Sky High After Dark - Cosmic

******

"Welcome back; as you know, just moments ago, a hostage situation emerged. The mastermind behind it all is none other than the notorious metahuman Iron Sarge who called out Void our..." Beth screamed as a body came flying across her desk. "What the hell was that?!" she screeched, noting the three gaping holes in the walls and clear blue sky at the other end. Which she knew was impossible due to the tint on the glass.

"It's a body. But how did it...?" The cameraman said as he zoomed in on Aron's body.

"Guys is that who I think it is?" One of the interns asked as she noticed his outfit as the dust settled.

"Ah." His gravelly voice filled them with dread as it drew near. "Excellent," Iron Sarge spoke, looking around for his prey. "I don't have to carry your sorry carcass back with me; your death on national TV will do just fine. Don't you point that thing anywhere else other than that man; if you move it one inch, I'll kill you, too. Do what you're told, and you'll live. I'm not here to kill you, just this half-dead hero. Isn't that right, hero?!" he said with sadistic glee as he kicked Aron in his side, sending him flying through the studio wall.

Aron was jolted back to the land of the living. His eyes going each and every way as his HUD was going haywire as the damage reports came in. He knew Veil was safe even if his suit wasn't. Tapping his forearm to bring up the master control panel for his suit. Then the screen went black as his system rebooted.

"Well, aren't you just pathetic. I thought you were supposed to be some big badass. I have no idea why The Collector wants someone like you dead when you..." Taking a step back as Aron sat up.

"Don't you ever shut up? I was having a rather good dream until that sound, if you can call it a sound, me personally having heard enough of your rantings to know its nothing but horseshit with a whip cream topping..." Aron grinned as the man lunged forward. Quick as a snake, standing on his left hand, striking out in two quick kicks. The concussive force behind each blow shook the entire building. "I do thank you, now I know who is behind all this," Aron said, straightening out his coat once he got to his feet. "Veil?"

"Yes, Void?"

"Sadistic mode."

"Understood."

"As you can hear, there is definitely a brawl happening in our very studio as we speak here in the Twin Penny Towers. Viewers what you are hearing and the shaking all around us is due to the blows of their fists alone. I dare not look; I can only hope and..." Iron Sarge's body flew through the damaged wall silencing Beth's words. "On them, not me," Beth whispered heatedly.

As the camera centered itself on Aron, he was ducking the flying desk that was aimed at his head. "What's wrong, Sarge? You were gloating just a minute earlier," Aron uttered. The two jabs to Iron Sarge's midsection stunned the man. Feeling a few of his teeth cracking along with his jaw when his uppercut landed. "Aw, over so soon, shame, they just don't make villains like they used to," Aron mused as Iron Sarge's now unconscious body dropped like a sack of potatoes. "None of you are hurt, are you?" Aron's voice grew still as three cameras were on him. "Fuck me?!" Aron cursed to himself. Quickly switching on his voice dampeners. "Veil?! Pick up, now!"

"Understood, Void. T-minus two minutes."

"Void?!" Tazia's concerned voice came over the line. "Baby, talk to me."

"I'm fine, suits damaged, Iron Sarge is down, how are the hostages?" Aron asked, bending down and grabbing the man by the front of his costume.

"Safe and Carl disarmed the bombs without his men even knowing it. It seems they were so sure of that man's victory they didn't even bother to stay in the same room with them."

"Okay, head back; I'll drop off our prisoner after I have a word with him," Aron said before cutting his link.

"Void?" Beth shouted out when Aron neared the hole he first came through. "What are your thoughts on those that see you as a villain for what happened in DC?" she asked, praying that he would answer.

"What they failed to realize is how many were you willing to let die that day? The heroes won't answer because they think they can save everyone. Nothing wrong with that, just not practical. Ask yourself how much innocent blood are you willing to have on your hands if we did it their way. Everyone I took out already had a rap sheet as long as I am tall from murder, rape, and everything in-between. You condemn me for killing villains when they had already earned the death sentence many times over when dozens of more innocent people would have been harmed or killed that day. Those in the Rose Garden weren't the only ones in danger that day. A group of tourists was caught in the middle on the other side of the wall where one of their soldiers was preparing to fire into their group. If I had not acted, the lives of twenty-five people would not be here today. But I'm not a hero, nor am I a villain. They might think that, but that's fine. It doesn't matter; I do what's needed to be done, even if the world thinks I'm a villain," he said before stepping through the hole in the wall.

