Chapter Twenty One: Siblings
Stacy and Joe safely made it back to their temporary headquarters: a run down hotel in Queens Section of New York. Stacy placed the director down on the floor once they entered their room. The man had some type of weird metallic armor covering his entire body except for his head. The man looked to be in his late forties to early fifties.
Stacy walked over and sat down on the bed staring at the man. Something wasn't right about him, but she couldn't put her finger on what was so strange about this man-aside from the metallic armor he wore.
Joe locked the door to the room and turned to the director. "You must be the director of the Guardians" he stated.
"I am" the director answered. "Call me Rick" he added.
"Why are you wearing that strange armor?" Stacy asked unable to contain her curiosity any longer.
"Ah, yes" Rick replied looking down at his armored chest. "This metal is a special type of metal we call Vibranium" he answered. "It is able to withstand any form of attack, bullet, fire, water, electricity, even the energy from your lightsabers" he added. "It is the best form of protection that I could think of for a man of my standing in this war"
"If that's your only protection, then why did you willingly give up that information?" Stacy asked.
Rick smiled. "Clever girl" he commented. "I willingly gave you that information because there is nothing that can be done to remove this armor" he answered. "You see once it is isolated and formed into the actual armor I wear, it is then fused with my skin" he explained. "This armor is basically my skin now" he added.
Stacy sat there staring at Rick. "That's…your skin?" she asked slowly.
"Yes" Rick answered. "And it will be my skin until the day I die"
"Which will be a long ways down the road" Joe said. "Director-"
"Rick" he corrected him.
"Sorry" Joe apologized. "Rick, you may not like force users, whether they be Sith or Jedi. But we did not capture you to force you to do anything, or to hurt you. We took you to keep you safe" he explained. "You are free to walk out that door at any moment you wish" he indicated the door and unlocked it with a wave of his hand.
"Basically what he's saying is" Stacy began. "We are the only thing keeping you safe from the Sith right now. We are all that stands between you and your inevitable death if you don't learn to trust us" she explained with a sharp tone.
"I can feel some level of hatred coming from you girl" Rick replied his smiling vanishing. "You hate us" he added.
"I dislike you Guardians with a great passion" she replied with a sigh closing her eyes.
"May I ask why?" he asked clearly curious.
Joe stood to the side of the conversation ready to intervene if Stacy lost a level of control over herself.
There was silence for several seconds before Stacy said. "Because you guys took everything from me"
"Took everything from you?" he repeated. "How so?" he asked curiously.
She slowly opened her eyes and look at Joe who slowly nodded for her to answer the question.
"Eight years ago" she began closing her eyes half way. "You guys killed my family…my mother…father…and brother" she said in a low and soft voice.
Ricks eyes opened wide. "Your brother?" he repeated.
"Mike Moore" she replied looking down at the carpeted floor. "And probably Brittney too since he was with her" she added.
Rick stared at Stacy for several long seconds then eyed Joe standing next to Stacy. "We killed Mike Moore?" he asked Joe.
"Yes" Joe answered with no hesitation.
Suddenly Ricks face lit up as he understood what she was talking about. "Eight years ago…Rivers Ville" he muttered.
Stacy slowly nodded her head.
Joe failed to notice the slight grin that momentarily appeared on Ricks face before it vanished. "So you and Mike were brother and sister?" he asked.
"Yes" she answered.
"Siblings" he whispered to himself.
They're both here in this city! Rick thought to himself.
"As it is clearly obvious" Joe began. "Your headquarters is no longer a safe place" he stated.
"You may not care to hear what we think" Stacy said standing up from the bed. "But I suggest you leave New York" she added fully opening her eyes. "The Sith will be back, and they will be stronger than they were last time"
Rick stood up from his chair and smiled. "I must admit" he said. "I may hate all force users, but I will admit that I am grateful for your help" he confessed. "However, this does not change the Guardians position on this war" he added.
"I understand" Joe replied with a nod.
Joe walked over to a suitcase laying in the bed and opened it. He pulled out a trench coat and handed it to Rick. "This will hide your metal armor skin" he said.
Rick put the coat on and buttoned it up fully. It did indeed hide every inch of his metallic skin. Without another word he walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.
Stacy stood there watching the closed door with an emptiness in her eyes. Joe walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder.
"He is basically the one who killed my family" she whispered. "I can't help but feel that it dishonors my family to just let him walk out of here like this" she explained.
"Your family was an honorable one" he replied. "They would not want you to take a life or hurt a life on their behalf" he said in a sympathetic voice. "Go and tell the clerk at the desk that we are checking out"
"Right" she replied walking out of the room.
When the door was closed behind her Joe sat on the bed and released a massive sigh. "That was too close" he muttered to himself. "She almost learned the truth about her brother"