Phantoms of a Wish: Ghosts of Captain N

Pandora… Reviving Angel… Trying to help Handsome Jack. It all seemed like a good idea, given that we ended up on that ball of death by mistake. And stumbled across the two of them also by mistake. I honestly thought he wasn't the asshole everyone was convinced he was. And I wanted to give Angel a better life than the one she had and lost. I wanted her to have a second chance. I wanted to see her and her father and developing a loving relationship and be some sort of a family. Was that so wrong? I guess so.

I should've known that Jack would turn on us as soon as we opened the Vault. I should've made the choice to put a bullet in his head. Especially when the first thing Angel asked me after being revived was why. Why would I trust him? And she was right. Why did I trust him? It nearly got Shaylene killed. It nearly got both of us killed. It nearly got all of Pandora burned to the ground. And even though I didn't die, it sure as Hell changed a lot about my life. Even more than the changes I've seen since that bomb blew up and gave me magic powers…


CJ, Stacey, Alex, Aubrey and Dayan stood in the park in the center of town. Standing around the park were shocked people, some crying children, and a few too many police officers, most of which were questioning the people around the park. Several police cruisers were parked nearby, lights flashing, and an ambulance could be seen in the distance, racing down the streets, also with its lights flashing. A police officer walked over to CJ and his friends.

"Can you tell me what happened?" The officer asked. "People seem confused. Say they saw someone screaming about something, and then a teenage girl just dropped to the ground. Some say they saw a weird light; some say they felt a force that nearly knocked them over. A few even say they saw some sort of… energy ball or something. None of them say they saw anyone physically touch anyone else. But all of them say this group was the source of the disturbance."

"My friend was mad at me." CJ said. "Felt I endangered her sister."

"Why did she think you endangered her sister?" The officer asked.

"Her sister hasn't been feeling well lately." CJ said. "Had a few fainting spells. Doctor said she shouldn't be out of the house for a while. I took her out and her sister found out. We got into an argument here and her sister fainted."

"Your friend fainted? Or your friend's sister fainted?" The officer asked.

"Friend's sister." CJ replied. "Though they're both my friends."

"And where did your friend go?" The officer asked.

"I don't know." CJ said. "She just… ran off after her sister fainted."

"I'm going to need to collect some information from you." The officer said.

"Yes sir." CJ responded. The officer collected various information from everyone: names, addresses, phone numbers. Including Shaylene and Jennette's information.

"Thank you." The officer said. "That's all for now. Do me a favor and get yourself to the hospital. Your friend needs you."

"Yes sir." CJ said. Within moments, the police cars had cleared out and most of the citizens had gone about their business.

"What was that?" Dayan asked. "Lying to cops now?"

"What? What does that mean?" CJ asked. "You expect me to just tell them that we have magic powers and Jennette inadvertently hit her own sister with magic in a fit of rage and then I struck her back? Why are you acting like I'm the bad guy here?"

"Because… We're starting to think you are." Alex said.

"Even Jennette sees it." Aubrey said.

"What the Hell are you talking about?" CJ asked.

"You nearly destroyed Pandora!" Alex said. "You helped Jack, brought him to Sanctuary, led him to the Vault… If it weren't for Jennette, he would've killed you and Shaylene!"

"I thought he changed…" CJ said.

"You thought wrong!" Dayan said.

"You were the one screaming about keeping Shaylene safe when we landed on Pandora!" Alex said. "And then you nearly got her killed by Handsome Jack!"

"When you dropped us on Pandora." CJ said. "You touched the monolith. And she stepped up to defend me. You're acting like I used her as a human shield!"

"No, but you're the reason we have powers." Alex said. "You're the reason we even found the monolith."

"Did you listen to the Watcher at all?!" CJ asked. "The Eridians placed the monolith ages ago! The Vault of the Destroyer triggered Eridium on Earth! The Eridium triggered powers!"

"But you went back in time! You came back to this age and gave us powers early!" Alex said. "And then, even after reversing it, you triggered it a second time, restoring the powers you had just reversed and amplifying some of the effects!"

"I'm done listening to this." CJ said, beginning to walk away. "I'm going to see my friend in the hospital."

"That's right! Walk away from your problems!" Alex said. "Keep letting the darkness blind you!"

