Frontier #15 - Control pt. 2

                “Seven years ago I made a huge mistake. No, I’m not going to tell you what happened; that secret is my own personal cross to bear. But that night I learned something that has carried me on since. These abilities we have, this power that we wield, is nothing if we do not have control over it. You can have all the power in the world, and yet not know a damn thing about using it. Power without control makes a person dangerous; it makes them a threat. I have done nothing for all these years but learn how to control the power that courses through my body. Yes, I have gotten more powerful in the process. But it is only due to my control that I have such power. And that power is what drew his attention to me.”

                “His name is Brian Brewer, although presently he only answers to the name Sewage. …No, I’m not joking, Tony. His ability allows him to create and completely control microscopic organisms that deteriorate matter at incredible speeds, turning most objects to sludge or piles of dust in a matter of minutes, depending on the molecular makeup. The organisms stay within the decayed material too, meaning he can then use that material as weapons as well, moving it as he desires. It truly is an amazing ability, and one that requires a lot of practice and control to master. That’s where I came into the picture.”

                “I met him about eight months ago. I was approached by him a few days after I saved the college I was going to from an unstable metahuman. He saw the power I held within, and needed my help. At that time he was a wreck; his ability wasn’t under control at all, and almost everything he touched was rotting right under him. He was living in the school’s dumpster, just trying to survive and not bring any attention to him. He was terrified the GMA would deem him too dangerous for the public and lock him up. Looking back he was probably right, but hindsight’s twenty/twenty, ya know? So I decided to help him. He wasn’t the first metahuman I’ve tried to help, so I kinda knew what I was doing.”

                “For the next couple of months I trained with him every day, learning about his ability and trying to help him control it. All I could do was give him encouragement; the rest was all on him. But seeing what I could do and how much power I had gave him all the motivation he needed. Three months after we started he could walk around in public without worrying about accidently sending a swarm of deteriorating micro-bugs at a car just by looking at it. It was great, and he seemed so happy. But he wanted more. He didn’t just want to learn how to control it anymore; according to him he had all the control he needed. Now he wanted power. He wanted to do the great things he saw me doing, all the things I told him he would be able to do with his ability. He wanted it all right now. I tried to tell him it would take time, but he wouldn’t listen. The next two months I saw him less and less. He said he didn’t need me as much, but I knew he was really pushing himself to get stronger. To prove that I was wrong, and that he was ready for greatness.”

                “It all came to a head one night about two months ago as I was leaving the campus. He stopped me and wanted to show me all the power he now had. It was…terrible. Amazing what he learned how to do, yes. But the execution was botched; he had no control over all this new power. He ended up leveling half a building before disappearing into the night, leaving nothing but a huge mess to clean up the next day. And I could only do so much, not being licensed as I am. I did my best to stop it, but I was busy trying to get people out of the way. All in all, not a good day, and ever since I’ve been looking for signs of him, trying to find him so I can right the wrong I did. Unfortunately I think the damage has been done. He won’t listen to me, and he’s so caught up in his quest for power that I don’t think he’ll ever stop on his own accord.”

                At this point, Matt stopped. Marian, Tony, and Francis were sitting around a table in the conference room, listening to his story. Brian, the metahuman known as Sewage, was locked in one of Frontier’s holding cells in an underground section a few dozen yards from the mansion. For a few moments the three Frontier members sat, absorbing the information they just heard. Finally Tony broke the silence.

                “See? I told you he was a good guy. And you flipped shit when I brought him back.”

                “That’s because you’re not supposed to bring random strangers back to the mansion, Tony!” Marian quipped, her voice rising in anger. “And how do we know he’s a good guy? He’s not licensed, and he just admitting to training a potentially dangerous villain.”

                Matt shuffled his feet, unnerved by the conversation. He had heard the scolding Marian had given Tony when they arrived early in the day, and he felt bad for Tony. The guy didn’t seem all that bad, so far. Francis was different. Older, more reserved, it was his idea to hear Matt out. It seemed to Matt that Francis had been in the superhero business for a long time, which gave him an idea.

                “I really am a good guy, though. Francis, have you ever heard of the superhero named Burnout?”

