Floor 21- Dark Angel

by Jason Luthor

  I seem to have shocked the poor young woman. She barely looks at me from behind her hand, which covers her mouth as she speaks. “You’re telling me Jackie could . . . could turn into one of those things? And that’s why she uses the armor? So she won’t get hurt so bad that she turns on us?”

  “Partly. The suit has an active suppressant in it that reduces the level of Creep in her body to an acceptable threshold. Why do you think she wears it so often, even outside of combat?”

  “I thought she was just shy . . .”

  “She needs the suit to keep her Creep cell count low. Think of how strong, how resilient she would be without it on, with those cells unrestrained?” I can’t help but smile at the thought. “Of course, without the suit’s suppressant, it would be far easier for her to cross what we once deemed the Alexander Limit.”

  “The Alexander Limit?” She shakes her head and steps away for a moment before returning to me. “I’m kind of afraid to ask. What is the Alexander Limit?”

  “The threshold at which Creep bonded individuals such as Sally, Judge, and yes, Jackie, turn into their feral forms. The moment they lose their minds to the infection.”

  “Why didn’t you tell us any of this before?”

  The question, frankly, makes me scoff. “Who bothers to ask the ‘mad scientist’ anything in this place? But not to worry. She’s obviously aware of the dangers and has taken precautions against it with the help of . . . Well, wherever it is she learned to use her armor.”

  Jackie’s Recording 09

  “Dark Angel to Highpoint Waystation. John. You there?”

  It takes him a moment to reply, like always. “You got it, doll, and judging from where you’re standing, you got the best view in the world.”

  I smile. John has that effect on me. “You spying on me through my helmet, Johnny?”

  “What’s the point of being linked in if I didn’t?”

  “Well, you’re right. It’s a great view of the city.” I’m perched near the top of this huge antenna, looking out over Central from one of the largest buildings in town. “I think they used to use this antenna to broadcast radio shows and music.”

  “Ah, the bygone days when folks used to gather around the radio for a talkie. That was before my time, but I’ve still got the memories like I used to live back then.”

  “You’ve got a lot of memories that are questionable.”

  “You ain’t lying, kid. Comes with the territory of being me. So, what brings this call today?”

  “Just thinking out loud.” I look out at all the towers that are rising out in front of me, some bigger than the building I’m perched on. “You know, they never upgraded this building. Never tried to make it bigger or make the outside more modern. It’s still stone and steel, just like when it first went up almost a thousand years ago. It was the biggest building around when it was first built, and it stayed the biggest building in the city for a while. I can only imagine what the view was like before the other taller towers went up around here.”

  “Feeling nostalgic today, aintcha?”

  “A little. I guess I just wanted to get away from everything for a while. The other day, when Mike took me out to the Green Zone, he told me that he wanted me to understand what he was fighting for. And I guess he wanted me to understand what I should be fighting for.”

  “And being perched up there at the top of the world is helping you with that?”

  “It’s more like it’s helping me imagine what this city could be like if things ever got back to the way they used to be. You can see the Green Zone from up here, all three miles of it, this giant green rectangle just sitting in a sea of grey. It used to be all trees, at least from what I’ve seen in the pictures. Now, it’s got that huge glass enclosure around it. This city would’ve been something to see when the lights were on. It would’ve been miles of lights going out to the water’s edge.”

  “You’re telling me that city’s got all that power and it can’t keep those skyscrapers running?”

  “Different parts of the city are dark because a lot of the power goes to the energy field that keeps the Creep away. If they ever managed to destroy the Northwestern Creep Colony, they’d be able to get all the power running again. We could probably start living in the skyscrapers around here.”

  I hear him laugh on the other side. “ Who is ’we?’ You’re starting to sound like you’re taking a liking to that city.”

  “I think I am. I just wish I knew what I was doing. If I was making the right decisions.”

  “The mark of a good man, and good woman, is making the decision they think is right and owning up to their responsibilities if it turned out they were wrong. This whole problem will shake out on its own.”

  I shake my head and can’t help smiling. “I think I miss you, you ancient codger.”

  “Well, that’s one hell of a thing to say to someone like me. Can’t say I don’t appreciate it.”

  I’m about to keep talking when I hear a beeping in my ear over the military frequency and John’s voice is interrupted. “Unit A21 reporting, we have a public disturbance at the medical depot at 5th and 79th. Moving to suppress.”

  “Green Zone District Command responding, authorized to use restricted force to fulfill requisition needs.”

  Then it’s John’s voice back in my ear. “What’s all that about, kid?”

  “Uh, got to go, Johnny. Sounds like some trouble. I’ll be back in touch as soon as I can.”

  Personal Recording of the President, Gabriel Branagh 18

  I go bursting out of the temporary medical depot we’ve set up when I hear the commotion, just in time to see Cynthia screaming at a group of soldiers from Fort Silence. “Nobody gave you the right to take these! These have to go to people in the colonies.”

  “As I told you, ma’am,” the lead soldier barks, “Military requisitions take priority over civilian distribution.”

  “Like hell they do.”

