Heather MacNeil Hudson shuddered under the immense power around her. Lifting her pale face from the dusty bed was a difficulty in itself. Panting, the young woman forced herself against the pressure only to fail. Repeating the procedure to little avail, the woman gasped. Heather hadn’t proven to be much of a hero in her own right; James had been the patriot whilst she had merely fumbled in his shadow. Omega Flight had been an opportunity to save the name of Department H and the Flight Initiative. Heroes had looked down their noses at the misfortune of the group and she had wanted to change that. It may have been a priority initially. Heather’s mind had then turned to more personal aspects of her life.
Vindicator was the mantle she had chosen to reuse in the new but darker world of covert operations. Heather had wanted to prove herself more than anything. It had been time for the redheaded Canadian to step out from her husband’s shadow. Forced against the ground as the Dreamqueen clawed her way into the present reality, it was these thoughts that ran to the forefront of her mind. Strands of the bright hair flickered in the sudden assault of pressurised air. Manbot had yet to move an inch but Windshear and Yukon Jack had been thrust further from the scene of the initial attack. Pathway had since joined the mass of crumpled bodies.
It seemed like hours but it was done in seconds.
Lurching above her was the clear, albino skin of the demon. Streams of viridian hair rose skyward as they danced in the breeze. Dead eyes focused on the pretention of strength that she was managing to exert; Vindicator had known trouble when she seen it and Dreamqueen was the personification. She represented the strength of an oppressed woman which had suffered and then been let loose upon humanity. Vindicator knew nothing of her past or even of her origin but she assumed that something had driven the giant feminine form to madness. It was a very slippery path that she feared to follow.
“You have been admirable in your attempts, mortal,” whistled the villainess as she towered above her. “No one could truly understand the power and wrath that I possessed and instead you all chose to underestimate me. I am capable of so much more.” Her voice was hollow; it resonated in an unearthly fashion. “Your arrogance has been the key to your undoing.”
Vindicator scowled but felt the pressure slowly release from her body. “It’s not over yet.” No longer weighted down, Vindicator sprung into action. Her movements lacked elegance and grace, her muscles felt worn and battered but she persisted. Messily, she struck out at the creature but was easily deflected by some sort of psychic field. It made sense that the Dreamqueen would choose not to participate in the assault. That was Talisman’s role.
She tried another strategy as she propelled blasts of energy from the specialized gloves of her uniform. Streamlined tones of green, white and gold lined the woman’s magnificent body. Her chest pulsated under the stress that continued to mount, relieved only by the sight of her teammates rousing themselves. Dreamqueen reflected the blasts of energy as easily as she had the physical attack, her eyes flashing with amusement; this only continued to irritate the heroine.
Talisman slipped into view, her body poised seductively. She was reminiscent of a femme fatale in a classic noir movie. Magical energies whirled around her extended hand and Vindicator was forced to dodge the onslaught of power. Direct hits slammed into her shoulder, causing the redhead to stumble before collapsing onto the ground. It was over. Heather MacNeil Hudson would be killed on the spot. It wasn’t of James, her estranged husband, which she thought. Vindicator would have expected some life changing moment, some clarity on the situation. Instead, she saw only her achievements and the fight she had put up.
Waiting but nothing came.
Lifting her hazy gaze she laid her eyes on the enlarged body of Manbot. Bernie Lacheney had moved in to protect her frail body with his mechanized one. He had once been a human but then he had undergone changes and became a cyborg adept at creating the perfect ammunition for any situation, except the magical community. His body acted as a shield and deflected the stream of energy released from the sorceress who he had known as a friend and colleague. Vindicator wasn’t even sure how much emotion he could feel anymore or if he felt the same guilt and betrayal as she had.
Composing herself, Vindicator slid into clear view of the demonic creature. Dreamqueen was exposed in the center of the battlefield, her eyes clearly observing the chaos and indulging in its excess. Wearily, Vindicator launched another assault but it was not Dreamqueen who received the blow. Jared Corbo, the mutant known as Radius, stood between them. His force fields expanded and eclipsed the power she had released before closing in around his body. His eyes bore the same lifeless expression as Dreamqueen and Talisman. It was another obstacle to throw her off target and it had worked.
Radius had been reported MIA less than an hour ago and it had been her fault. She had sent an uncertain youth onto the battlefield before he was truly ready. His death had been blood on her hands but now she discovered he was experiencing a fate worse than death and committing these acts of sin and terrorism would live with the fragile man for a long time. He had already been lost after the death of his teammate and friend Arlette Truffaut during his time with Alpha Flight. Vindicator could only note how remarkable it was that a young man with the power to keep others away could be so affected by the world around him.
