Prelude to a Hero: Part One

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Prelude to a Hero: Part One

Silver Paladin
"How many emergencies a year can BADGE face down?" Chaz asked Catalyst. "I mean, Pearl shards, Lord Dragon, The Jinn, Skelanimal, the big Clean Up in Bursa, now this, the Quest in the Midwest."

Catalyst piloted the BADGE shuttle from the Dairy Queen north of Fort Knox to the city of Louisville. "I think you like that name you came up with a bit too much."

"What? No," Chaz said. "It's perfect. Catchy, easy to remember. Sounds better than Ruby Shard Collection Duty."

"That more accurate."

"Everyone is a critic these days." Chaz looked out the window as they traveled above the Dixie Highway. "I've never been to Louisville before. Where are we going exactly?"

"Downtown Louisville. There was a report of something striking the roof of the Royal Arms Museum." Catalyst punched some buttons on the on-board computer. A street-level display showed a series of tall, three- to four-story buildings. He pointed at two connected museum buildings. "Here. Timing in in line with the explosion."

"Royal Arms, that sounds awfully British," Chaz wiggled his head up, taking on an imperious pose, and tilted up his nose. "Pip, pip, cheerio, my good chap."

"I like British things. Good television." Catalyst touched the screen and brought up a website for the Royal Arms Museum. "They have displays from England, history of medieval weapons, firearms, and armors. History of knights."

"You've wanted to go there for a while," Chaz said as he gave Catalyst a sly stare. "I can tell. You're using this Quest in the Midwest as an excuse to be a tourist."

"No." Catalyst shook his head and then broke out into one of his wide smiles. "But I will have to search the building thoroughly. To be sure no shard is there."

"I never thought I would see the day. The squeaky clean Alan Marcus has an ulterior motive." Chaz leaned over and punched his companion softly on the shoulder. "Good for you."

The shuttle landed on the roof of the Royal Arms building. A security officer stood at a door leading into a small covered stairwell, greeting the two men as the exit.

"I take it you are here with BADGE?" The young, blond officer asked.

"Nothing gets past you, does it?" Chaz smiled at her with a disarming eyebrow raise.

"Clearly, your shuttle does say BADGE on it, but it never hurts to verify," she replied. "Plus, there are a few others already inside looking for some piece of rock or something."

"Please, don't let it be her. Please, don't let it be her." Chaz placed his hands together as he pleaded with the universe not to have his reporter arch-rival present.

"Nope. Both men." The guard chuckled. She waved Chaz and Catalyst into the building. As Chaz walked past her, she leaned in a bit closer. "I like the way you beg. Look me up when your done, sugar."

He did a double-take, looking at her with curiosity and a smidgen of fear. As he descended into the building, he looked back up at her over his shoulder. "We'll see."

Catalyst was already staring at the ceiling of the building when Chaz made it off the last step.

"Look there." Catalyst pointed at a faint pinprick of light. "You can see where came through."

"I guess the question is where did it go after that?" Chaz searched the surrounding floor. "I don't see it here."

Catalyst paced around a bit, looking at the hole from different angles. "Fort Knox that way. The trajectory should put it in this part." He knelt and inspected a cardboard box with a hole in it, moved it aside, and pointed at a hole leading down onto a lower floor. "Kept going."

"Dang it. Through a roof and a floor, both!" Chaz's eyes went wide. "Pretty powerful. I hope it didn't hit anyone when it went through. It'd be worse than getting hit with a bullet."

"Dense material. Most would break, but ruby shards very, very tough." Catalyst pushed a finger into the hole, then took out a small, pen-like device and stuck it through. He angled it in a line with the hole in the ceiling. "Make it easier to see where it might have hit next.

"You're always thinking there, aren't you? Doesn't your head get tired?" Chaz studied his companion with a bit of wonder.

"Yes," Catalyst said. "Then I take a nap or go to bed. I solve many problems in my dreams, but when I wake up, I forget what I did. Maybe I need to make a dream recorder?"

