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The past and the future

This is the final part of the Blackmark trilogy, and this one sees our hero meet someone he'd rather forget from his past....

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My head is in my hands and outside the rain is beating down relentlessly.  It’s not the weather that’s getting me down, but Remedy’s monotonous tone.  She’s like an 80’s song: very repetitive and unimaginative.  Where are the donuts where you need them?

“So, any questions?”

“Yeah, can you go back to the beginning I missed a part.”  Bullet’s cheerful demeanour is grating.  If he was serious I’d throw him out the window.

“No.”  She says bluntly.  She knows him really well which is a good thing.  She knows he’s only fooling around.  Her plan to catch Hugs Mwah is not so sound.  Quite frankly, it’s the worst I’ve ever heard.  Hugs has no plans and is just a small time violent psychopath, but because Batman is worried about him these two must do as he says.  The dullness is killing me.  I switch on the computer.

“Hey Mash”.  I type.  Nothing on messenger.  Typical, could do with some stimulating company and all I get is tweedle dum and well, tweedle dummer.

“Black, are you listening too me?”  Remedy’s voice is demanding.  This chick would be super hard work to go out with.  High maintenance as Bullet would say.

“Not really, my interest kinda of waned after you said ‘Batman wants’...  Hugs Mwah is small time and will be taken down soon enough.  Don’t know why the old 2 cv driver is so interested in him.”  I pick up the file on Hugs and start glancing through it.  His methods are brutal but random, his smiling face is a tad hideous but hey I wear a mask.  No connections with any gangs like the Crey or The Family, just a smile and two swords.  A string of victims in the Rogue Isles but the Rogue Isles is a victim.  So far, he’s not ventured outside of it as he’s probably still learning his trade.  I just don’t get the interest.  There are thousands, small time, like him.

“I thought you had no beef with him, pal?”  Asks Bullet.

“I don’t.  I just don’t get while we’re jumping every time he wants something.  We’re good in our own right.  We’ve saved Paragon the way he’s saved Gotham.  Our foes have been just as dangerous, the odds just as great, the risk just as perilous.”

“Yes but you know he has a grand plan where cities like Gotham and Paragon no longer need heroes like-“

“Yeah, yeah.  So what’s the plan, Batbitch?”  This is a low blow and I feel bad and wretched straight away.  She doesn’t deserve my frustrations.  “Sorry Dark, that was wrong.”

“I just told you the plan.”  She says angrily.

I don’t want to say it but I have too.  “It’s flawed.”  She shoots me a look that says lots of things.  “Hugs works to no pattern.  He just carries out random attacks on anything.  You can’t bait him.”

“You have a better one then.”

“No but I have one which means less risk to all of us.”

“And what’s that?”  Asks Bullet.

“Lets go to the bar.”

I hate Pocket D.  I had a horrible encounter here once where someone I had feelings for lured me here and loads of Nemesis beat the crap out of me.  Still, we live and learn.  I sit at the bar drinking a JD and coke.  Bullet has a bottle of becks and Remedy has a strop on.  I really wanna see Mash.  Her blue face is strangely alluring if a little muppet like.  But hey I wear a mask.

“Do you do donuts?”  I ask the bar tender.

“What?”

“Donuts, you know sugary doe, full of jam.”

“I know what one is, sir.”  His forced politeness is strained, like a bad singers voice.

“Good, do you do them?”  My voice is raised and I don’t know why I feel as angry as I do.

“No, sir, this is a bar.  Crisps?” Maybe it’s the laughter of Bullet and Remedy or maybe it’s the frustration of everything and nothing but I grab the guy and pull him across the bar.  I’m just about to headbut him when I feel Remedy and Bullet pull my arms off him.  Damn…

“Sorry, sorry.”  I apologise to the guy and make my way towards the door.  I come out in Talos and with a few leaps I’m at the top of the tallest building.  Below me life goes on: Cars driving, people walking and talking, business wheels turning, the sun shinning and birds singing.  It’s fairly peaceful here and it’s thanks to people like me that it is.  Yet, I feel like there’s so much to do and no way I can do it.  It’s the ultimate unscratchable itch.  I hate it.

