NOW

In 1911 the building before him was constructed, its Gothic architecture the height of the time when its plans were drawn up. Atop a hill in what many would be a precarious locale, the building was purchased and renovated around 1912. That's the same year it was named as well.

Humans were given a great power in the ability to name things. By doing so, the mortals were able to place binds on the thing they defined. When the first rock was called a 'rock', a Moment happened.

On October 29th, 1929 the first 'super' was seen in the skies of a depressed America. The Stock Market plummeted as this champion of justice soared the heavens. Another Moment ticked by.

In terms of numerology, the number one means initiating action, pioneering, leading, and independent. The number eight carries the definition of practical endeavors, status oriented, and power-seeking.

Eighteen years after the building before him, the construction known as Alhazard Asylum, the first hero, Champion, was seen. Eighteen years after a place to imprison those with powers, someone with powers was seen. Eighteen years after this buildings definition, an independent began practical endeavors, in the most basic of uses of numerology that was. By logical extension, if he were to say Champions appearance was a Moment, then Alhazard's naming would be classified as such as well.

In his catalogue of time, another Moment's definition was written down. By finding the Moment's definition, he defined what the chain of events lead too.

The question however becomes, what event created what? Did Champions appearance change what Alhazard was intended to be, by mortal hand or humanities evolutionary path? Or was Alhazard created because so many threats were about to be realized, almost as if subconsciously the planet knew what was about to happen?

Around him the runes were cast. The numbers all pointed toward this place yet again. Somehow, someway, it was going to happen here again. The event he sought wasn't the only piece of chaos to touch the landscape tonight it seemed.

Another Moment was about to pass the world by, and one man sought to not only witness it, but perhaps free it as well.

Humanity #6:
'Pacific City' 6 (of 6)
"The Moment"
Written by Alex Cook
NOTE: Takes place concurrently with BUSH47 #6 - 7, but read them first :)

Freedom was what she sought. there was more then the walls around her securing her in place though. The ethereal chains of the growing fetuses inside her womb were as binding as any metal cast bounds could be.

She knew she was different, as different as the moon she stared was different then the earth she stood on. From behind the row of bars she continued to watch the world outside her tiny cell. She was born that way, slowly growing into the reptile like features granted her by genetics. At six feet, she was a beautifully exotic creature to behold, but looks meant nothing her. she was caged like the rest all the same. Maria Ramonez, her birth name, was soon to become a household name according to her agent. That was before she had been sent here. She still blamed the little greasy weasel for her incarceration, although she had no facts to prove her theory. Maria's differences had made him a lot of money, and at the first sign of Ramonez wanting more for herself, he'd thrown her into this fraternity of the insane.

At first Maria had gone out publicly with heart throb James Mathers as a ploy for some press. She, nor her agent, had expected to fall for the guy. He was only supposed to be a piece of clothing meant to drape across her arm when needed, and vice versa. Originally the rumor mill was spewing some noise about Mathers benign gay, equaling safe in everyones eyes. James was anything but safe, Maria finding a very different person behind the dark glasses and classic Hollywood looks.

It was James that made her realize there was more out there, beyond the life of a vacuous supermodel. He showed her life threw a new set of eyes, a new perception changing her own. She fell in love with him blindly because of it.

They'd vacationed in Pacific City a few times, the locale different then home but the same , which allowed the freedom of animosity in a setting they understood. If they desired to be seen, or enjoy some of the benefits their station in life allowed them, PacCity held such places within the folds of its cloak. It was the best of both their worlds, a dream come true it seemed.

The dream came to an end when Maria found out she was pregnant. Pacific City became her maternity ward prison moments after the test's little slash turned blue.

"She is due in a few days, Doctor. Another night at the earliest, by Sunday at the latest I'd say."

"Thank you Marsha. I guessed as much anyways. Make sure to be careful with her meds tonight, no need to damage the child even though its mother has issues."

"Yes Dr. Tage." Masha replied, leaving the head of Alhazard to himself finally. It was becoming more and more clear as the days wore on that Tage deplored humanity. It really was as simple as that. Powered, impotent, it didn't matter which walk of life the example of human trash hailed from. Tage had an abnormally low tolerance for stupidity, that bar only lowering further as the year had progressed.

