Bush43
Issue #62
"What's Up Doc"
By Jason S. Kenney
The lights were out in the hotel room when I got back. Which was odd. Cassandra would have left a light on for me.
I narrowed my eyes as I caught a whiff of something in the air.
Old man smell.
"Haven't we done this dance before?" I asked as I reached for the light switch.
A punch came across my face as the lights turned on, sending me into the wall and sliding to the floor.
"You were not supposed to return, Jeffery," Professor William Richmond stated from somewhere in the room as hands grabbed my collar and pulled me to my feet.
"You were not supposed to defeat the Siege Engines."
Another punch connected with my gut and I doubled over.
"You were supposed to assist the authorities in retaking and defending this city."
The hands were on me again and tossed me across the room and hard into the far wall where I left one hell of a mark.
Gallows came at me again, tried to kick and instead I grabbed her leg and brought my fist up as hard as I could into her crotch.
Women might not have the same parts but a hit as hard as I delivered wasn't going to be comfortable.
"Where's Cassandra!" I shouted as I shoved Gallows back and lunged at Richmond.
Suddenly there was a flash of white light and screams and cries roared in my head, tore at my soul, took every bit of energy from me.
Then I was back in the hotel room, on the floor, gasping for air.
"One and a half million voices, Jeffery, all screaming in agony and suffering, all dying as the Imperial Magistrate approaches." He groaned as he crouched down in front of me and tried to catch my eyes. "Half a million more than were there three weeks ago. Because of what you have failed to do."
I leapt at him but a kick caught me in the side and sent me sprawling.
"You are useless to me now, Jeffery Carter," said Richmond as he stood back up with some effort and I scrambled to my feet. "More importantly, you are useless to this city."
"And what's happened in the last three weeks, Richmond?" I shouted, getting him to pause and glance at me over his shoulder. "What, you think your precious 'testing' isn't to blame? You have done nothing but get in my goddamn way for the last month, Richmond. All my efforts, gone because you wanted to play games and fuck around.
"No more games, Willie.
"Where the fuck is Cassandra?"
Richmond shook his head with a sigh.
"Miss Gallows," he said as he turned from me.
She cracked her knuckles to get my attention.
"Put your mask on," she said with a wicked smirk.
I reached into my pocket and grabbed my mask, held onto it, hesitated.
"Where's Cassandra?"
"Put your mask on," Gallows said again.
I pulled the latex mask out, looked from her to it and then to Richmond.
"No," I said, looking back to Gallows as I dropped the mask.
She hesitated.
"Put your mask on, Bush," Gallows ordered and I noticed Richmond turn to look to me again.
I looked him dead in the eye.
"No more games," I stated again. "Where is Cassandra?"
And again there was white and I was alone in a limitless room.
"Richmond!"
"He's not here right now, Mister Carter," said a voice out of the white oblivion. "It's just you and me."
"Are you the psychic..."
"That knocked your girlfriend out? Oh yes."
Something broke in the air ahead of me and suddenly there was a man standing there.
"You can call me Adapt. Or Apt if you'd like."
"Where's Cassandra?"
"Not sure, to be honest. She wasn't here when we arrived."
"Liar!"
And suddenly I was back in the hotel room and on my ass, my face sore, Gallows's heel coming down into my gut a split second after I registered my return.
She bent over and grabbed me by the collar of my shirt, lifting me to my feet and tossing me across the room and through the sliding glass door and onto the balcony.
I winced as I pushed myself to my feet, my body aching, my stomach roaring, every part of me just wanting all of this to be over with.
The glass crunched under Gallows's feet and got my attention. I stopped and turned to her, Gallows tossing something at me that bounced off my chest and into my hands as she stepped toward me with that damn smirk.
My mask.
"Put it on, Jeffery," she said.
Forget this.
I tossed the mask back at her and threw myself over the balcony railing.
I fell a couple stories before grabbing the railing of another balcony and swinging hard into the side as I let my legs' momentum carry me tumbling onto the balcony beneath. I pushed through the pain and got to my feet just in time to see Gallows sail past and toward the ground.
