Chapter 1: Deception and Tape Recorders

<Click>

<inhale, sigh> "Okay ... It is ... Friday, September twenty-fifth, two-thousand nine. Six-fifteen PM. Coroner's report for prisoner number... <pages flip> two-four-six-four-five-oh-one-one-dash-gee. Security reports last seen alive during lockdown at ... nine PM on the twenty-third. Doctor Kenneth Fuller reporting. Diener is Victor McCarthy."

<door opening, footsteps> "Hey Ken!"

"Hey Vic! Oh good. What did you get?"

"I got... <bag rustling> ham and swiss, and a turkey and with provolone."

"I'll take the ham. Deceased is a well developed, well nourished Caucasian male. Weight eighty-three point four kilograms, height one hundred ninety centimeters. This is compatible with the stated age of thirty eight years ... Thanks... <paper rustling> Body is... <crunch, chew, chew> mold... <chew, chew> mand migor erf... <swallow> rigor is present and fixed to an equal degree in all extremities. Lividity is present and fixed on the posterior surface of the body... <crunch> exfept in... <chew, chew, swallow> areas exposed to pressure."

"Who is this guy?"

"That supervillain. The one that..."

"Oh! The one they found yesterday? They finally brought him in?"

"Yeah."

"Any ideas yet?"

"Don't know. Heart attack, maybe. Irides are fixed. Each pupil measures ... point five centimeters in diameter. Sclera white, with an enlarged blood vessel in the left. Teeth natural, complete. Thorax symmetrical. Abdomen is slightly protuberant. Skin shows no punctures, no open wounds, no signs of bruising. Minor scar from RFID implant. External genitalia are of an adult male type."

<paper rustling, thump>

"Sucks that we have to work so late, Doc."

"Yeah, but the FBI wants this one wrapped up." <rubber snap, rubber snap> "Hand me that scalpel."

"And on a Friday, too. Here."

"Thanks. Making Y incision." <sssslllll> "So, did you have any plans tonight?"

"Nothing special. Cassie works late, so it was just going to be microwave pizza, beer, and World of Warcraft. What about you?"

<sssslllll> "Julia and I had dinner plans."

"Anyplace special?"

"Seafood. She likes crabs. I don't understand that. Ever look at them? They're disgusting. No, I draw the line at four legs. <ssssllll> Anything past that and I don't touch it. Seriously! Crabs do not look like they belong on this planet. They WHOAH!"

"What?"

"Take a look."

"Holy shit! What the hell is that?"

"I think it's his stomach."

"What happened to it?"

"Don't know. <slush, squish> Preliminary observations of internal organs show massive damage. Discoloring, looks like some decomposition, perforations in the stomach, upper intestine. Pustules on the kidneys, and looks like some contaminate growths on the lungs ... This is not right. Check the paperwork. Is this the right guy?"

<papers flipping>

"Two-four-six-four-five-oh-one-one-dash-gee? Yeah. It's him."

"When did that say it he was last seen alive?"

"Two days ago."

"No way. There's no way this guy was alive last month. Double-check his implanted RFID. I'll get some samples."

<slicing, clatter, click, beep>

"It's him. RFID matches."

<sigh> "Well, I don't know what the hell this is. Externally he looks normal. Healthy even. Internally though ... Something destroyed him from the inside."

"Something he ate?"

<pause>

"Step away from him. Get the Geiger counter. Now!"

<frantic rustling, footsteps, rubber-snaps>

<Clicking>

"Easy."

<Steady clicking>

"Closer."

<Steady clicking>

"Check his mouth too."

<Steady clicking>

<sighs> "For a moment I thought he ingested some plutonium or something. <rubber snaps> Let's continue with samples."

<clatters, squishes>

"Here. I'm extracting his stomach." <squish, slush> "Tag this for the lab."

"Got it." <footsteps> "Looks like it's going to be an all-nighter. So Doc, hope you didn't have anything planned for the weekend, did you?"

