Chapter 1: The Next Day
Journal entry #3: June, 2013
I remember the next day after my fight in Dorian's chemical factory very well.
My father was appalled and angry that after groveling under blackmail, the brain of crime still threatened and tried to hurt members of his family.
Jeremy was busy working with Salvador hardy to move his family out of lunar city until the brain was taken care of.
He had gone too far now, and now my father had had enough.
He was going after the brain, and this time he wasn't going to stop until he was gone forever.
Both hardy and my father agreed that they couldn't wait for the corrupt city council to act not when they KNEW that that gas attack was just the beginning.
Hardy and my father had already moved things forward to bring in troops from the city of Technogopolis and the National Guard to deal with this terrorist attack.
When the council is pressed with the fact that the city was under terrorism instead of a crime wave, they would have no choice, the gassing of the S.W.A.T team and the explosion of a factory producing mysterious dangerous chemicals was not something of a bit of news even THEY could block from escaping the city airwaves.
The council was to meet with my father and Salvador in secret somewhere, a location that would be given by the District attorney.
Salvador hardy had a plan so that even the brain couldn't destroy this meeting.
In reality it was my idea, I had talked with him before I went home after I explained the events surrounding the gas attack and the assault in the Mutagen manufactory.
Salvador had found it strange that the place where the hostage situation and the explosion and the gassing of the swat team and the red death gang had all happened in the same city sector but all at different places both which were owned by Dorian's Weapons Company.
He planned on going to Dorian's building and placing a search warrant on that place, once he had given this information to the council in the meeting to get the permission to search such a prominent P.R covered businessman's establishment to see if his "new friend" was right about the brain of crime being industrialist Dorian finch.
And if so, he would be ready to deliver this jackal to justice.
if there was any truth to this "coincidence", and Dorian was found to be the now branded "terrorist" the brain of crime my dad said he was going to give him all the help he needed… with an army to back him. He was going to make him pay for his tyranny and murderous appetite.
I reflect on this as I write and think, "that's my job dad"
By the next day, News on the chemical explosion at the chemical works reached newsstands faster than I expected.
The city council had placed the entire area under quarantine, and had evacuated everyone in the surrounding area.
I watched this all on TV at the safety of the mansion….I had also watched all the police round up the night skulls who had escaped the explosion, all of them told the cops what they had seen.
The cops who had been with Jeremy during the gassing had told the chief what they had seen.
All we met with disbelief.
No one believed that a super powered phantom of the opera had done all of this.
It was dismissed as under the influence of drugs and drink hallucinating.
I didn't care, it fit my purpose, and I didn't want to be known…I wasn't doing this for recognition.
I was doing it…because it was right.
However…I did find the disbelief amusing…even the cops words weren't believed in this city, no matter how true the so called Fiction was.
I remember walking to meet my sister in the hospital, thinking about my future as well as my next move in this deadly chess game I had begun.
If I played my cards right I would have the brain in my hands and the hands of justice before tomorrow.
I entered the hospital; walking toward the receptionist…I noticed that she was busy watching the news report on an overhanging T.V set.
Curious I looked up at what she was looking at.
I listened to the report with intrigue, it was something like this.
"A massive gas attack on the east end of lunar city has left many lunarites wondering what is going on. Is the city under attack, is this a terrorist strike? The city council is meeting today to discuss about some kind of movement, is it related to the gas attack that left 39 people under intensive care in mercy hospital, a group consisting of lunar's best S.W.A.T team, and the red death gang. Only time will tell as we wait on word on the city council… in other news.
The explosion at Dorian Finches' manufactory on the cities west industrial sector has been confirmed to have been caused by bullet fire. A hostage situation yesterday involving this man, Jeremy Markson of L.C.P.D and his family who had escaped the explosion during a gunfight that erupted between his captors and the night skulls street gang, has many people in debate and skepticism over what really happened last night. Several captured Night skulls gang members involved in the event claim that they were all assaulted by some kind of vigilante with supernatural powers. When questioned Dorian finch assured that he had no idea his manufactory had been taken over and used to hold a prominent cop and his family hostage due to them being part of the Kishi family. He went on to call their boss the brain of crime a jackal and that he planned on suing the brain when he was apprehended for the damage done to his finances by the explosion caused by his actions. When asked about the words of the night skulls over what had happened that night, the chief of police had this to say. "It's absolutely ridiculous. No one has or can ever have superpowers. These losers were obviously high on something and that's what caused them to fire their weapons and cause the explosion. They obviously imagined that they were under attack by a living shadow, causing untold property damage in their fire fight."