"When I sleep, I only want my sleep." Chaz said as they made their way down another flight of stairs. "I don't mind a good dream, but I'm not a fan. Can't get anything done while you're asleep."

The two of them continued to talk as the kept searching.

(to be continued)
Silver Paladin
ID: 22349
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Re: Prelude to a Hero: Part One

Krystal Fae (Acidburn)
Administrator
"You consider me a RIVAL, Chaz... That's cute... I see our relationship a bit differently... you're more like a slightly annoying younger brother... though that's just a guess, as I was an only child...", said Krystal's mental voice.

Meanwhile, Catalyst (Alan) was fiddling with a setting on his wrist comm.

"According to GPS transponder, she currently in Nashville... You know, Chaz, she really not that bad... you must remind her of someone or something...", he said.

ID# 10962
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Re: Prelude to a Hero: Part Two

Silver Paladin
In reply to this post by Silver Paladin
Armor and swords from many different ages lined the walls, encased in glass display cases. Gleaming, polished metal shone from each remnant of a past age. The room itself had a small central area for live demonstrations surrounded by benches for observation. Everything in the room was noteworthy, but one item called out more than any other.

In the far corner by the exterior wall of the front of the building, sunlight struck a three-piece full body mirror. The type where a wealthy noble could inspect all the grandeur of his garb before being seen before the masses. The light reflecting off the mirrors bore a pale red hue. Catalyst pointed at the mirrors and a second small, yet powerful, beam of light emitting onto them from his device crammed into the hole of the ceiling above. "It should have come down over there somewhere."

A voice snapped at them from the opposite side of the room. "Greetings, BADGE cretins!"

Catalyst and Chaz turned to look behind them. A villain known in the area, Doctor Morphon, and two members of his henchmen team, The Evil League of Really Evil, had entered the display room from a different corridor.

Catalyst pushed an arm to Chaz's chest and guided him back with his best soccer-mom move. "So we meet, Dr. Morphon. I think I'll revoke your PhD today."

"Hardly, Mr. Marcus," Doctor Morphon said. He wore a long grey labcoat and thick, optical goggles. Long chemist's rubber gloves completed his outfit, while his evil lackeys sported black body armor, guns of some high-tech variety, and latex horse-head masks. "I think I'll be sending you to meet your parents for a long overdue reunion."

"I've already called for back-up, thanks to my mother's ingenuity." Catalyst tapped behind his ear. He pointed in the direction of the two lackeys and invoked his Catalyst Effect, but rather than enhancing the electrical systems of the henchmen's weapons, he reversed their efficiency to that of a plastic toy. "If you want to fight until they get here, let's keep your friends out of this. We can battle scientist to scientist."

"Oh, where's the fun in that?" Dr. Morphon waved for his henchmen to step forward. The guns are Plan B." He brought his hands into the air and a cascade of green energy encompassed the two goons. "This is Plan A."

The men jerked and shook for a moment under the green light. On burst into flames as the glasses on the other one shattered and the eyes behind them glowed yellow.

Chaz backed away, keeping the support beams between him and the others. I can't do much in a firefight. I can't do much to help Catalyst, but I can find that shard and keep it away from Dr. Morphon.

Catalyst enacted a series of buttons on his wrist computer. A shimmering force field enveloped his body as a blast of yellow light flowed out from the face of the one henchmen.

The other henchman moved closer to the wall and tried to flank Catalyst. He ran a finger along the wooden display case, igniting it in a burst of flame.

Catalyst kept his defensive position, blocking the advancing henchmen from a line of sight to Chaz. He pulled out an old-school ray gun from a belt at his side. He fired at the burning opponent, who dodged the blast. A cabinet struck by the rings generated by the weapon shrank to half its size.

While Catalyst was focused on targeting the one henchman, the other one fired a stray yellow blast at Chaz. A chunk of wood behind Chaz blew apart as he ducked. A heavy sulfurous stench drifted downward.