Yet her goal remained the same.
Fortunately Yukon Jack took the blow for her. The First Nation man launched his body forward and thrust several of his bone shards at his former teammate. Yukon Jack and Radius had been tense toward each other since meeting, the conservative and the idealist could never truly create a friendship. Each shard was blocked by the man’s psionic skills but magic was the key to trumping raw power. Heather slipped past the men and continued towards her target, the Dreamqueen.
Yukon Jack grunted as he slammed into the ground. His tanned skin glistened under the intense heat of the Australian sun. His costume was little more than a loin cloth, the traditional garment of his tribe in Canada. He was more accustomed to the colder climate than to this heat. Braids swung wildly, formerly an intense black but now scarred with the dirt and grime of the earth. Circular bones protruded from certain areas of his body and decorated his exposed chest. Growling with anger and frustration, Yukon Jack turned back on the boy. He only needed an instant to get close enough to use his magic but it wouldn’t be easy.
Radius had been defensive on the best of occasions. It wasn’t a full-proof plan and there was little chance of success but he charged. Unexpectedly, arms wrapped around his torso and clasped tightly. His head spun and the earth fell from beneath him as he shifted through the very basis of reality. He turned to find Pathway accompanied him in the darkness. As everything solidified, his senses came back quickly. His accomplice had managed to teleport him into Radius’ force field. It was an airless abyss but the startled youth had no time to react.
Gathering his wits quickly, the First Nation hero slammed his fist into the young man’s face. Blood gushed from his nose but that was no concern of Jack. Radius fell to his knees as Yukon Jack’s hand encompassed his head. White light erupted on the spot, Jared’s eyes widened in pain his heart began to race rapidly. Yukon Jack could feel every movement and every breath of life echo through his tensed body and, with a simple gasp, the process was over. Yukon Jack stumbled backwards, sniffing from the cleansing ritual.
Radius was an easier approach than Talisman, but he could be an important factor in accomplishing her freedom. Pathway’s hand rubbed his shoulder, pointing at the oncoming assault with her head.
Vindicator had been moving closer to Dreamqueen as a slew of creatures burst to life from the shadows around her. Dream demons, thought the heroine as she took up a defensive position. Manbot was still in her line of sight as he battled against the sorceress. He seemed to have control but there was an unusual strain on his face that worried her. Radius had been taken from the scuffle as quickly as he had joined, and now Yukon Jack and Pathway made their way toward her. It was hard not to be angered at Pathway for her initial reluctance but now wasn’t the time to deal with such annoyances.
Underestimating their speed, a dream demon pounced at her. It was struck out of the air by a cyclone of wind that tore through its elongated physique. Windshear stood on her left, having recovered from his injuries. Their eyes met but they were silent as they rushed into the midst of the battle. Physical attacks had little effect on the psionic creatures so Vindicator released concentrated charges of geothermic energy from her gloved hands. Windshear battled with his control of air. Neither had been overcome when the others joined the fray but both where thankful for the assistance.
Dreamqueen watched.
Vindicator was allowed to slip from the battle as Yukon Jack, Pathway and Windshear fought the dream demons. Screams sounded as they where slain in such a cold and calculated manner. It was war and that meant death.
She couldn’t lose.
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#4
AUG 11 |
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Live Like We're Dying, Part Five:
“Feel It in My Bones”
Manbot grunted as he slammed across the sandy landscape. He could hear everything…Yukon Jack’s screams of triumph as he destroyed the peculiar creatures around them; Pathway’s pants as she strained her teleportation abilities; Windshear’s silent battle strategy; Radius laying unconscious. But none of them matter much to him. It was the steady footfall from Vindicator that echoed loudest of all in his mind. She was their leader and their hope.
Talisman approached him silently, her lips twisted into a wicked yet sultry smile that was harrowed only by the deadness of her eyes. His hands snapped out but failed to grasp the slender body. Another blast of otherworldly energy slammed into his face, the only exposed portion of his body. His pain was met with the demonic cackle from the reality-altering Dreamqueen. Talisman slid back, her eyes wide and emotionless but her smirk was well defined. Manbot struggled to regain his feet, the pain and the weight of his immense body fighting against him. It was when he first felt fear that he understood the severity of his mistakes even as his saviour fell from the sky.
