In the Shadow of the Past
an excerpt

"I can't believe all the comics we used to read are real." Wyatt said as he walked around the dusty lab.
"Lucky for us the drawings were accurate enough for my ability to work. I just hope that most of this stuff is functional." I looked across at the medical bay were Jamie was watching my dad. He wasn't getting any better, he had gotten more pale since we arrived here.
"Let's just find the generator's for this place and hope they still work." I said.
"It is so cool that the Shadow was your grandfather. He was my favorite hero from the comics."
"Well if what my dad said is true, those comics were actual accounts. Hell, just look around, this place looks just like the one in those old comics."
"Think about it Jay, all the heroes of our youth are real. Omega Man, the Sprite and Mr. Incredible they are all real and out there somewhere."
"Yeah assuming they live longer than normal. Most of them have probably passed away. Let's find those generators, ok." I opened a panel near the back of the room, behind which were dozens of switches. "Hey Wy, check this out." The two of us looked over the switches. They had been labeled at some point but the paper had gone brown with age.
"This one looks like the main switch." Wyatt said.
"Ok stand over there just in case." Wyatt moved back and I flipped the switch. There was a slight whirring noise and the emergency lighting clicked off as the main lights came up. "That looks like it was the right one.
"I'm going to go help Jamie. You peek around and see what you can find. I might be able to figure out some of those machines in there. One has to be the Shadows autodoc." I looked at Wyatt. He really must have been a real fan.
"I didn't know that the Shadow had an autodoc?"
"Yeah in issue twenty seven, he fought the Graybass Gang. He got shot but was able to escape back, well, back here. His autodoc patched him back up."
"Go to it Wyatt. Thanks."
"Hey, what are geeky friends for right." He trotted off toward the medical bay.
This place was amazing. Every gadget that the Shadow had used in the comics was here. Most were in a state of complete disrepair, the rest seemed to be falling apart from age. I doubted that anything other than the generators still worked. It was still nice to see where my grandfather fought all the great villains like the Claw, Vandal Rogue and the Dark Rider.
The place had a sense of history as well as that nostalgic feel you would have in a museum. I made my way around looking for the center piece of the Lair. The vast computer that helped him analyze his evidence and where he kept files on those he fought. The Lair had seen better days. The farther I got from the back there was evidence of a great battle that had been fought. The Shadow Car lay on it's side against a wall, as if tossed aside by some super powered foe. The lighting in this area was damaged as well, leaving stretches of area in the dark.
I found the entrance to the Lair for the Shadow Car and followed it back to where it would park on the rotating section of road. The section had been damaged. As I examined it closely I could see hand marks in the twisted metal. It was obvious that a metahuman had caused this damage.
It was easy to navigate to wear the computer would have been. I remembered where it had been depicted in the comics. The computer was destroyed. It looked like it coincided with the time of the other wreckage. I could only guess it was when my father clashed with my grandfather. Why did I feel like I was living in a greek tragedy.
I headed back to the medical bay to tell the others what I had found. I walked in and Wyatt was leaning against the counter, Jamie in his arms, crying. I immediately rushed to my father's side.
"I sorry man." Wyatt's voice was strained. "We tried everything but it did no good."
I stared into my father's eyes, they were blank. I reached out to his mind, nothing. He was gone. The man who I loved and hated. My father was no more. Feelings of rage rose in me. After thirteen years I had found him only to lose him a few hours later.
"This is all their fault. They used him to lure me into a trap. He didn't have a chance. Neither will they."
"What are you going to do?" Wyatt said.
"What should have been done a long time ago."
"Jay, your scaring me." Jamie said.
I turned to look at her. "I'm sorry Jamie but the Agency took my grandfather from me and made a murderer of my father. They have fooled the world for far to long. It is time the world knew that super heroes are real." I shot a glance at Wyatt. "Where did my grandfather store his uniforms? It's time for the Shadow to make a reappearance to the world.
****
"How the hell did they fight in this stuff?" The suit was uncomfortable and tight in places I didn't want it to be. "The hat and cape are ridiculous too. I can't believe we thought this stuff was cool Wy." I winked at him.
