Author's Suggestion: "Tick of the Clock" by the Chromatics

Ch. 16 - Bosco

Eyes hurt.

Painful, but I fight to open them anyways.

In a hotel room?

Did they dump me on the surface? Top-side?

Where am I? Look out the window. Looks real enoguh, but then again so did the Trade Center.

IV in arm.

I pull it off, and do not stop no matter how long this syringe goes.

I guess I am still here.

Trying to feed me – nutrients care of Ms. W.

Walking to the hallway, tacky 70's floral pattern wallpaper and that hotel smell. How on earth did they capture that hotel smell miles below the surface? Inquiring minds want to know. I put down one foot. I stabilize then I cautiously put down the next. It is as close to walking as I am capable of at this moment.

"Can I help you miss," the woman at the front desk chimes in. Salvadorian, heavyset, prime and proper with all the fixings. Nametag screams "Priscilla."

"I am just going out for a second…" Think of something else to say. "…for a second…" Smooth O. Real Dolomite.

"I understand Ms. Munroe, unfortunately I have been instructed to not let you exit, for your own safety, until Ms. Drew and Ms. Danver come in to get you."

It just gets better and better.

"Have Jessica and Carol been here to see me?"

"Several times Ms. Munroe."

"How long have I been a guest here?"

"You should really go back to your room."

I stare Ms. Salvador down.

"Three days."

Good girl.

"Well they just called me and told me to meet them in Victor's office."

"Miss that is impossible the phone to your room has not rung all day."

I flash the TV remote at her, it will double as my cell phone for now.

"Of course not, why would you. Now unless you want to answer to W personally as to why I was not at my assignment I have no problem with calling her. Lets she how she responds..."

I pick up the hotel phone.

"Have a good day Ms. Munroe. Will you be walking to Cronos?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

I open the door at the end of the parking lot, painted, to blend in with the rest of the set.

Blinding light hits me.

A massive white city sprawls out in front of me. It is forever daytime here. Monorails, cars, bikes, and other odd assortment of vehicles litter this city for miles. I would not know where to begin.

Within a fraction of a second, I find myself back with Ms. Salvador.

She races through a myriad of directions I cannot even begin to comprehend, but I'll be damned if I give her the satisfaction that I don't know what I am doing. I reassure her that I got it, but honestly it all went in on one end and out other.

I am so exhausted.

My brain is not working…um…good.

"Did you get all of that? Do you need me to write that down?"

"No – shh - I got it take the Ares subway to the Poseidon. Pfff - Easy peasy."

"Mercury II to the Poseidon."

"That's what I said. And you'd better watch that tone with me."

"And take the other door the one to the left."

I threaten her with the TV remote. She retracts her head back in fear. I threaten her with the pause button and she reacts further. I am temporarily satisfied.

I hear two women approaching. Jiminy frickin' crickets. Carol and Jessica. In their fifties as well. Doesn't anyone stay young like in the comics. Bell bottoms and fur and leather coats. I guess they earned the right to bypass business casual if they want. Thank goodness no one is Joan Rivering themselves, no crazy plastic surgeries and lipo. No Nip/Tuck melodrama 10,000 leagues under the sea.

I wait until they enter before I duck and cover running to the exit door. I am getting to old for these types of shenanigans. A large door that looks weird in the middle of the parking lot beacons to me. I open.

Freedom.

I look and I am surrounded by water. I am in water but I can still breath. My mind does not have time to make sense of my environment as I notice a ginormous shark approaching.

I only have screamed three times in my life -

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHGGGGHHHHH!"

Okay. Four times.

The monster floats over the glass. Glass spanning miles of this fortress.

I feel. I feel dozens of eyes looking at me.

I guess I look a little in conspicuous.

"Aahhh - cough - cough." Yeah cause coughing is going to fool them you were not screaming a second ago. You are a regular James Bond you know that O. People slowly go back about their day.

I find a mall. I study the map, I am here, there is a Coffee Bean, and there is the Apple Store to the left of me. Nowhere near the Ares…no Mercury II elevators.

My brain cells are not working.

I go into the 24 Hour Fitness. I change clothes and come back out. I am wearing someone's soiled clothes and it stinks, but I have no choice. And anyways I stink anyways so it just blends right in. I see Carol and Jessica come out the parking lot door, I am three floors down. I just made a left at Forever 21 so they cannot see me.

I would fly if it would not alert everyone to the "hey is that a tall African-American with white hair flying by," response.

Find a subway O. It appears I am the visitors section of town. I am getting sick, nauseous, and everything is spinning, but I find the Mercury II.

I am going to get that file. Victor is naïve enough to keep a copy on his desk, then I am going up there and taking it.

Announcements and photos of me as an escaped personnel are on all the LCD screens in the subway car. Along with all the aliases I go by. - Is that really necessary?

