The Return of the Titans

by James Thompson

  The officer grimaced. “You are speaking of the past, Justin.” He waved toward the chairs in front of the desk. “Please, have a seat and let me explain.”

  Justin glanced at Aaron who shrugged nervously. They both walked forward and sat down.

  The man sighed and stared at them with those electric blue eyes. “I need to tell you a little story, gentlemen. Please be patient. It won't take long.”

  He sat back and pulled his left arm tightly under the keyboard using his right hand. Justin realized that the man could only use the one hand. He felt a twinge of pity but pushed it down forcefully.

  “You're right, Justin. My people did attack your home and the homes of others like you. However, that was under orders from my predecessor. The general was a little too enthusiastic in doing her job and took things too far. Which is why I am now in charge of this...operation.”

  “How was she too enthusiastic?” Justin asked sceptically.

  “Let me start at the beginning.” The man rested his chin on his fist and looked at the far wall. “Ten years or so ago, a government official, it doesn't matter which government at this point, was approached by a man who told him about the birth of some extraordinary children. Children who were genetically superior to humans, who might be the next step up in the evolutionary ladder.” He glanced at the two friends. “He was, of course, talking about you.” The colonel went back to staring across the room. “Naturally this official was skeptical at first, but the man offered proof. Blood samples from several of the children that could be genetically tested. And naturally the tests showed that the man was correct.” The colonel looked back at Justin. “I'm sure you can imagine the reaction from this rather highly placed official.”

  Justin thought about it for a moment. “I'm guessing he thought how useful we could be? Maybe as soldiers or something?”

  The colonel smiled. “Got it in one, Justin. Yes, that's exactly what his reaction was. And his superiors were just as excited. But the man who had brought them the information had told them that these special children had been born in various countries around the world and so these officials, reluctantly, decided to share this secret with several other governments. They got together and formed the organization that I am currently in charge of.”

  The colonel stopped speaking and just watched Justin and Aaron.

  The two boys didn't speak for a moment then Aaron said, “But what about this general that you mentioned? You said she was too enthusiastic in her job.”

  “Yes. Yes, she was,” the man answered with a frown. “It turned out that she was rather frightened by the prospect of a new, improved type of human. Apparently she was convinced that this new human would supplant mankind, take over.” He shook his head. “Completely irrational, of course. But for a long time she kept her views to herself. She quietly gathered others who shared her opinion, put them in positions of power within the organization. And when you youngsters began exhibiting some abilities, she was ready,” The colonel shifted in his seat. He hesitated for a moment. “I want you to know that none of what happened was sanctioned by the governments involved. All we were tasked to do was to observe, not interfere. But the General saw your developing abilities as a threat and ordered that those of you who had been identified be rounded up and detained.”

  “How many?” Justin asked. “How many of us were...detained?”

  The colonel shook his head. “I'm not entirely sure. The general covered her tracks quite well. Dozens at least. Possibly as many as a hundred.”

  Both Justin and Aaron stared at the man in shock. A hundred?

  “So what happened to them? The prisoners?” Aaron asked.

  Again the colonel hesitated. Then he said softly, “Not many survived. Samples were taken, blood and tissue. Tests were performed and then the General ordered the survivors disposed of.”

  The boys were in shock. “They were killed?” Justin was suddenly furious. “She had them used like lab rats and then murdered?”

  The man nodded then spoke up quickly. “Not all, Justin. Some of her men got cold feet and reported what was happening. I was ordered to stop the procedures and my people and I managed to save some.” He sighed. “A few.”

  “Where are they now?” Aaron spoke up.

  The colonel waved his hand to indicate the building around them. “Here. We've been caring for them as best we can. The library basement was converted to a base of operations about a year ago and we set up a medical bay to help them.” Then he leaned forward and stared intently at Justin. “But we can only do so much. Their physiology is still something of a mystery to our medics. We have managed to heal their wounds, but they are unhappy and not developing as they should. They would be better off among their own people.”

  Justin sat back, his fury fading to be replaced with concern for his fellow Titans, the victims of these insane military people. He took a deep breath to collect his thoughts then looked at Colonel Green. “So what do you want with us?” he asked quietly.

  “I want you to save them, Justin.” Justin's mouth dropped open but the colonel continued. “I don't know where you and the others have been for the last several months but I'm betting that whoever is caring for you can, perhaps, care the youngsters we have in custody as well.”

  Justin was trying to work through what was happening. “Okay, so you're telling me that Wilson was taken and my mother was kidnapped just so I would show up and take these kids off your hands and save their lives?”

  The man smiled slightly. “That about sums it up, lad.”

  “I don't believe a word of it,” Justin said with a shake of his head. Aaron turned to looked at him.

  “What do you mean, Just? Don't you want to help the others?”

  “Of course I do, Aaron. But think about it. What are the odds that I would even learn about Wilson, or my mom? And if I did, that I would head back home? Or that I would decide to come to the library? The explanation is full of holes.”

  “Is it, Justin?” the colonel asked. “Would you like me to explain how I got you here? How I knew you would come?”

  Justin folded his arms and stared at the man. “Go ahead.” he said. “This should be good.”

