Metas #2 - A Loose End pt. 2

                Arthur was sitting in the café trying to finish up a biology paper he was working on. It was his last year at college and he intended to pass with flying colors. His GPA had suffered a little hit a year ago, and then another in the spring semester. Then again, most students’ scores had lowered given the nature of the metahuman attacks. First a walking bomb threatening the level the school, then a few months later a towering man made out of sewer waste destroys a building. Most of the student body related these attacks with the glowing young man who appeared during each one to defend the college, and they weren’t wrong. However Arthur had an advantage over the rest, and knew the details of both attacks, plus more. It helped that he was friends with Matt, aka the glowing campus defender.

                After Arthur tried and failed miserably at stopping the first attack, he and Matt became friends. Matt was a little withdrawn at that point, however with Arthur’s friendship he began opening up. Arthur had regarded Matt as a robot: fifty percent power, fifty percent knowledge, zero percent social skills. But slowly Matt’s hard exterior melted away, and Arthur began to truly know the man behind the power. Arthur likes to think it was his influence that helped Matt become this charismatic superhero he now officially was, but Arthur knows that side to Matt was always there. It was just buried under a heavy burden, and hidden away from the world.

                Still, Arthur was happy to help, and in the process gained a valuable friend out of Matt, and vice versa. That’s why Arthur found it bizarre that Matt had been relatively distant these past couple months. Joining Frontier was a big deal for Matt, yet after only a few weeks he quit, and ever since was very curt and secretive. It was only a few days ago that Arthur learned Matt had another protégé under his wing, and that Matt wanted Arthur to meet her. Arthur knew Matt’s distance was not this new trainee’s doing, since Matt has trained metahumans before and maintained good contact with Arthur. There was something else that had happened to make Matt withdraw back inside his shell and give up his friends, family, and schooling. Arthur was hoping Matt would shed some light on this mystery, but he wasn’t counting on it. Matt would tell him in due time.

                The café door opened and Matt walked in followed by a stunning young woman. She was a tad bit shorter than Matt, with dark-red hair, tight fitting clothes that showed her curves, and black tinted sunglasses which she kept on despite coming inside out of the late afternoon glare. Arthur blinked a few times to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating before standing up to greet them. Matt was never one for formalities, and after a quick introduction he left to get Laura and himself a drink.

                Arthur hated uncomfortable silences. “So, Matt tells me you’re a metahuman?” Usually that was a good way to break the ice between two powered people. Laura hesitated before answering, and since she was wearing her dark tinted shades Arthur couldn’t see her glance aside nervously.

                “Yeah, I am. It’s nothing really cool though, not like Matt’s powers. Or yours, from what he’s told me.” Laura was deflecting, and Arthur knew it. In truth, Matt had told Arthur briefly what Laura could do, and also very briefly what she had been through, so Arthur knew not to press the question. Instead he went with it.

                “Well as cool as transforming into a giant bear is, it’s not what one would call discreet. Plus it destroys my clothes every time I do it unless I get buck-ass naked beforehand.” Arthur laughed, and was glad to get a chuckle out of Laura. “And Matt is in his own league. Very few ever come close to his power.”

                “You say that,” Matt said coming back to the table with two drinks in hand, “but this year alone I had to fight two metahumans who were definitely in my league. They both pushed me to my limits.”

                “Yet you always come out on top,” Arthur replied, closing his laptop.

                “Only cuz the first time I come out losing will probably be my last time in the ring,” Matt countered, giving Laura a smile despite what was gallows humor. “The thrills of being a superhero.”

                Arthur laughed, shaking a finger at Matt. “Dude you were a superhero long before that little slip of paper said so. The Campus Defender, Frontier’s shining light; you had a more famous superhero career before you even received your license than most heroes have their whole lives.”

                “And look where it got me,” Matt joked, “A few strong allies, some damn powerful enemies, and one good friend who can turn into a bear.”

                The three laughed at that, then Matt continued. “But seriously, I’m sorry I’ve been off the grid lately. I got myself into a pretty dark place, and wouldn’t have made it out, dragging the whole world with me to boot, if it hadn’t been for Laura.”

