FOURTEEN

“All right, pause!” cried Drake, holding out a hand towards the television set.

There was a loud, exasperated sigh. “Drake!” Brielle snapped. “Can’t you let me play in peace? This is the sixth time. I’ve only got two more days with the system and I wanna finish this game before I have to return it to the library.”

“Oh, come on,” protested Drake in a passionate tone, his spiky blond hair brushing the carpet. He twirled the pencil in his outstretched hand with a flourish. “It’s the perfect time to get a snack. I’ll get this scene real quick.”

“Will you really be done by the time I get back? How can you even draw like that?” asked Brielle, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. Drake gave her a lopsided grin, gesturing elaborately – which just happened to be upside down, since the older teen had taken to sitting on the couch with his legs dangling over the back.

“Is this the face that would lie to you?”

There was a small snort from Sevati as she adjusted herself next to Drake. She didn’t look up from the notebook in her lap. She continued writing, her attention focused; though, she was perfectly aware of her surroundings.

“What?” said Drake in a mocked tone of innocence. Brielle scoffed, handing the controller to Jacob, and marched off to the bathroom, slamming the door shut. “What’d I say?” he asked with more sincerity.

Zach sighed to himself. It was difficult to get any work done with so many other people around and not enough places to be alone. There was no office and that meant distractions were a guarantee.

He hunched over the small desk, staring at the spreadsheet listing all of their expenses. It wasn’t a pretty number. He tried to block out the other voices. His leg bounced. His fingers tapped against the wireless mouse of his government issued laptop.

It’s gonna be a tight month. We’ll be able to afford a small Thanksgiving meal, but not much after that.

Time passed. He wasn’t sure how much. A frantic voice tore him away from his work again. He looked up towards the source.

“Hurry, Bri,” cried Jacob, pounding on the door with a fist. He bounced in such a way that suggested his situation was quite urgent. “I gotta use the bathroom!”

“Just give me a minute.”

“Hey, that minute is longer on this side of the door!” cried Jacob. He whimpered. His legs crossed in an awkward position; his hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. He threw Zach a desperate look.

“Can’t you get her out of there? I gotta go bad!”

“I can see that,” said Zach, his mouth twitching. It took a great deal of effort to hold back the snorting chuckle.

“Zach!“

“All right, chill, kiddo. She won’t be in there for long.”

“She’s been in there for an hour!” cried Jacob in agony.

Wait, what? An hour?

Zach checked the clock. Huh. He glanced over at the couch. Drake and Sevati were still sitting there. Drake paused his drawing, looking back at them.

I wonder if she’s okay.

“Sev, what’s up with Brielle?” asked Zach.

The girl looked up from her notebook and shrugged. “She’s in the bathroom.”

“Brilliant. I had no idea,” drawled Zach. He glanced over at the closed door. “Seriously, though, an hour? Is she okay? She’s not sick, is she?”

“She’s thirteen now. She has issues,” said Sevati, as if talking about the weather.

Zach raised an eyebrow, frowning. What did age have to do with needing the bathroom for an entire hour? Was it something she ate? With an exasperated sigh, he spun in his chair slightly, before standing up. He came to Jacob’s side – who was growing more desperate by the minute – and knocked on the bathroom door.

“Can you come out now? Jacob has to pee.”

“I said just a minute! Geez.”

There was another sigh, more annoyed this time. “Yeah, I don’t think we’ve got a minute. We got a potty dance on aisle twelve, so hurry up!” Zach said, rapping his knuckles against the wooden door. “He’s not gonna make it.”

“Hey!” squeaked Jacob, sounding thoroughly indignant – and all the while, he bounced in that decidedly questionable way.

“I hate my life!”

Well, yeah. I’d hate mine, too, if I locked myself in the bathroom, thought Zach wryly.

Jacob looked tormented. He bit his lip so hard, his eyes began to water. Well, this wasn’t good. The kid was about to blow at any minute.

