by Pozel, Derek
Garrett closed his eyes and placed his right hand on Granite’s head. He felt the afflicted power inside of Granite call to him. His body knew how to answer without a second thought.
Energy ripped throughout Garrett and coated him with a healthy dose of agonizing pain. He took slow deep breaths to let the power settle. His heart thumped with the bass in the music in near perfect rhythm.
Before long the tempest settled enough and he opened his eyes. Garrett patted the fallen hero down and found a smart phone. “Seriously, you keep a personal phone on you? You are an amateur.”
He searched through Granite’s text messages and groaned when he stumbled across explicit photos women had sent the hero. “Wow, you are a dirty bastard aren’t you? No wonder Valkyrie dumped you.”
Garrett hesitated when he saw a text from Walter S. Weiss about his recent actions in the field. He requested a private meeting at his home to discuss the matter further.
“Why does the name sound familiar?” Garrett said. He repeated the address a couple times to remember it. “Thanks for the lead, idiot.”
Garrett dipped down to face the former superhero. He reeled back when he took a long look at what he had done. Both of Granite’s eyes had already swollen shut, a trail of blood ran down the side of his face, mixing with the blood from his nose.
“I can’t let this get to me,” Garrett chewed on his lower lip. “He won’t be the last one.”
Garrett scooped up Granite’s chin in his hand and stared at the battered face of the former hero. The brutalities of his actions were right in front of his eyes. Garrett forced himself to view the crime he had committed in the name of Emma. He needed to remember this moment and why he had done this to another human. He thought of Emma and her hand sticking through the rubble, because of heroes like him. The members of the Assembly were getting younger, more reckless and hungry for power. He did not hate them; he hated the destruction that followed in the wake of the Afflicted.
“If you can hear me, tell your boss he took something from me,” Garrett said. “I’m paying him back.” Garrett stood and stepped away from Granite. He dashed back into the stall to retrieve his monks robe. He walked back past Granite with his robe in hand. He did not offer the hero a second glance. His time with this hero was over.
Chapter 8
A bald headed man dressed in a large black sweatshirt and loose blue jeans pushed open the heavy glass door of the office and strolled in. His eyes fixated on the document in his hand while he flipped through it. Large tinted windows stretched around the corner office, allowing a view of the city to the north and Lake Michigan to the east. The gloom of October darkened the room, and the sconce lighting, which circled the office, cast twisted shadows on the walls. The office felt cold and sterile, it did not fit the world’s greatest superhero.
“What do you think?” Patriot shifted forward in his overstuffed, black leather chair. He rested his elbows on the cold white marble desktop, watching his closest friends eyes skim across the pages.
Sage scratched his baldhead and glanced up from the document with weary brown eyes. His large round nose a shade of pink and the glow of his rosy cheeks were lost in five o’clock shadow.
“You look exactly the same as the last time I saw you,” Sage said. “Well, you do have 103 new gray hairs.”
Patriot ran a hand through his side parted wavy dark blond hair. “Thanks for noticing. You look like you haven’t slept in days.”
Patriot’s hazel eyes watched the world’s smartest man zip through the report again and again. “Any clues about the person who’s hunting our members?”
“I think there’s a gifted person who has an ability we have cause to fear,” Sage plopped his chubby body on the plaid chair across the desk from Patriot.
Patriot leaned back in his chair, placing his strong hands behind his head. His large muscled arms caused the fabric to stretch on his well-tailored white dress shirt.
“He’s not too fond of the Assembly or you,” Sage said.
“Me? Granite can barely remember that night and somehow he remembers this character doesn’t like me?” Patriot said.
Sage stroked his chin. “It is surprising he remembers anything after the beating he received.”
“It could be you,” Patriot raised an eyebrow, “you and Bloodhound are also the leaders.”
“Yes, even though I am one of the founders of the Assembly along with Bloodhound,” Sage said. “In the public’s eye, Patriot is the leader of our merry band of heroes. You are the embodiment of what the Assembly represents. This is what makes you the leader of the Assembly.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” Patriot’s voice drifted along with his eyes out the window.
Sage relaxed a bit in the chair and placed his hands on his knees. “This makes you the boss this person is referring to.”
“Can you think of any reason why he wants me and what his goal is?” Patriot said. “If anyone can put the pieces together, it’s the world’s smartest man. I will let you sort through their reports in your mind. Not all of us can memorize everything with a single glance and be able to recall every detail.”
Sage rubbed his chin while his eyes darted back and forth in his head for a few seconds. “For starters, I am not the world’s smartest man. There are others with even greater mental capabilities. Ready when you are for the predicament at hand.”
“What does this Afflicted want?” Patriot said.
“No idea. It is perplexing,” Sage said. “There must be a connection you have to this man I am not seeing. I am sorry to say this, some people don’t like you.”
Patriot slumped in his chair. “With so many superhero teams in this country and the world, someone as dangerous as this drops on our doorstep. Every one of us has made enemies. The afflicted powered criminals, normal humans and politicians and so on. It could be a person from the past we are overlooking.”
