《Warden》


 Chapter 1: Warden

    The hubbub and clatter of lunchtime in the Blue Macey Cafe wasn''t the kind of place I''d had pinned for a top secret meeting area. A narrow walkway, empty except for knocked over trash cans and rats would have been more in tune with my imagination. Guess that just goes to show how little I know about this world.


    I couldn''t help lowering my head as the people pushed against each other, struggling to enter and rushing to leave. I would have been one of those people only a week ago. I''d give anything to be swerving around the crowd with only my small, individual problems seeming like they would be the end of me and I wouldn''t hesitate to join the gathering of followers that waited for their coffees.


    ¡°So you are Warden.¡±


    My head perked up and I caught a glimpse of a pair of tightly clenched fists encased in leather gloves. Leaving no fingerprints. I see that done on TV but spotting it in real life isn''t as cool. Especially when the man that''s doing it looks like he''d been swallowed by Adonis and come out with some extra Hercules. It was weird. For all intents and purposes he should have looked like a common street thug-come-boxing star, but his silken locks of curly blonde hair and freckles made him look like a fresh faced college student that should be playing volleyball and surfing on the beach. Not exactly the profile you imagine for one of the countries most wanted criminals.


    ¡°I understand that you want to avoid conversing as much as possible. You''re a smart man Warden.¡± He gazed at me with his tantalizing blue eyes.


    ''Oh god, oh god. I''m so dead.'' I gulped down some coffee to distract myself from the fear I was feeling.


    ¡°But coming alone, with no disguise and staring into my eyes as you sip on coffee only a week after killing my right hand man, my best friend, and stopping one of my most important operations? I''m not angry, I''m impressed. There are less than five people in this country with balls as big as yours, and that''s including those costumed pansies society calls heroes.¡±


    He smiled at me and I grinned back. I don''t know why I did it, the guy''s face just looks so friendly. I suppose it shows how na?ve I am to the real dangers in the world, but he didn''t look anywhere near as deadly as those grainy shots the news always show after another terrorist attack kills a city block of people. I wrapped my hands around my coffee mug and gripped it tightly until they stopped trembling. A couple of customers talked loudly as they walked past our table.


    ¡°Why have I never heard of Warden? Is he some famous hero from another country?¡±


    I looked at one of them from the corner of my eyes, he was pointing towards the small TV in the corner. A news reel with a reporter talking over it showed whatever tragedy had occurred around the world. His companion shook his head in disappointment.


    ¡°Don''t you know anything? Warden''s been fighting in secret for years. They say he''s the one responsible for Marco Special''s disappearance in Paris. It was all hush hush until he offed Toad''s lieutenant.¡±


    ''Oh my god. Maybe you guys should just ask for an autograph while you pull the trigger on my execution.'' I silently cursed as the duo merged into the crowd.


    How did they not notice him.


    ¡°You would think that they''d be over it after a week.¡± I nervously tried to flick a lock of hair behind my ear.


    The gesture seemed to trigger a response from Toad. Maybe he saw the trembling of my fingers, the sign of weakness that showed I wasn''t the man everyone thought I was. The merry sounds of the cafe seemed to shrink away as I looked into those soulless eyes.


    ¡°How did you do it?¡±


    His smile slid off his face as his attitude turned from jovial to grim, and his body exuded an aura of seriousness.


    ¡°We spent ten years developing the protection for that operation alone. The police, hero association and the feds did not know it existed. But you got in and destroyed it in a matter of minutes.¡±


    I looked at him with a gaze of sympathy. The poor guy seemed to be talking to me like a was some sort of equal, a master tactician that had foiled his plans without leaving any clues as to how I did it. It would be funny if I wasn''t so terrified right now.


    ''Too bad he''d kill me if he knew the truth. Hell, he''ll probably kill me anyway.'' I shooed away the thought as soon as it crossed my mind.


    ''I just have to let him know that I''m not a threat. Without getting killed. Oh god, why did this have to happen to me?''


    ¡°You don''t have to worry about that.¡± I told him honestly, ¡°All you have to know is that Warden won''t bother you any more.¡±


    It was a true statement that I had spent hours watching action movies and crying in terror to make. I had no intention of seeing this guy ever again, or thinking about him, or even being in the same city as him. I''m considering leaving the country as soon as this meeting is over.


    Toad''s perfectly carved features didn''t seem to loosen up at my words. His frown actually deepened.


    ''Oh crap did I do something wrong?''


    He checked his watch and as though he''d had a sudden revelation his eyes lit with caution and he stood up.


    ¡°You-¡± *BOOM* ¡°****ing-¡± *BOOM* ¡°bastard.¡±


    The cafe was wracked with tremors and explosions as roof parts fell into the air all around us, interrupting the customers actions. I shot to the ground in fear as all the tension I''d been holding down discharged through my body like a spring.


    The atmosphere in the cafe had given way from the quiet discomfort of normal life into cries of panic and screams of fright. The noise pained my ears and shrieked as well. As soon as the explosions subsided I tentatively looked up and saw the air covered in floating dust particles. It was almost possible to see past a few meters but somehow all the people were out of sight, even the screams had stopped. Even though the roof had caved in I saw that a transparent blue screen, barely visible beyond the dust. It looked like it was keeping the majority of the roof rubble out... while keeping us trapped inside.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Toad. Warden.¡±


    I almost jumped out of my skin as a voice suddenly blared out at me. A blue and white costumed man descended elegantly from the roof and stayed floating about half a meter above the ground in front of me. He gestured for me to come nearer.


    ¡°You know,¡± his glowing golden eyes glittered as I shakily got to my feet, covered in dust and maybe even my own piss, ¡°I heard you were good, but had I realized how extraordinarily good you were I would have let you handle it alone. God knows when you did it, but the fact that you spotted my team would have earned you my praise and respect just by itself. But dodging Toad''s venom with split second reactions and timing? That''s just art. The kind of skill that no amount of money can buy.¡±


    ''What the hell is he talking about.'' My fear addled brain barely registered his words.


