Mr Mirage/Out of Time part 3
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
Contents |
Chapter Sixteen
“Yeah, I remember that day,” Det, Charlie Nolan said excitedly.
“Enough!” Lt. Det. Reid Brogan interrupted. He slammed his hands on the table in front of La Belle Dame. “We have entertained your stories for hours now. What happened to your teammates? Did these Infinites abduct them? Did Agent Sparks have something to do with their disappearance?”
La Belle reached into her purse and produced a pack of cigarettes. She fumbled around looking for a lighter when Charlie offered to light it with his zippo. She smiled at the young detective accepting his offer. She crossed her legs as she placed the cigarette against her lips. After a long drag, she decided not to push Reid’s patience any longer. “No, Eden did not have anything to do with it at all. To tell you the truth, I do not know if she is alive or not.”
Reid growled in frustration and threw the police files across the room. La Belle laughed in amusement. She knocked the ashes off in the ashtray. She stopped grinning when she noticed that Charlie was frowning now as well. Reid paced behind La Belle. She could hear his heavy breathing over the thumping from his oxfords hitting the concrete floor. He turned and placed his hands on the back of her chair. She could feel his breath on the neck and ear. He quietly threatened her, “You are the only witness to what happened to your friends. You know what that makes you? A suspect. I am tired of playing games with you, Ms. Cruix. You better start talking.”
“Fine,” she replied. “A week ago, we were celebrating our anniversary. The majority of us were there having the time of our life. It wasn’t until Psych Ward introduced his date that things started to turn sour. Some of the Infinites showed up an hour later. Mirage grew suspicious. Then Francesca Conti showed…”
“Wow the model?” Charlie interrupted.
La Belle grinned at him, “Yes, apparently she and Mirage had a fling. However she wasn’t at all herself. I don’t remember what was said, but he went berserk. He yelled at her and smacked her across the face.” She paused as she remembered what Francesca had said. “Oh yeah, she told everyone ‘Death surrounds the Eternals’. I had never seen Mirage that upset. Anyway he left the party. Some of the Eternals said the next morning he had gone to see Psych Ward. Passerby’s said they heard Mirage and Ward yelling at each other. And that was when Mirage went behind the Eternals’ backs and did what he felt had to be done.”
Chapter Seventeen
“There was a mole inside the Eternals,” La Belle Dame continued. “At least that’s what Mirage believed so adamantly. He recruited ten of us that he felt could be trusted. We were taking a huge risk, and we would pay dearly for it.”
Sebastian Kyle paced the hardwood floor of his Steel Canyon apartment. He continually moved from his closet to a stack of nearby boxes, left from his move a year ago, to his lab. He was growing more and more frustrated by the minute. He didn’t know if his loss of patience was coming from not being able to find the adequate gear for this mission or from a worried Lola Lionheart, who was growing angrier by the second, “What do you mean you can’t tell me where Mr. Mirage is taking you?”
Incoherent to anything outside his quest, In Betweener asked while rummaging through a pile of junk, “Do you remember where I put that ‘thing’?”
Lola sighed, showing her aggravation, and decided to help. Maybe if she lent a hand, he would let her in on this ‘secret’ mission. “What ‘thing’? Do you mean your Manifold Resonator or that Cryonite armor you confiscated?”
“No, no, no,” Sebastian harshly replied, tossing aside his holy shotgun shells and Clockwork immobilizers. He ripped open another sealed box and tossed aside flashbang grenades and a psychic cleaver. “I’m looking for that doohickey that does that thing.”
“Would you forget about it for now?” Lola snapped. He had been at his search since she had arrived twenty minutes ago. He had told her that he was leaving for an assignment as soon as she walked in the door. Lola guessed that he was avoiding her now. Lola did not like being kept out of the loop especially by someone she cared about so deeply. She assumed this was difficult for him to keep classified, but Lola’s anger got the best of her. “Tell me where you are going!”
Sebastian stopped sifting through his gear. He gently tossed the ring of pain and Crey cryo pistol back into the box he was hunched over. He did not have the strength to continue avoiding her. Lola was persistent, and he loved her for it. He stood to face her, gently caressing her cheek. She could read his sincerity in his eyes. He regretfully told her, “I wish I could tell you where I was going, but Mirage will not disclose the details until we are on our way. I don’t even know who else is going.”
“You’re kidding me,” she huffed. Although his response was not the one she was hoping for, she knew it was the only one she would get. She lowered her head fighting the urge to make him reconsider, but she knew Sebastian. He would still go either way.
He lifted her head with his index finger, bringing her eyes back to his. He smiled, “Trust me. I am sure this mission isn’t a big deal. More than likely we will be shaking down some thugs for information or, knowing Simon, going after some obscure artifact overseas.”
Lola snaked her arms around his body and rested her head on his chest. She wanted to believe what Sebastian told her, and by his quickened heartbeat, she knew he wanted to believe it too. She felt as if this would be the last time she would see Sebastian. Something else lingered in her mind. The words exhaled out as she closed her eyes. “Some of the Eternals say they heard Psych Ward and Mirage arguing the other day. Do you think this mission has anything to do with that?”
Sebastian leaned back looking down at her. He did not stop to think about the connection before, and deep down something told him it had everything to do with it. Still, he needed to put her worries at ease. “I will come back. I promise.”
She looked into his eyes and made a promise of her own. “If you don’t, I will come for you. Even if I have to search the world over, I will find you.”
Across town in the Juvenile Detention Center, Abby Thorne sat alone at a table. She glanced around the room at her fellow inmates visiting with their parents. She was shocked to see love and acceptance. She assumed the parents would feel ashamed or angry. Then again, she never did see this side of this place. Abby never came here. She never had a reason to. Her adopted mother was dead, and Abby figured Allen didn’t care about her. She was alone in the world until a few months ago.
Through an odd twist of fate, she was granted some time out of this prison to help out an old friend Eden Simons and reunited with her adopted father. It was the first taste of freedom she had in some time, and it was exhilarating. However, it was not the freedom she enjoyed, but getting a chance to fight along side Allen’s friends. Sadly, she had to return here to this place after all the fun.
No, she never had a reason to come to the visitation area until today. The visitor’s door opened as Allen Patterson stepped through the entrance. Her heart flickered seeing the man. The hero. Although she was slightly happy to see him, she still held resentment towards him for not being able to save her adoptive family. Her smile melted away to a frown as the escorting guard pointed Allen in her direction. Her anger boiled inside her as he crossed the room to her table. She smirked, “So, what do I owe this occasion, Allen?”
He could sense the hostility. He had hoped his moment with Abby in Pocket D would have resolved her anger towards him. His heart sank as he saw things were still the same between them. Nonetheless, he needed to see her once more. Due to his absence from her life, he hadn’t the slightest idea how to talk to her. He figured it best to talk to her like another adult and tell her what he needed to say. “Abby, I have been called away on a classified mission. I don’t know where I am going or how long I will be gone…”
Abby proudly interrupted, “It should be easy for you. ‘Going away’ seems to be your forte.”
Allen did not appreciate the low blow. In an outrage, he stood slamming his fists on the table, “Damn it, Abby! What do I have to do to fix this? How man timed do I need to save the world to show you that I am sorry? Tell me! What is it going to take?”
Abby turned her head away. Allen’s raging outburst scared her. She had succeeded at pushing his buttons, and now it made her feel selfish. She could not find the courage to look him in his eyes again.
Allen let out a long sigh. He felt horrible about yelling at his daughter, and his demeanor showed it. Defeated by guilt, he continued, “Anyway, I may not come back from wherever it is I am headed. I wanted to tell you that you are all that I have left in this world.” He stood a few minutes hoping she would reciprocate. Giving up on his wish, he said before he turned to leave, “I love you, Abby. I always have and always will.”
