Verron_Birth of a Nation

by Douglas Varnell

  When they exited one train to make a connection near the Theater District, it was elbow to elbow with theater goers trying to get home and partiers trying to get to the hottest clubs. It was a warm evening and Hunter was still wearing his cotton shirt and was quite comfortable in it. When they began to cross the concourse to their connecting train he noticed a man wearing a knee length leather jacket. His eyes were darting around as if he were nervous. Hunter followed the direction of his eyes and saw him looking at another man across the station dressed almost like him, just a different style of cloth trench coat. He activated his X-Ray vision and almost screamed when he saw the bombs strapped to each man’s torso. He slowed his pace to see if there were others. He noticed one other middle-eastern looking man dressed perfectly normal, but with his hands in his pockets. With his closest scrutiny, he realized the man was a handler. Ready to set off the suicide bombs if the other two had second thoughts. He didn’t want to cause a panic by saying anything, they would certainly detonate then, and they were too far apart to take a chance on getting to all of them in time by doing jumps from one to the other. Besides he had Ursula with him. He paused and held his forehead as if he had a sudden headache. What he was doing he had never tried before, stopping three different hearts, in three different directions and three different distances at the same time. When he slowed his steps, Ursula gripped his arm and asked, “Are you alright.” She quickly released his arm as if she had been shocked. Hunter let lose a force of telekinetic organic manipulation in three directions. The three men gripped their exploding chests with their hands in surprise as the massive heart-attack took their lives in an instant. No hands held a detonator switch as the three fell to the ground. As one fell against a passing pedestrian, his coat flew open exposing the bomb strapped to his chest. In typical New York fashion, the man began to scream Bomb, the man has a Bomb! Pandemonium broke out and people were racing for the already crowded exits. People were being trampled and a wall of frantic commuters began to press against Hunter and a terrified Ursula. Without giving it a second thought, Hunter wrapped his arm around Ursula and made a jump directly to her condominium.

  Ursula was in tears as she looked around at her familiar surroundings. She immediately pulled away terrified and confused, partially hysterical, she asked, “What did you just do? I touched your arm and felt like I was shocked by a shorted-out wall socket. My arm still hurts. Then I saw those two men fall to the ground. We were getting trampled by the crowd then suddenly we’re here. What are you?” Hunter calmly smiled and tried to get her to relax, he asked, “You got any Diet Coke? That Rueben left me really thirsty. Besides, it seems like I’ve got a lot of talking to do, and I can’t do it with a parched throat.” Ursula came back with two Diet Cokes and a look that expressed worry and confusion. She pointed toward her sofa and said, “Sit. Please tell me the truth. Did you somehow kill those two men?” Hunter took a swallow of his drink and began, “Actually there were three, and yes, I did kill all three of them. I realized they were carrying suicide bombs and were about to kill a lot of commuters, one of which could have been you. You said I shocked you, are you OK?” She rubbed her arm and replied, “I’ll be fine, but what did, how did, Oh, I don’t really know what I saw. You’re scary.” Hunter smiled, thinking of how many times he and others had said the same thing about his grandfather.

  Hunter decided the truth was the best answer as he began, “Prince is not my first name it is my title. I am in fact the crown prince of the Nation of Verron. In the near future you will be hearing a lot about my home, but for right now, I’d appreciate it if you’d keep this to yourself. You can say anything you want in front of Leona. She used to be married to the man who is King and sole owner of the planet, King Paul Verron, my grandfather. When I told you and your Russian friend that I smuggle people out of Russia and kill terrorists, I was not lying. Verron has over a million citizens from Russia, Poland, Ukraine and East Germany. Romenov knew it to be true because he is a personal confidant of Vladimir Putin. King Verron and Mr. Putin came to an understanding after they had a disagreement over Russian immigration policy. You may also remember the rescue of the girls and young boys from Nigeria, along with those captured Navy Seals, well that was me and my grandfather. I do in fact own and fly spaceships. The reason I am not interested in a few million dollars for having my picture taken is because I’m pretty sure I’m richer than Mr. Romenov. Actually I never asked, but my spaceship alone is worth more than his net worth.

