Bolt From The Blue
[Note that there is a new campaign post just before this one.]
Alex stopped at home on the way to Grace's to check his messages. Sure enough, there were two from David: One to say he'd taken the bus into a nearby large town but hadn't managed to get a ticket for that day and would call later with further news; and a second to say that he'd be arriving by train Sunday morning. It'll be so good to have him home again! he thought.
Once at Grace's house, she drew him aside for an update before he checked in on Carlos. "He's doing a little better, but he's still disoriented and easily confused, and he finds it very frustrating. Don't give him anything to worry about, or do anything too emotionally heavy right now." Alex nodded submissively. "How long until he can start working with me again? That will probably be the best thing for him." "You're probably right." She thought it over, then continued, "Thanksgiving is a convenient milestone to work with. After that, let him get back to
light duty - computer stuff and so on. Nothing too strenuous. I'll leave it to your judgement when he's ready for anything more. Don't rely on his powers until around Christmas." Alex chuckled drily. "I've never relied on them." "Well, don't expect anything, put it that way."
"I'm guessing he's been very 'helpful' around here?" Grace rolled her eyes. "You have no idea. Well, you probably do. I've had to assign him some simple chores so he doesn't feel the need to do everything that strikes his eye. Anything too complicated, he can't manage to concentrate on, and he ends up getting upset." "What about working out? I imagine he's getting anxious about getting out of shape." "Right again, darlin'. I let him do some light calisthenics, so long as he's supervised. Otherwise he forgets what he's done already and keeps going. I don't want him to wear himself out." "I thought you said he was physically fine?" "Yes, but he sleeps a good deal; he's still recuperating." "You said he could stay until Wednesday. Do you want him to stay until then?" She replied, "He should stay at least through the weekend; I want to re-evaluate where he's at by that point." Alex nodded. "Good enough. May I see him now?" "Be my guest. Be warned that he'll probably try to convince you he's just fine."
Alex couldn't help but smile when he found the boy doing some illicit unsupervised sit-ups in his bedroom, dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt. (He noted with mild surprise that Carlos was already comfortable enough around Grace to let his arms show.) Carlos' face lit up at the sight of him, and he grinned when Alex sat on the floor next to him and joked, "Take a break - that's an order." "Yessir! ...Eighteen, nineteen, twenty! Done." Sitting up a twenty-first time and clasping his arms about his knees, he tensed slightly when Alex put an arm around him, but seemed pleased and leaned into it a bit. After a moment, Alex asked him, "How are you doing?"
"Well...
I think I'm OK." "Grace doesn't agree?" "Well, you know, sir. I like her a lot, but she worries too much. She's so..." "Overprotective?" "Yeah!" Alex told him gently, "Well, Carlos, I'm asking you to put up with it for a little while. Because whether you feel like it or not, you need some protecting right now." The boy ducked his head to his chest and said quietly, "Yes, sir." Though the request was plainly unwelcome, there was no mutiny in his tone.
"I'm sorry I didn't stop by yesterday," Alex told him gently. "It's okay, sir. I know how it goes. Crime waits for no man, right?" With a smile, "Just so. How are your headaches?" "Getting better. I don't need as many painkillers as I did before." "That's good." "Uh huh." They chatted a while about inconsequentials, valuing the time more for the company than the information. Finally Alex asked him, "Anything you want to ask me?" "Yeah!" came the eager response. "What's going on with the bad guys?" Alex thought for a moment, then said carefully, "I staked out some bad guys last night, but didn't learn what I'd hoped to." Carlos nodded at this uninformative reply and kind of sank into himself, looking downcast. Alex wordlessly clasped him a little closer in response.
Grace chose that moment to come in and start chatting lightly with the two of them with her usual preternatural awareness. After a time, she mentioned that the Shadow probably had to be going, and Alex took the hint. He got up and whispered to Carlos, "I've missed you." Carlos nodded glumly, looking away. Alex patted his shoulder and awkwardly took his leave.
Stopping by the base to get suited up, he made his way purposefully to the OmniMetal building. On the way, he had the comm panel dial their number, since it was after five. "Van Helsing for Ms. Nearman." His call got passed through a variety of flunkies; Alex got tired of repeating himself. Finally, "This is Barbara Nearman. What can I do for you, Mr. Van Helsing?" "I was hoping Mr. Johnson could tell me about Legion's status." "I see. ... I regret to inform you that Mr. Johnson has... passed away, quite unexpectedly." The Shadow shot her the razor-sharp inquiry, "How did he die? Did Legion do it?" "That matter is still under investigation, I'm afraid. Tell me, Mr. Van Helsing... How exactly do you know of Legion?"
