Thursday, JANUARY 8, 1987
Philadelphia, Pa
It is early evening when MASTER WARRIOR makes his first public appearance. He is returned to Philadelphia by Mist after 5 pm. The view from on top of the PSFS building is incredible at this time of day as the sunsets over the William Penn statue atop City Hall. Master Warrior takes a few steps back from the edge of the building. He gets a running start as he jumps up onto the ledge to launch himself into the evening sky. He is flying again and it is wonderful. As he sails over the city his cape extends out behind him as if it has a mind of its own. He heads south then loops back to the west over South Philly. His cape flaps in the wind as he does a barrel roll. He revels in the sheer joy of flight. He has never felt so free in his life as he does flying over the city. It is so great to be home! His fear of falling is gone as he is fully confident in the other worldly science of the vest that holds him aloft.
While flying up along the Schuylkill River he spots two police cars chasing an old Chevy up the northbound lane. Reaching out his left arm he pulls at the air as if to swim in a that direction. His course changed Master Warrior turns up the speed as he descends to get beside of the fleeing car. He glares in the passenger side window at the two men who are shocked to see a man flying next to their car. On the back seat he spots what looks like fifteen bags of cocaine. The driver swerves right as if he thinks he can run a flying man off the road. Master Warrior veers up again to pull ahead of the speeding cars on the expressway. Landing on the highway in their path Master Warrior smiles his cape flying behind him as he plays a game of “chicken”. The crazed driver of the car doesn’t even slow down at the sight of Master Warrior in the road. Before becoming a human speed bump Master Warrior steps aside at the last minute to take flight again as both the crooks and cops pass under him.
“What the hell was that?” one of the cops shouts in his radio to the other car.
“Holy shit it was Superman!” the other replies.
Master Warrior’s second attempt to stop them must be more direct. The question in his mind is how do you stop a speeding car on the Schuylkill Expressway without causing a twenty car pile up or injuring the guys in the car. Because that is what is going to happen if he doesn’t think of something fast. Following behind the chase Master Warrior spots the Rt. 476, the Pa turnpike exit up ahead. He has an idea, a turnpike toll plaza has plenty of room to take out a car, that just might work. He zooms up and away as they come up to the Conshohocken curve. This cape is becoming a distraction he thinks reaching for the clasps to retract it around the back of his neck. Master Warrior flies out over the Philadelphia Country Club at top speed coming back to meet the expressway and the chase.
Master Warrior is so focused on the chase that he barely notices the channel six news helicopter whose path he crosses. “Are you seeing this?” the camera man says to the pilot.
“I think I’m having a stroke if that is what I think it was,” the pilot replies.
“Just follow it, get closer!” the camera man shouts trying to zoom in on the flying man.
Master Warrior closes in on the chase again, he flips around to go feet first down toward the fleeing vehicle. Master Warrior’s feet collide with the front fender of the car causing the wheels to skid into the right lane. Then car is forced off the Turnpike ramp, its tires leaving a trail of rubber on the pavement. Master Warrior flips back away from the point of impact landing on the concrete median as the police cars follow after the fleeing car down the ramp. Master Warrior jumps down off the median to run a few steps across the road at the beeping of horns to take flight again.
As the fleeing car comes to the widening of the road Master Warrior soars closer freeing his arsenal from his thigh willing it into a large ax. With precision he throws the ax that flips through the air to strike the rear tire of the speeding car. The tire is sliced in two sending the car into a spin that ends as it slams sideways against the guardrail. The two police cars come to a screeching stop in the center of the off ramp as chopper 6 news crew circles the scene.
Before the police can get out of their car the occupants of the now wrecked car begin to fire their guns out the back window. Master Warrior reaches the scene landing between the drug smugglers and the police. He raises his arms to fend off the bullets with his gauntlets, but his cape again reacts as if having a mind of its own. The cape extends wrapping around his hand to shield him from the gunfire. To his surprise the fabric is completely bullet proof. What is this thing made of? he thinks as he crouches down behind the shield of fabric. He retrieves his ax shaped arsenal to return it to his thigh as he steps closer to the car.
When the police get out of their cars they are not sure how to take Master Warrior. Pinned behind their car doors as they watch the man in blue and gold. “Did you see that he just picked up that ax and it changed into a strap on his leg,” the one cop calls to the other. “Who is this guy?”
“I don’t know, but I am sure glad he is on our side,” the cop from the other car calls back.
The two police men continue to watch as Master Warrior creeps close enough to reach out from under his cape to grab the bumper of the car. He takes a strong grip on the bumper and lifts it to flip the car over on its roof.
The two men inside the car are jostled around before the car’s roof hits the pavement. Their guns and a few bags of cocaine fall out the open windows as it crashes down. Master Warrior drops his cape and presses the clasps in hopes that it will stay put this time. He walks around to the passenger side of the car to pull out one of the men. Tossing the man to the ground he is not seriously injured only unconscious. He heard one of the policemen shout, “STOP!” Looking up Master Warrior can see that the driver has escaped the car and is making a break for it.
Seeing the second policemen come toward him with handcuffs drawn, Master Warrior takes flight in pursuit of the escapee. “Not so fast Mister!” he says hitting the man in the back with his shoulder. The driver falls to the pavement as Master Warrior lands nearby. He moves quickly to pick the guy up and restrain him until the cop can get to them with the cuffs.
“Who the hell are you?” Officer O’Reilly asks as Officer Dunlap approaches after putting the unconscious man in his car.
“You can call me Master Warrior,” the costumed man replies reaching out his hand to shake. He is relieved to see his disguise is working, he knows both of these officers but they do not appear to recognize him. “You did a good job here tonight catching these drug guys,” Master Warrior tells them. “I’m sure Commissioner Aspen will be very happy.” It is now that Master Warrior spots the Action News helicopter hovering over head. The situation in hand Master Warrior turns to leave.
“Wait, you can’t go anywhere you need to make a statement, fill out paperwork,” Officer Dunlap says.
“I do believe that is your job, after all it was the two of you that made this bust,” Master Warrior tells them. “I’m only a citizen leaning a helping hand,” he smiles as he gives them a solute before turning to take a few steps before leaping back into the air. He waves to the camera in the helicopter as he cruises by it.
“You realize no one is going to believe us,” Officer O’Reilly says as he picks up the driver off the ground. “That guy can fly!”
“Fly!” Dunlap exclaims. “He left his hand print in the bumper of this car he lifted with one hand!”
Master Warrior continues his aerial loop around the city towards Lighthouse row. He can see the News Copter over his shoulder. They seem to be keeping their distance at the moment. He is sure they have many questions he has no interest in answering. Looking down Master Warrior spots a jogger running along the Kelly drive. The man appears to be stumbling. As Master Warrior draws closer he decides to go down to check it out, his tail close behind. As he lands in the jogger’s path he can see that the man is bleeding from four slashes across his chest that have torn through his sweatshirt.
