章 43: 3.15

1:12 PM, 22 April, 1989.

Location: Central City

I emerge from the apartment of Miss White, with the transmitter in hand. To anyone else this would be just a hunk of circuit board and wires. To my senses, it was a wave of energy visible against the background. I can see the device isn't very powerful, the battery is tiny. So I look for vehicles.

It isn't very hard to find the parked pest inspector van. The funny thing is, the antenna seems to be tuned to this precise frequency. It pulses in time with the wave visually.

Hmm. I have already received a warning about destroying law enforcement vehicles.

So I simply pull open the back door and stand there arms folded as the pair of technicians inside of the spy van panic.

"You're illegally wiretapping the lady, Miss White. Is Edgar Hoover still in charge of the FBI or something?" I asked facetiously.

"Of course not, we are..." One began.

"You're not pest inspectors, except in the loosest form. And here's your bug." I held out the bundle of wires, waving it in view.

"Look kid this is a federal investigation, this doesn't concern… you?!!!" He was choked off as the countless wires in the van unplugged from the listening device and coiled around the pair, sealing their jaws shut. Pinned against the van walls they were trapped as I entered and shut the door behind me.

"Let's start again, shall we? I have just caught a pair of perverted government agents indulging in voyeurism, is how I will explain your capture to the local police." I grinned. "Nod if you understand."

They nod vigorously.

"What agency are you with?" I questioned. I pointed to the less talkative one. "You, tell me."

"SHADE. We're SHADE!" He shouted.

"Turn down the volume, buddy. It won't save you." I say sweetly. "So SHADE is?"

"Super Human Advanced Defence Executive. We're an anti-terrorist organisation." He explained, in a more appropriate volume.

"And yet you're bugging Miss White, who has no crimes to her name?" I pointed out.

"We heard she was a super human and received permission to observe her for abnormal tendencies." He admitted.

"From your boss or a judge? Do you have a warrant?" I asked sweetly.

"No warrant." He finally admitted.

"So the only criminal around here is you guys, huh? Why'd you beat up the friend when he visited her?" I demanded.

"What?! No. We've been passively observing." He explained.

"She said she has a stalker, which I assume is one of you guys. So who beat up the friend then?" I asked, aloud. "Wait… no. It can't be." I pointed at the pair strung up on wires. "You can hang there for a while, I need to see Miss White and get to the bottom of this."

Only she wasn't home.

Oh shit.

She's gone to visit the fishy friend.

Returning to the van I demand answers.

"Who is this friend of hers that rang her and said he was injured!? I want a name or an address." I shouted.

"Victor, yes. Victor Zsasz, but he was a dead end." The agent admitted.

"You idiots! He's a freaking psychopath!" I roared. "He faked an injury to lure the girl to a killing floor!"

"You can't be seri..." The first, loudmouth agent began. The second however looked more shocked.

"Wait Phil, he might be onto something. That guy set off all kinds of alarms when I saw him. He's rich and hides behind it, moving house constantly. He doesn't seem to have any friends, besides the subject." He swallowed. "I saw some reports of a slasher serial killer in town, at the same time he arrived. I saw him in photos at the FBI office having a meeting with Boss Horsted... I think he might be paying to have his crime scenes cleaned up by the local mobsters."

Fuck.

"Location! I want his last location! Where did he last ring from?" I shouted. "Surely you're tracking her phone calls!"

"Let me loose and I'll check!" The agent demanded.

I quickly did so.

He picked up a notebook and flipped through it.

"Here and here and… isn't this a slaughterhouse?!" He exclaimed.

"Hurry, get us there! I have no clue where the place is. I'm your passenger for the trip." I ordered.

"Gotcha!" The agent replied jumping into the front seat and peeling away at speed. His partner looked at me with a wary gaze. "What happens with the wiretap?"

"Frankly, at this point I don't care. You're trying to rescue her. I'll tell her about you but otherwise, I don't give a crap." I shrugged.

