The Overseers

[spideyfan914]

One-Shot. Powers: Shoots raw energy out of his eyes.
Nightshade. Powers: Shapeshifter, extremely agile.
Mindworm. Powers: Inhumanly intelligent, built a supersuit.
Savage. Powers: Regeneration, heightened senses, speed, and strength.
Quickfoot. Powers: Superspeed, maximum limit unknown.
Energy Girl. Powers: Made out of pure energy, intangibility.
Monstro. Powers: Superstrength, distorted physical features.
Jedi. Powers: Manipulation of solid light into weapons.

These eight heroes, up against one powerful enemy set out to conquer the world.

Don't miss THE OVERSEERS.

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[spideyfan914]

Chapter One: SUNSHINE

The sun shone over the streets of Washington. Not a cloud was in the sky. In the streets, the people celebrated – the new president was being inaugurated today. She had made promises to end the war in Iran and look towards new progression at home. The last president had finally given support to mutants, and even funded their heroics – and the people wanted more.
Through the sky, the Hummingbird streaked back home toward Overseers Headquarters, located in a chamber of the White House which had been added on three years ago, in 2026. The year now was 2029. New technologies had made communication more efficient than ever – you could almost hear the heroes inside their airship.
“He’s beautiful.”
“He has your nose, you know. And blonde hair – I used to be a blonde!”
“Really? I’ve always thought you to have dark hair.”
“Oh, Isaac! Hair color can hardly be determined by anything but sight!”
Isaac chuckled. “I wonder if he has your eyes or mine....”
“Ssh, he’s sleeping....”
“Pardon me,” the pilot whispered, “but we’ve arrived.”
Isaac Stern smiled quirkily. “Thanks, Nigel.” He calls himself One-Shot, for the single beam of energy that fires out of his eyes. Such raw energy can cause a lot of damage to the enemy, and it supplies him with radar so that he can see his surroundings. For without it, Isaac is blind.
But his power is, in fact, so powerful that he must restrain it with a visor, a band around his head, which he controls with a small button on the side. When it’s closed, it releases only a small amount of energy – just enough to allow Isaac to see, but not enough to harm anyone. And when he opens it, may the enemy beware.
The Hummingbird landed in its hangar at last, and Isaac and Eva stepped out. At the moment, Eva Pinel, also known as Nightshade, wore the guise of a dark-toned blonde with a bright face, but she could change it if she wanted. Aside from being a skilled fighter, Nightshade was also a shape shifter – she could take on the form of any human, even imitate others.
“Welcome home, Overseers,” someone said as the duo stepped out of the Hummingbird. They looked over to see the President-elect waiting for them.
“Mrs. President! What are you doing here?”
“I’m not Mrs. President yet, One-Shot,” she smiled. “I wanted to ensure that everyone’s favorite superheroes would be there at the ceremony!”
“Of course we will. It’s our pleasure to serve you, Ma’am.” Isaac bowed.
“So, how’s the baby?”
“Right here,” Eva stepped forward, showing the President the new baby. She took him in her arms and looked down at him.
“He has your nose, Isaac.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“Do you think, someday, he may lead the team into battle?”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Nightshade laughed. “We don’t even know how his powers will manifest, much less if he’ll want to lead!”
“Well? What’s his name?”
“I’m naming him,” Isaac declared, “Evan. After my girl.”
“You’re too much!” Eva laughed.
“He’s beautiful,” the President said, handing him back to them. “I have to get ready, but you can meet the others in the lobby.”
“Of course. Nigel will take care of Evan, won’t you, Nigel?”
“What?” Nigel jumped at the request, flabbergasted as Eva handed the baby over to the befuddled pilot. “But I know nothing about –”
“Thanks, Nigel! You’re the best!”
The soon-to-be President nodded a farewell and walked out of the room.
“You have one hour,” she called out behind her.
Isaac’s costume was hung up in just a few seconds, and his suit was on in just a few more. Fast changes come with the job. For Eva, it was even faster, as she simply shifted the form of her clothes. They made their way over to the lobby where they found the rest of the team.
Guy Mansen, more commonly known as Mindworm, sat proudly in his armchair, legs crossed. By his feet, James Viktor, Savage, squatted on the floor, sneering at the suit which he clearly found uncomfortable. Beside him was Shawn Castaway, Quickfoot, impatiently tapping his foot as he waited for the time to pass. Ellen Smith, the youngest of the team, and Jon Harding, the disfigured strongman, also called Energy-Girl and Monstro, sat side-by-side on the couch, talking in whispers. Isolated from the rest of the group, Maria Estevez AKA Jedi stared blankly, deep in thought.
“Are you all ready?” Isaac asked them.
“I’ve been waiting for hours!!” Shawn moaned.
“Well, it ain’t my fault you wake up so damn early,” Savage said, tugging at his top button. “How do people wear these things?”
Eva laughed. “With a spoonful of sugar.”
Soon after, the group picked up a limo, remembering that Jon needed to sit in the middle to avoid the severe tilting like last time.
“We’re watching history in the making,” Guy speculated. “This woman is going to change American politics forever!”
“I just hope that she actually cares about us,” Jon grunted. “The last guy only supported mutants ‘cause his party did – he avoided me like the plague.” It was true; many were turned off by Jon’s grotesque appearance, like something out of a comic book.
They arrived just in time. The eight had front row seats reserved for the ceremony, and sat down to watch as the music began.
“Hey, Isaac,” Jon whispered. “Is it just me or is everyone looking at me?”
“How would you even know? They’re all behind you!”
“I don’t like this – public appearances were never really my thing.”
“Oh, just enjoy yourself for once and don’t worry about what others think. Okay, Jon?” Jon sighed. He looked over at Ellen, and nodded his head.
Today would be a good day. The sun was shining. The music was playing. And the world was about to be changed forever.
As the new president was sworn into office, Isaac turned to Eva. He tapped her on the shoulder, and the two got up to silently walk off to the side.
They were on a hill. There was a slight January chill, but green grass was growing everywhere, and the blue sky looked wondrous at high noon. With the new president being inaugurated in the background, nothing could be more beautiful.
“Eva,” Isaac said, “today has been the greatest day of my life. The world’s changing. People are finally beginning to accept us, and we don’t need to hide ourselves anymore. We have a beautiful baby boy, and nothing could be more perfect.”
“Everything is perfect, as long as we're together,” Eva smiled. "Think we'll have more?"
Isaac laughed. "Where there's marriage, there's love!"
Eva burst into hysterics.
"And God knows I love you…. more than life itself…. Eva, do you think every day will be like this?"
She nodded. "I think we'll spend the rest of our lives together. Nothing can come between us."
“The world’s looking up. Our world’s looking up. So let’s enjoy it.”
She hugged Isaac tightly, and they shared a kiss. Life was good.

The alarm at Headquarters sounded. Shawn was the first to answer it.
“Sir Arthur McKnight,” he read.
“Him again?” Ellen snorted. “All he cares about is world domination!”
“That may be true,” Guy explained, “but his powers of energy manipulation make him a formidable opponent – he’s not to be taken lightly.”
“Then we’ll take in the full team,” Isaac decided, “except for you, Ellen. Last time we fought him, he took control of your body – your powers don’t really fare well against McKnight....”
“Oh no you don’t! I’ve been waiting for a chance at payback!”
“But you’re made of energy! If he takes control, then –”
“Girl’s tough,” Jon declared. “Let her come.”
Isaac sighed. “Fine.”
And so, the group suited up. Isaac became One-Shot, ready to shoot raw power out of his eyes. Eva became Nightshade, the shape-shifting trickster. Guy became Mindworm, the human calculator. James became Savage, waiting to dig into the opponent tooth and nail. Shawn became Quickfoot, faster than any other man. Ellen became Energy-Girl, made of pure energy and zero matter. Jon became Monstro, the behemoth strong enough to move mountains. And Maria became Jedi, with control over solid light.
The Overseers poured into the Hummingbird, where Nigel was nervously rocking the crying baby Evan in his arms. "Oh no, not now!" Putting Evan in a cradle on the back of the driver's seat, Nigel flew the Overseers into the air. McKnight was situated in an old town not too far away.
“Are you sure this is wise, Isaac?” Jedi spoke at last. “For the foe to be so near – it’s as though he wants us to attack.”
“It’s a trap for sure, Maria, but that’s never stopped us before!”
“Quick briefing, team,” Mindworm began. “Just to be sure we’re all on the same page – the enemy is Sir Arthur McKnight. Believed to be the first mutant, he was born in the Middle Ages with the strange power to manipulate energy. He can control fire, sound, light – you name it. Through manipulation of kinetic energy, he’s even managed to increase his own physical strength and cushion even the most powerful attacks. So don’t hold back. He’s not one to die, after all; the guy’s lived for nearly 1000 years, and he’s not about to go now.”
“Trust me,” Savage grinned, “when it comes down to one immortal versus another, one’s gotta go....”
“Feel free, Savage – Arthur’s healing power has proven even greater that yours. He probably can’t die!” Mindworm continued, and Savage grunted. “He lost his first battle to the armies of medieval Europe, but he was only a teenager then, and was hardly as experienced as he is today. He spent the next thousand or so years biding his time, before he finally revealed himself just in the past decade. We’ve managed to take him down every time. So far, anyway.”
“And that is something which is not about to change!” One-Shot added on. “We’re landing.”
The Hummingbird lowered and the door opened up.
“Good luck to you all,” Nigel bade. “I’ll wait with the Hummingbird here – now go get them!”
The Overseers ran into battle, one after the other. Quickfoot took the front line, followed by Nightshade, Savage, Jedi, Energy-Girl, and Monstro. One-Shot lagged in the back, though, noticing that Mindworm was a bit less enthusiastic than the rest.
“Hey, Guy,” he called out, “what’s up?”
“Oh, you know, just getting ready is all.”
“Suit functioning okay?” One-Shot checked.
“Huh? Oh yeah – suit’s fine.” Guy pointed his hand at a rock, shot a missile, and destroyed it to demonstrate.
“There’s something you’re not telling me. Is it about McKnight?”
“No, no, not that.... It’s just....” Guy hesitated. “I’m thinking of.... retiring....”
“Retiring?”
“Yeah – from all this. I’m getting old, Isaac, and I was never the strongest on the team to begin with....”
“You kidding? Your battle strategies have saved our butts more times than I can count!”
“Well, yes, but I mean.... I’ve got a wife and a kid.... And for the past fifteen years, I haven’t really been there for them....”
One-Shot nodded. “I understand. Do what feels right.”
“Thanks, Isaac.... Now let’s go kick butt!”
The two ran after the rest of the team, and all eight met up in a large, open field, surrounded by woods on all sides. There were a few rocks scattered around the field, large enough to hide behind if necessary. And overhead, Arthur McKnight flew toward the team, grinning.
“So what’s your plan this time, McKnight?” Energy-Girl spat out. “Oh wait, let me guess – world domination!”
“No, actually,” McKnight declared. “This time, I’m taking a more modest goal – the elimination of the Overseers!” A javelin formed in his hand, made out of what appeared to be some sort of light.
“You got this, Jedi?” Mindworm whispered, and the silent warrior nodded. But as the javelin flew down toward the earth, the group realized that it was not made of light at all.
In that last moment, the group could see the image of Sir Arthur McKnight’s grinning face fade away, as the javelin hit the ground with such force that it exploded. An explosion with the power of an atom bomb. Nigel, curdling baby Evan in his arms, looked on from a distant, eyes widened in fear as he stared at the large, mushroom-shaped cloud. Miles away, Arthur McKnight was laughing.
The sun was shining. The music was playing. And the world was to be changed forever.

[spideyfan914]

Chapter Two: FIFTEEN YEARS LATER

The red sun illuminated the sky. The clouds were highlighted with crimson. In the streets, the militia marched through town as a constant reminder that you were never, ever alone. They were always watching you – everything you did would be reported to the authorities, and if you stepped one hair out of line, you’d be taken away. Above all, it was the mutants who paid the price; it didn’t matter what you could do or why you wanted to do it, for if you were a mutant, you had to choose between death and a lifetime of service to Sir Arthur McKnight.
A jet-black car drove by steadily at the slow limit of 20 miles per hour. The guards looked in through the windows at the man in sunglasses and his blonde-haired son, making sure that they never deviated from the route to school. They could almost make out the conversation inside.
“You don’t get it, Dad. All day long, they make us do drill after drill after drill. You never had to go through this – they’re trying to turn us into servants of the militia! And I hate it!”
“Don’t talk like that, Michael. If anyone hears you, you know what they’d do? I’ve lost too many friends to this – I can’t lose you as well.”
“So what? You’re just gonna keep on acting like nothing’s wrong?”
“Yes, and you will too, if you know what’s good for you.”
“But –”
“Listen to your father, young man!”
Michael let out a sigh in frustration. “Yes, Dad....”
“It’s a small town, Michael. It used to be enormous, but nowadays, most of the residents die too young for overpopulation to be an issue.”
“Well, how’d you live for so long, then?”
“Simple. I’m an obedient, productive citizen. The militia has no reason to consider me a threat or annoyance, so I get more freedom. That’s the way of the world, son – you have to go along with the times, or else you die.”
The car pulled up in front of the school.
“But I don’t want to go along with the times! I want to do the right thing! I want to help people!”
“That’s a very unpatriotic thing for you to say. Helping others is the way of the past. It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, and we have to help ourselves if we want to live.”
“You used to be cool, you know....”
There was a knock on the window. One of the militia was signaling for Michael to get out. He opened the door and stepped down.
“Listen, you, I –”
“Is there a problem, officer?” Michael was cut off by his father.
“You’ve been sitting in front of the school for enough time. Let the kid go already. What were you talking about in there anyway?”
“Just saying a long good-bye,” he continued before Scott could say anything. “Little Mikey here’s pretty attached to his father, aren’t you, Mikey?”
“Yes....” Michael complied grudgingly. The officer looked at each of them through his dark helmet, and then signaled for Michael to go away, and he stormed off to the school.
“Strange kid you got there, Owen.”
“Oh, you know, he’s just going through those teenage angst years. Girls and all that.”
“Kid’s gotta learn that he won’t be choosing his girl. No point in making plans – governor rarely approves of them.”
“Yes, I’ll talk to him. Is it all right if I go to the cemetery?”
“Visiting your mother again?”
“She was a great person. She did what she had to do to survive in this world.”
“Be a wise example for your son.”
“He’ll pull through.”
The officer shut the door and allowed for the father to pass. He typed something into the direction pad, and the car drove through the streets, away from the school – or perhaps the prison. “Be careful, Evan....”
The man’s name was Owen. Owen Scott. He had lived in the town of New Haven for eight years now, and had in that time become a complacent member of society. He always paid his taxes, did whatever work was requested of him, and would soon be married once the governor chose a bride for him. He had earned a mutual respect amongst the militia of New Haven, and they allowed him certain privileges most would not be granted. Such as visiting the cemetery on a cool day in January.
As he drove along, he overheard a cry for help. On the sidewalk, a woman was getting beaten by three officers. They hit her with their sticks, making her bleed as she cried out for help. “Help!” she cried out. “It was just a book! Just a book!” Just a book.... If she didn’t die on the spot, she’d be hung tomorrow. Nothing could be done – Owen kept going.
The car pulled up by the gates to the cemetery as directed, and Owen stepped through. The trees were all dead and rotting. The grass was grey, and worms poked their heads out of countless little holes in the ground. The tombstones were few and furnished. The cemetery was only created ten years ago, and was reserved for the subservient citizens only.
Owen rubbed his fingers against the tombstones, searching for the markings he recognized. A few minutes later, he found it. The grave of Dolores Scott, the mother he never knew. In fact, he had never even heard her name prior to moving here after her death. But he hadn’t come to visit Dolores. He had come to visit her.
His fiancÈe. Killed in McKnight’s initial attacks. Owen had fought the new regime for many years before finally settling down and giving in. Unfortunately, the years of fighting had their toll on young Michael Scott, the boy – he now hated McKnight just as much as his father, except he never gave in. He would die someday, just like Eva died. Just like they all died.
“Hey! You’re not supposed to be here!”
Owen turned around, interrupted in his thoughts by an officer walking up to him. “I’ve been given permission. I’m a frequenter.”
“Do you have the papers to prove it?”
“No, I’m sorry. Few actually enforce that rule. You must be the new officer. If you like, call Rudy over by the school – he’ll confirm my story.”
“No can do. The law’s the law, and if you don’t have the papers, you can’t be here. Now get out.”
Owen pushed up his sunglasses. “No.”
“Excuse me, but are you resisting arrest?”
“Perhaps.”
“Are you aware that this is a crime punishable by death?”
“The governor wouldn’t like that. He and I are personal friends.”
“What’s your name, son?”
“Why should I tell you that?”
“Because if you don’t, I’ll punch your face in.”
“Try it.”
The officer had made a mistake. Owen Scott was a subservient, contributing member of society. But he does not like to be interrupted when visiting her. The officer made another mistake too.
“You looking for trouble?”
“Can’t you see I’m visiting someone close to me?”
“I don’t care if you’re visiting your son. You aren’t allowed in here, and if you don’t leave now, I’ve got a gun with your name on it.”
“Guns aren’t as satisfying as fists.”
The officer laughed. “Okay, buddy – just remember that you asked for it.” The officer charged at Owen and punched him clean in the face. Owen fell back as his sunglasses shattered onto the ground. Owen stood up, grimacing with his eyes tightly closed. “Aw, did I make you cry, blind man?”
Suddenly, Owen’s eyes began to glow as he slowly opened them. The officer took a step back, but before he could say, “Mutie!” an energy blast shot out of Owen’s eyes and knocked the officer out cold against the fence. With luck, he wouldn’t remember a thing when he woke up. Or else, perhaps he wouldn’t wake up.
Owen clenched his eyes shut once more. No sunglasses meant he couldn’t see. Still, he knew where he was. He knew that this was where she died. Her last stand. The last stand for all of them.
“Well, I guess that confirms it,” someone said. Owen jerked around, trying to locate the voice.
“Who’s there??” If someone had seen him – anyone – it meant that he was at great risk of exposure. All over a rookie cop.
“Don’t worry, Owen. I’m not going to hurt you.” Owen felt something sliding over his eyes. “Open up!”
Owen slowly lifted his eyelids – it was blinding at first, but then, the blurry landscape before him slowly came into focus. A pair of visors had been freshly planted against his face, and, more importantly, he could see. He could see the rotting trees, the glum air, the bloody sky, the fresh tombs for the first time in many years. It was both thrilling and sickening. In front of him, he saw a man of about thirty, clean-shaven and with short brown hair and square glasses. He was tall and thin. He wore a Navy suit. But McKnight’s global regime had done away with the need for a Navy....
“Like ‘em?” the man smiled. Owen stared. How did he know....? “Don’t worry, there’s no need to hide from me. I’ve been keeping tabs on you for quite some time, Owen Scott. Or should I say, Isaac Stern?”
Owen stumbled back. “I – I – never heard of him.”
“Of course you have. Isaac Stern, One-Shot, Owen Scott. All one in the same. Clever name, by the way – I like it. Got a soft spot for puns.”
“How.... how do you....?”
“Like I said, I’ve been keeping tabs. You see, I work for – actually, I founded – the largest rebellion of modern day. Our goal is to overthrow the dictator known as Sir Arthur McKnight. We wish to reinstate the Overseers into power.”
“The Overseers are dead.”
“You’re not.”
“I survived by the skin of my teeth. All I got in return was to watch my friends die.”
“Then you no longer deny that you are, indeed, One-Shot?”
Isaac sighed, shaking his head. “The world’s changed. I’m not One-Shot anymore. McKnight thinks I’m dead, and I’d rather keep it that way.”
“But what if you no longer wished to live in secrecy?”
“Listen, I have a son. He has to come first – and I can’t do anything without risking my life and his!”
“Don’t you think your son has had enough of this lifestyle?”
Isaac blinked. How did he know that?
“Who.... are you?”
“My name is Nate Shammons. I’m what you’d call a secret agent. Come with me and all will be explained.” A rope ladder dropped by beside them. Isaac looked up to see the bottom of an enormous aircraft – just the bottom, as the rest blended in with the red sky.
Nate hopped onto the ladder and held out his hand.
“All I’m asking for is a chance – we can hack into records, make it seem like you’ve been here the whole time. No one will ever know you checked us out, no one even knows we exist. You’re right. The world has changed. But it can change again.”
Isaac grabbed a lower rung of the ladder, ignoring Nate’s outstretched hand. “Very well. Prove it.”

[spideyfan914]

Chapter Three: BIZARRO

"Isaac! Good to see you, my'boy!"
Isaac stood in amazement. "Nigel??"
The Overseers' once-upon-a-time-pilot stood before him, smiling a toothy smile, just like in the old days. He must have been going on eighty now - his head was completely bald, and liver-spots grew on his cheeks and beneath the eyes. But he was still kicking, and somehow, he was here.
Isaac couldn't hold back. He burst into tears, and hugged his old friend, tight as he could.
"Whoa! Easy there, whippersnapper!" Nigel laughed, as Isaac took a step back.
"I'm sorry, Nigel, it's just I haven't seen or heard from you since Siberia!"
"Ah, Siberia…. Land of the cold…. Still, that hiding spot lasted longer than the others…. until, well, we were found…. I never did get the chance to compliment on your fine tactics, m'boy - I never would've thought of starting an avalanche!"
"I suppose you figured I died there. The helicopter was gone by the time I made it back."
"Well, I must say, the chances of you surviving were quite slim, and I waited three days…." Nigel stumbled over his defense, taken off-guard. Isaac laughed it off. "How did you survive?"
"Burrowed a hole in the ground, like a cave. It took me a while to dig my way out, and I had to use my energy beams to keep warm."
"I trust that you found Evan safe and sound, correct? He refused to leave the site, and I had to take out the chopper before McKnight's men returned - provide a distraction, you see?"
Isaac nodded. "Evan's turned out to be a fine kid. Bit stubborn…. but fine."
"And his powers?" Nigel implored enthusiastically. "What are they?" It was clear that he had been waiting for his.
"Well…." Isaac sighed. "Evan has no powers."
Nigel blinked. "Oh?"
Isaac felt a tap on his shoulder - he spun around to see Nate Shammons, waiting beside the door from which they'd entered.
"I hate to interrupt this reunion," Nate said, "but there are others you should meet."
Isaac looked to Nigel. "Go on, m'boy!" he stated cheerfully. "You'll love 'em all, I'm sure! A wonderful bunch, they are!"
Isaac grinned quirkily, and turned back to Shammons. "Okay…. Let's go."
Shammons led the way across the room, and into a long hallway, doors on all sides and at every corner.
"Whoa…. Big airship…."
"Yes, well, we took the designs off the Hummingbird, and…. expanded…. quite a bit. Nigel's been a great help - picked him up about five years ago, in a bar in Egypt. Since then, everything's been going quite smoothly and quickly. I don't know if it was luck or fate that brought us together, but whatever it was, I'm fine with it."
"How do you fund all this?" Isaac asked. "It's hard to get a soda without McKnight's men noticing! To pick up a tab this size…."
"We have our ways."
"Mind sharing 'em? To get around McKnight's security systems - it would take some sort of mastermind!"
"Well, I suppose I am 'some sort of mastermind.' After all, this whole operation was my idea, my plan."
"What exactly is this plan of yours?" Isaac's tone grew more serious.
"I told you…." Shammons chuckled. "We've resurrected the Overseers. All we need is our One-Shot."
"You can't bring back the dead."
"Really?" A twisted smile grew over Shammons face, one frighteningly similar to the ghostly image of McKnight all those years ago when he launched a concentrated pulse of radioactivity at the team. At Isaac's team.
Suddenly, a primitive growl echoed through the halls. There was a noise like nails on a chalkboard. Isaac, startled, turned to the source - a large, metal door at the end of a dark corridor. One light hung over, flickering on and off. Snarls emanated off the walls like some beastly creature.
"You keeping a lion in there?"
"Trust me," Shammons chuckled, shrugging it off, "you don't want to know."
The agent kept walking down the hall, past the dark corridor. Isaac stared for a moment - stared at the signs on the door, reading "KEEP OUT" and "BEWARE," at the many locks, and lines drawn in the walls - presumably compartments holding guns or some other security measure. The shrieks of tooth and nail were deafening.
"You coming, Isaac?"
He looked back across the hall, to the man who brought him here. "I…. Yeah…. Yeah, okay…."
Isaac ran after Shammons, who warned him, "Don't get too curious, Isaac. There are some things men are not meant to know."
At last, they arrived at the end of the hall. There was a tall, wide door in front of them, constructed entirely of metal. Shammons walked up to a small computer beside the doorway, and lay his hand on a scanner. The door opened into a bright light.
"We have arrived, One-Shot. Meet the Overseers."
The light cleared, and before Isaac was a picture out of a dream. Guy stood in his glamorous armor, looking proud, standing strong. James grinned with a devious look on his face, ready to jump into battle. Shawn sat lazily on the couch, tapping his foot impatiently. Ellen and Jon, too, were there, standing side-by-side, dutifully awaiting orders. And lastly, Maria, silent and inward as ever, sat on the floor with her feet upon her knees.
It was what Isaac had begged for for the past fifteen years, everything he'd ever wanted, as though McKnight had never been there at all, as though everything was just the way it always had been meant to be. For the first time in fifteen years, the sun was shining.
And then, he blinked. There was a Mindworm, yes, but he was more armored - more mean-looking - than the Guy whom Isaac had befriended. Savage smiled, and yet he wore a suit, his hair was combed, and he held a glass of wine in one hand, pinky out. Quickfoot was there, but he wasn't Shawn Castaway - he grew tired, and bored, eyes seconds away from drifting off to sleep. Energy Girl had long, black hair, her belly button was exposed, she wore short shorts, and she looked to be strangely older. A Monstro was present, and he grinned wickedly, his arms crossed, wielding brass knuckles in each hand. Jedi did seem strangely familiar, but in face, in costume, not in poise, as she smiled blissfully at Isaac, eyes flittering.
This was not the team Isaac had remembered. It was as though someone took a snapshot, tore it in two, burned it to a crisp, launched it into space, and let the pieces blow away in a tropical storm. It was twisted, maniacal, devious. And they were young - teenagers, mostly. Energy Girl actually appeared older than the others - in her early twenties. Even Savage was just a boy, only a year or two older than Isaac's son. Jedi, perhaps, was the only true adult among them.
"Hullo, chap," Savage held out his hand. "You must be Isaac Stern. Welcome to the team!"
Isaac stared, blankly, at the bizarro image of the man he once knew.
"Well, Isaac?" Shammons broke the silence. "What do you think?"
Isaac continued to stare. Only stare. The grin on Savage's face was beginning to die, his hand still outstretched.
"Leave the man alone," Quickfoot said tiredly. "Guy must be older than Jedi!"
"Oh, I knew I should've worn the lace outfit," Energy Girl moaned.
"Ah, cut it out!" Monstro snorted. "He ain't worth the trouble! Maybe he was great once, but now he's a washed-up loser!"
Isaac looked to Mindworm. In the past, Guy had been a friend and mentor to Isaac. But this new counterpart only stared, never spoke.
"Isaac…." Shammons was speaking now. "It took me six years to build this team. No one's had success battling McKnight such as the Overseers had - our best hope is in these youths, these people with the same powers as the originals. Please, don't count them out before you've seen them in action - they've been training, Isaac, training for years, and they're about ready too."
"I…." He could only mutter that one word.
"'I….' he says. Well, that's a start…." Shammons went on. "Here, let me introduce you…. This hulk here is the new Mindworm, Alex Jones - not much of a talker, granted, but just as useful in battle as the old one."
"And can he think? Can he strategize?"
"This one here," Shammons resumed, ignoring Isaac's protest, "is Steve Goodheart, our new Savage."
"How do you do?"
"Steve Goodheart?" Issac snorted. "That doesn't sound British. What's your edge? Where's the ferocity?"
"Ferocity is overrated. Society knows best."
Before Isaac could say another word, Shammons pointed to the next member. "Our team's Quickfoot is named Mark Shallow, the youngest of the team at fourteen years old."
"Yeah, yeah…." Mark rolled his eyes.
"Felicia Gavin, Energy Girl, or Energy Woman as she prefers to be called."
"Y'know, you're kinda cute for an old guy…."
"Barry Drew, Monstro. And our new Jedi -"
Suddenly, the doors opened up, and a woman walked in, with long red hair and bright blue eyes. She walked through the room with a strange presence, eyeing Isaac all along. He stared at her, with something of an astonished look on his face. Surely, Shammons hadn't….?
"Sorry I'm late," the woman said as she turned to face Shammons, her hair flipping over her shoulder as she did so.
"Oh, it's perfectly all right, Miss Livae." Shammons looked over to Isaac, and the woman, too, looked over to him with a blank expression that made a shiver run down his spine. "Isaac," Shammons spoke, "this is Pen Livae. She's the new Nightshade."
Isaac stared, only stared. They had done it. They had gone that far. A shapeshifter. Not unlike his shapeshifter. Not unlike Eva.
"Well, Isaac? The choice is yours. You may join this team, or -"
"Take me home…."
A few grunts and sighs of disappointments sounded through the crowd as the so-called Overseers turned their heads away from the old man standing before them. Only Pen Livae kept her focus on Isaac, unmoving, unfeeling, just looking. Shammons held up his hand, crossing over to Isaac. "Tell me, old hero, are you sure about this?"
"You have to ask?"
Shammons sighed. "Come with me."
Leaving the freakish room behind them, Isaac and Shammons walked side-by-side back down the hallway.
"I can tell what's wrong," Shammons spoke. "It's different, I know. It's not quite the same as you remembered it…."
"It's not that," Isaac shook his head. "It's too much the same, actually. It's all the same heroes, all the same names, all the same powers, but none of the core, none of the character."
"To be fair, we do have plenty of character of our own."
"It just…. isn't right. You said it yourself - only the Overseers ever stood against McKnight. And look where they wound up! And these - these aren't the Overseers! These are kids, kids making up a shameful mockery of the team! They're amateurs - they're going to die in battle, and you know it."
"The youngest is Quickfoot, and he is sixteen. On the old team, Energy Girl was -"
"Fifteen! I know! But the rest were older, wiser, and we looked out for each other. You think these guys will look out for each other, work as a team?" They passed by the dark corridor now, but the snarls from earlier had ceased into a pant.
"You're judging, Isaac, before you know anything about these kids. They've been training for years - they're ready. All they need now is a field leader, someone to lead them into battle. You could be that leader! You could be just what the team needs to be complete!"
Isaac shook his head. "It's no use, Shammons. Forget it."
"Very well, then. Return home, to your boy, to Evan. I just hope that in time, he learns to forgive you for abandoning the mission."
Isaac stopped in his tracks as Shammons turned around.
"You know the way," he called back, as he walked toward his team. "Now go, return to your daily life as the obedient citizen of McKnight's glorious empire. We'll still take him on - I just hope these kids don't die in battle, like the last team before them. Maybe someday, McKnight will fall. It could've been tomorrow, but now, I'm not so sure. Farewell, Owen Scott, and thank you anyway - be assured that no one will know you were ever here."
Isaac was left in the hallway, alone. He sighed, hesitating for a moment, then pressed on. He arrived at the beginning of the hall. Beyond this door, Nigel was waiting by the entrance, the exit. Once, Isaac had been One-Shot, a grand superhero who all the people of the world looked up to when the world was in peril. Now, the world had fallen, and he was Owen Scott, about to walk away from the first opportunity in fifteen years to bring it back to its feet.
He turned back, and darted down the passageways, toward Shammons. The agent turned at the sound of footsteps with a smile on his face.
"Shammons! Nate Shammons!" Isaac cried across the hall. "I'll do it - I'll join the Overseers!"

