Friday, June 24, 1988
Gillman’s Saw Mill
Glassboro Township
New Jersey
It is dawn when Supreme Warrior and Malice Maid arrive at the old saw mill. His memories still confused and muddled he spent the last day taking Trudy to all of the places he and Steve spent time together as kids. With each stop his anger and feeling of betrayal grew. Things that should have been happy memories of friendship are now filled with the realizations of what Steve was hiding from him. Those times when Gary stirred up trouble that forced them to run from a beating, Steve could have taken down all of those guys in a minute! Supreme Warrior remains blind to the truth of his own problems.
The final stop in this walk down memory lane is old Saw Mill on the mountain near Camp Tandy. “This is where it all ended for me,” Supreme says.
“What ended?” Malice Maid asks while walking down the road at the center of the abandoned saw mill.
“The friendship between Steve and I, this where he betrayed me with that child!” the man shouts. “All those times he should have used his powers for our benefit and didn’t, were clear to me the moment I saw him playing tag with that boy!” “He had the power to save me and never once offered to use it!”
“To save you, lover?” Malice questions. “Save you from what?”
“EVERYTHING!” he shouts to the treetops. “MY LIFE!” “MY FATHER!”
Malice Maid is quiet for a moment before speaking again to let him settle his emotions. She looks down the mountain through the trees. “Strange I found that bitch, from whom I stole the power I gave you down at that children’s summer camp,” Malice Maid explains.
“What bitch? Supreme Warrior demands not sure what she is talking about. Trudy never told him where she was getting the power that she used to awaken him.
“The one I stole the power from I gave you the first time,” Malice Maid replies. “The one from your friend’s wedding.” “She was Steve’s date.”
Supreme Warrior turns suddenly backhanding his would-be mate into the air and several feet to the ground. “Why did you not tell me this before?” he shouts at her. “Diana Carter has power?” “The power that you gave to me was from her?”
“Yes, she is a camp counselor or something,” Malice Maid replies, getting up from the ground holding her jaw. “She is pretending to be someone else again.”
“Whoever she is pretending to be, I want you to kill her, that will be the Supreme punishment to Steve,” Supreme Warrior smiles. “She was the one who first took him from me.” “What sweet irony that she has powers too!”
Malice grins from ear to ear asking. “Can I make it painful?”
“As painful as you like, I only want the joy of watching her take her final breath,” Supreme replies grinning.
Camp Tandy – the Lodge
Glassboro Township
New Jersey
Steve was woken early this morning by a dream premonition. Not able to get back to sleep he came to the Lodge early to help with the preparation of breakfast. While he helps with the set up of the breakfast buffet he thinks over his dream. In recent years his dreams have become much clearer, but this one is like something from when he was sixteen. Disjointed and unclear all he is sure of is there is about to be a deadly attack. He wants to believe that it is only him in danger but somehow it feels like someone else is going to be attacked too. He can’t help but to think that person is Diana. Whatever is going to happen he must be prepared. His second goal is to keep it far from this Camp and these kids. That is without getting in any more trouble.
Sneaking off in hope of leading the danger away is not a good option. Which leaves making his presence in this Camp known. If it is Gary coming after him, he needs to make sure he is the only target! The assistant boys have become pretty well independent of him so keeping a distance from everyone and still being seen should not be hard. Steve sees Avery as his only problem. Although Avery has accepted Coach Barnes as his mentor, the kid is still rather clingy to him. In no way does he want to find out what his cousin by another amazon will do if Avery gets hurt.
But at all costs he intends on avoiding Diana today. He has spoken with Coach Barnes about the possible danger to Sylvia without blowing her cover and the amazon/goddess has agreed to keep an eye on Sylvia if Supreme Warrior should appear. He can only hope it does not come to that situation. Steve would hate to have Diana figure out that Supreme Warrior is Gary and in turn learn his secret identity.
In a way it might almost be for the best if Diana knew, then she would know the truth about why they can not be together like he wants them to be. But it could backfire as well. making her hate him for how he has been lying to her all this time. It is the classic no win situation.
He looks up to see some of the first campers and chaperons to arrive at the lodge for breakfast. “Hey, Ms Evans, I’ve got the buffet all set up,” Steve calls to the kitchen manager. “I’m going to head back to the campsite to check on my boys.”
“Run along then,” the gray haired woman who has been here since his first stay, calls to him. “Thank you, for all your help, Stevie.”
Steve heads out the back of the lodge toward the parking lot to make a wide loop around the property to avoid everyone else coming up for breakfast at the lodge. “Morning, Steve,” Sylvia calls to him from the side of the lodge building. Of all the luck? he thinks as he turns back to give her a wave. He will have some explaining to do later as he hurries off down toward the lake to take the long way back to the Boy’s campsite.
Sylvia thinks his reception was odd, but it is not the first time he has seemed distant for unexplained reasons. She is sure she has done the same to him. Sneaking off to be Miracle Maiden has put a real crimp in their blossoming relationship sometimes. She would assume that he has much more normal activities to attend to this morning.
Not far away in the woods a couple stands watch the morning unfold. Supreme Warrior can not believe his luck at the fact that both Steve and Diana are at this camp. It is as if they are having some secret walk down memory lane together as well. “You lead the woman back to the saw mill, I want to have some fun with my old best friend first,” Supreme Warrior whispers to Malice Maid. “But don’t kill her until I get there, just play with her, keep her busy.” “I want to watch as you make the final blow!”
“Yes, lover, it will be my pleasure,” Malice Maid coos as she moves to kiss him on the lips. “I have just the trick to draw her curiosity.”
Back at the side of the lodge Sylvia is in fact looking to spy on Lori Striker and Avery Lewis not Steve. They have formed a quick bond since her injury on the hockey field and it concerns her. Why would a twelve year old girl that never once spoke of boys suddenly be so interested in this older boy?” Sylvia has also taken notice of the unusual connection that Avery has formed with Coach Barnes. Knowing that Ava is one of the other Zeni-humans at camp she has to wonder if that is the thing that has drawn Lori to Avery as well?
“Hello Ms. Banks, is it this time?” Detective Sgt. Prussia says coming up behind Sylvia.
“You should be more careful, you could have gotten hurt sneaking up on me like that,” Sylvia replies, turning to face him. “What are you doing here?” “How did you find me?”
“Your Uncle worries about you and when a Police Detective Sgt. calls he tells the truth,” Prussia tells her. “Do you remember a woman called Trudy Patterson?” “She is the woman who murdered my partner Detective Black.” “She was involved in that Sleep Study at NYU run by Professor Williamson.”
“That rings a bell but I didn’t meet her personally,” Sylvia answers. “That still does not answer why are you here?”
“You wouldn’t have met her, the Professor’s Dream Machine apparently killed her,” Prussia explains. “But she didn’t stay dead for long, her body disappeared from the morgue.” “It would appear that whatever that Dream Machine did to her it scrambled her brain.” “She returned to the home of her foster to take revenge.” “A revenge she took on their new foster children.” “That was where we found her and she killed Officer Black.”
“So you caught her right?” Sylvia assumes as she watches Lori and Avery sit at a picnic table eating breakfast outside away from the other children.
“I shot her between the eyes,” Prussia admits bluntly. “Not my best moment.” “Didn’t matter, she didn’t stay dead.” “Now there is reason to believe she is back on the prowl.” “I need you to let ‘your friend’ know how dangerous she can be.” “She has already paid a visit to your friend Dee Moore.”
“Oh no, is Dee alright?” Sylvia asks in a panic. She never intended for someone so dangerous to make the connection between Dee and her.
“Miss Moore is fine, it would appear that Trudy has only one person in her sights and it might be you,” Prussia tells the young woman. “Dee told us she called you by name, Diana.”
As Prussia tells his story Sylvia’s distraction grows as she tries her vision power on Lori and Avery. Diana still doesn’t totally understand these vision powers. All she sees looking at Lori is a rainbow like aura. The aura is rather dark, not like what she would expect of Lori. It is Avery that interests her more. His aura shines brighter than any she has ever seen using this power.
“Are you even listening to me?” Detective Prussia asks, grabbing her by the arm.
When she turns her Spectral vision moves past Prussia to the trees toward the mountain path. She sees a red glow in the shadow of the trees. “Yes, Trudy Patterson, cop killer, zombie woman.” she replies, focusing in closer on the trees. “Got it.” “Now if that is all you want to tell me, get out of here before someone starts asking questions.” “I’m on vacation!” Sylvia pushed past the Detective to run toward the mountain path. She can’t tell who or what that is but, it is moving down the mountain toward the old saw mill and she has no intention of letting it get away.
Sylvia keeps her speed under control knowing that Prussia is watching until she reaches the trees as cover. Then she touches her invisible necklace to change to Miracle Maiden, the one thing she didn’t want to do at Camp Tandy.
Detective Sgt. Prussia and Special Agent Lei’s office
Third floor
New York City Hall
City Hall Park
New York, NY
Agent Zachary sits in Detective Sgt. Prussia’s chair, clearly annoyed by events. “Does your partner go on these solo excursions often?”