Tears began to pour from Abby’s eyes. She did want everything to be better between them, but the words could not leave her lips. She peaked to see him exit the visitation room without turning back. She had missed her chance. Her lips quivered as the words “I love you, too, Dad” managed to escape into the air.
Eden Spark had arrived ahead of the rest of the team in hopes she could get some alone time with Mirage. After finding the near empty bottle of brandy in his study, she felt he needed another lecture about his drinking habits. She remembered seeing the broken Simon Caine in the future, and she was not going to let him embrace his destiny. However, when she arrived on the roof of the Eternals base, she found herself alone.
The stairwell door kicked open revealing Jocelyn Powers standing in the doorway. She had been looking for Eden all morning. After hearing the rumors circling around about Mirage’s mystery mission, she knew where to find the young CIA agent. “What do you think you are doing, Eden? Director Evers has been on my ass for a week about you. He thinks your loyalty is no longer with the CIA and now with the Eternals. Frankly, I am beginning to feel the same way.”
“Evers can kiss my ass,” Eden replied to Jocelyn. “He went behind me on my mission, and apprehended Millennium Girl right from under me. She needed medical attention, and now she is locked away in the psychiatric ward in the Zigg. Now ask me if I care where my loyalties lie. I needed Cameron to be properly briefed.”
“You needed her? Don’t you mean the Eternals needed her? They are looking for closure. I don’t blame them either, but you need to reevaluate where your duties lie.” Jocelyn stepped closer, getting in Eden’s face. She lowered her voice and sternly continued, “Don’t think for one minute I don’t know what you are up to. I know Mirage has something big planned, and you would just love to be a part of it. But, you need to understand that he does not love you! He is an arrogant fool, and if you follow him on this mission you might be following him to your own death.”
“He asked me to come!” Eden recoiled not wanting to hear anymore of Agent Powers lecture Eden knew Joss was right about a few things. Mirage didn’t even know she existed half the time, and when he did talk to her, he treated her like a kid sister. However he did love her once. ((See “Solitary Reverie”)) Eden touched her lips as she remembered the kiss they once shared. She smiled at Joss and replied, “I’m going.”
Agent Powers anticipated Eden’s response and was tried a different approach. Showing an apologetic smile, Joss placed her hand on Eden’s shoulder. “I don’t blame you.”
“For wanting to help my friends?” Eden asked.
“No, for loving him,” she replied. “He is very handsome and charming at times.”
The stairwell door swung open again as Mirage and the rest of the team approached the Mobias. Seeing Lady Cardinal and Eden, Mirage made his way over to them. “Lady Cardinal, this is a very nice surprise.” She cringed at his remark. He ruffled Eden’s hair and greeted, “Hey, kiddo!’
Eden smiled at him, “I hope you haven’t packed any booze for this trip because I am not letting you touch a drop.” Eden did not want to spend anymore time standing around. She grabbed her tote and headed towards the Mobias.
“Come to wish us luck?” Mirage asked Lady Cardinal. He teased, “In some cultures, to wish good luck on a journey, you would offer a kiss.”
“I am only here to stop Eden from making a mistake,” Jocelyn replied as she stormed towards the stairwell door not wasting time to look back.
Mirage watched his team as they packed their gear into the Mobias. Perfect Score, Sympathy, Silver Skull, Gamer’s Widow, Eden Spark, Perce-Neige, In Betweener, and La Belle Dame all stood ready to join him on one of the most vital and dangerous missions he had ever done. Still he was missing two. Mechacatbot tugged on Mirage’s chinos. He looked down excited to see the robot cat, but disappointed to see the cat’s spirits were low. Mirage told him, “Thank you for coming, Mecha. I know you value your friendship with Psych Ward, but this mission has to go ahead as planned.”
Mecha nodded and regretfully boarded the Mobias. He hopped in Eden’s lap as he was greeted by the rest of the team. Mirage could hear Allen laughing and asked the cat to tell the girls how he talked DJ Zero into opening his club to the general public. Mirage smiled. He too loved that tale.
Thunda Kat informed Mirage the Mobias was ready for take-off. Mirage approached the transport as Psych Ward arrived on the roof. It took him no time at all to deduct what was going on here. Ward filled with anger as he approached Mr Mirage. “You are not authorized for this mission! Where do you think you are taking these Eternals?”
Mirage continued packing his gear avoiding eye contact with Ward. “On a field trip,” Mirage jested with a straight face.
Ward exploded with rage, “Stand down from this mission, Mr. Caine. Or I will exercise force.” Mirage stopped what he what he was doing and turned to face Ward, who decided to bluff. “I know what you are up to. Believe me. Sarah has no affiliation with these so-called Infinites so end your witch hunt.”
He did not want to continue the heated argument from Ward’s office, nor did he want to let Ward read his thoughts. Mirage simply smiled at him, and replied, “Don’t worry, Boss. I have all the proper authorization that I need.”
“By who?” Ward smirked. “I know I sure as hell did not authorize this.” He had Mirage trapped. He would end this suicide mission and give Mirage a few days to cool his jets. Ward felt relieved by his victory.
“No, Ward,” Mirage replied, “you didn’t.”
“Then who gave you the authority?” Ward demanded still basking in his glory.
“I did,” Sheeva answered as she approached the Mobias.
Chapter Eighteen
Mr Mirage had overthrown Psych Ward’s expressed disapproval with a wildcard: Sheeva. Ward guessed that Mirage had witnessed the fight between the Founders, and took advantage of their boiling animosity. Psych Ward always played by the rules. He needed order. His life was dictated by logic to provide security in knowing he was doing the right thing. However, Sheeva was of a different beast. Her chaotic lifestyle was a result of her emotions. She never once thought about the repercussions that could follow by breaking the rules to serve her own desires of doing good. Over the past few months, Ward had noticed that Sheeva had become more impulsive. Their methods of leadership had also grown to extreme opposites. The once strong foundation of the Eternals was beginning to crack. Ward had felt it, and he had no doubt Mirage had too. However Mirage was determined it was for a different reason, and Psych Ward had no way now of stopping Mirage on his quest for the truth.
Mr Mirage had instructed Thunda Kat to land the Mobias for an unscheduled stop. The engines of the craft stirred up a mixture of dirt and sand into the air as hybrid helicopter landed. The Eternals unloaded their gear and gathered around an abandoned service station. The purpose of the gas station was unknown as some of the Eternals did not see any adjacent roads. Tin shutters rattled and banged against the old building from the Mobias’ force. The team waited as Mirage instructed TK to return to Paragon City. As he watched the Eternals’ transport take flight, he turned to face a very confused and agitated team.
“You assembled us to meet here in the middle of nowhere?” Allen asked thinking Mirage had lost him mind. Seeing Mirage’s only response as a smile only added to Allen’s assumption of the illusionist.
Sheeva interjected, “I guess what Perfect Score is asking is what exactly are we doing here? And what is this place exactly?”
“This is one of many MAGI’s sanctioned safe houses. It is used for additional cover on some of those more difficult missions. There are many in the world. This particular one has not been used in some time,” Mirage explained as he examined the old building. “We are rendezvousing with an old friend of mine. We will resume our present course when he lands. I suggest you all to make use the facilities. Take this time to change into the disguises I instructed you to bring. In the restrooms, you will find hair dye next to the sink. I highly advise you change your appearance for we are not welcome where we are going.”
“And where is that?” Sympathy asked regretting her decision to join this team. Having witnessed the display between Ward and Simon prior to launch, she felt as if this small team of Eternals has gone rogue, and she was not alone. “You haven’t even told us what this is about.”
“You are right to ask, Ms. Sykes,” Mirage replied. “As soon as we are in the air again, I will properly brief you all. For now, I ask that you please change your wardrobe and make any cosmetic changes necessary.”
“What was wrong with the Mobias?” Gamer’s Widow chimed in. “I just don’t see what’s with all the cloak and dagger business. Plus, how do we know we can trust your guy?”
