The room wasn’t too large, but not too small. It was dark with the only visible light emitting from the full moon, shining through the slender window that rested near the ceiling. Unless one stood eight feet tall, it was impossible to gaze out the window, but the tenant of this room had no desire to look out there. It only reminded him of places he couldn’t visit.
His name was Seth Brody and it was a renowned name among the people of the world. He once did good in this world until the fateful day that he retired and exiled himself from the freedoms of the earth. There was evil in the universe that wished everyone and everything harm and Seth was there to stop it, but then he began to transform into those that he battled. He locked himself away to prevent himself from doing harm to those that he cared about.
Now, here in this institution of crazy people, Seth’s only friend was the night janitor of the North Wing. Every night, like clockwork, Seth sat beside the steel door, his eyes locked onto the narrow window, with his ears tuned into what his comrade had to say.
“So now she’s trying to negotiate her way into becoming the vice-president.” the janitor concluded.
Seth nodded, “Well, if you can’t become president, why not try your luck at vice-presidency?” it was a rhetorical question.
The janitor continued wiping the floor, with his broom, in front of Seth’s room, mimicking his work, “Write anything new lately?”
He couldn’t see it, but Seth shook his head, “No. Just what I read to you last night. Wasn’t much in the mood to write today.”
“Another one?” the janitor asked, referring to the seizures Seth endured, on a nearly weekly basis.
Seth wasn’t in the, apparent, greatest shape ever, but he had been known to take on entire armies single-handedly. He was scrawny with only slight muscle definition, but he was always well known for his strong willpower and endurance. What wasn’t known to the general public were his ailments and the extreme depression that followed shortly after each seizure. They were also oblivious to the nose bleeds he suffered from, during and after, the use of his abilities. He was a super-being, but he suffered more than anyone would ever know.
“I’ll have something new for you tomorrow,” he held his chin up, “in the meantime, why don’t you share with me what you wrote this week. Let’s see if I can do some minor editing. I enjoyed last weeks entry.”
The janitor nodded with a smile, pulling a folded paper from his jumpsuit pocket, unraveled it, and began reading the printed words. It was a tradition of theirs; Seth would read excerpts from the book he was writing and the janitor would, in return, read excerpts from the short story he was writing. Seth’s novel was more on the brighter things of the world, whereas, his friend was darker and more autobiographical. Two pages were read tonight for Seth, and as promised he gave his critique. Only a few tweaks here and there, but Seth never failed to give positive feedback during each of his critiques. That was one thing the world came to love about him, he was brutally honest, but always with a positive twist.
Seth ran a hand through his gold locks that hid his blue eyes before standing to his bare feet. Only a pair of gray sweatpants was worn on his body. He enjoyed the cold air brushing against his skin. He guessed the current time and said his goodbyes to his comrade, the janitor. The janitor went on with his nightly duties, after saying his goodbyes, and whistled the beat of a Billy Squier song, Everybody Wants You.
Birds chirped their morning songs from outside, the sun shone in through the narrow window of Seth’s room, morning activities took place in the hallways, but what woke Seth from his slumber was the abrupt opening of the steel door. He leaped from his bed, eyes locked on the military officer that had barged into his room, and the shouting commenced.
“What are you doing?!” Seth exclaimed, “Get out of my room!”
“This is not your private home and you are not a teenaged boy, get dressed and follow me.” the officer had a deep and raspy voice emanating from his sculpted chest.
“Colonel, you know that I’m retired.”
The colonel looked Seth square in the eyes and without a sign of hesitation or a hiccup he claimed in his stern and disciplined tone:
“I don’t care.”
Seth glanced around his room, “I am dressed.” and before the military officer vanished from sight, Seth hastily followed.
They maneuvered through several of the institutions hallways before opening another steel door and entering a small room. This room was much smaller than Seth’s and held more occupants. Three more military officers were seated around an aluminum table with there eyes scanning Seth as he entered. Still clad in his sweatpants, he held his hands over his chest with the awful feeling like he was presently being judged. He watched as the colonel lit a cigar and walked around the table, opposite of Seth.
The colonel wedged the cigar between his lips, inhaled, and released a cloud of smoke into the room, “Mr. Brody. We have encountered a terrorist of great power and we require your expertise.”
Seth crossed his arms across his chest and shook his head, “I apologize, sir, but I’m retired. I don’t do this stuff anymore.”
The colonel leaned forward, “No, I’m sorry, but you don’t get to decide when you retire. I decide that and at the moment, you’re reactivated.”
“I’m not one of your lackey’s, Colonel Booth. You can’t just grab me and send me into a war torn country.”
A female officer stood from her seat, obstructing the view of the colonel for Seth, “Gentleman, we’re not going to be able to extinguish the problem in time if you two keep bickering.” her gentle eyes looked to Seth, “Please, Mr. Brody, we are begging for you to aid us in this conflict.”
Her features were, obviously, much more angelic than the colonels. The colonel’s robust bald head, gray mustache, and highly conditioned form did not appeal to Seth like this females long brown hair, slender physique, and green eyes. She was a sight for sore eyes, which were common for Seth.
“You were once a protector of the innocent, please, protect once more.” She pleaded.
Seth was momentarily silent, “No, because if I do this, I’ll once again retire and it will only be a matter of time before you guys ask me for help again. Find someone else. There are others.”