<chuckle> "Not really. You?" <squish, clatter>

"Yeah! Cassie and I are going to have dinner tomorrow night on the Odyssey."

"The Odyssey? The Potomac cruise?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, that's nice! I've done that before. Sounds like a special occasion."

"It's our anniversary. Five years!"

"No shit? Congratulations!" <squish>

"Thanks Doc."

"I mean it. Half of marriages don't make it past five years." <clatter>

"Well, we work on it."

"Of course you know it means that, statistically speaking, you've got a fifty-fifty chance of destroying your marriage before tomorrow."

<laughs> "Well, I think we're pretty safe. And besides, today is actually our anniversary."

"Today? Really?"

"Yeah."

"What are you doing here?"

"We were waiting for this guy, and I knew you needed help, and Cassie's working late..."

"No! No, no. If there's one thing I've learned in fifteen years of marriage, it's that you don't postpone the anniversaries, birthdays, holidays, or anything else. Go."

"No, you need..."

"Go home! Make dinner for your wife, get her drunk, and sleep with her! I've got this."

"You're sure? Cause I can always..."

"I'm fine." <squish, clatter> "I can take care of this."

"Thanks Doc! I owe you."

"Yes, you do."

<rustling> "I'll see you Monday!"

"Have fun."

<footsteps> <door opens and closes>

<sigh> "So, it's just you and me now. Man, what the hell happened to you? ... Damage to the internal organs is pervasive ... Lungs, stomach, kidneys, liver, intestinal track, spleen ... There's too much. This guy must have been in pain for weeks..." <pages flipping> "Nothing. No reports of pain." <pause> "If he wasn't in pain, then this means all this is recent damage ... This might be a homicide. Somebody had it in for this guy."

<pause> "Who the hell are you?"

<pages flip> "... 'Tombspawn'? Huh. Mass murder, grand larceny, domestic terrorism ... Well, looks like you made some enemies."

<pause> "Dash-gee. Genetic. Mutant ... Wonder what were your powers were."

<pages flip>

"... 'Necrokinesis' ... What the fuck is necrokinesis?... 'Manipulation, reshaping, and reanimation of necrotic tissue' ... Oh, I remember you ... You could raise the dead."

<clatter> "Huh ... Well, Tombspawn. It's too bad those powers don't work when you're dead."

"WHO SAYS THEY DON'T?"

"AAH!-erk" <rustle, thump>

<CRASH>

<thump, slursh, rustle, clatter>

<CRRRRAAAACK>

<thump>

<thump-slursh>

<p class="c"><thump-slursh>

<thump-slursh>

<CRASH, CLATTER>

"WHERE IS MY STOMACH?"

<clatter>

"Oh ... here."

<thump, splat>

<squish, slosh, squirsh>

<FFFSSSSSS>

<thump, thump>

<p class="c"><thump, thump>

<thump, thump>

<groan>

<thump, ker-bump>

<rustling>

...

"Taking your clothes..." <rustling>

...

"Because you're dead, and don't need them anymore."

<FFFSSSHHHH> <squirsh, slish, slosh>

...

"Isn't it obvious?" <squish, squish>

...

"It's called necrokinesis. Controlling the dead." <squrish>

...

"Simple. I make you look like me..." <squish, slosh> " and me look like you. And then I walk out the front door."

<FFFSSHHH> <slosh> <squirsh>

...

"Why would I be interested in her?" <squish> "No. There's someone else I'm interested in."

...

"For a dead man, you ask a lot of questions."

<squish, squish, slosh>

...

"But I didn't die yesterday. I died a long time ago."

...

"Six years."

...

"It was Omega Man who killed me! He punched my head! Broke my skull! The bones went into my brain, killing me. But nobody noticed."

...

"What was I supposed to do? I was in jail and dead. I had nothing to live for ... No. Not nothing to live for. Nothing to exist for. Until now."

...

"Did you see him on television? They found his son."

...

"Oh, but I must."

...

"I have to. I was taught what to do. The warden only allowed me one book to read. It was very clear on this subject."