"Well I guess it looked better on your grandfather. You know Jay, I've been thinking. If you really want to do this, shouldn't you be your own hero." He looked at his feet when he saw my face. I realized how angry I still was. I shouldn't take it out on my friends. He continued without looking at me. "I mean it is cool that you are honoring your grandfather and all, but shouldn't you make your own name. If you try to be the Shadow they will think you are just some nut trying to copy the comic books."
He made some sense. The problem was, what would I be. "Your right Wyatt. I should make my own hero persona. I just don't know what I should call myself. Where would I get a costume?" I shook my head and started to remove the Shadow's costume.
"Your ability to morph into people can you just change the way your clothes look?" Said Jamie. I smiled at her. She always surprised me with how quick and astute she was.
"Your right, thanks Jamie." I couldn't help myself, I just beamed at her. She just made me feel so right. "I still need a name and to figure out what my costume should be."
Wyatt looked at the two of us like a lightbulb had gone off inside his head. "You can call yourself Alpha Man. You'd be the opposite of Omega Man. It does match your abilities somewhat, and it doesn't completely give them away."
"I like it." Said Jamie.
"I don't know guys. Maybe just Alpha or something like that." I didn't really like it at all, but I always thought the heroes names were dumb even when I was a kid.
"Hmmmm." Wyatt started to pace. "You want a simple name that means something but doesn't give away exactly what you can do. You need something that can also strike fear into your enemies as soon as they hear it. That would force the evil of the world to crawl back into the darkness that it spawned from." He was getting excited, waving his arms about as he talked and paced the small room. "I have it! You can call yourself Psychoman!"
Jamie slapped her forehead, I was stunned and couldn't say a thing. "I'm not calling my self Psychoman. Wyatt what are you thinking?"
"I thought it sounded really cool." He looked like a puppy that had gotten punished.
"I don't know what to call myself. How do these guys come up with all this stuff and make it sound so cool?" This whole thing was starting to actually irritate me. I didn't want a name, I just wanted to go out and show the world that the Agency has had them duped for years.
"Why don't you just call yourself Force. It's simple, powerful and gets your direct nature across." Said Jamie.
"I like it." Said Wyatt, "It really does suit you, you know. You are always straight forward in everything you do. Your powers definitely make you a force to be reckoned with." He smile broadly at me. "What do you think?"
I really didn't want any name, but if I was going to take one this would be it. I looked at Jamie and gave her a big smile. "I love it, and not just because my lovely girlfriend came up with it."
"I'm your girlfriend now?" she asked.
"Umm, yeah, I just... I just assumed that..... "
"Calm down big boy." She crossed over to me and gave me a big hug. "I like the sound of that." I caressed her cheek and stared into her beautiful eyes.
Wyatt coughed, "You guys want to decide on a costume now?" I looked over at him. He was blushing a bit.
"Ok, what do you guys think of this?" So it began.
*****
It was remarkably easy to find all sorts of crime in the streets of Empire City. My mental powers allowed me to hone in on those who were looking to commit a crime. Stopping normal criminals was child's play. I even learned about another gift from The Omega Man. Normal small arms fire didn't injure me at all. In fact the one shot I wasn't quick enough to get out of the way, literally just bounced off my shoulder. It smarted a bit, but wasn't any worse that a good punch. I had stopped four robberies, eight muggings, and helped to stop one high speed chase and the night was only half over.
Nothing had been high profile enough to get the Agencies attention. I needed to find something that would get on the front page of every newspaper and be the top story on all the television networks. Hopefully I would get an opportunity. Some of my grandfathers equipment had also been fairly helpful. He had a small radio that was tuned to scan the local police bandwidths. It had lead me to at least a half a dozen crimes.
I kept to a similar circuit. I would patrol near the police stations through out the city and listen for any broadcasts over the police radios, or any metal images that needed to be investigated. I was at the fifth district when I heard over the police band. "487 in progress at Union Street Bank. Repeat all available units a 487 in progress at Union Street Bank. Proceed with caution, subjects believed armed."
This was it. This was what I had been waiting for all evening. I knew Union Street well enough to get close. I pictured it in my mind and in a flash I was gone.
I appeared on the sidewalk about 3 blocks down from the back. Two squad cars were parked across the street their lights filling the darkness with a strange red and blue dance of lights. There was a large Van parked in front of the bank. The doors were open and the police were taking positions outside of their vehicles, weapons ready. I pictured the rooftop across the street and in a flash I was there.
