Mr Mirage/Out of Time part 2
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
Contents |
Chapter Nine
“Wow!” Detective Charlie Nolan found it difficult to the find the words to express his astonishment. He had been on the Force for five years, and never had he heard such a tale like this. An hour had passed, and he hadn’t noticed. He was completely hypnotized by her every word, and yet the only words he could find were, “Just wow!”
Lt. Det. Reid Brogan was embarrassed by his partner’s behavior. It sickened him really. Charlie was fool to be captivated by this witch’s story. Surely the events did not unfold the way she claimed they did. After all Ms. Cruix was not there the entire time. Obviously, her confession was fabricated. He sarcastically applauded her, “Yes bravo. That was quite the tale.”
“What can I say?” La Belle smiling seductively at Charlie causing him to frantically fumble his pen. It bounced off his hand with his every attempt to grab it. Finally he caged the pen in his grip almost falling back in his chair. His face flushed a brilliant red as he noticed Ms. Cruix was watching him. She only smiled and continued, “I’m a romantic.”
Reid was outraged. She was playing them. She knew damn well what happened to the missing Eternals. She was avoiding the question by stalling, and he was tired of playing games. He slammed his hands on the desk in front of her. “We haven’t the time for your fairytales. Where are your colleagues, Ms. Cruix?!”
Belle slowly looked up at Reid. Her patience for his attitude was growing thin. She knew Reid could see it on her face. She skimmed his thoughts. He was confident he was getting to her and had no intention on stopping until she admitted her involvement in their disappearance. An evil grin crept onto her face. “I was just getting to that,” she sneered, “Detective.”
Charlie could see what his partner was doing and recovered, “I apologize for my partner’s impatience. I guess what we want to know is what your story has to do with your missing friends.” Reid sighed with frustration and returned to his post by the door. Charlie continued, “You mentioned a Dr. Bishop Mathias. He was allowed to escape from prison almost a year ago.”
La Belle Dame stated showing cooperation, “The CIA sent an undercover agent to pose as a new member of the Eternals. When she hit a rock wall with her investigation, she enlisted the help of Dr. Mathias. The agent struck a deal with him that turned sour.” She looked at Reid and scowled, “Blame the CIA. Not us.”
Charlie nodded as her story checked out with the records he held in front of him. He had done his homework on the Eternals. It had been nine months since they lost everything. He could not imagine how it would feel being so vulnerable. He gave Ms. Cruix a warming smile and continued, “The Eternals made an attempt to capture Dr. Mathias, yes?”
La Belle Dame shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She took a few moments before answering. “There was a shapeshifter by the name of Ruse. He kidnapped Psych Ward to use him as a masquerade. Once his cover was blown, a small group of Eternals followed him with hopes of finding Ward. They did as well as a few surprises. They would have captured Dr. Mathias too if it weren’t for Super Fuse allowing them to escape.”
Charlie nodded. Every word held up to the police records of that day. The Eternals walked into a trap set by Dr. Mathias. Super Fuse had put his teammates to sleep when they threatened his mother Rebecca Venncannes, a former hero turned villain, and escaped with the two of them. “You also mentioned in your story that Super Fuse returned recently to the Eternals with information on where to find Cameron Maxwell. I take it his homecoming was not welcomed due to his choosing sides with Reborn Vengeance. However the Eternals did agree to trust him. Didn’t they? Ms. Cruix, why did the Eternals pursue the murderer instead of coming to us?”
“Because there was much more at stake than justice," Belle's smile disappeared behind a wall of regret. "We needed to know who was pulling the strings of this puppet show, and we needed to know at any cost.”
Chapter Ten
“It had been over a month since Super Fuse had returned home,” La Belle Dame continued. “He had informed the Eternals on where and how to find Millennium Girl. Apparently she had sought sanctuary in a place which we now call Pocket D. I’d like to tell you that Fuse spent his time reconnecting with the team, but trust was an issue. He had spent his first few weeks back, locked away in a cell and undergoing several psychic evaluations administered by Psych Ward. Many had given up on ever trusting Super Fuse again,” La Belle smiled, “but you gotta admit. There was just something about that kid that had you rootin’ for him.”
The late nights and early mornings were taking its toll on Psych Ward. He wondered just how long he could continue on, and his body told him not much longer. He sat across a table from Super Fuse who looked equally exhausted. The two had grown accustomed to the cold steel chairs and monotone walls of the Eternals interrogation room. For weeks now, Psych ran several tests on Fuse to measure his trust and loyalty, and each shared the same result. Super Fuse propped his head on his fist and began to nod off. Psych looked at his watch and noticed it was much later than he had thought.
“I think we are done here, Fuse,” Psych Ward said as he stood from his chair, startling Fuse from his five second nap. Ward could only smile at the boy. Whatever drove him to attack the Eternals was Reborn Vengeance’s doing and not his own. Super Fuse turned over his wrists so that Ward could put him back in handcuffs. For the first time, Ward had felt a little guilty for treating Fuse as a criminal. He was just a confused kid. “No, Fuse, there are no need for those. Not anymore.”
The door opened as Chimmeca darted past Psych Ward, and pounced on Super Fuse. She hopped in his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. She was so overwhelmed with excitement that she had forgotten that Ward was still in the room and forgotten about who was watching on the other side of the mirror. Feeling a bit awkward, Ward quietly exited trying not to disturb the young lovers.
Outside the interrogation room, Mechacatbot and Icarus Mariner observed. Psych Ward eased the closing door behind him until it softly latched. Mechacatbot’s face was painted with concern. “I do not like this one bit, Psych. There is something foul at play here.”
“As much as I agree with you, he checks out fine. I sense no threat from him. All I see is honesty,” Ward replied.
“Rebecca is up to something. I just know it,” Mecha insisted. Ever since New Year’s Eve, Reborn haunted him. Everywhere in the city he went, he felt her eyes upon him. Even in his fabricated dreams, Rebecca was there taunting him. Hidden motives were what drove Fuse to come back, and Mecha was going to prove it.
“Where do you think you are going?” Ward asked as he blocked Mecha’s exit. He knew how close his little feline friend was to Reborn, and now that his daughter was infatuated with her son only made matters worse. He couldn’t possibly understand the stress the cat was under, but nonetheless Mecha needed to concentrate on other things. “If we are going after Ein, I’m going to need your help on this one,” Psych Ward requested, “and I need your head clear.”
Mecha looked up at his friend, “And what of Rebecca?”
“I don’t think she is up to anything,” Icarus Mariner added. Psych and Mecha both looked at him. Icarus sat in silence for the better part of the night, and his remark took them off guard. Psych had sensed much grief in him since Fuse’s betrayal, but his heart grew heavier with his return. Mainly it was disappointment. Psych Ward recognized it all too well. It was the way Ward’s father looked at him when he was younger. Ward knew his father wanted a star quarterback, but instead he had an underdeveloped weakling for a son. Disappointment was what Icarus felt now, but somewhere deep inside, Ward sensed Icarus’ shame was pointing elsewhere. Icarus suggested, “I believe she is sending a message and nothing more.”
Mecha blinked at Icarus’ assumption and then looked to Psych Ward. “Alright, so we intend on apprehending Millennium Girl,” he replied. He dropped the jovial cat act and shot straight with them. “You do remember how….,” he paused to access his database, “How do you humans say it? Just how badass she was in that suit?”
Psych Ward chuckled. “Yes. That is why I need you to be alert, cat. However I am afraid it will take more than our heavy hitters to bring her in. We need more information on her power suit design. I need to know who made it and how to shut it down.”
“Valley,” Icarus whispered.
“What?” Psych Ward could barely hear what he said.
“We need to talk to Valley,” he repeated. “If anyone was to know about its design, it would be her.”
“First thing in the morning,” Psych Ward stated looking at his watch again. “She is probably asleep, which is what I am desperately longing for.”