There’s a white flash and Remedy appears.  “So what’s the matter with you?  What was all that about?”

“Long story.”

“Well I’m not going anywhere.”

“You’re staying?  No matter what?"

“Yes, I am.  I’m staying till you tell me what’s going on in that head of yours.”

“I understand.  You’re staying?”

She throws her arms wide and puts her hands are on her hips.  “Yes.”  She states.

I leap off the building fly half way across Talos and land on the next building.  I know she’ll follow me but it makes me smile.  By the time she appears looking more angry than before, I’ve taken off my mask and laid it beside me.  I’m sitting on a ledge and my feet are dangling off the edge, swinging idle.

She sits down next to me, our hair is flowing in the wind.  “So, what is it Black?”

“I don’t know, Dark.  Maybe, I’ve had enough of this game.  We can all do things we only dreamed about and yet I feel it is purposeless.  Does that make sense?”

She shakes her head and I can see why Bullet likes her.  Pity she is betrothed, there’s something dynamic about them.  “Black, we’ve saved every person in this city, possibly the world.  In no small way was that down to you, how can you feel like that?”

“I know I know.  It’s just maybe there’s a hole that’s not filled.  Maybe I feel running about for Batman isn’t doing me any favours.  Maybe I should work alone.”

“You die too much to work alone.  Look at how many times I have to res you.”

“Bullet dies too.”  I say, wounded. “I was doing fine on my own.”

“Like the time in your flat.”  I still have scars from Da Dealer’s pets.  The memory still burns.

“You had to bring that up.”

“I did.”

“The point I’m trying to make is that, is that…”

“What?”

“I need something more, something else.”

“When was the last time you saw Mash?”

“Months ago, and it was just one off.  She’s off adventuring doing her thing.  We don’t have anything going on.”

“She likes you, Black.”  I look at Remedy with an uncontrolled smile on my face.  I snap out of it.

“No, no, no.  it wouldn’t work, she’s blue and a hero and every time she charged into battle I’d be feeling I had to protect her.”

“She’s not like the other one.“

“What?”  I look at her.  I’ve not told anyone about the other one.  No one knows.

“I’m not gonna tell you how I know, only I will say our boss is very resourceful.”  She’s on her feet and has backed to the far side of the ledge.

“Remedy, tell me what you know?”  I stand.

“No, Black.”  I move towards her and with one movement she summersaults over me and kicks my mask off the ledge.  In a flash of white she has disappeared.  I dive after my mask shaking my head and feeling the frustration more and more and more…

After a few hours of trying to track down the now elusive Dark Remedy, I find Bullet in Pocket D sharing jokes with most of the staff.  Though I’m always cursing him he is a skilled, brave warrior, a good listener, funny, and has a cool easy going manner that’s so rare in us heroes.  The reality is he’s one of the best.

I walk over to him and put my hand on his arm.

“It’s no good Blackie, they don’t do donuts.”  With that the staff start laughing and so does Bullet.  I start too.

“What about crisps?”  Again everyone laughs.

We’re drinking for several hours but it passes in a flash.  It’s nice there’s no heroes telling hero stories cause they’re always exaggerated and it’s mighty dull.  Instead, conversation turns from a topical topic to observations, to simple laughs.  It’s the best night out since I met Ms Mash.

The crowd falls away and pretty soon it’s just me and Bullet.  “So”, I say.  “How you feel about Dark?”  Bullet just shrugs and downs his whiskey.

“She’s good at what she does, strong, dependable-“.

“You know what I mean.”  It’s not a question.  He nods his head.

“What can I do, Blackie.  She’s betrothed to someone else.  All I can hope for is she has a better looking younger sister.”  I smile.

“Maybe a tad less bossy too”.  I say.  Bullet laughs.

“Aye.”

“It wasn’t a joke.”  We both laugh.

“So what about you and this Mash, bird?”

“We get on but we’re never in the same place for very long.”

“But you would though Blackie, wouldn’t ya?”  I nod, he nods.

“I have.”

