Chronicles of the Night

Now we arrive at the final story arc of "Chronicles of the Night". It will end up being longer than any of the previous story arcs, and it may answer a few questions you guys might have. Now we'll see the final act in the story of Felix, the man who obtained the instincts of a cat. Lisa, the girl with the vampire's curse. And Joseph, the rap-star with a mind for technology. What perils await them? And will it served to unify them, or will it truly be their last act forever?

Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel comics, I do own my original characters and the plot.

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What's come back

"…" Lisa was standing on the deck of a fairly large cottage house. It had a sliding glass door, though now wooden panels were covering the windows to accommodate her. The deck was a simple wooden porch with a small coffee table and rocking chairs. She was looking out at the many trees and fallen leaves, not paying any attention to the crisp cold air.

"Enjoying the view Lisa?" Joseph asked, walking out and standing next to her, looking out at the leaves and forest with her.

"Yes." She said. "Aren't you tired though?" Lisa asked with concern in her voice.

"Mm… just a little bit of jet-lag." Joseph sighed. "Nothing I can't shrug off." Joseph assured her.

"I see…" Lisa said. Her eyes were now just turning from blue to dark purple as she looked past the trees at the mountains in the distance, seeing their silhouettes in the night. "Is it okay if…"

"What?" Joseph asked. "You can ask me."

"May I… I can… never mind." Lisa said, turning her head away shyly.

"…" Joseph looked at her curiously, but he decided not to press the issue. "You can take your time."

"…Okay." She said. The two of them remained quiet for a bit, looking at the night sky. "How's Felix doing?"

"He's still asleep from what I know." He answered.

"I see. You know… I'm glad we have this opportunity to take a vacation." Lisa said.

"So am I. Life is busy for us, My career, heroics on the side… Felix is my manager, and not to mention his heroics."

"I still have home-schooling, and then being… a vampire." She said. Joseph smiled at how Lisa has an easier time accepting that about herself. It was a sign that she was growing up.

Elsewhere…

RING

"Hello? Sir. Yes he's on vacation right now. Yes all three of them. Is there a reason you're calling sir? The report has been filed after all. Uh-huh… yes… what? Are you serious? Okay Felix I understand but… oh… yes I understand the situation entirely now. Okay… I'll expect this vacation to last a bit longer. Understood."

CLICK

Back at the cottage the next morning…

"Oooooooooohhhhhh… morning." Felix said, coming out of his room in corduroy pajamas. He walked in to a conjoining living room and kitchen. The living room half of the room had plush grey carpeting, a beige sofa, a stone fireplace, and a rather modest Television screen, plus a side-table at the end of the sofa that had a lamp and a telephone. The kitchen had a hardwood floor, a dining table, a long counter, plus the expected fridge and cupboards.

"Barely morning… over here it's eleven AM you know." Joseph pointed out, pouring himself a bowl of cereal.

"Seriously? Wow… jet lag." Felix commented. "I take it Lisa's asleep now?" Felix asked.

"Actually, no she's just reading in her room right now." Joseph answered.

"Okay then… say why do you have a phone? Nobody should know the number here anyways right?" Felix asked.

"Just in case Mr. Roberts needs to call me for some emergency. Not that there ever is one while I'm on vaca…" Joseph said as the phone suddenly rang. "What?"

"Oy… I'll get it." Felix sighed. "Hello?"

"Good… just the man I wanted to pick up this phone."

"!!!" Felix's eyes popped open. "Hold on one moment." Felix said to the man on the phone. "Joseph… this is kind of a personal call." He said a little nervously.

"Wait… you gave this number to someone?" Joseph asked.

"Uh… well… not exactly… I mean yes." Felix said. Joseph gave him an odd look, but he nonetheless left the room. Felix listened to make sure that Joseph wasn't going to listen through the door, and when he though Joseph had moved far enough away from his bedroom door, he turned his attention back to the phone with an angry look. "What the hell do you want Fury?"

"Nice to know you remember me." Fury responded over the phone. "Well now that we've exchanged the pleasantries, I've got business for you Felix."

"Forget it Fury. We've already established that I'm not one of your toadies." Felix said.

"Like it or not Felix, you're a legal adult, and an genetically altered human being in the United States, you answer to me whether you like it or not." Fury answered over the phone.

