Chapter Seven

Mortem

 

"Z, if you are me, then you must know what I like."

 

 

"Zane."

 

 

"Yeah?"

 

 

"Shut up."

"Didn't think I would be such a dick to myself."

Strolling down a block in the dead of night, using the light post's light to illuminate his way. Stars layered the sky, gleaming bright in the night sky.

"So, how do we find him?"

"Zane I'm not doing all the work for you."

"Just making conversation."

 

 

A few silent seconds go by, "Thats just sad."

Zane's hoodie gets illuminated by passing cars. Supers fly overhead, some trying to get home after a hard day's work, others on superhero duty patrolling the city's streets for criminals.

Shuffling through the streets, aiming for the more run-down part of the city.

"Hey Z."

"What."

"I need to learn how to use a firearm."

"That, is not a bad idea actually."

"So is that a yes?"

"Depends."

"On what?"

"If we live through this mission first."

"Right, right, need to focus."

The dark and dirty come into view, drug addicts, homeless people, and prostitutes can be found around this block.

"Ah~ old Jemerson street. The place for lowlives to thrive in."

 A place of once great business and opportunity to get ahead in life, squandered by corruption and criminal activities. All the crime caused a market crash in 2003, a mass job loss swept the nation causing this once prosperous part of the city to close down leaving behind a husk of its former self. Not even a husk, more like ruins of a once great civilization. 

Shady individuals cross the street, looking over their shoulders every second or so. All are hiding under lengthy clothing. 

"None have the look of a person to hold information on a serial killer."

"We should ask anyway."

Zane makes headway down the street, the four shady characters skip into a worn-down building barring it behind them with shabby planks. Zane gave them a few minutes to settle inside, letting them get comfortable.

Creeping to the makeshift door, nothing seems to be going on inside—Zane peaks through one of many cracks in the planks. For a broken-down building, it is well-lit. Not to mention how clean the interior is. 

"No one's inside."

Sliding the plank to the side and going in leads to an open living room complete with a sofa, flat-screen tv, and a fridge.

"This looks like dad's old apartment."

A long hallway leads to a single door at the end. "Ominous but okay."

The paint is fresh an expertly done. The door is the only out-of-place thing here, the whole interior can be compared to a nice condo in the high-class part of the city. At the end of the hallway, a metal door stood there. Zane tries the doorknob, but it won't budge. Zane puts his hand to the door, about to knock, just before knocking a rattle of chains alerts Zane. Too late to turn back, the door swings open.

Zane bewildered: "Hello?"

A round table of people dressed in what looks like to be their superhero outfits turns their attention to Zane.

One wore a blue costume with a bolt of lightning on it.

"Thats a dead giveaway."

Some are color-coded to match their power, except for one.

The guy who opened the door: "Why didn't you bring your outfit? It was relayed to everyone that you must bring your outfit."

Zane scratches the back of his head: "Sorry, I can't afford one."

He eyes Zane: "Do I know you?"

A woman from across the room: "Hey! We have better things to do than sit around guessing where we have seen each other!"

"So, heroes."

"Yup."

"She is obviously the leader."

Zane zips open his backpack, pulling out a face mask. Fighting with the facemask, he reaches the table.

Leader: "We have a lead on the list of kingpins ruling certain criminal activities. First, Marshal Hersh, or his nickname Fatal. He has a knack for seeing weakness in the body, which makes him a great hitman. Next is Urschel Mandel, a renowned drug kingpin who sells a new drug said to enhance super's superpowers. Sounds good and all, but side effects are, highly addictive, organ damaging, and death for the most severe cases. Last and foremost, Nicklos Burns, Evil, rotten to the core. Weapons smuggler, sex trafficker, Hero killer, and torturer for the other kingpins. That ladies and gentlemen is our main target for tonight."

"They have a lot of info for such a small team."

Leader: "Burns was last seen at Francisco docks under an alias of Will Coal. Likely preparing the next shipment of weapons or women. Any questions?"

Taking a glance around, everyone stayed silent: "Good, meeting over."

Everyone disperses. A few stragglers stayed behind, their powers were most likely support roles. "Now is the chance to introduce yourself."

Zane taps her on the shoulder: "Hey~ uh, what is your name?"

The leader turns around after pinning pictures: "You first newbie."

Zane awkwardly shuffled in place: "My real name or fake name?"

Leader smirks: "Fake name newbie."

Zane: "Um~ Z."

Leader scoffs: "What does Z stand for?"

