Josiah took a deep breath and crouched down. Balancing himself with his left hand on the ground he raised his right hand and fired his gun somewhere in the middle of the confusion. He fired again. And again.
“You are pathetic,” the voice scratched at Josiah's brain again.
Jessen vomited all over himself, almost choking on it as he lay on his back on the ground. Tears burned out of his eyes and streamed down the sides of his face. He began to spasm, sparks intermittently flying out of him in random directions. The commotion had peaked to a point where he was able to ever so slightly focus on what was happening around him. Seventeen, no… no eight men… no is it four? Four men stood nearby. Three versus one. One on the ground trying to get composed. All of a sudden the man stood upright and bellowed a command into the night air at the top of his lungs. Just like that he stood alone. Jessen felt like several seconds, or was it days had skipped forward in time. A bright white light was dying down around the lone man but where had the light come from? Jessen never saw it rise up or spark into existence. The first moment he saw it it was calming back down inside the man. Was it going inside him? No, it was around him. No wait, behind him? Gladiators! No, gladiators? Definitely swords. The man was alone now anyway. Or were there twenty men? No, he was definitely alone.
Josiah surged forward and hit the ground in front of him. Suddenly he was aware of the silence and realised he was alone with the wounded man on the ground. He stood up and regained his composure, looking all round for the three dark figures that had stood in front of him mere seconds ago. Or was it hours? He couldn’t quite figure it out. He vomited. His attention immediately went to the man on the ground who he only now realised was spasming and somehow emitting sparks from his body. Reaching for his radio he did his best to call it in.
“No way is there any recovering from that,” Jessen thought to himself as he entered the graveyard. It was a grim shortcut to have to take, but one he was willing to take nonetheless. “Even I can smell me and it’s a thousand times worse for other people when it’s bad enough that you smell it on yourself.”
Jessen couldn’t get a taxi. Even the empty ones drove past him as if they didn’t see him. After the seventh one ignored him he decided to walk to a different neighbourhood to try and hail one. The Taylor Memorial Graveyard was an unusually large and well wooded graveyard considering the majority of New Belfast was covered in concrete. It was almost peaceful walking through it at night. Normally this kind of thing might have slightly phased Jessen a bit, but with everything that was happening and these new powers he couldn’t have been any less bothered.
“I pity the poor guy who ever tries to mug me now,” he thought.
“Your arrogant confidence will be the death of you.” A voice! A voice whispered past Jessen’s mind like the wind. Jessen spun on his heels to see where it came from. There was nothing. His heart began to beat faster.
“Nope. Just…nope all over that,” he said out loud. He didn’t know to whom he was speaking but he made sure it was loud enough that anyone in the immediate area would hear him.
“Yeeeeah just gonna keep walking here. I’m a frickin nuclear bomb. I ain’t scared of-“
“Oh but you are,” the voice interrupted his thoughts again! Jessen’s entire body turned to cold goosebumps as he kept spinning to see where it was coming from but he already knew. It was inside his head. Clenching his fists he began to shake.
“No!” He yelled and suddenly let out a large burst of light, but not a blast. Once the light had quickly died back down three figures were standing in front of him. Jessen was impressed at himself for not immediately freaking out. He felt it important to get in the first word.
“So, Marylin Manson called, he wants his-“
Nagra lashed out a whip of fire across Jessen’s face. Jessen couldn’t work out if his reactions were getting better thanks to Greyfall and Israel’s training or if his body had an inbuilt armour. Either way the fire barely hurt and left no mark.
“Interesting,” Nagra commended. Confusion immediately rushed towards Jessen, or did he slowly crawl towards him? Either way he was upon Jessen with the speed of… speed of what? Do I like paprika yesterday? Where did he leave it? No wait, the three of them.
“What… what the hell is this?” Jessen could barely get the words out. Confusion was swirling around his brain turning his thoughts to garbage. Spirit of Fear crept in over Jessen’s shoulder.
