“Maybe we should schedule a CAT scan for you,” Patrick said. “I think that atomic power bomb caused a little brain damage.”
EPILOGUE
Crystal stepped into the low lit bar and found the table tucked away in the back. She wore a hooded sweatshirt with her tail hidden inside the collar to avoid any extra attention. When she reached the corner, she pulled her hood back and sat. She hadn’t seen the person sitting across from her, face to face, since they fought the Visionaries.
“I like what you’ve done with your hair,” Crystal said.
Cassandra Owens, formerly known as Deadeye, ran a hand through her short curly hair. A drastic change from the long locks she sported before. “Thanks. I see you’re growing yours out a little more.”
“Yeah, mostly in the back.” Crystal pulled at the light brown hair to the side of her tail. “Just until it’s the same length as the front.”
The two women smiled in uncomfortable silence for a few seconds more. Even in the dark booth, Crystal could see the scarred skin around Cassandra’s eye. The purple lines waved out across her cheek and back along her temple. She wasn’t wearing her signature visor that slid side to side, revealing either her natural eye or the one that could unleash vicious energy blasts.
The pair had spent the past month communicating through calls, text messages and emails, but Cassandra set this in-person meeting up after the news of the Missile Silo takeover.
“I’m glad you could meet me here,” Cassandra said. “I needed to get this to someone that could use it, before turning myself in.”
She reached into the bag on the seat next to her and pulled out a stack of files, all organized and labeled. She slid the pile across the booth to Crystal, spinning it to face her.
“Is this really everything you’ve got?”
“Every bit of it. Took me a while to print out some of the newer information and put it all together,” Cassandra said.
Crystal flipped through the individual folders, with various names on the tabs and pulled one out with the words “Cat Lady” crossed out and replaced with “Speetah”.
She held it up. “I think I’m pretty interested in reading this one,” Crystal said, with a smirk.
Cassandra held her hands up just below shoulder height. “In my defense, I was an angry person back then.”
Crystal laughed. It was a genuine laugh like she hadn’t done in far too long. The stack of files had all of the information on every super that joined the Visionaries. Cassandra kept detailed notes on everyone within the ranks, in case she needed to deal with them. And now she was handing it over to Crystal. The files also contained everything that Sight and the Visionaries knew about the heroes and their abilities. Again, it was always useful to know what information the bad guys had on you.
“I couldn’t find much, but I added a file on Armageddon,” Cassandra said. “I don’t have the resources I once had at the Watchtower, so it may not be anything that your tech guy, Broadband, may have found.”
“I’m sure they’ll be able to use it. I’ll drop it off in the morning before anyone gets there.”
“Are you really striking out on your own?” Cassandra asked. “I don’t think your crew has what it takes to win this battle without you.”
Crystal leaned back in her chair. “Why does everyone feel that way? What does a little running speed add to the mix that will tip the scales either way?”
“It’s more than your speed,” Cassandra said. “You, Patrick and Graham are the lynchpins of that team. You three were always our primary targets when I sent anyone out on a mission against you.”
Crystal chewed on her lip. “What about you? Are you really going to turn yourself in?”
“That’s the plan. I did a lot of reflecting, and I realized I have to pay for my crimes. Maybe this can do some good, though.” She placed her hand on the stack of files.
“Black Lake isn’t in any condition to start taking masks in again,” Crystal said. “Why don’t you wait to turn yourself in. Just for a little while anyway. I could always use someone to back me up if I need help.”
“Tempting.” Cassandra pulled some cash out of her purse and left a tip on the table. “Keep my number handy, just in case.”
Crystal was perusing the files as she left.
“Keep Graham safe, ok?” Cassandra was smiling now. “I used to hate that man, and his runaway mouth, but I think I like him now. I’m glad he’s ok.”
“Sometimes he’s hard to hate.” Crystal smiled. “Most of the time it’s pretty easy, though.”
Cassandra chuckled. “Just remember what I said. Don’t take the decision to leave so lightly.”
Crystal nodded, looking down at the files stacked on the table. I’m not so sure if I’m the one that made the decision anymore.
Thank you for reading!
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Brian Manning
Brian Manning is an author, artist, podcaster, and a proud geek (or nerd…they’re the same, people). He is a lifelong fan of comic books, tabletop role-playing games, martial arts, and action movies. After blogging for years, writing half a dozen short stories, and a non-fiction book, he decided to buckle down and tackle the mighty trilogy.
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Notes from the authors
As I said at the end of the first book, I love comic books. One of my other childhood loves makes appears in this book as well: Professional Wrestling. As a kid, my brothers and I discovered pro wrestling in 1985 during the build up of the first Wrestlemania. The first superstar I remember seeing on TV was Hulk Hogan. From there we were hooked.
We would scour the channels for any wrestling broadcasts, flipping through UHF stations until we accidentally found some of the smaller promotions. Every month various issues of professional wrestling magazines would come out, and all the kids in the neighborhood would flip through the pages looking at black and white photos and checking the top ten lists for each organization. An unofficial wrestling organization sprouted up on our block, with each of us "claiming" a wrestler that we could pretend to be, while wrestling each other various front yards, or in the park.
It just made sense to mix comics and wrestling. It's something my brother and I have done since we were kids. The two main antagonists in this book, Armageddon, are characters we created over 20 years ago for a supers role-playing game. They're obviously modeled after our favorite tag team of all time, the Road Warriors. The "promos" that Armageddon cut in the book draws inspiration from classic ringside interviews by Hawk and Animal. Even Sight's lines pull in a bit of Precious Paul Ellering's voice in the end.
As with
the cover of the first book, Delivering Justice, Spilled Milk continues the pattern of paying homage to an iconic comic book cover. This time we chose Spider-main #151, and John Romita's dynamic and powerful depiction of the wall-crawler in a flooded sewer. Although Patrick Akiyama and Peter Parker have different powers (and power levels), I feel like they are a lot alike when I'm writing these stories.
Spilled Milk: Two Percent Power Book 2 Page 25