The Next #5

[pyrceval]

The Next
Issue 5
Repercussions Part II
Broken Hearts and Broken Heroes

Consequences. Ramifications. Repercussions. Such things are inevitable when we make choices. I made a choice once, long ago, to pursue pure science without concern for ethics. I helped to create...life. I played god. Now, one of those little lives I helped to usher in so long ago lies here, facing death at the hands of another I created. What sort of man am I, then, to have sent a veritable child to his death? The loss of one of my...children... may be a consequence I am not prepared to face...

Doctor Jasper’s mood was as dark as the approaching night outside. Here he sat in a rickety chair in a rickety, dirty old warehouse looking over the battered and broken body of someone who had placed their trust in him.

His normally bright blue eyes had taken on the haze of sad tears as he absently toed a small pile of dirt on the floor. Alex lay unconscious and unmoving still. It had been just a day since Bala had brought him back following their fight with one Carl Timmons, an immensely strong and tough man that had been rampaging through the city. Alex had taken a beating that would have reduced a normal man to a pile of bone dust and bloody smears. Yet he lived still. The Doctor was banking on Alex’s advanced nature, his tougher and more powerful body, to save the young man’s life.

An I.V. was attached to him, helping to keep fluids and blood flowing into him. Alex had several broken ribs, a cracked collar bone, a dislocated shoulder and a cracked hip bone. This was all in addition to the many severe bruises and bloody cuts that covered him. Jasper believed he had more fractures and cracked bones than he had detected and feared internal injuries. His instinct was to rush the young man to the emergency room, but he feared they would be discovered and if their enemies were who Jasper believed them to be then Alex would be in far worse shape then than he is now.

Even with all these thoughts dashing through the doctor’s brain, he couldn’t silence that inquisitive scientific mind of his. Bala had told him that Alex flew and that he absorbed several different forms of energy from a variety of sources and appeared to grow stronger, faster and more powerful as he did so. She told him of the swirling energy around the young man and Jasper was very curious as to just what Spectrum was becoming capable of. Even when he designed his genetic structure all those years ago he never imagined the man would be capable of flight or some sort of energy transformation as Bala had described.

He sighed again and then realized there was a presence behind him. He didn’t have to turn his head all the way around to realize who it was. “Ronin.” Jasper said to the man with the dark ponytail standing behind him.

The man nodded. “I saw him fight the other night. He took out half a dozen or so little gangbangers without using his more ‘super’ powers. But that, what was his name, Timmons guy? He was something else.”

Jasper nodded. “It was too soon, too soon. He wasn’t trained enough or prepared enough yet...but we had no choice! If Bala and Spectrum couldn’t bring him down no one would have. Innocents would have been injured or killed!”

Ronin narrowed his eyes and raised his voice a little. “And, what, Alex here isn’t innocent? What was he doing when you convinced him to don spandex and become a little toy soldier for you? Knocking over convenience stores or something?”

Jasper turned his sad eyes to the other man, taking in the dark clothes, the long dark coat and the katana visible over his shoulder. Jasper replied, “Of course not, he was a normal kid. Well, an exceptional kid actually. In talks with MIT, star athlete at his high school, martial arts champion, loved by his adoptive parents.”

Jasper’s voice trailed off as he slowly lowered his eyes. Ronin pressed the point. “Exactly. What did he do to deserve being beaten to a bloody pulp by a rampaging man-monster and facing his death in a cot in a corner of a dusty old warehouse being watched over by a crazy old scientist he’s known for a few days?”

It was obvious the words stung Jasper deeply and Ronin continued, hammering his point’s home. “Do his parents have even the slightest idea that their brilliant, gifted boy is about to die?”

“Ronin!” He turned to Bala as she called to him from across the room. He glanced back at the Doctor and shook his head in contempt then crossed the dusty floor to the young woman. She wore a simple pair of sweats and a tank top.

“Bala, just who I came to see. Are you okay? That fight, I mean, Timmons is a beast.” He hurriedly asked, his concern evident in his tone.