    He leaned his head over to the side and I followed with my eyes onto a patch of floor, where my seat was. Or at least, it had been a seat and floor when I last saw it, the clearing dust gave me a full view of the smoking wood that had been burnt through by a puddle of dark green goo. Half the chair had dissolved and the floor beside it was a bubbling, smoking mess. I let out a squeak but the man had already turned his blue masked face to the other side of the table.


    ¡°It was a bold move. Coming into a public area where Toad would think he could use the civilians as hostages.¡±


    I noticed for the first time that Toad was pinned down, his face smashed against the ground by a man with golden fists. I guess from the splinters he''s the one that broke through the roof. Toad''s golden locks drab and dirty as his arms were handcuffed by a girl covered in pink from head to toe.


    ''I''ve seen these guys on TV before.''


    The premier ''powered'' hero team of the city. The man floating beside me was called Blue Charm and he was the leader of the five man team. That made the pink clad girl Pink Devil and the man that broke down the roof Gold Strike. Where were the other two?


    ''Idiot. That''s not what you should be noticing right now.''


    Blue Charm didn''t look away from Toad as he continued to speak.


    ¡°It was a risk, but I agree that it was the only way to get him out of hiding. And it was possible only because of the anger he felt after you dealt with his lieutenant. A masterful plan, you even used us heroes as pawns.¡±


    ''Actually, HE was the one that wanted to meet here.'' I thought tearfully.


    Toad looked up at us and I could see the torment on his face, along with a frightening amount of anger.


    ¡°Blue Charm, I am appalled. Could you be implying I have engaged in immoral acts that require me to remain hidden from the world? My guiltless conscience shudders at the very thought. I am no ''terrorist'' as your so-called government has deigned to designate me. I fight for the rights of my kind, our kind. Why do we let ourselves be regulated by those weaklings that fear us and want us dead? A revolution?¡± His lips pursed together in an expression of mock horror. ¡°A gentleman such as myself would never suggest such a thing. I am simply a messenger, one that has to show our people that we should not protect those powerless vermin, let alone serve them.¡±


    He broke out into laughter, a slow, maniacal sound. I shuddered. Then he twitched his eyes around to stare at me with admiration.


    ¡°I underestimated you Warden. Your execution of my executive, the darkness I see in your gaze and the guts you displayed fooled me into believing you would not cavort with these weak willed beings that call themselves heroes. A magnificent performance that fooled even I.¡± Toad grinned, ¡°But now that you have silenced me the true show has begun. The discontented, the oppressed, those that needed a martyr for our cause will find one. A storm is brewing and the gates I held in check are now open and defenseless.¡±


    A glint appeared in his eyes but disappeared as his curls covered his face in shadow.


    ¡°But... was this part of your plan too? Warden?¡±


    Blue Charm snorted and as though that was the only confirmation needed the pink girl, Pink Devil, lifted Toad onto his feet and strapped a metallic device over his mouth. On the news I''d seen that his venom could only be ejected from his mouth. I wondered why they didn''t do this earlier or while he was talking, but it didn''t look like he was trying to fight back. I watched as Blue Charm moved his hands and Toad was gently wrapped up by the same transparent forcefield I saw holding up the roof. It looked like a jovial hug if you ignored the tension in the air.


    ¡°Holy crap. That''s Toad!¡± A person shouted out.


    I suddenly became all too aware that all the civilians who had previously been screaming were all looking calmly at the scene in front of them. Some of them even had excitement on their faces. They were being pushed back by the blue force field and in front of them were the remaining two members of Blue Charms team, standing guard in case anything unexpected happened. In fact, I was the only person aside from the heroes and Toad inside the danger zone. Unprotected by anything or anyone.


    ''I really want to cry.'' I could barely stand as the revelation hit me, ''I almost died just then.''


    ¡°You got your say Toad.¡± Blue Charms every word shouted confidence as the wailing of police sirens began to fill the air. He turned to face me, ¡°I knew you were a big name from the moment I heard about you. Listen, we''re not going to try and steal your glory here, if anyone asks us the full credit goes to you. We''re just here to pick him up and deliver him to prison.¡±


    Despite my fear-filled feelings, I felt my eyebrows lifting, ¡°I didn''t do anything.¡±


    It was true. Why couldn''t they see it. I did nothing except show up and drink coffee, and I only came here because I was so scared Toad would kill me if I didn''t come that I''d almost had a heart attack every second of the week.


    ¡°Warden.¡± Conflict appeared in Blue Charms eyes, ¡°I can see why villains fear you, and the association is wary of you. Your every action, every word you speak, seems to be sculpted towards some ulterior goals.¡± He crossed his arms and I could feel him frowning under his mask. ¡°But this is a hero run city and we don''t let your kind... vigilantes,¡± he ran a hand through his ruffled hair, ¡°do their own thing.¡±


    ¡°But that''s just a rule set by those posh upper management figures.¡± He waved his free hand and a hole appeared in the forcefield in front of the entrance, ¡°I''m going to take a back seat this time. Toad isn''t just a small tap on this cities nose, he''s a mirror reflecting the evil and greed of people that have power and choose to abuse it. If you hadn''t risked your life to take him down then dozens of people, no, hundreds, would have died at his hands in the future.¡± He closed his eyes and the other heroes looked away as well, trying their hardest not to look at me, ¡°Move out now. We give you our word that Toad will go straight to prison, hopefully even the Sphere.¡±


    ''I have no idea what''s happening any more. I don''t think I have for a week.''


    I ran out of the cafe in a daze. As fast as my legs could take me. Ignoring the stares of the people inside and outside of the cafe I coughed lightly as my dust filled lungs finally seemed to come to life.


    I don''t know when I got home but the first thing I did was get on the couch, spread my legs and cry. The news was playing a section called ¡°Super in the Public Eye¡±. Normally I would love to watch it, excited to see those lucky powered people that were so different from me. But nothing was normal for me now, the show was like a slap in the face. I could see pictures of me on the TV and I was wishing that everyone would just come to their senses and see that I''m no hero, no vigilante, no power filled person.


    ''Just realize that I''m a normal person already.''


    ¡°Just moments ago he was seen at the scene of Toads arrest. The question on everyone''s lips, who is Warden?¡±


    I placed a finger on my lips and felt it covered in liquid, blood. I''d bitten into them. The segment started to blare about other things and I turned it off. Left with the sound of silence broken only by my loud sobs.