“Hey Blackie nice one.”  He pats me on the back.  “How did you do that?  You being a big minger and all.”

“I said mash ‘em Mash, and it all fell into place.”  He looks confused but I don’t care.

“Dark told me something today that chilled me.”  The mood changes instantly, like switching on a light in a dark room.

“What?”

“That Mash wasn’t like the other one.  How did she know about the other one?”

“Other one, you mean more than one chick thinks you’re alright, wow.”

“Hard to believe, I know.”

“So what happened with the other one.”

“She was my apprentice.  I taught her moves and she learned quickly.  One day she told me she loved me and she was fleeing from the Nemisis.  I fell for her and her story.  Then she betrayed me to the Nemisis.  I never saw her again.”   Bullet says nothing but downs his beer and orders another.

“It’s holding you back.  You and Mash?”  I’ve never thought about that before.  I down my drink and order another.  “What did you find out?  After she betrayed you.”

“She was a Nemisis spy.  Her hero name was Castonette.  About a year before I ran into you and Remedy I had stopped a Nemisis plot to capture a time machine.  Captain Dupree wanted revenge and used a spy to lure me and rip me to shreds.”

“I’ve heard of him.  Very dangerous.  He’s underground now, no one has heard from him for a while.”

“Indeed.”  I reflect on how Castonette ticked every box.  Clever, funny, red headed, beautiful, stimulating and a hell of a scrapper.  Too good to be true.  “The thing is Bullet.  It never entered my head she could be anything but what she said she was.  She was perfect.”

“But fake.  Every time she whispered in your ear it was with her fingers crossed.  Remember that.”

“I do.”  My voice is lame, memories are coming back which I don’t need.

“And you’re not the first.  Dupree has vast experience in this.  I was assigned once to an intelligence task force to try and work out his methods.  He has many.”

“Do you know about this too?”  I ask, anger returning.

“No, not until you just told me.  But I do know about a spy called Castonette.”

“You have to tell me, Bullet.  I need to know.”

Bullet gives me a code to a file on the base computer.  Soon I’m back there punching it up.  The spy, who’s codename was Castonette is now a General working for Dupree.  She was once a hero called Ijasla, but no one really knows what her origins were.  She defected to the Nemisis where she rose quickly through the ranks.  Under Dupree she has brought about the downfall of several heroes, one of which was myself.  Her methods vary and is fond of using decoys and playing on emotions.  Hell, she was good at that.  She is trained to kill not just in scrapper methods but is adept with Nemisis firepower.  Is believed to be behind the permanent killing of the hero, Daring Dude.  Last known whereabouts was Paragon City.  The time given was when she lured me.  Bitch!

I close the file and take off my mask.  I look in the mirror and this tired human being with a scarred cheek stares back.  I run my hand down the length of it and remember the bayonet which caused it.  The last Nemesis strike before I was finished.  Still, I must have taken down thirty.

The room is blue and I’m a little younger and less wise.  The bed is round and hard.  The floor is strewn with our clothes.  Light streams in shafts created by the brown curtains which hang from the ceiling to the floor.  There is a picture, one of Dali’s I think, above the bed.

“Oh Black, I’m so lucky.”  She rolls over on top of me, her hair falls down on my chest.

“Why?”

“Because I’m loved by the best man in the world.”

I punch the computer terminal and it smashes to pieces.  I spend the next four hours repairing it.  Once it flickers into life I switch it on and look for Mash.

“Well hello stranger.”  She says, her voice full of happiness which is so soothing to my angry soul.  Her picture comes up at the bottom of the screen and I have to stop myself from touching it.

“Hello sweetness.  How’s you?”

“Better now.”  She smiles.

We talk for hours and the more we do, the more I want to pull her through the screen and hold her and never let her go.  She asks me about the scar and I tell her it was put there by the Nemisis and I’ll tell the rest of the story later, as it’s better in person.  She just nods her head.

The birds are singing when we finally say goodbye.  We’ve arranged to meet in two days time when she’s a bit less tied up with her Supergroup.  The world seems to be a better place.  I put on my mask, and stand.  It’s been a long night and I guess I should go home and hit the hay, though inside I’m dancing with excitement.

