Mr Mirage/For Tomorrow's Past
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
Contents |
For Tomorrow's Past: Prelude to War
(OOC: This is a quick little short story I had written to bridge the gaps between the events at the end of Close to Home and the beginning of our Shadow Wars event.0
Day One
Mayor Morales propped his elbows on his desk and watched disapprovingly over his chubby fingers at his guests. He had cancelled his three o’clock appointment to meet with Vice Mayor Jack Mc Kale and Police Commissioner Frank Rafferty to discuss urgent matters. After two hours of constant debate, Morales had heard enough. “Gentlemen, I will not revoke that law.”
“Mayor, please,” Rafferty pleaded. “The law should not be left in the hands of vigilantes. The law should remain where with the police department.”
“I want you for a moment to imagine if you will,” the mayor explained as stood from his chair. He paced the room and continued, “the repercussions if I revoke the Citizen Crime Fighting Act. Our economy would crash due to an extreme drop in tourism, crime rates would skyrocket, and hope, gentlemen. We would strip the hope from our people.” He watched the city through his office window.
Without facing them he simply replied, “That is something I cannot do.”
“Then you are putting great men out of work, Mr. Mayor,” Captain Reid Brogan retorted. The mayor turned to look the newly appointed police captain in the eyes. Reid continued, “These ‘heroes’ are leaving no crime left to fight. The department has already suffered a high amount of layoffs. Our funding is being cut every month, and soon we will lose more officers. How do you plan on keeping the PPD around if the heroes are taking all the glory?”
The Mayor replied, “I will bring your concerns to the city council.” He noticed the time and informed the men, “Gentlemen, I thank you for stopping by, but I need to get home before the Missus kills me. Perhaps you can schedule an appointment with me next week do we can discuss this further.”
Their agenda would have to wait. They could tell the Mayor would not budge on the matter. They stood from their chairs honoring Morales’ request and followed the Mayor to the door. He shook hands with them as they each walked through the door. “Oh and congratulations on your recent promotion, Captain,” he replied as he closed the door behind them.
“You should listen to them,” a voice insisted giving the Mayor a scare. He turned to see a female hero sitting at his chair with her feet propped on the desk.
“Do you have an appointment?” Morales asked the hero. It wasn’t strange to have heroes seek council with him, but her demeanor concerned him. He approached his desk with caution.
“More or less,” she replied hopping out of the chair. She pulled him to the window and seductively moved behind him pointing to the city. “Paragon City: the Birthplace of Tomorrow, and do you know whose city that is?”
“It belongs to the people,” he jovially answered.
“No,” she replied while snapping the Mayor’s neck. His body fell to the ground. She continued looking out the window. “It belongs to me.”
Captain Reid Brogan reentered the office. “I am sorry, Mr. Mayor. I forgot my…” His words trailed off as he saw Morales’ dead body at the feet of a metahuman. “You!” he exclaimed as he drew his sidearm. “I should have arrested you when I had you in my custody.” He opened fire as the hero jumped through window. Reid ran to the window in pursuit. He watched as she took flight into the horizon. He screamed, “I will find you and bring you down personally, La Belle Dame!”
The boards covering the old entrance to the Arrow Diner on Mercy Island cracked in two and removed by the hands of Mr Mirage. Once he freed enough boards, he entered the abandoned restaurant to make sure no one else was squatting. He turned to the front door and said, “It’s clear.”
Eden helped Lady Cardinal through. She sprained her ankle during the explosion which made it difficult to traverse between the islands. However they managed. Mirage was happy they did not attract any unwanted attention. It was hard enough with Cardinal’s injury and Eden going into shock after they found Thunda Kat’s charred remains.
“Ok, we hold up here to eat, rest, and what have you,” Mirage instructed. “However, seeing that this ‘bistro’ has been closed for some time, one of us should scout for options. Eden, why don’t you go? I’ll tend to Cardinal. Maybe we can come up with a plan to get off this rock.”
Eden glared at Mirage. His words echoed in her mind as the kiss replayed over and over. She could not believe his audacity. She deserved that kiss, not Jocelyn. She wanted to scream in his face, but decided that some fresh air would do her some good. “Fine,” she snapped as she left the two ‘lovers’ alone.
“What’s her problem?” Mirage asked. “I’ve never seen her this way.”