Black energies whirled in the sky above them as they spat forth the body of Laura Dean, the former Alphan known as Pathway. She had manoeuvred her way free from the battle with the dream demons and pounced onto the woman who had been one of her oldest and dearest friends. Red lips were tensed and curved as the African-Canadian woman slammed her body into the sorceress, both crashing into the solid earth in a flurry of dust particles. Pathway was the first onto her feet as she manipulated the teleportation blasts that she had learned to form, causing reality to be distorted and cut in their wake.
“And the Judas is saved by his Apostles,” snarled the wicked smile of the demoness. Her voice boomed across the battlefield. It cut through Manbot like a knife as he realized the awareness of his horrible truth. Others fought on but even in the midst of battle, the seeds had been planted in the now stoic Windshear’s mind as his body turned toward the fallen red machine.
Pathway’s slap was a petty attempt at controlling her temper but it was a direct hit as Talisman stepped back, clasping at her face. “You’re not Elizabeth Twoyoungmen,” snarled her former friend with hidden tears. “You’re nothing but a mockery and I’ll either save you or kill you. The Dreamqueen has taken the last person that I loved from me. It won’t happen again.”
“You can try,” hissed the creature that Talisman had become.
Watching as Pathway and Talisman slipped into a mortal combat, energy propelled the machine man forward and onto his feet. Radius, bloodied and battered from his attack, stood in the distance. His attractive and athletic build was slumped as he nodded at Manbot before launching himself into the battle alongside the others. Dreamqueen had made her conquest more personal than any of them had imagined. She had picked at the team in a methodical manner and played on each of their insecurities. Manbot rolled forward and absorbed a tremendous blast meant for the teleporter.
She nodded her thanks before gracefully spinning around him and returning an assault of energy. Manbot had to do whatever he could. Aiming one of his large arms at the isolated body of the villainess, he fired only to discover the attack had backfired. It was an explosive force from within his body and his screams were inaudible due to his affliction. The battling women were thrown forward as the man-made weapon collapsed, smoke billowing from its malfunctioning parts. Manbot was out and they had all the more to fight for. If this was the end, he hoped he had paid his penance.
Heather gasped for air as she watched the behemoth of a person fall into an eerie stillness. Time seemed to freeze around her even as she battled against the demons. Radius joined the fray and she watched Pathway and Tailsman battle each other in the distance. Manbot’s attack had been a final attempt to regain control of the situation. It was now or never as the woman who had donned the identity of Vindicator moved through the demons. She even bore the title originated by her husband and she would prove her mettle if it killed her. Windshear echoed her name as she burst past him in a sprint, red hair streamed behind her as sweat dropped across her forehead.
Nearing the villain, Dreamqueen’s eyes flickered toward the persistent heroine. Lips curled into a snarl as her eyes became intense, Vindicator realized that she too knew this was the endgame. Her hollow voice spoke, “So, the leader of this motley crew has chosen to join her already fallen comrades? I can answer that prayer.”
Dreamqueen’s shields dropped around her as the tall woman turned towards her with hands outstretched. Green energy swelled to life across her exposed palms; it was magic as old as time itself. Vindicator knew she had little chance of survival even as she powered up her own concussive blasts. Then it all happened so fast that she was unable to comprehend what truly happened. Screams of her name reached her but the Canadian ignored them, her eyes focused only on the demoness. Then, as a body launched in front of her own, she was blinded by the sudden influx of light. It sounded as though the very basis of reality was torn as the hues of yellow and green collided ahead of her.
In an instant there was darkness.
Darkness was as brief as the battle of lights and the world imploded in around her. Vindicator’s body was lifted from where she had stood with such a force that her uniform was torn by the wind that hit her. Dust settled and the light streamed across her immobilized body as she thumped into the ground. Her heart was racing and her breathing was erratic, and she felt bruised and battered, but that was the least of her concerns. She had a team to look out for but only one mattered. It had been a singular person who received the Dreamqueen’s blast of energy, locking in on the energy that she had been able to wield.
Heather pushed herself into an upright position. Spitting blood from her mouth and wiping the trail that ran from her nose, she looked around and was only able to see the slump of bodies. “Jack!” Her screams were unanswered but her tears now fell freely. Vindicator tore the mask from her face and dropped it from her hands. Rushing toward the scene of the battle, she dropped onto her knees and looked at the carnage she had created. Yukon Jack’s body was nowhere to be found in the crater that had been formed in the collision of magic. Dreamqueen was gone also. It was clear from the time she arrived but still Heather’s eyes searched the crater.
“Jack!”