...

"And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

"Exodus. Chapter thirty four. Verses six and seven.

"This is what they teach us in prison."

...

"Stop your prattling and whining." <rustle> "Your PIN number. What is it?"

...

<FFRRRMMM> "I SAID TELL ME YOUR PIN NUMBER! NOW!" <RMRMRMRMRM>

" ... eighhhht ... twooo ... ssssix ... sssevennn..."

<thump>

"That wasn't so hard. Good. Now..." <squirsh> <squosh> "My RFID tag. You may have it. I won't be needing it anymore ... And what is this?

"A tape recorder?

"I'll take this too."

<Click>

The booming music filtered out of the nightclub through the windows and walls, and would sporadically clarify itself every time the front doors opened, releasing a couple eager to find the privacy of a room, or a car, or just a dark alley. The bouncer would then let in the next couple, and the long line of eager patrons all moved up a step. But across the street and up on the rooftop, hidden in the nighttime shadows, a figure watched with concern.

A cab pulled up, and she stepped out. Tall, beautiful, long golden hair, flawless olive-toned skin, thin waist, full breasts, tight black dress, and killer legs, she strutted to the front of the line, walking barefoot on the hard rough pavement. The bare feet were her signature.

She approached the bouncer and gazed at him with dark eyes. He considered her.

"I'm here for a good time," she said. "Hope to find myself a few men to buy me some expensive drinks."

The big bouncer smirked and looked her killer body down and up. He noted her bare feet. "Sorry, lady. Shoes required."

"Oh, what's the matter? Think I'll hurt myself?"

"Rules. Not mine."

She smiled slyly, and the door opened, expelling another couple. The young man held his new date in one arm, and a bottle of wine in the other. As the couple passed, she reached out and snatched the bottle of wine.

"Hey! That's my..."

SMASH!

The woman stood there holding the neck of the bottle with one hand, and her other arm held straight out in front of her. She had hit the bottle against her own arm, shattering it. Glass splinters and wine dripped and fell from her flawless skin. Red wine beaded up and dropped off her, refusing to even stain her. There was not a drop of blood. She lifted the broken bottle to her lips and sensuously licked the shards of glass, and stepped forward, crunching glass pieces beneath her bare feet.

The young man and his date stared at her in utter horror. She looked them over, and scoffed.

"Huh. Best you could do?" she asked in sympathy.

She didn't wait for a reply. She simply turned to the bouncer and dropped the wine bottle neck on the sidewalk. "I'm going inside now," she informed him. "Maybe I'll see you later?" She winked, and walked into the club.

The figure in the shadows sighed in grim annoyance, pulled out a cell phone, and made a report.

Inside the club, the music blared and pounded violently, hard enough for her to feel the vibrations in her chest. It was music loud enough to damage the ears of any normal person. She strutted inside, saw an attractive man chatting up a good looking woman, and took his arm. "Buy me a drink," she commanded him as she pulled him away. "I'm lonely."

The man did a double-take, checking out this new woman and comparing her to the one he was working on, and decided he had moved up. "Sure," he answered, and he signaled to the bartender. "What would you like?"

"Impress me."

He held up two fingers to the bartender. "Cognacs!" he called out. "I'm Brad. What's your name?"

"Ada," she replied.

"Have I seen you before?"

"Probably. But not around here."

Brad picked up their drinks and escorted Ada to a small table, glancing at her full breasts for a brief second. "You look familiar."

"I have one of those killer racks," she said, smiling.

He chuckled. "So what brings you here?" He glanced over at the woman he had just left. She was staring and fuming at him, and she turned in a huff and stalked away. He shrugged. She didn't matter to him anymore. He turned his attention back to Ada.

Ada sipped her drink and leaned close to him. "Looking for someone special."

"Like who?"

"Oh, I know who it is. But until I meet him, I'm more than happy to play around." She smiled at him and licked her lips.