“We don’t have much time,” Mecha butted in. “Remember, according to Fuse, the entrances to this pocket dimension will open in two days time, and will only remain open for thirty seconds. We need to formulate a plan.”
Psych Ward yawned, “Can’t formulate without sleep, cat. First thing’s first.” He patted the cat on his head before exiting, “Come on, time for some well deserved rest.”
Mecha began to leave until he remembered his daughter was in the next room getting a little too hot and heavy with her boyfriend. He reached up and flicked the lights off and on signaling her it was time to leave. She smiled embarrassingly and answered her father’s request. Super Fuse grinned from ear to ear as he watched her go. It felt so good to be home. It felt even better to be back with Chimmeca. Her eyes, smile, and perfume set his heart racing. He couldn’t wait until morning to see her face again. He hopped to his feet and raced after her.
After everyone was gone, Icarus Mariner left the shadows of the interrogation room. He let out a deep, painful sigh. He wanted to believe Fuse was still the boy he rescued from the Circle of Thorns. He hoped that Fuse was still on their side. However, Icarus feared the worse was yet to come. “If I have failed you, my boy,” he said as he reached for the light switch. In a flick, Icarus stood in the darkness. “Then I have failed myself.”
Chapter Eleven
“I am glad you could make it, Eden,” Psych Ward welcomed the young electric blaster into his office. He sat behind his desk behind stacks of personnel files, contact reports, and resumes from eager new heroes wanting to join the ranks of the Eternals. “I am sorry for the short notice,” he continued as he motioned for her. “Please take a seat.”
Eden Spark lingered in the doorway. She felt uneasy around Psych Ward ever since her trip to the future. She tried her best to keep away from him or anyone who could tap into someone’s thoughts for that matter. Lately she had found herself more distant from the people she called her friends and family.
At first Eden thought that maybe it had all been a wild dream brought about something she ate. Perhaps maybe it was something Grace had fixed for dinner one evening. However, Eden needed to know for sure. She had once asked the In-Betweener if it were possible. To her dismay, time travel was very feasible, and her dream was a reality.
Eden did not want to raise any suspicion in Psych Ward. She quickly crossed to the chair in front of his desk and sat down. Eden found it extremely difficult to keep her fears from him. It was taxing on her psyche and left her feeling drained.
It had been three months since she witnessed the destruction of the Eternals by her own hands. She thought by now she could forget what she had seen. She told herself she would not allow that future to happen if she could only remember what Sympathy had told her. “What you need to remember Eden is that Revenant will not walk up to you and ask you if you wish to be evil. You must be on your guard for someone who asks you if you really want to make a difference, someone who tells you that you can save the world.” She could beat it if she could see past this Revenant’s lies and seduction. She would kill him if it meant the Eternals would live and the nightmares would stop.
The nightmares. They have gotten worse as of late. Eden had not been sleeping hardly at all causing her to lose focus, and it was beginning to show. “Eden,” Psych Ward called out. “Are you ok? You spaced out there for a minute.”
He knows. Eden quickly snapped out of her trance. “Sorry, Psych,” she recovered, “I still haven’t been able to sleep.” She paused to search for a quick excuse for her baggy eyes and daily fatigue. “I’ve just had a ton on my mind is all,” she said with a smile. She carefully eyed Psych to catch his reaction. She used this trick many times on Mirage, but she never got the reaction she wanted from Simon. Today, she did not get the reaction she was looking for in Psych either.
He watched her for a few seconds. From the concentrated expression, he was definitely trying to deduce why she was lying. He seemed to toss away his uncertainties about Eden and began to shuffle through files. He stopped at the file he was looking for and opened it on his desk. His eyes returned to Eden. Concerned for her well being, he inquired, “Eden, ever since your accident, you have been acting, well, differently. I know this may be none of my business, but you are an Eternal. You are family. So when I ask you this, I need you to know it is because I care about you.”
Eden shifted slightly in her seat. He is on to you. She tried her best to keep up her mental wall. He is going to see your thoughts. She knew to keep up this charade she had to keep eye contact. Eden giggled, “Oh Psych, you are such a sweetheart.” She was disappointed that he was not smiling. That was pathetic. He is seeing right through you.
“Eden, you seem to suffer from some sort of trauma. If I am wrong, please stop me. I do not mean to pry,” he condoled. “I have seen many cases similar to yours. They all suffered from sleep deprivation and insomnia. Many endured reoccurring nightmares from there past coming back to haunt them, and some were just scarred from their childhood.”
Eden tried to remain calm and focused. She couldn’t afford to bring down her guard. Too late. He knows about you and your mother…and about Eve. Eden cringed as the name of her sister pierced her heart. She screamed on the inside, No one knows about Eve! I haven’t told anyone. Her inner paranoia shared a different opinion. Your scar. The one you carry from tearing the chip the Eternals implanted into you imbedded with memories of your sister. The one you are so careless of showing when you are around them now. They know.
Eden found herself in a memory. She was ten. It was the night her mother and father came home from the hospital. Her mother had gone into delivery the day before only to find her second daughter was stillborn. She had never seen her mother so distraught, but it was not the last. Her mother’s distain continued for years and seemed its worse when her parents visited Eve’s grave on her second birthday. Eden grew tired of seeing her mother in such pain, and decided to act. Eden asked her mother what she could do to help. Her mother scowled at her, “God would never let me keep my angel after I had born such a devil!”
Her mother harbored the loss of her child on Eden and Eden alone once her mother knew her firstborn could not only wield electricity but to produce it from her body. Being a devout Christian, her mother believed Eden was a spawn of Satan. For two years, Dinah Simons blamed her for Eve’s death. Her father David stopped looking his daughter in her eyes. After two years, Eden ran away.
She squatted in abandoned buildings in King’s Row, living off scraps. She used her abilities to ward off pushers and pimps. There were nights Eden wanted to kill herself to end the pain. She missed her parents, the way they used to be. She was dead to them now, and there was no going back. However she found a new family. She had fallen in with a couple of kids who hung around the neighborhood. They had heard about the girl with the powers. They were curious about her, but mainly how they could use her for their desires.
At age sixteen, Eden and her newfound friends robbed a Super Mart on the outskirts of the Row, but their attempt was short-lived. Two policemen were patrolling the neighborhood just as Eden began threatening the clerk with electrical discharge. The warning from the police outside distracted Eden, causing her to lose control of her power setting the gas station aflame. Her “friends” were no where to be seen, leaving Eden to be arrested for attempted robbery and arson.
“To ease my concerns,” Psych continued, “I requested your file from your CIA Director Frank Evers. You were once convicted as a juvenile and spent 2 years in a correctional facility for underage offenders. Is this correct?”
Quit delving into your past! He is seeing this. He doesn’t have to read your file. He is triggering your emotions. Soon he will know everything. Eden couldn’t stop. The memories broke through her mental wall like water through cracks. She found herself in Paragon City Juvenile Detention Center. It was her home for two years, but more importantly it was her salvation, not from her past, but for her future. She did not fear being alone any longer, and she no longer trusted anyone but herself.
Eden did manage to befriend her cellmate the last six months there. She had met a girl like her who turned away from her family and into bad choices. However her roomie did not fancy robbing gas stations, this girl went after much larger scores. She also did it without a crew. Glitch was her handle. She was a hacker that managed to rob over three banks in the greater Paragon area at the same time.
However Eden’s friendship did not last as did her stay in prison. A CIA agent recruited Eden on her eighteenth birthday into a highly classified project called the Syndicate, which developed those with criminal backgrounds to use them against the very corrupted world they once traversed. After a year of training, Eden had become a full fledged agent and began her first investigation into the Eternals ranks.
“There is something you are not telling me, Eden,” Psych Ward replied. Eden jumped to the sound of his voice. He was now standing behind her. He placed his hands on Eden’s shoulders and asked, “What happened the day you blacked out? What did you see?”
