***Oracle, AZ Near Rev. Isaac A. St. Joseph Hospital***
A young man, about 24 years old spoke into a microphone connected to his ear, "Still no sign of the burning star." He said his tanned skin coated in sweat from the mid-day sun. At least he wasn't forced to wear his suit in this heat. His dark brown hair had golden highlights; apparently this wasn't his first day in the sun, not in a long shot.
"Listen Baldwin, we know he'll have to go this route to get to the hospital. The cub was successfully transferred to the Bronx Zoo." The earpiece rang with a familiar voice. "And the pandas are en route, the only animal left there is the kangaroo and he's still kicking." She added.
Race tapped his earpiece, "Who's a kangaroo? I always thought of myself as a wallaby."
"Shut up before I make you an extinct species, instead of endangered." Will spat back through the earpiece. All the while she mulled over why they hadn't decided to call him the albino crocodile. She chortled at that thought, 'Because he can't wrestle with himself.' She considered.
***Sycamore Street, Oracle AZ***
"Honored Rage, are you sure you should go through with this?" Asked a minion dressed in all black with a white mask over his face.
"The fate of the world rests upon this." He mentioned, putting his black mask on. Several other minions mimicked dawning masks onto their faces.
***Mercy Hospital, Portland, ME***
Jonny looked around in the all-too-familiar looking hospital. He was in the ICU Ward again, oh how he knew this place well. You know it's bad when the staff doesn't even need to look at your charts for your name, height, age, and blood type. And you know it's even WORSE when they know what flavor Jell-O you prefer when you're staying there. He rolled his eyes, he didn't like this familiarity, especially now. He almost preferred the anonymity of being somewhere so untried.
Here all the nurses could do was stare at him in wonder of what adventure had caused this.
The attention was making him more ill. How is it that a boy who didn't even want his own FAMILY'S attention at the moment was surrounded by nothing but gawking people with nothing better to do then prod him? He swore violently. It was so tempting to just start speaking the German again.
No one hear was really all that fluent, and MAYBE they'd leave him alone.
The thought of the stranger's conversations reminded him that he was only trying to escape it. And he couldn't out run what happened forever. In fact the sooner he let it hit him full-force the better off he'd be, in the long run at least.
He covered his face all too frequent tears came to his eyes. "Why." His voice begged to the emptiness of the room.
He started to scream. "DAMN IT I SAID WHY!" The sobbing was all but uncontrollable by now, blocks of spittle and saliva caught in his throat as he swallowed hard gasps of air in between the screams and gushing drops of water.
He clawed at his bandages. Maybe the shock of it all was passing, and the sheer atrocity of it sinking in.
Did that even make sense? The shock of it wearing off and the shock of what happened hitting him? His thoughts were so jumbled he didn't even care. He supposed it made sense, the first shock was his mind not adjusting to what had happened to his body, this shock was his mind REALIZING just to what extent had happened to his body. Leaving him with only questions he could stumble to find the answers- or lack there of to the ordeal.
Having to actually write off what happened to him as something completely random and not tragic though, that was the difficulty. It would be so easy to identify his flaw to say this caused it, but he couldn't. Being forced to accept that this was just some. occurrence. and not something foreseeable filled him to the brim of panic. It could happen again and again and there was nothing he really could do to stop it except die.
An anger filled him along side his fear. "Damn it, where's dad." Jonny sighed aloud. The thought of being alone, even in the midst of all these recognizable strangers made him feel insecure.
The thought of his brother being near him made his thoughts relax, 'If Hadji were here.' he thought quietly, '.I wouldn't be so useless, so scared. I know I wouldn't be.' his tactics of making a scapegoat failed miserably as a nurse walked in, reminding him that with his limited mobility he really was useless, at least in any practical ways.
"Time for me to change your bandages." The woman sang.
Jonny rolled his eyes, "No~it's~not!" Jonny sang back in the same singsong voice. "You changed them half a fucking hour ago, pervert." Jonny muttered.
She shot him a hurt look.
"What's your name? Are you even a nurse here?"
Her face dropped into a scowl, "You're just grumpy today aren't you Cornflake? Here, let me raise your pain killers a nudge."
Jonny glared at her, "PAIN Killers are for PAINS. So why don't you save the hospital some money, all you have to do to make MY pain disappear is remove yourself from my PRESENCE!"