“Hello, Black.  Did you miss me?”  The voice comes from nowhere and chills me.   Castonette has returned.

I turn cooly, and look into her emerald eyes.  She is flanked by several guards all with their weapons pointed at me.  “What do you want?”  I ask.

“Dark, bullet get here now.  Castonette is here.”  I say telepathically.

“I’m here for you, Black.  We belong together.”  She stretches out her hand.

I laugh, bitterness whirling up inside like a storm.  With a sudden leap I summersault upwards and come down with my boot aimed at her head.  Somehow, she blocks it and propels me into the wall.  The guards open fire, there guns going off in a symphony of ear splitting bangs.  I dive into a roll, avoiding the bullets and going through various mantras as I do.  I take out one guard with a few punches and take out anther two with my blackorang.  Castonette comes at me in a flurry of kicks and punches which I avoid and kick another guard into the wall.

“Don’t fight it, Black.  You know you still care.”  My blackorang sends her sprawling and my stun move on another guard just leaves one guard.  I take him down quickly, feeling good as his bones snap.  “Don’t play hard to get.  I don’t want to hurt you.”

I fly at her with a kick to the head.  She doesn’t see it coming and she flies over a desk.  I leap over it ready to finish her but when I do she’s not there.  Then, a pain hits me in the leg and I fall to the floor.  A bayonet sticks out of it.  She walks over to me like a catwalk model.

“Well General, what’s your next move.”  I say.  She grabs the bayonet and twists it.  A severe pain in the bone shoots through me like a firework.  I can’t cry out - it’s a scrapper thing.

“I love you, Black.”  She twists the knife again.

“Who doesn’t?”

“I know you like the pain, Black.  I remember…”

“Love it.”  She brings her face to mine, I can feel her breath on my face.   Memories come flooding back, and then…I punch her square in the jaw.  She falls into the desk and then on the floor.  I pull out the bayonet and hold it high in the air.  I want to finish her the way she finished me but I fall to the floor, and drag myself so I sit up against the wall, blood gushing from my leg.

She weakly gets to her feet, and looks at me with anger across her face.  I realise she doesn’t just want me physically, but completely.

“What do you really want?”  I ask.

“I want you, Black.  We can do great things.”

“We did great things.”

“We can do greater things.”

“Like what?”

“You can help me.”

“How?”

“Help me to defect.”  She sits down next to me.  I didn’t expect her to say that.  “I never stopped thinking about you.”  She makes no aggressive move and after a while she reaches and takes hold of my hand.  I pass out.

I awake in hospital.  Machines and monitors are beeping and flickering and the nurse summons a doctor.  He starts checking my pulse and temperature and examines my new wound.  “There are some people here that would like to see you.”

Dark and Bullet enter, behind them I can see some serious top brass, with none other than Statesman heading the pack.

“Hello, Black.  How are you feeling?”  Asks Dark.  She’s just suddenly there like a cat.  And so is Bullet.  I actually feel ok but for a pain in the leg.

“I feel fine though my leg hurts like hell.”  I reply, and try to sit up.  “Castonette?”  I say, urgency returns.  Where the hell is she?  The nurse and the doctor go to reassure me, from the corner of my eye I see another doctor preparing a syringe.

“Black, she’s in the next room.  It’s why Statesmen’s here.”  I relax a little and I realise how weak I am.  In fact I don’t seem to have any powers.  I feel so alone.

“Well you don’t arf pick’em pal, eh”.  Bullet laughs, and I grin.  “She wants to defect, she told you, right?”  I nod my head.  “Do you believe her?”

I shake my head.  “You can’t trust a thing that woman says.”  The certainty in my voice chills them.  They both look at each other.  “What?”  I ask.

Statesmen marches into the room.  I don’t like him, he’s too moody.  “Black, good work with the Nemisis.”

“When?”

“Three nights ago.”

“I lost.”

“You slowed them down and captured an arch villain that we believe killed Daring Dude.”

“I didn’t capture her, she kind of gave up.”  Bullet and Dark give me a stare that says:SHUT THE FUCK UP.