                Laura shifted uncomfortably. She never liked when Matt brought up that night they met. Partly because she wasn’t herself when it happened, but also because the details Matt gave her of his shadow energy corruption mirrored her own experience with Snake Eyes perfectly. They were both trapped within their own bodies, succumbing to a darker side they had tried to keep locked away forever.

                “Well, I for one thank you, Laura,” Arthur said, raising his plastic cup of ice tea to her. “If there’s anything you need, let me know. Matt can’t provide everything; school smarts, for one.”

                “Ha ha, very funny,” Matt retorted, “I stopped going to college cuz the man started paying me to do what I was doing for free.”

                “They pay you to be a superhero?” Laura was staying quiet, but this came as a shock to her.

                “Well yeah, it’s not much but technically we are employees of the country we are licensed for. I tried going for an international license, but apparently you need to be in the superhero business for at least six years and they wouldn’t accept all my previous hard work.”

                “So you came out on top once again,” Arthur joked.

                “Not yet, but maybe if I become a field agent one day I will be. They make the big bucks. But anyway, there actually is a favor you can do for her, Arthur.”

                Both Arthur and Laura were confused. “Okay,” Arthur said slowly, “and what would that be?”

                “Laura needs someone to look after her for a few days while I go run an errand.”

                Laura looked offended and Arthur snorted, “Don’t you mean you need someone to do your new job for you?”

                “Tomato, apple, whatever,” Matt said shrugging his shoulders. “I really need to wrap something up.”

                “Can’t the GMA help you out?” Arthur asked. “You do work for them now, and I believe, no offense Laura, that you’re watching her on their authority. They shouldn’t be sending you off on some errand with her in your custody.”

                “Well…” Matt started, but Arthur cut in.

                “This isn’t official business, so they can’t know you’re going away.” Arthur sighed and shook his head. “Dude, you have a license. You don’t need to do these covert missions anymore.”

                “I kinda do, for this one.”

                “What is it?” Laura asked, figuring she should have some say in this because it concerned her.

                “I really shouldn’t say,” Matt began, but Arthur stopped him.

                “So you want me to break the law to help you, but you won’t tell me why?”

                Matt shrugged again. “Yeah, basically.” Both Arthur and Laura glared at Matt, neither saying a word. Matt started fidgeting uncomfortably. “Fine,” he broke down after a few minutes of very awkward silence. “I might have sent some friends to get something for me, and they might have gotten captured, so now I might need to rescue them.”

                “Oh God,” Laura said, followed by Arthur’s, “You’re ridiculous. And that’s the vaguest explanation I’ve ever heard.”

                Matt fidgeted for a bit more, then with a sigh and a low voice he explained. “A little over a month ago, I went on a mission for Frontier with Marian to the Caribbean…”

The Eagle #10 - Enter the Abyss pt. 2

                The research bay was in turmoil, and Dr. Arjan Muahitl was fuming. Alexander Jackson had just left, and everyone was scrambling to get things in order to comply with his newest demands. Everyone on the Eagle had felt the fall, and though nothing major had come of the loss of altitude, it was still a concerning event. Alex had entered the research bay amidst a whirlwind of messengers, reporters, and even a council member. He managed to shake the crowd at the door, but he was visibly flustered. Immediately he began issuing orders to pull every scientist off whatever they were working on and put all minds on the anti-gravity engine project.

                Dr. Muahitl had stood amongst his peers, all of who were clearly irritated by this turn of events. Not every scientist was qualified to work on the engine project, which was something Alex should have known. Yet against the comments of those who pointed that out, Alex insisted on everyone pitching in whatever they could. Once again questioned why he wouldn’t just give everyone his original blueprints, Alex sighed, and confessed to the scientists that the original anti-gravity engine blueprints had been destroyed some years ago. He didn’t want to worry anyone however, since he has the utmost confidence that the engines could be reproduced, and even improved upon.