“You think you can take down the prince in his tower?” he whispered into Jessen’s ear. “You have no idea how weak you people are.”
Whether it was reactions or Jessen’s powers protecting him before, this time it didn’t work as Nagra’s flame whipped across his body tearing and burning at his flesh. He yelled in agony and fell to the ground. This was unlike anything he had ever felt before. Pain wasn’t even the right word for it. This was something else. Pain would have been desirable over this sensation. Again Spirit Of Fear crawled into Jessen’s head. Red light trails bounced slowly back and forth in front of him with rapid speed. No, wait…
“You follow an old man gone out of his mind. You partner with weak little boys and girls.”
Another flame whipped across Jessen’s back this time causing him to spasm and cry out in more pain.
“This silly little quest of yours will see them all die!” the voice continued to mock him.
A gunshot suddenly ripped through the air.
Chapter 12
“What the hell is that?!”
Elaine pushed past Ronan into his apartment. Storming towards his living area she picked up the helmet Manning had made him which was sitting on his coffee table.
“Uh… hello to you too. Anything I can help you with?” Ronan had barely opened the door before the situation had hit the fan. Elaine just stood there with her eyes burning into Ronan, holding the helmet up. Ronan sighed and closed his front door.
“Yeah. Yeah that was me. I was there. Is your brother ok?”
“Don’t… Don’t just start talking like that! What were you doing there with those guys? Do you know them? Stupid question. How do you know them?” Elaine was visibly shaken. She had come to Ronan’s apartment to get away from everything, to feel safe. Instead she had simply moved from one circus venue to another.
“Sit down. It’s ok.” Ronan gestured towards to couch and Elaine sat down, setting the helmet back on the coffee table. Ronan sat opposite her.
“Uh… where to begin. Um, did they mention how they…” Ronan didn’t want to jump the gun too early
“They have powers and do time travel and are going to try to take down one of the most powerful men in the world because he’s actually a monster?! Yeah. It came up.”
“Good.”
“Not really. “
“No. I suppose not.”
“So… what can you do?” Elaine asked, almost scared to find out. Ronan sighed.
“You see my coffee table?”
Elaine looked at Ronan’s table. “Yeah…”
“See how it’s granite?”
Elaine tapped on the hard granite table. “Yeah?
“Granites real heavy right?” Ronan asked.
“Yeah?” Elaine was getting impatient. Ronan leaned forward in his seat and grabbed the end of the table with one hand. Seemingly without any effort he raised the table off the ground and over his head, all in a seated position, leaning forward with one hand. Elaine stared in amazement.
“So you’re super strong?” she finally asked.
“Yeah. Super strong and super tough. I don’t really get hurt. Don’t really bleed,” Ronan answered.
“Wow.” Elaine took a moment then realisation hit her. “So the first blood match?”
“Capsule. Believe me, my heart sank when I was told I had to lose that way. Sol wanted my forehead opened up. It would take someone or something with a lot more power than Santos to do that.”
“Yunno, you can put that down.” Elaine gestured to the table Ronan was still holding
above his head.
“Oh. Right.” He put it down gently and without a strain on his arm. The two coworkers sat in silence for a minute.
“So, this whole wrestling thing? It’s been pretty easy for you?” Elaine asked.
“Figured it was a way I could use my powers for a career without anyone really raising any eyebrows. Worst case scenario is I’m accused of juicing and any test would prove I’m not.”
“Would they even be able to get a needle into your arm if they needed to?”
Ronan laughed. “Man… I don’t think so. Here’s hoping they only ever ask for a pee sample.”
They both laughed.
“So, you’re not here for a social call I’m assuming?” Ronan asked.
“No. Not quite.”
Despite working together for some time, Elaine and Ronan got comfortable on the sofas for what was inevitably going to be a long night of actually getting to know one another for the first time.
The elevator doors opened and Marcus dragged Jessen into the hideout.
“What the hell is this?!” Manning exclaimed as he and Greyfall rushed to help. Greyfall picked up Jessen and carried him over to one of the sofas.
