Geffry was trying and failing to get some sleep on the cheap mattress he’d bought for his safe house. This garage he’d bought and retrofitted for his needs was on the outskirts of Hive Town and should have been out of the way enough to keep him hidden. Despite this, Geff couldn’t help but jump at every shadow.
He’d seen the pictures on the news of the damage done to his factory. Wood, concrete, and steel were all crushed like tissue paper. All done by a single person with his bare hands.
Quivering in his bed, Geff asked no one, “Is the Shining Darkness even Human?! Uuuug. What’ll he do when he finds me?”
|X|
Geffry Lincoln wasn’t a very noteworthy man in terms of appearance. He wasn’t overly attractive or particularly ugly. He wasn’t too fat, nor was he very fit. His brown hair was thinning slightly, but only as much as was normal for a man in his forties. For clothing, he was dressed in the blue button-up shirt and khakis he’d been wearing when he first went on the run.
|X|
Hearing an empty paint can be knocked over, Geff spun out of bed and scanned the room for Maks and cops as his heart beat like a drum. However, his heart calmed itself slightly when he saw it was only a rat.
As the rodent stared at him, Geff grimaced, reached under his covers, and muttered, “Stupid little bastard…” The man then produced a nail gun from his bed and hit the rat with the accuracy of an old Western sharpshooter. After a few seconds of the rat squirming on the floor in its own blood, it passed away.
With this act of violence relieving and exciting him, Geff smiled somewhat as he thought, Why doesn’t anyone get it? They were just pests no one wanted. So what if I got one wrong? It was just one mistake. Like my mother always said, everyone makes mistakes. What’s important is we learn from them!
Looking out his window to the starry night sky, Geff continued the speech meant for himself. This town- No! The whole world should be praising me as a genius and a hero. At least I could use those things for relieving the stress of a hard day. Everyone should be doing it, honestly. There’s plenty of those parasites that nobody wants. Heck! It could be the new fun family activity! Take the wife and the wanted ones down to the local orphanage, to-.
Before Geff could finish that thought, red lights started flashing from the ceiling with a high-pitched alarm.
Utterly terrified, Geff got up and ran to the chair beside his desk and empty oil drums. Grabbing the coat he’d left on his chair, Geff reached into its pocket and pulled out the phone he’d modified to be untraceable.
Opening the private camera app he designed, Geff saw a recording of a motorcycle with two people on it driving straight for his garage. He hoped for a moment that this was a false alarm, but the camera and sensors he’d planted a mile from his garage soon saw a whole squad of cop cars following behind the bike.
Immediately, Geffry ran for the car he’d parked in front of the garage door and got it going. The vehicle was nothing impressive, but it was good enough that he could get it up to 80 miles per hour.
Not even waiting for the rickety metal door to open, Geffry drove the car straight through it while muttering to himself about the injustice of this situation.
To the killer’s shock and horror, he saw the motorcycle from the camera already pulling up on his garage. The man driving that bike had to have it going over 100 for him to reach the garage so fast.
Having hoped he would have been out of there before his pursuers, Geffry gnashed his teeth, slammed on the gas, and growled, “You short-minded fools! You’ll ruin this country!”
As the man and woman on this bike, who Geff could now tell were Masks, got closer to him, he pulled out the nail gun. Pointing it out his window, he took a few shots at the Masks, slowing them down as a couple strays nicked the bike.
Just as Geff started to feel the kind of power he would with the undesired in his factory, the woman on the back of the bike produced a gun and shot his weapon out of his hand. In the process, Geff lost a finger and a half off his right hand.
Screaming in agony as he tried to look at his wounded hand, splattering blood on his windshield and swerving his car, Geff yelled, “Nnnnn! You monsters! How could you do something like this to me?! I’m a contributing member of-!”
Before Geff could get his last words out, he noticed a black-and-white blur out of the corner of his eye. Instantly, it felt like his car hit a steel wall as it went flying in the air.
As Geff struggled with whiplash, he failed to notice at first how, before the car even hit the ground, a black and white arm was ripping through the floor of his vehicle like tissue paper. That arm then grabbed Geff by his shirt and slammed him into the driver-side door with enough force to break it open.