[spideyfan914]

Chapter Four: DEBUT PERFORMANCE

"So let me get this straight," Evan said. "You're…. not going to work today?"
"Nope," Isaac shook his head.
"But they're gonna think you're going to work today….?"
"Yup."
"But you won't be…. but they'll…. think you are….?"
"Shouldn't we be going to school now?" Isaac ushered his son out the door and into the car. He punched in the coordinates for school and drove off.
"But dad….? If you're not going to work today, then where are you going….?"
Isaac merely smiled at his son's question. "Remember…. It's a secret…."
Evan looked his father over, trying to figure out what he meant. But then….
"Here we are. Have a nice day at school, Michael."
Evan blinked. "Uh…. Yeah, okay…." He climbed out of the door and ran off to the building. Isaac began to type in the coordinates for work, but a voice stopped him.
"Owen! Owen Scott!" Owen recognized the voice of Rudy, the officer who patrols the school drop-off.
"Yes, Rudy? What is it?"
The officer came up to the window as Isaac rolled it down. "Yesterday, you went to the cemetery, correct?"
"Yes. I was visiting my mother. I stayed there for quite some time."
"There…. there was an officer - Andrew Gumbol, a rookie at best. We found him unconscious against the gates."
"Oh?" Isaac raised an eyebrow in feigned surprise.
"He seems to have no memory of what happened…. Even his suit's been tampered with - we can't get the video to show."
"Huh? Your suits take video?"
"Oh, yes…. I suppose you can know that…. But the man was found close to your mother's grave."
"Are you…. accusing me?" Isaac sounded offended.
"No, no, no!" the officer went wild in defense. "Of course not! Just wanted to know if you saw anything, is all."
"Well…." Isaac pushed up his sunglasses. "My eyesight isn't exactly the best in the world…."
The officer choked. "I…. I'm sorry, Owen…. Didn't mean to - I mean…. uh…."
"It's fine, Rudy. Forget it. Now, it's Sunday, and I have to get to work."
"Very well, Owen. Move along."
Isaac smiled as he rolled up the window. It was Shammons' work - it had to be. He really did cover up the loose ends. Isaac punched in the coordinates, and the car moved on to the tall building where Isaac worked Sundays through Fridays. (The five-day work schedule was abolished by McKnight - workers go in shifts, and each one has a different day off.)
Inside, Isaac passed through the routine security measures, and was thus counted as present. He went into the elevator, just like every other day, and punched in the twenty-first floor. He waited as the elevator slowly rose the scale of the building. It beeped at each floor, awaiting the twenty-first beep, where it's rider would supposedly get off. But Isaac was waiting for a different noise, as the security camera looked down at him. And then, halfway up, it began to whistle - the camera had been hacked, now playing a looped scene from the days before. Isaac chuckled at the thought of the security watching their screen blank out for a mere second, and dismissing it as a simple bug.
He had to act quickly to get out before the elevator opened. He reached into his collar, where he had hidden the visor, and, squeezing his eyes shut, made the quick change. As Isaac clipped his sunglasses to his shirt, he looked around the elevator, his vision returning. There was a patch of discoloring on the ceiling - the hatch - and a metal bar on the side. Jumping up, Isaac hung from the bar and pushed open the hatch, and then quickly swung through. As he carefully replaced it, the elevator came to a stop, and he heard the doors opening into the office.
Isaac grabbed onto the pulley, meant only to operate the elevator, and climbed up all the way to top. There was a pair of doors there, and Isaac knocked three times. They opened. The rooftop. Nate Shammons stood there, the rope ladder right behind him. Isaac jumped on, and the ladder pulled them up into the large airship Nate had been to the day before.
"Isaac! Good day to you, sir!" Nigel smiled blissfully as Isaac and Shammons climbed aboard the ship.
"Hi again, Nigel."

The months passed, as Isaac continued to train with the new Overseers in secret. They still could never replace the old team, of course, but they did have some skill, and could perhaps fare well in battle. Finally, the time came - there was a rebellion in New York, and McKnight's men were pressing in on them, readying to destroy the city as an example to others. Shammons wished to provide a different kind of example.
"It's been arranged," Isaac told his son, "for me to go on a trip out-of-town, a business trip."
"I still don't get it!" Evan said. "You don't go to work, but you have a business trip!"
"Well…. that's what the company thinks…."
"Dad, can't you tell me what's really going on?"
"In time, Evan…. In time…."
That night, the team set out for New York, where they would finally reveal themselves to the world….

"It's almost time."
"Oh, look at all those people in the streets…. It's like there's a war going on! Hey, Brains, can I join in?"
"If you truly wish, Jester, go ahead. But once this beam is done firing up, don't think I'm going to wait for you to return."
"Eh…. On second thought, I'll pass…."
Their airship was large and spherical. It required the maintenance of a hundred men to keep it going. But after all, the Brain's ships always did. He and Jester rode in front, keeping a watchful eye on the soldiers they had sent below, the soldiers they had sent to their doom. Soon, the beam would be ready - just another hour now. And then, the Brain's mightiest weapon would wipe out all of Manhattan for good.
The Jester peered through the glass floor at the chaos in the streets below, smiling his devilish smile - the kind that haunts children with nightmares - and laughed at the fire, the blood, the sheer anarchy.
The Brain, meanwhile, stood by the steering, awaiting the moment when he'd finish the job. Yes, he stood, for with McKnight's proper funding, Antony Stanislavia was able to create anything he wished, including the glorious new body, the body which granted him not only the physical superiority he always desired, but on top of that immortality.
"Oh-ho-ho! Hey, Brains, you gotta see this - that officer just shot down an old lady crossing the street! She wasn't even one of the protesters!"
"Mindless violence is just that, Jester - mindless. To stay strong, unfeeling, is true power."
"Okay, but you don't know what you're missing!"
Just then, something caught the Brain's attention. Something in the air - a few miles away. A helicopter? No…. a fortress. An airship. McKnight had ordered no airship but the Brain's - clearly, something was amiss. He'd keep his eye on it for now, learn more about this new enemy, and fire when he's learned the identity of the assailant.

"Okay, team - it's time to move out!" Shammons said, as the Overseers emerged from their separate quarters, suited and ready to go. "Now remember the plan - we'll start off in the streets, where the people are in direct need of our assistance. That beam is set to go off in one hour, so time is of the essence! A team of One-Shot, Quickfoot, Mindworm, and Jedi will make their way into the enemy's fortress and shut them down! Be warned - McKnight has many mutants under his command, and it's likely that the head of this operation will be powerful. But the priority is shutting down that beam, or else all of Manhattan will go down in flames!"
"Got it," One-Shot nodded, pulling his new mask over his face. "All right team, let's move out!"
The eight heroes climbed into a pod on the side of the airship, and Shammons shut the door behind them. He tapped at a keyboard, and the pod began to extend away from the ship, until finally, it was released, launching to the ground at 120 miles per hour.
There was fighting in the streets, brawling. Or perhaps, a better term would be massacre. But beating stopped, all bats froze in midair, all guns settled, and all heads looked up as this bizarre pod came speeding to the earth.
It was like a shooting star, the kind that children wish upon.
It rammed into the pavement with the force of a meteor, blowing away a dozen officers and forming a crater in Times Square. All eyes looked upon it. Up above, the Brain observed with caution, and Jester's eyes narrowed in interest. As the dust cleared, the pod opened.
There stood eight figures, eight figures of legend. The Overseers. Long thought dead. And now, they were back.
No one spoke, no one uttered a sound. They all just stared. And then, the man dressed as One-Shot finally spoke. "Overseers! Attack!"
The soldiers fought futilely, shooting at bullet-proof warriors, fighting with those who far outclass them, receiving blows but never sending them. The Overseers took a quick advantage - an onslaught on McKnight's troop. Energy-Girl played crowd control, collecting the protesters and gathering them out of range of the battle. Nightshade swept underneath the enemy blows like a snake, then popped up to deliver hits in all the right places. Monstro took all the blows, but nothing even fazed him, as he smashed into armor and hurled his opponent's at each other with brute force.
The citizens were safe from the soldiers. Blood soaked the streets, but it was beginning to wash away. Four miniature planes swept down from the sky. "This is our ride!" One-Shot called out to his teammates, and the unit going to the fortress grabbed on, one plane a person. "The others will keep order in the streets," One-Shot briefed. "But we have the most important job - we need to stop that beam from going off! If Manhattan falls, the people of the world would be too frightened of McKnight to ever protest again!
"Now remember - we need to stay together during this. Quickfoot, I want you to lead the assault - there's bound to be plenty of guards, at least as many as there were in the streets. Mindworm, when we get to the beam, you'll have to deactivate it while the rest of us fight off the enemy."
"Any special jobs for me to do?" Jedi asked as the planes flew circles, rising up behind the fortress.
"To be honest, Jedi…. I never saw much of you in training…. I don't really know what you can do…."
Jedi laughed. "Oh, come on! It's not like you haven't seen it all before!"
"Huh?"
"Oh…. You mean, you didn't recognize me, One-Eye?"
Issac's heart dropped to his stomach. "DARKLIGHT!!"
The planes landed.

In the front of the ship, the Brain looked over the city in thoughtfulness. A minute later, he picked up a microphone and spoke to the ship. "A small group of kids claiming to be the Overseers are preparing to infiltrate this fortress. Stop them at any cost, or be hurled to the streets below." He hung up the microphone and looked at the beam. Half an hour remained.
"Oo-hoo-hoo! This is getting interesting!"
"They're just kids, Jester. They pose no threat."
"Aww, shucks…. and I was hoping it would be fun! Oh well, guess those guys in the streets are just amateurs, eh, Brains?"
The Brain did not respond. He looked over the city - his city, overrun by naive fools who think they can change the world. And yet, they struck with such force, such power, and at the last minute before the end of the world. It was all so familiar, so recognizable. But no, they would not defeat him, they would not stop his plan. Nothing could stop his plan. Manhattan would fall, and he would make it happen.
"Sounds like a slaughterhouse out there!" Jester laughed, his ear against the door. "Wonder who's winning….?"
Nothing could stop him.

"So let me get this straight…." One-Shot said, firing away at several soldiers. "You used to be evil, but now you're…. good?"
"Uh-huh. McKnight sucks balls." Jedi hurled her light-daggers at a few men coming her way.
"And you didn't tell me this sooner because….?" He shot down another officer, but then one came charging with a spinning mace.
"Because I knew you'd react this way!" She formed a sword and knocked a gun up into the air, following it up with a stab to the gut.
"Well, you kind of used to give us a lot of problems!" He ducked under the mace, then uppercut the soldier, kicked him back, and shot him with an eye-beam. "So why are you telling me now?"
"Temptation, of course! I just had to see your face, Sweet'ums!" She sparred with a sword-wielding enemy, taking a quick advantage. Briefly, he knocked the sword out of her hand, but she just shrugged and made a new one.
"What is wrong with Shammons?? I mean, why doesn't he just let anyone join this team?" One-Shot struck the soldier Jedi was parring with, not noticing one sneaking up behind him, aiming his machine gun.
"Well, to be frank, I am reformed. LOOK OUT!" Jedi leaped forward, pushing One-Shot to the side, and landing a knife right in the gun's opening such that it exploded at the trigger. Jedi herself fell on top of One-Shot, as he tried to get up.
"Thanks, and by the way, I want my satellite receptor back."
"Hey, if you two are done fighting, I think that's all of them. Maybe we should move on?" The two looked up at Quickfoot, kneeling over, with Mindworm standing behind him.
"Oh…. uh…. yeah…." They got up. "Come on, team! There's still that beam that needs to be deactivated if we're gonna save the city! We have fifteen minutes, if we're lucky!"
The four of them ran forward, kicking open the door into the front of the ship. Jester flew backwards, hollering curses as he did so, and One-Shot blinked as he looked at his opponent.
"Ah, One-Shot…." the man at the controls spoke out in a deep, powerful voice. "I can see you've made it here at last…. Luckily for me, you're just a cheap imitation, and me - I've fought off the original Overseers in far lesser conditions."
"The Brain…." One-Shot sneered. "Finally found yourself a body, I see…."
"One of many perks of working for McKnight."
"Yeah," Jester chuckled. "We get free donuts, too! Oh, and don't forget those Casual Fridays!"
"Since when do you two work together?" Jedi asked in amazement.
"McKnight thought that it would be…. helpful for Jester's strange character."
"Hey, are we gonna talk, or are we gonna fight?" Quickfoot butt in.
"Fighting is overrated…." the Brain said. "But, if you insist…. JESTER!"
Jester charged at the team, kicking and fighting with both Quickfoot and Jedi at the same time. Even with his great speed, Quickfoot had a hard time laying a blow on the Chuckie rip-off, and Jedi's fighting techniques seemed to do nothing, as Jester spun around, kicking, fighting, pulling them together. He was more dancing than fighting, really, hitting his opponent's lightly but swiftly.
One-Shot, meanwhile, approached the Brain himself. "Let's do this man to machine."
The Brain chuckled, and even his metal exterior appeared to smile. He held out his arms and let out rapid fire, like a machine gun. One-Shot released a shield of energy, destroying the bullets only seconds before they hit him, and finally - an opening. Before the Brain could retaliate, One-Shot blasted his left hand, destroying the gun circuitry, and make him flinch. The Brain only winced for a second, though, and then jumped forward, and started swinging - his first blow connected, and it hurt bad. One-Shot found himself back-stepping, just trying to avoid the Brain's powerful swings.
But it was all worth it, as no one noticed Mindworm making his way up front, behind the backs of the Brain and Jester, to the circuitry. He began to examine it, trying to learn how it worked. In a few seconds, he'd opened the compartment, and found a maze of wires and gadgets inside. One wrong move, and it would explode.
Just then, the Brain made contact once more, pounding One-Shot against the wall. "Now, now, Mindworm, play nice…." The Brain spun around and shot a small rocket out of his fist, exploding against Mindworm's back and knocking him to the floor. The Brain walked up and grabbed Mindworm, raising him in the air.
"You think I didn't see you? You think I wasn't prepared? This suit sees everything!"
He shot another rocket at the glass floor. Jester leaped out of his battle, and onto the solid metal by the side, leaving Quickfoot and Jedi to get sucked up by the vacuum. Quickfoot raced against it, running more or less as fast as the vacuum itself, as Jedi slipped, and clung to the glass floor for dear life. The Brain walked up to the hole in the floor, holding Mindworm above it.
"In just one minute, the beam will go off, and all Manhattan will bow down to me! You cannot stop McKnight - you're a group of amateurs, of kids! What hope do you think you have? You think the people will suddenly rise up against us, just because of you copies?"
"Why don't you ask them yourself?" One-Shot had risen, and blasted at the glass beneath the Brain's feet, then another carefully aimed at Mindworm, pushing him to safety. The Brain began to fall, hollering as gravity hurled him to the ground miles below.
"Huh??" Jester got up to do something, but Quickfoot made a daring leap, taking advantage of the distraction to escape the vacuum and pound Jester against the wall. One-Shot slid across the floor, grabbing Jedi as he held to the metal on the opposite wall.
"Now! Mindworm!"
The behemoth rose to look again at the beam. Ten seconds remained.
He examined each wire, each circuit, looking it over carefully. Seven seconds.
It was firing up now, beginning to whir.
Five seconds.
Blue wires, red wires, gizmos and gadgets.
Four seconds.
The turret reached out and aimed down below. The device was heating up.
Three seconds.
All this machinery designed for one purpose.
Two seconds.
That one - pull that one!
One second.
The beam shut down.
Silence.
"Congratulations, Overseers," One-Shot smiled as he pulled Jedi to safety. "Mission complete."

[spideyfan914]

Chapter Five: CONFESSIONS

New York City is free.
"You guys aren't actually the Overseers, are you?"
"Of course they're not! They're too young! The Overseers would be about fifty by now!"
"Well, maybe Jedi's old enough…. And One-Shot - he's wearing a mask. I don't remember him wearing a mask?"
"Can't one of them shapeshift? She could fake her age!"
"Oh, how I wish I could do that!"
One-Shot rose his hands into the air, calling for silence amongst the crowd.
"To answer your questions - we are the Overseers. Not the heroes of legend, but a new generation of Overseers. And while some of us are young, yes, we are still skilled, still powerful, and we will not rest until the dictator you know as Sir Arthur McKnight is removed from power! Today was only the beginning! I speak now not only to the people of New York, but to the entire world - mark your calendars, for it won't be long before you are free!!"
The crowd burst into cheer.
"And as for McKnight - be afraid! This is the beginning of the end! The world will survive, but you, McKnight, you will not!"

"Nice speech, Isaac," Shammons complimented him as they returned to the airship, Jester now taken prisoner. "Now to make sure this guy doesn't give us any more trouble. I take it the Brain wasn't found?"
"We found a few of his parts," Isaac explained, "but they were malfunctioning and dead. The head, however, seems to be partially functioning. Nightshade?"
Nightshade's stomach sucked in, and she pulled the cyborg head of the Brain out from within, tossing it to Isaac, who handed it to Shammons.
"Hm…. Interesting…. We'll have to study this, see exactly what it's made out of, and, if anything's still alive in there, make sure that it doesn't rebuild itself like something out of a bad comic book plot." He looked at the head with much inquisition, musing it, almost getting sucked in. It was almost frightening.
"And Jester?" Isaac broke off Shammons' trance.
"Oh, uh, yes - Nigel, will you be a hand and gather a few workers to show Jester to his cell?"
"Of course, Nate! You can count on me!" Nigel beckoned over a few of the hired hands on the airship, and they took Jester and walked off into the halls. Shammons followed, though presumably going to a different quarter, thus leaving Isaac alone.
Or so he thought.
Isaac suddenly noticed that Pen Livae was still there, standing right where she had when she'd tossed him the Brain, staring, always staring. Today, she wore long black hair down to the small of her back, green luscious eyes, and a large noticeable freckle on her otherwise pale skin situated beside her throat. Her eyes were absorbing, like a trance. She looked to be in her late twenties today, though the day before she'd appeared in her teens, and the day before that in her fifties. It was curious: How does a shapeshifter decide what she wants to look like on one specific day?
"Um…. I didn't notice you were still here…." Isaac explained.
"It's all right," Pen replied. "I tend to blend in." Her voice was cold, emotionless, and yet had an ominous soft feel, something strangely heart-warming.
"So…. when did Shammons find you?"
She didn't say anything at first, then, after a brief moment, "I don't remember. It's as though I've been here my whole life."
"You don't remember what it was like before McKnight took over?"
"No."
"How old are you?"
Pen smiled, closing her eyes and chuckling softly. "Never ask a woman her age."
"I'm sorry, it's just…. there's no way of knowing, really. You seem like you're older than the others, but then…."
"But then, what?"
"Well…. I mean, if you can't remember before McKnight took over…."
"I remember some things," she said.
"Oh?" Isaac was curious. "Like what?"
"The sun. I remember the sun. And you."
"Me?"
"Yes. Isaac Stern, One-Shot. I've always been a fan."
Suddenly, the door opened, and Barry - Monstro - fell through on his back. Rising to his feet, he wiped some sweat off his forehead and charged into the hallway. Quickly, Issac and Pen ran to the doorway to see what was happening.
"COME HERE AND SAY THAT TO MY FACE, YOU LITTLE WEASEL!"
"Let it go, Barry!" Steve said, leaping down from above and grabbing onto Monstro's back, as the hulk swung around trying to get the little man. "He was only joking - you know how he gets!"
"GUY'S A LOUSY, DIRTY PIECE OF FILTH! AND I DON'T LIKE HIM!" Monstro spun around and backed into a wall, slamming Savage against the wall, then charging down the corridor.
"What's going on?" Isaac asked, running up to Steve.
"It's Mark - he was chatting with Felicia, and told her that Barry's a hideous wreck or something of the sort. Frankly, I believe Mark's a bit drunk…. He doesn't even seem to have to the sense to run away from Monstro…."
"Oh great…. If there's one thing I know, it's that Barry doesn't like being made fun of, especially not to Felicia!"
"Eh?" Steve rose an eyebrow. "Why's that? What's up with Felicia?"
Isaac shook. "Sorry…. Wrong era…. Let's go…."
Isaac and Steve ran down the hallway, leaving Pen behind in the entrance. She stood there a moment, staring after Isaac, with her same blank expression, then resigned to her bedroom for the night.

"Isaac…."
Isaac looked around him, looked around in tears. So many dead, his friends all dead.
"Isaac…."
And in his arms, he held her. Eva. She looked especially beautiful today, beneath the glorious sun. But she stared up at him with pain, her face falling apart at the seems.
"Why couldn't you do it? Why couldn't you save me?"
"I tried, Eva…. You know I did…."
"And yet you lived instead! You lived, and I died! Why, Isaac? WHY??"
She morphed suddenly into a large cobra, it's fangs extruding. It lunged forward and struck with ferocity.
"You don't desssserve thissss life! You don't desssssserve! You don't dessssserve -"
"Isaac…."
He jumped awake, heart pounding, lungs pumping, eyes sulking. It was just a dream…. just a dream…. A dream, based, perhaps, in reality? No…. Just a dream…. of a faraway land….
"You have a nightmare, honey?"
"Who - who's there?"
"Put on your visors, Isaac. I'm here for you."
Closing his eyes, Isaac lifted his eye mask, and replaced them with the pair of visors resting calmly next to the bed. He opened his eyes, and everything became clear once more.
There she was. Eva Pinel. She sat on his bedside, fondling him, smiling. No matter what form she took, he'd recognize her anywhere. Her hand rubbed smoothly against his leg as he looked into her dark brown eyes, her curly hair lightly bobbed as she looked at him in fascination. Truly, she was a creature of great marvel and beauty.
But wait - she was dead. This could not be Eva. It was….
"Pen….?"
She shook her head.
"But…."
"I told you, Isaac honey, I am Nightshade. I've always been your biggest fan."
"Pen, cut this out."
"No, Isaac…. Not Pen…. Eva…. Don't you recognize me?"
"But…. that can't be…. You're dead - Eva's dead!"
"I'm insulted, honey…. I can't be dead, because I'm sitting right here."
She leaned forward. She had the gentleness, the calming smile, the soothing feel of the woman he loved. But that was…. impossible….
"You - you can't be Eva…. What am I saying -? Pen, stop! This - this isn't -"
"I love you, you know. You used to love me. That's the one thing I remember from before McKnight's reign."
"But -"
"I remember you, Isaac…." She smiled. "And I remember the sun…. How I miss the sun…. How I missed you…."
Their lips touched for a second, as she wrapped her arms around Isaac, grabbing him in a snakelike hold. Frantically, he pushed her away, and jumped out of bed.
"This is crazy! You're crazy! I -"
"What's wrong, honey? Don't you still love me?" A tear ran down her cheek. "No…. There's - there's someone else, isn't there?"
"What are you -?"
"Who is it?? Tell me so I can kill them!"
"Ha! Now I know you're not Eva! She'd never harm a fly!"
"But I am Eva!" She was crying hysterically now. "Why can't you see that? I'm the woman you said you loved! How can you not recognize me?"
"But -"
"Look into your heart, Isaac. Tell me…. aren't I the woman you love?"
There was silence. It couldn't be. Eva was dead, there was a new Nightshade now. And yet…. here she was. It could not be denied - this was Eva.
He ran from the room. It couldn't be, but it was. It couldn't be, but it was. What was going on? What was happening? Isaac's thoughts raced through his head, his heart pounding, his mind going wild. It didn't make sense - it was impossible, and yet, it was true. It was unmistakably true!
"Isaac!"
He froze, yelling out in shock.
"Isaac, calm down, it's me! Nate Shammons!"
Isaac looked behind him. It was. It was him. Nate Shammons. The reason they were all here. The man with the answers, who never told them. Isaac tackled him to the ground, punching him, beating him.
"Why didn't you tell me?? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME???"
Nate caught a punch, and kicked Isaac off. People were beginning to come out of their rooms now.
"Everyone, back to bed!" Shammons called out. "NOW!"
"Why didn't you tell me?" Isaac got up, wiping the blood off his lips, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"I…. I'm not honestly sure what you're talking about, Isaac…. Tell you what?"
"That Eva is alive."
There was silence. Shammons stared at Isaac for the moment, unspeaking, as though a brick had fallen from the sky. He let out a sigh, a mix of frustration and relief. "Well…." he finally said. "I guess you were bound to find out sometime…."
"It is Eva!"
"No, Isaac…. Not Eva…. A clone."
Isaac blinked. "A…. a what?"
"When we were first starting out here, five years ago…. We began with cloning. We were originally going to clone the whole team, but…. Eva's was the only one to come out without…. malfunction."
"You…. cloned her….?"
"We tried several approaches before we went looking for the new Overseers. Robotics proved too expensive. And cloning…. too unpredictable."
Isaac clenched his eyes shut, trying to stop the tears. "That's disgusting…."
"I…. I'm sorry, Isaac…. I should've told you…. She may have had some…. minor personality changes, but she seems to have maintained most of the original's memories, including, apparently…. a fondness for you…. I - I wouldn't recommend chasing after her…. It would be…. complicated…."
Isaac could only stand there, sobbing. They cloned her. They cloned Eva - his Eva.
"Anything else you want to tell me?" Isaac demanded through gritted teeth.
Shammons bit his lips, hesitating. "Well…."

They walked down the dark corridor, the light still flickering on and off. The growls and snarls and scratches could be heard quite well tonight. Whatever was behind there, it was raging.
"I warn you," Shammons said, playing with the locks, "what you're about to see…. might be difficult…."
"Show me."
He placed his hand on the scanner, and the door opened up. Several men stood beyond the door, some armed, some in lab coats. They stared at a large glass window covered in snatches.
"Mr. Shammons," one of them said, noticing the new arrivals, "he's been rather restless lately. What do we do?"
He -?
Isaac looked to the window, and to the other side. There was a large, wide room, to which the only entranceway was a small door on the right side of the glass. And chained to the opposite wall was a gruff man, with long, wild hair, sharp teeth, and a fierce look in his eyes - a man Isaac once knew…. James Viktor, the original Savage.
At the sight of Isaac, James lunged at the glass, making another scratch, but nothing more. He snarled and raged, fighting tooth and nail to break free.
"Only one thing to do," Shammons told the man, and he nodded to the others. They pulled a switch, and an electric shock ran through Viktor's veins. He let out a loud, earsplitting shriek, then fell to the floor, asleep. Some of the men ran in, placing food and water by his side, removing old empty dishes, and quickly darted out, fearing for their lives.
"What…. what's happened to him?" Isaac finally asked.
"Not sure, exactly," Shammons replied, distraught. "We found him about four years ago, wandering aimlessly. At first, we were thrilled - we always knew there was a possibility that his healing powers had saved him, but…. I suppose something had to have been keeping him back all these years. Perhaps there are some things which can't be regenerated…."
"What. Happened?"
"Amnesia. He can't even remember his own name…." Shammons and Isaac looked upon the man inside the cage. He was once a great member of the Overseers. And now…. "He's truly become what he's always called himself…. a savage."
Isaac stared at the incredulous sight before him. He had long thought James Viktor dead, along with the rest of the old team. And now, here he was. Perhaps, he'd be better dead.
"Isaac…. There's…. there's something else I've been meaning to tell you…."
"Yeah, Nate? I'm all ears."
"Your son. His powers."
"Evan doesn't have any powers. For most of us, our powers manifest around the age of five or six. I waited until Evan was seven, never giving up hope. But, well, I guess we've all gotta move on sometime…."
"Isaac…. Evan is the child of two of the most powerful superheroes of all time!"
"Nate, listen," Isaac snapped, turning to the agent. "All I've ever wanted these past years has been to see McKnight fall! I traveled with my son - we fought for as long as we could - but I always thought he'd be able to carry his own some day! I can't have this life for my son - he deserves better, safer! That's why I settled in…. That's why…."
"Why you gave up," Shammons nodded. "Isaac…. Most powers are given through random mutation…. Sometimes, if a parent has a power, the child may adapt it as well…. But for both parents to have powers - this is all still a relatively new thing, and there haven't been many other documented cases…."
"What are you saying?"
"I believe that Evan has extraordinary gifts, untapped potential. He is the next level of the mutation, the next step, borderline god. It's taken him longer to develop it, and yet…. it was the activation of his power that our scanners first picked up…. He's the reason we found you…."
Isaac gazed blankly, unsure of what to believe. "You're telling me that my son, after years of nothing, has just now developed powers? And that the reason they haven't developed sooner is because…. they have godlike potential?"
"Isaac…. If I am correct, your son can manipulate life…. He can bring back the dead."

