The weight of the death toll falls on her heart like lead. Her shoulders slump and she exhales and gazes at the ground, scuffing her toe at an invisible something on the floor. When she raises her head, her face is drawn, her eyes dead. "I do that." She sighs. She feels the urge to walk, to move; o be anywhere but there, standing in front of the screen and watching the aftermath of the panic she caused. Silently, Pinup crosses the room again and exits through the door, turning left. She's not sure where she's going, but if she's meant to stay there and wait for Icon to return, with or without Walter and Methuselah, she may as well investigate the building while trying to clear her head.
I'm left alone in the room, the TV newscast still playing in the backroom, and I deserve this crappy feeling at the pit of my stomach. Jumping to conclusions when I still know nothing of the full situation...like an idiot. Seeing the damage and mayhem from the attack at The Hub, I grow tired of it and turn the TV off.
I make my way into the main control lounge of Guardians' Headquarters with the rat cage still under my arm. I see Michael monitoring something on the computer screen, but I don't see Pinup. I move past the control lounge, into the recreation room where I find Pinup sitting on one of the plush leather sofas in front of the television.
Icon's back. Let's see if there is any news on the situation see if I can try to redeem myself for my outburst with Pinup. Before I get up from the computer console screens something catches my eye and I can't help but smile.
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Pinup stands, finding she still needs to tilt her head up slightly to look Icon in the eyes.[/FONT] I understand if you don't want me here, after what happened at The Hub, but the fact is I'm here now, and I plan on staying here until this is over. [FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]She watches him steadily regard her from behind his mask and wonders if, maybe, there is a concern mingled in his look at her reference to The Hub that goes beyond the concern for his fellow human. She can't be certain, but there is a vague guess in the back of her mind that the attack was perhaps more personal to him than he let on.[/FONT]
I find the room that Icon and Pinup are talking in and make my entrance through the doorway. Lo and behold I'm not alone in what turns out to be a truly amazing entrance as both Kensei and Blue Blur are beside me having finally arrived on the base.
"Hey Big Blue, look who decided to finally show their mugs."
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]“Three people died tonight. Four are critical. I don't know how many else were injured.” She doesn't tell him of what, specifically, she is speaking. He already knows. Repeating the numbers in her own voice sends a cold wave over her, and she is once again filled with the sickening weight of human death. She stares at the blank television screen. For the first time since she had escaped the raids, her mind isn't racing. It isn't doing anything. It is perfectly blank, and she feels numb. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Methuselah tours the perimeter of his cage, scratching at the wood shavings. He edges near the bars, standing on his hind legs and poking his nose through in Pinup's direction, whiskers twitching furiously. Pinup's eyes slide to him, and slowly, her mind begins working again.[/FONT] “At least,”[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] she looks back to Icon, some life returning to her features, “at least we have Methuselah.” She manages a feeble but grateful smile. [/FONT]“Thank you.” [FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]She leans forward, poking a finger through the bars of the rat's cage. Methuselah sniffs interestedly, grasping it with his forepaws.[/FONT] “Hi there, old man.”[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] Pinup greets him quietly, as if talking to an old friend as she flips the hasp on his cage and opens the door. The rat crawls out onto her hand, balancing himself across her palm and wrist, before edging up her arm. She strokes his head lightly. [/FONT] “I want to help.”[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] She tells Icon without looking at him. “I helped create this mess.” She turns her head to him, her eyes once more alive and filled with a fiery determination.[/FONT] “I need to clean it up.” [FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Pinup stands, finding she still needs to tilt her head up slightly to look Icon in the eyes.[/FONT] “I understand if you don't want me here, after what happened at The Hub, but the fact is I'm here now, and I plan on staying here until this is over.”
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]She watches him steadily regard her from behind his mask and wonders if, maybe, there is a concern mingled in his look at her reference to The Hub that goes beyond the concern for his fellow human. She can't be certain, but there is a vague guess in the back of her mind that the attack was perhaps more personal to him than he let on.[/FONT]
As Pinup gives me the damage report, I can see the guilt she feels reflected in her eyes. And her guilt is matched by my own. Three people are dead tonight, and I never stepped foot inside to see if there was anything I could have done.
I may have been able to help, instead I just took Pinup and brought her back to the headquarters.
Suddenly, I feel a sharp pang of panic...and an uncontrollable fear grips me.
Keira.
Keira's band was playing tonight.
I can't stay here, I have to get back there, I have to be sure she's alright.
I find the room that Icon and Pinup are talking in and make my entrance through the doorway. Lo and behold I'm not alone in what turns out to be a truly amazing entrance as both Kensei and Blue Blur are beside me having finally arrived on the base.
"Hey Big Blue, look who decided to finally show their mugs."
"I'm sorry, I have to go. Michael, Pinup...you can fill them in."
With that, I race toward the exit, making my way toward my club. Praying that she is alright, not prepared for the proposition of losing yet another loved one because of my inability to protect them.
As Pinup gives me the damage report, I can see the guilt she feels reflected in her eyes. And her guilt is matched by my own. Three people are dead tonight, and I never stepped foot inside to see if there was anything I could have done.
I may have been able to help, instead I just took Pinup and brought her back to the headquarters.
Suddenly, I feel a sharp pang of panic...and an uncontrollable fear grips me.
Keira.
Keira's band was playing tonight.
I can't stay here, I have to get back there, I have to be sure she's alright.
"I'm sorry, I have to go. Michael, Pinup...you can fill them in."
With that, I race toward the exit, making my way toward my club. Praying that she is alright, not prepared for the proposition of losing yet another loved one because of my inability to protect them.
Pinup watches him go. It wasn't the response she had expected, but when she considers the response she expected was him beating her to a bloody pulp in retribution, she is almost glad. Almost. She would deserve it.
Methuselah crawls up her arm, his whiskers tickling her skin as he finds a perch on her shoulder and sniffs at her ear. Pinup tilts her head away from his pesty exploration of her earlobe, looking between Michael and the other two. She raises her eyebrows, noting the "who's the new girl?" looks on their faces.
"Pinup." She answers the question before it can be asked, then looks to Michael, "Where shall we start?" she asks, looking for a cue as to where to begin filling the others in.
The medic said I was fine. She diagnosed nothing more than a slight contusion on my head from when it collided with the floor, but all the tests came back clear. Of course it was a good hour and a half before I woke up from my unconsciousness. Thats usually never a good thing. But I guess I should be happy I made it home in one piece. Wish I could say the same for Damian... Not. Three-day out of school suspension! Serves him right, frankly. Even though I wish it couldve been worse, Im content with three full, Damian-free days. Gives me time to rest up, and get back into my daily, nothing special routine.
Turning the knob on my front door, I walked inside. As I figured, the person I see is my mother, happy to see that I was okay. Knowing the school, they probably informed her of what happened.
How was your field trip today, Jonathan?
Meh... It was okay. Im really tired though. I think Im gonna take a quick nap. That okay, mom?
Of course...
Thanks, ma. Night.
Then I rushed upstairs to my room. Mostly because I wanted to hit the hay before my brothers and sisters come home, because then theres guaranteed to be a ruckus. There always is.
Anxious to get some sleep right away, I quickly threw off my backpack and my shirt before jumping in bed. Then, as my eyes started to shut, I felt a small pain in my chest where I was shot with that beam, and the pain made me all the more tired. So slept I did, and it felt good to finally have peace after what I thought was going to be a good day.
Once I learned of the extent of the incident at The Hub, I rocketed from Guardians' Headquarters at breakneck speed directly on a course for Keira's apartment. I reach her building in a matter of seconds and immediately go directly for the window that she always leaves unlocked for me. pushing it open and stepping inside.
"Keira?" I call out, not bothering to hide the concern in my voice. The only thing I hear is the deafening silence.
Panic begins to fill me as I rush through her apartment, finding it empty.
"She's not here." I think to myself as I race back to the window, hurling myself out and racing off into the night.
Not knowing where she might be, I race off in the direction of The Hub, hoping that I find her there, and praying that she is alright. In the few moments it takes me to race across the city, my mind races as my worst fears play out in my mind. As sense of helplessness takes a hold of me as I am brought back to the night that Jenny was killed. Holding her in my arms, feeling the life drain from her body as I race to the hospital...too late to save my own sister...
"Not again. I can't lose her too."
What is the point of having all this power...what is the point of all of this, if you keep letting the ones you love...
"No! I can't think like that."
I reach the club, I circle around while taking a quick survey of the scene. It looks so quite right now. The lights inside the club are dark, there are no patrons loitering outside, even the S.T.R.I.K.E unit that responded to the "attack" have left after securing the scene.
I touch down on the roof, quickly making my way down the roof access stairwell into my apartment, hoping against hope that she was there. As I walk in the back door, I see her sitting on the couch in the living room, and I slowly exhale a breath that I did not realize I was holding as relief washes over me.
"Keira..." I say as I walk toward her, putting my hand on her shoulder.
She looks up at me, tears in her eyes...still shaking from the events from earlier this evening.
"Are you ok?" I ask, clearly seeing that she is not, but not knowing what else to say.
She nods her head, letting me know that she wasn't hurt. "Yeah, I'm ok."
"What about Eric, Klara?" I ask, still concerned for my other friends.
"They're both fine...but Scott, it was, it was horrible." She says as she stands up and grips me in a bear hug, that if I had been a normal man probably would have crushed a rib or two.
"I know baby, I know." I say as I rub the back of her head with my fingers, trying my hardest to reassure her that everything is going to be all right.