I could see the police, now setting up barricades further down the street to prevent citizen access. They were milling about down below and the small radio I had was alive with their chatter. I turned it off and reached out with my mind. I could sense them easily as if they were standing right in front of me. There were five of them in all, The leader was a bit crazed, and unhinged by the arrival of the police. They had two night guards that they had taken captive. Their leader was already thinking of using them as shields to escape.
I needed to act quickly before things got out of hand. I locked into all five of their minds. I used one of them to see a place where I could slip in. I concentrated on that spot and with a bright flash I appeared in the middle of the bank. It gave me the moment of surprise I needed. I reached out to all of them and mentally commanded them to drop their weapons.
It worked for four of them. The Leader had totally lost his mind and was out of control. He acted on instinct and fear before I could shut him down. he whirled a fired off three round in my direction. Luckily he was a bad shot. The one that hit me stung my side. The other two hit the all behind me. I quickly sent the mental command to his partners to sleep and lunged across the room at the leader.
He shot twice more as I raced toward him. One shot hit me in the chest and stung worse than the last one. I wouldn't be able to reach him before he shot any more. I just wished I could disarm him. I wanted to throw his gun across the room as I ran at him. To my shock the gun was tore from his hands and flew to the wall behind me, hitting with a metallic crack.
The gunman's eyes opened wider than my own. I got close enough and back handed him across the face. He sprawled across the floor. He was out cold, a brief look into his troubled mind told me that.
I walked over to the two night guards. They were just staring at me. "It's ok. I'm a friend." I made my voice sound as heroic as I could. Listening to myself, I had to contain my laughter. I bent down and untied the two.
"Who are you?" One the guards asked as I was untying his partner. The other guard mimicked his question on his face.
I stood up and said, "I am Force. I'm a new hero. I'm here to make sure the citizens of Empire City are safe." Man I sounded corny as hell. The guards and I gathered up the five would be robbers. We secured them with rope they had tied the guards with.
"We want to talk? What was all the shooting?" came the blaring of a bullhorn from outside. I was obvious that the S.W.A.T. team hadn't shown up yet. I looked at the two guards.
"You guys watch these four. I'll go talk to the police." I hoisted up the leader and put him over my shoulder. I made my way to the front entrance. "I'm coming out please don't shot, I don't want any innocents harmed." I stepped out into the spotlight that lit up the entire entrance.
I heard gasps, and shouts from various camera crews to make sure they got the shot. I stepped out onto the top step of the entrance. "I am Force, I subdued the criminals and freed the two guards. I am here in Empire City to help." I slowly walked down the steps. Several of the police kept their guns trained on me. I placed the leader on the hood of the police car and stood back. "His name is Roger Wilkins, If you pull up his record I believe you'll find several warrants for his arrest."
The policeman with the bullhorn looked with astonishment at me, but he wasn't afraid. "We'll have to take you in for questioning." he said. His tone was authoritative but there was a hint amazement in his voice.
I shook my head. "I'm sorry sir, I can't have my secret identity revealed." I raised my voice so the camera crews could hear me. "I am here to protect the innocent of this city. I will use my powers to make Empire City safe for everyone. Criminals be warned. There is a new Force in town, and I mean to clean up injustice." The policeman with the bullhorn's jaw dropped.
"You're a nut job. Put your hands on your head we are taking you in as well." I reached into his mind and just pulled his name and rank. I didn't need anymore.
"I'm sorry Sergeant Johnson. I have other crimes to stop." I saluted him and the gathered crowd of cameras and flashed away.
I watched from the rooftop across the street as the police gathered the other burglars from the bank and interviewed the two guards as to what had happened. Several of the camera crews interviewed the guards as well as Sergeant Johnson and other members of the police contingent that was there. After several minutes content that my name was now going to get out, I continued my patrol of the city.
I had told Jamie and Wyatt I wouldn't be back until near morning. Maybe I can find some other high profile crimes that I can stop. I wanted them to know I was out here. It would draw them out into the open. Then I would expose them to the world.
*****
The rest of the evening was far more mundane. I stopped a few more muggings and stopped a liquor store hold up. It didn't draw the media but it did implant my image into the memory of several more people. Hopefully they would spread the word and when the news comes out in the morning Force should be a household name. I finished up and teleported back to the Lair.
