by Jason Zandri
Nathan turned and continued to approach Rebecca. Her entire body was still bent backward, her arms were extended outward and her feet were dangling below her.
“Rebecca! Stop!” Nathan yelled approaching her.
Rebecca suddenly snapped rigid and upright.
Nathan was taken by surprise to see the full blackness of her eyes.
“What the…” Nathan began to say before lightning poured down from the clouds and multiple strikes hit him.
Nathan screamed as he was driven to the ground. He struggled to increase his personal shields while gravity increased below him exponentially.
“Rebecca…” he said struggling. “You have to stop.” He looked up at her as she slowly floated over. The ground below him shook and began to sink under its own weight.
A sinkhole formed and the earth dropped rapidly. Nathan was being crushed by his own weight and then the weight of the dirt and rocks that caved in as the walls of the sinkhole collapsed.
Lightning strike after lightning strike rained down from the sky and pummeled the center of the sinkhole.
There was a pause in the lightning strikes and the earth settled in the center. Nathan had disappeared from view.
Torrential amounts of water and hail poured down from the heavens and the storm compressed into a smaller and smaller area of the field.
The gravity well increased and the ground sunk further, filling with dirt, debris, and hail the size of softballs.
Rebecca floated overhead and the torrential weather parted around her. A small smile moved across her face and her eyes, black as the darkest night, peered down into the sinkhole.
The ground rumbled and Rebecca’s body became tense. A pulse wave of energy ripped out of the sinkhole and radiated outward. Rebecca was impacted at point blank range and thrown back.
The violent weather broke suddenly and Nathan emerged from the sinkhole through the mud and ice. The remaining falling rain began to clear some of the mud from him.
Nathan quickly looked for the other funnel cloud; it was fracturing and dissipating over the ridge.
He saw Rebecca on the ground and flew over. He tried to repower his communications device but the unit was too damaged.
Captain Delta’s power coursed over Nathan as he quickly recovered from the exchange while he cautiously knelt down next to Rebecca. He reached over to lift her eyelid but Rebecca started to stir. Instinctively, Nathan stood and backed off; his fists radiated raw white power.
Rebecca’s eyes fluttered open and they were normal. She began to sit up. “What happened?” she asked.
“You had another blackout,” Nathan said powering down. “As near as I can tell you were meditating out here and blacked out. The powers overtook you. This is on the boarder of a split personality or something. We can’t do this on our own anymore. We are going to have to consult with…”
“Who? Doctors? What are they going to be able to help with?” Rebecca asked angrily. “They know nothing about the mystical arts at all, let alone the ancient ones I used to lock the powers of the Primer Universe to me.”
“Likely not,” Nathan said stepping forward to embrace her. “However, if there’s anything neurological going on, they might be able to diagnose that. At least information like that might help you research whatever you might need for yourself.”
“I am fairly certain I know what is the matter as we discussed before,” she said softly and turning away. “My body, as the talisman, cannot handle all the strain of what is going on. It’s breaking down and the mind is an organ; like any other organ, when there’s an issue there…”
“Look,” Nathan said in a comforting tone, “I’m not about to give up that easy. There has to be something we overlooked or something to try. You once told me that even with all the elements and the correct incantations, the magic involved simply doesn’t bind the powers to anyone. There has to be a marriage of body, mind, and spirit you told me.”
“This is true,” she responded softly.
“Then you are one of the few that these powers could have bound to; with that, with an issue like this, there has to be a way to address things.” Nathan looked around as the weather fully broke. “Look, stay here. I’ll scout around and see if anyone needs help. Don’t leverage your powers and don’t leave unless you’re threatened by someone or something. Even then, don’t engage. Just fly away.” Nathan smiled and touched her face. “It’ll work out; it has to… I love you.”
“I love you too,” she responded, raising her hand to touch his.
Nathan turned to move away and she latched on to his hand. “How bad was it?” she asked plainly.
Nathan looked back at the sinkhole and then turned to her. “Bad.” He responded without hesitation. We’ll address it; a press conference or something. In the meantime, Bucksville is the closest incorporated town; let me go so I can see if they need any help. I don’t know the full extent of the storm or the earthquake from here. You were my first stop.”
Rebecca nodded and Nathan flew away. She watched him disappear over the hilltop.
Rebecca began to walk over to the sinkhole. The ground underneath her was unstable and it crumbled and rolled down the embankment. She instinctively floated when the ground gave way. She surveyed around, looking at the materials thrown out of the sinkhole when Nathan blasted his way out.
Voices sounded from behind her. She instinctively drew power from mother Earth and moved over the sinkhole, as it offered her the protection from a ground approach since the ground was unstable and collapsing into it.
She watched the news crew running ahead of the broadcast van. Anxiety filled her mind, She did her best to even out her breath but she felt control slipping away. She continued to breathe in through her nose and out through her mouth by conscious effort.
The van settled, the camera operator poised himself, and the woman reporter called out. “Miss Rebecca,” she yelled loudly to her. “Are we rolling? The microwave is shot so we need to bring this back to upload for broadcast” she asked the camera operator softly. He nodded to her. “Miss Rebecca,” she called out again. “Can you make a statement about what’s occurred here today?”