Master Warrior reached out to stop the jogger taking him by the shoulder. The man collapsed in his arms mumbling, “Bears, bears.” The man’s wounds were much more serious than Master Warrior originally thought. There are no bears this close to the city.
Then two more joggers come up behind Master Warrior. “Nice outfit!” the man says stopping to see what is going on. “You get that on South Street?”
“Oh my god!” the woman with the man exclaims at the sight of the bleeding man Master Warrior holds up.
Master Warrior lays the man to ground telling the couple, “One of you go get help, the other stays with him.” “I’m going to go find out what attacked him.” There is not need for Master Warrior to go anywhere as three black bears come lumbering down the road, their mouths drooling with foam. The jogger was right he was attacked by bears. As the bears move closer it all seems very familiar to Master Warrior. When the center bear stood up on its hind legs to let out a growl, he could see that the claws on its left paw were snapped off. These bears not only resembled the ones he fought in the tournament, they were the ones! What was it Optima said, “You must first accept that you will take the shadows of what you have done with you.” Master Warrior wasn’t really clear on what she was saying at the time but now it dawns on him.
Pulling the strap from his leg it instantly becomes a Broadsword. He fears this might not look go on his resume for his first night as a superhero but these possibly undead beast must be dealt with completely. Master Warrior charges forward at the black bears that scatter, leaving only the one with broken claws to fight. Master Warrior swings the heavy sword down across the large bear’s shoulder hoping to mortally wound it. But something is terribly wrong as the blade bounces off the thick bear fur. The bear takes a swipe at the hero with his good paw and misses.
It is clear that these apparitions will not slain as easily as the first time. Master Warrior turns his back to the standing bear realizing the other two have moved past him. The bears now stalk around the joggers on the ground. Running to take flight he transforms the arsenal into a large heavy mace that he uses to bash one of the bears across the snout, sending it sailing away from the helpless joggers. The second bear comes at him and he clobbers it in its jaw too, sending it to the ground several feet away. A growl from behind him caused him to turn, “I haven’t forgotten about you big boy!” he says as he swings the mace again.
“I have to get you two out of here,” Master Warrior says to the joggers. “These are not normal bears.”
“And you are no normal guy in a Halloween costume!” the woman says. “I’m a nursing student, this guy is in shock and if we move him, I don’t think this he’s going to make it to the hospital.” “We need equipment and help right here!”
As Master Warrior talks over the situation to the Nursing student as the bears return to circle them. “I’m concerned that there are only three bears when there should be four.” “I’m pretty sure they only want me so I should be able to lead them away.”
“Got a big ego too I see,” the woman replies. “That isn’t how hungry bears work!”
“I told you these are not normal bears!” Master Warrior says again as he springs back into action. Charging one of the bears he uses the mace to knock it aside, then the second and the third. There isn’t any secluded place to lead the bears to, but he has to get them away from these joggers. He takes off running but not so fast as to lose the black bears as they get up from the ground to follow him. It is then that he spots the other jogger returning with help from one of the nearby houses. Suddenly behind the two men the fourth bear appears as if out of thin air. Now Master Warrior knows for sure that these bears are not real, only the shadows he brought with him from Olestra.
Somehow these shadows are much smarter than the real thing. The black bears know that Master Warrior will not let them hurt innocent people. Leaping up from the ground Master Warrior takes flight again, nearly clipping the Action News copter that is low in the air trying to film the event. Dodging the News crew Master Warrior heads for the fourth bear that is about to strike down the two men. He comes down hard on the bear’s head crushing it on the pavement. He can hear the crack of the animals spine as he crushes it skull under his feet. The two men turn to look on in amazement as the dead bear’s six hundred pound carcass turns to dust under Master Warrior’s feet. “So that is how I kill them!” Master Warrior says running past the men back to the other three bears.
The other three black bears charge him now closing the distance between them quickly. Master Warrior looks to the mace in his hand and wills it to become larger with sharp spikes. His mace now twice its size he swings it down onto the first bear’s head causing a loud cracking sound. Blood spatters all over him but just as the bear’s carcass turns to dust, so does the blood. The other two bears are now more cautious of Master Warrior’s weapon as they begin to back away.
“Not so fast Teddies, I’m not done with you yet!” Master Warrior says as he leaps into the air again jumping forward to crush another bear’s skull to the pavement under his feet while slamming the heavy mace down on the other. They too become dust leaving him standing alone. He turns to rejoin the others who stand around the injured jogger.
“It’s a miracle!” the woman holding the injured man’s head in her lap says as Master Warrior approaches.
“How is that possible?” one of the other men says.
“I have no idea,” the first jogger on the ground says sitting up completely healed as if he was never attacked by the bears. “I can remember the pain, the feeling of passing out but now, nothing.”
All of them look to Master Warrior for an explanation. One of the men even pokes him in the shoulder. “Are you real?” he asks.
“Yes, I am real.” “You can call me Master Warrior, you’ll be seeing a lot of me in the future.” he says making sure that the name is out there before the press gives him on much worse.
“I saw that man’s injures, I felt his blood on my hands and clothes,” the nursing student says standing up. “Was this some kind of trick?” “Some kind of mass hallucination?”
Before Master Warrior can’t explain anything as a large gust of wind wipes up the dust of the former bears from the ground. It swirls around all of them like a tornado, causing them to breathe it in. Then the dust lifts up off the group leaving them even more confused. Master Warrior watches as the cloud moves higher in the sky toward the Helicopter. Once the dust is gone the Action News team seems to lose interest in the scene as the chopper leaves.
“What where you telling us?” one of the men asks in confusion.
“About the bears, it is hard to explain,” Master Warrior tells them. All of the people look at him in complete confusion now.
“What bears?” the woman asks. “Who are you supposed to be anyway?”
It is clear to Master Warrior that the dust has affected their memory of events but not his, probably for the best that they just forget about what happened. “Have a nice night now,” he says taking back to the air. The group of people stand watching in shock at the man as he flies into the night.
Without Chopper six on his tail Master Warrior turns to head home. He thinks about all of the things he killed in Olestra. Are they all going to appear here now that he is home? Are they all going to self correct like that? What if that man had died before he stopped the bears, would he still be dead now? So many questions and no answers. Mist is the only person who could possibly answer his questions but it will be another twelve hours before he can go back to Magic Island. All he can do is keep his eyes open and hope that no one else gets hurt by these shadows.
Over Fairmount Park Master Warrior’s cape again opens wide behind him as if to warn him of danger that his own sense has overlooked. He can’t understand why his danger sense isn’t warning of what is going on below him. Then the night air carries the sound of screams up to his sharp ears. Flying lower over the bare winter trees Master Warrior spots something out of place.
At the edge of the trees two figures stalk a family walking on the path. He can not clearly make out what they are in the darkness but he can guess that they are large cats. Swooping down into the trees Master Warrior finds it harder to maneuver than he thought it would be. He is forced to slow his flight to the point at which he as no choice but to touch his feet down and start running. The noise of his movement through the brush triggers the Sabertooth tigers to charge their prey.
