Crap Flares.

Dena... What are you wearing?

What's wrong with this?

Well... It's a 70's party.

Yeah! I'm looking forward to it!

No... Well, lets go from top to bottom.

What do you mean?!

Well... The "Afro".

What's wrong with it?

I can see how you've tried to form it... Since your hair doesn't tend to curl, you were thinking you could make one out of a block of sponge.

Yeah! It worked!

Well, the shape is accurate... But it's the rest of it.

How so?

Well, you didn't have a block of sponge did you?

No... Just-

-Just kitchen and bathroom sponges. I can see how you tried to make a pick out of loofahs. I'll admit, that's creative.

Right?! It's pretty awesome.

Mhm... But it's all wrong. You didn't even try to spraypaint it one colour. Blue, green and yellow.

The can of paint was off... I was thinking it could be a rainbow afro.

...Right.

What else is wrong?

Well, the boobtube.

Yes?

It's meant to be fabric. Not plastic. Even if you wanted plastic, that's the late 70's, not disco era...

Semantics, semantics.

I mean, aren't you uncomfortable?

A bit. I thought that was the style.

...Beyond tights, boob curtains and afgan scarfs... you know dick about fashion, don't you?

Not really. But At least I tried...

Are you okay?

No... Up until now, I was coping with the flares.

...I'll call an ambulance.

Gordon Knows Some Creepy Shit.

Gordon... What's it like to suck a dick?

Hm... Well... Wait, hang on, why do you ask?

I just don't know, and I know you're gay and all...

Thanks for being so ...Mature. Tactful.

Look, I'm never going to do it, so I just wondered.

Alright... Well, it's like... Eating a pork pie.

...You don't... Chew, do you?

Are you fucking high, Terry?

You said eating! And PIE! The only part of that that even sounds sexual is pork.

No, you don't chew. That's dismemberment. And gross. I mean you have a mouthful of meat and skin. It gets wet, and hot. And you eventually have to chose wether you like it or not - Spit or Swallow.

Is that it? Just the feeling? there's no emotional connection?

Of course there is... If it's with a person you love. If it's just some guy, you're choking on cock for a quick fix.

Ah... I knew if I asked, I wouldn't be able to understand it.

Then why make us both uncomfortable by asking, if you knew that asking would leave you just as clueless as before?!

I just wondered.

Tch...

...Wouldn't it more be like trying to eat a chip shop sausage?

Only the black ones, bro. Only the black ones.

Life.

Life is a string of connected, mundane and very much annoying incidents.

There's no denying it.

But we keep going. Be it for a spiritual or biological reason. Hell, I'd even say there are some esoteric and possibly paranormal reasons why we get up in the morning with the amount of shit we end up dealing with in life.

I don't often quote from the bible, but there once was a man called Job. He was a faithful worshipper of God, and was incredibly happy with his life. Bear in mind this is the Old Testament, so something bad was bound to happen to him sooner or later. God tested Job's faith by raining tragedy, after tragedy, disaster after disaster, down upon him. Job lost his home, family (And from what I remember offhand, there were a lot of people in that family. Job was a "Bizzay" man.), and his life to the tests from God Almighty.

He never gave up. And God rewarded him for it. He went through the pain, suffering and sorrow, believing absolutely in God and his mercy, stating the equivilent of "God has a plan."

Is this why we never give up? Our faith in the unseen forces?

I say not. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an Atheist, all power to you if you belive or don't believe. I'm an agnostic. Covering the bases. Not really satisfied with believing in anything until I see what'a there for myself. If I were to die, and be stood at the pearly gates - I'd be severely impressed, give ol' St. Pete a nod and go wherever he sends me.

It's all too easy to be swept away with life, as if it were some demented, never-ending rapid river. We try to keep up with the flow, taking control of the pace so we can get along fine.

I say, go with that flow. Concentrate on keeping yourself on the surface, not with exhausting yourself in the current, getting sucked under for trying.

Anyway, to get back to the subject. these disaster often happen around each other - Negativity breeds negativity, opens us up to every minor annoyance, and magnified into a grand scale attack against our fibre. We break under the strain more often than not.

Once you're down, it takes such a long time to get back up. All the energy is gone from your body, you just want to hide away from the world and all of the trouble it could bring you. You want to be safe.

You can do that, sure.

But not forever.

You could even be one of these people who seeks physical pain to cope with the pressures of life. And I can say - All power to you. It's your body.

Your body, your choice. [EDIT - I was being hypocritical to try and condemn self-harm or physical release and then say "Your body, your choice".]

And sure, giving in to emotions and/or hurting yourself may be a quick fix, but it's just that: a quick fix. those boughs will break again soon enough, moreso due to how badly you get back together. And down will come rock-a-by, baby and all.

So, what do you do?

Get up.

Simple as. I've advocated this to many people in the past, and it's never done me wrong.

Get up and walk.

You'll never get anywhere sitting around feeling sorry for yourself. Sure, take time out, sit a spell, analyse what made you so sad, angry or depressed. But you have to be strong.

Be strong. Pervererant. Temperant.

Get up and face the problems you have head on. You have to deal with problems before they grow, breeding secrets and lies.

It may seem dark now.

Very dark.

But beyond the darkness is a subtler shade of black, or white, or grey.

Things are going to get better. And you knows things may get worse.

You need to get up and walk through it. Deal with it the way you know how. If the path is broken before you - Jump, or go around again. If there is a wall in front of you - Break it down, with your own hands.