He glared at her, "Answer me! Are you even a nurse here?"
"It seems you're getting paranoid. Maybe I should contact the trauma psychologist."
"Bitch, why don't you just answer my FUCKING QUESTION and then LEAVE?!"
She backed out of the room, "O-kay. I'll be back to check on your bandages in half an hour. M-kay?" She smiled falsely and darted from the room.
Jonny grumbled. "Stupid pervert."
***Off of Cutter Street, Portland, ME going towards Eastern Promenade Street***
"Do you really think Dr. Mason will be able to convince the staff to let Jonny come home to be monitored by her and her staff?" Jessie asked diligently.
Hadji shrugged, "More importantly, do you think it is wise to deny Jonny the fullest of medical care in his given state?"
Dr. Quest glared towards the boy in a warning manner. "I think it would be best for him to be home, under our security system over the hospital. I think IRIS is a bit more capable then bribable guards for ensuring Jonny's safety, don't you?"
"But not his medical health." Hadji retorted without fold.
Again, Benton glared at the boy. "If you had all of these objections why didn't you bring it up while we were visiting Barbara?"
"I thought that questioning your authority would be rude and ill-seen." Hadji replied. This caused Benton to scowl.
"I think he'd be better off at home."
Hadji rolled his eyes, apparently nothing he would say would stop his father and make him understand just what he was asking. Besides Jonny's physical condition, there was also his mental condition to take into effect and on top of that, the household's stress level. They have been through THIS sort of dilemma many times and each time it always resulted in negative energy among the family. Bitterness towards Jonny for being ill, and between each other for squabbling over such small details as taking care of an ailing family member. This begot tensions and resulted in future annoyances, which led to more impetuous behavior on Jonny's behalf and that, too begot more injuries. A bitter cycle at best.
"This time will be different." Benton said lingering, as if reading Hadji's mind, or lost among a like thought in his own mind.
"How so?" Hadji pushed.
"I won't push him away. This is my fault, if I hadn't sent him there."
Hadji sighed, "Not this again." He swore, "Do you not think that Ezekiel Rage would have the capability to FIND him whenever he desired to find him? He only has a staff in the thousands!" He breathed an angry groan.
"But we could have been better prepared."
"Or we could have had no idea where he was and he could be dead." Hadji said on the other hand. "You can not question actions and expect like results."
Jessie sighed to herself, "Are you two going to shut up? You've been at this witty little repertoire for three hours now." She snarled bitterly.
***Oracle, AZ***
"I've spotted the burning star!" An agent squawked.
Another barked, "That's impossible, I have him in sight across the board from you!"
Will snarled, "They have decoys. Shit! Eagle Blue 1, what should we do?"
"Catch as many meteorites you can get in your net, then we'll find our burning star."
"And if contact becomes violent?" She asked.
"Then it's no longer Touch Football, but tackle."
Will smiled. She knew exactly what THAT meant. If it became full contact it became full impact. She held her Glock with a smile. She hoped to pick the winning lotto number and find herself the burning star.
***Mercy Hospital Portland, ME***
"I'm here to change your bandages!" The nurse smiled happily.
Jonny glared, "LISTEN! I told you, you changed them 45 minutes ago, get LOST!"
"Oh, being resistant, hmm?" She held out a large needle. "Now, angel I thought we've gone OVER this."
Jonny's eyes widened. "What the hell did you just call me?"
Her smile grew.
Jonny grabbed for his call button. "NURSE! NURSE HELP! It's an emergency!" He screamed, tapping the call button frequently.
"I unplugged THAT half a day ago, angel." She smiled toothily.
Jonny sat up gingerly. "That's why you kept trying to raise my pain killers. you plan on overdosing me. don't you?"
"Why you are a clever one, Sariel."
"You know, you're right." He smirked, "I noticed my heart rate has been fluctuating." He said bitterly. She glanced at him with a touch of confusion.
Instantaneously her confusion was lifted as he ripped at the wires on his skin causing a blue light to start flashing and a nurse calling 'Code Blue, room 171, Code Blue, paging Dr. Marshall to room 171, emergency Code Blue."
