The Shadowverse

by Francesca Gallo

  “Uh, yeah,” Ryan replied.

  “Go on, sir,” Sam added.

  “If you agree, Shadowforce, the United States will be pleased to lend you a special gift. After that’s done, I will institute a brand-new underground headquarters for the Shadowforce. It is underneath an abandoned apartment building and has nearly as much space as the bunker in Maryland. Also, it’s filled to the brim with technology: computers, satel ite dishes, televisions, and communicators to contact the nearest FBI Surveillance Vehicles.”

  “Whoa,” Johnny responded. His amazement matched his curiosity.

  “Holy shit,” Rose responded. “How long have you been working on it?”

  “Well, it used to be an FBI safe house.”

  “That explains it.”

  “My interest is peeked, sir,” Sam replied, a slight grin arising for the first time in a while.

  “Cool,” Jane said. They turned to her. “What is it?”

  “Are you always the calm one?” Ryan asked.

  “Not that that’s wrong,” Johnny cut in, making a face. Ryan raised his hands in defense.

  “Anyway, that is not the last. Do you want statues to be made of you? They wil rest in D.C. and Manhattan; Times Square, to be exact.”

  They looked to Johnny, who had been considering it. Then the flashback returned.

  In that moment, you wil reconsider what your motives really were.

  You wil be rulers of nothing.

  These memories were replaced by the hours he had spent talking with Sonovan.

  Automatically, he was transported back on Herook, sitting on the edge of the cliff with him, the breeze cooling their body. Johnny knew what the answer should be. “No, we will not accept that.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely. Sonovan Lung was a model for us al —a man of complete humility. I will not make the same mistake he did. So no, I wil not give in to the temptation of fame and prominence.” Johnny internal y celebrated that he could utter such words.

  “I agree,” Ryan supplemented.

  “So do I,” added Sam. “Dustin would too.”

  “Titan was right,” Rose interjected as the others, including the President, shot her a double-take.

  “What?”

  “He was right. This place. This society. It’s bent on fame and eminence. I remember with clarity my time with him, and to be honest, he was right about everything. I know he was misguided…but he was right.”

  The others froze for several seconds, expressions in awe but also concern. “Uh, I guess she has a point there,” Ryan replied through a frown.

  “You’re right, Rose,” Jane responded. “But please. You almost sounded like him for a bit there.”

  “My inner Justice,” she replied. “It’s always there.”

  Ryan chuckled uneasily, wishing to move on. “Anyway, I think it’s not a good idea.”

  “Fine, then. How about only one?” Johnny asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Only two monuments. For Sonovan Lung. Just two. In New York, outside the United Nations Headquarters, and one in this headquarters you have ready.”

  Ryan glanced toward Johnny, who in turn glanced towards the rest of his team. Jane nodded first. “Let’s do it. I like that.”

  “I do too,” Ryan said. “I just didn’t know what you’d say.”

  “I concur,” Jane replied.

  “So do I,” Sam corresponded.

  “I think it’s a good idea,” responded Rose in accordance.

  “Excellent! I will have it ordered.”

  “Awesome.”

  “All right, now what?” Ryan asked. “Do we just sit here and wait? When’s the event?”

  “Two days.”

  “Actually, Mr. President, can we have two orders? And maybe an extra?” Sam cut in.

  “Go on.”

  “Can you possibly forge one for my brother? I only want it for our HQ.”

  “It wil be my honor. We actually have already been making them all, so I will just have to order for the demolition of the others. Dozens have been working on this thing.