You need to wake up, get up, and go!

Go and live the life you want! Wherever, whatever, whoever, however you want it to be.

Take the reins by letting it all go. Go with the flow until you find your way.

Your human way.

Not feeling it.

Not having a great day. Picture just about unrelated.

The Signal Mankind Was Looking For.

3 weeks ago... the sky was lit up with fire.

There was no warning, no reason or rhyme. The night's sky was awash with flames of all spectral colours. Red, orange, white, blue, green, black. All of the colours we could and couldn't imagine were in our eyes, looking up into the now locked off abyss of space. No-one took note of the new things we saw... We were too busy running and acting out of fear.

Me? I hid. I hid deep. Down in the sewers. a few of us did. There were five of us. In the cool darkness of the now dry sewers. We'd know if it was safe... The water would flow again...

It didn't. We were scared... We got to thinking. What if the fires had taken away all the water? What if we were slowly dying?

We had to go and see.

We looked out of the grates... Nothing. the world above was silent. No cars, no birds, no anything.

As we tried to leave our new home... We felt the heat... Some of us collapsed at the new sensation. This wasn't like anything we'd felt before... We could maybe consider this type of heat in the Sahara, or on Venus... We ran back inside... Trapped.

We couldn't leave... And our food was almost gone.

All of what I've said was a week after the solar flarestorm. That's what they call it now...

Benny, a man from up the road where I lived... He couldn't take it. He'd come down but... At the prospect of being entombed, he made a break for it.

In the light of the day, we saw him wither and burn. My sister, Dorothy, was never the same after seeing that. She feared leaving... And we were all hungry.

The fights began. Some of us wanted to go to the seaside sewer pipes, see if the ocean was gone. We knew it wouldn't be safe to touch, but just to see if we were the last in this brave, dry world.

The others? They wanted... Something else. Something darker. Myself, Dotty and Marcus. We ran from them.

We hid on the other side of town, in the back of town, the new town. It was cooler still there...

Much cooler.

We found another group who'd had the same idea as us. It was cool enough there to at least walk the streets, even for a minute or two.

But they didn't.

They'd... Seen someone walking the streets.

Something.

Sam, their leader, told me about it. They were on a food run, a local shop right on the corner, next to a sewer line. They went into the shop, got what they needed. What amazed me, first off, is that the national grid was seemingly still running - he talked about the fridges and freezers being on. Imagine, there was electricity up there. News, radio. None of it down with us.

Cut off...

Anyway, as they left - this was about 500 yards away. They saw it. a humanoid shape, bathed in fire and ash. Walking the roads. It saw them. It tried to run to them, but... They were quicker. The thing ran with an awkward gait, as if not used to it's own body. It was yelling a deep, gutteral yell, that enough would have frightened them, but... The whole package was something more.

We lived together. We worked hard to scrape something together. We had to take back the surface.

We managed to make it to a sewer access station, a maintainence byway. It had a small fridge, and outside was... a dry riverbed. Doesn't seem like much, but... It was enough to make me finally realise that there was no going back.

We scraped together as much technology as we could. We made "Cold suits" - reinforcement against the heat. Gunpowder was useless, we realised, even if we'd have found some. So we had to improvise, yet again. Like the cavemen, we made spears. Good spears, too. But not so effective in hindsight.

Myself and Marcus tested the coldsuits. They were great. Felt like a summer's day. Hot, but not explosively so.

It was quiet... Dead quiet. Except...

Huge, monolithic structures stood on the land. Easy enough to see without vegetation to hide them. We didn't know why we couldn't see them before.

Turns out... They were new. Brand new.

They were the prototype thermal towers, the first ones. Not so different than those we know today. Just... Fuller.

We investigated the towers. They were too hot to touch, and seemingly denser than any ore of metal we'd ever seen before.

Marcus made the mistake. He threw something at it. A rock, something small. It sounded off against it with a dull thud... And something moved inside.

They were bigger than Sam had described. Almost 2 feet taller tan us. They didn't attack, or even do anything. They woke up, fell from the towers and stood around us.

"Survivors." One said. "We've been waiting.".

The voices echoed in our heads... Telepathy. A new way to communicate.

A firey body to resist temperature extremes.

Huge statures.

Humanity had ascended. We'd had been left behind.

As they told us... I still can't believe it.

We managed to co-exist. Their technology and our... well, we had nothing, but they wanted to see humanity live again, as it was. they helped us, and we're grateful.

I Love the Nightlife...

*TAK!*

Hmph. Same old slabs... 

*TAK!*

Nothing ever changes...

*TAK!*

Except... The smell...

I've never been fond of this little town... People call it a city... But everything looks the same to me. Same bricks, same buildings, same streets, same old people... It never changes, the harsh light of day tends to shadow us all into an obscure mess of tone, in voice and skin.

"It's this fucking government"...

"Economic downturn..."

"Can't blame the tax-payer for this one..."

Everyone complains about the same things... As people did years ago. I've been walking these streets too long, you see. Yes, I know you can hear me - I don't care how... It's been a while since I've had such a captive audience.

Yes, I've been around for a while. I wasn't always here... In fact, when I was young, I did everything I could to get away from here... but what is it they say? "You've never been anywhere unless you have somewhere to go back to...", or something like that, read it in a book once.

It's quite rare for me to even get close to a book nowadays. Everything's digital. And my eyes are so full of sand and dirt, I can barely see. That's why I stick to where I know... I don't have to open my eyes... Then again, neither does anyone else.