Lady Cardinal only replied, “Look what happened back there. It was nice, and I’m not saying that I don’t want to repeat that little moment between us. I think we should hold off until we return to Paragon.” Her heart sank. She was torn. She wanted to jump on top of the man she has hated for the past year, but she needed to think about Eden. No matter how hard she is on Eden, she valued her friendship with her. She just didn’t know what to do. She gently tapped her head on the wall behind her. She just needed to put a little distance between Mirage and herself. “So what’s plan B?”
The time machine fell from a few feet above the ground. Its landing jarred the machine and its nine passengers. Once the overall nausea diminished, the Eternals realized they were in an alley in King’s Row. Gamer’s Widow alerted, “Where is Ruse?”
During the landing, Ruse had escaped by shifting his appearance. The transformation was too fast, and he managed to merely walk off onto the streets of Paragon City.
“We have to find him,” Perce-Neige insisted.
Silver Skull volunteered, “Let’s just find the Eternals to help us. We probably didn’t jump too far into the past.” He left the safety of the alleyway asking numerous citizens, “Excuse me, but we are looking for the Eternals? Can you point us in the right direction?” Skull’s attempt only produced blank stares and very little eye contact.
“Would you take a look at this?” Perfect Score said pointing at a copy of the Paragon City Times on a nearby newsstand. His jaw dropped as he pointed out, “Look at the date in the corner.”
“December 2nd, 1941,” In Betweener read aloud.
“That’s not the worse of our problems,” Mechacatbot informed them. He had been trying to power up the time machine and was not successful. “If we can not get this machine to operate, I am afraid we will become permanent residents.”
“Uh guys,” La Belle Dame interrupted. “I think we have brought a little too much attention to ourselves.”
A familiar hero hovered down to greet them, “Hello.”
“Statesman,” the Eternals mouthed in unison.
He smiled and added, “You all look a little lost.”
Day Two
Dr. Mathias leaned against his desk reading a copy of this morning’s Paragon City Times. He was gloating over the headline MAYOR MURDERED BY METAHUMAN. The Infinite’s plans were coming into fruition, and there was no stopping them now. La Belle Dame drifted onto his terrace and walked into his office. Dr. Mathias did not move from the newspaper, but greeted his guest just the same, “Hello, Ms. Annabelle Cruix.”
“Check.mate!” She scowled at the mastermind as she approached him. Her fists clinched. She paused before bowing on one knee. “I have
done as you asked.”
“Rise, my child,” he replied replacing the newspaper in his hands with a television remote. “You have done well.” He turned on the television to watch the media coverage on Paragon City’s loss and the monsters behind it.
The reporter began, “The images on these CD-ROMs are too graphic to air. We just cannot show this disturbing footage. Acting Mayor Jack Mc Kale has gone on record saying ‘these superheroes are threats to society. We have seen their power and it is dangerous. I will not stand aside and let them run our city. It is time we take it back from them. I hereby revoke the Crime Fighting Act of 1937.’” The reporter continued, “There you have it, folks. The law has stepped in, and it looks like the superheroes are stepping out.” Dr. Mathias turned off the television.
“Please, Check.mate,” Annabelle pleaded. “I must know the truth about me. You promised me that in exchange for my services. After seeing her, I need to know who the clone is.”
“I will tell you the truth, as promised,” Dr. Mathias placed his hand on her shoulder. “But first, go to Port Oakes and check the incoming shipping manifests. We are expecting a rather large shipment from Paxton International. Make sure there will be no complications. When you return, you shall know the truth.”
Annabelle frowned. “Yes, I will do as you ask.” She soared through the window and into the horizon. Dr. Mathias watched her become a dot against the sky and smiled approvingly.
Eden hated the situation. For two days now, she watched Mirage and Lady Cardinal hide their affection towards each other. She could only imagine how they were yearning to get off this island and back to Paragon where she wouldn’t be in the way. Eden picked up a rock and hurled it down the street. In a way her anger had been good for her. She managed to not think about the future at all. At least she had that, and she didn’t mind the food runs as long as she could get away from Simon and Jocelyn. She even managed to befriend a young couple here in Mercy Island who was nice enough to give them a ton of food.