“Brielle, you have two seconds to open this door and let this poor kid pee or I’m sending Drake in. You can kiss future privacy goodbye.”

There was an anguished scream; the door burst open. Brielle marched out with arms folded and amber eyes alight with fury. She glared at Zach with such fire, it could’ve burnt half the city. Jacob rushed by, slamming the door shut behind himself.

There was an audible sigh of relief.

Zach chuckled. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do to curb Brielle’s poor mood. She slammed another door and commenced brooding in the girls’ bedroom. Muffled complaining indicated the girl had begun venting her spleen onto the other occupant of the room. Zach sighed, pitying Hikaru’s ears. It was probably best not to bother Brielle; it’d be like poking a grouchy mother bear.

“Hey, Sevati,” began Zach, coming to stand behind the couch. He leaned against the back. “Brielle has been acting weird lately – more moody, I guess. Is she all right?”

“I told you, she’s thirteen.”

“That doesn’t explain anything. I don’t remember having this much angst at thirteen – and Jacob’s twelve.”

“Mmm…” Sevati paused, before looking up at him. “Girls do have a harder time as teenagers. She’s come into her womanhood.”

Drake froze, while Zach frowned. He tried to make sense of the comment, but was only confused further. “You know I don’t speak girl code,” he said, somewhat frustrated. “Can’t you spell it out for me?”

Drake frantically shook his head. He made a slicing motion across his throat over and over again, his action growing more intense with each movement.

“Are you really prepared for that answer?” asked Sevati, a wry smirk lifting her face. Drake’s actions became more frantic. Finally, he was waving both his hands in front, bouncing up and down on the couch.

“Sev, just tell me, already.”

He regretted his curiosity.

Sevati let out a low, almost sinister chuckle. “She got her period a month ago.” Zach went bright red, his stomach swooping upward. Those brown eyes flashed with satisfaction. “This means she is currently experiencing the horrors and the mood swings that come with it. Please do not be alarmed by possible blood on her pants. You’ll need to budget extra money for pads – or tampons. I dunno which she’s picking. Be gentle with her. She’ll hate the world and probably you. She’s going to be in pain and agony for a week. Each and every month.”

Sevati grinned.

“There. Now you’re educated. Yay you.”

Drake slapped a hand over his face.

“Whoa!” gasped Zach; his face burned with mortification. “TMI, too much information!“

There was a dry laugh. “Well, you asked. You should know better than to open Pandora’s Box. You practically invited—” Sevati almost purred her words. “—me to open it.” Her eyebrows lifted in a double smile. “That was fun. Let’s do this again. I dare you to ask me why Brielle needs to go shopping for a special, yet demonic item in a few months – called a bra.”

Sevati turned back to her writing, leaving a sputtering, blushing Zach behind her. Drake gave him a pitying look, before clapping a supportive hand onto his arm.

“Hey, can’t say I didn’t warn ya.”

“Yeah, but…” Zach flushed. “Why aren’t you embarrassed?”

“I’m immune. The last time I asked, Sev was in one of those moods,” said Drake. He shuddered. Sevati snorted smugly. “Ever since then, I can handle anything she dishes out. You got off lucky, man.”

That must’ve been some answer.

Fortunately, he didn’t have more time to consider it.

The bathroom door opened and a happy voice cried, “Zach!” A second later, Jacob leapt onto his back. Arms curled around his neck while legs wrapped around his waist. Zach leaned forward to support the weight. “Let’s get pizza!”

“What? No. No pizza.”

The younger boy slid off and pouted, tugging on his arms. “Please!” Jacob begged, his green eyes blinking behind his glasses. “At least think about it for a minute.”

Zach sighed, shaking his head. “You know we can’t afford it, especially this month,” he said. The young boy gave his best pout to date. Zach let out another sigh. “No, that’s not going to work. Don’t you want a Thanksgiving dinner?”