With a quick leap I was over the railing, shouting out as I came and getting her attention right before I planted my foot in her face.
She hit the ground first and I slammed her head into the pavement as I pushed off her and leapt back into the air, twisting and landing on top of a parked car. I didn't wait for her to get up, getting to the street and running at her, punting her right in the chest and sending her up in the air just high enough for me to grab her arm and fling her into the side of a car.
And then there was white.
"Stay out of this!" I shouted into the nothingness.
And then I was back on the street, a car flying toward me.
I tumbled to the side and rolled out of the way as it crashed into the street where I had been standing. I planted my feet and jumped as Gallows put a fist through the pavement.
"Where is Cassandra Trellis?" I demanded as I landed and danced back a few yards, putting some distance between us, trying to give myself some options, hoping that bastard stayed out of my head but knowing that was probably asking a bit too much.
She was fast and I barely sidestepped her rush and punch, my knee fitting perfectly into her stomach, my elbow making a dent into her back about where a kidney shoulda been.
Gallows fell gracefully to the street if by gracefully one means face first and then rolling to a stop.
There was a giggle behind me and I looked over my shoulder to see two people I hadn't come across in a long time.
I wasn't surprised one bit to see them there anyway.
"My, my, Mister Carter, you certainly have come a long way," said the tall thin one, the top of his face hidden beneath the brim of his hat, the lower half of his long face in a permanent frown.
I turned around and crouched down, picking up a hubcap that had fallen from the car Gallows had thrown at me. Anything that could be used as a weapon.
"Our little Jeffery's all grown'd up," said the short round man at his side, his words cut with a snicker. "I even heard he had himself a lady friend."
"Lady friend?" Sad tilted his head back as to look at me from under his hat.
"Where is she?!!" I shouted.
Happy stepped aside.
Jimmy Smits sat with his arms behind his back, his face looking a little worse for wear, his eyes staring blankly into and beyond the pavement.
"Jimmy!"
White.
"Leave him out of this!" I shouted into the white oblivion.
"You're the one that brought him into this, Jeffery," Apt's voice said.
"What was the point of the signal, Jeffery?" I heard Richmond ask as I was suddenly aware of being on the street again. "Was it a distraction? Or did you think it would actually mean something to this city."
I started toward Jimmy but Richmond's voice cut me off.
"Hold still, Jeffery, or things will be unimaginably worse.
"This was your fight," Richmond continued, "not his. But you insisted on bringing innocents into it, insisted on bringing your friends in on this. Despite Cassandra's betrayal."
I glared at Richmond.
"You set that up."
"You needed to be stronger than this if you were going to save this city, Jeffery. Now you have failed."
I looked over my shoulder to where Gallows was just getting to her feet. Apt in my head. Happy and Sad between me and Jimmy.
My grip tightened on the hubcap in my hands.
The odds weren't good.
And I'm not a gambling man.
Not typically.
But this wasn't a typical situation.
I threw the hubcap at Richmond, anticipating Gallows moving to intercept and perhaps my actions distracting Happy and Sad just long enough for me to close the distance between us.
It worked with Happy, his fat face just barely seeing me as my fist connected with it hard.
Bliss filled me on contact, the extreme joy of my actions practically oozing from every pore in my body.
I spun around just in time to step back to avoid one hell of a slash from Sad's talon like fingers. My hand grabbed at the front of Happy's shirt and I flung him forward and into Sad, the two tumbling to the ground and frantically trying to scurry away from each other.
I turned to get to Jimmy only to find a faceful of hubcap.
But I took it, stiffening my neck, the hubcap breaking as Gallows brought it across.
It was her fist into my nose that really caught me off guard.
I went to punch at her but she blocked it, bringing her leg around in an attempt to kick me but I caught her leg and pulled her toward me, planting my foot into the side of her supporting knee and pushing.
She grimaced and punched me in the face again, forcing me to let go of her and stagger back. She tried to come at me but hesitated, her leg not wanting to do much.