Eden felt a slight tingling sensation in her head. She closed her eyes to fight him out of her mind. It is too late! He is in your mind. He can hear our thoughts. Eden’s eyes opened in shock. Eden thought she was finally losing her mind. She asked the voice inside, “Our?” Eden, do you think you can run from your destiny? Do you think you can run from me? Uncontrollably, Eden reached across her chest and grabbed Psych Ward’s hand. She looked over to her scar which began to bleed. She looked closer in horror. She was not bleeding, but her skin was changing color from the blue seeping from the scar. Psych tried to free his hand from her grip. “I am sorry, Ward,” Eden said with tears pouring from her eyes.
Electricity built up in her wrist and exploded into a ball of light sending Psych Ward backwards. The burst of electricity had set his office ablaze. When he got to his feet, he was face to face with Eden. Through the smoke, he noticed her skin had turned completely blue, and her eyes had filled with electricity. She grabbed him around his neck and kissed him on his cheek. She could feel his skin soften under the large amounts of voltage she was pumping into his body. She could smell his burning flesh. She was killing him, and she could not stop it.
She finally regained control and dropped his lifeless body to the ground. “WHO ARE YOU?” Eden shouted into the burning room. “WHY HAVE I DONE THIS?!?”
GOD WOULD NEVER LET ME KEEP MY ANGEL AFTER I HAD BORN SUCH A DEVIL, the voice rang out.
“WHO ARE YOU?!?” Eden cried out, this time catching her reflection in a framed picture in the wall. It was a picture of the founding members. She looked and began to panic as she saw Charge staring back in the reflection.
“I am you”, Charge replied, “and you are me.”
Eden bolted upright in bed, gasping for air. She looked around, realizing she was not in Psych Ward’s office, but rather her apartment. She raised her arms in front of her face, relieved her skin was not blue. She sighed, “Relax, Eden, it was only a nightmare.” She wondered if they would ever stop. The nightmares were progressively getting worse.
She touched the scar on her shoulder and outlined it with her fingers. She hated that she carried this reminder of what she would become. She often wondered if she left the Eternals would the future change or will it play out the same. Protecting them was her highest priority, and it was enough to make her stay with them. Still, Eden battled this choice every day.
Eden remained in bed shaking off the events of her dream. Of all the nightmares she had of late, this one was the first time her past was involved. It had been awhile since she thought of her mom and dad. It was rough growing up in that house after Eve came into the picture. It was no question that her brief life of crime could be blamed on her parents’ brutal prejudices against her. No wonder she wound up in juvie.
Eden found her memory of Glitch completely odd. She hadn’t thought about her old cellmate in a long time. Eden smiled. Glitch was the first person she met who did not look down on her or wanted to use her for their own gain. Eden wondered what she was doing these days. With that girl’s hacking skills, there was no telling what trouble she was probably knee deep in.
Eden looked at the clock. 8 am. “Time to start the day,” Eden whispered to herself. She found that keeping busy took her mind away from her fears. Eden quietly hopped out of bed trying not to wake Grace. She threw on a t-shirt and shorts and gently closed the door behind her.
As she headed towards the Eternal’s kitchen, she heard strange noises coming from the training room. As she neared the entrance, she recognized the sound as being arrows piercing through the air. She stopped in the doorway taking notice of the archer. He was an older man in his forties. She watched as he readied his bow and released his arrow. It soared across the room and hit bull’s eye.
“Can I help you with something,” the archer asked not looking in Eden’s direction, “or are you going to stand in the doorway all day?”
Eden staggered a bit feeling embarrassed by his comment. “Oh sorry,” she replied. “I was just admiring your accuracy.” Eden walked towards him as he turned to greet her. “I bet you are even better than that gold medalist,” she paused trying to remember, “Oh what’s his name?”
“Allen Patterson,” he replied with an outstretched hand, “Nice to meet you.”
Eden’s face flushed as she shook his hand, “The name is Eden. I am so sorry I couldn’t remember yours. Wow! You’re an Eternal too?”
“It’s ok. It was a long time ago, and who cares about the archery event anyway?” Allen replied. “And yes. I go by the name Perfect Score. I’ve been with the Eternals for some time now. Better to fight with teammates than alone.” He produced an arrow from his quiver and faced the target. He fired the arrow hitting dead center again. Alan muttered, “’The mystic bond of brotherhood makes all men one.’”
“Thomas Carlyle,” Eden said recognizing the quote.
“Smart and attractive,” Allen replied readying his bow again. “You know? You remind me a lot of my daughter. She is a few years younger though, I’d wager.”
“Tell me about her,” Eden was intrigued.
“She doesn’t talk to me, but I guess she has her reasons,” Allen replied taking his shot. He turned towards Eden. “There was a fire caused by a turf war in our neighborhood, and our home was caught in the middle. When both her mother and brother died in the fire, she hasn’t stopped blaming me for not saving them. I can’t say that I haven’t tried talking to her either. I’ve been too busy trying to be a…”
“Hero?” Eden asked.
“What is a hero really? How do we measure them? Many of us so called heroes are paying debts, trying to fix our pasts. I’d like to tell you it brings me peace every time I take down a Hellion or a Freak, but it doesn’t. Whether we like it or not, we all play the hands that are dealt to us. That is all that we can do.”
Psych Ward’s voice boomed over the intercom, “All available Eternals, please report to the Ready Room. I repeat, all available Eternals please report to the Ready Room.”
Allen jested, “Well let’s see what kind of mess we heroes can clean up today.”
When Perfect Score and Eden arrived in the Ready Room, the meeting was about to begin. Eden was shocked to see only a handful of Eternals present. Psych Ward was standing in the front of the room. To his left, the In-Betweener circled three areas with a red marker on the map hanging on the wall. To Psych’s right, Luminous Girl was standing next to her power suit. Perfect Score and Eden took their seats amongst Mechacatbot, Icarus Mariner, and one of the new recruits Arachnis.
“Thank you all for coming,” Psych Ward addressed the room. “We are short handed and pressed for time so let us begin. Our mission is simple. We are going to bring Millennium Girl home and free her from the Ein’s control. With the help of Super Fuse, we have learned where Ein is keeping Cameron. However we have a limited window of opportunity. IB, if you will.”
In-Betweener stepped to the side of the map and began, “Ein has taken refuge in a pocket dimension. Amongst the criminal world, it is said to be a safe haven, but it isn’t cut off to us good guys. In twenty-four hours, a series of portals will open. Three to be exact. Each portal will remain open for only thirty seconds and then another will open. However, once they close, the portals will not open for another three months. My calculations combined with Super Fuse’s information show that the portals will open at these three locations in King’s Row.”
“Thank you, Sebastian,” Psych Ward replied. “Once we are in, we must apprehend Millennium Girl and bring her back safely. We will run into hostile forces so be prepared. The only other obstacle we will face will be Millennium Girl herself. Valley will now go into more detail.”
“This power suit is almost identical to the one Cameron wears,” Valley addressed using a pointer as she continued. “Do not be mistaken about Millennium Girl’s powers. This suit renders her virtually unstoppable. The metal alloy used to manufacture this suit can withhold massive amounts of damage until it begins to chip.” Luminous Girl paused, “There is one weakness. On the back of the neck is a failsafe button. If pressed, the suit will shut down completely. However, with Ein’s arms and hand-to-hand combat programs, MG will kill you before you even get close to it.”
“I have several EMP arrows,” Perfect Score interrupted. “Those should buy us enough time to get the job done, right?”
“Negative,” Valley replied. “The suit was designed to withstand EMP devices. The engineer anticipated it. Although electro magnetic pulses have been known to disable some abilities like flight and teleportation, they will not buy us the time we need. If we intend on facing Millennium Girl, we will need a solid plan of action.”
