Tag Archives: Immortal

Knock, Knock?: Part 1

“Wait,” I said, “who did you power up?”

Lee laughed, “Intentionally? No one you know. That risks the wrong kind of attention, but I do it when it’s worth the risks. Unintentionally? Everyone who stayed near me with the right kind of ancestry—including you and your friends. My kind are a nexus for power. If you can collect it, you’ll get a little more than you normally would.”

That opened up new lines of thought we didn’t have time for right now, but maybe after we freed him, we might.

“Wow,” I spoke the word aloud, prompting the rest of the group to look at me. To forestall questions, I shook my head, “I’m going to want more details about that sometime, but for now, how do we get you out?” Continue reading Knock, Knock?: Part 1

Waning Moon: Part 10

As he spoke, I wondered how I could reply, but then realized that I felt the familiar feeling of being in the in-between space I’d used to take lessons from Kee.

I thought back, “I’d been wondering where you were. I was told you’d returned to Earth after working with Kee for a while, but I hadn’t seen you.”

“Yeah, well. I solved a small mystery I’d been worrying about, but that meant visiting this place and now I can’t get out. How long has it been for you?” Continue reading Waning Moon: Part 10

Waning Moon: Part 9

It wasn’t Grandpa as I knew him either. It was Grandpa from old newsreels and recordings. I had a few in the lab—accidental recordings from when Grandpa was tinkering with various versions of the sonic systems and test recordings that he’d used for years to assure consistency in the official Rocket suit voice.

It also wasn’t just Grandpa.

I also heard the rest of the team—Captain Commando, Night Wolf, C, the Mentalist, and Grandma. Continue reading Waning Moon: Part 9

If Found, Please Return: Part 4

Nataw’s eyes widened, “That’s not good at all. I didn’t mean… Do we have to destroy them now? I don’t want to.”

Lee sighed, using his extended Abominator fingers to press the final series of buttons to turn the field off, “No. It would cause too many problems. If we destroy the Abominators, we’ll have to fly all over the galaxy to kill them all. No great loss, but it’ll attract attention from Destroy and then it’ll be a family thing and we don’t need that. Besides, I’ve already set up a species that should be able to handle them. It’ll be untraceable and look like the natural consequence of poking around where you shouldn’t.”

Pressing the last button, Lee heard a whisper of white noise as the machine stopped working. He turned around, returning to the human form he’d had before. Continue reading If Found, Please Return: Part 4

If Found, Please Return: Part 3

Nataw smiled at him, “I wasn’t worried. I knew you’d be by eventually. It isn’t all about winning or losing. There are some things you only learn by mistake. Besides, even if they held me captive for a thousand years, what of it? What’s a thousand years? It isn’t even as if they had all of me. All I have to do is discorporate and embody myself again in this universe.

“I’m fine.”

Lee raised an eyebrow, “You’re fine? You can discorporate in the middle of that?” Continue reading If Found, Please Return: Part 3

If Found, Please Return: Part 2

“His name?” I asked, “who was that guy?”

Daniel nodded, “Constantine Doukas. He’s Greek. He appears to have been raised in one of the Cabal’s hidden colonies. The Nine had some kind of connection to that colony and he ended up fighting us, but here’s the interesting thing—the Nine have their own power impregnators. He went through one and the ability to do that appeared.”

“No shit,” Cassie pushed back from the table. “I don’t know if I told you this, but the first time I fought the Nine, the time Nick picked me up in Washington D.C., I fought another orange guy. He wasn’t the same. He was more spider-like with glowing orange legs that contained some kind of hot liquid? Think they’re related?”

“No idea,” I said, glancing over at Daniel. Continue reading If Found, Please Return: Part 2

Before Midnight: Part 3

Joe restrained his response, hoping that he wasn’t grinding his teeth. The group didn’t need more right now. Something was off about Giles. He couldn’t put his finger on what. If that wasn’t enough, new people with powers were appearing.

Man-machine, of all people, had visited by his office to tell him about it. Wearing a cheap suit, the kid claimed to be starting a business that made auto parts. He couldn’t hide his nervousness, constantly checking out the window. Continue reading Before Midnight: Part 3

Before Midnight: Part 2

“I’ll know him?” Joe looked up at Gunther, mouth in a straight line, “I’m going to need more information than that.”

Gunther shook his head, “No, you won’t. You’ll need more information than that to find it, but not more when you’ve got it and need to hand it off.”

The creature’s information had always been good even if “his” true motives weren’t obvious. If this thing that Gunther lost explained what Gunther was doing on Earth, Joe could live with it. He didn’t enjoy having that hanging out there as a potential surprise. Continue reading Before Midnight: Part 2

Before Midnight: Part 1

Grand Lake, Michigan, December 31, 1958: Ten Minutes before Midnight

Snow fell outside. Joe watched from the seventh floor of the tallest private home in Grand Lake, wondering if it would be a blizzard. The big, white flakes meant that skiing wouldn’t be great and neither would the shoveling. He wouldn’t have to worry about either until tomorrow. Romy and he were staying over at Giles tonight anyway.

He stood waiting in the music room because Giles’ mansion had enough rooms that he could afford to devote one purely to music. A grand piano stood on one end and a pipe organ on the other. Along the walls were bookshelves filled with music, music stands, and enough instruments for a small orchestra. Continue reading Before Midnight: Part 1

Trees & Shields: Part 36

Possible responses hung in my head, most of them bad. I settled on, “I’m sorry.   I wish we could have done something, but none of us are any good at healing.”

I thought back to my friend Alex. He was good at healing. It would have been nice if the Ghosts had grabbed him along with Rachel. He couldn’t have survived the trip without a spaceship, and everything I knew through my implant and Rachel said that they didn’t bother with them.

Kals shook her head. “Iolan could have done it if he had access to all his equipment. The Ascendancy killed her in more ways than one. I hate them. I don’t know how, but somehow we have to destroy them. Not everybody, but the Ascendant and the Ascendant Council, the Guard… It all needs to end.” Continue reading Trees & Shields: Part 36