“I’m a little bruised, a little sore, but I’ll be fine. Alex on the other hand...” Her eyes too showed their concern, and Ronin noted perhaps a little too much concern for his liking.

“Well, I was wondering if you wanted to get out of here and have a little fun. You know, loosen up a little, maybe help me take down a real bad guy or two?” Ronin grinned his crooked grin.

Bala rolled her eyes. “You want me to come bust some bad guy with you? Haven’t I been doing that enough the past few days?”
Ronin shrugged. “Perhaps, but not with me, and this is a different sort of bad guy than you’ve been dealing with. Besides, it’ll be fun.” He grinned again.

She sighed. “Let me get dressed.”

[pyrceval]

Sometime later, Jasper was still in the warehouse watching over the young man that had entrusted him with his life. He dropped his foam plate with the remains of his microwave meal on it into the small trash can to the side. Ronin’s words hung heavy on his soul.

There was a knock on the small door at the front of the warehouse. Jasper went and opened it, letting in the small old man.

“Thank you for coming, Father.” Jasper said in somber tones to his old friend.

“Of course, my son, you know I am here to serve however I can.” Said Father Mitchell. “To be honest, when I saw them on the television I had a suspicion you were somehow involved. The timing was just too convenient.”

Jasper nodded and then led the priest over to Alex’s bedside.
“Oh my...that thing sure did a number on him. It is truly a miracle he is still with us.”

Jasper stayed quiet for a moment then responded, “I’m not sure I’m ready to call any of this a miracle, Father. Thank you again for coming though, I promise I won’t be long”

Father Mitchell nodded and took the small seat next to Alex’s bed. “Do whatever you must, son, I will stay here as long as you need.”

As the doctor made his way from the warehouse, he stopped at the door to look at the old priest who even now was holding his hands together deep in prayer for the young man’s life.

[pyrceval]

Doctor Jasper traveled a great distance from the warehouse. He made his way all the way to the east side of town, there only to find a small private payphone on the backside of an abandoned service station. He inserted the coins with his gloved hand and held the receiver up, just shy of actually touching his ear.

“Hello?” Came the shaky female voice on the other end.

“Mrs. Marcus?” Doctor Jasper asked hesitantly.

“Yes? Who is this?” She asked.

“I...I am a friend. Of your sons.”

Her voice rose quickly. “My son??!! My Alex?? You know where he is? Is he okay? Please, please tell me!!”

“I’m certain you have seen him recently.” Jasper began slowly, as she began to protest he continued, “On TV. Fighting. In the city.”

“My Alex? He was...”

“Is, ma’am, he is a hero. A good man, a tough man and a uniquely gifted one.”

“So it’s true. I thought he might be...my son is Spectrum. From what I saw he was hurt. Is he okay?”

There was a pause. Doctor Jasper sighed deeply. “I won’t lie, he is hurt pretty badly. A normal man would be...well, but he isn’t a normal man. His physiology is far more advanced, far stronger. I think he will heal but it will take some time. I just...I wanted you to know he has a destiny, he is meant to use his gifts to help people but his life, it won't be easy.”

Mrs. Marcus swallowed hard. “I understand. Please, just let him know we love him and miss him and its okay for him to follow this life. Just don’t let him forget his old life too.”

Jasper forced a smile. “I understand, and I won’t. Goodnight Mrs. Marcus, if you are a religious sort please pray for him.”

“I always do, always have since the day he came into our lives.” With a click the conversation ended. Mr. Marcus walked into the kitchen as his wife hung up the phone.

“Who was that, dear?” he asked as he went to the fridge for a drink.

“Oh, uh, nobody.Wrong number.” She mumbled.

[pyrceval]

Elsewhere:

Bala and Ronin stood side by side on a darkened rooftop. She was in her black and green costume with her long dark coat. Ronin was eying the distance between this building and the rooftop across the street.

“You gonna tell me anytime soon what we are here for?” She asked with an edge on her voice.

Ronin half grinned. “Must you always speak to me like that?”