“Anyway, Black.  She says she wants to defect.  Do you think she does?”

“Again?  No, it’s a trap of some kind.  I just haven’t worked it out yet.”

Statesman nods.  “Well we’ve had a discussion and to be blunt.  We think she does.  She wants to come in from the cold.  She’s prepared to reveal some secret information on Dupree, Black.  Though on one condition.”

“What’s that?”  I can’t believe he’s this dense.

“She works with you and you alone.”

“Forget it.”  I start coughing.  When will this chick leave me alone?

“It’s an order, Black.  I’ll have Bullet and Dark bring you the file.”  He turns to leave and just then it hits me.

“Wait.  Did you say three days?”

“Yes.”

“Shit, Mash.”  Can this day get any worse.

Statesman looks quizzical before leaving.  Dark and Bullet step forward.  “So Black, do you want me to get a message to Ms Mash?”  Asks Remedy.

I nod.  She leaves.

“Well pal, Statesman has um hit you for six.”  I just nod my head.  I can’t concentrate on any of this.  “Well I’ll see you later Black.  There are some things I need to talk to you about but I wait until you’re back on your feet.”

I just nod my head, look out of the window, and wish were things were as clear as the blue sky I can see.

It’s been a week.  I’m finally back on my feet and Castonette is ready too.  We’ve been working in an underground bunker somewhere in Dark Astoria, and I hate it.  We’ve been permitted no contact with the outside world other than the telepathic tells I send to Bullet, who is my liaison with the outside world.

The orders for Castonette are crystal clear.  She is to remain handcuffed at all times even for meals.  She is not to approach the food hatch at anytime, and should anything happen I’m to sound the alarm which has been implanted into my tooth.  It is very hard for me not to kill her.

So far though, it’s been business with Castonette, telling of how the Nemisis plan to invade the sewers.  It is ingenious.  I imagine she had a lot to do with its construction.

She insists it’s Dupree.

I know she did not break under interrogation from Statesman and his team.  She is too skilled and adept to do that.  I also know that why ever she is here it is not for love for me, or guilt at what she did.

“So how many men is Dupree planning to bring?”  I ask.

“Not sure.”

“Give me an estimate.”

“At least a hundred.”

“Does he have a hundred?”

“Black, it’s Dupree.  He has as many as he needs.”

“So you’re saying he has unlimited resources.”

“Very good, that only took you ten minutes to work out.”  I ignore the jibe, and look at the plan of the sewers on the map.  The Nemisis would be able to hit Paragon anywhere from here.

“So, Black.”

“What?”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“If it’s work related.”

“Have you met someone else?”  The truth is I’m not sure.  I haven’t spoken to Mash since the night this bitch came back into my life.  I miss her.

“That’s not work related.”

“You know what I think?”

“I don’t have telepathy powers.”  She laughs and for an instant I don’t hate her.

“I think you like someone and they like you, but other than maybe a night or two you haven’t had a chance to see its potential.”  She grins a knowing grin.  It would seem my private life and my past is subject to record in so many realms.  I doubt she could know this through intuition.  I know it’s intelligence that has provided her with this information.

“What about you?”  I ask.  “Anyone?”

“You want to know?”

“Sure.”  I’m pleased I’ve managed to deflect the conversation away from me.

“Well, there are several.”  I nod my head, jealousy has erupted.  I turn away back to the sewers.  “Oh Black, am I penetrating your armour?”  She says mockingly.

I look at her and say levelly.  “You did that along time ago.”  I turn back to the plans.  There’s something not right with this.  The Nemisis must be going after something.  Hit and fade attacks aren’t there style.  “Bullet, I’ve deduced the Nemesis, if they get into the sewers will be able to hit anywhere in Paragon.  It’s not their style though, so I suspect the plans are a decoy.  They’re after something, something big.  Try and find out what it is and alert Statesman.”

“Will do, Blackie.  How is it in their with the red headed one?”

“Shit.”  He laughs.  “Oh, anything from Mash?”

“Sorry pal.”

“OK.”

Castonette has gone silent and when I look up she’s sitting in the corner with her head on her knees.  I think she’s crying.  “What’s the matter with you?”