    ¡°Why did this happen to me?¡±

 Chapter 2: One Week Earlier

    - One week earlier -


    ¡°Hey there hot stuff, want to have fun?¡±


    A hooker greeted me as I left the bar with her hands wrapped around her stomach she was leaning down so far it look like a bow. She smiled as she noticed me staring and lifted herself up. Her back wasn''t completely straightened, purposefully giving me a full view of her sizable cleavage. She was normally colder unless you paid, but I''d given her a free ¨C of money and other kinds of payment ¨C place to stay every now and then if she hit a rough patch or had to hide from someone.


    ¡°I''m not that drunk Sophie. Thanks for the offer like always.¡± I made a mock ''shooing away'' motion with my hands and crossed the street.


    She poked her tongue out at me, ¡°You wouldn''t know pleasure if it hit you in the face Walden.¡±


    ¡°If only I had the money to find out if that was true.¡±


    I could feel my balance tilting as I shuffled from side to side. Sophie walked parallel to me, past all the Chinese and Indian food stores. She may be a drag and prone to legging it every time she heard sirens but she had a good heart. She only stopped once I reached the edge of the corner block she''d designated her turf, it was obvious that she thought I was drunk. But did my breath really smell so bad that she had to walk on the other side of the street?


    ¡°Stay here a second.¡± She shouted from the corner side and walked over to me.


    I gazed around the dimly lit street nervously. I always found myself out after light whenever I saw that Sophie was around, I mean, its not exactly safe for a girl to be doing this sort of work outside. Definitely just checking up as a friend. Nothing more to read into there. The street itself was a mishmash of buildings in different shapes and sizes. a few meters away five story apartment complexes were squashing a small convenience store in-between them.


    I turned my head back to Sophie who had walked next to me and was pulling something out of her bra, revealing a little more than she intended.


    ¡°Is it party time already?¡± I raised my eyebrows and I swear she blushed slightly.


    ¡°Come on. It''s nothing you haven''t seen before.¡±


    I smiled and looked up into the air whistling innocently, ¡°I haven''t seen anything. Don''t think I''ll be tricked out of my money by your little schemes.¡±


    She rolled her eyes and grabbed my hand, gently rolling something into my palm. I followed her gaze and as I unfurled my fingers I found myself looking at two metal poles. There wasn''t anything special about them. They were smooth, a white-gray sort of color, like you see booths made out of. A small wire connected them both. Like a really crappy key chain or magnet.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    Her eyes lit up with a tinge of excitement but then she turned around and walked off, lifting her hand in the air in dismissal.


    ¡°Good luck charm. Walk safe.¡±


    I looked at her nubile figure as she walked and thought about how it would have been safer if we had both gone home together. But I was sober enough to know that she would get all prissy and complain about how she could take care of herself. I gripped the metal poles tightly and walked down the road.


    ''I really need to piss.''


    My body trembled as the urge to urinate grew. It felt like an angry gnome had decided to attack my bladder and wouldn''t stop until I let it out or died. I swept my gaze around and my eyes brightened as I saw the small convenience store. It was closed but there was a little alleyway leading into its backyard that looks enclosed enough to not be seen. Normally I wouldn''t have considered pissing there but my bladder and the alcohol were shoving down my rational thoughts.


    ''If I get stabbed in this place I only have you to blame, me.''


    I looked both ways to check for cops, stopping a second on the distant Sophie, and quickly snuck into the alleyway.


    ''This is way too public,'' I thought to myself as I suddenly realized that this alleyway wasn''t as closed off from the street as I''d thought, ''I could get arrested.''


    I tried to look nonchalant as I gazed around the street a final time and popped out of the alleyway into the convenience stores back yard. I looked around a smirk. It was unlit but even then I could see a space big enough to fit a delivery truck. The two apartment buildings on the sides cut it off from the street and would block any prying eyes. Perfect.


    ¡°Move it over here Johnny.¡±


    I stepped forward as my eyes adjusted to the lack of light, found the nearest wall to keep myself sturdy, and exhaled in relief as my bladder emptied. It wasn''t my proudest moment. I brushed my hand over the smooth metal surface I was using to hold myself up. It didn''t feel like a wall or a door.


    ''What is this thing?'' I looked at it curiously.


    It was a fruit delivery truck. That kind with the big picture of smiling fruits and vegetables pasted on its side. It didn''t look like any sort of delivery truck I''d ever seen though. In the dark it looked like the metal had taken on a green glow in the dark, and the metal was rusted in patches all across the surface of the fruit advertisement. One of the smiling broccoli¡¯s looked like a rusty knife. Both the wheels at the back were blown out and looked like shredded paper.


    ''That''s none of my business.''


    I zipped up and pushed myself away from the truck wall. A single clap resounded from the impact and I shook my head at the sudden noise. Voices suddenly broke out from somewhere nearby and before I could move away a shadow appeared in front of me. I gaped and staggered backwards as I came face to face with the ugliest guy I''ve ever seen. In the pale sliver of moonlight that was let into the backyard the man''s face looked like the grand canyon. His cheeks and his forehead seemed to be emphasizing their conclaves as though he had been smoking for years and his skin was pale white and mottled with wrinkles. A short pudgy nose that looked like it had been broken at some point was hanging low over a tiny pair of lips that were pursed into a frown.


    ¡°Well,¡± he clicked his fingers at the back side of the truck and I could hear another pair of feed shuffling around in the dark, ¡°This is unexpected. What are you, the police?¡±


    ¡°Police? I haven''t seen them around.¡± I hesitated as I was hit with the fact that I was being accosted in a back alley by a thuggish man, ¡°Names Walden. I don''t have anything to do with the police, I swear.¡± The man''s expression didn''t change and I began to sweat, ¡°Hate police. Definitely hate them. Hate any crime fighters.¡±


    Crime fighting. The man reacted by contorting his face into a sinister grimace as his mottled skin suddenly became a lot more menacing.


    ''Maybe crime fighters weren''t the best things to talk about.''


