"Why do you need to see this tape?" The clerk asked the dark-haired beauty that had entered the store, flashing a badge and asking for his security tapes.
"I'm with the company that manufactures the security cameras you use."
The clerk frowned. "I'm…still a bit confused, Ms…"
The woman held out her hand. "How rude of me. Helena Daniels, head of Securitech."
(Helena Daniels- Wadsworth, Ohio)
"Ms. Daniels. Why do you need to look at the security tape?"
The woman gave him a slight grin. "There was a robbery here a few days ago, right? Its standard policy to examine tapes after a crime to make sure everything is order. If it isn't, then we will perform the necessary adjustments, free of charge."
"The head of the company does that?" The clerk questioned.
Helena shook her head. "Not normally, but I was in the neighborhood, and its cheaper to have me do some grunt work then pay a techie to fly out her and take a look, you follow what I mean."
The clerk nodded. "Of course…there is a TV in the back we can use. Miguel! Watch the front!"
Helena and the clerk walked through the back of the store, heading over to the manager's office. Letting himself in, the clerk held the door and motioned for Helena to enter first. She smiled; taking a seat while the man grabbed the tape.
"Have you shown this to anyone else?" She questioned.
"Just the police…"
Helena made note of that in her PDA. "Of course…did they mention any problems?"
"Yes…they said the angle wasn't the greatest, and there was some strange light illusions…"
"Illusions?"
"You'll see." The clerk said as he continued to search for the tape. After a moment, he managed to find the one he needed and popped it into the VCR, hitting play. Helena leaned in close, taking in every detail.
&&&
How did I get here? How did my life end up like this? All I wanted to do was have family, a nice house, and serve my country. Maybe it was too much to ask, but that is what I wanted.
Now? Now I am miles away from a house that barely feels like home. My husband is missing, kidnapped by a mysterious man whose only demand is that I sacrifice my son to him if I want Vic back. And my son…my darling Carter…he's gone too. He's changed, given a power few of us can understand…that I don't think I truly understand. And now he is on the run, hiding from the same people I call co-workers. Because Bennet has decided he is a threat to the world, and needs to be put down.
I notice that when it's his daughter, we should keep it secret, the two of us. But my son has a bullet waiting for him, most likely.
How did I get here? How did my life end up like this?
&&&
You ever see that show 'Alias'? I laughed so hard when I saw it, because let me tell you, you don't become an agent like that? They don't walk up to you and say, "Hey, would you like to become a spy?" If someone did do that, it's most likely because they want to get into your pants.
Me? I had to go through the right channels to join this organization. I had to take the right classes, talk to the right people (and impress them without realizing I was suppose to impress them), and yea, have a certain charm.
Next thing you know, I am meeting with the big boss and given the chance of a lifetime.
Oh, it was a small chance, granted. There would be no touring the world, going to the best parties in killer outfits and listening devices. No, my expertise was required elsewhere.
Ever since I had been a little girl, I have loved working on gadgets. While most girls asked for Barbie Dream houses, I asked for Legos so I could build my dream house…with secret trap doors and hidden cannons for taking out evil blood sucking vampire Ken dolls.
Don't ask, stupid baby stuff.
When I got older, I shunned things like the cheerleading squad. I could be found in metal shop, making TV remotes (or a handy lock pick for breaking into cars…I was a teen, cut me a freakin' break.) and modifying my power tools. The boys didn't know what to think. On one hand, I wasn't soft and perky and made up like the popular girls. On the other hand, I could drink beer and talk about the Red Wings just like the rest of them.
Oh, and I put out. That might have helped.
Don't call me a whore! I was young and stupid. And I'm someone's mother, you know! You can't call someone's mother a whore.
But I get off my point. I get into college, talk to the right professors, go to some career fairs, next thing you know, I am in Flint, Michigan, working for some Japanese guy, an ass named Thompson (God, I hate that man) and his buddies in a secret organization with enough gadgets to have me panting like a dog, and a partner that can actually turn into a dog.
Take that, Sydney Bristow; my Marshal can beat yours.
Securitech makes security systems; cameras, bugler alarms, keycard locks, so on and so forth. Sell them real cheap too, always giving grants and deals to different groups and organizations. Schools get them for a 1/4th of the price; corporations can buy them in bulk. Of course, we don't do this out of the goodness of my heart.
You see, Securitech's true goal is to monitor the public. Yes, yes, I hear you complaining about 'Big Brother'. But we're not monitoring regular people though! We're not like the President. We only monitor people that are a threat…people with special abilities.