“No one with your finesse.” She countered.
“Finesse? Woman, have you even read my file? I left destruction in my wake. Nearly more damage than any villain ever did.”
“Right now, we need that.”
The room was silent. All eyes were on the former superhero, Seth Brody, with his hues glancing between each of the military officers within the room. It was this moment that he was wishing he had given himself a secret identity and kept the location of his retirement a secret. When his eyes inevitably settled on Colonel Booth, the colonel slammed a box of clothes onto the table.
“We acquired these from your final battlefield. Figured you’d want them again.” the colonel said.
Seth nodded.
It had been seven years since Seth had seen the outside world and so far it wasn’t much better than he remembered. Gray clouds overcast the sky, tall mountains, in the distance, loomed over the small cities below, and water, from rain, covered the ground. A pair of orange tinted snowboard goggles rested atop his head. Baggy jeans held to his body by a studded belt were wrapped around his legs and overlapped a pair of black and red running shoes that covered his feet. A dark gray duster and a black hooded sweatshirt covered his upper torso with a pair of workout gloves fastened onto his hands.
He read comic books, but never understood the need for latex and tights to be a superheroes costume. Granted, it probably allowed agility and maneuverability, but he did just fine in his street clothes and refused to wear underwear on the outside of his trousers. Seth took in the fresh air of the world before making his way for the black SUV where the officers awaited him. The female officer held a door open for him.
“What’s with the goggles?” she asked.
He stopped at the door to look her in the eyes when he answered, “You ever fly a thousand feet in the air at two times the speed of sound without eye protection? I’m not Superman.”
She could only nod and close his door after he was seated.
Seth gazed out the car window and watched the asylum vanish from his line of sight as they drove off, “So, do I get a briefing?”
The female turned around in her seat, “First, do you need any of your medication?”
“Those don’t work anymore and don’t worry; I already had a seizure yesterday. We’re good until tomorrow, at least.” His face and tone were stoic, striking fear into the lady and the driver.
“I thought those only occurred after you used your powers.”
“Don’t believe everything you read.”
“Your target is Abel,” Colonel Booth sat in the back seat behind Seth, “He has been terrorizing numerous cities throughout the world. Manhattan has already been sacked and he left no survivors in Berlin. Currently he is aiming his destruction in Los Angeles. That’s where we’re headed.”
“Powers?” Seth asked.
“Telekinesis.”
“Demands?”
“He hasn’t asked for any so far.” Colonel Booth released another cloud of smoke into the atmosphere of the vehicle.
Seth shook his head, “Great. A super being with no demands to speak of. He just wants to see the world burn.” the colonel nodded, “and with my luck, he may see that happen.”
“We have nothing to stop either of you. So you just stay in control and don’t go berserk.” Booth demanded.
Seth Brody released a sigh before looking out his window to see that they were pulling onto the tarmac of a small airport. The group exited from the SUV and began towards the small airplane, but Seth stopped himself in his tracks.
“What’s wrong?” the colonel rushed to his side.
“Calm down, I’m fine. It would just be faster if I flew myself.” he placed the orange tinted goggles over his eyes, looked to the female, “See you there,” and leaped to the air. He vanished from sight within two seconds, heading west towards Los Angeles.
“So he’s pyrokinetic and capable of self-propelled flight. What else?” the lady asked.
“Superhuman strength.” Colonel Booth replied.
“Good thing he’s on our side.”
Booth nodded, “Most of the time, at least.”
Her eyes went wide as she watched her superior board the plane.
Seth soared over the Rockies, a pleasant sight if he wasn’t headed into a battle to the death. He tried to keep his mind clear by listening to the flapping of his duster in the wind. It’s a technique he learned in days past. He brought up memories of his days when he stepped into the limelight as a hero, a rookie, and did his best to help the defenseless. Then he remembered his only friend, Hal, the janitor that was there to listen to his problems, unlike the therapists that he didn’t trust.
It didn’t take long for a familiar voice to enter his head. A voice that stood against everything Seth worked for. It was a voice that had such a pessimistic tone to it that it could persuade the most optimistic of people that the world was doomed. Seth forced his eyes shut, and then the involuntary muscle spasms began.
Did I hear someone give us the okay to use our abilities?
“You will not be released.” Seth exclaimed.
Oh, come on, it will be fun. Besides, this Abel sounds like the kind of guy that I’ve been aching to fight. Everyone else was too easy.
If he were low enough, citizens of Colorado would see a human figure halted in mid-air, convulsing and clenching his head in torturous pain. Small blue flames slowly began to emit from his hands that he soon balled into fists, pulling at his hair.
“Phlegon?” the female officer asked.
Colonel Booth nodded, “Yeah, another personality of his, which he claims is an entity, and not a personality.”
“And that’s the reason he leaves behind more destruction than he intends?”
The colonel nodded once more, “Some people give themselves alter-egos, but Seth Brody brought in an entirely separate entity that increases his powers ten-fold.”
The female looked perplexed, “Has he been treated?”
“No way to treat him. He tried to lock himself away in that asylum, but next time we can’t let him do that.”
“Why not?” she asked.
