“My phone died.”
“You’re lying,” Tony told the fake. “Who are you?”
Drake grinned, “Y’know, I never quite understood how you dealt with losing mom and Aunt Annetta on the same day…In fact, how on earth did they both die on the same day?”
Tony only shook his head and muttered, “You wouldn’t know because you are not my son.”
“I’ve talked to people about it though.”
“Drake might have but you never did.”
“You told me they died together in a car accident,” Drake spat.
“They did.”
“Now you’re lying.” The poseur tossed a file on the desk between the two of them; Drake couldn’t see what the files were from the angle of the tape. The imposter continued, “I read here that mom and Aunt Annetta were a part of some experimental test for a drug called Regenesis.” The charlatan looked Drake’s father in the eye and asked, “What is Regenesis?”
Drake watched his father shift his weight and slowly reply, “Regenesis was a project this company worked on for years until the untimely death of my wife and sister. They both had an incurable strain of cancer and had this experimental drug worked they would have been cured.”
“Then Regenesis is a cure for cancer,” the charlatan surmised.
But Tony only shook his head. “It was a far more powerful remedy than that.”
“So it would have cured all cancers?”
Tony only shook his head. “I can’t say anymore.”
The charlatan only smirked, chuckled, and retrieved a handgun from the back of his jeans and took aim at Tony’s chest. He slowly asked the man again, “What is Regenesis?”
It was at that moment that Drake first saw it, but on the fake’s left arm was the tattoo of a serpent. Drake recalled Ian telling him of a tattoo he saw on the man who killed Victor. He wasn’t sure what the snake Ian saw looked like, but Drake believed it was the same assassin.
Tony’s breathing slowed down. Drake saw his father try to remain calm while he attempted to dissuade the aggressor from shooting him. “You need to calm down.”
“No, you need to tell me what it is.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore,” he told the fake, “The project’s been completely scrapped and all materials used have been destroyed.”
“You’re lying.”
“I swear,” Tony confessed. “After my wife died I never wanted to risk the drug backfiring the way it did before.”
“How is that?”
Tony looked at the gunman and only shook his head. “You’d better just finish this now; I’m not going to tell you.”
The charlatan twitched. He shot Tony in the left shoulder and slowly walked over to him while he bled on the carpet between his desk and the door. The fake set the gun against Tony’s left temple, held him down tightly, and told him, “You will tell me everything there is to know about Regenesis.” He then added something in a low voice which the recording failed to properly record.
Drake couldn’t see his face very well, but he thought he heard his father weep before he admitted, “It’s nothing more than a genocide waiting to happen. Please, please don’t hurt my family.”
The charlatan smiled and thanked him. “That’s what I thought.”
All there was afterwards was the final shot from the gunman before the video ended.
Detective Obata closed the laptop and asked for his thoughts. “You were there, you interrogated and killed your own father, and you evidentially have an ability but are unwilling to admit it.”
Drake asked if he could point some things out before they continued. “Firstly, my own father said that wasn’t me, which you should take into consideration. Second, did you happen to notice the tattoo on his arm? I don’t have one and even if I had it removed there would still be a scar from getting it removed so recently.”
“And what about the gun?”
“What about it?”
“Is it registered to you?”
“I don’t own a firearm.”
“But you do know how to get one, don’t you?”
Drake rolled his eyes, “Every teenager in the United States knows how to get a gun, we practically sell them on the street corners.”
Amano rubbed his eyes and muttered in Japanese, “
“
Amano agreed. He looked at his partner and mentioned, “
Drake asked them, “
Amano said they’d found a gun multiple flights below where the crime was committed, but added that there still wasn’t any results as to who’s fingerprints were on the gun. “Since there wasn’t any gunshot residue found on you, that does helps your case, but your ability as well as the revelation as to who held that gun are your only keys to freedom at this point.”
“But nothing’s guaranteed, is it?”
“Of course not,” Obata scoffed.
Drake lowered his eyes and concentrated. He asked whether he’d be imprisoned in Japan or if he’d be extradited back to the United States. The short answer was that he’d be extradited when the time came, but for now he would remain in Japan.
Both of the detectives left shortly thereafter; once they were gone Drake spent his time trying to figure out what sort of ability he could possess. He started by imitating what Ian showed him, moved on to trying to punch a hole in the wall of his room, and even tried to lift his futon up off the floor with his mind. None of it worked though.
---*---
10:05 AM
Bothell, Washington
Coop, Wally, and Ian sat in Ian’s room in front of his thirty-six inch television, each with a controller in their hands and a portion of their attention on the video game they played. Wally and Ian didn’t mind having their character’s limbs blown off, but Coop took it to heart that their team didn’t fare too well.
“Are you sure you don’t want to practice anymore?” Wally asked Ian.
He nodded. “I think I’ve got the general hang of everything, so there isn’t really any sense in mastering it.”
“What do you mean?”
“It isn’t as if I’ll ever need a mastery of them,” he mumbled. “I don’t have any intention of fighting with any of the others like me.”
“But what if they want to fight you?” Coop asked while he never lost focus on the game.