“TK has a rather large mouth. I do not place much trust in his ability to remain silent,” Mirage calmly explained. His patience grew thin from their mistrust. However his agitation subsided as he caught a glimpse of their aerial transport approaching from the south. He addressed the group, “Miguel and I go way back.” An Arachnos flyer landed near the service station. Mirage smiled uncomfortably at the others, “Trust me.”
“Agent Powers, I cannot authorize a retrieval mission,” CIA Director Frank Evers barked over the phone. Jocelyn held the receiver away from her ear as he continued, “Agent Simons disobeyed your direct order, and now you want to help her? What is so dangerous that you feel you need to waste the taxpayers’ dollars on a search and rescue?”
“I feel she may be going after Mathias,” Jocelyn cringed as the words crossed her lips. She knew she had said the wrong thing.
“Agent Powers, need I remind you we have in custody a key witness who can verify his whereabouts. We feel confident Ms. Cameron Maxwell will be giving us the information soon,” Evers continued. “It’s preposterous to think Agent Simons would go after someone like Dr. Mathias. She is a rookie. How can you be so sure?”
Joss leaned back in her chair staring at her laptop screen watching a flashing light on the screen. During her quarrel with Eden, she placed a microscopic tracking beacon on her shoulder. She knew there would be a chance Eden might change clothes and discard them with the tracker. She was glad to see that wasn’t the case after the brief stop the Eternals had made. The signal resumed its course south. She managed to calculate their possible destination and knew immediately what Mirage had planned. She feared the worse for Eden. She replied, “Call it a hunch.”
“Permission denied, Agent Powers. And if you even think about going, I will have you arrested when you return,” Evers threatened followed by a welcomed dial tone. Jocelyn continued watching the flashing dot on the screen as it did not falter from its destination. She worried about Eden’s safety, but she had no way of getting to her. She lost herself in numerous and unfeasible scenarios of rescue when a knock came at the door.
Lola Lionheart peeked into the office. Jocelyn gently closed the laptop to deter the unexpected visitor’s curiosity. Joss knew tracking Eden from the Rest was a bad choice, but she did not want to lose the signal. Lola grabbed a seat and tried to steal a look at her laptop screen. Lola looked distraught. Joss could only imagine she was worried about Sebastian. Lola asked, “I wasn’t eavesdropping, but did you say you know where Mirage is taking them?”
Normally Jocelyn would flash her CIA badge and tell Lola it was classified, but she was light on friends and favors at the moment. “Lola, why don’t you come with me?” Joss asked.
“Sure,” Lola responded excitedly. “Where are we going?”
Jocelyn simply replied, “To Rogue Isles.”
During the flight, Mirage briefed the Eternals. The plan was for Gamer’s Widow, Sympathy, Silver Skull, Allen Patterson, La Belle Dame, Perce-Neige, and In Betweener to infiltrate the Infinites as new recruits while Mirage, Eden, Sheeva, and Mechacatbot gathered documents and files while the others kept the Infinites occupied. Then, the Eternals would return the favor for destroying their home a year ago.
Mirage watched through binoculars of a nearby rooftop as the disguised Eternals approached Mikey the Ear. Mirage’s contact told him that if anyone knew how to get them on the inside it would be Mikey. Sheeva asked, “Do you think this will work?”
“No clue,” Mirage replied. “I just hope it was money well spent.”
Below, Mikey the Ear saw the approaching villains and greeted them, “Mikey’s the name! Anything you want or need, I’m the man to give it to ya. I hear everything that goes on. So tell me, strangers, what can I do you for?”
Allen stepped up and requested, “We are looking for some action and hear the Infinites is where it’s at.”
“You are in luck,” Mikey replied. “I know for a fact they are on a ‘recruiting’ drive, if you will. Come inside and I will introduce you to the Sergeant. He is the one you need to talk to. Follow me.” Mikey the Ear led the seven villains inside the Hook and Anchor bar.
“So far so good,” Mirage replied as he packed away his binoculars. “Get ready to roll.”
Mikey the Ear disappeared shortly after introducing the newcomers to the infamous Infinites recruiter. Mikey watched across the crowded bar as the Sergeant finished his beer and led the recruits back outside. He quietly followed them outside. He scurried behind a stack of boxes careful of not being seen. “So they have arrived?” a voice from behind startled him. A hooded woman stepped out from the shadows.
“Oh it is you,” Mikey replied as she lowered her hood revealing a young, beautiful face. “Yes, they came just as you said they would, and I did exactly as you told me to, Ms. Faux Pas. Now about my payment.”
She produced a velvet bag and tossed it to the groveling snitch, “There is your ten silver, you little rat.” Mikey caught the bag, shaking it to his large ears. Content to hear all the money was accounted for, he scurried back inside the tavern.
Faux Pas slithered in and out of the shadows until she stumbled across a monster lost in his thoughts. She crossed to him and caressed his face. He melted to her touch. “My love,” she called to him. “My sweet Armagiddeon.”
“Yes, Ronin?” he blissfully replied. Her words poisoned his brain. She corrupted his thoughts and his senses and manipulated him into believing she was his lost love.
“I brought you a present, my love,” she told him as she kissed his cheek. He shivered at her touch. She ran her lips to his ear and whispered, “Kill Sheeva.”
Chapter Nineteen
Mirage slowly crested the hill in awe of the fortress that lay before his eyes. The structure itself bore no markings on the large grey outer walls except for the main entrance. Guards patrolled the upper parameters of the citadel. Their uniforms were decorated by two patches with one on each arm: the Infinity logo, much like the Eternals’ and the other a black rook. Mirage searched the area through his pair of binoculars and spotted the man escorting his fellow teammates. Usually very calm and collective on mission, Mirage feared the dangers that lie ahead for he and his team. He wondered if the others were as terrified as he was now. It was too late to turn back now.
Mirage pulled three small messenger-style backs off of his shoulder and handed one to each of the remaining team members. “Inside you will find several small C4 charges. Once they are in place, you will have one hour to get clear,” Mirage instructed. “Make sure you grab any documentation, computer files, anything we can get to unmask these Infinites before you start setting those explosives.”
“Mirage,” Sheeva interrupted. “I do not see a point in destroying their facilities. We could kill possibly hundreds. We shouldn’t sink to their level.”
Mirage disagreed. He didn’t have to say anything. Sheeva could read it on his face the way his lips shifted slightly as he grinded his jaw. “We need to send a message, one strong enough to get the point across. They need to know the consequences of fucking with the wrong heroes.” Mirage turned to see the others were merely feet from the front door. “We need to move now. Mecha, can you make the jump to the roof without being spotted?”
“Only one way to find out,” Mechacatbot replied.
Mirage faced Eden and placed both her hands into his. Eden’s heart quivered as an uncontrollable urge swept over her. She leaned up and kissed him on his cheek. He smiled at the gesture, and then turned to Sheeva and Mecha. “Good luck, you two,” he told them as he and Eden vanished. “See you soon.”
Mecha looked up at Sheeva and asked, “Are you ready?”
“For what?” she replied as Mecha grabbed her hand, pulling her with him as the two ascended towards the fortress roof.
The oversized door crashed down as the Eternals infiltrated the super structure. The loud boom as it hit the bottom startled them, which managed to get a satisfactory smile from the silent Sergeant. He grinned revealing black teeth and directed them in a low and chilling voice, “This way.”
He led the seven down a long narrow hallway. The further they traversed, the darker it got. The recruiter finally stopped at another door. The light from the room beyond it emitted its eclipse. Boisterous voices could be heard coming from the other side. A square-shaped fluorescent green light appeared on the wall to their right as the Sergeant neared it. He placed his hand on the panel, and the door swiftly opened. The Eternals shielded their eyes as the room’s light filled the hallway. Their eyes adjusted seeing a round tiered room filled with twenty or thirty other recruits. The Sergeant gestured with an outstretched arm for the Eternals to enter.
