Frontier #42 - Cursed pt. 5

                As Tony forced his eyes awake, he found himself in a hospital bed. He glanced aside, half-hoping to see the beautiful healer Cure by his side. Instead he saw Steve reading some papers. Tony groaned, his body feeling like it was torn apart and stitched back together piece by piece. He slowly moved everything, making sure it all worked. The last time he was in a hospital was not a pleasant experience.

                Steve looked up at Tony, “I’m glad you’re awake, Tony. You recovered faster than the others.”

                “Others?” Tony croaked out, his throat parched.

                Steve handed him the glass and even helped Tony drink from it. Tony was incredibly weak. “Yes, the other victims. The metahuman who did this, the one who was killing all those criminals, absorbs a person’s life force through direct eye contact. You were almost gone by the time I got there.” Steve paused and patted Tony’s bed. “We almost lost you again, Tony.”

                Tony didn’t want to think about his second close call with death yet. “What about the police?”

                Steve sighed and slid the papers back into the folder they came from. “Alive, but still in comas. Just like all the others. She isn’t outright killing them, so we can be thankful for that, but there’s no telling if they will all pull through. The first few victims are beginning to wake, but it’s anyone’s guess if they rest will recover the same way.”

                “Did you stop her?” Tony asked as he closed his eyes. The medication they had him on to numb the pain was making him drowsy.

                “No, she managed to get away. The addition energy she absorbed made her much stronger than I anticipated. But we will, Tony. Right now you need to rest and regain your strength.”

                As Steve got up to leave, Tony stirred awake again. “Steve,” he called, “thank you for saving my life.”

                Steve smiled and nodded. “That’s what we are here for, Tony. We’re a team, and we take care of each other.”

                After Steve left, Tony drifted off to sleep, but not before realizing his mind had been made up. “I can’t leave them…not yet,” he muttered before falling into a deep restful sleep.

                 A few days later, the serial killer still had not been found despite the manhunt put forth by the GMA and Frontier. Steve was at his wits end, and all three members were exhausted from constantly monitoring the city. Despite them not finding her, the Reaper, as she was being called, was still out committing crimes and hurting law enforcers. No one could figure out how she was seemingly impossible to track or find, and attributed it to some metahuman power. Finally, after a heated and frustrating meeting with the police captain and a GMA diplomatic agent, Steve had enough and called the one person he was certain could track this metahuman down.

                Lightning split the sky and a heavy rain began to fall as the evening wore on. A knock sounded at the front door of the Frontier mansion, and Francis answered it warily. Before him stood Matt, wet from the rain and looking sullen. “Matt! Please come in, Steve was waiting for you.”

                Matt entered without saying a word and went right for Steve’s office. As Francis followed, he noticed Matt was not walking on the ground, but floating a few inches above it.

                When Matt entered, Steve offered him a seat but Matt stayed standing. “I have found her.” His voice was hollow, and held an icy touch to it.

                Steve was stunned, focusing on the words and not the tone. “Already? But how, you haven’t been in the city for more than a few minutes!”

                Matt tilted his head to the side, his eyes lighting up a brilliant white. “Her energy is immense. Like a blazing fire in the dark night.”

                Steve was only half paying attention to Matt’s words this time. “Well where is she?”

                Matt floated over to a map of Hopling Steve had tacked to the wall and pointed to an apartment complex. “You’ll find her here, among other people.”

                Steve uttered a thanks and left the room. However after a few steps down the hall he stopped and came back. “We could use your help, Matt. Tony is out of commission, and…”

                “This isn’t my fight,” Matt muttered as he floated by Steve.

                Steve noticed Matt’s cold demeanor for the first time. “Is everything alright Matt?”

                Matt stopped just short of the front door and looked back over his shoulder. His body looked like it was starting to emit a black swirling smoke from it. “Save your city or not. No matter what we do, the darkness will be all that remains in the end.”