During the meeting, Arjan stayed quiet, something that was completely out of character for this brilliant man. He had never shied away from speaking his mind in front of Alex, and the two men had butted heads before. However Arjan felt that, if he even opened his mouth to speak, he would not stop condemning Alex until they had to physically restrain him. A dark anger was boiling inside him, and it was, almost, completely directed towards the Eagle himself.

                At one point during the brief emergency meeting, someone pointed out that the instruments recorded the fall happening after the engine was back online and working. When others confirmed that, Alex waved it aside, acting like either the instruments were incorrectly calibrated, or that the engine hadn’t fully started working again. The answer was nonsense, and showed Arjan, among others, that Alex clearly did not know what he was talking about. How could someone who didn’t understand basic physics have the intellectual ability to create the anti-gravity engines in the first place? Arjan was always suspicious that Alex hadn’t actually devised the machines, and over the past few weeks, that thought had planted and flourished in his mind. Arjan was nearly fed up with Alex’s incompetence and interference in the research onboard the Eagle.

                After the meeting ended and Alex left, Arjan went back to his private office and locked the door. Opening a panel in the wall, Arjan took out the vial of shadow energy he had kept secret and placed it on his desk. The vial was nearly empty, which scared him. He was no closer to understanding this new form of energy, and despite not destroying any of it during the experiments, it seemed every time he opened the vial, a little escaped into the air of his office.

                So far, Arjan had discovered that the energy sought out light, and it consumed the photons, destroying them to create more of the shadow energy. It behaved unlike anything he had ever seen, and was almost alien in attributes. No form of energy on Earth came close to this shadow energy, but Arjan was determined to unlock its secrets. Unfortunately, thanks to Alex, the larger sample was released and presumably destroyed by the metahuman Echo.

                Arjan slammed his fist on his desk, surprising himself with the sudden feeling of rage. Every time he thought of Echo, he lost control and flew into a rage. Arjan had no idea why, since up until a few weeks ago he had never met the metahuman. Even now, he had no reason to hate the young man. It was Alex’s fault the shadow energy was released! But the rage was still there and growing stronger every day. The only thing Arjan hated more than Echo was Alex himself.

                “He’ll get what’s coming to him,” Arjan whispered as he looked over the spread out notes detailing his research on the shadow energy. “First, I’ll unlock your secret,” Arjan said caressing the vial, “and then I’ll expose that fraud.” Arjan was seized by a fit of laughter at the thought of bringing shame to Alex. “It’s almost time for the Eagle to have his wings clipped.”

                Damien heard his father come home, and went to ask him what had happened. John wouldn’t tell Damien anything other than there was an emergency that his father needed to handle. Damien went to the office and found the door slightly open. He pushed it open, but the office was empty. The door to the garden was halfway open however, and Damien walked towards it to go outside. Suddenly he heard hushed voices, and stopped where he was, not sure if he should continue. If his father and John were talking in private, it would be impolite for him to listen in. But as he turned to go, he heard a name that made him stop. He snuck back towards the door, making sure to hide behind the curtain so as not to be seen. He could have sworn he just heard his father say his mother’s name, which never happened unless Damien asked for a pleasant memory. Why would they be talking about his mother?

                “What is the worst that can happen?” Damien heard John ask.

                “I don’t even want to think about that, John.” Alex replied, clearly irritated John would ask such a thing.

                “Maybe you need to. This will not cover up easily, my friend. And even if it does, eventually you might need to tell your people the truth. You need to seriously consider the consequences. Perhaps this is a good enough reason to come clean.”

                Alex was quiet for a few moments. Damien was scared he had been discovered, but breathed a sigh of relief when Alex continued. “Do you think they would understand?”

                “Perhaps. I know most will, if you explain it in full to them. Of course some will disagree, but they will eventually come around. You did what was best not only for her, but also for the Eagle as a whole. Sacrifices needed to be made, and no one was more affected than you. They will understand.”

                Alex was quiet in thought for a bit again. “What about Damien? How do you think he’ll take it?”

