Friday, March 18, 1988
Abe and Joyce Woodlawn’s Condo
174 Baxter St
New York, NY
Diana Carter and Tracey Woodlawn arrive at Tracey’s in-law’s condo. The place is packed with people. There is barely room to walk across the living room. “Tracey, who are all of these people?” Diana asks. “I thought you said this was my birthday party?”
“Actually, I said it was a party and we could think of it as your birthday party,” Tracey replies, pulling her friend across the room by her hand. “It is really a welcome home party Joyce is throwing for Abe.” “She has been wanting to do it for months.” “The fact that it was so close to your birthday made it easy for me to talk her into inviting some of our friends too.” Tracey drags Diana to the small study on the east-side of the condo.
Inside the room there are about a dozen people and Diana recognizes all of them. First to greet her is Tracey’s husband Fox followed by her Uncle Zac & Aunt Jean, then there is her personal assistant Jan Bennett and cab driver friend Archie Lincoln. After greeting them her attention is stolen by the sight of someone she has not seen since the most horrible night of her life.
“Julie?” “Julie Metcalf?” Diana calls out as she approaches the young woman. The conservatively dressed woman does not reply as she goes in to give Diana a big hug. “Oh my God,” Diana sobs on her long lost friend’s shoulder. “I can’t believe you are here!” “You look so different.”
“Your friend Tracey found me, when she told me it was your Birthday Party I couldn’t stay away,” Julie whispered in Diana’s ear. As they break the hug both young women have tears in their eyes. “I go by Julia now.”
“Whatever your name is, you look great it is so good to see you!” Diana says, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “I’m so sorry we never talked after what happened.” “It was my father, I was like a prisoner back then.”
“I know Diana, I never held it against you,” Julia explains. “It was hard for all of us.” “My parents packed up my little brother and I so fast after the funeral, I lost everything too.” Diana and Julia hug again.
“Don’t forget you have other guests to greet,” Tracey says interrupting the tearful reunion. “There will be plenty of time for you two to talk.” Tracey turns Diana toward someone else who had just arrived.
Diana giggles, “Wow this really is a time machine.” “Julia, this is Kathleen, I went to elementary school with her out on the Island.” “We reconnected when I started at NYU Law School.” “Kathleen this is Julia, she and her sister were good friends of mine that I made when my dad first moved me to the city.”
“Oh so you know all of Di’s secrets wild teenage years?” Kathleen giggles. “I’ve been dying to hear about all of it!” “We’ve been hanging out for months now and she wouldn’t peep a word about her first years in the big city.”
Both Diana and Julia get somber looks on their faces as Julia replies, “Some of it isn’t easy to talk about, but I can fill you in on some of the dirty details.” “Like the bar fight, Diana started.”
“What?” Tracey exclaims as her husband comes up behind her. “What Bar fight?”
“Or the time she thought she was pregnant after dreaming about a guy from summer camp?” Julia laughs.
“Now that never happened!” Diana asserts.
Everyone falls silent for a moment as Julia reaches her hand to her forehead as if she has been struck by a sudden pain. Then she says, “Sure it was the time when we used that men’s room at the Grand Central station, you were convinced you got pregnant off the seat!”
“Oh god that place was disgusting!” Diana agrees. “All I wanted to do the rest of the night is go home and get a shower!”
“Wait a minute,” Fox interrupts, “Was that the bar fight that Detective Prussia was asking me about a while back?” Diana gets something of a surprised look on her face for a moment. She didn’t know that Prussia had interviewed Fox too. “He was a weird guy.”
“Weird is the right word,” Diana retorts. “I don’t know how he ever became a detective.” Tracey stands across from Diana next to her husband and suddenly she gets a big smile on her face.
“Hello Diana,” a familiar voice says from behind her. She instantly knows what Tracey is smiling about as she turns to greet Eric Altman, Tracey’s cousin. “When Trace told me you were back in the city I was shocked,” he says, giving her a hug. “I didn’t think you would ever come back after the way you left.”
“How did she leave?” Julia asks.
“Without a word to anyone,” Eric says looking at Julia as he reaches out his hand. “Eric Altman, Tracey’s cousin.” “And Diana’s almost flame.”
“Eric, are you still carrying a torch for me?” Diana jokes hoping he plays along.
“It just wasn’t meant to be,” Eric replies with a smile.
“Unlike us,” Trish Wilson says, approaching the group with her now husband Randy in tow. “Looks like the old gang is back together again!”
“Accept for one,” Eric comments.
“If you mean Brain, thank god he isn’t here after all the trouble he got us into,” Trish complains.
“He said the same thing about us when I called to invite him,” Tracey reveals.
Diana looks to Randy and Trish’s hands to comment, “Looks like Fox and Tracey weren’t the only ones to tie the knot after High School.”
Randy remains quiet like most of the time letting Trish do all the talking. “Randy’s in a band now, joined right after High School, I couldn’t let him go on the road without me!”
“I’ve heard them play, they’re pretty good,” Eric says smiling at Diana. “Maybe you’d like to catch one of their gigs?”
“Maybe, but I’ve been fairly busy working for my Uncle since I got home,” Diana replies. “What are you doing as a career, Eric?”
“I’m in finance like my Dad, believe it or not,” Eric reveals.
“But Eric still runs every morning, maybe the two of you could get together for breakfast?” Tracey quickly steps in to suggest.
“Trace,” Diana glares at her friend.
“I see some things never change,” Julia comments. “Still resisting commitment, Diana?”
“She was always like that even when we were kids,” Kathleen agrees.
“Wow, is this my birthday present, two more matchmakers in my life?” Diana chuckles. “Kathleen didn’t you just have a bad break up?” “How about you, Julia, have you found the love of your life?”
“Actually I have, Jesus Christ,” Julia says, making the crucifix around her neck take on new meaning. “I took my vows a year ago.” Everyone falls silent at Julia’s revelation. In a way Diana can’t say she is surprised, Gina’s death was hard to handle for her too. “Look I didn’t mean to bring the party down or anything.”
Diana moves to give Julia another hug. “No, you have done no such thing.” “It is just my Aunt Jean and Tracey seem to think I need a man in my life.” “Sometimes I forget they mean well.” Then Diana turns back to Eric to say, “You understand right?” Hoping he remembers the real reason they were not meant to be.
“Of course, No matter what my cousin thinks I’m not looking for anything else than friendship.”
“Where can someone get a drink around here?” Randy finally speaks up.
“Come on man, Tracey just wanted us to all meet in here but the food and drinks are out at my Dad’s party.”
The Pentagon
Unit-55
Washington, DC
Captain Mathess of the U.S. Army has recently been given a new job as part of Unit-55. With the demise of Area-51 in New Mexico and the cover up that has followed, Mathess is now in charge of monitoring feeds from NASA’s web of radio telescopes and satellites. Like Area-51 before it, Unit-55 has first access to the information. The covert Unit also has the authority to edit that information before it reaches NASA or the media. For years the job has little to show. Of late this job has become more active.
Tonight another alert arrived, the second in the past month. An Ionic beam has struck from deep space, like the one in London at the beginning of March. This time its projected strike point will be on American soil giving Unit-55 full clearance to investigate.
Captain Mathess has already deleted the record of the occurrence, not allowing it to reach NASA and he makes the call to the General. The Ionic beam’s close vicinity to one of Unit-55’s most troubling locations will be of great interest to the General. Since the death of one of Unit-55’s operatives, William Carter, there has been someone in New York City systematically bringing down the organization there.
The General has even considered ending all operations in New York City, but in the end the General is too stubborn for that forfeit. He has already taken more subtle action to replace the Owl as head of his New York organization. The woman Miracle Maiden who has become a thorn in Unit-55’s operation without even knowing it exists, shows no fear of Zeni-humans. So the General has devised a new plan. Captain Mathess hopes that this new occurrence will be a help to the General’s plans and not another defeat, because the latter would not be good for anyone.
Abe and Joyce Woodlawn’s Condo
174 Baxter St
New York, NY
Making her way through the Condo toward the small covered balcony that faces Central Park Diana is stopped by Fox’s father, Abe. “I was hoping to catch you for a moment tonight,” he says, taking her aside. “A friend of mine would like to meet with that special friend of yours.”
“I’m not sure I know what you mean,” she replies coyly. Diana knows full well what Dr. Woodlawn is talking about, she just wonders what he is up to.
“He has some information about what your father was up to that he would like to share,” Dr. Woodlawn explains. “It could help to put an end to the messes you have been trying to clean up.”
“I’ll let her know, but I can’t make any guarantees,” Diana says as she sees Mrs. Woodlawn heading their way.
“I’ll be there at 6 am,” he says just as he turns to intercept his wife.
Finally making it to the balcony Diana takes a cigarette from her purse and lights it. She has no idea what Dr. Woodlawn and this friend of his are up to, it is probably worth checking out though. Seeing all of these old friends in one place is a little disconcerting. The one she would have loved to have seen tonight, Tracey has no idea how to find him, but she does. She still wonders if not telling her best friend that she has reconnected with Steve Roberts after all of these years was a good idea. Although, she was right to fear that if her friend knew it would have made this night even more uncomfortable.
It is about then that the dark clouds that have been hanging over the city for most of the day open up, raining down a thunderstorm. Safe and dry under the roof covering the balcony Diana considers sneaking out but she has a feeling that Tracey would never forgive her if she did. Watching the rainy night sky Diana spots something strange in the distance. On the far side of Central Park the thunder clouds swirl in reverse. Then something else bizarre happens, what appears to be a beam of pure light cuts through the clouds and down into the city below.