I knew something was wrong the moment I appeared. The emergency lighting was back on. Everything was far to quiet. I immediately made myself invisible. I moved toward the living area, and being cautious to not make any sound I glanced into a few of the rooms as I passed them. No sign of struggle, no sign of anything. I reached out with my mind. I needed to find Wyatt and Jamie.
Wyatt's mind was easy to find though his thought pattern suggested he was asleep. I could not sense Jamie's mind at all. She was not in the complex. I searched the area near Wyatt. I could not sense the minds there, but I could feel the mental barriers erected to protect them. They stood out as dead areas, black holes in the center of the room. Four of them in total, all clustered near Wyatt.
Whoever was protecting them was doing a good job of sheltering their minds. It was a piss poor attempt to conceal them. Anyone who had sensed an area telepathically would be able to see the null zones. To me they stood out like sore thumbs. I probed a bit more to make sure there were only four of them. There were more, they were well concealed. I almost could not sense them. They were like shadows amongst the obvious ones. I had no way of knowing how many there were for sure.
I would have to find the one protecting them and remove him first. If I could not sense the others while fighting them I would be at a serious disadvantage. I made my way to the living quarters. Stopping a few feet from the open door, I tried to listen to the conversation coming from within.
"I tell ya boys, those damn higher ups are leaving us here to pay the price for what they did."
"Shut your mouth Shamus. I don't recall you complaining to Omega Man's face."
"Damn straight. I like my arms were they are."
"Will the two of you shut up. Specter do you feel anything?"
"No sir." the voice was hollow almost without life. "If he were nearby I would know it sir."
"I don't see why we have to wait around. I didn't exactly like the way the last time went."
"Ha! What's the matter Incinerator? Didn't like having Crusher break all your ribs?"
"I should cook you where you stand you piece of shit."
"Oh I think I struck a nerve. What's the matter hothead, can't take the criticism."
"Will you all just shut up and focus on the task at hand. I hope you all know what to do when he does show up. Specter will keep us protected from his mental powers. Spark and Incinerator will try to keep him busy while Shamus tries to get the nullifier on him. Are we all clear on that?"
"Yes sir" came the hollow voice. The others just mumbled agreement under their breaths.
"Spark, make yourself useful and watch the door." That was the leader again. I stood as still as I could as a young kid, looked like he was in high school, came to the door and looked right trough me and down the hall the other way. His eyes, were clear blue and his blonde hair stood in a horrible mess on the top of his head.
"Coast is clear Chief!" He said. It was the sarcastic voice that fought with Shamus and Incinerator. He stood in the doorway, moving his hands closer together and generating sparks of electricity that jumped back and forth from finger to finger. It was clear these guys meant business. I knew they would use Wyatt to gain an advantage over me. I just needed to figure out how to nullify Specter and get Wy out of the room. Then I would have plenty of time to deal with these idiots.
I moved across the hall my eyes never leaving Sparky in the door. I set myself up across the hall where I could see most of the room. Incinerator stood at the back of the room, head blazing with fire, hands folded across his chest. Wyatt was on a bed on the right wall. A large man with a crew cut and a black commando type uniform stood near by. Specter had to be the one in the center of the room. He was shrouded in black robes which hid his face. Shamus was the last one I saw. He walked across the opening. His flame red hair and beard and the large weapon he carried gave him away.
The weapon that Shamus carried had to be this nullifier. I didn't really what to know what it did. I needed a plan and quick. With every moment that passed Jamie was getting farther and farther away. I needed to take out the Specter and eliminate that weapon from the equation as quickly as possible. I remembered what I had done earlier when I had ripped the gun out of the burglar's hand.
I focused my mind. I wanted to reach out and push Specter into the wall with all the force I could muster. I concentrated on creating a force that would send him crashing into the wall next Incinerator. I took a deep deliberate breathe and released in with all the energy my mind could muster.
The results were amazing. Specter was struck as if by a gail force wind and slammed to the wall as if he had fallen from some height. I heard his body thwack into the wall with a sicking sound. I was as shocked as they were. I needed to act, and act quickly. I pushed the image of Specter from my mind. I concentrated on the minds in the room.
Shamus and Spark were the easiest to read and find. I made Spark see me standing where his commander stood. "I've got the bastard!" He yelled and blasted his own commander with a spectacular display of lightning which continued to arch from the his body as it fell to the floor.
