Fall Foretold

Captured

This was an acted 'robbery', not well rehearsed. They were in, already. Just as they had been told, the target was not home.

"Where's your son?!", one of them asked, in a threatening voice.

"He's not home. He travelled", Mr. Ryan said, actively thinking of how to disarm the inexperienced thieves.

"Really? Travelled?"

"Shut up", an accomplice whispered in his ears. "They don't have to know that we know anything"

"Ok. Where's the money?", he continued acting. He whispered into his partner's ear. "Go check if he's coming. We have to be ready"

"There's no money here. Who gave you your information?", Mr. Ryan asked, pissed.

"Don't shout. They might shoot", Mrs Ryan whispered to him.

"The Shadowmask is coming... just as expected", the second masked robber yelled from outside.

"Beep the others so they'll do it fast", the robber yelled back and turned. Mr. Ryan stood up, quickly, grabbed the gun and buttstroked the thief.

The second robber fired shots at the Shadowmask who was leaping on ceilings. "Hey, he's not going down. We might have to run, Billy.….. Billy!"

The Shadowmask jumped at the thief, kicking him down. His veins glowed through his suit, making him look demonic.

"What's that?", Mrs Ryan asked.

"The Shadowmask", Mr. Ryan replied. The buttstroked robber hit him hard from behind, collecting the gun from him.

He shot at the Shadowmask who kept coming. Joe could feel the bullets dropping from his body.

"Shoot him", he heard in his head. The Shadowmask was speaking to him. "Push your arm forward. Disarm him"

Joe pushed out his palm at the robber, shooting out a fiery ball which threw the robber into the air.

Mr. Ryan looked up at the Shadowmask. The aura around the masked being was fierce and scary, and the glowing lines on his costume was 'familiar'. The Shadowmask jumped back into the darkness, disappearing from sight.

"Those glowing lines look familiar", Mr Ryan said, remaining on his back. The hard hit on his back was painful and weakening.

"How do you mean?", she asked, panting.

"Never mind. It's not important"

★

Cyrus was ready to track the phone. He was almost sure Ashwood would never accept to hold the key. As desirable as it seemed to be able to control the beast and remain unstoppable, not everyone wanted it.

"Hey, Stan", Cyrus said, over the phone. "I'm in Sterling"

"Are you kidding? If you get caught, I will stay away from your case"

"Well, I have been sent to you. We need to meet"

"You know where to find me, don't you?"

"I don't. let's meet at the park... and be early", Cyrus said, and almost ended the conversation.

"Wait! Let's do it over the phone", Stan said. He had been avoiding members of his clique. He was no longer interested in Life after the Unchaining.

"Do what?"

"Whatever you have to say, let's do it over the phone. I can't come to the park"

Cyrus looked at his phone. He already got Stan's location. "Ok. I personally have no problem with that". He ended the conversation and covered his head with an hood.

★

"How did it happen?", Joe asked, the two who looked restive.

"She came for you. Yea, she had entered the boys’ bathroom. Where did you go?", Felix asked.

"We'll talk about that, later", Joe said. "We have to find her before things get too crazy."

The cops were in the school, with a few students and the teachers. Laura had mysteriously gone missing.

When Joe returned to school, the previous day, they could not find Laura so the boys went to sleep, scolding Joe for not taking his chances to tell her. They had checked the bathroom for Joe, then, they realized Laura had been there, too. A ribbon from her hair had been found on the ground. They hid it.

"Should we tell all these to the cops?", Jackson said. "I mean, if we can't handle this, I hope it's not the last time we ever see her"

Felix's phone beeped. He had subscribed to a news channel. 'The Shadowmask takes down two robbers; One identified as one of Cyrus Martinez's thugs, Elvis Wick, and the other, Billy Booger"

He showed his phone to Joe. "Let's talk about this"

"Wait! Jackson is in on it, too", Joe said and leaned closer to them. "You both know I am the Shadowmask"

The two of them stared at each other. They had lied, earlier. Joe pulled them to a more private place. "Don't tell anyone about this. None of you is supposed to know"

"So how are we going to fix this 'cause I think Cyrus Martinez might have planned the attack to get Laura", Felix said.

"I'm thinking so, too but... how would he know me? There's no hint to my real identity so we can't be sure of that."

"We might need to get the cops on this, Joe", Jackson said.

"Davis!", a thought hit him. He never really met Davis but the Shadowmask did and he already has all of the memories. "I know one of Martinez's men. He'll help us if Cyrus planned the kidnap"

"And if it's not CyrusCyrus' men behind this, what happens next?", Felix said. "We still need the cops"

"Luckily, I know one", Joe said, and turned to one of the police officers, speaking to the teachers. "John Cage"

"You know John Cage?"

"I know John Cage. I know Klitschko Vladimir", Joe said and smiled. "We are a team.... and I know Lucifer"

"I thought tracking you would be needed. You really are scared of nothing", Cyrus said, still hiding under his hood.

