Chapter IV

**Chapter IV**

Bren: “I made a deal with the devil. At least so it seems. Victoria…or Vik for short, she says; or more so one of the many names she’s currently going by due to the person she is inhabiting or possessing... I don’t know the term. Anyway, more or less she’s a demon. Say’s she made a deal with the person’s body she’s in order to maintain existence in this realm…or whatever that means. She says a war is coming between our kinds… demons, vampires, super humans, hell… basically anything not human against the humans. She even said that the machines will be their weapon of choice in our annihilation. Pssh… sounds like something out of the X-men comic books, right? Crazy I know but it turns out…” he stops thinking to himself as he sits at a dive bar in the middle of Pennsylvania watching a TV station news channel as they replay a woman with a blurred facial image on screen. She wears a gothic ensemble like dress with fish nets, straps, leather and no noticeable tattoos as she makes allegations of the American government as the cause of everything negative that has befallen the country and the world. “This woman…” he says shaking his head while thinking, “Apparently she’s Victoria’s sister... one of us. An evolved human with shape shifting powers who likes to spend her time infiltrating government facilities digging up dirt and stealing shit from the rich. But if ya ask me…she’s no better than them because she steals it and doesn’t give it to the people or needy…she keeps it for her armada of psychics, shifters and magicians Victoria says she has. Those goons that were after Techahn a couple of weeks ago… they work for her; didn’t like him stealing their steals and making a bad name for them, so she put a hit on him.” He finishes off the last of his drink, telekinetically unplugs the television without anyone seeing him and leaves the bar after paying a small tip, exiting through the back door. “Every time she comes on the damn news life gets a little harder for my kind. Retina scans, finger or hand print identification…I heard they were even going to start taking skin and blood samples at government facilities starting at the high defense spots. Whatever, breaks over time to get back to work.” He flies off into the air at supersonic speed where he lands outside an apartment building in a small suburban town in Connecticut, in a small patch of woods, looks at a GPS locator on his phone and super speeds to the position. “I agreed to help Victoria recruit many of us for whatever war is coming. In the last few weeks I have encountered fairies….werewolves… other super humans, witches even a couple of magicians… this girl was the latest…she was new; new to her powers… new to her new life, and I could sense…she was scared.”

A young woman, with long raven hair and light skin sits in her apartment, rocking back and forward in a corner, nude, surrounded by scorch marks, a fire extinguisher and covering herself with a fire proof blanket; as the news plays on her broken television in the back ground. Bren knocks on the door announcing him, but the girl doesn’t answer. He continues to try to get her attention and knocks again.

Young woman: “No one’s here… go away please!”

Bren: “If no one’s here…then how are you answering me right now?”

An old woman peeks her head from outside her door and says, “She’s been making a lot of racket it in there for hours…I’m going to call the police if it doesn’t stop.”

Bren: “There’s no need for that man, I will take care of this…I promise.”

Old woman: “Who are you anyway?”

Bren: “Friend of the family… her…husband,” Saying as he looks at the names Mr. and Mrs. Warren on the door, “sent me to check on her cause I was in the area.”

Old woman: “Well I hope you can talk some sense into her. She gets like this whenever he’s gone.” She says as she slams the door. Bren then looks around, knocks once and slowly phases through the solid door of the young woman. Startled, she covers herself and shoots a fire ball at Bren, which he catches and absorbs with his own fire hands.

Bren: “Whoa… one of those. Easy…easy, I mean ya know harm.”

Young woman: “No harm? You just broke into my home.” Saying as she backs away covering herself with the fire proof blanket with one hand and holding the other out. “Did you just…”

Bren: “Didn’t give much choice…listen I’m like you… and… I’m here to help. Let’s just calm down.” The young woman eventually does what Bren says, almost suddenly, as if a wash of calm suddenly came over her. “What’s your name?”

Young woman: “P…Piper…”

Bren: “Piper. Piper, I’m Bran… fellow fire starter…sort of.”

Piper: “You..you can do what I can do? How?”

Bren: “Pretty much similar to how you do… I just... control it easier. This your first time?” She shakes her head. “Second?” She shakes her head again. “When did your abilities manifest?”

Piper: “Few months ago…” she says calmly while still clutching the blanket, with two hands now.

Bren: “Let me guess… it came washing over you like a burst of emotion and you couldn’t explain it?”

Piper: “My husband and I were fighting... one thing lead to another..” She stumbles off with tears in her eyes. “He left after that…said he needed time, I haven’t seen him since. Then these powers…they manifested at work and…”

Bren: “It’s ok…I understand. Just keep calm. That’s why I’m here.”

Piper: “How… I feel strangely relaxed now... how are you keeping me calm?”

