by Pozel, Derek
“It’s always an accident with you superheroes,” Garrett said. “Own up to it already. I had to save two of yours while you were busy attacking my best friend. Some superhero you are.”
“What team members?” Crimson said. “I didn’t hear any calls from anybody.”
Garrett scoffed, lowering his body into a defensive crouch with his fists raised and ready. “I doubt it. You were too busy attacking my friend to listen to them.”
Crimson dropped the knife in its sheath and reached for the hilts of his twin swords. They cried out when they left their scabbards.
“Good, now I know you’re serious about this,” Garrett said. “Or am I not defenseless enough for you to stab?”
“Shut up,” Crimson said.
The ground trembled beneath Garrett’s feet. A loud crash erupted down the empty street when a car skidded towards Garrett. He leaped forward and landed hard on his wounded shoulder, a whimper escaped his dry lips. The car slid to a stop into another one right in front of him.
“Sorry I’m late. This guy caught me a little off guard,” Obsidian rose from his position next to the vacant spot the car once filled. “They didn’t mention anything about his laser stuff.”
“Don’t worry. Let’s finish this already and go home,” Crimson said and rushed Garrett with Obsidian in tow.
Garrett jumped to his feet and nearly lost an arm to one of Crimson’s slicing swords. The other blade slashed through his shirt, chest and shoulder in one cut. Garrett hopped backwards from another slice from Crimson’s sword. Obsidian slammed into him from behind, propelling him forward before his feet even touched the ground. Garrett’s head smacked off the hood of a car and he crumpled into the snow. Stars and snow filled his vision before darkness began to edge its way into his field of view.
“Did you see that? Soon as I touched him my armor it disappeared.” Obsidian stepped away from Garrett. “This guy really is immune to us.”
“Well that was not as easy as I thought it would be,” Crimson crouched down next to the still form of Garrett. Obsidian kept his distance while he patted down his body.
“Try getting shot with a laser beam, twice,” Obsidian held up two fingers. “I’m surprised I’m still alive.” He inched his heavy foot towards Garrett.
“I wouldn’t touch him,” Crimson looked up at his friend and raised an eyebrow.
“I know, but still this guy freaks me out,” Obsidian cracked his knuckles. “What else can this guy do?”
“Not sure, we went in this one blind,” Crimson said and reached out to place his index finger on Garrett’s neck.
“Be careful man, you know he can suck our powers out,” Obsidian loomed over Crimson’s shoulder.
Crimson glanced back at his partner. “He’s breathing, that’s good. Mission accomplished.” Crimson stood up and poked Garrett in the ribs with his boot. “Time to call it in.”
“I thought I’ve seen every type of Afflicted. But this immune stuff. It makes me feel,” Obsidian reformed his armor and sat against a parked car, his massive weight caused the car to tilt to its side.
“Normal,” Crimson said.
“I was going to say weak,” Obsidian said. “The laser beam he shot at me. It was strong, like stronger than anything I’ve ever been hit with. It was this blood red color, kind of like your scarf.”
Crimson grabbed his scarf. “Strange, Sage said he had a white glow before.”
Obsidian nodded and his neck emitted a sound of scraping rocks.
Crimson shuddered. “I hate that noise.”
“Sorry, can’t help it,” Obsidian said with a shrug.
Crimson looked up to the broken window of the apartment. “I feel bad. I hurt his friend by accident. When I heard you go down, I took my eyes off his friend and he lunged at me. I stabbed him. I was careless, I’m better than that.”
Obsidian kicked at the snow. “Sorry man, you can apologize to him later. Call in our victory and tell Falling Star the beers are on him, he missed the party.”
Crimson glanced off down the street. “Did you hear anyone call for help over the radio?”
“Nope, I didn’t hear anything? Why?” Obsidian said.
“He said he had to save two of ours tonight,” Crimson said. “I don’t know why but I believe him. Are you sure you didn’t hear any calls?” Crimson pulled the knot of his scarf tighter behind his head.