Once out of the trees Master Warrior leaps into the air again. Flying straight up over the cats he halts his flight to plummet downward. As he falls he lets fly his mace at the cat in the lead while he lands on the other smashing its skull into the ground. His arrival alerts the family of their unnoticed peril.
“Look Daddy it’s Thor!” the small boy shouts pointing at Master Warrior as he crashes to the ground.
Two Sabertooths is not enough Master Warrior thinks as the cats turn to dust. There should be four more of them around here somewhere, he thinks retrieving his mace. But this family is priority. “Folks get you son home, it isn’t safe here tonight!” Master Warrior shouts to the family that watched him from not far away.
“Who are you?” the father shouts.
“I told you Dad, he’s Thor!” the boy shouts again.
“You can call me Master Warrior, but you really need to get going, there are more of these cat loose here somewhere!” he calls back to them.
From where Master Warrior stands he can see the look of fear appear on the family’s faces as the father grabs the boy lifting him into his arms. Without another word the family turn away to hurry down the path. It’s then that Master Warrior hears it behind him, the sound of the approaching cats. He turns just as the largest of the Sabertooths leaps up at him. He swings his mace knocking the huge car aside by not killing it as it rolls to the grass. He turns to see the other three cats chasing after the frightened family.
It is clear to Master Warrior that the fourth cat was but a distraction. Unlike the bears these beasts have little interest in him. The Sabertooth on the ground recoups to lunge at him again this time he strikes the deathblow that turns it to dust. Running after the other three cats that chase the family down the path he takes to the air again, moving faster than he can run. Still a novice at flying he is barely able to grab one of the cats by the tail. Master Warrior drags the cat up off the ground its weigh slowing him in flight. Pivoting in mid-air he swings it back across the sky into the trees expecting it to die from the fall through the limbs.
One down two to go he thinks trying his hardest to close the gap between him and the other Sabertooths who are only yards away from the fleeing family. Thankfully the people make it to a car that they quickly jump into as the cats pounce. The Sabertooth tigers claw at the metal side of the car digging into the paint and steel as Master Warrior arrives one of the cats jumps up onto the hood to bang it’s massive head into the windshield. The mother screams in terror as a crack appears in the glass. Raising his mace again Master Warrior brings it down on the head of the Sabertooth clawing at the side of the car. With one blow the large cat is turned to dust like the others. The cat on the hood lunges at him as he brings is gauntlets together causing a blast of force barely enough to end its existence.
The cats gone the father jumps out of the car to see the damage that has not disappeared with the last of the cats. “My car!” he shouts.
Master Warrior knows that it means only one thing, the last of the cats survived the fall through the trees. He must find it. “It will be fine in a few minutes, I have another cat to catch!” Master Warrior tells him as he runs to jump into flight again, leaving the family looking on in wonder and confusion. Speeding back across the park to the wooded area. Master Warrior’s danger sense finally kicks in warning him that he is headed in the right direction. He remembers the trouble he had in the trees before so he glides down onto his feet. Running into the woods he sees something up a head on the ground. Oh no! he thinks, I’m too late! As he draws closer he sees the body of a teenage girl who has been mauled. But before he can reach her he feels the sharp pain at the base of his skull that warns him to dodge left.
The last of the Sabertooth tigers springs down from the trees overhead, just missing Master Warrior as he does a cartwheel to the side. His danger sense is suddenly working at full tilt again as the cat begins to stalk him. He holds his mace with both hands ready for any sudden movement. Then the cat does nothing it simply sits down holding its head up high, as if to say I dare you. Master Warrior figures he won’t get this chance again to he acts. Swinging his heavy mace forward he makes a clean blow crushing the skull of the final Sabertooth knocking it to the ground. This time the death of the shadow seems different from the body of the cat twitches on the ground for a moment before turning to dust. The dust slowly moves over the ground to the girl laying several yards away. Then the dust does not swirl up into the air like the others, it is more like it is absorbed by the girl’s body.
Master Warrior returns his mace to the band form on his leg and runs to the teenager on the ground. She is completely healed like the jogger and regaining consciousness as he settles down next to her. “Are you all right, Miss?” he asks. Unlike the other people he has met tonight she doesn’t seem at all startled by his appearance as she sits up holding her head.
“Yes, peeeerfect,” she replies oddly.
“It’s really not safe to be out in these woods alone this time of night,” Master Warrior tells her as he helps the girl up. “Let me walk you back to the parking lot.” The girl smiles at him oddly as they walk out of the woods. Once she is safely to the parking lot and he sees that the family have called the police Master Warrior takes to the air again.
It has been a long night if only for a few short hours that he has been home. He is halfway to his apartment in Fishtown when he realizes, why did they call the police? The joggers with the bear attack remembered nothing of it once the bears were dispatched. Master Warrior considers going back but all that matters is that the damaged caused by the shadows was reversed. He is just relieved that with the end of the Sabertooth tigers, those were the only animals he killed. Unfortunately he will still have to deal with a Cyclops and a few Centaurs if they too appear.
Arriving on the roof of his apartment building, Master Warrior touches the crystal stud in his left ear to transform his clothing back into that of Steve Roberts. Regretfully that is what he was wearing when he left Atlantis. Steve sneaks down the fire stairs to the apartment he shares with Paddy Berger. It is late and Paddy has already retired to his room by the time Steve gets in so he does the same.
Friday, January 9, 1987
The Apartment of Patrick Berger and Steve Roberts
Fishtown section of Philadelphia
The first night in his own bed was a good one, he didn’t want to get out of it. It was close to noon when he finally pulled himself up to take a shower. Throwing on a pair of sweats he comes out of his room heading for the kitchen. Paddy had already left for work so Steve has the place to himself. He makes all of his favorite things for breakfast that he feels like he hasn’t had in a year. Steve manages to cram a little bit of everything on two plates.
Carrying his breakfast to the living room Steve plops down on his lazyboy to turn on the TV after sitting down one of his place on the side table. Action News at noon replays the footage the Chopper 6 copter took last night of Master Warrior. “Philadelphia Police decline to comment on the arrest of two men with twelve kilos of cocaine in their car last night at the turnpike interchange near Conshohocken.” the reporter talks over the video. “A flying man of all things helped police to safely apprehend the suspects.” “Here shown flipping the car over with one hand while shielding himself from gunfire.” “The man’s face caught on video by the chopper 6 team as he flew by is described as young, handsome, and bearded, but no one seems to be able to describe him farther than that.” “There were several other reports of this flying man last night in Fairmount Park and along the Kelly Dr.” “He calls himself Master Warrior, claims we will be seeing more of him in the future.” Steve clicks off the TV set as he finishes up his breakfast. Looks like Master Warrior’s premiere when pretty good he thinks taking his dishes back to the kitchen.