  Anyway, when you get back, I will have an agent take you straight there.”

  ~~~

  When the Shadowforce arrived in Manhattan, they filed into an FBI van headed to the secret headquarters. So far, the traffic was dense and the people were crowding the street. Nevertheless, the van made it to its destination. “It’s in there,” the driver pointed.

  Once parked, they jumped out and entered the apartment, which was unoccupied and clearly abandoned.

  “So, where are the goodies?” Ryan asked the agent, named Frank.

  “Fol ow me.” The entourage stuck together as one group until they arrived at a door.

  Frank took out a keycard from his pocket, pressing it onto a scanner. The light went green, and the door, which seemed to be an elevator, opened.

  “Cool,” Johnny said.

  Once inside, Frank pressed the button corresponding to the bottom floor, labeled

  ‘UX.’ Rubbing his hands vigorously, Ryan glanced at Sam, who loosened his arms, though still with a depressed expression.

  On the nethermost floor only two levels below the main floor of the apartment, the elevator opened, beckoning its passengers to exit with a low beep. “We are here,” Frank said, opening his arms wide to showcase the enormity of the space.

  Their clandestine residence consisted of numerous screens, computers, radios, communication devices, cameras, and—ironical y—guards. Why would they need those anyway?

  Sauntering over to a few chairs encircling a hexagonal base with three computers and their screens, Johnny was enamored with the technology the government had supplied. They had connected the screens to the hexagonal base which ascended into the ceiling. “Who will run these?” he asked, turning to Frank.

  “That friend of yours will be, along with several cyber-security and defense personnel. What’s his name again? Ken?”

  “It’s Kevin,” Rose interjected. “Kevin Moon.”

  “All right, so then Mr. Moon will manage the technological end of your squad,” he replied, hands on his hips. “Let me take you to your bedrooms.”

  During the short walk to the nearest bedroom, Sam and Ryan marveled at the place.

  Instead of the dull gray back at the bunker, this was ful of a variety of colors, such as black, blue, and slate. The ceiling measured close to twenty feet, so it provided ample breathing room.

  The corridor split into alternating entries for rooms. The first was large and spacious, with a bathroom complete with a tub. “This is yours,” Frank motioned, gesturing to Johnny. They positioned a queen-sized bed in the middle of the room, while the room itself was easily double the size of his current apartment.

  “Wow,” he awed, in love. “This is overkill. You didn’t need to go this far.”

  “President’s orders. And in the main room wil be two sculptures, as ordered, of Dustin Jones and Sonovan Lung.”

  “Neat,” Ryan replied.

  On the other hand, Rose ventured to her own room, exactly the same as Johnny’s except for its crimson-painted walls. “Good choice of color,” she noted.

  As for Jane, Ryan, and Sam, they each meandered the corridor until they found their particular accommodations. Jane lucked out with a white interior and wooden floor.

  Ryan had a dark green for his room, while Sam received blue as well.

  Meeting each other in the hal way, Frank led them back to the central chamber. “So, what do you think?” he asked.

  Ryan raised his eyebrows, nodding. “Well, it’s sure as hel better than where I’m at.”

  “It had better be,” Frank joked. “The President spent about fifteen million for this rig to be established. Nowhere else in the city is there an entire living space underground.

  Oh, and that reminds me, I still have one more thing to show you.” Leading them once again, Frank rounded the corner behind the corridor, where a locked door barre
d exit.

  Frank whipped out his keycard. The door unlocked and Frank stepped through into a dimly lit area. It seemed awfully familiar, and that was precisely the point. A firm jump onto the track, there was no doubt where they were. “Is this a subway tunnel?” Jane asked.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Interesting addition, but I fail to understand the necessity,” Sam said.

  “You know, this could be a fascinating place to train,” Johnny replied. “It might be smal , but it works.”

  “True.”

