“That literally just hurt my head Bianca,” Jackson said ending the silence..
“You make a good point Ms. Ramirez. Mr. Blake, be sure not to rule out anyone!” The President said.
The telephone inside the office began to ring. The President excused himself and went to answer it. The group sat there silently as the President took an unscheduled call.
“These files were hacked bad. I mean seriously, they're missing like half the stuff sent to them,” Jackson said looking directly at Garrett.
Garrett couldn’t wait to get back to his office and figure out exactly how the hacking was done. To hack was easy but to do so without leaving a trace, that took skill.
“I will figure this out. That’s a guarantee.”
The conversation the President was having ended quickly. No sooner than he got on the phone he ended the call. He looked at the group and smiled politely. The group smiled back, unsure of what the nature of the call was.
“Man I wish we had someone in the group with super hearing. Jason, you sure you don't have that ability? You seem to hit the jackpot with all the other cool stuff!” Jackson said. Jason and the rest of the group ignored him. The President kept the phone in his hand and dialed his secretary.
“Cindy, please have everyone meet me in the situation room immediately. Thank you.”
The President hung up the phone and returned back to the League of Protectors. He took the folders back into his possession.
“There is a briefing I need to apprise my staff on.”
Jason stood and understood that meant it was time for them to leave. “We thank you for taking the time to meet with us and for believing in us sir.” He extended his hand but the President did not shake it. The refusal caused a quick moment of awkwardness between the individuals inside the room.
“You misunderstand, this meeting that I must apprise my staff on includes all of you as well. Your presence for this meeting is required.”
The President walked past the League of Protectors and headed for the door. The group looked towards Jason to see what he would do. They were all wondering why their presence would be needed at a Presidential briefing. Jason gave the group a reassuring smile and then followed behind the President. The President opened his door and immediately armed guards were standing tall. The guards handed the League of Protectors five bags.
“Again?” Jackson asked in an annoyed voice.
“Put it on. You all do not have the proper clearance to walk around certain areas of the White House.” one of the secret servicemen replied with a sharp tone. Begrudgingly Jackson placed the bag over his head. The rest of the League placed the bags over their heads as well and waited to be directed out.
“X ray vision would be nice right about now,” Jackson said as the servicemen led the group to the situation room.
The League of Protectors arrived at the designated room and the servicemen removed the bags from their heads. The servicemen stood there as still as stone. It was clear they weren’t interested in making friends or being cordial. There job was to protect the President and it was a job they did not take lightly.
“Thank you gentlemen, I’ll take it from here,” The President said quietly as he exited a separate elevator on the opposite side of where the League was.
“Follow me,” he said politely.
The President led the way inside the room. The League stood inside the doorway in awe. Even Bianca, who had already been inside the room still found it fascinating. Jason thought of all the life changing decisions that took place inside the room. He thought of how many wars and invasions were planned out where he stood. He was speechless. At that moment he felt so proud to be who he was.
With the President’s arrival, everyone immediately jumped to their feet. He acknowledged their respect and then had everyone take a seat.
“Ladies and gentlemen the past twenty four hours have been very active to say the least. We’ve seen the escape of over two hundred criminals. We’ve seen a weakness in the defense of the white house, and our operating bases. We’ve even learned that there are far more Post Humans than we ever could have imagine.”
Everyone inside the room listened intently as the President spoke. There was a lot of cause for concern. For the first time in a very long time people feared there was a war coming that the United States could not win.
With all that had transpired, many agreed with the Vice President that war was inevitable. For a country that so forcefully flexed its power, for once, there was a feeling of vulnerability. There was a feeling of weakness.
“These are troubling times. These are times that I don’t take lightly. Even though our enemy is strong, I fully believe that we are stronger. I will not go as far as to say that a war is coming, but if one is to occur, we will be ready.”
The President scanned the room gauging the people’s reactions.
“There are criminals roaming around somewhere. A lot of them, and its very likely they have a plan to weaken this great nation. Their actions have proven that they are not to be underestimated. They have proven to be patient and calculating. We must be ready. We must have a plan to counter whatever it is they have intended for us.”
There were a lot of people in the room that were nodding their heads in agreement with the President. Vice President Martin was not one of them. The presence of the League of Protectors rubbed him the wrong way and that's all he could focus on. His pure hatred for them, for all of them was hindering his ability to do his job.
“I’ve spoken with Mr. Connors and Commander Sullivan to formulate a workable plan of attack. After much deliberation I have decided that the best course of action is cooperation. I am ordering G.U.A.R.D and the League of Protectors to work together to recapture these criminals.”
Vice President Martin’s face turned red. He had a feeling the President would make that announcement. The idea of the League having even more access made him sick. For all he knew, this was their plan all along. Put the government’s back to the wall where they have no choice but to reach out.
Vice President Martin stood up in protest.
“Mr. President I…”
The President gave him the hardest of looks. The Vice President immediately closed his mouth and sat back down. He gritted his teeth as the President continued talking. “After a long conversation with Commander Sullivan and Mr. Connors, we all agree that cooperation and pulling our resources together is the best option. We feel this will give us the best chance of recapturing these criminals in a timely fashion.”
