Chapter 9 – A Different Path

The moment the elevator hit ground floor; Jason bolted through the lobby and out the front door. On his way out he accidentally bumped into a bystander wearing a Chaos Man T-shirt. He was about to drink when Jason knocked his arm, causing him to spill his energy drink all over his shirt.

Bystander: Bro! This was a limited edition!

But his complaints never reached him as Jason was already running across the street in a state of terror without looking both ways, forcing a few cars to hit the brakes and swerve to try not to hit him. The bystander just stood there confused by what just happened.

Bystander: Weirdo.

Right now, Jason didn’t care how people saw him. Or if he gets hit by a car. His mind was all over the place, trying to process what just happened in that office with his therapist. He watched Andrea die. He just stood there, frozen with fear and did nothing as she choked to death. And worst of all, his chocolates are what killed her. What will May Li and Jackson think of him when they find out? And he knows its only a matter of time before they do.

Once he reached the other side, he burst through the café door and ran towards May Li sitting at the table at the far end of the shop. She was on her phone looking at the news feed when he suddenly slams his hands on the table, startling her and some of the other customers.

May Li: Jesus! You scared me.

She starts to notice the absolute terror in Jason’s eyes and how ragged his breathing was getting.

May Li: Are you alright?

Jason: Ye-yes! Fine! Everything’s fine!

Jason stuttered between words, doing a terrible job of covering up what he’d just done. May Li checks the time on her phone. It was five minutes before his session was supposed to end.

May Li: You’re early.

Jason: Andrea was nice enough to let me off early.

May Li: Really? That’s not like her.

Nervous sweats start to build on Jason’s forehead, his mind already flooding with paranoid thoughts. Had she seen through his deception so easily? She’s Andrea’s wife, of course she’d know her better than he would, who he’d only seen a couple times. He struggled to come up with a further explanation on the spot.

Jason: Uhh, she was just p-proud of the progress I’ve made today.

May Li: I see. Well, I just about finished here, so I’ll just drop by and say goodbye to Andrea and-

Jason: NO!

He accidentally shouted out loud, drawing attention from the other customers. Some of them already remembered this disturbed teenager caused a scene an hour ago. By now they got the message that there’s something wrong with him.

Jason swallows nervously and addresses May Li properly, hoping she’ll ignore his outburst just now.

Jason: I mean you can’t now. Sh- She said she, uhhhh, had an important phone call with someone and doesn’t want to be disturbed.

May Li: An important call? Strange. She usually texts me ahead of time first if its important. Maybe she’s finally getting that promotion she’s been aiming for.

For a moment Jason was afraid he’d messed things up. But May Li seemed convinced and slowly stand up from her chair.

May Li: I can always just call her later. Come on, lets walk down to the bus stop.

She casually walks up to the counter and leaves a generous tip in the jar before walking out the door, ringing the overhead bell. Jason skeptically follows behind her, keeping a few paces behind her at all times. He looks over at the office building and trembles. Its too quiet. Which means nobody has discovered the body yet. But its only a matter of time before they do.

His hands slide into his trouser pockets and his back hunches as he shamelessly walks through the streets. He flinched when he felt something small and metallic in his pocket. He pulls it out fast knowing instantly that it was the key to Andrea’s office he locked. He was so panic-stricken in the moment he forgot he took the key with him. He can’t take it home with him. If the police show up and search his room and find it, they’ll know he’s had something to do with it and put him in prison. And he can’t be put in another cage again.

Without thinking if this was the best idea or not, Jason drops the key into a bin coming up on his left and continues walking, acting like nothing happened. He remained completely silent for the rest of the walk and on the bus ride home. May Li would often look over at him and wonder why he was acting so guilty. By now she’s used to him acting strangely but this was stranger then usual.

Once the bus reached the stop a few blocks away from Hillside House, Jason quickly got off and quickened his walking pace, trying to get to the safety of his home whilst keeping his head down. May Li calls out to him, asking him to slow down but he didn’t. He ran up to the front door and knocked frantically until Jackson opened it.

Jackson: Jason, what are-

He ignores his greeting and quickly rushed upstairs to his bedroom. The one place he feels he can be safe and alone with his thoughts. May Li soon arrives and greets her boss properly.

Jackson: What was that all about? Did something else happen at therapy?

May Li: Not to my knowledge, no.

Jackson: Somethings troubling Jason. He just ran past me and locked himself in his room. From what I can tell, he looked… scared.

May Li: I really don’t know. He wouldn’t talk to me on the bus. I might have to give Andrea a call and ask her.

She pulls out her phone as she enters the house and calls her wife’s number. She waited for almost a minute but there was no response, and it went straight to her voicemail.

May Li: Hey Honey, it’s me. You’re probably busy right now so I’ll keep it brief. It’s about Jason. He seemed rattled when he came out the building. I was wondering if maybe you could shed some light on why that is? Just call me back when you can. Love you lots.

She then hangs up the phone and turns to face Jackson.

Jackson: Is everything alright?

May Li: I don’t know, Jackson. I can’t help but get this feeling something may be wrong.

Jackson: May Li, we’ve talked about this.

May Li: I know, I know. I’m not saying Jason has something to do with it. It’s just that… Andrea always tells me if she couldn’t make time for us if something came up at work. It’s not like her to not tell me.

Jackson: Just give it some time. Maybe her call was so important that she forgot. Or maybe her phone died.

May Li: Yeah. Maybe you’re right. Probably just worrying over nothing.