"What about you, Stacey?" Aubrey asked. "Are you going with him?"

"Yeah." Stacey said, walking away. "Hun, wait up!" Alex, Dayan and Aubrey turned around and walked in the opposite direction. "Wait… Shit, what happened to my car?" CJ looked around for a moment.

"Is that it over there?" CJ asked, pointing across the street to the police station. Parked in the parking lot was a silver SUV.

"Oh thank God." Stacey said. Within about 30 minutes, Stacey's car pulled into the parking lot near the emergency room entrance of the local hospital. Before she had even cut the engine, CJ jumped out and ran inside.

"How can I help you?" The nurse behind the counter asked as CJ rushed over.

"Shaylene Johnson." CJ said. "Where is she? I'm a friend."

"What's your name?" The nurse asked. CJ gave her his name. "Yes, she had you listed under her emergency contacts in her phone. Follow me." By this time, Stacey had made it in. He waved her over. The nurse pressed a button near the counter and a set of double doors opened nearby. "Come through the double doors." CJ and Stacey walked through the doors where the nurse met them. "This way. We've still got to run some tests, but she seems fine, which is odd. According to paramedics, she wasn't breathing and had no pulse when they got her. When they got her here, she was unconscious, but the basics came back normal when we checked… blood pressure, pulse, she was breathing. We've been monitoring her oxygen levels and heart rate, but she seems fine. Were either of you with her when the incident occurred?"

"Yes, ma'am. Both of us were." CJ said. "She just collapsed. No idea why. She had no pulse when I checked her either. Wasn't breathing either."

"The paramedics said someone had performed CPR on her prior to their arrival." The nurse said.
"I presume that was you?"

"Yes, ma'am." CJ said. "My job requires us to be certified in First Aid and CPR."

"Here she is." The nurse stopped outside one of the rooms in the ER. Inside, CJ and Stacey saw Shaylene laying in the bed, thankfully conscious.

"Thank you." CJ said.

"You're very welcome." The nurse said. "We'll be back in a bit to take her for those tests." CJ nodded and the nurse walked away.

"CJ…" Shaylene said weakly. CJ rushed over to the side of her bed and grabbed her hand.

"Shay... How are you feeling?" CJ asked.

"Better." Shaylene said. "Jennette?"

"No idea." CJ said. "She ran off after you collapsed. It's just me and Stacey."

"Are Alex and the others out in the waiting room?" Shaylene asked.

CJ paused, then sighed. "No."

"Why not?" Shaylene asked.

"I don't know." CJ said. "They all walked away from me after the incident in the park. Called me the bad guy. Blamed me for everything that's happened to us since the N-Sphere."

"Janelle and Danielle?" Shaylene asked.

"I'm sure Dayan will fill Danielle in." CJ said. "We haven't exactly seen eye-to-eye ever. Doubt she'll side with me. If anything, she'll turn on me harder than anyone else. As for Janelle-" Stacey's phone started ringing.

"There she is right now." Stacey said, swiping the answer button. "Hello?"

"Stacey, thank God. Where have you been?"

"Power stuff." Stacey said.

"For two and a half weeks? We've all been panicking. Mom and Dad are worried sick. We thought the worst. I've been trying to keep them calm, but you know how Dad gets."

"We… were on another planet." Stacey said.

"What? How? Where?"

"It's a long story." Stacey said. "Look, I'll be home soon. I'm with CJ and Shaylene at the hospital."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Jennette attacked Shaylene and CJ attacked Jennette." Stacey said. "Again, long story. It's me, CJ and Shaylene right now. Everyone else basically abandoned CJ. They blame him for everything that's happened to us over the past several months."

"Fill me in when you get home. I'll try to calm Mom and Dad. Somehow." Stacey then hung up.

"We've left a big mess behind us while on Pandora." Stacey said. "Two and a half weeks missing. Families going crazy."

"I know." CJ said. "We may not be able to hide this stuff anymore. Almost eleven months. We should be proud that we were able to hide it for this long. Not just from our families, but from the world. With everything that's happened, it's a borderline miracle that this hasn't slipped out."