As his mind desperately tried to comprehend what was happening, Geff was driven into the pavement of the road. In the process, he gained a few new broken ribs and some serious spinal damage. To put a cherry on top, all the air was knocked out of his lungs.
Geff made an attempt to gasp for oxygen but quickly found his airway blocked by the strongest hand he’d ever felt squeezing his neck. He imagined this was what it would have felt like to have a hydraulic press on his throat.
Staring up at a pair of horrifying white eyes on the face of a monster, Geff nearly defecated himself as a draconic voice yelled at him, “I’ll rip the flesh from your bones!”
Geff’s eardrums nearly ruptured from this yell, leaving him deafened for a few seconds. By the time his hearing started to come back, the two Mask’s, Dhampire and Bowstring, pulled up on their motorcycle.
In response, this creature let go of his throat and instead wrapped its fingers around his collarbone. The force of the beast’s grip was almost enough to break through the skin and muscle of Geff’s body, and yet he suspected this thing wasn’t squeezing as tight as it could.
Even with them having taken his fingers off, Geff was as scared as a child of the monster under the bed, so he pleaded, “Nnnn-! Please! Get this monster off me!”
Before addressing the monster holding Geff down, Dhampire stared in disbelief at the killer and asked, “Are you fucking kidding me?! You have the gall to call Shining Darkness a monster after what you’ve done?!”
“Nnnn-? The Shining Darkness?” Geffry asked reflexively. Looking back at the face of this creature keeping him pinned, Geff realized the monstrous face was only a mask and wheezed out, “Oh, fuck me.”
Dhampire then pulled out a handgun of his own as police sirens started catching up with them all, pointed it, and stated, “The only monster here is you! Give my regards to Satan, you sick freak!”
As if accepting his fate, Geffry closed his eyes instinctively and heard the gunshot go off. He expected to hear nothing else after. Instead, he heard a noise similar to a bullet bouncing off metal. Opening his eyes in confusion, Geff saw the Shining Darkness’ free hand in front of his face, with the ricocheted bullet lodged in the ground beside it.
Utterly floored, Dhampire lowered his gun and exclaimed, “What the fuck?! What are you doing?! This monster deserves to die!”
Pulling Geffry to his feet while doing some internal damage to the flesh underneath his finger, Shining Darkness stated sternly, “I want to tear him to pieces with my own hands… But the parents of this scumbag want him brought to court to face the death penalty. They want to see him fry, and this is my case, so that’s the call I’m making.”
Glancing back briefly as the police were about to come into view, Bowstring exclaimed desperately, “No! Just break his neck really quick! He doesn’t deserve another second of life! He’s a monster!”
Giving Geffry a quick once-over with what he assumed were scrutinizing eyes, the Shining Darkness threw him to the ground and said, “You know… I thought the same thing until this moment… Don’t give Geff here that much credit, though. He’s not some great and terrible monster. He’s a sad, sick, pathetic little man. That’s all he’s ever been, and that’s what he’ll die as.”
Without Shining Darkness’ painful grip on him, Geffry was too injured to stand. Truthfully, he used up the last of his strength, begging for help. Now, he wanted to try and convince the Masks surrounding him of the genius good he’d done with his hobby, but the strength to even talk just wasn’t there. Instead, the delayed shock from his wounds caught up with him, making him pass out as the police pulled up and got out of their cars.
|XXX|
After the cops threw the unconscious child murderer into a car, Detective Jericho clarified with the Masks how exactly Geffry was captured. Once she had all the details she needed, she thanked them for the capture and drove away with her men.
This left the trio of vigilantes to talk amongst themselves.
Folding his arms, Dhampire addressed the larger man and stated bluntly, “This is disappointing.”
Immediately, Shine responded as calmly as he could, “I’m sorry... I know you wanted to make him pay for what he did. Honestly, until I got the message from Janet’s family, I probably wouldn’t have stopped you.”
Piecing together that Janet was one of the rescued children, Bowstring remarked, “That’s fair… I know I got a little, er, heated just a second ago, but you’re probably right that it’s better for that family to get their own justice.”
Shaking his head at the conversation, Dhampire explained, “No. I meant in a more general sense. I was hoping I could find some common ground with you. We’re both apprentices of Death Head, but… Did he ever tell you why we split up?”
