Regenesis (Book 1): Impact (55 page)

“It
isn’t for revenge,” Nick mumbled.

“Vengeance,
to avenge him, justice, whatever, it’s all the same when you boil it down. It’s
you running after somebody you’re never going to find. All you’re going to get
are wasted years, heartache, lost friends, and a steady habit or two.”

Nick
didn’t look at him. He scowled at his half-eaten katsu and asked if Strom had
any siblings. He said he didn’t before he went back to his book and left Nick
with his own thoughts.

---*---

10:35
PM

Near
Holden Village, Washington

The
three boys, Coop, Ian, and Wally managed to set up camp before a storm started
up around noon. They spent the next eight hours playing card games, hand held
videogames, talking, making jokes, and reading (though Coop was exempt from
this category) before Ian finally asked if they wanted to see a part of his
powers he hadn’t shown them. Coop and Wally naturally agreed and after a
miserable hike up to the nearby Spider Gap, Ian admitted that he could fly.

“Why
didn’t you tell us?” Wally asked. “It would have at the very least shut him
up,” Wally said as he gestured to a gobsmacked and freezing Coop.

Ian
said he wasn’t sure. “I didn’t want this to become something, but…” he paused
for a moment and apologized, “You were right. I really shouldn’t waste this
gift.”

Coop
shivered and congratulated him. “Is there a reason you couldn’t tell us about
this in the nice, dry, and warm tent?”

Ian
said he wanted to show them something. He left them there and flew out over the
lake and hovered a half a mile above the water. Coop and Wally couldn’t see it,
but Ian closed his eyes and remained in deep thought as he hovered in the air
whilst they were all soaked to the bone. Lightning flashed miles away, followed
by the crack of thunder, but Ian remained where he was and focused. The storm
drew closer and after a moment another bolt of lightning shot down from the
heavens and hit Ian, though it did not harm him. He redirected the bolt,
amplified it, and shot it at the worn trail the three boys took up to Spider
Gap. Ian didn’t wait for the thunder to sound before he rushed back to his
friends.

He
hardly made his return before Coop started his rant of excitement. Ian simply
nodded, smiled, and listened in earnest as he exhausted his enthusiasm, “I
mean, holy crap! How on earth did you figure that out Ian?”

“Yeah,”
Wally stopped him, “How did you?”

Ian
told him he practiced with a taser. “I would shock my left hand and discharge
the energy out from my right hand.”

“Does
it hurt?”

He
shook his head and told them it was painless.

“But
you can still shoot lightning out on your own, right?” Coop asked him.

“Yes.”

“That’s
not the point Coop,” Wally told him. “Ian’s learning how to use his powers,
which is what both you and I have stressed from the beginning.”

Ian
scratched the back of his head and apologized again. “You guys were right and
all want is to make up for lost time.”

Coop
told him it was fine and asked what else he could do.

Ian
took a breath and told them that he could move slightly faster than lightning,
which included running or flight based movements, he could disable electronic
devices, create isolated bursts of thunder within a certain distance from where
he was, and could even electrically charge his body which he could then use to
his advantage if he was ever in a fight.

Coop
and Wally were both impressed with his achievements. Wally asked him if he
would seriously become a hero in London once he arrived there.

Ian
told them that was the plan. “I’m not entirely sure where I’m going to get a
costume, but that’s not what I’m really concerned about right now.”

“Then
what are you worried about?”

Ian
wiped off the corners of his lips and told them he wasn’t sure about how he
would juggle a job as well as being a hero.

Coop
told him he’d figure it out. “Okay, can we please get back to our tent? It’s
freezing out here and I’m soaking wet.” He glared at Ian and asked why he
couldn’t have shown them his newest powers on a sunny afternoon.

---*---

Chapter
20

September
18
^th
, 2029

5:48
PM

London,
England

After
hours of painstaking needlework, design, and craft, Audrey neared completion of
her husband’s costume. The project consumed all of her time outside of work
(sleep and meals aside) but she enjoyed the process and loved the opportunity
to dress her husband as she saw fit.

I
really am lucky to have her. There’s no way I’d be able to make this costume on
my own, and I doubt there’s a website I could go to and design something that’s
not only durable and cheap, but anonymous too. Besides, she’s excited about all
of this. I love her more and more when I see that.

His
outfit was little more than cut out patterns that waited to be pieced together,
though the one completed aspect was a black rubber domino mask they purchased
from a costume maker through an online shop. Audrey equipped the mask with
slightly tinted lenses that would not only help keep sunlight from his eyes but
would also help conceal his identity, should anyone get a good look at him. She
found a strong bonding agent known as spirit gum which Jason could use to
secure the mask on his face without the need to tie a string around the back of
his head to hold the mask in place.

Jason
sat with the mask in his hands while Audrey sewed the pants together.  “How
long do you think it will take to finish it?” he asked.

Audrey
smiled and said she might be done within the week. “Mind you, it may be held
together with staples and tape, but you’ll have one,” she smirked.

