by Adam Oster
“Just like everyone else, huh?”
“I'm sorry?”
“Nothing. Nevermind.”
“As you wish. Anyways, they asked to speak with you before I allow you to visit him.” Dr. Algen seemed uncomfortable mentioning the agents. “I've already given them a call notifying them of your arrival. I would assume they will be here very shortly.”
“Dr. Algen, Agents Kent and Parker are here to see you,” the intercom buzzed.
“Like clockwork. These guys seem to know just when I'm thinking about them,” the doctor said, giving Buddy a glance. He pressed the button on the intercom, “Thanks Caroline, go ahead and let them in.”
The door opened and two men entered the room. The men could have been easily lost in a crowd. They both wore blue suits and carried briefcases. Buddy couldn't help but think they appeared to be impossibly unremarkable in their appearance. The man on the right wore an odd watch. It contained a red blinking light, which began blinking faster as they walked into the room.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Jackson, my name is Special Agent Thomas Kent,” said the man on the right, “and my associate here is Special Agent Fred Parker.”
Buddy stood to shake their hands. “Nice to meet you both. What can I do for you?”
“Well, Mr. Jackson,” Agent Kent continued, “it appears you have made fast friends with the man you saved the other night. We have some concerns regarding the background of the man in question and therefore would like to know whether or not you have any recollection of meeting this man previously. It's very important that we understand your relationship with him before we allow you to speak with him.”
“Well, I mean, I've seen him naked and all, but that's just the way I found him,” Buddy joked nervously. He couldn't help but notice Agent Parker was staring at him. Buddy felt uneasy, but couldn't look away. The world around him went out of focus and all he could see were the man's dark eyes peering into him.
Then he felt something pulling him. He felt himself pulled away from the room, to somewhere far away. The world went dark.
He opened his eyes and found himself in a room illuminated only by some unseen spotlight. He looked around and heard footsteps getting closer. Agent Parker stepped into the light.
“What the-- Where am I?”
“Don't fear, Mr. Jackson, you are still in the room with the good doctor,” Agent Parker's voice echoed, although his lips did not move.
“What? Where the hell am I?”
“This is a corner of your subconscious, a part of your brain relegated to idle thoughts and forgotten memories. It seemed a fitting place for our conversation.”
“Alright, awesome, so I'm having some sort of stroke dream or something, right? How long till I wake up?”
“I assure you, Mr. Jackson, this is no dream, you are completely conscious, well, in a sense at least.”
“Alright, whatever pal. So, what am I supposed to do in this dream? Are we going to go off in rocket packs and explore Manhattan while fighting some giant monster?”
“Is that what your dreams normally consist of, Mr. Jackson? Interesting. . . “ Agent Parker began walking around the edge of the spotlight, looking in the shadows.
“Seriously, guy, what's this all about?”
“Oh, nothing for you to concern yourself with. I like to allow those I'm interrogating to be present as I peruse their subconscious.” Agent Parker turned his back to Buddy and the spotlight disappeared. He heard yelling and screaming all around him and saw a sudden a flash of light as a man was engulfed in flames. The spotlight reappeared. “Very interesting. . .”
“What the heck was that?”
“Just a dream you had recently. Do you remember it?”
“A dream? What the hell is going on here?”
“Yes, Mr. Jackson, a dream. Do you remember it?”
“What does it matter if I do?”
“I would be quite useful to me, and beneficial to you, if you were to cooperate in this procedure.”
“Listen, pal. I still have absolutely no friggin' clue what this procedure is.”
“There's no need to get hostile Mr. Jackson. This is all very much by-the-book, I assure you.”
“Who's book is that?”
“I'm afraid I can't answer that.”
“Well then tell me, Mr. Parker, what can you answer?”
“A whole lot. . . about you. For instance, what can you tell me about this memory?” An image appeared next to Agent Parker of Buddy and Maggie when they were younger. They were sitting next to each other on the front steps of a house. Buddy instantly recognized it as his childhood home.
“I'm not telling you anything.”