  The colonel chuckled. “I hope so,” he said. “You obviously don't know that I tried to get whomever is sheltering you to take the captives off my hands.”

  “You what?” Aaron exclaimed and the colonel nodded. “But how?”

  “We put notices in every major newspaper in the world. They were worded in such a way that only the people we wanted to contact would understand them. And we did the same thing on major sites online, on international radio and television stations. Every day for several weeks. There was no response.” He glanced up at the screens then back to the two friends. “So we tried a different tact. We know of several people around the world who are, we suspect, Guardians.”

  “You know of the Guardians?” Justin asked in surprise.

  “Oh yes, we know. And since we had no word from your people, Justin, we decided to drop some hints that a Guardian had survived the initial assault when the general had her forces abduct the youngsters. Your Guardian, Justin. These rumors were obviously passed on to higher authority and then to you.” The man glanced down at some papers spread out on the desk in front of him. “I have a rather well documented profile of you, lad. I know how you think and I believed that you would do everything in your power to save your old friend. And your mother's disappearance and finding her apparent note in your secret spot got you to come to exactly where I wanted you to be. Here.”

  Justin thought about what the colonel had said. He didn't trust him at all and he was determined to poke holes in his so-called explanation.

  “Where did you get a profile on me?” he asked abruptly.

  The colonel smiled. “All of us are profiled throughout our lives, Justin. I have your school records, school councilor's reports, medical records, lists of your interests and so on and so on. And I had all of it analyzed by spec
ialists in psychological profiling. I know you very well and the proof is that you are sitting here now.”

  “Look, this is all very interesting, but we want to know where Justin's mom is,” Aaron interrupted.

  Justin was startled. For a moment, he had forgotten the main reason that they were there. He looked keenly at the colonel. “Yeah,” he said. “Where's my mother?”

  The man tapped several keys on his keyboard. One of the monitors behind him flickered and suddenly Justin was looking into what appeared to be a small sitting room, with a couch, coffee table, even several plants. His mother was lying on the couch watching television. The camera was looking over her shoulder but Justin recognized the way she was leaning on her arm while her fingers were entwined in her hair. The scene was so normal, so home-like that Justin felt tears welling up in his eyes and looked away from the screen for a minute and cleared his throat several times.

  “As you can see, Justin, your mother is fine. You can see her at any time.”

  “I want to see her now,” Justin said as he stood up. Aaron stood as well and they both waited for the man to move.

  The colonel looked momentarily startled but then he touched the controls of his chair and wheeled around to the front of the desk. “Very well, gentlemen; follow me please.”

  As the man approached the door, Justin suddenly heard footsteps. Someone was running toward the room. The doors burst open and a soldier stood there. He came to a halt just a few feet from the colonel and, after a surprised look briefly crossed his face, stood at attention and saluted. The colonel looked irritated and returned the salute with a quick flick of his hand..

  “Yes, private? What's your hurry?,” he asked shortly.

  “Sir, I'm sorry to bother you, but we are under attack.”

  The colonel's face paled slightly and he glanced quickly at the boys before turning back to the soldier.

  “Who and where?” he snapped.

  “Front and back, sir. Several at each entrance. We don't know who, sir.”

  “Very well. Return to your post. Split our forces between each entrance. I will coordinate from here.”

  “Yes sir!” The private saluted again and hurried out of the room.

  The colonel turned his chair and looked at Justin and Aaron. “Well, it seems that your enemies know you're here, gentlemen.”

  “Our enemies?” Aaron sounded bewildered. “What makes you think these are our enemies?”

  “Call it a hunch.” The colonel smiled slightly. “We've been here for months and suddenly we are attacked as soon as you arrive? I'd say the chances of that being a coincidence are slight.” The man rolled back to his desk and put the keyboard back on his lap. He tapped a few keys and suddenly the screens behind the desk changed. Half of the screens showed different angled shots of the back entrance where Justin and Aaron had entered and the others showed shots of what Justin assumed was the front entrance.

  At first glance, Justin could not see any movement. Several uniformed soldiers were standing or kneeling in the hallways leading in from the entrances but the cameras showed no movement outside either door. Then he jumped slightly and he heard Aaron gasp as some figures, moving almost too fast to see, suddenly slammed into each door.

  The attackers were wearing all black and they were hooded, so that Justin couldn't tell if they were men or women or see their features. They seemed to be trying to break down the doors but were having a hard time getting through. The colonel chuckled in a grim sort of way and Justin tore his eyes away from the screens and looked at the man.

  “The doors are reinforced and have been sealed,” the colonel said as Justin caught his eye. “It will take them a bit of time to get through.” The man glanced at both of the boys. “Use the time wisely, gentlemen. Justin, your mother's room is out the door to the left at the end of the corridor. Aaron, while Justin gets to his mother, there is a second door to the right of her room. The captured teens are being held in there.” The man reached into a pocket and pulled out a keyring. There were only two keys on it. He tossed it to Justin. “One fits your mother's room, one fits the other.” He glanced at the screens for a moment. “You should hurry. It looks like they are setting explosives to get through the doors.”