                When he heard his name, Damien’s heart jumped and he strained to hear. Take what? What secret was his father hiding from him? From everyone? The fact that his father could keep someone secret from every single person he knew was almost too shocking for Damien.

                “He will be devastated, and feel betrayed. The same as you would feel, in his situation. And he might not understand until he is older, but he will eventually. It will just take time.”

                “Our relationship would never be the same,” Alex said, and Damien could heard the pain in his voice. What did Damien not know? He almost felt like jumping out of hiding spot and asking, but he knew they wouldn’t tell him.

                John sighed. “You’re right, Alex. And right now, he needs you. He lost his mother before he even knew her. He can’t lose his father too.”

                “Then it remains our secret. Damien isn’t ready for the truth.”

                “What about the guard detail? Aren’t they getting suspicious that you continue going into the main generator’s broom closet?”

                Alex chuckled, the stress in his voice slowly dissolving into relief. “I relieved them of duty. Only the normal door guards remain, so no one sees me go in or out of her room. I am careful, John. No one but us will ever know she’s in there.”

                Alex stopped and turned his head. He got up from where him and John were sitting and walked into the office. John followed him, asking, “Is everything alright?”

                Alex looked around, but the office was empty. “It’s nothing. I just thought I heard something.” Alex shook his head and checked the door, finding it closed shut. “Must just be my nerves getting to me.”

Metas #1 - A Loose End pt. 1

   “Wakey wakey, Laura. Sun’s shining and birds are chirping!”

                Laura turned over and groaned, swatting her hand over her head to bat away whoever was disturbing her beauty sleep. A strong but gentle hand clasped her shoulder and shook her, but she made no move to wake.

                “Fine, have it your way.” Suddenly the room was filled with a brilliant light, and even though her eyes were closed, Laura was stunned.

                “Gaahhhh!” she screamed as she bolted up and swung with closed fists. One hand struck a solid mass by her side. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Matt standing next to her, the glow on his naked torso dying down and a smile on his face.

                “Well it’s about time. You’d think you were all tuckered out from training or something.”

                “Do you ever wear a shirt?” Laura scoffed at him, then reached over and put on her black-tinted glasses. The sofa had been extra warm, and Matt had pushed her doubly hard during yesterday’s training. Laura stood up slowly and stretched, feeling the aches in every muscle. “You know,” she said as Matt started to walk out of the living room, “not all of us metahumans have physical strengths. You could take it easy on me every once in a while.”

                Laura followed Matt into the kitchen, and she found his parents sitting at the table reading the newspaper. They smiled politely at Laura, and although she was never rude, Laura had a feeling Matt’s mother did not approve of her crashing in their living room. Not that she had anywhere else to go except prison after Matt saved her from the clutches of the gang leader Snake Eyes and she was found guilty of multiple accounts of murder. The murders of criminals, scumbags, and low-lives, but in the eyes of the justice system, murder all the same.

                “What are you talking about? Absorb enough energy and you’re damn near unstoppable. I’ve seen that myself.” Matt stopped, seeing the look in Laura’s eyes when he brought up that fateful battle against Frontier. Tactfully he switched gears.

“But you’re right, you don’t have any physical powers.” Matt poured himself a glass of water and offered Laura one. “That’s why it’s important you train yourself to be able to handle fighting hand to hand when needed. Take a look at Marathon; she’s able to go toe to toe with super villains, despite lacking what a normal person would call a ‘strong’ ability, because she pushes herself physically. She’s ready for a fight, and that’s why she wins them.”

                Laura took the glass of water, and while taking a drink she snuck a look at Matt. He had been training and caring for her for a month now, which is longer than any other guy she’s ever hung around with before. Most die within a few days, but thanks to Matt and his father’s ingenuity they discovered that if her powers flare up, something as simple as tinted glasses will delay her ability long enough for her to look away and save the other person’s life. Not that Matt needed saving, but it helped in dealing with his family.