Jackson: As for Jason, whatever he’s dealing with, he can tell us in his own time. If he’s not ready, we won’t force him to. Let’s just give him some space.

May Li exhales and nods in agreement. She decided to preoccupy herself with half of Jackson’s current tasks for today. Something to take her mind off things. Jackson went back to his office to file some paperwork while she took the vacuum cleaner from the cupboard and started hoovering the floors. Both of them were unaware that their conversation was being eavesdropped on by Liam and James, Zack’s friends sitting on the stairs. They both whisper to each other.

Liam: Sounds like the freaks’ in big trouble.

James: Zack’s gonna love this.

Meanwhile in his messy bedroom, Jason was pacing across the floor, muttering gibberish to himself. His mind further tormented him by replaying the image of seeing the light fading out of Andrea’s eyes as her body goes limp on the wooden floorboards. Every time it repeats it feels like he’s spotting a new detail, further playing with his unstable emotions.

He can hear voices chanting “murderer” in the depths of his psyche over and over without end. Covering up his ears did nothing to drown them out. It all became too much for the fragile boy that he dived into his bed, sank his face into his pillow and screamed into it as loud as he can, telling the voices to shut up and leave him be.

Eventually he managed to tire himself out and allowed his body to go limp atop his bed. His mind had quieted down, but the memories of what he’d done remained. Words could not describe how much guilt he felt for his inaction. He kept thinking he could’ve done something to help her but questioned why he didn’t. In that moment he remembered feeling paralysed. Like his soul was leaving his body, watching the whole thing happen before him. Only to be sucked back into reality and laying a heavy weight on his shoulders.

Now he was stuck in an endless cycle of determining several possible outcomes to his predicament. Almost all of them resulted in something bad. Truth be told he can’t see a possibility of getting away with it. He was Andrea’s last patient. The last person who saw her alive. The police will suspect him without a doubt, and he was terrible at hiding it as he proved earlier with May Li. They’ll see right through him and find him guilty. There could also be cameras in the office, overlooking the session. She’s bound to have records of his past sessions they could look through. There really wasn’t any way he could get away with this.

Jason: What do I do?! What do I do?! I… killed someone. Technically, I didn’t, but I didn’t exactly step up to help her when she begged me to. But it was my chocolate that killed her. Chocolate I accidentally mixed in with hers. Ugh, why did she have to be allergic to peanuts?!

This whole situation blinded Jason and filled his thoughts with so much negativity that he hadn’t realised he’d been saying all those words aloud. Anyone walking by would’ve heard what was essentially a confession to a crime. And unfortunately for him, the wrong kind of people heard him.

Zack: Well well well. I wasn’t expecting this.

Jason’s whole body froze up and a shiver ran up his spine. He didn’t have to turn around to know that it was Zack. He could see him and his friends in the reflection of his window. He gulps nervously, more so than ever before. For his grave situation had just gotten so much worse.

Jason: Z- Z- Zack! How- How did you get in? I locked the door!

Zack dangles Jackson’s keys in front of him, showing him how he managed to unlock his bedroom door.

Zack: Who’d have thought? Poor, precious Jason, a murderer.

Jason: I- I’m not a murderer!

Zack: There’s no point in denying it. We heard everything you said. You really need to learn to not say your thoughts out loud. I gotta say, Freak. I didn’t think you’d have the balls to kill someone.

Jason: I didn’t! It was an accident! I didn’t mean to do it. I- I just… froze up.

Zack: Now what would May Li say if she found out the kid she disliked the most got her beloved wife killed I wonder?

Liam: She’d probably have him arrested.

James: Oh definitely.

Jason started breaking down, drops to his knees and lowers his head like how a Japanese person would apologise.

Jason: No no no! Guys please! I’m begging you! Don’t tell anyone! I’ll do anything! Anything!

Zack grins fiendishly. This was just the sort of reaction he was hoping to get out of him. When he first came to Jason’s room, he was planning to bully him the usual way and lower his confidence. It always brought joy to him seeing him squirm. But instead, he stumbled upon the opportunity of a lifetime. He could tell Jackson and May Li everything right now, see how things play out. “But where’s the fun in that”, he thought?

It would be far more enjoyable to use this knowledge to his advantage and blackmail the skinny geek to do everything he says in return for his silence. He glances back at his friends, and they seem to be in agreement on having Jason become their errand boy. Zack kneels down to Jason and pulls him into a head lock and gives him a nuggie.

Zack: Come on now, Jason. We’d never rat out a friend like that. Not unless he gives us a reason to.

Jason: Friend?

Zack: That’s right. We’re friends now. And as our new friend, we expect you to be there for us when we need you.

He then grabs Jason by his shirt and pulls him back up onto his feet, looking him seriously in the eye.

Zack: Here’s how things are gonna be from now on. Whenever either of us need something from you, you’ll give it! If we ask you to do something for us, you’ll do it! And if either of us get into any trouble, you’ll take the blame for it. Understand?

Jason: You’re blackmailing me?

Zack: Think of it more like a sentence. You’ll be working hard to make sure we keep our mouths shut. And we mean it. If you refuse, hesitate, or report what we’re doing to anyone, we’ll tell everyone that you are a cold-blooded killer and make sure you spend the rest of your pathetic existence in a prison cell. Get the picture?

Jason whimpers and nods fearfully in response. Zack and his friends laugh at his display of weakness.

Zack: That’s what I’d like to hear. Alright, Freak, you can start things off by doing our chores for the rest of the day. Its our turn to take out the trash. Think you can take care of that for us? Hahaha, what am I saying? Of course you will. Right?