"Whoa," Chaz uttered. He pulled at his sleeve and revealed a fancy wristwatch and bracelet which wrapped around a piece of crystal. He touched the stone and a prismatic bubble appeared around him. I'd better use this. Thank you, Krystal.

Catalyst struck the fiery opponent with his Shrink Ray. The henchmen reduced in size to that of a two-year old.

"You bastard," said the diminutive voice of the tiny man with a hobby-horse head.

Dr. Morphon looked at the henchman. "Defeat isn't an option." He emitted a second cascade of brighter energy at the child-sized villain.

Shaking more violently this time, the foe sprouted dragonfly wings from his back and took to the air with them.

Sprinklers in the ceiling began to rain water on the room as an alarm began to chime.

Chaz rushed over to the mirrors and looked cautiously for the ruby shard. His reflection in the three panels was slightly disconcerting, as if in a partial mirror maze. He could see the sets of armor caught in the glass behind him, as well as Catalyst fighting with the three assailants.

Focusing where Catalyst's light beam fell, Chaz spotted the ruby shard. It had pierced the glass and was now stuck in the silvered mirror. The light shining into the gem created the red coloration in the images of the glass, which was now covered in a thin layer of water drizzling on its surface from the sprinklers.

Knowing how sensitive Catalyst's hearing was, he whispered into the air. "I've found the shard."

Catalyst didn't reply. He continued to fight against the two henchmen. The flying one threw small balls of fire at Catalyst's shield from above as he continued to dodge Catalyst's blasts from his Shrink Ray. The one with Laser Eyes fired at Catalyst, catching him on the shoulder.

I should be helping him. Chaz couldn't help but feel shame as he cowered near the shard out of the line of battle. With all the armor and swords in display cases, his lack of honor stung his pride. If he had powers or skill like a knight, he would do more to help his friend. I know I shouldn't touch it, but I can at least get the shard out of here. Maybe I can use it to draw one of the henchmen away.

Turning to face the shard, Chaz could see his face three times over in the panes. He reached down and tried to pull the tiny shard out of the glass. His fingers began to bleed as the sharp edges of the shard bit into his flesh.

"Hands off the prize, gnat," Dr. Morphon shouted.

Chaz turned his head to see the villain ball his hands together and a jet of green flowed out of them, heading for the mirrors. Bracing his hand with the crystal bracelet before him, Chaz prayed Krystal's shield would be enough to protect him.

It wasn't.

The green spray struck the shield and burned its way through onto Chaz, knocking him backwards into the tall piece of furniture. Chaz felt a sharp stab as the shard dug into his spine as he fell into it. The crystal and his watch burned at his flesh with the pulse of Dr. Morphon's energy blast.

"AAAGGHHH," Chaz shouted as he collapsed, his thoughts on how if he were a hero, he could have done so much more. A bright silver light shone around him for an instant as he drifted into unconsciousness.

*****

Catalyst looked over his shoulder, worried about Chaz after he saw Dr. Morphon fire in his direction and Chaz's scream. He diverted his Catalyst Effect to his shield, enhancing its strength and widening it to block the half of the room he and Chaz occupied from the three invaders.

A bright silver light glowed within the area of the mirrors. It faded quickly, revealing Chaz standing there with an intense look on his face. He looked from side to side, his eyes falling on a highly polished set of armor. His hand came up and the armor smashed off its stand and through the glass to Chaz's body. The metal transformed into a mercurial substance and flowed over Chaz's body and formed a silver film over him and his clothing.

"Chaz?" So far as Catalyst knew, Chaz had no powers. In fact, Chaz often talked about how unfair it was that some people had them while he didn't. A blast from the man with glowing yellow eyes shattered Catalyst's shield, drawing his attention back to the other direction.

"What did you do to him?" Catalyst yelled.

Dr. Morphon's pulse began to race with the question. "I didn't cause that. My shot was meant to kill. Just like this one! E.L.R.E., focus fire on Catalyst."

