Wrath of The Nighthawk

   Dianna had flown all night and well into the morning from California to Washington DC. Heat from her anger had kept her warm enough. The sun rose as the headquarters for Mutant Task Force America or MTF America was below her. There were already men in dark suits waiting to guide her inside. The helicopter that circled the building about a ¼ mile out had a gunman. She was of no delusion that those bullets could kill her. She landed at the door to the building making the men walk up the stairs behind her as she entered the building. They had seen it as defiance, but publicly she was turning herself into them. Detaining and forcing her into cuffs might actually cause a riot of mutant outcry over abuse. Technically she had up to this point done nothing that broke the law. As she and her crew were registered as neighborhood watch for her state. She held a private security licence, and a concealed gun licence. Though she did not carry a gun. She had made legal citizen arrests, and performed good samaritan works under the mutant responsibility acts of 2006. 

   Senator McCoy met her in the lobby with a lawyer from the defence attorney’s office. “I assure you young lady, we shall get to the bottom of all this. I have taken the liberty to gather all of your records, licences, reports and quite a few local counsel and civic duty officers from Anderson. They all support your activities, as a private investigator of the state of Indiana nothing you did was wrong, nore was the action of your father and friends in any way against the law. I am sure that we can get the charges dropped today.” Hank McCoy was a former student from Xavier’s School for gifted children, same as Dianna, as well as a prominent member of senate. She looked toward him trying not to let her anger that burned in her soul show. Apparently she had failed because even he took a step back. “Justin Stinbeck, ma’am, I would like to represent you. That is if you will let me.” A nod was all she could give. Dianna knew that if she started speaking, she was going to either scream and throw a fit that would mess up any chance these two gentlemen could have of helping her, or she was going to start crying and look like a little girl in front of the world.

   Two large men came from out of the long corridor and began to place hands on her to arrest her. “You will take your hands off my client, sirs.” he passed them his card “As a client of the District of Columbia’s defence department, she is willingly coming in for questioning. Please direct us to your question room.” Mr. Stinbeck stayed with her, not letting any of these men lay one hand on her. Knowing well that if they got her off by herself she might never be seen again. “I would like to speak to whomever is in charge of this case immediately and see what warrant they had that allowed them to enter her home and detain her father and friends.” It hadn’t taken too long for a thin man wearing army issue glasses to enter the room. He laid a file down on the table. “Miss Hartel. You're being detained on the suspicion of abusing your powers.” Her attorney raised his hand and coughed, “Who are you, sir? And can you explain when and where these incidents took place that these charges are being founded upon?” The man returned his answer with a soft smile, and at the very moment he reminded her of a weasel. 

“Oh, I am Mr. Viceton, and the detective for this case here at MTF Am. I know exactly who you are, sir, so there's no need to introduce yourself.” He nodded in Mr. Stinbeck “We are well aware of the District defence of mutants and altered humans rights. We much appreciate your efforts in that area.” For some reason Dianna felt that last bit had been sarcasm. She wanted to demand to see her Father and her friends but thought better of it. She knew that if she did it might ruin her chances. Making her look childish. The attorney took the file and began to read through it. "Nothing in the file, save for mention that she evaded detainment 5 days ago, really shows that she's broken any rules or laws on Mutant/Altered Human conduct. She had been operating under the Neighborhood Watch banner, and providing private detective work based on her licences, and good citizen activities as her gifts required of her.” What he wanted to know was who had signed the warrant that had enabled them to enter the house under the cover of darkness. “Where is the warrant, sir? I can't seem to locate it here in the file. Who gave the go ahead to detain a private citizen as though they were a mutant criminal who had committed a class 2 offense?”

He motioned to the mirror behind Dianna and her attorney and a woman brought in the warrants. Mr. Viceton passed the warrant over the table. Or at least an extremely redacted version of said warrant. “Sorry. What you don’t see here is top secret to the government's investigation into Miss Hartel’s activities and the activities of her known accomplices.” Her attorney smiled, he had him. “So if I'm to understand you correctly, you are attempting to charge my client with multiple class 2 mutant felonies based on this files information?” The man looked a bit concerned then put back on his poker face. “Yes, we are. She is to be remanded into the custody of our agency immediately. Under orders directly from the President of the United States.” Looking to the bottom of the page Stinbeck could indeed see that the President's signature was in fact one of two on this warrant.”

“Well I can tell you, your evidence is vaguely circumstantial at best. I invoke the Registration Law act and demand that unless you can deem her talents to be a danger unto the general populace, you can not hold her more than 5 hours. Additionally, you can not hold her in a cell unless a crime involving a citizen has been committed, and that citizen is present to press charges.” The weasel known as Viceton grinned and waved to the mirror. The glass cleared and there stood the man she had knocked cold during the bank robbery stood there smiling. “Please come and take Miss Hartel into custody on the charges of assaulting a non mutant.” Her attorney looked shocked, and then fear filled both her and his eyes. The agents filled the room separating her from her defence attorney. She was escorted from the room held tightly by three guards. Two on her arms and one pinning her wings. They dragged her down the long corridor and out of Mr Stinbecks sight. 