So much had happened in the past twelve months. Things seemed to be escalating all around the world, a resurgence of humans potential not seen since the thirties and forties in the Americas. Now the land founded by convicts was the birthplace of a whole new generation of superpowers. Even the names associated with this sub species appalled the good doctor. Super powered, meta-human, gifted; all were veiled decelerations of one being greater then the other.

Alhazard had been a beacon of rehabilitation, helping so many of these failures of genetics to re-assimilate themselves into society. Over the years Tage himself had treated and cured hundreds of people of their delusions and paranoias. In the last year he had failed so much all his shining achievements meant nothing.

Some failures were very personal ones, while others were much more overt and no where near as damaging to the Doctor. The most recent, and most goading, however, was the damnable Jeffery Carter Tage left his office to go visit with. Again the man pinched his nose, massaging the bridge slowly as he crossed his offices floor, as if he were preparing himself for a very trying experience.

ONE MONTH AGO

The door swung open with gusto, letting in an aged gentlemen who walked deeper in between the aisles of compact discs invented when he was helping younger friends through the turmoil that was a mid-life crisis. A marked contrast to all that was new around him, he seemed to fit inside the store as much as a piece of metal through ones genitalia did. None the less, some did seek out such piercings, just like the man continued to mill about to music shop.

He'd moved a little to the left of the store, toward the classic rock area. Here he began seeing names he was familiar with, some reminding him of concerts he'd attended even. Days gone by, and while the bulk of them were good, not necessarily an expanse of time that was revered. Sometimes the bad just outweighs all the good.

There lied the very reason he brought himself to this hovel of commerce displaying wares from an era he found little entertainment in. Except Jackie Chan and Maxim Magazine. He wasn't dead after all. He had to cherish the small fragments of good still near, and try in some small way to tip the scales back from the others favor.

"Ever the do-goder." A voice of gravel from beyond the display of some band with the moniker of a flaccid corn muffin.

"Crowley." He said with a small walking toward the rows of classic rock discs and making like he was slowly leafing through them, on the search for juuuuust the right one. "Did you have to drag me here again?"

"There was no dragging Kaine. I saw you walk through the door on yer own two feet."

On the stores speaker system Kaine picked up at the words he heard, feeling the tug of synchroncity as he did.

"In a moment it could happen We could wake up and be laughing."

"I've got to talk to you about something, Kaine. Something even your number charts might have missed." Jack commented, flipping the latest Chemical Brothers disc over to read the track list carefully. "Some of this shit actually works for the voodoo arts, ya know that?"

"You want to talk about raising the dead?"

"In a moment it could happen We could forgive and be happy."

"No, about raising a kid."

"It's a shame our world responds to life."

Kaines jaw remained open as the stanza repeated itself.

NOW

"Repeat."

"Oh he he he." She breathed, again sucking in oxygen through her nose and shoving it past her clenched jaw. No one said the pain would be this intense. Another contraction rippled against her spine, ebbing outward from her center as her body informed her yet again it was ready to expel the lifeforms within her. Once more Maria damned the horrendous waste of life that had pushed her down the path leading to this day of pain.

"Repeat." The nurse prodded again, gently, a damp cloth dabbed against her patients head as she did so. "Two minutes apart now doctor."

Tage nodded, standing behind his staff of doctors as they worked, merely observing the proceedings. He was a psychiatrist, not a pediatrician, and as such he paid attention to his patients mental stability while those he employed worried about her physically. Frankly, she was screwed on both levels it seemed.

"Why hasn't the drugs taken?!" Maria shouted, another burst of pain running throughout her frame. After three different doses were administered it was clear nothing Alhazard had on hand would ease the womans anguish.

"Sir, her cervix isn't open wide enough." The lead doctor sudden;y chimed in, moving back and around his patients stur-ups bound body, standing next to her raised abdomen itself. "Emergency c-section people, stat."

"The drugs aren't effecting her, doctor! We can't perform a damn cesarean with her conscious!"

"get this thing out of me!" Maria screamed, deciding the physicians next course of action for them. She'd always been resilient to most things, thanks to her unique body make up. She was willing to wager her life she could last through this, if it meant freeing herself of this torment. While this was Maria's first pregnancy, she knew there was something wrong, a suspicion coming closer to reality the faster the staff around her hurried around the make-shift maternity ward she was strapped to.