“Thank you, Valley,” Psych Ward responded. He turned to the rest of the room and asked, “Does anyone have any suggestions?”
The room remained silent until a loud sneeze came from the back of the room. Everyone’s eyes turned to see Gamer’s Widow standing outside in her robe. She fumbled her box of Kleenex as she sneezed again. As she noticed she was interrupting the meeting, she apologized, “Sorry. I think I have come down with a cold.”
Eden’s eyes lit up almost as if a giant light bulb turned on above her head. She turned towards Psych Ward and exclaimed, “I think I have an idea!”
Chapter Twelve
“She has been in there for hours,” In-Betweener alerted the others as he paced in front of the observation window. Eden’s plan required the Eternals to recruit another from outside the supergroup: someone with the necessary skills and someone with no regard for the law. With less than seventeen hours to spare, the Eternals arrived at the Zigursky State Penitentiary with hopes to find aid.
“I’m still a little fuzzy on the details,” Icarus Mariner replied as he rested his palm on the wall above the window, touching his forehead to his arm. He watched Eden through the one-way mirror as she discussed matters with the young goth girl sitting across from her.
“It’s easy. We get Perfect Score in close enough to fire one of his fancy arrows at Millennium Girl that just happens to be embedded with a computer virus written by Glitch,” Mechacatbot explained, losing some certainty of success as he glanced towards Psych Ward.
“Yeah, kind of like what they did in the movie Independence Day, but without using Will Smith or a Powerbook XXXX,” the eight-foot gorilla added. Everyone slowly turned and looked critically at Simian who was leaning on the wall beside the exit. The gorilla uncrossed his arms and shrugged, “What?!? You were all thinking it!”
Luminous Girl was fraught with worry. She crossed to Perfect Score who was observing the negotiations in the next room closely. She whispered to him trying not to alarm the others, “Your arrows will not pierce her armor.”
“They won’t have to. I am using the adhesive from my glue arrows. They should hold long enough for the transmitter to send the virus,” Allen calmly explained, keeping his eyes on Eden and Glitch. “At least, let’s all hope they do.”
The door from the interrogation room opened as Eden rejoined her teammates. Eden had replaced her t-shirt and shorts with her regulation CIA uniform: black suit and skirt. Her drastic change in apparel amazed her teammates who were used to her more casual shirt and jeans. She hesitated looking each one in their eyes. “She has agreed to write the program. She said it should only take her a few hours,” Eden paused. Glitch had made one request, and Eden would know it would be tough to honor it. She tried to find a way to sugarcoat it, but thought best to just put it out there. “However she will not cooperate unless she can be there to transmit the signal herself.”
“Absolutely not!” Psych Ward did not even waste a second after Eden’s last word escaped her lips. “The last time we enlisted the help of a criminal, it backfired on us, and we have been paying for it ever since.”
“Come on, Ward,” Eden nudged with a smile. “I can vouch for her. She is harmless.”
Psych Ward knew he did not have time to argue with Eden so he made a deal with her, knowing he would set her up to fail. “Tell you what. If you get the CIA to authorize her release, I will reconsider.”
“No sweat!” Eden taunted.
“Absolutely not!” CIA Director Frank Evers denied Eden’s request even faster than Psych Ward did. “Your handler pulled the same exact stunt and look where it got us! We lost several men that treacherous day. I will not stand by and let it happen again.”
“But sir, this girl has served her time. With her help we can finally get some answers regarding who was buying classified government information overseas.” Eden needed to pull all stops. She was not leaving her director’s office with rejection. Her plan was flawless, and she wasn’t going to toss it aside for some stubborn, over-the-hill bastard in a suit.
“Agent Simons, you spent time in prison with this girl, did you not?” Evers asked. Eden wasn’t at all shocked that he had done his homework. “How do we know you aren’t just trying to help her out and give her a head start?”
Eden tried not to loose her composure, but her pride was getting in the way. “You are the one who recruited me into the CIA because you saw something in me! Now either let me do my job or throw me back in prison!”
“Agent Simons, you must understand that the CIA does not condone the aid of criminals in any extractions, arrests, or investigations such as the one Agent Powers conducted six months ago. In a result we lost a high profile mastermind, and I have been spending every waking second searching the world for him ever since,” Evers replied returning to his other reports and case files. He looked up at Eden once more as if bored with her attempts and dismissed her, “Now, good day to you.”
Eden stood from her chair and turned to exit when she realized she was using the wrong bait. She slammed her palms on Evers desk and declared, “I can bring you Dr. Mathias! If we bring in Cameron Maxwell, she can lead us to his whereabouts.”
Evers slowly brought his eyes to hers. He squinted as he tried to determine if she were bluffing or not. The standoff lasted only a few more minutes until Evers finally gave in, “Very well, but she will not have access to any landline or wireless connection to the internet, do you understand? I will be sending Agents Tracey and Holden to make sure she is on her best behavior. If she even tries anything, her ass will be thrown back into the Zigg faster than you will lose your job. Do you understand, Agent Simons?”
Eden nodded with contempt, “Yes, sir. You will have not regretted this.”
“You have twenty-four hours. Good luck,” Evers replied as he waited until Eden left his office. He picked up his phone and dialed an
extension. “Agent Fox? It’s Evers. Tomorrow when the Eternals snag their prize, I need you and your team ready to intercept. Do you understand?” Evers waited for Fox’s answer as an evil grin snaked across his face. “Good. Happy Hunting, Agent Fox.”
Glitch sat inside one of the holding cells in the Eternals brig diligently programming on a government issued laptop, not even phased by her CIA babysitters sitting at both sides of her. She stopped to stretch her arms as Psych Ward and Luminous Girl caught her eye. Glitch ignored them, rubbing her eyes to stay awake. She let out a brief yawn and then resumed her typing.
Psych Ward continued watching her until he felt deep concern from Valley. He placed his hand on her shoulder and replied, “I know how much Cameron means to you, Valley. It must be hard for you knowing you are about to face her again.”
“Oh I am not going with you,” Valley replied. Psych Ward was shocked at her response. He was relying on Valley’s force to bring down Ein, but before he could persuade her, she explained, “I am afraid if I get too close to Cameron, Ein would send a carrier signal to my suit and render my body useless. He would then control two of us against the Eternals. I can’t risk it.”
The small group of Eternals could not take on Millennium Girl by themselves. Psych Ward feared the worst ahead of them, and had to plea for Valley’s assistance once more, “Your powers rival Cameron’s. We need you on this. “
“No you don’t,” she replied as she monitored Glitch’s progress. “If this kid is as good as Eden says she is, this virus will corrupt Ein and we will have saved Cameron.”
“I’m not so sure I can trust that punk hacker with our lives,” Psych Ward discredited. “Nor do I want to.”
“You can trust her,” Perfect Score insisted as he entered the brig. He joined them at their sides sizing up the prodigal child at her desk. Allen smiled and lost himself in thought.
Psych Ward noticed this strange behavior all day. He figured it influenced Allen’s naïve misplace of trust in this girl. Psych Ward asked, “How can you be so sure?”
“Because,” Perfect Score explained, “she is my daughter.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Damn it, TK!” the mind controller’s voice boomed through the halls of the Rest. The team had reached the teleporter room only to find the teleportation devices still damaged from the raid months before. Thunda Kat sat in the corner of the room tinkering with some odd gadget ignoring the task at hand. Psych Ward engaged TK guns blazing, “Why haven’t you fixed the machines yet? I asked you several times months ago and still they are inoperative!” Thunda Kat faced Psych Ward with a dumbfounded look and quickly unloaded excuses, “I put an order in. Oh let’s see. I believe it was a week ago.”
“A week ago? They have been down longer than that!” Psych Ward recoiled.
“Well, I would have ordered them sooner but we were low on funds,” Thunda Kat replied realizing he had said the incorrect thing. He fumbled the gadget in his hand as he grimaced in Psych Ward’s disappointing glare.
