(I wrote it in notepad and havent had a chance to proof read it yet, but wanted to get it out here)
His left foot hits hard on the pavement below him his eyes searching for the man he is chasing. The movement of a gate swinging shut catches his searching gaze and he turns sharply in that direction.
His right foot hits hard, launching him forward in the direction of the gate. Glancing around himself as he ran he searches for a way to gain advantage. While looking upwards he notices the clutter drawn above him, fire escapes, clothing, and he wasnt sure what else. What he was sure of was that it removed "up" as an option in the chase. For the moment at least.
Then he saw the little boy standing at the top of the one fire escape, just as his left foot hit the ground again, and he remembered what it was that brought him here.
"Seems familiar doesnt it Caimbeul? This situation so similar to the one that changed everything." he mumbles to himself as he sprinted torwards the gate.
"You still remember it. Right? Racing down that alley..."
***
Harley was racing down the street at fast as he could, closing in on the "Suspect". He knew he had to be careful though. Here he was chasing down a man who could summon up hellfire and the fury of long held back winds, a man who, if reports are right, could fly into the air and just start shooting at him. What did he have protecting him? Well, his badge, and what little was left of his faith.
He wasnt allowed to carry a sidearm, since none of the standard peace officers were allowed, and his faith had been tested for so long, it had been found wanting quite some time ago. This [censored] he was chasing now, is the reason for all of it. He was content to being a man of faith till that day, a devout protestant, and a volunteer fire fighter. Then someone started burning holy men in their sleep, Catholics, Jews and Protestants alike. At first he prayed, night and day, though his prayers were never answered. Thats what made him drop away from faith and take up his interest in law, studying to be an Officer.
If one good thing came of those years it was his first meeting of a young black woman named Malmuria, the woman he would one day marry. She was a defense attorney, with her heart set on making sure only the guilty get punished, he was interested in punishing the guilty. When they werent at each others throat, nothing could tear them apart.
Here he is again though, begging the lord for strength as he launches himself forward, praying that the overhang lasts a bit longer. It doesn't, and he sees the costumed murdered start flying into the sky.
Harley didnt know what to do, he reached down and grabbed his baton and jumped as high as he could. A light blinded him for a moment as he cracked his weapon into the Suspects left temple. They both hit the ground at the same time, but Harley landed on his feet and brought the weapon once again into the man. This time he hit him in the ribs.
The [censored] just stared at him and all of a sudden he was being pushed away, and he could feel himself getting hot...fast. He struggled to remain on his feet but struggled more once the wind stopped and he discovered that he couldnt move, the blinding flashes of light continued as he felt his hands start to burn.
Again the killer started to fly away, though Caimbeul managed to grab him by the ankle even if he couldnt move his legs his arms were free. He managed to hold him still long enough to regain control of his legs and he jumped high, another blinding flash, and he slammed that baton right into the subjects nose, and they both went down like bricks.
Two days later, Harley woke up in the local hospital, he looked around and noticed hundreds upon hundreds of flowers were delivered for him. That was the first time he saw it, and knew his life was changed forever, the Newspaper sitting next to his bed. ' "Mundane Cop avenges the deaths of dozens, defeats Magic wielding Villain". Below the headline were pictures of him attacking the villain, of him leaping into the air, and of him collapsed over the villains unconcious body.
The next few weeks spun past him fast and in a whirlwind. First there was all the publicity, which, deep inside, he enjoyed.
Then, there was all the endorsement offers due to the photos, organizations wanting to sponsor him for letting video cameras follow him around. As much as he loved the publicity, he was a tad busy to do such, for Malmuria stood by his side and they were wed.
***
"Sweet, wasnt it?" Caimbeul mutters to himself, still searching for another clue to which way it was he went. "You were a stupid [censored] though, weren't you? Yes, yes you were. You had a loving wife, who was pregnant, sure times were hard at time, Police Officers don't quit make the best money in the world. You were getting along though. You regretted not taking up those sponsorships, so when Malmuria told you she was pregnant, you used it as an exscuse."
Caimbeul allmost slips on the Ice Patch in front of him, and curses to himself for not seeing it. "Allways your downfall, allways was, allways will be lad." he says to himself. "You've never been able to see the forest for the trees. Remember when you called back the sponsors? They wanted you to be the new Olympic high-jumper, since the banning of supers in those events your little jumping after the villain made everyone wanted you as Scotlands new golden boy. You knew the names sounded familiar, but it was untill years later that you made the connection, or anyone else."