Mind if I sit a spell? Well, it's all well and good me asking... You don't have a choice whether I sit or stand... Seemed polite to ask though...

Tell me... Who are you?

...Agnes.

Agnes. Lovely name. Your parents were traditionalists, no?

No. they were practical jokers.

...And I see their sense of humour was passed on to you... But sarcasm isn't that funny to a lot of people.

Seems as if you like it.

I'm not a lot of people. Who sent you to follow me? I've known you were there since Westbridge Way...

I can't tell you.

Hm... Then what CAN you tell me, Agnes?

I wasn't following you from Westbridge.

Really? I could hear the river...

West bridge Way hasn't existed for 83 years... After it collapsed.

Oh yes... What do they call it now?

Fairbanks.

Oh, yes... Since that's all that's there now... Too long ago... It was a nice bridge as well, I really should have remembered that the bridge was out long ago... I had to walk around it so many times...

How long have you been around exactly?

Hm... What year is it? 

2014.

Then... I'm not too sure. I made a note of it in 2000... But I lost the note, you see...

I do. Why haven't you washed the dirt from your eyes? You've walked by the river, surely you've-

I can't.

...Why?

It's a long story...

I have the time. It's your time as well.

...True. Well... I made it across the water in my younger years... In the time of kings... To Romania. True Romania. As it was and should be. I stopped a while in the court of the Gypsy King, rightful and active ruler of Romany folk... And I fell in love.

With his daughter?

No. His son. Vori. He was... Beautiful... Fairer than any maiden I'd seen before I caught a glimpse of him... I saw him from the streets, looking from his window... He seemed so sad... That is how I came to be his vassal. I promised his mother and father I could cheer the boy up...

Did you?

Listen. The hearts of man are fragile, I say. I can hear it in your voice, you're cold to the air. So distant from the world. You're smarter than the rest, to disconnect from it all. Needless to say, yes. I did bring joy to the Prince... We used to walk the endless paths of the kingdom, talking about everything and nothing... In time, he grew to think of me as a brother.

But not a lover.

Exactly. The time came where I couldn't keep it to myself any longer. I told him of my desire... He was flattered, but...

I get it. Very modern values for so long ago.

The King didn't share those sentiments. He cast me out, proclaimed me to be a demon, come to tempt the next of his line into Hell... And so... One of the few times in my life, I had to run.

Run?

I ran. The Prince tried to follow... But he was just as damned as I was... Buried alive. From what I hear... I didn't stop until...

...Until?

I'm sorry... It hurts to remember... Can you answer me this?

What?

I know who you work for... Or at least, I can guess out of the 4 people or persons who would want me... Why are you in their employ?

...I have... Power. I wanted to be in control.

And are you?

Yes. I can fully control my powers now.

...I don't think you are...

What?

You may be in control of yourself, your corporeal body... But are you in control of your spirit? Your soul?

...

I thought not. You're a tool of another man. Be it Callaway, Jakobs, The Bearers of Adfter, or Mr. Sion's latest incarnation of the Temple Guard.

...You're good, old one.

Please. I'm calling you Agnes. Call me Friar.

...Friar. Why don't you touch water?

Oh yes... I was cursed, child.

Cursed? By whom?

I stopped running... Blind from blood and tears. I was in the middle of a Gypsy camp. Luckily, Rivals to the King and his bands... I was looked after, taught secrets and lies that would help me. I was quite the trickster. I could animate the inanimate at one point... the highest peak of their trickery... But they wanted me to lead them against the King... I could run... Run like none they had seen... 

I see...

The same reason your controller has sent you to get me... He must think a lot of you...

...I-

I lead them into battle, of course. I couldn't say no. It was a massacre. Have you ever seen a legion of statues walk on the gates of a fortress? It's a real sight to behold... We raced up to the court of the royals... And there he was. The king. In battle with statues of his own family... The queen caught him in the guts with a broken rod of rule... and the Prince's statue... Broken, now repaired, beheaded his father...

So...

So. I was told to teach my gift to the NEW King. I refused, not knowing how, even to this day... They cursed me for my pride... I had no idea how it would manifest... Until I tried to cross the ocean... The storms... They kept me on the continent... so I explored every inch of Europe... And Africa... And Russia... Asia... But I had to come home...

Here?

Yes... The further away I got, the longer and harder the urge was to come home...

How did you get back?

Encased in Iron. I was forged into a block by a good friend of mine... He got me back home...

Why did you come back?

It's odd... At night, everything changes... The people, buildings, places... All so much more sinister, unique and filled with life... Some of which even you cannot see...

Why are you here?

Always walking... searching for the urge.

The urge?

The power... Deep, deeper than any of us can imagine... It lies below the city... Deeper and deeper each day... Hiding from the light, the darkness comes and goes with the rays above... The eye of heaven closes and the eye of the witch gives them passage to roam...

What?!

I lost my eyes to them years past... Too long ago... Iron kept me safe... the water tries to get me every day, it comes to me... So dry... thirsty... It'll kill me one day... Not now...

W-where are you going?

I have to keep moving... I pose no threat... Tell that to your masters, Agnes... I'm on old man... No shape to walk, but we have to... We all do.

Who is "we"?!

The Cursed...

Henburg Six. Six of Six.

THOMAS TUNNEY

I have just ended my meeting with Thomas. He refused me the liberty of recording our conversation, but in exchange he told me everything.

We were looking in the wrong place.