Obsidian furrowed his brow and shrugged his shoulders. “You believe this guy? He’s lying. We would’ve heard something over the radio if an S-O-S went out.”
“I hope you’re right,” Crimson said.
“Why would he save one of our people?” Obsidian said. “He’s the bad guy remember?”
“He might be lying,” Crimson said. “I was expecting a bit more from this guy after everything we’ve heard.”
“You must not be hearing me about getting shot with laser beams,” Obsidian said. “Well at least we got the guy.” Obsidian covered his eyes with his huge hand and looked to the sky above.
A shadow slithered closer to the heroes and their prey. They never saw it approach them.
Garrett lay in the soft cushion of the snow, his body beaten, bloody and tired. His mind wrestled with the fragmented thoughts of Emma’s little body buried beneath the rubble. Flashes of Ethan’s slumped head entered his fuzzy thoughts. The image of Denise’s blood soaked hands thumped throughout his brain with every heartbeat. Not yet, his mind screamed and his body twitched in response.
Obsidian peeked over at Garrett and shook his head. “I thought I saw him move.”
“You’re being jumpy,” Crimson said. “He’s out cold.”
Obsidian leaned in closer. “This guy’s steaming.”
“What,” Crimson dropped to his knees. “Oh, no.”
Garrett shot upright and followed through with a glowing red punch, catching Crimson in the chest. Crimson soared past Obsidian from the unexpected heavy attack.
“What the,” Obsidian began to say.
Garrett was already up on his knees with a smirk on his face when his eyes met the Obsidian’s open-eyed stare. He raised his right open hand and aimed at Obsidian.
“Not again,” Obsidian said.
A large bolt of red energy ripped through the air between them, crashing into Obsidian’s chest for a third time tonight. Garrett sent him through the air once again.
Garrett used his injured left arm to push himself off the wet snow onto shaky legs. He saw Obsidian’s body laid out on a car across the street, crushing it under his massive weight.
Garrett swung his head back to Crimson. “It’s not going to be that easy. We’re not even yet.”
Garrett turned to see Crimson flip off his back onto his feet and scurry away. He aimed and fired another bolt of energy. Crimson dodged the attack by sliding headfirst over the hood of a car. Garrett roared and fired again at the hazy image of a man with the red scarf blowing in the wind.
“I will find you,” Garrett said. “I will end you for what you did to Ethan.”
Garrett attacked again when he noticed Crimson duck behind a car. Shards of metal and glass exploded from the vehicle when Garrett’s energy struck it with tremendous force. Crimson yet again managed to dive away in time.
Garrett noticed a blank spot in the snow ahead of him. His eyes followed the movement of a figure when it raced towards him.
He aimed and fired away, Crimson sidestepped the attack with unbelievable agility.
“Next time I won’t miss,” Garrett said and grabbed his right wrist to steady his aim.
Wherever Crimson tried to hide Garrett’s attacks soon followed. The street was ablaze with burning cars and thick black smoke.
“Are you guys even trying anymore?” Garrett walked forward. He caught a glimpse of a red streak of light through dark gray clouds.
Garrett saw the magnificent spectacle of a human shooting star stop over his apartment building.
“Hey, you guys all right down there?” Falling Star called
out to his comrades.
“Another one, great.” Garrett said and swore he saw something move off to his right.
Garrett’s body heaved while he scanned his street. He tried to decide who would be the bigger threat, the invisible one or the shooting star. He looked up and found his next target. He aimed at Falling Star and fired. The light from Garrett’s hand illuminated the scowl on his face when he unleashed his afflicted power. The beam raced upward over his building. A streak of red dashed to the side.
“None of you are getting away. I will hunt all of you down,” Garrett’s body heaved, his eyes darted around the block, searching for prey.
“Garrett stop! Look at what you’re doing!” A woman’s voice echoed into the night. Garrett froze with one hand aimed at Falling Star and the other at Crimson. Denise stood in the broken window and pointed to the ground below. Garrett followed her hand to the carnage he brought down upon his own street, his neighborhood. Cars burned and smoldered, scraps of metal and shattered glass littered the ground. Fragments from splintered trees lay strewn about from Garrett’s poor aim.