[spideyfan914]

Chapter Six: LIFEBENDER

Evan gobbled down his dinner viciously. He stabbed the spaghetti, thrust it into his mouth, and chewed wildly. Sauce dripped down from his mouth, and he licked it up, swallowing with the force of a killer whale. He kept coming back for more, slamming his fork into the food, and hurling into the air with no mercy.
All the while, Isaac sat across the table in silence, staring blindly at his powerful son, wondering what to think. As Evan devoured more and more, Isaac's dish sat untouched. Suddenly, as Evan slurped up the food, he became conscious of his father's weary eyes, and glanced over. Freezing suddenly like a creature under watch, Evan looked up to his father.
Gulping down what remained his mouth, he asked the question. "What's up?"
Isaac did not respond.
"C'mon, Dad - ever since you returned from that 'business trip,' you've been acting so weird. What's with you? Where do you go all day? Why can't you tell me?"
"Evan…."
"Yeah?"
"Did you…. did you hear about what happened in New York?"
Evan cracked a smile. He had heard the rumors - he wasn't sure if they were true. "Yep. Funny how the return of the Overseers coincided with your 'business trip,' eh, Dad?"
Isaac sighed. He knew.
"Can you see me right now, or are those still the old sunglasses?"
Isaac squinted shut, removing his sunglasses and taking the visors out of the inconspicuous compartment in his shirt collar. "I've never been able to see with sunglasses."
Isaac opened his eyes and the blurry world became clear. His son sat before him, about 5'3". Light blond hair covered his head in a random, messy formation. His eyes were green, and a few yellow freckles were sprinkled across his cheeks. He was thin, but not too thin, and a slight tone of muscle was visible on his forearms. As he smiled, dimples became visible - he shared the same quirky smile as his father before him. One small teardrop appeared beneath his left eye. It was the first time Isaac had laid seeing eyes upon his son in eight long years, and he was beautiful.
"So…. what happened?"
"I can't tell you too much, Evan. Someone might be listening. But there's a man I want you to meet - he'll tell you everything."
"It's been eight years, you know. You sure you're still in practice?"
"If you'd only seen me in New York, kiddo!" Isaac laughed. He had missed his son's face.
"So…. this man…. When do I meet him?"
Isaac looked at the clock. "In precisely seven minutes."
"What??"
"We'll climb up through the fireplace."
"WHAT???"
"Six minutes."
Evan was bewildered. "Wait, wait, wait! When were you gonna tell me about this again?"
"With seven minutes to spare."
"Why does he need to meet me now??"
"All will be explained."
"Who is this guy anyway??"
"I suppose I can give you that much. His name is Nate Shammons." Isaac grinned. "He's what you'd call a secret agent."
"And the Overseers -?"
"Most of them are just kids. The new Jedi's the exception. Her name is Johanna Estevez, better known as Darklight."
"Your old enemy?"
"The Catwoman rip-off, yes."
"And now she's an Overseer?"
"Pretty much, yeah…. I don't know if you'll see her, though - she kind of does as she pleases, and skips out on us a lot."
"Can you trust her?"
Isaac shrugged. "Nate does."
"And are they good? Do you think it'll work?"
"They're good, but not as good as the original…. I don't know if it'll work - you can never really know…. But I think we have a chance. And that's all I've ever needed."
Evan smiled. "It's good to have you back, Dad…."
"Do you remember those old days, Evan? When it was me, you, and Nigel, against the entire world?"
"Sometimes…. in my dreams…. What ever happened to Nigel, anyway?"
Isaac's face lit up. "He's with us now."
"What?"
Isaac looked at the clock. It was time. Grabbing Evan, he ran over to the fireplace, poked his head in, and looked up the chimney to the red sky above. A rope ladder fell through.
"Come on, Evan. The Overseers are waiting."
"Wait - did you say Nigel's up there, too?"
"He's our pilot."
"Really?"
"Grab on, son - we can't wait all day. Power for the cloaking device does cost money, after all…."
They grabbed on, and the ladder rose into the air, pulling them up to the air fortress above. Evan coughed on the dust in the chimney, wiping his face off as they ascended to the atmosphere above. He looked down at the world below - he could see all the houses lined up, the cars moving at their slow 20 mph speed, the people walking by, and the officers patrolling. He could see the school he attended, his friends' houses, and the graveyard with its rotting trees. He could see the reflection of the red sky on the streets below, an ominous glare, like blood. It was beautiful and frightening at the same time.
"Take a good look, Evan. This is the world we'll be liberating."
"We?"
"Of course - what fun would it be without my son by my side?"
"But Dad…. I don't have any powers…. What can I do?"
Isaac chuckled. "I'll let Nate explain…." he said, as they rose above the clouds like gods to places yet unseen. They looked up at their destination. Evan smiled broadly, as Isaac's eyes widened in fear. This was not the fortress he remembered, but a giant clock.
"They're up there, aren't they, Dad? The Overseers…."
"Evan…. There's something you should know…."
Evan could tell something was wrong. "What - what is it?"
"That's…. not the fortress…."
Three small planes zipped by. Reinforcements - Nate Shammons, Steve Goodheart, and Pen Livae leapt onto the ladder, just beneath Isaac and Evan.
"I'm sure you've realized, Isaac, that something appears to have gone wrong," Shammons said.
"It's the Time Wizard - I'd recognize his sky base anywhere! He must've watched you get us, then reversed time to take the place himself."
"That's my theory, too. He sent his time gizmos to slow our ship about twenty minutes ago. We'd have been here sooner, but it took us a while to realize something had gone wrong!"
"He's a tricky devil that way," Isaac nodded, then noticed Pen at the bottom of the rope. "Did you have to bring her?"
"Miss Livae is a member of this team just as you are, Isaac."
"What do we do, Dad? We gonna fight him?" Evan asked, a small sensation overcoming him. He had missed the heat of battle.
"You, my son, are going to jump on one of those airplanes and go on to the fortress! Nate will take you, won't you, Nate?"
"Let the kid have his fun," Shammons laughed. "If Wuzzario stood a chance, he'd have turned back time and screwed with our arrival by now, don't you think? Time manipulation's confusing that way…."
Isaac hesitated. Why did they have to bring her??
The ladder climbed through a hole in the bottom of the ship now, wrapping around a large gear. The five arrivals jumped from the ladder and landed gently on the floor, except Evan who landed on his stomach. As Isaac helped him up, he had the strange feeling that Pen Livae was watching them.
Arrows lit up around the room, pointing to a door in the corner with a sixty second countdown.
"I have a feeling that we don't want to know what happens in sixty seconds…." Isaac said, beckoning the others as they ran for the door, opening it to arrive in a tall room, one to mimic the inside of a clock tower.
Time Wizard was flying down to greet him, as the door behind them shut and locked.
"Hello, Isaac Stern, Evan Stern…. and guests…. Welcome to my domain."
"What do you want from us, Wuzzario?" Isaac sneered.
"Please…. After that late debacle in New York City, McKnight had a hunch something was wrong. He summoned me, and I looked back over the years to when you were buried in an avalanche…. and yet, you survived. I continued on to track you down to your home here in New Haven. You didn't honestly believe that we wouldn't find you, 'Owen Scott,' did you?"
"Now, now, why don't we just settle this like gentlemen?" Savage spoke. "Let us go, Time Wizard, or we will bloody hell kick your…. (how do you say….?) …. butt."
Time Wizard smirked. "I knew you would say that, Savage. Of course, I'm sure you knew that I'd refuse. But the thing is…. I already know how this confrontation ends…. and no, you will not kick my…. 'butt'…. today."
"We'll see," One-Shot said, starting the battle with a blast to Time Wizard's chest, hurling him across the room and into a large gear. Savage followed it up, leaping off the walls toward the opponent, lunging at him with claws outstretched. Time Wizard waved his scepter, slowing Savage's attack as he stepped aside, then allowing the teen to crash into the heavy gears and fall to the ground below. Nate Shammons rushed underneath, catching Savage and putting him down gently.
"You okay, Steve?"
"Yes, yes…. That hurt quite a bit, but I'll be all right."
"Good - can't have our Savage out for the count, now, can we?" Shammons looked up to Time Wizard and started shooting his gun. Time Wizard dodged them all at blinding-fast speeds - he could only be slowing time for the rest of them.
"Your resistance is futile," he said, deflecting another attack from One-Shot by aging a gear until it rested and fell over. "You see, I already know what happens next. I know, for example, that Nightshade has climbed the tower and is trying to leap down on top of me as we speak." He pointed his scepter upward, striking Nightshade in much the same way as the gear, turning her beautiful, teenage body into that of an old hag, and let her fall down past him, bouncing off some gears and landing on the floor in agony. "And I know that she will heal those wounds via shapeshifting." As he said so, Nightshade's bones snapped back into place, as her elderly face transformed into a beautiful blonde of no more than twenty-five.
"So you can predict our moves!" One-Shot called out. "Big deal! You can't deflect all of them!"
"You don't understand, One-Shot…. You see, my powers have improved greatly since we last met fifteen years ago. I can see the time-stream so perfectly, so clearly, and all at once. There is nothing beyond my knowledge. I even know when and how each of you will die. And each of you will, in turn, die…. starting with the boy…."
Time Wizard pointed his scepter at Evan, whose face grew frightened - scared. It was as though, in that moment, his entire life flashed before his eyes. The days of resistance with his father and Nigel were clear to him, the day his father gave up hope after he, Evan, was nearly killed at the age of seven, the days of submission in New Haven, and the recent months, when the Overseers finally returned. All in all, however, Evan himself had never really been a help, never really done anything. His entire life had just boiled down to one moment, and, for a second, he almost wished it would end.
And just then, there was a scream - a holler. "You stay away from my son, you b******!" it went. Time Wizard had lowered his guard, approaching the ground, and now, he was under attack.
Nightshade had leapt into battle, punching Time Wizard again and again. He tried to retaliate, to utilize his scepter, but her hand wrapped around it, snatching it away and thrusting it to the floor. Her pupils changed into a vertical slit, fangs growing from her mouth, as her spine went limp, and she fought with the ferocity of a snake, striking again and again without relent. Time Wizard tried to defend himself, but each block grew weaker and weaker, until he bled on the floor of the tower. Hissing, Nightshade lunged in for the kill.
"Your…. son….?"
She froze, turning to Evan staring in wonder. Her face returned to its normal state, the scales fading away.
"You are, aren't you?" she asked. "You are my son."
Isaac snarled. "Don't listen to her, Evan. She's just a hopeless delusional."
Evan stared at the woman, Nightshade, Pen Livae. His mother was the old Nightshade, Eva Pinel. She died, he was told, along with the rest of the Overseers. Or, perhaps, she didn't?
A laugh was heard, light and soft at first, but growing in intensity, in insanity, echoing off the walls of the clock tower in the sky. All eyes turned to Time Wizard, bleeding on the floor, one lens of his goggles broken, his brown hair mussled where his headpiece had fallen aside.
"I saw that coming, too…."
"Tell us," Nate Shammons said, walking up to Time Wizard and pointing his gun, "you think you can stop a bullet before it pierces your heart? I heard about you, Tim Wuzzario. Your father had the ability to manipulate time, not you. But you were able to steal his power - trap it in that scepter. Without it, you're helpless."
Time Wizard rose his hands, still smiling. "I told you before…. You're not going to beat me…."
"We already have. Now, you gonna cooperate with a few questions, or do I have to shoot?"
"Shoot," he said. "The questionnaire, I mean," he quickly added. "I'll tell you anything you want to know - after all, I hate McKnight!"
Shammons blinked. "What?"
"I serve him because he is powerful, and, frankly, could kill me with a thought. But truth be told, I've never been much of a fan of evil dictators who aren't me…."
"Then why not resist? Others have tried!"
"Others have died trying, Tom."
Nate looked around the room curiously. "There is no Tom here…."
"Oh, I'm sorry. My bad!"
"So…. you'll tell us everything you know about McKnight?"
"Gladly! All I ask is a room in your airship, and protection in case he finds me. I don't much want to die, but have never had a place to hide out before…."
"You have a funny way of asking."
Time Wizard only smiled.

"This is ridiculous!" Evan shouted. He, Nate, and Isaac were gathered together in a small room inside of the Overseers' airship.
"Evan, please, you have to listen," Shammons said. "You have great power, great potential!"
"No way - I can't do it! That's absurd!"
"Son, listen to Nate…. He may be a crooked, two-timing a******, but he wouldn't lie about this."
Nate gave Isaac an annoyed look, then turned back to Evan. "Kid…. You are the most powerful man on the face of the earth. You can bring back the dead!! That is not something to be taken lightly…."
"So, what did you think?? That I'd just wave my hand and all of a sudden, George Washington will come to save us?"
Shammons chuckled. "Could happen…."
"No!! That can't happen! I don't have any powers - I'm normal! And that's a dumb power, anyway!"
"It's not a dumb power, Evan," Isaac explained. "It's an amazing gift…. Most people go their whole lives dealing with the pain of loss…. but you don't have to!"
"So, I get to decide who lives and who dies? Is that what you're saying?"
"Well…." Shammons went on. "We do believe that you can take life just as easily as you can give it…."
"Don't you see, Evan? You can do anything! You can bring back the Overseers! You can take down McKnight! You have the power to change the world!"
"Yeah, to my liking!" Evan shouted. "You're saying that I should make my followers immortal, and kill those who'd oppose me…. Seriously, what's to make that any different than what McKnight's doing?? I'M NOT A GOD!!!!"
"Maybe not," Shammons said. "But you're certainly godlike."
"I'M JUST A KID!!!!! I'M FIFTEEN!!!! I CAN'T DO THIS!!!!"
Evan stormed out of the room, running through the complex.
"Evan!"
"Go after him, Isaac…." Shammons said, not looking his way. "He's your son."
Isaac ran down the hallway after Evan. Felicia was walking through the corridors, talking with Johanna, when Evan came speeding toward them. Quickly, she went intangible, and Evan passed right through them. He looked up at them, tears streaming down his face as they looked down. That one, Jedi…. was Darklight…. His father's old enemy was now one of the Overseers. Where would this end? Evan turned and kept running.
"Felicia…." Johanna said. "I think that was Isaac's son…."
Just then, Isaac came racing by as well, also passing directly through Felicia, except he didn't look back. He kept running - he could see Evan sliding down the railing. The poor kid…. he was just confused. Isaac ran down the stairs, where a loud snarl pierced his ears. He froze in place. Evan was standing there, staring down the dark corridor with the flickering light.
"Son…." he said, approaching his frightened boy.
"What…. what's down there, Dad? What's Shammons keeping from us?"
"It's nothing, Evan," Isaac said, guiding his son away from the corridor. "Just an old nightmare, now passed…."
"Dad, this is…. This is too much…."
"But don't you see, my son? You can bring back the dead!"
"But I don't want that power! I'd rather have no power! I'm not a God - I can't decide who deserves life! I'm not some sort of…. some sort of lifebender!"
"You talk of it like it's a curse -"
"It IS a curse!" Evan cried. "It's the entire weight of the world on my shoulders! And what if Shammons is wrong? Hell, I hope he's wrong!"
"He isn't wrong…. You just…. need time to develop the powers, to experiment with them…. We have rats around here somewhere - we set them up just for you. Play around, see what you can do."
"I HATE rats!"
"Evan…." Isaac tried again. "If this works out, you can bring back anyone…. You can - you can bring back your mother…."
Evan looked to his father with watery eyes. The man who raised him, who always cared about him, had one hand on his shoulder now, pleading for one thing…. The woman he loved brought back to life…. if she ever died….
"Dad…." Evan asked. "Who's the new Nightshade?"
Isaac didn't answer at first. And then, "A clone."
"A clone??"
"Listen, I don't like Shammons that much…. but his intentions are there - he wants to bring down McKnight, just as much as you and I. And the original Overseers - they had the best shot…. So, yes, he tried cloning…. It didn't work too well, that's why he stopped…. But Eva…. Pen…."
There was silence. That woman who saved his life earlier…. She was a clone….? But what is a clone exactly? Who's to say that she isn't his mother after all? And what would be the point of having two Nightshades running around anyway?
"You can do what Shammons could not, Evan," Isaac continued. "You can bring them back. Guy, Shawn - even Eva. You can bring them all back to life! And if you never want to use your powers again, I'll understand. But this is something that never should've happened - McKnight never should've won that battle, he never should've taken over. I still don't know how he did it! He'd never harnessed radioactivity before - it's as though he's gotten more powerful somehow…. (Maybe Time Wizard knows….) But you can change all that! You can heal the wounds, bring back the Overseers, and we can defeat McKnight! You have the power to save the world!"
Just once…. To use his powers just once…. Was even that asking too much?
"I'm sorry, Dad…. I - I can't…." He turned and darted down the hall.
"Evan!"
"I've seen this one before."
Isaac turned to the open door. Tim Wuzzario, Time Wizard, stood there, a grin on his face.
"Father puts pressure on son. Son can't take pressure. Son runs away. Father looks for son. Father finds son. Son dies. Happens every time."
"And who asked you??" Isaac snapped at his old enemy.
"You will," he said. "All you want is to see your wife again. To fix the broken mechanics of time." Tim smiled. "Tell me…. Do you remember the day the sun died out?"
Isaac stared, eyes wide. "You…. you can do it! You can take me back there! Fifteen years - to the day of McKnight's attack! We can save them! We can change the time-stream so that none of this ever happened!"
Wuzzario smiled, turning back into his room. "You know, Isaac…. It's dangerous to fiddle with the time-stream…. You never know what may happen…."
"I don't care - anything's better than this! Anything's better than this world of McKnight's, this world that lives in fear! Anything's better than this life without Eva!"
"Hm…. Let me think about it…. Maybe…."
"Listen, if you need time to consider it, then take it, but just agree in the end!"
Wuzzario laughed. "Time is of abundance to me…. You see, I already know what I'll decide…. And I've decided yes…. I will send you back fifteen years - and we'll see who wins this bet."

[spideyfan914]

Chapter Seven: WHEN THE SUN DIED OUT

The sun shone over the streets of Washington. Not a cloud was in the sky. In the streets, the people celebrated - the new president was being inaugurated today. She had made promises to end the war in Iran and look towards new progression at home. The last president had finally given support to mutants, and even funded their heroics - and the people wanted more.
Through the sky, the Hummingbird streaked back home toward Overseers Headquarters, located in a chamber of the White House which had been added on three years ago, in 2026. The year now was 2029.
The birds were chirping in a sort of song, which was cut off abruptly when they all flew away, away from the dark hole that suddenly appeared on the hilltop. Two men emerged, familiar to the time period but somehow aged fifteen years.
The first was a welcome sight - Isaac Stern, One-Shot, the leader of the Overseers. The only difference was that his blue costume now included a mask which covered most of his face. The second man was tall and lean, mean-looking and insane. His futuristic clock-themed costume indicated his identity - Tim Wuzzario, the villain known as Time Wizard.
"Here we are. January, 2029," Wuzzario told his partner. "Inauguration Day, and the day the Overseers all dropped dead. It's eleven o'clock right now. Sir Arthur McKnight is set to attack at precisely two-eighteen in a location not too far from here - I trust you know where it is. Try to lay low, don't attract too much attention; we already have one One-Shot wandering around the streets of Washington, and trust me, one is more than enough. I'll pick you up at three o'clock in the field where the bomb's due to strike."
"But wait - how do I -?"
"Oh, and, uh…. Don't die." Time Wizard vanished as quickly as he appeared, leaving One-Shot alone in the past.
He looked up. The sun was shining. He missed the sun. He'd nearly forgotten what it looked like…. But hopefully, he'd be able to show his son what it meant.
But now, it was time for action. He only had a few hours, after all, and he didn't even know where to begin. The Overseers had never truly battled McKnight this day - the image they saw was merely solid light, and it faded away as soon as it had done its job.
As Isaac recalled, McKnight was to lead an invasion on the capital shortly after he attacked the Overseers. That means he couldn't be too far - he must've been in position. And the first attack, according to the story, was on the White House itself….
Isaac made a break for the White House - the fastest way would be to take a cab. But wait! He needed to ensure that he didn't attract too much attention…. The mask - back in the old days, he never wore one. Quickly, One-Shot tore his mask off and threw it in the trash. Now he'd just be thought to be the old One-Shot…. except his hair was graying….
And so, Isaac's first stop was into the supermarket. One quick bottle of hairspray was all he needed.
"Gee, Isaac…. I never knew you needed hairspray!" the man behind the counter gaped.
"Yes, uh…. All that fighting, uh - my hair starting greying young…. Uh…. I usually get it offline to, uh, hide it from folks…. but my shipment's been lost this time…. Um, please don't let the word out - I've been trying hard to keep this on the DL, you know?"
The man laughed. "I won't tell…. but they might…." Isaac turned around. Sure enough, every customer in the supermarket was frozen in place, staring at him. So much for laying low….
Isaac sighed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a few bills. The cashier looked it and grimaced.
"Hey, what is this? Some kind of joke?"
Oh, damn…. He had McKnight's money system - nothing remained of the old one…. "Hey, uh, can I just pay you credit?"
"Whatever. Gimme your card."
Of course, his 2044 credit card wouldn't work either. "Um…. Can you just take my word on it that I'll pay you back? I kind of, uh…. forgot my wallet…."
"What are you talking about? You just took out your wallet to give me these joke bills!"
Isaac bit his lip, looking around at all the customers, still staring. A baby started crying, and its mother stuck a pacifier in its mouth without turning her head. Isaac had forgotten the kind of attention he used to get in his rare public appearances…. Showing up in a supermarket may have not been the smartest idea….
"Um…. Okay, listen - this is embarrassing…. I was fighting with N. S. Horseshoe the other day -"
"Who?"
"That, uh, magnet guy…. Real cheesy nerd…. Kind of pathetic…."
"Oh yeah - he robbed that store across the street once. Old lady tripped him on his way out."
"Yeah, well, uh…. He kind of, um, ruined my credit card…. Demagnetized and all…."
The man started cracking up. "Oh my god?? Seriously?? Haha!" He kneeled over the counter, clenching his heart as he laughed hysterically. "I'm sorry…. Just a second…." Tears rolled down his cheeks as he guffawed uncontrollably. Isaac looked around awkwardly. The clock now read eleven-fifteen. Fifteen minutes wasted here.
The man straightened up, wiping the tears from his eyes.
"Okay, okay…. Just…. just gotta catch my breath…. Okay, yeah…. That - that's fine, dude. You shoulda said so. I…. Yeah…. Yeah, just - just go. (Ha! Horseshoe….)"
Isaac looked around the supermarket one last time. They were still staring. In fact, no one had moved an inch since he'd arrived. Slightly annoyed, Isaac sprayed his hair, dumped the rest of the can in the garbage, and walked out. Into a blinding light - photographer.
He didn't have the time for this - he called over a taxi and sent him to the White House. The cabbie looked at him in the rearview mirror for a few minutes, as both sat in silence.
"Hey, uh…. Don't you usually take that Hummingbird jet?"
"Eyes on the road."
"Okay."
When they arrived at the White House, Isaac politely asked the driver to wait there in case he was needed, and the cabbie agreed, "Anything for an Overseer!" Isaac failed to mention that he didn't have any way to pay.
He ran around to the side of the White House, making sure that he wasn't seen. He ducked under a window as he heard people passing - the President-elect and her publicity agent.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to be working with these Overseers? I mean, they're mutants - freaks!"
"Trust me, Mrs. President…. The press LOVES it!"
Isaac moved on, looking for any sign of McKnight or his army. And yet…. nothing.
Footsteps - someone was coming! Quickly, Isaac jumped behind a tree. He heard voices - male voices. Two of them.
"No, I mean REAL crazy guys!"
"Oh, please - it's DC! This place gets everything from supervillains to Michael Moore!"
"Yeah, but these dudes were dressed in clad armor! They freakin' tried to kill me, too! Just because I saw them! Lucky they didn't chase me out of the alley…."
"Jesus, when did this happen?"
"Just a few minutes ago, before you came! I was just waiting by the ice-cream parlor, and then…."
The voices died out - they had passed. Just a couple of teenagers - but their information was valuable. Quickly, Isaac ran up to the fence and hopped it. Luckily, the streets were fairly empty - most had gone to get early seats to the inauguration by now. He raced up the street to the ice-cream parlor, and dashed into the alley.
Just like the kids had said, McKnight's men were there, still in their old-fashioned "clad armor" attire, just like the good old days. They had barely noticed him before he blasted them all, ran over, and grabbed one by the neck, slamming him against the wall, and readying his visor.
"WHERE?? WHERE IS HE?? WHERE'S MCKNIGHT?"
"The - the inauguration! He's waiting to cut the President off on her way back!"
"F***!!"
One-Shot threw him to the ground, and raced back to the White House. The taxi would take him there. He hopped the fence back into the yard and ran around the building with no time to spare. As he reached the corner, he froze - the door was opening. Thinking fast, Isaac ducked behind a bush.
"But I mean, to have them as guests of honor at my inauguration? Isn't that a bit much?"
"Trust me, Mrs. President - they will eat - it - up!"
"Even that Monstro fellow?"
"You kidding? He's the best part! He's such a freak, the people love him!"
As they reached the gate, they stopped. Isaac held his breath, ensuring not to make a peep. Had they noticed him? He felt a sneeze coming on….
"Excuse me, cabbie…. Are you just going to sit here all day?"
Isaac couldn't hear the cabbie's response, but the President-elect and her advisor looked at each other awkwardly. Had the driver given him away?
But no, they climbed into the limo and drove off. Isaac sneezed. He waited for the limo to turn, before revealing himself, running up to the cabbie.
"What did you tell them?"
"That I'm waiting for a customer to come back from the ice-cream parlor down the street. You wanted to walk a bit for some exercise, I said."
Isaac wiped the sweat off his face, climbing in. "We're going to the inauguration."
"Something wrong, Mr. Stern? Why don't you want the President knowing you're here?"
"Because there's two of me. Now go! We don't have much time, so step on it!"
The cabbie raced through Washington to the place of the inauguration. It was past noon by the time they got there - they had missed the opening.
"Thanks - wait for my return?"
"Of course, One-Shot. Just gotta hope the impostor doesn't, y'know, impostor you or anything…."
"Well, it's not quite like that…." Isaac said, running off. He couldn't show himself in the public ceremony, so he ran atop a nearby hill, watching on from a distance. All he could do now was wait for McKnight to reveal himself.
He heard the sound of someone approaching. Maybe it was safe? But wait - this was the hill he'd taken Eva to that day! An encounter between two One-Shots would not end well - quickly, Isaac hid behind a tree, peering out.
He watched as his self approached, his younger self, with Eva by his side. They looked so happy. There was a slight January chill, but green grass was growing everywhere, and the blue sky looked wondrous at high noon. With the new president being inaugurated in the background, nothing could be more beautiful.
"Eva," Isaac said, "today has been the greatest day of my life. The world's changing. People are finally beginning to accept us, and we don't need to hide ourselves anymore. We have a beautiful baby boy, and nothing could be more perfect."
"Everything is perfect," Eva spoke - how he'd missed that voice, "as long as we're together. Think we'll have more?"
"Where there's marriage, there's love!"
Eva laughed.
"And God knows I love you…. more than life itself…." Truer words had never been spoken. Behind the tree, Isaac looked at the love of his life with a longing passion. He wanted to run up to her, to cry out, to hug her, to kiss her, to love her, but dared not reveal himself. "Eva," his younger, naive person went on, "do you think every day will be like this?"
She nodded. "I think we'll spend the rest of our lives together." Her life, not his. "Nothing can come between us."
The older Isaac sobbed. If only…. If only….
"Did you hear something just now?" Isaac ducked behind the tree as the couple looked around.
"Must've been the wind," Eva said, and they waved it off.
"The world's looking up. Our world's looking up. So let's enjoy it."
Isaac poked his head out once more, just in time to see himself kissing Eva, locked in an embrace. He couldn't help but cry. He would do anything to be that man again, for just one day. Just one day!
But times had changed…. Perhaps, with his help, they wouldn't have to….
He would have Eva again. He would be that man. It was only a matter of time….