                As Matt floated out of the mansion, the shadows of the night rushed towards him, making him seemingly disappear into them. Steve was disturbed by what he just heard and saw, but turned and hurried to find Natalie and Marian.

                “First we take care of this serial killer,” he said to himself, “then we find out what the hell happened to Matt.”

                 “It’s about damn time they find this place,” Snake Eyes muttered under his breath. He heard the gunfire and sounds of battle a few floors above, and quickly grabbed the bag of tech that his benefactor gave him. “Looks like it’s time to disappear.”

                Before leaving, he poked his head into a little room off to the side. Inside was furnished by a ratty mattress, a small table, and a hook on which hung a black leather outfit and a spiked crest. Sitting motionless on the bed was Laura, her eyes closed and breathing steady.

                “The heroes are here,” Snake Eyes whispered, his voice containing a venomous undertone that reverberated in Laura’s will and made her eyes snap open. “Make them pay, Laura. Show them what the Reaper can do.”

                A look of rage appeared on Laura’s face and her fists clenched tight. “They hurt me,” She growled, her voice becoming louder with each word. “I will kill them all!”

                Snake Eyes left Laura to get dressed and exited the building via one of the secret exits only he knew about. Whether she actually did kill the heroes or not, he did not care. All the money he gained by using her put him in a financially comfortable position. Snake Eyes laughed as he thought of his millions sitting in off-shore accounts, “I don’t even need that old man anymore. Good riddance, ya old quack.”

                With a joyful laugh, Snake Eyes disappeared into the night.

                Francis was surprised to see Matt standing in the front doorway, looking around with a confused look. “Matt! Can I help you?”

                Matt looked at Francis, and Francis could tell Matt was having a difficult time recognizing him. “I…I was supposed to talk to someone. Fist…”

                Francis walked up to Matt and put his hand on the young man’s shoulder. “You did talk to him, Matt. Steve and the others already left to defeat the serial killer. You were just here not too long ago.”

                Matt was visibly confused. “But…I don’t remember. I was supposed to find something for him. No,” Matt concentrated, trying to solidify his thoughts, “not something. Someone.” Suddenly Matt’s expression lit up into worry. He grabbed Francis’ shoulders, “I felt her Francis! She’s so strong, too strong! How can she have so much energy?”

                Francis tried calming Matt down. He was worried about Matt, who he had never seen so shaken and confused. “Matt what happened to you? Earlier you were so distant, and now you can’t remember something that happened an hour ago? Talk to me Matt.”

                Matt let go of Francis and his eyes dropped to the floor. For a whole minute he didn’t say anything, and Francis was about to shake him out of his daze before Matt spoke. “It was so dark. So…cold. I’ve never felt such a force. That’s how she did it; that’s how she could create the shadows. It wasn’t actual shadows; that’s just the absence of light, warmth, safety. She was using the energy, molding it to her will. It’s incredible and terrifying.”

                Here Matt stopped, and Francis squeezed his shoulder. Francis knew who Matt was referring to. “What happened Matt? Did you fight Sombra again?”

                Matt looked up, and for a moment Francis saw true fear in his eyes. “It wasn’t a fight. She was tearing a hole in our world, and the darkness was flowing in. I couldn’t stop it, so I stopped her. I sent her into that void of shadows, and sealed the entrance. But I…” Matt looked away, and Francis noticed the light from the hallway lamps start to fade as the shadows grew darker. “I can’t control the darkness. Not like her.”

                “Matt, Frontier needs you.” Francis shifted gears, trying to distract Matt from whatever dark place his thoughts were taking him. “This metahuman has killed so many. She absorbs energy, just like you. They can’t-”

                Francis was abruptly cut short as Matt’s head snapped up, his eyes glowing white. “She can take this from me.” There were two voices coming from Matt’s throat; his normal voice, and another colder, deeper sound that froze Francis in fear. Matt turned and flew out of the mansion straight towards the source of energy.