My body's tired. I'm burnt for the day and I feel like s***. Wait... That's not exacty true. Physically I feel nothing; same as always. I just smell like s***. Regardless, I'm in no shape after all I've been through today to take out a handful of metahumans.
Still, what choice do I have?
I get to my feet surprisingly quickly considering I was flat on my back seconds ago and bust out the twin night-sticks. I throw reason at them quickly, but I doubt it'll sound convincing.
[BLACKOUT]"I'm not S.T.R.I.K.E. Not even close... *Pants* But stay back or I'll beat you all the same."[/BLACKOUT]
The crowd hesitates all the same though, until the blue figure speaks again.
"Whaddaya waiting for? He's in black, he's got no powers, he's come armed... Of course he's S.T.R.I.K.E! Get him!"
They steadily advance once again. No hope of a quick escape. My back's to the sewerage flow which I fell into a minute ago. It's a close quarters environment, and even if it wasn't I've only got one arm capable of supporting my weight for my grapple gun. Still... I could take a few out I suppose.
"WAIT!"
The crowd turns to the source of the voice... and looks down.
"I know him. He's not with S.T.R.I.K.E..."
A child. Isn't it always a child?
"... he's one of the Guardians. He came to our school and gave a speech."
Is there anyone in the world who didn't see that damn speech?
The blue man turns back to me, with a skeptical expression across his cobalt face.
"Is this true..?"
[BLACKOUT]"Well, yes. But anything else he tells you about that day is a bare faced lie..."[/BLACKOUT]
Just wallkin' through the sewers - Me and my meta-friends. The bright blue guy seems to be in charge of this bunch, but they're leading me somewhere. Possibly to a higher up.
Slapping my forehead at my own forgetfulness I stop and turn on the air purifier on my voice modulator. It has about as much effect as trying to dilute a river of goat p*** with a glass of distilled water. The stench is on me, not just the immediate environment. What? Not all analogies can be good ones. It's the lousy, goat p*** involving ones that make you truly appreciate the good ones.
My life's hard enough to live, let alone narrate...
[BLACKOUT]"So, nice place you have here. Roomy. Running... ...water?"[/BLACKOUT]
Glares bear down on me from the adult metahumans. While the kidwalks on ahead obivious.
[BLACKOUT]"Gotcha. No comments on the decor..."[/BLACKOUT]
Now that I've let them see just how endearing a jerk I can be. I've got them speaking, at least the one in blue. I can only assume that he figures while he's talking, I'm not. Works for me. It's the weighty silences I can't take.
"We've got about 75 metas and 200 L.O.s down here."
[BLACKOUT]"L.O.s?"[/BLACKOUT]
"Loved Ones. We metahumans weren't the only ones to suffer here. Once S.T.R.I.K.E realised they'd driven many of us that they couldn't get underground. They began to use whatever leverage they could to pry us out. Fortunately most are extremely sympathetic and understanding."
[BLACKOUT]"Most?"[/BLACKOUT]
"Well... when you're taken out of your life and forced to live..."
[BLACKOUT]"In a sewer"[/BLACKOUT]
The blue guy sighs. "...Yes, a sewer. Because of other people's discrimination against a relative who is different then it's natural for some of these people to instead harbour resentment towards the relative who's different rather than the situation itself... I suppose."
Finally we come to an open chamber and we see the "civilised" part of this dank dwelling. People warming themselves by flaming barrels, small tents set up made from tarpaulins and people hunched over cooking food on small campfire stoves that run on methylated spirits.
[BLACKOUT]"So this is the resistance, huh?"[/BLACKOUT]
The man in blue glares at me with a contempt that suggests he feels my comment is even stupider than my previous comments about their 'Home, Sweet Home'.
"Resistance? That suggests a war. A sanctioned conflict with two forces in dispute. We aren't a force. We have no power. THEY write all of the laws. With their stupid fear and prejudices. There is no war to fight. They outlawed our existence. We are The Wanted. Just a group of survivors trying to evade custody and cling to the freedom that they say we're not allowed to have."
[BLACKOUT]"No power?"[/BLACKOUT]
"You know what I meant..."
Now it's my turn to preach.
[BLACKOUT]"The only powerless man is the one who refuses to fight for it..."[/BLACKOUT]
"Who said that?"
[BLACKOUT]"What do you mean? I said it."[/BLACKOUT]
"No, originally... Who said that? Andrew Jackson?"
[BLACKOUT]"No. He was the one who was attributed with saying 'Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty'... A historical quote that's close to my heart for obvious reasons. But it was pretty much said almost 50 years earlier by a guy called John Philpott Curran. Said; 'The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance.'"[/BLACKOUT]
"..."
[BLACKOUT]"What..? Well he did..."[/BLACKOUT]
"..."
[BLACKOUT]"Fine. If you're not sold on the 'V' word then how about 'The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.'"[/BLACKOUT]
A few more people hve gathered around to see what new person they brought to see everyone. A few seem to be quite taken by our discussion, but I can tell our blue friend is still not sold yet.
Fine. Appeal to the masses. Seal the deal.
[BLACKOUT]"Or if you're looking for something original... 'Whose arse do I have to kick to get us some FREEDOM IN HERE!?!'"[/BLACKOUT]
A few people around us say "Yeah!" and, slowly at first, applause breaks out. I can see he's still not convinced, but he doesn't want to fight the crowd who are showing support.
"Okay, 'fearless leader', what would you have us do?"
A wry smile emanates from the dark acryllic of my balaklava as a plan forms.
Pinup watches him go. It wasn't the response she had expected, but when she considers the response she expected was him beating her to a bloody pulp in retribution, she is almost glad. Almost. She would deserve it.
Methuselah crawls up her arm, his whiskers tickling her skin as he finds a perch on her shoulder and sniffs at her ear. Pinup tilts her head away from his pesty exploration of her earlobe, looking between Michael and the other two. She raises her eyebrows, noting the "who's the new girl?" looks on their faces.
"Pinup." She answers the question before it can be asked, then looks to Michael, "Where shall we start?" she asks, looking for a cue as to where to begin filling the others in.
The two newly arrived Guardians make sure to walk up to Pinup, breaking the unusual tension I can only guess she'd feel since I, like an idiot, forgot to start the introductions. Removing his samurai helmet Kensei goes bows before Pinup as a sign of respect no doubt and introduces himself with Matt ironically enough slowly walking up to her beside Kensei. Though he doesn't bow, of course. "Kensei, it is a pleasure meet you."
"Blue Blur. Pinup, eh? Yea, I can see that. Though if your powers are just to stand there and look pretty I'm not so sure you should be tagging along. No offense. So, where we headed off to, Mikey?"
I smirk a bit, hoping that Matt's little line there didn't offend her as like me he tends to draw towards humor sometimes. But I shrug it off and answer him while looking towards Pinup.
"Well actually Pinup has got some...powerful abilities that I don't quite understand myself just yet but no need to get into that that. First we need to be brought up to speed on what just happened. Icon comes back and you've suddenly got some rat in your hands. I take it he couldn't find your friend Walter? Or is...the rat named Walter?"
"Kensei, it is a pleasure meet you."
"Blue Blur. Pinup, eh? Yea, I can see that. Though if your powers are just to stand there and look pretty I'm not so sure you should be tagging along. No offense. So, where we headed off to, Mikey?"
Pinup arches an eyebrow at the Blue Blur's introduction, rolling her eyes.
What a boy's club. She thinks to herself, though she is slightly flattered, if a little taken aback, by the bow.
I smirk a bit, hoping that Matt's little line there didn't offend her as like me he tends to draw towards humor sometimes. But I shrug it off and answer him while looking towards Pinup. "Well actually Pinup has got some...powerful abilities that I don't quite understand myself just yet but no need to get into that that. First we need to be brought up to speed on what just happened. Icon comes back and you've suddenly got some rat in your hands. I take it he couldn't find your friend Walter? Or is...the rat named Walter?"
The rat's name is Methuselah. Pinup reaches up and strokes the head of the rodent, now preening himself on her shoulder. And be nice to him. He's older than you. She registers the look on their faces and sighs, preparing herself, for the second time this evening, to tell secrets she had kept longer than these gentlemen had been alive.
Icon brought Methuselah back here because he ties in with Walter and everything else that's happened tonight. She admits. Okay... She takes a breath, In the 1940s, biochemists all over the country were obsessed with finding a serum to create the ultimate soldier to end the war in Europe. A doctor in California came close when a series of experiments on rats proved he had found a way to slow the regenerative and degenterative physical processes. She looked between the three of them, and reworded her statement. Essentially, the rats didn't need to eat or sleep nearly as much to function normally. They wouldn't grow old.
Methuselah stops preening himself and resumes inspecting Pinup's ear. Agitatedly, she removes the rodent from her shoulder and places him on top of the cage, where he begins sniffing at the bars, one by one. In every aspect, he seems only a few years old, certainly not the impossible seventy-odd years Pinup was claiming. But the lab results on the rats didn't predict the psychological effects the serum would have on humans. Pinup continues. It seems it accessed the hidden potential of the human brain, making it possible for someone to produce visions... nightmares. She bites her lip. If I want to, I can surround you by your greatest fear. Sometimes, even if I don't want to - Her voice catches in her throat as she finishes. If I'm not careful, that fear spreads and becomes Collective, and I can't control it. She looks to Michael, the unpleasant confession once again over with.