Rebecca didn’t respond and continued to stay composed.
The reporter called back out. “Miss Rebecca, there’s a growing segment of populace that believes we shouldn’t allow you and Nathan to run…”
“Shouldn’t allow?” Rebecca asked plainly, turning midair and hovering closer to them and the vehicle. “Who are you to allow or not allow?” Rebecca’s voice grew louder and a slight duality entered her words. Clouds thickened and there was a distant rumble of thunder, but she quickly released the cloud cover so they would naturally dissipate. “Nathan and I have the powers of the gods. We are benevolent but we could easily rule.” Rebecca continued and the darkness returned; her eyes became completely black. “We rush from one corner of the world to another whenever there’s an issue, to address problems that are often the result of man. When something doesn’t go perfectly for us, fixing your mess, the criticisms follow.”
The camera operator stepped to the side slightly and panned left to take in the entire sinkhole and then back up to Rebecca.
“Miss Rebecca,” the reporter continued, “there have been a number of situations where the direct result of you using your powers has caused almost as much damage as the existing emergency. Care to comment?”
“In the end did we make a difference?” Rebecca asked lowering herself slightly. “Were Nathan and I able to save precious lives?”
“Yes, but in the case that I am thinking of, the Bridgehaven rescue, you caused nearly a million dollars’ worth of infrastructure damage.”
“And Nathan helped with the repairs; he spent weeks with the transportation crews during their work and rotational cycle to effect all the repairs.” Rebecca’s voice grew louder. “Repairs that would have otherwise taken twice as long.”
“Repairs that were needed because of a miscalculation, by you pe
rsonally, on the structural integrity of the supports. A later review…”
“A later review?” Rebecca asked. “It must be nice to have the luxury of ‘after the fact’ to point out someone else’s mistakes as they take action to save lives.”
“This is understood,” the young reporter quickly jumped back in, the warm wind beginning to whip her mid length black hair around. “The original question was regarding the growing segment of populace that believes we shouldn’t allow you and Nathan to run rampant using your powers; they are lobbying lawmakers to…”
“There you go again with the permit and deny,” Rebecca said plainly. “Who do you believe you are? Your lawmakers can create all the laws you want; who will enforce them onto us?” Rebecca climbed a few feet higher and raised her arms. The ground shook and moved beneath them. “Who will make us cease and desist?” Rebecca asked.
Rebecca looked skyward to make sure the clouds were not forming. The ground rumbled more and the area next to the nearby sinkhole dropped inside.
“We are gods!” she yelled down to them, her voice echoing in duality. “You are nothing!” Rebecca threw her hands up and over her head and then pulled them down in front of herself as if she was performing a chin up exercise.
The Earth lurched beneath the camera operator, the driver of the van, and the reporter; it then dropped out completely from under them into its own sinkhole. The ground and rubble noise overcame their screams until all evidence of them was gone beneath the ground and the two sinkholes merged as one larger one.
Rebecca studied the ground and surveyed her work for several minutes. Her lips twitched lightly and she said “Less than nothing,” to the wilderness around her.
Looking away, she guided herself up and away into the western sky.
CHAPTER FOUR
Lisa stood outside of Bar 515 and looked down at her watch.
“You’re never going to see me coming if you’re looking at your watch,” Adia Santiago called out while making her way over. “By the way,” she asked smiling, “who the hell wears a watch anymore?”
Lisa looked over and smiled a little.
“You look a little tired,” Adia said as the pair turned and walked into the tavern.
“I’ll try not to take that too personally,” Lisa said casually.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Adia responded.
“I know,” Lisa said, placing her purse on the short ledge near the windows to Third Avenue. “To be honest, I am tired. I’ve been reviewing all the recent news articles that you passed along regarding Rebecca.”
“At least the past few weeks have been quiet,” Adia said. “The most recent outburst was just that; the outburst at the Greenland Ice Melt public hearing. She’s been really quiet for the most part and there’s been no real incidents.” Adia looked away and at the beer taps. “It almost makes me wonder if we shouldn’t be doing this. Maybe she… they, found a way to deal with things.”
“Look,” Lisa said quietly, “we’ve both seen this before. It cycles with her. She unravels and then reels it back in. Sooner or later she is going to unravel too much and then it’s Nathan that is going to pay the price.”
“What do you mean?” Adia asked.
“He’s going to either be the one to deal with her fallout and any personal guilt he associates with that, or worse, he is going to be the only one that can disarm her and he is going to be torn doing it.”
Adia nodded slightly. “What else is keeping you up?”
“Well to be honest, the whole conversation with Senator Kelly and that Jane Parker isn’t making for good sleeping either,” Lisa said.
“I am still waiting for them to talk to me,” Adia said to her and then lowered her voice. “They spoke to Jack; he was so pissed at them.”
“Do you know what the details were?” Lisa asked.
“They attempted all the same fact finding details with him from what you told me they did with you.” Adia responded. “Jack was far less courteous with them.”
“I wasn’t all that cooperative,” Lisa defended.
“Whatever you were, I can assure you, Jack was less cooperative.”
