Karis looked at the door as Diz rushed away, presumably to search the city for Officer Jones. She decided that her best course of action would be to get out of the pajamas she'd been wearing and get ready for action in case there was something happening to Officer Jones. The thought that the news reports had comments from people that were later involved in attacks on them and on the city increased her certainty that something was wrong with the whole situation.
Just as she had finished getting in her costume, she got a mental message from Diz.
Follow my message. Karl's in trouble.
Chapter 27
When Karis arrived at the scene she could understand why Diz was so anxious. Mornigan was there holding his glove at Officer Jones' head. Diz wasn't doing anything but he looked like he was waiting for something before springing into action.
"I'm glad to see that you decided to join us," Mornigan laughed. "Your friend's life hangs in the balance, as I'm sure you are already aware. We have been waiting since your fast friend arrived and ruined my original plan."
"What are you trying to do?" Karis demanded.
"I was planning to use your friend to kill you," Mornigan laughed, "but we can skip the formalities. Our police friend wouldn't be ready in time, so I'll have to try something else."
"You act so tough," Diz taunted, "why don't you just kill us yourself?"
"First," Mornigan revealed, "the time is not ripe. Second, I have so many other delightful ways to end your lives."
"What is it this time?" Diz mocked. "A giant rabbit? Maybe a killer teddy bear?"
"Do not deny my powers," Mornigan demanded as he drew a ball from a pocket in his cloak. "For your insolence, you may face my latest creation."
“A bouncy ball?" Diz laughed.
"In a way you are correct," Mornigan replied with his own laugh. "You may play with this while I take your friend and prepare him for later."
"I don't think so," Diz insisted as he took advantage of Mornigan's distraction while he was gloating and pulled Officer Jones to safety. "You'll have to make do without your hostage."
"Time to play ball," Mornigan shouted as he let the ball fall to the ground.
The ball started bouncing and rather than losing momentum, it actually bounced an inch higher. It continued to bounce as Mornigan lifted to the sky again.
"Is it just me," Karis asked, "or is that ball getting larger?"
The ball had started the size of a small bouncy ball from one of those twenty-five-cent vending machines. It was now almost the size of a golf ball.
"We've got to stop that ball," Karis insisted. “I don’t think it’s going to stop on its own.”
"Let me get Karl someplace safe first," Diz suggested.
"I don't need protection," Karl insisted as he waved Diz away. "I can handle myself."
"Mornigan wants you for some reason," Diz said. "You need to get someplace where he can't find you while we catch this ball. Besides, the longer you argue with us, the more dangerous this is going to become."
"Fine," Karl agreed. "Take me back to the station.”
"We'll be there in a jiffy," Diz announced as he shouted at Karis. "Keep an eye on that thing while I'm gone."
Diz was gone for a moment and then returned.
"Let me grab this thing, and we can go home," Diz bragged.
When he tried to grab the ball, the force of the bouncing smacked his hand out of the way.
"That smarted," Diz shouted as he shook his hand. "We won't be able to stop it that way," Diz announced.
* * *
Mornigan's bouncy ball hadn't caused much trouble at first. It just bounced and grew larger, but then it grew large enough to land on something that adjusted its trajectory and it started making its way around the city. By the time this happened, the ball was the size of a tennis ball and was lifting ten feet in the air, but it was still growing and gaining energy.
This is going to be a problem Diz thought to Karis. All we can do right now is get people out of the way.
Let's worry about what happens next when we get a free moment. Karis responded and she pulled a man out of the ball's path.
The ball started moving towards Times Square and foot and car traffic was getting heavier. The ball was bouncing as high as the tallest trees in the city and the impact on the ground was now less of a bump, and more of a press. The path of the ball could be seen in the pavement and on the buildings and even a few cars along the way.
On one bounce, the ball was heading towards a building and Karis decided to try and block it with her invulnerable body, but the ball sent her flying into the building as it flew off in a new direction. After impacting with Karis, the ball started moving faster and grew to the size of a rubber playground ball.
Karis pulled herself off the building is brushed the debris off her back before chasing after the ball for another attempt later.
Fortunately, this menace wasn't causing as much damage as Mornigan's other destructive attempts, but it was still making a noticable impact on the city. Diz tried using a vortex where the ball was going to land, but that just made the ball faster and larger. In fact, every time they came in contact with the ball or used their powers on it, it became more of a threat.
I think Mornigan crafted this just for us, Diz thought.
So what do we do now? Karis asked. We can't just let it go, but the more we fight it, the more of a threat it becomes.
Stick with it for a moment Diz sent. I’ll be right back.
Karis flew with the path of the ball, staying high in the air so she could predict its destination. The ball was reaching the top of some of the smaller sky scrapers now, and was as big as a beach ball. Karis misjudged a bounce and was driven to the ground. She was a bit dazed, but her powers had protected her. She was wondering what was taking Diz so long, and how much more of a beating she could withstand before her invulnerability gave up on her.