"We were here, vetting her. We were interested in finding out if she had the potential to join us." The agent explained.

Oh. Not the best reason, but I can understand it.

"I think it's safe to say you've lost her." I point out. "I have a friend in Département Gamma. I'll be sure to suggest she join us in France. They don't break my civil rights there, I can say with confidence. The US has so far never failed to disappoint with police corruption and agents bending laws. And I've only been visiting for a week."

"Hey, fuck you kid! Do you understand what we've been going through with all these crazies lately?!" The loudmouth, Phil demanded.

"Oh I understand far, far better than you, idiot. I was the one to stop Chemo. Remember that? The giant green blob of toxic chemicals trying to destroy Paris?" I pointed out. "Now shut up or I'll wire you to the roof."

Wheels screeched as the van took a corner at high speed. Come on, please beat her to the scene of the crime… because if this was the DC I knew, Zsasz kills her and fades away claiming many more victims, until he makes his way to Gotham. Covered in scars he inflicts on his body to keep track of his kills.

As we pulled to a stop and piled out to burst into the building, what we found was something else entirely.

This was not apparently the DC I knew any longer.

Because instead of a dead or dying girl and a knife wielding maniac we found a finger-less maniac bleeding all over the place and a horrified girl, completely unharmed.

"Um… okay. You caught the bad guy by yourself. It's okay, he isn't going to hurt you." I finally said, after being struck silent for several moments. She looked torn up over it, so I moved closer to hug her. That seemed to work for May when she was upset.

Except Goldie flinched away from me, like I was a venomous insect… no, she's scared she'll hurt me. "All you have to do is turn your power off." I whisper, reaching out to pull her close.

Thankfully I could tell, her power was off, from the iron dust in the air around me remaining still. No vibrations. So I hugged her, which brought her to tears. Probably due to her traumatic experience just now. For some people, hurting others is hard.

For others, it's too easy.

"Zsasz? You are so lucky. If you had killed this woman, I would have ripped your spine out and used it to beat you to death!" I hissed. Silently two needles flew out and with supreme precision pierced the major nerves that controlled his arms, tearing them. Even with prosthetic hands, good luck being able to lift a blade.

I made sure he saw my smile at his sudden agony. Remember it you monster, I can and will kill you if we meet again.

For now, I escort Goldie out. As she sniffles on my shoulder, I stroke her head.

"You did the best you could and you won..." I praised as she slowly began to pull herself back together.

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章 44: 3.16

3:45 PM, 22 April, 1989.

Location: Central City, Goldie White's Apartment.

"What the hell is going on with my life?" Goldie asked, despairing. She found a bottle of bourbon and has been drinking her troubles away. "These stupid powers, that psycho, the stalker and now you?"

"The world is a messed up place, most people don't see it from their normal lives, but those of us with powers? We get dragged into events that are abnormal far more often than just about anyone else." I shrug. "It's like the universe is watching us and likes to throw obstacles in our way for it's amusement. The things you thought you knew are often completely wrong, just to further mock you. The deeper you get, the weirder it gets."

"How? What could possibly be stranger than..." She began. I cut her off.

"One of my friends is an orphaned alien. From outer space. I also have a sorceress living in my home. I fought and killed a vampire last month, then a giant blob of living toxic waste." I replied.

"Oh God." She groaned into her cup.

"He's real, but he's less forgiving and more fire and brimstone than the liberal preachers suggest. Oh yes, Hell is real and occasionally the occupants like to invade us. Lucifer is cool though, he's retired." I nodded to myself. "But then so are most religions. Ancient Greek gods? Zeus is still around fathering bastard demi-gods when his wife isn't looking."

A crack of thunder echoed overhead. From what was supposed to be a clear sky.

"Yeah, fuck you too! Inconsiderate philanderer! Like I'm scared of your prissy lightning!" I loudly replied to the thunder. "Eavesdropper too, apparently."