She met his gaze with a steely one of her own. “Yes.” She replied evenly.

He sighed and looked back to the other roof. “In that building rests one of the many drug processing and distribution networks in this craphole little city. The rat that runs it is here tonight. Our goal is to bring this place down around him and take him with it.”

She shrugged. “Why didn’t you just say so? So, how do we get in?”

He pointed to a wooden door on the rooftop. “Roof access. I can make the jump. Don’t think you can.”

“Help throw me. Your powers should work on me then and give me that extra boost.”

He snorted. “And if it doesn’t I’ll be scraping you off of the ground right alongside your buddy ‘Spectrum’.”

She narrowed her sharp eyes even more, her extreme displeasure very evident. He cleared his throat and looked away again.

“Lets get this over with.” She said quietly. She took a few steps back and ran hard towards the edge. Ronin spun and grabbed her by her arm. As she jumped from the ledge he flung her with all his might willing her to make the leap. She landed hard on the other roof and rolled to absorb the impact then came to her feet and glanced around looking for trouble.

Ronin then took a running jump and landed lightly on the other side striding up to Bala. All vestiges of Ronin’s former amusement were gone. It was time to go to work. He nodded to Bala as they stepped up side by side to the door. They kicked it at the same time, knocking it loose from the frame with a loud crash. Ronin dashed in first, drawing his sword as he did.

Down the metal stairs the pair went. At the base, they met their first opposition, two guards armed with small submachine guns. Ronin quickly knocked one of the men’s guns away with his blade then spun around and connected the pommel of his sword hard against the man’s temple. He crumpled to the ground. Bala grabbed the wrist of the other guard and twisted, forcing the man to turn around and drop his gun. With her other hand she grasped his loose dark blond hair and smashed his face into the metal railing. He too fell to the ground.

“Glad to see you haven’t gotten too soft.” Ronin whispered.

Bala didn’t even respond. They removed the clips from the weapons and emptied the bullets from them into a nearby trash can. Most of the offices up here were actually empty. There were a few rooms converted into makeshift barracks with some cots. A dirty bathroom and kitchen rounded out the floor.

Stepping into the next stairwell, Bala ran right into a gang member as he tried to enter the top floor. He fumbled for his weapon but Bala was faster. She thrust her knee into his solar plexus robbing him of his breath then rose up and dropped her elbow hard against the back of his neck. He collapsed into the hallway.

The stairs went more or less straight down stopping at a couple of landings. But the rest of the building had been gutted and turned into a massive chemical refinery. Large vats filled the place with various makeshift tubes running between them. Of greater note to Bala however were the several dozen armed gang members wandering around the place.

She whispered harshly. “What the hell have you gotten me into?”

He shrugged. “I said it would be fun. Didn’t say it would be easy.”

She shook her head and said, "Look at this place! This isn't just some drug lab, this operation is huge! They must provide the half the meth on the east coast."

Ronin shrugged again, "Does it really matter? Our job is to bring this place to the ground.We can ask questions later. I’ll head straight into the heart of them. Try and confuse them and keep them off balance. Work your way down and take them out as they come to you.”

She tried to protest but Ronin was already moving. He sheathed his blade and rushed down to the next landing then vaulted over the rail and dropped the twenty or so feet down to the ground. There were several gang members around him all turning to look in shock. He rushed the nearest and sent him sprawling across a nearby desk with a sharp uppercut. He sidestepped just as a man behind him tried to smash his head in with a pipe then launched him flying with a heavy spin kick to his face.

As he expected, several of the gang members rushed up the stairs to take sniper positions and started spraying the ground with bullets. Ronin ran and dodged the gunfire, making it look easy. He dove and rolled over a table top bringing it down behind him to create cover. Now it was Balas turn to move. She ran up to the nearest attacker and leveled a chop to his throat. He dropped his gun and fell, gasping for breath. She punched him hard in the face and he dropped to the metal walkway. Moving to the next one she kicked him in the back of the knee as he fell backwards she grabbed his shoulder and hurled him over the railing. Now, the men noticed her. The two others on the walkway turned to face her.