                Not only was he training her every day in both fighting tactics and how to control her ability, but he was genuinely a nice guy. And good-looking, Laura mused, despite growing his brown hair a little more shaggy than usual and not exactly caring a whole lot about how he looked around her. She thought he saw her as more a younger sibling, though a part of her sincerely hoped that was not the case.

Ahh well, Laura thought as he caught her stare and gave her a grin, I suppose that’s never gonna happen. Not until I can have sex without killing someone, at least.

                “Come on, let’s get ready to go.” Matt walked back to the living room with Laura in tow. “We’re already late as it is, thanks to someone forgetting how to wake up.” Matt pulled on a shirt and picked up his backpack containing anything he might need for the day.

                “Can I shower first?” Laura asked, but she knew the answer already. Matt had taken her in as a form of punishment on her. Instead of going to prison, or worse, Laura was under Matt’s tutorage, and he was relentless in his routine. Laura was quickly understanding how someone so young could have so much power, and it was all because Matt did almost nothing else in life. A little school on the side, but besides for that, nothing but training.

                “You smell fine,” he chuckled and tossed her a backpack as well. Laura sighed, put some shoes on, and followed him out the door, wondering if it was her or if Matt had filled her pack with bricks as part of today’s daily toil.

                As they drove, Laura leaned her head out the window and let the cool breeze wake her up. November was proving to be colder than usual, and it reminded her that they were going into the bleak winter months. Laura zipped her jacket up and rubbed her hands together in an attempt to keep the warmth in her body. It was not freezing, but Laura usually stuck to the warmer climates in her travels.    Matt looked over at Laura and smiled. She was certainly a very attractive young woman, with dark red hair, milky white skin, and gorgeous green eyes. The first time he really noticed her beauty was when he had been forced to stare into those eyes to save both their lives. Even filled with fear and crowned in darkness, her eyes held a light in them. Matt wasn’t sure if it was just her ability to absorb life force kicking in, but they were beautiful all the same. And he’d gotten to see them a lot lately as they spent a majority of her training focusing on controlling her life-draining gaze.

                However looks aside, Laura was a difficult person. Living on her own and on the run for most of her recent years, she had learned to lie, steal, and handle herself in the modern run-down parts of cities and towns. She kept almost everything inside her head, and even after a month Matt was still prying general details out of her.

                He had learned that, despite using an assortment of aliases throughout her life, her real name actually was Laura O’Connor. She was born and raised in a still undisclosed small Midwestern town by your average parents. Once her powers manifested, she ran away in fear after accidentally killing a friend, and ever since has been trying to find a place to call home. Up until her run in with Frontier and Snake Eyes, she thought that place was Hopling. Unfortunately that did not work out, and so here she was, stuck living with Matt, who was a newly licensed superhero and under the somewhat direct orders of Kenneth Bridge, the leader of the GMA.

                Matt shook his head in mild disbelief. As of last week, he was officially a licensed superhero. He went through the demonstrations, took the tests, and passed with nearly flying colors. He smiled with joy at the memories of the examiners’ amazed looks when he showed off a bit. But now his name was on public record, as were his powers. Anyone could look him up, and the GMA even puts out a monthly list of superheroes. That means any of his father’s old enemies, or any of his, for that matter, would now know he was actively fighting against the evils of the world. It could potentially put him and his family in a bad spot, but they were all extremely supportive of it.

                But was it worth it? Matt looked over to Laura, who was staring out the window trying to keep awake. This young woman unconsciously saved him from a terrible fate that he brought on himself. If it wasn’t for her, the shadow energy he absorbed from his confrontation with Sombra would have corrupted his very soul, making him a deadly threat to the entire world. He needed to repay her, and getting licensed in order to personally help save her from a life in prison was, hopefully, a small price to pay.

                Laura glanced over and saw Matt smiling to himself. After only a month, she was seeing this powerful metahuman in a totally different light. Before her corruption by Snake Eyes, she had only heard and seen Matt from the TV and internet. He was powerful, he was new, and rumor said he was involved with Marathon from Frontier. But that was all. Now she knew the truth: he was powerful, yes, but he was far from new. He had been training with his powers for thirteen long years, and throughout that time had used them publicly here and there when it was absolutely necessary. He was very, very good at hiding things and sneaking around, she learned. And definitely, she found out with a hint of relief, not with Marathon anymore.

