Chasing Shapes
1
Cory Chase hoisted his bag on his shoulder as he walked away from the train that had carried him to Reagan City. He would find a place to park it before he headed out to the streets beyond the station. He didn't plan to be in town long.
He was only interested in the next jewel in his quest.
Eventually the man behind the monsters would be back on Chase's trail. All of this tied in with Oliver Hunt's last adventure as the Ringbearer. Hunt died, gifting his ring away, then monsters showed up to grab the ring from the new guy. Chase was not going to let that happen.
He might have if the guy hadn't tried to kill him already. Now he wasn't going to let go no matter what may come after him.
That little glimpse of Hunt's life in his dream had convinced him that someone needed to do it. He had been given a small amount from his insurance to cover his expenses. The problem was he still didn't know what he was going to do when he did get the ring jewels.
He would like to wrap his hands around the man responsible for making his life miserable. That would feel good for thirty seconds.
Chase found a set of lockers beside the main doors. He put his bag in one under the watchful eye of a nearby security guard. He wondered if they had a lot of robberies at the train station as he headed outside. He decided to walk to his destination. It wouldn't hurt him to stretch his legs, and cabs were an expense at the moment.
The ring made him more than human just as much as it made him a target for the monster maker.
Chase kept his eyes roving, taking in the sights, watching for trouble. He had no doubt that a battle in the street could happen if the other man wanted it badly enough. Still, he had enough powers to defend himself. Strength and armored skin were handy, and the ability to split himself could come in useful.
Still Chase had met acquaintances who had helped him along this twisted path he had decided to travel. He couldn't have come this far without their help. He wouldn't have discovered the ties linking the ring to his predecessor.
He wouldn't have the name of the man who had ended the former Ringbearer's career.
Sooner or later, he would have to track down Dylan Trail's family and see if there was anyone who carried on the monster making tradition. He would have to have a little talk with them about their recent activities, and travel planning.
2
Donnie Suffrett checked his watch as he drove to the next site on his list. He worked for the city, inspecting new construction, sewer lines, electrical lines, and anything else that needed to be checked out for the urban sprawl to keep working. He was running late, and traffic held him in its grip.
He would love to fly over all these people jamming the roads. He would definitely love not to be held up from completing his caseload for the day. A lot of people depended on the reports he filed, and if he wasn't on time, they couldn't finish the things they needed to do.
Still, he wasn't going to call on his other side and fly above the traffic.
Attracting attention would only hurt him, unless he wanted to become a full time hero with no place to rest from enemies and adorers alike. Celebrity did not go well with the quiet life.
Donnie found a side street he could take to shave some time off. He used that to get to some streets that cut across town. The going was easier, and he was able to catch all the lights.
Donnie pulled into a spot across from where Larson Construction was putting up a building. This was his last stop on the road for the day. As soon as he was done, it was back to the office to type up his report and recommendations for the project supervisor. Most of this would go with a verbal list before he left the site based off the notes he took.
It wasn't exciting, but his other life gave him enough excitement to deal with off the job.
Donnie walked through the site with Ted Farmington, the project supervisor. He went down the checklist but Farmington had gone over most of this as part of the project plan, and had already started to make corrections. Donnie promised a full report, and thanked the man for his time.
Now Donnie had to drive back to the office and type all of his notes up and file everything in case something needed to be reviewed later.
After that, he would decide how to spend the evening. A night out on the town might be just the thing to relax him.
Reagan City always had something that needed a hero's attention.
3
Cory Chase let his ring lead him across Reagan City, trying to enjoy the new sights as he walked. He had an address from Jack Dragon, a magician he had met in Church Hill, but since he didn't know exactly where that was in this new place, he was content to follow the beacon call sent through his hand and arm.
He was also alert for things that wanted to kill him.
Chase eventually found his way to a construction site near the middle of town. Late afternoon had arrived and the crew was putting things in a storage trailer so they could go home. He decided to wait until he could have the place to himself.
Too many people had already gotten hurt in his duels with the monster maker. Why intentionally involve others when he could spare a few minutes before he started looking around? The jewel was close, but not too close. Otherwise the ring would just pull him to it whether he wanted to get close to it, or not.
