Maria, Maria

  # # #

  Kiri was in the break room, messing with the gauntlet and muttering in Japanese. "How's everything coming along," Jill asked as she entered.

  "It would be a lot easier if they weren't using cheap parts," she answered. She tugged at one of the wires, and got a small jolt for her curiosity. "Cheap, but evil."

  "What do you mean cheap?"

  "Cheap as in anyone can buy the parts and make this gauntlet from instructions on the Internet." The Techie fiddled around with a few wires, tapped on a resister, and said something into her ear-piece. "How did you guys take out Maria the last time?"

  "Deadguy threw water on her," Jill answered.

  Kiri stopped suddenly, then busted out laughing. "Are you serious?"

  "Yep. Two cups of water shorted her out and she fell out of a window onto the snowy ground below."

  Kiri was still laughing. "OhEmGee. That is hilarious. Wish I could have been there."

  "Where is she," a voice from the past yelled. Jill leaned out of the break room. Standing in the middle of their office was a young man with course brown hair and large-rimmed glasses.

  "Aaron," Jill greeted. "how may we help you?"

  "Has Maria escaped prison," he asked, a mix of anger and fear in his voice. "She's escaped, hasn't she? I saw on the news about all those electricity-based murders..."

  "No, she's still there," Jill said, trying to assure him. "Deadguy went to visit her."

  "What? Why?"

  "That's classified information. All you need to know..."

  "Aaron," Deadguy called out. "What's going on? How's the wife and kids?"

  "I'm not married," he growled.

  "Were you?"

  "I'm only Twenty!"

  "You'd be surprised what happens in twenty years."

  "What's going on with these murders?"

  Deadguy looked over at Jill. She shook her head. "Sorry Bucko. Boss says no." He slapped Aaron on the shoulder. "but it was great to see you again. Stay awesome, okay?" With that, he walked off into the break room.

  Jill looked at Aaron, studying the emotions that ran across his face. "Look, give me your number and we'll call you if anything happens," she suggested.

  "Just you," he asked, wary.

  "I promise Deadguy won't prank call you."

  Aaron sighed. His shoulders slumped. "Alright. Fine," he agreed. "but I have a gig in a few days, so if you could make sure she stays in jail." He wrote his number on a sticky note and gave it to Jill.

  "We'll try our best," she said. When Aaron left, she went back to the break room. Deadguy was drinking some coffee and watching Kiri work.

  Valkadaidan sat on the ledge of a building. He looked across the street to the apartment building, notably to one of the windows. A young man with pale blond hair sat in front of a shrine. The shrine was out of the window's view, but pictures and newspaper clipping could be seen. One of the pictures was Maria Jones being arrested. A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky. He took a few steps back and started counting the seconds. There was a boom of thunder, stopping him. He turned and waited. Another flash of lighting was his cue. He took off, leapt across the street and crashed through the window just as the thunder boomed again.

  The young man started to scream, but the Dragon-Blooded had him pinned with his hand over his mouth. He held his katana inches from his throat. "You will not speak until I say so," he instructed. "is that understood?" The young man nodded. "Why are you committing these murders across the city?"

  "We're following her orders," he replied, his voice quivering with fear.

  "Why?"

  "She wants us to kill until The Enemies are drawn out."

  "Who are The Enemies?"

  "I don't know," he cried, tears beginning to stream down his face. "That's all he told me."

  Valk pressed his katana closer to the young man's neck. "I don't believe you."

  "P...p...please," he begged. The smell of urine suddenly caught Valk's nose. The Hero stood up as the young man curled into a fetal position.

  "Who's he?"

  "Schlag. He lives near the power plant on the East End. Please don't kill me."

  "As many lives as you've taken, I should." There was a loud knock at the door.

  "EnTeePeeDee," a voice yelled. "Open up." They kicked the door open, but all they found was a young man and a broken window.