With a hint of intrigue, Shining Darkness answered, “Well… Not specifically. He told me all of his old apprentices retired, died, gone off to work on their own, or, in Power House’s case, turned traitor. I can only assume the third explanation applies to you, Dhampire.”
With an approving nod, Dhampire answered, “Yeah. You could say that. We didn’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of things, so he fired me. I moved to Crash City after that and teamed up with Bowstring.”
“Love at first… several months of working together,” Bowstring added jokingly, as the fact that the two were dating was public knowledge.
After a quick chuckle from Dhampire and Darkness, the former finished, “Right… See, I always thought Death Head’s methods were too soft. He couldn’t stand whenever I gave criminals what they deserved, so things fell apart… It’s a shame to see that you’re an even bigger bleeding heart than him.”
Genuinely surprised, Shine took a second before responding, “You… You thought Death Head was too soft…? Until I talked him out of it, he encouraged Civis to beat on muggers after we’d already stopped them. He’ll even just shoot criminals dead if he has to.”
Shrugging, Dhampire responded bluntly, “And I just wanted to kill every violent criminal we found.”
His eyes widening, Conner remembered how Death Head praised him for being the noblest of all the people he’d trained. The reality of what that compliment meant fully clicked with him at that moment.
“Oh… I hadn’t thought either of you would be those kinds of people.”
Producing one of his knives, Dhampire ran his finger on the flat of the blade, taking off a thin coating of the anti-coagulants he put on them, and remarked, “I use poisoned blades to make my targets bleed out faster. What sort of man would you think does that?”
The self-awareness of Dhampire’s attitude surprised Shine even more, as he responded with concealed disgust, “A rather ruthless one, I’d imagine.”
Putting her hands to her hips, Bowstring commented, “It’s why we specialize in hunting down serial killers. The public doesn’t bat an eye at killing them. At least not as much as they do the piles of scumbags we used to leave on the streets.”
Giving Bowstring a side-eye glare, Shine remarked, “I see… To be blunt, that’s disturbing.”
Sheathing his knife, Dhampire seemed to lose his composure as he yelled, “Why?! They’re nothing but scummy thieves and assaulters! The world’s better off without them! Can’t you see that?!” Pointing a finger at Shining Darkness, Dhampire told him, “If you’re really some sort of Super Mask, then you have the power to turn this world on its head! If you have that kind of power, it’s your job to use it the right way!”
Reflexively, Shining Darkness wanted to break the finger Dhampire was all but shoving in his face.
Instead, he took a breath and told his senior, “That’s exactly what I’m doing, Dhampire. With the amount of power I have, I can end almost any fight without having to kill anyone. If I made myself judge, jury, and executioner, there’d be nothing short of a guided missile strike that could stop me.”
Dhampire and Bowstring were a bit taken aback by Shine’s stubborn response, and their surprise grew as he went on, “My job, no, our job is to protect people when normal law enforcement fails them. But that doesn’t make us the law itself. We don’t get to act like rulers of the people just because we’re good at fighting and put on costumes.”
Unable to think of a retort at first, Dhampire looked to Bowstring, only to realize she was just as dumbstruck.
Soon enough, though, Dhampire formed a coherent thought, stating, “You just don’t get it, man. You’re practically a force of nature. You don’t know what it’s like having to live in fear of someone around the next corner deciding to run a knife through you just because they’re desperate enough for whatever you have in your pockets.”
Tilting his head, Shine responded almost instantly, “I’m very aware of what that’s like. I only gained my powers a little… Well, relatively recently. I spent most of my life worried over when I’d get jumped next.”
Flabbergasted, Bowstring cut back in, demanding to know, “What?! Then why would you ever show those kinds of people mercy?!”
“Because I care more about making the world around me better than I do about satisfying some thirst for vengeance,” Shining Darkness stated without malice or pride. Instead, his words were those of pure sincerity.
Stolen novel; please report.