"Not entirely." Shaylene said. "Remember those geologists before we ended up on Pandora. Other people are developing powers. And I'm sure they have been for all of these eleven months. I'm sure it's working its way into public knowledge. Thinking about it, I don't know why Jennette was so upset."

"She had every right to be." CJ said. "I am supposed to protect you."

"No. It's not your job to protect me." Shaylene said. "And I'm talking about her trying to hide our powers from Mom and Dad. With everything going on, they'd find out eventually. It'd be easier if they knew what was going on. For all of us." CJ held up his hand, Triforce aglow. Shaylene looked at her own and saw the same.

"Yes." CJ said. "It is my duty to protect you." Shaylene sighed.

Meanwhile, in a dark, windowless room in an unknown location, Jennette found herself chained to a chair. Around her were several men and women in suits and sunglasses, most of whom seemed to be guarding both her and the exit.

"Where am I?" Jennette asked. "Let me go! Now!"

"I'd be calm if I were you, Miss Johnson." A new female voice said. She sounded familiar to Jennette, as if she had heard the voice before.

"Who's there?" Jennette asked. "Where are you?"

"Safely outside your chamber." The woman said. "For now. I'll come in when I see the need."

"And just when will you 'see the need'?" Jennette asked.

"When you've calmed down." The woman said.

"I'll calm down when you take these restraints off of me and tell me where I am." Jennette said.

"If I free you, what's to stop you from attacking my guards like you did your sister and friend in the park?" The woman asked. Jennette looked shocked. "That's right. I know about your powers. And your friends."

"Who are you, exactly?" Jennette asked. "What do you know about my powers? And why are you so afraid of me?" The door to the room opened and brown-haired, brown-eyed woman walked in. Like the others, she was dressed in a suit. Clipped to her waist was an ID card, but Jennette couldn't make out the details.

"Oh, I'm not afraid of you." The woman said. "Alyson Hale, CIA."

"C-CIA?" Jennette asked, fear filling her voice. "W-what does the CIA want with me? I haven't done anything wrong."

"I'd say you have." Agent Hale said. "Let me show you." She pointed to the nearby wall, where a video was now being projected.

"Save it!" Jennette snapped. "You nearly got my sister killed! I spent two weeks working to keep Mom and Dad from calling in the goddamn SWAT team! Two fucking weeks! Because of this stupid powers bullshit! Because I knew Shaylene and you were probably off on some mission stopping some monsters or something! I assumed you were looking out for her! But now I know you nearly got her KILLED!"

"Jenn… I was trying to protect him…" Shaylene said.

"He's supposed to protect you!" Jennette said. "It's hard enough trying to hide our powers from Mom and Dad as it is! Imagine if you got killed! What the fuck would I say then?!"

"Jennette… I'm sorry." CJ said. "Please… She's fine. We're all fine. Just calm down…"

"Fine?" Jennette snapped. "Are my parents fine?! My Mom and Dad, who've barely slept in almost three weeks, because their baby girl has been missing! Are they fine?! You endangered my sister's life! And worst of all, when he became real, you sided with Handsome Jack!" Energy began to swirl around Jennette. "I wish we'd never gotten these stupid powers. I wish… I wish it would all just go away! I wish you would go away!" A wave of pure energy rippled out from Jennette, and a cry of pain was heard as someone was struck.

"Shay!" CJ exclaimed, rushing to his best friend's side. "Shay! Speak to me! Wake up!" CJ frantically tried to wake Shaylene, as several onlookers called 911 in a panic. "Damnit Jennette! What have you done!?" Without a thought, he fired a blast of energy back at Jennette, knocking her onto her back. She struggled to stand, terrified by what she had done, and quickly ran away as fast as she could.

The video stopped and the color drained from Jennette's face.

"50 million." Agent Hale said. Jennette swallowed nervously.

"Fi-fifty mil… million w-what?" Jennette asked.

"Views." Agent Hale said. "50 million views online. That video has gone viral. And I'm sure more than 50 million people have seen it. Let's assume half of those views are all different people. Each person shows the video to 10 friends. That's close to 300 million people who've seen that. That's nearly the entire population of the United States alone."

"Wh-what?"

"300 million people who've seen two freaks attack each other in a small park in a small New England town." Agent Hale said.

