Each step forward brought about a low creak, which was understandable, as that's something old buildings tend to do. What was less understandable was the soft bellow coming from his left ear. " You got this Jack. We're watching everything so you'll be fine-" The voice was cut off with a audible shove from the other end. " DJ, it wouldn't be his first solo call and an excellent learning opportunity if you're going to go all hovering soccer mom on him. Just remember everything we've taught you. And if anything goes wrong we're close, but you should be able to handle anything it throws at you. Now go out there and learn something." Canary's calm stern tone was dulled by the yell of " Good Luck." in the background.

Jack mulled over the piece of gum he had stored in the left side of his mouth, pushing it from side to side. Time to be an investigator. Now was a good of a time as ever. He took another step forward into the abandoned building. His arm outstretched was outstretched, clutching a clunky out of place looking firearm. The sleek black pistol was accented by several soft mint green lights lining the barrel. They called the Equalizer, and its job was to bridge the gap between those that used magic and those that didn't. It was damn good at its job.

He slowly advanced forward, ducking under a tarp hanging from the frame. The tarp tousled Jack's neat brown hair and he absentmindedly went to fix it.

Not right now Jack, he thought, it could be anywhere. His eyes narrowed. He scanned the dark hallway, it was lined with rows and rows of a familiar foe. Lockers. Jack's locker had been placed in a very inconvenient spot back in his day you see, it was at the furthest point from his classes, not the farthest. Some were closed, others hung open and disjointed. Slowly they moved back and forth letting out a low creak from deep within. Not the most comforting of sights for a man on the mission, but it was time to press onward. The gum in his mouth began to roll from side to side as he glanced in every empty classroom. With each turn of his head in the door his gum turned in his mouth, faster and faster. The classrooms looked well past their prime with desks jumbled across the room and any sign of a school like the students and teachers long gone. It was more of an empty husk than a building now. What a waste indeed, that thought soured Jack's expression as he moved on down the hall, this school was just another victim, throw it on the pile.

Then there it was. A sound among the creaks that was definitely foreign, Jack felt the groan verberate down the hall. He drew in a deep breath, as he has already drawn his weapon. It was ok ok ok. The thoughts bounced around his cranium driving this message home. He had this. It was in the bag. The only thought was what flavor should the cake be for his first mission completion. Chocolate? Vanilla? Maybe play it safe with marble? With this false confidence instilled in him, Jack puffed out his chest and trained his Equalizer down the hall. He activated the flashlight and the hallway was bathed in a light it hadn't received in years. The light gave a new perspective to the old hallway that brought all of its flaws from the chipped paint to the cracks and old wounds in the tiles. But most importantly of all, it showed the one thing that was most certainly out of place. Jack's weapon lowered itself unexpectedly, but shot up again trained at the shadowy figure at the edge of the hall. For a brief second there had been a brute, a beast staring back at him. The eyes had glistened a pale green for a brief second before they had melded themselves into a much more familiar form. Man. The eyes remained a pale green as the monster became man. The brown hair, the green eyes, the smile on his face, it was all so human.

" I'd stay right there if I were you." the voice pierced through Jack. Wasn't that his line? Jack's right eyebrow raised itself. You have the power here Jack not him.

" That goes for you as well, Wizard." Jack volleyed back. But there was something attached to his retort, a small degree of uncertainty. And with that degree, the wizard smiled.

" Well are we going to get on with it?" The wizard opened his arms, " Because if you aren't going to use that thing I've got somewhere I'd rather be." The wizard stood there with a great smile spread on his face. A goading smile. He took one step back.

" The building's surrounded there's nowhere left to go." With that the wizard stood still again. His face just beyond the flashlight's reach. Jack shook his head. It just didn't make sense.

"Why are you here, you know it was only a matter of time util we found you. Why come back?" The barrel of the Equalizer dipped lower as he asked. The wizard let out a small laugh.

" I'm just chasing a legend. that's all nothing more.: The wizard's eyes glanced at the Equalizer. " Doubt I'll ever find him too." Him? Jack had heard the whispers. There was only one him whom would fit the bill. The man that had changed the war.

" You're looking for the Defector?" Jack pondered. " I thought he was long dead by now. Must be hard to live when both sides are hunting you down. That's hardly living even if survive if you ask me." Jack added

" That's a nasty way to talk about the man who saved the human race wouldn't you say? The miracle of the last battle or whatever you people call it. The wizard that came to his senses. Savior for one, the end for another. The stories go on and on." The wizard spoke with a matter of fact tone.

" So what are you here to kill him? Take your revenge? Coming here was a one way ticket." responded Jack in a matched matter of fact tone.

" No no no no no, I'm here because I want something he made, something that let's him go by undetected. I'm sure that's how he's been hiding," He quickly muttered that last part." I'm just trying to use my power as I please. We all are, what's left anyways." That power huh?. Jack saw the wrecks old and tired overlooking the harbor. He remembered counting all the deep gouges and twisted steel. The lines were at the front and center of his mind though.The lines and lines of names. The Equalizer raised once again.

" I almost feel bad that you'll never find him. " Jack had found his false confidence and delivered this line with a smirk painted across the right side of his face. His finger poised and ready.

" At least I found the girl." the response bounced down the hall. A girl? There was no girl. Jack had never heard of the girl. Who was she? Where? Jack reached up to his ear. He had to tell someone and fast. Anything related to the defector true or not was something that needed to be reported. Would he be the one to knock down the first domino? The new guy? Jack's mind was wrapped up, tangled pretzeled. But it soon touched back down to the landing pad. Was it a bluff? A trick?

