Sky High After Dark - Cosmic

"You ready?" Sara whispered, knowing they were nearing their destination.

"To go home, yeah."

"You know what I mean," Sara said playfully, slapping his chest.

"Just eager to get this over with," Aron sighed, knowing it was never that simple with anyone in the government.

"I hope I'm not included in that," Sara whispered low.

"No, but I can if you..."

"Don't you dare," Sara hissed low, fighting to keep her serious face on when she knew Aron was only teasing her.

Aron was uneasy with the number of people waiting for their arrival on that platform. He didn't like the look in the man's eyes that had driven the monorail car when he said he would be back once the meeting was over. It seemed to him that he was walking into something worse than what he had just left. Sara's hand on his back kept him from fleeing back into the car when the awaiting group pressed in all around him. It seemed from what he was picking up that the President had switched it all up, and now it was to be televised live, now instead of the simple meeting in the Oval office. Which had also been changed to the Rose Garden.

Chapter Three

Metaville, The Carter home...

"Hey, guys! Aron's on TV!" Aminah shouted when the TV show she had been watching as she nursed Nettie was interrupted. Hearing the scampering of feet in all directions racing towards the den. They knew this wasn't a part of the plan or what Aron had told them once he had landed in DC. "Look, baby, it's Daddy," Aminah spoke in a soft, sweet, motherly voice as she directed Nettie's attention to the TV. She reached out with her small left arm and opened and closed her hand as if to wave to him.

"Did we miss anything?" Tazia asked, sitting down beside her sister with Henry in her lap.

"No, nothing important, I'm recording it anyway," Aminah said, directing her sister's gaze to the light on the TV.

"Look, Henry, doesn't your Daddy look cool up there on the TV," Tazia whispered lovingly down at her son, who nodded along. Her mind flashed back to the night after their orgy with Sara when he explained what he meant before it all had started. How her face was red for days afterward when he did. Every time she would look at him, she would think about how history was repeating itself. Knowing how much of a great husband he would be given what her grandmother would always say about him, she just didn't know it was Aron she was talking about at the time.

"Thank you all for coming today," the President began to speak. Camera flashes went off; the news anchor covering it was softly talking in the background, listing off the backgrounds of those standing behind the man. "I know, lately, it has seemed the world around us has grown harsher in recent years. However, wherever there is darkness, there are those like this man," gesturing to Aron, who stood to his left, "who puts their lives on the line time and time again to keep us and our world safe from those that wish it and us harm. Who've never asked for a penny in return, who've always fought for the moral and righteousness of our society." His hand thumped on the podium three times as the President turned to his left. "So I propose this to Congress. Let us help these brave and selfless people. Let us protect these good-natured citizens who go out of their way to keep us and the world safe..."

"Did you see that?!" Carl asked as he noted the slight movement of Aron's head.

"Veil?!" Aminah and Tazia spoke down to their phone.

"Yes?"

"Are you in contact with Aron, or is he too far away from the base?" Tazia asked with a worried voice. Praying that this wouldn't be anything like the battle in Fides.

"Yes, I am; Void put three small satellites in orbit so he could be in communication with the base from anywhere around the globe."

"Then could you tell us what got Aron's attention?" Aminah inquired; she, too, had the same fear that Tazia had. That was the longest thirty seconds of her life.

"Yes, Aminah." All eyes were on the TV when Veil split the screen, and the mugshot from an Interpol file appeared on the screen. "Bohumil Akulov is a Bulgarian-born national turned genetic terrorist. He's a class 3 Metahuman. His crimes include multiple counts of murder, terrorism, bomb-making, money laundering, and many others. Interpol intelligence tracked him for a few months before they lost him; the last known sighting was entering a building known to be a hangout for a very extreme and very violent group that believes those with the genes for superpowers are the masters of this world and those that do not carry the gene whether it's on or not are to be made slaves to those that do."

"Go," Aminah spoke, looking hard at her sister.

"You sure?" Tazia asked with a pointed look.

"Yes, he needs his team out there," Aminah said, pointing at the TV.