While Dhampire and Bowstring were left speechless from disbelief and annoyance, Shine gave his arms a quick stretch and said, “As miserable as this argument is making me, I have an engagement I need to be present for tomorrow morning. But before I leave, I should clarify something. I understand Masks and other law enforcement need to kill sometimes while in the line of duty. I don’t hold that against you. But I’m going to be expanding my area of work outside of Miracle City within a month or so. If I catch either of you on a murder spree where I’m working, even if they’re criminals, I’ll stop you.”
Despite the Shining Darkness’ words enraging him, the Super Mask jumped away before Dhampire could respond.
Pissed off but not wanting to actually start a fight with a superpowered being, Dhampire muttered, “If you get in my way again, I’ll find a way to end you.”
However, with Conner’s superhuman hearing picking up on that remark, a bit of his teenage pettiness got through as he shouted back, “I heard that! Go ahead and try something the next time we meet!”
|X|
While Dhampire and Bowstring recoiled in shock from the Super Mask’s challenge, Conner was preoccupied by John contacting him.
“You know… You really are a lot more, um, well-spoken since you got your powers and Death Head made you take those grammar lessons. Especially when you’re in costume. It’s kinda funny but kinda weird too.”
Giggling at his friend’s remark, Conner answered, “What can I say, Hardwire? I get into character.”
Sounding relieved, John told Conner, “You sound a lot less stressed out now. How ya feeling, Shine?”
Reaching the roof of a skyscraper, Conner paused for a moment and looked out over his city. For the first time since putting Penspot away, he could see just how many more lights were on across his home. It was like watching the miracle of a dying man regaining his life. Knowing he’d just put away yet another of this city’s most vile residences, Conner felt as if Miracle City could truly come back from the brink it had been on his whole life.
With genuine joy in his voice, Conner told his brother, “Yeah. I think I’m feeling a lot better. That was… cathartic… How about you head home, Hardwire? You need the rest, man.”
Failing to stifle a yawn on his end, Hardwire answered jovially, “What? I could keep going for days…! But, if you insist, I guess I’ll get some sleep to put your mind at ease.”
Laughing, Conner replied, “Well, thank you for being so considerate… I’ll see you tomorrow. Let’s hope the trial for this pathetic scumbag happens at a time we can attend.”
“Yeah, no kidding… Alright, I’ll see you later.” With a clicking noise in Conner’s ear, he could tell Hardwire ended the connection on his end.
Taking a second to aim himself at his hideout, Conner thought, Alright. Time to put all my weapons back. Then I’ll head home and tell Mom, Dad, and Leslie the good news.
The Shining Darkness then took off, jumping across the night sky, confident that brighter days were soon to follow. Additionally, he was somewhat eager to hear whatever it was that Lana had to tell him tomorrow.
|XXX|
The following morning, Geffry had been taken to Disaster Prison for holding as he awaited his trial.
He was kept out of Genpop, and all his wounds were being treated by the prison’s infirmary. While there, they had taken his clothes and dressed him in the proper prisoner attire.
The painkillers they had Geff on were so strong they kept him practically immobile all day. All he could really do to pass the time was watch the prison staff work and look at him with disgust.
Growing sick of their judgment, Geffry stared at the ceiling and thought, Don’t they get it? Everyone needs a way to blow off steam. At least my way also gave those parasites a reason to exist.
By the end of the hour, it was time for the guards to switch shifts. Normally, something like this wouldn’t catch his attention, but in his vegetablized state, Geff had grown perceptive of all the little details. Particularly, these new guards seemed as if they were especially tense over something. What that could be, the killer could only guess
Shortly after the guard switch, the infirmary staff started eating lunch. At about the same time, a new unconscious man was wheeled in on a cot by two more guards and placed next to Geff’s bed. This person actually had an almost identical build to him and even injuries in all the same places, but their faces were marketably different. While Geff looked strikingly plain, this man had a face like burnt rubber.
However, before Geff could think anything else about his new roommate, he heard crashing noises. Managing to turn his head toward the sound, Geffry was surprised to see all the nurses passed out around the tables they were eating at. Most were passed out on the table itself, but a few had fallen from their chairs to the floor.
Immediately, all but one of the new guards picked up the staff who’d passed out on the ground and arranged for them to look like they’d fallen asleep in their seats. As the rest did that, the one who wasn’t helping his co-workers grabbed Geff’s noodle-like arm, pulled out a needle with a seafoam-colored liquid, and shot it into his veins.
