Journey's End

by Luke Derricks

  He kept shrinking. Against his will. Dawn picked him up, holding him in her giant hand. He got smaller and smaller. “Stop this, now!” he pleaded.

  Almost back to normal human size. He yelled at her. “Why can’t I control you?!?”

  She smiled.

  “Because you’re powerless, Mastermind,” she said to the little man trapped in her grasp. “It’s over. We beat you.”

  He tried to push himself free from her giant fingers. No use. He tried touching his chest. Nothing happened. He looked up at her. How could they have beaten him? How did they— Suddenly, he had a realization. “You… no, impossible. Impossible!” he screamed, trying to break free. “You couldn’t have destroyed the temples!”

  “Guess we did,” she said.

  “But… my master plan! I… I was to be your god!”

  She laughed, looking at the little powerless man in her hand. “Plan’s changed, Mastermind. The world won’t be yours anymore.” She looked down, seeing several police officers and armed soldiers at her feet. She squeezed him a little tighter, just so he knew she could crush him any time she wanted.

  “Wh-what are you going to do to me?”

  She pulled him close to her face. “I should give you a taste of your own medicine. Force you to become a hideous mutant like you did to so many others…”

  Fear filled his eyes.

  “But I won’t,” she said. She crouched down and lowered him to the ground. She released him – into police custody.

  They immediately tackled him, slamming his face to the broken pavement. They cuffed him, gagged him, and blind-folded him. They weren’t taking any chances. Countless other armed officers and soldiers surrounded him, weapons all trained on him, ready to fire the instant he flinched the wrong way.

  Mastermind was naked, powerless, and bound. They shoved him into the back of a police car – one of the few nearby vehicles not smashed or destroyed. They slammed the door on his face.

  Dawn shape-shifted back down to normal size. But she kept the wings on just for good measure.

  “Thank you, Angel Girl,” said one of the officers. “The world will not forget what you and your friend did today.”

  Angel Girl? “Actually, my name’s—”

  Ray approached. “People are changing back,” he said. “The ones he touched. They’re returning to normal.”

  He and Dawn made eye contact. Nothing was said between them, but they both knew he had lost his powers. But it was worth it. Mastermind was finally defeated.

  Luke teleported to join them. He saw the police car carry Mastermind off, surrounded by a small caravan of other cop cars and military escorts.

  “Everyone okay?” Luke asked.

  “We did it!” exclaimed Dawn.

  Ray nodded and smiled. “It’s over.”

  Luke looked around. Los Angeles was devastated. But the day was saved. Several of Mastermind’s latest mutants still ran amok, but slowly, one by one, they started changing back into human form. Every last soul, every last man, woman, and child who had been transformed by Mastermind’s touch – began to find their humanity once again.

  “Thank God,” said Luke.

  “What do you think will happen to him?” Dawn asked.

  “I dunno,” said Luke.

  People began coming out of hiding. Children. Their parents. Business executives. Unemployed actors. Everybody. People hiding behind cars. People hiding behind building rubble. People who had been transformed by Mastermind, but now had miraculously returned to normal.

  A crowd gathered around Luke, Ray, and Dawn. They all knew who took Mastermind down. The ones who saved them all from the horrible fate.

  News reporters began pushing their way to the front of the crowds. “Alex Alvarado, NBS News,” said one of them, shoving his microphone in Dawn’s face. “Tell me, are you the world’s new protectors? Are you, in fact, the world’s first super heroes?”

  “I, well…” said Dawn.

  “No comment,” said Ray.

  Another news reporter burst in. “How did you defeat Mastermind? How were you immune to his powers?”

  A different one asked, “Where did you get your powers?”

  “Please,” said Ray, “we’re just here to help. We couldn’t have done it without all the uniformed—”

  “Are you military? What government organization do you work under?”

  “What? No!” exclaimed Ray.

  “Can we expect to see your battle suit on marines on battlefields overseas?” asked another reporter.

  “Huh?” asked Luke.