Outside the club, the figure closed his cell phone and hung it on his belt. He then looked over the side of the building and jumped, clearing the wall by ten feet, and he glided down on wings outstretched. He landed with a heavy THOOM on the street, startling the line of patrons. Bullwhip folded his wings back and walked up to the bouncer as the patrons gasped and shrieked.

The bouncer took one look at the superhero, and stepped aside.

The massive man strode inside, impervious to the thundering music, and the moment they saw him the crowd made a wide path for their dark guardian of justice. Conversations stopped and died in his wake, and as he stepped into the middle of the club, there was a sudden silence as the music cut off.

He stood before the table and stared at Ada. Brad looked up and appeared like he wanted to melt.

Ada smiled. "So, if it isn't Bullwhip! The Capitol city's most famous and, dare I say it..." She licked her lips. " ... eligible beefcake!" She sipped her drink. "So what did I do to deserve this honor?"

Bullwhip never took his eyes off the woman. "Armed robbery and aggravated assault. Why are you out?"

She smiled. "Alleged now. Judge threw the case out." She cocked her head towards him. "Tainted evidence," she teased.

"Why are you here, Adamantine?

Brad's eyes went wide at the revelation of her full name. There were gasps in the crowd as the supervillain was recognized.

She batted her eyes at him. "Looking for love! You can relax, Bullwhip. I've turned a new leaf." She sipped her drink again. "I want something different in life now. Thinking of settling down." She squinted at him and eyed his body. " If I can find the right man."

"I seriously doubt that," he reverberated.

"Is that why you followed me here? Hmm. Too bad. For a moment I thought I found what I was looking for." She was not looking at Brad when she said this.

Bullwhip leaned in close towards her. "I know why you are here," he informed her in absolute confidence. "And he is off limits. He is under our protection."

She pouted. "Tsk-tsk-tsk. For a Guardian of Justice, you aren't giving me much. And if I think I know who you are talking about, I like my men a bit more mature." She swallowed her drink. "Now be a good boy, and refill my drink," she said coyly.

A couple people in the room snickered at that comment, only to be slapped and shut up by their more sensible neighbors. Bullwhip said nothing and simply ignored the responses. He stared at her, and she lifted an eyebrow. She crossed her legs, revealing her toned calves and strong thighs, and she smiled wickedly.

Bullwhip nodded to her. "You want a cherry with that?"

Adamantine's smile vanished and her eyes narrowed in fury. She shut up.

"I'm watching you, Adamantine. You're in MY town now, and when you step out of line, I'm coming down on you, hard."

Adamantine was silent, and Bullwhip turned and walked out of the club. She fumed and clutched her glass, squeezing it as she watched the superhero walk out on her. The glass shattered in her hand.

Brad took off.

It was early in the morning, still before sunrise, and Joey Harper shifted in his sleep. He lay naked in bed, nestled between two beautiful women. Tricia Sanchez, a caramel-colored, twenty-five year old buxom Hispanic woman with a mane of wild fiery reddish-brown hair and a talent for time-travel curled up on his left side and stroked his chest in her sleep. And on his other side, Annie Freidman, a twenty-three year old Jewish-Japanese paraplegic with a 165 I.Q. cuddled up to him. Both were his girlfriends, his lovers, his roommates, and his guardians. Their soft and warm bodies comforted him in his sleep as much as they excited him in his waking hours.

The boy, fourteen now, lived in what could be considered a well-deserved luxury. Three months earlier he was homeless and orphaned. Now he had a foster mother (Tricia), a live-in teacher (Annie), an active if inappropriate sex life with both of them, and he could now count several famous superheroes as close personal friends.

One, closer than others.

Money and fame had found them. Offers for public appearances, photo shoots, interviews, and endorsements had rolled in. Rumors and accusations came in hand as well, and Tricia and Annie did their best to shelter the boy.

But at this moment, things were simple and blissful. Naked skin pressed against naked skin. Hands caressed. Soft, sexy bodies warmed him and surrounded him, protecting him, comforting him, cherishing him.