She half expects there to be some kind of sonic boom or something, but there is only silence, even the thunder is muffled as the light retracts back up into the sky. That was no natural event caused by the storm, Diana thinks. She looks back to the party. Everyone is having a good time, no one has even noticed that she has slipped out. Looking back to the skyline she guesstimates the distance. Two, three jumps maybe? She has become versed in judging how many teleports it will take to get around the city.
Central Park
New York, NY
Arriving on the scene the smell of ozone drifts through the trees. Miracle Maiden adjusts her density to allow the rain to pass through her body. Going back to the party with wet hair is not an option. Looking overhead she spots a hole cut in the canopy of the trees. She follows the scent trail through the park until it becomes almost overpowering. Directly below the hole in the canopy she finds a meter in diameter scorch mark on the grass. Moving closer to investigate by solidifying her fingers to touch the charred grass. It is dry unlike the surrounding area. Turning her gaze upward the edges of the tree limbs are cut in a perfect circle.
There is something familiar about this burn mark on the ground as she stands back up. She has seen this before in a photo somewhere. Miracle Maiden’s thoughts are interrupted as she hears movement in the woods behind her. She charges up her eyes to use her new trick to scan her surroundings. She hasn’t yet mastered this skill she learned in Ghaza, but it will still allow her to see things she normally couldn’t. Then she spots a figure hiding behind a large tree around fifty yards away. It is too obscure to see if it is a person or animal. “Come out, I mean you no harm.”
As the figure moves again Miracle Maiden can now see it is no animal. It is a well built man that she sees in a lime green silhouette. She has no idea what the colors mean when she uses this new power, but she can definitely tell that this man has no business hiding from her behind a tree. He raises his hand that is holding an even brighter object that glows with a paler shade of green. His body language tells her instantly that he is no friend and it is she who should be cautious of him. A bolt of crackling dark green energy screeches through the rain toward Miracle Maiden.
At first Miracle Maiden had no fear of this attack. In her current state of dispersion nothing can touch her, not even the rain. Then at the last moment she can feel the heat of the energy blast. In a sudden panic she throws herself to the side out of the line of the bolt. The energy bolt catches her left shoulder as she tumbles to the wet ground. Whatever that was she can feel it in her body, even in this state of dispersal. It feels as if when the beam passed through her shoulder part of it lingered behind and it now is spreading through her body.
She feels sick to her stomach and her head begins to throb. Perhaps if she solidifies her body it will push out this infection. When she tries to change she discovers she can not return to her normal body density. This weird energy is preventing her somehow. Scrambling across the wet grass on her hands and feet she is now the one who needs to hide. Her new vision power also fails her as the man moves out of the shadows.
Miracle Maiden is shocked by the appearance of the man who is dressed in a form fitting silver bodysuit from head to toe with not a single inch of flesh showing. The suit reflects the moonlight that peeks through the rain clouds making the green glow around him dim slightly. From the top of his head a zipper runs down his face and chest to his crotch to disappear between his legs. When he turns around she can see that the zipper ends on his lower back above his waist with a strap that looks like a tail hanging down. On his arms there are quadrilateral shapes that form a line from below his shoulders to his wrists. Zippers also run up the front of the knee high black boots. In his hand he holds a weapon of some kind that matches the quadrilateral shapes on his costume.
As the man moves around the area away from Miracle Maiden, she begins to feel better. When she has a clear line of sight to the man she decides to take advantage of it. Two beams of pink Bio-energy from her eyes race across the park toward her attacker. Only yards from the man he begins to laugh as he turns. Raising his glowing weapon it slices through Miracle Maiden’s focused beams, sending it in opposite directions. “Face it, you have no defense against me!” the man shouts through his full face mask that muffles his voice.
“That is why we are here, Stand down now!” The General orders as Unit-55 operatives arrive on the scene. A dozen armed men surround the area wearing night vision goggles and battle gear. The target does not look at all intimidated by the men aiming their rifles at him. “Last chance or I give the order!” the General shouts.
“I will be back for you Miracle Maiden!” the strange silver zippered man shouts as he raises his weapon over his head. In an instant there is a burst of dark green light that blankets the park scattering the raindrops in every direction. When the darkness of night returns and everyone’s vision clears, the man in silver is gone.
The General does not look at all pleased with this outcome as he shouts orders again, “Search the wood, find the woman!”
Miracle Maiden takes this moment to take her leave. With Mr. Zipp gone she feels perfectly fine again. She teleports away to return to the party, leaving her wondering who this Mr. Zipp guy was and what he wants.
Saturday, March 19, 1988 – 5:56 am
Calvary Cemetery
49-02 Laurel Hill Blvd
Woodside, NY
When Miracle Maiden arrives at the front gate of the cemetery. She marvels at its size and grandeur. She can’t help but wonder if her father is buried here with the ego he had. She strolls inside the grounds along the flower lined driveway. Iris Nelson handled all of the burial arrangements and Diana was not invited to the graveside burial. Then she laughs to herself even after all he did and the fact that she now knows that he is not her birth father she still thinks of William Carter as her Dad. Maybe if she met her real father that would change, but that still seems impossible.
There are so many monuments and crypts it might take her hours to find the one she is looking for to meet Dr. Woodlawn and his secret friend. “It is this way,” she is caught by surprise by Dr. Woodlawn who stood behind the large stone pillars that hold the gate. “Its the largest mausoleum on the grounds, ‘Johnston’.”
“How long have you been waiting there?” Miracle Maiden asks as he jogs up next to her.
“Not long, I had to tell the wife I was going to the clinic, so as to not arouse suspicion,” Dr. Woodlawn explains as they continue to walk on the main road into the cemetery.
“Lying to your wife already, Dr. Woodlawn?” Miracle Maiden counters as he turns to head down a narrower road.
“Unfortunately, if I want to stay with my family and keep them safe, right now it is my only option,” he tells her as he looks up to a marble angel perched atop a monument.
“Exactly how deep are you into this whole thing?” she questions as they walk by row after row of headstones and statues. “I’m beginning to wonder if I should even trust you after what happened last night.”
“What are you talking about?” Dr. Woodlawn questions. “What happened last night?”
“While your wife was giving a toast to your return home, there was a disturbance in Central Park,” Miracle Maiden reveals. “A guy in a silver suit was apparently looking for me in particular.” “That was before a Military Black-ops team showed up.” “Led by a man with the markings of a General on his uniform.”
“It was only a matter of time before he showed up here himself,” Dr. Woodlawn admits. “Did he catch the man you are talking about?”
“No, Mr. Silver Zipper suit guy took off before I did,” Miracle Maiden tells the doctor as they walk up to the huge stone mausoleum with the name “Johnston” across over the heavy doors. “But after he left the General turned his sights on me.”
“That is to be expected,” a second man says walking out from behind one of the granite pillars at the front of the structure. He stands with authority at the top of the stone steps that lead up to the top of the retaining wall at the front entrance. “Come on up, we should talk inside.” Dr. Woodlawn and Miracle Maiden climb the steps to where the other man waits. “Miracle Maiden, it is a pleasure to meet you,” the man says, offering his hand as he clearly scrutinizes her disguised face.
“And you are?” Miracle Maiden asks, taking his hand to shake it.
“For now it is best if you just call me the Colonel,” the man says. “Forgive me but this disguise you are wearing looks familiar.” “By chance do you know a man called Mist?”
The mention of Mist catches Miracle Maiden off guard. She doesn’t know at this point if it should be a reason to trust or distrust this man. So she simply shakes her head no, “Can’t say that I do.” The trio step inside the crypt through the large heavy door. The inside is pretty much what she expects from a hundred year old cemetery crypt. There is a Coleman Camping lantern hanging on a hook on the wall that lights the dank room. “So, the Colonel, the General, the Doctor, does anyone have a real name here?” Miracle Maiden asks, looking around at the name plates on the walls that mark crypts.
“I might ask you the same thing, Miracle Maiden,” the Colonel replies. “But if Abe trusts you, so do I.” “I have no need to invade your privacy.” “I would hope you could give me the same respect.” “Perhaps you should start at the beginning, Abe.”
Dr. Woodlawn looks the most relaxed Miracle Maiden has ever seen him since they met. “The Colonel and I came up through the ranks together, even ended up in military intelligence together for a time.” “Then I left the service to start a family and pursue my medical career.”
“I was working as a medical intern at a hospital Emergency room when a woman arrived about to give birth prematurely.” “My own wife was pregnant at the time and I was eager to help the woman in distress.” “Not long after that I became ill for several weeks, nothing serious I thought at the time, just the flu.” “But after that I was never sick again a day in my life.” “I now believe the woman I helped give birth was Miracle Maiden’s mother.” “There was some kind of radiation released at her birth that altered my DNA.”
“I had gained a superior healing factor. I didn’t even realize it until the night of the accident.” “It would be several days later when I woke up in the city morgue.” “My family already believed me dead.” “It was then that I was noticed by the General.”
“I was taken into custody by Unit-55 and forced into service by the General.” “I didn’t think I had any choice so I agreed as long as my family would be taken care of well.” “Over the next ten years I stayed hidden from the world until I was given the leverage against the General I needed to return to my family.”
“That’s where I came in,” the Colonel interrupts. “When you went public Miracle Maiden, Abe thought it might be a means to finally get out from under the General’s thumb, so he called me.” “I may be retired intelligence but I still have connections.” “The General has been around longer than I have, but I know some people who have been around even longer.”