Several people were surprised to hear that Commander Sullivan was in agreement with the President's directive. On many occasions he voiced his displeasure of working closely with a group of Post Humans. To hear that he was agreeing to work even closer with them now highlighted just how serious this threat was.
Commander Sullivan is highly respected by both the military and the government for his accomplishments in combat. He always used superior tactics to defeat the enemy.
The man had a distinguished look about him. He was tall with broad shoulders and softball size biceps. His hair was short and buzzed with strips of Gray running through. Commander Sullivan had defined sideburns and bushy brows. He had the kind of intimidating look that immediately garnered him respect regardless of who he was in the presence of.
“Do you see the size of that guy? I think he’s even bigger than you!” Jackson whispered to Jason. Jackson couldn't keep his eye off the Commander who he was looking at via teleconference. Jason warned Jackson to be quiet.
“That’s what you’ll look like in thirty years, minus the bushy brows, mustache and sideburns,” Jackson said.
The President looked over towards Jason and Jackson's direction and then returned his focus towards the center of the room.
“Whoops,” Jackson whispered.
“Not another word!” Jason whispered back sternly.
“Mr. Connors' team has demonstrated in the past a successful ability in protecting t
he people from harmful threats. I think the collaboration of G.U.A.R.D and The League is exactly what is needed to combat this threat.”
The reaction to the President’s decision was mixed. There was no denying the League of Protectors could help combat this threat. However, the idea of how closely the President wanted them to work with G.U.A.R.D concerned a lot of the President's cabinet.
The President stood there soaking in the looks and the questions. He knew his decision wouldn’t be popular, but he would stand by his decision anyway. He believed it to be the right play under the circumstances.
“With the guidance of Commander Sullivan, his agents and the heroics of the League of Protectors, I am confident they will recapture these criminals quickly.”
The Vice President was fuming. He was completely against the idea and wanted to give the President a piece of his mind.
The President turned his attention to the League of Protectors. “I expect you all to continue representing this country as you have in the past.”
Jason Shaw took a step forward and saluted the President. “You can count on us sir.”
The President walked over to Jason and extended his hand. Jason extended his as well and the two men shook hands.
“Now, if you all will excuse me, I have many things to attend to,” the President said.
Everyone inside the room stood up and watched as the President walked out the door.
“So what’s next?” Garrett asked Jason.
“Next, we get to work!”
17
The Black Vigilante
Chicago, Illinois, home of some of the finest attractions the country has to offer. Be it the theaters, sports stadiums, great restaurants, or gigantic buildings, Chicago is certainly a tourists' place to visit. In the midst of all that beauty and attraction, however lies something very dark. A sinister city filled with some of the worse that evil has to offer.
Chicago, Illinois, home of some of the most violent criminals. This is a city filled with dangerous gangsters and ruthless mobsters. This is a violent city, a city so violent, that it has been nicknamed Chiraq. In this diverse city one thing remains true; Chicago is in need of heroes. Sure, the boys in blue protect and serve, but when half of the force is corrupt, you question just who exactly they are protecting and serving.
It’s the thugs that make the news; the senseless killings that occur everyday on these streets. People think that the thugs and drug dealers are the worst of what Chicago has to offer, but it's the mobsters that are the real danger in this town. The five essential families as they are called. You've got the Gambinos, the Romanos, the Morettis, the De Lucas and last but not least, the Bianchis that make up the city’s power. The five families rule Chicago with a ruthlessness that rivals the golden days of mobsters.
To make matters worse, Chicago is also home to one of the most powerful vampires in existence. Although the vampires keep a much lower profile than the gangsters and mobsters, they’ve subtly infiltrated the highest ranking positions the city has to offer.
Indeed, Chicago is certainly filled with its share of darkness. Who do the people turn to when they can’t trust the police? How can a city overcome corruptness when its politicians work for the other side? Who regulates the regulators?
Perhaps the hero that’s needed isn’t the hero that’s wanted. Perhaps the hero required to combat this threat isn’t really a hero at all. To each individual the word hero is defined differently. Perhaps Chicago doesn’t need a hero but instead a vigilante.
“The Black Vigilante,” is what they called him. The moniker was first used by an internet blogger who had an interest in reporting the unknown or better yet, the unusual.
The story of some black man patrolling the streets at night and dealing out punishment to the local criminals was too intriguing not to become the talk of the town. It was right after a woman reported nearly being raped by three scumbags that people started taking notice. The woman was in her mid 30’s. She described her protector as a tall, well built, dark man with a smooth seductive voice. A voice that she hasn't been able to get out of her head.
The description alone was buzz worthy. The woman went on in detail explaining how the protector battled the three men that assaulted her with ruthless aggression. Had that been the end of it the story would’ve lost steam fast. However, that wasn't the case. The protector killed all three men with no compassion. Although snapping their necks, she found rather gruesome, she couldn't help but feel those men got what they deserved.
