by Joshua
"Don't get like that," she said. "You did two a great job. Tell Vaughn, I said so."
"Thanks, I will," he said, waving for Irene to follow as he left.
Rose turned back to the soldiers. She walked over to Blake, but stopped when her eye fixed on Ivy. The young woman struggled against her restraints. Rose approached and knelt down beside her.
"Let me go," Ivy said between grunts.
"I can't do that," Rose said. "Is this your group? These homeless…people?"
"It wasn't us!" Ivy said. "It was Eddy. He started it all. We were just trying to put it right."
"I'm sorry," Rose said, frowning. "But I don't believe you."
Ivy looked up and saw the despondent face of Jon as a group of solders marched him away. Tears came to her eyes, and her head rested upon the cool floor.
Mac approached Rose as she stood up. He waddled beneath the weight of his body, and smoke rose up from the cigar in his mouth.
"You OK?" she asked.
"Yeah, but my damn ears are ringing something fierce. Where the hell did he get that thing?"
"I uh…I gave it to him," she said, pushing the hair from her face.
"Jesus Christ, I had forgotten how loud that thing was. Where is that super powered bastard anyways? We need to do something with that supervillain of ours."
"He’s taking care of it," she said.
"What do you mean," he asked.
"I'm not sure, honestly." she said.
"Rose, what's going on?" he asked.
"What needs to be done."
*****
"Thanks for the ride," Irene said.
"It's no problem," Reedy said, with a smile. "It's kind of on my way."
"I'm sorry you didn't get to crack the case, as they say."
"Yeah, I sorta feel like it was a big waste of time. All the research, and work. It was pointless. Nothing we did led to his capture."
"You can't look at it that way," she said. "He's captured. It's over, you know? This is a victory."
"Yeah," he said.
"If you had gone in there without a warrant, who knows what would have happened."
"Yeah. I don't know, I just wanted to see what was in there, you know? This guy, he went through some serious shit. I just wanted to glimpse inside his mind."
"I don't get that. If it were me, I’d stay as far away as I could."
"You gonna make it?" he asked. “I know you were pretty shaken up back there."
"I didn't really help much. I think this might be my last job as a detective. I…hid back there."
Tears came to her eyes, but she wiped them away.
"Hey, it's OK," he said.
"It's not," she replied. "It really isn't."
They rode in silence until he pulled up at the front of her building. She got out, and with a simple wave, said goodbye. Reedy nodded as she closed the door and walked towards her home.
The walk up the four story stairs was slow. Each foot seemed heavier with every step until he got to his floor. There, standing at their door, was his wife. She was smiling, with both hands resting on her belly. Her beautiful white teeth was the first thing he saw, and a reluctant smile caught in the corner of his lip.
"The stairs?" she asked. "Bad day?"
"I don't know," he said. "I guess."
"I heard the news," she said with noticeable concern. "They said it's over. What are you moping about?"
"I'm not moping," he said, but knew she could see through it. He smiled a little more. "I don't know, maybe I am."
"Come on inside," she said. "You can make me dinner."
"What? After the day I've had, you're not going to make me dinner?"
"Nope," she said, grinning. "Get in here and tell me about it."
"That's cold," he said, pecking her on the cheek as he passed.
"You'll get over it," she said, and patted him on the ass.
*****
Xavier ran through the dark tunnels, both hands full of food containers. There were scattered boxes from where he’d dropped them before. He held the cardboard boxes tight as he wound through the sewer. On occasion, he'd turn back to look over his shoulder, but there was never anyone there. He ran until he came to large room with a deep pit. More boxes were scattered around and he kicked them, knocking each over the edge. Without a moment's hesitation, he dumped his cargo over and scooted closer. A loud smacking echoed through the room while the repugnant odor of bodily fluid drifted up to his nostrils.
Xavier edged closer and peeked over the edge. Below, the monster tore into the boxes by chomping down with its dirty teeth. It was covered in dried feces, and blood. It snarled at him, but kept eating. A sinister smile crept over Xavier’s face.
