Paragon Times/20041013
City prepares for expected threat
By Jim Bell
Times Staff
PARAGON CITY, RI, October 13 -- The heroes all agree: something is stirring within the 5th Column. According to several hero reports, 5th Column activity is at an all-time high within the city limits. 5th Column communications traffic has increased, troop movements are escalating, and new bases are cropping up seemingly overnight.
"I got called in twice last night to deal with 5th Column incursions into the caves of Talos Island," said popular hero Lady Starr. "Twice! That's twice too often!"
Military analyst Christine Lannsdale has been called in to determine the threat level posed by the 5th Column's recent activities. "It could be bad," she said. "We already know that the 5th Column is in possession of state-of-the-art ordnance and robotics technology. They've shown themselves to be organized and effective soldiers in the past. At the behest of Mayor Morales, I'll be drawing up a list of high-risk targets. Our best chance at foiling the 5th Column is to anticipate their attack."
Not everyone agrees that a major strike is imminent, however. New hero The White Rabbit had this to say: "The soldiers I arrest these days have this look in their eyes, as if they were almost grateful to me for bringing them in. I tell you this: something has them spooked."
The White Rabbit's claims have been dismissed by many, but there are those who are unwilling to rule out any possibility. In an effort to collect more data, police officers have begun calling upon their usual sources within the city's criminal underground. Unfortunately, none of these normally reliable individuals had reported in as of press time.