GZ Legends 19: Interrogation

Red Eagle and Atomizer

                Agent Redeagle and Atomizer moved fast to see if anyone was harmed in the two buildings defaced by the blast. Redeagle called out as he tossed debris aside looking for anyone that may be trapped underneath.

            A voice came from the back rooms, “We’re okay,” a man stepped sheepishly into view. “What was that? We were all hiding in the back.”

            “One of their weapons exploded. It’s okay now, but stay in the building until an all clear is sent out okay?” Redeagle was glad to see no one was hurt. He hoped the same would be found where his partner searched.

            Atomizer jumped through a shop window and started calling out for people. He would never forgive himself for one injury to an innocent.  “Stupid! So stupid! But I thought I could control it! How could I be so wrong?”

            Fortunately, everyone in the buildings already moved to the back of them in order to avoid the firing of the energy weapons. The explosion only hurt the intended targets. Atomizer almost collapsed against a wall in relief as Red rejoined him.

            “Nobody is hurt except for those, those things,” Redeagle reported, “You can give yourself a break now.”

            “I’ve always been able to control the intensity of my explosions. I thought I could but didn’t think enough. I can’t make mistakes like that.”

            “You couldn’t have known that an alien weapon would explode beyond your control. Now you know not to do that. No one was hurt. Keep to the helmets or their clothes maybe.”

            “Right, because seeing dead naked zombie freaks is better than dead dressed ones,” Atomizer said.

            “That’s more like it. Now come on, there’s more of them out there still.”

 *******

            Commander Larratus walked into the room where they held the man called Vagabond. The grungy looking criminal smiled as the Commander came in. Years ago, the inventor, Anthony James developed handcuffs and shackles that could block parahuman powers. So far they seemed to work very well on the Vagabond who was well shackled to a steel chair.

            “Enjoying the accommodations?” Larratus asked.

            “Beautiful,” Vagabond sneered.

            “Good, now, if you don’t mind, screw the pleasantries; I want to know what’s going on in my city.” Larratus crossed his arms as he stood over the criminal. Commander Larratus was highly skilled in intimidation. Just standing over some street scum, Larratus could shake him up. Vagabond was no ordinary street scum.

            “Don’t you read the newspapers?” Vagabond chuckled.

            “Oh, you’re very funny. I know you supplied these people with weapons so they could ransack all our police stations and murder hundreds of innocent people. I also know these monstrosities were created by someone called Professor Zombie. That’s who I want. Where do I find him?”

            “If you know all that, you can find him yourself.”

            “You know, your speeding partner is dead. Electrode killed him. All that was left was a pile of black ashes.”

            Vagabond chuckled, “Then he isn’t dead.”

            “Where is Professor Zombie?”

The Vagabond

            “Oh you humans are funny. You won’t be able to keep me in a little room like this forever. Sooner or later someone gets lazy and someone screws up. Then they get dead and I go free. Even if you declare me a terrorist, your stupid lawmakers give them rights too. So what are you going to do to me if I don’t talk? Torture? I hope so. I like torture.”

            “No. I have something better for you than torture,” Larratus opened the door and let Nightfall into the room.  “I’d like you to meet Agent Nightfall. You might be interested to know that she doesn’t do law enforcement here on Earth. She’s with a department called Council Interpol. Have you ever heard of them?”

            Vagabond didn’t answer and quit smiling.

            “I see you have. Well, as it turns out, she knows what planet you’re from and that you happen to be wanted there as a military deserter amongst a long list of other heinous crimes. I also understand that military deserters on your planet get executed without trial.”

            “You can’t let her take me, you have to deal with me here.”

            “You just pointed out that I don’t have the ability to deal with you here. But she does. I’ll just hand you over to her and her team. She can even use her power on you. Her power can put you in a coma for months. You won’t wake up until just before they put the gun to your head. So, if you want to work something out, now is the time. Can’t be too hard, you must have backstabbed all kinds of people before now. So tell me where to find Professor Zombie.”

            Vagabond stared hard at Commander Larratus and frowned in anger.

            “I tell you what, she and I will step outside for a minute and let you think about it,” Commander Larratus said. Once they were both out the door, Commander Larratus clipped the end of a cigar and lit it up.

            “Those things are terrible for you,” Nightfall said as they stood outside the holding room.