The three villains all faced Catalyst and fired at him, with green sprays, yellow, lasers, and fire. As Catalyst tried to re-engage his shield, a Prysmatic Shield enveloped him as a silver sheathed combatant stood walked up from him.

Chaz, now covered in a reflective suit of high-tech armor with nods to a knightly design, including a helmet and shimmering silver sword in each hand, took point against the assault. The three attacks struck the shield and broke against the strength of it.

"Yield foes, or face my wrath." A muffled, yet clear, voice came from beneath the helm. It registered as Chaz's vocal pattern, but the tone and inflection was strikingly different.  "You shall not triumph today."

"We've still got you three to two," Dr. Morphon responded. "I like those odds."

"Then we shall see." Chaz brought up his hand and every sword in the display cases smashed out and danced in the air, heading toward Dr. Morphon. "Have at ye, knave."

Silver Paladin
ID: 22349
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Re: Prelude to a Hero: Part Two

Strange Quark
Administrator
What is your player ID?
"Embrace your inner weirdness"
ID 10850
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Re: Prelude to a Hero: Part Two

Silver Paladin
Silver Paladin
ID: 22349

Sorry for the omission.
Silver Paladin
ID: 22349
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Re: Prelude to a Hero: Part Three

Silver Paladin
In reply to this post by Silver Paladin
Dr. Morphon snarled. He and his two henchmen fired again, this time directly at Chaz. Once again his shield blocked the blows.

Catalyst walked up beside the reporter. He must have gotten powers from Dr. Morphon's blast like the others did. Refusing to look a gift horse in the month, Catalyst thought it best to take advantage of the situation. "What else can you do?"

The swords that had taken to the air hurled at the laser-eyed henchman. He blasted at a couple of them, knocking them off their course, before the others struck him. Blood spewed from a variety of cuts into his flesh from many of the blades. Others impaled into his chest and limbs, knocking him to the ground.

"The wicked will not be allowed to stand." Chaz pointed a blade at Dr. Morphon. On closer inspection, Catalyst noted the blade came from a housing on Chaz's wrist rather than being held like a typical sword. "I shall smite you just like your companion."

"Bring him down, #2," Dr. Morphon said while pointing. As the flying, shrunken henchman flew forward, Dr. Morphon retreated into the corridor.

Catalyst fired a blast from his Shrink Gun at their opponent, who swerved beneath the rings.

The shield Chaz generated appeared directly in the henchman's new flight path. Like a bug on a windshield, there was a splat and a winged body hit the floor with multiple broken wings.

"Nice reactions for your first fight as a super, Chaz," Catalyst said. "You check on the one over there bleeding until BADGE arrives to help. I'll go after Dr. Morphon."

"I'll dispatch the coward." Chaz ran down the corridor in a blur of speed, ignoring Catalyst's request.

Unable to follow as quickly, Catalyst could only watch with surprise on his face. The yellow glow still remained on the henchman's closed eyes, so Chaz's powers could remain for long enough to catch Dr. Morphon. Based on his actions in the display room, he clearly had discovered how to use his new gifts rapidly.

After checking the henchman over, Catalyst discovered the wounds were severe. Fortunately, BADGE agents arrived shortly thereafter and took over. He spoke into his communicator. "Be on lookout for Dr. Morphon in the downtown Louisville area. He is being chased by... a new hero clad in silver armor." There was no need to out Chaz if his powers were only temporary.

"Did you find the shard you were after?" A BADGE agent asked while he tended to the henchman's wounds.

"Yes, over here," Catalyst said. He walked over to retrieve it when he found Chaz's unconscious body laying on the floor, a hole in the mirror's glass, and a growing pool of blood on the floor.

 
Silver Paladin
ID: 22349
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Re: Prelude to a Hero: Part Four

Silver Paladin
This post was updated on .
Chaz ran through the corridor, but stopped quickly as movement outside the Royal Arms Museum caught his eye. Dr. Morphon had made it to the street and headed west in his retreat.