Just as Geff thought this was some sort of advancement on his execution, the guard pulled out all the tubes hooked up to Geff and told him, “Alright. That should purge your system of what’s keeping you limp in a few minutes. Let us know as soon you can start moving, and we’ll get you out of here.”
Utterly baffled, Geffry tried to think up an explanation for what was happening. Are they…? Are these my supporters? People who understand the value of my work and want to work under me? Amazing!
As Geff deluded himself, the lead guard then turned and grabbed the face of the new patient. With a noise that sounded like a mixture of tearing paper and skin, the leader completely removed this man’s face, revealing an exact copy of Geff underneath it. It even had all the exact same bruises as Geffry’s face. However, it was only now the killer realized this copy of him wasn’t breathing.
Am I dying? Is this what happens when people die?!
Seeing the confused alarm in Geff’s eyes, the guard told him, “Our bosses want to make sure no one knows you left. Speaking of that...”
Pulling a duffle bag out from under the cot, the guard produced a guard uniform that looked to be a perfect fit for Geffry.
Bosses…? Oh… They don’t want to learn from me? Well, I guess it still beats staying here.
A couple minutes later, Geffry started feeling strength come back to his body. In the next minute, Geff felt stronger than he’d ever felt in his whole life, even with a chunk of his hand still missing.
Spinning out of bed, Geffry jumped to his feet and stated, “This- Wow! I feel amazing!” Grabbing the clothes from the guard with a nervous smile smirk, he added, “This is for me, right?”
“Glad to see you really do have a brain. Hurry up and get changed,” the guard stated.
Geffry was reflexively nervous about getting changed in front of other men. However, the fact they were clearly short on time for this mission to work made him toss his squeamishness aside.
Once Geffry was dressed, the guards put the fake version of him in his bed and hooked him up to the same ports he’d been.
A bit concerned as his gaze slipped toward the unconscious nurses, Geff asked, “Nnnn-. Wait. Won’t those guys question where I went?”
Patting Geffry on the back, the lead guard told him, “So you really can think. Don’t worry. The concoction we slipped into their food doesn’t just knock ‘em out. It’s also supposed to fuck with their memories. They won’t clearly remember anything from the past hour.” His gentle pat turning into a shove, the lead guard pushed Geffry toward the room’s exit and told him, “Now, come one. Let’s move it!”
|X|
Most of the guards had stayed at the infirmary, with only the lead guard and one other man of similar size to Geffry walking with him through the prison at a casual pace. To the killer’s shock, none of the other staff in the building made an attempt to stop them. There were a few who stopped his escort to say hi or make small talk. But whenever someone asked who Geff was, the lead guard calmly explained he was just a new guy being shown the ropes.
|X|
After their brisk stroll through the halls of the prison, the guards brought Geff to a much more decorated area. Eventually, they reached a locked door behind two other locked barriers. The door itself read that it was the warden’s office, puzzling Geff.
But before he could ask what they were doing here, the lead guard knocked on the door and turned to tell Geff, “The warden wants a word with you before we leave. Says he’s gonna explain where you’re going. We’re gonna be right outside the door, so don’t you dare try any funny business.”
A twinge of fear added to his confusion; Geff recoiled slightly and replied, “Nnnn… Okay. Of course.”
After hearing a deadbolt in the door unlatch mechanically, a pleasant voice called out, “Come in, come in!”
Gulping as the lead guard opened the door and stepped aside, Geff hesitantly walked through the door.
Upon entering the warden’s office, Geff found himself in what looked like the study of a renowned professor of history. The walls were lined with bookcases, mounted animal heads, and cultural relics. At the back of the room was the warden’s desk on a raised floor. On it, there was a large globe, a black and gold nameplate, and a photo of what Geff assumed was the warden’s family. The killer found his eyes staring hungrily at the man’s young-looking daughter for a second longer than anything else.
Behind the desk was a set of indented windows, likely made with bulletproof glass.
Sitting at his desk, the warden was a mousey-looking man with a balding head. He looked like he had to be in his late 50s or early 60s. Geff assumed an unimpressive-looking man like this could only have gotten to where he was with an impressive intellect, charisma, or nepotism. As such, he wasn’t sure if this was a man he needed to be cautious and respectful of.