            “You see that heartless creep in there?” Larratus gestured at the two way glass that showed Vagabond sulking in his chair. “A bust like that is worth celebrating and this is how I always celebrate. Leave an old man his vices, girl.”

            “So what are we going to do with him?”

            Larratus took a long drag on his cigar and blew a ring of smoke toward the ceiling, “When this is all over, you can take that trash back to his home planet and let them deal with him. And I wouldn’t worry about his friend either. You could see on his face; he knows he doesn’t have enough time for whatever Deformer can do.”

            Nightfall nodded, she didn’t think that Vagabond deserved to have any promises kept to him either. Several planetary systems wanted him for weapon smuggling and piracy. He stood responsible for the deaths of thousands more than any on Earth. His home planet would be too pleased to get their hands on him.

                                                                  ********

Cyclone’s elemental power allowed him to feel the pulsing of the core of the Earth. From where he stood he commanded the living hurricane to move further and further, altering its course from towards Georgetown. The raging monster spanned 900 miles across and howled in echoing fury. Its new path would test a people who were supposed to be used to great tropical storms. But Florida had no idea that such a force of death aimed for them. There was still no satellite contact on earth, no cell phone connections and no radio. The technology left may tell them entirely too late.

GZ Legends 18: Zombie Hunting

Electrode and Sandstorm

                The zombie henchman reached up to the handle of the school bus emergency exit door. He pulled it open as the children squeezed closer to their teacher. She hugged one close to her and pressed back against the rest of her class. The henchman raised the energy rifle and aimed it at them. He had been ordered to kill all who didn’t flee into buildings. He had no mind except for orders. He had no emotions that could be triggered, not even by the tears of children. The energy of the rifle surged and glowed.

            The teacher had already seen the effects of the weapons. She knew that he could have fired right through the emergency door with a few shots. Her body would be of no resistance in saving her class. She squeezed the little boy in her lap as her tears ran down her cheeks.

            As the teacher started to close her eyes, the henchman’s finger tightened on the trigger of the weapon. A moment of forever passed before a boy behind her shook her shoulder. She opened her eyes and the henchman was gone.

            What she missed in the moment that her eyelashes came in contact with each other was a barrage of fists in blue gloves that hit the henchman from beyond the speed of light. In that same span of time, Electrode removed the helmets of several henchmen, right after knocking the one away from the bus. Electrode knocked all of them down and the asphalt shifted under their heads. All at once, a single asphalt spike rose from the ground and through the heads of each of the zombie henchmen. It all happened before anyone on the bus could notice.

            The teacher gazed at the blonde haired man in blue who held out  hand to them.

            “Let’s get you all off the bus and into a building. They aren’t attacking anyone there. Come on now,” Electrode said.

            “Is he a superhero?” asked one of the children.

            “I think so,” she smiled through her tears, “let’s go children.”

            Electrode led them away from the scenes of the fallen henchmen and any bodies he saw along the way. He led them into a department store building.

            “You should be okay and even find something for the kids to do in here.”

            “Thank you,” the teacher said.

            “Just stay in here until we can make the streets safe enough to get you all home.” And then he was gone.

            Electrode met Sandstorm out in the street.

            “I got them inside,” Electrode said to his partner.

            “Right, let’s go find some more.”

*******

Anubis could see energy weapon fire going on in the street below and he gripped his lance hard. He finally began to see his purpose with more clarity than before. He saw a young man and woman trapped in the middle of the street and they reminded him of Ella. A loving couple gripping each other in fear, who may never see their own future. Anubis dove as the henchmen took aim. The young couple closed their eyes as the light shone from the barrels of the rifle weapons.  They heard the firing but nothing connected with them. When they opened their eyes to see why, Anubis stood in the way with one arm outstretched. He had blocked the energy fire with a forcefield.

Anubis snarled, “It’s not nice to shoot at helpless people!”

He swung his lance and a wave of force threw all the attackers bodies through the air and flipped empty cars over like toys.  He pointed his lance, “Let’s see how you like it!” Stellar energy blasts tore into attackers and destroyed their armor, defenses and bodies. No more holding back on any level with these things. The time had come to correct an abomination of terrifying proportions. As for the creator of them, Anubis felt only rage.

“I’m going to find you, Professor Zombie, and when I do, you will pay!” he thought. 