She looks down, the note still crumpled in her fist. As for Walter, She looks up at the three men again, We've been searching for a way to reverse the serum for the past thirty years. Instead of finding a way to reverse what happened to me, Walter found the secret to what gives meta humans their powers. And, it would seem, he's taken the information to S.T.R.I.K.E. Methuselah's here I'mhere because S.T.R.I.K.E. Could use this information to create their own meta humans, or worse... to reverse engineer the metahuman gene and develop a toxin that would wipe out all our powers. At least this way, they don't have our DNA to test their theories.
OOC: This post is going to be both in the third and first person. Also, I've got permission to bunny those that I bunny in this post.
Location Unknown
S.T.R.I.K.E. Facility Interrogation Cell H
Taking the design from the containment unit that the deceased Dr. Weathers used to try to help save Cody Washington's life, quickly Alexander Anderson made use of re-designing all interrogation cells to have such a structure to it. Hence why, for the past hour former S.T.R.I.K.E. agent formerly codenamed Nitro now calling himself Hazard has had quite the trouble trying to break out even with his uncanny and powerful abilities.
"LET ME OUT!!"
Looking through one of the cameras still left from Hazard's violent attempts to escape the interrogation cell, Alexander Anderson looks to one of his agents, and gives him a nod. Seconds later a TV screen digitally appears one of the cell walls with a live video feed present.
"Welcome home, Agent Washington."
"Don't call me that. When I get out of here, I'm going to f***king kill you and then I'm--" "Woah woah waoh, my boy...such hatred such...anger. Are you upset because you think you are back to being some sort of lab rat? You already killed Dr. Weathers, after all. If anything, you did me a favor. He played his part and in the end was a loose end that was going to have to have been dealt with. So, my thanks for that. I think you deserve a promotion, in fact."
Curious and confused, Hazard slowly walks towards the screen. Meanwhile, Anderson cannot help but smile.
She looks up at the three men again, “We've been searching for a way to reverse the serum for the past thirty years. Instead of finding a way to reverse what happened to me, Walter found the secret to what gives meta humans their powers.
Inside one of the large S.T.R.I.K.E. marked and owned gun-mounted jeeps, two agents share a quick smoke as their watching shift on the Guardian HQ has been rather boring to be honest. All that's really happened was a few Guardians flying in and out of the place. Some moving too fast for them to track or truly see, but clear enough to know that there has been movement.
They still await on orders from Anderson to actually do something. Attacking the Guardian Base is supposed to be a last resort they are told, but when it comes to the mind of Alexander Anderson, anything can happen.
And, it would seem, he's taken the information to S.T.R.I.K.E. Methuselah's here – I'mhere – because S.T.R.I.K.E. Could use this information to create their own meta humans, or worse... to reverse engineer the metahuman gene and develop a toxin that would wipe out all our powers. At least this way, they don't have our DNA to test their theories.”
"Alright, so the concern now is not them trying to give powers. I guess they see how badly they failed with Dr. Weathers and the Watchmen Project after all. We also know about the abductions or rather attempts and my guess is that they are trying to recruit and if not they now could have Walter's serum to fall back on. That, or they now just plain old want to wipe us all out. Er...well, not us since I'm not a meta perse. Divine blessings and all. Plus while there is at least that one meta that seems to work for them, that Spartan dude, my guess is they wouldn't have a needle strong enough to penetrate his skin. So I doubt they got any true, authentic, meta human blood samples to work with yet."
I turn to Matt, fastest of us all obviously, as I think I know what our next move should be.
"You ready to take one for the team and potentially risk going out there on your own, bud? Could get nasty out there we don't know what S.T.R.I.K.E. could have waiting for us."
"So long as I'm not taking one for 'the other team' I'm good. Will be back before you know it. What have you got in mind?"
"I think the smartest thing right now is to get a better picture on just what exactly S.T.R.I.K.E. is doing with this blockade attempt they have made surrounding our base. You are the best choice for such a recon mission, Matt. For all we know there could be some of their own meta made freaks and what not rallying up to discuss what they are gonna do. If they are, we gotta make sure that all fortification plans are--"
*BOOM*
"WOAH!!"
It sounds like a bomb just went off just outside the HQ. But as I'm flying quickly to the computer to view the outside cameras my guess is already that something rather just blew up one of the S.T.R.I.K.E. vehicles. The audio is all distorted as it must've been affected by the attack, but the visual is as clear as day.
"Aw crap."
"What is it, Michael?"
"I'm real sorry, guys. Had I taken care of this already this wouldn't be happening. Dangit this is seriously the last thing we need right now."
"What, did T-Rex escape earlier and you couldn't handle it without my silver and blue ass or something?"
"No...right now I'd prefer a giant dino-dude. This is worse. A former S.T.R.I.K.E. agent is causing mayhem to not only S.T.R.I.K.E. but everything in his path. He's coming for me. Thinks we have some sort of score to settle on account that he believes I could have had some way to save him and his recently deceased comrades."
I take a screen capture of the video feed, and relay it to the large big screen.
Much to my dismay and not to mention immense irritation, I woke up at around 6:03... The next morning! I was going to be so f***ing late for school! So, afraid of asking my mom for a ride to school, I quickly pulled out a new shirt and pulled it over my head as I rushed to the bathroom to brush my teeth.
Usually, for me at least, I use brushing my teeth as a way to reflect on the previous days happenings, and boy did a lot happen yesterday. I mean, who do you know that got shot in the chest with a freakin' laser after being pushed over by their tormentor? However, while I continued scrubbing my teeth clean, I remembered how much my chest hurt yesterday, proceeding to take notice of how much better, a lot better in fact, I felt today. "Better times a thousand" better. Like I was a new man! Ridiculous, eh? I thought so too, but its the only way how I can describe how I felt physically.
I looked in the mirror and looked at my messy hair. Made me think about how my friends and family always tell me I should comb it, but I personally like it this way. It defines me. Then I spit the toothpaste into the sink, watching the foamy spit ride down the drain. Then, to continue the positively weird trend yesterday started, I was shocked at what I saw in the mirror the minute I lifted my head up...
HOLY SHI! I shouted out, interrupted by the sound of knocking on a door.
-Jon, is everything okay in there? My brother Cody untimely intervened.
"Yeah yeah! Im fine!"
Except I really wasnt. Last time I checked, I had brown hair and green eyes. Not black and... black? I couldn't make sense of it, and I had only one thought in response.
What in hell is going on?
It was true. My eyes somehow... inverted their color pigments. As in, the sclera were now black rather than white like any other human being's, and the normally green iris and black pupils where snow white. Then, as if that wasnt bad enough, my freakin' hair was black too!
...My god. I'm turning into Emo-Peter!
WhatamIgonnado?WhatamIgonnado? Damn it! I muttered under my breath, trying to figure out how to conceal this problem before Cody sees and has me experimented on by the government or something.
My mind was racing, trying to process all the possible causes and explanations for this... I didnt even know what to call it. Mutation? Side Effect? Disease?
Was it the beam? Did it alter my anatomy? Am I an escaped Government Experiment? Am I an alien? What the hell was wrong with me?
There were so many questions and thoughts speeding through my head, but I didnt have enough time to dwell on the reason this was happening to me. For all I knew, I couldve been delusional, and this is just a very realistic hallucination. But in case it wasn't, and I'm not crazy, I did the only thing I could think of to set my head back to normal.
Ow...
I just poked myself in the eye...
...F*** me that hurt.
Yup. I took my left index finger, and considerably hard I might add, jabbed my own eye with it. Which, as ironic as it may be, actually worked. My hair and eyes reverted back to their normal colors, and realizing how much time was left, I grabbed my bag and rushed out the door in an instant, hoping the bus was no more than a few feet away from the bus stop...
Dylan watches the press coverage of his latest legal triumph. Getting charges dismissed against Crime Boss Rolando Thorne.
Dylan watches as he keeps diverting attention away from himself and towards his client.
"This is all about my client. Who was found innocent because of the attemtped frame up caused by a Rogue cop and a crooked accounttant. He has been set free and I am sure he is more than eager to resume his life as a a respected community leader and business man. Thank you all very much."
Dylan cuts off the TV and blows a cigar ring and watches it dissolve in his darkened office. He smiles a smile of conceit and arrogance.
I still got it.
Just then his phone beeps and he says, "Yes Miss Galado."
His secretary says, "Mr. Chambers, Mr. Thorne is here to see you."
Dylan replies as extinguishes his cigar, "Show him in please Miss Galado thank you."
Dylan puts back on his Suit-Jacket and Rolando comes strolling into his office. Dylan notices that Thorne is eyeing Katy very carefully as he pinches her as she goes by. It takes every fiber of self-control and focus to keep Dylan from attacking Thorne.
Dylan sticks his hand out and with almost cliniched teeth he says, "Come in Rolando."
The two men shake hands as Katy closes the door. Rolando says, "Oh she is nothing but beautiful. I still bet everything in my bank account that she gives great dictation if you know what I mean."
Rolando starts to laugh, Dylan feels his blood boil as he takes his hand back.
Roland says, "So Councilor you ready to celebrate? I know this place has great seafood. on east end of town."
Dylan sits in his office chair and says, "Rolando our partnership is over."
Rolando says, "But...."
Dylan replies, "You see I can tolerate a lot of things, but for the last 3 months you've made every rude and crude innuendo towards Miss Galado, someone whom I care for and respect. Therefore you will believe that you came in here to fire me as your lawyer citing I cost too much. Your 3rd rate extortion rackets almost cost as much to run as it does to get money out of them you're barely breaking even. You will say I'm costing you too much money."