After clean up from his breakfast, Steve decides of a jog through Center City to clear his head. Steve’s jog on his first day as an unemployed man quickly becomes something else. There is a circle of police cars on Market Street with officers holding back people from a scene of some kind. Steve recognizes some of the cops at the edge of the circle that don’t know he has left the force. They let him through to where he finds Paddy pinned behind a flipped over bus. Just beyond the bus Steve can see another of the shadows from Olestra, a Cyclops that rampages in the street.
“Where the hell have you been for the past week?” is the first thing Paddy asks him.
“Far out of town,” Steve tells his former partner. “I’m afraid I brought home a few souvenirs that aren’t so nice.”
“What do you mean by that?” Paddy asks as another car slides into the opposite side of the bus causing it to shift slightly.
“Is anyone hurt?” Steve asks.
“Few people off the bus,” Paddy replies. “Do you know where this monster came from?”
“Yes,” Steve replies, “and I have to do something to stop it!”
“What can you do against that thing?” Paddy asks as he tries to aim the rifle he holds at the Cyclops. “It’s completely bulletproof!”
“That is why I am the only one who can stop it!” Steve affirms as he stands up reaching for his left earlobe. “Try to get the crowd back,” he says squeezing the diamond stud on his ear.
Paddy looks to his roommate in shock that causes him to fall back to the ground. Steve’s sweats are transformation before his eyes into the costume of Master Warrior. “Holy shit, that was you last night?” Paddy exclaims at the sight of his friend. Master Warrior takes a few steps back to leap into the air taking flight. “Hey, since when can you fly?” Paddy shouts after the man.
Master Warrior doesn’t look back at his friend or reply as he flies into battle for the second time in so many days. He thinks he has the upper hand this time by not having an injured shoulder like in the arena. Master Warrior’s overconfidence gets the best of him as he speeds toward the Cyclops his arsenal in the shape of a large mace in hand. The Cyclops is even faster than Master Warrior remembered as it swings around its massive fist grabbing the ball of Master Warrior’s mace. With little effort the creature shakes Master Warrior free from his arsenal sending him sailing headlong through a plate glass window into a store front, his cape extending behind him as a shield.
Not far away, “Berger!” Commander Olpere shouts coming up behind the policeman huddled beside the overturned bus. “Who the hell is that?”
Paddy Berger’s face drains of color as he replies, “I have no idea Commander, he just showed up.”
“It looked like he came from here, where you are positioned,” the Commander questions.
“No ma’am, it was more like over by that alley,” Officer Berger says pointing.
“Well where the hell did he go?” the Commander demands.
While inside the store front Master Warrior shakes off his quick defeat to climb up from the pile of shelving that broke is fall. Damn it! he thinks to himself, I forgot that these shadows seem to know as much about me as I do them. He stands at the broken window, his cape billowing out behind him as he looks to the Cyclops swinging his arsenal mace. The violent creature pounds at the tops of parked cars. Great now I’ve given it back its favorite weapon! At least it can’t change the arsenal’s shape. Master Warrior also realizes again that the flight vest does not give him any maneuverability in tight spaces like the woods at the park or this one. It works best for straight long distances. He will stay on foot for this battle.
The spectators watch as Master Warrior charges back out from the store front to confront the Cyclops again. On foot he is swifter and much more agile to evade the swing of the mace. The Cyclops is just too big and fast to even get a shot at its skull. It is clear to Master Warrior the creature knows how important it is to protect its head from attack.
Then Master Warrior realizes that maybe he doesn’t want to avoid the mace. Standing his ground Master Warrior waits for the swing of his mace. Holding up his right arm the mace strikes his gauntlet and it absorbs the force of the blow. The strength behind the hit would have been more than enough to send him flying if not for the power of the gauntlet. The Cyclops swings back with the mace striking Master Warrior’s left gauntlet. The crowd that has gathered sighs with each additional strike.
Infuriated by the little man’s resistance the Cyclops continues to swing at Master Warrior like a pendulum. Master Warrior holds his grounds as he takes twenty strikes from the mace on his gauntlets. He can feel his arms warm as the pattern on his wristbands becomes tighter with each hit. The force the Cyclops uses in his war tires him as he slows down Master Warrior acts.
On the last strike of the mace to his left gauntlet the would-be hero grabs the handle of the weapon forcing it to change shape. The arsenal reverts to band shape, slipping from the creatures hand to return to its master.
Surprised by the loss of its weapon the Cyclops raised both of its huge fist over its head to bring them down on the small man. Master Warrior raises his arms to slam his gauntlets together with all of his strength. The concussion blast of the stored energy in the gauntlets from every strike they took from the mace is like a sonic boom. It shatters window in buildings for three stories up and a block in all directions . The blast also takes off the top of the Cyclops at mid-chest. Master Warrior had no idea his gauntlets could cause such damage in such a confined space. Like the crowd around him he too is surprised by the damage.
Then what remains of Cyclops turns to dust swirling in the street like cyclone before the corpse can hit the ground. The dust storm expands out farther than any of the previous one through the crowd healing any who may have been injured by the recent event. The crowd of onlookers is momentarily immobile as much of the damage is wiped away. The dust storm grows smaller again as it trails off down Market Street to vanish around the corner of a building.
Master Warrior is left standing in the middle of the street to survey the damage that remains. Again something has changed. With the first attack by the bears everything was wiped clean as if it never happened. Even the memories or the joggers were wiped. Then with the Sabertooth Tigers the damage was reversed and that teenage girl was healed but all of them still remembered what happened. Now only the damage caused by the Cyclops has been erased. The cars the cyclops struck with his mace still sit in the street in pieces. Even the window Master Warrior crashed through still remains broken.
“HOLD IT RIGHT THERE MISTER!” Commander Olpere announces to Master Warrior. He turns to see his former Commander and all of his co-workers holding their guns on him. “You are coming with us!” Commander Olpere tells him. Master Warrior looks to his roommate Paddy who just shrugs his shoulders as he holds his gun point at his friend.
“Commander, I’ve only helped you eliminate a threat to the city,” Master Warrior smiling. “I haven’t committed any crime here.”
“What about the destruction of private and public property!” the Commander asks.
“Then you have the wrong guy, the Cyclops did most of it,” Master Warrior explains. “Even the window he threw me through will be covered by insurance, I’m sure.”
“We still have plenty of questions for you downtown!” the Commander insists.
“I have only one answer,” Master Warrior replies. “You can’t keep this hidden anymore.” “The world is changing.” “People deserve to know what is out there.” “I intend to protect them from the things that your Unit can’t.” “You’ll be seeing more of me soon enough,” Master Warrior says as he takes several steps away from the Elite Squad to leap back into the sky. He again waves to the passing Chopper 6 News as he picks up speed to elude them. It is far past time that he has a talk with Mist. Too much is changing too fast. He needs answers as much as Commander Olpere.
