself. So they made a soft bed for her, provided her with necessary things, such as a small potty, food, water, etc., and made her as comfortable as possible. All of this done while being threatened and berated every chance she was given, causing everyone to agree to place her cage in an office-size room just off the main living area.

As for the lizard-girl, she had managed to escape into the shrubbery and underbrush once Anthony convinced her to return to her natural form so that he could let down the force-field he had erected to restrain her. As soon as it was down, she had converted into a gecko and disappeared so quickly he was unable to react.

"Who knew she could morph so fast?" he asked with a shrug when Jordan glared at him upon hearing that she had escaped.

"Now we have to worry about that horrendous T-Rex coming after us!" Jordan complained.

Anthony had ruffled his hair and told him to relax. "You seemed to escape her just fine, with the help of your plant friends, kiddo."

Now everyone was gathered back at the farm and it was already dark out. Tya was visibly shaken and she insisted on apologizing to the others for being susceptible to the "Black Hole". She was convinced that she was endangering the entire mission. Jerome wanted to take her home, but Anthony advised against it.

"She will be just as susceptible at home as she is here and she won't have Jackson at hand to bring her out of it if she gets trapped," he said, patting Jerome on the arm.

The Falcon considered this and then nodded his agreement. He looked at Tya and said, "He is right. You should stay here where we can all protect you. We do learn a bit more about the bastard every time he messes with you."

She smiled and agreed, seemingly happy that she would be allowed to remain with the team. Lillian was busying herself with finding a way to keep Tya connected via her crystal even if her mind was hijacked. She was confident there was a way to do it, she just needed to figure it out. Orion assisted her with the task.

Meanwhile, the team decided to get a good night's rest and assemble again early in the morning. They agreed that there wasn't much more they could accomplish at night without putting themselves in danger. 

Jackson was just about to wander out onto the back porch to find Macy when his cell phone rang. It was the Chief of Police with the information Jackson had asked for.

"I thought you might like to have it a bit earlier than planned, mate," the friendly chief explained.

"You thought correctly," Jackson replied and went into the office to use an old fax machine the owners had hooked up for guests to use. He gave the chief the fax number and hung up with him. The tiny girl eyed him from her cage. Her little arms were crossed and she stood there with a defiant pout on her face. Jackson ignored her as he waited for the papers to come through.

"So what's your deal? You got super powers?" she finally asked.

He glanced at her and shrugged. "Sort of."

"What is it? I must know so that I know how best to use you once I have conquered the world."

Jackson laughed and shook his head. "You don't appear to be in any position to conquer anything except that cage, little missy."

"I will get out and I will punish all of you!" she shouted in her tiny voice, glaring at him. "Let me out and your punishment will not be as severe as the others."

"What's your name?" Jackson asked. He wore his lop-sided grin.

"Jade. It will be Goddess Jade to you very soon, however."

"Well, Jade. Have you ever considered using your ability for the good of your fellow human beings instead of trying to conquer them?"

"Hahaha! My fellow humans! You are all beneath me and shall be my slaves!" 

Jackson shrugged again and turned his attention back to the fax machine, which had begun spitting out papers. "That attitude will only keep you confined to that cage," he told her. Then he grabbed the papers and walked out the door. As he closed it behind him he heard her cursing and threatening him angrily.

Anthony looked up at him as he entered the living room. "She has quite a mouth on her for such a young one!" he said and Jackson nodded. He placed the papers on the coffee table.

"I've got the information Macy and I went after."

"What is it?"

"It should be lists of all research facilities and scientists in the city and surrounding areas. Maybe we'll get lucky and our culprits will be included here."

"How will we know?"

"If I have to question every one of them and investigate every facility, I'll do it. Father Time will know if I meet anyone who is involved."

"Maybe it won't have to come to that. I know we were close to something today. Why else were we getting attacked by 'supers'?"

Jackson nodded and then agreed to leave the paperwork with Anthony while he went to find Macy. He walked out onto the back porch and found her on the swing again, gazing out into the inky darkness. He went over and stood beside her, quietly.

"Hi, honey," she said in a near whisper. She scooted over and patted the seat next to her. "You can sit down with me if you like."