“Next time he’ll make sure we can’t find him. That’s why I had the research and development department rig up something that will prevent him from hiding himself. Or getting away, for that matter”
You anger me boy, but I’ll give you this one. Just be warned, if things don’t go our way, I’m not going to give you the pleasantry of a warning that I’m taking over.
Slowly, Seth released his hold from his hair. His eyes gradually opened and came into focus. The world was, surprisingly, orange to him until he remembered his goggles. His eyes darted around in an attempt to get his bearings straight. It didn’t take long for him to figure out which way was west. Without further hesitation, Seth Brody lunged forward and flew at his maximum speed, breaking the barrier of sound twice.
A few hours later, he lowered his velocity to hover above the tallest building within the metropolis of Los Angeles. As he looked around, he could see that this man called Abel was not messing around. Skyscrapers were toppled over, streets demolished, corpses hung from light-posts, and entire neighborhoods were left in ruins. The sound of gunshots and sirens could be heard in the distance. It was often a mystery to Seth why cops attempted to fight super-powered beings.
He lowered himself to the level of the tallest standing building and followed the gunshots, in search of his enemy. As he rounded a corner, it was apparent who the bad guy was. A car levitated above a tall man with long brown hair, hanging to his shoulder-blades. A blue blazer was worn over the mans chest and as he rotated around to face Seth, there was no t-shirt underneath. A pair of denim jeans and converse tennis shoes was worn around his legs and feet. The mans brown eyes went wide at the sight of another man hovering in the air.
“Are you the retaliation?” Abel asked.
“And you’re Abel?”
Abel nodded before, mentally, hurling the car, from above his head, at Seth. Reacting with swift reflexes, Seth slammed the back of his right fist at the car, deflecting it into the side of a nearby building.
Abel released a laugh of sinister degree, “Finally. Now I’m gonna have some fun.”
He extended his right arm, aiming it at Seth, and slowly rotated his wrist. It took Seth a few seconds to figure out what was happening, but when the sensation of flesh being torn from his chest erupted, it didn’t take a genius to know what was happening. Without hesitation, Seth Brody launched himself at the enemy and slammed his fist into the face of Abel, sending him crashing into the blacktop of the street and instantly stopping the pain Seth was feeling.
The LAPD watched as Abel stood from the crater, only to release another laugh. Unfortunately, the villain brought a finger to his forehead before examining it to find blood leaking from a fresh wound.
“This makes me mad. I don’t like to bleed.” he stated, his head arched back as he looked up at the hovering Seth.
“Too bad, because it’s only the first of many wounds I’m going to give you.”
Those were the final words before the battle of the titans ensued. The police watched on as Abel leaped to the air, in the blink of an eye, colliding with Seth, and forcing the two of them into the air, above the cityscape. The two super-beings exchanged blows, fists slammed into each others faces and stomachs. Seth evaded several objects that Abel had projected at him with his mind. It was obvious that Abel’s telekinesis made him stronger and allowed him to fly, but it worried Seth that he could do much more than he was currently doing and he only hoped that Abel wasn’t aware of that.
More buildings toppled to the ground due to impacts from the two assailants. Screams of terror and the clatter of frantic footsteps echoed throughout the streets as civilians tried to run from the battlefield. Police continued to monitor the skirmish and report back to headquarters and anyone else that was listening to the police band. Simultaneously, they were trying to keep bystanders away from the clash and away from falling debris.
Abel flew at his fastest speed, pierced through a building, and used a telekinetic field in order to force the top half of the building to rip away from the structure. Like a sling-shot, Abel lowered himself and watched as the top half of the building soared towards Seth. As if it were second nature, Seth flew towards the building, and splintered it into copious amounts of fragments to plunge to the streets.
Gripping Abel by his long hair, Seth spun him around and launched him into the side of an, already, fallen skyscraper. Abel, now more aggravated than the start of the battle, pulled himself from the imprint he left in the building, and hovered there for a moment, staring at his opponent. He caught sight of another nearby building and gave a smirk to Seth.
Seth quirked a brow in confusion until he heard the sound of cracking concrete and snapping electrical cords as the peak of two buildings were ripped from their bases. Seth’s eyes went wide and in a desperate attempt to stop the attack, he charged towards Abel. Unfortunately he couldn’t accelerate fast enough to evade the two buildings as they sandwiched Seth. Abel released a small snicker and held the two buildings against this unknown threat.
He could hear the worried voices from the streets below. His smirk remained, this time his attack aimed at the citizen below. Cops quickly shouted orders for everyone to evacuate as the sight of concrete splitting open shot fear into the hearts of everyone. It took only a second to rip the water mane from the ground and begin to use the concrete cylinder like a baseball bat, slamming it against various defenseless pedestrians. Abel, simultaneously, began grinding the two halves of the buildings against Seth, and discharged a maniacal laugh.
Curious as to what has happened to his adversary, Abel removed the two building halves, only to watch the beaten Seth fall to the ground. He mentally held onto the two buildings before finding a much better mechanism of pain.
“Come on, what about all of that super-strength you exhibited earlier? You’re not gonna tell me that being crushed between two buildings is gonna defeat you.”
Seth lay on the street limp, not visible motion. His was face scratched and bleeding from his nose and ears. Abel released a sigh of disappointment as he ripped two entire buildings from their foundations and sent them crashing down on the, apparent, lifeless body of Seth Brody. Before the first building could make contact with his body, Seth lunged forward, hurling towards Abel, wrapped his arms around his slender form, continued upwards in the sky, and looked at the telekinetic man through the broken visor of his goggles.