The young couple didn’t have to told what to do next. They were already gone. Suddenly the air and ground around Anubis exploded in energy weapons fire. More of the henchmen had surrounded him. As the smoke began to clear the lance of Anubis flew out and through the head of one henchman front to back. Mirrored face shield reflected images of Anubis bringing his fists to the heads of others in a battle rage.

 Anubis fueled himself with images of those who killed Ella and his rage at Prof. Zombie. His fists glowed brighter as he became more enraged at the henchmen. He hardly noticed that his lance flew back to his hand so he could use on the others. He moved with the lance like a samurai. Each fluid arc sliced away weapons, limbs and legs. He even blocked energy shots with the lance with speed and precision. He didn’t realize it, but he was quickly becoming better and better in the use of his powers. The knowledge instilled in him by the Powermid grew with everything he did.  In moments the firefight ended with Anubis the only one standing.  He surveyed the scene with a scowl and shot back into the air to find the next group of them.

*******

Blacktide and Nyhtwulf

On another street, cars burned and beams flew errantly down the street destroying anything they came in contact with. The attackers moved forward without regard for even their own safety, clearly programmed that they were already invincible.

 Nyhtwulf landed on top of a car directly in their midst and gave a loud growl to make sure they all noticed him. They turned and fired without hesitation. As before, the beams vanished into the Twylie demon’s body only to come right back out at their owners. While they were weakened by this turnover, Blacktide rode in on his motorcycle  and put his hand across three of their heads, erasing them from existence. He fought with focus assisted by his new partner, like he never knew he could have. Instead of random waves of energy, they were now more focused and caused much less collateral damage around them.

 He skidded his bike to a stop and dismounted. Precision work turned the attackers’ bodies to smoke before they could fire another shot. Many couldn’t anyway for sake of missing arms and disfigurement from their own weapons. After the smoke cleared, the two heroes were the only ones left standing. People along the sides of the street began to cheer them. Blacktide raised his hands to ask them to quiet but the result was not immediate enough for him.

“Alright, alright, shut up! You all need to get into the buildings and stay there. For some reason they are only attacking in the streets. We’ll send you a message when it’s safe. Get inside now!”

            “How will we know the message?” a woman asked.

            “Lady, I don’t know. I’m just trying to save your life. Please go inside now.” Larry got back on his motorcycle and Nyhtwulf took to the air as he rode away in search of more of the nightmarish henchmen.

*******

Atomizer took off his cowboy hat so he could peer around a corner at the group that just finished decimating a large street area. It looked like it was too late to save anyone there and that angered him.

            “Time to see what kind of damage I can really do with one of those fancy weapons,” he thought as he concentrated on one in the middle of them all. With no living people in the street, Atomizer figured it was safe enough to blast them all and avenge the losses of human life.

            The resulting blast almost threw him from behind the cover of the brick building. Cars flew into the air, windows and walls shattered and two helmeted heads bounced off the wall across from him. As the deafening ring sang in his ears he stared ahead in blank disbelief.

            “I didn’t intend to hit that hard,” he murmured, “oh no.” He ran out and exploded two heads of ones that were standing back up. The rest were bits and pieces, much like the fronts of the four buildings around them. Atomizer stared at the gutted buildings in shock. The alien weapon had turned out be extremely volatile with his power.  A gunshot shook him from his stupor as Redeagle shot a henchman that still had a head and arm to reach for a weapon. Atomizer looked to his partner in dismay, “I didn’t mean it to hit this hard. We gotta check these buildings.”

            Redeagle nodded and ran to a building. He shoved away the car that blocked the doors and hurried into what was left.  “Is there anyone here?”

(Are you new to GZ Legends? Catch up with the rest of the story in the menu bar on the right)

GZ Legends 17: Streets of Terror

Nyhtwulf

Nyhtwulf flew over top of Blacktide through the city streets again. Suddenly he veered off across the street, much to Larry’s surprise and flew ghosting through the doors of a delicatessen. He couldn’t hear the screams but Blacktide hurried to park his bike and run after the stray demon.  He ran across the street and through the door with a ring of the hanging bell inside. There, at the far end of the counter, stood Nyhtwulf with shocked onlookers all around. All of them had pressed themselves against the furthest walls from Nyhtwulf. The demon grabbed up packets of cream cheese out of the refrigerator case and popped them, foil packaging and all, into his mouth. He took note of Blacktide in the doorway immediately.