Chapter Thirty-Four.
Rose sat at her desk, staring at the clock on her computer. It said 9:37. Her hands were clasped together, and her shoulders were slumped. She sighed and pulled up a screen that said, "Notes".
She began typing the speech she’d planned for the following morning, but stopped. Grabbing her phone, she dialed Alpha’s number. It went straight to voicemail.
"I don't know where the hell you are, but we need something to show the press tomorrow."
A knock came at her door, and she fumbled to hang up the phone. "Come in," she said, running her fingers through her hair as Blake came through the door, holding a bottle by the neck. He was wearing a leather jacket, and had a pair of sporty sunglasses holding back his brown hair.
"We did good out there today," he said, pulling out a chair. "Do you mind?"
"Not at all," she said. "Have a seat."
"I brought you this," he said, presenting the bottle’s label. "Some people told me you liked to smoke, and some people told me you like whiskey. This is a good Islay; the best of both worlds."
"I don't think I'm in the mood tonight," she said.
"Nonsense, have a drink," he said, pulling the cork until it made a popping sound. "We need to celebrate."
"Nah, no celebration," she said, digging through the drawer at the bottom of her desk. She pulled out two glasses and placed them down. "But I guess I could use a drink."
"There's the spirit," he said, pouring the brown liquid into the glasses. He slid one to her and took a swig of his own. A harsh look came over his face, following by a satisfied "ah."
"It's good," he said. She flashed him a sheepish grin and took a swig.
"So, what's it like working with him?" Blake asked.
The question surprised her, but she didn't let it show much. "It's uh…it's complicated. He's great, but completely out of control. He doesn't have to listen, but he does."
"Most of the time," Blake said.
"Yeah, most of the time," she said, with a light smirk. "He can be a righteous dick, but he's done so much good. It's hard not to give him a certain amount of leeway."
"Is that why he hasn't returned with Omega Man's body yet?" he asked, causing her to almost choke on her drink. She looked away.
"Yeah," she said, regaining her composure.
"Eh, I wouldn't worry about it," Blake said. "I’m sure everything will work out."
*****
Reedy lay in bed staring up at the ceiling fan, following its slow rotation with his eyes. He turned and saw the clock reading 1:30 am. He sighed and pulled the covers off, careful not to wake his wife.
She was curled up with a pillow between her legs and one nestled against her chest. He could see the curved outline of her pregnant belly and the soft rise and fall of her breath. He sighed again, and grabbed his pants off the floor. She rustled a bit at the sound of his belt buckle tapping together, but she didn't wake.
Once he was clothed, he went to his car. The old, golden brown Buick sat on the third floor of the deserted parking garage. Reedy looked around as he approached it, mindful of his surroundings. Taking the key, he opened the trunk and looked around until he found a crowbar. He examined it for a few seconds before he cl
osed the trunk and got in the driver's seat.
The city lights passed overhead, and he looked around at the lack of life that had become so typical. It was late, but downtown was usually packed at this hour. Kids going to clubs, people leaving shows, and the sightseers. Even the palm readers were gone. The emptiness sent a chill down his back, and he reached over to turn on the radio.
He arrived at the warehouse after driving in circles for a while. He put the car into park, grabbed the crowbar, and headed towards the building. Half way there, he stopped and turned around. Cursing himself, he walked back to the car and stopped.
"Damn it, I'm going to do this," he said, turning back to the building.
The metal crowbar was cold in his hands, but that went away the second he shoved it into the space between the door and the frame. With one hard push, it opened.
*****
Omega opened his eyes to a blurred world. His head was cloudy, and he was so groggy, he almost got sick. He tried to raise his head, but it fell back against the hard surface he was lying on. After blinking a few times, things became clearer, but he couldn't focus on his surroundings. His head was swimming, making it difficult to concentrate. An involuntary moan escaped his dry lips. He tried to lick them, but his tongue was slimy and large in his mouth.