"I wished you would have come to Planet News and get caught", Ashwood replied. "Go back with the key. I don't want it"

"Nice of you to suspect what I came here with", Cyrus said and brought out the key, wrapped in a white napkin. "But you have no choice in this case"

Stan didn't want the key, neither did Cyrus. They had sold their souls to the Devil's daughter, in exchange for a life after the Unchaining. If whoever dared to lead the Unchaining himself, he could have the lives of everyone in his hands, including the devil's daughter.

"Why don't you keep it and lead the Unchaining?", Stan said, trying to convince Cyrus to keep it. "Instead of depending on anyone for life after the Unchaining, you can control life after Unchaining"

"I don't want it, I guess", Cyrus replied. "Well, Lucifer's daughter knows about this so... she'll know when you have it. If you discard it, she'll find you"

Ashwood's little daughter walked out of the room, crying. Cyrus covered his pistol with his cloth and dropped the key on the table.

Ashwood carried his little kid. "It's up to you. You shouldn't have sold your soul to the Devil's daughter", Cedric said and walked away.

★

Davis had left the others, again. Elvis had been arrested, already, and he might rat them out, soon. Cyrus was also out on a mission.

"Do you know why some of them still run from the key?", the drunk man was with him, drunk again.

"Why?", Davis asked.

"Because a lot of people want the key. If they come for it, his life is at stake. Some cannot lead the Unchaining so they comfortably sold their souls to the Devil's daughter.... If one holds the key, with the intention of opening the beast lock, but fails in the process, the key takes complete control of him"

"Why is the devil's daughter not holding the key, herself, if she's not the only one capable of leading the Unchaining? "

"She's not ready for it, yet. She also has the power to know where the key is so she can find it whenever she desires. She also knows who will dare to open the beast lock"

"Davis", a thick voice said, startling the two of them. The drunk man turned and fainted, as his eyes fell on the glowing eyes of the Shadowmask.

"Hey, Shadowmask", Davis said, with his hands in his pocket. "Looks like you got an upgrade".

"What does Cyrus know about me? Where are you keeping Laura?"

"We've moved. I'll give you a location. Cyrus got his information from a diviner named Klaus"

"Give me the location. We are coming tonight"

"The girl is bait. He knows you will find us. He has sent Monaco to get the diviner."

"What's the plan?"

"I know less about that but he's confident. He's returning, tonight"

The Shadowmask was about to leap off the building but... he could have two secrets, at once. "Where's he returning from?"

"He was sent to steal the key from Manuel Catholic Church and deliver it to Ashwood, the owner of Planet News"

"When the police gets in this, you'll be free... I promise". He vanished in the darkness.

★

"Joe. Are you in?", Mr. Ryan knocked on his door. It was time to talk about the Shadowmask and his glowing vains.

"Y-", he was about to shout a response but he was dressed up, already. If he responded, he would have to let his father in. His father would want to speak with him and there was no way he could guess how long the discussion would last. Besides, there was a plan; a plan with a specified time.

He opened his window and jumped down. He slowly transformed into the Shadowmask, leaping off into the sky.

"Joe! We need to talk", his father called and pressed down the door handle. The door was open, so was the window... but Joe was out.

★

Monaco and Davis stayed with the captive. Cyrus had huge bouncers at every entrance, with well placed cameras to watch whichever way the Shadowmask would come through.

The glasses shattered as a large ball of fire stormed in. Cyrus jumped up from his seat. The Shadowmask had taken an unexpected path into his den. His men rained bullets on the fierce masked being.

The Shadowmask shot fireballs back at them. An heavily built man ran at him with a bat, smashing the weapon on his head. The Shadowmask turned back, throwing him up with a punch. He was about to jump at Cyrus when a bolt of electricity threw him back.

He fell on his back, unable to move his muscles for a few seconds.

"Rise!!!", the voice in his head yelled at him. His eyes remained closed, as the muscles in his body seemed impossible to move.

Cyrus kissed the Taser X12 XREP in his hand and shot another bolt at the Shadowmask.

Joe felt extended and painful vibrations in every part of his muscles. He couldn't stand, neither did he try to open his eyes. He remained on his back, relaxing without fighting the weakening electricity in his muscles.

"Wake up, weakling", the voice yelled at him again.

"I can't lift myself. What am I supposed to do?", Joe yelled.

"You underestimate the power bestowed on you", the Shadowmask said to Joe. "Maybe you do not deserve it, after all"

Joe struggled to lift himself, "Aaargh!!!", he yelled and forced his eyes open. He was already in chains. Cyrus' men had chained his arms and legs.

★

"When do we go in?", John spoke to Cedric over the phone, as he prepared some officers to attack Cyrus' den.

"I'm thinking of a plan to get in. He has been captured", Cedric replied, watching Cyrus and his men on a laptop.

"How do you know that?"

"I can see everything. We put a camera in his mask so I can see what he sees when he gets in."

"They've captured him. Won't they take the mask off his face?"

"They've already tried that. They can’t remove it” Cedric said.

“How do you mean?”

“The point is they can’t see his face because it’s impossible to get the mask off. Don’t ask me how”, Cedric replied. “We have someone on the inside. Let’s meet”