Louis Rand Patterson. He was a 37 year old office clerk for some no-name company.

He was the big boss.

No powers. No master plan. Just an idea.

Ideas. Plural.

He found a way to gather these unknown people together and soup them up to green-level.

Police reports. That no-name company dealt in patents and insurance, and went through the police reports of those they got in, but also had open access to all reports. That's insane, and I've found a reason to go to town, to the governor over it.

Patterson used the reports to find those with latent abillities, and recruited them, by hook or crook in one way or another...

Why?

Tunney aka Amox - Able to generate "Chaos waves" that disrupt the structure of focused intems and entities - Told me:

I quote:

"He was bitter. Something happened. The rest is history."

Later, he remarked.

"He had company counselling, can you believe the crap they put you through in corporate America?"

I contacted the company to find out about it, and they told me he was no longer with the company.

Or any company, for that matter.

As it was alluded to, he was dead. 

He died in the hour of the breaking of the Barrel.

It was a huge distraction.

I found that the counselling had come from an incident six months prior to his death. He was suicidal, on all kinds of medication, but he stopped taking them. He tried to throw himself off of the roof.

Flashdancer, the pulsar woman... she saved him. Just passing by. Stood him back on the ground level, patted him on the head and flew off to Borneo to help against the Coral Giants... Big news...

Not to Louis though. As soon as she left, he had a full psychotic episode, tried to injure himself until the public stepped in.

He was arrested, fired, sectioned, and worse... All because he tried to end it all.

He held a grudge, played good little inmate and got released. He'd had the idea. And he maxxed out a lot of cards to see it happen.

All because of one, selfless do-gooder.

Don't get me wrong... I don't like the heroes either... For other reasons...

Anyway, he jumped off of the same building. He succeeded this time...

...

It's sad. But, I don't pity him.

He's going to go down in history. In world history.

First man to beat the heroes.

...Who'll be the second?

Henburg Six. Five of Six.

HENRY JOEL WILKES

Henry sits behind the plexi-glass nervously. Without the suit, he's nothing special. The neural pathways and connecters make him stick out like a sore thumb. The shiner on his right eyes only makes his new found physical condition worse.

He's the only one who has managed to make it into general circulation, both on my reccomendation, and on the reccomendation of Deadlock, chief warden. It's more trouble than it's worth having a non-powered man in the bottom. After some unpleasentness with the more deviant members of the blacklist, Deadlock agreed.

"How did you get that black eye, Henry?"

"Some dick calling himself White Streak... Junkie fuck."

"Ah yes... Michael... I'm sorry."

"Not your fault... Ah, just hurts like hell..."

"Mind if I ask you a few questions about the suit?"

"Go."

"How did you get such advanced technology? I know Skymaster helped put it together..."

"He wishes."

"Sorry?"

"Sure, he HELPED. But it sounds like the guy is taking full credit... Right?"

"Yes."

"Wrong. All he did was find ME the right parts. I did the rest..."

"The bionic circuitry?"

"Yeah... I've had it all my life... Ever see the Invisible Man? Where he uses greasepaint or bandages to SEEM normal?"

"I see. So you were disguised for years..."

"They were crude, scarred lines before I got to studying real circuitry. They developed as I grew to understand them... and I had a little help..."

"How?"

"I... Shaped them. Myself. Wooden spoon, a scalpel and a lot of towels... It healed up pretty good."

"Ah... I see."

"And he helped me too."

"Skymaster?"

"No... The big man. The head honcho."

"Oh... Who was he?"

"I have a good tolerance for pain..."

"Sorry?"

"So when he tried to put me under... I managed to see his face."

"Could you describe it for us?"

"Quid Pro Quo. I want out of The Barrel. I want to be in Coffwood Max."

"If your information is accurate, I'll put in a good word. You seem sane enough, if you pardon my crude manner of speaking..."

"Pardoned."

He described the boss to me. He's a meek looking, middle aged man. Looked tired, or weary in some lights... We got all of the details.

As I went to leave, I forgot to pick up my phone. Henry pointed it out to me... When I got back to it... It's settings were changed, it's programming itself compromised...

Even if this information is accurate... Henry is too dangerous to be anywhere but The Barrel.

I must put across steps to counter this developed technopathy.

Henburg Six. Four of Six.

ANNIKA SVARENSON

Annika was an exchange student to NYU... In need of money, so agreed to be a part of medical experiments... Experiments that turned her into a carrier for the SVAR virus, named for her.

Symptoms:
High Fever.
Disorientation/Hallucinations.
Vomiting.
Dehydration.
Loss of motor co-ordination/function.
Nerve Damage.

What makes the virus so dangerous is the fact that Annika can control who succumbs to the virus. If she is unconcious or leaves, the virus becomes non-contagious. She is the control factor. the focus.

She has displayed little moral fibre, she admits this was the same before she was transformed:

"I came here for the "Pursuit of education and higher power". I was a medical student. I thought it would be a placebo trial."

"What exactly happened?"

"I went to the place on the flyer. I was met by a doctor. He told me the risks and such. That's all. I got my money and left."

"When did you develop your illness?"

"I didn't develop an illness... I AM the illness. My power is over life and death. I choose who lives and dies..."

"Hence why you're in the plastice containment suit..."

"Yes..."

Annika has developed... Both Nhilistic tendences and a God complex... Power corrupts.

"Who picked you up?"

"Frankly, I was delerious. All I remember are strip lights, a cold table and pain. That, and the voice."