Department H, Canada
“So you really have no idea what happened out there or what you accomplished?” Gentry’s voice quizzed her but the Canadian hero was unable to truly answer. Everything in her mind was still groggy and uncertain. She believed that they had been successful but nothing could be proved.
Heather nodded. “What can I tell you, Gentry? Yukon Jack was fighting before me in one moment and disintegrated in the next. Dreamqueen was gone also. It seems suspect that she would have given up so easily, not when she had fought so hard. If she isn’t dead then she was most certainly forced back into her own realm, which is the belief that my proposal stems from. We can no longer allow an unquestioned attack on our people.” It was difficult to be so collected and calculating but she knew that life had to go on; her failure couldn’t destroy everything she had built. “It was an idea that I toyed with in the beginning of the Flight Initiative.”
Sitting in the Department H offices was so cold when she should have been searching for their fallen teammate. Yukon Jack had been brought into this world by her choice when she had sought him out after the death of Shaman to aide in the healing of Sasquatch, and then she had forced him into her service as a member of Omega Flight. Her entire team was battered and beaten. Manbot was still unconscious after the attack but his brain’s activity was showing signs of life that it hadn’t prior to the battle. It seemed Yukon Jack’s self sacrifice had been just enough to purge the world of the Dreamqueen’s manipulations, evidenced by the recovery of Elizabeth Twoyoungmen in the aftermath of the attack.
Heather brushed hair back from her face, exposing the large black circle around her viridian eyes. Pursing her lips, the woman surveyed the office she was seated in, which had been home to some of the most diabolical men that Canada had ever known. However she felt like she had finally got it right by leading Gentry into the position as its ‘Director’. He had little to do with the reorganization of the Flight system that Heather had proposed but, in her own determination to hide behind her mask, had stepped aside to allow him to take the credit for such a well thought plan. Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Omega Flight had all be resurrected and transformed into a necessity to national security.
“Delta Flight seems like a bit of a stretch,” murmured the man as he looked at her over the rims of his glasses. “Heather, I’m in a mind to discontinue the Omega branch. I’m not overly inclined on bringing on more difficulties. I would like to speak to you about this when you’re feeling better. I don’t think now is the best time.”
“You can speak freely, Gentry, you’ve earned that right, but I won’t stand back and have them face all of that for nothing. I had my own concerns when I initialized such a specialist branch of heroes posing as assassins and mercenaries but now, more than ever, I understand the need for them…for us. We have been through a lot as a team and we need to continue through this for Yukon Jack and for Canada.” Heather looked at him. “We had our hiccups but we’ve worked through them. We’re fighting fit and more ready than ever to deal with whatever’s thrown at us.”
“I’ll be keeping a close eye on the situation.”
“I wouldn’t expect it any other way,” nodded the red-haired woman as she stood from the seat. Squinting with the pain in her rib cage, she turned away before looking back at the man. “What about Delta Flight? I think surveillance on the supernatural and scientific access points into other realms could be vital. I recommend you talk to Elizabeth Twoyoungmen when you get the opportunity. I can see no one better for the position. She’s been through so much in her life and she’s always come back fighting. Consider it, Gentry.”
He nodded.
La Fleur au Printemps
“I’m so sorry but there’s nowhere else to sit,” pleaded an accented tone from above him. “Mind if I sit here?”
Colin Ashworth Hume, the Canadian-British mutant known as Windshear, looked up into the face of a young woman. Her beauty was in her distinct Asian features which were now twisted into an uneasy smile as she addressed the stranger. The woman was clearly a professional of some sort given her attire, a smart gray-hued dress-suit. She slid her slender body onto the seat as he gave a courteous nod. Slowly the woman unfolded her newspaper across from him and started to stir the coffee she had just ordered. Her lengthy black hair was pulled back from her face, somewhat messily, which added to the youthful and uncertain appearance.
La Fleur au Printemps had once been a small and secluded cafe shop he’d known from his original time as a hero in Canada, but it was now a hub of activity. Indie singers equipped with guitars set up stage in the far corner of the recently expanded coffeehouse and patrons lined the walls and filled the tables to see the performances. It had always had a distinct charm that had interested him and even now that was present if he looked hard enough. He had wanted some familiarity in lieu of Yukon Jack’s death. He hadn’t known the man overly well but there was a sense of respect in remembering the time he had spent with the hero. It was too tense to stay at Omega Tower where Manbot remained.