    Crime fighting. The trend that had swept through the world fifty years ago. I wasn''t clear on the details, but after the government successfully implemented a program where local powered people could train to fight crime on a salary, the crime fighting craze had blown over to ordinary civilians who joined the then defunct police force to fight crime on the streets. Years of fighting against wannabe-heroes seeking to make a name for themselves had caused criminals to scrutinize every living thing they found with caution. Just mentioning the words near criminals would make them want to hurt you.


    ¡°Did he just say Warden? Sounds like a hero name.¡±


    Another man shuffled out from behind the truck but kept to a small distance away from us. His head covered by the ugly man''s body so I couldn''t see him properly. I guess my words had slurred more than I¡¯d realized. At the word hero the man stiffened and his grimace turned stern. If there was a word that criminals hated more than crime fighting it was hero.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    The pinnacle existences in the era of crime fighting were the powered police, the PP. Affectionately known around the world as heroes, they were a mix of reality and myth in the publics eyes. For years was rumored that countries of the world had their own special task forces that were used to fight crime and more importantly, their enemies. It was only after a major incident between Russia and America fifty years ago that these rumors were proven to be true and that people with extraordinary ''powers'' existed. Their actions rocked the world and inspired the moniker ''heroes''. Wave after wave of super powered people revealed themselves, most were good, some were bad. But in the present being a hero had turned into a full time job for workers that wanted to treat crime fighting as more than a game. Hell, most of them even fought crime on their off hours.


    ¡°You know what,¡± I was startled out of my thoughts and horrified to see the ugly guy pointing a gun at my face, ¡°I don''t care if you''re a hero hopeful or just an unlucky bastard but I''m going to kill you.¡±


    ¡°N-no.¡± I vehemently shook my head and took a quick step back, feeling liquid and dirt crunch under feet. I could see the gun perfectly and suddenly felt as though I was falling through the air. It was as though the whole world was spinning.


    *BANG*


    My scream rung through the air and I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head as the gun shot decimated my eardrums and my life flashed before my eyes. A jobless bum that was living off his dead uncles inheritance money and not even trying to look for work. Between the lack of job and housing hookers in need I didn''t have any friends or family, didn''t play any sports or even do drugs to pass the time. The only break from my boredom was the television and a weekly newspaper I always found delivered outside my flat which I read throughout the week.


    ''Boy my life sucks.'' I thought with a mental sigh, ''Wait a second. I can think.''


    I could also move. I lifted my hands in front of my eyes and gave my body a pat in amazement, wincing as a pain shot out from the back of my head. My pants were wet and I barely registered the ugly man''s shocked expression as he looked down on me. I had somehow landed on the ground, hitting my head in the process.


    ''I slipped on my piss.''


    It was a bloody miracle. I''d slipped on the puddle of piss and fallen over right as the man shot at me.


    ¡°Nice dodge.¡±


    I groaned as the man hunched over me and pointed the gun at me again. His eyes seemed to be filled with something. Respect?


    ¡°Johnny, go tell Toad that someone called Warden''s found us. I''ll be finding out what he knows.¡± He gave me a grin and I saw that he was missing his front teeth. Not that anyone would see it with his abnormally small lips.


    His smile sent chills down my spine and a sob wracked through my body. I''d never considered being in this sort of situation before, I''m just a normal guy that has nothing to do with crime or heroes. My body is so normal its crazy, I came second last in the primary school fun run five years in a row. Shivers ran up and down my body and I couldn''t stop them. The man clasped his gun and brought it down towards my balls, slowing down along the way to taunt me. It was like he could sense my nervousness.


    ¡°Speak now or wave goodbye to your children Warden.¡± I could see the other guy walking off to make a phone call.


    My hands started to feel slick. It was a weird detail to concentrate on when a guy has a gun to my balls but they weren''t sweating because of the debilitating fear. Something felt like it was trying to burn a hole through my hands and it my hands were trying to fight against it.


    ''What the hell is that. **** it''s painful.''


    The ugly guy nodded at my silence as though he had expected it and shrugged indifferently. He lifted his gun up and I heard the sound of an explosion. My vision went black and I could see faint lights like stars twinkling in the black expanse that was my blinded vision. I couldn''t feel any pain. I couldn''t hear anything. I couldn''t see anything.


    ''Maybe I''m dead''. I peered into thin air, trying to clear my eyes and see something.


    The darkness soon gave way to the stars and my vision cleared. As soon as my eyes stopped their little trip I saw that the stars were actually flames and whole place was on fire. The ugly guy had been blown against one of the apartment walls and was face down and his whole back was burning. He wasn''t moving. I looked around, not sure about what was happening around me. The buildings were burnt, and the back of the truck was also on fire. No, it looked like it was the truck that had exploded in the first place. Right next to it half the convenience store was gone too and in its place was a huge smoking crater that looked like it went down at least several floors worth of space.


    ¡°What the hell.¡± I exclaimed as I gawked at my body.


    I was completely fine.


    No harm done to my clothes or body, no burnt hair either. On all sides of me purple walls protruded from the ground into the air, each one connected in such a way that they formed a four sided pyramid with me in the middle. The purple walls weren''t dark, but they weren''t particularly bright either. After a few seconds the walls flickered and with the faint sound of static they disappeared. Something warm dropped onto my head, bounced, and landed on my palm.


    It was one of Sophie''s metal poles.


    ''Tech.'' A single word echoed throughout my brain.


    Originally the world of crime fighting was dominated by three categories of heroes that each had their own special ways of kicking ass, thinkers, manipulators and enhancers. They were pretty generic names but this was fifty years ago. Thinkers generally had an enhanced mind. They were psychics, telekinetics and even mind readers. They were the scariest powered people. Nobody wanted their deepest secrets read or their minds blown up. Manipulators controlled things, elements and the like. We have a guy in the city that controls a blue force field. That''s a manipulator. Enhancers are the most common type of powered. With the most variety they''re anyone that''s had a physical change occur to their body. It''s weird to me that somehow this doesn''t include the mind. It had been pointed out that a more precise term would be ''enhanced'' but after fifty years the terms had stuck.


    Then they invented the internet and the first Tech category powered was born.