                To this, Francis’ eyes widen. “Of course I have. Who hasn’t heard stories of him? The man was a true hero, through and through. Hell, I can even say I’ve had the pleasure of working with him at one point, quite some time ago. Why do you ask?”

                Matt smile sheepishly. “Burnout is my father.”

                Francis nearly jumped out of his seat, but the startled glances from Marian and Tony made him collect himself. “My word, now that you mention it, you do bear a striking resemblance to him. But I had no idea. I knew his son was a metahuman who exhibited powers at a rather young age, but other than that no information had surfaced. Burnout had always kept his personal life away from the limelight.”

                “Yeah, he doesn’t like to toot his own horn. Neither do I, coincidentally, hence the absent superhero license.”

                “But how can you remain unregistered?” Marian piped in. “If your dad was such a well-known meta, shouldn’t you have been first on the list?”

                “Oh, they know I’m a metahuman, but they don’t know the extent of my abilities. I was only ever registered once, and that was a very long time ago. And I’m not a licensed superhero.  I’ve never done anything public with my abilities for years, since all my training’s been in secret. The few times something’s happened and gotten on the GMA’s radar, like with Brian’s incident, I’ve fled before they got there. I don’t want to be known as a hero until I feel like I am ready. I have too many demons still plaguing me; my past is haunted by mistakes. I’m not ready to fight the good fight and be loved by the public.” Matt paused, “I’m not ready to be a hero.”

                They were all quiet for a moment. Finally Francis stood up and walked over towards Matt, extending a hand. Matt took it with a slight smile. “Well Matt, I’ve been around long enough to know when someone’s lying about something. You are not. Frontier is here to help if you need anything. Now tell me, what did you have in mind for this Sewage character?”

                Matt’s smile died, and he sighed. “I don’t know. I guess there’s no choice but to turn him over and hope he can be rehabilitated. I’d wanna help him, but like I said, I think it’s past that point.”

                “Why don’t we go ask him?” Marian questioned, standing up along with Tony. “It couldn’t hurt.”

                The four of them walked to the holding cells, which were in an underground bunker. Frontier’s policy was not to hold any villains, but they were there just in case. The cells themselves were fortified and meant to temporarily hold the more powerful villains. As a team of metahumans, they had to be prepared for anything.

When they entered the corridor, they were hit with a foul stench, stopping them in their tracks. “Shit!” Matt yelled, running headfirst into the darkened hallway. A ball of energy appeared in Matt’s hand, illuminating the holding cells. The rest were right behind him when the light fell on the cell that had held Brian. More curses were uttered when they saw the cell walls rotted and falling down, and a hole in the floor that led into the sewer system below. Sewage had escaped.

Frontier #14 - Control pt. 1

                “What do you think?”

                Natalie walked out of the closet, wearing her new baby blue bikini. Her brown hair had grown longer over the late spring months, and was now down past her shoulders. She had also gained a little weight; she was by no means out of shape, and the gain merely added to her curves. She held her hands over her head and stretched, spinning around in a slow circle so Steve could see how lucky he was to have her.

                “I think,” Steve said, stepping over towards her and pulling her in close, “that this is going to be a fantastic vacation.”

                Natalie smiled as she levitated herself off the ground to get a kiss. “I wholeheartedly agree, my love. And a much needed one at that.”

                As she floated back to the ground and walked into the closet to change around, Steve noticed the faint scar on her stomach, and his thoughts grew dark momentarily. Almost two months had passed since the villain known as Snake Eyes nearly killed his wife, and he was still wasn’t caught. Though he hadn’t been seen since, Steve knew the next time he appeared, Frontier would need to be careful. Snake already proved to be a deadly adversary.

                Hmph, Steve thought with a grim smile, it’s been awhile since we’ve had a dangerous opponent. I definitely didn’t miss this. He got up and finished packing for the trip. There were still a few big things to do before Natalie and he left.

                After supper, the members of Frontier, plus Francis, gathered in the rec. room to discuss what would be going on over the next two weeks. Steve and Natalie were taking a vacation across the ocean to the country of Claria, a pristine little country founded in the Mediterranean on what was previously known as the Island of Corsica. Claria prided itself in its low crime rate, healthy citizens, and overall happiness. The downside was you had to be evaluated and inspected in order to live or even travel there; but if you made the cut, there was no other country in the world like Claria.