Sage cleared his throat. “Between Bloodhound and myself, there is seldom anything overlooked my friend. There is another connection beneath the surface. It’s not visible at first glance, or mind in my case.” Sage turned to the window. “Even Bloodhound cannot track this character. This man’s ability is interesting.”
“Sage, is it possible someone can take our powers?” Patriot picked up the report and thumbed through it.
“When it comes to the Afflicted, anything is possible,” Sage turned his head back to Patriot. “It appears when he touches us we lose our powers. Shadow Guard and Granite were both badly beaten during their encounters with this individual. I am guessing he has to physically overpower or exhaust an Afflicted to extract their powers. During their fights with this man, their powers had no effect on him. It is what is intriguing about this character. Can someone be immune to everything or certain abilities? The possibilities are endless of what he can do and what we can’t do to him. Would my cognitive reasoning and memory vanish? I would love to do tests on him to see the extent of his powers.”
“First, we catch him. Then you can perform your tests on him,” Patriot let out a groan.
Sage tugged on his earlobe. “He could be a solution to the more dangerous guests at the Hotels.”
Patriot’s face contorted into a frown. “We need to catch him quickly and quietly. We cannot let word of someone with his powers get out, especially if he can take the powers of the Afflicted. You read both reports?”
“Of course and they are stored into my memory,” Sage said.
“Good, destroy the physical copies immediately,” Patriot said. “No one outside you, Bloodhound and I, can know the full extent of those reports and what he can do.”
Patriot reached into the desk, pulled Shadow Guard’s report from the top drawer. He slid both to Sage. “Get rid of them.”
“As you wish,” Sage said. “The others will inquire about Shadow Guard and Granite.”
Patriot sighed. “I’ll handle it.”
“Early retirement?” Sage’s eyes narrowed to tiny slits.
“No, we’ll be truthful of this man’s abilities,” Patriot said. “We’ll keep the finer details of his target to ourselves for the time being.”
“I’ve haven’t seen you this excited in a long time my old friend.” Patriot said. “It’s good to have you back.”
Sage hung his head. “Losing Elizabeth has kept me distracted from my duties. I understand the importance of the Assembly. I’m sorry I have not been around lately, I need time.”
Patriot shifted his weight forward. “Take all the time you need. Even though she wasn’t an Afflicted, she was still part of the Assembly. She was part of our family and I miss her too, so does Zoe.”
Sage rubbed his eyes and forced a smile. “Thank you. Let’s get back to this new enemy. This man is such an enigma. Can he be our counter?”
“Could he be a mimic and we’re over thinking this?” Patriot said.
Sage tilted his head upward. “Well, it is possible, I don’t think it’s the case with this one. We have encountered three mimics over the years. The one who absorbed the abilities by touch and the one who drank the…” Sage cleared his throat. “Who had to kill an Afflicted and drink their blood to gain their abilities.”
Sage tapped his fingers on the oak armrest of the chair. “There is nothing in Granite’s or Shadow Guard’s statements which give the impression he is a mimic.”
“It’s what I was afraid of,” Patriot said. “We don’t know who he is and we don’t know what he is capable of. If word gets out about this Afflicted and his ability to take our powers, it could be a disaster for all the Afflicted in the world.”
“Many of our enemies will do whatever it takes to control him,” Sage said. “The governments of the world would love to have him in their pocket and use him as leverage. What bothers me is what happens to him when he does take a person’s power? You simply cannot destroy our powers and the energy which fuels them.”
“He might be immune to us,” Patriot said. “He can turn off our powers and take them away. This is what we need to focus on. I know you’re curious about this one. Figure out a way to protect our people on the streets. Then you can worry about energy and where it goes after we catch him.”
Sage waved his hands. “Fine.”
“I’ll admit,” Patriot said. “This one has me worried a little, because we have almost no information on him.”
“First and foremost, we need to stop using our powers on him,” Sage said. “He is aware of our reliance on our powers. He uses it to his advantage.”
Patriot sighed. “How do you tell an Afflicted they cannot use their powers in a fight? We train our members how to use their powers responsibly. How are they supposed to defend themselves against an Afflicted like this one?”
A smile crept across Sage’s lips. “Train them to fight like we used to in the old days.”
“It’s good to see you smile, at our members expense,” Patriot said. “In the mean time, we’ll put a warning out to our members and give his description. If they come in contact with him they are to call in support and retreat immediately. We can’t lose any more people. We’re spread thin already and we’re bleeding members to the other groups and cities.”
“That’s what happens when crime goes down in Chicago,” Sage said. “Our members get bored, when the criminals are in jail or have moved on to other cities.”
“We’re doing what’s right,” Patriot said with a smile, which gleamed.
“It would also be a good idea to double the patrols,” Sage said, “until we get a firmer grasp of what he is capable of. We cannot leave anything to chance and the more of us together the stronger we are. Before you ask, yes the new recruits are almost ready. The Hotels are under control and our guests are having a pleasant stay. A pleasant a stay as you can have in a prison for Afflicted. The Department of Defense and the CIA are moving Hotel Atlantic to the Pacific this month.”