Bren: “It’s a talent I picked up… met an empath a few weeks back who could read and control emotions… but that’s not important right now. The old lady across the hall…she’s already called the cops... heard her dial 911 minutes ago when you threw that fireball at me, so we gotta get out of here. I can take you some place safe for people like us…can help you; I promise. Can you… can you keep calm on your own and maybe we can get you some clothes and get out of here before the people with guns show up… we evolved folks not favored by cops much these days, I’m sure you know.” She nods and proceeds to her bed room, to which Bren follows casually.

As she gets dressed Bren notices the large mess and a lot of damaged done to the apartment ranging from scorch marks, burns to various furniture and melted objects; but he also notices that most of the clothing of her husband is gone as well. Bren attempts to acquire information from Piper as she gets ready in her bed room.

Bren: “So if you need to pack a couple personal items…I…I’d understand.” Piper thinks to herself ‘I shouldn’t be doing this…what if he comes back and I’m not here,’ thoughts to which Bren reads. “Like…wedding photos or…perhaps keepsake jewelry?” He continues.

Piper: “Why would you suggest that?”

Bren: “It’s just that…” pausing a second to read her mind echoing the thoughts ‘he’s coming back…I know he is. I just need to get better so he can.’ “Some…some people get a better handle on their powers when they have something to reach for. Something like a wedding ring or photo helps in the process,” saying sympathetically as he touches his own rings around his necklace. Piper then starts looking about for something to take with her belonging to her husband. Meanwhile Bren is able to hear sirens from fire trucks and police coming down the street. “Look we have to go, they’ll be here soon… really soon.”

Piper: “I’m going as fast as I can.” She says as she quickly puts together a small carry duffel bag and grabs her wedding photo on the night stand.

Bren: “Way to travel light…” He says as the fire and police break the door down and Bren takes her hand. As they look around the apartment they see no one, not even Bren and Piper who sit in front of them, invisible to the eye as Bren holds one finger over his lips gesturing to Piper. Turning to leave the bedroom the police are startled back to it when bedroom balcony doors open, to see nothing in front of them still; not even the stream of jet like smoke above them in the sky.

Bren: “I got her back to Michigan safely as I promise... and we did help her…I just didn’t know it was going to be me sitting with her on a daily…training her to use her powers. Victoria insisted it be me. Not only have I become her recruiter for this little organization she’s putting together but a teacher as well it seems. I guess it’s not all bad… it allows me to pick up a few tricks in my wake. Maybe that’s what she really implies, I don’t know. It took a couple weeks for me to convince Piper her husband wasn’t coming back. Eight months is a long time for a man to be gone from his wife and not show any remorse; not a text… a letter… email…nothing. When she was finally able to let go, she not only was able to control her powers…but all assets of her power. She isn’t a regular fire starter… she’s something else entirely. There are fragments in her memory, like broken pieces trying to cling together; common with people who suffer from amnesia. Victoria knows, she’s just not telling me... and I can’t read her mind. When I try there is like a static interference. I’ve read the minds of demons, vampires… monsters of all kinds you name it… perhaps whatever divine power she wields has some sort of barrier…I don’t know. Piper and I had manage to grow close and seed somewhat of an understanding friendship. It even allowed me to copy her power if I ever need it.” Bren thinks as he sits on the roof top eating his dinner alone. He is soon joined by Piper and both watch the children play in the nearby court yard.

Piper: “Figured I would join you… do you mind?” Saying as she sits near him with a water.

Bren: “No… it’s ok.”

Piper: “Look at them… playing so freely without a care… do you remember what that was like?”

Bren: “….somewhat.”

Piper: “Did you ever want kids…or do you have any?”

Bren: “I uh,.,. no… not at all.” He says continuing to eat his soup.

Piper: “What about the little girl? She’s not yours?”

Bren: “No… just a dear friend…her mother too…”

Piper: “Ed and I wanted children…well mostly me…it’s actually what our last fight was about…he was open to it but with everything happening in the world it hindered him I guess. I mean we met and got married so fast I kind of got lost in the heat... then I got these powers…I wanted to say thank you for your help…teaching me and all.”

Bren: “I… I didn’t do anything… you’ve always had the power you just needed to be shown how to use it.”

Piper: “But I can fly; shoot fire from my hands and even teleport! Well… (chuckling) need some work on the teleporting but still… thank you.” She leans in to kiss Bren on the cheek but upon the moment of impact she stops, frozen as if she had just remembered something. She pauses for a few seconds as if memories are flooding back into her backwards as Bren pulls slightly away from her at the same time.

Bren: “I’m sorry…I just…”

Piper: “It’s not you…it’s…it’s me… I…” Saying with a dazed and focused look on her face, “I have to go.”

Bren: “Go? Go where?” He says startled as she stands up suddenly.

Piper: “It’s just…something I have to take care of… loose ends I guess you can call it…”

Bren: “Are you ok? Something I can do? Need help?”

