Everyone just stared at Manning.
“Where are you going with this?” Jessen asked him.
“Like I said, I used to work for him. Well, with him. Before I really knew about his true self and what was really going on. All this tech you see here was initially developed at Kennedy Labs, the science branch of his vast empire. I was his top researcher. Israel’s wrist coils and suit were developed there. Daniel’s armour and sonic shock were too, albeit in the trial phases in each case. I have since finished the designs here. I helped Vince develop all kinds of armour, weapons and tech for combat and manoeuvrability. It was always hinted that it was for the US military but kept very much hush hush. I was blinded by the money anyway so I didn’t care at the time.
One day, Vincent comes to me while I’m working. “I’ve seen the future,” he said. He would go on to tell me that he came across a child who could see random glimpses of the future. She was one of the children who was blessed with a place to live by his highness. An orphan girl called Alicia. There was something about this, the way he described her, that made me sick to my stomach. It was then when I first started having doubts about the whole thing, about him. A few weeks later he called me into his office. It turns out, he wanted to promote me. I hadn’t seen much of him in those couple of weeks and he explained that he had been working closely with Alicia, trying to develop her power. At the time she could only see the tiniest glimpse of a fragment of the future, nothing that Vince could exploit. She saw it the same way you can only slightly remember a dream, unclear and confused. Then one day she saw a glimpse of a plane crash in the mountains upstate. The plane was hijacked and driven into the mountain purposefully, remember that? It was an airline that Vince held a lot of stock in, the biggest in the country. Instead of making the slightest attempt at preventing the crash he simply sold all of his stock before it happened and let the people die. He could have had his men on the flight. Being Vincent Kennedy he could easily get their weapons through security. He could even have got on it himself with a freakin bazooka, he has that much power. But instead, he chose to sell up and watch people die.”
Manning took a moment to look at each of the men in front of him.
“He told me another thing. The world was well aware of the fact that there were people with… abilities. The shock of this wore off decades before as most obeyed the anti power laws. At that time most super-powered humans lived in quiet privacy, not letting their powers be known in case someone tried to harm them or the government tried to take them. A lot of the bad ones used their powers for selfish gain but mostly the good ones stayed in hiding. They were right to do so. After my promotion I discovered Vincent was capturing the super-powered and running all kinds of experiments on them, trying to crack the secrets to their powers. He dreamed about combining several of the most powerful to create a masterpiece of destruction. Most of them died during the experiments, some were turned into ungodly creatures and some into mighty creations. He even… he even experimented on children… babies.”
They sat in silence. In disgust.
Tears began to slowly form in Alicia’s eyes.
“He has spies all over the city. Watching. Waiting. People hired with one sole purpose to people watch, waiting for someone to reveal themselves as… different.”
Jessen could feel himself squirming on the inside.
“Vincent revealed to me that Alicia's power wasn’t just random glimpses of nothing of importance. He realised that she could see these super-powered people. The hijacker on the plane was one. That was how she saw the crash. It was because of the person, not the event itself that she was able to see. Vincent began running tests on Alicia, hooking her up to all sorts of machinery, injecting her with all sorts of body enhancing drugs in an attempt to boost her powers. He was fascinated by these people with abilities. He used Alicia, as well as his spies, to find them. He wanted to control them. Over the next couple of weeks her powers did grow but not by much. She could see slightly more clearly and for slightly longer periods of time. I was involved in the research on her ability. I was getting closer but I left before I could finish the research. I couldn’t stand what I had become or who I worked for.“
Alicia was crying now.
“So she had no idea?” Daniel asked.
“That she is personally responsible for a multitude of super-powered individuals being captured, tortured, experimented on, mutated or killed? No, Kennedy has kept her locked up in the Skyborn building her whole life like Rapunzel in her tower. He has her convinced that the world is too dangerous a place for a person like her; that people, the government, would seek to use her for their own gain. As for the people she helps locate and bring in? He tells her that they are those people. That they are evil, need to be caught and imprisoned. He leaves out the rest, leaves out the children.”
Alicia was bawling uncontrollably. She stood up, looking around the room as if searching for another way out that wasn’t the main door. There wasn’t one. But there was a glass of water on the table.
“Sorry to change the subject,” Jessen said. “I do feel bad for the girl and all but… Shouldn’t we be burning this guy to the ground?”
“That has always been our desire,” Manning answered. “But Kennedy has too many super powered people under his control and on his payroll. Plus the legion of armed guards that patrol the Skyborn at all times.”
“We’ve been waiting for… well… something like this to happen,” Israel explained.
“Like what?” Jessen asked.
“Well… a sign that it’s the right time.” Israel answered. “This alternate world, potential world war three talk…” Israel turned to Manning. “I don’t know about you but, I think it’s time.”
Manning nodded.
“Time to strike?” Greyfall asked.
“Time to send out a call to arms,” Manning answered. “There are many of us in hiding.”