I was finished, I didn't care for what the news had left to say.
If I had, I would have heard a later news report saying that the exposed RED DEATH gang and the S.W.A.T team were found to have mysteriously vanished from the hospital.
Its funny isn't it, every decision you make or don't make bites you one way or another.
But I wasn't in the mood for newscasts that day.
I had to see my sister.
I walked into her room and greeted her.
She seemed okay, but I knew that wasn't the case.
She had been scared, like me.
I remember one time one of the orderly's walked by talking about a day when he took his wife and daughter to the park, how his little girl had found a lady bug and to her it was like finding gold. He had remarked on how lucky he was to have a wife and daughter.
I saw Rachel's face when she heard that, she denied it, but I knew it was a face bearing sadness.
She would never, ever have children…at least, not any born from her.
Despite her denial at the fact that she wasn't alright, I embraced her in a hug.
She cried in my arms, when she was done… she told me how glad she was to have a brother like me.
The guilt of the night reached me again, but I pushed it down and continued to comfort my sister.
I told her that dad was going on the offensive this time; the brain had declared war on lunar city with that gas attack.
I told her that tonight the family was going to be moved to safety out of lunar while the National Guard and the police would storm around the city in all the suspicious places until the brain of crime was found.
Justice would be had.
My sister's only words on it were an angry, "GOOD!"
I left the hospital, while looking at my watch.
I smiled as twelve black cars drove by where I was standing outside the hospital entrance, racing down the streets for somewhere, the windows were tinted and I could see all of the cars were being driven by cops…good cops.
I knew this…because this was part of my plan.
I had told Salvador hardy which of the cops to ask for from the commissioner to drive the council, my father, himself and a newcomer to lunar…he represented of some kind of counter terrorism operation…"S.L.E.E.T" I believe it was called.
My powers told me that he was trustworthy, so was the organization he worked for.
I watched as they drove off in secret in the dark windowed vans… heading to where the secret council would take place.
I had my eyes on that proceeding, and I would have my eyes on the meeting where it took place…because I knew that Dorian would try and sabotage it somehow.
I had time to check on other things before the meeting, like the old street lady.
I made sure no one was looking before I shadow walked away.
Unknown to me at the time, hiding in the shadows behind me, when I shadow walked was Dorian finch!
He walked out of the shadows to where I had disappeared, and pulled out a small hand held device.
He waved it over the area where I had vanished into the shadow realm.
It beeped violently, then the screen lit up and read out a message which said "positive match: mutagen, Liquid miasmic"
Dorian smiled deviously, he knew, and now he had confirmation on exactly who and WHAT I really was now.
He put away his device and took a big whiff of the stogie he was smoking, letting out a huge puff of smoke when he breathed out.
"Doesn't matter…." He said regarding what he had now knew, he turned around, tossed the cigar away into the gutter, and entered the hospital, "all that matters is the trap"
My sister Rachel leaned back in her hospital bed, trying to get to sleep as the sun began to set.
She was startled for a second as the door to her hospital room opened, and in entered Dorian finch.
She began to ask what he was doing here when he suddenly lunged forward and placed a firm hand around her mouth, silencing her screams.
"You can scream all you want Rachel…" the evil man, my enemy said to my terrified and confused sister, motioning behind him "no one will hear you"
Rachel looked behind Dorian with her eyes, and saw in the hallway outside her room, the floor was strewn with nurses, doctors and cops.
She looked back at Dorian with terrified eyes.
He chuckled, realizing her fear "no…they're alive. I just put them to sleep…. When they wake, they won't remember anything about me coming in here…" he pulled out a flare gun type gun and placed it in my sister's hands, inside of it, was some kind of bullet, she looked up at him confused.
"And neither will you when I'm done with you, you won't remember any of this" Dorian finch chuckled.
Dorian's eyes began glowing red; it was the last thing Rachel saw…before her mind went blank.
SOUTH LUNAR: OLD ABANDONED APARTMENT
When I found the old mute woman in the alleyway I felt compelled to help her. So I began by giving her something that she would enjoy.