Rolando Says, "You got it".
Dylan says, "You will then call the FBI and say you've got evidence on the rackets and organized crime."
Rolando nods as Dylan says, "You will make sure that the word gets out about your decision especially to the other family members. Who I have no doubt will deal with you in their own charming way."
Rolando says, "Yeah they probably will."
Dylan says, "Then you will donate over half your wealth to the local food shelter. At which time you will then await to be picked up by the police."
Rolando stands up and says, "Not a problem Mr. Chambers."
Dylan says, "One more thing if you make one more pass at Miss Galado you will kill yourself as soon as possible."
Rolando and Dylan shake hands as Rolando leaves.
As Rolando leaves Dylan tells Miss Galado to go home and apoligizes for the actions of Mr. Thorne
Two days later Dylan reads about how Rolando Thorne was found dead in his swimming pool. Dylan issues a press statement expressing his sympathies as he shreds Rolando's file.
Dylan then looks out the window over the city.
She is out there. The one true challenge in this city. She is there and I will find her and when I do she will understand true power.
OOC: This post is going to be both in the third and first person. Also, I've got permission to bunny those that I bunny in this post.
Location Unknown
S.T.R.I.K.E. Facility Interrogation Cell H
Taking the design from the containment unit that the deceased Dr. Weathers used to try to help save Cody Washington's life, quickly Alexander Anderson made use of re-designing all interrogation cells to have such a structure to it. Hence why, for the past hour former S.T.R.I.K.E. agent formerly codenamed Nitro now calling himself Hazard has had quite the trouble trying to break out even with his uncanny and powerful abilities.
"LET ME OUT!!"
Looking through one of the cameras still left from Hazard's violent attempts to escape the interrogation cell, Alexander Anderson looks to one of his agents, and gives him a nod. Seconds later a TV screen digitally appears one of the cell walls with a live video feed present.
"Welcome home, Agent Washington."
"Don't call me that. When I get out of here, I'm going to f***king kill you and then I'm--" "Woah woah waoh, my boy...such hatred such...anger. Are you upset because you think you are back to being some sort of lab rat? You already killed Dr. Weathers, after all. If anything, you did me a favor. He played his part and in the end was a loose end that was going to have to have been dealt with. So, my thanks for that. I think you deserve a promotion, in fact."
Curious and confused, Hazard slowly walks towards the screen. Meanwhile, Anderson cannot help but smile.
Lost Haven
Outside the Guardians HQ
Inside one of the large S.T.R.I.K.E. marked and owned gun-mounted jeeps, two agents share a quick smoke as their watching shift on the Guardian HQ has been rather boring to be honest. All that's really happened was a few Guardians flying in and out of the place. Some moving too fast for them to track or truly see, but clear enough to know that there has been movement.
They still await on orders from Anderson to actually do something. Attacking the Guardian Base is supposed to be a last resort they are told, but when it comes to the mind of Alexander Anderson, anything can happen.
Or so it's made to look like that.
Lost Haven
Inside the Guardian HQ
"Alright, so the concern now is not them trying to give powers. I guess they see how badly they failed with Dr. Weathers and the Watchmen Project after all. We also know about the abductions or rather attempts and my guess is that they are trying to recruit and if not they now could have Walter's serum to fall back on. That, or they now just plain old want to wipe us all out. Er...well, not us since I'm not a meta perse. Divine blessings and all. Plus while there is at least that one meta that seems to work for them, that Spartan dude, my guess is they wouldn't have a needle strong enough to penetrate his skin. So I doubt they got any true, authentic, meta human blood samples to work with yet."
I turn to Matt, fastest of us all obviously, as I think I know what our next move should be.
"You ready to take one for the team and potentially risk going out there on your own, bud? Could get nasty out there we don't know what S.T.R.I.K.E. could have waiting for us."
"So long as I'm not taking one for 'the other team' I'm good. Will be back before you know it. What have you got in mind?"
"I think the smartest thing right now is to get a better picture on just what exactly S.T.R.I.K.E. is doing with this blockade attempt they have made surrounding our base. You are the best choice for such a recon mission, Matt. For all we know there could be some of their own meta made freaks and what not rallying up to discuss what they are gonna do. If they are, we gotta make sure that all fortification plans are--"
*BOOM*
"WOAH!!"
It sounds like a bomb just went off just outside the HQ. But as I'm flying quickly to the computer to view the outside cameras my guess is already that something rather just blew up one of the S.T.R.I.K.E. vehicles. The audio is all distorted as it must've been affected by the attack, but the visual is as clear as day.
"Aw crap."
"What is it, Michael?"
"I'm real sorry, guys. Had I taken care of this already this wouldn't be happening. Dangit this is seriously the last thing we need right now."
"What, did T-Rex escape earlier and you couldn't handle it without my silver and blue ass or something?"
"No...right now I'd prefer a giant dino-dude. This is worse. A former S.T.R.I.K.E. agent is causing mayhem to not only S.T.R.I.K.E. but everything in his path. He's coming for me. Thinks we have some sort of score to settle on account that he believes I could have had some way to save him and his recently deceased comrades."
I take a screen capture of the video feed, and relay it to the large big screen.
Pinup follows the three men as they exit the building. Wreckage from the destroyed truck litters the street. A lamp-post has toppled onto a nearby car, crushing the top,shattering the windshield, and setting off the screeching theft alarm. The smell of burning rubber and gasoline fills the air as flaming debris smokes on the concrete.
A S.T.R.I.K.E agent writhed in the gutter, blood trickling from a wound above his right eyebrow as he clutched at the remains of a mangled right arm. Dodging sparks from the wires of the fallen lamp-post, Pinup rushes to the agent, crouching next to him.
Get away from me, *****! The agent screams, as much from pain as from fear of metahumans. Hold still. Pinup orders firmly, ignoring the insult and ripping a length of the agent's uniform, using it to form a makeshift tourniquet. I'm a nurse.
Something else explodes nearby, and Pinup flinches, hunching her shoulders over the injured to prevent debris from falling on him. An idea strikes her as she glances down the street toward Hazard, blazing yellow and orange and furious as he seems to enjoy the havoc he wreaks in the city. Michael, She yells over the crackle of burning and the persistent howl of the car alarm. I have an idea can you give me some cover? I need to get a mental lock on Hazard.
Still guarding the bloody agent with her body, she focuses on Hazard. She feels herself get lightheaded, the world around her seeming to fade as she zeroes in on his blackest nightmares.
“Michael,” She yells over the crackle of burning and the persistent howl of the car alarm. “I have an idea – can you give me some cover? I need to get a mental lock on Hazard.”
Still guarding the bloody agent with her body, she focuses on Hazard. She feels herself get lightheaded, the world around her seeming to fade as she zeroes in on his blackest nightmares.
Right away Matt starts to run around the current battlefield going on outside our base courtesy of Hazard, trying to get him to focus on his uncanny speed as he makes a path that lacks any sort of pattern at all. Sporadically Hazard sends out barrage after barrage of attacks and Matt at the same time manages to keep his path away from the S.T.RI.K.E. agents still trying to recover. Way to go, bud. Kensei pulls out that sick sword of his from its sheath, and as one of Hazard's attacks come his way he rolls as slashes at the air, unleashing a gust of wind that knocks Hazard off balance.
My turn.
The second I stepped outside of the HQ I felt the water coursing through the nearby large fountain and immediately know what I wanna do. I ascend to the air, leveling myself with the distraught villain Hazard, and gesturing my body about I pull in the fierce water from the nearby fountain, whipping it around Hazard's legs and pulling him towards me like a riptide. Meanwhile around me I command the water around me to gather about in large amounts. The second that I pull Hazard into proximity I'm gonna freeze it all and give Pinup the perfect opportunity to--
"Huh?"
Oh. Crap.
Suddenly my control over the water is as useful as my ability to cook an omelete. Little bit of information for ya, ladies and gents: I can barely even properly crack an egg without getting some of the egg shell into the pan. I feel my control slipping insanely fast as I realize what is happening.
It's just hit midnight. Meaning that today is no longer Monday.
I revert out of the Archangel State and start to fall about 3 stories down with no way to stop myself.
"MAAAAAAAAATT!!"
My only saving grace is calling out to one of my teammates to save me which doesn't help the situation at all since now Kensei is the only one trying to distract Hazard...utterly and completely making our attempt futile. I can only hope that what distraction we have given so far aids in whatever Pinup's genius idea was.
Just in time Matt is able to leap into the air after running up some debris like it were a ramp and catches me mid-air. We make our landing and I've never felt so crappy.
Right away Matt starts to run around the current battlefield going on outside our base courtesy of Hazard, trying to get him to focus on his uncanny speed as he makes a path that lacks any sort of pattern at all. Sporadically Hazard sends out barrage after barrage of attacks and Matt at the same time manages to keep his path away from the S.T.RI.K.E. agents still trying to recover. Way to go, bud. Kensei pulls out that sick sword of his from its sheath, and as one of Hazard's attacks come his way he rolls as slashes at the air, unleashing a gust of wind that knocks Hazard off balance.
My turn.
The second I stepped outside of the HQ I felt the water coursing through the nearby large fountain and immediately know what I wanna do. I ascend to the air, leveling myself with the distraught villain Hazard, and gesturing my body about I pull in the fierce water from the nearby fountain, whipping it around Hazard's legs and pulling him towards me like a riptide. Meanwhile around me I command the water around me to gather about in large amounts. The second that I pull Hazard into proximity I'm gonna freeze it all and give Pinup the perfect opportunity to--
"Huh?"