“Please,” said Jacob, drawing out the word for a long thirty seconds. The pout became ridiculous. Zach’s eyebrow twitched. He glanced at the other two, hoping for a smidgen of support. Drake and Sevati had reserved, yet hopeful expressions. Dang, no support. He let out one final sigh, lifting his hands into the air.

“Fine. All right, but only the cheapest pizza in the city. No toppings, no extras, okay?”

The boy whooped with delight, jumping into the air and dancing around the room, exclaiming, “Pizza! We get pizza!” He rushed to the girls’ bedroom and pounded on the door. “Bri, we’re gonna get pizza!”

If we get take out, it’ll be under twenty bucks.

It’s doable.

It was only money, after all. Who cared if they couldn’t afford something as frivolous as pizza? It would be good for all of them. A fun outing would do them a world of good.

And it was worth it, if the bright expression on Brielle’s face was anything to go by.

Keep reading –>

THIRTEEN

Two palms struck the surface of the desk. Six teens flinched. The desk shook, pencils and pens rattling dangerously. The deafening sound echoed through the room.

“How could you let him get away!” shouted Sullivan. His nostrils flared. “Do you have any idea how many are dead because of this man? Over a hundred. All you had to do was catch him and you couldn’t even do that!”

One hundred and twenty-four.

What a haunting number. Zach couldn’t stop himself from imagining the faces of those who had been killed. Their faint reflections twisted within his psyche like milky white ghosts.

Falcon had known the exact number of people inside that hospital, even with the evacuations. He had made it his business to know. But why put that much effort into it? What was the motive behind knowing the victims – and to such an extent? Why hadn’t he killed Zach or his friends? Or any of the units?

Are the hospitals and clinics not the real target? He had researched those people, said he knew their names and their families. And I believe him. So, if the people were the target…

Then, who were they?

“You.” Sullivan pointed to Jacob. The boy sucked in his breath, his eyes wide with fright, and sunk lower in his chair. Zach stiffened, fury rising in his chest. How dare he single out Jacob. “What happened? What were you doing during all this?”

Jacob opened his mouth. A strangled, whimper of a sound scraped through his throat. Hands slammed against the desk again.

“Answer me!“

The boy squeaked.

Zach stood up, his chair pushing back. He glared down at Sullivan. The man turned, ever so slowly, towards him, his eyes narrowing.

“Three had his powers stolen by Falcon, sir,” said Zach. “Two had his stolen as well. It was impossible to win. Falcon seemed interested in all of our powers. It was obvious that he’s done this before.” He drew in a deep breath. Sullivan’s expression darkened, but Zach plowed on; his tone dropped, turning frigid. “Why weren’t we informed about this? Taking our powers away even for a short time is going to cripple the team. How could we stop him when the other units couldn’t either?”

A frightening light entered those grey eyes.

“Two through Six, you’re dismissed. Get out.”

Zach gritted his teeth. Even unmasked, they were just numbers. We have names, you know. He could feel his friends’ hesitancies without looking at them. Smug satisfaction rose inside his chest.

“Guys, obey Chief Sullivan.”

Chairs pushed against the floor. Sullivan’s nostrils flared again, his eyes flashing with repressed fury. Exactly. My team obeys me, not you, Sullivan. It was a dangerous thought, but he didn’t care. Sullivan had withheld vital information about Falcon. Granted, even with it, they would’ve failed – but withholding information indicated something else, perhaps even something sinister.

And it pissed Zach off.

He turned slightly, looking back as his friends walked out of the office. Hikaru lagged behind. She reached out, touching him on the forearm. He smiled at her and put his hand over hers.

“Go,” whispered Zach softly.

Her gaze slipped towards the man. Concern bled through those brown eyes, but she nodded and left the room. The door closed shut. Zach clenched his fists, looking at Sullivan with unwavering strength. His heart pounded. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, wishing he could exhale all the tension away.