Jason lowers his head and nods again, letting out a sigh of defeat. Zack, Liam and James take this as their cue to leave, but not without one last reminder of what will happen if at all he decides to back out of their agreement.

He then takes his leave. Jason could hear him and his friends laughing behind his bedroom door, further taunting him. Filled with even more despair than before, Jason sighs and starts making his way downstairs to carry out his bullies’ chores for the day. There was no point in trying to think up a plan to get himself out of this. They made it clear what would happen to him if he did. He’ll just have to accept that this is his life now.

Jason: I wish Alex and Michael were here. Maybe they could’ve stopped this… Have they really forgotten all about me?

The news of Alice Magna’s heroic sacrifice hit hard for General Mercer and those who respected her. They were at first pleased to see most of Wolf Squad returning from Reading before the bombing squad hit. They expected there would be casualties, but they never would’ve thought their fearless captain would be among them.

Michael remembered the sorrowful look he saw on his father’s face when he presented him with her dog-tags left behind on the helicopter seat. It’s as if she knew she wasn’t going to come back this time. Chase was not only devastated to lose one of his finest soldiers, but he was also not looking forward to breaking the news to her father.

That following day, everyone at Aegis was gathered together in the centre of the base to mourn the loss of their fellow brothers and sisters in arms. The room was silent. Nobody wanted to disturb the peace. They all performed a respectful salute as one of the men was carrying the dog-tags of the fallen over to the far wall to hang them up with the other soldiers who gave their lives to keep the world save from the monsters.

The wall was decorated with frames with a year imprinted at the top ranging from 1990 – the year Aegis was first founded – to the present year. “The Wall of the Fallen” they called it. The only noise that disturbed the silence was the sounds of the dog tags clinking together as the new ones were being placed in the 2018 frame.

Soon after Chase gave an inspiring speech to honour them and assured his people that their lives were not taken in vain. Their sacrifice ensured the monsters remained unguided and incapable of starting another co-ordinated uprising. His final act as General for today was to announce his son, former lieutenant of Wolf Squad, as its new Captain. Which came as a surprise to Michael. He didn’t expect to be given such a higher position, nor did he feel worthy of it. But for his father’s sake, he put on a fake smile and acted grateful.

A whole week passes by since the funeral and things at Aegis have quieted down. There haven’t been many serious monster attacks since Reading and so the men and women had a lot of free time on their hands. Some choose to take some time off to visit their families and friends. Others like their jobs too much that they don’t feel like stopping. But what is Michael doing with his free time?

Sitting in his new bedroom in Chase’s mansion on his double bed doing nothing but hang his head and think about Alice. He just can’t seem to shake off the thought of this being all his fault. The last words he heard from his captain kept replaying over and over in his head before jumping out of that helicopter. He doesn’t even respond to the sound of the door opening in front of him as Chase entered to check up on him.

Chase: There you are. I was looking for you all over HQ.

Michael: Oh, hey Dad. I just… needed some space to think.

Chase: Michael, you can’t just leave HQ whenever you feel like it. You have duties to uphold. As the new leader of Wolf Squad, you must keep tabs on your men. Make sure they’re well trained and prepared for every mission.

He stops once he notices how stressed-out Michael was over all these responsibilities. He needed to take a more sincere approach and speak to him as his father rather than General. He takes a seat on the bed right next to Michael and places his hand on his shoulder, comforting him.

Chase: Is something troubling you, son?

Michael: No.

Chase: Oh, but there is. I know there is from that look on your face. The same one you had when I anointed you the new Wolf Squad Captain.

Michael: I-I just can’t do it, Dad. I don’t have what it takes to lead them. And I feel like they know it too, the way they look at me with doubt. Alice was a far better leader than I’ll ever be.

Chase: Ah, so that’s what’s up. You’re still upset about Alice.

Michael: I was the one Chernabog was after. It should’ve been me who-

Chase: Don’t you dare finish that sentence!

He interrupted sternly, shocking Michael out of his guilty trance. He gently grabs both his shoulders and forces Michael to look right at him.

Chase: How do you think I would feel if you were the one who purposely chose to throw themselves to the wolves? I already had to watch your mother do that. If you were to die in such a similar way, I would cease to function. You are my son. You’re the only thing holding me together. So please, don’t think like that anymore, okay?

Michael: Dad I… I had no idea. I’m sorry.

Chase: It’s okay. You’re forgiven. Just don’t make any more mistakes… I know this is hard for you, son. But you promised Alice that you’d take care of Wolf Squad. If she saw you right now breaking that promise, what would she say?

Michael: She’d probably say something like “Stop being a dumbass about it!”. But I don’t have what it takes to be a leader like you. I’ll just end up getting more of them killed.

Chase continued to hold his son close in a comforting embrace, patting him on his back. He started to get the hang of being a father now that he didn’t even question if now was a good time to show affection. He was enjoying these little moments he gets to spend with his son. Now he will impart on him some wisdom he inherited from his father and General before him.

Chase: Michael, being a soldier means taking risks to protect the innocent, even if there’s a high chance of losing a lot. During my years as a soldier, I have seen many men and women die in battle. I once believed I was to blame, but my father told me that a truly bad leader is one who intentionally sacrifices his men to save himself. It took a long time for me to learn that lesson, but I know in time you’ll come to accept it as well.

Michael: Even if I end up getting more people killed because of a poor decision on my part?