As they passed through the doorway, the door slammed down as swiftly as it opened. A few of the others acknowledged them, sized them up, and then went about their business. Sympathy leaned in towards Allen’s ear and whispered, “I’m beginning to think this was a very bad idea.”
When the door closed, the Sergeant slowly emerged from the darkened hallway. As he began to turn the corner, he caught a scent of something. He tried to place it, but realized it was more than likely from one of the new recruits and continued through the stronghold.
When he was well out of sight, Mirage and Eden uncloaked. “You had to wear perfume, didn’t you?” Mirage teased while he watched the recruiter continue down the neighboring hallway. “Since our friend is off in that direction, maybe we should head this way.” Mirage squeezed her hand as he pressed on. He had not let go of her hand ever since they went invisible. Eden did not want to tell him for she did not want to let go. She couldn’t stop smiling.
The two came to another intersection. The hallway to their left housed a descending stairwell. Mirage knew an explosion nearest the foundation would be a most critical strike. Eden’s mind was elsewhere. She thought about the advice her friends had given her about Mirage. So many times she had been told to tell him how she felt. She always told herself that if she ever had time alone she would do it. She would tell Simon Caine that she loved him and longed for his love in return. Given their situation, she knew now probably wasn’t the best time to tell him, but now would probably be the only time she would be able to.
“Erm, Simon,” she muttered as he pulled her along down the stairs.
“What is it, Kiddo?” he incoherently replied. His moved with such determination that he had almost forgotten she was in tow.
“Simon, stop!” she exclaimed quietly, putting her weight down slowing him. He stopped and faced her, frantically checking to see if she was ok. She enjoyed his attentiveness. She continued, “Nothing is wrong with me. I just need to tell you something.”
Mirage waited a few minutes for Eden to say what was on her mind. Seeing she was having a difficult time trying to find the words, he grabbed her other hand and gently comforted her, “Eden, it’s ok. Whatever you want to say, you can tell me.”
The sentence spun around in her head in fragments. Her mouth was dry, and butterflies filled her stomach. She let out a long sigh of fear and relief. This was it. She was going to tell him. She looked up into his fiery golden brown eyes, and he looked down into her deep hazel eyes. Her lips slowly parted. She took in another deep breath and closed her eyes. “Mirage. Simon. I…”
“Hold that thought!” Mirage interrupted. When she opened her eyes, his attention had moved to the office behind her. Before she could continue, he was opening her bag and handing her a C4 charge. “Take this to next room. I will take this office.”
She sighed again. The moment had passed. She wondered if she would ever get another chance, but thought it best to continue on with the mission. She watched him disappear into the room before attending to hers.
Mr. Mirage slowly walked to the desk in the middle of the room. A small cased object emitted a glowing light. Its pulse drew him to it. He couldn’t believe his eyes. “The vajra,” he muttered. He wiped his eyes to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. The glow revealed another item on the desk. Mirage used the light to examine the document. “Blueprints?” he asked aloud. He did not recognize the illustrated object. It looked like some sort of transport. He noticed a name in the corner of the plans: Jonathan Mangrum. “Of course,” he pieced the puzzle together. Dr. Mathias hired someone to design this craft, but he needed someone to pilot it. However it needed power so Mathias hired Sirius Mongiovi to steal a power source. “What do an engineer, a test pilot, and a manipulative son of a bitch have in common?” he thought aloud chuckling. As he reached for the vajra, he heard Eden scream. As he turned, his face met the butt of an automatic rifle knocking him out cold.
“Welcome, guests!” a mysterious man appeared on the balcony above in the round room. He looked over the new recruits. He was accompanied by four others. The Eternals were relieved they were not any they had come in contact with in the past. Still, they had to be careful. The man continued, “I am very pleased you have showed interest in our ‘establishment’. Allow me to make introductions. To my right: Devalin and Chaotic Flame, and to my left: Terra Silva and Tamasaburo. My name is Dapper John. Now that introductions are over, I’d like to say that who you are is of no importance to me. I care not about which banks you’ve robbed or how many people you have killed. What matters is your worth to me, and I can tell that yours are very little.”
Uproar followed from Dapper John’s insult. Some of the recruits tried to claw their way to him, but only found the bottom of one of his enforcers’ boots. The Eternals all looked at each other regretting ever listening to Mr. Mirage.
Mechacatbot and Sheeva landed safely on the roof without detection. To cover more ground, Sheeva suggested the two split up. Mecha agreed. They only had a small window of time to get in and out. He slung the bag onto his back and entered the building through a small ventilation duct. As he crawled through the labyrinth, his thoughts were on his daughter and on Rebecca. Mecha knew Fuse has his reasons for postponing the wedding, and although Chimmeca seemed fine with it, Mecha could see her pain. He knew Super Fuse meant well, but for some reason Mecha could not shake the feeling that Rebecca may have had something to do with his decision.
Trying not to think on it anymore, he decided to concentrate on the mission at hand. He opened another vent guard and dropped into the room below. He detached a USB drive from his body and connected it to a nearby pc terminal. As the file download began, he opened the bag Mirage had given him and produced a C4 charge. He strategically placed it on the desk near the computer. As he began to set the timer, the room filled with the sounds of multiple cocking semi-automatic rifles. Mecha slowly turned to see five armed soldiers behind him. Their rifles aimed at him. “Well if it isn’t the Eternals’ pet cat,” a voice replied from behind the guards. Dr. Mathias wedged between his mercenaries and into the room. “I never got a chance to thank you for the scar.”
After Mecha entered the ventilation shaft, Sheeva decided to attempt dropping to a nearby ledge below to enter the closest window. She lowered herself down making sure her grip was solid. A piece of the ledge crumbled and fell to the ground. Sheeva watched its plunge. “Long way down,” she huffed moving her left hand and then her right. She needed to continue shimmying a few feet in order to make the drop to the lower ledge. She moved her left hand and her right in a continuous rhythm trying to keep focused on her grip. Left. Right. Left. Right. As her left hand slid, the ledge gave way.
Sheeva pivoted on her right hand’s location. Her heart pounded in her chest as she recovered from the near fall. She took a couple of deep breaths and realized her fingers were sliding and could not sustain the grip. She began to rock back and forth until she was close enough to grab the ledge again with her left hand. Her body soared upward toward the edge of the roof, and she missed. Her right hand burned with pain as she continued another attempt. This time she came closer, but alas she could only touch the ledge with her fingertips. Excited from feeling of concrete beneath her fingers, she accidentally loosened her grip with her right hand. As her body pivoted and rocked like a pendulum, she used the momentum for one last attempt. Either she would be successful or she would fall.
As her body neared the ledge again, she reached out as far as she could and slid her fingers over the ledge grabbing it as hard as she could. Relieved to have regained control, she let herself hang so that she could catch her breath again. She looked down to see the ledge was now directly below her. After the close call she was ready to get her feet back on solid ground. She prepared to drop as something landed on the roof above her hands almost causing her to lose her grip again. She looked up to see what or who it was. To her horror, Armaggideon towered over her. His voice growled, “We end this now.”
“Ladies and Gentlemen, please,” Dapper John quieted the angry mob below. He waited until he had the entire room’s attention. After the ruckus died down, he continued, “You must prove your worth to me. Here and now. You may be asking yourself, ‘How? When do I get my opportunity to do such a task?’”
The seven Eternals in the rear of the room became weary as they all heard a large locking mechanism inside the door lock into place. They were now sealed to whatever fate Dapper John had in store. His enforcers began dumping several blunt and bladed weapons onto the angry crowd below them. Dapper John continued, “To prove you have what it takes, you all are going to fight one another…to the death.”