The man was disturbingly silent.

What if Sullivan is holding back even more?

And another thing…

Why did Falcon have powers, an unknown power at that, in the first place? It didn’t sync with the timeline. The rise of those with powerful abilities had only begun in the past decade – and only occurring before puberty. The man’s voice had been too deep, his height too tall, his physique too strong to be under the age of twenty.

Something strange was going on.

And Zach suspected Sullivan knew everything about it.

“One, why are you here?” asked Sullivan in a low voice. There was a hint of mock incredulity. “What are you employed to do?

Zach’s fists shook at his sides. “To stop criminals.”

“Tell me, then,” continued Sullivan, the light in his eyes growing darker. “Why does Falcon still go free?”

This is such bull.

Of course, I want to stop Falcon. It’s not my fault he’s more powerful than an entire unit. Why is it just our responsibility to stop him? Where were you? Why didn’t you bring in other units?

There were so many things you could’ve done.

And you didn’t.

Zach refused to break eye contact. He hated himself for his own weakness. Did Sullivan really have to point it out? Falcon’s haunting words were enough. They echoed in his mind, taunting his efforts.

“Falcon was too powerful.”

“No!” hissed Sullivan. “Why does Falcon still go free?”

Why did this man always have to mention all his shortcomings and errors? He never gave Zach and his friends a break. He expected perfection from a bunch of teenagers. He expected a level of performance from them that was far higher than from his own officers.

And that hateful look…

Well, one didn’t have to be from a different race to be racist.

Children suddenly having powerful gifts – yes, they were something to be feared. But they were still human beings. Yet, the government treated them like property. Children were stolen from their parents; parents were stolen from their children. It was a cruel, deplorable system from which the country turned a blind eye.

The world expected them to be powerful soldiers, something that took adults – ones who volunteered to be so – years to become. Just because they had powers, they expected children to be of the same cloth – and all the while, they had no adult to turn to for support.

They were just kids.

Falcon is right…

They were expected to perform like adults. They were expected to perform with perfection, with no mistakes to their names whatsoever – even during this sacred time of adolescence, a precious time reserved to learn from mistakes and to receive guidance from those wiser and older. Yet, that wasn’t available to them. They weren’t allowed to mess up – for if they did, everything was lost to them.

Zach bore this pressure on his shoulders, this forced pressure from these disgraceful adults. There were no other options for him and his friends. These options had been stolen from them. Since his friends were all he had left, Zach would bear the burden proudly. Even with all their problems and crazy times, it was worth it.

So, Zach gave the answer he knew this man wanted to hear.

“Because of my incompetence,” whispered Zach. “That’s why Falcon goes free.”

There was a pause. The air around him seemed to grow thicker, becoming heavy like molasses. Zach found it hard to breathe.

“What have I told you about incompetence?” asked Sullivan, after another agonizing moment; his tone was foreboding.

“Incompetence is unacceptable.”

He hated this man – even more than he hated Falcon. The way Sullivan looked at him, it turned his stomach, making him feel like a bug that had soiled the man’s shoes. Why was it that Falcon – the criminal, the murderer – had acknowledged Zach’s youth and the injustice there?

‘Do you even eat, kid?’

‘You’re young, aren’t you? They’re always young.’

‘You’re all children – every last one of you.’

‘Our government sure has fallen to an all new low if they have to hire a bunch of kids to do what used to be an adult’s job.’

Why had Falcon showed compassion to a bunch of kids? How could someone like that see the truth? And why was Sullivan, the chief of police, incapable of such a thing?

“So, why?” began Sullivan, his voice drawling in a dark lilt. “Why is it you still give me incompetence? You take the state’s money and you do nothing to deserve it.”

Whoa, wait a minute.

Excuse me?!