                “These are wonderful! I’ve never had anything like them!”

                The large man behind the counter looked to Blacktide as well, “Is that thing yours?”

                Larry scribbled some information on a napkin, “Add it up and call that office. Ask for Commander Larratus. Tell him Blacktide told you to call. I’m sure they’ll take care of you.”  Then he turned to Nyhtwulf, “You know, we can’t just go around taking things without paying for them. Come on, we have to get going.”

                “May I take some with me?”

                “Fine, just show this guy how many you got okay?”  

                      

                “Ah, no, that’s okay, sir, I know how many were there. Just take that whatever it is with you,” the man at the counter said.

                “Oh thank you, these are so wonderful!”

                “Yeah? You should try unwrapping them.”

                “Unwrapping?” Nyhtwulf looked at the small foil packages in his hand quizzically as they went out the door.

                “Man, New York is getting stranger by the day,” remarked the man behind the counter after the door closed.

                The heroes finally reconvened at the office of Commander Larratus and he turned on a television set with a tape player. He listened to a short explanation about Nyhtwulf and nodded.

                “I guess we’ll take all the help we can get. Too bad he can only talk through you, must be difficult.”

                “It has its interesting moments.”

                “I’m sure. Alright, all of you pay attention to this tape. This was aired on all channels while you were all out searching.”

                He pushed in the tape and the screen flickered on to the face of the Bagman at the Whitehouse.

                “Hello people of America, the United Nations, and the world. We are responsible for the taking of the White House. Not only that, we work for the force responsible for blocking out the sun. If you ever want to see the sun again, you’ll do absolutely nothing. Of course, as we can see military gathering around the property, you can certainly attack and destroy a national monument if you wish. We won’t stop you from that, but you will kill the President, his family and the Vice President in the process. So, by all means, give us a big demonstration of military might. We could use a good laugh. As I said, your best course of action against us at this time is absolutely nothing. We are in control.”

                The screen went black.

                “He’s not just blowing smoke at us. They took the White House not long after the attacks on the police precincts. They killed over a hundred people including military and secret service personnel. We need to find out who and what is at the top of this whole thing and take them down. What do we know about this darkness, can any of you figure anything about it with your powers?”

                “I flew up to it, but couldn’t go through it,” Anubis said.

                “I’ve tried my elemental senses and I can only tell you that it’s un-natural,” Sandstorm said.

                “Nyhtwulf says he saw a large starship outside of it all on his way here, but he doesn’t know where it’s from. Hey, why didn’t you mention this before?”

                Nyhtwulf shrugged and finished the last of his cream cheese, “ Sorry, too much happening all at once and it didn’t seem like part of my mission before.”

                “Well, it’s all part of our mission now, okay?”

                Nyhtwulf nodded and bowed his head, “Yes, I am sorry. I will not fail this again.”

                “Okay, okay, you don’t have to get like that. I forgive you, okay?”

                Nyhtwulf nodded happily with a toothy grin.

                “Yeah, buck up there, nobody’s perfect,” Anubis gave him a friendly elbow and got a hard one in return.

                “Would you two like to go out and chase a stick together?” Larratus growled.

                At that moment the phone rang and the Commander answered it. “What! What? Are you sure? And there’s no one else, we’re almost on to something here. Yes, yes, I know! Alright, we’ll get right on it.” He slammed down the receiver, “Professor Zombie’s army of weirdoes are attacking everything and everyone in our city streets. They’re forcing people into buildings, fleeing for their lives. Get out there and stop them! Agent Redeagle, go to weapons and get some new stuff waiting there for you and catch up afterward. Move! People are dying! Oh, hey, Nightfall, could you stick around, I think I have a job for you.”

                “Anything to help.” She nodded to Anubis to go on without her.

                Out in the streets, energy beams flew rampant and random objects exploded into balls of fire. They moved on the streets in the hundreds from hiding spots all over the city. Nothing caught in their path and left in their wake could be saved. Those who didn’t find their way into a building found themselves seeking cover in vain. Little offered adequate protection from the hot beams of the space age weapons.