Ronin peered over his shattered wooden barrier to see the gang members approaching Bala. He stood and focused hard then reached to his belt and flung two of his small throwing blades at the catwalk. With unerring accuracy the weapons found their marks and sunk deep into the two men’s weapon hands. The guns clattered to the metal walkway as blood dripped from the wounds. Bala glanced down at her friend and nodded slightly then she moved on the two men and sent them to unconsciousness.

Ronin was once again moving quickly. Stepping out of the way just as a bullet whizzed by or a box was hurled at him. He vaulted himself and landed right in the middle of four of the goons. Realizing they couldn’t open fire or risk killing their companions, they dropped the guns and went for knives if they had them. Ronin’s heel struck hard against the kneecap of the man on his left resulting in a loud crack and the man falling to ground, screaming in agony. He whipped his leg back around and pivoted on his right foot then shot a sharp left kick into the face of the man standing opposite his first victim.

As he sensed one of the goons about to attack, he spun and grabbed the man’s arm helping guide the attack so that the knife sunk deeply into the remaining assailants shoulder. He then twisted the arm and flung the man face first into one of the metal vats.

Bala had her chain whip out and was at the base of the stairs now. She dodged and spun, using the whip to disarm her foes. She was intentionally working herself back against the wall making it look as though she was giving ground and retreating as her opponents advanced. She went low and swept her leg out taking out two of the assailants in the process. As expected the remaining ones used the distraction to rush her, attempting to press her pack and force her down. She dashed back quickly the planted a foot against the wall and vaulted over thier heads. She spun as she landed and launched blow after blow into the men’s kidneys and the backs of their heads. In mere moments all of them were unconscious or writhing on the ground.

Ronin noted Bala was working the group over in the corner and smiled. “That’s my girl.” He breathed. There was only one target left. The main target. One Jerome Vasquez. The boss of this little operation. He was hiding behind one of the vats. Ronin, of course, knew where he was. He stalked slowly towards him drawing his katana in the process.

As he stepped around the vat Jerome opened fire with his handgun. Ronin seemed to move just enough to avoid each shot by millimeters. Soon, the clip was empty. Ronin slashed out striking him in the arm and he forcing him to drop the gun.

“Please, please man! I’ll turn myself in to the cops! Call em, call em right now! I’ll go!”

Ronin spun his blade slowly around and around. “I am not the police. Nor am I some easy going spandex clad ‘hero’ that plays nice. I’m here to make certain you never hurt anyone again with your poison and the things people are willing to do to get it. There’s only one way to do that.”

Vasquez tried to rise and run but Ronin was faster and kicked him under the chin as he moved sending him sprawling back and away once more. Ronin slowly approached him and drew his arm back to slash the drug lord’s throat. As his arm began to descend though a familiar chain wrapped around the blade and yanked it free of his grasp. Ronin turned to Bala. “What the hell are you doing?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing!” She shot back as the katana clattered to the floor.

“I was about to take this bastard out for good.”

“You were going to kill him?! That’s not our way.” She stepped closer towards him, her anger evident.

“No, that’s not your way. You and your little toy soldier boyfriend lying on his deathbed.”

“He is not my-”she started then closed her eyes for a moment and started again more slowly. “This is wrong, Ronin, and you know it. Yes, it may happen sometime somewhere that people like us may be forced to take someone’s life in the course of doing what we do. But what you were about to, Ronin, it’s murder.”

Ronin pointed at the man “He is worthless scum and the only way to stop him for good is to stop him for good.”

They stared long and hard at one another. “You haven’t changed a bit.” Bala’s disappointment was evident in her somber tone.

“And neither have you.” He replied. “Always afraid to make the hard decisions, to do the difficult things. You always have to play it safe doing what ‘daddy’ says, the way he says. Well damnit, Bala, the world isn’t that easy! You have to be willing to make sacrifices and to do the hard things in order to make even the slightest difference.”