“What happened to him?!” Greyfall boomed at Marcus.
“Nagra I think!” Marcus answered.
“Nagra?! What the hell?!”
“What does he mean, Nagra?” Greyfall looked to Manning for an explanation.
“I’ll explain in a bit. Marcus, what was it like? Do you think he’ll be ok?” Manning asked.
Israel heard the commotion from the back of the hideout and came rushing round to see what was going on.
“I think so. I think he’s actually struggling more in the brain, or soul, or whatever. I felt this fear and this whirlwind of crazy ass confusion. On top of that some searing burns across my body. I’d felt that those flames once or twice before and knew straight away it was Nagra.”
Manning was inspecting Jessen’s body. The chest and back had burn marks in straight lines across them, as if he had been whipped by flames.
“It didn’t feel like it was of this world!” Marcus explained, raising his voice.
Everyone stayed quiet until eventually Manning broke the silence.
“You feel him now? What’s he doing?”
“He’s getting better. Ten times better already than when I picked him up.”
“Why did you take him away from the hospital?!” Israel shouted.
“Well I didn’t realise he was super powered. A normal person wouldn’t stand a chance of surviving even in a hospital. So I was gonna take him somewhere else. There’s a guy I know of. He’s like me only better, more powerful. I was taking Jessen to his home when he started rambling on about you guys.”
“Who is this other guy?!” Israel asked.
Officer Josiah Versette stumbled, falling into the side of a parked car. The alarm was set off which caused him to panic even more. Picking himself up he stumbled on down the middle of the road in the thundering rain. Thankfully at this time of night, on this type of road, in this area of town there was no traffic. After several hundred yards of running at half pace, Josiah stopped and vomited on the street. With his hands on his calves and his back arched forward Josiah emptied his stomach, spitting several times afterwards. After several moments he stood upright and looked around.
“That… that seems to have… done it.” He said aloud to himself.
Metalcore soared higher than he had ever flown before but it wasn’t enough. The colder, higher altitude did nothing to sooth the burns Nagra had left on his body. His faced was the worst. Daniel wanted to rip every inch of skin off of his skull. The rain was pounding down harder and harder, his heart beating faster and faster until eventually he gave up and began to plummet it back down towards the ground.
Jessen had calmed down and was sleeping on the sofa with a rug around his body. Manning, Marcus, Greyfall and Israel sat across the hideout to give him peace while they talked.
“I’ve never actually met him. I take pain but I can’t cure anything. I’ve felt this guy literally grow someones leg longer. I’ve felt fingers grow back because of him, diseases simply disappear,” Marcus declared.
“Well, I dunno if we need him. Hade seems to be doing ok now. How is he feeling?” Manning asked Marcus who focused his attention on Jessen.
“Better. A lot better. His recovery is much faster than yours or mine would be.”
“Our knowledge of Nagra is sparse,” Manning said. “We know he tends to run with these two lackies by his side. One births confusion and one births fear, which I’m assuming is what you felt. They’re some kinds of… some kinds of…“ Manning paused.
“Spirits,” Greyfall finished his sentence. No one had said the words yet and the other three men were thankful someone else finally said it.
“I guess so,” Manning answered.
“I only see this guy every once in a while. His name is Josiah Versette. He visits a lot of hospitals. I followed him after a visit one time. Know where he went?”
The three men just looked at him.
“To work. At his precinct.”
“Hold on, hold on, hold on,” Israel interrupted. “He’s a cop?!”
Josiah had finally made it home. He battled with the lock and key but finally made it inside his apartment and collapsed on his sofa.
“Just tell… the wife… drunk,” He thought to himself.
He slept until morning.
“You said you checked his house before coming here. How do you know where he lives?” Manning asked Marcus.
“Cause I’ve stalked the hell out of him,” Marcus answered as if he didn’t needed to give such an obvious answer. “Nice place too. North side of town. Got a wife and two daughters.”