A few blocks away, where the dust of the shadow has escaped something new is created. The swirling dust first solidifies into a grey mass of muck. It churns, twist, and contorts on the dirty pavement of the alley. Then life is breathed into it as the color pinkens and it takes shape. The shape of a nude man curled in the fetal position. The body convulses to fall open on the ground.
His name is Alexander Beachum, he remembers that he is a personal trainer for a Center City health club. His head and body are racked with pain like he had never felt before from any workout. He lays in the alley gasping for breathe in the stench of the nearby dumpster. As he becomes coherent to his surroundings that repulse and confuse him. How did he get here, is the thought that runs through his mind. He was running is Center City, now he is here? He sits up, holding his head in his hands for a moment to clear his head. It is then that he realizes he is nude. Was he mugged? Did the muggers take all of his clothing? Nothing makes sense to him as he tries to stand. How will he get home?
The Palace of Mist
Magic Island
Somewhere in the Southern Atlantic Ocean
Master Warrior arrives after calling to Mist using the enchantment on his belt buckle. He had to elude the Chopper 6 News team first but once he shouted out the sorcerer’s name he was instantly drawn to the island. On all of his previous visits to Magic Island he has always arrived in the Observation room, this time is different. Master Warrior has appeared in a room he has not seen before today. It looks to be some kind of gymnasium. The style is much more modern than the Coliseum type arena that he trained in for years. If there was this kind of gym in the Palace he has to wonder why his mother chose to train him where she did. Strolling around the gym much of the equipment appears well used by someone. He gets the feeling that someone spent many hard days training here.
Master Warrior touches the hand grip on the arm press and suddenly he is drawn into a premonition. He no longer stands alone in the room, he is now seated on the arm press hoisting up nearly a ton in weights as someone spots him from behind. He feels completely secure as he does several reps while the person behind him coaches him to push harder. When he is finished he feels the soft small hands of a woman massage his neck and shoulders. He can not make out her voice but he knows she speaks to him and he also knows the things she says are not the words his mother would use.
“Master Warrior I am not surprised to see you again so soon,” Mist announces as he enters the gym snapping Master Warrior back to reality. Master Warrior is silent for a moment as he sits down in the seat of the arm press gripping both handles wanting to return to the premonition. “Steven is there something wrong?”
Master Warrior is reluctant to share his premonitions even with Mist as he looks to the sorcerer. “Why did I arrive in this room and not the Observation room where I usually arrive?” he asks.
“That is a very good question,” Mist replies. “I have some questions as well, like why is it I can no longer see you in the outside world?”
“What?” Master Warrior exclaims getting up from the press equipment. “How is that possible I thought you could see anywhere in the world from the observation room!”
Mist leads the young man from the gym to the hallway. “I could but something has changed, some minor form of magic as been blocking my view of you.” “The only variable that I am unclear on is this cape you returned from Atlantis with,” Mist tells him as they arrive at the Observation room. “Perhaps I could examine it closer.” Instantly the cape that hangs down Master Warrior’s back retracts up around his neck as if to hide from the inspection.
“It would seem that it thinks otherwise,” Master Warrior jokes.
“Has it been acting on its own like this all along?” Mist asks.
“I have to admit that it is a strange piece of clothing but it has been nothing but helpful to me so far,” Master Warrior explains. “If it becomes a problem you will be the first to know.” “I promise!” “Right now I have a bigger problem.” He explains the events of the last two days and the warning that Optima gave him when she returned him home.
Mist does not look anymore pleased when he hears what has been happening back in Philadelphia. “The supernatural creatures you fought in Olestra were brought there by Optima’s magic,” Mist explains. “Magic is not a fleeting thing.” “It lingers to be manipulated again and again.” “To return you home Optima was forced to reclaim that magic.” “In doing so it created shadows as she called them of the things you killed, returning them to Earth along with you.” “These shadows want to live again in our world and the only way they can do that is by taking a life.” “If you stop them from doing that by dispatching them the magic dissipated by returning everything to normal.” “But the longer the shadow are on Earth the stronger they become and the more of that magic they use up, leaving less to fix the damage they have caused.” “If anyone other than you remembers the actions of the shadows that would mean that not all of the shadows were dispatched.”
“Are you telling me that the Cyclops is still out there in the city?” Master Warrior suggests.
“Not the Cyclops, but a hybrid per say,” Mist explains. “It will be a new creature combined of both the Cyclops and the human it ate.” “It might not even know what it is at first, in time it might become very dangerous.”
Master Warrior is silent for a moment thinking over everything Mist has just told him. “Are you saying it is my fault for wanting to come home that I brought these creatures here?” he asks.
“NO, it is clearly Optima’s doing,” Mist replies taking a weight off of Master Warrior’s shoulders. “She could have easily lifted the cloaking spell over Olestra so that I might have retrieved you, but instead she chose to send these creatures here hidden in the spell.” “It is clear she still holds hostility for the people of Earth.”
“Then what about the Centaur?” Master Warrior asks. “How do I find it before it kills, if it hasn’t already.”
“If I understand you correctly the each of these creatures have immersed a day apart just as they were when you fought them,” Mist says as Master Warrior nods in agreement. “Then the Centaur should not appear until the third day.” “The best way to deal with a creature created by a god is to use another that you can control.” Mist leads Master Warrior from the Observation room down the open breezeway to a small silo like structure at the end of the path. A few waves of Mist’s hands and the sealed door opens. Stepping inside the walls of the small building are covered with all manner of artifacts. There are so many that Master Warrior does not even have time to take them all in as his attention is drawn to one in particular that Mist seeks as it floats down from its mount about twenty feet overhead.
“What is it?” Master Warrior asks as Mist takes hold of a wand carved of stone with a golf ball mounted on top of it.
“It is an eye of Medusa,” Mist says simply.
“Medusa, you mean like the snake lady that turned men to stone?” the hero questions.
“That is the one, it will not only lead you to the Centaur but it will also stop it in its tracks!” Mist instructs handing the wand to Master Warrior.
The apartment of Patrick Berger and Steve Roberts
Fishtown section of Philadelphia
Steve Roberts returns to the third floor of his building down the stairs from the roof he wonders about the vision he had again. It must have been triggered somehow by that room. The events that were taking place in it did not appear to pose any danger to him. If his premonitions are truly a mutation of the Amazon danger sense than there should have been some danger. Then again he recently learned that Nozamas can manipulate his power.
Exiting the stairwell door to meet up with his next door neighbor, Julie Snyder at the elevator. “Out for run on the roof, Steve?” Julie asks him jokingly.
“You know me always running,” Steve replies trying to cover for his aerial return home. Looking over he sees that Julie is not alone, she has a tall dark haired, Latina looking woman with her. “Oh excuse me,” Steve says feel embarrassed by his appearance. “Who is your friend?”