She looks up and I think she’s genuinely sad.  She stands and walks over to me.  “I’m-“.

“Don’t say you’re sorry.”

“But-“.

“I know you are not.  Get back to work.”

I turn and study the map again but after a second I go and sit in a different corner and wish to god this hell would end.  “Black, I know I have no excuse.”

“Why are you here?  To kill everyone in the city?  To trigger a fiendish Dupree plan to kill every man, woman, child?  Or is just you’ve cracked and want to see me crack?”

She bursts into tears and starts sobbing.  I have to look away.  I want to kill her and comfort her at the same time.  Work, work is the only answer, discover their plan, save the world.  It’s why Statesman chose me.  Get out of here and away from Castonette.

“Black, I need you too..”

“What?”  I say as coldly as I can.

“I need you too forgive me.”  I look up at the ceiling and at the lights that bare down on me.  I can’t believe she said that.

“For which part, the part where you said you loved me but lied, for luring me into a deadly trap that nearly killed me, scarred my face.  Or stabbing me a few nights ago.  Which one is the most potent for you?”

She looks at the floor and then looks at me hard.  “Why did I expect you to understand?”

“What are your people really after, Castonette?  What is Dupree after stealing?”

She looks at me sharply.  Can’t tell if it is fake.  “That is what I am hoping you were going to tell me.”

“What?”

“I know he is after something, I just can’t work out what it is?”  Things are dropping into place.  She’s working against Dupree, and she wanted me to work out his plan.  I nod with clarity.  So much for defection.

“At what point is it easiest for Dupree to enter Paragon City?”

“Here.”  She points at the map with her cuffed hands.  The place is near the Rikti crash site.  If she’s telling the truth I’m guessing he’s after the ship.  No one has ever managed to penetrate it, so I’m guessing he thinks he can.  The technological wonders would be worth sacrificing several hundred men for.

“Why here?”

“His forces can access it without risking going into Peregrine Island.”  Seems sound.

“Bullet, I think they’re after the downed Rikti space ship.”

“Roger that, Blackie.”

“Get me out soon pal.”

“Soon.”

I look at Castonnette.  Her beauty burns me to look at it.  She seems to sense this.  “Let me speak, Black.”  I say nothing.  She speaks, her voice has a genuine air to it that I’ve never heard before.  “I know I’ve done terrible things.  I know I can never be forgiven.  I am evil.  But, I want to help now.  I want to try and undo some of the bad things I’ve done.”  She bows her head.  Tears roll down her cheeks.

I look at her and wonder, just wonder if there is some truth to it.  I guess there can only be one test.  Statesman is going to hate me.  “Castonnette, come here.”  She looks up and walks over to me in that catwalk style.  “Dupree, I believe, is going to hit the Rikti space ship and try to steal some of its technology.”  She looks disappointed and nods.  Then I take off my glove and put my finger on the release to her cuffs.  A green light reads my fingerprint and the cuffs fall to the floor.

She beams, like the way a woman does when you buy her flowers when it’s out of love.  She throws her arms around me and holds me tight.  I hug her, and then we part.  I sit on a chair.  All we can do now is wait for Statesman to come and let us out.  Or more accurately, let me out and put her in maximum security.

I feel I’ve done the right thing, though I know she’s capable of killing me in an instant.  I feel better, less hatred flowing through my veins.  I look at her and she seems happier, more relaxed.  She’s not looking at me but at the wall, but her smile seems genuine.

“Bullet, what’s going on, why haven’t I been let out of this hell hole?”

“One second, Black.”  His voice is serious.  “Statesman wants to know what you think of Castonnette’s plans to defect.”

“Inconclusive.  You saw what happened for yourself.  I have to say that since I released her she looks happy and maybe, maybe genuine.  Though I have a strong feeling that she’s here to work out Dupree’s plans.  Can I leave now?”

“That’s interesting, Blackie.  Sit tight.”

“Like I have a choice.”

“This girl? Black.”  Says Castonette.

“What about her?”

“She’s very lucky.”  She smiles quite sweetly.