  My grandmother and Donald handle King Verron’s investments on Earth. Now here’s the part that is really going to get you, as if what I’ve already said wasn’t enough. My Grandma is pushing 70 and Donald is five years older than her, and he used to have one less leg. Verron has technology way beyond anything on Earth. King Verron is almost 70 and looks better than me with his shirt off, can out run, out lift and out fight anyone I know. The stuff you saw me do today, he taught me and my sister and cousins.” Ursula sat silently for a moment and shook her head saying, “Why is it that all the really good ones are either married or crazy? You sweetheart are the most delusional man I have ever met. I don’t know what really happened in that subway, but there is no way you could kill three men and never lift a weapon or move from the same spot.”

  Hunter reached in his pocket and removed his Verron thirty-six hour watch to see what time it was at home. He asked, “Feel like going somewhere for an hour or so if I can prove I’m not nuts?” She stood and replied, “You did save me from getting trampled to death and possibly blown-up. I like you, even if you are insane. You’re not the first guy I’ve met that lived in a fantasy world.” She took his arm and jokingly said, “Take me to your leader ET.” He couldn’t have picked a better time or place to return to the hanger bay at Mountain City. Everyone had just returned from Molnar and was in high spirits, joking and calling Tala “Queen of the Mole People.” King Verron was getting filled in on all the creatures Chase had to fight while looking for Tala. General Zarman was telling Dalhia and Ninety-Nine how proud he was that they had mobilized so many ships at such short notice; he added that they still had a long way to go, but they had drastically improved. Cali and Hon had both returned from their assignments and Camil was Garth Brooks. Hunter and Ursula stood back and gazed at the scene for a few minutes before they were noticed. Finally Amber saw her brother and commented, “Geez, if you’re going to bring a girl home to meet your Mama, at least you could bring a pretty one.” Hunter laughed, saying, “My little sister, Princess Amber. Just ignore her, I think she needs glasses but is too vain to wear them.”

  Everyone was now staring at the gorgeous blond holding tightly to Hunter’s arm. He looked to Paul and decided to bring him up to date. “I used The Power to stop a terrorist attack in a New York subway and sort of had to tell her what was going on. I had to kill three men. No doubt Lucy will be able to dig up some details.” Katelyn, with baby Paulet on her hip, commented, “I’m here babysitting and miss all the fun; Chase killing giant crab-like-scorpion’s, giant spiders and 200 foot long snakes, Tala being crowned Queen of the Mole People and Uncle Paul wiping out an entire endangered species. Now you get to save New York City. When do I get to blow some stuff up?” Tala tried to console her sister by saying, “Well, you did shoot down all those Qualoc fighters and troop transport.” She rebutted by saying, “We all did, what’s your point.” Paul smiled and looked at little Paulet and told Katelyn, “What you have done is prepare a future Dragon Guard. Paulet may one day follow in your footsteps.”

  Ursula was standing around awe struck as she looked at a four foot goat-monkey, a gray/blue giant, a cat girl, some multicolored people that otherwise looked human, some tall skinny guy in a priests robe, all sizes and shapes of spaceships and Garth Brooks. Hunter gently squeezed her arm and said, “Believe it or not I think my home is even stranger than New York, but you get used to it. Come on, I’ll show you around. After introductions to his friends and family, Hunter climbed into the small executive commuter ship
and took to the skies of Verron with Ursula. As soon as he flew past Alicia Falls and did a low fly over Capital City, they headed for Mt. Alene, he asked, “Do you still think I’m crazy or delusional?” She replied, “All this time I thought you were this sweet and innocent guy who exaggerated to make yourself seem more than you are, like everyone else in New York. I thought I was the worldly one who had done it all and seen it all, how much more wrong could I have been? This is a little hard to grasp as being real, but I know it is.” As they flew above the Robert’s Range headed for the Spaceship Factory, Hunter told her a condensed version of the Verron story and how it got started and some of the plans for the future. He informed her that in a year or two King Verron intended to completely reveal himself to Earth and begin sharing some of the technology with them in order to prepare them for the future. He told her about King Verron’s exploits with hostage rescues and how they had been recruiting people from Earth for almost four years. He then filled her in on the Klelta War and Beriya-Haven. By the time he finished they were cruising above the valley leading to the Ship Factory. When Ursula saw the miles of spaceships parked in the yard and the hundreds of ships flying in and out of the Air Base, all she could do was shake her head; speechless. Hunter told her how he and the Dragon Guard had been trained by Paul to be future leaders and commanders of Verron and that every one of them could do the things he does. She nearly choked on surprise when he told her that the Guard had been flying ever since they got there, Tala was only 10 years-old then.