Quickly spotting a footprint in the mud Caimbeul follows its path to the still open warehouse door. His hand slides down to the sword at his side. "As usual, cool to the touch, remember when you first got it? The sponsors wanted you to take up sword-fighting, to further enhance everyone's image of you as the "Modern Knight". You did of course, your years in the police taught you basics maneuevers, and you picked up the more advanced ones naturally." Slamming his right foot into the door Caimbeul knows he just knocked out the guy waiting for him on the other side of the door. He pushes past the unconcious man, tossing a teleportation beacon onto him as heads out. He will wake up, in about an hour, in the Zig, doped up on drugs to keep him docile in the medical ward, untill they can confirm the crimes, at whihc point they will ship him to his correct place withing the zig.
He runs through the warehouse searching for the next clue, but also doing something else, allmost subconciously. "So there you were, Goldenboy of the Scots, proud father of Andreea and Lavonne, married happily to Malmuira." Dirt on the floor, he went this way, Caimbeul jumps out a window, not wasting time to climb through it like the rat he was chasing, he shields his face with his left hand, the gloves hes worn, since his hands were burned, were reinforced long ago, to help take away any trauma, but also to hide the burns from any of the people who see him. This time, they've served the former purpose instead of the latter. He slams his sword into the window as he jumped, making even a lower chance of him being wounded, the few pieces that do stick in he brushes off after hitting the ground. When your as normal as they come, you dont have much choice but to learn the tricks of every trade to better fight villains, who dont bother to send you to a hospital.
"You still tried your hardest to live a normal life. Even if you were addicted to fame, you knew your family never asked to be part of it. Your younger sister, Aithnea, got married to, much to your chagrin, a "real" hero. You met him when Hero One showed up after you first won the gold. didnt remember much of Ehran at the time, you were too busy being in awe of Hero, maybe hes part of the reason you carry that antique with you?" Caimbeul looks down at his sword, reading the words aloud to himself as he runs. "To my brightest of Knights, in his Darkest of hours. May your path allways be lit, even in the darkest of nights ahead." "You met some other heroes that night, a young woman calling herself, Il fyr. A few others you didnt know it then but you'd see them a few years later."
"Years pass, your younger nephews, Arthur and Samuel, both disappeared, around the same time. Your older brother was allways a bit of a drifter though, and you expected them to have taken his lead. Your sister and Ehran give birth to a beautiful little girl, named Aina."
***
It was late at night, Ehran, Aithnea and Harley were all sitting in Harley's living room, his twin daughters fast asleep in their room. Aithnea held her eight-month old baby in her arms.
Aithnea was crying to her brother, explaining what had happened. She had been working for some euro-governments trying to perfect a synaptic accelerator serum for use in soldiers. Harley had no clue what it was at the time, but he nodded along. She had made her first batch and when she went to hand it to her superiors she was kidnapped and injected with her own Serum. The rest of the Serum disappears into their Corporate strangleholds. when she had gone home, all her research and everything else was lit ablaze.
Ehran consoles Aithnea as he details how he saw the vans coming and disappeared out the back with their child, and hid untill she approached. It was no longer safe for them in Europe.
Harley wasnt sure why he did it, but he never regretted it. He walked over to the safe hidden in the wall took half the money out of it and walked back over to his sister and brother-in-law. Harley explained to them that they needed to "disappear", that he would say he was babysitting his niece, and that he would adopt her upon hearing the "News" of their demise.
The three of them stood together for a long time in that room, saying their last good-byes. When they left Harley tucked away his niece in her portable crib. He swore to himself he would tell Malmuria the truth of what happpened in the morining.
He never did.
***
Caimbeul pauses for a moment, to catch his breath, hes been sprinting for far too long, while still trying to maintain a battle prepared stance, he needs to decide to either stop running, or let his guard down. Their isnt reall a choice and he starts running again.
"Then you met the MacAllister, an old magician whos been watching your family line for many years. What was it he said "I'll meet you in the City of Tommorrow"... you just kind of pushed it off. You knew he meant Paragon city, but you had a family to raise."
"You were happy then for awhile werent you. Raising the three girls as if they were all your own." Running down the alley, he searches faster and faster for any signs, this villain needs to pay, a serial rapist, and a self proclaimed Villain.