There was really no reason for the nightmares to continue.

"You're doing it, Joey!" Annie said encouragingly. "It's working!"

Joey held his hands out to the young woman. His fingers stretched and he strained and grimaced, pushing the power. Omegaplasm flowed from his hands, sending a shower of bright white and yellow sparks out of his palms. Annie floated before him, radiating, glowing with power. Her long black hair flowed up and about her as if she were underwater. Her hands reached out to his.

They were not touching. They were separated by a fraction of an inch.

They were in a laboratory. Technarch, a New York based superhero clad in silver and purple accented power armor, stood by watching in awe. Cameras and sensors were trained on the boy. Computers analyzed the images and data.

"Astounding," said the superhero. "I knew this was possible."

"I can't believe it!" Joey said, straining. He could feel the Omegaplasm slipping in and out of Annie's body, sometimes grabbing on, sometimes sliding out. He grimaced and pushed. "It's hard to ... hard to keep it up!"

Two other superheroes stood in the back of the room, watching with interest. "I swear, if I had a dime for every time a guy said that to me..." quipped Shadow Fire, a woman clad in black and red bodysuit and cape.

Her companion smirked. "So like, I've never had that problem, fer sure." said Spectra. She was the light to Shadow Fire's darkness. Decked out in a rainbow colored bodysuit and spectral-streaked hair, she glimmered and sparkled as she hovered next to her friend. "You must be like, doing something wrong. Totally."

"You must not be doing it enough."

"Quiet, you two," barked the armored hero. "We're working here."

Spectra eyed the young man and licked her lips. "So, let me know when it's, like, playtime."

Joey heard the comment from the chromatic heroine. His eyes glanced over her curvaceous form. She had changed her costume after he first met her. This one showed much more cleavage, and much more bare leg. He wondered if she wanted him, and she gave him a wink as if reading his thoughts. Spectra shifted her position, casually lifting one leg up, revealing her clothed crotch.

The power slipped out of Annie, and she dropped to the floor. Annie screamed in pain as she collapsed, and he rushed up to her.

"I'm sorry Annie!"

"You dropped me! Don't do that! That hurt."

"I'm sorry!"

Joey twitched in his sleep. He clutched Annie, pulling her closer. Sparks flashed from his hands.

Technarch strode up to him. "It's obvious that your powers work at range. You know what this means."

Joey looked up at the hero in terror. "No. Don't. Don't say it." If he said it, the nightmare would start again. "Please don't say it."

"You could have saved your father."

His head thrashed on his pillow. He grimaced and whimpered in his sleep.

He tried to stop the images, but they came flooding back. Time, space, and identity had changed. He was eight years old again, wearing the Omega Boy costume, and was outside the Bank of America. An impenetrable crowd of policemen surrounded him. And he could hear the screaming from inside already.

"No! Dad!"

A blazing figure ran out of the bank, smashing through the glass door. "JOOEEYY!" it screamed, and dropped to its knees.

Terror and panic pulled him. He screamed and reached for the burning figure. Rough strong hands pulled him back.

"STAY BACK!"

"LET GO OF ME!"

"HELP ME!"

He pushed and clawed, fighting the rough policemen. His costume tore, and he managed to escape their grasp. He dove through the bodies, running to his father, but stopped when he saw the armored figure in front of him.

It was Technarch."You can save him," he said impassively."Unless you WANT him dead."

Joey hesitated. "Um ... no. I don't."

"Really?" The hero stepped aside. "Then prove it. Save him."

Joey focused his eyes on the distant, burning, struggling body, reached out his hands, and pushed. He strained. Power flashed in his hands.

The hero watched. "It will work if you want him alive."

He screamed in anguish, but the power fluctuated and fell. His father fell forward.

"DAD!"

Tricia dropped next to him, pulling his arm. "Come! Joey! Come with me!"

"NO!" he screamed. He reached out for his father as his new mother pulled him back. His father's body quivered. Lightning rippled over his body, and sparks erupted on his back.