  “And this provides an easy outlet to the city,” Rose replied, “I like it.”

  “Oh yeah, I did not think of that.”

  During the others’ chatter, Johnny kicked his feet on the track, walking towards the middle of the rail. Staring down the tunnel, he visualized Z somewhere out there. The question being which one was out there?

  Turning back to the others, Johnny questioned, “You know, any of you guys remember what Sonovan had disclosed to us before he left?”

  “He said a lot,” Ryan replied. “Which part, to be precise?”

  “When he said how we should deal with evil and injustice.”

  “Refresh me.”

  “He told us to never wait for evil to show its ugly head. We must search it out.”

  “Oh yeah,” Ryan replied.

  “Never let it find you,” Jane responded, recollecting the memory. “You must find it.”

  “Exactly.”

  “So, what are you saying?” Sam asked.

  “We are going to find this guy.”

  “Who?”

  “Z,” Johnny replied, turning back to the dark corridor.

  “Didn’t we all literally shake his hand? And didn’t he literally give us powers and help us along the way?”

  “You don’t see the point,” Johnny replied as he whipped around to face them. “He insinuated there is some version of him out there. In my opinion, it’s the one we had first come across.”

  By this time, Frank had ascended the two stairs into the Headquarters to leave them be. “Go on,” Ryan urged.

  “Which means we have to search for him. Since I’m sure Kevin will be working for us, he can head the search while we, uh, you know, save people.”

  “Uh huh,” Sam replied. “What are you going for here? Another big fight against an unknown guy? Remember the last time we leaped without looking? Yeah, Rose was taken and we were thrown into an intergalactic war against a logical but psychopathic lunatic who took so much from us.”

  “He’s got a point,” Rose nodded.

  “Of course I do.”

  “You misunderstand. I don’t want to fight him. But I do want to find him. Evil cannot hide. It must be brought to light.”

  “I’m in,” Jane replied, agreement settled. The rest turned to her immediately.

  “Just like that?” Ryan asked, raising his eyebrow. She had caught Johnny mid-speech, his expression surprised but also exultant. He had expected she would agree.

  “Thank you, Jane,” he acknowledged, attempting to sound clear yet also, to his own observance, slightly flirty. Her response was on cue to what he imagined: a nod before she lowered her head. He liked that her shyness; of course, not to the extent it was before he met her, but it stil resided in her personality.

  Sam shot looks at both because of the unnecessary tension. Something came to the forefront of his mind. He furrowed his brow. “What is it?” Jane asked.

  He gazed toward he and then the rest of the team. “Do… Do any of you guys remember what Titan said to us right near the end?”

  “Precisely what?” Ryan asked.

  “The part when he said something about my, or our, humanity is his or something.”

  Each scratched their heads at the comment, the memory failing. “Negative ghost rider,” Sam remarked.

  “Nobody?”

  “No, I got nothing,” Rose answered. The rest had the same response.

  Something isn’t right.

  CHAPTER 46

  CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT

  “You seriously don’t remember?” Johnny asked, bewildered.

  They shook their heads again.

  “Yeah man, what Rose said,” Ryan answered. “Got nothing.”

  Johnny studied their faces, speculating. “All right, whatever. Anyone else in?”

  “You know me,” Rose replied, “I love a good mystery.”

  “Well now I have to,” Sam replied. “Just another day in the universe, I guess.”

  “What she said,” Ryan added.

  Smiling ear to ear, Johnny clapped once. “I don’t know if you guys understand how much this means to me. To see us all united and together. If only Sonovan could see the fruit of his labor.”

  “He does,” Ryan replied. “Trust me. He does.”

  “OK, so since we’re on the same page, that leaves the event the only thing left on the to-do list,” Sam stated.

  “And I suggest we get ready. Two days, my friends. Two days.”

  “You sounded like Sonovan when you said ‘my friends’,” Sam replied.

  Johnny chuckled and placed his hand on Sam’s shoulder as they walked up into the HQ. The very Sam he’d known for what felt like forever, the very Sam whose brother saved the universe. “I’ll take that as a compliment, buddy.”