Chase found a bar that he could order some coffee and a sandwich while he waited. He settled in a booth near the back of the place, tried to smile at the waitress, ate his meal in silence. His hand kept sliding toward the construction site on its own.
Chase paid his bill and cruised by the construction site. The sun was setting behind the tall downtown buildings. A security guard had taken up station near the gate of the fence put up to keep the curious out.
That wouldn't stop Chase.
The wanderer circled the sight until he was on the other side of the development. There was no guard, just posts with chain link strung on them. Someone agile could climb the fence and drop down on the other side if they wanted to do it.
Chase hadn't been that agile since he was a kid.
But he was stronger than any normal man. That should count for something. He looked around for something he could use to get over, or under, the fence. He didn't want to just rip it apart.
Chase went to the fence, stood beside it, even touching it with one hand. Suddenly there were two of him looking at each other from both sides of the chain link. Then they merged, but the single Ringbearer stood inside the construction site.
Chase let his ring lead him among the raw materials, half-finished settings, and vehicles that would stay on the site until they were no longer needed. The closer he got to the jewel, the stronger the pull was. He had to hold it back with all of his strength.
The last thing he wanted was to crash through a wall because his ring couldn't wait to be reunited with a piece of itself.
4
Donnie Suffrett went through his evening routine like he always did. First he had dinner, read, watched a little mindless television to relax. Then his form would take on the default blue clad shape of Hero X. The muscular body was a masked wrestler that Donnie found easy to call on, or revert back to, from his other bodies. It was a master template to build on when he wanted to.
Donnie had a number of forms to call on. He preferred using the same ones over and over. The more familiar he was with what he had, the easier it was to use. He found practicing with a new form was something that cost him in personal energy.
Earlier in his career, he had knocked himself out for two days trying to perfect his jet flier form. He was much better now, but didn't want to tax himself unless he had too.
Donnie went to his window, looking out to check for anyone observing his window. He knew it was hard to prove that he was the man of a thousand shapes, but he didn't want to have to defend against it, then leaped out over the street.
Hero X became a dinosaur man with leathery wings extending from his arms. He soared above the street with the graceful beat of his changeling limbs. If all he got from his accident was the ability to fly, it was worth it for the feeling of sailing through the air.
Donnie spent the first part of his evening patrolling. He was Reagan City's only hero as far as he knew, so he liked to keep an eye on things. His relationship with the police department was nonexistent. Most thought he was just an urban myth, like the choking Doberman. Still a man in the M.E.'s office had asked him to help with a puzzling case in the past, so he at least knew somebody he could ask for details on cases he had opened on his own.
Donnie spotted a fire in an apartment building as he glided above the Bush Chain suburb of town. He dialed through his ready forms for one that he could use. Only two were fireproof. One of those would just make things worse.
Donnie switched to his smoke form as he descended on the building. He had to make sure all the people were out. From his perspective, he could see that fire trucks were still blocks away. The least he could do was look for survivors until someone could arrive who could handle this better than he could.
Donnie found an open window to enter and started his search. He hoped this was something accidental. Many people could lose their lives to this fire, and arson meant murder.
Hero X melded with the existing smoke as he went from room to room. Luckily the residents had made it out, or hadn't been at home when the fire started. That meant he could search without interruption until he found someone in need of rescue.
Donnie drifted through the building, considering what he could do with what he had. He heard crying in a third floor apartment. He followed it to a closed bathroom.
"Is anybody in there?," Donnie shouted. He didn't want to break the door in with smoke and flame at his back. "I'm here to help you."
"Please!," said a woman's panicked scream. "Please help us."
Donnie reverted to his base form. He covered his mouth with a hand, pushed the door open with the other. One glance told him that the woman and her kid had taken refuge in the shallow tub. A window was open to let some of the smoke out.
It wasn't the big ventilation solution that would keep them alive until the firefighters could get there with a ladder truck.
"Okay, guys," said Donnie, going to the window. "I'm going to change my body so I can fly. I'll take you out the window over to another building."
"Can you do that?," said the woman.
"It's Hero X," said the boy. "He can do anything."
"I wouldn't go that far," said Donnie. "But I can help you two right now."
Donnie took on his green dragon form, holding out his arms. He saw that the woman was uncertain. Her boy wasn't. He grabbed the scaly hand with sureness.