Chase: Death is just a part of life that we all must learn to face eventually. They all knew the risks of joining Aegis, but they chose to fight because they believed in protecting those who cannot protect themselves. Alice sacrificed herself because she believed it to be the right thing to do in the moment. Because of her heroism we are one step closer to ending it all. So don’t sit around here mourning her. Instead, finish what she started and help us put an end to the monster threat for good.

Michael sighs a breath of relief and relaxes his muscles. He knew that his father was right. But part of him still felt the need to question if the path he was currently on was the right one to take moving forward. In the beginning he wanted to be a part of Aegis more than anything, to avenge his mother. But with Alice dead, he’s unsure if he can carry on in her place.

Michael: Yeah, you’re right. She wouldn’t forgive me if I stayed up here and sulked. I’ll give it another shot, for her… and for Mum.

But for now, he will follow his father’s advice and return with him to Aegis. As he rode in the hidden elevator in Chase’s office down, he thought more about what he really should do with his life moving forward. If someone were to ask him where he saw himself in five years, it might not be as Captain of Wolf Squad. Chase was right about Alice, but is taking her place really what he wants?

Alice: Don’t make my mistake, kid. Don’t go blindly following orders your whole life. Think for yourself whenever you’re in doubt. Stop being a Mercer and start being you. Figure out your own purpose.

Once again, the last words of Alice that stood out the most sounded off in his head. Its as if she was trying to tell him these very words in person like she used to.

Michael: I know I said I wanted to be a soldier. But now I don’t know if that’s what I really want. If killing monsters as a soldier isn’t my purpose, then what is?

Unfortunately, there wasn’t any time to figure that out as they’d just arrived at ground level. Chase guides Michael through the base until they reach the command centre. A higher ranked soldier greets his superiors and reports their findings on the satellite feed. Michael was a little surprised to see images of Chaos Man displayed all across the many screens on the wall.

Like everyone else, he first heard about the mysterious, powerful hero making his first proper debut when he prevented a comic-con shooting. He was all Wolf Squad was talking about when the news reached them. At first, he thought it was just a hoax, but Alice showed him the news footage of his heroic acts. He was a genuine, real-life superhero. And his opinions on him were mostly positive. To his mind, anyone who just wants to help people and keep them safe is a good person, powers or no powers. But it would seem his father didn’t feel the same way.

Random Soldier: Sir, we’ve been tracking Chaos Man, but we keep losing him every time he leaves the city. He can travel faster than the cameras can keep up.

Chase: Keep tracking his energy signature. Anticipate where he might go. We’ll send a squad to apprehend him next time he leaves.

Random Soldier: Yes sir.

Michael: What is this, Dad? Why do you want to catch Chaos Man? He’s done nothing wrong.

Chase: When we analysed him, we found out that his energy patterns match the ones we found in the crater that was discovered a couple months ago. Something fell to Earth that day, but the meteor was gone when the team we sent arrived. We think that Chaos Man stole the meteor and that’s how he obtained his powers. That’s why we must capture him.

Michael: But Chaos Man has been helping people ever since he first appeared out of nowhere. I don’t think he’s a threat to anyone. I think that most people would say that he’s providing a public service. He’s just trying to help.

Chase: Sure, to some people he’s been made out to look like some kind of masked hero or something. But all that power he possesses makes him a possible dangerous threat. What if he suddenly decided to use his powers for his own personal gain? We can’t take that risk.

Michael: I get what you’re saying. But from what I’ve seen, he and Aegis want the same thing. To protect the world.

Chase: Aegis stands for law and order. We wear badges with honour while this guy hides behind a mask like an outlaw. He’s only going after small, minor threats like small-town criminals, while we’re on the front lines contending with monsters.

Their argument was thankfully short-lived when the main computer alerted them to Chaos Man’s tracking signal. A red dot appeared on the screen and was travelling out of New London and heading west. It continued on for a few minutes until the dot comes to a stop in the remnants of Reading, which didn’t surprise Michael or Chase. Nobody could’ve missed those explosions from New London. The general even anticipated he’d be curious enough to scope it out.

Chase: Chaos Man is heading for the remains of Reading. Send squads 2, 6 and 9 to engage. Remember I want him captured alive.

Random Solider: And if he resists?

Chase: You are authorised to use force, but non-lethals only for now. He kills anyone, that’s when you use lethal force. I still need him alive, but it doesn’t matter what condition.

He whispered that last part to the soldier. Given how against his judgement of Chaos Man Michael was, he assumed he didn’t need to hear that last part.

Random Soldier: Understood sir.

The soldier leaves to inform the chosen squads to gear up and ready their helicopters for flight. Chase turns to Michael.

Chase: Michael, I need you and Wolf Squad to intercept Chaos Man and capture him in case the other squads fail to bring him in. I know you have your-

Michael: No need to say anything more, I’m on it.

Chase: Really? You sure you can handle it?

Michael: I’m sure. I need this chance to prove to myself if I have what it takes to lead them in the future.

Chase: Alright then.

Chaos Man waited until things seemed to have quieted down in the area where what remained of Reading resided. When the search and rescue teams cleared out the ruins for any dead or injured soldiers. At the same time Magna Tech sent some of its scientists to collect the corpses of any monsters they could find to bring back to their labs for analysis.

When he arrived on the scene there wasn’t much of a city left, at least way less compared to how ruined it was before the missiles struck. There were fewer buildings still standing now and there were huge craters in the city centre. A lot of the buildings and roads that hadn’t crumbled to the ground have scorched black marks on them from the heat of the explosions. There weren’t any signs of plant life anywhere and the rivers been polluted with ash and dirt. The city was dead quiet. The only sound he could hear was the wind whistling through the broken structures.