Caimbeuls eyes dart from one object to another, he doesnt see the board that hits him in the face.
Falling flat on his back he spits the blood out of his mouth and starts running again, the villain saw the hole in his defense, and Caimbeul had secretly wanted him too, the [censored] "Black Tongued Cobra of Pain" has never been known to miss a chance to lay a hit into a good man. It also meant he slowed down long enough for Caimbeul to stay directly on his tail. "That all changed the day Aina, your niece and adopted daughter turned sixteen." Caimbeul says allowed while spitting more blood out of his mouth.
***
Harley was sitting at the head of the table, while complaining needlessly to Malmuria due to Aina's late night out. Dinner had been on the table now for twenty minutes.
Lavonne had been showing off her targets from archery class. Each one struck within two inches of the center. Harley was proud, and offered to get her a car for graduation.
Andreea had been quiet the entire time, Harley never liked it when Andreea was quiet, she was normally your standard talkative teenager. The last time she got quiet like that was the night the dog got hit by a car. The time before that, was the day your mother had passed away.
When the phone started to ring everyone except Andreea let out a sigh of relief. Harley walked over to the phone staring at the cake when he picked it up.
He stood their for a few moment before dropped it at his side and running out the door. Andreea grabbed her sister and went running upstairs.
The call had came from Harley's ex-partner. Aina had been found twenty miles outside of town and was on her way to the hospital, she had been [censored] and severly beaten, to top it off, they had taken a knife and slit her face from side to side and top to bottom.
***
Caimbeul knows he cant catch this villain. He stays on the trail anyhow, following him down another alley.
"From that day forward to now, you never really knew what happened. Did you? You sent out a man hunt so large, that people from around the Globe showed up to help. All of your old cop friends, even Hero One, came to help the search. The Vanguard wasn't formed yet, but you'd later recognise most the heroes who showed up as being members of the Vanguard. The Dawn Patrol, Midnight Squad, Ehran, Aithnea, MacAllister, even Il Fyr, they all showed up. What you never understood, and probally never will, is that people needed you just as much as they needed heroes like them. People needed role-models who they could actually compare too, and seeing you in this weak state was a cry for help few heroes could turn down. With a world wide search for the people responsible happened fate happened to dictate it was you who found them. Two minutes to late. Aina had escaped away from the hospital and had innately seemed to know where they were. She arrived only moments before you though.
No child should ever need to see that much bloodshed."
"By the time the other heroes found their way too you, you had a chance to look at the scene, the men had been completely cut apart, in such a way that it would take weeks before all of their identities were confirmed. Aina, held in her hand a knife with their blood on it, and on the floor laid a calling card, and probally the first thing that ever caused you to black out, the card said 'Your welcome Harley, sincerely Crooked Smile.' "
Caimbeul stumbles, falling onto his face, once again missing the patch of ice on the ground before him, this time he rolls to his left, just in time to dodge the truck that was thrown at him. This villain is getting dangerous, fast, he knows he doesnt have too much time left before hes gonna stop toying with him and move in for the kill.
Muttering the last words to himself so nobody can overhead Caimbeul prepares for the grand-finale of this race."The Trial that followed proved everything that was wrong in the world, Your "Sponsors" from all those years before suddenly dried up and were now supporting the Prosecution. You and Aina were both charged with 4 counts of murder. Malmuria, your loving wife, was fighting hard for your side. You they got off easy. The next day Malmuria was discovered to be a psychic, something she herself didnt know, and she was thrown off the case. The prosecution stepped up a notch, bringing in the best lawyers from around the world. Nobody knew why they wanted to hurt your family so much, Hell, you still dont know. Lavonne and Andreea were both expelled from their private schools, for accusations of cheating, and unladly-like behavior. This is when Hero One gave you your sword."
"The day Aina was found guilty, was the day your brother was found dead, vivisected and tortured alive. His sons still missing. The ritki invasion followed the next day. You understood when everyone left you to fight these villains from another world. Never once did you place the blame on anyone other then yourself. The blackouts got worse from that day forward.
Tracking down every criminal who might give you a lead on this "Crooked Smile" someone the court said doesnt exist. You know he does, because a lot of the villains laugh at you as you ask them about his location. He must exist."