“We each have our own contacts and informants, it is best if we contact some of them alone,” Special Agent Lei replies.
“Makes for a complicated partnership, doesn’t it?” Agent Zachary suggests.
“This is a complicated arrangement,” Lei insists. “Like you and Agent Hicks.” “We create trust on faith that the other is a competent professional.” “We both have pasts that may not be traditional that got us to this point.” “Now we must use some of those things to move forward.”
“I see you still love to rub salt in that old wound,” Zachary comments. “Don’t you have any leads of your own?”
“As a matter of fact I do,” Lei says, turning his computer monitor around to face Zachary. “Detective Prussia is not the only one to have someone murdered by Trudy Patterson.” “This kid, Ramondo Del Santos, had his twin brother murdered by her.” “She messed him up too.” “I’d say, there is a good chance she could come back looking for him.” “We are going to find him first.”
Camp Tandy – Boy’s campsite 5
Glassboro Township
New Jersey
Steve gets back to the boy’s tent to find only James Reilly and Alexander Hubbard still getting dressed. “What is the hold up this morning?” he asks them.
The two teen boys look at each other and then James says, “Avery kept us up all night, talking and screaming in his sleep.”
Steve doesn’t like the sound of that. Avery could be developing a danger sense/dream type power like he got at his age. “I see it didn’t cause Barry to lose any sleep,” Steve suggests pointing over at the other boys already made-up cot.
“He might not have even slept here last night,” Alexander reveals.
“Alexander shut-up!” James shouts.
“No, it is about time that Mr. Roberts knows that his lack of discipline has been caused around here!” the strong willed boy insists.
From the start Alexander has made it clear that he did not approve of Steve’s lenient policy with the boys. Now it looks like he might be right. “How long has this been going on?” Steve asks Alexander.
“Since the beginning of camp,” Alexander replies. “He sneaks out about an hour after bed check and doesn’t come back until early morning, if at all.”
“James, Why was I not made aware of this sooner?” Steve inquires to the boys.
“Because he is a bully and a perv!” James replies. “If he found out that any of us told, he would punish us in ways you would not believe!”
“Not if he was thrown out of camp,” Alexander insists. “I’ve been saying that for years!”
“This has been going on for years?” Steve asks. “Have you ever told Mr. Denmark?”
“Yes, but he doesn’t care because he does Denmark favors,” Alexander reveals.
“What kind of favors?” Steve asks, having no idea why a man with all of his years at Camp Tandy like Paul Denmark would break the rules for one kid.
“You just don’t get it do you?” James says lifting the tent flap to leave. “I guess things were different here in your day!” James jumps out of the tent off the platform to head to the lodge.
“Alexander, what is he talking about?” Steve asks sternly.
“Sexual favors,” Alexander whispers under his breath. “Mr. Denmark is a chicken-hawk.”
Steve stands in the tent alone dumbfounded as Alexander leaves for breakfast. Steve has known Paul Denmark since he was younger than these boys coming to Camp Tandy. He had never even heard a rumor like that in all of those years. In fact, Gary spent a lot of time with Coach Denmark and never spoke a word about anything non-kosher going on. Could Coach Denmark have been abusing Gary too. As he now claims his father did. The boy Steve thought was his best friend through most of his childhood has now become a mystery to him. It seems as if whenever they were not together Gary was living a totally different life than anything Steve could have imagined.
The boys have left their tent as it should be. Each boy has a two drawer nightstand by their cot for personal storage. Steve walks over to Barry’s to slide open the top drawer. Toothbrush and Toothpaste, a comb, some deodorant, bug spray, a deck of cards, etc. All the way to the back of the drawer is another tube. Steve reaches to the back to retrieve it. Looking at the label it reads “KY jelly”. Not standard camping equipment, although incriminating it is nothing illegal.
Stepping out of the tent, Steve finds that the boys have gone out of sight to the lodge. Walking over to the other the tent of the four boys Paul has been in charge of Steve steps up to have a look around. Everything appears in order, sleeping bags rolled up at the foot of the cots to prevent snake incursion. Clothing stowed in duffle bags. Steve slides open one of the drawers to have a look. Nothing out of the ordinary. He continues to glance through the rest of the small nightstands finding nothing similar to what he found in Barry’s drawer.
Heading back to his own tent he begins to feel like he has crossed a line. Sitting on his cot Steve glares across the room at Coach Denmark’s storage locker. The bottom drawer has a lock on it as does his own. Something of which the boys do not get the luxury. The key still hangs in the bottom drawer of Steve’s nightstand, he hasn’t felt the need to lock it. It would seem that Coach Denmark does not have the same amount of trust that he possesses. The locks on the drawers are flimsy at best, getting it open would not be hard. The question is, is Steve going to let the gossip of teenage boys question his trust in a man he has known since he was twelve?
If he breaks open the lock and is wrong how would he explain it? Maybe there is another way. Getting up from his cot Steve walks over to Denmark’s cot where his duffle bag sits. In the front pocket is a bulge that Steve knows is his teammate’s keys. He has seen Paul use them to open the locked drawer. Steve moves to unzip the pocket when he gets a tingle at the back of his skull. Quickly zipping the pocket closed again Steve moves to sit back on his cot.
Paul Denmark enters the tent that they share. “What are you doing here?” he asks abrasively.
“I got up early to help with breakfast set up, so I figured I’d come back and grab a shower while no one was here.”
“Great minds work alike, I guess,” Denmark replies, opening his nightstand drawer to retrieve his shaving kit. “One of the perks of this job over coaching is that it gives you some more free private time.” Denmark grabs up his towel and a change of clothes asking Steve, “You coming or what?”
It is a very awkward situation considering what Steve was just suspecting this man of doing. But he has no reason to fear Coach Denmark and following through on his lie would be for the best. Quickly pulling his shit together Steve joins his tent-mate on the walk to the bathhouse. “So I guess you have seen a lot of boys come through here both good and bad,” Steve says as they walk. Coach Denmark has a pronounced limp from the injury he spoke of, as they walk across the field.
“Mostly good,” Denmark replies as he holds open the door for them to step into the bathhouse. Standing by the towel racks, Steve watches Denmark as he starts to undress. “Are you getting a shower or did you just come to watch me?” Denmark chuckles as he takes off his shirt and pants.
“No, no, of course,” Steve replied nervously as he quickly got his clothes off. He notices that Denmark is still in good shape under his clothes for a man of his age and health condition notwithstanding. Steve also notices the coach checking out his nude body as well.
“Workout quite a bit, kid?” he comments from inside the shower stall. “Not many come through here built like you.” Coach Denmark turns on the water to his shower with a smile on his face watching Steve.
Steve steps into the shower stall across from the former Coach to obscure his view. “What kind usually come through here?” Steve asks at the innuendo comment.
“Mostly old farts,” Coach Denmark replies.
“So you like them young?” Steve implies. “I mean not a lot of young guys apply for this job, I guess.” “My friend from back in the day, Gary Rogers, do you remember him?”
“Rogers,” Denmark repeated, soaping his chest. “The smart ass you always hung out with?” “Yes I do, he was troublesome at first but in time we came to see eye to eye.”
Oh my god was that a confession, Steve thinks.
Suddenly a voice bellows from outside, “Come out, come out, it is time to pay the piper!”
Steve recognizes the voice instantly. It is Gary! But who is he here for? Shutting off his shower, Steve grabs for a towel. “Wait here!” he shouts to Coach Denmark as he wraps himself in the towel to charge outside. Turning as he exits Steve bends the handle of the door to jam it shut.
Standing in the field wearing only a towel he faces down Supreme Warrior who stands several yards away. “Surrender, I do not intend on letting you harm anyone!” Steve shouts.
“Are you talking about your bathhouse buddy?” Supreme chuckles. “I could hear the two of you talking as I arrived.” “Don’t be stupid!” “Coach Denmark is the only adult who ever let me take charge, let me be in control!” “No one else ever appreciates me like he did!” “Not even you!”
“Then why have you come here?” Steve demands. “There is no way you could ever have found out I was here!”
“Would you believe fate?” Supreme Warrior chuckles. “What better place to make you pay for your betrayal then where it happened?” “And I guarantee you if I have to burn this place to the ground, Coach Denmark will be there to tell the story to the reporters!”
Gary is giving Steve no choice but to fight. He can hear Coach Denmark banging on the bathhouse door. He has to act fast to get this fight away from the camp. Scanning the area he makes sure it is safe to change to Master Warrior. A touch of his earlobe and the towel vanishes to be replaced by his uniform. Master Warrior leaps high into the air to come down hard on Supreme Warrior’s chest with both feet. It is like hitting a brick wall as his legs bend compressing all the way down forcing him to spring backwards away. Barely able to right himself, Master Warrior comes to a skidding landing back toward the bathhouse. Gary is stronger than before, the hero accesses.