"Come on, Mom," said the boy, holding out his hand. "He's a hero."
The woman grabbed a hand, doubt on her face. A dinosaur was not the friendly thing she expected since Jurassic Park. She had to do something, or hope she didn't burn up in the fire.
"Just hang on, and I'll get you down," Donnie said, carrying the two to the window. He slipped through the window and fell for a floor before spreading his wings. The screams in his ears changed to sighs of relief as he glided over to a building across the street.
"I told you, Mom," the kid said, cheering after a safe landing. "Hero X can do anything."
5
Cory Chase paused in his search, his arm pulling him forward now. The jewel piece was ahead, encased in the poured concrete foundation. He could almost see it.
Chase donned his armored form as he slid toward the concrete setting. One punch popped the top of the foundation. Inside the crater, a glittering sliver glared up at him. He reached for it with his ring hand. There was a flash of light as the jewel joined its brothers on the band.
That was easier than I expected it to be, Chase thought. I wonder what this one does.
Chase saw the locker where he had placed his bag at the train station. He turned his head, amazed that he saw the rest of the train station as if he were actually standing there. It was amazing.
Chase blinked. The image snapped away, leaving behind the construction site. The jewel piece gave him an ability to see places far away as if he were actually standing there. Maybe he could find the card holder with it.
He had nothing to lose by trying.
Chase tried to let his mind relax and work on its own. He had no idea where the card holder was. He just hoped the ring would give him something to use. Instead it showed him the train station again from another perspective. He appeared to standing outside on the platform looking down the track. A trace of electric blue ran down the rails.
That seemed unusual enough that he might have to look into it.
He let the ring's power fade from existence as he walked toward where he had scaled the fence. The sailor needed to get to the station to reach his next destination anyway. Checking on something he had seen in a vision would be killing two birds with one stone.
He might even be lucky enough to get out of Reagan City without running into one of the card monsters. He felt he could take them a lot easier after his dream on the train. He didn't want to put that knowledge to the test when one of them was trying to kill him.
Playing chicken with a monster was not his idea of a good time.
6
Donnie Suffrett went back into the burning building to find more people in need of rescue. His smoke form was perfect for that, then he could switch to something else to actually do the rescue.
He didn't often respond to a fire. By the time he learned about it, the fire department had already signaled an all clear. His current method needed to be refined to be faster, or he needed a new body designed to fight fires.
Donnie drifted through the building, listening for anyone who needed his help. When he had searched every room, he fled the burning building. There was nothing more he could do for the moment. He did take the time to tell the Fire Chief that he had searched but saw no one else after his initial rescue.
Hopefully everyone had gotten out.
Donnie headed into the sky, drifting on his wings as he considered what else he could do. The building would be ruined whatever the outcome. The fire was too big for it not to be. Maybe he could work on this new form while he watched. If he could perfect it, he might be able to help put the fire out faster.
Donnie found a water tower within sight of the fire. He couldn't lift the thing up to carry over to the battle. He decided to revert to his base form and get inside the wooden tub. There was a small amount of water at the bottom of the tall basin and some privacy. He concentrated on the feeling of the water, letting his minds wander.
Donnie's body became transparent, absorbing the water like a sponge. He straightened, holding himself together with an effort. The question became could he switch back and forth. Then practice would make the new shape part of his repertoire.
Donnie switched back to his basic form, then again to the new water shape. It held together better than he thought it would. He hoped this scheme of his worked.
Donnie changed back into his dinosaur form and winged from the water tower. He got in front of the water streaming from the hoses and switched to his new shape. He smiled as he grew down to the street.
7
Cory Chase decided to take the public transportation system to get back to the train station. It seemed quicker than trying to hail a cab. Buses and an elevated train system dropped him off just blocks away from the brick building.
His vision kept flipping back and forth from the real world to the rails leading out of town. The blue sparks ripped back and forth, running a circuit. He wondered if that meant something.
Chase knew trouble. It had started following him around when he got Hunt's ring. Here it was again, only this time he had a chance to head it off at the pass. He just needed to know what he was dealing with before he could do anything really useful other than keep watch.
Maybe running to the railroad wasn't such a good idea.
Chase admitted that he didn't have a handle on being a hero. His life had become complicated beyond anything he had ever wished. He wondered how the others he had met started out. They seemed to be in control of their situations.