But she was still standing.
I stepped forward and punched, an easy arc she was quick to block and then I kicked her in the same knee I'd just hurt, putting every bit of energy into the kick I could.
I heard the crack over her scream as her leg bent sideways in the middle.
And then there was white.
"Leave me alone!" I shouted.
I was on my back on the street, Gallows's fists coming into my face in a quick rhythm.
White.
"I could keep you here," Apt's voice said. "It won't hurt then."
"Quit interrupt..."
Suddenly things shook, the white oblivion rippling as a scream echoed and then I was back on the street, the scream cutting through the air, getting closer.
Gallows was still on top of me but now looking up and I followed her gaze to see a man falling through the air and into the pavement.
He wasn't nearly as invulnerable as Gallows or I were.
I clapped my hands over Gallows's ears and reared my head forward into one hell of a head-butt into her nose. She stumbled off of me and I was quick to my feet and went at her, shoving her back and onto the ground and pummeling her face, feeling her head crack into the pavement with each hit.
"Stay down," I said as I stood up and shook her blood from my hands.
A slash tore through my back and I stumbled forward as my mood took a down turn. I spun around and leaned back quick to avoid a slash from Sad to my face.
"It has been a while, hasn't it, Mister Carter," said Sad as he started to circle me, his beady eyes narrowing as he studied me.
"I wonder what he has learned," said another voice behind me, the happier one, and I glanced over my shoulder to see Happy beginning to circle me as well.
"He still throws himself headlong into a fight," said Sad.
"But there's a bit more style now," said Happy, getting a nod from Sad.
I turned to try and keep them both in my view, spinning to match their circling while trying to gauge the area, whether Gallows was still down, how far away that siren sound was in the distance.
"I suspect the butler has taken him under his wing."
"Oh, that's right," said Happy and he started laughing. "He's going to love how that story ends."
"Are you two finished?" I asked as I stopped turning, stopped letting them toy with me, and they stopped moving as well.
"Finished, Mister Carter?" asked Sad and he actually cracked a lopsided grin. "We're just getting started."
Happy was the first to move, fast for a man of his size, but not fast enough as I spun to the side and out of his way. Sad tried to anticipate my move, came at me as well and I grabbed the back of Happy's shirt as he passed by and tossed the fat man in Sad's way, the two of them colliding face to face.
They both let out a collective gasp, pushed apart and fell back, Happy screaming, clawing at his own face, as if burning. Sad fell onto his back, mouth open wide as it spread into a smile, his eyes like saucers as they stared into the sky.
And there they stayed.
Fair enough.
Then I turned on the man of the hour.
William Richmond looked to be in a near panic.
"It wasn't supposed to happen like this!" he shouted as I approached. "I was supposed to help you. You were supposed to save the day. You were supposed to redeem me."
"Help me?"
I kicked him in the gut, sending him into the air and back a few feet before he hit the ground hard with a cry.
"How many people have died because of you, Richmond?" I shouted as I advanced on where he lay squirming, whimpering.
I grabbed the front of his shirt and lifted him up and into the air.
"How many people did you kill so I could save the day?" I shouted into his face, head-butting him afterwards for good measure.
I pulled his face close to mine.
"How many more are going to die now, Richmond," I hissed through clenched teeth, "because you wanted to fucking redeem yourself?"
"You were going to be a hero, Jeffery," he sobbed. "I was going to lead you there."
"And look where you have led me, Doctor," I said.
I let him go, watching him crumple to the ground where he stayed and sobbed.
"You can't save them now, Jeffery," he muttered, looking up to me. "You can't save anyone now. Not even yourself."
"I'm going to save this city, Willie. Despite everything you've done, I'm going to save this city."
"You'll die trying. You won't even defeat your own past."
I crouched down to look him in the eyes.
"Is that your professional opinion, Doctor?" I asked. "Because look where your opinion has gotten you so far."
"Jeffery Carter," I heard a familiar, holier-than-thou voice say, a voice that made me freeze, a chill race up my spine, "beating up on old men now? I knew you'd go overboard one of these days."
