Then There Was New York

by Kristina Garlick

  Jordan: “We have to leave in thirty. Get ready.”

  Riley: “Wow, okay.”

  Jordan: “What is your problem?”

  Riley: “I was sleeping and you scared the shit out of me. Nice way to wake up.”

  Jordan: “You weren’t asleep.”

  Riley: “You’re an ass.”

  Jordan: “That’s what you weren’t saying last night when—”

  I hit Jordan with a time energy, which knocked him down. Then I got up, as naked as the day as I was born, and strolled to the laundry room to retrieve my clothing that was in the dryer. Just because Broderick had been a dick to Jordan, didn’t mean he had the right to give me attitude.

  Jordan must have realized his mistake as he apologized to me a few minutes later. While I accepted Jordan’s apology, I was still mad at him. My best course of action was probably to distance myself from him as much as possible, as I should be receiving news within the next few hours or at the latest, tomorrow, the exact location of Ego.

  Riley: “Let’s get this over with.”

  Jordan: “Riley, you know I really am sorry.”

  Riley: “I know, Red Shadow.”

  Jordan: “My name’s—”

  Riley: “Above all else, you are Red Shadow, and that is the reason I left. Red Shadow would choose Broderick over me, and I don’t want to be second to anyone. Now let’s go, or your master is going to have an even bigger shit-fit.”

  Opening his mouth to say something but ultimately deciding against it, Jordan just lets out a sigh. Then he teleported us to Broderick’s Brooklyn flat. When we arrived, Broderick was pacing back and forth across his tiny, dumpy apartment. Without even acknowledging Jordan or me at first, Broderick went over to the computer and retrieved a piece of paper that he printed, which he then began to wave like a madman.

  Broderick: “I thought by stopping the attack on the Raz & Berry Show that I would never have to see these jerkoffs again, but here they are, smiling in the photo of this news story, and also on a cover of a magazine.”

  Broderick picked up a tabloid from the messy computer desk. Much like the printout, Broderick shook the magazine, which made it hard to focus on why he was so pissed. Annoyed, I grabbed Broderick’s wrist so I could see who he was talking about. I let out a little gasp to see Mac and Arcadia on the cover, dressed to the nines.

  Broderick: “Billionaire. Mackson Moss is a fucking billionaire lives in California and apparently made all of his money in tech. That fucking twerp who I used to pick on and also stole his girl is living the high life and look at me in this crap hole. Don’t even get me started on his lawyer wife, Arcadia. That bitch ain’t smart enough to be a lawyer.”

  Jordan and I glanced at one another.

  Broderick: “I want my powers back. I want my old life back.”

  Jordan: “Broderick, we reset time so that we could save countless lives.”

  Broderick: “Fuck all those people. The only one I cared about was my mom, and she doesn’t even talk me. Apparently, Broderick the parolee is estranged from his mother and she is happily married with two new kids.”

  Jordan: “You don’t know—”

  Broderick: “She told me! Riley, change it all back or I swear—”

  Jordan: “Broderick, it’s not that easy to just …”

  I waved my hand and the fake timeline collapsed all around us. When the smoke cleared, we were standing in an empty lot that was filled with debris and garbage in what had once been New York. Sure, in the last few years the city was slowly being rebuilt but the focus was primarily on Manhattan; at one time it used to be the center of finance for the U.S., but we were in Brooklyn and reconstruction here was a much slower process.

  Riley: “Everything has been undone.”

  Broderick: “Just like that?”

  Riley: “Yes.”

  Broderick: “Too much power. You shouldn’t have this much power. What did you do to obtain so much power?”

  Abort. Abort. I needed to get away from this conversation and flee quickly.

  Riley: “I don’t know what you are talking about, Broderick. I have always been strong. I am time, after all and I really hate to cut this short but I have places to go and people to see. So be a doll and release Alyssa, when you guys get a chance, preferably today. And I will see you both later.”

  I open up a time portal to go through to a day earlier so that I could tell Arcadia where Broderick and Jordan would be at this exact moment. There was technology, even though it was a prototype, which supposedly could neutralize the ability to teleport. The Spandex brigade could have fun testing it on Jordan. Why was I suddenly okay with that?

  My phone had been going off in my pocket almost rapid fire, which meant that Alyssa had probably been located within the last few minutes. The heroes could tell me where she was, and I could go back and tell them her exact coordinates yesterday. Shit, even go back further and spare my niece having to spend any time at all with Ego, the nannies, and all the other people who’d had the misfortune of aligning themselves with Jordan and Broderick because they, too, would pay for taking part in Alyssa’s captivity.

  Broderick: “Not so fast, bitch.”

  I spun around and glare at Broderick.

  Broderick: “Nice sparks. Can I touch them?”

  Riley: “If you want to be wiped from existence, go ahead, ass hat.”

  Broderick: “So much power. It’s a shame you are on the wrong side of history.”

  Riley: “What does that mean?”

  Broderick: “I want you to take me back eight years ago. Then, Jordan, I need you to bring me to the Security Safe House down on the isle of Georgia.”

  Jordan: “What do you have planned?”