"Voice?"

"He just said... 'You'll be fine... We all will be... All I need is your co-operation... And you'll be free to do what you like...'. That's all I know."

"You've been more helpful that your cohorts."

"Don't associate me with them... Mindless... Barbaric... I help you out of respect for what you're doing... And the fact that what the voice said was a lie... I'll never be free..."

She told us all she could...

"We'll all be free..." What did the mastermind seek from these people? What was his purpose?

What am I getting myself into?

Am I too deep?

Henburg Six. Three of Six.

FREDDY IGNACKS.

Freddy can't be more than 18 years old. He barely made an impression upon the room. Blonde hair, blue eyes - What the Nazis called the perfect man. But he sits awkwardly in the plastic chair, defying the confidence of perfection.

I found out later that he was a highschool swimmer. Popular, happy in mind, body and soul according to the counsellor. He was a smart kid too. But again, his manner of speech defies that background.

"Good morning, Freddy."

"H-hi, Doctor."

"How are you today?"

"Think I'm getting a cold... And I didn't sleep last night."

"Why?"

"I could hear the warden outside. I think he's spying on me..."

Freddy now displays paranoid tendencies due to his new found powers. Through sensory deprivation, he becomes the ultimate killer. Fast, agile, strong and without conscience and inhibition. Ubermensch. He was brought in wearing a special helmet, now in storage.

"How did you get these powers, Freddy?"

"They did something to my head... Brainwashing. I don't want to be here, Doc, please..."

"I'm sorry, Freddy. But for now at least, it's for your own good."

We still haven't been able to break the programming. The helmet is a trigger tool for his mind to work on a form of precognitive reflex, taking in pressure changes from the air around him. Hence how he can operate at such a staggering level of brutality despite deprivation of all other senses.

"Why did you go along with them?"

"I didn't! I swear! They drugged me! Took me off of the street..."

"Calm down."

"I'm sorry, Doc... I'm worried about my parents... My girlfriend..."

"They're fine..."

"...What."

"I'm sorry?"

"What about... My helmet?"

"Freddy?"

"I just want to know my helmet is okay..."

"It's fine... Why? It's a helmet..."

"It's MY helmet. It's... Important to me..."

"It's safe. In lockdown. Nothing will happen to it."

"Okay..."

"Freddy?"

"Mhm?"

"Who was the big boss?"

"Big... Boss?"

"You don't know?"

"No... I'm sorry..."

He wasn't lying. He went on to talk about how Skymaster looked after him (Possible deviant behaviour: Documented) in a secure location.

His attachment to the helmet is... Worrying. As if he wants to be free through restriction... Be the killer.

I suggest therapy, deprogramming and sedatives.

Henburg Six. Two of Six.

JACK MORRY.

Morry was very open about his origins:

"They dipped me in this... stuff. Pink stuff. It was hot... Then I didn't feel it. Don't feel much of anything now."

He was not, however, open about who it was that "Dipped" him into a highly unstable mutagen, FR-9E, recently "Liberated" from a Jacksonville lab facility operated by the government.

I ask myself, who'd go to this much trouble for an hour of chaos?

I ask Jack Morry, The Takoma Titan, the same question:

"I, uh... Never actually saw the guy... We just used to meet in a warehouse and talk through a video screen."

A lie, but We went on.

"You must have gotten a name, Jack..."

"I just used to call him 'sir'. Only right, he was the one calling the shots."

"Okay... So where did they say they got the mutagen?"

"The pink stuff? Some lab down south."

I, as a psychiatrist, took some initiative, not reading from the preprinted test cards they give us.

"Why would you volunteer for something highly dangerous and potentially fatal?"

"You ever been to Takoma?"

"No."

"Nothing to do. No desire to leave. I was gonna become a mechanic like my dad."

"Then why did you throw it all away?"

"I... Power. He said I could become one of the big shots. All I had to do was the job, and a few smaller ones."

"Smaller ones?"

"Just smash and grab."

Jack used to be around 6'1'' tall - he's now 8'6'', and has doubled in weight. A massive pink exoskeleton would do that to a person. Made him indestructible and supremely strong.

He tried to reach for a glass of water, but it smashed in his hands like a paper cup. He laughed.

"Still not used to this body yet..."

He had lost any sense of restrictive musculature control, and any nerves he had were gone completely.

I didn't get much more out him. His story was the same as Skymaster's. 

Although I got one small piece out of him towards the end.

"Tunney... He was close to the big man. Said he'd met the man, and they hit it off. Not, like, in a gay way, but they were close."

He was talking about Thomas Tunney, last on my list. Perhaps with him, I'll get the right answers.

Henburg Six. One of Six.

LOUIS FENERBINK.

Whenever a green labeled file ends up on my desk, it's high priority.

Yesterday, I got 6 of 'em.

As the head psychiatrist of "The Barrel" - A cute name for the worst place to work in the world. The most secure prison on the eastern seaboard. Set aside for superhumans, or villains in this case... As well as mutates and metabeings in the lower reaches.

And it's my job to make sure none of them get an inferiority complex, or develop a fetish for orange jumpsuits. That WASN'T pleasant.

Usually it's a monthy meeting, or an assisted course with one of the junior doctors. Except for green and black labels. Black labels are the highest priority, those who are never to be released - we just make it so they get the right amount of meds so they don't try ANYTHING.