“Low on funds?!?” Psych Ward’s voice growled in anger.
“Now we will never make it to King’s Row in time,” In Betweener informed Psych Ward.
Thunda Kat smiled awkwardly at this opportunity and jumped to his feet, “You need to get to King’s Row fast? Well why didn’t you say so?” Psych Ward and the others looked confused at TK who now was motioning them to follow him, “Come on gals and gents, I have something you need to see.”
As they reached the rooftop of their temporary base, the team stopped in awe of what TK wanted to show them. Psych Ward knew TK had been spending a lot of time on the roof, but had no idea why. The answer was in front of him. TK had purchased the Eternals an aerial group transport. “Well at least we know what happened to the funds,” Simian chortled. “What is it?”
“I’m glad you asked, Simian,” TK boasted. “This is a hybrid design of my own. Think of it as an Apache helicopter meets a Hind D. It is built for group travel and stealth. I call it the Mobias”
In-Betweener placed his hand on the sleek black body of the Mobias and caressed its aerodynamically designed curves. “I can’t believe I am saying this, but you did good, TK. Real good.”
Psych Ward stepped closer examining the Mobias. “Just tell me you can fly this thing.”
The Mobias soared through the clouds nearing the Kings Row war wall. Its passengers enjoyed the comfortable flight. Thunda Kat had referred to it as the limo in the sky. Aside from the pilot and co-pilot seats, the Mobias housed an additional eight seats making it ideal for a large team mission. The seating was broken up into two sections of four, and each section faced one another much like a limousine. Psych Ward, Eden, In-Betweener, and Glitch sat at one side facing Simian, Icarus Mariner, and Perfect Score on the other. Due to Simian taking up two spaces, Mechacatbot decided to ride shotgun and learn how to fly this contraption. Plus, Mecha did not want to take the chance on Simian getting sick like the last time he went flying.
Glitch had been trying not to make eye contact with her father the entire mission. Allen had noticed how hard she was trying, and her lack of interest in making amends was agitating him although it could just be the adolescent punk-goth or whatever it was called these days look she was sporting. “So, Abby, what’s with the purple hair?”
Glitch snapped at him, “Look, Allen, I am not here for you nor do I care to make peace with you. I do not care about your crusade to rid yourself of guilt either. You could have prevented their deaths, but you didn’t. Yes, I blame you. And as much as you can try, anything you can do can never change that fact nor will it bring back Liz and Noah. I am merely here to rack up a few good points on my record.”
Suddenly the compartment grew extremely quiet at her sudden outburst. No one knew what to say or how to react, but they knew it was best to not get involved. Psych Ward could read Glitch’s thoughts and discovered a heck of a mess that he could only call a troubled teenage girl. Allen and Liz had adopted Abby when she was seven. Neither of them were able to have children due to stress and their careers. Four years later they adopted their son Noah, and moved from their two bedroom apartment in Kings Row to a little suburban home in Eastgate. Weeks later a gang war erupted outside their home. Their house fell victim to arson. Liz and Noah were trapped upstairs. Allen was too busy fighting off Hellions outside that he could not reach them in time.
Abby had been away at a friend’s house that night. When she received word of Liz and Noah’s deaths, she disappeared. Allen made no attempt to find her until the police contacted him a few years ago. She had fallen in with the wrong crowds and became the infamous hacker Glitch. Psych sensed a lot of hostility towards her father, and he sensed nothing but regret from Allen who incidentally broke the silence. “Ok, so what is with the purple hair?”
Glitch huffed and continued staring outside the window. Psych Ward smiled at Allen’s persistent attempt at fatherhood even though the
preverbal door was slammed shut in his face. In-Betweener too found it amusing. However his smile was cut short as the Mobias hovered over the first portal. He alerted the team, “There is the first one. Unfortunately, we will be missing our chance for it.”
Mecha spotted it as well. He turned to Thunda Kat pointing towards the ground, “Put us down somewhere over there.”
The Mobias landed on the streets of High Park as the first portal closed. The team assembled outside the craft. In-Betweener informed them, “We have ten minutes until the next portal opens a block to the north. It will remain open for thirty seconds. If, by chance, we miss that one, the last portal will open in that old warehouse there. Let’s go.”
As the Eternals turned the corner to reach the second location, they were stopped dead in their tracks by an unexpected welcoming party. Standing on their target was an army of Clockwork cogs and oscillators. “That’s a lot of Clockwork. I have never seen anything quite like this before. Something is going on,” Icarus Mariner deducted. “I don’t know what it is, but I don’t like it one bit.”
“There has to be hundreds of them, and we definitely don’t have the time to deal with them,” Psych Ward replied. “We need to get rid of them fast, or they will jeopardize everything.” Psych Ward slowly turned to the large gorilla next to him, “Simian?”
“Already three steps ahead of you, boss,” Simian smiled as he leaped into the middle of the metallic army. The Eternals shielded their eyes as a cloud of electricity surrounded the Clockwork. Through the brilliant flash of light they saw a large mass leap out from the Clockwork as the army of little metal men began chasing the gorilla. The Eternals were relieved to see the plan was working. However a new threat was revealed as the army thinned out. In their place stood not one but two Clockwork Paladins which were both now taking an interest in the team of heroes facing them.
“When it rains it pours,” Perfect Score sighed readying his bow with a flash arrow. He let the arrow fly as Mechacatbot joined its present course. The arrow hit one of the paladins blinding them both as the feline robot made contact with the other. Not effected by the cat’s rapid attacks, the paladin backhanded Mecha sending flying back to the rest of the team. They watched as the Clockwork monsters cleared themselves from the archer’s flash arrow's effects. Mecha landed at Eden’s feet. He huffed, “Upgraded.”
Six blocks away Walter Givens was taking out his trash. He was as new to the neighborhood as he was to Paragon City. He had yearned to see something exciting, but only witnessed a few inexperienced heroes bust some drug dealers. So Walter lived vicariously through his neighbor Frank Marks who had lived in this city since he was a boy. Frank told wild tales of alien invasions and super villain battles, and luckily for Walter, Frank was taking his dog for a walk. “So Frank, tell me again about the heroes who stopped that crazy doctor from poisoning the water supply.”
“Walter,” Frank simply replied, “one day you will see the most bizarre yet remarkable event you have ever seen, and then something will top it the very next day. Trust me when I say your day will come.” Frank laughed not noticing his Yorkshire terrier had caught scent of something from down the street. Finally her barking got his attention. “What is it, Sadie?”
Walter joined Frank curbside staring in the same direction. A faint sound could be heard in the distance. Walter recognized the sound as something from his small town childhood memories. “It sounds almost like a parade.”
Frank chuckled not tearing his eyes from the horizon, “The only parades that ever happen around here are activist marches like that time the 5th Column marched a protest that lasted only two minutes as the Freedom Phalanx shut it down in a battle royal.”
“See?” Walter interrupted. “I want to see something cool like that. I hope I will get…” Walter’s words trailed off as the sound grew much louder, drowning out even Sadie’s bark. Frank picked her up trying to calm her down. In an instant, Simian ran passed the two gentlemen.
“I’d be getting inside if I were you,” Simian instructed them in passing.
Walter looked at Frank, “Was that a gorilla? And did he just speak to us?” Before Frank could respond, the two men looked down the road to see the massive army of Clockwork. To avoid an injury the two men ducked into the alleyway near their building and watched as every inch of the street was covered with the copper-toned robots.
"Cool enough for you?" Frank smiled at Walter, “ Although I doubt anything could ever top that in the bizarre category.”
Simian turned at the end of the block and was happy to see he still had the little whirring devils’ attention. However he needed to think fast. It was down to just him. He alone would have to deal with them, and he needed to think of a plan. He looked up to see the old King Garment water tower and smiled. He jumped to the rim and was happy to see that he was now completely surrounded. “That’s right, you annoying little wind-up freaks. Gather around.”