Jackson gazed at her for a moment and then sat down. He wanted things to be normal between them again, but he had no idea how to go about it. He never lacked female attention, but it wasn't often that he had allowed anyone to get close to him. When he had, the relationships hadn't lasted very long. Macy was the first woman who had managed to break through the barrier around his heart and she had done it without him being aware of it when it happened. It had taken his believing that he might lose her in order for him to realize he loved her.

Jackson let out a long breath and then sat back in the swing. "I've got the information we asked the Police Chief for."

"Oh good, darling! Shall I help you look it over?"

"Tony has it inside. I wanted to come out and make sure you were alright. I was worried when you fell into that trap. What did you see, anyways?"

Macy let out a shiver and he wasn't sure if it was the chill of the night air or the thought of whatever she had experienced that caused it. He put his arm around her shoulders and drew her protectively against him.

"Oh it was horrible, Jackson!" she sighed, snuggling up to him and drawing her feet up under her. "I was just falling into Vivian's eyes. They had become this swirling, black pit and the feeling emanating from it was... well, it was just awful! Poor Tya! I was only falling for a few minutes. I can't imagine being trapped in there for longer! Nothing but pain and loneliness and fear!"

Jackson pulled back to look her in the eyes. He wiped a tear that had escaped down her cheek and then kissed her forehead. She seemed so fragile to him, yet he knew how tough she could be. He tucked her safely back under his arm.

"I will never let anything hurt you. As long as I'm alive, you can always count on me to find you when you get lost and to protect you if you are in danger. I promise."

"I know, sweetie. It's just difficult to believe anyone will save you when you are falling into that pit of despair. It's hard to describe. We have to stop him, Jackson!"

He squeezed her and nodded. They would stop the "Black Hole". The bastard could count on it.

...........

Tya gazed at Jerome as he made another restless trip around the bedroom before once again stopping at the window to peer out into the night. She was reclined on the bed attempting to read, but his restlessness made it impossible to concentrate and she was worried about him.

"You don't have to stay in here and guard me, you know. You are like a caged animal, Jerome."

He looked over at her from his station at the window, his golden eyes glowing in contrast to his black-as-night skin. "I do not feel 'caged', my Oracle. I just... my thoughts are weighing heavy at the moment."

She smiled. "I know. That much is apparent even without the use of my abilities. You know I will not intrude upon your thought uninvited... so are you going to tell me what has you so distraught?"

He turned back to the window for a moment before walking over to sit beside her on the bed. "First and foremost, I am very frustrated because I feel as though I am insufficient... too weak to protect you from that monster. It is very humbling."

She nodded. "I can see that. It is not your fault, Jerome. Please do not allow it to get in the way of your being able to help the team. You need to think with a clear, unhindered mind in order to best assist them in stopping him... What else is bothering you?"

He sighed and looked down at the floor, seemingly lost in thought. She was patient. Her hand reached out and covered his as she waited for his reply.

Finally his golden eyes raised again to look into hers. "I fought the winged woman today. She attacked me, catching me completely by surprise. She knocked me out of the sky and we struggled."

Tya nodded, encouraging him to continue. This creature he had found worried her. She was apparently on the side of their enemy and the Oracle knew this was a dangerous twist for Jerome. He had been alone for so long, unsure of who he was and where he had come from. This other winged creature brought hope and the possibility that he was not as alone as he had thought. The possibility that he was not just a human with a strange and amazing mutation, but that he might actually be a member of an entirely different species. This was something that would not be at all surprising to her. She had suspected from the moment that she met him that he was not of this world.

He continued after a brief pause. "She was strong, but I did not try very hard to best her." He looked into Tya's eyes with an intensity she hadn't seen before. "I fell to my knees and offered her my life. I would have allowed her to strike me dead if she chose to do so. I told her I would rather die than harm her."

His shoulders drooped and he hung his head. He was obviously ashamed and believed that what he had done was wrong. That it was a weakness. The Oracle saw it differently.

"You did nothing wrong, Jerome. Look at me."