“I’d just flee or try to talk them down.”
Coop rolled his eyes and muttered, “You’d chicken out then?”
Ian told him it wasn’t like that. “I just don’t see any reason for me to help.”
Wally paused the game and scowled at Ian. “What the hell do you mean by that?”
“I mean I don’t think London’s heroes will need me.”
“You’re joking, right?” Coop asked him. “You have seen what those guys look like, right?”
“Yes.”
“They look like complete douchbags.”
“Yes Coop, we get it,” Wally interjected. “Seriously Ian, any guy on the planet would die a thousand times just to land in your position for a moment. You’ve got the opportunity to help the world in possibly the coolest fashion ever, yet you’re hesitant…Why is that?”
Ian let his gaze meet the floor when he admitted his fear in the matter. “What if I fail to save someone?”
Coop only shrugged. “Then some people die and you just be sure to save the next one.”
“What he means to say is that it’s better for you to lose a few and save a lot than fail to save anyone because you never tried,” Wally explained. “No one’s going to blame you if you do fail Ian, no one can single handedly save the world. People slip through the net all the time and there isn’t a
ny way to stop that.”
Ian admitted that Wally had a valid point. “So you both believe I should get a costume, a new name, and save the world?”
Coop didn’t wait to answer, “Duh. That’s what I’ve been saying this whole time.”
Wally agreed.
Ian nodded and smiled. “So what do you think the super hero persona should be called?”
“Do you have any ideas yet?” Wally asked.
Ian shook his head and said he hadn’t given it any thought until then. “Jordan had a few though.”
Coop groaned, “Jordan? He’s an idiot.”
“What were they?”
“One was Zeus,” Ian stated, which both of his friends rejected out of hand. He told them the other name was the Blue Streak, but it failed to garner better results than the first.
“How about Captain Thunder?” Coop suggested.
“Or Raging Thunder?” Wally added.
Ian stopped them before he asked, “What do you think about Voltage?”
Coop and Wally grinned. “Now that’s something to think about.”
---*---
8:13 PM
Truva, Turkey
As their holiday drew to a close, Audrey and Jason retreated to a small town outside of Troia called Tevfikiye. They spent their day visiting Troia, or what was left of the great city of Troy. Both Audrey and Jason loved history and Jason adored the Greek tragedies so neither felt they could pass up the detour. Some of their other expeditions earlier in the week included a visit to the Parthenon and the Temple of Olympian Zeus, as well as a few museums and art galleries around Athens. Jason utilized every opportunity to speak Greek and rattle off random facts and legends he knew about every place and everything they saw throughout their trip. Normally his avid rants wore on her patience, but she found herself relieved. For the first time since his accident she actually saw her husband the way she remembered him. Neither one of them returned to the subject of whether Jason possessed supernatural powers or if there were even such things. Audrey knew it would only provoke another argument and she wanted their vacation to remain peaceful. She saw how relieved he was and didn’t want to ruin his happiness. Yet her curiosity remained intact and alive. Jason’s survival, recovery, and the unnatural event earlier in the week captivated her. She wanted an answer and a reason to define why he was healed and what caused it. Audrey wanted to know how her husband lived and how he was fully healed too. Jason wasn’t sure what it was and even though he wanted to disregard it entirely, Audrey knew he still dwelt on it.
Jason and Audrey lay on their queen sized bed in their hotel room. The Edge of Heaven played on the television in the background though it only served as background noise while they talked.
“It’s too bad it’s almost over,” she sighed. “I really love it here.”
“We could always stay,” he joked. “I’ve never given much thought toward the life of a nomad, but I imagine we could enjoy it.”
Audrey only stuck her tongue out at him and took his hand in hers. She laced her fingers together and asked him what he wanted to do for breakfast before their flight the next morning. Jason told her they could walk around town in the morning and stumble upon someplace nice before they needed to leave.
Jason kept his eyes on the ceiling for a moment before he thanked her. “I–we really needed this didn’t we?” He looked at her with a smile, leaned toward her, and kissed her. “Thank you for convincing me to come.”
Audrey playfully told him he never had another option. “You would have missed me and I know you would have felt left out if I went to the Parthenon and saw the great city of Troy without you.”
He chuckled and thanked her again.
Their movie ended and the news came on. Normally Jason and Audrey watched the news regularly, however after the news clip about Athens’ Burning Man the couple decided to take a leave from the news. They listened unenthusiastically to the headlines until one brought the pair to full attention. “Confirmation of other super heroes in Nigeria, Laos, and Honduras follow quickly on the heels of a dozen other announcements across the world today.”
Pictures of some of the new heroes joined the anchorwoman onscreen. Audrey noticed how poorly made their costumes were, though this went unnoticed by the broadcasters and commentators. She imagined she would see those heroes with rose-colored lenses too if her past few weeks hadn’t been filled with unnatural happenings.