Supreme Warrior laughs at the attempt, “Did you think you could bring me down that easily, Loser Warrior?” “I am so much stronger than before, haven’t you figured out yet that each time you defeat me I get better?”
Charging at Supreme Warrior again Master Warrior is knocked out of the air to the ground toward the woods this time. This is movement in the right direction. Springing back Master Warrior assesses his position before his face is given a one-two punch. The force of the blows are enough to bloody his nose but not take him down. The punches do not stop as Master Warrior blocks each one that follows with his gauntlets to absorb the kinetic force that his foe throws at him. Master Warrior takes ten or twelve of Supreme’s strongest blows to his gauntlets before moving to get some distance between them.
Giving Supreme a knee to the gut and then bringing both of his fist down on the back of Supreme Warrior’s head. Master Warrior does a back flip to land several yards away. Supreme is staggered by Master Warrior’s attack. Master Warrior drained the electricity that fueled Gary from his gauntlets a few weeks ago. He has no concern of strengthening Supreme Warrior as he raises his gauntlets together to fire a concussive blast of all the stored kinetic energy from the punches they received.
Supreme Warrior is caught off guard by the blast from the gauntlets. He had no idea that the gauntlets could do that as he was thrown back high into the trees away from the campsites. The force of the blast carries Supreme’s body nearly a half of a mile as he snaps off the tops of trees all the way. He is nearly three-quarters of a mile from Camp Tandy when he hits the ground again.
Master Warrior leaps into the air to zoom across the distance to his fallen former friend. He fears that the force to the blast may have been too much for Gary. Master Warrior has no way of knowing how strong Gary has become from being fueled this time. When Master Warrior spots his former friend he realizes he misjudged the direction in which he sent him. Supreme Warrior has crashed down in the parking lot of a small shopping center down the road from Camp Tandy. Over the years many of the campers have snuck off here to the 711 to buy candy bars. It is not much better of a place for this confrontation to take place than the Camp. He lands on the pavement hoping to take the unconscious Supreme Warrior away.
Suddenly as Master Warrior approaches, Supreme Warrior pivots around on the black top like a break-dancer to knock Master Warrior’s legs from under him. Catching himself Master Warrior cartwheels back over to his feet. “How did you do that?” “The blast?” Supreme growls as he gets up from the ground. He is back to his feet barely phased by the gauntlet blast.
“I guess there is more to Master Warrior than meets the eye,” he replies. “This has to stop, this is not the place to fight!”
“On the contrary!” Supreme Warrior growls as moves to take hold of the side of a parked car. Master Warrior is impressed by Supreme’s strength that reveals a rage in his eyes. “I think it is the perfect place to let the world see as I pound you into mush!”
“Gary come on, put the car down, before someone gets hurt,” Master Warrior pleads, looking around at the people at the shops.
“Namely you asshole!” Supreme shouts as he heaves the car at Master Warrior. The car sails across the lot toward him as onlookers begin to flee and scream.
Master Warrior remembers the time in Philly on his walk to work when he stopped that car crash. His only concern was to prevent too much damage and people getting needlessly hurt. Trying to catch this car he soon realizes that the momentum is much more than any regular car crash. It sends his feet sliding back over the blacktop digging into it. As he holds the front grill of the car he spots the two small children in the back seat. “SEAT-BELT!” he yells at them.
As he slides, pushed by the weight and momentum of the car Master Warrior manages to slow it but the rear begins to lift up wanting to flip over. That is something he can not allow it to do with the children in the back seat unbuckled. Taking his Arsenal from his leg he shapes it into a short thick blade as he releases the grill to flip up over the roof. Using the blade he cleaves open the roof and back of the car. Moving stiffly he grabs hold of the children to pull them from the car as it flips back over front to land on top of two other parked cars. One final push from the back bumper of the car and he is in flight carrying the children to safety.
“You are such a pussy!” Supreme Warrior shouts at Master Warrior as he turns back to him. “What do the lives of those two brats mean to men like us?” “They are only ants under our boots!”
Master Warrior is struck by the words, harder than any punch Supreme could have thrown at him. He steps forward away from the people clambering to help the crying children. “For the first time I admit it!” “I am not your friend and you are not the Gary Rogers I grew up with!” “Whatever happened between us, you are the only one responsible for what you have become, this Supreme Warrior.” “And it is time I stop trying to fix you.” “It is time I showed you who the true Master is!” Master Warrior takes several steps to take flight to collide with Supreme. Grabbing him by his red shirt he lifts him up into the air carrying him away from the shopping center parking lot.
Gillman’s Saw Mill
Lawrence Township
New Jersey
On the opposite side of the camp from where Master and Supreme Warrior’s fight to the death, Miracle Maiden makes her way through the forest. She has found a familiar path that she has walked before when she was fifteen. It is the one to the old Saw mill that she and Tracey took to meet Steve and Gary one night. She remembers how shocked Steve was that she drank the whiskey from the bottle that Gary had smuggled into camp. Diana was so different then, still so angry. Steve was so innocent then too. They have both changed quite a bit since then, coming to a happy middle it would seem.
She can still see the red glowing aura of the figure she spotted back at the lodge. It is moving almost parallel to her location. When she turns off the spectral vision power the figure vanishes. She has to wonder if it can see her too or not. If it can, it doesn’t appear to care that she is clearly following it. She still isn’t sure why she is following it. Maybe it is just what Prussia said about that woman from the sleep study that makes her think this is connected. There is a lot on her plate right now with The General, Steve and Lori, not to mention finding out what she can from Susan Mathess about her father. Now the possibility of a psycho Zeni-bitch showing up here.
Miracle Maiden’s attention is distracted with the thoughts of her messy life, it takes only a second to change from the hunter to the hunted. The figure in the woods turns its course and charges at the red and yellow clad woman. The result is not what the attacker expected as it passes through Miracle Maiden to tumble to the ground on the other side. When Malice Maid stands up from the ground to make another attempt she announces, “Miracle Maiden, you live up to your name!”
Miracle Maiden looks at the woman instantly recognizing her, it is the same Trudy that Gary Rogers brought to Wayne Double’s wedding. She is not at all what Miracle Maiden expected. Is this what Steve was warning her about? Has Gary’s bubble headed girlfriend Trudy become a Zeni-human. “Trudy Patterson, I presume.” More importantly, what did Steve think he could do to stop her?
“I prefer Malice Maid now,” the red-head grins. “Sound familiar?” “I thought it was only fitting since it was you who started all of this for me.”
“Me how did I start anything,” Miracle Maiden retorts. “I’ve never even met you before!”
“You can’t fool me, Diana, I can feel your power from here,” Malice laughs as she stalks forward around the heroine. “Just as I did that night at the wedding reception!” “I had powers then but, what I stole from you kind of cured it all, put it in its proper place.”
“Stole from me at the wedding reception?” Miracle Maiden repeats. Then something is triggered deep inside of her body and mind. Miracle Maiden’s healing power surges over her body in a way it never has before healing scars in her memory she didn’t even know she had. “In the Ladies Room, the hand under the stall, that was you,” she mumbles. “Right until this moment I didn’t even remember it happening.” “That is why I felt so sick the next day!” “Wait a minute, a few days ago I felt the same way.” “You have been stealing my power, leaving me with no memory of you doing it!”
“Yes, I have and it has changed my life!” Malice Maid says charging at Miracle Maiden her long sharply manicured nails reaching out at the woman’s blurred face. “Imagine if I killed you and took all of it!”
Still trying to make sense of these lost memories, Miracle Maiden knows one thing for sure, she can not let this bitch touch her again. Instantly she fires the strongest Bio-energy blast she can muster. The pink eye-beams hit Malice Maid squarely in the chest, sending the crazed woman down to the ground again. “Is that the power you want?” she asks.
Malice Maid lays on the ground weak and confused for a few minutes. “No, no, that is different somehow,” She mutters. “It hurts much more than the other energy I stole.”
“Then have some more, I have plenty to spare,” Miracle Maiden suggests firing at the villainess again. Malice Maid scrambles to her feet to escape the second blast. It is clear to her that her previous surprise attacks were much more efficient. Miracle Maiden was well trained in how to target her eye-beams and she continued to fire on the woman, preventing her from coming too close. “I could do this all day, sooner or later I am going to hit you!”
New York State Office of Children and Family Services
Adam Clayton Powell Jr State Office Building
Floor 1
163 W 125th St,
New York, NY
Arriving at the front reception deck of the Children and Family Services office
Special Agent Lei and FBI Agent Zachary flash their badges making little impression on the seasoned social worker. “How may I help you Agents?” the woman in her late fifties with gray hair dressed in an out of date flowered blouse asks monotonically.
“We have a warrant to gain access to a child in your care,” Special Agent Lei informs the woman as he lays the paperwork on the counter.
“You will have to fill out these forms to request the information you require?” the woman asks sternly, passing them a clipboard with several pages attached. “Information on any child in the care of Children and Family Services will take up to five days to be released to a blood family member or by order of a Federal Warrant.”