“This is Carol, we work at the office together,” Julie introduces him. “Carol Lopez this is Steve Roberts my neighbor I was telling you about.” Telling her about? Steve thinks. “We are just stopping by my place for a minute before going out to get something to eat.”
“Perhaps, Steve is it?” Carol begins, “Would like to come along?”
Steve feels an instant attraction to Carol that is so unlike him, but he goes with it. “That would be great I haven’t eaten since breakfast,” Steve says. “Let me just get a quick shower and I will meet you back at Julie’s place.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Julie tells him giving Carol a grin.
“I can hardly wait,” Carol says as the two women go into the apartment Julie shares with her mother. Steve smiles back as he fumbles with his own apartment door.
Steve is still feeling excited as he enters his living room to find Paddy sitting in his Lazyboy with it turned toward the door drinking a beer. “What are you playing at?” Paddy announces the moment the door closes behind Steve.
“What, it’s just dinner with a neighbor and her friend?” Steve defends.
“Not that you dope!” Paddy charges. “What you did this morning!” “And since when can you fly?”
“I can’t really fly, its the vest that flies.” “Besides I told you I was looking for a new way to be more useful and I found it,” Steve explains. “After all it was you that always said I need a suit and a mask.”
“I was only joking I never thought you would really do it!” Paddy replies. “Speaking of masks, what was the deal, no one could remember what Master Warrior looked like, except that he had a beard!” “How is it that Master Warrior has a beard and you don’t?”
“Trade secret, you have to admit its better than glasses.” “Come to think of it, thanks,” Steve tells his roomy. “If this is going to work, who Master Warrior really is needs to be kept on a very needs to know basis.” “Not telling Olpere meant a lot.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” Paddy says getting up from his chair for another beer. “Olpere is losing her mind.” “She thinks it is the end of the world after what ‘Master Warrior’ said to her.”
“It isn’t the end of the world just a turning point,” Steve explains pulling off his sweatshirt as he heads for his room.
Paddy follows after him to lean on the door frame of the bedroom. “A world where Mythological monsters are real?” he comments.
“I’m afraid so,” Steve replies kicking off his sneakers. “No one would’ve remembered if I had gotten there sooner.” “There is only one more left that I have to find tomorrow first thing.” Steve pushes down his sweat pants and underwear to stand nude in the middle of his room, any modesty he had is gone after his stay in Olestra. “Now if you don’t mind I need to take a shower, I’m going out to dinner.”
In the apartment next door Julie and Carol talk over a glass of wine at the kitchen counter. “So is he everything I told you he was or what?” Julie asks.
“Nice face, great body, but I’ve had that plenty of times, it is what is on the inside that counts!” Carol replies sipping her wine. “So many guys like him are dumb as a box of rocks.”
“Just wait,” Julie says. “I know you two will be perfect for each other.”
“If he us so great, then why throw him to me?” Carol questions.
“I like my men dowie and Steve has abs you could do your laundry on!” Julie answers.
“I do like washing abs,” Carol giggles.
Next door Steve is dressed in jeans and a button down shirt with three buttons open as he heads out the door. In the living room Paddy is already asleep in his chair, Steve is glad not to have to explain himself to his roommate. That is far from one of the things he is in the mood for tonight. He goes into the hall to knock on the Snyder’s door.
“Don’t you clean up good!” Carol comments as she walks past him out the door.
“How does Stratham’s sound to you, Steve,” Julie asks a she locks up.
“Great, I’m starving!” Steve replies.
“Not on some strange Gym diet then?” Carol asks as they head for the elevator.
“Not at all, I feel as if I haven’t had food in a month!” Steve says eager to have some real Philly food again.
City Hall
Commissioner Matthew Aspen’s office
Philadelphia Pa.
Commander Olpere gives the Commissioner a full report of the events on Market Street that took place this morning. “Then this guy had the nerve to say, I can’t keep things hidden anymore!” The aggravated middle aged woman says.
“I understand your frustration Commander, but in truth it was my predecessor Commissioner Stanley who wanted the Elite Squad to remain under wraps,” Aspen tells his subordinate. “We know how that worked out for him.” “Of late I have been questioning that decision.”
“With all do respect sir this system has worked perfectly up until now,” Olpere insists. “Just because one loose cannon tries to out Zeni-human existence doesn’t mean we have to comply with it.”
“Who does keeping Zeni-human existence really benefit?” Aspen questions. “Us, them, or the public?” “Our first responsibility should always be the public at mass.” “If we have a Zeni-human out there that is willing to embrace the side of the law, we need to include him in this conversation, not try and discredit him.”
“What are you saying sir?” Olpere asks not sure she wants the answer.
“I want to meet with this Master Warrior,” Commissioner Aspen says to Commander Olpere’s dismay. “I want to sit down and talk to him man to man, to understand his motivation.” “When we can come to an understanding of the future we can move forward together.”
Stratham’s Pub
Philadelphia, Pa
Steve, Julie and Carol sit in a booth with the girls on one side and him on the other. They talk as they finish up their desserts. “I have to admit I’m surprised at how much you ate,” Carol comments to Steve.
“Like I said, not on some crazy gym diet?” Steve says wiping his mouth on a napkin. “What is your story Carol?” “You look like you’ve spent some time in a gym.”
“Just enough to take care of myself,” Carol replies. “As a prosecutor I meet some very questionable people.” “I’ve taken some self defense classes.”
“So you’re a prosecutor,” Steve comments. “That’s a tricky profession.”
“What’s tricky about it?” Carol questions. “I put away bad people, it is as simple as that.”
“So it is that black and white to you?” Steve asks. “As a cop I found that there is a lot of grey as well.”
“By the time they get to me most of the grey is gone.” Carol explains. “So you’re a cop?”
“Not anymore, like I said, there was too much grey being a cop,” Steve tells her. “I want to see things like you do.” “I couldn’t do that as a cop.”
“So how are you going to do that?” Carol asks.
“I’m still working that part out,” Steve answers as he looks to Julie. “You’ve been quiet tonight.”
“Guess I don’t have much to say tonight,” Julie replies. “You two seem to be doing just fine without me talking.”
Patrick Berger and Steve Roberts’ Apartment
Fishtown section of Philadelphia
When Steve gets home after dinner Paddy is still asleep in his chair. He doesn’t bother to wake his friend as he heads for his room. Getting undressed he climbs into bed after a long and full first day home. It still feels good to be laying in his own bed. Steve’s mind is still filled with the events of the day, but he can’t help to think about the premonition he had in the gym on Magic Island. Who was she? It felt like he was in her home or at least a place that meant a lot to her. His premonitions usually focus on a future danger to him. How could she pose any danger, she seemed very caring to him. The vision was only a few seconds but it had a lot of details that he hadn’t thought about. It doesn’t take him long to drift off into a deep sound sleep.