I glanced over my shoulder and my eyes widened as I watched the man approach.
"You're dead," I said in disbelief, clenching my fists.
"Surprise," said Doctor Howard Lane with a wicked grin.
"No, this isn't right," I shouted, turning while swiping my arm as if to wipe what was in front of me away. "You died in Alhazred."
"Do you have any idea how much it burns, Jeffery?" Lane asked, his grin fading as his body visibly tensed.
"What are you talking about? How are you here?"
He broke into a sprint and his fist was upside my cheek before I could react, whipping my head to the side and sending me stumbling. Another punch caught my chest and then he planted his hands into my chest and shoved me hard, knocking me off my feet.
Christ, he was fast.
I scrambled to my feet and quickly dodged another swing, coming up with one of my own and catching him just under his chin. He stumbled back and regained his footing, smile as he rubbing where I'd hit him.
"Come now, Jeffery. Put some effort into it."
"Doc, what the hell..."
He hit me. Hard. His punch knocked me off my feet, sent me airborne and back a few yards before I hit the ground and skid a few more feet.
Holy shit.
"It's interesting, Jeffery," said Lane as he walked toward me coming to my feet, clutching my chest where it hurt like hell. "You see, your medication was specific for you, a modification of your own genes. It was tailored to inhibit your powers and to only be used on you."
"Oh, so that hot idea is the burning you're talking about?"
He screamed and threw himself at me. I easily got out of the way of that one. Keep talking, asshole.
"Oh, God, does it burn," he said, hunched over slightly with his back to me. One of his hands clutched his gut and if I didn't know better I'd say he was hurting. "But there's an interesting side effect," he grunted. He turned to me, that eerie smile back on his face. He stepped towards me. "I'd always wanted to know what it'd be like to have super powers."
"You're invulnerable?"
"And superstrong."
That would explain how his next punch sent me flying. I kept going until my legs hit a parked car, setting off its car alarm and sending the rest of me toppling over its roof and into the street.
Ouch.
I got up to the sound of cars stopping, sirens up close, the police finally arriving, the police completely unaware of what they were up against.
I staggered to my feet, tried to see what was going on, the cops stopping just up the street from me, Lane approaching from down the street, Richmond and his group somewhere.
Jimmy and Cassandra.
Where were Jimmy and Cassandra?
"Doctor Lane, we don't have time for this," I shouted at him as he walked toward me, a smile pasted on his face. "I'm sorry you're hurting, I'm glad you survived Alhazred and I know you're pissed, but, please, this city's in trouble."
"Do you have any clue how little I care?"
"The Imperial Magistrate's coming back, Lane. Please..."
Movement behind Lane caught my attention and someone came upside his head with what looked to be a pipe. Lane staggered and I saw Jimmy Smits standing there, pipe in his hands and ready for another swing.
"Jimmy, get out of here!"
Lane was on him before I could even start moving toward them, wrapping both of his hands around Jimmy's head and starting to squeeze.
I threw myself into Lane and tackled him, forced him to let go of Jimmy, and the two of us tumbled before hitting another car and stopping with Lane on top of me.
"Involving others in your irresponsibility?" Lane asked as he pounded a fist into my nose, another upside my eye. "Why am I not surprised?"
"FREEZE!" I heard shouted over the wet smack of fist hitting my face.
"Oh, for the luxury of privacy," Lane said as he stood up and turned to face the cops, guns drawn.
I tried to get to my feet and stumbled, my body telling me that it hurt like hell, but I had to ignore it. These cops were about to get torn apart. And if Lane was invulnerable then the bullets weren't going to stop on him.
"What seems to be the problem, officers?" Lane asked.
A blur of black against the street lights collided with Lane, tossing him to the ground.
"Cass," I rasped as I watched her dance back and away from Lane, putting distance between herself and him, the light reflecting off of her bodysuit and mask.
Lane growled as he pushed himself to his feet and the cops seemed to be at a loss as to who to point their guns at.