"Lie back," said a voice. "This'll be over soon."
"Where...where am I?"
"You're with me now," said the voice. A figure stepped into his view, and Omega struggled to focus. The costume came into focus first. It was Alpha Male standing over him.
"You! I'll…"
"No, you won't," Alpha said. "I've got you hooked up to an IV that is dispersing a lethal toxin into your system. This will all be over soon. It's OK, if you want to lie your head down. There's no need to struggle anymore."
Omega expected the flurry of anger to come over him. Instead, he only felt a dizzying calm.
"Before you do," he struggled to get it out. "Before you do, tell me why. Why do I hate you? Tell me who I am. You know me."
"I do," Alpha said, checking the IV drip.
"Then tell me." he said, dropping his head. "Am I Beta Boy?"
"No," Alpha said, and then paused to ponder his answer. His tone was somber and slow. "You aren't Beta Boy. But, you come from the same place. I…I created you."
"What?" Omega asked, almost out of breath.
"I created you from my own DNA; you're a clone. You know what that is. It was a part of your education before you escaped."
"Yeah, I know what it is," Omega said with a defeated sadness in his voice. "Why did you…create me?"
"It's not a simple answer," Alpha said, pulling up a stool.
You could at least tell me, before you kill me," Omega said.
"You struggle to understand, yet you seem to have lost the will to fight. Why? If you are so ready to die, then what's the point?"
"You don't know what it’s like," Omega said. "My life is…"
"Your life was a mistake," Alpha said. "I shouldn't have done this to you…or to him. I created both of you, and others, in order to understand myself. These powers, what those…assholes did to me in Moscow; I had to know why. Like you, I needed to understand. This is what drove me to start all this. Beta was my first failure, and you were my only success."
"How was Beta a failure?" Omega asked.
"Beta; he was unstable. He only lived a few years before his body gave out, and I had to bury him. He's the only real friend I've had all this time. I blamed them for driving me to it, so I went back to Moscow and destroyed their lab. I knew when it was done that I was wrong, but I felt vindicated. I wanted to destroy you too, but I couldn't. Your face was his, and I just couldn't do it. I kept you here for a long time, running experiments, trying to keep you safe from his fate. I taught you to speak, and walk. You were a full grown man, but you were weak."
"So, after all this, why do I hate you?"
A sigh escaped Alpha’s mouth, and he was quiet for a few moments before speaking again. "Because I taught you to."
"I don't understand," Omega said.
"I conditioned you to hate me," he said.
"Why? Why would you do that?" Omega asked, but he knew before he could get an answer. Through the haze of the drugs, he understood. "You wanted me to fight you. That's why I saw you smirking every time. You were thrilled by it."
"This is over," he said, getting up.
"Why kill me like this?" Omega asked. "Why not snap my neck, or put a bullet between my eyes?"
"Because, I owe you a clean death." Alpha took a few steps, but stopped when Omega spoke again. “And it makes the autopsy cleaner. I’m going to examine you inside and out so that I can understand how these telekinetic powers work. I’m sorry.”
"Please, tell me one more thing," Omega said, looking up at the mirrored reflection of his own face. "Why are our powers different?"
"They aren’t different, they’ve just manifested in different ways,” he said, pondering the question. “Your escape finally taught me the one thing I needed to know. My powers are telekinetic in nature. Instead of being able to move things with my mind though, I have strength and speed. I couldn’t have learned that if you hadn’t gotten loose.” Alpha adjusted the IV clamp, regulating the amount of anesthetic running through it. He looked up and saw a blinking red light on the wall, and rushed out without another word.
"No, come back and watch me die," Omega said. "You coward."
He wanted to say more, but he couldn't. He was too tired to speak, so he put his head back and closed his eyes.
A few minutes passed and he heard a sound that roused him from his rest. He looked up and saw a black man standing by his feet with a shocked look on his face. He recognized him, but from a different place, from a vague dream.