“In the early 1950’s when the US Congress was eager to fight communism it created an off the books agency called Unit-55.” “In the 1970’s the General was put in charge of Unit-55.” “Under the guidance of the General Unit-55 ‘s goals were reshaped.” “It now sought out to employ former military personnel who had achieved success in civilian life, called ‘Assets’.” “Assets would co-opt white collar criminals using blackmail.” “These “pawns” were used to secure military actions inside the borders of the United States.” “One of those “Assets” was William Carter.” “Over time William Carter’s division in New York became the General’s greatest success.” “I can’t be sure when but at some point the General became interested in Zeni-humans.”
“It was when he learned of my unique situation and brought me into the fold,” Dr. Woodlawn explains. “Once his doctors were done studying and testing me, I was assigned to find more Zeni-humans.” “I worked for that SOB for a decade before I had the leverage to get out from under him.” “I managed to convince him to let me come home to my family.” “I told him I would find the one who was working against them.”
“So befriending me was all a trick!” Miracle Maiden shouts backing away from the men. “I suggest you talk faster if you want me to hang around!”
“I’ve told him nothing about you!” Abe says in a panic. “Nor have I turned over any information about the veterans I have found to have Zeni-human genes.” “I’ve spent years trying to find a way to unlock those genes and failed, but I could risk him finding anyone else who could.”
“What about The Owl?” Miracle Maiden says accusingly.
“The Owl existed long before the General put her in charge of the New York cabal,” the Colonel explains. “It was actually William Carter who brought the Owl into the fold.” “I have heard rumors that Carter had a means to control the Owl.” “Keep her wrapped around his little finger, but can’t find proof of that roomer.” “But what you and Master Warrior did to take her down has robbed the General of his most powerful weapon.”
Miracle Maiden notices something in the Colonel’s expression at the mention of Master Warrior. It gives her pause for a moment before she asks, “So where do we go from here?”
“We need to break the General,” Dr Woodlawn adds. “He’s already been drawn out by what you said happened last night.” “He is getting desperate, he would have never left the secrecy of his base if he wasn’t looking to recruit someone powerful.” “The more we can draw him out into the open, the more he puts himself at risk.”
“What does that mean?” Miracle Maiden asks. “What will that accomplish other than getting people hurt?”
“It will make the people who give him his power uncomfortable,” the Colonel suggests. “If we can turn them against him, they will do our job for us.”
Altman Photography Studio
517 Myrtle Avenue,
New York, NY
Diana arrives at her friend Tracey’s Photography Studio early for their lunch date. The sign of the door is faced out and closed as she expected. Tracey only takes private appointments on Saturday which is why she was there this morning. Diana pushes on the door to find it unlocked, which is not something Tracey would normally do after a client has left. “Tracey, you know you left the door open, right?” Diana calls out as she enters the Studio, locking the door behind herself. The room is set up with several different photo scenes for different shoots. “Tracey, are you ready to go?” she calls out heading for the back of the studio.
Entering the back room of the Photography Studio Diana finds that it is a mess, props and equipment strewn around on metal shelving. Nothing out of the ordinary for Diana’s unorganized friend. At the back of the space is a dark room and a small office that Tracey uses for her paperwork. The light outside the dark room is not on so Diana heads for the office. The office is usually much different than the storage room because Tracey has her husband come in once a week to do the billing and he is very well organized. Today is a different story. There are photo proof books on the floor and negatives scattered across the desk. Something is not right, Diana thinks.
Walking around behind the desk Diana looks over the mess. There is a slight smell of smoke which is also out of place. Tracey’s studio is No Smoking because of the chemicals she uses to develop film. Then Diana looks up to the wall over the door frame. Burnt into the wall board is a message. “If you want to see your friend again, come alone to the place where you first met her!” There is no signature.
“Camp Tandy?” Diana says out loud. “What the hell is going on?” “If this is Tracey’s idea of a birthday prank, I’ll strangle her!” Then Diana notices something strange on the desk. The magnetic paperweight that Tracey uses to hold paper clips is now demagnetized. All of the paper clips that were stuck to it now lay on the desk. There is something else strange about the burnt words too.
Walking over to the wall Diana’s eyes glow to reveal a hidden message written on a different spectral level over top of the burns. “Send Miracle Maiden or she dies on sight!” and it is signed “Mr. Zipp”. There is no way Tracey could know about the Zipper guy from the park last night. This is no joke, her best friend is really in danger even if Diana has no idea why.
“Camp Tandy is all the way in New Jersey, how am I supposed to get there?” Diana ponders out loud.
Hudson Veterans Clinic
28 Hudson St
New York, NY
“Dad, where have you been all morning?” Fox Woodlawn asks as his father enters the clinic three hours late.
“Francis, what are you doing here?” The father asks, surprised to see his son at work on a Saturday.
“I called Mom and she said you were coming into work this morning, so I figure it would be a good time for us to go over those discrepancies in the records,” Fox explains. “Mom told me you left hours ago, where have you been?”
“I stopped to get breakfast,” Abe Woodlawn replies, hoping his son will believe him.
“For three hours?” Fox counters.
“Limited seating and a long line,” Abe lies to his suspicious son. Abe Woodlawn is well aware that even though they are alone, they are still being watched and eavesdropped on by the General’s hidden cameras in the room. Moreover the conversation his son wants to have is something he has been avoiding for weeks. Any further discussion of the topic on camera could be dangerous for both of them. When he brought his son on board at the Clinic it was only to spend time with him, not expecting him to uncover things the General would prefer remain hidden.
Camp Tandy
Lawrence Township
New Jersey
After renting a car Diana has switched to Miracle Maiden and made the three hour drive to Camp Tandy from Manhattan. It is still too early in the season for the camp to be open, so she pulls off to the side of the road at the entrance to the driveway. Getting out of the compact car she walks to the gate. From the looks of the chain and lock on the gate, not even the spring clean up crew has arrived yet. Miracle Maiden’s first encounter with Mr. Zipp she phased her body and it did not go well. This time she decides to try the opposite strategy. Moving her body to full density also more than doubles her strength that should be an advantage.
Not wanting to take any risks, Miracle Maiden leaps up and over the gate to land in the driveway on the other side. Turning back to the gate she remembers the day that she and Steve snuck off to walk out to it. It was such a small thing to do she didn’t even write about it in her diary, but there is something she wonders about.
Walking back to the gate that has a post of poured concrete she looks for something on her side hidden by the underbrush. She really didn’t fully understand her powers back then but there were things she could do. One of them was to use her finger to carve “DC&SR in the concrete pillar where no one would ever see it and it remains there to this day. Not even Steve knew she did it while he was off in the woods relieving himself.
As she begins the half mile hike down the driveway she thinks about how she never thought she would ever return to this place. So many good memories and only a few bad. Now she fears there will be more bad memories after what happens here today. Who is this Mr. Zipp and how could he know about Tracey or this place? Miracle Maiden has to keep focused to believe that this crazy dressed guy hasn’t hurt Tracey. She has no idea what she is up against so she keeps her approach to a standard walk, so as to not exert too much of her energy too soon.
The Lodge comes into view as Miracle Maiden draws to the end of the driveway where the bus parking is located. The question now is where is this mad man and what has he done with her friend? Miracle Maiden stands in the center of the bus parking area completely open to attack as she scans the area. It hasn’t changed much in the past decade. It is all just as she remembered it.
Then the idea of how Tracey must be feeling right now flashes in Miracle Maiden’s head. Tracey has never been one to handle these kinds of situations very well. She must be completely terrified with no idea of why this is happening. Miracle Maiden begins to sprint toward the Lodge across the stone spread on the parking lot. Like the front gate it too is locked with chains across the handles. Phasing through the doors would be her first plan, but she doesn’t want to get caught like that again by Mr. Zipp. Taking hold of the chain she pulls it to break only one link leaving the lock intact, not to cause too much damage.
Unchaining the doors Miracle Maiden steps inside the Lodge closed up for the winter. “Tr…” she begins to call out her friend’s name only to stop herself. She is Miracle Maiden, not Diana Carter. “Mrs. Woodlawn,” she then calls, it sounds funny saying it out loud for the first time. Her voice echoes in the large open room. There appears to be no one here either. Could she have made a mistake on the meaning of the message? Did she come all this way to find out that Tracey was still back in the city?
Miracle Maiden walks across the large open room. The lunch tables have all been folded up and rolled against the wall. It reminds her of the night of the square dance. Steve and she had a lot of fun that night. It was one of the few nights that open contact between the boys and girls was tolerated by the counselors. She giggles to herself at how relaxed they both were that night trying to dance without really holding each other too tight. She was afraid of getting over excited and breaking his ribs or something.
As Miracle Maiden reaches the kitchen door she hears the ruckus from behind her in the dining room. The folded lunch table all glow with a green hue as they roll across the floor in her direction. At this density she knows the tables offer little threat of injury to her but she can’t have them damaged. Moving swiftly she stops the first table in its tracks. Holding it still on the old waxed wood floor isn’t easy as a second collides with it. Pushing against the force that controls the tables she rounds them up one by one to pin as many as she can against the wall.
What an amateur move, the thought comes into Miracle Maiden’s mind. How could I have been so stupid to allow myself to become cornered like this? Clearly Mr. Zipp wants me to phase again so he can affect me as he did the last time. Miracle Maiden looks up to the open rafter roof. That is not going to happen! Leaving the possessed table to fend for themselves she leaps up onto the beams above her. Gazing down she watches as the table springs free from the wall where she held them fast. The animated roller tables bang around for a few seconds before the green glow that surrounds them fades.