Their names were Mike and Lillie Savage, and their last name did not fit their personalities. Before she returned with food the first night, they had invited her to join them for dinner. Mike had talked about living on Mercy and how difficult it had been living under Recluse’s law. They had told her about an underground movement planning to overthrow his rule, but Eden knew that would be impossible. Recluse would destroy them within seconds. However, the revolution was not about succeeding. It was about hope for these people.
When Eden made it to the Savage home, she was met by the young couple outside. They were heading out to a rally. They insisted she join them. Eden didn’t mind. It would give her something to do besides ignore uncomfortable stares from Lady Cardinal.
As the three exited the alleyway, Eden saw a crowd of about fifty regular men and women. As she grew closer, she could hear a man preaching against Arachnos. He reminded the crowd the rights they had before Recluse. Eden eased through the crowd. She was drawn to his voice. She had never heard anyone so speak so passionately. She found the urge to meet this man and pick his brain. As she arrived at the front of the line, she saw the man that she imagined as being an athletic seven feet tall was not that at all. The leader of this movement was a man in a wheelchair. She managed to catch his eye, and he told the man next to him to continue. He wheeled over to her and offered his hand. With a smile, he introduced himself, “Hello, my name is Nicholas Grant.”
“Let me get this straight,” Statesman replied to the Eternals explanation, “you are all from the future, but you will not tell about what the future holds for us.” Statesman had escorted the Eternals to the Freedom Phalanx headquarters. The Eternals felt as if they were in a dream standing among the Dark Watcher, the Dream Doctor, and Maiden Justice. While the Eternals felt more and more like children, Statesman seemed to be getting a little low on patience.
“Listen, Statesman,” Gamer’s Widow spoke up. “In four days…”
In Betweener interrupted, “What she is trying to say is that we cannot interject. If you were to know the future, you would be tempted to change it. By us just being here, we have endangered our own existence. I do not mean to be rude, but all we need is to fix that time machine and to track down a villain who has his own agenda.”
“And what might that be?” Maiden Justice asked. “Or can you not tell us that either?”
“We do not know exactly,” Perce-Neige replied. “We tried to stop to stop him, but ended up hitching a ride here.”
“One thing is certain,” Statesman added, “only you can know what he is here for. As for your machine, I will introduce you to Dr. Victor Storm. He is our resident inventor.”
“Sounds good,” La Belle Dame replied. She glanced around at her teammates when something dawned on her. “Has anyone seen Sympathy?”
Outside Sympathy perched on a ledge. The past few days have been trying on her. She watched her teammates murder villains, and now she has traveled back to 1941. Her head was clouded with an array of emotions. She fought off the tears that wanted to escape. She did not understand why the Infinites had chosen this point in time.
“Something troubling you?” a low voice rumbled startling her. She turned to see a giant.
He had seen the young hero and thought she could use some company. To Sympathy, she did not expect to see the hero. In her normal everyday routine, she had grown accustomed to the statues that were erected in his honor. Seeing him in person was surreal. She could barely utter his name, “Atlas?”
Day Three
Annabelle waited impatiently at the shipping docks in Port Oaks. Everything seemed to be in order, but she was in no rush to return. For a year now, she had done tasks for the man known as Checkmate. He came to her with the promise of truth. He informed her that he knew who she was, and that if she worked for him he would tell her everything. Her patience had now grown thin especially since she knew about the other Annabelle Croix.
Too many unanswered questions about the day in the laboratory. Why was there a clone of her? Why did the Eternals rescue her clone? And why did the Eternals leave her to die? Checkmate said he could deliver those answers, and soon she would know the truth.
“You want to know the truth?” a stranger asked as he joined her to her side. Annabelle turned to see the masked man. He was wearing a strange mechanical suit. Normally she would have attacked him, but this was the Isles. Things like this happened all the time: some young punk trying to prove himself.
She huffed, “Yeah and who are you?”
“I am a man who can offer you what you truly seek,” he replied in a jovial yet creepy tone. “You want to know the truth, and that truth is that you are a puppet, Ms. Croix. Your employers are playing a deadly game. They use you. You know this, yet you still do their bidding. Why? Because, they hold a key: a key that will unlock your past. You really want to know the truth? You, Ms. Croix, are the clone, and if you do not believe me, return to your masters and find out yourself.” He produced a card with only a phone number printed on it. “If you learn what I say is true, call me.”
He turned to go when she stopped him, “Wait! What is your name?”
