CHAPTER 1

Two men sat in a classic black London cab. They looked so sharp and alert that no-one would've guessed they had just stepped off an overnight flight from Washington D.C. The younger of the two sat opposite his colleague, impatiently bouncing his leg up and down whilst staring out the window at the sea of gridlocked cars and vans. His relatively short light brown hair jumped carelessly with the vibrations. He, however, was far from careless as he and his partner were running late for a meeting. Although it was more of an ambush.

"Stop. You're bugging me" came the Texan accent of his older colleague who peered from over his newspaper, branded with 'Biker Braddock's Blessed' in big bold lettering. Just above was the day's date, declaring it Saturday April 10 1965.

"We've been stuck here for a good while now, at least 25 minutes!" groaned the young man.

The older one closed his newspaper and folded it up. He turned to the cab driver who just shrugged. The older man looked out the front window of the taxi to see the London street was gridlocked.

"Just let us out here then" as he threw the folded newspaper over to the backseat and grabbed the door handle, hopping out of the cab.

The other man saw the surprised look on the driver's face and thrust his hand into his pocket, grabbing some change for the driver. He emerged from the cab to see the full extent of the traffic jam. It was now clear to him that the cause of the traffic jam was a blockade of news studio vans in the distance. A group of paparazzi and journalists could be seen swarming around the hospital entrance, desperate to get the scoop. He could see the bald head of his partner bobbing along as he strode ahead between the vehicles.

"What took you so long?" quizzed the older man as his colleague came huffing and puffing behind him.

The younger man glared at the back of his partner's head, sometimes he really hated working with Robert.

"I can feel you glaring Tommy" Robert reproached.

"You can't just cut out like that Robert."

Tommy straightened himself up.

"This is crazy!" he commented as he looked around.

"Well it's not every day that the son of a mysterious millionaire is declared dead after a motorcycle accident and miraculously comes back to life" Robert retorted.

Suddenly the heavens opened and rain pelted to the ground along with hailstones.

"Race you to the hospital" Robert grinned back at Tommy.

"That's not fair, I had to run to catch up with you" Tommy protested but Robert was off and the rain was getting heavier.

Soaking wet, Robert ran into the hospital. He walked straight up to the reception desk. He leant forward on the desk towards the nurse receptionist.

"What room is he in?"

"Who are you looking for?" enquired the timid receptionist as she stared up at Robert through her thick glasses who towered over her.

"Why the man that everyone is here to see of course" he smiled uneasily.

"I'm sorry sir but I can't allow you up" replied the receptionist, clearly intimidated.

Robert straightened up, closed his eyes and took a deep breath, a simple intimidation technique. Tommy, who was just emerging from the torrential rain and into the hospital, saw the look on the poor receptionist's face and charged over to the desk. He put his hand on Robert' shoulder.

"I bet he didn't mention that we're on government business?"

The receptionist shook her head as she pressed a buzzer on her desk. A nurse came around the corner and gestured that they should follow her.

"Sorry, he's a real gone cat" Tommy apologised to the receptionist as Robert rushed to follow the nurse.

"and just before we got the call about your accident Brian, we had news that the Falsworths are naming their new baby Brian as well" came the voice of an older man through the door.

As the door to the private hospital room swung open, all heads in the room turned to see who it could be, they weren't expecting anyone. The smartly dressed Robert and Tommy were led in by the nurse they had met in the hall. As well as the patient, they saw three visitors in the room, an older, grey-haired gentleman; a curly black haired, muscly man; and a young woman in a short purple dress with long black hair sitting in the corner.

"Who are they!?" the protective father jumped up from his chair.

"They're from the government" the nurse explained.

"I demand to see your credentials" the father replied.

Tommy reached into his pocket as Robert ignored the man and made his way directly over to the bed where the 21-year-old patient sat pulling on his shoes. The other young man, who looked roughly 30 years old, on the opposite side of the bed stood up but Robert ignored him.

"Brian Braddock, sorry to bother you kid but we've been sent to check on you" Robert could be tough and intimidating but he did have a kind side to him as well.

"Don't sweat it, what can I help you with?" asked blonde-haired Brian cautiously.

Dr James Braddock Sr. walked away from Tommy and over to his son's bedside.

"What do the US government want with my son?"

"That's classified" interjected Tommy.

"Not if it involves my family" James glared at Tommy.

"Dad, please, it's okay" Brian groaned.

Brian turned his gaze from his father, back to Robert. All the media attention was due to his father; he didn't need to cause issues with the US government as well.

"We just want to know how you're feeling" Robert reassured

Brian leaned back on the bed, his hands supporting him from behind.

"I'm awesome, just hangin' on doc's orders"

He looked over at Tommy who was reading the chart that had been hanging on the bottom of the bed. Brian then looked anxiously over at his twin sister. She had been unsettlingly quiet ever since he had been admitted to the hospital. He could tell something was up, he always could with her. She was probably just worried about him. He figured he should tell the agents about what was bugging him.

"I keep seeing a shadowy figure though" Brian sighed.

Robert and Tommy looked at each other, clearly confused. That hadn't been mentioned in their mission brief, how had S.H. .D. missed that?

"Go on" Robert encouraged.

"Well I keep seeing a man in a long dark cloak but no one else ever sees him when he appears."

"When did these start Brian?" Robert asked, wanting the young man to continue.

"First I met him in a dream during my coma, some of it's fuzzy. I think he offered me the choice between an amulet and a sword. I…"

"That's enough Brian" his father interrupted, "I think you've told them enough. I'm sure it's just a combination of your imagination and your brain recovering."

James Sr. put his hand on his son's shoulder and turned to glare at the agents. Robert nodded to Brian, in thanks for his co-operation, as James Sr. gestured for the two agents to leave. As Brian watched them leave he thought he saw the cloaked figure in the corner of his eye. When he turned to look properly, it was gone.

Robert and Tommy stood amongst the crowd of reporters and photographers as the Braddock family emerged from the hospital, presenting a united front for the newspapers. As James Sr stepped towards the reporters with microphones, Robert and Tommy were pushed to the back as the journalists swelled towards him.

"We just want to announce that Brian is feeling much better now and will be returning to Maldon with us for the rest of his recuperation" stated James Sr as his three children stood around him.

A few reporters eagerly yelled questions at the family, particularly the famed recluse himself, but James Sr. raised his hand, indicating that he would not be answering any of their questions. Robert turned away and Tommy followed.

"So what do you think?" Robert asked.

"I think that the old man lives up to his reputation and the skirt in the corner was real sketchy" Tommy answered, "what do you think?"

"Well Thomas, I think it's time for phase two."