"Does… that happen a lot?" She asked meekly.

"Zeus eavesdropping? I dunno. He's a voyeur, that's certain. Arrogant bastard too. Never willing to admit his own failings." I shrug.

"No, I mean all of this insanity?" She gestured.

"You get used to it. I know more super powered people than regular, so I'm a bit skewed. But with the way the world is going, this is going to be more commonplace." I leaned back into a comfy couch. "Unfortunately you're part of it now. Just like Zsasz was. Or do serial killers randomly appear more commonly than I thought?"

"Ugh… I still remember him grabbing me by the throat and waving the knife around like..." She sobbed softly for a moment. "I could see he meant to kill me from how he just changed into someone else… but now I realise I never knew his real face, did I?"

"No… Zsasz hasn't been killing for long, you might even be his first real victim that wasn't spur of the moment." I offered. "But who can tell with a psycho like that? He's probably proud of his acts, but I'm not going to ask."

"What's going to happen to him?" She asked, weakly.

"I'm going to pull some strings and send him to an asylum." I replied, lying.

"I… good. Good. He'd only hurt people." She agreed. "And what was the deal with that SHADE business?"

"It seems someone saw you had powers and spread rumours… which reached some shady government types who wanted to 'test' and 'observe' you. All completely illegal, too. The stalker was one of their agents trying to provoke you into using your powers, so they had cause to press-gang you into their organisation as an expendable asset. They'd blackmail you until you gave in." I handed her my business card. "Call me if you need anything. I'm on holiday for another couple of weeks but if you need help I can be here in under an hour."

She looked at the card. Then me. She took it. "Thank you, you've been very kind."

I nodded, internally wincing at my own manipulative nature.

"If you don't feel safe, if you have difficulties keeping a job or need to use your powers to help people I can offer you paid work, doing just that. Helping people with your powers and being paid for it. I don't mean killing or even hurting them, except as a last resort. Your powers would be hugely useful in controlled demolition and mining, for example. Imagine saving people buried in rubble, by destroying the wall crushing them. Or walking through bullets to disarm criminals. Your power can do all of these things, easily. In the mean time, I'll alert my friend in the city that you are here and arrange a time, so that you can meet and learn the ropes." I offered.

"I don't know..." She began.

"Flash is a great guy, has a childish streak a mile wide but he means well. He's been helping people in this city for a while. He'd love to help you. And considering you have so much to learn about your powers, he can help. As I understand it, he can probably do the vibration thing too. Just not as well as you." She seemed dubious, but relented.

"Good. Just a warning, he likes to just pop out of nowhere. He's that fast, so don't be too surprised." I informed her, just in case his first move was to tap her on the shoulder… yeah, I'd better warn him not to do that. He'll lose a hand.

I said my goodbyes, urging her to quietly prepare a costume to hide her face and identity. It seemed I would be playing go between, for the pair. Could be fun. This will be good for her. Not that I'm shipping them. But she needs a teacher.

The corrupt SHADE guys are waiting, but I blow them off.

I don't have any reason to give them the time of day or excuses. But I'll be checking on their story. The local police bought their story about Zsasz, but I trust Fleur to know the players in the Cold War spy organisations. I don't trust SHADE as far as I can throw them.

Besides I'm busy.

At midnight I find the hospital room that Zsasz is locked in, floating up the glass window. I'm looking for the needles still embedded in his arms.

He wakes, to the feeling of the needles pulling from his arms. I wave from the window as he looks around for the reason. As he begins to shout, the electric cables that connect to a power outlet burst out, copper wires digging through the plastic covering. The following second they dive into his mouth, giving him the electrocution he so richly deserves but the law would never give.

I make it look like he did this with his teeth, a suicide.

This time I don't feel that pitiful wretchedness I had from killing Brain and Mallah. Zsasz is an irredeemable monster. This was the only thing I could do to truly end the threat to ordinary people he presented.

I returned to my hotel room and slept like a baby.

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