Green labels are borderliners. Too docile or not as powerful to be blacklisted, but not safe enough to be in general circulation. The big hitters - they guys you see walk through strings of C and D-listers when the pangalactic beings crash into Manhattan or Oklahoma.

The first of the Henburg Six, a group of virtual unknowns who managed to not only break into The Barrel, but as soon as they'd broken in, surrendered. Chaos with no explanation. They pleaded guilty, but even with that, the lawyers got them a lessened sentence due to breaking into a prison with no intent to spirit away any of the inmates not actually being a crime.

My arm aches in the cast holding it together. During the break-in, my arm was crushed. It aches at the sight of Louis Fenerbink, Aka: Skymaster.

A genius level intellect with delusions of grandeur. Thinks he's a part of a sky-born race with superior technology, the Cotyl. Aztec inspired.

He sits on the other side of the desk, grinning like a cheshire cat. He knows he's famous, despite only a week ago being a registered accountant.

"Hi, Doc."

"Louis. How are we today?"

"Not so bad, Doc. Could do with some fresh air though, the recirculated stuff just isn't the same"

"It comes from the outside, just pumped in-"

"No. It doesn't take an idiot to taste it in the air. It's laced with drugs, tastes like an operation I once had - had a tooth pulled. I don't like needles."

"I know, it's in your records."

"Have you seen Ignacks yet?"

"Freddy? No... He's third on the list."

"Oh... I wondered how he was."

"We'll be sure to let you know. I have a few questions."

"Thought so. Knew so. Shoot."

"Where did you get the technology? It's beyond anything I've ever seen, not even some of the blacklist have stuff like this."

"Why it was the Cotyl! My memories of a past life in the starry sky reborn! I went off to my cloud, left for me by my father, the King, years ago when I was sent to Terra!"

"..."

"Yeah, it's horse shit. You know it, I know it, I hurt my throat yelling about the vengence of the gods all the time. It's a character, y'know."

"I get it."

"It was amalgamated tech from long gone villains and threats. I managed to scrounge it up and piece it together. The rest of the tech we used too. I liked the "Matter-changing Gun", The one we used on the wall - Again, sorry. It turned back from sap to concrete just at the wrong time."

"It's alright. Who lead you?"

"...Morry. He lead us through the city. He admitted it in court."

"No. Who arranged you all? Found you, cultivated your talents and made the plan."

"Morry."

"No, he's a redneck, pardon my vernacular. Hasn't got the qualities of a leader. That falls to you, but I don't think you lead them."

"Very astute."

"So who was it?"

"You'll never find him. He's dead."

That's all I got out of him. The rest was small talk... Deadlock took him back, and he was smiling again.

"He's dead"... The others must have something else to say... But I'll make a check of obituaries of villains, or even heroes in the past 6 months... Before I move on to Jack Morry, the Titan of Takoma.

Banter.

You ready, Joe?

No... God no...

You have to be...

I know, but it's a big deal.

Of course it is, you have to be ready - Banterweight title doesn't come along everyday... Have you done your vocal warm up?

Yeah...

Show me.

Mi-mi-mi-mi-ma-ma-mo-mo-mu.

You sound good, kid. Real good. Tonguetwister.

Red lorry, yellow lorry, red lorry, yellow lorry, red lorry, yellow lorry, red-

Stop. Good. You can't afford to get stuck. Middlemass started up on puns, right on the street, worked up to limericks. He's a real tough bastard. But so are you.

I know. I'm lyrical.

But don't wax it up. Fancy words are superheavyweight country. Only use it if it fits.

Right. Would rhyming work for me?

No, he's been rhyming for years... Though it would even up the field.

Right, start if he starts, don't be waxy, and stick and move.

...I'm proud of you kid...

Louie?

You're like... A son to me... This is it. Big time.

Lou...

...Go get 'em, kid.

Long way home, long the dead, dead river.

Katie? Are you listening to me?

Yeah, Mom... I'm listening.

Doesn't seem like it... Or are you enjoying the scenery?

Scenery.

Good! See... This trip WAS a good idea.

We could have afforded a cruise and you go for the riverboat two states over...

What?

I didn't even want to come on this ride...

The doctors thought it would be good for the both of us, not just you.

Whatever.

...Fine. I'm going back to our cabin to catch a nap before lunch. Come and wake me, okay?

...

Too many people...

I'm sorry?

Far to many people on here, right?

Ah... I guess so.

I'm talking from a structural standpoint. This thing was made for around 100 people. How many are on here? Double that and more.

Right...

Sorry. I've spent a lot of my time on one or another of these... You get to know something about it.

I guess so...

So... Figured out why you're really here?

Yep.

Really? That was quick. We've barely set off...

My Mom thinks I'm crazy.

...Ah.

Don't worry. I know I am, but I'm in control.

You don't look crazy to me...

Really?

Yeah. Momma was crazy. Beat me and my brothers with the end of a rifle until we managed to get away.

Post-natal depression?!

Yeah... Nate was the youngest, he really tipped her over, never knew who his Pappy was.

No... Forget it. I'm sorry to hear that.

No worries, Miss. It was a long time ago. 

I am crazy...

No... How?

I had a freak-out at school. Tried jumping off of the roof.

Oh my. Terrible.

Hence the doctors and all the therapy, jus-

You're not crazy. We all have a "Freak-out" once in a while... All it takes is one bad day...

Did you ever have something like that?

Sure.

What happened?

I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours...

No way. I don't even know you!

Charlie. Charlie Parker.

...Katie.

Now we know each other. C'mon, miss. Let me hear it.