"JOEY! NOW! COME WITH ME!" Tricia yanked on his arm.

"RUN!" Tricia screamed, and she ran beside him. They hurdled down the streets together, past the crowds, and into the alleyways. They jumped over boxes, trash cans, and homeless, past rats and stray cats. The howling and roaring followed them, echoing in the maze of brick walls.

They emerged into the courtyard at Freedom Plaza. As they sprinted across the courtyard, Tricia suddenly screamed and was pulled up out of his grasp. Joey stopped and turned. His body turned cold as he saw Desdemona holding Tricia at arms length by the neck. She raised her claws.

"No..." he whispered. "Not again."

Technarch was standing next to him again. "You can save her, assuming she deserves it."

Joey didn't take his eyes off her. He raised his hand. Power flooded his palm and spilled out. Omegaplasm built and reached out, spraying uselessly. He strained and pushed.

"I ... CAN'T ... REACH..."

"You can reach her if you want her."

Joey's hand clutched on Tricia's side and he pulled her in closer to him. Sparks erupted from his hands, and her skin started to glisten. He twisted in bed.

He stretched his hand outward, clawing the air. Power spilled from his hand and dropped to the ground. He could see Tricia struggling and fighting Dedemona's grip, but she couldn't break free.

"STOP IT!" he screamed.

"You will pay for attacking me, bitch." Desdemona spat at his love, and she slashed down at the helpless girl. Tricia's body spasmed and quivered, and then fell limp.

"NOOOO!!!"

She dropped her lifeless body. Tricia landed in a crumpled heap. The blood pooled out around her, and Desdemona landed, splashing into the fresh puddle of her spilled life. The demon grinned and licked her claws, and then pointed towards him.

"She's next," she hissed.

Joey noticed Annie sitting next to him in her chair. "Joey! Let's fly!" she said, and she reached for him. He took her hand, and flooded her with power. She pulled him into the sky.

Power sparked from his hand as he held on to her. Annie's hair lifted, and her body shifted upward slightly, held back only by the weight of the blanket. He grunted and grimaced in his sleep.

They rocketed up past the tallest buildings and into the clouds. Their hands clasped tightly to each other, and were wrapped in a Velcro tether. "I'll keep you safe," she promised as the wind whipped through her hair. "As long as we're together, we're safe!"

Joey heard the wretched screaming coming from underneath them, and he saw the black wings flapping closer and closer. Desdemona screeched at them, and her fire whip lashed out, closing the distance between them. The whip lashed at the tether between their hands, and ripped it to shreds.

Their hands broke apart, and Annie screamed as they started plummeting down to Earth. Desdemona caught him by the shirt, and dangled him helplessly, letting him watch the falling and screaming girl.

"Save her if you want." Desdemona challenged. "Unless you think you can do better."

For a third time, Joey reached out desperately and summoned the power. Sparks flowed from his hands, but it was useless. Annie fell and fell, disappearing into the dark clouds.

He thrashed between the girls.

Desdemona dragged him through the sky, back to Earth, and landed in a funeral home. She threw him into a chair. Four large caskets lay at the front of the room. The demon stalked the room smugly, grinning at the caskets.

"You know, my offer still stands," she said and she dragged her fingers over a casket, scratching deep grooves into the wood with her claw. "If you're ever interested in someone you can't kill, I'm still available."

Joey shook in his chair, watching the demon. She climbed up on top of Tricia's coffin and reclined on the lid, leaning back on one arm and lifting one leg up high, exposing herself. She reached down and touched herself. Smoke wisped up from her sex.

"And believe me. I am the hottest fuck you will ever have."

A soft scoff sounded from the back of the room. Joey turned back and saw the redhead in the blue gown again. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

Desdemona continued. "You can still have me. All you have to do is to summon me again. And I'll even give you the spell. You'll just need to sacrifice someone very powerful." She fingered Tricia's coffin. "A Cosmic perhaps. It's not like you can save her."

Joey looked down at the floor. "I can save her. I can save them all."