Chaos Man: Jeez, as if this place couldn’t get more demolished. Reminds me of the apocalyptic wasteland from Rad Rex: Wrath Highway.

He proceeded on foot as he takes in more of his surroundings, trying to piece together what transpired here. It didn’t take long for Aegis armoured vehicles to arrive on the scene and surround him a few miles south of the city centre he was heading towards. Chaos Man seemed to pay them no mind and greeted the soldiers exiting their trucks with a friendly wave.

Chaos Man: Oh, hey guys! How’s it going? I didn’t think you’d still have anymore business here. But since you are maybe you could-

The soldiers quickly form a circle around the estranged hero and aim their high-tech assault rifles at him.

Soldier 1: Get down on the ground and put your hands behind you head now!

Chaos Man: Are you serious? Haven’t you guys been paying attention to what I’ve been doing? I practically did your jobs for you, and this is how you repay me?

Soldier 1: Down on the ground now!

Chaos Man: You guys just have no chill, do you? I’m not a threat to any of you.

Soldier 2: You possess unnatural and destructive power. That automatically makes you a threat.

Soldier 1: Last chance! Get down on the ground and surrender! Or we’ll use force!

Chaos Man: Sorry, but I can’t do that. What is it with the military being reckless in getting the job done. You see an abandoned city full of monsters. You think, “Should we just send some robots and tanks in to deal with them? Nah, lets just blow it all up!” This ain’t America, guys. You need to be more considerate of the people.

Solider 3: Oh, and you think you are?

Chaos Man: You don’t see me causing collateral damage everywhere I go. You Aegis soldiers think you’re the bee’s knees, but if you’re going to be doing to New London, or anywhere else on Earth, what you did here, then we’re gonna have a problem.

Soldier 2: Enough! Just shoot him!

One of the soldiers sets the energy capacitor of his rifle to the stun setting and open fires on Chaos Man. They were authorised to use force in case he resists but non-lethal only. The surge shots won’t be enough to kill him, but there’s no guarantee they’ll be strong enough to take him out either.

But Chaos Man dodges faster than any of them could travel and uses his super speed to get up close and personal with the soldier who shot at him, startling him. He snatches the gun out of his hands. Then to his utter surprise and fear, crushes it onto a ball of metal like he was scrunching up a piece of paper and tosses it over his shoulder.

Chaos Man: That wasn’t nice!

This display of fearsome strength prompted more soldiers to open fire on him with the same non-lethal surge shots. However, Chaos Man easily avoids them as efficiently as he did the first time.

One soldier was getting agitated by how Chaos Man was showing off his abilities and making specially trained men like him look bad in front of the whole base. He knew they were using satellites to watch them from afar. Chase’s orders were to use non-lethals only, but his conscience was telling him that won’t lead to his capture. So, he sets his rifle to lethal and takes aim at the costumed menace. He won’t kill him; he’ll just give him a handicap. Make him easier to capture.

A single, energy charged high calibre bullet discharges from the barrel and flies in the direction of Chaos Man, impacting him right in the back of his upper right thigh. The bullet was fully charged and had the capability to pierce the toughest of monster hides. When it came to Chaos Man’s energised suit it wasn’t able to cut through the fabric and piece the flesh, but the force behind it was enough to cause him to drop down on one knee and cry out in pain, clutching his leg where he got shot.

Chaos Man: Ow! That really hurt!

Out of blind retaliation from the pain, Alex swings his hand back and accidentally fires a Chaos Spear at the group of soldiers in the direction of the one who fired the shot. The blast struck the ground very close to their feet, causing them to get knocked on their asses from the shockwave.

Chaos Man: Oh no. Crap, are you alright?

Soldier 1: Hostile’s retaliating! Engage lethal force! Remember our orders are to capture him alive.

The soldiers all follow through and set their rifles from stun to kill. Chaos Man took this as his cue to skedaddle and takes to the air, getting as much distance from the guns-blazing soldier below as possible.

Chaos Man: Should’ve figured coming here was a bad idea. I’m outta here.

The soldier in charge of the initial ambush pulls out his radio and calls up the other two squads on standby as he watches him flying away.

Soldier 1: Targets getting away! Squads 6 and 9, pursue him with the choppers. Lethal force has been authorised, but the General wants him alive.

Helicopter Pilot: Copy that. We’re in pursuit now.

Two large, heavily armed apache helicopters fly over the ruins of Reading and the heads of the ground force and follow Chaos Man. The co-pilot mans the energised machine gun and locks onto the multi-coloured hero. Chaos Man easily could dodge around them as he did the foot soldiers, but the pain in his bruised leg made it a little difficult for him to concentrate on flying and evading at the same time.

Chaos Man: For crying out loud! What have I done to make them hate me so much? What happened earlier was an accident! They shot first!

Even with restricted movement, he does manage to dodge the rapid fired charged bullets. But Aegis was not done with him yet. Up ahead another apache helicopter was heading his way. Underneath it was a large net cannon used to capture larger monsters from above. A final attempt to capture him without hurting him.

Chaos Man: Oh, come on!

And the one flying the helicopter up front was his old friend, Michael Mercer. He had the net cannon locked on him. The other two helicopters continued firing their bullets to keep him in the middle. All Michael had to do was press the red button atop the lever and it’ll fire a rocket that’ll break apart and launch a highly charged netting at him at the speed of a bullet. Chaos Man won’t have time to react once he realises what’s being shot at him. The net was strong enough to hold down powerful alpha class monsters. It should do the same for Chaos Man, or that’s what they’re hoping for.