“I haven’t seen you here before,” said the woman after a few moments of silence. Her large brown eyes looked at him expectantly. There was something about the woman that made him feel at ease, perhaps it was the genteel subtlety of her movements or the casual air in which she spoke to him. Her initial shyness had subsided as she flicked through the paper and been replaced with an inquisitive expression.
Colin smiled, ignoring the problems he would have to return to. “It’s been a long time. I initially worked here and discovered this place when it was just a small coffeehouse. It was my retreat from the big bad world. It’s changed a bit since then. I recently moved back for work.” He shrugged. “It’s back to where I was so there’s no real sense of progression there.”
“Why change what you know, eh?” she assured him with a warm smile before holding out her hand. “I’m Megumi, Megumi Tendo. I work here too, kind of. I’m a junior journalist for the Ontario Tribune but I’m just waiting for my big break and then I’ll be one of their stars.” It was a sweet exchange in his eyes; she was talking of hopes and aspirations to a man who could never understand them. Colin saw journalism as nothing more than a menial task but it was a big deal to this woman. He would have exchanged places with Megumi in an instant if he could. “So what is it you’re working on here in Toronto?”
“Colin Ashworth Hume. I was a business executive for a major firm originally but now it’s more like grunt work and hard labor,” he replied as her eyes looked at the bruises on his face to emphasise the statement. His phone vibrated rapidly, a reminder that he should be in the Tower recuperating and being watched. His break was cut short and it irritated him to be watched like a child. He pulled it open and saw the missed call was from Heather as he had expected.
“Your sign to go?” chirped the Asian-Canadian.
He nodded. “Unfortunately.” Colin was on his feet looking down at her as he spoke. “It seems strange but I would like to continue this conversation some time. That is, if you wanted to maybe get to know each other over drinks sometime?”
“I would love to, Colin Ashworth Hume,” Megumi smiled brightly, reaching into her purse as she spoke.
Colin knew he was making his own life difficult but something lured him into her deep and wise hazel eyes with an incomprehensible force.
Omega Tower
“I’m glad you’re all here,” Heather MacNeil Hudson spoke, narrowing her eyes as Colin Ashworth Hume slipped through the door noisily. He had broken a curfew set in place to help him recover. She breathed heavily and winced with every shallow intake. Her injuries weren’t healing as fast as she would have liked them to and it made her wonder if there was a recommended retirement age from patriotism. “We suffered a loss during our recent excursion in Australia. Yukon Jack was a teammate and hadn’t been given the time to become a true friend to some of you, though I had known him prior to the formation of this team. He’d helped Alpha Flight bring back one of their losses when Sasquatch lost his mind. I had relied on him then and he hadn’t failed me.” Her words caught in her throat. “Yet when he relied on me, I failed him. I rushed in foolhardily and had to be saved at the cost of his life.”
Heather held her head in her hands as she sobbed lightly. It all came upon her so quickly. Laura Dean and Jared Corbo stood nervously beside the frustrated Colin. Each of the heroes focused on their leader as she collapsed but none made the effort to move. Trauma had struck each of them in ways they had never imagined and put them in scenarios they would never have predicted. Laura had battled through the murder of her own sister, whom she had sought to protect since their conception, and now she lived with the memory of that brutal slaughter. It caused her to tense her body at the display of emotion before her. Laura had reacted by cutting herself off and refraining from emotional bonds.
Jared had been the opposite of Laura and similar to Heather. His world had begun to fall apart months ago. Jared was certain that he had been the reason behind Arlette Truffaut’s murder at the hands of the Alpha Flight clones. Brushing the shaggy locks from his face, hatred and self loathing shone brighter than hope ever had in his eyes. Many considered him an arrogant youth, but his time under the Dreamqueen’s control had been a living nightmare. His every fear and concern had been replayed in his mind, forcing him to face everything he had done. Somewhere along the line Jared had broken down and lost his ability to control his emotions. Emotion caught in his throat even as he watched Heather but he did not move to help her.
Heather pulled herself together, wiping her eyes as she looked at them. “I now realize that there is a need for us and for what we’re doing. We have to do what the other heroes cannot do. We took down the Dreamqueen in the midst of our loss. We can’t forget the sacrifice that was made to save our lives or what we ourselves have sacrificed to get to where we are. Friends, family and loved ones had been left behind because we believed in a dream.” Her voice became stern as she eyed them all up. “We stand here now because we believed in that dream and we’ll go forward because of that. I do not ask if you wish to continue this journey.”
She surveyed each of their stoic faces.
“I think our path has been chosen for us.”
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To Be Continued...
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