The woman choked back a panicked look she lunged at Jonny. He threw his Jell-O dish at her face and quickly pushed himself from the bed, his legs almost collapsing as he put weight on them. "You won't be getting away with this. I'm not helpless you know. Not any more!" Jonny screamed, his throat cutting out as the scratchiness returned from days prior.
She stabbed the needle into his back, causing him to wince he kneed her in the stomach as she shot off one quarter of the numbing liquid into his back.
He screamed louder, just as several doctors raced into the room.
"Who are you?"
"She's not on my staff."
"Security! We have a breach on the floor!"
Jonny's eyes flickered closed as the doctors shouted all around him. He fell onto the floor with a hard thud.
'Never again.' Jonny thought to himself as he spun into a deep unconsciousness.
"CODE WHITE! CODE WHITE!"
***Rev. Isaac A. St. Joseph Hospital, Oracle, AZ***
"What do you MEAN the boy isn't here?"
"Honored Rage, Sister Korosu reported seeing him in Portland, Maine."
"Brother Leonard, silence!" Ezekiel commanded.
A woman with soft brown hair glanced around the floor, spotting something unfamiliar she quickly moved towards it.
***Mercy Hospital Portland, ME***
"Jonny?" Dr. Quest said, leaning over the boy's still body. "Can you hear me?"
He winced. "Dad. ist es. is it .you?"
Dr. Quest smirked softly, "Yes."
Jonny opened his eyes wider, "What happened?"
"." He sighed, "One of Ezekiel's agents apparently predicted that you would be here. She's been taken into custody. She drugged you, you almost OD-ed."
"How do you almost OD?" Jonny asked his entire body heavy from sedative.
"Alright, she did overdose you, but the staff figured out the compound and was able to stabilize you before any serious damage was done."
Jonny nodded. "Thanks. I knew she was suspicious."
"It's a good thing you fought back."
Jonny smiled, "Well, I can't completely play the role of the damsel in distress. Jessie'd be out of a job then."
Jessie glared at him. "Well excuse ME for adding the feminine touch to your hum-drum little life!" She snapped.
"Hey. we had Mrs. Evans and Jade--" Jonny began but halted quickly. "I can't believe I was actually able to stand."
Dr. Quest smiled, "I don't think she quite believed it either."
"." Jonny blinked, "You're shameless, do you know that?"
Hadji chortled from the door, "I was saying that the entire way here."
Jonny smirked towards his brother. "So. now that I'm back to my impetuous little self, when do I go home?"
Hadji glanced up and down his brother, "Are you serious? You just came out of shock and almost died not even twenty minutes ago."
"And your point.?"
".You are absolutely correct. That *is* your normal state, is it not?"
Jonny nodded victoriously.
"But you would not be losing time off your punishment by coming home now, you do realize this as well, do you not?"
Jonny's pupils shrunk. "Oh COME ON! Are you seriously telling me you have the heart to ground me for two more weeks after I physically recover from this crap, dad?!" He said, shifting his glare onto Dr. Quest.
"Well. the thought had crossed my mind, briefly."
Jonny snarled. "You suck." He sighed, "Fine. I'll stay here. At least THEN I can watch some decent television."
"Actually, he talked the nurses into unplugging the--" Hadji said, jokingly.
"Are you kidding me? Cruel and Unusual Punishment!" Jonny shouted off.
"Hey, I said he could come home, don't paint me out to be the bad guy." Dr. Quest complained.
Jonny shot his eyes directly to his father again, "Are you serious?"
"If Dr. Mason monitors you, yes."
Jonny smirked, "So I'm not really grounded?"
"Don't you wish." Dr. Quest smirked, "But I'll reduce your sentence."
"Damn you."
***Oracle, AZ***
"That's IT Rage! Your tyranny has come to an END!" She pulled her Glock on the man as he reached for his own 'piece of peace' and fired several shots into his chest.
"Did you see THAT in your precious Book of Rage?"
He smirked, "Why yes I did. I never thought of that boy as an angel of death, only the key to the REAL angel of death. For I *am* Ezekiel, the destroyer of worlds, and you have just spelt out humanities."
She fired her gun once more into his head. "You know, Rage-Cage. You talk FAR too much for a dead man." She holstered her gun and squawked into her microphone, "Blue Eagle 1, the burning star just got snuffed out."
"Good work Koala."
"That's me, the feisty, mean, yet cute and incorrigible little marsupial."