  Hunter decided to put it on the line and take Ursula by the ranch where his mother Renee her husband Josh and Amber lived and where he stayed about half the time he was on Verron. Josh was from Oklahoma and loved the ranch life. They had 5000 acres of cattle, horses and wildlife west of Mountain City, on the far edge of the agricultural district. Built in a hacienda style, with stucco walls and tile roof, the 10,000 square foot home was spread out on top of a low hill overlooking one of Verron’s many rivers. He landed the ship out front and was greeted at the door by a grinning Renee, saying, “I thought you might stop by. Your sister called and told me you were escorting some gorgeous blond bombshell. I called your Grandma and she filled me in on everything, come on in Ursula. It’s nice to meet you.” Hunter and Ursula looked at each other and grinned, she had a mother too. There were no secrets from Mom. Renee served them both a bite to eat on the terrace overlooking the river and told her the usual embarrassing stories about his childhood. They kept the visit short and sweet, but he knew better than to try and sneak on and off the planet without introducing his Mom to Ursula.

  It had been a long day and Hunter needed to return King Verron’s personal transport. They did the usual tour of the Hacienda and departed for Mountain City. The crowds had thinned considerably by the time they returned. Hunter decided to go upstairs and introduce Ursula to Great-grandmother Alene and Zeus. When they exited the elevator into the foyer Ursula gasped at the size and opulence of the place. Hunter knew she had seen some impressive Mansions, but he could tell this place completely blew her away. He asked Lucy where to find his Grandfather and Great-Grandmother. He was informed they were on the terrace feeding Zeus. He couldn’t wait to see the expression on her face when she saw the dragon. When they exited the Mansion onto the terrace, Zeus was devouring his second whole cow. Paul and Alene came over to meet the pretty blond on Hunter’s arm. After a few pleasantries were exchanged, Hunter escorted her over to meet Zeus up close and personal. He was pleased to see she didn’t hesitate to go with him. After touching Zeus on his nose, she quickly pulled back, saying, “How did he do that?” Zeus answered for Hunter in German, “It was nothing special. I communicate with your thoughts. You think in German. If you had been Russian, like many here are, I would be speaking to you in that language. Hunter often tries to fool me. He hasn’t been able to do it yet.” Ursula put her arms over Hunter’s shoulder and said, “If I go home and tell anyone about all this, they’ll put me in the same rehab as Andre.”

  Paul called them both over and asked them to follow him to his office. When they arrived, he told them, “Lucy’s been snooping around the New York City Anti-Terrorist Division, Homeland Security and the FBI.” He had a video surveillance put on the screen showing the actual observation footage of the subway station. Hunter and Ursula were visible in the crowd. When the three men fell to the ground and the bomb was discovered, the crowd goes wild and Hunter and Ursula suddenly disappear. Paul turned to them and said, “Smile, you’re on Candid Camera. If they recognize you two, don’t be surprised if you get a visit from our friends at Homeland Security, but don’t worry. Lucy has already downloaded a glitch to the program. At closer review, it will now appear that the video simply skipped. There will be a small gap in the surveillance. They won’t be able to explain it, but they also won’t be able to verify exactly what happened to you two.” He then had photos of the three terrorists put on the screen, saying, “These three are from three different locations around the U.S. They coordinated their attack for the night of the Circus, with hopes of killing families. They are associated with al Qaeda ISIS and their note on the Internet claims it is retaliation for the beheading of their people in Iraq.” He turned to Hunter, saying, “You did good son. No one will ever know how many lives you just saved. The FBI is still trying to figure out how all three had massive heart attacks at the same time.”

  Hunter looked at Paul and asked, “Has anyone ever touched you when you used The Power? It seems we put off some pretty high voltage when we use it. Ursula’s arm still hurts from where she was holding on to me when I did this.” Ursula wasn’t certain she completely comprehended the conversation, but asked, “You people do this sort of thing a lot?” They both smiled with boyish grins and replied, “Only when we need to.” Before he left to take Ursula home, he quickly told Paul about the Russian gangster turned billionaire, who was obviously a close friend of Putin. Paul replied, “Keep your eyes open. He may become a problem, but for now don’t worry about it.”