I gave her a home.
It was a good room in the abandoned Myerson apartment complex, circa 1945. It had been in lunar since the beginning of its adolescence.
It was old, dusty…but she didn't care.
When I had taken her to this place, she almost bowled me over when she embraced me in a tearful hug.
No one had in her time on the streets been THIS kind to her.
I promised her I would check up on her from time to time, bring her some food…I always told mom she cooks enough for two of me at dinner…now the extras can be put to use on stomachs that need it.
I emerged from the shadow realm from a shadow underneath one of the couches in the boarded up apartment complexes lobby, holding a large sack in my hand.
I walked up the creaking stairs to the room I knew the old woman was staying in.
I walked into her apartment; I called out to her "miss…miss, Sarah fielding? Are you here?"
From the shadows of the covers on the couch in the middle of the room stirred my beggar lady friend.
She wiped the sleep from her eyes and then smiled when she saw me and the smiled even more when she saw what I had brought her.
"I figured you would be hungry" I said as I handed her the bags of groceries.
She nodded at me.
"You're welcome…" I nodded back.
CENTER LUNAR….
A very familiar girl walked down the streets, listening to her pink IPod.
As she walked down the street she suddenly felt a vibrating sound in her pocket.
She then pushed pause on her song on her iPod, and reached into her pocket pulling out a red cellphone.
Smiling she answered, "high mom…no, no…I'm fine, I'm on my way home now… yes I got the job, I'll start tomorrow…yes I'm glad too…"
However as she was talking she was talking, she was walking by an alleyway, and she didn't see the glowing red eyes watching her.
Suddenly two gloved pairs of hands grabbed her and pulled her into the shadows; before the girl knew it she had been tied and gagged.
She soon realised she was surrounded by two tall men and a medium sized man who looked familiar, before she could try to break free from her captors she was smothered with a cloth that smelled of chloroform.
She fell out cold, but before she did, she heard a dark voice give orders to the two thugs holding her.
"Take her to the bridge, I have a kidnapping and hostage crisis to set up…" the voice of the brain of the crime echoed in her mind before she fell out cold.
BLOOMINGDALES COSMETICS AND SALON, CENTRAL LUNAR…..
My mother entered the place where she always had her hair done.
Bloomingdale's.
One of the city's best salons, and that was saying something.
Nice place in the center of downtown lunar, she hadn't been there in a while due to the turmoil that the family had been under but with the family due to leaving the city for the private island where no one but the family knew where it was, she figured now would a good time to get her hair done…since there was no salons that could do what she liked with her air on the island.
She walked up to the receptionist.
"Good morning Valarie" my mother greeted.
"Good morning Machiko, how are things?" Valarie the receptionist answered.
"Hectic, which is why I'm here…finally got some time to get my hair done" my mother said smiling.
"Right this way…" Val the receptionist said leading my mom to where she could sit down and have her hair done.
But while they were doing this seven night skulls and masked goons with guns walked into the salon, their leader, a night skull with red eye contact lenses eyed my mother as she was walking across the room.
He looked at his companions, "hide the "noisers" until I give the order, then take her out to the car…no hurting, the boss wants her alive and untouched, and taken to Kishi Plaza, capish?" he asked.
He was met with acknowledging nods and they all hid their guns in the folds of their jackets.
Knowing his boys knew the plan the lead night skull looked ahead and tapped on the receptionist bell.
Since Val was busy with my mom, the relief receptionist came out to answer the customer.
She wasn't paying attention until she looked up, and with horror…realized who was standing in front of her.
"Now boys….party time!" he smiled deviously.
The leader was the first to react, he leapt over the receptionists desk, grabbed the relief receptionist, kissed her full on the mouth, then laughing deviously he let lose his gun and fired it up at the celling.
The rest of the night skulls fanned out, shooting their guns into the air, corralling the forming panicked crowd of people in the salon into a corner.
The leader then pushed the relief receptionist into the hands of a huge, built night skull who restrained her as she struggled to get free.
"Tie her up "big gun!" the leader said to his huge foot soldier, "I have some plans for her" he licked his lips.
He then walked over to where my mother was while two of his men went and guarded the door leading into the building.