“Just a minute,” hissed Zach. “Wait just one freakingsecond here,” he snarled, glaring at the man. The anger exploded inside his chest, the injustice of everything bursting into fireworks. Before he could stop himself, he shouted, “First of all, I do not ‘take’ the state’s money! They pay me – pennies, by the way; we can’t afford anything – to be their stupid hero and sec—”

Sullivan bolted to his feet, his chair slamming against the wall. A crack cut Zach’s tirade off, causing his head to blast to the side; he stumbled from the blow. His knee banged into the front of the desk before he could collect his balance. Pain flared up; his eyes watered.

“You will speak to me with respect at all times!” shouted Sullivan, his voice harsh. “Remember your place, One!”

Zach slowly looked at the man; his hand trembled to lift to his face, but he resisted it. There was nothing but disgust and contempt in the man’s eyes.

The feeling is mutual.

“You’re just a freak of nature,” said Sullivan, his piercing words filled with hate. “You’re all just a bunch of worthless orphans. You’re not normal. You’re lucky to have this job. This is the only thing you’re good for – remember that.”

Well, aren’t you just full of it?

You created us orphans. We would’ve been more than happy to stay with our parents. Instead, you ripped our lives apart and then dare to tell us we’re worthless?

Go to Hell.

I’m sure you’ll get free admission at the gates.

His cheek throbbed. The man had struck him hard enough to bruise. Wasn’t it so convenient there was no one who would question this man about striking a minor? No one would pity the poor little orphan.

“Yes, sir,” whispered Zach.

He took a deep breath. He wasn’t going to let the man win. Zach wasn’t the only one who had shown so called ‘incompetence’ tonight.

“Sir, why wasn’t I told more about Falcon beforehand?” asked Zach, keeping his tone neutral.

Sullivan regarded him for a moment, the disgust still emanating through his stance. The man averted eye contact by a small fraction. “We had no information to give you,” he said.

Zach narrowed his eyes. Liar. “Really? The other units fought him, didn’t they? Then, they would’ve reported the same thing. So… Why wasn’t I told that Falcon had powers?”

It was subtle. Something inside Sullivan’s expression gave it away. Was it smugness? There was the briefest lift of lips.

He’s satisfied with something…

An undeniably creepy sensation crawled up Zach’s spine. The last of his trust in the man, poor as it was, vanished.

He knew.

The man had known beforehand. Sullivan had purposely left information out. Did he want them to fail? Why was Sullivan purposely sabotaging them? Did he hate them that much?

“Do you have anything else to report?”

He’s not even going to acknowledge it.

His body tensed; Zach inhaled. “No, sir.”

“Fine. You’re dismissed.”

“Yes, sir,” whispered Zach. He turned, his chest twisting painfully. His steps felt heavy and ominous. The injustice was too strong. As he reached the door, the man called out to him once more.

“Oh, and One?”

Eyes closed in pain. Zach forced himself to turn back. Sullivan had taken his seat; his elbows leaned on the surface of the desk with his hands interlaced together.

“Have your powers returned yet?”

Ice froze his heart. His breath disappeared.

He’d known all along, hadn’t he? As Zach met the man’s gaze, the truth became clear. Sullivan didn’t care about them. He wanted results. He wanted them to do their ‘job’ and catch criminals. They weren’t humans. What they wanted didn’t matter.

Sullivan wanted Unit Twelve to fail. He wanted to replace them. If One lost his powers, then a new leader would be required. One was replaceable. Two through Six were replaceable.

Something broke inside Zach’s heart.

“No, sir.“

“It hasn’t escaped my notice,” said Sullivan, his eyes narrowing. “You’ve kept this information to yourself and that’s unacceptable. You have a month, One. Regain your powers or else Unit Twelve will be dissolved and assigned new members. Now get out of my sight.”

‘You have a month.’

Zach fled the room. He leaned against the closed wooden door; he shut his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. His cheek throbbed with dull pain.

Time was running out.

A month.