  Ursula gave Paul a safe hug and told him she was glad to meet him. Hunter formed a gateway and they were back in her apartment in seconds. Ursula immediately went to her liquor cabinet and poured a tall glass full of Scotch. After polishing it off in two gulps, she sat on the arm of her sofa and looked at Hunter, saying, “This is a little more than I can mentally process all at once. You are actually a Prince, you are a spy that has superpowers, flies spaceships, and can give people heart attacks simply by looking at them. You can hack into FBI, Homeland Security and New York Police and change their data. Your heir to an entire planet, have a pet dragon and you’re personal friends with alien life-forms. Does that about sum it up?” Hunter smiled and said, “Yeah, that’s pretty much it.” Ursula shook her head, “Life was easier when I just thought you were the cute hunk whose Grandmother lived next door. You’re a complicated man.” She looked at her watch and saw it was 4:00 AM. She continued, “I need a shower and a good night’s sleep. Will you still be here tomorrow?” Hunter had at first thought of going directly back to Verron but decided he would stay at least one more day with his Grandma and not just disappear on her. He nodded, and replied, “Call me when you wake-up. I could use a few hours of sleep myself.” Ursula gave him a gentle kiss on the lips and said, “See ya tomorrow Prince.”

  Leona and Donald were already up when Hunter came dragging in. They had phone calls to make to England and had to get up early to catch their customer. Leona looked up from her coffee and bagel and commented, “You seem to be adjusting quickly to the New York lifestyle. What have you been doing since you left yesterday at noon? Do you ever sleep?” Hunter smiled and said, “Oh, the usual stuff, working as a super model, eating at Katz’s, saving New York City, he nodded to the TV Leona and Donald were watching, taking Ursula to Verron to meet Mom, King Verron, the Dragon Guard and Zeus and a wide variety of alien life-forms.” Leona looked at the terrorist news coverage and asked, “That was you?” Hunter nodded, yes. She continued, “Poor Ursula. I’
d imagine you’ve just shattered her concept of reality. Is she OK?” Hunter sat down, took half of Leona’s blueberry bagel with cream cheese and replied, “I think she’ll be alright. I plan to stick around till tomorrow to find out then I should head home. My little trip there this morning made me realize how much I miss it and how much I belong there. Hunter grabbed a banana and an apple out of the fridge and declared, “I’m going to bed. If I’m not up by noon, wake me.”

  Hunter was in the kitchen at 11:30 eating a four egg omelet filled with green peppers, onions, mushrooms and Polish Kielbasa and potato cakes made by Zoryana from the previous evening’s mashed potatoes, washing it down with the ever present Diet Coke. He was about finished when the doorbell rang. Zoryana answered the door and immediately came to inform Hunter, “Berkut, at door.” Hunter knew that in Ukraine “Berkut” was a commonly used name for the police. Hunter went to the door to be greeted by a Sgt. Gomez, an attractive Latin-American woman about 35 years-old, and a large Lieutenant named Flannery. They quickly informed him that a complaint had been filed by Nat “The Attack” Fuller for assault. The big man looked at Hunter and thought of the size of the WBF Heavy Weight contender, saying, “Fuller claims you attacked him and broke his hand. He is still in the hospital having his hand and wrist repaired. Needless to say, there are a lot of people, including me, that are upset he will not be fighting tonight.” Paul thought a moment and walked next door to Ursula’s apartment. He rang the bell, but she didn’t take long to answer. Standing there in her bathrobe with wet hair, she still looked beautiful. Hunter pointed to the two officers and told her, “It looks like Mr. Fuller is charging me with assaulting him.” Ursula looked enraged as she charged out of her condo, in a loud voice, informing the two officers, “I was there and that man is a liar and I have three more women in this building who witnessed it as well. Mr. Fuller was trying to solicit sex from a sixteen year-old girl. He was attempting to force her to leave the party with him. Prince Hunter came to her defense and the big drunk fool Fuller took a swing at him. I’m not certain what he hit that broke his hand, it all happened so fast, but Mr. Hunter did not assault him. Ask Mr. Fuller if he would like to have charges for solicitation of a minor or attempted rape filed against him. I have no doubt that Omotu Bissong would be glad to drop her charges if that pig will drop his.”