The Overseers had gone. Isaac sat on top of the hill, looking down. Jon had complained about the crowd, and so the Overseers left fairly early. The President, however, lagged behind, shaking hands with all the ambassadors of the world. Didn't they realize that the apocalypse was upon them?
The time was one-thirty. Isaac had about forty-five minutes until the sun would die. And yet still, McKnight had not revealed himself. What was he waiting for??
By now, the Overseers were surely getting their warning flare about the villain's impending attack. They were probably already discussing tactics.
There was an explosion. Finally! The people below began to flee, as the knights charged in on horseback, swords raised high. Mrs. President ducked behind a concession stand. From above, Isaac could see her take out her pager, doubtlessly to summon the Overseers, but instead merely received an electric shock.
Quickly, Isaac ran to the edge of the hill, looked back, and shot a large blast at the mountainside, hurling himself into the air. He landed hard on his back, but got up in spite of the pain, and turned to the soldiers.
"Look out!" they cried. "It's One-Shot - the Overseers are here!"
One-Shot blasted quickly but thoroughly. He'd caught them off-guard, given them a scare - had they known he were alone, they probably would've all ganged up on him, and he'd have been slaughtered. But as it was, they never stood a chance!
"Well, well, well…. If it isn't the great One-Shot….?"
He looked up - Sir Arthur McKnight was descending from the air, smiling his wicked smile.
"McKnight! I know what you're doing! I know your plans! I've seen the future!"
"Then surely, you know that I win…. Still, I must ask - why aren't you with the rest of the Overseers? I saw their Hummingbird leave town two minutes ago, and yet you're still here…."
One-Shot chuckled. "Let's just say I lagged behind…."
He didn't bother with the kiddie stuff. He removed his visor, hit McKnight full-blast, knocking him back a bit. But then, McKnight's momentum slowed, he crossed his arms, and released the same power blast directly at One-Shot! The hero's eyes jumped out for a moment, then he was hit with the raw energy of his own power.
Gently, he placed the visors back on. The ground around him was burnt. His clothes were burnt. But he was unscathed.
"Hm…. Interesting…. It appears that your abilities come with a natural resistance to your own power…."
"Of course - if they didn't, my eyelids would've fried every time I shut them."
"Well then…. Let's try something a bit more drastic…." McKnight flew into the air, as One-Shot chased after him.
"I know what you do today! I've seen it all!"
"Then surely, you know of the trap I've set for your team! My God, why aren't you with them?"
McKnight picked up his speed, to the point where One-Shot couldn't keep up. He left the field, and One-Shot saw the taxi still sitting there.
"Chase him, right?"
"You got it!" Isaac said, jumping in as the cabbie pushed down on the gas, racing after McKnight. "I'm surprised you're still here…."
"Well, I figured you may need me. Besides, you haven't paid me yet."
"Oh…. Uh…. Yeah…."
They rushed through the streets, passing by all the stop signs and red lights, swerving around other cars, ignoring all traffic laws, and focusing purely on the villain they chased. The police were speeding behind them now - it was hard to tell if they were chasing the taxi or McKnight. Or both.
It was only a minute or two before they left DC. It hit One-Shot like a falling brick where they were headed - the field, the one which would be turned into a cemetery fifteen years later. It was the place where the Overseers met their last stand.
"That's where he's going," One-Shot told the cabbie. "Just drive by - I'll jump out."
"What about my money?"
"Uh, will you just take an 'I O U' for now?"
"This is why I hate this job…."
One-Shot opened the door, and dove out of the car. McKnight had landed on the grass in front of him. In the background, One-Shot could see the Hummingbird landing, and the Overseers dashing off, with Guy and Isaac remaining in the back.
"This is it, One-Shot," McKnight smirked. "This is the place of your last stand."
"No, it won't happen. I won't let it happen! Not again."
The police parked behind One-Shot, but McKnight waved his hands and the cars exploded. One-Shot turned his head just a fraction of a second too late to help them. And that momentary distraction was all McKnight needed.
The conqueror lunged forward, landing a blow to One-Shot's jaw! Blow after blow after blow - he was toying with the hero! Every muscle in One-Shot's body ached, and he sweat like hell. Even the hairspray was fading now, and McKnight laughed.
"You're not as young as you seem, you know…."
McKnight grabbed One-Shot with both hands, and began crushing his ribs, one-by-one. One-Shot yelled in pain, but all he heard was the overpowering voice of a nightmare.
"No, actually. This time, I'm taking a far more modest goal - the elimination of the Overseers!"
"This is it, Isaac Stern…." McKnight declared, hurling the aging hero to the ground. "This is the part where I kill you…. This is the part where I win…." He grabbed One-Shot by the throat. "Farewell, young hero. I knew thee well…."
And so, McKnight spun around and hurled One-Shot through the trees, through the thicket. It was time. In the air, One-Shot saw a javelin of of what appeared to be some sort of light hurl toward the earth. He was too late.
One-Shot slammed into the ground in a large clearing. The Overseers stood above him. "What the -?"
In that last moment, the group could see the image of Sir Arthur McKnight's grinning face fade away, as the javelin hit the ground with such force that it exploded. An explosion with the power of an atom bomb. The cabbie, holding his wheel, looked on from a distant, eyes widened in fear as he stared at the large, mushroom-shaped cloud. Not too far away, Arthur McKnight was laughing.
One-Shot's body was hurled into the air again, slamming against several trees, burying himself beneath the rubble. But he would not black out - he would not lose consciousness. Focusing on the mission, ignoring the pain, he reached feebly for his visor, and blasted the trees off of him. Getting up, he raced into the center of the field.
There, he found Monstro, curdling Energy-Girl in his hands.
"Jon…. You've…. you've always been…. like a father to me…."
Tears streamed down Jon's cheeks as he looked down at Ellen Smith, trying to tell her it would be okay when he knew that it would not.
"This isn't the end, Ellen…. We'll make it…."
"No, Jon…. It's too late…. Th….thank you, Jon…. After my own father died, I didn't know how I'd be able to move on…. You're the one who's given me strength - the one who's always been there…."
"I should've been there often!"
"Please, don't blame yourself…. You've been…. a great friend…. Thank you…." She closed her eyes, and leaned back, as Jon cried out in rage and torment.
"No…. No…. Ellen…. I love you…." And then, he, too, fell to the ground, his body melting, as Quickfoot limped onto the scene.
"Y….you…." he said, looking to One-Shot. "Who…. who are you….?"
He hesitated for only a second. "I'm from the future…. I - I wanted to stop this from happening…."
"Heh…. Glad that worked out," Shawn smiled, as he collapsed upon the ground. "At least I know…. one of us survives…."
Guy appeared then. "Sh-Shawn!" he cried, running up to his friend.
"Hey, Guy…. Check out this dude - says he from the future…. Fancy that…."
"No!" Guy cried, as Shawn, too, faded out of existence. He spun to One-Shot. "You! You did this!"
"No, I - I tried to stop this!"
"Guy…." Both turned, to see Jedi limping, one eye shut, her lip and head bleeding.
"Maria!" Guy ran over to her, but collapsed on the floor before he could make it. "Damn this suit!" he cried out, removing a leg piece to see his own flesh and blood, disfigured and charred.
One-Shot looked at them both in horror. It was happening again. Everyone died - everyone except him. Somehow, he was immune to the radioactivity - perhaps his own power was a low-grade form of it, and that immunity reached out even to McKnight's small atom bomb.
Guy looked up to One-Shot. "If you're really from the future…. that means Isaac's alive…."
Right on cue, the hero's younger self came through the brush, crying out. "Eva! Where's Eva?" He saw Guy and Maria in the clearing, and One-Shot. Ignoring his counterpart, he ran to his friends, hugging them. "This can't be it…. This can't be the end…."
"Isaac, please…." Guy moaned. "I don't have much time…. Tell my son…. I'm…."
And then, Guy let out a breath. It was hard to hear his last word. It sounded, perhaps, like he was soaring. Surely, now, he'd be soaring….
"We're…. we're all going to die, aren't we….?" Maria wept silently. She had always been brave. He remembered this day perfectly - this day when he first saw Jedi cry.
The younger Isaac looked to her, but she was looking at the older one. In a moment, the younger one turned too.
"You're from the future…." she said. "Tell me…. what happens to us?"
Isaac, the older one, bit his lip. His clothes were ruined from the explosion, tattered and shredded, yet he himself had suffered no damage from the explosion itself. He was broken and bruised from battle, but otherwise, he was in the best shape out of them all.
"You die…." he said at last.
"What??" The younger Isaac burst into tears. "How could you say something like that?"
"It's been fifteen long years…. McKnight is powerful…. He's still at large…. But he will fall, I can promise you that much."
Maria looked at him with sorrow, and then, she cracked a smile. "Good…. Let him have it." She lay down on the ground, amongst the other bodies. The younger Isaac cried hysterically - so naive….
"Eva…. Where's Eva?"
One-Shot looked around. He remembered Eva emerging directly after Maria's death. And, sure enough, she arrived on schedule, crawling across the floor to Isaac. To any Isaac. To the older Isaac. And she collapsed in front of him.
It had been fifteen long years since he'd held her in his arms. This was the day that he'd relived in nightmares, time after time after time. Gently, he lifted her off the ground.
"Isaac…." she said. Her voice was gentle, soft, weak. "Isaac…." She was so beautiful. Her blonde hair blew in the wind like an ocean of honey, her face - that face - looked up to Isaac with a warm comfort. "I'm so cold…."
"Don't worry, Eva," he said, a tear in his eye. "You'll make it! You have to!"
"You look so brave, Isaac…. Still standing against all odds…. You'll live on - I know you will…. You'll defeat McKnight…. You have to…."
"Not without you, Eva! You're going to live!" he told her, even though he knew it was a lie.
"No, Isaac…. This is my end…. Take care of Evan - he'll need a father…."
"I may live fifteen years alone, but I'll always need you by my side! You can't leave me like this, not again!"
Eva smiled - her smile was like that of the sun, the glorious sun. "I love you, Isaac…. Always remember that…. But don't remember it too hard…. We'll meet again - until then, be fair to yourself. Never lose sight of who you are." She chuckled. "Funny, saying that to a blind man…."
"Eva…. Eva…."
She rested her head back, still smiling like the sun. The color in her eyes was slowly fading away. "Good-night, sweet prince…."
It was over. All that, and nothing changed.
Gently, Isaac rested her against the ground, the field of greying grass. She was so beautiful whilst she slept. A small tint of red shone down, coating her in rays of blood. So beautiful….
Isaac looked up. The red sun illuminated the sky. The clouds were highlighted with crimson. Across from him, a young reflection stared back, tears in his eyes as he watched blankly on, his final moments stolen away by a future he didn't want.
"I'm sorry," the elder one said, "but this is how it ends. I tried to come back - thought I could change things…. but I guess…. they were meant to happen this way, after all…."
"How could you say that? How could I say that?? This never should've happened! McKnight doesn't even have that kind of power!"
"He does, and that's not all…. He wins - he gets the world in his hand. Maybe, someday, he'll fall…. But it hasn't happened yet…. and I don't know if it ever will…."
"It can't end this way! It can't!"
"I know it's hard - I've been through it myself…. But it's true…. You're the last Overseer - I'm the last Overseer…."
"No! That's impossible! There's…." he looked around. "James! James isn't here! He has healing powers! Maybe -"
"Don't count on it." Isaac stood. It was nearly time to go.
"I hate you…. It's like you've given up hope, stopped trying! I will NEVER give up hope! I will NEVER become you! NEVER!!!!"
Isaac looked back one last time. He was so full of anger, of hate, of torment. He was confused - he didn't know what to think, or who to blame. Fifteen years later, he'd still be confused.
He walked away, into the trees, away from his past. A dark hole emerged in the thickets, and Time Wizard appeared. He looked up at the red sky, smirking. "Looks like I win the bet…."
The sun was shining. The music was playing. And the world was to be changed forever.
"Sorry, One-Shot…. but that's all you get - one shot."

[spideyfan914]

Chapter Eight: THE VETERAN'S SON

The year was 2044. One-Shot and Time Wizard arrived in the airship, in Wuzzario's room. Everything was exactly the same - nothing had changed.
"Oh, you tried to resist what you'd become," Wuzzario explained, "but alas, fate is all-powerful - to change your existence would merely create a paradox, and so the time-stream repaired itself. Fancy that."
"You knew," Isaac sobbed. "You knew this would happen - you know nothing would happen…."
"Oh, please - can't you take a little tease from an old foe? I know I had fun!"
Isaac socked him in the face. "All I wanted was to fix this world! All I wanted was to see Eva again! And you just play around with my dreams, with my nightmares…. This isn't some game, Wuzzario! This isn't some game…."
Isaac fell to his knees, crying into his hand as Wuzzario wiped the blood off his grin. "How nice…. You're in love. Poor baby."
Isaac rose to his feet, turned away, and left the room. He wanted to kill Wuzzario, but he knew Shammons wasn't done extracting information from him.
"Dad….?"
He gazed down the hall, where his son still stood. Though he had been gone for hours, it had only taken a split-second in this time period.
"Dad, what…. what happened….?"
Isaac shook his head. "Just…. a nightmare, Evan…. A nightmare of a time long past…."
Evan looked to his father in wonder. This was the man who had raised him, who had never given up on him, who gave everything he had, everything he was, for his boy - all for the boy. All he wanted now was to see his wife again, to see Eva once more….
Evan had been told stories of his mother. She was a kind woman, always laughing, always smiling. She had a pleasing aura, always giving and never asking for anything in return. Her smile, he was told, was like the sun - the other thing he'd never known.
He would've liked her, he was told. She was a wonderful woman, and would have given her life for her son. All his father was asking was for Evan to give it back. Why couldn't he do this one simple task? Just one time - one life - that was all he wanted.
"I'll do it," Evan said. Isaac looked to his son. "I'll bring her back."

Rats.
Dead rats. Dozens of dead rats.
That was what he was given.
"Experiment," Shammons told him. "Your power is active - sooner or later, you'll figure out how to work it."
And so, Evan was left alone. Alone with rats.
Sighing, he picked one up and held it in his hand. It smelled disgusting, looked disgusting. It was hairy and dirty and looked like death.
"So…. Where do I begin….?"
He looked at the rat with a putrid look on his face. This was the thing he needed to bring back? He held it by its tail and shook it gently. Then violently. It slapped against his hand. He dropped it.
"Ew…."

"Hey, Isaac."
Isaac was laying in bed, staring up at the ceiling. He turned to the door, where Johanna Estevez had appeared.
"Hello, Darklight," he greeted coldly.
She laughed. "I WAS Darklight, Isaac…. I told you - I've reformed!"
"Once a thief, always a thief. That's the way the cookie crumbles."
"Why won't you just trust me?"
"I tried trusting a villain once. Left me heartbroken and in tears."
She let out a breath of frustration, then approached his bed and sat down. "Listen, I'm trying to make a fresh start here, okay? All I need is a chance…."
"You're asking the wrong guy. I still think you have something up your sleeve. Always did."
"Why can't I just hate McKnight and seriously want him to fall?"
"Because he's just the law, and it's not like you ever cared about the law."
"I had my limits!"
"Yeah - you stopped at paralysis."
She started to tear. "That was an accident! You know it was an accident! It was the biggest regret of my life!"
"The top of a very long list, I presume."
"Do you have any idea what I've been through?? Any idea where I come from?? When I was seven, men broke into my house - big men, strong men! Our parents hid Maria and I under the sofa, and we watched as they tore apart the house, holding my parents at gunpoint! When they realized there was nothing of value, they said, 'We'll just take your wife instead.' My father tried to fight them, but he was shot - right in front of our eyes! And my mother…. They…."
Tears were streaming down her cheeks as Isaac looked on in shock. Maria had never been a very big talker…. He'd known their parents were dead, but this….
"I was only seven…. My powers activated, right then and there…. I killed the men, but it was already too late…. Our parents were dead, and our house was ruined…. More men came, told us they'd put us somewhere we'd be safe, but we knew it wasn't true…. We ran away - took to the streets. We lived off pickpocket money for our entire childhood…. Maria's powers activated shortly after mine…. I was the older one, so I was in charge. But I didn't know what to do, how to deal with it…. I - I was only seven…."
"I…. I'm sorry…. I didn't know…."
She wiped away the tears, and forced a smile. "It's okay…. Come on - let's go to the bar and have a drink!"
"I don't know…. I haven't had a drink in a long time…. Gotta think of Evan and all…."
"Oh, please! I can tell you've had a rough day - come on, I'll show you how to wash your troubles away!"

He held the rat in his hand.
"Come on…. Live…. Live!!!"
He squeezed it tightly.
"Come on…. Come on…. Breath…."
He stretched it out.
"Breath…. Live…. Come on…."
Nothing. The rat rested in Evan's hand, unmoving, still as death.
He sighed, putting it down on the ground. Maybe Shammons really was wrong - maybe he really couldn't bring back the dead after all.

Johanna led the way into the bar. Isaac looked around in shock. Minus Pen and Alex, all of the Overseers were there.
Mark Shallow, Quickfoot, sat at a table playing poker with Barry Drew, Monstro. Sitting at the bar was Felicia Gavin, Energy Girl, ordering another drink. Even Steve Goodheart, Savage, was there - the one man Isaac never would've expected to see.
"Should…. Should they really be here? I mean, minus Felicia, they're -"
"Oh, loosen up!" Johanna laughed. "You old guys and your strict '20s philosophies…."
Isaac cracked a smile. "Hey! I'll have you know that I grew up in the '10s!"
"Ha! Even older!" She grabbed him by the hand and dragged him over to the bar. "First round's on me, Nigel."
"Nigel??" Isaac looked up to see the old pilot behind the bar, walking up with two drinks.
"Here you are, m'boy! Drink up - you deserve it!"
"What…. what are you doing??"
"Why, I believe I'm serving drinks to these youth."
"But isn't that….?"
"Isaac," Nigel chuckled, shaking his head, "these children are readying to face the most powerful dictator this world has ever known. They will see many horrors in their future - I think that a few drinks is a reasonable request."
"I…. I guess…." Isaac looked over to Felicia, sipping her drink as she stared across the room at Steve. Steve, meanwhile, was sitting by himself with an untouched drink. Occasionally, he would look at her, then quickly flick his eyes back into space. You could tell that he knew she was looking at him. Finally, he rose from his seat and walked over to Felicia, trembling like a little boy.
"Excuse me…. Miss Gavin…. but, uh, would you like to join me at my table - I mean, uh, if you don't mind…."
She smiled. "Why don't you pull up a seat right here, hotshot?"
"Um…. Uh…. Yes, uh - jolly good…." He was such a geek. "Uh, listen, I couldn't help but, uh, notice that…."
"Yes?"
"I couldn't help but notice that…. that you were…. looking at me, so to speak, and, uh…."
"I'm allowed to look at you, I think. After all, you're kind of cute for a Savage…."
"Oh, well, um, yes…. Uh…. I suppose that you're, um…."
"I believe you're trying to say that I'm not so bad myself?"
"Um…. Sure - let's go with that, shall we?"
Felicia laughed. "Nigel! Pull up another round for my friend here - extra spice."
"Very well, Miss Gavin," Nigel nodded.
"Oh, that won't be necessary," Steve laughed nervously. "I'm, um, not much of a drinker…."
"Ha! Everyone's gotta start sometime!"
Isaac's mouth was gaping open at the scene. It was a frightening picture - Felicia was nothing like the original Energy-Girl, and Steve was nothing like the original Savage. It was all so strange to behold…. So bizarre….
Beside him, Johanna was gently sipping her latte, eyeing Isaac with a keen look in her eyes.
"Enjoying the views?" she said, and Isaac snapped back to attention.
"What?? Um - no! No, I, uh, don't know what you're talking about…."
She laughed. "I think Felicia's a little too young for you."
"No, no - you have it all wrong! I wasn't - I mean - I was -"
"I'm joking!" Johanna laughed.
"Oh…. Phew…." Isaac wiped the sweat from his forehead, smiling now. "It's just…. uh…."
"Hm, wonder where those two are going?"
Isaac turned according to Johanna's gaze, and saw Felicia dragging Steve off to the restrooms, a goofy smile on his face. To think that this was the man who said that ferocity's overrated.
The music was jazzy, with a nice, upbeat rhythm. It was the kind of music that you could have a nice dance to, with folks drinking in the background. All you needed was a partner. If only Eva could be here….
"THAT'S S***!" someone cried out. "F*** YOU, BARRY! F*** YOU!"
"Hey, hey, hey! I won this game fair and square!"
"You a cheatin', lyin', son-of-a-"
"And you're a hopeless drunk who ran a bit too far from home!"
"That - DOES it! I gonna killlll you while you sleep!"
Heads turned to Mark and Barry, standing up over their poker game and in each other's face.
"You little twerp!" Barry yelled at him. "It's your own fault you lost - you had a hand of threes, for cryin' out loud! If you didn't want to lose, you shouldn't have bet!"
"Yeah, wellll I'll gonna show yoouu!" Mark was swaying in his stance, face staring dumbly at Monstro, as he took a swing which Barry easily avoided.
"Listen, ya dweeb! I'm not gonna fight you!"
"Oh yeaah, well then say your that to my fifissts!" Mark kept swinging. His motions were fast, but in between each missed swing, he paused for several seconds before he was able to start the next one.
"Kid, you're drunk. You're always drunk! And I'm not gonna fight a guy too drunk to fight back!"
"You a chicken-boy and a cowardly wimp! You just scaared that I gonna beat you up!"
"That's it!" Barry picked up the table and hurled it aside, pulling back his fist and readying a punch.
Frustrated, Isaac blasted at the space between them, and both jumped back. Johanna stood up and created two lassos, wrapping one around each.
"Okay, kids! Playtime's over!" she shouted out. "No barfights tonight, says the lady who could kick both your pathetic butts."
"S-sorry, Johanna…." Barry stuttered. "I - I guess I got carried away…."
"Heyy! This isn't donne yet!"
"Shut up, Mark," Isaac sneered. "Guess we'd better bring them back ourselves. (Quickster's got a drinking problem…. I am now officially scarred for life….)"
Johanna sighed. "Yeah, I guess so…."

He looked at the rats. So lifeless, so motionless…. He was supposed to be able to change that - to bring them back. Yet nothing he tried worked.
"One more shot," he told himself. "One more shot at bringing back these disgusting little critters…."
He held the rat gently in his hand. So hideous…. So wretched….
He closed his fist over it, shutting his eyes and whispering a prayer.
Concentrating, he poured his energy - all his willpower - into just trying to bring it back.
This time, it would work. The dead would walk again. This pest would live, this rat would live. Taking a deep breath, Evan opened his hands, and beheld the site before him.
So lifeless…. So motionless…. And nothing would change that.

"Okay, Shammons, speak up," Isaac said. "Why is there a bar in a place where we have kids preparing for the ultimate battle?"
Shammons stared at the old hero in silence. "It's…. it's just a bar…. What's the big deal?"
"Mark Shallow, the kid YOU picked out as Quickfoot, is a complete drunk! Seriously, what are you doing to these kids?"
"He was like that when I found him," Shammons sighed, looking around the room in awkwardness. It was the first time anyone had barged into his room like this. It was small, about the same size as everyone else's, nothing special. The only thing that stuck out was the large poster of Guy Mansen, the original Mindworm, hanging over his bed.
"He was like that when you….? And you STILL let him join the team??"
"Well…. Yeah…. He had the power requirements - he was what we were looking for…."
"Jesus! What's with you??"
"I -"
"Tell me something, Nate. Why are you doing this?"
"I…. Huh?"
"Why do you want to take down McKnight?"
"Well…. he's a ruthless dictator who nobody likes…. Why else?"
"No," Isaac replied, shaking his head. "No one goes to the extremes you have for something so humane…. There's more to it - something he's done to you. This is personal."
Shammons blinked. "I…. I don't know what you're talking about…."
"Like hell, you don't!"
Nate Shammons bit his lip, thinking things over and hesitating. His eye wandered, never making eye-contact with Isaac, wandered up to the poster of Mindworm.
"You know…." Shammons whispered. "They say that I'm…. inhumanly intelligent…."
Isaac stood there, staring. "Inhumanly….?" What was he saying? That he was….? "You're…. you're a mutant…. Mindworm - you're Mindworm!"
The agent smiled. "I told you I tried robotics…. 'Alex Jones' was the only one we had the expenses to make back then…."
"And you…. You're…."
"Well, the original Mindworm died in battle…. I figured this way, if something were to befall the hero, I'd always be able to just…. build another…."
"The…. original Mindworm…." Isaac's eyes jumped out. It made so much sense - he was the right age and everything! "Who - who are you?"
"My real name is Thomas Mansen. Sir Arthur McKnight killed my father."
Thomas Mansen…. Thomas Mansen….
"My God…." Isaac whispered, a smile overcoming his face. "Thomas Mansen…."
The agent chuckled. "I believe that you knew my father, correct?"
"He was my best friend. Always tried to do what was right. He loved you, you know."
"Yes…." the veteran's son replied, turning away. "So I've been told…."
"I…. I know it's hard…. I…."
"It's okay, Isaac. It's been fifteen years, after all."
Isaac nodded. "He was a great man, your father…."

Evan sat in the room, alone. Alone except for rats. And even then, they were dead.
One rat lay in front of him, lying on her side. She was so hideous. Too bad he couldn't bring her back.
There was a patter of feet - a live one. Must've crawled through the vents. He was small, a baby. He scurried up to the dead rat laying in front of the mutant child.
"She's…. she's your mother…. Isn't she, little guy?" Evan reached down, and pushed the baby rat into his hand. "I know how you feel…. My mother died too, when I was just a little guy. I grew up without her, with only my father to guide me."
The baby perked his head up to Evan, standing on his hind legs and staring with a look of sorrow in his eyes.
"Maybe…. I can help you…. Give you the mother I never had…."
Closing his hand around the baby, Evan reached down with his other one to gently touch the mother. He had tried so much, and so much had failed. But now, all he wanted was for this rat to live, the give her back to her child, to give her breathe.
Shutting his eyes, Evan concentrated with all his might. Give her life. Give her life!
Gently, he whispered a prayer, and then, he felt something scurry.
Snapping his eyes open, he stared at the mother before him. She was moving, sniffing the air, looking around at her surroundings. She lived.
"I did it!" Evan cried out. "I did it, little guy!"
He looked at the rat in his hands, as his smile slowly faded. There it was - the baby rat - lying on its back. So lifeless…. So motionless….

[spideyfan914]

Chapter Nine: THE ULTIMATE POWER

The airship moved through the sky, high above the clouds, out of sight of the pedestrians, cloaked from McKnight's radar. It moved slowly, over New Haven, over a field which was once much bigger. Since then, it had changed - changed into a cemetery. It was ironic, considering all that had happened there.
Fifteen years ago, Isaac Stern was left to bury the seven best friends he ever had. He did so right then and there, on the spot where they died. He buried them, and swore on their graves they'd be avenged. But he'd since strayed from that path, gone into hiding, given up. Now, he was ready to fight again, except it wouldn't be for vengeance. After all, there is no reason to avenge someone who's alive.
"Dad, I…. I don't know about this…."
"Trust me, Evan, it's for the best. Soon, you'll meet her, and believe me, you will love her as much as I do." Isaac looked over to Barry. "Monstro, you lead."
"Got it, boss!" As the door opened up, Monstro charged and leapt down, diving miles through the air and finally slamming into the ground. One lone soldier kept a perimeter of the cemetery. He screamed as the behemoth rose from his crater and stepped forward. Frantically, the soldier began shooting rapid fire, but the bullets merely bounced off the monster's hide. As it approached, the soldier reached for his communicator and cried out for back-up - then, Monstro grabbed him by the head and slammed him into the ground.
A rope ladder flew down from the sky, and four heroes descended - Nightshade, Savage, Energy Woman, and Jedi. Mindworm waited behind in the ship, shouting out orders.
"Where's Quickfoot?" Isaac implored.
Nate Shammons, or Thomas Mansen, or Mindworm, looked to Isaac with annoyance. "He's a bit hungover, okay?"
"So what am I supposed to call you? Shammons? Mansen? Mindworm?"
"Tom is fine," he replied. "But as far as the others are concerned, I'm Nate Shammons, and we are going to keep it that way."
Down below, back-up came - riding high-speed police cars, several officers arrived. Stepping out of their vehicles, the officers stared at their foe in horror. The Overseers - they'd come here. It was known, by now, that Owen Scott had been One-Shot all along, a resident of their own town, but for him to return?
"We're gonna need more back-up," someone whispered. "Like, the whole force…."
The five Overseers charged the police. Nightshade slithered around the blows of the enemy and then struck from behind. Savage roared as he slashed his foe, destroying their weapons and slicing through their armor. Energy Woman ran at them, letting the bullets pass through, never stopping, phasing right through the soldiers, then backslapping them with the force of all her energy. Monstro flipped the cars over, pounding the officers, crushing their defenses, never letting up. Jedi drew swords of light with which she blocked all the attacks of her opponent, until she smote them at the first opening.
More cars arrived, but the Overseers kept going, standing their guard. Not one officer was able to get through to the graveyard, where they could see in the distance the rope ladder still hanging, as though there were more to come.

"You ready for this, Isaac?" Tom asked him up above.
"Yup, it's time to bring back the old team."
Tom nodded, smiling. "Good. And you, kid?" He turned to Evan. "You're the one with the big honor today. Your dad here will blast into the ground, find the bodies we need. But you - you're the one who gets to give them back their life."
"But they'll…. be corpses…."
Tom shook his head. "I checked out that rat you brought back. It had already started rotting by the time you got to it - it's heart had been eaten away. And yet, with your help, it grew back. You can heal them, give them back everything they once were!"
"But…."
"Evan," Tom looked stern now, kneeling down beside the boy, "we've set up this entire operation just for you. Just so that we can bring back the original Overseers, send all fifteen heroes into battle! McKnight won't stand a chance! Don't you get it, kid? You're the one who'll do it all! You're the one who'll save the world! You can't back out on us."
"I…." How was he supposed to tell them? How was he supposed to tell them what he could do, and what he needed to do it. He'd told them that it worked - he'd told of the rat he'd brought back, showed them the pest. But he didn't show them the child, the baby rat, the little guy. He hadn't told them of the price he had to pay in exchange for that life. And, after all, he was their only hope. "Okay…. I'll do it…."
Tom smiled.
Isaac grabbed Evan and they walked over to the rope ladder. Grabbing onto the sides with their hands, they slid down - down to the earth below.
The sky was red. The birds looked on in fear. But today, perhaps, the world would be changed forever.