"I promise, I'll bring him home," Tazia said to Vera and Aminah, seeing them both nod when Vera took Henry from her. "We're coming, Aron," she whispered as Neil sped down the tunnel once they all had suited up.

******

The feedback from the microphone screeched as Aron pulled the President away. It only took Sara a second to snap out of it before she found herself shielded by his out stretched coat. Hearing the bullets bouncing on the stage where they fell as he provided cover to get the President to safety.

"Give me a weapon, Void," Sara insisted, knowing she couldn't just do nothing, not when she was at his side.

"It might be a bit heavy for you."

"I don't care," Sara growled.

"Alright," her eyes glanced down as a shape appeared in the lining of his coat, "don't break it; it's older than you and me, both."

"Okay, what's the setting on this thing?" Sara asked as she looked over Aron's laser pistol.

"This isn't Star Trek; there is no setting."

"Right then," Sara muttered before rising and firing off shots to provide cover fire for the Secret Service agents that had got pinned down when the group attacked. She was so in love with that gun. It was almost like she was a kid again and firing off her first laser pistol if it wasn't for the flashes of the muzzles, the shouts, the screams, the cries for help.

"Why do you protect that sniveling coward?! You proved to the world that you're the strongest man alive. Why do you protect these normize? If you join us, you could have everything you could ever dream of!" The screens set around the garden flickered on, showing a masked man ranting about things only a few adhere to.

Aron's trench coat fluttered through the air once the agents got the President to safety. Coming to rest on Sara's shoulders, she was looking at him oddly as he took his original laser pistol from its holster while unlocking the seal on his spare. Which, in truth, was actually a new model to replace his aging ones. Weighing in at fifteen pounds, he had managed to keep it the same size as his old ones. He would have just retrofitted the old ones. Yet, the accelerator coil and the barrel, along with a few other critical parts for the pistol's operation, were all fused into one piece. He simply couldn't swap them out, not without a lot of remodeling on the new parts. It would simply be easier and faster to make new ones.

"Stay behind me," Aron directed as the masked man continued to ramble on.

"Right." Sara nodded firmly.

Spinning around, his HUB was awash in activity as Veil distinguished from enemy and civilian in a fraction of a second. The heat image of the man hiding behind a wall got his attention as that image showed the man was about to fire into a crowd full of tourists that happened to get caught in the middle. The sunlight played along the polished silver tip of his new pistol. Aron watched the power drain on the suit as the accelerator charged as he brought up his hand. A brilliant flash of red; streaked out as it raced down its chamber. Gaining strength as it bounced around repeatedly in the amplifier. Passing through the spinning focusing lens giving the laser a twist to it. Which in turn made shooting through solid stone walls easier. Their screams filled the air as the man dropped dead at their feet with a rather surprised look on his face before they took off running now that they were free.

It didn't take Aron and Sara long to secure the Rose Garden once they were free to do so. Nevertheless, the battle wasn't over as the terrorist changed their target given how Aron was in the way. "Can you keep up in that?" Aron asked, knowing he was going to have to leap to keep ahead of them.

"Of course, you're carrying me after all," Sara retorted with a coy smile. She wasn't about to let him go alone. "We'll handle the terrorists, you see to the President's safety," she said, looking at the Secret Service agents that hadn't been wounded in that surprise attack. Patting Aron's shoulder at his grumble once he had squatted down so she could climb onto his back. Not realizing that the whole episode was still being broadcast to the whole world. As the citizens of the world watched as Aron leaped into the sky. A new era was just on the brink of being born.

******

"God, I hate doing that," Tazia groaned once they had come out of Null space two miles above DC.

"Yeah, it's strange for sure," Neil agreed.

"Nah, that was about the same as breaking the light barrier," Carl cut in, brushing his siblings off when he looked for Aron's signal.

"Aron, Aron, can you read me?" Chery spoke into their communicator.

"Was wondering when you all would show up. Do you have my beacon?"

"Of course, we do," Tazia said, growing red in the face at the fact that Aron knew her so well he knew she would come for him.

"Good, I'm uploading something. I want you all to observe from the air but don't engage yet."

"Why not?" Chery asked, not used to being ordered about.