Newspapers and local news stations went wild over the story. None of them liked the word protector. They felt it was too heroic. So reporters started referring to him as the vigilante. The internet blogger added the “black” part and the name just sort of stuck.
The deaths of the three men opened up a murder investigation. The police were pursuing the case intensely, with pressure from the mayor to bring the murderer in. While the mayor and his constitutes labeled the woman’s protector as a murderer the media and the residents of the city were calling the vigilante a hero.
With the weeks and months that followed, the body count of Chicago’s criminals began to add up. The police were desperate to find the man responsible for all the murders. It was one thing to protect the public like the League of Protectors did, but it was something totally different to take on the role of executioner as the Black Vigilante was doing.
Some complained about the word “Black” citing it as a reference to the man’s skin tone. Others argued that the word “Black” actually represented the nature of the man’s actions. Regardless of what the “Black” stood for, the fact remained that the Vigilante was the right person to combat the darkness that plagued the city.
His actions were a moral debate. Several college classes started discussing the vigilante's actions. Some argued that he needed to be brought to justice; that regardless of why he was doing what he did, he was still a murderer and needed to answer for his crimes. Others argued that for the first time in years, there was hope for the city. They argued knowing that the Black Vigilante was patrolling the streets brought comfort to their lives.
Chicago, it’s the home of the Willis Tower, Wrigley Field and Navy Pier. Chicago, is the home of the Vice Lords, Latin Kings and the Five Families. Chicago, it’s the home of Noah Winters… The Black Vigilante!
The getaway car spun off. Tires screeched as the last masked man jumped desperately into the car. They had made off with a good sum of money and the police were as usual suspiciously late to respond. Unfortunately for the bank robbers, Noah Winters was quick to respond. The Star Foxx Jet zoomed across the naked sky concealed by its cloak. Noah landed the jet on the roof of one of the buildings and waited patiently for the getaway car to catch up.
The four men rambled amongst themselves confident in what they perceived to be a clean getaway. Little did they know that the Black Vigilante was watching them. As the car neared Noah’s location, Noah leapt from the building, landing feet first squarely on the hood of the getaway car. The startled men did exactly what they knew to do... Shoot first ask questions later!
The car swerved left and right as bullets sprayed forward at Noah. Backwards and forwards, left and right, up and down Noah moved dodging the onslaught of bullets.
“Who the hell is that guy?” one of the men shouted angrily.
“The Vigilante!” another replied.
“Boss will be thrilled if we can bring his corpse back to the mansion!” the driver shouted. He yelled at the three men in the car to continue firing at Noah.
Noah leaped to his left, nearly falling off the car. He gathered himself, pushed up and landed a right fist to the driver’s jaw. The driver jerked the car and skidded into the left lane.
A driver, unable to push on the brakes fast enough slammed right into the getaway car. Noah barely avoided being smashed by the other car. He rolled over to the other car and waited to regain his balance. The getaway car was still moving and the passengers were still shooting
.
Fearing for the safety of the other driver, Noah used his telekinesis to redirect the bullets. The action happened so fast that no one noticed the telekinesis that was being used. Noah then leaped to his right and jumped back onto the getaway car.
“Why won’t you just die?” one of the passengers shouted as he continued firing at Noah.
“Because your ability to hit your target is horrendous,” Noah replied sharply.
Noah positioned himself and swooped more to the right. He kicked the man riding in the passenger seat square in the face. The impact of the kick sent the passenger into the driver causing the driver to lose control of the car.
The car spun around crashing right into the curve. It flipped over leaving the passengers unable to get away by means of driving. Noah rolled to the ground landing hard. He might've had a high tolerance for pain, but he was certainly going to feel that one in the morning. Two of the men lay on the ground motionlessly. Noah was unsure if they were still alive. He approached the car cautiously and dodged as the other two men continued firing at him. One of the men grabbed the briefcase of stolen money while the other provided cover by shooting at Noah. Bullet after bullet Noah dodged as the two men desperately tried to kill him.
“Oh man, we can’t get caught. If Johnny Gambino finds out we’re responsible for taking his money Mr. Moretti is going to kill us!” one of the men said nervously.
“Yeah, that’s only if Johnny doesn’t kill us first,” the other man added.
The two men put all other thoughts out of their mind and concentrated on how they were going to escape this vigilante. They were moving pretty fast on foot. It was quite an impressive sight seeing them running considering the fact they had no abilities that would increase their speed. Guess the old saying applies, “Desperate men do desperate things.”
The men made it to one of their hangout spots. Never had they been so happy to see the bodyguards standing watch over the shop. Two Italian men stood watch outside while several more hung out inside. The two bodyguards standing watch outside the door immediately reached for their firearms as the two running men approached them. The bodyguards rested their weapons upon realizing the men worked for Mr. Moretti. The men ran straight inside not realizing the repercussions their actions had triggered.
New Age of Heroes 1: The League of Protectors - Dawn of a New Age Page 13