Patriot rolled his eyes. “I hate when you do that. I know you’re smart, but it feels like you’re a mind reader. I am surprised you have not complained more about the name of the Afflicted prisons. But they’re sedated, not causing any harm to anybody and the government is footing the bill.”
“No Afflicted has shown the power to read minds or control humans,” Sage said. “Thankfully, even we have limits.”
“Before I forget, speaking of the CIA, they requested the formula for our sedation drug.” Patriot said. “I gave them the usual answer.”
“Not a chance, I keep it in here,” Sage tapped his temple. “Imagine what a bunch of spies would do with it or someone worse, if they got their hands on it?”
“I know it’s dangerous. I’ll tell them it’s a hard no,” Patriot rose from his chair and walked to the window, which overlooked Lake Michigan and Millennium Park. “Our park is almost done. I got a sneak peek of your statue.”
Sage walked to stand beside his most trusted friend. “I told them, I did not want one. The whole park is a bad idea. It is too close to our base of operations. The last thing we need is people sniffing around, thinking we operate from there.”
Patriot let out a long overdue laugh. “You worry too much. It’s good for the city and for us. How about some good news for once? How did we do this week anyway? I haven’t read any of the patrol reports yet and we both know how biased the media is in the matters of the Assembly.”
Sage scratched at his baldhead. “We assisted the DEA with a major drug smuggling ring in Miami which Afflicted were operating. They had a teleporter hauling drugs all over the world. Credits go to Aperture and Falling Star. I recommend we change their partners. There is friction between them. I will find a suitable partner for each. Crimson and Obsidian are still embedded with a Strider team according to the latest Intel from the CIA. They do not want to let them go.”
“I hate the name the CIA gave to their joint Afflicted Seal teams,” Patriot frowned. “What the hell is a strider? Don’t answer.”
“I can go on if you want with the smaller street level activities,” Sage said.
“I’ll check over the files tonight. I’ll contact everyone about Granite,” Patriot clenched his jaw.
“I was about to have a talk with Granite about his behavior,” Sage said.
“He could be a hassle, but he was loved by the people,” Patriot said.
“Especially women,” Sage’s voice dropped.
“Everyone has a weakness,” Patriot said. “And then theirs his past relationship with Valkyrie.”
Sage stiffened his posture. “She’s a professional, she’ll be fine.”
“You’re right,” Patriot looked at his friend out of the corner of his eye. “Losing him will hurt though.”
“Granite and Shadow Guard are not the first we have lost,” Sage said. “It is tragic, but you will move on, because you have to. Even though you like to cling to the past, you can’t. You are our leader and there are too many people who depend on you to keep them focused.”
“I know, but how much longer can I do it,” Patriot said. “We’re both closer to fifty than forty. There is no room for aging superheroes in this world. They get younger and more powerful every year. I still think about when it was the three of us on the forefront. The first Afflicted in the publics eye, to protect them.”
“You’ll do it for as long as you can,” Sage said. “This is your life’s work. One man will not take away everything we have built. The people who are out there protecting the streets are your legacy. Speaking of legacies, how is Zoe? I haven’t seen her in a while. I hope she’s doing well.”
“She’s doing well,” Patriot said. “She asks about you every time I talk to her. She worries about her Uncle Walter. She knows things have been tough. She worries and so do I.”
Sage’s eyes clouded with tears. “She’s an incredible woman. Liz always thought of her as her own. I don’t know where or how you found her, but she is truly a blessing to us. Please, bring Crimson home. Tell the CIA you need him back. I know she misses him. I miss having him
around here too, he’s a bright boy.”
Patriot paused and let his eyes wander. “He’s a good man with a good head on his shoulders. I see how they look at each other. I never found what you and Liz had or what Zoe has with Crimson. I found her at least and I have the Assembly. In addition, being almost 50 and having to start dating again? I’d rather fight an old nemesis like Coldfire or Ultimate.”
“Ultimate, now there was a terrifying adversary,” Sage said while his eyes darted back in forth in his head. “You’re super strong, he’s on another level.”
Patriot took a slow deep breath. “Yes, he was. Well, time to get back to work. Someone has to go to shake some hands in Washington tomorrow morning. How did I end up with this job?”
“You’re the face, the embodiment of being a hero,” Sage said. “They don’t want to talk to Afflicted like me or Bloodhound who work behind the scenes. They want to shake hands with the hero who rushes into a burning building or jumps in front of a car to save a civilian. It’s your job now. You are the voice of the Assembly.”
“Don’t remind me,” Patriot said.
“Before I forget,” Sage said, “which we both know is unlikely. Next time you get the urge to pull someone from a car crash at least wear the costume. You’re putting Zoe in danger.”
Sage grabbed the files on Granite and Shadow Guard from the desk. “Thank you,” Sage said over his shoulder while he walked to the door.
Patriot frowned. “For what?”
Sage stood with a hand on the door handle. His shoulders slumped, eyes glued to the floor. “For being there for me after I lost Liz. I would not have made it without you and Zoe. The memories, they do not want to leave, they linger and they hurt. Thank you for standing by me and trying to keep me involved in the daily comings and goings of the Assembly.”
“We are your family,” Patriot said.