Chapter Twenty
Armagiddeon grinned as he slowly pressed his foot onto Sheeva’s fingers. Keeping the pressure on her hand, he explained, “Sheeva, sheeva, it seems I am in a predicament. I could let you fall to your death, or I can watch your last breath escape as I crush your throat.” He perched on the ledge and continued. “Now I know to you neither of those options sound fun, but I think I would enjoy the latter.” His large grasp swooped down imprisoning Sheeva’s wrists. In one movement, he raised Sheeva and threw her overhead onto the roof.
Sheeva landed on her feet in a crouching position sliding a few inches. She smiled at the disappointed brute, “You won’t get the chance.” She fashioned an ice sword behind her back and charged him.
Her arctic blade came crashing down as Armaggideon caught it in his left hand. Sheeva’s smile disappeared as the brute’s widened. She saw his blood trickling down the blade. In fear, she watched as small cracks formed under the pressure. In an instant her ice sword exploded into fine mist. Before Sheeva could react, he backhanded her returning her near the ledge.
Sheeva wiped the blood from her lip. This was going to call for drastic measures. She looked up at the hulking villain and taunted, “Come and get me.”
Armagiddeon charged Sheeva as she waited to make her move. As he neared the ledge she stepped out of the way. In her mind, he would have gone over and the fight would have ended. However, on his way over he managed to grab her arm. The two descended throwing punch after punch at each other. Sheeva used his weight to slide on top of him as they fell. His body hit the roof of an adjacent building. The speed of the fall and power of the impact caused Armagiddeon to crash right through it. Sheeva managed to roll off before he did. She stood looking through the hole in the roof down onto his body. She spat and replied, “Be sure to tell them who sent you.”
In the event of trouble, Mirage told the team to abort and return to Miguel’s stolen Arachnos flyer. With Armagiddeon identifying Sheeva, she knew she was jeopardizing the mission, and figured this was a good time to rendezvous back in Port Oakes. Sheeva tried to get her bearings as she saw nothing but horizon above the surrounding ocean. She began teleporting through the air towards her destination.
She wondered if the others had more success. She hated herself for giving up so easily on the mission. She would have succeeded if it weren’t for that abomination getting in her way. She laughed at how hard he tried to kill her and always came up short.
As she grew closer to Port Oakes, she could see the flyer. She paused to take a quick breather before continuing. In a way she was happy to see the rendezvous point. She definitely did not belong here in the Isles. Before she continued teleporting, the unthinkable happened. Sheeva watched in horror as the Eternals’ transport exploded. She did not have time to react as Armagiddeon flew from behind grabbing her around the waist locking her arms to her side. His unexpected attack knocked the air from Sheeva’s lungs.
He squeezed hard keeping her lungs from filling up and ascended into the sky. She could feel his breath on her ear as he snarled, “You stupid little whore. You think you can defeat me?” The two swooped around closer to the sea water. Her face penetrated the waves as she was tried desperately to breathe. Armagiddeon ascended the two again. She didn’t have to look at him, but she knew he was smiling. “I think I am going to drown you. Yes, drown. That sounds good to me.”
Without the endurance and not being able to breathe, Sheeva still had one more play to make even though it could cost her own life. She managed to slide her hand into the satchel Mirage had given her. She placed her hand over the large dial of one of the charges and rotated it counter-clockwise. The numbers on the time face went from one hour to thirty seconds. Without knowing how much time she had to spare, Sheeva activated it just as Armagiddeon announced Sheeva’s demise.
Their climb stopped as Armagiddeon expressed, “I have been looking forward to this for a very long time.” Sheeva felt the wind crashing against her face as they descended towards the ocean and thought how nice it would have been to breathe it in.
Inside the bag, the timer continued, “…5…”
As the bed of blue grew closer, Sheeva realized this was her end. Of all the thoughts she could have had, she only thought about Ronin. She did not know why.
“…4…”
Perhaps it was because Ronin’s death was what caused all of this monster’s rage.
“…3…”
Perhaps she wouldn’t be in this predicament if Ronin wasn’t presumed dead two years ago.
“…2…”
One thing was definite. Her death was only the beginning. It changed everything that the Eternals were and had ever hoped to be.
“…1…”
She wondered if her death would bear the same consequences as their bodies pierced the ocean water. Water exploded into the air as the C4 charges in Sheeva’s bag detonated.
She could not hear anything over the pounding in her ears as her heart pounded. She looked around at the fallen bodies and hoped none of them were Eternals. She tried to remember what each of their disguises looked like. In all the chaos, she couldn’t even remember who all had gone in with her. She took a headcount of the lifeless bodies and counted nineteen. As she examined the other fights, her foot slipped a little, but she managed to stand. Secretly she hoped it was from some of Perce’s ice. She looked to the ground in terror as she saw nothing but a river of blood. “Get a hold of your self, Sympathy,” she told herself. “Concentrate.” She quickly found her team and calculated. “Seven Eternals and seven villains.” She knew the odds of the others killing themselves were slim, and the Eternals would be getting their hands dirty.
This entire mission seemed like a bad nightmare. She looked for In Betweener and watched in shock as his decoys ripped the arms off one. Six targets remained. Her attention turned to Perce-Neige who encased a man in ice. The man struggled as he slowly suffocated. Five targets remained. She watched as Silver Skull electrocuted another. Four remained. She closed her eyes hoping to wake soon.
A frenzied assailant charged at Sympathy ready to bring down his axe into her skull. She grabbed a fallen foe’s bo staff and brought it to her face with both hands. The axe hilt connected hard with the wooden staff. Her feet slid again. This time Sympathy fell to her back. The axe blade stopped less than an inch from her face. She gritted her teeth trying to push the axe away. Her attacker pulled away the axe and kicked the staff out of her hands. In a panic, she froze as the thug readied another swing.
An arrow pierced through his chest. Before he fell to his knees, blood exploded from his mouth. The weight of his axe brought him down revealing Perfect Score. She fought off a smile as he stood there facing her. She felt the eyes of the Infinites on them from above. Allen had nothing but a look of desperation on his face. She quickly scanned to see all that remained were seven Eternals all facing one another. She shot Perfect Score a dreadful look as he slowly raised his bow and loaded another arrow. “Definitely a bad idea,” she thought as she watched Allen’s arm pull back the bowstring aiming for her chest.
Mirage woke finding himself once again with one hell of a headache, but that was the least of his problems. He found himself shackled to a wall. The air was dank and smelled like death. The room itself reminded Mirage of a dungeon in an old castle. He tried removing the shackle when he heard a faint moan from below. Eden was bound to a chair. Her hair draped over her face as her head remained tilted forward. Mirage called to her in a sharp whisper, “Hey, kiddo!”
She slowly raised her eyes to his. Seeing he was ok brought a smile to her face. However it was short-lived as a chilling realization swept over her. “Mirage! We need to get out of here now!”
“What’s the rush?” he jested trying to calm her down. He didn’t know what had her spooked, but it was a little more than a creepy dungeon.
Eden remembered the strange nightmare during her time stationed in Faultline during the Rikti attack this past November. ((See “A Call to Arms”)) She couldn’t fight off the feeling of déjà vu, and feared what lied ahead for Mirage. “Simon! If we do not leave now, you are going to die!”
Before he could respond, the dungeon door opened, and the guard tossed a beaten La Belle Dame to the ground. The door slammed and locked behind her. Blood dropped from La Belle’s mouth as she broke the silence, “They have a clone.”
Eden asked, “Did you say clone?”
Belle raised her face to look at Eden, who cringed at the bruises and abrasions on Belle’s face. “They have a clone of me,” she replied to Eden, spitting a wad of blood.
Mirage teleported out of shackles and landed near Belle, checking her wounds. He kicked himself for ever believing Sarah Reilly was a mole. He feared the worse now knowing the mole was much closer to home. He needed to gather the others and report this finding to Psych Ward, even if he did owe him an apology. He helped Belle to her feet and replied, “Time to go.”