His voice carried through wind as he vanished, “You may call me Revenant.”
Mr Mirage peered out through a crack between the boards out into the street. For the past two days Eden had disappeared for hours at a time. She would return with food and leave again. She left this morning before he and Lady Cardinal woke, but she had left them with enough food to last for a few days this time. Mirage became very concerned about her safety. “I’m going to go find her.” Lady Cardinal explained, “She needs her space right now, Mirage. Whoever she has been socializing with must be a saint. I mean, look at all this food.” She smiled at him, “I think you should spend less time worrying about Eden and more time thinking about me.” She couldn’t help herself. The words just came out. She was shocked at the person she had become. She thought it was her libido kicking her ass for being such a workaholic ever since she joined the CIA. Then again, she never really got close to anyone. She had been so obsessed with finding her parents’ murderer that she had forgotten how to live life, but now she had met this man, Mr Mirage. She used to despise his fast lifestyle until she got entangled in it. She used to hate how oblivious he was to Eden’s feelings towards him until she selfishly did the same.
“How’s you ankle?” he asked.
She seductively walked to him and snaked her arms around his neck. She replied, “I can manage.” Her lips gently locked with his. She pulled away and asked him, “How’s your back?”
He smiled, “I can manage.” Their lips locked once more in a rage of passion as they enjoyed the time they had while Eden was away.
Maiden Justice escorted the Eternals across town to the Storm residence. Once they arrived at the front door, Statesman rejoined them carrying the time machine. Their arrival brought small attention from the suburban community. A young boy pulled into the driveway on his bicycle in awe.
Statesman turned to him and greeted, “Well hello there, Brian.”
Brian exploded into a barrage of questions, “What is that machine? Are you getting Dr. Storm to look at it? Who are you guys? Are you heroes too?”
Before Statesman could respond, Dr. Victor Storm came to the door. Statesman explained, “Sorry to drop in on you in such short notice, but we need your assistance. These heroes are from the year 2006 and unless we can repair their machine.”
Dr. Storm stepped out onto his lawn and examined the time machine thoroughly. “Well I do love a challenge.”
“Can you fix it?” Mechacatbot asked.
“Yes, but it may take me longer than usual,” Dr. Storm replied.
Disappointed by the doctor’s response, Silver Skull requested, “Define ‘longer than usual’.”
“Two days,” Dr. Storm replied.
Little Brian interrupted, “Dr. Storm can fix anything. He is amazing. I want to grow up and be an inventor too.”
Dr. Storm chuckled, “You will have to forgive his eagerness. The boy is quite a kid genius. You should see some of his inventions.”
Brian added, “Yeah some day I’m going to be Dr. Brian Webb.”
In Betweener froze in awe. He asked, “Wait, your name is Brian Webb?” He was standing in the presence of the Portal Corp’s founding father.
Dr. Storm replied, “Yes, and his inventions will change the world.”
“You have no idea,” In Betweener added.
“Alright let’s get this contraption in the garage. Would you all care for some tea?” Dr. Storm asked as they followed him into his house.
Perfect Score pulled In Betweener aside to voice his concern, “You do realize that in three days, the Germans will invade Paragon City. Do you think this is why they chose this day in history?”
“Yes, I do, Allen. That is why I asked Sympathy to stay with Atlas,” In Betweener replied. “There is something else. That boy is the founder of Portal Corp. We should not rule out the possibility that he is Ruse’s target either. I’m not sure what Dapper John meant by shaping the world in his vision, but if Ruse alters anything, it will be the end of human history as we know it.”
Day Four
Annabelle hovered down onto Checkmate’s veranda and eavesdropped on him. All night Revenant’s words echoed in her head. She couldn’t be the clone. She was the real deal. Still, doubt lingered. She needed to know the truth now more than ever. She peeked inside to see he was discussing matters with Dapper John via video conferencing. She watched as the man on Checkmate’s wall monitor asked, “And I trust the Paxton shipment will arrive on schedule?”
“Yes,” Checkmate replied. “I have the girl watching over the docks as we speak. She serves you well, John. Our super soldiers will be in good hands when they arrive.”
“They better be. With that army, the Infinites will overthrow Recluse and Rogue Isles will be ours. If by some occurrence that something happens to that shipment, I will hold you personally responsible,” Dapper John paused. “Have you told her yet?”