“When are people going to learn that super-strength doesn’t make me indestructible? I’m not Superman.” Seth said.
“So, what, you’re gonna bring me into space?” asked Abel.
Seth shook his head, “Nope, gonna see how you like fire.”
Abel shot a perplexed look at Seth, but only before the scorching pain of fire struck his flesh.
Blue flames quickly engulfed the two of them, leaving a trail of fire behind as Seth increased his pace, now flying parallel to the ground below. Abel shrieked in pain with his skin quickly charring and melting from his bones. It took all of his remaining strength to break free of Seth’s hold, telekinetically sending Seth crashing to the desert surface below. After his first impact with the sand, Seth quickly recovered and flew to the sky, now staring down his charred opponent.
Abel was now bald, with only remnants of clean skin remaining. A growl of anger rumbled in his stomach as he clenched his teeth, glaring at Seth. He balled his hands into fists before taking hold of Seth’s head in a telekinetic grasp. Seth could feel his skull being crushed without anything physical taking a hold of him. He never had encountered a telekinetic opponent before and that left him at a disadvantage. However, Abel had never encountered Seth before and that left Abel in for a surprise.
Using telekinetic powers required the telekinetic person to use their mind. Using their mind left it vulnerable to an assault by someone with telepathic powers. Seth, personally, didn’t have any telepathic powers, but the entity Phlegon did. With Abel protecting himself with a telekinetic barrier, Seth wouldn’t be able to physically hurt Abel, but Phlegon saw an opening and decided to take it.
“Phlegon, No!” Seth shouted.
“Phlegon?” Abel was confused.
Sorry, kid. I’m ending this.
“No!” before Seth could attempt to stop the entity, Phlegon, Abel fell to the desert surface, lifeless.
Quickly, Seth flew to Abel’s side, but only found an empty corpse with pale eyes. His body hung limp in Seth’s arms as he flew him back to the city of Los Angeles, at a steady pace. Hours had passed since the battle ensued and the United States Army had the city on lockdown. Seth could see the freeways cluttered with evacuating citizens and military personnel posting barricades throughout the streets. A few moments later and Seth, gently, landed beside Colonel Booth and his men.
He lay Abel’s body in the back of an open ambulance before removing his shattered goggles and placing his hood over his head.
“I did as you asked. Now, I’m retired. And don’t try finding me. I won’t be anywhere that I’ll have to register.”
Booth shook his head, “Not so fast, Mr. Brody.”
Seth halted before he could fly away, curious as to what this man had to say to him now.
“I think we’re going to need your services in the future.”
“I told you, I’m done.”
The female stepped forward, “But you didn’t cause as much damage as you thought you would.”
Seth looked to her, “That ‘cause I was able to stay in control and only ‘cause this guy was an amateur. Next time it might not be an amateur and I may need more power. I’m not willing to sacrifice…..that.”
“Are you okay?” she asked, only to see Seth fall to the ground and begin to violently convulse.
Fresh blood fell from his nostrils, his head slamming against the ground and ambulance tire. Colonel Booth forced everyone back, allowing Seth space. The female felt tears pour from her eyes, as she felt sympathy for the man before her. He tried so hard to help the defenseless, but here he was, defenseless against his own illness.
Seth’s eyes rolled upward, obstructing his vision, but soon everything faded into blackness. He could feel the pain of his head crashing against the concrete and the usual pain of his hands scraping against the streets surface. However, an unfamiliar feeling was felt. The sleek sensation of cold steel sliding onto his arms was felt before nothing was felt at all.
Seth Brody lost track of time. He wasn’t sure where he was or the time of day. It took time for his vision to clear up. He wiped the tears from his eyes followed by rubbing his corneas in an attempt to see clearer. A blurred figure stood before him. It was a mesh of green and black. Seth reached out, but was stopped by a pane of glass that stood between him and the figure.
“Where…where am I?” Seth asked as he cleared his throat.
He heard the click of a button, “Deep underground in the desert. Actually, not too far from where your fight with Abel concluded.”
His vision was back now and he could see the colonel on the other side of glass. The lights were bright in the outside hallway and his cell. There was a single bed with white sheets, a desk, and a toilet for Seth’s use. No visible doors were seen, only sleek metal walls.
“I wouldn’t bother attempting to escape. No one ever comes in that room with you and there is no one to hear you scream. But, I will call on you in the future and you will obey.”
Seth could only smirk, “You would think that wouldn’t you. However, Seth is no longer here.”
The colonels mouth fell agape as he saw Seth’s eyes glisten with a red tint and fire erupted from his hands. The fire trailed from his hands, up his arms, and quickly engulfed his entire body.
“It was nice knowing you, Colonel.” with that, Seth’s entire room erupted into orange flames, and soon the entire underground facility was engulfed in the searing heat of his fire. Above ground, it appeared that a nuclear warhead had gone off, releasing a mushroom cloud, and killing anyone within a ten mile radius. Guards could only look on as they saw their demise near, but were given barely enough to time for their lives to flash before their eyes. Dust and dirt rushed away from the epicenter of the explosion, leaving behind charred remains.