I
love that smile. How long was it until I knew I loved her? She’s amazing, an
absolute–
Jason
froze. Audrey studied his face and asked what was wrong but Jason only asked
her to remain quiet for a moment while he concentrated. He heard a few men,
four who were present and at least one who was only there via radio contact, in
a panicked frenzy.
They’re not close…well, they are getting closer, but
they’re not…
He waited a moment and heard sirens as well as a whirring
engine and spinning blades.
A helicopter?
Jason waited and dissected
their conversation.
They’re going down. I can hear the screams below, the
people in buildings too, everyone, the sirens from police far off. Where are
they? How far off? Could I reach them? Where are they?

“Audrey,”
he started toward their window, “I need to go.”

Audrey’s
heart raced and she asked what was wrong. Jason quickly took the spirit gum
adhesive, applied it to his face, fixed the mask correctly and ensured it was
stable, and told his wife someone needed his help. “I’ll be back as soon as I
can.”

In
a moment the window was opened and Jason was far from their hotel and high
above the city while he listened and surveyed the city.
Where are you? I
know I’m fast, but I can’t tell how close they are to hitting a building or the
ground for that matter.
He tried to see any smoke or the aircraft itself
but failed to locate anything.
Where the hell is it? How difficult is it to
find a helicopter? Especially one that’s out of control and on its way down.

Jason
only heard the roar of the city and couldn’t pinpoint the vehicle in distress.
He searched the skies and the cityscape as well to locate it while he focused
to sift out the sound of the endangered party from the rest of the city.
You’ve
got to be close…and complete panic hasn’t…
Then Jason heard it, the panicked
cries of the people below the falling chopper. It was near the City Hall of
London and Jason wasted no time in rocketing toward the vehicle.

He
couldn’t tell what caused the distress within the aircraft when he arrived, but
knew the pilot didn’t have a hope of recovering from the fire in the engine
coupled with the skyward bent propellers.
Kill the fire first to remove any
possibility of harm to the passengers from the smoke.
Jason raced forward
and swept himself under the body of the machine and took hold of the landing
skid on the left side of the craft. He took a second to concentrate and remove
all heat from the engine, which killed the fire instantaneously.

Good.
Now I need to land this thing.
Jason pressed his back against the bottom of
the vehicle and made an attempt at slowing it only to discover a vast
difficulty in carrying the craft.
Why isn’t this working? I should be able
to lift this without any problem. I’ve practiced with trailers and busses and
there wasn’t even a struggle, aside from handling them. But why can’t I get any
leverage over this?
The helicopter and Jason both plummeted toward the
earth as Jason struggled to lift the aircraft.
I can, at the very least
control the direction, but why can’t I stop this?
Jason glanced at the
streets below and realized his time was nearly up. He fell with the vehicle and
guided it as best he could to a clearing between City Hall and the River Thames
and aimed to set it in a vacant lot.

I
should be able to carry this thing; what’s wrong? I’ve held much heavier loads
before, so why is this different? Why is this so difficult?
Jason and the
helicopter neared the ground rapidly while Jason ran the impossibility through
his head.
I can move it, which means I am lifting it, more or less. But why
is this so much heavier than before? I’m carrying it like I always…
Then it
hit him.
There’s nothing to lift off of. I’m utilizing too much lower body
strength to stop it. And at the rate we’re going I doubt I have the time to
completely stop it. But I can slow it at the very least. Alright, change of
plans.

Jason
raced to the top of the aircraft and tore off the main and tail rotors and cast
the material aside.
Perfect, now there’s nothing to fight against me other
than inertia and gravity.
He returned to the underside of the cabin and
placed his hands there. Jason plunged his hands through the metal and secured a
holding while he faced the direction of the helicopter’s intended pathway.
Now
make a few adjustments, slow it down, turn it from the building and…
Jason
guided the vehicle from City Hall and into the parking lot. As he touched down
he ran a few paces forward to avoid as much whiplash for the people in the
cabin but ultimately came to a full stop. He set it down and opened the cabin
doors to allow the pilot and passengers out.

None
of them are harmed, thank goodness.
Jason took a moment to catch his breath before
he decided to turn and make a quiet exit, but one of the men asked him, through
labored breath, “Who are you?”

---*---

10:03
AM

Bothell,
Washington

The
trio of young men scuttled into Ian’s home where his mother greeted them as
they kicked their muddy boots off at the door. “How was your trip?” she asked.

“It
was really good Mom,” Ian reported, “Even though it rained.”

“Oh,
I wondered if it rained there as well. We had a terrible storm here on Sunday.”
She walked the boys into the living room where she had a program paused asked
them to take a seat and watch the newscast about the newest hero while she
brought them some lunch.

Coop
and Wally took their seats on opposite sides of Ian while he played the program.
A newswoman gave the report, “It may no longer be a surprise to anyone that we
have masked heroes appearing every day, but London’s newest is undisputedly
London’s finest. This video was taken by a young girl from her apartment home
on a cell phone.”