Saturday, JANUARY 10, 1987
Patrick Berger and Steve Roberts’ Apartment
Fishtown section of Philadelphia
Steve Roberts is up before the sun, dressed and out the door to the roof where he makes the change to Master Warrior. The strange wand that Mist gave him hangs from his belt where he hooked it before changing his costume for his clothes Friday night. He retrieves it to hold it up to the setting moon as Mist instructed him. The shaft of the wand looks like wood that was carved from stone, but he fears that it might be the dried and petrified optic nerve of the eyeball that rests at its end. The eyeball is covered by a stoney skin sheath that Mist instructed would only open when the time was right.
The wand reacts to the dwindling moonlight as he feels it tug in a northward direction. Mist told him that the wand would guide him like a compass to the location where the next shadow will appear. So taking a deep breathe, Master Warrior moves forward a few steps to leap into the early morning sky of Philadelphia. It is Saturday morning but there is still a bustle to the city under him. He flies toward the edge of the city to Bensalem and Philadelphia Park Raceway. The wand guides him down toward the stables.
Steve Roberts had only been to the track once before but he has some idea of the amount of activity that goes on daily. A Saturday the horse should be out being exercised but he sees no horses on the exercise track at all at this early hour. Walking into one of the stable buildings it is odd that there are no trainers or maintenance people around either. Stall after stall is empty not a horse to be found at the race track on a Saturday morning is more than just odd it is a roaring fire alarm.
Why a horse track? he wonders. Why would the shadow of a Centaur appear at a horse track? Knowing how Centaurs are made the idea of splicing humans with horses rings of ridiculousness. Emerging out the other end of the stable Master Warrior stands at the edge of a pasture. This pasture is not empty as he spots the hindquarters of a horse about two hundred yards away. When the horse raises up its head Master Warrior can immediately see that it is no horse at all. It is the Centaur, not just any Centaur but the breeder Steve had killed in Olestra. Master Warrior moves to run and leap into the air.
“Not so fast buddy,” a voice says to Master Warrior in the Olestra language of Britannia that he thought he would never hear again. Then he felt someone grab his ankle to pull him back to the ground. Master Warrior rebounds to spring around prepared for battle. He is shocked at who stand behind him. “You truly have become a Master Warrior,” the man says smiling.
“Galio?” Master Warrior says in shock returning the wand to his belt. He then moves to embrace is friend that he thought he had killed. “How, how are you here?”
Breaking their bro-hug Galio explains, “You didn’t think the only shadows to follow you home would be those of enemies, did you?”
“I never considered you would be one of them,” Master Warrior says not sure what the meaning of his old cellmates appearance. “Why did you stop me from going after the Centaur?”
“Look over there,” Galio says pointing down the pasture to the east. Master Warrior is surprised to see another Centaur identical to the one he spotted to the south.
“How is that possible?” Master Warrior asks.
“Did you ever wonder what would happen if a Centaur bred with a horse?” Galio suggests. “It is the human component that makes the new Centaurs individuals.” “The Centaur breeder has been here for hours making these clones of himself.” “If you were to kill one of them you would only be killing a horse, the real Centaur would still be on the loose.”
“Decoys, very clever, that explains why he is here,” Master Warrior theorizes. “So how do we find the real one?”
“No need to find, I already know,” Galio tells Master Warrior. “I just can’t act against another shadow, one of the rules with this new existence.”
“So you have been here as long as the Centaur?” Master Warrior asks confused about the timeline of the shadow’s appearances.
“Almost, I think it is because of the weird flow of time between Olestra your world,” Galio tells his old friend. “Lucky I showed up in time to prevent you from killing a bunch of horses.”
“Galio, we need to hurry if the Centaur kills a person he will be reborn and these horses will not be changed back.”
“No need to worry, I’ve rounded up all of the people I could find and put them in a safe place,” Galio explains.
“Wait,” Master Warrior says grabbing his friend’s arm to jerk him around to face him. “What do you mean rounded up?” Master Warrior fully aware of what Mist told him the goal of these shadows. Even if this one is of his friend he knows that Galio has killed before without remorse. “Did you harm anyone?” he asks trying to sound polite.
“If you mean killed so I could live again, no,” Galio tells him to his relief. “I wouldn’t do that, nor would the Centaur that is why he made these decoys.” “There is only one life he wants in return for his own.”
“Mine,” Master Warrior says softly. “He is not like the mindless animals that the other shadows before him were.” “Neither are you.”
“Unlike these other shadows I was your friend in life,” Galio asserts as he pulls his arm from Master Warrior’s grasp. “Now let’s go get that bastard!” Galio heads back across the property towards a building labeled “The Winner’s Circle”. As they approach the large barn doors on the front burst open to release a stampede of Centaur clones.
Master Warrior pulls the arsenal from his leg shaping it into a thick staff. Made of the mystic metal it is much more dangerous than the wooden one he used in the tournament, but it still will not be lethal to the horses turned Centaur. Using his staff to clear the clones aside he keeps an eye on his former friend shadow. Galio does as he does using his glowing left hand to shape a plank of wood from the broken door into a lance. They knock the beasts aside trying not to injure only subdue them. Master Warrior’s danger sense is still clearly out of whack when it comes to these shadows but his cape is not as it unfurls to guard him against an attacking Centaur clones from behind him. Rendering these creatures unconscious seems to be much easier that the human-Centaurs. A well placed strike to the human head does it, sending the creature to the ground. “Aim for the head, don’t risk breaking any legs,” Master Warrior calls to Galio. The thought of breaking one of these race horse’s legs and not having it heal properly is something Master Warrior does not want to be responsible for later.
When Galio and Master Warrior are down to the last of the clones the two men stepped inside the building. The moment Master Warrior entered the barn he recognized the Breeder from the braided gold chain around his thick neck. The angry look on the Centaur’s face distracts away Master Warrior’s gaze from the majesty of the Centaur’s mane that flowed in the breeze that blows in the open door behind them. Master Warrior’s first instinct is to charge the beast but he knows he has to be smarter than that, he has a special weapon.
Master Warrior reaches for the Eye of Medusa wand that hangs on is belt to deal with the Centaur breeder. But nothing happens, the eyelid doesn’t open.
“Wait something isn’t right,” Galio says to his friend.
Master Warrior looks to his friend and then back to the Centaur he has targeted. Galio looks exactly as he did when he died in Olestra, right down to the slightly healed wounds he got when they fought in the final event. Then Master Warrior turned back to the Centaur. He is pristine right down to his smooth silky hair that hangs down on his shoulders. “That is not the real shadow!” he announced.
But his revelation comes too late as the three-hundred and fifty pound Centaur falls down on top of him from above. His staff is knocked from his hand on impact. The creature brandishes a pitch fork that Master Warrior is barely able to deflect with his gauntlet into the dirt floor. The fork is driven deeply into the ground beside his neck. The trampling hooves of the Centaur pummel his torso as he fights to find a point on the horse body to make contact. Master Warrior manages a shoulder spring to use his feet to propel the Centaur off of him. The creature sails against the wall, cracking the wooden beams.