(Status _ Part Ten: Angel's Glow _ Completed.)
A young man, about 24 years old spoke into a microphone connected to his ear, "Still no sign of the burning star." He said his tanned skin coated in sweat from the mid-day sun. At least he wasn't forced to wear his suit in this heat. His dark brown hair had golden highlights; apparently this wasn't his first day in the sun, not in a long shot.
"Listen Baldwin, we know he'll have to go this route to get to the hospital. The cub was successfully transferred to the Bronx Zoo." The earpiece rang with a familiar voice. "And the pandas are en route, the only animal left there is the kangaroo and he's still kicking." She added.
Race tapped his earpiece, "Who's a kangaroo? I always thought of myself as a wallaby."
"Shut up before I make you an extinct species, instead of endangered." Will spat back through the earpiece. All the while she mulled over why they hadn't decided to call him the albino crocodile. She chortled at that thought, 'Because he can't wrestle with himself.' She considered.
***Sycamore Street, Oracle AZ***
"Honored Rage, are you sure you should go through with this?" Asked a minion dressed in all black with a white mask over his face.
"The fate of the world rests upon this." He mentioned, putting his black mask on. Several other minions mimicked dawning masks onto their faces.
***Mercy Hospital, Portland, ME***
Jonny looked around in the all-too-familiar looking hospital. He was in the ICU Ward again, oh how he knew this place well. You know it's bad when the staff doesn't even need to look at your charts for your name, height, age, and blood type. And you know it's even WORSE when they know what flavor Jell-O you prefer when you're staying there. He rolled his eyes, he didn't like this familiarity, especially now. He almost preferred the anonymity of being somewhere so untried.
Here all the nurses could do was stare at him in wonder of what adventure had caused this.
The attention was making him more ill. How is it that a boy who didn't even want his own FAMILY'S attention at the moment was surrounded by nothing but gawking people with nothing better to do then prod him? He swore violently. It was so tempting to just start speaking the German again.
No one hear was really all that fluent, and MAYBE they'd leave him alone.
The thought of the stranger's conversations reminded him that he was only trying to escape it. And he couldn't out run what happened forever. In fact the sooner he let it hit him full-force the better off he'd be, in the long run at least.
He covered his face all too frequent tears came to his eyes. "Why." His voice begged to the emptiness of the room.
He started to scream. "DAMN IT I SAID WHY!" The sobbing was all but uncontrollable by now, blocks of spittle and saliva caught in his throat as he swallowed hard gasps of air in between the screams and gushing drops of water.
He clawed at his bandages. Maybe the shock of it all was passing, and the sheer atrocity of it sinking in.
Did that even make sense? The shock of it wearing off and the shock of what happened hitting him? His thoughts were so jumbled he didn't even care. He supposed it made sense, the first shock was his mind not adjusting to what had happened to his body, this shock was his mind REALIZING just to what extent had happened to his body. Leaving him with only questions he could stumble to find the answers- or lack there of to the ordeal.
Having to actually write off what happened to him as something completely random and not tragic though, that was the difficulty. It would be so easy to identify his flaw to say this caused it, but he couldn't. Being forced to accept that this was just some. occurrence. and not something foreseeable filled him to the brim of panic. It could happen again and again and there was nothing he really could do to stop it except die.
An anger filled him along side his fear. "Damn it, where's dad." Jonny sighed aloud. The thought of being alone, even in the midst of all these recognizable strangers made him feel insecure.
The thought of his brother being near him made his thoughts relax, 'If Hadji were here.' he thought quietly, '.I wouldn't be so useless, so scared. I know I wouldn't be.' his tactics of making a scapegoat failed miserably as a nurse walked in, reminding him that with his limited mobility he really was useless, at least in any practical ways.
"Time for me to change your bandages." The woman sang.
Jonny rolled his eyes, "No~it's~not!" Jonny sang back in the same singsong voice. "You changed them half a fucking hour ago, pervert." Jonny muttered.
She shot him a hurt look.
"What's your name? Are you even a nurse here?"
Her face dropped into a scowl, "You're just grumpy today aren't you Cornflake? Here, let me raise your pain killers a nudge."
Jonny glared at her, "PAIN Killers are for PAINS. So why don't you save the hospital some money, all you have to do to make MY pain disappear is remove yourself from my PRESENCE!"