“I know.”  She laughs again.

“You don’t change.  Do you think it’s the real thing?”

“I don’t know.  How did you know about her?  Intelligence?”

“No, I knew when I saw you in your base.”

“Hmmm.”  She giggles the way she used to do.  Is she playing me?  “So what now?  What are you going to do?”

“I told you I want to defect.  I’m not going back to the Nemisis, Black.”

“Statesman, will decide what will happen to you.”

“What do you want to happen to me?”

“I wanted to see you die, now I’m not so sure.”  She nods her head.

The doors roll apart and in walk Statesman, Dark and Bullet.  “Leave us, Black.”

I stand and walk towards daylight.  “Take care.”  I say to Castonette, and leave.

It’s an odd feeling when you’re right about something but you don’t’ get that satisfied feeling that should go with it.  The two should go hand in hand but as I sit outside the box that holds the time machine that started off this saga in my life, I feel empty.  It was all a  little too obvious to  be the ship.  It would be so heavily guarded that not even an army of heroes could capture it, and so, like a good detective concluded that the whole thing was a rouse.

The question that I have no answer for is this.  Is Castonette genuine?  Until a few hours ago I was sure she wasn’t, and was all part of a grander plan to help Dupree capture something, or destroy something, or someone.  Now, I have doubts about that.  At least doubts that Castonette is here to help Dupree.  Maybe she is here to kill him.

I’ve only told one other about my theories, I somehow doubt that Statesman would believe me.

I take off my mask and run my finger along the scar.  The anger is still there, burning like a flame.  I put it back on, and stand in the shadows.  I think Dupree or someone will strike soon and I need to be ready.

Around twenty minutes pass when I see a Nemisis Captain run down the corridor, flanked by soldiers.  I go through my mantras.  “Area secure, no sign of hostiles?”  He speaks into his radio.  More Nemisis troops appear, and standing at the back, in a grand uniform of gold, is Dupree.  I look around for Castonette but can’t see her.

“Very good Captain, are the teleporters in place.”

“You ready?”  I say telepathically.

“Ready”.

“The troops are deploying them now.”  He is correct, the troops are setting up silver poles, which will teleport the time machine to wherever Dupree wants it.  Ingenious plan, when you think about it.

“Teleport on the double, Captain.”   Dupree stands at ease, observing his men.  He looks satisfied with his troops as they efficiently start connecting the power to the machines.

“Now?”  Yellow writing appears in my mind.

“Wait for my signal.”  I reply.

“Ok”.

Two troops stand by the power, they’re just about to switch it on.  I step forward, and pull out a wire.  The troops haven’t seen me, and they look confused when nothing happens, and then, crack!  I hit one in the jaw and then kick him into the wall.  The other Nemisis are quick to react but I’m faster.  The other trooper is stunned and I summersault over the main pack, and catch Dupree with a painful elbow strike to the jaw.

“Now.”

Ms Mash bursts through the wall and into Dupree.  He maybe a tactical genius but he was not expecting a sexy woman painted blue to come out of nowhere.  She grabs him and is away.  I know he can’t move.  I kick the captain into the time machine and then send several of the troops flying with a dragons tail move.  The Captain retreats with what is left of his men, and I smash the teleporters and power pack.

“Black, I need you.”  This has taken me back.  Mash has never said that so directly.

“I need you too.”  I reply, a lump in my throat.

“No, no, no, Castonette, she’s here.”  Feeling foolish and scared, I leap to Ms Mash and land by her side.  With a chop I silence Dupree.

Castonette has a Nemesis weapon aimed at Mash.  I’ve never seen it before but my gut tells me it’s deadly.

“Sorry.”  I say telepathically.

“Dafty.”  I smile.

“You two stop it with the tells.”  She looks angry.

“Castonette, this is a strange way to defect.”  I go to take a step forward to try and put myself between the gun and Mash, but she takes a step too.  I give her a look that says what do you think you’re doing only to see a look that says ‘sue me’, returned.  Then she holds my hand.  I can’t help but smile.