"I'm not a freak!" Jennette said.

"But you are." Agent Hale said. "The public fears your kind. 'Catalysts'…" Hale laughed. "The public is scared of you and others like you. People with superhuman abilities. People with powers. Did you and your friends honestly think you could keep up this 'superhero' charade? Like you could be the saviors and defenders of humanity? People would find out eventually. And when they did, humanity would turn on you. Turn in fear and run."

"You're lying!" Jennette said.

"Am I?" Agent Hale smirked. "Ask yourself. If you were someone with no powers. No extraordinary gift like yours. Would you really accept your kind with open arms? Look at this." She motioned to the wall, which was projecting a new video.

"Good evening, everyone. We begin with Breaking News tonight out of Massachusetts. Police are investigating following reports of an unusual attack in one city park. This viral video, which has recorded over 50 million views in only a few hours, shows the incident." The video of the fight between CJ and Jennette began to play again, this time on the news. "According to police, a young man and woman were arguing in this park in a city north of Boston when witnesses say the girl in the background, whose identity has been withheld, suddenly collapsed. As seen in the video, the young man tries to aid the girl, before throwing what witnesses described as a 'ball of darkness' at the young woman. Police say the young woman has not been found and at this time, the young man is not facing any charges. The girl is expected to survive." The video then changed to Agent Hale standing at a podium. "The White House released this video earlier today which they say is related to the viral video."

"What people are seeing in that video is a result of something the CIA and FBI have been investigating for several months now. Earlier this year, several devices were set off around the world, which caused people to develop unusual superhuman abilities, such as the two seen in this video. These devices were not explosive in nature, but released a chemical agent in the air seemingly designed to cause these superhuman abilities. We believe that the video going viral, of these Bio-Terrorists, who refer to themselves as 'Catalysts', is a staged fight, meant as a call to arms to their comrades, recruiting others like them to rise up against those immune to their virus. Those who they consider normal, lesser or subhuman. The CIA and FBI have developed a joint task force, known as the Atlas Defense Agency, to combat these Bio-Terrorists. Should you encounter these dangerous humans, do not approach them. Instead contact your local authorities, who will contact the local ADA field office to apprehend these monsters."

"All of that's a lie, and you know it!" Jennette said.

"But the people don't." Agent Hale said. "They're fearful of your kind."

"And this will only make the fear worse!" Jennette said. "Bio-Terrorists? We're not monsters!"

"We'll see." Agent Hale said, walking out.

Back in the hospital, CJ and the girls were watching local news coverage. They watched as a report on the incident played, followed by Agent Hale's announcement.

"Shit." CJ said. "That's not good."

"Why?" Shaylene asked. "They're not going to know we have powers."

"They're not going to know you two have powers." CJ said. "That was obviously me in that video. We need to leave."

"But the hospital hasn't discharged me yet." Shaylene said.

"And after that press release, they won't." CJ said. "The hospital will call those government people and they'll come after me. We can't wait for them to discharge you. We need to run."

"In her condition?" Stacey asked.

"It's our only option." CJ said. "Well… I could run on my own, but I refuse to leave the two of you behind. Damn, this would be the time to have those Insta-Healths from Pandora…" He looked around and saw a nurse's cart to his right. Making sure no one else was around, he grabbed a bandage off of the cart and carefully pulled Shaylene's IV out. He placed the bandage over the point where the IV went in. He scanned her, making sure no other equipment was connected to her.

"Stacey, she's hooked up to a heart monitor. We're gonna have to get the pads off her chest, as well as the oxygen monitor on her finger." CJ said.

"Like Hell." Stacey said. "Your hands aren't going anywhere near her chest." CJ sighed and looked at Shaylene.

"Sit up. I'm gonna have to piggyback you out of here, and staff's going to come running as soon as we take those monitors off. Stacey, grab her clothes please. We're going to need to make a swift exit." Stacey grabbed the bag marked "personal belongings" from the nearby table and Shaylene climbed onto CJ's back, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and chest, and her legs around his waist. "Shay, can you get the pads off?"

"Yeah." Shaylene said.

"Good. I'll take off the finger clip." CJ said. "You two ready?"

"No, but it's gotta be done." Shaylene said.