He looked down at her, holding a glass vial in his hand as he did, "Miss Kishi…." He said sincerely decent to my mother, before shoving the cylinder under my mother's nose where she breathed in its contents: ether "we need you rested for the party tonight…"
ABANDONED APARTMENT BUILDING…..
I watched as the kind elderly Sarah fielding sat down to enjoy a quiet evening watching TV, her show "Gilmore girls" would be on in a half an hour, she enjoyed watching it.
I began to turn to leave, biding her farewell.
I was going to go out and see if my plan was going the way I wanted when suddenly my brain felt like it was on fire, and suddenly my dark sense power activated. I sensed several ripples in subspace around the city…something was wrong.
Suddenly my attention was drawn from the shadow realm into reality as my ears just then heard on miss fielding's portable TV, my answers to the "ripples" I felt.
"We interrupt this program to put out an amber alert for a one, Charlene Evans, age 19, last seen in lunar city's Central area. Her mother, who had been talking with her daughter on the phone reported hearing sounds of struggle and screams on the other side of the phone and when her daughter didn't respond to her calls she called the police, so far the police have no suspects but one witness who called them on a cell phone that was traced and found ownerless atop an adjacent building where the girl last was, the witness claims to have seen the girl being taken away by members of the night skull gang.
The night's skulls are a well-known vicious gang in lunar that have terrorized various areas of lunar, and despite best attempts by the local law enforcement, their numbers don't dwindle… and more seem to be joining their ranks. Sources are believed that this gang is under the control of the rumoured brain of crime, the cities much debated crime kingpin.
After the gas attack that took out the red death gang, the night skulls are now the city's largest and only criminal gang, leaving many to wonder if this gas attack was part of some kind of gang warfare.
Wait a second, were getting reports of an attempted jumping suicide at lunar central hospital. Fire fighters and emergency personal have already been alerted, but might not make it in time… we have just received word on the indemnity of the jumper, she is Rachael Kishi… daughter of Martin Kishi the billionaire and Machiko Kishi billionaires and supporter of the "black alley cat victims no more" brigade.
Rachel Kishi, who along with her little brother survived a vicious attempted murder, was diagnosed barren, and depressed…and now seems to be trying to end her pain…." Mrs. Sarah fielding who had been watching the T.V report with great concern suddenly turned away when she heard the sound of me shadow walking away, she looked over her shoulder at where I had vanished, and then back at the TV.
She thought for a second, and then began wondering about who was under the mask… if the mystery vigilante took off at the sound of the poor Kishi girls attempted suicide...was because he knew her?
INSIDE A BLACK AND GREY VAN IN LUNAR CITY….
An unwanted guest struggled at the bonds on her legs and her wrists.
My mother, who was in the back of the van had been struggling since her kidnapping during the siege at Bloomingdales had been struggling to escape for two hours.
The van had been stuck in slow traffic and if she was going to escape, now would be the best time to escape…if she could get free.
Also if she could get free while her captors were busy getting ready for something.
The night skulls that had kidnapped her were busy loading their guns again, but also putting on night vision goggles and some kind of new handheld device she had never seen before.
She then got the idea to look around her to see if she could find anything to cut these bonds.
As she did, a glint of light on the night skull closest to her suddenly flickered, out of curiosity she looked up.
Her eyes widened as she recognized the metal symbol of the S.W.A.T organization.
She then looked over to the night skull on the other side of the van, and noticed that this night skull had on his arm, the tattoo of the Red death gang.
Before she could think on this revelation, she heard the driver of the van call back behind him to the others.
"good thing the boss gave you "drones" your old clothes back…we'll you S.W.A.T members anyway, that wouldn't have made this little "party" were going to throw as much funny if we had you dressed like us only would it?"
The swat members and the red death gang members didn't respond, like nothing was happening…like, like they were machines.
My mother then heard the sound of two vehicles approaching from behind the van she was in; she prayed it was the cops.
She was wrong.
"Ready for the party boys?" the Night skull van driver asked.
Over his radio, the cheers of other night skull gang members roared through the speakers.
The van turned left while the unseen vans outside the van turned with it, my mother looked up through the front windshield and saw where they were heading, with eyes full of terror.
They were heading for Kishi enterprises, my father's buildings…where he was right now at this very second.
They were heading for Kishi Enterprises!