“One more move and you’re both dead.  I’m here to kill the General.  Let me do it and I’ll surrender.”   I feel disappointed that she is.  I was hoping that maybe she was changing, or at least trying too.

“So you kill him and become General Castonette?  Is that your plan?”  I shake my head and look at the floor.  “Ijasla, such an exotic name for a heroine.”

Castonette looks at the floor.  “That woman is dead.  What I am now is what I was meant to be.”

“And that is?”  Asks Mash.  She’s placed Dupree behind us, he is cuffed and so immobilised.

“I don’t really know.”

“In the cell you said wanted to try and repair the damage.  Now’s your chance, put down the gun.”  I say.  “You have a chance.”

“Black, Dupree took my life.  He twisted me into this.”  Her eyes radiate wretched pleading.  “He stole my life.  He stole ours.  You can’t have any idea.”

“Oh but I do.”  I murmur.  “I know that pain, it’s no stranger to me.”

“Oh Black.”  I see realisation hitting her.  “I’m sorry.”

“Put the gun down.  It’s not too late to change.  I thought for a year your death would close something painful in my life.  But it wouldn’t.  If you put the gun down, everything will be ok.”  Mash’s eyes are trained on Castonette, and her weapon of mass destruction.

Castonette is looking at me, I can see she’s working something out.  These moments are agonising.  “I’m sorry Black.  It’s Dupree, or I kill your lady.”  She stares at her with a real sneering look.  Part of me feels bad for kinda liking the jealous vibe.

“We’ll have to rush her.”  Mash says using the tells.

“I’m pretty sure that gun killed Daring Dude.”

“I can take it Black, I know I can.”

“You can’t, what if you die.  I-“

“Dafty.”

“Ok, Castonette.”  Mash says, taking charge.  “I’m going to step to one side.”  Castonette is trying to read her.  I know if she has a shot she’ll kill Dupree.  She presses a button and green and red lights flicker on the weapon.  She nods her head.

The now conscious Dupree looks visibly scared.

As Mash stretches out her leg, I leap into the air and come somersaulting down on Castonette’s head.  I don’t know if I’m too late.   I’m sure the weapon discharged.  Castonette falls to the floor, in a twisted heap.  I turn and see Dupree, eyes wide in fear but unharmed.  At the other side of the room is Mash.  Oh god.

I leap to her side and hold her in my arms.  There is a clear hole in her stomach that I can see through.  “Mash, Mash,”  is all I can say.  “You can’t die.”  I search through my inspirations and place all six of the healing ones on her forehead.  They disappear instantly.  This is not good.

“Black.”  She murmurs.

“Dark, Mash needs you, she’s been injured by a Nemisis weapon.”  I say telepathically.

“Oh god.  On my way.”

“Baby what is it?”

“I love you.  You’re the best.”

“We’re the best, and I love you too.”

“Black, I don’t think I’ve got much time.”

“You said you could take it.”  I feel anger that she could not.  Why did she do this?  “You said, you said.”  She puts her finger over my lips to silence me.  Tears are streaming.  I take off my mask.  I start searching her for inspirations and find some healing ones.  I place them in the wound which is getting bigger.  The wound slows.  Mash is unconscious.

Dark Remedy arrives and soon the pureness is spreading everywhere.  Her face is full of concentration and I can barely speak.  I can barely do anything but just hold this amazing, wonderful, vibrant, fantastic, brilliant woman in my arms and hope against hope she does not die.

Apparently, when Dark was using her healing powers, Bullet and a small task force took both Dupree and Castonette into custody.  I don’t remember any of this but I don’t really care.

I’m not in my suit, that’s hanging up in the base.  It’s been a hard month.  I run my hand down the torso of it and then touch my scar.  I’m wearing a different kind of suit today.  I pick up the flowers and leave the base.

I walk alone but fast.  I rejected all offers of a lift.

The lights are bright and glaring and the place reminds me of our base.  I see her laying still, wearing a dress and looking tranquil.  Her eyes are closed.  I walk over to her and gently caress her face.  She sits up, grabs the flowers and we kiss long and passionately.

“Sorry I’m late”, I say.

“Dafty.”

The End.

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