Oh. Crap.
Suddenly my control over the water is as useful as my ability to cook an omelete. Little bit of information for ya, ladies and gents: I can barely even properly crack an egg without getting some of the egg shell into the pan. I feel my control slipping insanely fast as I realize what is happening.
It's just hit midnight. Meaning that today is no longer Monday.
I revert out of the Archangel State and start to fall about 3 stories down with no way to stop myself.
"MAAAAAAAAATT!!"
My only saving grace is calling out to one of my teammates to save me which doesn't help the situation at all since now Kensei is the only one trying to distract Hazard...utterly and completely making our attempt futile. I can only hope that what distraction we have given so far aids in whatever Pinup's genius idea was.
Just in time Matt is able to leap into the air after running up some debris like it were a ramp and catches me mid-air. We make our landing and I've never felt so crappy.
Pinup focussed, making the most of her brief window of opportunity to connect with Hazard's psyche. Black shadows began to form in the corners of her eye, and she willed them forward, planting them squarely in front of Hazard as they began to take shape. The clouds hovered low to the ground, writhing and screaming in agony as they formed twisted, tormented bodies of men Pinup didn't recognize.
The bodies reached up, as if groping for something corporeal to cling to; to pull them back to the land of the living. Their screams echoed in Pinup's ears as they begged Hazard to help them, accusing him of betrayal for crimes unknown to her. She tried to ignore the tortured cries as she pushed the visions further, forcing them to grow in detail and clarity, reaching a more fevered pitch. The weight of the agent's body in her ams kept her dully aware of her surroundings as she is pulled with Hazard further into his nightmare.
1972 South Haven University, Walter Kennedy's office
You want me to what? Walter slouched in his seat, rubbing his forehead and contemplating Marelena's request. You're the only one who can help me. Marlena tilted her head, Walter, you're the only one I trust. But what you're talking about, Emily... Walter stammered, at a loss for words. How can you possibly expect me to recreate a serum I know nothing about? I don't want to recreate it, Walter. Marlena leans forward in her seat across the desk from the professor, resting her elbows on the table and watching him earnestly. I want to reverse it. That's even harder - It's not like you're flying blind here, you know. I worked on those experiments for two years - You don't have any of the original documentation. Walter protested, interrupting her. You were never privvy to the exact formula. The exact formula, Marlena retorted, sealing her argument, is coursing through my bloodstream. You have my DNA. You have Methuselah's DNA. That's one heck of a starting block.
Walter sighed as he once again slouched in his seat and rubbed his forehead in thought. The notes would be better. He muttered, a quiet concession to her request. He looked up. If only the lab hadn't burned - I didn't mean for that to happen! Marlena snapped, looking hurt. No, no of course you didn't. Walter lowered his voice soothingly. That's not what I meant. You will help me, won't you Walter? Marlena leaned forward again, placing her hand on his and watching him carefully. Walter sighed. Of course. He gave her hand a light squeeze and smiled. We'll figure this all out.
Modern Day, STRIKE offices
Walter sits quietly in the clean, virtually empty office. Agent Matthews waits outside, and Walter finds a strange relief in his absence. The fluorescent lights buzz a soothing note and Walter finds himself calmer than he had expected. His thoughts once again turn to the conversation he had with Emily earlier in the evening and the note he left on the desk in his study. How could she ever understand? How could she ever forgive him?
He had never been a particularly brave man, but like every member of his sex he harbored the longing, fostered from birth, to be a hero; to swoop in at the last moment and save the day. He may be getting on in years, and his ability to swoop may have greatly deteriorated as his joints grew steadily stiffer and less willing to work, but his mind is still sharp, and he wields it with the might of many years of intense study and practice. This is the weapon, he thinks, that will end this whole mess before it escalates.
A light knock interrupts his thoughts, and he turns in the uncomfortable seat. A gaunt man with dark hair enters, holding a manila file folder and wearing a lab coat.*
"Doctor Kennedy?" The stranger's lips curl ever so slightly into the barest semblance of a smile.* "Yes."Walter stands, taking the hand offered into his own in a respectful handshake*"And you are?"
"Doctor Jackson." The man informed him, crossing the room and seating himself in the leather chair behind the desk. "Tom Jackson. Head of the Bio-Chemical Research Department here at STRIKE."
Walter sits again, surprised the doctor would knock to enter his own office.
"There's a rumor going around that you left a very interesting message with one of our receptionists." Jackson lays the folder onto the desk, placing his folded hands over it and eyeing Walter casually. "I wanted to talk to you, actually."*Walter tries to explain.*"Only I didn't know who to ask for, and your receptionists weren't exactly forthcoming with the information."
"You know how it goes," Jackson sits back in his seat, shrugging. "Big bureau like this gets a lot of prank calls." He smiles. "But yours wasn't a prank, was it, Dr. Kennedy?" "I'm afraid my pranking days have long since passed."Walter admits, smiling.
Jackson places a hand on the file, slipping his thumb between the pages, opening it ever-so-slightly. Walter can't help but notice. Jackson looks at him seriously, then opens the file. Inside the folder are charred bits of what appears to be very old papers. Barely distinguishable notes fill the tattered, yellowed remains, along with fragments of equations.*
"Do you have any idea what these are?" Jackson eyes Walter critically, gauging his responses with intense interest. "I confess I don't."*Replies Walter. It is, mostly, an honest answer, though a discomfor begins to grow in the back of his mind. Jackson flips through the remains carefully, turning them over, placing them one atop another on the opposite page of the folder, so as to keep them in the proper order.
"In the 1940s, a series of experiments was done on rats, trying to develop a super soldier for the Allies." Jackson explained. "One series came very close." He stops at one of the pages. The edges are charred and the bottom half of the paper is missing. "What's interesting is that from what we can tell from these lab notes, the serum worked in much the same way you eluded to over the phone."
"Is that so?"*Walter begins to feel uncomfortable under Jackson's scrutinizing gaze.*"I had no idea."
"We've been trying to recreate the effects ourselves, with no luck." Jackson explained. "To better understand the metahuman phenomenon." He added benignly.
Walter nods quietly, noting the important word: "understand".
Unfortunately, Jackson continues, watching Walter as though he can read the professor's thoughts, the laboratory burned down before the experiments went much further, and the project was shut down. This is all the salvagable information from the tests. He pats the notes gingerly with his fingertips. How interesting. Walter does his best to seem cavalier, though he has never been much of an actor. The uneasy feeling grows as he begins to fear that he does, after all, recognize the ruins of research on the desk before him.
"So tell me," Jackson flips the files closed, "how is it you arrived at the same conclusion as a scientist seventy-five years ago with no prior knowledge to his work?"
Walter squirms slightly, shifting his gaze,suddenly gaining a new empathy for students caught cheating on exams or plagiarizing final papers.*"Well, I...I guess I don't know what to tell you. Given enough time... well, it's conceivable that someone was bound to have the same theories."
There is an uncomfortable silence. Doctor Jackson swivells slightly in his seat as he regards the man claiming to have the secret S.T.R.I.K.E has been after. Walter uses every ounce of self control to keep from fidgetting under the doctor's scrutiny.
"Indeed." Jackson raps his knuckles on the desk cavalierly and smiles at Walter. "Of course, you're right Dr. Kennedy." He stands, straightening his lab coat. "And I'll let you in on a little secret." Walter stands, facing him in his worn argyle sweater. "The boys downstairs are downright lost. Too young, I say, to know the first thing about bio-chemistry. So excited about gene sequence and DNA, and entirely unable to make heads or tails of the whole situation."
Jackson puts his arm around Walter's shoulders, directing him out of the room and down the hall toward an elevator. Well, it's more than just gene sequence. Walter corrects, so excited with his own discovery and always driven by the need to instruct that he almost lets the secret slip. You see it's -
He stops short, turning to face the younger doctor Jackson and fixing him with a gaze he likes to pretend is intimidating. This research, he insists steadily, Is only to be used for good. No...no genocide, or....or WMDs or anything like that, right? Only research for the sake of understanding. Right?
Jackson releases a peal of laughter that echoes down the corridor, turning once again and resuming his walk toward the elevator, with Walter in tow.
WMDs. You're very good, Dr. Kennedy. He smiles. No, of course you're right. Science for the sake of knowledge. If we better understand each other, well... it's not in anyone's best interest to let the things that have been happening keep happening, now is it? No, I can't say it is. Walter agrees as Jackson presses the down button on the elevator.
"What we need is some new blood, or rather some old blood, if you'll pardon the pun." He turns to Walter as the elevator doors open with a ding. "What we need is you, Dr. Kennedy, and I think you'll find our research facility quite to your liking."
Together, they enter the elevator and make their way to the laboratories below.
The incident that morning had me questioning things, like exactly what the hell was happening to me, if I was bat-s*** insane, and/or if any of it had anything to do with King pushing me into that light ray...
For the most part though, I pushed those thoughts aside and tried my best to go about the school day as normally as I could. However, as fate would have it, the day suddenly got even more complicated for me when a simple visit to my locker before class became a nightmare.
*SLAM!*
"Sup, Jonnyboy..."
I turned my head to see what the noise was, but instead saw Damian King leaned up on the locker next to mine. My heart came up into my throat. I was shaking. I could tell by the evil look in his glare that he was angered about being caught yesterday pushing me and suspended for putting my life at risk.
“Shouldn’t you be suspended?” I asked, confused.