"You must be the lady friend," said Lane as he brushed himself off.
I finally got to my feet, bracing myself on the car for balance, trying to get myself moving, get myself between Lane and Cass.
"What exactly is it that you do?" Lane asked as he planted his feet.
"Why don't you come over here and find out," Cass said.
Lane lunged at her and she was quick out of his way while I started to stumble toward them, vertigo trying to bring me down.
She swung at him but missed, Lane reaching out and grabbing her wrist. He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her, bear hugging her close.
"Is that it?" he asked as Cass gasped for breath.
The vertigo was gone and I went for him, grabbing at him from behind, my hands on his face, digging in, a few in his mouth, a couple pressing into his eyes, and I pulled apart.
Lane screamed and let Cass go, reaching for me, trying to grope for me as I dug my knees into his back and put all my weight on my hands. He fell back and onto me, scratched at my hands on his face, tried to bite down on my fingers, tried to squirm away.
"TAZE HIM!" I shouted to the cops, hoping someone was paying attention, hoping someone had a tazer.
A sudden jolt through my body told me someone did. My fingers dug in more as I tensed, as Lane's screams grew louder.
And then it was over but he was still struggling, his fingers getting under mine, prying me off of his face, out of his eyes, out of his mouth.
He let go as another shock ripped through us. I clenched my teeth, my fingers, hoped this would either knock him out or mess him up so much there'd be no getting up.
And then it was over.
Lane wasn't moving.
Oh, thank God.
I let go of his face and pushed him off me with my legs, slowly trying to get to my feet, staggering and falling to my hands and knees.
A leather clad hand rested on my shoulder and I looked up to see Cass trying to help me up.
"Are you alright, Jeffery?"
I didn't have time to respond, a hand suddenly grasping her hair and yanking her from view, whipping and tossing her down the street.
I was on my feet in time for Lane to connect with one hell of a punch into my nose. He grabbed my shirt before I fell, pulled me into another punch, and the world shook and faded briefly before coming back into view.
"I was just going to kill you, Jeffery," said Lane, a punch to my gut. "But for that I'm going to kill your friends too."
His hand was around my neck and he hoisted me into the air, bringing me down headfirst into the pavement. Hard. He picked me up again, let go as I went airborne only for him to grab my leg and swing me into the pavement again.
My shoulders and head tore into a manhole cover, shattered it, and he let go as my body tumbled into the sewer below. He jumped after, digging in his heels as he landed on me.
I tried to scream, my voice coming out as bubbles in the waste that ran under the city. He grabbed the back of my shirt and threw me against the wall. I started to slide down but was stopped by his hand around my throat.
"Ever since you did this to me," he said, leaning close to my face, "I have tried to end all the pain. I have tried to take my life and every time I have been unsuccessful. Your damn genes have made me strong but not strong enough to kill myself."
I punched him and he let go of me.
"Give me some time," I said as I braced against the wall with one hand and rubbed my throat with the other, "I'll see what I can do for you."
I went for him but he moved too easily and I stumbled and fell into the sewage. He kicked me in the gut for good measure, sending me up and over onto my back.
"Let's try an experiment, shall we?" Lane asked, looking up and around the sewer.
He stopped and smiled but I couldn't make out exactly what he saw.
"How well do we stand up to explosions, Jeffery?" he asked as he tore open a few clearly marked natural gas pipes.
"Doc," I rasped, trying again to get to my feet, my body fighting me, "there are other people..."
"You said so yourself that the Imperial Magistrate was coming back," said Lane as he wrapped his hand around a set of wires. "This will be a mercy killing compared to what they'll do to this city."
I jumped to tackle him and he let go of the wires as we both went splashing into the sewage. I ended up on top of him and punched him in the face a few times. He brought his hands up and clapped on my ears, following with a good hit to my jaw that sent me back.
He got up and started for the wires again but I grabbed his legs, bringing him down again.
"This is between you and me, goddamn it!" I shouted as I punched him in the face. I went to punch again but he grabbed my fist and brought his into my throat, choking me again. He pushed me off and I went back on my ass into the sewage again.