He glared at her, "Answer me! Are you even a nurse here?"
"It seems you're getting paranoid. Maybe I should contact the trauma psychologist."
"Bitch, why don't you just answer my FUCKING QUESTION and then LEAVE?!"
She backed out of the room, "O-kay. I'll be back to check on your bandages in half an hour. M-kay?" She smiled falsely and darted from the room.
Jonny grumbled. "Stupid pervert."
***Off of Cutter Street, Portland, ME going towards Eastern Promenade Street***
"Do you really think Dr. Mason will be able to convince the staff to let Jonny come home to be monitored by her and her staff?" Jessie asked diligently.
Hadji shrugged, "More importantly, do you think it is wise to deny Jonny the fullest of medical care in his given state?"
Dr. Quest glared towards the boy in a warning manner. "I think it would be best for him to be home, under our security system over the hospital. I think IRIS is a bit more capable then bribable guards for ensuring Jonny's safety, don't you?"
"But not his medical health." Hadji retorted without fold.
Again, Benton glared at the boy. "If you had all of these objections why didn't you bring it up while we were visiting Barbara?"
"I thought that questioning your authority would be rude and ill-seen." Hadji replied. This caused Benton to scowl.
"I think he'd be better off at home."
Hadji rolled his eyes, apparently nothing he would say would stop his father and make him understand just what he was asking. Besides Jonny's physical condition, there was also his mental condition to take into effect and on top of that, the household's stress level. They have been through THIS sort of dilemma many times and each time it always resulted in negative energy among the family. Bitterness towards Jonny for being ill, and between each other for squabbling over such small details as taking care of an ailing family member. This begot tensions and resulted in future annoyances, which led to more impetuous behavior on Jonny's behalf and that, too begot more injuries. A bitter cycle at best.
"This time will be different." Benton said lingering, as if reading Hadji's mind, or lost among a like thought in his own mind.
"How so?" Hadji pushed.
"I won't push him away. This is my fault, if I hadn't sent him there."
Hadji sighed, "Not this again." He swore, "Do you not think that Ezekiel Rage would have the capability to FIND him whenever he desired to find him? He only has a staff in the thousands!" He breathed an angry groan.
"But we could have been better prepared."
"Or we could have had no idea where he was and he could be dead." Hadji said on the other hand. "You can not question actions and expect like results."
Jessie sighed to herself, "Are you two going to shut up? You've been at this witty little repertoire for three hours now." She snarled bitterly.
***Oracle, AZ***
"I've spotted the burning star!" An agent squawked.
Another barked, "That's impossible, I have him in sight across the board from you!"
Will snarled, "They have decoys. Shit! Eagle Blue 1, what should we do?"
"Catch as many meteorites you can get in your net, then we'll find our burning star."
"And if contact becomes violent?" She asked.
"Then it's no longer Touch Football, but tackle."
Will smiled. She knew exactly what THAT meant. If it became full contact it became full impact. She held her Glock with a smile. She hoped to pick the winning lotto number and find herself the burning star.
***Mercy Hospital Portland, ME***
"I'm here to change your bandages!" The nurse smiled happily.
Jonny glared, "LISTEN! I told you, you changed them 45 minutes ago, get LOST!"
"Oh, being resistant, hmm?" She held out a large needle. "Now, angel I thought we've gone OVER this."
Jonny's eyes widened. "What the hell did you just call me?"
Her smile grew.
Jonny grabbed for his call button. "NURSE! NURSE HELP! It's an emergency!" He screamed, tapping the call button frequently.
"I unplugged THAT half a day ago, angel." She smiled toothily.
Jonny sat up gingerly. "That's why you kept trying to raise my pain killers. you plan on overdosing me. don't you?"
"Why you are a clever one, Sariel."
"You know, you're right." He smirked, "I noticed my heart rate has been fluctuating." He said bitterly. She glanced at him with a touch of confusion.
Instantaneously her confusion was lifted as he ripped at the wires on his skin causing a blue light to start flashing and a nurse calling 'Code Blue, room 171, Code Blue, paging Dr. Marshall to room 171, emergency Code Blue."
The woman choked back a panicked look she lunged at Jonny. He threw his Jell-O dish at her face and quickly pushed himself from the bed, his legs almost collapsing as he put weight on them. "You won't be getting away with this. I'm not helpless you know. Not any more!" Jonny screamed, his throat cutting out as the scratchiness returned from days prior.
