by Prometheus
"Is it just me, or is it getting chilly out here?" Dan asked.
"You're the only one without a shirt on, Hearn." Jackie flippantly remarked.
"We should talk about that..." Drake commented to her with a wink.
"Jeez, Marshall...." she breathed. "...doesn't your libido ever take a break?"
"No, he's right..." Velo spoke up.
"Dude, I know I am!" Marshall shook his head. "Take it off, J!"
Everyone just stared at him blankly.
"I meant, Danny's right." Velo continued. "The temperature is dropping considerably...."
"So, it's an early winter....so what?" Ameristar shrugged.
"On La Perdita?" Raptor questioned with an air of snobbery. "Welcome to a tropical climate, Ameristar."
"Bite me, bird-boy." she flipped him off.
Danny glanced off to his right. Still sitting on the hood of the Hum-V, he noticed the roaring of two engines in the distance, getting closer....
"GO! GO! GO!" Mick yelled with excitement, as Dirk pegged the Jag up near one-thirty, swerving around an oncoming vehicle.
Dirk was silent, his fedora stuffed between his legs, as his hair buffered in the wind.
"....mary mother of grace, forgive my sins...." Phil silently prayed in the backseat, holding on for dear life, as the turbulent wind tore above his head.
His headache was worsening.
Next to them, keeping a random spot in front, and then, behind them, Grissom grinded the BMW for all it was worth.
"The trees look smeared..." Tayden commented with pleasant delight, as he stared at the blurred landscape speeding by his view.
He turned to face Grissom.
"Do it more."
"I'm trying, old bean....I'm trying...." Grissom Montag replied with gritted teeth. "I think Grimm is holding us down."
Tayden looked around at the massive frame of Grimm, sitting propped, quiet as usual, in the backseat.
"Want me to jump out?" Grimm asked seriously enough for Tayden's eyes to widen.
"Wouldn't that hurt?" he asked innocently.
Grimm just grunted with amusement.
"His bloody pride, maybe..." Grissom interjected. "No, bugger that. I need no help to whollop Bell's tired arse...."
The BMW sped up, taking the lead.
"Phillis!" Bell announced. "See if you can hold them down a bit with your TK..."
"I can't stop something that big, Bell!" Phil yelled back over the roar of wind.
Dirk rolled his eyes.
"I can't! I can't! That's all you ever say! I swear to god if you say 'I can't' one more fucking time, I am going to blow your damn brains out!"
"Fine!" Phil barked. He began concentrating, slowly reaching his mind out, trying desperately to ignore the throbbing headache.
There was a spark of metal as the back bumper of the BMW ripped off, flying over their heads with a deadly slice of air.
"Whoa!!" Mick yelled, the bumper barely missing the tip of his head.
"Nice going, Barbie..." Dirk nodded towards the rear-view mirror.
"I told you!" he replied.
Grimm looked back around.
"Yeah, that was the bumper." he said.
"Bloody cheats!" Grissom sneered. "Well, two can play THAT game..."
His eyes narrowed, as he attempted to teleport the car forward. There was a pop of air, and only the front bumper of the BMW disappeared briefly. Then, re-appeared directly in front of them, whizzing over their heads in a similar fashion.
"Oh, sod it...." Grissom sighed.
Grimm and Tayden both looked around, watching as the bumper bounced off the road, and flew over the Jag as well.
"Dammit, Phil!" Mick yelled, as he ducked again.
"That wasn't me!" Phil yelled back with irritation.
Both cars screamed down the highway, the old apartment site coming up fast. Slowly, both measured up equally to each other, straining to pull ahead.
Dirk's eyes narrowed.
Mick got so excited that slobber escaped his yelling mouth, the wind wrapping it along his face.
Phil just sat, his eyes closed, prepared to cushion his own body on impact.
Grissom's eyes narrowed.
Tayden got so excited he leaned up above the windshield, the turbulence flapping his facial features with violent force; about twenty bugs instantly implanted themselves into his teeth.
Grimm just sat, silent, as usual.
Jackie leaned up, looking as everyone, at the cars flying up the road towards them.
"You want it this time?" she asked Drake.
"No thanks. You can do it." he replied.
She pulled herself up, walking down into the road. Grabbing Dan's shredded t-shirt from his lap, she stood in the middle of the road, watching the cars race towards them.
The cars were headed straight for her, racing as fast as their engines would allow. Suddenly, a single motorcycle tore between both cars, sailing past them in a flash.
Jackie flung the shirt around as the motorcycle sped past her.
"Winner!!" she yelled, immediately teleporting out of the way, as the two cars screeched to a halt through her spot.
The motorcycle swerved along its back tire, digging into a halt right in front of the Hummer. The driver pulled the helmet off, as he kicked the stand down.
"What's the situation, Daniel?" Chance asked, the weight of the motorcycle shifting up a bit as he and Priest hoisted themselves off.
"Fuck you, Schanze!" Dirk could be heard yelling as he and the others walked up to the group.
Mick walked up, casually tossing the crumpled leather to Dan.
"I said bring me a shirt, Mick." Dan said, holding the black, leather jumpsuit-jacket up at eye-level.