                “While we are gone, someone needs to step up and be temporarily in charge.” Steve looked back and forth between Marian and Tony, but neither moved. Both wanted it, he was sure, but both were smart enough not to jump too soon and blow their chance.

                “However, seeing as how neither of you two has ever been in a position of leadership before, I cannot choose either of you.” The looks of surprise on their faces made Steve pause for a moment and enjoy it. “So I am leaving the command leadership in the hands of Francis in my absence.”

                Francis bowed his head, and Tony looked like he was about to freak out. “Are you kidding? You’re putting the butler in charge of us!” Francis cleared his throat, and Tony looked back at him. “No offense, Glides.”

                “Francis has more experience than you would think, Tony,” Natalie explained, trying to calm the young man down, “and he won’t be going out on patrol or any missions; he’s just here to handle any of the large decisions while we are gone.”

                “That being said,” Steve started up, “if anything should happen that would warrant our early return, there can be no hesitations to call us back. Is that understood?” Marian and Francis nodded, but Tony replied with a grunt. “And if any major villain turns up, do not handle it on your own. It’s just you two on active duty for these next two weeks. No one on the outside knows this, but that doesn’t mean it is guaranteed clear sailing. Anything can happen. Above all, we want you two alive when we come back.”

                That comment brought everyone to silent attention. The risk of losing someone had been all too real in these past few months, between Volt’s attack and Snake Eyes’ drug operation. The impossibility of dying in action had turned into a foreboding possibility.

                After a few more details were sorted out, they all escorted Steve and Natalie outside. Hugs and goodbyes were exchanged, along with a few quick but heartfelt good lucks. Then the two were in their car and gone, off on their relaxing trip to paradise.

                The sun blazed in the afternoon sky, heating up the city below it. It was early June, which meant longer days, more people outside, and of course, more work for the superheroes. And now that Steve and Natalie left two days ago for their two week trip, it was just Tony and Marian on patrol duty. As far as Tony was concerned, this meant just him.

                The past two months had been unusually hard on Tony Wilson, aka the Bullet. First, he thought things were finally shaping up between him and Marian for once, on both sides. Then she goes and dumps him before they can even make it official. To throw salt on the wound, that same day she leaves and starts training on the Eagle with Alexander Jackson, just coming back down to grace Frontier with her presence a few days before Steve and Natalie leave. And now Francis, the mansion’s keeper, is in charge.

                At this rate I’ll be kicked off the team and replaced by a twelve year old girl who talks to dolphins, Tony thought as he raced around the bustling city streets. He hit full speed and ran up the side of a building, launching himself in the air and landing on the roof. Looking over the landscape, his thoughts wandered again. No, even worse, I’ll get invited to Marian and Jackson’s wedding. I bet he’s got the hots for her, and she’ll fall for him, despite him being as old as her dad. Tony shook his head to try and get the thoughts out. “Damn I just need something to hit!”

                Tony turned on the radio at his belt, praying for a crime that would require his assistance. He had the radio turned off and was just running around the city, but that wasn’t easing his mind at all. He flipped through the channels, but none had anything important. He sat down on the building ledge and set the radio to scan. Leaning back, Tony stared up at the sky trying to clear his mind.

                An hour later, Tony’s eyes snapped open. He sat up from lying on the roof top and grabbed the radio. Flipping back a few stations, he found what he had heard. A simple mugging, but there was some confusion on the radio, and code words were being dropped that the mugger might be a meta. He jumped up and took off down the side of the building and sped towards the location, intent on venting some steam.

                It didn’t take long for Tony to find the mugger. He was shuffling through a back alley, clearly lost as to where he was going. The man was only a few years younger than Tony, but he looked filthy and was hunched over. He wore dirty and tattered clothes; his hair was matted to head, and he stank like a cesspool. Tony almost gagged just getting near him.