“Ma’am, you do not understand we are the FBI and this child’s life is in danger,” Agent Lei insists.
The woman grimaces at them, “We have over five-thousand children in our care, information on them is not at anyone’s fingertips.” “When all the forms have been processed, you will be notified.”
The two federal agents look at each other in disbelief, neither of them has ever met such an unwilling request for information. Agent Zachary takes the lead now with a sly smile and a glint in his green eyes. “Perhaps we could move this along faster if we brought a whole team of Agents down here to turn this place upside down,” he suggests to the bureaucrat.
“Or maybe we could just speak with your supervisor,” Agent Lei suggests leaning over the counter.
The older woman sighs and picks up her phone to dial a few numbers. “There are two FBI Agents up here that would like to talk to you!” she says into the receiver. They can hear a few words on the other end of the phone before she hangs it up. “Mr. Walker will be down momentarily, please have a seat over there. She pointed to a row of plastic chairs mounted to the wall. The seats look like someone has been eating peanut butter and jelly off of them.
“I think we will stand,” Agent Zachary says, stepping over to the wall wearing his five hundred dollar suit.
Miles from Camp Tandy
Imperial Works
1100 E Edgar Rd
Linden, New Jersey
Supreme Warrior struggles to break Master Warrior’s hold on him ending by tearing open the front of his shirt. Master Warrior has carried him over an old closed down oil refinery. Supreme falls only a few feet before righting himself to soar back up at his hated foe.
Master Warrior dodges and swoops to avoid collision with his opponent. Then using his arsenal as a rope he snares Supreme Warrior around his knees. Master Warrior’s power of flight is limited by his flight vest, but Supreme’s power is not. That fact is underestimated as Master Warrior is drug across the sky at the end of his line. There is nothing he can do to fight back against the momentum that Supreme has gained, his flight belt just doesn’t work that way.
As they approach an oil tank tower Supreme Warrior looks back over his shoulder at the man dangling at the end of the metal rope. He laughs as he changes course to slam Master Warrior into the side of that tower. This time it is Supreme who underestimates Master Warrior giving him plenty of time to come up with a plan.
Twisting in mid-air Master Warrior positions himself to grab hold of the railing at the top of the oil tank. It is a sudden yank on his arm but nothing he can not handle. Almost instantly Supreme feels the jerk on the line as Master Warrior anchors himself to the tower rail. Pulling himself back to the tower Master Warrior wraps his legs around the rail as well.
The harder Supreme Warrior tries to escape his anchor the tighter the gold metal rope is pulled around his legs. The rope begins to cut into his flesh, something he did not believe was possible. “What is this thing made of?” he questions out loud, turning to try and get a grip on the line. He takes hold of the line with both hands. He hears Master Warrior shout something and instantly a section of the rope changes to become handcuffs on his wrists and releasing his legs.
At the other end of the Arsenal rope Master Warrior begins to reel-in his captive to the oil tank tower. As he does, Supreme Warrior stops struggling and something odd begins to happen. The muscular physique of Supreme Warrior begins to melt away. It takes several minutes but as he shrinks the Arsenal rope becomes slack as do the handcuffs that were created for thicker wrists. Master Warrior watches from the top of the oil tank as the once intimidating Supreme Warrior becomes a slim and shorter man who slips free of his bonds. Still over three hundred feet above the ground and too far from the oil tank for Master Warrior to do anything, the smaller man plummets to the ground below.
Gillman’s Saw Mill
Lawrence Township
New Jersey
The two women grapple as Miracle Maiden tries to avoid skin to skin contact with Malice Maid. She is glad she chose an outfit with long legs and sleeves and not some sexed-up bathing suit. Using one of the moves that she learned in training that always worked on Robin, she twists and bends to throw Malice Maid over her hip, slamming her down hard to the ground. As the woman lay at her feet Miracle Maiden backs away realizing something. This bitch might be strong but she is stronger. She also said of her bio-energy blast, “It hurts much more than the other I stole.” Perhaps it has not been her bio-energy that Trudy has been stealing, but something else. Each time that Malice Maid stole from Diana, she was caught off guard. That might mean that direct contact is exactly what is needed here. Miracle Maiden’s bio-energy is usually painless, but this woman is a different story. If she can focus her power on what causes Malice Maid enough pain to knock her out.
Reaching down to grab Malice Maid’s arm, Miracle Maiden pulls off her shoulder length glove to take hold of her bare arm. Letting her bio-energy flow freely into the woman’s arm she can instantly see a reaction as a pink aura forms around both women. The pain that Malice Maid feels triggers a defensive reaction as tries to resist the attack. As the pain grows in Malice’s body so does the electrical charge inside her body. The charge grows until it erupts from every inch of her body.
The blast dislodges Miracle Maiden from her arm and sends the red and yellow costumed woman back toward the wall of the storage shed. Miracle Maiden instinctively passes unharmed through the wall. She is dizzy from the massive electric shock but she heals herself quickly. What just happened has opened her eyes to something else. This woman is like a living battery. She takes the energy and redirects it, but there is something different about her bio-energy that Malice Maid can not control like she can electricity.
Outside Detective Sgt. Prussia emerges from the tree where he has been watching what transpired. He has his gun drawn as he shouts, “Hold it right there, Ms. Patterson, NYPD!”
Malice Maid turns to face the armed man, her hand still sparking with lightning. “A little out of your Jurisdiction, aren’t you officer?” she coos. “Would anyone even find you if I struck you down right here?”
“I might ask you the same question,” Prussia replies with his finger on the trigger. “I’ve killed you before!” “What is one more time?” “But, I will make sure you can’t come back this time!”
“You forget, I am faster!” Malice Maid shouts as she fires another bolt of lightning from her hand at the Detective. The strength of the electrical charge is more than enough to kill the cop instantly as it moves across the Saw Mill yard at the speed of light.
“NO!” Avery Lewis shouted emerging from the woods to run at Super-speed. He manages to get his body in between the bolt and Prussia but his small body is not enough to completely stop the bolt. The force behind the lightning sends him back into Detective Prussia knocking them both back into the trees.
“A two for one shot, that was unexpected!” Malice Maid grins. “He looked like a sweet young boy, too bad.” “Now where was I?” “Oh yes, that is right.” “Where are you hiding BITCH!” Malice Maid shouts from outside the shed. “I am done toying with you!” “I am ready to fry you to a crisp like I did these two fools, for the pain you have caused me!” “Even if it means my Lover will punish me!”
Lover? Miracle Maiden thinks. Who is she talking about? This chick is a walking punishment. It is clear to Miracle Maiden that she is not going to beat this woman with her powers. She needs to rely on her physical strength. Increasing to full density and strength Miracle Maiden waits in the shed as the woman approaches outside. There is a loud crack like thunder from outside the shed and the old wooden boards of the wall of the shed explode. Completely impervious to the destruction that washes over her, Miracle Maiden stands waiting as Malice Maid comes into view through the cloud of dust.
“Show yourself Bitch!” Malice Maid shouts not yet seeing her target. She feels Miracle Maiden’s hard fist across her jaw before spotting the heroine. Malice Maid’s concentration is broken and the crackling of static electricity in the air fades as Miracle Maiden lands another punch. Malice Maid is not at all prepared for the physical attack of which she is on the receiving end. Stumbling back outside Malice Maid trips on what is left of the lower part of the wall. She falls to the ground on her back as Miracle Maiden steps out into the daylight.
“Now who is the little Bitch?” Miracle Maiden asks, looking down at the woman’s blooded face. She regrets that it had to come to this but this woman left her no other choice. “You need to give up!” “I don’t want to hurt you anymore.”
“Hurt me, you cunt?” Malice growls, wiping her lips. “I live for pain!”
New York State Office of Children and Family Services
Adam Clayton Powell Jr State Office Building
Floor 1
163 W 125th St,
New York, NY
It is about an hour before Supervisor Walker shows up to greet Agents Lei and Zachary. “I understand that you gentlemen are from the FBI and you are looking for Ramondo Del Santos?”
“Yes, we believe his life is in danger from the woman who murdered his brother,” Agent Lei tells the Supervisor. “Under such circumstances a warrant is not required by the FBI to obtain information on a child in state care for the disclosure of their location.” “But we have one anyway to cut through the red tape.” “Now are you going to help us find this boy or are you going to cause a problem and perhaps risk his life farther?”
“That is true Agent, but Ramondo Del Santos is no longer under the care of the State of New York, ” Supervisor Walker reveals. “He was discharged into the custody of his Grandmother from Florida several months ago.” “When a child is reunited with an out of state family there is no need for this agency to keep any further contact with them.” Mr. Walker hands Agent Zachary, Ramondo Del Santos’s rather thin file. “This is all the information we have on the child.” “It does contain his Grandmother, Sheira Lopez’s last known phone number and address.”
“Thank you, sir,” Agent Zachary says, stepping forward to take the file folder. “You have been very helpful.”
“Wait a second,” Agent Lei interjects. “You had an extremely traumatized pre-teen boy in your care and you turned him over to an alleged family member without ensuring that he would have the proper emotional and psychological care?”