Leaping from beam to beam Miracle Maiden finds a beam below one of the many sky lights on the roof. The latch is old and corroded but she manages to get it open without breaking it. Squeezing out the open window onto the roof she is free of one trap. Clearly Mr. Zipp must be close by watching to know she escaped his trap so quickly.
The high peaked roof gives her a clearer view of the area. She walks to the summit to survey almost the entire camp. She can see the lake and the river that feeds it, where it disappears into the woods. The edges of both camping areas for the boy and the girls. Even the open field where the fire pit sits unused for months. But the place she most needs to watch she can not see, the sides of the lodge itself is out of her view. Miracle Maiden stands on the roof for several minutes waiting for a sign of anyone fleeing the lodge.
It is then that she spots the car coming down the driveway. The last thing she needs is another innocent to protect! Running along the peak of the roof, Miracle Maiden leaps off the end toward the parking lot. She is more than a little surprised at the distance of her long jump as she lands only several yards from the entrance to the lot. She makes the sprint across the rest of the lot toward the arriving car. She stops at the point where the driveway meets the parking lot. The arriving car stops short in front of Miracle Maiden. Although he is visibly older she recognizes the driver through the windshield. Of all people it was Coach Booth, she thinks to herself as he gets out of the car. “I’m sorry sir but you can not be here right now,” she tells him.
“I can’t be here?” he repeats. “You are trespassing and it is you that should not be here, young woman!” Coach Booth retorts in his usual bullish manner. “I am here to start spring clean up tomorrow!”
“I understand that sir, but there is a situation here, a woman is being held hostage,” Miracle Maiden explains. “She is being held by a very dangerous man and you need to go!” Suddenly Miracle Maiden is struck in the back by a dark green bolt that sends her to the ground. Coach Booth stands next to his car in shock as the man dressed in silver materializes in the parking lot.
“I suggest you listen to her old man,” Mr. Zipp says, aiming his weapon at the Coach.
“I don’t know who you people are but you are trespassing and I am calling 911,” Coach Booth shouts at Mr. Zipp. Mr. Zipp fires his weapon again, this time at the Coach’s car. The pale green beam surrounds the car causing it to float up from the ground.
Coach Booth’s bullish attitude vanishes as he scrambles back away from his car that floats overhead. The car reaches a height of one hundred feet before it is released and falls back to the Earth. The car hits the ground exploding the tires, shattering the windows, and crushes the frame. Coach Booth looks to Mr. Zipp before he turns to flee back out the driveway on foot.
“At least you have the humanity to let him go,” Miracle Maiden says, getting up from the ground.
“You should be incapacitated like before!” Mr. Zipp says at the shock of Miracle Maiden’s quick recovery.
“Not this time!” she replies, lunging forward to land a punch to his jaw. He staggers back not losing his footing as she uses her right foot to kick him down onto his back. “Where is Tracey Woodlawn!” she demands of the man on the ground.
Sitting up on the parking lot he tucks his weapon behind his back where it adheres to his suit. “I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” he growls. Springing up at Miracle Maiden, Mr. Zipp’s hands go for her throat. He is swifter than she expected. As he pushes her back, Miracle Maiden manages to get her knee between them. They grapple for a few minutes as she tries to free his hands from her throat, he is stronger than she expected as well. But when she pulls his right hand away it moves to grope her left breast. Mr. Zipp’s wandering hand triggers a defense mechanism charging the surface of her body with Bio-energy.
The charge is enough to loosen Mr. Zipp’s grip allowing her to kick him over her head to the parking lot. Miracle Maiden is back to her feet as her attacker gathers his wits on the ground. “You pervert!” she shouts at him. “What is it you want from me?” “Who the hell are you?”
“I’m your worst nightmare!” Mr. Zipp says. He puts his shoulder down running at Miracle Maiden like a football linebacker at full force. This time he meets more resistance than his first attempt. Miracle Maiden stands with her feet firmly planted on the ground with his arms wrapped around her waist. He is an easy target for her to bring both of her fists down onto his spine.
Mr. Zipp is knocked down to her feet dizzied by Miracle Maiden’s assault. Reaching down she plucks the strange angular weapon from his back. She steps back away from the man’s crumpled body, examining the weapon from every angle. “I suggest you give that back!” Mr. Zipp demands getting back to his knees. “Only I can control it!”
“In that case maybe I should destroy it!” Miracle Maiden suggests reeling back to give the Zippour weapon a throw that sends it far off into the distance toward the wooded mountains. “I’m sure by the time it hits the ground there will be very little left of it.” she smiles.
“You Fuckin’ Bitch!” Mr. Zipp shouts. getting back to his feet to begin to run after his weapon.
“Not so fast, Zipp,” Miracle Maiden says, firing the most powerful stun beams from her eyes she can muster. The beams strike him square in the back where the Zippour adhered only moments ago. He stumbles and then falls flat on his face in the stones of the parking lot. She walks over to where the man lay on the ground. Walking around him examining his clothing from a distance to discover something. The tail-like zipper on his lower back appears to be the only means of opening his one piece suit. If she wants to see his face, she is going to end up getting a look at more than just that.
Miracle Maiden uses her foot to roll him over onto his back to see if there is some other way of finding out who he is. Without warning he grabs her ankle to throw her several feet across the lot to her surprise. “Not today bitch!” he shouts as he reaches out his right hand that now holds his weapon again. A bolt fires from the weapon, but this time the energy does not strike her, instead it forms a bubble around her body lifting her from the ground. She struggles inside shouting but not a sound can be heard.
Altman Photography Studio
517 Myrtle Avenue,
New York, NY
Fox Woodlawn arrives at his wife’s Photograph Studio looking for her after she didn’t come home by 3 pm. He assumed that she just got wrapped up in something and forgot to call. When he goes to her office and sees the words; “If you want to see your friend again, come alone to the place where you first met her!” he calls the police.
The worried husband waits for the police to arrive for a half an hour with a million thoughts running through his head. Fox can’t even begin to guess what is going on. All he knows is since his father returned from the dead these strange things have been happening. The two patrolmen who were the first to show up asked him all kinds of strange questions that made him feel like Tracey was some kind of secret criminal. Now they have him sitting in one of the photography scenes while a CSI team goes over Tracey’s office. No one seems to want to tell him anything except to give him the occasional dirty look.
Then a large black man with a shaved head arrives at the studio, Fox recognizes him as Detective Prussia who questioned him about his father and Diana not long ago. He gets up to approach the man as he enters the store front. “Detective Prussia, what are you doing here?” Fox asks, “have you learned anything about my wife?”
“Just take a seat back where you were, Mr. Woodlawn, I will be right with you,” Detective Prussia tells the distraught young man.
“Does this have something to do with my father?” Fox blurts out. “Why would anyone take my wife?”
“Just calm down sir, I was called because the CSI’s found something and I assure you it has nothing to do with your father,” Detective Prussia explains. “Now if you will just give me a minute to talk with the officers on the scene I will bring you right up to speed when I am finished.”
Fox returns to the large Teddy bear chair where he had been sitting until Prussia arrived. It sounds stupid in his head but the chair is one of the props he insisted his wife buy to photograph kids, it somehow gives him some comfort now. If this isn’t all about his father, the question of why would someone take his wife is still unanswered. He knows that Tracey was going to lunch with Diana today. Maybe he should call her, maybe she is the friend the note was left for on the wall. Fox gets up to go over to the phone that Tracey keeps on an end table in one of the photo scenes. He knows that it actually works so if anyone calls for an appointment while Tracey is working she can deal with it quickly. Dialing Diana’s home number he gets her answering machine. “Diana it’s Fox,” he says on the recording. “Can you call me at Tracey’s studio as soon as you get in, something strange has happened.” He hangs up the phone hoping his message wasn’t too vague.
“Mr. Woodlawn, who were you just calling?” Detective Prussia asks as he returns from the back of the studio.
“I was calling a friend who my wife had lunch with today,” Fox replies.
“And was Diana Carter home?” the Detective asks.
“No, I just got her machine,” a surprised Fox Woodlawn replies. “How do you know that is who I was calling?”
“You know that I have an interest in Ms. Carter after the last time we chatted,” Detective Prussia reminds.
“She probably just went shopping after lunch,” Fox says. “You know how women are.” Prussia just shakes his head slightly. “You don’t think Diana had anything to do with this, do you?”
“Let me show you something,” Detective Prussia says, directing Fox into the back room of the Photograph Studio. The two police CSI are still looking around the storage room as the Detective takes the worried husband to the office where the lights have been dimmed. There is a large black light set up on the desk pointing at the wall where the message was burnt into it. Under the black light there is a second message revealed; “Send Miracle Maiden or she dies on sight!” and it is signed “Mr. Zipp”.
“What, what does that mean?” Fox questions in shock at the sight of the second message. “My wife doesn’t even know Miracle Maiden.” “What is going on!” the now frightened man demands. “None of this makes any sense at all!” “Tracey is just an ordinary photographer.” “How could any of this be happening?” “Wait, I met Miracle Maiden at the Clinic.” “Is this my fault?”
“Just calm down, young man,” Detective Prussia says, turning on the overhead lights to make the second message on the wall fade from view. “It is my feeling that none of this has anything to do with you or your wife, directly.” Prussia can clearly see that the young man has no idea about his father or what he suspects of Diana Carter. “But I would like to ask where was it that your wife and Diana Carter first met?”
