New Age of Heroes 1: The League of Protectors - Dawn of a New Age (9 page)

“So, to
answer your question, yes, I see you as a Post Human, because that’s
what you are. Do I despise you for it? No. Do I recognize it and
become leery of it? Yes. I will always be more guarded when it comes
to Post Humans. It’s of my nature and it’s my job. It's
no different than when a Black person looks at a White person or vice
versa. There's a difference between us and that's something that's
always going to be on our mind. ”

Garrett appreciated
Agent Hardine’s truthfulness. He found himself liking the agent
even though the agent basically admitted he was guarded around him.
Agent Hardine’s explanation planted a picture into the minds of
how humans think. Garrett had a better understanding now than he did
before.

“Agent
Hardine, come here and check this out!” Garrett shouted. His
urgency caught the agent by surprise. Agent Hardine rushed over to
the screen to see what Garrett was concerned about.

“Do you see
this?” Garrett asked pointing to a specific area on the screen.

“Yeah, what
about it?”

Agent Hardine
wasn’t too familiar with the computer systems at the facility.
Garrett Blake would have to be more descriptive and explain the
problem for Agent Hardine to comprehend what the issue was. Garrett
tried to explain the problem again.

“This reading
is for the Inhibitor Field. Do you get it now? The levels are
fluctuating and dropping rapidly!”

Agent Hardine’s
face dropped. His mouth was slightly opened and the color of his skin
began to drain.

“Agent
Hardine?” Garrett shouted. The agent snapped out of it and got
back into focus. “We need to get someone down there
immediately!” Garrett shouted.

Agent Hardine got
on his radio to inform the others, but just as he was getting ready
to do so, the power went out, shutting off all communication on that
floor.

“Well that
can’t be good,” Garrett said doing his best to try and
remain calm. “I knew I should've stayed at the office!”

Jason stared at his
readings thoroughly to make sure he was seeing things correctly. “Who
is this man here?” Jason pointed to the man in the last cell on
the right hand side.

Agent Mallory
walked over to Jason to take a look. He eyed the prison and gave him
a dirty look. “This here is our newest prisoner. His name is
Erik Masters. He was brought in just a little while ago by Agent
Hardine's unit.”

Jason studied Erik
carefully. Erik sat in his cell with a mischievous look on his face.
Agent Mallory shoved it off as Erik trying to play mind games with
them. Jason however, suspected it was something more than that. Jason
pulled Agent Mallory to the side so that the prisoners could not here
them talk.

“Don’t
touch me!” Agent Mallory said firmly, forcibly removing Jason’s
hand off him.

“Your files
on this man are incorrect,” Jason said.

Agent Mallory gave
Jason a hard look. “So first you come here and accuse us of
capturing Post Humans without just cause and now you insult us by
saying our files are incorrect.” Agent Mallory turned his back
on Jason Shaw and began walking away.

“I’m
not insulting you I’m simply stating a fact.”

Agent Mallory
turned back to Jason and got in his face. “I think you are
forgetting something. As long as you are in here, your abilities
don’t work either. I assure you, without those abilities of
yours, you ain't nothing. Right now me and you are even.”

Jason ignored Agent
Mallory’s confrontational remark. Even without his abilities
Jason was quite the skilled fighter.

“Please Agent
Mallory; just take a look at these files. Your files contradict the
reports The League has. Our files are quite accurate and I assure you
our files on this man is different than the ones I'm looking at
here.”

Agent Mallory
huffed. He took the device from Jason and looked it over. The report
G.U.A.R.D had on Erik Masters stated he had the ability to manipulate
fire. That report was on The League’s files as well. However,
in addition to manipulating fire, The League’s report’s
also stated that Erik also could communicate and manipulate
electricity.

That wasn’t
such a big deal, because of the inhibitor field prevented Erik from
using those abilities. The problem was, in the League’s report,
it also stated that Erik was highly resistant to any suppressing
manipulator. Meaning it would require a much higher dosage from the
inhibitor in order to suppress Erik's abilities.