That meant they had until a week into December. They wouldn’t even have another Christmas together. Zach dragged his hand over his head, gripping his hair. His fingers tightened into a fist, pulling out a few strands.

Despair flooded his entire being. He squeezed his eyes shut. They burned. He had one month to figure out what to do. He wasn’t optimistic; his powers hadn’t resurfaced for months. He couldn’t depend on them returning.

But they had to come back.

He couldn’t lose his family again. Zach couldn’t bear to experience yet another family torn from his life. While in some ways, he didn’t want these powers, he needed them to come back. This couldn’t be the end of his friends.

What would happen to them?

Zach drew on a deep breath. He forced a smile on his face. He wouldn’t tell the others. It would ruin what precious time they had left. When the day came, then he would tell them, a smile on his face, and give them strength to keep moving on.

Even if they never saw each other again.

This was his duty, his burden, as their friend, their brother, and their leader.

It was heavy, but he would carry it.

Perhaps, there was a hint of hope, though. New determination flooded his soul. Zach wasn’t going to let Falcon escape. He was going to end this, one way or another. He would defeat Falcon. Zach would be there when next the man struck and he would take him down with devastating force. He would come up with the perfect plan to combat the man’s special abilities.

Next time, Unit Twelve would not fail.

And perhaps, a little mercy would be shown their way.

Zach strode through the hallway. His thoughts flew in a whirlwind, but his determination was absolute. Once he turned the corner, his friends came into view. Exhaustion was apparent in each face.

Hikaru leapt to her feet, rushing to his side. She stopped; her dark eyes glimmered with a gentle, pained light.

“What is it?” asked Zach.

Her hand lifted to his face. Hikaru touched his cheek; he winced as her gentle fingers touched the tender skin there. A glow illuminated her hand. The pain faded.

“I’m fine,” said Zach. “Thank you.”

“He hit you,” whispered Hikaru. There was a nod. “How could he?” she asked; the betrayal bled through her tone.

He didn’t answer her.

“We did our best,” said Zach, a cheerful grin brightening his features. He looked at each of them. “Luckily, it’s Saturday. We deserve some sleep, so let’s go home.”

Hope brightened in their countenances.

And that was how Zach would lead them – with a strong, yet forced smile.

Keep reading –>

TWELVE

Well, frick.

Are you kidding me?!

The theft… It couldn’t be permanent, right? It can’t be… or else Falcon would use powers from the other units. When would their powers return? More than likely, Falcon’s control would fade over time.

There has to be a timer. How long?

Is there a limit to how many powers he can control?

Why weren’t we told about this?!

Whatever the answer, one thing was clear: it crippled an attack against Falcon. It was no wonder the other units hadn’t defeated this man – stealing powers was one thing, but losing them during a fight was an entirely different duck.

Quack. Quack.

“Bring him down!” shouted Zach.

A fight ensued. Zach rushed in first, with Drake and Jacob following behind. The man blocked a punch, dodged another, and stopped a kick. Brielle shot an assortment of tiny metals at him. He avoided most; a few landed their mark, resulting in a few grunts. Sevati threw seeds onto the ground, plants instantly sprouting into vines. They tightened around his ankles; a flash of fire burned them away. He grunted again as something else struck him. As he dodged more attacks, his attention was on something else – as if he were searching for something.

He’s looking for—

The man grabbed something in midair.

Hikaru cried out, shimmering into view. Falcon had grabbed her by the face. She clutched at his wrist, her legs flailing out beneath herself. She sucked in her breath.

“Let her go!”

“There you are. I knew someone was missing,” said Falcon lightly, as if commenting on the weather. “Invisibility. Interesting and useful, but unnecessary. Oh! A second power, healing abilities. You’re lucky; that’s quite a rare gift. Use it well.”

He threw Hikaru to the side; she landed with a cry.

“Cloak!” shouted Zach. Hikaru sat up, glaring at the man, and disappeared from sight. What…? Falcon hadn’t taken her power.