In a single move, Simian punched a hole in the side of the container spilling the water onto the Clockwork below and leaped to a nearby power line tower. Simian let out a long deep sigh. “This is going to hurt me more than it will hurt you,” Simian said as he jerked one of the lines free and held it in his right hand. With one last word Simian jumped onto the Clockwork army yelling, “Cannonball!”
Six blocks up, the Eternals were still trying to formulate a plan and fast. They only had three minutes until the second portal would open. Given the normal circumstances, they could have taken a Clockwork paladin easily, but something was a bit off about these two. It seemed that the Clockwork King made a few minor tweaks.
The Eternals had been engaged in combat since Mecha’s alpha strike. Nothing they tried seemed to have put a dent in these improved machines. The Paladins seemed immune to Psych Ward’s holds. In-Betweener unleashed his phantom army only to see them get knocked through the air. Mechacatbot was losing power and could not sustain much more damage as the robots’ fists came crashing down on him. Icarus’ blade chipped as it met their metallic armor. “This is ridiculous! We need backup!” shouted Icarus.
“There is no time!” Psych Ward yelled making sure Icarus could hear him over the large Clockwork carnage. “We have to find a way to put them down!”
Eden unleashed a lethal blast of electricity which rendered one of the paladins defenseless briefly. Eden was shocked and afraid of her power, but quickly hid her feelings from Psych Ward who joined her by her side. He asked, “What was that?”
“I…don’t know what that was, Ward,” Eden replied trying her best to hide the fact she knew her powers would grow stronger.
“I don’t think even Blitz ever reached voltage of that magnitude,” Psych Ward explained his concern. “Is there something you are not telling me?”
Before she could answer, she could see the second portal begin to open at one of the paladin’s feet. “Look,” Eden said pointing to it diverting Psych Ward’s attention. She quickly turned to Perfect Score, “Allen, can one of the virus-tipped arrows bring them down?”
“I am sure they would. However I only had time to make three, kid,” Perfect Score replied reaching for one from his quiver. “Maybe if they are close enough the signal could be transferred to both, but they have to be damn well on top of one another.” Perfect Score took his aim. “Eden, can you get them to stand just a little closer together?”
"No problem,” she said as she flew in between the two paladins.
In-Betweener began watching the portal. To his dismay the second portal was live and their chances to enter it were slim. “The portal is open! We have thirty seconds!”
Perfect Score waited for his shot. He watched through one eye as Eden got the paladins’ attention. He calmly said to himself, “That’s right, boys. Just a little closer.” He steadied his hand. He didn’t need to wait any longer. They were not going to get any closer than now. “Alright say cheese.”
As the arrow released into the air, one of the paladins spotted the crouched archer and jumped into the air as the arrow pierced its counterpart. The arrow released its EMP and the virus took hold. The infected paladin became lifeless and fell to the ground. In-Betweener checked his watch as the second portal closed. “We still have one more shot,” he informed the others. “Now where did that other mountain of junk disappear to?”
“Dad!” Glitch screamed as the missing paladin landing almost on top of Perfect Score. The giant robot picked up the archer intending on crushing him. The Eternals stood hopeless not knowing how to free their friend from its grasp. Eden knew she could do some damage to the robot, but she did not want to risk any more exposure to Psych Ward. There was nothing they could do, but to watch their friend die.
At that moment a LRM rocket exploded on the robot’s face causing him to loosen its grip on Allen. Psych Ward looked to the skies as the Mobias escorted a squadron of Longbow Eagles to the rescue. “I thought you could use the help,” a friendly voice cried out as she jumped from the Mobias.
“Lola!” In-Betweener greeted. “I see you didn’t come alone.”
“I always bring a party,” she smiled as she gently kissed him on his lips. She turned her attention back to the Mobias as her other teammates joined the fray. La Belle Dame unleashed a flurry of dark blasts on the paladin. Mesmerrie followed releasing toxic gases at the foot of the robot as Silent Samurai flipped over her landing a lethal strike with his katana at the weakened armor. Sympathy appeared next to Perfect Score, releasing a healing aura around them completely rejuvenating him.
Lola looked into In-Betweener’s eyes and told him, “Now you have a mission to accomplish. Go bring Millennium Girl home.”
“You heard the lady,” he replied with a smile, rallying the team. “We have work to do.”
Psych Ward approached La Belle Dame, “We could really use you on this. Our gorilla took off on us, and we are a man short.” He nodded to the progress the Longbow and Eternals were making.
La Belle grinned slyly, “Sure thing, boss man.”
The team left the battle in hopes that there would no more distractions at the last location. If they were to miss the last portal, they would have to wait months before their next chance, and it was a risk no one was willing to take. The Eternals entered the warehouse with only two minutes to go only to find it unoccupied. They made their way to a rickety staircase and proceeded upstairs. “Does anyone else think this was too easy?” Psych Ward asked as he grabbed the doorknob and opened the door.
“You had to go and open your big mouth,” Mecha replied. As the Eternals entered the room, they were greeted by the Clockwork King.
“Fools!” he shouted at them. The Eternals stood their guard. The Clockwork King showed no signs of violence. It seemed that he only wanted to chat. However the Eternals kept their defenses up. They watched diligently as the Clockwork King walked over to the tall windows and looked out to the city. “You destroyed my army!”
“And that’s bad because…?” Icarus replied sarcastically.
“Infidel! You have no idea what is upon us, do you?” the Clockwork King asked, watching his last paladin enforcer fall in the street below. He continued, “In a year none of this will matter. The world will be rid of my kind and yours. All of my efforts have been in vain.”
Perfect Score leaned towards In-Betweener and whispered, “What is this nut job talking about?”
“I have no clue,” In-Betweener replied out of the corner of his mouth. “It almost sounds like he was planning on saving the city.”
“I hope you guys are discussing a plan on how to take him out because that portal will be opening any second,” Psych Ward jumped in. The third portal began to materialize into the air. “Listen, we can’t afford to play decoy again. We need the entire team to face what’s on the other side of that portal. Any ideas?”
“Thirty seconds,” In-Betweener alerted.
“I think we are pretty much screwed at this point,” Glitch chimed in.
The Clockwork King turned and faced the heroes. “But not completely in vain. At least I will have the pleasure of ridding the world of a few Eternals before I go. I hope you enjoyed my new paladins because they are nothing compared to me.”
“Fifteen seconds,” In-Betweener continued, “We are going to need a miracle.”
Something caught the eye of the Clockwork King as his attention returned to outside the window. He stumbled back a few steps as a very large ball of twisted metal crashed through the window. The ball impacted the arch-villain in his robotic chest sending him crashing into the floor. Upon closer examination, Psych Ward noticed the ball was made of scrap Clockwork cogs and oscillators. Simian followed through the broken glass window and shouted, “Don’t worry about him. Go! Go! Go!”
“Five seconds!” In-Betweener shouted as the team ran to the portal. The passage began to fade away as they approached it. They were out of time. In-Betweener yelled “Jump! Jump! JUMP!”
Chapter Fourteen
There was barely a sound as the two guards at the entrance fell to the floor. Psych Ward and his team of Eternals entered the room. Stepping over the sleeping henchmen, Psych Ward alerted, “We must move quickly. They will only be out for a few minutes.”
As the Eternals continued pressing forward, they noticed something familiar about this pocket dimension. The bitter scents of urine and cheap beer mixed in the murky air. Upturned chairs rested on circular tables in the next room, and a couple of patrons sat mulling over their overpriced imported drafts. Eden took a few steps ahead of the group. Lowering her arm that covered her nose, she told the group already what was on their minds, “I can’t believe it. It’s a dive bar.”
“Looks like my kind of place,” La Belle Dame jested.