Outside, the battle raged on. "Don't look now, Johanna," Monstro whispered to Jedi, "but I think we got a problem…." The team looked up - helicopters were coming in.
"Oh, God!" Jedi shouted. "Hey, can anyone fly and hasn't told us?"
Suddenly, something landed behind them - a large hulk of machinery. Mindworm. He point upwards at the helicopters and started shooting at them with all he had. One-by-one, the helicopters began taking damage, and one-by-one, they needed to turn back.
"Jeez, Alex," Energy Woman laughed, kicking a soldier in the nuts, "what took you so long?"

Back in the depths of the cemetery, Isaac and his son landed on solid ground.
"Come on, Evan, I buried the bodies around this tree here." Isaac ran over to a large weeping willow, at the edge of the clearing. Images flashed through his mind - images of Sir Arthur McKnight's fading grin as a radioactive javelin hit the ground like an atom bomb - images of his friends gathering around in a small clearing, crying out as they each, in turn, died - images of Eva Pinel, cradled in his hands, smiling like the sun, the light in her eyes fading away, the sun dying out.
There were two knots in the tree, where rope-like bark intersected. It formed the shape of a heart, one which looked almost to be broken, and yet never truly splitting. The Overseers were buried all around the tree, but Eva - she was beneath these interlocked knots. Isaac looked down at the ground, opened his visor, and blasted into the earth. When he closed his visor once more, the dirt had cleared a path, a steady descent into the ground where a small skeleton lay. So lifeless, so motionless…. It was strangely at peace in its hole in the earth. But Isaac knew the truth - it was Eva, his Eva, and all she yearned for was to live again, by his side.
Isaac ran up to skeleton and took its hand. It was delicate, gentle, ready to crumble away.
"Eva…. Eva…." Tears formed in his eyes. "Don't worry, Eva…. Everything will be all right…. And this time, I mean it. Soon, I'll see your smiling face again, just like the sun…. You'll get to meet our boy - you'll get to meet Evan. Everything is going to be all right…. Everything…."
He looked up. Evan was still standing back where they had landed.
"Come in, Evan. Come in, and meet your mother. At last, you get to meet your mother."
"I…."
"Come in, my boy. You have to come in - she's too delicate to move from the grave, not until you've given her back the life which was stolen from her."
Evan looked down into the grave, at his father, at his mother. "Dad, there's…. there's something I need to tell you…."
"You can tell me later, son. Now, it's time for our family reunion."
"It's…. about that…."
Isaac stared at the boy, confused. Didn't he want to see his mother? Didn't he want to bring her back? Didn't he want to know the sun? The father did not understand.
"Dad, I…. That rat I brought back…."
"A miracle, Evan. A miracle of life."
"No, Dad! I have - I have some control of life, yes…. But I don't give it…. I…. I transfer it…. I transfer life…."
Isaac was perplexed. "What…. what do you mean, 'transfer'?"
"To give life…. I need to take it…. from somewhere else…. To resurrect, I must first kill."
Evan did not look at his father. His eyes were watery, mind all foggy, as the man who raised him now rose from the grave. Isaac walked up the pathway to his son, face blank and expressionless. He stopped only inches away, then turned. Not too far away, the Overseers were fighting with officers, with soldiers, fighting for their lives.
He saw Nightshade, fighting alongside the others, slipping around enemy fire like a serpent, striking back with the viciousness of a viper, keeping the foe at her grip, the grip of a python. Pen Livae, she was called. Tom had cloned Eva, created Pen, created from the woman he loved.
"Pen!" Isaac called out over all the noises of battle. "Can you come here for a moment?"
Evan looked at his father in shock, unable to take it in. Isaac merely stared off into the distance, as Pen leaped over the fence, and came forward. Today, she wore long red hair, blue eyes, and tanned skin. She walked through the cemetery, wading in her step. She looked to Isaac for a response, but he instead turned to the boy. Pen turned to Evan, perplexed but emotionless, and she saw the tears in his eyes as he stared up at his father in horror and fright.
Hesitantly, Isaac turned back to Pen. "Send one over to us, will you?"
Pen nodded silently, not quite understanding but not questioning either. She turned to go, and then noticed the skeleton in the grave. It was strange, that skeleton. Pen's eyes narrowed, became like slits for a mere moment. She followed the tree upwards to see the knots entangled like a heart. She flicked her eyes back to Isaac, then turned and left. She whispered something to Mindworm, and returned to the fight.
The helicopters had stopped coming now. The robot had been able to focus on the battle in the streets. It held up a hand, and a grapple shot out, wrapping around an unconscious officer. Mindworm spun around, officer in hand, and zipped over to Isaac and Evan in but a moment, setting down the knocked out soldier.
"Thanks, Tom," Isaac said. "Now Evan, this one here is a henchman of McKnight. An underling, a pawn. Take it down there with you, and do what you need to do."
Evan stared at his father in amazement, in shock, in wonder. "How…. how can I….?"
Mindworm tapped Isaac on the shoulder. It wanted an explanation.
Isaac sighed in reluctance. Then he spoke. "Listen, Tom…. My kid's gonna bring them back - he'll start with Eva. Next, perhaps, he'll move on to your father. But for each one he brings back, we'll need another worthless scum to take down."
Mindworm stood there a moment in silence, then nodded and turned back to the battle.
"Be sure to keep up the supply for us! We'll need seven total!"
Mindworm held up a hand, thumb up, as he returned to the battle at hand.
Evan was amazed by what was happening. He'd been given a power, one too great for him to understand, one too great for him to even use. And yet, here was his father, expecting him, a fifteen-year-old kid, to do the unthinkable.
"Dad, I…. I can't…."
"You can, Evan, and you will," Isaac grumbled. "Now take that henchman and go. You'll meet your mother soon, my son. I'm telling you - you're going to love her. Now, you made a promise to me, boy. Don't let me down."
"It was one thing when it was just giving life, when we thought there was no cost! But I'm not going to kill! I don't care who it is!"
Isaac looked at Evan in rage. He grabbed the officer and shoved him in the boy's face. "You think this man would hesitate?? You think that he wouldn't do it??" he yelled. "He's a scum, a pawn of McKnight! McKnight KILLED YOUR MOTHER, boy! And don't you forget that! Anyone who would work for him deserves nothing but to die!"
"Dad, listen to yourself!" Evan cried out. "You once bowed down to McKnight, too! You obeyed him! You took all his s***!"
"Watch your language!"
"Dad, we know nothing about this man! Who are we to decide whether he deserves to live or die?" There were tears in Evan's eyes. He was broken. Isaac could do nothing more.
He yelled in rage, slamming the officer aside, slamming him against a tree. He faced up to the heavens, to the red sky above, and tore his visor open, launching an enormous blast of energy into the air.
Collapsing on the floor, he breathed deeply and heavily. Evan slowly approached his father.
"Dad, I'm…. I'm sorry…."
But Isaac wasn't looking at his son.
He was looking at the figure gently floating down from the air on a parachute. Wrapped in chains around a straitjacket, a man glided to the ground in front of them, staring at the pair with black eyes, smiling devilishly as he landed softly on the earth in front of them.
As requested, Tom was keeping a constant supply of scum. He had begun from the bottom. He had begun with the clown.

The Overseers fought just outside the cemetery. More soldiers kept coming. They were being called in from out-of-town, now - New Haven's force alone wasn't big enough to hold back the Overseers. Surely, by now, they'd attracted the attention of Sir Arthur McKnight.
"Keep it up, ya punks!" Monstro smiled, smashing a soldier's jaw as he staggered back into a car. "Nothin' can stop us now!"
"Oh, great!" Jedi declared, cutting down another soldier with a light-knife. "The choppers are back!"
Mindworm looked up to the sky. A fleet of choppers were arriving - hundreds, at least. Its feet lit up, and it jet into the air - the other five heroes could keep back the troops on land, but only the robot had a chance against the airborne ones. It hovered at the front of the fleet, facing the choppers head-on, pointing its wrist, and fired rocket at the helicopters. It never missed.
"Nice try, kid, but no cigar."
Suddenly, a creature leaped out of the smoke. It was shaped like a man, but had spiderlike arms growing from its back. Before Mindworm could react, the creature pounced it, and they both plunged to the ground.
They landed in a large explosion. Mindworm lay on the ground, broken and tattered, its head rolling away.
"Alex!" someone cried out, as the creature looked down at the robot in shame.
"Pity…. I thought it was an Overseer…. Oh, well - the others will have to do for now."
It stood up. They could see it's long, white mane flowing down its back. It had grizzly gray skin, and wore only short brown pants around its waist, held up by a belt equipped to the brim with weapons. The right side of its body was metallic, its hand shaped like a gun, and four spidery tendrils grew from its back, prodding the fallen robot. It slowly turned to face the enemy, and they saw first its robotic eye, like something out of a sci-fi movie. Then they saw its grizzly fangs, its animal eye. Then, they saw its short brown beard, and a familiar skull-shaped keychain around its belt.
"Oh, bloody hell!" Savage exclaimed. "I…. know you!"
The creature smiled, showing it's carnivorous teeth and it drooled. "That's right, Savage. I was a big opponent to your predecessor in particular. I once caught him, you know - a shame he got away. I was going to make so much money off that deal…."
"I'm sorry," Energy Woman said, popping out of the ground and slamming a soldier in the head, "but I DON'T recognize you from any of those old stories. Who are you?"
The monster laughed, as it slowly approached, drawing a silver knife with its hairy claw. "Well, I was once a bit more…. human, you would say. McKnight has far improved on my premise, so perhaps you wouldn't recognize me. I have always been a great hunter, though, so you may have heard my name, Pierre Gaston!"
He drew his gun-hand and starting shooting rapidly out of his hand. Savage leapt around the blows, sneaking up behind Gaston as the monstrous hunter fired at Jedi. Snarling ferociously, Savage pounced at Gaston from behind - the hunter sucker punched without even looking his way, then jumped forward at Monstro. Landing on top of him, he lunged the knife deep into his skin. Monstro yelled out in pain as he kicked the creature off, pulling the knife and grabbing onto the wound.
"Okay, that really hurt!" Monstro sneered, tossing the knife aside and charging at Gaston. He grabbed onto the hole of the hunter's gun-hand, and as he shot, it exploded in his face. Flinching, Gaston began exchanging punches with Monstro, when Nightshade suddenly popped up behind him, grabbing several weapons out of his belt and tossing them aside.
Gaston spun around to strike Nightshade, but she ducked backwards under his blow, popped up into the air, and landing on his shoulders, began hitting him mercilessly. Monstro kept punching as well, hitting Gaston low as Nightshade took him high.
Infuriated, the hunter dove down without notice, and Monstro's swing connected then with Nightshade, knocking her out. "Oh, God…. Sorry, Pen!"
Suddenly, Gaston uppercut Monstro into a point perhaps a bit too low. Wincing in pain, the behemoth collapsed upon the floor. Gaston rose to his feet, and turned to face the two remaining Overseers - Jedi and Energy Woman.
"Bring it."

"Hey there, Shotty! Long time, no see! Tell me - is it true you're the original Shot?"
"Shut it, Jester," Isaac sneered.
Jester smiled devilishly at the hero and his son. "Nice kid, Shotty. I used to have one just like him…. until I shot the little b******!"
Evan turned to his father, who stared down at him in hope. "Dad, I…. I can't…. I…."
"Don't look now, but reinforcements are here!" Jester cackled. Isaac turned his attention to the skies, where helicopters were flying down. He grimaced as he ran up to them, dodging the many bullets.
"I! WILL NOT! BE STOPPED! BY! YOU!!!!!!" He shot the helicopters with his famous eye-blasts, destroying them one-by-one.
"Wow, and I thought I had anger issues…."
"You be quiet…." Isaac snarled through his teeth, as he continued to blast the choppers as the only defense for his son and his wife. "YOU WILL NOT STOP ME, YOU HEAR ME, MCKNIGHT?? EVA WILL WALK AGAIN!! AND YOU!!! WON'T!!! STOP ME!!!!!!!"
Jets sunk down through the clouds, black jets against the red sky, as they swooped against the fleet of choppers, shooting at them - an air battle.
"Ah, darn! And I thought they were gonna rescue me! Where are the heroes when you need them?"
Isaac stormed up to Jester, grabbed him the hair, and started socking him relentlessly.
"Dad, stop!" Evan ran up to them. "He's already chained! It's over - it's BEEN over!"
"He's SCUM, Evan!" Isaac shouted, tossing the clown to the floor. "How does he deserve life, and Eva deserve death? Tell me that, son! TELL ME THAT!!"

Gaston charged after Jedi, as she leapt over his head, planting daggers into his back. Gaston roared in pain, drawing a knife from his belt - Nightshade hadn't gotten them all - and swung at Jedi, as she back-stepped, just barely dodging each blurred swing. She jump into the air, backflipping and landing on a car, drew swords of solid light, and kicking off the car, diving to Gaston, swords pointing down, his knife pointing up.
Gaston smiled viciously, as Jedi dove in, unable to stop before the knife. Suddenly, Energy Woman jumped through Gaston, grabbed ahold of his knife, and forced his hand down, just in time for Jedi to land, swords piercing into Gaston's sides as he cried out in pain.
Energy Woman spun around, kicking him backwards as he stumbled. She leapt toward him, punching non-stop, as each blow of his merely passed right through her. Jedi flung a light-knife from a distance, landing it in his red cyborg eye. Energy Girl uppercut his jaw, and finally, he collapsed before her.
"And stay down!" she yelled at the unconscious foe.
"Heh…." Jedi chuckled, walking up beside her friend. Around them, sleeping foes littered the area. The rest had cleared out when Gaston made his entry. "Thinks he's so tough…."
"Yeah…. Men…."

The air battle went on. Both jets and choppers fell, crashing into the ground around the cemetery, exploding upon impact. With each explosion, Isaac remembered - remembered the explosion that took the life of his team all those years ago. He remembered Eva, and he remembered her death.
And here, the team's old foe lay in the mud before them, staring up and cackling.
"Dad, it's just…. I'm only fifteen! I can't do it - I can't take a life!"
"A life!" Isaac shouted. "You call THAT a life?"
"Jester is a man! He's a human!"
"No he isn't, Evan. Justin Terra is a madman, who gets pleasure out of other people's suffering. He's a killer, a murderer. He SHOT HIS OWN WIFE!!! He doesn't value life like we do, Evan! He doesn't care about his victims - about Eva! SHE'S the one who matters here! SHE'S THE ONE WHO MATTERS!!"
Evan was crying ballistically. "It doesn't matter if he's a killer! He's still human!"
"Actually, I prefer to think of myself as 'clown,' if you don't mind."
"You heard him, Evan!" Isaac shouted. "He killed his wife! HE KILLED HIS SON!! You think Eva would do that?? She'd have GIVEN HER LIFE FOR YOU!!!! Why should she remain dead, while monsters like this roam the earth!"
"Oo! Monster! Y'know, scratch the clown thing - I like that take better!"
"SHUT UP!!" Evan cried. "I'm trying to spare your life - you can at least make a case for yourself!"
"Oooh!" Jester moaned. "But that's my lawyer's job!"
Isaac stormed over to Jester, and hurled him into the grave against the tree.
"Jeez! No need to be so rough! That's my thing!"
He grabbed his son and dragged him down below. "Just do it, Evan! Do it and you'll see your mother again! Don't you want to meet her?"
"Dad, I…."
"You would've liked her, you know. She was a kind woman, always laughing, always smiling. She was a wonderful woman, who always gave and never asked for anything in return. Her smile…. like the sun…."
"And what about my smile?" Jester ranted. "I think my smile's quite beautiful too, in its own freakish horror movie kind of way!"
Evan stared at his father. He was begging his son, begging…. He had so much hope in his face, so much prayer…. and yet….
"I just…. can't…. I - I'm sorry…."
"Well, hallelujah! Jester's gonna be living tonight!"
"THIS is what you're saving?" Isaac snapped toward the villain. "This monster?? This scum??"
"Oo! Scum! Y'know, I kinda like that one too…."
"He's a KILLER, Evan! A KILLER!!!! If it were up to him, we'd all drop dead right now!"
"Naa - too easy. I prefer my kills to be drawn out and very, very painful…."
Isaac smashed his fist into the Jester's devilish smile, bashing his head against the dirt and knocking him out. "That smile was beginning to creep me out," he sneered. "It'll be fast, Evan. Fast and painless. And then, Eva will be back, and this monster will never kill anyone again!"
A tear ran down Evan's face, as he gently shook his head. He looked down at his mother's skeleton, unable to look his father in the eye. "No, Dad…. It's over…. I won't use my power…. no matter what…."
Isaac stared for a moment, not letting it sink in. Then he ran from the grave, ran into the cemetery of fallen airships, a battle raging on above his head. Fifteen years…. It had been fifteen years…. After all that time, a slither of hope had made its presence, only to be pushed away.
Evan did not move, kept staring at the skeleton before him. It was once a great woman, greater than the clown beside him. Greater than her son.
Fifteen years of existence had flown by. As a baby, he was the tag-along on the adventures of One-Shot and Nigel. He'd be a burden, holding them back, a weak chain in the mix. As he got older, he was supposed to get powers, powers which could be used to fight so that he could join his father on the field. But he did not - instead, he came out powerless, and forced his father into retirement.
From that moment on, he'd been an ordinary kid up for brainwashing. He attended McKnight's schools, taught of the dictator's greatness. And yet, even though he knew the truth all along, he was still powerless - powerless to do a thing. Even when his father rejoined the rebel movement, accepting a role among the new Overseers, he, the son, was left untold.
And then, he developed powers. Suddenly, he could do something - he could return what he'd been holding back all those years. He could bring back the dead, resurrect his lost mother. He could give his father the one thing he'd never been able to before. He could give him his wife back.
Her smile, he was told, was like the sun. The sun, he was told, was like her smile. Two things he'd never know.
Evan closed his eyes, leaning in toward the skeleton, placing both hands on the long-dead corpse, and concentrated with all his might. She was the sunshine, the light, the thing that McKnight had stolen all those years ago. He'd never been of any use before, but now, at last, he could do something worthwhile. He could bring back the dead, resurrect his lost mother, her smile like the sun, the sun like her smile. Two things he'd never know.
Choppers falling around him, Isaac knew it would soon be time to go, to return to the airship. Evan was still in the grave, with both hands on the skeleton. He was…. concentrating.
Isaac ran into the hole, watching as the corpse grew skin, hair. Blonde hair - she used to be a blonde, just like her son.
The face he'd known for so long came back, that ever-changing face which he'd known for so long. Short blonde hair, light freckles across her cheeks. Small breasts, large hips. Slender legs, and a beautiful face. Her eyes slowly opened - bright blue eyes, baby blue. Her chest gently moved up and down.
"I-Isaac…." she whispered softly like the wind. The miracle of life, long thought passed.
"Eva," Isaac cried, holding her in his hands. A smile spread across her face. That beautiful smile, like the sun.
"You…. You look old…." she chuckled. "Have you gained weight?"
Isaac laughed. "It's been fifteen years, Eva, but now it's over."
"But how….? I thought….?"
"It's all thanks to him, Eva. Meet your so-"
Isaac turned to his boy, to Evan, as his smiled began to fade. The son he'd loved was not there - instead, a small rotting corpse lay on the soft earth before them. A young skeleton, so lifeless, so motionless, and yet strangely at peace in its hole in the earth. Fifteen years dead.

[spideyfan914]

Chapter Ten: BATTLE CRY

"Quick briefing.
"It's been a long struggle for all of us. We've grown together, trained together, fought together. Some of us have learned to use our powers for the first time. All this for one purpose. One man. Sir Arthur McKnight.
"For beneath all that power, he is still but a man. Time Wizard's given us the information we need, told us how McKnight's gotten the strength he has today. His natural-born power isn't that strong. It is strong, granted, but not that strong. He can't control radiation, he is beatable. Heck, he was once beaten by a medieval army with flippin' sticks for weapons!
"After his initial defeat hundreds of years ago, he went into hiding. He'd heard rumors, you see, of ancient artifacts which could increase his power. The first, he stole right from the chambers of King Arthur Pendragon himself - the Holy Grail.
"Crazy, I know, but apparently, the Grail is real. Is it actually some Christ-related artifact? If it were, I hardly see how McKnight would be able to use it…. More likely, I'm theorizing that it was created by a mutant, as were all the artifacts he's gathered over the years.
"The Grail is what's made McKnight immortal. Without it, he'd have died so freaking long ago that we wouldn't even need to be having this conversation. He waited nearly a millennium before striking again - in that time, he trained, practiced his powers. In other words, he's got a few hundred years up on you kids.
"But his true weapon - the real problem - is something he did just fifteen years ago, before this all began. You see, Time Wizard has the ability to trap powers within inanimate objects - in fact, his iconic time-mastery was actually his father's power, now contained within that sceptor. McKnight managed to get to Wuzzario, and had him trap the powers of the Lady of the Lake within McKnight's helmet.
"The Lady of the Lake, we believe, is a true mutant. In fact, she may just be the one who created the Grail. Doesn't matter now - she's dead. Without her powers, she couldn't do a goddamn thing, and died.
"So in short - get the helmet, shatter the Grail. Then we'll have a fair fight. Maybe the devil's age will even finally catch up to him….
"Energy Woman, I want you to stay behind in the ship. The last thing we need is for McKnight to possess you. Use the weapons we have here, and guard this place with your life. Pen, you stay back to help her out.
"Savage, grab onto Monstro when he jumps down this time. The two of you will lead the charge.
"After that, I'm sending in Quickfoot and Jedi. Then One-Shot and our new recruit, Eva Pinel, the original Nightshade. Glad to have you back, Eva.
"Everyone, remember your positions now - this isn't new to you, we've been over it a dozen times!
"And as for me…. well, I suppose with 'Alex' trashed, the gig is up. I'll be in an old design of my father's, and I'll dive in when they least expect it. McKnight will never see it coming."

Washington DC. That's what they used to call it, anyway. Today, it was simply the Castle. When McKnight took over, he chose to keep the center of the world as the center of the world, but reworked it in his own fashion. Built like a medieval fortress, the Castle was a labyrinth of stone walls, with McKnight himself residing in the throne room. He rarely left the Castle, though, except in situations of dire emergency or to lead a charge. He preferred to laze around, shouting orders to generals, watching executions, and basking in the servitude of his slaves.
Up above, the airship approached menacingly, threatening the very stature he had built the entire world around. Monstro leapt down, Savage riding on his back, as they shouted some battle cry which no one could really hear. It had begun.
Quickfoot and Jedi would make their way onto the castle once they grew closer. For now, Monstro and Savage fought off the cavalry, as Energy Girl and Pen Livae operated the airship's weapons, shooting down the cannons and catapults that surrounded the Castle below.
One-Shot and Eva Pinel waited in line for their own turn, staring down below, never making eye contact.
"It…. It's still pretty hard to take in," Eva whispered. She wore all black today - black skin, black hair, black eyes, black clothes. "You say that I…. died?"
Isaac didn't say anything for a moment. "Yeah…. Yeah, McKnight killed you and the rest of the Overseers in his initial attack."
"It's all such a blur…. The last thing I remember is…." She closed her eyes, thinking back. "The sun…. I remember the sun…. We were…. on a hilltop…. The inauguration - yes, that was it. The president was being inaugurated, and we were together on the hilltop. What happened to her?"
"Killed. He killed her. He killed them all - the entire White House staff, all of Congress, everyone. None survived. He attacked after we left."
"And after that…. I…. I woke up in the airship…. But it doesn't make sense - if I died, how could I come back?"
"We've been over this, Eva."
"Yes…." she whispered softly. "Our son…. Evan…. How is he?"
A tear collected in Isaac's visor. It blurred his vision slightly, but it didn't matter - it would blast away when he joined the fight.
"Okay, Mark, let's do this!" Jedi said to her battle partner a few feet ahead, and they leapt down onto the Castle's wall. Quickfoot immediately darted around the Castle, taking down all the gunners atop the towers, as Jedi climbed inside each one to take it apart at the schemes.
Just a little lower now, and One-Shot and Nightshade would storm in through the front gates.
"Eva…." someone said behind them. The two spun around. Pen Livae stood above them, staring down. She was supposed to be in the cockpit, with Felicia, but instead, here she was. She had pale-white skin today, with white hair, and white clothes dripping down.
"Go away," Isaac sneered at the clone.
"She needs to know," Pen whispered, approaching Eva with a light tread.
"Know…. what….?" Eva asked. "You - you're my successor, aren't you? The new Nightshade?"
"No…." Pen leaned down close. "I'm the real Nightshade. You're just a cheap imitation. And if you think you can replace me, I will not hesitate to do what must be done."
Eva blinked. "Wh….what?"
"Eva," Isaac grabbed her by the arm. "It's time to go now. We have a world to save."
"Y….yes…. Yes, that's right," Eva nodded, still staring at the ghostly reflection standing above her. "Let's go…."
One-Shot and Nightshade ran down the long path reaching out of the airship. The light was blinding as they leapt from their stations, landing directly in front of the Castle. Monstro and Savage were there as well, fighting the various soldiers who came their way. Nightshade immediately leapt into action, joining the others in the fight, enemy numbers dwindling. One-Shot, meanwhile, looked up to the gates before them.
McKnight truly had kept with a medieval theme - there was a deep moat surrounding the castle, and the only way in was via drawbridge. But this was the 21st century - Isaac Stern didn't need anyone's permission to break in. Facing the strings that held up the bridge, he fired two accurate shots, and it fell down over the moat, clearing a passageway.
"Come on, team!" Isaac shouted out. "For the Overseers!"
Nightshade and Monstro ran forward, but Savage lagged behind to keep guard at the front entrance. "Don't worry, my friends! I'll make sure you aren't followed!"

Up above, Felicia, Pen, Nigel, and Tom waited in the cockpit, pressing forward.
"How's the armor, Nate?" Nigel asked blissfully.
"It's fits great, Nigel. Don't really like the idea of everyone knowing about this - I have to admit that - but if it's out there, I might as well embrace it, I suppose."
"Oh, you'll be fine on the field! It isn't like you've never fought before! Heck, even I have had to dirty my hands before…."
A voice emanated through the room, coming in over the radio.
"Okay, Energy Woman - first wall's good to go," Jedi spoke. "I've weakened it on the inside, and moved on to the second fortress. Take it down, girl!"
"Roger that, Jedi. First wall going down." Energy Woman pressed a few buttons, and rockets shot out of the airship toward the front wall of the tower, blasting it to rubble and knocking it over. "Wow, this is almost too easy…."
Tom laughed. "Trust me, Felicia - it's only easy until McKnight decides it's time for him to show his ugly face. When that happens, things are gonna get rough."
Suddenly, the airship shook. A warning signal flared above them.
"We've been hit!" Energy Woman declared. "Damage done to the back-left engine. If it isn't repaired -"
"I'm on it," Nigel said, grabbing a toolbox.
"Pen, you go with him," Tom ordered. "Just in case."

Jedi slashed the cannon in two. Moments ago, it had shot at the airship above. Moments ago, it had made contact. Jedi was moments too late.
"You're pissing me off," she sneered, drawing a knife and hurling it at the cannon's operator. The soldier ducked down, running for cover in the tower, when a blur dashed by, throwing the goon from the tower to a lower rampart, where bones snapped as he cried out in pain.
"Gotta be faster than that," Quickfoot told Jedi.
"I did have him, you know…."
"Says the ex-thief."
"Says the alcoholic."
Quickfoot grimaced, then sped away, as Jedi went into the tower to face a battalion of soldiers on the long spiraling stairs, wielding swords and guns and maces. She leapt into the air, tossing light-knives first at the gunners, stabbing through their weaponry. Landing on top of a sword-wielder, she found herself between another swordsman and a mace. Drawing two broadswords, she blocked both their attacks, forcing them up. She kicked the swordsman above, and he fell back into another soldier. A guard with a mace jumped down, weapon held high - Jedi rolled up the stairs to dodge the blow, allowing it to hit the one beneath her before he even recovered from her last attack. Spinning as she stood, Jedi formed a lasso, grappling the foot of the officer and tripping him down as he tumbled into the guards below, and they rolled down the spiral staircase.
All this in a matter of seconds. Jedi smiled to herself. "Piece of cake." Leaping across the center of the tower, she slashed through the iron reinforcement as though it were paper. Another tower bites the dust.

Sir Arthur McKnight sat in his throne, in the center of the Castle, surrounded by stone walls.
"My Lord," a man bowed down to him, "they're too great. They've made it through the first wall, and they'll soon bring down the second as well. Once they make it past the third, they'll be too close - you'll be vulnerable."
McKnight sneered at the servant before him. "I am not vulnerable…."
"I - that's not what I meant, my Lord! Please, I - I'm sorr-"
The man burst into flames at a wave of McKnight's hand. As the servant screamed in pain, the warlord stood from his throne. Guards on all sides stared at their master in fear of his next move.
"You're all so…. weak…." He chuckled. "All right, we'll see which of you survives this next attack. He will be determined worthy of joining the battle."
Before the guards could even blink, McKnight had risen his hands, and an enormous wind was sweeping through the chamber - a vortex which swept them all, spun them around, battered against the walls, and tossed them into each other. When the hurricane settled, McKnight looked around. He was surrounded by the dead.
"Well…. It appears that none of you survived the attack. Very well - I shall just have to join the battle myself." He stepped forward, holding up a hand and blasting open his door, stepping into the hallways, and making way for the exit.