"We have them surrounded at the moment. But these are the small fry. We're hoping one of them would be stupid enough to send a signal out to their leader, and we'll use that to pinpoint their leaders' location; hopefully, they haven't sprouted out yet," Sara joined in after linking her Bluetooth earpiece to his communicator.

"Okay, but why aren't you joining us?" Chery asked, a little miffed that she wouldn't be able to spend their first mission together.

"The place is packed full of metahumans; these people aren't prepared to go toe to toe against that. But oddly, they aren't stupid either, at least not with me around. So I'm sticking around to act as a deterrent to keep the more stupider ones from doing something foolish. That's why I need you all to check out that ship I just uploaded to your interface."

"Okay, what or who do you think is on it?" Neil asked, being the voice of reason.

"Their leader, but it could just be another ghost they put up to throw us off, so be discrete in going in. If he is there, then take him down."

"I'll have a team standing by ready to go in and provide backup should he be there," Sara said, adding on to what Aron had just said.

"Alright, we won't let you down, Aron," Chery said as Neil turned their jet car towards the corrodents for Aron's mysterious ship. "We'll be in touch once we're near."

"Understood. Be safe." All eyes turned towards Tazia when Aron said that. A wide smile appeared on Chery's lips when Tazia had to hide how red her cheeks were when she knew his last words were meant for her.

"I'm going to kill that boy," Tazia grumbled; never in all her life has she ever been this prone to blushing by anyone.

"So cute, my little sis has a crush on her nephew," Chery teased, getting a chuckle from her brothers.

"Shut up," Tazia huffed, crossing her arms. Which only got more amusement from her elder brothers as they flew on.

******

Aron stood behind the FBI vehicles that had been called onto the case since the NSA can't operate on US soil. The red and blue flashing lights bathed the area of the commercial side of the port the terrorist had made their last stronghold at. His eyes ran over the thermal images of the hostages they had taken beforehand. It would seem they had this all planned out before they set the attack into motion.

"How many can you see?" Sara asked once she stepped up to his side.

"Twenty, they're keeping them pretty tightly packed," Aron answered, turning his head to look at her.

******

Metaville, The Carter home...

"If you're just tuning in, late this morning, in the Rose Garden, an armed group of terrorists stormed the area. The President was fired at, but luckily for him, Void, as this reporter has come to find he is called, was there in attendance. This new upcoming hero was the one that shielded the President until the Secret Service agents got the President out of harm's way. Then as you can see, this newcomer wasted no time taking out the armed terrorists. I know many of us watched what had happened in Fides. So that is why I contacted the hosts of Metaville Today so that we can get a handle on this..." The few seconds it took to secure the area played out showing the world just how many villains Aron had put in the ground that day, "hero, will do next, as we wait here as the FBI tries to negotiate for the hostages' freedom. Thank you, ladies, for joining me on air."

"Honey, relax, we have to trust in Aron," Noah said, laying his hand lightly on his wife's arm as they all were glued to the TV as the events in DC played out.

"But he didn't even shoot to maim?!" Vera exclaimed. They all were shocked as they watched Aron just cut those there down low without any hesitation.

"Mom, I know, I'm shocked too; Aron didn't have a choice. It was either shoot or watch those people die. Just because I can understand why he did it doesn't mean I have to like it," Isabel said, shutting her mother down when she started to speak.

"Fine, but that doesn't mean I'm happy about it," Vera said, knowing this would forever end her dream of making the world see her son as the hero she sees him as.

"Thank you for having us, Philip."

"Beth, tell us about your thoughts after seeing this hero do that not a half an hours drive from here?" Philip asked, trying to get Beth on the defensive.

"Well... Philip, as you know, if you did any kind of homework on Void, then you would know he isn't like normal heroes you see flying about," Beth said, stubbing out Philip's arrogant tone before it could rear its head. "As for what happened in the Rose Garden, it indeed shocked us."

"Mmmhmm," her co-host hummed.

"However, you have to look at what was happening at that moment. The President was under fire, three agents were gunned down at the beginning. Scores of innocent people were either hurt or killed when those fiends stormed into that garden."