But why?

A limit, then. He has a limit.

Good.

There was a chuckle.

“You have such cute nicknames, don’t you?” said Falcon. “Now that’s something the other units didn’t have. Doesn’t that break your little protocol or something? Won’t you get into trouble? Especially since they don’t like it when you don’t conform.”

This man… he knows things.

Who is he?

Drake let out a roar, rushing at the man. His punches were heavy and frequent, but Falcon dodged every attack. Sevati threw more seeds onto the ground, bringing her arms upward. Numerous tree trunks burst forth, quickly sprouting upward, until they towered over everyone. Flowers bloomed, before transforming.

A smirk lifted her mouth, eyes lighting with mischief.

Countless coconuts launched at Falcon. The man darted out of the way. The coconuts didn’t let up; hundreds of them shot through the air, striking the rooftop with a thud as they missed their target.

“Plant manipulation. Now that’s an annoying one,” said Falcon, moving with the elegance of a panther. He avoided most of the coconuts, until one smashed into his stomach; he growled in annoyance. “Enough of this.”

He snapped his fingers; flamed flashed forward, burning down the coconut trees in a blaze. Sevati rolled out of the way of the flames. Brielle never eased up on her attacks, her small metals chasing the man as he dodged attacks from the others.

Falcon rushed at Brielle, catching her by the face. His hand clamped down. She screamed beneath his hold, wriggling and thrashing against his hand.

“Spark!” cried Drake.

The scene paralyzed Zach. She was terrified, but he couldn’t do anything. They were outmatched. One man outmatched all of them put together.

“Technopathy mixed with empathy,” said Falcon, sounding intrigued. “Unusual combination. Useful, but unnecessary.”

He tossed Brielle aside like she were a rag doll. Falcon bolted through the group of Zach, Hikaru, and Jacob. Zach whirled around, trying to slow the man down. Too late. Falcon grabbed Drake next. A moment later, the man threw him to the side; Drake landed with a low cry of pain.

Falcon flexed his hand, nodding slightly. “Super strength, I thought so. Standard ability. Yes, I think I’ll be taking this one,” he said. He looked around the group. “Well, this has been interesting, kids. But I’m afraid I must speed this up. Places to be, you see.”

They couldn’t stop him.

He was helpless, unable to stop the man as he took out each of Zach’s friends. Falcon made quick work of the others, leaving him last – he dodged Zach at every turn. Whether a punch to the gut or a jab to the neck, each member of Unit Twelve went down with a low groan.

It’s okay.

They’re alive.

He didn’t kill them.

“And, finally, the little Chief,” said Falcon, stepping towards him. Zach took a step back, his throat dry; he swallowed. “I’m always fascinated by the leaders of these units. I must say… I’m curious about what ability you have. What makes you more special than your teammates, hm? What makes you a leader?”

It was over. They had lost. Just like the units before them, they couldn’t do anything against this man. He was too powerful, too trained, too something. It’d been foolish to imagine they’d have a chance. Had the other leaders of their respective units felt this way? Had they felt this paralyzing fear?

But…

In the face of that fear, Zach wouldn’t back down. He slid into a fighting stance. If he had to go down, then he was going to go down fighting.

“Powers are useless against you,” said Zach, his voice calm. “So, I’ll stop you with my bare hands.”

“I hold two of your units’ powers,” said Falcon, flexing his left hand, while lighting his right hand on fire. “Strength alone could take you out in a second – in fact, if I didn’t hold back, I could punch right through your heart… You probably wouldn’t feel a thing when you took your last breath.”

Icy chills slid through Zach’s heart, slipping down his spine into his stomach. The fear burst in his chest.

And I wouldn’t be able to stop him.

“But it would pain me to kill one so young. You should consider yourself lucky that I’m not going to kill you or your little unit buddies.”

If he wanted to, he could kill me.

And I’d be powerless against him.