A
shaky video played and showed an out of control helicopter on its way down near
London’s City Hall. After a moment a blur raced to the ailing craft and latched
on to the underside. The engine fire and smoke died shortly thereafter and
within a minute the out of control helicopter was safely on the ground with all
of its passengers beside it.

The
wobbly cell phone video stopped and the newscaster returned, “That is the first
time anyone’s witnessed this man’s heroics. Eyewitness accounts verify that
this video is authentic. And as for the four individuals within the vessel,
they only had their thanks to give to the man who identified himself as Ilion.”
The newscaster continued to talk about the interviews with the four men who
were in the helicopter as well as the general assumptions behind the new hero’s
abilities, though Ian muted the recording at that point.

“Holy
shit, he can fly!” Coop exclaimed as their food was brought in.

“I
know I didn’t hear you boys swear,” Ian’s mother scolded them as she returned to
the living room with a hot meal for each of the young men. Coop and Wally
apologized in unison.  She brought them potato soup and chicken salad
sandwiches. They thanked her in unison as she quickly left the boys to retrieve
a large black box, which she set in front of Ian. “Here, this is for you.”

“Did
you manage to finish it?” Wally asked.

“Yes,
it was much easier with him out all weekend.”

“What
are you all talking about?” asked Ian.

“Just
open it,” Coop told him.

Ian
set his soup aside and opened the box. Inside on the top was a jet black mask.
Next was a jacket, then pants, gloves, and a pair of boots. He looked up at his
mother and whispered, “You knew?”

She
smiled and said the boys told her as soon as they knew. “I don’t care that you
never brought it up Ian, I’m just happy I was able to make this for you.”

“Then,”
Ian stopped briefly to look at his friend and ask them, “You sold your concert
tickets to fund this?”

Wally
nodded and told him it covered nearly the entire bill. “Your mom paid for the
rest and agreed to make it as well. I happened to draw up a couple dozen
designs, though they all sucked, and luckily your mom works in the world of
fashion and managed to make something that doesn’t look like a shi–I mean,
cruddy get up.”

“Alright,”
Coop broke in, “Get upstairs and put it on!”

Ian
agreed and took it up stairs just before Coop stole his bowl of soup. Once
behind the closed door in his bedroom, Ian stripped down and started equipping
the new outfit. He first tried on the pants, which he assumed were leather, but
were actually made of a rubber-like material he found surprisingly flexible.
The thighs and knees had steel plates beneath the material, which he assumed
his friends thought up to help him if he got into a hand to hand fight. The
design of the pants reminded him of the high school football uniform he wore,
though his costume lacked both hip and rear pads. However, there was space for
a removable cup in the crotch.

The
second piece of the getup he put on was the boots. The sturdy boots nearly came
up to his knees but added extra protection to his shins and calves. Ian
couldn’t tell who made the footwear, as there wasn’t any logo or markings to
distinguish the designer. He secured the boots by utilizing a zipper on the
side of each boot and laces at each of the feet (to ensure a tight fit). A set
of flaps covered both the zipper and laces and remained set in place through
the use of snap buttons. Once he finished fastening the boots, he took a brief
walk around his room to get a feel for them. He knew he needed to break them
in, but he felt they were perfect. Near the heel on the outer sides of each jet
black boot was a small golden letter ‘V,’ which he assumed stood for Voltage.

The
body of the uniform was made up of the same rubber-like material the pants were
made of. The item seemed to Ian somewhat foreign, but he quickly understood how
to equip the jerkin. The garment utilized a series of leather straps to tighten
and fit to Ian’s build and form. There were a small number of built in plates
that offered Ian a small amount of added protection but did not sacrifice his
mobility. He could breathe quite freely, despite the fit, and was able to
retain a full range of motion in his arms. Across the chest of the jerkin was
another albeit larger ‘V.’

Ian
selected the black gauntlets he found next in the box and discovered they fit
like a dream. They slid on effortlessly and remained light. He tucked the ends
of his sleeves into the gauntlets and fastened them through the use of a set of
straps on the long gloves. Once secured, Ian checked his dexterity and realized
it would take some time to gain complete control of simple objects (such as
writing utensils) with the gloves. He also tested his ability to use his lightning
based powers and was relieved to find the skills unhindered by the gauntlets.

Ian
tucked the bottom of his jerkin into his pants and fastened a belt he found in
the box his mother gave him around his waist. He was rather relieved to find
the belt was unremarkable, and grateful that there wasn’t a gaudy ‘V’ belt
buckle to add to his already somewhat outlandish getup.

The
final piece to the costume was the mask. He pressed the item to his face and
found it rather malleable. Ian’s mother left a set of two bottles of chemicals
and a note that explained how to use the two compounds to get the mask to
remain in place and fixed to his face, and how to safely remove it without
damaging the mask (or his face). He followed the instructions and fixed the mask
to his face. It covered his eyes, eyebrows, and the bridge of his nose and had
built-in, tinted lenses to further hide his eyes and to protect his vision from
sunlight.