  Broderick: “Does that brand on your arm mean nothing anymore? Have you forgotten what I am capable of?”

  The mark on Jordan’s arm; the one I had always wondered about. Whenever I used to ask Jordan what the tattoo meant, he would always change topic but he said that those closest to Broderick wore the mark. Now, I felt the need to know more to the story and why there was twinge of fear in Jordan’s eyes.

  Riley: “What does the tattoo mean?”

  Broderick: “It means not only could I kill your precious little niece, but also your boyfriend.”

  Riley: “He’s not my boyfriend.”

  Broderick: “It’s a good thing, because he has been keeping secrets from you, and I am talking life-changing.”

  Riley: “Jordan?”

  Jordan: “Shut the fuck up, Broderick.”

  Broderick: “What are you going to do, Jordan, sing? We both know that didn’t work in the prison when you came to get me. Just because I don’t have my powers doesn’t mean I am human, at least not completely.”

  Jordan turned into his demon form.

  Jordan: “It would be so easy.”

  Broderick: “Then do it!”

  Grabbing Broderick by the scruff of his shirt, I seriously thought that he was going to be struck by Jordan, but alas that was not such the case. Jordan, in true disgust, released Broderick and took a shaky step back. Seriously, what power could Broderick still have over Jordan?

  Broderick: “Please. Please. Let me be the one to tell her.”

  Jordan gave Broderick the finger and teleported away.

  Broderick: “Let’s go for a walk.”

  Knowing that Broderick was a braggart was the only reason I agreed to walk with him. It infuriated me how he paid no heed to the destruction around us even though he was the cause of it. For someone who swore he wanted to fix time, it was quite evident that Broderick was a liar. The only thing that Broderick cared about was himself and controlling other people.

  Riley: “So, we’re walking, and now it’s time to do some talking.”

  Broderick: “Don’t treat me like a child.”

  Riley: “Oh, c’mon, Broderick. I know you want to gloat. So let’s have it.”

  Broderick: “Let’s play a game. You answer a question and I will a
nswer one of yours.”

  Riley: “If we must.”

  Broderick: “First question, how is my wife?”

  Riley: “Arcadia is doing great.”

  Broderick: “Still cheating on me with Mackson, I assume?”

  Riley: “That’s two questions.”

  Broderick: “Fine, what is yours?”

  Riley: “What’s the mark on Jordan’s arm?”

  Broderick: “It’s the symbol I created for all of my inner circle. I needed a way to have people close to me and not have to have my guard up all the time.”

  What the fuck did that mean?

  Riley: “Your turn.”

  Broderick: “Is my wife still cheating on me?”

  Riley: “You signed the divorce papers. She isn’t cheating.”

  Broderick: “They made me sign it from a cell and I don’t care what some piece of paper says. Arcadia is mine and I can do whatever I wish to her.”

  Riley: “She isn’t property, Broderick.”

  Broderick: “Says you. Your question?”

  Riley: “How do you control Jordan with a tattoo?”

  Broderick: “Ah, now you are asking the right question. The ink will poison him if he doesn’t do what I say.”

  Riley: “What does—give me your question? Hurry!”

  Broderick smirked at me.

  Broderick: “Impatient. Now, is it true that Arcadia is pregnant?”

  Riley: “No.”

  Broderick: “Someone’s lying. Tsk. Tsk.”

  Riley: “Why ask something you already know?”

  Broderick: “I was curious to see if you would be honest.”

  Riley: “Little girl. Could have been yours if you weren’t a mass-murdering shit.”

  A full-blown chuckle escaped Broderick’s lips.

  Broderick: “I am not the bad guy here.”

  I held out my arms and spun in a circle.

  Riley: “What do you call this?”

  Broderick: “You must kill a few to save many.”

  Riley: “So back to the tattoo. Even if you had your powers, how can a tattoo poison someone?”

  Broderick: “Would you believe me if I said aliens?”

  Riley: “Now who is the liar?”

  Broderick: “There was a tub of my ink and a video camcorder that showed up on my nightstand in my bedroom one morning. Someone had come into my room as I slept, which infuriated me at first but then I hit play on the camcorder and it changed my whole world. The video showed three men getting a tattoo that matched the man in charge.”

  Riley: “How did you know he was in charge?”

  Broderick: “They bowed to him. Now let me finish before I change my mind and not tell you.”

  Riley: “Go on.”

  Broderick: “Once the tattoos matched the host design, it would glow blue and forever link the parties involved. However, unlike the vicar, which is what I call him, I have limited control over my tattooed underlings, maybe because our DNA is different. The vicar has basically the same abilities as Jordan when he sings to humans. Before I allowed myself to be inked, my team tested it on two willing individuals—well, they started out willing.”

  Riley: “Let me guess; they are both dead.”

  Broderick: “Of course. Neither party was of use to me after the testing was complete. As a matter of a fact, they were a liability to my plan. Once I discovered that if something painful happens to the host, the underling tattoo secretes a type of poison that makes them sick, I knew I was all in. The crème de la resistance was that if I die, my followers’ lives will end as well. It’s the insurance policy that I’ve only ever dreamt of.”