The report continued, “It’s unsure who these heroes are, though we have managed to confirm a few known aliases of heroes previously revealed.” One image came to the screen of a young man without a uniform or mask. His hair was cut short and kept neat and he wore jeans, a v-neck tee-shirt, combat boots, and leather gloves. “It was confirmed only an hour ago that the previously assumed Jericho Law is the hero who has patrolled San Diego for months now. He’s acted as a vigilante for years police say, though his super powers were unknown until recently.”
The video changed to a poorly shot video of Law combating four young men outside of a bar. One of the attackers broke a glass bottle over Law’s head but the hero hardly flinched and later another man tried to stab him but the blade couldn’t pierce his skin. By the time the video finished Law was out of breath, but relatively unharmed. His attackers were all unconscious at his feet.
“Jericho Law’s abilities still remain uncertain, as his presumed invulnerability ranges in effectiveness. This is seen clearly from the blood seen after the bottle was broken over his head in the video just seen. The blunt force seemed to be ignored but he was cut, which is where the dispute lies. The fact that he couldn’t be stabbed also perplexes analysts. We’ll be sure to update you all as this story unfolds.
“As mentioned earlier, other heroes have appeared across the world today, though only a few of these individuals have been clearly identified.” Images, both crude and professional, appeared alongside a brief biography of some of the newest heroes. The list ranged from one called Envoy from Sao Paulo to another named Toxic Hammer in Geneva. “Some nations, such as Mexico and Sweden, plan to require registration of heroes if they reside and operate within their borders, both for security and employment. Other nations like Nicaragua have declared any hero a legal law enforcer, with or without official identification or government approval.
“And today in London,” the anchorwoman continued, “Two heroes identified themselves at a press conference at the top of the steps of the Westminster Bridge in front of the Houses of Parliament.” A recording of the press conference played with commentary from the reporter overdubbed. “The man on the left was identified as the Human Titan and his companion calls himself Captain Density. While Captain Density has elected to remain anonymous, the Human Titan has revealed himself as Trevor Wilde, a third year at the University of London.”
Both super heroes’ costumes were home made from what seemed to be any sort of clothes they had available. Captain Density wore matching knee-high boots, a pair of dirty jeans, and a black tee-shirt with England’s flag and the word ‘Destiny’ written over it in red. And to top it all off he wore a bandana with the nation’s flag over his head and large, dark sunglasses over his eyes. The Human Titan however wore an extremely tight fitting blue athletic guard and white tennis shoes. A large letter ‘T’ was spray-painted over his chest.
The anchorwoman continued, “Recently the two teamed up to stop a bank robbery and we have the security footage of their heroics.”
The camera showed five men arrive though only four entered the bank. They wore masks and held shotguns as they entered the bank and began their heist. One of the men even threatened to blow off the head of a young girl if the teller didn’t surrender all of the money from behind the counter. However, before the clerk could answer, Captain Density dove through the wall and tackled the gunman through a pane of glass. The tackled gunman fired the weapon in the air, which alerted the other assailants, though upon seeing Captain Density they fled and left their fellowman to deal with the vigilante. A
n outer security camera showed the remaining men regroup in the car, but before they could leave, their vehicle rose off the ground and over the Human Titan’s head. Cheers were heard from the surrounding crowd as he threw the automobile into the street before him, thieves still within.
The woman returned, “Although the two stopped the heist, many have begun to question their methods…In other news, evidence in the death of corporate billionaire Tony Winchester–” Jason shut it off.
The couple sat silently for a moment. Jason didn’t look at Audrey or the television. He sat up and let out a breath while he rubbed his face. “I didn’t think any of this was real Audrey. I mean, I really didn’t want to believe it was true, least of all now and in our life.” Jason relented and told her he hadn’t stopped thinking about what she said about the fire. “You mentioned you thought I created it and although I denied it then, the thought had already crossed my mind before you brought it up.” Jason fished a business card out of his wallet and held it out in his hand. He closed his eyes and after a moment the card caught fire and quickly burned away and left nothing but ash in his hand. He cursed under his breath as he did his best to wipe it away and return to their conversation. “I wanted to tell you sooner but I also wanted to be sure I could control it.”
Audrey’s eyes were wide and no word could escape her. Jason smiled and asked her to say something after a moment. She cleared her throat and after a moment all of her thoughts burst out at once, “Oh my word Jason, you’re a super hero! How—How on earth did you do that? What does it feel like? This is amazing, Jason! What’s it like? Does it hurt?”
Jason stopped her and answered her one question at a time. “What you said, your theory that I created the fire stuck with me all this time. I wasn’t sure why I couldn’t get it out of my head but eventually I had to see if it was true. I snuck out one night while you were asleep to try, but I didn’t have any luck. It frustrated me at the start, but then I remembered something. You need three things to create and sustain a fire. You need heat, oxygen, and fuel.” Jason smiled, “I only provide the heat Audrey. That’s why the fire was so brief while I was out earlier. My clothes burned away and once they were gone there wasn’t anything left to burn. And for some reason I can’t be burned or be used as fuel in the fire, so it simply stopped then. But I’ve practiced and grown to understand how to manage when and where to release that energy, so don’t worry, I’m not going to spontaneously combust anymore.”
Impact (Book 1): Regenesis Page 34