"You divorced Malmuria, you couldnt stand to look at her, she reminded you too much of your daughters, who you see whenever you can stand yourself enough to do it, which is rarely. You did do one thing smart though. Didnt you?"
Caimbeul reaches into the palm of his right globe and presses the small bio-metric button on the inside.
***
"Will Caimbeul, please step forward."
Harley slowly stepped forward, still getting used to his new name. It was gaelic and a word that his family used from time to time to describe its greatest protectors. Here he was now, standing in front of a warwall in Paragon City. He had only been here for a few weeks, but every source had said Crooked Smile was either heading here or to the Rogue Isles.
He walked up the stairs and stood up in front of the podium, smiling to the Hero Corps. personel who helped him get here, it was a publicity stunt for them, showing them in Good Light, in return they had the loyalty of a hero who never retreated untill everyone else had. They had their dog, the city had hope, and Harley got exactly what he needed to settle the playing field.
Waving at the crowd as it burst into an applause, one of the few times people seemed happy since the start of the war. He was wearing a Hero Corps. uniform, thought it had been modified slightly to his personal tastes. Harley stood next to the city representative.
"Caimbeul, on behalf of Paragon City, for your role as a Hero, both against villains, and as a human being in general, we award you Open Access to the Teleportation System. So that never again will you need to stand alone against the invaders and villains of our or any world."
Harley smiled with the right side of his face before the left side followed, giving his face a slightly crooked look. The crowd just kept applauding.
***
He disappears and appears right in front of the "Cobra" he has been pursuing, he then switches the hand from inside the glove to on top of the sword as he slams the hilt into the bastards face, sending "Cobra" tumbling to the ground, just in time to cause the distraction he needs. Replacing his left hand back into the right globe he and the villain both disappear to on top of a nearby building. You see the entire time Caimbeul wasnt following him, he was herding him in the direction he needed to go.
He called for backup before he ever left today, his black outs taught him to allways have a team to cover him. He needed to learn to share the glory.
As his friends charge the villain he falls back trying to concentrate on dulling the pain of a piece of glass thats been stuck in his neck he says a few more words before fading to the darkness he has become used to. "You see, your fights still not over, you now have over a hundred "children" you try to protect. It's the one thing you cant decide where you stand on when it comes to your own personal villain, isnt it. The day the Crooked Smile broke into your apartment and broke both your arms. If it wasnt for that vicious assault, you'd be lost on the Ritki homeworld. I know its hard to remember, but Hero One had selected you to go with them that day. When you had been ambushed, Ajax and Hero One came by to wish you farewell before heading off to the time capsule.You still remember the tears that ran down your face that day? Dont you? When you found out what had happeneed to Omega team, You remember the conflicting reports on who was sent in your place, it was either Il Fyr or MacAllister, niether of which have you seen since that day."
Then, everything went black.
Caimbeul doesnt know how long hes been gone, he never does, but he reaches to the side of his throat and rips out the piece of the glass and holds his hand over the wound, trying to remember the words that those two heroes whispered to him. Magic has never been with him, but MacAllister and Il Fyr taught him some words that day, to help speed up his recovery. He removed his hand and the bleeding had stopped, for the moment.
He walks over to the newly defeated villain, tapping each of his friends on the back as he approaches him. "Prime, Wendy, Xodiak, fall back, I've got it from here." Caimbeul places his hand against the villains face and prepares to teleport him to the Zig. Everyone else seems to be drawn out though as he hears something over the radio in his ear as he prepares to teleport.
"Repeat that?" he says, while motioning for quiet from his team.
The voice comes out loud and clear this time. His connection from Hero Corps. speaks over the radio, Caimbeul sets the speaker in his ears to group mode. "Caimbeul, Aina and quite a few other Inmates have gone missing. We think they might have escaped, the entire Medical and Psych wings seems to be in Chaos at the Zig. Do not Teleport any more inamtes into those areas, I repeat, do not teleport any more inamtes into those areas, the teleporters in those areas have been turned off."
Caimbeul looks over to Soldier Prime, waiting for the order.
Soldier Prime speaks as clear and precise as allways "Okay team we are in for a long night gear up and move-out."
Caimbeul makes a note to himself, as the team takes off to patrol, and he walks away looking off torwards the horizon. Tonight is the third year anniversary of Hero Ones and Omega Teams stand agains the Ritki, hes got a memorial to visit.
*Waits patiently for the results*