It's silly...

Nah... I promise not to tell a soul.

...It was everything around that time... But one thing sent me over the edge...

Boys?

...Kinda predictable, huh.

Sure, but what isn't in life, especially high school. ...Watch out!

*SWOOP! WOOSH!*

Aah! Crows!

Hettie! Mimi! Stop that! ...Sorry, they're my girls, they get jealous.

...

See? They're down on the rails. No harm, no foul.

Alright. It's odd... I've always liked crows. Just so ...neat, and smart. Jet black geniuses.

Don't let them know that, they're attention seekers at heart...

Heh.

So... Who was he?

Darrell... He was smart, funny, smoking hot... But he never noticed me...

Hm. And try as you might he never did?

That's the one... I was in love... Or obsessed... I never figured it out... I was failing all of my classes because I couldn't sleep... or think straight... Sometimes, I couldn't eat...

And all of that boiled over...

Yeah... It was silly... We were the only two in the hall... And he asked me who I was... I just... I couldn't take it...

...You ever stop and think maybe he just managed to see you, and wanted to know you better?

Yeah... But who'd want to know me?

I would. You're a smart kid. 

Thanks, Charlie... So... What was your bad day?

Heh... I work on this boat...

Sorry! Am I stopping you from working?!

Nah. I have a good crew alongside me... Not like the old days... Bunch of deadbeats... One day, I just decided I didn't want to do it any more... Left the river...

And?

I couldn't make it... I ended up coming back here another way... I felt everything... Heartbreak, loneliness, shame... the whole fucking spectrum... My boss was good enough to let me back...

It's hard on the outside...

Sure is... But now I enjoy being the captain...

I'm glad... I'm not happy.

You gotta be! You're free from that world, at least for a while... No leaving anything behind.

Heh. A holiday purist.

Certainly. A working man too. Always have to get them to where they need to be.

I wish I had that simple life... But then I'd miss technology. I couldn't be Amish.

Heh... Where are you headed?

No idea... Mom says she thinks as far as the river goes...

No! You can't go that far...

I know! It's the ocean out there! She's so fucking dense...

You're pretty close to your stop now... earlier than schedule.

...Sometimes...

What?

Right now... I just want to jump in the river...

You can't.

I'll show you! ...Here! Stood on the rails looking down, it's a clear river... 

It's only clear 'cause you can't see it for what it is yet...

What?

You wonder how it was so convenient, how your Momma got these tickets?

...No? I assumed Doctor Gatz got them for us...

Us? You're the crazy one, so you say...

Well someone had to come with me...

True. But not quite... Do you even remember coming down from the roof?

...No, that day was such a blur...

You got down the hard way. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Below us is the Lethe river... The river of concealment and forgetfulness.

...Charlie?

You're bound for the next town over, and it's river, Acheron, the river of pain... Reserved for suicides. The middle town of the seventh stop.

Your face...

Sorry... I'm really sorry... I was there till the boss came back for me... Too many people on these boats now... So much death...

No...

Your Momma... She's gone, fourth stop, while we were talking. Bound for the Colosseum... She couldn't take living without you, but loved the money more... Heart attack, too sudden...

...Is this?

Oh... Too soon. Your stop is here, Katie... There's your party... Ol' Bully Bicks... He'll treat you right as you can be... Being a tree...

Charlie?

I'm sorry... Too many people to deliver... I can't stop to say goodbye... Maybe I'll come back for you, one day... as the boss did for me... He did it for Demi, why couldn't I do it for...

...

Oh... Gone... into the bushes...

...

Too many people now... Just another face... Who was she again? I can never remember them all...

...

No matter... C'mon, girls... Off we go to the end of the river...

On to Pandemonium...

You've got to Laugh.

...Betsy?

Hungh?

...Time to get up, Betsy-dear.

...W-who?

It's me...

Jason?

...Old name, dear... I'm something more now...

Jason... People were worried about you... You're sick...

Oh yes. Completely. I was. WAS. I got better.

You fell...

Mhm. Fell off that old band-wagon... Right into her arms. I don't need the witch doctoooor! I'll gladly take her charms!

Off of the bridge...

Yep! It was cold... Very cold. And dark. But I went with the flooooooooow... and I found my way home...

Why didn't you stay then?!

I couldn't. I was broken, baby. I needed a fix...

Drugs? I thought you were-

Were? Am. But not like I was... I was a real fucknut back then... I don't need the chemicals now... I get my fix from other places...

Where?

I couldn't stay... I would have hurt them... A lot. Over. Over. More. More...

...What?

I'm stone cold... A real stunner. Butcher. Baker. Soldier. Spyyy... What's his name?

Who?

The guy who took my place... Name.

I don't know what you're talking about!

The MAN! The one at your apartment... You cry to him and wait for him to come... around... WHO IS HE?!

...Jules? He's just the guy across the hall... He's been so kind-

Shut it! Filthy whore! She tells me what you do!

She?

Mistress... Do not say her name... she'll hear you... Shh!

Who is The Mistress?

No! You'll wake her up! She found me... Took care of me when I was broke! She told me things no-one knew but her! And now me!

What things?

No... No-one but us... No-one is ready for it. She says so...

Try me.

No...

Please... Help me understand...

...Mistress?

...

Yes... She can know? Just a little trinket, just to help her get the puzzle?

...

Thank you! Thank you, Mistress!

It's okay?

It's fine! Ha!

So, tell me.

Just a little secret... the world is dead.