She stabbed the needle into his back, causing him to wince he kneed her in the stomach as she shot off one quarter of the numbing liquid into his back.
He screamed louder, just as several doctors raced into the room.
"Who are you?"
"She's not on my staff."
"Security! We have a breach on the floor!"
Jonny's eyes flickered closed as the doctors shouted all around him. He fell onto the floor with a hard thud.
'Never again.' Jonny thought to himself as he spun into a deep unconsciousness.
"CODE WHITE! CODE WHITE!"
***Rev. Isaac A. St. Joseph Hospital, Oracle, AZ***
"What do you MEAN the boy isn't here?"
"Honored Rage, Sister Korosu reported seeing him in Portland, Maine."
"Brother Leonard, silence!" Ezekiel commanded.
A woman with soft brown hair glanced around the floor, spotting something unfamiliar she quickly moved towards it.
***Mercy Hospital Portland, ME***
"Jonny?" Dr. Quest said, leaning over the boy's still body. "Can you hear me?"
He winced. "Dad. ist es. is it .you?"
Dr. Quest smirked softly, "Yes."
Jonny opened his eyes wider, "What happened?"
"." He sighed, "One of Ezekiel's agents apparently predicted that you would be here. She's been taken into custody. She drugged you, you almost OD-ed."
"How do you almost OD?" Jonny asked his entire body heavy from sedative.
"Alright, she did overdose you, but the staff figured out the compound and was able to stabilize you before any serious damage was done."
Jonny nodded. "Thanks. I knew she was suspicious."
"It's a good thing you fought back."
Jonny smiled, "Well, I can't completely play the role of the damsel in distress. Jessie'd be out of a job then."
Jessie glared at him. "Well excuse ME for adding the feminine touch to your hum-drum little life!" She snapped.
"Hey. we had Mrs. Evans and Jade--" Jonny began but halted quickly. "I can't believe I was actually able to stand."
Dr. Quest smiled, "I don't think she quite believed it either."
"." Jonny blinked, "You're shameless, do you know that?"
Hadji chortled from the door, "I was saying that the entire way here."
Jonny smirked towards his brother. "So. now that I'm back to my impetuous little self, when do I go home?"
Hadji glanced up and down his brother, "Are you serious? You just came out of shock and almost died not even twenty minutes ago."
"And your point.?"
".You are absolutely correct. That *is* your normal state, is it not?"
Jonny nodded victoriously.
"But you would not be losing time off your punishment by coming home now, you do realize this as well, do you not?"
Jonny's pupils shrunk. "Oh COME ON! Are you seriously telling me you have the heart to ground me for two more weeks after I physically recover from this crap, dad?!" He said, shifting his glare onto Dr. Quest.
"Well. the thought had crossed my mind, briefly."
Jonny snarled. "You suck." He sighed, "Fine. I'll stay here. At least THEN I can watch some decent television."
"Actually, he talked the nurses into unplugging the--" Hadji said, jokingly.
"Are you kidding me? Cruel and Unusual Punishment!" Jonny shouted off.
"Hey, I said he could come home, don't paint me out to be the bad guy." Dr. Quest complained.
Jonny shot his eyes directly to his father again, "Are you serious?"
"If Dr. Mason monitors you, yes."
Jonny smirked, "So I'm not really grounded?"
"Don't you wish." Dr. Quest smirked, "But I'll reduce your sentence."
"Damn you."
***Oracle, AZ***
"That's IT Rage! Your tyranny has come to an END!" She pulled her Glock on the man as he reached for his own 'piece of peace' and fired several shots into his chest.
"Did you see THAT in your precious Book of Rage?"
He smirked, "Why yes I did. I never thought of that boy as an angel of death, only the key to the REAL angel of death. For I *am* Ezekiel, the destroyer of worlds, and you have just spelt out humanities."
She fired her gun once more into his head. "You know, Rage-Cage. You talk FAR too much for a dead man." She holstered her gun and squawked into her microphone, "Blue Eagle 1, the burning star just got snuffed out."
"Good work Koala."
"That's me, the feisty, mean, yet cute and incorrigible little marsupial."
(Status _ Part Ten: Angel's Glow _ Completed.)