Anthony James

                Agent Redeagle hurried to the weapons department. A man with black hair and grayed sideburns was waiting for him. He was further distinguished by his goatee with two gray stripes and a patch over his left eye. He held out a hand in welcome, “I’m Anthony James, FBI. I’m an inventor and designer for our defense systems.”

                “Good to meet you. I understand I need to pick something up here?”

                “Yes, you use a 454 Casull don’t you?”

                “Yes I do.”

                “Here,” he handed Redeagle a box of bullets, “You’ll find these very effective on those helmets they’re wearing.”

                “I take it we’re up to full force regardless on these things?”

                “Yes we are, they’re too dangerous for anything else. Here,” he also handed Ray a long dagger with a fist grip, “That’s a very special metal alloy on that dagger. It’ll go through those helmets and most other armor like a hot knife through butter.”

                “Not to sound cliché,” Ray half joked.

                “Of course not. I’m working on some body armor against these weapons, but there’s still some kinks to work out. You better get going.”

                Agent Redeagle was out the door before another word could be said.

*******

No shelter

                Out in the streets, a school bus became trapped amongst wrecked cars and carnage and deadly forces closed in with no mercy for adult or child. The bus driver slumped over the steering wheel with a fatal head injury. The fifth grade teacher gathered all of her students away from the windows and as close together as possible. She hoped against hope that, if they weren’t seen or heard, maybe the attackers would pass them by. Her blood ran cold as she looked down the aisle of seats to see the helmet of one of the killers faced through the back window toward her.  She froze, and what could she do? Run or stay, they had been seen.

GZ Legends 16: Crashing the Party

Redeagle and Atomizer

“Let’s see how you suckers like your own firepower,” Atomizer said as he aimed the weapon down the alleyway and fired at the front of the black van that had pulled up. Several of the suited warriors were coming out of the van and moving in. Atomizer used his power on the front of the van and blew several bodies apart as they came around the vehicle. More still stepped through the horror of that blast, ignoring their fallen comrades. Atomizer once served as a Marine sniper and kept shooting for all his skill and for their lives. It pulled at him that these were missing people and some may never be identified, but he wasn’t prepared to sacrifice himself for the sake of it.  “You doing okay back there?”

                “Fine,” grunted Redeagle, “so long as I don’t move.”

                “I’m having a great time trying to blast through their stupid helmets. I almost have to make do with blowing their legs off.”

                Out in the street behind the two vans that pulled into the alley, a man running as hard as he could, skidded to halt. He called out to the men in black helmets, “Hey! Over here, you murderers!”

                They turned and fired on him without hesitation. To his perspective, the beams from the weapons dropped to a nearly motionless speed as Electrode went into his full speed mode. He released a barrage of lightning that lit up the alleyway like the Fourth of July. Atomizer noted it from his position in the battered doorway. The jagged bursts of electricity threw the suited bodies in all directions.

                “Looks like the cavalry has arrived!” Atomizer called to his friend, but Redeagle didn’t answer.

                Atomizer turned to see an attacker coming in through the hole in the back wall. He had no time to fire. A shadow dropped in from the ceiling to his shock and roared at the attacker. The energy weapon fired into Nyhtwulf’s chest and the wolfen beings eyes flashed red before he spit the energy beam out of his mouth and through the helmeted head of the attacker. Another came in but Blacktide stalked up behind it.

                “There is no life to these beings, Larry, you may destroy them at will.”

                Blacktide put a fist through its head, disintegrating a clear path as he did.  Every moment he worked with the Twylie demon taught him something new about its powers. He wondered at points, just how safe this creature was.

                Out at the alley opening, the lightning blasts did little but slow down the several attackers left over. A sharp wind rose in the alley and in the blink of an eye it became a mini tornado. Henchmen bodies were snatched up and smashed against each other and any other solid surface nearby. Then within that whirlwind, all of them flash froze solid, much like the Vagabond a little while earlier. The twister took them all airborne  across the city to an impound yard, setting their frozen bodies down in a chain link holding area. Back on the scene, Nyhtwulf turned to Atomizer and approached him. Before anything could be said it reached down and placed a clawed hand on his broken ankle. Bones knitted and repaired. Then the winged being turned to the man impaled on the broken printing press.

                “Is he alive?” asked Blacktide.