Alicia smashed the glass of water on the ground and picked up a shard of glass.
“Babies!” was all she could mutter.
“How on earth do you afford all this anyway?” Jessen asked, changing the subject.
Manning sighed. “My job was well paid.”
“Bull. No way you’re still living off that. Where does the money come from?” Jessen insisted.
“Ever hear of Robin Hood?” Manning answered.
“Yeah, so you rob from the rich and give to the poor?”
Alicia sliced the glass across her left wrist. Switching the glass to the other hand she sliced the right wrist, repeating the action several times.
“More like rob from the scumbags and keep for ourselves,” Israel answered. “It goes like this. I break up a drug deal, beating everyone up and calling the cops to come get them. I leave the drugs for the cops to take and I pocket the cash. Chances are it’s what half the cops in the city would do anyway so I may as well take it to fund our little project. I find a brothel, tear it to pieces, call the cops and take the money. It’s that simple and you will never convince me it’s wrong. No one knows we’re here. We’re off the books. Off the grid.”
“Yeah but… I’m not…” said Jessen quietly.
“True,” agreed Manning. “You got your phone on you?”
“Uh…” began Jessen as he reached into his pocket for his phone. “Oh…right…” Jessen realised what Manning was suggesting. Sighing, he dropped the phone to the floor, lifted his right leg and stamped down on the phone as hard as he could, smashing it. After a few seconds Israel spoke up.
“Probably would have been fine just turning it off.”
“Yeah that’s where I was going with it.” answered Manning. “But I suppose that works too.”
Jessen just looked at Manning. “I hate you guys so much,” he said finally.
Alicia’s strength was already nearly drained. She had collapsed against the wall and slid to the floor which was now turning into a large pool of her own blood. Her wrists and hands were recognisable. She had cut her
self so many times and lost so much blood that she knew she had done enough. The guilt and rage inside her was now giving way to complete exhaustion. Her heart beat had slowed drastically.
Vincent’s mug of coffee shattered across the floor. It was the last sound Alicia ever heard. Standing in the doorway Vince looked across the room at the bloody pool in which Alicia lay. “Get me medical now!” Kennedy bellowed down the hallway. “What have you done Alicia?!” Kennedy yelled as he ran to her side, placing two fingers on her neck. He could feel no pulse.
“I’ve been waiting for the right time to try and finally stop Kennedy. Waiting for the right time and the right people. I think deep down inside I’ve always known that I would continue waiting until the day I died, like a coward. Not any more. We were nearly all wiped out if it wasn’t for Greyfall coming back. I think that’s enough to finally shake me into action. Everything in my soul tells me that time is now. I don’t know about you guys but I plan to use this second chance. There might not be a third,” declared Manning.
A clean up team arrived minutes later. Vincent and Frank stood in the doorway watching as the blood was absorbed by multiple mops and towels. Vincent was holding the recorder in his hand.
“What do you think she heard?” Frank asked, gesturing to the recorder.
Kennedy sighed. “The truth, I imagine. She stopped the recording.”
“Why don’t you just share his research to the press?” Jessen asked.
“Trust me, no one would believe me. The accusations against him would be laughed at.”
“How the hell do we get to him then?”
“With those exploding hands of yours Hade. With everyone’s powers. I highly doubt stealth will work. There are security measures in that building that would make the boys in the pentagon jealous. Our only hope is to blast our way in, blast our way up and blast our way back out.”
“The Skyborn building yeah? That’s a lot of stories.”
“Yeah for chumps like you,” Daniel spoke up.
“Oh yeah. Lead singer flying dude.”
“You’re in a band?” Israel asked Daniel.
“Yeah. Metalcore stuff,” Daniel answered.
“The band is called Metalcore?” Israel asked.
“No it’s a sub genre of heavy metal,” Daniel answered.
“I’m totally calling you Metalcore from now on.”
“Do not call me Metalcore,” Daniel insisted.
“Quiet Metalcore,” Manning insisted.
“Son of a!” Daniel cursed.
Israel smirked.
“Is anyone here opposed to my plan? You are under no obligation to join me, that includes you too Israel. There are more of you out there and I intend to contact every one of them. I’m going after Kennedy and would appreciate all the help I can get.”
“Of course,” said Israel immediately.
“Yeah,” said Daniel.
Jessen and Greyfall exchanged glances.
“This is all so new to me. I’ve only known I have these powers for a short while now. I’m still learning how to fully control them. Greyfall should be used to all of this but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little anxious,” said Jessen.
The other four men nodded, not one of them wanting to force any pressure on Jessen.
“But this guy might snatch me or you or any other innocent super powered person up at any time. I don’t like the thought of being ripped from my bed to be someone’s lab experiment, or killed for that matter.”
The four men looked up at him.
“Son of a bitch goes down,” Jessen proclaimed.
Manning nodded. Israel and Daniel simply looked to Manning for the next instructions. They were blunt.