“Yeah?” She replied. “How about this choice. If you want to kill this man, you better be prepared to kill me first.”

She stepped in front of Vasquez and kicked the katana across to Ronin. He leaned down slowly and picked it up. Police sirens could be heard in the distance racing fast towards them no doubt alerted by the gunfire. Ronin tried to concentrate, to get a read on the girl. All he saw was steely reserve.

Ronin’s eyes betrayed his disappointment and sadness. “Bala, I’m sorry. This is who I am. Just know that I’ve always...cared about you very much.”

“Whats wrong, Ronin, afraid to make the hard decisions?”

He slowly slid his katana back into it’s sheathe at his back. He shook his head then turned away. As Bala watched him go she heard Vasquez rise to his knees. “Thank you thank you thank you!” He muttered over and over again.

She looked at him with contempt. “Oh shut up.” She said and laid a hand on his head releasing a sharp electrical burst in the process rendering him unconscious.

[pyrceval]

Later:

Doctor Jasper re-entered the warehouse to see his old friend, Father Mitchell, praying over the young mans pale body. The priest had dimmed the lights and lit several candles around to help with his meditations.

Jasper approached sullenly and noted Alex’s breathing had become far more ragged than when he left. His forehead was damp with a cold sweat and his skin was extremely pale. Tears welled up in Doctor Jasper’s eyes. Alex is dying! He dropped to his knees upon that realization and began sobbing openly as he took the young man’s hand. “I’m so sorry, Alex! So sorry! Please, please come back to us!” he sobbed some more.

Father Mitchell rested a hand on the Doctor’s shoulder. Alex’s breath was labored. Jasper looked up as he heard a long low rattling breath exit Alex’s lips...to be replaced by silence only.

Jasper’s head fell against Alex’s hand as racking sobs took him.
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death...” the Priest began, but Maxwell Jasper did not hear him, all he heard was that terrible still silence of death that hung over this remarkable young man.

“Max, please, have faith my son. Though he is young, his bravery and courage was unmatched. I have no doubt he will live forever in the light of heaven.”

The tears stopped and Jasper looked up suddenly. “What’d you just say?”

The priest cleared his throat and said, “Merely that I am certain the young man is passing into the gates of heaven as we speak...”

Jasper was on his feet and was nearly running. “No! No, you said ‘light of heaven’! Of course! How could I be so stupid?” He reached the main electrical panel and flipped on the massive ‘all on’ lever. Every light in the building flared to brilliant life.

Down the stairs Jasper went to the hidden basement. Father Mitchell went to the top of the stairs, “My son?”

“Help me!” Jasper cried in despair, and the Priest did so. The two managed to pull a large light from out of the testing chamber and up the stairs in a matter of moments. Jasper turned it on as they carried it, ignoring the blistering heat it created. They aimed it right at Alex’s unmoving body.

“Come on, please! This has to work!” Jasper cried out.

“I don’t understand, Max.” Said Father Mitchell.

“Alex doesn’t need darkness to rest, Father, he needs light! It’s what he does! Light is life to him! I’ve been so stupid! Please, God, Please!” Cried Jasper as he fell to his knees once more and prayed, “Dear God, Please! Let this work! Please, don't let it be too late!”

A motion. So slight, the doctor at first was uncertain he had seen it. There it was again. His chest moved! Ever so slightly at first, then, in a matter of a few minutes, raw ragged breaths came to Alex regularly. And they, in turn, lead to steady deep breaths.

Jasper smiled as he jumped to his feet. Tears streaked down his cheeks once more, though this time they were tears of joy. “Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” He muttered over and over again quickly.

The priest made the sign of the cross in front of himself and said a silent prayer to God himself. “I have never before witnessed and actual miracle such as this, my son. Truly our God is an awesome god.”

Then Max wrapped his arms around the old priest and lifted him in a massive bear hug.

So enraptured in his excitement was he, he failed to notice when the computer program of his own design beeped...indicating a possible hit on its search for other project participants.



Next Issue- Repercussions continues with Part 3: The Road