Taking a step back, Chaz formed his Prysmatic Shield before him and charged through the glass. It shattered and fell to the ground alongside of him, creating a massive cacophony in the enclosed space of the street formed by the tall buildings.

People on the sidewalks huddled close to what cover they could. A shop canopy. A doorframe. They had already been on alert as Dr. Morphon ran past, his hands glowing with the same green discharge.

Chaz paid little attention to them. He sped after his prey, leaping over halted cars as he cut a straight path to intercept. The shimmering armor he wore caught the sun and reflected the light off like the moon's image bouncing off a calm ocean.

Dr. Morphon's entire body began to glow with the same green light he projected. He grew faint, his form somehow becoming ghostlike. He ran through a support structure for the interstate overpass and toward the Ohio river.

A snarl passed over Chaz's lips. He slowed for an instant and a phantom, shadow-image of his body flew at Dr. Morphon. The astral projection of Chaz struck Dr. Morphon from behind and knocked him to the ground. The villain may have made himself insubstantial, but that wouldn't save him from a psychic attack.

"I say again," Chaz shouted. "Yield, fiend. Surrender is your best option or shall you force me to be far less kind to you. You do not wish to sate my blades thirst for your blood, do you?" Chaz drew his arm-mounted blades against one another, creating sparks and a high-pitched screech of metal on metal.

Dr. Morphon struggled to stand up, his body solid once again. "Who are you? A reject from one of the D-grade movie studios around this backwater town?"

Chaz slowed to a stop, his face twisted in confusion. "Who?..." He shook his head and stared at the villain, continuing his paced movement. The confusion returned to a look of determination. "My name matters not as long as I have purpose."

With a burst of speed, Chaz stood within feet of Dr. Morphon, the blades pressing like scissors against the villain's neck. Chaz leaned in, letting the sound of his swords speak once more as they ground against the  metal of the other. "Now, thrice is the limit to my generosity. Do...you...yield?"

Behind the glass of his goggles, Dr. Morphon's fear could easily be seen. "I give up."


*****
The BADGE medic worked over Chaz's body as Catalyst watched as a ruby shard was pulled out of the unconscious man's back, glistening with blood.

"Most of his injuries aren't that severe, so far as I can tell," the medic said as she cleaned the wound. "A laceration to the scalp caused most of the blood loss, but did no lasting damage. Same with the shard. Moderate penetration but it was deflected by his ribs. We do need to get him to a medical facility for a possible concussion."

Catalyst considered calling on Krystal Fae, knowing she could heal Chaz easily, but decided against it. With the ruby shard hunt going, she was needed elsewhere and if the medic was correct, Chaz would recover with time. The priority was clear, but the entire situation boggled Catalyst's mind. How was Chaz fighting at his side and then laying on the ground in a deep slumber at the same time. The ruby shards did have an unknown energy flowing within them and could effect heroes, so Director Nova advised him, but this was more that he had ever foreseen as possible.

"Take him to the hospital. I'll follow later. Someone stay with him until he wakes up." Catalyst ordered as he inspected the debris in the area. The silver three-faced mirror lay tilted from its position. A caustic burn bubbled on the skin of the reflective surface, but not where Chaz's body would have stood. That area of the mirror had fractured, but not broken, into spiderwebs of cracks.

He looked at the placard identifying the display piece.

The Enchanted Mirror: Many myths speak of mirrors imbued with special mystical abilities, The Evil Queen's mirror of Snow White being the most notorious..
This mirror has been said to be owned by Merlin, a gift from the Lady of the Lake, according to sources in Daemonshire, England. 
There are stories of it having been imbued with powerful magics to aid Merlin as he guided Arthur to being a fair and just king.