Before Mirage could free Eden, the dungeon door opened once more. Francesca Conti entered escorted by several guards and kissed Mirage on his cheek, “Ciao, Miraggio.”
Chapter Twenty-One
“Francesca? What are you doing here?” Mirage stumbled at seeing the Italian model as she approached him. One of her escorts slammed the butt of his rifle into Belle’s stomach sending her back on all fours. As Francesca passed the fallen defender, Francesca buried her foot into Belle’s abdomen causing more blood gushing from her mouth.
“Mirage! Don’t let her near you!” Eden screamed raising Francesca’s attention.
“Well, well, well, Simon,” she teased as she neared the young electricity blaster. She stopped in front of Eden as she sized her up. “You always had a different girl for every season. I’m impressed. This one is quite young.” She backhanded Eden knocking her over. Francesca picked up the chair as Eden battled the ties on her wrist trying to get free.
“Leave her alone!” Mirage shouted. Francesca turned to face Mirage. Her smile sent chills through his spine.
“Maybe if you were more attentive towards one lady instead of numerous flings, you would not be in this predicament,” Francesca explained as she walked towards him dragging the chair behind her. The weight of the chair balanced on a single leg as it scraped against the floor.
“Francesca, I do not know why you have thrown yourself in with this lot. Whatever it is that they have done to you, we can help you,” Mirage pleaded.
“Like you could have helped when I needed you the most?” Francesca asked. “Where were you? You were too busy romancing that auto mechanic. What was her name again?” Francesca slid the chair to Mirage’s side and gently eased him onto it. “Oh yeah, ‘Babs’. You chose a grease monkey over me? A model.”
Mirage remembered every detail about the assigned MAGI trip that Francesca was lamenting about. He had met Francesca at art gala in Prague, much like the time he met Marina Tackys. The two had hit it off and escaped the party’s boredom for drinks. The two spent the entire night together. However before Mirage had introduced himself to the famous supermodel, he had met Barbara Price. He was shocked to find another American in Prague, but even more surprised to find a fiery redhead underneath the greasy jumpsuit. ‘Babs’ was vigorous unlike Francesca who seemed fragile in comparison.
He quickly counted the armed soldiers surrounding now surrounding them. Three against twenty weren’t good odds. Mirage demanded, “Well then, if you do not let us go, we will kill every single on of you.” Mirage smiled to the laughter that filled the room. He reinforced his threat, “I am serious. Once my friends arrive…”
“Your friends?” Francesca jested as she caressed Mirage’s face. She leaned in and explained, “Your friends are already dead, and you will soon join them.”
“Francesca…” Mirage began before she interrupted him, cradling his face in her hands.
“My name is Death Kiss,” she said as she pressed her lips against his. Eden’s face lit up in horror as she tried again to free herself. She watched as Mirage turned a pale white and then his veins began to show. Eden’s nightmare was coming true, and Mirage was going to die.
The ocean waves crashed onto the shores of Port Oakes. One by one they washed over the debris and other items that collected from the rolling tide, including Sheeva’s body. Sheeva floated on her back as the waves rocked her against the land. Suddenly she gasped drawing in as much as she could take. She looked around for Armagiddeon who was no where in sight. She checked herself for any injuries that may have occurred during the explosion. Her clothing was tattered, and there was a slight ringing in her ears. Everything else looked fine until she tried to stand. She could not move her left arm. She inspected her left shoulder with her right hand and found she had dislocated it. She stumbled over to the docks nearby. She rammed her shoulder into the post until it popped back into place after the fourth attempt.
She noticed as she tried to continue on that she was limping. She entered a nearby shanty and slid against the inner wall to the floor. She ripped her pants near a tear on her right shin. She noticed a piece of shrapnel protruding an inch out of her leg. She recognized the metal as part of the C4 casing. She gave it a quick tug and was disappointed it did not move. Sheeva knew it must have been deeper than she thought. She drew in a deep breath and bit her lip pulling on the shrapnel harder this time. The metal slowly gave way revealing another four inches covered in her blood. As soon as she freed it from her leg, she threw it across the room. She used nearby clothing scraps to fashion a tourniquet.
She took a moment to rest. Her body felt broken, and her thoughts were scattered. All she could think about was being back at the Skyway base in her own bed. She pulled her wet hair back away from her face and tied it in a knot. Sheeva beat her head softly on the wall trying to devise a plan for escape. Suddenly she remembered hearing about an underground Longbow base near Cap au Diable. She hoped the Longbow still occupied the base for they were her only way off the Isles now.
She gathered what strength she had left and slowly stood to her feet. As she attempted to walk on her foot, the ceiling collapsed on her as something hit the walls full force. She felt someone grab her collar around her throat as her body. Sheeva felt her feet leave the ground. She shielded her face as she slammed into the other wall. As she lowered her hands, she identified the man who had snatched her as the one monster she wished would give up.
Armagiddeon growled, “Nice trick. Too bad it backfired.” He stopped mid-flight and hurled Sheeva into a window of a nearby building. He flew to the window and watched as she rolled over in pain. He reached into the room and wrapped his hand around her ankle. He pulled her out from the window and slammed her against the outer brick wall like a rag doll. She swayed in the air below his grasp. He smiled as he launched her through the air through another window pane. He laughed aloud, “The Ice Queen cometh and met her doom!”
The seven Eternals all faced each other not knowing what the next move would be. Dapper John expected them to kill one another, and they knew something had to be done. Perfect Score raised his bow to take his shot at Sympathy when a voice boomed, “Halt!”
A door opened underneath the balcony from which the Infinites were observing. Dapper John entered escorted by his four enforcers. At closer inspection, Dapper John looked like someone out of an Arthur Conan Doyle novel. He wore a derby hat and was finely dressed. He rested on his cane as he tipped his hat to them. He smiled at the bloody contenders and then frowned at the failures that lay dead at their feet. “Indeed, you seven have proven your worth,” he congratulated. “Please, follow me.”
The seven of them followed the Infinites leader down another hall. The enforcers followed suit behind the Eternals. Dapper John informed, “I am glad you seven chose to arrive today, and you chaps should feel honored. The Infinites have been hard at work lately. You see we must secure our future by any means necessary. Soon we shall turn the Paragon City against all ‘superheroes’” As Dapper John led them into the next room; they were greeted by Dr. Mathias who was holding a gun to Mechacatbot’s head. His soldiers aimed their rifles at the Eternals. “And we couldn’t have done it without you,” Dapper John continued as he swung his cane across In Betweener’s face.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Armagiddeon hovered towards the broken window. His laughter and taunting continued. He called out, “Sheeva?” He eased inside looking for the beaten ice blaster. The only light in the room was from the sunlight forcing itself around the silhouetted brute. He tried adjusting his eyes so he could search in the shadows before he took another step. He taunted again, “Come out, come out, wherever you are.” The temperature began to drop inside. Condensation formed on the glass shards left attached to the broken window frame. Armagiddeon exhaled seeing his breath in the air.
Before he could react, Sheeva lunged at Armagiddeon knocking him back through the broken window. He wrapped his hand around her leg pulling her through as well and took flight. As the two ascended, she hurled ice blast after ice blast into his face. Agitated, he lifted her up and began pounding his fists into her face. He pulled his arm to ready his next blow, and smiled, “Your end is near.” He swung an open slap to her face, but Sheeva caught his hand in hers. She interlocked their grips. Armagiddeon watched his fingers turned blue. His hand grew numb as tiny ice crystals formed around his knuckles. He tried to move his fingers but they were completely frozen. Sheeva squeezed tight and applied pressure. She moved her hand towards his forearm snapping his fingers clean off his hand. Armagiddeon howled in anger and dropped Sheeva to attend to his missing appendages.