The elevator dinged. Everyone turned to see who it could be. None of them were prepared for what came barrelling out of the lift.
“Daniel!” Israel exclaimed, shooting up out of his seat.
Daniel, face half burnt off, soaking wet, barely resembling any form of the man he once was came barreling into the hideout screaming in pain.
“Daniel what is this?! What happened to you?!” Israel boomed.
“Fiiir! Frr!” Daniel’s voice was inaudibly muffled. The skin on his lips had melted and moulded together in places. His face was a mess.
“Nagraaaarrhh!” Marcus yelled and hit the ground in agony. Almost immediately Daniel’s screaming died down to a whimper and Marcus began writhing on the ground.
“Nagra flames!” Marcus yelled.
Manning gestured to Israel.
“Get Elaine on the phone, tell her he’s here!” Israel obeyed and ran for the phone.
“Marcus! How bad is it?! He’s tougher than you can you hold on to it?!” Manning shouted.
“Haaarrghh!!!!” Marcus wailed as Daniel started to breath a little easier.
“Wht… wht’s…? Happ-?!” Daniel tried to ask, looking to Marcus. Manning knelt down beside him.
“This is Marcus. He is taking your pain for you, but he won’t be able to hold it for long if it’s Nagra flame. He doesn’t have any extra strength like you,” Manning explained as Marcus continued to writhe and cry out. Daniel collected himself and rose to his feet. He approached Marcus’ side and tried to comfort him.
“Nnnnn…dnnnt!” Daniel tried to protest, shaking his head.
“He knows.” Manning answered for Marcus.
Daniel looked to Manning, obviously looking for an explanation.
“His power is a curse. On a lesser man it would be wasted. But on a good man like Marcus… he suffers so that others don’t have to.”
Marcus hammered on the floor, his body utterly drenched in sweat, screaming in pain at the top of his lungs.
“Ssssp…sssstp.” Daniel shook his head aggressively as he desperately tried to communicate with Marcus.
“Nnn…nnn, no way!” Marcus managed to choke out two words.
“What about this Josiah guy?! Can we
get him here? If Marcus can give us his address Daniel could fly and get him!” Israel suggested.
“Nnnn…no wouldn’t… wouldn’t work,” Marcus struggled to answer. “If Dan… Daniel leaves me… he takes his pain with him.”
“It only works within relatively close vicinities.” Manning explained to Israel. “Daniel, Elaine has been looking for you!”
Daniel flapped his arms like a bird.
“Nnngggg.” He tried to say while pointing to Marcus.
“Nagra, right,” Manning understood.
“Faaargh!” Marcus screamed then passed out. Then pain moved back to Daniel who hit the floor writhing.
“Elaine is on her way with Ronan. They’re moving as we speak,” Israel told him.
“Ronan?” Manning asked.
“Yeah she was at this apartment. Said she knows everything,” Israel updated him.
“Can anyone keep a damn secret in this world?! Honestly,” Manning complained.
Manning, Greyfall and Israel did their best to comfort Daniel and moved Marcus to a couch beside Jessen.
“Looks like we’re running a hospital here. Three men down,” said Manning.
Every minute that went by Daniel’s screams got worse and worse.
“How long before Ronan and Elaine make it here?” Greyfall asked.
“Any minute now man. Traffic should be light-“ Israel was interrupted by the ding of the elevator. Ronan and Elaine rushed into the hideout.
“Daniel!” Elaine exclaimed, running to her bothers side. She took his hand and rubbed his forehead. Daniel grabbed her wrist.
“What happened to him?” Ronan asked.
“Nagra flame,” Manning answered.
“Shit,” was Ronan’s response.
“He got it bad. It’s burning him alive slowly. Jessen had it too but not as harsh. His is wearing off now.” Manning pointed to Jessen on the couch.
“You running a hospital here Manning?” Ronan pointed to Marcus and Jessen, both passed out on the sofas.
The Hade War Page 11