Garrett blinked away the snowflakes on his eyelashes and shook his head. He dropped his arms and his shoulders slumped.
He collapsed to his knees. “What have I done?”
Garrett pounded his fists into the snow. “I’m no better than him,” he repeated.
“You took it away from me!” A shadow lurched forward towards Garrett. Dark circles ringed the once bright blue eyes of the man who pulled a gun from his coat. He wobbled when he slide to a stop behind Garrett and raised the gun to the back of Garrett’s head.
Garrett ignored the voice and kept his eyes on the ground.
“You took away everything I had,” the man’s breath reeked of cheap alcohol.
Garrett recognized the voice. “Granite.”
“Looks like I’m the guy who hunts the hunter,” Granite slurred his words.
Garrett remained frozen in the snow. He held his breath while he waited for the bang and for it all to be over.
“Emma,” Garrett whispered.
“What?” Granite said.
Garrett peeked up to the clouds above and then closed his eyes. He was ready to fall over onto the packed snow and let the cold take him away. Blood poured from various wounds, sapping the little strength he had left. Rage fueled him until this point and it too began to evaporate.
“Granite stop!” Crimson said. “Star, talk some sense into him!”
Falling Star watched from a distance and did not utter a word.
“Star, you have to stop him,” Crimson said and walked forward with his hands up.
“Well, aren’t you going to say something?” Granite said.
Garrett sat fixated on the snow before him, his lips sealed shut.
“Say something you bastard,” Granite poked Garrett in the head with the barrel the gun.
“Leave before you get hurt. Enjoy the life you still have.” Garrett said and looked over his shoulder at his would be executioner. His body hunched forward, his hands buried in the snow beside his knees.
“Garrett, get up!” Denise screamed. “Please!”
Wispy white breath puffed from Garrett’s mouth and faded away into the cold. “Not like this, not by his hand.”
“Your friend up there is going to watch me become a hero again. Now, Beg me for mercy,” Granite poked again.
“I won’t beg a second rate hero like you,” Garrett said.
“What did you call me?” Granite leaned forward.
“You heard me,” Garrett’s voice did not waver.
“Put down the gun,” Crimson said while he inched closer, “You’re better than this. You’re better than him. You’re one of us, a member of the Assembly.”
“Shut up, Greg. This is between me and him,” Granite squeezed the handle of the pistol tighter.
Everyone who watched from the windows never saw Crimson’s hand thrust forward. The throwing knife moved too fast for them to see it. They only heard the end effect. The pop of the gun intermingled with a shriek and a roar.
Garrett reacted when he heard the bang next to his ear. His right hand burst into its eerie red light when he spun on his knees to face his executioner. It happened so fast Garrett didn’t register what he had done, until the blood splattered across his face. Time seemed to slow when he watched Granite’s body crumble to the ground. He would never forget the look of horror plastered across the dead man’s face.
“No!” Falling Star said and exploded into a searing inferno. He burst upward into the clouds and cast them in hues of red and orange.
Crimson slid to a stop and sank to his knees next to the body of Granite. “Oh my God!”
“What have I done,” Garrett repeated when he felt the warm blood run down his face. He tried to wipe it away. It only left streaks across his cheeks. His eyes never left the body of the dead superhero.
“I killed him,” Garrett said.
“Yes, you did,” Crimson said from his knees, he closed the dead heroes eyes. He turned his attention to sky and saw the red spot in the clouds up above.
“I killed him,” Garrett repeated the words over and over again.
“Star, don’t do anything stupid!” Crimson said loud enough for Garrett to break from his trance. “Star, do you read me?”
“I’m done, you guys can have me,” Garrett lowered his head. “Stop him before anyone else gets killed tonight.”
An enormous ball of fire erupted from the clouds and raced towards the earth.
Both Garrett and Crimson looked upward when they saw the street light up with a reddish light.
“Tell him to stop!” Garrett said. “He’s going to wipe out the block.”