  I run up to her just as the soldier’s about to say something else and put myself between the two of them. “Hey, hey, hey. What’s going on out here?”

  She ignores my attempts at a barrier and slides alongside me. “This cabrón just threatened to empty the depot of medical supplies for God knows what reason.”

  The soldier barks at her. ”These are mission critical supplies needed for an outbound mission to the Deadlands.”

  Again, I try to intervene. “Now, look here, son. Do you recognize who I am?”

  “I do, sir.”

  “Then you know that General Yousef delegated operational authority to me.”

  “And the War Council, sir. This mission has been approved. We don’t need you to sign off on it.”

  “Since when the hell did the War Council sign off on giving medical supplies to—” I stop talking as I see Mike and Mandy pushing their way out of the crowd that’s swelled to an unbelievable size. The street outside the Green Zone’s suddenly swarming with bystanders. Exactly what we don’t need, more fire to the powder keg. “Mandy! Stay over there. I’ve got this under control.”

  Of course, she doesn’t listen to me, and she just keeps charging for her sister. Mike’s right on her tail, trying to grab her before she gets any closer, when one of the soldiers turns aside and snatches her right off the pavement. He practically tucks her underneath his arms, and that sends Cynthia flying into a rage. “Leave her alone, chingado!” And before I can do anything, she’s running for Mandy. Out of nowhere, another soldier steps out of the crowd and pushes Cynthia just hard enough that she twists sideways, her ankle buckling as she falls to the floor.

  And then it all goes to hell when Mike jumps in a half second later and cracks that soldier across the face with a hit that would make any boxer proud. The guy goes crumbling to the ground, and all of a sudden, we’ve got people from the crowd shoving in on all sides. Whatever chance we had for a peaceful resolution vanishes that very second, and no matter how much I scream for everyone to back off, nobody hears me. A sec
ond later, soldiers are turning, fighting back against the crowd. The scariest part is watching them pointing rifles at civilians. I can’t just stand by and do nothing, and not after the soldiers start pushing back at the crowd. When one woman comes dangerously close to getting hit across the face, I leap in front of her, blocking the hit before crossing the guy up with a punch that has to knock a few teeth out of his face.

  But just as suddenly as it started, it all comes to an end when the rapid-fire rat tat tat of an assault rifle firing sends everyone ducking to the floor. The whole fight stops as everyone ducks, though it’s clear the soldier fired straight into the air. The only good part’s that it calms everyone down for a second.

  At least, that’s what I think until I see some idiot soldier grab Mandy by the arm, something Mike’s just not having. “Lay off!” he screams as he rushes to her, right before that soldier turns with the butt of his gun and just wallops him across the face. The poor kid goes crumbling backward to the floor, blood splattering across the concrete in this horrific moment. His face is instantly swelling up as that soldier walks up to him, the barrel of his rifle pointed downward and pressing directly to Mike’s temple.

  “Down on your stomach, now!”

  For a second, the tension is so thick, you can’t breathe. I watch Mike, and he’s on his hands and knees, blood pouring out of his mouth and nose. He wipes at it before clenching his fist, and all I can do is look at him and whisper, “Don’t make this worse, Mike. Not in front of Mandy and Cynthia.” And for a long moment, we all and hold our breath as it looks like Mike’s going to try and throw a punch. He doesn’t.

  But that’s when the ground starts shaking.

  Jackie’s Recording 10

  “Highpoint Waystation, come in!” I scream as I’m zooming over the rooftops toward my target.

  “Hey kid, back so soon—”

  “Highpoint, I need geographic data on the city. Fault lines, seismic activity. Now!”

  John immediately gets that this isn’t a social call. “Some smaller fault lines and rare seismic activity, but that’s mostly restricted to the mainland. There’s nothing recorded in Highpoint’s database of any earthquakes on that island in . . . centuries, really.”

  My jetpack is burning through fuel as I’m roaring above the city skyline, plunging toward the direction of the Green Zone. “Any idea about why we’re having an earthquake, then?”

  “Creep activity?”

  “I’ll let you know if we make it out of this. Dark Angel out.” My helmet’s already zooming in on the ground, and what I see’s enough to make me curse in a way that would embarrass my mother. “Thirty-four soldiers, dozens of civilians . . . and the president, Cynthia, Mandy, and Mike.” I’m praying things aren’t what I think they are when I come zooming down on the target, literally every soldier on the ground turning their guns at me as I hit the pavement. The earth’s vibrating so much that I don’t hold back when I scream at them, “Earthquakes are about to bring down the buildings, but you still have time to shoot me?”

  One of the soldiers looks my way, his rifle still held up as he stumbles toward me. “Dark Angel, we’ve been authorized to take possession of these medical supplies—”

  “Do I really look like I care about that right now?” I growl at him, and I can feel the red fire bleeding out of my eyes. He takes a step back when he sees them, and I take his second of hesitation to understand what’s going on. Civilians looking scared. The president next to me, looking confused. Mandy being held by one of the soldiers. Cynthia, not too far from her. And then . . . Mike, his face looking like a balloon. Blood’s on the concrete, and he looks like he’s struggling, like he’s trying to contain something inside of himself.