There was a slight pause in the conversation and then Adia continued. “You’ve been researching things; what do you have?”
“Since I found those book references to the Greek gods and the ramifications of their ties to this plane of existence, which have all been written off as legend, I haven’t been able to put them down. There are so many things that explain Nathan’s powers… I shouldn’t say ‘explain’, not really. It’s more like suggestive or implied, but given what we’ve seen with Nathan and now Rebecca, it does explain a great deal.”
The waitress came over with two beers and menus. The girls put them down to glance at them and then Adia continued. “Hit me with it; what have you got?” she asked, with her Puerto Rican accent becoming slightly more pronounced.
“There’s so much; I don’t know where to start,” Lisa said taking a drink from her beer and glancing down at the menu. “I guess I can start with the lore. I guess that sounds better than ‘legend’ because the more I read, the more I believe the Greek gods actually walked among men thousands of years ago.”
Lisa stopped when the waitress came back over and they each placed an order for something to eat.
Adia pulled her hair tighter in the pony tail and got a little more comfortable in the seat. “I did mention to you what happened when I traveled back to Wallingford, Connecticut with Nathan, right?”
“Yes, sometime after you got back and we began to talk a little. Can you refresh my memory?” Lisa asked.
“We were there, in Wallingford, and Nathan was drawn to the Center Street Cemetery. He was wearing a shirt with The Reaper on it. I wasn’t fully versed on that superhero and so Nathan explained it to me. The Reaper can see, generally, recently departed spirits. He has the ability to commune with them but it is simple conversation and generally they can only answer questions. There are some they are unable to answer and in that situation they are otherwise mute. Nathan explained that the spirits are a partial shell of the person who left this plane of existence; the soul of the person has moved on, but the essence is still partly here, accessible to The Reaper’s powers.”
Lisa set her beer down. “You ran into the spirit of Nathan’s father and Cici’s as well.”
“Right,” Adia continued. “The spirits that The Reaper generally ran into were only available to him and his power and influence because of some earthly, physical plane, unfinished business that needs to be addressed, or something that needs to be communicated.”
“And Nathan’s father needed to pass along that Nathan would be placed in the path of danger.” Lisa said quickly.
“That’s correct. Despite the perils that Nathan had to face, the spirit of Brian Devron wanted Nathan to know that he was confident that he would rise to the occasion.”
Adia mulled over what to discuss next and in that short period the waitress came back with their orders.
“Did I ever tell you that the spirit of Cici was surprised to see me there?” Adia asked.
“No,” Lisa responded putting ketchup on her French fries.
“I remember her saying, ‘Adia Santiago; I am surprised. Little surprises me.’ Then I asked her how I had surprised her. She explained that she was a Watcher; born into each generation and charged to observe the ebb and flow of mankind. One of the things that really stuck out with me was the whole ‘we are meant to witness and not interfere, with the exception of when The Fates or the gods demand; neither of who wants to directly meddle in the affairs or free will of mankind.’ I found that so interesting considering the amount of “minor” interference they seem to get into,” Adia said, throwing her fingers in the air to make air quotes. “Then she said ‘while I am a Watcher and tend to see much, I do not see everything. That, and the free will of mankind tends to make for gray areas of what might be, so all things are not always clear.” Adia looked up at Lisa
. “That’s when she said ‘I did not see Nathan on a path with you. I saw him on a path with Lisa Cooper.’”
“She said that?” Lisa said, eating a couple of French Fries.
Adia only nodded and ate some of her food.
“Did she say anything else?” Lisa asked.
“She explained a little more about her responsibilities as a Watcher. That was to keep the talisman of the gods. She said ‘in times gone by, when the pendulum swung too far, or too often, or too radically, the gods would restore the balance by calling on a hero.”
“Which gods?” Lisa asked.
“Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Ares, Athena, Apollo, Aphrodite, Hermes, Artemis, and Hephaestus.” Adia recited.
“Not the king and queen of the gods? No Zeus or Hera?” Lisa asked.
“I found that strange too. It was almost as if something was missing. The ten I listed were the etchings Nathan found on the talisman, that bracelet… bracer thing on his wrist.” Adia paused for a little more food and looked up at the ceiling to think it through more. “Cici said the Greek gods’ powers are at their height on Mount Olympus, but she also mentioned that when mankind worshiped them and prayed to them, the gods could very successfully channel their energies from Mount Olympus through the Earth for their use in this realm when they were here.”
“Oooo,” Lisa said through the food in her mouth. “That reminds me… something I read when I was researching all of this. Go ahead and finish.”
Adia nodded and continued. “Cici talked about how the Greek gods are powerful beings from another realm of existence. When they spent their time here, from a time in history before the one true God became known, they were worshiped as gods, and that allowed them to exist the way they did.” Adia paused and took a sip of her beer. “Once the son of God began to walk the Earth, more and more people cast aside the false gods. It took many centuries, but eventually their time and their worship by the people, ended. Despite being cast aside, these beings still loved and cared for humanity. Because the people no longer worshiped them, their ability to funnel and channel their extraordinary powers in this plane of existence waned and they retreated to Mount Olympus.”