He got to the platform, and looked down the rails. The trains had cleared the tracks already. The platform had some travelers waiting for the next train to where they had to go, but no one seemed excited.
Whatever rode the rails had not made an appearance yet. Chase didn't know if that was good, or bad.
Chase went to a vendor, bought a candy bar, and a magazine and found a seat. He had a few hours before the next train west rolled in. If nothing happened by then, he would take off with a clear conscience. Maybe what he had seen was harmless.
Chase chewed the candy without thinking, still worried, still checking the rails. His visit to Reagan City had been uneventful so far. It couldn't last. Something had decided to pounce. Sitting at ringside guaranteed that he would have to handle it.
He wondered if that was how the other guys he had met had started. They made a decision to handle anything that came after them. One day he would sail again. Questing after a holy grail didn't make him a knight.
It made him a rat in a maze looking for the exit.
That was one thing he couldn't change for the time being unless he wanted to give Dylan Trail's successor a free shot at the ring. That wasn't going to happen.
Trail's heir would have to rip his ring off his dead hand.
8
Hero X reached through the windows in front of his gigantic form. Water cascaded everywhere, flushing the fire out with ease. Donnie worked his way down from the top floor shrinking as he went. He still didn't know how much control he had over this new form, and he didn't have the time to practice with people's lives on the line.
Donnie flipped back to his jet flier form to go in and check things out. The metal shell should protect him from harm, and the jets should help bail him out of trouble if the floor collapsed. He knew he hadn't acted in time to save everything, but hopefully things would be quiet while the fire fighters took a moment to regroup.
Donnie trudged carefully through the wreckage, squelching water from scorched carpet as he went. He didn't find any bodies in the wreckage. It looked like everyone had made it out before the fire got too far out of control.
The x-man made his way to the roof. Things had gone better than he had thought. Now he could get back on patrol.
Donnie's line man reached to the sky. He looked around, pleased that things looked quiet for the moment. Reagan City seemed like some sprawling crystal rose on the flat plains. If he didn't have the line man's visual acuity, he could think the city never had any problems that required someone to do something.
A glimmer caught the x-man's attention. Something sparked along the train tracks leading out of town. He hadn't noticed anything like that before. He needed to take a closer look to make sure that arclight couldn't hurt anyone.
Donnie shifted to his flier form again, igniting the jet pack as he fell. Twin streams of smoke lifted him up and carried his robot body across town as swift as any missile. He aimed for a spot away from the train station so he could examine the phenomena without involving any people waiting for a train.
The last thing he wanted was questions he couldn't answer from people who might get hurt if things went crazy.
He had a hard enough time just looking after himself sometimes. Bystanders just asked to get hurt in the middle of a brawl.
9
Cory Chase looked out over the tracks. His new vision followed the sparks as they raced out of the city to the next station and returned to the next station on the other side of town. His eyes seemed to fly above the ground like a bird while he stood on the platform he had arrived at earlier that day.
He still didn't see the cause of the weird energy pattern looping its circuit.
Chase snapped back to reality. He spotted a masked guy in blue with a red x on his shirt standing down the tracks. The x man seemed to be interested in the sparkling ribbons just as the Ringbearer was.
Chase didn't follow masked heroes' news. The only ones he knew about were the ones he had met on his quest, the Blinker's dad, and Church Hill's Leaguer. The world knew about those last two.
Chase jumped down from the platform. Hopefully this wouldn't be a fight. He'd ask the masked man if he knew what was going on, and then he would go from there. He had dealt with some monsters already.
"Hey!," Chase called, hands in his pockets. "Can I have a minute of your time?"
"I don't think this is a safe place to be, sir," said the x man. "Could you step back on the platform until I'm sure it's safe?"
"I'd like to," Chase muttered.
"Are you handling this?," said Chase, in a louder voice. "I'm willing to just walk away as long as the train is still running."
"I don't know about handling things," said the x man. "I'm not sure what's going on to be honest."
"I can tell you this thing is circling every few minutes like clockwork," said Chase. "It goes from here to the next station, comes back down the other rail to the next platform, then comes back through here."
"That's helpful but strange," said the x man.
"Tell me about it," said Chase. "I take it nothing like this is a common occurrence here."