    Techs were a new breed of powered, they used common materials and knowledge to create technology years ahead of their time. If you walked into a Techs house then chances are their microwave is also a laptop and their phones can probably transform into attack drones. Rumor had it that the greatest Techs in the world had gathered together to make the most effective powered prison in the world, the Sphere. It was a common saying that if you were a Tech you could make something out of anything. Even an unassuming convenience store turned into a terrorist base.


    A key chain made into shield.


    Without looking back I ran from the fire and the body. I barely registered the fact that one of the metal poles was missing. It was too much for me to handle. I think I screamed on the way, and tried to cry. But my ears were still ringing too much to hear, and the fire had dried up all the tears. The world of heroes and criminals, of powered people, was divided from me by a huge chasm. I was a normal guy and they didn''t have anything to do with me. As I ran home I had a sinking feeling. Maybe that world wasn''t as far away as I thought it was, maybe there was no divide. That thought scared the life out of me. It was a merging I didn''t want.


    *Trrring* *Trrring*


    I woke up with a start.


    *Trrring* *Trrring*


    ''When did I get home? When did I fall asleep?''


    *Trrring* *Trrring*


    I stretched and yawned, pressing the answer button on the crappy little wall phone that came free with the flat.


    ¡°Good evening Warden.¡±


    It didn''t sound like my landlord.


    ¡°I am sure that you can conceive how surprised I was to hear that a trespasser had appeared on the premises of my base. Imagine my shock when the threat I had been informed was neutralized killed my lieutenant, a powerful powered in his own right, and all nine floors of my most important base had been destroyed by an explosion of unknown magnitude. All of this done without harming a single civilian and even sparing the majority of the convenience store. Perfectly placed, perfectly timed. Of course when we searched for you, you were unregistered. Off the grid. It appears we have been hoodwinked. I have been played by you since the beginning.¡±


    I shot up from my bed as my drowsy morning was rudely interrupted. I looked at the phone in terror as the voice on the other end continued to drone on. It had a suave, dulcet tone to it and something else.


    ¡°But to find out what we needed to know all we had to do was turn on the TV. A hidden vigilante that strikes with deadly precision. I am honoured to talk to the man that took down Marco Special.¡±


    ''Marco Special? What the hell is that?'' It sounded like something I''d order at an overpriced burger joint.


    ¡°I will cut to the chase Warden. I am not sure why you have chosen to go after my organization and I but I will not run away, nor will I play your games. Meet me at the Blue Macey Cafe at five o''clock one week from now. Or else, and forgive me for my clich¨¦ words, I shall have to kill you. Thank you for your time Warden. Toad.¡±


    ''Toad,'' With a click the line died, ''What''s that?''


    I went to the couch, a headache forming from sudden events and fear hammering at my brain. A newscaster was in front of a convenience store and the large crater that had formed after half of it was destroyed. Police tape and a gaggle of brightly costumed heroes blocked the reporter from actually entering the crater.


    ¡°This is thought to be the work of the vigilante named ''Warden'' who had previously remained unnamed in his crime fighting activities. We have already received reports that the terrorist leader known as Toad has issued a statement of vengeance online.¡±


    The reporter was replaced with a grainy picture of a fierce looking man with bulging muscles holding a gun as he stood on the corpse of a costumed hero. I felt like someone had winded me and then twisted my intestines.


    ''This can''t be happening.''


    ¡°Current reports on Warden''s appearance have yielded nothing but conflicting views and conjecture as the enigmatic vigilante has rarely shown himself. Specialists speculate that his willingness to reveal himself is a sign of territorial claim. The questions on everyone''s lips remain the same, will Warden stay in this city and how will he deal with Toad''s threats?¡±


    I turned off the TV and sunk into my couch as far as I could, wishing I could crawl inside it like a turtle into shells and hide from the world. I turned off the TV and sunk back into my couch.


    ''What the hell do I do now.''

 Chapter 3: Prelude to a Storm

    - Present Day -


    The blood had dried from when I''d bitten into my lips. I was left with the sound of silence broken only by my loud sobs. For the last few hours I''d been in the fetus position shifting from side to side trying to distract myself from reality. I''d covered myself in the thin sheets I called blankets and a large bottle of water used to replenish my tears was lying on the dirty carpet floor.


    ¡°Why did this happen to me?¡±


    ¡°-and with me today is the leader of the cities top super team ''Alpha Strike'', Blue Charm!¡±


    The TV stuttered into life and my daze was rudely interrupted by the clapping of an enthusiastic audience. I''d hit the remote by accident. I gazed at the screen in a stupor, it was the ''Super TV'' talk show. They did interviews with famous powered heroes every day. The talk show host, I think her name was Sarah, turned with a botox filled smile to beam the blue masked man sitting down next to her. It was the same guy I''d seen earlier today when I was at the Blue Macey Cafe with Toad. Just remembering it gave me a headache, but it wasn''t anything new since I hadn''t thought about anything else since then. He waved his hands in the air and the crowd gave a roaring cheer.


    ¡°On behalf of all of us here at Super TV I would like to congratulate you on the capture of the notorious terrorist Toad just hours ago.¡± The crowd cheered loudly at Sarah''s words and she turned to face the camera, ¡°As the leader of the team that represents the city this is just one of many accomplishments to add to Blue Charm''s distinguished career.¡±


    My eyes twitched as she said the word ''Toad''.


    Blue Charm chuckled, ¡°My ''distinguished career'' doesn''t just belong to the people you see on the surface Sarah. I''m the face that every body sees but the true heroes here are my team, who kept Toad occupied and the citizens safe.¡±


    I breathed a sigh of relief and crawled out of my fetal position. I took another sip of water and shivered underneath the blankets. I could feel the terror inside me, a feeling of dread that I was going to be mentioned and brought back into the spotlight. Soon pictures depicting the broken Blue Macey Cafe replaced the two and then pictures of Toad and various henchmen appeared on screen. The entire roof had already been fixed in the span of a few hours and a gaggle of people were outside taking pictures with awed expressions.