Karis shifted her focus back to evacuating citizens from the path of the ball. This was becoming more difficult as the ball grew larger, but it was also a bit easier because it was bouncing so high now. Karis considered the idea that the ball might just bounce out of the atmosphere, but she didn't think that Mornigan was that short sighted. Hopefully Diz had an idea that would work.
Diz arrived shortly after that thought carrying a bag over his shoulder. Karis considered the fact that Gavin's old body wouldn't have been able to handle that much weight, let alone carry it at high speeds. Diz stopped and looked at the ball as it was rising in the air. He located a spot that he thought would be the next landing place for the ball. He motioned for Karis.
"What do you have in mind?" she asked as she approached.
"Take this bag and pour it where the ball will land," Diz answered. "I've got a rough idea based on observations, and it will have to do."
"What are you going to do?" Karis asked as she started pouring a dull yellow powder out of the bag on the spot Diz had recommended.
"I'm going to add some water," he replied. A moment later he was holding a wrench and opening a fire hydrant. He opened it enough so the water was pouring on the ground, but not forcefully. Karis and Diz coaxed the water to mix with the powder as the ball was making its decent. When it hit the mixture, the ball stuck to the ground.
"Hopefully that will hold it," Diz announced placing his hands at his hips.
"What is that stuff?"
"I was seeing a guy back at college for a little bit," Diz explained, "and he was always talking about this new adhesive he was developing. I borrowed some of it, with permission of course."
The ball was stuck to the ground, but it looked like it was still vibrating from the impact. The vibrations didn't slow, in fact they increased. The ball was also still growing. Eventually, the adhesive couldn't withstand the vibrations and the growth and the ball broke free. It wasn't bouncing very high yet, but it was bigger and thus causing more damage to the city than it had been.
"We have to get this ball someplace where it
won't hit anything," Karis asserted.
"Where do we do that," Diz argued, "and how do we get it there?"
"I'm going to try to control the bounces," Karis suggested. "You run ahead of us and keep everyone out of the way."
"Which way are we going?" Diz queried.
"I'm heading for the ocean," Karis advised. "Even if it hit the bottom, the water should slow it down so it won’t gain as much energy from the impact."
"Maybe it will float, too,” Diz added. "I'll clear a path for you."
Diz rushed off in the direction that Karis had indicated while Karis positioned herself in the air. She collided with the ball and the impact caused it to change direction towards the bay. Karis watched it bounce for a moment before she decided on how best to correct the course. She continued the pattern of hitting the ball and then evaluating the path that the ball was taking in order to direct it where she wanted the ball to go.
After twenty minutes, Karis was able to force the ball to the bay. The ball splashed into the water and disappeared from sight for a moment. Karis watched as the ball floated to the surface again.
"I think that solved the problem," Karis said as she landed near Diz.
"I'm not sure yet," Diz muttered. "I thought we had it with that adhesive too."
"Fine," Karis grumbled, "let's be pessimistic for a while."
As they waited, the ball started floating further out to sea.
"I'm going to get a closer look at that thing," Karis announced as she started flying away.
Karis moved to a position above the ball and saw that it seemed still be moving, but there was something strange about the movement, almost like there was something moving inside the ball. There must have still been some energy working its way through the ball. It didn't seem to have grown much since it landed in the water, but that may be because there weren't any impacts. Karis flew closer to the ball to see if there was anything else she could discover.
Can you see anything? Diz thought.
There isn't much to report. It is making some strange movements though Karis replied. I'm getting a closer look now.
The ball started to change. A tentacle shot out of the ball grabbing Karis by the arm before she could respond. While she tried to pull away, the ball started to ooze onto her body, covering her arm and then her mouth.
Get out of there Diz shouted mentally.
I'm trying Karis replied. This thing has a hold of me, and I don't want to take it back into the city.
Diz ran out on the water just in time to see Karis completely encased by the ball as it went back into a spherical shape and fell into the water again. Diz tried to attack the ball, but he wasn't able to keep the speed to stay on top of the water and make a hit worth mentioning. He tried reaching out to her mind, but he couldn't make a connection. Before he could work out another solution, the ball started to lift into the air as Mornigan started to lower.
"I'm glad to see that my trap worked so well," Mornigan gloated.
"What are you going to do with Karis?" Diz demanded as he ran in place on the water.
"We are going to have a nice little chat," Mornigan chuckled. “I promise to be nice.”
"You can't take her," Diz demanded.
"You will not be able to stop me," Mornigan mocked. "Your powers will not allow you to reach me in the air. Perhaps if you had been the one captured, your partner could have helped you, but that is not the case, so we will never know."
Diz sent a sonic boom punch at Mornigan, but it was too far away to make a significant impact, and he started to sink into the water. Mornigan started lifting back into the sky.
"Bring her back!" Diz shouted after Mornigan. There was no response.
At a loss for something to do, Diz ran back to the city to talk to the Mayor.
* * *
"So you lost your partner," the Mayor asked, "what do you want me to do about it?"