“Like I said she took the boy out of state.” “There is only so much we can do, Agent,” Mr. Walker replied calmly “You are welcome to investigate this agency, you will find we run everything by the book.
Just then a ringing comes from Special Agent Lei’s inside suit pocket. “Let’s go, Zachary,” Agent Lei says, reaching for his inside jacket pocket.
“What is that?” Agent Zachary questions following Lei out of the office. “Is that one of those new mobile phones?”
“Yeah, Prussia and I got them issued a couple of weeks ago,” Agent Lei says, taking the rather large piece of electronic equipment from his inside jacket pocket. It is the side of a large calculator. “Yes, what have you found out?” Lei says after pressing a green button on the face of the soda bottle sized phone. “Okay, I’ll get a team right out there.”
“A team?” Zachary repeats. “What team?” “You have a team.”
“A small NYPD S.W.A.T. team is at our disposal in emergency cases,” Agent Lei explains. “Prussia thinks he has such an emergency over at some summer camp in Jersey.” “So, I guess I have to see if a local FBI office can spare some help for him.”
“You have that kind of authority?” Agent Zachary asks, sounding rather jealous.
“You’d be surprised how seriously the higher ups are taking this Zeni-human thing nowadays,” Lei responds, dialing his new phone again.
Imperial Works
1100 E Edgar Rd
Linden, New Jersey
Master Warrior flies to his former friend’s side as he lay bleeding on the blacktop. Even through the blood and broken bones poking through his skin, Master Warrior recognizes his old friend. It is unmistakably Gary Rogers that now lies on the ground. He doesn’t look much different than he did that last day before Steve watched him leave for college in Cleveland. A few years older is all. Then there is a gasp from the broken body on the ground and it begins to regenerate right before Master Warrior’s eyes. Bones move back into place, blood is reabsorbed back into tissue as it heals and expands. Stepping back, Master Warrior can not believe what he is seeing as Supreme Warrior rolls over to sit up.
“Bet that is a trick you can’t pull off,” Supreme snickers as he returns to his feet. “Bet you couldn’t even heal a broken leg that fast!” Master Warrior stands dumbfounded at what he has just witnessed. “Why don’t I break one of your legs and find out?” Supreme Warrior spins around on the ground like a break-dancer to slam both his feet into Master Warrior’s left side hitting him mid-thigh.
Master Warrior tumbles to the ground, but rebounds quickly. Is it possible he just got stronger? Master Warrior questions to himself. It was a solid hit and he does feel the pain of it but he needs to pull it together and stop holding back! Trying to hide his pain, he limps forward to change his position from defense to offense.
Master Warrior quickly finds out that Supreme Warrior seems faster too. He gives Master Warrior a kick to the gut that sends the hero back down on his ass. Before he can recoup, Supreme Warrior grabs hold of his left leg to twist it. Supreme Warrior focuses all of his strength on Master Warrior’s leg trying to pop his knee as if trying to hovel him. Supreme Warrior throws a punch to the hero’s thigh. “Why won’t this thing break?” he gripes.
Pain surging up his left leg and knees, Master Warrior uses his right foot to give Supreme Warrior a kick across the jaw. The kick forces the attacker back causing him to release the hero’s leg. Ignoring the pain, Master Warrior springs up to pin his former best friend’s shoulders to the ground to kneel on his hip joints. Blood drips from his nose that Supreme Warrior caught with a good right hook earlier. The blood drops hit Supreme’s neck as Master begins to shout in his face. “Why do you hate me so much?” “If it is because I kept my powers secret when we were kids, that is stupid!” “Would things have been different right now if I had told you?” “Would you have told me the secret of how your father abused you?”
Master Warrior’s questions throw Supreme Warrior into a rage as he bucks his hips up to dislodge his former friend from on top of him. Flipping Master Warrior onto his back he begins to wail on him, punch after punch to his gut and chest. The punches hurt but not as much as the ones he got from Dominator.
Master Warrior reaches his legs up to take hold of his attacker by the back of the neck with his ankles. He flips Supreme Warrior across the blacktop to send him sliding into the side of a warehouse. His ribs aching Master Warrior gets to his feet to spring towards where his former friend crashed through the side abandoned building.
“Why?” Master Warrior shouts his anger welling up as he stalks forward into the hole in the wall of the building. “We were like brothers!” The familiar tingle at the base of his skull warns him of the impending attack. He lunges forward to flip out of the way as Supreme Warrior falls from above. Master Warrior has at last come to grips that there is no reasoning with Gary now, if his danger sense has accepted him as a threat. One of the things his mother taught him was that using his danger sense in a fight can both be distracting and effective if used in the proper way. He never really got a handle on that last part until now.
Supreme Warrior attacks out of anger and vengeance. Supreme Warrior may well be stronger and faster than Master Warrior, but he is sloppy. Telegraphing his every move as he charges at Master Warrior again. A second time Master Warrior easily dodges his foe knowing what he intends before he does it. This game of cat and mouse goes on for nearly thirty minutes causing destruction all through the derelict refinery building.
When Supreme Warrior has clearly reached his breaking point, Master Warrior transforms his arsenal into a rope to inspire his raging former friend. Nearly incoherent with rage, Supreme Warrior becomes an easier target for Master Warrior to bring down. Grappling on the floor, Master Warrior is able to use his arsenal to hog tie the raging Supreme Warrior.
Master Warrior standing up over Supreme who struggles to free himself on the floor, Master Warrior addresses his captive foe, “Why didn’t you come to me?” Moving his hand back through his hair, a nervous tick that has given him away before he confesses, “I blame myself, I knew something had changed after I saved your life.” “But I pushed it aside, ignored it!” “Those first powers you had, came from me!” “That is why they only worked against me!”
“Self-centered as always,” Supreme Warrior replies, spitting blood on the floor. “It is always about you!” “Protecting yourself, protecting your big secret at the expense of others!”
“I don’t do that, I’ve never done that!” Master Warrior insists.
“What about with your little girlfriend, Diana you met at Camp Tandy?” Supreme Warrior suggests. “Tell me you weren’t only thinking of yourself when you broke her heart?” “That is why you did it isn’t it?” “Because you knew you couldn’t be the big hero with a Lois Lane in tow!”
“NO!” Master Warrior shouts. “That is a lie!” “I did what I did to protect her, not my secret!”
“So you have told her the truth this time?” Supreme laughs. “I know she is back here at Camp Tandy too.” Master Warrior glares down at the man he once called friend. “Because if you don’t, it will probably be too late by now!”
“What do you mean too late?” Master Warrior shouts picking the man up by his torn shirt.
“You are not the only one to find your perfect mate,” Supreme Warrior sneers. “By now mine has most likely killed yours.” “I told her to wait so I could watch, but I know my Malice Maid is not so easily controlled.” “I wonder if there will be enough left to bury?”
Master Warrior instantly feels the fear rage inside of him at the thought of Diana being killed by this woman Gary calls Malice Maid. “Where is she?” he demands, punching Supreme Warrior in the gut.
“Go ahead, hit me again, it will not change anything!” Supreme growls through bloody lips. “Beat me to pulp if it makes you feel better.” “It will only make me stronger.” “Everytime I die I get stronger and stronger until I am strong enough to beat you!”
“That will be enough,” a voice vaguely familiar to Master Warrior says from behind him. Dr. Crow steps from the shadows to raise his hand toward the two men.
“No!” Supreme Warrior shouts. “I need only die one more time and I can make him pay!”
“Not this time,” Dr. Crow tells Supreme as his hand begins to glow.
For a moment there is no sound in the wide open building as a beam of light descends from the sky to burn through the building’s roof. It is near blinding as it envelops Supreme Warrior. Master Warrior feels the heat as the molecules of his arm that holds the man by his shirt begin to vibrate. “No, please Dr. Crow let me have my revenge!” Supreme shouts as his body begins to tremble.
“What are you doing to him?” Master Warrior shouts at the man as the grip of his fingers begin to loosen from the trembling man. “Who the hell are you?” “Dr. Crow is not real, he is only an Urban legend!”
“All in good time child,” Dr. Crow says. “All in good time.” The power of the beam intensifies to a blinding flash and Master Warrior is blasted across the room to the floor.
When Master Warrior returns to his feet Supreme Warrior is gone leaving behind a burnt circle on the concrete floor. Dr. Crow is gone too. “Holy Shit, Diana!” he shouts, leaping into the air to take flight.
The forest near Gillman’s Saw Mill
Lawrence Township
New Jersey
Detective Prussia regains consciousness on the wet leaves in the forest. He lifts his head to see the boy laying face down in the dirt nearby. “Shit!” he exclaims, rolling over to pull himself to his knees. He crawls over to the fallen boy’s body. Reaching out to roll the boy over looking for a pulse in his throat. The front of his shirt is burnt away to reveal a pale yellow metal plate of some kind on his chest. “Young man, can you hear me?” he calls out, inspecting the boy further. His pulse is strong but he is unconscious. Prussia can not make heads or tails of the metal plate that appears to be sealed to his chest. Lifting the boy under his back Prussia can feel another metal plate on his back. What is up with this kid?