"Stop it you stupid son of a bitch!" yelled Incinerator as he leapt forward and flamed up his limbs. I took hold of Shamus' mind. Why they had trusted the nullifier to a simpleton like him I didn't know. I convinced him that the nullifier was scorching hot and he dropped it in the middle of the room.
I reached out with my new found power and lifted it off the ground and sped it out and into the wall next to me with more force than I used on Specter. It crashed into the wall with a metallic crunching sound and dropped to the ground useless. It was total chaos in the small room. The three standing looked from each other to the door and back.
I seized their moment of indecision and teleported into the room. With a bright flash I materialized next to Wyatt. I scooped him up in my arms, shielding him from the two energy wielders in the room. I felt the fire sear my flesh as Incinerator was the only one fast enough to act as I teleported out.
I materialized in the medical bay. I put Wyatt on the bed there. The bed where my father had died yesterday. This thought brought my anger to the forefront. He would be safe here. I focused in on their minds. Spark was now in the hallway, Incinerator and Shamus were still in the room. they were checking out their wounded.
In a flash I appeared in the hallway in front of Spark. He raised his hands in an attempt to blast me with his power. He was met with a blast of energy from my eyes. It caught him full in the chest and knocked him off his feet. He slide past the door way down the hall.
Incinerator flew out into the hall and hovered few feet off the floor. He fired a blast of flame and I felt my skin burn and smelled my flesh sear. The pain was almost intolerable. I fell to one knee. He continued to pour on the flame. I fought to focus my mind. I lashed out with my new found power in a wide arch. Almost like expanding a bubble around me. The walls and ceiling crushed away away from me as the wave I had sent forth slammed into Incinerator.
He sailed down the hall and landed in a heap. Shamus stepped out into the hall. "You son of a bitch!" he screamed and ran at me. My body was already healing the burn wounds. Shamus swung at me and I allowed him to. He hit me with everything he had. I hardly felt it.
"My turn." I said through clenched teeth. I hit him as hard as I could in the chest. I heard his bones break as he flew down the hall to land near his friends. Incinerator and Spark were getting to their feet as Shamus slide to them, unconscious with ragged breathing. I rushed up the hall at them.
Spark had only got to one knee when I hit him with a mental punch across his back, knocking him flat on the ground again. Incinerator fired his flame at me this time at full power. I screamed in pain. My flesh was cooked on my bones. I held my arms up to protect my face as the flame became hotter and hotter. I couldn't let it end like this. I needed to find Jamie. I needed to save her.
Summoning all my willpower I focused my telepathy into a tight beam of blinding pain and sent it to the nerve center of Incinerator's mind. He cried out much louder and longer than I had. I looked at my arms. the flesh had been seared from my bones. I could see the bone through the blackened crust of my forearms. I staggered to my feet. The three of them lay at the far end of the hall.
Incinerator's screams continued for several more moments before he succumbed to unconsciousness. Shamus still breathed but in a slow and rough pattern. He would occasionally cough and blood stained the floor by his mouth. Spark was still out cold on the floor.
Stumbling more than walking, I made my way to the three of them. I stopped to look at my reflection in the wall. The flesh was burned clean off the right upper half of my skull. The rest of my hair was matted and burnt to my head. I looked almost like a burned corpse save for the life that shown in my eyes. I looked down at the three of them.
Their powers would make a nice addition to my arsenal. I knew the next battle would be far worse than this one. I reached down and touched each in turn. My muscle and flesh slowly replacing itself on my arms as I moved amongst them. I examined them all, they would be no threat anytime soon, but they wouldn't die from their injuries either.
I turned an staggered back to the medical bay. I took my time getting back. It allowed my body time enough to recover most of the damage I had suffered. Hopefully I would not scare Wyatt to death when I woke him. I touched his forehead and gently probed his mind. He had been trapped with in his own fears. I released him and pushed his memories of his ordeal back into his deep subconscious.
I sat down in a chair and waited for him to full awaken on his own.
*****
I woke with a start. I was unaware that I had fallen asleep. I wasn't sure at first where I was. It all started to come back to me. The fight to free Wyatt. My injuries. Wyatt was still were I had laid him, still asleep.
I then became aware of something. It wasn't my telepathy. It was something else, something that obvious to me now, was what woke me from my slumber. It was a build up of energy, and I could feel it. It was tangible, something I could control. I concentrated on it. It was electrical in nature. It had to be Spark.