  “Look,” said Ray, “we’re just regular people, like you, who… well… had super powers.”

  “So you are super heroes!” Alex Alvarado exclaimed. “What are your names?”

  He shoved the microphone in front of Luke first. “Um,” he said, looking around. He still hadn’t thought of one. He searched the crowd. There was a little boy, maybe five years old, wearing a t-shirt with Captain America’s shield on it. “Captain…” said Luke.

  Captain what? Captain Space Explorer Man? Lame! Captain Powers? No way. Captain… He could time travel. At least, he used to. Maybe, hopefully, he would be able to again. Someday, in the future. “Future,” he finished. That’ll have to work. “Captain Future,” he repeated.

  Actually, on second thought, it sounded kinda dumb. But the name already took. Reporters started calling him by that name. The little five-year-old boy jumped up and down with excitement.

  “And you?” asked Alex, moving the microphone in front of Ray’s face.

  “Um,” he said. He really had no idea. Comic books and super heroes were Luke’s thing. “Actually, we’re not looking for any public fame or recognition—”

  “Speak for yourself,” said Dawn. “I’m Dawn Stein, I’m an actress, and I have the power to shape-shift.” The reporters went crazy with questions. Dawn looked directly into one of the cameras. “So casting directors, I can play any part.”

  Luke was loving this attention too.

  “This suit is one of a kind,” said Luke. Technically, not really. But on Earth, it was an original. “With it, I can teleport, raise shields, see in the dark, blast things with my laser…”

  Ray shook his head.

  Dawn smiled brightly. She impressed some of the little kids by shape-shifting into some fun, cute humanoid animal forms. First, she made herself look like a bunny girl, then a kitten girl, and a puppy person with long flappy ears.

  “Are you guys a team?” Alex asked Ray. “Do you have a team name? Will you always be there to protect Earth from super villains like Mastermind in the future?”

  Ray leaned over to Luke. “Get us out of here, buddy.”

  Luke laughed. “Right. No problem.”

  In a flash, they disappeared.

  The crowd went silent – and then started clapping and cheering. The day was saved. Mastermind had been defeated. People celebrated. They danced. They cheered. They grabbed the cute person standing next to them and kissed them passionately.

  “You heard it here first folks,” said Alex Alvarado back into his camera. “Mastermind has been defeated. Mutants everywhere are returning to normal. The day, my friends, has been saved. All thanks to our very own super heroes. Whoever you are, wherever you may be – thank you, dear heroes, for saving the world today.”

  But the day wasn’t quite over.

  Mastermind sat in the back of a police car, blind-folded, gagged, and handcuffed. They were undoubtedly taking him to some maximum security prison. Probably post around-the-clock armed guards. But it wouldn’t matter. Mastermind was destined to be their god. One day his mutants would return to free him. Or his powers would manifest again and he’d break himself free. Turn every guard and fellow prisoner in that jail cell into powerful mutants slaves again.

  He grinned. This was perfect. They were taking him to the very place where he’d find the most dangerous of all criminals. They’d become his ultimate mutants.

  Suddenly – bam!
– something hard crashed into the side of the police car. The vehicle spun over, crashing upside down, sliding several feet away.

  “Holy shit!” one of the officers exclaimed, staring at several black spider-like mutant legs crawled up on top of the car.

  The two officers escaped out from under the car, grabbed their guns, and found defensive positions behind large rubble and smashed cars from the earlier conflicts. Arachnus climbed on top of their upside-down police car. Slimer covered the windshields of other cars in their caravan, forcing some to drive off the road and crash. Rhino-Man charged into and flipped over the other vehicles.

  “Damn! We need backup!” the other officer yelled into his radio. He gave their location. “I count five mutants attacking us.”

  The first officer fired at them.

  Venom turned and hissed at them. “Thisss isn’t about you,” she said. “Leave usss alone.”

  “Um, dispatch – please hurry.”

  Kraken tore off the door of the car holding Mastermind.