“I truly wish you would work with me, Mr. Jackson. I'm simply reviewing your subconscious in an attempt to determine how much of a threat you pose.”
“Well, quit it. I've got some dreams I'd rather not re-live.”
“I'm sorry, Mr. Jackson, that's not an option. My mission is clear.”
“I don't care about your mission. Get out of my head, you freak!” Buddy ran toward Agent Parker and shoved him. The darkness faded momentarily and Buddy could see the interior of Dr. Algen's office briefly before returning to the spotlight.
“Oh, I wish you hadn't resorted to this type of behavior, Mr. Jackson.” Agent Parker closed his eyes and a chair appeared behind Buddy, sliding in beneath him and causing him to fall into it. Giant steel coils wrapped around his arms and legs, keeping him from moving.
“Get me out of here!” Buddy exclaimed.
“I'll make this quick. If all goes as I hope, you will be freed shortly.” Images flashed around Buddy and Parker, filling the room with glimpses of giant creatures, bloody corpses, flaming wreckage, and in the middle of all of these images was a picture of a young Buddy, wearing a green spandex suit. Each version of himself looked angrier than the last. Buddy cringed as he saw each image, remembering them from his dreams, where they had struck fear and pain in his heart.
His worst nightmares came to life directly in front of him moving in fast-forward. He saw himself on the verge of death over and over again, in the grips of other-worldly creatures, at the hands of crazed-looking lunatics, and finally by his own hand. He heard the screams of thousands, the explosions of buildings burning away the lives of millions. He saw faces of pure fright in every corner. Each face looked at him for help as he sat helpless in the chair Agent Parker had manifested.
Buddy closed his eyes and cried out in agony, begging Agent Parker to stop the nightmare. And just as he cried out, the room went silent.
“Mr. Jackson? Do you understand everything I have told you?” Buddy heard Agent Kent's voice. He opened his eyes and saw he was back in Dr. Algen's office. Agent Parker was still staring at him.
“Mr. Jackson?” Dr. Algen asked.
“Oh, yeah, sorry. Yeah, I got it. We all good to see that guy now?”
“And you are completely certain you have never met, or had any dealings, with this individual in the past,” asked Agent Kent in an accusatory manner.
“I've never met the man.” Agent Kent looked at Agent Parker and Agent Parker gave a slight nod.
“Well then, Mr. Jackson, you are cleared to talk with the patient.”
“Perfect,” Dr. Algen said. “Now, if you would follow me, Mr. Jackson, I can take you to get acquainted with our Mr. Doe. If he responds to you in any way similar to the way he's responded to everyone else, you should be in for quite a treat.” Dr. Algen walked between the federal agents and entered the hallway. Buddy and the agents followed the doctor.
“Oh, and Mr. Jackson,” Agent Kent said, as he moved forward to walk alongside Buddy. “I need to ask that you wear this earpiece while you are in there speaking with the patient.”
“What for?”
“Just an act of precaution.” Agent Kent handed Buddy a small black device.
“Okay. . . “ Buddy responded, as he turned the earpiece over in his hand.
The group arrived at a l
arge set of doors with the words OBSERVATION ROOM printed on them. The doctor opened the doors and gestured for Buddy to enter. He entered a dark room with a bay of windows overlooking a well-lit area. In the dark room was a variety of surveillance and recording equipment, all whizzing and whirring in rhythm with each other. In the room below, Buddy saw the man he had rescued.
With the man was a queen-sized bed. The sheets on the bed had been ripped off and were laying in a heap at its foot. Other accoutrements, such as a rocking/reclining arm chair and a big screen TV were also in the room. The man Buddy had rescued was pacing in the far corner of the room, arms crossed, staring at the door, and looking very agitated.
“Sheesh, you folks have really got this guy set up, don't you?” Buddy asked.