Catalyst began to ponder to himself aloud. "Did the shard do something to the mirror?" His own recent dabbling in the realm of magic and how it reacted when combined with technology lead him to a new line of questioning. In science, there was a theory of the God Equation. A formula that explained the beginnings of the universe, explaining the links between gravity, magnetism, and all the other fundamentals of the universe.

That concept didn't apply any thought to the concept of magic. Or the other supernatural or psychic power sources that were now nearly everyday occurrences. The shard was an unknown. Strange Quark's energy was surely unknown. This mirror was an unknown magic, at least to Catalyst. How would they all react when exposed to the energy Dr. Morphon exuded?

"Load up this mirror, please," Catalyst asked the BADGE agents. "With the museum's permission, of course. Take it to the Star Force Observatory."

Catalyst climbed up to the roof and headed out to the shuttle with the found ruby shard, intending to go to the BADGE collection area. Maybe Krystal or another magic-using hero could answer some questions for him while he was there.

As he flew over the street, he spotted the alternate Chaz, swords at the throat of Dr. Morphon as police cars surrounded the two men.
Silver Paladin
ID: 22349
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Re: Prelude to a Hero: Part Five

Silver Paladin
"Stand down, officers." Catalyst broadcast his message over the shuttle's loudspeakers as he landed near Chaz and Dr. Morphon's position. "He's with BADGE."

"Which one?" One of the officers called out. Seven police vehicles circled the area and over a dozen officers brandished their firearms cautiously. "The shiny guy looks like he is about to execute the other one."

"I'm doing no such activity," Chaz said from behind his facemask. "I am simply enforcing compliance from this miscreant."

Catalyst rushed to the shuttle's door, making his exit onto the pavement and walked closer to the embroiled men. "He complying. Put down the blades and I will take care of him. BADGE temporary HQ isn't far from here."

Giving Catalyst a sideways glare through his visor, Chaz stepped back and retracted his blades into the housings on his wrists. Two large crystals sat atop each device creating a blade, sapphire blue in color.
"I know you to be a fair and just man. I release him. Do with him as you will."

Nodding, Catalyst waved over to the two closest officers to handcuff and remove Dr. Morphon.

As the did, the evil schemer couldn't help but to speak. "This isn't over between us, lab-rat. When I escape, and I will, the two of you will know what fear is."

With a deft twist of his wrist, Chaz angled his wrist and the blade slipped between the officers and into the lower half of Dr. Morphon's lab coat, just below his groin. "The only yellow you will find shall be in thy undergarments, deviant scum. Come after me and there shall be even less to find there should we meet again."

Dr. Morphon and the closer of the two policemen's faces paled. Frozen in place, Chaz retracted the blade slowly. As it pulled free of the garment, droplets of a clear liquid dripped from it's tip.

Those officers still holding weapons tightened their grips and focused on Chaz.

Catalyst held up his hands to the officers. "So sorry about that. He new. I'll get him out of here so you can do your jobs."

"That would be best," the officer handcuffing Dr. Morphon replied. He angled his head to one side and scrunched his nose as he recited the Miranda rights.

One thing Catalyst rarely acknowledged to anyone was that not only could he hear well enough to identify heartbeats, but he could also hear other biological functions. From rumblings in a stomach for hunger, a baby moving in a womb, or in this case, flatulence and bowel eruptions. There are always details to a heroes powers that are often best left unknown.

"Shall we proceed to our previous mission. Locating the ruby shards, good sir?" Chaz asked.

Catalyst took Chaz by the arm and led him to the door of the shuttle. He noted that the suit Chaz wore was far more intricately detailed than he previously noted. A film of water coated the metal plates of the armor, but did not flow. The moisture clung to the metal in a highly unusual manner. There appeared to be fiberoptic power conduits running between articulation points in the suit. There were circuit patterns of wiring beneath the gems on Chaz's wrists and belt as well as ancient runes carved into various locations. "What's happened to you, Chaz? I've found your body up there where the mirror was. Which one is the real you?"