A trail of fire and smoke escaped from the cloud and at the head of the wake was Seth, looking down at his handy work, wearing a smirk across his face, and his hood over his head.
“Goodbye, Seth.”
His name was Seth Brody and it was a renowned name among the people of the world. He once did good in this world until the fateful day that he retired and exiled himself from the freedoms of the earth. There was evil in the universe that wished everyone and everything harm and Seth was there to stop it, but then he began to transform into those that he battled. He locked himself away to prevent himself from doing harm to those that he cared about.
Now, here in this institution of crazy people, Seth’s only friend was the night janitor of the North Wing. Every night, like clockwork, Seth sat beside the steel door, his eyes locked onto the narrow window, with his ears tuned into what his comrade had to say.
“So now she’s trying to negotiate her way into becoming the vice-president.” the janitor concluded.
Seth nodded, “Well, if you can’t become president, why not try your luck at vice-presidency?” it was a rhetorical question.
The janitor continued wiping the floor, with his broom, in front of Seth’s room, mimicking his work, “Write anything new lately?”
He couldn’t see it, but Seth shook his head, “No. Just what I read to you last night. Wasn’t much in the mood to write today.”
“Another one?” the janitor asked, referring to the seizures Seth endured, on a nearly weekly basis.
Seth wasn’t in the, apparent, greatest shape ever, but he had been known to take on entire armies single-handedly. He was scrawny with only slight muscle definition, but he was always well known for his strong willpower and endurance. What wasn’t known to the general public were his ailments and the extreme depression that followed shortly after each seizure. They were also oblivious to the nose bleeds he suffered from, during and after, the use of his abilities. He was a super-being, but he suffered more than anyone would ever know.
“I’ll have something new for you tomorrow,” he held his chin up, “in the meantime, why don’t you share with me what you wrote this week. Let’s see if I can do some minor editing. I enjoyed last weeks entry.”
The janitor nodded with a smile, pulling a folded paper from his jumpsuit pocket, unraveled it, and began reading the printed words. It was a tradition of theirs; Seth would read excerpts from the book he was writing and the janitor would, in return, read excerpts from the short story he was writing. Seth’s novel was more on the brighter things of the world, whereas, his friend was darker and more autobiographical. Two pages were read tonight for Seth, and as promised he gave his critique. Only a few tweaks here and there, but Seth never failed to give positive feedback during each of his critiques. That was one thing the world came to love about him, he was brutally honest, but always with a positive twist.
Seth ran a hand through his gold locks that hid his blue eyes before standing to his bare feet. Only a pair of gray sweatpants was worn on his body. He enjoyed the cold air brushing against his skin. He guessed the current time and said his goodbyes to his comrade, the janitor. The janitor went on with his nightly duties, after saying his goodbyes, and whistled the beat of a Billy Squier song, Everybody Wants You.
Birds chirped their morning songs from outside, the sun shone in through the narrow window of Seth’s room, morning activities took place in the hallways, but what woke Seth from his slumber was the abrupt opening of the steel door. He leaped from his bed, eyes locked on the military officer that had barged into his room, and the shouting commenced.
“What are you doing?!” Seth exclaimed, “Get out of my room!”
“This is not your private home and you are not a teenaged boy, get dressed and follow me.” the officer had a deep and raspy voice emanating from his sculpted chest.
“Colonel, you know that I’m retired.”
The colonel looked Seth square in the eyes and without a sign of hesitation or a hiccup he claimed in his stern and disciplined tone:
“I don’t care.”
Seth glanced around his room, “I am dressed.” and before the military officer vanished from sight, Seth hastily followed.
They maneuvered through several of the institutions hallways before opening another steel door and entering a small room. This room was much smaller than Seth’s and held more occupants. Three more military officers were seated around an aluminum table with there eyes scanning Seth as he entered. Still clad in his sweatpants, he held his hands over his chest with the awful feeling like he was presently being judged. He watched as the colonel lit a cigar and walked around the table, opposite of Seth.
The colonel wedged the cigar between his lips, inhaled, and released a cloud of smoke into the room, “Mr. Brody. We have encountered a terrorist of great power and we require your expertise.”
Seth crossed his arms across his chest and shook his head, “I apologize, sir, but I’m retired. I don’t do this stuff anymore.”
The colonel leaned forward, “No, I’m sorry, but you don’t get to decide when you retire. I decide that and at the moment, you’re reactivated.”
“I’m not one of your lackey’s, Colonel Booth. You can’t just grab me and send me into a war torn country.”
A female officer stood from her seat, obstructing the view of the colonel for Seth, “Gentleman, we’re not going to be able to extinguish the problem in time if you two keep bickering.” her gentle eyes looked to Seth, “Please, Mr. Brody, we are begging for you to aid us in this conflict.”
Her features were, obviously, much more angelic than the colonels. The colonel’s robust bald head, gray mustache, and highly conditioned form did not appeal to Seth like this females long brown hair, slender physique, and green eyes. She was a sight for sore eyes, which were common for Seth.
“You were once a protector of the innocent, please, protect once more.” She pleaded.
Seth was momentarily silent, “No, because if I do this, I’ll once again retire and it will only be a matter of time before you guys ask me for help again. Find someone else. There are others.”
“No one with your finesse.” She countered.
“Finesse? Woman, have you even read my file? I left destruction in my wake. Nearly more damage than any villain ever did.”