                “Hey!” Tony managed to shout after taking a deep breath. The mugger turned his head, and Tony saw in the clear blue eyes he wasn’t some crazy homeless person, but a man who was fully aware of himself. Lucky for Tony, his super speed also granted him incredibly fast reflexes, and he side-stepped out of the way as a blast of what felt like gritty sand blew by him. In a flash, Tony ran up to the mugger and punched him in the gut. The mugger fell to the ground on top of a manhole with a thud. “Well that was way too easy.”

                “That’s because you caught him off guard.” Tony looked up quickly, startled at the unknown voice. Above him floated another young man, this one the same age as Tony. He had ruffled shaggy brown hair and clean-cut features; he sported a skin-tight black body suit but wore blue denim jeans as well. The suit was sleeveless, and Tony saw that he was in excellent shape. He also saw three circular, shallow indentations on each bicep that glowed faintly with a bluish white light. The young man touched down next to Tony and stretched out a hand. “My name is Matt.”

                Warily, Tony shook hands. “They call me Bullet.”

                Matt smiled. “Oh? Well they call me Echo. Or they would, if they were to call me anything.” At Tony’s questioning glance, Matt continued. “It’s kind of a long story. In the mean time, do you have any place to hold this guy? He’s been a pain in my ass for quite a bit.”

                Tony thought for a moment. Here was another young male metahuman; a potential ally to Tony. “Actually, I think we do have something that would work, as long as you can carry his stinky ass.” The two young men laughed, although Matt cut his short when he looked down at the unconscious mugger. Without noticing, Tony smiled, “Well Matt, I think today is your lucky day. You’re about to get a tour of the Frontier mansion.”

Frontier #13 - A Cure for Everything pt. 2

Jackson stood on the landing strip, watching the little jet taxi to a stop. The plane opened and Marian climbed out of the cockpit, brushing her curly hair out of her face. She jumped down from the plane and smiled when she saw Jackson waiting for her.

“Sorry it was such short notice. I needed to get away.”

“That’s quite alright, Marian. You are welcome here anytime.” Jackson put his arm around her and they walked from the airport back to his quarters. They made small talk along the way, but Jackson never mentioned he noticed her red eyes and dried tears from the flight over.

After catching up in a gazebo over-looking a stunning garden, Marian popped her question. “I want you to train me,” she said confidently. “I need to become stronger.”

Jackson put down the drink he was sipping. “You already are strong, Marian.”

She shook her head, “No, I’m just a good fighter. I’ll admit to that; but I’m not very powerful. I feel so inferior sometimes. My powers are just…so limiting.”

“My dear, if you believe that, then it will be true. But there is no limit to a person’s abilities if they push themselves hard enough and use a little imagination.” Jackson waved his hand around, signaling to the Eagle and all aboard it. “Look at what I’ve created, and my ability is summed up as generating electrical charges. You can’t let simple terms define what you can do, however. You have an amazing gift, one that many would want. Think about it, Marian; you are completely resistant to fatigue. You never wear out during physical activity. You can exert yourself as much as you want, run as fast as you can, without needing to rest. Your immune system is also incredibly boosted to the point where I bet you can’t even remember the last time you were sick. With anything you do, you will become bored before you become tired. That is something everyone strives for, but you have it already.”

Marian smiled at him, “You’re right, it is useful, but it’s still not powerful compared to metas like Tony or Natalie.”

“Don’t compare yourself to others, Marian. Your ability might not lead to great physical power, but power isn’t measured by how much weight you can lift, or how much damage you can cause. Power is measured in many different ways. You just need to find your own niche. You said you were a good fighter; so train yourself to become a great fighter. Strive to become the greatest fighter in the entire world; you can do it, with your gift. Then tell me your ability doesn’t make you powerful.”

Marian sat back in her chair, contemplating what Jackson just said. “I could do that, yeah. But I would need a good teacher. My dad used to spar with me all the time, but he’s been really busy lately and we haven’t in a long time.”

“Your father is a remarkable man, and one of my role models. He teaches others how to work hard at what you believe in, and to never give up, no matter what happens. He would be the best to train you, Marian. However, I think learning from multiple people is the best way to become a well-rounded and highly skilled individual.”