"Who... what..." the man before him staggered and put a hand to his brow. "I don't know, but I do...it's so confusing." The man took a deep breath and steadied himself. "There is a mission. We must do what we have been assigned to do. The rest doesn't matter--"

As he spoke the last words, the armored man faded into nothingness before Catalyst's eyes. Instinctively, Catalyst stepped close enough to try to catch the fleeting image, but no substance remained.

"Weird!" Catalyst returned to the shuttle controls and lifted off. He needed help to figure all this out. He contacted the medical officer taking Chaz to the hospital. "How is he?"

"I was just about to contact you, Catalyst," she said. "Mr. Hamilton just woke up."
Silver Paladin
ID: 22349
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Re: Prelude to a Hero: Part Five

Silver Paladin
Chaz felt pretty good despite his injuries. That quality most likely was do to the pain medication his doctors gave him after stitching up his side and scalp. He rested in the hospital bed, propped up on pillows and flipped channels until he found a current news broadcast about the events in the area.

"We've seen hundreds of heroes out and about in the tri-state area." The reporter commented. "While our BADGE sources haven't made many comments about the search, the Mid-Country Investigation continues."

"Meh,"Chaz said as the spot ended. "Quest in the Midwest is so much better."

There was a light knock on his door.

Chaz straightened his legs out and smoothed the thin white sheet over his lap. "Come on in."

The door opened and Catalyst walked in. He had a floating balloon with GET WELL on it in his hand. "You OK?"

"As well as medications can make me feel," Chaz smiled and pointed to the balloon. "That for me? You didn't need to do that."

"Not for you," Catalyst said. He jerked his thumb at a wall. "Girl in next room. Cute. Thought I would cheer her up when done with you."

Chaz's face fell a bit, surprised by Catalyst's statement. "Oh, that's cool. Good luck."

"Kidding," Catalyst smiled and stepped over with the balloon. "It for you. From Krystal."

"OK, now you definitely can give it to the girl next door." Chaz feigned pushing the gift away for a second. " Bring it here. Tell her thanks for me. I'd think it to her, but they must have taken off the bracelet she gave to me with everything else."

"What you remember?" Catalyst asked as he tied the balloon to the railing of the bed.

"Dr. Morphon and his goons showing up. You fighting them. I tried to get at the Ruby Shard I spotted caught in the mirror but Dr. Morphon blasted me with something. I got slammed back into the mirror. Everything went black after that. That's twice this year I've been knocked out."

"That all?"

"Yeah," Chaz said as he scooted up in the bed. "When I woke up here, that medic told me you managed to chase Dr. Morphon off with the help of some unknown cape. What else did I miss?"

"You tell me." Catalyst caught Chaz up on what happened by replaying the video made of the encounter on his body camera.

Chaz's face went pale when he saw the image of him standing and calling the armor from the displays to him. "What's happening there. That's not me!"

The video continued, including the armored duplicate fighting and using powers to defeat Dr. Morphon. Chaz leaned in, studying the footage as he would any potential story. "That's bizarre."

"What?" Catalyst asked.

"I don't know why, but he reminds me of something." Chaz shook his head in an attempt to jar a thought back in place. "I can't put my finger on it, but he looks kind of familiar to me."

*****
The world around him changed in a constant shift. For a brief moments, he slide into focus in different locations. For a short period, he found himself standing in the company of Krystal Fae, the Sword of Gerraxia, and Wyldfyre in an underground tunnel. There were others there that he didn't know, a minotaur and a four-legged horse-human amalgam, but the three BADGE agents he recognized. How he knew them, he had no idea.

Then he disappeared once more and traveled without moving to another place.

What was happening, he didn't know. Who he was, he was unsure of. The memories he had didn't fit what he could do. He stopped paying attention to she ever changing landscape and turned his attention inward. He knew he could do many things. He felt powerful, but incomplete. No, not incomplete. Fractured.

He wanted to finish his mission. Help find the ruby shards. If he could do what he was meant to be doing, life would be so much better.
Silver Paladin
ID: 22349