"How do I
know of it?! I'm the one who informed your company of its existence!" "I see. And did Mr. Johnson issue you any... supplies? We are missing some that would have been very useful against it." Wheels turned rapidly in the Shadow's mind as he considered the ramifications of that question. "Screamers, you mean." "Exactly." "Yes, he gave me a box of sixteen." "Ah. And did he also issue you a box of JQX gas?" "If that's a knockout gas, then yes, he did." "Ah. Do you still have them?" "The gas, yes. The screamers, no - Legion managed to take them from me."
"I see. Tell me, Mr. Van Helsing, are you, ah, subcontracting with us through Mr. Johnson?" "No, I would have to describe my involvement with OmniMetal as more... impromptu." "I understand. I just wanted to make sure you had not been promised payment." "Mr. Johnson did not keep good records? How sloppy of him." "Not exactly. We have reason to believe that Mr. Johnson recorded his data in... a nonstandard protocol. We are currently trying to figure out just what protocol he was using." Now it was the Shadow's turn to say, "I see." So the bastard kept secrets in code even from his own company, eh?
After a moment, he asked, "What can you tell me of Legion's current status, Ms. Nearman?" "Very little, Mr. Van Helsing. You must understand, responsibility for the Legion affair left my hands earlier today when a team of investigators arrived. Their leader, a Mr. Hashimoto, is very eager to speak with you." "Is he available now?" "I'm afraid not. Can you call tomorrow morning between eight and ten?" "Yes." "Very well, I'll tell him to expect you. And Mr. Van Helsing... please be advised that it is Mr. Hashimoto's intention to close down your role in the investigation." "Understood. And welcomed. It has been... difficult." "Yes. Is there anything more?" "No." "In that case, I will wish you a good evening." "And you."
By that time he'd reached OmniMetal's parking lot. He spent a good while going over the parking lot and its environs with a fine-toothed comb. Sure enough, he spotted a ringer - a woman doing landscaping rather inexpertly, and watching the lot a little too intently. After continued searching, he concluded there were no others. How to distract her while he kidnapped one of her fellow employees... He picked up a rock and weighed it in his hand.
Eventually one of the Shadow's targets came out and went to his car - the head of security. The cloaked crusader "shadowed" him to his car, then decided to attach a little tracking device to its bumper. (The thing only had a range of about a mile, but hopefully it would help narrow down the guy's address.) The comm panel reported the car's position to him every thirty seconds until it was out of range. He shrugged; he had bigger fish to fry.
Not much later, the Shadow got the nibble he was waiting for. The middle manager - the target who seemed to know the most - came out into the lot and clicked his beeper at an expensive car. The dark avenger lobbed his invisible rock at a car several rows down, and its alarm started wailing. With that diversion going on, he promptly "vanished" both his target and the man's car (letting the guy see through the illusion so he wouldn't notice). With any luck, when the ringer looked back in this direction, she'd notice nothing untoward. He was just turning back toward his target, gun at the ready to give an unpleasant surprise, when he got one himself - he heard a low humming sound and felt a sudden flash of heat on his back - even through the Kevlar!
The Shadow dove for cover, weaving wildly between cars - hopefully his invisibility would reassert itself upon the agent he'd somehow missed. No more shots were fired at him, but he did not count himself safe; he left the lot on a route circuitous enough to give a snake lumbago, making for a randomly selected point so as to throw no suspicion toward his real neighborhood. When he felt a little safer, he checked his back; there was a neat round hole in his cloak, about an inch wide, and a similar patch on the back of his vest was still a bit warm. He shook his head in disbelief. "Doesn't anybody use bullets any more?!" At least it hadn't really hurt him.
He was just about ready to start heading home for real when his luck began to turn... he heard the beeping of his little tracker over the commlink, and the panel started reporting position information again. Somehow he'd managed to stumble back within its range. [Natural 20's are nice, aren't they?]
He ghosted into the parking garage of a large apartment building, and soon located his target's car. He recovered the tracker - no sense in leaving evidence behind - and made careful note of the address. Should I hit him now? He pondered. Nah. Things were a little too hot at the moment; better to let barking dogs lie until they fell asleep.
Alex made his way back to his usual haunts, deciding to spend the night getting his finger back on his community's pulse. OmniMetal could wait for now. And I'm sure that Mr. Hashimoto and I will have an interesting talk on the morrow.
[This was a fairly short one, as SP was beat and, as always when he's tired, rambled excessively.

It'll depend somewhat on how the phone call goes next session, but I suspect that Alex will decide to let things cool off with OmniMetal before trying a hit again. In that case, we'll probably advance time to mid-December, pausing briefly on important events along the way, like David's return and Thanksgiving. I've also considered writing another short-short to cover that kind of thing, if SP approves.]
[It will DEFINITELY be a relief to get Carlos back on the job, and to get the bike repaired. Believe me. Alex and I had forgotten how nerve-wracking the life of a solo vigilante can be.]