Standing up from his cushioned seat, the warden gestured to a smaller chair on the lower floor in front of the desk and told Geff invitingly, “Hello, Geffry! Come, come! Take a seat!”
Sitting at the chair the warden invited him to, Geff found himself in a position that reminded him of the confrontation in It’s a Wonderful Life between George Bailey and Mr. Potter in the old crone’s office.
Once he was seated, Geff did his best to seem confident despite his awkward position, stating, “So… I was told you’d explain what exactly I’m doing here.”
“Straight to business. I like that,” the warden said. “Well, since you must know, I have bosses higher up than city hall who’ve taken notice of your… talents.”
Tilting his head, Geff asked, “Which ones? I’m a talented man.”
“Ah, confident too. See, you seem good at investigation and figuring out who… let’s say, won’t be missed. On top of that, you’re technical skills are quite impressive. All the tech you set up and contingency plans up your sleeves. Most people in your shoes wouldn’t have thought that far ahead. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the Shining Darkness, you might never have been caught.”
At the mention of the Super Mask’s name, Geff’s wounds pulsed with real and phantom pains. Enough so to make him visibly twitch.
Taking note of Geff’s flinch, the warden remarked, “Oh-ho. Sore subject, I see. Regardless, my bosses have an associate who could use your skills.”
Deciding to test his standing and the warden’s personality, Geff asked, “And if I refuse?”
A bit of his friendly attitude vanishing, the warden’s smile grew more malicious as he replied, “Well, come tomorrow, the world will already think you’re dead, so there’d be no difficulty turning that into fact. Tell me, do you prefer incineration or freezing?”
Realizing it’d be better to back down, Geff raised his brows and said, “Nnnn-... I see… Alright. You don’t need to worry about my cooperation, then.”
All of his kindness returning, the warden stated, “Trust me, Geff. You’ll enjoy this work. It’ll be better pay and living conditions than anything you’ve ever had before. And you’ll probably even still get to enjoy your hobby on occasion.”
Hearing this, Geff felt his mouth start to salivate slightly as he replied with intrigue, “Really…? Nnnn-! You should have opened with that, sir. Any idea when I’ll start?”
Shrugging, the warden answered with humble honesty, “Eh, to be frank, those specifics are a little above my pay grade. Just know that you’ll be working directly under some very important people, Geff. All the rest I know is there’s a car from the FBI waiting for you outside.” Standing up from his chair, the warden offered Geff a handshake from across his desk.
It was at that statement that Geff really started to understand how high up his new employers must go. However, not wanting to seem any weaker than he already did, he got out of his chair to reach up and accept the handshake.
Pulling on Geff a bit, the warden leaned forward, the hint of his malice returning as he whispered, “You won’t want to make any more fuck ups going forward.”
Geff felt frightened again in that moment but forced out a bit of false courage and said, “Nnnn-. I won’t. Trust me.”
His threatening nature withdrawing like a hermit crab, the warden told Geff, “Great to hear! Best of luck to you going forward, friend!”
With that final exchange, Geffry concluded that the warden was absolutely someone he should tread lightly around if they ever met again.
|X|
Later, Geffry was escorted outside the prison. Just as the warden said there’d be, a black limo was waiting for him. Getting in, the child killer was taken from Disaster Prison, escaping the justice of a trial as he rode off in luxury.
|XXX|
Within the void of their VR meeting room, Austin and General Irons were discussing their next move when a new figure entered the virtual world in a flash of light.
He was dressed in a brown long-coat, a white button-up shirt, and blue jeans. He had combed back brown hair with hints of gray, and his gray-blue eyes were covered by his sunglasses.
Smirking at him, Austin asked, “Welcome, Author. How’d procurement of our new assets go?”
|X|
Andrew Author was the 64-year-old member of the Shadow Council with control over law enforcement across the American continent. Despite his age, Author didn’t look a day past his mid-twenties.
|X|
Stretching his neck, more by reflex than any need for comfort in the VR, Author stated, “The child killer is being delivered to the Hartummim. I’m sure he’ll appreciate the new assistant. And I have my people out recruiting from prisons for experimentation candidates. We’re also examining the clothes taken off the freak for any signs of micro-fibers from Shining Darkness’ uniform. We’ll have the results back in a few hours. If they match the ones you’ve recovered from other scenes, then we’ll have the Super Mask’s tailor I.D.’d.”