  ~~~

  Within the couple of days that had passed, not one member of the Shadowforce had not dreamt nightmares. Titan held a grip on their fears and emotions—to an extent that Johnny had begun to jitter every once in a while. Eventually worsening, this became the reason for his doctor prescribing a temporary help for the symptoms he had been feeling. Sertraline 50 MG suited him wel , and developed into a helpful support for the symptoms he felt.

  He was not alone, though. Sam and Jane had been prescribed the same thing, except Jane had opted to 25 MG instead. She sometimes wondered how she had not bailed when the clashes with Titan radically increased in violence. Jane had been the only one to tel Sam and Johnny of her predicament, and they understood perfectly. In turn, they had divulged into their problems as wel . The trio kept their emotional issues of late only to each other, because they did not want Rose and especially Ryan to worry. He was prone to that.

  The day of the celebration arrived swifter than they would like. Simply titled “The Event” by news outlets around the world, millions gathered outside the Capitol Building for the celebration of a lifetime. Typically, this was the location of the Presidential Inauguration.

  Every member country of the UN had its President or Prime Minister present for the special occasion. The crowd ranged from infants and smal children to the elderly. Its size was twice that of the largest attendance to any Inauguration held in the United States. To boot, the day was chil y yet cloudless—the blue sky vibrant. Truthfully, this was one for the ages.

  On the way to the podium, the Shadowforce had the privilege and opportunity to shake the hands of world leaders. The only setback was they could not see them with their own eyes, for the President had supplied them with masks to hide their identity. At least for now.

  First, the President ascended the stairs of the platform, waving his hand in greeting to the sea of humanity. To commence the celebration, the President imparted a short but grand speech, which set the stage for the Secretary-General.

  Fol owing the President’s lead, the Secretary-General of the United Nations conveyed a short but well-thought-out introduction. He turned towards the Shadowforce, beckoning them over. “Who wants to come?” Johnny asked.

  “Not me,” Ryan replied. “You know me. I can’t do that. It’s too many people. I’ll stay here.”

  “All right, anyone else?”

  “I’ll do it,” Sam responded.

  The two stepped up to the platform after shaking his hand. The screaming and shouting were drastical y more pronounced now. Johnny copied what he had seen great speakers do: He raised his arm to try to beseech the crowd into silence. They followed his plea.

&nb
sp; Adjusting the microphone, Johnny spoke into it. In his mind, he sought to comprehend the sheer size of the throng, and the likely billions around the planet watching him. The realization struck down on him like a hammer, and he had to catch his breath. Sam recognized what was happening and asked, “Are you OK?”

  “It’s just the size of it. Thanks.”

  “Of course, buddy.”

  Clearing his throat, he began to speak. “Hel o everyone. Today is a day of celebration. A celebration of hope.

  “In the last few weeks, my compatriots and I have undergone the most incredible time in history. Traveling the galaxy, we discovered highly advanced, alien civilizations with technology we had only dreamt of—until now. During this time, we met mysterious people, a courageous, incredible man named Sonovan Lung, and a warlord named Titan bent on universal domination. We confronted him twice before he had come to Earth. After some time, we eventually finally ended up back on Earth. In expectation of his arrival, we trained our minds and bodies to prepare for the Titan. How did we muster the power to defeat him, you might ask? An old friend once told my ally the way to overcome anything. D-E-S-I-R-E,” Johnny spoke, gesturing with his hands. “Desire is a short six letter word, but if you have it, nothing can stand in your way.

  “We overwhelmed Titan with our desire, but that does not mean he did not take things from us. In fact, the truth is precisely the opposite. I, along with the brave people you see before you, have lost more than you can know. One of our fellow compatriots was truly the one who defeated Titan. He unlocked his true potential in his final moments, summoning the will and the Energy to overcome his enemy’s power. On the

  other hand, our leader, Sonovan Lung, saved al of us, and thus you. He faced his fears and saved the universe. They both did.

  “But we do not disregard the truths our enemy, Titan, conveyed to us many a time.

  His knowledge of worlds and of the universe far outweighed anyone in history. I will try to not sound pessimistic, but in many ways, he was right.” The crowd went dead silent, so much that if a pin dropped it would be like a grenade. Johnny adjusted his stance, breathed in deep, and released. “With the way things have been going lately, he foretold the fate of our world—our society. He predicted the end would come swiftly, and that our existence would be destroyed not by an external source, but from each other.