Master Warrior looks to Galio for help but his friend has issues of his own as the impersonating clone has attacked him. Taking a quick inventory of himself, Master Warrior doesn’t think any of his bones are broken but he is going to be hurting in a couple of hours from the deep bruises. He has no time to retrieve his arsenal as The Centaur charges him again, this time with a severed 2X4 in hand. The Centaur’s speed is enough to force Master Warrior back against the wall pinning him with the timber.
“I will have your very soul now!” the Centaur growls, its rancid breathe in Master Warrior’s face. “You would have had a long life as one of my spawn!” The 2X4 tight against his throat Master Warrior can feel his airway collapsing.
Again he relies on his feet and not his fist. “I don’t think so!” he gasps as he slides his feet up to propel the beast away. Falling to the floor he gasped to catch his breath as quickly as possible. The Centaur is not thrown as far this time and it returns faster. Master Warrior lands a left uppercut to the human abs right above where he knows the weak spot in on the creatures back. Then leaping up he gives a hard right cross to the jaw. The Centaur is staggered as Master Warrior reaches for the wand on his belt.
The Centaur returns to slap the wand from Master Warrior’s hand, followed by a punch to his chest. The hero is thrown back through the wall of the Winner’s Circle barn. Laying on the ground outside he can hear the sound of sirens as the police approach. He is running out of time, he wanted to keep the public out of this one. The Centaur crashes through the hole in the wall, it hooves stopping only inches from Master Warrior on the ground.
Master Warrior’s body is beginning to feel the toll of that original attack now as he pulls himself up onto his hands to swipe his legs across the front horse hooves, sending the Centaur to the ground with the loud cracks of broken bones. Its front legs broken the Centaur is sufficiently hovelled. Master Warrior isn’t sure about the shadow’s healing factor but he can guess that this injury won’t last long. Moving swiftly he returns to his feet to give the injured beast a hard right cross, followed by a left uppercut to the jaw. Then a kick to the shoulder to take it down to the ground on its side a few feet from where the attack began. Master Warrior hears the sirens come to a halt, at the front parking lot most likely. He is running out of time as he leaps back through the hole in the wall to retrieve the wand and his arsenal.
It takes Master Warrior only a few minutes to return back through the hole in the wall to field outside. The Centaur has already healed enough to pull itself back up onto its hind legs. “You death will be only sweeter now!” it shouts as it rears up to pounce on Master Warrior again.
Holding the wand up, this time the sheath of stoney skin over the eyeball draws back to reveal the glowing emerald eye beneath it. The Centaur is instantly frozen in its footsteps as its skin dries to a pale white. Master Warrior dare not look at the wand or the eye at its end, he watches only the result on the Centaur as the creature cries out in pain unlike it did the first time Steve killed it. The scream is silenced as its vocal cords are turned to stone along with the rest of its body.
The police arrive on the scene just as the eye at the end of the wand closes. Five Philadelphia policemen watch in amazement as the great Centaur statue explodes into dust. The cloud of dust washes over all that witness the scene and then out over the many fallen Centaur clones that are returned their true forms as ordinary racehorses. “What the hell is going on here?” the lead cop shouts at Master Warrior as Galio walks up to join his friend.
“What do you mean, Officer Pullman, is it?” Master Warrior questions, eyeing the policeman’s name tag.
“That statue, those man-horse?” the confused cop demands. Master Warrior is surprised, why can these officers still remember anything?
“Oh no, maybe the Breeder did kill someone,” Master Warrior says turning to Galio.
“No it is me,” Galio replies. “I am still here, I am the last bit of shadow that you must dispatch to wipe all of this way.”
“No, there has to be some other way.” Master Warrior insists. “You did nothing but help me.”
“That will change,” Galio explains sadly. “The longer I remain the less control I will have.” “I fight even now to remain as myself.” “By tomorrow, I will be forced to take a life and that life will be yours.” “I’m sorry but there is only one way to put this right.” “Send me back to where I belong.”
Master Warrior looks to the wand in his hand. “I’m so sorry I never wanted any of this,” he tells his friend.
“Hold it right there don’t move!” Officer Pullman shouts as he and the other policemen pull their guns on Master Warrior. Master Warrior’s cape extends, whipping up to block the view of the policemen.
“I know that, being a Master Warrior is your destiny, not mine,” Galio says sadly. “You will bare a lot of responsibility on your shoulders in the years to come but this is not one of them.” “Steve I love you like a brother, know that in your heart as you do what you must.”
A look of heartbreak on his face, “You too are my brother,” Master Warrior says as he raises the wand again to let it do its work. The eyelid opens and Galio is bathed in the emerald light. Galio’s face is strong and brave as his flesh is turned to stone, but Steve can see the pain behind his eyes just like on those days in the arena. When all that remains is the stone statue of his lost friend it too explodes to dust. The dust swirls first around Master Warrior’s hand that holds the wand to return it to Magic Island and then out over the five policemen that stand with guns drawn.
By the time the dust vanishes Master Warrior is airborne, leaving the policemen to wonder what has just happened and why they were called to Philadelphia Park at all.
The Apartment of Patrick Berger and Steve Roberts
Fishtown section of Philadelphia
Paddy is sitting at the kitchen table watching the TV in the living room as he eats breakfast when Steve returns home. “So what have you been up to so early this morning?”
Steve isn’t in the mood for chit-chat having just killed a good friend for the second time. “Taking care of some unfinished business,” Steve replies as he pours himself a cup of coffee.
“Weirdest thing happened early this morning at the Zoo,” Paddy comments. “Handlers found an extra lion in the enclosure.”
“What?” Steve says in a panic brought back from his mourning state. An extra lion, could it too be a shadow? He fought a lion in the tournament but he doesn’t know if he killed it or not. “Where did you hear this?” he asks sitting down at the table.
“It was just on the news, if you wait they will probably repeat it,” Paddy explains finishing up his cereal. “Was it hero business you were taking care of this morning?”
Steve isn’t listening to his roommate as the report comes back on the TV. He gets up from the table leaving his coffee cup behind to go to the living room to turn up the volume on the TV.
“Rather odd occurrence at the Philadelphia Zoo this morning,” the reporter begins. LAt last night, Zookeepers found an extra lion in the lion habitat.” “After tranquilizing it, the lion was taken to the medical facility for a complete physical to determine its origin.”
“Shit!” Steve shouts turning to leave.
“What is it, what is going on?” Paddy asks following after his roommate.
“I have to get to the Zoo!” Steve replies.
“Let me get dresses, I’ll come along,” Paddy says heading for his room.
“No I’ll handle it alone,” Steve replies.
“What are you going to do hero?” Paddy asks standing in the middle of the living room. “Go crashing in through the ceiling?” “You forget I still have a badge and you don’t!” “People listen to a man with the badge even if they don’t want to!” “Besides you can explain to me what has been going on in the car.”