                However Matt was also kind, and he loved a good laugh. He knew instinctually right from wrong, and was not one to back down from doing the right thing, regardless of what everyone else thought. She joked once about him being a knight in shining armor rescuing damsels in distress, and he merely laughed and said that sounded like a really good life. Overall, Laura was not upset over where she was at the moment. At first, she was bitter and had even tried leaving. But Matt found her easily and convinced her to return. Ever since, despite his harsh training regime, he has been caring and open with her. Laura wouldn’t ever call Matt and his family her own adoptive family; she was much too cynical for that. However she was content being around people who understood her plight, and was thankful to be around people who she needn’t worry about hurting. Matt’s family was many things, among them a household of powerful metahumans.

                “We’re almost there,” Matt said, snapping Laura out of her trance. “You ready for little light training before lunch?”

                Laura sighed as she nodded. Matt’s version of light training was difficult enough, but truly a nice break from what his serious training was like. And it beats living in a cell, she thought a few minutes later as she got out of the car and stretched. With the bright sun overhead, Laura, though never openly admitting it, knew it was going to be a good day.

The Eagle #9 - Enter the Abyss pt. 1

                Almost two months have passed since the attack on the Eagle by Volt and his group of villains. Despite an exhausting search, which was quickly approved by both the council and the citizens, Volt and Mind Queen still haven’t been found, thanks to their villainous ally Pinpoint and her teleportation powers. However the fourth member of the group, Augmento, is currently being held in the super cell located onboard the Eagle. After being defeated by Alexander, Augmento, who’s actual name is Carl Connor, slowly shrunk down to his regular size. Powerful electric collars were put on his neck, torso, and limbs in order to deter him from trying to increase his size and break free. As of now, Augmento is subdued, and the council has already ordered his execution if he were to escape his life-sentence.

                The destruction caused by Augmento was finally fully cleaned up and rebuilt a few days ago, and the city, which up until this point never had a true name, was christened Cloudtop City after a vote was taken by all of the Eagle’s citizens. During the reconstruction, security was increased and the newly dubbed Eagle Squad nearly quadrupled in size. Due to the increase military presence, and the loss of a few dozen lives during the attack, the Eagle opened its doors and accepted new citizens from the rest of the world for the first time in five years. There was much work to be done, but now that Cloudtop is repaired and the new citizens settling in, peace and order are returning to the Eagle.

                Despite a strong sunlight, the air was very cold at the Eagle’s current elevation over the Atlantic Ocean. Even as early as late November, the citizens had to wear heavy coats and take care to cover up bare skin in order to avoid frostbite. Snow was already falling at times and coating the parks and gardens across the Eagle. The roads and walkways were clear of course, thanks to the heated coils underneath. Even though the majority of people used hovercrafts on the Eagle, the vehicles still needed a relatively clear road surface to properly function.

                Outside the office of Alexander Jackson, the garden had a light layer of white fluffy snow covering it. Not enough to build any snowmen or snow forts, but that wasn’t stopping a determined eight year old from trying.

                 “We need more snow for a good snowman, Damien.” Alex was sitting on a cleared bench watching his son piling as much snow as possible onto a little mound. “Wait a few weeks and then there’ll be enough snow for an entire squadron of snowmen.”

                Damien stopped brushing the snow onto this pile and sat pouting. “By then, school will have started up again. I won’t have any time for snowmen!”

                Alex laughed, “I’m sure you’ll find time. You seem to have no problem convincing John to let you shirk your work, young man.” Alex paused for a moment, tilting his head up and pretending to contemplate something. “I’ll have a talk with John about that. Perhaps we’ll get someone else to watch you…”

                “No!” Damien exclaimed, jumping up and destroying his snow pile in the process, “You can’t get rid of Uncle John!”