What?!

It's upside-down. The opposite to how we see it! The opposite of life is death...

So the world is dead...

Mhm!

So I'm dead?

No! We're all alive! Just a dead world!

And the Mistress?

She transcended life and death! Silly! She's immortal! Living in the rocks and rivers themselves!

But if they're dead... She is.

...No.

Yes. You said it yourself...

No!

...

No! I can't kill her!

What does she fear?! Why does she need you?!

...

No... No! I can't kill her! She's...

...

Aaagh! Noo!

Jason?!

Don't hurt me! Please! I'll be good!

Fight her! Let me fight her!

NO! You'd di-yai-YAI!

Jason!

Hah!

*THUD*

...Jason?

Be...

Oh my god... Wake up!

Bet...

GET UP!

Bets...hee...

...Jaso-

HEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!

Ack! My thr-

She said you'd try to fool me... Yes... HAHA!

No! I want-

Shut up!

*Crack*

...

...Betsy?

...

...Oh dear. Betsy fell. Oh well... She'll be up and around soon... Dead, dead world. Deaad, deaad Girl... REBORN!

A free lunch.

Mr. Carmichael, a pleasure to see you again.

Marcus, please.

Marcus. Please, take a seat.

Thank you, Mr. Karelli.

Do you know why I called you here today?

...I can guess.

I'm a patient man, Marcus. Patience of stone. But you're beginning to test that temperance.

I know, Sir. I'll have the money for you by Thursday, this week. Promise.

I know. You've always been honest with me, and for that, I respect you. As I'm honest, kind and flexible with all of my clients. 

Yes sir.

I did call you here today because of your outstanding debt... I'm giving you the chance to pay it off, no money back. All you have to do is work a few small jobs for me.

...Jobs?

Yes. Just think of it as penance for your tardiness, not a huge cross to bear... I just need to make a show for the man I work for. 

And who is that?

Aha... That's a trade secret, Marcus. Enjoying the buffet?

Yes... It's all very good.

I'm glad. My chef prides himself on his work... As do my doctors.

Doctors?

Mhm. A double time deal is what they work. First, they've kept me and my associates up and running for some time now... Patience of stone, remember.

...Y-your face...

As well as a body. I'm an old man by the standards of time... But I'm immortal in terms of my "Chiselled" physique...

Is that the job? Would I end up like you?

No... I'm special... You'd be in this-

*CLICK*

-The Frode Tech-Armor. Made to withstand the pressures of the deepest oceans and the highest of spacial points. It's invulnerable, unmarkable, and unstoppable.

Wouldn't I need-

Training? Certainly. That's why the doctors slipped nanites into your food to enhance your body for the "Learning process". You're changing even as we speak.

Urrgh... Why me?

You're meat. The machine needs an organic core - one that can think for itself, a flaw in most robotics, but not cybernetics... A concious war machine, able to think ahead of it's foes!

Haah... *THORK!*

Ah... Unneeded parts... Get him ready for the jolt.

...Jol...

Mhm. You need that killer urge, the primal spark, to make you bloodthirsty and loyal... I'm giving you the power to do so... I give people what they need, and deserve - just as long as it works in my favour...

Ha...

Goodbye, Marcus. Hello, Titax.

*UUUURUMMMMMAK!*

Literary Poison.

Maggie, thanks for coming to meet me on such short notice, the agency'll refund your train fares...

Is this about my book?

Yes... I read it over the weekend, this is my first big deal, if you see what I mean.

I do. what did you think?

It was great.

Really?

Mhm... I have a few questions though.

Go ahead.

The length... A lot of this I felt was... Padding...

Well... You have me there. JK started all of that - the next book having to be bigger than the last. So I did pad it out a little bit... What gave it away?

The 4th chapter. The "Trip".

Ah. The-

The trip to the corner shop. In excruciating detail. "Mr. Harrison had always been the boos at the Harrison family corner shop, where they sold Biscuits - digestives, chocolate digestives, hobnobs"-

Yes... I could trim it down... Add a zombie or two.

Yup.

What else?

The sex scene.

What about it?

Little graphic.

How?

"Jeremy unbuttoned Frances' blouse. Her nipples pressed hard against the cotton of her pure white bra. He wrestled with the material, tearing the structure from her body, revealing a double F dream.".

That's not bad.

I'm not finished... Skipping ahead... "...She flet his throbbing member, hot and sticky from the hour of passion, pushing against her cervix, like a medieval battering ram.".

That's not bad...

"...She flet his warm excrement drop like a nuclear bomb onto her chest."-

Okay... I can edit it... Is that all?

Well... The sex scene again...

What now?

KIDS BOOK. It's a fucking kids book!

And? Kids are finding out younger and younger these days.

You talk about the warmth of his shit on her chest for 3 pages!

I don't ever say shit. And the act is a "Cleveland Stearmer".

And the titty-fuck?

"Chilli dogging"

Good god...

...I have to take my meds, excuse me, Adrian.

New Year, Old Resolution.

I need to lose some goddamn weight.

I have a good reason to this year more than ever.

And I will...


You sure this is safe, Roger?

Absolutely. The Dutch swear by this technique.

I can understand the rubber and the gel... But the idea is small "vibrations and pulses" toning the body, at least that's what it says here...

Yeah, and that'll take an age with AA batteries. Hence the car battery.

I'm not so sure about-

*TZIST!*

*VOOM!!!*

...Jake?


2010 - The year of the dancing hillside.