(Martha's London Flat)
"Why have you come here, all blustery and bothersome?" Martha asked.
Joseph stalked around the room, glaring at the old woman, knuckles white from tension. "You know why I have come, why I would ever want to see your face."
Martha merely returned to her knitting. "You want answers."
"Yes. I want to know where the three are, the three the world fears more than me."
"Four, now." Martha said truthfully. "A dear boy named Samuel has moved up on Bennet's list."
Joseph grit his teeth. "Then I will deal with that fool later. But I want to know where the first three are, the ones to surpass me those many months ago. That murderer Sylar, the supposed Voice of God, and the little girl."
Martha shook her head. "Sylar will be dealt with soon enough, as will Samuel. But the Metatron and his child are beyond your reach."
SNAP
The window to Martha's right exploded, glass raining down on the street below. Joseph lowered his hand, face grim.
"I will decided if that is so."
"You can not deny the truth, my boy. If you face the Metatron, he will kill you. He has grown stronger since you last faced him. He will tear you limb from limb, if you are lucky. But it is his daughter you should fear…the Avatar will make you beg for death."
Joseph leaned in close, grabbing her hands. "Enough riddles…where are they?"
Martha merely smiled. "Stupid boy."
It took only a second, but Joseph found himself ripped away, floating in the air for a moment before he was sent crashing into a wall. Martha remained seated, furniture rising up and striking the man. The master of sound tried his best to snap the projectiles, but Martha was simply to quick, and Joseph found himself on the ground.
The old woman flicker her eyes towards him, Joseph grunting as he was pulled like a puppet back into standing position.
"You still believe yourself so powerful…but you forget your place. Do not return here again if you do not want another lesson."
And with that, she threw him out the hole he had made in her wall, his screams fading away.
^&^&^&^
(Daniels Family Chateau)
Carter looked over his sword, making sure there were no nicks or dull spots. "Where is Drago and this Fredrick Frauzen held up, anyway?"
Micah frowned. "Paris."
"I know that, you told me already. I meant, where exactly. I can't see them holding up in some art museum." Carter said with a smirk.
"No…Drago has found the perfect spot to hide, the one place everyone won't look…the Catacombs."
Carter's sword dropped from his hands.
"What…what did you say?"
Terrence frowned. "The Catacombs…"
Carter stood up, eyes wide with fear. "No…no…" he licked his lips. "I'll…I'll get you anyone you want from the Alliance, but I can't come with you, not this time."
"Carter-" Micah began.
Carter hurried out of the room.
"What was that about?" Terrence asked.
Sarah came storming in, hands glowing. "Who did it…who was the moron that didn't think to tell us where Drago was?" She whipped her head around, stalking towards Micah.
"Him him him him him!" Micah said quickly, pointing at Terrence.
Terrence's eyes widened as Sarah wheeled around, her whammy flames raging.
"Remember, Eden…our powers don't affect each oth-"
Terrence went flying as the whammy flames struck him.
"Energy has mass, dumbass." Sarah snarled. She hauled her half brother up, holding him up by his throat. "Now you listen to me, idiot-boy. I haven't interfered the last few times you and Carter had your knock outs and drag outs. Boys need to be boys. But not anymore. I have been there is entire life…I practically raised him in the orphanage since he was a baby. And there is entire house of pissed off women that will castrate you if you ever disturb him again."
"What…what did I do?" Terrence gasped.
Sarah shook her head, throwing Terrence to the couch. "You know nothing of Carter's history, do you? Age 5, the orphanage took us on a fieldtrip to a farm, to see all the piglets and baby chickens and that shit. Carter wandered off, chasing a baby goat. None of us, even the farmer, didn't remember the old graveyard that was just on the outskirts of the forest that surrounded the farm. Carter fell through…ended up trapped in an open grave surrounded by skeletons." Sarah shook her head. "That was the day the stutter started. I had to sleep in the boys' dorm for 3 months to keep him from waking up screaming. And now, you want to send him down into Paris' famous crypt, the tunnels lined with skulls and bones, where people disappear forever, to fight (censored) zombies?!?"
Terrence blinked. "Uh…"
Sarah shook her head in disgust before storming away.
^&^&^&^
(London)
Malcolm frowned, looking over what Martha had given them.
Ellie leaned over his shoulder. "What does it say?"
"Its an address…to some place in the former Soviet Union." Malcolm stated, pulling his jacket closer to him. "Can't determine more until we actually see the place, but it looks like I need to call in a few favors."