Sheeva tried teleporting as she fell to the ground, but she was too tired. Before she could formulate another plan, Armagiddeon intercepted her mid fall. She tried to attack. However, he had grabbed her from behind making him out of reach. She tried to freeze his arm that that held her captive, but she could not move her arms from their accelerating speeds. The wind cut harder and harder against her face. She could hardly keep her eyes open. On the horizon she could see two rock spires in the shape of devil horns.
Sheeva attempted moving her hands once more against the inertia building against her body as the two soared through the strange mountain range. She slowly slid her right hand up against her upper leg afraid her arm would break if she moved it away from her body. She reached upwards with her index finger feeling for his muscular arm and could barely touch it. A loud explosion of sound followed in their wake as Armagiddeon picked up speed. She reached again this time touching her first two fingers to his skin and began freezing his arm. Not expecting another attack, Armagiddeon lost control. They smashed head first against one of the large spire’s tip which exploded into rubble from the impact. The two spiraled out of control and penetrated the nearest skyscraper. The glass windows on the opposite sides of the building shattered as Armagiddeon and Sheeva rolled through the building. Sheeva tried to pull away from his grip as the two hurdled to the large molecular globe below, but they were moving too fast. They exited through the globe statue as fast as they pierced it knocking it off its axis. The globe rolled down the steps surrounding the courtyard in Aeon City.
When the dust settled, Sheeva lied on her back barely alive. She took in very short breaths amazed she had survived the fight. She
let her head roll to her right to see if Armagiddeon was still alive. She watched his chest for movement, but it did not move. She smiled at her victory and exclaimed, “That’s what I thought!”
She decided now would be a good time to just rest. She looked up to the sky at the clouds. She remembered seeing shapes in them when she was a child before finding she was a mutant, before the Eternals, and before Ronin.
As Sheeva rested, agents of Lord Recluse surrounded her. Sheeva counted about thirty wolf spider enforcers, ten Mu adepts, and a handful of Tarantulas. She slowly raised her head and taunted, “Ok, who’s next?” before everything went black.
Dapper John paced in front of the captured Eternals as his minions lowered a large device into the room. When the platform landed on the ground, Dapper John removed the tarp revealing a machine that was shaped like a convertible but had no wheels, doors, or trunk space. Upon closer inspection, the machine could seat two passengers. A large metallic devise protruded behind the seat which was possible the generator. Dapper John ran his finger along the body of the machine. “You are probably wondering how we knew?” he asked the Eternals. “We have been investing in your little super group for quite some time. In light of certain events yet to come, we have been busy attempting to stop our inevitable apocalypse, if you will. We found the names of the individuals who would have had a direct hand in the world’s destruction, and strangely enough all had ties to the Eternals. We began by eliminating them one by one: Gabriella Pierce, Juan Jimenez, William Striker, Daniel Logan, Alexandre Gauthier, and the heroes Lady Pendragon and Skritches. Yet, the outcome was still the same.”
“What about Corin Rivers?” Gamer’s Widow interrupted. When Corin was murdered, it had hit her the hardest. She bit back her anger that was boiling listening to this ludicrous story. “Was she part of it too?”
“No, no, my dear child,” Dapper John replied, “but she did have purpose.”
“But worth murdering them?” In Betweener chimed in. “We could have handled it if we knew what it is we are trying to prevent from happening.”
“No, you wouldn’t have, Mr. Kyle,” Dapper John explained. “Your leader knows the source of it all, yet he does nothing about it. You Eternals are too preoccupied in playing catch-up. Now it is up to us to finish what we began a year ago.” Dapper John faced the machine and announced, “We are going to save the future by fixing the past!”
Jonathan Mangrum entered the room carrying the vajra. He placed it inside a bay in the rear of the machine and stepped away. Frau Oberst followed sliding into the driver’s seat and powered up the machine.
“And how exactly do you plan on doing that?” Silver Skull asked.
“Easy,” a voice answered as Psych Ward emerged from the shadows. “We simply take heroes out of the equation.”
Dapper John turned to welcome him. “Ah yes,” he replied facing the Eternals. “I believe you’ve already had the pleasure of meeting Ruse.”
Ruse transformed into his normal form and hopped into the passenger side. Before he sat, he taunted, “And we have all the time in the world to do it in with this magnificent machine, and there is nothing you can do to stop us now. Adieu, Eternals.” Ruse began setting coordinates.
“Thanks to Ruse, we were able to infiltrate Portal Corp undetected to steal their tech enabling us to travel to any point in history. We will shape the world into our vision!” Dapper John proclaimed. A soldier approached Dapper John handing him a CD-Rom. Dapper John dismissed him and informed the Eternals, “Ah yes, we also have a contingency. This CD contains footage of the Eternals massacring several suspects in cold blood. Many copies, like this one, will be sent out to every television station and newspaper when the time comes. True, you could claim self-defense, but its use is not for prosecution. This is merely fuel for the fire.”
The Eternals all looked at one another. They knew what they had to do without saying it. The Infinites must be stopped at all costs, but the Eternals were low on options and out of time. The machine’s engine began to hum loudly. Its resonance vibrated the room. Dapper John cleared his distance from the time machine. He instructed, “It is time.”
A large bubble faded in and out around the machine. If the Eternals were to make a move, they knew it had to be now. Mechacatbot was the first to move as he flipped into the air landing on the dash in front of Frau. The others made a jump onto the machine as Mechacatbot threw Frau Oberst out of the machine. In a series of flashes, the machine, Ruse, and the Eternals had vanished. Frau slapped the floor in frustration.
“Do not worry, Love,” Dapper John comforted her. “We will return you to your own time soon enough.”
“I do not understand why we don’t kill the girl now if she is the cause of it,” Frau expressed her concern.
“Because, my dear,” he replied, “we need her.”
Mirage struggle to break the passionate and lethal kiss, but his energy was fading fast. Eden could only watch as the man she loved was slowly dying. If she could only move her hands, she could send that bitch a high voltage bolt. However her hands were tied tight, and it seemed the more she tried to escape the tighter they gripped her wrists. She resorted the taunting again, “Get off of him now or else…”
“Or else what?” Death Kiss stopped draining his life force to ask. She walked to Eden and picked her head up by her hair. Caressing Eden’s cheek with one fingernail, she playfully replied, “All your friends are dead, and soon your precious Mr Mirage will join them. But do not worry; we have special plans for you.”
Before Death Kiss returned to Mirage, she heard a strange noise coming from the other side of the wall. She placed her ear to the
wall to investigate the high pitched noise. The wall exploded into the room knocking Death Kiss out cold. Eden looked towards the large hole to find Lady Cardinal and Lola Lionheart standing above the rubble.
Lady Cardinal checked Mirage’s vitals as Lola helped La Belle Dame to her feet. Eden informed them, “He needs medical attention.”
Mirage looked up into Lady Cardinal’s eyes and smiled, “The face of an angel.”
Lady Cardinal smiled at the flattery, and told Eden, “No I think he will be perfectly fine. His color is returning along with his irritating charm.” She tossed Mirage’s arm over her shoulder to help him stand.
Lola untied Eden and asked, “Where are the others? Where is Sebastian?”
Eden did not know how to respond. Death Kiss had told her they were all dead, and she had not seen any evidence to prove it either way. She lowered her head ad responded, “They did not make it.”
“No, no, no!” Lola didn’t accept the fact that In Betweener was dead, and she didn’t want to. “They are still alive! We have to search for them!”
“They have armies of men. We don’t stand a chance against their numbers,” Eden replied.
“She’s right, Lola,” Lady Cardinal agreed. “They would have heard the blast too. I am sorry, but we need to move out now.”
Scurrying footsteps beyond the door cued the Eternals to leave. Lola looked back as she stepped through their man-made exit with tears in her eyes. She whimpered, “I’ll come for you. I promise.”
