Part Fifteen

"I have him!" shouted Blackpool, materializing from one of the many shadows of the unevenly lighted room.

Malak snarled and threw his attacker towards his ally. He quickly turned away from the ball and flew upwards, out of the underground chamber, ghosting through the top of the chamber. The ball followed, eating a hole in the steel-reinforced concrete of the roof. Out in the open air, Malak lunged toward the nearest building. He phased through a roof corner, then briefly climbed higher before spinning around to check on his pursuer. The ball had taken a distinct bite out of the roof of the brownstone and was still after him, but now looked a bit smaller.

Malak flew backwards, the ball closing more quickly than he could move this way. He threw spear after spear, each taking a little more out of the bizarre sphere. As it came too close he dodged again and focused for a few seconds on gaining more distance. He then resumed throwing spears. The sphere shrank and shrank until - with a final spear strike - it vanished, letting most of the charge from the final spear dissipate in the air with a bang.

When he got back to the storm drainage chamber under the park the man in black and silver had been thoroughly bound by a man in black.

"Good," said the federal special agent, as he saw the angelic figure return. He gestured towards his prisoner. "Tinkles, here, is in no shape to do anything but wet his pants and whimper, just now."

"How do we make him safe for normals to handle?" said Malak, his calm, deep tone belying that he had just been in a fight for his life.

"Put his palms together?" said Melody, whose tone was full of nervous relief.

"An excellent suggestion," said Malak. He sighed, and shook his head as Blackpool did that. "As God is my witness, I thought he could stop the effect."

"He probably can," said Blackpool. "He just likely never needed to do so before and was too panicked to do that this time."

The two rescuers turned to glare at Melody.

"I think I speak for both of us," said Malak, sternly, "in that we waited in the vain hope that you would leave and we could handle this man more elegantly."

"How was I supposed to know that?!" the reporter demanded. "I was doing my job. If you don't inform me of your plans, don't blame me for accidentally interfering with them."

Malak started to reply, but then he and Blackpool were suddenly distracted by something. They both listened for a moment to a message Melody couldn't hear, then looked relieved.

"Greater Cincinnati Airport security managed to find the person causing the problems there, with the help of some local empowered," said Malak, for Melody's benefit. "They captured him, and have him on the way to a federal prison which specializes in holding empowered. They have regained control of their air traffic management system, though they are testing it thoroughly before resuming operations."

"What about the rest?" said Melody, eagerly.

The two empowered men briefly related what had happened with each of the other attacks, saving Denver for last.

"It was a low priority, since it appeared to be just frightening clouds," said Malak. "Those might have dropped enough rain to cause problems, but weren't given the time. I have received word that three local empowered cooperated in finding the source and, ah, convincing him to surrender."

* * *

"Interesting," said Hanuman, smiling slightly, as the last of the reports came in.

"'Interesting'!" said Strike!, loudly. "He handled three of the six threats alone, one with help, and the other two were handled by empowered we never heard of but who are apparently allies of Malak's! There's a lot more going on here than just him."

"We knew he had allies. This gives us an idea of who they are."

The other members of the Emergent who were present eyed Strike! warily. However, while he was angry, he was in control. After a moment, he nodded. Reluctantly. Hanuman smiled and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Yes. He is turning out to be a worthy opponent. So, we should pull back and reconsider. We'll wait a few days - until the mortals lower their guard - then free those who were captured. Meanwhile, we must all plan and train. This will not be a trivial effort."

"You could take him now," said Strike!. His tone was a mixture of confidence and challenge.

"Could I? Perhaps. I make no claim to omnipotence, and he is very powerful. If Twilight had held him I would have gone to her to help contain and transport him for trial. If DarkForce had injured him I would acted similarly. If either had killed Malak then the problem would be solved. None of that happened. No, if we want Malak to pay for his crimes we need a group effort."

"This whole thing was you evaluating him," said Gilgamesh.