“Suspension don’t start ‘till next week. Good thing, too. I was hoping we could have a little ‘chat’ before I go bye-bye.” He answered with an evil smirk, slamming his closed fist into the palm of his other hand.
"What do you want, King?” I hissed back, showing my disdain.
"You see, Small... I don't like being in trouble, and it's because of you that I am."
As much as I’ve always hated confrontation, I was quite furious when he said that, but I responded quietly and calmly, my eyebrows slightly slanted however.
"How do you figure that, King?"
"Because if you weren't so clumsy, you wouldn't have fell over and blamed me, saying I ‘pushed’ you."
Here's a little Jon-Trivia for you, reader. It really pushes my buttons when someone blatantly lies to my face. Not only does it insult my intelligence, but it really drives me up a f***ing wall.
...I think I get it from my mother.
Slamming my locker closed in disgust, I turned back to Damian in a pit of fury.
"Screw you, Damian! You did push me, and I sincerely doubt I said anything about you doing it when I was unconscious, you lying d***head!"
Utter silence filled the air. He was shocked to say the least... at least for a moment.
“What did you say!?!”
...Yup. I'm dead.
I knew I was going to regret saying that when I looked over at him as he became enraged at that little outburst of mine, but I didn’t care. Nobody pulls one over on Jon Small...
“YOU DON’T TALK TO ME LIKE THAT!!!”
…Of course I could be wrong about that.
Damian proceeded to grab me, pry my own locker back open, and shove me inside. The impact hurt a bit, and there was scrapes on my arms from where the metal edges abrasively rubbed my skin, but my focus quickly shifted from the pain to the sound of him locking the door closed.
It was certainly dark in there to say the least, being that the only light source was coming from the slits in the door, but in a rush I looked out of them to see where he went. At first, I didn’t see him at all, but out of nowhere his eyes peered through and met mine.
"You're lucky, Small. Consider this a small taste of what’s to come. I’ve only just started with you."
Then he walked away, and I was trapped. Just standing in there, waiting for someone, while also worrying about being late for class and imagining the time when Damian will finally get his. Amidst those pleasant thoughts however were the sounds of footsteps, which after peering through the locker vents, I saw belonged to my saviors; Ryan and his girlfriend Jessica Long.
“Hey, guys! A little help?” I asked them sheepishly, blushing from the embarrassment of the situation.
“Jon... What’re we going to do with you?” Jess exasperated, giving herself a facepalm.
“Damian’s handiwork I assume?” Ryan questioned jokingly, whilst experiencing a slight sense of deja vu.
"Yeah..." I reluctantly admitted.
“27-16-09, right?” he guessed correctly.
...What? This wasn't my first time being shoved in a locker.
Dylan stares aimlessly out the window as his Building Manager of Chambers' Towers is going over the monthly financial report.
The manager says, "Mr. Chambers I've gotta admit that even in these tough times you're still well ahead of last year's financial pace in terms of money coming into the building, and this is without any Tax-Breaks or rent increases. I gotta ask how are you doing it?"
Dylan turns and replies, "You just gotta know how to play the cards right. I make money off of my cases, and invest the money back into the building. Giving it all the latest in modern conveniences and making it aesthetically pleasing. Thus making people want to come and use the space in the Towers, and why we have a 5 year waiting list just to get in for a screening interview."
His manager nods and says, "Well at this moment you're sitting very nicely do you want me to have our negotiators speak with the Union Officials about their upcoming CBA with the Towers."
Dylan smiles and says, "No that's all-right Eric. I'll deal with this personally last time I let someone else do it there was that work-stoppage for three weeks and all that ugliness. I'll meet with them next week. I'm sure they'll see things differently this time dealing with me directly."
Eric nods and says, "All-right Mr. Chambers. Well if there is nothing else I think we're done until next month. Have a good evening sir."
Dylan replies, "You too Eric and tell Marlene I said hello."
Eric leaves as Dylan stares out the window again and develops almost a scowl on his face.
She is out there somewhere. I will find her. She is different not one of these 3rd rate wanna-be heroes that I took care of time and again before I left for DC. No she is a challenge and her powers are so much like mine. A challenge worthy of me at last.
After I finish explaining everything that I know about tonight's events, and Pinup's involvement Keira just sits there and stares at me in wide eyed bewilderment.
"And you're keeping this woman at your little clubhouse?"
"Yes. She's there with Michael and a few of the others."
"And what are you going to do with her?"
"What do you mean?"
"Scott, what do you mean, 'what do I mean?' You have to turn her in, she's dangerous." She says as her body tenses, clearly upset that I'm even entertaining the thought of giving Pinup sanctuary.
"Turn her in to who? S.T.R.I.K.E? Keira, what happened wasn't her fault. It was an accident. It-"
"Don't. Don't try and defend her. You weren't there. You didn't see those people get trampled to death...Scott, she is dangerous. I know you want to help, but maybe sometimes the only way you can help someone is to turn them over to someone who can keep them from hurting themself, or others." She says as she forces back tears, clearly, the events of earlier tonight are still fresh in her mind.
"I can't do that, and you know it."
"You can't save everyone Scott. Some people are just beyond help. She may not intend to do these things, but she does them. She's dangerous. You always talk about doing what is right for the greater good...but right now you're not doing just the opposite."
"You have to trust me on this, she's-"
"I DO trust you, but this isn't like with Chrissy or Kayla. This woman may not want to hurt anyone, but she can't control it. She's no different than any of the other villains that you've taken down."
"We can help her. Maybe we can help her to learn to control her powers. She can do alot of good...she wants to make up for what she's done."
"And what if you can't?"
"If we can't, I don't think there's a better place in the world to have her than with The Guardians. If we have to...if we absolutely have to, we could deal with her there."
She stands there not saying anything for a moment as she just looks down at the floor. Finally she looks back up to me, she sighs deeply as she slouches her shoulders. She shakes her head as she begins to speak again.
"Fine. Do what you think is best. But this time, I think you're wrong."
She's angry, and I can't blame her. She is right about one thing, I wasn't there. I didn't see Pinup's "attack" on the club. But by the same token, Keira wasn't there when I found Pinup either, she didn't see the look on her face. She wasn't there with her afterward, she didn't see the pain that she was in over what she had done...almost expecting me to let go of her as we were on our way to GHQ, and let her fall to her death...and accepting that as a deserved punishment.
"We'll see." I say as I walk over to her, and take hold of her wrists in an attempt to comfort her. She struggles for a moment, as if not ready to give up the fight, but relaxes her arms. I lean in and kiss her on the forehead.
"I have to go. I should get back to Headquarters and see if they've made any headway."
She doesn't say anything as I make my way back out the door leading to the roof access way. Yet, I can feel her eyes boring into the back of my head, and it breaks my heart just alittle. She has always trusted my judgement, but in this case, I think she may be just alittle too close to the situation...or perhaps she will prove me wrong...and maybe it will turn out that I'm the one too close.
A wheel spins slowly, it's driver has already left. Moved on to other things; hygiene is the word of the day. Curled up in a ball and licking his hind foot Methuselah is cleaning out his ears. The wheel slows but keeps on clicking in his past, while eyes that glisten like the light of the thousand new moons he has beared witness boggle as he shakes to get rid of that weird sensation - the price of cleanliness. The well versed routine not merely the secret to old age, but a necessary outlet to burn the infinite hours.
Meanwhile, halfway across town another rat has aa similar activity on his mind. This rat, a wild one, barely recognisable as the same genus of the first, crawls to the middle of a set up card table erected beneath the city's streets, not wanting to fall during its task. It licks itself in a far more coarse way, almost oblivious to it's surroundings until a dark man enters and announces his presence.
[BLACKOUT]"Oh for God's... LOOKIT THE SIZE OF THAT BLOODY THING!"[/BLACKOUT]
People, the leavers of scraps, enter the room when he calls. Not understanding why he has become the centre of attention he looks, with beady black eyes which have seen a dozen moons... tops... whilst he points at the rat and hollers some more.
[BLACKOUT]"Just because the plague was several hundred years ago doesn't mean it's due back in vogue..."[/BLACKOUT]
Realising that whatever this man is yelling about, it doesn't seem to have anything to do with giving a certain rat food, he returns to the task at hand.
[BLACKOUT]"Is he...? He's licking himself! Look at the set of brass ones on him, sitting there on my table, licking his ... well... his set of brass ones, so it would seem."[/BLACKOUT]
The yelling certainly wasn't about the benevolent charity of food to sewer rats, as the dark man makes this clear with a big sweeping arm clearing the table.
"So what did you have in mind?"
The rat scurried away, off the table to a corner, where he continued to watch and wash. With his table cleared the dark man seemed calmer now.
[BLACKOUT]"A series of simultaneous organised strikes."[/BLACKOUT]
"You want to split the people up..."
[BLACKOUT]"Look. You've found a short term place to call home, but it's going to be very short term if you don't address some major needs..."[/BLACKOUT]
He went back to flourishing, empassioned gestures, counting things off on the fingers of his gloved hands.
[BLACKOUT]"You need power; we'll have to get a generator down here, you need medikits or something to at least try and counter the hit this environment will have to your health. You need whitegoods, something so you can have clean clothes, plates to eat off of and something to keep e.coli, salmonella and who-knows-what else lives in this dank squalor off of your food... and you could probably do with a fair cache of food so you don't have to worry about it again for a while, as well."[/BLACKOUT]
"And you think we should split our forces and do all of that at once...?"