"....all that was clean, man...." he replied, shrugging, as he took a relaxed spread by Drake.
"...fuck..." Dan grumbled, the harsh, and entirely embarrassing words of Animalman sprawled across the back of the jacket in red letters.
Dan looked around, noticing that everyone was staring at him, expectantly. He glanced at Velo with an exasperated look. Velo merely shrugged with a smile.
"Okay. Fine." Dan sighed. "Listen up, here's what we know....."
***********************
New York City
"....we simply do not feel that a rebuilding cost is justified, given the current estimated company worth, Mr. Piper." the older man said.
Mr. James Chadwick, legal attorney for the Dawson estate, sat in a naval suit on one side of a conference table. The view of the city on the twenty-first floor spread behind him in a large bay window. Filing legal documents, and generally pacing behind Mr. Chadwick, his assistant was a sharply-dressed man. Blonde, with a European gauntness that made him appear younger than his guessed age, his eyes steadily scanned and observed the room. And, while he was intently aware of the business at hand, he seemed to be watching them with an almost.....unease.
Huerta, sitting on one side of Piper, arms folded, watched the assistant, in turn. He studied his movements, and posture. He watched his fingers twitch ever-so-slightly. With apprehension? Something more? He watched his breathing pattern. He watched how he carried his weight. And, most importantly, he watched his eyes.
"I understand that, Mr. Chadwick..." Kit explained evenly. "However, if you'll just look at these fiscal reports that my assistant Miss Francis has outlined, I think you'll see where the MBL is poised to become a prosperous commodity for Wall Street..."
Shirley produced a number of legal documents, sliding copies across the table.
"Now, if you'll flip to section-eight-paragraph-three, you'll see--" she began.
Huerta leaned in towards Piper's ear.
"Do you know that man?" he whispered, nodding towards the assistant.
"No..." he shook his head lightly.
"Well, he seems to know you...." Huerta breathed.
"Excuse me for a moment...." Kit nodded towards the others, pulling Huerta with him to the back of the room.
Shirley and Chadwick continued to talk numbers.
"Now, what?" Kit asked the psychologist.
"Something is wrong with Chadwick's assistant." Huerta said. "He looks...uncomfortable..."
"Forget that guy. Tell me about Chadwick. Got anything yet?"
Huerta shrugged with a nonchalance.
"He's nothing. He's beaten. He was already convinced the moment you entered the room."
"Really?" Kit frowned.
"Yes. His arguments are shallow, and practiced. I would ascertain that he's been instructed to play this out, and then, pay up."
"Think Dawson made a phone call after all?"
"Who can tell?" Huerta replied. "I'm more concerned with Mr. Chadwick's assistant."
"Explain."
"Well, for one, I'd say he's about 6'4, wouldn't you?"
"Sure."
"Yet, his posture tells me that he's never known the burden of such a tall frame." he explained. "Also, he carries his weight, as if he should be about sixty pounds heavier. Which would put him at, I don't know, one-ninety? One-ninety-five?"
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that he looks uncomfortable in his own skin."
"Huerta, he could be a meta, you know?" Piper replied. "You guys aren't exactly loved in the continental U.S....it's not unheard of for meta's to hide their existence. Just ask the boys when we get home."
"I realize that, Mr. Piper. However, he's been watching you and Miss Francis very closely. He stares at you two as if he's somehow...familiar...with you."
"Maybe he wants a job with us?" Kit joked.
"Maybe he's EPS." Huerta replied point-blank.
Kit just stared at him briefly, turning to catch the assistant watching the both of them from across the room. He immediately turned away at their look.
"Mr. Piper?" Chadwick said. "Care to join us?"
Kit just nodded at Huerta. Then, both of them returned to the conference table.
"Now..." Kit smiled. "Where were we?"
**************************
"Where the hell is Tobias?" Danny asked.
Thirteen members of the MBL were gathered around the Hum-V, Dan never having moved from the hood.
"I haven't seen him since this morning, when he left for his jog..." Chance replied, looking around as everyone shook their heads.
"According to everything you say has happened today, this does not bode well." Priest remarked.
"No one asked, future-boy..." Bell shot at him. "Why exactly is he here, anyway, Dan? We don't need his kind of help...."
Priest glared slightly at Bell's words. Bell glared back with hard eyes.
"Dirk, Tobias is the fastest thing on two feet." Dan began. "Now, for arguments sake, let's say that he didn't just get a wild hair up his arse, and take the Mach-12 express to China, or somewhere, without calling to tell us."
Dan's face grew more serious.
"Let's say that whoever it was that attacked us, also attacked him. That woman we ran into in the jungle was able to hold Jackie, Ed, and myself back. Three-to-one. By herself. Now, let's say that they defeated him. Maybe even killed him." he continued. "That's some serious force, huh? Able to drop the fastest man alive?"
Everyone was dead silent.
"Yeah....exactly. We need all the help we can get if they come gunning for us enmasse'." he nodded. "And watch those 'future-boy' cracks, primate..."
Dirk grinned, always impressed by the size of Dan's testicles.