Zane: "Zero."

Leader crosses her arms and slightly tilts her head: "And why zero, is that your real name?"

Zane chuckles to himself: "Actually it stands for having no powers."

Leader: "Makes sense, *a long Sigh* Listen, rookie, we've been doing this for a while now, we can't have liabilities. Heroing is our livelihood, not some side gig. Lives are at stake here."

Zane nods to her statemate: "Understood."

As she walks by, she lays a hand on his shoulder: "The name is K."

K leaves through the big metal door. Zane waits a few seconds before going out the same way. 

"Zane, listen closely, we could get info on our target through these guys. We need to get on their good side."

"Easier said than done Z."

"I have an idea, why don't we pick off Mr. Burns or at least a few of his men? Absorbing a few low lives could bolster our body."

"I think they are against Killing Z."

"Shit, you're right."

Zane wanders aimlessly through the streets, coming up with plans.

"Your techniques won't matter against guns. To add to the problems, your fire is about the size of a match stick. From the experiment so far, it only increases after killing the same type."

"I still haven't tested my abilities after absorbing non-supers. It is a little unnerving that the others are so quiet."

"Probs faded away by now. I don't know how this works."

"Neither do I."

"Guess the only option is the docks."

"Fine, let's go."

 

 

 

Entrance of Francisco Docks

 

 

 

 

A crisp salty wind blew in from the sea. A fog loomed over the ocean like a blanket. Activity echoed from the docks. Zane jumped over the fence on the outer part of the docks. Zane stuck to the metal storage containers to avoid being spotted. 

"I got to get get a better look."

Zane backs up from one container to get a running start before leaping up and catching the edge of the metal storage and pulling himself up. Laying against the cold metal, he watches the deal play out."

People dressed in formal attire arrive from their black limos and cargo trucks. Three men from the back seats are wearing maroon suits and ties holding briefcases exiting the limo.

"Well K was half correct."

A grey jeep pulls in, the front doors pop open simultaneously letting out two bald colossal men. Twins, they shared tattoos, scars, and clothes. The twin in the passenger seat opens the back seat door. Hinges from the door are connected to the back end, suicide doors. 

"Nicklos Burns, why does he look so normal?!"

"Zane come on! You think a man that does all those despicable things, will dress the part."

"Yeah, but he looks like a family man. Like c'mon he even has a sweater vest!"

"Zane Focus! We are not here to rate his fit. There is a mission that needs to be done and we are going to do it."

"Right right. We are clearly outmatched here, there is not much I can do in this situation."

A light tapping of metal alerts Zane. Rolling to his back with a knife in hand holding his legs up ready to kick any attackers off.

K with her hands in the air: "Easy tiger."

Zane sighs: "Sorry, I was lost in planning."

K goes prone beside him as they watch the deal go down: "Looks like they started the deal a day earlier, some late paranoia I guess. Well, good thing the team is on route so we don't have to take on a whole army by ourselves."

K checks her earpiece: "Okay sit and observe rookie."

Lightning bolts kill the lights leaving the criminal in the dark. The bolts spread to the cars, killing their batteries and cutting their escape. A blast of mist covers the area's floor completely cutting visibility.

Nicklos Burns unfazed by the situation: "Brock, deal with it."

One of the bald guards moves to the back of the limo, popping open the trunk.

K sends a flying knee, landing the blow to the back of his head sending his face hurling into the trunk. 

K: "One."

Nicklos Burns snaps his fingers sending a company of criminals into formation, surrounding her in a blink of an eye. Guns aimed at her head, with one pull of a trigger her life can be cut short but K stands there wearing a cheeky smile.

K lazily holding her hands up: "Oh no~ looks like you got me."

Nicklos: "Kill her."

A henchman fires a shot directly between her eyes. The bullet finds its mark.

K chuckles: "Did you think I would just let you kill me."

Her body fades into smoke. 

"Well, now we know what her power is."

K: "Sup rookie, like my power?"

Zane: "Yeah pretty nice."

K calls out: "NOW!"

A crackling sound comes roaring in, eating the mist in a flash. The criminals get frozen in the mist at their feet. K's squad jumped in disarming them with swift movements. One zaps the weapons out of the alert ones while another hero freezes the guns preventing them from firing. A slightly panicked expression washed over Nicklos.

Nicklos grabbed the other twin by the collar: "DO SOMETHING, YOU BUFFOON!"