“Diana, you think this has something to do with Diana?” Fox asks in confusion. “Tracey first met Diana at some summer camp in New Jersey when they were 15.” “It was like a year to eighteen months after that when Diana transferred to our High School.”
“Do you remember the name of that Camp?” the inquisitive Detective asks.
“Camp Mandy?” Fox says not sure, “Or was it Mindy?” “No, no it was Tandy, like the Radio Shack computers!” “Tracey has a zillion photos of that summer.” “She was going to make an album for Diana.” Fox turns to look through some folders on a shelf behind the desk. She was developing old negatives to print new copies as a surprise, but got sidetracked by work. Finding several manila envelopes marked Diana’s album, Fox spreads the photos on the already cluttered desk.
Detective Prussia flips through some of the prints not really expecting to find anything useful. There are some photos of a young Diana Carter with a pageboy haircut that he finds amusing. There are photos of Diana with two young boys as well. “Who are these guys?” Prussia asks, holding up a photo of the boys giving piggyback rides.
“The big one is the one Tracey always calls Diana’s true love and the other guy is his friend that Tracey never has anything nice to say about,” Fox explains. Instantly in his mind Fox puts the two messages on the wall together. “Do you think one of these guys has something to do with my wife’s disappearance?” “Do you think he took her there?”
“It is a possibility, but I can not be sure of anything right now,” Detective Prussia replies. “Right now I need for you to go home and try to relax.” “The moment I know anything I will call you.”
“I have to ask you Detective Prussia, why are you here?” Fox questions. “What about a missing person case could justify you being here?”
“Two words in that second message, Miracle Maiden,” Prussia replies bluntly.
Camp Tandy
Lawrence Township
New Jersey
At the river above the waterfall, the bubble that contains Miracle Maiden sits in the water somehow held in place as the water rushes around it. She watches in silence as Mr. Zipp paces along the shore as if searching for something. He holds his weapon on an outstretched arm as if to use it like some kind of metal detector. He waves it over the water as it does not emit any visible power at all. She can neither hear or be heard but she can see that his lips move as he mumbles something. It is almost as if he fears to enter the water in which her bubble sits.
Miracle Maiden has given up on trying to escape the bubble accepting that whatever it is made of she can not break free. She has decided instead to focus on why Mr. Zipp kidnapped Tracey and insisted on her presence here. He clearly has some kind of plan beyond kidnapping and murder. Miracle Maiden looks through the bubble with a glow in her eyes. The barrier reveals something unexpected, it is made of energy similar to that which she siphoned in Ghaza. Which tells her force is not her means of escape but she has another idea of how to free herself. Focusing passed the bubble Miracle Maiden spies something else glowing beneath the water of the river. It is a small kaleidoscope of colors that rests among the stones on the river bottom.
What Miracle Maiden sees under the water is not far from where Mr. Zipp searches. Then suddenly the Zippour erupts with a powerful blast that strikes down to the bottom of the river bed. He has found the same spot that Miracle Maiden viewed. It is where the large quartz crystal that was known as the Volkov Crystal was once buried. It has been gone from the spot for years but it has left a residual trace of its power behind. The trace of power is all the Zippour needs to unzip the fabric of time and space. Mr. Zipp holds tight onto his weapon with both hands as it begins to vibrate with a power he has never used. If Miracle Maiden could see his face behind his silver mask she would know that he fears he has gone too far.
Still trapped in the Static-warp bubble, Miracle Maiden watches as a beam of energy reaches high into the sky to form a huge thunder head. Returning her view back down she bares witness as the beam begins to expand opening a rift in its middle. At first there is only a swirl of light and color at the center of the tear in the fabric of reality. Then a new horizon becomes clear. It is the day of the thunderstorm that kept all of the campers trapped in the lodge in 1981. She remembers it because the storm made her feel sick. It was perhaps the first and the last time she felt ill in her life. If not for Steve being there to comfort her through it she is not sure she would have even come to the lodge.
The rift expands outward moving closer to the bubble that contains Miracle Maiden. She looks to Mr. Zipp who struggles to hold his weapon steady as it tears open the hole in the sky. Whatever he has created she is sure she does not want to be gobbled up by it. It takes a little more concentration than usual but Miracle Maiden manages to at last teleport out of the bubble to appear behind Mr. Zipp. Clearly the Zippour is what is creating this mess, it makes sense to her that it is the Zippour that must seal the tear. She grabs for the weapon over Mr. Zipp’s shoulder but he refuses to release it.
“Fine then you go with it,” Miracle Maiden says as she lifts him from the ground by his shining silver uniform. Zipp struggles more to hold onto the Zippour than he does to escape her grasp as she raises him over her head. Before Mr. Zipp quite knows what is happening. Miracle Maiden has thrown him toward the bubble in which he held her prisoner.
He shouts in protest, “NO, YOU BITCH, YOU’LL RUIN EVERYTHING!” He is helpless as his body pierces the bubble and then it is taken in by the rift in reality he has created. There is a flash of blinding light and then there is an instant calmness. The sky has cleared, there is no sign of the space time tear or Mr. Zipp.
Miracle Maiden stands at the edge of the river, the water up to her ankles. Using her vision power she scans the river and the surrounding area to find no sign of Mr. Zipp, the Zippour or the energy that was on the river bed. It is as if none of it ever happened.
But it did and now she still has to find Tracey and hope that he didn’t hurt her. The obvious place in her mind that he would have hidden her is the girls camping area. She would be out of the way of all of this and no one would be around. Miracle Maiden begins to run down through the woods to the girls camp. She can’t help but to feel responsible for all of this even though she still has no idea who Mr. Zipp even was or what he was trying to do.
Arriving at the girl’s camping areas the memories flood back to Miracle Maiden as she looks to find the tent that she and Tracey share nearly a decade ago. It is a different color but it is right where she remembered it, three sites from the bath house. Throwing open the flap she finds Tracey on the floor gagged and bound with duct tape. Hurrying to check on her friend, she tries to stay calm, remember who she is. “Mrs. Woodlawn, are you okay?” she asks, pulling the tape gently from Tracey’s mouth.
“Oh My God, Miracle Maiden, is that really you?” Tracey blurts out excited at the sight of the heroine.
“Yes, it’s me, are you Okay?” Miracle Maiden asks, looking over her friend. “Did he hurt you?” Miracle Maiden rips through the tape on Tracey’s wrists and ankles.
“Oh My God, Where is that crazy Guy?” Tracey asks, grabbing Miracle Maiden’s arm. “He kept going on about how the summer my friend Diana and I spent here was a weak point in the time stream or something.” “He said I was meant to die that summer!” “But somehow someone changed the timeline.” “He said his Zippour had the power to change the timeline back, but he wanted to make it so Diana died instead of me!” “We need to find Diana, make sure she is alright”
“I’m sure she is fine, things didn’t go exactly as Mr. Zipp planned,” Miracle Maiden explains. “Besides, if he had killed her in the past you wouldn’t even remember her now.” “Did he say why he wanted to do that?”
“Something about how she had ruined his life,” Tracey reveals. “He was babbling about how if she died that summer he would be free.” “I’ve been around assholes like him before, all full of himself.” “The only thing that scared me was how he seemed to know about that summer.” “I knew what he was saying was crazy, but it scared me a little.” “Why did he bring me here?”
“I think if what he was trying to do worked he needed you here to prove it worked,” Miracle Maiden suggests. “I agree with you, he was full of himself, thinking he could do something beyond his skill set.” “I’m sure he will not be back to bother you again.”
“How can you know such a thing?” Tracey inquiries.
“What I did to him has centered his fury on me,” Miracle Maiden suggests. “If he returns, it will be me he wants.” “He won’t make the same mistakes twice.” “Now how about we get you home.” “I’m sure everyone is worried about you.”
Miracle Maiden and Tracey leave the tent to begin walking back to the Lodge. Getting Tracey home is going to be tricky, Miracle Maiden thinks. How is she going to explain the rental car?
As they walk Tracey begins to wonder, “How did you know my name and that I was here?” she asks.
Miracle Maiden tries not to miss a beat retorting, “I have my ways, connections with the police and such.” “Mr. Zipp left a message at your Photography Studio.”
“Oh,” Tracey sighs.
As they come into view of the lodge there is a gathering of police and firemen around the remains of Coach Booth’s car. Thank God that old grump did call the police, now I have a way of getting Tracey home, Miracle Maiden thinks. As they approach the activity in the parking lot another car pulls into the lot. Special Agent Lei and Detective Prussia get out of the car with a very different attitude than the other officials at the scene. Detective Prussia is not at all surprised to see Miracle Maiden on the scene.
“That is her, that is the woman who threatened me!” Coach Booth shouts as he points at Miracle Maiden. Before the local cops can do anything Detective Prussia goes to them with his badge out. “Detective Nathan Prussia, NYPD, I’m here following up on an open case and those two women are witnesses.” “If you could offer me some professional courtesy, I would like to speak with them first.”
An officer with Sgt. stripes gives Prussia a nod, “Go ahead, we have enough here dealing with this guy, just don’t let them leave.”
Agent Lee remains with the other policemen as Detective Prussia walks to meet the two women several yards away from the scene in the parking lot. “I’m not at all surprised to see you here,” he says to Miracle Maiden, stopping them at the edge of the grass. “What happened and who is Mr. Zipp?”
“He is a crazy man,” Tracey blurts out at the detective. “He kidnapped me, brought me here telling me he was going to change the past so that my friend Diana would die!”
“Thank You, Mrs. Woodlawn, maybe I should talk to Detective Prussia alone,” Miracle Maiden suggests.