                “Barely, but I believe I can save him.” They lifted Redeagle off the impaling metal and Nyhtwulf put his clawed hands over the wound. A great deal of blood stained the scrap metal clear to the floor and for all of Nyhtwulf’s own power in the realms of the dead, he could feel the spirit of the agent slipping away. Then the spirit suddenly surged back. He looked up and found Anubis kneeling on the other side of the fallen man’s body, helping with his own healing force. In a few more moments, Agent Redeagle was sitting up rubbing his forehead with a groan.

                “It’s nice to see I’m not the only dog faced guy around,” Anubis grinned. “So who are you?”

                “His name is Nyhtwulf and he can only talk through me,” said Blacktide. “And he says he’s a demon, not a dog.”

               Again, it was time to share the details of what each team found and learned.  All of them were amazed to hear of Anubis’s power development he called “Guardian of the Dead”.

                “Before we can help your new friend,” Sandstorm motioned to Nyhtwulf, “We better get back to the office and share all this with Larratus. I don’t know if we have anything that’s getting us closer to what caused this blackout. Let’s go put it all together and find out.”

 *******

Coming in for a crash

The giant cargo ship bobbed on the waves like a toy in the midst of the Atlantic Ocean. Its voyage brought it halfway between Africa and South America, headed for Georgetown.


The supernatural howl that came before the first crashing waves made the men almost panic, grabbing onto anything near them including each other. The first waves hit so hard at the bow of the ship that it spun off course. Even the most seasoned sailor never heard a storm roar like the savage monster upon them. Through their terror, none of them could be sure if they really saw a giant hand made of water rising above them. Waves surged over the vessel like a miniature in a bath tub and then, the side of the massive hurricane yanked the ship right out of the water.

                Several hours later at Georgetown the winds rose fast and forced everyone to take cover. At the docks men worked fast to secure whatever they could.  Deep darkness can play tricks on the eyes and one man thought he saw shapes in the air as he worked on mooring ropes for another boat. He dismissed it as his imagination and the big metal cargo container landed on him and his boat, destroying both. Then more cargo containers rained all over the dock area and parts of Georgetown, smashing anything they hit. Cars, boats, houses, and businesses all took a special delivery of large iron projectiles. The horror of this was only compounded by the falling bodies of men from the lost ship. Men in a shipping office stared out the window in horror as the giant cargo ship came hurtling from the darkness right for them. It crushed the entire building of the office and continued rolling over everything in its path. The screams in the dark of Georgetown echoed in the wind.

GZ Legends 15: A Living Storm

Prof. Zombie

In another location of the city, underground, a fat man drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. His thick and obese stature belied the power that surged in his body from cyborg implants. One hand’s grasp from him could shatter a bowling ball.  His thick white mustache and beard connected to the halo of white hair. Some would say it only made him appear more ominous. Professor Zombie took chiding from no common man and few were capable of more cruelty to any who opposed them. Human enemies of the Professor often became his undead servants. 

For years, he built an army underground of missing persons and society’s rejects. Some were missed but never found, cursed as cold cases. The rest were street people who would leave no trace. He developed armoring for them and even programmed them for exactly what he wanted them to do. As if that weren’t enough, he teamed up with the Raven and they combined cybernetic genius to make them even stronger and faster.  These certainly weren’t your run of the mill movie zombies. A screen in front of the Professor blinked to life and revealed the face of the man in the top hat.

            “I hope I haven’t kept you waiting too long,” the face on the screen smiled.

            “I am not a man of patience, Mr. Knight. I don’t care for being trifled with.”

            The smile vanished to a cold glare, “You work for me, Professor, and you’ll apply patience where I tell you. It’s time to wreak absolute havoc in the city of New York. Have your creations storm the streets and force every person into buildings to hide for their lives. Do not pursue them there, but instead, kill anyone who comes out and destroy everything else; cars, trucks, newsstands, and even the wayward baby carriage, understand?”

The Professor nodded, “The authorities have started to attack all the points weapons were placed in, just as you said.”

            “And it won’t help them at all.”

            “I still don’t understand what you are after, Knight.”

            “You don’t have to. Just know that the results will bring you power, and power is what you want isn’t it?”

            Professor Zombie nodded, “And what next? I understood you have other things to set loose on the Earth?”

            “Oh yes, that I do. Let’s just say, there’s a storm coming.” And the monitor blacked out.