“Why, thank you,” hissed Zach. “How nice of you to let me live. But what about the others?” He jabbed a finger towards the billowing fire in the distance. His tone skyrocketed. “Where was your benevolence when you blew up that hospital?!” he shouted, his voice cracking. “You’ve killed tons of people. What do I matter in the midst of those deaths?”

It gripped his throat, this fear. It would choke the life from his lungs, suffocate his mental clarity – this was something far more than he’d ever experienced before.

Yes, sometimes people died at the hands of criminals. Yes, bad things happened – things Zach and his friends didn’t have the power to prevent. But this was different. This was new. This was scary – oh, was this terrifying beyond all measure. This man was on a different level. His mere presence attested something much more than a common robber wearing a hockey mask.

This was a true villain.

A crazed fanatic in the pursuit of a goal.

“One hundred twenty-four to be exact,” said Falcon with a detached air, his head tilted to the side slightly. “Tonight’s mark, at least.”

The wind disappeared from his stomach, sucking away the breath from his lungs. Zach stared at the man, horror pouring through his soul.

Why does he…

Why does he know that?

“How could you kill that many people?” shouted Zach, so loud it felt as if his throat would tear. “How can you stand there and casually not care that you just tore a hundred and twenty-four people from this world!”

The man stilled. His head slowly lifted. The man bolted forward at terrible speed. Zach smashed into the ledge of the roof, a cough blasting from his mouth. A gloved hand tightened around his throat; his airway closed. Stars popped in his sight; pain ravaged his back.

As the pressure on his neck lessened enough to breathe, a silky, dark voice entered his ear. He gasped; the man’s presence was indominable.

“Forty-three women and eighty-one men,” whispered Falcon.

His feet dangled uselessly. Zach tried to claw at the hand around his throat, but it was unbending. Sweat beaded down his temples beneath his mask, sliding down his cheeks; his entire body felt hot with perspiration. His hands twisted and pulled at the man’s covered wrist.

It was immovable, like iron.

“That’s who worked there,” whispered Falcon, his voice soft and unnerving. “A bit skewed in the gender department, but that’s another story. Next time, get your facts straight before you start spewing nonsense like an uninformed brat.”

Zach bristled. He struggled more, flailing with vigor against the hold – all in vain.

“You sick psycho!” rasped Zach; stars popped brighter. “Don’t act like I offended you. You’re the one who killed them.”

“Would you like me to give you their names?” whispered Falcon, that hand tightening its hold. There was a croaky gasp for breath; the flailing of limbs weakened. “I can give you every name. I can tell you about their husbands or wives, if married. I can tell you about their children. A few even have grandchildren.”

All life slipped away. Zach stopped struggling. He stared at those unnatural white eyes in chilled confusion. The attacks had all been premeditated. Why would this man put that much effort into knowing the people he was going to kill? It didn’t make any sense.

This man wasn’t just insane; he had killed with a purpose.

“Why?” whispered Zach, his voice trembling. It felt so timid. He’s going to kill me, after all… isn’t he? There was a long pause after his question. “Why?”

The man’s other hand covered his face. His fingers dug into the mask. Zach didn’t fight; he couldn’t fight. Will he crush my skull?There was a current of power, tiny static shocks bursting into his skin.

Was he trying to steal something that wasn’t there any more?

I’m so sorry, guys.

There was a sharp intake of breath. The hand pulled away.

“A little hero like you could never understand.”

The pressure gripping his neck disappeared. Zach fell to the rooftop, pain rippling through his body. He coughed and wheezed, his lungs gasping for breath.

“I suggest you tell your chief of police that Falcon’s in town. I won’t leave until my objective has been complete. Until next time, little Chief.”

It took Zach a minute to breathe normally. He glanced up, eyes searching; his coughing didn’t stop. The air was rich with the scent of smoke. The night was lighted with the flickering flames in the distance, the stars blackened with smoke.

Falcon was gone.

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