Chase’s recent thoughts on the hero echoed in the back of Michael’s mind as he looks at the targeting screen. Their opinions of him may differ, but even Michael admitted his father makes a good point. Nobody should be entrusted with such power. Especially the kind that’s not of this world. The monsters are all the reason they need to assume all things beyond Earth must be perceived as a threat and dealt with effective immediately.

On the other hand, Michael’s gut was telling him that capturing Chaos Man was a bad idea and may lead to something more powerful than him, and actually a threat, to rise up and destroy the world. A threat that might be too strong for Aegis to deal with. Should such a danger arise, they’re gonna need all the help they can get.

Michael soon recalls a brief memory of him as a kid at Hillside House. It was the day after he defended Alex and Jason from Zack and his bullies. Their official first day as friends. They were sitting together in the back garden on a bench by a little pond, watching some of the younger kids playing a game of football on a warm, sunny day while they just chilled in the shade of the larger oak tree Alex sat under the night the emerald crashed.

Alex: Hey, Michael? Why did you choose to help us yesterday?

Michael: Simple. I hate bullies. They’re just a bunch of losers who enjoy picking on others as a way to liven their petty little lives. I can’t stand people like that.

Alex: Well, that does sound like you alright.

Jason: But you ended up getting in trouble with Jackson for doing that. Aren’t you afraid of getting punished?

Michael: Sometimes you must do what you think is right, even if it means going against what others tell you. For you guys, I would do it again. I’ll always defend those who are genuinely good, even if most people don’t think so.

Alex: Then we’re lucky to have you as our friend, Michael.

It didn’t take long for him to figure out why he suddenly remembered that one specific moment with his friends. Friends he still misses dearly. Friends he hadn’t gotten the chance to keep in contact with since Chase took him home. His training and responsibilities as Wolf Squad’s Beta – and recently promoted Alpha – kept getting in the way of any free time he had as a person then a soldier. Only now does he realise that he may have made a poor choice with staying with Aegis.

And now he’s in another position where he has to make a choice. Chaos Man’s capture is heavily reliant on whether he presses that button or not. His orders were loud and clear, and he knows his father is waiting for him to take the shot. His voice over the radio snaps him out of his conflicting thoughts.

Chase: Michael, what are you waiting for?! Take the shot!

He may come to regret this in the future, but Michael sighs, disengages the net cannon and steers the helicopter away from Chaos Man, giving him an opening to pick up speed and outrun the two pursuing him. Alex wondered why they suddenly decided to let him go. Perhaps not everyone at Aegis was so quick to judge him. For future reference, he will keep out of their way from now on.

Michael: …I’m sorry, Dad. But I can’t do this!

Chase: What?! Stop!

Michael: When you said you wanted to capture him, I thought you were going to do it peacefully. I didn’t sign up to bring him back to you in pieces. He doesn’t deserve this, not after all the good he’s done.

Chase: Don’t do this, Michael! You are disobeying a direct order!

Michael: I know, Dad. But sometimes we must do what we believe to be right. Even if it means disobeying orders. Chaos Man is not a threat. He’s a hero. He deserves our respect.

Chase: Michael…

Part of Chase just wanted to shout out and discipline his son for allowing what he considered the world’s newest threat to escape. But he held himself back and paused until he was able to calm himself down.

Chase: All squads return to base.

Random Soldier: Sir?

Chase: He’s too far away. Not worth following. It would just be a waste of resources and fuel. Have all soldiers return at once.

The soldiers on the ground obey and enter the vehicles they arrived in, while the helicopters turned around and charted course back to headquarters. Michael follows behind them with his helicopter. Chase continues their talk over the radio with an obvious hint of disappointment in his voice.

Chase: I hope you’re proud of yourself, Son. After the stunt you pulled, I have no choice but to remove you from Wolf Squad as its Captain.

Michael: Yeah, I know. To be honest, I’m kind of relieved. Wasn’t sure I could handle the responsibility of leadership.

Chase: You could’ve had a promising carrier. A chance to honour Alice’s legacy. Why would you throw it all away for some freak in rainbow tights?

Michael: Because what Alice told me the day she died is true. My purpose isn’t killing monsters. You yourself told me not to go down a path of vengeance, Dad. That’s why I must figure out what my true purpose in this world is. And I have a feeling Chaos Man might know the answer.

Further away from the retreating helicopters Chaos Man was hovering in place, watching them departing Reading and returning to wherever Aegis headquarters was located. He was still trying to wrap his head around why that one helicopter chose to let him go instead of following through on itsorders.

Chaos Man: I’d hoped Aegis would see me as an ally in the future, but for some reason they wanted me dead. Why? I’ve done nothing wrong. And what happened with those men was an accident… I wonder if they know about where my powers came from. Could that be why they wanted to capture me? Omnius told me that it was going to pass. Maybe he was wrong… Still, when they had me in their line of sight, that one helicopter let me go. Why? Wait! Michael’s dad is an Aegis soldier, right? Is Michael a part of this? Does he see me as a threat too? No! I can’t think that right now.

He unconsciously turns his head to the left and notices the sun was setting. He then reaches his hand down the side of his right leg and a pocket slit suddenly appears just as he slides his hand inside and gently pulls out his smartphone from who knows where since there were no visible signs of him having his phone on him anywhere on his suit. He checks the time and only now realises that its 6:25pm.

Chaos Man: Damnit! I wanted to pop in to see Jason today, but its usually around this time he and May Li get back from therapy. Now might not be a good time. Alright, first thing tomorrow I’m seeing my friend… Unless something urgent comes up in the city.