The second wall collapsed.
"This is going well," Energy Woman smiled. "Just the third wall - the inner-most wall - is left. One-Shot, Nightshade, and Monstro have moved on to the courtyard just before, and Savage has caught up with them as well, taking on the tail-end in the courtyard between the now-destroyed first and second walls."
Tom looked below at the monitors. She was right - they were winning so easily. Too easily….
"Tell Quickfoot that if McKnight joins the battle, he's to abandon his current station, enter the Castle, and search for the Holy Grail."
Energy Woman jerked her head up toward the commander. "But Mr. Shammons - Quickfoot's the only reason we're still alive!"
"The Grail's more important," Tom mused. "Besides, we already have one hit regardless. What's happened with that, by the way?"
"Nigel's dead." Tom and Energy Woman looked toward the door, where Pen Livae stood, leaning onto the frame for support, blood dripping from her mouth. "A soldier had made his way in somehow…. took us by surprise…. He's gone now, but not before he made his mark…."
Tom clicked his tongue, thinking. "Nigel was brave…. He knew the risks…. But we can't afford to lose many more before McKnight arrives…. We'll need all the help we can get when that happens…."
"Uh…. Mr. Shammons…."
"Yes, Felicia?" Tom looked out the window at the sight which Energy Woman was staring at. Sir Arthur McKnight, flying up from the Castle, one fist held out. "Oh, sh-"
McKnight crashed into the airship head-on, punching directly into the cockpit. Pen quickly slipped out of the room, as Tom put on his own helmet, suiting up and become Mindworm. Fire filled the room, fire from the explosion. The blast was fast and powerful. Tom was protected by his suit, but was still hurled backwards against the wall. Energy Woman stumbled across the floor, hanging onto the last remaining slither. Mindworm quickly grabbed onto the door, spinning himself in against the vortex created by the opening. Holding on tight, he reached out for Energy Woman.
"Felicia!" he called out. "Grab my hand!"
"You know as well as I do that if I do that, McKnight will just take over my body and kill you all."
"Felicia, that's ridiculous - we won't let him get in here!"
"That door can only be closed from this side," Felicia shook her head, as the floor beneath her crumbled away. "Sorry, Mr. Shammons. And good luck."
She shoved his hand aside, and slammed onto the button to close the door, just as the last bit of floor fell apart, and Energy Woman glided toward the ground far below. Beside her, Sir Arthur McKnight flew down at the same pace, grinning.
He held out a hand and slowed Energy Woman's descent, slowed it to a halt.
"Energy Girl…. You know, the old Energy Girl was a lot younger than you are…. Tell me - do you still have her spunk?"
Felicia stared at the conqueror with wide eyes, and sneered. "Energy WOMAN!"
McKnight began to chuckle, then grew into a laugh. "God, whoever your boss is…. He's so STUPID! I mean, I get the whole 'the original Overseers are all-powerful' bit, but…. they're really not - hence why I was able to kill them. So why, pray tell, did you form a team with all the weaknesses of the original?"
A tear slid down Felicia's cheek. Below, the heroes fought bravely. By now, Savage had finished with the enemies in the first courtyard, and moved on to join the fight with One-Shot, Nightshade, and Monstro, each one taking quick glimpses of fear at the sight above.
"Tell me, Energy Girl -"
"Energy WOMAN!"
"Ha! You know, you talk bravely, but I can smell your fear. But tell me, did you know that Jon Harding, the original Monstro, was madly in love with Ellen Smith, your own predecessor?"
"I…. N-no…. No, I didn't know that…."
McKnight grinned, his face lighting up with glee. "Well then, you'll understand why I'd find it ironic if the new Energy…. WOMAN…. would be a dear and kill the new Monstro…."
Before Energy Woman could say a word, her body was flying through the air like a bullet toward the heroes below, flung through the skies by Sir Arthur McKnight. In but a moment, she had thrashed into the great behemoth known as Monstro, as Barry Drew, splitting through his heart without any warning. And then, he collapsed.
Energy Woman pulled up, standing still in the air, then spun around, tears streaming down her face as she stared at the body below.
"Good Lord…." Savage whispered against the wind, as even the guards looked up in amazement.
Felicia's long black hair swayed gently around her head, as her body remained transfixed, under McKnight's control. Bursts of energy shot out around her in rhythm - she glowed with power. And then, she swooped down.
Savage leapt over her as she charged after him, missing and crashing into several soldiers, killing each in a mere instant. She spun around and flew toward One-Shot, who dove for the ground - bursts of energy hurled him even farther, and it was only with luck that he survived the fate of the scattered soldiers who lie in her way.
High above, McKnight laughed at the dance, flinging Energy Woman here and there and everywhere, toying with the Overseers.
"Didn't this happen once with the original Energy Girl?" Savage cried out.
"Yeah - she's immune to physical attacks, but energy attacks can still get through to her," One-Shot called back. "My blasts and Jedi's powers will work. Mindworm might have some stuff too. But we have to be careful - we don't want to kill her!"
Nightshade backflipped out of the way of Energy Woman's next charge. One-Shot stood his ground, shooting weak blasts of energy at Felicia, but unable to get a hit. Savage leaped at the third wall, and began to scale.
"What are you doing?" Nightshade called out. "You're making yourself a target!"
"Spot me," he called back. Energy Woman was hurled at him, but One-Shot ran up underneath and finally made contact, catching McKnight off-guard and knocking Felicia out of the way.
Savage leaped onto the wall and looked to his side. Quickfoot was atop a nearby tower, spinning around a guard and dizzying him. When he stopped, the guard was stumbling around, almost drunk, and a simple tap knocked him over.
"Mark!" Savage called. Quickfoot glanced over and sped toward him.
"Yeah, Steve?"
"Where's Johanna? We could use her help down there."
"I'm on it." Quickfoot dashed into a tower, ran inside, ran out, over to another tower, ran in, and came out with Jedi in his arms. "Here she is." He dropped her onto the ground before him. She leapt up, grabbed him by the collar and held a knife up above them.
"Why, you little -! What's the meaning of this?"
"No time to explain," Savage jumped in. "McKnight's taken control of Felicia. He's already killed Barry."
Jedi looked at the gentleman in shock, then turned to the battlefield below, where Nightshade leapt around, leading Energy Woman in circles, as One-Shot stayed in the middle, trying desperately to get a good hit.
"Is there any chance to stop her?"
"Energy works," Savage explained. "But even if she's knocked out, McKnight will still have control."
Jedi nodded, leaping down below with grace, and running up to One-Shot.
"Johanna, we have to stop her somehow."
"So I noticed, One-Eye - I got your back." Standing back to back, the two heroes kept shooting at Energy Woman as she chased Nightshade around wildly. "There's only one small thing…. To stop her, we have to stop McKnight, correct?"
He hesitated. "Well…. yes…."
"She'll kill us all before that happens. We only have one option."
"You - you can't be serious -"
"I'll add it to my list of regrets." In one quick motion, Jedi formed a lasso and threw it into the air, wrapping around Energy Woman's neck and pulling her in. As she reeled up close, Jedi drew a sword in her hand and stabbed Energy Woman directly in the stomach.
She spat blood, her flight finally stopped. All eyes stared at the sight before them, Johanna still holding the sword which pierced Felicia's stomach.
"J-Johanna…." she stuttered softly, "thank you…."
Jedi drew the sword out, as Felicia collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily, her eyes gazing into space.
"Well, so much for that fun…." The Overseers looked into the air, as Sir Arthur McKnight descended before them. He waved his hand, and Felicia rose up, her arms extended, as though planted on a cross. His face and hers were inches away, the dying hero and the heartless villain, face-to-face. He clenched his fist, drawing her into position, and then, released.
The Energy Woman burst, in one massive explosion of energy, burst into millions of small spheres of light, raining down gently over her teammates below.
"My God…." someone whispered with a tear on their cheek. "Felicia…."
McKnight looked down at the remaining five heroes below. One-Shot, Nightshade, Savage, Quickfoot, and Jedi. And then, he smiled.
"Who's next?"

[spideyfan914]

Chapter Eleven: THE FINAL BATTLE

"Quickfoot, if McKnight's out here, it means he isn't in the Castle. Now's your chance - go and look for the Grail."
Begrudgingly, Quickfoot spun away from the epic battle, raced up a tower and sped inside. Fist held in front of him, he rammed down any foe who crossed his path before they ever had time to react. Somewhere in this fortress, the Holy Grail stood on display. His mission was simple - find it and destroy it.
He was only sixteen years old. He was the youngest of the team, the most vulnerable. One-Shot and Jedi had been at it for decades, and both Nightshades were plenty experienced too. But the rest of them were kids, and here Shammons expected them to take on an immortal warlord? And they wondered why he drank….
The Castle had more rooms in it than the airship, and he'd never even explored the entire airship. What the hell did McKnight need all this space for? The answer: to hide ancient artifacts. It could be anywhere.

"Who's next?" Sir Arthur McKnight grinned down at the Overseers. Two down, seven to go. And he'd only just entered the battle minutes ago. Quickfoot darted off - the child must have been scared.
"The answer to your question, McKnight - you're next." McKnight looked up to see a large hulk of machinery diving down from the skies. Taken off-guard, the hulk grabbed onto McKnight as it flew toward the ground, ramming him into a crater and punching relentlessly. McKnight held up his hand and blasted the new battler away. Standing up, he recognized the suit.
"Well, well…. Mindworm - how good of you to come…. I heard that the last Mindworm was a mere robot - but this time, it isn't the case, is it?"
Mindworm's helmet flicked open, revealing Thomas Mansen's face. "No…. This time, it's the real deal." Mindworm raised his hand and shot rockets at McKnight, who blocked each one with the cuffs of his wrists.
One-Shot blasted McKnight from behind, but this time he was ready, letting out a larger blast of energy in radius, deflecting attacks from all directions. Then he spun around, pointing his finger, and lightning struck out at One-Shot's feet, knocking him to the ground.
"Isaac!" Nightshade cried out, running to his side.
McKnight blinked, staring at Eva. "Impossible…. You - you're the original Nightshade, aren't you?"
She looked up at him, not saying a word.
"That can't be…. I killed you…."
One-Shot smiled, removing his mask. "Well…. you killed me too, didn't you?"
"But I knew you were alive!" Behind McKnight, Isaac and Eva could see Mindworm softly approaching. "You gave my men trouble for years…. Heh, it's kind of funny actually…. Seven years of rebellion, and you never really even dented my operations…. Even now, even this - there's really no way you can win…."
"We've rallied the people, haven't we? Even if you beat us, people will never bow down to you again."
"On the contrary, once I kill you, those protestors will learn the price they pay when they cross Sir Arthur McKnight!" The conqueror rose his hands, glowing, preparing one mighty blast, when suddenly, Mindworm grabbed onto his helmet from behind.
An electrical jolt shot out. Mindworm screamed in pain, flinching and stumbling backwards. McKnight grinned, turning to the secret agent.
"Wow…. That was so pathetic, it was almost funny. Almost…." He grabbed Mindworm by the wrists, lifting him into the air and crushing his hands. "You didn't seriously think you could beat me so easily, did you? That I wouldn't be prepared for such an attack? If you had held onto that helmet but a moment longer, you surely would have been killed…. Hell, if it weren't for this suit, you'd have been fried the very instant you laid a finger on me!" Mindworm cried out as McKnight crumpled the suit's large hands. "There's no way that you could have held on long enough to remove my helmet! I am UNBEATABLE!!!!"
McKnight tossed Mindworm aside, slamming him against the wall. Feebly, the veteran's son tried making his way up. His left hand was twitching randomly, uncontrollably. Reaching over, he wrenched it off, tearing through the wires, leaving only the guns behind.
"Eat bullets, you f***ing b******!" Mindworm shot at McKnight, 300 bullets a minute. Each one bounced feebly on the warlord's chest, as he walked toward the leader. He didn't even slow down. The Overseers could only stare as McKnight leaned in on McKnight, grabbing the gun and pointing right it up against his own chest.
"Go ahead," the warlord smirked, "give me your best shot."
Mindworm smiled. "You asked for it."
As his helmet flicked over his head, his jets turned on, ready to blast Mindworm into the sky - except his boots faced outward, toward McKnight, launching Mindworm directly into the wall above them. Before McKnight could move, all one hundred tons of stone collapsed on top of him.

Quickfoot raced through the halls of the Castle, searching for his prize. The Holy Grail, the artifact which has granted McKnight the immortality which has brought him into the 21st century. But there were so many rooms, and it wasn't in any of them! Even a man named Quickfoot could only go so quickly….
Nate Shammons had told him where he'd probably find it. "You see a big special door, look inside. McKnight's always been one for gloating. You see some super-powered guard, there's gotta be some reason he isn't fighting the rest of the team." Well, he'd already checked all the big special doors - in one, he'd founded seven dead bodies surrounding a throne, but no Holy Grail. It seemed as though McKnight was actually keeping a low profile on this one….
Quickfoot sped in and out of every door in the Castle. No one stopped him - he'd already been through all the guards. Perhaps it was all just a waste of time - perhaps Wuzzario even lied about the Grail. Perhaps the sacrifices of Monstro and Energy Woman were in vain…. Still, he had to try.
He checked a room here, and found an empty bed. He checked a room there, and found a large kitchen, with servants hiding behind the equipment quivering in fear. He checked another room, and leapt to the side to dodge a ball of fire.
Before him was a large dragon. A large dragon protecting - yes, that was it! A small cupboard lay behind the dragon, resting behind a barred door. A barred door…. it wouldn't take long to open it, but that said it wouldn't take long for the dragon to fry him. Since when do dragons exist, anyway?
Quickfoot ran around the dragon in circles, dodging its fire here and there, running to stay alive. Thinking fast, he ran behind the dragon and leapt up, grabbing onto its tail and spinning on. The dragon turned its large neck and spat more fire at the unsuspecting Quickfoot, who raced up the creature's back. But what kind of monster would practically kill itself?
Behind him, he could hear the whir of machinery as the dragon's eyes blinked out. He looked back - no skin or scale remained on the dragon's back, just heavy metal, spitting and firing, flaming and ready to burst. Of course - a robot, a fraud. And now, it looked ready to explode.
He had no time to lose. A man stood in the doorway - an underling of McKnight's, no doubt, and he held a gun in his hand. Quickfoot raced over to the bars, locked, of course. Hearing the spitting of machinery behind him, Quickfoot quickly rubbed his hands up and down the metal bars, heating them with friction, weakening them, until he could bend them out of the way and open the cupboard.
The Holy Grail, as promised.
"McKnight killed my parents," the man in the doorway was crying. "Where were the Overseers then?"
Quickfoot grabbed the Holy Grail and raced up to the guard. "Hey, uh, that's great and all, but, uh, we have to get out of here. Glad to see you hate McKnight - wanna help us kill him?"
The guard stared at Quickfoot angrily. Behind them, the dragon's whirring was getting louder, higher pitched.
"That thing's about to blow - we need to get out of here and destroy this, uh, cup. You in?"
"Good-bye, Overseer." The man slammed the door shut as Quickfoot's eye jumped open. He raced up to the door - a metal door, trying desperately to jimmy it open.
Behind him, the dragon whirred louder than ever - it would blow in a matter of moments. Quickfoot closed his eyes and turned on his radio.
"Hey, guys…. Consider the Grail destroyed…."
Without another moment's hesitation, he raced over to the dragon, and leaped right into its mouth, hurling the Holy Grail deep within it, just as the fuse blew.

The yard was filled with rubble, dust blowing in the wind, as the Overseers stared on in amazement and wonder.
Something moved. Something big. It threw the stones off, and stumbled forward. One-Shot, Nightshade, Savage, and Jedi grouped together, preparing for the worst.
Mindworm fumbled forward, collapsing onto the ground. Grunting, he tore his helmet off and tossed it aside.
"Damn thing was obstructing my vision…." he chuckled, blood dripping down his head.
The Overseers stared at their leader in amazement. One-Shot was the first to speak. "Is…. is it over?"
Right on cue, the stones blasted skyward, the smoke whipped around and blew away - within the debris, Sir Arthur McKnight still stood, seemingly unscathed.
"All that," he laughed, "and still nothing…. Don't you see - you're USELESS!! You can't defeat me - it is simply impossible!"
Eva charged forward, leaping at him. McKnight grabbed her by the hand, spun her around, and hurled her right back to the ground below.
"Even with a new old member, you still haven't evened the odds…. I doubt that even the combined might of both teams could perform such a task."
Eva blinked. "Isaac…. Why - why didn't we bring back the entire old team?"
One-Shot's face scrunched together. He couldn't a see a thing - tears flooded his visor. There was only one thing left to do - rip it off. He blasted McKnight with all his raw power. And as he did so, Eva could see all the tears on his cheeks.
Tears…. Evan had done this - he'd brought her back. Why couldn't he bring back the others? What price had he paid? And where was her son now?
"Evan's…. dead…. Isn't he, Isaac?"
McKnight charged forward, grabbing Isaac's face despite the flow of energy, grabbing him and thrusting him into the earth. Eva leapt at the overlord, but he blasted her away without even turning. In his hand, he held the head of Isaac Stern. All he had to do was squeeze…. Squeeze…. Blood dripped through his fingertips and the struggling body beneath him began to crack.
Suddenly, a sword stabbed into McKnight's face - Jedi had drawn herself a weapon. It dissolved as it struck the villain, but the solid light momentarily blinded him, frightened him, made him blink. And that was all she needed to kick him far away.
"Eva, take care of Isaac!" Jedi demanded, beckoning Savage as the two of them raced forward after McKnight.
Eva knelt beside her husband, his face bleeding like a river, but he was still breathing, his eyes scrunched shut.
"Eva…. My - my visors…."
She looked up - over there. She stretched out her hand and placed the visors gently against Isaac's face. He opened his eyes again to see her looking down. She smiled - smiled at the fact that he was still alive - smiled like the sun.
"Thank God…."
Isaac sat up. "I'm sorry, Eva…. But God is dead, as is the rest of the world…."
"What…. what happened to our son?"
Isaac hesitated. She was his wife, but he could hardly tell her what had happened. It was impossible to tell her how he couldn't live without her, and it took their son's own life to bring her back….
"Isaac…." They looked up - Thomas Mansen stood above them, still wearing his remaining armor. "Tell her the truth."
"I…. It's my fault, Eva…." he cried. "I dragged our son to his death…. because…. because I needed you…. I-I never meant to - I never wanted to lose him…. but it just…. happened that way…. He gave his life to return you yours…. I never thought that - that…."
Eva stared at him. He'd gone fifteen years without her, without her love, without her smile…. Fifteen years, and then he brought her back…. He never forgot her, never stopped loving her, to the point where he'd do anything to have her back…. Anything at all, without limits….
She rose to her feet, and turned to the battle. "Savage - he can remove McKnight's helmet," she whispered. "His regeneration powers may save him."
"He'd…. he'd be putting his life on the line…." Mindworm said.
"Aren't we all?"
Mindworm stared, amazed, and nodded.
"Steve," he whispered into his receiver, "what I'm about to ask is not an order - you're free to disobey if you so choose. But if you listen, you might just save us all…. Have Jedi distract McKnight, then you sneak up behind him and pull off that freakin' helmet!"

Across the courtyard, Savage looked to Jedi and nodded, without hesitation. As McKnight charged at him, fist glowing, a wide grin across his face, Jedi leaped in the way, throwing shurikens of light at the foe, knocking him off-balance. She leaped toward him, sword drawn and began to slash relentlessly.
"You foolish little girl…."
As Jedi lunged her sword down, McKnight raised an arm and the sword froze in midair. It slid out of her hands and suddenly began slashing at her. Jedi frantically ducked under the swings, desperately dodging her own sword, her life on the line. Sir Arthur McKnight stood there and laughed.
And then, coming up from behind, Savage lunged on top of McKnight, grappling his legs around the warlord's chest. Without a second to spare, Steve Coldheart clawed into the helmet, and an electrical shock surged through his body.
But he did not let go - this was about more than one man, more than any hero. This was about the world, about saving mankind. This was for society.
With all his might, he yanked the helmet off of McKnight before the warlord could react, leapt into the air, kicking the conqueror aside. At last, Savage landed on the ground, on his back, the helmet rolling away.
McKnight looked around frantically. He dove for the helmet, but Jedi was closer - with McKnight distracted, she'd regained control of her light-sword, and plunged it into the helmet, rendering it powerless and blank.
McKnight stared on, mouth hanging slightly open, eyes wide in terror. His hair changed color, turning white - he grew old before their very eyes. "It…. It won't end like this…." he groaned, stumbling forward, and finally, the warlord collapsed upon the ground.
One-Shot, Nightshade, and Mindworm ran forward, joining Jedi around Savage. The shock had went straight to his brain, straight to his heart. It had worked fast. He'd lived seconds longer than a normal man may have, but that was all his powers had spared.
"We've lost…. so many…." Jedi stammered. "Monstro…. Energy Woman…. Savage…."
"Quickfoot," Mindworm added. "His radio's been cut off. And Nigel."
"Nigel??" One-Shot jerked his head to the leader. "But…. No…."
"A goon snuck on board the ship…. Pen took him down, but she wasn't fast enough…."
"Oh my God…." Eva looked down at Savage's lifeless body, a tear in her eye. "He's…. He's just a kid…. I didn't realize it before - but he's just a kid…."
"I think all the kids died…." Jedi nodded. "They weren't as experienced…. They gave it their all, and when that wasn't enough, they gave their lives…."
"As will you!" The four heroes jumped upward - Sir Arthur McKnight was rising, energy glowing around him. "You may have stolen my immortality…. But I still have my natural power…."
He pointed both hands at the Overseers, blasting as they leaped out of the way and charged forward.
Nightshade leaped over his head, grabbing on and hurling him into the air, where One-Shot struck him on the back, plunging him into a wall. As he fell to the ground, Mindworm lunged forward, pounding the villain against the stones of the third wall. Jedi ran forward, shooting knives and pinning McKnight.
"No…." One-Shot chuckled. "It's over…. It's been over…."
Mindworm stepped back, as the heroes stared at their captured nemesis. Minutes ago, he ruled the world. Now, he was just a sickly old man, beaten and tired.
"What should we do with him?" Nightshade asked. "It'll be hard to keep him contained - especially in this new world, where there are no prisons…."
McKnight chuckled. "Yes…. No prisons - I prefer to execute my enemies…."
"He'll die soon anyway," Jedi said. "Without his artifacts, he's just a harmless old man. He's weak." She smiled, staring the warlord in the eye. He was scared. He had a right to be.
Suddenly, the knives jumped out of his clothing and he jumped into the air, flying away.
"Allow me," Mindworm scowled, his boots lighting up. Before anyone could protest, the secret agent was soaring after Sir Arthur McKnight.

The red sky was fading. For the first time in fifteen years, the roof of the world was a deep blue, and was gently pouring down.
A hill. There was a light downpour and sounds of thunder in the distance, but green grass was growing everywhere, and the grey sky looked wondrous after so many years. With the Castle ruins in the background, nothing could be more beautiful.
An old man fell from the sky, fumbling around drunkenly. He wore leather battle armor, his long white hair hanging over his face as he crawled up to the tree, panting for breath. Behind him, another man followed, one in a large, hulking suit. Slowly, the old man turned and shot a blast of energy at the armored one.
"Stop FOLLOWING ME!!" he shouted out, but the hulk leaped over his attack, landing in front of him. He grabbed the old man by the throat and pinned him against the tree.
"Sir Arthur McKnight…. Your reign of terror is over…." He grinned. He had short brown hair and was clean-shaven. His square glasses rested gently against his nose. "Hell, I've been waiting to use that line for fifteen goddamn years!"
"You're the leader, aren't you?" McKnight grimaced. "The Mindworm…. the brains behind the operation…."
"No, s***, Sherlock!" Mindworm tossed the old man across the hilltop, skidding him through the mud. A hand popped out of Mindworm's suit, and he reattached to his left arm.
"Why….?" the old man asked, feebly climbing to his feet. Mindworm jumped down in front of him, grabbing the old man's face and squeezing, as blood dripped through his fingertips.
Mindworm laughed. "You don't know who I am, do you?" He hurled the old man against the ground, slamming his foot on his stomach.
"Tell me…. I must know…."
Mindworm raised his hands, clenched together in a fist, readying to strike. "My name is Thomas Mansen, son of Guy Mansen, who you murdered in cold blood."
He thrust down his fists, beating the old man relentlessly. One blow after another, as the old man bled furiously, from his head, from his chin, from his chest, from everywhere. And then, Sir Arthur McKnight laughed.
"Why?" Mindworm sneered, pounding the old man with every furious bone in his body. "Why are you LAUGHING?" He grabbed the old man by the collar, waiting for an answer. A knife shot out his suit - he was ready for the kill.
"It all makes sense now," the old man laughed. "All of it - it just makes so much freakin' sense! You're just a little boy who lost his daddy, who grew up sad and alone…. And this - this is just your hissy-fit. It's all some fool's game, a bit of childish revenge…."
Tom stared at his foe, at his fifteen-year villain. And he smiled. A grin to match McKnight's.
"Yeah…." he chuckled. "Childish revenge…." He plunged the knife forward, piercing the old mans' chest. "Something like that…."

[spideyfan914]