“So you’ll train me?” Marian asked, so excited by that premise that she cut Jackson off, something she knew he does not like.

Jackson merely smiled. “I’ve never taught someone how to fight before, but yes, I will do my best to teach you what I know about combat.”

Marian threw her hands up in joy. “Yes! I can’t wait, I’m sure you’ll be surprised at how good I am already. And I can only get better from here!”

Jackson laughed at the young woman’s enthusiasm. “Well, this should be an interesting few weeks.”

Outside the hospital room, Steve sat in an uncomfortable looking chair, watching the minutes go by slowly. Suddenly the door opened, and he jumped to his feet. Cure walked out, drying her hands on a towel that was lightly stained red with blood.

“How is she?” Steve asked frantically, but then collected himself quickly.

Cure gave him a warm smile, and Steve felt his anxiety slip away under the presence of her healing mind. “Go have a look for yourself.”

Steve walked quietly into the room, and cried out in happiness when he saw Natalie sitting up in bed with her eyes open.

“Steve,” she cooed softly, and he bounded over to her side.

“Oh, Natalie,” he wrapped his arms gently around her, pulling her close. “Thank God you’re okay; I thought I lost you.” Steve started choking up, and Natalie caressed his arm.

“I’m fine, my love. She healed me right up. A little scar is all that’s left.”

They both looked towards the doorway where Cure was leaning. “Looks like my job here is done,” she said with a smile. “Let me know if you need anything else, Nat. It was fun meeting you two.”

As Cure walked out of the room, Steve got up to give her his thanks, but Natalie stopped him. “It’s okay, Steve. You don’t need to say anything. She knows words can’t describe our thanks.”

“I’ll pay her back one day, Natalie,” Steve said sitting down. “A favor this big won’t go unrewarded, not if I can help it.” He looked at his wife and put his arms around her again. “But for now, let’s just get you home.”

Natalie sighed, feeling the warmth of Steve’s embrace. “After everything that’s happened, nothing sounds better to me.”

                The college campus was still reeking with the smell of garbage and filth when Matt returned that night. The clean-up crew was wearing hazmat suits, despite the earlier report that nothing here was toxic. Half of the science hall was destroyed, and that was where the highest concentration of stench and waste was located. Matt closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to sense where the metahuman went. After a couple of minutes, Matt gave up. Without using his powers, the meta would be nearly impossible to detect. With a heavy sigh Matt flew back home, disappointed in himself and vowing to find and subdue this new threat.

Frontier #12 - A Cure for Everything pt. 1

                The lower hallways of the hospital were crowded with nurses and doctors rushing around to tend to the wounded and sick. The complex was sprawling, taking up five city blocks and housing hundreds of patient rooms, an enclosed outdoor courtyard with a clean-air filtration system built into the glass dome overhead, and even a pool for aquatic rehabilitation. It was an enormous asset to the city, and heavily guarded at all times.

While the lower levels were an orderly chaos, the upper levels were for recovering patients, and as such the atmosphere was much more quiet and subdued. In one particular hallway, the sound of high heels walking down the hall could be heard distinctive from the room in which Natalie slept. She was healing, though at a painfully slow rate. It had become apparent a few days ago that she would need some sort of assistance in her recovery, but the doctors had done all they could do to help. Desperate, Steve turned towards the GMA once again, who suggested calling in a favor from a metahuman healer who went by the codename Cure.

Steve had only heard of Cure before, so when she opened the door to room and walked in he was taken aback. She was in her mid-thirties, wearing a knee-length white doctor’s coat and red high heels. She wore glasses and had wavy black hair that was tied back into a bun; her features seemed flawless, and her lips shown with bright red lipstick. The coat seemed a bit too tight for normal wear, leaving very little to the imagination in regards to her womanly figure. Steve stood up to greet her, but found he could not stop staring. A wave of shame and embarrassment washed over him as they shook hands, but Cure smiled warmly.

“It’s ok, Steve. I know what you’re thinking, and it happens to everyone. My presence acts as an innate mental boost. In order to heal your mind and cast off the shadow of grief and sorrow, it seems I have drawn your attention to…other things.” Her voice soothed Steve’s nerves, and since not a speck of blush appeared on her face, Steve knew she was used to getting this reaction.