“As we've already discussed, Mr. Jackson,” Agent Kent said ominously, “this man could pose a serious risk to the security of our nation. We cannot afford to allow him much freedom until we know what he is capable of. The amenities we have provided are in an effort to help him feel comfortable enough to open up and speak with us. Once again, please use extreme caution when talking to this individual. You may find his reaction to you is quite different than you would expect it to be.”
“Alright, awesome. I'm feeling safer by the minute.” Buddy said, reconsidering his decision.
“You should be in no immediate danger. However, there is nothing wrong with being cautious. Please feel free to enter the room whenever you are ready.”
Buddy looked down into the room once more, hoping there would be something to relieve him of this responsibility. Since the chances of another monster falling from the sky was highly improbable he shrugged his shoulders, sighed, and descended the stairs to the door leading into the room.
“Well,” Buddy said to himself as he placed the earpiece in his ear and pressed the button on the top of the pen, “at the very least, this is a helluva lot more exciting than the I Love Lucy marathon I had planned for the day.”
CHAPTER 8
Buddy looked at the door at the bottom of the stairs and paused again. The door looked warped, like something on the inside had pushed against it with a great deal of force. Yet the door appeared to be such as could withstand a nuclear blast.
He again questioned his reasons for being in this situation, looking up the stairs as he considered turning tail. Curiosity ended up winning out and he slowly opened the door, peeking through the small crack he had created. He wanted to make certain the man he was visiting was still placed in the opposite corner of the room. He was, so Buddy cautiously entered.
“Hello?” Buddy spoke softly. The man looked at Buddy and a sign of recognition and joy washed over his face.
“Buddy, old chum!” the man exclaimed as he moved quickly in Buddy's direction. “I was beginning to think you'd never show.” Buddy backed himself against the door. He took a long look at the man who yelled his name. This man was a giant, easily 5 inches taller than Buddy. Yet, Buddy couldn't help but think there was something familiar about this blond haired muscular gentlemen.
He was certain he had never met him before the events outside of Maggie's Diner, but something in his eyes, his bright green eyes, made Buddy feel slightly more at ease.
However, the speed in which this large man was bearing down on his location quickly removed any ease Buddy felt.
“I'm sorry, I'm pretty sure you have me confused with someone else.” Buddy said.
“Ah, I missed the famous Buddy Jackson banter. Come on over here and give your old sidekick a hug.” The man's voice boomed through the room. “Don't tell me you don't recognize me.”
“I'm sorry,” Buddy said meekly.
“Ha! Hilarious!” He stopped, noting the lack of recognition on Buddy's face. “It's me! Zero! I'm back! It hasn't been that long, has it?”
Buddy wondered why the government would be so interested in a man who was obviously insane. Zero walked closer to Buddy and looked into his eyes. His grin fell.
“Then it's true. You don't remember me either.” Zero said, looking very disappointed. His green eyes looked deep into Buddy's.
“Sorry. Wish I did,” Buddy offered honestly.
“I knew something was amiss, but I was certain you, at least, would remember me.”
“If it helps, it would seem that there are a couple of men upstairs who remember you.”
“Ah, yes, those two boring-looking men. Of course they would remember me. But who cares about them, am I right, chum?” His laughter echoed through the room as he slapped Buddy hard on the back.
“Um. . . sure?” Zero's eyebrows furrowed at this response.
“I don't understand, Buddy. What happened while I was away? Was it the Time Geek again? Or perhaps our old enemy The Metronome? Did someone break your brains in my absence?”
“Did you go somewhere?” Buddy humored the man.
“Of course I went somewhere. I went on the greatest journey. You even tasked me with it, my old friend. You were the master of ceremonies at my going away event.” He wrapped his arm around Buddy and Buddy slowly twisted himself out of the hold. “It was a pretty big deal, you know. TV cameras, pretty news women, bubbly drinks. . . everything.”
“Sorry I missed it.”
“But--” Zero stopped himself. “Right. So, you don't remember me at all? What about the old team? You have to remember the team, right? All those fights and stuff. You can't tell me you've forgotten about those.”
“Oh, wait, you were a boxer?” Buddy asked, quickly working through his past opponents to determine if that was why this man looked vaguely familiar.