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

The beast was back. It had taken the shape of the wizard just like that. The coarse black fur had taken its place right by the claws. The meathooks. And they were just mere inches away at this point. Jack instinctively raised his left arm high to counter the incoming blow. He saw the green eyes staring back at him for just a brief second. The eyes seemed confused though as they looked into his. There was no fear to be found. Just that smug grin peeping out the right side of his face and some thoroughly chewed gum. The claws rained eager to rip into the arm that had so graciously put itself in their pathway. But something curious happened, the claws did not get to achieve their intended objective. It was like they had hit an invisible wall, the proverbial hard place. They stopped in their place, they did not pass go, they did not collect.

" How-" was all that slipped out of the wizard's ghastly mouth before a great beam of green light ripped through his body. Jack's right hand had been moving while his left had held down the fort, and the blast ripped through the body of the beast. The limp body hit the floor with a relieving thud. Deep breaths now. Jack unraveled another piece of gum from the wrapper and stuffed it into the unnaturally empty space in his mouth. He shrugged his shoulders while looking down at the rapidly fading green eyes below him and offered an answer,

"Magic." Jack said with his right lip twisted up into a satisfying smirk. Slowly small flakes of the beastly body began to lightly tug and move as if moved by a great howling wind. They tussled in the presence less wind while beginning to glow a deep light blue the second they were free. The room was filled with the glow of hundreds, no thousands of pieces as the body withered away. Jack reached out as the wave of blue washed by him looking for an exit. They brushed by his hand, diving and avoiding his touch. The great glowing mass faded down the hall and rushed for any exit it could have, it flooded its way through the old dilapidated cracks of the building searching for a way out. Darkness returned to the room as the last bit of the glow mass was reunited with the gray sky. Jack stood there, his jaw unmoving.

It was just as haunting as they said, watching that borrowed power return to the Current. Jack turned his attention back down to where the beast had once laid and crouched down with a satisfying crack from both his knees. He prodded along the empty clothes and rifled through until he found a slightly torn yet neatly folded piece of paper. He unfolded the paper cautiously until something fell out and twisted its way to the ground. His right eyebrow rose. Staring back at him was the face of a girl. The Hazel eyes looked back at him flanked by short red hair. Jack squinted as he tried to make out more but the picture was out of focus and blurry. He flipped over the picture to see writing on the back.

Same eyes.

Taken when?? By Whom? Must find out.

Last chance

Jack flipped over the picture in his hands and tapped it against his palm. The eyes rhythmically looked back at him with every upward motion. The photo looked weathered old. How long had it been floating around before this guy got it? A set of heavy steps clunked behind him.

" That was some light show out there." Jack stood and turned, " Thanks-"

Before he knew it the hulking frame was on top of him crushing him tight. " How's it feel to be a hero champ?" DJ's voice wavered with excitement. The powered exoskeleton of DJ's armor only added to the force of his grip.

"The only thing I saved this time was my own ass..." Jack sputtered out.

" Hey that's one important ass though." DJ set Jack back up straight and straightened out his crumpled suit. DJ stood towering over Jack with a different kind of suit. His body was decked in a dark gray suit of armor, accented with an emerald green on the angular edges. A huge rifle occupied most of the space on his back. His face was hidden behind a helmet, hiding the huge smile that Jack knew had to be behind the visor.

" Drum roll please... now it's time for the main attraction." DJ bowed his head and with arms outstretched Canary walked into the room. There was no heavy clunking of footsteps this time as the pale yellow mass of armor made its way to Jack's side.

" Not too bad Jack." Jack could only see his reflection in her light blue visor." Jack gingerly held out the photo for Canary to take a look. "So who is it this time? Who's got the golden ticket? You'd think they'd give up after all these years. " Canary turned the picture over and glossed over the back.

"Well are we gonna go find her??" quizzed Jack. " Listen Jack, we chase real problems like shapeshifting Wizards," she gestured at the pile of clothes on the floor, " not ghosts." said Canary

DJ put his hand on Jack's shoulder. " We'll make sure it gets to the right people, don't worry Jack."

" I mean they've only been looking for 20 years, give them another 20 and I'm sure they'll crack the case." Canary snarkily added. She had a point. Finding someone who doesn't want to be found is never easy, and you had to throw in this person happened to have a steady supply of magic at his disposal. Jack's shoulders hung down.

Canary held out the photo towards Jack, " Tell you the truth Jack, who knows what you'll find at the end of this trail of breadcrumbs, but I doubt it'll be good." Canary and DJ shared a quick glance.

DJ tagged in, " How's it feel to be a hero? Who knows what that guy could have gotten up to if you hadn't stopped him?" A hero huh? So this was what it felt like. Jack looked down at his hands. He hadn't really felt that different until DJ had said the word. A hero. He could get used to this. " Just take it one day at a time alright? We need you in one piece for the announcement. Welcome to Spectral."

" We'll work on popping those training wheels too. Welcome to the team." She added, "Just try to keep that big head of yours out of the clouds for now." Canary walked off , her tattered tan cloak swaying with every silent step.

Beep Beep Beep. Jack's watch sounded the alarm. Ah crap looks like he was going to be a little late for his meeting.

" I'll catch you later DJ, I've got a meeting I can't afford to be too late to." Jack took off running down the hall, elbowing his way around the swarm of workers that had come to inspect the aftermath. DJ waved after him, " Tell the kid I said hello." He bellowed before Jack got lost in the sea of suits.