* * *

Cyclone

Across the darkened seas a new stranger struggled to his feet and held his head in agony. He had blue skin, angular ears and glowing yellow eyes. To look at him was like seeing through him to the image of a swirling hurricane. Those eyes glowed like twin stars and his hands held the power to sculpt mountains.

 He had crashed to the surface of the Earth days ago and only just recently regained consciousness. Confusion gripped him for he knew he’d been to this place before. Still he felt the gnawing urge to do his job, to set evolutionary cycles into place. He held out his hands to the surging ocean before him and it responded with leaping waves. Lightning flashed and wind roared. Thunder bellowed from all around. The sea churned and spun as a great hurricane formed. In the side of the wind and water raging wall of this monstrosity a howling face formed and looked upon its creator. Cyclone gestured for his creation to go and the face vanished into the maelstrom. The storm went on the move, neither it nor its creator knowing that life already existed on this planet. 

* * *

            Larry, the man known as Blacktide, groaned and rolled onto an elbow to prop himself.  First glance around told him he lay on a rooftop somewhere. Then his gaze fell upon Nyhtwulf crouching on the corner ledge, staring back at him. Instinctively he half scrambled backwards to move away.

            “Please don’t be alarmed. I mean you no harm. As you can see I have healed you from Railroad’s assault.”

            Blacktide grasped at one side of his head, “Ah no, not a telepath, I hate telepathy!”

            “I’m sorry, it’s the only way I can communicate with you right now. Something happened to me on my way here. An illusionary spell has been cast on me. I’m very sorry but I need your help.”

            “Why? Can’t you just talk into anyone’s head?”

            “No. My telepathy only works through bonding with another being.”

            “What? Bonding? What the hell did you do to me?”

            “Please, it is only a psychic bond, and I can undo it at a later time, but I need you, Larry Peters.”

            “Oh, man, you just don’t know how much I am hating on this idea right now.”

            “Actually, yes I do.”

            “Don’t get funny with me,” Blacktide stood up and paced the rooftop, fists clenched.

            “I do not expect you to do this with me without some compensation.”

            “Oh really? And what are you going to do for me? What could possibly match up to invading my head?”

            “Control, Larry Peters, control. I will help you gain the control you have sought so long for your powers. And the nightmares, those will stop.”

            “You can do that?”

            “Yes, just help me with my mission. I will help you with yours.”

            “And just what is your mission?”

            Nyhtwulf explained the danger of Cyclone and how he must be stopped before the loss of much human life.

            “Do you know what has caused this guy to lose it?”

            “Whoever cast this illusion on me is my first guess, but I don’t know who that is.”

            “And just what is this illusion? Are you saying you don’t look like a winged wolf-man?”

            Nyhtwulf laughed, “This is how I really look. The illusion makes me look like I’m attacking when I am not. It makes it so I cannot speak your language, for now.”

Blacktide and Nyhtwulf

            “Okay, well did this Cyclone guy cause the blackout?”

            “This is not of his power, but it does seem like the two could be connected.”

            “So how do we find him? Just wait for one of his storms to come along?”

            “I sense you know one who may be able to help us find him; an elemental.”

            “Hey, yeah I do. We should go to the office and call everyone together. But when this is done, no more psychic intrusion right?”

            “You have my word.”

            With severe apprehension, Larry let Nyhtwulf fly him back to the ground by his motorcycle.

            “What about Railroad? What did you do to him?”

            “He will be alright. I can scramble life force and brain waves by passing through any living thing, except for plants.”

            “Are you telling me you scrambled his brains?”

            “Temporarily.”

            “Alright, well, anyway, thanks for healing me. I can’t say I’ve ever been worked over like that.”

            Nyhtwulf nodded his lupine head, “You are welcome.”

            “Well, you have some power.” He started his bike up and put it into gear. “Follow me, okay?”

            They attracted some attention as Nyhtwulf hovered not far from his new partner as they drove and flew down the streets of New York. At a stop light, Blacktide noted a beeping from his phone and pulled it out. He listened to the urgent SOS and looked up at Nyhtwulf.

            “We have to go, you’re healing powers are needed. Keep up with me.”

            He tore across the city streets and through traffic. He took back alleyways and went between cars and trucks. He pushed to answer the call for help with all possible speed.