“What happened?” Avery mumbles. “Am I dead?”
“No, you are not,” Detective Prussia tells him. “I can’t guess why with this metal armor you have on.” “You should be completely fried.”
Avery looks down at his chest. His hands move to touch the plate that forms tight to his body. It is the first time his armor has ever formed. “Holy shit!” “This is great!” he exclaims. “I saved you!” “I saved you, didn’t I?”
“Calm down young man,” Detective Prussia tells the boy. “Who are and what are you doing here?”
“Avery Lewis,” he replies. “I saw you lurking around so I followed you.”
“That was a dangerous thing to do,” Detective Prussia warns as he stands up.
“But I saved your life,” Avery reminds. “Who was that woman?” Avery gets up to look back through the woods to the Saw Mill.
“She is a very dangerous woman,” Prussia reinforces. “That is beside the point.” “You need to head back to Camp Tandy?”
“No, No, I can help you!” Avery insists.
Not far away in the Saw Mill yard Miracle Maiden struggles with Malice Maid who refuses to surrender. Pinning Malice Maid to the ground Miracle Maiden’s fist glows as she punches her foe in the face repeatedly.
“Stop right there,” Detective Prussia instructs, pointing his gun at the two women. “You can’t kill her, even if you did she would come back.”
“I would think by now you would know me better than that, Detective,” Miracle Maiden says standing up away from Malice Maid. “I can’t kill anyone with my power, but the combination of it and physical injury has knocked her unconscious for a while I hope.” Miracle Maiden turns to see that Detective Prussia is not alone as he holds his gun at arms length. Avery Lewis is with him. He stands a few feet behind Prussia with his arms across his chest holding his torn shirt closed. “This is not a safe place for the boy,” Miracle Maiden says.
“Try telling him that,” Prussia says, lowering his gun. “In fact he saved my life.” “I’m almost glad he followed me like I did Ms. Banks.”
“Is that what you were doing?” Avery asks. “I didn’t see her, only you snooping around.” “Where is she?”
“I sent her back to the camp when I spotted Miracle Maiden,” Detective Prussia says, looking right at the heroine with an eyebrow raised. He steps closer to Malice Maid to look over her bloodied face. “This is the woman who murdered my partner, Detective Black.” “I need to take her into custody.”
“How is it you intend on doing that?” Miracle Maiden asks. “As soon as she comes around she is going to be a lethal weapon again.”
“My special task force has access to items to contain someone like her,” Prussia says as several police cars with syringes arrive on the road leading to the old lumber mill.
“Miracle Maiden, what are you doing here?” Master Warrior inquires as he lands nearby. He surveys the scene recognizing the NYPD Detective and Avery Lewis as well. It is a difficult situation not wanting any of them to realize who he is knowing that Avery could screw it up at any moment. The one person he does not see is Diana and that scares him the most. Then he sees the woman on the ground. “Did you do this?” he asks Miracle Maiden.
“She left me no other choice,” Miracle Maiden answers. “She was completely out of control if I didn’t subdue her she could have seriously hurt someone.” “What are you doing here, Showboat?”
Detective Prussia immediately picks up a tension between the two Zeni-human heroes. So he leaves them to their squabbles and he makes his way over to the arriving police cars.
“I tangled with a Zeni-human down the road and he told me he had a girlfriend coming to the Summer Camp down the mountain,” Master Warrior explains, trying to be vague. “He told me she was homicidal, do you know if anyone was hurt at the camp?”
“She never made it there,” Miracle Maiden covers. “I found her here.” “What happened to her ‘boyfriend’?”
“He is gone,” Master Warrior says. “I had him down for the count but someone else took him.”
“Liar!” Malice Maid shouts jumping up from the ground. “You could never beat my Supreme!” Her hands crackle with electricity as she fires a bolt of lightning at the group.
“Not this time!” Avery shouts jumping in the path of the bolt. The powerful lightning bolt strikes him square in the chest, burning away the rest of his shirt. This time the lightning does not phase him as his armored chest does its job. The lightning deflects off his shining armor to blast back at Malice Maid. The effect is dramatic as the woman is struck down by her own power. “Holy shit it worked!” Avery exclaims as Malice Maid tumbles to the ground again.
“Very impressive young man,” Master Warrior comments. “But I think it is time you got back to Camp Tandy before you are missed.”
“How am I supposed to go back to camp looking like this?” Avery asks, holding up his bare arms that protrude from his metal chest plate.
“Perhaps this will help,” Detective Prussia says, handing Avery a police monogrammed hoody sweatshirt. “Now getting going and I suggest you don’t tell any of your friends back at camp what happened here today.”
“I agree,” Master Warrior states firmly.
Camp Tandy – Girl’s Campsite 2
Glassboro Township
New Jersey
Diana returns to her tent trying to figure out how to explain the time she has been missing if anyone asks. She knows this is why Shanna and Robin trained her to fight, but she still feels guilty. No one questions that what she did was wrong to subdue Malice Maid, not even Detective Prussia who has been her biggest critic all along. Nevertheless she still feels bad about it and the fact that she couldn’t use her power to heal the woman before they took her away wears on her too. And then there is this Lover she spoke of numerous times. Steve warned her about Gary and Trudy, but said nothing of Trudy being a Zeni-human. Is it possible that Gary is the Lover of which Malice spoke?
Then there is the fact that Detective Sgt. Prussia may have just become an even bigger problem than ever. He made excuses for Sylvia Banks when she was not on the scene. He must have seen her change into Miracle Maiden and since he could already see through her disguise as Sylvia does that mean he sees Miracle Maiden as Diana Carter?
And then there is the boy Avery Lewis that seems to have charmed everyone he knows. Clearly the armor he was wearing is something more than a play costume. Is that why Lori is drawn to him is he yet another Zeni-human at this summer camp? Is everyone here a Zeni-human of some kind? At least she can depend on Steve just being a normal guy with no surprises. Just her luck that the one guy she could use as a Zeni-human is not.
Sylvia changes her clothes to something warmer, deciding to head back to the Lodge. On the walk back she goes by the girl’s campsite 4 where she spots Avery Lewis coming out of Ava Barnes’s tent. He still wears the police sweatshirt hoody that Prussia gave him. He does not look at all happy with the hood pulled up over his head and his arms folded over his chest as he stomps off through the woods toward the boy’s campsites.
Sylvia changed course to head for Coach Barnes’ tent. “Ava are you in there?” she calls out at the flap of the tent.
“Oh, Sylvia, come on in,” Ava Barnes calls back to her from inside.
“I saw Avery Lewis leaving your tent, what is going on?” Sylvia asks, lifting the tent flap.
“Please come inside so we can talk,” Ava says, putting away a jar of lotion into her night table. Sylvia climbs up into the tent on top of the decking. “It would seem that my boy has blossomed.”
“Your boy?” “What does that mean exactly?” Sylvia asks, playing dumb.
“He is a very special boy and today he formed his first armor,” Ava says, giving Sylvia a real reason to be confused. “You see Avery is a descendent of a rare branch of the human race.” “I have been training him these past weeks and today when he was threatened his body produced his skin armor for the first time.” “It is a pivotal moment in his life but like most I have taught he does not see it that way.” Ava gives Sylvia a raised eyebrow, “But you have already seen what he can do with it.”
Sylvia plays it coy again, “I don’t know what you mean, why would you tell all of this to me?”
“I have suspected your secret for sometime now but when Avery told me Miracle Maiden was at the old saw mill my suspicions were confirmed,” Ava admits. “I fully understand why Lori was drawn to you now.” “Miracle Maiden was too bright of a light for her to resist.”
“I have no intention of answering to any of these accusations, but I would appreciate it if you kept them to yourself,” Sylvia says.
“Of course I will and I would hope you would do the same about Avery’s talents,” Ava replies. “Having just formed his armor for the first time it would be damaging for him to remove it too quickly.” “I told him he would have to wear it for at least two weeks before he could safely shed it.” “He is not happy about it.” “I put some cream on it, and told him it would help it harden faster.” “While wearing it, he will have to keep it hidden.” “I hope he and I could trust you to help with that task.”
“I will do what I can,” Sylvia says. “I know what it is like to be a teenager that feels like an outcast.” “I also know how this place can somehow make even the biggest outcast feel like they fit in.”
“Do you now?” Ava comments.
Camp Tandy – Boy’s campsite 5
Glassboro Township
New Jersey
Exhausted Steve sneaks back into camp to get cleaned up. He can only hope that Ava was able to cover for him while he dealt with Gary. He was already on thin ice with Coach Denmark, he didn’t need him telling Mr. Tennyson. Steve concludes that the best place for him to be found is the one place no one wants to go, the wood shed. He can make quick work of the wood that needs to be chopped to make it appear that he has been there for hours.