"About as ready as I'll ever be to break someone out of a hospital." Stacey said.

"Shay, on the count of three." CJ said. "One… Two… Three." Shaylene pulled off the heart monitor pads as CJ slipped off the finger monitor. Within moments, the machines started beeping. "Go!" Stacey rushed out of the room ahead of CJ and Shaylene, with CJ trailing just behind her, moving as fast as he could for someone carrying a 17-year-old girl. It didn't take long before they reached the exit, surprisingly unopposed by hospital staff.

"Why didn't anyone try to stop us?" Shaylene wondered.

"That government woman's warning." CJ said. "She said that if anyone encountered Catalysts they were not to engage them, but contact authorities. And that video clearly outed me as a Catalyst."

"I'm insulted." A new voice said. "I'm just 'that government woman'?" CJ and the girls looked ahead and saw Agent Hale. "I have a name, you know." CJ immediately recognized her face, but knowing that everything leading to Captain N's defeat had been wiped from the memories of everyone else but him, he acted like it was their first meeting.

"And just what is that name?" CJ questioned.

"Special Agent Alyson Hale, CIA." Agent Hale said. "As I'm sure you heard from the news report, I'm the head of an elite joint task force between the CIA and the FBI, known as the Atlas Defense Agency. We have been tasked with containing the threat of Bio-Terrorists such as yourselves."

"You know what we are and what kind of abilities we possess." CJ said. "What makes you think you can capture us?"

"I've already captured several of your friends." Agent Hale said. "Including your friends Jennette and Janelle."

Shaylene and Stacey's eyes widened. Stacey rushed forward, forming a spear of water in her hand.

"No one hurts my sister!" Stacey said. Agent Hale simply smirked and held her palm out toward Stacey. An intense heat seared forth from Agent Hale's hand, evaporating the spear in Stacey's hand. Agent Hale then snapped her fingers, and a spiritual clone of her appeared behind Stacey, binding her hands and knocking her to her knees.

"Don't you touch her!" CJ said, charging a shadow blast. Agent Hale swung her hand in CJ's direction, and a chunk of pavement tore up from the parking lot, striking CJ and knocking him to the ground.

"CJ!" Shaylene exclaimed.

"Oh. Did I forget to mention I captured your friend Alex as well?" Agent Hale said. She smiled, stepping toward Stacey.

"Leave… her… alone…" CJ struggled under the weight of the slab of concrete, stone and dirt. Agent Hale placed her hand on Stacey's head and the two began to glow. Stacey cried out in pain as Agent Hale laughed menacingly. Before long, the glow vanished and Agent Hale stepped back. She examined her hands, now surrounding by water.

"Time to test my new powers." Agent Hale said, as the slab of earth crumbled and the spiritual decoy vanished. CJ and Stacey struggled to stand up and charged toward Agent Hale, ready to attack. Hale smirked and held her hand out in their direction, moving her fingers slightly from time to time. CJ and Stacey felt themselves suddenly frozen in place, unable to move any part of their body. As they struggled to move, Agent Hale began to twist her hand and fingers, and CJ and Stacey found themselves uncontrollably starting to kneel.

"I can't move!" CJ said. "I have no control over my body!"

"That's because I have the control." Agent Hale said. "I'm using your fiancee's water powers to control the water in your bodies, bending you to my will." Shaylene struggled to try to stand. "Don't try it, little girl."

"Shay, don't!" CJ said. "We'll… find a way… to fight this…"

"No you won't." Agent Hale said. "You're mine. I have you under my thumb, under my power, and soon, I'll have you under… your own… power…as – What's… happening to… me?" CJ felt himself gain more control over his body. He turned and saw Stacey had managed to break free enough and was using Agent Hale's own technique against her, controlling her using the water in her body. As Hale fell to Stacey's counter-attack, CJ found himself gaining strength.

"You need to get out of here! Both of you!" Stacey said, struggling to hold back Agent Hale.

"But what about you?" CJ asked.

"She has everyone else!" Stacey said. "Or at least Janelle, Jennette and Alex! You can't let her get you too! I can't hold her off and escape… You need to go without me. I'll be fine. I promise."

"We'll come back for you! I swear!" CJ said, as he and Shaylene fled.