  Venom slithered up to him, reached inside, and with a flick of her sharp nails, sliced loose his blind-fold and mouth gag.

  She stepped back.

  Mastermind was still upside down. But when he saw his mutant, he smiled. “Venom! You’ve come to sav—”

  Arachnus’s arms reached in from above, pulling Mastermind out and on top of the car.

  “Arach—” he said.

  Arachnus quickly spun a web around Mastermind, tangling him up, trapping and ensnaring him before the villain even fully grasped what was going on.

  The other officers watched. What were they doing?

  Arachnus snarled at Mastermind. “You stole my life. You turned me… you turned me into this!”

  Rhino-Man finished rolling over the last car. He snorted, stomping his foot. “You turned us all into killers,” he shouted from across the street. “I never killed nobody until you took control of me!” He growled loudly. The people in the overturned cars were alive. But wisely, staying out of his way.

  Venom jumped up on top of the car. Her scaly green skin and yellow piercing eyes came face to face with him. She hissed with her long forked tongue. “You think I want to be a ssssnake?” She exposed her fangs.

  “You think we should do something?” asked one officer to the other.

  The other just shook his head. “This is justice.”

  Slimer climbed up on top of the overturned car too. Venom stepped aside to let the gooey girl get close. She stood face to face with her creator. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t budge. Arachnus’s web made sure of that. Venom hissed, fangs exposed. “Any final words, ‘boss’?” the slime girl asked.

  He looked at her fiercely. “Let me go and I won’t punish you for your insol—”

  Kraken’s squid-like tentacles stretched up from behind him, wrapped around his head – and twisted, hard and fast.

  They all heard a crack.

  Venom could hold back no longer. She lunged forward and sank her fangs into his chest, filling his heart with her deadly black poison. Arachnus tossed the web-ensnared villain to the ground.

  Mastermind, still barely alive, wailed silently in agonizing pain. Rhino-Man snorted furiously and stomped his foot – into Mastermind’s chest. “I hate what you’ve made me – what you’ve made us all into!”

  Mastermind couldn’t breathe. He coughed up blood. His eyes filled with intense, sharp, unspeakable pain. The black venom spread throughout his body. Everything quickly grew dark.

  Slimer leaned down. Her face was the last thing he saw.

  “You are worthless scum. I hate you. We all hate you. You don’t deserve to live.”

  That was the last thing he saw or heard. The pain overtook him. His frail body could survive no more.

  “But I…” he struggled to say. “I’m better than…”

  And Mastermind’s last and final breath escaped him.

  The villain laid dead in the street.

  Arachnus jumped down off the police car. He still wasn’t satisfied. He ripped open the web around his prisoner, grabbed Mastermind’s limbs with his multiple spider-like arms – and in one swift move, tore Mastermind apart limb from limb.

  “Damn…” said one of the police officers.

  Venom looked back and hissed at them.

  The officers held the guns at the ready. “Don’t move any closer!” one of them ordered.

  Rhino-Man turned to the cops. He snorted. “Leave us be,” he said. “We have no issue with you… yet.”

  Considering all the toppled buildings, damaged roads, and major losses they suffered today, it was going to take backup a while to get to them. Maybe it was best to leave these mutants alone for now. They weren’t attacking civilians. They weren’t really targeting the officers either. They just wanted – and perhaps deserved – a little personal time with the man responsible for their fate.

  Should Mastermind have gone through “due process” and receive a fair trial? Of course. But sometimes, it was better to let nature take its course. The mutants looked down on their mutilated former master. He blinked no more. He breathed no more. He moved no more.

  Mastermind was no more.

  Rhino-Man snorted.

  “So now what?” gurgled Kraken.

  “Now,” said Venom, “we go our separate waysss.”

  Police sirens came from up ahead. The sound of an approaching helicopter. The mutants scattered.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Conclusion

  “Oh God,” said Ray, collapsing on his living room couch. “I’m exhausted!”

  “Me too!” exclaimed Dawn, landing next to him.