  Justin looked at the screens and saw the dark figures huddled around the outside of the door. He cursed as he saw them sticking small blocks of putty-like material around the edges. Then he looked back at the colonel.

  “But once we get our people, colonel, how do we get them out of here?”

  The man raised an eyebrow slightly. “I assume the same way you got in, Justin.”

  “But...” Justin looked at Aaron who leaned forward and whispered quietly. “We have to try a water gate, Just.”

  “Do you think we can do that?” Justin muttered.

  Aaron shrugged and nodded toward the screens. “Do we have a choice?”

  Justin swallowed. “Guess not.” He looked back at the colonel. “What about you, colonel?”

  The man seemed surprised at the question. “You're not concerned for me, are you, lad?”

  “Maybe I am, colonel.” Justin looked at screens again. “I doubt that these people are going to be very gentle if they question you about us.”

  The colonel actually laughed. “I assure you, Justin, if they get by my people and make it this far, there won't be many of them left to ask questions about anyone. Now, get going you two.” He nodded toward the door.

  Chapter 22

  The two boys looked at the colonel one last time and then hurried out of the room and down the corridor. The building was eerily quiet, considering the fact that hostile forces were trying to enter it.

  They reached the end of the hall and stood in front of the door that the colonel said led to Justin's mother. Justin tried one key and lucked out. The locked clicked open. He handed the keys to Aaron and said soberly “Go get the others.” Aaron nodded and headed toward the other room.

  Justin hesitated a moment, then he reached out and slowly opened the door.

  As he entered, he saw that it was indeed the room that he had seen in the monitor. He had been bracing himself in case it was a trick by the colonel but the room was the same and across from the doorway, his mother lay on a couch unmoving.

  He hurried across the room and gently shook his mother's shoulder. “Mom?” he said quietly. “Wake up. I'm getting you out of here.”

  She sighed softly. “Justin? Is that you?” His mother opened her eyes and looked up at him. “You came! Somehow, I knew you would.” She reached out and Justin grabbed her in a gentle hug. His eyes were stinging. Then they broke apart. He pulled his mom into a sitting position.

  “Mom, we're in trouble. This place is under attack and we have to get out of here, right now.”

  His mother's eyes widened with fear just as Justin heard a commotion at the door. He spun around but it was only Aaron followed by several teens.

  Aaron nodded. “They're in pretty good shape considering, Just.” He waved them all inside the room.

  Justin turned back to his mother and was surprised to see her standing next to him. “You okay, Mom?” he asked anxiously.

  “We're under attack, Justin? By whom?”

  “Don't know, Mom. I'm guessing it's the renegade Titans. They want us pretty badly. But we have time to get away before they arrive.”

  His mother reached out and grabbed his arms. “Are you sure it's them, Justin?” she asked.

  Justin was confused by the question. “Well, yeah. I guess so. I mean, who else could it be?”

  “Who else indeed,” she muttered as she tightened her grip on his arms.

  Justin squirmed as his mother's hold on his arms began to hurt. “Mom, relax! We have time to escape.”

  “Escape?” She looked at Justin and suddenly smiled. Her grip was beginning to cut into his skin and he let out a moan of pain. And then she laughed. “Oh no, little boy. You can't escape. This plan has gone perfectly and now you are caught.”


  Even as he writhed in her grip, it occurred to Justin that his mother could never hold him so tightly that it would hurt him. I jumped out of a third story window and wasn't even scratched, he realized. And then, suddenly oblivious to the pain, he glared down at the woman and said “Who are you?”

  She laughed even louder. “Don't you recognize your dear, sweet mother, Justin? The one person in the world you would leave your safe haven to rescue?”

  Justin stared in horror at this stranger with his mother's face. Her laugh became deeper and wilder and he gasped as her face began to develop cracks along the edges near her hairline. The cracks quickly traveled across her cheeks, crisscrossed over her nose and up over her forehead as though her skin was made of hardened mud instead of flesh.

  He forgot his pain as he watched his attacker's face begin to break apart, clumps of dried flesh, just like clods of mud, beginning to cascade off of her head and on to the floor. And beneath the desiccated flesh, he could see glints of bronze-colored metal.

  The face disintegrated faster, and the skin on her exposed arms shriveled and peeled away, and suddenly Justin realized that the creature under the disguise was a servitor! But it wasn't like the ones he had seen in Sanctuary. Those had had human looking faces and expressions. But this...thing was a horror.

  The blazing yellow eyes were too large for the head, the wide mouth split the face with a maniacal grin from ear to ear and the shiny bald head was covered with cracks and bumps that made the monster look misshapen and battered, as though it had been smashed over the head many times.

  “Justin! What's happening?” Aaron yelled. The servitor yanked Justin off the ground and swung him around as it turned to face the doorway. It tightened it's grip on him as it's insane laughter stopped.

  “Hold it right there, little Titan!” it growled at Aaron and the group of teens crowding behind him. “I'll pull his arms off like ripping the wings off a fly if you try to interfere.”

  Aaron had begun to move forward but now stopped and stared at the mechanical man, his eyes wide.