Piper: “You’ve done more than you know,” she says as she kisses him on the cheek again, engulfs herself in flames and teleports away in the flame at the same time.

Bren runs to Victoria’s room as fast as he can, abruptly entering it as she stands surrounded by several dozen televisions each on different news stations displaying weather, local news, traffic, stock, federal news etc, looking at all with rapid eye movement.

Victoria: “Can I help you Bren?”

Bren: “Its Piper…she’s gone. Left.”

Victoria: “Left to where exactly?” She says while continuing to look at all screens.

Bren: “I don’t know… but it was like I could read her mind then she stopped me…I don’t know…she’s just gone…said she had something to take care of.”

Victoria: “So she got her memory back… congrats Mr.Turtle you cured her, fixed her mind… the one thing that was actually broken.”

Bren: “But I didn’t do anything… I mean...”

Victoria: “You can heal people with a touch, correct?”

Bren:”Yea but I didn’t…”

Victoria: “And your powers… they work based on the empathic sync you have with others rather they are near, far, dead or alive allowing at times for it to work two ways at times like a radio as you put it?”

Bren: “She kissed me…she kissed me it sparked my healing ability; that fixed her memory…” Bren wonders.

Victoria: “Entirely possible…especially with her powers in nature, healing begets healing as does good to good and evil to evil. You’ve felt for a while now she’s different I am sure.”

Bren: “What the hell aren’t you telling me Vik… for once just speak like the human you inhabit!”

Victoria: “Imagine,” Victoria start while closing her eyes still facing the televisions, “You are a young woman…and not just any woman; a powerful witch. You’re ecstatic by nature, mystical creatures and magic; and love it so much that it brings evil to your door step. Evil that not only kills you but the coven you had grown to love as your own family during the time witches were being massacred by the dozens…” Bren stands nearby not taking his eye off Victoria, “You’re all drowned, hung and burned at the stake for simply being what you are and in your last act of despair…you tap into the dark spark within yourself. A spark so dark it curses you to live the life of one of the very few things you had come to adore in your short years…a phoenix.” She says staring him in the eyes as a couple of the televisions show various photos and clippings of Piper from the mid 1600s to current day. One of the photos is a local news article in Connecticut from six years prior of a girl who was rushed to the ER after a severe skull fracture from a car accident but miraculously came back and healed from it making a full recovery, aside from amnesia, and marrying a local mechanic a year later. Bren is shocked to see the likeness of Piper in all screen shots from centuries ago as he steps closer to the televisions passing Victoria comparing them to her modern day photos.

Bren: “You’ve known this since you sent me to her…haven’t you?” Saying as his eyes never leave the screen.

Victoria: “I have.”

Bren: “Why didn’t you say anything?” He asks as he looks at her then back to the screens shuffling Piper’s images.

Victoria: “My powers see many possibilities at the same time of the past, present and future all based on choices people make or do not make. Had I told you this… perhaps her memory would have never come…or come too soon…or too late…or not at the right time or place, somethings have to play out for themselves.”

Bren: “Look, I know we had a deal and all…I help you… you help me…but if I’m going to keep helping you…I can’t be left in the dark like this… I can’t.”

Victoria: “Very well… DJ!” She yells loudly as Techahn comes running into the room minutes later with head phones on and a tablet running almost out of breath.

Techahn: “Sorry I got into this really intense game of call of duty with Nigel and…” Bren and Victoria look at him sternly. “Sorry….here ya go.” Saying as he hands Bren the tablet in hand. “I’ve already uploaded the GPS coordinates to your phone so ya good to fly.”

Victoria: “Thank you Dj.”

Techahn: “Hey Bren…maybe when ya get back we can..” Saying with a smile.

Victoria: “Thank you Dj.” She says as Techahn puts his heads phones on and leaves with a small grin on his face.

Bren: “I take it you knew I was going to say that…”

Victoria: “I had an idea.”

Bren: “Sending me off on another assignment…so where to this time?” He asks as Victoria looks over his shoulder and he looks at the tablet in his hands.

Victoria: “Things are getting out of control in the world. My ‘sister’ with an army of precogs and various other SPECS on her side seems to be one step ahead of me at all times. Breaking into government facilities all over the world finding secrets, weapons of modern and ancient origin.. just bringing this war closer. People here are getting restless for peace and hopefully a war we can stop before it gets here…we need an ‘ace’ in the whole I believe is the term humans say.”

Bren: “There’s like six different locations here…what do ya expect me to do go digging for a clue?”

Victoria: “Actually…yes.”

Bren: “Fuck that.” He says as he hands her the tablet. “Not going on some wild goose chase around the planet to dig shit up.” He says as he starts walking toward the exit.

Victoria: “Not even for a goddess?”

Bren stops suddenly and looks at Victoria with a puzzled look.