Perfect Score focused on the patron in the next room. She was sitting alone at a booth next to the window. “Target acquired,” he informed the team. Without wasting a second, he grabbed Glitch’s arm.
“Ow,” she winced jerking her arm away. “What the hell are you doing?”
Perfect Score was finished playing games with his daughter. He raised his voice, “I may have not been able to save Liz and Noah, but damn it! I can still protect you. Find a place to hide and stay there.”
Glitch could only stare into her father’s eyes. She could see his fear of losing her. For the first time, she felt everything a daughter should about her father. Through all of the loss the two had shared and all the hatred she displaced on him, she wanted to be a normal family again. Before she could find the courage to tell him, she ran off and hid behind a stack of stools.
Psych Ward motioned to the team to move ahead while briefing them, “Do not get close to MG. Ein is vicious and will more than likely kill us on sight. We just need to keep Ein busy until Allen gets a clean shot.”
“I only have two arrows,” Perfect Score replied taking a sniper position as he watched his team move forward. “Better give me room.”
The Eternals entered the main lounge rousing suspicion from the other patrons. Taking notice, In Betweener replied, “Did you happen to notice that the ‘Hero Corps Top 20 Most Wanted’ villains are all here?”
“Yeah, there are the assassins, Karnal Sin and Chimera II,” Psych Ward replied calmly under his breath. “Oh, and Morcalivan and Rakescar.”
“I’m getting that bad feeling again,” Icarus Mariner replied as he noticed his presence has attracted the attention of man-shark Overbite.
“Let’s just get this over with,” La Belle replied trying not to show her uneasiness from her surroundings.
As the Eternals approached the booth, Ein slowly turned towards them and remained seated. Ein spoke. His robotic voice hid another tone: Cameron’s voice. Psych Ward tried to hide his sadness seeing Cameron being used as a puppet. “Ah, Ward, I see you brought the ‘B’ squad. I am highly insulted.”
Psych Ward stood his ground as his teammates gathered behind him. “Let’s just make this simple. You are wanted for the murders of Corin Rivers, Gabriella Pierce, Juan Jimenez, William Striker, Daniel Logan, Alexandre Gauthier, and the heroes Skritches and Lady Pendragon. Surrender or we can do this the hard way.”
Ein chuckled. “Oh Ward you do not yet know the bigger picture. They deserved to die.”
“NO ONE DESERVES TO DIE!” Icarus Mariner snapped. His outburst alerted the patrons, and they began to ease from their seats. In moments the Eternals were surrounded.
Footsteps shook the ground beneath Mecha. He looked up and noticed a rather large gentleman standing over him. From his green skin and spiked shoulders, Mecha knew this villain could be only one thing. He leaned in to Psych Ward and whispered, “They have a mountain troll.”
“Winston Drake,” Ein continued, “for the sake of this world’s future, of my existence, of your existence, they deserved it. You see? Each one of them would have had their hand in the destruction of life as we know it.” Ein stood from his seat and walked to face Psych Ward. “It just kills you, doesn’t it, Ward? Knowing your precious little Cameron is trapped inside and had committed crimes against her will. That is why you are here, no?”
Psych Ward held his composure. He wanted to lash out with all of his power, but he did not want to risk injuring Cameron. He knew that Ein was aware of this. Cameron was a hostage in this situation. Psych Ward pressed on. He wanted Ein to keep talking. “What are you talking about? End of the world?”
In-Betweener leaned in and told Psych Ward, “Is this what that oversized bucket of bolts was talking about back in King’s Row?”
Ein walked around the group as he answered Psych’s question, “We were trying to save the world, Ward. Is that so hard for a hero to understand? At first we thought that maybe if we take out the ones who lobbied the idea and the ones who backed it financially. We were wrong. The future still hasn’t changed. So now we try for plan B,” Ein smirked as he stopped in front of Eden. Ein leaned towards her and asked, “You still haven’t told them have you?”
Psych Ward looked to Eden, “What is he talking about? What’s going on, Eden?”
Eden stared menacingly at the plain metallic helmet facing her. She had tried for so long to keep it a secret and now Ein was going to blow it wide out into the open. Eden grinned, “Enough talk.” A large volt of electricity exploded from Eden’s palms. However Ein was too quick and leaped into the air. He landed next to Icarus who came at him with his sword.
“NOW!” Psych Ward commanded as the villain Mindswipe attacked him. Psych Ward quickly levitated Mindswipe against the low ceiling knocking him out cold. “TAKE YOUR SHOT!”
Psych Ward’s orders caught Ein’s attention as he quickly scanned over the area through the brawl for a sniper. Perfect Score smiled and let his arrow fly just as Ein spotted him. Icarus’ blade came crashing down on Ein, who delivered a crane kick to his chest causing him to lose his grip on his broad sword. Ein quickly recovered it, blocking the arrow in time. Ein jumped again, but this time landed in front of Perfect Score. With a back hand, Allen soared through the air and crashed into a table. Ein returned to the chaos.
In-Betweener watched in worry as Chimera II and Karnal Sin disappeared into the shadows. He frantically searched the room for their movement when a large stone mallet came crashing down knocking him off his feet. To avoid a second attack, IB quickly rolled out of the way as the mallet struck the floor, “Rakescar!” IB looked up at the towering brute as he readied his mallet for a fatal blow. IB closed his eyes and teleported a few feet away. Once he materialized, IB unleashed his Phantom Army on him.
Eden and Mecha had their hands full with the Mountain Troll, who had now become infatuated with the young blaster, “Troll like pretty girl. Me show you good time.”
“Sorry, not my type,” Eden replied as she blinded the brute with a spark, giving Mecha the time he needed. Mecha dug his claws deep into the troll’s body, but to their dismay he was healing faster than the damage they were dishing out. The troll encased himself with granite armor and swatted at the two Eternals.
Psych Ward managed to break away from the skirmish. He tried to formulate a plan fast, but he could not shake what Eden was hiding. He wondered if Ein was being clever and trying to throw them off guard. Still, something was buried deep within Eden’s mind. She was shutting him out. He was certain of it. He was going to find out, if they would survive this fight.
“Ward!” Icarus shouted trying to climb around Overbite. “BEHIND YOU”
Psych Ward turned as Chimera II and Karnal Sin came out of stealth. Psych Ward only smiled at them. “What’s so funny?” Karnal asked impatiently.
“You ever see a gorilla when he is angry?” Ward asked as the two guards from the entrance went flying through the air and into the two stalkers.
Simian walked to Psych Ward and replied, “Sorry I’m late, Jack. I’m not too keen on dimension hopping. I think I took a wrong turn somewhere.”
Glitch ran to her fallen father. She helped him up noticing his right arm was broken. “Did we win?” he jested as a sharp pain exploded in his arm. “Damn there goes my good arm.” He looked to Abbey. “You remember when I would take you to the archery range when you were little?”
“Yeah, I hated it because it was something you wanted me to do, and not me. It was always like that,” she replied as she tore some material from her sleeve.
“But you were so good,” he replied as she made a makeshift sling for his arm. “I used to tell Liz that I thought you were even better than me. You have a natural talent.”
“What are you saying?” she asked as her father reached for the last virus arrow in his quiver.
He handed her the arrow and asked, “How is your aim these days?”
“Allen, there is no way,” she replied. “It has been years since I have even looked at a bow and arrow.”
“We have one shot, kid. Make it count,” Allen replied as he nudged her to take aim. She placed the string into the notch and slowly pulled back. She was filled with doubt, but somehow her father believed in her. He always did. She relaxed and steadied her aim. Her hand began to shake from the tension. “That’s it,” Allen calmed her down. “Take it nice and easy. You see your shot. You take it.”