There are some people out there that possess gifts that, well, in the wrong hands can be a danger to the public. Like my partner, the morpher. The organization I work with makes sure that these 'problem-makers' don't get too uppity. Each company is given a different purpose. Securitech uses its equipment to look out for people that possess these special abilities. Once we find someone, we alert our two sister companies: Pharmatech, which produces our field equipment and occasionally will experiment on subjects; and Primatech, which is in charge of bringing in those that posses special abilities and holding them. There are other companies out there, to be sure, and a lot of them we don't know about, to insure that if things did get out of control that the others would be safe, but our three companies work closest together. Prima are the cleaners, Pharma are the suppliers, and we are the monitors.
And it would be just this sort of monitoring that would end up changing my life in another, more blessed way.
&&&
It was 15 years ago. One of my associates, Mr. Bennet, head of Primatech, had asked me to look over security tapes from this orphanage in Texas. Seems he had been tracking this woman we'd identified as a potential enhanced human, and done a little digging. Turns out when she was a teenager, she was raped by this older guy named Ellis. Her parents, finding out she was pregnant, forbid her from aborting the baby, and gave him up for adoption. Bennet wanted me to see if the kid showed any signs of having powers. We set up cameras in secret, and I watched the end result.
While I didn't see any flying toddlers or 10 year olds that could shoot lasers from their eyes, what I did see nearly broke my heart. This little boy, only 7 years old, was the cutest, most heart warming child I had ever laid eyes on. Small for his age, he was quiet and mild mannered, always by himself playing with whatever toy he could find, usually a broken one. The older children got the best stuff, and the women running the orphanage always coddled the babies. This boy was stuck in the middle, and forced to fend for himself.
I had a months worth of tapes, and I watched through them in a full week, only stopping to eat or sleep. I watched as he was bullied, picked on and tormented by the other children. I pleaded with him to speak up, and cheered when he finally did. My heart shattered when the workers did nothing, scolded him for lying, even though the evidence of this abuse was obvious.
When I got to the point that he hid in the closet for 3 days, I went from sad to angry. I watched as no one noticed his absences, and when they did, he only received more punishment.
That's when I told my husband Vic that I was being sent out to Texas…that I wanted him to go with me.
&&&
(Helena Daniels and Vic Daniels- Dallas, Texas)
"Why are we here again?" Vic whispered.
Helena gave him her best wide-eyed look. "Vic…remember how we talked about having a baby?"
Vic Daniels nodded. "yea. We agreed that with our work we couldn't handle a baby that would need us all the time."
"I know. That's why I began thinking about adoption." She held up her hand. "Think about it…not only could we have a child and not have to worry as much about him or her, but we could also better the life of someone else." She smiled, "Come on Vic, admit it…a lot easier to be a father to something that doesn't poop itself."
Vic rolled his eyes. "We are just getting a feel for these places, right? You aren't setting something up?"
"Me?" Helena asked innocently.
Vic groaned. "Why am I having flashbacks to the convertible."
"Hey, this is nothing like that." She complained. 'This time I'm tricking you into getting a child, not a car. Nope, nothing like the convertible at all!'
Introducing herself to the head of the orphanage, Helena explained that she and her husband had been in town for business, then told him the same story she'd just given Vic. Nodding his head, obviously thrilled to have such a powerful woman in the building, the head of the orphanage lead them about the place, showing off everything.
Helena steadied her nerves. Yes, she wanted nothing more then to knock the man down, find the little boy, gather him in her arms and whisk him away. But if her plan was to work, she needed to be careful. She needed Vic on board.
"And this is where the children sleep." The head of the orphanage said, walking them past the beds. "the children are outside, playing, so you will have to wait if you would like to meet them."
Vic shook his head. "I don't think we have the time…"
"I thought you said all the children were outside." Helena said, pointing to the small boy laying in the last ratty bed on her right. It was him…her boy.
"Oh…him." The man said, dismissing the child as if he were a piece of moldy cheese. "He is being punished. He didn't report for headcount last week, so he is restricted to stay in here for 12 days."
Vic frowned. "A little strict…"
"Trust me sir, we need to nip such troublemakers in the bud…lest they never get adopted. Now then, if we move on…"
Helena flew past him, walking over to the little boy. He was seated on his bed, staring out the window, watching the other children play baseball. Helena Daniels sat down, taking him in. The camera had not done him justice. Scruffy sandy brown hair topped his angelic face, pudgy fingers gripped the bed sheet, little feet kicked back and forth.
The little boy gave a start when Helena sat down, cringing away.
"Hi…" Helena said softly. "My names Helena…what's your name."
"C-C-C-C-C-C-C-Carter." He finally managed to get out.
'My god…' Her mind screamed, this the first time she had heard him speak. 'What have they done to you?' Helena nodded. "I think Carter is a nice name." Carter looked at her, eyes wide as she gave him a smile, drinking it in. The boy was starved for love, and Helena was more then willing to give it to him. "I'm not going to hurt you, sweetheart."