"And this is the responsibility you must take for your actions, Jeffery!" shouted Lane as he got to his feet. "This is what Doctor Tage tried to make you face, tried to make you understand. What you are doing is not good for you or those around you. These people," he said, gesturing and looking up, referring to the city in an overdramatic way, "die because of your actions."
I was almost to my feet when Lane kicked at me but I dodged it, came in low, reached up and grabbed, clenching the hell out of his balls.
"They die because of assholes like you," I stated through gritting teeth. "They live because I kick your fuckin' ass."
And I head-butted him and grabbed him by his shirt and heaved him hard into the side of the sewer.
"Stay down, Howie," I said, kicking him while he was down. He latched onto my foot and moved, pulling my legs from under me, once again sending me into the filth.
I lifted my head out of the sewage only to get it stomped back down by Lane jumping in. He stepped off of me and strode to the wires by the pipes still leaking gas.
"If they die because of assholes like me, Jeffery, but you created me, well, that all speaks for itself, doesn't it?"
I tried to jump at him but Lane just pulled at the wires.
***
I came to partially buried under rock and debris from the sewer, completely covered in shit, and my pants on fire. I moved quick to beat out the flames and then collapsed, breathing heavily, coughing from all the smoke and dust and crap that filled the air and rushed into my lungs. I needed to get out of here or I was going to suffocate.
I got to my feet and grimaced from the pain in my body. Invulnerable or no, that freakin' hurt. I tried to look down to where Lane last was and couldn't see through the cloud of stuff. I did find a ladder nearby and climbed up, punching out the manhole cover and climbing onto the street above where I promptly collapsed again.
"Sir," I heard someone say in the distance, a hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay?"
"Is anyone hurt?" I said softly, pushing myself to my hands and my knees, wincing through the pain that threatened to overtake my body.
"Hold still," the voice said, "an ambulance is on its..."
A roar, a shout, off but closing. I looked up to see a man on fire running toward us. I shoved the guy helping me out of the way just as Lane collided with me, the two of us falling back onto the pavement.
"What is it going to take, Carter?!" he shouted, hammering a fist into my face. "What will kill you?!!"
And suddenly he was off of me. I heard the sound of growling over Lane's scream and looked to my side to see him being mauled by a white dog. And then another. And another.
Not white dogs.
Ghost dogs.
Magical ghost dogs.
"Jeffery," I heard so far away and Eldritch leaned over and into my view as I looked up.
I wanted to ask her about Cass. About Jimmy. About if anyone else was hurt.
I wanted to thank her.
But I just passed out instead.
***
"You have got to stop doing this on a regular basis."
Cassandra gave me a weak smile from where she sat across the room.
"Where are we?"
"My father's," she said as she stood up and walked toward me.
I heard and felt rumble in the distance, turning my head to look out the window, smoke rising from downtown.
The Paper District.
"It's started," I said as Cassandra leaned in and gave me a peck on the cheek.
"It's been going on all day," she said, sitting on the bed, putting her hand on top of mine. "How are you feeling?"
"What do you mean all day?" I asked, ignoring her question. "What time is it?"
"Almost four," she said. "How are you feeling?"
"Shit," I said, sitting up quickly but my body tensing, pain tearing through me and forcing me back down as I clenched my teeth. "Ouch."
"Yeah, I thought so," said Cassandra. "That other guy, Jimmy Smits was released from the hospital this morning."
"Richmond?"
"In custody along with the rest of his people."
"Even Adapt?"
"He wasn't quite so lucky."
"Was that you?"
She broke eye contact with me and looked at the floor.
"Cass," I said, reaching up for her chin and turning her head to face me. "It's okay."
"Is it?"
We stared at each other for a few moments before leaving it at that.
"What about Lane?" I asked, taking my hand from her chin and wrapping it around hers.
"Was that the guy you were fighting?" I nodded. "You'd have to ask Eldritch about that."
"What do you mean?"
"Those dogs of hers, those spirits or ghosts or whatever they are..."