“No,” Checkmate answered. “She will know the truth when the time is right. She needs to know that she is the clone of La Belle Dame and nothing more.”
Annabelle’s rage boiled. Revenant was right. She was only a puppet. She flew away fighting off her tears. She headed to a nearby phone booth and pulled Revenant’s card from her belt. She dialed the numbers while fantasizing the deaths of everyone who had ever used her. The voice on the other line broke her fixation of murder. She calmly told Revenant, “I’m in.”
Eden woke up in a fancy queen size bed. She looked around the room at the décor and thought she had been dreaming. She hopped out of the bed when she noticed the bedside clock read one o’clock. She grabbed the fluffy robe from a nearby chair and threw it around her. Her head was hurting probably from the wine from last night. It was such a blur.
The past two days she had spent with Nicholas Grant, the leader of the underground revolutionary movement on Mercy Isles. His passion was something Eden had never seen before, and she found it very attractive. At first Eden wanted to use Nicholas to get to Mirage, but she grew more attracted to this new man in her life. For days they had talked about art, war, family, and friends. She was
shocked that such a man came from a similar childhood.
She rushed downstairs to find him preparing her lunch. She sat at the island bar and watched how he maneuvered around in his wheelchair. She decided to ask, “So if you don’t mind me asking? What happened to you that… well, you know?”
“That put me in this chair?” he grinned. “Let’s just say I was monkeying around. But, it is a boring story, and I have no regrets about it. I can get around like the best of them.” He stopped to watch Eden smile. “You remind me a lot of someone I knew. At first, I thought it was the way you walked, but now I know it’s your smile.”
Eden blushed turning her away from him to hide her flushed cheeks. Then she saw it: a copy of the Paragon City Times. She read in shock at the headlines. “I don’t believe it,” she muttered.
“No, believe it. She was very beautiful,” he replied.
She turned around with the newspaper in hand and quickly skimmed the article. She read a few select sentences aloud, “PPD has asked all heroes turn in their hero licenses and all supergroup bases will be closed and scheduled to be demolished.” She looked at Nicholas with great worry, “We have to tell Simon and Jocelyn!”
Sympathy sat enjoying the dinner that Atlas’ wife had prepared for them. She couldn’t get over the 1940’s decor. She couldn’t shake the feeling that it was all a dream. Here she was having dinner with Atlas of all heroes. His wife had been very quiet the entire evening about their mysterious guest, but as soon as she found out Sympathy was from the future, the questions soared, “So tell me, what is the future like?”
Sympathy cringed at the question. She remembered what In Betweener had instructed about revealing the future. Too much knowledge is temptation to make change, and change could alter everything, even her existence. She tried to handle it as delicately as possible, “Well, it’s not too different from now.” She hated to lie but she wanted to stray from the subject at hand.
“Well can you at least tell us what happens to us?” she asked. “Is my husband the greatest superhero of all time?”
Sympathy couldn’t take it any longer. She ran out of the room and into the backyard. She wasn’t ready for this task. She wished In Betweener would have selected someone else to watch over Atlas. She covered her arms as the night air gave her shivers.
“Listen, I know why you are here,” Atlas said as he joined her outside. “Something bad is going to happen, right? And it’s going to happen to me. You are obviously not here to make friends with me and my wife. You are here to make sure nothing happens. Please tell me.”
Sympathy looked at Atlas with tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry. I cannot tell you what is going to happen. You seem like a genuine sweet man and your wife is adorable, but if I tell you what is going to happen, there would be huge consequences.”
“I am going to die, aren’t I?” he asked.
With a soft whimper, tears gushed from her eyes, “Yes.”
Day Five
Annabelle waited before sunrise to make her move. She moved through the shadows on the docks. She leaned around a large crate reading the names of the closest ships. All of them were listed on the dock manifests. Her plan sounded much simpler in her head, but when it came down to hijacking a fleet of ships, she would need some extra hands. Getting past the guards was the easy part.
“Freeze!” Two Infinites soldiers readied their weapon at the corrupter. Before she could turn to face them, a large brute ambushed the soldiers from the year. He snapped their necks simultaneously.
“I was beginning to think you weren’t going to take me up on my offer,” Annabelle told him. “Now, we need to strengthen our numbers. Follow me.” Annabelle and the brute eased between crates trying not to draw any more unwanted attention.