I pretended to sleep in my chair. I could feel his energy building. It was progressing up the corridor but in an erratic manner. I reached out with my mind. He was filled with hate and embarrassment. He was no longer following orders, this attempt was out of revenge. I almost felt sorry for him.
He limped into the doorway. He stood there for a moment. A cruel smile crossed his face, he thought he had won. He raised his hands. I concentrated on his energy build up. I needed to control it the moment he loosed his power.
The crackle of static filled the room. I felt the energy surge forward. I sat up in the chair and raised my hands to catch his blast.
"No!" Screamed Wyatt as he leapt from the table and took the full brunt of Spark's attack. The world slowed. Time itself stopped. I watched my closest friend, a person with no power save his huge heart, put himself in the path of an attack meant to kill me. He sacrificed himself for me. He didn't need to.
"Wyatt!" the sound of my voice filled the room. My throat ached with my own scream, the scream of my friends name. I watched as he fell to the ground between me and my assailant. Wisps of smoke rose from his body as he lay there, far to still.
My anger became a blinding white light behind my eyes. "You killed him! You killed my beast friend. You fucking son of bitch!" I was frothing at the mouth as I leapt at Spark. I slammed into his body with a force far beyond my six foot frame. We both slammed to the ground. I got to my knees above him as he sent jolts of electricity through my body. It burned but nothing like my anger burned.
As I spasmed with the voltage, I raised both of my hands above my head. Forcing my hands into fists and fighting the nerve jarring pain, I looked into the eyes of Wyatt's killer. "You..... will.... DIE!" was all I could mutter through the convulsions of my body. I brought both my fists down on his head with all the force I could muster. His skull and the concrete below it shattered from the impact.
Now free of the jolting electrical attack and in control of my body again. I pummeled him with all I had. I smashed his body and the concrete and anything I could hit. I was blind with anger, with pain, with loss. I muttered incoherently as I beat my fists raw on the broken concrete and Spark's broken body. I collapsed exhausted and spent.
I crawled next to Wyatt's fallen form. His eyes were lifeless. He was not breathing. "Why? Why did you do it?" I reached out to his mind. There was nothing there. I pulled my knees up to my chest. The sobs came mixed with screamed and curse laden tirades. My outbursts collapsed into sobs and tears. I don't know how long I sat there, mourning the death of my only true friend.
*****
I entered the small room where they planned to ambush me. Specter laid at the base of the far wall. I pulled back the hood and found the face of an aging man. He had tufts of grey hair sticking out above each of his ears. He wasn't breathing. Now I had killed two men. The thought made my insides turn. I had taken an other beings life twice this evening. I turned to the commander. He laid still on the floor. I touched his mind. He was not dead. Nor was he unconscious.
I walked casually over to him, like I had to Specter. He leapt to his feet quicker than I thought he could, and kicked me in the jaw with everything he had. The move had caught me off guard a bit, he suppressed his thoughts so as not to tip his hand. His blow was a solid one that moved me back a few steps. Unfortunate for him, I hardly felt it.
He pressed the attack, see his advantage. He was quick and his training was excellent. He landed blow after blow. If I had not absorbed the Omega Man's powers he would have me down and out. Each blow he landed just moved me from the force of it. They felt like he was hitting me with pillows. He stepped forward and grabbed my shoulders and pulled down while he jumped up, bringing his knee right into the middle of my face.
I allowed the blow to knock me over and I feel onto my back. He kept a fighting stance as he hovered over me. "I can't believe you gave us such trouble before. I guess your not as tough when you don't have the element of surprise."
I looked him straight in the eye. "Are you done with your fancy display?" I concentrated on surrounding him with my will and I squeezed tightly. He was shocked as I lifted his body off the floor and forced his limbs tight together. "You had best not make me angry. I've already killed two of your crew. I want answers, and I want them now. We can do this the easy way, or I can strip every memory from your mind until I find what I want. Your call tough guy."
He spat at me. "I won't tell you anything. I've been trained. Your mind tricks won't work." He glared at me. He thought I wasn't capable of torture. If It had been earlier in the day I would have agreed with him.