Twin one swings at the ice breaking out of it, and twin two awakens from his dirt nap doing the same. They uproot Nicklos trying to make their escape. 

K order: "Stop them!"

K and crew jump into action rushing after the three. "My time to babysit."

Zane hops down to the frozen lawbreakers, chilling on top of the car.

Zane: "So what were you selling to that guy?"

The man stays silent, only giving a death stare.

Zane kicks his feet: "The silent type, I can dig it."

Z zooms to the man holding a knife to his throat: "But I am not here to play charades. What were you selling to that man!"

A man slowly reaches into his jacket, Z launches his knife at the man's hand. The man wails in agony as the knife sticks out of the palm of his hand. Z nonchalantly walks over to the man an grabs the pistol from his inner jacket pocket and tosses it away. Incoherent babbling comes from the man.

Z rolls his eyes: "Oh shut~ up!"

Z pulls the knife out getting a howl from the man.

Z waves the knife around: "Make up your mind, do you want the knife in or not!?"

The poor criminal shakes his head violently.

Z twirls around getting a head count: "Anyone else wants to pull anything? Anyone?"

They all stand, cursing under their breath. "We aren't getting anything from them. We should wait for the others."

"Yeah, but killing them can get us info."

"We can't kill, we can still pull more info from the heroes."

"I have an idea."

Z walks back to the yakuza-looking boss: "Hey hotshot, let's make a deal, I will let you go IF you tell me where the man named Frank Delgado is."

A man whispers in his ear and the boss whispers back in their language.

Translator: "My boss says how can we trust a man who put a blade to his throat."

Z: "We got no time to check trust, do you know or not."

The man nods: "Mr. Frank Delgado is held up in a warehouse two blocks down from Ping bank."

Z: "K, you held up your part, now it's mine."

Z lights a flame from his finger, slowly but surely melting the ice around the boss.

Z: "I didn't say I was going to get your translator out too. Figure it out."

Translator: "*In the boss's language* Go without me boss."

After a few seconds of hesitation, the boss runs away into the night. "I better catch up with the heroes or they might get suspicious."

Z heads towards the exit of the docks only to reflexly dodge out of the way of a body getting flung. The heroes are surrounded by the twins that have multiplied into six others. Two supers lay behind K and the others unconscious. No matter how many they strike down with their powers, another comes back in their place. Z leaps to his feet, "Okay he's got to be tired from using that many clones. Which one is the most rundown."

There is one with a bruise on the back of his head, "That got to be the one K knocked out." He was more cautious than the others who were recklessly rushing in. Nicklos seemed to have gotten away from the heroes. 

Z breaks into action, knife in hand as he sweeps the leg and pins the man with his blade. The knife pierces his shoulder getting the attention of the clones. K and co jump on the chance and start using their powers, K acrobatically flies through the air kicking the daylight out of one and vanishing out of thin air into a flying knee that lands straight in the face of another clone laying him out.  A earth super-uproots the ground and swings the block into the back of a clone's head. 

The numbers started dwindling as they focused on taking Z down leaving their backs exposed for a strike. The twin Z was holding down kept striking him, hitting him with all his force, Z dug the blade deeper.

Z grit his teeth: "Piece of shit stay down!"

Z and the twin got into a grappling battle, Zane wrapped his legs around his arm in an armbar and pulled it. His feet held his head at bay as he pulled back the arm to his chest. The man screamed. Zane got on top of him and pummeled into him relentlessly, beating him until he stopped moving. Blood covered his knuckles as the disfigured face drenched in blood couldn't say anything back or struggle against him. Zane sat on him heaving slowly. 

The clones stopped, they turned into mush. 

Zane beat that man into a pulp, Z did nothing but stab the man. Zane let his emotions get the better of him. He was the one who caved this man's face in.

The heroes gathered around Zane, everyone was battered and beaten. 

K put a hand on his shoulder: "You saved us."

Zane is sorrowful for his actions: "I acted on instincts, I never meant to kill him."

K helps him to his feet: "You had no choice."

The crew surrounds him giving him reassurance: "Thank you. If it wasn't for you, we would be dead. Welcome to the team."

K: "You should go home and rest rookie. We will take care of this mess."

Zane expressed doleful emotions: "Okay."

Zane walked away, his feets dripping in blood, "Zane, keep your head up. He was probably a piece of shit anyway."

"Doesn't make it any better that I killed the man without realizing it."

"Keep focused Zane! We have one more thing to take care of."

"Right, Frank."