Arriving at the shed where the wood for the bond fire is stored. It looks as if no one has chopped any wood since the start of camp. Going to work with a saw and ax to cut and split most of the wood left at the shed. After a half an hour it looks as if Steve has been working for eight times as long. Even Steve is surprised by the sweat he has worked up as he pulls off his shirt.
Starting back to work Steve is confronted by Jeremy Aspen. The fifteen year old stands staring at the man as he works, not saying a word at first. “Is there a problem young man?” Steve says trying to act as if he doesn’t know who Jeremy is.
“Just watching a grunt, grunt,” he replies. The boy never takes his eyes off of Steve’s body as he swings the ax at the wood. Then he announces, “I know my father sent you to spy on me!” Jeremy looks to Steve’s eyes to tell him, “So just leave me alone!” “What I do at summer camp is none of your business or his!”
Steve puts down the ax to take his sweaty shirt to wipe his face and neck. “Jeremy, your mother and father are just worried that you are being bullied here at camp.” “They want me to make sure that is not true.” Steve stands looking at the young man as he glares at him. At this point he is not sure that this kid isn’t the victim his parents think he is.
“This is about the bruises my mother was so worried about isn’t it?” Jeremy finally says. “Like I told her it was an accident, nothing to worry about!” “So you should just go home now and leave me alone!” Jeremy stomps off away from the wood shed not giving Steve a chance to reply.
Tossing down his shirt on the wood pile again Steve returns to work. That is until a voice shouts behind him again, “How the hell are you here?” Coach Denmark has arrived to find Steve and his handy work. “I was just here an hour ago and you were not here nor was this pile of chopped wood!”
Turning around again Steve drops the ax on the pile again. “I had a bathroom break around then, guess you missed me,” he tells Paul.
“I have been looking for you for hours, since you locked me in the bathhouse!” Paul exclaims.
“Oh, you know how that old door swells and sticks in the humidity,” Steve suggests.
“That aside, there is no way you have been here all this time!” “But I can’t explain the wood pile.” “How is that possible?” Paul questions.
Steve scratches his head, “I guess you overlooked it in your excited state.” “Clearly I’ve been working for hours here.”
“I don’t know how to explain any of this, just get it cleaned up it is lunchtime,” Coach Denmark instructs. As he leaves, someone else arrives.
Sylvia Banks arrives on the path down to the shed. “So there you are?” she says as he tosses his shirt over his shoulder. “Looks like you have been busy.” “Good to see you are staying out of trouble.”
“No need to worry, there is very little trouble I can’t handle,” Steve smiles as he walks up to embrace her.
“Eeww, gross, you are all sweaty,” Sylvia says, reaching out her hand to his chest to push him away. “In fact I don’t think I’ve ever seen you sweat this much.”
“Hard work,” Steve replies, gesturing to the stack of fresh cut wood. “I’m headed to the shower, want to wash my back?”
“It is very tempting, but it is also very much against the rules,” Sylvia replies. She can’t help but to think about how he would look nude in the shower. “I was just wondering about what you said about Gary and his girlfriend, Trudy was it?” “You said they were dangerous?” “How dangerous?”
Steve sits down on the pile of logs, he has to take this slowly, word it all right to cover up the events of the day. He hangs his head looking at the ground before looking back up at Sylvia in the eyes, seeing only Diana. “Gary is not well, after High School he went away to college where he had a psychotic break.” “I only learned about it recently.” “My boss David is Gary’s cousin.” “He told me what he had learned about Gary.” “He also found out some things about Trudy that were not good.”
“Say no more,” Sylvia tells him, putting her finger to his lips. “I understand, learning a friend needs help and knowing there is nothing you can do is hard.” She takes hold of his chin to kiss him on the lips. “Now go get showered without locking anyone in.”
Saturday, June 25, 1988
Camp Tandy
Glassboro Township
New Jersey
At breakfast Ava and Avery are nowhere to be seen so Steve and Sylvia end up sitting together with Denise Harmon. Denise is as flirty as ever with Steve asking him, “Do you tan in the nude?”
“Excuse me?” Steve replies, almost choking on his eggs.
“Well I’ve noticed that when you wear those short shorts your legs are tan all the way up,” Demise grins as if it is not strange for her to be thinking about such a thing.
“NO, I have tan lines, you just can’t see them,” Steve replies to Sylvia’s snickers.
“Maybe before we head home I could show you mine and you could show me yours,” Denise suggests not feeling at all embarrassed by what she is implying.
Steve is the one feeling embarrassed now, not for himself but for this young girl that is so desperate. “Perhaps I was not clear, so let me say it this way, You can not see my tan lines!”
Sylvia speaks up, “It isn’t your tan lines she wants to see.” Then she looks straight at Denise to tell her, “And to be honest what you do want to see is not that impressive.” “I’ve seen first hand what steroids did to his twig and berries.” Steve looks at Sylvia in shock over what she has just said.
“Shit, figures, how else could he look like that,” Denise says gathering up her tray. “Probably can’t even get it up, been there done that!” Denise gets up from the table and walks away to go sit with Mark Cecil the Swim coach.
“Why did you say that?” Steve exclaims once Denise is out of ear range. “You’ve never seen my twig and berries and I have never taken a steroid in my life!”
“Guess I just can’t stand the competition,” Sylvia says jokingly. “I want you all to myself for what little time we have left here.”
“About that,” Steve begins just as Mr. Tennison comes over to the table.
“Could I have a word with you Mr. Roberts?”
Oh shit here it comes, Steve thinks. Denmark must have ratted him out. “Of course Sir,” He says getting up from the table with his tray in hand. “We’ll talk later,” he tells Sylvia as he follows Tennison to his office, dumping his tray on the way.
Arriving at Mr. Tennison’s office he offers Steve a seat. Before beginning to speak he takes a large gulp of his morning coffee. “You have always been such a good camper and you have done such a great job this year after being away,” the camp owner says. “That is why it pains me to inform you that there have been some accusations leveled against you.” Steve remains silent in his chair waiting to hear what Paul has told Tennison. “One of the campers has accused you of stalking and harassing him.” “He feels that you have less than a healthy fixation with him.” “If it was any other camper I would dismiss it without a thought.”
“Jeremy Aspen, I assume,” Steve says. “I didn’t think it would come to this but I guess it would be best if I laid all my cards on the table.” “I worked as a Philadelphia Police officer for several years and I am now a Private Investigator.” “Jeremy’s father, Police Commissioner Aspen, came to me with some concerns about bruising that his son had when he returned home from camp last year.” “He and his wife feared that Jeremy was being bullied here at Camp Tandy and they hired me to find out what was going on.”
“I assure you this is the first time I am hearing anything about this problem,” Tennison defends. “If I had known I would have taken action to stop any bullying from taking place at the camp.”
“I am sure Commissioner Aspen will back me up if you call him,” Steve says. “I am not sure how Jeremy found out why I am here, but it is clear whatever is going on here he is trying to hide it.” “The only thing I can be sure of at this point is that there is a group of boys led by Barry Ramirez who are up to no good.”
Mr. Tennison sits back in his chair to give Steve a stare down. “I will be contacting Commissioner Aspen to confirm your story,” he finally says, “But I need you to keep me in the loop about this bullying situation.”
“I will do what I can,” Steve says. “But clearly I am going to have to be more stealth with my investigation.” “Is there any way you can cover for me, if he complains to you again without letting him suspect you are involved?”
“I believe I can handle the boy,” Tennison assures.
After lunch Steve spots Barry headed up the trail toward the old Saw mill. Somewhere he is not supposed to be going as well as a place that has seen too much dangerous activity of late. Trying not to give himself away, Steve runs across the bridge over the river to join up with Barry. “Hey Barry, wait up,” Steve calls after the young man as he slows his speed to jogs up behind him. “Where are you headed?” he asks as they begin up the mountain path.
Barry is clearly nervous at Steve’s arrival but says nothing to dissuade Steve from joining his hike. “Just thought I’d take a walk to clear my head before my next class. Barry is one of the more confident of the older boys. Steve has come to recognize that Barry also has all of the qualities that make up a bully.
“So how long have you been coming to Camp Tandy?” Steve asks the young man.
“Since I was ten,” Barry replies.
“I guess your first year was my last,” Steve tells him. I was here until I was sixteen.” “My last year was 1982.” “Guess you know quite a few of the older campers pretty well.”
“Some better than others,” Barry comments in an odd tone as he steps off the path.
“What are you doing, see something interesting?” Steve calls to the young man who stops to stand with his back to him.
“Come take a look,” Barry replies over his shoulder. Steve walks over behind the kid to look over his shoulder. “Just need to take a piss is all.” “How’s it look to you?”
Steve figures this is the kid’s attempt to scare him off. “I could use one too,” Steve says, stepping up next to Barry, pulling down the front of his sweatpants to take a leak. The sound of their twin streams on the leaves brings a new sound to the quiet of the forest. Steve has never been the self-conscious type, but he can’t help to notice Barry looking at his member a little too much.