"You hear stories," said the man in blue. "Mr. Destiny used to make his home here, and he dealt in a lot of strange stuff from what I have heard."
"Mr. Destiny?," asked Chase. "I don't know the name."
"He founded the Guardians during World War II," said the x man. "This was his home turf when he wasn't protecting the world."
"I have heard of the Guardians," said Chase. "This could be serious."
"How bad could it be?," said the other man. "Maybe it will fade away on its own."
As the men talked, the sparks continued their rippling jog. Each time around came faster and faster until the rails glowed in a continuous ring.
"Maybe it won't," said Hero X.
The blue nimbus grew into a face. Electric eyes glowered at the two men staring at the form erupting from the tracks. A line became a slit that became a lipless mouth issuing a small growl of fury.
"I knew this would happen," said Chase. "I should have left town by bus."
Both men backed away as sparking arms pulled a rail thin body from the glowing steel tracks. A long curling tail formed from where hips would be on a man. The lightning danced as it reared to the heavens.
"Any ideas?," Chase asked, backing up as the lightning snake man reared up in front of him.
"I was about to ask you the same thing," Hero X said, shielding his masked face with a gloved hand.
"Running away springs to mind," said Chase, looking around for anything he could throw.
"Can't do it," said the blue garbed hero. "You can take off if you want."
"I've got a better idea," said Chase, already regretting the words he planned to say. "I'll keep it busy while you figure out how to get rid of it."
"Right," said the x man. "I'll be right back."
The blue masked wrestler became a gleaming robot heading for the sky on steel wings. He vanished in a trail of white smoke. The thing from the rails hissed amusement as it finished pulling itself free. One meddler couldn't stop its escape into the material world.
Mr. Destiny would pay for imprisoning it in the rail system. His city would pay. His nation would pay. And the first to give up his pound of flesh would be the man backing from the rail. Then it could spread until it had amassed enough victims to fuel a feast of gigantic proportions.
One clawed hand reached for the man in the coat and cap. A gripping touch would drag his life out of his body and feed the living electricity. The witness leaped back to land on the platform some yards away. Maybe this wouldn't be as easy as it had first thought.
The naga thunderbolt charged Chase, intent on wrapping him up in spindly but deadly arms. The sailor split in twain, both twins leaping in different directions. That was an even bigger surprise than the amazing leap.
The lightning thing paused to consider its next move. This stank of magic. Maybe it should reconsider its plans until it had gorged itself.
The naga turned, grasping hold of the rail. That should take it far enough away that it could hunt prey without interference. The human couldn't stop its retreat. The snake thing melted into the metal, becoming a shower of ribbons as it fled.
Chase watched it, running after with his unflagging strength as he gathered himself together. It was up to him to stop it somehow. That would be fun.
10
Donnie Suffrett headed for the main library on his steel wings. That was the only place in the city he could think that might have information on the lightning thing he and that other man had encountered. Maybe some type of weakness had been recorded.
Donnie saw the tan building he wanted and aimed for the roof. He landed, switching to the pink Ribbon form he used for its malleability. He slid into a vent shaft, stretching until he reached the main floor of the place.
The library had an alarm system but Donnie knew that staying close to the floor, and walls, would let him get around the darkened building without setting them off. He turned on a computer for an internet connection, and warped his way over to the table. He had procured a fake library card number and used that to access the system.
Donnie's investigator form took over. He culled through what it could find as fast as the machine could load pages for him to scan. The only picture he could find was a grainy black and white news photo taken during a battle with Mr. Destiny downtown. The magician had locked it in some steel from an overturned truck.
Donnie knew he couldn't duplicate that feat.
The x man shut the computer down, and made his way out of the library. He switched to his giant invisible line man as soon as he was on the roof. He spotted his new ally running along the rails, which sparked with ribbons of blue.
The thing rode the rails. Maybe the steel had been melted down and used for the train tracks. That explained how it had gotten across town. It still didn't give him an idea of what kind of weakness it had.
Donnie switched to his jet flier, condensing his form high over town. He dove, falling, helping his jets pick up speed. He had hoped his side trip would gain him some advantage that he could use to put the monster back to sleep.