"And if I refuse this time?" Felix asked.

"I suppose I won't have a choice but to detain you." Fury said. "And you know I mean it Felix."

"Grrrrrrr…" Felix groaned. "What is it?"

"Good, I'm glad you see it my way. But we can't talk here… head a few miles Southwest and you'll find me." Fury instructed. "Your sense of direction is still as good as ever right?"

"Fine." Felix said, practically slamming the phone. Both Lisa and Joseph came out of their rooms from the hardwood hallway and walked next to Felix. "Hey guys, I just need to go for a walk."

"…" Lisa looked at him with a little concern, and exchanged looks with Joseph.

"Okay man." Joseph said. Felix walked in to his room, and came out a few minutes later dressed in a brown and red long sleeve shirt, blue jeans, and hiking shoes, also putting on brown gloves and shades. "Here you go." Joseph politely handed a brown jacket to Felix and pat him on the back.

"Thanks, I'll be back soon." Felix said with a smile. Walking out of the door and closing it behind him.

"There's something wrong." Lisa said.

"I know… that's why I put a bug on that jacket." Joseph said, going pulling out Lisa's earpieces that they used to communicate with each other.

Later…

Felix was the midst of a number of trees, looking around with his mouth twisted in to a frown. "What the hell does Fury want?" Felix wondered. Felix kept on walking until he was in an area where the trees almost completely obscured the rather cloudy sky. "Okay Fury, I smell you, come out."

"Glad you could make it." A bald, African American man wearing an eye patch over his left eye, a black coat that was zipped up, showing only gray pants, and black shoes came out from behind a tree.

"What is it Fury?" Felix asked.

"Come on now… is that how you say hello to an old friend?" Fury asked with a hint of sarcasm in it.

"Good to know you haven't changed in the past months we haven't seen each other." Felix said. "So are you going to tell me what you want or not, I have my own life now you know."

"Yeah… I know, and I know all about that life too. I know about your pals such as… Lisa Braveheart, age 12, Caucasian, parents died a few months ago and was adopted by Joseph Brown, age 28, also known as High-roller, one of America's most popular rap-stars, who is managed to Dr. Felix Thomas, age 18, and former lab assistant to project War Beast." Fury said.

"Was my data necessary?" Felix asked.

"Not really, but you know a good point of interest, previous records don't indicate any mention of High-roller in the Braveheart's legal records, so as to how guardianship was passed on to him seems kind of strange." Fury pointed out rather casusally.

"Crap, he knows that we forged that part." Felix thought.

"Now my understanding is that Joseph Brown is also known as Night-roller, high-tech equipment grants him super-human strength, high-speed blades, force-field protection, and energy blasts of varying power, and Lisa Braveheart is also a vampire." Fury continued.

Meanwhile…

"How does this guy know all of that?" Joseph said in awe as he listened through one of the earpieces.

"…" Lisa looked as though she was about to cry at the mention of this, but she held back her tears on this, it was too soon to cry over this.

Meanwhile…

"Augh… Fury would you stop beating around the bush!" Felix asked. "If this is supposed to be blackmail…"

"Think twice Felix… you know just as well as I do that I'm one, constantly under surveillance, and two, never allowed to come out alone in places like this." Fury practically threatened.

"Yeah… I know, I can smell them and hear them." Felix sighed.

"Good thinking."

"You know, I really don't like you Fury. Especially that campaign you've been sending the Ultimates on lately." Felix said.

Meanwhile…

"What's Felix saying?" Lisa asked.

"You know that team of super heroes, the Ultimates right Lisa?" Joseph asked.

"Yeah…"

"Well lately the news reports have been indicating that they've been going on numerous campaigns to foreign nations under the government's orders. So far they seem to be simple missions to rescue American hostages but still… it's controversial." Joseph explained.

"Oh…"

Meanwhile…

"Felix, those are necessary and you know it." Fury said, his tone getting more serious.

"I'll admit, you're rarely wrong about this kind of stuff as much as I hate to say it. But this time, I can practically promise that you're making one humongous mistake that's just going to bite you in the butt anytime now. Heck, Thor was right to leave you guys." Felix said.