“A boxer? No. What? You mean that silly thing where men wear padded gloves and fight in their underpants? Oh no, old chum, I am most definitely not a boxer.”
“Oh, I just thought that since you were talking about fights--”
“Ah, yes, the fights. The constant battle for justice against injustice, going into the fray to defend truth, our constant quarrel against all that stood in the way of freedom. Our engagement with destiny.”
“Um. . . yeah. Truth, justice and the American way, right?”
“See, you do remember!”
“Yeah, that's Superman's whole thing, isn't it?”
“Superman?”
“Yeah, you know, cape and tights and fighting bad guys. Superman. Faster than a speeding bullet?”
“Yes, super men, that's what we were. We were so super, in fact, many considered us gods.” Zero struck a pose as he said this, as though he were running for political office.
“You've definitely got the wrong guy if that's the case.”
“Oh no, my amnesic ally, I most definitely do not have the wrong guy. You are Buddy Jackson, the world's greatest hero!”
“Heh, yeah, sure pal.” Buddy laughed.
“You are Buddy Jackson, aren't you?” Zero asked seriously. “It would actually make a lot of sense if you weren't.”
“Yeah, my name is Buddy Jackson.”
“Brother to Maggie Jackson, culinary genius who operates the establishment known as Maggie's Diner?”
“Yep, that's me.”
“Well then, you are the right guy.”
“I don't know how to say this, but between the two of us, I'm pretty sure I'm the one who has the more reliable brain at the moment.” Buddy looked at the windows above, hoping the men who were watching would see this as a plea to let him leave the room as quickly as possible.
“I'm not sure what you mean. Are you saying that they found me infected with some sort of,” he paused for dramatic effect, “space sickness?”
“Space now? Look pal, I think this has--”
“Perhaps I can prove to you that you and I were old chums.”
“I don't see how that's possible, but--”
“Oh, I've got it. Your origin story! You never tell anyone your origin story. No one, that is, except your old pal.”
“Origin story?”
“Yes. The story of how you found out about your ability.”
/> “My ability?”
“Your incredible feats of strength. Is it possible this too has been erased from your memory?”
Buddy looked up to the windows again, “I'm sorry guys, I can't do this anymore. This is nonsense.” He began walking to the door.
“Nonsense?” Zero yelled. He looked across the room at the table his lunch had been placed on. The tray of food lifted off the table and flew across the room, hitting the wall. “Is it possible for you to label that as nonsense?”
Buddy hastened his speed toward the door, while staring at the tray as it clattered to the ground. He turned around and pulled on the door, trying to open it. It was locked from the outside. He yelled out for the door to be opened. A loud buzzing filled his ear and quickly shifted into a sharp squeal. Buddy fell to his knees. The world turned a hazy shade of purple, disorienting him.
He looked at Zero and wondered where he was, why the man standing over him looked both angry and concerned at the same time, and what he was doing on the floor. The door behind him opened and Agents Kent and Parker entered. They picked Buddy up from the floor and dragged him out of the room. The world slowly came back into full focus. Zero called after them to Buddy.
“Something is wrong, old chum! You must remember. Remember me, remember the team. Damon's back, Buddy, you must remember!”
Buddy was assisted in walking up the stairs to the observation room and placed in a chair. He looked up at the gentlemen who had pulled him out of the room below.
“What's going on? Where am I?” Buddy asked.
“You're fine, Mr. Jackson,” said Agent Kent. “Perfectly fine.” He looked at Agent Parker who was staring intently at Buddy.
Buddy also looked at the man staring at him and noticed his dark unforgiving eyes. He couldn't remember why, but something about this man struck a fear within Buddy's heart that made him want to run.
CHAPTER 9
Buddy walked out of the hospital feeling he had forgotten something important. He walked down the steps to the sidewalk and was greeted by Alexa Rose. Buddy looked at the young woman in confusion. He then found himself staring at her. She was gorgeous. Her long blond hair reached down--