"I hoped we would catch or kill Malek with this effort," said Hanuman, seriously. "However, I am not surprised we didn't. Given his normal reluctance to kill - with Ninurta being a blatant exception..."

He paused for a moment, frowning in thought, then shook his head.

"Well, I knew that whatever the result, we would be in a better position after gathering more information. It's strange that Malak's supposedly angelic group is so secretive that we still don't even know their collective name."

Hanuman turned towards what he called his display table. The group was assembled in a large cavern which was part of a cave system deep in an isolated area of the Pyrenees mountains. He was amused by the fact that all the experts in the world - including those of Malak's group - thought the Emergent had no established meeting place. He waved his hand over the table, and an overhead view of downtown Washington, DC appeared.

"He is known to have an emotional attachment to this place. Which is understandable, given his history. When we are ready for him I will lay clues which draw him there. Clues far more subtle than those used by DarkForce. We will lay our trap, and it will be inescapable. It will also demonstrate that we can act whenever and wherever we wish. Even in the capital of the so-called free world."

* * *

"I really need to speak with the empowered who solved the problem in Denver," said Blackpool, at Melody's apartment, late that afternoon. Dealing with the police, convincing them to let Empowered Matters handle the man - he had no ID and "DarkForce" was all they could get out of him for a name - then waiting for people from the local office to arrive and briefing them, and gathering the initial statements from witnesses had taken hours. "The others I know well enough to meet with on my own, but the three in that group are strangers to me."

"I believe they would be reluctant to go to the chemical repository," said Aaron, thoughtfully. "They might even be reluctant to meet with you alone."

"If you know them that well, you should arrange something."

"Bring them here," said Melody, eagerly. "I'll schedule a time when we're all free to meet."

To her surprise, after some consultation the two men agreed.

"There's no need to bring them, though," said Aaron, smiling slightly. "Or to wait, since we are already here. They have their own means of transportation. If all parties agree, this can be done now."

"I am amenable to that," said Blackpool.

"Do it!" said Melody, almost gleeful.

Aaron went out onto the balcony to contact the empowered in question, returning several minutes later.

"They're on their way."

"Excellent," said Blackpool. "While we wait, why don't you tell us what you've been up to today. Before you arrived at Central Park, I mean. I already have your account for that."

Aaron agreed, breaking off just after relating how he had let Ekimmu get away so he could focus on recovering the empowered man's victims. The interruption was due to a trio of people appearing on Melody's balcony. She rose to let the new guests in. Introductions were made and refreshments brought out. The casual setting was obviously somewhat surprising to the new guests. Melody was glad she had found a loft with a large central area, hang the expense. It had plenty of room both for her exercise equipment and parties. Just how it was holding her and five empowered, with little crowding. Though that might have changed if Aaron had let his wings out. She had never met any of the newcomers before, though she had heard of Three Dollar Bill. The others were the twin sisters Aura and Rainbow. While the girls wore tights in pastel colors, Bill had on a green three-piece business suit and bowler hat, all with black markings which vaguely looked like those on US paper currency. From the way the twenty-somethings interacted, Melody had a sneaking suspicion that in spite of his nom de guerre, Bill was bedding both the twins.

The three newcomers seemed a bit intimidated by Aaron and Blackpool. Melody did her best to make them feel welcome, encouraging them to take seats in the various chairs she had put out. Once they were settled, Aaron resumed his account, noting that getting everyone Ekimmu had displaced back to the correct plane had taken time and effort.

"So you can understand why I was a bit late responding to your call," Aaron said to Melody.

"Astounding," said Blackpool, shaking his head.

"This whole thing was an exercise in futility on the Emergent's part," said Melody, dryly.

"I suspect their intent was to tire me out," said Aaron. Melody noted that he actually did look a bit tired, but that could have been more emotional than physical. "Have me fly all over the country and fight several Emergent, before facing someone formidable whom they expected to kill me. Which very well could have been the case if things had gone a bit differently. If I had been more tired, or DarkForce more experienced, for example. Which wasn't the case thanks to the efforts of people like our three visitors."