"Void a few more..." Beth's jaw dropped as she watched as Aron simply stepped out of the window and into the unknown.

******

"What the fuck?!" Iron Sarge shouted as he stared down at the naked rebar pointed up at him as he hung upside down. "What the fuck are you..." His body jerked and spasmed when Aron shot a taser dart into his chest. "Fuck you!" Iron Sarge spat as Aron roughly removed the dart from his chest once he came to again. Yelping in fear as he fell a few inches. Curling his chest, peering up at his feet. His eyes widened when no rope or wire was holding him suspended. No. Wires were involved, but a saucer-sized disk hovering six inches above his feet was truly holding him suspended.

"Do I have your attention now?" Aron asked before sending the man into a little spin as he walked along the steel beam of the new high rise that was being built. "Iron Sarge aka Sergeant Major Michael Reynolds joined the Army at the age of eighteen, worked your way up the ranks to Sergeant Major. Underwent a government experiment to turn yourself into one of the first members of their own superpower special forces team. Which you underwent willingly. Obviously, it worked, given how those blows had a force of ten tons. But after receiving the gene therapy, you turned on the staff and your future team members. Going on the run and becoming a soldier of fortune where you committed one war crime after war crime, and other murders around the globe."

"So I like to get around, so what?! That's not a crime, and you can't prove I was even there," Iron Sarge blustered.

"Who says I have to prove anything to anyone? Do you see any witnesses here?" Aron asked, squatting down and taking Iron Sarge by his hair and pulling him towards him. "You're only alive because of one reason, fuck with me, dick me around, and I will drop you, information or not."'

"Yeah, right..." A sadistic smile appeared on Aron's face as he switched off the antigrav engine and listened to Iron Sarge's scream of terror as he fell fifty stories to the ground below. Aron was amusing himself with a game of Bejeweled and the sounds of the man's holy screams of horror. He had already pre-programed the engine to come back on when it reached ten feet from the surface.

"Veil?"

"Yes, Void?"

"Contact Sara," Aron directed, listening as the ringtone played in his ears.

"Void? What can I help you with?"

"I take it you're at the office?"

"Affirmative."

"How would you like to get your hands on the villain called Iron Sarge?" Aron asked, knowing it was killing her not to say what she really wanted.

"I'd consider it as an early Christmas present. Why? Do you have him in your custody?"

"I do."

"Do you need a prisoner transport?" The corner of his lip lifted at how excited she sounded.

"Yeah, if you want to take custody of him while he's still in one piece," Aron said, looking down when the disk rose above his feet.

"Roger. What's your location?"

Aron peered down at his arm. Running his finger down the sleeve to power on the holographic projector to display the control panel. "Sending you the coordinates now."

"We can be there in ten minutes."

"Good. We can discuss the fundamentals of gravity while we wait," Aron joked.

"We'll see you soon."

"Now, where were we?" Sighing when the man just wouldn't stop screaming. So Aron had to dart him once again. "Believe me now?"

"What do you want?!" Iron Sarge asked, knowing a killer when he saw one. It was evident when the man wasted no time pressing some button and sending him plummeting to his spiky death.

"Everything you know about The Collector," Aron commanded.

"Listen, I never met the man; I was contacted over the net paid half up front to kill you. That's all I know. I wasn't about to pass up the chance to be the one that killed the man that took down Maximins."

"And how did that work out for you? Give me the bank account and routing number," Aron ordered, arching an eyebrow when the man gave that up rather too quickly.

Seven and a half minutes later, three large black SUVs and an armored transport crowded the dirt foundations that would be the grand water garden for the complex. The moment the neutralizer locked into place around Iron Sarge's neck Aron released his hold on the man. Holding the man's wrists with one hand while unlocking his own cuffs, and watched as one of Sara's men replaced it with a set of their own.

"Well, Void, you do look a little worse for wear," Sara said when she stepped up to him.

"Yeah, I can now officially say this suit is bunker-buster bomb rated," Aron chuckled at his own joke.

"You weren't hurt, were you?" Sara inquired, trying not to let her concern touch her voice.

"No, just the suit; I need you to do something for me," Aron said, holding out a Microdrive that her agency uses.

"What's this?" Sara asked, taking the drive from him.

"A bank account, that's as far as I could get without breaking too many laws, so I need you to see where you can take it on your end."