“Why isn’t
this report on our database?” Agent Mallory asked with
suspicious intent. Jason didn’t have an answer for him. “Are
you sure your report is correct?” Agent Mallory asked. He
studied and compared the reports again searching for answers.

“Have you
ever known our reports to be incorrect?” Jason asked.

Agent Mallory shook
his head angrily. Every report the League had on Post Human criminals
had been correct thus far so there was no reason to assume this
report was incorrect. Agent Mallory looked over towards Erik Masters
who was sitting comfortably on his bed.

“You think
it's possible someone intentionally erased part of Erik's file from
our system?” Agent Mallory asked.

Jason nodded, “It
would make sense. We know someone hacked into this system last week,
that's why we are here, to assess any possible breaches. It makes
sense.”

Agent Mallory did
not want to hear that. He wanted answers. Who was responsible for
this and why. Those were questions that Jason did not have answers
to.

“So what do
we do now?” the agent asked respectfully. Jason found it
interesting how when his or The League’s expertise was needed,
the agents suddenly showed them a little more respect. Before Jason
could answer Agent Mallory’s question, Erik began whistling for
their attention.

“I take it
you guys are talking about me? Perhaps noticing some sort of
problem?”

Agent Mallory began
walking towards Erik. Jason took a step back behind the agent which
shielded Erik's view. He inconspicuously rolled up his sleeve and
pressed a button on his watch. He rolled the sleeve back down and
walked over to confront Erik.

Stephanie Morgan
was sitting at the her desk back at headquarters when her attention
was grabbed by the sound of an urgent distress signal. She picked up
her phone and called Mr. Connors immediately.

“Yes?”
Mr. Connors replied slightly irritated. He was en route for an
important meeting that would likely have major impact on the League.

“Sir, one of
the distress signals just activated.”

Mr. Connors
irritated tone vanished and was replaced with a concerned tone.

“Who’s
signal is it Stephanie?”

Stephanie looked at
her screen for confirmation.

“It’s
Jason’s signal Sir.”

This was the first
time Jason's signal had ever been activated. It was usually Jason
responding to someone's else signal.

“Have you
been able to make contact with him?”

“No sir, I've
called three times but it went straight to voice mail.”

“Where is the
signal coming from?” Mr. Connors asked.

“It's coming
from the island sir.”

Mr. Connors did not
like the sound of that. “Where is Jessica?”

Stephanie searched
Jessica’s itinerary to see if she had anything important listed
for the day. Stephanie grimaced as she checked.

“Sir, Jessica
is currently overseas assisting with the hurricane recovery efforts.
Do you want me to make contact with her?”

Mr. Connors thought
for a moment but decided against it. He didn't want to bring her in
unless he absolutely had to. “Inform Jackson and Shayne and
have them investigate the situation. Also, keep calling Jason and see
if you can get through.”

“What about
Noah and Bianca sir?”

“Neither one
of them have the capabilities required to make it to the island.”
Mr. Connors replied.

“Understood,”
Stephanie said.

Stephanie ended the
call with Mr. Connors and informed Jackson and Shayne of the
situation. She sat back in her chair monitoring the situation. She
felt useless being stuck at the office and hoped whatever the
situation was, that everything would be alright.

9

The
Great Escape

“You guys
look a little nervous,” Erik said smugly to Agent Mallory and
Jason Shaw. “What’s the problem? What’s got you two
military men so rattled?”

Agent Mallory took
out his gun and aimed it at the young prisoner, completely
disregarding protocol. “Say another word! Come on, I'm begging
you. A freak like you, no one would ever miss!”

Although Erik
deserved some of the harshness he was receiving, Agent Mallory's
threats were taking things just a little too far. Jason stepped in
front of the agent preventing him from getting a good view of the
prisoner.

“Get out of
the way Shaw!”

Jason ignored Agent
Mallory’s demand.

“This is not
helping. If you kill this prisoner while he’s in his cell, I
will have no choice but to report what I saw.”

“You
threatening me?”