Chaos Man sighs with defeat as he flies off into the sunset, heading in the direction of New London. He might as well check to make sure all is well in the city first before turning in for the night at Omnius’ monastery.

Chaos Man: Heh, and I thought movies exaggerated heroes struggling to balance their responsibilities with their normal lives. Being Alex and Chaos Man is much harder than I thought it would be.

Earlier that day when the time came for Jason to go to his next therapy session, May Li decided to call her wife ahead of time to remind her. But like yesterday she still wouldn’t pick up the phone. May Li really started to feel worried about her, especially when she realised she hadn’t come home to their apartment that night. She’s usually asleep by the time she finishes with work at the clinic, but she would always wake up beside her in their bed. It wasn’t like her to leave early for work without letting her know first.

She started to assume something bad may’ve happened to her. Jackson, of course, tried his best to assure her that she’s probably overthinking things. But all that changed once two human police officers came to Hillside House this afternoon and informed her of Andrea’s tragic death. Succumbing to her peanut allergy and unable to get to her epipen in time.

It didn’t take long for the news to broadcast this on TV in the evening, reporting that the body was discovered by the janitor when they came to clean the rooms. At first, they believed it was an accident. But then the police mentioned how her office door was locked from the outside and the key was missing. It wasn’t an accident. Andrea was left for dead and the one who witnessed it tried to cover it up.

Jason overhears the police talking with Jackson and May Li in the office and starts to hyperventilate, realising how screwed he is.

Jason: I’m dead! It’s over! My life is over! They immediately know there was foul play involved! How long until they figure out it’s me?!

His phone goes off, scaring him out his state of panic. Someone had just sent him a text message. He slowly pulls his phone out his pocket and prays that it’s somebody friendly. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. The text came from Zack. He wrote “Hey, Freak! Don’t forget that favour you owe us later tonight. You better meet us out the front gate at 9:00pm or we’ll tell Jackson and May Li you killed Andrea!”

Jason: How- How did he get my number?!

Jason quickly types those exact words back to him. Zack quickly replied with “Forget that! Everyone knows now that your therapist’s dead. And soon everyone will know that you had something to do with it, unless you help us with our special project. GOT IT?”

Jason gulps and sweats nervously as he sends his reply, typing. “I’ll be there. But after this we’re done!” Hoping that would be the end of it. But then Zack came back in with “No we’re not, Jason. This is only the beginning.” As his finisher, further worrying Jason. It would seem he is eternally in debt with his bullies from now until the end of his life, which he suspects will be happening sooner with how the police investigation has been progressing.

Jackson’s office door suddenly swings open as the man himself escorts the policemen out. Panicked, Jason races up the stairs as quietly as he can and hides behind the wall at the top of the stairs. He secretly watches Jackson and May Li thank the police for their time and wish them luck on their investigation, hopeful they’ll catch the perpetrator soon. He sneakily heads back to his room soon after and locks the door. Completely unaware that May Li had caught him spying out the corner of her eye.

Later that night, Jason emerged from his room, dressed up in his navy-blue jacket, grey crocs and socks and sneaks down the stairs to get to the front door. The time was close to 9:00pm and he dared not be late to meet up with Zack and his friends. He felt he’d be cynical enough to spew everything if he’s even a minute late when it comes to him.

May Li: I can’t work here anymore!

He instantly halts upon hearing May Li’s muffled voice behind Jackson’s door. The blinds were down, preventing him from peering inside. But the ones covering the door window weren’t properly all the way down, leaving a small gap for him to look through. He can see Jackson looking over a letter of resignation with a hurt and still-grieving May Li standing in front of his desk.

Jackson: May Li, if this is about what happened earlier then you shouldn’t-

May Li: My wife is dead, Jackson! Dead!

Jackson: I know, and that’s precisely why I’m asking you to strongly reconsider quitting. You told me once that you and Andrea have been struggling to pay the rent since the income went up. Now that she’s gone, you won’t be able to pay it off on your own.

May Li: You don’t have to worry about that. I don’t plan on staying in the UK anymore. I am moving back to Japan.

The announcement came as a shock to both Jackson and Jason. Jason almost gave away his position by brushing his leg against one of the coats hanging on the rack by the door. Thankfully not enough to knock one of them down.

May Li: My grandmother still lives in Okinawa. She’s offered to take me in once the news reached my family. Andrea was the only reason I chose to live here in the first place. There’s nothing left for me here now.

Jackson: What about the kids? They’ve really grown to love having you here.

May Li: …Not all of them.

She muttered under her breath, though it hadn’t gone unnoticed by her soon to be former boss.

Jackson: What’s that supposed to mean?

May Li: There’s another reason why I’m quitting… Jason.

Jason quickly ducks down when he heard his name begrudgingly leave her lips. Jackson just sighs with exhaustion. “Is she seriously trying to rope him into this”, he thought.

Jackson: How many times are we going to have this discussion?

May Li: Until you realise how deranged he is.

Jackson: He’s not deranged! Just different. You already know what he’s been through with his birth parents. You can fault him for what’s happened with Andrea just because she was his therapist.

May Li: I talked to her boss. He says she hasn’t had any appointments after him. There’s also the fact that he’s been acting suspiciously ever since we got back yesterday. Why would he act that way unless he has something to hide.

Jackson: May Li, think carefully about what you’re saying-

May Li: I have!

She raised her voice slightly at him. She pauses for a moment before continuing.