[BLACKOUT]"Well? It seems a damn sight more sensible than warning them that we're coming by a series of consecutive hits, doesn't it? Yes, we're splitting our forces, but they will be doing the same."[/BLACKOUT]
With the last line, the dark man cast a glimpse at the rat in the corner once more and let out a sigh, one that many who bought the blustery exterior would accept as frustration of being force to live in such "dank squalor", but in fact his mind was now miles away...
Not only myself but even the Blue Blur himself, who by all stereotypical analysis as being a speedster should have great difficulty in staying in one place, stands still in shock and uncertainty. I know what Matt's thinking. He's just trying to be nice and not bring it up.
But we both know what's up.
"You guys...take care of the situation without me. I'll only get in your way. I mean I literally can't do a thing."
"Sucks man. But..."
"It's fine, dude. You can say it. I'll be fine."
"Yea, there's a bunch of innocents out there still recovering the onslaught of Hazard's attack. I'll keep an eye on you from the distance while you get to safety, though."
And in a flash, one of my closest pals on the team is gone. Fighting the good fight. Which is what I should be doing...which makes this seriously the worst day for this to be happening. The one day that I walk entirely as a man with the blessings of the Archangels out of reach. At least it looks like Pinup was able to get her surprise assault on Hazard. Still trying to figure out the true nature of her powers. It looks like she's doing something to his head.
Pinup focussed, making the most of her brief window of opportunity to connect with Hazard's psyche. Black shadows began to form in the corners of her eye, and she willed them forward, planting them squarely in front of Hazard as they began to take shape. The clouds hovered low to the ground, writhing and screaming in agony as they formed twisted, tormented bodies of men Pinup didn't recognize.
The bodies reached up, as if groping for something corporeal to cling to; to pull them back to the land of the living. Their screams echoed in Pinup's ears as they begged Hazard to help them, accusing him of betrayal for crimes unknown to her. She tried to ignore the tortured cries as she pushed the visions further, forcing them to grow in detail and clarity, reaching a more fevered pitch. The weight of the agent's body in her ams kept her dully aware of her surroundings as she is pulled with Hazard further into his nightmare.
As Cody Washington, former S.T.R.I.K.E. and former candidate of Dr. Weather's Watchmen Project, descends to the ground...he's cradling his head as though he is in excruciating pain.
I hope she has control on whatever the heck she is doing.
I don’t know about you, but whenever I have a really bad run-in with a bully, I blow off steam in the cafeteria. Which is exactly what I found myself doing after that less-than-pleasant run-in with Damian.
“That a**hole... Rrghh! He gets me so mad!”
The anger fueled me, and I felt a strange rush through my body. In that fury, I impulsively slammed my fist down on the metal table at which I sat.
But something was amiss... The bottom half of my fist felt like it was wrapped in a metal blanket, and I looked down to see that my fist had dented the table. Dented the metal table. So much so that my hand was embedded in it. And then, as I pried my fist out, it... It fell apart!
Uhh... Def-Con 2 level weirdness, here! I thought to myself.
Wait... I just f***ing demolished a metal table. How the hell? Last I checked, I had a hard time benching my own body weight...
...Do I have f***ing super-strength?
At that point, I figured there was only one way to find out...
I then placed my hands on the sides of another table, and I pulled. Then, with relative ease no less, the ENTIRE table was above my head, light as a cereal box! So to better test this new found strength, I tossed the table in the air, and caught it on its way down before placing it back down gently.
“My god...” I muttered, in awe of my might.
I had f***ing superstrength.
What happened next, however, was the weirdest thing to happen yet! My hands started tingling, and I looked down at them to make sure nothing was wrong. But as I did, I saw that the ‘black energy’ from this morning that made my eyes and hair black in the bathroom was showering from my hands as I clenched my fists. This time though, I knew I wasn't hallucinating.
So between this and the sudden super-strength that just came out of nowhere, my theory had practically been confirmed. That negative light beam must have given me freakin' superpowers!
I have f***ing Superpowers. I don't even think losing my virginity could top this moment...
Well, I have to take this moment to say that, as an avid comic book fan, this is a dream come true for me! What we comic nerds would call a “Geek-“ or “Nerdgasm”. You know, like when you see a nerd faint when they meet William Shatner? That's a nerdgasm right there. Now multiply that times ten, and you'll have a slight idea as to how euphoric this moment of discovery was for me.
This is pretty damn cool.
"Ok, so what can I do with you?" I asked the energy flowing from my palms, as if it were a living thing.
I figured that this... 'ability' would probably work like it would for someone who can shoot energy blasts. Someone like Ms. Marvel, or Goku from Dragonball Z. Using that logic, I did as they would and began concentrating on my hands to form the energy in my fists into a sphere. Eventually, in a matter of seconds, it shifted into a ball shape, the size of a small basketball, floating about an inch away from my hands. From there I clasped onto the sphere, and threw it. It whizzed through the empty cafeteria, and collided with a brick pillar, a pile of dust and debris falling to the floor.
Whatever kind of energy this was, it was potent enough to damage rock!
Then I conjured up another bolt of energy and blasted it like a laser from my palms at a table, and it blasted upon impact!
“Nice!”
Except that the blast didn’t destroy the table, but rather sent the table flying towards me, and instinctively (instead ducking like a smart person) I did the stupid thing and jumped...
My eyes were closed as I feared the worst, and as I expected to be hit, I opened my eyes, and I wasn’t falling. I was... floating! Not even! I was f***ing flying! Like I was freaking Superman!
“Holy s*** I can fly!” I squealed as I started flying around the cafeteria for a good couple of minutes before I just... stopped, and crashed to the ground. A fall that would’ve probably hurt me really bad, unless of course I had enhanced durability too!
As I stood back up, I dwelled upon once more the fact that I was actually right with my initial theory. Apparently that radioactive beam must have given me the power to throw tables, fly, and produce solid, black light energy. How it all worked exactly? I didn’t know in the slightest, but it didn’t matter at the moment. I knew I would figure it out eventually. In the mean time, I was too busy marveling at the power I had in my hands.
"I. Am. F***ing awesome!" I victoriously claimed, striking a cliche yet superheroic pose.
“F***ing awesome, indeed!” Ryan’s voice called out behind me, to which I very fearfully turned around, hoping they didn’t see everything that just transpired.
“JON! Just what the HELL was that!?!” Jess near screamed at me, confirming my fears.
Great job, Jon. Not even ten minutes into this whole superpowers thing, and not one, but two people just found out!
...You totally suck at this.
Well, at least I was marveling at the power I had in my hands.
“Crap...”
To quote the great Desi Arnaz, looks like I've "Got some 'splainin to do".
Charles Dwight sits in his cell, trying to read the newspaper for the tenth time. But he just doesn't have it in him. And it's not the fact that he's in jail, facing charges on second degree murder. That he can deal with. It's the helplessness of not being able to do any work, to help himself out of this situation, that's killing him.
That's when he hears the outer door to the cells open and a guard walks up.
"You have a visitor."
D walks past a couple of empty windows, and stops when he sees who's sitting on the other side of his window. He sits down, and picks up the phone. His visitor, already sitting there, picks up his one phone.
"About time you got here."
"You were expecting me?"
"I knew you wouldn't just let me sit here, Bobby. You're too good an agent to do that, despite whatever friction we may have had. That's why I took you on."
"Well, thanks-" Hawkes starts.
"That, and no one else wanted you," D says matter-of-factly.
"...thanks." Hawkes leans in towards the window. "I'm here to help, sir."
"Good. Because I need you to dig, Bobby. I'm stuck in here. They moved too fast and I couldn't risk exposing myself. But you're still part of the system."
"I'm already on it. Got a couple of interviews lined up..."
***
I had to park a good distance away. When Broiles said I'd have to avoid some attention, I didn't expect cops, SWAT, and helicopters. Lucky for me, I don't think they were expecting someone who's see-through.
So, I try to take the round-about way in. But there's no such thing this time. They've got the area locked up tighter than...eh, there's probably some inappropriate comment I could make, but I'm not going to. Because I need to stay focused and figure out how to get passed this blockade. And, unfortunately, I only see one way to do that.
I walk right out in the middle of everybody.
I expect a sniper to put a bullet in my head the second I walk onto the street, but nothing happens. I know I've been an invisible man for a while now, but this still feels really freaky.
Still, when no one is planning for you, and you get your nerves to settle down, getting around isn't too hard. Especially when one made a career out of not being seen long before getting an invisibility gland implanted in one's head.
Therefore, breaking into the best places isn't as daunting as it should be. So when I get up to the high-tech security door, I actually have to stop myself form whistling nonchalantly.
Keep your head in the game, Darren. Never the time to mess around when breaking in.
I pull out my trusty hacker/cracker. It's a nice little gizmo I picked up in the old days from one of my less reputable friends. Far less reputable. It's a little harder to use when all you can see is glowy silver, but it still does the job. And the lock opens less than 30 seconds after plugging it in. Private sector tech will always beat government tech.
And illegal tech will always beat private sector tech.
I slip past the door, quickly closing it behind me. Once I hear the lock engage, I start running Broiles' instructions through my head.
Left
Right
Second right
Left
Left
Stop while I let an older man walk by
Right. Right again. And there.
And while I don't know the specifics of why I had to come to this particular room, I pull the package out of my jacket and place it on the table anyway, just as I had been instructed.
Yeah, I know. A lot of secrecy just to drop a package off at another government facility. But, as Broiles explained, it had to be done this way. Couldn't afford to have the Agency associated with a group that's currently losing favor within the government. Despite the amount of good they've done.