“Right now, we need that.”
The room was silent. All eyes were on the former superhero, Seth Brody, with his hues glancing between each of the military officers within the room. It was this moment that he was wishing he had given himself a secret identity and kept the location of his retirement a secret. When his eyes inevitably settled on Colonel Booth, the colonel slammed a box of clothes onto the table.
“We acquired these from your final battlefield. Figured you’d want them again.” the colonel said.
Seth nodded.
It had been seven years since Seth had seen the outside world and so far it wasn’t much better than he remembered. Gray clouds overcast the sky, tall mountains, in the distance, loomed over the small cities below, and water, from rain, covered the ground. A pair of orange tinted snowboard goggles rested atop his head. Baggy jeans held to his body by a studded belt were wrapped around his legs and overlapped a pair of black and red running shoes that covered his feet. A dark gray duster and a black hooded sweatshirt covered his upper torso with a pair of workout gloves fastened onto his hands.
He read comic books, but never understood the need for latex and tights to be a superheroes costume. Granted, it probably allowed agility and maneuverability, but he did just fine in his street clothes and refused to wear underwear on the outside of his trousers. Seth took in the fresh air of the world before making his way for the black SUV where the officers awaited him. The female officer held a door open for him.
“What’s with the goggles?” she asked.
He stopped at the door to look her in the eyes when he answered, “You ever fly a thousand feet in the air at two times the speed of sound without eye protection? I’m not Superman.”
She could only nod and close his door after he was seated.
Seth gazed out the car window and watched the asylum vanish from his line of sight as they drove off, “So, do I get a briefing?”
The female turned around in her seat, “First, do you need any of your medication?”
“Those don’t work anymore and don’t worry; I already had a seizure yesterday. We’re good until tomorrow, at least.” His face and tone were stoic, striking fear into the lady and the driver.
“I thought those only occurred after you used your powers.”
“Don’t believe everything you read.”
“Your target is Abel,” Colonel Booth sat in the back seat behind Seth, “He has been terrorizing numerous cities throughout the world. Manhattan has already been sacked and he left no survivors in Berlin. Currently he is aiming his destruction in Los Angeles. That’s where we’re headed.”
“Powers?” Seth asked.
“Telekinesis.”
“Demands?”
“He hasn’t asked for any so far.” Colonel Booth released another cloud of smoke into the atmosphere of the vehicle.
Seth shook his head, “Great. A super being with no demands to speak of. He just wants to see the world burn.” the colonel nodded, “and with my luck, he may see that happen.”
“We have nothing to stop either of you. So you just stay in control and don’t go berserk.” Booth demanded.
Seth Brody released a sigh before looking out his window to see that they were pulling onto the tarmac of a small airport. The group exited from the SUV and began towards the small airplane, but Seth stopped himself in his tracks.
“What’s wrong?” the colonel rushed to his side.
“Calm down, I’m fine. It would just be faster if I flew myself.” he placed the orange tinted goggles over his eyes, looked to the female, “See you there,” and leaped to the air. He vanished from sight within two seconds, heading west towards Los Angeles.
“So he’s pyrokinetic and capable of self-propelled flight. What else?” the lady asked.
“Superhuman strength.” Colonel Booth replied.
“Good thing he’s on our side.”
Booth nodded, “Most of the time, at least.”
Her eyes went wide as she watched her superior board the plane.
Seth soared over the Rockies, a pleasant sight if he wasn’t headed into a battle to the death. He tried to keep his mind clear by listening to the flapping of his duster in the wind. It’s a technique he learned in days past. He brought up memories of his days when he stepped into the limelight as a hero, a rookie, and did his best to help the defenseless. Then he remembered his only friend, Hal, the janitor that was there to listen to his problems, unlike the therapists that he didn’t trust.
It didn’t take long for a familiar voice to enter his head. A voice that stood against everything Seth worked for. It was a voice that had such a pessimistic tone to it that it could persuade the most optimistic of people that the world was doomed. Seth forced his eyes shut, and then the involuntary muscle spasms began.
Did I hear someone give us the okay to use our abilities?
“You will not be released.” Seth exclaimed.
Oh, come on, it will be fun. Besides, this Abel sounds like the kind of guy that I’ve been aching to fight. Everyone else was too easy.
If he were low enough, citizens of Colorado would see a human figure halted in mid-air, convulsing and clenching his head in torturous pain. Small blue flames slowly began to emit from his hands that he soon balled into fists, pulling at his hair.
“Phlegon?” the female officer asked.
Colonel Booth nodded, “Yeah, another personality of his, which he claims is an entity, and not a personality.”
“And that’s the reason he leaves behind more destruction than he intends?”
The colonel nodded once more, “Some people give themselves alter-egos, but Seth Brody brought in an entirely separate entity that increases his powers ten-fold.”
The female looked perplexed, “Has he been treated?”
“No way to treat him. He tried to lock himself away in that asylum, but next time we can’t let him do that.”
“Why not?” she asked.
“Next time he’ll make sure we can’t find him. That’s why I had the research and development department rig up something that will prevent him from hiding himself. Or getting away, for that matter”
You anger me boy, but I’ll give you this one. Just be warned, if things don’t go our way, I’m not going to give you the pleasantry of a warning that I’m taking over.