Speaking up with a chest full of gusto, General Irons added, “Excellent work, old friend! If your efforts pan out and my recruitment drive gets us the soldiers we need, then this nuisance will be squashed under our boots in no time.”
Nodding, Austin remarked, “Good work, both of you. As for my end, I’m setting up the labs we need for developing our new weapons, technology, and chemicals. I’m also ready to reach out to Ace and his brother, as well as Agent Death Saw, should their services be required.”
Seeming a bit annoyed, Irons remarked, “I thought Ace and his bother were off the table for now? You’d said as much when I proposed the notion before.”
“And Agent Death Saw? We’re really pulling out all the big guns for this one,” Author remarked.
Nodding, Austin replied apologetically to Irons, “I know, and I’m sorry for that, Irons. Upon further examination of this Shining Darkness’ feats, he appears to be at least twice as powerful as what I first surmised. It seems the Master Magician’s abilities will be needed to subdue him after all… I just wish everyone else had made time in their schedule for me to tell them this...”
Both surprised, Author and Irons needed a moment to collect themselves before Author remarked, “Are you serious?! This… Short of WMDs, I’m starting to wonder if even we have the firepower to take this guy down.”
“Of course we do. Even if we are lacking, the entire point of our current efforts is to develop the necessary means of besting this foe. Calm yourself, Author,” Irons told him.
Running a hand through his hair, Author said, “Right… Apologies. Austin, I’ve been meaning to ask, should I send in Bulwark to prod at this Mask?”
Staring at the floorless void, Austin replied sternly, “When I say this, know that I mean it not as an insult but as a genuine assessment of the situation. Your team would get slaughtered if you tried to send them after Shining Darkness.”
More concerned than offended by the dismissal of his personal task force, Author asked, “I wasn’t expecting them to be able to capture him… But are you sure they couldn’t even get away after testing his abilities?”
Putting a finger to his forehead, Austin replied, “Let me think…” Pulling his finger away, Austin said, “If you sent all of them, they’d have about a sixteen percent chance of confronting and escaping Shining Darkness. That’s still better than the zero percent chance most of our agents would have, but you see my point, yes?”
“Tch! I’m gonna have to work on upping their game, then… So, we’re sticking with the current plan then. How do timetables look on that?” Author asked.
“If everything goes according to schedule, we’ll have our new equipment and people by the end of next year,” Austin answered proudly.
“Oh my. Faster than expected,” Irons responded pleasantly.
Satisfied with himself, Austin said, “Until then, we’ll continue efforts to slander Shining Darkness.”
Reminded of the situation, Irons asked, “Ah, yes. Speaking of the slander, did we ever get around to killing that family who spoke out of turn?”
Pointing at his own eyes, Austin said, “Howard’s people are on it, but it looks like it’ll have to wait until sometime after they get out of the hospital. He’s apparently taking inspiration from that freak’s glowing eyes and is cooking up a virus that’ll melt their eyes out of their heads.”
While Irons let out an impressed chortle, Author frowned a bit, asking, “Don’t you think that’s a bit… Extreme? I mean, why make them suffer like that?”
Waving dismissively, Irons remarked, “Oh, come now! They’re just plebians. As long as it benefits us, any suffering they go through is worth it.”
Pointing affirmatively point, Austin stated, “Exactly, Irons.” He then pointed to Author and told him, “Seriously, Author, you really are getting soft in your old age.”
With an annoyed grumble, Author threw up his hands and said, “You might control crime, but my job is about keeping control over the law. Excuse me if some of the values rub off on me.”
Smirking, Irons said, “Oh, calm down, man. Austin’s just busting your chops.”
Straightening his virtual tie, Austin took up his typical serious demeanor and stated, “Alright then, all fun aside. If there’s nothing else to go over, let’s send out the message that Project Alpha Flight is on full go. By next year, the Shining Darkness will either be our pawn or in a petri dish.”