"Like I said," said Melody, smirking. "Futile."

"While your faith in me is flattering, I am far from invincible," said Aaron, firmly. "I also realize I have made several mistakes, lately. Part of my recent training has been to help me recognize those and improve my procedures. Today's events simply add to that tally."

He sighed.

"I underestimated them," said Aaron, wincing. "I wanted to draw them out, and they used that as an opportunity to draw me out."

"Fortunately, they also underestimated you," said Blackpool.

"As well as several other empowered!" said Melody, laughing, and glancing at the trio of newcomers.

Aaron gave her a stern look.

"You really need to be more careful. Not only in the risks you take but in the information you reveal to others. Pointing out to DarkForce that I would realize his actions were a trap might have led him to harm you and alter his preparations to make them more effective against me."

"Why would he take anything your pet said seriously?" asked Melody, with a charming smile.

"I don't think you're going to win this one," said Blackpool, grinning through his mask. He turned to the younger trio. "So, how was your day?"

* * *

Melody stood in the teletype bulletin processing room as she finished reading the last of the news items she was after, which had just come in on the wire. She tossed the small stack - already processed by the staff in here, whose job it was to separate the sheets as they came out and sort them by subject - back into the basket with a snarl. She turned and stormed out of the processing room and into the noisy teletype room, to check for updates just coming in. One more item was read line by line as it was mechanically typed, about how the empowered person who had attacked the Cincinnati airport had vanished from his cell. That bulletin was only the most recent of several notifications from several different sources telling several variations of the same story.

While Melody was far from the only reporter at The New York Glory behaving in this way, she had a closer personal connection than most to the specific incoming news items she sought out.

All the Emergent who had been captured in the recent public efforts to draw out Malak - though most officials and editors hadn't realized yet that was the purpose - had been freed. All of them so deftly that in most cases their absence had not been noticed until the next morning! Even at Aaron's clinic! She wondered if Malak had it right; that the only way to prevent them from harming others again was to simply kill them. The thought made her uneasy...

By the time she reached her office Melody was calmer, and therefor more reasonable. No, most of their offenses did not merit death. Some of these six had been annoyances rather than threats to the lives of those they had menaced... though that may have been due more to how quickly they were stopped than their actual intent. Maybe they'd spread the word among the other Emergent to leave Aaron/Malak alone. As well as innocent bystanders.

* * *

Reading Blackpool was not easy, and not only because of his mask, but Aaron could tell he was furious, sitting there behind his desk. Mostly this fury was due to the damage the Emergent had caused, and the nose-thumbing, casual manner of their escapes. However, there was also something else at stake.

"One reason I was given so much leeway running this place was because I am expected to use these resources to help stop such behavior," he said. His elbows were resting on the top of the desk, his fingers laced together. Blackpool sat rock still, even his mouth barely moving under his mask. "Instead, we've had a distinct escalation of rogue empowered activities! Apparently, many empowered have been encouraged by these incidents to act out."

"I doubt that will continue for long," said Aaron. "Pretty much every law enforcement group in the world - including the Empowered Matters Agency - is currently on full alert. I also believe that the Emergent are treating the situation as business as usual for them, when it very much isn't. They could find themselves under significant pressure by law enforcement agencies. Though, given their demonstrated ability to avoid those, that seems unlikely. What is more likely is that they will lay low for a while, as they have before."

"Which could mean that when they come back - and they will come back - they will be better prepared for whatever it is they plan to do."

"Yes. However, we should also be better prepared." Aaron's gaze drifted to the wall above Blackpool's head, seeing into an immaterial distance. "This is a crisis, on multiple levels. We need to plan and train and make ready in every way we can."

"Now you're scaring me. As well as motivating me, which I guess was the intent."