And here I thought our agency was the one on the outs.
As I make my way back to where I came in, and crack the door lock once again, I can't help but wonder how Broiles' little package is going to help the Guardians out of this mess.
It's about fifteen seconds later when all hell brakes loose on the street...
As I soar through the night sky above Lost Haven, the arguement between myself and Keira keeps playing over and over again in my mind. It eats away at me, seeing her faith in me diminished the way it seems to have been. And she's not alone.
Anderson's smear campaign is working. More and more frequently, the very people that we put our lives on the line to protect look at us with distrust. More and more seem to be listening to Anderson's anti-meta propaganda.
Suddenly, I'm forced to bring my attention back to the here and now as I hear something in the distance...
Explosions.
Coming from...Guardians' Headquarters.
I increase my speed as I head off in the firection of GHQ, and that's when something else gets my attention...the sound of squealing tires.
Now what? I think to myself as I look in the direction of the newest disaster...
I look on in horror as I see a city bus careening out of control.
The Guardians are going to have to go it alone...I think to myself as I take off toward the out of control bus.
Even though Pinup has managed to do whatever the heck she is doing to Hazard, the remaining S.T.R.I.K.E. that didn't fall victim to Hazard's ambush of an attack on the area aren't exactly putting down their arms. With Matt taking care of the bystanders and not trying to get some of the S.T.R.I.K.E. forces to target something they clearly can't catch. Kensei continues to create strong winds with his sword just enough to push their heavier vehicles back as they slowly try to advance. I turn to face Pinup once more and the second I do I'm overwhelmed with concern.
"Pinup?"
She was fine before. Before...only Hazard was showing any signs of excruciating pain. Again, I don't understand the nature of her powers but...this doesn't look right. What could she be doing to his mind that would do this to her?
I walk closer to her, all the while trying to stay as far away from Hazard now. Doesn't matter that he's practically pinned down as he goes through some unknown experience. He's a danger to any of those around him when he is in control...what's to say that he doesn't start lashing out trying to fight whatever Pinup is doing to him?
"Pinup...are you ok?"
"AAAAHHHH!!"
"PINUP!"
I act purely on instinct which I'm going to regret later but I don't care. Whatever she is doing to Hazard is having an effect on her. Dangit. Had I taken care of Hazard earlier this wouldn't have happened. I sprint to her, and when I get to her try to get her to snap back at it. Hazard suddenly starts to scream, shouting inaudible and unclear shrieks and yells, and soon after Pinup starts to echo him.
Though I may have no powers, I refuse to be useless in the situation. As she clenches at her head with her hands, I start to pull on them, trying to relax herself. She starts to suddenly look calmer, which hopefully means that what I did worked.
Which also creates a problem.
"You. Angelo."
I turn around, and Hazard extinguishes energy like never before from the top of his head.
"This is the part where I f**king kill you."
Time feels like it's reached a sudden hault. I make a quick glance over to Kensei, and he's still trying to hold back the S.T.R.I.K.E. heavy assualt vehicles. Naturally next I look at Matt, and by the time I've turned my head, Hazard is already readying his attack as he flies towards me. Matt's eyes and I lock in place, and I've never his eyes look so white.
He starts to run. But the look I see for this split second of time as it feels so slow tells me what's going to happen.
He's not going to make it.
"Get down!"
"What?"
Before I can turn my head to hear the familiar voice that shouted out to me, suddenly Hazard looks like he's never flown before. Crashing down into the ground as though gravity was working against him, he starts to create a small crater that gets deeper and deeper.
Having now turned my head, time feels like it is finally back to normal as my heart rate is starting to speed up back to the norm and I realize, I'm not going to die after all. A second later, Matt is finally by my side and out of breath as he leans over and rest on his knees. An extreme look of gratitude is what I wear on my face as I thank the one who saved me.
"Thanks Flux. I owe you."
"Good...timing...gal. I wasn't...fast enough. Sorry...bro."
"Yea, good timing indeed. It's been a while, boys."
"Who's the new chick?"
I look over to the crater that Flux used when she channeled telekinesis via one of her empathy powers, and floating in the air in a costume I've never seen before is the girl that Icon saved earlier.
"Oh, her? She goes by Starlight, now. Icon dropped her off in San Diego with me. We came to Lost Haven the moment we got signal. Starlight?"
"This guy looks like he's down for the count."
Starlight flies back over to the group, and with the threat over, Kensei starts to run our way.
"It's not over yet, friends. I'm nearly exhausted I can't hold them back anymore. To the base!"
With Kensei's words of warning, everyone starts to head for the Guardian HQ. I make sure to pick up Pinup myself as Matt stays just a little bit behind to watch my back as I do as we enter the base. Hazard and his attack now dealt with, we've got a bunch of angry and pissed off S.T.R.I.K.E. field agents and heavy vehicles scorned from the chaos. My guess? Unless we figure out a strategy, bye bye Guardian HQ.
Naturally, Ryan and Jess were "curious" to say the least. So much so that they wanted me to come over to Ryan's after school for a little Q&A. To be quite honest though, I didn't really know how... effective I was going to be in explaining what they saw earlier. But, they're my closest friends, and they deserved answers. So I was sure as hell going to try my best to give them some.
“How did this happen?”
“How long has this been going on?”
“Are you an alien?”
“Mutant?”
“Government experiment?”
“What are you, Jon?"
The questions were coming at me like rapid-fire as Ryan and Jess alternated back and forth with each new inquiry. They were asking the questions so fast that I lost track of what they were asking and couldn't pay attention for more than a few moments at a time because of the sheer amount of words being thrown in my face. That was, until I decided to just stop them right there and give them what I like to call a "one-size-fits-all" answer for any questions they had left.
“Listen, guys... I know you have questions, but honestly? I don’t have that many answers myself. I literally just found out about these powers this morning in the empty cafeteria... All I do know is that apparently I can generate a black-colored light energy. That and I think I can fly... Oh yeah and super strength, too. And I'm pretty sure that-- No, very sure that it’s a side effect of my being pushed into that light ray yesterday at the ECSC.”
“Black... light energy? Are you serious right now!? Do you even know how unbelievable this sounds?” Jess yelled out in frustration, having trouble believing what was going on.
“Yeah. It turns my eyes and hair black too...” I admitted as I looked down at the floor in embarrassment for leaving out that detail and further frustrating her.
“If I may, I think that this is awesome..." Ryan interjected.
“I know, right! High-Five!” I replied excitedly as I high-fived Ryan, who also participated in said excitement.
“You guys may think this is cool and all but I think that this is totally effed-up," Jess began, sighing in frustration, until she realized that this was all really happening. I then looked down at the floor as I was saddened by her lack of faith.
But soon after I felt a reassuring hand on each shoulder from my two friends as Jess continued.
"...but Jon, you’re like a brother to us and we want you to know that whatever this is that’s going on with you, we're going to support you and stick by your side all the way.”
"Yeah!" Ryan agreed.
“Thanks, Jess. Ryan. You guys are the best.” I thanked.
But the heartwarming moment soon came to pass as Jess asked one final question that set in motion a chain of events that would change my life forever.
"I have to ask, though... What exactly do you plan on doing with these ‘superpowers’ of yours, hmm? Have you even thought about it?"
“Uhh... well I--" I stuttered as I had trouble thinking of an answer. Truth is, I really hadn't though about it before that point. Thankfully though, Ryan answered for me.
“Isn’t it obvious, babe? He’s going to be a superhero!" Ryan exclaimed.
“I’m gonna what?” I asked as I was still processing that statement into my brain.
Superhero?
“Yeah! He’s gonna save people and fight villains and stuff!"
"What!? How is he going to accomplish that, babe? He's just a kid!"
"He does read a lot of comic books. I'm sure he can figure it out... Besides--"
Listening to Ryan explain to Jess how I can be a superhero, I started to trail off and think... What if this was the reason I was given these abilities? To use them responsibly to help people? To save the world?
I've always wanted to help make this city a better place. To derail it off of this downward spiral it's been sucked into through greed, crime and corruption. And now I've been given the power to do so. I'm not some... normal kid anymore. I have abilities that no one else in this world has but me. I'm one in a couple billion... So what if this is the reason why I received these gifts? To be the symbol of hope and justice this city needs? The symbol Barry Jordan was going to be before he... "passed".
It... It must be. Or else why would I specifically have them? Why couldn’t someone else have been pushed into that ray? Why couldn't Ryan or Jess or Josh or any of my other friends... Hell, even Damian be given these powers!? Why ME?
That was when I realized that, just like Aunt May said in Spider-Man 2, there is a hero within myself, and that hero is about to be seen! This is my destiny!
I’m gonna do it...I declared to myself.
I’m gonna be a superhero.
“He’s right, Jess. I’m going to use these powers for good. To clean up this city. To be the symbol it needs that Barry Jordan was robbed of the chance at being. How I’m gonna do it? I haven't the slightest clue... but this one thing I do know; this is my destiny. This is what I was meant to do. I know it.”
"Yeah! You're going to be a f***ing superhero!" Ryan excitedly yelled out as we high-fived once more and I smiled.
"Oh, Jesus..." Jess sighed, once more placing her palm on her face as the two of us celebrated.
For a minute, I couldn't believe what was happening. That stuff like this couldn't possibly be really happening. Stuff like this only happens in comic books. But it was real, and this is no comic book. This was really happening. And on that note, I believe Ryan said how I would describe this situation the best...
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