I held him tightly with my mind and I reached up with my hand. I sent sparks arcing from finger to finger in front of his face. "Shall I start with electrocution?" I made my hand turn into a blaze of flame. "Perhaps it is fire you fear. Believe me having your flesh burned from you bones hurts like hell. I know your boy Incinerator did that to me earlier before I crushed most of his bones." I concentrated hard on his mind I was able to break through a few barriers he had in place. It was enough for me to get his name at least.
"So William, what is it going to be? I don't have all day." I was really starting to hate all these assholes.
"How did you?"
"What your name, that was easy. I guess the barriers in your mind aren't all that after all. What do you say William Morris?" It bothered him that I knew his name. Good I wanted them to feel a little of my pain. These bastards knew more about me than I did.
He didn't answer. I ignited my hand and drew him closer to me. "Lets start by searing all the flesh off your right leg." I spun him in the air with my mind and hung him upside down in front of me. His eyes looked cold and stern. I thought of Wyatt's body laying under a sheet in the medical bay. It made it easier.
I grabbed his leg and he stifled his moans of pain. I began to increase the flames intensity. My nostrils filled with burnt cotton and flesh. He was straining not to scream. I could feel my fingers burning deeper and deeper into his calf muscle. Finally the pain was to much he screamed as loud as his lungs would allow him. then he passed out from shock.
I tossed his unconscious body across the room. My anger was rising and I needed to find Jamie. If anything happened to her. No I refused to think of it. I had promised her that nothing would happen.
In the hallway I found Incinerator and Shamus. Incinerator was moaning but he could not move. His mind was screaming in agony. I turned to Shamus who had pulled himself into a sitting position against the wall.
"Well boys, how about you answer my questions and I let you live. Please try something stupid like your friend Spark. You can find what is left of him outside the medical bay." I glared at Shamus. "Well tell me where they are and what they want the girl for?"
His hand when to his chest and he winced in pain. "Look, I don't want no trouble from you. I was just following orders."
"Well you have trouble from me. One of your companions killed my best friend. He paid for that with his life. If you don't want the same treatment then start talking." I clenched my fists and punched the wall above his head shattering the concrete brick like I had his ribs earlier.
"Look I don't know what they want ya girl for. I don't get let in on that stuff. I figure they would take her back to our base in Empire City."
"Have you been there? Picture it in your mind now." I glared at him and raised my fist. I ripped the memory from his head. I had no more time to waste. "Thank you Shamus, I'd advise you and your friends to not be here when I get back."
I concentrated on the image of his sleeping quarters in the base. and in a flash I was gone.
*****
I arrived in Shamus' quarters. They were foul and had a disgusting oder that I couldn't get out of my nose. I made myself look like Spark and opened his door and stepped out into the corridor. I looked around and once I was sure I was alone I went invisible. It would be easier to remain undetected.
I couldn't use my telepathy to fine her. They were on full alert. The presence of so many telepaths all searching and scanning for anything out of the ordinary was like a heavy fog in the mental landscape. I just allowed my own mental abilities to passively reach out to my immediate area. I would have to do this the hard way. I would find her even if I had to search room to room.
I searched the entire level. The place had to be on some sort of lock down. I saw no one at all. I was beginning to think that this was all a trap. I headed to the nearest stair well and went down one level. I opened the door at the next level and peered down the hall. I was just about to go down another level when I saw a flash of movement. I hurried down the hall a looked where the movement had headed.
There he was. The Omega Man walking away down the hall. He was alone and wore a plain grey sweatsuit. He looked like he was going to work out. I followed him at safe distance. I didn't want him to see or hear me before I was ready for him. He opened a door and went in. I rushed to the door and caught it before it closed.
I slipped inside and allowed it to close behind me. It locked with a click when it closed. The room beyond was some sort of work out area. It had pneumatic weightlifting machines, a large steel barrel suspended from a chain which also connected to the floor and several other pieces of general gym like equipment. All of it suited to a man who could lift a bus over his head.
The Omega Man continued as if nothing was the matter. He stripped off his sweat shirt and tossed it aside. Beneath he wore a tank top and sported several bruises on his back and arms. It would seem he is not as invulnerable as the comics made him seem. He climbed into the weight lifting machine and turned several dials. He began his work out.
I knew this would not go well, but I needed answers. I became visible right in front of him. "Hello Jonas, remember me?"