“Maybe, but first was the man who took you one of these young men?” Detective Prussia asks, holding out one of Tracey’s photos of Steve, Gary, and Diana.
“You took this from my Studio?” Tracey says almost laughing. “Those two guys couldn’t pull off something like this!” “Besides, Diana and I haven’t seen them since that summer.” Miracle Maiden remains silent even though she knows what Tracey has said is not true. She has seen both the young men in the photo recently. Could one of them be Mr. Zipp? It would explain why the sudden attack, why it all centered on the summer they spent here.
“What about you, Miracle Maiden?” Detective Prussia asks to pass the photo to her to view.
“I really can’t say, he wore a mask the whole time,” Miracle Maiden answers.
“Where is this Mr. Zipp now?” the detective quizzes.
“Gone,” Miracle Maiden says simply. “I can’t be sure where but I don’t think he will be back in a hurry.” “I’m sure the local police would like a statement from Mrs. Woodlawn now.” “So they can get her home.”
“Oh my husband must be worried sick about me,” Tracey says as she turns to walk toward the other policemen leaving Detective Prussia and Miracle Maiden alone.
“So can you give me a better description of Mr. Zipp?” Prussia asks. “What was he really up to?”
“He really didn’t say much to me, he had me in a sound proof bubble most of the time,” Miracle Maiden explains. “The only thing that he made clear was that he wanted revenge.” “From what Mrs. Woodlawn told me it was on her friend Diana Carter.”
Detective Prussia smirks at Miracle Maiden before asking, “Then why did he want you here?”
“He had a weapon, he called it the Zippour,” Miracle Maiden begins. “It was incredibly powerful, But I think he need me to make his plan work.” “He knew about a power I have that I only learned about a few months ago, he wanted to use it to change the time stream.”
“You realize all of this sounds ridiculous,” Detective Prussia grins. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because recent events have brought me to the decision that I need the police on my side,” Miracle Maiden says, shocking the NYPD detective. “I can’t do this all alone anymore.”
“Why me?” Prussia questions, “I’ve never been your biggest fan.”
“But I trust you, you are a good cop,” Miracle Maiden replies. “Your new partner over there, not so much,” she says gazing over at Special Agent Lei. “There is something off about him.”
“Agent Lei just has a different outlook,” Detective Prussia suggests not wanting to be derogatory about his new partner. “So what do you think became of this Mr. Zipp?” “Did he actually go back in time?”
“Not likely,” Miracle Maiden tells him. “I could feel that the bubble he trapped me in was made of some kind of trans-dimensional energy.”
“Trans-what?” Prussia questions.
“The easiest way to explain it is that my powers use that energy to do some of the things I do,” Miracle Maiden explains. “I think the bubble was meant to hold me in a position to create some kind of portal.” “So I changed it, to send him into something in between.” “Limbo if you will.”
“Bottom line, is he alive?” Prussia questions.
“Very much so and I would guess pissed off as well,” Miracle Maiden suggests. “So when he does figure out how to escape, he will be coming for me and I need to be ready.”
Detective Prussia looks at the photo of the three teens in his hand again. “So since you are in a sharing mood, any chance you’ll be telling me who you really are?”
“I think if one thing became clear today it is that who I am needs to be my secret for the safety of others,” Miracle Maiden replies. “I will tell you one thing though, as far as those boys in the photo go, you’ve already met one of them.”
“I have?” Prussia says in confusion.
“The big one in the green tank top and blue shorts in Steve Roberts,” Miracle Maiden reveals. “Mr. Zipp did not have the upper body build to be him, but the other one, Gary Rogers, I really couldn’t say.” “Other than it wouldn’t be Diana he would come after, it would be Tracey.” “If he was after Tracey she would be dead now.”
Sunday, March 20, 1988 – Diana’s 22nd Birthday
Diana Carter’s Condo
The Simpson Building
Ninth floor
303 7th Avenue
New York City, NY
It has been a long weekend and all Diana wants to do is get into a nice hot bubble bath. She has the water running as she gathers up her nightgown and slippers. Just then the phone rings. At first she doesn’t want to answer it but when she checks the caller ID. she sees the area code 610. Who could that be, she thinks reaching for the phone on her vanity. “Hello?” she says curiously.
“Wow, has it been ten years already?” she jokes in surprise at the sound of Steve Roberts’ voice.
“Thank you, I can’t believe you remembered,” Diana gasps at the idea of him remembering her birthday.
“Not at all, just give me a minute,” Diana says, laying the phone on the vanity to teleport to the bathroom to turn off the tub and back to pick up the phone in an instant. “I have to admit I am glad you called.”
“Sorry about that again,” Diana says sincerely. “Time just got away from us.”
“So what do I owe the honor of this call?” Diana asks eagerly for his reply if it was only just to talk to him some more.
Diana is speechless for a minute. Her first thought is of Wes and how that worked out. Does she really want this great guy to drive all this way from Philadelphia for dinner and have it turn into a Zombie attack or something. Going to his friend’s wedding with him was one thing, but to make him come all this way to see her. “I don’t think…,” Diana says softly into the phone.
“So you think you are chasing me?” Diana says feeling a sudden change of heart. “I think I like the idea of you chasing me this time.” “You know I’m a fast runner.”
“Probably because you weren’t really trying to catch me,” Diana laughs. “Seeing as you called me, I think maybe things are different this time.” “What do you think?”
I’ll say, Diana thinks to herself before replying, “Yes, I will go to dinner with you next Saturday.” “Is six at my place too early?”
“Just the right amount of desperation, I would say,” Diana smiles at herself in the mirror. “Now that I’m living back at home my real address is The Simpson Building; 303 7th Avenue.” “I’ll see you at six!” “Bye, see you then.” She hangs up the phone hoping she didn’t sound too eager.
Saturday, March 26, 1988
Chippie’s Cafe
17 W 32nd St
New York, NY
It is around 10:30 when Diana Carter jogs down W. 32nd street, she is meeting her best friend Tracey for a late breakfast. Over all it has been a rather uneventful week, she has seen no sign of Mr. Zipp returning or the General. Having not heard from Dr. Woodlawn or his friend has been nice as well. At work she has been handling less adventurous investigations for her Uncle that don’t require a red suit and yellow belt. The most dramatic thing that has happened to her all week was a dream about Steve being Mr. Zipp. Something her waking mind finds impossible.
This morning jog is just the thing she needs to begin what she hopes will be a completely normal new week. Arriving at Chippie’s Cafe, a place she and Tracey have been going to for years, she spots her friend in their usual booth. Walking across the diner no one could ever guess that she has just run three miles from her appearance. Diana hasn’t seen Tracey since last week after the police brought her home. She hopes the kidnapping by Mr. Zipp hasn’t had any lasting effects or traumatic aftermath.
Tracey gets up to give her friend a hug. “Why are you dressed like that?” she asks. “Did you run here?”
Diana replies, “Yeah, City Cab run,” as she takes a seat in the booth across from Tracey.
“Before I forget let me give you these,” Tracey says, taking two slips of paper from her purse.
“What are these?” Diana asks, taking what are clearly tickets.
“They are for Randy Wilson’s band’s show at the Powerhouse Tavern tonight,” Tracey explains. “Fox and I were going to go but he surprised me with a get away night at the Ritz tonight.” “This getting kidnapped has made him more attentive than ever!” “Tonight could be the night!”
“I really don’t think you should be joking like that,” Diana says as the waitress comes over with their usual order. “What happened to you was no joke.” “I’m worried about you, have you even cried?” Tracey gives Diana a glare over the top of her coffee cup. “What was that for?”
“You should be more worried than me,” Tracey comments. “That guy wanted you dead in the past.” She is silent for a moment as she puts down her coffee cup. “If anything it all made me realize how lucky I am.” “I have a great life that nut said I should have never had.” “I’ve got a fantastic husband that loves me, a job I love, my best friend.” Tracey reaches across the table to squeeze Diana’s hand. “All that and I got to meet Miracle Maiden!” “Anyway I figure you could take Jan or Katie to the show.”
“Really?” Diana says, reaching for her orange juice. “There isn’t going to be some guy there waiting for me, like Eric?”
“I’m done with all of that,” Tracey says. “You don’t need a man to be happy, you’ve proved that to me.” Diana had planned to tell Tracey about her date with Steve tonight, but after the revolution she has just made it doesn’t feel right. It has taken all this time to get Tracey to stop fixing her up with guys, maybe Diana will enjoy this for a while. Besides this could be a one date thing with Steve, who knows?
“So this is the big baby making night?” Diana grins.
“Frankly this whole week has been,” Tracey giggles. “Fox just can’t get enough of me.” “I was just glad to be able to walk today.” “I really just need some rest before tonight.”
“Now I’ve heard everything,” Diana says, digging into her pancakes.
The two friends take about an hour eating and then decide to do some window shopping that Tracey manages to focus on baby stuff. She drops several hints of things she would like in a crib, walkers, diapers, and other baby items. Diana takes it all in trying to determine if her friend is deflecting or just eager to have a baby.
“You know Fox’s Dad said that we might be having trouble conceiving because we are too focused on it,” Tracey says as they pick through a rack of baby clothes in a thrift shop. “Tonight is going to be the relaxing, romantic night we need, just like our Honeymoon.”
“Where did you guys go on your Honeymoon?” Diana asks since she was on Magic Island when her friends got married.
“A place called Paradise Stream in the Poconos,” Tracey giggles. “It was beautiful, we had a heart shaped tub in our cabin.”