For one brief moment, everything became clear. All of her hatred and grief disappeared. Her teammates, her father, and the dregs were now gone too. There was only the archer, the arrow, and the target. She was waiting for her break, and just then Ein stepped out of the fight. This was her shot, and she took it. The arrow soared through the air not faltering from its course. It was a perfect shot, but not a bull’s-eye. Just as the arrow took flight, twenty armed men with heavy assault weapons surrounded the bloody Eternals and their adversaries. Just before the arrow landed on its target, a man named Zero caught it.
Chapter Fifteen
The eight Eternals, Glitch, and the rowdy barflies sat on their knees with their arms behind them bound by some sort of gravity tie. The militant wing of this pocket dimension surrounded them with their weapons prepped to fire upon any defiant act. A man in a black suit paced in front of the Eternals. He looked as if he were a younger man in his later twenties. He ran his hand through his spiky hair frustrated over the brawl. He summoned a guard informing his prisoners, “No fighting here. That is my only rule.” He turned to the guard at his side and instructed, “Release the rabble. Leave the Eternals.” The guard obeyed and began releasing the others.
Psych Ward overheard him and asked, “How do you know who we are?”
The man walked over to Ward and squatted down beside him. “I know more than I should. Forgive my crude hospitality. My name is…”
“Zero,” In-Betweener interrupted. The man in black walked down the line of Eternals and stopped in front of IB. The man’s face contorted into pure anger, and he remained silent for what seemed like an eternity.
He suddenly burst into laughter, “Sebastian Kyle! You old dog! Long time no see!”
Simian slowly turned in IB’s direction and asked, “You know this bozo?”
“Are you kidding me? Sebastian and I go way back,” Zero jested at the gorilla. His good spirits seemed wasted on the agitated Eternals. Oblivious to the situation at hand, Zero continued his trip through memory lane and failed to stop grinning.
“Then why don’t you release us?” Psych Ward insisted. “Our friend is trapped against her will in that robotic suit, and we are here to rescue her. Surely you can appreciate that.”
“You mean to rescue a friend by firing this arrow at her?” Zero replied sarcastically raising the arrow Glitch launched in his right hand. He inspected the arrowhead. “Seems kind of harsh, don’t you think?”
“Look! It is designed to shut down the program that is holding her captive,” IB chimed in. “We would have succeeded if you hadn’t intervened.”
Zero looked over his shoulder to the windows of his office. Ein was pacing back and forth on a call to his employers. Zero sighed and told the Eternals the truth. “Look, they knew you were coming. I don’t know how.” He unloaded excuses to Psych Ward, “Hey, my bar was taking a financial dive. I was facing shutting down my dream. Then these guys… these Infinites came to me offering me a large sum of money if I let them stage a trap.”
“Some friend you have there, IB,” Perfect Score huffed.
“Hey,” Zero suddenly remembered, “relax! They are only after one of you. Flash, Flicker, Sparkle,” he continued guessing until the name came to him. He snapped his finger, “Sparks! That’s it.”
Everyone looked at Eden. Glitch leaned closer to her friend and whispered, “What do they want with you?”
“No clue,” Eden shook her head as her eyes met Psych Ward’s. She could tell he was no longer going to buy into her lies.
Mechacatbot broke the uncomfortable silence, “You have to help us. If you do not, you are aiding and embedding a murderer and accepting bribes from an organization that would just assume kill you than pay up with their broken promises.”
“I am sorry, my feline friend,” Zero replied lowering his head. “There is nothing I can do.”
Ein returned to Zero and the Eternals this time escorted by a small armed group of enforcers all bearing a black rook symbol on their arms. Psych Ward recognized the marking immediately. It was the same rook his captors wore when he was abducted. (See “Close to Home”). Ein informed Zero, “Thank you for your assistance in this matter. My assistants will relieve you of these so-called heroes.”
Ein’s sudden change in plan surprised Zero, “Wait a minute. We agreed the others would stay here. What kind of stunt are you trying to pull?!?”
“My employers have altered the deal,” Ein coldly replied. “We could alter your payment too if you wish.” Ein waited for Zero to defy him once more, and was pleased to see him cower away. Ein turned his attention to his men and motioned them to move the prisoners.
Zero looked at the arrow again in his hands. “What did this tip do again?” Zero smiled at In-Betweener who began to realize what he was up to. Zero nodded to his men and gripped the arrow shaft tight with his fist. He tapped Ein on the shoulder and taunted, “Hey, Bucket Head!”
Ein faced Zero as he lodged the arrow tip into Ein’s chest. The tip activated sending a weakened Ein to the floor. Ein’s men began to fire upon them as Zero released the gravitational binds on the Eternals. Simian was the first to get his hands on them. He smashed two guards’ heads together knocking them out cold. Eden formed a tesla cage around one as IB’s phantom army blocked their only way to escape. Psych Ward levitated one into the air as Mecha intercepted with a piercing claw swipe. IB turned over his shoulder and told Zero, “Thank you.”
Psych Ward rushed to Millennium Girl and held her in his arms. He fumbled with her helmet and finally set her free. “Cameron! Cameron! Say something!”
Cameron opened her eyes to a squint. When her eyes looked upon Psych’s, she fought up the energy to say his name, “Ward?” Psych smiled at their victory. The Eternals freed her from Ein’s grasp. Suddenly Cameron’s eyes shot open wide as she began to claw at his back. “Ward! Oh my god! I killed all those people! What have I done?!?” Tears filled her eyes.
“Shh. Shh,” Ward tried calming her down. “It is going to be all right. I promise.” Seeing that his words were not affecting the shock, he reached into her mind and sedated her. He threw her arm around his neck and helped her to her feet. Psych turned to the others, “Alright, Eternals, time to go home.”
The Eternals returned to King’s Row and found the Mobias waiting for their arrival. Psych Ward had a workload ahead of him. By barely scanning the surface of her mind, he could tell Cameron suffered from severe trauma. It might take months, but he believed he could repair the damage. Although Cameron’s well-being was top on Ward’s list, he still needed to discuss matters with Eden.
Psych Ward eased Cameron into Simian’s arms. “Get her loaded into the Mobias,” he instructed, turning his attention to Eden. She drifted forward with her head down and her left hand nursing a bruise on her right arm. Psych wondered why these Infinites wanted Eden. He would have to investigate her background and perhaps run some tests. The amount of power she displayed against the Clockwork paladin frightened him. Yes, tests would be priority.
Eden raised her head finding herself face to face with Psych Ward. “I need to see you in my office tomorrow morning,” he instructed trying not to frighten her. “We need to discuss today’s events.”
Before she could respond, eight SWAT vans followed by two dozen government vehicles surrounded the Mobias. The Eternals spun into attack mode as the air filled with the sounds of rifles hitting the roofs and trunks of the vehicles. Two men in suits approached the front barricade. “Good work, Agent Fox,” CIA Director Frank Evers commended. He grabbed a bullhorn and alerted the Eternals, “Thank you, Mr. Matthews. You have saved us a great deal of trouble.”
Psych Ward recoiled, “What are you talking about?”
“Your girl, there,” Evers answered. “She is a murderer and a valuable asset to the CIA. She can lead us to the whereabouts of Dr. Bishop Mathias. So you will hand over Cameron Maxwell or you will be arrested on site.”
Two SWAT officers approached the Mobias. Psych Ward reluctantly retrieved Cameron from Simian and helped her to her feet. Before he could tell her what was going on, she was already in their custody. “Wait!” Ward screamed out. “She needs our help!”
“For what, Mr. Matthews? To escape?” Evers chortled. “You Eternals have a bad knack for letting that happen.”
Cameron came to and began to struggle. She was unable to break free. The officers equipped their electric prods and hit her in both sides. The excruciating pain dropped her to her knees. Psych Ward ran to her sliding to his. He cradled her face in his hands and repeated with tears in his eyes, “We had no idea this would happen. We will come get you.” The SWAT police picked her up and carried her off. Ward could only yell to her, “I promise! We will come for you!”