He looked back up at her with a sadness that tugged at her. She sat forward and drew him into her arms, his head resting upon her small shoulder.

"You did what anyone in your position would have done. She didn't harm you. That should tell you something. She is probably just as lost and lonely as you are, Jerome. Undoubtedly she is struggling like you are, too. How she became involved with whatever we are dealing with is unknown, but she didn't take the opportunity to kill you and that has to mean she is capable of redemption. She may be confused. Unaware of the harm being done by the people she is involved with, even."

She pulled back and looked into his eyes again. "Give her the benefit of the doubt. You did the right thing. You did what your heart told you to do. You always do and that is not a weakness. It is part of what makes you so wonderful. So completely good."

He shook his head. "I was weak because of my own selfish desire for there to be another like me. I put our mission at risk. I put myself at risk. It was unwise."

Tya sat back against the pillows. "Perhaps. You made a risky move, but it revealed what you needed to know about her. Now you need to get past it and stop punishing yourself. Life is often similar to a game of chess. You have to make moves that carry risk in order to win the game."

He stood to his feet and seemed to be considering her words. She picked up her book and glanced up at him over the top of it. "Take a walk, my friend. Clear your head and then come back when you are ready to settle down and get some rest. I will be fine. I promise."

He looked down at her and sighed before turning toward the door. "I will ask Vivian to check on you while I go for a flight. You are right. I am restless. I will be back soon."

She smiled and nodded before going back to her book.

..........

Jackson knew where he was the moment he became conscious of his surroundings. The mist. The darkened cityscape. The buildings he had never been inside. He grinned as he moved down the street, stirring up the swirling fog. It wasn't long before he spotted his alter-ego standing like a magnificent statue, arms crossed and cape billowing.

"We need to figure out a way to communicate while I'm awake. And I want to be able to initiate contact," he said as he closed the distance.

"You did."

Jackson's eyebrow shot up to his hairline. "I did?"

The black mask turned toward him, eyes crackling with green electric currents that matched the ones that sparked around the emblem on his chest.

"Yes. You did. You wanted to speak to me and you were thinking it as you drifted off to sleep. This brought about our meeting."

Jackson stared at Father Time for a moment considering his surprising words. Then he turned and stood shoulder to shoulder with his "dark side" and looked out at the quiet city.

"Well, that solves one issue, then. I'd still like to be able to contact you while I'm awake. My having to go to sleep in order to consult with you is annoying."

He saw the slight nod in his peripheral vision.

"You wanted to speak to me about the mission. The Black Hole has attacked the Oracle again. He is very powerful."

It was Jackson's turn to nod. "We need to stop him... I'm afraid... I wonder if it's you who should be going after him instead of me."

"You are doing exactly what you should be doing, Detective. I need you to make the connection so that I can take action. Without the correct initiation of my programming, I am unsure as to whether I would be capable of doing anything."

He turned to look at Jackson again. "I must admit to a feeling of... surprise at your insecurity. You are not usually lacking in confidence."

Jackson's eyes narrowed and he shoved his hands in his pockets. It didn't feel good to have his weakness pointed out to him and his teeth ground against each other as his jaw tightened.

"He sucked Macy into his freakish hole along with two other women, aside from Tya."

"I know. The extent of his power and capability is as of yet unknown. He is dangerous. Perhaps even more so than I am. However we have an obligation to bring him to justice if he is evil. He needs to be stopped and we, along with the team, are the best hope humanity has against him. Our safety is of little significance."

"I'm not worried about our safety. I just... Macy..."

"I am aware of the importance of Detective Grey to you. She means a great deal, but she is strong. What she experienced was little in comparison to what he has likely done to others."

"I know," Jackson nodded again. "I suppose I just wanted to touch bases and find out your thoughts about what's going on so far. What happened with the girls today has me worried and I was hoping you had a plan."

"I do."

Jackson turned and looked at him again, both eyebrows now raised.

"You do? Would you mind letting me in on it?" 

"Of course not," came the reply. His faceless other half turned toward him. "The plan is to find him and then kill him."

.............

(Okay, so not much action in this chapter, but the next one will be exciting. Votes? Comments?