  Riley: “So those guards are slaves to the vicar just as Jordan is—”

  Broderick: “You’re forgetting nine other men as well, including your friend, Ego. I would have made sure that you were bound to me too, but Arcadia and Mac locked me up before I was able to mark you. The problem was that I underestimated the tech jack-off, Mackson. He would have been another good one to tattoo, with all those bothersome inventions he keeps turning out.”

  Riley: “Or maybe deep, deep, deep down you care for my family and it had nothing to do with Mackson as to why you lost.”

  Broderick: “Could be the case. I have no problem admitting that I love my parents, but at the end of the day, my needs come first.”

  Riley: “And what is it that you need now?”

  Broderick: “What do you mean?”

  Riley: “While I’ve very much enjoyed this diatribe explaining your innermost workings, I assume it was not for my benefit but yours.”

  Broderick: “You know, you are much smarter than Arcadia or even Jordan and I would take that as quite a compliment. I am even impressed how, as we speak, you have a team trying to locate Alyssa and I am sure they are closing in on her. Even though I’m allowing that, I want you to understand that you will do what I say or the man you love with suffer.”

  Riley: “Are you threatening me?”

  Broderick: “Take it however you want, but if I go back to prison, your boyfriend will be constantly sick from ink poisoning that I will make sure will perpetually flow through into his body, and I hear it’s quite agonizing. That will continue until I decide to end my life, in which case he and nine other men will die. Do you want that blood on your hands?”

  Did Broderick not realize I can time travel?

  Broderick: “It doesn’t matter how far back you go; if I die at any point, so do Jordan and all the other men, who I branded. As I said, the ink is alien even though the camcorder is of this world and century. If you don’t believe me, ask Arcadia to dig up a picture of me from when I was fifteen or even five.”

  Riley: “I am not in touch with—”

  Broderick: “Oh come now, Riley; I thought we were pass this lying. I know you are in contact with my wife and her band of miscreants. Text her now and ask her to send you a picture. I dare you to question her about the mark as she will think nothing of it. It’s a part of me. Just like Jordan, aka Red Shadow, Ego, Subsonic, Patches, and the others as well.”

  I didn’t even bother to hide my phone at this point as I took out it out to text Arcadia. As I waited for the photos, a sudden realization flashed through my mind; when I had temporarily killed Broderick, Jordan had become pale and looked sick. The poison from the tattoo must have begun to course through Jordan’s veins and that must be the reason why he’d desperately wanted me to bring Broderick back to life, even resorting to dialing Ego.

  Broderick: “Did you get the pictures back yet?”

  Riley: “I don’t need them. Where in time do you want to go back?”

  Broderick: “What made you change your mind?”

  Riley: “Not your business. Now where do you want to go?”

  Broderick: “Remember to breathe in or you will start sparking again.”

  I found myself clenching my teeth.

  Riley: “Again, where do you want to go?”

  Broderick: “Let’s just wait until Jordan returns from his hissy fit before I tell you. I don’t need you to overthink things.”

  But I would overthink everything. I was trying to figure out a way to beat this curse that Broderick had bestowed upon Jordan, and the others were just secondary. There were a few scenarios that came to mind such as shipping Broderick off to a school for disturbed boys from a young age. If I couldn’t remove the tattoo, maybe there was a way to turn him into a decent human being.

  I began to ponder how the timeline would exactly be affected if I removed Broderick from attending the Raz & Berry show. He would never gain his power and New York City would be destroyed. Not to mention, a mortal Broderick, who never gained powers, would be unaware of what the tattoo was capable of and so would everyone else linked. That option might be the safest way to go, and the longer I stood where I was, the more this possibly irrational idea began to make sense.

  Before I decided to do anything rash, I try to think of alternatives to murdering Broderick where we stood. All t
hough, every scenario I came up with had me ripping out Broderick’s still-beating heart. Even if there was a chance that Broderick could be saved or redeemed, no matter what, he would ALWAYS be a monster to me. Ultimately, I decide the best course of action is to go along with Broderick plan for now and if I need be, I will make another fake reality if need be.

  Broderick: “What are you thinking?”

  Riley: “Just let Alyssa go. Otherwise, Ego and your other minions will be harmed. I think you’d rather save your pawns to be played another day. Besides, you have Jordan, which keeps me under your service.”

  Broderick: “Give me your phone.”

  I handed over my cell to Broderick, half expecting him to break it, but unexpectedly, he dialed a number. As the phone rang on speaker, it suddenly picked up. The only sound that could be heard was breathing.

  Broderick: “Ego, Alpha, Omega, Delta, Delta, and of course, Theta.”

  Ego: “Boss, how can I assist you?”

  Broderick: “How are things?”

  Ego: “Soldier Tames spotted a scout team about three hours ago. They are coming for the girl.”

  Broderick: “As expected. Release the girl unharmed and return to the main base, where you will wait further instruction.”

  Ego: “As you wish, sir.”

  Broderick: “Oh, and Ego, I will not be using the Latin security code in the future.”

  Broderick hung up the phone before Ego could reply. Then he casually handed my phone back to me. I just stared at Broderick, trying to figure out what was going on in his head.