The x man drifted down to a landing beside the running man, switching to his rubbery form to keep up with the Ringbearer. He gave an explanation of what he had found at the library and the fact that he was clueless how to handle the problem. The other man frowned, nodding silently.
"Before we can worry how to stop it," Chase said. "We have to figure out how to push it out of the rails so we can deal with it."
"I think I know how to do that," Donnie said. "We just need to get in front of it and rip the rails up. That should stop it from moving forward."
Chase grabbed the rubbery Hero X by the arm, and flung him forward like a whip. The x man hit and bounced a few times before coming to a stop as the jet flier. Metal hands grabbed the next section of track before the electric ribbons could reach it and ripped them out of the ground.
Let's see what you do now, he thought.
"That was quick thinking," said Chase, running up and grabbing the rails behind and pulling them out of the ground. That left one whole track to contain the flickering blue lines.
"Now all we have to do is grab these two rails and put them somewhere our problem can't get away from," said Hero X. "That'll finish the job Mr. Destiny started."
The naga erupted from the confining tracks. Long thin arms reached for the two heroes as it hissed in frustration. It seized empty air for its efforts.
"Mr. Destiny trapped you in steel somehow," said Hero X, shifting to his more agile base form as he dodged away from the angry lightning monster. "No one knows how, and he's long vanished. Maybe it's something natural that we can duplicate."
"Maybe something like a giant magnet," said Chase. "Electricity and magnetism mix well if you know what you're doing."
"I spent years in that narrow prison watching the world go by," said the naga. "I won't let two fools like you place me back in there."
"That's what every fugitive says," said Hero X.
Lightning chased the two meddlers as the naga tried to stretch to grab the rails on the other side of either break. Escape was the most important thing to it. Killing humans could wait until later.
"Copper wire conducts electricity," said Chase, hurling rocks with his supernatural strength. The effect was minimal since the makeshift bullets just passed through the energy beast. "That's one of the things they use for electro magnets."
The x man had an idea sparked by what the tourist had said. Copper wiring, rubber, and other things were all over the city. All he had to do was assemble them into a trap to hold the electric snake in place. He just had to hurry.
Chase hurled one of the ripped up tracks through the naga like a javelin. Angry coruscations danced around the steel spear as it passed before landing end first in the ground.
Chase noticed that the local hero had vanished again. He wondered what was up, and instantly his vision marked a giant line man reaching into town, then vanishing somewhere at street level. Pain rushed through him as he found himself bouncing off the gravel next to the track bed.
"You shouldn't have taken your eyes off me, human," said the naga. Its laugh resembled escaping steam from an overheated radiator. "This is where I make you suffer."
Cory Chase rolled to his left, but sizzling claws still ripped across his back. He flew across the ground, skidding along the grass. The ring made him tough, but he knew he couldn't take much more before he was maimed.
Chase jumped to his feet. He had a feeling that all that talk of magnetism had jarred an idea loose from the x man. He just had to keep the monster here until the local returned. That should be easy enough.
Chase split, both twins moving away from each other. Tough skin and far seeing went in one body while duplication and strength went with the other. His dream had told him the powers would divide when he did.
The naga paused in indecision. It wanted to kill the meddler, but which one should it go for? It finally decided on the one without the metallic sheen to his skin. He obviously had less protection than the other one, which made him easier to kill.
The naga surged forward, slicing with its claws as its long arms stretched out like whips. Its intended prey ran, jumping back to avoid a death blow. The lightning snake kept going, ignoring the other twin as inconsequential as it flowed over the ground in a whipsaw fashion.
Chase led it into town, looking for a weapon he could use. He didn't have a lot of experience in monster fighting. So far he had been able to just punch the monster out. He doubted he could do that now since he couldn't touch the thing without hurting himself.
The naga charged at the sailor. He ducked, flinging a road side sign with a casual flick of his wrist. The metal post slid through the nothingness in the center of its chest with a cascade of twining strips.
"You have to do better than that," said the naga, each syllable a joyful hiss. "Simple metal won't hurt me."
"I'll look around for something then," said Chase.
A rubber doughnut flew through the air from behind the monster. It dropped over the crackling menace's shoulders, pinning its arms to its body. It looked around angrily. The metallic Chase grinned at the glowering menace.
"What do you think about that?," Chase said. "Try and fry rubber, big boy."