Slowly, Seth released his hold from his hair. His eyes gradually opened and came into focus. The world was, surprisingly, orange to him until he remembered his goggles. His eyes darted around in an attempt to get his bearings straight. It didn’t take long for him to figure out which way was west. Without further hesitation, Seth Brody lunged forward and flew at his maximum speed, breaking the barrier of sound twice.
A few hours later, he lowered his velocity to hover above the tallest building within the metropolis of Los Angeles. As he looked around, he could see that this man called Abel was not messing around. Skyscrapers were toppled over, streets demolished, corpses hung from light-posts, and entire neighborhoods were left in ruins. The sound of gunshots and sirens could be heard in the distance. It was often a mystery to Seth why cops attempted to fight super-powered beings.
He lowered himself to the level of the tallest standing building and followed the gunshots, in search of his enemy. As he rounded a corner, it was apparent who the bad guy was. A car levitated above a tall man with long brown hair, hanging to his shoulder-blades. A blue blazer was worn over the mans chest and as he rotated around to face Seth, there was no t-shirt underneath. A pair of denim jeans and converse tennis shoes was worn around his legs and feet. The mans brown eyes went wide at the sight of another man hovering in the air.
“Are you the retaliation?” Abel asked.
“And you’re Abel?”
Abel nodded before, mentally, hurling the car, from above his head, at Seth. Reacting with swift reflexes, Seth slammed the back of his right fist at the car, deflecting it into the side of a nearby building.
Abel released a laugh of sinister degree, “Finally. Now I’m gonna have some fun.”
He extended his right arm, aiming it at Seth, and slowly rotated his wrist. It took Seth a few seconds to figure out what was happening, but when the sensation of flesh being torn from his chest erupted, it didn’t take a genius to know what was happening. Without hesitation, Seth Brody launched himself at the enemy and slammed his fist into the face of Abel, sending him crashing into the blacktop of the street and instantly stopping the pain Seth was feeling.
The LAPD watched as Abel stood from the crater, only to release another laugh. Unfortunately, the villain brought a finger to his forehead before examining it to find blood leaking from a fresh wound.
“This makes me mad. I don’t like to bleed.” he stated, his head arched back as he looked up at the hovering Seth.
“Too bad, because it’s only the first of many wounds I’m going to give you.”
Those were the final words before the battle of the titans ensued. The police watched on as Abel leaped to the air, in the blink of an eye, colliding with Seth, and forcing the two of them into the air, above the cityscape. The two super-beings exchanged blows, fists slammed into each others faces and stomachs. Seth evaded several objects that Abel had projected at him with his mind. It was obvious that Abel’s telekinesis made him stronger and allowed him to fly, but it worried Seth that he could do much more than he was currently doing and he only hoped that Abel wasn’t aware of that.
More buildings toppled to the ground due to impacts from the two assailants. Screams of terror and the clatter of frantic footsteps echoed throughout the streets as civilians tried to run from the battlefield. Police continued to monitor the skirmish and report back to headquarters and anyone else that was listening to the police band. Simultaneously, they were trying to keep bystanders away from the clash and away from falling debris.
Abel flew at his fastest speed, pierced through a building, and used a telekinetic field in order to force the top half of the building to rip away from the structure. Like a sling-shot, Abel lowered himself and watched as the top half of the building soared towards Seth. As if it were second nature, Seth flew towards the building, and splintered it into copious amounts of fragments to plunge to the streets.
Gripping Abel by his long hair, Seth spun him around and launched him into the side of an, already, fallen skyscraper. Abel, now more aggravated than the start of the battle, pulled himself from the imprint he left in the building, and hovered there for a moment, staring at his opponent. He caught sight of another nearby building and gave a smirk to Seth.
Seth quirked a brow in confusion until he heard the sound of cracking concrete and snapping electrical cords as the peak of two buildings were ripped from their bases. Seth’s eyes went wide and in a desperate attempt to stop the attack, he charged towards Abel. Unfortunately he couldn’t accelerate fast enough to evade the two buildings as they sandwiched Seth. Abel released a small snicker and held the two buildings against this unknown threat.
He could hear the worried voices from the streets below. His smirk remained, this time his attack aimed at the citizen below. Cops quickly shouted orders for everyone to evacuate as the sight of concrete splitting open shot fear into the hearts of everyone. It took only a second to rip the water mane from the ground and begin to use the concrete cylinder like a baseball bat, slamming it against various defenseless pedestrians. Abel, simultaneously, began grinding the two halves of the buildings against Seth, and discharged a maniacal laugh.
Curious as to what has happened to his adversary, Abel removed the two building halves, only to watch the beaten Seth fall to the ground. He mentally held onto the two buildings before finding a much better mechanism of pain.
“Come on, what about all of that super-strength you exhibited earlier? You’re not gonna tell me that being crushed between two buildings is gonna defeat you.”
Seth lay on the street limp, not visible motion. His was face scratched and bleeding from his nose and ears. Abel released a sigh of disappointment as he ripped two entire buildings from their foundations and sent them crashing down on the, apparent, lifeless body of Seth Brody. Before the first building could make contact with his body, Seth lunged forward, hurling towards Abel, wrapped his arms around his slender form, continued upwards in the sky, and looked at the telekinetic man through the broken visor of his goggles.