"It's not all bad news," said Aaron, nodding and coming back into focus. "As I implied, our analysis is that they - the Emergent - are so used to having things go their way with little struggle that they don't seem to have realized yet that this situation is different. However, I do believe we should call in additional help. Especially if it is from outside our group."

"Do you have someone in mind?" said Blackpool.

"A potential ally," said Aaron, with a sad smile. "A man who lives in a world filled with warm statues. Zoomer and I are among the few who can directly interact with him. Fortunately for his mental health, he is a loner by nature."

"All right, let's get to work."

"Frankly," said Aaron, scowling as he rose, "I'll be glad when this Emergent nonsense is settled. It's taking time and energy which could be more productively spent.

"One more thing in our favor, though, is that the media attention brought to the previously little-known Emergent is gaining them many new members. Which means they're busy vetting these applicants. That gives us an opportunity to slip someone on our team into the group. Carefully."

* * *

Aaron actually already had more measures in mind to take than contacting his fast and loose friend. At the clinic that afternoon, Aaron made a point of catching Mannequin alone. The pale, colorfully dressed, gender-neutral character looked at the shorter man expectantly as Aaron approached.

"I have a favor to ask."

He laid his proposal out. Mannequin frowned, with pursed lips.

"I'll have to think about it," said Mannequin. "While I have frequently disguised myself as a particular person, I am not an actor. I truly am not certain I can pull off what you want."

"Please do consider this carefully," said Aaron. "We need inside information."

* * *

Meanwhile, others were also plotting and planning without the knowledge of their allies.

Strike! saw the isolated cluster of buildings in the distance, and smiled. Thanks to Twilight he had a good idea of the layout, inside as well as out. Though she was so upset by her defeat, capture and treatment here that getting that information out of her had been difficult, and required patience and care. Neither of those things were among Strike!'s strengths, but he had risen to the occasion.

Hanuman's plan was to draw Malak out by threatening a place of value to him. Well, the clinic was important to Malak. He was either already there, or would come running as soon as there was trouble. It was one of two neighboring facilities Malak had established decades before, but the other one was not being considered as a target by Strike!. He would have felt bad about attacking a small, rural town; it would have been too much like kicking a puppy which was just trying to be friendly. This place, though, coddled neurotic humans and held empowered against their wills, trying to make them "normal." Twilight's current unsettled state being a prime example of what happened when they were allowed to do that. It deserved whatever happened to it.

Strike! leapt, planning to plunge down through the roof of the largest building.

He was intercepted just past the peak of his arc by one of Malak's flaming spears. The explosion was not strong, but it changed his course enough that he landed in the lawn to the south of the building complex. Strike! looked up to see Malak diving at him, another spear ready to hurl.

Strike! dodged the spear, to Malak's astonishment. Then Malak dodged Strike! as he leapt. This time the Emergent member kept the arc of his jump shallow, and he landed running, deftly reversing course back towards the pursuing Malak and dodging as he ran.

They were now in a wheat field, already harvested, with just stubble and ground cover left. Only a few people were around and they were running for shelter, but there were buildings and equipment present. As well as livestock. Malak threw another spear, putting more into it this time. Strike! again somehow managed to dodge, but the explosion made him stumble. Malak tried to take advantage of this by swooping in for a wing hit, but Strike! parried that and responded with a blow to Malak's body which sent him tumbling into a fence between the field and a feed lot. Cattle, mooing in panic, crowded away from the disturbance, eyes wild.

Strike! knew he was in the wrong place. Inside a large building or even in a built-up area of a city - where he could maneuver better than Malak - he would have been much better off. Still, this was the battlefield he had. He would make do.

He stagger-stepped towards his opponent, increasing speed faster than most cars could accelerate and moving far more irregularly. Malak straightened and charged three spears at once, but had to dodge forward and left before he could throw them. Strike! still managed a hit to Malak's right wing, but could tell it did no damage. He tried to change course again and close, but Malak spun around, going with the impulse of the punch, and beat his wings, producing a strong wind which slowed and nearly stopped Strike!. This also pushed Malak up and back, giving him both distance and altitude. He was still holding those charged spears, and looking like he meant to use them.