Barry switches hands to shake it dry and let it hang out of his fly. Then he reaches out his left toward Steve’s still draining member. “Need a hand with that beast?” Barry says with a smile. “Got some girth there don’t you?”
“Is that what you said to Jeremy the first time?” Steve asks quickly, turning to the side to get out of reach.
“Hey, what are you guys doing?” Sylvia calls from behind them. Barry instantly pulls his hand back and tucks his member away. Steve does the same as they turn to see Sylvia standing back on the path.
“Just taking a hike,” Steve replies relieved that she showed up when she did before this became something very different.
“Well, Coach Denmark is looking for you Barry,” Sylvia calls to them. “Something about a bug bite situation.”
“Shit, I forgot all about that,” Barry exclaims. “What say we pick this up later,” Barry says, putting his hand on Steve’s shoulder to squeeze it firmly. Barry heads back down the path to the Camp leaving Sylvia and Steve alone in the woods.
Steve walks back to the path to meet Sylvia. “So you and Barry go off into the woods for hand-jobs a lot?” she asks.
Seeing that Barry is out of sight, Steve gives the young woman a hug. “Di, you have no idea how glad I am to see you!” he says in her ear. “I think you just saved my virtue!” “I think I have a much clearer picture of Barry Ramirez now.” “He is not a bully, he is a sexual predator.”
“That doesn’t sound good at all,” Sylvia replies.
“It is more than just Barry I am afraid,” Steve says. “I’ve been hearing rumors about my tent-mate Coach Denmark as well.” “It is becoming clear to me that the first boy molested at this camp has not been Jeremy.” It would seem that Barry is the missing piece between what happened to Jeremy last summer and why Denmark is no longer a Hockey Coach,” Steve theorizes, releasing her from the embrace. “Shit!” he exclaims. “What have I gotten myself into?” “Denmark is the guy in my tent, how am I going to sleep with one eye open?”
“What did you think was going to happen when you followed Barry into the woods?” Sylvia asks as they begin to walk. “I saw the whole thing from across the lake.”
“I wasn’t sure but I thought he was headed to the old Saw Mill and it is far from a safe place for anyone to go,” Steve warns. “I was just trying to stop him from getting hurt.”
“I can’t argue with that,” Sylvia says, thinking she knows about recent events at the mill that Steve does not. “Then what were you two doing over there?” she asks, pointing.
“Reliving my youth it would appear,” Steve explains with a chuckle. “Gary used to like to tease me, he thought it made me jealous when he would spontaneously stop to take a piss in the woods.” “I figured Barry was just trying to scare me off so I played along.”
Sylvia knows she will never understand guys but she asks anyway, “Why would you be jealous of Gary peeing in the woods?” They start to walk off the path as Steve tries to figure out how to explain this without really telling her the full story.
“It’s a long story, let’s just say I was a late developer and Gary wasn’t,” Steve tells her. “When Gary would catch me looking at him he would always say, “See something you like?” “It was a joke not an invitation!” “How was I supposed to know Barry would take it as an invitation?”
“So you’ve always been small, not just from steroids?” Sylvia jokes sitting down on a large rock at the side of the trail looking at this man she has come to know very well. She has never seen him look so vulnerable or scared.
“Do I have to drop trowel right here to show you I do not have steroid shrinkage?” Steve exclaims standing in front of her with his arms raised in the air.
In her mind Sylvia thinks yes, but she says, “Don’t be so dramatic I know you don’t do steroids.” “What was it you wanted to talk about at breakfast?”
Steve hesitates again, “You have to know this isn’t easy for me to say.”
“Then why don’t I start by asking you something, it is rather personal,” she starts.
“Okay, then it is my turn,” Steve replies.
“Are you gay?” she asks bluntly, causing Steve’s jaw to drop. “It is just that the way Tracey talks to no man on Earth is only looking for one thing and I need to use it.” “Every time we spend time together keeps getting better.” “I feel like by now you should be trying to jump my bones.”
Steve stands there in front of her. “I am not gay!” Steve replies just as bluntly. “If it is what you just saw with Barry…., that was all him.”
“No, it is just I have had a rather strange experience recently,” Sylvia explains, appearing uncomfortable. “The last two guys with whom I thought I could have a relationship, I caught doing stuff to each other.”
“That aside, I think about jumping your bones every time I think about you,” Steve confesses. “I have for years.” “But, I’ve had problems in the past with moving too fast.” “I just wanted to take things slowly, not screw this up again.” “Especially with this long distance relationship we have going on.” This is one of the hardest things he has ever done. He just wants to tell her the truth. But saying, I’ve got superpowers and I am afraid I might hurt you just sounds conceited.
Sylvia smiles from her seat on the rock, “I feel the same way after.” “But to be honest, it might be easier if you were gay.” Steve’s excuses make sense and they make it so she doesn’t have to come up with any. But this attack of Malice Maid was a close call. What if Steve had been the one who followed her through the woods and learned her secret? She had a hard time getting to sleep last night thinking about where this relationship is going.
Steve looks around the area in the trees realizing something, “Do you know where we are?”
“Yes, I do,” Diana replies, patting the rock beside her. “Maybe this rock is part of our destiny,” she jokes. “I do believe you owe me a kiss.”
“Maybe, it works both ways,” he smiles sitting down next to her. “It would seem I owe you more than a kiss, how about I give you a better memory about this place.” Steve leans forward to kiss Sylvia on the lips. The kiss quickly turns to passion as they find themselves truly making out for the first time. The couple lay back on the slope of the old rock as Steve’s hand finds its way to Sylvia’s left breast. He squeezes it ever so gently, promoting a favorable moan from deep in her throat.
Sylvia slides her hand inside his shirt to touch his bare chest. She can also feel herself getting too excited. “You’ve become much more confident,” Sylvia comments, reaching to take his hand from her breast.
“I guess I have,” Steve pulled his hand away. “Sorry, I was just getting lost at the moment.”
“It’s alright, but you sure aren’t the boy who ran away from me the last time we kissed on this rock,” Sylvia comments, still holding his hand. For a guy who says he wants to move slowly, he has suddenly picked up speed. Her brain tells her she has to put a stop to it but her heart says differently.
“I’ve grown up a lot since then,” Steve says. “I guess I finally understand my place in the world and it has helped me to let my guard down some.” “Especially around you.” “That is kind of what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“I can see that,” Sylvia grins. “No steroid shrinkage there.” She leans in to start kissing him again. After nearly five minutes of making out Sylvia finally pushes him away saying, “We need to stop.” The couple sit on the rock holding each other. “We should go back to camp.”
“Oh gross, old people doing it!” Jeremy Aspen announces from where he stands with Jesse Roman. Steve and Sylvia’s moment abruptly ends as they look over to the two boys standing on the path not far away. Jesse Roman is a few years younger than Jeremy and Steve wonders why he is with the fourteen year old. “Wow, Mr. Roberts, that is a big woody you have there,” Jeremy comments.
Steve’s hand quickly moves to hide the front of his shorts as he announces, “You boys should not be out here!” “You have classes that you should be attending!” he says, as Sylvia stands up in front of him.
“Ya, Turtle we should head back,” Jesse suggests pulling at his friend’s arm.
“Why, Roberts won’t nark on us, looks to me he has something to hide too!” Jeremy charges. “I know you didn’t always follow the rules when you were here as a kid!”
“If you think you are going to threaten us young man, you are sadly mistaken!” Sylvia tells them in an authoritative tone. “You have a lot more to lose than we do!”
“She is right, Turtle,” Jesse says, tugging the other boy by the hand. “Don’t ruin our last summer together.” Jeremy’s face shows he is none too happy about it as he and his friend turn to head back down the mountain path.
“Wow, that was kinda hot,” Steve says to her softly as he stands up from the rock.
“That is kinda hot too,” she comments. Steve backs away blushing. “You really have grown up,” she jokes as she adjusts her bra strap. “We should head back too, before we really get caught doing something we shouldn’t.” They start to follow the boys down the path.
Steve trots ahead to talk to the boys. “Jeremy, Can we speak alone for a moment?”
“I have nothing to talk to you about, stop harassing me!” Jeremy tells Steve.
“Then I will do the talking,” Steve says to Jeremy before telling Jesse, “You head back to camp.” They watch the younger boy head back across the bridge over the river. “I just want you to know I have no intention of blackmailing you.” “Telling your father your secret is not what I was hired to do.” “It is your secret to tell him when you are ready, not mine.” “Your parents were just worried about bruises you had when you came home last summer.”
“I know,” Jeremy says. “I told them it was nothing to worry about, so what can I do to make you go away?” “It is not like I can tell him I like it rough, they would never understand.”
“Is that what happened?” Steve says more than a little shocked. “Were the bruises caused by rough sex?”
“Clearly Mr. Roberts you have no better understanding than they would,” Jeremy says angrily. “You try to pretend like you are the cool and understanding counselor, but you aren’t.” “It is none of their business or yours, I am 16 years old.” “I deserve to have some freedom!”