Chapter Twelve: THE END

Nigel, Barry, Felicia, Mark, Steve…. all dead….
But Sir Arthur McKnight was gone. His reign was over. It was all over. Their sacrifices were not in vain.
Fifteen years ago, McKnight killed the Overseers - the only eight people with any real chance of beating him. Now, only two of them remained, along with seven new recruits. And though many didn't make it, McKnight had been defeated. He'd be their prisoner now. The next few years would be spent rebuilding the world, trying to pick up the pieces from before McKnight's reign. Thomas Mansen was the son of the original Mindworm, and he himself possessed an inhuman intellect - perhaps his help would speed up the reconstruction. Someday, this world would be able to move on and forget this nightmare ever happened.
Yes, the world would move on, but Isaac Stern, One-Shot, would not.
"Pen's sending down an automated ship," Mansen said over the communicators. "I'll meet you there."
"You have McKnight, then?" Eva asked.
"Of course. The first step of the game is over."
"Ugh…." Johanna chuckled. "Reconstruction's gonna be a b****….."
Tom chuckled, grinning to himself. "You have no idea…."
A small ship came down in front of Isaac, Eva, and Johanna. The three climbed in, and it took off. Isaac and Eva sat side by side, not saying a word, not even looking at each other. Johanna sat next to them like something of a third wheel.
"I'll…. I'll leave you two alone…." she said, and walked across the jet, trying to get out of earshot.
Isaac looked over to Eva, but she still couldn't even lift her head, gazing at the floor with her eyes shut tight, small tears dripping down. Isaac reached out to wipe them away, but Eva raised her hand, blocking him off. He felt so useless…. What was he supposed to do? Should he say something? Should he apologize? He wasn't even sure if he really had something to apologize for - he'd saved her, he'd brought her back. But in doing so, he'd lost their son…. For that, he was sorry…. He wanted his son….
But he also wanted his wife. Why couldn't he just have them both? Why did it have to be so complicated? It was curious…. He had Evan once, and only wanted to have Eva. Now he had Eva, but only wanted to have Evan. If he had the choice, between the two of them, the choice to reverse what Evan did, would he do it? Would he give up Eva to get back Evan? Would he want to? How is one supposed to choose between the two people he loves the most?
"Why couldn't you just let me die?"
Isaac didn't say anything. He couldn't say anything.
"Isaac, people die…. It happens…. We're superheroes - we're f***ing superheroes! There are going to be losses!"
"I…. I'm sorry…."
"No you're not…. You just can't handle it…. You can't handle losing someone…."
"I…." What was he supposed to say? "I love you, Eva…."
"And what about Evan??" she snapped her eyes open, jerking her head up, still not looking into her husband's eye. "Didn't you love Evan too??"
"Of course I did! He's our son!"
"Then why, Isaac? Why would you do something like this??"
"IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE THIS WAY!!" He snapped, he lost it. "He was supposed to bring you back, and - and we are all supposed to be TOGETHER! I didn't think - I didn't think THIS would happen…. HOW THE HELL WOULD I THINK THIS WOULD F***ING HAPPEN??" He buried his face in his hands, crying hysterically. "All I wanted was to have you back…. I never thought…. I never thought there would be a…. a price…. I thought I'd pay any price…. And now, I - I don't know…. I don't know…."
Eva looked at Isaac, his body knelt over, bawling into his hands. He used to be a great man, the man she loved. Now, his face was scarred, scarred from battle. He was covered in fresh wounds, cuts and bruises, blood just beginning to dry. But he used to be the man she loved….
"Isaac…. I love you…. But I died - I shouldn't even be here now…. Do you remember, Isaac? Do you remember what I told you when I died?"
He lifted his head a little. "You told me to…. to be a good father…. to Evan…."
"I told you to remember my love, but not to remember it too hard. I told you to be fair to yourself. To MOVE ON. You can't dwell on the past, Isaac - you need to move forward…. to the future…."
He turned to Eva, to the woman he loved, who he'd mourned for fifteen years before it paid off.
"I can't move forward…." he whispered. "Not until you forgive me…."
She smiled at him, a smile like the sun. "For what?"
"I…. I couldn't…. save you…."
"Isaac, for the last time, I'm a goddamn superhero," she laughed. "I can take care of myself."
"And…. for…."
"Don't say it - don't even think it." Eva lunged forward, hugging Isaac and planting a kiss on his lips.
How could she do it? After all this, after everything he's done, she still wants him back? How could she ever forgive him? How could she possibly still love him? And yet, she did…. Somehow, she'd already forgotten being angry….
She'd already moved on.
"Um, guys…." They pulled back, turning their attention to Johanna, opening the door of the jet. "Uh, yeah…. I hate to be a…. well, you know…. but, uh, we landed ten minutes ago…. We weren't really flying that far…."
Eva began laughing hysterically, as Isaac cracked a smile.
"So, what happens now?" Isaac asked, as he and Eva stepped out of the jet.
"Now, I go back to my quarter, and REALLY leave you two alone," Johanna laughed, running down the hallway ahead of them. "Don't forget why you have a room!"
"Real considerate, that girl," Isaac chuckled.
"What's her name again?"
"Johanna Estevez."
"DARKLIGHT??"
Isaac laughed. "Go figure."
They walked down the hallway, chatting and laughing.
"I can't believe that DARKLIGHT is the new JEDI! That's just…. just WOW!"
"Yes, well, I've already been more than a bit inquisitive on how that came about."
"So…. we can trust the b****?"
"Oh, I see where this is going!" Isaac laughed.
"What?"
"You're jealous, aren't you?"
"That's ridiculous. Why would I be jealous of her?"
"Because she used to have a crush on me."
"Used to?"
"Well, she, uh…. I mean…. um…."
Eva laughed. "I'm only jealous of girls who are prettier than me."
"Impossible."
"Exactly - I can change shift my appearance so they aren't." Eva changed form, quickly shifting her features to imitate those of Johanna. "You see?"
"Something's off…." Isaac mused, as they approached the door to the room. "Your dimples! You forgot to get rid of your dimples."
"Now, Mr. Stern, the dimples are that unique aspect which make me prettiER than Johanna. If I wanted to look just like her, you might wind up sleeping with the wrong girl on mistake."
"Yeah, and then you'd have my hide."
"Worse than that - trust me."
"Sure took you long enough…."
Both heads snapped inside. Was someone there? The door was open, but the room was dark. Eva reached over and flicked the switch.
On their bed sat a ghostly figure. A woman with long blonde hair and light freckles across her cheeks. She wore all black, as if in mourning, and held a rose in one hand, a rose with all its petals plucked and scattered around the room. She looked exactly like the original form of Eva Pinel.
Pen Livae.
"Close the door…." she said.
"Pen, what -?"
"CLOSE IT!"
Isaac and Eva looked to each other, confused and uncertain. Isaac reached out and shut the door.
"Now, for the slut…." Pen sneered, glaring at Eva. "Who do you think you are?"
"I…." Eva stammered. Who was this woman? "My name is Eva Pinel. I'm -"
"I'M Eva Pinel!" Pen shouted. "Now tell me who you really are…."
Eva blinked, then looked over to Isaac, who stood, staring. "Pen…." he said. "You're not Eva…. You're - you're a clone…."
"You lie!" she shouted. "I remember it, you see - I remember all of it! I remember those days long ago when the three of us were just friends, Isaac…. You, me…. and HER…." She scowled at Eva, rising from her knelt position.
"Pen, I…." Eva stuttered. "We never met until just a few days ago, when…. I was dead for fifteen years, and we…. never…."
"No, you lie. All three of us. You always pretended like you were his true love, like you somehow deserved him, like you were me. But you're NOT! I'm the real Eva - me! I'm the one he wants, the one he deserves!"
"To be frank, Pen…." Isaac said. "You give me the creeps."
"I'M NOT PEN!!!"
Isaac looked around the room, trying to find something to help him. An alarm - there was an alarm by the bed, in case of intruders. But Pen was on the bed….
"I know everything, you see? I've known it all along. All those years that you kept coddling him, you slut, like somehow you were worthy of his love…. And me, I sat on the sidelines, just watching, listening, and wondering what you made so much worthier than me. And then, you died…. Like it was always meant to be - without you in the way, Isaac would have no choice but to come after me! ME! The REAL Eva Pinel!"
"Stop calling yourself that!" Isaac shouted. "You're not Eva - you never were! This - THIS is Eva! She's the real deal!"
"Shut UP!!!!" Her eyes jumped out of her head, forming slits as her teeth extruded, like fangs. She was thinning out, growing taller and skinnier by the second. "I waited so long…. So long for you to realize it, Isaac…. But you're a blind fool - all you could think about was that b**** of an imposter! That fraud, that fake!"
"Stop calling me that!!" Eva cried. "I'm not a fraud! I'm not a fake!" She changed into her original form. "See? I'm EVA! I'm -"
"NO YOU'RE NOT!!! YOU'RE A SORRY EXCUSE FOR A FRAUD, WHO THINKS THAT A SIMPLE CHANGE OF FACE IS ALL THAT'S NECESSARY! BUT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND - YOU DON'T REALIZE HOW DEMANDING ISAAC CAN BE, HIS NEEDS! ONLY I CAN GIVE HIM WHAT HE WANTS! I'M HIS DESTINED LOVE - ME!!" Her head had reached the ceiling, and she was coiling over now, growing spineless. Her slit eyes had yellowed, as her hair fell away, and black scales appeared along her face. Her legs fell together, molding into one long, coiling tail.
"The alarm…." Isaac whispered out of the side of his mouth. "We need the alarm…."
"YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST COME BACK FROM THE DEAD AND TAKE OVER MY LIFE! BUT YOU CAN'T!!! THIS IS MY LIFE NOW - MINE! I'VE FINALLY GOTTEN THE ONE THING YOU KEPT FROM ME ALL THOSE YEARS, AND I WON'T LET YOU TAKE IT BACK!" Her face was entirely reptilian now, like a large black snake. "YOU WERE DEAD FIFTEEN YEARS, AND DEAD YOU WILL REMAIN!!!"
Her arms clapped down forming the mane of a black cobra, as Pen leaped out of the bed, lashing out Eva, who ducked backwards, narrowly missing the snake's vicious attack. Isaac rolled forward, running up to the alarm.
Eva turned to the door, but the snake jumped in front of her, wrapping around, pulling tight and squeezing as Eva began to scream. Isaac frantically pulled the alarm, but no sirens sounded - nothing happened, nothing at all.
Eva's bones began to crack, as Isaac turned to face the serpent, opening up his visors and blasting at its body, but its hide was too thick, and lunged down, biting deep into Eva' neck.
"No!!" Isaac cried out, running forward and blasting the serpent in the eye, knocking it back. Eva fell to the floor, as Isaac raced to grab her. "No, not again…." Blood spewed from her neck as she gasped for breath. Isaac reached out to grab her, but a black tail snagged his hand, pulling him away.
"STILL YOU LUST FOR THAT SLUT?? THAT B****??"
"That's my WIFE you're talking about!!!" Isaac shouted, blasting at the snake, but it slipped behind him, wrapping itself around him, trapping him in a tight bind.
"YOU'VE MADE YOUR CHOICE, ISAAC STERN, BUT IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU -"
"Please don't say 'NOBODY CAN….'" A dagger flew through the air and pierced through the cobra's head. Blood spurt out as Isaac fell to the floor, and turned to see Johanna running in, sword in hand. She leapt into the air, slashing her sword and cutting off the snake's head, and it rolled across the floor.
"Johanna, I…." Isaac clenched his arm as he tried to get up - the snake had hurt him, maybe broken some bones.
"No time to chat, Isaac," Johanna said, picking him up in one hand and Eva in the other. "You two need treatment - fast! Especially Eva!"
"How did you know -?"
"I passed by Pen's station on the way to my room, and you'd never believe what I found…. She had all these old newspaper clippings of the two of you - I had a feeling something was wrong."
They leaned against her, as she quickly guided them through the airship, toward the hospital wing. They reached a large clearing, between three hallways and a set of windows. Thomas Mansen was walking down one of the hallways, a few armed workers behind him.
"Oh, Nate!" Johanna did all the talking. "Thank god you're here! Pen's gone crazy! She -"
"I know, I know…. I'm the one who set her off."
"Good, then you can help -" She blinked. "Wait…. What….?"
He smiled devilishly, a smile to match McKnight's. "It's funny how many crazy ideas you can suggest in casual conversation. Now, I'm afraid that I can't let you go any further…." He held up a gun, pointing it straight at Johanna's head, her eyes wide.
"You…. YOU??" She stammered, gazing down the barrel of the gun. "But…. but why?"
Mansen merely chuckled, as guards came in from all the hallways, raising their guns and pointing them at the Overseers.
"I give you an option, my Jedi. You can surrender now and be a prisoner of war, or my guards will kill you on the spot. I suggest you don't resist - there's no way you can fight them all while holding an Overseer in either hand."
"You…. b******…."
"Johanna…." Isaac whispered. "Forget us…. It's too late…."
Johanna flicked her eyes around. "No…. It isn't too late…. Not yet…."
"Well, Jedi? Have you made up your mind?"
"I won't die here…." she said, staring Mansen straight in the eye. "But I won't surrender either…."
"Very well, then you leave me with no choice…. Kill her."
The guards began shooting, as Johanna held tight to Isaac and Eva, leaping backward into the air, over the bullets, and directly into the window. Mansen gazed in amazement, as he and his guards ran forward to the shattered glass, looking down as the three heroes disappeared beneath the clouds.
There was silence.
"Well??" Mansen demanded, grabbing a guard by his shirt collar. "Why didn't you fire??"
"I…. There's no way they could've survived the fall, Sir…."
"SHE'S GODDAMN DARKLIGHT!!! Don't you read the memos?? Surviving falls is what she does! You, on the other hand…."
He held the guard out the window, as he cried out, begging for mercy, his gun falling to the ground below. "Please! No! I-I have kids! I -" Mansen stared at him with a cold, ruthless face, unfazed, merciless. A minute passed, and then Mansen threw the guard back inside.
The others stared on in fear as the guard took deep breaths, staggering up, as Mansen slowly approached.
"I…. Th-thank you, Mr. Mansen…. Thank you…."
He raised his gun and shot the guard in the chest, and he collapsed to the ground in a pool of blood, motionless. "Don't call me Mansen."

[spideyfan914]

Chapter Thirteen: NEW BEGINNINGS

"Here we are, Sir. The all-new White House!"
Nate Shammons' helicopter landed in DC. The ruins of the Castle had been replaced by the memory of what once stood there - an enormous, white fortress. The sole entrance to the new White House was in a small crater on top of the dome-shaped fortress, where the helicopter now landed, as large doors closed above it. With walls of stainless steel ten feet thick, it was all but impenetrable. The people of the world looked to the White House as a beacon of hope, its inspirational value matched only by the great blue sky and shining sun.
The story was a month old at best, but it was known by heart by every man, woman, and child in the world. The story of how Nate Shammons gathered together eight fine heroes with powers to match those of the original Overseers. Led by the original One-Shot, these heroes led an assault on the Castle and ended Sir Arthur McKnight's reign. Unfortunately, none of the Overseers survived…. Only Shammons himself, now revealed to be the new Mindworm, remains. Always having been the smart one, he would now lead this ripe new world into a new era of peace and prosperity.
True, a few rumors had circulated. There were rumors that Shammons himself had taken a part in some of the deaths. There were rumors of clones, of secrets. There were rumors that Eva Pinel, the original Nightshade, had been involved in the assault on the Castle. There were rumors that Shammons was actually Thomas Mansen, the original Mindworm's son, and there were even rumors that some of the Overseers were still alive out there. But they were only rumors, and somehow, each one ended with a certain abruptness.
Shammons walked through the White House, smiling at all the hard work put into it. All the security measures seemed to be in order - it was just as he'd designed it. And so, he made his way over to the Oval Office, located in the center of the ground floor. Sitting in his large chair from which he'd rule this world, Shammons looked up at the large picture of Guy Mansen hanging on the wall.
"Well, Dad?" Tom chuckled, relaxing in his chair, alone in the Oval Office. "Tell me…. Have I made you proud?"
One rumor, at least, was true. Guy Mansen was indeed the leader's father.
"Of course not…. You could never be proud of me…. I've killed, overthrown a government, disregarded democracy. I've fought against every principle you ever stood for. How could you possibly be proud of me?"
He stood, pacing around the room, picking a globe up from his desk, musing it.
"But here's the thing, Dad…. It worked! You see, you spent years fighting for what was 'right,' but it never went anywhere. I mean, how many times did you fight the Brain, or Gaston? How many times did they break out of jail or wherever you put them to come back for more? You may have been a genius, but you had such a one-track mind."
He threw the globe up into the air, catching it on its way down.
"Not me, though. I've done what you were always afraid to do. I've taken control of it. I've ended this roller coaster once and for all! You see, mankind is too weak to fight for itself - you have to take charge! If you want things done right, you have to do it yourself! No more crime, no more pain, and there's no longer a need for costumed 'heroes' fighting all these lousy criminals! The people in those suits…. They don't need to fight crime anymore, because I'll eradicate crime! They can attend to their own lives, to their friends…. to their families…. Something you could never do."
He rose the globe up high, kneeling down on one knee.
"This whole world is in the palm of my hands…. With me at the wheel, it's finally safe, safe from guys like Sir Arthur McKnight. Anyone who thinks they can steal this earth, disrupt this natural order…. will be destroyed like the scum they are…."

The guillotine was always McKnight's favorite method of execution. He'd chop off the heads of his enemies, a symbol of removing them from power. It was a fast and decisive method, and their heads would be placed for all to see, a reminder of the fate that awaited anyone who dared speak out.
But after his defeat, the guillotines were torn down. The people cheered, their number one enemy having fallen from power. But there always other methods. And the gallows still stood.
"The guillotine is messy," Shammons wrote. "I prefer the cleaner method of death. To cut off one's air does no physical damage, aside from minor injuries to the neckline from which they were hanged."
Jester laughed as he was brought to the gallows. "You gotta hand it to the guy - he's thorough! I mean, sure, it's less gory, but it's such a slower death! And all the crowd will look up at me, as I dangle from a noose, wriggling, struggling, gasping for air! The whole decapitating thing is overrated - all you see is fear. But with the gallows, you really see their pain! You watch them as they die, as they struggle against all odds until the lasting fighting breath is squeezed away! Oh, my only regret is that I'm not in the crowd…."
His body remained hanging from the noose for a long time after. As people walked by the public site, they would see his devilish face, grinning no more, hoisted high in the air for all to see, for all to behold. His make-up was washed away, and his normal, human face became apparent. He may have been a monster, but he was also a human. And now, his body was rotting, the smell infesting the streets. But even so, Shammons didn't take him down.
One day, a man grew sick of the scent. He couldn't stand the sight of it - such was driving him mad. The man drove his jeep up to the gallows late at night, as he snuck in with a knife. He climbed up to cut down the Jester, when Shammons' men arrived. The man never left the gallows - he was hanged the following morning. His wife and kids stared on in shock, having never gotten the chance to say good-bye. Jester's body was cut down later that day.
The man never was.

"You don't get it, Dad," Tom glared at the picture of his father. "You see, it's an example! A warning to those who would dare plot against me. This is how you stop crime. By getting to its roots - by seeking out the drive, and putting it to a stop. It has to be public, you see, and it has to be mandatory, for that is what makes people think twice before they dare do anything."
In his portrait, Guy was half-suited in his Mindworm gear. In one hand, he held the helmet, the other raised in the air triumphantly, thumb up.
"Face it - I've done what you never had the guts to do. While you just threw criminals in jail time after time again, I've managed to truly reform them. The Brain and Gaston - remember them? Well, they're mine now…. I've enlisted their help. They're too frightened to disobey. Antony Stanislavia…. smart guy - knows what's good for him. And those who wouldn't enlist…. they're dead."
Guy's face was grinning goofily. He looked to have not a care in the world. Despite all his misgivings, he seemed truly happy with everything he had and was.
"I know what you're thinking. I've become the very monster I've set out to stop. You're right - I'm no better than McKnight." Tom grinned, face full of life and ambition. "I like it."

Tim Wuzzario sat peacefully in his bedroom, reading an old Welles novel by the light of the fireplace. There was a knock on the door, and Wuzzario set his book aside with a smile on his face, calling for the company to come in. Shammons arrived, backed up by several guards and a robotic man Wuzzario knew to be the Brain.
"I know why you've come…." Wuzzario said. "I've known this was coming for a long time…."
"Then you know what I'm going to ask you."
"Well, what can I say? You're right, you know…. I knew all about your little scheme - I knew everything that's happened to this point long before it occurred. And I know how it will end. It's like I told you when we first met, Tom…. I've known how each of you would die…." He smiled. "So far, I've been dead-on…. Evan gave his life for his mother, Steve died in the battle with McKnight, and the clone was slain by Johanna after she went berserk and attacked Isaac and Eva…."
"Then tell me this…."
"How will you die?" Wuzzario finished for him. "Well, that's my little secret, now, isn't it? We can't go playing with fate, Tom, and we can't cheat death. If you're to die tomorrow, you will die tomorrow. If you're to live a long life before passing away in your sleep sixty years from now, so be it. I've reached the end of my line. I can't say I didn't try to avoid it, to escape destiny…. but the cancer rendered my actions useless…. The timestream has corrected itself."
"Oh, please!" Shammons snorted. "You're the Master of Time! Surely, you know how to change it…."
"No, Tom. Alas, Time always wins…. You will kill me soon…."
"Not while I still have use for you."
"You don't, trust me," Wuzzario laughed. "You think you have use for Time Wizard. I've spared you that spectacle." He gestured to the fireplace, where a metal scepter burned, melting, dying. "It will never work again."
Shammons gazed into the fire, eyes widened with rage.
"Let's make this fast…. I may have some family waiting for me on the other side, that is, if they're willing to accept me…." He chuckled. "To be honest, I never really believed in the afterlife…. but the supernatural has always been outside my realm of jurisdiction, outside Time. Now is the part where you shoot me."

"Sir, are you there?" The voice came in from Tom's speaker on his desk. Turning away from his father, he began talking with his servants over the line.
"Yes, I'm here. What seems to be the problem?"
"It's that…. thing you kept…."
"I keep many 'things.' Could you be more specific?"
"The beast - Savage, I think you called it."
Tom frowned. "And…. how did this happen?"
"W-we were moving him into the White House, Sir, like you requested, a-and, um…."
"Very well. That will be enough."
"I…. I'm sorry, Sir." He was frightened. "Please…. I…."
"It's quite all right. Don't fret over it, and return to your work."
"Y-yes, Sir! Thank you, Sir!"
The line went dead, and Tom turned back to his father's portrait, a somber look on his face.
"That man will be hanged tomorrow," Tom said. "Incompetence shall not be tolerated. That is another key to success in this world, Dad. I recall that under your watch, an entire city was once wiped off the map. Somewhere out in Europe, I believe it was. Energy Girl's first mission. You remember? She was…. thirteen at the time? Something like that. The same age as me, actually. Well, you were all supposed to go in and stop some crazy villain or another - the guy had laid siege on a nuclear base. You were supposed to be stealthy about it. She jumped right in without backup. And she failed. The bad guy won."
Tom picked a handgun off his desk and popped the bullets out.
"You see these, Dad? They're called bullets. Fascinating things, really. Each one is the size of an insect, and yet in the right hands, it's the most lethal of weapons. Yes, lethal. You only need one of these."
He popped a single bullet back into the gun, shutting it, loading it.
"One bullet…. for one life…."
The shot rang through the room like a firecracker, the bullet planting itself between the eyes of Guy Mansen.
"That's all it takes to kill. It's so easy, it's ridiculous…."
He blew the dust off the barrel of the gun.
"The bad guys can use these things too, of course. They usually do. You have to constantly be on your guard, Dad. The tiniest slip, and BAM! Lives slip through the fingers of the incompetence. So you need to take care of it. Turn the enemy's weapon into your own. Use it against them, and get rid of those too useless to get it right. Energy Girl should not have had a second chance. She cost countless people their lives. Shouldn't they have been avenged?"
He popped the gun open again and began loading it up.
"The average gun gets six bullets. Six bullets means six deaths a gun. You can kill six people with one gun without ever having to reload. How about this? One for Jester, and he never kills again…. One for the Brain, and he leaves you alone…. One for Gaston, and he finally pays the price…. One for Time Wizard, before he gets too powerful…. One for Sir Arthur McKnight, and he never conquers the world…. And the last one?" A grin spread over Tom's face. "Save it for yourself, for being so damn incompetent…."
Gently, Tom tucked the gun into his belt loop, loaded and ready for use.
"I'm kidding, of course, Dad. Still, it makes for nice conversation. You see, I feel like we've really bonded with this little time here in the office, more than we ever did when you were alive. You were always away, on some mission or another. And Mom…."
Tom's grin faded, as a tear ran down his cheek.
"Poor Mom…."

Isaac stared out over the starry hills. The city was miles away. Everything had happened so fast. They'd beaten McKnight - they'd saved the world. Or so he thought, anyway….
Nate Shammons, the guy who'd taken them in, trained them, prepared them…. The veteran's son…. Who'd have thought it? Who'd have thought that he'd be the one to betray them?
"You okay, Isaac?"
He looked up. Johanna was coming up behind him, sitting by his side.
"Yeah, I'm…. I'm all right…." he replied.
"Pen had you pretty good. You seemed to have broken a few bones. Without the medical attention…. well, it took a while…."
"I'm feeling better now."
"I still don't think you should've wandered off on your own."
"No, really…. It's fine…."
Johanna looked at Isaac with great sorrow. Once, he was the Overseers' team leader. He'd been a brave man, a hero of the people. Even in those days, when she'd usually fight against him, she'd always had a certain admiration for the man known as One-Shot. When she learned of his engagement to Eva, she was so distraught that she nearly killed a man in her next job.
That had always been Johanna's greatest regret, which is why she'd fought so hard to repress her feelings, to stay in control. She basically let Eva have Isaac. Besides, how could Darklight, a common thief and lowlife villain, offer anything more than Nightshade, an elite Overseer and great hero?
And now, he was so distraught over it all. He lost her once, many years ago, when McKnight first took over. It had ruined him, taken over his life, her ghost haunting him everywhere he'd go. For fifteen years, this went on, before he finally got her back.
It was Johanna's chance to show how much she cared, to prove that all she wanted was for Isaac to be happy, to save both him and Eva. But she'd failed. When Shammons betrayed them, there was no way for Eva to get the help she needed. She was bleeding from the neck, from the artery. Johanna had tried to make a cast, to use her light powers to stop the bleeding, but it was far too late.
Eva had died again. Isaac had watched her die twice now. He'd watched his son die. Everyone he ever loved was dead. Not one remained. He was truly alone….
And Shammons…. Why was she even calling him that? Isaac had told her the truth - that there was no Nate Shammons, that his real name was Thomas Mansen, son of the original Mindworm. He was the son of an Overseer! Why would he do this? Why would he betray them?
"Some new world this turned out to be…." Johanna sneered. "Take down one overlord, get another…."
"Yeah…. Bet you never guessed that our glorious leader was just another two-bit thug with dreams of world domination…."
Johanna stood up, looking over the hills, out at the cities before them. Many still rang the tone of Sir Arthur McKnight. Mansen's world was new, fresh, and hadn't yet reached its prime. It was young, and thus, it was vulnerable.
"Hey, One-Eye," she smiled. "You say you're all healed, right?"
Isaac chuckled. "We both know what comes next…."

Tom sat in his chair, raising a cup of wine to the portrait of his father.
"Soon…. Isaac and Johanna will come to ruin this world of mine…. And then, I'll kill them. It will all be complete then. The plan will be complete. A new era will come forth, under the name of Mindworm. I'll toast to that."
He drew the cup in, sipping the wine, tasting it on his tongue.
"It's all for you, Dad…. It's all for you…."

[spideyfan914]