They boarded the first ship and snuck below. Inside the belly of the cargo ship waited an army of Paxton super soldiers, but these soldiers weren’t Paxton’s normal DNA enhanced mercenaries. Dr. Bishop Mathias had designed their specifications personally. Each soldier was highly formed in combat and transportation. Each one was virtually indestructible, and now Annabelle stood among a thousand of them. She instructed her conspirator, “We need to release a few. How does twenty-four sound?” She strutted through the block formations releasing individual super soldiers from their slumber. “Now let’s see these puppies in action. Soldiers, neutralize the parameter. Leave none alive. When you succeed in your mission, report to me for ship assignments. We set sail today.”
As the sun rose, screams could be heard from the docks below as the super soldiers massacred the Infinite guards. Dr. Mathias stepped to the rocky ledge and watched as his super soldiers each hijacked the remainder of the Paxton International ships. He stood patiently doing nothing as the ships left the harbor one by one and disappeared into the horizon. His cold stare transformed into a smug smile.
Mr Mirage and Lady Cardinal stood impatiently in the foyer of Nicholas Grant’s home. Eden stood in front of them still giving them the silent treatment. She secretly hoped she could make Mirage jealous, but this wasn’t the reason they were here. Nicholas quickly entered the room and alerted them, “This way. Hurry. You have to see the news reports.”
The three of them followed Nicholas into the next room. On his widescreen television, they all watched quietly as images of revolting super heroes fighting riot police in the streets of Paragon City flashed on the screen. The reporter announced, “With the removal of the Citizen Crime Fighting Act, the city has turned upside down. While most of the heroes turned in their hero licenses and moved on, a few have tried to fight and were either brought down by PPD forces or by other heroes trying to go with the change leaving the city in a state of mass turmoil.”
“Mr. Grant, you have done so much for us already,” Mirage stated, “but is there anyway you can get us back to Paragon City?”
Nicholas knew how much it would mean to Eden if he helped her friends. He nodded, “I have a small plane. However, it will not be ready until the morning. Please stay here tonight. Enjoy a hot bath and a comfortable bed.”
“Thank you again,” Lady Cardinal added. “We appreciate your help in this matter.”
“My pleasure,” Nicholas smiled. “Don’t worry. We will soon be back in Paragon City.”
“The sooner the better,” Mirage sighed as he watched the images dart across the television screen.
Sympathy sat on a grassy overhang looking out over the harbor. She did not recognize most of the city, but she managed to recognize this place. Tomorrow the Germans will invade this city, and Atlas will die protecting it. She felt guilty for telling Atlas his outcome, but it was too late to take it back. She was ready to return to her own time.
She felt the ground shake beneath her at Atlas’ footsteps. He stood next to her looking out across the water for a few minutes before talking. “I’ve come to tell you that the machine is ready.”
Another long uncomfortable silence followed. Sympathy decided to break it this time. “Listen, about what I said last night…”
“No. You listen,” Atlas interrupted. "Whatever threat lies out there, whatever fate has in store for me, I face it willingly even at the cost of my own life. If the city needs me, I will be there to protect it.”
Sympathy looked up at him. She felt small in his presence, not because of the giant he was, but of the man he inspired to be. She smiled as she told him, “That is why you are the greatest hero the world will ever know.”
He returned a smile and replied, “Now let’s get you back home.”
Before Sympathy agreed to go, she could hear a woman crying out to her son. She saw the child running towards them. As he passed, she could hear his mother clearly now. She was crying out his name, “Earl! Earl Jansen, come back here this instant!”
“Slings?” Sympathy asked aloud. She couldn’t believe it. The crotchety old Eternal was here in 1941, but he was only a child. “Call the others, Atlas. Tell them to meet us here,” she instructed. “And come on before we lose him.”
“Lose who?” Atlas asked while radioing in to the Freedom Phalanx and Eternals.
“Ruse’s target,” she replied. “He is going after Slings.”
Sympathy and Atlas followed young Earl Jenson and his mother the best they could. The dockworkers filled the streets after their shifts making it even harder to track them in the crowd. A few moments later In Betweener, Perce-Neige, and Statesman arrived. Sympathy and Atlas took a moment to fill the others in on Sympathy’s hunch. A woman’s scream echoed through the air preparing the five heroes for the worst.