^&^&^&^
"Carter?" Sarah asked, knocking on the door.
Carter looked up at her, his hand glowing as he turned back to the mirror. "Could whammy myself all day, would never get rid of that damn fear."
His sister walked over, wrapping her arms around him. "You know, it is ok to be afraid once and a while."
"This is sounding like an after school special." Carter complained. He sighed when she looked at him. "I am the master of fear…I don't get scared."
"Yes, you do. You couldn't be a good father or a good husband if you didn't get scared." Sarah smiled slightly. "Its how you deal with that fear that makes you a hero." She stood up, giving him a slug in the shoulder. "Now then, I have two surprises to help you out down there. First and foremost, I'm coming with you."
"Sarah-"
She shook her head. "We both know you need two people to come with you, baby brother. Tina already volunteered, so I'll be the second." She grinned, hurrying towards the doorway and pulling out a box she had hid back there. "This is something Mom, dad, and Vally helped me create." Carter opened the box, eyes wide. "Every hero needs a costume."
^&^&^&^
Malcolm blew on his hands as, at long last, he and Ellie descended from the plane and set foot once more on solid ground. Malcolm didn't remember the country they were in, it so tiny most maps didn't feature it. All he knew was that somewhere here, according to his Aunt Martha, there was something that would aid Carter in his upcoming battle.
"About time you arrived." A voice called out.
Malcolm turned, smirking, an arm wrapped around Ellie as their partners in this mission walked towards them.
"Lee." Malcolm said with a smile. "Kelly, Prof. Fray."
The three prodical members of Carter's team nodded. "So then…" Kelly said with a grin. "What's the mission."
Hidden behind the plane's wheelwell, Joseph leaned forward, his left arm in a sling "Yes…" he whispered, "what is your mission."
^&^&^&^
"Where's Carter?" Madrid asked as she finished packing her suitcase. Carter and her had decided that, for safety, those not coming on the mission would be moved to a safehouse near the northern Parisian border.
Terrence frowned, adjusting his gear. He wore modified swat gear, lined with pockets full of guns and ammo. Micah and West, who had arrived back from New York early in the morning, were in similar gear, Micah with all their tech equipment and West with weapons and tunnel gear.
"Not sure…he acted like he wasn't coming-"
Terrence's words died in his throat as Carter, Tina and Sarah entered.
All three wore pitch black body armor, modified for their needs. Tina's featured small blast open flaps that would allow her to fire off her acid as needed. Two hand guns and several rounds of ammo hung from her waist like she was a gunslinger.
Sarah wore her modified version of the Ellis family duster, this one cut so it appeared to be a motorcycle jacket with long tails that nearly reached her ankles. The godfire sword, recovered from Marie's stronghold after its destruction, hung at her side.
But it was Carter that gave everyone pause.
His duster hung along his shoulders, treated so that it shown in the light. The kensai katanna hung from his back, and at his side were replicas of the Azreal daggers his alternate self had used in the parallel dimension. He wore a pair of combat boots, a small throwing knife strapped to each. Over his head was a black mask, similar to the one Seth had worn, only this one feature silver eyepieces. And covering his head and his mask was a modified version of Azreal's hood.
Finally, upon his chest, was the sign of Kensai, a sword behind it and silver flames licking at its base.
Carter drew his blade, resting it on his shoulders.
"Behold the Metatron." Madrid whispered, Vally squealing in delight while Gabriel wiggled in his car carrier.
Carter nodded, his left hand bursting into flames. "Now then…who's ready to kick some ass?"
^&^&^&^
Author's Note: Finally, at long last, Carter gets his Metatron costume. Its been a long time coming that our Voice of God gets his battle uniform.
Carter's costume is a mix of several costumes: We have his Azreal costume from last volume, his regular clothing (the duster), Future Vally and Future Gabriel's battlegear, Seth's costume and a bit of Adam Monroe/Kensai's samurai gear thrown in.
This, to me, is the true turning point of Elsewhere. Carter has made a lot of threats and promises, and fought a lot of battles. But this is him finally proclaiming that he is going to be a superhero. Everything he has gone through has led to this moment, and Carter is finally ready to battle a true supervillain. The costume is Carter finally arising as a hero, ready to do what needs to be done to save the world.
And considering what lies in store for him, and the world, he is going to need every advantage he can get.