"I call 'em ghost doggies."
"They tore him to shreds."
I didn't know what to say to that.
"So the day was saved," she said with a small smirk.
"It was bad timing," I said, wincing as I tried to push myself into a more upright position. "I've got to get back out there."
"For what?" Cass said, putting her hands on my chest in a weak effort to stop me.
"The Magistrate's coming back," I said, swinging my feet off the bed, "whether I'm healthy or not."
"Jeffery, wait," said Cass, coming around the bed and in front of me. "You can't go out there like this. Not now."
"I'm useless in here, Cass."
"You're useless out there right now. And there are men outside, waiting for you."
"What?"
There was a knock on the door.
"They showed up this morning," Cass whispered as the door opened. "I think they're Feds."
"Miss Trellis?" a male voice asked and I didn't bother turning my head, just staring at Cass as she looked over and stood up. "Oh, Mister Carter, you're awake. Good."
I gently took Cass's hand in mine as two men in suits walked around the bed and stood in front of me, one holding out a business card.
"My name is Phillip York," he said with a smirk. "I'm with the Department of Defense."
"Of course you are," I said, not taking the card, not even looking at it. "What do you want?"
"That was some beating you took last night, Mister Carter," York said, taking the card back and slipping it inside his coat.
I nodded once and left it at that.
"Right," said York, exchanging glances with his partner. "Well, to the point then. Mister Carter, the Australian government is willing to offer you amnesty."
"Amnesty for what?"
"'For what' as in in exchange?"
"'For what' as in what have I done wrong?"
York snickered.
"You're joking, right?"
I just glared at him.
"Mister Carter, you have been working for a terrorist organization that has illegally occupied and run Australian territory for the last four months."
"Has it?"
York hesitated, at a loss.
"Mister York, why has the Australian government failed to exercise its authority over this city and its services?"
"Mister Carter, Erlend Romanov assassinated the duly elected Mayor of this city..."
"And it was at that point that you all should have stepped up to the plate and asserted your control and the authority of the government and its laws over this city. Where have you been for the last four months, Mister York?"
"Mister Carter," said York, clearing his throat, "I'm afraid it's not that simple."
"It's very simple, Mister York," I said. "Erlend Romanov took control of this city and the Australian government did not feel the need to move to remove him from power and do right by this city. Nor did it feel the need to do right by this city when its people were suffering after Ferguson..."
"This is not the time to get high and mighty, Mister Carter," the second man finally spoke.
"Mister Carter," said York. "If you agree to cooperate with the government we will offer you amnesty and safe passage out of Pacific City. Help us deal with Romanov and you'll do more to help the people of Pacific City than you could on your own."
"No deal."
"Mister Carter..."
I was on my feet and in York's face.
"Where was your offer at Ferguson?!" I shouted, glaring at him for a moment, breathing heavily.
I shook my head and took a step back.
"It's too late for you to help this city, Mister York. What happens in the next couple days is something we're going to have to deal with on our own. I may not like Romanov of approve of his policies but he's the best chance this city's got."
"What's happening in the next couple days, Mister Carter?" asked the second man.
"Look out the goddamn window, York!" I shouted, gesturing to the city, the smoke rising from the Paper District. "Unless you all are here to help, I believe our conversation is over."
"Mister Carter, this is not an offer you can expect to see in the future."
"I didn't expect it in the first place, so pardon me if I don't hold my breath to see if it comes around again. Unless you're here to tell me that the federal government is about to do something to help these people as opposed to leave them stranded and dying, I'm afraid I've got a city to save."
"Yes, time to play hero, isn't it, Bush?" said the second man, a condescending smirk spread across his face.
"I'm sorry?"
The second man just kept smirking, York suddenly looking very uncomfortable.
"Sir, if your intention is to try and goad me into accepting your proposal by making accusations about whether or not I am one of the New Mages, trust me, you are taking the wrong route."
"It is not merely an accusation, Mister Carter."
"It is beside the point," said York, holding up a hand to cut off the second man. "Mister Carter, this offer is only good during this conversation."