    Toad''s picture flickered onto the screen and I shrieked. He looked far more menacing in the pictures than he had in real life, but a picture couldn''t capture the threat to life he exuded when you were only a table away, or his deadly intelligence. I peeked at the picture from under the blankets. A herculean body with blue eyes gazed at me. The picture abruptly swapped and I whimpered as I recognized another face, one I had later found out belonged to Toad''s lieutenant. It was an old security shot but in real life the guy had been the ugliest person I''d ever seen. I''d only known him a few seconds but in that time he''d held a gun to my balls. Then I killed him. I''m not sure what happened that week, not exactly, I''ve been too busy thinking about Toad and dying. But somehow I''d inadvertently killed this man, the television and Toad had told me so.


    He could have lived if I''d asked someone to call an ambulance.


    It was something completely different to think that you may have killed a man, even if he was going to kill you first. I can''t really describe it, but between the terror and the tears it feels like there''s something else in there. A little bit of disgust in myself. I didn''t cause the explosion that day and I don''t know what did, but when I ran away from that convenience store there had been a man there, a severely burnt man, but an alive one. I''d only found out after that he''d died later that day from his severe injuries.


    I didn''t know the person in the final picture. Apparently when Toad had gone to meet up with me he had brought out most of his main muscle to guard him. It was a testament to his power and charisma that he could get so many powered people to follow him willingly. The fresh face wasn''t ugly like the lieutenant nor particularly handsome like Toad. But he did look the part of a thug. Short cut black hair and a body covered in scars filled the screen. His dark brown eyes seemed set into a permanent squint and in one of the photos he was seen holding a grenade and laughing. The sight chilled me to the bones.


    The caption read ''Toad''s second lieutenant, Antonio Gaum.¡¯¡±


    The guards and terrorists that Toad had brought and placed around the cafe had all silently been taken out by the heroes and the police while I was talking to Toad. Going from a life of fear back to normal in the space of a week was going to be nearly impossible. It looked like the heroes had arrested all of the terrorists along with Toad. But how could I ever be sure.


    ''Can I go back to my regular life please.'' I silently begged into the air.


    I hadn''t received any threatening phone calls. The press hadn''t come looking for me. And yet I couldn''t help but stay curled up and crying. Something told me that nothing was going to be right in my world any more, I couldn''t just go back to my normal and safe life after seeing how scary the world can be. But maybe it would happen if I just gave it a bit of time.


    The TV had stopped their montage of pictures and rested back onto Blue Charm.


    ¡°Who would you say contributed the most to this successful capture?¡±


    Blue Charms eyes twinkled, ¡°Warden.¡±


    ¡°Although he had no intention of standing out in this venture I firmly believe that all of our success can be traced back to his actions.¡±


    My eyes widened as Blue Charm spoke and my hands gripping the sheets to my chest violently shook. It had all been going so well. They hadn''t even mentioned me. Why was Blue Charm so intent on dragging me back into this horrible world I wasn''t meant to be part of, this nightmare. I saw Sarah rested her chin on her well manicured hand and gave Blue Charm a quizzical look.


    ¡°Again I''m hearing about the mysterious vigilante known as Warden. But according to eye witness accounts all Warden did was sit around and drink coffee. On our online poll viewers have voted his contribution in the affair the lowest out of all the participants. Including the police.¡±


    ''Yes!'' I would have pumped my fists into the air in victory if they weren''t glued to my chest, ''She understands! They understand! I''m just your regular coffee drinking Joe, I didn''t contribute to squat!''


    Blue Charm looked despondent for a moment before the emotion gave way to a grin and a wink, ¡°Well Sarah, I''m not allowed to say much about it. But if I were to rate Warden''s contribution I would give him a ten out of ten.¡±


    I groaned and threw the blankets off of my body, ''I need some fresh air.''


    I picked the water bottle up off the floor and shook it. Nearly empty. Florence wouldn''t like it is I visited without any food for him. I turned off the TV and went to fill the water bottle, my hands were trembling. That last wink Blue Charm gave the camera stayed in my mind.


    ''It was going so well too, damn it Blue Charm! Damn you and your delusional mind.''


    Soon I was running up the emergency stairs, well, I was walking at a moderate pace up the stairs. I wasn''t fit in the first place and forgetting the memories of running away from the Blue Macey Cafe didn''t mean the long sprint home had hurt my legs any less after a nights sleep.


    ''Damn Toad and his neurotic beliefs and secret bases.''


    I opened the rusty metal door that led to the roof and a fresh breeze rushed through my clothes, wafting through my hair. It was night time but the moon was bright enough that I could see Florence waving around gently, just like always. The pot underneath was shrouded in darkness but I knew that there was a layer of dolphins carved to look like they were swimming around the clay. I didn''t splurge on useless stuff often, but I felt like an extra fancy and fun home for Florence had been necessary. I¡¯m not sure that its healthy to give a plant a name, or even a gender. But Florence was the only thing I had left to remind me of her. Florence being the purple flower in the pot of course. I smiled and sucked in a breath of fresh air before walking over to pour Florence some water.


    It was damn nice to have something regular to look after.


    *Swoosh*


    I could feel the smile on my face freezing as I caught sight of a figure flying through the air. My eyes glued onto it as a woman gently landed on the ground a few meters away, the sound of her black boots clacking against the concrete roof breaking the silence.


    ''This can''t be happening... Oh my god... Oh my gawd... Oh mah gawd!'' I dropped the water bottle in shock


    A lithe, supple figure walked towards me and my heart almost stopped. She was the most beautiful woman I''d ever seen. Her cherry red lips pursed in contemplation as though she was deep in thought Locks of wavy blonde hair wrapping over healthy light skin as though she had just spent the day at the salon instead of flying through the air and her storm cloudy eyes seemed to pierce into my soul. She was wearing nothing but a tight fitting black lycra leotard, black high boots and a silver watch. But it was the symbol over the chest part of her leotard, a gold mixture of the letters ''S'' and ''W'', that made my body freeze in place at first sight. It wasn''t some no name hero symbol you see on the TV, it wasn''t even a commercial symbol for a sponsoring company. It was one of the most famous symbols in the world. And only one person had the right to wear it.


    ¡°Interesting, the association didn''t detect any sensors or scanners in the vicinity. How did you know I was coming?¡± The woman sounded like she was trying to work out a puzzle and bit her lips playfully.


    Super Woman.