The next time Dianna saw anyone it was the Weasel, entering with a glass of water and a ham sandwich. “Hello Miss Hartel, how are we this morning?” 'Morning' well that meant that she had been here over 24 hours. “Where is my Father, Tony and Jodie?” She tried hard to maintain a control over her voice, some of her anger slipped through and that made the agent happy to see. “Oh, they are fine Miss Hartel, and we are willing to release them and drop all charges if you agree to plead guilty to criminal misdemeanors.” He sat down across from her in the cell. They had secured her wings with a tight bag with ties laced down her back, leaving her with no movement of her wings. Having them smashed against her in this unnatural way was uncomfortable and at this point has started to hurt a bit. She shook her head. Had she heard him right? 

“You want me to do what?” The dim light in the cell did little to conceal her shock and growing rage.

“Plead guilty and agree to work with MTF. Serve Citizen Reform Services while remaining in detainment for the next 10 years. It is that or we send your friends to jail and your father to a camp for aiding and abetting a criminal.” He sounded so matter-of-fact that she wondered if the judge had not already signed off on her sentence. That was the last straw. Her composure shattered and she screamed at him. She didn't need to use her powers. 

“Let them go, Viceton. Let them go now and let me the hell out of here. YOU HAVE NO RIGHT!” He waved his hand to the door “Why yes we do, Dianna, we have every right to hold you and your family until such time as we see that they have been reformed." Two men entered the room bringing her father and Jodie with them. 

“Now say yes or you will force me to do something very ugly, Miss Hartel.” He turned toward the two that had just entered, “Dianna don’t say a thing, they can’t hurt us. We are after all citizens.” Viceton looked at her. She could tell he was quite serious, but really what was he planning? He couldn’t, after all, harm any of them could he? 

“Well?” an icy calm slipped into his voice and real fear rose in Dianna “NO! I want my attorney right now!” Viceton shrugged before drawing a gun and shooting her father in the head. He then pointed the gun at Jodie's head. Shock and horror filled her with rage and she felt her muscles flexing and something horribly, yet amazing, happened. Her very feathers turned from their usual smoothness into blades and ripped through the canvas restraints that held her. She whipped them out and severed Agent Victon’s head from his shoulders and cut the other two in half. Men tried to flood the cell and stop her as she grabbed Jodie and pulled her into the protection of her wings. She shimmered with a gleam of metal and saw that Tony was being drug down the hall away from her cell. Rushing forward she pushed past the men, determined to get to Tony before they hurt him too.

Her voice rose into a piercing cone of sound and blasted the man on the right. The man was thrown to the side, releasing his grip on Tony. Grabbing both of her friends she faced upwards and screamed. The very air exploded, sending the ceiling and two floors above her skyward. The deafening boom laid down any agents that attempted to stop her from leaving. She pulled both Tony and Jodie with her, somehow they had not been harmed by her screams or being pulled into the air by their arms. She had lifted them with yet another power that she had not known she had. Telekinesis. That made a total of 5 gifts making her one of the most powerful mutants on the earth. She stood on par with Jean Gray, and Wolverine. She took them aloft into the clouds faster than she had ever flown before the telekinesis making her weight and theirs not but a feather. 

Over the next 3 hours she did not stop, she flew toward Canada, a known safe haven for Mutant and Altered Humans. In Canada, she would be protected as a sanctuary country, without extradition for mutants. When she landed on the Canadian Parliament's lawn she collapsed. Tony and Jodie immediately began screaming for help, which brought people from all corners of the governmental buildings. That night Tony and Jodie watched over her as she slept, it was fitful and they could tell not really natural. She would wake crying and screaming in terror. Dianna's body would shift between her usual hawk-like feathers and the deadly yet beautiful metallic configuration. When anyone but Tony or Jodie attempted to get near her she would erupt in defense of her and them. Finally, it was Professor Xavier that was able to get through to her that the three of them were safe. He was able to get her to wake fully from her scattered psyche. She began eating and processing the grief. 

“Today in Top News the Mutant known as Nighthawk has been deemed an enemy of the United States and is now number one on the list of criminals sought by the US government.” the reporter announced. “Now to the President of the United states.” The President stood there in a baby blue suit and red tie, his tubby body was not at all President-like. She had always felt his fake tan was too fake and an affront to society “Anyone who brings this vicious mutant to heel will be paid 1 million in US dollars immediately upon her return dead or alive.” She listened as the US President spoke on world television. “Furthermore, all mutants will be detained and remanded into the custody of camps and detention centers where they will be evaluated to determine if they are able to be complacent and dutiful citizens unto the United states.” She hated that man and vowed as God was her witness. She would kill him. He was the authority that had signed the order to invade her home, that made him responsible for her father's death. “I will kill him, and anyone that had anything to do with my fathers death.” She said this more to the universe than anyone in particular.

To Dianna’s right she heard an almost familiar voice “And so it begins.” She turned and there stood her father? No, it was another man. He was taller, and had a bit darker hair. There was no doubt in her mind he was related but how. The deep timbre of his voice answered before she could speak. “Oh hello little one, I am your Uncle Walter. Your dad and I did not see eye to eye on many things. Including where to live. He also didn’t have gifts, somehow they skipped him.” The large man held out a hand. Somehow he knew that she wouldn’t have let him hug her. Hesitantly, she shook his hand. It was callused and rough, yet vaguely comforting. “You and your friends can come live on my ranch. With 3 thousand acres of forest I am sure you can train your fighting skills.” He turned from her and to her shock and amazement, he had wings. His wings were more eagle-like in comparison to hers. Broader; definitely built for someone of his stature. But she could see the metallic sheen on them. When he turned back he handed her a cup of hot soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. “Just eat. There will be time enough for answers.” 'Huh.' Dianna thought. “What's next?”