“When are people going to learn that super-strength doesn’t make me indestructible? I’m not Superman.” Seth said.
“So, what, you’re gonna bring me into space?” asked Abel.
Seth shook his head, “Nope, gonna see how you like fire.”
Abel shot a perplexed look at Seth, but only before the scorching pain of fire struck his flesh.
Blue flames quickly engulfed the two of them, leaving a trail of fire behind as Seth increased his pace, now flying parallel to the ground below. Abel shrieked in pain with his skin quickly charring and melting from his bones. It took all of his remaining strength to break free of Seth’s hold, telekinetically sending Seth crashing to the desert surface below. After his first impact with the sand, Seth quickly recovered and flew to the sky, now staring down his charred opponent.
Abel was now bald, with only remnants of clean skin remaining. A growl of anger rumbled in his stomach as he clenched his teeth, glaring at Seth. He balled his hands into fists before taking hold of Seth’s head in a telekinetic grasp. Seth could feel his skull being crushed without anything physical taking a hold of him. He never had encountered a telekinetic opponent before and that left him at a disadvantage. However, Abel had never encountered Seth before and that left Abel in for a surprise.
Using telekinetic powers required the telekinetic person to use their mind. Using their mind left it vulnerable to an assault by someone with telepathic powers. Seth, personally, didn’t have any telepathic powers, but the entity Phlegon did. With Abel protecting himself with a telekinetic barrier, Seth wouldn’t be able to physically hurt Abel, but Phlegon saw an opening and decided to take it.
“Phlegon, No!” Seth shouted.
“Phlegon?” Abel was confused.
Sorry, kid. I’m ending this.
“No!” before Seth could attempt to stop the entity, Phlegon, Abel fell to the desert surface, lifeless.
Quickly, Seth flew to Abel’s side, but only found an empty corpse with pale eyes. His body hung limp in Seth’s arms as he flew him back to the city of Los Angeles, at a steady pace. Hours had passed since the battle ensued and the United States Army had the city on lockdown. Seth could see the freeways cluttered with evacuating citizens and military personnel posting barricades throughout the streets. A few moments later and Seth, gently, landed beside Colonel Booth and his men.
He lay Abel’s body in the back of an open ambulance before removing his shattered goggles and placing his hood over his head.
“I did as you asked. Now, I’m retired. And don’t try finding me. I won’t be anywhere that I’ll have to register.”
Booth shook his head, “Not so fast, Mr. Brody.”
Seth halted before he could fly away, curious as to what this man had to say to him now.
“I think we’re going to need your services in the future.”
“I told you, I’m done.”
The female stepped forward, “But you didn’t cause as much damage as you thought you would.”
Seth looked to her, “That ‘cause I was able to stay in control and only ‘cause this guy was an amateur. Next time it might not be an amateur and I may need more power. I’m not willing to sacrifice…..that.”
“Are you okay?” she asked, only to see Seth fall to the ground and begin to violently convulse.
Fresh blood fell from his nostrils, his head slamming against the ground and ambulance tire. Colonel Booth forced everyone back, allowing Seth space. The female felt tears pour from her eyes, as she felt sympathy for the man before her. He tried so hard to help the defenseless, but here he was, defenseless against his own illness.
Seth’s eyes rolled upward, obstructing his vision, but soon everything faded into blackness. He could feel the pain of his head crashing against the concrete and the usual pain of his hands scraping against the streets surface. However, an unfamiliar feeling was felt. The sleek sensation of cold steel sliding onto his arms was felt before nothing was felt at all.
Seth Brody lost track of time. He wasn’t sure where he was or the time of day. It took time for his vision to clear up. He wiped the tears from his eyes followed by rubbing his corneas in an attempt to see clearer. A blurred figure stood before him. It was a mesh of green and black. Seth reached out, but was stopped by a pane of glass that stood between him and the figure.
“Where…where am I?” Seth asked as he cleared his throat.
He heard the click of a button, “Deep underground in the desert. Actually, not too far from where your fight with Abel concluded.”
His vision was back now and he could see the colonel on the other side of glass. The lights were bright in the outside hallway and his cell. There was a single bed with white sheets, a desk, and a toilet for Seth’s use. No visible doors were seen, only sleek metal walls.
“I wouldn’t bother attempting to escape. No one ever comes in that room with you and there is no one to hear you scream. But, I will call on you in the future and you will obey.”
Seth could only smirk, “You would think that wouldn’t you. However, Seth is no longer here.”
The colonels mouth fell agape as he saw Seth’s eyes glisten with a red tint and fire erupted from his hands. The fire trailed from his hands, up his arms, and quickly engulfed his entire body.
“It was nice knowing you, Colonel.” with that, Seth’s entire room erupted into orange flames, and soon the entire underground facility was engulfed in the searing heat of his fire. Above ground, it appeared that a nuclear warhead had gone off, releasing a mushroom cloud, and killing anyone within a ten mile radius. Guards could only look on as they saw their demise near, but were given barely enough to time for their lives to flash before their eyes. Dust and dirt rushed away from the epicenter of the explosion, leaving behind charred remains.
A trail of fire and smoke escaped from the cloud and at the head of the wake was Seth, looking down at his handy work, wearing a smirk across his face, and his hood over his head.
“Goodbye, Seth.”