  I’ve seen that look before.

  The first time I saw it, he’d spent weeks being hunted in the Tower after having his Scavenger team killed off. Mike’d been on the verge of bringing the entire Tower down while he was mentally battling against the Demons walking the halls. The second time, he’d actually used that power for a good reason, holding back the Creep while we fought Judge. Standing there as the world’s shaking around me, I realize this is different from any of that. This is the kind of power that could do more than bring down a building. The sort of power I’m feeling could level a city.

  There’s a second when everyone just hits the ground, trying to brace themselves as the world feels like it’s about to split apart. It’s just a few moments when nobody’s paying attention to me, or to Mike, and I see him look my way. His teeth are grinding on themselves, and I can see tears running down his face and mixing with the blood running from his mouth. Still, it’s his hand that makes me scared. It’s subtle, but I can see the blue sparks coming off of his knuckles. His eyes are locked on mine, and I feel . . . I can feel how angry he is. I should make this clear. I can feel it, like they’re my own emotions. And just staring at him from across the distance, I shake my head and whisper, so low that nobody but him knows I’m talking, “Please, Mike. I know you can hear me. Don’t do this. Not for me. For Mandy and Cynthia.”

  When I say their names, his eyes go wide, and he looks over to her. She’s staring into the sky, clutching that cross she wears around her neck and saying prayers she believes will help. For a long second he looks at her before taking in a deep breath. Whatever Mike thinks when he sees her panicking, it calms him down. Suddenly, I can feel the world starting to settle down, the ground starting to get steady and the rumbling fading away. As quick as it all started, it ends, and soon Mandy, Cynthia, and Mike are hugging each other. I don’t think anyone else realizes what happened. That it was Mike making the world shake. How could they?

  With all that said, the second things look like they’re back to normal, those soldiers, like the idiots they are, start acting like nothing just happened. They start chatting with each other about making arrests and taking the supplies. I cut that real short when I get to my feet. “Hey,” I tell the guy I think’s in charge. “You’re not arresting anyone. And you’re not taking these medical supplies.”

  “Dark Angel, this has already been authorized by the War Council. We respect what you’ve done for our forces, but we’re under orders.”

  “Alright, champ, let me put it a different way,” I tell him as my sword materializes into my hand. “I know all of you saw me put down a dozen suits of power armor, not to mention lift an armored transport into the sky. So, you tell me if you think even thirty of you wearing basic combat armor and carrying plain old rifles can get past me and into this tent.”

  I see him hesitate, and I can tell he’s conflicted. “Let me do the hard thinking for you,” I tell him. “I know you have your orders. I’m not saying you don’t fulfill them. I’m saying you put them on hold until I talk this out with the general. I think he’ll understand if the reason you don’t get the supplies is because of me. I’ll take the full blame.”

  What’s weird is when he leans into me, right by my ear. “We . . . won’t get in trouble? Disciplined?”

  It’s the sort of question that, when a grown man asks you, makes you really uncomfortable because you realize how scared the guy is. I look him in the eyes and put a hand on his shoulder. “Hey. I’ll take care of it. But, I swear to the Builders, if any of you ever lay your hands on unarmed people again . . .”

  “I’ll talk to the men about it,” he says with a nod and a step back. Then he addresses me like he didn’t sound like a scared infant a half second before. “We’ll wait for word from the general before proceeding. To avoid any more civil disturbance.” And with that, he waves his finger in the air and signals his troops away.

  The second I’m sure that everything’s back to normal, I reach down and help Branagh get back to his feet. “Are you alright, Mr. President?”

  “I appreciate the gesture, but I’m not the one you should worry about,” he says with a glance around. “Let’s take care of these people.”

  I nod to him as he rushes toward the crowd, helping people onto thei
r feet and asking if everyone’s okay. For a second, I just . . . I’ve always known it, but it dawns on me just how good of a man he is. I don’t think about it too long before I turn to help Mike and his family. Cynthia’s huddled up against him and wiping at his face, but Mandy just looks angry. She’s staring at me like I’m a stranger and it . . . it hurts. Mike, though. Mike really does look like somebody slapped him across the face with a steak.

  “Mike,” I tell him as I take a knee in front of him. “What happened.”

  “Good old Fort Silence thought they needed to take the medical supplies from the depot. Cynthia got into it with them, Mandy got into it when her sister got into it, then I got into it when Mandy got into it because Cynthia got into it . . .”

  I smile at him. “Well, you’ve still got your sense of humor.”

  His eyes stare coldly at me. “But there’s nothing funny about this, Dark Angel.”

  Him using that name . . . I take a deep breath and get to my feet. “Cynthia, are you good to make sure everyone here is okay?”

  She looks my way. “Yeah. It’s a medical depot. If anyone got hurt,” she smiles, even if it’s a little sad, “At least there are supplies nearby!”

  I smile at her, then look at Mandy. “You okay, Mandy?” She looks up at me, but then turns away. Doesn’t even say anything. I shake my head a little. “It’s . . . been a tough day. I get it. I’m going to take care of this.”