                Alex laughed again, shaking his head. “No, I suppose we can’t. He’s as much part of this family as you or I. But you do need to focus on your studies, Damien. I don’t want this little vacation to affect your scores.”

                “I will father, I promise!” Damien put his hand over his heart and bowed, the custom to show sincerity onboard the Eagle.

Alex smiled, remembering how quickly those little customs took hold once the Eagle set sail and left the rest of the world behind. With no one but themselves for influence, the citizens created their own culture from how they believed a regal society of futuristic humans should act. Most of it was very well-mannered, in Alex’s opinion, and it bred respect, equality, and politeness in the younger generations. Damien was the perfect example of what the Eagle’s society thought a young boy should be, and Alex couldn’t have been more proud of his son.

                “I’m sure you’ll continue making me proud, son.”

                At this point a light snow began to fall, and Damien proceeded to run around the garden in a joy that only a child can possess. Alex was content watching his son play, since he had decided on taking a personal day. However after a few minutes John walked out of Alex’s office in a hurry.

                Alex saw the urgency on John’s face and stood up to greet his friend. “What is it?”

                “I just received word that engine four has failed.”

                Alex was shocked, and quickly pulled John into the office. “What about our altitude?”

                “It’s steady,” John said, handing Alex a slip of paper with information on it, “but you need to get to the engine right away and fix it.” John’s emphasis on ‘fix’ was heavily implied. They both knew it wasn’t the anti-gravity engines that kept the Eagle afloat, but everyone else onboard needed to keep thinking so. If Alex didn’t show the upmost urgency in this predicament, someone might become suspicious.

                “Take care of Damien,” Alex said as he nodded agreement to what John implied. Alex hurried to his hovercraft and sped off towards engine four, making sure to keep up the appearance of a disaster in progress.

                By the time Alex reached the engine, the mechanics had it back up and running. The analyst on site told Alex there hadn’t been any decrease in altitude, and Alex remarked that a single engine would have needed to be offline much longer to have any effect on the Eagle. After making sure everything was back in order and recording a quick public message alerting the people to the avoided crisis, Alex got back in his hovercraft and started on his trip home. As he picked up his phone to call John, it rang with John’s number on the caller ID.

                “Everything is back in order, John,” Alex started, but John cut him off.

                “Get to the main engine, Alex,” John blurted out, his voice frantic. “We just started dropping.”

                Alex clicked off his phone and punched the accelerator. An engine failing, in reality, was nothing, and wouldn’t affect the Eagle at all. Yet the Eagle was losing altitude, which could only mean one thing. Something was wrong with Valerie Jackson.

                Nothing was wrong with Valerie. Alex went over the readings again and again. Her brain activity was normal, meaning there wasn’t any. Her vitals were as stable as they always were. The electrical current flowing into her body that kept her powers active was at a constant rate. Nothing had changed, and yet the Eagle had still fallen over two hundred feet in altitude. Overall, it was not a huge loss. The details pertaining to chemical levels in the atmosphere would need to be handled, but there was a department for that. Some individuals would experience mild nausea, some ear-popping as the body adjusts to the change in pressure, but nothing major.

                However to Alex, those two hundred feet meant everything. Something had caused Valerie’s powers to adjust the altitude of the Eagle. Luckily they had stopped falling, but there would be an investigation. Alex would need John’s help covering up what happened and convincing the scientific community that the sensors calculated the altitude wrong, or late.

                Alex shook his head. It would be impossible to convince intelligent scientists their equipment was flawed. There was too much evidence the drop happened after the engine was back online. Alex would need to deflect, and use public opinion and fear to his advantage. He hated doing so, and even the thought of it left a bad taste in his mouth. But the general public couldn’t know about Valerie. He didn’t believe they would understand what had to be done to make the Eagle a reality.

                Alex printed out another round of data and left Valerie’s room, locking it behind him once more. He would need to move swiftly, and distract the scientists from analyzing their own data fast. Alex knew this would all come back to bite him in the ass one day. He just prayed by then he’d have enough time to prepare for his reckoning.