He dropped the weights with a crash and rolled out of the machine, but he positioned it between himself and me. He assumed a fighting stance. His technique was archaic, I could see at least three flaws in his defense as he readied himself. Where the ell was this coming from? It had to be William Morris' ability. That would explain why he was so good. He wasn't trained that was his power.
I moved so that the weights were not between us. "Well Jonas, I want to know why you took Jamie Langley. There are two ways this can happen, the easy way, or the way that gets you a lot more bruises." I kept my stern look. The whole time I was analyzing what would be the best way to attack him when the time came.
"I do not know what the hell you are talking about boy. I admit that we were not happy about the stunt you puled last night, but I do not know what has happened to your girl friend." He was wary of fighting me. Maybe he was still wounded, but lying to me wasn't the way to prevent that from happening.
"Well I just creamed five of the Agencies goons who waiting for me at my hideout. They killed my friend Wyatt. They said they were working on orders from the leadership of this Agency. You are one of those leaders, are you not?"
"I am, but I am not the only one. It could have very well been one of the others. We don't need to fight boy. I could help you find the girl."
"If you're willing then lets go find the other leaders of this Agency." I smiled. If I could get them all in one room, perhaps I could end it right there.
"That would not be easy but we may be able to find her, if she is here."
"Just know that if you betray me Jonas, I will destroy this whole place, and everyone in it."
"You may be powerful lad, but you are not that powerful."
"You'd be surprised Jonas. Let's go. You go first." I lit my hand with white hot flame. "You give me any trouble and I'll this place and sear all the flesh off your bones. Trust me I know it will."
His eyes narrowed. "How did you do that?"
"I'm the one asking the questions here. Lets get moving before I get another idea in my head." I extinguished the flame. "Move it!" As he walked past me, I shoved him hard toward the door. He opened the door and led the way down the hall. "So why is it so quiet Jonas?"
"It is five in the morning Jason. The base is mostly guarded by the telepaths at night." That explained the heavy telepathic presence when I arrived. We walked down several corridors in silence. I preferred it that way. He opened a door and went inside. I followed close behind.
It was a computer room filled with terminals. A guy in his late thirties, a bit overweight and very unkempt was tapping away on the keyboards of two computers at the same time. Jonas stepped forward. "Neil, I need you to pull up any personnel deployments and all the current records we have on a Jamie Langley."
Neil slid his chair over to another bank of computers and was blindly tapping away. "Already halfway there Jonas. What is all this for, anyway. Dorian was in here yesterday asking for the same stuff."
"What else did Dorian ask for?" I blurted out and stepped to the side of Jonas. Neil stopped typing and looked up at me.
"Well, if it isn't the self proclaimed Force. That was some stunt you pulled last night. I want to shake the hand of the man that made all the higher ups here shit themselves." He looked worried for a second then just shrugged. He extended his hand and I gladly excepted it.
"What else did he want?"
"Oh just some old printouts of the Shadow's Lair and it exact location. Didn't really know what good that would be, but Dorian is always a weird one." He turned back to his keyboards and brought up the information on screen. "Looks like Dorian requested seven operatives and brought Ms. Langley back to the base. She is being held down in sub-basement five. That's weird."
"What?" I asked. he looked up, his face curled into an odd expression.
"Jonas, Dorian has also moved Kelly Holmes to that level." He looked totally at a loss for words.
Jonas rubbed his chin, "What the hell is he up to."
"I don't understand, who is this Kelly Holmes?" I was lost.
Jonas turned at looked at me. "Holmes is a metahuman with a unique ability. Any metahuman that comes within a hundred feet of Mr. Holmes loses their abilities. All of them."
"Is it permanent?" I couldn't believe that had such a power and they didn't use it.
"No, the abilities return the minute you are out of his range. We had been working on a nullifier weapon that was bases on Holmes' ability. Though it would only incapacitate the victims powers for an hour."
"Yeah I have seen it. It isn't working anymore. What do we do now?" I looked at Jonas, he stared back at me, his expression grim.
"We go down there and find out what he is up to."
"I just want to save Jamie." I said.
"Well I am sure that whatever Dorian has planned, it involves you otherwise your friend would not be there." I turned away and looked at Jamie's picture on the screen. If Dorian went there after her and left those goons at the base, he was as much to blame as Spark was for Wyatt's death. If anything happened to Jamie He would pay double fold.
I looked at Jonas, "Let's do this. I owe Dorian, I owe him big time."