    It was no coincidence that she was named after the most powerful comic book superhero in the world. It was because she WAS the most powerful real life powered person in the world. Her body was indestructible and she could casually destroy a meter thick steel door with the flick of a finger. I''d just seen her ability to fly in person. If there was one woman you didn''t want to piss off in the world it was the one I was trying my hardest to look in the face.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ''So why are her thighs so distracting, damn leotard.''


    ¡°Warden.¡± Super Woman fixed her eyes onto me and shot me a friendly smile, ¡°The association wants to know what you''re doing here. And how long you''ll be here.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here?!¡± I blurted out a little louder than I''d intended.


    ''Oh **** why did I say that.''


    It was the only thing I could think of. This was the woman you saw on TV greeting presidents and queens as an equal at special events. She was the hero associations not-so-secret weapon of mass destruction. Whenever the earth faced a threat that could destroy all of humanity this was the woman you called to punch it in the face. Just from what I''d seen on TV she''d faced off against two gods, a few magical armies and countless powered villains. And that was usually just a yearly intake for her. If the news caught wind of her on this rooftop in the middle of a crowded metropolis the entire city and the cities nearby would be evacuated for fear that some sort of world ending event was nearby. I may have been fanboy crazy but I wasn''t so far gone into a stupor that I couldn''t see the immediate death flag to the entire city that Super Woman''s presence brought. I could feel my hands visibly shaking.


    This was too much to take in one day.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Super Woman put a finger to her lips as though contemplating something, ¡°I''m sorry, there''s nothing major going to happen here. I''m just here for you.¡±


    I breathed a sigh of relief, ''She''s sorry? Thank god there''s nothing wrong! Wait what was that?''


    ¡°Here for me?¡± I thought back to the last few words she''d said, ¡°What am I doing here? I live here. I have all my life.¡±


    ¡°Lived here all your life...¡± Super Woman trailed off before her head perked up and her mouth formed an ¡°o¡± expression.


    ¡°Are you telling me that you''ve managed to stay under the radar in a major city, a hero run city, for who knows how many years?¡±


    I nodded.


    ''Well I wasn''t exactly meant to be on the radar. I''m just a normal guy.'' I thought to myself, ''Wait a second.''


    This was my chance to tell her I was a normal person. Super Woman, the most powerful and respected powered hero in the world was face to face in front of me and listening to my every word. This was the chance I''d been waiting and entire week for. I''d spent the entire week in fear of meeting with the police or heroes because I could get shot by Toad''s men just walking in the street, and now the opportunity had flown into my lap. I had to tell her.


    ¡°Will you go out with me?¡± Gah! That wasn''t what I was meant to say.


    My stupid brain was melting to mush because of her good looks. Or maybe it was the accumulated stress of the sudden turn of events that had almost led to my death twice over in a single week. Hell it was probably both. I''m just babbling now.


    Super Woman giggled and I felt a slight blush rise to my cheeks, ¡°The last few guys to say that to me got shot dead by angry fans. Then again, I guess you are powerful enough to survive. At least from the initial wave.¡±


    I felt a chill run across my back as I came to a sudden realization and the night air suddenly turned chillier than it had been a few second ago. It wasn''t her talk about the fans that scared me. God knows how but I was now considered one of the most mysterious powered people in the city at the moment. I''d seen it on the news I''d stalked in order to find out more about Toad. But it had only occurred to me just now that it was this reputation that was keeping me alive.


    Super Woman thinks -wrongly- that I''m strong enough to stave off her fans. At the same time all the terrorists out there that have been slighted by Toad''s arrest haven''t tried to kill me in the last few hours. I hadn''t considered it before because not fearing for my life every second was usually the norm in my life, but those terrorists were probably being scared away by my reputation. If I was to suddenly announce I was a normal guy how long would I last? Whether it was an angry terrorist or a villain looking for a claim to fame, I''d heard enough about these events on the TV that I knew I would be dead sooner than I could walk downstairs.


    God damn fresh air giving me good ideas.


    ¡°I live here. I wont be moving.¡± I sighed as I spoke the words.


    Now that Toad was in jail there wasn''t really a reason for me to leave the country. Not that I could. I knew during that one week that any thought of leaving I''d clung to was just whimsical, I didn''t have the money to move to another country and start a whole new life. I already lived in one of the cheapest neighborhoods in this city, and the city was on the cheap side in the first place. My other option was to be homeless.


    ''Unless...'' My mind started to whirr as it processed a sudden thought, a way to stay safe and keep a roof over my head.


    Super Woman shrugged, ¡°Think carefully Warden. You may have done the association a favor with Toad but they won''t appreciate your presence in this city. Vigilantes and heroes don''t mix. You think the association wanted you to come in and blow up Toad''s right hand man? Do you think we''re stupid enough to think that you would have let Toad come out of that cafe alive and well? The association might acknowledge and respect your contribution but they won''t tolerate your presence in this city much longer. And neither will I.¡±


    ¡°Then arrest me.¡± I smiled as I spoke and Super Woman looked at me in surprise.


    It was the perfect solution. I don''t feel like romanticizing anything about my living space. It was utter crap. I lived on a couch I''d found thrown out onto the side of the street once. Not even my street, I''d dragged that couch from over eight blocks away and up the stairs by myself. That''s just how desperate I was for some furniture. I had a bed that was ten years past its wear and tear date to be thrown out, my television sounded like it had been smoking for fifteen years and I was scared out of my mind that terrorists would take revenge on me any second now.


    But prison would change all that. To Super Woman and the rest of the association I wasn¡¯t plain old ordinary Walden. I was Warden, some powered guy that had come out of nowhere and taken out Toad and his lieutenant. And when powered people went to prison they didn''t put them in one large group, they would put them away in a place nobody knew about, the ones that wanted to reform even went to private communities where they could be guarded while on probation. They definitely wouldn''t keep them in a city like this. They would take me to a place where I would be safe from terrorists. It may not be the best plan. But it''s the best I can come up with in a few seconds.


    I jutted my arms out and made a handcuffing gesture with my hands, ¡°Put the cuffs on me, take me to jail. You said it yourself, You wont tolerate me being in this city and I won''t leave. So your only solution is to put the cuffs on me.¡±


    ''Please do it.''