"Okay, then, bossman, what do you propose we do?" he asked.
"First, I'm not yours, or anyone else's, 'boss'." he began. "I'm an employee like all the rest of you jerk-offs. Second, I think we need to find Tobias...."
Velo nodded.
"Agreed. I can tap some of the C.I.A.'s alt-S.A.T.S.....see if their satellites can call up metahuman thermal traces throughout the island...."
"Actually..." Chance cocked his head around, walking over. "What about Phil?"
Phil looked up, previously concentrating on his growing headache.
"Wait...what?" he asked.
"Can you locate Tobias?" Dan asked.
"Telepathically?"
Dan just looked at him.
"No, with a toothpick and a banana....of course with fucking telepathy!"
"Scour the island...." Phil began mumbling outloud. "...that's pretty big.....and this headache......I can't---"
At the sound of those words, Bell yanked a .45 out of its holster.
"...right..." he sighed, cocking the lever, pointing it straight at Phil's head.
The single fire of the gun jerked everyone up in surprise.
Dan hopped off the Hum-V, staring with muted shock.
Bell stood there, his barrel smoking, still pointing towards Phil.
As for Phil, his face was strained red, a single trickle of blood beginning to leak from his nostril. One arm was stretched out towards the gun, straining as well.
And between the two men, a single, bullet sat spinning in the air.
With a sigh and grunt, Phil released the bullet, stumbling back a few steps. It fell harmlessly to the ground.
Immediately, Bell's body flung through the cordoned tape surrounding the ruins. He landed hard against a still-standing wall, stretched out into a sprawl as Phil kept him hoisted and helpless.
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND?!!" Phil yelled in fury at Dirk.
Dan's arms were stretched out, in a back-off gesture towards the crew. Watching as this had to play out once and for all.
"What....are....you....doing.....Bethany?" Dirk asked with a smile, between clenched teeth.
"I'm going to break every bone in your body you crazy motherfucker!"
"Really....?....Why...?"
"Why?!! Are you completely delusional, man?! You just tried to shoot me in the head!"
"Did I....?...Then why....aren't you......dead?"
"You know why!" Phil yelled, getting caught up in the line of questioning. "I stopped it with my telekinesis!"
"Okay....Phil.....repeat that last part again...."
"I stopped it with my telekinesis!" he repeated a bit slower, and a bit quieter, his expression beginning to change.
"Now say it back to yourself, very slowly......and listen...to what you.....are saying...."
"I...stopped it. With my....telekinesis..." he said again.
Dirk suddenly dropped to the ground. He looked up, panting from the exertion of the TK, a wicked smile on his face.
"That's right, Phil." he began in a calm tone. "You stopped a slug of metal, going faster than sound, with no warning........using just your instincts to guide you......to a dead halt with only....your mind."
Phil just stared at the ground.
"You say 'I can't'..." Dirk said, standing up. "All I hear is 'I won't'."
Phil looked up at him, still a bit angry. But, he was beginning to hear Dirk's wisdom.
"Stop thinking about what you can't do, and think about what you can do." he continued. "You stopped a bullet with just your instincts. So...."
He rapped his own head lightly.
"....Hello! McFly!" he droned out. "Stop trying to think about using your abilities....and just do it!"
Phil stared at him silently.
"Just listen to your instincts, kid." the gunslinger spoke. "They'll get your back every time."
There was a moment of silence. Then with a turn, Phil began walking back down towards the group again.
"Give me a few minutes, Dan..." he said with a new calm. "....I'll see what I can find."
Dan nodded, walking past him, towards the ruins.
"Thanks Phil." he replied, his eyes never leaving Bell. "Give us a minute alone, guys?"
Velo nodded and corralled everyone away, back towards the road.
Dirk stood there, looking as Dan walked up.
"Dirk, I will say this, you have a way with people....." he commented, smiling.
Suddenly, he grabbed Dirk by the lapels of his jacket, slamming his back up against the wall again.
"....and I will fucking END you if you do something like that again! Do you understand me, Bell?!" Dan yelled in an even-for-him uncharacteristic anger.
Dirk swiped his hands away, Dan taking a step back.
"Listen, Hearn, you have NO idea what in the hell is out there!" he began with irritation, his finger pointing skyward. "No fucking clue! I have seen shit that you can't possibly begin to understand! I have seen wars that would scare god himself! And they're coming, Dan. They're coming. Sooner or later, someone's going to notice this little blue planet, orbiting helplessly out here in the backwater of the galaxy. They're going to notice just how easy it would be to conquer it all...."
"So, what, you trying to play 'mentor', Bell? Trying to help us all understand our potential?" Dan asked with a mock calm. "Get us ready for the 'big battle'?"
"Well, someone has to...." Dirk replied locking eyes with him. "You up for the job, leaderman?"
"I am not the fucking leader." Dan stated with habit.
Dirk paused, staring at him for a moment.
"Too bad...." he finally said. "....I would have followed you anywhere...."
Dirk made his way back down towards the group, leaving Dan just standing there. Hearn paused, looking at the ground, thinking about what Dirk had said. Then, turning around, he suddenly found himself face-to-face with........
........himself?