The naga compressed its body and zipped out of the hole in the middle of the thing. It spun in a circle, glaring at the two identical men. This hadn't gone the way it expected at all.
11
Donnie Suffrett had to consult one of his forms on what he was building but it was worth it if it worked out. Mr. Destiny had trapped the lightning naga in the steel somehow. He couldn't duplicate that since he didn't have the abilities the vanished hero once had. He did have the means to try and do the same thing in a different way.
He just needed time to make it work.
He shouldn't have left that sailor in the lurch like that. On the other hand, he couldn't have explained his plan in front of the monster he was trying to stop either. Hopefully his new ally had held the lightning snake off while he did what he could to get a solution. The man seemed tough enough to hold the thing off from roaming into the city and killing somebody.
The x man consulted his aide one more time before allowing himself to be satisfied with his creation. It should work, but he wouldn't know until he tried it. That should be some fun.
Hero X switched to his line form to find the two people he wanted to talk to. He noticed that the lightning snake had made it away from the tracks, which wasn't good. But the sailor seemed to be holding it there by using some kind of twin.
Donnie switched to his flier mode, taking to the air with his contraption in hand. He soared through the night sky on plumes of fire. He switched to his silent dinosaur glider when he was over the battle. He winced in sympathy as the sailor flew into the side of a building from a ram.
That didn't look good at all.
Donnie dropped down behind the monster. It's sizzling laugh scratched across the x man's nerves. Maybe he could make it laugh out the other side of its head.
Donnie switched to his wrestler mode, holding three copper wires from the trap he had built in one hand. The lightning snake started to turn, sensing his presence on the scene. He flung the wires at it. The leads passed through the body of the snake with a hiss. Current danced in waves on the trap lines as it pulled at them with a shaky hand.
"Game's up," said Hero X, pushing the button on the top of the box.
The naga shimmered as its unnatural body was disrupted by the pull of the trap created by the blue clad x man. Skinny hands tugged on the copper wires running from its burning chest. Pieces of the lightning snake ran after each other as the trap yanked on it like pulling thread from a worn sweater. It screamed incoherently as it vanished inside the black box.
"That was worth the beating I took," said Chase, limping over to where Donnie held the shaking box.
"Give me a second," said Hero X. "I can fix that. Then I'll have to put our friend somewhere he can't hurt anyone for a while. I think I know just the place."
"We could have let him run loose," said Chase. "I don't think any of this was our business."
"Sure it was," said Donnie. "We have captured a wild animal that belongs in a cage. We could start a business doing that too. We could be weird Steve Irwins."
"I'll pass," said Chase, smiling slightly.
epilogue
Cory Chase looked out the window as the train pulled away from the Reagan City station. His duffel sat in the seat beside him like a fellow passenger instead of an inanimate object. The punched ticket sat in his pocket as he thought of his next destination.
He wondered if Oliver Hunt had planned for him to meet this strange brotherhood he had been a member of for so long. The Veil, Jack Dragon, The Blinker, Hero X, even that kid in the hockey mask wanted to make things better for people. Even Hunt had tried to act in the best interests of others when he had worn the ring.
His mind turned to his counterpart trying to stop him from collecting the pieces of the ring. He already had mastery of things that were formidable in their own right. Why send them after the Ringbearer in the fifties, and the new one now? What was the point other than just wanting the personal power that went with the twelve stones?
Those monsters the Tarot used were tough enough as long as he stayed away from anyone who could reach him.
Chase leaned back in his chair, thinking of the eight locations still on his list. Two of the stones were in Old Troy. Finding them would be a snap with his new vision power. Then the next stop after that was Japan.
He would have to call Chantry and tell him what was going on. The old man deserved to know more of what he had found out since they had talked last. His talents and skills would be a big help tracking down Tarot while he was overseas.
A showdown was inevitable. Tarot would keep coming unless he was put down. Chase was already convinced of that. The sailor was not willing to let him threaten anyone he might be close to, or even kill those loved ones. He wouldn't allow something to hang over his head for the rest of his life.
He understood why Hunt had killed the earlier Tarot. He might have done the same thing. He just wasn't going to let this other one run loose to put him in the same position. Tracking the man down, and putting him away would have to be done as soon as the ring had been assembled, and his name was known.