Powerhouse: Legend of the Archwave

Chapter 10 (Act I): Partners-In-Crime Fighting

We last read Chapter 9, in which Special Agent Warren Schaefer gives the driver of the middle FBI-affiliated SUV—along with the driver's cohorts—a chewing out in the former's room within the FBI's Seattle field office following their failed first chase of Isabela Acosta a.k.a. Archwave and her "accomplice" James Markovsky a.k.a. Powerhouse. Schaefer reminds his subordinates that the FBI's mission is to protect the United States from threats, and points out that since Isabela is the heiress to a criminal drug empire hailing from the Dominican Republic—and is hinted to have arrived in the United States through rather shady means—she counts as one of those "threats" and must be eliminated as soon as possible. He then goes on to state that only those born on American soil are deserving of its freedoms and liberties since it was America's soldiers who paid the ultimate price to secure them, then harshly orders everyone to leave and prepare for another patrol.

Most of the other FBI agents get up and leave Schaefer's room, but Schaefer orders the driver of the middle SUV to stay. Afterwards, he expresses disbelief that Powerhouse—quite possibly the one hero among the rest of the Paragons who cares the most for America and its citizens—would "betray" the country and give assistance and asylum to a foreign alien, to which the driver of the middle SUV confirms this fact. However, he correctly points out that Powerhouse may not know exactly how Archwave got to the United States yet, to which Schaefer relents slightly and muses that he can't punish Powerhouse too harshly as a result. However, he proceeds to double down on Archwave, stating that once someone is the spawn of evil, they always are.....and that nothing can change that. The driver of the middle SUV then says that they will look for the "alien" again later tonight before departing, leaving Schaefer to turn around to face the windows of his office and state internally that Archwave will not be evading the FBI for much longer.....and neither will the Celestial Syndicate, the drug cartel that she comes from.

Back at the Markovsky Residence, James patches up Isabela's MP5 wound with higher-quality gauze found inside a better medical kit inside the actual house, then allows himself and Isabela to rest for a while as the latter recovers. Isabela asks if James has watched any telenovelas—dramas or soap operas—to which he says no but volunteers to try them if he can locate any. The chapter ended with the pair channel surfing, intent on relaxing for a while before their training session in preparation for their meeting with the Spraywatch gang at their Hub later that night.

This time, James and Isabela officially affirm their partnership, then begin the latter's archery practice.....

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"That.....was.....amazing," James Markovsky a.k.a. Powerhouse commented as he and his companion Isabela Acosta a.k.a. Archwave stared at the end credits of the series finale of one of Isabela's favorite telenovela series, which she had recommended to him shortly after they began channel surfing; partway into their binging session, James had momentarily returned to the tricked-out convertible out front and retrieved Isabela's compound bow, which he proceeded to lean against the side of the couch right near her. "I can't believe Pedro was cheating on Marisette the whole time!"

"Right? It completely threw me for a loop when I first watched it!" Isabela agreed. "And she had no idea until the penultimate episode! But.....she certainly gave Pedro what was coming to him!"

"I guess. But now neither of the girls have anyone."

"Hey, they've got each other, and that's all that matters," she answered. "And it's probably better to have a firm friend than a lying lover."

"True that.....true that," James conceded as he leaned forward in his couch seat and picked up the TV remote from the rectangular table in front of them. "Were there any other series that you would likely recommend to me? We've been resting for quite a few hours now."