"I'm not sure, sir," Diz replied. "I was hoping we could at least see if there was a satellite or something that could track where they went, or give me some idea of where to look."
"I understand your concern, young man," the Mayor commented as he sorted a few papers at his desk. "I will see if we can find out anything about this situation, but I can't make any promises. I don't know if you're aware of this, but no one has been able to track the movements of this Mornigan character. He seems to be able to avoid our methods of detection."
"So what should I do now?" Diz wondered as he paced at high speed around the office.
"Do what you do best," the Mayor suggested, "keep my city safe."
"It won't be easy without Karis," Diz insisted.
"I understand that," the Mayor accepted, "but you can't just give up either. It seems to me that most of the major problems that you have faced have been a result of something this Mornigan fellow has been trying to do. I expect we will be hearing from him soon, and when we do, you will have a window of opportunity. Keep your eyes open for it, and when you find it, jump through as quickly as you can."
"Thank you for the advice, sir," Diz replied as he headed towards the door. "I'll go see if there are any problems that could use a hand."
"You do that son," the Mayor encouraged, "and don't be afraid to talk to me if you have any more problems."
Chapter 28
Running through a crowd could be complicated at times even when you had super speed. It would be worse tonight when everyone was roaming around in their costumes going to parties and trick or treating, but running through a crowd towards a press conference was rough too.
You never knew when someone was going to make an unexpected change of course. There was plenty time to adjust, but it was still annoying when the Diz had places to be. There are times when being a speedster can't keep you from being late. This was one of those times. It wouldn't have happened if Karis were here and free.
It had been three days since Karis had disappeared and rumors were all over the news and the internet. There were pictures and video of her abduction, but no further information about what had happened to her. Diz recalled one blog post in particular:
What has happened to the team of Karis and the Diz? Diz has still been seen running around when he slows down enough to be seen, but Karis hasn't been seen for three days now. She was last spotted being escorted by the criminal known as Mornigan. Sure she wasn't under her own control, but there are reports that Mornigan made claims that he had the power to control the heroic team. What if Karis has fallen under his influence? Will New York City be able to combat such a threat? What if the Diz is also under this control? I for one do not feel safe with such questions hanging over my head.
Will normal citizens be able to do anything if our protectors decide to turn against us? I do not know for certain, but hopefully there is someone out there with answers to those questions, and a million others.
This was just one example of the press that doubted Karis and the Diz. Of course it wasn't a team at the moment. Karis was out there someplace-Gavin was out there. Diz thought about his feelings for both of those people, and it made him wonder what might happen when they were reunited. Mornigan had some kind of plan for Karis, but what could it be?
Camera crews were waiting when Diz arrived at his destination. This was yet another press conference to deter the increase in vigilantes in the city. Yesterday, a man calling himself The Great Green was shot by a street gang while trying to stop them from robbing a store. His only weapon was a baseball bat and his only protection was an overwhelming sense of self confidence. Neither of them did him any good. The official reports suggested that the Great Green never even had a chance to swing his bat once.
Diz made his way to the podium. He removed his helmet and squinted as the mob of cameras snapped pictures as he stood there. Several reporters were shouting questions that Diz ignored and did his best to shut out.
"This isn't the time for questions," Diz announced. "I am here to make some statements, and if there is still time, then I will answer
some of your questions, but right now you are wasting that time."
The press members stopped and waited for the Diz to proceed. He waited a few moments before he continued. He recognized several of the faces in the crowd from the many press conferences he had participated in since agreeing to work with the Mayor.
"I am here today to talk about the tragic loss of a man known as Herman Henderson," Diz started. "He made a mistake in thinking that he could stop a situation without the proper resources. Karis and I have special abilities that set us apart from would-be vigilantes. We also have authorization from the city to actively work for the protection of our citizenry. It is not an easy task since the world has changed so much, but we are willing to do our part to help those in need."
"Mr. Diz," a female reporter with short brown hair from the front row began, "everyone is wondering what has happened to Karis. She hasn't been seen since she was abducted by Mornigan three days ago."
"I am afraid that I don't have the answer to that question yet," Diz replied. "Karis has been out of touch since the incident with Mornigan."
"Do you think she is working for Mornigan now?" another reporter that Diz couldn’t identify followed.
"I cannot believe that Karis is under the control of Mornigan, or that she has turned to follow his path."
"Can you stand against Mornigan without Karis to fight with you?" an older man with grey hair asked.
"I can only do what I have always done," Diz insisted, "my best. Hopefully it will be enough."
"What if that isn't enough?" the first reporter prodded.
"Then I probably won't be happy about the results," Diz responded as he reached for his helmet. "I believe that is all the time we have for the moment, but if you have any further questions, you may direct them to the Mayor's office. Good bye for now."
With those words, Diz rushed away from the platform and past the crowd of reporters. He was glad for his super speed. In Cacy's body, he wouldn't have been able to get away without more questions being thrown at them.
A moment later, he was home and pondering the future. He might have been better off with the press.
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