“Did you do some sight seeing?” Diana asks.
“Only the sights that could be seen from inside that cabin,” Tracey grins, letting Diana know she doesn’t want to know anymore. “I got a full male anatomy lesson that week, it was much better than anything they taught us at Ensign Academy.” “Did you know that a man has a spot on….”
Diana quickly interrupts her friend, “That is enough!” “There are some things I’d rather discover myself!” Diana can feel her face go bright red as she looks at a large pregnant woman on the other side of the rack.
“Just make sure, Honey, you are ready to pay the price of finding that spot on a man,” the pregnant woman says. “I sure wasn’t!”
Still feeling embarrassed when they get outside the store Diana lets Tracey know, “I guess you have some packing to do, so I’m going to head home.”
“Okay, I’ll give you a call on Monday to let you know how it all turned out,” Tracey giggles as she gives Di a hug.”
Diana starts jogging down the street home when she hears some commotion on the street around her. She stops to look around to see some people pointing up at the sky. She isn’t sure what they are seeing. Then she catches the glimmer of gold in the sky. There is no mistaking that what everyone is seeing is Master Warrior flying overhead. What the hell is he doing here, she thinks to herself. Continuing to jog she has no time for his shit now. Diana has a big night ahead, let that Showboat take care of his own problems.
Diana Carter’s Condo
The Simpson Building
303 7th Avenue
New York City, NY
Steve arrives in the lobby of Diana’s building dressed in pleated pants, a polo shirt and his members only jacket. It is not at all what he expected when she gave him the address. He realizes she was undercover the last time he was at her apartment, but this isn’t just a step up, it is a leap. “Excuse me sir, what is your name and who are you here for?” Gregory the doorman asks.
“OH, Steve Roberts for Diana Carter,” Steve says, feeling even more out of his league than before he got here. He wishes he had worn a shirt and tie.
“I will let Ms. Carter know that you are here, you can have a seat over there,” Gregory says, pointing to what looks like a doctor’s office waiting area.
Steve steps over to the waiting area of the lobby, not really feeling the desire to sit down. It is certainly different than where she lived the last time he was at her place when she was pretending to be Dee Moore. The place he has back in Philly with Paddy sure doesn’t compare. He wonders if Paddy and he could even afford a broom closet in this place.
“Ms. Carter will be right down, sir.” the door man tells Steve.
She told me that her Uncle had been investing money in her name since her mother died and she used it to buy a condo, but he never imagined anything this high end. I guess it goes to show you really don’t know a person until you see where they live, he thinks to himself. When he hears the bell of the elevator he turns to watch the doors open. He is relieved to see Diana is dressed casually as well. She is wearing a dark gray leather jacket, a green silk tank-top and black jeans. “You look great, it is so good to see you,” Steve says, walking over to give her a hug. He feels the urge to kiss her but holds back. He doesn’t want to give her the wrong idea.
“So do you,” Diana says, holding him tight almost not wanting to let go. “I’m glad you dressed casual.” The couple break their embrace but still hold hands. “I’ve got these passes to see a band in a place I haven’t been before.” “I’m not sure what the dress code will be like.”
“You’ve got a pretty fancy place here, huh?” Steve glances at the two ticket passes in her hand to read the band’s name aloud, “Nude Barbecue?” “I feel like we might be overdressed.”
“A friend of mine from High School is the lead singer,” Diana explains. “I think the name is just for shock value.” “Tracey invited them to my surprise B-day party and they gave her the passes, but she couldn’t go tonight.” Diana and Steve head out the door still holding hands. “Good Night, Gregory,” she says as they pass the doorman’s station.
“Good Night, Ms Carter,” he replies.
“So Tracey threw you a Surprise party,” Steve smiles. “Bet you would have been really surprised if I had been there.”
“You’re not kidding, I haven’t even told Tracey we crossed paths again,” Diana says as she steps out into the street to the cab already waiting.
“Are you ashamed of me or something?” Steve asks smiling, helping her into the cab. Steve looks to the cabby who gives Diana a smile. “Hey, are you the only Cabbie in New York?” he asks.
“No, Diana and I have something of an arrangement is all.” “Where to?” Archie Lincoln calls over the seat.
“44 E 28th St, Archie,” Diana replies looking over to a surprised Steve.
“First name basis with the cabby?” he questions.
“Oh, Archie and I go way back, Archie this is Steve, I go even farther back with him,” She says.
“I remember him from his last visit to the city,” Archie says as they pull away from the curb. “It is good to see you again, sir.”
“Please if you call her by her first name you can do the same with me, call me Steve,” the young man replies.
“And no I am not ashamed of you,” Diana tells Steve. “It is that ever since I came home Tracey and my Aunt Jean have been trying to set me up with guys.” “Tracey keeps saying she wants me to be as happy as she is with her husband.” “I was going to tell her about our date this morning when we met for breakfast, but then she gave me these passes.” “I expected it to be some kind of a trick to get me on a blind date.” “When she said it wasn’t I was surprised.” “Then she goes a step farther to say she isn’t going to play matchmaker anymore.” “I just couldn’t tell her I had a date.” “I felt I should take advantage of her change of heart before springing the fact that I had a date with you.”
“That is some story,” Steve chuckles.
“You don’t know the half of it,” Archie mumbles under his breath.
“I suppose you ran right home and told everyone you know about our reunion,” Diana charges.
“Well, not everyone,” Steve says blushing. “David knew because he was here with me working on the case.” “And of course I told Paddy, hell I eat breakfast with him he could see it in my eyes.” “Hey, but I haven’t told my parents!”
“How are they doing?” Diana questions. “I’m still surprised that as close as you were with them you aren’t still living with them.”
“They retired to Florida a while back,” Steve says. “I talk to them a couple of times a month.”
Powerhouse Tavern
44 E 28th St
New York, NY
The cab pulled over to the curb. “Is this the place you want to be?” Archie asks at the sight of the bar’s exterior.
“Sure is, I’ve never been here,” Diana replied looking out the window. “I just hope the food is good, I’m starving!”
“Me too.” “I’ve been on a trip abroad and I feel like it has been a year since I had a good American meal,” Steve says leaning over the front seat. “How much do we owe you?”
“This one is on me, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Diana smile this much in the back of my cab,” Archie says. “Unless I count the last time you were in town.” Steve smiles at his date, not sure what to say. “It’s the least I can do for the woman who saved my life.”
Diana pushes Steve out the door of the cab glancing at Archie, “We’ll settle up later,” she says to the cabbie. She takes hold of Steve’s arm as she emerges behind him to the sidewalk.
“Did you really save his life?” he asks as she cuddles up next to him in the chill of the spring evening.
“He exaggerates,” Diana suggests.
“Nevertheless, you are amazing Diana Carter, full of surprises,” Steve says, feeling a connection to Diana he hadn’t felt before this moment. She pulls the band passes from her jacket pocket to show them to the doorman. He waves them past into the Tavern.
“This isn’t so bad,” Steve says as they step inside. The Tavern isn’t over crowded for a Saturday night, but there is still a good sized showing for the band. Most of the people are dressed grungier than Steve and Diana. It is a look that is quickly overtaking what they grew up with in High School. The band doesn’t start for a few hours. He can see there are girls playing, Madonna, Whitney and Rod Stewart on the jukebox. “There is a table open down front,” Steve says scanning the barroom.
“No…,let’s stay more to the back,” Diana suggests. “My guess is Randy’s wife Trish will be here and she is a horrible gossip.” Steve looks at her with a raised eyebrow that almost melts her heart. “No, it isn’t that, I want this to be a date with you and me, not a date with you, me and her.” “Once she starts she won’t leave us alone.”
Steve and Diana take seats at a table at the back of the room. Steve pulls out her chair as she sits down. It makes her feel uncomfortable but she can tell he is nervous too. He has no idea he can’t make a mistake with her, but she likes the thought that he is afraid he might.
Steve takes his seat next to her, he has butterflies in his stomach that need to be calmed if he is going to get through this date. He can’t help but to feel like an idiot. Why is he doing this? Then he hears his father’s voice in his head, “If you intend on avoiding women your whole life because of something bad that happened to you a few years ago, it will break your mother’s heart.” He wipes his hand across his forehead and back through his hair to feel that he is sweating. It is like his body is not his own.
The waitress comes to the table with a drink tray. “I’m Freda, what can I get ya to drink?” she announces over the sound of the jukebox.
“Double Southern Comfort on the rocks,” Steve blurts out without thinking.
“I thought you weren’t a drinker?” Diana asks.
“Not usually, I just need something to take the edge off,” Steve says almost unheard over the music from the Jukebox.
“I agree, I’ll have the same,” Diana says. The waitress stomps away from the table toward the bar leaving the couple alone again. “You aren’t going off the wagon or something tonight are you?”
“No, I’m just a little nervous is all,” Steve smiles. “It’s not often I go on a date like this one.” “No, cigarettes tonight?” Steve asks.
Diana smiles, “I figured no, since the way you reacted to it last time,” she says coyly. “But if I have to carry your drunk carcass out of here tonight I might need one.”
“Believe me there is little chance of that,” Steve jokes.
“So did you and Gary work out your problems after the wedding?” Diana asks.
The mention of his lost friendship sends the memories of everything that happened in Cleveland into his mind. He so wishes he could tell Diana the truth, he so wants to have someone to spill it all too, but he knows he cannot. “He left the next day before I got to talk to him.”
“I hope it didn’t have anything to do with me,” Diana suggests, looking for a hint that Gary might be Mr. Zipp.