Carter's face scrunched up in confusion.
"W-W-W-W-W-Why n-n-n-n-n-n-not?" He whispered.
Helena frowned. "Because you shouldn't hurt little boys or girls, sweetheart."
Carter grew more confused. "W-W-W-W-W-W-What if th-th-th-th-th-they are b….b…b…" He grew more panicked as he tried to get the word out, glancing at the orphanage head in terror.
"You can do it…" Helena whispered.
"Don't bother…the boy is as dumb as a stump." The head of the orphanage said. Vic shot him a look of surprise. "We have worked for years to break him out of that silly stutter, and still he has it."
"bad!" Carter exclaimed. Everyone stared at him. "W-what if they are b-b-bad?" He tone was excited, thrilled he had gotten the sentence out, but the question left a bad taste in Helena's mouth.
"What could you do that was so bad…" Carter's eyes instantly went down, and Helena slowly turned towards the man that had shown her and her husband around. "Being confined to this room wasn't his only punishment for hiding, was it?" Not waiting for an answer, Helena turned back to Carter and quickly lifted his gray shirt.
The mass of blue and black bruises had her struggling to hold her lunch down. The ghost of her touch that confirmed he had 4 broken ribs made her loose the battle, heaving into the nearby garbage pail.
POW!
Helena whipped back up, Carter crying out in fright and crawling under the blankets, as Vic Daniels leveled the man with a right hook. He glared at the orphanage head, his body shaking in rage. Helena had never seen Vic like this before, so out of control, so utterly pissed off. It thrilled and frightened her at the same time.
"Vic…" She whispered.
"Comfort the boy, Helena." He said, brokering no arguments. Vic didn't look back as Helena reached out, pulling the sheet away and opening her arms. Not thinking twice, the boy scrambled into her embrace, Carter clinging to her shirt as he sobbed in terror, shivering as she whispered soothing words to him. "Get the papers." Vic hissed.
The head of the orphanage groaned. "What…what papers?"
"The adoption papers." Helena gasped in surprise as Vic continued. "I want them here now, or I will have that boy's chest of the front page of every newspaper in the country! You won't make it to trial, because there will be so many people aiming to put a bullet in your head by this time tomorrow. And that is if you are lucky? You know what they do to sickos like you in prison? Do ya? Get me the adoption papers NOW!"
An hour later, Helena and Vic left the orphanage, the boy now known as Carter Daniels snuggled tight in his new mother's arms, thumb in his mouth and fast asleep.
&&&
(Helena Daniels- Wadsworth, Ohio)
Shaking her head of the daydreams, Helena turned her full attention to the tape, watching as one of the robbers pulled out a gun and began to threaten a clerk. Her heart raced as her baby called out, drawing the man's attention away from the other man, standing so proud and so tall. Part of her screamed in terror, watching as her son doomed himself to be hunted forever yet again.
Another part of her cheered as her little boy finally became a man.
"What the hell are you?"
"Me? I'm PANIC!"
Helena watched as Carter fired out several blasts of energy, knocking the man off his feet. Kelly Raegan seemed to fall back, and to her surprise, Dr. Linda Frey held up her hand, summoning a blast of water to take out the other burglar.
'So, Dr. Frey also possess powers.' Helena thought. 'That is interesting.'
"Did you see that flash?" The clerk said from behind her. "What was it?"
Remembering what she was "suppose" to be doing, Helena turned back to him. "I'm not sure, I will need…" She paused as two gunshots rang out. She turned back to the screen as Kelly, Carter and Linda ran out of the store. 'Two…but one gun…' She looked at the image of Kelly, then at the clerk. "Rewind it back to where the flash first appeared."
Doing so, the clerk watched again as Carter's hands glowed, the young man firing off some of his whammies. But Helena was focused on the bottom of the screen, watching as Kelly fell back…
'no…pushed. She was pushed back. She didn't see it coming, she was surprised.' She shook her head, remembering something else. A few weeks back, she had gotten the security tapes from the night Carter and Kelly escaped the two men Bennet had sent. An unmarked van had driven up, the door opened and Carter leapt in, Kelly in his arms. Helena had assumed someone on the inside had opened the door. 'It wasn't.' She realized, smiling slightly. 'There is someone else with him…helping him…
'Someone that can only be seen by the naked eye.'
She didn't know if she should scream in frustration or cry with joy.
Her son had another ally.
Author's Note: That's right folk, Hank has powers too. But like Kelly, he doesn't realize it. Review, and learn about the nature of Kelly and Hank's powers.
Also, make sure to read 'Snapshots from Elsewhere' this week, as the story of the orphanage isn't over. Helena didn't forget the injuries her new son sustained, so she sends Marshal on an off-the-books-mission a week later. But when a certain smoker appears, things get messy as the two heroes collide.