They entered an alleyway crowded by onlookers. When the crowd saw Statesman, they parted revealing Earl Jensen lying dead in a pool of his own blood. His mother pulled him to her chest and began rocking him. Statesman turned to the others, “I’ll handle this. You four split up and search the area. Your killer is more than likely nearby.”
They wondered how you would catch someone who could look like anyone at any given time, but there search did not last long. A monotone voice taunted in a very slow meter, “Fast as fast can be, you will never ever catch me.” The heroes watched a dockworker transform into Ruse. He waved goodbye and vanished in thin air.
In Betweener instructed Sympathy and Perce-Neige, “Get back to the time machine and get back home.” He knew he could perform single jumps through time, but he couldn’t take more than just himself. He was the only one who could stop Ruse now.
“What about you?” Perce-Neige asked. “Where are you going?”
He replied, “To save tomorrow’s past.”
Day Six
In the cloak of night, Annabelle’s fleet moved across the Atlantic Ocean. She paced the deck supervising the drones’ progress. The brute who joined in her treason returned to her side. His old uniform had been replaced with one similar to the super soldier attire: black and burgundy tights with large spikes on his shoulder and belt. Unlike the other soldiers, Annabelle christened him with a cape to show his rank. “The troops are ready for deployment.”
“Good,” Annabelle was pleased to hear the news. “When we arrive, I have a special task for you.”
“What is thy will?” her lieutenant asked.
“After you dispose of that little hero, I want you to go after a much larger fish in the pond,” Annabelle instructed. “I want you to kill Statesman.”
“Yes, my liege,” he replied.
“In the meantime, I will be taking my rightful life back, and the city will be mine to rule,” she cackled.
Mr Mirage, Lady Cardinal, and Eden Spark joined Nicholas Grant on his Learjet. Mirage feared what was waiting back in Paragon City. He had never seen anything like it. The world he knew was forever changed. Cops attacking heroes, heroes attacking heroes, and heroes attacking heroes made Mirage feel Armageddon was near.
He wondered how the Eternals reacted. He wondered if they were still alive. He looked at Lady Cardinal as the plane accelerated down the runway. She was off in another world. He knew she was worrying about the same thing. She was probably thinking about her family and if they were safe. Mirage’s thoughts wandered as the plane took to the air.
He really didn’t know anything about the woman sitting across from him. The past few months he had felt a strong attraction to Lady Cardinal, but there was something more about what this woman did to him that the others in his past didn’t do. He was falling for her, and he didn’t even know her name.
She caught him staring at her, but before she could ask, “What?”, he offered her his hand. “I feel really embarrassed. In this line of work, one grows accustomed to aliases that you only call them by that name. So for us to before we continue this journey that we have started, I want to shed the truth behind the mirage. My name is Simon Caine.”
She appreciated his sincerity. She shook his hand and introduced herself, “My name is Jocelyn Powers.” Panic swept through Mirage as he tried his hardest to play it off. He had fallen for the surviving daughter of his victims Thomas and Evelyn Powers. He was wrong about one thing; the worse was still yet to come.
In an alleyway outside the Eternals Rest in Skyway City, newspapers and debris swirled into the air as sporadic flashes of light followed. In an instant, the time machine appeared with its seven passengers: Gamer’s Widow, Perce-Neige, Silver Skull, Mechacatbot, La Belle Dame, Sympathy, and Perfect Score. They would have been very happy to have returned to their own time if it weren’t for the loss of one of their own. They wondered who would be next on Ruse’s list if IB wasn’t successful. Only time would tell.
As the seven Eternals entered their base, they noticed several things out of place. The base was completely empty, the electricity had been cut off, and a notice to vacate had been was lying on the front desk.
Silver Skull was the first to state the obvious reason, “You don’t think Dr. Storm sent us to another dimension, do you? I mean this could be an alternate version of our reality.”
“No,” Mechacatbot replied, “the coordinates IB entered were correct.”
“Maybe we should go to the police,” Perfect Score suggested. “Maybe they can tell us what happened here.”
“Umm, Allen,” Gamer’s Widow brought their attention to the ten SWAT officers who surrounded the Eternals. “I think they’ve come for us.”
The Eternals raised their hands into the air and moved to their knees as commands to “Freeze!” echoed in the empty base.
TO BE CONTINUED IN "SHADOW WARS"...