“Not likely, the only thing he ever told me about my betrayal of him was about the summer after we met.” “He claimed I spent too much time that summer with a kid named Dan,” Steve explains. “But I have no idea who this Dan kid was.” “I don’t remember there ever being anyone at Camp Tandy named Dan, Danny, or Daniel.”
“Are you sure it was the summer after we met,” Diana quizzes as the waitress returns with their drinks. “Maybe you just heard the name wrong.” Again there is a reference to the summer after she was at Camp Tandy, could it be a coincidence?
“No it was definitely Dan,” Steve affirms. “Cheers.” They lift their glass to click them together. Steve downs half of the glass of Southern in one gulp. Diana does the same as the waitress stands over them.
“Do you want any food?” the waitress asks. The couple giggle before giving their orders.
“You know that was pretty good,” Diana says, holding up her glass. “Could you bring us another round on your way back.” The waitress trugs back to the bar as Diana finishes the rest of her drink.
“Go easy on that, I don’t want to carry you out of here either,” Steve comments.
“So, what have you been up to since I last saw you,” Diana asks. “Any tough cases?” “Any ass kicking?”
“Not anything special,” Steve replies. “Took a trip to Europe, like I said earlier.” “Couldn’t help but to think of you.”
“Me?” Diana questions. “What in Europe made you think of me?”
“Everything,” Steve smiles. “I felt alone and the one person I wished I could have with me was you.” “Now that I’m here with you, I can’t help but to think about all the years we wasted.”
Diana blushes slightly as she looks him in the eyes. “I’ve thought about you too,” she tells him, feeling foolish. “I’ve been going crazy all week thinking about tonight.”
“Well I guess we will have to make tonight something worth remembering,” Steve says, flashing his toothy smile that drives her crazy as the waitress returns with their second round of drinks. Steve finishes up his first so the gruff woman can take his glass. “If I didn’t know better I’d think you were trying to get me drunk.”
“Not yet, maybe on the third date,” Diana jokes.
“So is this our first or second date?” Steve quizzes. “Did the wedding count, after all I didn’t know who you were until half way through.”
“One and a half then,” Diana says, sipping her drink this time.
“So let me do the math, half through our third date you will get me drunk?” Steve guesses sipping from his glass. He almost wishes he could get drunk to see what she has in mind for him.
Steve slips off his jacket to hang it on the back of his chair as the waitress brings their food. They begin to eat, making small talk about the food in between bites. After the big confession each of them have ideas running through their minds that they keep to themselves. Whatever is happening between them feels right in both of their minds but both fear saying too much so soon.
Steve can’t believe how lucky he feels at this moment. It is like the first time he flew, pure exhilaration. This feels so different than with Carol, how great it is to feel like he has a second chance with the woman who might well have been his first love. He wants to tell her the truth, all of the truth. Steve hates dancing around the truth like this. He knows that once people know who he truly is their relationships have only become stronger. But he can’t screw this up! He can’t risk scaring her away. He hopes that he hasn’t already said too much, sounding over eager.
Diana’s thoughts of suspicion that Steve is Mr. Zipp have faded, but she can’t help but think that this is all too good to be true. How could they possibly pick up where they left off? With everything that is happening in her life, how could she possibly put him at risk like that? Seeing Eric and Wes again recently and what happened to Tracey, Diana feels that it is selfish to want to bring another innocent into the dangers that her life has brought. Right now all that feels miles away and all that matters is she is with him again. She so wants to lean across the table to kiss him, but she restrains herself.
After Steve and Diana finish their dinner the band begins to set up on the small stage at the front of the bar. Diana spots Randy and Trish Wilson, it is just Diana’s luck that Trish spots her. “Shit!” Diana whispers. “She’s coming over here, do me a favor and play along.”
“Diana, what are you doing here?” Trish says approaching the table. “I expected Tracey and Fox.”
“They decided to go on a couple’s retreat tonight,” Diana explains as Trish looks at Steve.
“And who is this?” Trish asks in a tone Diana knows too well.
“This is Alex, we met at…,” Diana begins.
“At the gym, I’m a personal trainer,” Steve interrupts. “She approached me telling me how she wanted my body and asked if I wanted to go out to get drunk and laid?” Steve grins at Diana across the table. “I’m up for giving a good looking woman any kind of workout she needs.”
Trish has a shocked look on her face as she replies, “That does not sound like the Diana I know at all.”
“What can I say I have this effect on women,” Steve grins. “They can see that I am the best man to give them the workout they need.” Steve holds up his arms to make a muscle pose making his biceps pop. Both Diana and Trish are stunned now as they watch him flex.
“This guy is insane,” Trish says looking at Diana whose mouth is agape. “I don’t know where you found him but he is definitely out of your league.” “I’ve got to go help with the set up.” Trish turns to walk back to the stage not looking back.
Steve puts his arm down, not sure Diana has gotten his joke or not. The fact that she called him Alex instantly made him think of that personal trainer Xander Beachum. She doesn’t say a word and he thinks that he just screwed up again.
Unknown to him Diana is on fire, she doesn’t know what to make of this man sitting at the table with her. Then she remembers that day at camp that he jumped on Gary’s back. Then the day he tried to save her life when he didn’t need to. She doesn’t speak as she slides her chair over closer to him to plant the biggest kiss she has ever given anyone on his lips.
When their lips part Steve sighs, “Wow, I thought I was dead!”
“Oh, if you had done that to anyone else other than Trish, you would have been,” Diana says. “But I’ve been wanting to blow her mind like that for years.” “Back in High School I found out she was telling people I was a Lesbian.”
“What was that about, the Diana I knew was far from butch,” Steve comments. “I’m just glad you kissed me, I was afraid I moved in too fast with the kiss the last time.”
“After that performance I couldn’t resist kissing you,” Diana smiles. “It was very hot.” “Besides, if she tells what happened to anyone they will never believe her!” Then the music starts playing and Randy begins to sing “Heart of Glass”. The couple gets lost in the music and dancing for the next several hours.
“Damn!” Diana exclaims. “I told Archie to be here to pick us up at twelve thirty and it is almost one.” “We should get going.” Steve pays their tab and they walk out of the tavern arm in arm as Trish watches them from her table next to the stage.
In Archie’s cab they cuddle closely as Diana asks, “How are you getting home if you didn’t drive?”
Steve holds her close, his mind lost in the moment, “Same way I got here, fl….the train.” He catches himself in the knick of time. “I’ve got until two to catch the next one,” he tells her, making it up as he goes.
“I can’t let you ride a train to Philadelphia in the middle of the night,” Diana tells him.
“I’ve got a spare room, you’re welcome to it.”
The thought of spending the night at her place again is tempting, a little too tempting. “I think I imposed on you enough the last time I was here,” Steve tells her. “I’ll be fine going home tonight.”
Diana breathes a sigh of relief to herself, he has passed the test. If he had said yes to her offer she feared she might have to make sure he SLEPT over with her powers.
Outside Diana Carter’s Condo
The Simpson Building
303 7th Avenue
New York City, NY
The cab comes to a stop at the curb, the ride has been far too short for the couple inside. Steve gets out of the car first holding the door while Diana talks to the driver. He takes her hand to help her out of the cab. “What a gentleman,” she comments as she walks to the door of her building holding hands. “I had a wonderful time tonight,” she tells him.
“So did I,” he replies. “I hope we can see each other again soon.”
“Next time why don’t I call you and you can show me around your city,” Diana suggests.
“I think I would like that very much,” Steve tells her as he leans closer. “For now how about one last kiss to send me flying home on the wings of an angel.”
“Wow, how can I say no to that,” Diana grins. They kiss passionately on the near empty New York street. “Wow,” Diana says again, laying her check on his shoulder. “I told Archie to take you wherever you have to go to catch your train.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” Steve says knowing full well he has no intention of taking a train home. “I guess I should get going then.” He walks back to the cab, stopping at the curb he turns back to say, “Good Night again.” “I’ll be waiting for your call.” She blows him a kiss as he gets into the back seat of the cab.
Sitting down he let out a sigh. “Ms Carter is an amazing young woman,” Archie says over the front seat.
“Yes, yes she is,” Steve replies. “Grand Central, I guess.” “How did you meet her?”
“She got in my cab one day and saved my life,” Archie answers.
“Save your life?” Steve questions. “She told me you exaggerate.”
“Metaphorically you might say,” Archie says, covering the truth slightly. “How did you meet her?”
Steve laughs softly, “At summer camp, when we were fifteen.” “At the time I thought she ruined my life, but now I wonder if she might save me too.”
“Like I said she is an amazing young woman,” Archie repeats.
Grand Central Station
89 E 42nd St
New York, NY
Steve waves to Archie as he heads into the station at this late hour. He just hopes the cabbie isn’t curious enough to check the train schedule. The station is mostly deserted at this hour even for a Saturday night in New York City. Scanning the platform from the edge of the tunnel out of the building Steve slips down onto the tracks unnoticed. Running at a high speed down the tracks toward the railroad yard outside the station he touches his earlobe to change to Master Warrior. He takes flight even before he is outside the tunnel. Zooming up into the night sky over the train yard he gets his bearings. He has never flown cross-country at night before but all he needs to do is head south-west and he should find his way home in a few hours.
The thrill of the night gives him, he does a few barrel rolls as he soars over the city between the tall buildings. It takes only a few minutes for him to clear the city lights when another burst of light appears in front of him in the sky. At the speed he is going it is unavoidable. In an instant Master Warrior is gone from the Manhattan sky.