I see Jessica and Carol going from car to car. Cameras are probably everywhere. I am so fffuuudddgggeed.

Cold sweat. I am shaking. My nerves are gone. I am a trembling mess. My body is breaking down. I am not as young as I use to be and I am so out of shape. Over a month in a federal holding area will do that to a gal. Honestly I am shocked I made it this far.

They are probably mocking me from the surveillance station, taking bets on how far I can take this thing.

I suck it up O.

I find the right elevator: no access.

I run through a maze of doors and underground utility rooms.

Smash the lock – I could of short-circuited it, but I am not using my powers. I do not know how I found it, but somehow I am walking the streets of Manhattan. I look out and see the Towers looking back at me. I must be on the other side of Victor's view.

A mix of hologram and some fancy state of the art Danger Room technology. I can actually feel the city and every block feels proportional, even though I know it cannot possibly be.

I have not flown in over a decade.

The files to the SOB are lying on his desk on the 82 floor of that beautiful building. I am trembling at the very sight of it. The Lord could take me at this moment and it would be all good between her and I.

I wish I could walk inside her, but I know all I have is the view and that is enough.

Okay gal, since I am looking at a miracle today, I will repay the visit, I have not used my powers in a decade.

If I still remember how.

That time with Forge does not count that was…I don't even know what you would call that.

Think. Fly. Fly.

My brain starts connecting neurons and pathways that have long been dormant. I feel the electricity coursing through my brain as holographic people cross the streets of Manhattan circa 1999. 1999. I feel old, like I have lived another lifetimes worth since that time, here I am fifties.

I laugh when humans call us special when they are the ones that created the beauty in front of me. My head tings, shakes, as energy travels to my neck, down my body – heat to my extremities. I do not fly. That is the joke, I ride - I ride - the wind. Provided to me by the earth-mother.

The earth mother responds:

…r..i..s..e…

….fore it is time to ….rise.

She beacons me…she calls to me.

RRRRRIIIIIISSSSSEEEEE.

My feet slide off of the concrete. Gently. Rise. Tears in my eyes.

This should be a great moment, but all I can think about is all of the U.S. laws I am breaking. The sins I swore I would never return to.

I fly off to the side of the building.

On the ledge, I open the window – grab the file. I open it.

Why does he do this? Makes him feel old fashion. He has a direct link to the internet whenever he want, but maybe all these files make him feel something. I bet he is the only one making his secretary buy files at Office Depot, probably has an account and everything.

There is nothing in the file, but a link to the file. I need access to a computer and I am not a computer, computer…computer special person.

Username: Vshade1

Flashing at me in DOS. I know it's not really DOS, but it feels so weird.

Password: _

Underscore, why must you taunt me. I look around the room. I see a signed photo of the Seinfeld cast.

Why not?

"Bosco."

The computer starts chirping and whizzing.

She shoots she scores.

Then it asks for an eye verification.

"Jiminy frackin' Crickets."

I hear something coming from the window I turn. See the drapes billowing in the wind. A gust of wind. Instinctively I duck and cover under the desk.

Heart beating in my throat. Nothing happens.

I peer my eyes carefully around the side of the desk. Nothing. See nothing. I -

Breath.

- Bosco (that was funny) -

I am outside.

Flying?

Pushed out?

Not sure.

Gripped someone. Holding me. I am like putty in their arms. I am like a child, so weak, so out of shape, malnourished, I am amazed I made it this far. They must have been told to back to back off and see how far I got. No way it could take them this long.

I see short dirty blonde hair.

Carol.

Jessica not far behind. Upside down against a building.

"Sector 12-A secure." I hear that over and over with different sectors coming from a bunch of radios, I see civilian security establishing a parameter.

Taking me away.

But off in the distance I peer into that room on the 82nd floor and I swear I hear,

"What the hell is Bosco?"

"Haven't you seen - hasn't anyone seen Seinfeld," I hear Victor explain.

"Sir you know you are going to have to change your password. We warned you to make it more secure."

That makes me smile.

It takes all the energy I have left to muster, "Carol, sweetie, you want to let go of me now."

"Uh-huh. Just as soon as you are back at the Ecno Lodge."

That dive with Ms. Salvador, my how I have missed her and our talks.

"Mission Accomplished," Jessica says from behind.

"Why are you doing this to yourself O, can you try to remember that we are the good guys," Carol says.

"Why did you kill Forge and his family…"

"You want simple answers O, it's not that simple."

"But you are the good guys you are suppose to have all the answers," insert sarcasm here.

"And you want to take down the Logan on your own? What the hell does W see in you is beyond me, but it is not my call."

I swear like a sailor incoherently until I pass out.

- At least that is what she told me -