Maria could only bite down hard on her cheek as the blade cut through her skin and muscle tissue. It was nothing compared to the birthing pangs she endured, but still,it did hurt like a bitch. Tage continued to watch from the background, the reptilian female glaring at him as he did so.

A commotion broke out around Maria, the dazed patient hearing fragments of shouting and the pounding of feet hastily departing.

"Sir! There's been a breach!" Some guard shouted, Ramonez unfamiliar with the male tone, though she tried to place it anyways. Anything to move past some of the pain that raced through her. Another spasm, and another voice raised in response.

"What?! Where!!?" Tage shrieked, hitting a note few thought possible by the male gender.

Ramonez was introduce to true pain as three talons shot out of her stomach, ripping off one of the doctors fingers in the process of pushing past the remaining tissue between it and the air it desired. Grasping the severed flaps of skin as a handle a green ball of scales began forcing itself out of the half way completed c-section. Black studs, multiple horns running along the things twin eyridges where the next noticeable feature as another inch passed the flesh confines of its mothers uterus. The snout jutted out afterward, nostrils flaring as they sucked in the scents of all around it. The head now free, it swiveled around on its neck, popping a few joints in the process before its black eyes rested on its mothers own reptile based facial features.

The last thing Maria Ramonez saw before death took hold of her soul was her child as it completed the process of removing itself form her body and crawling up her heaving chest, pink tongue lolling past its chin as if it were about to lick her. She never knew if it was a sign of affection or hunger as her death rattle passed her throat and reached the stale Alhazard Asylum air.

The air was infused with an energy, a certain taint of madness almost. Kaine walked from one shadow to the next, never quite seeming to be a solid shape, but more a flitting after image one would see in their peripheral vision.

A riot exploded out of Alhazard's core, Kaine moving to take advantage of the sudden brewing pot of chaos. the how and why of it all remained unclear to the ages old mage, but his runes had said there would be quite the proverbial shit storm visiting the asylum tonight. He'd been prepared for almost anything, and thankfully a riot was one of the first things that he;d planned for. It was a prison after all, no matter what its administration said or how they attempted to heal its inmates. A riot was almost the obvious and cliche turn of events, Kaine thought as he traversed deeper into the now open Alhazard.

Now all Kaine needed to do was secure the new-born child, and leave this damnable place.

She'd finally got what she wanted. Mommy always wanted to leave, the still slick with blood and birthing fluids reptilian baby thought to itself. She told him so before the pain had started. She wanted to be free of these walls, she'd claimed. Now she was, the thing on lying in a puddle of gore on the floor continued, watching the departing carcass of his mother. Mommy was free.

He wanted to be free too.

The orderly never saw the sudden movement the child made, as it was too fast to register with the human eye anyways it was almost pointless to attempt to do so, but he sure feat it. With a scream of terror the guard could only fall to the floor as his spine was ripped from his skin.

There was nothing but a whisper made as he walked briskly through the corridors. While most;y vacant now due to the riot going on above, the cell block was still a hot bed of activity. Spots of blood, which started out small and grew in size the further he walked, told Kaine were to go. It seed the birth had complications, he thought as he rounded the far corner cautiously.

He never expected to see a three foot tall iguana seated atop a dead guards body.

"Hissssssssss," it screeched, rising on its back legs once it saw Kaine. No one else noticed him, but the lizard had parted his magics shroud like it wasn't there.

Breath was sucked between clenched teeth as Kaine realized this was the product of the Moment he'd foretold.

"Wait... easy." he motioned, taking a step back and rising both his hands palm forward to his chest.

"Free...doooom." It clicked, the fat tongue between its jaw fighting to form the words it knew it could, leg muscles going taunt as it prepared to run.

ELSEWHERE INSIDE ALHAZARD ASYLUM

I ran across the room and grabbed one of the nurses by her arm, the others screaming and backing away.

"I'm so sorry, maam," I said, wrapping an arm around the nurse I grabbed and holding the gun to her head. "I'm really a nice guy, I swear."

The door to the room burst open and guards spilled in as others dropped from the ceiling.

Fuck.

I backed myself up against the wall, holding my hostage close.

"Maam, what's your name?" I asked the lady as I held her tight.

"Ra... Rachel..." she said.

"Rachel what?"

"Rachel Ember."

"Nurse Ember," I said, "I'm Jeffery Carter, it's a pleasure to meet you. I apologize for the circumstances."