"Okay, but who is the bank account for? I just can't go running a search like this without knowing more," Sara spoke, pocketing the drive.

"The Collector."

"Oh? I understand; I'll get my team on it the moment I get back from the federal intake. I'll let you know the moment I know something. Void?" Gesturing to a more quieter area for them to speak. "I was wondering if you would come to the Hub in say two hours. The Director wants to speak with you in private."

"Sure. Gives me time to play with the kids."

"This 'play' does it involve a brunette?" Sara asked, referring to Jill, who she was very surprised to meet. Wondering just what Aron had been up to since they last saw one another.

"No, not enough time for that," Aron said, smiling beneath his mask.

"Some reason I have trouble believing that," Sara teased. "I'll see you soon," she whispered low.

******

Blowing out a breath as he eased off the jet bike once he had powered it down. Reaching up and pulling off his mask as he headed towards the changing room.

"Where is he?" Tazia's voice had an accusatory tone to it.

"Where do you think he is?" Aron asked, turning around to face her.

"I don't know, I would say jail, but I don't know with you," Tazia stated, crossing her arms.

"You really think that low of me?" Aron inquired, arching an eyebrow. "If you do, maybe you should move into Henry's room." Watching her eyes widen at the realization of what he just said. "This is who I am; if you can't get behind that, then maybe you should find someone else to be with."

"Aron, that's not what I meant," Tazia said, trying to walk it all back.

"Maybe you should figure out what you mean before you say it. Now, where's Henry? I don't have much time."

"Chery's watching the both of them upstairs. Please, Aron, that's not what I meant, don't leave mad," Tazia said, reaching out and taking hold of Aron's hand.

"What more do we have to say on the subject, Tazia?"

"I promise I won't bring it up again. I'm just worried about you, can't you see that?" Tazia asked with quivering eyes. "I don't want you to do something that will take you away from Henry and me. Haven't you realized yet, I'm in love with you? I'm only doing what a person in love would do, look after the one that has her heart. You can't be mad because I want you safe. That I want you here with us. To watch as our little boy grows into a man." Lightly resting her hand on Aron's chest as she stepped up to him. "You can't be mad about that, can you?"

"Your execution could use some work," Aron said plainly.

"I know, but I only do this out of love," Tazia said, staring into his eyes as her thumb brushed along the back of Aron's hand. "I'm sorry, can you forgive me?"

"Maybe."

Her lips curved into a smile, knowing what that meant. "Okay, I can take maybe," Tazia said before kissing her nephew. "So why don't you have much time?" she asked, watching him change out of his suit into a new one.

"Have to go back out, have to meet someone," Aron said cryptically.

"And just who is this someone?" Tazia intoned, resting her head against the doorframe.

"The Director of the NSA."

"Oh? Aiming high with the brown-nosing," Tazia teased, which got a snort out of Aron. "So why are you meeting the Director?"

"Have no clue; I was just asked to meet him. Not what it was about," Aron said as his fresh shirt slid down his chest.

"But you're just meeting him, no new missions, right?"

"That's right."

"Good, now you go see Henry and Nettie; I'll put this in the booth," Tazia said, bending down and scooping up his damaged suit. "Aron?" Stopping in the doorway, keeping her back to Aron.

"Hmm."

"I said I loved you; you're supposed to say it back," Tazia said, peering over her left shoulder.

"I know, but I'm mad at you."

"Oh, but you'll say it later, won't you?" Tazia asked bashfully, bowing her head.

"Mmmhmm."

"Then I can wait."

"Hey," Aron called out when she was halfway around the corner.

"Yes, Aron?"

"Love you," Aron spoke. He never said how much later. Watching Tazia's cheeks growing red rapidly as his words settled on her shoulders.

"I love you too, Aron," Tazia uttered low before heading off to the lab.

******

"There he is?!" Aron said, smiling down at his son as Henry smiled happily up at him when he saw him. "Have you been good for your Auntie?" he asked to which Henry shook his head. "No? Well, then I know what that calls for?!" Henry's laughter filled the den as Aron planted a raspberry upon his son's stomach. Running his fingers through his son's hair once he had sat him down.

"Hello, Dad, I do hope all your children get such a greeting," Jill cooed from the couch with Nettie in her arms as she watched her siblings while Chery went to the restroom. Leaning into him when he lowered himself down onto the couch beside her.