Crimson hunched over and covered his right ear. “Star, you have to turn away. You cannot hurt him, all you’re going to do is get all of us killed.”
Garrett hoisted himself off his knees. He took a wide stance and aimed both of his hands at the fireball as it descended towards them.
“Tell him to stop or I’m going to fire and give him everything I have left,” Garrett said. He narrowed his eyes at Falling Star. “Tell him he’s going to die.”
“If you don’t stop he is going to kill you,” Crimson said.
Garrett waited a second and glanced over his shoulder. Crimson shook his head. Garrett lowered his brow and flared his nostrils.
“I’m sorry,” Garrett whispered under his breath.
Garrett inhaled and roared when he let the foreign afflicted power out through his open hands in rapid succession. The entire block was aglow in crimson red when the beams screamed through the air. The blast of energy took a couple seconds to reach Falling Star. Crimson gasped when the beams deflected off the human meteor.
Garrett dropped to his knees, his breath ragged. “It’s going to take even more.” He opened his fist and stared at his hands. “It’s going to take everything.”
Crimson screamed into his earpiece for Falling Star to stop.
Garrett fell forward into the snow, his arms straining to keep him upright. “I’m not going to let him kill all of us, because of what I did. Tell him you killed me and to stop.”
“What?” Crimson said.
“You know what you have to do,” Garrett said.
Crimson eyes blinked in rapid succession and he looked away. “Damn it, not like this.”
“It’s ok,” Garrett heaved himself upright when he heard the sound of metal scrape against metal. He saw Crimson’s breath come in rapid puffs of white and roll across the polished sword blade.
“Star, he’s dead, now stop.” Crimson said and aimed the sword at Garrett’s chest.
“Do it or he’ll kill us,” he mouthed the words while he nodded his head. He saw Crimson’s forearm muscles bulge from the steel grip on the sword handle. “Make it quick.”
Garrett raised his arms outward from his body and tilted his head to the sky. The snowflakes landed on his bloodied face. Garrett caught one on his tongue. He
remembered a time when Emma, Ethan and he would spin around in the snow arms out, mouths open, to catch snowflakes.
This is the way it has to end he told himself, at least he would save his friends. Garrett closed his eyes. He heard the roar of the human fireball when it drew near. He sensed a bright white light surround him, followed by a sound that reminded him of a raging river.
“I failed you, I’m sorry Emma,” Garrett said. He felt the ice cold steel penetrate his chest. Then the explosion blasted his body backwards through the street.
“Too late,” he whispered and closed his eyes before the darkness consumed him mid flight.
Chapter Seventeen
He cracked open his eyes, emerging from his comatose sleep. The soft voice of an angel carried into his room, distracting him from the strange machines around him. At first, he thought the voice was in his head. Until he saw someone stir on the other side of the small window in the door. He told his muscles to move and found his body too weak to respond. He closed his eyes and let sleep overtake him once again.
Flashes of light blue masked figures with sharp voices polluted the calm darkness and called him back. Voices, angry and soft collided with faces he tried to recall through the narrow slits of his eyes. His memory seemed to be stuck in a fog. Then it came back to him with tears.
“Dead,” Garrett’s eyes shot open with a sharp intake of breath. He lifted his heavy head from the pillow. “I’m dead.”
The light in his room shone with the brightness of the sun. He attempted to rub the sleep from his eyes and felt something bite into the skin around his wrists. Thick straps cut into his wrists when he moved his arms. His afflicted senses added to the pain. The power he consumed from Torrent was completely gone.
“What the hell is going on?” he forced the words from his dry throat and expected sand to flow from his mouth. He leaned back onto the lumpy hospital bed and winced from the pain which throbbed throughout his entire body. He analyzed his body and noticed the bandages wrapping his torso and arms.
“I’m alive?” Garrett laid his head back against the uncomfortable pillow. “How?”
Thoughts burst into his brain from the night he had killed Granite. He remembered and then the tears began to flow for the life he had extinguished. He had used the power he had taken from another and did the unforgivable. He crossed the line.