May Li: It’s obvious Jason hates me. He’s been making it painfully obvious since I started here. But hurting my wife just to get back at me is the most despicable, most evil thing he’s ever done.

Jackson: Stop this! Jason is one of my kids who is going through a hard time! I’ve known him since he was only five! He’d never hurt anyone intentionally.

May Li: You’re only defending him because you haven’t seen the cold side to him! If only you can see the way he looks at me. With such… such hate! I’m sorry for saying this, Jackson. But you are a terrible judge of character. You look at him and see a hurt little boy. I look at him and I see…

Jackson: What? The shadow monster from your childhood nightmares?! Listen to yourself. You’re comparing him to a work of fiction. There are real monsters out there! Monsters that destroyed our home, ripped apart families, or worse! Jason is as much a victim as every other child in my care. Feeling angry and lashing out is all his way of trying to cope with his trauma, and you’re using that as an excuse for possible murder? How would you react if I accused your child of killing my wife?!

May Li was about to object but Jackson cut her off before she had the chance to. He wasn’t done pleading his case yet.

Jackson: Look, I know what you’re going through. When I lost my wife, I was consumed with so much pain. At the time I was so angry with the world. My Rosie was one of the kindest souls to be born in this world. She didn’t deserve to die from cancer. It wasn’t fair! …I ended up completely immersing myself in my work at Aegis, trying to save lives as a medic, to the point it became an obsession. Then the war happened, and I saw many children lose their parents. I understood their pain because it was the same kind I went through. The same pain you’re feeling now.

He slowly gets up from his chair and steps out from the desk in order to cup the side of May Li’s cheek, wiping away the tears trickling down her face.

Jackson: This wound you’re feeling in your heart is still fresh. That’s when it hurts the most. It’s making you say and think things out of spite, trying to pin the blame on what happened on someone else. Because you’ve been a good carer to these kids, and a good friend to me, I will forget you ever said anything about Jason. I’ll even give you some extra money with your final paycheque, to help you move back to Japan.

Jackson takes a step back and opens the drawer in his desk and pulls out his chequebook and a pen. Hidden in the back of the draw was an old revolver and a box of bullets, alongside his Aegis dog tags. He was ready to write May Li’s last payment with the extra hundred pounds. But May Li stopped him by grabbing her purse hanging on the side of her chair.

May Li: I appreciate the thought, Jackson. But you’re wrong… What I’m feeling is not the pain of losing my wife. It’s the harsh reality of you always choosing to side with Jason over me… And I’d rather not accept a bonus from a man who dismisses the idea of a child being incapable of malevolence.

Jason feels a shiver riding up his spine when she heard the way May Li spoke of him to Jackson. Her words carried such hatred and scorn that felt like she meant every word.

May Li: Maybe I’m wrong. But I know what kind of person Jason is. And what he will ultimately become. Whatever happened to my wife, I will find out! And if Jason was involved, I will shout it to the world! Maybe then I can finally prove to you that he is a monster.

Jackson clenches his fists around the paycheque he pulled out for her, scrunching it up in his grasp as he tries to desperately keep his composure and not lash out at May Li who he’s still convinced is only saying these things out of despair for Andrea. He takes a few deep breaths before having the courage to confront her once more.

Jackson: …I’m sorry you feel that way. Guess you were right about one thing… I am a poor judge of character. You may leave now.

Now was the time for Jason to head outside and meet up with Zack. There’s no telling what’ll happen if she catches him eavesdropping again. It was for the best she did not cross paths with him again, or else it’ll break what’s left of her mentality. She might blindly lash out at him.

He quickly and quietly exited the house in the darkness of night and hides behind the building, waiting for May Li to gather her things and walk to her car parked out front. He watched her drive away, releasing a sigh of relief. It was at this moment that Zack and his friends get the jump on him and scare him from behind, forcing him to let out a frightened yelp and fall over. The bullies laugh in the face of his humiliation.

Liam: Hahaha! What a scaredy cat!

James: Only a freak like Jason Dark can get scared this easily.

Their laughter causes Jason to growl with annoyance as he gets back up, dusting the dirt off his clothes.

Zack: You’re seven minutes late, Freak! Thought you chickened out for a sec.

Jason: I… I needed to use the bathroom before we left.

Liam: What’s wrong? You pissed yourself, ya big baby?!

Jason: I don’t know what we’re going to do or how long you plan on keeping me out here. Better to be safe than sorry.

Zack: Well, I hope you’ve got your brown pants on, cuz with what we got planned for you, you’re gonna need them… We’re gonna be taking a little trip to New London.

Jason: Ne- New London?! Why?

Zack: There’s a special van parked in an alleyway that I want, and you’re gonna get it for us. Do I need to remind ya what happens if you refuse?

Jason shakes his head in silence.

Zack: Good. Now follow us to the bus stop. Oh, and you’re paying for all of us, haha!

Jason groans with frustration and lowers his head in defeat. He didn’t have any money on him, but he did have a banking app on his phone that he uses for transactions. He assumes that is what he meant by “paying for all of us.” Today has got to be among the worst he’s experienced in his sad existence. And the night is still young. Whatever the bullies are going to make him do he suspected it would be something illegal. And the worst of it is, according to Zack’s earlier text, this is but the first of many illegal things he’s going to be forced into. On top of that May Li is dead set on figuring out what actually happened to Andrea and making sure he suffers the consequences.

He slowly looks up at the night sky covered by clouds, blocking out the shining stars. It felt as if the world itself was displaying his depression. If there really was a God up there, he must enjoy making his life a living hell.

To Be Continued