"Regardless, there's something I need to ask you." Fury said sternly.

"What is it Fury?" Felix asked. There was a slight pause before Felix continued. "If you want the team to join the Ultimates I can guarantee that you can forget about it."

"That's close, but not it." Fury said.

"Or is that…" Felix then took off his shades and shot Fury a hard stare. "You want me to rejoin the Ultimates?"

Meanwhile…

"Re…rejoin?" Lisa asked.

"No way… since when was Felix ever part of the Ultimates?" Joseph asked.

"But… why'd he leave them then?" Lisa asked.

Back to Felix and Fury…

"Well Fury? What is it? Because you know that I wouldn't rejoin."

"Did you really hate being part of the team that badly?" Fury asked.

"…" Felix kind of looked away at that question. "Well… I guess I didn't hate it but… still I love my life as it is. I wouldn't go back for anything."

"Well you're in luck kid, your first guess was closer to what I wanted." Fury said.

"The guess about all of us joining? How is that closer?" Felix asked.

"I couldn't ask the whole team to join, Lisa is a minor, and I can't just recruit both you and Joseph and ask you to leave her behind. But what I do want is your help." Fury said.

"Our help?" Felix asked.

"Yes, this mission may require a few extra hands. So… what will it be?" Fury asked.

"I don't know…" Felix said. He moved his tongue over the roof of his mouth and flicked the speaker and his earpieces on. "What will it be Joseph?"

Meanwhile…

"Felix… you knew we were listening in the whole time?" Joseph asked.

"Please, you stick a bug on the back of my jacket and I'll hear the slight static easily." Felix said, knowing the bug would pick it up.

"Felix… you were part… of the Ultimates?" Lisa asked.

"We can talk about that later… so Joseph? What's your answer?" Felix asked. There was a slight pause.

"I can assure you that I'll make it worth your while." Fury said knowing that the bug would pick up his voice as well.

"Hmmmm…" Joseph thought for a little bit. "I don't know… we are on vacation… how long is this going to take?" Joseph waited while Felix conveyed this bit to Fury.

"This will take a while, but accommodations have been made already. And transportation to the Triskilion has been arranged." Fury continued.

"Oy Fury… you say it like that and Joseph won't say anything else except for…" Felix began to say.

"What can we do for you?" Joseph asked.

"Damn it…" Felix sighed. "He said he'll help Fury. Fine, someone needs to watch your back Joseph."

"What about me?" Lisa asked.

"What about Lisa?" Felix asked Fury.

"She's a minor, while you two are helping, we can watch after her at the Triskilion, but being a minor we absolutely cannot have her help." Fury said.

"Okay." Lisa said.

"So when do we leave?" Joseph asked.

About two days later during the night, the three of them were climbing on board an airplane ready to take off. The interior wasn't anything special except for the fact that they were the only three on the plane. "Ah heck… I really didn't think I'd have to go back to the Triskilion again in my lifetime." Felix sighed.

"Yeah, could you tell us more about all of this?" Joseph asked.

"Ah… well…"

"You said you would tell us more about it." Lisa said. "I'm kind of curious."

"And so am I. Why didn't you ever tell us you were in the Ultimates?" Joseph asked.

"Well… it's not something I was trying to hide from you guys it just… never came up." Felix said. The three of them set their luggage in the luggage racks and sat down as the plane began to take off. "Okay, fine then. How much do you want to know and where should I start?" Felix asked.

"We know what happened to the lab and what happened to your mom…" Joseph said.

"…" Lisa seemed to hesitate a bit but then spoke up. "So… what happened after that?" Lisa asked.

"Well… okay then. It is kind of a long story even though I only stayed on the team maybe about two weeks." Felix said. "But it was something."

"Well if it's a long story that's not a problem, this plane isn't going to get to New York any faster than it is now." Joseph pointed out.

"Fair enough." Felix said with a smile. Lisa sat in her seat attentively, while Joseph did the same thing. "Okay… you know what happened at the gas station with my mom… what happened after that was one long and drawn out adventure…"

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And guess what? You won't know what that adventure was until next chapter. Ha ha! This was one of the chapters I was waiting to write. The next chapter or two will detail exactly what happened between Felix's mother getting killed, and before coming to LA. Leave a review until then.