    Super Woman hesitated and took a step forward.


    ''Yes, just like that.''


    She turned around, ¡°You''re an interesting man Warden. But if you run into me again it won''t end well.¡±


    ''She''s not going to arrest me?'' My heart sunk.


    I couldn''t push it. If it looked like I was getting aggressive she might try to punch me. I wanted to be alive when everyone found out I was a normal guy, not a corpse splattered on a roof.


    ¡°Wait!¡± I cried out. ¡°How do you deal with it. The constant fear.¡±


    ¡®The fear of death.¡¯


    Super Woman stopped but didn''t turn around, ¡°I do the same thing you do Warden. I show myself that I''m better than that by putting away the people that want to misuse their powers for their personal gain. It''s the only thing we can do.¡±


    *Swoosh* *Crack*


    The building trembled as she flew into the air. Tiny crack were left in the concrete where she had taken off and I was left to look at her figure slowly disappearing in the dark. I was left peering into thin air. I felt the life flowing out of me as I picked up the water bottle and despondently walked back down the stairs. Florence could wait a while longer for his water.


    ****


    ''Super Woman?''


    Super Woman looked down at the watch she was wearing. It was a variation of the standard issue hero watch every crime fighter was given, but instead of just transmitting information it could also send conversations directly into her mind so that the voice wouldn''t get lost in the wind. She¡¯d heard this voice before.


    ¡°Paragon. Have you finally decided to join the hero association?¡±


    Paragon. He wasn''t a well known figure to the public but within the powered community he was famous. He was the primary designer and builder of the Sphere prison. He was also the most powerful Tech powered in the world. Unaffiliated with either criminals or heroes, preferring to live his own life in the peace and quiet of his own inventions.


    ''Not at all.'' The voice chuckled in her mind, ''I was just wondering how your visit went. How was Warden?''


    ¡°You know him?¡± Super Woman lifted an eyebrow.


    ''No, no, but recently my scanners detected unusual activity in his vicinity. Your associations records couldn''t confirm what type of powered he is but I suspect from the energy fluctuations that Warden is a powerful Tech. Or at the very least he uses the inventions of a powerful Tech.''


    ¡°... Dangerous.¡± Super Woman ignored his comment about hacking into the associations records. Nothing short of a nuclear bomb could stop Paragon if he wanted to find something out.


    ''Excuse me?''


    ¡°Warden is dangerous. I''m not sure what his power is or why he''s suddenly decided to show himself but he''s definitely not a small fry.¡±


    She calmly dodged past a building as she thought back to the meeting with Warden she''d just come from.


    ¡°The first thing he did was ask me if there was a major threat. It scares me that he looked confident enough to help in a threat that they''d sent me personally to fight. But it wasn''t just that. I could see it in his eyes Paragon, his hands were trembling in excitement.¡±


    ''Bloodlust is a good quality for a crime fighter to have Super Woman. You''ve told me several times yourself that the one thing I lack is a thirst for battle.''


    ¡°This wasn''t just bloodlust Paragon. This was confidence. He lifted his hands towards me and told me to cuff him. Challenged me to try and arrest him with a smile on his face.¡±


    Super Woman lifted her hands to her eyes. They were dry from the flight but she wouldn''t forget the sensation she''d felt while facing Warden. Her hands had been sweating. She had been nervous.


    ¡°And...¡±


    ''Will you go out with me?''


    Super Woman blushed lightly as she remembered.


    ''Interesting, interesting.'' Paragon''s voice interrupted her thoughts, ''I may pay this Warden a visit soon. A man that could make even Super Woman flinch. It appears another big player has come into the fray. One that could hide his information even from me.''


    Super Woman''s eyes widened, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ''I don''t appreciate repeating myself when it comes to faults Super Woman. Warden has no information aside from his usual cover. Other than his date of birth and current residence all records seem to indicate that he hasn''t moved from the surrounding few blocks for over ten years. No trips or holidays, not even the occasional coffee overseas. I can''t find out anything about him. For all intents and purposes he only popped into existence to take out Toad. And it''s not knowing what he was doing before that which worries me.''


    ¡°A man like this doesn''t just pop up out of nowhere Paragon. I''ll inform the association to mark his potential danger level as red. Just as a precaution.¡±


    ''Red level danger indicates that Warden could take out the city if he wanted to Super Woman. Are you confident that he could come anywhere near that level of power?''


    ¡°I''ve never been more confident Paragon. Now if you''ll excuse me I have to make a report.¡±


    ''Your are excused.'' The man gave a final chuckle and she felt the link to her mind break off.


    Super Woman''s eyebrows knitted together, ¡°How do you deal with it. The constant fear.¡±


    It was this question that had confirmed all her thoughts about Warden. It was the fear that had haunted her for years before, ever since she had discovered her powers. A fear she had been fighting against all her life.


    The fear of giving in to temptation.


    A fear that one day she slip up, give in to her inner demons and kill every thing she could see. A seething darkness inside that constantly told her to use her powers and rise up against those that opposed her. There had been many powered people that had given in to this temptation. Toad was only one example of the many, many people that she had fought against. Sometimes she wondered if the only reason she fought against criminals was to prove to herself that she wasn''t the same as them, she wasn''t one of them. To the outside world she was the indestructible Super Woman. But inside she was an ordinary person.


    And he had seen through her.


    ¡°Warden...¡± The name rolled off the tip of her tongue.


    ''Oh by the way Super Woman.''


    She was startled as Paragon''s voice darted through her mind again.


    ''I forgot to mention something, Toad¨C''


    ****


    ¡°¨Cescaped from the hero guarded prison convoy just hours after being arrested. The heavily guarded convoy was on its way to the Sphere when it was ambushed by unknown forces. Several criminals including Toad, System and Disc have escaped and their current whereabouts are unknown.¡±


    ¡°The infamous terrorist left a single note at the scene of the escape.¡±


    The camera man zoomed into a small piece of torn paper with articulate writing on it.


    ¡°You have won the first round Warden. But the game has only just begun.¡±


    I looked at the TV in horror.


    ''What the hell is this?''


    I looked into the sky with tears forming at the sides of my eyes.


    ''Why are you trying so hard to kill me world!¡±