“It’s been a shit night gentlemen and it’s late so get the hell out of my house.”
“I usually just yawn and look at the time when I want people to leave,” put in Jessen.
“I’m gonna get you guys what gear you might need. We’ll need to be packing a serious punch if we want to stand a chance. I’ll start trying to get us some help immediately.”
“Do you think we can survive an attack?” Jessen asked Manning.
“Honestly, I have no idea. Who knows what super powered freaks Vince has working for him, and that’s on top of his armed security,” Manning answered.
“So what happens now?” Jessen asked.
“Rest up, we’ll take a few days, weeks maybe. We might only get one shot at this so there’s no need to rush into it. We know how to find you. We got your address from your license when you were out.”
“Well that doesn’t feel violating in any way,” said Jessen sarcastically.
“I also took blood samples off you two while you were out.” He pointed at Jessen and Greyfall. “They are being analysed as we speak. I want to find out as much about you’re powers as I can.”
“What do you know, I was wrong,” Jessen concluded.
“Sir, there’s a problem. You’re not going to like this,” Frank told his boss.
“I already don’t like it! What now?” Kennedy asked.
“It’s Mastadon sir. He wrecked that building. 104 Beech Street. He said there was no one inside so he totalled it to send a message.”
Kennedy put his face in his hands.
“That idiot! May as well wave a giant banner that says ‘Hi Manning! We’ve been listening the whole time!’”
“I agree. It was dumb.”
Kennedy sighed.
“And now I’ve got this band of rejects planning to scale my tower and punch me in the ear.”
“What would you like to do sir?”
“Call our guys in,” Vincent instructed.
“Which ones?” Frank asked.
“All of them. Tell them to use the tunnels. Where is Mastadon?”
“In your office. Does Manning know for certain we were listening?”
Vince glared at Frank.
“I’ll get on it right away,” Frank answered, forgetting his own question.
“Send out everyone we got to look for Hade. Tell Mastadon he’s fired. And Frank, really let him know he’s fired. Let some of the freaks use him for a punch bag.”
Chapter 8
Jessen and Greyfall had left quickly while Daniel stayed on for several minutes for Manning to refill the sonic shock on his armour. After that he flew high into the night sky soaring over New Belfast. After flying for several minutes he felt a tingling in his body and he reduced altitude. The tingling turned into pain. Pain turned into fire as Daniel crash landed onto a high rooftop completely ablaze. Rolling around on the roof the flames went out. A single black bird landed on a railing several feet away and stared at him.
“Nagra,” he said aloud, half to himself and half to the bird.
Jessen and Greyfall stood in silence in the hallway outside Jessen’s apartment. They were staring at his door which was open. After several moments Jessen looked to Greyfall and signalled that he was going in. Silently he clenched his fist and it began to glow and radiate a soft light, the energy hypnotically dancing around his hand. Slowly Jessen approached his door, leaning over to gaze inside his apartment. There was a moderate mess, nothing more than usual. Jessen’s eyes then locked onto a foot sticking out from behind his kitchen counter, unmoving. Jessen signalled to Greyfall to follow him into the apartment. Slowly the two men entered the room, Jessen moving towards the foot. As he moved around the counter his heart sank. Gary, his landlord was lying facedown on the ground in the kitchen. His whole body was twisted in a disgusting and unnatural way. Greyfall searched the rest of the apartment and, satisfied there was no threat, closed the door.
“Do you know him?” Greyfall asked.
“Yeah. My landlord Gary,” Jessen responded. “Look at what they’ve done to him,” he said in disgusted disbelief.
“Kennedy, we can only assume.” Greyfall walked over and inspected Gary’s mangled body and the surrounding area.
“Yeah. Shit man, he was a bit of an ass but he didn�
��t deserve this.” Jessen reached out and picked up Gary’s denim jacket from the floor that had obviously been pulled off of him. Jessen stood up and put his hands on his head.
“Why would he have even been in here? Unless…” Realisation struck Jessen. “Unless he wasn’t. Fall, do you see any signs of a struggle?”
“No, although it is hard to tell in this apartment,” Greyfall answered. “You think he was placed here?”
“Maybe. We gotta get rid of him. How do we-“
The door knocked abruptly, interrupting Jessen mid sentence.
“N.B.P.D. open up!” A voice yelled from the other side of the door.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me!” Jessen exclaimed.
“We’ve had multiple reports of a disturbance. Is everyone ok?” the police man’s voice continued.
“Uh, yeah! One second!” Jessen replied. “Shit! There is literally no where in here to hide him.”
Greyfall simply stood in silence facing the door.
“Dude help! What the hell do we do?!” Jessen asked, panic growing.
“We face them. There is no other way,” Greyfall calmly replied.
“We can’t! We’ll go to jail!”
“We can easily avoid that Hade.”
“Yeah but not without avoiding a record. Are you suggesting we attack police officers?!”
The Hade War Page 7