"Hello, Jill."

"Welcome home," Jill said in a light, alluring tone. Leaning in and giving her father her customary welcome home kiss. "Nettie missed you too; we are so going to be thick as thieves, oh yes we are?!" Watching Nettie wiggle in her arms as Nettie spoke into her mind. "I missed you," Jill whispered into Aron's ear. "Why are you still in your suit?" she asked, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Have to go back out, came home to play with the kids," Aron said, noting how she was smiling from the corner of his eye.

"Oh?"

"Not that kind of play, you perv," Aron said, getting a chuckle out of Jill.

"But it won't be long, will it?"

"I don't think so, maybe an hour."

"Good, there's a movie on tonight, and Isabel said I should watch it with you," Jill said in a loving tone.

"You sure taking movie recommendations from my sister is a good thing?" Aron said as he played with Nettie.

"And just what is wrong with the movies I watch?" Isabel asked from behind him.

"Oh nothing, that is if you discount all the belly bulging porn," Aron said, teasing his sister.

"That's a good one," Isabel chuckled, leaning over the back of the couch wrapping her arms around his neck. "In five days, do not plan anything. Do not plan on going anywhere for twenty-four hours. Can you promise me?"

"Alright," Aron said lightly, patting Isabel's wrist.

"Aron? Do... why are you still in your costume?" Aminah asked, walking into the den from the kitchen wearing her apron as it was her turn to help make dinner.

"Have to go back out."

"Aron? You just got home; you can't possibly have a new mission in such a short time," Aminah huffed.

"I'm just meeting someone. An hour max."

"It better be; you better not miss family night; Jill's looking forward to that movie, don't disappoint our daughter," Aminah said in a motherly voice. Ever since Jill has been awake, they've founded a strange mother-daughter bond. Not that she would ever complain; Jill needed it, and she wasn't going to fail her aunt. Plus, seeing how it was unspoken, everyone knew she and Tazia were more like wives to Aron than aunts.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Squeezing Jill's thigh lightly when he looked at her, who simply smiled at him.

"Good," her fingertips were light on his cheek as she bent down and kissed the man she was in love with, "do you want to eat now? We're keeping everything warm while the cobbler bakes."

"Yeah, don't want to disrupt family night."

******

Metaville, NSA Hub, rooftop

"Thank you for coming, Void," Sara said, greeting Aron. The wind gently lifted her brown hair. "Please, this way." Like always, once they were in the stairwell, she pounced. "I've missed you so much, Aron. Please say you'll come over soon?" Biting her lip as she felt his hands on her ass.

"Why not come with me when this is done. It is family night."

"It is?!" Sara mused with wide eyes, remembering what happened the last time. "Yes, I should be there with my family," she whispered beneath her breath before embracing Aron's lips again.

"Please, forgive the activity; we've had a large break in another case we're working on," Sara said when she led him into the command center.

"Any luck with that bank account?" Aron asked, stepping out of the way as a junior agent; he could only assume he was a new transfer seeing how he's never seen him there before. Noting how the man did a double-take when he looked back at him.

"It's taking longer than I thought it would to track it back to its source, but whomever The Collector is bounced the transfer all over the globe four dozen times before sending it to Iron Sarge. But we will just give us more time," Sara said, peering over her shoulder as she led him towards the SCIF.

"I'm running down other leads anyway," Aron uttered offhandedly.

"I heard; I hope when you do zero in on him, we'll be the first ones to know," Sara spoke, holding the door open for him.

"I'll make a note of it," Aron said as he entered.

"Just give it a minute to link up," Sara stated as they waited for the personnel to patch them through to the General.

"Good evening, Agent Honeybell, Void. Thank you for coming. I'll keep this as brief as possible, given your feats today. I also like to extend my gratitude towards you; Iron Sarge's capture has been a pet project of mine since being appointed to this office. Now, as to the reason I called you here," leaning forward, interlocking his fingers, and staring into his camera looking right at Aron, "you have proven time and time again that you are someone that gets things done. In lieu of the events in DC and upon hearing that you work with us when Agent Honeybell calls you in and that you've formed a team with the ex-European members who were a part of an international operation. The President has authorized me to create a clandestine group known only to the President, myself, Agent Honeybell, and the agents of the Metaville Hub. You will have our backing and authorization to use what means you deem necessary to bring the target in if you agree to this assignment."