About fifteen guards filled the room, all aiming at me. I couldn't see Alfonse anywhere. Crap.

"Hey, guys," I said the the guards as the stood ready, "any of you all catch the game against Harbour City the other night?"

No one replied as the closed in.

"HEY!" I shouted, pulling Nurse Ember tighter against me and pushing the gun against her head just a wee bit harder. She whimpered. "Sorry," I whispered in her ear. "BACK UP!" I shouted. The guards paused and seemed to be unsure of what to do next. "I said BACK THE FUCK UP!!!"

A couple near the front started to take a few steps back.

"Jeffery," I heard from the back as the guards parted. Doctor William Tage stepped forwards, his hands up, the look on his face sad. "Jeffery, please."

"Heya, Doc," I said. "Good thing you didn't take that bet."

"You have not escaped Alhazred," said Tage, his look turning to pity. "Nor will you, Jeffery. Look around you. You're surrounded by guards and have no idea how to make your way around these halls."

"I can make my own halls," I said.

"Can you do it fast enough? If it's a matter of pride, Jeffery, you're attempts have already gotten you further than any inmate before you."

"Don't stop measuring yet, Doc," I said, staring him in the eyes, but watching the guards out of the corner of mine. A couple tried to creep closer. "I SAID STAY THE FUCK BACK!" I shouted, looking at them and holding Nurse Ember tight.

"Jeffery, don't do this," said Tage. "This isn't you. You're one of the good guys."

"Then why the hell are you keeping me in here, Doc? I'm a good guy, let me go."

"Even the good guys need help time to time, Jeffery."

"And this is not my time, Doc."

"Really? Jeffery, you're a smart man, look around you. Look at what's going on. Is this right? Is this normal? Is this sane?"

"Ask him about Vapour and Venus," whispered a voice in my ear. I didn't bother to look at Alfonse, keeping an eye on Tage. "Ask about his letting them go for the commissioner and mayor's pet project."

"Is letting two dangerous criminals go for the sake of political ploys sane, Doc?" Tage went wide eyes. "Where are Vapour and Venus Mantrap, Doctor Tage? Are they in their cells, getting the help they need? How many people have they killed, Doctor, how many more will they have to kill before you really start helping them."

"Other patients are none of your concern!" shouted Tage. I noticed a couple guards falter. I don't think they knew much about what I was saying. Hell, neither did I. But it didn't sound good for Doctor Tage.

"Ask about why he released them to help that robot get Millennium Man," whispered Alfonse.

"He did what?" I asked, turning slightly towards Alfonse and then back to Tage. "Doctor, do you have any interest in how I was apprehended and brought here? The method or the means or the reasons?"

"You were brought here to get help, Jeffery," said Tage, holding up his hands in a gesture for calm.

"Doctor Tage, Billy-boy, did you released two known and very dangerous criminals so they could assist a big tin can apprehend Millennium Man?" Tage's jaw dropped. "You son of a bitch," I said just above a growl. "DID YOU RELEASE TWO PSYCHOPATHS TO HAVE THEM USE THE SAME FUCKING MACHINE THAT KILLED TWO INNOCENT PEOPLE TO GET TO ME?"

It was over faster then he had guessed, with minimal if a non existent lost of innocent life. The whole skirmish had lasted hours, but Kaine was in and out of the facility inside forty minutes. Not bad for such an aged man, he thought with a pat on the back.

Old sense flared to life again as Kaine felt a somewhat familiar disturbance ripple into reality behind him. Turning, he found someone he hadn't expected to see, but related to who he'd thought had arrived none the less.

"Where am I?" A woman of Greek decent asked, stylish business suit wrapped around her frame with the collar buttoned to the top.

"Pacific City. Near Alhazard Asylum."

"Who are you?" There was an edge to her voice, more professional then deadly.

"My name is Kaine. I knew your Father once." He looked over at the still bloody reptilian newborn that paced behind him. "And I guess you are here to help the latest child of the Moment."

NEXT ISSUE: Humanity takes a glance at a whole different nation next time.

MORTAL COIL

Hit and miss with this series as usual. Inspiration didn't strike for a while here. None the less, I'm happy with the final results :) Thanks to Jason Kenney and his run on Bush43 for the kick in the pants that started and ended this issue.

-ALEX 11.11.02

Lyrics provided by COLLECTIVE SOUL.

BUSH43 section provided by Jason Kenney.