“I’m sorry; they didn’t brief me fully on what you are capable of doing. Nor the reaction I would have.” His face blushed, but it faded just as quickly when he thought back to his wife. “They only told me you could help her.”

“And I will, trust me. It will just take a little time; I have to first become accustomed to her body and the nature of the wound. An afternoon’s work for that; the actual healing will only take an hour or so. However I do need to concentrate, so if you would step outside for the time, that would be greatly appreciated.”

Steve hesitated, not wanting to leave his wife. He hadn’t left the room since she entered it over a week ago.

“Steve,” Cure said, putting her hand on his arm, “I know it’s difficult. But I will bring her back to you before the day is over, I promise.”

Steve nodded, and leaned over to kiss Natalie’s forehead before leaving the room. Cure took a seat next to the bed. “Love is a powerful thing,” she spoke in a low whisper as she pulled back the covers and carefully took off the bandages over Natalie’s wound. Cure put her hands on Natalie’s stomach, pressing gently as they started to glow an emerald color. “Let’s return you to your loved ones, shall we?”

Tony was half-way through a movie he thoroughly enjoyed when Marian walked into the recreation room and turned off the T.V.

“Hey come on!” Tony yelled, but his attitude completely changed when Marian pushed him back down on the couch and straddled him. “What’s-”

But his words were cut off as Marian planted her lips on his. They held the kiss for what seemed like a very long time before Marian pulled back. Tony had a huge smile on his face, and went to pull her closer. “What’s this for, babe?”

“I wanted to see something,” Marian replied as she pushed off him and stood up. She turned her back to him and stayed silent for a minute, leaving Tony very confused. Finally she spoke.

“I didn’t feel a thing, Tony.”

“What do you mean? I sure as hell felt something.”

Marian shook her head. “There was nothing for me. I thought there was, but I was wrong. Maybe there was something before, but it’s gone.”

“Hold up, what the hell is going on?” Tony got off the couch and walked over to Marian, but she backed away from his reach.

“We’re not going to keep doing this, Tony. I thought there was something between us, especially after that incident with Snake and this whole thing with Natalie. I really thought a spark was lit, but it wasn’t.” She looked up at Tony, her eyes shiny with tears. “I know we were never really together, but at times it felt like it. But if we are going to be together, I need us to actually be together. And right now, I don’t think that’s what either of us wants.”

Tony looked at her, still not sure where this came from or what to do. “You can’t tell me what I want or don’t want.”

“Well then, do you want to be with me or not? No half-ways, no ‘yes for the night’; if you want me, it’s going to be a stable, steady relationship. Is that what you want?”

Tony hesitated. He liked Marian, and he felt like his feelings for her were growing as of late. But he wasn’t ready for that. He was young and in his prime; his instinct told him to live his life to the fullest, but his heart told him otherwise.

Marian shook her head and starting for the door. “The hesitation tells me everything, Tony.”

Tony watched her walk out of the room without saying a word, and then sat back down. He didn’t bother turning the movie back on. Ten minutes later, Francis walked in and found him still sitting in the quiet room, staring ahead into space. Francis walked up silently and was going to interrupt, but instead withdrew and left the room. He had seen the tears on Tony’s face, and thought it best to leave him be for now.

“Marian,” Francis called after her as she walked towards the garage with a duffel bag over her shoulder. “Where are you off to now?”

Marian turned to face Francis, trying to smile. “I can’t be here right now, Fran. Everything that’s happened lately, I just need some time to cope with it all. And I don’t think I can do that here. Steve’s taking care of Natalie, Tony is..I just can’t be here with him right now.”

Francis nodded, understanding what she was trying to say. “I understand, Marian. And I assume this is only temporary?”

Marian came up and gave Francis a hug. “Of course it’s temporary, Fran. You guys are my family, literally and figuratively. I just need some me time to sort things out.”

“Very well, Marian. But when Steve asks, where shall I tell him you went?”

Marian had started walking towards the hanger part of the garage. From over her shoulder she called back, “Tell my dad I went to explore the Eagle’s nest.”