Jason shook his
head left and right. “No, not threatening, just telling you how
it is. I will report you if you shoot this man. Post Human criminal
or not, he has certain rights.”

The agent looked at
Jason as if he was a suspect. Why was Jason so interested in the life
of a criminal? Agent Mallory suspected Jason was working with Erik
Masters and it was his intention all along to get Erik released from
his cell.

With his suspicions
floating around his head, Agent Mallory was even more determined to
end Erik’s life. Sensing the only way he would get to Erik was
through Jason, Agent Mallory prepared himself to kill Jason first.

Jason could sense
the agent was about to make a move. Jason reacted quickly, and
twisted the agent's hand. With Agent Mallory's hand twisted, Jason
easily removed the gun from his hand. The prisoners cheered Jason on.
It wasn’t that they liked him or thought he was going to help
them escape, they cheered him because it was about time someone put
Agent Mallory in his place.

Agent Mallory
grabbed his arm and cursed out of anger and pain. Jason emptied the
clip and slid the magazine into his pocket. He walked over to the
agent to check for any spare weapons he might’ve had on him.
Agent Mallory swung at Jason as he approached, but Jason dodged the
left hand punch and countered with a punch to Agent Mallory’s
ribs. The agent toppled over much to the chagrin of the prisoners.

“Agent
Mallory please stop. I’m not here to hurt you. I'm not here to
help anyone escape. I am here to do my best to make sure this
facility is completely secure and right now it's not.”

As if on cue, Jason
heard the sound of something powering down and his fears quickly
became a reality. Jason knew what was about to happen next and it
wasn't good. He helped Agent Mallory back up to a standing position
and warned him that the prisoner's cells were about to open.

“Which ones?”

“All of
them!” Jason replied.

Agent Mallory
grimaced as he reached for his radio.

“Code Red, I
repeat we have a code red.”

He repeated the
warning three times but no one heard him. Radio communications had
been completely knocked out.

“I’m
afraid it’s too late to call for backup and it’s too late
to stop what’s about to happen,” Erik said from his cell.
“You should've put more trust in Jason instead of worrying
about him protecting us.” Erik looked over at Jason and shook
his head in disgust.

“These are
the type of people you want to protect? This man just tried to kill
you for trying to stop him from killing me. Don't you see that to
them you're still the enemy regardless of what you do?”Erik
stepped out of the cell smiling emphatically.

Seconds later the
other cells began to open as well.

“I'm curious
to know if you're really as powerful as everyone says you are. I bet
you're more hype than anything else.” Erik said.

Jason could feel
his abilities returning to him. He was thankful for that, but it also
meant all the prisoners abilities were returning as well. Jason
reached back in his pocket and handed Agent Mallory the clip he took
from him moments earlier. Agent Mallory looked at Jason with a
confused expression.

“There's 214
of them down here and it's just me and you. Looks like you're going
to get your wish after all.”

Agent Mallory
nodded and took the clip back from Jason. He loaded it into his gun
and aimed it at Erik. The prisoners began surrounding Jason and Agent
Mallory. Several of the prisoners positioned themselves in front of
the elevator to prevent Jason and Agent Mallory from leaving.

“It seems you
two are at a real disadvantage here. Tell me agent, what kind of
contingency plan does your organization have for odds like these? I
mean really, you two aren't so tough without your teams to back you
up are you?”

Jason took a step
forward. “Why don’t you stop talking and come find out
yourself just how tough I am?” Erik laughed sadistically. He
wasn’t stupid, he knew good and well that he couldn’t
take Jason Shaw by himself. That wasn’t a fight he wanted to
have. Those weren’t his orders.

“As much as I
would like to take you out myself, I have others things to do.
However, I’m sure there are a few guys here more than willing
to do it for me!”

Erik called out to
the prisoners looking for volunteers to take on Jason Shaw. He had
done his research. He knew there were prisoners in the facility that
had personal grievances to air out with Jason. He played up to their
desires for revenge.

A burly looking man
stepped forward and cracked his knuckles ready to take on the
challenge.