  “Me three,” said Luke, removing his space suit.

  Charlie helped him. “You guys did good today.”

  “Good?” remarked Ray. “We did freaking awesome!”

  Dawn smiled.

  “I’m really proud of you Luke,” he said, looking at his nephew. He looked at Ray and Dawn too. “All of you.”

  “I wonder if we’re still on the news,” said Dawn. “Where’s the remote?”

  Luke stepped out of the last of his suit. His uncle embraced him with a big hug. He whispered to him, “Your parents would be really proud.”

  Luke smiled. It was bittersweet.

  The news seemed to be repeating the facts they already knew. Mastermind’s mutants were returning to normal in New York and Los Angeles. Facilities around the planet had stopped producing or distributing the mutation vaccine. And Mastermind, the false god, had been overpowered by three courageous heroes – “Woohoo! That’s us!” shouted Dawn – and was now in police custody, where he awaited an international trial for his countless crimes against humanity.

  Of course, Mastermind was dead. But the public didn’t know that yet.

  Dawn flipped through the channels. She found one showing footage of their awesome heroics earlier. And their impromptu interview after defeating Mastermind. “Um. Captain… Future,” a recording of Luke said on the TV.

  “Nice name,” Dawn said.

  “Yeah, thanks,” said Luke.

  “You really dig this super hero thing, huh?” asked Ray.

  Luke nodded. “Too bad we didn’t get to keep our powers.”

  “What?” asked the old man.

  “Hey, speak for yourself! I still have my powers!” Dawn cheerfully declared.

  “Hey, you’re right,” said Uncle Charlie. “I can’t access my super vision anymore either.” He turned to Luke. “You destroyed both pyramids?”

  Luke nodded. “I’m sorry. It had to be done. It was the only way we could stop him. But don’t worry, I didn’t destroy the second one, on the desert planet.”

  “Oh?”

  “Just the thingy that draws power up from inside the planet. With any luck,” said Luke, “the aliens will return to their pyramid and fix it. And one morning, hopefully soon, we’ll have our powers back.”

  “He hopes,” Ray chuckled playfully. “Personally, having powers was fun, but I
wouldn’t mind a little peace and quiet and just relax at home for a while too. Portals, aliens, mutants, time travel... Not what I was expecting when I got up in the morning.”

  “I know, some date, huh?” said Dawn.

  He smiled. “Yeah, that’s true. Bet no guy’s ever done anything like that with you before.”

  Dawn shook her head. She smiled warmly. Gently held his hand. “I think, after all we’ve done and been through, we deserve a little R & R…” She gave him a seductive look. “And you played your cards right, mister.”

  “My cards?”

  Wait… the car ride back, after he rescued her from Mastermind and Doctor Troyd at that abandoned warehouse… she said if he played his cards right, he’d get to see her naked again.

  Suddenly Ray had a burst of energy. He sprung up from the couch, still holding Dawn’s hand. “We’re gonna… be in my room… if you need us,” he said to Luke and Charlie. “Please don’t need us.”

  The young couple disappeared into his room.

  Luke shook his head and smiled.

  It was going to take some time before the world got back to normal. Cities around the world – especially New York and Los Angeles – suffered a lot of damage.

  Although Mastermind’s “cure” – the BioGen X chemical – had ceased production, many people were still infected. Those he had touched to transform all returned back to normal. But those who changed because of the mutagenic chemical would never be the same again.

  Unless…

  “Here,” said Doctor Troyd, handing a compact disc to one of the president’s science advisors. “This is the real cure,” he said.

  The science advisor seemed skeptical.

  “I don’t blame you. Go ahead. Test it. Do whatever you need to do. I saved it in case Mastermind ever tried to turn me or my daughter. It should restore those who’ve already mutated, if we don’t wait too long to treat them.”

  The scientist still had doubts, but took the disc just in case.

  “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to catch a plane back to Los Angeles. Here’s my card if you ever need to hire my services.”