The fight wasn't going well, but Strike! was nowhere near giving up... though he was considering an exit strategy. He ran along the fence, grabbing and throwing fenceposts as fast as an automatic grenade launcher. Planks scattered like leaves in a fitful wind.

Malak threw his spears in a spread then went desolid to avoid the fenceposts. Only one of the spears came close to Strike! and that barely interrupted the big man's throwing rhythm. Strike! knew Malak could throw spears while desolid, but also knew this was much slower than doing so while materialized. He kept up the barrage to the end of the fence row then ran for some farm equipment sitting in a lot between the field and a large barn.

He lifted a bailer and with a grunt of effort hurled it, but not at Malak. Instead, Strike! sent it flying in a high arc towards the closest barn. He had seen farm workers heading there for cover and figured - rightly, as it turned out - that his opponent would act to protect them. Malak quickly threw a flame-tipped spear at Strike! and then rammed the bailer. It was too heavy for him to stop, but he changed its course enough for it to land in an empty field. Meanwhile, Strike! dodged again.

Malak turned just in time to see another piece of farm equipment heading for him. Since this was already on course for the same field, Malak simply went desolid to avoid the impact. He moved to one side and, invisibly, once more became solid. He waited to see if his opponent would attack again, or hopefully assume Malak was laying injured underneath the destroyed machinery and head that way. The next attack didn't come, though. Malak heard only cries from the cattle and worried calls between the workers, as well as wild barking from a couple of dogs. Of Strike! there was no sign.

Still invisible, Malak flew higher and looked for his opponent. However, Strike! had vanished as thoroughly as Malak so often did. Scowling, the winged empowered began flying a search pattern to try and find the man. This was cut short as he heard cries for help. Malak quickly moved in for rescue and healing work.

The entire battle had lasted under twenty seconds.

* * *

Strike! watched the grey-winged man from inside the large culvert he had found, scowling. He could have continued the fight indefinitely, but so could his opponent, and Malak had the advantage, here. As much as Strike! hated to hide like this he knew that continuing would have been futile. Hanuman was right; Malak was far too potent to defeat so casually. He would have to find a way to get an advantage over the winged empowered. At least he had gathered important information his team could use against the man.

* * *

"All right," said Mannequin, catching Malak alone at the clinic, shortly after the fight. "I'm in. If these maniacs are going to threaten this place of healing, I'll learn how to convincingly hold a form long term."

"Are you certain? It will be risky."

"As long as the Emergent are running around loose it's also risky to do nothing. Even I can see that this place is important. I want to protect it."

"Then let us plan..."

* * *

Aaron reported the fight to John and Melody in person, later that evening. Afterwards the trio just sat on her apartment couch in silence for many long minutes. Aaron from obvious exhaustion; the other two in sympathetic lack of energy. Finally, Melody spoke, turning to Aaron.

"How long has it been since you slept?" she said, firmly.

"About sixty-eight hours."

"Okay, you need sleep. Don't even bother flying home. Use my guest bedroom. Now. No argument! I know you can go without sleep, maybe even indefinitely, but right now you need it. The world will still be here when you wake up and will still need you to help it. Go. Sleep."

"Yes, ma'am," said Aaron, with a tired smile.

He did spend a few minutes in preparation, but soon was soundly asleep atop a comforter on the small but comfortable bed in the small but comfortable guest bedroom.

"I just hope we don't disturb him," said Melody, quietly, as she eased the door closed.

"I doubt he'd wake unless one of us called for help," said John, grinning, in a normal voice. "Stop fussing and let him sleep."

"Well, then, I just hope he isn't interrupted by an emergency call."

John impishly held up one of the new coms.

"I don't think that's an issue."

"You picked his pocket?!"

"Would you excuse me for a moment? I need to make sure folks know he's safe but temporarily unavailable."