"Then I'm afraid it's expired because this conversation is over."
York and I stared at each other for a moment before he nodded and started toward the door, his partner following.
"Mister Carter," said York, looking to me as he opened the door, "this city will return under government control in the very near future. You would be wise to consider what would be in the best interest of the people of this city between now and then."
"Same to you, Mister York."
Cassandra slipped her hand into mine as the two men left. I'd nearly forgotten she was there.
"I love it when you get so self righteous," she said and I jerked my hand away.
"Damn it, Cass, fuck them, alright!" I shouted, storming away from her and to the other side of the room before turning around and pointing at the door. "Who the hell do they think they are, coming in here after I just got my ass kicked by a group of people they're probably directly responsible for and try and throw what I've done in my face like that? Fuck that! Self righteous? Goddamn it, I'm on the verge of literally killing myself for this fucking city!"
"I was kidding, Jeffery..."
"Well it wasn't fucking funny!"
I looked at and through the floor, taking deep breaths, knowing that I'd just snapped at her for no reason but not feeling the need to apologize.
"Leave Pacific City, Cass," I said without looking at her, heading for the door.
"What?" she shouted as I opened it and stepped out in the hallway. "Jeffery!" she called after me, coming out and down the hall behind me, passing me and turning to stop dead in my tracks. "What the hell are you doing?"
"I've got to try and limit the damage to this city and you've got to leave."
"We discussed this, Jeffery..."
"Cass," I said, reaching up to touch her face but she bat my hands away.
"I'm not leaving, Jeffery."
"Then you're as good as dead, Cassandra!" I shouted. "Have you been paying any attention to what's going on here? All this shit, all this chaos, it's not just about the Magistrate coming back, Cass.
"You need to leave, you need to get out of here. Go with your father, go to Lorrington, go to Hong Kong, go anywhere but don't stay here."
"I'm a big girl, damnit!"
"I can't stop them, Cass. I can't do anything but hope to hold them off and hope as many people as possible get out of here alive, but they're going to destroy this city and everyone in it, Cass, and then the vultures will swoop in and pick at the leftovers."
"What about you, Jeffery? What happens to you if you stay?"
"I don't know..."
"So you expect me to up and leave? You expect me to run while you stay here to die."
"I expect you to do what is best for you, Cassandra, and your own survival. I expect you to look out for yourself so I don't have to."
"You son of a bitch."
"Damn it, Cass, leave! Because if you don't go, if you're not safe, I'm useless here."
"Don't do that..."
"It's true, Cass."
"Bullshit, don't guilt trip me into leaving."
"I'm not trying..."
"Don't lie to me about it either."
"Damn it, Cass, I love you, alright!" I said. "I love you, I care for you, and, goddamn it, I want you safe because you're my priority here. If you're not out of here, if you're not safe and sound, then forget this city and forget myself."
I shook my head to clear it and swallowed hard.
"They killed everyone else I cared about last time, Cass." I felt the waterworks kick in. Damn it. "Don't let them do it again. Please."
Cassandra just stared at me, her mouth open as she seemed to be trying to find something to say, the look on her face a mix of shock and loss.
I caught her off guard with that one.
I caught myself off guard, to be honest.
She looked away from me for a moment, blinked, narrowed her eyes as if she was concentrating on something and then she looked back at me.
She grabbed my shirt and pulled me to her, her lips pressing hard against mine and we kissed. She put her hands on my cheeks as our lips broke apart, her forehead on mine.
"Please, Cass," I whispered, looking into her eyes. "Please. Go."
"Okay," she said, nodding. "But only if you come to me when you're done."
"I will."
"Promise me you'll survive this and come back to me."
"I'll come back to you."
"Promise me."
"I promise," I said and I kissed her again.
We separated but our faces stayed close, her breath warm on my face.
"I love you, Jeffery Carter," she said softly.
"Jeffery Carter loves you too, Cassandra Trellis," I said with a smile that she returned.
"Go," she said, gently pushing me away.
And I went.