"Beth, you sound like you're defending the actions of this so-called hero," Philip stated, not hiding his disdain for Aron any longer.

"Settle down, honey," Noah said, taking hold of Vera to save their TV.

"Of course, I am! He's Metaville's hero; he's our Void. You may not like how he operates, yet you can not deny that those people would have died if he did not act. So you come on here, trying to spin the events that are still fresh, still raw in people's minds, and twist them from the truth. Void only used lethal force to keep the innocent safe. Anyone who watched what happened knows that."

"But how can you justify calling him a hero?"

"Simple, he isn't one, or that's what he would say from the sources I have at the headquarters for the reformed Sovereign Crusaders when he was there working undercover to bring the founder's crimes to light. Maybe this is the kind of hero we need right now. Just look around the world and see how many crime bosses, supervillains, or leagues have sprung up around the globe. There is a time and place for the normal type of hero, then there are times like today, where someone has to make that choice. Do I take a life to save a life? I know those in attendance, a few of them friends of mine, are damn happy that Void made that choice."

"Philip, let me ask you, would you rather Void just stood there and let those innocent people be slaughtered?" her co-host asked, putting Philip on the defensive.

"No, I never said that," Philip replied, growing red under the collar.

"You know he doesn't have super speed, so he can't be everywhere at once, you know. What would you have him do then, subdue them with his fist? How many more people would die if he had done that?"

Suddenly the feed was switched back to their studio. Explaining there was some technical difficulty on the crew's end in DC. In reality, everyone knew who was watching that day and the many more to come; it was because, in essence, Philip ran away. He would later say the FBI had put up a signal jammer that was the cause of the interruption, but everyone knew. It wasn't long until a special web edition of the Metaville Today show was broadcast on their website. The massive turnout from their social media following shut down their site not once but four times with the number of people trying to get on to watch their explosive defense of their hometown hero. Which had been taped and later rebroadcasted late that night due to its popularity. It was a very hot debate even through the wee hours of the morning as the second day of the stand-off began.

******

"Breaking?! This just in, the standoff in Alexandria, Virginia between the FBI, NSA, and Homeland Security and the members of the extremist group 2457, whose numbers signate the genome thought responsible for the mutation of superpowers, has come to a conclusion in the very early hours of the morning. When the leader of this terrorist group was apprehended by the members of The Dark Marauders, who identified themselves as members of the group, this recent star of a hero leads.

However, the hostages' safety was still in danger while his team raided the villain's floating hideout. The news crews that were there were asked to distance themselves from the scene as they prepared to storm the warehouse. Nevertheless, one of our more gung-ho cameramen that works for our affiliate in DC captured this... I warn you now, viewers, what you're about to see is indeed graphic and violent. So please view at your own discretion." The rest of the Carter family sat there at their kitchen table, watching the exploits of their son, brother, and extended family members in action.

"Hey, guys! I have your leader; why don't you come out, and we can settle this like reasonable adults." They all listened as the camera peered through the branches. They could only make out Aron and Tazia with her metallic skin activated. Vera noticed how Aminah took hold of Henry's hand, a fear centered in her eyes. She knew what happened in Fides still haunts her. Reaching over, Vera hugged her sister to her as they watched on. "I got to say, from what I'm told from what they found in your leader's cabin. It wasn't pretty. They tell me it was covered from wall to ceiling of naked pictures of normal, powerless men. Kind of weird for the leader of a genetics superiority group to have about. Not the naked men, no, that's fine, but the normal humans?!"

Squeezing her sister's shoulder when she noted Aminah's smile. Even she could see that Aron had just ended the man's influence on the group permanently. Even if it was a lie, which Vera highly suspected it was, even then, doubt had formed in their group. She wondered if her son was smiling beneath that mask of his; as a woman gifted with giantism burst through the front wall of the warehouse. Her free hand moved in time with the blow she sort of saw; given the vantage point of the camera, he landed high on the woman's leg to drop her to a knee, just like she had taught him when fighting someone with that power. Her fist was clenched as she watched how Aron bounded off the woman's right knee and off her left; his jet boots gave him an extra boost when his fist landed squarely on the woman's jaw knocking her out cold.