"I'm sorry," Omega whispered.
Reedy didn't speak. He just looked around the room at all the strange lab equipment. He was scared, horrified for a moment.
Omega tried to raise his hand in warning, but it was too late. Alpha came in the room, shocked by Reedy's presence. Reedy shuffled to get away, but tripped and crashed into the IV stand. It was ripped from Omega's arm, and everything tumbled down with a loud crash. Reedy was defenseless on the ground.
"Alpha, what is this place?" Reedy asked.
The words spurred Alpha into action. He rushed at Reedy and raised his foot, giving Omega less than a second to turn away. He heard Reedy's cry cut short as Alpha’s foot came down with a quick crunch and a wet thump. Alpha screamed, and swung his arms, destroying a row of shelves. The loud sound grated on Omega's nerves, and he felt the twinge of tired annoyance coming back to him.
Alpha stopped his emotional outburst and regained himself. He was still breathing heavy, but he turned back to Omega and began searching for the IV needle. He traced the tubing down, and found it amidst the mess that was once Reedy, and picked it up. His hands were covered with thick red blood. As they came into Omega's vision, he felt that familiar stirring inside. It was the rage, building up, over taking him.
Alpha's hands shook as he tried to get the needle back into its place on Omega's arm. He tried again and again, and gave up. He looked Omega in the face, and said, "I'm sorry it has to be this way."
His large hands closed around Omega's neck and began to squeeze. He strained to crush the life from Omega, but something was holding him back. Alpha looked into Omega's and knew that he was fighting back. Even in his dazed state, he was able to keep the fingers from tightening to a death grip.
"Stop fighting this," Alpha said. His face was red from straining.
"I'm not ready to die," Omega managed to squeeze out. "Not by your hands."
Alpha’s hands were pulled away from Omega's neck, both fighting against the other. The more he fought, the more his head cleared up. He felt his senses coming back to him.
Alpha pulled away, freeing himself from Omega's telekinetic grip, and renewed his attack. His punches came
in fast, but they never connected. Omega let out an ear-shattering scream and Alpha found himself hurled backwards through the ceiling.
Using his powers, he freed himself from his restraints, and got up. He allowed himself one glance at Reedy's mutilated corpse, and flew through the hole, speeding after Alpha.
In his pocket, Reedy’s phone was going off, over and over as his wife tried to reach him.
Chapter Thirty-Five.
Rose sprung up from the couch and grabbed for her squealing cellphone. She groped through her small leather hand bag, still half asleep as the painful ringtone blared on until she managed to hit 'accept". At that moment, she felt a rumble.
"What is it, Mac?" she said, with obvious agitation.
"You might need to turn on the TV," he said. "Better yet, you might should just look out your window.
She pulled off the mask that covered her eyes and tottered over to the window. With one hand bracing, she pulled the curtain and looked out. At first, there was nothing, but then she saw it. A massive explosion ripped through a nearby building, as Alpha and Omega came out the other end. They were locked in combat, battling each other from arm’s length. She saw the warm morning sun making its appearance in the distance.
"What do we do?" Mac asked. "We have a God damned press conference in an hour."
She stood there, mouth open, unable to reply.
*****
Ivy lay on the cot in her tiny cell, arms behind her head, waiting. She sang to herself in quiet tones, and tried to sleep when she could. She looked at the uneaten food tray on the floor and sighed. Planting both feet on the floor, she reached down and picked it up. The bean slop was cold, but she ate it anyways, soaking up the hardened gravy with the stale white bread slices. She choked it all down with a glass of water, just as the door was unlocked, and opened.
"I knew you'd eat it," said the guard, smiling.
"We don't have time this, Gus," said the other guard behind him. "Hand cuff her, and lets go."
"Aw, come on Caul. I'm just messing with her," Gus said.
"Just stop it, and let’s go," Caul said.
"Come on, ma'am," Gus said, holding out the handcuffs. "The captain here don't have much of a sense of humor. He's not like me."