The five Eternals hurried across the rugged terrain carrying the wounded. Bullets soared passed. Eden turned to see they were being followed by twenty Infinite mercenaries. Dodging fire, the Eternals climbed a steep rocky hill slowing them down further. The soldiers closed in as the five reached the top. Eden had no plans on returning to that dungeon and finding out what the Infinites had in store for her. She stood to face the army and give them one hell of a shock when bullets began raining down on them from behind her. She turned to find ten Longbow soldiers providing cover fire.
Mirage regained his strength and insisted, “We didn’t need your help, Darling, but we had the situation under control back there.”
Lady Cardinal huffed, “Why you cocky asshole! Lola and I just saved your ass back there and you have the audacity to say that?”
“You are so sexy when you are angry,” Mirage replied. “How about taking me up for dinner when we get back to Paragon City?”
“Arachnos incoming!” La Belle Dame shouted as an Arachnos flyer swooped down and wiped out the Longbow soldiers. Thirty wolf spider enforcers closed in on the escaping heroes.
“We need to get inside the perimeter now!” Lady Cardinal instructed as she led the Eternals to the extraction point. They climbed down to the beach below and were now twenty yards away from going home. As they grew closer, Eden recognized their transports: a Longbow helicopter and the Eternals’ Mobias. “Lola, take La Belle Dame with you. Eden and Mirage will join me on the Mobias. Move now!” Lady Cardinal commanded as she measured their distance.
Lola and Belle boarded the Longbow helicopter and instructed the pilot to get it ready. Eden ran to the Mobias and instructed Thunda Kat to do the same. Mirage stayed with Lady Cardinal. “And I assume you have a master plan?” he jested.
“Well, it sure as hell beats your idea for this suicide mission,” she retorted. “What were trying to prove?”
“Maybe I was trying to get the approval of a beautiful woman,” he teased.
“Usually all it takes are flowers and chocolate,” she replied.
“I’ll have to keep that in mind,” he continued the banter. “So what’s the plan?”
“Follow me,” she instructed as they headed towards the transports. She stopped and turned to face the Arachnos soldiers who showed no signs of stopping. Lady Cardinal produced a triggering device and flipped the safety cover. She waited until they were within the parameter, and pressed down on the button. A ring of fire surrounded the evacuation site as a chain explosion engulfed the enemy.
“You are my kind of woman,” Mirage replied as he pulled her close. He cupped her cheek with his hand and pressed his lips to hers. The towering inferno painted the perfect backdrop. She locked her wrists and had planned on pushing him away, but something about it felt so right. She wrapped her arms around him and embraced the kiss.
“We have six Arachnos flyers inbound! We need to leave now!” Lola shouted.
Mirage and Lady Cardinal pulled away from each other slowly. Eden stood in disbelief at what she had just seen. Lady Cardinal ignored the damage done to Eden. She knew Eden felt betrayed, but she would have to deal with it later.
The Longbow helicopter took flight as Mirage and Lady Cardinal headed for the Mobias. Lola hailed TK, “Get in the air now! We show multiple inbound bogeys. You are sitting ducks down there.”
“The others are boarding now. We will be in the air as soon as,” he stopped mid sentence. Lola could hear a loud warning signal over the radio. “They have a lock on us. Oh shit, we are going to….”
Radio silence followed a loud explosion from below. Lola looked out her window to see the Mobias was destroyed. “Turn around now!” Lola instructed. “We have to see if any survived!”
“We can’t do that,” La Belle Dame replied. “If we do, we will share their fate.”
“She is right,” the pilot added. “I’m afraid this baby cannot survive against six flyers.”
Lola watched the burning remains of the Mobias as they headed towards the horizon. She wished she could have done more. Lola placed her hand on the glass screen saying goodbye and whispered, “May God have mercy on your souls.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“And that’s what happened,” La Belle Dame finished her story. She took one last drag off her cigarette and snuffed it out in the ashtray. She smiled at Detective Charlie Nolan trying to hide her pain. “I wish I could tell you what went wrong and if anyone survived, but I can’t. I was the only survivor.”
Lieutenant Detective Reid Brogan paced the floor. He had read the files. Her story matched up to the reports. However something bothered him. “What about the clone?”
“The clone?” she asked.
“You mentioned that you told Simon Caine that the Infinites had made a clone of you,” Reid repeated from her story. “Where is it now?”
Belle paused, “I honestly do not know. I assume it’s still where I saw it back on the Isles.” She looked at the clock on the wall and alerted, “I do not mean to be rude, but I have an appointment with a friend in fifteen minutes. Do you have any other questions for me?”
Charlie was satisfied with the information she supplied. Reid being Reid was still hesitant, but he could not deny the facts. Charlie reached into his wallet and pulled out his card. He handed it to Belle and instructed, “If you can think of anything else, please do not hesitate to call.”
“Detectives,” Belle nodded as she made her way to the door.
Brogan blocked her by placing his hand on the doorframe. She sneered, “I’ll be watching you.”
“Kinky,” she teased as she forced past his arm.
“Let it go,” Charlie insisted. “She was telling the truth. Everything matched up. There are no holes in the story. So, some metahuman killed your father. I’m sorry it happened, but you can’t go through life blaming every single one of them.”
Reid kicked over his chair in anger. Charlie had crossed the line sending Reid into a blind rage. He stormed out the door, but was stopped by Detective Sean McMahon. “Brogan, have you heard? The Captain had a spell while you two were interrogating that witness. They sent him over to Crowne Memorial. It’s bad, Reid. They say the Cap isn’t going to make it.”
Reid’s heart sank into his stomach. He wanted to see Hagan to make his final peace before he passed away. He gathered his hat and badge when Officer Ridley stopped him. “Hey, Brogan! You have a phone call.”
“Tell them I’ll call them back,” Reid snapped.
“No can do,” Ridley replied. “It’s Commissioner Rafferty. He says it’s urgent.”
Epilogue
Nathan Rivers sat on the grassy hillside waiting. He wondered how long he had been in a coma and how much time would pass until he would wake. His thoughts returned to his wife’s death and to the ones behind it. His anger swelled to the very thought of the Eternals.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Corin asked as she ran her fingers through his hair.
“I am ready to do all that is necessary, Corin,” Nathan told her. “I want to make them pay for what they did to you. All of them.”
“Then listen carefully,” she began…..
... Nathan Rivers lay in his hospital bed. The heart monitor kept a steady pulse. The only other noise in the room was a steady woman’s voice that continued, “Nathan, honey, when I countdown from three, you will snap out of your coma. But before I do, you must understand this. There was one and only one Eternal who stood by your side. She too has felt betrayed by her friends. When the time is right, she will come to you and bring you your armor. She has kept it safe for you,” she instructed. She ran her fingers through his sandy blonde hair and continued, “I will count down now and you will wake. Make them suffer for my death. 3….”
She tossed the two small flower arrangements that decorated his bedside table. The cards read ‘Get Well Soon – The Eternals’.
“…2…” She kissed his forehead.
“…1…” She fixed her blue hair in the mirror and pressed the ‘call nurse’ button.
“Time to wake up, my Rusted,” she told him as the heart monitor beeped rapidly.
The woman exited the room unnoticed as a team of nurses raced into Nathan’s room. She walked the hospital corridors with arrogance. An eight year old boy ran up to her ecstatic at his findings. He stared at her for a few minutes before he found the courage to ask, “You’re a hero, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am,” she replied.
He asked. “Can I have your autograph?”
The boy handed her a pen and his notepad. She signed it and gracefully handed them back to the child. “Now you hang on to that signature,” she smiled at the boy. “I am going to change the world soon.” She rustled his hair and continued down the hallway.
The boy looked down at his notepad and read her name outloud, “La Belle Dame.”
Things have been set into motion that cannot be undone. A new era was about to begin.