Chapter Fourteen: SHOWDOWN

The sun shone over the streets of Washington. Not a cloud was in the sky. In the streets, the people celebrated - Nate Shammons had promised another one hundred years of everlasting peace. He swore by his grave that the entire world would be united, and even Iran, which had steered clear of McKnight's control, would soon see the light of Mindworm's peace. Most of the globe was already under Shammons' lead - and the people were ready for a new era.
The time for discreteness is over.
A streak of energy shot through the city. The people turned their heads to see One-Shot standing atop a building, Jedi right behind him.
"People of the world," he declared. "Nate Shammons is not who you think he is. He claims to offer peace, but believe me when I say that he knows nothing of peace. I ask all you to leave this place now, and don't come back until I tell you it's okay. Listen to me, for peril of your lives. This may get bloody."
The people turned and fled, fled far away from Washington DC, never once looking back, for peril of their lives. Within the White House, someone asked Nate Shammons if he wished to halt the evacuation, but he allowed it. "This is going to get bloody, after all…."
"Well, One-Eye, any ideas on how to infiltrate that place? Shammons has it locked up pretty good…."
"I never go to work without a plan."
"So what's the plan?"
"Improvise."
Jedi rolled her eyes. "Not much of a plan…."
"Well, you're the ex-thief. You have any thoughts?"
"I typically study the building immensely before jumping into action…."
"No time for that. We won't be knowing what it's like 'til we get inside…. Now there has to a door around here somewhere…. Maybe the locals have an idea?"
Jedi was already leaping down the building, letting herself fall to the ground, until finally drawing two swords, stabbing the building and slowing her movement, landing gently on the ground. She ran up to a pedestrian, and began asking the essential questions. A moment later, she ran back toward One-Shot. He, too, had jumped down, using energy beams to slow his descent.
"What's the story?"
"No doors. Only entrance is from the top."
"Maybe we can blast through."
"Think you can blast through ten feet of stainless steel?"
"Okay, maybe we can't blast through…."
"Come on," Jedi smiled. "I know how we can get up there."
The dome was enormous, towering far above the the other building. It's surface was smooth and slick, impossible to grip. But Johanna Estevez wasn't once called Darklight, the greatest thief alive, for nothing! As they approached the large dome, Jedi thrust a knife into the edge, piercing a single inch in. She kept doing this, working her way upward, forming a stepping path.
"Climb quickly, One-Eye. Shammons is bound to have -"
"Guards…." A voice rang down from the top of the dome. They looked up to the figure standing at the top, running forward, sliding down the edge, landing in a crater in front of them. It looked up with a sharp-tooth smile, fangs glistening, robotic red eye whirring around and musing its foe.
"Gaston…." One-Shot declared in amazement. "You're working for Mansen??"
"Mr. Shammons is not to be addressed by that name. I'm going to have to kill you now, you know…."
Gaston rose his gun-arm, shooting rapidly, and pointed his other arm to shoot a laser. Jedi skillfully dodged them, as One-Shot blasted away, stopping the attacks before they reached him. Finally, one of One-Shot's blasts rammed Gaston, knocking him against the wall of the dome.
Jedi ran forward, swords drawn, and she swung at the hunter, but a sword of his own popped out of his hand and they began to spar. Gaston's swings, however, were more aggressive, and Jedi soon found herself on the defensive, blocking with each movement, every second wasted one step closer to her defeat.
"This is pathetically easy, to be honest…. I had hoped for a challenge worthy of Pierre Gaston!"
"Gee, sorry if I'm boring you," Jedi snorted, noticing her partner making his way behind the egotistical villain.
One-Shot opened his visor, preparing to blast the hunter, when suddenly, Gaston spun around. In one swift motion, he knocked back Jedi's light-weapons and deflected One-Shot's blast off the edge of his blade, bouncing it right back at the hero.
"ISAAC!!!" Jedi called out, letting down her guard for just the one slip-up Gaston needed to meet his blade to her throat.
"Well, well…. It looks like the heroes lose…. Any last words, Overseer?"
Jedi stared at the robot beast-man's transfigured eyes. Little human remained, but she could still see his sense of triumph, his sense of victory over a long-envied rival.
"Yeah," she said. "Duck."
A blast of energy smacked Gaston across the back of the head, knocking him off-guard as Jedi grabbed his sword, spun around, and sliced off his gun-arm. Yelling in pain, Gaston stumbled to the side, collapsing on the ground.
"I told you to duck…."
"Fun little tidbit, Gaston," One-Shot smiled, walking forward. "I'm immune to my own energy blasts. It doesn't even tickle."
Gaston growled like a lion, leaping to his feet. "I am Pierre Gaston! And I will not lose to the likes of you!" He drew a handgun from his belt and shot at the unsuspecting leader.
Isaac blinked. In a split-second, the bullet was fired, and in a split-second, it was gone - Jedi had blocked Gaston's one shot with his own sword, and then hurled a knife at him.
The knife landed itself in Gaston's shoulder. He howled in rage, drawing his own knife and running forward, swinging wildly at Jedi, who ducked, spun around, and dodged all of the hunter's attacks. One-Shot began to fire at the villain, but he fired back out of his own eye. Finally, One-Shot was hit.
Jedi dug a knife into Gaston's chest, but ignoring the pain, he smacked her across the head, knocking her to the ground. Both Overseers lay on the pavement, momentarily down - a moment was all the hunter would need.
"Like I said…. piece of cake."
A growl sounded through the street, a growl like an animal. Like a lion, or a tiger, like some primitive creature, a noise which only beasts can make. Gaston knew the sound well, but he could not believe it.
Knocked aside, Gaston flung his knife blindly threw the air, but the creature jumped over it, landing beside Gaston and slashing its claws. Blood seeped down Gaston's body as he struggled up and tried to flee, but he could not outrun it - he never could.
The monster landed in front of him, blocking his escape route, its long mane resting against its back as it lunged forward. Grabbing the hunter by his red eye, the creature tore off his cybernetic face, and let the blood soak the floor in a pile of gore. It had been a long hunt indeed, but Pierre Gaston always knew that he'd meet his end battling this Savage….
One-Shot and Jedi rose to their feet, staring in awe at the sight before them. The villain lay in a puddle, as James Viktor crouched over him, glaring up at the Overseers. It seemed uneasy…. It flicked its eyes back and forth from Isaac to Johanna, as if not knowing whether to trust them or not. She'd once been its enemy - did it remember?
"James…." Isaac finally said. "It…. It's me…. Isaac Stern…. I'm One-Shot, James - I'm your friend!"
He stepped forward, offering a hand to the creature. It stared at the hand, not quite understanding what it meant.
"Johanna…." Isaac whispered. "I…. I don't think he likes you…."
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Well, seeing what he did to Gaston, that's quite an appetizing thought. Thank you for the image."
"Maybe you should…. back up or something…."
"Naa, I'll do this the old-fashioned way."
"Huh?? What -?"
Before Isaac could voice even the slightest protest, Johanna had come forward, swords held high. Savage took a step back, growling menacingly, as it watched Johanna throw her swords into the air. And she dropped them.
"I used to be a bad guy, but not anymore, Beast Boy," she smiled. "Me friend!"
Savage blinked, staring at Johanna uncertainly.
"Okay, try this," Johanna said, grabbing Savage's hand as Isaac shouted some futile fear and slapped it up against her own. "See? They match! We both human! Me friend!"
Isaac stared with his mouth open as Savage looked Johanna up and down, not quite as suspecting now, then gently put its hand down and rose to its feet. It turned its head skyward, gazing up at the enormous fortress before them.
"You…. you want Mansen too, don't you?" Johanna asked.
Savage grunted.
"He had him locked in a cage," Isaac explained. "Poor guy lost his memory in McKnight's initial attack."
Johanna looked at Savage, staring at the beast as it glared at the White House, eyes steaming with rage.
"It wasn't McKnight…." she said. "It was Mansen, wasn't it? He did this to you. You were with him once, one of his Overseers just like Isaac and me, but you knew too much…. You always did have a way of smelling out the liars…."
Isaac's eyes shot out of his head, brain circling in madness. It was such a crazy idea. And yet, he knew it to be true. He knew that Johanna was right.
"Go get him, Savage," Johanna smirked. "We're right behind you."
"Wait -"
Savage leaped up into the air, ignoring Isaac, and grabbing ahold of the large dome, climbing upward, digging his hands to form small little niches.
"There we go," Johanna smiled. "Steps!"
"Johanna, we can't let him go after Mansen!" Isaac whispered. "He'll kill him!"
"Relax, Isaac…. He's on our side now, and as long as we're around, we can stop him before he does any harm. Besides, do you have a better plan?"
"I…. No…."
Johanna smiled triumphantly. "Then let's get going!"
As she began scaling the wall, Isaac hesitated. This wasn't James Viktor they were dealing with anymore. He'd been stripped of his humanity along with his memory. Now, he truly was his namesake - a full-blown Savage. He acted on impulse, on primal instincts, and he wouldn't lose any sleep over killing scum like Mansen, or even a guy who just looked him the wrong way. Still, he was once a good friend - maybe he could be again….
One-Shot climbed after Jedi and Savage, scaling to the top of the White House. There, they faced large steel doors. Savage roared and slashed at them. One-Shot stepped forward, signaling Savage to stop, and blasted at the scratch marks on the door. Jedi drew her swords and stabbed through the door, and then Savage clawed in and pried them open.
The trio jumped in, immediately facing an army of gunmen. Savage didn't lose any time, ripping through the guards tooth and nail, spinning them around and hurling them aside, treating them like the tall grass through which the lion treads as it chases down a larger prey. As One-Shot and Jedi fought at a slower pace, Savage was already clawing through the doors and into the next room.
"James!" One-Shot cried out. "Yeah, we can stop him before he does any harm all right…."
"Jeez, One-Eye, cool down! Beast Boy won't get far without us - he doesn't care about these guards, and they won't catch him, but he'll never find Mansen in this place!"
"Don't call him Mansen!" one of the guards said, shooting at Jedi, who blocked the bullet and deflected it into his heel.
It wasn't too long before the guards lay defeated all around One-Shot and Jedi. Without a moment to lose, One-Shot ran up to a guard and grabbed him by the collar.
"Okay, buddy - Thomas Mansen, where is he?"
"H-he'll kill me!"
"He won't have the chance if you don't tell me where he is…."
"N-no!" the guard cried. "Y-you wouldn't!"
"This man killed my wife for a second time…. Don't try me…."
"B-bottom floor! Right in the center! The new Oval Office!"
"What's the fastest way there?"
"The elevators will be blocked - take the stairs! West wing!"
"Thanks," One-Shot smiled, "I'm surprised you didn't call my bluff." He slammed the guard against the floor, knocking him out. "Come on, Johanna, let's go."
They ran through the interior of the dome, fighting off army after army. But after all, they'd fought plenty of henchmen before. It was just another day's work for the Overseers….
And then, the henchmen stopped coming. They arrived at the stairs, and began racing down. No one attacked - not a single guard in sight. They reached the bottom, a door in the way.
"Wait," One-Shot said, slowing down. "This is too easy…."
"I know - where'd all the goons go?"
"Something's waiting for us on the other side of this door…. And if we fought Gaston outside, then that gives us a few guesses on who it is."
"Jester," Jedi thought. "Or Time Wizard, maybe…."
One-Shot smiled. "Only one way to find out…."
He blasted open the door, and the heroes ran through. Inside something did await them - a large, spider-like machine, weapons hidden in each leg. Where it met together was a familiar head, that of the last body of the Brain.
"So…. we meet again," he boomed. "Time after time, you've beaten me through an improbability factor, but this time…. there is no such thing."
A metal door slammed down behind One-Shot and Jedi, as a gun popped out under the Brain's head, and began shooting rockets at the Overseers. They ran around the room, but each rocket made a large explosion, knocking them slightly off-balance. To let up their guard would be to die.
"Behind him!" Jedi shouted. "A door!"
One-Shot took the risk. He turned to face the Brain for a split-second, opening his visor and releasing an energy blast, hitting a rocket just as it left the launcher. The spider flew back against the wall.
"Come on!" One-Shot shouted, as he and Jedi raced through the halls. But the Brain wasn't far behind.
"Activate security override," the Brain spoke. "Overseers headed to Oval Office. Engage lock-down."
In front of One-Shot and Jedi, doors began to close. They slid under each closing door just in the nick of time, and the Brain then blasted them open, pursuing the heroes at all costs.
"Open all turrets. Shoot to kill."
Guns popped out of the walls, shooting at the heroes, who just barely dodged it all as they continued making their way from door-to-door.
"At least we know we're on the right track…." Jedi joked.
"You have no idea where you're going, do you?"
"Well, the guard said the Oval Office is in the middle…. This is toward the middle, and the Brain seems to think we're doing something right…."
"Warning, code red! Code red!" The Brain hollered, as alarms went off all around them, as though to warn Mansen of their arrival.
The door in front of them shut before they could reach it.
"Oh, sh-"
One-Shot shoved Jedi aside, ducking the other way, as a rocket whirred past them both, exploding against the metal door. And yet, it still stood.
"I don't get it…." One-Shot blinked. "All the other doors blew up with the Brain's rockets!"
"You Overseers are so simple-minded," the Brain declared. "The other doors were designed to allow my access! But beyond this one…. Why, Shammons told me he could look out for himself should someone get trapped in with him."
Jedi gasped. "You mean - that's it?? That one leads to the Oval Office??"
"You have an excellent sense of direction, I'll give you that, Johanna Estevez. A shame that such will be of no use to you anymore…."
He leapt at them, as they ducked underneath the spidery robot. The Brain let his legs fall behind, melding into a large spear, as his head began to flare, shooting him back toward One-Shot and Jedi. Still careful to avoid the turrets on the walls, they hid away, narrowly avoiding the strike.
"You are trapped, Overseers!" the Brain declared, releasing his legs and jumping back down the hallway. "It is only a matter of time!" As he passed by the heroes, heading toward the final door again, the Brain shot several more rockets out of the uppermost unit of each leg. One-Shot and Jedi skillfully continued dodging, evading another spear attack on the Brain's way back.
"Hey, One-Eye," Jedi whispered, "you notice that he only does that spear thing when he's going away from the door?"
"Great minds think alike," One-Shot smiled.
The Brain ran through the hallway, shooting lasers all around him. One grazed Jedi's wrist, cutting her slightly.
"JOHANNA!"
"I'm fine, One-Eye!" she shouted, as the Brain came back like a spear. This time, Jedi slid under him, hooking a lasso around his legs. She yanked on him, spinning him around and hurling him toward the door.
"No! The chances were so slim!"
He landed right in-between the doors wedging them open. One-Shot blasted a hole right then, as the Brain leapt out, charging the heroes. He went right for One-Shot.
Taking advantage of the moment it took One-Shot to blast open the doors, the Brain knocked him aside and rose a leg high into the air. Out of the corner of his eye, One-Shot could already see new doors closing in.
"Johanna…." he whispered. "You're our last hope - make it count…."
"Not a chance, One-Eye."
The Brain lunged down his leg, piercing flesh. Johanna's flesh. She let out a scream of pain, as the Brain's attack stabbed into her lower stomach.
"Johanna!" Isaac cried, standing up and grabbing her as she fell over. "What are you doing??"
"Saving your life, you idiot…. Now go! I'll hold off Brain - you have to take on Mansen!"
"But what about -?"
"No time to argue!" she yelled, brushing him off and blocking the Brain's next strike, thrusting his bladed leg aside. "Get through that door!"
"But -"
"GO!!!"
Jedi ran at the Brain, leaping into the air, dodging bullets at all ends as they began to fly out of the walls once again. Her stomach bleeding, she held her swords high, lunging right at the Brain's head, as his metallic figure for a moment appeared to smile.
And One-Shot - he didn't look back. He jumped up and bolted for the doors. He never looked behind him, never looked to see how it ended, and never even looked through the large metal doors as he slipped through them, never looked into the Oval Office, into the eyes of Thomas Mansen, until he was inside, and the doors shut behind him.

[spideyfan914]

Chapter Fifteen: CHILDISH REVENGE

"And so, it is time for the climax."
The doors slammed behind One-Shot as he slid into the Oval Office, and stared into the eyes of Thomas Mansen. It had been many months now since Mansen first approached him, under the guise of Nate Shammons. All he wanted, it seemed, was to take down Sir Arthur McKnight and save the world. He'd created a new team of Overseers, with One-Shot as field leader.
And they'd done it. They'd saved the world, stopped McKnight. And yet, Mansen had betrayed them, sought their blood, reworked the world into his own image.
"One question, Mansen," One-Shot scowled. "Why?"
He grinned humorously, almost mocking the question. "You can't be serious…." "This isn't just some cliche ploy for world domination. Please tell me it's not that!"
"Very well. It's not that." Mansen sat behind his desk, the flag situated beside him. He wore a dressy suit, his hands gently resting on the desk folded into each other. He ruled the world.
"Is this a joke to you?? Do you think this is funny??"
"In a sense, yes. Perhaps, isaac, you just don't share my sense of humor…." Mansen picked up some papers and started going through them. "You know, it isn't easy to rule the world…. The weight of everyone's problems rests on your shoulders. One wrong decision, and there may just be nuclear holocaust. Heh…. maybe that's not such a bad idea…."
"You're no President…. Even on their worse days, no President would stoop as low as you…."
"You're joking…. You think that the Presidents of fifteen years past were any different than me? All that really separates us is the amount of land we control." Mansen looked at One-Shot with a smile. "I control more."
"This isn't right, Mansen. The world's not supposed to be this way."
"I'm shocked, Isaac. You, of all people, should understand my vision. After all, you've been to space, haven't you? I recall that the Brain once created a station on the moon, and it took the whole team of Overseers to stop him…."
"What's your point?"
"You saw the earth. You saw it for what it is. A sphere of blue and green - no countries, no boundaries. One solid world. This Earth is meant to be united. I'm simply picking up the pieces."
One-Shot scowled at Mansen. "Maybe it is meant to be united, but not under someone like you."
"Whatever you say, but now, I really must get back to my work. Like I said, it isn't easy to rule the world…." He flipped through a few papers. "You see these, Isaac? These are my options…."
"Options?"
"Yes…. McKnight never really got the whole world, you see. As you recall, you used to evade him in the Himalayas. Right now, we're focusing on Iran…. They've managed to stay independent through all this. We can't have that, now. So I'm trying to figure if we should send in diplomats, declare war, or just nuke the sons of b****es for all they're worth."
"You're insane."
Mansen grinned. "You have a suggestion, Isaac….? What do you think I should do?"
One-Shot grabbed the papers off the desk and threw them to the floor.
"Forget it, Mansen. It's over. You had to have known that I'd come back, come back to take you down."
Mansen grimaced at One-Shot, more annoyed that angry. He looked down at the one paper remaining in his hand. "Well, since the rest of my options seem scattered, I guess this one will have to do. It's a small atom bomb, you see?"
"Didn't you hear me??"
"Oh, but you have to listen to this! You see, I've studied McKnight's powers thoroughly, and I believe I've figured out just what he can do. Remember that javelin atom bomb he launched?"
Isaac's heart froze.
"You do remember?" Mansen's eyes lit up as a wicked grin spread across his face. "Yes, that javelin appeared to be light energy. And the reason for this is, it was! But McKnight changed it as it descended. Energy can be neither created nor destroyed, but it can be transmuted. And so, as it struck, the javelin released two types of energy: radiation, and pure force.
"As I recall, Jedi had tried to manipulate the light energy. She failed, however, for it had already begun to change. And so it struck. The force of the blow was able to toss around the Overseers, scatter them, separate them. And meanwhile, the radiation slowly ate away at them. It was, after all, mostly radiation - that way, the deaths were slow, and no one was spared so easily.
"Ellen Smith was made of energy, and thus she absorbed it like a sponge. This made her especially vulnerable, and she died in Jon Harding's arms, before he ever got a chance to reveal his feelings. Each Overseer in turn died, slowly eaten away by the radiation, disintegrating, slowly, grotesquely, painfully.
"Oh, James Viktor survived, of course. McKnight forgot that his healing abilities would save him from the slow death. And then there's you, who shoots small doses of radiation out of his eyes. Thought unbeknownst to you back then, you were immune to the radiation….
"Too bad your lovely wife was not."
Isaac's heart raced, as he clenched his fists. "Shut up…."
Mansen grabbed a pen off his desk and looked the paper up and down. "What's curious is that the radiation didn't linger…. It was as though it was specifically targeted for the Overseers. The truth is that this is because of the artificial nature of the bomb. There was no chain reaction on the subatomic level, or any of that. No uranium, nothing. Just pure, raw, unbound power.
"But really, let's be honest. The reason it stopped after killing the Overseers is because that was all that was needed. A world without the Overseers…. I mean, come on, you were fighting to 'defend' a world which hated you. Make no mistakes - they did hate you. Sure, they didn't like McKnight much either, but one thing no one ever complained about was that he killed those so-called heroes before it was too late.
"They were all freaks - that's what the people said. All that they ever wanted was to see you rot and die. You never really helped anyone. You practically let the villains win! You let them survive to keep killing, keep conquering the world!"
"I said SHUT UP!!"
Mansen laughed. "One little bomb was all it took…. And the people were happy to see you rot. Me, I'm different, because I have the people's best interests at heart. Nothing matters more to me than my people.
"Oh, but back on topic - what to do with Iran…. yes, well, I suppose that if McKnight's bomb was able to do such great things, a larger version of the attack would do even greater. My breakdown of how it works is all it needed, and now we can get right to work! And once those inhumans are out of the way, my people can move in, continue this world, and life will be so much better! And we'll never have to worry about any potential wars!"
Mansen chuckled as he signed his name onto the paper, "Nate Shammons."
"It's too bad that your team never tried this, Isaac. The world would have been such a better place…. And you had great opportunities too - just think of what could have been accomplished had Eva acted as President. One small bullet, and then your wife could have taken over, done everything I'm doing now. And only one life would have had to be lost…."
"Eva never would have done that!!!"
"No, but she should have. The way your team operated was incompetent. Incompetence may not be tolerated. Eva Pinel always deserved to die." Mansen looked up at Isaac, his eyes gleaming. "Thank God for Sir Arthur McKnight."
Enough.
Isaac tore open his visor, blasting Mansen with massive levels of energy. The ruler leapt from his chair, narrowly dodging the blast, and grabbing a handgun off his desk. He spun and shot a bullet at Isaac, but the Overseer obliterated it with another eyebeam.
While he was distracted, Mansen reached for the sky, shooting the chandelier at the top of the room. Isaac rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding the crash and then ducked down to dodge another bullet zipping by his ear. Isaac jumped up and shot another blast at Mansen, but he too ducked down and avoided it.
Another bullet grazed by Isaac's head, snagging the edge of his visor and loosening it. Quickly, Isaac grabbed ahold of the visor, keeping it up to block the stream of energy from pouring out of his eyes. The next bullet landed in Isaac's leg, forcing him to the floor.
Mansen ran up to the hero, pointing his gun directly at Mansen's head. Five bullets gone. One left.
"Good-bye, Isaac Stern…."
Panicking, Isaac released his visor, letting it fall to the floor as raw energy shot out of his eyes like a waterfall. Mansen flew across the room, dropping the gun onto the floor and slamming against the opposite wall. A picture fell beside him, its lens shattering.
Visors in hand, Isaac stood up, keeping a constant stream of energy on Mansen, beating him, pounding him. Thomas Mansen, ruler of the world, rogue son of Isaac's best friend. Guy's shattered picture rested beside his son. He had been a great man, an Overseer. What could have happened to Tom to pull him so far away?
Isaac neatly put his visors back on, steadying them against his ears.
"Little Tommy…." he whispered. "What happened?"
Thomas Mansen fumbled upward, beaten back but not out. "Nothing 'happened,' Isaac…. I've always been like this…."
"But how? Why? Your father was a great man! He was the guy who started the Overseers - it was his idea! If you're really his son, then why would you do these things? Why would you abhor his vision? Look at you! Ruling the world, with a picture of your father to guide you, but you don't follow it!"
Mansen neatened his suit, steadying himself on his feet, wiping his sleeves. "You're right," he said with a smile. "My father was a great man. And I hated him."
Mansen crossed the room to Isaac, glaring into his eyes.
"I hated that man with all my heart. I never really knew him as a child, you know. He missed my first steps, my first day of school. He missed the day I made it to the school spelling bee, and won it on the word 'FATHER.' He missed my elementary graduation, and my junior high graduation. I sat there in the field, as all the other kids raced to their parents, both mother and father, and their dads told them how much they loved them. I never got any of that!"
Mansen was at Isaac's throat now, face in face.
"I…. He was a very busy man -"
"Yes, yes! I know!! He had the mission - always some mission. Saving the world, stopping the bad guy, pulling cats out of trees - that was more important. I wasn't even on that list! I grew up without a father, but not because he was dead - because he JUST DIDN'T CARE!!!
"My mother…. My poor mother…. She waited for him, every day. She always said, 'Tonight, Tommy, your daddy's coming home for dinner!' And we'd wait for him for hours, sitting at that table, our food getting cold, neither of us daring to begin until my beloved daddy came home. And he never did. We'd get a call around midnight, 'Sorry, dear, there was a volcanic eruption on the other side of the world. Maybe tomorrow.' So we'd go to bed without dinner, because it just wouldn't be the same without him.
"She tried so many things. She once told him she was having an affair, just to get him to come home. And guess what - he didn't even come home then. He never came home. I saw him maybe once or twice in my entire life, and aside from that, I only knew his voice over the phone, claiming that he loved me when he knew I knew better.
"And why did this happen?? Why did I lead this life?? BECAUSE OF THE GODDAMN OVERSEERS!!!!! Don't you see, Isaac? Because you 'heroes' never really had a goal! You were just blundering idiots without a mission, without a purpose, pretending you were making a difference when meanwhile your entire family was falling apart around you!
"So yes, he was a great man. Great enough to abandon everything that matters, leave his own son for rot…."
"Tom, that…." Isaac simply didn't know what to say. "That just…. isn't true…."
"Oh, but then comes the best part…." Mansen laughed, throwing his arms into the air. "'Cause what does he do next? He up and dies! As though he hadn't left us hanging enough, then he just dies, without even saying good-bye. And as if that isn't enough…. he had to bring my mother down with him…."
"Holly?" Isaac gasped. He hadn't moved an inch. He just watched as Mansen paced the room, arms wildly, rage climaxing. And what did he mean that Guy had brought Holly down with him? "What…. what happened to Holly?"
"You see, McKnight didn't realize that my father hated his family. Never told the guy. So what does McKnight do when he takes over the world? He tracks down the family, me and my mom. He killed her. Not McKnight - dad. Dad killed mom. We could've made do, but because of that fake connection which we'd been dwelling on all those years, she had to die.
"Because of HIM, SHE had to DIE!!!!"
"No…." Isaac shook his head. "No…. No, that can't be…."
"Oh, please! What do you care? You never even bothered checking up on us, seeing if we were still alive. You're just like my father - not a care in the world outside the mission. Always the mission. Mission, mission, mission!
"Me - I escaped by the skin of my teeth. I went to college in England - McKnight hadn't conquered England yet. I escaped while she died…. And I realized something there. I realized how much better off life was without dear old dad. I realized that everything wrong in my life was directly his fault, and I realized that I wanted to kill him.
"But I couldn't kill him. McKnight already had. For that, he would have to die.
"And me - I'd settle for the next best thing. Exact replicas, robots, clones, whatever! Unfortunately, the robots…. well, they weren't much fun - a machine doesn't scream as it dies. The scream, you see, is the best part. And the clones were all unstable, disfigured. Only the one clone, Nightshade, could change her appearance, stabilize herself. Something in the brain was clearly always off, but still, I knew that it would never work for my father….
"So then I got the idea. Why don't I recreate the Overseers from scratch! Make my own team, with identical names, identical powers! Now there was a good idea - you see, if I couldn't kill the originals, it would be nice just to kill off something similar.
"But first, I'd show my dad how it's done. I'd take down McKnight myself, with my team, prove that I'm superior. And then, I'd go on to take this world into my own hands, rule it the way it was always meant to be ruled! I'd prove my Overseers to be better than his, and then, I'd kill them!" Mansen maniacally, so much so that he almost had trouble catching his breathe. "Just for the heck of it…."
Mansen was circling the room, grinning wildly, as Isaac stared on, speechless, amazed.
"My father may have been inhumanly intelligent, but he was a damn big idiot. Letting this world rot, ignoring his family…. Killing his wife….
"Funny thing happened during that battle with McKnight, you know. He told me that I was just a little boy who lost his daddy, who grew up sad and alone. He called this my hissy-fit, a fools game…. a bit of childish revenge….
"Funny, how right he was."
"Tom…." Isaac stuttered. "Your father was -" He could barely speak. "Your father was planning on retiring, returning home to his family. He did love you, and he was tired of the mission."
Mansen blinked. He stared at Isaac, expression perplexed, and yet, furious. This was his life's work. And Isaac had just soiled it all with but a thought.
"You lie. Just like Daddy." Mansen's rage began to build. "All you Overseers…. You're just a bunch of liars, and you don't deserve to live!"
"His dying words…." Isaac went on. "He - he wanted me to tell you something…. I couldn't quite make out what he said, but I…. I think he'd said he was sorry…. He wanted me to tell you he was sorry…."
"Shut up…."
"I'm sorry, too, Tom…. I'm sorry I didn't tell you this sooner."
"Shut up!!!"
"Now…. it's probably too late…."
"SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!"
Mansen rushed to the ground, grabbing the gun off the floor. One bullet still remained, as he swung his hand up and fired. Fired right into Isaac's face. He ducked. And the bullet landed in the portrait of Guy Mansen.
Isaac ran forward, grabbing Mansen's hand. "Six bullets, Tom. You won't get a chance to reload. It's over."
Mansen stared into the eyes of his foe, face sneering, chest slowly moving in and out, tears down his cheeks. "Well then? Are you going to do it?"
Isaac gazed at Mansen. He knew what he meant. A part of him wanted to.
"I killed your wife a second time, Isaac. I killed Nigel too, by the way - there was no intruder. Heck, you may even blame me for Evan's death, if you care about your son anymore than my father did his. And I wouldn't hesitate to kill you."
Isaac did nothing. He merely fixated his visors to make sure they wouldn't fall off.
"Have you learned nothing? You've won. So kill me."
"No."
"KILL ME!!!!"
A loud growl rang throughout the room, as though in answer to Mansen's cry. Both men turned to face the far wall, where scratches began to appear. Savage tore the wall open, and walked into the room.
"No…." Isaac whispered.
Savage lunged forward, knocking Isaac aside and reaching right for Mansen. Isaac stumbled to his feet, steadying his visor and blasting Savage across the room.
The creature charged at isaac - he was now the enemy. Isaac ducked under the monster's claws, struggling to avoid his old friend's blows. He punched the creature and knocked it back. It wasn't James Viktor anymore - it was only Savage.
As the battle for survival ensued, Mansen sneaked up to the doors, tapping a little code in and running through. He'd escaped - he'd lived. The Overseers would have to be declared criminals, fugitives. They did, after all, attack the President. And next time, he would kill them.
"So those doors do open, huh?"
Mansen wrenched his head upward to see Johanna Estevez standing there, clenching her stomach, a small smile on her blood-drenched face. Beside her, the head of the Brain remained, separated from its limp body, seemingly quite pissed off.
"James! Stop this!" Isaac shouted inside. "You know me - I'm Isaac! I'm One-Shot! You don't want to kill me - we're friends!"
Savage ignored him, leaping off the walls and pouncing the hero. Isaac was barely able to avoid the blows, and he knew that if Savage ever connected, it may just kill him.
"Please, James! Listen to me! You're not a killer! You're an Overseer!"
The creature slashed at Isaac, dripping blood on the floor as Isaac forced it back with another blast of energy.
"This isn't you! You're a good man! You're not a savage! You act like one, but you're not! You're James Viktor! JAMES VIKTOR!!"
It landed on the floor directly in front of Isaac, reaching around him. This was it. This was the end. Savage glared into Isaac's eyes, teeth snarling. It sniffed him for a moment, looking him up and down.
"I….Isaac…."
Isaac stared at the creature, at Savage.
"Isaac…. alive…."
Slowly, Savage lowered his hands. Isaac smiled quirkily. "WE'RE alive, James…. We're alive…."
"So, what, it's a three-man team now?"
Isaac turned his head to Jedi, limping in. She tossed Mansen onto the ground.
"What do we do with him?"
Savage snarled at Mansen, but Isaac held up his hand, and the creature calmed down.
"If we kill him," Isaac said, "he wins."
"Yeah, I figured you'd say that…."
"The first matter of business is getting you to a hospital, Johanna."
"Oh, I'm fine…. Wrapped it up in some light…. I can do that, y'know."
Isaac chuckled. "We'll have to restart the world…. again…. Reinstate old governments…. It's going to take time. But we'll get by." He smiled. "The Overseers will help it along."
"You're pathetic," Mansen sneered. "The old world was just as bad as McKnight's, just waiting to collapse upon itself. If you just throw that piece of trash back together, it's bound to fall apart all over again."
Isaac turned to Mansen, walked up o him, and knelt over. "You're right. You know that, of course. There will always be bad guys, and they'll always be trying to take over. And you wanna know what? When that happens, the Overseers will be there to pick up the pieces, all over again. That's what we're here for."

Five years later….

The sun shone over the streets of Washington. Not a cloud was in the sky. In the streets, the people celebrated - the new president was being inaugurated today. She had made promises to further the reconstruction of the old world and look towards new progression in rebuilding home.
The year was now 2049, with the new year quickly rushing in. So much was still in ruins - historians predicted that if things were ever the same again, it would take at least another fifty years, and even then, some things could never be restored - but life was looking up. The people had hope.
Large booming noises sounded through the streets. The people looked up as shadows appeared. Enormous insects, twenty feet tall, arrived in DC. Atop the leading insect, a giant cockroach, a man wearing a green cape and thick blue goggles laughed maniacally.
"I am the Insect King! With my army of insects, I've come to conquer this land! Behold my fury!"
"Insects? Seriously? That's your shtick?"
The Insect King turned, as one man stood in the streets, staring up and laughing.
"You! Bow before your leader!"
"He's running a few minutes late, sorry."
"What?"
"Just hold on a sec," the man said, checking his watch. "And…. now!"
Suddenly, a large jet streaked through the sky. The Insect King stared in fear as the Hummingbird landed before him and seven costumed heroes stepped out.
"Sorry we're late, Fireman," said the voice of Isaac Stern, better known throughout the world as One-Shot. "There was a bit of traffic on the way over."
"No problem, One-Shot. Check this guy out - calls himself the Insect King."
"The Insect King?? God, now I've seen everything!"
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Hydro-Girl asked. "Let's do this thing!"
And so, the Overseers rushed into battle. Stretcher thinned out, reaching up to grab a fly. Shadow Demon disappeared in a dark cloud and reappeared on top of an ant. Hydro-Girl jumped atop an airborne whale, racing into the insect army. Fireman burst into flame, taking to the skies and firing away. The Magician waved her hands and shouted latin incantations. Savage charged into the crowd, brutally dealing with the insects in his own fashion.
Jedi was there, too, fighting off the bugs without breaking a sweat. And beside her was the team leader, One-Shot, blasting away at the insects, as the Insect King found that there were too many bugs behind him to turn around.
Together, they were the Overseers.

So pitiful…. They think they've saved this world, and yet all they do is prolong its destruction. Someday, perhaps, I'll break out of here and give this planet what it truly needs to survive. And if I never do? A pity…. I only hope that no other children face the same fate as myself….
No, I must succeed. I must get out of here, and strike down the Overseers. There's so many of them…. More now than ever…. I suppose that's just more for me to kill.
I'm sorry, Dad. I've failed you. I've failed to exact my revenge on you. You must feel awfully cheated right about now. But don't worry, Dad. You'll still pay. You'll watch them all die. All I need is to that one little kink…. That one little flaw in this cell…. If it takes me my whole life, I'll find it. I'll find the way out, and I'll beat you yet. Just you wait…. Just you wait….
"You're talking to yourself again, Tom."
Isaac. You know, you were always my dad's best friend. It will be fun to watch you die.
"I hope you don't think you can break out of here, Tom. This cell was built by your father."
I've bested him before and I'll do it again.
"Here's your dinner, anyway. I'm sorry things turned out this way."
I made you, old man. I made you what you are. But don't worry - I can just as easily take it all back. It's only a matter of time….